Sammy & Ilna - no need to analyze why I love you guys. It's because you're awesome in every way. Special thanks to Sammy for the through line on this one. I was struggling and she showed me the light :)
REALMcRollers, We had the 'trifecta of sick' this week, we all went to work feeling horrid and poor Ilna seems to have gotten it the worst. You are getting another one from me this week, while Sammy rests and hydrates for a bit - but she'll be back with a magnificent story on Monday. You rock and McRoll, and we love our amazing readers!
Esther, thank you for the pinch hit proofreading! Xoxoxo you are fabulous!
Psycho: Analysis
Catherine entered the living room balancing a tray piled with a bowl of freshly popped popcorn, two chocolate cupcakes with red icing, a bottle of ruby port, and glasses.
"Hey, hey, what's all this?" Steve reached to take the tray. He set it on the coffee table and opened the wine to fill the glasses. "I thought you were grabbing a little snack."
She shrugged and dropped next to him on the sofa. "Impromptu movie night." She slid her arm across his waist. "I wanted popcorn and then I figured what the hell, it's pouring, Cammie is settled till morning - perfect movie night."
Steve kissed her lips and pulled back, reaching for the hem to remove his shirt as he did.
She laughed. "I said movie night, not naked night."
"Since when are those mutually exclusive?" His shirt stayed on and his fake pout, quickly replaced by a smirk, made Catherine shake her head and move her hand to his chest as he said, "It'd be better if we were naked…" He kissed her jaw under her right ear, and she turned into it, kissing his lips with a grin before grabbing her glass, the bowl, and settling against him.
"We end up naked half the time anyway." Her eyes were sparkling as she took a handful of popcorn.
"On the nights I pick the movies." His attempt to look dejected was belayed by the curve at the corner of his mouth.
"Are you complaining, Commander?" Catherine popped the last two pieces of popcorn from her handful into his mouth, biting her lip when he ate it, captured her wrist, and began to lick the salt from her fingers.
She swayed against him and closed her eyes as he murmured around the pad of her thumb, "Seriously?" When she opened them, she placed her free hand on his cheek.
Seeing Catherine's pupils dilate from his ministrations, Steve raised his brows and hummed while running his tongue across her palm, grinning knowingly when he felt her breathing change. "We could combine 'em and have a naked movie night," he suggested as he kissed her knuckles before straightening and pecking her quickly on the lips.
"Mmm, later," she promised, picking up the remote. "Or we won't get through the opening credits. I picked a classic."
"Classic as in - oh God, it's black and white?"
"You liked Casablanca."
"I tolerated Casablanca because there's a war/espionage story. And you chose it while you were wearing that… slip thing."
She smirked. "Chemise."
"Whatever it's called, I'd have agreed to subtitles that night." His fingers played at the nape of her neck.
A smile danced across her lips as she tilted her head.
"Okay, it wasn't that bad. So..." He still looked skeptical. "Another classic?"
"Classic horror."
"Now that actually sounds kinda promising."
"You'll like this one."
"You think, so, huh?"
"I think I know your taste, McGarrett."
"Two words, Rollins. Wuthering Heights."
"That night was my choice, and if you remember, your previous choice was Transformers."
"Which I only caught parts of from varying positions on the couch," he said.
She said nothing and held back a smirk.
"And the floor." He grinned.
"How'd that work out for you, Commander?" She leaned in and whispered, "Cause I thought it was a pretty good night."
At his head shake and huff of laughter, Catherine pushed play and drew her feet up onto the sofa. They shared a smile before she snuggled into his side, and Steve settled them back comfortably. She entwined their fingers and rested their hands on her torso as the first frames of Hitchcock's Psycho filled the screen.
When the character traded her car in at a used car lot and took $700 of stolen money and the title out of her purse, Steve made a scoffing sound.
Catherine moved to look at him over her shoulder, silently asking with her eyes, 'what?'
"That's… no way." He gestured with the hand that rested on her midriff.
She shook her head and grinned.
"She's got the car title in her purse? Who does that?" He replaced his hand and tucked his fingertips just under the waistband of her sleep shorts. "She stole cash and ran, she's not a career criminal, so it's not like she had a plan. But she thought to stuff the title in her purse? Come on, Cath."
She chuckled at his comment. She couldn't actually disagree with that one and told him so before saying, "Look how the second car is lighter. That's interesting. Especially based on her underwear."
Steve squeezed her fingers lightly. "Analyzing, Rollins?"
"When she was with her boyfriend in the first scene, the underwear she was wearing was white. Then when she was at home after stealing the money, it was black. Like she's a darker person now because she committed the crime."
He nodded, adding, "The boyfriend's a jackass."
"Totally. Meeting up in second rate hotels and whining about money." She took a sip of her wine and replaced the glass. "She was stealing that money to give it to him so they could get married. I remember questioning why she'd do that when I watched with Dad when I was about Grace's age. He said back then a lot of women counted on men to legitimize their lives." She shook her head. "Since Mom was absolutely never like that, I'm sure he figured it was a good point to make. I don't even think girls today would relate to that. They'd just say, 'Make your own life.' Grace definitely would."
"You know, I can't help comparing…" He stopped a second and looked at her. "Women in old movies weren't independent. I'm glad Gracie has better female heroes." He smiled. "In and out of the movies."
As they watched the film, Steve pointed out various things. "Look at that. She just thinks, 'What the hell, I'll have a sandwich with the very weird guy surrounded by a bunch of dead, stuffed birds?' That's not creepy at all?"
"Maybe she felt sorry for him."
He said, "You'd have never gone in that house."
"I'd have noticed he was visibly disturbed and done something," she acknowledged.
"You'd also have taken out the mother in the bathroom, no question."
Catherine gestured to the screen a few minutes later. "Did you notice how many bird references there are? Her name is Crane, he told her she 'eats like a bird,' too."
Steve thought a second before responding, "Yeah, and she's from Phoenix."
"And the picture he knocked off the wall is of a bird. It kind of gives a sense to how Norman thinks of women, like they're frail birds."
His eyes glinted with pride. "There's that amazing attention to detail, even when we watch a movie. And that's not something that came with training. It's all you."
"Aww, thanks."
"And that's also why you'd have picked up on Bates' creep signs." He squeezed her fingers. "So maybe we warn Gracie not to be alone with people who stuff dead birds as a hobby?" He was only half joking.
"Grace loves animals. She'd be horrified. Besides, I doubt there're any taxidermists at Kukui." She grinned. "It's a movie, Steve."
"I know it's a movie, because look at that." He paused the screen and pointed with the remote.
"The inside of that bathtub was totally clean when she died - the blood washed down the drain. But then it's all bloody again when Bates comes to clean it up?"
Catherine took the remote and hit play. "You don't hate this movie. I can tell you're interested," she teased.
"I don't hate it. The crime's got an… interesting angle. I mean the guy's clearly bat-shit crazy. You know I can't help -"
"Pointing out inconsistencies?" She chuckled and swiveled a bit to kiss him before turning back to lie against him. "You are definitely one of a kind, McGarrett."
"Part of my charm?" He kissed her shoulder.
"Absolutely." She patted his arm where it was lying across her torso.
They watched a while longer in silence, having finished the popcorn and started nibbling on the cupcakes. Steve's was actually gone in two bites, Catherine was nibbling between sips of wine.
When the private detective was killed, they simultaneously leaned forward; she for a better look at the scene, Steve to catch the details.
As soon as he said, "Did you see that?" she laughed.
"Go ahead, say it."
"When the mother charged him, she slashed at his chest. But when he was falling backwards down the stairs - at an impossible angle, by the way - the wound was on his face. Don't they have technical people like cops there when they make movies?"
"It's Hitchcock. Maybe he didn't care and was going for effect."
Steve shook his head. "Besides, the guy was a private detective. Why didn't he just shoot her?"
"Because the movie would be over?" She raised her brows. "And I haven't finished my cupcake yet."
"Okay." He smiled and absently rubbed his thumb over her rings. "Whatever."
They watched the rest of the film with Steve making a comment here or there and Catherine chuckling at his observations.
"You've seen this how many times?" he asked.
"I saw it with Carrie after you were commissioned. The first time I watched was that time with Dad."
"Joseph likes horror movies?"
"He likes classics. And Psycho's a classic. It was totally unique for its time. Hitchcock killed his star forty minutes into the movie. People thought the detective was going to solve it, then, bam, he's dead, too. Whatever people's expectations were, Psycho twisted them up. It was totally unpredictable in a time when movies were predictable." She waved at the TV. "C'mon, you liked it."
"It was pretty good. It was less bloody than I expected. Even the murders were. And I can see how the twist would have been a huge shock to the audience." He shrugged. "I'd have shot Bates in the fruit cellar, though."
"You'd have shot Bates when you discovered the pervy peephole." Catherine laughed and clicked off the remote at his completely unrepentant nod of agreement. "I think I'll pass it on to Danny and Grace, Dad and I enjoyed watching it together."
"It'll give him ammo to warn her off creeps, even if they seem pathetic and she feels sorry for them."
She kissed his cheek. "It'll give him an opportunity to show her how movie heroines have changed. From victims who need saving to strong women who save themselves and other people."
"That too, but she sees that every day in you."
"And Kono, her mom, Jenna, even Mary."
Steve nodded, obviously pleased at how much his little sister had changed to be included in that group. "So, can I pick the next impromptu night? 'Cause you can choose the movie if it can be naked movie night…"
"You're on." Catherine laughed. "I knew you'd like this one."
"You know…" He grinned.
"What? You have another inconsistency? Out with it."
Steve nodded. "When he was carrying his mother to the fruit cellar to hide her, she had normal legs. They moved when he was walking down the steps. Then all of a sudden when they turned her around, she was a skeleton."
"You," she flipped to face him and full on laughed, "are …"
He kissed her before her next words. "What am I?"
"Adorable." She said, just to see his look, then kissed him. "Irrepressible."
"Anything else?" He deepened the kiss.
"Mmmhmm." She tugged his shirt up and off. "Overdressed."
# End thanks for reading
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