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storypaint) wrote2012-02-14 09:08 am
storypaint) wrote2012-02-14 09:08 am
[Dresden Files] love moves the flesh (girl!Harry/Karrin)
Title: love moves the flesh
Fandom: Dresden Files
Length: 1221 words
Prompt: Porn Battle: Dresden Files, girl!Harry Dresden/Karrin Murphy, gentle
Pairing: girl!Harry/Murphy
Other: I failed to porn. AU fic disregarding Aftermath and Ghost Story. Also AU in that Dresden was born female.
Excerpt: When they pull Dresden from the water, her lips are tinged blue and Murphy's heart stops because Dresden is so still. She slams her emotions down into the dark place where she keeps things she can't deal with right now, and drives to the hospital, losing the ambulance early. After all, she isn't a policewoman any more, and she doesn't have the flashing lights to aid her haste. Her fingers shake a little on the steering wheel, but not much. She drives the speed limit.
When they pull Dresden from the water, her lips are tinged blue and Murphy's heart stops because Dresden is so still. She slams her emotions down into the dark place where she keeps things she can't deal with right now, and drives to the hospital, losing the ambulance early. After all, she isn't a policewoman any more, and she doesn't have the flashing lights to aid her haste. Her fingers shake a little on the steering wheel, but not much. She drives the speed limit.
Illinois has civil unions now; it's with only the tiniest amount of guilt that Murphy says, "She's my partner," to the nurse on duty, and the concern in her eyes must be convincing.
"She's being treated," the nurse says, and then she passes a sheaf of papers across the desk. "Could you fill these out for me, please?"
Dresden isn't dead. Something warm runs down Murphy's back and she is boneless with relief. If Dresden were dead, Murphy wouldn't have to fill in stupid paperwork about health insurance (which she really doesn't think that Dresden has, because who would give it to her?).
She fills in half a page with the few facts she knows, but the adrenaline rush she's been riding comes to an abrupt crash. Dresden is alive, and Murphy is alive. They've been chasing this supernatural being for what feels like three days straight, according to the exhausted sandy burn of Murphy's tired eyelids, and the many small bruises hidden under her jacket. Dresden's the worse for wear, as always; the water nymph is still on the loose and clearly on the offensive. That ridiculous coat she wears doesn't protect Dresden from everything, especially with the haphazard way she flies into battle, taking the defense of the city onto those soft shoulders.
Murphy drifts off uncomfortably, with her head tucked into her shoulder and her legs curled up in the hospital chair, but only for a moment. She awakens when someone steps too close to her, her hand reaching for a weapon that isn't there. It takes her a moment to process, but when she does, she untangles herself from the chair, wincing at the pull of her tired muscles, and goes back to the desk.
The nurse points her in the right direction, only remembering afterward to ask for Dresden's paperwork. Murphy stolidly ignores the question as she heads down the hallway.
*
She steels herself outside the door; she does what Dresden always laughingly calls "putting on her armor," straightening her shoulders and hardening her expression. It's just something she does whenever Dresden gets hurt, a way to avoid the conversation they had been having before the water nymph showed up and did his level best to drown the wizard.
"What am I to you?" Dresden had asked her, hands stuffed into her coat pockets, and Murphy hadn't been able to meet Dresden's eyes, focusing instead on the slight bones of Dresden's wrists just showing between the coat and the pocket. None of Dresden's clothes ever fit properly because of her height and broad shoulders; she always looks a little bit like a scarecrow until you see her face. Even then, you might be deceived by the touch of lipstain on her defiant mouth or the tousled, easy style of Dresden's short, dark hair.
Harriet's hair. Murphy has been wanting to run her hands through it for ages. And then down further, too. She's been trying to deny it for a while, but she's given up. Karrin Murphy has always thought of herself as straight, but she has it bad for Dresden. Isn't it a cliche, to fall in love with your best friend?
Maybe it's not love. Maybe it's just worry, maybe it's the stress of knowing that they both have very dangerous jobs, maybe it's just that she's impossibly lonely.
Those are all the things she told herself before last night, when Dresden asked the question. And Murphy couldn't bear opening herself all the way. She couldn't tell Dresden the truth.
She squares her shoulders and steps into the hospital room anyway.
Dresden isn't sleeping. She is probably supposed to be, but that ridiculous wizard constitution means that she's already halfway to healed from the attempt on her life. Even so, she looks exhausted. There are hollows under her eyes and her collarbones look too sharp without her coat to frame them. She looks smaller, vulnerable.
Dresden smiles.
"One of the nurses told me my wife was here," she says, her voice scratchy and just above a whisper. "Are you sure we're not moving too fast? After all, our first date got interrupted by a water nymph."
Murph rolls her eyes but the joy invades her chest and stays there. If Dresden is being sarcastic, she'll be just fine.
"Didn't think I'd pass as your sister," she says, crossing the room to stand beside the bed.
"You didn't even buy me a ring," Dresden mock-complains, smiling up at Murphy. It's weird to see the wizard from this angle, looking down instead of up -- something else that makes Dresden seem more vulnerable. Normally she makes Murphy crane her neck to see that cheeky grin and the way she tosses her head before she goes to save the world.
"I should have gone home and gone to bed," Murphy mumbles, and before she can argue with herself about it, she's climbing in beside Dresden, kicking her shoes to the floor. This is ridiculous and there really isn't enough room for both of them, but Murphy doesn't care. She rests her head on Dresden's heart, which is beating firmly.
For once, Harriet doesn't say anything. She sets her hand down on the small of Murphy's back, and they get almost two full hours of uninterrupted sleep before a nurse wakes Murphy apologetically and makes her get up.
Harriet is snoring with her mouth open. Sleep has been good for her, evening out the harshness of her brow, shadowing the bruises already fading on her neck. Murphy's not surprised that her movements didn't wake the wizard. This is a healing rest.
She'll go home and have some sleep of her own, and then get Harriet out of the hospital. They'll go find this water nymph and show him whose city this is and keep Chicago safe for another day.
And then maybe they'd have a real date without anyone or anything interrupting. Murphy can dream. That's one thing she's never given up.
So she's smiling as she heads out to her car.
Fandom: Dresden Files
Length: 1221 words
Prompt: Porn Battle: Dresden Files, girl!Harry Dresden/Karrin Murphy, gentle
Pairing: girl!Harry/Murphy
Other: I failed to porn. AU fic disregarding Aftermath and Ghost Story. Also AU in that Dresden was born female.
Excerpt: When they pull Dresden from the water, her lips are tinged blue and Murphy's heart stops because Dresden is so still. She slams her emotions down into the dark place where she keeps things she can't deal with right now, and drives to the hospital, losing the ambulance early. After all, she isn't a policewoman any more, and she doesn't have the flashing lights to aid her haste. Her fingers shake a little on the steering wheel, but not much. She drives the speed limit.
When they pull Dresden from the water, her lips are tinged blue and Murphy's heart stops because Dresden is so still. She slams her emotions down into the dark place where she keeps things she can't deal with right now, and drives to the hospital, losing the ambulance early. After all, she isn't a policewoman any more, and she doesn't have the flashing lights to aid her haste. Her fingers shake a little on the steering wheel, but not much. She drives the speed limit.
Illinois has civil unions now; it's with only the tiniest amount of guilt that Murphy says, "She's my partner," to the nurse on duty, and the concern in her eyes must be convincing.
"She's being treated," the nurse says, and then she passes a sheaf of papers across the desk. "Could you fill these out for me, please?"
Dresden isn't dead. Something warm runs down Murphy's back and she is boneless with relief. If Dresden were dead, Murphy wouldn't have to fill in stupid paperwork about health insurance (which she really doesn't think that Dresden has, because who would give it to her?).
She fills in half a page with the few facts she knows, but the adrenaline rush she's been riding comes to an abrupt crash. Dresden is alive, and Murphy is alive. They've been chasing this supernatural being for what feels like three days straight, according to the exhausted sandy burn of Murphy's tired eyelids, and the many small bruises hidden under her jacket. Dresden's the worse for wear, as always; the water nymph is still on the loose and clearly on the offensive. That ridiculous coat she wears doesn't protect Dresden from everything, especially with the haphazard way she flies into battle, taking the defense of the city onto those soft shoulders.
Murphy drifts off uncomfortably, with her head tucked into her shoulder and her legs curled up in the hospital chair, but only for a moment. She awakens when someone steps too close to her, her hand reaching for a weapon that isn't there. It takes her a moment to process, but when she does, she untangles herself from the chair, wincing at the pull of her tired muscles, and goes back to the desk.
The nurse points her in the right direction, only remembering afterward to ask for Dresden's paperwork. Murphy stolidly ignores the question as she heads down the hallway.
*
She steels herself outside the door; she does what Dresden always laughingly calls "putting on her armor," straightening her shoulders and hardening her expression. It's just something she does whenever Dresden gets hurt, a way to avoid the conversation they had been having before the water nymph showed up and did his level best to drown the wizard.
"What am I to you?" Dresden had asked her, hands stuffed into her coat pockets, and Murphy hadn't been able to meet Dresden's eyes, focusing instead on the slight bones of Dresden's wrists just showing between the coat and the pocket. None of Dresden's clothes ever fit properly because of her height and broad shoulders; she always looks a little bit like a scarecrow until you see her face. Even then, you might be deceived by the touch of lipstain on her defiant mouth or the tousled, easy style of Dresden's short, dark hair.
Harriet's hair. Murphy has been wanting to run her hands through it for ages. And then down further, too. She's been trying to deny it for a while, but she's given up. Karrin Murphy has always thought of herself as straight, but she has it bad for Dresden. Isn't it a cliche, to fall in love with your best friend?
Maybe it's not love. Maybe it's just worry, maybe it's the stress of knowing that they both have very dangerous jobs, maybe it's just that she's impossibly lonely.
Those are all the things she told herself before last night, when Dresden asked the question. And Murphy couldn't bear opening herself all the way. She couldn't tell Dresden the truth.
She squares her shoulders and steps into the hospital room anyway.
Dresden isn't sleeping. She is probably supposed to be, but that ridiculous wizard constitution means that she's already halfway to healed from the attempt on her life. Even so, she looks exhausted. There are hollows under her eyes and her collarbones look too sharp without her coat to frame them. She looks smaller, vulnerable.
Dresden smiles.
"One of the nurses told me my wife was here," she says, her voice scratchy and just above a whisper. "Are you sure we're not moving too fast? After all, our first date got interrupted by a water nymph."
Murph rolls her eyes but the joy invades her chest and stays there. If Dresden is being sarcastic, she'll be just fine.
"Didn't think I'd pass as your sister," she says, crossing the room to stand beside the bed.
"You didn't even buy me a ring," Dresden mock-complains, smiling up at Murphy. It's weird to see the wizard from this angle, looking down instead of up -- something else that makes Dresden seem more vulnerable. Normally she makes Murphy crane her neck to see that cheeky grin and the way she tosses her head before she goes to save the world.
"I should have gone home and gone to bed," Murphy mumbles, and before she can argue with herself about it, she's climbing in beside Dresden, kicking her shoes to the floor. This is ridiculous and there really isn't enough room for both of them, but Murphy doesn't care. She rests her head on Dresden's heart, which is beating firmly.
For once, Harriet doesn't say anything. She sets her hand down on the small of Murphy's back, and they get almost two full hours of uninterrupted sleep before a nurse wakes Murphy apologetically and makes her get up.
Harriet is snoring with her mouth open. Sleep has been good for her, evening out the harshness of her brow, shadowing the bruises already fading on her neck. Murphy's not surprised that her movements didn't wake the wizard. This is a healing rest.
She'll go home and have some sleep of her own, and then get Harriet out of the hospital. They'll go find this water nymph and show him whose city this is and keep Chicago safe for another day.
And then maybe they'd have a real date without anyone or anything interrupting. Murphy can dream. That's one thing she's never given up.
So she's smiling as she heads out to her car.