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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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"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)

Lindsey had spent a good portion of the morning working out in his room, then took a long shower and sat back to read until he heard Jilly's voice.

"Italian sounds wonderful. Want me to meet you in the lobby then?"

"Sure. I'm already down here, so whenever you're ready."

"Give me a few minutest to get my boots on."

And five minutes later he's jogging down the stairs, dressed in a nicer pair of jeans, a button down shirt and a jacket. Looking the part of the gentleman.

Jilly didn't really have much in the way of dressier clothes. The fanciest thing she owned was the dress Lorne had insisted on buying her in LA, and that would have been overdoing it tonight, but she'd done the best she could with non-paint speckled jeans and a nice top she'd found in town the day before. She'd even managed to get the dark paint out from under her fingernails... not an easy feat, all things considered.

Perched on the arm of one of the lobby couches, she gave him a bright smile when he reached the main floor. "Hey."

"Hey."

She looked better than she had when she had left him the other day, and the smile was refreshing to see. However, Lindsey didn't want to scare her away again so he was going to be a bit cautious and relaxed.

"You look nice."

It was as if yesterday had never happened. Hopping up from the couch, she grinned as she came to join him, one hand slipping into his. "So do you. Happy birthday!"

"Thank you. Just don't spread that around too much. We don't want to get flooded with people joining us."

Not like that was likely to happen. He had been relaxing with the journal closed now most days and just checking it later.

"So where are we going?" He squeezed her hand gently.

"The you looking nice or the birthday bit?"

Making sure to pick up her sketchbook as they pass the couch, she'll start heading for the castle doors and the grounds. "A place Lorne recommended. It's right by the Pie Hole."

"The birthday bit."

He let her drag him along, then chuckled. "Darlin', you still got some paint in your hair I think..."

Releasing his hand, she'll run her fingers through her curls with a small, frustrated noise. "Really? How is that even possible?" But there it is, a speck of blue above her ear.

"I'd imagine it just gets everywhere, even in places you don't think."

He watched her play with her curls in amusement. "I bet one day I won't be able to tell you apart from Del."

[ooc: I don't think she knows Del's name at this point...]

"It really does." She laughed. "I'm used to it, really... but still."

Giving up, she'll let her hand drop back to her side, until he says that name. There's a slightly startled and confused look on her face when she looks up at him. "Del?"

"Yeah, girl who talks in circles and have the brightly colored hair? She came to that first night I played at Caritas."

"Oh." She relaxed visibly. Not the Del she was thinking of. "I haven't met her. But rainbow hair would certainly be interesting."

"You probably will. She tends to just... pop up out of nowhere."

He started walking again, holding out his hand for hers, hoping she would take it again.

"I'll keep an eye out. People who can do that tend to be fascinating."

Catching sight of his hand from the corner of her eye, she'll smile slightly and reach out to take it, fingers threading with his.

Later in the day like this, the heat had dimmed to a level that was actually kind of nice. Perfect for the walk into town.

He squeezed her hand and kept walking, not really needing to talk, just enjoying the time together. Sometimes, it was just all a person needed.

It was easy to fall into step next to him, listening to the quiet around them. Or the not so quiet at some points, as the parrots were still around to make their calls, yet somehow even those ended up being relaxing, in the way that only familiar sounds can.

In town, it was harder to find that rhythm. It was too noisy to have the same peace of the castle grounds, but not loud enough to fill in for the normal cacophony of a city... but it was there. Jilly had certainly been spending enough time in the town to start to feel comfortable here.

"It's strange. It really hasn't been that long... but you really get used to all of this."

She paused. "I wonder if that's a good thing or not."

"I think it's a good thing, now that I've been here awhile." He looked down at her. "You get to really relearn who you are because here, all you have is that. Everything from your life is gone and you're just you."

That got a smile. It wasn't a lesson she'd needed to learn here...but she could hear in his voice that he probably had. "Then it's a very good thing."

"Ah, here we go." She grinned up at him, giving his hand a squeeze. "Hope you're hungry."