(Untitled)

[grabber_fray]

When Mel was pregnant, she'd talked about her plans for after the babies were born. She'd coerced everyone she knew into promising they'd dropped around. She'd threatened her entire extended family with dropping the twins with them and running away into the city. She'd amassed an army of babysitters

Comments

[notanoptimist]

Mother is entirely too fitful. And Father has run off to be leader-y and left Uncle in his place.

Which is why Sokka is there, setting down tupperwares of food (courtesy of Silver) and separating them. This is for Mel, this is for Zuko, this is Sokka's share 'cause he's not your damn personal shopper...

Anyway, he's over on the table, glancing over briefly before getting out chopsticks.

"They can't even roll yet, Mel - get over here and eat."

[grabber_fray]

He is totally their personal shopper.

"Yeah, but I think Hana's just about to..." Mel protests, tearing herself ways reluctantly, looking at twin cots all the time she comes over to the table.

She sits so she can see them, and doesn't even look at her food as she pulls off the lid.

"I don't think she's sleeping well. Can babies have nightmares?"

[notanoptimist]

"Here's a more important question," Sokka says, mouth full and gesturing with his chopsticks, pushing a tupperware toward her. "Can Uncle Sokka keep his promise to Hana's Daddy that he wouldn't kill her mother today? Let's find out!

"Eat. They'll be fine. The most traumatizing thing they've cried about so far was when I dropped my wrench on the floor the other day."

Admittedly, it was kind of loud.

[grabber_fray]

Mel does indeed eat. She's hungry, what with the still eating for three and not being bedbound anymore. But it's with reluctance that she pulls her gaze back to the food in front of her, and starts shovelling it in.

"Dish ish goof," she manages, mouth full. "'Reenhouf really 'sessfull, huh?"

[notanoptimist]

"Besh thing evah," Sokka replies, nodding emphatically and trying to smile around a large mouthful. "Shilvah'sh pretty aweshome, too."

Chew, chew, chew-- swallow.

"Can you believe how long it's been since-- well, you never had fresh food, but-- how long we've been here? I was talking to Silver the other day and he asked how long it's been for me. It's been a year, Mel - or nearly that."

He doesn't look-- upset about this. Just kind of surprised.

[grabber_fray]

Mel gestures with her chopsticks over to the nursery, and the cribs within.

"Been long enough for me to make babies. And that's not counting coma time, and the months we had before that."

When Harth was 'alive'. They were good months.

This is better.

[notanoptimist]

Smirking, Sokka stirs his food for a minute or two, nodding. "Yeah, I know - it's just weird to think about. And you should've seen Silver's face when I told him more than half of that year was spent living off cans."

[grabber_fray]

"We didn't have anything else!" Mel points out. "Least I get best pick of the fresh stuff. Doctor's orders."

That, she's smug about.

[notanoptimist]

"Yeah, but I stole some of your oranges," Sokka replies and sticks out his tongue. "Payment for bossing me around!"

[grabber_fray]

Mel looks affronted, chopsticks halfway to her mouth. "When have I bossed you around?"

[notanoptimist]

Sokka's chopsticks are used to point at her food while he gives her a very flat look.

[grabber_fray]

Mel returns the flat look, with added dryness. "You offered," she protests. "And you're only here cause Zuko told you to be."

Not that she's not glad he's here, but still.

[notanoptimist]

"I offered to do fun baby things like-- teach them stuff and hold them while they're all cute," Sokka protests, still gesturing with chopsticks. "I'm here because Zuko keeps taking away holding-privileges if I don't run around and get you all food."

His bitching would be a lot more convincing if he hadn't walked into the room earlier with a big smile and tossed her an apple.

[grabber_fray]

"I'm sorry," Mel says, "That you're stuck feeding grown-ups while I have to have something sucking on me most of the day, when I'm not up to my elbows in shit and sick."

[notanoptimist]

"And you always seem so disappointed about it. Really heartbreaking, watching you cuddle and baby-talk at them while you clean up shit and sick."

He may be smirking. It's possible.

[grabber_fray]

"And you seem so put out that you have to get us food and eat with us," Mel responds. "Maybe I should let you go have some you-time."