Disclaimer: It is with great displeasure that I must inform all of you...I do not own 'Pushing Daisies' or any of its characters. Let's take a moment of silence for this grave, grave news.
Authors note: Thank you to Katie who helped me with a bit of this! :)
One Love
Chapter 3.
Pickle You!
Little glances. Small smiles. This had become the regular schedule for Olive and Ned. But sadly to Olive's chagrin, that had been all since their kiss on the docks. No hugs. No dates. No kisses. No acknowledgment of any prior kisses. Olive was frustrated. But more, Olive was hurt. Did he not like the kiss? Was she a horrible kisser and just didn't know it? Did her breath repel him? She always brushed her teeth, and Mentos were always being popped in here or there to maintain quality freshness.
"No, it couldn't be that". She told herself.
"He regrets it. That's it! He regrets kissing me!" Suddenly, in a mad huff. Olive stormed over to the Piemaker. And punched him as hard as her 95 pound body would allow.
"Ow!" Ned turned around and came face to face with a very petite, very beautiful, very mad Olive.
Rubbing his arm he said "What was that for?"
"For your information. I happen to know that I am a great kisser! And my breath is minty fresh! They don't call 'Mentos' "The Fresh-maker" for nothing! And how dare you regret kissing me! I Mr., am quite a catch. I am so great. I am a damn fine piece of woman! And if you still think our saliva is incompatible then...then...well....PICKLE YOU!" Olive grabbed her coat from the near by rack and stormed out of the coffee shop without another word.
Ned looked back and forth and then out the door with a confused look on his face. "What just happened?" he unknowingly spoke allowed. An elderly man sitting across the way looked at Ned, shook his head and said "Well young man, I'd say it's time you learned that little woman is mad for you, not at you." The old man took a sip of his coffee, dropped his money on the counter, got up, smiled at Ned, and walked out the door.
Ned didn't know what was more confusing, the fight with Olive that seemed to come out of no where. The old man's words. Or "pickle you".
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Ned closed the store early that day. He knew he couldn't make the best pies possible when his mind was strictly on Olive. As he walked up to his apartment, he looked at Olive's door. He could practically feel the anger waves radiating from her door. He took a deep breath and walked straight to Olive's door and knocked determined, three times. He waited for awhile before he heard Olive about. The door whipped open.
Olive looked at him, not mad, but irritated. "Yes?' she asked incredulously.
"Um...can I come in...?" All his strong man resolve melted away when he saw her face. She was definitely mad AT him.
Olive squinted at him, sighed and dropped her tense shoulders and nodded her head in the direction of her front living room
She sat cross legged on the couch with her arms folded. Looking critically at Ned, waiting for him to speak.
After a few minutes of silent and awkward air, "Is there a reason you're here Ned?" she said quietly.
"What? Oh..yes. Look, about today...I..don't know what happened. And I am confused. And pickle me?"
Olive smiled a little "well, that was tame to what I wanted to say..."
Ned sat across from her on the coffee table. He look right into her endless eyes. "Olive, what did I do wrong?"
"You went back to Ned, the Piemaker. Not Ned and Olive. It seemed...well it seemed like you just didn't care."
"What? I smile at you all time!"
"Ned, a girl needs more of a smile. You act like we didn't kiss. And that the kiss was a one time thing. It feels...like before." she looked down, forcing herself not to cry.
Ned hated this. But Ned was not an...openly affectionate guy. He was a private person. But then.."I guess I haven't been making it known in private either."
"Olive." he grabs her hands lightly and rubs his thumbs along her palms.
Olive looked at him, feeling pathetic for crying. She sniffed in response.
"I don't regret kissing you. I don't think you are a bad kisser. You're a great kisser. Thinking about that kiss still gives me goosebumps." he laughed.
She smiled lightly.
"You're breath was minty fresh. You were--and are amazing. And I know that."
"Then why don't you say so? How come we haven't been out again? It's been a week! You haven't called. You haven't came over. You haven't even held my hand or talked about that day. at all."
"I didn't know I was supposed to. You knew it happened. I knew it happened. And I just..." he looked down for a minute then back at Olive "I just want to take this slow...I rushed into everything with Chuck. And I want this" he squeezed her hands "to last forever."
Olive looked down and openly sobbed.
Ned looked at her quizzically. "Why are you crying?" Are you okay?"
She uncrossed her legs and leaned forward and hugged him tightly.
"Why didn't you just say that!" she laughed through her tears.
Ned laughed "I don't know".
Olive pulled back and smiled.
Ned wiped away her tears and cupped her face in his hands. "Better?"
Olive smiled "Better"
