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 Posted: Sun Aug 27, 2023 3:33 pm
The aroma of Korean cuisine hung in the air as Harvey had been hard at work in the kitchen. He seldom had the motivation to cook, usually only if Rae asked for something or whenever he missed the taste of home and his mom wasn’t available, but today he had a different reason. Home life had been awkward at best ever since the day he dropped off some boxes for Mel and he…acted without really thinking. Even he wasn’t so dense that he didn’t recognize his emotions at the time for what they were, so the aftermath of that called for some introspection. He asked her for some time, and she gave it to him.
He had his priorities, after all, Rae being the topmost. But he had that talk with her soon after (she was more observant than he gave her credit for), so he had more time to think on his own than he anticipated. Really, it was possibly too much time to think on his own because he was well into the realm of overthinking and already pushing himself into a state of anxiety.
So he cooked dinner tonight, in the hopes that he and Mel could finally talk, if she was up to it. If not, then they could at least share a meal together. He missed just being able to hang out with her anyway, so if nothing else this might hopefully open the door to them going back to how things used to be before the events of that day.
Not that he wanted exactly that for them, but if it was the only way that the two of them could be comfortable around each other again…
He heaved a sigh as he set the hot pot on its designated trivet on the table, then glanced at the clock. Mel was due home any minute, so he turned and headed back into the kitchen to get it cleaned up so only the dishes would be left once they finished eating.
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Posted: Mon Aug 28, 2023 10:41 pm
Melody would have been home on time if it wasn’t that she had to make a pit stop at the gas station on the way home. As it was, she pulled into the driveway about ten minutes later than normal. Not too bad considering she hit mostly all green lights after leaving the theater. After gathering her belongings, her purse which was slung over a shoulder, a plastic bag full of sewing notions and supplies, and two bolts of fabric that were held under one arm against her side. Leftovers from the previous production that she’d claimed for personal use to add to her craft room, which honestly didn’t need more stuff but here she was. Standing at the front door, her house key slid into the lock easily but as Melody turned the knob one of the bolts of fabric shifted. Out of pure reflex she leaned to the side and lifted her leg in some sort of weird contortionsit type move just to keep it from dropping on the ground. It worked, mostly anyway. Required her to set the plastic bag down to orient her belongings so she could go inside. But that was of little inconvenience. As she stood in the entryway removing her shoes while considering her options for dinner, the spicy aroma of kimchi had finally made its way from the kitchen, down the hallway, and to the front door. Her stomach growled loudly. Kind of to be expected when she worked through lunch but the sound of it did give her reason to look up and around the corner to make sure Harvey hadn’t heard it. Oh thank goodness… she thought to herself as the sound of water running in the kitchen and dishes being set in the drying rack were heard down the hall. “Something smells good,” Melody commented as she shut the door behind her and carried her things into the living room for the time being. “I’m guessing Meg had something come up.” She glanced over the familiar but underused hotpot. A smile tugged the corner of her lips knowing how much of a softy he was when it came to his daughter and knew this was something she’d ask for. “What time is Rae expected to be here?”
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Posted: Mon Aug 28, 2023 11:21 pm
He heard the door open, and he couldn’t help his reaction, not the little smile nor the skipped beat nor the flipping stomach. He steadied himself by washing the dishes, because despite himself he was feeling quite nervous. Would she want to talk? Would she even want dinner? Had she given that day any thought since it happened? What about them? Would she just want to be friends? What would he do if she did?
What would he do if she didn’t?
That last one was probably both the easiest and hardest question to answer. It was, however, the question he hoped he had to answer if he had to pick just one for the night.
A million other ones still ran through his mind as he finished with the dishes, listening carefully to whatever the hell was happening at the doorway, and when she eventually spoke he shoved all of them to the very back of his mind. He had turned to reach for the towel to dry his hands when she asked about Meg, then Rae, and he blinked.
“Actually, uh,” he started, putting the towel back on the rack before heading out toward the living room. He spotted her with all her things and approached without really thinking, grabbed bolts and the plastic bag. “It’s just us tonight. I figured it’s been a while since we, y’know.”
’Talked.’
“Sat down and had dinner together.”
’And talked.’
“Hung out, that kinda thing. I had a craving, and mom just dropped off some of her side dishes, so I figured.”
‘We could maybe try and have that talk now.’
“Crafts room, yeah?” he asked, holding up the bolts and bag of materials. He was smiling as he usually did with her, and trying very hard to ignore the fact that he’d completely just missed an opportunity to ask if they could finally talk.
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Posted: Fri Sep 29, 2023 9:38 pm
If there was ever a moment to have a brain fart, of course, it would be now. It had already been a long day and she’d expected to come home and just veg on the couch with a bowl of popcorn or something with a movie she’d already seen a dozen times just for background sound in case she fell asleep. This, however, wasn’t something she could have anticipated. Food smelled absolutely amazing and although she lacked the thought to tell him, her stomach made a point to let Harvey know that she was ready to eat. The sound it made was indescribable but one might think that she would die without sustenance if they didn’t sit down soon. Even so, Melody just watched him with a bewildered, or perhaps puzzled expression while she tried to sequentially process the points he’d made to figure out the meaning between the lines that he was expertly evading. “Uh, yeah.” She finally replied as she put her shoes in the basket beside the door. “There should be space on the cutting table, otherwise on the sewing chair is fine.” As long as everything was together, it’d be fine. When he turned his back to her she added. “I wish you would have told me your mother was coming by. It’s been a while since I last had a chance to say hello to her.” She was a kind woman who loved her son and granddaughter dearly. Melody meandered over to the table and took a seat while he put her things in the craft room. “So,” she turned when she heard the floorboards in the hallway groan. “This is kinda fancy,” her lips pulled into a smirk but not as a means to mock him. “Kind of making me feel like there’s a special occasion I’m forgetting.” It wasn’t either of their birthdays so maybe he landed himself a high-paying client and wanted someone to celebrate with.
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Posted: Fri Sep 29, 2023 10:32 pm
Her puzzled expression didn’t go unnoticed, but he chose not to comment. She knew him well enough that he guessed she was already trying to figure out what it was he actually wanted to say. As soon as she told him where the stuff would go he turned around and headed to her crafts room. Not that he enjoyed confusing her; it wasn’t like him to skirt around a subject. A testament, perhaps, to how nervous he actually was now that he was finally face to face with her and they were talking.
“I didn’t know,” he said as he went, “she surprised me. Said she had a feeling we were running out of sides. It’s freaky ‘cause she was right.”
He disappeared for a moment into her crafts room, quickly set the items on the cutting table, then exited the room and headed back down the hall and toward the dining table. He noted the smirk and returned it with a one of his own as he passed her to head back into the kitchen to grab a few more things.
“Nothing you forgot,” he replied slowly, quietly grateful that she had presented him with another chance to bring up their possibly talking about the other day. He grabbed the plates and all, which he carefully balanced in one hand, while he used the other to grab the pitcher of water in the refrigerator. “Potentially a special occasion, I guess?”
He set the pitcher down on the table first, then put the rest of what he was holding down before going to the rice cooker and gesturing for one of her bowls. It helped, having his hands busy while he sorted his thoughts. It kept his nerves down, and he finally said, “Actually I was hoping we could finally talk about what happened the other day, if you’re up for it?”
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Posted: Tue Oct 10, 2023 10:42 pm
“The other day?” her head canted to the side as she took on an almost thoughtful expression. “Are we talking about yesterday when I left my laundry in the dryer? Or perhaps a couple of days ago when I came home with a cinnamon roll that mysteriously disappeared from the counter?” To this she gave Harvey an almost stern look, however, the annoyance was short-lived as her lips pulled into an amused smirk. No, she knew what he meant and there was no reason really to make him sweat over it. Plus, Stacia would love to hear about the season finale of The Days of Our Lives - Harvey x Mel edition. Her threshold for waiting seemed to be a week max because she was already threatening volunteering to come over and confront him for her. Such a good friend. “I’m just kidding.” Melody reached for the glass of water and drank about a quarter of it to calm what nerves seemed to be building up. “To be honest, I’ve kinda been waiting to have this conversation with you.” Impatiently I might add, because it took a lot of will power to not knock on your bedroom door at 3AM and ask what the hell her little inner voice interjected but thankfully the filter between her mind and mouth kept it just a thought. “I just want to preface this by saying I’m not angry. Confused, yeah. But not angry.” If anything, when she thought back on the moment when he held her from behind almost possessively and the surprised look on Cameron’s face when it appeared he’d been beaten, only to redouble his efforts the next day… it made her feel a bit twitterpated for lack of a better word.
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Posted: Tue Oct 10, 2023 11:58 pm
Harvey blinked at her initial question, then laughed lightly as she listed a couple of other instances that they technically could talk about as not-good roommate behavior that should be talked about. His worry grew that maybe she had blotted the incident completely from her mind because she didn’t want anything to change, but that was thankfully short-lived. Her smirk told him enough, and he relaxed a bit as he filled each of their rice bowls before taking a seat.
“Sorry. If I could’ve just talked to you about it the day of the disappearing-cinnamon-roll I would have, but that wasn’t really an option.”
He paused and took a sip of his own water to calm himself as well. “I talked to who I had to talk to, though, and took all that time–probably too much time–to sort my thoughts. I’m just gonna cut straight to the point, like ripping a bandaid off ‘cause otherwise who knows how I could possibly ******** this up, and then you can ask me whatever you want.”
He settled his gaze on her, his brows knit together out of worry of what she might say, how she might react. But he had steeled his resolve, and despite the air of vulnerability about him there was a soft determination in his eyes. So he took a deep breath and just…said it.
“I like you, Mel. I started liking you in college, and I don’t think I ever actually got over my feelings for you from back then. Just did a lot to try and pretend I didn’t have ‘em. So I did what I did the other day because I like you, and seeing that…guy…with you, seeing the way he looked at you, pissed me off.”
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Posted: Wed Jun 12, 2024 1:54 pm
Melody sat across from him nodding while he worked his way through fumbled words to the point he was trying to make. But when he got there… Oh boy… she was not prepared. Shocked into a bit of a stupor she stared at him with an almost blank expression; not breathing nor blinking, or even thinking for that matter. For all that she had expected, this was not it. She’d thought he’d explain that he saw her as a sister and was protecting her from some creep. Or maybe the feelings he had were new and unexpected, that he acted before realizing what he was doing which would have been easier to accept. It took a moment for her mind to reboot and playback the last thing he had said only to get hung up once more on the timeframe he had mentioned. “Since college?” She asked cautiously with a drop of skepticism mixed with a barrel of anticipation of him amending that to something perhaps more recent or commenting that this was just a joke to lighten the mood. But his steadfast gaze that settled on her like a tangible weight held no humor as he sat across from her with bated breath. “Harvey-”While she was willing to take the secret to her grave, if there was ever a time to admit long-kept secrets, this was probably it. “I have had feelings for you since before we were roommates. I- tried to get your attention,” a change of clothes, new hairstyle, anything to seem more feminine. Superficial probably but it wasn’t like she had many people to talk to for ideas. “But figured you only saw me as one of the guys.” As many others often did because of Eric, mostly. “Especially after Megan came into the picture. I never acted on it after that because your friendship meant more to me than anything.” Although it felt like her chance with him had long since expired, those feelings of young love were held carefully in a treasure box kept close to her heart, guarded carefully even now.
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Posted: Wed Jun 12, 2024 8:47 pm
Harvey kept his gaze steady on Mel as he waited, quietly, for her answer. He took in every little change in her expression as she gathered her thoughts, wondering for a second what each meant before promptly stamping out the thought. He didn't intend to let his mind wander for fear of where it might go while he waited; he had a tendency to lean into pessimism with far less serious things, so he knew at the outset that that would be a dangerous place to let his thoughts settle.
So he waited, looking as calm as he could manage. The only tell for his nerves was, perhaps, the way he fidgeted with the cup of water in his hands. He held fast to it like a lifeline, and when the first question came he couldn't help but look down.
"Yeah, college," he replied, and stopped himself there. Adding on more details felt somehow like he was making excuses. He could elaborate later, if she wanted. It wasn't until she said his name that he finally looked up again, leveled his gaze with hers, and listened.
Surprise came first, then a very brief relief mixed with amusement, then confusion, guilt, and regret in quick succession after that. It seemed a tale as old as time, considering all the movies and tv shows they'd seen together, not to mention books, comics, and whatever other medium stories came in. It was a simple misunderstanding that snowballed into the situation they were in now.
He sighed, expression one of defeat.
"Damn. I thought you considered me like one of your brothers, which was actually why you were okay with being roommates with me, of all people. Not that that made any kinda difference considering I still wound up liking you, I just didn't think I had a chance. Not to mention Eric telling me off before I moved in. And then when Meg came into the picture..."
His eyes fell back to his cup of water as he fought to gather his thoughts. There was absolutely nothing they could do about the past, and they could take as much time as they wanted to hash that out in the future after they figured out what to do about them now.
So he sighed again, and after taking a moment to shove aside any extraneous thoughts (at least up to this point), he looked up.
"Our friendship meant a lot to me, too, and it definitely still does now, but I can't pretend like I don't feel the way I do about you anymore. Maybe for a while I thought it was okay, that I could manage, but if I'm being honest I can barely stand the thought of you being with someone else. And if you tell me right here, right now, that there's no way in hell we can ever be a thing, I'll bury my feelings and figure them out on my own, and we can pretend like I never said or did anything if that's what you want. But I do like you, Mel. I like you a lot, and if there's a chance at all—any chance at all—that you might feel the same, I don't wanna miss it again."
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Posted: Wed Jun 12, 2024 10:27 pm
“Don’t-” Melody paused to gather her thoughts while her eyes wandered across the table from one side dish to the small bowls filled with rice, over to the kitchen where he’d been cooking when she first came home. He’d put a considerable amount of effort beforehand to lead into this conversation, a genuine act of service that truly did make such a night a special occasion. “Don’t do that,” her head shook slowly as she looked up at him once more. “I don’t want you or I to have to go back to hiding our feelings or pretend we’re ok just being friends. It makes things more difficult and will just hurt us both in the end.” “I want to give us a chance, I do.” She reached across the table and placed her hand atop his reassuringly. “But this isn’t just a decision for you and I to make, it affects more than just us…” He had his daughter Desiree to consider. “You know I adore your daughter, but she might not be ok seeing her father with someone other than her mom.”
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Posted: Wed Jun 12, 2024 10:28 pm
When their eyes met he let himself get drawn into her beautiful, amethyst gaze. It gave him a moment of ease—from the nerves of not quite having a response just yet, and the worry that he might have to swallow up his feelings after this because they weren't mutual. It was just a moment, but a bit of tension left his shoulders and he felt himself physically relax. And as he listened, he continued to relax, slowly but steadily, as if he was moving toward the light at the end of a tunnel. There was hope, at least...
And then she effectively answered his question, and he felt the tension leave his body all at once. If he hadn't been sitting he might have wobbled where he stood, but thankfully that wasn't the case. He dropped his head, though, and when he felt her hand atop his he let his cup go so he could properly hold her hand instead.
"Mm, I actually already talked to Rae," he said, finally looking up, a small, hopeful smile now lighting up his face. "She said that as long as I like her and she makes me happy, she'll probably like her too once she gets to know her."
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Posted: Wed Jun 12, 2024 10:30 pm
“She is wise beyond her years,” and far more mature than the both of them when they were still in college it seems. “Know that you’ve done an amazing job raising her,” Melody gave his hand a reassuring squeeze. Perhaps she should include Megan in the compliment but she wasn’t here to receive it and it felt like wasted words. Petty? Maybe… but this moment wasn’t about her. “Stacia is going to have a field day when I see her next.” Melody could see her now already, sitting at her sewing station with a bucket of popcorn in hand somehow knowing there was new news to share. Although she thrived on gossip, Stacia was one person she could trust to hold a secret. “I think what you did gave her some serious book boyfriend vibes and she’s been eagerly awaiting the next chapter.” Mel chuckled and shook her head at the thought since she honestly wasn’t wrong. “By the way…” Mel would have shoulder nudged him if he was beside her but had to settle with tapping the side of his leg with her foot since she already had a hold of his hand. “You have my express permission to do ‘that’ again,” or just tell him that she was spoken for and currently taken, either would suffice. “Especially if Cameron continues to be so insistent.”
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Posted: Wed Jun 12, 2024 10:31 pm
His expression softened as he nodded. "No kidding. I'm probably one of the luckiest dads in the world, having her as my kid."
Harvey glanced down at their point of contact when she squeezed his hand, carefully reading between the lines as she spoke. It definitely felt like something they would do, coming to a decision together without really saying anything outright. They'd done it for years, and despite having to put in the effort to set up the conversation, now that they were finally on the same page it was back to their norm.
With a happy little exception, of course.
"Book boyfriend vibes?" he asked as he adjusted his hold, his focus seemingly shifting as he wondered at how small her hand was compared to his. "I get the genre, but I wonder which couple from which series she's comparing us to." He pulled on a thoughtful look as he followed that train of thought for a bit, though the tap to his leg broke him out of that line and plopped him right onto another.
He blinked at her, surprised more than anything else, and despite himself a light blush crept onto his cheeks. Ignoring the sudden warmth in his face though, he cleared his throat and refocused on their hands.
"Careful," he mumbled, as though he didn't want her to hear, and he gave her hand a little squeeze this time. "I'm not exactly the type to shy away from PDA, so 'that' might not just be 'that' if it does happen again. Not that I'd push it too far, but it might be more than what you'd be comfortable with..."
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Posted: Wed Jun 12, 2024 10:43 pm
“Don’t tempt me into testing that theory.” Melody seemed to catch was going through his mind as he looked down at their hands and so she turned hers around, palm towards him, and uncurled her fingers. “Contrary to popular belief, I’m not as innocent as you might believe. The college girl you may remember…” she smirked, “Well she’s grown up some.”“However, if you make good on your word I think you might just give Stacia a heart attack… but I’m sure she’d die happy.” So long as he didn’t get her fired for causing a scene or making too many people uncomfortable. But if it got Cameron to back off, she was more than willing to see what ‘more’ might mean. “She tends to like the romance books with a little bit of spice” and by a little bit, she meant a whole jar and then some. “I might too…” she added with a small shrug. “Just saying.”
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Posted: Wed Jun 12, 2024 10:53 pm
"Aww, I thought that was something you were expressly allowing me to do now," he said, eyes now on her hand. A few thoughts crossed his mind just then, but unlike earlier he sifted through each one, ultimately turning each down and forcing the better part of his sensibility to the fore. Had they been seated next to each other that would probably have been an entirely different outcome, but as things were, well. "The tempting part, I mean."
He glanced up at her then, grinning playfully.
"I figured you’d done some growing since college, considering all those books,” he said. It had been a very pleasant little surprise, and one he'd been keeping in his pocket to pull out at just the right time...
Now wasn't really it, but that didn’t matter anymore.
“But I’d be very happy to swoop in tomorrow to make good on my word. Three out of four people would no doubt come out happier by the end, and the last one can see, take a hint, and go suck on a railroad spike.”
At that he gently pressed his palm against hers, their fingers alternating but not intertwined just yet. It was a curious sensation, and one he found he was quickly getting addicted to. The question of what it would feel like to hold her hand had occasionally crossed his mind before, but he never dwelled on it for long. His conclusion that it would “probably feel nice” was, he was coming to realize, an unbelievably gross understatement.
"Oh, speaking of those books. I read one, y’know. 'Ryan' something? You had so many just lying around at one point, I got curious. That said, if what was in that book I read is just a 'little bit' of spice for you, I'm even more curious now.”
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