Bastien left about a half hour later, but by that time, Michael was awake enough to move onto other things, like his morning coffee and gun cleaning. He'd also promised the Engineer that he'd help him with programming a sharpshooting machine. When Dell had told Michael about it a month or so ago, he'd worried about if he'd be able to keep his job once Dell made a machine that replaced it. Now, he hoped it would replace him and then eh'd be out of the whole mess that was the war in Teufort.
Michael stepped out of his camper, wearing his dark sunglasses to protect from the harsh sun outside. He found his way to the lab where Medic and Engineer worked and he knocked quietly on the door. No one answered, so Sniper pushed the door open, quickly, glancing inside. Engie and Medic were both working diligently, too absorbed in their work to hear his knocking. He cleared his throat and Medic looked up.
"Oh? Are you taking Misha's place for my experiment, Herr Mundy?"
"Er, no. I'm here for Dell." Michael fidgeted slightly under the intimidating gaze of his doctor. It scared him slightly how Medic could go from charming to terrifying so fast. Dell finally walked from behind his work bench and smiled at Sniper.
"Howdy, Michael. I was just wonderin' if I could get a scan of you shootin' some things for my machine. I'm hopin' it'll mimick a real sniper's movement." Dell was bouncing on the balls of his feet, happily. Michael nodded and mumbled something that Dell took as a yes and they walked out of the fort to Sniper and Solly's practice shooting target was. Sniper wasn't sure else to do, so he just loaded up his gun and started shooting, trying to ignore the loud, beeping machine Engie had circling around him as he practiced. "Alrigh', thank you much Michael, this'll help me in spades. See ya around." Engie grabbed his machine and raced off.
The battle for the day was a simple Payload, which RED won quickly, almost setting a new record for themselves. It seemed BLU was in a considerable slump. Soldier made a long speech in the showers about how the "tides were changing" and "an end to the war would be comin' anytime, and a victory at that." Michael didn't believe it one bit, but he said nothing and just cheered along with the rest of the team. After the battle, Medic and Spy played pool in the commons room while Sniper decided to play a few games of cards with Demo, Heavy, and Scout. Once again, the two supports could be heard whispering in urgent French between shots.
"Il ne vais pas entendre. Et aussi, c'est mal pour vous et moi. L'autre quipe a un-" Spy started quietly but Scout looked over, cutting him off with a weird look.
"Who's sayin' what?"
"Excuse me?" Spy narrowed his eyes at Scout, who sighed.
"You were sayin' somethin' about 'the other one talking', right? I took French in high school, it was real important to my ma for some reason."
"L'autre quipe a un not l'autre qui parle, Scout. It is not your business, anyway." Spy and Scout glared at each other for a while before Scout went back to the card game. Sniper looked up at Spy and Medic under the brim of his hat and thought. What the hell was with them, anyway? They kept talking in tongues and acting all secretive. It was weird, even for them. Hopefully they'd start making sense soon, or at least Michael hoped.
After dark, Michael waited outside the base, listening to Dell's guitar in the far distance. He had a feeling the Spy would show up again, tonight. As if on queue with Michael's thoughts, Bastien uncloaked, smoking a cigarette and looking bored. "Delightful music, is it not?" He swayed lightly like he was dancing and Michael snorted.
"S'Alright. You should hear him when he gets really goin'. We'll all sit and listen. S'real nice, I think." Michael tilted his head towards the Spy, who gave him an amused look.
"Too bad his machines are not as peaceful as the music he makes." Bastien sighed and leaned against the wall, next to Michael. "I owe you an explanation. Pour l'autre jour." Spy blinked slowly, his eyes focused on the night sky in front of him. He swallowed, looking almost nervous and spoke in a quiet voice, sounding hesitant. "Our Soldier had the idea that we should end the battle once and for all. Break into your base and take all of the intel to combine with ours and win this terrible war. Mais, il y a un grand problem. If someone is to die outside the battleground, then our respawn will not work. It is the same for you. They tried to do it during the battle, so you would be distracted and not kill them as they stole the intel. They sent me to distract you. I said it was too risky, but they forced me. I apologize, Michael. Do you forgive me?" Bastien's gray eyes were boring into him, large and clear, as he leaned towards the Sniper. He took a quick breath, smelling the expensive cigarette he was smoking and the crisp smell of his cologne.
"Alright. Yeah. Jus' don't try that, again." Michael said quickly, scratching his neck. Bastien's eyes seemed to twinkle behind his mask, but he said nothing, just grinned and leaned back against the wall, again. The Spy looked so handsome in the dim darkness, confident and suave as ever, that Michael couldn't help pressing into him for a kiss. His eyes closed and he tasted the same cinnamon gum he always tasted on Bastien's lips and he sighed, either out of relief or happiness, he didn't know. Bastien pulled away suddenly, looking up at Michael. His face was no longer light hearted and humorous, but serious and invested.
"Michael," Bastien began, never breaking eye contact. "What is this? You and I?"
"Bastien," Michael put a hand to his temples and closed his eyes. "We're, we're friends, okay? Real good friends."
"Friends do not fuck." Bastien looked unsatisfied with Michael's answer, but he wasn't going to give in to the Spy like he always did. He gritted his teeth and stared down at the smaller man, trying to think of a response. "Or kiss, and I do not share the kinds of secrets I have told you with 'a friend', Michael."
"Well what do you want me to say?!" Michael hissed back, trying to stay quiet. Bastien gave him a cold look. "We're not lovers, and we're not enemies. The common ground is friends, take it or leave it."
Bastien's eyes were icy when he cloaked and disappeared from the Sniper's view. Michael swore under his breath and looked around. "Oh sure, that's what spies are best at, innit? Disappearin'?" He snapped and Bastien uncloaked a few feet away, seething with anger.
"I am the one that disappeared, Michael? Moi? Non! I have put all of the effort into this relationship that you have not! I came to you, I kissed you, and I stopped us from hating each other like a cat and a dog! Tu es ingrat et stupid si tu penses que je suis l'un qui abandonne!" Spy spat, his accent was thicker than usual and his face was as angry as Michael saw it on the battlefield. "Your doctor is insane, your Spy was a prostitute, and your Demoman is an alcoholic who practices dark magic! Do you really think being gay is so bad that you cannot even have a relationship?"
"It ain't a relationship!" Michael rebutted, irate. Spy cloaked again and disappeared into the night. Sniper kicked a stray rock and swore loudly. He stormed back to his camper van and took a shower, trying to distract himself enough to sleep.