tampered | Log: Ongoing

Log: Ongoing

When; Early Monday Morning after the Grab Bag Curse
Rating; PGish most likely
Characters; Harry Dresden

dresden4hire, Mercy Thompson

coyote_walking
Summary; This is going to be an awkward morning...
Log;

Mercy curled up further into the warm body next to her. She wasn't awake enough to be really aware, she just knew that she was happy and contented and warm. Some small part of her was trying to tell her there was some reason why this wasn't right, but she was too content to pay attention to that part just yet.

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"Mmmm..." She buried her face in his neck. He smelled good and she felt safe and loved, but...

Somehow it didn't seem quite right all of a sudden. She shook her head a little, trying to get that thought out of her head and go back to the happiness and contentment.

The nuzzling on his neck tickled him a bit and pushed him into wakefulness from his sleeping state. Slowly opening his eyes he saw a poll of raven black hair fanned out, the owners face buried against his neck.

"Ohhhhhh shit," Harry said.

Mercy blinked and pulled back a little, then gasped. "Harry?"

Harry paused, trying to process this. His memory was very, very hazy at the moment.

"Are we both naked?" he asked. "Because I feel very naked and you feel very naked."

Mercy swallowed hard. "I think we're both naked. I think..."

Oh, they weren't just randomly naked. Memories of the weekend were starting to flood back. Lots of memories. Lots of vivid technicolor memories with sight and sound and feeling and emotion.

"Why...? Why do I remember us being married?"

Harry let out a breath and nodded. This was going to be very, very, very awkward. Even as she spoke, things started to come back to him. Very good things, true, but things that were making right now really uncomfortable.

"Iiiii think because we got married," he said.

"How...?"

She bit her lip. "This is... very awkward. I'm sorry."

And about that time realized she was still snuggled up against him and tried to carefully shift away a little.

Edited 2010-05-18 02:19 (UTC)

Harry also tried to unentangle himself from Mercy as carefully as possible and being every bit a gentleman about it he could.

"Yeeaaaahhh, on a lot of levels," Harry admitted. One of the levels was that things were really, really good when they were together.

"I... um..." Mercy swallowed hard, closing her eyes and then immediately opening them again when her mind insisted on showing her images of their weekend together. Damn, it had been good. Amazingly good. "I guess it's only as awkward as we let it be."

Which considering the way they were going was probably going to be extremely.

"I think it's going to be as awkward as it possibly can be, actually," Harry admitted. Because really, she was his employee and his brother's ex, so there wasn't much of a chance of it not being awkward.

"You were, ummm, it was a very nice weekend though," he said. "I was very happily married to you."

Mercy ducked her head, not meeting his eyes. "Yeah. It was... I was really very happy."

Happier than she'd been in a very very long time.

"I understand if you'd rather not have me work for you," she said, tucking the covers around her a little. "I mean, we can't do anything about you being Thomas' brother, but..."

"It's a curse, Mercy," Harry said, shaking his head. While they might be strange around each other for a bit, he had every confidence that it would get less so.

"I don't want you to quit or anything like that. We can make this work. Sadly, it's not the first time I've woken up in bed with a woman I was married to for a weekend."

"I'm not sure if that makes me feel better or worse," Mercy said with a faint attempt at levity.

"But I'm sure it will all be fine," she said quietly after a moment. The hard part for her would be dealing with that part of her that really kind of wished they were actually together. If it would be anything like the weekend it would be amazing.

"Trust me, it's way more awkward waking up next to your lesbian roommate-slash-best friend after thinking you were married to her," Harry said. Maybe not helpful, but he couldn't help but joke. Hooray defense mechanisms.

"Of course, it would be a lot easier to deal with if the memories weren't of being so happy," he told her.

She smiled at him. "Yeah, I can see that." And then became a bit more serious. "It was good, wasn't it? Makes me wonder..."

Harry had a pretty good idea of what she was wondering, but he didn’t let himself think about that right now. He felt too much of a mess to start down that road right now, especially with his brother’s ex. Still…

“Wonder what?”

Mercy blushed and looked down. "Nothing. It's..." She shook her head.

But then again... They were here in bed, naked, after what she remembered as being an incredible weekend - one where they not only had great sex, but also got along so well. "Just... if it would still be even half as good if it were real and not a curse. ... I know. Stupid."

Harry rolled out of bed so that his back was to her, careful to keep everything modest. Sighing, he ran his hands through his hair and shook his head, trying to make some sense of everything.

"It might, it might not," he said. "I just..."

"I know, I know," she said quickly. "I was with your brother and... yeah. Like I said. Stupid."

Harry sighed again and rubbed the palms of his hands against his eyes. This really wasn't something he wanted to deal with right now, although he knew that he should. He liked Mercy and in other circumstances, he wouldn't be conflicted about... things.

"It's not stupid, Mercy," he said. "Not at all."

"Oh, but it is," she said softly, sitting up and wrapping the sheet around her as she slipped over the edge of the bed to grab some clothes from the dresser. Why did she never have anything clean close at hand?

"But you're a good man, Harry."

Harry idly wondered if he had any clothes here. He probably would have packed an overnight bag at the very least. Thank god they hadn't started moving his stuff over just yet.

"And why is it stupid?" he asked.

Mercy slipped into jeans and a shirt, then searched for his clothes - they had to be around somewhere.

"It's just a mess. And after the last mess I made of my life I decided I was done with all of this."

She found his pants and a shirt and set them near him on the bed, carefully not looking at him, and then went into the bathroom to give him some privacy.

"It's just that I remember being so happy," she said softly to herself.

“Yeah, I’m in that boat with you,” he thought as he began to get dressed. He had just essentially killed the mother of his child back home and was shot and possibly killed just before sleeping with his best friend back home. Which made him think of something else.

“I don’t suppose you’re on the pill?” he called out.

Mercy froze and swore under her breath. "No," she said after a moment. "After - I went off them because I knew I wouldn't be sleeping with ayone for a long time. I didn't count on a curse like this."

She sat down on the side of the bathtub, feeling sick. She couldn't be pregnant. She couldn't be. And yet... a weekend of crazy, amazing, unprotected sex...

Edited 2010-05-20 00:52 (UTC)

"We'll have to, we'll have to just wait and see," he said, trying to make sense of it all. He did not need this, he really did not need this. He couldn't have a kid in the City, especially not like this.

"I'm sorry," she said softly. "I'm sure this is the last thing you want to think about."

It was the last thing she wanted to think about. Not that there was any question about what she'd do if she was pregnant. Her mom had been an unmarried teenager when she'd had Mercy, at least Mercy had a job and some life experience.

"It is what it is," Harry said, shaking his head.

"And I'm not going to- I don't want to bring a child into the world by loathing the idea of it happening," he said, hoping that would make sense. No one should have to be borne into that type of environment.

"If... I am... I'm keeping it," she said, her voice low but firm. "If my mom could have me..."

"And I wouldn't let you raise it alone," Harry said, a small catch in his voice. He'd done that once before, even inadvertently, but he made a promise to never do it again.

She heard the catch in his voice and came into the door of the bathroom where she could meet his eyes. "And I would never try to hide it from you or deny you access. Never."

“Thanks,” he said, giving her a small smile. Just because he understood why Elaine had done it didn’t necessarily make it easier. “But we can worry about that if it comes.”

"Which, hopefully, it won't." She managed a rueful half smile for him.

Harry wanted to make some sort of joke about how at least it would be easy for her to get maternity leave from work, but decided against it.

"I really should get going," he said instead, figuring it was probably best if he got going.

She nodded, arms wrapped tightly around herself. Part of her wished he'd stay and the other thought he was probably right to leave. "Might be the smartest idea, I guess."

The house was going to shine in even the darkest corners by the time she was through and there would be enough baked goods to feed everyone in the City.

"Mercy-"

Harry wasn't sure what he should say. He hated how awkward the City could make things. It would be less weird if they were complete strangers.

"I don't want this to ruin our friendship," he finally said, figuring that was the best way he could explain it.

She managed another small sad smile for him. "It won't," she said. "We won't let it. And I don't hate myself for this - even though Justine was sure I would - and I don't regret it." How could she when she'd never thought she'd know what it was like it have someone truly love her and might never again?

"It happened and in that moment, in what we believed, it was wonderful and perfect and right. We didn't do anything wrong and maybe we both got a little happiness that we needed for a while - even if it was only a weekend."

Harry was very wary of living too much in fantasies, even ones he had actually lived through. He couldn't deny though that the happiness without the severe heartache of his loved one becoming half vampire or actually being mind controlled to have feelings about him.

"I don't regret it either," he said, moving over to give her a quick hug. "And I'll see you soon?"

She hugged him back, resting her head on his shoulder for a brief moment, then stepping back and managing another half smile. "I'm sure you will. I do work for you after all."

"Very true," he said with his own half smile. He wondered if she should leave her alone, but he knew that staying around her probably wouldn't help.

"Take care, Mercy."

"You too, Harry," she said quietly.

Edited 2010-05-24 13:06 (UTC)

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Log: Ongoing

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