¡Tink! (tinkhatespink) wrote in valarlogs, @ 2015-02-01 18:13:00 |
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Entry tags: | !complete, peeta mellark, tinkerbell |
Who: Peeta Mellark and Tinkerbell
When: Late January, after her wing injury
Where: Bakery
What: Tink needs all the chocolate in the whole world
Rating/Warnings: Low/None (mentions of injury/disability)
Status: Complete
Tinkerbell was wrapped up. She didn’t look like it, as she was wearing a big hoodie over her clothes, but underneath was a huge ace bandage holding her wings in place. There wasn’t a whole lot that could be done. She just didn’t want the top portion of her wing to fall the rest of the way off. There was pain involved, but it was mostly emotional. She would never fly again. There was only one cure for a broken wing in her Dreams, and Peri didn’t have her wings.
So, chocolate. Baxter Bakery had been looted and was closed for repairs, so Tink had to find a new place for something fattening and full of sugar. She headed into a shop she’d heard of and driven past, but had never tried before. Now was as good a time as any. It was late enough in the morning that it wasn’t completely packed. She stepped up to the register, looking pale. There were dark circles under her eyes.
News of the break in had travelled and Peeta was a little nervous that something like that was going to happen to his, but he really didn’t have as big of a shop as Baxter Bakery did since he only sold the occasional pastry, but mostly relied on his cake sales. They wouldn’t find much in his place except for supplies in the back and he highly doubted they would want any of that, but the break in had signaled a bit of an upswing in business for him. He was bringing out a new tray of chocolate croissants when he noticed the woman walk in.
The other customers were currently with his coworkers and he noticed that something was completely wrong. He stepped forward to the counter to greet her, “Hi. How are you today? Can I get you anything?” He really hoped that he would be able to do something for her, but he knew better than to point out that she looked like she could use a little help.
Tink turned at the sound of the voice, and saw the boy standing on the other side. Okay, man. Man with a tray of croissants. Handsome man with a tray of croissants. She cleared her throat. “Hi. Um. Chocolate?” She said, awkwardly. Because Tink was totally awkward. “What do you have that’s chocolate?”
When she finally seemed to notice him he couldn’t help but flash her a smile. Yeah, something was going on because she seemed slightly out of it. Maybe she just wasn’t a morning person and he could fully understand that. “Hi. And what do I have that’s chocolate? Well, I’ve got these pain au chocolat that just came fresh out of the oven. I made some chocolate chip cookies earlier and lastly my favorite double chocolate and raspberry brownies.” Yeaaaah, he had gone a little crazy in the back earlier today, but it was worth it because lately he had been clearing out his pastry case, “What sounds good to you?”
“Oh, wow.” Tink really hadn’t been expecting so many choices. She paused for a moment, staring at the warm pastries with chocolate in them, then turned her tired eyes back to his handsome, smiling face. “What do you like best?”
“Hm….I really like the brownies. But if you don’t like raspberry then I would go with the cookies. Or if you really truly want chocolate then go with all three,” He answered with a laugh. He had to admit that he loved all this food and he made sure to only make things that he truly liked.
“Well, I do like raspberry. But the cookies look amazing. As do the others…” Tink pulled her wallet out of her pocket--it was attached with a beautiful chain to a belt loop on her pants--and she opened it up to inspect the contents. “I’ll take one of each.” She said, and finally turned to him with a smile. Tink had a beautiful smile, when she used it.
It was nice to see her smiling because she looked so upset when she came in, “Alright! I can definitely get you one of each. I think that is your best choice.” He was biased, but he knew his pastries were good so trying one of each was the best way to go about things. He moved to pack them all up in a baggie for her, “Do you want one to eat now or put them all in the bag?”
“Now, please.” Tink said, and her smile went a bit more sheepish as she pulled cash from her wallet to pay for the pastries. “Thank you. This really makes my day.” She paid him for the sweets. “Is there somewhere where I can sit and eat them?”
He wrapped the brownie up in a paper wrapper instead of putting in the bag with the other items. He brought them along with him as they moved over to the register and ring her up. “And I’m so glad I could make your day. That’s what I like to hear from my customers. Especially when they leave with a much happier look upon their face. And yeah, there’s a couple chairs right over there.” He gestured towards the other side of the building where a handful of chairs and tables were placed. He used them for meeting clients and other people that wanted to sit and eat.
“Thanks. Yeah, uh… It’s been a really shitty week,” Tink explained, moving with the guy over to the register. “You haven’t been hit by like, the wave of crime-craziness, have you?” She was here because Baxter was closed, and she’d lost use of her wings because of some fucktard with a knife. “I mean, I don’t see any broken windows, so I’m guessing you’ve been thankfully ignored?”
“Not around here. I think we look small enough that people just kind of pass over us. I’m thankful for that, but I do feel bad for everyone else that has been hit. I’m going to try and figure out how to help some of the other businesses around here that have been hit. Have you been bothered by it?” He asked politely and he kind of knew the answer already since she was having such a bad week.
Tink reached a hand up and grabbed onto the neckline of her hoodie, tugging it a little tighter around her body. “...I work for a Garage. Some guys were busting in windows of the cars we’ve got on the lot. I…” She couldn’t meet his eye for a moment. God, this was hitting her harder than she’d originally thought. “I was injured when I came to open the garage and they were still there. Hence the dire need for chocolate.”
Peeta was great at watching body language in his customers and he noticed her immediately start to close up. He frowned slightly as he handed over her food, “Are you okay? Do you need to go to a doctor? I can take you there if I need to. I’m so sorry that you got hurt, what a bunch of jerks.” He couldn’t believe that people were ballsy enough to go after people in this craziness.
“No,” Tink said, shyly. She finally looked up at him again, though now her nose was burning. Tears were welling in her eyes. It was one thing to tell Neal or text her friends, or her sister. But telling a stranger made it feel… real somehow. She swallowed. He was being so kind and he didn’t even know her.
She reached forward to take hold of the pastries. “Thank you, though. I’ll just… go sit for a bit.” Now she felt frazzled and embarrassed.
“I’ll join you,” he felt terrible for stirring up those emotions in her because he could see that she was about to cry. He took off his apron and set it on the counter, quickly letting his coworker know that he would be right back, and walked around the counter. He moved to her side and held out his hand, “Come on, let’s go sit down for a little bit.”
“Thank you,” Tink accepted his kindness. It was a relief to have someone there--even if he was just listening temporarily. She moved with him over to the table and took a seat, setting things down. “Now I feel silly for pulling you away from work,” she admitted, lifting her sleeve to wipe at her eyes. The tears were threatening to spill over, so she tried to get them before they could.
“Don’t worry about it. They can deal without me for a little bit. I’ve made you start crying so I think my priority is with you,” he was terrible at letting people get upset around him. He always felt guilty and that he needed to do something to fix it. Once they were sitting at the table he helped pull out the food she just purchased, “You seem like you need all this chocolate right now.”
“And then some. You don’t sell tequila here, do you?” Tink joked. Though, she was only half-kidding. A Drink probably would have done her nerves some good. A few Drinks might even take her mind off her broken wing. She reached forward for the brownie and lifted it to take a bite.
“Haha, I’ll try to remember to keep some in the back from now on. Unfortunately all I deal with is chocolate and sugar. Both are almost as good a shot of tequila,” Peeta offered up with a chuckle, “But are you sure that you don’t need to go to the doctor or anything? I don’t want to read in the paper that I helped you and then you ended up worse after you leave.” He wasn’t going to say that he was afraid that she would die if she left without proper care.
Tink chewed thankfully, swallowed and spoke again. “Depends on how you combine them, but yes. This is almost as good as a shot of tequila.” Now that the topic was back on the chocolate, she felt a little better. Less likely to burst into tears.
Then it came up again. Tink set the brownie down. “...I’ve already seen someone, it’s just… there’s nothing that conventional medicine can do for me. I’m a bit… well, I’m a bit different. You see.” She wasn’t going to get out her wings and show him, but maybe he knew about the Dreams.
“Ah, I won’t press into your personal life, we’ve only just met. But as long as you won’t be further injured after you leave here then I’ll stop bothering you about if you’re okay,” Peeta reassured her with a smile before getting up, “be right back.” He walked back over to the case and grabbed another brownie for her before sitting back across from her.
“Here, you deserve another one on the house.”
Tink gave a little nod. She didn’t think she was going to re-injure or further-injure herself when she left. There wasn’t much damage that could be done. Wings were strong, sure. She was really good at tucking them away and pulling them out at a moment’s notice. But when they were sliced like that… She’d feared at first she might tear the top part the rest of the way off, but so far it’d held fairly strongly.
Then he was coming back with another brownie. She was mid-bite when he sat down again, and she had to lift a hand to cover her mouth when she laughed. “You’re going to make me fat.”
“Nothing wrong with that,” he admitted with a laugh as he leaned back in his chair, “As long as you’re happy and buy your treats from me then I won’t mind. I’m sure you’ll look just a beautiful even if you were chubby.” Oops, Peeta sometimes didn’t have a filter when he said things, but she was a pretty girl and he wanted to make sure she was happy when she left.
Tink went a little pink. “Thanks,” she said, grinning sheepishly. She’d definitely have to come back here to this place. The brownies were outstanding. And she was starting in on the croissant now. “I’ll keep that in mind. Baxter’s is great, but they don’t have a cute guy giving me free brownies and telling me I’d be pretty if I was chubby.”
“That’s how I get all my repeat customers,” Peeta teased with a wink and grinned at her, “But honestly, I would be quite happy if you came back. Like I tell people I like, if you let me know when you come in I can make whatever you want. Oh, I’m Peeta, by the way and this is my place. I just realized now that I never actually introduced myself to you. So sorry.”
“Oh.” Tink said, suddenly looking a little surprised. She glanced around the shop, then back to him with her eyes wide. “You own this place?” She asked, almost incredulously. Then she swallowed, and wiped her hand on her jeans before offering it to him. “Sorry, I’m Tink.”
“I do,” He answered with a grin. He didn’t like to tell people straight up that it was his place if they didn’t come in just for a cake. Better to have them give honest opinions for things than to try and save face because he was the owner. He shook her hand firmly, “Nice to meet you, Tink. And have I made you happier than you walked in today? Because I like seeing your smile more than your frown.”
He was very flattering. Tink couldn’t help the grin spreading on her lips, the burning blossoming pink along her cheekbones. “Yes,” she admitted, taking her hand back so she could continue work on her chocolate croissant. “I’m feeling better, thank you. You’re really good at that, you know. Bringing smiles out in people.”
“Thank you,” Peeta knew that he was blushing just slightly. He liked to make people happy and keep them safe, a small part of why he liked being in the military, but lately things hadn’t been the greatest. Especially not with the dreams he had been having and he would much rather focus on someone else’s problems than his own, which was why he was glad Tink was feeling better, “And good, I’m really happy about that. I should probably get back into the kitchen, but I do hope you keep good on your word and come in here more.”
Tink didn't register the blush on his face. She was too busy worrying about her own blush to notice his. That's what Tink did. She was awkward and adorable, and never knew what to say or do. But she was friendly, and she was happy, for the most part. Right now she was a bit out of sorts, but Peeta was helping with that.
"Don't let me keep you from your work," she added, softly. "Ah, I think you'll find my word is good." She added, finally smirking a bright, genuine, Tink-like smirk. "And thanks. For everything."
“You’re quite welcome. Can’t wait to see you again,” he added honestly as he reached over to pat her hand and give her another smile. Once he finished that he got up and made his way back towards the kitchen in the back. Glancing over his shoulder he gave her a wave and then walked into the kitchen. She seemed really nice and he was glad that she was happier now than when she walked in.