noteasytobepink | The DINNER ~ Wheelsy AU

The DINNER ~ Wheelsy AU

She'd been working two days, a day to get a handle on the simple art of flower arranging (complicated stuff would come later) and to start learning delivery routes. It had been nice to be moving again, doing something, anything, constructive and today...

...today she actually teleported back to Bill's house with an armload of groceries and flailed. "I'M RUNNING LATE! DID THE ROAST IN THE CROCKPOT TURN OUT...wait. YOU"RE NOT HOME ARE YOU?!"

It probably wasn't time for him to be home. Meep. Talking to an empty house and running late on starting the meal still! Right! Dough! Dough first, for bread and a sweet dough for tarts. Those needed to rise, then she could start peeling potatoes...

Right. She could do this. She flipped on the radio, tossed her floral shop hat on the counter and stared COOKING. Dancing and cooking but hey who didn't need music to cook well? "Knife!" she called out, years of habit having the warning go out amidst the music so no one got hit by the knife headed toward the sink.

She tended to throw things when she was cooking. Yep.

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"You may be setting us up for a catastrophe, words like that," Clarice teased. "That or kitchen wars. Bet this makes a good catapult..." which she was not testing on bread being sliced?

Be grateful!

"Well you already promised not t'burn down my house, so beyond that I ain't too worried."

The potatoes joined the meat on the table, and Bill glanced around to see if there was anything else he could do.

"Waste of a good house," she noted cheerfully. "And the tarts would be ruined. Still, some of this stuff may end up in other parts of the house..." She slid a plate of sliced bread around him and nipped his shoulder while doing so.

"Salad dressings? I already have the salad in a bowl in the fridge too."

"Other parts of the house?"

He headed to the refrigerator, pausing to headtilt at her before opening the door.

He was rising with the bottle of ranch in hand when the door bell rang.

"Well, some of it looks like it's make a better letter opener, or back scratcher, than kitchen stuff and..." Oh crap that was the doorbell! Yes, time for the immediate 'am I decent' check.

Hmmm, okay, time to button her shirt up properly. How had she managed to button it crooked earlier? "Get the door!" She shooed the man while playing with her buttons.

"Back scratcher?" Confused by that, and surprised by the door, Bill started to head to get the door, then back to the table to put the dressing down, and caught in a bout of indecision as the bell rang again.

"Uh... lemme just, I'll get the-- okay."

The easiest thing was to leave the dressing on the counter as he passed while heading towards the living room to get the door.

"You do whatever!" She laughed. "I'm working on being decent!" Ish. Was she ever really decent? This town would choke if it saw her normal battle dress. Granted, she still had to make a new one of those and...

...anyway, yes, decent. Oh, she was missing a button, that's how she buttoned up wrong. Too late now right? Right. "HI BILL'S MOM!" she called down the hall.

Bill opened the door, smile on for his mom, when Clarice's shout came ringing out. He winced a bit, and his smile turned sheepish.

"Hi, mom."

June Pardy stood in the doorway, a towel covered pie in hand, and gave her son a bit of an odd look before smiling.

"Bill." Balancing the pie away from her body, she pulled Bill in for a hug, which Bill returned.

"I hope I'm not too early."

"No, y'alright. Just about ready t'eat, c'mon." He reached for the pie, but June deftly kept it out of his reach, waving him on so she could follow him to the kitchen.

Mostly decent (missing button was at her waist and as long as she kept her shirt tucked in...) and smiling Clarice ducked her head into the hall to watch the pair advance. Oh...no..."Bill's going to be spoiled," she noted cheerfully. She found it best to keep talking through the 'OMG Pink?!' shock with new people!

"A pie and tarts...Bill, if you don't eat at least a little salad I'm hiding dessert."

To June's credit she only faltered slightly when catching sight of Clarice. Word had of course gotten around town about the pink girl staying at Bill's house, but seeing her was a bit of a different thing than hearing about it.

"Hello, there."

Bill took in a nervous deep breath, and stood to the side so he could do introductions.

"Mom, this is Clarice. Clarice, this is my mom, June."

Clarice stepped fully into the hall to offer a slightly flour dusted hand. "Clarice Creed," she added easily. "Bill's live in headache and flower delivery girl. He's told me a lot about you!"

Granted the house was cleaner and she was less of a headache for him now as she used to be but...

Bill hesitated, wondering if now would be a good time to tack on the 'girlfriend' part, but decided maybe not quite yet.

June didn't hesitate in the least at the flour, although she held onto Clarice's hand a moment longer than normal to get a look at the pink.

"Live in headache?" Chuckling, she moved on past Clarice into the kitchen to set the pie down. "Oh, now I'm sure that's not true."

Yep, solid, non-smearing pink. 100% natural even! At least it felt like normal skin? Odd calluses on her fingers, but otherwise soft and supple? "Well, I do confuse him fiercely sometimes," she admitted with a grin.

Hmmm, that pie was...going to have to move, yes. "And you're tempting Bill on purpose setting it there aren't you?" she grinned. "Is this part of the 'I sugar them up because they don't live with me anymore' ploy?"

Glancing at the pie and then Bill she laughed at Clarice.

"Oh, no. He knows much better'n that."

True enough, Bill was hovering, but still giving the pie a wide berth.

"Y'both act like I'm a little kid in the kitchen," he said with a slight pout.

"You stuck your finger in my mashed berries!" Clarice laughed and shook a finger at Bill as a matter of course. "But where are my manners? Dinner's about ready, have a seat!"

Yes, even you Bill, with that tempting pie on the table. "What does everyone want to drink?"

"Wooden spoon'll fix that quick," June replied, giving Clarice a wink.

Bill pulled out June's chair for her and looked worried between the two of them, suddenly realizing he might be outnumbered here.

"Some sweet tea'll do me," June answered Clarice.

Sitting down, Bill replied, "I'll have some of that, too."

...sweet tea. Well, here was to hoping Bill had made some? IT HADN'T OCCURRED TO HER! She pulled open the fridge with her fingers crossed and smiled when she saw the pitcher. Saved?

Totally saved!

"I think Bill would pout at me if I smacked him with a spoon, and I'm weak against pouting."

"He does use it t'get away with a lot," June agreed, but with a certain bemused fondness.

As the subject of their conversation Bill sat back and tried not to squirm.

"But he's adorable so sometimes it's alright," Clarice admitted once glasses were filled. "And at least sometimes he'll eat veggies for me so I can't complain."

"Really?" June asks, arching a brown and turning to regard Bill. "What's your secret for that?"

"Oh, c'mon, mom, I eat my vegetables."

"When they're drowned in dressin' or hidin' with meat."

"A willingness to hand feed him in front of the precinct," she deadpanned.

Yep. Easiest secret ever.

There was a loud whoop, and then June was laughing bright and ecstatic.

Bill sat by, the tips of his ears burning red and not looking at either one of them.

Clarice wrinkled her nose at Bill, then reached over to trace fingers along his cheek gently. "We're both stubborn people, sometimes we have to think outside the norm."

Despite himself, Bill smiled, though his features were still flush with embarrassment.

June calmed, dabbing the corners of her eyes with a napkin and shaking her head in mirth.

"Well, it was a good idea... " Looking up to see the touch and Bill's smile, June's voice faltered a moment before picking up again. "especially if it's workin'."

"Yeah, we seem to be managing alright," she noted with a grin before letting her fingers drop. "Well enough to invite his mom to dinner anyway! We should actually serve stuff up huh?"

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