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It was morning and Lorna was passed out on the couch in her purple dress from the day before and covered with a sheet more for the sake of preserving modesty than a need for any chill in the summer of '64. Also to note her nails, not her fingers but her nails, had several thousand dollars of gold and diamonds on them. What the hell?! Someone lost their fool mind and that someone had deep deep pockets.
That same someone was dressed in neat slacks and a dress shirt unbuttoned at the collar who was up and searching for Vic in the early morning. This same someone also had a hell of a black eye. And that someone was Kaleb Miller. "Hey Vic?"
*
Vic drags his carcass out of bed and stumbles out in his boxers. He takes one look at Lorna, goes back into his room, and comes out wearing pajama bottoms and a singlet. "Morning," he says sleepily. "What happened to your eye?" He shuffles to the fridge and takes out the cake and some orange juice. He looks pretty fresh for a guy who's still yawning. He tends to wake up quickly, his body spurring him ever toward good health.
*
Kaleb answered casually, "Was practicing. Question for you," Because by practice he meant test his patience. That the result was Jay punching him in the face? Yeah he'd never admit this. He carried on focused at the subject at hand rolling his fingers in a gesture to Vic, "What is the likelihood of you being able to do breakfast before she gets up? Aaaand she might have a hangover. Can you do…the…thing about that?" He didn't know what to call it and honestly so long as Vic could follow the directive the minutiae really didn't matter to him. Hey he was getting used to giving a care about other people. Details come with practice.
*
Vic takes a long drink of orange juice, then says, "Sure I can make breakfast." He leaves the cake alone for the moment (though he has plans for it later, oh yes), and takes out eggs, bacon. The makings for a good hangover breakfast. As he putters about, he says, "I can do the thing, sure. Just a hangover isn't going to tap me too much. How about you? I can at least try to make that eye heal up sooner." Since Kaleb didn't offer up how it happened, he doesn't press.
*
Kaleb shook his head and waived off the help. "Nah I'm… good. Worry about her, take care of you. You're not my personal battery. Trust me I'd abuse it." At least he was aware of his shortcomings and opted out of being completely selfish. He wandered over to the phone and dialed 1 to get down to the front desk and the doorman. He was polite. He was using 'the tone to get what he wanted'(tm) which was its own gift. Ya know some folks just call it 'having manners' but for him all these things were tools for social tactica.
"Good morning, this is Mr. Kaleb Miller. Is Gio still there? Did he go home?" He paused and asked the question but it was genuinely a declarative, "Well can you stop him?" He looked at Vic and blinked as if to convey 'why do these people make me ask twice and nicely?' He sighed. "Bonjourno. Gio I would care to entrust you with a favour. I know you leave in five minutes as it is almost of the hour but…how do I put this… Paul's taste in arrangements is a travesty for the age." He actually cracked a faint grin as Gio apparently found that both truthful and humerous. "I need you to run down to Cecily's again." Flower shop? "Nothing large I need some of those little purple flowers in the window and see if there's something yellow or orange that is acceptable to go with it. Mmhmm, I trust you. You know what I like. Appreciated." He had a guy for that.
He took a deep breath and looked around. Everything was… fine. For now it was fine. He looked to Vic and furrowed his brow. "You need anything? I can have him grab it." Kaleb might be a consumerism elemental, but he wasn't selfish about it. Maybe it was remembering to look to the right and left on occasion that made him somewhat bearable.
*
Vic shakes his head and says, "Tell him I said hello." Vic knows all their names, what their kids are named, how the family's doing. He asks. It's like he considers the help people. He scrambles the eggs and tosses some toast in the toaster. With a dopey grin, he says, "You like her." Heh heh heh. Okay, he's young. Sometimes it shows. "Did you two go shopping last night? The rocks on those nails look real."
*
Kaleb just stared at Vic as he got encited about wanting to say hi to Gio and then ask how his mother, Maria, was doing and if her hand was healing up, and all the things Kaleb didn't need to hear about. He'd let Vic coo over her life story. Kaleb's concern was more to the angle of the man was going out of his way for him and he'd see him tipped well to take care of the people he was concerned about as Kaleb went about his day doing the same. There. Everyone's happy. Let's move on shall we?
Kaleb just didn't comprehend that level of affection; it was completely alien to him. He did understand forcing an environment to be complaint with amenities. This made people's lives easier. This made being on earth more enjoyable. Stuff was wonderful and reliable and he would fill the world with it as he could to make it better. It's just how he did things. It was how he know to fix the world dammit. If he lives another 20 years to see 1984 he will be so deliriously happy.
He was considering VIc's words and looked to where Lorna slept in sparkly splendour. Vic had a goofy grina dn this morning with everything else in the week? He didn't care. It was a hard week and for one afternoon he was able to make it inordinately nice in spite of the fear their enemies lorded over them. He did admit though, "Yeah. I really do." He shook his head and asked which was, of course, a request, "You making pancakes too or French Toast?" Yeah he was going to gloss over the parts where they talked about himself.
*
Vic has had a fairly easy week. He's never been to the school. He was working while Mutant Town burned. He can afford good cheer, all the 'good' stuff happens when he's chopping firewood at the restaurant and doing all the things the handyman does. Coming home to Kellan at the end of the day, he lives a charmed life. Without missing a beat, he takes out the makings for French toast. No need to ask him twice. "She's a sweet woman," he says. "You've got yourself a catch." His aunt. He's talking about his aunt. But she's so young, damn it.
*
Kaleb sighed and didn't know why he'd have this conversation, in fragment or otherwise, with someone not two months old, but then again as he pointed out to Lorna Vic had figured out what he needed to. It was little things though; she'd wake feeling off? Arrange to have that sorted. It'd be morning and she'd be hungry; have breakfast. He'd certainly noticed she had an overwhelming fondness for purple and thereby it should be on the table there to greet her. Little things to make her day optimal. He just had no clue how long he could be one of those things.
Looking back to Vic he said casually, "Yeeeeup. How the hell that happened? I dunno. Lucky for me she has very questionable taste I guess. It's a scary time right now like history is trying to repeat the worst part of itself. I know she's scare of it happening even though she tries not to talk about it too much. She came close to losing her family, got you all back and now? Now this shit with Warren being taken?" He could get on that soapbox and ride it like a derby all damn day; watch him go! For now he abandoned the socio-political commentary to focus on the point. With a shrug he looked to Vic and said "She needs you too ya know. It's new, it's weird, but it is important to her. You matter too, Vic. Welcome to responsibility."
*
"Warren" Vic asks. Yeah, no one tells Vic what's going on. He starts in on making some French toast. "Oh, I won't be going anywhere," he says. "She's got me for as long as she needs me." Responsibility? More like a privilege! He smiles as he toils. He has a family. He's not like them, neither mutant nor mystic, but they're his. OldVic never had this. It's so new to him (then again, what isn't?). "I'll take off work if she needs me. If any of you need me. Lambert's pretty understanding as long as I'm working my butt off while I'm on the clock, and I do." Of course he does.
*
Kaleb elaborated, "Pal of Kellan and I. Turns out he was a mutant. Some… bad people took him and did some real bad things to him he's.. was like Jay and now?" A pained expression crossed his face for a moment and, nope, he wasn't getting into it. "I just hope he's gonna be alright." He was concerned but like everything else he worked on burying it with a shovel. "Turns out the people that did it our parents somehow knew or..met..or… I dunno. Anyways, I was won- did you just put raspberries in there?" To him it had a certain genius to it. He blinked. "Good call."
*
"Raspberries make so many things better," Vic says in the tone of a man imparting ancient mystic wisdom. He continues cooking away. French toast, pancakes, bacon, eggs. He's covering all the bases. "That's too bad, about you friend. I hope he'll be okay, too. If you want me to help him feel better… I mean there are for-real healers out there, but I'll help out if you need it." It's as natural as breathing, that urge to help. "Are these the people who hurt you? I'm going to find them and stop them from hurting anyone else."
*
Kaleb answered Vic saying simply, "Well they made watch. That's how they hurt me Vic. I dunno." He really didn't want to dip into that. He did notice the squirming of the lump that is Lorna and pulled one of the purple flowers from the vase Gio brought back on request were now on the table, he walked over, and poked her nose with it. "Morning you." Said he to greet the sparkly woman.
*
Lorna groaned, burrowing further into the blanket that covered her as if to avoid waking up and the sunlight in general. Then slowly, realized this was not in fact her bed, nor was she used to being greeted via flowers in her face. She blinked, slowly pushing back the blanket from her face. "What?" She slowly sat up, green hair all askew.
"Kaleb?" Her brows furrowed. "What time is it?"
*
Vic finishes the stack of French toast, pancakes with raspberries, scrambled eggs, and bacon. There's also orange juice. "Good morning," he singsongs from the kitchen. "There's breakfast." He then comes into the living room and kneels beside the couch, sidling around Kaleb so as not to nudge him out. He smiles at Lorna and murmurs, "Looks like you had a night and a half." He sweeps back a lock of her hair, and when he touches her, warmth spreads through her skin, bringing with it a boost of energy that washes away fatigue. The hangover will heal twice as fast as it otherwise would.
*
Kaleb shrugged, "'Bout 10 in the morning." He paused and cracked a faint grin, "Guess you're staying over." To say the least. He held the flower to for her. Vic though, had a more important good morning and he wasn't one to get in the way. Jay wasn't here so resolution of the previous evening might be a hair spotty. Still she was undisturbed and unharmed.
*
Lorna took a moment to process what was going on and when she did, that Vic was talking about breakfast and then .. "Woah, what, wait, wait, you can heal stuff Vic?" She blearily took the offered flower with mechanical sort of movement that screamed she was still waking up. Regardless of her nephew's magic fingers. She blinked repeatedly and then sat up even more sharply as she realized what Kaleb meant.
"TEN!? I'm supposed to be at training! Oh my gosh, I didn't tell Uncle Charlie I was spending the night out. Oh no, no, no, no. He's gonna be pissed!"
*
Vic shakes his head and says, "Not heal, but I can make healing happen faster, and what you're feeling is just a little life force to make you feel better." He heads back to the kitchen to serve up three plates each with some French toast, a pancake, some scrambled eggs, and a few slices of bacon. Vic doesn't believe in small breakfast. He pours three glasses of orange juice, and he takes two of the meals to the table. Taking his own, he says, "I've got some stuff to do in my room, so I'm just going to take this in there." It's a flimsy excuse. Maybe Vic wants to give Kaleb and Lorna some private time.
*
Kaleb shook his head, "I already took the heat on this one. You're fine. They know you are here and it would have been terribly irresponsible to send you home last night. it's hard to argue with being responsible." He eyes tracked Vic to the table as he set it for them which even merited a, "Thank you." It was almost like having a butler and a valet again. Joyous. He held a hand out to help her back up, "Ms. Dane, would you care to join me for breakfast or will you be leaving us?"
*
Lorna looked hesitant, really she did. In a rumpled dress from her having slept in it, her hair a mess and with no end in sight.. she wanted nothing more than to go home, shower, change and get back to her training schedule. But she had a flower in one hand and Kaleb alone and being so horribly sweet and prince like it made her heart melt. So she took his hand and rose, pushing the blankets aside as he helped her up.
"I can stay for breakfast." She mumbled, her cheeks turning hot. "Though I can't stay long past that. My father would kill me for skipping training."
*
Vic sneaks away into his room, like he's the mastermind of some subtle ploy to get the pair together. Oh yes, fear his wiles and cunning. "Bon appetit," he says, sounding ridiculously pleased. Then he closes the door, leaving the two of them alone.
*
Kaleb seemed to take the world in stride again. Maybe it was arrogance or something else. He was a bit of a hard read. His hand folded around hers and, hell, the table was set with small flowers that matched the stray one she now held. Apparently he picked up that she liked purple and paid attention when no one was looking. "It's a terrible day to have you home late, but at least you won't go to practice tired. That's how people get hurt. I'll even stop bothering you so you stop getting into trouble… it's kinda fun though. Gotta live a little bit."
*
Lorna's smile spread into a warm smile as she got up fully, tucking the purple flower behind her ear. Her eyes danced with mirth at his comment about her getting into trouble and her smile turned into an outright grin. Carefully, she picked her way to her seat where a place had been set by Vic and she glanced over all the food set out. "Geeze, Vic doesn't go by halves does he?" She murmured, tilting her head to the side.
"How are.. you doing Kaleb? Ninette and I were uhm.. worried last night."
*
Kaleb was a bit proud of himself with his one. "Weeeeell I thought you might like," He fished around with the word for it and idly waited for her to sit before he dropped into his chair. His hands went out in a gesture of 'his', "breakfast? I, um, I wanted it to be nice for you." He looked over the plate and man, Vic was getting a lot better. Yeah he had a good shiner but getting him to complain about aches and pains was like pulling teeth. "Worried about what?" As if he wasn't clearly in a fight. "I'm alright I guess."
*
Lorna colored faintly as Kaleb made a dramatic gesture over the breakfast and she bit her lower lip, watching him from under a fringe of green hair. "Kaleb, this is super sweet. Really the most romantic thing anyone has done for me, ever." She started, and cleared her throat, reaching for the orange juice. "But uhm.. what happened to your eye?" She cocked her head to the side, her brows furrowing as she looked him over.
*
Kaleb blinked and arched both his eyebrows. That was a bigger story. "Oh, um, nothin. Jay and I talked. It was…a necessary talk." His lips pressed together and he ate his bacon. He was really not good at talking about things that pertained to him. "He has his reasons that I should have talked to him. They're fair reasons but I have as many not to have. He doesn't get them and that's fine. So I'm going going to go back to being the" he stopped himself and edited down his choice of words with a glance to her, "jerk. And that's fine. Sometimes we gotta be what we gotta be. I mean I never wanted them to have the power to make him feel afraid like that, or messed up. Now he does and… they win. And it kinda makes me sick but that's how it is. I guess it's just who we are but, at least I get breakfast with you out of this." He paused and said to her in earnest, "Shame no one's ever just made you breakfast before. That's not alright." Or in his case make someone make breakfast. It was close.