Cold Steel, Warm Hearts

Chapter 7: Shopping Adventure

A few weeks later, Ted and Echo were relaxing after work on a Thursday, just finishing up dinner. Echo was eating in the living room while Ted was making a mess of his meal out at the kitchen table. The young rabbit was thinking while she was eating and watching YouTube, about how she was going to ask Ted to give her a ride to the grocery store as her food stores were starting to get low. Echo takes her plate out to the kitchen, placing it in the sink.

"So, Ted?" Echo starts as Ted whips his head around, pieces of potato and steak in his beard with his hands matching as it seems like Ted, to Echo at least, doesn't know the concept of a fork and knife. Echo can't help but laugh at the sight she saw before her.

After Ted brushes his beard almost clean and grabs one of the many napkins off of the table to clean his hands, he flashes Echo a sheepish smile. "What's up Echo?"

"Well, I'm starting to run low on some things, so I was wondering if I could get a ride to the store so I wouldn't have to take it all on the bus?" Echo quickly asks, not liking to have to ask for help from Ted.

Ted pretends to think about it, running his hands through his beard to get the rest of the gunk out of his beard. "Oh, I guess so." He drawls out, stretching in his seat. Echo's face lights up as she goes to pick up her bag that she uses as a purse to make sure what she needed would be in there.

"Oh great! Would we be able to head out soon? I want to finish my... public socializing before I rest some more." Echo asks again, excited that she doesn't have to take the bus.

With another stretch, Ted gets up from the table, putting his plate in the sink, and grabbing his keys. "Alright Speedy Gonzales, let me clean my face then we can be off." Ted chuckles as he heads to the bathroom to clean his face. Once he returns to the kitchen, he see's Echo all ready to go, waiting by the front door. "Ready to go, Carrot Cake?"

Echo rolls her eyes, and nods, following Ted out of the apartment and to the car. Along the way, she pulls up her phone to see the stores in the area. "There's a Food Basics near here, want to go there?" She asks, watching Ted unlock his side of the car, then crawling though the car to unlock the passenger's side door.

"Sure, if it's the one I'm thinking of, I usually go there because of the deals they have." He says, putting the keys into the transmission.

Echo climbs in and buckles herself in as Ted tries and fails to start the car as it was stalling. "Will it just be me heading in, or do you need things too?" She inquires, amused that Ted is struggling with the car.

"I'm obviously coming in with you. I can reach the things you can't, it'll be much faster than watching you struggle." After a few more attempts, Ted is able to turn over the engine, giving a loving pat to the dashboard. "I knew you could do it." He whispers to his car as he buckles in.

"Your car giving ya problems?" She chimes as she relaxes in her seat, not wanting to have a fight about her not needing his help.

"She's just being moody, like someone I know~." Ted jabs at Echo, giving her a wink.

"Ha HA ha, I don't know what you're talking about" Echo snidely says to Ted, sticking her tongue out at him.

Ted, from seeing such a cute sight, feels his heart and his face heat up. 'OH MY GOD THAT'S SO CUTE!' He thinks to himself, then those thoughts turn to panic because he didn't want Echo to suspect anything. "Well no time like the present to go!" He says, cleaning his throat as he throws his car into reverse and backs out of the parking lot.

Echo ponders to herself if she had embarrassed Ted somehow, but shrugs it off as she makes a shopping list for herself so she doesn't have to spend too long in the store. For the rest of the ride to the store, they didn't really talk much, the radio was the only thing making noise. Once they get to the store, Ted finds a relatively close parking spot to the front door, and Ted takes full advantage of it.