"Hey Gary?" Harley combed her fingers through his hair and kissed him again before resting her head on the pillow with him. "I love you more and more all the time."
"Yeah?" He asked, tiredness already in his tone. The kiss returned as he smiled at her. "I love you more and more too, but I love hearing it from you." He shifted on his side to pull her close. Yeah, he's going to be down for the count in a few minutes.
Though, if she sleeps through the night, she might hear him half asleep in the morning telling someone to shut up and go away in that rough tired voice he always has in the morning before coffee.
Harley slept peacefully through the night, after the knockout combo of a satisfying high and satisfying sex. She stirred when she heard someone talking in the other room and wondered if they'd left the television on. Eventually she managed to place the voice as Gary and lifted her head to look blearily around the room. Where'd her mans go?
She slipped out of bed and wrapped herself in a blanket before padding out of the room.
Gary had been an early riser since he started his journey of self-improvement after the death of his best bro. Often a run before making coffee and breakfast for his bosses, if Sheila didn't beat him too it while out running.
Today was a late start, between how hard he slept after the fantastic high and mindblowing sex. Harley knew how to wipe the man out for sure. It was just one of the many reasons he adored her.
Standing in the kitchen, leaning on the counter while coffee was brewing half asleep. As she made her way in. "I told you, that's just stupid. That is not how it works, dude." He had just spoke waving a hand at literal nothing, before he heard her voice and looked back.
'Uhoh, someone's in trouble.' 24 jokingly mocked, before whistling. Gary waving a hand quickly in the ghost's face.
"Stop it, dude." He grumbled, before smiling Harley's way, sheepish. "Morning Harley." He dodged the question, but worry was building she might think he was crazy now. It was part of why he didn't often stay more than a day, worries she would realize just how messed up he was, even if he tried to be a good person even with his job.
Harley shuffled over to lean sleepily against him, tucking her head under his chin and pulling the blanket tight around her. For a moment it seemed like he might be able to play it off, but then she asks again.
"Who were you talking to?"
He wouldn't talk to the Monarch or Dr. Mrs. the Monarch that way, and his phone was still in the bedroom besides.
Gary leaned his head down to kiss the top of her head and loop both arms around her to give her the best tired morning squeeze.
"Uhh, no one?" He spoke, and as with anytime he lies, he froze up some. Yeah, dead give away.
Oh, he talked to the Monarch like that, but not Shelia. Gary and Malcolm were pretty much besties at this point, and he had long stopped fearing his boss. When Malcolm threatened to quit being a villain when Gary was offered to be a proper league level six villain status, well, Gary threatened to quit to stay with his bro. He just didn't see himself as a real villain.
Harley yawned against his chest and shuffled backwards after. She looked blearily around the room, blinking the sleep from her eyes.
"I'm gonna shower," she announced, "and then I'll go to town and pick up Plan B. And when I get back, I'll ask again and you won't lie when you answer."
She went back into the bedroom and collected the toys they used last night, taking those with her into the shower to get cleaned up. Soon he was left alone with his ghost and the sound of running water coming from the other room. Harley didn't take long showers so he wouldn't have much time to get his shit together.
"Uhh, yeah, okay babe. I'll go with you to town, if you want."
He felt guilty as he said it, giving a dirty look off to the side, but not to her.
While she was gone he spent a few moments bitching at the ghost for trying to sabotage him, but when she came out he at least had her cup of coffee and had pulled on his jeans and favorite Star Wars shirt. Holding the coffee to her, much like Malcolm and Shelia he knows exactly how Harley likes her coffee.
"Hey babe, take a seat. You're gonna think I'm crazy." Another dirty look shot over to the counter as 24 was laughing calling him a dweeb.
She comes back out dressed simply, with no make up and her hair down and still a little damp. She grabs the keys from the counter before he offers coffee and considers going off without him anyway.
But she slowly sets the keys down and takes the mug instead. She sits on a stool and sips her coffee. Damn it, he did make it perfect.
At least he was dressed and ready to go with her, even as he took a drink from his own coffee.
Looking a tad embarrassed as he nodded. It's true, he knows she had dated crazy and befriended a lot of crazy.
"You remember 24, right?" He knows she does. His eyes shifting to the counter where he was laughing. "I... kinda hear and see him. Like all the time." Well, at least she knew he had taken it hard when his buddy died. He wouldn't be jacked like he was, and become the model of a perfect henchmen in the guild if 24 had lived. "His name was Paul." He hadn't even told the Monarch that, he doubted Malcolm cared, but he had been so close to 24.
Gary had never had therapy in his life, unless one counted the hench recovery group he tried the first time the cocoon was destroyed. Which was a failure, as he convinced all those other henches to go back to their rogues.
"I think it started out as stress..." He looked a little guilty as he looked up. "I kept his skull for a few years... and still have the glove he died in. I carry it when I think I might die on a job. Kind of like good luck. He's never looked dead, kind of just like he's there making commentary."
Motioning to the counter where he kept glaring randomly. "He's saying that I should have kept my mouth shut... Even Malcolm and Shelia don't know about this. Well, besides the glove, Shelia knows that." And so did not approve.
She reached across the counter and took his hand, rubbing her thumb across the back of his knuckles.
"I don't ever want you to feel like you have to hide something from me, especially something that matters to you."
She slid her mug aside and took his hand in both of hers.
"Paul was there for you for so many formative moments while you were growing up and becoming you and he died in a horrible, sudden, traumatic way. Of course you wanted to keep a part of him. Of course you still talk to him."
"Is it? I really don't want to be locked up. One trip to Arkham was enough." Because it was basically Arkham, so it will be now. "And that was to break someone else out." The things he does to help the Venture boys.
Shifting his hand to hold hers, offering a soft bittersweet smile.
"I don't like hiding things, outside of work stuff..." Which he tells her anyway, so moot point. "It's just been super hard, you know?"
Of course, she knew, he listened and nodded, lifting his other hand already feeling his eyes trying to mist. Ignoring it for years has not helped. "He was my best friend, Harley." He spoke low. "The only person I really had for the longest time." He didn't know if she knew, but the misty dark eyes looked to her. "I still keep seeing his head flying at me." He had been hit in the head with the severed head of his best friend, which certainly didn't help the trauma. "At least, I killed the people who did it." And Shelia would be furious if she knew Gary had killed her moppets. More so when it was Malcolm's fault. Not that the Monarch even really knew that.
He wrapped both of those arms around her as he tried to keep the tears from flowing.
"People will think I'm insane, they already do after that last fight with Brock." The fact he walked away from a fight with Brock and went to go beat down Monstrso together was kind of the stuff of legends. Doctor Venture's cameras were the only reason those rumors got out.
Kissing her back softly, before looking up a little guilty. "Sometimes, he knows I don't approve of it." He admitted softly. "We should get to town."
"I know who Gary is," she said while cradling him against her. She rested her head against him and stroked his back. "Gary is loyal, and kind, and observant, and a good listener, and generous, and endlessly loving."
Holding close to Harley, finally starting to get the tears to stop. A hitched sound escaped before he finally muttered against her neck. "You really think so? I try really hard..." He was the worst at being bad, and yet, he always believes in what the villains do. "Love you, Harley."
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Though, if she sleeps through the night, she might hear him half asleep in the morning telling someone to shut up and go away in that rough tired voice he always has in the morning before coffee.
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She slipped out of bed and wrapped herself in a blanket before padding out of the room.
"Babe? Who are you talking to?"
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Today was a late start, between how hard he slept after the fantastic high and mindblowing sex. Harley knew how to wipe the man out for sure. It was just one of the many reasons he adored her.
Standing in the kitchen, leaning on the counter while coffee was brewing half asleep. As she made her way in. "I told you, that's just stupid. That is not how it works, dude." He had just spoke waving a hand at literal nothing, before he heard her voice and looked back.
'Uhoh, someone's in trouble.' 24 jokingly mocked, before whistling. Gary waving a hand quickly in the ghost's face.
"Stop it, dude." He grumbled, before smiling Harley's way, sheepish. "Morning Harley." He dodged the question, but worry was building she might think he was crazy now. It was part of why he didn't often stay more than a day, worries she would realize just how messed up he was, even if he tried to be a good person even with his job.
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"Who were you talking to?"
He wouldn't talk to the Monarch or Dr. Mrs. the Monarch that way, and his phone was still in the bedroom besides.
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"Uhh, no one?" He spoke, and as with anytime he lies, he froze up some. Yeah, dead give away.
Oh, he talked to the Monarch like that, but not Shelia. Gary and Malcolm were pretty much besties at this point, and he had long stopped fearing his boss. When Malcolm threatened to quit being a villain when Gary was offered to be a proper league level six villain status, well, Gary threatened to quit to stay with his bro. He just didn't see himself as a real villain.
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"I'm gonna shower," she announced, "and then I'll go to town and pick up Plan B. And when I get back, I'll ask again and you won't lie when you answer."
She went back into the bedroom and collected the toys they used last night, taking those with her into the shower to get cleaned up. Soon he was left alone with his ghost and the sound of running water coming from the other room. Harley didn't take long showers so he wouldn't have much time to get his shit together.
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He felt guilty as he said it, giving a dirty look off to the side, but not to her.
While she was gone he spent a few moments bitching at the ghost for trying to sabotage him, but when she came out he at least had her cup of coffee and had pulled on his jeans and favorite Star Wars shirt. Holding the coffee to her, much like Malcolm and Shelia he knows exactly how Harley likes her coffee.
"Hey babe, take a seat. You're gonna think I'm crazy." Another dirty look shot over to the counter as 24 was laughing calling him a dweeb.
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But she slowly sets the keys down and takes the mug instead. She sits on a stool and sips her coffee. Damn it, he did make it perfect.
"Crazy obviously isn't a deal breaker for me."
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Looking a tad embarrassed as he nodded. It's true, he knows she had dated crazy and befriended a lot of crazy.
"You remember 24, right?" He knows she does. His eyes shifting to the counter where he was laughing. "I... kinda hear and see him. Like all the time." Well, at least she knew he had taken it hard when his buddy died. He wouldn't be jacked like he was, and become the model of a perfect henchmen in the guild if 24 had lived. "His name was Paul." He hadn't even told the Monarch that, he doubted Malcolm cared, but he had been so close to 24.
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Harley keeps her hands wrapped around the mug to something to ground her. She leans her elbows on the counter and puts on her listening doctor face.
"Do you see Paul in a haunted-by-a-ghost way or a traumatic-stress-hallucination way?"
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"I think it started out as stress..." He looked a little guilty as he looked up. "I kept his skull for a few years... and still have the glove he died in. I carry it when I think I might die on a job. Kind of like good luck. He's never looked dead, kind of just like he's there making commentary."
Motioning to the counter where he kept glaring randomly. "He's saying that I should have kept my mouth shut... Even Malcolm and Shelia don't know about this. Well, besides the glove, Shelia knows that." And so did not approve.
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She reached across the counter and took his hand, rubbing her thumb across the back of his knuckles.
"I don't ever want you to feel like you have to hide something from me, especially something that matters to you."
She slid her mug aside and took his hand in both of hers.
"Paul was there for you for so many formative moments while you were growing up and becoming you and he died in a horrible, sudden, traumatic way. Of course you wanted to keep a part of him. Of course you still talk to him."
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Shifting his hand to hold hers, offering a soft bittersweet smile.
"I don't like hiding things, outside of work stuff..." Which he tells her anyway, so moot point. "It's just been super hard, you know?"
Of course, she knew, he listened and nodded, lifting his other hand already feeling his eyes trying to mist. Ignoring it for years has not helped. "He was my best friend, Harley." He spoke low. "The only person I really had for the longest time." He didn't know if she knew, but the misty dark eyes looked to her. "I still keep seeing his head flying at me." He had been hit in the head with the severed head of his best friend, which certainly didn't help the trauma. "At least, I killed the people who did it." And Shelia would be furious if she knew Gary had killed her moppets. More so when it was Malcolm's fault. Not that the Monarch even really knew that.
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"It's okay, baby. You're okay. It's not weird to miss your friend and want to keep him in your life."
She held his face in both hands and kissed him sweetly.
"... Is he there when we fuck?"
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"People will think I'm insane, they already do after that last fight with Brock." The fact he walked away from a fight with Brock and went to go beat down Monstrso together was kind of the stuff of legends. Doctor Venture's cameras were the only reason those rumors got out.
Kissing her back softly, before looking up a little guilty. "Sometimes, he knows I don't approve of it." He admitted softly. "We should get to town."
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Harley frowned and smoothed his hair back. She wasn't going anywhere until they hashed this out.
"I'm insane. Does that bother you?"
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"No, I've always loved that about you. You're always Harley, no matter what people think. Sometimes I just don't know who Gary really is."
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