[COLLEGE AU HOORAY] Late '90s, University

[tiltingwithlips]

So two nights ago, Harry and Kate got into another screaming fight on the quad that ended with Harry flinging his key to Kate's apartment at her feet and Kate threatening to use it to key his door, since he's too much of a loser to own a car, and both of them stalking off to separate bars to drink whiskey and tell their friends that it's really over this time.

REALLY.

Kate has sulked through the last two days, slamming doors and breaking pencil points and trying to remember what, exactly, they were fighting about. But it doesn't matter because she is not going to keep dating crazy. She is going to focus on her reading and go to bed at a reasonable hour and not give Harry Percy another thought.

Comments

[valiantrebel]

"And a very fine Thursday morning to you."

[tiltingwithlips]

"Yes! Thursday morning! As in I-have-class-in-six-hours morning!"

[valiantrebel]

"Is it that late?" Time flies when you're having fun.

[tiltingwithlips]

"Yes!"

... Wait.

"What on earth did you do to your chest?"

[valiantrebel]

Harry grins.

"Great, isn't it?"

He holds open his shirt. Underneath the saran wrap taped to his chest is... lions.

Two enormous lions tattooed across his chest.

"Let me come up and you can see 'em better."

[tiltingwithlips]

Kate gapes.

"You woke me up for this?"

[valiantrebel]

Harry looks offended. "Partly. I just sat in a chair for six hours for it!"

[tiltingwithlips]

"What possessed you?"

[valiantrebel]

"I've been planning it! I can plan things, you know. It just seemed like the right time to go ahead, so. I thought you'd like it!"

The political philosophy department loves this kid, for some reason. Who even knows.

[tiltingwithlips]

Kate groans and buries her hands in her hair.

"Harry Percy."

[valiantrebel]

"Look, I sent Hal off and it's two miles to the dormitory, can I come inside?" He doesn't button his shirt, but he does tug his shirt closed. Irritably.

[tiltingwithlips]

Acidly: "Do you have a key?"

SHE THINKS NOT.

[valiantrebel]

"I should! Who's going to make you breakfast if I don't?"

AMONG OTHER THINGS.

Also, that was totally an offer to make her breakfast. In its way.

[tiltingwithlips]

"Me!"

[valiantrebel]

"You burn your eggs! Kate, come on."

[tiltingwithlips]

"That was ONCE," she snaps, "and you were distracting me!"

[valiantrebel]

"You love my eggs. And you love my waffles! That's anecdotes substituting for data. Don't avoid the fundamental truths at work here!"

[tiltingwithlips]

She makes a frustrated noise, throwing up her hands.

"The fundamental truth at work here is that we are not seeing each other! I am not doing" -- she waves a hand between them -- "this! You are not making everything fine with a bloody ridiculous tattoo and some waffles!"

[valiantrebel]

He snorts. "That's ridiculous."

It hasn't occurred to him that he couldn't make this fine.

What, does he have to go out and get some bacon too? Because he can do that.

[tiltingwithlips]

Flat: "Really."

[valiantrebel]

"Yes!" Glowering. "And it's not ridiculous! They're Percy lions. Maybe the point would have been better made if they had also been short-order cooks!"

[tiltingwithlips]

"Can you even hear yourself when you talk, Harry?"

[valiantrebel]

"It does sound a lot better before it comes out of my mouth."

[tiltingwithlips]

(Dammit, she is not going to laugh. NOT GOING TO LAUGH. She is over his charm.)

"Go home," she says, still cross but less yelly. "For goodness' sake, go get some sleep."

[valiantrebel]

He takes a breath. "I was really hoping we could talk about that key again."