HBX March Challenge

Title: Value
Rating: PG
Disclaimer: Don’t own the characters, don’t own the words, and I give insomnia credit for the idea.



Mattie looks up from her homework to see Harm sitting in the middle of the couch staring at her. His expression somewhere between dread and fear.

“What!?” Mattie asks baffled.

“Hmph.” Harm mumbles, knocked out of his thoughts.

“When you look at me like that… what do you see?” Mattie asks with almost enough cockiness to cover her apprehension.

“I see…” the expression of dread returning, “a desirable woman.” He says this as if the realization just dawned on him.

Mattie blushes at his compliment. She quickly realizes though, that he is afraid that guys are going to start seeing her this way, too. “And I see…” she says lobbing a wadded up piece of paper at his head, “a man who's so afraid to lose control.”

“In my world, you lose control, you die.” Harm says, trying to act cocky.

“I’m not a plane, Harm. And someday, key word there, someday, when I find a guy, your not going to lose me. You’ll always be my dad.”

Harm just smiles at her, seemingly satisfied with her response.

“Ya know what one the the greatest things I have learned from living with you is?” Mattie asks.

“That pizza isn’t the only food group.”

“Besides that.”

“What?”

“Well, before you, my dad was the only real male role model in my life. The way he treated my mother, it was normal to me. In my life, he was the typical man. Spending time with you, though, I have learned that I want a lot more out of a guy, when I am ready for one. You taught me that I deserve better.”

“He’s good at teaching girls like us that we deserve guys like him.” Mac says as she walks into the room. She heads over to the couch and snuggles in next to Harm.
“You two are just a little slow at realizing your value.” Harm states.

“Well, lucky for us, you aren’t.” Mattie adds, crawling up on the other side of Harm.

“Yeah,” Mac hums, gazing up lovingly at her husband, “lucky us.”