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fireladybuckley · 6 years

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Confectionery Crush

Fandom: Star Trek AOS (Modern AU) Pairing: Leonard McCoy / Carol Marcus (McCarol) Prompt: No prompt - inspired by a sweet shop here in town. Word Count: 15,020 Rating: PG

Notes: Leonard discovers a new sweet shop that just opened up and begins a sugary descent into falling for the owner. Includes plenty of Dad!Leonard and so much fluff your teeth will rot. Even if you don’t usually like McCarol, if you love fluff and meet-cutes, I think you’ll like this :D

Leonard stifled a yawn as he put his right foot down, slowing his truck as it came up to yet another traffic light. He glanced at his watch and noted he was running quite early, as usual; he was due at the clinic at noon and it was only a quarter after eleven. Figuring he’d get coffee before his shift, he drove the rest of the way to work in a bit of daze, thanks to a terrible sleep the night before. It had been unbearably hot and humid and his air conditioner was on the fritz, so he’d tossed and turned all night, his lone fan doing little besides pushing the muggy air around.

Five minutes later, as he pulled into the large parking lot that housed multiple businesses and his clinic, the “Now Open!” sign on a nearby store caught his attention.

“Carol’s Sweets,” he muttered out loud, reading the business name as he pulled into a parking spot halfway between the sweet shop and his clinic. He glanced at his watch and saw he still had plenty of time. His tired expression softened as he decided he’d go into the new shop and see if there was anything Joanna might like. She’d been having a rough few days at school; Leonard wanted to put a smile back on that beautiful face, and what better way to do it than with candy? Leonard knew she was sucker for any kind of gummies or jelly beans, so as he got out of his car and closed the door, he resolved to buy her the biggest bag of multi-coloured gummies possible (not to eat all at once, of course – he was still a doctor, after all.)

A musical chiming noise sounded as he pushed open the door and he sagged in relief as a wave of cold air washed over him. Aside from gratitude at the reprieve from the heat, Leonard’s first thought was “whoa.” In front of him was the most colourful store he’d ever seen. There were bright blue shelving units arranged in neat rows in the centre of the floor space, nearly overflowing with candies of all sorts. Along one wall were shelves upon shelves of chocolate bars and boxes of chocolates, both ones he easily recognized and ones he was sure were imported. There was a small section at the back of foreign confectionary, and a long counter and display case full of handmade chocolates and fudge. He walked towards the back in a different kind of daze, mesmerized by the abundance of products; he’d never honestly realized just how many types of candy, chocolate and other sweets existed, and it was kind of blowing his mind. In the back corner, spreading halfway along the last side wall, were dozens of small bins hanging from the wall, brimming with every gummy he could imagine and then some. A smile broke out over his face and he immediately reached for a bag on the wall, selected a nearby bin of bright gummy butterflies and began to scoop some into the bag.

“Hi there, finding everything you need?”

A pleasant female voice with a British accent posed the question from behind him. Leonard dropped the scoop back into its holder and turned, looking around. A woman who was clearly the shopkeeper was standing there, holding several bags of candy in her arms and smiling warmly at him. She had blonde hair that fell just past her shoulders in gentle waves and she had intelligent but kind eyes.

“Yes, thank you,” Leonard said, politely smiling back. “My daughter is in need of a pick-me-up and you have an amazing assortment here,” Leonard said, gesturing to all the bins of candy in front of them.

“Did this place just open? I’ve never noticed it before.”

“Oh, yes,” the woman said, walking a few feet away, putting the bags of candy in their place and then returning to him. “I just opened for the first time yesterday. I’m Carol.” She held out her hand, and he smiled and took it. He stared at her for a moment, caught by her eyes - they were heterochromic, one greyish brown and one blue, and they were absolutely striking.

“Leonard,” he replied, shaking her hand after shaking himself. “Carol. So you’re the Carol, then?” He asked, gesturing around. She laughed.

“Yes, the Carol.” Carol agreed, chuckling. “I went with a very direct name, I know.” Leonard nodded and smiled, and she clapped her hands together in a business-like way. “Well, if you need anything, let me know!”

“I will,” Leonard confirmed, watching her as she smiled, walked away and disappeared into a side room behind a second counter. Stepping back so he could see farther, Leonard noticed the display case under this counter held more intricate chocolates and some small but fancy cakes.

Smiling to himself without even noticing, Leonard scooped up quite a few different kinds of gummies until the bag he was holding bulged with the multicoloured treats. Carol had reappeared from the back room, and Leonard decided he had more than enough candy for one eight year old.

“Wow, your daughter is a lucky girl,” Carol commented warmly as he approached with the large bag. Leonard chuckled as he set the bag down on her scale and pulled his wallet out of his back pocket.

“I definitely spoil her,” Leonard admitted, watching as she weighed the candies and input the total into the till. “But she deserves it.” He swiped his card as Carol handed him the bag of gummies, sealed with a purple ribbon tied around it.

“Well, she has a great dad then.” Carol said, and he grinned.

“I sure hope she thinks that too,” Leonard chuckles. “I’m all she’s got, so she’s stuck with me.”

“Let me know if she likes the candies,” Carol said, still smiling, as Leonard tucked his wallet back into his pocket.

“I guarantee you she will, but… will do,” Leonard agreed, his eyes lingering on her face for a fraction of a second longer than was strictly necessary. “You have a good day now,” he told her as he turned to leave.

“You too. Thanks for coming in!” Carol waved at him as he stepped out of the door and he wandered across the parking lot, lost in thought. She had been so charming, and Leonard unexpectedly found himself thinking about her several times that day, in lulls between patients, on his lunch break and when he walked back to his vehicle after his shift was over. He could see easily into the well-lit store in the dim the light outside, and was actually considering going to say hi when he realized it wasn’t her behind the counter, but a teenager wearing a matching apron and name tag. Of course, she couldn’t be there all the time, obviously she’d have to hire someone for the evenings, but Leonard was surprised at the soft pang of disappointment he felt. Shaking it off, he headed home and gave the bag of gummies to a gloomy Joanna, who immediately perked up and dove into the bag enthusiastically.

-----

The next day, Leonard headed into work early again, parking in the same spot halfway between Carol’s shop and his clinic, and found himself walking towards the candy shop instead of the cafe, where he’d intended to get coffee. Carol was standing behind the counter nearest him, entering something into a tablet, but she looked up as soon as she heard the door.

“Leonard!” she exclaimed cheerfully. “I didn’t expect to see you again so soon. Did your daughter like the gummies?”

“She loved them,” he said with a fond smile, remembering her excitement when he’d presented her with them. “Though she went to bed two hours late because I was an idiot and gave them to her too close to bedtime,” he chuckled a little and shrugged. “Worth it, though. Haven’t seen her smile that much in a while.”

“That’s great!” Carol beamed, setting her tablet down on the counter. “I’m glad. So, what brings you in now? More treats for your daughter?”

“Her name’s Joanna,” Leonard told her, then continued, “and no, she’s got enough to last her a month, though I highly doubt it actually will.”

He paused; why had he come in then? Suddenly, saying ‘because I wanted to tell you she liked the candies’ seemed kind of lame. Carol seemed to be politely waiting for an answer, so he glanced around for motivation and his eyes fell on the display of fudge.

“I, uh- came in because I’ve been craving chocolate lately,” he invented wildly. “I try not to eat too many sweets, but, um… that fudge looks delicious,” he said, taking a step to the side and gesturing vaguely in the direction of the fudge.

“Oh, caught your eye yesterday, did it?” she asked him with a smile, and he nodded, glad of an excuse. “What flavour would you like?” she inquired, moving closer to the fudge and slipping on a pair of gloves.

“Um…” Leonard stared down at his options. There were over a dozen different flavours and he had no clue what would taste good. He hadn’t had fudge since he was a young boy and couldn’t remember what he had liked back then. Seeing his hesitation, she smiled.

“I’m pretty good at predicting what people like,” Carol told him. “Would you like me to choose for you?”

“Yes, please,” Leonard agreed, relieved. “There’s so many options, I just can’t decide.” He felt his heart skip a beat as she laughed softly in response and watched her bend towards the display, looking over the flavours.

“Hmm… I think we’ll start you out with a nice, basic chocolate fudge,” she said, pulling a slice of it out of the case and setting it into a small box. “Rich, but simple.” She looked up at him thoughtfully as she tied a green ribbon around the box to keep it closed. “You look like a man who enjoys the simple pleasures in life,” she said softly, pointedly making eye contact.

Leonard cleared his throat slightly and blinked, realizing he’d been staring directly into her gaze for several long moments.

“Ah, yes, I do,” he agreed. He hesitated, then continued. “Give me bourbon and some barbeque and I’m a happy guy,” he told her, cringing internally at the awkwardness in his tone and a slightly nervous laugh. She smiled as she pulled off her gloves, watching him. He could see something calculating in her gaze, and felt himself flush a bit pink.

“I, uh, need to start work soon, so…” he said, nervously scratching his cheek with a finger and trying to sound casual.

“Oh, of course,” Carol replied, immediately scooping up the box of fudge and bringing it over to the till. She rang him up and he reached out for the box, but she hesitated for a moment before she handed it over to him.

“It was nice to see you again, Leonard,” she told him, and he could hear the genuine sincerity in her voice. “I want to know what you think of that fudge, alright?”

Leonard nodded, tucked his wallet into his pocket, said goodbye and left the store with a slightly awkward wave, wondering what on earth was going on with him. He had become as awkward as a schoolboy, and when she’d looked at him, he’d suddenly been all too aware of his heart pounding in his chest.

Leonard walked over to his clinic, still clutching the ribboned box as he walked in the door.

“Mornin’ Dr. McCoy,” his receptionist greeted him, smiling warmly as she always did. He glanced over at her as her eyes found the box he was holding and she quirked an eyebrow in curiosity. “What’ve you got there?”

“Morning Alyssa,” he replied, shifting the box to his other hand and slipping it into his pocket. “Nothing, it’s just… a thing. It’s nothing. I’m gonna go get ready.”

He gave her a brief, awkward smile and hurried through the hallway back to his office before she could question him further. He sighed as he sat down at his desk and slipped the box out of his pocket again, staring at it for a moment before putting it into his top desk drawer. Why hadn’t he just said it was fudge? It wasn’t like she would’ve questioned him, considering there really was a new sweet shop right across the parking lot. His awkward deflection had likely made her far more suspicious of him if he’d just said ‘Oh I got some fudge from the new store.’

He shook himself mentally; there was nothing to be suspicious about anyway! Leonard didn’t understand why he was suddenly acting so weirdly. He searched his own feelings and mind for a moment, and realized he was worried that people would suspect he had a thing for the woman at the candy store. But why would he even be concerned about that? He’d only met her twice, and yes, he was thinking about her a lot, but it was only natural to think about a pleasant person you’d just met, wasn’t it? He was only thinking about her wavy blonde hair, her bright eyes, her warm smile… oh. Leonard closed his eyes and swore under his breath as it finally clicked. He was glad no one was in the office with him because his cheeks had gone faintly pink. Could he really have already developed a crush on Carol, someone he had known for all of 40-odd hours?

Leonard shook himself again. A crush? What was he, 13? Shaking his head and standing up, he did his best to put Carol out of his mind as he slipped into a lab coat and draped a stethoscope around his neck. He didn’t have time to deal with this – between running his clinic and taking care of Joanna, he had quite enough on his plate. He fought to keep this thought at the forefront of his brain as he went about his day, refusing to admit it when he lapsed and her hair or smile crept back into his thoughts.

----

A few days passed. He managed to not go into Carol’s Sweets, going directly into his clinic two days in a row, even parking closer than normal so the temptation wouldn’t be as great. The third day was a Saturday - Leonard had the weekend off, so he and Joanna spent Saturday at a nearby waterpark, splashing around and sunburning their faces. On Sunday they slept in late, Joanna stumbling sleepily out of her room after 10am, her hair a mess, her favourite stuffed elephant’s trunk clutched in her hand, his body dragging along the floor.

“Mornin’ Pumpkin,” Leonard greeted her, chuckling as she climbed clumsily into a chair and yawned so widely he could see her tonsils. “Did you have fun yesterday?”

“Yeah! The slides were the best!” Joanna grinned at him, and he smiled as he affectionately reached over to muss up her hair even more. “Are you makin’ pancakes?!”

“Yup, and they’re banana,” he replied, laughing as she cheered enthusiastically. “Your favourite, I know!”

“Yummy!!” Joanna jumped down from her chair, set the table at lightning speed and then plopped back into her seat, holding a fork, ready to chow down the instant a pancake hit her plate. Leonard brought over a stack and dropped two onto her plate. He watched, trying to hold back laughter, as she clumsily buttered them and poured syrup over them, with no signs of stopping even as the syrup began to pool on the plate and spread towards the edges.

“Okay, Jojo, that’s enough syrup,” he chided gently, reaching out and taking the bottle from her. Unabashed, Joanna immediately began to stuff her mouth as Leonard got his own food ready.

“So what do you want to do today?” Leonard asked her, watching in amazement as she finished her first pancake before he’d taken more than two bites of his. “Do you want to go to the park? Or the mall? The candy store?” -- Wait, why had he said the last thing?! He’d been studiously avoiding the thought of Carol for days, which had been quite a task considering how often she’d popped into his head.

“Yeah!! The candy store!!” Joanna practically yelled, excitement shining in her eyes. “I want more gummies!!”

“You still have half a bag, Jojo,” Leonard said, shaking his head slightly and reaching out with a napkin to wipe away the syrup dripping down her chin. “Why don’t we go to the park? I heard there’s a new jungle gym---”

“You said candy store! I wanna go to the candy store!” She stared at him resolutely as she stuffed another bite of pancake into her mouth. “Candy store!”

“Don’t talk with your mouth full,” Leonard said automatically as bits of pancake flew out of her mouth while she chewed and spoke at the same time. He watched as she swallowed the large bite with difficulty and stared at him, knowing she wasn’t going to back down. “Are you sure you don’t want to go to the pa—”

“No!”

Leonard sighed. He could straight up tell her no, but he knew she’d be sad and he didn’t want to see the happiness leave that face just now. She’d had such a rough time at school lately that all he wanted was to put that wonderful, bright smile on her face, and so he knew he had no choice.

“Alright, fine,” he relented, and Joanna pumped her fist twice before stuffing her face once more. “But we’re going to the park, too. If you’re good, then we can go to the candy store afterwards.”

“Ah be goo’!” she replied earnestly, pancake bits falling over her chin as she tried to speak with her mouth full again. Leonard touched his fingers to his forehead with an internal sigh, but Joanna seemed to think it was hilarious, and he couldn’t help but enjoy the giggles that followed.

A few minutes later they’d finished their breakfast and gone back upstairs to get ready. After she’d gotten dressed, Leonard carefully brushed her hair, proud of himself when she only yelled at him twice for the tangles hurting. He quickly braided her hair, the plait hanging halfway down her back by the time he was done. He wrapped the end with a bright purple hair tie and kissed the top of her head.

“Thanks Daddy! I’m gonna go play ‘till you’re done.”

“Okay baby,” Leonard agreed, patting her back as she hopped down from the stool she’d been standing on and tore away down the hall towards her room. Leonard sighed a little as he quickly got dressed, pulling on jeans and a tshirt, slipping a pair of sunglasses onto the V of the neckline. He pocketed his wallet and grabbed his keys as tried to convince himself that he wasn’t absolutely looking forward to seeing Carol again. He kept reminding himself that he didn’t have time for a ‘crush’ right now. Besides, it was Sunday – Carol owned the shop, what were the chances she’d be working on the weekend? Probably not great. She’d likely have hired someone for weekends as well as the teen he’d seen in there that one evening.

Trying not to notice that the thought he likely wouldn’t see her made him feel relieved but also disappointed, he collected Joanna, loaded her into the truck and they were off. Perhaps, he mused, as Joanna sang horribly along with the radio, she would misbehave and they wouldn’t have to go to the candy store at all.

A few hours later, she was finished playing, and Leonard hadn’t detected even an ounce of misbehavior. She’d been great with the other kids, had even shared her swing (something she normally wasn’t very generous about) and had had a great time. Hoping she’d forgotten about the candy store, he wrapped his arms around her as she wandered over and stopped in front of him.

“You all done, sugar?” he asked, smoothing back the hair that had come loose from her braid.

“Yeah, Manda an’ Bobby had to go home and I’m gettin’ tired,” she said, climbing up into his lap and leaning on him, her small body giving off a ton of heat after running around in the afternoon sun.

“Alright,” he said, kissing her sweaty forehead. “Let’s head home then, sweetpea.”

“Home?” she asked, sitting up straighter in his lap. “Nuh uh, you said if I was good, we’re gonna go to the candy store! And I was real good!” Leonard held in a sigh. He should’ve known she wouldn’t forget; she was way too intelligent to be distracted like that.

“I did say that, didn’t I?” he mused, and she nodded vigorously. “Alright, alright. Anything for you, Pumpkin,” he said, scooping her into his arms as he stood up.

“YAY!” she yelled, her cheer turning to giggles as he spun around with her a few times before setting her down. Full of renewed energy, she sprinted off towards the parking lot, skidding to a halt beside the truck and bouncing in place as she waited for him. Shaking his head and unable to banish a smile as the affection he felt for her swept over him for the millionth time already that day, he let her into the vehicle, hopped in, and then they were off.

Joanna was singing along to the radio again, making up words when she didn’t know the lyrics, but Leonard wasn’t really paying attention. His heart had started beating faster when he’d turned down the street that lead to his clinic and the sweet shop, and as the brightly coloured sign came into view, he swallowed a bit thickly, reminding himself that she likely wasn’t even there today.

“Yay! Candy store! Candy store!” Joanna chanted as he pulled into a parking space in front of the shop, unbuckling her belt and opening the door before he’d even shut down the engine.

“Hold on, Joanna-” he started, but she’d already flung open her door, leapt out, slammed the door and was running towards the shop. Sighing, Leonard quickly hopped out of the truck, locked the doors and followed her, the door to the shop already closed again by the time he’d gotten there.

His hand remained on the door handle for a moment longer than necessary as he took a bit of a deep breath before opening it and stepping inside. The cool air that smelled irresistibly of fresh chocolate hit him at once and he inhaled, his eyes closing for a moment. Even for him, someone who didn’t eat sweets much, the place smelled incredible. He immediately glanced towards the counter, not sure if he was expecting to see her or a teenager standing there, but was greeted with the sight of no one. Realizing whoever was working was probably in the back after a quick glance around the store showed him no one was around, Leonard shook himself slightly and returned his attention to his daughter, who was running up and down the short aisles, trying to take everything in at once.

“There’s so much cool stuff here!!” she exclaimed excitedly, bringing him a handful of bright coloured packages to look at. “Look!” She threw another package down on top of the handful of other things; he struggled to keep hold of them all as she bounced in front of him.

“Hanna at school gets these in her lunches once a week!” she said, pointing. “And Bradley always has these ring candy things,” she explained, putting yet another package onto the bulging pile on his hands.

Leonard shook his head as she choose a few more things at lightning speed and dumped them into his hands. He struggled to position his hands, spreading his fingers as wide as possible, but he was in severe danger of dropping everything.

“Baby, I think you need to slow down, I can’t hold all of these,” Leonard said, trying to shift his arms to get a better grip. Before Joanna could say anything, a pleasant, amused voice spoke up behind him.

“Would you like a basket, Leonard?”

Carol had appeared behind him without his knowledge, and he inhaled sharply in surprise, jumping enough that all but two of the packages fell from his hands and scattered all over the floor around him. Fighting the urge to run, he felt his cheeks and the tips of his ears colouring up again as he stared down at the brightly coloured packages at his feet. He could practically feel her smiling and trying not to laugh behind him, and he was torn between laughing himself and feeling like a complete moron.

“Yes, please, I think that would be a good idea,” he said, clearing his throat as his voice came out slightly choked. She let out a small laugh behind him and he could hear her moving away to retrieve a basket.

“I’ll help!” Joanna said, running back over to him and starting to scoop the packages off the floor as he crouched and did the same. Carol returned and put the basket on the floor next to them, and Joanna had fun treating it like a basketball hoop, tossing her candies in with surprising accuracy. He could sense that Carol was still standing there, watching him, and he took his time gathering the last of the things he’d dropped, running through all the things he could say in his head.

“Daddy, why is your face all pink?” Joanna asked suddenly, reaching out to touch his cheek. “And so warm!”

Leonard felt his heart plummet into his stomach as he thought he heard a soft exhale of laughter behind him and felt his cheeks growing even warmer. He swore internally, wishing there was a dignified way to get out of this, but he could see none.

“Um, Daddy’s just hot,” he said desperately. “I got a bit of a sunburn. We were outside for a long time today, right baby?”

“Yup!” Joanna took her hand away from Leonard’s cheek and beamed up at Carol. “We were at the park all day! The one with the really good monkey bars!”

“Wow, that sounds really fun!” Carol replied, and Leonard took her moment of distraction as an opportunity to stand and collect himself before slowly turning around.

“Yeah! And I even skipped a bar!” Joanna told her excitedly.

“That’s amazing!” Carol said, acting appropriately impressed. “High five!” She held out her palm and Joanna slapped it with great enthusiasm. Carol looked over at Leonard, who looked torn between amusement and horror, his cheeks still quite pink and an expression of embarrassment in his eyes.

“Would you introduce me, Leonard?”

“Carol, this is my daughter, Joanna. Joanna, this is Carol. She owns this place.” Leonard said, his voice a bit more formal than he intended, still keen to get her attention away from him until the flush left him.

“Hi Joanna,” Carol said with a smile, crouching down a bit to be closer to her level. “It’s nice to finally meet you!” Joanna took her hand as Carol offered it, shaking it, while gaping open-mouthed at Carol.

“You own this candy store? That’s so cool!!” Joanna exclaimed, practically jumping up and down. “That means you can eat as much candy as you want!”

“Jojo, that’s not how it works,” Leonard began, smiling at her exuberance. “It’s-”

“-Actually,” Carol cut in, shooting a sideways smile at Leonard. “That’s exactly how it works,” she told Joanna with a wink, who looked at her in amazement.

“Daddy, I wanna own a candy store when I grow up!” Joanna told him, tugging excitedly on his hand. “It’s gonna be great!!”

“Okay, Jojo,” Leonard agreed, knowing it was best to just humour her. He gestured to the basket. “Go easy on the candy today though, please… I’m not buying you all of this.” Predictably, Joanna ignored this and flounced off without a word, presumably to find more things to coerce him into buying.

“She’s adorable, Leonard,” Carol said, smiling as Joanna disappeared around a corner, exclaiming as she found something new and interesting every few feet. “You must be so proud.”

“I sure am,” Leonard replied genuinely, his pride and love for his daughter overriding his awkwardness for a moment. “She’s my whole world.” He glanced over to see Carol smiling at him, and felt his heart skip several beats at the warmth in her eyes.

“I bet she’s got you wrapped around her little finger,” Carol said teasingly, and Leonard laughed.

“Like a boa constrictor, yeah,” he agreed, watching as Joanna discovered the gummy wall and yelped with glee. “Jojo, no! You still have gummies at home!”

“Awww, but Daddy!”

“I said no!”

“Pleeeeeeeeease?”

Leonard glanced at Carol, who could clearly see his will crumbling and was highly amused by it. He sighed, admitting his loss, then looked back over at Joanna.

“Fine. But only a few!”

“YAY! Thanks Daddy!”

“Yep, like a boa constrictor is right,” Carol laughed as Leonard looked back at her, defeated.

“I give up. One of these days I’m going to say yes when she inevitably asks for a horse, or something.” Leonard shook his head, well aware he was a pushover when it came to Joanna, but he couldn’t help it.

“Well, I think it’s cute,” Carol said smoothly, giving him a rather coy smile. After checking to make sure Joanna was still occupied with the candies, she added: “Just like you.”

Leonard had been about to open his mouth to say something else, but his words died in his throat as he absorbed the compliment. She thought he was cute? How was he supposed to respond to that? He stared at her, his mouth still slightly open, for many long seconds as he attempted to think of a thing to say, the word “cute” echoing around his brain in her voice.

“I, uh, thanks?” he stammered, not even sure what was coming out of his mouth. “You’re, uh… I think you’re cute too.”

Carol smiled at him with a little wink as Joanna mercifully came running up at that moment, clutching a bag bulging with gummies.

“I tried to only get a few,” Joanna explained, handing the bag over to Carol so she could seal it. “But there were so many kinds, I hadta try everything!!”

“Okay baby,” Leonard said, still distracted, watching Carol as she patted Joanna on the shoulder and lead her over to the counter, where she could put a tie around the bag.

“That’s totally understandable,” Carol told her, chuckling. “You have to try a little of everything!”

“Yeah!” Joanna agreed, bouncing up and down. Leonard eventually made his way over to the counter, feeling pleased but considerably flustered at what had just happened.

“You can have the gummies and two things from the basket, Jojo,” Leonard said, coming to his senses for a moment and noting the mountain of packages in the basket plus the bulging bag of gummies. Joanna looked like she wanted to complain, but thought better of it and somewhat reluctantly chose the two biggest things from the basket to go with the bag.

“I can put these away,” Leonard said, gesturing to the leftovers in the basket.

“No, not at all,” Carol said, waving away his offer. “It’s my job, plus I actually know where everything goes… I feel like it’d take you a while to sort it all out,” she said, with a teasing tone. Leonard looked at the multitude of brightly coloured packages in the basket and had to admit she had a point.

“Yeah, you’re probably right. Okay, I’ll pay for these then.” Carol rang him up, and as he was paying, she spoke again.

“Oh, how did you like the fudge, by the way? Did you enjoy it?”

“Oh, ah…” Leonard firmly banished the mental image of him devouring the fudge in his office, practically moaning from how delicious it had tasted. “It was good.”

“Just good, hm?” Carol asked with a sly tone to her voice, clearly seeing through him. “Well, I think you should try a different kind, then. See if its more your flavour.”

She smiled and excused herself, moving to the fudge counter and coming back a minute later with a box identical to the one she’d given him the first time, though it was tied with a red ribbon this time.

“Okay, I’ll try it,” he said, accepting the box as she handed it over, feeling flustered again as she looked at him unwaveringly, a knowing smile in place. “How much do I owe you?”

“It’s on the house,” she told him, and his eyebrows arched in surprise. “On one condition.” He nodded a bit warily, and she smiled before she went on.

“You have to promise to come back and tell me how it was. Honestly this time.” Leonard had to clear his throat before he could speak again, and managed to smile back at her.

“Deal. Come on, Jojo.” Leonard handed the bag of candies to his daughter as he slipped his wallet back into his pocket, glancing back at Carol as they headed for the door. He paused, then spoke up again: “I have a week of holidays starting tomorrow… but I will come back next week.” He told her, and she nodded, pointing at him.

“I’ll hold you to that, Leonard. Have a great holiday.”

“Bye candy lady! Thank you!” Joanna yelled as she pushed open the door, and as Leonard waved goodbye, the last thing he saw was Carol’s amused smile as she waved back; an image that would be plastered into his brain for the next week.

---------

That night, after Joanna had gone to bed and he was flopped on the couch, Leonard took out the little box of fudge. He tugged gently on one end of the ribbon until it gave way and came loose, then flipped open the flap of the box. A little note fluttered out from beneath the lid and he unfolded it to read the message:

Chili dark chocolate fudge For those who like a little spice in their lives

Intrigued, Leonard took a small bite of the fudge (which looked almost identical to the plain chocolate fudge he’d had earlier that week) and almost instantly moaned as the flavour hit his tongue. The chocolate was rich and sweet and the heat of the chili melded so well with the other flavours that he closed his eyes and let out a soft groan, collapsing back into the sofa cushions as he let the fudge melt on his tongue. She had certainly been right about one thing; she was excellent at predicting what people would like. Or, at least what he would like. Leonard tried to limit himself to only part of the fudge, but he couldn’t stop; it was just too damn delicious.

He went to bed a while later, still imagining the taste of it on his tongue even after he’d brushed his teeth, and he imagined how the meeting with Carol would go; he was reluctant to tell her it had been practically orgasmic, but he knew he needed to find the right words to praise her for her incredible skill. He fell asleep with the thoughts still mulling around his head, and eventually fell into a dream where Carol was teaching him how to make the fudge, a dream which ended with the two of them leaning against the counter with his hands around her waist, kissing her deeply…

-------------

On Wednesday Carol found herself in the backroom of her shop with about a million things to do. Her hired part-timer, Finn, was out front manning the store while she did all the baking and candy making for the next few days. It was hot work, so she was only wearing shorts, a tank top and an apron, and still she was sweating. Wonderful smells were filling the back room, however, and even though the work was difficult, Carol loved it.

She donned a pair of thick gloves as she worked with a large blob of hot, pliable candy, stretching and shaping it by hand. She occasionally sang along with the radio as she worked, or hummed along as she kneaded and pulled the confectionery.

Everything was going great until she dumped another large pot of steaming candy onto her working table. The candy spread over the surface of the table as she replaced the pot, and she didn’t notice that some was oozing off the edge until it was too late. Carol let out a soft cry of pain as some of the molten candy found the skin of her thigh, immediately starting to burn into her flesh.

Instinctively, she reached down with her bare hand and attempted to wipe away the hot goo, letting out a gasp of pain as she felt it burn into her hand as well. Cursing her own stupidity, Carol hurried over to the sink and turned on the cold water, thrusting her hand into the stream with a slight hiss of pain. After a few moments the pain in her hand numbed under the icy deluge, but her leg was excruciating. Carol retrieved a cloth, got it sopping wet and placed it over the large burn on her lower thigh, both sighing with relief and wincing from the pain.

Carol looked up as Finn stuck his head in the door, a concerned look on his face.

“You okay, Carol?” he asked, his eyes finding the cloth she had pressed to her thigh. “What happened?”

“Oh, some of the hot candy got me,” Carol said, trying to sound casual and like she wasn’t in a good deal of pain. Being the bright kid that he was, Finn didn’t miss the strained tone to her voice.

“Maybe you should go see a doctor,” he suggested, frowning. “Burns can be serious.”

“I know, Finn, but I don’t have a family doctor here yet,” Carol sighed, peeling back the cloth to peer at the burn and wincing. “I’m sure I’ll be fine.”

“The clinic on the other side of the parking lot takes walk-ins,” he argued, shaking his head. “Seriously, I can watch the store. Go and get that looked at.” Carol raised her eyebrow at the command in his tone and he blushed slightly, then smiled.

“I just want that to heal as fast as it can. Sorry, my parents are both doctors,” he said, and she laughed lightly.

“Perhaps you’re right. Are you sure you’ll be okay on your own for a while?” she asked, standing up properly and carefully pulling the cloth away from the wound. Finn winced as the whole burn was revealed to him, an angry pink wound that was already blistering.

“Of course, it’s no busier now than in the evenings. I’m fine.”

“Alright. I’ll be back as soon as I can.”

Carol retrieved her wallet and was about to leave when she thought to grab a cloth, soaked in cold water, to bring with her. That way if she had to wait for a while, she’d have at least some relief from the burning sensation.

Carol left her shop and hurried across the parking lot, limping slightly and wincing at the continued burning of her leg and hand. She could tell the burns were deep and she was not thrilled to be getting them looked at; any poking or prodding was surely going to hurt a great deal.

She made it to the clinic quickly, considering the pain in her leg, and limped her way up to the front desk. She told the receptionist why she was there, taking a step back to show the young woman the burn on her leg.

“Ouch, that looks painful,” the woman said, sympathetically. “Well, have a seat, I’ll let Dr. McCoy know you’re here.”

Carol nodded and sat herself down in a chair, folded up the cloth and pressed it to her leg with her burned hand, trying to absorb the chill on both burns. It didn’t seem like there was anyone ahead of her except the doctor’s current patient, of whom she could hear the muffled voice through the walls.

A few minutes later a middle aged woman appeared from the hallway leading towards the exam rooms, briefly stopped at the desk and then left the clinic, leaving silence in her wake. Almost immediately, the receptionist ushered Carol into a room and gave her a hand up onto the bed. This left Carol feeling a bit embarrassed, but, as she discovered, it hurt her leg burn a lot to bend and stretch the skin tight.

“The doctor will be right in.”

Carol nodded and gave her a smile of thanks before replacing the cloth on her leg, once again holding it in place by the burned side of her hand. She hoped the doctor would hurry; burns or not, she still had a lot of work to do today; she hadn’t even started on her cakes yet and she had three orders to fill before the next afternoon.

She pulled her phone out of her pocket to check if there were any other orders she needed to finish, trying to prioritize in her mind, when the door opened. She was still looking down at her phone when a surprisingly familiar voice filled the room.

“Hi there, I’m Dr. McCoy, what-- Carol?”

Carol’s head snapped up; there, standing before her in jeans, a plaid long-sleeved shirt and a unbuttoned labcoat with the sleeves pushed up was none other than Leonard, a stethoscope hanging casually around his neck. Her mouth fell open slightly as her eyes widened in surprise, her brain coming to a screeching halt as he stepped all the way into the room and closed the door behind him. Questions were racing through her brain: What was he doing here? He was a doctor? Why did he look so good in those clothes? He was a doctor?! It suddenly occurred to her that she’d never actually asked him what he did for a profession, and her senses were having a bit of trouble catching up with her racing thoughts.

“I, uh, h-- Leonard,” she managed to get out, stumbled over her words. “I- I didn’t know you worked here,” she said, cringing inwardly. He hardly just “worked” there, this was clearly his clinic. He smiled, and she got the distinct feeling that he was relieved she was on the awkward, fumbling side of things this time. She could feel her cheeks flushing a bit and attempted a smile, though it felt awkward and alien on her face in that moment. Leonard grabbed the nearby wheely stool and sat down on it, holding a folder to his chest as his eyes swept her in a very practiced, measured way, clearly checking for outward symptoms.

“Yup, this is my work,” he said, gesturing around them with one hand. “I guess I never mentioned that, hm?”

“Nope, no you did not,” Carol agreed, her voice still a bit weak from the surprise of it all. Her heart was fluttering and she felt unsettled, not used to being caught so off guard. Honestly the fact that it was metaphorically knocking her off balance so much was a testament to how deeply she was into her crush on this man, something that both amused her and made her feel very vulnerable. Indeed, sitting here on this bed before him was making her feel exposed, and his smile faded as he seemed to sense this.

“Oh, I hope this isn’t going to make it weird,” Leonard said, sounding concerned. “Unfortunately I’m the only doctor at this clinic, so if you’d rather see someone else you’ll have to come back tomorrow…” He sounded a bit sad, and she wondered if he’d be hurt if she left. She knew he would understand if she declined, but at the same time…

“Ah, well, no, it’s okay,” she said, cursing inwardly as she still couldn’t quite get a handle on her words. “I’ll admit I don’t really like physician’s offices in the first place, so maybe having a friendly face will help,” she shrugged with a small smile, which he returned.

“Besides… I probably shouldn’t wait until tomorrow to get checked out,” she admitted, wincing as she shifted her leg and the pain flared up again.

“What happened?” he asked, setting down his clipboard and reaching for her. Carol grimaced and then slowly peeled back the wet cloth, revealing the ugly pink burn on the front of her thigh that was already starting to blister.

“Wow, are you okay?” he asked, a bit alarmed, crouching in front of her for a better look. His fingers hovered around the edges of the wound, not quite touching it, but she braced herself for the pain just in case. Even just his body heat was making the pain a little worse, though she attempted to hide the pain, not wanting him to think she was weak.

“Yeah, it’s just a little painful.” Carol swallowed a bit harder than she meant to and nearly choked as he looked up at her with an eyebrow raised.

“A little painful?” Leonard said skeptically, looking up at her. “These are clearly second degree burns, I’d imagine it’s excruciating.” Carol attempted to uphold the facade for another moment before she caved, slouching slightly as she nodded.

“Yeah alright, that was bollocks. It hurts like a bitch,” she admitted, letting out a small, self-deprecating laugh. He gave her a sympathetic smile and chuckle, then gathered some supplies as she sat there, trying not to think both about the pain and about how awkward she was feeling.

“So how did it happen?” Leonard asked, moving back to her side with a small bottle and a large stack of gauze. He pulled on a pair of blue gloves and picked up the bottle again.

“I was making hard candy and some of it dripped onto my leg almost immediately after I dumped it on the table,” she said, watching as he uncapped the bottle and looked down at her wound.

“Is that what that is, then? Candy?” he asked, pointing at a small blob of something clear and shiny on top of one of the blisters.

“Yeah,” she agreed, wincing. She hadn’t realized there was some candy still stuck to her skin. The thought was a bit nauseating and she wrinkled her nose. “Molten sugar.”

“This might sting a bit,” he warned her and she nodded, shuffling a little so he could get to it better. He let the liquid in the bottle gently flow over the burn and she sucked in a breath, gritting her teeth at the sharp stinging pain it brought. He made a sympathetic noise and finished up as quickly as he could, gently dabbing the bottom of the burn with the gauze to get the last drops of the saline.

“Hm, it’s not budging,” he said, frowning at the candy melded to her skin. “Alright, I’m going to gently drain this blister and cut away the skin where the candy is, okay?” She felt some of the colour leave her face and he smiled slightly, reaching out to squeeze her arm.

“It’s okay, it’s not nearly as scary as it sounds,” he reassured, retrieving a small sharp. “I’m just going to poke a small hole at the bottom and drain it, then cut away the skin. It’s already dead, so you won’t feel anything there.”

“There’s one good thing,” she answered, her voice croaking slightly as she swallowed hard. She was nervous as hell; she really hated any kind of medical procedure and while she had a high pain tolerance, this burn was already extremely painful and she was very hesitant for it to hurt even more.

“Alright,” she nodded, as he held up the little needle, clearly asking for her permission to proceed. “I trust you.”

Her heart fluttered again as he gave her a warm smile before gently poking the bottom of the blister. She felt a slight popping sensation as the sharp punctured the bubble and sighed a little, feeling some relief as the pressure that had been building by the moment subsided.

“How is that?” he asked, reaching out and very gently starting to push down on the blister to drain it.

“It’s fine,” she said, cringing as the pain returned almost immediately from the pressure of his finger. She managed not to make a sound while he was draining it, but the second he cut away the skin and the air hit her raw flesh, Carol couldn’t hold in a hiss of pain, clenching her jaw tightly.

“Sorry,” Leonard said softly, patting her knee as he disposed of the gauze and piece of skin. “That’s gotta be pretty tender.”

Carol nodded but didn’t say anything, dreading the next part. She knew he was going to clean it again (this was not her first experience with a burn) and she knew it was going to hurt, a lot.

“This is probably-” Leonard began, returning with the saline bottle, and she nodded briskly at him.

“I know, it’s going to hurt,” she said grimly, her body stiff as she anticipated the pain. “Just go as quickly as you can?” Leonard nodded, crouched down and held the bottle over the burn. She nodded as he looked up at her for permission, and he turned the bottle over and began to let the solution flow over her burn again.

Carol cried out in pain this time, unable to hold it in, clutching the table for dear life with her unburnt hand, her eyes tightly shut against the pain. She desperately wanted to pull away but she did her best to stay still, controlling her breathing, teeth gritted.

“Okay, that’s done,” he said soothingly, setting aside the saline and dabbing below the burn again to collect the droplets. “You’re almost done.”

Carol nodded mutely, reaching up to tuck her hair behind her ear as she took a few shaky breaths. Pain suddenly seared in the side of her hand; she inhaled sharply and looked at her hand, realizing she’d forgotten all about the burn there as well. Carol realized Leonard had heard her little gasp and was looking over, concerned.

“Your hand, too?” Leonard asked, setting down the gauze he had just picked up and reaching for Carol’s hand. She let him take it and watched as he turned it in his grasp and examine the burn. It had also blistered, but thankfully not as bad as her leg.

“I’m going to finish your leg first, then I’ll work on your hand.” She nodded as he picked up the gauze he’d set down and began to cover one side of it in a large amount of cream, spreading it over the square. When he was done, he glanced at her and she nodded once again before he turned it over and gently pressed the gauze, cream side down, onto her burn. She gasped as it stung pretty badly at first, but as he held it there for a moment, it began to calm down.

“You okay?” he asked, his tone apologetic. She nodded, and he retrieved a larger square of gauze and lined it up over the first. “Good, almost done.”

He got her to hold the gauze in place as he quickly taped it down, firmly but not so much so that it pulled at her skin. She could still feel it burning and stinging, but was doing her best to ignore the pain.

“May I?”

Carol looked up from the bandage on her leg to see his gloved hand outstretched, clearly seeking hers. She put her burnt hand in his and watched him turn it again, examining, and then he began to clean it as he had the others. This one hurt as well, but because he didn’t have to drain or cut away anything, it took a lot less time and was somewhat less painful. She alternated between watching his skilled hands or his face, with its focused expression as he worked on her.

Carol watched in dismay as Leonard carefully wrapped her hand, winding a roll of soft gauze several times around her palm, over the bottoms of her fingers and then down to her wrist, tying it off securely.

“How am I going to bake with this?” Carol asked with a groan, looking down at her hand. It was like she was wearing a mitt with the tips of the fingers cut off, how was she supposed to make and assemble the cakes with it?

“Bake?” Leonard asked, turning from the counter where he’d been organizing all his supplies and removing his gloves. “You’re not supposed to bake with that. You’re not working anymore today. You need to go home and take it easy, doctor’s orders.”

“Leonard, I have three cake orders that need to be filled tonight, they’re being picked up tomorrow.” Carol told him in a no-nonsense voice. She understood his concern, really, but she had work that had to be done.

“You need to rest and not work that hand,” Leonard insisted, shaking his head. “Plus both of those burns are going to hurt like hell in a hot kitchen.”

“Well, so be it,” Carol said with a sigh, shrugging. “They need to be done.”

“Can’t you cancel the orders?” Leonard asked, frowning. “Surely people would understand…” Carol stared at him, then shook her head.

“And where are they going to get a custom cake at this last minute?” she asked him, and he made a non-committal noise after a pause. “Exactly.”

“Still, I mean… you have some non-custom ones already made, right? Could you just ask if those are good enough?” Leonard asked her. His tone suggested he knew it wasn’t possible, but he just wanted her to go home and rest. Again, she appreciated the sentiment, but she was getting frustrated.

“Do you want to tell a 6 year old little girl why she’s not getting her pretty unicorn cake for her birthday?” Carol asked him, knowing full well how he’d react, given that he had a daughter of his own. His expression suddenly turned horrified, and he shook his head.

“Okay, then you understand,” Carol said wearily, wincing as her hand twinged with pain. “I guess I can get Finn to help me. He’s hopeless at baking but at least he can follow directions.” Leonard was staring at her, an unreadable expression on his face.

“What?” she asked, nonplussed by his stare. She was pretty sure he was thinking about something, but she hadn’t a clue what.

“I… what if I helped you?” he asked, and his expression suggesting both excitement and trepidation at the offer.

“What?” Carol replied blankly, staring at him. “You want to help me make cakes?”

“Yeah, I mean… sure,” he said, his cheeks flushing a little. “I may not be an actual baker but I do know how to make a cake… You’d have to do the decorating but I could do all the hot work and mixing.” He sounded a bit embarrassed that he’d offered now, clearly thinking she was judging him as she stared at him, but then she let her lips curl in a slow, thankful smile.

“You are far too sweet, Leonard,” she told him, feeling affection swell in her heart for him as he smiled. “Are you sure? It’s messy work.” Leonard shrugged.

“I have a kid. If I was worried about messes, I would have given up a long time ago,” he chuckled, and she laughed.

“Good point,” she conceded, smiling. “So, when does your clinic close?”

“Not until four, but I think we can just close early,” he said, glancing at his phone. “There are no appointments this afternoon and we’re usually pretty quiet for walk-ins on Wednesdays. I can come with you now, if you like.”

“Well, if you’re sure,” Carol said uncertainly, not wanting to inconvenience him. “It’d probably be better to get started as soon as possible, I don’t know how long it’ll take me to decorate with only one good hand.”

“Gotcha,” he nodded, gathering his stuff. “Have a seat in the waiting room and I’ll be out in a few minutes.”

“Okay,” she replied, smiling at him as he turned to leave. He shot her a wink as he left the room and she felt her heart flutter rapidly once more, a warm sensation crawling through her body. Trying to focus more on these giddy feelings than the pain, Carol limped back to the waiting room, then joined Leonard as he came back out a few minutes later after letting his receptionist know she could head home for the day.

Finn looked a little confused when she returned a while later with Leonard in tow, especially when she explained that he was going to help her.

“But… I can handle closing… You looked like you were in a lot of pain, shouldn’t you just go home?” Finn asked, concerned.

“That’s what I said,” Leonard muttered under his breath, and Carol nudged him with her elbow and frowned at him before turning back to Finn.

“I have three cake orders to finish tonight,” she explained. “If you need anything, we’ll be in the back.”

Carol lead Leonard into her back room and limped over to the candy table where all the trouble had begun, swearing when she realized the candy she’d spilled onto it and abandoned was now hard as a rock.

“What’s wrong?” Leonard asked, joining her. “What’s that?” he asked, pointing at the thick, uneven coating over the table.

“That,” Carol said, sighing and limping over to a cabinet in the wall. “Is the candy that burned me earlier. I forgot all about it when I left, and now it’s cold and hard.”

Leonard made a noise of understanding and rapped his knuckles on the candy; sure enough, it was rock hard.

“So, how do we get it off of there?” he asked, frowning at it. Seemed pretty damn solid to him. He looked up at Carol to see her brandishing two ordinary hammers and laughed. She brought them over and handed him one, and together they spent a good ten minutes breaking apart the candy and peeling it off the table in pieces.

When they were finally finished chipping away the hardened candy, Carol directed Leonard around the kitchen, collecting supplies for the batter. She tried to start adding ingredients herself, but unfortunately, when she added a large, heavy bowl of flour to the mixer, a large twinge of pain shot through her hand and she gasped involuntarily, something which Leonard immediately noticed.

“Okay, stop, I’m gonna do that,” he said, coming forward to take the bowl from her as she tried to rearrange her face back to normal after wincing in pain.

Carol opened her mouth to argue, saw the frown on his face and thought better of it. As long as she guided him, nothing could go wrong, right? Her hand really did hurt quite a lot, so she sighed and backed away, allowing him to tip the rest of the flour into the mixer. He glanced down at his shirt as he set the bowl down and noticed it was already sprinkled with flour. Letting out a small giggle at the resigned look on his face, she limped across the kitchen to a small closet and pulled out the longest apron she had; a baby blue and white striped apron made of canvas with white ties.

“Here, this’ll help,” she chuckled, watching him as he inspected the garment for a moment before pulling it over his head. She moved around behind him as he fumbled the ties, catching the lengths as he dropped them and tying them with skilled ease, even with her bandaged hand.

“Well, do I look like a baker now?” He asked, spreading his hands and giving her a bit of a lopsided smile.

“Close enough,” Carol said with a soft laugh, moving over to the side of the table and watching as he pulled a new bowl towards him, awaiting her instructions.

An hour passed at the speed of light as she instructed him, watching his motions like a hawk as he added, sifted and combined ingredients. He was excellent at following instructions, she noticed, but he wasn’t great with the baking terminology; not that she’d expected him to be.

“No, Leonard, I said fold the the flour into the meringue, don’t mix it!”

Leonard lifted his hands in defeat (including the one clutching the gooey spatula), looking exasperated.

“I don’t know what that means,” he said, frustration evident in his tone. “I’m just a beginner!”

For some reason, the way he’d said it made her laugh, and she felt the anxiety she’d been feeling melt away a bit. She reminded herself that he was helping her out of the goodness of his heart; it wasn’t his fault she’d burned her hand and now she was unable to prepare things herself.

“Sorry,” she conceded, nodding. “I’ll show you.”

She took the bowl from him and demonstrated the proper technique quickly, just long enough that he knew what to do, and then he tried it.

“Perfect. You’re a quick learner,” she said fondly, watching him fold the rest of the almond flour into the meringue. Leonard shot her a little grin and then went back to mixing- er, folding- the batter in front of him, a little crease between his eyebrows as he concentrated. Carol noticed this and was so distracted that she barely managed to stop him before he’d overturned the batter.

A couple of hours later, they sat at the large counter in the middle of the kitchen, surrounded by cooling cakes, fanning themselves from the heat of the oven. All of the cakes had been baked; now it was a matter of assembling and decorating, which admittedly often took longer than the cakes themselves.

“Carol? We’re closed now,” Finn said, poking his head into the back. “You need any help?” He asked, eyeing Leonard, who was wiping his sweaty brow with his sleeve.

“No, we’re alright, thanks Finn. Have a good night!”

Finn returned the sentiment and disappeared; a minute later she heard the front door chime and the beep of the secure lock being initiated as he left the store and locked up. Leonard excused himself for a moment and called the babysitter he’d gotten for Joanna that night, explaining that he’d be a couple more hours and he’d pay her double if she stayed. Thankfully she agreed, and he returned to Carol, rubbing his hands together.

“Okay, now,” Carol said, looking around and then moving her gaze back to Leonard. “Now, we made a truck-load of icing.”

Leonard’s eyebrow had raised at her phrasing, but he realized pretty quickly that she wasn’t exaggerating by all that much. By the time they were finished another half hour had passed, and there were bowls of buttercream all over the kitchen, some dyed purple, green or blue, some pure white. She coached him through stacking the cakes and filling the layers between the cakes with frosting, then showed him how to do a proper crumb coat and watched, pleasantly surprised, as he actually did a pretty damn good job.

“Wow, Leonard!” Carol said, grinning, as he finished the crumb coat on the last cake. “I have to say, if you ever get tired of being a doctor… I’d be happy to give you a job here.” Her tone was teasing but she was actually quite impressed, and felt a weird sense of pride, watching him work.

“Thanks,” he said, flushed with his success. “That was actually pretty fun. Hell of a lot of work for only three cakes though…” Carol chuckled as she filled a few icing bags with the various coloured icing.

“You should see what goes into preparing a wedding cake,” she said, laughing as he shook his head. “Yeah, its intense.”

She got him to coat the cakes with a thicker coating of buttercream in the correct colour for each, then smoothed the icing so the top and sides were one uniform surface. He watched, fascinated, as she began to pipe designs onto each cake. The two tiered cake with light pink icing was quickly transformed into a unicorn before his very eyes, Carol using a blended three coloured icing bag for the mane of hair, and an expertly coiled cone of fondant for the horn, the lot of which she dusted with a shimmery powder. A tall but narrow cake was wreathed with simple but elegant flowers, and the final cake was decorated with underwater scenes; it had been ordered for a fisherman’s birthday party.

“I think… we’re… done,” she said, speaking with the each of the last swirls of the piping bag. Carol swept a hand over her sweaty forehead and tossed the piping bag onto the table, slowly spinning the cake on its turner to examine every detail, making sure it was up to her standards. She looked over at Leonard, whose apron was covered with flour and streaks of icing, an enthralled look on his face as he stared at her work.

“They all look amazing,” Leonard said, shaking his head in disbelief. “You’re incredibly talented.”

“Leonard,” she chuckled, smiling. “You’re making me blush.”

“Seriously though,” he said, gesturing. “I’ve never seen such pretty cakes. I know where I’ll be getting Jo’s birthday cake from, now.”

“Well, thank you,” Carol accepted, her voice warm, though tired. “You did an excellent job yourself, are you sure you’ve never baked before?”

“Oh, just a bit here and there, nothing major,” Leonard shrugged, and Carol could tell he was trying to hide how proud he was of himself, which she found very endearing.

“You would never know it,” Carol told him, gently touching his arm. “And for the record, though I would be thrilled to make Joanna’s cake, I bet with a few lessons on decorating, you could make her a wonderful cake all by yourself.”

Leonard didn’t say anything, though his cheeks flushed slightly pink as he grinned in reply and then began to clean up the icing station. Carol watched him, noting a smudge of flour on his cheek and across the bridge of his nose, feeling affection for him welling in her chest. He helped her box the cakes and store them in the last fridge at the back of the room, and then they surveyed the mess at the tables.

“You can get out of here if you want, Leonard,” Carol said, looking at all the bowls, icing bags and various other messes on the table. “I can get these all cleaned up - or at least into the dishwasher.”

“Nah, that’s okay, I’ll help,” Leonard replied. “Besides, after all that, you need a dressing change,” he said, pointing to her bandaged hand. He was correct; there was teal and purple icing smudged over the gauze there and she laughed.

“Alright then. With two of us this won’t take long.” They hurried around collecting all the dishes and garbage, then Carol wiped down the tables while Leonard loaded the dishwasher and separated all the icing tips from their bags, getting his hands covered in frosting.

“I saw that,” Carol grinned as she came over to the sink to turn it on for Leonard, who had just stuck a frosting-coated finger into his mouth. He laughed, licking his lips as he removed his finger, shaking his head. It wasn’t long until the kitchen was clean, and they stood there surveying their work, both feeling pretty damn proud of the other.

“Do you need a ride home?” Leonard asked, as he pulled off his apron and handed it over. He still had dustings of flour on his shirt as well, but he didn’t even notice as he watched her take off her own.

“Well…” Carol hesitated. She had driven her own car and she wanted to drive it home, but the pain had been getting worse in her hand for the last hour or two and she wasn’t sure it would be entirely safe for her to drive. Still, it was her car, and her only mode of transportation.

“I mean, it would be wonderful of you to drive me,” she began, tossing the dirty aprons into a hamper near the door. “But I wouldn’t be able to get back to work tomorrow with my car here.”

“That’s okay, I can pick you up in the morning and bring you back here,” Leonard said, speaking over his shoulder as he washed his hands. “I’ve got nothing to do the rest of the week.”

“Oh, right!” Carol said, as the memory came back to her. “You said you were on holidays this week. How come you were working today, then?”

“My locum had a family emergency today, so I decided to come in rather than close the clinic,” Leonard explained, drying his hands on a towel. He looked at her and smiled, then winked. “I have to say, I’m glad I did.” Carol’s cheeks flushed slightly as she glanced down at her bandaged hand and leg.

“I’m glad too,” she said softly, reaching out to touch his arm with her uninjured hand. “But anyway it’s fine, I can take a cab home, you’ve already done so much for me!”

“Nah, it was fun,” Leonard said, gesturing around the kitchen. “And I learned stuff, so really I should be thanking you,” he smiled. “Alright, I’m going to redress that,” he said, pointing at her hand. “And then I am driving you home. No arguments. Doctor’s orders.”

“Alright, alright,” Carol laughed, rolling her eyes a little at the commanding tone, but thinking it was adorable. He lead her over to the first aid kit and gently removed the bandage. Carol sharply sucked in a breath as the air hit the raw wound and Leonard redressed it as quickly as he could while still doing a thorough job.

“There,” he said, holding her bandaged hand in both of her own. On a whim, he brought her hand upwards and planted a gentle kiss in the middle of the bandage, his eyes closed. Carol looked up at him and felt her heart skip several beats as he did this, thinking how incredibly sweet he was and how much she wanted to kiss him.

He brought her hand down and looked at her, seeming faintly embarrassed considering the way his cheeks warmed, but he smiled all the same.

“Let’s get going. You need rest.” He said, reaching out and squeezing her shoulder. “I’m guessing you’re too stubborn to just stay home and rest tomorrow, or even for a few days?” He asked, rolling his eyes as she shot him a look that clearly indicated the contrary.

“Of course not,” he sighed, though he chuckled. “At least promise me not to do anything too taxing tomorrow?”

“I promise,” Carol said, nodding. “I don’t have another cake order due until the weekend so I will take it easy for a few days,” she promised, and was rewarded with a smile from him.

Thankfully the night was warm enough to not need a coat so she simply grabbed her wallet and keys and followed him out of the store, locked up and then made sure her car was secure. By the time she was done that, he’d jogged across the parking lot, started his truck and was driving towards her to pick her up.

“You didn’t have to do that, I can walk,” she laughed as he pulled up beside her and she opened the door. He had already hopped out of the vehicle, however, and was coming around to her side. “Oh Leonard, I’m fine,” she protested as he held out a hand to help her.

“That leg’s gotta be hurting,” he replied, gesturing to her bandaged wound. “Just let me help you, okay?” His voice was so genuine that she let out a little sigh and accepted his help. He half-guided, half-lifted her into the vehicle, and she did her best to hide the pain as she moved her leg. He didn’t comment on it, just made sure she was settled before he closed her door and got back in on the driver’s side.

“Thank you,” she said, flushing a little. She’d clearly needed the help, but she was stubborn and she knew it. To his credit, Leonard merely smiled and shook his head before driving away from the store. She told him her address and they chatted a little as he drove, but she was feeling very tired now and starting to show it. She leaned back in her seat, resting her head against the rest, and though the town was so small that they were nearing her place within a few minutes, her eyes were already starting to close.

“Just here,” Carol said, pointing, after opening her eyes and realizing with a start that they were only a couple houses down from hers. Leonard pulled into the driveway, killed the engine, then hopped out and came around to her side again, holding out his hand after she’d unbuckled herself. She leaned on him as he helped her down, a little worried about finding her balance, but she managed it no problem with him there to steady her.

“Nice cat,” he commented, chuckling as a white cloud with eyes appeared in the window, clearly having heard the vehicle pull up.

“That’s Marlow,” Carol smiled, closing the door to the truck. “His name is actually Marshmallow, but I thought Marlow sounded better than Mallow as a nickname.”

“Is all of him that fluffy?” Leonard asked, slightly dumbfounded as the upper body of the cat appeared and did nothing to diminish the impression of a cloud.

“Pretty much, yeah,” Carol chuckled. “He’s the reason I rarely wear dark colours.”

Leonard lead her to the door and Carol did not protest, both because she knew he would insist and also because she was admittedly quite enjoying the warm weight of his hand at her back.

“Well, thank you again for everything, Leonard,” Carol said as they reached the porch, and Carol stuck her key in the lock. “Can I repay you somehow?”

“No,” Leonard said, shaking his head. “It was my pleasure. What time do you start tomorrow? Ten?” Carol nodded, and Leonard continued. “Then I will be here tomorrow at nine-thirty sharp.”

“Okay,” Carol agreed, smiling. “Thank you.”

“Anytime. See you tomorrow,” Leonard said, and then he hesitated. Carol hesitated too, and she had a feeling both of them were thinking the same thing. He could just lean down, or she could lean upwards, that’s all it would take… The moment seemed to plateau, before Leonard suddenly blinked and gave a small cough.

“Ah, well, goodnight,” he said, flustered, and she smiled at him, a little disappointed.

“Goodnight Leonard.” She squeezed his hand once and then let herself inside. She closed the door behind her and was immediately accosted by a yelling Marlow, who clearly wanted to know where she’d been for so long. Ignoring him for now, she looked back out and gave Leonard a final smile and wave before walking down the hallway and turning out the porch light, her mind abuzz. As she entered her room to get changed, she heard his truck start again and then the sound of him pulling out of the driveway, and she flopped down onto her bed, stroking Marlow with a stupid grin on her face. If she had to get injured, she mused, this evening had been the best possible outcome she could ever have imagined. She laughed out loud and gathered Marlow into her arms as she felt like a teenager again, the excitement that comes from a crush making her feel weightless and giddy.

--------

The three of them were having a picnic. Leonard was carrying the cooler, a bag with food and a blanket under his arm while Carol followed along behind them, Joanna gleefully riding on her back. They got their stuff set up and had a wonderfully enjoyable meal, then Joanna ran off to play, leaving Carol and Leonard alone on the blanket together. They immediately moved closer to each other, lying down side by side, Carol’s head resting on his shoulder. They exchanged a few words but mostly just lay comfortably together, basking in the sun.

“Maybe we should go in the shade,” Carol murmured after a while, shielding her eyes and looking over at him. “I think I’m going to burn.”

“Nah, you’ll be fine,” Leonard said lazily. “Vitamin D is good for you.” Carol smiled and snuggled up against him again.

“Well, doctor knows best.”

“Yes, yes he does—”

“DADDY! WAKE UP!”

Leonard’s eyes shot open as the dream shattered, and he was suddenly aware of Joanna bouncing on his bed, yelling at him. Groaning, he rubbed at his eyes for a moment before rolling over to see her staring into his face, looking wildly excited.

“It’s Sunday! Candy shop day!” Joanna announced as Leonard struggled to sit up, held down by the blankets she was bouncing on.

“Joey, just because we’re going on a Sunday again doesn’t make Sunday “Candy shop day”,” Leonard said, stifling a yawn as Joanna flopped herself across his lap.

“Yes it does! Sunday is Candy shop day!”

Too tired to argue the point, Leonard heaved himself out of bed and got them both ready for the day. As Joanna was finishing up her breakfast, she looked over at Leonard, who was sipping his coffee and glancing at the paper.

“So are you gonna ask the candy lady on a date?”

Leonard nearly spit out his mouthful of coffee in shock at the question, choking slightly as he tried to swallow without dying.

“Um, what are you talking about, baby?” he asked, hastily wiping his chin as a trickle of coffee escaped his lips. “Why would you ask me something like that?”

“Because you like her…” Joanna said, rolling her eyes, the duhh evident in her tone.

“I, what?” Leonard stammered. “You’re barely 8 years old, how would you even—”

“Daddy, just ‘cause I’m young doesn’t mean I’m stupid,” Joanna said with disgust, rolling her eyes again. “You helped her make cakes and you’ been driving her to work! Ask her out already!!” Joanna paused, as though considering something, then added: “Maybe she’ll give me free fudge this time!!”

Leonard mouthed wordlessly at Joanna as she beamed at him, got up from the table to clear her place and skipped off into the porch to put her shoes on. Still flabbergasted that his young daughter could perceive, and potentially even understand his feelings for Carol, Leonard followed her in a daze, wondering if it was really best to go to Carol’s shop after that, knowing the potential for Joanna embarrassing him was staggeringly high. But Joanna would be sad if he said no, and regardless of his potential embarrassment, he really did want to see Carol again, despite having just seen her on Friday when he drove her to and from work (She’d insisted on driving herself starting Saturday). So he drove to the store as intended, his heart pounding quicker the closer he got, picturing her smiling face, hearing her accented voice in his head.

Again, when he parked in front of the store, Joanna was already out of the vehicle and in the doorway by the time he’d shut the truck down. Shaking his head, he unbuckled and hopped out of the truck, glancing at his reflection in the wing mirror before he closed the door. He smoothed hair a little and adjusted his plaid button up tshirt so that it was sitting nicely over his black tank top underneath, hoping he looked presentable. Carol seemed to like his casual country look so he hadn’t dressed nicer, but he still wanted to be clean and put together.

Leonard took a deep breath and then walked slowly towards the store, trusting that Joanna already had Carol’s attention and she wouldn’t already be looking at him as he walked in the door. He was correct; the second he walked in, he could hear both of their voices. Unfortunately, it was apparent almost immediately that something had happened. Joanna’s tearful voice, always higher-pitched when she was upset, was nearly incoherent as she cried. He could hear Carol asking her if she was alright and trying to console her.

“I’m here baby, what’s wrong?” Leonard asked, darting forward and kneeling beside Carol, who was bent a little awkwardly over Joanna, not able to crouch or kneel easily with her healing leg wound. Joanna was sitting on the ground, her knee drawn up to her chest with her hands clenched firmly around it, tears streaming down her cheeks.

“Daddy!!” she wailed, her next words incomprehensible as she continued to sob while she spoke. Leonard glanced at Carol, who looked a little upset herself at the wailing, clearly concerned.

“She came sprinting in here and tripped over the leg of one of the displays,” Carol explained fretfully, gesturing, and Leonard glanced over to where she was pointing and saw candy packages littering the ground by a toppled display nearby. “She won’t let me look at her knee.”

“It’s okay, sweetheart,” Leonard said, scooting closer to Joanna and wrapping his arms around her. He was sure she was completely fine and more spooked than anything, and he knew hugs always made her feel better. She pressed her tear-stained face into him and finally let go of her knee to wrap her arms around his neck, and he rubbed her back for a few moments, holding the awkward position until her sobs turning into gulps and sniffles. He slowly let go and sat back on his heels, watching as she sniffed and hiccuped herself into a calmer frame of mind.

“Lemme look at your knee, Sweetpea,” Leonard said, stroking her hair a couple of times until she nodded reluctantly and showed him her knee.

“You’re okay, darling,” he said after a quick examination showed him that she merely had some friction burn. Her knee was pink and angry but not bleeding or even scratched.

“Are you s-sure?” Joanna asked in a tremulous voice, still sniffing. “It hurts.”

“I know, Jojo, friction burns sting. But you’ll be just fine, I promise. I’ll ask Carol to bring you a--”

“Cold, damp towel?” Carol asked, reappearing at his side and holding one out, along with a few tissues.

“Yes, exactly,” Leonard said, a half smile forming as he looked up at her. “Thank you.”

“No problem,” Carol said softly, smiling at Joanna, who hiccuped back at her. “I remember how those felt when I was a kid,” she said, pointing at Joanna’s knee.

Leonard folded the cloth and gently placed it on Joanna’s knee. She gasped and wrinkled up her face like she was going to cry again, but after a moment she relaxed as the chill helped ease some of the stinging sensation, wiping her face and blowing her nose with the tissues.

“Hang on, I’ve got something else that will help,” Carol said, disappearing before either of them could react.

After a couple of minutes, Joanna had completely stopped crying and her face was mostly dry. Leonard could tell she was feeling better because she was starting to look around again, slowly getting more distracted by the candy around her than her injury.

“You ready to stand up, Pumpkin?” he asked, and she nodded. He got to his feet and held out his hands to her. She took them and he lifted her into the air, earning himself a shriek and giggle as he settled her back onto her feet as Carol returned behind them.

“Here you go,” Carol said, and she held out a small paper dish. Joanna’s eyes grew wide as she looked at the dish; there was a large scoop of bright blue ice cream inside, and a generous helping of rainbow sprinkles on top.

“That’s for me?” Joanna asked incredulously, reaching out to take the dish from Carol. “How did you know I love sprinkles?!”

“Sprinkles always make everything better,” Carol told her warmly, grinning as Joanna beamed. Joanna took a big spoonful of the ice cream and crammed it into her mouth, let out a loud “MMMM!” and then turned to Leonard as she swallowed.

“Daddy, you have to ask her to marry you!! She’s the best!!” Joanna said emphatically, her eyes shining as she stuffed another spoonful of ice cream into her mouth, oblivious to Leonard’s sudden expression of horror and embarrassment. Carol tried and failed to bite back a giggle as Leonard’s cheeks reddened again and he refused to make eye contact.

“You should probably at least ask her on a date first,” Joanna mused reasonably between mouthfuls, blue ice cream lining her lips as she spoke.

“Alright, Jojo,” Leonard choked, turning his daughter bodily by the shoulders and gently pushing on the middle of her back. “Why don’t you go look at the gummies or something?”

“Okay!” Joanna agreed happily and took off towards the gummies at top speed.

“Glad to see she learned her lesson about running indoors,” Leonard commented flatly as she nearly careened into another display. Carol laughed, then reached out to take his hand, turning her towards him. She looked up at his face, taking in his pink cheeks and his rueful expression.

“She’s right, you know,” Carol teased, squeezing his hand. “You really should ask me for a date first…” Leonard’s eyes widened and his heart sped up as he realized this was it, this was the moment he’d been thinking about for a week. He was actually going to ask her out. So far it hadn’t exactly gone as he’d planned, but she still seemed interested so he wasn’t going to look a gift horse in the mouth. Leonard took a deep breath, then gently took her other (injured) hand, holding them both in front of him.

“Would you like to have dinner with me tonight?” He asked, and he was amazed to hear that his voice hadn’t faltered and he sounded somewhat confident. She smiled at him, and he felt his heart skip a beat as her beautiful, grey and blue eyes glittered up at him.

“I would love to, Leonard,” she answered softly, stepping closer to him and wrapping her arms around his waist. Though unexpected, the embrace was not at all unwelcome and he followed her lead, wrapping his arms around her back and holding her close for a moment. She was shorter than him and fit perfectly against his chest, and he ducked his head, enjoying her warmth and the scent of her shampoo as he leaned his cheek on her hair.

She pulled back after a moment, just far enough to look up at him. He was looking down at her, into her eyes, and his body knew before his brain did that he was going to kiss her. He was already leaning down before he realized what he was doing, and he saw her leaning up towards him as his eyes closed. Their lips met a second later and he felt a thrill go through him, his entire world narrowing to just her, and the way her lips felt against his, the way her body felt against his. He’d completely forgotten where they were, and who they were with; he knew nothing about anything but Carol for several long moments.

“YES! You did it!!”

Leonard pulled away from Carol in surprise at the sound, and looked around to see Joanna, who had just done a fist pump, beaming at them. Carol laughed but didn’t pull away, turning a little in his embrace so she could see Joanna.

“Does that mean you’re okay with your dad dating me?” Carol asked, smiling down at Joanna, who beamed at her.

“Of course!! We’re gonna have a candy store in the family now!” Joanna yelled gleefully, ran over to them, hugged them both, and then darted back to the gummy corner, where they could hear her humming merrily to herself as she filled up a bag.

“Glad to know she approves,” Carol chuckled, turning back to face Leonard, who looked both amused and embarrassed by his daughter’s behaviour. “What time should I be ready tonight? We close at five.”

“Seven?” Leonard said, shaking himself and looking back down at her. “I know a great smokehouse that does an incredible smoked brisket,” Leonard told her enthusiastically, making her smile. “Does that sound good?”

“That sounds amazing.”Carol replied as Joanna came trotting over with her bag of gummies. Carol pulled out of the embrace and moved towards the cash register as Joanna happily plodded after her, Leonard following in a bit of a daze.

“Here you go, sweetheart,” Carol said, wrapping a ribbon around the bag and handing it to Joanna after weighing it without typing it into the register. Leonard approached with his wallet and opened his mouth, but Carol shook her head.

“Helping me with those cakes was worth far more than a bag of gummies,” Carol told him, and he smiled, pocketing his wallet again. Leonard was acutely aware that Joanna was staring at them, looking from one to the other, so he decided to leave further talk for later.

“I’ll see you tonight,” Leonard said, putting a hand on Jo’s back and steering her towards the door.

“I can’t wait,” Carol called, waving as they got to the door. Leonard took one last look back after Joanna yelled her goodbye and dashed out the door, and Carol smiled and winked at him. His heart pumping fast, he drove them home and let Joanna amuse herself on a tablet while he went through his closet, determined to make this his best first date ever.

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