Fic: Unusual
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Murphy’s relationship with Harry has always been just a little… unusual. Mostly, the unusual comes from his wizard-ness. There’s no way she can work with a guy calling himself a wizard and not run into unusual things. For some reason when she started sleeping with him she expected it to be much the same. She never expected the unusual in their personal relationship would come from Harry being Harry. She didn’t know it would be so adorable either.
Their personal relationship started out pretty simply with sex. She always suspected that at one time, the planets would align and they’d get swept up in the undercurrent of sexual tension. Using the excuse to power up a spell only works for so long. So, it happened, they had a few awkward weeks of dancing around the topic and then they decided to be adults about it. Which was a good thing because she likes sex with Harry, alright, she loves sex with Harry, but she also likes going out to dinner with him, watching old movies on his couch with her recently purchased portable DVD player and she really likes his music collection.
Somehow, Harry has records of almost every artist she’s ever heard of and a few she hasn’t. Often, on nights when they’re both too tired from chasing down the latest unusual thing going on in Chicago, they’ll just cuddle on the couch while listening to one of his records. Harry’s taste in music were similar to her own, a lot of local jazz, a little rock thrown in and thank God no techno or rap. It was a good music collection, very normal for a guy who called himself a wizard. Of course that impression didn’t last because one night the music collection became unusual.
Murphy caught one of those cases that gave her chills at night and made her think about why she did this job. Her temper was frayed and all she wanted was to just crawl away somewhere and forget everything. She went to Harry’s though, to tell him she was too worn out for their plans.
“You alright, Murphy?” He asked, instantly concerned when he let her inside his kitchen.
"Just tired,” She said, feeling guilty. They hadn’t had a lot of personal time together lately and she was going to tank this night too. It might be days before they got another chance like this.
“You look it. How about you go sit down? I’ll bring you some coffee.” He offered, rubbing his hands up and down her arms. She smiled a little, it would be nice to have him take care of her for awhile. She certainly wouldn’t get that home alone. One cup of coffee on Harry’s couch wouldn’t hurt. She could always resume her brooding when she got home.
“Alright.” She agreed and let him take her coat. Normally she didn’t let him do that, she can handle a coat by herself and all that feminist stuff, but tonight she let it slide. Harry kissed the top of her head, making her roll her eyes and then shooed her to the couch. She kicked off her shoes on the way because her Grandma Murphy had always told her to take off her shoes before sitting on furniture, unless the hosts told you to leave them on.
She smiled to herself, curling up in her favorite corner with her feet tucked securely under herself and her knees up by her nose. Harry had been right when he told her he had comfortable couches. She rested her chin on her knees and leaned against the armrest. She didn’t normally sit like this, but something about Harry’s couches demand she get into the most comfortable position possible.
“You have a bad day?” Harry asked as He hung up her coat.
“Rough case.” She said simply. It wasn’t the unusual kind of case either, just everyday human depravity and murder. That probably made it worse. Had it been something unusual, she could have passed it off as some spill over from his world into hers. She could have temporarily ignored the fact that even without black magic people do terrible things to each other.
“Sorry.” He looked concerned as he turned off whatever he had on the stove that smelled very good. He pulled out his ancient percolator that made the best coffee Murphy had ever had and then got the thing percolating. After that, he went to his record collection.
She watched him, smiling just a little. She sort of liked this, having someone around to look after her when she needed it. Not that Murphy really thought she needed it but it was nice to see that Harry cared. If she’d been alone, she probably would have worked some more, thinking over the case, working even though she wasn’t in the office. With Harry around, she could turn her attention to him, just watch him and let it go until she felt like dealing with it.
“Whatcha looking for?” She asked, shifting back deeper into the old leather.
“Something that’ll make you smile.” He said, grinning at her over his shoulder. She sat up a little. Harry had that look on his face, the one that meant he was about to do something. Or he was going to have something to apologize for. Those looks were surprisingly similar when it came to Harry. Murphy was still working out the fine details that distinguished the two.
“Harry, you don’t have to.” She started, but he had already grabbed a record and turned on the player. He was ignoring her protests and now she was starting to get annoyed. She wanted a quiet night, not one of Harry’s games. Then the music started and the only thing Murphy could do was gape.
It’s not unusual to be loved by anyone!
Harry normally had better taste in music than Tom Jones and Harry didn’t usually dance to anything, even though she had tried to wheedle him into it. Harry’s hips started to sway with the beat, a little bounce in the move to go along with the horns and Murphy was struck by the thought that something unusual was about to happen.
It’s not unusual to have fun with anyone!
He whipped around, pointing a finger at her, lip-syncing along with Jones perfectly. It was so perfect Murphy took a moment to wonder just how often Harry listened to this record, but only a moment because Harry’s dancing was really distracting. He had surprisingly good rhythm as he kept his hips swaying, smoothly sliding around the couch from the record player heading towards her. Now, why hadn’t he wanted to dance with her when he was apparently very good at it? Or at least as good as anyone could be when dancing to Tom Jones.
But when I see you hanging about with anyone, it's not unusual to see me cry. OH, I wanna die.
Harry did a little wiggle and the first giggle escaped. Murphy had to bite her lip to keep from laughing out right. It was pretty clear Harry was enjoying himself, despite the fact that his cheeks were pretty pink from embarrassment. Hers were probably the same color from holding back laughter. She thought about asking if Harry was feeling alright, but she didn’t want to interrupt this sudden mating display.
It's not unusual to go out at any time, but when I see you out and about it's such a crime, if you should ever want to be loved by anyone.
Harry stopped a foot or so from her seat and she couldn’t help but laugh now. Harry grabbed the edge of his old gray t-shirt and started to pull it up, his hands doing this little rolling movements with the music while his hips never lost the beat. He was doing a striptease for her, to Tom Jones “It’s Not Unusual” just to make her smile. He was possibly the most unusual guy she ever dated and she was pretty sure she was in love with him for it.
It's not unusual it happens every day no matter what you say. You find it happens all the time.
She laughed richly as Harry turned around, shaking his butt at her. She had completely forgotten her case at this point, work was the farthest thing from her mind. She put her fingers in her mouth and whistled as he started to pull his shirt over his head, still moving with the music with way more grace that she expected from Harry. He got the shirt off and spun around, tossing it at her. It landed on her head and she laughed, dragging it off.
Love will never do what you want it to. Why can't this crazy love be mine? It's not unusual, to be mad with anyone. It's not unusual, to be sad with anyone.
Now he started dancing towards her, shirt off, his pentacle bouncing against his chest as he moved. Murphy was pretty fascinated by the way he could roll his stomach like a belly dancer as he popped the snap on his jeans. When she was done laughing about it, she was going to ask where he learned that. Maybe he’d teach her. Harry slid down the zipper and with another one of those little hip wiggles his jeans went sliding to the floor then he kicked them at her. Murphy was going to tease him about this for the rest of his life. When he was done.
But if I ever find that you've changed at anytime. It's not unusual to find out that I'm in love with you. Whoa-oh-oh-oh-oh!
At a big horn blast, Harry got on his knees and started walking on them towards her. When he was close enough, Murphy launched herself off the couch and tackled Harry to the floor. They went down, laughing together and quite obviously stupidly in love with each other.
Murphy’s relationship with Harry has always been just a little… unusual. Mostly, the unusual comes from his wizard-ness. There’s no way she can work with a guy calling himself a wizard and not run into unusual things. For some reason when she started sleeping with him she expected it to be much the same. She never expected the unusual in their personal relationship would come from Harry being Harry. She didn’t know it would be so adorable either.
Their personal relationship started out pretty simply with sex. She always suspected that at one time, the planets would align and they’d get swept up in the undercurrent of sexual tension. Using the excuse to power up a spell only works for so long. So, it happened, they had a few awkward weeks of dancing around the topic and then they decided to be adults about it. Which was a good thing because she likes sex with Harry, alright, she loves sex with Harry, but she also likes going out to dinner with him, watching old movies on his couch with her recently purchased portable DVD player and she really likes his music collection.
Somehow, Harry has records of almost every artist she’s ever heard of and a few she hasn’t. Often, on nights when they’re both too tired from chasing down the latest unusual thing going on in Chicago, they’ll just cuddle on the couch while listening to one of his records. Harry’s taste in music were similar to her own, a lot of local jazz, a little rock thrown in and thank God no techno or rap. It was a good music collection, very normal for a guy who called himself a wizard. Of course that impression didn’t last because one night the music collection became unusual.
Murphy caught one of those cases that gave her chills at night and made her think about why she did this job. Her temper was frayed and all she wanted was to just crawl away somewhere and forget everything. She went to Harry’s though, to tell him she was too worn out for their plans.
“You alright, Murphy?” He asked, instantly concerned when he let her inside his kitchen.
"Just tired,” She said, feeling guilty. They hadn’t had a lot of personal time together lately and she was going to tank this night too. It might be days before they got another chance like this.
“You look it. How about you go sit down? I’ll bring you some coffee.” He offered, rubbing his hands up and down her arms. She smiled a little, it would be nice to have him take care of her for awhile. She certainly wouldn’t get that home alone. One cup of coffee on Harry’s couch wouldn’t hurt. She could always resume her brooding when she got home.
“Alright.” She agreed and let him take her coat. Normally she didn’t let him do that, she can handle a coat by herself and all that feminist stuff, but tonight she let it slide. Harry kissed the top of her head, making her roll her eyes and then shooed her to the couch. She kicked off her shoes on the way because her Grandma Murphy had always told her to take off her shoes before sitting on furniture, unless the hosts told you to leave them on.
She smiled to herself, curling up in her favorite corner with her feet tucked securely under herself and her knees up by her nose. Harry had been right when he told her he had comfortable couches. She rested her chin on her knees and leaned against the armrest. She didn’t normally sit like this, but something about Harry’s couches demand she get into the most comfortable position possible.
“You have a bad day?” Harry asked as He hung up her coat.
“Rough case.” She said simply. It wasn’t the unusual kind of case either, just everyday human depravity and murder. That probably made it worse. Had it been something unusual, she could have passed it off as some spill over from his world into hers. She could have temporarily ignored the fact that even without black magic people do terrible things to each other.
“Sorry.” He looked concerned as he turned off whatever he had on the stove that smelled very good. He pulled out his ancient percolator that made the best coffee Murphy had ever had and then got the thing percolating. After that, he went to his record collection.
She watched him, smiling just a little. She sort of liked this, having someone around to look after her when she needed it. Not that Murphy really thought she needed it but it was nice to see that Harry cared. If she’d been alone, she probably would have worked some more, thinking over the case, working even though she wasn’t in the office. With Harry around, she could turn her attention to him, just watch him and let it go until she felt like dealing with it.
“Whatcha looking for?” She asked, shifting back deeper into the old leather.
“Something that’ll make you smile.” He said, grinning at her over his shoulder. She sat up a little. Harry had that look on his face, the one that meant he was about to do something. Or he was going to have something to apologize for. Those looks were surprisingly similar when it came to Harry. Murphy was still working out the fine details that distinguished the two.
“Harry, you don’t have to.” She started, but he had already grabbed a record and turned on the player. He was ignoring her protests and now she was starting to get annoyed. She wanted a quiet night, not one of Harry’s games. Then the music started and the only thing Murphy could do was gape.
It’s not unusual to be loved by anyone!
Harry normally had better taste in music than Tom Jones and Harry didn’t usually dance to anything, even though she had tried to wheedle him into it. Harry’s hips started to sway with the beat, a little bounce in the move to go along with the horns and Murphy was struck by the thought that something unusual was about to happen.
It’s not unusual to have fun with anyone!
He whipped around, pointing a finger at her, lip-syncing along with Jones perfectly. It was so perfect Murphy took a moment to wonder just how often Harry listened to this record, but only a moment because Harry’s dancing was really distracting. He had surprisingly good rhythm as he kept his hips swaying, smoothly sliding around the couch from the record player heading towards her. Now, why hadn’t he wanted to dance with her when he was apparently very good at it? Or at least as good as anyone could be when dancing to Tom Jones.
But when I see you hanging about with anyone, it's not unusual to see me cry. OH, I wanna die.
Harry did a little wiggle and the first giggle escaped. Murphy had to bite her lip to keep from laughing out right. It was pretty clear Harry was enjoying himself, despite the fact that his cheeks were pretty pink from embarrassment. Hers were probably the same color from holding back laughter. She thought about asking if Harry was feeling alright, but she didn’t want to interrupt this sudden mating display.
It's not unusual to go out at any time, but when I see you out and about it's such a crime, if you should ever want to be loved by anyone.
Harry stopped a foot or so from her seat and she couldn’t help but laugh now. Harry grabbed the edge of his old gray t-shirt and started to pull it up, his hands doing this little rolling movements with the music while his hips never lost the beat. He was doing a striptease for her, to Tom Jones “It’s Not Unusual” just to make her smile. He was possibly the most unusual guy she ever dated and she was pretty sure she was in love with him for it.
It's not unusual it happens every day no matter what you say. You find it happens all the time.
She laughed richly as Harry turned around, shaking his butt at her. She had completely forgotten her case at this point, work was the farthest thing from her mind. She put her fingers in her mouth and whistled as he started to pull his shirt over his head, still moving with the music with way more grace that she expected from Harry. He got the shirt off and spun around, tossing it at her. It landed on her head and she laughed, dragging it off.
Love will never do what you want it to. Why can't this crazy love be mine? It's not unusual, to be mad with anyone. It's not unusual, to be sad with anyone.
Now he started dancing towards her, shirt off, his pentacle bouncing against his chest as he moved. Murphy was pretty fascinated by the way he could roll his stomach like a belly dancer as he popped the snap on his jeans. When she was done laughing about it, she was going to ask where he learned that. Maybe he’d teach her. Harry slid down the zipper and with another one of those little hip wiggles his jeans went sliding to the floor then he kicked them at her. Murphy was going to tease him about this for the rest of his life. When he was done.
But if I ever find that you've changed at anytime. It's not unusual to find out that I'm in love with you. Whoa-oh-oh-oh-oh!
At a big horn blast, Harry got on his knees and started walking on them towards her. When he was close enough, Murphy launched herself off the couch and tackled Harry to the floor. They went down, laughing together and quite obviously stupidly in love with each other.