snow turned into rain

“there are plenty of ways to make money in this town that don’t include books that smell like mildew.” to be fair, roller skates didn’t smell that great either, but at least people went there to have fun. 

nova closed her eyes as if she were listening for her sister’s voice. and she was just not in the literal sense. “she’s definitely in this general vicinity.” she opened one accusatory eye at him. “are you holding her hostage? because i could definitely take you.” 

she shrugged. “she said there was a book here that she thought i might enjoy… wasn’t very specific though…”

“you’d be surprised at how fun it is to get lost in a book.”  casper pointed out, shrugging his shoulders.  he wasn’t about to argue, though--everyone had their own opinions.

his head tilted to the side, brows furrowing. “wha--is that a threat? I’m tellin’ the truth, I swear.  do you want to see her time sheet as proof? ‘cause I can provide that.”

a laugh bubbled up in his throat, but casper forced it back down.  “um.  okay, that’s a start.  what kinda stuff d’you like?  maybe that’ll narrow it down.”  or maybe it wouldn’t, but at least casper would give it a try.

duffy liked it when casper was around. he was a calming presence—grounded her. “sure thing, cas,” she said with a soft smile, soft cheeks, soft gaze. she could melt into a meadow any day.

she leaned on her elbows, resting against the counter. “i’ll give you a real pat on the back, if you want,” she teased. conversation came easily with him. it didn’t always. some people found her weird.

“very worth it. we make some darn good tenders. should i put you in an order?”

“you’re the best.”  casper was grateful for duffy.  whenever they crossed paths, it was always a good experience, and if casper was being honest, she was his favorite waitress.

he pretended to mull it over, eyes sparkling with delight.  there was something so nostalgic about chicken tenders that made it damn near impossible for casper to say no.  he’d live on them, too, if they had the same power that salads apparently were supposed to.

“why the hell not? on one condition.” he paused, giving the place a good look around before looking back at duffy.  “whenever you’re due for a break or off for the night, come hang with me.  feels like I haven’t seen ya in a while.”

the next time he hears billie from cas’s lips or cas from billie’s, brooks is gonna pie the both of ‘em in the face. this lil dance of theirs ain’t nothin’ but sexual procrastination, and honestly ?  brooks would lock ‘em both in a cellar if it meant they’d just flippin’ fuck already. he ain’t rootin’ for ‘em. he ain’t invested. he’s just damned tired of watchin’ it drag on.

“ well, not that it’s my duty to report, but she came in askin’ ‘bout you earlier. ”  brooks grabs a cookie for himself, breaking off a piece between his forefinger ‘n thumb. “ romance might be the word for it. if either’a’you grow a pair. ”  he pops in the cookie piece, lets its chocolate melt before he chews.

“ books. ”  he blinks. brooks ain’t much of a reader. spent most of his formative years on the field, not caught between pages. but… he feels the question lurchin’ out his chest before he can do anythin’ to stop it. 

“ y’got anythin’ on the game ? ”  he asks, as if cas reads minds. it’s the first time he’s really… mentioned ball at all. in years. brooks clasps his hands and leans in a little, like sayin’ the sport’s some kind of scandal. “ baseball. ”  it tastes sweet on his tongue.

“she...she did?”  cas straightens up a little.  blinks.  shakes his head as if to both clear it and make sure he heard correctly. he and billie have at least been more open with eachother about how the feelings are most definitely mutual.  and cas? well, he kind of still feels like maybe he got attached too early.  maybe they’re both in a world of hurt.  but at that particular moment, he feels like a schoolboy.

“it’s kind of your duty, my man. we’re acquaintances, whether y’like it or not.” it’s kinda their thing, cas thinks.  he provides the sunshiney optimism on brooks’ otherwise grey moods, and brooks returns the favor in sweets.  or contributes to casper’s cupcake addiction.

he pauses, lets himself dive into a cupcake before he dares to ask more about billie.  “promise me you’ll tell me if she ever says anything important that I end up missin’? please?” it’s garbled, almost lost through a mouthful of sweets, but the question remains nonetheless.

when brooks asks about baseball, casper takes a second to think.  there are sections of nearly every genre under the sun, and it’s very easy to get lost in any specific category. he feels guilty almost, because he doesn’t remember the last time he himself checked in on the sports titles.  

internal turmoil wasn’t even close to describing the feelings that billie was presently experiencing. she had a job to do, the very job that put a roof over her head and food in her mouth and yet here she was, being fed a cupcake instead of actually doing said job. they’d been quiet all day, though. that made it justifiable, right? “what can i say? i’m good at strokin’ egos when needed… amongst other things.” there was that smile again, the one that only casper could ever pull from her.

his sudden question caught her off guard, and she stared blankly at him for a second as her mind processed what he’d said. “sorry, what?” and then not a moment later, “yes, of course we can share a milkshake, if you’re really sure you wanna share. we both know how much you love sweet stuff. i’m sure ya could easily demolish one to yourself, but i’m honored that you wanna share one with me,” she mused, heart melting at the sight of him with his head cocked to the side like a confused puppy. she wondered if he appreciated the significance of the fact that she was willing to share one with him. billie was not a sharer, especially not when it came to food and drink. she was sure she could make an exception though, just for casper. her mind flashed back to all of those times during the fifites and sixties when she’d done exactly that, and witnessed many others doing the same; sharing a milkshake on a date. yet, she had a feeling that this time around, with casper, it would be an entirely different moment altogether. she was, suddenly, increasingly nervous. though she couldn’t put her finger on why, exactly. they hadn’t even labelled it as a date; it was two friends having dinner together, that was all.

casper might’ve done his best to hide it, but billie could see his startled reaction to her teasing mention of a wedding and it had her mind working overtime. was he entirely repulsed by the idea, or was he, too, considering it in the way that she was? rather than make anymore of an idiot of herself, billie just moved on as though that part of the conversation had never happened.

almost as though they’d been sent to save billie from embarrassing herself even more, a customer huffed a sigh behind casper and she leaned around him so she could see them. “i’ll be right with you, mr hall. is it the usual for you?” she quickly settled into what she knew best - doing her job - which, thankfully, involved absolutely no personal feelings on her end. she watched casper retreat to the corner, before quickly wrapping up with the customer and handing him the bag of medication. “see ya soon, mr hall,” she called to the man as he finally stepped out of the pharmacy door. “customers, huh? the absolute nerve of them to interrupt us and expect me to actually do my job,” she joked, moving over to where casper was sat in the corner, taking a seat beside him. “luckily for you, i finish in…” she glanced at her watch, “ten minutes. and then i really am all yours.”

casper choked on a laugh.  leave it to both of them to drop innuendos at the strangest times.  only the two of them knew the truth--everyone else was just an outsider in their world. “hell yeah, I wanna share a milkshake.  but only if it’s chocolate.  I think vanilla anything is an abomination.” he tried to relax--after all, Billie’s comment had most likely been meant as a harmless joke.  and anyway, they were still getting to know eachother.  why did the whole idea of a wedding make his head spin and his knees weak?

 mr. hall couldn’t leave fast enough, and casper let out a breath he didn’t know he’d been holding.  the man was very grumpy, and apparently had no appreciation for human affection and interaction.  still, cas had seen him at the bookstore, so perhaps keeping his mouth shut (and keeping the man’s business) was his best bet. the way his gaze followed after the other man’s departing footsteps sure as hell showed how badly casper wanted to speak up.  but he didn’t.

“customers are weird.  you so much as breathe in their direction and suddenly, you owe ‘em your life.”  having dealt with customers most of his life, casper had seen it all.  he definitely knew when to hold his tongue, though most times it wasn’t easy.  he was suddenly hyperaware of billie’s presence next to him, and suddenly, his entire face was on fire.

how did this woman have such an effect on him?  casper was certain he’d never know the answer for sure.  he sighed softly, his posture relaxing.  the way billie made him nervous was so intoxicating and exciting.  he hoped those feelings wouldn’t go away, not for a long time.  “then I made an appearance at the perfect time.”  he leaned forward, pressing a light kiss to billie’s forehead, then pulled away with a sheepish grin.  “you got any preference on your dippin’ sauces?”

it was amusing to billie, the way that casper had essentially ruined what was proving to be the sweetest moment that the pair had shared, in true casper style. she was almost relieved, however, being that she’d pushed herself well out of her comfort zone by being so open with him. that was quite enough vulnerability for one day. as he ducked his head bashfully, billie breathed a light chuckle, though she couldn’t help thinking that he had no idea just how she really was all his. it was something she didn’t think she’d ever be able to put into words, and even if she could, she wouldn’t for fear of ruining whatever the hell this was between them.

as he called her a stunner, she laughed and nudged him playfully. “bein’ pretty ain’t everythin’, y'know? you generally have to be a nice person as well. hate to break it to ya, but looks like you’re stuck with me for the foreseeable. you ain’t gotta share me anytime soon.” of course, she did have other friends, but none that she wanted to spend time with the way that she did with casper, none that she felt this way about. “you, on the other hand, are certainly too pretty and nice to say I’m your only friend. yet, i can’t seem to get rid of you–” not that she wanted to get rid of him. In fact, she could hardly think of anything worse. “you just can’t seem to stay away, darlin’. careful, people might get the wrong idea,” she teased, a playful wink accompanying her words. would that really be such a bad thing, though?

“well, since you skipped lunch, i definitely need to come to the diner with you to make sure you don’t skip another meal.” like that was the only reason she was going. “but if you did ever forget to tie your own shoes, i’d be happy to help. can’t have you trippin’ up and damagin’ that pretty face of yours.” to emphasise her point, she leaned in for a quick kiss, smiling against his lips.

of course casper wanted to build up suspense around eating a cupcake, one of the most simple acts a person could probably do. the thought alone drew a soft laugh from the woman, accompanied by a shake of the head. she requested, “less suspense, more cake, please,” before taking the bite of cupcake held to her lips by casper. she chewed, nodding her approval as she did so. “it’s actually amazin’. even better than it looks and smells, honestly.” with that, she grabbed one of the plastic forks and mirrored the action, taking a chunk of cupcake onto the fork and holding it up to casper. “are we gonna do this on our weddin’ day, too?” she joked, though she hated the part of her mind that actually considered that moment.

casper’s head was swimming.  while part of him knew he should back off and let billie work, she was just...too damn electric for him to stay away.  “wow, you’re really stroking my ego here.  keepin’ you around is starting to sound better and better.”  strange, maybe, how easily they could just joke about it.  like being together was such a crime or something. casper did pretty well at remembering the most important things, like how during their first encounter, there had been a sliver of a smile, both in billie’s eyes and on her face.  over time, that smile seemed to become more comfortable and, he realized, only for him.  

“can we share a milkshake?” he asked softly, cocking his head to the side.  maybe that had been the thing to do years before casper was born, but hearing how such a small gesture as sharing a milkshake had led to his parents’ love story made him all the more eager to see just how magical the moment really was.  and somehow, he knew billie would appreciate it, despite how very not mushy she was.  it was why they worked so well, total opposites but still existing together beautifully.

he smiled warmly, a light laugh rippling through his body. “at least you said please.”  and he was soon doing the same, taking a bite off the fork and doing his best not to choke at the mention of a wedding.  joke.  it was a joke. though his eyebrow arched curiously, casper kept his cool, chewing tentatively. orange and chocolate was a weird combination, sure, but brooks could make anything look and taste good. casper made a mental note to later suggest a chocolate and strawberry cupcake. “you wish.”  he answered, clearing his throat.  was it wrong to wonder whether she really did, in fact, wish for that for them eventually? from behind him, there was an exasperated sigh, and he whirled around, smiling apologetically. 

“my bad.  she was just savin’ me from a blood sugar crash.” did he have diabetes? no.  but that was honestly (sadly) the best excuse casper could come up with.  “i’m gonna take my things and sit in the corner, I think.  maybe I could be an unofficial security guard, if not for the fact that I’m a human marshmallow.”  he leaned in to kiss billie’s cheek (leading to another grumble from the person behind him) and made his way over to the corner, giving billie a little salute as he went.

“no worries. least i can do, y’know. and if you pretty much refuse to look after yourself then… well someone’s gotta try.” quincy returned the smile gently, pulling across a stool from the kitchen area to sit on. the furniture in this place was mostly quite old but nice. this particular stool was old, carved wood with a cushioned seat. it was old but comfortable. added character to the bookstore. an atmosphere that quincy assumed wasn’t easy to achieve and you wouldn’t just find it anyway. “and looking out for you is looking out for the business too.”

“yeah?” he asked as cas offered the explanation, eyes settling on the other man for a moment rather than flickering around the store when he looked away. it was an interesting thing to learn about cas and he was all for listening and learning. he was much better at learning about other people than opening up about himself. “i know what you mean though, it can be a lot to process. somehow you’re eyes deep into something before you even considered the implications.” he’d been in the situation himself. hell, there were a few times he’d ended up deep in a family problem with no idea how he’d ended up there because he hadn’t thought about the consequences. “inheriting a place as cool as this isn’t all so bad though. it’s wonderful. the atmosphere, the location, the building… makes it worth it, i guess. for me, anyway.” he rambled a little, taking a break to sip his tea. he’d rather be here than his empty house. “i know you wouldn’t. my house is kind of… empty though. at least there’s a lot of books here. i think the moral of the story here is that we’re both bad at self care, huh?”

“can’t fault you for that.”  cas admitted, settling comfortably in his own seat. “the day I forget to tie my own shoes is the day I’m...I dunno.  movin’ to guam.”  he wouldn’t, though--that was a mild exaggeration.  casper had practically grown up in the bookstore.  the thought of passing it to someone else was way too scary to think about.  he glanced over at quincy, marvelling at how wise he was.  wise, and so young.  cas didn’t recall being as smart when he was quincy’s age, and if he was smart at all, he owed it all to the very place they sat in.

“empty?” casper’s curiosity spiked, and he sat up a little straighter. “did something happen? you’re not without a place to stay, are ya?” he cleared his throat, maintaining as calm of a demeanor as possible. “is...is that why you’re always here early? rough times at home? because, again, not that I mind, but if--” he paused, taking a sip of tea in the hopes it would calm his incessant need to ask questions. “I just worry, s’all.  everyone that works here’s like my second family.”  the thought occurred to him that he hadn’t spoken to his own biological family in quite some time, but casper chalked it up to the fact that they were all adults and had their own shit to sort through. 

the glint in casper’s eyes was plain to see, and it warmed billie’s heart to think that a simple reassurance of her feelings had clearly had that effect on him. perhaps she should do it more often - the last thing she wanted was to give him the wrong idea, make him think that this meant nothing to her. it meant everything. “you ain’t got it in you to be obnoxious, cas. a lot of other things, absolutely, but not obnoxious.” and as much as tried, she couldn’t help but laugh at his salute, fingertips lightly tracing shapes against his neck absentmindedly. “but you’re wrong about me, cas. i don’t wanna disappoint or anythin’, but you’re wrong. you should quit while you’re ahead, spend your energy convincin’ yourself that someone else is a good person, not me.” her smile faltered briefly, gaze shifting to the desk between her and casper. she needed something else to focus on, anything other than her kryptonite standing right in front of her. watching as casper pulled away, billie let her hand fall back to her side and she hopped up to sit on the edge of the counter, relieved for the brief moment to recompose herself. she was billie sanders, and billie sanders didn’t feel. not like this. casper just made it so difficult to not feel. she was a lot of things and heartless wasn’t one of them, no matter how hard she tried. and lord knows, she’d tried. she’d tried so hard to push him away in the same manner that she pushed everyone away, but he was unrelenting. she was pulled from her thoughts as casper returned mere moments later, and her gaze rested on the plastic cutlery in his hand. “full of bright ideas, aren’t ya?” billie would’ve been more than happy to dig in with her hands, but she supposed cutlery was more logical if they were going to be sharing. the last thing she needed was to be serving customers with chocolate orange frosting beneath her perfectly manicured nails. “have you ever known me to have plans after work, cas?” she hesitated, allowing him to think over the question and then, before he could interrupt, she continued, “no, exactly. so, lucky you, i’m all yours. ” little did he know how true that statement was. casper had her wrapped around his little finger and he didn’t even realize it. “chicken and fries sound amazin’. lemme guess, you skipped lunch again?” billie flashed the slightest hint of a smile at casper, a hand settling on his cheek once again. she leaned in as though she was going to kiss him again, lips ghosting over his cheek, before murmuring, “now, are you gonna cut this damn cupcake or am I gonna have to savage it with my bare hands?”

casper’s heart leaped in his chest, and he felt a twinge of guilt for putting a damper on the moment they had goin’ for them.  the reassurance was nice, of course it was.  and then billie said i’m all yours and casper realized, for probably the first time, just how far gone he really was. “aw, shucks.”  he shook his head, letting out a low chuckle.  

he knew better than to fight billie on her words. he’d never understood why she felt the way she did, but at least she seemed to be warming up to the idea of letting herself go completely. casper would never ask her to change a single thing about herself.  in fact, he found her all the more enticing because of how guarded she was. 

“oh, come on. a stunner like you? i’d be shocked if you told me I was your only friend.  but also, if that was true,  I might have a hard time sharin’ you.”  he ducked his head sheepishly.  it was never that he intended to skip lunch--today, he’d just so happened to get caught up in paperwork, and then by the time he’d left the bakery to go meet billie at work, lunchtime had come and gone. plus, nobody could resist a pick-me-up. “guilty, I guess.  at least I didn’t forget how to tie my own shoes, though, huh?”

a laugh rippled through his entire body as he sliced right through the cupcake.  “okay, okay, jeez. nothin’ wrong with building the suspense.”  he lifted a bite carefully, offering it up to billie’s lips.  “i don’t even like oranges, but brooks could probably make a beet cupcake look appetizing. tell me what’cha think.”  

brooks is just about to close the bakery case when cas says it. freeze him out. his hands halt and he just… stares at the sliding case door. stares at his own silhouetted reflection in the glass. 

what’s there to say ?  he’s not really ferris feller’s son ?  he’s livin’ a grotesque lie ?  he’s only here ‘cause nowhere else feels like home, but even home’s holdin’ out on him ?  

(  the crack of the bat. the smack of the ball. he’ll never wear that cap again.  )

brooks sighs. shuts the case. shuts cas out.

“ expected no less, ”  he says ‘bout the frosting, movin’ to lean back against the wall behind him. edgin’ in some distance. “ you practically designed that one yourself. ”  ain’t a lie. there are several treats around that’re cas-inspired.

but there’s a tug at his ribs, a snag in coiled thread, and brooks can feel it. the unraveling. imminent. looming. he takes a card out of duffy’s deck ‘n decides maybe small talk’s an okay move here.

“ how’re you ? ”  muscled arms cross to rest against his chest. this shit feels foreign. “ bookstore keepin’ you in trouble ? ”

“really?”  casper grins.  he’s not a celebrity by any means, but the fact that brooks would be the slightest bit inspired by his antics kind of makes his chest feel all warm and fuzzy.  casper wants to give brooks a big ol’ i told you so but thinks better of it, because as soon as he’d say it, he’d be banned. still, he’s glad someone’s actually listening to his ideas.

he’ll worry about the fact that brooks is deflecting much later.

“me? oh, ‘m great. somehow managing to keep busy and still have time for romance, which I never thought would happen in a million years.  think if she had it her way, it’d be a different word, maybe.”

a pause.  casper’s almost in a daze just thinking about billie. he makes eye contact with brooks, though his cheeks are sightly more colored now.  

@theothercasper​

duffy puffed out a breath, letting it take the stray hairs in her face with it as she made a shake with one hand and filled a plate of fries with the other. she made sure to put two cherries on top of a heaping pile of whipped cream instead of one, just because casper was one of her favorite customers.

he was shiny. like brooks. like her jewelry. except more human. “here you go,” she said cheerfully, laying his favorite “meal” down before him. “sure you don’t want anything else with that?”

casper was under his own strict orders not to go near the bookstore for the day.  his co-owner had things under control, and he wasn’t about to give any hints that would indicate he believed otherwise.  actually putting his own needs first was a weird and wild concept.

“what can i say? i’m a cold person. it’s nothin’ new.” billie hesitated though, leaning slightly into casper’s touch on her cheek. had it been anyone else, she would’ve instantly recoiled at the touch. it wasn’t just anyone, though, it was casper. “just because i don’t need you, doesn’t mean i don’t want you,” she admitted, voice softening. it was, perhaps, the first time she’d admitted it out loud to either casper or herself, and it was refreshing. unsettling, to a degree, but refreshing. casper, despite his tendency to show up and try and irritate billie as often as possible, deserved the reassurance that she wasn’t just ‘putting up’ with him.

she laughed lightly as he suggested hiding in the condom aisle, shaking her head. “i wouldn’t wish that on my worst enemies. some of the conversations that happen in that aisle are best left unsaid. even you don’t deserve to suffer like that,” she teased, nudging casper lightly with an elbow. “anyway, what makes you think i don’t want to know you’re here? perhaps i actually enjoy your company.” then, before he could interrupt, she continued, “i know, i’m as surprised as you are.”

except it wasn’t a surprise. not to her, at least, and surely not to casper either. of course, she’d refused to admit the fact to herself for as long as she’d known casper, but it certainly wasn’t a surprise. despite her enchantress abilities, the one thing billie had never had an affinity for was hiding her emotions, especially when it came to a certain casper diamond. as best as she tried, she was sure he could see right through her, catching the slightest quirk at the corner of her lips whenever she spotted him approaching, or the way she instinctively leaned into his touch, no matter how slight it may be.

realising she’d been distracted by her own thoughts, billie offered a half-hearted chuckle at the remark, arching a brow. “oh, will you, really? listen to me, casper diamond, and listen well,” she started, fingertips moving to brush against his cheek lightly. “i am a professional, and professionals don’t do things like that.” a pause. “at least, not at work.” she continued with a smirk, the hand on casper’s cheek moving to his shoulder. “no, you’re stayin’ put, where i can keep an eye on ya. i’m enjoying the view.”

“oh, yeah?” casper’s eyes brightened. the way billie spoke put him more at ease than he had been lately.  the absolute worst thing was to pursue someone and then be shell-shocked later upon finding out they weren’t interested.  his shoulders sagged, no longer tense with stress and worry. at least now he had verbal confirmation that he wasn’t crazy, that there was something keeping the two of them tethered.

“well, I won’t be obnoxious about it.  I promise.”  he gave a little salute, practically melting into the woman’s touch.  “I do, however, like to believe there’s good in everyone, even if there isn’t.  and I believe that about you, with no intention of stopping. so good luck trying to convince me otherwise.”  

maybe that was a fault, and maybe casper was too trusting.  but at his core, he was a hopeless romantic, and to lie and say he didn’t get chills or butterflies around billie would be a moot point.  his poker face wasn’t very strong, anyway.  he felt anything and everything all at once.

“i don’t have a knife.”  he realized, glancing down at the cupcake, which now reminded him that he definitely skipped lunch.  regretfully, he pulled back from billie (though not before stealing another kiss) and quickly gathered the aforementioned shampoo and a container of plastic cutlery. if they were going to share, he might as well save them from digging in with just their hands--and besides, it would save billie from receiving a complaint from HR about how her hands were dirty or something like that, from anyone who decided to pop in at that particular moment.

chewing on his lower lip, casper met billie’s eyes.  “you doin’ anything after your shift?  could come with me to the falls diner and grab some chicken strips and fries.” 

“all i heard you say was cleaning and fun, which answers my question,” nova hummed, completely ignoring the rest of his sentence. “well, i’m looking for someone actually. maybe you’ve seen her? she’s about-” she stood up straight and put her hand up to her own head. “yay tall, has red hair, is gorgeous, and is almost  as cool as me, except that for the fact that for some ungodly reason she’s decided to work here…” she smirked. “sound familiar?”

“hey, she’s gotta make money somehow.”  casper held back a laugh.he was kind of surprised the twins hadn’t pulled a switch on him by now.  frankly, he’d more than likely be gullible enough to believe it if they lied.  “no, I haven’t--her shift ended an hour ago, I think.  want me to take a message, or is this something I can help with?”

“sometimes you are but other times… not so much. no matter how hard you try, if you’re stressed out to the max? it’s gonna show.” quincy pointed out with a light huff to himself. he wasn’t exactly the best himself as not showing his emotions. if he was angry or annoyed or upset, it showed. anything from tears to the slightest furrow of his brows. he did try to remain calm most of the time though, it was necessary with his family and how they used to be towards them. it was rather strange not naturally being calm because of that.

“i know, right? i wasn’t sure if it was just this weird thing or if i was tired. i mean.. it’s highly likely that i forgot doing it cause i was awake so early this morning.” he half explained, the process of making tea almost automatic by now. stress? tea. emotional? tea. long day? tea. “go easy there, it’s still super hot. you get useed to it but the first sip is always the worst.” he lifted his own cup, cradling it between his hands and enjoying how they seemed to soak up the heat. he’d been so cold lately but.. not shivering. not feeling it as badly but still noticing it. “doesn’t surprise me somehow. either way, i’m going to worry because you don’t take care of yourself.” even if it was a hypocritical statement coming from him. “you need to try and get some more sleep.”

“I appreciate you lookin’ out for me.”  casper smiled softly, running his fingers through his hair.  he definitely felt bad--as a business owner, wasn’t he supposed to be the one putting on a strong front and keeping tabs on everyone?  he couldn’t afford to let everything fall to the wayside.  no, that would be a disservice to his predecessor.  

“i don’t just do that with tea, y’know.  I just kinda--jump into everything headfirst.  nine times out of ten, I don’t consider the consequences.  I guess it’s not horrible to live like that, but when you inherit a place as cool as this one...”  casper looked up and around, a small smile settling on his lips as his gaze turned back to quincy.  someday, he was going to have to find someone to take over as he’d done.  it was kind of sad to think so negatively about a place he loved so dearly, but maybe it was just practicality.  “you’re here before your shifts are scheduled to start.  and look how hard you’ve been workin’ today alone. If I gotta take care of myself, you gotta take care of yourself.  you know I wouldn’t be mad if you took a personal day, right?”  

“what’s wrong, did i hurt your feelings?” billie teased, a mischievous glint in her eyes. she let casper lean in again, this time resting their foreheads together. it was ridiculous how easy this was with cas, and she knew that was dangerous. she’d sworn to never let anyone this close again and yet, here he was. then again, it was just a bit of fun, right? she wasn’t about to get on one knee and propose or anything, so why was she getting herself worked up and nervous about it all? “you know i don’t need anybody. i’m an independent woman, sweetheart. i coped perfectly fine before you came along and i’ll manage after you’ve gone, probably to get more sweets from brooks – it just so happens to be a little more fun with you around, hm?” as he met her gaze again, she pressed a light peck to the corner of his lips, avoiding the question of whether they really were past the point of just keeping one another around.

after a brief moment, billie was struck by the feeling of overwhelming vulnerability, and she glanced away. “so, i’m stuck with you ‘cause you’re bored?” she clarified, clearly amused. “lucky me. what if the pharmacy had been super busy, full of sick folk? am i worth riskin’ illness for?” she pondered aloud, meeting casper’s gaze again now that she’d rebuilt part of her wall and recovered from her feeling of vulnerability.

she supposed it was sweet, the way casper was so willing to hang around, whether or not she had time to actually spend with him. “since you brought me this delightful smelling cupcake, i’ll let you stick around. it’s not like we’re exactly swarmin’ with customers. you’ve saved me from an afternoon of boredom. i suppose i should be thankin’ you.” a smile tugged at her lips as cas squeezed her shoulder, one that she fought by lightly chewing on her lower lip. let him see that his presence made her happy? never, at least not without a fight. instead, she leaned on the desk again, pressing her forehead to casper’s once more. “i need you to stick around anyway. you’d better help me eat this cupcake. have you seen how much frostin’ is on it?”

“now that’s just cold.”  casper recoiled playfully, mirroring the motion billie had done not five minutes ago, hand to his chest.  “nah, you’re right, y’don’t need me or anyone, but...”  he paused, brushing his fingers across billie’s cheek, not daring to break eye contact.  “sue me for wantin’ you to want me.”  

he couldn’t shake the feeling that he knew the truth.  it was clear as day, and anyway--casper very rarely played with peoples’ feelings.  he wouldn’t dare string billie along if he felt nothing.  “you want me to hide in the condom aisle? I can do that--shrink all 5′10 of me behind the condom boxes.  i can’t even give you the names of five people practicing safe sex. y’won’t even know I’m here.”

but she knew.  she had to know how far gone he was for her.  casper hadn’t bothered to put a label on things just because he could tell it wasn’t billie’s style, and he didn’t want to risk fucking things up.  “or maybe i’ll squash myself underneath you and find a way to make myself useful.”  one eyebrow quirked up, eyes shining as he pressed another quick kiss to billie’s lips. “totally up to you, really.”

“you got me a thing?” billie echoed, brow arching inquisitively. “do i even dare ask what said thing might be?” she watched as casper set the bag on the table in between them, pausing for a moment to study it. “you went to brooks’ again, huh? you’re gonna turn into a damn sweet if you ain’t careful,” she mused, though her curiosity got the better of her and she couldn’t resist opening the bag to take a look at the cupcake within. it did look and smell amazing, but she wasn’t about to admit that to casper. “chocolate orange, hm? interestin’ choice.”

at his weird remark, billie feigned being hurt, a hand moving to clutch at her chest over her heart. “i’m weird? how could you say somethin’ so cruel to me?” her act didn’t last long however, and a chuckle escaped her lips as she recognised the knowing smile on casper’s face. he just wanted an excuse to see me. 

“if i’m so weird, why are you still here?” she asked after a moment, leaning on the table slightly as though daring casper to give her an answer. she hadn’t, however, been anticipating the kiss that followed. it was a surprise to say the least, although certainly not an unpleasant one. she found herself reciprocating the kiss, before pulling away after a moment or two. best to always leave ‘em wanting more, right? "that was awfully brave of you. do you really think i need security? darlin’, i could take you on – and win – single-handedly. don’t tempt me.” as much as she tried to resist, the grin on his lips was infectious and she couldn’t help the slight quirk at the corners of her own lips. “y’know… if ya keep bringin’ me cupcakes like this, i just might have a reason to keep you around.”

“you compared me to a freakin’ splinter, bil.  I hardly think you have any room to talk.” casper pressed his forehead to billie’s, lingering for a moment as he pushed a stray hair away from her face.  “i’m aware, miss i-don’t-need-anybody. however, I thought we were way past the point of just keepin’ eachother around, y’know?”

he leveled his gaze with hers, shrugging.  “I got bored.  plus i’m--uh, out of shampoo as it turns out. beats hanging around home, you know?”  he felt lighter, giddy almost as he looked into her eyes. casper had little to no game back in high school, so the fact that he was doing well for himself in pursuit of billie was more than satisfying.  didn’t mean he understood what she saw in him, though.

“was kinda hopin’ i could stick around regardless. i mean, obviously you can do your work, and maybe i’ll do a couple laps around town like I have a life.”  he beamed at billie, reaching out to squeeze her shoulder gently. “enjoy that cupcake, yeah? if it’s good, i’ll beg brooks to keep it in the rotation.”