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Killjoy can’t stop herself from muttering.
Her bots make it seem a little more normal, and a little less like she just enjoys talking to herself. But sometimes she merely needs to talk herself through whatever is going on. The circuits are clearer when imagining them outloud, and the answers somehow come to her quicker than if her thoughts are stuck inside the confines of her own brain.
Viper doesn’t seem to mind.
At least, Klara doesn’t think she does. Never once has the chemist complained. The inventor does try her best not to make too much of a ruckus, especially when she’s working in someone else’s lab like she is today. Especially if that’s Viper’s lab.
Viper wanted to see some ways to equip the robots with poison. It’s a request that sounds easy at first, but finding the most effective way is often the hardest hurdle. It’s been a few hours, but both of them know they won’t be stopping until they figure out the answer. No matter how long that takes.
Killjoy sits on the floor. Her computing setup surrounding her, a few bots tittering away as they try their best to also help. Viper sits at her console, and if she wasn’t intimidating already, the height difference this angle gives Killjoy is certainly no help.
And then the door whirrs open.
Their heads turn to the sound at the same time.
“Viper.” The sound of his french accent is followed by his footsteps.
KJ watches as he walks straight for Viper. She knows that his sharp eye catches her sitting on the floor as soon as he entered the room, as he flashes a smirk her way before continuing towards his target.
They mumble about something. A back and forth that Killjoy catches, something about a new weapon. Sounds like he made it for her and is asking her how it felt in the field. Chamber leans against the console, Viper continues her analysis. KJ ignores it, focusing on her own work and the formulas she’s trying to figure out.
Until she can’t.
From the corner of her eye, she spots it.
Chamber reaching out a hand and tucking Viper’s loose strands of hand behind her ear.
KJ can’t help her eyebrows from furrowing.
Then he leans down, his breath next to Viper’s ear. And he whispers something KJ can’t catch.
She isn’t meant to catch it. She isn’t meant to be eavesdropping at all.
Viper says something in response, but her tone is softer than usual. A strange mixture of her directness and a tone of familiarity.
And it’s when Chamber’s eye meets with the inventor’s that she realises she’s staring. His hand now resting on the back of Viper’s neck, and his lips still next to her ear.
Klara instantly pushes her head down, a blush over her cheeks for interrupting what feels like a private moment. And her fingers type away to distract herself.
Then he leaves. Says his goodbyes and Viper hums her acknowledgement.
It is not until Viper asks her if she’s alright that she realises how silent she has been.
Neon makes it no secret that she is suspicious of Chamber.
She reminds the others daily. Even if he’s the reason why she’s on the team. The man works for his own gain and thinking otherwise would be fatuous.
But Viper. Viper she respects.
Second in command, a cunning genius that will do anything to get the team where it needs to be. Her ways might sometimes feel frightening, but Neon’s just glad that she’s on the chemist’s side.
The mission was a success. Only minor injuries and scratches, they’ll all be ready to start all over again with a good night's sleep.
Neon slumps back in her chair. The hum of the helicopter reverberates through her body. She watches the others, Sova looking over his bow, KAY/O checking something in his machinery, and her eyes settle on Viper and the very man she finds utterly dubious.
Standing by the doors at the front of the cabin. Talking as all team mates often do. A little far and noisy for her to pick up the syllables, but Viper’s mask is off and there’s a slight lift in her chin to meet his eye level, and she nods in agreement to whatever nonsense Chamber has to say.
And that’s where the curiosity sets in.
As Neon tilts her head and observes just how close they’re standing.
They’re close.
Really close.
The chemist stands square, posture straight, one hand holding onto the handle falling from the ceiling. She looks like she would on any other day. But it is Chamber’s proximity that shifts Neon’s perspective.
He too holds onto a handle, while another hand rests in his pocket. But he has one foot between both of Viper’s. His leg never touches her but it’s as close as he can get without pressing his body again hers.
Oh.
And then, Neon spots it.
The curve of a smile at the edge of Viper’s lips.
Oh god.
Barely visible to the human eye, but Neon’s been around the team long enough to know that there is a difference.
Oh my god.
Then Viper slaps the back of her fingers onto Chamber’s bicep as he says something that makes her click her tongue and him to grin even wider.
And her fingers linger. Sitting against his arm for half a second too long for it not to have already been acquainted some time ago. Before her hands goes back down to her side, but Neon catches the way Chamber’s eyes follow Viper’s hands return.
She gasps so loud that suddenly everyone’s eyes are on her.
“It’s nothing!” She insists, as the team’s eyes linger on her in question for a moment longer to make sure she’s really alright before pulling away.
She needs to get off this helicopter and talk to someone immediately.
Sage is part of the conversation.
But she isn’t really.
And she’s fully aware. The longer it goes on, the more of a voyeur she feels to be. She keeps her soft smile on her lips as two bicker between her, hand on Chamber’s arm and her powers glow from her body to his.
Viper doesn’t need to be here.
“You need to be more aware of your surroundings.”
“Do not fret madamosile, my beautiful face is still intact.”
His eyes are trained on Sage, she can feel them burning into her hand as she continues to heal him. She knows that his trust is fragile, and as long as she’s been helping everyone, he still keeps his suspicions.
But then he looks up from where he sits, on the edge of the hospital bed with his legs hanging off the side. And Sage can’t but follow his gaze when the feeling of it off her skin feels so light. He looks up, Viper leaning against the doorway, already rolling her eyes at his words. His features soften, as does the tenseness of his shoulders.
“That is what you’re worried about, no?”
Viper groans, pushing herself off of the archway and walking closer to them both. She stands by his free side, fingers pressed into the side of the bed as she bends down and looks over the wound. Deep and red and violent.
“My job is to keep an eye on you.” She pushes herself back up straight, her hand still flat on the space of bedding empty next to him. Never closing the scant space between them.
“And as long as my aim is straight, you still have a sniper.” He begins to lift his wounded arm to mimic his gun, but Sage pulls it back down instantly. “Tell Brim your headcount is still the same.”
The quiet sound of a shift in the bedding makes it to Sage’s ear, and when she looks up she finds Viper’s hand fisting the material. A tenseness in the scientist’s jaw and a crease between her eyebrows.
As a healer, Sage knows it well. An expression often found within the four walls of a Medbay, an expression that she too falls victim to. But she doesn’t think she’s seen it on Viper before, it looks new. Like it’s only just settling in the creases on her skin. Worry looks different on everyone, and even as Sage watches it flood Viper’s muscles, she can see just how much the chemist is trying not to let on.
Chamber is a smart man. Sage would never doubt that. And he catches on quicker than even herself. The healer does her best not to look, wanting to give them the space that feels needed in the moment, even if all she can offer is to turn her gaze down.
But sees it before she can. And Chamber’s free hand meets Viper’s waist, with a slight squeeze as he drops the jest in his tone.
“I am fine, Sabine.”
Sage’s ears perk up. Not many have the privilege to call Viper by her name, and the lack of the scientist shooting the Frenchman between the eyes proves that she does not deny him.
The geomancer continues her work, the wound is deep and he lost a lot of blood. It shouldn’t take too long, but she purposefully takes her time to sit in the situation.
In her periphery Chamber’s hand falls off Viper’s waist. He meets her hand on the bed, just to coax open her palm and relax her fingers straight. Taking the tension from her and keeping it for himself, he flattens her hand against the sheets before returning his hand to rest on his own thigh.
Viper breathes out. “We still need you to be ready for tomorrow’s mission.”
“For you,” The man looks up and grins, and both women already hold their breaths in preparation to groan for whatever comes out of his mouth. “I will learn how to harness radianite and heal myself before you even wake up in the morning.”
She sighs, and that’s Viper’s cue to leave.
But before she turns to the door, she nods at their healer. “Thank you.”
It is sincere. So much so that Sage can’t help but smile at the notion. It is nice, she thinks. To see Viper in such a light, “I should be done in no time.”
Viper takes one last look at Chamber, who manages to wink at her and cause her earnestness to turn to stone once again. She whips her head back to Sage.
“Make him suffer for making me come all the way.”
Gentle laughter from the healer in reply, so amused at Viper’s palpable concern. And thoughts of how kind clandestine hearts can be.
Phoenix gets bored a little too easily.
Especially when meetings are happening and briefs are too long. He zones out whenever the explanations start and he can’t seem to stop his foot from constantly tapping the floor.
Today it’s a full house. Standard protocol to keep everyone up to date, it’s the bane of his existence but not attending would mean getting kicked off the team. The formal occasion at least has chairs and tables and tablets he can scribble on while someone talks details.
The others pushed him to sit right at the end of the u-layout. With Brimstone even nodding his approval as Phoenix sits up front. Across from him, Viper is already setting out her notes. Pristine and precise, he can tell that she has a list of information loaded out on her tablet already. She makes a face when Chamber pulls out the chair beside her and makes himself comfortable.
Brimstone begins by explaining something something mission something and Tejo says something something soldier something. Phoenix missed a few sentences and he’s already lost. But he knows that he’ll just ask Yoru for the specifics later, or maybe Jett if Yoru just laughs in his face like he usually does.
Jamie flips a pen between his fingers, a steady rhythm until he has to apologise as it gets thrown to the floor. Whispered sorrys as he pushes his chair back and reaches down to grab it.
And then he blinks twice. Unsure of the image he sees before him.
He hits his head on the table as he gets back up and Clove is trying their best not to laugh next to him.
But he’s too distracted. He sits himself back down, eyes still fixated on the two people across from him.
He doesn’t know if they realise that he can see. Or maybe they don’t care, a possibility he thinks is possible with them two. But Brimstone’s voice fades even more as Phoenix continues to look with curiosity.
Before him, under the privacy of the tables, Chamber presses the length of his leg against Vipers. She doesn’t pull away at the pressure, instead she leans her leg more into his. Their knees touch, their feet align.
When Phoenix looks up, nothing has changed in their expressions. Viper is stonefaced as she continues to make notes, Chamber listens intently to the presentation.
He looks back down. He feels like their movements are purposeful and intentional. Not just that their legs have accidentally knocked into each other, but that they’re replying to each other’s movements.
Chamber slowly moves his foot, dragging it on the floor as he gently hooks it around Viper’s. Their feet shuffle, adjusting to the new dynamic and their weights balance against each other. Viper’s foot slowly rises up Chamber’s calf, then drags back down against him before falling back into position.
“Phoenix.”
Snapped back to reality, his head snaps towards Brimstone.
“Sir.” He stutters, wide eyed and dazed. The whole room titters into chuckles.
“Good to have you back.”
He turns back to make sure he wasn’t hallucinating. And to his surprise, they still haven’t parted.
Deadlock is never late.
But sometimes the situation fails her. Missions taking longer than expected, meetings going over time, lunch not taken when she was supposed to.
She jogs towards Chamber's office where she promised to meet him three minutes ago. The door slides open as she dusts herself off.
“Sorry, Chamber I got-“
She freezes. Blinking back before she decides to quickly step back and let the door close before her once again.
She heard whispers but never is one to look for gossip. The confirmation is still a shock, and she tries not to think about it too much as she walks back to her room.
But it’s already burned into her mind.
Chamber lying on his couch, his glasses pushed up on his head. Viper on his chest, cheek presses into his vest and her arm draped off the side. A brief printout still hanging off of her fingertips. Chamber’s arm wrapped around her waist. Sleep had seemingly overcome them both, Deadlock recalling that they had a long mission the night before.
But maybe he should’ve locked the door.
She decides to leave Chamber an email, making something up about being held up by work and having to rain check with him later. That way he won’t have to think about whether or not she came.
Deadlock leaves them be. Thinking that they deserve some peace for all the work they’ve been through. But as she makes it to her room, she tries to think about who she can talk to about what she just saw.
There are no secrets with Cypher.
All seeing, all knowing.
Oftentimes it’s as though he’ll know what will happen before they do. But in truth, he just knows where to look. Eyes never leaving his monitors, memory fine tuned to retain everything he comes across.
“Valentine’s is coming up.”
He says as Viper begins to stand up and leave the room. A discussion needed to exchange information for the upcoming mission, details laid out, traps planted.
Though she doesn’t give the comment much attention, her face never gives anything away. “You have plans, Cypher?”
Even under his mask Viper can feel the sharpness of his smirk, “I was hoping you would entice me with your details.”
There’s a pause. As Cypher sees the cogs turning behind her eyes, she’s deciding the best course of action to navigate the seemingly innocent conversation they are about to fall into. “Work.”
He nods, turning back to his monitors and falling back into his normal work flow. “And Chamber?”
Viper narrows her eyes. There would be a slight sense of shock in the correlation of her name with Chambers if it was from anyone else, but with him she knows not to make space for it, “… also work.”
There are no secrets with him. And they both know that any attempt would just make her look foolish.
“I see.” He types something into his computer. He purposefully leaves it at that, waiting to see if she wants to take the bait. In the privacy of his office, he knows that she allows her curiosity to roam.
“Why?” She takes the bait, albeit he can feel her tentativeness. “What do you know?”
He motions his hand across his mouth, zipping it close.
“You know I hate surprises.”
“And Chamber enjoys them.” He retorts. He revels in her growing vexation. “I am placing my bets now.”
She raises an eyebrow. “And you choose him?”
It seems like a fatal choice. Anyone on the outside looking in would think it so, but he reminds her that he is the one with all the cards.
Even after everything, love still weighs heavy on his heart. To have it, even knowing that it may be fleeting, is a blessing he wishes everyone to take a chance on.
He smiles her way.
“Only because I think you’ll enjoy it.”
Viper doesn’t say anything after that. A simple nod of acceptance and her unchanging expression.
“Why bring this up at all?” Finally she asks as she reaches the exit. Turning back one last moment to squeeze information out of him the way he did with her.
His chair swivels around, the brim of his hat bounces in the motion and he smiles at her curiosity.
“Just needed to see your reaction.” He shrugs nonchalantly. Occam’s razor in full effect. “It is good confirmation to have.”
“Leverage.”
He always appreciates how fast she is, “Currency to keep me wealthy.”
It is not until after the day that they meet physically again. And she returns with a sigh and a reluctant confession, that he indeed was right all along.