Behind The Mask

by Mega-Erofan

He knew he was a monster in the eyes of his allies and Anton was no different, how could such an intelligent, handsome man ever fall for a psychopathic arsonist? If he ever saw his face, the man would flee for the hills for sure. Anton was one burning passion he simply couldn't have and maybe it was best that way. (RED Pyro/RED Spy)

The quiet days before each new assignment are relaxing but nerve-racking at the same time at RED's main base; it allows everyone to relax for a time but it also reminds everyone of the brutal battle that will be had tomorrow. Romeo, the RED Pyro, understands this as he trudges out to the open balcony of the courtyard behind the RED base, looking up at the night as he sits on the edge of the worn wooden planks. Some relish in the aspect of another fight, like Milton and Rogov, their Soldier and Heavy who always enjoyed charging into battle head-on with Nicolas, the Medic, following behind them to make sure they don't immediately explode to pieces at first contact with BLU. The more naïve of the bunch enjoy the rush of the battle more, like their Scout Robbie or the Demoman Colla, and some are there simply to help out where they could like Milo, the Engineer, and Nicolas.

Then there were the three ambiguous mercenaries of the bunch, the ones that seem to have no better reasons to fight. Walker, their Sniper, was originally hired to join RED as a means to help deal more damage in the field without him ever having to get within shooting range of the "lesser mercs" as he called them. After a while, being paid wasn't his only excuse to stay because he grew fond of his mercenary buddies and their battles. Win or lose, he wanted to stick by the few good friends he made during this whole venture of his, so "I'm just here for the money" became "I'm here for my good buddies". Anton, the Spy, was also hired to join RED but was much more professional than Walker, being a world-class spy and all. Romeo expected him to simply walk away after the first contract was finished, taking his money and never being seen again, but that never happened. He kept taking one contract after the other, as though the hefty reward he was given after each one was simply pocket change. By the look of his suits and advanced weapons, he certainly didn't need the extra money as he owned all these and had many of them, so the money wasn't keeping him here. He never really had any close relationships with any of the other mercenaries that he saw at least, so he had no good friends to stay for. Why would someone like Anton want to continue fighting alongside a bunch of "uncultured ruffians"?

Then there is Romeo, the Pyro that everyone fears because they never know what he's thinking or even saying half the time. He is not even sure why he stays but there are a number of reasons. He enjoys the ability to burn things down without severe consequences, having flame broiled people alive and destroyed tons of buildings but never once seen the inside of a jail cell. He likes the company of the other mercenaries even if they do not trust him too much, Robbie seems especially terrified of him and the others just seem to treat him normally to avoid "setting him off". Perhaps it is the fact no one knows who he is or what he even looks like, that is a blessing in disguise for him. People in his past did not react too kindly to his appearance before, so it is best that his comrades never see his true face if he can help it. Any of those reasons could be valid enough to pin point to him, but for him personally, he always stays because of Anton.

When he first met the Frenchman what seemed like years ago now, he felt something odd in his stomach that caused him to visit the Medic several times but never had a clear diagnosis. Every time he saw or heard Anton, his face would get warmer than usual, his heart would race, his palms would sweat, and his head would start spinning. He would get chills up his spine and his insides would go numb and knot up. The symptoms always go away a few hours later but by then he would run into him again and the cycle would repeat. He cringed every time Anton was injured or killed in battle and relished in the victories won by the Spy. The man had a skill and charm he longed to have but could never achieve. Romeo has always admired Anton from afar, valuing the Frenchman's skill in battle and his suave charm at home base, but he understood his admiration would never be returned. He knew he was a monster in the eyes of his allies and Anton was no different, how could such an intelligent, handsome man ever fall for a psychopathic arsonist? If he ever saw his face, the man would flee for the hills for sure. Anton was one burning passion he simply couldn't have and maybe it was best that way.

"Is something troubling you, mon beau feu?"

Romeo's face grows warm beneath the mask as his pulse jumps from its steady pace to that of a magnitude six earthquake, his core freezes over and his stomach becomes numb. He is not sure what the Frenchman called him as he uses his French terms to give everyone a sort of title. He has translated a few in his spare time, finding he calls Colla a Cyclops and Rogov a very inappropriate term that equates to calling a big built man a "pig". He normally says these terms kindly, so the others never think them to be insults and Romeo has never been too sure when Anton was sincerely nice or simply faking as the line between them blurred after a while.

While speaking in the mask did prove to be difficult, Romeo wanted to give some kind of response to the man, even if he was asking out of pure spite to make fun of his speech or lack thereof. He shakes his head and turns his attention back to the stars above.

"Are you sure about that?" Slender fingers rest on his right shoulder and the other forces back the shudder that was his body's reaction to the contact. "You seem a bit…distracted lately, more than usual."

Romeo simply shrugs, hoping it would be enough to appease the man but instead finds him taking a seat next to him on the side of the walkway. He tilts his head in a manner to question, hinting the Spy at his confusion of the situation.

"I was hoping we could…talk for a bit." Anton states, a bit apprehensive with the term.

Romeo's already racing heart speeds up even more, realizing Anton truly wants to interact with him outside of the battlefield, outside of the violence and gore they are so familiar with. He was so happy yet so anxious, he could have cried but resists. There would be time for that later.

"Would you mind taking the mask off so we can speak properly?" Romeo tenses at the request and looks at Spy, guessing he looks either insulted or angered as Anton quickly replies. "If it is no issue with you, that is. I mean, you wear it all the time and it's so hard to hear you even make proper sentences. I just want to be able to have a full conversation with you."

Romeo is a bit hesitant, not willing to reveal his face to the man he adores in fear of driving him away, but he understands his reasoning. His mask is meant to protect his from being burned so it is specially insulated and the filters on the end and side of the mask do nothing to help his already muffled speech while wearing it. He is not comfortable showing his whole face but he can at least allow his lower face to be clear of the wretched mask. He slowly begins to pulls the mask off, revealing the lower half of a fair face with a single, stark white scar on the right cheek, a jagged shape that follows his lower jaw to his chin and reaches his cheekbone at least. He stops pulling off the mask, giving the Frenchman a moment to examine the unknown territory of his comrade before he speaks.

"Where do we start?" It feels so strange to hear his voice outside of his mask, the feminine tone, the slight lisp he has, and the fact that without the mask he sounds a bit like a kicked puppy when normally he could talk bombastically because no one could hear what he is saying anyway. It is weird but he can stand it for Anton.

"Why not with the obvious: why are you part of a group of mercenaries?" Anton asks.

Romeo thinks about it for a moment, knowing that speaking what is basically the truth would sound a bit creepy and odd. He has to go with one of his back up reasons. "I feel like I belong here, I guess." He slowly leans onto his elbows, firmly planting them on his knees and holding his chin between his hands. "I do what I like to do and I'm not judged for it. I'm among people that understand me in a sense even if they're terrified of me half the time."

"The team isn't afraid of you." Anton reassures the other, laying a hand on his leg. "You're our friend and one of our most powerful fighters out there. We wouldn't have half the victories we have without you."

"I know that but I also know what everyone thinks of me. I'm not a completely stupid simpleton like some of the others think." Romeo states, letting his head drop and his hand run to his neck. "Robbie is terrified of me and practically scrambles out of my way when I walk down the hall and everyone else treats me like a wild animal ready to pounce at any second. I understand why, but I hate it so much." He growls, his gloves fingers digging into the back of his neck. "I'm not a monster like everyone thinks I am."

"Not everyone thinks you're a monster." Anton sighs, the hand on Romeo's thigh squeezing lightly. "I don't think you are at least."

Romeo turns to look at Anton, unable to see him through the rubber of the mask but feels his stare nonetheless. "Y-you mean that?"

"Of course I do." Anton softly chuckles. A lean hand on his cheek causes the Pyro to tense up and his cheeks to flush red. "Why else would I have come out to check on you? I've noticed you've not been acting right around the base or in battle, you've seemed distracted and you've changed quite a bit from the merciless firebug I first met when we were brought together by these contracts." He lets his thumb gently rub beneath Romeo's left eye, right under what looks to be another scar that is hidden under the mask.

"Right…" Romeo murmurs, feeling his hands become clammy and his head begin to spin. He is not sure how much more of this he can take at the moment, it all seems like a dream but it has to be real, some part of it has to be real. "Then…why do you always stick around?"

"What do you mean?"

"It's not as if it's a big secret anymore, you and Walker were practically paid to join us and that was your only interest at the time." Romeo states as he wrings his hands. "Walker would've left after the first contract ended if he hadn't made such good friends with Milo and Colla. When he heard they were sticking around for some more action, he stayed to."

"And what does that have to do with me?"

"You don't really have a reason to stay here, not a clear one at least." Romeo sighs. "You're a professional, you do your job and you move on. That's the vibe you gave everyone at least. You don't joke around, you don't make relationships, and you weren't exactly enthused about working with us when we all met for the first time. You got your money but you kept coming back, why? I know it's not for the money; you'd have plenty of it by now, enough to make it worth tolerating us. Why keep coming back?"

Anton chuckles under his breath. "Why assume my reason to stay should be any different than the bushman's reason?" Romeo attempts to respond but freezes when he feels lips lightly brush against his. "They're one in the same but mine just goes…a bit deeper."

"Deeper?" The Pyro stutters. He is unable to move as the hand on his leg slowly climbs up, causing his cheeks to grow a bright red. If this was a dream, he hopes it is a coma so it does not have to end. Anton hums and Romeo can feel the other's breath on his face, the smell of cologne and brandy flooding his senses. It feels like he could pass out at any minute but he does not want this moment to end. He hesitantly reaches out, grabbing the arm of the hand on his leg and following it up to Anton's shoulder.

"Yes, and I think you understand exactly what I mean."

Romeo's world slows down in that instant, realizing what Anton means. The admiration he long felt for the Frenchman is indeed returned, it cannot be anything else. After long days of watching him and enduring the pains of seeing his Spy be hurt and killed in battle, Romeo can finally show the other how much he cares. However, when he should be pouncing on the other and smothering him with his adoration in fevered kisses and needy gropes, he freezes. He is happy his feelings are returned but there is still the matter of his face, the marred surface he has never let anyone else see since he was first shipped off. He did not want to scare Anton away with his disfigured face.

"What's wrong, Romeo?" Anton asks, pulling away from the other. "Do you not feel the same?"

"No, of course I do!" Romeo blurts out, blindly grabbing the Spy by the shoulders and nearly drags himself into the other's lap. "I've always felt the same for you, always wanted to have you as my own, always dreamed of the day I could finally tell you the truth." The Pyro lets his head fall in shame, thankful his mask blocked his eyes so the other could not see the tears building. "But…"

A gentle hand on his cheek forces Romeo's head back up, feeling those sharp green eyes stare at him in the most gentle of ways. "What is it then?" The Frenchman inquires.

"I don't wanna scare you away. I…" His hand unconsciously reaches for the scar on his jaw, his fingers tracing the long-healed wound he knows so well. "You might not think I'm a monster, Anton…but I see one every time I look at myself without my mask."

"It can't be that bad." Anton reassures. He grabs the mask and begins to gently pull it off but is surprised when a hand roughly grabs one of his wrists. He looks back at the other mercenary, noticing the man's trembling and tense shoulders. He is truly afraid of showing his face. "Mon beau feu, we all have our scars. You shouldn't be ashamed of them."

"Your scars aren't as bad as mine." Romeo murmurs, flinching shamefully when he hears his own voice crack. "I had them before I ever received the original contract that brought us together. They're why no one has ever seen me without my mask, not even Nicholas."

Anton sighs softly and moves to bring his hands away then nimbly grabs the mask and pulls it off Romeo's head. His dark brown hair is all messy and tangled, falling just to his shoulders in subtle waves. Large hazel eyes grow wide in anxiety as the Pyro tries to cover his face but Anton stops him, gently grabbing his hands by the wrists. He notices several scars on the other's face but three distinctly stick out, the one on his jaw being among of them. He carefully reaches for Romeo's cheek, finding the scar under his left eye goes up and around to his temple and looks to have been rather painful by its jagged shape. The final scar is distinct from the other two in its own way. Where the other two seemed to have been made by what appears to be a blade, this one seems to be a burn scar, starting in the center of his brow and spreading over Romeo's right eye. The form similar to the shape of a clothing iron as though one was forcibly pressed against his head for an extended period of time; the thought made Anton cringe in pain.

The Spy shifts his gaze to Romeo's eyes, noticing tears building in them as the other avoided looking at him. Did he truly think he was a monster? Anton softly smiles as he gently brushes his fingers along the edge of the burn scar. "I see what you mean. These scars are like nothing I've seen before." Romeo moves to pull away but finds himself held in place by hands on his face as the other plants gentle butterfly kisses on his brow. "But they deter nothing from your beauty." The Pyro looks up at the Frenchman in surprise, unsure if the other is telling the truth. "I fell for the man behind the mask before I ever saw him and no scars are going to change how my heart beats around you."

Anton presses his lips to Romeo's, surprising the other and causing him to freeze in shock. Romeo slowly wraps his arms around the Spy's neck and hesitantly kisses back, shuddering when he feels the Frenchman's hands on his hip and neck. He deepens the kiss, hearing Anton groan pleasantly as the Pyro hesitantly straddles him. The two break the kiss after a few minutes, both catching their breath as they stare at one another before Romeo nuzzles into Anton's neck.

"Anton," Romeo murmurs.

"Yes, mon beau feu?"

"What is that name you keep calling me?" He pulls away to look at the other. "You've been calling me that for the past few months. What does it mean?"

Anton chuckles and touches his brow against Romeo's. "In my tongue, it means "my beautiful fire" because that's what you have always been to me, a passionate flame that beautifully burns in the heat of battle. And despite all the death it causes, it detracts nothing from its wild charm. Fitting, no?"

Romeo feels his eyes tear up and begins to laugh, his cheeks hurting as he smiles broadly, having not done so without violent provocation in so long. It feels foreign but it also feels appropriate as the only one who ever made him truly smile was the man before him. He kisses Anton again, encouraging the other to return the gesture, both unaware that some of their teammates are watching from the shadows of the night below.

"I told ya blokes I was right." Walker chuckles as he shifts his gaze over to the Scout and Soldier beside him. "My eyes never miss anything."

"Who would've thought?" Robbie states as he pulls his hat off, running his fingers through the light fuzz of blonde hair that is beginning to grow back. "Romeo and Anton did like each other and now they're a thing. Now that's kinda scary."

"Yep, our two deadliest fighters are now partners in a much different way," Soldier sighs "but I guess we should be happy for them."

"Yeah, maybe Romeo won't be such a madman anymore in the battlefield." Scout comments.

"Who's to say that isn't what got Anton's attention in the first place?" Walker argues as he looks back at the two new lovers, smirking as he watches them fall to the boards of the walkway. "He's always liked the sense of being in danger at all times and Romeo certainly has a talent for being a danger to pretty much everyone around him. He's the product of one of the Administrator's craziest ideas: give a madman a flamethrower and no consequences to his actions and see what he makes of it. The BLU Pyro might be a bit more methodical but Romeo can certainly give him a hard time; what he lacks in methods he makes up for in passion." The sound of giggling lures the attention of the three and Walker grins as he watches Anton scoop up Romeo and carry him back into the RED base. "And that passion will burn brighter than it ever has before, Anton has seen to that at least."

"I just hope he knows what he's getting into with that maniac." Robbie states. "I might not be fond of Anton but I'd hate to see him get hurt."

"He'll be fine." Walker says as he walks away from the two. "After all, Anton loves to play with fire, or didn't you two realize it until now?"

The two simply watch Walker in confusion as he walk through the open courtyard but stops to pick up something beneath the wooden walkway. He holds it up in the moonlight, revealing it to be Romeo's discarded mask.

"Funny how the smallest of our fears can drives us crazy, huh Romeo?" He murmurs as he examines the item in his hand then glances up at the night sky above. "Let's hope our little spook will be able to help ya out there."