In the halls of Teufort, in a secluded hallway, a particularly peculiar medical laboratory was buzzing with a sound that it rarely graced its walls. It was laughter.
More specifically, it was the laughter of a man and a woman, having a polite and cheery conversation about the affects of acid on the degeneration of human bones.
"Now, you see, with the right chemicals and treatments, you can make bones as brittle as glass or as supple as jelly!" The Medic exclaimed, his hands moving about excitedly as he gushed.
"And have you managed to put this in practice?" The young assistant asked. The Medic chuckled gleefully despite the morbidness of the topic.
"Well, only the latter," He straightened his glasses, "The soldier said some very colorful and hurtful things to me one day, so I tested out my experimental treatment on him while he was sleeping."
Miss Pauling smiled in anticipation, leaning forward on the bed, awaiting the results with glee.
"And when he woke up, his arms and legs looked like octopus tentacles. Flailing here and there. He could not even grab onto things to move around! He had to scoot forward on his rump just to get down the hallway!
"You should have seen him after he respawned! He quite literally pissed himself when I turned the corner," He let out a manic laugh. Miss Pauling joined a moment later, though her laugh was not quite as unstable as his. The man whipped a tear away from his eye, "Oooh, he should feel lucky, I have a sirup that can completely dissolve all the bones in ones body. But I believe I have told you the story of how THAT experience worked out"
Miss Pauling smiled. She did, but she wasn't fond of its ending. That being the loss of the brilliant mans medical license.
These get togethers were becoming the norm for them. After the bread fiasco that had almost gotten them all killed, Miss Pauling had made a point to stop by the base more often. The RED team had assumed that it was to meet with the Scout, but were soon proven wrong when the boy suddenly became sour towards everyone who even mentioned the woman around him. He called her a tease and a liar. The others berated him about his cruel treatment, and soon he gave up his nasty demeanor and focused his attention back on taunting the BLU team. But Miss Pauling still returned to the base on and off for months after that. She would talk to all of the mercs, ask about tactics, test out their weapons and fawn over their guns. Snipers was her particular favorite. She favored accuracy, but Sasha had a special place in her heart, the guns mechanics being a work of art. This put her in good graces with the Heavy, who had become very attached to her over time.
But by far, she spent most of her time with the Medic.
They often met on bace and off, tending to Miss Pauling's never ending errands, hiding bodies, dismembering them, and putting them back together. For science and practical purposes of course. But they would always end their day where they sat now. Alone, in the Medics room, chatting away on his bed, swapping stories and laughing with each other like they had known each other for years.
They had grown comfortable with each other, and it was starting to show in a very apparent way that neither of them was really prepared for. So they had avoided it, focused on sharing tidbits of the massive drama that was their ridiculous lives. It was easier that way. But there was a very large and imposing elephant in the room that was becoming bigger by the second. But their walls were reaching a breaking point, and it was starting to show.
The Medics bed was small, but large enough for the two of them to sit comfortably without touching, but in their easiness around one another and playful conversation, their sides had ended up gently leaning against each other. Pauling noticed the contact as her sides touched the heat of the older mans body, and she was sure that Medic noticed the change as well, but neither of them wanted to acknowledge it. It was both too awkward and felt far too good to risk the other abruptly breaking the contact and ruining their conversation.
As they both sat there, their talk and laughter fell into a silent lull. There was a long silence that followed. Neither seemed to mind. It was slow and natural, looking into the others eyes, grinning at each other like lovestruck teenagers. Their bodies began to collide with each other, their lips drawn towards each other like magnets but never reaching close enough to collide. Neither had thought about leaning in, but their bodies seemed to rebel and act out their most basic of desires.
Miss Pauling was the one to break their trance first, pulling her head back and brushing a rebellious strand of raven hair behind her ear, trying to ignore what had almost transpired between them. She seemed slightly ashamed of her sudden lack of control, but the Medics eyes still lingered on her face shamelessly. He wouldn't dare pretend that he didn't enjoy watching her, drinking in her unique expressions and her confident air of beauty. His stomach sunk a bit as he watched those exquisitely expressive lips turn down in a pensive and almost sad frown.
"Medic," She began, sounding far too serious for his nerves to handle, "This…thing. I mean, US together, having these get togethers…these talks…"
She sighed and looked down at her feet, dangling just above his floor. Medic knew what this was about. He almost wanted to stop her. If they didn't admit it, they wouldn't have to deal with the consequences. At least, thats what he hoped.
But she continued anyway, ignoring his silent plea to stop.
"We aren't just friends anymore. Are we…" She said, turning her eyes to vaguely meet his side, but not having the will to lock eyes with him just yet. Medic sighed, and looked up at one of the many doctorate degrees that he had hung around his office, now meaningless and useless as anything other than cheep decorations. He bit the inside of his lip slightly and thought carefully about his answer. He sighed one more time, defeated, and hung his head a bit lower.
"No, no, I don't think we are," He said and gipped the bedsheets a little harder, "We haven't been for a while, I believe."
She nodded in agreement. It hadn't been casual between them for several months. There was no sense denying it now that their situation was laid bare in front of them. It didn't make it easier. She sighed and folded her hands into her lap, wringing her fingers to release the tension that her body had begun to accumulate. This conversation was more stressful than she had imagined it to be.
"What are we going to do?" She asked, biting her lip and returning her gaze back to the floor.
"What is there to do exactly? Accept it probably. Its likely more healthy for us than denying it like we have been," He said, unsure of how wise his words were, "It is undeniably frustrating to do so."
"No, I mean, the Administrator is very strict about this kind of thing. The RED Demo and BLU Soldier were pushed into a death match because they were friends, I don't know what she would do if she caught wind of a romantic relationship between two of her employees," She said, looking more nervous by the minute.
"Well," He said, placing a hand to his prominent chin, "Perhaps that was simply because their friendship was cross faction?"
She looked at him sadly, remembering that he knew nothing of her position. Her involvement with BLU was a mystery to him. And if she valued both her life and his, it would need to stay that way. Besides, she shuddered to think of what that conversation would be like. The feeling of betrayal and the hatred that he would feel towards her might kill her, that is, if the other RED's didn't see to that first. Medic might even feel inclined to seek revenge himself. She didn't rule it out, but she somehow doubted it. He valued her life too much. At least, she hoped he did. She liked to think that she knew him, but you could never be too careful with mercenaries.
"No," She said solemnly, "I don't think it would change much to be honest. She would still probably terminate our contracts, or worse."
Medic swallowed involuntarily, the word 'terminate' sticking out in his mind. Respawn was one thing, permanent death was a different beast all together. It still surprised him that, after everything that both wars had put him through, the reaper still frightened him. Miss Pauling was making it clear that it was a very close, and a very real, threat that he would be paying him a visit. If this was to work, it was going to be one hell of a commitment.
"I suppose then, we are doomed," He said with a slight chuckle and leaned down, his lips hovering above hers in a silent question, begging for their bodies to collide. She breathed out once, slowly, accepting the fate that she had chosen for herself and placed a hand on his hip, pulling his body closer to hers. Medic didn't even try to hold back his smile, feeling very lucky indeed as he leaned in closer, their lips finally meeting in a gentle caress.
It was not desperate or passionate like either of them had imagined, but it was intimate and sparked a rush of joy that neither of them had ever felt in an eternity. Even their adventures of dissecting corpses and hiding bodies couldn't quite compare to it.
'Perhaps, some things, are worth risking ones life,' Medic thought, relishing his decision and deepening the kiss, pressing a hand to his lovers cheek to stoke her soft flesh. Miss Pauling craned her neck, her body melting into the long awaited contact as her arms snaked around his body, exploring his broad back and shoulders. It had been so long since she had been touched by someone who wanted her. And she had forgotten how it could feel.
Their hands were all over each other now, exploring the fabric over their skin, the thinnest of barriers between their love. Miss Pauling leaned back on the bed, Medic following her body down in perfect synchronization as she laid herself onto his mattress, kneading the muscles of his back hungrily. She knew that the Medic was a strong man despite his apparent thinness, you could not be weak and keep up with the Scout and loaded to the brim with medical supplies, but the sheer firmness of his body took her breath away. At least, whatever breath was not being stolen by the mans deep and lustful kisses to her mouth and up the length of her throat.
They both wanted more, to rip the fabric off of each others back, to shred stockings and hike up skirts. But they heard a crash from outside which made them both snap up, horror and fear written on their faces like panicked animals. They knew the sounds of eavesdropping. But Medic knew enough to know that they could not hear inside well enough to gather their conversation. He had insisted on sound resistant walls for his lab and sleeping quarters. It kept most of the sounds of screaming and buzz saws from creeping into the halls.
He sighed and lowered his forehead onto her chest with relief.
"Its fine, we are safe. I doubt those fools are smart enough to listen in properly on a soundproof room," He said with a chuckle.
"Spy does," Pauling said, looking less than convinced.
"I doubt he cares. And if he does, well, I have ways to persuade him," He said, his wicked grin giving away every ounce of torment that his brilliant mind could lay out on the human body. She chuckled, loving him for every devious and depraved thought. He was fascinating, if not a bit insane. But they all were in this business, and she was aware of herself enough to know that she shared that spark of morbid, and often cruel, sort of curiosity for all the ways you could bend a body without breaking it. Or breaking it, if you chose to.
"And I have friends in high places and more than enough ways to persuade him on my own," She said, mimicking his wicked grin.
"Oh I don't doubt that for a moment. Ive seen you in action. What you can do with a pair of pliers and a blowtorch," He almost shivered with pleasure at the memory, "Mesmerizing"
She laughed at that, "Thank you. But, really though, Im technically his boss. So, you're right, nothing to worry about."
"I had no idea you were his boss," Medic said, genuinely a bit surprised. He raised his brow, his expression turning sly and thick with innuendo, "Are you MY boss as well Fräulein?"
"Absolutely," She said darkly and laced her arms around the Medic's neck. He chuckled and stoked her bare arm with his callused hands. Her face was so intimidating even with her delicate face. In her eyes he saw the dangerous, quiet woman that she was and it thrilled him. But he could not drink in those eyes and those lips now. They had been gone too long and risked too much for now.
With a sigh, the Medic pulled himself up and off of Miss Pauling, not looking pleased to do so in the least. Miss Pauling made no protest to this and sat up on the bed, flattening the wrinkles on her skirt and blouse that their embrace had pressed into the fine fabric.
"That is enough for now, I think," He said, standing up and straightening his tie. Miss Pauling nodded, padding over to the door, looking contented but reluctant to leave. There was so much more she wanted to do. So much of them left untouched. They both felt the frustration, but said nothing. Medic gave her a strained smile, trying not to let his displeasure show in his face, and leaned down for one last, brief, kiss.
"We will take it slow, Ja? One moment at a time. Im sure it will be fine," He said, his eyes softening. She smiled back reluctantly. It was a lie. He was sure of nothing, and going through with this would likely get them killed. They both knew that. But they were both too stubborn to let something end before the experiment had even started.
She nodes once, and opened the door to his bedroom, passing through the entranceway to his bloodstained lab.
"Ill be seeing you. I dont know when, but I'll be sure to stop in as soon as its not suspicious," She said, placing her hand on the door to leave.
"Of course, safety first," He said with a snort and she smiled back.
"OH!" He exclaimed in a sudden burst of childish energy, "Before you go, I MUST show you my latest experiment! I have found a vay to graft vorking gills onto MAMALS! Vell, they do not work quite YET, but I am CLOSE!"
The man rambled on, his voice thick with his accent as his excitement rose. He grabbed her hand and pulled her to the fridge hopping jubilantly as he explained the mechanics of his latest creations.
Maybe it really would turn out all right.
"Now, let me show you ze specimens I have collected," He said, pulling out a still very living, gasping, human torso with a full set of quivering gills on its windpipe.
Maybe.