[o21] dollhouse : chronicles of awkward
Title: The Chronicles of Awkward
Author: honeychuckles aka In Fair Verona
Pairing: Topher/Claire
Rating: T
Summary: At age twenty six, five-foot-eleven inches, and a hundred and ninety pounds, Topher Brink was a far cry from Victor's Adonis-like build, but he did not envy the actives. He did not envy them because more important than looks and physique, he had something
which they would never have - memories.
When you go to work you begin to fall into a cycle. A somewhat monotonous carousal of wake-up, brush your teeth, eat your breakfast, go to work, slave away, drive home, eat dinner, and go to bed. For Topher, routine became regular as soon as he decided to start avoiding Claire Saunders. He had had enough humiliations to last him for the rest of his young adult life and decided to throw himself full force into work. He even managed to put himself on a regular schedule that allowed him to avoid the doctor at all costs.
However, often when one thinks they've got it all worked out, life tends to surprise you. Your boss basically demands that you bring a folder to the doctor you've been trying to ignore (to which Topher immediately requested that they may need to hire him an assistant for such trivial tasks), and whether you like or not you're thrown in their path. The thing to keep in mind throughout all this is that surprises aren't necessarily bad.
MARCH 26th, 2008
"Did you need something?" Claire inquired, not even looking up from her paper work. Though he had yet to even speak up or make his presence known, Topher must not have been as inconspicuous as he believed for her to sense him hovering behind her.
"I brought you something." Topher explained both vaguely and very succinctly. Claire put down her pen, turning in her seat to eye him with scrutiny.
"You ask me out, then ignore me for a month and when you stop ignoring me you pry into my personal life, and then you ignore me for another month, and now you've brought me something?" The doctor looked at him incredulously. "Is this going to become a regular thing from now on? Next time I'll be more prepared."
"Um..." Topher looked at her strangely, retrieving a manila envelope from behind his back. "Actually I just brought you... Victor's file." He handed it to her and the doctor, now utterly mortified, flushed as she took it from him.
"T-thanks." Claire stammered, attempting to recollect herself. "I was just kidding, about all that stuff I just said."
Well, look who's embarrassed now.
Despite his thoughts the boy didn't allow his inner smugness to show and instead nodded understandingly.
"Hey, it happens to the best of us." Plus, it was kind of cute when it happened to her.
"Yeah." Claire nodded quietly. "Well, I should take a look at this," she held up the file and muttered a quick thanks before turning back to her work and browsing through Victor's medical history.
He turned to leave, and leave he did, though somehow three hours later he found himself walking back towards the doctor's office, and like before he was not empty handed.
"Let me guess, November's file?" Claire suggested, again she remained focused on her work, not bothering to physically acknowledge his presence by facing him even though apparently she had either heard or sensed him when he entered the room.
"Actually, I felt bad about leading you on before," at this the doctor turned to face him, narrowing her eyes as if she were insulted that he would even think he had led her on, "...so I decided to redeem myself." He held up two hot beverages in his hands as he approached her desk, "and I know you think that coffee is crossing the line, so I went with something a little more PG... I hope you like chamomile tea. It sounded healthy."
The doctor didn't smile, but that did nothing to hide the look of happy surprise in her eyes.
"I do like it. Thank you."
"Oh, good. Because it pretty much cost me an arm and a leg. I mean, what is up with these corporate coffee houses and inflated beverage prices, right?" His attempts to make idle conversation were for once not actually lost on the introverted doctor.
"I usually make my own." Claire admitted, closing her eyes and taking a sip of the hot drink, "Though it is nice to indulge every once in awhile."
"I like that thinking." Topher agreed, taking a sip of his own tea.
"Hey... I'm sorry about earlier." Claire admitted, looking up at him from her seat. "I don't know what got into me, I don't even know why I was expecting anything. I mean, maybe because it's my birthday, but that's no reason, I mean I haven't received a birthday gift for the past two years, well except for the this tea I suppose, and... I'm rambling."
It was true. He had never heard her say that much in any of their brief and brutal conversations.
"It's your birthday?" Topher exclaimed, taking a seat on the edge of her desk, "No way, how old are you?"
At this Claire's jaw dropped a little, accompanied by the lowering of her eyebrows. "You know you're not supposed to ask a woman her age, right?"
Idiot.
"Yeah," Topher nodded slowly, "That's true, but let's be honest, we both know I'm not exactly the most tactful person."
Claire was in the middle of taking a sip of tea when against her will a tiny chuckle managed to escape her lips and it took every bit of control she had to quickly swallow the steaming hot liquid before it ended up all over her medical reports and Victor's file. Tiny tears formed at the corners of her eyes, whether from the stinging heat of the drink or from the laughter she was trying to hold back, she wasn't sure, but her reaction definitely did not go unnoticed.
"Oh my god, are you crying?" Topher asked in alarm, instantly setting down his drink and placing both hands on her shoulders to stabilize the girl. Claire managed to shake her head, though it didn't stop her shoulders from shaking with suppressed laughter as well.
"N-no," Claire turned away as she was now bright red, "No, it was just... funny. I don't know why. Well, I do know why. It's funny because it's true. You really aren't tactful at all."
He was speechless for a few seconds before a sudden realization dawned upon him.
"Wait. I just made you laugh." Topher stated slowly, to which Claire nodded in amusement, still holding back a fit of laughter from before. "I made you laugh." He made her laugh. "You never laugh."
"That's not true." Claire insisted, almost too quickly.
"I have never heard you laugh before."
"That's because you've been avoiding me."
"Well, you haven't exactly been taking the initiative to make me not avoid you." Topher retaliated.
"Well if I had known there was free tea involved..." There was a short silence between the two of them before both broke into quiet chuckles and bemused grins. "Fine, maybe I don't laugh that much." Claire admitted, "I mean, we're not exactly working at Disneyland. It gets a little depressing at the dollhouse."
"I've noticed." Topher admitted, flicking his gaze to the files on her desk. "So, since I've not only managed to brighten your day but also remember your birthday and bring you a gift without even knowing its was your birthday because I'm that smart... I think you owe me."
"Topher, I am not going to get coffee with you."
"Actually, I was going to ask you... to just be my friend instead." Topher explained, setting his drink back down on the table. "Look, I know I didn't exactly make the best first impression, but I was hoping we could start over. Tabula Rasa." Topher suggested. "Like you said before, it's a depressing place to work so having a friend around might make things a little more fun."
"I don't think Adelle wants us to have fun at work." Claire reasoned.
"Adelle doesn't have to know. It'll be our little secret." Topher suggested with a wink, "It'll be totally discreet, I'll say something self-deprecating and stupid, you'll laugh, I'll laugh because when you laugh you sound like you're five, everybody wins."
"Do I really sound like that?" Claire asked, suddenly self-concious.
"Yeah, but don't worry, it's endearing." He reassured her before extending his hand. "Friends?"
Claire eyed the blonde boy skeptically before placing her hand into his, "Acquaintances." Claire paused. "Who don't hate each other."
Topher nodded in agreement. "Acquaintances who don't hate each other. I like it."
Author: honeychuckles aka In Fair Verona
Pairing: Topher/Claire
Rating: T
Summary: At age twenty six, five-foot-eleven inches, and a hundred and ninety pounds, Topher Brink was a far cry from Victor's Adonis-like build, but he did not envy the actives. He did not envy them because more important than looks and physique, he had something
which they would never have - memories.
When you go to work you begin to fall into a cycle. A somewhat monotonous carousal of wake-up, brush your teeth, eat your breakfast, go to work, slave away, drive home, eat dinner, and go to bed. For Topher, routine became regular as soon as he decided to start avoiding Claire Saunders. He had had enough humiliations to last him for the rest of his young adult life and decided to throw himself full force into work. He even managed to put himself on a regular schedule that allowed him to avoid the doctor at all costs.
However, often when one thinks they've got it all worked out, life tends to surprise you. Your boss basically demands that you bring a folder to the doctor you've been trying to ignore (to which Topher immediately requested that they may need to hire him an assistant for such trivial tasks), and whether you like or not you're thrown in their path. The thing to keep in mind throughout all this is that surprises aren't necessarily bad.
MARCH 26th, 2008
"Did you need something?" Claire inquired, not even looking up from her paper work. Though he had yet to even speak up or make his presence known, Topher must not have been as inconspicuous as he believed for her to sense him hovering behind her.
"I brought you something." Topher explained both vaguely and very succinctly. Claire put down her pen, turning in her seat to eye him with scrutiny.
"You ask me out, then ignore me for a month and when you stop ignoring me you pry into my personal life, and then you ignore me for another month, and now you've brought me something?" The doctor looked at him incredulously. "Is this going to become a regular thing from now on? Next time I'll be more prepared."
"Um..." Topher looked at her strangely, retrieving a manila envelope from behind his back. "Actually I just brought you... Victor's file." He handed it to her and the doctor, now utterly mortified, flushed as she took it from him.
"T-thanks." Claire stammered, attempting to recollect herself. "I was just kidding, about all that stuff I just said."
Well, look who's embarrassed now.
Despite his thoughts the boy didn't allow his inner smugness to show and instead nodded understandingly.
"Hey, it happens to the best of us." Plus, it was kind of cute when it happened to her.
"Yeah." Claire nodded quietly. "Well, I should take a look at this," she held up the file and muttered a quick thanks before turning back to her work and browsing through Victor's medical history.
He turned to leave, and leave he did, though somehow three hours later he found himself walking back towards the doctor's office, and like before he was not empty handed.
"Let me guess, November's file?" Claire suggested, again she remained focused on her work, not bothering to physically acknowledge his presence by facing him even though apparently she had either heard or sensed him when he entered the room.
"Actually, I felt bad about leading you on before," at this the doctor turned to face him, narrowing her eyes as if she were insulted that he would even think he had led her on, "...so I decided to redeem myself." He held up two hot beverages in his hands as he approached her desk, "and I know you think that coffee is crossing the line, so I went with something a little more PG... I hope you like chamomile tea. It sounded healthy."
The doctor didn't smile, but that did nothing to hide the look of happy surprise in her eyes.
"I do like it. Thank you."
"Oh, good. Because it pretty much cost me an arm and a leg. I mean, what is up with these corporate coffee houses and inflated beverage prices, right?" His attempts to make idle conversation were for once not actually lost on the introverted doctor.
"I usually make my own." Claire admitted, closing her eyes and taking a sip of the hot drink, "Though it is nice to indulge every once in awhile."
"I like that thinking." Topher agreed, taking a sip of his own tea.
"Hey... I'm sorry about earlier." Claire admitted, looking up at him from her seat. "I don't know what got into me, I don't even know why I was expecting anything. I mean, maybe because it's my birthday, but that's no reason, I mean I haven't received a birthday gift for the past two years, well except for the this tea I suppose, and... I'm rambling."
It was true. He had never heard her say that much in any of their brief and brutal conversations.
"It's your birthday?" Topher exclaimed, taking a seat on the edge of her desk, "No way, how old are you?"
At this Claire's jaw dropped a little, accompanied by the lowering of her eyebrows. "You know you're not supposed to ask a woman her age, right?"
Idiot.
"Yeah," Topher nodded slowly, "That's true, but let's be honest, we both know I'm not exactly the most tactful person."
Claire was in the middle of taking a sip of tea when against her will a tiny chuckle managed to escape her lips and it took every bit of control she had to quickly swallow the steaming hot liquid before it ended up all over her medical reports and Victor's file. Tiny tears formed at the corners of her eyes, whether from the stinging heat of the drink or from the laughter she was trying to hold back, she wasn't sure, but her reaction definitely did not go unnoticed.
"Oh my god, are you crying?" Topher asked in alarm, instantly setting down his drink and placing both hands on her shoulders to stabilize the girl. Claire managed to shake her head, though it didn't stop her shoulders from shaking with suppressed laughter as well.
"N-no," Claire turned away as she was now bright red, "No, it was just... funny. I don't know why. Well, I do know why. It's funny because it's true. You really aren't tactful at all."
He was speechless for a few seconds before a sudden realization dawned upon him.
"Wait. I just made you laugh." Topher stated slowly, to which Claire nodded in amusement, still holding back a fit of laughter from before. "I made you laugh." He made her laugh. "You never laugh."
"That's not true." Claire insisted, almost too quickly.
"I have never heard you laugh before."
"That's because you've been avoiding me."
"Well, you haven't exactly been taking the initiative to make me not avoid you." Topher retaliated.
"Well if I had known there was free tea involved..." There was a short silence between the two of them before both broke into quiet chuckles and bemused grins. "Fine, maybe I don't laugh that much." Claire admitted, "I mean, we're not exactly working at Disneyland. It gets a little depressing at the dollhouse."
"I've noticed." Topher admitted, flicking his gaze to the files on her desk. "So, since I've not only managed to brighten your day but also remember your birthday and bring you a gift without even knowing its was your birthday because I'm that smart... I think you owe me."
"Topher, I am not going to get coffee with you."
"Actually, I was going to ask you... to just be my friend instead." Topher explained, setting his drink back down on the table. "Look, I know I didn't exactly make the best first impression, but I was hoping we could start over. Tabula Rasa." Topher suggested. "Like you said before, it's a depressing place to work so having a friend around might make things a little more fun."
"I don't think Adelle wants us to have fun at work." Claire reasoned.
"Adelle doesn't have to know. It'll be our little secret." Topher suggested with a wink, "It'll be totally discreet, I'll say something self-deprecating and stupid, you'll laugh, I'll laugh because when you laugh you sound like you're five, everybody wins."
"Do I really sound like that?" Claire asked, suddenly self-concious.
"Yeah, but don't worry, it's endearing." He reassured her before extending his hand. "Friends?"
Claire eyed the blonde boy skeptically before placing her hand into his, "Acquaintances." Claire paused. "Who don't hate each other."
Topher nodded in agreement. "Acquaintances who don't hate each other. I like it."