plotted starter for @ca1amities
Chris tried—and almost always failed—to keep a professional boundary between himself and his team. The Hound Wolf Squad was no different in that he felt like they were his family—no one would ever be left behind and he would walk over hot coals for any one of them. He liked having them over for barbecues, taking them out to team bonding dinners, and pretty much anything else that would let them know that he loved and appreciated them as more than just soldiers. He wanted them all to be on a first name basis when not on the job, insisted that they call him Chris instead of captain and referring to them all by their first names in return. But even then, there were some professional lines that he refused to cross.
Until Neil.
They were all at his place and everyone had brought some sort of food to share with everyone else. Chris never tracked who was bringing what and instead just provided the beer and liquor and somehow, miraculously, there was always enough food for everyone. He was chewing on the most delicious carne asada he'd ever had in his life when he overheard someone talking about how much the food had improved when Neil had joined the Hound Wolf Squad and his stomach did a little flip.
He didn't drink much anymore and was already a few beers deep when it finally hit him that he really, really needed to say something to him.
So he set his plate down and looked around the room until he spotted Neil and tried not to think too hard about his big beautiful eyes that drove Chris crazy—even though they shouldn't and even though Chris was making Neil's already-delicate situation even more complicated every time Chris allowed himself a moment to have a stray thought about Neil. And when he finally stepped up to Neil, he just grunted out, "Neil. Can I talk to you for a minute?"
