Needful Things Building; Monday

[totalwildcard]

The Dream House was gone by morning, replaced again with the antique store and the apartment above it, both with all four walls intact, and the color scheme decidedly less pink.

And in said apartment, late in the morning, Harley woke up with a start. Like fully bolting upright and everything, with a gasp.

"... Barbie looks like me."

She couldn't believe it. She brought her hands up to her face, smooshing her cheeks.

"Like me."

This jaw! These cheekbones under her skin!

Something about it was making her eyes well up.

At least, until something else about the weekend came back to her. "Bruce!" Oh, God, he'd been eating something obviously plastic, all weekend long! Harley scrambled out of bed to find him - only to, yes, find him curled up in one of his usual spots, seemingly right as rain.

She still ended up taking him on a long walk around town. It took a while for her to be convinced that just as magically as he'd turned into a toy dog for the weekend, whatever the plastic stuff he'd been eating (and, to be fair, pooping out at what seemed like an alarming rate for a fully functioning gastric system) had just as magically turned into actually edible stuff in his guts when he'd turned back. He seemed fine! He was leaving behind dog shit that was the usual level of disgusting!

Still, between the long walk and then breakfast for both him and herself, the morning had already turned into the afternoon by the time something occurred to Harley, and sent her bolting down the stairs into the store.

There, she found the display of dolls of varying ages and kinds.

And there, tucked near the back, was a Barbie. Harley carefully pulled her out from between a Victorian-ish porcelain doll and a fairly creepy 1950s baby, and smiled down at her.

It was a little watery, but there was no one here to see it, was there?

"Oh, there you are."

Something in her chest ached a little.

(expecting one!)

Comments

[hasaknightjob]

"I did say I wasn't going to back away," Marc pointed out.

[totalwildcard]

"That's different," Harley claimed, for the hell of it. "Anyway, I'll take the permission this time, 'cause it does mean I get to keep ya."

[hasaknightjob]

"I'm kept now?" Marc asked.

Funny how he didn't sound like he minded.

[totalwildcard]

"Unless you don't wanna be."

How nice of her!

Also she'd heard his tone. Didn't really have any worries.

[hasaknightjob]

"What was that thing you said?" Marc asked. "Select people? Kinda like that."

Very select, actually.

[totalwildcard]

"Really select," Harley replied, all smug in that very Harley happy sort of way.

[hasaknightjob]

Marc thought about saying something about keeping in return. But given what Harley experienced with her ex he didn't want to run the risk of hitting tender spots about her freedom.

So instead he said, "Of course I'm gonna check on you."

[totalwildcard]

"It's 'of course' now?" Harley asked, meaning to have it sound teasing, a joke, a quip.

It came sounding just a little more touched than that. Not because of the sentiment, really, since that wasn't news (all pretense otherwise aside), but because he said it that openly.

"Really?"

[hasaknightjob]

"You're one of my people," Marc said. "So yeah."

[totalwildcard]

"Oh," Harley said.

Her expression wobbled a little. She'd blame the highly emotional day she'd had already.

"I'm not... usually anyone's people," she added, like she needed to explain something. That wobble, maybe, or the sudden tightness in her voice.

[hasaknightjob]

"You're one of mine," Marc said. "I give a shit about you."

Ever the poet, Marc Spector.

[totalwildcard]

It worked on Harley, that was the most important thing. Even if that meant she looked like she was about to cry again.

Right before she kissed him again, instead.

[hasaknightjob]

Marc was all for kissing. Heck, he could've handled more crying if she needed it too. He tried to make the kiss something solid. A silent way of saying he was there for whatever she needed.

[totalwildcard]

Harley's arms found their way around his shoulders again, and she leaned in close, pressing him into the back of the couch. Sometimes the best way she knew to communicate her feelings was to just try and leave as little space between them as possible.

Any breaths she managed in the middle of things still sounded a little unsteady.

[hasaknightjob]

Marc picked up on what she was doing and held her nice and tight in response. Tighter than normal, letting her feel secure.

He kept his kisses light, just in case she needed at least some room to breathe.

[totalwildcard]

"You're somethin' else," Harley told him, barely louder than a breath. "You really are."

Suppose that was one use for the lighter kisses. Real quiet words in between.

[hasaknightjob]

"So are you," Marc replied in kind. Not deflecting, more like agreeing.

[totalwildcard]

"Glad you came."

Oh, she really had to be kind of off-balance to say that and not even be implying a dirty pun about it right after.

[hasaknightjob]

Marc was even waiting for it. When it didn't happen he nuzzled her cheek. "Glad you're okay."

Or at least herself again. With a non-plastic hyena.

[totalwildcard]

"I had a good weekend," Harley murmured, pressing a kiss to his cheek. "Now I'm having a good Monday."

The implication that he had something to do with the latter was not subtle.

[hasaknightjob]

"It's not bad," Marc teased. He mirrored the kiss on her cheek. "Has some high points."

[totalwildcard]

"Is it me," Harley asked, hitting a teasing tone this time, even if her voice stayed quiet, "am I a high point?"

She stayed where she was, and nuzzled at his face a little. Enjoying the closeness, the intimacy of it.

[hasaknightjob]

"Often are," Marc told her. He leaned in to that nuzzling, letting her move as she liked. One hand on her back started to move up and down in an easy caress.

[totalwildcard]

"Wow, I didn't even need to get my high points out!"

Aaand she was back.

Just still in a hushed tone and continuing her nuzzling. She could contain multitudes.

[hasaknightjob]

"You've got layers," Marc replied. She could probably feel his grin with how close she was.