Wear All The Freaking Hats

“Tell me about it”, Nico replied, referring to them both having contrasting taste and also a well-deserved off day. She wrapped an arm around the younger girl and gave her a warm smile. “Let’s say we make a day of it. Get some ice cream, afterward. Maybe see a movie? Your thirteen now, so you can see all the PG-13 movies you want, kiddo”.

         A gentle chuckle beneath his breath had come as naturally to him as breathing in air to begin with at that little anecdote. A small tug at the corner of his lips as he imagined Molly’s indignation playing out at the notion she’d be refused entry to a Star Wars flick of all things. 

          “That’s rough, I’ll admit.” He voices with a nudge of humor to his tone, unable to imagine someone hovering over him to that degree when he’d been that age; paying attention to whatever he was watching least of all.  

       There’s a small commiserating smile that follows, and he resists offering that that’d be because she’s gone and made friends who are all older than her. Mark of maturity, really, when you think about it. Of which he’d known since a pretty long time ago. 

           He’s about to voice something to that effect, when he notices the subtle tells in her expression betraying a roiling set of emotions of some kind beneath those features. He holds his tongue, ends up just watching her quietly for a second; expectant. Not wanting to trample over whatever it is she may - or may not - end up saying. 

                   Then it comes. And he feels a weight slowly drop within his stomach, settling in the pit of it and curdling with discomfort. He bites into his lip, looks away somewhat at first. At once displaced and having to find his own feet again within this conversation. 

            “I uh…   Yeah.   Yeah, it’s weird.    Guess I don’t know how else to talk to you right now, after um…” He shrugs a little, feeling more than a little hopeless with his words right now. “I’m sorry, Mol. I’m just not great at pretending all the other stuff didn’t come before all that happened…”

                He thinks for a moment, then is quick to add - more seriously.

          “But if that’s what you want me to do, I’ll do it. 

                                      Just say the word.”

    Molly swallows, but the lump in her throat doesn’t seem to dissipate... or it just feels like way.

   For some reason, each words Harry speaks, only deepens the frown on her face and the ache in her chest. Not because she doesn’t want him to speak, but what he says...

  Even after how poorly things ended between them, he’s still willing to do so much for her, so much she doesn’t deserve, yet she knows if she even implies that notion, he’ll try to dissuade her that kind of thinking. 

         Just like he always has.

Just likes she’s tried to do with him, and even though they couldn’t see eye to eye on some matters, she’d still try to. Even after how vilely she had treated him.

   “Harry, I...”. She’s how to respond to his words. All she really wants to to is wrap her arms around him and hug him, and just hope things will work themselves out. But a voice in the back of her mind tells her how childish that thinking is. Besides, given the last thing she said to him, cursed at him, it’s seemed... inappropriate.

    But, she thinks, being honest really couldn’t hurt, so, she decides to go with that.

   “Harry... I don’t want to act like nothing happened, because it did. W-we really hurt each other with our words and actions and, I feel so terrible when I think about what I said to you. I, might still disagree with you, but... I want to be your friend more than... more than be angry with you”.

“I’m a bad bitch, you can’t kill me!” 

“Feel like I’d recognize ya if we’d met, but I got a lotta kids to wrangle, so… Throw me a bone. What’s the connection?”

“Jeez, are you ten-year-olds always this riled up?”

[ Logan lights his cigar and grimaces. ]

“An’ why would ya wanna destroy me, little lady?”

“I’m not ten.

Molly gave the man a once-over.

Nico frowned. “I would if I could, kiddo”, she admitted, leaning against the doorway. “I already used that spell, and a few variations of it, on refurnishing our old hideout back in Malibu”. She didn’t miss Molly’s mention of ‘saving money’. The young teen had seem particularly upset when Nico mentioned she would be getting a second job. She gave the young girl a small smile. “But don’t feel bad about it, okay? At least this way you can personally pick out what you want”.

“I didn’t see it, because the Jabari tribe lives over in the mountains. But the mailman says it was funny. Even if they threatened to eat the messenger. Your roommate has magic powers? Every day I learn new things about this country.” “I am the chief troll of Wakanda. I just made up that title right now, but nobody else will want it or come close to winning a challenge for it. Hmm. What have you tried? Waiting until she goes out and then wrapping all her things in plastic?”

“Yeah... she’s like Sabrina the Teenage Witch... well maybe you don’t know who that is, but she can pretty much cast any spell with her giant magic wand”.

“ Well… your next milestone as far as movies go iiiiis…– “ Darcy frowns, then vehemently shakes her head. “ Nope. I am not gonna be the one to corrupt you by sneaking you into an R-rated movie, so the best I can do is take you out for birthday lunch. “

“Afraid not. Seems needlessly cruel, doesn’t it?”