“You look ridiculous. You could have asked for anything, and this is the design and color-scheme you came up with?” Gabriel scoffed, crossing his arms as he watched his teammate do a dramatic spin with their brand-new uniform on. It’s a bit of a ridiculous sight for him to witness as the de facto leader of the little team that Xavier has entrusted him with. But still, he’s not going to rain on the happy parade.

The smile tugging at the corner of his lips quietly gave away to how he really felt, all accompanied by the simmer of nervous anticipation for the future. Something in his gut tells him that he needs to be vigilant, but, the dog days of summer and its lazy afternoons were almost too good to resist — he’ll never say no to time spent outside with the company of one of the very few people he felt comfortable with.

He’ll pretend that the sound of tinkling laughter he hears sometimes doesn’t make his heart jump from something other than anxiety. Or how the sunlight that filters through the leaves of the trees hanging overhead paints the prettiest patterns on their skin. But for now, he’ll keep everything buried inside. Why ruin the status quo, after all?

Things were nice. Lethargic even, despite the restlessness that he tries to hide from the others. Everything ultimately carries an undertone of hope for him. If their upcoming mission ends up as a success, it’ll only be a stepping stone to join something much greater than he could barely comprehend.

A place of belonging.

And maybe once Gabriel proves his worth, he’ll allow himself to explore the feelings he refuses to name for the time being.

“Are you going to still be happy after we’re done with training later?” he adds with a quiet exhale as he leans back, allowing himself to try to relax in the very little downtime that they have.

“You better not tear your new outfit. The simulations aren’t a dress rehearsal, you know.”