23:41:31
Switzerland x Reader: Sharpshooter [PRIZE]
Bang! ... Bang! ... Bang!
'23. 24. 25. 26. 27. 28. 29. 30,' you counted in your head as you shot down target upon target with your trusty Feinwerkbau Model 800 Alu air rifle.
The sound of each shot echoed in your ears and barely had time to fade out before another took its place. You loved the sound of a well executed shot and were a skilled marksman. Nothing could make you lose your concentration. Not even the sound of a different firearm being fired.
Bang! … Bang! … Bang!
“... Your technique could still use some work.”
You recognized both the sound of the firearm and the voice, so without even losing your focus or sparing him a glance you replied. “So could yours, Vasch. You hit the outer ring with that second shot of yours. You're becoming sloppy, mein Freund.”
'23. 24. 25. 26. 27. 28. 29. 30,' you counted in your head as you shot down target upon target with your trusty Feinwerkbau Model 800 Alu air rifle.
The sound of each shot echoed in your ears and barely had time to fade out before another took its place. You loved the sound of a well executed shot and were a skilled marksman. Nothing could make you lose your concentration. Not even the sound of a different firearm being fired.
Bang! … Bang! … Bang!
“... Your technique could still use some work.”
You recognized both the sound of the firearm and the voice, so without even losing your focus or sparing him a glance you replied. “So could yours, Vasch. You hit the outer ring with that second shot of yours. You're becoming sloppy, mein Freund.”
“... I will never know how you can possibly tell without even looking.”
“You can do the same to me, so I really don't get why you say you'll never understand, Vasch dear.”
A sigh escaped his lips and you could imagine him shaking his head in exasperation as he reloaded his Anschütz Model 9003 Premium S2 Precise.
“Touché, but I'm more experienced than you, besides, I know you by now.”
“Well, I'll have you know that I’ve been shooting for just as long as you have, and I could say the same for you. Admit it, you just don't want to accept that I'm better than you.”
Vasch rolled his eyes and fired another round at one of the targets - hitting bull's eye effortlessly. “There's nothing to admit. I am better and you know it.”
Bang!
Another one of your rounds lodged itself in the intended practice target, exactly where you had predicted it to as well - dead in the center. Smirking, you couldn't help but retort in a cocky manner to your friend.
“Care to prove that? Let's have a shoot-out. I bet you that I can get more points than you.”
“What’s in it for me?”
Typical Vasch. He always had to make some kind of profit, whether it was just a friendly bet or not. Well, why not? If that was how he wanted it, then sure. You were confident you would beat him either way.
“One box of 6½ caliber rounds.”
“I’m in.”
The two of you decided that the challenge would be a 40 shot shoot-out. A standing shoot-out with 40 shots each, at a distance of 50 meters. Both of you were very skilled so even if this was just a practice game you still needed to focus and not lose it, especially with what was at stake. A box of 6½ caliber rounds was nothing to sneeze at exactly.
However, the stakes of the bet had to be worth something or the bet would become pointless. Besides, the higher the stakes the more interesting it was.
The two of you took your positions and gave each other a challenging look before turning your attentions to your targets. You guys loaded your weapons and took aim on your respective targets, both doing your best to enter a completely focused state where nothing but the target mattered.
Your gaze set itself and you closed yourself to the rest of the world. You were collected and focused. In your mind you could see how the round would fly and where it would land. This would be easy.
Bang!
Two shots were fired at the exact same time, and both hit their targets. They had flown in a perfect line and lodged themselves into the practice targets - both within the inner circles of their respective targets. Not long after that two more shots were fired, again in sync, and it was the same result again. Neither of the two shooters allowed themselves to lose their concentration, even though it was just a friendly match.
Bang! ... Bang! ... Bang!
Shot upon shot were fired in the direction of the targets. The two of you were tied and neither were willing to admit defeat. Whenever one of you managed to take the lead, that person would get less points the next turn and the other would score slightly higher, making it a tie once more, and so it kept going.
Although, it was starting to near the end and you were starting to lose your competitive focus. For you to have kept it for as long as you had was a new record.
Vasch on the other hand seemed to have no problem keeping his focus, which was what separated you two. He was very inconsistent in how long he took to enter his state of absolute focus, but once he had done so he kept it. And while you entered it easily, you weren't always able to keep it for very long. Your strength lay in being able to keep a conversation while still maintaining a high level of concentration, much like a soldier from the battlefield, and Vasch's lay in maintaining absolute focus, a skill very much recommended for competitions.
Bang!
The two of you shot your last round and then checked your respective points on the monitors. You had managed to get 416.7 points, and Vasch had managed to get the same, making it a tie. Seeing the score you let out a frustrated sigh.
‘Great! We still don’t know which of us is the better shooter! Nor do we know who won the 6½ caliber rounds. Just perfect!’ “So, we still don’t know who is the better shooter.”
“... It would seem so,” Vasch said dismissively. “And neither of us won the box of 6½ c. rounds.”
“Yeah...”
“... So, in other words, this just means that we both need more training until one of us is declared the better shooter.”
You let out a laugh. Well, that was also one way to look at it. But you supposed that was for the better, since 6½ calibers were rather pricey in comparison to regular .22 calibers. It also meant that you still had a friend and rival to compete against. … Hm… Compete… What did that word remind you of again? Trying to figure remember you went silent for a few minutes, making Vasch look at you with a slightly raised brow.
Then you remembered! You blinked and turned back to look at Vasch again, this time with a smirk on your face.
“We have three months then,” you declared with a challenging gaze. “Next time I will beat you!”
He allowed a small laugh escape him, knowing full well what you were talking about, and met your fiery gaze. “We’ll just have to see about that, [Name].”
“That we will, Vasch.”
~*~*~*~*
Finally the day had arrived and people had gathered at the arena. This was the day when everything would be settled, at least between the two of you, who was skilled enough to be announced the best shooter.
After everyone had lined up the two of your exchanged one look before picking up your rifles, taking your positions and readying yourselves for the next five to seven hours of intense concentration, aiming and shooting. The two of you had trained relentlessly for the past three months, all for this. This time you would find out which of you was the better shooter, and as you stood there waiting for the competition to start you both had only one thing on your minds:
‘This game is mine!’
Bang! ...
~*~*~*~*
In the end neither of you took home the gold, despite both of you giving it your all, and despite the fact that both of you had pushed your ability to focus to their absolute limits. Somehow the two of you had ended up tieing with each other, again, landing you both on a solid 5th place. As the pair of you stared at the scoreboard, both completely stupefied, you could faintly hear Lili cheering from the audience.
You stole a glance at each other and neither of you could find the words to express your utter shock. How in the blimey’s hell did you two manage to get a perfectly even score in a competition like this? Even the decimals were even. It was beyond you and apparently the judges too, because they were rather surprised that there wasn’t the usual top ten, but now a top 11 technically.
“... How in the…?” You couldn’t get any more words out that.
“... I have no idea...” And Vasch didn’t fare much better, only managing a sentence containing one word more than yours.
After the prizes and diplomas had been handed out and all the formalities were over with people started packing up and heading home. You, Vasch and Lili were among the last ones to leave the vicinity and the air was awkward to say the least. You and Vasch still hadn’t settled which of was better than the other and Lili did her best to ease it, but let’s just say that it didn’t help much.
“I think that it’s amazing that you both managed to get the exact same amount of points! You two must be really close and really in sync with each other!”
“Lili…!” The two of you exclaimed.
“Huh? What did I say?”
Vasch coughed awkwardly into his hand. “Don’t just say stuff like that out of the blue.”
“What’s wrong, big brother?”
You scratched your cheek as you attempted to answer her question. “Well, you see, Lili… It’s just… Well, it’s just stuff you don’t blurt out like that, okay?”
“I don’t quite understand, but okay.”
Relieved that you had managed to make the situation somewhat less awkward you continued walking to the car in which you had arrived. It was parked a bit away from the shooting hall so you had to walk a bit to get to it, and it was rather annoying with your shooting gear to walk that distance.
When you arrived Lili hopped into the backseat while you called shotgun and jumped into the passenger seat, effectively forcing Vasch to stuff all of your things into the trunk and take the chauffeur's role. After securing your things he took his place in the driver’s seat and started the engine.
Once he had left the parking lot, by some strange magic, the awkwardness was almost entirely lifted and you started teasing him as per your usual regulations.
“You better not have scratched my rifle when you put it into the trunk. Vasch.”
“If you didn’t want me to scratch it, you should have put it in yourself.”
“Pssht! It’s the job of the second best to do that, and I’m not the second best so you must be!”
“I’m not second best. We scored equally, [Name],” he retorted.
You rolled your eyes. “We still know that I’m the superior marksman out of the two of us.”
“No, you’re not.”
“Oh, yes I am. Besides...” you trailed off and sent him a smug look.
Glancing at you from the corner of his eye, while still keeping his eyes on the road he replied, “... Besides what?”
“Besides, what kind of rival would I be if I didn’t pick fights with you?”
“And what kind of friend would I be if I didn’t reply in kind.”
“Exactly, Vasch!”
While the two in front continued their friendly bicker, Lili only smiled as she watched them from the backseat and mused to herself that one day, sometime in the future, she might have two people to call her older siblings.
“You can do the same to me, so I really don't get why you say you'll never understand, Vasch dear.”
A sigh escaped his lips and you could imagine him shaking his head in exasperation as he reloaded his Anschütz Model 9003 Premium S2 Precise.
“Touché, but I'm more experienced than you, besides, I know you by now.”
“Well, I'll have you know that I’ve been shooting for just as long as you have, and I could say the same for you. Admit it, you just don't want to accept that I'm better than you.”
Vasch rolled his eyes and fired another round at one of the targets - hitting bull's eye effortlessly. “There's nothing to admit. I am better and you know it.”
Bang!
Another one of your rounds lodged itself in the intended practice target, exactly where you had predicted it to as well - dead in the center. Smirking, you couldn't help but retort in a cocky manner to your friend.
“Care to prove that? Let's have a shoot-out. I bet you that I can get more points than you.”
“What’s in it for me?”
Typical Vasch. He always had to make some kind of profit, whether it was just a friendly bet or not. Well, why not? If that was how he wanted it, then sure. You were confident you would beat him either way.
“One box of 6½ caliber rounds.”
“I’m in.”
The two of you decided that the challenge would be a 40 shot shoot-out. A standing shoot-out with 40 shots each, at a distance of 50 meters. Both of you were very skilled so even if this was just a practice game you still needed to focus and not lose it, especially with what was at stake. A box of 6½ caliber rounds was nothing to sneeze at exactly.
However, the stakes of the bet had to be worth something or the bet would become pointless. Besides, the higher the stakes the more interesting it was.
The two of you took your positions and gave each other a challenging look before turning your attentions to your targets. You guys loaded your weapons and took aim on your respective targets, both doing your best to enter a completely focused state where nothing but the target mattered.
Your gaze set itself and you closed yourself to the rest of the world. You were collected and focused. In your mind you could see how the round would fly and where it would land. This would be easy.
Bang!
Two shots were fired at the exact same time, and both hit their targets. They had flown in a perfect line and lodged themselves into the practice targets - both within the inner circles of their respective targets. Not long after that two more shots were fired, again in sync, and it was the same result again. Neither of the two shooters allowed themselves to lose their concentration, even though it was just a friendly match.
Bang! ... Bang! ... Bang!
Shot upon shot were fired in the direction of the targets. The two of you were tied and neither were willing to admit defeat. Whenever one of you managed to take the lead, that person would get less points the next turn and the other would score slightly higher, making it a tie once more, and so it kept going.
Although, it was starting to near the end and you were starting to lose your competitive focus. For you to have kept it for as long as you had was a new record.
Vasch on the other hand seemed to have no problem keeping his focus, which was what separated you two. He was very inconsistent in how long he took to enter his state of absolute focus, but once he had done so he kept it. And while you entered it easily, you weren't always able to keep it for very long. Your strength lay in being able to keep a conversation while still maintaining a high level of concentration, much like a soldier from the battlefield, and Vasch's lay in maintaining absolute focus, a skill very much recommended for competitions.
Bang!
The two of you shot your last round and then checked your respective points on the monitors. You had managed to get 416.7 points, and Vasch had managed to get the same, making it a tie. Seeing the score you let out a frustrated sigh.
‘Great! We still don’t know which of us is the better shooter! Nor do we know who won the 6½ caliber rounds. Just perfect!’ “So, we still don’t know who is the better shooter.”
“... It would seem so,” Vasch said dismissively. “And neither of us won the box of 6½ c. rounds.”
“Yeah...”
“... So, in other words, this just means that we both need more training until one of us is declared the better shooter.”
You let out a laugh. Well, that was also one way to look at it. But you supposed that was for the better, since 6½ calibers were rather pricey in comparison to regular .22 calibers. It also meant that you still had a friend and rival to compete against. … Hm… Compete… What did that word remind you of again? Trying to figure remember you went silent for a few minutes, making Vasch look at you with a slightly raised brow.
Then you remembered! You blinked and turned back to look at Vasch again, this time with a smirk on your face.
“We have three months then,” you declared with a challenging gaze. “Next time I will beat you!”
He allowed a small laugh escape him, knowing full well what you were talking about, and met your fiery gaze. “We’ll just have to see about that, [Name].”
“That we will, Vasch.”
~*~*~*~*
Finally the day had arrived and people had gathered at the arena. This was the day when everything would be settled, at least between the two of you, who was skilled enough to be announced the best shooter.
After everyone had lined up the two of your exchanged one look before picking up your rifles, taking your positions and readying yourselves for the next five to seven hours of intense concentration, aiming and shooting. The two of you had trained relentlessly for the past three months, all for this. This time you would find out which of you was the better shooter, and as you stood there waiting for the competition to start you both had only one thing on your minds:
‘This game is mine!’
Bang! ...
~*~*~*~*
In the end neither of you took home the gold, despite both of you giving it your all, and despite the fact that both of you had pushed your ability to focus to their absolute limits. Somehow the two of you had ended up tieing with each other, again, landing you both on a solid 5th place. As the pair of you stared at the scoreboard, both completely stupefied, you could faintly hear Lili cheering from the audience.
You stole a glance at each other and neither of you could find the words to express your utter shock. How in the blimey’s hell did you two manage to get a perfectly even score in a competition like this? Even the decimals were even. It was beyond you and apparently the judges too, because they were rather surprised that there wasn’t the usual top ten, but now a top 11 technically.
“... How in the…?” You couldn’t get any more words out that.
“... I have no idea...” And Vasch didn’t fare much better, only managing a sentence containing one word more than yours.
After the prizes and diplomas had been handed out and all the formalities were over with people started packing up and heading home. You, Vasch and Lili were among the last ones to leave the vicinity and the air was awkward to say the least. You and Vasch still hadn’t settled which of was better than the other and Lili did her best to ease it, but let’s just say that it didn’t help much.
“I think that it’s amazing that you both managed to get the exact same amount of points! You two must be really close and really in sync with each other!”
“Lili…!” The two of you exclaimed.
“Huh? What did I say?”
Vasch coughed awkwardly into his hand. “Don’t just say stuff like that out of the blue.”
“What’s wrong, big brother?”
You scratched your cheek as you attempted to answer her question. “Well, you see, Lili… It’s just… Well, it’s just stuff you don’t blurt out like that, okay?”
“I don’t quite understand, but okay.”
Relieved that you had managed to make the situation somewhat less awkward you continued walking to the car in which you had arrived. It was parked a bit away from the shooting hall so you had to walk a bit to get to it, and it was rather annoying with your shooting gear to walk that distance.
When you arrived Lili hopped into the backseat while you called shotgun and jumped into the passenger seat, effectively forcing Vasch to stuff all of your things into the trunk and take the chauffeur's role. After securing your things he took his place in the driver’s seat and started the engine.
Once he had left the parking lot, by some strange magic, the awkwardness was almost entirely lifted and you started teasing him as per your usual regulations.
“You better not have scratched my rifle when you put it into the trunk. Vasch.”
“If you didn’t want me to scratch it, you should have put it in yourself.”
“Pssht! It’s the job of the second best to do that, and I’m not the second best so you must be!”
“I’m not second best. We scored equally, [Name],” he retorted.
You rolled your eyes. “We still know that I’m the superior marksman out of the two of us.”
“No, you’re not.”
“Oh, yes I am. Besides...” you trailed off and sent him a smug look.
Glancing at you from the corner of his eye, while still keeping his eyes on the road he replied, “... Besides what?”
“Besides, what kind of rival would I be if I didn’t pick fights with you?”
“And what kind of friend would I be if I didn’t reply in kind.”
“Exactly, Vasch!”
While the two in front continued their friendly bicker, Lili only smiled as she watched them from the backseat and mused to herself that one day, sometime in the future, she might have two people to call her older siblings.
-----------------------
This is another prize for the winner of the Hetalia Vocaloid fanfic contest hosted last fall. She asked for Switzerland x Reader fluff, so I decided to go the friendship fluff route and have a friendly rivalry between Switzerland and the reader.
I also did some extra research for this fanfic what with looking up proper terms, rules, rifles and whatnot as well, which I usually don't. Please tell me in the comments below if it added or took away anything from the overall story and what you guys thought of it.
I hope you guys enjoyed!
Disclaimer:
I don't own Hetalia, it belongs to Hidekaz Himaruya,
I don't own the rifle companies and brands,
I don't own you,
I only own the story.
I also did some extra research for this fanfic what with looking up proper terms, rules, rifles and whatnot as well, which I usually don't. Please tell me in the comments below if it added or took away anything from the overall story and what you guys thought of it.
I hope you guys enjoyed!
Disclaimer:
I don't own Hetalia, it belongs to Hidekaz Himaruya,
I don't own the rifle companies and brands,
I don't own you,
I only own the story.