my heart already shattered, take your things and go [Phil]

[NICKY PIERCE]

After a long day at work all trussed up and more formal than not, there was nothing Nicky longed for more than to just let her hair down. So, the first thing she did as soon as she closed the door behind her was make a beeline for her bedroom to change into some actually comfortable clothes. It was like a sigh of relief after a long day, there was nothing better. Finally changed she headed off into the living room and sat herself down in front of the TV to wait.

It was Friday which meant a free weekend for her but it also meant that Phil was due to come get the last of his things. Just the thought was like a shot to the heart, but she'd managed to make it through the rest of it decently enough (if a whole lot of sobbing counted as decently). She could handle this. And at the very least she would have the rest of the weekend to recover however she chose. Hooking her ankles together she leaned back and let herself get lost in a half decent show while she waited. Anything to take her mind off today.

Only drawn out of her wandering thoughts by the persistent ringing of the doorbell she sighed and smiled ruthfully. That would be him alright. She padded across the room and opened the door a crack, peering out for a heartbeat before opening it far enough to let him in, "Phil," she greeted, voice a little subdued. She tucked her hands into the pockets of her sweatpants and leaned a shoulder against the door to hold it open. "Are you ready to do this?" Lord knew she wasn't, but she had made her choices, now all that was left was to deal with the fallout and heartbreak.

PHILLIP ABBOTT

[PHILLIP ABBOTT]

His legs felt like they were weighted down with cement blocks with every step that he took. Even his appiration was sloppy - though wasn't it always nowadays? Today even more so. Maybe it was the weather, maybe it was the trip since it had been a minute, or maybe it was who happened to live there now.

"What are you doing?" He sighed aloud, now on the steps of his former home. Their former home. With a blink his eyes widened slightly as he lifted his head a bit, brow furrowing in disgust. "What am I saying? I lived here too." Effectively snapping himself out of it, or so he thought, he lifted his large hand to knock on the door loudly and unapologetically to the tune of What's Love Got to Do With It. Just a random choice in song (or so he told himself). Soon the doorbell was a part of the chorus and it was nearly unrecognizable, when the door was finally opened she would find him leaning, bobbing his head to the tune and singing the words (not softly) under his breath and gesturing with his free hand as if singing to a crowd.

Once he realized that she was standing there he stopped. In came the cheesy, toothy grin if only to mask the hurt inside that came rushing back once he saw her pretty face. Play it off. Like you always do. Everything is fine. Peachy even. Peachy keen. I am made of peaches and keen! THEN SELL IT DOOFUS! "Have we met?" Smooth. Nailed it. Ah. Judging by her face that probably wasn't the best opener. Lucky for her, he had a lot.

"Nice vest, Scrooge McDuck..." The words came out of him low and soft, surprisingly locking the boastful and loud edge they normally had when razzing someone. No matter what had gone down between the two, no matter the mess, there was still a fondness there. Even Phil wasn't immune - and boy did he try to be. Muggle Disney tv show references did little to quell the ache. Only one solution - keep at it and go harder. 

Ready to do this? Really? She was almost as bad at this as he was. "I'm ready for anything. Everything. All things." You know, except this. Now it was his turn to lean against the doorway, mirroring her. "My comics better all still be there or I'll riot. It won't be pretty. I cry when I riot. Also flex a lot. Essentially I criot." A smile tugged at the corner of his lips. He couldn't help it. Some things just came easy with her... other things terribly hard and irreparable but he didn't want to talk about those things right now.

"So... You gonna let me in are are we gonna be the leaning twins of pizza?" That sounded about right. It was probably right.

[NICKY PIERCE]

The tune that was thumped out against her door halted as Nicky opened the door and took the instruments away, but he was still singing. And, Merlin, did it fill her with a wash of fondness. Then she was staring him in the face, looking at him, and she would rather it be under literally any other circumstances than these. But then she saw the bruise and she found herself reaching forward to fuss, hand falling uselessly back to her side between them from the aborted movement. "What happened?" She asked, unable to chase the concern from her voice to matter how much she would prefer to be indifferent. It would be so much easier not to care, wouldn't it?

This was harder than anything she had done before, Nicky couldn't help but think as her eyes caught on his broad cheesy grin and found her lips twitching up to return it. "I'd certainly hope we'd met before." But maybe it would be easier if they hadn't. Her lips twitched down in a frown and she sighed softly. Some days she questioned… all of her decisions that led to this. It was easy to be pessimistic. "Oh yeah, yeah, thanks mister." She replied, a soft shade of humor coloring her voice. She missed things like this.

Nicky backed off and held the door open for him to come in finally, even though she wasn't at all ready for this. "Well, you'd better be." It was half an attempt at a joke for the work ahead of them. It was pretty shit. She couldn't help the huff of a laugh at the mention of his comics, "I'd say you're welcome to… criot but they're still there. Please keep all flexing to a minimum." Nicky bantered back, smiling softly. It was hard to talk to him like this and not fall back into their old rhythms, especially not with the voice in the back of her head reminding her this wasn't hers anymore. Merlin knew she wouldn't be able to handle any of his flexing on top of that.

"C'mon then Mr. Leaning Tower of Pizza, come in." It wasn't natural, to be inviting him into their own home - and she would have it any other way. "You remember where your comics are?" She asked, the corner of her mouth lifting in a smile. Let her have this, even if it was just an hour max while he gathered his things. The consequences of letting herself hope, imagine, be damned.

[PHILLIP ABBOTT]

What happened? What? To his life? To them? "Huh?" He blinked, smile wiped off his face as if stunned, as if someone had punched him in the gut and that someone was reality. Then he realized what she meant. The smile was back then, albeit a closed one. "Oh. This old thing?" He gestured fleetingly at his face with a bit of a chuckle, still leaning against the door to further show how calm and casual he was when deep down he was anything but.

"Had a bit of a late night last night. Things got out of hand with some gents and I had to set them straight. And before you say anything-" He held up his finger to her lips, clearly not understanding boundaries with what had befallen the two of them but honestly... this was a step up for him. He was at least playing nice. "And I know, as usual, you so badly want to..." His eyes had a glint in them as they landed on hers and his knowing smirk showed a little bit of teeth. "I don't know who started it but I do know who finished it." He then pointed at her with two fingers with a bigger grin. "Them. When they jumped on top of me and Mad Dog had to get them off... Not like that! Actually... Maybe like that. He does swing that way and I definitely didn't follow them outside." But he was digressing wasn't he? He somehow managed to increase the casualness of his lean and sported that signature smile that the Quidditch fangirls loved and, at one time, so did Nicky.

"I'll be fine. Like always." Except he wasn't. Not at all. He just hid it behind late nights, booze, and off-the-cuff jokes. Wait a second! "Hold up." He leaned his head toward her then, raising his brow as if getting a better look. As though he had caught her in one of her very few mistakes. A glorious mistake. "Were you worried about me just now?" Clapping his hands together suddenly he looked down at his watch. "Clock it. At 6:54 PM Nicky Pierce was worried about me." He clasped both hands over his mouth to amplify his voice to the street even though no one was paying attention. "ALERT THE PROPHET. NICKY PIERCE WAS WORRIED ABOUT ME!" Turning back to her she seemed less than amused, maybe even a little horrified. Still he considered it a win. He liked getting a reaction out of her because usually she was Mrs. Hold It All Together. Well, Miss...

With that sad little thought, he exhaled, his smile fading some and walked inside not bothering to close the door behind him. She would get it. She always did. "You sure about that Nicks? I've got some new ones I've been trying out..." He offered over his shoulder before dramatically striking several terrible flexing poses, a low grunt or release of breath to emphasize each. "Pretty good, huh? Not bad for some pizza." There he was, smiling at her again. But not one of his shit-eating grins. This was more... genuine. More sincere. It felt like home. But not his home anymore. Clearing his throat he tore his gaze away before he got too caught up. Things are different now, idiot. Act like it. 

Did he remember? "You bet your tush I do." And with that welcome distraction, he hurried crossed the living room to the wall behind the couch. Pulling out his wand he traced it in a square shape that then glowed neon green before revealing a stack of hidden comics. He eagerly grabbed them and the light faded away once again becoming a wall. "Noice." Setting them on the table he snagged one, a Batman, and began to flip through it plopping down on the couch and crossing his leg as he peered through the panels like a schoolboy. "Boys, I missed you. But you Batguy, I missed most of all." Lifting it up he gave the cover a kiss before looking at Nicky and holding it out for her. "You want in on this?"

[NICKY PIERCE]

It ached, how familiar Phil's story was, one that she'd heard many times over the last couple of years? Minus the inclusion of Maddox, bless his soul, trying his best. How many times that she had been the one putting down her drink and wading into a fight after Phil. How many nights she had spent wiping off blood and patching him up until she was happy that she'd put him back together again. But this wasn't like one of those times and there had clearly been no one left to put him back together but himself. But, she'd be completely out of place to try that now, wouldn't she?

Without even considering how things had ended up all the other times that she had patched him up when things were good. Yeah.

His finger at her lips had her smile twitching into a frown and a soft sigh leaving her lips. Mostly at the thought of being shushed, she was sure (so sure). And his grin and his silliness. She'd never doubted how they happened but the way her heart pattered every time she saw that grin was enough of a hint itself.

"Well, at least Maddox was there for you." The words were soft, part of a hit on herself. But, at least there was someone responsible looking after him. "Right, like always." She parroted under her breath, unable to help herself and once again flashing back to just how many situations that she had seen him in. She grumbled under her breath, frowning as he saw fit to announce that she cared to the entire neighborhood. "Of course I'm worried." She huffed, as if it was obvious, it probably was. It was definitely hurtful, but maybe she deserved that. She was the one who chose to leave after all.

Nicky shut the door carefully behind him with a roll of her eyes before turning back to follow Phil into the house. "I've seen you flex plenty, I doubt you have new ones." But oh, there he went and there she was, smiling at him and barely suppressing a laugh. "No, I suppose they weren't half bad at all." Nicky admitted easily enough. She really shouldn't be humoring, shouldn't be letting herself laugh and smile. It wasn't really her place anymore, was it?

She hadn't thought to get his things together past the basics, between the business of work and just the longing of her heart to not say goodbye so quickly. She didn't know what she would do then but for now she smiled as he retrieved his comics from their hidey-hole and settled on the couch. "See, they were still there," she commented, as if she'd ever just throw them away. Nicky's heart stopped for a beat a moment later. In on this, what was this? Her cheeks were heating for a moment before she recognized the comic being held out to her.

Of course he meant the comic. Her and her fool heart. She shrugged wordlessly and accepted the Batman comic, gingerly flipping through the pages with care. "These things always were kind of cool."

[PHILLIP ABBOTT]

"Maddox is legally obligated to be there." The beater-turned-bar owner and unwilling coach shrugged his shoulders flippantly. "He signed a W2 and all sorts of other stuff plus turns out he likes paychecks. Go figure." Another shrug. Could one shrug too much? Phil certainly did to cause a more responsible person enough of an annoyance perhaps even Nicky from time to time. Ok, way more than time to time. Times. Plural. Lots. "Besides if he doesn't show up this whole bar house of cards falls apart. I think he technically signs the checks. Forges my name. It's ok. I gave him the go-ahead. Spelling is hard for me." What was supposed to be a joke was said seriously. Another shrug. Three for three!

"Imani still swings by a bit." He didn't know why he felt the need to tell her, but he felt like she might care. "I thought she was two but turns out she's like nineteen... or twenty... or twenty two... or seven... I forget." Despite the fact that she knew that age guessing would upset her he sported a small smile, a slight twinkle... there was hope there once and for a moment it was back. Then poof. Gone again. "Time really goes by fast." He set the comic down on the top of the stack and rose to his feet with a bit of a grunt and a little bit more effort than once was necessary. "Too damn fast." He murmured allowed, cracking his back then acting as if nothing happened turning back to look at her. "You sure you won't miss these?" He asked knowing full well the answer already. At least, he thought that he did. If anyone could surprise him it was Nicky. Always her. Only her. Just like she was the only one who worried about him. Apparently still...

"You are?" He was genuinely surprised, an emotion he immediately caught and wiped away never letting anyone see him sweat. "Well, you don't need to be. I will have you know I am a-ok. In fact, I am so okay that it is actually laughable. Ha ha! See? Laughter. So it must be so! I am so together that it is ridiculous. I have got it together!" As if on cue he knocked over a vase, luckily his Quidditch reflexes kicked in and he caught it before it hit the ground. "See?" Another smile. Man, those must be annoying after a while. "I could have sworn that you admitted you liked my flexes... Fuck." See? He did swear it! Merlin, she'd hate that joke. All the better. She was cute when she was annoyed. She was cute any time.

"All good." Placing the vase back on the end table he leaned back on the armrest, crossing his arms over his broad chest. "Are you ready to admit that you miss me or do I have to catch another vase?" Welp...

[NICKY PIERCE]

"Oh is he?" Not that she could imagine her husband not husband, ex-husband, without Maddox watching over him. Though, it smacked more of a bad deal with the devil than anything, or a short end of the stick guardian angel situation. "Well I'd imagine anyone likes paychecks." There he was shrugging again honestly, could someone shrug too much? In her humble opinion yes. If there was anyone who could earn the title of most shrugging person ever well, it'd probably be him. Annoying. But that never had been the most irritating thing, had it?

"Oh, Imani," she murmured fondly, smiling. Nicky could still fondly remember the first time she'd met the girl years ago. A little spitfire, she'd been. Still was, really. Some things changed, but some things stayed the same. "Don't let her hear you say that." She'd probably get after him for that, and wouldn't that be a sight Nicky thought with a smile. A smile that faded just as quickly with a sigh, "Yeah, time really flies." And how much did she wish it didn't. Hadn't. Until it was too late and there wasn't a whole lot left to say.

Nicky sighed heavily, glancing down at the comic in her hands and shaking her head slowly. "No, you should probably take them, they'd just collect dust here anyway." She carefully set the comic she'd been holding back on the top of the stack. It'd just be one more reminder and she had enough of those already, didn't she?

She huffed lightly at his question, "Of course I am." There was always going to be a part of her who cared too much and wanted to know he was safe. She just couldn't make that her life anymore, not when she was patching him up every night, worrying until he made it to bed, and fighting. She couldn't let herself, could she? Her lips tipped up in a smile, even if she didn't really believe his joke, "Yeah, you're right, of course." A lie, but what else was there left for her to say?

"Careful," She bit out alongside a shocked gasp, her hand raised to her chest over her heart, as she watched the vase, barely saved by his hands, fall. Nicky rolled her eyes upwards, hand rising from her chest to rub at her temple before falling back to her side, "Your flex would be considerably more impressive if you weren't the one to knock it over to begin with." At least the vase hadn't broken. At least there was that.

Nicky crossed her arms over her chest and shrugged, she wasn't admitting anything that was for sure. What was there for her to say that hadn't been said before? "I'll admit that the house has been quiet." She managed, a good and a bad thing all things considered - the lack of drunken crashing about would be wonderful, if it didn't also mean that the house was so damn lonely and empty all of the time.

[PHILLIP ABBOTT]

"Like she cares at all what any of us say." Phillip shook his head, a small smile gracing his features at the thought. As much of a bravado that he liked to build up and show the outside world, contrary to popular belief, he could be a normal sentimental guy behind closed doors. Heck, he probably would have made one amazing dad if the house of cards hadn't toppled over like it had. No one's fault really (probably his). "Get this - She's an obliviator now. Not an easy job. Not super glamorous. Kind of surprised she hasn't used those skills on Mad Dog or myself... then again if she had, I wouldn't remember it so-" He chuckled, crossing his arms over his chest as he leaned his backside on the couch armrest using it as a stool.

"She's a bit of a shit-stirrer. We kept catching her flirting with Mad Milo. Drove Dog up a wall. Loved it." Anything that had Maddox (reasonably) out of sorts brought immense joy to the former Hammer. "I think she gets it from me." He flashed a toothy smile. This wasn't so much of a guess as it was an actuality. The girl had spent enough time around Phil and his bar for it to rub off. He was pretty much her uncle. In fact, she called him Uncle Phil (he wasn't sure this was something Maddox enjoyed or had instructed her to do) but again, if it bugged him - even better!

"You sure?" Phil's smile faded a bit when she declined his comics. He should have been expecting it of course, and it was just about 'stupid' drawings, but being told no by her still hurt a bit (a lot). "I mean, it's a pretty good roundabout. Batman, Superman, Wonder Woman, The Flash... I've even got Green Lantern and Squirrel Girl somewhere..." He began to dig through the stack as if that would change her mind. Once upon a time, a long time ago, there was a time when he was able to. Those times were few and far between now. Another punch to the gut. Still, he couldn't let the notion go. He couldn't let go of a lot of things.

"Keep that one at least." He reached out for the one she set down on the stack: an Xmen. "Wolverine sucks but, like, the rest of the world is pretty cool and if the house is quiet he's pretty obnoxiously loud as far as heroes  go, he has a whole team of X-Men because then it wouldn't be X-MEN but X-MAN duh... so, so, yeah, here..." He reached out and set the booklet back in her lap. An act that he normally wouldn't have second guessed but right now, being close in even this manner, felt a little awkward. Awkward?! Since when was Phillip Abbott awkward doing anything?! It was mind-boggling.

"Don't hawk it." He suddenly pointed at her with an accusatory little glare. "It's probably worth, like, a billion galleons and no ex of mine is going to live big and fancy schmancy on my dime." Probably an ill-timed or poorly-delivered joke (or just bad overall). But that was Phillip Abbott.

[NICKY PIERCE]

"True," Nicky smiled, Imani was growing into quite the strong young woman it seemed like. All the better for her not to be too concerned with what them old folks had to say. That wasn't a skill that even Nicky was the best at. "An obliviator, huh?" Dangerous probably, but a noble and steady enough job. Good for her. As for using her skills on others, "She's certainly doing well at not getting caught if she is," Nicky commented with a chuckle, sitting back against the couch and humming to herself.

So Imani was growing up well, it was easy enough to imagine - but, no. The time to think of their own, to imagine that had passed.

"It's all fun and games until she's walking down the aisle." Only half a joke, really. Nicky couldn't imagine it but then flirting led to more flirting which led to -. Well, Imani was a grown woman and clearly had her life lined up pretty well. Better than Nicky would say that her own was at this point, past the whole stable job. But then, Nicky could remember having her own fun back when she was that age. Good times (which also conveniently led to marriage). "Well, she'd have to get it from someone," and Maddox just happened to be the responsible one between those two.

"- I mean," she hesitated, because she was soft and she was sad and this was probably the hardest thing that she had done in her life. "Alright, yeah, I'll keep this one then." What to do with it she had no idea but she smoothed a hand over the cover still and nodded. "Alright, thanks." It was all she really knew to say, and even that felt like a stretch.

"I won't hawk it." She was a little insulted, to be honest. But then again, it wasn't like she had ever been a comic book person. "Promise," Nicky added, just to be safe, even going so far as to extend her pinky for a pinky promise. Probably wasn't the time or the place for that, but she couldn't help but to turn to the familiar.

"These things are worth that much, really?" Her smile took a turn to the mischievous, "Well, I suppose that's good to know."

[PHILLIP ABBOTT]

"She's a good kid. Takes after me." Phil puffed out his chest a bit proudly. Yeah, sure. Totally not because of her adoptive father. Imani's success was all due to her dad's (crappy) boss. That checked out - at least in Phil's mind, but that wasn't saying much.

"The aisle?!" Though he wasn't her father, he certainly was reacting like he may have been. "What the hell have you been drinking?" As if suspicious he began to move around the living room and looked inside any glasses, vases, or any potential container as if he might find something. He of course didn't return these items to their proper place but rather mixed them all up without paying it a second thought. "Bite your tongue woman." Now his arms were free and he turned around to face her, muscular arms crossed over his chest with a frown. "Next you'll be saying Ma-desk will be getting hitched and I absolutely do not have the mental bandwidth to process that." Phil wasn't sure which was worse in his imagination. Imani having adult relations or his bartender. Wait. He did. Maddox. Ain't no amount of money in his pocket that would make those mental images ok.

"Bring it to the office." He suggested, nodding toward the gifted comic. "It's a real good conversation starter, practically an art piece. It'll also let you know who in your office is cool and who blows." He gave a half-shrug, sharing that information nonchalantly. "Like, if anyone tells you that their favorite X-Men is Cyclops just run the other way and don't look back." Especially if that coworker was a handsome, smart man who didn't fail her in every way. No. *ESPECIALLY* that.

His eyes moved to the offered pinky, raising his brow at it. Well, this was certainly a peace offering. He knew what she wanted him to do, but Phil always had enjoyed pushing her buttons, making her laugh or mad, and marching to the beat of his own drum and so, instead of a pinky he leaned forward and booped his nose on her offered finger. "Boop." And then straightened as if nothing happened. "I'll have you know that that's legally binding..." With a bit of an exhale he began to relax a bit more, enough to offer a somewhat genuine half-smirk. "I am a bottomless pit of horribly interesting and important information." Something like that.

[NICKY PIERCE]

"Yes, the aisle, that's how that shit works isn't it?" Nicky huffed, rolling her eyes at Phil's dramatics. Really, as if Imani wasn't a grown woman, it might happen eventually. "I'll have you know I haven't been drinking anything." She crossed her arms over her chest, wrinkling her nose a bit. She hadn't even gone for the little bit of liquid courage so she could handle this easier. Really, she might deserve a medal for it, especially with how it was angling to emotionally destroy her later. "Well I wish you luck for when he eventually brings a nice man home." Though that was hard to imagine right now, it didn't feel like such a distant reality either.

"Oh yes, the office," Nicky studied the comic book in her lap, thumbing at its pages just for something to do, "I imagine they'll get a hit out of it," or think that she was insane for accepting it in the first place. Really. Almost all of them knew about the divorce at this point and to mention who she'd gotten it from might get her some looks, and maybe comments. At least some of her clients might recognize it. "What's wrong with Cyclops?" Nicky asked with a blink, absolutely clueless. He was a character, after all, what could be wrong with him?

Nicky's eyes widened slightly as Phil leaned forward, nose booping her pinky. He was always hard to predict, and well, that was just one of the reasons that she loved him, wasn't it? Nicky couldn't contain the snort of laughter, "Yup, completely legally binding," she'd be the one to know, wouldn't she? But she knew a lot of things, and simultaneously absolutely nothing at all. It was great. Even better when it came to her own life.

"Alright you bottomless pit of information, got any figurines you forgot about?" It was an attempt at banter but- probably awkward to point out the things that he needed to remember to take with him. Just when things had started to feel less stiff, too. She certainly had a way of putting her foot in her own mouth. "I seem to remember you playing superhero with them before," totally saved it. Yeah.

[PHILLIP ABBOTT]

"Combative much?" Phil quirked a brow at her, a small smirk that was no doubt annoying as he watched her huff and puff. Crossing his arms over his broad chest he leaned against the couch armrest perching his tush atop it, making himself at home. After all, it had once been his home, hadn't it? "Got that one from my word-a-day calendar." Combative was technically yesterday's word, but it took him a full twenty-four hours to figure out how to pronounce it. Nicky didn't need to know that though (then again she probably assumed as much).

"Home... Phht... Like he's ever let me in his house." Perhaps this should have been a flag for Phil. After all, why wouldn't he be invited? But the Canadian man was blissfully unaware and didn't give it a second thought. 

"Cyclops is a wuss. He longs after a lady who flirts with just about everyone else. Sure she always comes back to him but, like, how shitty is that?" He held his breath then. Ok. Maybe not discussing failing relationships was the way to go here. "Cyclops is a total simp." His eyes darted away and he murmured under his breath.

"Figurines?" This got his fleeting attention again and his gaze snapped back onto her in absolute shock and horror. "Nicky. They are *action figures* not figurines. Not dolls. ACTION. FIGURES." His hand clasped his chest as if he was an old woman grasping at her pearls after having witnessed something scandalous. "And yeah... I have a couple of tubs. Divided by occupation of course. Wrestler, soldier, superhero, Pierce Brosnan..." A brief pause and his eyes widened again as if he was being judged. "He was a great 007!"

Shaking his head he detached from this particular 'argument' and went about finding and pulling containers from various spots in the living room and hallway (avoiding the bedroom for obvious reasons). He eventually ended up with a stack of six clear tubs containing all sorts of muggle collectibles that was nearly as tall as Nicky was. How was he going to get all of this stuff home? Sometimes it was good to be magic. 

"Not too shabby, huh?"

TAG: NICKY PIERCE