Ike nodded at the elderly woman behind the counter as he walked into the tiny boutique. Her eyes widened at the sight of him, but when he gave her one of his best grins she seemed to melt a little. "How can I help you?" she asked as he approached the counter and he pursed his lips in thought.
"I need something special for a friend that I need to thank... Do you have any idea what I can get for someone I don't really know much about?"
"Well I always recommend our mixed chocolates," she said as she opened up the glass display case and pulled out a small bag filled with the treats. "White, milk, and dark chocolates all in little triangles. Good for a friend without dipping into the romantic area, since I'm assuming that's what you meant by friend?" Ike nodded slowly.
"You guys deliver right?"
XxX
"Can I help you?" Zelda asked as a young man with blindingly bright white hair stepped into her shop.
"Are you Zelda?" he asked in a thick Australian accent and she nodded. "Then you can help me by taking this delivery off my hands." He stepped forward and held out a small box.
"Who's it from? I didn't order anything-"
"Look ma'am I just do deliveries for the boutique, I don't go reading all the from who's." She suppressed the urge to laugh and instead took the offered box. "Have a good day!" He left with that and Zelda warily set the package down on her counter. She picked up a small pair of shears and gently cut the tape. Inside the box was a folded piece of paper on top of light purple tissue paper. She picked up the letter and unfolded it slowly.
'Told you I'd get this back to you in a non-customer-scaring way. I washed the cup and there might be something in there as a thank you for giving me fuel this morning. -Ike' Zelda smiled at the note and set it aside, curious now as to what was inside. She pulled out the excess tissue paper and found her mug nestled in the middle, a small shiny mesh bag poking out of the top. There was a brief moment of hesitation before she pulled the bag out and smile lit up her face. Three kinds of chocolate, all perfectly shaped triangles, filled the bag to the top.
Eager to taste them, she pulled open the little bag and grabbed a small triangle of each. They began to melt the second they hit her tongue and she let out an appreciative little moan before her mind began to work on a way to tell him thank you for the completely unexpected, unnecessary, but welcome gesture.
XxX
Ike's eyes were tired as he finished inking in the last detail on his last client of the day. A ridiculously intense session filled with more colors than he usually recommended for one tattoo, the sugar skull on the woman's back was finally finished and he set the tattoo gun down with a sigh. "All done," he told her and she smiled over at him.
"Thank you so much! I know it was late and last minute but I really wanted you to do it."
"Eh it was no trouble," he waved away her words as he began bandaging the new ink. As he worked he told her the whole speech about the after care, her listening with rapt attention to his every word. Once he finished he turned his back so she could slide her shirt over her head once more and caught Bayonetta standing at the entrance to his booth.
"Past closing time Ike," she complained in a polite voice and he nodded.
"I know, we're finished here so if you want to go on home that's fine," he told her gently and watched her eyes dart to the woman standing there.
"No," Bayonetta shrugged and gave him a wink, "I think I'll bother you while you clean up. Are you ready to go dear?" Ike stifled a laugh at Bayonetta's forced sweetness. It was so out of character for her to be so polite but he appreciated it. She knew far better than he did when a client was going to go in for the proverbial kill and, if she could help, she'd be the barrier to stop it from happening. The client in question huffed and began to storm off, Bayonetta following her with a knowing little smirk.
After a moment he heard the front door open and close before he let out his held in laugh. "You're fantastic Bayonetta!" he called out and heard her scoff as she clicked back to him.
"Just because I can pick up on a flirty girl faster than you?" He nodded and began the process of gathering up his materials to be sterilized, feeling her eyes on his every move. "So how's your girlfriend?"
"I don't know who you mean," he fired back and she snorted.
"Flower Girl," she offered after a moment and he sighed.
"Not my girlfriend, not now and probably not going to happen."
"What makes you say that?" Bayonetta asked and Ike caught the concern in her voice.
"I sent her the mug back filled with chocolates and she hasn't said a word back," he admitted and shrugged. "It's fine though y'know? I'm obviously not her type and-"
"Ike maybe she's just nervous," he gave her a confused look and she rolled her eyes. "Look at you! You're twenty different kinds of attractive and she's not used to it. A girl like that has been sheltered her whole life, not exposed to things like you."
"Things like me?" he asked with a raised brow and she gave him a little smirk that screamed trouble. "Alright then, if I'm a thing-"
"Oh hush," she rolled her eyes and walked back to the front. Ike listened to her walk away, silently pondering her words.
XxX
Zelda sat on her couch that night, curled up under a warm blanket as she flipped through the channels. She wasn't really in the mood to watch anything, but she had to kill some time while she thought of a way to say thanks to Ike for the chocolates. The small bag was completely empty and she rolled it between her fingers in thought. What could she do for him?
After not finding anything to distract her brain she shut the television off and stood up to go to bed. As she walked she pulled her phone up and found her fingers typing in Ike's name in the browser. The magazine article caught her eye and before she really thought it through she was opening the page again. Ike's fully naked torso filled her screen as she laid down in bed, his grin making her own lips curl up in a nervous smile. He was definitely not what she would normally even consider but... He wasn't just the tattoos and snakebites and that made her think that maybe, just maybe, she could see something more than casual acquaintanceship with him.
XxX
Ike readied for work that morning, choosing his new fang shaped piercings for his snakebites before he made it to his coffee pot. Instead of his usual big cup of black coffee he made two, a grin on his lips as he slapped the lid on the travel mug imprinted with a ring of nightshade blossoms. He had bought a mixed box of travel mugs a few months back and this one he hadn't used yet, not really finding flowers on his mug to be his style, but he knew a certain florist that would at least smile at the attempt. Cups in hand he shoved his feet in his shoes and left.
XxX
Zelda pulled into her parking space beside Ike's idling muscle car, a nervous blush crawling up her cheeks. She had fallen asleep last night with his picture still up on her phone and when she woke up and found Ike grinning at her... It had been a little much. She got out of her car and to her surprise Ike killed the engine and quickly hopped out.
"Hey," he called and she gave him a smile.
"Hi," her response sounded timid and she cursed herself for that.
"Come here," he nodded and she obliged. He leaned against the side of his car and she tried not to blush when his eyes ran down her. "I thought of you this morning," he said as he leaned back into his his car and she couldn't help a shy smile as he straightened back out with two travel mugs. One was decorated with skulls and the other had a ring of flowers on it.
"You have a flower mug," she practically sang the words at him and he gave her a fake glare.
"I ordered a box of six and they were all mixed-"
"That doesn't change the fact that you, who mocked my mug, have your own flower mug," she said triumphantly as she took the offered mug.
"I've never even used it!" he laughed as she turned on her heel and began the trek to her door.
"It's probably your favorite!" she called over her shoulder as she kept going. "You probably secretly wanted to keep my mug yesterday so you could add to your collection," she made it to the door and felt Ike's presence behind her. She turned to find him grinning at her, his eyes practically sparkling with mischief.
"Oh yes," he told her in a mock earnest tone, "I just love my flowery mugs. I currently have about two shelves full but-"
"Are those new?" she asked and he raised an eyebrow in silent question. She didn't know if it was proper to touch someone's piercings so she motioned to her own lower lip with her thumb and forefinger. "The fang looking ones."
"Oh yeah," he nodded and to her weirded out fascination rolled the one on his left with his tongue around in a circle. "Like em?"
"They're... different," she offered and he chuckled.
"You'd like one of mine," he commented offhandedly as he moved to his door.
"Which ones?" she dared to ask.
"My spacers, they practically look like I don't have the piercing," he gave her a sad little grin as he unlocked the door and went inside. Zelda froze for a second and shook her head before stalking to his door and banging on it with her free hand, her anger making her blood boil.
He came to the door with a confused look and opened it carefully.
"Wha-"
"I think your snakebites look good, I don't wish that you didn't have them," she said without thinking and he gave her a confused look. Zelda replayed the words in her mind and realized that her words were not only weird but also too close to calling him attractive and quickly moved away to the safety of her shop. She ignored Ike calling her name, intent on getting inside before she made herself look more foolish, and did just that.
Once inside the safety of her darkened shop she took a deep breath. That was too close. She needed to reign in this weird developing crush on her work neighbor.
"He's just a nice guy Zelda," she told herself as she moved from the door, "he's just being friendly."
XXX
I'm really liking this story! I've been feeling it the past few days and I'm trying to get everything typed up and posted. I already have the next few stories in my brain which I refuse to write out until I finish this one because if I do that then I might lose the spark. Does that make sense? Anyway thanks for reading and a big hug for my reviewers. You guys have no idea how awesome it is to get the alerts. Much love, Leigh
