[ frankly, she'd prefer it to the haunting dinners that'd been shared at thorn hill. a table elongated as if to exclude the potential for chatting, distancing an already broken family ever further. eventually, she had stopped coming to dinner, allowing her parents to eat at each end in silence.
even alongside his words, it doesn't pass her how his fingers maneuver themselves within the cast, more a means of allowing a bit more circulation— warmth to ease back to the digits, than in efforts to comfort them. the slightest furrow takes to her brows, and while the smile on her lips is present, there's a sadness there. the suggestion of tomorrow night: could she truly believe this wasn't a matter of pity? empathy, even?
she'd walked out onto that ice with the intent to end it all. to join her brother. archie was a good guy, and with all everyone's lost, his dad in the hospital... it wouldn't be off base to assume he was merely sympathizing. helping someone while he still could. a means not to feel so helpless, and she was a classic case. ] I didn't realize this was turning into a hotel service, Andrews.
[ an attempt at lightness, and despite how own hands ache to curl around his palm, still boasting of the frigid air outdoors, she refrains. ] Really I— ... I appreciate it, but I don't want to overstay my welcome.
What can I say? It's full service at the Andrews house. Dinner. A bed. Fire places and getting woken up to a wet dog nose.
[ Probably not cleaning. Because Archie Andrews is still a teenage boy. While he does try to keep things neat sometimes things get the better of him. Like spread out laundry. And things of that nature. But he doesn't expect Cheryl to be cleaning up nay messes. Not because of who she is, but because they wouldn't be her messes. He just thought that maybe they could both benefit from being around one another here. A safer place than with her mother no doubt.
Archie quickly shakes his head though as she tries to wiggle out. He's spent enough time with Cheryl to know that people aren't kind to her. Granted a lot of that is because of how she treats people, but still. He doubts she really knows what kindness looks like. But he intends to make sure she does. Because he's not giving up. Archie Andrews is stubborn. ]
You're not overstaying anything, Cheryl. [ He reaches into the bag and pulls out her burger with a grin. He places it in front of her. ] I want you here. Unless you're trying to get out of breakfast. Which is actually just me and a box of cereal.
[ a tiny snicker. the full service she's used to was granted quite excessively at the loft in which she was currently staying— room service was more like a full on bed and breakfast, at any time of the day. money was never something she had to worry about, and sure, often it was taken advantage of. what girl would pass down a bottle of crisp champagne and a silken robe left at the bed's edge?
as the saying goes, money doesn't buy you happiness. or safety. or the guarantee that you'll make it out alive. ] That's a much different wake up than I'm used to.
[ she takes the burger that's handed to her, curling her legs up indian style atop the couch and settling it at her calves, unfolding the wrapper. it was something to hold her gaze rather than meeting his, the kindness that emanated from them, the worry so similar to the one she'd found when he'd pulled her out of that lake. i want you here.
but why should he? — a bite is taken, undoubtedly enjoyed. there was no other option with pops. a low hum, before she's peering in his direction. ] Okay, that entirely depends on what cereal we're talking.
[ Archie is about as loyal as a Golden Retriever. He can get burned. He can get hurt. He can get snubbed. He can get pushed around and manipulated, but ultimately he's fairly forgiving. He understands as well that most of the things Cheryl says and does are done out of fear. Fear and maybe a little bit of chaos. Her and her mother's worlds were thrown into chaos the moment Jason died. Things kept spiraling out as well. Which is probably why Archie is quick to forgive her. Even after everything. Why not? If Jason and her father's deaths have taught him anything alongside his father's shooting it was that life was too short.
He reaches for his burger finally and unwraps it slowly. A little slower with the cast, but he gets it half down and then takes a big bite. Chewing and swallowing before taking a sip from his own chocolate milkshake. ] Probably whatever's open in my pantry. [ It could be a few things. But he's pretty sure it might be Lucky Charms though. ]
Thinking it's Lucky Charms. Been a few mornings since I've been at home to eat them.
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even alongside his words, it doesn't pass her how his fingers maneuver themselves within the cast, more a means of allowing a bit more circulation— warmth to ease back to the digits, than in efforts to comfort them. the slightest furrow takes to her brows, and while the smile on her lips is present, there's a sadness there. the suggestion of tomorrow night: could she truly believe this wasn't a matter of pity? empathy, even?
she'd walked out onto that ice with the intent to end it all. to join her brother. archie was a good guy, and with all everyone's lost, his dad in the hospital... it wouldn't be off base to assume he was merely sympathizing. helping someone while he still could. a means not to feel so helpless, and she was a classic case. ] I didn't realize this was turning into a hotel service, Andrews.
[ an attempt at lightness, and despite how own hands ache to curl around his palm, still boasting of the frigid air outdoors, she refrains. ] Really I— ... I appreciate it, but I don't want to overstay my welcome.
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[ Probably not cleaning. Because Archie Andrews is still a teenage boy. While he does try to keep things neat sometimes things get the better of him. Like spread out laundry. And things of that nature. But he doesn't expect Cheryl to be cleaning up nay messes. Not because of who she is, but because they wouldn't be her messes. He just thought that maybe they could both benefit from being around one another here. A safer place than with her mother no doubt.
Archie quickly shakes his head though as she tries to wiggle out. He's spent enough time with Cheryl to know that people aren't kind to her. Granted a lot of that is because of how she treats people, but still. He doubts she really knows what kindness looks like. But he intends to make sure she does. Because he's not giving up. Archie Andrews is stubborn. ]
You're not overstaying anything, Cheryl. [ He reaches into the bag and pulls out her burger with a grin. He places it in front of her. ] I want you here. Unless you're trying to get out of breakfast. Which is actually just me and a box of cereal.
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as the saying goes, money doesn't buy you happiness. or safety. or the guarantee that you'll make it out alive. ] That's a much different wake up than I'm used to.
[ she takes the burger that's handed to her, curling her legs up indian style atop the couch and settling it at her calves, unfolding the wrapper. it was something to hold her gaze rather than meeting his, the kindness that emanated from them, the worry so similar to the one she'd found when he'd pulled her out of that lake. i want you here.
but why should he? — a bite is taken, undoubtedly enjoyed. there was no other option with pops. a low hum, before she's peering in his direction. ] Okay, that entirely depends on what cereal we're talking.
no subject
He reaches for his burger finally and unwraps it slowly. A little slower with the cast, but he gets it half down and then takes a big bite. Chewing and swallowing before taking a sip from his own chocolate milkshake. ] Probably whatever's open in my pantry. [ It could be a few things. But he's pretty sure it might be Lucky Charms though. ]
Thinking it's Lucky Charms. Been a few mornings since I've been at home to eat them.