It's Definitely Not All Mary Poppins

You Don't Talk Nonsense, Children (3)

"How're you feeling?" Edward asked, the children running under and over things to get their coats from the waiting room with Audrey. He pressed himself against a column, making sure not to accidentally touch anything by crossing his arms over his chest.

Matthew hummed. His hand seemed glued to Lloyd's cold, silver body. "Tired." He considered his words for a moment. "I still feel...unfocused, but I don't think that's the right word. Like...like I'm still bent out of shape, and..." He drummed his fingers on the metal. "...yeah."

Edward nodded. He pressed his back against the supports of a car lift. "Thank you for asking me to drive you."

"I don't trust the Prius." Or the Civic. He hated both.

"I know," Edward laughed. "But still. Thanks for inviting me."

"It was just a drive."

"I believe your words were, and I quote, 'Would you want to come see my car in the garage?'"

Matthew flushed. "I don't sound like that."

"Maybe not," Edward laughed, "but you still asked."

He raised a brow. "Would you believe me if I said it was just for the ride?"

Edward considered the question for a moment, his green eyes lingering for longer than Matthew was comfortable with. "Probably," he finally whispered. "To be fair, I would've also believed you if you said you just wanted to get out of the hotel for a while."

Matthew swallowed. He glanced away.

"No bullshit this time. Feels like we're past it at this point. How're you feeling?"

Closing his eyes, he sighed. "I'm...tired. The kids aren't used to being in a hotel room, I'm not used to having all my stuff in the same place as everyone. I'm not used to doing housework, and I'm not used to...coordinating things from far away. No one's used to the hour drive to Brookfell. It's all just a big..." He wrung his hands together, stretching and pulling them like taffy. "...and the worst of it is that I want to keep doing the work I'm doing, but I can't – I don't want to do it anymore, especially with Audrey having discredited herself the way she has." He shrugged, crossing his arms over his chest. "I just feel so useless right now."

"Has Yang reached out to you at all?"

He shook his head. "Not really. He sends an email every so often, but he's...been staying out of things. He keeps it cold and professional." Like how things were in the beginning, though Matthew wasn't wholly sure if he was grateful for that. "Everything's a mess right now."

"Need I remind you we're all messes, Mr. Robinson?" Edward asked.

The ease with how he said his surname made Matthew's skin crawl. Still, he frowned and countered, "I doubt us being messes counts for the situation, though."

Edward nodded. "Anything I can do to help?"

Matthew shook his head. "No. I..." He sighed again, the sound like a horse neighing. "...just want this all to be all over and done with. To move on and...find something else."

"I'm surprised you've stuck around for this long. I would've bounced already."

"I'm here for the kids," Matthew said. "Not him."

"I suppose those aren't truer words," Edward said, smiling so easily.

He swallowed, sighing. "I don't want to leave them," he whispered, eyes turning towards the open door to the waiting room. "They're, weird and amazing, and I love them so much, but I don't want to think about leaving them behind. I don't want to think about what could happen after I leave."