ℍᴀʀʟᴏᴡ (![[info]](https://www.insanejournal.com/img/userinfo.gif){kind=small} yourscruelly) wrote in ![[info]](https://www.insanejournal.com/img/community.gif){kind=small} mercycovelogs,@ 2022-04-21 16:24:00 |
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| Entry tags: | ✘: harlow petrova, ✘: seth lewin |
Backdated Log | Harlow & Seth
HARLOW
SETH
WHO Harlow Petrova & Seth Lewin •
WHERE Harlow's Apartment •
WHEN March 16, 2022
SCENE LOG
Post Hospital VisitSTATUS Completed • WARNINGS n/a
Honestly Seth didn’t know what to make of what had happened to Harlow. Strigele attacks were rare and for good reason, it wasn’t easy to explain away and the risk of being exposed was too high.
Still, that wasn’t really his concern at the moment, especially as he had more pressing things on his mind such as how Harlow was doing. He hadn’t invited her to Mercy Cove for her to be set upon by a Strigele. Yes, she’d been over in Eureka, but still…
The thing about Seth was that he’d always been protective of the people he cared for and ever since transitioning to an Alpha those instincts had just got stronger rather than lessened which meant he had a much more vested interest in taking care of those closest to him.
It explained why as he turned up and knocked on Harlow’s door he had some grocery bags.
There seemed to be no rhyme or reason that actually made sense in her head for what happened that night. She locked up The Ink Well, started to make her way towards the parking lot when some guy was just there. He had stood in her way, he had refused to get out of the way. Each step she took, he had seemed to take as well to block her before she could feel the wall of the building pushed up against her back while she got pinned. She didn’t know how else to describe the sharpness she felt tearing into her flesh. Nothing made sense other than the idea of the guy having razors in his mouth; though even that felt faulty to her. She was just trying to reason something for herself.
When she had gotten home from the hospital that day, Harlow had sent Seth a text to assure him she made it home. She knew she wouldn’t be back to the shop right away. As much as her art mattered to her, she still had so much passion for tattooing over eighteen years later into the business. It seemed as though for the first time in her life she was in hide mode.
Harlow wasn’t normally the run away from an issue type. She’d been through plenty of bad experiences with others, especially from the get-go with her parents. Still, nothing caused her to back down. Until now. Until she found herself facing something she couldn’t even explain to herself.
Fortunately a nurse at the hospital in Eureka had helped her clean up that morning, so when she made it home she was simply changing into a fresh pair of leggings and an oversized hooded sweatshirt that seemed like it could swallow the five foot two woman whole. There was a very visible bandage on the left side of her neck where the main injury had happened. A few stitches hidden beneath it.
Despite knowing Seth was planning to stop by, her body stiffened slightly when she heard the knock to her apartment door. Slowly she had gotten up from her four seater long green sofa and made her way to the door. Pressing up on her toes to peek through the peephole. It was a sigh of relief and relaxation coming over her body again when she spotted Seth standing on the other side of the door. With more ease she unlocked and opened the door, “Hey…” she had spoken more softly than her usual self. “Come on in.”
Seth took a moment to regard Harlow, noticing the slight hunch to her shoulders, and the sharp edge to her overall scent, which was indicative of just how not okay she was. Understandable all things considered. Still, Seth felt his protective instincts flare, the same ones he’d always had prior to his transition but were honestly a lot stronger now, the ones that made him want to bundle Harlow up into his arms and keep her safe.
“Hey,” he greeted with a smile.
He lifted the arm holding the bag of groceries. “I brought some food, figured I could make you something to eat.”
She was certainly far from okay. Harlow could usually, to a human at least, pull off being okay no matter what front, but anyone who looked at her could she was far from. Especially if they had known her well enough to know her usual demeanor. She offered him a soft smile in return. Her body had felt incredibly weak and exhausted. She had no idea yet what really was inside her blood or how her body was working on itself. “That’s very thoughtful of you, after a few days of hospital food I could definitely use something better.”
Taking a small step back so he could come in, she spoke again, “Hope you’re not allergic to dogs though. This little guy…” she spoke as she gestured to the dog she was unaware was actually her neighbor and friend, Nate. “...just showed up at my door when I got home. He kept begging at my door to come in and well… I’m admittedly a sucker for animals.”
Harlow had closed the door once Seth was inside, immediately locking the door. She was definitely far from okay. Her mind was still trying to make sense of what had happened. “Sorry that I might not be back for awhile…” she commented quietly as she led him to her kitchen. The pup followed, seeming to keep Harlow in his sight. Something she didn’t really pick up on herself, but to someone in the know of such things could potentially pick up on.
Seth turned his head to look over the dog and was immediately aware that the dog wasn’t actually a dog at all, but a shifter, though they seemed to have good intentions so didn’t say anything. “I feel you on that,” he replied with a smile. “Animals are the best.”
He followed after her as she led the way to the kitchen and reached out to very gently catch her elbow, stilling her stride. “Hey, it’s okay. You take the time you need, but what I will say is don’t let some asshole ruin the thing you love.”
A brief reassuring squeeze before he let go and made his way into her kitchen, starting to unpack the items he’d brought with him.
She had paused for that brief moment of his reassurance. Fighting back the tears that threatened to form in her eyes. She really didn’t want anything to rob her of what she was so passionate about in life. Harlow also hated this feeling of weakness and vulnerability. Not that she was impenetrable or anything like that, but she usually could do a lot better at hiding those moments where she felt less than confident in her surroundings and self. “Thank you.” the words had come out soft in the moment as she had looked down slightly and nodded in response to him.
Once they were in the kitchen she watched him start to unload the bags. “This was really thoughtful of you.” she commented. The five foot two woman just wasn’t used to others being so kind like this as to bring food over. Which to anyone who knows her well enough, knows that the woman has a rather deep appreciation of food in general.
“How have you been doing?” she inquired, before making her way around him to the refrigerator. Harlow opened the door and reached in to grab herself a bottle of water. “Would you like something to drink? I got water… beer… and that’s about it, as I’m due to go to the store…” her words trailed a moment as her mind just sort of went down a rabbit hole of thought.
Suddenly she was lost for a moment as had realized going to a store meant leaving her apartment. The place she finally had gotten back to. Where she was safe from the outside world.
Seth had opened his mouth to answer Harlow when he noticed how she seemed to drift, frowning as he was certain he could see how she was beginning to tumble down a deep very dark rabbit hole.
The wolf set aside the groceries he was unpacking and positioned himself in her eye line, gently touching her arms. “Hey, hey, Harlow? Come back to the here and now.”
He waited until there was some sort of acknowledgement before simply tugging her against his chest and wrapping his arms around her, one firm at th waist and the other across the top of her back so he could squeeze the back of her neck. “Just breathe,” he coaxed gently.
Harlow hadn’t meant to drift. It wasn’t a pleasant place her mind was taking her. Between the incident itself and the way doctors looked at her like she was crazy when she tried to recall what happened. It made her question a lot of things that night. A lot of things that now made her feel unsafe.
It was the sound of Seth’s voice though that she heard which had caused her to return back to the present. The gentle touch he gave her as her dark eyes looked to him. She couldn’t help the way they began to fill with tears. It was so much that happened so fast with no knowledge of the guy who attacked her. He was just out there somewhere still as far as she knew.
Feeling him pull her against him like that caused the tears to spill out past her lids. “I’m so sorry.” she mumbled against his chest a moment as her arms had moved around him in return. She hadn’t meant to cry in front of him or anyone, but in that moment she couldn’t help it.
There was so much stuck running through her mind since the accident. The reminder of the bandage that covered the side of her neck hadn’t helped.
“It’s okay,” Seth was quick to reassure her. “You went through a horrible thing and it’s okay to still not be okay, to still feel a certain way about it. I’d be worried if you weren’t.” The hand at the back of her neck drifted upwards to stroke his fingers through her hair, a circular motion accompanying the movement as he did his best to reassure her physically as well as verbally.
His grip was firm but not firm to the point where if she wanted to she could pull away, subconsciously being aware of what was enough and what was too much, and giving Harlow a choice in the matter.
“I’m sure as hell not going to judge you.”
His understanding and assurance it was okay to not be okay seemed to break the floodgates. Tears flowed out of Harlow suddenly as she cried against him for a few minutes. She hadn’t really allowed herself to fully cry since it happened. It all happened so fast and she was trying so hard in her waking hours to not seem like an emotional basket case at the hospital, especially given the looks she received while there.
She truly appreciated his hold on her though. It made her feel safe. A feeling she wasn’t entirely used to feeling with others, especially in hard times. Normally she’d run from her own feelings, but in that moment there was no will to run anywhere. Besides she was sort of afraid that if she tried she'd just end up spiraling into a very dark place mentally.
When she eventually calmed down she slowly pulled back from the embrace. Looking up to the taller man, “Sorry.” It was a reflex. Not that she didn’t mean it, but there were parts of her past that weren’t great and it was hard to accept sometimes when emotions ran high that she didn’t need to say it.
As Harlow broke and the emotions came flooding out of her Seth just held on, keeping his grip securely fastened around her, his footing steady, and it was apparent that he was going nowhere. Sometimes that was better than words, actions to him were often louder and much more genuine.
When she pulled back he gave her a soft understanding smile, reaching up to brush away the traces of her tears with the pads of his slightly rough thumbs. “It’s okay, nothing to be sorry about. Better out than in.” Seth didn’t tend to bullshit, he was honest, and when he said something you knew it was the truth. “And, Harlow? No judgment here, I mean it.”
He searched her expression for a few moments longer before deciding to change the subject. “I think it’s about time I cooked and I’ll take a beer.”
The way he had held her while she broke had meant a lot, even if she couldn’t really express that right then. Not many throughout her life would have so easily let her fall apart like that, she was sure of it. So when she found a genuine friend she tended to cherish them. Life had thrown her a lot of curveballs throughout her years, but none of that seemed to compare to what happened just a few nights prior when she closed up shop in Eureka.
She took in a quiet, but deep breath as she had pulled back and tried to offer a soft smile along her full lips back at him. “I appreciate that.” she had managed to speak quietly at first. She did appreciate not being judged for something that was out of her control and not something she knew how to explain.
The change of topic was a welcomed one, Harlow had let out a breath and gave a slight nod despite it being painful still to do so. “Yeah, let me get you one.” She pulled out two craft beers and went to reach into a drawer next to the refrigerator to pull out the bottle opener. Popping one open she put it on the counter next to the stove for him, before opening her own.
Sure perhaps alcohol wasn’t the greatest companion to go with her pain medication, but it was one beer and she had enough self control not to go overboard.
“Thanks.” Seth picked up the beer and took a pull from it before he began unpacking the items he’d brought over which were all the ingredients to make a pretty hearty meal that would definitely have leftovers. “I tend to cook a lot,” he admitted ruefully. “Hope you don’t mind leftovers.”
He was clearly comfortable and at ease in the kitchen with how quickly and efficiently he prepped the different ingredients with guidance from Harlow on where to find certain things in order to move through the process.
“When you do come back remind me to ask Erinn to tell you about the client that passed out on him.”
Harlow had moved out of the way when he began to unpack, of course staying close as she moved over to hop herself up a little more gingerly than she normally would to sit on the opposite counter in her apartment kitchen. “Have we met?” she actually managed to crack with an amused grin before taking a drink off her own beer a moment. “Or is that just a challenge to my appetite?” she mused a little more when she pulled the beer down, setting the bottle on the counter beside her.
Of course gave helpful notes to where things he needed were as he began to cook. The smells soon causing her stomach to rumble and the thought of an actual meal that wasn’t hospital food suddenly seemed to have re-opened her appetite more at least.
“Oh shit, guess I will definitely have to ask him for that story.” she grinned with amusement at the idea, but also the tiniest shake of her head despite the pain of the movement. “I’ll never forget my first client that passed out on me. It was some young college kid, who thought he was a badass getting his first tattoo. Turns out the kid was dehydrated as fuck and apparently very sensitive and fearful of needles.” Harlow lifted her beer bottle up again and held it in her hands a moment as she continued, letting her legs dangle off the counter. “I though, was like eighteen, fresh on my own and bewildered as to what to do at first. I mean, fortunately I wasn't like alone and on my own in the shop or anything, and he revived pretty quickly. Left the place with just a small line on his side from an unfinished tattoo.” After she had taken another small swallow from the bottle she grinned a little to Seth, “What was your first client pass out experience like?”
“Totally a challenge to your appetite,” Seth shot over with a razor sharp smile and wink. He busied himself with adding herbs and spices with a touch of salt before he left the sauce to simmer as he began on cooking the pasta.
At her recollection and re-telling of her first client that had passed out on her Seth couldn’t help but give a laugh. “Jesus, that’s- Wow, I bet that line is a story he tells at parties, but he doesn’t mention the part where he passed out.”
Searching the memory banks involved a glance up to the left before Seth finally secured the one he was looking for. “It was this big burly guy who didn’t have any ink on him at all, but figured the best way to start was to get a piece on his ribs. I tried to talk him out of it, tried to convince him to go smaller, but would he listen? Would he fuck.” With the water boiling he added the pasta with a dash of salt. “He was dead set and I was at this point so over the entire conversation I was like fuck it fine, whatever, sit your ass down.” He tasted the sauce and added a touch more oregano. “So even before I’ve started tattooing him he’s already wincing and I’m like …it’s the stencil, relax, and then turns out the guy was on blood thinning medication which he didn’t divulge and also super squeamish. First sign of blood and he’s out for the count.”
Seth shook his head. “Good thing he was lying down or that fall all six foot four of him would have hurt.”
“Oh, well then, challenge accepted my friend.” she had grinned a little more in the moment. Harlow had been known to pack away quite a lot of food despite her size, though only a small part of her doubted she could get herself to stuff too much that night, she was still amused.
Harlow actually had managed a laugh, “Yeah, I’m pretty sure he leaves that minor little detail out.” She had no doubts the college kid admitted to many, if any, that he passed out on his first attempt at getting a tattoo. There was another slight shake of her head, but this time a sharp inhale accompanied it due to the pain in her neck.
She wasn’t going to let that stop the conversation. This was enjoyable, exchanging stories of their careers. Her managed laugh had turned to a more natural one as he shared his story while he cooked at the stove. It was good to laugh, find actual amusement already in something. “Go figure it was a big burly guy type.” The laughter in the moment outweighed the pain she felt in her neck from movement and vibration. Though there was a slight grimace on her expression, the sound of her amusement was definitely genuine. “He’s very luck he was laying down and that he didn’t have more issues than just passing out, especially being on fucking blood thinners.” It was a genuine pet peeve of Harlow’s when clients held back important information. Granted she learned early on to always have those forms ready and if they lied, well, she couldn't be held responsible, legally, but she still felt awful when something happened that could have been so easily avoided.
“Sometimes I think about writing a book about some of the things I’ve experienced with clients, but maybe I should finish the one I’ve been working on about my career and life in general first.” she had commented before having taken another drink off her beer.
Seth took a small spoonful of the sauce and offered it to Harlow but only after having blown on it so she could taste. “Let me know if it needs anything else.” He was a good cook but always open to feedback especially as everybody had different tastes.
“You’re writing a book?”
Seth rummaged out some plates and laid them out on the side so they were ready for serving.
Accepting a taste of the sauce was a much more flavorful experience for her taste buds than the hospital food had been. Plus it was just good. Still, she had contemplated momentarily as she surveyed the sauce before finally giving him a response, “Actually I think it’s perfect the way it is. It’s delicious.”
“Yeah, I’ve been very slowly working on it for a while now.” she had spoken of the book. What she had left out was that there was a book deal. A local publisher in the Los Angeles area that unfortunately went belly up before her book got finished and put out.
Harlow could appreciate how comfortable he was in her home to find things. As he set out the dishes she carefully hopped off the counter she sat on. “Anything you want me to help with?
Seth smiled when Harlow assured him that it was just fine as it was, placing the spoon aside and giving the sauce a quick stir with another. “That’s cool,” he murmured as he set about draining the pasta, glancing over his shoulder at Harlow as she moved. “How far along are you in the writing process?”
He nodded towards the plates.
“Can you grab some cutlery?”
“I think I made it about half way through the first draft.” she answered. “I started it awhile ago, but took a break for awhile and who knows, maybe while I…” her words had trailed just for a brief moment before getting out that word, “...recover, I can work on it more.” Her shoulders moved up into a small shrug, “Who knows, nothing may even come of it when it’s done, but it just felt right to continue working on it…even though admittedly writing is not my strong suit.”
She moved around the kitchen reaching into a drawer to grab out some silverware for both of them.
“We can eat in the living room if you want.” she offered as she watched him finish up the meal.
“If you’re cool with that then I’m also cool with that.” Seth dished up the food, making sure Harlow had a generous amount, possibly a little too generous, but Seth like his mom tended to lean towards a caregiving style when people he cared about weren’t doing great.
With plates in hand he followed Harlow into the living room, waiting for her to take a seat before he offered up the one he’d designated as hers.
“Working on the book might be a good thing to do while you recover, give you something to focus on.”
She had given a slight nod of her head with being cool with it, as she grabbed up the silverware for them and reached into the refrigerator to grab out a couple water bottles for them. Harlow led the way out to the living room, setting the bottle and silverware down before taking a seat along her green four seater vintage couch.
“This smells delicious.” she commented as Seth handed her the plate with a rather generous serving on it. Harlow was definitely not one to complain or turn down an extra serving. She never made apologies for her love of eating.
With a slight painful nod she looked over to him, “Yeah, which considering I’m really not trying to obsess over shit I can’t explain without sounding like a crazy bitch, might be for the best to focus on that… or try to.” Grabbing up her fork it was not long before she was taking and savoring her first bite with a very pleased ‘mmmmm’ that followed.
“Hope it tastes as good,” Seth replied. He’d always enjoyed cooking, had started doing it with his mom and that love had just translated into an active enjoyment that he did on the daily and in instances where people needed feeding.
He settled on the couch as well but left space so Harlow could spread if she wanted while digging into his own plate full of food.
“You’ll have leftovers.”
After swallowing that first tasty bite of food she smiled over to him, “I assure you it really does taste as good as it smells. Have you always cooked?” she inquired before stuffing her mouth with another bite of pasta. It had been awhile since she had a nice home cooked meal like that.
Sure she cooked some stuff perfectly fine, but she wasn’t a pro by any means. “I really don’t mind leftovers.” Of course she didn’t continue the thought of ‘especially now’ with everything that happened.
Harlow wasn’t a slob, but she wasn’t afraid to express her appreciation as she ate, especially when it was delicious.
“Good because I would’ve hated to have fed you food that wasn’t any better than the stuff they give you in the hospital.” Seth smiled and helped himself to another forkful, appreciative of the sounds Harlow was making that reassured him that it did taste as good as she said.
He figured listening to things like heartbeat and catching changes in scent as far as honesty went when it came to food was going a touch too far.
“If you need to grab anything from town and want company all you have to do is give me a call.”
“I really appreciate that offer.” Harlow had spoken of him potentially going into town or something with her. It was not easy for her to ask for help. She was a very independent individual. She always had to be, often left on her own from an early age. Often forgotten or just shoved aside because her parents couldn’t be bothered unless she got in their way somehow to which she felt the repercussions.
So asking for help and being vulnerable with others was definitely not something she was used to. She was already embarrassed that she broke down on him in her kitchen shortly after he had gotten there.
It really hadn’t taken Harlow long to finish her first plate of food. Setting the empty dish to her coffee table that was designed like an old luggage trunk. “Definitely so much fucking better than hospital food.” she had smiled over at him as she attempted to relax back on the couch a moment.
Seth smiled over at Harlow when she finished her plate, his own similarly empty and cleared of food. “Glad to hear it. Didn’t want your first meal when you were finally home to be something like take out or for you to have to sort it out yourself.”
He placed the plate on the table alongside Harlow’s and leaned back into the couch.
“It’s good to see you though.”
“That was very thoughtful of you.” she smiled over to him. It was really nice to get a home cooked meal as she had gotten back to her apartment. Had he not showed up with the offer she likely would have ordered takeout, if she ate at all that night. It’s not that Harlow had zero appetite post attack, it was just that her mind was still in such shock that something so extreme had happened. Let alone something she couldn’t explain to herself.
She smiled a little over to her, “It’s good to see you too. How have you been? Anything new and exciting going on for you?”
Of course she was appreciative of him coming to check on her, but that didn’t mean she didn’t care about what was going on in his life. It wasn’t just a diversion from the obvious bandaging on the side of her neck covering the wound caused by the stranger.
Lots had been going on with him, but given Harlow’s experience and how she still wasn’t sure what she had seen he decided not to share any of that. Another time. “Just been busy, between clients and my mom making plans for this super elaborate cruise which means I’m going to be splitting my time between my place and hers so I can water her plants, it’s just been a little crazy.”
There was also Frankie, but honestly, he’d been busy and so that was just kind of a thing right now.
“Thank you by the way for helping Aisling out when I wasn’t around as much. Helping her learn and instilling confidence.”
Normally she’d be willing to offer to help, but in that moment she found herself stuck temporarily. She wanted to offer to do what she could to help lesson any crazy that her friend was going through, but she also found herself in that moment too scared at the idea of leaving her apartment for anything. What if another guy was out there or that same one stalked her somehow back to Mercy Cove from Eureka. What if he wanted to finish what he started, after all it was made clear to her she could have easily died had nobody intervened.
“I’m sorry to hear it’s been a little crazy, but that’s nice of you to help your mom out.” Harlow had instead responded with.
She smiled at the mention of helping Aisling, “Of course. I’m happy to help out a fellow artist anytime, especially a newer one who actually has a natural talent that just needs the encouragement and guidance to keep going.”
“She’d do the same for me,” Seth answered with a small smile. Literally he and his mother were ridiculously close, so close in fact that sometimes they felt more like friends than mother and son.
Seth nodded. “Just needs her confidence building and to know that she’s actually good.” That was half the battle, mind over matter. Your brain was either your best friend or your worst enemy.
“Thanks for letting me come over, it’s good to catch up.”
It was something that Harlow definitely couldn’t relate to, being close with a parent. It wasn’t something she spoke of often, but having been emancipated from her parents after being kicked out at fifteen the relationship between the people who technically brought her into this world never made amends. Despite her mother’s attempts after getting sober. It was too much to forgive, but still Harlow could appreciate when she saw others who had such fortunes. “Well that’s really good you two got each other’s backs.”
“I mean, you’re not wrong.” she had responded to the mind over matter factor. “We all start somewhere. I know I didn’t have nearly the amount of confidence as an artist as I do now. It just takes time and a hell of a lot of practice to find that inner reassurance that you’re on the right path. Aisling will definitely get there, she’s too good not to.”
Harlow smiled a little more to him, “Well thank you for stopping by. It’s definitely good to catch up.” Truly his visit had managed to lift her spirits and not just because he fed her. It was good to see a friendly face.
Still, that wasn’t really his concern at the moment, especially as he had more pressing things on his mind such as how Harlow was doing. He hadn’t invited her to Mercy Cove for her to be set upon by a Strigele. Yes, she’d been over in Eureka, but still…
The thing about Seth was that he’d always been protective of the people he cared for and ever since transitioning to an Alpha those instincts had just got stronger rather than lessened which meant he had a much more vested interest in taking care of those closest to him.
It explained why as he turned up and knocked on Harlow’s door he had some grocery bags.
There seemed to be no rhyme or reason that actually made sense in her head for what happened that night. She locked up The Ink Well, started to make her way towards the parking lot when some guy was just there. He had stood in her way, he had refused to get out of the way. Each step she took, he had seemed to take as well to block her before she could feel the wall of the building pushed up against her back while she got pinned. She didn’t know how else to describe the sharpness she felt tearing into her flesh. Nothing made sense other than the idea of the guy having razors in his mouth; though even that felt faulty to her. She was just trying to reason something for herself.
When she had gotten home from the hospital that day, Harlow had sent Seth a text to assure him she made it home. She knew she wouldn’t be back to the shop right away. As much as her art mattered to her, she still had so much passion for tattooing over eighteen years later into the business. It seemed as though for the first time in her life she was in hide mode.
Harlow wasn’t normally the run away from an issue type. She’d been through plenty of bad experiences with others, especially from the get-go with her parents. Still, nothing caused her to back down. Until now. Until she found herself facing something she couldn’t even explain to herself.
Fortunately a nurse at the hospital in Eureka had helped her clean up that morning, so when she made it home she was simply changing into a fresh pair of leggings and an oversized hooded sweatshirt that seemed like it could swallow the five foot two woman whole. There was a very visible bandage on the left side of her neck where the main injury had happened. A few stitches hidden beneath it.
Despite knowing Seth was planning to stop by, her body stiffened slightly when she heard the knock to her apartment door. Slowly she had gotten up from her four seater long green sofa and made her way to the door. Pressing up on her toes to peek through the peephole. It was a sigh of relief and relaxation coming over her body again when she spotted Seth standing on the other side of the door. With more ease she unlocked and opened the door, “Hey…” she had spoken more softly than her usual self. “Come on in.”
Seth took a moment to regard Harlow, noticing the slight hunch to her shoulders, and the sharp edge to her overall scent, which was indicative of just how not okay she was. Understandable all things considered. Still, Seth felt his protective instincts flare, the same ones he’d always had prior to his transition but were honestly a lot stronger now, the ones that made him want to bundle Harlow up into his arms and keep her safe.
“Hey,” he greeted with a smile.
He lifted the arm holding the bag of groceries. “I brought some food, figured I could make you something to eat.”
She was certainly far from okay. Harlow could usually, to a human at least, pull off being okay no matter what front, but anyone who looked at her could she was far from. Especially if they had known her well enough to know her usual demeanor. She offered him a soft smile in return. Her body had felt incredibly weak and exhausted. She had no idea yet what really was inside her blood or how her body was working on itself. “That’s very thoughtful of you, after a few days of hospital food I could definitely use something better.”
Taking a small step back so he could come in, she spoke again, “Hope you’re not allergic to dogs though. This little guy…” she spoke as she gestured to the dog she was unaware was actually her neighbor and friend, Nate. “...just showed up at my door when I got home. He kept begging at my door to come in and well… I’m admittedly a sucker for animals.”
Harlow had closed the door once Seth was inside, immediately locking the door. She was definitely far from okay. Her mind was still trying to make sense of what had happened. “Sorry that I might not be back for awhile…” she commented quietly as she led him to her kitchen. The pup followed, seeming to keep Harlow in his sight. Something she didn’t really pick up on herself, but to someone in the know of such things could potentially pick up on.
Seth turned his head to look over the dog and was immediately aware that the dog wasn’t actually a dog at all, but a shifter, though they seemed to have good intentions so didn’t say anything. “I feel you on that,” he replied with a smile. “Animals are the best.”
He followed after her as she led the way to the kitchen and reached out to very gently catch her elbow, stilling her stride. “Hey, it’s okay. You take the time you need, but what I will say is don’t let some asshole ruin the thing you love.”
A brief reassuring squeeze before he let go and made his way into her kitchen, starting to unpack the items he’d brought with him.
She had paused for that brief moment of his reassurance. Fighting back the tears that threatened to form in her eyes. She really didn’t want anything to rob her of what she was so passionate about in life. Harlow also hated this feeling of weakness and vulnerability. Not that she was impenetrable or anything like that, but she usually could do a lot better at hiding those moments where she felt less than confident in her surroundings and self. “Thank you.” the words had come out soft in the moment as she had looked down slightly and nodded in response to him.
Once they were in the kitchen she watched him start to unload the bags. “This was really thoughtful of you.” she commented. The five foot two woman just wasn’t used to others being so kind like this as to bring food over. Which to anyone who knows her well enough, knows that the woman has a rather deep appreciation of food in general.
“How have you been doing?” she inquired, before making her way around him to the refrigerator. Harlow opened the door and reached in to grab herself a bottle of water. “Would you like something to drink? I got water… beer… and that’s about it, as I’m due to go to the store…” her words trailed a moment as her mind just sort of went down a rabbit hole of thought.
Suddenly she was lost for a moment as had realized going to a store meant leaving her apartment. The place she finally had gotten back to. Where she was safe from the outside world.
Seth had opened his mouth to answer Harlow when he noticed how she seemed to drift, frowning as he was certain he could see how she was beginning to tumble down a deep very dark rabbit hole.
The wolf set aside the groceries he was unpacking and positioned himself in her eye line, gently touching her arms. “Hey, hey, Harlow? Come back to the here and now.”
He waited until there was some sort of acknowledgement before simply tugging her against his chest and wrapping his arms around her, one firm at th waist and the other across the top of her back so he could squeeze the back of her neck. “Just breathe,” he coaxed gently.
Harlow hadn’t meant to drift. It wasn’t a pleasant place her mind was taking her. Between the incident itself and the way doctors looked at her like she was crazy when she tried to recall what happened. It made her question a lot of things that night. A lot of things that now made her feel unsafe.
It was the sound of Seth’s voice though that she heard which had caused her to return back to the present. The gentle touch he gave her as her dark eyes looked to him. She couldn’t help the way they began to fill with tears. It was so much that happened so fast with no knowledge of the guy who attacked her. He was just out there somewhere still as far as she knew.
Feeling him pull her against him like that caused the tears to spill out past her lids. “I’m so sorry.” she mumbled against his chest a moment as her arms had moved around him in return. She hadn’t meant to cry in front of him or anyone, but in that moment she couldn’t help it.
There was so much stuck running through her mind since the accident. The reminder of the bandage that covered the side of her neck hadn’t helped.
“It’s okay,” Seth was quick to reassure her. “You went through a horrible thing and it’s okay to still not be okay, to still feel a certain way about it. I’d be worried if you weren’t.” The hand at the back of her neck drifted upwards to stroke his fingers through her hair, a circular motion accompanying the movement as he did his best to reassure her physically as well as verbally.
His grip was firm but not firm to the point where if she wanted to she could pull away, subconsciously being aware of what was enough and what was too much, and giving Harlow a choice in the matter.
“I’m sure as hell not going to judge you.”
His understanding and assurance it was okay to not be okay seemed to break the floodgates. Tears flowed out of Harlow suddenly as she cried against him for a few minutes. She hadn’t really allowed herself to fully cry since it happened. It all happened so fast and she was trying so hard in her waking hours to not seem like an emotional basket case at the hospital, especially given the looks she received while there.
She truly appreciated his hold on her though. It made her feel safe. A feeling she wasn’t entirely used to feeling with others, especially in hard times. Normally she’d run from her own feelings, but in that moment there was no will to run anywhere. Besides she was sort of afraid that if she tried she'd just end up spiraling into a very dark place mentally.
When she eventually calmed down she slowly pulled back from the embrace. Looking up to the taller man, “Sorry.” It was a reflex. Not that she didn’t mean it, but there were parts of her past that weren’t great and it was hard to accept sometimes when emotions ran high that she didn’t need to say it.
As Harlow broke and the emotions came flooding out of her Seth just held on, keeping his grip securely fastened around her, his footing steady, and it was apparent that he was going nowhere. Sometimes that was better than words, actions to him were often louder and much more genuine.
When she pulled back he gave her a soft understanding smile, reaching up to brush away the traces of her tears with the pads of his slightly rough thumbs. “It’s okay, nothing to be sorry about. Better out than in.” Seth didn’t tend to bullshit, he was honest, and when he said something you knew it was the truth. “And, Harlow? No judgment here, I mean it.”
He searched her expression for a few moments longer before deciding to change the subject. “I think it’s about time I cooked and I’ll take a beer.”
The way he had held her while she broke had meant a lot, even if she couldn’t really express that right then. Not many throughout her life would have so easily let her fall apart like that, she was sure of it. So when she found a genuine friend she tended to cherish them. Life had thrown her a lot of curveballs throughout her years, but none of that seemed to compare to what happened just a few nights prior when she closed up shop in Eureka.
She took in a quiet, but deep breath as she had pulled back and tried to offer a soft smile along her full lips back at him. “I appreciate that.” she had managed to speak quietly at first. She did appreciate not being judged for something that was out of her control and not something she knew how to explain.
The change of topic was a welcomed one, Harlow had let out a breath and gave a slight nod despite it being painful still to do so. “Yeah, let me get you one.” She pulled out two craft beers and went to reach into a drawer next to the refrigerator to pull out the bottle opener. Popping one open she put it on the counter next to the stove for him, before opening her own.
Sure perhaps alcohol wasn’t the greatest companion to go with her pain medication, but it was one beer and she had enough self control not to go overboard.
“Thanks.” Seth picked up the beer and took a pull from it before he began unpacking the items he’d brought over which were all the ingredients to make a pretty hearty meal that would definitely have leftovers. “I tend to cook a lot,” he admitted ruefully. “Hope you don’t mind leftovers.”
He was clearly comfortable and at ease in the kitchen with how quickly and efficiently he prepped the different ingredients with guidance from Harlow on where to find certain things in order to move through the process.
“When you do come back remind me to ask Erinn to tell you about the client that passed out on him.”
Harlow had moved out of the way when he began to unpack, of course staying close as she moved over to hop herself up a little more gingerly than she normally would to sit on the opposite counter in her apartment kitchen. “Have we met?” she actually managed to crack with an amused grin before taking a drink off her own beer a moment. “Or is that just a challenge to my appetite?” she mused a little more when she pulled the beer down, setting the bottle on the counter beside her.
Of course gave helpful notes to where things he needed were as he began to cook. The smells soon causing her stomach to rumble and the thought of an actual meal that wasn’t hospital food suddenly seemed to have re-opened her appetite more at least.
“Oh shit, guess I will definitely have to ask him for that story.” she grinned with amusement at the idea, but also the tiniest shake of her head despite the pain of the movement. “I’ll never forget my first client that passed out on me. It was some young college kid, who thought he was a badass getting his first tattoo. Turns out the kid was dehydrated as fuck and apparently very sensitive and fearful of needles.” Harlow lifted her beer bottle up again and held it in her hands a moment as she continued, letting her legs dangle off the counter. “I though, was like eighteen, fresh on my own and bewildered as to what to do at first. I mean, fortunately I wasn't like alone and on my own in the shop or anything, and he revived pretty quickly. Left the place with just a small line on his side from an unfinished tattoo.” After she had taken another small swallow from the bottle she grinned a little to Seth, “What was your first client pass out experience like?”
“Totally a challenge to your appetite,” Seth shot over with a razor sharp smile and wink. He busied himself with adding herbs and spices with a touch of salt before he left the sauce to simmer as he began on cooking the pasta.
At her recollection and re-telling of her first client that had passed out on her Seth couldn’t help but give a laugh. “Jesus, that’s- Wow, I bet that line is a story he tells at parties, but he doesn’t mention the part where he passed out.”
Searching the memory banks involved a glance up to the left before Seth finally secured the one he was looking for. “It was this big burly guy who didn’t have any ink on him at all, but figured the best way to start was to get a piece on his ribs. I tried to talk him out of it, tried to convince him to go smaller, but would he listen? Would he fuck.” With the water boiling he added the pasta with a dash of salt. “He was dead set and I was at this point so over the entire conversation I was like fuck it fine, whatever, sit your ass down.” He tasted the sauce and added a touch more oregano. “So even before I’ve started tattooing him he’s already wincing and I’m like …it’s the stencil, relax, and then turns out the guy was on blood thinning medication which he didn’t divulge and also super squeamish. First sign of blood and he’s out for the count.”
Seth shook his head. “Good thing he was lying down or that fall all six foot four of him would have hurt.”
“Oh, well then, challenge accepted my friend.” she had grinned a little more in the moment. Harlow had been known to pack away quite a lot of food despite her size, though only a small part of her doubted she could get herself to stuff too much that night, she was still amused.
Harlow actually had managed a laugh, “Yeah, I’m pretty sure he leaves that minor little detail out.” She had no doubts the college kid admitted to many, if any, that he passed out on his first attempt at getting a tattoo. There was another slight shake of her head, but this time a sharp inhale accompanied it due to the pain in her neck.
She wasn’t going to let that stop the conversation. This was enjoyable, exchanging stories of their careers. Her managed laugh had turned to a more natural one as he shared his story while he cooked at the stove. It was good to laugh, find actual amusement already in something. “Go figure it was a big burly guy type.” The laughter in the moment outweighed the pain she felt in her neck from movement and vibration. Though there was a slight grimace on her expression, the sound of her amusement was definitely genuine. “He’s very luck he was laying down and that he didn’t have more issues than just passing out, especially being on fucking blood thinners.” It was a genuine pet peeve of Harlow’s when clients held back important information. Granted she learned early on to always have those forms ready and if they lied, well, she couldn't be held responsible, legally, but she still felt awful when something happened that could have been so easily avoided.
“Sometimes I think about writing a book about some of the things I’ve experienced with clients, but maybe I should finish the one I’ve been working on about my career and life in general first.” she had commented before having taken another drink off her beer.
Seth took a small spoonful of the sauce and offered it to Harlow but only after having blown on it so she could taste. “Let me know if it needs anything else.” He was a good cook but always open to feedback especially as everybody had different tastes.
“You’re writing a book?”
Seth rummaged out some plates and laid them out on the side so they were ready for serving.
Accepting a taste of the sauce was a much more flavorful experience for her taste buds than the hospital food had been. Plus it was just good. Still, she had contemplated momentarily as she surveyed the sauce before finally giving him a response, “Actually I think it’s perfect the way it is. It’s delicious.”
“Yeah, I’ve been very slowly working on it for a while now.” she had spoken of the book. What she had left out was that there was a book deal. A local publisher in the Los Angeles area that unfortunately went belly up before her book got finished and put out.
Harlow could appreciate how comfortable he was in her home to find things. As he set out the dishes she carefully hopped off the counter she sat on. “Anything you want me to help with?
Seth smiled when Harlow assured him that it was just fine as it was, placing the spoon aside and giving the sauce a quick stir with another. “That’s cool,” he murmured as he set about draining the pasta, glancing over his shoulder at Harlow as she moved. “How far along are you in the writing process?”
He nodded towards the plates.
“Can you grab some cutlery?”
“I think I made it about half way through the first draft.” she answered. “I started it awhile ago, but took a break for awhile and who knows, maybe while I…” her words had trailed just for a brief moment before getting out that word, “...recover, I can work on it more.” Her shoulders moved up into a small shrug, “Who knows, nothing may even come of it when it’s done, but it just felt right to continue working on it…even though admittedly writing is not my strong suit.”
She moved around the kitchen reaching into a drawer to grab out some silverware for both of them.
“We can eat in the living room if you want.” she offered as she watched him finish up the meal.
“If you’re cool with that then I’m also cool with that.” Seth dished up the food, making sure Harlow had a generous amount, possibly a little too generous, but Seth like his mom tended to lean towards a caregiving style when people he cared about weren’t doing great.
With plates in hand he followed Harlow into the living room, waiting for her to take a seat before he offered up the one he’d designated as hers.
“Working on the book might be a good thing to do while you recover, give you something to focus on.”
She had given a slight nod of her head with being cool with it, as she grabbed up the silverware for them and reached into the refrigerator to grab out a couple water bottles for them. Harlow led the way out to the living room, setting the bottle and silverware down before taking a seat along her green four seater vintage couch.
“This smells delicious.” she commented as Seth handed her the plate with a rather generous serving on it. Harlow was definitely not one to complain or turn down an extra serving. She never made apologies for her love of eating.
With a slight painful nod she looked over to him, “Yeah, which considering I’m really not trying to obsess over shit I can’t explain without sounding like a crazy bitch, might be for the best to focus on that… or try to.” Grabbing up her fork it was not long before she was taking and savoring her first bite with a very pleased ‘mmmmm’ that followed.
“Hope it tastes as good,” Seth replied. He’d always enjoyed cooking, had started doing it with his mom and that love had just translated into an active enjoyment that he did on the daily and in instances where people needed feeding.
He settled on the couch as well but left space so Harlow could spread if she wanted while digging into his own plate full of food.
“You’ll have leftovers.”
After swallowing that first tasty bite of food she smiled over to him, “I assure you it really does taste as good as it smells. Have you always cooked?” she inquired before stuffing her mouth with another bite of pasta. It had been awhile since she had a nice home cooked meal like that.
Sure she cooked some stuff perfectly fine, but she wasn’t a pro by any means. “I really don’t mind leftovers.” Of course she didn’t continue the thought of ‘especially now’ with everything that happened.
Harlow wasn’t a slob, but she wasn’t afraid to express her appreciation as she ate, especially when it was delicious.
“Good because I would’ve hated to have fed you food that wasn’t any better than the stuff they give you in the hospital.” Seth smiled and helped himself to another forkful, appreciative of the sounds Harlow was making that reassured him that it did taste as good as she said.
He figured listening to things like heartbeat and catching changes in scent as far as honesty went when it came to food was going a touch too far.
“If you need to grab anything from town and want company all you have to do is give me a call.”
“I really appreciate that offer.” Harlow had spoken of him potentially going into town or something with her. It was not easy for her to ask for help. She was a very independent individual. She always had to be, often left on her own from an early age. Often forgotten or just shoved aside because her parents couldn’t be bothered unless she got in their way somehow to which she felt the repercussions.
So asking for help and being vulnerable with others was definitely not something she was used to. She was already embarrassed that she broke down on him in her kitchen shortly after he had gotten there.
It really hadn’t taken Harlow long to finish her first plate of food. Setting the empty dish to her coffee table that was designed like an old luggage trunk. “Definitely so much fucking better than hospital food.” she had smiled over at him as she attempted to relax back on the couch a moment.
Seth smiled over at Harlow when she finished her plate, his own similarly empty and cleared of food. “Glad to hear it. Didn’t want your first meal when you were finally home to be something like take out or for you to have to sort it out yourself.”
He placed the plate on the table alongside Harlow’s and leaned back into the couch.
“It’s good to see you though.”
“That was very thoughtful of you.” she smiled over to him. It was really nice to get a home cooked meal as she had gotten back to her apartment. Had he not showed up with the offer she likely would have ordered takeout, if she ate at all that night. It’s not that Harlow had zero appetite post attack, it was just that her mind was still in such shock that something so extreme had happened. Let alone something she couldn’t explain to herself.
She smiled a little over to her, “It’s good to see you too. How have you been? Anything new and exciting going on for you?”
Of course she was appreciative of him coming to check on her, but that didn’t mean she didn’t care about what was going on in his life. It wasn’t just a diversion from the obvious bandaging on the side of her neck covering the wound caused by the stranger.
Lots had been going on with him, but given Harlow’s experience and how she still wasn’t sure what she had seen he decided not to share any of that. Another time. “Just been busy, between clients and my mom making plans for this super elaborate cruise which means I’m going to be splitting my time between my place and hers so I can water her plants, it’s just been a little crazy.”
There was also Frankie, but honestly, he’d been busy and so that was just kind of a thing right now.
“Thank you by the way for helping Aisling out when I wasn’t around as much. Helping her learn and instilling confidence.”
Normally she’d be willing to offer to help, but in that moment she found herself stuck temporarily. She wanted to offer to do what she could to help lesson any crazy that her friend was going through, but she also found herself in that moment too scared at the idea of leaving her apartment for anything. What if another guy was out there or that same one stalked her somehow back to Mercy Cove from Eureka. What if he wanted to finish what he started, after all it was made clear to her she could have easily died had nobody intervened.
“I’m sorry to hear it’s been a little crazy, but that’s nice of you to help your mom out.” Harlow had instead responded with.
She smiled at the mention of helping Aisling, “Of course. I’m happy to help out a fellow artist anytime, especially a newer one who actually has a natural talent that just needs the encouragement and guidance to keep going.”
“She’d do the same for me,” Seth answered with a small smile. Literally he and his mother were ridiculously close, so close in fact that sometimes they felt more like friends than mother and son.
Seth nodded. “Just needs her confidence building and to know that she’s actually good.” That was half the battle, mind over matter. Your brain was either your best friend or your worst enemy.
“Thanks for letting me come over, it’s good to catch up.”
It was something that Harlow definitely couldn’t relate to, being close with a parent. It wasn’t something she spoke of often, but having been emancipated from her parents after being kicked out at fifteen the relationship between the people who technically brought her into this world never made amends. Despite her mother’s attempts after getting sober. It was too much to forgive, but still Harlow could appreciate when she saw others who had such fortunes. “Well that’s really good you two got each other’s backs.”
“I mean, you’re not wrong.” she had responded to the mind over matter factor. “We all start somewhere. I know I didn’t have nearly the amount of confidence as an artist as I do now. It just takes time and a hell of a lot of practice to find that inner reassurance that you’re on the right path. Aisling will definitely get there, she’s too good not to.”
Harlow smiled a little more to him, “Well thank you for stopping by. It’s definitely good to catch up.” Truly his visit had managed to lift her spirits and not just because he fed her. It was good to see a friendly face.