RP Log with scrubbedup | Out of the Loop
As Matt rode his bike in the opposite direction to his home as he left work, he found himself wishing he could erase the whole month that had just passed and it do it over. In general, the only time he really got angry was when his sisters were threatened; he normally wasn't an angry person. In fact, he was usually one of those placid easy-going type of guys, except when he had a reason not to be. To start, he figured his anger was more than necessary when George told him that she had revealed to Patrick - their boss - that they had been having an affair. The only reason Matt even started anything with her in the first place was because she agreed to keep it secret. She had known he had been worried about his job in the face of it, and she had promised him. No one liked being betrayed, and no matter how many people thought he should have a girlfriend and settle down, he didn't think he was ready, and definitely not with someone who he couldn't trust. He had mostly dealt with all that by being an ostrich and burying his head in the sand. He had falling ill with that stomach flu going around the place, going underground and wallowing in his own misery alone until he started to feel better. That, in itself, was unusual for him. He had always been close to his family. It was really strange that this time he didn't go to any of them when he was ill. In fact, it even had Woody accusing him of having an upset stomach because of what happened with George. Matt just hadn't even wanted to talk about it by that point. He was pissed off and not feeling well, it really wasn't a good mix.
Which is why the last thing he needed to hear was that one of his twin sisters had gotten herself pregnant. It could never have been something Matt would have anticipated from either of them. He always thought they had their heads screwed on well, always seemed to not need him because they were smart. But it wasn't like he could ever shake being a big brother. Being one of those to two girls just made him double protective. He could literally have the potential of putting a guy in hospital if they ever hurt either of his sisters, which had actually happened once when he was still in high school and Mel and Randy were starting to discover boys. By now, Matt wasn't sure if he was angry, hurt, or just plain upset. He knew there was some hurt there. He had always tried to make sure they were protected and had what they needed to protect themselves. He very rarely trusted guys with them, but that was just human nature. It was always going to take some extremely special male endangered species for him to relent they were good enough for his sisters. Even now, after a good few months, Matt still wasn't sure he trusted Randy's boyfriend, even if they guy seemed nice enough. He settled on some pointed death threats, which he actually meant, and made the guy promise he would protect Randy with his life. He had vague recollections of the conversation, but he had been drunk at the time and couldn't remember just how much he had interrogated Peter in the lead up to the final threats.
Now there was Mel. Pregnant, to a guy Matt hadn't even met and had only clapped eyes on across the room at a bar where the bloke was working. This was where even more of the hurt kicked in. Matt knew he had a lot going on in the last few weeks, especially when he fell sick, but here was one of his sisters declaring to him that she was deeply and passionately in love with a guy she wanted to marry and have kids with, and how serious things had gotten between them... and Matt hadn't even met him. That's where it hurt. Matt wasn't stupid enough to know that. It really cut deep and getting angry was the only way to even begin to deal with the shock of hearing she was pregnant on top of all that. Three weeks into a potential relationship, and she was pregnant. Matt was disappointed, and he couldn't help feeling like that. He really wanted to be furious at the guy, even hurt him, but he knew that would be irrational without feeling the same towards Mel. To lay blame just at the guy's feet would be hypocritical, especially if it was an accident. Accidents happened, but as much as Matt wished it wasn't so, it sounded like Mel missing a pill was where it all started, and he didn't even have the capacity to wonder why they weren't using condoms so soon into their relationship. But it was a personal choice and none of Matt's business.
He just hated the discontent sick feeling in his stomach that found it's way there since he spoke to Woody online. He knew he couldn't just leave things hanging abruptly with Mel, or he really would start to seriously hate the boyfriend before anything else eventuated. He would need someone to blame, and blood was thicker than water. So, a text to Randy got the guy's address, and as Matt rode through the streets of this part of town, Matt couldn't help but be surprised at the address. It was a really nice house, small and modest, but obviously the guy was savvy with his cash. Matt took his helmet off after parking the bike in the shrub-lined drive, shaking his head as he pushed his fingers through his hair. He sighed, exhausted before any conversation even started. He knew they were both ill, but he wasn't here to speak to the guy, or even meet him. In fact, he didn't care right then if he saw the bloke or not. He just had to talk to Mel, and he went up to the front door, ringing the bell and started to peel his leather riding gloves off while he waited, his breath condensing in the chilled winter evening air.
Mel had been curled up on the sofa, unable to stay upstairs in the bed when her stomach was cramping badly. Nathan was finally having a streak where he hadn't been throwing up, so she'd left him passed out on the bed upstairs. The bell sounded, and just like when Randy had dropped in on her, she froze in place while she worked out if Nathan would stir. She had found an old jacket of Nathan's that she could wrap up in, also stealing a pair of his sweatpants that she had rolled up to just under her knees. She hadn't been home since finding out about the pregnancy, and since finding out she was ill - not wanting to get Randy, or Peter sick. Her sister could have dropped some clothes off, but Mel had declined the offer.
Right now the right thing to do seemed to be walling up with her boyfriend. When she couldn't hear any groans coming from the bedroom, Mel dragged herself off the sofa to get the door before the person rung the doorbell again. She cracked open the door to see who it was, squinting in the darkness as her addled brain took a little while to realise who it was. "Matty?" She pulled the rest of the door open to let him in, but didn't even let him get inside before she had her arms wrapped tightly around him. "Matty..."
Matt only had one free arm, his helmet under the other one. He hugged her as best he could and at first, really didn't know what to say. Instead, he just stayed quiet in the embrace, trying to collect his thoughts, until he pulled back a little and leant to set his helmet down on the closest flat surface, which was a modern chair near the door. "I thought I should come over to see that you were okay," he said quietly. It really was most of the purpose he was here. He had plans with Woody to get drunk, but he had sent his friend a text and told him he might be a bit later. He figured he would still need booze after this, and found himself praying her boyfriend... whatever he was... wasn't home.
"I'm dying," Mel moaned. "And still pregnant. I'm so sorry, Matty. I never meant to let you down. I never meant to let anyone down. And now I've got this stupid bug, and my insides don't stay down, and I can't sleep, or do much of anything. I feel horrible." She bit her lip as she looked up at him, and gave him a small, sheepish smile. "You did ask... Are you okay? I don't want to make you sick again, but I'm glad you're here. I've really missed you, big brother. I'm not even sure why I haven't seen you."
Matt cleared his throat. "Shit happens," he murmured, trying to shake off how awkward he was feeling standing here like a dick in the bloke's place. "You gotta rest, drink lots of fluids. There's not a lot you can do about it but let it run it's course, unfortunately. There's a lot of it going around, our Infection Control team are earning their keep this month. If it gets too bad and you can't drink, you should go to the ER. Especially, uh... in your condition." He shoved his gloves into the pocket of his leather jacket and loosened his scarf a little. "You'll feel better soon."
Mel took her brother's hand when she sensed his awkwardness, and pulled him in properly so she was out of the cold, and so was she. She dragged him to the sofa, and pushed him back onto it before curling up against him with her head on his shoulder like she used to. There had been one time her and Randy had been ill together, and Randy's head had rest on Matt's other shoulder while their big brother looked after them. "I can drink. See?" she said as she pointed to all the cups and glasses. "It's food that's a no go. Nothing stays down."
Matt looked over the cups and nodded. "You don't have to eat, drinking is the most importart thing." He was starkly aware then that he was in the guy's living room, and the guy wasn't here. For Matt, it felt really strange to think his sisters might not need him anymore. It hadn't been something he contemplated much, when he probably should have. Of course they wouldn't need him if they ever dated or got married. He was used to being their protector, and suddenly he just wasn't anymore. He wasn't sure how he was supposed to feel about that. "Has he been looking after you?" He didn't mean it to come out sounding so abrupt. He was going to have to work on chilling about this. If the guy had said he was sticking it out for the kid, he wasn't going anywhere fast.
Mel's grip tightened on her brother's arm and after a long moment she lifted her head to look at him. She wasn't used to hearing him be abrupt. She wasn't used to things being this strained between them, either. And she knew it wasn't just the pregnancy. Something had shifted, and she didn't know what, or when. Just that she had realised all of a sudden that things were different. And she hated it. "Matty..." she said eventually, then just gave a nod. "Yeah, he has. He holds my hair back, and makes sure I drink when when he's feeling shit. He's been... Nate's really special."
"It's lucky he is, or I really would have killed him," Matt mumbled, looking around at the photos on the wall. There was an array of different sorts of photos, lots of different people, but there were two young blond boys in a few of them. "Has he already got other kids?" he asked, and it came out in a squeak of surprise, pointing slightly accusingly at the picture frames.
"Hm?" Mel frowned at first before she looked over at where he was pointing. "No, no. Definitely not. That's him and his brother. Twin brother... Um, Caleb died. Leukaemia. He was just a kid. Well, they both were clearly. Nate gets the twin thing for pretty good reasons. Plus he's just always got this permanent hole in him. Like a part of him's missing, and he's never going to get it back."
A small frown appeared on Matt's face as he absorbed the info. The first real info he had on the guy. "I'm sorry to hear that," he said quietly. He just wanted a reason to hate the guy because it would make all this so much easier. It hadn't been like this with Randy's bloke. He just wanted to make sure the guy knew his place, which would be his face smashed into the nearest wall if he hurt Randy. This was a whole different realm. The guy had gotten Mel pregnant, and Matt was really angry about that, it just wasn't as easy as screaming at people and kicking something, even if he did a good job of the former with Woody. That was just them, though. They always vented their frustrations to each other, and if the frustrations were with each other, they might push each other around a bit and then go off for a beer. They had known each other forever, and it was just how it rolled. Matt knew he was lucky to have a best friend, even if Woody was copping it left and right at the moment from Matt's corner. "Where is he? Has he left you on your own?"
Mel shook her head as she pointed up at the ceiling. "He's asleep. He finally stopped needing to throw up for a little while, so he's crashed out. It's been hard with both of us fighting for time in the bathroom. It's also why I came down here. I figured he just needed rest, and it just wasn't happening for me." Mel bit her lip as she felt her stomach roil with warning, and glanced at her brother. "Are we okay?"
Matt glanced at her, going to answer but looked at her closely. "You okay? Are you gonna be sick?" he asked her, resting a hand on her back, rubbing it softly. He sighed and bit down on his lips, unable to stop a small frown appearing on his face. "It's just a bit of a shock to the system realising you and Ran don't need me anymore," he told her quietly. "It's gonna take a bit of getting used to."
"We'll always need you," Mel said before her face twisted, and she worked out if she had enough time to get back up the stairs to the bathroom, or if it was just better to head for the kitchen sink. She would disinfect it all over again after the wave of sickness was over. She shook her head suddenly and held up a hand. "M'sorry, be right back," she told her brother before she was bolting for the kitchen. This stomach flu really was going to kill her if the shock of being pregnant wasn't.
Matt pushed up out of the squishy comfy chair, trying not to analyse the fact the guy didn't even have shitty boring Ikea furniture, and followed her, trying to figure out what direction she went in. The house wasn't massive, but it was definitely nice. Simple, looked like a guy lived here. He paused for just a moment to look over the photos on the wall of the hall, the two young blond kids. Surreal he was an identical twin just like Mel was. It didn't make the dude's sperm any less fertile though, did it? He didn't need his brother to operate that part of him. He found the kitchen where Mel was, coming up behind her and softly massaging her neck. "Take some deep breaths in through your nose, Melli." He turned the tap on, glancing around the kitchen as he tried to decide what was in the cupboards that might help her. He spotted some kitchen paper on a roll near the microwave and peeled some off, wetting it and holding it against her forehead.
Mel gave a nod after she finished throwing up, her fingers curled tightly around the edge of the sink. It was insane how normal this scenario was becoming, only instead of Nathan, it was her brother with her this time. Her shoulders sagged in relief, knowing she was safe with Matt. She started to take the deep breaths, but stopped when she felt another surge of nausea. She leaned over the sink in preparation, but it managed to ease. "I want you to meet him."
"Right now?" Matt found himself coming back with uncertainty. "I thought you said he was asleep. I've had this thing. You should just... let him be. It sucks. Rest is the best thing." He wasn't sure he even knew what he was supposed to say to the guy anymore. Randy's guy, Peter, it had been easy because there had been no little added complications of the word love being thrown around or buns in any ovens in any vicinity of the conversation. A burst of anger pushed up in him again, but he managed to stamp it down with a small inhalation through his nose. Anger still seemed to be what wanted to battle out over everything else he was feeling.
"No. Later. Just really want to make sure you will meet him. And just not kill him straight away. Please." Mel pushed away from the sink to wrap her arms around her brother's waist, and hugged him. "I know it's bad, Matty. I know the timing is... Three weeks isn't much, I know. But I can't explain it. I just know that I really, really care about Nathan, and it's the first way I felt like this, and I've never felt it before. And it's the L word. That I won't mention. I never meant for it to happen before you met him. Or for me to get pregnant."
That was what cut deeply most of all, Matt realised as she said the words. Like his sister's world had apparently come a full turn and he hadn't been involved in it at all. He didn't think he had his head up his ass that much. In fact, he knew he hadn't. He had never been unavailable to them. The only time he had been struggling with any sort of conversation was the day they came around and he was feeling like he spent the day licking a bathroom floor. Like she was now, he had been struggling with his stomach and just wanted to curl up in bed to sleep it off. Any other time, he had been there and they had his phone number, knew where he worked. He was bewildered how any of this had passed without him, and it was niggling away somewhere inside him. "I'm sure it'll all work out fine, whatever happens. Mom and Dad will be fine with it, they can get off my bloody back about grandchildren now. The bloke sounds like he's going to stick around and do the right thing. It's all good."
"No it's not," Mel responded as she looked up at him. "How can it be alright when we're not? Can you stay? Just for a little while? Just... sit with me. Please, Matty. I do need you." She knew Nathan was upstairs, but he'd understand that she needed her big brother as well as him. Just like she needed Randy. Mel always found her strength from her siblings, and her boyfriend did seem to understand. Just like they were starting to find a way to draw strength from each other.
Matt sighed and rubbed at his forehead with the tips of his fingers as if he had a headache. "There's no instruction manual on how to deal with anything like this, Mel. All I know is that somewhere in the recent past, you and Randy have stopped coming to me and talking to me. About much of anything. And I'm really just not sure what I'm supposed to think about that except I'm trying to wrap my head around the fact that you're suddenly apparently in love with the best guy you've ever met and you're pregnant. I knew you had a date. That's all I knew."
Mel bit her lip. "That's because that's all there was. We've only had the one date. There's just been some... sleepovers. And the sleepy sex. And I'm sorry! I didn't even realise we were doing that. I never meant to. And I got an interview at the florists are your hospital, so if I get a job, then we'll see each other more. Only Nathan's kinda right about the job and the baby... I don't know what I'm supposed to do, Matty. I don't know how I'm supposed to figure this out. I'm scared."
Matt looked at her and a frown appeared on his face. "An interview? Well, that's nice to hear. Eventually." He couldn't help being hurt. No matter what angle he looked at it from, it just hurt. "Sounds like you're going to have to make a lot of sacrifices. Suddenly birth control doesn't seem so random, does it? It's your job, or it's his job, or you start buttering Mom and Dad up to take care of your kid in the day. That's before even considering what it will be like to juggle a newborn crying at all times of the night and needing to be fed. I don't know how to reassure you, Mel. I really don't. I'm at a complete loss here. I know some people don't believe in abortions, but sometimes people just aren't ready to be parents. You need to decide how you're going to pull it off if you have a kid. Now. Not when it's born. And that's not something I can do for you. This is not like the time those kids were picking on you in school and I got them back. It's not like when your car broke down coming back from New York and I came to fix it for you. This is you and him... and the kid."
Mel gave a small, tiny nod as she went back to burying her face against her brothers chest. Her stomach was starting to clench for a reason other than stomach flu, and she didn't want to face it. She just wanted to hide in her big brother's arms and pretend things hadn't gotten so out of hand for a brief moment. She wasn't sure she could bring herself to actually regret anything that had passed between her and Nathan, but she did regret that somehow Matt had been excluded from it all. "I love you, Matty," she said in a small voice.
Matt wrapped his arms around his sister and kissed her head, even if he couldn't hold back another sigh. He knew then what was wrong, and why it hurt so fucking much. For the first time in his life, he couldn't come to her rescue. He couldn't make it better, and it sucked. "I love you, too," he mumbled.
Which is why the last thing he needed to hear was that one of his twin sisters had gotten herself pregnant. It could never have been something Matt would have anticipated from either of them. He always thought they had their heads screwed on well, always seemed to not need him because they were smart. But it wasn't like he could ever shake being a big brother. Being one of those to two girls just made him double protective. He could literally have the potential of putting a guy in hospital if they ever hurt either of his sisters, which had actually happened once when he was still in high school and Mel and Randy were starting to discover boys. By now, Matt wasn't sure if he was angry, hurt, or just plain upset. He knew there was some hurt there. He had always tried to make sure they were protected and had what they needed to protect themselves. He very rarely trusted guys with them, but that was just human nature. It was always going to take some extremely special male endangered species for him to relent they were good enough for his sisters. Even now, after a good few months, Matt still wasn't sure he trusted Randy's boyfriend, even if they guy seemed nice enough. He settled on some pointed death threats, which he actually meant, and made the guy promise he would protect Randy with his life. He had vague recollections of the conversation, but he had been drunk at the time and couldn't remember just how much he had interrogated Peter in the lead up to the final threats.
Now there was Mel. Pregnant, to a guy Matt hadn't even met and had only clapped eyes on across the room at a bar where the bloke was working. This was where even more of the hurt kicked in. Matt knew he had a lot going on in the last few weeks, especially when he fell sick, but here was one of his sisters declaring to him that she was deeply and passionately in love with a guy she wanted to marry and have kids with, and how serious things had gotten between them... and Matt hadn't even met him. That's where it hurt. Matt wasn't stupid enough to know that. It really cut deep and getting angry was the only way to even begin to deal with the shock of hearing she was pregnant on top of all that. Three weeks into a potential relationship, and she was pregnant. Matt was disappointed, and he couldn't help feeling like that. He really wanted to be furious at the guy, even hurt him, but he knew that would be irrational without feeling the same towards Mel. To lay blame just at the guy's feet would be hypocritical, especially if it was an accident. Accidents happened, but as much as Matt wished it wasn't so, it sounded like Mel missing a pill was where it all started, and he didn't even have the capacity to wonder why they weren't using condoms so soon into their relationship. But it was a personal choice and none of Matt's business.
He just hated the discontent sick feeling in his stomach that found it's way there since he spoke to Woody online. He knew he couldn't just leave things hanging abruptly with Mel, or he really would start to seriously hate the boyfriend before anything else eventuated. He would need someone to blame, and blood was thicker than water. So, a text to Randy got the guy's address, and as Matt rode through the streets of this part of town, Matt couldn't help but be surprised at the address. It was a really nice house, small and modest, but obviously the guy was savvy with his cash. Matt took his helmet off after parking the bike in the shrub-lined drive, shaking his head as he pushed his fingers through his hair. He sighed, exhausted before any conversation even started. He knew they were both ill, but he wasn't here to speak to the guy, or even meet him. In fact, he didn't care right then if he saw the bloke or not. He just had to talk to Mel, and he went up to the front door, ringing the bell and started to peel his leather riding gloves off while he waited, his breath condensing in the chilled winter evening air.
Mel had been curled up on the sofa, unable to stay upstairs in the bed when her stomach was cramping badly. Nathan was finally having a streak where he hadn't been throwing up, so she'd left him passed out on the bed upstairs. The bell sounded, and just like when Randy had dropped in on her, she froze in place while she worked out if Nathan would stir. She had found an old jacket of Nathan's that she could wrap up in, also stealing a pair of his sweatpants that she had rolled up to just under her knees. She hadn't been home since finding out about the pregnancy, and since finding out she was ill - not wanting to get Randy, or Peter sick. Her sister could have dropped some clothes off, but Mel had declined the offer.
Right now the right thing to do seemed to be walling up with her boyfriend. When she couldn't hear any groans coming from the bedroom, Mel dragged herself off the sofa to get the door before the person rung the doorbell again. She cracked open the door to see who it was, squinting in the darkness as her addled brain took a little while to realise who it was. "Matty?" She pulled the rest of the door open to let him in, but didn't even let him get inside before she had her arms wrapped tightly around him. "Matty..."
Matt only had one free arm, his helmet under the other one. He hugged her as best he could and at first, really didn't know what to say. Instead, he just stayed quiet in the embrace, trying to collect his thoughts, until he pulled back a little and leant to set his helmet down on the closest flat surface, which was a modern chair near the door. "I thought I should come over to see that you were okay," he said quietly. It really was most of the purpose he was here. He had plans with Woody to get drunk, but he had sent his friend a text and told him he might be a bit later. He figured he would still need booze after this, and found himself praying her boyfriend... whatever he was... wasn't home.
"I'm dying," Mel moaned. "And still pregnant. I'm so sorry, Matty. I never meant to let you down. I never meant to let anyone down. And now I've got this stupid bug, and my insides don't stay down, and I can't sleep, or do much of anything. I feel horrible." She bit her lip as she looked up at him, and gave him a small, sheepish smile. "You did ask... Are you okay? I don't want to make you sick again, but I'm glad you're here. I've really missed you, big brother. I'm not even sure why I haven't seen you."
Matt cleared his throat. "Shit happens," he murmured, trying to shake off how awkward he was feeling standing here like a dick in the bloke's place. "You gotta rest, drink lots of fluids. There's not a lot you can do about it but let it run it's course, unfortunately. There's a lot of it going around, our Infection Control team are earning their keep this month. If it gets too bad and you can't drink, you should go to the ER. Especially, uh... in your condition." He shoved his gloves into the pocket of his leather jacket and loosened his scarf a little. "You'll feel better soon."
Mel took her brother's hand when she sensed his awkwardness, and pulled him in properly so she was out of the cold, and so was she. She dragged him to the sofa, and pushed him back onto it before curling up against him with her head on his shoulder like she used to. There had been one time her and Randy had been ill together, and Randy's head had rest on Matt's other shoulder while their big brother looked after them. "I can drink. See?" she said as she pointed to all the cups and glasses. "It's food that's a no go. Nothing stays down."
Matt looked over the cups and nodded. "You don't have to eat, drinking is the most importart thing." He was starkly aware then that he was in the guy's living room, and the guy wasn't here. For Matt, it felt really strange to think his sisters might not need him anymore. It hadn't been something he contemplated much, when he probably should have. Of course they wouldn't need him if they ever dated or got married. He was used to being their protector, and suddenly he just wasn't anymore. He wasn't sure how he was supposed to feel about that. "Has he been looking after you?" He didn't mean it to come out sounding so abrupt. He was going to have to work on chilling about this. If the guy had said he was sticking it out for the kid, he wasn't going anywhere fast.
Mel's grip tightened on her brother's arm and after a long moment she lifted her head to look at him. She wasn't used to hearing him be abrupt. She wasn't used to things being this strained between them, either. And she knew it wasn't just the pregnancy. Something had shifted, and she didn't know what, or when. Just that she had realised all of a sudden that things were different. And she hated it. "Matty..." she said eventually, then just gave a nod. "Yeah, he has. He holds my hair back, and makes sure I drink when when he's feeling shit. He's been... Nate's really special."
"It's lucky he is, or I really would have killed him," Matt mumbled, looking around at the photos on the wall. There was an array of different sorts of photos, lots of different people, but there were two young blond boys in a few of them. "Has he already got other kids?" he asked, and it came out in a squeak of surprise, pointing slightly accusingly at the picture frames.
"Hm?" Mel frowned at first before she looked over at where he was pointing. "No, no. Definitely not. That's him and his brother. Twin brother... Um, Caleb died. Leukaemia. He was just a kid. Well, they both were clearly. Nate gets the twin thing for pretty good reasons. Plus he's just always got this permanent hole in him. Like a part of him's missing, and he's never going to get it back."
A small frown appeared on Matt's face as he absorbed the info. The first real info he had on the guy. "I'm sorry to hear that," he said quietly. He just wanted a reason to hate the guy because it would make all this so much easier. It hadn't been like this with Randy's bloke. He just wanted to make sure the guy knew his place, which would be his face smashed into the nearest wall if he hurt Randy. This was a whole different realm. The guy had gotten Mel pregnant, and Matt was really angry about that, it just wasn't as easy as screaming at people and kicking something, even if he did a good job of the former with Woody. That was just them, though. They always vented their frustrations to each other, and if the frustrations were with each other, they might push each other around a bit and then go off for a beer. They had known each other forever, and it was just how it rolled. Matt knew he was lucky to have a best friend, even if Woody was copping it left and right at the moment from Matt's corner. "Where is he? Has he left you on your own?"
Mel shook her head as she pointed up at the ceiling. "He's asleep. He finally stopped needing to throw up for a little while, so he's crashed out. It's been hard with both of us fighting for time in the bathroom. It's also why I came down here. I figured he just needed rest, and it just wasn't happening for me." Mel bit her lip as she felt her stomach roil with warning, and glanced at her brother. "Are we okay?"
Matt glanced at her, going to answer but looked at her closely. "You okay? Are you gonna be sick?" he asked her, resting a hand on her back, rubbing it softly. He sighed and bit down on his lips, unable to stop a small frown appearing on his face. "It's just a bit of a shock to the system realising you and Ran don't need me anymore," he told her quietly. "It's gonna take a bit of getting used to."
"We'll always need you," Mel said before her face twisted, and she worked out if she had enough time to get back up the stairs to the bathroom, or if it was just better to head for the kitchen sink. She would disinfect it all over again after the wave of sickness was over. She shook her head suddenly and held up a hand. "M'sorry, be right back," she told her brother before she was bolting for the kitchen. This stomach flu really was going to kill her if the shock of being pregnant wasn't.
Matt pushed up out of the squishy comfy chair, trying not to analyse the fact the guy didn't even have shitty boring Ikea furniture, and followed her, trying to figure out what direction she went in. The house wasn't massive, but it was definitely nice. Simple, looked like a guy lived here. He paused for just a moment to look over the photos on the wall of the hall, the two young blond kids. Surreal he was an identical twin just like Mel was. It didn't make the dude's sperm any less fertile though, did it? He didn't need his brother to operate that part of him. He found the kitchen where Mel was, coming up behind her and softly massaging her neck. "Take some deep breaths in through your nose, Melli." He turned the tap on, glancing around the kitchen as he tried to decide what was in the cupboards that might help her. He spotted some kitchen paper on a roll near the microwave and peeled some off, wetting it and holding it against her forehead.
Mel gave a nod after she finished throwing up, her fingers curled tightly around the edge of the sink. It was insane how normal this scenario was becoming, only instead of Nathan, it was her brother with her this time. Her shoulders sagged in relief, knowing she was safe with Matt. She started to take the deep breaths, but stopped when she felt another surge of nausea. She leaned over the sink in preparation, but it managed to ease. "I want you to meet him."
"Right now?" Matt found himself coming back with uncertainty. "I thought you said he was asleep. I've had this thing. You should just... let him be. It sucks. Rest is the best thing." He wasn't sure he even knew what he was supposed to say to the guy anymore. Randy's guy, Peter, it had been easy because there had been no little added complications of the word love being thrown around or buns in any ovens in any vicinity of the conversation. A burst of anger pushed up in him again, but he managed to stamp it down with a small inhalation through his nose. Anger still seemed to be what wanted to battle out over everything else he was feeling.
"No. Later. Just really want to make sure you will meet him. And just not kill him straight away. Please." Mel pushed away from the sink to wrap her arms around her brother's waist, and hugged him. "I know it's bad, Matty. I know the timing is... Three weeks isn't much, I know. But I can't explain it. I just know that I really, really care about Nathan, and it's the first way I felt like this, and I've never felt it before. And it's the L word. That I won't mention. I never meant for it to happen before you met him. Or for me to get pregnant."
That was what cut deeply most of all, Matt realised as she said the words. Like his sister's world had apparently come a full turn and he hadn't been involved in it at all. He didn't think he had his head up his ass that much. In fact, he knew he hadn't. He had never been unavailable to them. The only time he had been struggling with any sort of conversation was the day they came around and he was feeling like he spent the day licking a bathroom floor. Like she was now, he had been struggling with his stomach and just wanted to curl up in bed to sleep it off. Any other time, he had been there and they had his phone number, knew where he worked. He was bewildered how any of this had passed without him, and it was niggling away somewhere inside him. "I'm sure it'll all work out fine, whatever happens. Mom and Dad will be fine with it, they can get off my bloody back about grandchildren now. The bloke sounds like he's going to stick around and do the right thing. It's all good."
"No it's not," Mel responded as she looked up at him. "How can it be alright when we're not? Can you stay? Just for a little while? Just... sit with me. Please, Matty. I do need you." She knew Nathan was upstairs, but he'd understand that she needed her big brother as well as him. Just like she needed Randy. Mel always found her strength from her siblings, and her boyfriend did seem to understand. Just like they were starting to find a way to draw strength from each other.
Matt sighed and rubbed at his forehead with the tips of his fingers as if he had a headache. "There's no instruction manual on how to deal with anything like this, Mel. All I know is that somewhere in the recent past, you and Randy have stopped coming to me and talking to me. About much of anything. And I'm really just not sure what I'm supposed to think about that except I'm trying to wrap my head around the fact that you're suddenly apparently in love with the best guy you've ever met and you're pregnant. I knew you had a date. That's all I knew."
Mel bit her lip. "That's because that's all there was. We've only had the one date. There's just been some... sleepovers. And the sleepy sex. And I'm sorry! I didn't even realise we were doing that. I never meant to. And I got an interview at the florists are your hospital, so if I get a job, then we'll see each other more. Only Nathan's kinda right about the job and the baby... I don't know what I'm supposed to do, Matty. I don't know how I'm supposed to figure this out. I'm scared."
Matt looked at her and a frown appeared on his face. "An interview? Well, that's nice to hear. Eventually." He couldn't help being hurt. No matter what angle he looked at it from, it just hurt. "Sounds like you're going to have to make a lot of sacrifices. Suddenly birth control doesn't seem so random, does it? It's your job, or it's his job, or you start buttering Mom and Dad up to take care of your kid in the day. That's before even considering what it will be like to juggle a newborn crying at all times of the night and needing to be fed. I don't know how to reassure you, Mel. I really don't. I'm at a complete loss here. I know some people don't believe in abortions, but sometimes people just aren't ready to be parents. You need to decide how you're going to pull it off if you have a kid. Now. Not when it's born. And that's not something I can do for you. This is not like the time those kids were picking on you in school and I got them back. It's not like when your car broke down coming back from New York and I came to fix it for you. This is you and him... and the kid."
Mel gave a small, tiny nod as she went back to burying her face against her brothers chest. Her stomach was starting to clench for a reason other than stomach flu, and she didn't want to face it. She just wanted to hide in her big brother's arms and pretend things hadn't gotten so out of hand for a brief moment. She wasn't sure she could bring herself to actually regret anything that had passed between her and Nathan, but she did regret that somehow Matt had been excluded from it all. "I love you, Matty," she said in a small voice.
Matt wrapped his arms around his sister and kissed her head, even if he couldn't hold back another sigh. He knew then what was wrong, and why it hurt so fucking much. For the first time in his life, he couldn't come to her rescue. He couldn't make it better, and it sucked. "I love you, too," he mumbled.