It wasn't entirely uncommon for Pyro to get food stuck in the grates of their mask. Cupcakes, frosting, gummy bears... Pyro wasn't exactly the best at keeping its mask clean. Usually Engineer could simply wipe away the mess or pick it out with tweezers, but this time Pyro had managed to wedge a popcorn kernel deep into one of the filtration grates.
Deep enough, in fact, that Engineer was almost at a loss for what to do. He'd tried tweezers, tried to use some of his tools to reach deeper in there; hell, he briefly considered asking Medic for help before deciding they'd be better off in his workshop.
Of course, Pyro's squirming didn't help matters. Every time Engi thought he was getting close, Pyro would shift or turn their head and he'd have to start over.
Engi knew Pyro didn't like to have people touching her mask, and he was honestly surprised that Pyro allowed him to get this close, but damnit the squirming was getting on his nerves. Engi was a patient man, it was something he prided himself on; hell, he could get along with most everyone on the team, and that took a hell of a lot of patience.
Still, it was starting to wear thin.
The doors to Engineer's workshop briefly swung open before loudy slamming shut. Engineer's shoulders tensed as he let out a long sigh, preparing for the conversation that he was about to have.
"Heeeey, Engi," Scout said, strutting over like a proud peacock. Most days, Engineer could stand to be around Scout's shenanigans. Today? He was ready to wrap the gunslinger around his scrawny little throat. "You finished that bat yet?"
Engi let out a long sigh through his nose, wiggling a pair of tweezers deeper into Pyro's mask grates. Of course he'd be curious about that damn bat. Hadn't he told the kid it would be at least a week before he could start on it?
"'Fraid I haven't, Scout. This ain't a good time," Engi drawled, his patience and southern hospitality wearing thin.
Thankfully, he wasn't holding anything in the gunslinger right now—otherwise he'd have broke something.
"Yeah, I noticed. What's, uh, what's up with chucklenuts over here?" Scout leaned against Engineer, using his shoulder as an arm rest. Engi had to bite his tongue to keep himself from snapping at his colleague.
"Mmh hbb hmmba bmmmha," Pyro replied, knowing that Scout couldn't understand a damn thing he said.
"Popcorn kernel's stuck in th' filter grate," Engineer grumbled, feeling around blindly for the pesky thing. He couldn't quite seem to find it...
"Cowabummer, dude," Scout replied with a laugh. "Anyway, uh, you'll tell me when the bat's done, yeah?"
Engineer took a deep breath before replying, setting the tweezers to the side. He couldn't focus when Scout was pestering the living daylights out of him simply by existing.
"Sure will, Scout." Anything to get him out of those doors so Engineer could focus again.
"You're a lifesaver," Scout shouted as he slipped out the doors, leaving Engi to focus on that damn popcorn kernel again.
Popcorn(in your teeth)