He was a simple man, dragged into this mercenary business all because of his grandfather. It was a difficult business like any other one involving machinery but this job was different... he had to kill people. He never would have thought his life would have come to this or that, and he would have not much of a choice, but for what it's worth be believed that is was all worth it, protecting his family. Or at least that's what he told me. He had eleven science PhD's and nothing to show for it besides his dirty overalls and his missing hand. "For Science" or at least that's what he said the purpose of ditching it was. Science. It was always about science with him. Always carefully calculating. Tinkering madly with his gadgets. But that's what was so attractive about him. His drive, his passion. Behind those dingy goggles was a spark in his eye like no other.

Me? well.. I wasn't much of a mercenary. I was forced here because I had debt to pay and needed to work and this was the only thing I could get. Sure I could fight, but that's not what I was hired to do. I was just an errand runner, just a simple messenger who went into town to grab supplies and other things for the mercenaries on the team I lived with. The base was disgusting when I arrived. There were Sniper's urine.. jars.. on the counter top in the kitchen and grease and oil all over the kitchen table from Engineer bringing his work with him when he ate. Everyone else mostly stayed in their rooms on downtime except for Sniper who was never in the base but out in his van. From time to time he would come back inside to fill his thermos with hot coffee and clean his "#1 Sniper" mug.

Speaking of which, he had just come inside, I could see the cold on his breath as he walked in, his hands looked cold as ice. I looked up at him and down to his mug as I watched him pour himself a cup of the scalding black coffee.

"So if you're #1 Sniper, who's #2?" I asked, just joking with him.

"That bloke at the enemy base." he snickered, gesturing at the door towards their base.

I giggled at the thought of Blue Sniper drinking out of a "#2 Sniper" mug. My giggles must have traveled into the dining room cause soon after I noticed the Engineer get up and walk over to us.

"Soun's like someone's havin' quite a bit of a party on over here." He reached over me to the cupboard above to grab a mug for some coffee. "care eff'n i join yall?"

I smiled at him warmly and reached out my hand for his mug, offering to pour him some coffee. He surrendered the cup and I turned around to pour him some from the fresh pot I had made. Sniper turned and placed his coffee down after a quick sip.

"Goin back to the van" He snickered, "but i'm sure this Shelia would keep ya' comp'ny." He quickly took his cold hands and slid them down the collar of my shirt, wrapping them around my shoulders. I jumped out of my skin from the cold. I swatted him away angerly. He grabbed his thermous and mad a mad dash for the door as I threw a dishrag at him.

"And don't cha' come back tonight! I'm NOT makin' you any more coffee you dirty old man!" I yelled at him, my face red as the hot sun. He loved teasing me since he was the only one to have caught on to my crush on the Engineer and damn did he exploit it at every turn.

Engineer was laughing so hard he couldn't contain it anymore. The look on my face as I looked into the reflection of the toaster was disheveled. I tried to regain my composure but Engineer's laughter was just contagious. As I looked at myself in the toaster I started to laugh. Suddenly I could feel tears running down my cheeks as if I hadn't realized I had spilled the hot coffee I was pouring for Engineer all over one of my hands.

"Oh shoot!" I exclaimed, half laughing at myself and trying to hide the pain and hurt from him. If I let him worry he'll go soft on me.

I rinsed my hands under cold water and cleaned up the counter quickly, but Engineer looked extremely concerned. He had taken off his goggles to reveal his beautiful eyes as blue as the day filled with worry.

"Yer hands-" he started, but I interrupted him quickly so he couldn't question my behavior.

"-Are fine." I lied, the burning and stinging pain drowning out all my thoughts, "I've had worse, but i'll go downstairs and see Medic just in case."

I hustled out of the room, my back to hirted flowing for real now, and I knew he was still staring at me as I left, his gaze pulling at my heart.