[R] Casual Date Is Casual (Bo + Amelia) FIN

[Akina Tokuwa]

Sometimes it paid to be 6'5" with a swimmer's body. Bo didn't typically stare in a mirror and think about how good he looked, but it was hard not to notice him walking around Sovereign Heights. As such, he tended to spend a lot of his free time chatting up friends and strangers alike. Many even just knew him as "that happy, giant swimmer." Many of these conversations distracted him from even making it to class on time, which was probably Bo was 22 and nowhere near graduating. His mother called it his "journey" and his father called it his "failure to perform."

But being tall also meant sitting in the very back of every college lecture -- otherwise, he would block other students -- and it was for that very reason that he had the good fortune of meeting Amelia. She was cute with bright blue eyes and dark hair. Bo didn't have a specific "type" of girl that he was interested in, but there was something about her that immediately attracted his attention. There conversations had been a little one-sided at first, with Bo simply making silly comments to her subtly during the lesson. Then, when he missed a few classes, Amelia had been kind enough to give him her notes. Somehow in all those chance encounters, Bo decided to ask her on a date. This was, in a way, special. Bo usually just hung out with female friends and, one day, ended up moving from friendship to something a little more romantic. With Amelia, he had sought out a casual romantic relationship, perhaps because he sensed that her attitude toward dating mirrored his own.

It might have also had something to do with seeing Adira again and realizing that what they had once shared was now lost to him. Maybe.

In any case, they had shared three dates so far. The first was simple -- coffee first, and then they walked through the park just talking. The next date was dinner and a movie -- cheap restaurant, comedy film. The third date was putt-putt golf. All in all, Bo was having a blast in Amelia's company, and so, when he found himself bored one evening, he called to see if she would be up for dinner. She was, and so the pair met up at Los Perditos -- a casual Mexican place on the edge of the beach. Casual was pretty much their style.

A tall fishbowl glass sat next to Bo, half-empty. An upturned Coronita was balanced inside of it, complete with colorful umbrellas. "I like drinks with a lot of things in them," he said, edging his closer to him. "Look at this thing -- this is a festive beverage. I don't think you can drink this and be sad." He grinned at her over the rim of the drink and then took a lot sip from the straw.  

[Marsh the Sex Panda]

When it came to interacting with boys Amelia was much more experienced at kicking their butts at Super Smash Brothers than dating them. Relationships were complicated, and nerve-wracking. She much preferred to just have a lot of guy friends she hung out and did guy things with. This tomboyish nature was the main reason she was slow to warm up to Bo's flirting- at least she thought it was flirting, she wasn't great at identifying that type of thing. He was handsome, and charming and she couldn't see how he'd be interested in her. But, after a month or two she found that the blonde was growing on her. He was funny, and seemed to be constantly in a good mood. It was a bit contagious really.

So, when he asked her out the first time she surprised herself by saying yes. One date couldn't hurt, it was only coffee after all. Coffee lead to dinner and a movie, and then to putt putt golf. Every date they went on was more fun than the previous. She was beginning to understand why some people just serial dated, it was fun. No labels, or pressure- well, he had tried to kiss her on that first date, but he hadn't seemed too upset when she stopped him, even turning it into a running joke between the two of them. That understanding was the reason that she had continued to date him, and the reason that when he randomly called her up she hadn't hesitated to say yes.

"Oh, I can tell," Amelia laughed looking at the bright umbrellas that were hanging out in his drink, a grin on her face. Her own drink, a blue Hawaiian, was in front of her- unfortunately it only had one lonely candy pink umbrella to adorn it. "You and that drink have a lot in common." Right after the words left her mouth she blushed lightly realizing just what she implied. She had meant being around him not...that. While she wasn't sexually experienced she lived in a house with three other males who were all varying degrees of crass. Raising the glass she took a long drink, she definitely was going to need more alcohol.  

[Akina Tokuwa]

It was in Bo's nature to flirt, but he had been intentionally flirting with Amelia since the first time they had sat together at the back of the lecture hall. He was encouraged by the fact that she always chose the same seat, meaning that when he did the same they were sitting together. Plenty of people who he tried to be friendly with like this had moved away from him or stared at him like he had suddenly grown a second head. Amelia was more laid back than that; he liked it. He liked her certainty too. When he had tried to kiss her, there had been no rebuke, no anger -- just a simple avoidance of it and a quick: "No, Bo." So he had stopped. Well, stopped trying -- he hadn't stopped talking about it, turning the whole thing into a joke instead.

Her comment only pulled more joy from him. "We are both sadness deterrents," he said, taking another sip. "So I guess that means if you finish that, you will finally let me kiss you." Bo grinned, biting the straw in his teeth.

At that moment, the waiter came up to take their orders. Bo got three tacos -- carnitas, carne asada, pollo -- and a side of rice and beans. And since he was nearly done with it (not to mention the 2-for-1 drink special), he ordered another loaded margarita too. "I think she wants another too," he added, nodding in Amelia's direction. The playful grin on his lips was toying, but he hid it with another sip on his margarita.  

[Marsh the Sex Panda]

In the beginning Amelia had considered changing seats when she realized the flirting wasn't going to stop, but by then Bo was already winning her over and so she had stuck around.

His words made her laugh, setting her at ease. That was the great thing about Bo, even when she made herself feel awkward he pulled her out of it with a laugh or a joke. "You definitely are, I don't think I've met anyone happier than you." Plucking the pineapple garnish off the rim of her glass she bit into, juice running down her chin as she tried to grin at the same time. Dropping the rind in her glass she wiped her chin with her napkin before she managed to speak. "I can't promise anything, but tonight may just be your lucky night."

The waiter's arrival drew her gaze away from Bo's dazzling grin and she had to search her mind for what she had decided to order. After an awkward moment of thought she ended up with the burrito platter, immediately second guessing if it was going to end up being too much food for her. She was distracted from the worry of overeating by the new worry of overdrinking.

Gazing across the table at Bo there was an amused smile playing on her lips. "Why, Bodhi Hanley, I do think you're trying to get me drunk." She didn't object though, she trusted him and after three dates she didn't mind getting drunk with him.  

[Akina Tokuwa]

The lightness in Amelia was engaging, and Bo was happy to meet her, smile for smile and laugh for laugh. "Well, Amelia Bedelia," he said, either trying to be cute or having genuinely forgotten her last name, "it is for your own good. I'll hold you to that promised kiss, I'll have you know." The waiter stood there, face blank. He had no doubt seen this drunken playfulness a hundred times before and appeared to have no taste for it. Scribbling down Amelia's order, he made a note for another round of drinks and then disappeared.

Bo leaned forward, the string of his hoody dipping into his drink. "I don't think he likes us," he whispered conspiratorially. Then sitting back, he felt the wet slap of the drenched string. No matter -- he popped it into his mouth and sucked the booze from it, smiling across the table to Amelia like it was the most natural thing in the world to do in that moment. And, for Bo, it sort of was. He rarely thought twice about the things that he did, especially not when he was feeling this happy in the presence of another person.

Pulling his margarita closer, Bo took another sip, nearly finishing. "Here is where we have the deep conversation with lots of intense eye contact." He widened his eyes dramatically, unblinking. "Amelia." His voice was comedically robotic. "What do you want to do with your life?" His wide eyes remained that way for a moment before he relaxed his stance, dissolving into laughter. He may or may not have been a little tipsy.  

[Marsh the Sex Panda]

When Amelia was a little girl her absolute favourite series of books were the Amelia Bedelia books. It wasn't hard to figure out why. As she got older she quickly began to hate them, the elderly members of her family loved to call her Amelia Bedelia thinking it was adorable. Perhaps it was when she was five, not so much at fifteen. Lucky for Bo he was adorable and she gave exception to his use of the name.

"Oh, well if it's for my own good then I guess I'll just have to go along." Grinning she stirred her drink with her straw almost having forgotten the waiter. Finally noticing him and his serious business face she had to stifle her laughter.

Not even realizing she was doing it she mimicked Bo's movements, leaning towards him, eyes curious. At his concession her stifled laughter escaped and she was still smiling as she sat back in her chair. She was just about to agree with him about the waiter, but then the blonde's antics with his hoody string distracted her. She couldn't help but shake her head amused, she really needed to stop thinking she was done being surprised by him. He always managed to do something that she wasn't expecting.

Noticing that his drink was nearly gone she checked on her own which had a little less than half left. Determined to keep up she started taking longer drinks. Watching his eyes widen she tried to keep her face straight, wanting to play along. folding her arms on the table she leaned towards him, her own bright blue eyes going wide as they stared at each other. Biting back giggles she attempted to answer him in the same robotic voice, but his laughter triggered her own giggle fit and she fell back into her seat. It was becoming increasingly more obvious she was a lightweight when it came to alcohol.

Once she got a hold of herself she took a more natural position, resting her elbow on the table and her chin on her hand. "Well, right now I would be happy just passing English. Everything else I can figure out on the way." She used to have a life plan, but after being a senshi for a couple years she realized there's no point in planning because things could change in an instant. "How 'bout you? What's the endgame for Mr. Happy-go-lucky?" Smiling she finished off her drink, but not before having to chase the straw around the glass with her tongue first.  

[Akina Tokuwa]

Bo liked sober Amelia, but he was really starting to enjoy tipsy Amelia in a whole new way. She had an ease about her, a lightness -- those were two things that he loved in all people. It was just a bonus that a girl he already appreciated was exhibiting both traits in tandem at that very moment. "You'll pass. I am sure of it," he said, finishing off what remained of his drink. Bo tended to believe that anyone could achieve anything though.

No sooner had he pushed the empty margarita away from him and the waiter was back with a fresh one. He placed the pale green drink in front of Bo, and then set the blue one by Amelia. There was still some hurricane left in her glass so the waiter took Bo's empty one and disappeared again with a brief mention of the food being on its way. It was a good thing too. Bo hadn't eaten lunch that day and was teetering on the verge of ravenous.

When they were alone again, Bo thought back to the question she had posed to him. His future? Well, honestly, he couldn't think beyond Princess Chronos. His endgame was just to follow her wherever she might lead him. Ideally, that would be back to the Surrounding with all his friends, destined to party and relax until the end of time. But that wasn't something that he could tell Amelia. So, instead, he smiled and said, "Bliss. Eternal bliss. I'd like to retire to some tropical location. I could work as... a captain of a tour boat, or something. Or just work at a local market. Nothing stressful, all relaxation." It didn't sound bad, even if he did that now.

"Though there is a beach outside," he said, eyes alight, "if you have a good imagination."

As promised, the waiter returned quickly with their food. Bo wasted no time in biting into one of the tacos. About half of the contents squished out the other side when he bit down, splatting on his plate. He hardly seemed to notice.  

[Marsh the Sex Panda]

There was a reason Amelia didn't drink all that often, not only was she a lightweight but when she was drunk she tended to do instead of think which wasn't always a good thing. She wasn't quite drunk yet, but she was most definitely tipsy.

When their second round of drinks came she thanked the waiter, finished the last drops of her drink, and then swapped the empty for the full. She stirred the drink then sipped at it as she waited for his answer. Once she got it she smiled widely, her head tilting to the side slightly as she stared at him. "Bliss, huh?" She looked thoughtful for a moment, catching her lower lip between her teeth. "Y'kno, I can totally see you giving three hour tours of the Caribbean or somewhere equally sunny."

At the mention of the beach she glanced out the window at the waves, and then back to his face. Giggles bubbled up and escaped her before she could stop them. Luckily for her she was able to stem her laughter with a burrito. Seeing food in front of her she seemed to just then realize that she was really hungry.

Two bites in she made a contented sound, trying to speak. "Fhifh-" Right- bite, chew, swallow, THEN talk. Once her mouth was no longer full she tried again. "This is the best burrito, ever." And then her attention was focused back onto the burrito. Amelia wasn't one of the those girls who picked at food while on a date, she certainly wouldn't pig out or shovel food in her mouth, but she wasn't going to let the fact that she was out with a boy stop her from enjoying a super delicious burrito.  

[Akina Tokuwa]

Bo tended to do instead of think most days. He believed in following your impulses, which was precisely why he had begun flirting with Amelia in the first place -- and hey, that was going rather nicely, if he did say so himself. "The S.S. Euphoria," he said, pulling the bright pink umbrella from his drink. Bo leaned across the table and gently slid it into Amelia's hair, just behind her ear. "You look the part of a vacationing college student quite nicely." A hand slipped into the pocket of his cargo shorts and came out with his cellphone. He didn't care for the camera on it, but it was helpful in a pinch. Without warning, Bo snapped a candid shot of Amelia, smiling down at his screen. "Now, this one is a keeper." If he remembered, he would assign it as his contact.

Taking a page from Amelia, Bo went back to work on his tacos, quickly finishing two of them without much pause. He washed it all down with about half of his margarita, floating him on a comfortable cushion of alcohol. His tolerance was pretty solid, but even so, he felt tipsy. Tequila had that effect on him. "The food here is excellent, drinks too, but I come for the view." Blue eyes strayed to the wide window a few tables away from them. There was a ledge that separated the restaurant from the boardwalk, but beyond that, the moon hung in the sky in a bright wedge, casting a beam across the rolling waves.

"When we finish, we have to go for a walk. The beach at night is poetic." Though, in his opinion, it always was.  

[Marsh the Sex Panda]

Hearing the name of Bo's future ship Amelia wasn't a bit surprised. Euphoria fit him so well. What did surprise her was the umbrella being slid behind her ear. Blushing lightly she smiled across the table at him. "Why, thank you." The picture was snapped before she even noticed that the cell phone came out. Grinning she shook her head, she was getting used to Bo snapping pictures at the most random moments.

By the time she finished her first burrito she had drank almost half her drink. For a second she thought about perhaps ordering a water to slow her alcohol consumption, but then decided against it. At his mention of the view she glanced out the window again taking a moment to admire it. There was no arguing that it was an amazing view.

When she looked back at him she was smiling widely. "That sounds great," Under the table a sandal-clad foot stretched out until it rubbed against his foot. There was a mischievous look in her eye when she spoke next. "We could even go for a night swim." Maybe she should have ordered that water after all.  

[Akina Tokuwa]

The tacos on his plate were long finished, but Bo was still picking at his rice and beans. At least, he was until Amelia began playing footsie. "This side of you is very enchanting," he said, quickly signaling the waiter for the check. "You are in luck -- I can make your dreams come true! At least that one. And I would try very diligently to help with the others." His smile was warm. He was attracted to Amelia and would, without a doubt, go just as far as she was willing to go, in pretty much any locale she suggested. But Bo never pushed, not truly. It was not his style to be aggressive in any forum.

On their first and second dates, Bo and Amelia had paid for themselves. On the third, Bo legitimately forget his wallet, and Amelia had taken care of it. When the waiter came with the bill, Bo gave him his debit card -- it was a miracle that he hadn't lost it, honestly. For all his charm, the sunny boy was not a traditionalist... and he was very broke. Amelia likely could not appreciate the gesture, but it showed that he liked her quite a bit. Though there was a 50/50 chance on any given day that his card might be declined.

That night, however, everything was golden.

Bo drained the last of his margarita, scribbled down a tip, and then stood from the table, reaching for Amelia's hand. "The moon is out, the breeze is choice, and the waves sound like wingbeats at night. Let's go ch-ch-check it out." He resembled a boy excited to go buy his first video game.  

[Marsh the Sex Panda]

Enchanting? Amelia couldn't help but like the sound of that. Maybe she needed to get drunk more often, though she wasn't sure what that said about her sober self. "What can I say, I'm a magical girl." Okay, time to cut back on the alcohol, risking accidentally revealing your secret identity was definitely not appropriate fourth date behaviour. "All my dreams? 'Cause that might take a bit." She grinned, reaching up to tuck her hair behind the ear that wasn't hosting her tropical umbrella.

When the check arrived her hand was already moving towards her pocket thinking they were going to split it again, but before she could even get her wallet out he had already paid and she found herself pleasantly surprised. There was always the chance that he was paying this time because she had had to pay last time, but she preferred to think that he was being gentleman like or some such thing. "Thanks, Bo." If she knew just how broke he was she would have insisted on paying half.

Her burrito platter still had half a burrito hanging out next to some beans, but when Bo's hand was offered to her she abandoned her quest to finish the meal and instead downed the rest of her hurricane and then slipped her hand into his. On her way up she stumbled, falling against the taller man before regaining her balance. Whoops, someone needed to work on their balance skills. Laughing she grinned up at him. "Lead the way, lover boy" Pet names were something sober Amelia would probably never use- tipsy Amelia on the other hand wasn't adverse to throwing them around.  

[Akina Tokuwa]

Bo smiled from ear to ear, taking her hand. "You're in good company, then, because I am a magical boy," he said. "And we have all the time in the world." Even if he was not actually a senshi, this would have been Bo's response, but the double meaning of it put an extra twinkle in his eye. The combined euphoria of booze, Mexican food, and charming company had him soaring to the top of his joy.

When Amelia tipped toward him, Bo took the opportunity to drape his arm over her shoulder, holding her to him as they walked side by side. He liked her pet names, her glee. It was such a lovely side of her, one he would love to see more often. Sober Amelia was awesome too, but this uninhibited side of her held an allure all its own.

On the way out the door, Bo plucked a dusty sombrero decoration from the wall, plopped it on his head, and steered Amelia to the exit. There was patio seating outside. Bo tripped once over the leg of a chair, apologized to a disgruntled brunette girl, and then made his way out to where the boardwalk began. Up above, the moon was a fat, shining slice. It cut a glowing shadow in the rolling surface of the water.

The two made their way to the railing, about 8 feet above the soft sand below. Bo rubbed Amelia's shoulder and then released her, leaning on his elbows and gazing up at the stars. "Look at all of them up there," he said, tilting his chin upward. "A whole existence hanging above us -- so trippy to think about."

To the left, their was a set of wooden stairs that led down to the beach. Bo took one look at it, grinned at Amelia, and then hoisted himself up onto the wooden railing of the boardwalk. "HELLO, UNIVERSE!" he shouted, arms outstretched, sombrero tipped back on his head. "MY NAME IS BO HANLEY, AND I AM GOING TO GIVE YOU A HUG!"

With that, Bo leaped forward, springing off of the boardwalk. He fell just over eight feet and caught his landing with a roll. It was ungraceful, but safe. The tall boy hopped right back up to his feet, sombrero now hanging askew around his neck. He looked like a child proud of using the big boy potty for the first time.

Bo opened his arms up to Amelia. "Okay, now you," he said, mischief in his eyes.  

[Marsh the Sex Panda]

Once upon a time there was a magical girl and a magical boy who lived in the stars. She couldn't help but giggle, they were starting to sound like some drunken fairy tale. The warm arm around her shoulders was welcome and she leaned into him, slipping her am around his waist.

"Y'kno, I think they may want that back," She pointed up at the sombrero on his head, with a laugh. She didn't worry about the theft too seriously, preferring to just let the jolly giant lead her out of the restaurant.

Stepping outside the fresh air was rejuvenating, bringing her out of her tipsy haze just enough that she was able to keep herself standing when he stumbled. Smothering her laughter she ducked her head trying to avoid the brunette's glare.

At the railing she looked up at Bo a warm smile on her face. She enjoyed being with him, he was so easygoing- not to mention easy on the eyes. When her shoulders were released she folded her arms and rested them against the railing just next to him. Blue eyes lifted to the star dotted sky, a small smile on her face. Somewhere up there was her nebula, home to planet Eskimo a land of snow, ice, and igloos. "It's mind blowing, just the size of it all." She knew just how big space was, or at least she had gotten a small taste when Kurma had taken her and a group of senshi into the inky dark of the universe and she saw just how spread out things were.

Of all the things Amelia was expecting having Bo go all Titanic was not one of them. Laughing she pulled half-heartedly on the back of his hoody. "You're going to kill yourself one day." She quickly gave up on trying to get him down, too busy laughing. That was until he jumped.

"BO!" Maybe it was only an eight foot drop, but she was inebriated and she enjoyed Bo being in one piece, so when he jumped she overreacted. Grabbing the edge of the railing she leaned over watching him tuck and roll. When he was back on his feet in seconds her worry was replaced with relieved laughter. "You are insane!" Her grin softened the words, he was definitely insane but it was a good insane.

Eyeing his open arms she hesitated. It wasn't that she didn't trust him to catch her, it was just a long drop- she was a foot shorter than him after all. "You better catch me if you want that kiss." There was a hint of trepidation in her voice but she banished the feeling. Bo would definitely catch her, she trusted him. Taking a deep breath to steady herself she planted a hand on the railing and launched herself over it in a smooth motion, an excited shriek following a second after as she fell towards him.  

[Akina Tokuwa]

Thinking things through was not Bo's strong suit, and so far, he had lived to tell the tale. It was perhaps that chance of the universe alone that made him so foolhardy, though some might call his willingness to take risks of all sizes just a natural zest for life. His ankles were a little sore from the fall and roll, but as per usual, he felt A-OK. Bo was one of those people who just always seemed to come out on top. If he was more introspective, he might have reflected on it a touch more deeply.

In any case, as Amelia took to the railing, Bo kept his arms wide, blissfully confident that it was not a totally hairbrained idea to try and catch her. She took her own leap, a much lovelier blur of dark hair and flailing arms. Her knee hit him first, in the chest, and his arms flashed out, wrapping around her as the full weight of the girl collapsed into him. A deep oof! popped out of his lips as Bo tumbled backward into the sand, Amelia more or less in his arms. It was lucky that they didn't bump heads, but no doubt it was a little uncomfortably painful for both of them.

It didn't stop Bo from laughing as he fell, head slamming into the sand hard enough to blur his vision for a moment. A few bumps and bruises, but otherwise, Amelia's swan dive into his arms was a smashing success. Which meant he had earned his kiss.

Flat on his back, Bo bent his knees, keeping Amelia draped on top of him. He swerved his head to the side and helped prop her up. Her long hair was askew, hanging like a drape between them. Bo reached forward and brushed her hair from her face, tucking a few pieces behind her ear. He stared at her, a slow, serene smile creeping across his lips. His hand slid past her ear to cup the back of her neck, fingers slipping into her hair.

Lifting his head from the sand, Bo brought his face an inch from her own, rubbing the tip of her nose with his own, and then turned to press his lips softly against hers.