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

[totalwildcard]

"Is it that great?"

Just wondering.

[hasaknightjob]

Marc's actual feeling was that it was probably something a lot of people didn't get to see. But he suspected Harley might feel weird having that pointed out. So instead he went with, "It's different."

[totalwildcard]

Harley's head tilted a little, although only after another sip.

"From what?"

[hasaknightjob]

"From you being awake," Marc said. He went to make an either/or gesture with his hand then remembered he was holding his coffee. Moving the hand that was on her wasn't an option either for some reason. "Kind of how opposites work."

[totalwildcard]

"Isn't that most people when they're awake and when they're not, though?"

She could have just taken the original compliment, but, oh no.

But her other hand was absently rubbing his arm.

[hasaknightjob]

"You're the one I'm sleeping with," Marc reminded her.

Literally and figuratively.

[totalwildcard]

"'Cause you've rejected the whole notion of random hookups," Harley agreed with a sage nod.

What?

[hasaknightjob]

"Wouldn't have spent the night with them anyway," Marc said. "Kind of the point."

[totalwildcard]

"One night stand doesn't involve the night ever?" Harley retorted, over the rim of her cup. "News to me!"

[hasaknightjob]

"You'd leave when you're done," Marc said. He shrugged. "Least I would."

[totalwildcard]

"I wouldn't if round one was good," Harley scoffed. "Although I'd leave in the middle if it was bad."

[hasaknightjob]

Marc took that into consideration, then gave her half a grin. "Good to know."

[totalwildcard]

"... You're taking that as a compliment on your prowess, aren't ya?"

Not that he was wrong to.

[hasaknightjob]

"Just saying it sounds like evidence of something," Marc replied. Looking a little smug.

[totalwildcard]

"Yeah, well, so does the fact that you went along with it," Harley pointed out. Wading out into dangerous territory, maybe, but sometimes she couldn't help herself. Maybe she could blame the coffee? "Since the one night thing isn't your thing."

[hasaknightjob]

"That's not just you being good in bed," Marc told her.

Little honest, maybe, but it was that thing where he didn't want her reducing herself to only being useful or worth it for one feature. Which in and of itself said something but Marc wasn't going to get into that.

[totalwildcard]

"Hurtful, I am amazing in bed," Harley decided. "Not that you knew that before you agreed to give me a spin."

[hasaknightjob]

"Yeah," Marc said. "So not just you in bed."

[totalwildcard]

Harley took that in. With a slow sip of coffee.

And then circled right on all the way back to, "You didn't really think I would've asked for stuff you weren't okay with, didja?"

She didn't know why she hated the idea that he might have.

[hasaknightjob]

Marc might've tried to avoid answering. But this had been a conversation of a lot of pushing about words. So the lesser of evils was to try to avoid having being pressed for a better explanation.

"I don't think you're an asshole," Marc said. "But that's different than if it matters. Me not being okay with something."

[totalwildcard]

"It matters to me," Harley --

Muttered into her coffee cup.

Look, saying the words out loud at all was a big enough deal. Expecting the 'out loud' part to be out loud would be a step too far.

[hasaknightjob]

"I'm not used to that," Marc said.

Maybe her being honest was letting him be a little honest to. Or something.

[totalwildcard]

"Well, join the fuckin' club," Harley told the coffee. "But, look, I just like it better when you're okay with things. I just like it when you're... okay."

She chewed on her lip for a few seconds.

"And I like it when I can make a difference in that."

[hasaknightjob]

Marc took that in. He needed a moment. Then he reached around her to put his coffee on the table so that he had a free hand to rest on her other side.

"Yeah. Me too."

[totalwildcard]

"Yeah?" Harley murmured.

And took a long sip because that excused hiding her face for a bit.