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Who: Jilly Coppercorn and Lindsey McDonald
What: A bit of relaxation and conversation
When: Late, Friday Night
Where: Music Room
Rating: PG, PG-13?

Jilly was sitting with her back against the piano, sketchbook balanced on her knee. As she worked, her eyes would flicker over to Lindsey where he sat, hands moving smoothly over the strings of his guitar. It was his hands she was trying to sketch, as if she could capture the music he was making in pencil. It was familiar... and relaxing. Music and art and company. If she could ask for anything, this is exactly what she would want.

After a minute, she'll pause and stretch. "You know, I like being busy... but I think I'll be happy when Barney finds a few more people to help at the Kat."

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"Well, we could try some place in town. Not everyone eats at the castle. I'm sure there are great places around." Besides, she wouldn't mind avoiding the Lux either. At least, while she was on a date, anyway. Awkward was certainly the word for it.

"How about this? You surprise me by choosing a place and we'll go there. That work for you, darlin'?"

"I can handle that." There was a smile as her fingers actually slid between his, ceasing their motion. "We can celebrate birthdays and lack of spiders and days off, hmm?"

He squeezed her hand and smiled. "I'm all good for celebrating. Just no funny hats. Alright?"

She laughed. "I think I can manage that."

"Good. Because if there is funny hats, I will make you wear it all by yourself."

She arched an eyebrow at that. "Oh really? Is that a challenge?"

"Maybe it is."

She grinned, leaning back against the chair and tilting her head back so she could see him better. "You know, I was never one to pass up challenges. Fair warning."

His fingers went to play gently in her hair. "Should we put a wager on this, or just see your creative side?"

She laughed. "I couldn't bet against the birthday boy. It wouldn't be right to make you lose."

Lindsey laughed. "Who says I plan on losing, darlin'?"

"You wouldn't have to plan on it. These things just happen, sometimes."

"And what would you do with me if you happened to win a wager against me? Just hypothetically."

"Well, if we were to bet...." she paused, considering, before her eyes fell on her open sketchbook and the half-finished drawings there. "....you'd have to sit for me. No speed sketching." She smiled. "Hypothetically, of course."

"I'd get bathroom breaks, right? Since you wouldn't bee speed sketching..."

She laughed. "I could work around that, yes."

"Good. Now you trying to be fresh and want me posing nude or something?" He smirks playfully.

Her smile faltered a bit, and she pulled away. "That wasn't..."

She cleared her throat, a less playful smile as she reached for her sketchbook and closed it, not quite meeting his eyes. "Sorry to dash your hopes."

Lindsey's eyebrow raised. "I say something wrong, darlin'?"

"No, not exactly." She paused. "I mean, not at all. I just..."

She frowned slightly. "It's hard to explain. But it's fine. I'm just tired."

She smiled then, trying to prove her words. "I've got to figure out where to buy silly hats, too. Haven't really found a need for those, until now."

Lindsey sighed. "Darlin', if you don't help me along, I'm gonn keep pushing buttons I don't know not to push."

She smiled and shook her head. "It's nothing. Really."

She managed to not even hesitate when she stood up and leaned forward to kiss his forehead, sketchbook in hand. "I'll see you tomorrow?"

Lindsey pursed his lips and watched her go, not moving to follow her. If he did, there was a chance there would be a fight.

No, he'd figure this out and really try to get to the bottom of her hesitations, because he really liked her and knew she liked him. But something was putting a barrier up and he was going to work on breaking it down. Brick by brick.

Jilly, meanwhile, cursed herself the entire way up the stairs.

It wasn't that she couldn't take a joke. She could. Lord knew she joked enough with her friends back home, about all kinds of things that would have made their mothers squirm... if any of them had had mothers to be around and care.

But it was different when it was more than just a friend... when it was someone who might actually follow through.

It made no sense. She liked him. And she really did trust him. Mostly.

But, even here, where her past was as far behind her as she could put it, there were some hands that didn't let go, and she couldn't shake the knee-jerk reaction to run, to shut down and bail, when things went past a certain point.

More than anything, she hated that she already knew what was going to happen. She'd danced this dance too many times not to know. She just didn't know how to stop it from happening. Logic was one thing, but it didn't stand a chance against the panic that was just beneath the surface.

Damn Del. And damn herself for seeing him when she looked at Lindsey.

It wasn't fair.

She couldn't talk to Sakaki. Not about this. And she couldn't sleep. So, instead, she stayed up, a tiny light attached to her easel while she painted. She didn't expect it to be anything of worth. Not working in such poor light. It was sheer stress relief, something to get her mind off of things until the panic subsided into a quiet hum and she could mask it with excitement for his birthday and his company and forget the rest.

She napped for a few brief hours, sometime after the sun rose, and then did some research on restaurants in town... which mainly consisted of pestering Lorne on what places were good to eat. A few silly hats later (carefully hidden in her sketchbook), she'd filter to Lindsey over the journal, as cheerful as ever.

"Hey birthday boy.... how's Italian sound?

The painting, dark figures half hidden in painted shadows, was tucked safely away in her closet, where Sakaki (or anyone else) wouldn't see it while it dried.

Edited 2010-06-30 01:55 (UTC)