Something's On My Mind

Casey smiled as he helped her, though she didn't really need it. "Good, I'm glad. Even if you do get to be taller than me." She measured the distance with her eyes. "It's only about 4 inches." She suddenly realized that she had never taken his hands off his shoulders, nor he his hands off her hips. She decided she didn't really care.

Casey blushed. "I know I could, but I wouldn't. I can handle whatever comes my way by myself." She held her head high and looked him in the eye. She wasn't offended by his offer, but she rejected his offer nonetheless.

Smiling brightly back at Casey, he said, well laughed rather, "Ehehe. Still 4 inches TALL....sorry I don't mean to come off rude." he said feeling bad. When he looked away, it was then he realized he had not taken his hands off her hips and her hands were still placed on his shoulders. He didn't really mind, but he wasn't sure how she felt. He gave her a questioning look, one that asked even in his eyes, if it was ok.

"I know you can, just thought I would offer." he said smiling a little awkwardly.

Casey noticed his look at her and shrugged. She didn't care really. She stuck her tongue out playfully. "We'll see about that!" She hadn't worked out. In her spare time for nothing. She jumped up and used her arms on his shoulders to hold herself at face height to him. "There," she said triumphantly, their faces now very close together. "My arms aren't hurting your shoulders, are they?"

Casey smiled a little at him. "It's ok James, I know you were trying to be kind. But I'll handle it by myself for as long as humanly possible."

James's knees gave way at the shock of her jump. She wasn't heavy, not in the slightest, but he was just surprised. Laughing, he said, "Fine, you win. And no, my shoulders are fine, took me by surprise though."

He took a notice at how close their faces were, and blushed again, unsure of what to do. He could have kissed her, if he wanted but he knew that it could make things weird between them.

James smiled. "I understand." he said.

Casey grinned. "Yay, winning! Thank you for admitting defeat, it feels excellent." She too suddenly seemed to realize how close their faces were and thought for a split second about leaning forward to kiss him and she wondered what his lips would feel like against hers. She suddenly realized that that would not exactly be a good idea. She hastily dropped back to the floor, putting distance between them again. "So," she said in a slightly higher than normal voice. "What do you want to do now?"

Casey nodded her thanks to him, but said nothing else.

James clapped his hands together and smiled as she did so, when he admitted defeat. When she dropped back down to the floor he felt a little sad, but thought that it was for the best that they didn't kiss, at least right now.

James shrugged, suddenly unsure of what to do. He looked up at the clock on the kitchen wall and said, "Well, we have about two hours before we're supposed to be in bed. So really, we can do anything. What do you think we should do?"

Sitting down next to her, he looked over at her, and thought that even if they just sat and talked for a bit, he would be happy.

Casey could tell he was warring with disappointment and acceptance, but chose to ignore it. Her own feelings were confusing enough without adding anyone else's. It was times like these she wished it took a lot less effort to block out her Empath abilities.

Casey shrugged, hopping back up on the counter. "I don't know, that's why I asked you!" She smiled, first humming, then beginning to sing again, this time an Owl City song.

"You're the sky that I fell through
And I remember the view
Whenever I'm holding you.
The sun hung from a string
Looking down on the world
As it warmed over everything..."

Casey jumped back down off the counter and began to dance a waltz type dance by herself, wondering if James would join in.

James smiled then sighed. "I know, but I really don't know what we can do at this time." He said shrugging.

He looked up when Casey started to sing, smiling at the sweet sound that she made. When she started to dance around in a what he thought might have been he waltz, he debated whether to join her. He knew for a fact that dancing wasn't one of his talents, but he didn't want to just leave her hanging.

Standing up slowly, he waited for a moment, before carefully taking her hands and joining in. "I warn you, I have two left feet." He said smiling down at her as they moved across the floor.

Casey smiled when he joined her. She paused in singing to say, "It's ok, I haven't exactly got the most elegant dancing background myself. We'll work it out." She went back to singing, spinning out, then back into his arms. She was beaming, loving it.

Casey didn't care that this wasn't supposed to happen, that they were just supposed to be friends. Right now, she just forgot about that and danced.

James spun around and twirled Casey around with him. The two moved swiftly across the kitchens, the house elves watching and smiling. He started to hum a random tune he had heard his parents dancing to when he was younger and continued to dance with Casey. He was surprised that he could actually dance, and not fall over in two steps.

"Hey, I think I'm getting the hang of this." he said smiling. But he spoke too soon. As they twirled around, James's foot caught on the table leg and he tripped forward slightly, but as he fell forwards, his lips came in contact with Casey's.

Casey smiled as her song ended and he bagan to hum his own. She grinned encouragement. "See, it's not so-" She cut off as he tripped, somehow ending up with his lips on hers. Her eyes widened, then slid shut and for a moment, she kissed him for real.

Then she pulled back suddenly, her eyes wide again. She brought a hand up to her lips and they parted slightly. "We... That shouldn't have happened." But I liked it... She was even more confused, but she looked him straight in the eye. "But... I liked it." She leaned forward and kissed him again, this one on purpose.

When they pulled away, James's face turned the brightest shade of red that could have been possible for him. He took a moment to take in the situation. He stared at Casey for a moment and then bit his lower lip. He'd have been a liar if he said he didn't like it, but he was afraid that Casey might have hated him.

But that was the complete opposite, when Casey leaned forward and kissed him again. It took him by surprise for a moment, but when he decided that she wasn't going to hate him for it, he closed his eyes and kissed her back.

James carefully took her face in his hands and pulled her a little closer. He hoped it was ok, he hoped SHE was ok with this.

Casey always thought that the best part of kissing someone was feeling how much they liked it as well as how much she liked. It doubled the feeling and kissing James was no different. When he touched her face and pulled her closer, she knew he was still hesitant, probably worried about her. So she showed him it was ok by deepening the kiss.

Casey reached up and ran her fingers through his hair, pulling him closer. When she finally drew back, still very close to him, she was flushed. She smiled. "Screw 'just friends,'" she muttered and then she was kissing him again.

James smiled briefly at her when she spoke and continued to smile through the kiss. When she said those words, he felt a little more comfortable and so he deepened the kiss a little and wrapped his arms around her gently. He carefully started to run his own fingers through her long hair, noticing how soft it was.

His heart thumped faster and faster in his chest as he realized how much he really did like Casey. He never imagined he would like someone so much, but here he was, with one of the most wonderful people he had ever met.

He pulled away slowly for a moment to look into her eyes and say, "You're so wonderful." then carefully kissed her again.

Casey smiled against his mouth as he ran his fingers through her hair. It felt amazing. It felt good to have someone loving her again. And someone that she was starting to love back.

Casey grinned as he complimented her then kissed her again. She pulled back too. "You're not half bad yourself," she teased lightly, kissing him again. It was just... Beautiful.

James had never felt the way he was feeling at that moment, towards any girl before, and never so quickly. He knew he couldn't help what he felt towards the lovely girl in his arms and he didn't care. He was really starting to love her, and he had a really strong feeling that she was starting to love him back.

James laughed into the kiss when she complimented him back, and then pulled away a little, onyl to kiss her lightly on the lips, then her soft rosy coloured cheeks, and then her nose.

"Casey, I know this might sound...strange, but I think I love you." he said confessing his feelings. He hoped she would say the same, it would have broken him if she didn't.

Casey smiled against his lips again as she could see and feel his growing love. Love... So quickly, so soon, it grew almost alarmingly fast.

Casey didn't want to let him pull away, but she sensed that he needed to say something. And say it he did. I think I love you.

Love.

I think I love you.

Other voices echoed out of her past.

Love you Liam.

I love you more Casey.

With that, reality came crashing back to her. How could she say it back to James when she had said it to Liam first? She still meant it. She pulled back, all of her emotions flashing in her eyes. "I- I can't- I should- should go James." She looked at him sadly as she backed away. "I'm sorry," she whispered before turning on her heel and running. She knew he couldn't catch her.

She was too fast to be caught.

James reached out a hand as she backed away from him, but she didn't even look at it as she ran out of the kitchens. Turning around, he watched her as she ran out the door. James could have sworn his heart had just been beaten with hammer, or something along those lines.

The first girl he had ever felt something towards had just ran out on him. However, James knew that it was Liam, she wasn't over him, and James knew somehow that he meant something to her. He wasn't the kind of guy to get jealous, he was the kind of guy to help people feel better.

James decided he couldn't just let her run away, so he ran out after her.

As soon as he had left the kitchens he looked left and right, up and down the school for Casey but couldn't find her. It was a big school so he didn't expect to find her, not yet anyways. But he couldn't let her go. He wouldn't force her to love him, he just wanted to help her, if he could.

OOC: I think we need a new thread. So here you go.

http://www.hogwartsregenerated.com/t8506-which-bridge-to-burn-james#104133

OOC: K, posted to it