Ping!

[shh_justin]

Date: 31 July 2005
Characters: Justin Finch-Fletchley, Ernie Macmillan
Location: Just Desserts
Status: Private
Summary: An old friend stops by at work.
Completion: Complete

The shop had been quiet the entire day and Justin was all alone.  Eloise had stepped out just a moment ago, in search of ingredients for her mad experiments in the back kitchen, so

Comments

[shh_justin]

Justin winced.

"No, no, he didn't - he wasn't disrespectful at all. Especially to Eleanor." Though Zach's opinions on Ernie didn't exactly display a mutual fondness between the two. Of course, that was the kind of thing he could do with keeping to himself. "Just, whatever happened is over and done, right? But between you and me, mate, I've got to say, you did some good work on his nose." He attempted a grin.

He couldn't help but notice the glow about Ernie whenever he said Eleanor's name. It was a nice to know that love was real, sometimes. He'd been having a tough time believing in the notion lately. However, it seemed evidence of its existence was standing right in front of him, beaming, even as Ernie whispered it quietly.

"You're getting married!?" Justin yelped, completely destroying any sense of secrecy Ernie had been striving for. If anyone had been outside the shop looking in through the window at the sweets, they'd have heard and word would be all over town. He shut up for about three seconds before continuing.

"Good on you, mate!" he congratulated at a lower volume. "When are you popping the question? Have you got a ring?"

This was great news. Justin looked around the shop.

"Hang on - " he ducked behind the counter and opened the back door to one of the cases. "Hey, Ernie, grab one of those boxes over there and come pick out some fudge. Consider this an engagement present. Oh, and the Frogs are right on that shelf, help yourself."

[shh_ernie]

Ernie blinked. "Whatever happened is over and done with? Unless Smith has suddenly pulled his shiny blond head from his arse, I doubt that." He grinned. "I did do good work on his nose." The grin disappeared and he grumbled, "Even if Eleanor didn't think so."

His eyes widened and he looked out the window. Hopefully, Justin's voice hadn't carried all the way to the house. If it had, hopefully, Eleanor--and Henry--weren't at home. "Well, I need to ask first. Formally. Because we've already talked about it. And yes, I have a ring." He shrugged. "Haven't decided on when yet. Next weekend will be six months since we met." Smiling sheepishly, he explained how Eleanor had been working at the Bookworm and had forgotten to take the jinx off the books he'd bought. "So I was petrified right there on the porch," he finished with a laugh.

Doing as he was told, Ernie grabbed a box. "I can't let you give me the fudge, though, Justin. We're not engaged yet. And while Midgie loves me, I doubt she's in favor of you giving the wares away." He handed the box over and pointed at a few kinds of fudge.

[shh_justin]

Justin's smile faltered a bit. Good Merlin, he wanted to know what was going on. If this had happened at school, he'd be well informed just from sitting in the common room and listening to the whispers. Now he had to be an adult and either dig for gossip himself or live in ignorance.

Bah. The ignorance thing would be the right thing to do. But then again, his owl Wanker had pecked a chunk out of his finger that morning - and he hadn't strangled it to death. He'd already done a good deed that day, and it was his job to balance the universe, after all.

"Zach can be a bit of a git, yeah," Justin agreed slowly. "But he seemed kind of sure that it was all quaffles through the hoop. He said that you both agreed you were both wrong...and stuff...so..."

So what were you guys fighting about, anyway? Why would Ernie be so sore about Eleanor not appreciating his well-aimed punch? The only thing Justin could think of was that Ernie feared Eleanor had taken to fancying Zach.

"So...okay, I'm getting the idea that maybe you don't think you were wrong?" Justin grinned awkwardly. That wasn't prying for information. That wasn't prying at all. That was an open-ended question and it was up to Ernie himself if he wanted to release information. It was a perfectly legitimate conversation-extender and no a pathetic tactic whatsoever.

Justin laughed as Ernie told him how they'd met. "Well, that's a story to tell the kids, huh? Romantic. That story will be told at the reception, I hope?"

He smirked. "Midgie? That's brilliant. Midgie. But it'll be out of my pocket, I swear. I have no intention of giving her hard work away."

He proceeded to fill the box with fudge and pushed it over the counter. "Take it. The Frogs too. It's all on me."

[shh_ernie]

"Both wrong?" Ernie barked out a laugh. "The bloody tosser deserved it!" He cleared his throat. "Although I won't be breaking his nose again any time soon." Unless, of course, the tosser hurt Eleanor in any way, shape, or form. "Eleanor's taken a liking to him for some odd reason. I promised to be nicer."

The kids? Ernie gulped. Things were going well with Henry. But looking out for Eleanor's sixteen-year-old brother was a far cry from caring for their own baby. Thankfully, she didn't seem inclined to have any soon. "Er...yeah...quite a story. As for the reception..." He smiled. "I reckon you'll have to come and find out."

Ernie took the box from Justin. He thought about arguing, but instead nodded. However, he only took two packages of frogs. "Er...don't call her Midgie. She threatened my bollocks the last time I did. I'd hate to see you get fired."

[shh_justin]

Aha! It seemed Justin was right, and Eleanor had a bit of a crush on Zach. Well, that could be potentially problematic, couldn't it? Also, it seemed that the blame didn't lay on anyone. It wasn't Zach's fault, nor was it Ernie's or even Eleanor's. If he was correct, the problem would sort itself out on its own.

Hopefully. Ernie seemed pretty adamant that he was right about...whatever. And it was clear Zach still had no patience for Ernie, and apparently said tosser-like things. Justin hoped Eleanor was a patient woman.

"I'm sure they're just friends," Justin assured Ernie. "The randomest people always end up hitting it off. It can be pretty surprising sometimes. But at the end of the day, it's you she goes home to, yeah?"

He noted Ernie'd expression when he mentioned kids. Evidently, he wasn't ready. Who was, at this point? Justin made a memo to himself in his mind not to mention it again to Ernie. He filed it right next to the memo to never again mention Zach to Ernie, either.

Wow, Justin was very good at the whole tact thing. What was he doing in a dessert shop? He should be a motivational speaker - he'd be ace at that.

It seemed, though, that Ernie didn't mind that Justin was choking on his own foot. He'd just off-handedly invited him to the reception.

He smiled. "Yeah, reckon I'll have to..."

Ernie took the box reluctantly and warned Justin about the liberal use of "Midgie".

"Yeah, I suppose I'll refrain from calling her that. I have enough to explain already." He kicked at the long bundle of receipts at his feet.

[shh_ernie]

"Of course they're just friends. Why..." Ernie's voice trailed off. It all made sense now. Smith kept telling Ernie about how much he liked Eleanor, about how lovely she was, how lucky Ernie was that Eleanor cared for him. Well, if Smith thought that Ernie was going to stand by while he...swooped in...he had another thing coming.

Pulling out his wallet, he took out some money, or meal vouchers, he wasn't entirely certain and handed them over to Justin. "Er...say hello to Eloise for me. And...we'll get together soon, alright?" He held up the box of fudge. "And thanks for this."

He was out the door like a shot. He needed to get some flowers. And make a nice dinner. Perhaps he could persuade Henry to go out for the night. So he and Eleanor could have a romantic evening. He'd be damned if he were going down without a fight.

[shh_justin]

Justin blinked. Ernie sounded surprised about...

Oops. Apparently he hadn't been thinking what Justin had at all. Brilliant. Ernie sprinted out of the shop with barely a smile and Justin stared after, his mouth opening and closing noiselessly.

"Bollocks," he grumbled. This was going to be a bad day for the old 'Puff crew.

As he made his way to the back kitchen, he nearly slipped on the massive pile of accidental receipts he'd dumped on the floor. He still needed to sort through them.

A very, very bad day. Midgie wasn't going to like this at all.