Can we all have a party because of how fast I got this up? I might not ever happen again, kidding (I hope). I probably got this up so fast because I've had this chapter in my mind for sooooooo long. Also it is shorter then most of my other chapters, but this really didn't need to be super long and I didn't want to play around with filler. Anyway, I hope you guys enjoy this! Thanks to those who faved, followed (I can't believe I'm at 60), read, and reviewed! You guys mean so much to me.
-Bianca. 101: Thanks so much for reviewing, it really brightens my day to read what you think! Well, I hope I don't disappoint you.
Disclaimer:
I do not own The Amazing Spider-Man, nor any other Marvel movies or Marvel owned stuff in this story. I am making no money from this.
Chapter 12:
The Siren and The Sailor
A soldier going into battle retains every thought of being invincible, if only to equalize their doubts that originate through the safety net they lay amongst their loved ones in case of the unseemly event of their demise. They hold the mentality the sword of their enemy will not cut them down to fortify their will to fight. Yet, as they leave with the masses of scornful faces and down-turned eyes they still say their farewells as though they are their final ones. These warriors comprehend their fates to end one of two ways; they either leave the battle field with breath in their lungs or with no breath in their lungs. A similar temperament is held by a young women walking into Oscorp. Even if she can't trace the origin of this perception, she still knows she will either come back here after today or she won't.
The variation in situations is that the soldier knows home is where he will return to or not. For this woman home is not Oscorp. Oscorp is the battleground.
Reagan knows a soldier does not keenly wish to return to the battleground, nonetheless she finds her only wish is to remain a reoccurring entity in this hellhole. Not for love of the fight, but for an inbuilt solicitude to the locals; or rather one local in particular.
A spell-caster is where the lady's allegiance has fallen. Whether he knows it or not he has entranced her into his hold, his spellbind unbreakable to the girl, and hers to him. She calls to him in the night, in his dreams like a siren to a sailor, and he follows her in his dreams and he wakes and he follows her when astir. Unbeknownst to the two they have entangled themselves in a red string of fate. Their entanglement is never to be frayed or untied, or cut by the sharpest scissors. It crosses through worlds and weaves itself into every curve and bend and turn of this universe and the next universe and the next after that. Even at the end of everything it remains unyielding to the black mouth that swallows all in its path.
A love story such as this, such as any great or simple, has a beginning. However, not every beginning starts at the start, it doesn't always start with how they meet or when they first saw each other. Sometimes it starts simply with the 100th brush of a hand – an ordinary event that that turns the tide. In the future, when Harry and Reagan look back, they will acknowledge today as their beginning.
Although, as Reagan stands at the edge of Harry's office, it's not the beginnings of a love story she feels is about to come.
Harry sits at his desk, head in hands, elbows on desk, eyes closed, and muscles tense. This Harry is so familiar to Reagan, yet she feels as though she's never met the man in front of her.
He hasn't noticed her. He never does, she thinks.
His phone rings and he picks it up. The person on the other end of the line speaks more than Harry does; the only sound he is making is the occasional hum when necessary. Harry has no interest in engaging in the conversation.
Reagan withdrawals into her own psyche and calls forth her memories. She sees Harry's disinterested hums in ever interaction they've ever had. Harry has no interest in engaging with me. Harry has no interest in engaging with me. Harry has no interest in engaging with me. The mantra plays in her head like a broken record.
"Okay, Felicia. Thank you." Harry hangs up.
That statement catches Reagan; it brings her back to the now, back to Harry. "She's your personal assistant, right?" She murmurs, not looking at Harry, but at the ground.
Harry is taken by surprise and he jumps at the sound of her voice.
"Did she call you Harry?"
Stunned, Harry answers her, "Yes, she did. Are – are you okay?"
Looking at her feet, she takes a step into the office. "Does she know?" Another step. "About you." Another step. "Like I do." Another step. "Does she know all the things you've told me?" Another step – she's at the desk now. Reagan finally looks up and meets Harry's eyes with hers. "Does she know you're dying?"
Harry stands and moves around his desk. "What is wrong with you, Miss Knox-"
"THAT – Miss Knox," she mocks. "I do more for you, I know more about you, but I am treated like more of a secretary then you're actually secretary. My name is Reagan!" She's yelling now. "Yet you refuse to use it. You distance yourself from me, you ignore me, and you treat me like a second-rate citizen in Harrytown: where the only people who matter are Harry."
Harry has no interest in engaging with me.
For the longest time Harry doesn't say anything, he just stands there staring at her with his jaw quaking.
Harry has no interest in engaging with me. Harry has no interest in engaging with me. Harry has no inter-
Reagan is suddenly grabbed by strong hands; they pull her into the connecting body. Her boss's arms are around her and his head is nestled in the crook of her neck. He is shaking violently and Reagan realizes he's shaking because he's crying.
"You matter so much, you have no idea. But it's because you matter I can't get close to you. If I die, I die knowing I've lost you, and I can't lose you. I can't, I can't, I can't, I can't, I can't lose you." Harry is gripping on to Reagan so tightly she's afraid he'll crush her. "If I let you in and I die, you lose me – you loss a friend. I can't do that to you; I care too much for you. I can't let you suffer because of me. I can't. That's why I can't say your name. Because if I let myself say your name I let you in, and I inevitably hurt you."
The neck of her shirt is wet with Harry's tears and her face is wet with her own. Harry can't engage with me. Not without hurting. Not without hurting himself…and me. She wraps her arms around Harry. "You're hurting me now. And yeah, it's not fair. It's not fair that I just found out what a wonderful person you are and I'm not going to get to keep discovering what a wonderful person you are." Her own tears flow just as hard as Harry's. "It's not fair! But I would rather spend what time we have left together as friends. Because…" Reagan cups Harry's check in her hand and moves his face to face her. "Because that would hurt less then what you're doing to me right now," she pauses. "Harry," his grip tightens at the sound of his name from her lips. "Losing you would hurt less then you hurting me right now by not letting me in."
Harry rests his forehead on hers, his eyes dilated and longing. Her fingertips gently trace lines and swirls on his check. "Do you mean that?" Harry asks.
Reagan can only nod.
"Okay," he whispers. "Okay, Reagan, okay."
They stay like this for a long time, not talking, just embracing. Eyes closed and fingers clinging. Their tears are dry now and so are their pools of emotions.
Reagan pulls to move away from Harry but he just draws her back to him, the tiny girl quirks her eyebrow at his odd behaviour.
"What are we going to do, Reagan," Harry forlornly asks.
Reagan grabs Harry's face in both her hands. "We get off our asses." There is a determined gleam in Reagan's eyes. "We do everything we can to find a cure."
"How? I have tons of scientists working for me and the resources at my fingertips, but I can't use any of them. If the board finds out I'm dying they have inexcusable reasoning to dispose of me."
"Then we find another way, we find other people to help us. We do whatever we can to find a cure."
Harry clears his throat, "We?"
"I'm not giving up on you, Harry. I'm here 'til…'til the end."
Silence lingers between the two. Neither of them wanting to considered what 'the end' really means.
The next day Reagan doesn't linger at the doorway of Harry's office. She saunters right up to Harry and flashes him a stack of papers. "A list of unique, hereditary diseases, with and without cures. I'm hoping something will be similar to Retro Hyperplasia."
Harry nods, and then holds out a take-away coffee cup to her. Reagan reaches out to take it then does a double-take. She moves a step back and gives him a suspicious glare.
The dying man shakes his head. "No scheme or anything I want; just a friend buying coffee for a friend."
Reagan gives Harry a friendly, appreciative smile and takes the cup from him. "I haven't read through all of the diseases yet," she says as she spreads out the stack of papers on Harry's desk. Harry leans over the short girls shoulder to look at the papers. "But I've been marking the ones that have similar symptoms as yours and I was thinking we could-"
"Do you wanna get out of here?" Harry bluntly cuts Reagan off.
"What?" Reagan stands up straight. "We've got stuff to do and a disease to cure."
Harry sighs, "I know, but I can't sit around this office all day again."
Reagan puts her hands on her hips. "I thought we agreed to put all our effort into this."
"I know, I know. But…I'm dying. Would you really ignore the wishes of a dying man, Reagan?"
She grits her teeth in frustration. "Fine," she grunts, and grabs the labels of his jacket and pulls an all too happy Harry Osborn along.
I can't help but feel like this wasn't that big of a turning point or that good of a chapter. I'm probably being too hard on myself.
Anyway, next chapter Reagan and Harry hit the town and there is going to be a lot of backstory (like the reason Reagan doesn't do public transport) and maybe even some good old fluff.
I also added a hint to a plot element for the sequel. Yes, I'm doing a sequel to A Little Less Human. I waffled with this for a long time, but the plot bunnies just kept coming and after a while I had a full, comprehensive plot.
I'll try to keep my 1-2 month update schedule again, but I'm going away soon so its going to take me a longer time then this chapter.
Thanks again, guys! Review and do the thing, Zhu Li!
