Michael Guerin is a (miserableliar) wrote in valarlogs, @ 2020-04-16 18:29:00 |
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Entry tags: | !complete, michael guerin, rapunzel |
Who: Rapunzel and Michael Guerin
What: Random encounter
When: Today!
Where: Grocery store
Rating/Warnings: Low/none
Status: Complete
Michael didn’t go grocery shopping often. At least not for anything that wasn’t beer. He usually lived off take out. And Isobel put together ‘family’, even though Michael wasn’t family, dinners often enough that he got a few home cooked meals a month. However every once in a while he had to get a few essentials, mostly chips, maybe some eggs, and more beer of course.
Once he gathered the essentials he decided to walk through the aisles just to see if anything else caught his eye. He wasn’t in a rush to get home and since he didn’t do this often he figured he might as well make the most of it
Rapunzel was trying to do the opposite and cook more at home. She had picked up an Instant Pot a few weeks ago and she had been finding a lot of fun new recipes to try out. Tonight was going to be some orange chicken and making a cheesecake for dessert. She had most of the items in her cart as she moved down the aisle.
Unfortunately of course one of the items she needed was up on a top shelf and enough were missing where she couldn’t just climb onto the bottom shelf and try to push herself up. She grumbled to herself before she caught sight of a man walking down the aisle, “Hey, can you help me out? I need one of those boxes up there.” The question was asked with a smile and a finger pointing out the item she was talking about.
Michael was taken slightly aback when someone talked to him. He wasn’t exactly expecting to be approached in a grocery store. In a bar? Sure. Not so much while he was walking down the aisle. Still he wasn’t a complete asshole. Even if most people thought otherwise. He could spare a few minutes to help the shorter woman.
“Yeah, sure,” Michael said walking over to the boxes and grabbing one for her. “This?” he clarified to make sure he had gotten the right thing for her.
His reaction surprised Rapunzel; like he wasn’t used to anyone really noticing his existence. It hurt her heart a little, but knew better than to assume things like that about people she didn’t know. Maybe he had just been lost in his own thoughts and she spooked him. At least she was just asking for something simple.
“Yep, that one!” Rapunzel smiled and took the box once he brought it down to her, “Thanks so much! It’s hell being short in a store sometimes.”
Her assumption was correct. Michael was used to people not noticing him. All foster parents he had throughout his childhood treated him like dirt on the bottom of their shoe. Michael had learned at an early age it was best to not stand out. Although sometimes his anger got the better of him hence all the bar fights.
But that wasn’t the case tonight. He was at a grocery store helping a fairly innocent looking woman get a box. “Yeah,” Michael Sai’s handing the box over to her. “I haven’t had that problem since I was a kid.” Which he actually had a nice reminder of a little over a week ago thanks to the whole being seven again thing.
"You're lucky then, don't take it for granted," Rapunzel spoke sagely before chuckling, "And always help out us short people, okay? I apparently need to be fun sized for life." She had been more upset about it when she was younger but she had gotten used to it now. She just rolled with it now and didn't really mind asking people for help when she needed it.
Michael had never really thought much about his height. It was always just there. So yeah he probably had been taking it for granted. And growing up he always saw what other people took for granted… like having a family. It never occurred to him that he might be taking something for granted himself. It seemed small compared to what he felt about everyone else, but still it gave him some perspective.
“I’ll keep that in mind,” Michael replied. He wasn’t exactly the most helpful guy, but he wouldn’t deny it if someone asked either. “There gotta be some benefits to being short too.”
"I am really good at zipping through crowds," that was about it in her opinion, "there's a lot more cons. I have to tailor my pants a lot, but I can get a deal on capris because some of them fit like pants." That was always amusing and a win when she was at the clothing store during the summer to fall switch over.
She glanced over at his groceries, "you need ice cream." There was a playful smile on her face as she said it because it was completely random but he seemed like he was getting the basics.
Michael glanced down at his cart which was mostly full of junk food and back to the woman. “I guess you’re right,” he replied with a grin. It was one of the comfort foods he was missing. “I guess it’s a good thing you needed help with that box.”Or he would have gone home missing a key item. Although with his trip through the aisles to make sure he hadn’t forgotten anything maybe not.
Rapunzel chuckled, "you are definitely a knight in shining armor. And it was a meeting that was destined to happen. I recommend the Magnum pints, by the way, if you like chocolate. Their flavors are great and you get to smoosh the pint to break up the chocolate coating." Okay, so maybe Rapunzel has a major sweet tooth, but at least she could share the things she liked with other people.
Knight in shining armor. That was a term Michael never thought he would be described as. Maybe Max, but never him. He was more the rebel without a cause type. “Pretty sure you’re the only one that would call me that,” Michael said with a small laugh. He was slightly proud of himself for striking up a conversation with a woman he had no intention of sleeping with in the middle of the grocery store. Definitely a new experience for him.
“Oh yeah?” he questioned raising his brow. “I’m gonna go out on a limb and guess you have lots of experience with Magnum pints.”
"Well, I consider that an honor then," Rapunzel beamed at him. She was friendly to everyone she crossed paths with but she felt like this guy needed a little extra happiness in his life, "And I definitely do. Ben & Jerry's is great for flavors but if you want decadent chocolate you gotta go with Magnum. I'm Rapunzel, by the way." She held a hand out to him.
“Sounds like you really know your ice cream,” Michael replied. He really didn’t think about it much. It was all kind of the same to him. Beer on the other hand was another story. “Michael,” he added since apparently he was introducing himself to the tiny blonde.
“Nice to meet you, Michael, and I have a horrible sweet tooth. Ice cream is definitely my go-to for sweets. But, I better get going so I can get my dinner ready, make sure you go grab some,” Rapunzel couldn’t help but chuckle a little bit. She probably confused the hell out of this poor guy, but this was just who she was; friendly to a fault.
“Yeah, you too,” Michael said because it was the appropriate response and he was usually only an asshole when the situation called for it…. Okay maybe for no reason sometimes too. But not so much to random strangers who were being perfectly nice to him. “Enjoy your dinner.”