pushtheboundaries | IC INBOX; MoM

[AWK. that is a rather undignified noise as he - well, Robert Callaghan does not squirm, but even with her little declaration it takes him a moment to figure out what she's doing.

sadly, it is not nearly enough to keep her from ridding him of the vestment.]

Hey, HEY! Harley, you can't just- that's my vest!

Oh? But I can and I did.

[ Y'know what, she'll take that tie too. ]

There. Much better. You can have them back later, probably.

[he's now batting her hands away from him because at this point he is very concerned for his shirt. and belt. and- basically everything else he's wearing. his hair is disheveled and he probably looks like a mess- far from the poised professor he's supposed to be.]

I need those, Harley! Is this your way of getting me up there sooner than later?

It is June in Florida. You do not need a sweatervest, come on, seriously.

[ But she's trying to fix his hair, and how can she do that if he's batting at her? Is this going to turn into a slapfight? Yep, that's super poised, Bobby. ]

It's comfortable. [you lost touchy rights, he will darn well bap her hands away from him. apparently, once the scotch gets going, Robert can get quite a bit childish. but he does eventually 'give up', shaking his head as he reaches for another sip of scotch]

Mmmh. If I have to get a new set of clothing after tonight, I'm not going drinking with you again, bad day or not.

[ Once he gives up she's right back to trying to set his hair to order, which is really just an excuse to run her fingers through it. ]

You'll get it back, you big grump. And you will so. We're having a nice time, aren't we? It's good to get out of your own head for a little bit, from time to time.

[she's underestimating his ability to pout. and/or hold on to a grudge. but she does have a point, and his next wave of his hand is halfhearted. yeah, yeah

he'll just be setting down his glass now and pushing himself up]

All right, let's get this over with. What happens next is entirely your fault.

[he says that, but he's smirking]

I'm more than happy to take the blame.

[ Raises her glass to him. Cheers, baby. ]

[little devil.

Robert, despite his claims, does not have a terrible singing voice. it's clearly untrained and ill-used, but he's far from window-shattering. the fact remains that his chosen song only has so much singing as fast-talking- and while he stumbles over the words at times, it's actually quite impressive how little he looks at the screen, and how well he keeps the pace.

this is what happens when you're a 90s kid, ladies and gentlemen. no matter how old you get, some things stick with you.]

[ Sexy little devil, thank you very much.

She gives him a standing ovation and the loudest cheers in the bar. Yeah, get it, hot grampa!

She also gives him another glass of Scotch, because we can't forget what's really important here. ]

[SPOILER, HE HAS NO GRANDCHILDREN~~, AND UP UNTIL VERY RECENTLY HE WAS CONVINCED THAT THIS WOULD FOREVER BE THE CASE~~

Robert can't help but grin at the various responses he's getting - apparently, nobody expected grandpa to be able to 'bust rhymes' like that - and makes a small bow before handing back the mic. there's his seat, and there's his new scotch?]

I take it you're proud of yourself.

I mean, yeah. Pretty much all the time. And why not? I'm fantastic.

You're a terrible influence. [he's still smirking, so clearly he doesn't mean as much by it as one might think? maybe?

either way. hello, scotch, meet tastebuds. all told, he should be downing this a lot slower than he is; scotch is meant to be savored, after all, and appreciated. but frankly...

frankly, he's planning on making this one last. he already knows he's going to regret the morning, but damn if he doesn't feel good right now]

I'll take that as a compliment, thanks.

[ So. What if.

What if.

She just ... leaned over and kissed him, just a little one. That's fine, right? That's a thing friends do? They are probably friends now? These are all definitely good points and in no way influenced by alcohol and karaoke-fueled adrenaline. ]

[what if he didn't realize what she was doing until her lips hit his cheek and he flinches as if it was a bite.]

That, ah-

[okay he's leaning back now and quite a bit red in the face. not just from the alcohol]

-I think we've had enough to drink.

[don't mind him putting a hand on her chest to try and push her away if she's not alreaWAIT NO CHEST IS A BAD IDEA. moving to shoulder now]

[ Raised eyebrows at that. Did he just ... did he just grope her? And do it really badly? Oh Robert, you mess. ]

That's a big reaction for a little peck on the cheek. What were you thinking? Naughty boy.

[ACCIDENTAL. IT WAS AN ACCIDENT. wow, that is a vivid shape of red Robert is turning, and his stammering is quite impressive, as well. not that he's exceedingly verbose normally, but this is really something.]

Sorry, I- it's just me, I-think I've had enough, I mean-

[poor, poor Robert.]

Robert.

[ She guides his hand back to where it started and steps too close. ]

I saw how you were lookin' at me, when I was up there.

[ She gently rests one hand at the nape of his neck and draws him in. Poor, poor Robert. ]

[she'll find some resistance on both levels. Robert's stiff, now, and quite possibly not in the way Harley would prefer. even with him clearly still flustered, to his credit, he's not a hundred percent deer in headlights]

S'the scotch. I- need a minute.

[this is clearly the best moment to try and get up so he can ~~hide in~~ use the restroom, right?]

... 'Kay.

[ Harley huffs and lets him go with some reluctance. Damn it! She's hot! What is wrong with him?! ]

[she's extremely hot, and what attraction is there is precisely the problem. he's probably another glass or two away from saying 'fuck it' and letting things happen as they will...which means that it's about time to splash himself with cold water, give himself a long look in the mirror, very briefly consider if there's a window in here-

-and then sigh, wipe himself off, give himself another look, and then head back out. look at him being a adult ~~and facing his fears~~]

No bet on drinking me under the table. I think I'm sticking to water the rest of the night.

[ She lights up when he comes back. She half-expected him to bail on her then and there, but it looks like she didn't scare him off entirely. ]

Yeah? Alright, if that's what you want.

But, for the record? It's not just the scotch. I want you.

[oh good she's not going to try and give him any moh lord. he'll just avoid her gaze for a bit, though he's turning red again as he signals the bartender to try and get some of that water and please stop looking at him like he's an idiot for not responding to the cute girl's flirting?]

You could probably have anyone else in the bar. [beat] Probably a couple at once.

[he ain't judging, but the subtle question of why me? is there.]

[ She leans against the bar and watches him with that smile, the one that says he's the best thing in the room and she's just so happy to be here. ]

Probably. But I know what I want.

[ She half shrugs and takes a sip of her drink. ]

I'm not pining for some grand romance. I just think we'd have a fun time.

[he doesn't think anyone's ever given him that look. and if they had, then it hasn't been for- years. decades. which just reminds him of how old he's getting, which in turn reminds him of how young Harley is, which in turn reminds him that there is an awful lot of people who would leap at this opportunity.]

I thought we were already having a fun time?

[he accepts the iced water and downs half of it at once. it's a harsh contrast to the warmth of the scotch, but he needs it in more ways than one]

IC INBOX; MoM

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