Chapter Text
Victoria was laughing at something Geri had said about a gossip magazine she was looking through as they pulled back up outside the flat. They’d been gone maybe a half hour at most.
“I'll grab the bags.” Geri said, then got out to pick up the food shopping from the back seats.
“Thanks.” Victoria said as she got out, but just as she was locking her car her attention was caught by the figure of Melanie sat down by the front steps. Something in her gut told her that the other girl wasn’t out there waiting on a fast food delivery.
She and Geri shared a look as the redhead came around with the bags.
Melanie stood to meet them, her eyes downcast and her hands shoved into the front pocket of her hoodie.
“Why don't I take these inside.” Geri said as Melanie hovered next to Victoria.
“Thanks.” Victoria replied but her eyes never left her friend. “Mel?” She asked softly, lifting a hand to gently raise Melanie’s face so she could look her in the eye.
The first thing she noticed was the tears but then she saw the growing bruise.
“Oh my god, who hit you?” Victoria asked in shock as she noticed the swelling just below Melanie’s left eye.
Melanie blinked and tears fell from her eyes. She swallowed a couple of times but still couldn’t meet her friend’s curious eyes.
“Melanie, talk to me please.” Victoria tried again.
“Emma-“
“Hit you?!” Victoria couldn’t believe that for a second.
“Kissed me.” Melanie cut back in. “Or I kissed her, I’m not entirely sure.”
Victoria sighed, she wasn’t surprised by that news, far from it. But before she could even think about that she needed to know exactly how Melanie ended up out here in the cold, crying and with a possible black eye. “Who hit you Melanie?”
Wiping at her eyes, Melanie touched at her cheekbone as Victoria wiped the tear stains off her other cheek.
She couldn’t remember much of what happened really. Just hands grabbing at her and the pushing and shoving, and the words.
“Mel walked in…” She had to pause again. “And…”
Victoria snorted. “And she hit you?”
Melanie shrugged, she didn’t really want to talk about any of it. She pulled her head away from Vitoria when she touched a part of her face and it hurt. “Can you just, can you go check that Emma’s okay?”
“Why?” Victoria’s eyes widened. “Did all three of you get into a fight? I swear none of you can be left alone.” She went on shaking her head.
Melanie took a deep breath and glanced back to the door.
When Melanie fell silent again Victoria knew it was a lost cause trying to get her to open up, and now she was worried about what she’d find inside the flat. She took Melanie’s hand and started for the door only to turn around when Melanie pulled her hand free and refused to move with her.
“I’m gonna,” Melanie cleared her throat and shove her hands back into her hoodie pocket. “Go for a walk. Clear me head.”
Victoria was torn. She didn’t want Melanie leaving like this, she was clearly upset, but maybe forcing her inside wasn’t the best idea either right now. “I could come with you?”
Melanie shook her head quickly. “Can you go see Emma?” She asked again then she took a couple of steps away but lingered, waiting for Victoria to go into the flat they all shared.
“Don’t stay out here long Melanie, or I'll come looking for you.” She warned before reluctantly turning and heading for the flat.
xxxxxx
“Here, put this on it.” Geri said coming back into the front room holding a tea towel with ice inside. “It’ll keep the swelling down.”
Melanie took the cloth then touched it to her mouth, pulling it back almost instantly. “Ow!”
Geri rolled her eyes and shared a look with Emma who was pacing nearby. Then she gently forced Mel’s hand with the homemade ice pack back to where it needed to go. “Leave it Mel.”
Mel was sat on the couch shaking her head. “Can’t believe that bitch hit me.” She muttered, her head still pounding, only this time it was just because of her alcohol consumption.
“Yeah, well… what did you expect?” Emma said before her eyes went to the front door, disappointment filling her when she only saw Victoria enter.
Victoria surveyed the scene in front of her before stopping at the couch. Emma looked worried but it was Mel that looked worse for wear. “You okay Mel?” She asked.
Mel stood and pulled the tea towel from her face. “Does this look okay to you?” She asked gesturing to her split and swollen lip.
“Who hit who first?” Victoria asked.
Mel sat back down. “Does it matter?”
Of course it did.
“Where’s Melanie?” Emma couldn’t help but ask, she knew Mel was going to be fine but it was Melanie that had left and not come back.
“She’s out front.” Geri said, her attention though was back on helping Mel. “That’s not going to look good if you don’t keep the swelling down.”
“It fucking stings okay?” Mel complained but allowed Geri to put the cold compress back onto her lip.
“Well the pair of you shouldn’t be fighting.” Victoria added.
Emma moved away from them and looked out the front window but sighed when she couldn’t see Melanie anywhere.
“She’s not out there.” She said turning back to the others.
“Good.” Mel muttered. Her free hand going to her head. “My head is killing me.”
“Who started the fight?” Victoria asked.
Absolute silence from Mel.
Victoria looked at Emma and raised an eyebrow.
Emma crossed her arms over her chest. “Mel did.” She finally admitted.
“She was all over you!” Mel protested as she stood back up, or she tried to, Geri however was having none of it and pulled her arm to get her to sit back down on the couch.
Emma blushed bright red. “You shouldn’t have dragged her off me.” She muttered.
Geri’s eyes widened and she turned her head to eye Victoria.
Victoria covered her face with her hands and took a deep breath. Then she turned her eyes to Emma. “What do you mean, exactly?”
Emma shrugged. “We were… in my room… on my bed-“
“It better have been your bed.” Victoria couldn't help but say.
“And then, the door opens and we moved but…”
“They were on the floor and Melanie was on top of her and she was yelping.” Mel added just to get the story time over with.
“And you thought, what?” Victoria asked, narrowing her eyes at Mel.
Mel waved her hand in Emma’s general direction. “That she was… that… I don’t know okay, I Don’t know what I was thinking.”
“Because if, for one second, you’re suggesting that Melanie would ever do anything that Emma didn’t want her to then I’m not sure I want any part of this group.” Victoria said, meaning every word. Melanie was in a complete state out there somewhere. Victoria doubted she had anything with her, not even her wallet.
“What?” Mel asked.
“You’re not serious, are you?” Geri asked, standing up.
“Did you see Melanie’s face?” Victoria asked, directing her question to Geri. “Now she’s out there on her own, who even knows where?”
Emma glanced back at the window. She didn’t like the sound of Melanie being out there on her own, especially if she was upset, or worse hurt, as Victoria was implying. “Should we go look for her?” She asked.
Geri was torn. “Maybe it’s best we let her cool off, I’m sure she’ll come back on her own.”
Victoria wasn’t too sure on that. Her eyes found Emma, “If she’s not back soon we’ll have a look.” She assured the other girl.
Emma sighed and sat down. “What a mess.” She muttered, picking up a cushion to hold in her lap.
“She started it, I was just trying to get her off you.” Mel spoke up, ignoring the exasperated look she got from Geri.
“Well no one asked you to.” Emma answered back.
“You’re only seventeen, Emma.” Geri added unhelpfully.
Victoria snorted. “Really, you want to go there?” She asked, eyeing the oldest girl among them.
“What’s that got to do with anything?” Emma asked, folding her arms. “I kissed Melanie not the other way around.”
Mel groaned and put her head in her hands. “You’re all giving me a headache.”
“You gave yourself one.” Victoria replied, feeling no sympathy for the other girl.
Having had enough of the lecture, Mel got up. “I’m going to bed.” She informed the others.
“But Melanie’s not even back yet.” Emma told her. Worried about them not getting this all sorted before they had to go to the studio in the morning.
Geri paused as she was about to leave the room with Mel.
“We’ve scrapped before.” Mel answered back. And it was true, she’d got into arguments with Melanie a few times already, although this one was by far the most serious.
Victoria studied Mel for a second. “I don’t think she's upset just because you hit her.”
Mel’s eyes fluttered between everyone. “I'll say sorry in the morning.” She offered finally. Though she wasn’t great at saying sorry she’d make an exception, Emma clearly wasn’t upset about whatever was going on in her bedroom with Melanie. And right now Mel was regretting going to see where everyone was, she should have just gone to her own bed in the first place like she had planned to, but Emma and Victoria’s room was before hers. “Okay?” She added, wondering if she could go to bed now.
“Chris is going to go off his head as it is.” Geri muttered to herself. And they were expecting Pepe, their vocal coach to being in tomorrow as well.
“Yeah, well, if Melanie doesn’t come back, a split lip is going to be the least of his worries.” Victoria pointed out for them all.
Mel shook her head then walked to the stairs. Between her hangover and her fight with Melanie, she really did just need to lay down and have this day be over.
Victoria watched Geri follow Mel up the stairs.
Emma eyed the front door. She was worried more now, she’d wanted to go after Melanie in the first place but then she’d seen Mel’s hand come away from her face with blood on it. “This is such a mess.”
“Hmm.” Victoria completely agreed on that one. She sat down beside Emma and patted her thigh. “How are you though?”
“I didn’t get hit.” Emma assured.
“No, I know, but…”
Emma looked confused. She wasn’t sure what Victoria meant.
“Melanie wasn’t completely sure who kissed who.” She informed Emma with a sly grin. Getting the blush she expected from Emma. “She went almost as red as you, too.”
Pouting Emma picked at the stitching of the cushion in her lap. “Don’t make fun of me right now, please.”
Victoria bumped her shoulder against Emma’s. “I’m not trying to, honest.” She told her. “You really like Melanie, don’t you?”
Emma just shrugged.
“You don’t have to explain anything to me, or anyone else in here.” Victoria assured Emma. “But you do need to work out what that kiss meant, if anything, and talk to Melanie.” She went on. “She deserves that.”
Emma nodded quickly. “I will.”
That was good enough for Victoria. “So how was your weekend?” She asked, not have got much information from Melanie during the drive back and they been too busy unpacking to talk with Emma when they’d got back.
Emma grinned. “It was great, mum likes her, and PJ loved her.” She explained. “We went to the park with PJ, me and Melanie, and she was showing him all these flips and handstands, and he was so proud when he managed to do one on his own!”
Emma’s excitement made Victoria smile. She was glad the rest of the weekend had gone well for the pair despite how it was ending.
“That’s good, I think she’s mentioned she did gymnastics as a kid.” Victoria added.
“Yeah, she won all kinds of awards she told me.” Emma went on. “She’s really good, she did this run then cartwheel, then backwards flip thing that was, just, wow.”
Victoria tried not to laugh. But it was clear to see the Emma was just as impressed by Melanie as she made her brother sound.
Just when she considered teasing the other girl again, the front door opened slowly, and in crept Melanie.
“Oh, you’re back.” Emma exclaimed as she got up and went over to Melanie, but the other girl shied away from her, leaving Emma stood there awkwardly.
Melanie’s eyes nervously looked around, first at Victoria, then at the staircase before resting on Victoria again. She was safer to look at the Emma, who was currently studying the growing bruise under her eye.
“Mel’s gone to bed, if that’s what you’re going to ask.” Victoria inform her.
“Is she okay?” Melanie asked, she’d thrown a couple of punches and so had Mel but she wasn’t really sure what kind of state she’d left the other girl in. She’d just needed to get away to breathe and to think.
Victoria shook her head. “Are you okay more to the point?” She replied. “Mel’ll be fine once she’s slept it off. And she said she’ll apologise to you in the morning.”
Emma couldn’t take it any longer and leaned into Melanie, wrapping her arms around her waist and resting her head in the centre of Melanie’s chest. Their respective height differences making it a comfortable fit. “Are you okay? That looks sore.” She asked softly as she finally felt Melanie loosely return her hold.
“Had worse.” Melanie replied.
That made Victoria snort. The way the two had already gone at it with each other she could believe it, especially given Melanie told her she had brothers and cousins around her age that she grew up with.
Victoria found herself smiling as she watched the pair for a while. Emma must have whispered something because she saw Melanie smile and then her lips moved but Victoria could hear what she said.
“Okay you two enough, Emma let the poor girl in and both of you can just deal with my cooking if no one’s bothered to call in a take-away.” Victoria told them.
Melanie’s eyes widened. The last time Victoria had tried cooking she’d set the fire alarm off and almost burnt the flat down.
“I’ll call an order in, save you the trouble of trying to kill us.” Melanie said, easing Emma away from her and moving towards the house phone.
Victoria smirked at how easily that had worked. She took a seat on the coach and picked up a magazine that Geri had been reading in the car. “Suit yourself. Can’t say I didn’t offer.”
Emma giggled but sat down beside Victoria. Happy to have Melanie back in the flat even if her eyes were all red from crying and she was getting a black eye.
When Melanie ended the call she came over but sat on the chair by herself. Resting her legs over the arm she wasn’t surprised when a few minutes later Emma reached over and started playing with her foot, having left her trainers by the door before she’d gone to the phone.
After a while Victoria heard quiet giggling. She kept her eyes on the article she was reading, even though it was boring as hell, it beat having to deal with her two friends being all cutesy with each other.
A little while after that Victoria felt the couch move and she didn’t even have to look up to guess that the pair were now crammed together on the single seater.
All Emma’s doing of course.
Why Mel had even thought anything else was beyond Victoria.
And while she did think it was cute there was a line to be drawn between them all, and now was the perfect time to draw it. Placing the magazine down Victoria stared at Melanie and Emma until the noticed and both looked over at her.
“New house rule,” She told them. “While you are more than welcome to stay in our room Melanie, there will be no sex in my bed, or in my presence, is that clear?”
It was hard to keep her face straight and serious when both girls in front of her blushed as red as they did, but Victoria managed, just. “A nod will do.” She added when they failed to reply.
Oh, how she was enjoying this.
They eventually both nodded their heads at her in response then eyed each other.
“Excellent.” Victoria clapped her hands together then stood. “Now I’m going somewhere not here until the food arrives.” She informed them before heading for the stairs and her room, wondering as she went just what kind of state she would find it in.
Emma swallowed as she looked at Melanie. “I don’t think I’m ready for…”
“Me either.” Melanie replied quickly, her blush not fading at all. She’d thought it had been awkward when PJ had asked about their sleeping arrangements before but this was way beyond that.
“Okay.” Emma replied, relaxing back against Melanie now that they had cleared that up. “But you can still stay over right?” She didn’t want to leave Melanie alone, and she was worried what would happen if Melanie tried to sleep in her own room before both Mel’s had talked tonight over with each other.
It wasn’t like anything was going to happen, especially with Victoria in the bed next to them but Melanie wasn’t sure it was the best idea.
Emma noticed Melanie hesitate. “I’ll just come down here if you don’t.” She warned, then shifted on top of Melanie and wiggled her fingers.
“Don’t you dare!” Melanie warned.
Now Emma felt compelled to follow through with her threat and soon she was trying to find any and every ticklish spot Melanie had. Or at least until a sharp intake of breath and a wince from Melanie made her stop.
“What?” Emma asked in concern.
Melanie tried to lay back down. “It’s nothing.”
“Didn’t look like nothing.” Emma replied and started pulling at Melanie hoodie and then her t-shirt.
“Hey!” Melanie complained, but it didn’t help as Emma exposed her stomach.
“Turn around, let me see.” Emma ordered as she lifted herself up a little to give Melanie room to manoeuvre.
Melanie did, easing onto her side as she felt her clothes being pushed up her back.
“Jesus, how did that happen?” Emma asked as she noticed the large bruise covering Melanie’s side and back, going up to the bottom of her ribs. “Does it hurt? Of course it does.” She answered herself, given Melanie’s reaction to her tickling her there and the size of the bruise, of course it hurt.
“Why didn’t you say anything?” Emma asked as Melanie shifted back around carefully and pulled her clothes back into place with Emma’s help.
Melanie shrugged. She hadn’t felt any pain at the time, it was only now that she did. Her face really only hurt when Victoria had prodded it, and now with Emma’s fingers jabbing into her side. Sure it hurt.
Emma felt tears sting her eyes.
Melanie frowned and reached a hand up to cup Emma’s face. “Hey, I’m okay really. Just a tiny bit sore right now.”
“I’m really sorry.”
Melanie shook her head. “It’s not your fault me and her upstairs settle things with a fight.” She explained. “It’s probably just because we’re Northerner’s.” She added trying to get a smile from Emma.
“It’s not funny.” Emma insisted. She didn’t like her friends hurting each other, especially when she’d been the reason for it. It just made her cry all the more.
Melanie didn’t know what to say to make things better so she pulled Emma down against her and gave her a hug. It wasn’t at all comfortable for either of them she was sure, but Emma buried her face into her neck and continued to cry.
They never moved from that position, not when Victoria came back down and went to the door, or when the food was out and Mel and Geri joined everyone for dinner.
“She okay?” Geri eventually asked what the others were all thinking.
Emma felt Melanie tense at the question and it just made her angry. “No I’m not okay, you had no right hurting Melanie, and you had no right just barging into my room like that in the first place.”
“Em.” Melanie tried as she followed Emma’s lead and sat up to face the others. “I’m okay.”
“It’s just a bruise.” Mel said to Emma, it wasn’t like she got off scot free, Melanie had thumped her a good one right in the face. She’s lucky Melanie didn’t loosen a tooth. Yes she’d got her wires crossed and she’d apologise to Melanie when she got a chance to, but she didn’t get why Emma was so upset. “And I’ve got my own, thank you.”
“Her back’s all bruised up too.” Emma pointed out.
Mel frowned. “I hurt your back?”
“No.” Melanie replied.
“Yes she did!” Emma cut in. “I’ve seen the bruise myself.”
“Show the rest of us then.” Geri said. She was only just now aware of the bruise under Melanie’s eyes. But she could help cover that up with some make-up in the morning.
“Fuck off the lot of you, I’m fine.” Melanie insisted.
Emma huffed and crossed her arms.
“And you hit like a girl.” Mel couldn’t help but add with a smirk.
Victoria sighed. “Okay the pair of you cut it out.” She warned with a raised voice before Melanie could give a smart ass reply to that comment and everything kicked off again.
“Sorry.” Mel apologised half-heartedly.
“Yeah, sorry.” Melanie said as well.
Victoria was on a roll now. “Great, now apologise to each other.”
Melanie rolled her eyes. “Sorry I hit you. Like a girl.”
Mel laughed then gave Melanie a nod. “Yeah, I’m sorry to, it’s a lovely shiner though ain’t it?”
“Yeah, well, just remember you said that when Chris notices tomorrow.” Victoria said, only slightly proud of herself when Mel’s smile dropped and she scowled over at her.
It was true though.
There was no way Chris Herbert wasn’t going to notice either of their wounds.
Mel shook her head and went back to her food. “What’s he going to do, me and Mel are the best you lot have.”
Melanie guffed at that then regretted it when her sore back protested.
Victoria shook her head. “I don’t know why I bother.” She said before reaching for the remote and switching their TV on.
Mel chuckled then looked over at Melanie, who was struggling to balance her food with Emma trying to squeeze into the seat alongside her. When the other girl met her eyes she winked at her, and when Melanie just smirked and shook her head Mel knew there were no lasting hard feelings between them.
It was just that sometimes their actions were quicker than their words.
So it was just another thing for them to work on together, besides their singing and their dancing.