xp_logs | Mel and Sam

Sam asks Mel a question, and they both get some answers.

Sam knocked on Mel's door and sighed as he waited for her to answer. "Mellie? Can I ask you a question?"

Mel had spent the better part of the last few weeks avoiding Sam, and thought he had been doing the same. Hearing him outside her room spooked her enough that the eyeliner she had been applying got all over her lid.

She looked around for a q-tip to wipe it off as she called, “Yeah, it’s open Sam.”

Sam pushed open the door and leaned against the frame, trying and failing to make it seem casual. "Y'know that I'm only nigh invulnerable while I'm blastin' right? Not after I'm done blastin'?"

“Huh?” She paused mid-dab as she attempted to wipe away the rogue eyeliner, looking utterly confused.

"You threw an explosive at me." Sam said. "Where did you even get an explosive?"

It took her a second to catch up to what Sam was talking about. “…Oh! In the caves? Clint gave ‘em t’me. An’ I didn’t throw it at you. It hit the other guy.”

"Clint gave you- nevermind. Mel, I was right next to that guy." Sam's face was twisted in a bit of confusion. "Mel if yer gonna use explosives and projectiles you need to communicate that with the group. What woulda' happened if you had hit me?"

Mel abandoned her eyeliner and swiveled to face Sam. “First off, it was a flashbang, not an actual explosive. It weren’t lethal, jus’ makes the noise an’ the light. Second, I did communicate. I told Paige an’ Jay I was gonna use it afore I did. It was a distraction, Sam. That don’t exactly work if I hafta shout it across the cave at you ‘cause you charged out and left us cornered in the entrance.”

“I know how to use ‘em. I made sure it didn’t you. M’sorry it came to that, but it worked. S’not like we left you behind all stunned. We got in, got Elle, and got out.” It was all said in such a serious tone, sharp contrast to Mel’s usual demeanor.

Now was not the time for Sam to mention that it would have been nice to know that she'd had them given his last experience underground with a bang had resulted in him getting hospitalized. The scar on his shoulder itched. "That's not- I'm not tryin' to be snippy. I just- I didn't even know you had 'em Mel. I'm glad yer aim is good, but in the future- if y'wanna join a team- that kinda thing shouldn't be a surprise. What if I'd reacted poorly and slammed into ya?"

Furrowing her brow, she said, “Yeah… I dunno, I jus’ didn’t think I’d have to use ‘em.” What went unsaid was she thought he’d maybe try and take them away. They were more for her own sense of security than anything. It’s not like she could blast through walls or turn into titanium. Mel was just Mel. “M’sorry, I didn’t think it through like that.”

"I'm glad you had 'em. It was a good idea....just- keep thinkin' 'bout how wrong things coulda' gone if I hadn't reacted like I did. An' that's on me, I shoulda checked.... I just.... I didn't think I'd have to check with you."

“Oh…” And somehow that felt like a punch to the gut. “Yeah, I will...”

"You did good in there, really. I was shakin' outta my bones." Sam said, trying for a smile that probably looked more like a grimace. "Hey if you- if you ever wanna spar, I'm in the gym a lot. We could....practice?"

Mel felt a flush of pride. “That would be good. I’m better with polearms but my hand to hand ain’t too bad.” Practice would be nice. She only ever trained with Namor, Kane, and the danger room systems.

"Cool....maybe sometime you can come down and watch Shatterstar kick my ass....." Sam's smile seemed more genuine now, almost like he enjoyed getting beaten by an eighteen year old kid. "An' once you've got some more experience under yer belt maybe you could give sparrin with him a try."

Mel had yet to see Shatter in action, but she didn’t doubt he knew his stuff. Something about his aura. “Yeah, I’d like that a lot Sammy.”

"You know I-" He paused to steady his voice. "You know I love you right? Even if I been....not around? I miss you. I just....I'm tryin' to figure out if I'm still the Sam you know."

“I know.” It was said in a small voice. Mel picked at the seat of her chair anxiously. “M’alright Sam, you take all the time you need.”

"Can I hug you?" Sam asked, in an equally small voice, biting his lip. "Maybe we could do so somethin' in the city together? There's a Carribean Carnival at the beginnin' of September or some kinda' Italian festival on I think it was the nineteenth?"

He didn't want it to seem obvious that he'd looked things up. "Or I suppose you could dress me up and we could watch the folks at fashion week since yer into all that."

“‘Course.” She got up and wrapped around Sam, maybe a little more cautiously than she would have before, and buried her face in his shoulder, grinning. “That would be real fun. We could do matching outfits or somethin’.” Apparently neither Jay or Paige had warned Sam on the dangers of letting Mel play barbie with them.

"As long as we're not too matchy." Sam sighed, hugging her back tightly. "God help me I'm gonna regret this ain't I?....'Least this way if you end up not liking the new inside you'll like the outside, right?"

If that was supposed to be a joke, Mel didn’t find it very funny. “Don’t be stupid Sam, ‘course I like you.” Had she not just jumped at the chance to hang out with him?

Sam hugged her tighter and cradled her head to his shoulder. "You have no idea how relieved I am to hear that."

“Yer my favorite oldest brother. Don’ let anyone tell ya otherwise, including that dumb head of yers.” She reached up and flicked his temple.

"I'm yer only oldest brother you knucklehead." Sam griped, affectionate. "That's a cop-out."

Mel beamed up at him. “I ain’t allowed t’pick favorites Sammy. It’s against the rules.” She squeezed him a little and went on her tiptoes to press a kiss to his cheek. “Still- I love an’ appreciate you so much. You ain’t jus’ my brother, yer one of my best friends. No matter what.”

Sam hugged her so tight he lifted her off the ground, pressing a lingering kiss to her forehead. "God, what would I do without you, Mellie?"

“Dunno, probably have a lot fewer headaches.” It was playful, with a hint of truth. “But then Paige an’ Jay would be the ones drivin’ ya crazy.”

"Prolly, but it wouldn't be as fun.....when Elle comes up... would you wanna help me take her somewhere nice to shop? I think she'd like that, you can use me as a test run."

Mel nodded. “Yeah, I can do that. There’s lots of stores I think she’d like. Get her somethin’ no one else back home’ll have.”

"Yer the best Mellie....we'll do a movie night soon, okay? When I'm more...myself again."

“Okay,” Mel mumbled into his shoulder, giving her brother another squeeze. “M’sorry I threw an explosive at you.”

"Just give me some kinda' warnin' next time." Sam mumbled in response.