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Banshee couldn't relax, not while the man who'd stuck a bomb to his head was under the same roof. Bringing the shape-changer back here had been a split second decision and Sean was already having second thoughts. It was near midnight and he was patrolling the keep’s halls, mind full of ways Changeling could hurt the kids. Not that the kids in question seemed particularly concerned, quite the opposite in fact! Both of them seemed quite taken by him, hell even Gateway seemed to like him. Sean had spent a lot of time imagining what he'd do if Changeling ever resurfaced. Somehow the reality was much harder than any fight he could have envisioned. This ‘Morph’ was hard to dislike, and there was a part of Sean that wanted to believe that people- that villains, could change and seeing an old enemy trying to be a friend made him feel something close to hopeful and his cynical old heart didn't know what to do with that, not anymore.
Rounding a corner he saw light spilling from an open door. He creeped closer, moving as silently as possible and staying close to the wall to avoid being seen. The lack of sound coming from the room unnerved him more and more as he approached. Peeking around the doorway he saw Angelo slumped over an unconscious Paige. Panic rose in him. Banshee observed the room long enough to verify that the pair were still breathing, whatever Changeling had done wasn't lethal, not yet at least. He also saw that the window was still locked shut meaning Changeling was probably still in the keep. That was all he needed to see and Banshee was off down the hall, cursing himself.
How could I let this happen? Why did I let that bastard into my home? How could I fall for the scared eyes of a bloody shape-changer? I'm a damned fool.
It didn't take long for Banshee to find Morph. He was wandering in a hallway, his white skin nearly glowing in the moonlight that poured from the keep's windows.
“Morph!” Banshee called out as he braced for a fight, inhaling deeply.
The smile he got back surprised him “Thank God you're here, I'm completely lost”
“I saw Skin and Husk in the living room” he tried to keep himself on track.
“Cute right? I didn't have the heart to wake them when our movie ended, but it gets cold so I went to find a blanket” Morph presented his prize as evidence for his story “but now I can't find my way back”
Sean snatched the blanket from him, feeling the soft wool. Satisfied that it was real as he held it in his hands.
“Alright follow me” he said, turning around back the way he came.
Morph beamed and followed along beside him, and immediately started to prattle on about this and that. Managing to coax an occasional response from Sean. When they got closer Sean shushed him so he could hear if the kids were still sleeping. If they were sleeping at all. He reminded himself. It embarrassed him realizing how little it took for him to believe what the shape-changer said.
They got to the doorway and Sean gestured for Morph to stay outside while he went to tuck in the sleeping mutants. He gave them both a look over as he did, seeing no visible injection sites, no signs of a struggle on their bodies or in the room. It seemed that Morph might have been telling the truth. He straightened up, satisfied that they really were just sleeping. He turned to leave and caught a glimpse of pained longing on Morph's face before the shifter saw him looking and flashed him a grin with a thumbs up. Sean walked out and gestured for Morph to follow, starting towards Morph's room. When they were out of earshot Morph piped up.
“You're pretty good with those two you know”
“They're good kids”
“They are” Morph nodded “and I understand that you played a role in that”
“They don't need me anymore I'm just their old teacher”
“Maybe they don't need you, but I mean, you've given them a real home here”
Banshee waved that comment away “giving them a place to stay with the least I could do” it wasn't like he was hurting for space all alone in this old place.
“It's more than some do for their own flesh and blood”
There was some bitterness in Morph's voice and Sean found himself wondering, not for the first time, what the shape-changer's home had been like, surely people with happy childhoods didn't try to start nuclear wars. Morph seemed to guess where Sean's mind had gone and changed the subject, beginning to talk about the keep itself. Sean mostly tuned him out, still lost in his own thoughts. until the pair eventually made it to Morph's room.
“Well this is you” he said ready to be done with the night's adventure.
As he turned to leave Morph reached out and grabbed his arm. Banshee flinched at the contact, but he turned back to face the shorter mutant. He didn't sense any malicious intent when Morph put his hands on Sean's shoulders.
Is he gonna kiss me?
He blushed at the thought but he couldn't stop himself from glancing down at Morph’s pale lips. For his part Morph moved no closer, just stared him straight in the eyes.
“I meant what I said earlier, you're doing right by those kids and they know it too. you're a good man Sean” he released the ginger with a brief good night and disappeared into his room.
Sean stared at the closed door for a few minutes unsure how to react to any of that. A million thoughts and feelings whirled in his mind. He ran a hand through his hair. At least one thing was clear, there was no way he was getting any sleep tonight, and since that was the case he might as well have a drink. So he walked away from the door and towards the bottle of whiskey that was calling his name.