Stark Industries | Saturday

[dollpocalypse]

It was unlikely that anyone would actually manage to make a purchase at Stark Industries today. That was because Topher, in all his professionalism, was sniffling and making his way through an enormous tub of cookie dough fudge ice cream with no signs of stopping anytime soon.

There may or may not have been a sad romance movie playing on his laptop. Maybe. In any case, it only made him eat more ice cream.

Stark Industries was open!

Comments

[regretiz4suckas.livejournal.com]

Kenzi had listened to Radio; and aside from plotting unspeakable (and unknown at this point) revenge on Butters, she'd been hoping he'd made up whatever had been going on with Topher. But she'd thought she better check to be sure.

So, here she was with an iced mocha for him. Just in case. "Hey!... oh boy."

Yeah, all that ice cream, bad sign.

[dollpocalypse]

"Hey," he said unusually quietly, not even looking up as he shoveled more ice cream into his mouth.

And didn't look at the screen. Damnit, the couple was making out again.

[regretiz4suckas.livejournal.com]

"What are you watching?" Kenzi peered over. "Awww, Topher. Maaaan." This was so wrong! Wrong! "Here. I brought coffee?" Then, a little quieter, "I heard the Radio. Rough break, dude."

[dollpocalypse]

"I don't like coffee," he mumbled, which wasn't quite true because he'd never tried it.

He did, however, accept it, and scooped the whipped cream off the top into his ice cream before handing it back to her. Couldn't say he wasn't resourceful!

[regretiz4suckas.livejournal.com]

"You could put ice cream in the coffee, and try it." She should have brought Mountain Dew! Darnit. "What are you watching? It looks like a chick flick."

[dollpocalypse]

"Meta for The Notebook," Topher mumbled. "I found a torrent. It fucking sucks."

Oh, silly Kenzi. Mountain Dew was for being hyper and energetic. Right now he wanted to be miserable and stuffed with ice cream.

[regretiz4suckas.livejournal.com]

"Then find meta for Die Hard or some boy movie, come on." Kenzi poked the ice cream closer to him and said softly, "I'm sorry. But... what happened? Exactly."

[dollpocalypse]

Topher moved the spoon around in the ice cream container, not really wanting to take another spoonful just yet. "Peter told me I should go kiss Tony," he mumbled. "So I did. But he didn't, um. Like it. And he said we're just friends, and... yeah."

[regretiz4suckas.livejournal.com]

"Peter deserves a smack." Even if he'd meant well. If he'd stuck around to help Topher-- what was she thinking? Peter was not the comforting type. "And... you kinda knew that. But I know it sounded worse, after. That sucks."

[dollpocalypse]

Topher was busy staring at the spoon, moving it jerkily around and accidentally flicking some ice cream out of the container to land on his computer screen.

"I figured Peter knew what he was talking about," he said finally. "He usually does. So."

[regretiz4suckas.livejournal.com]

"He sucks at people, sometimes. He's smart about other things, but... you notice he doesn't have a girlfriend, right?" Or he'd known just how this would go, and had encouraged it for stupid reasons. "What did he say would happen?"

[dollpocalypse]

"Didn't say," Topher admitted, for the first time looking up to -- well, her chin. He wasn't quite up to eye contact yet. "But he was all 'dry off so you don't drip' and 'don't break your nose' and whatever. You know. Like... helpful advice."

[regretiz4suckas.livejournal.com]

So very getting smacked around. At least verbally. That was just cruel. And it was fun to be mean to Topher sometimes, but part of that was it slid right off him, like Teflon. This had actually hurt him.

Kenzi put an arm around him, and hugged him. "You were really brave," she told him. "Honest. Even if it didn't work."

[doyoufondue.livejournal.com]

Coming up from the lab, Howard paused in the doorway. Then debated the merits of asking if his employee was alright or just grabbing the coffee and running.

"Don't get that on any of the equipment," he settled on.

[dollpocalypse]

SO SENSITIVE. JUST LIKE HIS SON.

HIS MEAN, HEARTBREAKING SON.

"I'm not," Topher mumbled, though that assertion was belied by the fact that he'd already managed to get ice cream on his computer screen. At least it was his own and not the store's?

[doyoufondue.livejournal.com]

HE WAS FROM THE 40s. YOU GOT PUNCHED AND YOU LIKED IT.

Howard grabbed the coffee pot, shaking his head at the entire pathetic display. "Why are you here, Christopher?"

Oh yeah, he was going to use full names.

[dollpocalypse]

Topher actually looked up at that ridiculous question. His eyes were maybe a little red. WHATEVER, DON'T YOU JUDGE.

"Um," he said, absently moving the spoon around in the ice cream container. "I work here."

Yes, Topher. Howard was aware of that.

[doyoufondue.livejournal.com]

"And you're crying," Howard supplied. In case Topher hadn't noticed. "Go home and get yourself together."

YOU CRIED IN PRIVATE. OR NOT AT ALL. LIKE A MAN.

[dollpocalypse]

"I'm not crying," Topher mumbled. Even though he had been for most of the beginning of his shift. "And my roommate's an asshole. Don't wanna go back."

Not that he usually cursed like that. It was just a REALLY BAD WEEKEND. Like, fifty times worse than the one when he was a hooker.

[doyoufondue.livejournal.com]

Howard gave him another unconvinced look, arms crossed over his chest. "Is that why you're here moping like a dame?"

[dollpocalypse]

He let out another utterly undignified sniffle, made all the worse by the kissy-noises coming from the movie he was watching.

"No," Topher mumbled. Please, Dave was the least of his problems. "'s Tony."

WEREN'T YOU GLAD YOU ASKED, HOWARD?

[doyoufondue.livejournal.com]

NOT IN THE SLIGHTEST.

Howard stared again. He really wasn't sure he wanted to know about this now. "Does it involve a girl?"

GOD, SAY IT DOES.

[dollpocalypse]

"...no." Despite the icon keyword.

Indirectly, maybe? But Topher was focusing on the Tony-doesn't-love-me part of the story, thank you.

[doyoufondue.livejournal.com]

"Times really have changed, haven't they?" Howard asked idly, wishing he'd just worked through that coffee craving like a sane person.

[dollpocalypse]

"Do they not have people REJECTING YOU AND BREAKING YOUR HEART AT KISSING BOOTHS in the past?" Topher asked, focusing intently on crushing a mosquito with the back of his spoon. Like a sociopath.