CHEMIST'S RELATIONSHIPS WITH THE OTHER MERCS !!
Below are how I imagine Chemist interacts with the other mercenaries, and how they spend time together. None of it is explicitly shippy, even Spy, but as a very enthusiastic multi-shipper I will 100% draw my oc kissing hot tf2 men and encourage everyone else to do the same. I am cringe but I am free.
Scout
He has a weird rivalry with Scout where he's endlessly fascinated by the man's ability to drink radioactive soda and not die, but will still call him an Elmer's-eating fucknut if Scout so much as breathes at him. It's a mutual thing and over time becomes less about malice and more of an inside joke. It's very common for competitions to start during work hours, leading to both of their performances skyrocketing.
Soldier
Soldier is his ride or die, it literally took two seconds for them to recognize the autism in each other and become inseparable. Chemist is a smart guy and generally holds the brain cell, but the second you put him next to Solly he loses any form of rational thought. They cause endless chaos. It's beautiful.
Pyro
Pyro and CJ are a force of chaos both on and off the battlefield. Pyro watched this nervous scrawny man walk into the base and went 'Hm. Yes. This is a friend.' Cooper sees them like a younger sibling, except he will under no circumstances be responsible in their presence. If left alone for too long these two will 100% destroy anything that can be burned or corroded. They both have their weird little destructive obsessions and egg each other on.
Demoman
CJ and Tav like to put their heads together to make horrifying objects. They're the type to get piss drunk together and invent a bomb that could end the fucking world. When they aren't giving the admin more grey hairs, their usual time together consists of testing hang-over solutions each morning to make a fix-all for those types of consequences. OH and they both watch soap operas. Together. They cry and gasp and talk to the screen like losers.
Heavy
Heavy and Chemist get along well, both commonly in the infirmary. They both enjoy literature, and Heavy's quiet, calm nature goes well with Chemist's nerves and habit of info-dumping. They aren't the closest, but CJ thinks very highly of him and Misha enjoys their talks, often seeking out Chem just to get into a debate over symbolism in books they both have read.
Engineer
Engie amazes Chemist. The man has 11 PhDs! That's damn impressive! His machines are so intricate, and the Gunslinger is a genius idea in his opinion. Plus, he reminds CJ of his gran, with his kind words and bomb-ass food. It's hard to feel alone in the world when a sweet little southern man is offering you some mild alcohol and an ear.
Sniper
CJ actively dislikes being around sniper because of his disinterest in hygiene practices. They have a few things in common, however, in that they both suffer from social anxiety, and that their parental figures don't support their job choices. They often bond over this, but from a comfortable distance.
Medic
Chemist relies heavily on Medic. He's terrified of how lax the man is with safety rules, but his medications and healing beam can help dull his symptoms. It makes life much easier, and for that, CJ is endlessly thankful for Dr. Ludwig. Besides that, they also feed off each other's mad scientist energy, and Medic has been working to find the cause of his issues since the moment Cooper joined. The doctor is well aware most of the symptoms are commonly caused by stress, but some of them are quite strange in their own ways, so he is happy to experiment.
Spy
Cooper is very weird about Spy. The team has no idea if it's a crush or just admiration, but Chemist often strives to gain Spy's approval, praise, and attention. They can be seen together frequently because if Spy appears somewhere it doesn't take long for CJ to seek him out. They can be seen playing chess together, talking(gossiping) in French, and on the battlefield, they always have each other's backs. Despite this, if asked, Spy will deny that they are anything more than acquaintances, and Chemist will simply dodge any questions related to the topic with visible discomfort.
