Fic: Sometimes all you need is a change of perspective part 2 | Pushing Daisies - Olive/Chuck
Author: Shadower
Title: Sometimes all you need is a change of perspective (Chapter 2)
Disclaimer: ABC owns it all. I only own the words. At least, when they are in this order...
Fandom: Pushing Daisies - Olive / Chuck
Rating: (still) PG
Summary: Olive's attempt to put thoughts of the pie-maker behind her have unexpected results
Spoilers: Not in this one.
Authors Notes: I want to thatnk all of you for the comments! Also a great big thatnks goes to
llyfrgell for beta-ing! Now I'm off to statistics class ::shudders::
The first rays of sunshine found one Olive Snook stirring in her sleep. Ever since her days as a professional jockey, she had taken to waking up early, making the early morning the time she spent with herself. Drinking that first cup of coffee and reading a book, sorting her thoughts through the words of others. Back in her riding days, Olive had used this time alone in order to compose herself before the events of the upcoming day; now, years later, this time was used more out of habit than out of need, as it seemed only to highlight her loneliness.
As emerald eyes fluttered open and Olive's brain stumbled out of the fog caused by sleep, she could feel that something was off. It wasn't as though it was necessarily wrong - but it was not quite right either. It was only when her eyes, and mind, focused that she understood the source of the feeling: she was not alone in her bed.
Currently, a brown haired head of one woman - Chuck Charles rested against her shoulder. Her hair was swept away from her face, most likely by the movement that had brought it to its current resting place. Chuck’s breath was even, and after several moments of holding her own breath in fear of waking the woman who had effectively pinned her to the mattress with an arm over her stomach and a leg over one of her own, Olive finally allowed herself to breath again. Despite her initial reaction to the brunette's appearance, she couldn't bring herself to hate the pie-makers' girlfriend.
The fact was simple enough: Ned had chosen Chuck., and Olive wondered why. Besides the obvious, of course. Yes, she is sweet and kind, funny sometimes... And my gosh, she is beautiful. Olive took a moment to try to clear her head, but what first came to mind was the knowledge that Chuck was asleep, and the regular rules regarding looking at her were now obsolete since she couldn't catch the blue eyes looking at her. With that newfound freedom she let her eyes roam over the face and body of the woman sharing her bed.
The first thing she turned her eyes to was also the closest - Chuck’s face. And she took it all in, the high forehead, momma would say it's a sign of intelligence, the shape of her nose, her cheek bones, the soft looking mouth, her lips parted slightly in a smile as she slept. Wait, was I just thinking her lips looked soft? Suddenly slightly panicked, Olive looked around her room, trying to find something, anything that could get her small frame from under the other woman. Something that could allow her to leave the room.
The slight movements caused a groan to escape from Chuck, who moved her head back slightly. Recognizing an opportunity for what it was, Olive angled her upper body in a way that the head that was just on her shoulder now rested next to it. Alright, now to get the other two, so that I can get out of here. Freeing her leg was easy, as the weight of Chuck's leg rested on her lower leg, all I have to do is bend it, and she was one step closer to her to making her escape.
The big problem, however, was the arm across her waistline. Trying to ignore the panic her thoughts had caused and attempting to think logically, the blonde took several deep breaths. Her thoughts were sending her into a whirlwind of confusion, the sort of confusion she neither wanted nor needed in her life. Alright, stop. Breathe. I can get out of bed. Out from under her. Breathe... How can I get her hand off me? Or maybe, me out from under her hand...
Her aid, came from a source she did not expect. It was Digby, sensing my discomfort, maybe, who put the tip of his cold nose to the very bottom of Chuck's foot, that very small part that was not completely covered by the warm blanket, which caused the woman to pull her limbs together in an unconscious attempt to keep warm. That move was enough for Olive to lift the arm pinning her down and gently slide out of the bed.
I can't do this... I mean what is wro... going on with me? I am just... scared. That's it! I have wanted him to love me for the longest time, and now that I have decided to move on, my mind just snapped, no, not snapped... uh... turned to, that's better. Turned to the first person I saw. It could just as easily be Emerson. She shivered at the thought, and stopped her pacing. I need tea. I really need some tea.
And so, with the troubling thoughts put to rest, Olive went about her daily routine: making tea and a large, healthy breakfast, this time enough for two. She was just mustering the courage to go wake the other woman, when a tousle-haired Chuck appeared in her kitchen doorway, causing the small blonde to jump slightly when she heard the other woman's voice.
"I'm sorry," the still sleepy Chuck offered after a yawn, "I didn't mean to scare you."
"It's OK," Olive replied with a cheery smile, "I'm just a little jumpy in the morning. The water is still hot; do you want some coffee, or tea?"
"Coffee would be great, thank you." Having a task to keep her busy, Olive’s mind sharpened, and for the first time since the other woman came to the kitchen door she took in her appearance. Chuck was still wearing the borrowed nightgown, and nothing more. She couldn't help but gasp as she weighed her options: She could either make Chuck’s coffee and send the woman to get a robe or get her a robe herself and then make the coffee. At any rate she would not leave her guest standing in a spaghetti-strapped nightgown when it was clearly too cold to be in one. The bed is one thing, but really...
"Coffee it is then. Let me just get you something to cover yourself; you are probably freezing!" She willed her eyes to look away from the place she knew she could get confirmation for that statement, looking up to Chuck's eyes and smiling as she all but fled the room. Heading down the hall, she could not see that the brown haired woman was looking at her the whole time.
When she returned, with an elegant yet warm robe draped across her forearm, she found Chuck at the same spot she had left her, staring at the floor. "Chuck?" Green eyes shot up to meet blue, an indecipherable glint flashing through before being pushed down by a smile of gratitude. Olive handed her the robe.
"Thank you."
"Not a problem. Now, let's get you something to eat; I made lots!" I'm going to ask Ned for a day off. The two women made small talk during the meal, but Olive's mind kept wandering. Once she had decided she was going to ask the pie-maker for that day off she couldn't help but start planning it.
"Olive, are you OK? You seem a million miles away." Drat. She tried hard not to cringe.
"I'm OK, I was just thinking about asking Ned for a day off, and thinking about what I would do with it if he said yes." In her attempt to sound chipper and carefree Olive had missed the fleeting look that passed her companion’s face.
"Oh, you..." she cleared her throat "you are taking a day off?"
"Not yet, but I want to. I haven't seen Poly for so long, and I think it would be just wonderful if I could take her out for a few hours, maybe even a day!" Olive’s tone grew more and more excited as she told the woman sitting in front of her the beginning of her plans.
"Poly?" Chuck inquired with a tilt of her head and a raised eyebrow.
"Yes, Polyhymnia, she is a beautiful black and white Appaloosa mare. She belongs to an old friend of mine who has retired from being a jockey but keeps training horses so that people can enjoy them. He has a farm not far from here and I think I might just still have a rain-check from a time I could not make it."
"Polyhymnia? That's an odd name..." Olive just smiled.
"He names all the horses in his stables after figures from Greek myths. Polyhymniawas the muse of hymns, lyrics, singing and rhetoric." The blonde counted off each word with her fingers. Chuck pulled back, confusion clearly written across her face. Olive blushed. "I looked her name up, after he told me what he named her..." was the sheepish explanation to the silent question.
The rest of breakfast went on quietly as each woman got lost in her thoughts.
When they had finished, Chuck thanked the Olive and headed for her closet, or rather - the closet that contained her clothes in the pie-maker’s apartment, promising that she would bring the borrowed garments back to her clean. All that remained for Olive Snook now was to talk to the pie-maker so that she could go and reset her mind.