"Happy birthday, Harls." Pamela murmured, pressing light kisses against her cheek.
Harley gave a big stretch and wrapped herself around her bedmate and closest friend with a hum. Pamela had arrived at her apartment late last night and after a healthy serving of Chinese takeout and some not safe for work activities, they had fallen asleep in each other's arms. It was the perfect pre-birthday night, and she was excited to find out what the redhead had planned for the rest of the day.
"Mornin', Pam-a-lamb," Harley buried herself in her best friend's arms, satisfied with their current position and content to just sleep the morning away. "Can I get like five more minutes with ya?"
"Come on, Harley, we've got a full day ahead of us." She could feel the woman's full lips curve into a smile against her skin, "And your boy toy Mason's been calling all morning."
"It's Pam time right now," Harley kissed Pamela's collar bone, "He can wait."
She could tell Pamela liked that when the redhead curled around her and held tight. "How about we take a shower? It'll wake you up and we can have a little fun in the meantime."
Harley could never say no to such a sweet deal. They rolled out of bed together and tangled themselves up under the hot water. After some time, they managed to separate long enough to actually wash each other and finally get out.
They prepared breakfast- well, lunch, together. Pamela cooked pancakes while Harley chose the best blueberries to add to them. They sat around Harley's small table and chatted back and forth while they ate.
Just as they were having an in depth conversation about the benefits of hanging vines vs climbing vines, Harley's phone rang. She checked the ID and groaned. She sent it straight to voicemail and turned the device off.
"Mason again? He probably just wants to wish you happy birthday, Harls." Pamela picked up a stray blueberry with her fork and offered it to Harley, who happily picked it off the utensil and popped it in her mouth.
"I told him I wouldn't be answerin' since I was gonna be with you." Harley shook her head, a little annoyed but trying not to let it ruin her thirty second birthday. God, she was thirty two now… she never thought she'd make it this far. "He's gotta learn his boundaries and such. Pammy time is Pammy time, and Mason time is Mason time."
"You've most certainly answered my calls when in bed with Mason," Pamela teased, elbowing Harley lightly. "Besides, what if it's important?"
"Well, all those times you never knew I'd be with him." The blonde reasoned. "Can't punish ya for unintentional crimes and all. And if it was important, his ma would have messaged me at this point, or he would have showed up on my door."
"You've met his mother already? And she has your number…" Pamela made a face at that. "You've known him for, what, two months?"
"His ma's the reason I met him in the first place." Harley stacked their now empty dishes and headed to the kitchen. She dumped them in the sink and turned on the hot water. "I thought I told you that?"
The redhead thought for a moment. "Hmm, maybe you did. Anyways, I've got to say I'm surprised he's stuck around for so long. I can't wait to meet him tonight."
"Wish I could say the same for him." Harley sighed as she took up a sponge. "I kinda talked you up. Like, big time. He's terrified of ya. Spent all yesterday morning trying to weasel info outa me on how to get on yer good side."
"Charming." Pamela laughed, coming up behind Harley and wrapping her arms around her torso. "Did you tell him he's already on my good side for being so good to you?"
"I tried." She shrugged. "He's just nervous. This is kinda his first open relationship attempt."
"I see." Pamela rested her chin on Harley's shoulder. "Do you think he wants to be more serious with you?"
"Honestly, yeah…" Harley suddenly felt a little uncertain. "I really like him too Pammy, but I ain't looking for serious. He knows that."
Pamela is quiet for a moment, and Harley can feel the weight of everything against their shoulders.
They had given an exclusive relationship a fair shot in the early days Harley's emancipation from Joker, but neither of them were in a good enough head space to support each other in the way they needed without sacrificing their own health and happiness. After a long break and a stint as best friends with benefits, they had settled on the only other option was available.
Pamela couldn't afford Harley the time and attention she needed from a relationship, and Harley couldn't drop her life to follow Pamela's work. Seeking what they couldn't receive from new people while still having each other was the perfect compromise.
The only part of that long conversation that devastated Harley was that they both had to consider the fact that they might find someone that was able to provide everything. They had both cried over the idea; Harley the moment it was mentioned and Pamela in the dark of the night when she thought Harley was asleep. But it was an idea that they both had to accept in order to move forwards.
And yet… she knew Pamela hadn't moved forwards.
Harley always told Pamela about her side pieces, and when she felt something stronger with Mason Pam was the first person to know. She knew the green skinned woman was more quiet about her intimate life unless prompted, but even when directly asked Pam had few stories to tell. A couple of men here or there, maybe a weekend with a pretty lady…
But nothing that really excited her. And Harley had a pretty good idea of what excited Pamela.
"So… how about you? Got any hanger ons recently?" Harley pried, trying to shift the mood away from herself.
She felt Pamela give a small huff of a laugh. "I've been too busy. Next week I've got a massive convention in Florida about conservation and the removal of invasive species in the Everglades."
"Well then why are you here? You should be gettin' ready!" Harley turned to her friend, horrified that she might be getting in Pamela's way.
"I've been pulling all nighters for weeks so I could have this weekend free for you." Pamela was quick to soothe her. "And, if it's alright with you, I'll stay in town a few more days and fly out directly to Florida from here."
"If that's alright? Pammy I'd love for you to stay a while longer! Heck, you can stay forever if you wanted!"
Harley didn't miss the tenderness that quickly formed in Pamela's eyes and realized what she had just said. "Peanut, I'd love to stay forever, but it… just isn't possible right now."
Harley let out a sigh. Her voice was small when she responded. "I can wait for you, Pammy…"
Pamela's face tightened, and she pulled her close so that their foreheads pressed together. "I can't ask that of you, Harley, you know that. I don't know how long this cause will need me for, or how much of my time and energy it will demand of me at any given time. All I want in the world is for you to be happy."
They hold each other for a while, a response stuck on Harley's tongue. But what about your happiness?
Harley knows it will only lead to another circular argument, so she decides against it. They finish cleaning up the dishes and kitchen and use the rest of their time to get ready for the night Harley's friends had planned for her.
The night was amazing. Certainly, one Harley would never forget. She got to talk with so many of her friends and family, and watch Mason attempt to impress Pamela, who had dialed up her charms and sharp banter to eleven just to make him squirm.
She had promised that night to Mason, so Pam crashed at Selina's hotel room for the night. Harley enjoyed Mason, she truly did, but as they settled down for the night, she couldn't help but think of Pamela.
After trying and failing to sleep for a while, the blonde snuck out of bed and down to the living room. she made up a bowl of cereal and flicked on the news. Surely there was something wacky going on in the world that would get her mind off the problem that was Pamela Isley.
And sure enough, the Justice League was fighting some big bad monster, and the live news coverage was running to get a good shot from afar. Harley watched the heroes at work, completely enraptured by the spectacle of the Super cousins, Wonder Woman, and even a Green Lantern duking it out with some weird beast from space. She rooted for Kara and Diana and laughed as Guy Gardener got whacked into a neighboring building.
The event ended all too soon though when the Hawk couple and another Lantern came to offer support. The beast was beaten into submission and then wrapped in a big green bubble to be lifted up, up, and away, back into space and returning the night to its uneventful normal.
Harley was a little sad the chaos didn't last longer, but her mind had finally been pulled far enough away from the Pamela problem that she felt she could finally go to sleep. Drinking the rest of her cereal, she tossed her bowl and spoon into the sink for later and went back to bed.
As she settled up against Mason's side, she mulled over the highlights of the newsreel and absentmindedly pet his muscular arms.
An idea hit her like a freight train.
No, like an atomic bomb!
She shot out of bed and grabbed her phone, startling Mason awake.
"H-Harley? What's wrong?"
"I'm a god damned genius! That's what's wrong!" Harley grinned as her call was picked up on the second ring.