Suite 132

[alwaysroomforhope]

Steph almost doesn't realise she's slipped into Milliways instead of their hut of the moment. She's distracted, and way too tired. But then there are barstools and the lights of the Window and she grins, perking up, and slips upstairs to her room, intending to fall straight into bed and greet the world in the morning.

Comments

[slayer_fray]

When she falls into her bed, the bed mutters, a blanket curls, and engulfs her.

Mel wakes up enough to realize it's Steph, then wraps an arm and a leg around her and goes back to sleep.

[alwaysroomforhope]

"... oh, hi Mel."

Steph pokes at her, vaguely bemused. Then she snuggles into her side and goes to sleep, helpfully.

[slayer_fray]

"Hmmmph."

Mel pulls Steph close, buries her head in blonde hair, then lets her head roll back and starts snoring like a dump truck.

[alwaysroomforhope]

It would be a problem, but Leslie snores too. Steph nudges her a few times, hoping to shift her, and then decides it's not worth waking up properly for. She uses Mel's arm to block her upwards ear, and has a very comfortable night.

Eventually enough light filters through the windows to wake her up. She yawns, blinks sleepily, grumbles, and goes back to sleep.

Some time later, though, Steph wriggles out of blankets and Mel both and goes to make two cups of coffee, sets them both on the side table, and starts nudging Mel cheerfully.

"Mel. Mel. Mel. Mel. Mel. Mel. Mel. Mel. Mel. Mel. Mel. Mel. Mel. Mel. Mel."

[slayer_fray]

"Sph," says Mel.

And eventually "Sssff sfff Seph Seph."

And after a mouthful of coffee. "Steph."

[alwaysroomforhope]

"Oh good, you're awake."

Steph beams happily and settles on the bed, sitting on Mel's legs and cradling her coffee. "You snore."

[slayer_fray]

"No I don't," she replies automatically. Gosh, Steph.

[alwaysroomforhope]

"Yeah, you really do. Kept me awake all night," Steph says, bright and well rested. She waits to make sure Mel's not going to suddenly kick or wriggle before sipping coffee.

"Mikey's away, obviously?"

[slayer_fray]

Mel shrugs. "Iunno. Don't think so. Not sleeping there right now.

"How's Kenya?"

[alwaysroomforhope]

"Kenya? Hot."

Steph is giving her the Eye.

[slayer_fray]

What?

[alwaysroomforhope]

Steph drinks coffee again. "This is me not asking you about why you're all --" She flaps a hand. "All 'dunno' about Mikey. See it? See me not asking? It's not gonna last long."

[slayer_fray]

Oh, yeah.

Well, someone's gonna ask, aren't they? Might as well be Steph.

Mel folds her legs under her, sitting up in Steph's bed with her coffee resting on her feet.

"We broke up."

[alwaysroomforhope]

Oh.

Steph considers this, and then shifts off Mel's legs to sit up beside her and lean on her shoulder.

"I could beat him up."

[slayer_fray]

"Uh," Mel says gently. "No, you couldn't."

[alwaysroomforhope]

"It's the principle of the thing," Steph says. "I'd try."

She glances at Mel.

"You gonna be OK?"

[slayer_fray]

Mel nods. "Yeah," she says, quietly. "I will be. Just crashing here for now."

[alwaysroomforhope]

"Duh," Steph says, slipping her arm around Mel's shoulders. "Move your stuff back in?"

[slayer_fray]

"Don't have that much stuff."

Nothing she's really attached to, anyway. Nothing that doesn't remind her of Mike.

"Yeah. I'll get to it."

[alwaysroomforhope]

"Are you gonna snore every night?" Steph asks, eyeing her critically. "I'll get earplugs."

[slayer_fray]

"Bar does good ones," Mel suggests.

So that will be a yes.

[alwaysroomforhope]

"And another pillow," Steph decides. Her coffee cup is empty, so she reaches for Mel's instead.

What happened? Why?

Not asking.

"What else happened? How long's it been for you?"

[slayer_fray]

"About a month," Mel says. "Missed the apocalypse here, had one at home. Cleveland."

[alwaysroomforhope]

"Oh, how'd that go? You save the world?"

[slayer_fray]

"Yep."

Mel flashes her the quickest of smirks. "You expect anything less?"

[alwaysroomforhope]

"It could happen," Steph points out, answering that tiny smirk with one of her own. "You could have an off day."

[slayer_fray]

"And then I'd some back and tell you about it."

Sure.

[alwaysroomforhope]

Steph tilts her head, raises an eyebrow. "You better. If you bite it, and you don't come here to at least say goodbye, I'm going to ... to ..."

Thoughtful.

"I'll do something really horrible."

[slayer_fray]

"Yeah yeah."

Mel takes her coffee back, and knuckles Steph's head on the way. "I'm terrified."

[alwaysroomforhope]

"You should be," Steph agrees, satisfied with this response, bumping her head against Mel's shoulder in response to the knuckles. "I'm really scary, you know. Chased a scary witch-doctor outta town the other night."

[slayer_fray]

"Yeah?" Mel asks. "How many bones you break?"

[alwaysroomforhope]

"Not as many as you would have," Steph says, "but I did get to wear some killer facepaint. And then drive really fast."

[slayer_fray]

"Sounds like your kind of gig," Mel says.

"Didn't know you were up to that over there."

[alwaysroomforhope]

"I guess you can't take the Gotham out of the girl," Steph says, stretching her legs out in front of her, pensive.

"I think I'm going back."

[slayer_fray]

Mel just lifts her left shoulder i a half-shrug that's still pretty expressive for what it is.

She can't imagine anything else.

"When?"

[alwaysroomforhope]

"Soon." Steph taps her toes against Mel's, gentle. "Might stay here for a while first."

Totally not for any reason at all to do with finding her beloved sister curled up and moping in her bed though. Just for reasons.

"But within a couple of days of getting back to my world, I think. I just ... I thought I was done with that, you know, but I really miss it."

[slayer_fray]

Mel's smirk widens.

"Yeah, like that's a thing you could ever give up on."

[alwaysroomforhope]

"I keep trying," Steph protests, smirking back, leaning against Mel's shoulder. "I thought the whole nearly-getting-killed thing would do it for sure."

Nope. It didn't.

[slayer_fray]

"Nope," Mel says, with the wisdom of experience. "Never known that to work yet."

[alwaysroomforhope]

"I'm an optimist," Steph says, and grins. "And right now I'm really optimistic about having something to do again. Leslie's gonna be so disappointed."

This is not a problem, really.

[slayer_fray]

Mel ruffles her hair again.

"Look at you, always disappointing the people."

But never Mel.

[alwaysroomforhope]

Never Mel. Steph doesn't have many constants in her life, but there's Mel.

"I know. I'm shocking. You wanna come to Gotham with me when I go? There's crime to fight. And people who think I'm dead. Should be good for a few laughs."

Mel seems like she needs laughs.

[slayer_fray]

Mel could definitely do with a few laughs.

She beams Stephwards.

"And roofs to jump off?"

[alwaysroomforhope]

"They put them in special for you," Steph says, grinning.

[slayer_fray]

Mel grabs Steph by the neck and wrangles her in.

"Extra tall ones?"

[alwaysroomforhope]

Steph allows herself to be dragged, smirking.

"They've been busy building them all year while I was gone. I just know it."

[slayer_fray]

"Bet there's all kindsa buildings you haven't jumped off."

[alwaysroomforhope]

"And scaffolding, and cranes. I bet there's lots of cranes."

Cranes are great.

[slayer_fray]

"And fire escapes. Gargoyles. Split levels."

Mel likes Gotham.