Here goes...my first Hairspray one-shot. Back up, my first fic featuring Zac Efron. I'm a Link/Tracy shipper as you can imagine and I just hope you enjoy it. Feedback is so appreciated so if you enjoyed it, do let me know coz you have no idea how plot bunnies start hopping around my head when I get encouraged! ;)
Beta reading: my friend, rathskitten at LiveJournal
Fic Summary: Link Larkin is stuck in detention hall on an empty stomach…that's when he meets Tracy and Penny and mama Turnblad's amazing PB sandwiches.
Peanut Butter
by princess narnia
Him
Link Larkin looked around detention hall. He'd been sent off for being late to history class, yet again. Mrs. Baker wasn't as taken by his charms as the rest of the female population of school. He could skip most of his classes and his female teachers wouldn't even bat an eyelid. He was Link Larkin after all. The boy voted 'most likely to be famous'. Rules didn't apply to him.
Unless they were Mrs. Baker's rules. And she was one strict old bat.
She'd given him a stern, no-nonsense look and ordered him to 'please get his dancing feet to detention'. Several girls looked astonished at the very thought of Link Larkin being sent out of class, but Link just nodded and dashed down the hallway before he could hear any of their comments.
The news will travel now… that's practically a given.
Now seated on a desk in detention, he was feeling ravenously hungry. He remembered his mother yelling at him that morning about running off without breakfast. The low rumble in his stomach made him regret his decision. He had just been so anxious to get to school on time that he'd made a flighty exit. Another low rumble caused him to clutch his stomach and look around, hoping that nobody had actually heard it.
As he glanced over to his left he caught sight of a familiar face. The girl from the hallway; the shortish rotund one his girlfriend, Amber, had made some snide comments about.
Tracy, was it? Tracy Turnblad?
Her expressive face and lively eyes seemed to tell a story as she chatted with her friend, whom Link guessed was Penny Pingleton. Both girls sat on a nearby table; Penny with her feet up and sitting cross legged and Tracy with her legs dangling over the side. They were totally engrossed in their conversation till Tracy looked up, caught this gaze and almost immediately looked a little flustered.
Well...I tend to have that effect on women.
Tracy looked down for a moment and then turned to her friend. Just a beat later she sneaked a peak at him, all the while biting her lip. When she saw that he was still looking at her, she coloured profusely, the pink in her cheeks looking remarkably attractive.
He usually elicited looks of longing and probably pure lust from most women but this girl looked at him differently. He wasn't quite sure what her expression meant, but it made him smile, very genuinely.
And it made him feel a bit funny in his tummy…not the hungry kind of funny. This was a funny of a different kind entirely.
Her
"Penny, he's here!" Tracy whispered to her friend and grabbed her arm.
"I know," Penny smiled stupidly as she exchanged a smile with Seaweed Stubs. The African American boy grinned in their direction as he spoke to his friends.
Tracy giggled. "Actually, I meant…Link." Her voice lowered to a whisper as she mentioned his name.
"Doesn't he have the most beautiful eyes, Penny?" Tracy whispered so that only her friend could hear. "They just sparkle like…stars." She was beginning to feel all gooey inside, like Mama Turnblad's home-made chocolate fudge pudding.
Penny pulled the lollipop she was sucking out of her mouth and leaned in close. "Do you hear more bells, too?" She winked and Tracy made a face. Penny giggled, her reddish blond pigtails bobbing as she did.
"I'm serious!" Tracy whispered again. "He's here."
"Really?" Penny looked surprised. She whirled round in her seat and nearly yelled when she saw how close to them Link really was. Link in turn looked over at them and smiled, his eyes twinkling even more.
Tracy wanted to hide under the table when she saw Link's reaction. He was so gorgeous and he probably knew it, too. And the number of times he'd looked at them meant that he knew she was crushing on him.
What am I saying? I'd crush him if I fell on him. So much for being swept off my feet!
Tracy reached for the open box that sat between her and Penny on the desk. She picked up one of her mama's homemade peanut butter sandwiches and took a bite. The moment she did however, she regretted it. Link was looking right at her, a wide-eyed, open-mouthed look on his face. One of those eyebrows was arched and he seemed to wince each time she chewed on her sandwich. The peanut butter sticking to the roof of her mouth really wasn't helping how she felt.
I'm such an idiot. Here is the guy of my dreams and I tuck in while he watches. He's probably fighting a feeling of disgust right now.
Tracy's tongue stuck further to the roof of her mouth when Link hopped off the desk and approached them.
She gulped down a mouthful just as he reached their desk and tried her best to appear attractive, even crossing her legs, much to the amusement of Penny. Her quirky friend sucked on that lollipop just to avoid laughing and Tracy could have smacked her silly for it.
"Ladies…" Link addressed them both and his eyes went from Penny to Tracy, where they lingered for a moment.
I have peanut butter on my face, she thought. That's the only reason a boy as cute as Link would even look at me.
"Please tell me that is peanut butter."
"On my face?" she blurted out.
"There's nothing on your face, doll." He nodded towards the lunch box on the table between the two girls.
"Oh!" Penny said brightly. "Um, yeah it is." She gave Tracy a look that seemed to shout: "Talk to him!"
"Um, yeah, it's peanut butter…" Tracy began. "It's homemade…I mean the sandwiches are homemade, not the peanut butter. My mom made the sandwiches…she bought the peanut butter. It's from the store…" Tracy stopped short and groaned inwardly.
Shut up, shut up, shut up! I'm such an idiot.
She looked over at Penny who was forcing a pained smile.
Her ramble didn't appear to annoy Link in the least. He just chuckled. "Really? Homemade?"
Tracy held up the box. "Can we offer you one? I mean…some?" She couldn't believe she was being so silly.
"Yes, you may indeed," he laughed. "I was actually gonna come over here and beg you to let me try one. I skipped breakfast this morning and let's just say that my stomach hasn't forgiven me for it."
Tracy's heart skipped a beat as her eyes flitted down to his trim waistline for just a second.
"Chunky?" he asked her, out of the blue.
"Huh?" she felt her face grow hot as she recalled a nickname Amber had once called her.
"I meant the peanut butter." Link smiled in that adorable way of his, his blue eyes lighting up to indicate amusement.
Tracy brightened. "Yes! Chunky is the only way to go…at least in the Turnblad household." Tracy had to bite back a smile at the irony of her own words.
Link placed a hand over his chest. "A girl after my own heart." He said dramatically.
Tracy just beamed.
As Link finished the sandwich he licked a spot of peanut butter off his forefinger and casually felt around his mouth to see if there were any spots left.
"Um," Tracy motioned to his cheek where there appeared to be a bread crumb. To her utter surprise and heart-pounding delight, Link leaned forward and turned his cheek towards her. Her hand found its way to his face, hesitant at first, but a bit steady once her fingers touched his skin and she gently wiped the crumb away.
Penny just watched this little drama unfold like it was the most fascinating thing in the world and Tracy couldn't believe what just happened. She didn't even realize what she was doing when she almost mechanically handed him the lunch box again, allowing him to take another sandwich.
"I'm in love. Tracy, tell you mom that she makes the most amazing peanut butter sandwiches known to man."
"I will." Tracy heard her voice come out like a squeak.
He mumbled a few non-eligible words between bites. "You just saved me…I owe you, darlin'…big time. Anything…just name it."
"Well," she began shyly and worked up some courage when she noticed that Link was actually listening to her. "I'll think of something…"
"You do that." His eyes didn't leave hers as he finished up the last of the sandwich.
Oh my…I cannot believe I'm talking like this to Link Larkin!
She looked over at Penny who was doing a mini jig and grinning like an idiot behind Link.
Tracy felt like her heart was about to travel up her throat, shoot through her head and probably explode on the ceiling or something. While that didn't form the best mental picture, it sure felt good; a better-than-peanut-butter-kinda-good.
And she could definitely hear the bells…They were chiming at a rate now.
Ring-a-ling-a-ding- dong!
END