Commitment Issues

Disclaimer: Characters not mine. They belong to Mr. Jim Butcher. My mother actually gets some credit for this fan fiction. She helped with a lot of this witty dialogue.

It also explained why she and I had never gotten anywhere.

It was one of those days where it starts off raining and it ends up pouring. I had just been shot at… again. Except this time someone had shot at me through my bedroom window. The only window I had in my whole damn apartment. Fortunately for me, the shooter did not have impeccable aim. The bullet had just grazed my left shoulder.

I walked into my bathroom and pulled my first aid kit out from under the sink. Just then, there was a knock on the door. It startled me. I stumbled out of the bathroom, hitting my bum shoulder on the doorframe as I went.

"Dammit!" I cursed. "Who is it?"

"It's me, Murphy." She didn't wait for me to open the door, couldn't wait for more than thirty seconds. That was just like Murphy. "Dresden, I just want to… what's with the shoulder?" Murphy asked as blood dripped down my arm.

"What shoulder?'

"The one that's oozing blood, Dresden." Murphy deadpanned. "What happened?"

"Some lunatic took a shot at me." I grumbled.

"Where's your first aid kit?" Murph asked.

"On the bathroom floor."

"That's a good spot for it." Murphy scoffed as she went to get it. We sat on my couch as Murphy tended to my shoulder. "Do you have any idea who the shooter was?

"Not a clue. As far as I know, I haven't pissed off anyone recently." I shrugged, which hurt like hell. Memo to me: no shrugging after a bullet has just impaled your shoulder.

Murphy snorted a laugh. "That's not very reassuring. You alright?"

"I've had a lot worse."

Murph nodded.

"I just wish people wouldn't shoot at me on my day off." I groaned.

Murphy smirked. "Don't I know it."

"Wait, if this wasn't a work call, then why are you here?"

Murphy focused on bandaging my shoulder. "Well, now it is a work call. We should find out who's trying to kill you."

"Lots of people." I said dismissively. "Are you avoiding my question?"

Murphy glared at me. "Are you annoying an armed cop?"

I grinned. "I do that frequently."

"Don't I know it." Murphy rolled her eyes. "I was just in the neighborhood and decided to drop by."

"Were you following a lead?" I asked.

"Yeah, uh, something like that." She glanced down nervously. "You should probably get yourself to a doctor." Murph advised as she finished taping up my shoulder.

"I'll be fine. What's up with you Murph?"

"Nothing." She grumbled. I eyed her skeptically. "I just, uh, had something on my mind."

"What?"

Murphy shrugged. "I just came to, uh, talk about our commitment issues."

"You mean your commitment issues." I smirked.

"Don't push it, Dresden." Murphy grumbled.

"Fine, so what about them?"

"I, uhm, I think I've gotten over them." Murphy's cheeks turned pink.

"Oh." I mumbled, surprised.

"Yeah." Murphy nodded.

"Well, thanks for letting me know." I said. We sat awkwardly for a few minutes.

"I should go," Murphy stood to leave. "Take care of that shoulder, Harry."

"That's it?" I asked.

Murphy turned around sharply. "What?"

"Don't you at least want to talk about the possibilities?"

"No." Murphy deadpanned.

"Why not?" I demanded.

Murphy sighed. "Because Harry. I don't want to rush into things."

"Rush into things?!" I tried to keep myself from shouting. "We've been best friends for more than ten years!"

"What do you want from me Harry?" Murphy demanded angrily.

"To admit that you want me." I joked.

"No." she said seriously.

"C'mon, Murph, at least let me know one little thing."

"What?" She was really irritated now.

I couldn't believe I was going to say this… "Don't you love me?"

"What?" She exclaimed.

"Don't you love me? Because I sure as hell have loved you for years." I admitted.

"Jesus, Harry." Murphy said, shocked.

"What?!" I yelled.

"What do you want from me?!" Murphy shouted. The last time I had seen her this mad at me, she had been arresting me.

"I don't know, but you can't just say that you're over your commitment issues and then leave."

"I can do whatever the hell I want, Dresden!" Murphy shouted, her blue eyes fierce. "What do you want me to say?"

"I don't know! How about you answer my damn question?" When had this turned into a screaming match?

"Dammit Harry, I don't know!" Murphy yelled, exasperatedly.

"How many decades will it take before you figure it out?" I shot back.

"You know what Harry? I have to go back to work." Murphy said as she headed for the door.

"You're not even working today." I pointed out.

She glared at me and slammed the door on her way out.

"What the hell was that?" I muttered. Mouse gave me a confused look. Like I said, when it rains it pours.