theattic | THE FLUFF CORNER

Meranda barked out a honk-like laugh. Good, good, this one knew his place.

"That's good. I'd have to kill you otherwise. Y'see, we've been having a problem with do-gooders around here." She wrapped her arm around her injured side to illustrate.

"That's enough." Maurice all but dragged Hanna into his lap to get him away from her. "And I am not a kitten! I am a ruthless terror of the night and should be feared by everybody in this dead dog town!"

"Ahuh." Her smirk died away as she looked around the cab. Sympathy bloomed across her face. Or maybe it was plain old pity. "Wow...is...this town really so bad that you have to date in your truck?"

Meranda was from Chicago. She'd only been living here for a few months.

"Well I have a problem when trouble makers, but I'm not the best at being the do-gooder so maybe it won't be so bad." Hanna was sure he could do some good around here. He hadn't fucked things up back home so badly anyways, and there seemed to be quite a bit of activity in the area.

He kind of squeaked when Maurice pulled him away though, eyes wide in surprise before he settled, looking up and back at Maurice, unable to help his grin, "He who makes the best mashed potatoes and is afraid of spiders, a real terror indeed."

Though, his smile kind of died when she looked around, unable to help the mild worry spread across her face. Don't notice. Don't notice how pathetic this is, please Meranda. "Uh...It's not the east coast, that's for sure?" He supplied, not answering the question straight forward. He'd let Maurice deal with that.

It was sort of adorable the way her friend, this big hulking vampire, was clinging to this guy like he was a sock monkey. He actually sort of looked like a sock monkey come to think of it. But...hmm. She hadn't heard a peep about Hanna before the incident with the Moon Bodies. And now here he was. They sure were close for a couple who'd only been together a short time.

But maybe Maurice was secretive. He'd managed to keep BEING A WALKING COPRS a secret from her since fucking July.

"Wow, you're a long way from home, huh? Why Texas? Why this place?"

Meranda asked the important questions.

"Meranda, it is a laawwwng story...and what are you doing out here? You're ribs are freakin' busted."

"Returning something to King's Reel." She shrugged. "No satellite, remember?"

"That's the kind of story that needs like a twenty-four pack of beer to tell to make it believable," He adds, glancing out the window at the rain. At least that made him feel more like he was at home. Rain. Though the humidity he's sure would come tomorrow was not going to be fun. "But to make a long story short I've known Maury a while without knowing him a while and I'm here cause he's here." He shrugged, "Magic words in weird ass ways sometimes."

And she won't get another word out of him unless he's got that twenty-four pack.

"What's King's Reel?"

"It's like a...shitty Blockbuster," she said, trying her best to digest Hanna's explanation.

"YOU aren't getting anything outside of a wine cooler after your little stunt!" Maurice pinched Hanna's ear. "Mister Oh I'll Just Hex the Second Strongest Vampire in Town!"

"Wo-hoa, what? You don't mean that bitch that threw you on the street?"

"Nah, Horas." Maurice rested his chin on top of Hanna's head and sighed. "Charlie doesn't know. "There were still so many souls to meet Hanna. He never imagined fitting this wonky little puzzle piece into his life would be so complicated.

"Well four for you, Magic Man." She saluted him. "That guy's a creep with a capitol C...God you two are cute. I still can't believe it! Right unda my nose this whole time!"

"Merandaaaaaa." Maurice buried his face in Hanna's hair.

"Huh. Sounds like one. Like those creepy adult video stores or something." Though, still in Maurice's lap, he whines 'ow ow ow' as his ear is pinched, squirming a little and smacking Maurice's hand away. "He was asking about it! And I didn't hex him, I gave him the best high of his life, i'm sure, so. He can't complain!"

Hanna kind of winked in response, unsure how to take the compliment because girls. They were still hard to talk to, but he smiled, shrugging and leans into Maurice comfortably. "A lot can happen in weird space and time, but seriously, that's a whole 'nother fucking story." His stomach grumbles though and he'll be reaching for that sandwich now, taking a bite and nodding towards her, "Anyways, don't you work for the same place Maurice does?"

"Hanna, he's gonna tell Charlie about you. We can't just play Oregon Trail forever!"

"Oregon Trail...?" Meranda lifted a brow. She was about to ask if that was some kind of weird private time thing they did but then it hit her. The car. The state of both of them. Hiding in the dark with sandwiches and a fake tea candle. "Maurice Hutch," she began slowly. "Are you dumbasses LIVING IN THIS TRUCK?"

"Who the hell is Charlie?" Hanna asked, and then Maurice opened his god damn mouth. And it had been going so good too.

Taking a rather large bite of his sandwich, Hanna chewed slowly. Maybe if his mouth was full he wouldn't be forced to blurt out answers and get berated. "Nnnophpuh." He responds with a mouthful. He was bad at lying like this, even if he was good at the other kind, so. Full mouth lying it was.

Maurice couldn't answer. He was busy lifting his arm and trying to defend himself and Hanna from the sheer TIDAL WAVE of anger crashing down on them.

"Maurice, how long have--you said your situation was 'up in the air'! This isn't 'up in the air' this is 'in a dark alley sitting like a couple of ducks waiting for that creepy firefighter to show up'! Or worse!"

She reached into the floorboards and grabbed up a fistful of their garbage before throwing it at both of them.

"Why didn't you tell me! We KILLED MONSTERS TOGETHER! You're my best friend!" All the shouting irritated her injury but she didn't stop throwing stuff at them. Markers, empty drink cups, a shoe. Who's shoe? It was a mystery. "And YOU!" She pointed at Hanna. "You just LET HIM!"

Hanna's yelp of surprise was a lot more alarmed than when Maurice had scooped him up. He shielded his face yelling 'no, no no!' and yanno, a combination of 'ahhhhh's. but.

When the anger is turned on him, he peaks behind fingers, afraid of this woman's wrath. How come all the ladies he's ever met could turn into a pile of frightening rage at a moments notice? It wasn't fair. "W-what was I supposed to do! I just got a job like, three weeks ago! I couldn't pay any bills! He's been making sure I eat and that's what we could afford!"

Said ginger kind of sucks in a breath, unsure, not really knowing what she'd do if he attempted more defense, but hell if he was going to let her get angry at Maurice. It really wasn't his fault. Well if kind of was, but...what else was a dude to do?

"I literally show up out of nowhere and he introduces me to his mom and we think his family is going to kill me. It's alright, it's cool but you don't ask a lady like that if you and your boyfriend can sleep on the couch for a few weeks, man. And I don't know anyone. I'm not even from this dimension!" Hanna groans, the terrified feeling melting into frustration, "I work a shitty job where people know i'm some kind of queer and no one is responding to my business cards. They probably think I'm fucking crazy, and to be completely honest, this truck is nicer than my apartment back home. It's got bigger windows and the ceiling doesn't leak." He huffs, sitting up a little more, sitting so Maurice is practically blocked from view, which is impressive, even if Hanna all puffed up isn't quite so intimidating.

"So. Pathetic as we are, it's fine. And who wants to tell their friend they have a shitty living situation anyways? It's fine. We're fine. So stop throwing shoes at people and w-well!" He kind of lost his thunder there, "Uh. forgive him or something."

Edited 2015-05-22 04:48 (UTC)

When Hanna rose to her challenge, Meranda set her teeth and let him talk. Good. She was getting answers. Maurice couldn't help but be impressed. Hanna hadn't put himself between Maurice and CERTAIN DEATH since the spiders. However, they weren't answers that she liked and as Hanna's wind left his sails, hers just billowed.

"No, it is NOT fine!" She took her hand off her side so she could make TWO little angry fists. "I don't care if you're from NARNIA, you idiots can't keep living like this!" She put her fingers to her temple and let out a few slow huffs. Practiced calming exercise? Possibly. "Whatever. It's settled. Maurice, we're going to my house."

"What?" Maurice sat up then, nearly dumping Hanna out of his lap. "What, no, we can't! Your-- I mean with your--he--"

"Yeah, I know, Dad's dead. The house is empty." Meranda caught herself. She'd nearly hiccuped as suddenly saying it out loud after everything she'd been through made it more final than the cremation ceremony. Than the battle in the underground. Than boxing up his things with the only person who'd kept her sane during it all. "The house...has a spare room now." She peeled a receipt off the dash that was stuck there with mustard.

Hanna's saliva caught in his throat and he almost choked. The sentence gets him in ways that most things don't. He doesn't deal well with peoples parents. He doesn't deal well with the mention of their death either and he doesn't want to recoil because that's rude but any sort of condolences can't come out of his closed throat.

He's just quiet and can't make any eye contact.

For a little while, the only sound in the cab came from the rain drumming on the roof. Meranda's mouth had become a grim, wobbly line and she slowly changed her gaze to somewhere around her knees.

This was sudden. Maurice couldn't imagine what she was feeling...but what she'd said was true. He should have told her. She was his friend. It had taken him a long time to accept people that could be truly, truly concerned about him. Even love him. Exhibit A being in his lap.

"Are...are you sure you're okay with that?" Maurice finally ventured.

Meranda put her game face back on and looked him in the eye. She'd been thinking of how long he must have been hiding in that smelly vampire basement.She'd lived in some holes too once she escaped her mother, but she'd never had to support anybody but herself and her cat. But never her car.

"You saved my life, Maurice."

"You saved mine first!"

"That's not the point!" She lifted her hands. "This isn't a contest. Look, I wouldn'ta offered if I wasn't serious. You're my friend, I care about you, I want you to be okay." She glanced to Hanna, going red in the face again. He must think she's a crazy person.

Maurice opened and closed his mouth a few times before leaning around and looking down at his boyfriend. "Uuuuuh. What d'you think?"

Hanna listened, swallowing and slowly regaining his ability to speak. He had heard conversations like this, had had them himself with his own friends, had argued against help, had tried to keep them from helping him, but...it wasn't just him any more. It was both of them, and if it helped him not worry about Maurice burning in the daylight while he slept in the cab, then it was okay with him.

"When I first met my Zombie partner back home I let him live in my house the day I hired him..." Hanna glances at Meranda, tries for a smile even though he feels more dead inside than he actually is. "If you're offering, I can't say no. That and then I don't have to worry about Maury burning."

"Zombie?" Meranda lifted a brow. But then she snorted. "Maury? That is cute."

"Why do people keep SAYIN' that? It's just--it's just a name!" Maurice turned purple and ran his hand across his face.

The Chicago girl just shook her head and looked out at the rainy streets. "I can't have my friend catching on fire when I can stop it. Rent won't be so much of a pain. We'll be saving each others' asses. Collective ass saving. We'll start an ass bank."

It always makes him smile a little when he can get the vampire to turn funny colors. "I've got more, just wait." Though, his smile turns more into a grin, a genuine one as she continues talking.

"Sorry but my ass can't contribute much. I mean, you haven't seen me from behind yet but it's kind of not there. It's like, an innie, I fucking swear."

"It kind of is," Maurice admitted. "But we over look that, don't we?" He bounced Hanna on his knee a couple of times and gave him a grin.

In her weariness and still reeling from shock and the sheer magnitude of the way her life was about to change, Meranda let out a few breathy laughs. "You can start by driving your new landlord back to the rental parking lot so she can get in her car. You remember the way?"

Maurice nodded. He didn't remember when he started to grin, but now he couldn't stop. "Yeah." He'd gone a couple of times to help her clean out the trailer. "See you in a bit? We kinda got--we got a thing to finish."

"Wh--oh! OH! Right! Ahaha. Excuse me. I'll show myself out. I think I can find the door." She blindly reached behind her and managed to open it. A few awkward, rushed waves later, she was gone.

Maurice stared dead ahead and quietly put his hands on the wheel.

"Sweet Potato, did that just happen? Will you pinch me?"

When Meranda disappeared, Hanna looked at Maurice, watching him, taking it all in himself.

He had never met her, but he liked her, even if she was more rough than most. She almost reminded him of Conrad, just less rough and outwardly caring. She didn't mind if you knew she was trying to help it seemed.

He leans forward, wordlessly and pinches Maurice's side hard, just because he knows it'll get a reaction, relieve some of that tension, that disbelief and asks, "I dunno, you still with me?"

Almost as soon as the request left his mouth, he forgot about it. So the pinch surprised him and he let out a holler. "A-OWH! You didn't have to do it so hard!"

He pouted his big red eyes at Hanna. Then he grabbed his stupid little face up in his hands and brought it to his lips.

Hanna laughed, though it was cut short by the kiss, unable to do much but sit there a moment before he started, much more gently, pinching his sides again. Almost reminisce of tickling, but a little more pinchy. He was laughing against Maurice's mouth.

"But I wanted to. I still want to!"

Maurice started making sounds that were half squawk and half laugh as Hanna kept grabbing at his sides. They flirted and poked and prodded a plenty but every time he couldn't help but be thrilled that somebody wanted to touch him.

"Be-- be carefu-ul!" He didn't fight it but he did turn his face to one side while they were horsing around. "Watch your te-HEETH!"

"Watch yours, fangs." Hanna doesn't let up, continuing the assault and squirming closer to corner Maurice in the side of the cab. He kisses his cheek, enthusiastically before he blows a raspberry on it and laughs, finally settling back.

"Gotchu."

It's impossible to sort the laughter out from ridiculous yelping. It wasn't fair that the most ticklish also had the most surface area. The raspberry completely disarmed him. He brought his hands up to protect his face.

"No! Nooo!"

Leaning forward once more Hanna presses a kiss to the backs of Maurice's hands and settles back down again, grabbing his sandwich.

"Gotta interrupt 'cutest fucking vampire ever' time for dinner now. Cause I'm starving. And we have to meet Meranda in a little bit, right?" He leans forward again after swallowing, scooting close so that the knee that was bent on the bench cushion was touching Maurice's leg, "And you know what sounds great about what happens after that?"

Another bite, god this sandwich was good. "Sleeping in a real bed with you sounds like heaven and a half, dude."

"O-oh! Right! Ahah. Hah. Food. To be continued, then..."

Where'd his own sandwich go? Once he recovered it, he sagged against the seat and watched the rain roll down the hood of the car. Somehow it just tasted better knowing that after this? They could go to a place with a garbage can. And put the wrappers in there. It didn't feel real.

Headlights lit up the alley for a moment as Meranda's small green car rolled by, heading to the edge of town where the land opened up.

"That's our cue, par'dner. Buckle up." He cranked up the engine and pulled out into the street, following his friend into the night. He wished that he'd set this all up somehow. That would just be the perfect ending, wouldn't it?

However, the happy ending could not come in the middle of the story.

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