Good evening! I'd kindly like a hurt/comfort story with Reader x TFC Harlequin, where after a really bad day, Reader comes home to Harlequin where he does his usual quips and jabs, only to get an already overly emotional and overwhelemed Reader crying in response to his hurtful teasing, leaving Harlequin to fix this
The Freak Show of Horrors Oneshots
Artist Credit to: @naibuding!
Divider Credit to: @cursed-carmine, I only recolored it.
Summary: You had a bad day and Harlequin wants to see how far he can push you.
Quick A/N: Thank you for requesting me! Gonna be honest, I… forgot how to write Harlequin for like a hot minute.
Spicy Chocolate (Harlequin/Reader)
You didn’t mean to slam the door behind you, especially late into the night when your neighbors are sleeping. But you have had enough of the day and just want to go to bed. Sure, you had bad days when working. But it was bad, bad. The cafe got slammed with orders, people being impatient and acting entitled, expecting their drinks to be made pronto. Hell, you even had to break up a fight between two customers before your boss kicked them out.
Pierrot visiting you at the cafe did make your day a little better, but you asked him not to visit you after your work shift. Knowing yourself, you would want to be alone for the rest of the night. Disappointed, he respected your wish and didn’t visit you as you were closing or walking home. All that’s left is to eat something, wash up, and go straight to bed.
“Oh my, are you that excited to see me, kitten?”
Goddamit, you forgot about him.
Turning your head, you see Harlequin on your couch, looking smug as ever to see your face. “Harlequin,” you said, annoyed. “Today is not the best day for me, so it would be great if you could leave.”
“Kicking me out in the cold already, how heartless of you. I’ve seen how you rejected Pierrot’s company and that delighted me to no end. You’ve seen the pathetic look on his face when he returned to the circus, saddened.” He sneered, the memory making him laugh at his misery.
Nope, nope. You’re not going to engage with him; you’re going to ignore him and just eat something. Turning your head sharply and putting away your bag, you rummage through the fridge and settle on making a quick turkey sandwich.
“Ignoring me, dear one? How cold of you to not grace me with your voice.” Harlequin got off the couch and leaned over the bar table, his grin still wide as you ignored him. So that’s the game you’re going to play, fine by him.
“What got you so riled up today? Hmm? I saw you while I was handing out flyers for the circus, running around the cafe like a headless chicken. I was quite tempted to visit you, but unfortunately I couldn't.” He smirked as he grabbed your chin to face him. “I thought up so many scenarios when visiting you, seeing your exhausted face and your forced grin behind the counter as you worked. Would it annoy you if I ordered something complicated for you? Or if I took advantage of the fact that your guard dog isn’t there to protect you? What sort of face would you make if I whispered sweet nothings to you while so knee-deep in work? Would you like that?”
Your silence only spurred him on as you didn’t bother to look at him but at the floor. “Heheheh, still going to be quiet, dear one? Was working at the cafe just too hard for you? How pitiful. Poor you. Are you still going to be silent? Why not hit me to let it out? Or better yet, why not cry for me? Although I can think of other ways to make you cry for me.”
Biting down on your lip, you couldn’t help but let a few tears fall. The earlier events from work and all the other hard days have been building up inside of you, which you were forced to repress. Forcing yourself to smile at work despite not wanting to and dealing with customers no matter how hard you want to scream. Your fists clenched and shook as your body trembled as you cried. Catching him off guard as he lets go of your chin with a shocked face. “Shut up, you asshole.” Your voice is shaking, trying so hard to blink back the tears, but they keep falling.
“I’m allowed to get angry and vent my frustration just like everyone else. So there’s no need to be such a dick about it. I’m allowed to cry for once in a while.” You sniffed as you tried to wipe your tears. You let out a curse word under your breath as you turned your body sharply away from him. Harlequin said nothing as you cried, only stopping for a second when you felt something rubbing your back.
“What?” you croaked, turning your head to see him awkwardly rubbing your back as he looked away. “Sorry,” he mumbled.
The awkward silence stretched as none of you spoke until it was Harlequin who broke it. “...I can leave if you’d like.”
“No,” you answered quickly. “No, I- I just don’t want to be alone tonight. Just wait for me while I clean up; we can watch a movie before you have to go back.”
He takes his hand away from your head as you go to the bathroom, not daring to look at what sort of mess you look in the mirror as you take a quick shower. When you were finished, you felt something drape around your shoulder and saw Harlequin wrapping you in a fuzzy blanket. “Hah, for a guy who flirts, you sure know how to be considerate.” You spoke, giving him a small smile as he paused from your words.
Getting yourself a glass of water as you sat on the couch, Harlequin being quiet as he joined you. Picking up the remote and selecting ‘Howl’s Moving Castle’, pressing play and bringing your knees to your chest as you watched the movie.
“What is this movie about?” he asked, mildly curious. “It’s based on a book I used to read, but the movie is a bit different from it. It’s about Sophie, and she’s working at her father’s hat shop after his passing. She then comes across a wizard named Howl and befriends him after helping him, but she then caught the attention of another witch and was cursed. Um, I think it’s better if you just watch it.”
30 minutes in, Harlequin is just as pulled in as you are; he only snapped out of it when he felt something against his shoulder. Looking over to see you have fallen asleep against his body. Turning the TV off and carrying you to bed, Harlequin quietly tucked you in. Letting his fingers brush against your face and push strands of hair away as he looked at your peaceful face. Come morning, he would leave behind a piece of chocolate.
A chocolate bar that made you run for a glass of milk.
End Note: Yes, Howl's Moving Castle is one of my comfort movies. Second is Kpop Demon Hunters