// BURN WITH YOU

“… It’s not what it looks like.” There was remorse in her tone, but if anything, she was just sorry she was caught. “Okay, maybe it’s exactly what it looks like. But I can explain.” 

Miriam smiled at that, appreciating his care. “Thanks, Marcos.” His question was likely just polite, but Miri found herself hesitating before laughing lightly. “Um, I’ve been alright.” She shrugged at the other question. “Earth shattering?” she repeated.

[ sms // marcos. ] : yeah. [ sms // marcos. ] : i’ll be fine.

“finding a healthy balance between work and play has always been of utmost importance to me.” scott replied, simply, shoulders lifting up in a casual shrug. he didn’t feel the need to mention how essentially being a janitor at the school didn’t take up that much time - and he certainly wasn’t about to throw out in the open just how little he had been doing as ant-man, of late. it was sort of a sore subject. “three words: game of thrones,” yeah, so, he was a LITTLE late to the party. in his defense, he had been dead. “everything you could want, condensed into neat hour long episodes. i haven’t slept since i started season two.” 

“mmm, more bad jokes please, i need all the laughing I can get today,” she pauses a moment, the act of weighing the option of having him here rather than not taking only a moment, “come over. i get to be more lazy if you’re here anyway,” she shrugs pulls her blanket up, “and if you come with coffee, I don’t even have to get out of bed to make it, and you won’t just have a sleeping bundle of nothing to talk to.”

“Sorry.” He mumbles quietly the moment Marcos sighs. He doesn’t mean to keep pushing these things on his family, having this moments and dragging them in to deal with it, too. It’s been years, Nadir should be past this by now - he knows he should, he needs to find a way, but… it’s not always that easy. Some days, that feels like just about the hardest thing to do in the world, and Nadir just doesn’t feel up to it today.

He’s so dangerously close to getting whisked away with that thought when he feels the hands on his shoulders, warm and strong and steady and they bring him back to this, to here and now and he looks up at his father. The nickname brings a slight smile to his lips - slight, but genuine. It doesn’t always feel like he deserves it, but.. he likes it all the same. “I know. I’m trying.” He admits softly, letting out a soft sigh. “Some days.. most days are fine, really. I guess it just gets to me. Every now and then I just.. have a bad day with it. I don’t - know how to explain it, I’m sorry.”

the elder mutant shakes his head when the other apologises. he hadn’t meant to the sigh like that, he was just: tired. “no, no, don’t apologise, you shouldn’t have to,” he just wished he could take away the other’s troubles, find some way to answer his questions and yet he couldn’t it’s just another factor on a long list of things he was never going to be able to change no matter how he might long to. part of the weight he carried around on his shoulders.

Lorna’s laugh rings out on the call, tucked warmly in her blankets, “your bad jokes are my favorite,” she says as she settles, thinking for just a moment before she continues, “I definitely wouldn’t be opposed to some company. I’m alright, feels good to sleep in for a day.”

the sigh that leaves his lips is one of someone who is quite clearly getting to old for this. he’s worn, he’s tired and frankly all marcos wanted to do was scoop up his family and take them somewhere safe, preferably with good weather. still that would hardly solve all of their problems, especially not nadir’s. god what marcos wouldn’t have done to make things easier for his son. still there was nothing, and instead he was here doing what he could to take care of the broken pieces.

[ sms // marcos. ] : more like i’m still adjusting to what happened last year. [ sms // marcos. ] : and also adjusting to being out of school. [ sms // marcos. ] : it’s a lot.

scott enjoyed pride immensely. and he was extremely glad that the school had decided to throw an even of their own, filled with parades and parties. but he was paranoid. paranoid that something bad would happen. he didn’t trust people sometimes and they had disappointed him plenty of times. so his hand was naturally near his sunglasses, ready to strike. but he found marcos handing out bottles. “can i help with that?” he smiled before grabbing a bottle from the box. “seems like you could use a break.”

“and you look like you’re about to go stir crazy,” marcos comments with a laugh. whatever arguments he had with scott’s brother he still had a great level of respect for the male. they were x-men together after all, even if they didn’t see eye to eye all of the time. he still ultimately trusted the other with his life. “relax scott, something happens we’re here to limit the damage, let the kids have a bit of fun while they can,” the fact that neither of them had been at the rally hung in the air. “but if you’re that desperate for a job i wouldn’t mind having an assistant,”

the pint-haired girl lets out a giggle, feeling like a child again in the presence of her dad, one of her two favorite people in the world. despite keeping her distance from her family ( for their own good, she told herself ), she could never stay away from her parents. she would never be completely separated from them, even if what kept her close to them was a phone call every couple of days. ❝ so you’re staying ? ❞ she asks, an excited glint in her eyes. they’re finally all back together. and while that worried her ( lots of people, lots of emotions, lots of ways to get into her head ), her joy at getting the opportunity to mend all the fractures in her family is greater. ❝ so much has happened, but i guess that was to be expected, ❞ she says with another laugh. ❝ have you seen the others ? ❞

[ sms // marcos. ] : one of my favorites ! [ sms // marcos. ] : you don’t have to apologize [ sms // marcos. ] : i’m still adjusting

Their family is.. messy, Nadir knows that. Even before, when he had retreated so far into himself, he had been painfully aware of how strange their family situation has been. But at such a young age, and with everything he’d been struggling to come to terms with, one thing he did know is that Marcos was there for him. Marcos was there when his father was not, and at that time that’s what mattered. Even now, that’s what matters.

It’s good to see him here, see him safe, and Nadir can’t help but feel relieved at the sight of the man’s smile. To know that he’s safe and sound, and back home with them again. “You know I’m not usually far away from mom and Naomi.” He answers with a soft chuckle, looking up at the man. It takes a moment for him to consider Marcos’ offer before stepping in closer for a quick hug. “I’d like that. What do you want to do? You’re the one who’s been away for a while - it’s your call.”

marcos hadn’t had the best of childhoods, and even that had ended when he had been thrown out onto the street. he had wanted to give his kids a better life than that whether they shared his genes or not, nadir was the closest thing to a son the male had, especially with the way their powers matched. he has been at least been able to be there to give nadir the guidance that he needed even if he hadn’t necessarily been able to protect him from everything.