A Collection of Odds & Ends

Clumsy Me (Sebastian Stan)

"Sebastian, but you can call me Seb. If you'd like." He effortlessly held out his hand to the woman before him.

"I'm Grace." She shyly shook his hand. She refused to hold his gaze for more than a few seconds. "I'm sorry for this."

Gesturing to the mess in the aisle, their shopping carts now pulled apart, waiting beside their temporary pilots.

"You're sorry? No, I'm sorry. I should have been more careful." Sebastian insisted, picking up a pack of PopTarts and chucking them in the cart.

He had been trying to answer an e-mail and it was him who wasn't watching where he'd been going. Fucking idiot, he mentally kicked himself. All because of him, there was a mess of cereal boxes littering the floor and the obviously shy woman before him was now bruised.

"Are you okay, Grace? You're absolutely sure you're not hurt?" He gently reached for her arm, lifting it to inspect the forming bruise.

"I was pelted with a few boxes of granola, not a grenade, Sebastian." a small giggle escaped.

Sebastian smiled, inspecting her arm closer, sighing in an overly dramatic manner. "Nurse, it's serious. We may need to amputate, the red berries came down too hard, she may not make it."

Grace continued to giggle, feeling the shyness beginning to melt - only a little. "Oh no, Doctor! What ever will we do?"

"There is only one thing we can do, nurse." Sebastian paused, his eyes twinkling and a smirk forming. Grace bit her bottom lip, gosh he was cute. Most guys wouldn't even bother to notice her. "We're going to need a sincere apology, a bottle or red...no white...wine, and dinner."

"Excuse me?" Grace yanked her arm back, protectively holding it against her chest, her other arm shielding it.

A frown fell on Sebastian's face, his easy demeanor snuffed, for now. "I'm sorry, too forward? You probably have a husband or a boyfriend, my bad."

"N-No, but...I just...it wouldn't be..." Grace stammered.

"I have references, I promise that I'm not some creepy pervert. I didn't ask because I was trying to be cocky or anything." It was Sebastian's turn to get flustered. Pushing a hand through his dark hair, he shrugged. "I wanted to make it up to you, I do. Dinner was the first thing to my mind."

"So, you smash into girls to buy them dinner?" Grace eyed him curiously. Shifting uneasily, she cast a glance to the floor. On the way down, she couldn't help but notice the difference between her and Sebastian.

For starters, he was attractive. She was not.

He was athletic and strong looking. She was not.

He was easy going and fearless. She was not.

Surely he had asked out of pity.

Guys like Sebastian dated models and perfectly put together women, Grace was sure of it. They never dated shy, awkward, chubby girls. If they did, it was pure pity. She was not about to be some guy's pity date. Who did he think she was, anyway?

"No." Sebastian answered, point blank. "But, you see, I saw this girl and I wasn't sure how to talk to her. So, I smashed into her and hoped for the very best. It's a new thing."

"Oh. I see." Grace mumbled. Was he flirting?

"Please, don't take it the wrong way. I am sorry, I would never purposely run you, or anyone, over." Sebastian was the one shifting around uneasily this time. "I'll tell you what, Grace. I'm going to give you my number, when and if, you want to go out. Text me."