Apartment Above Needful Things; Tuesday Late Morning

[totalwildcard]

Harley had spent most of the weekend on the mainland. Not just Baltimore, either - she'd taken the kid out on a little road trip. Yanno, for life lessons! Most of them criminal, of course, but that was sort of how their mentorship worked, so someone else could handle the boring stuff. Anyway, they'd had fun!

So much of it, in fact, that Harley had only landed back on the island late on Monday evening. Technically probably Tuesday? Which meant that after she'd passed out and slept her fill, the day was already well on its way. She rolled groggily out of bed, shambled her way into the living room --

And groaned when she saw the glitter bomb still waiting on the coffee table, and not downstairs attached to the front door ready to explode on Frenchie if he showed up again this week. Whether he'd already shown up or not, Harley was not in a state to go set it up now.

She shuffled around some more, in search of her phone, which she found discarded on the kitchen counter. No calls, no messages apart from Cass informing her she'd ordered breakfast delivery on Harley's account. Harley looked at the phone for a long moment more anyway, tapping her thumb against the side of it in thought. Groggy, still sleepy, not yet caffeinated thought.

And pulled up a number she'd had for a while but never actually texted before.

(Successfully, anyway. There was that time on her birthday.)

You awake yet?

(expecting one but can be open for other stuff as well!)

Comments

[hasaknightjob]

"Did notice that," Marc said. She might not be able to see his smile but maybe she'd gotten good at hearing when he had something like one. "Do my best to keep earning it."

[totalwildcard]

The kiss turned into a bit of a nuzzle.

"That's what I like to hear."

[hasaknightjob]

"I'm trying," Marc said. And the hell of it was that he was. Maybe not super great on succeeding but he was trying to do things differently than he had before.

Which raised a lot of questions about why but Marc wasn't going to get into that. It was enough that he was trying. Maybe.

[totalwildcard]

"Usually all that can be asked for, trying," Harley told him. Her hand was still rubbing the back of his shoulder. "'Less the person doin' the asking gets demandy."

[hasaknightjob]

"You planning on doing that?" Marc asked.

[totalwildcard]

"Well, I sorta demanded breakfast?" Harley mused, her tone going all thoughtful. "And I demand respect? But that's just about where it stops."

And considering past experience, sometimes even respect was optional.

[hasaknightjob]

"You should demand respect," Marc said. "That one doesn't count."

[totalwildcard]

"But it's a demand?" Harley argued. With the intonation of a question. "Why wouldn't it count?"

Hi, welcome to Harley's psyche.

[hasaknightjob]

"Because it's the bare minimum," Marc said. And he was making mental notes here, yeah. "Be like saying you were demanding about wanting to breathe or some shit."

[totalwildcard]

"Those are two really different things," Harley replied. "I'm not gonna die if I get no respect, for one!"

She gave a little huff.

"Trust me, I know."

In case it wasn't already showing enough.

[hasaknightjob]

"Still doesn't make you demanding to want it," Marc said. "Demanding is for unimportant shit. Or being an asshole about what you want. Not wanting to be treated like a person."

[totalwildcard]

Harley shifted. Not enough for him to really see her face, but enough for her to press her lips against his cheek.

"Lots more to bein' a person than respect."

[hasaknightjob]

"Didn't say it was the only thing," Marc said. He held her a little closer. "Point is it's not obnoxious to want it."

[totalwildcard]

And now it was Harley's nose pressing into his skin a little.

She fell silent. It wouldn't last, but...

Yeah.

[hasaknightjob]

"You're okay, Doc," Marc told her. "I gotcha."

[totalwildcard]

Harley's hand traveled slowly from the back of his shoulder up to his neck, and wasn't it strange how easily her fingertips skipped right over where the chain around his neck was likely to be? Like they knew exactly where it was.

"I think ya might have to face the facts, Marc," she said, quiet enough to mask that she wasn't entirely hitting the wry tone she was going for. "You might be a decent person."

[hasaknightjob]

"Take it back," Marc said. Not fully seriously though. More like if she'd insulted his hair.

[totalwildcard]

"Not unless you make me."

Mostly a joke?

Well, there was an attempt at that in it, anyway.

[hasaknightjob]

"If I am, you are," Marc replied.

Maturely.

[totalwildcard]

A beat passed by.

"Am not."

What?

[hasaknightjob]

"Are too."

Also what?

[totalwildcard]

"Am not," Harley repeated, this time with a little huff, "times a thousand."

[hasaknightjob]

"Are too," Marc said. "Times a thousand plus one."

[totalwildcard]

Harley finally pulled her head up all the way, because he needed to see these eyebrows and just how high up they were.

"Not, times infinity."

[hasaknightjob]

That worked out, because she could see him smirking in return.

"Are. Times infinity, plus one."