"Charlie?" Roxy looked over at her husband. They had literally just arrived at the hotel for the night before setting off in the morning for their honeymoon. Charlie was sitting on the bed, making himself a nest out of the immense amount of pillows and cushions available. He looked up at his name, giving a smile that didn't reach his eyes. "Are you alright?"
"I'm a bird now. Are you alright? You've been very quiet since Dad's little training exercise." He paused, examining a round cushion. "Well, today's been a very topsy-turvy day, I don't know what to make of it. I hope Vi and Damian figure out that explosion. And get together. We've been trying to get them together for years."
"Yeah, I know. But you haven't answered my question."
"Neither have you."
"Mutants are the most confusing creatures to ever walk this earth."
"And there I was, thinking it was women. What's with that look?" Roxy narrowed her eyes and frowned. "No, not that look. I mean the... you want to ask me something but don't think you should look."
"Charlie, I was talking to your parents today and... well, they said you sometimes get memory blanks. Is that true?" Charlie scratched at his chin, deciding to put the round cushion to his left, smoothing the silk tentatively. "It's not something that happens often, is it?"
"Sometimes it can, mostly it doesn't." He shrugged, inspecting his plush creation. "I don't know why, really, it just crops up from time to time. Finn said-"
"Finn?"
"The Medi-Mutant?"
"Oh, right. What did he say?"
"He said it's probably because I keep hitting my head a lot. Knocked a few more things out of line and such." He hunched his shoulders, stuck his tongue out and went cross-eyed. "But anyway," he continued, switching to normal looks, "if it was important, I'd remember it, right?"
"Yeah. Right."
"You don't look convinced."
"It's just been a long day."
"You can say that again. Look! I even made room for you in the nest! Which reminds me, did Vi fix your dress up OK?"
"I don't know how a pillow nest reminds of you my dress, but yes, she did. It looks like new. She's taken it for now, said she would put it somewhere safe."
"Let's hope Damian knows where that is. Violet has a habit of putting things in 'safe' places, but never remembers where."
"So that's where you got it from." He smiled sweetly, shifting over and patting the spot next to him. Roxy, in an old T-shirt of his, hopped onto the bed, nearly drowning in the furs and linen. "Just because we're sitting in a nest does not mean we are birds."
"Oh, we're birds. Lovebirds. Ba dum t- ow! Ow, ow, ow! I won't do it, I'm sorry, please release the hair, it's very precious. Grew it myself." He added once she'd let go. Roxy rolled her eyes with a short exhale. Charlie beamed. "Do you ever wear your own pyjamas anymore?" He asked, plucking at the sleeve of her stolen attire. "I mean, yay! You're wearing my stuff! But, hey! You're wearing my stuff!" Roxy simply raised a brow at him. "Vi started the weirdness in the family. It's not my fault. Genetics."
"Uh-huh."
"I'm sorry about earlier." He said after a moment's silence. "Today was meant to be the best day of your life-"
"Our lives."
"Our lives." He corrected. "But it got ruined."
"By those... what do you call them? Hive?"
"Five. They have their own name for them, but no-one uses it except them."
"Is it that bad?"
"It's just corny. And they keep changing it. It gets cornier and cornier, so they're the Five. Yet... they did ruin things. They hate not being the centre of attention."
"Sounds like a stereotypical blonde teenage girl to me. Like, really stereotypical." Charlie nodded in agreement, eyes wide and dead serious. "I still don't get how you're all linked though."
"Through Vi."
"Now she's the centre of attention."
"The centre of trouble more like. OK, so we have Hunter or David as he was originally called. He's Vi's dad. You've got Danny or Asshole as we call him, Dad's biological dad. Horrible business between him and Vi, nasty nasty stuff." Roxy grimaced and shook her head slightly. "You've got Samsung. Caksung, he's Caksung. We just call him Samsung 'cos it annoys him. He's Danny's dad. How many is that? David, Asshole, Samsung... oh and Jane. She's Danny's girlfriend and Vi's cousin on her dad's side."
"That's four."
"So it is. The fifth one is literally just called Five. We never see him, never fight him. Or her, actually. We know next to nothing about them except the fact that they're the head honcho of the group. Like, David is the leader, but Five is the leader leader."
"Right. Is that Danny Ronnie's dad too?"
"Biologically. That is all. Damian was the one there to help raise them. Danny just kept trying to kidnap them and turn them over to Darkness."
"But Alfie-"
"Is the host, yes. He fights for Light though."
"How?"
"I don't know. He gets a lot of aggro for it though."
"From?"
"Dracomav."
"Who is...?"
"Darkness. That's his name. Dracomav. Mutacolian for Darkness."
"Muta-what now?"
"Colian. Mu-ta-co-li-an. Old Mutant language, used for spells and stuff. And I know a few good swear words in it too, but every mutant does." He grinned slyly. "Dad knows some really good ones, absolutely vicious. I won't tell you though, they'll make your ears bleed. Metaphorically. Or meta-actually. Depends if Dad is the one saying them or not."
"You've lost me."
"It's a lot to take in." He elbowed her playfully. "You've the rest of your life to get it though! Yay! That was not a sincere enthusiastic yay smile." Roxy pulled at the corners of her mouth and stuck her tongue out. Charlie mimicked and laughed. "And on that note- despite all the disasters of today, happy to be married?" Roxy looked at him, the smile on his face and the worry in those eyes.
"I suppose so."
"That's not helping."
"I know." She smiled. "Of course I am. Just... a little head's-up on the weirdness side of things, alright?"
"I can't make any promises, but I will try." Roxy's phone buzzed. "I thought we were supposed to turn those off?"
"I forgot. Hold on. Ugh, it's Christine."
"What did she say?"
"Christine related things." Roxy said, swivelling about and bowing her head so he wouldn't see her crimson face. Charlie tried reading over her shoulder; Roxy didn't let him: Hey Mrs Yachtman! Christine's text read. How's the wedding night going, wink wink, nudge nudge, DO IT, I WANT GRANDCHILDREN! Her phone buzzed again halfway through writing a reply. I MEANT NIECES AND NEPHEWS, I DON'T KNOW WHY I SAID GRANDCHILDREN, VERY BIG WINK WINK NUDGE NUDGE NUDGE!
GO AWAY, Roxy fired back, THAT WILL HAPPEN WHEN IT HAPPENS, STOP BEING SO CHRISTINE!
THAT IS THE ONLY WAY TO BE! I SHALL LEAVE YOU NOW, DON'T DISAPPOINT ME! I SHALL BE VERY UPSET IF THERE ISN'T ANY BABY NEWS THIS TIME NEXT MONTH, DO YOU UNDERSTAND ME?
UNFORTUNATELY, NOW LEAVE ME ALONE!
OOOOH, ALONE, EH?
CHRISTINE, I WILL MURDER YOU!
NAH, YOU LOVE ME TOO MUCH. NIGHT NIGHT, MY ICKLE HOBO!
YOU LOON, NAFF OFF.
Roxy switched her phone off, sighing in relief.
"So, what did Christine want?" Charlie questioned, rearranging his pillow wall.
"Oh, she's just being Christine, you know what she's like." He hummed, distracted by his creation. "She wants grandchildren." Roxy tested. Charlie raised his head slighty, brow furrowed in utter confusion. "Nieces and nephews." Roxy elaborated. "She's in a weird mood." He glanced at her over his shoulder, piecing together a response in his mind, a very careful and delicate response.
"Roxy... I know we talked about... children and... the whole half-mutant baby situation deal, but... well, if you're not, you know... ready, I can- saying that though, I'm absolutely terrified."
"I never thought I'd hear a guy say that." She moved closer, looping her arm around his shoulders. "Charlie Yachtman, have you gone shy?"
"Maybe..."
"Ah, my lil' bubba boo!" Roxy cooed teasingly, throwing her other arm up and laughing. "Charlie, you do make me laugh."
"I was actually being serious that time, good lord Seltik." Roxy continued to giggle. "You're really not helping."
"I'm sorry. That tickled me. Oh god, I sound like Christine. Ugh." She shook her head, pushing her hair from her face. "OK, Charlie? I will be serious with you. I know that... that is expected and all, typical idea of a wedding night and all that and yes, that... I would like children. With you." She added at his searching look for confirmation. "Do you think I'd have married you if it wasn't you?"
"You only wanted to marry me for the children? Am I that much of an amazing partner? Your smarts and my charming good looks, is that it?"
"If that's what floats your goat, yeah."
"Sweet."
"Can I finish talking now?"
"Yeah, sorry. Sorry." Roxy sighed.
"It's a big step, I know, and it terrifies me too. I'll just be happy that I'm with you and I think that's all that matters." He blinked at her, a wide smile slowly spreading across his face. Roxy's face felt a million degrees hot, but she smiled too. "You big dork." She planted a quick kiss on his lips and then hid her burning face in his shoulder, hearing and feeling the rumble of laughter in his chest. He embraced her eagerly, a very Charlie hug, bubbly, warming, seclusive, as though it was them and only them, his attention all on her as though nothing else could ever pull them apart.
