#ship: harviana

[davidcxrenswet]

“ i just want to hear your voice until i fall asleep … ”

He wasn’t present for most of the removal, and for good reason. If Mariana so much as shrieked or cried out once, he’d fight tooth and nail to stop the whole thing. Sure they had Bryce, a rugged brute, and Kaz the golden boy jock around, but Harvey was taller and quicker, and none of them would be able to hold him down. He’d stop the whole thing and drag Mariana away from there if she cried out for him to do so. So it was imperative he stayed away. He just didn’t get very far with that plan. Harvey had been pacing outside the house where they conducted the exorcism or whatever it was they were doing. He didn’t really know, and frankly he didn’t really care to know. The more details he had, the harder it would have been for him to be away. At the time he had only really understood a couple scattered facts: there was some shard inside Mariana which changed her genetic make up to the point that she needed to literally eat men in order to survive, the longer it was there the more feral she’d get, and that only the Murder Club could get it out of her. He didn’t like that last bit. No matter what, Harvey just didn’t trust that group of delinquents. And at that time he had to trust them with the most important person in his life.

It had nearly driven him mad, to the point where he just couldn’t stay away and finally gave into the urge to run to her. When he barreled down the stairs into the cellar where things were happening, he could only remember a handful of things. Mariana was chained down in the center of the room, her jaw unhinged in an inhuman way revealing rows of deadly sharp fangs. She didn’t look anything like the girl he cuddled up to almost nightly. It was hard to believe the flesh curling above those teeth were the lips he kissed so often. There was nothing recognizable in her frenzied eyes or shrieking voice. It was an image out of his worst nightmares, created from the girl of his dreams. He remembered the way his stomach flopped uncomfortably, the whirl of nausea that gripped him while his heart shattered at the sight. It was horrid and it was frightening and it gutted him to hear her scream like she did. Surely they were failing, there’s no way they could hold back that demonic thing. That’s what he thought, and it was probably true, but then there was a voice calling over the screaming and shouting — a voice Harvey thought may have been Violet Matthews but it had seemed unlikely. After all, none of them really cared if the former junior deputy didn’t survive this B-movie horror show they’d been dragged into — so whoever called out that staying this way could lead to his untimely demise was likely seeking the only trump card they could have against her in the situation.

The next events blurred together to the point where Harvey wasn’t sure exactly when they happened or how long it all took place, but eventually Mariana stopped fighting, and the whole weird ritual thing went on and a shard of glass was ripped out of her abdomen by some invisible force. It all happened so fast that whenever he tried to imagine it, he no longer felt scared of the memory. He was practically numb to it. What he recalled more clearly was Mariana passing out afterwards and everyone huddling close to her, until he’d shouldered past them, making his presence known, and carried her out of there. If any of them tried to protest, he didn’t care. He wasn’t leaving her with them after all that — somehow he knew deep down she didn’t want to wake up surrounded by their concerned expressions and probing questions. So he took her away, back to the loft apartment he’d kept above the old church. She was out cold the entire time, and he’d worried momentarily when he’d deposited her on the bed that maybe he shouldn’t have moved her. It was too late, though.

She was there, tucked gently under the covers of his bed after he’d put her in clean clothes, snoozing silently against the pillow. He hadn't fully registered what was going on until Sassy had placed his head on the edge of the bed and whimpered at the girl. “Ssh, quiet buddy,” he hummed to the dog, scratching behind his ears. “She needs some rest.” And boy did she rest. Harvey thought she’d be asleep for maybe five to eight hours, at least the length of a regular sleep. Surely once the sunlight flooded through the skylight she’d be roused awake. He didn’t feel bothered when Sasquatch jumped onto the empty space beside Mariana and curled up to sleep, occasionally poking his head up to observe her in hopes she’d wake. When Harvey pulled a chair next to the bed, popping in one AirPod and pulling up an audiobook to keep himself occupied while he waited, he’d expected to only be sitting there for a few hours.

So when nearly sixteen hours had passed and Mariana was still asleep and he’d had the worst ache in his joints from leaning forward on his elbows and watching her with deeply worried eyes… Harvey just wasn’t sure what was going on. He was beginning to fear the worst: that somehow the exorcism or ritual those stupid kids did put his girlfriend in a coma. He wondered if he should rush her to the hospital but then what would he tell them? “My girlfriend was a man eating demon because someone literally shoved a piece of glass into her stomach but it’s okay some hooligans from school read some Latin out loud and got it out of her but then she passed out and hasn’t woken up in like more than half a day, so I’m not sure what’s wrong but I think she’s at least human again.” Her mother, the hospital nurse, would surely love to hear that ridiculous story about her daughter from a coworker. Before Mariana even woke up, they’d send Harvey to the loony bin and toss out the key.

He was beginning to fear the worst but then it had finally happened — she woke. He imagined that moment a lot when he’d been sitting there, alternating in between listening to Stephen Fry narrating Harry Potter or Weezer crooning alt rock. He imagined the sharp inhale when she woke, the way her eyes would slowly and hazily open, looking around the room and trying to piece together where she was until her gaze landed on her dutiful boyfriend brooding in the chair next to her bed. And he wouldn’t notice her until she’d speak up, her voice soft and tired. And then he would jolt awake and jump to the bed where he’d shower her in soft kisses and practically weep over how happy he was she was okay… the thought went hazy there but he assumed he’d go make her breakfast and she’d walk around feeling totally normal and okay, like a healthy and happy teenage girl just waking up on a lazy Saturday morning. Maybe they’d go for a drive, or head to Marie’s because certainly she’d be ravenous. Normal. He’d suspected she’d wake up normal. What he got was a little different. She definitely seemed tired, and a little disoriented, and when Sassy leaned his massive head over and gently licked her hand and curled into her side, well he suspected she must have been happy to see her two boys first thing waking up after that horrific night. He hoped she was happy. But there was this edge in the air, something that told him that something was off.

This only became apparent in the way Mariana had acted since waking up. She was fatigued, understandably, but she was also quiet and distant. While she seemed mostly physically okay, there was definitely something going on with her, mentally or emotionally, that didn’t seem okay. Harvey tried to figure out how to change whatever was amiss, but as usual Mariana didn’t open up right away to him. She kept herself a bit closed off, kept her feelings mostly concealed. So he’d focused on taking care of her in other more obvious ways. He cooked nutritious meals for her, foods to help her get her strength back, and monitored her hydration, urging her to drink often. He’d hovered by her whenever she got up to move, making sure she didn’t stumble. He’d made sure she was always comfortable, put on her favorite programs to give her something to occupy herself with. He’d even made sure a whole load of his t-shirts was washed and folded, ready for her to swap out since he knew she liked wearing his clothes while lounging about. He’d offered to take her on drives to get some fresh air, let Sassy occupy Harvey’s usual spot on the bed in case she wanted puppy cuddles — just about anything he could think of that would make her happy. But she barely responded to his actions. The only times he thought she really reached out to him were when she wanted to curl up against him. He’d caught her doing that when they slept side by side, Sasquatch banished to his own doggy bed so Harvey didn’t spend another extended period sleeping upright in a chair. They usually spooned when she’d slept over before but when they’d slept next to each other during her recovery Harvey had made it a point to give her space in case she was in any physical pain. But he’d wake up in the middle of the night to her curled up against his side and he’d shift over to wrap his arm around her. He knew when he was being asked to hold her, and he knew it was best to comply.

After a couple days, Harvey began to feel a little useless. Eventually she was tending to her own needs, taking care of feeding herself etc. He still felt that she was distant, and he’d yet to try and broach the topic of what happened. He wasn’t sure if she was ready to talk, and given that she didn’t bring up what happened herself he figured it was going to be some time before she gave any indication she wanted to speak about it. So he bit back the questions, the lingering concern of the after effects. They weren’t back to a normal routine yet, which made him think she wasn’t exactly back to normal herself. And given she didn’t give him any ideas as far as what she needed from him, he was beginning to worry. He recalled that moment she gave in to the shard removal, the suggestion that had been made by one of the Murder Club kids. You’ll hurt Harvey. If that was the thought that clicked with her, that led her to give up her demonic powers… He was beginning to think that maybe the reason she wasn’t opening up to him about what had happened was because deep down she blamed him for it. What if she didn’t want to give it up? She did give them a fight at the end there… What if she regretted giving it up? And if he was the reason she did do that… Did she resent him for it? He hated admitting he was an insecure man, but late at night when he was alone to his thoughts and she felt like she was pulling even further away from him… It was all he could think about. What if she hates me now? Deep down he knew it was a stupid thought, but she wasn’t giving him a reason to think otherwise.

When they laid down the next evening, Harvey carefully moving in closer to her while still maintaining space between them, he’d found he had enough tip toeing around her and to point blank ask her what she wanted from him. So as Mariana settled into her pillow, he turned to look straight at her and abruptly asked, “Do you want me to spoon you?” He watched her brows knit in response to his random outburst and so he continued speaking. “I mean… Sometimes I wake up in the middle of the night and you’re sleeping against me and I realize when we go to bed I don’t, like, try to hold you or anything. I guess I’m asking if you want me to cuddle with you when we go to bed?” It felt so weird asking for clarification on something that was typically second nature for them. Dragging a hand through his curls, he slid his palm over his face and sighed deeply.

“I just… I don’t know what you need from me right now. Things have been kinda weird and I feel pretty nervous around you and I just… I’m worried I’m not giving you what you need right now. So I need you to tell me what it is that you need me to do, or want me to do to help you through whatever is going on in your head lately. I won’t push or ask you to open up to me if you’re not ready to do so. Even if you’re never ready… it’s fine, I’ll understand but I need you to tell me what I can do for you now to help make things okay again. I feel kinda useless which is fine most of the time but in the case of the girl I love, I - I just want to be able to do something for her. So please just… help me out a little. Give me something.” When she finally said something, Harvey was a bit surprised at what she said. He blinked a couple times before his gaze softened. He’d been an idiot. All this time he’d been working himself up feeling useless and he forgot one very simple fact about their relationship. Companionship. In its simplest form Mariana really just enjoyed his companionship. It took him a bit of time to realize that, pushing himself to the brink of insanity creating overly romantic moments filled with grand gestures when really all he needed to do was just be there and she seemed content.

Cheeks a bit pink with a slight blush, Harvey moved closer to her. He wrapped his arm around her waist and pulled her close to his chest, tangling his legs with hers under the covers as he weaved his fingers through her blonde hair. “You want to listen to me?” He asked quietly, awaiting her confirmation. “What should I do? Just say whatever? Tell a story or…?” His nerves were getting the better of him but he swallowed them back and cuddled her closer. She wasn’t asking for much, there was no sense complicating things. She probably just wanted to be held by her boyfriend and listen to his soft voice while she dozed off. How hard could that be? He pressed his lips to her forehead, and smiled when he swore she moved in closer. He could do this for her. He was pretty sure he’d do just about anything for her.

“Okay, I can talk. If that’s what you want, then I’ll just keep talking until you’re fast asleep. I, uh… I was looking at the calendar while cleaning the dishes earlier and I realized something. Prom is coming up. Yeah I started thinking about it, trying to remember where I packed my tux. You know, from things like debut. ‘A gentleman should always have a tuxedo in case the situation calls for it.’ That’s what Margaret used to say. Anyway, I started mentally tallying up the cost of everything. Limo, corsage… Thought that instead of taking you to the motel afterwards like a total cheapskate that we could ditch town and drive to the city and stay at a fancier place for a long weekend. Make a whole trip out of it. Didn’t you tell me that after prom it wasn’t a requirement to go to classes? I think you said that once. Like a year ago… Whoa, we’ve been dating for almost a year now. That’s pretty wild. I think after everything we’ve been through this year, we deserve to run off and ignore everyone for a few days.” He chuckled, “Not that I’m suggesting I should be your date to your Senior Prom. I mean I figured some of the football players and other guys in town will attempt to ask you, and I should at least give them the chance to try. We both know I can do a kickass promposal, but I’m kinda curious what the other kids in town may come up with. Who knows — Maybe one of them will woo you better than me. Then I can spend another prom night in my boxers watching Lord of the Rings. Just know it’d be your loss because I’m a great awkward slow dance partner. And I look good in a tux.”

Smiling, he pulled Mariana practically on top of him, curling both his arms around her and pressing kisses into her hair and onto her face. He wanted to give her some sense of normalcy, something that was a bit more like their usual routine. And cuddles and chaste kisses while he joked about prom and her many suitors seemed like a good start. A reminder that there was still so much to look forward to and that, shard or no shard, she was a gorgeous girl that boys tripped themselves over. She was still that girl that took his, and likely everyone’s, breath away.

“Whatever happens, just promise me this — no truth or dare with random kids you don’t recognize, okay?”

@karolinadeanwrites

[davidcxrenswet]

“ i can feel you staring at me . ”

It wasn’t the first time he’d been caught just staring at her, and in his defense it wasn’t like it was easy not to stare at her. Something about Mariana Diaz kind of just drew you in — You were forced to watch her as she just crossed a room. That pull was like a force of nature, something beyond Harvey’s control. A gravitational pull. She was the hot and molten core of his earth and he was just a pebble unable to push away from her. She wasn’t easy to ignore and Harvey just couldn’t help but gaze at her every chance he could. It wasn’t like it was a lewd stare — He wasn’t like the other boys in Barton Hollow. He’d made a promise, an internal pact, to never treat her like some object for his own personal pleasure. He would respect her as a woman, and furthermore a woman he cared deeply about. That meant being respectful and decent except in the few scenarios where it allowed for some coy, sensual flirtation. So yes, he did find himself unconsciously staring at her but it was only ever with a look of pure adoration. Most of the time he didn’t even realize he was doing it, not until she commented on it or looked directly back at him and questioned what he was looking at. It was just some unconscious reflex he couldn’t control. When there was a lull in whatever movie they were watching, or if he was reading a boring passage in a book, no matter what the situation Harvey would find his mind —and eye— wandering directly to Mariana, looking gorgeous and completely oblivious to the wonderment and awe in his warm gaze.

That very afternoon they were doing their usual “chill” post-school hang out. It started out with him picking her up from school with a coffee in hand and ended back in his bedroom, close in company while doing something separate. Mariana lounged back against the pillows on his queen sized bed wearing one of his old Lacrosse jerseys and not much else, idly flipping through a magazine while Harvey sat at the foot of the bed with his iPad and a dozen various google search tabs opened on safari. Research… for how to break centuries old blood pacts with demons. The usual stuff. They were mostly silent, not really interacting. Mariana occasionally stopped reading to pull out her phone and respond to messages, messages Harvey pretended to know nothing about. Every time she shifted, the collar of his shirt would move with her, sometimes sliding down over her shoulder so it peaked out from beneath the fabric, teasing him from where he sat at the foot of the bed. Another day he might have taken the moment to crawl over and divert her attention from her phone to his lips, to seize the opportunity and cuddle closer to her. Today was different. He wasn’t thinking about the way her body would feel pressed into his — he did his best not to dwell too hard on that anyway. He wasn’t really thinking much at all. He was going off some other instinct he couldn’t quite name, focusing on her and clearing his mind save for the weird way he was feeling at that moment. In his head it was her and only her, nothing else was really registering. It was almost like an out of body experience, he wasn't really aware of what he was doing or how he was moving. So when Mariana had spoken up, not even bothering to look away from her phone, he was caught completely off guard. How long had he been out of it?

“Oh… sorry, baby,” he’d said dumbly. The grin that followed was small but sheepish, barely enough to form shallow dimples in his cheeks. He almost turned his attention away from her, chastened by being caught observing her, but he didn’t. Instead Harvey just kept his gaze locked onto her, the sheepish grin changing into something softer and unknown as he just watched her some more. Evidently, Mariana knew he was still looking. Soon enough her eyes were on him, a questioning glance in the way she looked back at him. It would normally be enough to cause him to blush and look away, fumbling with his words for a second before recovering with some flirty little something to make the moment seem less awkward. He’d recover with a compliment on her beauty, which was always sincere given that even sitting there in one of his shirts she was still somehow the most gorgeous girl he’d ever seen. Or he’d make a joke about her “adorable resting bitch face” or inquire on what she was thinking because he was just burning with curiosity over what her microexpressions meant. Anything. He’d recover with just about anything… But today he was completely lost for words. “It’s just...”

He couldn’t quite describe what was going through his mind as he sat there looking at her; observing the lines of her face, counting the different shades of gold and green and brown that made up her hazel eyes, following the slope of her lips. Committing her face to memory though he’d already known it so well. It had almost felt like he was looking at it for the first time ever, really just looking at it. The more he stared at her, the more he felt this cloudy and heavy feeling inside his mind and chest, one that overwhelmed his every sense. He’d felt dizzy and light and dreamy and soft and nervous and excited all at once. It caused a laugh to bubble up his throat, a low vibrating chuckle that came from deep in his chest. The laugh didn’t quite catch either of them off guard… but the words that accompanied it did. He had no idea what he was about to blurt out, completely lost in that moment and the odd new feelings swirling within him that he had no idea what he was going to say. If he’d had any control in that moment, he’d have stopped it from coming out. This wasn’t how he wanted to present it, this wasn’t how he imagined it happening. And yet, nothing could stop the words from falling out with that soft laughter, low and gentle and yet very much loud enough for them both to hear.

“I love you.”

The moment he’d said those three small words, everything around him seemed to change. Whatever light and airy feeling had possessed him had suddenly lost its fight to gravity. He’d felt literally as if his body had been slammed back down to earth, much like coming down from a daydream. His own words gave him whiplash, left him winded and terrified of the response. His heart had gone from a slow and steady pace to galloping madly within his chest, and suddenly his throat was clenched with anxiety. All at once, the soft and sickly sweet, loving, grin that had formed on his lips had vanished as the inclination of his outburst settled between them. He’d not even given himself much of a chance to decipher her reaction. In the split second between realization and finally tearing his gaze away from her, Harvey could have sworn he saw Mariana’s face blanche in response. Whether it was true or a trick of his mind, that’s not the kind of reaction you hope for after such a reveal.

“That… that wasn’t… that’s not how I wanted to say that,” Harvey sputtered out, burying his face in his hands. He was on his knees at the foot of the bed, just a couple feet away from her and yet he felt miles away. Or perhaps he wished he was. He groaned against the rough skin of his palms before freeing himself from his hiding spot, angling a bright pink face in her direction though not meeting her eyes as he rambled on. “I had a whole thing planned out. I was going to take you somewhere nice, on a proper date, and - and I’ve been taking these Spanish classes, practicing my accent, and I wrote down a whole thing and I was going to surprise you with it, I swear and I-I,” he swallowed, his cheeks dusted in a crimson sheen. Harvey was flustered and embarrassed, shy and insecure. He’d wanted to create a romantic swoon worthy moment of the day he’d declare his feelings for her. Something she could look back on and remember fondly. Not like this. Not while wearing sweatpants and a v neck t-shirt with a light mustard stain on it he had yet to notice. He wanted to give her something she could always look back on with no regrets. But it was too late. He’d said it and he couldn’t take it back.

“What’s it matter anyway? If it was in English or Spanish or at some fancy special place?” He’d finally said. Slowly he crawled towards her, closing the space between them. He’d finally looked at her again and he wasn’t entirely sure what her expression meant. Or maybe he just refused to acknowledge what was plain across her face. “You had to have known how deeply I’ve come to feel for you. I’ve never been good at hiding my feelings, at least not from you. But if it isn’t obvious…. I’m crazy about you. I cherish you and adore you, and I... I feel like I can truly be myself around you. I mean look at us — we’ve been sitting here quietly for hours, barely talking and yet… I feel so happy and comfortable just being near you. You.. you mean the world to me. You came to me during what felt like the darkest time of my life, from something I never imagined I could survive from, and you helped me see that my life isn’t over. Just by giving me something new to be excited about. You make me feel alive. And I… I don’t know, I just…” His breath stuttered around his words, his hands moving up to cup either side of her face. He searched her gaze momentarily, hoping she’d stop his mad rambling with a kiss and a return of the feelings. Something. But she didn’t. Maybe she was in shock. Was this the first time a boy clumsily revealed his heart to her? He didn’t think so… but maybe this was the first time a boyfriend did. Wasn’t he the first?

Thumbs sliding over her cheek bones, he clenched his jaw for a second before giving her that special dimpled grin that seemed to be reserved for her. That special smile which initially disappeared in the Devil’s Cavern all those months ago with his friends until the fateful day a cute blonde came jogging down his lane and ushered them back into his life. Now his every smile belonged to her and her only. “Te amo, Mariana,” Harvey tested the phrase with a voice that was soft but full of conviction. It was a phrase he’d worked on for weeks, which he’d quietly rehearsed to the mirror or deep in the night when she was fast asleep in the crook of his arms and the only audience he had was the moon peeking through the mountains outside. He’d said it many times to her when she wasn’t able to hear, and yet it felt so exhilarating and new saying it now directly to her face. Now she knew, she knew the extent of his heart and how it yearned for her. He couldn’t take it back, it was already being laid on a silver platter and offered to her for the taking. He could only hope she’d accept what he was giving… And maybe return the sentiment. Oh how he hoped she’s come to feel the same for him. As he tilted her face back so he could see clearly into her eyes, he swallowed down his nerves as he added, “Please tell me I said that right and I didn’t just tell you to, like, fuck off or something. And please… Please tell me you feel the same.”

@karolinadeanwrites

[davidcxrenswet]

🔮 - your muse and mine visit a fortune-teller (outcome up to muns!)

In a small town like Normal there just wasn’t a lot to do. Normal teenagers spent most of their free time either at Marie’s for burgers and shakes, at the drive in, or down by the Sticks if the weather permitted it. This meant that Harvey Vance had to get a little creative when it came to date ideas for him and Mariana Diaz. It seemed silly to put this much effort into a high school girl that had a hustle involving selling nudes to the other teenage boys in town, but somehow that girl had gotten a grip on him and Harvey wanted nothing more than to romance her in a way that no other boy in town would. He liked her. He liked her a lot. Last thing he wanted was to lose her to one of the other schmucks around town. So Harvey tried to go out of his way. He set up impossibly romantic dates in the most mundane areas around town, spent every last penny he earned to treat her with exquisite experiences. But his options were dwindling fast, and he was finding it harder to come up with something unique and different to woo her with. 

So inevitably he had to result to some more cliche options. That afternoon wasn’t even the most ideal time for a date. He was supposed to go to the sheriff’s department later that evening to do a late night shift assisting with some filing followed by some “house work” his mother insisted he needed to help with that night which in turn would keep him from spending too much time with his paramour. So that meant he needed to come up with something fast and simple as an excuse to get a little time with her. Any other guy would probably use this as an excuse to get Mariana in their bed for a couple passionate minutes, but Harvey was still holding off on sleeping with her. Not because he didn’t want to perse, he just wanted to be 100% sure of his feelings before he bedded her. And while he was becoming more and more sure of them... He wasn’t sure where she stood, and he didn’t want to give himself to someone who didn’t love him back. 

With all this in mind, he chose what was probably the worst place to go on a quick little date -- Psychic’s Strip. The strip mall had a bit of a reputation. It was the congregating place for all the kooks in Normal that seemed convinced of “paranormal” happenings in town. Despite the things he’d seen while tailing the Murder Club, Harvey still wasn’t completely sold on these supernatural happenings, so he mostly avoided places -- and people -- like this. But he was running out of places to take Mariana to that were exciting, as well as running on limited time that afternoon. And if her involvement in the group gave him any indication, she was possibly into this kind of stuff too. But above all, it was also one of the few places they would run into a lot of people from school. They still weren’t out and open with their relationship, and Harvey wanted to keep it as secretive as he could. Seeing a lack of familiar faces when they’d first arrived, Harvey reached out to grab Mariana’s hand almost instantly, lacing their fingers as he’d dragged her along. “Okay,” he started in a somewhat unsure tone, “I know this isn’t the best place for a date, but... I don’t know, I thought we could try and find the weirdest thing we can and just have some fun with it.” As he said the words, his nose wrinkled at the neon signs claiming fortunes could be told. 

For the most part it was a pretty lowkey date. They had spent most of their time just walking along the strip, eyeing the different establishments lining it. It was for the most part faith healers and psychics -- scammers really. Harvey didn’t want to wander across the threshold of any of the storefronts, leaning away if Mariana so much as swayed in their direction. He’d laugh and scoff and shake his head at all their promises of healing and palm reading. But after a while of walking back and forth, their conversation going light and silent, he was beginning to worry he’d bored her with his choice of place for them. He cursed himself for having chosen this over a walk in the park with Sasquatch. At least you know she loves Sassy... That would have been a sure win in comparison to this. Frowning at his thoughts, Harvey looked up in time to see another gaudy display of neon signs in the window of another psychic’s store. His stroll slowed to a stop as he stared at the signs promising great power and authentic tarot readings. It was the kind of stuff his parents had always warned him of. Witchcraft and satanism, that’s what these soothsayers were to most southern white Christians. If it weren’t for his fear that he’d messed up gravely in entertaining Mariana that afternoon, he wouldn’t have had the thought.. But the more they stood there, the more he felt like he needed to do something unexpected. 

Without a word Harvey ushered Mariana towards the store, puling the heavy door outward and holding it open for her. At her curious glance, he shrugged. “I said we were gonna find the weirdest thing and have some fun with it, didn’t I?” Harvey said, a sort of mischievous lopsided grin pulling at his lips. His dimpled deepened as his entire expression flashed with a sort of daring glance, as if tempting her to try and think of something better to do there. “Let’s see what ‘the cards’ have in store for us.” He winked playfully at her before ushering her inside. There was a part of him that almost welcomed the idea of going inside if only for the air conditioning. It was hot outside, another humid midsummer day, and so the icy cool air within was more than invited. The odd smell inside the establishment wasn’t. He tried not to grimace at it -- something herby but also funky. He couldn’t place it but he also just didn’t want to. Pulling Mariana along with him, they entered the space and headed towards an empty counter where they assumed they were supposed to meet the “fortune teller”. 

The whole room was dark, dimly lit for atmosphere. The decor was gaudy, in all jewel tones and clearly meant to give this whole “new age” spiritual vibe. Everything just looked cheap and outdated to Harvey. There had been a bell when they opened the door, likely to signal the workers that a customer had come in, but no one had come to greet them yet. As they quietly waited, Harvey pulled Mariana into his arms, her back to him, leaning foward to rest his chin on her shoulder. He was worried now more than ever that he had epically failed at this date, only made worse the longer they waited for some kind of employee to greet them. 

Harvey was ready to give up and drag Mariana out, thinking maybe a heavy make out in the backseat of his car would be the only way to salvage their afternoon, until they heard the sound of a bead curtain being pushed over. From somewhere in the back a woman had appeared, dressed in head to toe in flowing fabrics dyed a deep purple and black. Her makeup was so heavily caked on, Harvey had to stop himself from gawking. Releasing Mariana but keeping his hands on her hips, he offered the woman before them a grin as she greeted them. She introduced herself as Madame Serena before asking what kind of service they wanted. She specialized in tarot and palm reading among other things. Harvey just wanted the cheapest experience to treat Mariana to before he made up for it with the aforementioned make out session. Madame Serena of course attempted to upsell the hell out of them, but Harvey stood firm. It had been a long ten or so minutes before she ushered the pair into a dark room in the back where a round table with three chairs sat. Two of the chairs were on one side, while a lone chair sat opposite them. It was obvious where the pair was to sit, so Harvey pulled out one chair for Mariana while Madame Serena got her cards out for reading. 

There was a long introduction where she explained to the pair how tarot worked. Harvey wasn’t really paying attention. Instead he was fixated on Mariana’s expression, trying desperately to read it and see if she was having fun or not. As per usual, the girl wasn’t the most forthcoming. Her expression was sometimes so neutral when they were together, it irritated him to not have an inkling of how she was doing. So he reached out to grab her hand and played with her fingers while he passively listened to the fortune teller. Soon she was launching into the reading, setting out cards and reading out their meanings to them. It was all standard sounding, a little too broad or generalized to seem mystical. Harvey eventually tuned it out as he watched Mariana’s expression as the woman spoke to her directly. She really was the most gorgeous girl in town, how the hell had he convinced her to go on more than one date with him? He was really beginning to wonder if their budding relationship was some crude prank by the MC. 

“He certainly has strong feelings for you, though you don’t need cards to see that.” 

The words had drawn him from his fascination with Mariana’s microexpressions. Harvey turned to gape at the fortune teller. “I’m - what?” 

The woman just laughed as he blushed and stared back at her. “He hasn’t taken his eyes off you this entire time. Obviously he likes you deeply, though that’s not what I’m seeing as I look into your future.” Harvey scoffed and leaned back in his chair. If he’d allowed himself to look at Mariana, he may have caught sight of a satisfactory smile. At least he assumed she was sporting one - he decided to not look at her after the fortune teller embarrassed him. Clearing his throat, he watched her unimpressed as she continued. “I see a great love for you two. You’re certainly well matched, despite what others - and maybe even you yourselves think. You’ll find happiness together. That is if you can get past certain trials.” This piqued Harvey’s interest. He sat up a little straighter, though flashing a somewhat skeptical glance at the woman as she continued. “There is something from your pasts which haunt you - things lost and things gained. If you allow these things to consume you, then your relationship won’t last. But if you let them go, then your love with thrive.” Madame Serena’s eyes narrowed as she looked down at the cards. It was almost comical, looking so concentrated as if somehow she was going to “see” something more. It was all for stupid show - what she was saying was, once again, very vague and generalized. Was this really worth the hefty fee? 

“There is only two outcomes for you, one is happy and one is sad, but both paths are strewn with... Death and chaos. There are dark times ahead for you two.” She stared wide eyed at the two and for a second Harvey thought there was genuine fear and concern for them in her eyes. She spent a particularly long moment just really staring hard at Mariana, a scrutinizing gaze that Harvey couldn’t really read. He felt uncomfortable, and he wasn’t even the one she was staring so pointedly at. He spared a glance at Mariana to see if she felt uncomfortable as well, but the most he could make out was annoyance from the look of it. “You two should tread carefully going forward,” Madame Serena finally concluded after a moment. Her gaze shifted to Harvey and he was caught off guard by it. There was an edge in the way she stared at him, as if she was trying to mentally say something to him. He could swear she was almost giving him a warning look, a gaze riddled in fear and concern for him and him specifically. He swallowed under the intensity of it. “Very carefully, young man.”

“Erm, thank you Madame Serena,” he said after a moment, clearing his throat. He felt Mariana’s hand in his shortly after that, squeezing it slightly tighter than she had earlier. He didn’t have time to really think about it because Madame Serena was whipping out a phone with a card reader attached, spewing out an ungodly price for their reading. Harvey quickly swiped his card and pressed the appropriate prompts on the screen to secure the transaction before standing up and leading Mariana out of the store. He didn’t even stop to offer the woman another parting glance or anything before pulling Mariana out into the scorching North Carolina heat. It sizzled off the asphalt as he directed her to the car. There was an uncomfortable feeling settling into his stomach, and he wanted to be as far away from Psychic’s Strip as he could get. 

Engine roaring to life, he offered Mariana an apologetic grin as he cranked up the AC. “Well that was... Something.” He tried to laugh but it came out awkward and choked. Gripping the steering wheel, Harvey’s mind whirled as he tried to think of a way to salvage their short date. “She was definitely a phony,” he said after a moment, turning back to Mariana. As her hazel eyes shifted towards him, he reached over to gently cup her chin and lead her across the console to meet him for a soft kiss. “I mean, if she could really see our future.. Then she’d have seen the very hot kiss I’m about to give you,” he added with a crooked grin. He wasted no time in leaning across the way to engage Mariana in a long, slow kiss. This had been a monumentally terrible idea, and he needed to quickly make up for it if he’d hoped to take Mariana Diaz out again.