(If you don't like this, don't read. I just wanted to try out a new pairing concept :3 Nah, I just wanna express my love for this new couple.)

Linzer torte

A Sneaky and Petunia ficlet

Drumming her fingers on the icy cold pane, the blue-haired lady heaved a deep sigh. It didn't seem like a good day to open the doors of her newly-established restaurant, she thought. Large pregnant clouds encompassed the horizon. The rain came down in sheets of water. Torrents were bashing on the outside of houses. When a bright light pierces through the air, she almost jumped when she heard the deafening resounding explosion from the clouds. Petunia snatched back her hand from the windows as though she had realized she was touching an electrical fence. She saw her reflection on the glass surface and forced a wry smile.

"I guess I'll have to wait till the rain stops before I'm open for business," Petunia laughed bitterly, walking to the doors to flip the sign over, "So much for running here at six in the morning for this."

She was about to switch off the lights when something managed to catch her eye. A fleeting figure was running on the streets, but to her, it looked more than flying rather than sprinting. Bringing her face closer to the glass windows of the doors, her eyes fought to see through the frosty mist. The silhouette was as quick as a cheetah, and it dashed across the slippery road without risking a single fall. Petunia was surprised to see such a phenomenon, until she realized it was not but a regular human being.

It raced towards her restaurant and stopped in front of her door, knocking it repeatedly and impatiently with a shaking hand. Petunia was far too stunned to even comprehend, but being a kind person, she opened the door slowly, hoping that maybe that figure would just disappear into thin air.

It didn't. "Excuse me, but is this a restaurant?" The figure questioned.

He was clad in a black turtleneck sweater, a pair of camouflage pants and combat boots. A familiar-looking jacket hung at his shoulder — it closely resembled Flippy's, Petunia observed — and his hands were covered by dark fingerless gloves. Tendrils of green sharp hair were dripping with rainwater, and his eyes were mysteriously golden, like those of an eagle. A black circle band drooped over his forehead, covering his left green eyebrow. He was panting in fatigue, and Petunia only opened the door for him without hesitation.

As the mysterious man stumbled in, Petunia was watching him in both suspicion and curiosity. She didn't see anyone like him before. He was probably taller than Splendid, but slightly shorter than Lumpy by a few centimeters. She didn't address him as a threat, so she rushed to help him to the counter, where he almost collapsed on one of the seats. His face smacked the counter as soon as he sat down. Petunia stared at him as his face laid flat on the wooden surface, and she could have sworn she didn't see him breathe.

Still, she ran to get a towel— no, a bunch of towels, because his drenched body was going to ruin her restaurant. She threw them onto the counter and got ready to dry his head, but she soon stopped to wonder what she was thinking.

"What am I doing? He's a stranger, not a dog, for heaven's sake!" She sneered at herself, but when she heard the man moan in lament, she straightened up. There was absolutely no time for dilly-dallying. She held a towel in her hands, bending down to see his face, "Um... Are you alright?"

She offered him the towel, but instead dropped it beside his head. She wasn't really sure what to do because all she got was incomprehensible mumbles. The man finally rose to an upright position, taking off the band from his head. He took the towel and placed it over his head, rubbing his hair vigorously. Petunia distanced herself from the man so that she wouldn't get wet. When the man was done, his hair was flying all over the place. He didn't seem bothered by it because he was too exhausted to even think about it.

Petunia slumped onto a seat opposite of the man's and tried to make do with him, "I'm Petunia."

She extended her hand, feeling his firm one shake her slowly, "Sneaky."

"Sneaky, huh?" Petunia rested her chin on her entwined fingers, and watched the man as he wiped the counter with the towels provided. He nodded, now maintaining eye contact with her. At least now she got to have a proper decent conversation, because it would be useless talking to a person who wouldn't look at you. She slammed a hand on the counter and said inquisitively, "You must be a friend of Flippy's, I presume?"

Sneaky stopped wiping and looked at her with a raised eyebrow, "How did you know?"

"It's the uniform," Petunia said honestly, "Flippy likes to go out in it everyday."

"So he does," Sneaky said, putting the towel on his shoulder. He gazes out at the rain through the windows and sighed, "Such a remarkable day ruined by sudden rain. I was jogging out for a bit and the Lord just had to screw my morning up."

Well, that explained why he was drenched. Petunia then stood up and clapped her hands once, "That's right! You came here with an empty stomach, didn't you?"

As the owner, she felt that she should satisfy her customers. Sneaky tried to protest by raising a hand, "W-Wait. I don't have any money on me—"

"It's alright. It's all I can do for someone who's new in town," Petunia waved a hand dismissively, putting on he apron and walking to the kitchen, her voice still echoing, "You're going to be stuck here anyway, so feel free to have your breakfast! It's on me."

Resigning, Sneaky rested his head in his arms. He watched as the blue-haired woman searched for ingredients from the cupboards. He could only hear the rain still pounding, the clock on the wall ticking, the slams of cabinets and the sound of footsteps. He couldn't argue that he was new in town. Being temporarily discharged from the Army, he had no other place to go. Thankfully, Flippy called in and offered him a place in Happy Tree Valley.

It was a serene place, near the forests and the city, so he had no worry about it. In fact, he felt comfortable settling in the town. The people there were friendly, much to his surprise. Abused by the hostile environments in the military made him thankful for being in a place far from danger. He truly felt the same way Flippy did when he stepped out of the taxi, luggage in hand, eyes on a mirthful celebration on the road.

He was too busy thinking when Petunia stepped out of the kitchen, holding two plates in two hands as she walked over to the counter. She set a dish down in front of him, and gave him a cutlery set.

"It's steaming hot, so be careful," She warned, setting her plate down before returning to the kitchen for glasses. Sneaky widened his eyes at his plate.

It was a small crumbly pastry, filled with apricot jam and covered by a lattice of dough strips. A dough strip crisscross design laid on top of the fruit preserves. The smell of apricot drifted through his nostrils and he found himself staring at the meal, his stomach suddenly grumbling, famished. He sucked up his drool when Petunia set down two glasses of juice on the counter.

"Go on, eat," Sneaky heard her speak in amusement, and he blinked in realization. He was grateful his saliva didn't drip. Picking up the fork and spoon, he looked at the pastry in uncertainty, "Are you positive about this? It looks..."

He couldn't find a word to substitute both 'scrumptious and dreadfully expensive'. Petunia laughed, "I just wanted to try out a new recipe. I don't know if it tastes good, so I wanted another person to find out for me."

Sneaky nodded, still unsure. He cut a small piece from the dainty pastry, not forgetting to blow at it as he picked it up with his fork, and sticking it into his mouth. At first, he resisted the burning heat of the freshly baked pastry, but the pain soon faded away in an instant.

Overwhelmed by the soft feel of dough and the taste of sweet apricot, Sneaky was taken aback by the deliciousness. He could feel a smile almost creeping up onto his face, but he fought back the temptation. He shivered in giddy pleasure, before swallowing the piece whole. Petunia noticed his widened eyes and tilted her head, "So what you do you think?"

"... Delicious," Sneaky could only say, and Petunia sighed in relief.

"Oh good, it was my first try and I thought it would taste bad," Petunia chuckled. As he helped himself to more, she asked him, "So what brings you to Happy Tree Valley?"

Sneaky stared at her for a few seconds, before knowing what she had meant. "I was discharged from the Army, temporarily. They said I needed a break. Didn't know where to go, until Flippy found out I was free. So he called me, and I found myself here two days ago," He explained, waving his fork around. He told her how lucky he was to escape from the madness in the military, and Petunia listened intently, as she finished up her pastry.

"A good place to escape to from war?" Petunia asked, bringing the glass of apple juice to her lips. Both had already finished their meals, and their stomachs were satisfied.

"Seems like a good place. I'm envious of Flippy," Sneaky cupped his chin, "He said this town was filled with beautiful ladies. That bastard enjoyed all the company."

...

"OH!" Petunia burst into laughter, gaining Sneaky's attention, "That's what Flippy said?"

He nodded. "I bet he's lying! (Or unless it's his ego who said it...) Don't expect truths to come out of his mouth!"

"... So it isn't true?" Sneaky looked as though he realized he was stupid. Petunia patted his hand, reassuring him, "Nah, I bet he wants to make you jealous. I mean... what makes you really think this town has a lot of beautiful women?"

Sneaky took the time to think, rubbing his chin while keeping his gaze on Petunia. He soon said after some silence, "No, I thought what he said was true, because... Petunia, is it?"

"That's my name."

"No, I thought he wasn't wrong because... you're kinda beautiful."

At that moment, Petunia felt something rushing up to her cheeks. A faint, shade of red colored them, and she swallowed. Her heart almost skipped a beat but she fought to remain upright and composed. It was probably the first time someone has ever said it to her. Of course, Giggles and Lammy always commented on how pretty she was. However, they never told her that she was beautiful. She shyly coiled a strand of hair round a finger. What am I doing, she thought. Even though she had a cool outward persona, this was simply outrageous. Yet, the reddish color never faded away from her cheeks. He gazed at her with genuine golden eyes, probably wondering why she looked so red. Petunia averted her eyes, her legs shifting restlessly.

"W-What are you—"

Before she could say a word, a crackling boom of thunder interrupted her sentence. Both jumped in fright from the noise that followed a bright light that cut into the room. Soon the lights flickered, and the room was immediately enveloped in darkness. The only light was from the lamps outside. In the restaurant, especially near the counter, it was dark as can be. Petunia felt a rush of fear and stood up on instinct, before realizing what had happened. Sneaky looked around, "A blackout?"

"M-Must be," Petunia stammered, still recovering from his words. She staggered to get the flashlights from the drawers, but her heart was still pounding in her head. As she moved towards the drawers near the restroom, she could feel the cold air surrounding her. It choked her, almost, making her shiver uncontrollably. Her hands managed to grab two torches from the open drawer, and she slammed it shut. Sneaky's voice called out from the distance, and Petunia rushed back to the counter. She brushed her blue bangs from her face, "The heater's down too. In a few minutes, this restaurant's gonna be as cold as the North Pole."

"You're shaking," Sneaky observed as he turned on the flashlight. He felt the cool breeze coming in from the gap under the door, and it did have a quick effective impact on the restaurant. It did feel cold in a matter of seconds. The heat was rushing away and the coolness gushed out. Petunia cursed silently, rubbing her hands on her arms to try to produce some warmth. Sadly, it didn't work. She tried to walk around in the room, but she sighed in exasperation when nothing worked. It only made her feel colder. "Dammit... I left my coat at home," She remembered.

Then, she felt something touch her shoulders. It was soft, and warm, that enlightened her. She felt it cover her shoulders and drape over her body. She looked up to see Sneaky's face that showed worry, "Here."

He put his jacket on her shoulders, dry and warm. She gasped softly and blushed again, her arms clutching his jacket. She could feel his warm breath, hear the beat of his heart and feel the his hands on her shoulders. It was quite reassuring and calm, but it made her feel embarrassed.

Sneaky noticed the blush on her cheeks, even though it was dark, and moved away from her immediately. He scratched his temple, his face slightly crimson, "Figured you'd be cold. I still have my sweater, after all."

"Thank you," Petunia whispered, but she felt oddly different when he moved away. Sneaky shone the light at her, "We're going to have to wait until the rain stops before the power can start up again."

It rained for more than an hour. They sat at the counter again, talking throughout the rainy hours, exchanging stories with each other. Petunia didn't know that life in the Army was harsh, because Sneaky claimed it was dreadful even though he had a good build-up on his muscles. She was going about with her own story when she suddenly heard a snore out from nowhere. Blinking, she flashed her flashlight at Sneaky, who succumbed to the cold. He sunk his head into his arms and was peaceful in his slumber.

Petunia blinked, and quickly turned off the flashlight when she saw him shutting his eyes tightly at the light shone in his face. She curled her lips in a straight line, "Sneaky?"

The soldier did not speak, but only stayed still, his face half-buried in his arms like a child trying to sleep. Somehow, a small smile appeared on her face. As she fit her arms through the gigantic jacket sleeves, she was careful not to disturb the sleeping man. She only watched him sleep, his hair tousled though his face pure and handsome. She giggled softly,

"I know he's a stranger but... I just can't seem to take my eyes off him."

"Hey, Petunia? Why is your restaurant closed-" Giggles entered the restaurant, not minding the 'CLOSED' sign on the door. She's puzzled as to why the restaurant was dark. She flicked the light switches on, only to find Petunia waking up from her nap. Giggles wanted to say 'hi', but then her gaze fell on Sneaky who was still resting peacefully. She widened her eyes at Petunia who smiled at her secretly, with a finger on her lips. "Is this Flippy...?"

Petunia shook her head and mouthed, 'a friend'. The pinkette noticed her friend wearing a camouflage jacket, and her eyes blinked as her eyelashes fluttered. Giggles opened her mouth in an 'o' shape and almost giggled, winking at the blue-haired girl. "Alright, well, I'll leave you two alone~ But you MUST tell me who that guy is."

"I will, I will," Petunia promised, waving at Giggles who skipped away in her raincoat. The rain slowed down to a drizzle, yet the soldier was still fast asleep. She wanted to wake her up, but something stopped her from doing so.

Perhaps, maybe, this might be a start of a sweet friendship, or something even more.

I did it! First fic of Petunia and Sneaky! I bet no one did this. No one has love for this couple, but I do. I love Sneaky so much, and I thought Petunia would be the perfect girl for him. I love Linzer torte, an Austrian pastry that I had when my friend went to Singapore from Germany. She knows how to make beautiful pastries and as she loves Sneaky from W.A.R Journal, this is probably a gift for her~!

Yaaayy, now this is one of my fave fan pairings. I may make another fluffy romantic oneshot of these two sometime, and I'll make Sneaky an Aussie character! Australian guys are awesome. Haha, fetish for foreign people.

What should I do next? I don't want another 50 Sentences again, and I'll be doing the M-RATED oneshots soon in October when the new chapters of LSDL are released. Tell me in a review~! Mouse Kaboom and Giggles? I'm not encouraged by the idea, but ya know, I can give it a try if I want. ... I just don't know HOW. xDD

Oh, and Aussie Australian, mate~