𝗕𝗲𝗮𝗻𝗼 Shorts

♔ DtM x OC - 9

DENNIS

The streets were reassuringly lively, with people all over out on the pavements, exclaiming over their barmy purchases. Men from the army were offering rubbish collections, while policemen took tallies of how much each household was owed so Baby-Face could refund them.

I stopped half-way by Roger the Dodger and his girlfriend, who thanked me profusely for helping to put Baby-Face behind bars. The girl seemed slightly shaken, but I wasn't sure if it was because of shock or the make-out session I'd walked in on. I skirted them awkwardly and moved on, but despite the revulsion I felt at seeing them snogging, heat was creeping up my neck as I imagined a cute girl in baker's uniform wearing the same expression as the Dodger's girlfriend. Gnasher caught onto my mood and bumped into my legs knowingly, making my neck burn spread to my ears.

The bell above the door tinkled as I stepped into the bakery.

A kindly-looking woman with strikingly similar features to Riley stood behind the counter. Her brown hair was whitened with a dusting of flour, and the shirt under her apron was stained all manner of colours by chocolate and jam and custard.

"Dennis," She exclaimed, "and Gnasher! Goodness, I must say thank you so much for what you did, I would have gone bankrupt." She patted her hair down fretfully, unaware of the plume of flour that puffed from it. "Anything you like, dears, on the house," she said.

"Uh, two donuts, please," I said. "And a triple chocolate muffin."

She picked up the tongs and slid the donuts and muffin into two paper bags. "There you go! I must say, those muffins are a hit with the customers." She chuckled quietly. "My daughter eats them like a chainsmoker," she added with a smile.

Point.

"Actually, Mrs Abbott, I'm here to see Riley," I said.

Her face was pulled into a surprised smile. "Well of course," she said, quite taken aback. "I'll just call her down."

"Do you mind if Gnasher and I just go up?" I asked quickly. "We might be a while. The muffin's for her."

Her surprise morphed into curiosity and the obvious expression of a suspecting mother. "Of course, dear. Through the door, straight up the stairs and the door on the left."

I thanked her and followed her directions. I was doing a lot of uncharacteristic thanking today, and weirdly lots of people had thanked me, too. I was about to say another thank-you, because I'd still be hypnotised and Gnasher would probably be running away from dog-catcher clockwork men by this point if it weren't for Riley.

I found her in the flat's kitchen, pouring a glass of apple juice from a carton. Her back was to me, but when she'd finished she turned and startled so that a few drops of juice splattered on the linoleum floor.

"Dennis," she said. "Hi. I wasn't expecting-"

"I know. You just left, after it all. You should've got the congratulations, not me."

She pursed her lips. "I didn't do much. You were the one who caught the guys and controlled the mall."

"But I wouldn't have been able to if you hadn't taken over the sound system like that," I pointed out.

She shook her head ruefully. "It doesn't matter. I don't want the praise, anyway. Anyone would've done it."

"Not just anyone." I held up the paper bag. "I've brought you a present."

She stared, her curiosity piqued. Her gaze clashed with mine briefly before she reached out and took the bag. As she opened hers I opened mine, and bent down to offer a donut to Gnasher. When I stood back up, Riley was smiling widely.

"Thank you," she said, pushing her hair back behind her ear.

We were silent for a moment, neither of us knowing what to say.

"Do you want to come and sit down?" She finally offered.

I nodded an followed her through a door into a small living room. Before she could sit down, however, I caught her wrist.

She turned to me, a questioning tilt to her head, and I almost lost my courage. Then, I stepped in close.

"Honestly, thank you for what you did. On behalf of Beanotown." I studied her face as she looked up at me, her eyes wide and darting. "I think that's the first time I've ever used the word 'honestly'," I joked, to break up the tension.

A smile tugged at her lips and her posture relaxed, even though we were still only inches apart. "I suspect it is, Mr Dinmaker," she said playfully, poking my chest. "Do you know, that's what I was listening to to drown out that awful music?"

I blinked in surprise. "You were listening to my music?"

She shrugged nonchalantly. "It was Gnasher's choice," she said, though there was a mischievous glint in her eye. I liked that. It suited her.

Before I could overthink it, my palm lifted from my side and alighted at the top of her neck, my thumb tracing her jaw, so much more gentle than I think I have ever been.

She stiffened instantly, eyes searching, but didn't pull away as I leaned down and pressed my lips to hers.

The kiss was short an sweet (just like her) and yet somehow the taste of chocolate lingered on my lips long afterwards.