So I wasn't planning to continue this but I watched the movie again and here we are.
They all took in the bright-yellow bodysuits Hank has left for them.
Alex groaned.
"Do we really have to wear these?" he asked, but Darwin gave him a nudge and he stopped complaining.
"Well, as MOST of us haven't evolved to survive extreme G-Forces or being riddled by bullets, I suggest you suit up," Charles said.
"Lucky you," Banshee whispered to Darwin.
"Huh?" Darwin asked, clearly confused.
"You can survive those things, you don't need to wear one of those suits."
"Oh no, I'm wearing it," Darwin said.
"Why?" Banshee asked. It was his turn to be puzzled – Darwin could survive anything in his street clothes, so why would he bother with the dorky yellow suits?
"Well, we're a team – we should look the part," Darwin said, as if it was obvious.
Alex snorted. "That was too cheesy, even for you," he said.
"Well, considering what we're about to face, I think a little levity will do us some good," Charles said. "Let's get these on, okay?"
Darwin and Alex sat next to each other near the back of the plane as Hank flew the group to Cuba. Even though the jet traveled incredibly fast, it would still take them a while to reach their destination, and the two didn't want to waste a minute, talking to each other in whispers, the most privacy they could get in the open area of the plane.
"Promise me you'll make it out of this," Alex begged. Darwin could hear the desperation in his voice, knew if he said no Alex would probably break.
"Of course I will," he said. "I'll make it out of anything. I'm more worried about you."
"Heh, no one's ever cared whether I made it through or not," Alex said, and Darwin didn't miss the way he dodged the question for a second.
"Well, I care about you," Darwin said. "And I need to know that when this is all over, you're going to be alive."
"You know I can't promise that," Alex pleaded. "My mutation doesn't protect me like yours does, it just destroys."
There was such sadness in Alex's voice that Darwin wanted nothing more than to kiss him until he'd forgotten his pain, but they were both strapped in. Darwin settled for grabbing Alex's hand and squeezing it in a reassuring way.
"I know," Darwin said at last. "But you have to promise you'll try, at least. I'm counting on you to be there when this is all over."
Alex hesitated, and Darwin leaned his head over to Alex's ear, a bit closer than normally possible thanks to a little adaptation on his neck. Alex could feel Darwin's breath on the skin of his ear as Darwin talked.
"I don't know if I can get through this without you."
Once he said the words, he realized they were true. At this point it seemed that Darwin's metal adaptation would likely be permanent, and there were times it got to him, times when the tingle of his cool metal body made him want to strip his skin off, made him want to let the energy still crackling inside him eat him alive. But when that happened, Alex was always there to take his mind off it, to distract him and remind him of everything that made life worth living, even like this.
"I'm sorry," Alex whispered back. "Of course I'll try. Of course I'll do my best to make it back to you."
Darwin pulled his head back, ignoring the odd look the two of them were getting from Banshee, but kept his grip on Alex's hand. The two of them were in this together. They'd be there for each other until the end.
He was sure of it.