Madin & Mel | No Going Back
Nov. 28th, 2024 06:00 pm![[personal profile]](https://www.dreamwidth.org/img/silk/identity/user.png){kind=small}
xp_aero posting in ![[community profile]](https://www.dreamwidth.org/img/silk/identity/community.png){kind=small}
xp_logsThings take an unpleasant turn between the two mutants.
Arriving back after a day at the community centre where Madin had been surprised to learn that they had put on a Thanksgiving lunch for all comers - apparently this was actually a really important holiday and the outdoors experience program planning meeting Madin had been expecting to attend had been cancelled for it ‐ Madin had opened their suite door to find Mel.
Mel had been camping out in Madin's room since the kids had arrived which was a lot, yes, but also nice but a lot.
"Oh. Hi. I uh. I didn't know you'd be-" Madin stopped and started again. "Did you have a nice Thanksgiving lunch?"
She looked up from her spot on the floor, giving Madin a lazy sort of smile. “Yeah. Chaotic, but nice.” Clint’s parents had really gone all out, and with her own siblings there it had been a packed affair. “I stuck some leftovers in yer fridge. Did ya have a good day at the center?”
"Uh, yeah. I thought we going to finish planning the outdoor ed program but they had it cancelled some they could run some kind of community Thanksgiving lunch. I didn't know it was going to be that big of a deal."
Mel hummed. “Depends. I reckon people jus’ like an opportunity to eat together.” Propping herself up, she stood, scooping up her phone in the process. “A shame ‘bout yer meetin’ though. They reschedule it yet?”
"I guess. It's next week, apparently." Madin opened their desk drawer to pull out a bottle of whiskey with a plastic turkey tied to it. "Look, I um. Sam told me you do presents for Thanksgiving, so I got you this."
A confused look came over her face. “Sam told ya that?” Never in her life had she received a Thanksgiving present.
"Yeah..." Mel looked so confused. "I reckon he was having me on."
“I reckon, yeah.” She couldn’t help but laugh a little, leaning over to press a kiss to Madin’s cheek. “It was awful sweet of ya to think about me anyway, though.” Even if it wasn’t actually a tradition, it touched Mel that they wanted to honor it.
Madin kissed her back. "Glad you appreciate it. Even if it's not actually a thing."
Something in Mel’s chest fluttered. “Really, thank you. An’ m’sorry you couldn’t come along t’lunch. I jus’ didn’t reckon you’d wanna meet all of ‘em like that. They can be…. a lot.” Love them she did, but there was a reason Mel came here right after. Lord knew what kind of shenanigans her younger siblings would’ve gotten up to.
"Sam actually sort of invited me but I said it wasn't for me. I don't... I'm sorry, but I don't know if I can manage. Um. Your sister."
“Yeah..” She winced slightly. “She’s doin’ better now. But still… yeah..”
Madin knew, knew they should stay quiet. Their dumb stupid mouth spoke anyway. "How is she handling being up in mutieville? Still being a nazi?"
Mel took a step back. “Excuse me?”
"I'm sorry. It's just. How could you invite her here after all that?"
“No. You don’t jus’ get to- She’s a kid! It weren’t her fault, they preyed on her! You know that.” She could feel her face heating up. “Elle’s gettin’ better. She wouldn’t’a come if she wasn’t.”
"She's not that young!" Madin took a deep breath, all the things they hadn't said all along bubbling up at once. "When someone says they're ‐ when someone says they hate everything you are, you don't say that's okay, they're a kid, you fucking believe them and don't invite them to come stay."
“Oh yeah, cause we all gotta be defined by shit we did at fifteen, is that right? By whoever came along an’ made us feel special, validated our anger?” It was a low blow, but they couldn’t just say those things about her sister. “If she’s a fuckin’ nazi than I must be too, cause it’s damn near half my fault she ran off with that man in the first place.”
"What? Because you left some shithole town where there were no jobs, everyone hated you because of Sam and the Cabots are a fucking militia that wants to kill you all?" Madin stared at her, open mouthed. "You know, other countries I've been to, when the locals start up a militia, either they leave and acknowledge that they're refugees or the fucking army comes in. But apparently third world countries have this shit down better than fucking Americans. It wasn't your fucking fault your sister hates everything you are, okay? Or Sam's or your weird churchy brother's!" Madin's mouth was still going and ah, fuck, this wasn't the right thing to say to Mel at all.
Any affection Mel had for the other mutant drained from her face, features drawing tight. There was no use. They could never understand. She was stupid to believe otherwise. Tersely, she said, “M’not goin’ to argue with you on this anymore.”
Grabbing her bag with one hand, Mel opened the door to the suite with the other. “I’m done.”
Madin hadn't meant... "Fine! Whatever, Mel. I truly do not give a shit. If you're all determined to take responsibility for her and her bullshit... You're not her mum. But seriously, whatever. I do not care." They didn't punch the wall but it was a challenge not to
As soon as the door shut behind her Mel burst into tears. Fuckin’ stupid.
Arriving back after a day at the community centre where Madin had been surprised to learn that they had put on a Thanksgiving lunch for all comers - apparently this was actually a really important holiday and the outdoors experience program planning meeting Madin had been expecting to attend had been cancelled for it ‐ Madin had opened their suite door to find Mel.
Mel had been camping out in Madin's room since the kids had arrived which was a lot, yes, but also nice but a lot.
"Oh. Hi. I uh. I didn't know you'd be-" Madin stopped and started again. "Did you have a nice Thanksgiving lunch?"
She looked up from her spot on the floor, giving Madin a lazy sort of smile. “Yeah. Chaotic, but nice.” Clint’s parents had really gone all out, and with her own siblings there it had been a packed affair. “I stuck some leftovers in yer fridge. Did ya have a good day at the center?”
"Uh, yeah. I thought we going to finish planning the outdoor ed program but they had it cancelled some they could run some kind of community Thanksgiving lunch. I didn't know it was going to be that big of a deal."
Mel hummed. “Depends. I reckon people jus’ like an opportunity to eat together.” Propping herself up, she stood, scooping up her phone in the process. “A shame ‘bout yer meetin’ though. They reschedule it yet?”
"I guess. It's next week, apparently." Madin opened their desk drawer to pull out a bottle of whiskey with a plastic turkey tied to it. "Look, I um. Sam told me you do presents for Thanksgiving, so I got you this."
A confused look came over her face. “Sam told ya that?” Never in her life had she received a Thanksgiving present.
"Yeah..." Mel looked so confused. "I reckon he was having me on."
“I reckon, yeah.” She couldn’t help but laugh a little, leaning over to press a kiss to Madin’s cheek. “It was awful sweet of ya to think about me anyway, though.” Even if it wasn’t actually a tradition, it touched Mel that they wanted to honor it.
Madin kissed her back. "Glad you appreciate it. Even if it's not actually a thing."
Something in Mel’s chest fluttered. “Really, thank you. An’ m’sorry you couldn’t come along t’lunch. I jus’ didn’t reckon you’d wanna meet all of ‘em like that. They can be…. a lot.” Love them she did, but there was a reason Mel came here right after. Lord knew what kind of shenanigans her younger siblings would’ve gotten up to.
"Sam actually sort of invited me but I said it wasn't for me. I don't... I'm sorry, but I don't know if I can manage. Um. Your sister."
“Yeah..” She winced slightly. “She’s doin’ better now. But still… yeah..”
Madin knew, knew they should stay quiet. Their dumb stupid mouth spoke anyway. "How is she handling being up in mutieville? Still being a nazi?"
Mel took a step back. “Excuse me?”
"I'm sorry. It's just. How could you invite her here after all that?"
“No. You don’t jus’ get to- She’s a kid! It weren’t her fault, they preyed on her! You know that.” She could feel her face heating up. “Elle’s gettin’ better. She wouldn’t’a come if she wasn’t.”
"She's not that young!" Madin took a deep breath, all the things they hadn't said all along bubbling up at once. "When someone says they're ‐ when someone says they hate everything you are, you don't say that's okay, they're a kid, you fucking believe them and don't invite them to come stay."
“Oh yeah, cause we all gotta be defined by shit we did at fifteen, is that right? By whoever came along an’ made us feel special, validated our anger?” It was a low blow, but they couldn’t just say those things about her sister. “If she’s a fuckin’ nazi than I must be too, cause it’s damn near half my fault she ran off with that man in the first place.”
"What? Because you left some shithole town where there were no jobs, everyone hated you because of Sam and the Cabots are a fucking militia that wants to kill you all?" Madin stared at her, open mouthed. "You know, other countries I've been to, when the locals start up a militia, either they leave and acknowledge that they're refugees or the fucking army comes in. But apparently third world countries have this shit down better than fucking Americans. It wasn't your fucking fault your sister hates everything you are, okay? Or Sam's or your weird churchy brother's!" Madin's mouth was still going and ah, fuck, this wasn't the right thing to say to Mel at all.
Any affection Mel had for the other mutant drained from her face, features drawing tight. There was no use. They could never understand. She was stupid to believe otherwise. Tersely, she said, “M’not goin’ to argue with you on this anymore.”
Grabbing her bag with one hand, Mel opened the door to the suite with the other. “I’m done.”
Madin hadn't meant... "Fine! Whatever, Mel. I truly do not give a shit. If you're all determined to take responsibility for her and her bullshit... You're not her mum. But seriously, whatever. I do not care." They didn't punch the wall but it was a challenge not to
As soon as the door shut behind her Mel burst into tears. Fuckin’ stupid.
no subject
Date: 2024-11-29 02:03 am (UTC)no subject
Date: 2024-11-29 04:24 am (UTC)no subject
Date: 2024-11-29 01:22 pm (UTC)no subject
Date: 2024-11-30 04:20 am (UTC)