Issue 1 Downtime

Melissa knocked softly on the door to Gar's room and then rubbed under her red eyes, wiping the wetness away.

Gar was smiling as he approached the door having caught Melissa's scent, but his smile fell the moment he opened the door and saw her.

"Mel? What's wrong? Are you alright? Are you hurt?" He voice dropping lower and gaining vibration with each question.

She lunged for him, wrapping her arms around him or as near to around him as she could. "Mother. Fight." She was trying to stop herself from crying again.

He rumbled softly, scooping her up and bringing her into his room. "It had to be something I can't do anything about." He nuzzled into her hair as he held her.

"Sorry," she sniffled. "Don't know why it hurts. I know she's wrong."

"I can offer theories." He took her over to the couch and carefully arranged himself under her to sit while keeping her in his arms. "Or silence. Whatever you need."

She rested her head on his shoulder. Her hands fidgeted idly, fingers picking at each other in a motion she didn't even seem to be consciously aware of. "I'm apparently an ungrateful child who doesn't appreciate my mother's sacrifices," she said with another sniffle.

"So much so, you've gone out and are getting a education, even tutoring. Shame on you for being a productive member of the world as more then a punching bag."

"I know," she said, hiding behind her hair. "She doesn't like you either."

"We knew that was coming." he lightly brushed a few strands of her hair aside. "Doesn't approve of my wanting "normal" over "super"?"

"Worse. You look too... working class. Not good enough to be her daughter's boyfriend."

Gar snorted. "Funny, another mutant judging fellow mutants by the way they look. You'd think a "Super Hero" would know better."

"Yeah. We had a knock-down drag-out over the phone about that and some other things. She... said some things. I may have responded in kind."

He nodded and carefully tighten his grip, hugging her. "No one more infuriating than family."

"She knows all the bad buttons. Hazard of growing up with another telepath I guess."

"That was one of the theories. Is there anything I can do to help make you more certain of your choice in not kicking me to the curb?"

"Right now? No. Nothing against you, but anything you did... that you aren't already doing... would ring just a little hollow, even if you meant well." Still, she snuggled closer.

He lightly took her hands in his, covering them easily. "Stay or go, you're a good one. I'll have your back, always."

"And that's why I called her a vindictive bitch and hung up on her before I came right here. Of course, that's probably going to have it's own repercussions."

"Yeah girl, you've got guts. Note to self never really piss you off." He had moved on hand to her hair again. Idly playing with a strand, turning it into a ringlet.

She sniffled and half-smiled at him, "One of the good things I got from her, I guess."

"Usually the fights are worse with those we see something of ourselves in." He smirked. "Or so I've been told. Remember I snuck out in the middle of the night with my baby sister in tow and never looked back. Your mom cares, she may be an absolute cow about it, but it's there."

"You have more faith in her than I do at this point."

"It's wise to not bad mouth the S.O's mother too much, no matter how mad they are at each other at the moment." he lightly tugged the ringlet making it bounce.

"So I've reached 'significant'?" She attempted to change the subject.

"I'm not dating anyone else and someone already changed your number tag on my phone to "Budgie-Boo". Figured I'd roll with it."

"Probably your sister. She seems like a good sort."

"Not sure how she managed it. She's getting freaky good at "teen girl" things. She's a lot stronger then anyone back home would have given her credit for."

"So I'm still Budgie-Boo?"

"According to my phone. Would you rather be "Sugar Dumpling"?" He move a little reaching for his back pocket. 'While I'm at it I can change her ID to "Tiny Terrier".

"We can stick with Melissa," she said, reaching for his phone as well.

Gar grunted softly and smirked. "Hey girl, no wiggling."

"Who's wiggling?" She smirked, coming away with his phone.

"Curses, foiled again by my own male nature. Devious, clever woman."

"I could tell you not to think about your passcode and then snatch it from your surface thoughts, but I'll be nice and just ask," she smiled sweetly at him.

"See clever and beautiful. Switch it over to keyboard, my password is "alphabet"." He chuckled.

She entered the password and then grinned, "So much power." She jumped into connections and changed her nickname to "Goddess."

"Much more appropriate then "Sweet Cheeks"." He moved and goosed her.

She eeped and scooted, going back to going through his phone. "Let's see... compromising pictures..."

There were a few, but they were of the "innocent" yet embarrassing variety. Gar asleep on his back, mouth wide open, his snore almost audible. There were a few of Vertie, mostly younger. One she's surrounded by pigeons in a metropolitan area and looking very overwhelmed. Another where she's no older then a preschooler and seated on his shoulders, tiny fist pulling his thick hair the look of rapture and joy all over her face and one of awkward pain on his. In the background two abnormally large felines watch the pair.