Theatrical Muse: Equal Partners
“This is one of those cases where you’re not going to tell me everything isn't it?” Murphy asked over lunch.
Harry’s head jerked up so fast she heard his neck crack. They both winched while he rubbed at it, looking guilty. She sighed and shook her head a little. The question had been mostly rhetorical anyway. She already knew the answer the moment she asked and it was annoying as hell.
“Murph, you know I would if I could but the Council,” Harry said, still looking guilty.
“But the Council doesn’t like non-wizards knowing about these things, but I already know.”
“It’s complicated.”
Sitting back in her chair, she watched Harry push a French fry through his ketchup. Every case she hired him for, they had this conversation. The only thing that changed about it was the location and when they actually had it. She was getting tired of it. Harry didn’t have a good reason for keeping her out of what he was doing.
“You know I’m tired of this,” she said. It only made Harry look more guilty but that was what she wanted. “I give you everything, Harry. I take you to crime scenes, I let you look at reports and put my career on the line for you. All because I trust you to stop the bad guy. Are you ever going to give me the same level of trust?”
“I… I do trust you. You’re my best friend.” Harry leaned over the table, lowering his voice so the people crowded into the other diner booths wouldn’t overhear them. “This stuff is dangerous. Even with magic I have a lot of close calls.”
“So you don’t think I can handle myself?” She leaned in too, catching Harry’s eyes.
“I don’t want you to get hurt.”
“You just don’t want it to be your fault.”
Harry made a face which told her she had hit the nail on the head. “It would be.”
“Christ, I’m not made of paper and I’m not stupid. The only times I’ve gotten hurt are when you’ve kept me in the dark because I didn’t know what I was going up against. I’ll know when to step back, trust me for once.”
He sighed and ran a hand through his hair. “You sure about this, Murphy?”
“Yes, Harry, I’m sure. Now, tell me what’s going on.”
Harry’s head jerked up so fast she heard his neck crack. They both winched while he rubbed at it, looking guilty. She sighed and shook her head a little. The question had been mostly rhetorical anyway. She already knew the answer the moment she asked and it was annoying as hell.
“Murph, you know I would if I could but the Council,” Harry said, still looking guilty.
“But the Council doesn’t like non-wizards knowing about these things, but I already know.”
“It’s complicated.”
Sitting back in her chair, she watched Harry push a French fry through his ketchup. Every case she hired him for, they had this conversation. The only thing that changed about it was the location and when they actually had it. She was getting tired of it. Harry didn’t have a good reason for keeping her out of what he was doing.
“You know I’m tired of this,” she said. It only made Harry look more guilty but that was what she wanted. “I give you everything, Harry. I take you to crime scenes, I let you look at reports and put my career on the line for you. All because I trust you to stop the bad guy. Are you ever going to give me the same level of trust?”
“I… I do trust you. You’re my best friend.” Harry leaned over the table, lowering his voice so the people crowded into the other diner booths wouldn’t overhear them. “This stuff is dangerous. Even with magic I have a lot of close calls.”
“So you don’t think I can handle myself?” She leaned in too, catching Harry’s eyes.
“I don’t want you to get hurt.”
“You just don’t want it to be your fault.”
Harry made a face which told her she had hit the nail on the head. “It would be.”
“Christ, I’m not made of paper and I’m not stupid. The only times I’ve gotten hurt are when you’ve kept me in the dark because I didn’t know what I was going up against. I’ll know when to step back, trust me for once.”
He sighed and ran a hand through his hair. “You sure about this, Murphy?”
“Yes, Harry, I’m sure. Now, tell me what’s going on.”