What he can see
As Cos stalks down the hallway, he is not aware that his fists are clenching and unclenching in anger. Of course Brainy is not answering the call he put out over the Legion rings. The Legionnaire must be doing this as a form of rebellion; there is no other explanation. No lives were at stake, so the alert had been only mid-level, but it has been hours and still there is no response. Loath as he is to admit it, the Coluan's vaunted intelligence is what will solve this problem.
If only he would turn up.
He is, for a wonder, not to be found in his precious lab. Nor in the dining hall, nor the conference area where Cos had requested his presence.
The Legion leader knocks loudly on the door to Brainy's living quarters, and does not pause long before opening it himself.
His first clue, unnoticed, is that the door opens to him. Brainy is intensely private, and dislikes having his space invaded in any way. It is strange that he has neglected to lock his quarters.
The room is more spacious than that assigned to most Legionnaires. The main room itself is large, with a bay window opposite the door looking out onto one of the small gardens internal to the Legion headquarters. A glass-top table with three elegant dining chairs sits beside the window, and a lounge and entertainment unit- both appearing fairly disused- are closer to the door. Down the left side of the room is a raised deck with a small kitchen- apparently integrated with a science workstation, if the small-scale electron microscope next to the juicer is any indicator. Cos shudders to think of how Brainy might integrate these two pursuits. Along the right side is another raised deck with two doors, one, he assumes, leading to a bathroom, and the other to a sleeping chamber.
His second clue is that Brainy's uniform top is hanging from a dining chair, one sleeve brushing the ground. Brainy is meticulous to the point of obsession. Unless distracted by a mystery he has only partially solved, in which case he will not hesitate to leave such lesser concerns for lesser minds.
"Brainy?" he calls impatiently. There is no response, and he heads for the internal doors.
The first one he opens is the one to the bedchamber.
He freezes completely as his eyes take in the sight before him.
All he can see, for one shocking moment, is the wide sweeps of green skin laid out before him.
Brainy is kneeling, knees spread wide, on the bed. He is blushing a deeper green across his cheekbones, the color spreading down his throat and chest in blotches. His body is hunched onto itself, curling over where his hand is moving frantically on his dark, dark green, very erect cock.
As the door opens, his head tilts up, and Cos can see how blown his pupils are, and the slackness of his mouth in pleasure. Then he focuses on the intruding Legionnaire.
His mouth closes. His hand stops.
Cos will always wish he had looked away even a half-second earlier. Before he saw the details.
Before he saw the way Brainy was not sitting on his heels, but raised higher on his knees.
The way the sheets are bunched, as though there are other knees tucked behind Brainy's, other toes digging in beside his.
The way the sheaf of golden hair is flattened to one ear, as though something rests against it.
The spread of green fingers as Brainy touches himself- not a fist, but spread out enough for another's fingers to lace with his.
The smears of precum glistening on nothing that is apparent between Brainy's spread fingers.
What he can see makes it really, really clear what he can't see.
Dawning understanding- and fear- spread across Brainy's face.
Cos clears his throat, looking aside far too late. His voice is rough. "Brainy, uh- we need you in the conference room. When you're ready." He can't look again, and turns to leave.
He pauses in the doorway. Says clearly, as he leaves, "If you see Lyle… we could use him too."
I had a very clear visual of this. If I could draw, I would have drawn it instead. I can't, so fic it is. This was supposed to be a quick, hundred-word drabble, but ended up longer because I wanted to detail the picture.