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Alex knew they were hovering a little, but it was only because they were slightly overthinking things. Morgan looked up from where they sprawled on the couch, playing video games. “Sunday plans?” they asked, half their attention still clearly on the game.
“Sunday plans,” Alex confirmed. They hesitated, watched Morgan’s character creep across the screen and hide in a bush. “Do you want to come with? I know, you have plans, but I had to ask.”
Morgan paused their game and looked up at Alex consideringly. “Okay, I’m in. Five minutes?”
Alex blinked, surprised. They had figured Morgan liked their space on Sundays, that it was part of what made their roommate situation work for Morgan. “Cool, cool, that works. Do you need to be back by a certain time?”
Morgan shrugged. “Not really? I know you usually get back pretty late.”
~
“Alex dear, you brought a friend!” Their mom’s eyes lit up the moment they stepped through the portal.
“This is Morgan.” Morgan stumbled a little, having caught their foot on the edge of the portal, and Alex bit back a smile.
“I’ve heard so much about you! Thank you so much for taking in our Alex with their lair destroyed again.”
“Oh, yeah, it’s no problem.”
Alex’s mom laughed. “I know that’s not true, they’ve always been a handful.”
Morgan grinned back at her. “You’re not wrong, but they’re worth it.”
“So, tell us about yourself,” she urged Morgan, who settled onto the stool in the kitchen next to where she was setting out ingredients and preparing to cook. Alex left them to it, knowing their dad had to be around somewhere and would want to know they’d actually brought Morgan over too.
~
Alex got back to the kitchen to Morgan stirring intently. “She’s letting you help?” They looked at Mom. “I thought you said company doesn’t help with lunch.”
“Alex dear, I was trying to be nice because we both know it bothers you that the pancakes don’t turn out right when you make them.” She smiled at Morgan, placing a fond hand on their shoulder. “Besides, Morgan’s not really company.”
“Don’t worry, she taught me the trick.” Morgan smirked. “And yes, it will be weaponized against you.” Morgan threw back their head in a classic evil laugh.
While their dad started on the coffee, Alex got to work setting the table - butter dish, powdered sugar, brown sugar, syrup. Placemats under the sturdy plates that had somehow survived Alex adjusting to their powers, cloth napkins in a floral print that matched the placemats. The familiarity of it was comfortable, and if anything it only felt more familiar with Morgan’s presence. They glanced at where Morgan was leaning against the kitchen counter next to the griddle, gesturing broadly as they told the story of their latest heist and its many close calls. Mom was laughing so hard that Dad had taken over flipping the pancakes, and Alex couldn’t look away.
They continued setting the table on muscle memory, which worked until Alex managed to knock over a juice glass with their elbow and suddenly all eyes were on them.
“It didn’t break,” Alex reassured everyone. The glasses were a set, one for each standard suit in a deck of cards, and Alex was beyond relieved that this one, the diamond design, hadn’t broken. It had always been their favourite, and they carefully set it at Morgan’s place.
~
Alex insisted on doing the dishes, admittedly because this wasn’t a situation where anyone objected to their powers expediting the process. They refilled everyone’s glass while Dad rummaged through his desk for the good deck of cards, finally emerging with the deck held aloft.
He passed the deck to Alex, who started shuffling while Mom explained the family rules to Morgan.
“Don’t expect any of us to go easy on you just because you’re new,” Mom warned. “You can draw from the discard pile as far up as you want but you have to play the last card you draw on that turn, aces can be high or low, aces are fifteen points, two to nine are worth five points each, tens and face cards are worth ten each except the Queen of Spades is forty points-”
“I got it,” Morgan assured her. “Unlike someone at this table, I’m amazing at cards.”
“Unlike someone else at this table, I haven’t been nearly killed by Rex Roofer over a card game,” Alex countered, dealing out their hands and flipping the top card with a snap of their fingers to punctuate it.
“Save the trash talk for poker.” Dad quietly sorted his cards as always. Morgan sat up straighter, their eyes scanning everyone else at the table as though this were life or death and not a game with zero stakes apart from potentially bragging rights.
~
“You did very well,” Mom reassured Morgan. “Next time you’ll probably win.”
Dad leaned back and smiled with satisfaction. “Don’t lie to them, darling, they know it’s not true.” He met Morgan’s eyes. “You did well, but it’s hard to beat me. I do look forward to playing you again.”
Morgan shrugged. “I might just surprise you.” They riffled the deck, cascading the cards back together smoothly. “I’m not too tired to go again.”
“It’s just about supper time,” Mom pointed out. “And I could use some help peeling the potatoes, and husking the corn.”
“Next time,” Dad promised as Morgan handed the cards back.
Alex and Morgan were sent to the back stoop with the corn, Dad was relegated to peeling duty, and Mom handled entrée duty. The weather was nice, the sky just starting to pink with sunset.
“So your inability to lie comes from your mom?” Morgan teased, bumping their shoulder against Alex’s.
“I could lie if I wanted to.” Alex concentrated on removing a very stubborn strand of corn silk. “But yeah, neither of us can lie our way out of a paper bag.” Alex smiled, and suspected Morgan knew what they weren’t saying, that they’d never choose that power because they loved taking after their mom that way.
“Thankfully most heroes do not use giant paper bags in battle. Your one weakness.” Morgan chuckled softly. They both fell quiet, intent upon bringing back the most pristine corn on the cob.
~
“Do you want more?” Mom held up the mashed potatoes and Morgan shook their head.
“It’s not that I don’t want more,” they admitted, “so much as it’s that I am not capable of eating more. I must admit defeat. Tasty, tasty defeat.”
Within minutes, the leftovers had been put away and they all settled into the living room. Dad was reading the newspaper, Mom was doing a crossword puzzle, and somehow Morgan’s head had wound up in Alex’s lap as Morgan took a nap.
Alex was gamely attempting to knit, but their progress was less than satisfactory. They couldn’t bring themself to mind, not so long as Morgan was sleeping comfortably.
“Anything good?” they asked as Dad picked up the scissors from the end table and carefully set to work clipping something from the paper.
“The funnies were good,” he acknowledged. “Also this article here, I think it’s about Morgan. ‘Ms. Pac-Man machine stolen from arcade, unidentified suspect fled in an unmarked van. Authorities have no leads.’”
Alex nodded. “I am nowhere near their top score, and apparently I should be embarrassed.”
~
Alex startled when the tv flickered on.
“Sorry,” mom whispered. “You know I can’t miss the news.”
Dad’s paper was long since finished, clippings carefully added to his scrapbook. “If Morgan’s so wiped, it’s no trouble for you to stay the night. The guest room’s all made up.”
Alex tucked their knitting back into a pocket dimension. “No, they’ll want to go home.” They sighed, resigned to waking Morgan up.
A few minutes later a somewhat groggy Morgan hugged both of Alex’s parents, clinging with some confusion to the bowl of leftovers that Mom had tucked into their hands. “Thanks for having us.”
“Any time, Morgan dear.”
“But it’s family time,” they protested.
“Any. Time.” Alex’s mom hugged Morgan again, a little tighter this time. “I’m making goulash next week.”
“Maybe,” Morgan conceded. “If nothing comes up.”
“We’d love to see you then,” Alex’s dad said. “But if something comes up, we understand. Now you have a safe trip home.”
“It’s just a portal, Dad,” Alex pointed out. “One step and we’re right in Morgan’s living room.”
“And you’ll still text us to let us know you got home safe.”
“Of course.” Alex hugged their parents before carefully guiding Morgan through the portal.
It shimmered and snapped shut behind them as Morgan yawned loudly. “Thanks for bringing me today. It was- It was a good time.” They buried their face in Alex’s shoulder. “Don’t feel like you have to bring me though, I know time with your parents is special.”
“Someone doesn’t want to admit they’re going to lose at rummy again,” Alex teased. “Of course I want you to come with, as long as you want to come.”
“Okay.” Morgan shuffled slowly towards their bedroom, pausing in the doorway to give Alex a very sleepy smile. “I’m looking forward to it.”