Work Text:
Melissa sits on the uncomfortable wooden chair next to the bed. The lights are dim. In the bed, her best friend is asleep. And finally, after all of these years, safe.
Cavendish and Dakota's hideout is at least a bit bigger than her own. She isn't sure how Dakota managed to get this apartment- she assumes that it is something to do with that organisation he used to work for. The one that wanted him to kill Milo.
She clenches her free hand tightly, although the hand holding Milo's she keeps as gentle as if she is holding a beetle. How could anyone even think about hurting him? He looks so pale and thin; bruises and scars decorate his face, and she is certain that at least some of those aren't from innocent Murphy's Law accidents.
And that is ignoring the other, perhaps even worse part- when they found Milo, he was locked in a strange metal box that he was touching the sides and top of. The weapon, probably. It had something that looked like a gun attached, and a lot of machinery and controls and things that she didn't understand. They turned it off before it fired, but it had been buzzing and vibrating. When they opened the door, the interior was very hot.
Milo's lack of consciousness when she pulled him out confirms to her that it must have been a horrible experience. And how many times has he been through it, used for his condition? Her blood boils.
Her hand stays gentle while fire burns within her. Milo is still asleep, and she doesn't want to wake him with a shock. She has been here for a few hours now, ever since they got here. She won't leave him until he wakes up. She swears.
He breathes softly. She can't find anything seriously wrong with him- physically, anyway. Bruises and scrapes, but nothing serious. She has bandaged any cuts she can find anyway, desperate to give him relief any way she can. To not be helpless. She was worried about the affects of the weapon, but it hasn't left a single physically mark. Not a scar or even a light burn. Nothing.
"Melissa?" Zack speaks softly. She turns to see him lingering in the doorway. Someone has patched up his injuries from the fight. He patched her up earlier, in this room because she refused to leave. "You hungry?"
"Nah." She whispers. “I don’t feel like eating.”
He nods, understanding. “If you need to leave or sleep, I can sit with him for a while.” He says, while knowing full well what the answer will be. No. The answer will be no.
So he leaves, and Melissa is alone with Milo. He squirms a bit, screws up his face. Is he in pain, or having a nightmare? She moves her thumb in a circle on his hand, wishing that she could do something to fix everything. Comfort him, make everything better. Make the last few years disappear from his mind.
She can’t do that. All she can do is be here. So here she will be.
———
Milo stirs. She hears a pitiful groan, sees movement. He opens his eyes slightly, and confusion flashes onto his face. He doesn’t say anything, just looks around with confusion and pure fear.
“Hey, Milo.” She says quietly, and those fearful eyes turn to her. “It’s ok. You’re safe.”
“Wha…” He doesn’t understand, doesn’t know what is going on. “Nessa?”
“No, not Nessa.” She isn’t sure who that could be. “It’s Melissa. Remember me?”
His eyes land on her face. He studies her for a while, for ages, trying to understand. Realisation widens his eyes. “Melissa?”
“Yeah.” Pure relief floods through her. “We rescued you. You’re safe.”
“Safe?” Milo blinks. Then she feels a slight squeeze on her hand. “Are you… are we home?”
“Yeah. Yeah, we’re home. You’re safe now.” She doesn’t know what to say, has no idea how to help him. All she can do is be here. “It’s over.”
“Over…”
The sudden movement surprises her. But Milo is holding onto her, clinging on as if she is a lifeline. Shaky, weak arms hold on as tightly as they can. Melissa holds onto him, holds him gently in her arms and rubs his back. “It’s ok. You’re ok.”
“I never expected… I gave up…”
“And it’s alright. You’re safe.” And she makes another promise, yet another. She will keep Milo safe. He won’t ever go through something like this again. Milo is trembling in her arms. Shaking, with fear or with tears? Maybe both. Probably both. Her overalls are getting damp where his face is buried, where he is trying to hide from the world.
After a while, Milo goes limp and still. He falls asleep in her arms, and she keeps holding him even as her position gets uncomfortable because she has him back and doesn’t ever want to let go. She won’t ever let him go. If she just stays here and watches him, he will be safe from the world. From the people who want to hurt him.
When he wakes up, Milo sits back on the bed and looks up at the ceiling for a while. He is quiet, trying to grapple with everything. Then he speaks, voice shaking. “I’m sorry.”
“What?” Melissa brings her voice back to being gentle, she holds his hand gently and rubs it with her thumb. “What are you sorry for?”
“I destroyed the resistance. Hurt people, killed people… I’m sorry, I tried to stop it, I really did…” He pulls his hand away from hers, hides his face in his hands. Tears peek out from behind his hands.
“Hey! Hey, no. No.” Melissa tries to reassure him. She puts a hand on his shoulder and he flinches roughly. She pulls her hand back as if burned. “The resistance is ok. The resistance is fine. And nothing that they did is your fault, ok? You didn’t do it, they did.” What can she say?
She isn’t sure if Milo believes her. She doesn’t think that he does. But he reaches out for her hand again. She holds it and squeezes it gently. They sit in silence for a while. This time, she is the one to break the silence. “Are you hungry?”
Milo shakes his head.
“Will you at least drink water?” She asks. She doesn’t want to push him, but she really is worried about him, and she is pretty sure that he is dehydrated. He nods. She calls out. “Zack?”
Zack pokes his head round the door. Milo stares at him, for long enough to make anyone uncomfortable. Zack doesn’t say anything about it. “Hi Milo. I’m Zack.” He says softly. “You need something?”
“Water.” Melissa says. Zack nods and leaves again. “That’s my friend Zack.” She tells Milo. “He’s great. He’s a dork, but he’s very brave and competent.”
A little smile breaks Milo’s face. She is shocked by how happy that tiny smile makes her.
———
Milo drinks water and lies back in bed and glances up at her. “Everything hurts.” He says after a while, nervous. “From the weapon.”
“I’m sorry.” Melissa says. She doesn’t know what else to say. She has no idea what she could say. “Is there anything I can do?”
Milo shakes his head. “It’s always like this after I’m in there.” He says. “But can you distract me?”
So she does. She speaks about anything that comes to her mind. She tells funny stories and jokes, she talks about Zack and Cavendish and Dakota because they come to her mind first. She keeps telling stories, until Milo suddenly chimes in with his own story. He asks if she remembers the day that they first met. She does. So they start talking about stuff from before, before Doofenshmirtz and the resistance and everything bad.
Every smile makes her smile. The first laugh, shaky as it is, makes her want to cry.
———
She hugs him again, pulls him close and he buries his face in her chest. He clings tightly, and she holds him as firmly as she can while still being gentle. “I don’t wanna go back.” He mumbles.
Melissa’s heart shatters. It shatters into tiny shards that impale her insides, that send pain shoot through her. Tears prick at her eyes and she squeezes tighter. “You won’t. You never will. I promise.”