H A Z E Y

[serotnin]

[mercymarlowe-a]

ALEX ;;

“Look at me, kid.” Voice dropped low, as gentle as it every got. “You’re gonna be okay. I won’t let anyone else hurt you.”

Callused hands framed Mikey’s face. “You’ve known me your whole life. Have I ever not worried when someone was in danger?” Because try as he might to remain detached, Alex just wanted to keep people s a f e.

“You’re not over it. That’s okay. I’m gonna try to fix it for you.”

“It’s okay, Alex. I’m okay.” He promised, lying through his teeth. “I just want to forget it ever happened.”

He looked at Alex with big eyes, searching the man’s face for a lie and finding none. “I appreciate it, really. I just want to forget.”

Everyone offered to baby him, it seemed. Offered to fix things for him, to take care of his problems. And yet no one wanted to teach him to take care of his own problems.

[mercymarlowe-a]

NASH ;;

Nash was finding it increasingly difficult to put the kitten down. There was just something about the little thing that fascinated him. “Right, so where do I sign?”

“But seriously, we need to talk about this whole, running and hiding thing. We at least need to cover our bases, because if I don’t provide an answer, they’re gonna send someone a lot less understanding to drag you back tooth and nail.”

“Are you serious?” He laughed a little bit, amused by the other. “I mean, they’re free today, but do you even have a place to stay in town?”

He just wanted to talk about kittens, not about the future, about the other Marlowe’s, about any of that stuff.

“I know we do. Are you adopting a kitten?”

[that70sshowgoldencouple]

Which Kitty Forman are you today?

[mercymarlowe-a]

NASH ;;

“That’s fucking adorable.” Nash snorted, careful not to jostle the kitten.

“You raised them?” He was almost completely entranced by the tiny ball of fur, curled up in his caloused hands. 

“Yeah! I foster kittens from the humane society until they’re big enough to be adopted.” Mikey explained, petting the kitten.

“These ones are up for adoption today, actually! All grown up!”

[mercymarlowe-a]

ALEX ;;

He didn’t even notice that he was holding Mikey too tight, just hypocritically focused on the fact that someone had hurt him.

“You…you’re a kid! Why did you go to a brewery? Are they friends of your friend? Maybe we could ask them—”

The boy’s whimper brought him back into focus. Alex couldn’t ask around for the demons only to kill them. What was he thinking? He released Mikey with a start, distressed that his words had been misintripreted so badly. “No, no, that’s not what I….you don’t need to be sorry, Mikey.”

“I’m sorry.” He repeated again, shaking his head. Obviously, this was his fault. He’d gotten himself into trouble, and now he was bothering Alex with it for no reason.

“I’m just-I’m gonna go. You don’t have to worry about what happened. I’m over it.” So he said with tears in his eyes.

[mercymarlowe-a]

NASH ;;

“Now see, that makes sense. I bet you have to wear one of those cliche candy stripe old-timey ice cream parlor uniforms.” Nash would’ve kept going but the small ball of fur was being shoved into his hands. “W-wait, what if I hurt her?” He was holding the cat carefully, a little away from his chest but close enough that he wouldn’t drop her. 

“Yeah, actually. With the bowtie and everything.” He laughed.

“You’re not gonna hurt her, just hold her and pet her.” Holding a kitten of his own, Mikey cradled her to his chest. “I raised them from little teeny tiny babies.”

[mercymarlowe-a]

NIK ;;

“Don’t do that.”  Pointed a finger in his direction as the pout came. “How many times have I told you..”  Warning repeated for what felt like the thousandth time. 

“Kittens.”  He repeated the word with a disgust that hadn’t been there when Mikey had said it, nose wrinkling. “I think I’m much more of a dog person.”  At home, there were two…well, no. They were wolves if you wanted to be technical, rescued, both with stories he never told, but at least they were tolerable. Far more than most humans.

“Okay, dogs are great, yes, but kittens, Niko! Kittens!”

He took Nik’s hand, tugging him down the street. “Come see the kittens. You’ll change your mind, I promise!”

[cigarettesmokeandexyracquets-de]

“Forgive me Father for I have sinned” and “Sorry Daddy I’ve been bad” both mean very similar things but have wildly different connotations

[ryan-potter]

Spider-Man: Homecoming | 2017 | dir. Jon Watts

[mercymarlowe-a]

ALEX ;;

The words took a moment to sink in but when they did, they hit hard. Alex swore, gripping Mikey’s shoulders as both panic and purpose rushed through his veins. 

“Demons? Do you know their names? Remember anything about them?” His mind was already planning what he’d need to defeat two demons on his own. He didn’t even think that maybe death wasn’t the right response. 

Alex gripped Mikey’s shoulders tighter. “Shut up. Don’t apologize. I’m…I’m so sorry I didn’t answer the phone.”

“Ow, Alex!” Mikey protested, struggling against the grip on him. “You’re hurting me!”

He was bombarded with questions, shaking his head loosely. “I don’t know their names. I went to some bar or brewery or something for a tour with this person from work, and I ran into them. I could pick them out of a crowd, but I don’t know...”

He made a pained sound as the grip on his shoulders tightened, face screwing up, wounds from his attack still trying to heal. “I’ll be quiet! I promise!”

[dontcrywolfe]

“And you expect me to believe that?” Conviction lacked credibility, clear by the way that edges of mouth were already pulled into that trademarked grin – lazy almost, but laughter was following close behind it. “Did you want to try again with some conviction or some shit?” A second chance given, turning to face them, giving a far better vision of rugged features. He needed to shave, probably a hair cut wouldn’t hurt but yet in still, somehow he still managed to pull it all off. Thank God, because neither of those things would be happening any time soon. 

[mercymarlowe-a]

“I do expect you to believe it! It’s true!” He all but stomped his foot, folding his arms tightly over his chest and pouting. 

“Look, I’m being one hundred percent sincere right now.” He stopped as Nik turned to face him, having to tip his head back to look up at the man, much shorter than he was.

“It’s totally proven that having a pet makes people happier. I can google it if you want. You should totally get a kitten. I think you’d like one.”

[quiffturner-deactivated20130213]

wow i need a drink [pours apple juice into shot glass]

[mercymarlowe-a]

NASH ;;

“Seems like a job you’d get, though.” Nash jerked back a bit, animals made him nervous, they always seemed so fragile, especially baby animals. But he didn’t want to offend Mikey, so he leaned back in a bit to get a good look at the furball. “They’re….kinda on the small side, even for babies. Is that normal?” He poked the kitten’s nose, blinking in surprise when it ‘mew’ed at him. 

“I work at an ice cream place, actually.” He knew Nash would have some sort of comment about that. “Very official. Top secret business, y’know?”

“Here, hold her. She’s really sweet, I promise.” He held the kitten out, not giving Nash much of a choice in the matter. “Not for too long, because we can’t stay forever, or else I won’t give any of them up.”

[mercymarlowe-a]

NASH ;;

“Well… to be honest, they only noticed because you stopped sending reports.” Nash never lied about Mikey’s parents caring, the kid wasn’t stupid. There was no reason to waste his breath when Mikey knew Nash’s own mother would gladly adopt the boy if she could.

“They sent me to make sure you weren’t dead. I sent myself to make sure you were okay. Had anyone else come and got you, you’d be royally screwed. So you’re gonna finish out your shift, I’m gonna take you home, and you’re gonna tell me exactly what possessed you to pull this kind of stunt.”

“Considering my last report talked exclusively about butterflies native to the area and no one said anything, I get the feeling they weren’t reading them anyway.”

That was alright by him, however. He had been having fun on his own in Friday Harbour, free to do what he wanted. And it would only get better now that Nash was here.

“I’m not on the clock, you know. I don’t work for the humane society.” He stooped, scooping something up before holding out a kitten towards Nash. “I fostered these babies, and now it’s time for them to find homes. I was just saying goodbye.”

[mercymarlowe-a]

ANTONI ;;

When he finally turned back around, there was a hint of tears in the corners of eyes. Blinking furiously, he was clearly trying to hide them away. “Don’t apologize, like I said…it’s my fault entirely. I shouldn’t have..”

He paused again, taking a long, slow breath before blues finally caught Mikey’s eyes. They stayed there for a second, a heart beat, like he’d truly gotten lost, before shaking head. 

“Is there anything I can…do?” 

Christ, he wished Nash were here to make some sense of this all. It seemed almost unbelievable - to think someone would target him to hurt Antoni when they hardly knew each other from holes in the wall.

And yet, the man seemed so sincere.

“I think the best thing you can do is to stay away.” Especially if this was something that was going to continue to happen. 

“No offense. I’m sure you’re a nice guy, or whatever, and I don’t really... one night stand people... or whatever... but I just- I don’t want to become a target just because you and I exist in the same place.”

[mercymarlowe-a]

❗- from nash

Your muse sees mine having a nightmare. Send me ‘❗’ to hear something my muse mutters in their sleep.

He was holding the knife block again.

Sleepwalking.

It hadn’t been an issue until recently, until he had something to scream about, something to agonize over and dream about, reliving the night despite the demons’ best attempts to make him forget.

He sensed someone growing closer, hearing the vibration of voice but unable to make out any words.

“Stay the fuck away from me!” Mikey shouted, tossing the knife in his hand easily, though it merely embedded itself in the wall behind the person slowly approaching him.

A hand touched his shoulder.

Mikey fell to his knees, shaking, barely breathing. The words fall from his mouth unbidden, a desperate, last ditch effort before he meets his inevitable end.

“Hail Mary, full of grace. The Lord is with thee-”