Bump in the Night

Weapon X Facility, Canada, 12:03am

Clarice Ferguson, codename Blink, sat up, waking for the third time that night to yet another creak from the huge metal building. As her eyes adjusted to the darkness, she noted that the other three beds in the room were still empty. Which was fine by her, frankly, since Mystique and Destiny weren't nearly as discreet as they thought they were in their pushed-together beds. And she didn't want to know what Wanda Maximoff was doing on the nights she didn't sleep in her bed.

At another ominous sound, Blink gave up on sleep and got up, going next door where the male members of the Brotherhood were housed (except Magneto, as he got a room to himself). She peeked in carefully. Juggernaut and Toad were both absent, out on a mission, she thought. One bed was still made, the one Victor Creed would be in if he'd stayed at the facility. She'd hoped Mr. Creed would be back, but he was avoiding the place like the plague. She was about to leave when a male voice from the fourth bed stopped her.

"Hey, little sheila. Couldn't sleep?" St. John Allerdyce, aka Pyro, sat up, the sheets falling to reveal a lithe, muscled chest. Blink could just see the sprinkling of red hair on it in the light from the hallway. There was a distinctive bulge the sheet pooled in his lap didn't fully disguise.

She nodded and he beckoned her inside. She pulled the door almost shut behind her and sat on the made-up bed.

"Lookin' for Sabretooth?" he guessed, nodding towards the bed. "What's 'is deal, anyway?"

"He has bad memories of this place. He made some vague excuse to leave as soon as we got here." Blink shrugged. "I can't really blame him, the place gives me the creeps too."

"Dunno why he's all protective of you," Pyro commented. "He's not exactly what you think of as a father figure."

She leapt to the feral mutant's defense. "Mr. Creed saved my life. He's not that bad, once you get to know him."

He rolled his eyes skeptically. "Sure, the bloke's a big bleedin' teddy bear." He looked the girl over, wondering what about her made Sabretooth behave so differently than he did with everyone else. She was certainly exotic, with her lavender skin, violet markings, and pink hair. He couldn't help but wonder if it was that shade everywhere. She was fine-boned and delicate, slender but with full and perky breasts. He realized he could see her nipples through her thin nightgown and knew why when she wrapped her arms around herself, shivering.

Pyro scooted over, holding up the covers, and patted the bed beside him. "C'mon, you're cold."

Blink flushed a darker shade of purple. The building creaked again, and she climbed in with him, taking comfort in his warm presence at her back and his arm around her waist. They had to spoon due to the narrowness of the bed. It was lucky both were relatively thin.

An idea was forming in Pyro's mind. The girl pressed against him was a strong temptation, but he doubted she'd welcome any overt advances. So he closed his eyes, feigning sleep. He felt her relax against him and her breathing slow.