Chapter Text
"Marco, why are you eating cereal out of a mixing bowl?"
Marco looked up as Hanji dropped her messenger bag on his kitchen table. "Um, it was the only thing clean?"
She followed his glance over to the sink. Although you couldn't really see the sink. It was more like she looked over to the pile of dishes in the general vicinity of where the sink had been. She looked back at Marco and shook her head, "Marco, Marco, Marco. Whatever happened to the tidy young man I took under my wing three years ago?"
"He's currently trying to finish a novel in time for the deadline Mr. Smith gave him, balancing promotional appearances and book signings for the one that was just published, and going over the screenplay and consulting with the studio for the adaptation of the novel that came out before that." Marco smiled sheepishly and scrubbed a hand through his hair as he leaned back, "Honestly, I'm lucky I can still find time to shower and make sure I have clean clothes. I go to bed every night in fear of the eventual dust bunny revolution."
Hanji flopped gracelessly into a chair next to Marco and patted his shoulder, "I know, sweetie. But, still, it's good to be busy, right? It means people are really starting to recognize your work."
"I know, and I really want to thank you for that; you've been a great agent for me. I just kinda wish I wasn't so exhausted all the time. And that people wouldn't look at me when I say that and go, 'But how could you be tired? You just sit at a computer all day; it's not like it's real work,'" he sighed and shoveled more of his breakfast into his mouth.
"Wow, did Mr. Bodt just complain about something? I should make a note on this for posterity." Marco just rolled his eyes at her as she started to rifle through her bag. He was fairly sure she was joking about the note.
Maybe.
"Still," she continued as she shuffled through her papers, "you should really do something about those dishes. Or maybe you could leave them longer, and then we could examine them for exciting new lifeforms."
"I'd rather not end up paralyzed after getting zapped by sentient blue slime, thanks."
"Oh, come on, you loved that episode...Aha! Found it!" She raised a business card up over head and waved it around in triumph before grinning and handing it to him.
Marco took it from her and turned it over in his hands. It was fairly simple; the name and contact info in a crisp block-type font and the company logo, a white wing crossing over a black wing, stamped in the corner. He read the card out loud, "'Survey Corps Cleaning Service' Hanji, what...?"
"It's a maid service! An old college friend of mine runs it! You just get a hold of them, and they'll send someone over three times a week. You'll be able to concentrate on your writing, and you won't have to worry about ending up on an episode of Hoarders."
Marco chuckled, "It's not that bad! Besides, you should talk about Hoarders; I remember what your apartment looked like before Moblit finally moved in with you."
"We're not talking about me now, sweetie; we're talking about you. I can't have one of my best authors eaten to death in the middle of the night by rebellious dust bunnies. Give them a call."
Marco absently ran one hand through his hair as he flipped the card over and over in his other hand, "Maybe... I'm not really sure how I feel about a stranger going in and out of my house, though."
"I told you, I know the company's owner. You don't have to worry about anyone Levi's hired. Come on, have I ever steered you wrong before?"
"I guess... How much does this kind of thing cost, anyway?"
She shrugged and looked at him over the top of her glasses, "It's not that bad. Well within what you can afford. You're not a struggling writer anymore, Marco. You're a best-selling published author with a contract with a major publishing house, a movie deal, and a highly-anticipated sequel in the works. Live a little. Pay someone else to pick up after you for a change."
"The last person to pick up after me was my mom." He smiled, "Maybe I should save my money and just invite her over. She'd take one look at this place and start cleaning without me saying anything."
"Marcoooo..."
"Alright, alright," he held up his hands in defeat. "I know you never give up when you're determined about something. I'll give them a call."
"Excellent!" Hanji grinned and pulled up her day planner on her phone, "Now, about your schedule for today..."
Marco shook his head and smiled softly as he tucked the business card in his pocket before leaning forward and giving Hanji his full attention.