Baking Love

Lunch With Gwen and Turtle Pie Brownies

The following day, roughly 7:30 AM, David was back at the bakery to start the day. Gentle rays of sunlight seeped through the open windows, casting a golden glow on everything around him. This morning was relatively peaceful. Since it was the weekend, fewer people stopped by- most people who got things in the morning were on their way to work. David went into the back of the bakery and started pulling out treats from the day before, going back upfront to set them out on display. David set a small radio on the counter in the corner, turning it on and changing the stations until he found a station he liked- the Farmer's Almanac.

The day moved on slowly, and by noon, there had only been a handful of customers. As he sat down and pulled out some food for his lunch break, Gwen walked in. "Hey, David."

"Hi, Gwen! Are you here to order something, or are you here just to stop by?" He smiled and held out an extra sandwich for her. Gwen sometimes liked to stop by to chat and have lunch, so David tended to bring extra food for his breaks.

Gwen took the sandwich and sat down across from him. "Thanks. So- have you seen the new guy around? He moved here 2 days ago, and he's the talk of the town." David set down his food. "You mean Jasper? Yeah, he stopped by the bakery yesterday." He took a sip of the coffee he brought, the image of Jasper's face flooding his mind. His face flushed a light red as he set his drink down on the table with a tentative smile. "He seems nice. I hope he's figured out his way around by now."

Gwen grinned. "You seem to like him, judging by the look on your face. Do you think he's single~?" David went rigid, and he almost choked on the food he was eating. "N-No! I don't like him! He just- seems nice, is all," he sputtered, letting out a nervous laugh (which wasn't very convincing). "And he probably is single, seeing how nobody is talking about a second person around. Besides, that wouldn't matter because I don't like him."

"Mhmm, and your expression, posture, and stuttering sure do help your case. You don't even know if I was talking for your sake or not. I could've been saying that because I find the guy cute- which I don't. He's not my type." Gwen let out a laugh, and David relaxed. "Have you even talked to him at all? What's he like?"

David let out a small sigh, saying, "We didn't get to talk much, but he sounds like a charming person. I hope I get to see him around the bakery more often!" Gwen giggled, grinning from ear to ear. "Yes, he must be very charming, I'm sure. It sounds like you're a little lovestruck, David."

David blushed a light red out of embarrassment, halfway yelling, "I do not!!! He's just- He's just a nice guy, alright?" Gwen rolled her eyes with a small smile, stating, "Mhm. Charming isn't usually a word someone describes someone else when they find them just a 'nice guy.' But, as you seem to be in complete denial, I won't push it."

Both Gwen and David finished their food, and Gwen made her way out of the bakery, teasing the poor man about his so-called crush.

David went back to the counter, and eventually, Jasper walked through the door with a smile. "Hey, homeskillet!"

David smiled and waved. "Hi, Jasper! What'll it be for today?"

Jasper tapped his finger on his lips in thought, looking around at all of the display cases. "Hmmm... Do you have any sweets? Like cookies or brownies?" He scratched the back of his head awkwardly.

David wiped his hands on the black apron tied around his waist and said, "I have both! Do you want one or the other, or would you like both? I have a whole bunch of different types of cookies and brownies!" He smiled, saying, "Could I maybe interest you in samples?"

Jasper smiled and nodded. "That would be great, thanks." He started to pull out his wallet, adding, "How much for the samples?"

"They're free, don't worry. We have chocolate chip, oatmeal raisin, white chocolate and cranberry, and peanut butter for cookies. For brownies, we have double fudge, turtle pie, classic, and espresso."

Jasper put his wallet away and thought for a moment. "I'll take a sample for... Chocolate chip and peanut butter and... I'll also take samples for double fudge and turtle pie."

"I'll go get those for you." David went into the back, and Jasper took this time to look around. The walls were the color of pine leaves- Fitting, he thought. Sprucewood tables lined around the walls with comfortable looking high-chairs. Shelves on the walls held small pots with plants in them. A picture of a young red-haired boy and an older-looking woman in front of the bakery hung on display for all to see. Their cheery smiles combined could seemingly make an entire room light up.

"That's my mom and me! She used to run this bakery," He said, catching Jasper slightly off guard- the sandy blonde jumped a bit in surprise. David apologized and handed him a small paper plate with 2 cookies and 2 brownie pieces. If Jasper were honest- they looked delicious. He picked up one of the brownies and took a bite. Caramel and chocolate melted in his mouth- flavors exploded onto his tastebuds. Jasper let out a noise of delight. "Ohmygosh, this is so good-" He said, his words jumbled, his mouth still packed with the brownie. He ended up finishing it in two bites. "Davey, I think that was the best food I've had in my entire life."

David suppressed a giggle and smiled, red dusting his cheeks. "Aw, shucks, Jasper... Was it really that good?"

Jasper's eyes went wide. "Are you kidding?!? Dude- this is like- the best brownie ever!! Seriously, I'm impressed!!!" He grinned, and David's smile widened with genuine happiness. "I'm delighted you think so."

Jasper ate the other samples on the plate with the same satisfaction and joy as he did the first one. "I'll take three of each, please!" Jasper got out his wallet once again and waited for the redhead to tell him the amount. "That'll be $10.60." The blonde took out the right amount of cash (with a 3 dollar tip- what a gentleman) and placed it on the counter.

Once everything was sealed and money was cashed in, Jasper left with a grin and a wink, thanking David for the quote on quote 'totally tubular food, homeslice.' The wink left David's heart soaring in his chest. Something about his expression left butterflies in the freckled boy's stomach and made his face red.

Oh no- I don't... I don't have a crush, right? It's just his wink? Just my shyness getting the best of me? He thought he was over relationships after Bonquisha. The woman left his heart in pieces, and he didn't think he would ever recover. But here he was, being a blushy mess for a guy he only met a day ago! But David never felt this for another boy before. How could he be so sure that that's what he was actually feeling?

David shook his head and distracted his overthinking mind by cleaning up shop. Wiping down tables and the counter and counting the money in the register.

Deep down, whether it was confusion or not, David wouldn't mind having lunch with Jasper sometime- even if they had just met.

an: new otp ship? jasper x turtle pie brownies???