Log: Franklin, Matt and Sue: Thanksgiving (Backdated)

[x-invisiblegirl.livejournal.com]

Matt gets a chance to meet Sue's dad over Thanksgiving.

Sue watched the elevator's display slowly rising getting closer and closer to the penthouse and it's final destination. She looked over at Matt, her hands nervously opening and closing and her fingers playing with the fabric of her skirt as she sucked in a deep breath which failed to calm her down. It wasn't like she'd never brought friends home before, but never a boyfriend who her father had never met, or actually heard anything about for that matter. The blonde wasn't actually sure why she was even here, it wasn't like she'd gone out of her way to talk to her father or even interact with him over the past few months. It must be something to do with Thanksgiving, you were supposed to be with family and people who cared she thought as her eyes flicked back over to the display which inexorably climbed as they raced past another floor

Matt was dressed up, unsure just how this would go. Parents. He did not do well with parents. They were like adults, but not really. He was doing better with adults in general at least. He just had no idea what to expect and Sue hadn't been much help. "Are we close?" He asked, breaking the tension as the elevator rose

"Mmhmm," Sue nodded as she tried to find her voice. "Almost there, we're in the penthouse," she managed to reply. It wasn't fair that she was this nervous she thought bitterly before turning to look at Matt. Silently she slipped her hand into his and gave his hand a squeeze. "It'll be fine," she told him with as much confidence as she could muster, not sure if she was trying to convince Matt or herself

"Uh huh," that was not at all confidence-inducing at all. It wasn't so much her tone as it was just the entire situation. Idly, he folded and unfolded his cane, a nervous habit he had picked up as a child. "He knows I'm a mutant....nevermind. Of course he does," Matt said, more to himself than to Sue as he folded his cane again and this time wrapped the cord around it before stowing it in his back pocket. There. That was better

Sue took a deep breath as the elevator ground to a halt after a trip that had seemed to take hours, though in all reality had only taken a minute or so, and the doors ground open. "Here we go, home sweet home," she said as the teenagers stepped out of the elevator and into a hallway. Punching the security code into the keypad by the door Sue pushed open the door and led Matt inside

The foyer to the Penthouse was empty, as was the front room, and the long hallway that led to bedrooms, Sue's father's study, and an office - but not the entertainment room - that had the sounds of Johnny's most-recently declared 'favorite' video game and the frustrated protests of other players.  "Dad wants you in the kitchen, Suuuuuuusan."  her brother's eyes glanced off the screen long enough to meet his sister's and then went right back to his game.  

The kitchen was  - even by penthouse standards - large - and modern - polished granite countertops, the latest in appliances, including a pantry and fridge that placed their own grocery orders - and Franklin Storm, tapping at an app on a tablet computer as a small rotisserie oven rotated a group of small game hens to roasted perfection.  He didn't register Sue - or the boy standing nervously next to her for a few seconds until the oven and tablet both pinged at the same time, and then he straightened, rolling his shoulders.  "You're a bit earlier than I expected."  He hadn't quite expected her at all - the instructions to Johnny had been <b>If</b> you see your sister....   "But that's good. good. Johnny's flight got in late, so you'll still have time to catch up, if you want..."  His fingers tapped out a nervous patter on the edge of the tablet.  

"It's Thanksgiving, family, poultry, it just wouldn't be the same..." Sue's voice trailed off as she looked at her father. She hadn't seen him since...well since he had left her at Xavier's, he looked the same as ever; perhaps even a little older and nervous. She certainly hadn't expected to find him in the kitchen cooking himself, it was a touching sight and the girl couldn't help the smile which ghosted around her lips. "Ah right, this is Matt," she said gesturing to the boy standing next o her, "Matt, this is my father."

"Good to meet you, Mr. Storm," Matt said politely, stepping forward and offering his hand. The apartment, at least what he had seen of it so far, was huge! He was pretty sure that his entire apartment with his father could fit in the kitchen alone. "Smells delicious."

Franklin shook the young man's hand, a touch slower than he might normally before realizing that the lack of eye contact and sunglasses in the house wasn't out of rudeness.  "Thank you. I hope it turns out as well as it smells. I figured I'd save us all the pain of dry turkey and do a little development testing at the same time."  He shrugged, a little sheepishly, and waved at the kitchen.   "I'm sure Sue's complained about how I always work though, so enough of that. You're a classmate of hers?"

"I am," he agreed, unsure if he should mention that they were dating since Sue apparently hadn't. He did take her hand in his though, subtly. "Um...I'm a senior," Matt added. Parents weirded him out

"He is," Sue cut in before looking down at her feet, "And he's my boyfriend." she said in a small voice flushing slightly, the worlds coming out in a rush. Perhaps not telling her father about Matt and springing the fact that she had a boyfriend on him like this hadn't been her smartest plan ever

Both of Franklin's eyebrows raised just a bit over the rims of his glasses and he stared down his daughter.  "I should assume this is recent, or that this is you thinking I'm going to ground you for dating and forgetting to tell me?"  He frowned, and took his glasses off to wipe them on the edge of his sweater. "It would've been nice to find out before you told me you were inviting a friend maybe but unless you're going to withhold prom pictures from me out of spite, I'm not grounding you."

"Only a few weeks," Matt agreed, "I uh...could leave you to the family thing if you wanted though. I got some people I could see," Well, he might go down to the church he'd used to attend when he lived in Manhattan and see the priest there, maybe help serve some Thanksgiving meals if they had a soup kitchen going or whatever. Or maybe he'd go back to Xavier's

"You don't need to go, does he?" Sue asked looking at Franklin hopefully. She didn't normally expect much from her father but he was actually in the kitchen cooking, that was something she definitely hadn't expected to see, he was actually trying she realized. "Oh, I've got pictures," she suddenly remembered pulling out her phone, "we had a dance a few months back and someone was taking photos " she said pulling up the picture and smiling apologetically at Matt

Franklin waved a hand and made a dismissive 'pfah' noise.  "I told you that you could bring a friend or two, how rude would I be now to go back on my word and ask Matt to leave?"  He pulled out his own phone and tapped at it a few times, and made another dissatisfied noise.  "I know your school has excellent security, Sue, but would it kill them to let you share pictures with your own father's systems without needing four layers of encryption, a fingerprint passkey and a retinal scan?"  

"Like you don't get that enough at work," Sue replied with a small smile, halfway between teasing and her usual disdain. This was the most comfortable she'd felt with her father in years, it was almost like having her old dad back. "Besides, isn't the security supposed to make you feel better knowing we're all safe and protected?" she asked with a beatific smile as she tapped the last command on her phone to allow Franklin to see the photo. As the photo came through she used the distraction to sneak a taste of the gravy which Franklin had prepared. "Needs salt," she said full of the confidence of someone who couldn't cook

"Is that from homecoming or prom?" Matt asked, glad that he didn't have to go. That would have sucked. He couldn't see the picture on the phone, not even with his powers, but he remembered the nights. "Or Halloween?"

"Blood pressure."  Franklin said, but took a pinch of kosher salt from a bowl on the counter and added it.  "I believe it would be the homecoming you went to at... Westchester High? Salem High? I do seem to recall a line item on Susan's debit card for a dress.."  He said, gently teasing.  "So, Matt who Sue has told me so very little about, give me the high points. What is it you like about my daughter? Because it certainly cannot be how she leaves wet towels on the bathroom floor."

Sue turned to face Franklin, a scandalized look on her face. "You didn't have to tell him that," she stammered, her face starting to turn red. "This is revenge isn't it?" the girl asked with a sigh

"If that's the worst thing, then I think you're okay," Matt replied, dryly. "And...what's not to like? She's smart, funny, pretty...yeah," every guy thought their girlfriend was pretty, right? He thought she was gorgeous, but didn't want to tell her dad that. "She's fun to hang out with," and she gave him butterflies in his stomach. Better not mention that either

"It is a father's chief job to embarrass his teenage daughter at least twice a year, and I am so far behind quota that I'm sure I'll be removed from my position by the board as soon as they get around to elections."  Franklin joked.   "Although the board could lose their very generous allowance if they actually hold elections so maybe they might want to not do that."  He nodded in Matt's direction and then frowned.  "I'm inclined to agree with you, Matt, but again, only if the board keeps me in my position for another year."

Sue stared at her father for a moment before her eyes started to sparkle mischievously and she composed her face into a sweet and innocent smile. "I'm not sure how well the shareholders would react to the knowledge of your heavy handed negotiation tactics," she replied brightly playing along with Franklin. "Perhaps the board feels that in light of your failure to achieve your targets and your attempt to cow the board a negotiation of terms is in order. I have always wanted a laser of my own, or some carbon fiber and titanium I could make a really awesome robot with them." Sue grinned at her father, "Or you know, just give me a nice little lab all to myself," she suggested with a laugh

"Evil genius in training?" Matt asked, amused. He was relaxing slightly, grateful that he wasn't being grilled by Mr. Richards. "See now, I don't know that we can date if you're an evil genius. I'm trying for lawful good. Don't need you trying to corrupt me."

"Pshaw," Sue grinned and waved her hand dismissively, "Who wants to try to take over the world, defeating all the heroes would be too much of a hassle and then you've got all the administration to take care of. If you weren't insane before then it would drive you mad.It's much easier to get into the history books inventing the next innovation or pushing back the borders of science, and besides who ever remembers the evil geniuses

"Maybe we can eat before we decide if Sue is going to major in Mad Science or Evil Overlady."  Franklin said, matching Sue's expression of mischief with a wry smile.  "I don't suppose you'd go collect your brother, and <i>try</i> not to call him your minion?"  he asked.  "Matt, if you don't mind, I could use a hand setting the table."  He wasn't about to treat this kid differently, boyfriend or not, and dark glasses or not - he'd never hear the end of it from Sue.  "Silverware's to your left... right, no, my left, your right. Since it's just the four of us, I thought we could eat here."  The dining room was more formal, not as friendly

Matt held up both hands, thumb and index fingers out, "Left hand makes the L," he joked, "And my powers don't let me see exactly, but I'm not quite as blind as my eyes actually are, if that makes any sense," he stood to go see about the table, fingers sliding over drawers and the utensils to find the right ones

"I have two degrees in applied engineering, and I still can't tie my shoes."  Franklin explained.  "Not without the bunny over the hill go through the rosebush mnemonic."  But he called it a mnemonic, instead of a children's poem. It made him sound less like a too-busy distracted businessman who really should't be blaming his distance from his kids on his absent-mindedness.  "I wasn't going to ask, but since you've brought it up, can I ask what you do, or am I at risk for Sue telling me that it's rude to ask about mutant powers?"

"I brought it up," Matt agreed with an easy shrug, thinking that it was a little weird for someone so smart to have problems with something so basic, but that was sort of how really smart people were. Einstein only had one suit after all. "Enhanced senses, minus the obvious. I was in an accident when I was younger that blinded me, totally separate from my powers. I can sort of use my hearing as a radar, soundwaves bouncing off things give me a picture of my surroundings. There's no color or definition or anything, but I at least don't run into furniture and whatnot in unfamiliar places," as he spoke he set the silverware at each place on the table, fingers guiding him accurately

"Sonar, then. Radar is radio waves, unless you can detect those as well? It must be a busy world for you."  Franklin said as he turned to remove the game hens from the mini-rotisserie oven. "Napkins are in the middle drawer behind you, unless they've been moved, and then we'll both have to look for them because I've got no idea where they are."  He put the birds on a platter, and bent to take a casserole dish from the oven.  "So, senior year? Making college plans?"

"I don't care, if you don't hurry up and get in here soon there won't be anything left for you" Sue called to Johnny over her shoulder as she walked back into the room just in time to hear Franklin's last question. The girl's eyes flicked back between Franklin and Matt, "I leave you two alone for 3 minutes and you're already interrogating my boyfriend " she asked Franklin with an arched eyebrow. "You don't have to answer him," she told Matt, "I'm pretty sure the rule is you have to have a shotgun to threaten him with. And as far as I know Dad you don't. A couple of high intensity lasers, a few suits of powered armour, perhaps a bomber and a jet or two and who knows what kind of other exotic weapons systems but no shotgun." she told Franklin with a mischievous grin

"It's fine," Matt reassured Sue, "Anyways, I'm hungry. Let's eat!"