#because Chris will NOT stand by and let Leon be put out to dry/work until he dies

[desired-misery]

Leon being a veteran is actually so fucking sad to me. In a "you know Leon isn't actually allowed to say he used to be a soldier under Krauser because of red tape/secrecy" way... and so Leon probably also has never personally identified as a soldier. He never wanted to be. He was a cop. He was forced into the army, forced to join Krauser’s team. And then, when the team was wiped out (and then Krauser "died") the government looked at Leon (who they had just spent years training him as this special operations soldier) goes "okay, nevermind about that." And yoinks him into some secret, vague government agent position.

The government never wanted Leon to be a solider, either. It was just a means to an end. No way does the government consider Leon a soldier, either (you know Leon does not have any real fucking paperwork to get any kind of benefits through the VA or anything. He does not have a military ID, he doesn't fucking exist).

Even if Leon felt like he earned his veteran status... he doesn't have any way to prove it.

[fonulyn]

Here's a prompt if you're taking one. It doesn't have to be shippy, but Leon, Piers, and Chris after a mission together racing for that shower. I'm sure they got biohazard decontaminated, but like, there's a limit to stepping in human gore that only a burning shower and a gallon of soap might fix.

"Fucking hell that took forever!" Piers groaned as he pulled his shirt off over his head. He threw it onto the floor, not caring where it landed on the tiles. It'd end up being burned, anyway, it was soaked in blood - thankfully not his - and guts and whatever else had ended up on him when the gigantic B.O.W. had damn near exploded in his face. "I thought they'd never stop interrogating us!"

Chris huffed out in amusement, but his shirt joined Piers' on the floor almost immediately, and almost equally disgusting. "They talked to us for fifteen minutes, Piers," he pointed out. Sure he agreed that it had felt like forever, but they had gotten off pretty easy. Probably because they all smelled worse than death.

"And that was fourteen minutes too long," Piers argued immediately, already struggling out of his pants. He considered them for a moment, too, but then put them on the ditch-pile as well, deciding they weren't worth it. He would get his boots scrubbed, though, those he could still save.

Both Chris and Piers were used to the communal showers so they were out of their clothes in mere minutes, naked as the day they were born, and only then they paused enough to realize Leon was still standing next to the lockers, leaning against one with his arms crossed over his chest.

"What?" Piers asked, giving Leon an exaggeratedly cocky look. "Enjoying the view?"

"Didn't think we were that distracting," Chris muttered, a grin tugging at the corner of his mouth.

"Well," Leon answered, not even trying to hold back the light chuckle. "You are. But... I'm not showering with half the BSAA."

He didn't even need to explain it, as immediately Chris' expression softened and he stepped back closer. "You'll be fine," he said, grabbing the hem of Leon's shirt. He pulled it up and Leon didn't resist, instead helpfully lifting his arms up. "I doubt anyone walks in when they know we're all here."

"Yeah, they'll stay far," Piers agreed, giving Leon a smile that could only be described as an encouraging. "They think that we'll have an orgy here the second the door closes."

"Doesn't an orgy need more than three participants?" Leon asked dryly. He seemed to be relaxing, though, the tension leaving his shoulders as he willingly unbuckled his belt as soon as the shirt was gone. He didn't even complain when Chris practically grabbed his arm and guided him into the showers, instead following obediently.

They did all stop at separate showerheads at first, to rinse off the worst of the blood and guts with scorching hot water. Even Chris, who usually showered in what the other two thought was icy cold water, dialed it up until the whole room was filling with steam from their showers.

After they'd scrubbed themselves clean, they somehow all migrated under the same spray. Not that they all fit under the same spray at the same time, that was not an option. But they shuffled around and made it work. Chris had escaped the worst of the gore so he had only rinsed his hair, but Leon's hair was matted with blood, some guts probably thrown in the mix.

For once Leon didn't even protest it when Piers shampooed his hair and Chris helped him rinse it off, but instead let them take care of him as they wished. He was getting better at it, recently, now that he'd finally convinced himself that he didn't need to be self-reliant every single waking second.

It was nice. And the best part was that they finally started to feel human again, after getting all of the crap off their hair and their skin.

When they were toweling off, Leon realized that he hadn't even thought about someone possibly walking in. Not even though they'd spent a considerable amount of time in there. He took a seat on one of the benches, toweling his hair dry, as he watched Piers and Chris bicker about what they'd get for dinner.

"C'mon," Leon cut in, amusement clear in his tone. "Stop arguing and get your pants on. We're not the only people in this building. It's a matter of time before someone else walks in here."

"What, you don't want anyone else to witness all of this glory?" Piers asked, grinning brightly. He and Chris somehow hadn't managed to put on a single article of clothing yet, and Leon could've sworn they were stalling on purpose.

"And so what if they do?" Chris asked, arching an eyebrow. "What does it matter if they see three old guys getting dressed?"

"Excuse me!" Piers huffed, indignant. "I'm not old. You two, however..."

The words got cut off by a loud yelp when Chris whipped him with the towel. Hard.

[fvrxdrm]

A Million Nightmares and One Dream (Leon Kennedy x Reader)

RE2make!Leon  Warning: Smut, Dry-humping, oral sex

+++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++

Have you ever had a nightmare? One that feels real? So real that you couldn’t figure out what was reality and what was not? Well, I have. I still am, actually.

It’s been two weeks since I’ve started running away from whatever the hell those things were. Two weeks trying to survive this hellhole of a place called Raccoon City, and two weeks praying that I would wake up from this nightmare...but I’m still not awake.

It made me question if I’m even asleep or not. Maybe I’m dead? Maybe I’m in another universe? Maybe my mind’s just going crazy? The answer I don’t know and I don’t think I’m going to get that answer anytime soon.

It’s never-ending. Whenever I close my eyes and open them again, I still see the same incubus in front of me: lifeless eyes that would stare back at me, pale and cold skin that would touch me every now and then, thick red liquid that would gush out from every part of their bodies, their growls that would destroy the eerie silence of the cold, dark night, their teeth digging into another person’s flesh as they mindlessly enjoy their gruesome meal, puddles and marks of blood that were scattered and smeared all over the city, the growing flames from vehicles that were crashed in every structure and fellow car, and the lack of light that made it a tad bit difficult to move around without being grabbed by any of those undead.

This had to be a nightmare, right? I had to be asleep. This isn’t possible...or is it?

It was hard running around, desperate to save my own life that’s at stake with barely anything to defend myself with. But despite that, there was this one thing, a person, perhaps, that came out of nowhere, just like those hellish monsters just roaming around, finding their next dinner, except this person wasn’t someone I was scared of, I was in love with him.

Leon Scott Kennedy, a rookie cop who was supposed to start his first day a week ago. He got a call from the police station to stay away from the city but his curiosity got the better of him and that curiosity got him involved in this nightmare.

During that shit-show we were in, we had been chased around by a fucking giant in a trench coat and fedora, met a woman who broke my heart by kissing the man I’ve caught feelings for and then betrayed us, almost got killed by a beast with a huge-ass eye on its right arm, and then we escaped the city using a train together with a little girl named Sherry and a college gal named Claire.

We found ourselves inside two hotel rooms with Claire and Sherry sharing one and Leon and I sharing the other. It felt kind of weird to me for some reason. I don’t know. Maybe it’s because I have feelings for and we’re literally in the same room. With one bed. We’re going to be sleeping next to each other!

Calm down, Y/N. You’re just going to sleep, nothing else.

It’s just...it doesn’t help that I’m in a tank top and underwear only with no pants or bra on while Leon was wearing a sweatpants with no shirt on and just went commando.

Get your shit together, Y/N! Tomorrow you’ll have a new set of clothes.

“Y/N?” Leon called mumbled my name beside me in a sleepy voice.

It’s been an hour I think since we got in bed and Leon immediately fell asleep in exhaustion as soon as his body flopped on the soft mattress while I didn’t...I couldn’t for some reason even though I’m very tired myself.

I turned my head around to look at the young man beside me who propped himself up before laying his upper body on my chest.

“What’s wrong?” He whispered in my ear, his hot breath fanning against my skin causing shivers to run down my spine and the little hairs on my neck to stand up. I let out a shaky sigh.

“Nothing. Just thinking”, I managed to breathe out after a few seconds of thinking about my response.

“About?”

You?

“Nothing you should be concerned about”, Leon lifted his head up and looked down at me with his eyebrows furrowed together.

“Now I’m more concerned”

“Leon”

“Y/N”, My E/C orbs began staring at his blue ones with the same intensity as the man on top of me, keeping myself from averting my gaze towards his plump lips that looked so soft.

Ada got lucky, huh?

Alas, my brain couldn’t take it anymore and just commanded my optics to shift my gaze towards his lips that were being moisturized by his saliva-covered tongue. I continued to stare at it for a few more seconds, admiring the art that I don’t know if I would be seeing again in front of me, before looking at Leon’s eyes again. They were half-lidded now, his orbs now focused on my own parted lips, just like what I did before.

Is he copying me?

Slowly, he began leaning down, his eyes still fixated on my mouth that began releasing more and more air as his head lowered itself more. My heartbeat was raising each millisecond and his hot breath was tickling my face.

Closer and closer...and then...

Our lips touched. It was like what I expected it to be: smooth and soft like a baby’s butt.

My hand found its way towards the nape of his neck before pulling him closer as I was enjoying the feeling of his lips moving against mine, his tongue dancing with my own in a smooth tango, and the sound of what we were doing bouncing off the walls surrounding us.

All of the horrors that’s been glued to our heads were gone in that moment. Vanished. Now we were in a dream, a dream we never wanted to escape from. A dream we wished was forever. But that’s impossible, just like how a nightmare always ends, and that’s why we made this dream the best we’ve ever had so far.

Leon pulled away and spread my legs before making himself comfortable in between them, his warms hands still planted on my knees.

“Is it okay if I do this?” Leon rolled his hips against mine, his cock that was covered by the slightly thick fabric of his sweatpants gliding smoothly against my my thin fabric-covered clit, the pleasing sensation causing me to close my eyes and bite my lip as a small gasp left my mouth. I nodded my head a few times until I heard Leon chuckle above me and roll his hips against mine again.

Leon leaned down again, not stopping his hip movements, before his lips flattened against my neck, lightly pressing kisses on every patch of skin that was exposed to him while my hands found its way on the back of his neck once more, this time, my fingers combed through his soft blonde hair and my hand lightly balled itself into a fist as his movements became faster and faster, causing a loud creaking sound to resonate throughout the small room as the bed below us began moving with Leon.

Leon groaned from above me, his lust-filled voice muffled by my skin as he proceeded to leave some love bites on my neck.

“I’m close, Y/N”

As soon as he said that, his actions grew quicker than before, his desperation to come undone flooding his head as he did so. 

The pleased sounds coming from our mouths increased their volume with us not caring if there were other people hearing us from the other side of these thin walls. Leon’s groans became animalistic growls and my pitch became higher. My grip on Leon’s locks became tighter which only added to the hedonism he felt, the bittersweet sensation causing him to come fast and hard, his white fluids staining his grey pants.

When he noticed that I hadn’t come yet, he lowered himself down to where his head was peaking through the valley between my legs before looking at me softly.

“May I?”

I nodded my head as I bit my bottom lip that was bruise with all the kissing and biting we were doing, the anticipation rising as my thoughts scrambled inside my head, knowing what was bound to happen next.

Leon placed a sole kiss on the skin just above the brim of my underwear, his eyes still trained on me, before letting his teeth pin the thin cotton fabric between them and winked at me as he began sliding the material down my legs in an antagonizing pace.

“Leon”, I whispered sensually and hungrily, my tone reflecting on the need I was feeling.

Once the nether garments were off and were thrown out of the way, Leon shifted his focus towards the glistening wet lips just below my hips, his eyes slightly widened as he saw how wet I was but his astonished and amused look soon changed into something more lustful and concupiscent, his once blue orbs that were now mostly covered black indicating his own hunger.

The tip of his tongue finally touched my sensitive nub, my body jolting a little bit at the sudden action but nevertheless, it felt good, great even. He licked a long stripe from the bottom up until the tumescent pearl that’s been begging to be touched by the man between my legs.

My fingers found their way through Leon’s hair again, tugging it more and more as the sexual gratification grew more and more intense the closer I got to my high.

“Leon”

And now, it’s been nineteen years since that incident. Leon and I thought after escaping that hellhole that that was the end of it but nope. The government forced us to work for the USSTRATCOM and then after a few more years the new president recruited us to the new organization he found called the DSO and we’ve been sent to missions after missions involving B.O.W.s and the like.

The only good thing that happened throughout the years of fighting this bullshit was Leon and I got married! He proposed to me after finishing our mission in the Eastern Slav Republic and eventually got married a year later. Crazy, right? We didn’t have a kid though as we would only put him/her in danger but sex was still there, only had to take my pills regularly AND we actually adopted Sherry after getting out of Raccoon so that’s a plus.

“Hey, Chris!” Leon called the BSAA Silver Daggers’ captain’s name and watched as he turned his head around to face him.

“Yeah?”

“How long can we keep going on like this?”

“I don’t know. I never make plans that far ahead”, Chris replied as a soft smile tugged on his lips.

Leon just chuckled in response before looking at me and taking my hand, his fingers lacing with mine as he did so.

Yep. A million nightmares and one dream.

[dc41896]

Bedtime

Pairing: Chris EvansxBlack Reader

⚠️: None, all fluff🥰!

“Babe I promise everything is fine, you don’t have to worry,” Chris smiles bouncing the 6 month old in his arms as he stands in front of the floor to ceiling windows. Your son, Mason, lightly tapping the glass and grabbing at the full moon in the sky.

“I’m not worried, I just want to make sure everything’s ok. If you need me to come home you know I can.”

“No you be there for your sister, plus we both know she wants you by her side since Leon can’t be there. How’s she doing by the way?”

“Good! She’s five centimeters dilated so things are moving, but it still might take a while until baby boy is here,” you answer leaning on the wall beside the room door. “Hey babe it’s my mom calling, I’ll check on you guys in a few and try to keep you updated ok?”

“Ok sounds good, we’ll be here just having a boring night in right Vi?”

“Right!,” Avianna, your 5 year old, nods before turning back to the flat screen on the wall for the remainder of Trolls.

“Please call if you guys need anything. Love you.”

“We love you too, see you when you get home.”

Hanging up his phone and placing it on the table, Chris turns to see his daughter twisting and bouncing up and down as she dances to the final song of the movie, as Mason giggles trying to nod his head along with his sister.

“Ok dancing queen what do you want for dinner?,” Chris asks putting Mason down in his high chair next to the counter so he could be close to him while he cooked.

“Hmm...ice cream!”

“Now we both know you can’t have ice cream for dinner,” he smiles with hands on his hips.

“Can too! Mommy said,” she counters walking up to him as she mocks his stance.

“Oh really? And when was that?”

“Umm... today,” she answers, tiny hands fidgeting with her ears while she peers up at Chris, clearly lying from displaying the same mannerisms as her father when he tried to do the same.

He couldn’t help but let out a soft laugh while shaking his head before tickling Avianna as he picked her up to sit her in the barstool next to her brother. “How about this, you eat all your spaghetti, along with the vegetables, and you can have three scoops of ice cream.”

“Deal!,” she smiles placing her hands on the cold marble counter to lean over and watch her dad cook.

If Chris was being honest, when you left to meet your sister at the hospital leaving the kids with him, there was a bit of nervousness at how everything would go. This was his first time taking care of both of them by himself and having kids still needing assistance with a lot of things, he hoped he’d be able to give everyone the attention they needed.

However, seeing that both were happy, had just got finished watching one of their favorite movies, and we’re now anxiously waiting to eat he could tell everything from here on would be smooth sailing.

———

“Avianna Chanel Evans, come get in the tub please!,” Chris calls chasing after the giggling little girl running down the hall. Before she could reach the railing to make her way downstairs, Chris lifts her up in his arms walking back to the bathroom. “Now I see why mommy only lets you get two scoops at most.”

Letting out a breath as he finally sets her in the water, his familiar ring tone causes Mason to excitedly babble while he bangs the small mallet against his xylophone toy.

“Hey baby!,” Chris answers placing you on speaker while lying his phone on the sink counter.

“Hey, why do you sound out of breath?”

“Because your daughter decided she wanted to make her dad chase her instead of getting a bath,” he answers making a face at Avianna as she giggles splashing the water.

“Funny how you call her my daughter when she’s acting just like you,” you laugh.

“I don’t know what you’re talking about, I’ve never ran away from a bath.”

“Believe me you did and I’ve seen the videos from Mama Evans to prove it.”

“Yea I’m definitely calling her tonight to burn those,” he laughs cleaning Avianna’s ears and face. “How’s Zaina doing?”

“Still doing good, she’s at 8 centimeters now so hopefully he’ll be here soon. Everything still ok there?”

“Yea, we all ate and have one bath down and one to go; then it’s bed time.”

“Nooo!,” Avianna whines followed by Mason huffing as if agreeing with his sister.

“Sounds like they’re ganging up on you,” you quietly laugh. “Vi listen to daddy ok? You gotta go to bed sweetie, and you too Mason.”

“Okay mommy,” she sighs as Chris wraps her in her Disney towel and robe to dry off.

“She’s asking for me so I gotta go. See you guys later! Love you!”

“Love you,” Chris and Avianna smile before you both hang up.

“I stay up too,” she speaks bouncing on the backs of her feet.

“Vi you heard mommy, you gotta go to bed love.”

“But you’re up and Maze and Dodger. Why not me too?”

He had to admit, she did have a point. He knew he and Dodger would probably be up until you arrived, and Mason tended to go to bed late too since you guys were still trying to get him on a schedule. This would leave her the only person having to go to bed, which he could understand how she’d look at as unfair.

“You know, you’re a very intelligent and persuasive 5 year old,” he smiles. “Ok here’s the plan, this one time you can stay up until your brother goes to sleep. Then you have to get in bed.”

“Ok daddy!,” she claps hugging his waist before running towards her room to put on her pajamas already laid out on her bed.

———

Walking in the house, you’re unsurprisingly met with silence and partial darkness as the moon shining through your windows is the main source of light as you make your way upstairs. On the way home, you figured everyone would probably be asleep from how late it was along with not getting a response from Chris when you told him the baby was here and sent a handful of pictures.

Opening your room door, you stop in the doorway as your heart instantly melts seeing all of your babies asleep with soft snores escaping their mouths. Nails lightly tapping the hardwood floor, Dodger walks up to you lightly rubbing his fur against your legs.

“Hey buddy, did you keep them in line while I was gone?,” you whisper squatting down to scratch behind his ears as he tries to lick your face making you giggle. “Aww I missed you too Dodge.”

“Y/N? That you?,” Chris sleepily asks carefully sitting up as he rubs his eyes.

“Yea it’s me. I see you guys didn’t make it through your story.”

“I guess not,” he quietly chuckles placing the open book on his bedside table as you gently pick up your daughter placing a kiss on her forehead.

Successfully tucking both kids back in their beds without waking them, you and your husband tiredly crawl in your bed now dressed and ready to go sleep yourselves.

“Your daughter should be a politician or work in sales when she’s older.”

“Again with the ‘my daughter’,” you laugh as you lie on his chest, finger tracing the written tattoo over his pec. “And why do you say that?”

“Because she’s very persuasive and could probably sell sand to a beach.”

“Again she gets that from you,” you laugh.

“Nah you’ve convinced me more than a couple times babe. That’s all you,” he chuckles gently rubbing his fingertips up and down your arm.

“And I know the exact times you’re talking about and those were things you wanted to do too sir. To be convinced that means you never wanted to do it in the first place. Now I can call Scott to have him remind you how you persuaded him to wet his pants when you guys were younger if you’d like.”

Reaching over to grab your phone, you feel his arms wrap around your waist holding you closer to him and making you unable to move any further from his new position on top of your body. “Orr..how about we meet in the middle and say she got a little from both of us?,” he smiles sweetly kissing your lips.

“I was gonna say 60/40, but alright you’ve convinced me,” you answer making him laugh as he buries his head in your neck.

“God I love you Y/N.”

“Love you too,” you smile raking your fingers through his hair until you both fall asleep.

Taglist: @plokyu23 @crushed-pink-petals @fumbling-fanfics @honeychicana @lady-olive-oil @themyscxiras @melinda-january @lovelymari4 @fullofmelaninsarcasmandepression @nunubug99 @felicity-x0 @ellixthea @jojolu @brwn-sgr @captainsamwlsn @itshinothey @wildfirecracker @nina-sj @iammyownlover @chaneajoyyy

If anybody wants to be tagged, has asked to be tagged but don’t see your name, only wants to be tagged for certain people I write for, or no longer wish to be tagged just let me know🤓!

[sinkingorswimming]

CONGRATION FOR 600 FOLLOWERS U DONE IT

more X-Men coming through, maybe not so “soft” anymore @linneakou

He could be doing a gig in DC at the 930 Club right now, but Ciao Ciao and his teammates are playin’.

An old friend of Celestino’s, Dr. Mireya Thomas, mentioned during a lunch date to check in and catch up her close neighbor’s son disappeared six months ago. She’d been searching for him—Leo had confided in her that he was a mutant, having moments where flames would appear on his body. Leo was a kind kid, she told Celestino—went to mass every Sunday, was in the church band, good grades in school, helped his local Kiwanis chapter—but he’d come to her because Mireya is a leading geneticist in the field of human mutation.

He prayed every night for a cure, he said then. 

Celestino handed her a tissue to dry her stoic tears and said he would try to find out what he could, keeping an eye out for posters or social media posts.

Thanks to some creative computing on Seung Gil’s part, they have the following—

1) There is some shadow org called The Right taking recently mutant-presenting teens.2) They have some kind of crazy financial backing that no one can properly trace. (”Yet,” grumbled Seung Gil with some acid.)3) Blackwater looking goons with masks do the aductions, and some shady dude who speaks only in a mixture of German dialects calls the shots.

Yuuri is in a costume that’s mostly different from his stage outfits. It’s black and made of some fabric Seung Gil calls “unstable molecules” so it’s fireproof, waterproof, bulletproof, shockproof, and Andre Leon Talley’s scathing critique proof. Chris handled the design, making a point to compliment its inventor on how it goes through a serger like a hot knife with butter. It’s a black-form fitting number covered in prismatic crystals, mesh inserts, and fingerless gloves so he can still use his Laser Hands (TM Phichit, not to be confused with his Laser Pants, also TM Phichit) and he puts in red contacts instead of the UV purple ones. His hair’s gelled back and the make-up that obscures his features is charcoal and crimson. 

Yuuri could dance before he could run, which is how he keeps ending up the point man. Little rainbow shimmers float in the air around him, a sublte method to distract people from paying too much attention to his voice or face. 

“I hate this.”

I know you do, Dazz, replies Phichit over their special earpieces. Just know Forge and I are right behind ya’ once you clear the security systems.

“He really can’t just hack it?” Yuuri arches his back, holding his right foot above his head in a Bielmann. The boots he wears have split soles like dance or wrestling shoes.

Sure I can, if I want the FBI on our door in two minutes, comes the inventor’s scating reply.

Yuuri stretches his other leg. Standing at the wall behind him, Longshot clears his throat. 

Yuuri gives him a look. Since he doesn’t have a secret identity at all really, he just lets his face show with nothing to conceal his features. 

His suit’s been modified by Chris to use the same fabric as Yuuri’s—instead of hot pink, he now wears a purple top attached to black fingerless gloves that begin at his elbows. His pants are a tight shimmery black like oil slicks, but his boots are more traditional combat style unlike the Dazzler outfit. The embellishments on his top are actually weapons—the cord doubles as a whip, the “braiding” is actually those short silver darts he throws, and so on. 

Longshot smiles, his eye glimmering with the gold burst for a moment. “Your lucky charm’s on stand by, beautiful,” he assures Yuuri with a wink.

Yuuri turns forward again so he won’t see that his cheeks now match his make up. He coughs, takes a look at the grid, reminds himself of his forays into acrobatics, aerial silks, and capoeira…and goes.

Phichit should really be doing this, he thinks as he manages to get a hold in a cloth banner above the laser grid, climbing it and then doing a triple somersault to the next one. He’s the one who can cling to surfaces that have friction and can freaking teleport. His eyes are better in the dark, too, but since they couldn’t get the schematics on where the grid stopped or if they continue inside the rooms in the facility (since if Phichit BAMFs into a room full of them, they’ll go off), Yuuri has to do it. 

He tumbles through, avoiding a moving grid with a randomized pattern using the steps from a Paso Doble Minako insisted he learn. There’s not much sound here, but it’s enough and when a random beam almost hits him, he manages to shield himself with a bit of white light at a differeing optical density so it refracts around him. 

Nice, Forge and Nightcrawler say in unison.

Only after doing a full split under the last few does he make it and disables the grid. He’s oddly not sweaty or throwing up or anything. Huh.

Longshot saunters to him, and when they’re face to face, he picks up Yuuri’s right hand, kissing his ring finger and then his cheek, the day’s stubble prickling against Yuuri’s skin in a way that makes his breathing stop and his heart stutter. 

The smell of sulphur and a black bit of smoke heralds Nightcrawler and Forge. Phichit doesn’t need a mask since his daytime appearance with the Image Inducer is one—his gold eyes, deep blue fur, and short fangs make him cute in a sinister manner. His costume is deep red and gold, while Forge wears a sedate gray-blue and black jumpsuit as Chris vetoed his idea for a loud costume like a rainbow.

They find an office with a terminal, and Forge cracks his neck and sets to work. It only takes him a few minutes before he can copy the relevant data. There’s a guard rotation but they timed their entrance with the shift changes. 

It only takes three minutes and they have six more before the gig is up. 

“Done,” Seung Gil says. He pockets the HD. 

“Jěng âh!” Phichit grins and his tail swishes like an excited puppy. The four of them link hands, Longshot giving Dazzler a particularly happy look, and they’re BAMFed out to an alley a couple blocks down.

Longshot pitches forward with a pain-filled cry. 

“Sorry,” Nightcrawler says with a sheepish shrug. “It’s hard on passengers the first…eighteen times.”

“I threw up twice,” Seung Gil adds in a voice that has no comfort whatsover.

Dazzler helps Longshot get back upright. “You okay?”

“It’ll be alright, beautiful,” he answers as Phichit sings some of the lines from Ellie’s “Something in the Way You Move” in the background. 

Yuuri might add it to his rotating encores after he punches Phichit for the heckling. It’s a moot point he forgets, because they end up back at the house Chris bought them—it’s a Park Slope multi-million dollar home that the Giacomettis have owned since it was built. 

Chris perfers a skyscraper’s penthouse so he can stretch his wings…literally, so since this was in disuse, they all moved in. There’s seven bedrooms—Celestino has the master, Seung Gil’s converted the parlor into his sleeping area and work shop, and Phichit keeps waggling his eyebrows that Dazzler and Longshot should double up.

Their rooms are the two on the second floor, which take up the whole thing. They share a bathroom and Yuuri let Victor have the room with the terrace access. 

The cellar has been expanded through the backyard, outfitted with steel walls, soundproofing, and Seung Gil’s hologram tech. It’s a gymnasium on steroids for all of them to refine their skills with their gifts, and boy did Seung Gil get a sour expression when Phichit called it the Danger Room.

He twitches every time someone else says it. He twitches a lot, because it’s caught on.

Chris happens to be waiting in their living and rec room when they get back—he’s discussing something with Celestio. Since he’s not acting as the face of Intoxicated by Giacometti or as a board member of Giacometti Corp, he’s wearing a shirt with a low back so he can have his wings out. 

Seung Gil boots up his computer to run the analysis of what they got. and Phichit BAMFs into the kitchen, returning with a bottle of Mekhong and glasses for everyone filled with ice. He pours and they all take one, though Victor looks at his from every possible angle like it’s poison.

“Mote gaow!” Phichit shouts, and they echo it as they drink.

Victor stares at his glass after his initial sip. He looks confused. 

“It’s more or less rum,” Yuuri explains. Victor doesn’t look like he understands better. Right. Alien. Not from Earth. “Uh, it’s a…sugarcane beverage that can get you drunk.”

Victor lights up. “Ah!” He takes longer sip, and things seem pleasant enough until Seung Gil does a literal sitcom-style spittake at his montior.

“That’s not gonna be fun to clean,” Phichit deadpans. 

“What happened?” Ciao Ciao asks with a serious tone.

“Chris—” Seung Gil begins. “When’s the last time you reviewed GC’s R&D budget?”

Chris pauses, thinks. “Five years ago, if I’m honest. Josef insisted on handling the line items and minutiae so I can be free to do the public appearances and philanthrophy without conflicts.” His expression shifts from thoughtful to grim. “I’m not going to like what you say next, am I?”

“…Let me ask a follow up in that…you’re sure Josef is okay with mutants?”

Yuuri’s spine goes rigid. Even Phichit stops smiling. 

“He’s always told me he is since I presented,” Chris answers with no emotion in his voice.

“Well—” Seung Gil says. “He’s clearly lying. GC-0963 Project: The Right. There’s dozens of mutants in here that have either been abducted for experiments or—”

The silence hangs heavy, leaden with horror and dread.

“How many?” Chris says.

“Chris, maybe—” Ciao Ciao begins.

“How. Many.” Chris snaps.

Seung Gil gives Chris a look uncharacterisically filled with sympathy. “198.”

Phichit gasps, dropping his drink before catching it with his tail.

“They’re imprisoned at a facility out in Montauk,” Seung Gil says. “It’s similar to Supermax but for mutants—they have power dampeners most likely, or they’re sedated.”

“Well, we’ll get them out,” Victor says with resolution and stilted cheer. “It’s a good old fashioned jailbreak!”

“No.” Chris stands, reading the data on Seung Gil’s screen. It all bears out, it seems given the pallor in his face. His eyes look haunted. “We’ll do this in a softer way.”

“You’re hitting him in the board room, then,” Ciao Ciao answers.

“Yeah.” Chris nods. “There’s a nuclear option I can employ with the Board to get him out—and I’m sure we can kill this Project: The Right easily enough too. I don’t want my family name aligned with bigotry or human rights violations, and I’m fairly confident they’ll agree.”

Chris narrows his eyes.

“Plan B though,” he begins. “You all are my Plan B.”