KKBB Prompt Fill: Trouble is Our Business
KKBB Prompt Fill: Trouble is Our Business
For the KinkKinkBangBang Meme Prompt:
Okay, so I've posted this somewhere before it never got filled. I want to see Harry and Perry raise some kiddos. Maybe from a past fling of Harry's (or even Perry's)or Harry's niece. Established relationship would be good.
After the Dexter case, it's not wrong to assume we all lived happily ever after- Me, Perry, and Harmony. For a while, we did. I got a job, a place to live, and eventually, true love. Perry got a slave to boss around and...true love...I guess. For those of you who haven't figured it out-we're together. Harmony moved back to Embrey-said she need some time away from LA and to reconnect with the real world. For a while, she wrote, but her letters became more and more scarce, and eventually, they just stopped. Emails, phone calls, all of it. Perry and I and tried to write and call her instead, but her phone was never in service and all of our letters got returned.
It wasn't until nearly a year later and half later that she came back into our lives. In the middle of the Goddamn night nonetheless. And she wasn't alone either.
Perry woke up first, hearing the knocking downstairs. I didn't hear anything, but then again, Perry runs the AC and the fan so it's incredible that he heard anything at all.
Harmony was a wreck. Still the most beautiful woman I'd ever seen, but not the Harmony I remember. Her eyes and face were red and wet from crying. She'd lost a ton of weight, and not in the good way. If it weren't for her baggy sweats, I swear she would have looked like a fucking skeleton or something.
"Harmony!" I put my arms on her and then pulled her away. I stared at the little kid that had been latched onto her. "Oh my God...what-what..."
"What the hell happened to you?" Perry took over, looking her up and down.
Harmony looked away, and I could tell she was trying not to cry. She bounced the little boy in her arms and said, "I need help."
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We brought her inside and Perry had me fetch her a blanket and barked at me to put on some tea-which, honestly, I would have done anyway, but still...he might as well have been cracking a whip with every command. The little boy, who I guessed was maybe one or two years old, refused to let go of her and whined everytime she tried to make him.
"Baby, Mommy's right here," she told him, trying to pry him off. "It's okay."
Perry looked between the two of them. "Mommy...huh..."
"I'm not his mother," Harmony said quietly, smiling kind of sadly. She sighed and closed her eyes, shaking her head. "Jenna is."
"Jenna?" I said, setting the tea on the coffee table. "Your...your sister? That Jenna?"
Harmony nodded. She opened her eyes and began to stroke the little boy's hair. "I didn't go back to Indiana because I needed to start my life over." She chuckled softly. "My life was over a long time ago-over there, I mean..." She stopped petting him. "I got a call from child welfare services. Jenna had just had a baby before she came out here-left him with some friend..." she waved her arm around.
"What's his name?" I asked, smiling at him. He didn't smile back. Actually, he scowled and made this high-pitched whining noise.
"Settle down," Harmony told him quietly. To us, she said, "Jonny."
"Like Gossamer?" I muttered.
"I've never forgiven myself for leaving her behind," Harmony sighed. "When I went back, I told myself that this was a sign. Like this could fix what happened between us..." she pulled Jonny close to her and kissed him. "But when I went back to Embrey, something else happened. I got depressed, I became irrational..."
"You look horrible," I said, and then winced immediately. "Not like that. I mean, you look tired-well, that's not what I meant either. I just-"
"I tried to kill myself last week," Harmony said.
We both looked at her.
"I failed at everything," she said quietly, staring into space. "I failed to save Jenna, failed to start a new life, failed to go back to my old life, and now I've failed to take care of the only family I have left."
"You didn't fail," I told her. "Don't say that. Look at this guy-" I pointed to Jonny. "Big, tough guy. Right, Per?"
Perry moved to sit beside Harmony. He pulled her against him and she started to cry. Now, I should have mentioned earlier, for such a mean bastard, Perry can actually be pretty nice and comforting. He didn't say anything. Just let Harmony cry on him. It made Jonny cry and she hugged him more tightly. I felt kind of left out of the hug-fest.
"Honey, whatever you need..." I at least tried to sound reassuring, from across the table.
"I put Jenna in foster care," Harmony sobbed, pulling away a little. "I can't do that to her son."
"Mommy..." Jonny clung to her. I guess it was normal for him, witnessing her break down like that.
"Mommy's right here." She wiped her eyes. She stood him up on her knees and shook them, making him bounce a little.
He really was a cute kid. Blonde hair, blue eyes...he was definitely from the Lane litter. He looked over at me and stopped smiling, but after a few seconds, he smiled again and started jumping up and down, making sounds like he was hyperventilating.
"You're so happy!" Harmony said, laughing and sniffling at the same time.
"Do you need money?" Perry asked her. "If it's money, I'll give you some, and you won't ever have to pay it back-"
"It's not money..." Harmony settled Jonny back on her legs. He clapped his hands and laughed. She bit her bottom lip slightly. "I need somebody to take care of him for a while."
"For a while?" I scratched my head. "What do you mean?"
"I need help," Harmony said. "I can't be a mother to him until I get my life together. Embrey just...it made me what I was before I left...this-this wreck!" She ran a hand through her hair. "Before I left, all I did was get wasted and have sex with every guy who talked to me...I didn't have any self-respect and I was scared and alone...!"
"Calm down," Perry clipped. "We'd be happy to help."
"We would?" I looked at Jonny. "I mean, yah. Of course we would."
"I was thinking of going to a counselor," Harmony said, using one arm to dig around in her purse. She pulled out a wadded up brochure and carefully unfolded it. "There's a treatment center in San Fransico. I was thinking of..." her face turned red and she trailed off.
"Harmony, if you think this is the kind of help you need..." Perry took it and looked it over. "Harry and I support you one-hundred percent."
Harmony nodded-her face still flushed, and she leaned back into the sofa. "I don't have any family. I don't trust anybody else." She managed a half smile. "You're my family-you two."
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We changed the sheets on the guest bed and told her she could stay with us as long as she liked. She fell asleep the second she and Jonny climbed into bed, and I checked on them before I headed for my own. Jonny was curled up against her. They were both snoring pretty loud, but it wasn't gross or annoying. It was actually kind of endearing.
"How long do you think she'll need us to keep him?" I asked, walking into the bedroom.
Perry, already back in bed, shrugged. He had his laptop perched on top of him. "She's so thin right now."
"Fucking skeletor," I snorted, sliding in beside him. "What'cha looking at?"
"That program she's interested in," Perry muttered back. "Harmony's long overdue for professional help. I've always thought so but never said anything." He closed the laptop and put it on the floor beside the bed.
"He's a cute little kid," I said after neither of us said anything for a minute.
"Yah," Perry sighed. "Harry...I need to tell you something."
"Go for it." I yawned and rolled onto my side so I could face him.
"My father was a shitty one," he said. "You know that, of course." He hesitated. "I never thought I'd have any kids, but on the off-chance that I did, I promised myself I would be a damn good father."
For some reason, that made me smile more than it should have, and Perry noticed. He shoved my face and said, "Shut up."
"I didn't say anything," I laughed.
"What about you?" He asked.
"I love kids," I said, honestly. I wasn't sure what to add to that. I'd never seen myself having any either. My ex-wife never wanted any, and I did, but I never pushed for any, and after the brief marriage/divorce, I'd never really given the idea another thought.
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Harmony was gone before Perry and I even got up. She'd left a long, seven page letter going on about her gratitude and her guilt, followed by what might as well have been a biography on Jon Faith Lane.
"Faith is a girl's name," I immediately pointed out.
"Shut up." Perry looked over the letter. "He's almost two...eats almost anything..." he frowned. "In the process of 'potty-training'."
"Swell..." I said.
Jon Faith Lane was not happy to see Perry and I in place of his 'mother'. He started crying the second he opened his eyes and rolled around in the sheets, kicking and screaming.
"Jonny," I said, trying to sound nice and sweet. When Chloe was a baby, she'd loved that. "Hey, Jonny? Are you hungry?"
"NO!" He continued to thrash around like some kind of wild animal. "Mommy! Mommy!"
"Jonny." Perry knelt down and slid his phone across to him. His expensive, expensive phone.
Jonny stared at it, and then at Perry. Kind of like a criminal in an interrogation room when they bring you a candybar. You know something's up, but fuck, it's a candy bar.
"You like that?" Perry didn't take it back, even when Jonny took it and began trying to open it up and turn it on.
"He's going to break that," I said. I briefly wondered if Perry might threaten to murder him the same way he threatens me.
"Dis." Jonny smiled and pressed buttons. He looked up at us and laughed.
"Wow, that's so cool, isn't it?" I knelt down too. "What is that cool thing?"
It suddenly vibrated- most likely some kind of reminder. Perry sets them for the stupidest things, but in this case it wasn't so dumb because Jonny said, "OOH!" and broke out into an even bigger grin.
"Come on, Big Kahuna," Perry stood up. "Let's get dressed and eat breakfast."
"NO!" Jonny clutched the phone to himself possessively.
"Take it with you." Perry was already at the door. "Come on." He snapped his fingers, and like an idiot, I went to him-out of instinct almost. He frowned at me and I shrugged one shoulder helplessly.
Jonny slid off the bed, cell phone in hand, and followed us out of the room and down the stairs. It looked like Christmas morning in our living room. Toys were everywhere, and there was a highchair in the kitchen.
"Harmony must have known we'd say yes," I muttered.
"Oh God..." Perry said, looking around. I think all of the bright, fun colors were beginning to blind him.
Jonny chucked the cell phone to the floor and immediately went for one of the toys. It made a lot of noise and music, and I could almost feel the annoyance radiating from Perry.
"I'm gonna start breakfast," he told me, clearing his throat and moving through the sea of toys towards the kitchen. "Keep him occupied."
It wasn't hard. Kids' toys had definitely become better over the years. When I was a toddler we had fucking blocks and rubber ducks. All of this shit lit up and talked and moved and danced and sang...Jonny kept bringing me one after the other, and pretty soon, my lap was overflowing with toys. Perry came out of the kitchen and stared at us.
"Hey, Per," I muttered, staring at a light up cow.
"Bacon and eggs are ready," he said.
We got Jonny situated in the high chair and Perry brought him a plate of cut up scrambled eggs and bacon. Jonny stared at and then at Perry.
"Eat," Perry said, pushing the plate closer.
"No." Jonny shook his head, and pushed the plate back.
"Look, it's good." Perry took a tidbit of bacon and ate it. "See. Delicious. Come on. You have to be hungry."
"No." Jonny shook his head again. He pointed at something. "Deh?"
"What?" Perry turned around.
I picked up my own plate and stood beside Perry. "Here, take a bite." I held out my fork to him. He took it from me and dumped it on the floor.
"Way to go, Moron." Perry said. "Don't give him the fork-" before he could finish, Jonny picked up his plate and turned it upside down, just over the side of the high chair.
"You were saying?" I chewed thoughtfully, staring down at the mess.
Perry stared at it too, disgusted. I started laughing. "Perry, kids are like that. They make a lot of messes."
"Really? Just kids?" He went to work cleaning it up.
Jonny began to fidget and squirm. I went to the pantry and pulled out a pack of poptarts. I pulled one out of the foil and handed it to him. Jonny took it and fingered it before taking a bite. He settled back to finish the rest.
"He'll eat some processed garbage but not a homecooked meal?" Perry said, looking at him.
I shrugged, finishing the rest of my eggs. I set my plate on the table and picked up Perry's plate, starting to eat his as well. Child-rearing made me feel fucking famished.
"Heyheyhey!" Perry took his plate back.
"Sorry, I was starving." I smiled at Jonny. "Is that good? Do you like that?"
Jonny nodded-his mouth filled with poptart. He looked at Perry and grinned. Perry rolled his eyes, but smiled anyway. "Let me get you some juice, Chief Jr."
"Chief Jr?" While he was busy at the fridge I stole some of his bacon. "That's cute."
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For the next several hours, we just watched Jonny play on the floor and explore the house. Of course, Perry pretended to be working, but I kept catching him staring. I didn't call him out on it. I mean, little kids-especially that age- are just too funny not to watch. He brought Perry a ball and said, "Tow".
"Tow?" Perry repeated and then said, "Throw. Gotcha." He threw it and Jonny ran on his bow-legs to go and get it.
"Why don't you sit down for a minute and play with him?" I suggested.
"I'm swamped," Perry said, sitting down. Jonny brought him the ball back. "Tow?"
Perry threw it again. While Jonny was on the mission to bring it back, Perry leaned back on his palms. "Look at my poor, poor living room."
"Tow!" Jonny returned, but instead of giving Perry the ball, he plopped down in his lap. Perry looked down at him, and then over at me.
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"I won't allow this," Perry said, staring up at the ceiling. "Absolutely not."
"He's already here," I retorted.
Jonny snored between us. I think we were going to get the hang of this parenting gig.
To Be Continued....