InsaneJournal

Who: Ned and Chuck Charles
What: A Pie Tasting Date
When: Backdated: Friday, May 9th. Evening
Where: The Pie Hole
Rating/Warnings: Family Friendly
Status: Complete

When Ned had asked Chuck to come by The Pie Hole on Friday night, he’d thought it was a great idea at the time and he still did think it was a good idea except for the part where now that he was waiting for her, he was extremely nervous. It was probably obvious that he liked her and how could he not? She was cute and funny and quirky and had wound up inspiring him to bake new things that he probably wouldn’t have tried before. Not to mention, there were the dreams now where he’d brought her back from the dead under the condition that he could never touch her again otherwise she’d be dead for good.

While he was waiting, Ned had finished preparing the pie he’d promised her and it was currently in the oven and he started putting up the chairs on the tables, intending to sweep up while he continued to wait.

Chuck couldn’t understand why she was nervous. Or maybe she was excited. Or maybe, she told herself, she was reading way too much into things and these dreams had given her a false idea of what their relationship might possibly be. After all, being first and only loves in a bizarre dream world didn’t mean they had to be the same in the real world, right? Right. Though she’d be lying if she said the idea didn’t appeal to her. Ned was just sweet, and funny, and she liked that he appeared to go out of his way to impress her a little.

She arrived a few minutes after closing time and tapped on the door. She’d dressed in what she felt would be appropriate after-hours pie-tasting attire in a yellow fifties pin-up inspired fit, and pulled her hair into a ponytail that hung over her shoulder. Because after-hours pie-tasting should be a fun event, and she wanted to look fun.

Hearing the tap on the glass, Ned turned and smiled when he saw Chuck standing there and he all but stopped dead in his tracks. He stared at her for a moment or two, taking in her appearance before he realized what he was doing and quickly moved towards the door to let her in, “Hi. You look...you look really nice.” This might not have been a date, but he couldn’t resist complimenting her, because it was true; she looked extremely nice.

As he held the door open for her, he reflexively stood back so as not to touch her before he realized what he was doing and that there was no fear of her dying if he touched her and so he moved just a little closer so she wouldn’t think he was trying to keep his distance from her for whatever reason.

Chuck couldn’t help but blush a bit, though, honestly, she was secretly very pleased. “Oh, this old thing,” she said, giving him an amused smile. She walked inside and paused a moment, thinking how funny it was to be there now that she’s dreamt about it and all.

“It really does look just like the dreams, doesn’t it? Isn’t that funny.” Then she turned to look at Ned and clasped her hands behind her back, resisting the urge to rock on her heels. “So. Do lots of people get to do after-hours pie-tastings?”

“It’s a little crazy, isn’t it?” Ned had realized how strange it was, after having his first dreams, that his shop in real life looked exactly like his shop in the dreams; at least on the inside. The outside certainly didn’t look like a giant pie. “No. Just you.” He dropped his gaze to his feet for a moment, a small smile upon his lips before he looked back up at Chuck and gestured towards the kitchen, “I should check on the pie. Care to join me?”

“Totally bonkers,” Chuck agreed. She grinned and nodded, following him back toward the kitchen. There, she leaned back against a table, giving Ned an amused look. “So. You don’t bring people back from the dead in real life, do you?” she teased. And, because she felt bad that her dream self couldn’t touch Ned, she gave him a nudge with her foot.

Ned shook his head in response to her question, smiling as she nudged him with her foot before moving across to the oven to check on the pie, “No, I don’t bring people back from the bed. At least, I don’t think I do. I mean, I haven’t gone to the morgue to check or killed anyone to see if it works.” If Ned’s ability did manifest itself in real life, he wasn’t entirely sure how he was going to find out.

“That’d be all sorts of spooky.” And cool. Spooky and cool. “Cause, you know, I’ve been reading a bit on the Network and there are people that actually get weird dream power thingies. You might be next.” Chuck raised her eyebrows, but a part of her looked a bit delighted.

“It’d be interesting. That’s for sure.” He said, determining that the pie was done and with over mitts, he took it out, placing it on a trivet in the middle of the work station where Chuck currently was, “We’ll let it cool a little before cutting into it.” He removed the mitts and set them down beside the two plates that he’d already gotten out earlier, “I don’t know what I’d use that ability for in real life though. After all, I don’t know any private detectives that specialize in homicides.” He smirked at her.

“Maybe you’d just have to, you know, not do anything with it.” Chuck swished her face around a little. “I mean. I’m sure if you really wanted you could find someone. Heck, in this place, no one would bat an eyelash much at it.” She moved over to look at the pie, leaning over and smelling it. “It smells beyond delicious.”

Ned nodded, “I guess the only thing I can really do is wait. Who knows what might happen between now and if my ability manifests itself.” It felt extremely strange to be talking about having an ability, but also not at the same time. His smirk widened as she smelled the pie, “I hope it tastes as good as it smells.” If it wasn’t obvious, Ned really wanted to impress Chuck with this pie.

“As long as you promise to bring me back if I ever die, you can do whatever you want when and if you get them,” she said. She looked serious for all about thirty seconds before a grin cracked her face and she laughed. “Everything you make tastes good. You can do no wrong.”

Ned’s eyes widened slightly at her request, because if she died and he brought her back, like in the dreams, he’d never be able to touch her again and that would be a travesty. Granted, he hadn’t actually touched her at all yet and part of him was sure that she would find that at least a little creepy if she knew he was thinking about touching her, “Oh, I’m sure there’s something I could make that wouldn’t taste good. Some combination that wouldn’t go well together. I mean, nobody is perfect.” He used all of his willpower not to add ’except you. outloud.

“Well. Okay, probably. But as far as pie goes, I think you’re pretty solid.” She gave Ned a smile and shrugged. “I’m pretty hopeless in the kitchen, so by comparison I think you’re pretty great.”

“I should give you some baking lessons some time then,” Ned smirked as he touched the top of the pie lightly with one finger to test the temperature of it and determining that it wasn’t too hot any longer, he started cutting and plating two pieces. Placing a fork on one of the plates, he passed it over to Chuck, “Time for the taste test.”

Chuck raised her eyebrows and grinned, taking the plate. “You’d teach me how to bake?” The idea delighted her. Also mostly just spending more time with Ned was a great bonus. “I’d like that.” Then she turned her attention to the pie. “Should I just dig in? Or are we gonna be all proper here and cut it all fancy?”

“Of course I would,” Ned smiled at the thought of spending more time with Chuck, “It’d be my pleasure.” Picking up his own plate, he pointed his fork at her, “You can dig right in.” He was anxious to find out what Chuck thought of this particular pie.

“Well, it’d be my pleasure to learn,” she replied. Chuck glanced down a bit to hide the blush on her cheeks, then stabbed her fork into the pie to work out a bite. “Holy moly. This is pretty much better than I thought it’d be.”

Ned took a bite of his own piece of pie, smiling as he watched Chuck’s reaction. It was a really good pie and he would certainly be making it again to sell in the shop, but he was glad that Chuck had gotten to be the first one to try it and that she appeared to like it, “I’ll have to make you one that’s all your own after this.”

“I could pretty much live off your pie, I think. Totally converted me from a cake girl.” Chuck smiles around another bite. “Maybe you shouldn’t teach me how to bake, because it might stop me from coming by.”

Ned laughed and ate another piece, waiting until he had swallowed to speak again, “That’s a good point. In that case, I don’t think that I’ll teach you how to bake.” He certainly wouldn’t want Chuck to stop coming by the Pie Hole because she could bake.

“Good.” Not that Chuck would stop coming by, but it was a good excuse. Not that she needed excuses to see Ned. Or anything. “Maybe we can have more after-hours pie-tastings.”

A smiled spread across Ned’s lips at that and he nodded, “Maybe next time we can do something else.” His gaze flicked up to meet Chuck, “I mean, pie might get boring after a little while. So, maybe we could go out for dinner sometime. Like an actual date.” It had been awhile since Ned had gone on a date since he was usually pretty busy with work and he usually wasn’t quite so awkward about it, but Chuck was different and it wasn’t just because of the dreams.

Chuck hoped she didn’t look as delighted as she felt, because that could be embarrassing. Still, she nodded enthusiastically and waited until her mouth wasn’t full of pie. “I would love to go on an actual date. Absolutely.” She gave Ned a grin before taking another bite of pie.