Pushing Daisies fic: Mother of Invention 2/?
Mother of Invention 2/?
Ned/Chuck, this part rated G, 300 words
This is not really a WIP, but it does seem to be an ongoing thing. More soon.
Part one
She doesn't go back until the Pie Hole is open the next day and she can see Ned's tall silhouette in the kitchen. Then Chuck creeps up the back stairs to their apartment. It's not that she doesn't want to talk to him, though she doesn't. It's not because she doesn't want him asking where she was. He probably wouldn't. The boy has a jealous streak but he doesn't want to have a jealous streak so he will carefully avoid asking questions like that.
Avoiding Ned has the unfortunate result of running her right into Olive.
"Where were you last night?"
"How do you know I was anywhere?"
"Well then, why are you wearing the same clothes you were yesterday?"
"Do you think you might be paying a bit too much attention to my clothes?"
Stalemate. They both have the grace to look a little ashamed, as though they didn't mean to be quite so catty. Then Olive has to go and be the bigger person, damn her. (Maybe she has the right, an insane part of Chuck's brain observes. After all, she never gets to be the bigger person literally.)
"I'm sorry. It's just that Ned's been worried sick about you. He thought you were gone for good. I'll just go tell him you're back." and now there is nothing to do but throw herself on Olive's dubious mercy.
"Please, Olive. I just need some time alone. I need to take a nap. I promise I'll come down for lunch, okay? Just don't..."
"You know, I've been keeping a lot of secrets recently, Miss Lonely Tourist." Chuck figures that is Olive's way of saying she will do it. Another tally has been made in the ledger of obligation. Chuck wishes she had something Olive wanted, to clear the debt.
She does not snap "welcome to my world," which counts as a win.
Part 3
Ned/Chuck, this part rated G, 300 words
This is not really a WIP, but it does seem to be an ongoing thing. More soon.
Part one
She doesn't go back until the Pie Hole is open the next day and she can see Ned's tall silhouette in the kitchen. Then Chuck creeps up the back stairs to their apartment. It's not that she doesn't want to talk to him, though she doesn't. It's not because she doesn't want him asking where she was. He probably wouldn't. The boy has a jealous streak but he doesn't want to have a jealous streak so he will carefully avoid asking questions like that.
Avoiding Ned has the unfortunate result of running her right into Olive.
"Where were you last night?"
"How do you know I was anywhere?"
"Well then, why are you wearing the same clothes you were yesterday?"
"Do you think you might be paying a bit too much attention to my clothes?"
Stalemate. They both have the grace to look a little ashamed, as though they didn't mean to be quite so catty. Then Olive has to go and be the bigger person, damn her. (Maybe she has the right, an insane part of Chuck's brain observes. After all, she never gets to be the bigger person literally.)
"I'm sorry. It's just that Ned's been worried sick about you. He thought you were gone for good. I'll just go tell him you're back." and now there is nothing to do but throw herself on Olive's dubious mercy.
"Please, Olive. I just need some time alone. I need to take a nap. I promise I'll come down for lunch, okay? Just don't..."
"You know, I've been keeping a lot of secrets recently, Miss Lonely Tourist." Chuck figures that is Olive's way of saying she will do it. Another tally has been made in the ledger of obligation. Chuck wishes she had something Olive wanted, to clear the debt.
She does not snap "welcome to my world," which counts as a win.
Part 3