Duplicity » h.s. au

four

     I woke up groggy, not wanting to get out of bed, I knew that once I got out I would have to start a long day of work. I groaned and rolled out, slumped and lazy. I started walking to my small, yet quaint little kitchen, before I stumbled over a big lump of fabric. I couldn't see very well, since it was still dark outside. I picked up the object between my slim fingers, and after realizing that it was a pair of black skinny jeans, I looked over at a sleeping Harvey with just his boxer briefs on. Most likely, he had kicked the blanket off in his sleep. I sat staring at him and his intricate tattoo designs, and my mouth began producing excessive amounts of saliva. I had probably been staring for much too long. I blinked multiple times, bringing myself out of the trance the beautiful stranger had put me in. He looked almost like a child, so peaceful.
I finished making my way to my kitchen and made myself some coffee. I was gonna need the extra boost today. I had long been awaiting the weekend, and with just one day left of stealing, bargaining, and selling items that were meaningless to me, I was ready for some relaxation, even if it was only for a few days.
~
Harry was still sleeping by the time I had to leave, so I wrote him a little note,
Harry,
I've gone out for the day. make yourself at home, or don't, I couldn't care less. There's coffee in the pot, and food in the fridge. Don't wait up, I'll be home late.
xoxo
It felt a bit weird writing him the note, of course I wasn't obligated to do so, but it felt like the nice thing to do. I put the note underneath a glass of water on the coffee table by the couch. There's no way he could miss it.
~
I was walking back home through the bustling streets of Limbo, a very diverse crowd. There were people walking around with tiger heads atop their shoulders, and others with lizard tongues, or with goat legs. Some weren't even walking at all, they were flying, each pair of wings so stunning and so incredibly different from the last. Every individual was a beautifully, hand crafted organism all with stories to write, filled with uncanny exuberance and heartbreak. My favorite thing to do on my way home was to watch the creatures walk amongst each other. I would drink in their every feature the best I could. I tried to pair a story with the person, but I always seemed to come up short of ideas, each one came out looking a lot like mine.
I stumbled through the sea of oddities and came face to face with a lanky black cat with piercing red eyes. She had a very skeletal look, not due to malnutrition, but because of the breed. There were all kinds of strange little animals wandering the cobblestone streets of Limbo.
"Well hello there kitty, are you lost?" I cooed to the sable kitten, I didn't want to scare her off.
"Why don't I just take you with me, yeah? I've been quite lonely lately," I grinned as I picked up the kitty and scratched behind her ears. Her purring was loud and comforting, she rested in my arms, not squirming even in the slightest.
"I think I'm gonna call ya' Chaos, what do you think little guy?" She nuzzled her head against my palm, and my heart leapt with excitement. This might keep me from feeling so isolated all the goddamn time.
~
As I arrived home I fumbled with my keys while trying to manage the kitten in my grasp. I groaned and kicked the door before I heard something scramble around inside. My heart began to pick up pace considerably before I realized it was probably Harry, although it was quite surprising that he was still there.
"Harry stop fùcking around and let me inside my apartment," I grumbled, worn out from my long day.
"Coming," he called out, taking much too long for my liking, and finally when he opened the door for me, I pushed past him, and immediately got out two bowls. One for some cold water, and another for the cat food I had purchased on my way home. I set them down next to a wall near the kitchen and placed Chaos in front of them. She sniffed the contents, and devoured it all in a measly two seconds.
"Woah, that cat sure was hungry," Harry laughed a bit uneasily, staring at her jet black fur. Chaos looked back at him, and Harry seemed caught off guard at the sight of her red eyes.
"What's its name?"
"Her name is Chaos, and I found her wandering the streets," I smiled and gazed at the kitty, excited I had found new company.
"Hi Chaos, how're you doing today, lovely girl?" he stroked the fur down her back despite the fact that he was still unsure about the way she looked. She stretched up onto her hind legs, displaying her bald underbelly, clearly enjoying the attention. She nuzzled against the side of his leg and purred to her little hearts content.
"I think she likes you," I said giggling, because once he stood up she meowed for more of his comforting strokes. Her meows sounded more like a tigers growl, surprising volume for such a small creature. Harry looked at me with confusion plastered across his flushed face, but in the end decided to ignore the strangeness of the situation.
"I tend to have that effect on the ladies, if I do say so myself," he said as he flashed me an over exaggerated smirk, and tossed his imaginary hair behind his back.
"Oh please, Harry, you couldn't seduce a woman even if you tried," I rolled my eyes at him, playfully, of course.
"Hmm, says the girl that's letting me stay in her apartment."
"Who told you i'm letting you stay?" I winked and plopped myself on the couch.
"Okay, that's just rude, I made you dinner and everything," he pouted and extended his large hands towards the table, which had a beautifully put together meal sitting on top.
"If this is how you planned on seducing me, it worked," I laughed, drooling over the food he had put together. There were two plates of spaghetti noodles covered in delicious smelling basil pesto, and topped with all the parmesan cheese I could've asked for.
Harry pulled out a chair for me, and pushed it back in once I sat down. Such a gentleman. I eagerly shoved the first bite of noodles in my mouth..
"Woah slow down there, you might choke," He grinned, pleased with the outcome of his delicious food.
"This is so good Harry, I'm pleasantly surprised," I took another bite, closing my eyes to savor the moment. God, I loved food, and I had been living off of boxed macaroni and microwavable burritos. I was in heaven.
~
"Ugh I hate asking this, but do you think I could stay here for a while? I live with my gir- ex girlfriend and I really don't want to deal with that right now," Harry nervously asked, cringing at the awkwardness of the situation.
"That's no problem, stay as long as you need," I smiled up at him before shoving another bite of noodles in my mouth. I surprised myself by how willing I was to let a strange human I met on the street during a cold London night, stay in my apartment. I had wondered where his family was or why he couldn't stay with a friend, but I didn't want to overstep by asking him personal questions, and I was excited to have the company of another person for a while.
~
As I was brushing my teeth and washing my face, in preparation for bed, Harry got himself settled on the couch, assuming that's where he'd be sleeping again.
"There's another bedroom here if you want to use it," I piped up behind him as he was fixing up the blanket that caressed the couch surface. He glanced over at me, and I seemingly forgot that he was a human male that had raging sexual hormones coursing through him, because he immediately turned bright red, turned his head away again and began frantically fluffing his pillow. I was standing in only a deep green towel that reached just below my juicy butt. My crimped hair was twisted into a tight bun atop my head and I was smothering my face with moisturizer. This was how I kept my skin looking so smooth and healthy. Harry kept sneaking glances my way and I smirked to myself, knowing the effect I can sometimes have on creatures of the male specimen.
"Thank you so much for letting me stay here," he said in a trance like state, trying not to look any further than my eyes. I nodded and walked into my room, chuckling to myself. My cheeks began to burn and I plopped myself face first into my bed. I shouldn't have told him there was a guest bedroom.