Closed punch and people watching

[Linden Kinnek]

linden returned from the food table two refilled glasses of punch in his hands and a plate balanced between the two. he was enjoying attending the dance with Lucas, even if it was as a friend, not that they had danced yet. instead, they were sitting watching the people pass by enjoying a plate of food between them. he reached the table and put the plate down and then looked at the two identical glasses. "I think yours was the left one" he said offering his friend the one in his left hand though he had lost track of whose was whose. it didn't really matter to him, he didn't mind if he ended up with a little bit of lucas's saliva before the evening was over. trying to destrac himself from tha thought and focus on friends he grabbed one of the small heart shaped biscuits and smiled at the note on it before eating it in one bite.

 

[Lucas Fletcher]

Hanging out at the dance with Linden was fun so far. It was nice to be there with a friend, someone he could just chat and have fun with. It made it easier for Lucas to ignore Kas and Connor there together, though it was impossible to ignore them entirely. He grinned at Linden as he arrived with the drinks, grabbing the one he indicated. "Thanks!" Lucas then grabbed one of the cookies as well. The one he took had the word 'cutie' on it, and Lucas smiled before breaking it in half. "Want to share?" He asked, holding out one half to Linden.

 

[Linden Kinnek]

The punch was very sweet. not that you could expect anything else from a drink that pink, to be honest almost everything on the table was far sweeter than usual. When Lucas thanked him for the drink he nodded "no worries" he said. He looked out of the hall flowing Caspers gaze to where Connar was with kas, then scanned the rest of the crowd. and saw a couple who was familiar if no unsuspected. "hang on. Is that Casper with Lysander? did you know about that?" he asked partially to distract Lucas, and partially out of surprise a the pairing. not that he should be they were both great people but he didn't realise the two of them were close. he was friends with both of them, and Casper had stared at his place over the break, and he hadn't heard about that one coming.
He smiled as Lucas picked up the cookie and suggested sharing it. they really were a bit small to share but he smiled at the willing himself not to flush. "cutie. That one is clearly yours" he said trying to keep a straight face but failing miserably.

 

[Lucas Fletcher]

Lucas took a sip of the punch, enjoying the sweetness. It seemed to fit with the rest of the snacks and Lucas wondered if there was some magical spell to avoid cavities. He would have to ask Professor Haden sometime. He blinked when Linden pointed out Casper attended the dance with Lysander, an older boy from Gryffindor. Lucas mostly saw him as the enemy now, as Gryffindor was the team they would have to face in the final match soon. "No, I didn't even know they knew each other." He admitted. "You think they're like, together?" He asked Linden curiously. He hadn't talked to Casper about romance since their awkward fight a few years ago, so if Casper was dating anyone Lucas wouldn't know. As Linden commented on the cookie, Lucas felt his cheeks flush. Was Linden... flirting? It seemed to be that way, but maybe he was just trying to joke? Maybe even being sarcastic. "You think?" He asked with a nervous laugh, immediately reminded of the dance last year, when he had gone with Connor. He had started flirting then too, only to later admit he hadn't really liked Lucas that way.

 

[Linden Kinnek]

Linden shrugged. "Cas stayed with me over the holidays and they hung out a little at the menagerie, but I didn't realise that they were that close" he said. it was an interesting development. and he would totally get behind it.
all of Lins efforts not to blush went down the drain as Lucas asked if he really thought that he was a cutie. "Of course you're a cutie" he said his face going warm. he had to look away from his friend. and take a sip of the incredibly sweet drink to try and recover some of his composure. what had he said? he was Lucas's friend. they lived in the same dorm. admitting that he had developed a crush on him would mess things up, look what happened between Casper and Lucas. and with the big quidditch match coming up they couldn't afford any more awkwardness on the team. he picked a strawberry off the plate and bit into it instead, more for an excuse as to why he wasn't saying anything else and also because the two easiest biscuits on the plate to reach were not going to help his cause for not making things awkward. "sorry, I didn't mean to.." he said. eventually not quite sure how to end the sentence make you uncomfortable, make things awkward, call you cute, potentially ruin our friendship, but in a way he meant all of it.

 

[Lucas Fletcher]

Lucas nodded as Linden explained Cas had stayed with him over the holidays, wondering if things were still terrible with Cas' parents. He felt a bit guilty for not asking about it more, but it was never a very easy subject to broach. He laughed awkwardly and looked down as Linden repeated he was a cutie, fidgeting with the sleeve of his suit. "Oh." He said, glancing at him uncertainly. He blinked when Linden said he didn't mean to, without finishing his sentence. Lucas cleared his throat. "Did you... not mean to make that sound flirty?" He asked quietly. "It's fine, we can just... keep talking."

 

[Linden Kinnek]

Linden was feeling a little more uncomfortable. He was here with one of his best mates at the valentines dance as friends. Which was fairly straightforward until you added the part where he hoped that they could be something more. yes, no, maybe, kind of he said when asked if he didn’t mean to make it sound flirty, he could feel the heat in his cheeks rising further. would you want it to sound flirty? he asked back. If he had wanted it to sound flirty then it had been intentional. If he hadn’t then it had been a mistake in his judgment. He made himself not deflect like he had done so many times when talking to him this year. But one deflection had already been used and he regretted using it to destruct from the two boys in red. He also forced himself not to hide his blush, something which was easier to do on a quidditch pitch than here but not impossible. if you still want to share a cookie we could share one of those” he said gestureing to the two he had not eaten before one saying hug and the other kiss if you don’t want to we can just forget I said anything and we were just watching other people dancing he said.

 

[Lucas Fletcher]

Lucas felt a bit awkward and he glanced at Linden as he admitted he had kind of intended it to sound flirty. He hesitated, unsure what to say for a moment. Linden asked him a question and he swallowed nervously. "I..." He did think Linden was cute, but... it had gone so badly last time. "Look, I just don't want... another Connor situation." He finally said slowly, ducking his head nervously. "I think you're cute and funny and I don't think I mind flirting but, I'm just a bit nervous." He admitted. He didn't want another friendship ruined. He rubbed his cheek, fully aware he was bright red at this point. "Sorry, I know I sound confusing." He shook his head at the offer of a cookie and then glanced at Linden. "Do you want this to be a date?" He asked him carefully, his heart pounding.

 

[Linden Kinnek]

Linden could see how uncomfortable Licas was and was starting to regret ever saying anything. he should have just eaten the damn half a cookie. he shifted to put his arm around Lucas much like he would have done if Casper or Jordie or any other of his friends who were feeling that uncomfortable he gave him a bit of a squeeze and then let go when he realised that it was probably wasn't helping the situation. "Oh carp, Connor, valentines, oh merlin Lucas I'm sorry" he said as Lucas said that he didn't want another Connor situation. he had forgotten that it was this dance last year where the two of them had gotten together.
if his flush had gone down at all it was back again with a vengeance when Lucas said that he was cute and funny. he thought for a second on what Lucas had said and asked before replying weighing up his words. "I would like to date you, I have wanted to for a while" he said, the first time he had really wanted to kiss Lucas was when they had been on patrol together and well the feeling had not really gone. pausing to realign his thoughts it doesn't have to be tonight, it doesn't have to be at all if you don't want to. we can be just friends if you want. I don't want to ruin our friendship either. I don't want this to be a Connor situation... but if you don't want to date, I don't want this to be a Casper situation either" he said.