OUaL Gift Basket Challenge: Drabble
A 777 word drabble for Ruby/Archie (kind of, if you squint a little bit)... This is a gift for dj_rocca, but it was too long to post as a reply. =)
“Hey Archie.” Ruby called out with a smile, as she handed him a steaming mug of coffee.
“Ruby… I’m surprised to see you here after last week.” He inquired, quickly running the lens of his glasses on the bottom hem of his shirt to clean off the specks obscuring his vision.
“Oh yeah… Were you here when I stormed out…?” She laughed nervously, quickly running one of her hands through her hair absent-mindedly, not quite able to meet his gaze.
“No, but I heard about it.” He admitted then, placing the frames back onto his face and glancing up at her.
“Oh God!” She groaned, her hand quickly covering her face in embarrassment, as she shifted her weight from one foot to the other, standing in front of his booth.
“No, I think what you did was brave.” Archie offered suddenly.
Ruby chanced a quick glance at him then, taking in his honest face and unable to hide the smile forming across her red lips. She glanced back down to the small scuff on the diner floor, before allowing herself to actually meet his eyes.
“Really?” She asked before quickly sucking her bottom lip between her teeth as she waited with bated breath for his response. It wasn’t the kind of reaction she had from anyone else, and she wasn’t even sure if she could even see it that way. It was a lot of colourful adjectives that would describe her on a normal day, but brave certainly wasn’t one of them.
“Yeah… You just… you were taking a stand and trying to figure out what you want in your life. That’s not a negative thing, Ruby.” He said softly, and she noted the flush in his cheeks before he took a sip of his coffee.
“I guess so.” She dismissed the thought gently, sliding her hands over the front of her apron to smooth the invisible creases that she was suddenly concerned about.
“I know so.” He added, this time with a determination that Ruby wanted to clutch onto.
At least someone believed in her - even a little bit.
“Now Granny is training me to take over.” She offered with a smile, unsure what brought on her sudden outburst - she hadn’t even told Mary Margaret yet, and she was supposed to be her best friend.
“And how do you feel about that?” He asked, and then frowned when he watched her burst into a low chuckle. “What?” He asked, her smile infectious as one spread across his features.
“Well it’s just… you’re the town’s psychologist and you’re asking me how I feel and I kind of think I should be sitting on your couch right now or owing you money or something.” She tried to explain, using her hands for emphasis.
“I’m not trying to psychoanalyze you… I just want to know.”
“Why?” She asked suddenly.
“What do you mean why?”
“I just… Why do you care so much? It’s not like we’re friends… not really…” She began before she wanted to put her foot in her mouth because she could now add ‘rude’ to her growing list of adjectives.
“Maybe I’d like to be.” He said, and his features quickly gave away that he seemed to have surprised himself with that statement.
Ruby took in his shy smile then, and the tender eyes that had only stayed on her face during their entire conversation (when most male’s eyes tended to wander when speaking with her). She inhaled then, her lower lip gripped tightly between her sharp teeth as she took in the statement for what it meant. The truth of the matter was that as far as friends went, Ruby really didn’t have a whole lot of them. They saw her and assumed one thing, and sure she may have had more than platonic friends littered around town, but Archie was different with his honest words and genuine attention.
“Friends?” She asked, testing the word on her lips.
“Yes.”
“Well just because you’re my friend, Archie, doesn’t mean you get coffee for free or anything. I have a business to run
soon, you know.” She exclaimed, a stern expression crossing her features, as she gestured to the coffee on his table.
“Of course - I would never-“ He began, his eyes wide as he stammered over his words.
“I’m joking, Arch. Friends joke.” She reminded him with a cheeky grin.
“So we’re friends?”
“Absolutely.” She said, beaming with a wide wolf-like grin.
“I’m glad.”
“So am I.” She replied, meaning every single syllable. “And thanks… for everything.” She added, before giving him a small wave before checking in with the customers a couple tables over.
“Hey Archie.” Ruby called out with a smile, as she handed him a steaming mug of coffee.
“Ruby… I’m surprised to see you here after last week.” He inquired, quickly running the lens of his glasses on the bottom hem of his shirt to clean off the specks obscuring his vision.
“Oh yeah… Were you here when I stormed out…?” She laughed nervously, quickly running one of her hands through her hair absent-mindedly, not quite able to meet his gaze.
“No, but I heard about it.” He admitted then, placing the frames back onto his face and glancing up at her.
“Oh God!” She groaned, her hand quickly covering her face in embarrassment, as she shifted her weight from one foot to the other, standing in front of his booth.
“No, I think what you did was brave.” Archie offered suddenly.
Ruby chanced a quick glance at him then, taking in his honest face and unable to hide the smile forming across her red lips. She glanced back down to the small scuff on the diner floor, before allowing herself to actually meet his eyes.
“Really?” She asked before quickly sucking her bottom lip between her teeth as she waited with bated breath for his response. It wasn’t the kind of reaction she had from anyone else, and she wasn’t even sure if she could even see it that way. It was a lot of colourful adjectives that would describe her on a normal day, but brave certainly wasn’t one of them.
“Yeah… You just… you were taking a stand and trying to figure out what you want in your life. That’s not a negative thing, Ruby.” He said softly, and she noted the flush in his cheeks before he took a sip of his coffee.
“I guess so.” She dismissed the thought gently, sliding her hands over the front of her apron to smooth the invisible creases that she was suddenly concerned about.
“I know so.” He added, this time with a determination that Ruby wanted to clutch onto.
At least someone believed in her - even a little bit.
“Now Granny is training me to take over.” She offered with a smile, unsure what brought on her sudden outburst - she hadn’t even told Mary Margaret yet, and she was supposed to be her best friend.
“And how do you feel about that?” He asked, and then frowned when he watched her burst into a low chuckle. “What?” He asked, her smile infectious as one spread across his features.
“Well it’s just… you’re the town’s psychologist and you’re asking me how I feel and I kind of think I should be sitting on your couch right now or owing you money or something.” She tried to explain, using her hands for emphasis.
“I’m not trying to psychoanalyze you… I just want to know.”
“Why?” She asked suddenly.
“What do you mean why?”
“I just… Why do you care so much? It’s not like we’re friends… not really…” She began before she wanted to put her foot in her mouth because she could now add ‘rude’ to her growing list of adjectives.
“Maybe I’d like to be.” He said, and his features quickly gave away that he seemed to have surprised himself with that statement.
Ruby took in his shy smile then, and the tender eyes that had only stayed on her face during their entire conversation (when most male’s eyes tended to wander when speaking with her). She inhaled then, her lower lip gripped tightly between her sharp teeth as she took in the statement for what it meant. The truth of the matter was that as far as friends went, Ruby really didn’t have a whole lot of them. They saw her and assumed one thing, and sure she may have had more than platonic friends littered around town, but Archie was different with his honest words and genuine attention.
“Friends?” She asked, testing the word on her lips.
“Yes.”
“Well just because you’re my friend, Archie, doesn’t mean you get coffee for free or anything. I have a business to run
soon, you know.” She exclaimed, a stern expression crossing her features, as she gestured to the coffee on his table.
“Of course - I would never-“ He began, his eyes wide as he stammered over his words.
“I’m joking, Arch. Friends joke.” She reminded him with a cheeky grin.
“So we’re friends?”
“Absolutely.” She said, beaming with a wide wolf-like grin.
“I’m glad.”
“So am I.” She replied, meaning every single syllable. “And thanks… for everything.” She added, before giving him a small wave before checking in with the customers a couple tables over.