A Day In The Life of Stephanie (Marcelo)

[pyroprincess]

Stephanie hadn't slept the last night, having spent the whole night finishing up both her papers for school and a policy draft for Shaw Industries, both of which had to be finished and sent off to the appropriate recipients by 8:30 am that morning. Stifling a yawn (it'd been three solid days without sleep and she was starting to feel tired), Stephanie went off to classes, picking up some fast food for breakfast along the way. Classes ran from 9:30 am to 4:30 pm, including one of the many surprise tests that she was fond of giving. The one half-hour stretch she had consisted of delicately balancing shoving the nearest food at hand into her face and engaging in a frantic phone call with Shaw Industries personnel about yet another crisis.

She was also very nearly caught texting in class. But intead of sexting her boyfriend like half of the other students, she was arranging for food deliveries to the shelter.

Immediately after class was finished, she had to rush over to Bistro Provencal to run a job interview for a sous chef there and shortly thereafter, to La Navarra to have a dinner meeting with city officials regarding her plans for expanding the facilities of the 8th street shelter. Soon after that, she was at Shaw Industries, filing paperwork and making sure that nothing else hideously corrupt or evil had in fact transpired that day. Tuesdays and Thursdays were better days for the Shaw Industries work- she only had morning classes on those days and could put more effort into her primary business holdings.

Shaw Industries work more or less done by 3 am, at which time she finally got home, having to find the list of 24-hour food delivery places because she was desperately underfed. By the time she'd eaten, she realized that she had to be up and about for another day in only four more hours and that there'd be no immediate respite until the next weekend.

Marcelo wasn't home- probably on patrol. And Sancho for his part seemed almost hesitant to come near her, as if frightened she was simply going to disappear again.

There was a desperately sad little meow from her furry baby.

That was when Stephanie broke and began sobbing into the substandard Thai food she'd ordered.

I can't do this anymore. I can't. I don't know how I'm going to do this.

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[vesper_verde]

He didn't know when cultists and demons became the norm instead of drug-running gangs, but he had a hunch it was in the last few months. His gear was holding up well to the mundanely physical, but he had some bruises than burned as they healed. His ribs had been protesting that all night. He needed to get in contact with one of the other Defenders about if there was some sort of cure outside of letting it heal on its own.

Lots of things had changed since he had taken down Shaw. Most particularly the state of his marriage. After the euphoric celebrations, things Stephanie had to do became more frequent than him getting time to even talk to her. His phone was full of texts for postponements and cancellations.

Vesper winged his way toward the penthouse. He needed to get some sleep before going into Veridian in the morning. Though he would likely sleep on the Murphy bed in the Vesper den like he had been for a couple months now. He had seen no point in sleeping in the bed he and his wife supposedly shared.

He swooped into the entrance into the lower floor. He wasn't listening around or as cautious as he should have been. He was just worn down. It was as he was peeling off his Vesper gear that the sounds around him filtered into his consciousness. He blinked and turned slightly.

That was...

He tossed the rest of his gear on the bench and grabbed a soft, black Henley. It would cover his bruises as much as his leggings already were. He pulled it over his head after pulling the door open. He cautiously padded barefoot down the hallway.

[pyroprincess]

Stephanie hadn't encountered any demons as of late, but with the New Mutants, they'd certainly fought their share of cultists. Unlike Marcelo, she didn't have much to physically show for it all- she wasn't Wolverine by a long shot, but if anything did manage to bruise her, they'd usually go away pretty quickly on their own. And things that would have killed her husband only pissed her off.

Her husband.

She propped her head up in her hands and tried to remember when the last time they'd spent any real amount of time together was- if she excluded a couple of quick couplings inspired more by physical need than any intimacy, she reasoned the last time they were together for any significant amount of time was two weeks ago.

I'm such a horrible wife, Stephanie realized glumly as a fresh sob worked its way through her and somehow her eyeballs coaxed out a little more fluid.

I have to be up in three hours. I can't. But I have to. Seized by a sudden, white-hot anger, her hand lashed out with blinding speed and a plate, glass and lousy delivery food clattered to the floor or splattered against the walls.

That brief show of anger just brought forward more tears, her shoulders heaving with each sob.

[vesper_verde]

That was definitely the sound of crying. Mostly likely from his wife. The thought made his stomach curl onto itself.

"Que-" And then there was a splatter against the wall next to him as he emerged from the hallway. He jumped slightly and looked at the Thai food splatter. Marcelo reached over and plucked a noodle from the wall. He popped it into his mouth. He made a face.

"You should take that restaurant off the list..."

[pyroprincess]

Stephanie wanted to shrivel up and disappear completely. The last thing she wanted was for Marcelo to see her like this- least of all to see that she'd just splattered a bunch of food over the wall like an overgrown baby having a tantrum.

It didn't help that her head felt like lead and she could barely even raise it in even the feeblest effort to look dignified.

She let out a last sob and just sat there for a moment silently, her mouth unable to form words, her muscles and bones all aching from exhaustion, shame and regret burning in her mind. Stephanie wanted more than anything to just run away somewhere he couldn't see her.

But she was simply too tired to run or make excuses and get defensive.

She just sat there, her head in her hands.

[vesper_verde]

Well, that attempt at a joke fell flat. He kept himself from sighing and carefully approached her. He wasn't sure if she even wanted him anymore. Rushing at her could prove disastrous for both of them.

"Querida," he said softly as he tried to gently gather her in his arms. His heart ached seeing her like this.

[pyroprincess]

Stephanie went stiff for a moment when he first touched her. She didn't want to be touched. She didn't deserve to be comforted. She deserved to stew in her misery until she had to force herself up and suffer through another hellish day. She'd been horrible, she'd neglected him, she wasn't strong enough or smart enough or driven enough.

But the human need overcame her desperate thoughts and her resistance collapsed and she went almost totally limp in his arms.

"I'm sorry." She managed to croak out as she cried into his chest. "It's just too much. I can't." She started sobbing again into him.

[vesper_verde]

"I know," he murmured as he stroked her hair. He was at a loss for any other way to comfort her. He could stand there, hold her, and just let her cry. As miserable as it made him feel, it would be the best for her.

Even if all it made happen was her going back into the crazy, busy life.

"I love you."

[pyroprincess]

"What am I going to do?" Stephanie murmured softly between sobs. Her mind was a soggy, exhausted lump and she knew it wasn't going to miraculously improve in the next few hours. It would probably just get worse.

She nestled a little deeper in his chest when he told her that he loved her. She didn't deserve his love, but she couldn't refuse it.

"I'm sorry. You deserve better."

[vesper_verde]

"You're going to take the day off. You'll hand me your phone, your computer, and anything else that might interrupt. Then you're going to bed and going to sleep." His voice was quiet but firm. He held her a little tighter.

"When you wake up, we'll decide what non-business, non-school, non-charity thing to do from there."

He placed a soft kiss on her temple. "I deserve you, and I have you."

[pyroprincess]

Stephanie might have protested more strongly under other conditions, but she literally didn't have the strength. She weakly indicated towards her bag where her phone was. The computer would be the desk in her private section of their suites.

Stephanie suddenly laughed, though it was a broken, pathetic little laugh.

"I shouldn't have thrown that. Shit as it was, I still- can you get the ice cream out of the freezer?" She needed some sort of calorie intake now, or there were going to be worse problems than simple exhaustion in the morning.

[vesper_verde]

Marcelo pulled away slightly. Only far enough so he could wipe away her tears.

"What's left of yours or one of the five flavors I bought earlier this week?" He placed a kiss on her forehead and finally pulled away to get a couple of spoons and at least one carton of whichever flavor she felt like.

[pyroprincess]

"The cinnamon caramel of mine and the peanut butter fudge." Yes, she was going to eat a full carton and a half and nobody could stop her. She'd basically hit rock bottom. If she wasn't going to bed, she'd probably be inclined to get hideously drunk as well.

Sancho finally seemed to get the nerve to hop up on the table and nuzzle his face into hers. She gratefully picked up the cat and hugged him.

"I'm sorry, baby. I know I haven't been home very much."

[vesper_verde]

Marcelo grabbed three cartons from the freezer and brought them over. Holding the frozen food against his bruises felt wonderful. He was tempted to go sleep in the freezer.

Instead, he set the cinnamon caramel and peanut butter fudge in front of Stephanie and placed a spoon between them. He settled into another chair and with the remaining carton of cherry almond for him.

"I'll order more from our favorite ice cream shop tomorrow." He wasn't going to deny her as much ice cream as she needed.

[pyroprincess]

Stephanie didn't stir until well after noon that day.

In that time, she received 55 emails and 105 text messages.

Not that she was aware of that, because all of her devices had been hidden. Which she wasn't immediately aware of because she'd just blinked awake and seen the time. She immediately sat up in blind panic before remembering that she was going to take the day off. That she had to take the day off- maybe more than that. Because it really was killing her, mentally and emotionally if not quite physically yet.

She looked over to see if Marcelo was next to her and, for that matter, Sancho.

[vesper_verde]

His arm flopping off his wife because she sat up in a blind panic woke him. He blearily cracked open an eye. He had been up at 7 AM to inform people that he and Stephanie would not be available today. He had crawled back into bed.

He wasn't aware where the cat was until he opened an eye... and got a full view of cat butt.

[pyroprincess]

Stephanie relaxed somewhat when she saw him and lay back down on her bed, fighting the urge to prepare in a blind panic for afternoon classes.

"I can't remember the last time I slept past noon." It probably would've been when she had been attacked by Vargas. With the anesthetics. But naturally? She had no recollection whatsoever.

Sancho swished his tail in Marcelo's face.

"I might have to take more than a day off." She couldn't believe she was saying that, but it was true. "... maybe tomorrow we could go do a thing outside. I don't ... think I'm really going to make it out today."

[vesper_verde]

Marcelo opened his mouth to say something. He got a cat tail swishing across his tongue.

"Pleh!" He gave Sancho a shove. Big cat met wimpy push.

"More than one day might do you good," he managed to get out before another tail swish.

[pyroprincess]

Stephanie rolled over to watch the spectacle with Sancho and Marcelo. She couldn't help but giggle faintly as Sancho swished his tail right into Marcelo's mouth.

"Today's Thursday." She rubbed her eyes a little bit. "If I take tomorrow off, then we're into the weekend. I can start making hard decisions and letting go of things on Monday."

It was something that she wasn't really relishing. But something that could be pushed aside a few days. She'd miss a class each of her courses, but under the circumstances, it simply made better practical sense to take some time off.

[vesper_verde]

Marcelo's brow knit at the next tail swish. Oh, these catty games.

"I'll take off as much time to be with you as you-pleh! need." He was going to bite that tail next time. He swore. Or he would learn to speak in smaller sentences. Or not snort cat tail hair.

He sneezed.

[pyroprincess]

"Sancho! Stop being mean to Daddy!" Stephanie said firmly, which caused Sancho to hop off the bed. She moved over closer to him. "We haven't had much time together in ... too long." Months? It had probably been at least a few months. Things had become a virtual blur.

"I want breakfast in bed." Stephanie murmured softly as she snuggled against Marcelo.

[vesper_verde]

He squinted after that darn cat. Sancho was lucky he was huge and adorable.

"Since... Valentine's Day?" That was the last time to his recollection. Though he had to admit, sometimes his recollection was a little spotty from all the late nights he put in. He put his arms around her when she moved closer.

"Well, that does make a small conundrum. You and your cuddliness are right here. Even if you are wearing yesterday's clothes. Breakfast is out in the kitchen, probably staying warm in an oven." Except the fruit. He didn't think the chef would put fruit by itself in the oven.

[pyroprincess]

"One of us needs to develop telekinetic powers." Stephanie replied softly. "Either that or I'm going to have to think of suitable ways of rewarding you for going out there and getting me that food." Her stomach growled slightly.

Sancho for his part was wandering off, no doubt in search of his own breakfast.

"... please?" Stephanie turned to him with wide eyes.

[vesper_verde]

He gave a soft chuckle and leaned forward to place a small kiss on the tip of her nose. "You don't have to reward me. I'll go get it."

He disentangled himself from his wife and crawled out of bed. He adjusted his pajama shirt and pants once he got his feet on the floor. He went out of the room to gather up hopefully a good breakfast Stephanie liked.

[pyroprincess]

"... since when did you start wearing clothes to bed?" Stephanie asked with some small amusement as Marcelo returned with one of her favorite breakfasts. Hot churros dusted with cinnamon sugar. Stroopwaffels. Hot chocolate that was about as thick as a drinkable thing could be. Fresh fruit.

"... today is starting to look up." Stephanie actually smiled at the sight of the food being brought in.

[vesper_verde]

He paused. Some bit of the truth might work for that question. "A couple months ago."

He'd always had pajamas, but with Stephanie, he had no real need to wear anything to bed. It would get in the way anyway. But recently, he had started wearing them to cover the punishment he put his body through. On the off-chance Stephanie would have come home and noticed the bumps and bruises.

He settled the oversized tray over Stephanie's lap. "I assume this all meets your approval."