Chapter Text
With one eye closed and the other squinted, Medic observed the small gold band he held between his index finger and thumb. Despite it’s uniform and circular shape, he still turned the thing around to look at it from other angles.
Sitting in front of Medic, Demoman was nervously rubbing his hands together. “No good…?” he asked, “Forgot ta ask ye fer a sample o’ his finger so I used me own.”
“No, it seems like zhe correct size,” Medic replied, flashing a smile as he lifted the ring down, “Just is very simple. I zhought you vould go for somezhing more garish.”
“Well, we’re always fightin’, ya know?” Demoman explained, “Figured something simple would work for Jane.”
“Simple ring for simple man?” Heavy, who was sitting on Medic’s rolling chair next to where Medic sat at his desk, “Doktor, let me see.”
“Oi, watch what ye say!” Demoman snapped as Medic handed the ring off to Heavy for inspection. The band of gold was nearly engulfed between Heavy’s massive hands, and the last thing Demoman needed was for him to drop or break it. “That’s me best mate yer referrin’ too!”
Heavy raised an eyebrow at Demoman’s sudden reaction, and Medic placed a hand on his partner’s hairy arm. “Tavish, he didn’t mean it as to call him stupid,” he assured, “Ve aren’t native English speakers, you know.”
“Oh, yeah,” Demoman apologized bashfully, “Sorry. Forget sometimes.”
“Heavy just meant zhat Soldier is, erm, utilitarian- I believe zhat’s zhe vord. Never been one for needless luxuries.”
“Aye, that’s what I thought, too.”
Demoman let out a sigh of relief as he leaned back in the patient chair in front of Medic’s desk. Had he been told a year ago if he would become quite close with Heavy and Medic, Demoman would have assumed he was either drunk or dreaming. Yet here he was, talking to these two about one of the most important days of his life that was almost here. They were the experts on relationships on the team, after all; the matching rings they wore weren’t just for a fashion statement.
“So, vhen do you plan to use it?” Medic inquired, resting his chin on his folded hands being propped up by his elbows, “Make a scene in front of zhe team during dinner?”
“My plan’s much better than that,” Demoman assured, chest rising with pride, “On Sunday I’m takin’ him out to the finest restaurant in the next city over fer steak. Then, after we’re all giddy and full, I’ll drive us up the mountainside. We’ll be all alone, so nothing will interrupt the big question.”
“Zhat’s sounds vonderful!” Medic exclaimed, clapping his hands together, “You seem to have everyzhing planned out. I’m sure he’ll love it.”
“You sure he will really like it?” Heavy suddenly interjected. The other two turned their attention to him as he was now rolling the ring between his fingers. He placed the ring back on the desk in front of Demoman and cleared his throat to elaborate.
“Vhat do you mean?” Medic said, furrowing his brows.
“You say Solider has simple tastes. Does this not seem like… too much for him?”
“I’m out here askin’ fer his hand in marriage, not about the bloody weather!” Demoman cried, “Why wouldn’t I make it special?”
Heavy shrugged. “Just asking if you planned this with his best interests in mind, or just think only what you want.”
“Heavy!” Medic barked, lightly smacking Heavy on one of his biceps. While a tiny swipe from his fiancé was barely felt by a brick wall of a man such as Heavy, it’s Heavy’s ego that looked visibly bruised. Heavy rolled his eyes and slipped his reading glasses back on to go back into his book. Medic groaned and reached across his desk to lightly squeeze Demoman’s forearm. “Ah, pay no mind to him. I, for vone, vish you zhe best of luck, mein freund.”
Despite the doctor’s kind words, Demoman still had a leech of guilt now gnawing at his insides. What if Heavy was right and he hadn’t considered Soldier’s interests at all. He hadn’t even considered if Soldier owned anything fancy enough to wear to a five-star restaurant before making the reservations months ahead.
He shook the fear off and met Medic’s gaze. No, tomorrow night would be perfect. He had planned everything exactly and did not intend to go off schedule.
“Thank ye, doc,” he said before excusing himself from the chair. Medic gave a friendly wave as Demoman quietly exited the room to go meet Soldier, Engineer, and Spy for cards before they suspected something. Once the double doors stopped swinging, Medic leaned over to rest his head on Heavy’s arm, sighing dreamily.
“Vhy didn’t you take me out for steak and a trip to lovers’ lane vhen you proposed?” he cooed, tracing a finger in a circular pattern between Heavy’s pectorals, “Badgering me until I looked up from my vork isn’t exactly zhe picture of ‘romantic,’ ja?”
Heavy couldn’t help but crack a smile as he kept his eyes on his novel. “You never asked,” he replied honestly, “Besides, you are too smart for own good; would have figured it out as soon as we get in car.”
Medic gave a hum of amusement and cuddled his face into Heavy’s firm shoulder. “I guess you’re right about zhat. Zhough, I vouldn’t have it any other vay.”
Heavy gave a peck on the top of Medic’s head and felt a warmth spread through his body as he saw the glimmer of Medic’s ring as his fingers crawled along his chest.
After hours of convincing Soldier to wear something nice, and that it didn’t make him any less of a brutal warrior, Demoman got Soldier into one of his spare dress shirts pants. Unfortunately, he had no dress shoes that fit Soldier, so he begrudgingly let Soldier tuck his pants into his boots. Soldier fussed about trying to tie a tie on his own, despite obviously having no knowledge of it. His ears turned bright pink as Demoman did it for him in the mirror above Demoman’s dresser.
“Well, Mr. Doe,” Demoman said once he adjusted the tie around Soldier’s next and gave him a side hug, “I say ye clean up pretty well for someone who eats nothin’ but canned soup all week.”
“Little tight,” Soldier muttered, tugging at his sleeve collars and cufflinks.
“Aye, it’s like that,” Demoman agreed, “How’s the tie feelin’?”
“’t’s alright.” Soldier grinned at Demoman as he reached over to grab his hand. “So, where are we headed to, private?”
“Oh, it’s a surprise,” Demoman purred as he kissed the side of Soldier’s face, enjoying the lingering scent of his morning shave, “But yer gunnae love it.”
“Is that a promise?”
“Aye. I swear on me dad’s grave.”
The two waved to the other guys in the rec room as they walked out. Scout whistled and teased at the sight of Soldier in any other garments besides his uniform, though the others just gave pleasant farewells. Heavy and Medic, who were cuddling on the beat-up sofa in front of the TV, where Pyro was sitting three feet from the screen, gave Demoman an extra big thumbs up.
They used Demoman’s rarely-touched car for the trip, which was a brand-new white car that Demoman bought with his earnings last summer (despite the complaints from his mom about “wasting his money on junk” and her general crabbiness). They turned on the radio to swing music, which was one of the few music genres Soldier tolerated and chattered throughout the first forty-five minutes on the open road.
Despite his best efforts to act as though everything was normal, he’d be a liar if he claimed that the little box in his shirt pocket wasn’t practically burning a hole through. Looking at the way Soldier laughed at his bad jokes, the tenderness in his blue eyes when he looked at Demoman- it drove him crazy. He just loved Soldier more than life itself, and today he’d show Soldier that he is his life right now.
The road was still clear as they approached the intersection of the city, as well as Demoman’s mind. Tonight was going smoother than he could have ever asked for.