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Kaleb was up early. He did not cook and does not do housework (heaven forbid) but he did make orders, demands, and the only reservations he ever had were in fine dining. That being what it was Kaleb had breakfast ordered and delivered as well. It wasn't from a restaurant though. There was nothing that bore the mark of a commercial griddle. "Food's here." He didn't raise his voice so much as send the message in a thrum off the hard surfaces and keep it pushed to be heard further. The paper was folded and he was digging through the Lifestyle section.
Vic wanders out of the bedroom bleary-eyed and in his pajama bottoms. No shirt, but at least he's in pants. To those of the right persuasion, it's really just fan service. Vic scrubs his face with his hands and groans. He's just about over dying, but another long sleep was required, and he's groggy rather than bright-eyed. Still, all things considered… "Did you mention food?" he says as he trundles toward breakfast. "Thank you so much, I'm starving."
Kaleb said in his general matter-of-fact deadpan, "I know, because you're always hungry." He flipped the page trying to see what of any interest might be happening in the world around them in the paper. "And… you had a long week. You guys have been trying to make the house quiet as possible so I thought I'd repay teh favour. Still impresive your dad checked in on you. He seems a pretty alright guy." Where the scale of please go away to alright was considered.
Vic smiles crookedly. "I burn up a lot of fuel," he says. Especially when he's been overdoing it with the powers. "I feel better though, not ravenous like I was yesterday." He fills a plate with breakfast foods and heads over to the table, taking a seat. "He's great," he says, and he tucks in. "He's cool with you guys, so that's groovy. No disharmony where our families cross over." He grins stupidly. Aww, sonny boy lurves his dad. "I've been so blessed," he says.
Kaleb tilted his head, "Yeah, I guess that's pretty good that he doesn't want to turn us into a paste. Well really.." His words cut off. He didn't know who was told what but there was a brief moment he was braced for people showing up with torches for other reasons. He looked up from teh paper to Vic, "You know if you're wanting to take some time down we can put off going back to teh island too." It was a concession he was willingg to make, though not at all, or ever outright. Kellan was right in that Kaleb was a very subtle creature and one had to know what to look for to derrive anything as 'affection'. "I'm glad things are starting to work out for you. It's a good start to it. Nabbad for 3 months."
Vic shakes his head and says, "Nah, I feel fine. I think I finally slept it off." He does seem to be perking up, what with breakfast making it way down the hatch. "I feel like getting back to normal, you know? I want to get back to the business of living and not think too hard about it." His gaze drops to his food, and he admits, "I could bear the pain of healing, but seeing my dad so stressed out was the worst part of it. I want him to see I'm okay. Because I am." He glances up at Kaleb and grins. "Thanks. Just wait til I'm four or five months, half a year. There's nowhere to go from here but up"
Kaleb left the paper alone opting to hear Vic out. He offered what passed for comisseration Kaleb-style. "Yeah I… didn't die but yeah I get that." He squint and looked to Vic like he'd get this maybe. "Like you're used to not needing anything and getting whatever you do need and then wind up being in a position to be legit needy? It feels… I dunno, it felt invasive to me. I dunno if it's the same for you but we can call it a trade off until we're both back on our feet and then?" And then what Kaleb? he blinked and shrugged, "And then I guess we try to never do that again."
Vic smiles softly at Kaleb. "We both went through our own life-changing stuff. Sometimes I think you'd understand better than anyone else." He munches down more of breakfast, slowly though, he's hitting his evasive fill limit. "It's like… it's scary. Needing someone else, because if they're not there, you're screwed. You have to trust, and you have to trust when you're in a place where trust is hard to come by." He nods then, perking up. "Agreed. Let's never do that again."
Kaleb furrowed his brow and listened to Vic actually put his feelings into words as he couldn't. "From the mouths of babes… Well I'll say I think your'e onto something there." He took a deep breatha nd started working on the second half of his omelette. Contingency Plan: Like the Avengers, but for food. "Kinda liked what you said… about this being sort of like it's own family. The four of us, this apartment, the team whatever you want to call it. I think I like that. I dunno. Been thinking about that a bunch."
Kellan comes back in from being out for a bit. He'd run out to do a couple of errands of some sort and came back with a bag with a few things in it. He makes his way inside and glances around, hearing voices, and makes his way over to where Kaleb and Vic are. He goes over and leans up against Vic, resting his chin on Vic's shoulder and looking over at Kaleb. "Hi." He looks over at what they're eating but doesn't seem particularly hungry for the moment.
Vic looks up, and he beams. "Hey, gorgeous," he says. Even death can't dim that sun-shiny pleasure at seeing Kellan. His whole face lights up. He nods then to Kaleb and says, "We are a family. You guys mean so much to me, you're like brothers. With one exception." He holds a hand out to lure him closer. There's the remnants of breakfast on his plate, though he's nearly polished it off.
Kaleb :started to nod and then squint, "Yeah let's not make this too weird." His eyes drifted up to Kellan in a faint nod and greeted him, "*Mornin, Kell.*" only he was eating his omelette and the greeting didn't come out of his face. It was there as if it were but without the spitting of food on Vic in the processl. Huh. That might be handy a trick later. "We were just talking about you. Sleep yet?"
Kellan nods and says, "Slept a bit last night," with a little bit of a grin and raises a brow though, "Talking about me?" He then glances between the pair of them. "What were we talking about?" Getting up, he goes to get some juice before settling back down. He settles next to Vic and leans comfortably against his side.
Vic slips an arm around Kellan's shoulder with comfortable familiarity. This. This is how they should be. And are an awful lot of the time. "I slept like a baby," he says. Then, to Kellan, "You want me to wear you down? Maybe you'll sleep better." He's only three months old. He doesn't know how that might sound. Annnnnd, there it is. His cheeks flush, and he says, "With my power. The draining one."
Kaleb noted matter of factly, "Nah, Vic,don't use the power. Less fun for everyone." He didn't give a damn, and it was better than jsut being okay objectivly speaking. He ate his omelette. When Vic mentioned he slept like a babe though Kaleb just blinked at him. Nope. NOPE. Not saying it. Oh check it out, half finished omelette! Good times.
Kellan shakes his head and says, "I slept okay last night, for the most part. I should be fine, but thank you." He knows exactly what Vic meant, though he does give him a little sidelong grin. Then he smirks over at Kaleb and says "Not for Jay," who is fortunately not home quite yet. "Until we move, anyway," which will be soon.
"Poor Jay," Vic says. "I hope he's having fun on his trip, or that at least it's not too hard." Finally breakfast is conquered, and he settles back, tugging Kellan onto his lap. He regards Kaleb with perfect puzzlement, not understanding what that look was about, which can't help the situation.
Kaleb actually cracked a wry grin at Kellan and chuckled. "Yeah I can't imagine what he did for almost two weeks without me here to divide teh sound in teh walls." He sighed and rolled his eyes not at all serious when he said in an exasperated one, "I'm such a slacker." He shook his head and, was at least, sowing definiatesigns of having the energy to put himself together in his usual recognizable fashion.
Kellan lets Vic tug him onto his lap, sitting on one of his legs and leaning sideways against him a bit so that he can look at both he and Kaleb as they talk. "We tried to be quiet," he chuckles. Then he shakes his head at Kaleb with a grin, seeming a little relieved to see him back in his usual form again.
Vic scoots a bit to make looking at Kaleb easier, too. "You ordered breakfast for us," he says. "That's not very slackery." Always coming to Kaleb's defense, even against himself. "We did try, and we put a pillow between the headboard and the wall, so that helps." His cheeks are pink as he says it. Talking about 'it' in front of the twin brother.
Kaleb sat up staring off vaguely kitchenward but really lost in thought. This was no longer an issue of social convention, nor privacy. This was an architectural structure issue to be solved like a puzzle. He jsut stared off into space for a moment and any thoughts on the mental twinlink were a wave of math and accoustics. Finally he zeroed back in to Earth and said "I'll get back to you guys on that." Hrmmmm. "Oh I might be taking a day trip out to Boston soon. If I do I'll let you know before I head out or if there are any delays. Withthe recent…yeah… I wanted to make sure something was said. I think we've had enoug heart attacks for a while."
"Yeah, you went and got breakfast for Vic and you've been doing a lot considering that you're still recovering and all," Kellan says, quick to jump in along with Vic as he shakes his head a little at Kaleb. Then he grins a little as he notices Kaleb considering things, and when he can pick up the static of his thoughts a little bit over that link that they often establish, he chuckles. "If anyone can figure it out, you can." He doesn't give much context to that statement, but there is a grin over at Vic. Then he says, "Okay well.. just let us know where you're going and when you should be back.. and yeah, as much as you can given everything that's been happening recently."
Vic glances between the two, and he grins. He knows the twins speak mind to mind, and sometimes making up the context himself is more fun than asking. "Call when you get in so we know you got there safe," he says. "And have fun. I've heard Boston's… got… good bars." He's a New Yorker. He's heard less than flattering things about Boston, mostly from a baseball angle.
Kaleb tilted his head and sighed thoughtfully. "I am fairly excellent when applied properly." At hleast he found his deadpan humor next to his watch and his tie collection. There was hope. "Yeah MAximus and I got into a discussion about the voracity of his claim that seafood in new york was 'sufficient'. We're going to Boston so I can prove him wrong. And they don't drug the soup there." Still mad at that waiter. He warmed a grin to Vic and covered his face with his hand laughing into it. "Yeah I'll look into that. And call. And whatever I have to do. Kinda looking forward to trying out a long road trip. So far it's been getting easier. Just… a lot more… of a lot. But I wanted to let someone know. I know it' been kinda hell here."
Kellan nods to Kaleb and says, "Have a good time with Max. Bring me home some clam chowder.. proper New England clam chowder. I'll never like the Manhattan version." Clam chowder is not meant to have tomatoes in it. No. It is a cream-based soup and ever shall be. He grins over at Vic and says "He's trying to figure out how to best arrange the apartment acoustically." It gives things a little bit of context. He then nods to Kaleb and says, "Yeah, appreciate that. Let's just all make sure to keep tabs on each other.. all things considered lately."
Vic shakes his head and says, "I don't know if I should be listening to you guys badmouth my town." He eyes them both then shakes his head again. He's surrounded by Philistines. New York is it, baby. Center of the universe. He lets it go, though. He and his city's got nothing to prove. "Yeah, it's for the best, I think, that we let each other know where we are. Even though I'm sure you and Maximus will be fine, it's just for peace of mind."
Kaleb offered, "We want to tie a kite tail to Jay's belt with lil bells on it? In case he's flapping around." Totally out of a courtesy and completely not trolling. He was thoughtful for a long moment. There was more to say, so many thoughts and feelings without proper identification colliding. Finally he resolved his linguistic crisis with, "I know I said I refuse to let anyone make you cranky and neurotic but me, but I don't wanna, like, try to fill a quota. I appreciate the worry. Almot as much as a shower. " With that he put his plate away and heads back
"I'm not badmouthing the town, it's my town too," Kellan points out with a laugh, "If anything I'm merely badmouthing a singular soup in your town." He grins and leans in against Vic comfortably then leans down to press a kiss to his lips before he straightens up a bit. He shakes his head a little bit at Kaleb's trolling, but he sobers a little and nods. "Yes, you are the only allowed to make me cranky and neurotic, and no filling of quotas there." He then watchs as Kaleb wanders off, and once he's off in the shower he says to Vic. "Well.. at least he seems to be gradually feeling better."
Vic grins, and he nuzzles Kellan. "Yeah, just don't say that too loudly," he says, and he wraps both arms around Kellan, all the better to hug him with. "Yeah, he's getting back upon his feet," he says with pride in his voice. "He's a strong guy, he's not going to let something like this get him down." He kisses Kellan's cheek, then his lips. "We're going to be okay, babe."
Kellan smiles at Vic and chuckles, "Okay." Then he settles into those arms around him, leaning in against Vic and enjoying that hugging. "I know," he says, finally. "We're all going to be okay, and we've got a lot of stuff to do, and school starting." He takes a breath and then lets it out again with a grin. "We need to talk to Billy and Teddy again about the spider thing too and see where we are on that, and about the fighting training that we were talking about.. and the lair.. or .. hangout.. or headquarters.. whatever.. the place they were talking about setting up."
At least the twin Vic ended up with is the one who likes hugging. "Yeah, I should tell Billy about what happened, and we need to deal with the spiders. I hope I get to meet Tommy someday. He sounds neat, to." He grins, nuzzling Kellan's neck. "We'll have to study hard together, but we have to make sure we've got plenty of rest breaks, too." The way his voice drops, he's not being subtle.
Kellan is the huggy twin, though really he wasn't much of a hugger until Vic. "Billy doesn't know yet?" he asks. "Yeah, you should probably tell him.. so he doesn't find out some other way." He laughs just a little bit and leans in to rest his forehead against Vic's. "Yes, plenty of rest breaks."
Vic shakes his head and says, "I haven't seen Billy for awhile. Maybe Dad's told him? I don't know. I imagine he won't be happy." He smiles softly, and an outsider looking in would see so much sap there, the utter and helpless love in his body language and expression. "How have you been holding up?" he asks.
"Maybe," Kellan says and then adds, "But yeah, I don't imagine that he will be thrilled." That soft smile though, and those blue eyes, they just get him every time and he leans in to give Vic a warm hug, both arms going around him and squeezing tightly. "I'm okay," he says honestly. "Now that everyone is home and no one is kidnapped and I can breathe a little bit without worrying.. yeah, I'm good."
Vic studies Kellan, brow knitting, as though to make extra sure. Kellan's been taking care of Kaleb, and more recently Vic. who just wants to take care of him in turn. At the reassurance, he hugs Kellan to him. "Good. Because I want to take care of you. Both of you. Hey! He said that Dad was 'all right.'" Hey, even Vic knows on a Kaleb scale, that's a glowing review.