#ao3 author support

[amymaleneart]

Going Home to Roost (DCA Harpy AU) Chapter 37

[magpie-murder]

okay we need to have an intervention.

i've noticed that people don't leave the same kind of unhinged compliments under fanfics that visual artists usually receive (eg, "i want to eat your art"), so i've come up with a list that you need to start employing when your friends send you their WIPs and when your favorites update on ao3 but you're having a hard time commenting something that sounds intelligent and you still want to support them

"you're like if [famos author] (eg, Victor Hugo if the fic is angst) was into [fandom]"

"well THIS has been added to my pre-sleep daydream schedule"

"this fic invaded my mind and consumed my brain like a spore"

"I'M LOSING SLEEP OVER THIS ONE, FOLKS"

"yOu'Ve AlReAdY lEfT kUdOs HeRe"

"this fic has me scratching at my yellow wallpaper, it's so good"

"this fic has me checking under my floorboards for the heart of a kind man i murdered, it's so good"

"i'm making my parents read this"

"i know only one chapter is out so far, but i'm going to print this out, staple it together, and put it on my bookshelf next to the canon material"

"this fic gave me another mental illness"

(you can only do this one once) "i made an ao3 account specifically to bookmark this"

"i'm going to print this out so i can eat the words on the paper"

and a couple that are just nice (without the feral nature):

"i made a custom playlist to listen to while i read this fic"

"this fic reminds me of [song]"

"i really liked the part where [x], it really stuck with me"

"i really liked this line, [quote the line,] it was so well-written!"

artists: draw fanart of the fic!! it doesn't matter if you think your art skills are good and it doesnt matter if it's just a sketch!! let the author see it!!

make a moodboard!! for the fic!! let the author see it!!

[bababaka]

Yall need to interact with fanfiction author's more.

So. After the ddos attack on ao3.

I was encouraged to write more comments and make my love known to fanfic writers.

I dont really like commenting. Because im a bit shy and soooo lazy.

Now though. I am writing more comments. And dude. This is so heartwarming. Ya'll need to treat writers better. They are doing the lord's work.

Take for an example, couple of days prior, i was searching for something interesting to read, and found an oneshot quite compelling.

I read it. At the end of it, i was blown away by how good it was. It promised me something and it went beyond my expectations. But then i saw a crime, zero fucking comments!

At that moment, i wasn't feeling up to writing a comment. Because, normally i like to write huge paragraphs. But because im lazy i decided to be brief.

Next day, the author answered that the comment lift their mood for the whole day.

That warmed my heart.

Duuuuuuuude! Write comments! Suport the writers of the fics you like! No need to be something super elaborate. Just give your thoughts. Freak out. Ramble. Ask something. Make theories. Compliment. Make a joke about how you wished to give kudos every chapter but ao3 sucks(not true bby) and won't let you.

Truly. Just. Comment. It can make someone's day. And that is part of the apeal of writing fics. Interacting with people.

Just give love to fanfic writers yall. They deserve this and so much more.

[liquidstar]

look this site really is awful for ppl with OCD so i just wanna reassure anyone that you are not Tainted Forever for consuming a piece of media with questionable content. the fact that youre able to recognize it speaks to your critical thinking skills, which is good, certain depictions should be critiqued. but you dont need to ruminate on it to the point where you begin to feel guilty for simply witnessing gross or creepy writing choices. you dont have to vindicate yourself to the fictional tumblr discourser inside your head, saying that youre now a bad person bc you watched the wrong anime. your actual response to it still matters of course, but thats that and this is this. just seeing it is neutral, you didnt commit a thought crime. its literally fine.

IF YOU ARE USING THIS POST TO ONLY FURTHER YOUR STUPID PEDANTIC BLACK-AND-WHITE DISCOURSE TO GET A "GOCHA" OVER THE OTHER SIDE YOU ARE THE PROBLEM. DON'T USE OUR DISORDER TO VINDICATE YOUR BEHAVIOR. THOUGHT CRIMES ARENT REAL BUT ACTIONS STILL MATTER. PEOPLE WITH OCD ARE CAPABLE OF THINKING CRITICALLY ABOUT OUR ACTIONS AND RESPONSES, EVEN WITH INTRUSIVE THOUGHTS AND RUMINATIONS. TREATING US AS IF WE CANNOT, ONLY TO FORCE US TO USE YOUR STRINGENT UNNUANCED DISCOURSE OPINIONS ABOUT "PURITY CULTURE" (TRIGGERING TO THOSE WITH OCD) AS THE ONLY REASONABLE GUIDE DOES MORE TO EXACERBATE OUR OBSESSIONS THAN HELP US. YOU ARE THE ISSUE AS WELL. YOU ARE ALSO THE TUMBLR DISCOURSER INSIDE OUR HEADS. DO NOT USE US FOR YOUR DISCOURSE. WE ARE PEOPLE, NOT HYPOTHETICALS TO USE TO EXPLAIN IF YOUR FROZEN INCEST FANFICTION IS OKAY OR NOT. TREATING US AS IF WE CANNOT AUTONOMOUSLY HAVE OUR OWN OPINIONS ON WHEN MEDIA IS TANGIBLY HARMFUL IS ABLEIST. FORCING US TO ABIDE BY YOUR IN-GROUP'S SET OF UNEQUIVOCAL MORALS IS ABLEIST. ACTING AS THOUGH THE ONLY SOLUTION FOR US IS MINDLESS MEDIA CONSUMPTION IN WHICH "EVERY DEPICTION OF XYZ, NO MATTER HOW POORLY DONE OR EXPLOITATIVE, IS ALWAYS OKAY AND IF YOU DISAGREE YOURE ACTUALLY AN EVIL 'ANTI'" IS ABLEIST. THOSE ARE THE SAME BLACK-AND-WHITE MORALS THAT SEND US INTO OBSESSIVE SPIKES, BUT FLIPPED. A SET OF MORALS IN WHICH QUESTIONING THE IMPACT OF A PIECE OF WORK MAKES YOU AN "EVIL CONSERVATIVE PURITAN "ANTI"" DOES NOT HELP MORAL OCD.

YOU ARE THE DAMN TUMBLR DISCOUERSERS MAKING THIS SHIT WORSE FOR US! YOURE THE EXACT SAME BUT WITH FLIPPED BUZZWORDS! YOU'RE MISSING THE WHOLE DAMN POINT!

[graendoll]

A number of fanfiction authors are pulling their fics from Ao3 because people are illegally selling bound copies of these fics on etsy.

Pretty sure this hasn't happened to any of my stories. And I have given permission to folks to bind copies for personal use, which is perfectly legal and just and this post does not apply to those situations.

But this needs to be said:

If you are the kind of person who would download something from Ao3....bind it....and sell it on Etsy...you're dead to me.

The fact that people have the balls to take creative works that aren't theirs, that are provided for free to the world because of the joy it brings authors to share their stories with people who love the characters as much as we do, and turn around and sell them for HUNDREDS of dollars is gross and morally corrupt.

And the people who buy these copies, knowing they are putting the entire world of fanfic at risk, are just as bad.

It is ILLEGAL to sell fanfiction. It is immoral to buy it.

Fanfic exists in a liminal space where writers are protected because no money exchanges hands. The greed of a few is going to fuck it up for the rest of us. If you see bound fics for sale, please report the sellers.

[faeriekit]

I was so caught up in the euphoria of librarianship I forgot that a) there are active communities of haters now and b) reading rec culture is NOT what it used to be

[calicos-clones]

I don’t think people realize how freaked out fanfic readers get when their favorite author(s) doesn’t update their ongoing schedule ON TIME.

And it’s not cause we want the chapter…it’s cause we’re so fucking worried about the Author.

Like— OMG ARE YOU OKAY? YOU’VE BEEN GIVING US THE TRAGIC UPDATES OF YOUR LIFE IN THE NOTES THE PAST 10 CHAPTERS?! WHY STOP? ARE YOU DEAD? DID YOU GET STUCK IN THE WALL LIKE YOUR CAT?? HAVE YOU EATEN?? HAS YOUR BRAIN EXPLODED??

Readers no longer care about the story when they don’t get their usual update. We panic and flag S.O.S as we track down our wayward author who has been both blessed by the universe with a creative mind and cursed all the same with the worst luck.

So any authors who are reading this please understand— when we comment “hey are you okay?” in your comments. No, we are not asking about the chapter.

We are legitimately concerned for your wellbeing. Do not force yourself to shit out a chapter just to appease other ppl when you yourself are not in the mental state to enjoy it or even write it to begin with.

TAKE CARE OF YOURSELF DAMMIT

[celticwolf55]

Cover art by @achromatophoric

The fic has now been completely finished.

Chapters 1-10 have been almost completely rewritten, 11-20 heavily edited and 21-30 tweaked and refined.

All chapters were updated all at once as of now, and we hope everyone who has read it in the past will give it a re-read to enjoy the fic in its final form. To be clear, the events of the story are unchanged. It has simply been upgraded so it reads better.

Of course, feedback on the changes are welcome!

This last chapter is merely an afterward, that contains authors comments and thanks. Apologies for those who may have hoped for an epilogue, but the story finished exactly where it needed to and we didn't want to ruin that.

[apolline-lucy]

scientific poll for writers & readers

i like it when it’s the love interest who falls first and the main character is completely oblivious & thinks the other hates them, or thinks the other is ridiculous and/or out of their league. but i’d be curious to hear your thoughts?? thanks for sharing <3

[the-golden-comet]

✨Thankful Thursday/Favorite Fiction Friday✨

Hi everyone! This week has been kind of crazy, but I haven’t forgotten. June’s a fantastic month for many different reasons: Pride, end of the fiscal year, for some it’s the end of the school year. But, there are many things to be thankful for.

I will start with, a MASSIVE thank you to @autism-purgatory , who made me fanart of Peter Hart that I am still gushing about and showing to my husband. You took time out of your day to draw my characters and make me smile, and I cannot thank you enough for that. I know how much joy it brings to see your characters come to life, and really inspire people. Thank you, G.J.

HUGE thank you to @thatuselesshuman who made me laugh from this meme about my stories, because it is entirely accurate and hilarious. Another one for my collection ✨

Gigantic thanks to @gioiaalbanoart, @wyked-ao3 and @sunglasses-in-the-bentley , who are reading Peter Hart for a second time (anyone else who is, please let me know too!) To read my works the first time is a gigantic honor; to go through the adventure again is one of the highest praises for an author, next to receiving fanart, fanworks, and fanfiction.

Thank you to this kind stranger, who made me beam all day from this comment. And thank you this community, who has shown so much kindness and support that I wonder why I’ve kept my talents hidden so long. Well, NO MORE. You will get art, you will get stories, you will get support, the best way I know how. I will do my best

Okay, enough gushing. Here are my favorite authors, and my favorite fiction from them:

@autism-purgatory — Loop Of The Hollow

@alinacapellabooks —The Tengu and the Angel

@gioiaalbanoart — Too Far Gone?

@justabigoldnerd — I Am Your Lover (I Am Your Jailor)

@fortunatetragedy — Doom Metal Love Story

@wyked-ao3 — Tuesday event or is it

@poorreputation — Dimples

@sunglasses-in-the-bentley — I Won’t Hurt You

@pippinoftheshire — Sing Me A Lullaby Before I Go

@lychhiker-writes — Snippet Dump

@brigidfromthecelts — The Devil’s Sonata

@dyrewrites — Before Deluca

@froggy-pposto — oblation

@deanwax — Cycle’s End

@far-cry-from-finality — The World’s Not Ending As Long As We’re In It

@theverumproject — The Verum Project

@snugglesquiggle — Hostile Takeover

@zackprincebooks — Dear Heart

@bookish-karina — Your Average Fangirl

@glasshouses-and-stones — The system’s breaking down

@thatuselesshuman — Bloody Hands are Kind

@piscesapplelady35 — As Lethal As Holy Water

@shards-things — Meant To Be

@sic-sempervirens — Taarasthari

@katenewmanwrites — Whispers In The Moonlight

@noblebs — Everything With Teeth

I’m most likely missing a few, but if YOU know of some amazing authors and literature, feel free to add to this list and spread the positivity!

For everyone reading this: Your fiction is fantastic, your stories are inspiring, and you are an amazing writer, artist, and human on this planet. Thank you for everything. 💫

[kyouka-supremacy]

We should talk more about Akutagawa seeing Dazai in Atsushi and being revolted by him, that's such a juicy concept to explore

[amymaleneart]

Thanks to the SOME people using ao3 accounts for their ai to "learn" from without the author's permission, a few of my favorite authors have locked their stories. WHICH IS THEIR RIGHTS and I would of done the same in their shoes.

But my complaint about the website is the whole invite thing. Unless you know someone, you get stuck on a waiting list before you are allowed to make an account on their. So in my case, I might get the invite by:

So now I'm force to wait and hopefully don't get any spoilers.

[lightasthesun]

if you read it and you loved it LEAVE A COMMENT *type type*

if you read it and you loved it LEAVE A COMMENT *type type*

if you read it and you loved it then some praise would surely show it—

if you read it and you loved it LEAVE A COMMENT *type type*

[cinnamonest]

Look, you didn't hear it from me, but if you read AO3 fics, magatsuslut has some of the best Adachi characterization that I've seen. There are at least dozens of us Adachi fuckers! Their fic 'Sweet Dreams' is just great, Adachi straddles the line between terrifying and pathetic.

Sweet Dreams - Chapter 1 - magatsuslut (saccharine_saint) - Persona 4 [Archive of Our Own]

(link)

BLESS YOU anon I am always so happy to find fellow Adachifuckers in this world out there. Good to know this awful man has captivated others as well <3

[smokingthemoutbasement]

I just learned that 700 people subscribed for updates on Eddie Munson (Rockstar, Father?) on ao3. That’s so crazy and also is kicking my ass in gear to write since I’ve been putting it on the back burner. Thank you for all the support. It blows my mind that you’ve stuck around so long

[bears-ao3-blog]

The Rumor Come Out: Does Scout Sniper TF2 is Gay?

Requested by Rhett on AO3: "If I were to ask for anything more, it'd be Sniper and Scout coming out to everyone (if they want to)"

~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~

"Hey, Mick?" 

Sniper hummed next to him questionably as he swirled the deep brown coffee in his mug absentmindedly, the dark morning painting the steaming brew an inky black as Sniper watched the liquid pool up at the sides and flow back, a film of coffee tinging the white mug cream on the inside. The two were sat in their chairs, like they were every morning. They had started meeting, without fail, at least once every day ever since they had found out about the other's reciprocation of feelings 2 weeks prior, and they were happy – mostly happy, that is. It's just...something was bugging Scout; eating at him like his teeth on his thumbnails. Rapping at the door of his mind every time he wasn't focused on other matters. 

"...I kinda wanna tell the others. About us." 

Sniper's eyes widened, his grip faltering on the warm ceramic handle as he whipped his head over to Scout so fast his hat and aviators nearly flew off. His response was unusually high-pitched for his low timbre, and panic laced his words with a fearful sharpness. 

"Wot?" 

Scout looked a little sheepish when their eyes met, his posture tense and guarded like he knew this is exactly how the marksman was going to react, and he nodded solemnly, a guilt clearly present on his face with the way it scrunched his features and made his eyes fall distant. 

"I...I don' like lyin' ta them, man. I mean, c'mon, what's da worst dat could happen?" 

Sniper looked at Scout incredulously before he shook his head to clear his mind and gather his thoughts. A tight frown and knitted brows replaced the shock as he rattled off. 

"Well, first of all, we could lose our jobs. Even if the Administrator is foine with "friends of Dorothy", M'not too sure she'd take kindly to our very unprofessional workplace relationship. An' wot abaut the others? You've never been 'appier abaut bein' accepted araund 'em, an' now you wanna risk all that?" 

Sniper's rant was cut rather short after his wandering, darting, rant-driven eyes finally landed on Scout and the runner looked like the sharpshooter just shot his dog. Sniper shut up right then and there with a click of his teeth and an uncomfortable swallow. He softened in his posture, which had similarly tensed, and spoke much more tenderly, leaning over the short distance of their chairs to gently cup the other's face. His thumb stroked comforting circles into the other's cheek as Scout pressed into the hand, his gaze falling. 

"I jus' want ya to be safe, for us to be safe. The world ain't keen on a love like ours, 'roo...Hey-" 

Sniper nudged Scout's chin upwards so the other would look up at him, and the marksman's heart squeezed at the poorly-concealed shine of the runner's eyes. Sniper's lip curled in confliction, his eyes darting between the left and right of Scout's, before he sighed, averting his gaze to get out his next words. The look on the other's face made his throat squeeze too much to speak. 

"I...I trust ya, luv. Just...be smart abaut it, yeah?" 

Scout looked up with a small pout, brows crinkling slightly. Sniper looked back, their eye contact intensifying as Scout's gaze turned steely. 

"I'm not an idiot, Snipes. I know 'em. M'pretty sure the only person who'd have anythin' ta say about it would be Spy, and dat's just cause he don't approve of anythin' I do." 

Sniper's lips pursed, looking away thoughtfully before he pulled the other in with the hand cupping the speedster's cheek to press a slow, apologetic kiss to the other's lips. They pulled only inches away, resting on each other's foreheads as Sniper nodded softly in understanding, his voice steeped in a similar softness as he spoke. 

"I know you're not, Jeremy." 

Scout sighed in response, his defensiveness melting away as he nodded back. 

"I know ya know..." 

They pulled apart, Sniper sitting up straighter and sipping at his coffee, Scout slumping against the back of his chair with a dramatic trill of his lips. 

"Dis sucks. Screw all the bastards dat decided two dude bein' inta each other was a crime." 

"Cheers ta that, mate. Bugger em'." 

"Yeah! Bugger em'!" 

Sniper chuckled under his breath as he lifted his mug to his lips to take a sip, finding Scout's usage of his own slang amusing.  

~~~~~~~~~~~~ 

Engineer and Pyro 

_______________ 

The inventor and fire-starter were sat at the dining room table, both perched over their respective pieces of paper and drawing away. Pyro was working on an odd doodle of Medic with a dove head in a hard press of crayon, and Engineer was making smooth, purposeful, light drags of his carpenter pencil on his newest draft of his newest creation. It looked like an upgrade to the teleporters, from what Scout could see. Scout felt a pang of dread attempt to stop him in his tracks, but the runner nevertheless sat himself down in a chair across from them. 

Engineer broke out of his concentration to smile at Scout lopsidedly, tucking the pencil behind his ear. 

"Well howdy, Scout! How's it goin'?" 

The engineer's voice got Pyro's attention, who looked up and offered their own muffled greeting. 

Scout feigned a smile back, his nerves serving the genuinity behind it null. Engineer noticed quickly, his brows furrowing behind his goggles and head dipping slightly in concern, continuing before the speedster could get a word in. 

"Is everythin' alright?" 

Scout grimaced at being found out so quickly and he sighed, eyes landing on the floor next to the table as he searched for the right words. 

Did Sniper have a point? Should he think about this first? What if Engineer secretly hated gays? What if it ruined their friendship? What if Pyro did and they tried lighting him up or something? He didn’t want to risk ruining the relationships he had worked so hard at building. Scout's throat squeezed in anxiety, mouth remaining stubbornly closed and refusing to elaborate. But Engineer's looking at him like something's up and Pyro's mumbling in a questioning manner and Scout's hand clenches as he huffs, finally returning Engineer's gaze. 

"I uh...got somethin' ta tell ya. An' it doesn't change who I am, yknow? I'm still the same old Scout, ya just know a little more about him an' I don't-" 

"Woah woah woah there, pardner-" 

Engineer halted Scout's nervous rambling with a calming voice and raised hands, motioning to convey the same meaning. Scout looked at him with wide eyes and features tense with stress. Engineer replied with a small, disarming smile and gentle tone. 

"Whatever it is, I'm sure it's not worth all this stressin' about. Just tell us, son." 

Scout took a deep breath to gather the courage, eyes closing to find himself, and slowly let it out before finally, finally saying it. 

"Me 'n Snipes...we're, uh...togetha. Like togetha togetha, so...yeah." 

Engineer looked over at Pyro, who looked over at Engineer, and they both broke out into laughter. Muted giggles emanated from Pyro's mask and a loud, booming guffaw was ripped from Engineer as Scout watched, jaw on the floor, brows pinched in confusion and offense. 

"Da hell's so funny, huh?" 

Engineer waved off the statement, still recovering as giggles and snickers spilled out of him, speaking through them. 

"No, no, hehahaah! Son, we know. Ya aren't exactly subtle about yer feelin's, hehe. Ahh, hell, most of the crew knew before you two even knew, I reckon." 

Pyro mumbled something, similarly amused, and Scout just squinted at them, completely oblivious as to what they were saying. He didn’t quite care, though, he was mostly distracted by the truth-bomb dropped by Engineer.  

"I'm sorry...what?" 

"Scout, it's fine, really. I reckon you'd know by now if the team had a problem with it." 

Scout's brows furrowed as his eyes darted around, rethinking every interaction he'd had with anyone since him and Sniper started talking, and his eyes widened as things started clicking into place. The odd quips from Demo weren't him being weird, he was teasing, and that’s why Soldier would always snicker like they were in on some inside joke....and the way Engineer would smile at him when Scout would talk about him and Sniper, like he was happy for him, too happy...Spy's seemingly new formed hatred towards the two being together, but him oddly hiding it and avoiding him? 

"So...so-" 

Engineer sighed, that same smile still on his face. 

"We're happy fer ya, Scout. I mean, big guy and the doc are a pair too, aren't they? Ya don't see us making a fuss of it. They aren’t the only ones, either. But uhh...that's not my place to talk about." 

Engineer's face tinged red during his last few sentences, his voice coming down to a sheepish murmur, which made Scout's eyes squint suspiciously. Was he implying... Scout shook the thought out of his head and it was very quickly replaced with the realization that the team knew. Because he was so obvious about it. It was Scout's turn to turn red, dropping his head in his crossed arms on the table with a dull thud, his muffled voice sounding from his arms. 

"Goddd dat's so fuckin' embarrasin'. Ughh-uuhh." 

More chuckles came from Engineer and Pyro, making Scout bury further in his arms, his cheeks burning. Pyro mumbled another bout of hums that Scout couldn’t even begin to make sense of. Engineer heard it just fine though, agreeing.  

"Scorch is right. Don't fret none, son. Only thing that's changed's yer perspective, is all." 

Scout lifted his head to rest his chin on his arms, frowning sulkily, his face still warm. He muttered, averting both of their gazes. 

"Yeah, whateva." 

Once again, Engineer and Pyro laughed. 

~~~~~~~~~~~~ 

Soldier and Demo 

_______________ 

Scout stomped outside, fists clenched, an irrational anger coursing through him. Everyone knew? Why were they so fucking coy about it? He could have avoided this whole, deeply uncomfortable, heart-to-heart "there's something I need to tell you" bullshit! And with the context, that meant that Demo and Soldier had been making fun of them! Scout could take the jokes usually thrown at him, that was just part of everyday life, but jokes at the expense of Sniper was different. He felt hot with irritation as he looked for the two. The telltale sounds of booming explosions and chaos laced with gruff cackling and howling of laughter lead Scout right to where he was looking. They were practicing their exploding jumps and seeing who could reach the highest, and were already sporting some nasty cuts and broken bones. Scout could already hear Medic's annoyed huffs and complaints about having to do his job when they weren't on the battlefield.  

"Hey chuckleheads! I gots a bone ta pick wit ya!" 

The two men stopped what they were doing, Soldier's rocket launcher already aimed at the ground, his finger tensing on the trigger when they were interrupted. Their heads turned in the direction of the steaming runner, and they looked at each other with a mix of mild annoyance and worry. 

"Uhh...aye lad? Whit’s got ye in a stooshie for?" 

Scout finished stomping over, arms crossed and a deeply unamused look on his face. 

"You two know about me and Snipes, dontcha?" 

The two looked like they were deer in headlights, before eyeing the other, nervousness prominent in their features as they looked back at the speedster gingerly. 

"Emm...aye, that’s right, laddie." 

Scout threw his arms back and punched both of them in the shoulder with a hefty blow. The two yelped, and Demo swiftly threw an arm against Soldier to stop him from attacking back, the war fanatic shouting threats and insults and crazed blabbering about disrespect and the like. Scout shook his head, tutting and "ah- ah- ah- ah-"ing to get him to shut up. When Soldier finally quieted down, Scout spoke with a disturbingly calm and even voice. 

"Ya make one more joke an' I knock both ya blocks off so hard respawn don't gotta chance at savin' ya, hear me?"  

Soldier and Demo exchanged another nervous look before they nodded understandingly. Scout mirrored the action in approval. 

"Good." 

Demo piped up quickly, attempting damage control. 

"If it makes ye feel any better, we’re chuffed for ye. Ye two fit together like a hand in a glove." 

"Indeed! That sort of behavior happens all the time in the army! Just be sure to be quiet about it!" 

Demo whacked Soldier upside the head, making an annoyed, drawn-out noise. 

"Ya numpty, he’s no got tae be quiet aboot it!" 

Scout glared at Soldier, puffing his chest out defiantly and squaring his shoulders. 

"Dat's freakin' right, I don't...but actually though, maybe don’t mention it to the Administrator...I don't want her on my ass about it." 

There was a moment of silence before Soldier quietly mumbled a: 

"Affirmative. I am sure your ass is strictly for the Sniper." 

Demo barely had time to cackle in response before they both got a face full of baseball bat. Medic didn’t even bother questioning when Scout hailed him over to fix them up. 

~~~~~~~~~~~~ 

Spy 

_______________ 

It was later that night that he caught Spy, lounging against a wall, inhaling another one of his cancer sticks, looking as grumpy as ever. Scout leaned against the wall next to him, arms crossed nonchalantly. Spy peered down at him with a raised brow. Scout didn’t have to look over to know that was the case. 

"Why 'aven't you been on my ass about me n' Snipes." 

There was an awkward silence before Spy sighed, long, drawn out, and laced with cigarette smoke. 

"I feegured you would ask queshtions." 

Another awkward silence. Scout glared over at him expectantly. 

"Well?" 

Spy's face scrunched in annoyance, lip curling to reveal the teeth gently holding his cigarette in place. 

"It is none of my bizness, non?" 

"Oh, don't gimme dat crap, you got no sense of the word. What the fuck's been up wit ya." 

The sleuth growled in irritation before speaking. 

"Is it so 'ard to believe a man is capable of a change of 'eart? I may not like it, but 'e's been good for you, and zerefore good for your performance. No need to interfere with somesing zat is working." 

Scout gawked at him, brows slightly furrowed in disbelief. Spy? Change of heart? What the hell was going on? An odd sense of validation made his heart perk up in happiness and he fucking hated that he was so delighted to hear that Spy approved of their relationship. Why the hell would he need the bastard's approval? Why the hell did he need the bastard's approval? Why was he realizing this just now? Wh- 

"Scout. You are staring." 

"Yeah! Ya bein' fuckin weird about this!" 

Spy huffed again, another cloud of smoke billowing from his lips. 

"You expect me to be a bigot?" 

Scout snorted at that, resulting in a cold look from the older man. 

"Nah, ya more a fairy dan I am, fancy pants." 

"Oh please. Ugh, if you'd kindly shut your mouth for once in your life it would do me a great deal of good." 

Spy pinched the bridge of his nose, teeth gritting. Scout grinned smugly back and nodded in approval. 

"Now ya actin' more like yaself." 

Spy let go, face falling to more of a mild shock, paired with a raised eyebrow as he peered over at the other questioningly. 

"What? Yeah, you're a bastard but I'm used ta dat. Don't gotta be a dick about me n Sniper but...you've been like-, avoiding me lately, n' stuff. I thought you actually were a bigot'a somethin' for a hot sec." 

Scout scoff-laughed at the end, obviously finding the idea a bit silly. He looked up to see Spy looking oddly sheepish. 

"Well...I figured zat my, er, distance, would do you some good as well. I know I am not kind to you often." 

Scout looked forward, feigning interest in the wall across from them, embarrassment making the back of his neck burn as he begrudgingly disagreed. 

"Nah...nah. Ya good. A dick fa sure but...ya good." 

The silence was more comfortin- comfortable. Not comforting. There was absolutely nothing comforting about Spy. But regardless, they shared that stillness for a solid few minutes before Scout quietly bid him farewell and briskly walked away. Spy watched him go with an unreadable expression, but an unmistakable softness in his eyes and posture. He lit another cigarette. 

~~~~~~~~~~~~ 

Sniper jumped slightly when the door to the camper swung open with no warning, drawing the marksman out of reading his newest MEN'S SURVIVAL MAGAZINE issue. A slightly exhausted looking Scout tumbled in and shut the door behind him with a huff. Sniper's chest immediately locked up, fearing the worst as Scout trudged over, stopping outside of the booth Sniper was sitting in. Sniper turned, pulling his legs out from under the table to face his body outward, head tilting before his eyes widened as Scout plopped in Sniper's lap and melted into him, head resting on the other's shoulder. 

"...wos it bad, 'roo?" 

Scout shook his head, shimmying further into Sniper's space and sighing in comfort. 

"Nah...jus' stressful. 'pparently everyone knew already. I'm just glad to see ya again." 

Sniper smiled and wrapped his arms around the runner, pulling him closer and resting his own head on the other's shoulder. 

"Good ta hear, luv. I'm 'appy ta see ya too. Now, hop off, would ya? I'm getting' dinnah started in a tick." 

Scout pulled back, fueled with a new excitement as he beamed brightly. 

"Aw hell yeah!"