The green haired boy stood at the counter wiping it down with a smile. While most kids would rather be out playing or at the mall, Duncan was perfectly content to help his parents out at the bakery. He loved this place after all. He'd grown up surrounded by the smell of freshly baked bread and delicious deserts. When he'd started going to school, he hadn't been around as often. So being here during work hours gave him a feeling of nostalgia.

He heard the bell ring and then looked up to greet the costumer. "Good morning, welcome to Dough's Deserts!" He said happily. His smile faded when he saw who it was. "Um… hi." He said smiling nervously. The white haired girl before him glared, pink eyes boring into his own. She wore an annoyed look on her face. As if his very presence was a nuisance to her.

"C-can I help you?" He asked timidly. The girl grunted before making her way over to the nearest table, sitting, and taking out a book. She buried her face in her book. Duncan kept staring at her, only looking away when she glanced up to glare at him. He didn't understand why she was here. All she ever did was glare at him.

He didn't know how to handle her. He'd tried befriending her at school, but every time he tried to talk to her she just glared at him and walked off. He'd tried talking to her here, but she ignored him. She never even ordered anything. She would just come in, sit and read her book. It scared him. "Oh, isn't that Gretchen?"

Duncan looked up and saw his father smiling towards the girl. He knew that their dads knew each other. They'd been to school together most of their lives, and every now and then all their families would get together and have dinner. "You should go talk to her. You two go to school together right?" Dough asked nudging his son.

Duncan looked nervous. "Um… do I have to?" He asked. "I don't think she likes me very much."

"Hmm? Why not?" Dough asked. "Did you do something to her?" He didn't remember them having any problem before. While Duncan and Gretchen had never seemed to be the closest of friends, they got along well enough. What had changed?

He shook his head. "No. At least I don't think I did. She just started glaring at me one day. I don't know if I did something by accident or if she just hates me."

Dough looked at his son, and then over at Gretchen. He grew a smirk on his face. Had it been years ago, he'd have been oblivious about this sort of thing. But now that he was older and a little wiser, he could see the signs. Especially from his daughter. "I don't think she hates you son. I think she's just… confused. Go talk to her."

"Do I have to?" Duncan asked worriedly.

"You'll have to learn how to deal with situations like these eventually Duncan. Talking is usually the best way to do it." He said. "I'll take over the counter. You go on ahead."

Duncan reluctantly made his way around the counter and nervously approached her. He turned back to look at his father who flashed him and encouraging smile. He sighed and then walked over and sat down in front of her. Gretchen looked up at him surprised. "W-what are you doing? Who said you could sit here?" She asked glaring.

He flinched. "I just… I live here. So I figured it was okay."

Gretchen didn't seem to have a response for that. He was right, he did live here. He could sit wherever he pleased. She wasn't about to admit that though. "Shut up…" She muttered. It was childish and it wasn't exactly a rebuttal, but she didn't care right now. "What do you want?"

Duncan poked his fingers together. "I-I just wanted to talk. I noticed you come here a lot and… glare at me. I don't know what I did to make you so mad, but I'm sorry." Gretchen looked at him wide eyed. She gritted her teeth before suddenly turning around and covering her face. "Uh! Are you okay?" He asked about to get up.

"I'm fine!" She said holding her hand out. "You just stay right there! D-don't you look at me!" She said waving her hand at him. Duncan tilted his head. What was wrong with her? "I said stop staring at me! G-go look at something else! Go away!"

He pouted. "Aw c'mon. I'm trying to apologize." He said walking around to meet her. He put a hand on her shoulder and she immediately turned around and shoved it away. Duncan saw that her face was bright red and she had a worried expression on. "Your face is red. Are you sick?"

Gretchen flushed even deeper. "I'm fine! Just stop… stop looking at me like that!" She snapped angrily. Duncan looked concerned. "I said stop it! Stop doing that!" She said looking down at the ground.

"I don't even know what I'm doing!" Duncan said.

"You're doing… that!" She said pointing at his face. "Looking at me with that stupid face! I don't know how you're doing this to me, but I demand that you stop it this instance!" She didn't know why this was happening. She just couldn't help it.

Ever since she'd seen him help that stupid kid on the swings he'd made her feel… strange. Her cheeks heated up, her knees got weak, and she could barely think straight. When she'd gone to her mother about it she said that it was… a crush. But that was ridiculous! She didn't not get crushes! She did not fall for boys! They fell for her!

That meant it had to be something else. Some type of poison or mind trick! She'd been following him to figure out exactly what it was, but now she had been regretting it. The more she followed him around, the worse her symptoms got. "I still don't know what you mean! Can you please just tell me?"

"I-I'm not obliged to tell you anything!" She yelled turning to leave.

"Wait a second!" Duncan said reaching out and grabbing her hand.

Gretchen froze. She slowly turned around and saw her hand was enclosed in his own. Her eyes grew wide and her face began heating up. She couldn't believe this. He was holding her hand. A boy was holding her hand. "I… you…" She said stood there in shock, tongue twisted, and shaking. After a few seconds she went silent and suddenly fell forward.

"Oh my gosh! Are you okay?!" Duncan asked catching her. He looked down at her panicked. She was out cold. He turned and looked towards his dad. "Dad! Dad I think she's sick! Should we call the hospital?!" He asked worriedly.

Dough scratched his head. This was not how he had expected this to go down. "No, I don't think she's in any danger. Let's just let her rest in one of the booths for now." He said. Duncan nodded and carried the girl to the nearest booth. Dough sighed.

He'd thought that giving Duncan a little shove in the right direction would be helpful. But between his son being just as dense as he was at that age, and Gretchen being… well, his daughter, this might have been a little more complicated than he thought. "Oh well, it'll work itself out." He said wiping the counter down.

After all, it had for him and Candice. He was sure his son would find his way soon enough.

A/N: Another chapter! How do you guys like it? I know someone asked about Dough and Candlehead, and while I couldn't think of a story centered completely around them(yet), I already had an idea about their kid. Someone just as sweet an innocent as they are.

And can anyone guess whose daughter Gretchen is?