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]

"All I was saying was opinions," Marc said. Just so it was clear.

[totalwildcard]

"But there's a difference between me havin' opinions about you wanting to change me," Harley pointed out, "and you having 'em about whether I get off to imagining you with a beard or something."

[hasaknightjob]

"And I can have opinions about whether you want me to be a different person," Marc said. "I'm not talking about a beard. I'm talking about who I am. I don't get how what I'm saying is different from what you did. Thought we were agreeing here."

[totalwildcard]

"I just don't know if I get why it matters," Harley admitted, still frowning at him, "what I think in my head about something that's not supposed to be real in the first place."

[hasaknightjob]

"You want me into you but I can't want you to be into me?" Marc asked.

[totalwildcard]

"Yes!" Harley said. Then immediately frowned harder, because that didn't sound right. "I mean no? Fuck, which is the answer that means I want ya to be into me, and you can want whatever the fuck you want? About anything."

[hasaknightjob]

"I want you," Marc said. "All I'm saying is it'd be nice if you wanted me as I am. Not some other version of me who acts different."

[totalwildcard]

"Jesus Christmas," Harley exclaimed, finally letting go of him so she could throw her hands up, "do you really think a little bit of solo roleplay in my head would make any difference to how much I want you as exactly just you whenever you're anywhere near me?!"

[hasaknightjob]

"All I was asking is the same thing you were asking," Marc said. "I don't get why it's shitty if I want it."

[totalwildcard]

"It's not shitty, I just don't get it!"

The open exasperation probably wasn't helping the situation any.

"It wouldn't be wantin' you to be different."

[hasaknightjob]

Also didn't help that Marc was bad at explaining things in general, let alone himself.

"How?" Marc asked. "If it's a fantasy it's a want."

[totalwildcard]

"Yeah, a passing fancy in the moment," Harley retorted. "Doesn't mean anything!"

[hasaknightjob]

"I don't - fine," Marc said. But it looked like he was hitting a wall on getting his brain to wrap around this. "I was trying to say what you said. That's all."

[totalwildcard]

"I wasn't tryin' to be a cop about your thoughts that you have when I'm not even there."

Was it possible this was one of those cases where Harley's desire to set boundaries had veered into overcorrection mode because she was still learning?

Entirely.

[hasaknightjob]

"Then I said it wrong," Marc replied. "News flash I don't talk great."

[totalwildcard]

At least that seemed to finally stop Harley from barreling on like a train on a track?

She inhaled sharp and deep through her nose. Squeezed her eyes closed for a second, then opened them again. "Okay, look, Marc, you wanna be wanted for yourself, as yourself, I get it," she said, with a bit of forced calm in her voice, now. "Doesn't take a PhD to figure out ya haven't had nearly enough of that in your life."

Although it helped!

"So to backtrack a just a tiny bit: I don't even fantasize about other versions. Jesus, I'm not even sure I could, you're so -- you. Change anything, take anything out that has any significance, and it's not you anymore."

[hasaknightjob]

There was a lot in there. And Marc heard it, he did. It was just hard for him to respond to it when he both had a hard time explaining things when he did know what he wanted to say, let alone now when the concept was harder.

Like why to him a fantasy about being someone else could only ever mean wanting to become someone else.

But the more important part was hit with the last part of what Harley said. That eased something in him. So he nodded, a noticeable tension lowering.

"Okay." And then, after a pause. "Thanks."

[totalwildcard]

"I want you," Harley reiterated. Not all of her tension had dissipated yet. "But I'm also gonna have whatever thoughts I'm gonna have, and there's nothing that can stop me."

That part? Might've just been for her own benefit. Like a reminder.

[hasaknightjob]

"Wasn't trying to," Marc said. "Think whatever you want. I'm never gonna try to force you to do or be anything."

[totalwildcard]

Harley's hands had settled onto her thighs. Her fingers curled into the hem of her comfy shorts, now, for something to hold.

"Better," she decided. "Wishin' other people would change rarely does anything good in the end. Wastes everyone's time an' hurts feelings, mostly."

[hasaknightjob]

"That's all I was trying to ask," Marc said. "In my shitty way, I guess."

[totalwildcard]

"'S not shitty as long as you're trying," Harley muttered.

She'd lost a lot of steam over the last short moment, apparently.

[hasaknightjob]

"Sorry I - " Marc made a vague gesture to encompass the past however long it'd been " - fucked it up."

[totalwildcard]

Harley sighed. It took some of the tension out, but also left her shoulders looking a little droopy.

"I was just trying to tell ya a... nice thing. Yanno, to begin with. Originally."

[hasaknightjob]

"Try again?" Marc suggested. "Both of us?"