(no subject)

[life_began]

Rapunzel has discovered donuts.


She actually can't believe that she has wasted so much time in this city without knowing that donuts existed. Looking back on each donut-less day, she can't believe that she didn't realize that something was missing from her life.

That thing? Was donuts.

Today she's left the bakery was a dozen of them, entirely assorted, though she does enjoy the kind with chocolate and colorful sprinkles. They're packed in two boxes of six each, resting comfortably in her fabric tote bag that the grocer told her was good for the environment.

Okay, fine, there is a thirteenth donut in her hand, because she just couldn't wait. It's a special pumpkin flavor, and she just had to try it because she had no idea how a big orange gourd would translate into a sweet, delectable little treat. As it turns out, it translates very well.

Ambling along the city streets in a light coral colored sundress, storefronts catch her eye. There are so many shops that she hasn't been into yet, but she hopes to explore them all someday. She stops in front of a window displaying men with bulging muscles in tight clothing, and she tilts her head with a vaguely perplexed expression on her face, munching on her donut as she takes it in. What's an Iron Man?

When she finally looks past the display and into the store, she's surprised to see Stiles inside. She lets out a squeal and finishes her donut, licking her fingers clean and giving the last little piece to Pascal before heading inside.

"Stiles!" She calls out, heading straight for him and pulling him into a giant hug before he can even get a word out. She presses a kiss to his cheek as she pulls away and then giggles and reaches up to wipe the smear of lip balm that she's left behind. "I've been wanting to talk to you, but I'm still not sure how to work the little calling box. It won't come to life anymore when I press the buttons."

She's thankful that she's with Eugene and that everything is just as new to him as it is to her. It makes her feel a little less lost.

She grins at Stiles, not noticing that the store is full of only men of various ages, and that they've all turned to look at her, or that a few mouths fall open with shock and jealousy when she pulls a box of her bag and poses a very important question to Stiles. "Do you want a donut?"

Comments

[myonlydefense]

Oh man, he loves his job. For all of the stacking, and the dusting, and the talking to nerds who need to learn better personal hygiene (c'mon, man, he can do it!)? Things couldn't begin to be more perfect for him, unless they paid him, and oh wait, they did that.

He jumps a little when he hears his name called, in the middle of the very important task of cleaning one of their Iron Man figurines as he's assaulted with girly smelling, unmistakably happy hugs.

"Punzie!" He flails a little as she hugs him, laughing and putting the figurine aside when Rapunzel releases him. "Do I-- yeah, sure, I'll take a donut." Chuckling softly, he peeks into the box before taking one with chocolate sprinkles and taking a bite.

"Mmmph. Thanks!" He mumbles as he eats, waving a little at Pascal before looking back at her. "What're you doing here; how are you?"

[life_began]

"I went to go get more donuts and I saw you through the window." She looks around, clearly curious as she sets her bags on the counter. "What is this place?"

[myonlydefense]

Stiles' coworker Mark stares at Rapunzel's bags as she puts them on the counter like they're some sort of bomb and starts to protest until Stiles shakes his head sharply at him behind her back. When she turns to look back at him, he stops instantly, clearing his throat. "This place? This place is, uh. A comic book shop. They sell, uh... heavily illustrated storybooks about superheroes."

[life_began]

"Oh, really? That sounds interesting!" She walks by and Pascal jumps over to Stiles' shoulder, crawling up on top of his head. She licks the last bit of sugar from the pad of her thumb and reaches up on her tiptoes to grab a large book from the display.

It's heavy and colorful, and she slides her fingers along the spine. "Who is the Amazing Spider-Man?"

She looks up at Stiles and grins, letting out a bit of a giggle. "Oh, Stiles, where should I start? Do you work here? Explain comics to me?"

She rushes back to her bag and pulls out her phone, holding it out to him with a small pout. "Do you know how to make this work again? I want to be able to get a hold of you."

[myonlydefense]

Stiles has done his research since he saw her last, so he gets the whole... endless attitude of brightness and sunshine bit, even if it still is a bit overwhelming. Rapunzel's cool, though, she likes him and is always willing to learn and chat. He just doesn't know what to do with that much happy.

He tilts his head to look at the spine of the trade she's looking at, then laughs as she hands him her phone. The device is unmistakably dead, but he pokes at it once anyway before heading behind the counter with it and finding one of his coworkers' phones, unplugging it and plugging hers in instead.

"There's a lot to explain," he laughs, looking at the phone and waiting for the screen to come on, "but I'll see what I can do. You were trying to find me?"

[life_began]

She follows him around the counter without thought that maybe she isn't supposed to, and watches him as she plugs in the phone. "Oh, that's what that thing was for."

She blushes a little, because there's just so much that she doesn't know, but she likes Stiles because he never makes her feel bad about it. Some people just assume that she isn't very bright, rather than consider that almost everything here is brand new to her. Stiles isn't like that.

"Yes, I was. I wanted to see if you wanted to have lunch with me, but my phone wouldn't work." She glares at the shiny little thing and lets out a tiny huff of frustration. "This thing doesn't have any wires, so I thought maybe it used batteries. The remote for the television uses batteries. I'll get it down eventually."

She's brought the book with her so she opens it up on the counter, leaning over to take in all the intricate little pictures with genuine interest. Stiles is fiddling with her phone, and Rapunzel looks up when a shadow falls over her. There's a boy about her age smiling a bit unnervingly at her, and she tilts her head.

"Hey, what's your name?" She opens her mouth to reply, but then notices that he isn't looking at her face. She follows his gaze down to her chest and lets out a scandalized gasp, pulling the book up to cover herself.

"Excuse you!" She says primly, barely holding Pascal back when he turns an angry red and tries to run straight for him.

[myonlydefense]

Stiles is really kind of awful with cute girls that he has a thing for-- that much is a fact that's been proven time and time again. But it's hard to have too much of a thing for someone who's taken and a Disney princess without feeling somewhat awkward, and Stiles figured out who she was after bouncing the name around in his head for a while.

So as it is, it's pretty funny when Mike gets caught. Socially awkward nerds who are worse than him make him laugh. He puts a hand to his coworker's chest and pushes him back, raising his eyebrows. "Give the lady some space, would you?"

"What, I was just--"

"Going to dust the cases in the back? Thanks, bud." He and Mike have a staredown until the Darrow native gives in and walks away, and he looks back at Rapunzel. "You gotta excuse him. I don't think he's talked to a girl before. Like, ever."

His eyes flicker up to Pascal and he grins. "At least he's in your corner."

[life_began]

"Well, I've never played baseball and I'm sure my first attempt would be better than that." She runs a soothing hand over Pascal's back and then sits up, moving the Spider-Man book way from her chest and looking down her dress, not quite understanding the appeal. She shrugs and then looks back up at him, smiling again.

"Thank you for rescuing me." She looks around the shop and goes over to the figurines on a shelf in the corner. "So, who's your favorite?"

[myonlydefense]

"My pleasure, Punz." He hops up to sit on the counter, watching Rapunzel as she explores. "I'm a pretty big fan of Spider-Man, actually. Nerdy little dude who does things no one expects. I'm into that kinda thing. You thinking of reading one?"

[life_began]

She smiles at the nickname and watches him as he speaks. There's a passion in his voice that's infectious, and it makes her want to know more. "I think I might, actually. It's an interesting format, combining such detailed art with a story like that."

Looking around the store overwhelms her a little. It's so brightly colored and packed to the brims with books, and so many of them seem to have the same or similar titles. "Could you tell me where I should start with this Spider-Man story? I trust your judgment, and if you like him, I'm sure I will too."

[myonlydefense]

"You're an art gal?" Stiles beams as he hops over the counter and heads toward the Spider-Man section, waiting for her to follow before stopping in front of the trades. He points decidedly at one of them, then takes it off the shelf without waiting and putting it in her hands. "This is a good jump-off point. On the house, I gotcha. If you like it, lemme know and shoot me a text, I'll order you the next one."

[life_began]

"Oh, yes! I draw a little, but painting is my favorite. Had to have hobbies where I came from." She looks down at the book in her hand, tracing over some of the intricate lining and grinning back up at him. "Thank you, Stiles. You're so wonderful, you know that? You're going to make some lucky girl or boy very happy someday."

She grins and gets up onto her toes to kiss his cheek, hugging the book to her chest.