In a pimped-out Russian hind with a megalomaniac and a rack full of bad CDs

Texas Hill Country is about what you'd expect it to be. Carved-out hills, big trees, green grass, and bluebonnets nearly everywhere. It's a beautiful little chunk of state, and it's not a shocker than there's more than a couple vineyards out there.

Dell pulls his truck up to one of them now, a picturesque little place with rolling fields and a ridiculously lavish front. It's not Tuscany, but damn if Texas doesn't try. The mercenary checks his watch.

Yep. Just about noon.

"Knew that shortcut'd work," He says out loud, beaming, more to himself than the man next to him. Speaking of the man next to him, Dell looks up to gauge his reaction.

He hadn't exactly TOLD Spy where they were going, just that it'd be a surprise while they were here, and a promise that Dell wasn't introducing him to his parents. This was a good a time as any to sneak out together for a while, grab a hotel, and spend the weekend together without tiptoeing around the base.

Stealing kisses and touches could be pretty damn thrilling (especially when one of you can turn invisible) sometimes it's just nice to not have to sneak around with your... boyfriend? Partner? In between? Something like that.

Dell wasn't opposed to the idea of a date. He liked meeting people, getting to know them, all that.

What he WAS opposed to was Soldier and Demoman setting him up.

It was just as he started his vacation. Engie was mulling over driving up to Santa Fe for the weekend (partly to get off base, partly for the art museums), when the two loudly announced they had found him a date tonight, 8 PM, at some steak-and-seafood restaurant ("EVERYTHING ABOUT IT IS AN AESTHETIC REPRESENTATION OF YOU AS A HUMAN BEING," Jane said, "OLD, WESTERN, SHRIMP"). He didn't even know they were scheming this, much less that they thought he needed help.

Really, he shouldn't be THAT surprised. The merc kept most of his romantic endeavors to himself. There was occasional casual talk and ball-busting between the nine of them over women (and men), dates, first times, escapades, et cetera. When it came to the real thing, though? Dell decided it was nobody's business.

Hell, he hadn't even told them about Angela.

The three argued back and forth 'til at least 6:30. But between Soldier's hounding and Engineer realizing it probably wasn't fair to let whatever poor woman they set him up with suffer alone in this, he begrudingly said yes.

So there he was. Tavish made the reservations, Jane threatened the waitstaff. All Engineer had to do was show up and look decent. To his credit, he ditched his work clothes for a plain dress shirt, sleeves pushed up and the collar unbuttoned; denim jeans; and a plain white cowboy hat (naturally). The restaurant looked like it was fairly casual on a normal day, but part of Soldier's screaming demands included candlelight and a table so far back from the rest of the normal diners that Engineer knew he stuck out like a sore thumb.

Again. He likes dating. And he's willing to deal with this for whoever he was waiting for.

But Santa Fe's getting more tempting by the second.