Yes! I'm not even supposed to have brownies, but my mom's not here to give me the stink eye.
[It's kind of a relief, actually, to not have Laura breathing down her neck on top of everything else. The question makes her blink, though, like it's just now occurred to her that they'll have to go elsewhere for that ice cream.]
Would you mind? I don't think I can walk right now.
Fuck it, you're stuck here, may as well have some brownies. [ He's certainly planning on eating the last half of that brownie. ] And nah, I don't mind.
[ All those push-ups he's been doing better not fail him now. He bends down and scoops her up in his arms, bridal-carry style. ]
Exactly! I saved this half to give to you later, but now you can have it with ice cream. [Bothering him about it has just saved her a trip.] I'm glad.
[Chrissy is deceptively light for someone her size. It's... better now than it was at home, but that's not saying much. Being scooped up wrings a surprised laugh out of her and she shifts the brownie a little in an attempt to keep it from getting squished.]
Mm. Okay. Just for you, though. [ He has to look tough in front of most people. He wants Chrissy to think he's tough, too, but not in a way that'd scare her off.
He finds the scoop and gets a bowl of mint chocolate chip for Chrissy and double chocolate chip for himself before sitting back down at the table. That brownie is calling his name, too. He needs a good distraction right now. ]
Bon Appetit. [ His pronunciation is off but he's got the spirit. ]
I think I can live with that. [For now. She wants him to smile for himself, too, but now's not really the time to push it. And maybe there's a small selfish part of her that likes the thought of him smiling just for her.
Soon enough, he's back with the ice cream. Chrissy slides the brownie his way and pulls her bowl closer.]
Thank you. [It's really the thought that counts, and she couldn't care less about proper pronunciation right now. She is, however, eyeing his bowl now.] That's not gonna be too much chocolate?
[ He starts with the brownie because it might take a bit to kick in. If he ends up like Chrissy they might be stuck passing out in Scoops until tomorrow but he's okay with that. ]
Brownie's good. [ He takes another bite, planning on eating the whole thing because he can totally handle it. ]
[Because she's not going to make more of a menace of herself right now by trying to mooch some of his double chocolate ice cream. She will however help herself to her mint chocolate chip in the meantime.]
It should be illegal for something to be that good. [Maybe she should have saved more for later, but Chrissy can't bring herself to be too worried about it now.] I'm glad you like it.
You can have some. It's not like we have to pay for it.
[ Is there a limit on how much ice cream the local teens are allowed to take before being struck down? Time to find out. ]
I don't really feel anything, though. But I have a high tolerance. [ He says, taking another bite of the brownie so it can all hit him at once later. ]
[It's said matter-of-factly before she helps herself to a spoonful of the double chocolate chip, which is a different kind of sweet. Nice enough but maybe not something she'd want a full bowl of.]
I didn't either... until I did. You're bigger and tougher than me. [Most people are, actually, but Vance is not most people.]
[ He doesn't believe that he's sweet, not for a second, but it's nice that she says so.
What's even nicer is that she calls him big and tough, the two things he really wants to be. He stops slouching and puffs out his chest a little. ] And yeah, I am, that's why I'll make sure no one gets between you and that ice cream.
[She's nothing if not aware of her own reputation back home- and guilty of perpetuating it out of necessity. Not that it matters here because the only people she knows from before couldn't care less about her reputation.
Chrissy had just been pointing out the obvious to also point out that the brownie would probably take longer to affect him than it had for her, but she notices his reaction and files that away for when she's not eating ice cream.] My hero.
Nah, I mean it. Most of the girls where I'm from wouldn't give a burnout like me the time of day, unless they were trying to piss their parents off.
[ He wasn't a loser, and there were girls who thought he was cute, but most of them were either scared of him or too concerned with their reputations to be caught associating with him.
He blushes even deeper at the last comment. ]
I can't say I'm much of a hero, but I'll try and be yours if you want.
I know you do. You don't treat me like everyone did in Hawkins. [Honestly, nobody she's met here has treated her that way, but that's entirely beside the point.] Some people suck. And my hanging out with you would definitely piss my mom off... but that's not why I like you.
[Instead of elaborating, she helps herself to some more ice cream. Is she stalling a little because her mouth is starting to take on a mind of its own? Maybe. But she also intends to finish her ice cream before it melts. Chrissy's not blind, though, and she takes no small amount of satisfaction from the fact that he's still smiling.]
Maybe you're not really a hero, but you did save me from having to sit there until I could walk again. [And sure, that was her fault to begin with, but she's not really in the mood to dwell on technicalities.] So... you don't really need to try. You're already my hero.
[ He almost says "you like me?!" but he doesn't want to blow it. Play it cool, Hopper, she's high as a kite. ]
Any time you don't feel like walking, I'm there. [ He takes another bite of his ice cream. The brownie hasn't hit him yet, and he's lucky that's all he had or he'd be trying to scarf down more. ]
I don't mind walking, but being carried was ["really great and I want you to do it again" is what very nearly slips out, but she manages to hold it in because there has to be a line somewhere. So she settles for something a little less ridiculous-] nice. What if you're asleep? Or busy?
[Chrissy might be staring now, ice cream forgotten for the moment. She knows what he's trying to say- or at least she knows what she's assuming he's trying to say, and yet she still feels the need to tease him a little. She'll probably feel guilty about it later, but that's a problem for future Chrissy.]
[ What could possibly be more important than picking up a cute girl and showing everyone how strong he is? Fighting for your life, he guesses, but other than that probably nothing. ]
I am a heavy sleeper, though, so that might be a problem. [ He laughs a little, and takes another scoop of ice cream. He's starting to feel a little lightheaded, but he ignores it. ]
[She hasn't really given much thought to what he does when they're not together, but she'd be lying if she tried to claim she isn't curious.]
Hmm. Well, I'll make sure to only want to be carried during the day. [Because she can definitely guarantee that. At this point she's just fishing the chocolate chips out of the puddle of minty goo in the bottom of her bowl.] I'm not a heavy sleeper anymore.
That must be nice. I think this is the most free time I've had since like... fifth grade?
[Whenever it was that Laura'd decided all she was good for was being married off, probably. It's still overwhelming, if she's being completely honest, but not having to deal with the daily criticisms and reminders has certainly helped quite a bit.]
I don't know. The nightmares have mostly stopped but it's still weird sleeping in a bed that isn't mine.
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[ And it's hitting her hard, from the look of it. ] Do you...want me to carry you to get ice cream?
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[It's kind of a relief, actually, to not have Laura breathing down her neck on top of everything else. The question makes her blink, though, like it's just now occurred to her that they'll have to go elsewhere for that ice cream.]
Would you mind? I don't think I can walk right now.
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[ All those push-ups he's been doing better not fail him now. He bends down and scoops her up in his arms, bridal-carry style. ]
Alright, let's go.
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[Chrissy is deceptively light for someone her size. It's... better now than it was at home, but that's not saying much. Being scooped up wrings a surprised laugh out of her and she shifts the brownie a little in an attempt to keep it from getting squished.]
Ready when you are.
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[ A coy little smile as he carries her along to Scoops. ] What flavor's your favorite? I like double chocolate chip.
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[She reaches out with her free hand and pokes his cheek.] You have a really nice smile, y'know. I like mint chocolate chip!
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[ He's lucky that his long hair mostly hides how red his cheeks are getting.
They arrive at Scoops and he sets her down at one of the tables. ] Alright, let me find that fucking scoop and I'll dish us up some.
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[If she notices the color creeping over his face at all, Chrissy isn't saying anything.
She's quick to flop down into a chair when he sets her down.] Thanks! I'll wait right here.
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He finds the scoop and gets a bowl of mint chocolate chip for Chrissy and double chocolate chip for himself before sitting back down at the table. That brownie is calling his name, too. He needs a good distraction right now. ]
Bon Appetit. [ His pronunciation is off but he's got the spirit. ]
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Soon enough, he's back with the ice cream. Chrissy slides the brownie his way and pulls her bowl closer.]
Thank you. [It's really the thought that counts, and she couldn't care less about proper pronunciation right now. She is, however, eyeing his bowl now.] That's not gonna be too much chocolate?
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[ He starts with the brownie because it might take a bit to kick in. If he ends up like Chrissy they might be stuck passing out in Scoops until tomorrow but he's okay with that. ]
Brownie's good. [ He takes another bite, planning on eating the whole thing because he can totally handle it. ]
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[Because she's not going to make more of a menace of herself right now by trying to mooch some of his double chocolate ice cream. She will however help herself to her mint chocolate chip in the meantime.]
It should be illegal for something to be that good. [Maybe she should have saved more for later, but Chrissy can't bring herself to be too worried about it now.] I'm glad you like it.
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[ Is there a limit on how much ice cream the local teens are allowed to take before being struck down? Time to find out. ]
I don't really feel anything, though. But I have a high tolerance. [ He says, taking another bite of the brownie so it can all hit him at once later. ]
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[It's said matter-of-factly before she helps herself to a spoonful of the double chocolate chip, which is a different kind of sweet. Nice enough but maybe not something she'd want a full bowl of.]
I didn't either... until I did. You're bigger and tougher than me. [Most people are, actually, but Vance is not most people.]
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[ He doesn't believe that he's sweet, not for a second, but it's nice that she says so.
What's even nicer is that she calls him big and tough, the two things he really wants to be. He stops slouching and puffs out his chest a little. ] And yeah, I am, that's why I'll make sure no one gets between you and that ice cream.
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[She's nothing if not aware of her own reputation back home- and guilty of perpetuating it out of necessity. Not that it matters here because the only people she knows from before couldn't care less about her reputation.
Chrissy had just been pointing out the obvious to also point out that the brownie would probably take longer to affect him than it had for her, but she notices his reaction and files that away for when she's not eating ice cream.] My hero.
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[ He wasn't a loser, and there were girls who thought he was cute, but most of them were either scared of him or too concerned with their reputations to be caught associating with him.
He blushes even deeper at the last comment. ]
I can't say I'm much of a hero, but I'll try and be yours if you want.
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[Instead of elaborating, she helps herself to some more ice cream. Is she stalling a little because her mouth is starting to take on a mind of its own? Maybe. But she also intends to finish her ice cream before it melts. Chrissy's not blind, though, and she takes no small amount of satisfaction from the fact that he's still smiling.]
Maybe you're not really a hero, but you did save me from having to sit there until I could walk again. [And sure, that was her fault to begin with, but she's not really in the mood to dwell on technicalities.] So... you don't really need to try. You're already my hero.
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Any time you don't feel like walking, I'm there. [ He takes another bite of his ice cream. The brownie hasn't hit him yet, and he's lucky that's all he had or he'd be trying to scarf down more. ]
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[Chrissy might be staring now, ice cream forgotten for the moment. She knows what he's trying to say- or at least she knows what she's assuming he's trying to say, and yet she still feels the need to tease him a little. She'll probably feel guilty about it later, but that's a problem for future Chrissy.]
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[ What could possibly be more important than picking up a cute girl and showing everyone how strong he is? Fighting for your life, he guesses, but other than that probably nothing. ]
I am a heavy sleeper, though, so that might be a problem. [ He laughs a little, and takes another scoop of ice cream. He's starting to feel a little lightheaded, but he ignores it. ]
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[She hasn't really given much thought to what he does when they're not together, but she'd be lying if she tried to claim she isn't curious.]
Hmm. Well, I'll make sure to only want to be carried during the day. [Because she can definitely guarantee that. At this point she's just fishing the chocolate chips out of the puddle of minty goo in the bottom of her bowl.] I'm not a heavy sleeper anymore.
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[ His ice cream is all gone, now he's just idly spinning the spoon around on the table with one finger. ]
Would you sleep better if I was looking out for you?
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[Whenever it was that Laura'd decided all she was good for was being married off, probably. It's still overwhelming, if she's being completely honest, but not having to deal with the daily criticisms and reminders has certainly helped quite a bit.]
I don't know. The nightmares have mostly stopped but it's still weird sleeping in a bed that isn't mine.
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[ Yeah, that brownie's starting to hit. ]
I did a lot of couch surfing when my folks were pissed at me, so I guess I'm used to different beds.
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