A/N: Sort of exploring a bit of angst with this character. He was drafted in the War, so that’s what this is about. Sort of ties in with my already posted drabble: Plagues.
Title: Early Morning Company. Pairing: Alex Summers x Reader. Words: 915. Rating: T. (Mentions of death).
“Alex, it’s dangerous,” You looked at the blond, who was sitting snug on the bed, the draft letter sliding out of his hands as he sat it down on the side table. It still felt heavy in his hands, no matter how many times he looked at. No matter how many times his eyes looked it over, re-reading, looking at the date.
“What do you want me to do?” He asked, his voice a bit rough. “Run? That’s illegal, (Name). Against the law. You know, I love solitary confinement, but-” He stopped the moment he let his eyes run over your face, “Listen… It was my choice, and I’m sorry I didn’t talk to you about it, and I’m sure as hell sorry that you’re the one who got the mail today-”
“Were you ever going to tell me?” This was something you needed to know, desperately.
Alex had stopped all movement, and for a second, his breathing hitched and prevented him from answering right away.
“Was I going to wake up the day after July 16th, only to a letter you scribbled out?”
“(Name)…”
“Tell me!”
“I can’t!” Alex responded in a deep, shocking voice. His head dropped so he could look at his hands, avoiding your eyes completely. Something familiar spiked at the back of his eyelids. Tears.
“This isn’t just a fight for the humans, this is a fight for the mutants,” Alex began speaking, “Do you understand that? This is still my home, even if people here don’t accept our kind,” He swallowed back his emotions and locked eyes with you once again, only this time, they were red around the edges. “You fight for your home. You fight for the things you love, I was raised that way.” You were deathly quiet in front of him, though your expression had changed rapidly. From pure anger, to understanding.
“Come here.” He gestured with his arms, beckoning you to come stand between his open legs. You did just that, your hands settling themselves on his broad shoulders out of habit. “I’m going to fight for what I have.” Alex murmured, pressing a kiss to your clothed sternum. It wasn’t sexual, and it was barely even a graze of his lips. “All of it…”
“What will happen there…?”
Now, that was something he didn’t want to tell you. He had friends, people he knew who died in a forest, surrounded by trees and green. It sounded peaceful, but it was far from it.
“Let’s make a deal,” He whispered, wrapping his arms around your waist and keeping you close to him. “When I come home, I’ll tell you all about it… You just gotta wait for me…”
Cupping the back of his head with one hand, you felt his hair feather into your touch. “I’ll wait for you until the end.” You replied.
“You better not take that back anytime soon,” There was the lingering sense that he was just playing around, but something about the way his jaw clenched once the words left his mouth made you second guess. Alex lifted his head and sighed at the soothing feeling of your hand rubbing his scalp. At that moment, Alex began noting how it felt, how you managed to relax him, and how you smelt. The way you’d smile at him in the morning, your fingers on his chest and tracing a circle around his pecs. Or, the way you and he would try to fit in the small bathtub every Sunday night. He’d have to remember how your hair felt between his fingertips, or how your skin felt against his.
He wondered if he had it in him to tell you that… He did this a lot at night too. When you were sleeping soundly next to him, the thoughts would creep into his open mind through crevices of fear and insecurities. It was only then, that Alex took absolute time in filling those crevices with thoughts and memories about you. Things he didn’t want to forget. Some recent, some from before you started dating.
The only thing he didn’t know in the moment was; you were trying to memorizing the lines of his face. How his eyebrows would arch inwards every once and awhile as he thought, or how his lips would curl around the edges into the grin that made your heart flutter. Remember these things, you told yourself, remember how he gets the morning paper, every morning, shirtless. Because, clothing at that time of day was ‘pointless’, or so he says. Or, how he’d give you a cheeky grin on Saturday mornings while he watches cartoons on the couch, once again, shirtless. His hair felt silky between your fingers, his smell was musky, but not overpowering. He smelt like… Alex…
These were things he was going to miss, and these were things you were going to miss.
Things he… He wasn’t sure he’d ever experience again.
Things you weren’t sure you could ever live without.
“It’d break my heart.” He finally finished, and you could tell he was struggling to keep his voice steady. “I don’t think I’ve ever… Loved someone as much as I love you…”
“Other than yourself?” It was obvious that you were trying to lighten the atmosphere that surrounded the two of you, and Alex was silently thankful for that.
“Well, yeah. I mean, have you seen me?” He smirked ever so slightly, the grip on your waist increasing with his statement, “I’m absolutely gorgeous.”
Toad's Cave 