Happy Birthday - Part 1

"RED TEAM, WINS!!"

As his team whooped and hollered over their victory over the BLUs, Liam, the RED Medic, chose to excuse himself. A few of his team's Spys had asked for his help in going through the copious amounts of intel they had just received and he had agreed, but not without a small amount of irritation. Taking his share of the intel, Liam headed off to his office, located in the back of the med bay, with a sigh. Once there, he plopped down onto the creaky office chair, pushing his rectangle-shaped glasses up a tad further onto the bridge of his nose. Skimming over the papers, he noticed that they seemed to be about one of the BLU Medics, Alexander Porter. "How interesting…. I barely know anything about the man, let alone information about his past…." Liam thought to himself, sitting up a bit straighter so as to get a better look at the papers.

However, the one paper that the Medic found MOST intriguing, was surprisingly about his friend Nacht, the Tentaspy living in the sewer system below the bases…. He didn't know the Tentaspy all that well, but he still considered him a friend and they had talked on several occasions…. "Now, what on earth is information about Nacht doing in here with all these papers about Alexander?!?" He was utterly confused now and swiftly brought the piece of intel closer to the light. To his annoyance, not much was listed about the relationship between the two. Only that they were somehow both involved in a "project" of sorts, that they were both from Germany, and….. Narrowing his eyes, the Medic re-read that last sentence. Nacht was created/born December 13…. That was Liam's birthday…. and it just so happened that his birthday was tomorrow…. Giving off a light sigh, he leaned back against his chair, removing his glasses so that he could rub at his temples.

Liam had spent many a birthday alone…. actually, MOST of his birthdays he had spent alone…. but now that he had friends and Elizabeth to spend them with… Well, he couldn't really imagine it any other way! He thought quietly about Nacht and how alone he was, only having a handful of friends. He was a private man, not giving away too much about himself, only to a select few. The Medic knew he told Elizabeth many of his secrets and once, he had asked her about them. But she had told him that she was sworn to secrecy and refused to tell him. Only, now that Liam knew his birthday…. he couldn't just very well forget it! No, he had to do something for him, it was the right thing to do….. but…. what should he do?

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The papers held information about the tentaspy, but nothing explained his past. Only a few people knew about his past...a chosen few. It was hard to get him to talk...

The resident tentaspy swam about in the sewers, his stomach aching… maybe something had made him ill. He hadn't eaten, food being very hard to find. No bodies had fallen in the water, or anywhere view lately. He lied down, half of his body in the water, the other half on land.

He didn't look well at all, his tentacles limp, his skin pale, and the area under his eyes dark. His breathing was deep, almost raspy.

He looked to the entrance of his home almost longingly, feeling lonely, depressed, and horrible.

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Growling in frustration, the Medic stood up to pace back in force as best he could in his cramped little office. Liam was never very good at expressing heartfelt emotion (except to Elizabeth of coarse), so trying to think of a suitable way to wish the Tentaspy a happy birthday had him very flustered. Maybe he should visit Nacht.... that might give him some ideas and hopefully make him feel more at ease... Yes, that is what he would do. Nodding in conformation to himself, Liam fixed his tie and threw on a scarf as he rushed out the door and headed for the sewers.

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The tentaspy crawled out of his home. After he emerged, his body instantly slumped. He was so... tired. Given, the rush of cold water was a nice feeling, but it wasn't enough to wake him. He wandered over to a wall, his back meeting it. He always felt so...off at this time of year, when snow started to fall. His waist hurt, his chest… It was like the past pains, when the BLU medic would attack him. Always at this time of year, he was forced to remember looking at the snow from the window of the house. He let out a sigh. Why did it always hurt...? The memories...?

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Shivering slightly in the cold air, Liam wrapped his scarf tighter around himself, his breath catching in the air and forming little clouds. As he neared the sewers, he grimaced at the thought of getting his nice warm boots wet.... "Oh well, it's for a good cause I suppose...." he thought to himself, jumping down into the icy cold water below. Reaching the entrance to the sewer system, he went inside, calling out lightly, "Nacht? Are you in here?"

The tentaspy's head perked up as he heard Liam calling his name. He got up shakily and wandered towards the sound of his voice. His tentacles splashed around in the water, his pale gaze on the floor and walls in front of him. Making his way towards Liam, Nacht stopped, his tentacles again growing limp. "H-Hallo... Liam..."

Seeing the disheveled state that the Tentaspy was in, Liam's medical instincts took over and he rushed over to him, quickly yanking one of his gloves off to put a hand to Nacht's forehead. "Are you alright, herr?!? You do nicht look too gut...."

Nacht looked at the man in front of him and reflexively backed away from his hand. "H-Herr... your hand is cold... und... I'm fine. I get zhis vay every vinter... I blame zhe memories..." he paused and smiled weakly towards him. "Vhat brings you to mein sewers...?" he asked, a tentacle weakly latching onto Liam's ankle

The Medic frowned, not believing the man for a minute. He looked horrible and must be terribly cold.... "Herr, you do nicht look 'fine' to me.... but if you do nicht vant mein help, zhan I vill respect dein vishes, I suppose..."
Glancing down at the tentacle attached to his ankle, he smiled lightly and continued, "I had somezhing I vanted to talk to you about, herr...."

"You vant to talk to me...?" Nacht asked, his head tilting lightly as he spoke. "Vhat of..?"
He laid his arms over his stomach. He refused to let this man hear he was hungry, let alone know he hasn't been eating a normal amount.

Sitting down on the damp concrete, leaning his back against the wall, Liam nervously fidgeted with his hands. He wasn't sure how Nacht would react to his questions and that he had found out about his past, even if it was only a tidbit of information. Taking a deep breath, he mustered up some courage and said quietly, "I vas helping our team's Spys look through some intel today.... Vell, zhere vas some information about das BLU Medic, Alexander Porter.... und.... zhere vas a paper about you, herr.... Do nicht vorry, it did nicht go into detail, but.... I vas vondering if you could tell about dein relationship vith Alexander.... Bitte?" The Medic glanced up at the Tentaspy, a curious, yet worried look upon his face.

Nacht took in a breath. "I do nicht zhink it is vise to hide zhings from you..." he sighed lightly, sitting in the water. "Alexander Porter... He vas my father, my creator... Mein Meister... He vas a cruel man, alvays doing experiments on me....seeing if I vould obey... or seeing vhat reactions I vould give off. I saw him as a father in zhe past...but as I lived on I felt he vasn't a father... he vas less zhan zhat. He vas zhe man who sent me here vhen he vas done 'playing' vith me…" The tentaspy's gaze lowered. "He's... He's just Mein Meister... nozhing more..."

A grim expression planted itself on Liam's features and he brought his legs in closer to himself, hugging onto his knees as he looked down at Nacht. "I.... I'm so sorry, herr..... Es tut mir leid for bringing up such harsh memories.... but, if I may ask..... vhy do you still call him dein meister?"

"Because he made me.... Vhy nicht? Given, he hurt me, but still..." he sighed. "S-So... What else did you come to talk about Liam...?" he asked, desperately wanting to change subjects.

"I.... I suppose so...." The Medic was feeling ill at ease about Nacht still calling Alexander his master, but seeing as the man didn't want to talk about it anymore, he shut his mouth.
However, he blushed lightly at the next question and he continued to fiddle around nervously with his fingers as he looked down. "O-oh, vell.... You see, um.... I noticed on das papers zhat.... vell.... I noticed zhat it vas dein birthday tomorrow.... und.... it ist mine as vell, you see." Liam smiled, a bit embarrassed about mentioning his own birthday.

Nacht raised a brow lightly, his eyes donning a confused gaze. "Liam...?" he began, his hands fidgeting and playing with one of his limp tentacles. "Vhat is a birthday…?" He looked to the floor rather embarrassed.

Quickly turning his head to stare at Nacht, a sorrowful look crossed Liam's face. "You.... you do nicht know vhat a birthday is, herr?" He sighed, trying his best to smile at the man. "A birthday ist das day zhat somevone vas born..... Deins ist December 13, according to dein file... as ist mine.... Das normal tradition ist to celebrate vones birthday vith freunds und family..... zhough it ist not required, I suppose..."

Nacht looked at Liam. "S-So wve veer born on zhe same day...?" he asked, his eyes growing a bit warm as a smile escaped his lips. "Zhe more you know I suppose..." He wandered a bit closer. "Are you planning somezhing... for your birthday Liam...?"

The Medic grinned awkwardly at Nacht, shaking his head as he said, "Nein, only a few people know about mein birzhday... I do nicht like big parties..." His gaze turned to the water in sadness, however, as he continued quietly, "So... you haff never celebrated dein birzhday, herr?"

Nacht frowned lightly, his tentacle lightly curling, his gaze on the dark water. "N-Nein... I have never done so." he laughed weakly, looking up at Liam. His eyes were full of confusion and curiosity. "Liam...?" he began. "V-Vhat if ve share tomorrow...togezher...?"

Liam hesitated for a moment, never one for celebrating anything, but grinned soon after, nodding his head lightly. "A-Alright... zhat vould be... sehr nice, ja?"

Nacht gave a light nod. "Ja, Sehr schön..." He smiled weakly and wrapped his arms around himself and shivered. His tentacles curled over one another in search for warmth. "Es tut mir leid, mein Freund, Aber ich bin schrecklich in den Schnee und Eis langsam..."

A concerned look crossed the Medic's face and he only hesitated for a moment before quickly handing over his scarf to the shivering man. "Es besteht keine Notwendigkeit, sich zu entschuldigen, mein Freund. Fühle dich niemals schlecht über bat um Hilfe..... I do nicht vant you to get sick...."

Nacht lightly nodded and huddled in close to the scarf. "But... vhat if you get ill...?" he muttered, his gaze slightly worried. "I vould hate it if you did."
The man moved forward, towards Liam. "I...I have lived zhrough a few winters here... I... I will make zhis one..."

Quickly shaking his head and frowning, Liam replied, "You vill nicht if you keep zhis up.... Nein, I am fine, do nicht vorry about me..... I only vish I could do more...." Giving Nacht a small smile, he continued, "Do nicht forget, herr, I am a doctor und I know vhat is best for dein health."

Nacht let out a laugh and crawled closer to Liam. "Can ve go inside... Bitte? Maybe to zhe vorkshop...?" he asked. The tentaspy laughed again, "It may be for zhe best..."

Nodding, the Medic stood up, brushing off his coat as he said, "Ja, ja, of coarse ve can." He let out a chuckle himself as he continued, "I'm glad you agree vith me, herr." Liam slowly started toward the RED base, motioning for Nacht to follow him. He wrapped is arms around himself as a rush of icy wind hit him and he shivered lightly.

The tentaspy followed after the medic, his movements fairly slow with the icy winds biting at his tentacles. "E-Es tut mir leid, mein friend…" he began, wrapping his arms around himself. "For mein slowness..."

Rushing back over to the man, Liam put an arm around his shoulder, attempting to keep him a bit warmer. He hoped Nacht wouldn't catch pneumonia.... "Stop apologizing, herr.... It ist nicht dein fault..." The Medic helped him along, making sure to keep him as warm as possible, occasionally fixing the scarf around him.

Nacht smiles weakly "No... it's..." he coughed. "Nevermind..."
Crawling with Liam, he shivering like a leaf. His breath caught the air, small clouds escaping his mouth. He looked at the medic next to him, his hand finding it's way on his.

The Medic glanced nervously down at the hand now laying on his own. He had never been a very "touchy-feely" kind of guy.... but he remained calm, as he kept telling himself that he was helping Nacht. Reaching the workshop door, he left the man for a moment, rushing over to fling it open, then swiftly ushering the Tentaspy inside.