Who: Scootaloo and Éponine Thénardier What: A date! When: 8th March. Where: The zoo. Rating: Standard Thénardier warnings apply. So, slight TW for references to abuse, but otherwise... PG13? Animal-related shenanigans contained herein, alongside some swears, and so much adorableness. Status: Complete!
A date, sweet. Scootaloo was all for that and excited. He got all dressed and everything, looking much better now that the painkillers helped with the rib pain. He dressed in just tightish jeans, a t-shirt that said ‘I’m the crazy one’ and a plaid over shirt. Hair done the way he liked and he had new shoes so today was good. He’d asked Haruka for a little spare money just in case and headed off on his bike and for her place.
This was going to be nice, or so he hoped. When he pulled up he did the usual knock at the door and Gav let him. He sat on the couch and waited for her to be all dressed. What was it and woman taking forever to get dressed?
Unlike some women, Éponine really did have a good reason. There were certain things she didn’t want anyone to see, least of all someone she was kind of interested in... once she was satisfied she’d covered the most visible ones, she stepped out - she’d gone for casual and comfort above all else, and could you really blame her?
“I hope I didn’t keep you waiting too long. I know this flat isn’t the most comfortable place in the world...” Really, this was why she owed Seiya so much. The sooner they were out of here, the better.
“It’s fine. Moving takes forever! It’s why as I started going through foster families like an artist goes through paint my stuff got down to just my backpack.” Stood and fixed his shirt. “And it’s not like all the animals at the zoo are going to all escape! Though that would be fucking cool!”
No, that would be terrifying. At least he was enthusiastic! “If that happens, I reserve the right to... I don’t know, do something terrible to you.”
Terrible being completely subjective, of course. Danger did strange things to people!
“Aww. If that happens I was going to trade you to the monkeys for a bushel of bananas. You’d fit right in!” He teased and gently took her hand and led her down to the bike. He put the helmet on her and put on his own before getting her to sit behind him. “Hold on tight, can’t have you falling.”
Éponine rolled her eyes at that. He was terrible, that much was clear... once on the bike, she wrapped her arms around his waist, careful to keep her hands from slipping anywhere... inappropriate. “Pretty sure I won’t fall. Don’t worry.”
He kicked off and sped quickly for the road. Having her hands around him was both nice and nerve wracking. Even with her being so careful he had issues with people touching him! He pulled to a stoplight and nudged her with his shoulder blade. “So. You excited for the zoo?”
It wasn’t surprising that he did! Éponine could only assume that being who he was lead to a couple of problems with things like that. “I guess. More excited to just... spend time with you.”
Scoot blushed slightly and sped up again when the light turned green. It didn’t take too long to get there, and when they did he helped her off the bike before getting off himself, squatting down to work on locking the bike up.
Blushing? Oh, that definitely counted as a win in Éponine’s books. Sure, she was set on not rushing this, but that didn’t mean she couldn’t make him turn various shades of red... it was fun! “You’re kind of adorable when you blush. Just so you know.”
“I’m not adorable!.... Men aren’t adorable.” Pushed his lips together and stood quickly. He folded his arms, and it just made him even more adorable. He couldn’t help it.
Men could totally be adorable. As he was proving right now! “I don’t know, I’ve seen a few men manage it. None as well as you, of course.”
“Who’s the flatterer in this relationship now?” He teased and took a gently grasp of her hand to take her to the entrance to the zoo. He paid for them both, for the behind the scenes tour as per Haruka insisting and pretty much shoving money into his hand.
Éponine couldn’t help but laugh, lightly squeezing his hand. “We can share the flattery, can’t we? God knows I don’t want you to stop...”
Her eyes may have widened, just a little, when he paid all that out. How much money did he have? It was probably more than she’d ever seen whilst still living with her parents... “You’re set on making this as amazing as possible, aren’t you?”
“Of course I am! You deserve amazing!” They got their little cards for the tour and stepped into the zoo. “So. We get a drink first, then make sure sunscreen is on, then we go look at the lions!” Smiled and looked at her before blinking to a blonde that waved at him. He waved back a little confused before taking her hand again.
Maybe he just hadn’t realised that blonde was trying to flirt with him? Éponine could hope, at least, even if it’d almost painfully reminded her of Marius - or, well, the Marius of her dreams. “Sounds good to me. Especially the lion part.”
What? She liked lions!
“Lions are good!” He followed the blonde because she was pretty, very pretty. But...not as pretty as the one holding onto his hand. He nudged her gently and tugged her into the cafe type place to order drinks. That blonde came up to him and asked why he was alone, obviously trying to imply Éponine not being there he set his jaw. “Sorry. On a date. You’re pretty and all but... not my type.” Seriously. Homewreckers and backstabbing woman were not his type at all. He went back to her and paid for the drink she picked out, not caring about cost at all. Haruka shoved a card in his hand ‘for a reason’ as she put it.
That’d definitely won him points in Éponine’s eyes. Maybe, just maybe, he wasn’t even the slightest bit like Marius. Maybe she’d managed to find a man who’d truly see her. “I hope she gets the message. I think today could do without you getting a stalker.”
“That would be bad. The stalker that is!” He shrugged and took his drink and the box of popcorn and headed off for the lions. When he got there he took a picture with his phone before looking around. He found an elderly woman and asked insanely nicely if she’d take a picture of them together. He took her hand and smiled. “Come on, let’s pose silly in front of all of the ones we take!”
Éponine couldn’t help but laugh. Okay, winning himself more and more points by the minute! “I like the way you think!”
Scoot pulled at his ears and crossed his eyes whilst sticking his tongue out! The woman waiting for Éponine’s face before taking the picture and she laughed and made a comment about them being adorable before going back to her granddaughter. He looked at the picture and laughed. “How do you managed to be so adorable and beautiful while making such an awkward face, Éponine?”
And now she was the one blushing. Not that she could really help it! “It’s a talent, I guess? Either that, or you’re extremely biased...”
“Very much a talent! Come on, monkeys! Gotta say hello to your uncle, right?” He teased and stuck his tongue out at her.
Éponine rolled her eyes and punched him in the arm. Not hard or anything, because she was aiming to be a nice person today. “You’re so special.”
She meant that mostly in a good way, honest.
Scoot mock-winced and held his arm where she hit, laughing a little. “What?” He still teased but took her hand and their drinks and took off for the monkey room. Because. Well. MONKEYS!
He was so damn mature! Honestly, though? Éponine loved it. It was so, so nice to be around someone who knew how to have fun... and, on a lesser note, who wasn’t related to her. Much as she loved Gavroche, there were certain things she just couldn’t do around him. “Alright, monkeys. Let’s hope they don’t try to claim you as one of their own...”
“Hey!” He frowned and grabbed a popcorn kernel and tossed it at her face. ”Only I can tease you about that!” Pushed his lips together and threw more at her.
That wasn’t very nice, was it? Éponine stuck her tongue out at him, a fit of complete and utter immaturity. “Can’t stop me!”
“Oh you!~” Grabbed her hair and gently wrapped it around her face, mostly to just throw her off balance before dumping popcorn on her head and starting off in a slight run for the monkey house.
And she’d thought Gavroche was the least mature person in the world. This was clearly grounds for war! Once she’d managed to regain her balance (and mostly deal with his popcorn-related evil), she was right after him... and, really, she may’ve had the edge on him in speed. “You’re a bastard!”
He fake girly screamed and jumped up and over a cart that was going in front of him then down the side of a building and jumped onto the nearest garbage bin. He jumped off it and climbed a fence to just hang off it before a zookeeper asked him to get down and he did. He leaned against the monkey house’s door, waiting for her.
That was just showing off. And, uh, incredibly attractive, but that was besides the point. Éponine didn’t take long to catch up with him, having done more than her fair share of running (and jumping over things, sometimes) in her life. “You enjoyed that, didn’t you?”
“I did, did you like it?” He’s not even out of breath, at all. He thanks the fact he’s no longer binding dangerously. Though... probably wasn't smart with a broken rib because now everything hurts and he can’t stop it. He just tried to ignore it and step inside the smelly room.
“Definitely one of the more impressive things I’ve seen.” Éponine wasn’t going to mention that she’d found it strangely hot. That was a topic for another time, probably a lot further down the line. “Can’t have been easy on your ribs, though...”
Scoot stayed quiet, focusing on the monkey in front of him. He’d already been seen as weak in front of her before. He didn’t want that happening again.
It wouldn’t make him look weak at all. Not in Éponine’s eyes. She knew enough to take his silence as a ‘yes’ - Gavroche pulled the same thing sometimes, and she’d been dealing with him since... well, before she could really remember. “...If you can last through this, I want you to sit down and take your painkillers. It’ll help.”
“I... Alright. Just if I say silly things please don’t be weirded out. The painkillers are strong.” He said and rubbed the back of his neck. She was amazing, seriously.
“I won’t mind. I know how strong some of these painkillers have to be.” Not that Éponine had really had much of a chance to use them, despite how many bones she’d broken in her life. She’d seen their effects on other people, though, and that was enough.
They went through the monkey house and he convinced her to just go with the giraffes before they went to the cafe again to sit down for something to eat. After quite a while of deciding for them both, they sat down from choosing and waited for their meal. Scoot had gotten his drink ahead of time by request, as well as a piece of toast so he could take the painkillers. Stupid horsepills.
Honestly, Éponine didn’t understand how people could take pills like that. Maybe there was an art to it? “Think you’ll be okay?”
“I should be. It’s not like I’ve been shot or something.” He laughed and took a bite of the toast, looking off to the window at a bird flying around and soaring across the sky.
And with any luck, things would stay that way. Éponine liked him a little too much to allow for something like that to happen. “I guess you’re right.”
“Yeah. Could be worse still. I could be dead!” Laughed, but there’s a darkness behind that laugh. A hollow sound that makes it seem like something that could happen, or could have happened recently.
A sound that Éponine knew all too well. “...There are too many people who love you to allow for that.”
“I guess so.” Took a sip of his drink and feigned a smile her direction. No use making this date bad for her.
Deep down, Éponine knew that smile was less than genuine, but she wasn’t sure how much she could safely comment on. It was best that she didn’t reveal too much to Scoot about her family and... other related terribleness. “I certainly... like you too much to let you slip away like that.”
And for once in quite a while, even with Haruka (despite liking her as nearly a brother), he smiled wide and believed that. He set the drink down and reached over to gently take a hold of her hand, running his thumb over her knuckles and smiled. “Thanks... It’s nice to feel wanted by someone so special.” He brought it up to gently kiss her hand, looking up at her.
He was really on a roll when it came to making her blush today, as much as Éponine tried to push it down. How could he go from ridiculous immaturity to... well, being pretty close to a gentleman? “I’m not really anything special. I just... try my best. At everything I do.”
“Hey now. You’re very special.” Set her hand down and paid for the food properly when he was called up to get it. He began eating, mostly because the testosterone meant he was hungry all the fucking time.
Special in a slightly strange way, maybe. Now, Éponine had done a little research when he’d revealed himself to her, so him being so hungry wasn’t a surprise in the slightest... it was one of the less terrible side effects, from what she’d found out. “I’ll take your word for it. Maybe I’ll even believe it one day.”
Scoot smiled up to her with the pizza still slightly hanging from his mouth and made the dorkiest face ever before going back to eating. Yay Food!
Okay, that was far, far too adorable. Éponine couldn’t help but smile... maybe her luck was starting to turn up? It certainly seemed that way so far...
Once food was over, he helped her clean up (by which he meant he made her sit aside and he cleaned it all, with just her tossing the trash in the bin). He took her hand and led her out and to the back area to meet for the back tour and their first stop was being able to actually pet and feed one of the brand new baby tiger cubs.
The keeper had them wash their hands and he sat in the back with the baby tiger with a bottle. “Who’s first?” He saw Scoot gently nudge Éponine forward. “Please come sit next to me, you can hold her and feed her.”
How could these things be so damned adorable? Éponine made a face at him for nudging her, but she did move to sit next to the keeper... she’d never thought she’d get to be so close to something like this. “Is there anything special I have to do, or...?”
The keeper shook his head. “Nothing, except be gentle and keep the bottle angled the way I’ll give you it.” He set the towel over her lap and stomach before putting the cub on her lap and handed her the bottle the way it should be. The little cub mewing and pawing at her with its large paws because hungry, dammit.
Ohgod. Again with the adorable! Making sure to be gentle, she showed the cub the bottle, hopefully giving it enough of a hint to latch on. This was... almost surreal. She’d known that Scoot was planning somethinggood, but... this went rather beyond that.
Scoot chuckled and took a picture with his phone before leaving the room for a minute. He’d asked someone to go grab him a tiger cub toy, with money he’d had cash wise. He grabbed it and set it beside her and the cub swiped at it and bit part of the fabric ear off instead of drinking and he had to laugh. “How many people can say they own a stuffed tiger that had it’s ear bitten by an actual baby tiger?!”
Éponine couldn’t help but laugh, shaking her head. “Not many, I’d guess. In fact, it might be unique...”
And unique was most definitely good, in her opinion. Hell, it was part of why she’d initially been attracted to Scoot - something that’d now expanded to include ‘he’s also ridiculously generous’ alongside the usual ‘he’s damned pretty and kind of charming’ reasons.
“Just like you, Darling.” Smiled and leaned against the wall, waiting for his turn with the cub. “We get to feed the penguins next. Then mix up food for the elephants!” Yes, it cost a pretty penny to get all this, but she deserved it dammit.
Well, that was one way to make her blush again! This just got more and more awesome. It was probably best that Éponine not think about how much this must have cost... “If you make every date like this, I think I’m going to have to keep you.”
“I will sure try! I’d like you to keep me!” When it was his turn with the tiger he was far too adorable, soothing it and nudged it’s head. Pictures taken and they were off to feed the penguins! His favourite! When they got there, they were given aprons and gloves and were taken to the exhibit where a keeper had a bowl of fish
The keeper held up one of the fish to show them how to feed without getting bitten.
Definitely, definitely far too adorable with that cub. Éponine had no idea how he managed it, especially considering it hadn’t even remotely diminished his... well, manly charm. That was the only way she could think to phrase it.
“Sounds easier than dealing with those tiger cubs, really.” No claws, at least!
“YEAH!” He exclaimed and grabbed a fish and it took it and oh god he giggled and looked at her with joy before grabbing another fish and another and another and giggling like crazy. He can’t help it! And yet, still seemed manly.
Again with the adorable-yet-manly thing! Éponine couldn’t help but laugh, shaking her head. “You’re the most adorable man I’ve ever seen, I swear...”
Scoot pouted and pushed his eyebrows down. “I’m not adorable! I am manly!” The keeper went on to say that the more endearing a female thought the male in several species the more likely they were to mate with them and choose them to bear their young. Which made him blush several shades of red.
Uh. That was some damn interesting timing. Éponine may well have turned a fairly interesting shade of red herself, trying not to read too much into those implications. “That’s... something. I guess.”
“I guess so...” He took her hand and they were off for the elephants. They got instructed in behaving around it, and taught some info on the animals before let in and the first thing the beast did was wrap around Scoot’s waist and pick him up, causing him to flail. The trainer did her best to tell it to put him down.
Okay, the flailing was strangely hilarious. Éponine couldn’t help but laugh. “I think she likes you, Scoot!”
He folded his arms and gave a none too thrilled face, trying not to get too upset with it. “I don’t like it like that!” Managed to get him down and the binder was slightly showing without him noticing.
It was a good thing that Éponine noticed, then. She moved to fix his shirt, careful to keep her touch gentle - she didn’t want to accidentally cause him any discomfort. “I know, I know... at least she let you go, right?”
Seeing and feel her do that was... different, because despite her being so close and touching... He didn’t flinch one bit, instead he pushed closer and wrapped an arm around her shoulder to hug her. The fact it hid her fixing it was just a bonus.
Clever man! The moment she was done fixing his shirt, and the moment she was perfectly sure the binder was covered again, she pulled her hands away. “You’re that glad to be down?”
“Yeah! I mean.. Hey. I get to put my arms around you instead.” Rubbed gently at her back and booped his nose to hers before smiling wide and goofy. “And that is AWESOME in my book.”
He was enjoying making her blush, wasn’t he? Éponine couldn’t help a smile. “I guess it’s pretty nice. Lot better than randomly being picked up by an animal.”
“Much better! Having a pretty girl in my arms is better than any animal!”He smiled and booped their noses together again.
Seriously, if he got much more adorable, Éponine was going to be far too tempted to kiss him. Not that it was a bad thing, it just... went rather against her usual standards. “You have such strong arms... I like how this feels.”
Held her a little firmer before taking her out to the rest of the zoo. “Why?” It was a legitimate question to ask!
There was a brief moment where, honestly, Éponine had no clue what he meant by that. It did click before too long, though. “I... can’t explain it. You’re just so strong and warm, and being in your arms feels... like I’m safe from anything the world can throw at me.”
Scoot blushed and lifted her up into his arms. “Yep. Strong!” Gently pushed his forehead into the crook of her neck. “And I will keep you safe!” Smiled genuinely at her. “Gotta keep my princess happy and content, right?”
Éponine couldn’t help but smile. This man was incredible, in so, so many different ways... and considering this way only their first date, she was pretty damn sure he could only get better from here. “If you’re going to keep being this amazing, I think I’ll always be happy.”