Dungarees are the British word for what Americans call overalls. That's what Engie wears. This was inspired by one of Japan's requests, I think. Also unfinished. The Glitch The BLU Demo knew there was something wrong as soon as he felt himself fading into reality. Respawn was always so weird. Like suddenly realizing there were goose bumps on the flesh and being incapable of warming them away until the body was whole. Something like that. However, the sense of awkwardness came as he realized that the BLU Engineer had respawned right in front of him. The man looked startled but he wasn't even staring at Demo. He was staring down at himself, patting his chest around the overall bib as if he had lost a pencil, and then grabbing his crotch. It wasn't a sensual or a dominant stick-it-to-the-man sort of crotch grab though. It wasn't even for scratching or readjusting himself in his underwear It was as if he was searching for the pencil there of all places. Engie physically jumped when he suddenly realized that Demo was watching. Demo arched an eyebrow and frowned uncertainly as he took a swallow of nice, fiery scrumpy to ease away the chill. Then the Engineer bolted through the door that lead to the restricted area, deeper down into the base. “Bathroom!†Engie yelled over his shoulder. Oh. Maybe lunch had disagreed with him? Maybe he'd been fighting awhile, hadn't noticed, and the urge had made itself known with a vengeance. Demo ignored the strangeness of it all and decided to sidle up to the wall, near the door frame. He slumped down to the floor, knocking back a little scrumpy now and then. Demo had died while trying to guard the same control point that Engie had been guarding. The RED Soldier had managed to avoid Demo's little lovelies and the sentry gun long enough to blast both of them to bloody hell! Demo scowled as he considered what he and Engie could do to save the day and put BLU back on the winning end. It was some time before Engie returned, however. Demo was initially glad because they still had plenty of time to turn things around. He'd even devised half a plan for a way to do it! So he wasn't worried until he actually laid eyes on the poor man. The Engineer wandered back in as if in a stunned, shaky daze, like he'd actually seen a ghost. He had pushed his goggles up onto his creased forehead and his shaved head was bare as he kept turning his yellow hardhat over and over again between his broad hands. He stared straight on, seeing nothing, still opening and closing his mouth, as if he wanted to say something to someone who wasn't there. Maybe to himself? “Hey, mate,†Demo said, “Sit down. Ya look like ya need a rest!†The Engineer startled again and stared down at Demo, as if he had suggested that Engie learn how to tap dance and put on a show. Then Engie glanced blankly at the spot on the floor that Demo was patting beside him. At first Demo thought the stricken fellow would refuse but, without a word, the Engineer wandered over; putting his back to the wall and sliding down it. He slumped forward, hugging his knees tight to his chest, and buried his face in them. Demo pondered for a moment but ultimately decided that he should throw his arm over Engie's hunched shoulders loosely. Demo squeezed the Engineer to his side as a way of reassuring the Engineer that he wasn't alone with his problems, whatever they might be. The Engineer flinched but didn't shove him off. He began to rock back and forth slightly. “Oh God. Oh mah God!†the Engineer whispered, “This just ain't right.†Demo paused in the midst of patting the opposite shoulder gently and nudged Engie with his bottle, offering it to him. The Engineer looked up and grabbed it. He took a large mouthful without even stopping to look disdainfully at the many invisible germs he typically seemed to notice lurking on the rim of whatever bottles his team mates might offer him, after drinking from it themselves. Then Engie held it limply by the narrow neck and Demo took it back, afraid it'd slip out of the Engineer's grip and break before Demo was done with it. “Is it anythin' ya feel like talkin' about?†Demo asked, “I'm not goin' anywhere. You're still me mate, no matter what! A team mate and me mate... Not me best mate, mind ya, but still me mate.†The Engineer continued to stare ahead of him for awhile. At first the Demo wasn't even certain that Engie had heard him. He was about to repeat himself when Engie looked right at him, his blue eyes wide and pleading for something that Demo didn't understand. “I... I just... it's a glitch,†Engie whispered, “You know? It's a glitch.†“Wha' is, lad? What's a glitch?†Demo asked. “THIS!†Engie yelped. The Engineer grabbed Demo's free hand, dipping his head down and forward, so he could pull Demo's arm over his neck before plunging Demo's hand directly into his lap. Demo's initial reaction was to go perfectly still, as he hadn't expected to be groping another man today (or any day, for that matter. He didn't go in expecting it, at least.) As soon as the shock wore off and he noticed Engineer's pleading look was now going from Demo's face down to the Engineer's clothed package, Demo began to feel around tentatively. Demo hadn't noticed at first because the blue dungarees had a baggy crotch to them. He frowned slowly and then winced as it dawned on him why this felt so different from grabbing himself. Besides the fact he wasn't grabbing himself... “Wha—Yeh family jewels are missin'! Bloody hell! No wonder you're actin' all—BLOODY HELL! It could happen to any of us, couldn't it?!†Demo gasped, realizing what Engie had meant by a glitch. The Engineer went red at that and shook his head as he looked down. His brow was deep with wrinkles, his eyebrows drawn together, and his mouth wobbling between a cynical laugh and a deeply worried frown. “It's worse than that.†Demo stared hard and let go, cringing as he tried to imagine what the hell Engineer was talking about. “Worse?†Demo asked, “How could it get WORSE?†He was truly starting to panic now, all too clearly imagining his own terror at losing his balls. He was pretty certain he'd felt the Engineer's cock though, so it couldn't be a complete loss of everything. That was all he could think of when the Engineer had said it was worse. The Engineer's shoulders began to shake and he sounded like he was choking. Demo couldn't tell if he was laughing, sobbing, or managing to pull off both at once. His cheeks were clear of tears, though his bright blue eyes were watering, and then he put one stocky hand over his face as he shook his head wearily. Demo began lightly patting Engie's back, filled with more sympathy than revulsion for the awkward situation. The man must be losing his mind! “If... If'n I show ya what I mean, you better not tell anyone else!†the Engineer said, “You promise?†Demo stared at the Engineer's earnest, determined face, now tilted towards him. The much shorter man had his broad chin resting in his hand and his sturdy arm on his knee, almost casual compared to the stiff stance he'd had a second ago. He still hadn't cried, which Demo found admirable but not unwarranted given the situation. Demo swallowed back some saliva abruptly and wasn't certain if he should agree without knowing first. What if it was truly horrible? How could Demo not tell the Medic if it was clear Engie needed help? In the end, something about the plea tinging the Engineer's features got Demo to nod. “I promise I won't. Yeh better promise it won't make me regret me promise, though!†Demo warned. The Engineer sighed and looked down at the respawn floor. “I can't promise that. Not to be rude or nothin' but I don't know ya that well, son.†“Hmm! Well... aye. I'll try not to hold it against ya if I get angry,†Demo said. The Engineer snorted. He gave the Demo a strange look, like a mixture of raw terror and raw humor. Like the terror itself was funny to the Engineer, even though he couldn't shake it. Demo was already having misgivings about this but now his curiosity had been stoked and he couldn't back out. “I don't think anger is the word you'll be lookin' for,†the Engineer said, “Uh, I'm not droppin' mah overalls in here though. You mind if we go back to mah workshop? This ain't exactly the thing to see when ya come out of respawn and ya don't know what's goin' on.†The Demo nodded and stood up. He waited a moment as the Engineer rose to his feet, awkwardly. As if something about his legs or his hips made the action less smooth than it used to be. Then he followed the Engineer out of respawn, around towards the back of the base, and into the large shed that Engie called a workshop. It was similar to his own except Engie's was attached to the building proper. The Demo had his own a few feet out, in case of an explosion tearing it apart. Accidents happened when he was drowsy and BLU didn't appreciate having to send out a construction crew to repair damage to the base when they weren't officially trying to blow each other's bases off the map. Demo looked around, since he was rarely invited inside when fully geared up. The Engineer was typically nervous about explosions destroying his various tinkering and works in progress, even if Demo had to arm his bombs before they could possibly explode! It was prejudice but the Demo Man took it in stride. It was a sight better than the racism he should have expected from the southerner. The Engineer was a little better than most about that. Maybe the truth was that the two were related but regardless, the Engineer had always been polite and even reveled in sharing his toys when someone took an interest in them. That was how he was with all of his team mates. This time the Engineer bade him enter and hurriedly closed the door, ignoring Demo as he wandered around. The middle of the floor was bare but the walls were lined with shelves, boxes, workbenches, tools, spare parts, and a drafting table that had numerous blue prints on it. There was a single bed to one side, when the Engineer worked late into the night and didn't feel like going to bed proper. There was a small box of blue metal drawers on wheels beside it, being used as a make-shift nightstand. At one of the work benches were two stools with leather seats and a third, that looked exactly like them, was sitting at the drafting table. The Engineer wandered over to the pair, grabbing one and scooting it next to the other. Engie dumped his hard hat onto the work bench as Demo sat down and waited, suddenly nervous. He would have to try and keep calm, no matter what was about to happen. The stool didn't help that as it wobbled slightly and Demo felt the duct tape strapped across a tear in the leather where he gripped it. The other two looked equally shabby so Engie probably had kept them all because they were equally likely to break. The Engineer fiddled with the clasps on his blue denim dungarees for a second, as if he were reconsidering what he was about to do. Demo didn't blame him, though Demo had showered with him before. It wasn't as if they'd never seen each other naked. It simply wasn't polite or normal to go around staring at everyone's naughty bits when the lads were simply trying to take care of some business. Good thing Demo was buzzed or he might have reconsidered doing this himself. He had no idea why Engie was willing to go through with it but Engie had made up his mind after a minute. The clasps were soon undone and the Engineer let the straps hang down of their own accord. He took a deep breath and pushed the top half of his dungarees down, then over his knees, leaving them to bunch around his legs as he grabbed his boxers and did the same with those. Demo winced, expecting something frightening, like wee Spy crabs or maybe a third eye staring out of the head of Engie's cock. When all he saw was a sleek, uncut cock, more or less what he thought it always looked like (minus Engie's balls), Demo felt underwhelmed. What was worse about this? Demo stared, trying to figure out what Engie might have meant. His hips looked a little bigger but then Engie had always been a stocky sort, with a flattened pillow for a belly and the sort of limbs seen on a stevedore, so it was hard to tell if Demo was imagining it. He did think there was a prominent gap between the man's thighs but maybe that was because Demo had never seen a man's thighs without a hairy sack hanging down in front. He also hadn't studied the area, on anyone else, that closely before. The studious air that Demo had about him quickly evaporated as the Engineer managed to climb up onto the other stool, in spite of his clothes tangling around his knees before he pushed them down farther and spread his legs open. It took a bit because Engie had to put one arm down between them before he regained his balance. As soon as that was remedied, he gripped one side of the stool but Demo still saw nothing more than an ordinary limp dick until the Engineer gently lifted it up and out of the way. Then Demo had to wonder if he was a lot drunker than he thought he was. Demo leaped off the stool and dropped down onto his knees in front of the Engineer to get a better look, mouth agape. He was gobsmacked, to say the least! “Yeh have a fanny where your balls and taint should be!†He looked up at the Engineer's face and the Engineer blinked. That apparently hadn't been quite the reaction he'd been expecting and he was leaning away, nervous and confused. “It's not a butt, it's a vagina!†Engie corrected, “A... a pussy, if ya will. That's sure enough how some of them fellas would put it.†The Engineer looked away, almost meekly at expressing a vulgar word for it. Demo knew the man was polite, especially in mixed company, but normally he didn't exhibit such embarrassment after saying something like that. It was all so fucking surreal that Demo began to hyperventilate, laughing and gasping in shock at the same time. Now he understood why the Engineer had been acting so strange earlier! Yet, the situation was no less horrible. The respawn had malfunctioned and changed the Engineer in a way it never should. In a way nature hadn't intended for anyone! What else might it get wrong? The Engineer seemed to follow Demo's train of thought and glumly nodded. “That's why I said it was worse. There's some serious corruption in the data if it didn't just forget some part of me but actively altered it! How am I goin' to fix this? I've never really touched it before.†“I'd expect as much! Yeh just got it,†Demo teased. Engineer's expression remained serious. Not that Demo blamed him. “No! I meant Respawn, ya lush,†Engie said, “I reckon I could fig're somethin' out but if I don't get some blue prints or someone who maintains the darn thing to help me, I might cause a mess o' trouble tryin' to change it back!†The Demo rubbed his chin and shook his head as he calmed down. The more he looked at the Engineer's new genitalia, the more he was starting to think it wasn't so bad. It helped they weren't his. Less worry and also easier to look at. They were kind of... attractive, the more he stared. The Engineer had a nice, thick cock though it wasn't by any means massive. Not unexpected, given his short stature overall. As the thatch of hair that surrounded it grew further back, it partially hid what looked to be a fairly standard looking vagina, with drooping lips and a slightly ruddy tinge. Demo squinted as he considered the positioning. It looked like the root of Engie's cock was around where the clitoris would have been. “Hey... ya mind if I... yeh know?†Demo asked. Engie arched a brow and chewed on his lower lip. “If I know what?†Engie asked. Demo pointed at the vagina. “Yeh mind if I touch it?†Demo asked. The Engineer practically fell off the stool as he clamored to get away, reaching down for his boxers and dungarees as he realized they were slipping down to his feet and otherwise a hindrance to retreat. “WHAT'S WRONG WITH YOU?!†Engie snapped, “NO ONE IS TOUCHIN' IT!†Demo felt annoyed for being called out for his opportunism. He looked away and tried to act as if his request wasn't encroaching on Engie's privacy nearly as much as it was. He also felt, well, weird for suddenly vaguely propositioning his team mate. His male team mate... sort of male team mate. He really hadn't meant anything by it though. He'd always admired the Engineer's surprising strength, pleasant nature, and impressive intelligence but it hadn't exactly turned him on before. Not enough to fall into a trap of queerness anyway. Of course, Scout would have loved the current situation. The perfect chance to mention how balls wouldn't be touching. His usual excuse when someone hypothesized something poofy to make everyone else laugh or feel uncomfortable around the card table. Talking about bizarre, horrific, or otherwise uncomfortable things was great for throwing the other men off their game. Many of them were willing to use that tactic their advantage when they felt like being real arseholes. Demo realized that he probably wasn't the only one who would have propositioned the Engineer. Even if none of them wanted to shag it, some of them didn't leave the base frequently enough or didn't have a sufficient enough source for the real deal to give up a little look and maybe a touch to resolve their curiosity. Now that he was thinking about it, he had to admit his curiosity extended beyond a simple touch. Which was probably why the Engineer was straightening his clothes, squaring his shoulders, and scowling so hard his massive jaw jutted out more than usual. Engie had made himself vulnerable and neither of them had realized how much until Demo had expressed an interest. “I didn't mean... I was only wonderin'!†Demo insisted, “Although, if it's goin' to be awhile before you're back to normal, yeh might as well have some fun with it.†“Yeah, I'll have fun with it since it's attached to me!†Engie snapped, “Ya'll want some fun, you get your own!†They stared at each other, Engie trying to stand as tall and tough as possible with his hand loosely curled around the handle of the wrench in his tool belt and Demo wishing he'd had the sense to think first before opening his mouth. Maybe he could have brought the idea up slowly enough to coax Engie into it. Now he didn't have a chance in hell of convincing the Engineer that he wasn't going to harm him or take undue advantage. “I won't tell,†Demo said. Engie snorted, skeptical, and Demo sighed. “I meant me promise. I won't tell the others about this,†Demo added, “Yeh might want to consider showering alone, though. No one intends to look but it happens. Someone will notice eventually.†“I realized that,†Engie said, “Not that I think they'd be all over it but even being mocked for this don't sit right with me.†Demo looked into those narrowed blue eyes and nodded. He hadn't even thought of all the jokes that could be made at Engie's expense now. Demo's knees suddenly ached like they'd been hit by a Scout's bat and it reminded him that he was still kneeling down on the hard concrete floor. He wasn't even certain why he hadn't stood up but then doing so might have made the Engineer even more upset. Demo stood, stretching his legs a little as he did, and then stretched his arms, bending his elbows before pulling them back and to the side until the muscles ached. Then he swiveled his torso a little and let his arms drop at his sides. The Engineer continued watching him for any sudden movements but settled down when Demo simply reached for his bottle, tilted it back, and headed for the door. He felt like thanking the Engineer, though he wasn't sure what for. It seemed awkward and Demo thought better of it. He'd already screwed up once. Over the next few days, the Engineer excused his shyness in communal showering by suggesting he'd gained some considerable weight and didn't want to force the sight on anyone. The Heavy and the Spy both insisted this meant nothing but the Engineer only took kindly to the Heavy's response. After all, the Heavy had tried to tease him for not even comparing to his own massive brawn and girth. The Spy tried to make the Engineer's belly “jiggle like a bowl full of jellyâ€, which Engie naturally didn't appreciate. Especially since the Spy went up behind the Engineer and reached around him in order to do it. The Sniper called them poofs but the Scout tried to do the same thing until Engie playfully beat him off with his hard hat. The Soldier scoffed in general, telling the Engineer to get his lard ass into the gym and he'd burn the weight right off him. The Medic, the Pyro, and the Demo said nothing particular about it. The Demo tensed when he realized that Engie must have told the Medic because the Medic had such a... knowing smirk on his face. It couldn't have just been amusement over the way the others were acting. The Pyro, meanwhile, chased the Spy and Scout around with a rolled up newspaper. Then the Soldier yelled something about Spy Checking and did the same. Demo might have joined in the frivolity but he couldn't stop wondering what the Medic's initial reaction had been. He had to be fascinated by it. He was a doctor! Surely that sort of thing didn't happen every day? Odder yet, he couldn't help feeling annoyed. The Engineer had shown it to Demo first but Demo was positive Engie would let the doctor touch it. Medic was a doctor after all but that still didn't sit right with Demo for some reason. Of course, now and then Demo wondered if he'd only drunkenly imagined that had happened. The Engineer walked a little funny now, like there was a slight roll to his hips, but it was hard to tell. Demo had only noticed it because he thought he knew why. Demo decided to treat it like it had been a dream. That made things so much easier between him and Engie. They chatted about the usual things they had a common interest in; football (or soccer as Engie called it), various alcohol, fried food, hunting, fishing, horse racing, cryptozoology, foreign films, and physics. Naturally everyone else piped up when it came around to one of the things they had an interest in and there was enough overlap to keep most conversations going for awhile when the team felt chatty. The only ones who hardly jumped in were the Soldier, who didn't talk much unless he was brimming with enthusiasm for the topic at hand, and the Sniper and Spy but neither of them could resist the allure of football. It wasn't until the next weekend that Demo found the Engineer trying to get his attention, as Heavy began setting things up for a round of Rummy. Heavy always argued for Poker but the Soldier would forever insist on Spades or Hearts (even though he sucked at both) and the Spy insisted on playing Blackjack. Because neither would back down, and the Heavy didn't feel like excluding them to end the argument, they'd reached a compromise at Rummy. Demo would have preferred Poker or Bridge. The Medic had coaxed the Scout into watching something educational, though the young man was also playing a game of Solitaire as he was lying across the floor in front of the sofa. The Scout was flat out never allowed to play any card games with them after he'd proven to be a sore loser and a sore winner. Engie had initially joined them instead of the card game so Demo decided to sit out and join the telly crew as well. It looked to be something on sharks and Soldier was already distracted by it from the look of things, which meant yelling at him to pay attention was going to start a lot of drama that Demo very much wanted to avoid. As soon as Demo tried to sit down, though, Engie got up and clapped a hand on his back as he gestured to the exit with an open palm. “Hey, pardner! I'm sure 'nough glad you're here.†“Yeh are?†Demo asked, “How come?†His question was perfectly innocent. The Engineer hadn't mentioned anything special recently, either a project or a fresh discussion that Demo was interested in. The Engineer tried steering him out into the hall and Demo obliged. He patted Engie on the back briefly to show his support and Engie let go as they slowly walked away from the commons room. Engie looked over his shoulder a few times, as if he were expecting the Spy to be there, and it was enough to make Demo chuckle. “Spy's busy tryin' to show Solly who's boss, if that's what you're worried about. They'll be at it all night, ya know.†The Engineer frowned. He rubbed at the back of his neck, under the strap that his goggles were hanging down from. He'd left his hard hat and most of his gear in his locker or his workshop. Demo had his own gear similarly situated, wearing a comfortable shirt with his usual trousers and boots. Much easier to relax that way. “I'm more worried about the RED one, to be honest,†the Engineer said, “You know how he is. He switches his objective, away from what everyone else is tryin' to do, just because he feels like it! Not often but it's often enough. Don't trust him as far as I can throw him. Especially when I don't see 'im.†The Engineer had a point and now Demo was looking around them, wondering if some cloaked figure might be watching them even now. “Yeh really think he'll come in, gun ablazin'?†Demo asked, “He likes to switch it up, to throw us off durin' battle, but he'll be in some serious shite if he breaks the cease fire!†The Engineer shook his head. They were still walking the whole while and Demo realized slowly that they were headed towards Engie's workshop. “As far as I know, he won't break cease fire unless he's on the wrong side of No Man's Land and threatened but he does that so he can snoop around,†the Engineer said, “I've caught 'im at it before.†“Really! What did ya do with him?†Demo asked. He chuckled as the idea of Engie lassoing the RED Spy came to mind. The Engineer tucked his hands into his overall pockets, the ones on the side, and puffed out his chest. “I threw 'im out on 'is rear! What else? Wasn't easy, mind ya. Plum tuckered out after that.†“Good on yeh!†Demo said, “So... are yeh goin' to tell me why yeh wanted to talk alone?†The Engineer nodded and looked down at his boots. “It's about... I got a hold of HQ and they're sendin' someone out to check on Respawn. It's goin' to be awhile though. Another week at least!†Demo stopped and stared. “Did yeh tell 'em you're half lassie over the phone?!†Demo asked. The Engineer kept walking before it dawned on him what exactly Demo had said. He rushed the few feet back and put his finger to his lips, shushing Demo profusely. Then he motioned with his hands spread out flat, palms down and patting the air briefly as the Engineer glanced around. “Did you just hear what I SAID, hoss?! That RED might be around! I'm no paranoid, not like Soldier, but I ain't optimistic enough to think he could never run into a gold mine like this!†Demo had to admit that would be just their luck, with the bad streak BLU had been on of late. He hunched his shoulders and held his own hands out, palms up, in an effort to appease Engie. “But did yeh have the balls—er, I mean, the guts to tell 'em that?†Demo asked. The Engineer narrowed his eyes and huffed before pointing a finger at Demo's chest. “No, ya idiot! That's why they're takin' so long! I told 'em it was actin' up but I ain't darin' enough to impress that kind of importance on somebody I don't know from Adam!†the Engineer said, “Now keep quiet until all's clear!†The Demo grumbled but understood his mate's tight-lipped demeanor. Not as if he'd be declaring from the top of every hill that he had a bloody fanny under his cock. They were both silent as they entered Engie's workshop and the Engineer actually locked the door behind them. That made Demo a tad nervous but then Engie set about Spy-checking every corner of the room and every place he thought someone might hide. Demo decided to do his part by checking under the bed. When he looked up, he found Engie scowling at him. “Ain't no monsters under it.†“Just checkin'! Yeh never know out here,†Demo said. The Engineer looked at the bed thoughtfully but shrugged before sitting down on it and letting the wrench he'd been Spy-checking with drop to the concrete floor with a clatter loud enough to wake the devil. Demo debated joining Engie on the bed but decided he'd better not, after what had happened the last time he was there. Engie looked wearier than usual and rubbed his hands over his face with a sigh. “I don't think it's big enough to fit a full grown man underneath,†the Engineer muttered, “But then, I never did measure for that.†Demo reached out to pat Engie's shoulder lightly. “Never mind. There aren't any Spies,†Demo said, “What has ya—“ “All riled up?†Engie finished, “I got a problem and I can't solve it!†The Demo chuckled. The Engineer, who often bragged about his ability to solve most things, was glaring straight ahead with his stout jaw and lower lip jutted out in defiance of the situation that was facing him head on and not budging one bit. Demo decided to sat down after all, to hell with decorum. He wasn't about to rape the poor man, for goodness sakes! Surely the Engineer wouldn't have invited him if he'd thought Demo would? The Engineer didn't move or try hitting him to make him go away. In fact, Engie looked like he was simply agonizing over whatever it was he wanted to tell Demo. It took a few minutes but Demo's patience was rewarded when the Engineer continued. “It's not the same. I mean, I knew it wouldn't be! Only logical. It's kind of like it was before puberty, only not painful and, ya know, the skin's still retractable.†“Yeh tool?†Demo asked. Demo gestured at the Engineer's lap when Engie blinked. He nodded before lacing his fingers together and twiddling his thumbs, fidgeting that would build up the dispenser in his mind needed to create the correct metal components for his thoughts. Demo patted his shoulder again, wanting to show his support and understanding for whatever else had gone wrong. “I'm sure it's tough,†Demo soothed. Engie blanched and continued staring at his hands. Then he leaned forward, planting both hands firmly down on to the mattress, and looked up at Demo sternly but beseechingly. “I'm damn near insatiable!†It took a minute for that to even make sense. “What?†Demo asked. He stared at the Engineer. “Wait, what?†Demo asked again. Then he laughed at the idea of the gentlemanly Engineer being hornier than a goat and thumped Engie's back approvingly. Engie scowled and wrung his hands. “It ain't funny!†Engie said, “I mean it! Mah... mah tool don't go soft like it used to. Not right away. Nothin' comes out. I mean, it can't. That's the part that was replaced!†The Demo slowed to a chuckle as he listened and began to frown when what the Engineer was saying sank in. “So the problem is yeh can't come? Oh, lad, that is terrible!†The Engineer still kept wringing his broad hands. Demo scooted a little closer and eased his arm over Engie's shoulders, testing to see how Engie reacted before resting his arm there fully. The Engineer flinched but relaxed quickly and leaned into the touch. “It's not,†the Engineer mumbled, “Not that exactly. I get all of the sensation. Most of the same reactions as I normally would. There's that crescendo but it's gentler. Still as sudden sometimes. When that happens and I stop, the urge dulls. But I'll be lyin' there, exhausted, and then after a few minutes it kicks back up! Sometimes not as strong but there's still... an ache. Like mah body wants more even after I'm positive I'm done!†Demo blinked and tilted his head to the side, his one eye surveying Engie warily. No need to get all excited and then disappointed if his guess was wrong. “Have yeh tried givin' it more?†Demo finally asked. Engie arched an eyebrow and scowled, his hands balled up into fists on his hips. “Have you been listenin'?†Engie asked, “Heck yes I have! One time I did it four—five times in a row! All little ones, I guess, but even after the last one I was sure I could keep goin' if I wasn't all shakin' and worn out! Next day I was sore to the touch but I still felt a hint of that same... that same desire. I'm at wits end!†Engie slumped forward, his arms resting on his knees, expression somewhere between frustration and unfocused... Demo sat up straight and arched an eyebrow, relaxing his grip on the Engineer. “Are yeh feelin' that way right now?†Engie squirmed and wouldn't look him in the eye. Demo didn't let go. He licked his lips and pondered how many ways this could go right while trying to weight it out against all the ways this could possibly go wrong. The odds weren't great but this was a fine boat to be in, he had to admit. It was the weirdest boat ever but... but still! No one else in the whole world would ever be with someone who had both genitals. The strangeness was part of the appeal. The other part was... well, the Engineer. As much as Demo had been thinking it wasn't, he was starting to consider that, had this happened to any of his other team mates, he probably would have left them hanging in the breeze. Demo wondered if the Engineer would have felt that way had it happened to him. He certainly would have been in the same position but with even less resources for... wait, it didn't make sense! Engie was all about building strange contraptions and Demo did know about one invention that would have served the same purpose. “Much as I hate to mention it, there are commercially made goods for a lady to, ya know, enjoy when she hasn't any company and feels the itch,†Demo said, “Was that too hard to build?†The Engineer chuckled and scratched the back of his head. “I thought... about buildin' a machine. Pistons aren't hard. The motion is easy, it's all about gettin' the force precise,†the Engineer murmured, “Enough testing and it'd work. Tryin' it out reminded me it ain't quite the same for a lady as what a man wants when he's in there.†“Ohhh, I hear ya. It's easy to forget if you're not in the midst of it and even then, only so much to remedy that.†“Right. Better to start up the engine with somethin' else and get 'er goin'. Any difference won't matter as much if she... she gets off first,†the Engineer said, “Still, I'm missin' somethin' and I don't know what!†“Couldn't tell ya,†Demo admitted, “Seems they like grindin' against me when they're on top, more than goin' up and down me cock. Heh heh... yeh call that cowgirl style, don't ya?†The Engineer nodded and now his cheeks were almost as ruddy as the enemy's uniform. “Yeah, that's cowgirl. Oh! That... Except I can't rub a little button at the top to feel good; can't grind it into somethin' else. It ain't little like that. I'd need a heavy duty sock or somethin' if I don't wan' o' resort to mah hand.†Demo simply nodded. He really didn't know what to say to that. The Engineer was still blushing and staring at his own boots. “And besides,†the Engineer added, “I don't really have the best material available for, well, the more delicate end of it. I can jury-rig it all I want and it won't feel the same as a person.†Before Demo considered that he was sinking his boat bit by bit with all these questions, his next one managed to dive into the bottom of the boat like an anchor. “Yeh could buy one. I can't imagine yeh make less than I do. Er, oh! But then yeh'd need to wait for them to ship it to ya!†Close catch, that was. Fucking stupid questions tearing holes in his little boat of getting laid potential with... an irritable Engie, who was now rubbing the back of his neck, tearing his goggles off when he felt them there, and tossing them at the wrench on the floor. Ahh, crap. Then Engie stood up and paced across the concrete, swinging his fists as if that would fight off the problems plaguing him. Demo sat there, wondering, before he hurried over and spun Engie around by his shoulders. The Engineer looked up, blinking, and Demo cupped his broad chin in one hand while smiling to ease the tension. “I'm not sayin' no!†Demo insisted, “If you're askin' me what I think yeh are. I just hate to feel like yeh might be settlin' for somethin' ya might not even want when ya don't have to, is all!â€