Days before. . .

Heavy was not happy. Medic hadn't been talking to him much lately ever since he gotten him shot during their last battle. He was starting to get worried as Medic might have just decided to stop being his.

His friend! Stopped being his friend, is what he meant!

Anyway, his mood hadn't improved as he watched as Medic seemed to ignore him completely and walked over to Engineer, who gave the other man a smile. He talks to Engineer in a hushed tone, only for Engie to stop him and look around and make sure no one heard them. But Heavy could hear some of what the Texan was saying.

". . .meet in my workshop after lunch."

Why did Engie need Medic alone in his workshop? And why was it so important it needed to be kept a secret? He was torn from his thought as he saw Medic walking over to him, his heart hammered in fear as he thought Medic had seen him watching the two. But his fears quickly went away as Medic smiled at him. Although suspicious and wary of the doctor now, he still returned the smile.

"Morning, doktor. How are you feeling?"

The doctor seemed tense but still had a smile on his face as he answered. "Better than I was, Misha. Thank you."

"Heavy is happy to hear."

A few minutes of silence passed between the two men before Medic sighed and got up, saying to goodbye to Heavy and leaving the dining room. Heavv watched as Engineer followed suit a few minutes after down the hallway.

Heavy rose from his chair and as quietly as he could. He was going to find out what they were up to. Even if it wasn't what he wanted to hear.

X X X

Heavy's mission to find out what Medic and Engineer were up to was rather unsuccessful as he couldn't hear anything from the inside of the Texan's room on the outside. After wasting a few more minutes trying to get any information from the small pieces he heard, Heavy decided to get an early sleep even though it was only about two in the afternoon.

A new day came and the check-ups came with it. Heavy was always in perfect health and he enjoyed spending this small time with Medic, as it seemed like the old days when the two would just spend hours in the doctor's lab, working on his weird experiments or just talking. After his check-up was finished he waited out in the hallway to see if maybe he could find anything of interest in Medic's room when he left.

An hour passed as everyone else came and went, before Medic himself appeared from the infirmary. Heavy hid in the shadows, but it seemed Medic would have even been too distracted to noticed him even if he stood out in the open as the doctor walked briskly towards Dell's workshop yet again. Seeing as this might be his only opportunity to find out the truth, Heavy quickly entered the darkened room and went straight to the doctor's desk and pawed through it, only finding some official-looking medical paper signed by someone named Ludwig.

Ludwig. . .

Why did that name sound so familiar. . .

Maybe it was Medic's real name. It must have been because he didn't know anyone else who would sign medical papers around here or know anyone named Ludwig. He put the papers back and continued to search through Medic's room when he was stopped in his tracks by a picture on the nearby table.

It was a picture of the whole team on their first day fighting the BLU team. Heavy and Medic were closer than the rest, having their arms around each other's shoulders and grinning like idiots.

Heavy remembered that day like it had only happened yesterday rather than years ago. He came to Mann Co., along with eight other men, to join together and fight for money. He needed the money if he was going to provide for his mother and sisters.

After arriving at the RED Base, he met with his other teammates. Seeing them as a weird bunch of men he knew he was going to enjoy fighting alongside them. He noticed a German man in a doctor's coat not talking to anyone, instead just stroking a bird that perched itself on the man's arm. Heavy walked over to the man, figuring he'd better introduce himself to his new teammate. As he came over, the doctor looked up at the giant of a man before him and smiled shyly.

"Guten Tag, mien fruend."

"Hello, I am Mikhail. We are fighting together, so we must know one another, da?"

"You can just call me Medic, it is my title after all. I'm very pleased to be working with such a strong group of specime-, I mean friends!"

Heavy nodded and smiled, "We are teammates, so we are friends as well."

"Agreed! I'd rather die by a friend than by a stranger, ja?"

Heavy let out a loud and hearty laugh and Medic joined in. They were going to be good friends, it seemed.

After everyone else had gotten introduced, the men were thrown into a battle with the Builders League United team, or the BLUS. The REDs fought hard and rather coordinated for a newly founded team. Medic nearly got his head taken off by a sniper's bullet, but Heavy quickly got in front of it and took the shot. Medic in turn quickly healed the man with his newly acquired medi-gun. Thanks to Heavy and Medic's duo teamwork, the newly founded RED team were able to win this battle. To commentate their first of many victories, the entire team all gathered around and took a picture with the camera belonging to the Australian sniper, a man named Mundy.

Medic smiled as he threw his arm around the larger man's shoulder, calling out.

"My friend, Mikhail! This is going to be a good job, you think?"

"I think so. As long as you are around."

"I will always be here for you, Misha. I promise."

Heavy's trip down memory lane was cut short as water started to blur his vision and drip down on the picture and Heavy wiped his eyes, realizing he had tears streaming down his cheeks. Medic had been his friend since day one and he had kept his promise all these years. Until now. Now he was barely speaking to him, always avoiding him unless he wanted to see him. Heavy felt more tears drip down his face as he whispered to the empty room.

"Doktor. . .you promised."

Heavy set the picture down and wiped his eyes, sighing heavily. Maybe this was for the best. Engineer could be a better friend to Medic that he ever could. Even a better lov-

No.

Heavy frowned and grunted in annoyance, shaking his head. He wasn't going to lie down and give up, crying like a baby. He was Mikhail. He was Heavy Weapons Guy and he never gave up on anything, certainly not something this important. So he sat down in one of Medic's chairs and waited, he was finished playing games. So he sat there, waiting

Waiting for the truth.

X X X

Medic's heart thrashed around in his chest when Heavy said that they needed to talk. It beat even harder when he said his name. Medic never told anyone his real name. Not even Heavy. It seemed too personal and he preferred to keep personal things like names hidden. But Heavy didn't seem to keen on keeping things hidden. So Medic sat down across from the lumbering Russian, neither of them said a word for a solid minute. Finally, Heavy took a slow breath through his nose and exhaled before deciding to speak again.

"Heavy knows you are hiding something. I'm not as stupid as everyone thinks, doctor."

"Heavy, I don't know what you are talking about. And how did you know my name?"

"I'm pretty sure you do. And I have my ways."

"I see. Well, Heavy I can assure I know noth-"

But before Medic could get any further, Heavy retorted sharply, "I've noticed you've been spending more time with Dell lately. Any reasons?"

"What are you talking abo-", Medic stopped as a thought came to him.

"Wait. . .Is Heavy jealous of me being around Engineer? No, he couldn't be. . ."

But he was. Even a blind man could see the jealousy that seems to radiate from Heavy's body even as he tried his hardest to hide it.

"You think something is going on between Dell and me? That's crazy!"

"Is it really? You are sneaking around with him, always talking to him quietly like you are afraid you'll be heard. So tell me, is that really crazy?"

When Medic didn't have an answer for that, Heavy just grunted in content.

"I thought so."

Heavy got up from the chair and pushed past Medic towards the door. Medic gripped the larger man's arm and held tight.

"Heavy-"

Heavy whipped around with surprising speed, the tears had returned to his eyes and he spoke in a soft whisper.

"Don't."

And then without another word, Heavy turned and walked away as he tried to ignore the tears staining his face. Medic stood there, arm still outstretched for a friend who might never come back.