She Lays Down [h.s.]

Twenty-One

Author's Note: Sorry for the wait! And a big thank you to chloecorrie  for help with the inspiration for this chapter! <3

The lights are out and Mary's heart is hammering against her chest. She hasn't run this much since college and she's really starting to regret pushing her exercise routine to the side. People that she doesn't know are running around and jumping over whatever stands in their way and, for a second, she feels really old.

Harry's convinced her that this would be fun, and it is, she just didn't expect to get so into the game so quickly. Laser tag hasn't really ever been one of her favorite games, but he's made it fun, even if they're two of the four adults that are playing.

It's date night again and he thought it would be fun to make it a double date with his friend Mark and his fiancée Ruby. Mary was a little wary at first because she's used to it being just them, but after she thought about it for a few minutes she realized that it would be nice. They don't have many friends in the area, mostly just acquaintances, and it will be good for them to hang out with another couple. The idea isn't just good for making friends, it's also another step in their budding relationship because Harry's introducing her to a close friend of his and showing her that he means it when he says that he's serious when he says that he's aiming to be her husband sometime in the future.

Someone taps her shoulder and she nearly screams. Mary whips around to see that Mark's the one that's tapped her and she can't help but to laugh at herself. "I'm taking this game far too seriously. What is it? Did you get a glimpse of where they're at?"

Mark grins and steps a little closer so she can hear him clearly and so that he's not speaking loud enough for the other team to hear. "They're over in the back behind one of the blue walls. I don't think they're moving any time soon because it looks like they're playing defensive instead of offensive. If we flank them from both sides, or somehow manage to get above them without being shot, I think we've got a good chance at winning."

Before the game started and after the teams were picked, Harry decided to make things a little more interesting. Everyone planned to go to a nice bar with food afterward and he wagered that the last team standing gets a pass and the other team has to pay for everything.

At first everyone was a little skeptical, but splitting the bill between two people didn't sound that bad in the end and they made it a bet. So far, everyone's still in the game and it's starting to get tense because there are only a few players left on each team.

Harry's smart, but Mary knows him and she knows that he's not going to stay in one spot for very long.

"That'd be too easy. He's smarter than that. Did they see you?"

Mark pauses and his eyes slightly widen as he thinks back to a few minutes ago. He stood in one spot and looked at them for a good minute or so without them noticing, but he's not entirely sure that they didn't see him. Just as he was leaving, Harry turned his head and Mark has no idea what he saw or if he followed him around the course afterward.

"Shit. No, but he might have because he turned around when I turned to find him."

Mary shakes her head and grabs his wrist to get him moving. "In that case, time to go."

She takes off running and drops Mark's hands after only a few seconds because he can be a big boy and keep up himself. Mary's incredibly competitive and Mark feels like they're at war when she starts signaling him with her hands and telling him to keep his eyes open. It's incredibly fun though, except waiting to be ambushed at any second, that part has both of their hearts pumping a little faster than they should be.