I'm Not a Hero

  She took the water clumsily; her eyes slightly dis-orientated as she felt the need for sleep want to take over her. “Yeah. A real knockout, literally a piece of rock knocked me out from the earthquake.” A snort erupted from her nose as she found this unusually funny.

Henry swore under his breath, looking closer at her injury. "You actually fell unconscious?" he clarified, his hand ghosting over her hair, then to her shoulder, where he let it rest. That was bad. Wasn't it? Blacking out entirely was different than just hitting your head. 

"I hit my head hours ago this is stupid.” She grumbled looking up at him. Henry. She remembered him. But she wasn’t quite in good enough mood to care. “Plus, my brother wasn’t even at the dance. I don’t know if Vannie was. I don’t know if Topher was in there or where. You can’t know the whole town.” She tried to muster up anger but instead she just whined and looked over at him as he sat down.

Henry made eye contact with her, and a zing of recognition went through him. Sophie. She'd helped him with his homework... forever ago. She looked miserable, and not much like she recognized him. Not that he blamed her, they'd only seen each other once, and it'd been so long ago... It's not like sitting with him at a table for a couple hours sorting papers was very memorable, even if they'd gotten along pretty well.

Checking it Twice || Piper and Henry

Don't look up, don't look up, don't look up, don't look up... Henry repeated to himself. Just don't look up. Also don't make eye contact with anyone. Just fill out the report and then run before anyone spots you again. Or worse, recognizes you. 

Sophia nodded and took his hand to help her up. She brushed off her dress and nodded. “Yeah. I fell, well was pushed and then I fell. But I’d rather then have this then be squashed. Were you there?”

"Someone pushed you?" Henry repeated, confused. "And, um. Oh. Yeah, I was." He released the girl's hand and turned, finding a bin that he could toss the broken things in and doing so.

Nadia’s grin only grew when he said whoa. “It’s great, really great. I’ve always worked there and I don’t see myself ever searching for a new job. I work as Simon Pride’s personal assistant. It’s a great job, he’s my best friend so most of the time I know what he needs before the thought even enters his head.” The woman went back to nibbling on her food while watching him, “You said that you had some classes today, anything interesting?” 

Henry laughed. "So, you're like... Anne Hathaway on The Devil Wears Prada? Except your boss would be less gray haired, and taller. Does he throw his coat at you?"

"Coffee is how I survived through college. I don’t think anyone ever saw me without some type in my hand." She covered her mouth with her hand and giggled at him, "Isn’t it great? I’m hooked, I’ve been drinking it for almost a week now and I don’t think I’ll ever be able to go back to other flavors. I’ll have to have Simon order me some special for work." She took another sip of her coffee before answering him. "I work at Pride Rock Music." 

Nodding sheepishly, Henry took another swig of the drink in question. She was very expressive, it was cute. "Pride Rock? Woah," he responded. "That place is sweet! What do you do there?"

Sophia knelt down and helped him pick up the objects on the floor. “You’re welcome.” She replied in a quiet voice. With small smile Sophia shrugged. “I do this more often then I liked to and more recently with this thing.” She raised her wrist with the splint on it. “But this is nothing that can’t be fixed and cleaned up quickly. I did this the other day in the store, I just dropped a whole gallon of milk. That wasn’t pretty. ” Her cheeks flushed red with embarrassment but she laughed lightly.

"Oh." he frowned at her brace. "Is that... from the quake?" Ten, hoping that wasn't too nosy, Henry ducked his head and gathered the remaining items into his hands and stood, then offered a hand to help her.

"It’s fine, really," Emily says in a cool tone. "I’d rather clean it myself."

"O-o...okay." Though he had been met with responses this chilly before, many times, it still seemed to surprise him. Maybe it shouldn't. "Well, can I pay for it?" He didn't want to step on her toes, but he did want to make this right as much as he could.

Sophie was tucked up in a little ball against the wall, her legs pulled up to her chest and her head resting on her arms. She was being forced to stay here despite not wanting to. She was fine she had bumped her head but that was hours ago, yes she had a little bruise and blood but that was from the cut that was on the back of her hand, which wasn’t bad either and had already become no actual problem by the time she’d gotten out. She was staring at the floor currently.

Henry's heart clenched. "Hey, listen.... I'm sorry. I'm really sorry. I don't want to keep you here, but I can't let you go either. I'm just a volunteer." Though there were other people that needed treatment and help, there were also several other people pacing around, handing out water bottles and shock blankets, so he shrugged the bag of water bottles off of his shoulder and used a hand braced against the wall to slide to a sitting position next to the girl. She seemed like she needed a friend, and... well, so did he.

-There'll Be Peace When We Are Done || Post Quake || Silena and Henry-

Oh, it was Silena, the girl he'd done cartwheels with this summer. She looked wrung out. "A little bit," he said gently, holding some water out for her. "Pretty though, the dress is great. Bet you were a knockout tonight." Henry smiled. He was only speaking the truth, and she looked like she could use a pick me up. Compliments never hurt.

"Hard?" She looked completely confused at the question before shaking her head and looking around at her things. "No it’s not hard at all. In fact it’s quiet easy and really fun. Please, at the end of the day you get to bring home your very own plant to care for until it grows into a pumpkin. What could be better than that?" She smiled brightly while moving to the end of table and handing him one of the small pots. 

"So I plant a seed... and it grows into a plant? It's that simple?" Henry was dubious. "Don't I have to fertilize or something?" Plus the pots that she was supplying were quite... small. Or rather, smaller than Henry imagined a pumpkin should be, even a homegrown one.

"It’s truly a pleasure to meet you Henry." Nadia told him while taking a nibble from her muffin. "Currently I’m on my lunch break. Although I don’t have too much of a time frame, so I was thinking about spending a bit of time in the sun before I head back. What about you?" 

"Class break. I have another one at two, but sometimes I come over for coffee before heading to the gym." he grinned. Taking a bite of his chocolate chip cookie that nearly obliterated the whole thing, he continued. "I probaly shoudn't have cof'ee before I go to the gem," he swallowed. "But this pumpkin spice stuff is really good. I sort of can't help myself.

"Well don’t worry, you’re not in my way at all. I’d love a little company if you’re interested." She smiled brightly while taking his hand and shaking it. "I’m Nadia. It’s wonderful to meet you." She sipped her drink and motioned again to the chair. "Please sit, you’re more than welcome. Storybrooke needs a few more friendly people." 

"Yeah, totally!" he beamed, sliding into the seat. "Thanks. I'm Henry... did I say that already? Sorry." he placed his coffee down and began to tuck into his turnover from Wander-In. "Are you on lunch break, or just..." he gestured to the rare sunlight shining through the window. "enjoying the day?"

Sophia watched from the corner as a young man kept knocking over things and she tried to stifle a life at his expression. She moved out of the shadows and smiled. “Here let me help you clean up.”

Henry was cursing himself, already on his knees and trying to pick up the items that had fallen like dominoes when he accidentally nudged one. "I didn't mean to." he repeated for what seemed like the umpteenth time today. But, when someone else approached, he tentatively looked up to gauge their expression. She didn't seem to be angry with him... was this her stuff that he'd just knocked over?

Emily watches as her arrangement of flowers fall and its vase shatters. She glares at the boy in front of her and bends over to pick up the flowers. “I think that is best, actually.”

Henry winced, looking down at the horrible mess he'd made. "I'm really sorry, I was trying to reach that other one, and everything just sort of... spilled. Crashed, I guess. Listen, I'll clean it up... okay? And do I need to pay you for it? I really didn't mean to."