Work Text:
It was morning when Carl banged on Harvard's door, "Harvard, it's morning! Wake up!"
Harvard and Carl are living together on Harvard's old house, since Carl's family mansion is a long way away from Broadstone.
There was also the choice of renting an apartment (or a hotel room since money isn't a problem for Carl), but Carl was too worried about Harvard living alone.
Since they were also roommates back in Police College, Carl knew exactly how broken Harvard's life skills are.
Harvard is the sort of person who would rather order and eat fast-food every day for a year just because it was faster than getting regular food.
Not to mention cooking, Harvard would rather take a bath than cook and he HATES baths! ("Just like a cat," Carl might add)
So, with that sort of worries, Carl decided to once again become roomies with Harvard.
Really, Carl moving in was more of for Harvard's sake rather than his own.
BUT OF COURSE, it's Harvard we're talking about so it's only fair that Carl is compensated by being tasked with doing ALL of the houseworks in this house, while Harvard does his hobby, which incidentally, is also his work.
Carl walked over to the kitchen to cook pancakes with the batter he was mixing while banging on Harvard's door.
He has to multitask a lot of things.
Carl was never good at cooking, not that he was bad, but more of he never really tried it.
Carl was the youngest son of the prestigious Oxford Family after all, every houseworks was already done by their servants.
But, since meeting Harvard, Carl HAD to be good at this sort of thing.
He remember the time back in college where Harvard prioritize solving a past case for fun for DAYS, to the point of not even taking a single bath or changing his clothes.
In the end, Carl had even BEGGED Harvard to take a bath. And that still didn't work!
But Carl didn't give up and he at least managed to make Harvard changed out of that smelly clothes for him to wash.
Carl was never good at using the washing machine, until he LEARNED TO because of Harvard.
The pancakes are all cooked, now Carl is preparing coffee for Harvard and tea for himself.
But Harvard still hasn't come out of his room yet!
Carl switched the coffee machine on and put the kettle on the stove, and went to bang on Harvard's door again.
"Harvard, WAKE UP!! Pancakes are done!"
But Carl didn't hear any reply.
Carl sighed as he heard the kettle boiling.
He never signed up to be Harvard's mom.
Carl was never good at banging on doors and screaming for other people to wake up.
Carl never had to scream a lot in his life, since most things are already taken care of by his helpers.
He also never banged on doors to wake someone up, that was his helpers' works (Carl refuses to call them his servants).
But his helpers never banged on his door to wake him up, they just knocked politely.
Carl briefly wonders why that never works on Harvard before.
"What is Harvard doing in there...?"
Carl wonders why someone can't get up early according to the rules.
Carl's life has always been filled with rules and restrictions, but he doesn't hate them, rather he's thankful for his family being so caring towards him his entire life...
Carl put the mug filled with coffee and another filled with tea on the table.
He sighed, "It's still so early in the morning, but I'm so tired already..."
He briefly glanced at the clock and gasped! It's already so late?!
Carl immediately went back to Harvard's door and banged on them again.
"Harvard wake up! WAKE UP! We're gonna be late on our 2nd day of work! That CANNOT happen!"
No answer.
"Harvard...come on!"
Carl started turning Harvard's doorknob, hoping it was unlocked somehow.
It's not in his taste to go inside someone else's room uninvited, but this was an emergency!
The doorknob doesn't turn, it's locked. Of course.
Carl started to panic more and began pleading through the door.
"Harvard...please! Wake up! Please..."
Carl's voice almost disappear, his last words tinted with tears about to spill out.
Just then, a miracle! Harvard's door opened from the inside!
"Good morning, Carl," Harvard was smirking as he opened the door, he was already wearing his work suit.
Harvard went to the bathroom to wash his face and comb his hair, and for the gazillion time after they started living together on Harvard's house, Carl sat taken aback by Harvard's expression when he opened his door just before.
Carl realized, also for the gazillion time, that Harvard doesn't look the least bit sleepy.
Harvard had also been wearing his work suit, which means he had time to change out of his pajamas already.
Carl then realize, again, that he had been done in.
And he silently buried his face in his palms, grimacing all the while.
As Harvard sat down to eat his pancake and drink his coffee, Carl felt something boiling inside him.
"Um, Harvard?" Carl asked curtly.
"Yes?" Harvard put a slice of Carl's homemade pancake inside his mouth.
"Don't you have something to say to me?"
Harvard looked at Carl a bit, then turned back to his pancakes.
"Well?" Carl demanded again.
Harvard chewed and swallowed the pancake in his mouth before speaking, "Good morning?"
"Not that! You've said that already!" Carl could feel his fuse getting shorter.
"Then what do you want me to tell you?" Harvard asked simply as he sipped his coffee.
Carl followed suit and sipped his tea, not wanting to let his anger and annoyance towards Harvard to control him.
Carl sighed and said, "How about sorry?"
"Apologies accepted," Harvard said, and Carl internally cursed Harvard even though he knows it's not proper to curse to someone, internally or externally.
"Not to you, I-" Carl sighed again, "Forget it..."
"Forget what?"
"Please- Harvard, just, shut up for a moment," Carl also doesn't like to use the words 'shut up' to someone else, it's too hurtful he said. He prefers the words 'please be quiet', but that never works on Harvard.
Harvard smirked and sipped his coffee again.
Throughout the duration of having breakfast with Harvard, Carl thought about how many times he's been bullied by Harvard like this, back at the college and even now.
For a brief moment Carl thought about Harvard getting married someday.
He wonders, if whoever that person who decided to marry Harvard is in their right mind, or if they were tricked by Harvard, or even worse, bullied into signing the marriage contract.
Carl feels bad for whoever that person is.
He resolve himself to tell them about his past experience with his friend, so they would know what they're getting themself into.
He would even do a presentation on it on their wedding day, just to make sure for the last time that they DO know what they're getting into in marrying Harvard.
Carl then thinks about their child- and he stops.
'Harvard CAN'T have children,' Carl thinks to himself, terrified.
"Carl, what are you thinking about?" Harvard, with his plate clean and mug empty, called out to him.
"Uh, nothing."
"Then let's go, we're already late."
Carl glanced at the clock, screamed internally, and laments to Harvard, "Oh no, it's already so late! We're not gonna make it, and it's only our 2ND DAY!"
Harvard just got up and took the car key, "Nothing is impossible for Harvard Marks."
"Oh no....." Carl, realizing what's about to happen, lamented again.
"Then mom, I'm going now," Harvard said to a picture of a woman resembling him by the front entrance.
Carl looked sadly at Harvard, and asked, "Hey, Harvard? Isn't it painful to keep staying in this house? I mean, umm..."
It was a question Carl had always wanted to ask Harvard, why didn't he just moved away.
After all, this house must bear such a painful memory to Harvard.
A painful and bloody memory.
But Carl have common sense and basic human decency not to ask his friend something so sensitive.
At least, that's what goes on every other day, all the panic and anger today must have burned his brain out.
But, now that he asked, he wants to properly hear Harvard's answer.
"...So I wouldn't forget."
That's all that Harvard said as he went out of the entrance.
'Forget what? The happy times with your mother? Or...the anger and madness that comes with losing her?' Carl thought briefly as he went after Harvard.
"Alright, let's get a move on," Harvard fastened his seatbelt and started the car.
"Okay Harvard, but remember, be careful and don't go out of the speed range. Please."
"What's that, Carl? You wanna be late on your 2nd day at work?"
"No! I'm just saying-"
Harvard cuts Carl's words, "Sometimes in life, Carl."
Carl turns to Harvard.
"There is only one or the other," Harvard said as he stepped on the gas, HARD.
"No no no no! I'm sure there'a way we can have both! Let's just SLOW DOWN as we think about it!" Carl yelled frantically on the passenger seat beside his friend and partner.
"Don't worry, Carl! As long as we go fast enough, the cops can't catch us!" Harvard laughed. With madness, Carl might add out of disbelief.
"We are the cops! Harvard, slow down! PLEASE! AAAA-"
Carl could feel himself screaming, but he couldn't quite hear it over Harvard's loud laugh.
The sort of laugh only someone between life and death, right or ruin could make.
A crazed laugh, one that would haunt Carl's memory always.