[Fanfiction] Be Alive, by callieach
Title: Be Alive
Author: callieach
Fandom: Pushing Daisies
Character(s)/Pairing: Chuck
Rating: G
Words: 670
Disclaimer: Just a moment spawned from my imagination. I am, by no means, Fuller or ABC or any of those other important entities.
Authors Notes: For
lastficstanding [Round 1, Challenge 6 - pick lyrics and write off them]
Summary: Chuck enjoys the city after rain.
And every time it rains, I know it’s good to be alive. (‘Every Time It Rains’, by Charlotte Martin)
~
The day’s rain had slowed to a drizzle by the time Chuck felt she wasn’t needed in the kitchen anymore. That was when she slipped off her apron and hung it neatly on the hook by the door. Ned didn’t notice her walk through the empty Pie Hole to the front, where she hesitated only a moment before pushing open one of the big glass doors.
The outdoors seemed to rush in; the balmy night air pushed against the air-conditioned restaurant, droplets of moisture condensed on her skin, night sounds - traffic a few blocks away, music playing too loud in an apartment across the street - float through the pastry shop’s doors and change the atmosphere.
Chuck stole a glance over her shoulder. Ned was somewhere in the back, doing something he’d need to have done for the next day. She was torn between rushing back and getting him to come outside with her and going alone, letting her have her moment of childish wonder. On one hand, any moment spent with the pie maker was a good moment - she tried to ignore the moments she wanted so badly to touch him is physically hurt - but on the other, he’d be more likely to stand there looking awkward and wistful as if he wished they were nine again. She hated that look on him because it always managed to make her feel nostalgic and sad. Yes, she missed being nine and having her dad and being able to touch the Boy Next Door, but at the same time, she wanted to shake him and scream “You’re alive, Ned! So, live!” because Carpe Diem, darn it. They weren’t little anymore and they couldn’t hold hands for real, but they could still live and love and enjoy it.
Well, maybe she would back be for him in a few minutes, she decided as she took that first step outside after a long day of being indoors. She loved the Pie Hole, yes, but flour and pie filling couldn’t compare to the smell of the outdoors. A meadow with water still clinging to the flowers underfoot would have been perfect, but damp city and sparking puddles would do.
She guided the door back to it’s place and took in a deep breath. There had been a moment - more than one, actually - where she’d been certain she’d never take another deep breath. Months later, that feeling of panic when she’d been murdered, then when she’d been resurrected, still haunted her. Even when she was perfectly happy, it was there in the back of her mind, dark and brooding and maybe just a little angry that she was trying so hard to push it away.
Chuck moved to the edge of the sidewalk to peer into the puddle below. The water, rippling softly, reflected her in a way she liked. Black cardigan pulled over a floral-print dress, hair pulled back into a pony-tail, but frizzing now because of the humidity - all framed by the neon glow of a sign that still only read ‘The Pie Ho’. And, of course, a smile is a person’s best accessory. She grinned broader at the cheesy thought and stepped off the sidewalk into the puddle. The left-over rain water rippled beneath her, flashing lights all around. It wasn’t very deep and barely covered the toe of her plastic red pumps, but if she were to splash a little…
Water sprinkled her exposed ankles as Chuck twirled in broad circles, moving from puddle to puddle. She could hear her laugh echo off the nearby buildings, so she shouldn’t have been surprised when she caught Ned staring at her from inside. She beckoned him with a hand movement, stepping back up onto the sidewalk. Even though she’d seem him do all sorts of things for her, she was still pleasantly surprised when he actually joined her.
Author: callieach
Fandom: Pushing Daisies
Character(s)/Pairing: Chuck
Rating: G
Words: 670
Disclaimer: Just a moment spawned from my imagination. I am, by no means, Fuller or ABC or any of those other important entities.
Authors Notes: For
lastficstanding [Round 1, Challenge 6 - pick lyrics and write off them]
Summary: Chuck enjoys the city after rain.
And every time it rains, I know it’s good to be alive. (‘Every Time It Rains’, by Charlotte Martin)
~
The day’s rain had slowed to a drizzle by the time Chuck felt she wasn’t needed in the kitchen anymore. That was when she slipped off her apron and hung it neatly on the hook by the door. Ned didn’t notice her walk through the empty Pie Hole to the front, where she hesitated only a moment before pushing open one of the big glass doors.
The outdoors seemed to rush in; the balmy night air pushed against the air-conditioned restaurant, droplets of moisture condensed on her skin, night sounds - traffic a few blocks away, music playing too loud in an apartment across the street - float through the pastry shop’s doors and change the atmosphere.
Chuck stole a glance over her shoulder. Ned was somewhere in the back, doing something he’d need to have done for the next day. She was torn between rushing back and getting him to come outside with her and going alone, letting her have her moment of childish wonder. On one hand, any moment spent with the pie maker was a good moment - she tried to ignore the moments she wanted so badly to touch him is physically hurt - but on the other, he’d be more likely to stand there looking awkward and wistful as if he wished they were nine again. She hated that look on him because it always managed to make her feel nostalgic and sad. Yes, she missed being nine and having her dad and being able to touch the Boy Next Door, but at the same time, she wanted to shake him and scream “You’re alive, Ned! So, live!” because Carpe Diem, darn it. They weren’t little anymore and they couldn’t hold hands for real, but they could still live and love and enjoy it.
Well, maybe she would back be for him in a few minutes, she decided as she took that first step outside after a long day of being indoors. She loved the Pie Hole, yes, but flour and pie filling couldn’t compare to the smell of the outdoors. A meadow with water still clinging to the flowers underfoot would have been perfect, but damp city and sparking puddles would do.
She guided the door back to it’s place and took in a deep breath. There had been a moment - more than one, actually - where she’d been certain she’d never take another deep breath. Months later, that feeling of panic when she’d been murdered, then when she’d been resurrected, still haunted her. Even when she was perfectly happy, it was there in the back of her mind, dark and brooding and maybe just a little angry that she was trying so hard to push it away.
Chuck moved to the edge of the sidewalk to peer into the puddle below. The water, rippling softly, reflected her in a way she liked. Black cardigan pulled over a floral-print dress, hair pulled back into a pony-tail, but frizzing now because of the humidity - all framed by the neon glow of a sign that still only read ‘The Pie Ho’. And, of course, a smile is a person’s best accessory. She grinned broader at the cheesy thought and stepped off the sidewalk into the puddle. The left-over rain water rippled beneath her, flashing lights all around. It wasn’t very deep and barely covered the toe of her plastic red pumps, but if she were to splash a little…
Water sprinkled her exposed ankles as Chuck twirled in broad circles, moving from puddle to puddle. She could hear her laugh echo off the nearby buildings, so she shouldn’t have been surprised when she caught Ned staring at her from inside. She beckoned him with a hand movement, stepping back up onto the sidewalk. Even though she’d seem him do all sorts of things for her, she was still pleasantly surprised when he actually joined her.