They're sitting just inside the stairwell, rain pouring over the gravel rooftop. It doesn't rain often in the badlands, but when it does, it rains hard. It began yesterday night, and showered so hard Engie had moved his most valuable equipment out of the basement in case of a flash flood. (Demo thought the workaholic was just being paranoid.)
Demo and Soldier curl into each other's space in the small entryway, the door open to bring in the smell of rain and a view of the desert. The beer is finished, but they don't feel like going in. The weather's an excuse to stay here, Soldier lying against Demo's chest, helmet off, breathing in the scent of petrichor and pretending like they're the only two people in the world.
Demo's chest rises and falls, taking Soldier's head with it. It's no starry night, but it's dazzling in it's own way.
"You know," Demo says, pausing a moment to let Soldier look up, "after yesterday, there's no real reason for us tae hide from the team anymore. Someone tells someone, they tell someone else, and then even Glen from HR knows, and no one tells him shit. The whole team's in the loop at this point. "
"What about Scout?" Soldier, asks, twisting to a better position.
"You're right. Let me rephrase: everyone who matters already knows."
Soldier laughs. After a few more minutes of watching the rain, he says, "Everyone's been a lot…nicer about us than I expected."
"Well, they like us. I think they're willin' tae look past a few eccentricities since we do our jobs and dunnae cause too much trouble. Well," Demo pauses, "I dunnae cause too much trouble."
That gets another laugh from Soldier.
"What about Monday when you shoved Scout off the hightower?" he asks.
"Hey, you would have done the same in me position."
"True," Soldier concedes, "but the point still stands."
They sit quietly, the sound running water filling the stairwell and echoing back downstairs. Demo is thoughtful, his eye unfocused on the view in front of him.
"I think I should tell him," he says after a while."
"Hm?" Soldier asks.
"Scout, I mean." Demo hesitates. "He's the only one on BLU who doesnae know, and I think I should tell him. For closure's sake."
Soldier shrugs. "Up to you. I don't care either way. It seems like everyone is going to find out sooner or later."
That's as close to permission as Demo's going to get. He kisses Solider on the top of the head, and closes his eye.
It's weird, walking down the hall to Scout's room and feeling the sense of finality. He meant what he said about closure, and now is the time finish things, but it still feels like it's not really real.
"Where are you off to with such a frown?" Spy says, knocking him out of his thoughts. They're stopped in the hallway, Spy heading in the other direction.
"I'm off tae visit Scout," Demo says with a shrug.
"And why on Earth would you want to do that?"
"I'm goin' tae tell him about me 'n Soldier."
Spy raises an eyebrow, obviously waiting for further explanation.
Demo obliges. "He's the only one left who doesnae know about us. Once I tell him, that'll be it. No more sneakin' around…we can do whatever."
"What about Medic? And Heavy? Do you not have to tell them as well?"
"No," Demo remembers bitterly. "Sniper told them. Well, Sniper told Medic, and Medic told Heavy."
Spy shakes his head. "Idiot."
"Who? Medic or Sniper?"
"Yes," Spy confirms, and Demo laughs. "On a related note, I cannot believe Soldier is the one to mend Medic's broken pride, when I have been trying as such for weeks. Simply absurd."
"Well, he does have a way with people. Maybe not always the most gentle, or tactful way with people, but certainly a way."
Spy grins. "I cannot argue with that, and I suppose I best let you be on your way; I'm sure you're just dying to get to your meeting with the Scout. Au Revoir."
Demo only lets Spy take a few steps before stopping him. "Actually, Spy, I wanted tae tell you something." Spy pauses, looking at the Demoman inquisitively. "I never properly thanked you. For all this, I mean. You've been helpful from the moment it started up and I havenae really had the time tae be grateful. So, that's what I want tae say now. Thank you, Spy."
Spy gives him a soft smile. "It was my pleasure, Demoman. Though, if you start spreading word around I am a romantic at heart, I will have to kill you out of pride. Cannot have the REDs thinking I have gone soft."
Demo lets go of Spy's arm with a chuckle. "I wouldnae expect anything else."
The Frenchman gives one final bow before disappearing down the hallway, a wave and a puff of smoke his last farewell.
Demo knocks, knowing Scout's in here since the door's half open. Scout's sense of privacy is lax at best, having seven brothers will do that, and Demo can count the times he's lost a limb when the youngest mercenary has barged into the lab.
"Uh…come in?"
Stepping into the room, Demo finds a confused Scout sitting on the bed: feet propped and comic open. Whoever Scout was expecting, it probably wasn't the Demoman.
"Yo. Wadda ya want?" Scout asks sourly. He's probably mad about being interrupted during a particularly corny action sequence.
"There's somethin' I need tae tell you," Demo says, plopping down on a chair opposite the bed. "I'm nae goin' tae beat around the bush. The whole team knows, and you're the last tae find out, so we might as well get it over with." Before Scout can get out in snide comment, Demo lets loose. "Soldier and I are seein' each other."
Scout stares at him, comic book open, brow furrowed into a look of are you kidding me? Demo waits for the expected cycle: disbelief, acceptance, and (knowing Scout) disgust.
"You…an' Soldier?" Scout muses.
Step one, check.
"Yeah. Me and Soldier. Together."
It only kinda gets to step two because all the sudden Scout is standing on his bed, the comic fluttering to the floor. He lets out a whoop.
"You an' Soldier! Ha!" Scout laughs like a maniac. "I fuckin' called it, man. I. Called. It. I told Spy somethin' was up with you two an' he told me I was nuts!" he pauses. "Wait. You said the whole team already knows? Includin' Spy?" He doesn't wait for Demo to respond, clenching his fist and snarling. "That fucukin' frog, he made me think I was a lunatic!"
Demo was not expecting Scout to be unsurprised by the revelation, let alone…delighted?
Scout rants a little more about Spy before suddenly remembering Demo is there. All at once, he drops back onto the bed; chin in hands, feet up in the air, lying on his stomach like a twelve-year-old girl who's just heard the best gossip of her life.
"So," Scout grins, "you come here just to tell me that, or ya gunna spill all the juicy details?"
"Juicy…what?" Demo sputters. When he went through Scout's door, was he actually stepping into some sort of terrifying alternate dimension?
"Ya know. 'Gimme the deets'." Scout rolls more comfortably on his side. "The naughty no-nos. The steamy bits. C'mon, Demo! Ya gotta give me somethin'. It's not like anyone else has a sex life around here, an' I'm bored. I'm sure you old farts get up to somethin' kinky."
"Gah! Why does this keep happening?" Demo buries his face in his hands. "Once! Just once I'd like one o' you arseholes to have a normal reaction."
Scout makes a face. "Wadda ya mean by that?"
"Like…I dunno. Tell me I'm a freak or somethin'? I'd expect you of all people tae at least find this a little weird."
"Me?" Scout snorts, pulling himself up into a sitting position. "Are you kiddin'? I'm an expert at this gay shit. Didn't I ever tell you morons where I'm from?"
"Er…Boston?" Demo tries. That's right, right? It feels like Scout had told him that at least six times a day for as long as he's known the kid.
Scout just rolls his eyes. "Like, more specifically." When realization still doesn't dawn on the Demoman, Scout just goes on anyways. "Well, it doesn't matter. The way this team is turnin' out, seems like we're gunna be one big pack a' queers all over again."
As the gravity of Scout's words sink in, Demos shifts uncomfortably in his chair.
"So…er…you too, eh?" he mumbles. Scout's expression doesn't change from his slightly amused smirk. "Well that's…unexpected. You talk about girls so much, I would never have guessed…"
Scout snorts again. "That's what's trippin' you up? It's not like you don't do that too, pally."
"I know," Demo snaps, suddenly defensive. "But I dinnae know any better back then. I was just…confused I guess." His voice looses its strength. Scout's right: he did used to talk about girls all the time. It had felt genuine too, even though now he knows it must have just have been an act.
Scout senses Demo's thoughts. He scoots closer to the edge of the bed, frowning in almost a brotherly way.
"Are you sure you were confused?" he asks in an uncharacteristically gentle way.
"O' course I'm sure!" Demo snaps, returning to his earlier temper. "I'm with Soldier now, aren't I?"
"Just because you feel stuff now doesn't mean the other stuff you felt before wasn't you feelin' stuff. Capisce?"
Absolutely not capisce. Demo glares.
Scout sighs. "Look, I used to worry about that kinda stuff too. But it doesn't have to be one way or the other: you can like girls and you can like guys and it doesn't mean you're confused or nothin'. It's just the way ya are."
"I think you're full o' horseshite," Demo replies, but part of him wants believe what Scout is saying. It would explain so much, wouldn't it?
Scout notices the uncertainty in his voice. "Well, you don't have to believe me right now. You can come by any time you like. Big bro Scout will always be here to help ya sort out your emotional shit, I can promise ya that."
"I'm twice your age."
"And ya still have so much to learn."
That finally earns a chuckle from the Demoman. He doesn't realize how much of a relief the laugh is until his shoulders relax into the movement. Despite himself, he grins at the Scout.
"So…" Scout begins. "How 'bout dem details?"
Demo sighs. It was a nice moment while it lasted.
The gates will be opening any minute, all of BLU gathered in the spacious starting room before the match. Morning light filters in through the tiny holes in the gates, the steel barrier still protecting them from the day's battle. It's warm in the room, a light breeze from the fans disturbing loose fabric and straps. It is all very…freeing.
"Your heart-to-heart with Scout go well?" Soldier asks, walking up to the Demoman.
"It was…weird," Demo replies honestly. "I'm just glad everything's all over with."
"You can say that again."
It's hard not to notice how close the Soldier stands to him. He wants to move in even closer, but is still somewhat self-conscious in front of the team. Objectively he knows there's no problem, but it's still an open secret.
Soldier seems to be thinking along the same lines.
"You know, everyone here knows," Soldier says. "There's no consequences to anything at this point."
"Yeah…?" Demo follows, wondering where this is going.
Soldier's face splits into a wide, joyous grin. He sidles up to Demo, mischievousness written into his face.
"Which means I can finally do this."
Without any more ceremony, Soldier pulls him into a deep kiss. An exclamation mark appears above every head in room, including the Demoman's. His first instinct is to pull away, the old fear driving him away from Soldier, but there's something so sudden and romantic and intoxicating in that kiss he can't even try. Faintly, he's aware that Soldier is dipping him, his weight taken off his feet and held securely in the other man's arms, but he barely registers it over the deep need to kiss him back. They explore each other, Demo biting Soldier's lip to return the affection, their audience forgotten. It seems so much more dangerous than lying on the edge of the roof, inches away from a gory demise. And it's even more rewarding.
Soldier sets him back on his feet, leaving him dazed. His boyfriend is still wearing that shit-eating grin, self-satisfaction making him look all the more gorgeous. Blinking, Demo looks around the room.
Spy stands in the corner, pointedly looking away but wearing a faint smile all the same. Heavy pretends not to care, and Medic actually doesn't. Engie glares at them, but does nothing more than return to his pre-match work.
Sniper is smirking. Pyro has their hands over their glass goggles, pretending like they aren't looking. It's not very convincing since they giggle every couple of seconds and move their fingers just to peak.
Scout, for his part, flashes Demo a double thumbs up. Demo doesn't think he's ever seen him so happy for someone who isn't himself.
"You know," Demo tells Soldier, his mouth still wet with spit, "Spy was right. We didn't last three weeks."
Soldier laughs, and pulls him into a half hug. The spectacle over, the team returns their attention to pre-match preparations, the PDA forgotten as quickly as it started. Demo and Soldier enjoy the last few minutes before taking their positions at the door. They'll probably only see each other now and again during the match, but it will be all right.
It's a pretty good arrangement otherwise.
"Mission begins in five…four…three…two…one…go!"
