[PRP] Call Me, Beep Me (Chester & Preacher)

[The Semblance of Unity]

"It's m'birthday now," she decided, shooting him a cheeky smile. Her pain had receded since she stopped trying to ******** move around so much. He was so loud on the stairs; he'd never be a good spy, but Preacher doubted Chester would appreciate the observation.

"Nothin' for you?" He'd only brought one spoon that she could see. Still, she held out her hand, making a childish grasping motion.

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[Smerdle]

"Nah, I'm fine." The truth was, Chester hadn't thought to bring a second spoon or flavor, his mind on someone else for a change. Plus, he could always just run downstairs again if he wanted some ice cream of his own. "Happy Birthday." He handed it over with a smirk. "Does that start from right now? Because I can't imagine it was a very happy one before this."

The Semblance of Unity

 

[The Semblance of Unity]

She rolled her eyes at his smirk. "Real birthday was back in April. When's yours?" Preacher grimaced for a moment. "Though today is better... mostly. Maybe just 'cause I've got m'own valet." While she talked, she had yanked off the lid to the pint and viciously stabbed the spoon in. After some working, she popped out a suitable mouthful and ate it,sighing happily through her nose. It was extra sweet and extra rich, and she'd never finish the pint, but damn might as well try.

Plopping the spoon back into it, she held it out. "You wanna try it as least? It's tha healthy kind." It clearly was not.

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[Smerdle]

"January. Capricorn." He took a seat again, next to the bed. "Not that that's important. My mother just likes that sort of stuff, so I've gotten used to announcing it like it's part of the date." Chester watched her eat, his smirk remaining. When she held out the pint, he took it without argument. Surely this wasn't any different than chalupa sharing. He took a taste, handing it back as it melted on his tongue.

"I feel healthier already. But really, it's very good." He'd already known that, having stolen a spoonful or two in the past.

The Semblance of Unity

 

[The Semblance of Unity]

Preacher gasped. "He was a capricorn," she said, in a fairly good imitation. "But you dint say tha date. I'm aries, I think. I dunno - I never paid too much attention 'cept to read s**t in the papers like 'you should go travelin' today, but avoid tha man in tha red hat'. " She took the pint back, briefly thinking of cooties and shoujo manga. Then she shrugged and took another bite.

"See, if ya eat enough of it, ya might turn young n' beautiful."

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[Smerdle]

Chester snorted. "Yes, a capricorn." He didn't even try for an imitation, knowing that he wouldn't have done even half as decent a job as she had. "There are only about three days in January that are still capricorn, so I usually don't have to specify to the people who care about that sort of thing. It's the seventeenth. Just don't throw me a party or anything." For once he didn't even consider that he wasn't scheduled to be alive next year.

"Young and beautiful? I'd better stock up." He could have easily come up with more to say, but he didn't. There was a moment of anticipation where he drew in a breath as if he might continue, but he closed his mouth again without going on instead.

The Semblance of Unity

 

[The Semblance of Unity]

"Hey, we're both tha seventeeth. Must be magic." She snorted and ate another bite. "Yeah, you n' me, both." Honestly, Chester wasn't ugly but any stretch, but she rarely missed a chance to poke at him.

She held the ice cream out to him again. "We better eat tha whole thing if we wanna be hot enough," Preacher said gravely.

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[Smerdle]

He took the ice cream back with a breathy laugh.

"I don't know who we're getting so hot for. If I get followed by half the town because of this, I'm telling your boss it's your fault." After another bite, he offered it back. "How are you feeling?"

The Semblance of Unity

 

[The Semblance of Unity]

"I dunno. But it's bound ta be useful. Just don' get taken in by my bazillion charms. Don't tell m'boss. Any brought to tha yard by ya milkshake is y'own fault." Her nose wrinkled in amusement as she took the ice cream back.

"Ta be honest, it ********' hurts. But I'm not thinkin' 'bout it. I'm thinkin' bout how I can become prettier than you." She pointed the spoon at him.

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[Smerdle]

"If that's all you want, you're wasting your time because you already are." Chester narrowed his eyes as if daring her to argue, clearly tickled by this whole conversation. It was surprising, considering that he had vowed never to speak of her looks again after the first time, but honestly, she'd started it. And if she got mad at him for saying it again, at least she still wouldn't be thinking about her injuries.

The Semblance of Unity

 

[The Semblance of Unity]

His narrowed eyes were met with her own narrowed right back at him. Then her lips twitched. "Oh my ********' god, ya jus' want more ice cream, I see how it is." Preacher shoved a big spoonful of ice cream into her mouth before offering ti back to Chester. She grimaced.

"Brain freeze. One o' tha perils of beauty." It never occurred to her that Chester might be serious. That thought was simply so far out of Preacher's reality that it had very little chance of crossing her brain.

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[Smerdle]

"You got me." The ice cream was accepted, though he didn't take as big a bite as she had. "I learn from you, oh hotness aficionado. And as much as I'd love to beat you, I think I should concede. I don't want to eat all of your hard-earned ice cream." There wasn't much left anyway, and he'd kind of lost the taste for it.

The Semblance of Unity

 

[The Semblance of Unity]

She would have tilted her head if only her neck didn't hurt so much. Something had changed about their conversation and Preacher wasn't sure what she'd done or said. Her brows drew together for a moment, then she sighed.

"Concedin' ain't any fun." She popped the lid back into the pint. Slowly, she stood, one of her hands curling into a fist hard enough that she knew her nail would leave marks in her palm. Preacher stood there for a moment, breathing shallowly, the blood draining out of her face and leaving her pale.

"I better go put this up. Thanks for-" A breath. "-bein' a good nurse, CNP." She took a step forward, the pain ill-concealed. It was certainly a case of 'the longer she'd been still, the more everything hurt to move again'.

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[Smerdle]

It wasn't like he had wanted things to change, but unless he was concentrating on showing nothing at all, Chester tended to show too much. Like now. His lips pressed together as she struggled, but he didn't move, afraid once again of pissing her off.

"You're more than welcome. I can do it if you want? You shouldn't have to."

The Semblance of Unity

 

[The Semblance of Unity]

Preacher leaned against the nearest wall. She could feel trickles of blood running down her back. Not much, not enough to look like a true murder scene and she supposed she should be grateful for it. It and her bruises and they way her throat still felt like it was being squeezed.... made her feel woozy. "It ain't that I want ya to... I dunno." She paused, swallowed, turned her face away from Chester as she felt the tips of her ears pinked horribly. "I dunno if I can get down tha stairs..."

She held the pint away from her body, silently willing Chester to just come and grab it so she didn't have to outright ask for help. It was humiliating.

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