It's Not a Date (No, Really) {Cas}

[fo]

The waitress was happy as can be. Perky Amy (as Fo had secretly nicknamed her inside her mind, in only a...slightly patronizing way) got even perkier, looking like Christmas came early. It made sense, right? Fo wasn't stupid; Cas was attractive, had a good sense of humor, and obviously a good taste in food and fun--so why shouldn't Amy have been overjoyed to dance with him? Cas just wasn't for Fo. He was too arrogant. He would get bored with her as soon as she said yes to his advances, because she was just a challenge. Not to mention his job was very dangerous and if anything ever--

Taking a deep breath, Fo fixed the smile back on her face, nodding a little at Amy's wink as if to say it was nothing. Amy was certainly happy, and Cas had flashed her a grin, meaning he was happy as well. He was getting a dance, after all, with a pretty girl. Fo got to have extra strawberries and her choice in chocolates. Everything was great. Except for the fact that no matter all the reasons that she shouldn't have the least bit of interest in Cas, and no matter all the reasons she shouldn't be the least bit jealous of Cas and Amy going off to dance later, she did have interest in him and she was jealous. Fo was still trying to deny it. She was still trying to say that he was just a friend and she didn't care. But deep down, she knew.

Of course, she was Fo Spader, head of the English division of the EMCC, young, stubborn, adventurous animal lover, and there wasn't a way she was going to let this little incident ruin the evening. Even if Cas had winked at Amy and made her blood boil, while turning a smile back on her that was just...different. She couldn't pinpoint it, but it was definitely different. Fo smiled back, although now that the waitress was gone she let it drift into a smaller smile that hurt her cheeks less than that large fake one. At Cas' confirmation of her choice in food being a good one, she made a noise of agreement in her throat, but was spared trying to come up with a retort by the waiter from the bar, who had their drinks in hand.

Glancing at the drink in a slightly nervous way, Fo wondered briefly if she was going to walk away from this night drunk. Maybe Cas would have to help her home. Sure, she drank sometimes, when she was out and about with friends, but her job took up so much time that she didn't get the chance very often, and she was tiny. AKA, a lightweight, who couldn't hold alcohol nearly as well as most people could. She was distracted from these nervous thoughts though when Cas whipped out his wallet, tipping the waiter, and she realized that they hadn't discussed how to pay for all of this.

She opened her mouth to say something, but trailed off when she watched Cas pop the mint into his mouth, and he began to speak around it, making the little leaves wiggle. Before she could stop herself, Fo let out a giggle, covering her mouth as soon as it was out, hoping that she didn't look as if she was laughing at him. Still giggling a little, she wordlessly took the lemon from him, forcing herself to calm so she could speak. "Thanks. And...no offense, but you look completely ridiculous with that in your mouth," she half giggled, and then added, "In the best way possible of course."

Grinning at him, Fo set the wedge on the side of her drink, not ready to eat it yet, and gestured vaguely towards the waiter, all thoughts of Amy thankfully forgotten for the moment. "And thanks for tipping him, yeah? I was just wondering how we were planning on splitting this," she continued, bringing her drink closer and tracing the rim with her index finger. "Splitting the bill? If we get to a second round of drinks, I could take care of those, too...If you want." Shrugging, showing him that she didn't care either way, Fo plucked both the wedges off her drink and set them aside on her napkin, taking a sip of her drink and misjudging how full the glass was. A fair amount splashed on her hoodie, the stain glaring in the lighting.

"Oh, heck," she said mildly, grabbing another napkin and dabbing at the spot. It didn't help, and with a sigh and a roll of her eyes at herself, Fo unzipped the hoodie and draped it over the back of her chair. Turning back to Fo, she flashed him a slightly embarrassed smile. "Can you tell I'm not an expert with drinks, Cas? If you're really my friend, you won't let me have much more than that glass." Flashing a more confident smile, Fo leaned back in her chair again, silently congratulating herself at distracting herself from the jealousy.

[cas]

Cas smirked around the corners of his mint spring and reached up to pull it out leaning forward just a bit across the table. "Must be in a pretty good way right? ..got you to smile after all.. " Grinning he stuck the stem back between his teeth again and waggle his brow. Yeah, so he was still flirting.. it was ingrained alright? Part of who he was,.. and anyway, if she was so damn set on not wanting anything between them besides friendship where was the harm in joking around right? Why should he keep walking on eggshells tonight rather than just being himself.

He found his gaze drawn, of its own accord, to watch as she traced the rim of her glass with a finger and found himself wondering if woman were just gifted at birth with a natural subconscious ability to do certain things that set a guy thinking on rather .. 'guy like' thoughts.. pulling his eyes from her delicate tracing he smiled and shrugged. "We can split it at the end. Why ruin the night fretting over sickles an.." pausing he glanced around.. "..nickels and dimes.. right?" ..Pulling a tight grin over his blunder he glanced up an over his drink as he raised it to his lips, scanning the vacant tables around them for any muggles that would surely think him a loon if they'd over heard.

His gaze came to settle back on Fo just in time to see her slosh her drink down the front of her hoddie. His lips curling up in a silent chuckle at her mild version of a curse as she dabbed at the stain. Cute.. and then Fo shrugged out of her hoodie revealing a rather form fitting blue dress that seem to cling in all the right places and showed of her smooth shoulders... right,.. cute was a ruddy insult to what Fo was. Dragging his eyes away he focused on his drink and chuckled a bit at her comment. " No worries there love, .. I'll be sticking with one myself as is.. you know..err.. 'twisting'?... and being drunk.. they don't work all that well together.. last time I tried that I found myself in the dog house of someones less than hospitable yard dog...rather like to avoid that happening ever again."

Glancing up he smiled as Amy made her way over to the table with a plate half covered in strawberries while the other side had a variety of alternative fruits, two small hot bowls of chocolate simmered over candled flames and she set the dish down carefully on the table flashing Fo a grin before reaching out a hand to Cas. com'on then handsome.. co-workers covering for my break a few minutes early.. Smiling at Fo Cas stood and gently took the girls hand in exaggerated flirtatiousness, obviously meant in friendly fun he leaned forward and lightly kissed the back of it..." for you beautiful bearer of the extra strawberries.. anything.." Grinning he stepped forward towards the dance floor just as the faster upbeat song that had been playing faded out and a slow one of romance and love began.

Reaching the dance floor he gently griped Amy's waist with one hand tugging her close and held her other aloft entwining their fingers. Grinning playfully he twirled her slightly on the spot before lifting her hand to rest it on his shoulder and dropped his own to her waist picking up a slow swaying rhythm to the music. Dipping his head he whispered in her ear with a smirking grin, his hair falling forward across is cheek in a wave. Amy tittered and blushingly gave some response that would be unreachable to the table Cas and Fo had.

[fo]

She was no stranger to flirting, dating, and the works of a relationship. So yes, she'd never gone all the way with a guy (close, but not all the way); that didn't mean she couldn't recognize it when a guy was flirting with you. As Cas spoke, and then wiggled his eyebrows, smirking or grinning the whole time, Fo could immediately tell that he was flirting. Usually, she'd probably just roll her eyes at him. However, a lurch in her stomach and a flutter of her heart just kept her smiling, ignoring the flirting and go along as if it hadn't even happened, or even that she liked it.

Which was crazy. She just...didn't want to ruin the mood, after all. Two friends, having a good time--flirting was harmless, right? Quickly, Fo forced her thoughts away from such topics, nodding a little at Cas' answer. His minor slip up made her glance from him quickly around to the empty tables, although she had already checked their area once, and relaxed after just a moment, almost positive that nobody had caught on to what Cas said. Besides, just the word 'sickles' wouldn't cause for a riot and the whole unearthing of the magical world; just some confusion and the assumption that he had misspoke.

Fo had seen Cas' eyes darting around to check the damage his own slip up had caused, and she felt his gaze slide back to her just as she very gracefully spilled her drink down her front. She tried to ignore his eyes on her as she shrugged out of her hoodie and put it behind her, the embarrassment she felt at being such a klutz only increasing when she realized that he hadn't seen what her dress really looked like all night. However, she was glad to note that he didn't keep staring, like she was a piece of meat, and the response she got from him wasn't full of suggestive comments or anything of the sort. In fact, Fo found herself laughing again at the story, covering her mouth.

"The worst I've ever done is...twisted into my neighbor's flat," she said, while dropping her hand, grinning widely. "Thank Merlin all the occupants are just like us, or else that would have been for some nasty explaining, paperwork, and wand work." Fo might have went on--in fact, she did have something more in mind to say--but when she looked at Cas and saw his eyes glance up to somebody else, she followed his gaze, and forgot everything she was about to say. Here came Perky Amy, carrying their fondue in her hands, one half of a plate filled with perfect looking strawberries, the other half filled with other wonderful fruits. The chocolate in particular caught Fo's eye, and she started to grin a little wider.

That was until, of course, Amy grinned at her and then Cas, and said that she was starting her break early. Which meant that Cas was going to dance with her right now, before they even had their food or anything. Fo's grin was gone, and she didn't smile back when Cas gave her one, instead just watching with a stony face as he kissed Amy's hand, a big (stupid, her mind added snidely) grin on his face, with a cheesey line escaping his mouth. Fo felt her stomach rolling at the sight of them, out on the dance floor together, with Cas giving her a little spin. Finally, when, he leaned down to whisper in her ear and she blushed, saying something back, she felt a roaring in her ears, and a scowl broke out on her face.

Taking a very deep breath, she turned her head so she didn't have to look at them anymore, grabbed a strawberry quickly, dunked it in chocolate, let it cool for a moment and then took a large bite. She chased that down with a large gulp of her drink, and then took another deep breath, closing her eyes for a moment and willing her scowl away. She knew. Fo knew that she was jealous. She was going to continue to deny it, of course, but she knew. As of right now, as she was eating angrily at the chocolate strawberry, she decided that all in all, this just wasn't right. Victoire would be having a fit.

Sure, she had said Cas could go dance. She said Amy should take him. What was she supposed to say, though? 'No, get away from him'? If the girl didn't understand that taking away Cas for a dance meant leaving her alone at a table, while they were supposed to be out together as friends, then what good would saying no do anyways? Cas himself should have realized that you didn't leave a lady at a table by herself, just bloody friends or not. Huffing out an angry breath, Fo didn't even care if she could be seen with a sulky expression, grabbing another strawberry and taking another bite.

She wasn't sure what she was going to say to him when the slow song ended. Maybe Amy would just keep him as long as possible. Frowning, Fo took a large drink out of her glass, and set to work on a lemon, her eyes darting to him even as she firmly told herself to not care, to not look. It wasn't like she liked Caspian or anything.