I love this story to Hell and back, but I have to say if there's one thing that bugs me to no end, it's the Heavy's characterization. I'm all for intellectual, evil genius, game-playing Heavy, but--unless maybe I'm just missing something--it really seems that that's all we know about him: he's smart and manipulative. He almost never has an emotional reaction to anything, beyond getting a little angry when his plans are muddled with and sometimes thinking the Medic is cute, and he barely ever does anything that doesn't directly relate to a premeditated purpose. Even something as romantic as waltzing becomes "oh, yes, I can use this to tactical advantage." Maybe I'm just not a perceptive reader, but he's starting to feel almost like a psychopath to me--coldly toying with other people just so he can get what he wants. Not to mention, his reasons for liking the Medic in the first place have been so barely explored that at this point it almost seems like an exercise in "because I can." That's not to say I don't like it, it does make for an interesting viewpoint, but somehow I get the feeling he's not supposed to be quite so… Tom Ripley. Again, maybe I'm just not picking up on something, but... I feel this could all be addressed by, say, a real, earnest conversation with Ilse that isn't so much for the purpose of gathering information or driving her away from Medic, or some solo time with him doing something not for the sake of impressing upon the reader that he's an intellectual. Or something that somehow indirectly involves the Medic, like he falls asleep working at his desk and Heavy has the opportunity to watch him, maybe delve into the reasons behind his affection/lust/whatever it is, even do something needlessly kind like fetch him a blanket... Anything to see something from him that isn't all cogs, gears and clockwork, if that makes any sense. That aside, I love this story dearly, from the Medic's bashful, socially awkward intellectual sort of characterization to the inclusion of Ilse and the portrayal of the minor characters like Sniper. Ultimately, whatever you do with the Heavy is up to you, the above is just a huge, messy, rambling suggestion. As long as I get more of your fantastic writing, I’m sure I'll be happy!