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

[totalwildcard]

"You're so lucky I'm not making a really awful joke right now."

Just so he knew.

[hasaknightjob]

"I appreciate that," Marc said, since he could guess what it was. That earned her an extra kiss on the top of her head.

[totalwildcard]

"I like you too much to gross ya out," Harley informed him. Although not without adding, "Right now."

No promises for whatever fell out of her mouth any other times.

[hasaknightjob]

Marc brushed his fingers along the column of her neck. "Lucky me."

He might not have entirely talking about the joke she wasn't making.

[totalwildcard]

"Yeah, lucky you," Harley sighed, her eyes closing again. A pleasant shiver went down her spine.

She might not have been only talking about him, there, despite the actual word.

[hasaknightjob]

There may have been a smile playing about Marc's lips at that sigh and what it represented for Harley's overall mood. Would he have done it if her eyes were open? Well, academic question since they weren't. Besides, she was close enough she might be able to feel it.

"I know better than to argue with you, Doc," he replied, low enough it was just for her to hear.

[totalwildcard]

"Damn right you do," Harley replied in kind, almost a whisper. More soft and sweet than smug.

Content, even.

[hasaknightjob]

Marc moved his hand up to massage her head. "Sometimes I learn."

[totalwildcard]

"'Cause you're smart," Harley murmured, on another sigh. It didn't really seem possible for her to relax any more than she already was, and yet she felt like it was happening anyway.

Like even the way she was breathing was getting calmer by the moment.

[hasaknightjob]

Marc was reminded of when the cat would fall asleep on top of Steven. He decided to see what might happen if he stayed quiet and just focused on lightly massaging Harley's hair.

[totalwildcard]

What happened was that Harley made a faint, quizzical noise at him falling quiet, but even that sounded like more reflex than anything else. She certainly didn't make another one, regardless of a lack of answer. Just kept falling further and further into that steady, slow rhythm of breathing, as the world drifted away from her, and her body went even more slack against him than it had already been.

So maybe Barbies didn't sleep enough for a human body, or maybe all the emotion in the day so far had taken a lot out of Harley, or maybe there was just something so enticingly warm and secure about being in his arms...

But yeah whatever the reason, it didn't take long before she was out like a light.

[hasaknightjob]

Marc felt the change in Harley's body as she fell asleep. He relaxed his hold, only so he could keep his arm around her more comfortably for longer. He also slowed his hand massaging her hair. Not entirely. More to time it with her breathing so it didn't disturb her while she slept.

And then he just... sat there. And tried not to think too much.

[totalwildcard]

Blissfully, Harley thought of nothing at all without any trying involved. Her breathing was nice and even, and thankfully didn't devolve into snoring. Whatever movement there happened to be was just the rise and fall of her chest, and whatever small adjustments she made in her sleep.

Remarkably peaceful, really.

[hasaknightjob]

Marc could've handled some snoring. Heck, even drool. It could match the mascara stains on his shirt.

Regardless, he let her sleep. He listened to her breathing and felt... some kind of way that she trusted him like this.

[totalwildcard]

There was perhaps a little bit of drool, eventually. His shirt was really just taking hit after hit right now.

Harley was out for... probably close to an hour, before she finally started stirring again as she swam unsteadily back towards being awake. Hopefully no part of his body was beginning to go numb yet.

[hasaknightjob]

Marc had shifted underneath her from time to time to make sure circulation went where it needed to in his legs. He may have debated the advantages of having his phone out to help pass the time. But ultimately he could sit in silence with the best of them. Occasionally sharing a look with Bruce of yep, still here.

Also occasionally thinking how a theme for the week had turned out to be people who could use company while sleeping for him and Steven both. But not thinking about that one too hard.

When Harley began to stir, Marc resumed rubbing her back a little more purposefully. Just enough to give her a sensation in the waking word she could focus on, if she needed one.

[totalwildcard]

Harley wouldn't have thought to put it in those terms, but it probably helped her have a better sense of where she was and who with than she otherwise might have.

She inhaled a bigger breath, more purposeful, and exhaled it as a sigh, rubbing her cheek against his shoulder. And mumbled, "What day izzit?"

Okay, so maybe not all the way awake, just yet.

[hasaknightjob]

That was the kind of attention to detail you got when dealing with a guy who was no stranger to blackouts.

Same with how Marc didn't hesitate in saying, "Still Monday afternoon. We're at your place."

[totalwildcard]

Harley gave another approving little sigh.

She was quiet for a thought, and then said, as if it was a wonder: "You stayed."

[hasaknightjob]

"Course," Marc said. "Was I supposed to dump you on the ground?"

[totalwildcard]

"You'd be surprised," Harley replied, still with a mumbly 'just woke up' quality to her voice, "how many memories I got of my noggin bouncing off of surfaces 'cause whoever I was leanin' on decided not to be leaned on no more."

[hasaknightjob]

Marc held her tighter without thinking about it.

"I wouldn't."

[totalwildcard]

"You didn't," Harley agreed in a murmur, because 'wouldn't' was a future word and she was focused on the present, where a thing that was both embarrassing and hurtful every time... hadn't happened.

She pressed a groggy kiss against the side of his neck.

[hasaknightjob]

"Feeling better?" he asked. Mainly about the sleep, not about life in general.

[totalwildcard]

"I'm refreshed."

She sounded hoarse, which made it sound slightly like a joke. But she also sounded like she was smiling.