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Post by Olivia Hale on Sept 26, 2010 16:20:28 GMT
((Set in the universe of Payback)) It had been six months and Olivia still wasn't sleeping. She sort of stumbled through life, trying to keep a smile on her face which...wasn't actually that hard. As soon as her leg had healed and her facial scars were less angry looking, she'd gone job hunting. She got a job in a small bookstore and was relatively happy there. She put on a strong front while at work, but knew Harvey saw right through it. She had become quite excellent at avoiding him. It was a Saturday evening and Olivia was cleaning. She'd become extremely obsessive compulsive about keeping the apartment extremely clean. Everything she could get her hands on had been organized either in alphabetical order or color coded. She popped one pill each of Ativan and Vicodin before walking over to the couch with a glass of wine. She knew that she probably should see a doctor about what was most likely an addiction, but kept putting it off. The Ativan kept her awake, and sleeping was definitely not on her list of things that were enjoyable. A wave of dizziness struck her and she stumbled, dropping the glass of wine on the floor. "Fuck." She muttered. She sank down to try to clean it up, and inhaled sharply as the glass cut into her hand. "Damn it..." |
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Post by Harvey Dent/Two-Face on Sept 26, 2010 18:31:57 GMT
Harvey stared at the spreadsheet in front of him and rubbed his eyes. He was too tired for this. If Olivia wasn't sleeping, it meant he wasn't sleeping either.
He stood and picked up his empty coffee mug, making his way through the apartment to the kitchen. Saturday nights always used to be their time. They'd go out like a normal couple, for dinner and a movie, or to the theatre, or just spend the evening wrapped up in each other's arms on the sofa with a DVD and a bottle of wine.
It had been a long time since they'd been out in public together, and Olivia wasn't often in the mood for cuddling any more. She was restless and tense. Some days she couldn't bear to be touched at all.
Harvey entered the kitchen and saw the broken glass on the floor and his wife cluching her wounded hand. Wordlessly, he want to her.
"Are you ok, sweetheart? Let me see..."
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Post by Olivia Hale on Sept 26, 2010 18:51:54 GMT
Olivia jumped as Harvey spoke. She hadn't heard him walk up. She glanced up and attempted to focus on his face which was quite blurry. "I'm fine, just cut my hand." She rose unsteadily to her feet, clutching her hand.
She moved to sit on the couch. "sorry if I bothered you."
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Post by Harvey Dent/Two-Face on Sept 26, 2010 18:58:50 GMT
Harvey gazed at her eyes, noting their dullness. He remembered when they had been clear and bright, and so very expressive. He had always loved her eyes.
He quickly opened a kitchen drawer and pulled out a clean tea towel, sitting down next to her and pressing it to her cut hand.
"Don't be silly. You're never a bother." His worried gaze moved from Olivia to the floor, and then to the table where a bottle of her painkillers still stood.
"How many have you taken today?" he asked gently.
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Post by Olivia Hale on Sept 26, 2010 19:24:16 GMT
Olivia smiled weakly. "Thanks, Harv. I don't know what I'd do without you."
She tensed at his question and nervously chewed on the inside of her scar. "Uh...not many."
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Post by Harvey Dent/Two-Face on Sept 26, 2010 19:52:46 GMT
Harvey hated it when she chewed her scar. It made him think of the Joker. Which, he supposed, had been Joker's entire point. Not just to leave a reminder of himself for Olivia, but for Harvey too.
"Ollie, I know how often you take those things and I know how many of them you take. It's ok. You have a perfect right to. I just want to know you're alright." He reached out and caressed her hair.
"You look so tired..." he murmured. "Why don't you go and lie down? I'll clear this up and then come join you."
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Post by Olivia Hale on Sept 27, 2010 3:06:18 GMT
Olivia looked up at him, tears threatening to spill from her eyes. "I don't know what I ever did to deserve you." She whispered, tentatively reaching up to touch his face. "You've been so patient with me, you're a saint."
She shook her head. "I don't really want to go to bed. Maybe..." She hesitated, eyes flicking nervously across his face. "Do you want to watch a movie with me? Its been a while since we sort of just...you know, hung out."
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Post by Harvey Dent/Two-Face on Sept 27, 2010 7:10:18 GMT
Harvey took her hand and pressed it to the good side of his face - the side where he could still feel the touch of her fingers. "No," he said softly. "Just a man who loves you, and always will."
Something like hope sparked in Harvey's eyes. "It has, hasn't it? I'd like that, very much." He gently wrapped her in his arms and held her close, tucking her head onto his shoulder.
He murmured into her hair. "I've been so worried about you, sweetheart."
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Post by Olivia Hale on Sept 27, 2010 10:05:49 GMT
Olivia wasn't sure she'd ever understand why Harvey had stuck with her. The past few months must have been extremely stressful and unrewarding for him, two factors that would send most men running. She decided not to question him and simply allowed a small smile to ghost across her lips.
She tensed as he pulled her to him, but attempted to relax. After she had forced her breathing to slow back down (which thankfully helped her heart rate, which made things much more comfortable), she closed her eyes.
"I'm sorry, Harv." She murmured, taking in the comforting smell of him. One hand dropped to his knee and she gently traced patterns on it. "Its just...been hard, you know?" She looked up at him, eyes wide and lost. "I hate feeling so out of control of my own mind. It's so frustrating. Some days I feel like I'm going mad."
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Post by Harvey Dent/Two-Face on Sept 27, 2010 12:26:59 GMT
Harvey's hands ran soothingly up and down her back, hating the way she tensed against him. Olivia always used to be so tactile. She had never been afraid to touch him, to kiss the nightmarish mass of scar tissue that was all that remained of the left side of his face.
Now, to have her flinch when he placed an arm around her waist or drew her close as he drifted off to sleep was almost more than he could bear.
"Believe me, I know exactly how that feels," he said quietly.
He lightly squeezed her hand where it lay on his knee. "You don't ever need to apologise to me, Ollie."
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Post by Olivia Hale on Sept 27, 2010 16:32:33 GMT
Tears slid silently from her eyes and she buried her face into the junction of his neck and shoulder. She was silent for a time, simply letting the weakness she'd been hiding come out. It had been so long since she just sat with him like this, and she'd sort of missed it. It was still hard to fight the flashbacks, but it was becoming easier with time.
She finally leaned back just enough to look up at him. "I've been so selfish." She whispered, looking regretful. "I don't understand how you've managed to stick by me this long. Any other person would have been gone ages ago."
Olivia placed a hesitant kiss on his lips. "Thank you."
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Post by Harvey Dent/Two-Face on Sept 27, 2010 17:52:52 GMT
"Oh, Ollie..." Harvey gently stroked up and down her spine and let her cry, murmuring soothing nonsense into the soft brown hair.
He gently brushed the tears from her cheeks as she looked up at him. "No, you haven't been selfish. Don't think that. You'e coped betterthan anyone else could have done."
He smiled slightly and lifted her left hand to his lips, kissing the bright gold of her wedding ring. "I didn't promise to love you just until things got tough, Ollie. I promised you I'd be with you until death parts us, and I meant it."
Harvey closed his eyes as she lifted her lips to his. She almost never kissed him any more, or if she did it was only in pliant, polite response to his mouth on hers.
"Ollie..." Harvey leaned forwards and gently returned the kiss, lips soft and light on hers but hoping so much that she would have the confidence, the trust in him to let herself go.
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Post by Olivia Hale on Sept 27, 2010 18:53:20 GMT
As Harvey kissed her, Olivia rested her hand lightly on his cheek, the smooth skin keeping her focused on who she was with. Though she was still tentative, she responded to the kiss, her other hand moving to cup the back of his head.
A wave of confidence hit her and she deepened the kiss, sliding a hand down his chest. It had been several months since she'd actually enjoyed physical contact with Harvey. She wouldn't say that she was entirely comfortable, but she was far more relaxed than she had been in a very long time. It was rather nice.
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Post by Harvey Dent/Two-Face on Sept 27, 2010 20:25:26 GMT
Harvey tried to move slowly for Olivia's sake, knowing how hard it was for her even to feel a body against hers, but his mouth began to more urgently, more insistently. He broke the kiss and looked away.
"Sorry. I shouldn't push you. It's just... you know how it is."
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Post by Olivia Hale on Sept 27, 2010 21:11:51 GMT
Olivia frowned as Harvey pulled away. She took one of his hands and placed it on her thigh. "I'd like to at least try, if that's okay. I don't think I'll ever get over this if I don't push at least a little bit."
Heart racing, she took his other hand and slid it under her shirt to rest on her hip. She leaned forward to kiss him once more.
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