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]

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.

[hasaknightjob]

Marc kissed the top of her head. "Good. Glad it worked out for you."

He was denying any role he had in that. Amazing, considering he was the bed.

[totalwildcard]

"You're very comfy," Harley replied, ignoring his denial. "Top notch, really."

[hasaknightjob]

"If I had a nickel for every time I've heard that..."

[totalwildcard]

"You'd have one?" Harley suggested.

[hasaknightjob]

Marc grinned. "Exactly that. Pay up."

[totalwildcard]

"What?" Harley laughed. It shook her - and probably him, too. "That's not how it works! You're not supposed to get it from whoever says the thing!"

[hasaknightjob]

"You said it!" Marc told her. "Right now. I heard you. Either that or I've got a voice in my head that sounds like you."

Not out of the realm of possibility in some parts of the multiverse, actually. Poorly written parts of the multiverse, but parts of the multiverse all the same.

[totalwildcard]

"Yeah I said it, but I'm not paying you money for something I said!" Harley argued. "Don't think I even got a nickel on me."

Although considering this was her apartment... probably somewhere not directly on her.

[hasaknightjob]

Marc grinned. He moved a hand down to whatever was closest and like a pocket to pretend to feel for what was inside.

[totalwildcard]

Harley was wearing some very short jean cutoffs which did have back pockets! Which meant he was just touching her ass now - not that Harley objected to that.

"See? Nothing."

[hasaknightjob]

Marc checked the other pocket, sliding his hand into that one. "Gotta make sure."

[totalwildcard]

"Well, feel free to be as thorough as ya like."

Stealing her shtick and all!

[hasaknightjob]

Marc put his hand all the way into her pocket and then left it there. "Huh. Empty."

[totalwildcard]

A fact Harley was not going to call him out for, curiously enough.

"Told ya!" she said instead. "Not a nickel on me to pay with!"

[hasaknightjob]

"Guess we'll have to figure something else out," Marc said. He made his hand comfortable where it was. After all, there was a pocket to rest in.

[totalwildcard]

"Oh, you're still lookin' to collect?" Harley replied, nuzzling the side of his neck a little. "I might be able to work with that..."

[hasaknightjob]

"You are kinda clever," Marc said. He tilted his head so she had room to work with. Why get in the way of what felt good?

[totalwildcard]

Historically, he seemed to have found plenty of reasons to do exactly that. But Harley was glad he seemed to be seeing the light with her.

"I am very clever, thank you."

The nuzzling turned more into kisses, a haphazard line of them along his skin.

[hasaknightjob]

"Always said so," Marc replied. You know, for the however long they'd known each other. Don't expect Marc to remember details like that.

[totalwildcard]

Harley mostly considered 'forever' to be whatever was directly in front of her, so he was just fine saying that. Sounded right to her!

She pressed the last kiss right below his ear. "Or you're just butterin' me up to get something nice."

[hasaknightjob]

"Don't have any butter," Marc pointed out with a grin.