Naturally Awkward (Anna/Silver)

[Silver Blackwood]

Silver blinked and looked up from the box he'd just returned to the shelf. His eyes found Anna's, and the question was obvious in his eyes even before he asked. "What do you mean taking to the wedding?" He almost told her he was Dare's best man, so he'd be taking Dare, but it occurred to him that it sounded like she meant something different. He hoped not. He'd never heard anything about taking someone to the 'wedding'.

[Annabelle Hennessy]

"I know you have to stand up there during the actual ceremony part, but who's your date for the reception and everything?" With the look on his face, she could tell that he probably didn't have one. Had it not occurred to him to ask anyone, or did he not have anyone to bring? Either way, she felt bad for clarifying her question automatically instead of letting it drop.

[Silver Blackwood]

"I'm supposed to have a date?" Silver asked. It was probably a stupid question, but he hadn't read anything about that. His hand rose to swipe at his hair, loosening some more Floo powder in the process. He stopped immediately and glanced back over his shoulder to make sure the shopkeeper hadn't seen. Then he turned to Anna again. "So like, is everyone supposed to have a date?" he asked. How many people knew this? And who could he ask? There was no way in hell he'd ask Dru, even if it meant he was doing something wrong, and he didn't have any desire to have Brindle as a date. She was practically a sister.

[Annabelle Hennessy]

Anna shrugged at his return question, feeling bad that she'd brought it up. She'd assumed he'd have one. "All the ones I've been to it seemed like everyone was with someone. But I've never been invited as a real guest so I haven't had to worry about it before. I usually get a seat at the kid table with my little sister."

Anna looked down at the item she'd absentmindedly picked up off the shelf and her face broke into a wide grin. "I think we found the perfect gift! They don't already have one do they?" She held up the Wizarding wireless so Silver could see what she was talking about.

[Silver Blackwood]

Silver's eyes brightened, his mind catching so quickly on the gift that he hadn't quite let go of the look on Anna's face before she'd picked it up. He gave a half-incredulous smile as he looked at the wireless. "It's perfect," he said. "They'll love it." He'd never gone clubbing with Dare and the others, but he knew how much his brother loved it, and he'd heard enough to know he'd gotten Michael into it, too. "That's so awesome!" He reached for the wireless, taking it from Anna and looking over it. It was even in his budget.

[Annabelle Hennessy]

Anna was even more excited that Silver liked the idea than she'd been when she suggested it. Her eyes sparkled with interest as she watched Silver look over the item. "I think they will too. I'm glad you found something they'll actually enjoy." She still couldn't see them opening a mountain of presents with kitchen towels, picture frames, and statues of married couples and actually be happy about receiving them. The wizarding wireless seemed much more their style, and by the looks of it, something Silver was enthusiastic over giving.

[Silver Blackwood]

Silver glanced up from the wireless to Annabelle, his lips quirking into a wry smile. "Yeah, I'm glad I found it," he said. He looked back down at it, and with his mind settled on that, it turned to Anna. She'd said she'd never really been a guest, and aside from some awkward moments in the book store, she seemed okay with all of this. He started considering, but wasn't sure if he should ask, let alone how. It suddenly occurred to him the danger in getting at all attached to another of Chase Firebrand's ex-girlfriends.

[Annabelle Hennessy]

Anna thought she must have missed something because Silver went from calling the present awesome, to becoming introverted and obviously thinking about something. If she hadn't been so short and looking up at his downcast face, she probably would have missed the change altogether. She bit at her lower lip, wondering if she should just leave it alone. Curiousity got the best of her, and she found herself asking him. "What is it? Did you need help finding something else while we're out?"

[Silver Blackwood]

Silver blinked and lifted his gaze to Anna, immediately shaking his head. "No, this is great," he said, gesturing lightly with the wireless. "I'm cool, I'm just..." His mind was suddenly in an uproar of arguments, and he tried to run through the pros and cons as quickly as he could. He gave up almost immediately. Say something! "Um... I was trying to decide who I could ask to go with me," he managed at last.

[Annabelle Hennessy]

"Oh." Anna said quietly as a blush graced her cheeks. Silence fell as she tried to figure out what was going through Silver's mind right now. By his wording, Anna didn't think it as an invitation, or even leading into one. The Civil Partnership hadn't even seemed real until recently, and she wasn't invited. Going had never been an option so she hadn't given it any thought. "Who do you have in mind?" She asked, pressing for more information on what he was asking.

[Silver Blackwood]

Silver's burgeoning hopes fell at the question. Anna had blushed, and he'd been sure she knew what he was vaguely hinting at, that he wanted to know if it was worth asking before he risked total and complete rejection. Then that blush had faded and she was acting like she had no clue. Silver didn't know much of anything about the games girls played, and so he didn't recognize her question as fishing for information. "Um... no one," he managed to answer, though he couldn't meet her eyes when he said it, and he could feel heat in his own cheeks.

[Annabelle Hennessy]

Silver's blush threw Anna off and she watched him, trying to figure it out. Was he embarrassed that he had no one to ask? She didn't think so. That small hesitation was enough to make her think someone was on his mind, but who? Thoughts of the girl from the prophet were easily dismissed; if he was in a relationship like that they wouldn't be here having this conversation.

Her blush came back full force as she wondered if he might ask her. They were friendly, and he'd written her that poem a long time ago, and she did help him find a present. Did she even want to go? It did feel sort of weird to be left out of an event when most of the people she knew would be attending. Could she handle it? She thought so, the last time she'd encountered Michael it had been hard but they'd talked and she'd felt some sense of closer on the issue. "If you don't have anyone else in mind....I mean, I wouldn't mind...I could..." She couldn't just invite herself to the wedding, and what if she was wrong and he didn't want to take her?

[Silver Blackwood]

Silver's eyes flickered back to Anna to find her blushing again. "You... you could?" he managed. He tried desperately to think of something better to say, but it seemed the harder he tried, the worse it got. "So, um..." He dropped his gaze and one hand rose to rub the back of his neck beneath the curtain of his hair. "Um, if you wouldn't mind, I mean, I wouldn't mind..." He felt like such a massive retard!

[Annabelle Hennessy]

She smiled at him, even if he wasn't looking her way. "I'd like that. I mean, if you want me to come." Anna held her breath without even realizing it, waiting for him to tell her he wanted her to come. How could something she hadn't even considered before now seem exciting? Was it going to the wedding that she was happy about, or that Silver was asking her to be his date - sort of. She didn't understand it, but she was thrilled at the prospect.

[Silver Blackwood]

Silver shifted on his feet, then brought his eyes up to Anna's again. He had to forcibly remind himself to keep eye contact, but he managed it, even as he spoke. "Yeah, I want you to come." Why was it so hard to say? And why was his mind tempting him with things he shouldn't be thinking? And why was he considering an ode to that smile? His gaze dropped again.