Anna was literally bouncing in her seat across from him as he had tried his first bite. Her excitement was rather endearing. But as her soft brown eyes had open once again to gauge his reaction after she had so thoroughly enjoyed a bite of her own pizza, Cinead was disappointed as she pouted, discerning his lack of enjoyment for the food. She was far more perceptive than he gave her credit. "The food is fine. It's just not what I was expecting..." He started out, tilting the slice of pizza still in his hand. Then he tried a little more honesty. "i'm not the biggest fan of tomato. I wasn't expecting there to be sauce." He admitted, even as he took another bite. "i'll finish it, but I hope the other slice is more to my liking."

There was a small flash of emotion in his eyes, Anna couldn't discern what it was. Then she raised an eyebrow as he started expressing his thoughts on the pizza. He then elaborated and nodded with a satisfied smile. "That's fine. I hope the meat overpowers the tomato in the next pizza. But seriously, don't force yourself for my sake. You like what you like and nobody can tell you different. Right?" She then pulled out the money and slid it over. "For what I ordered originally. I wasn't expecting you to pay for me so here you go. It's only fair." She grinned and took another bite of her pizza.

Cinead considered her words for a moment before nodding, his eyes crinkling up with another small smile. "Right. That's very... wise of you."he said, not feeling nearly as bad as he returned the half eaten slice of cheese pizza back to the plate. An interesting choice of words on her part, saying that someone could like something and no one should try to change their mind about it. He wondered if she had that view with all aspects of life, not just with food.

He was in the process of retrieving a bottle of water from his shoulder bag when Anna put some money on the table and slid it in his direction. He lifted his eyebrows in question before she explained and he considered the situation with a tilt of his head. True, he hadn't planned on paying for both of them, but still... "that's not necessary. I was... more than happy to include you in the order. Consider it as a small gift from me." He finally said, meeting her gaze for a few seconds before looking away, opening up the bottle in his hands and taking a drink.

Anna had been sipping her soda when he spoke again. She looked up at him and gave him a smile of her own to match his. "Words I try to live by for the most part." She chirped before taking another sip of soda. "It has worked very well for me so far." Anna thought of a few experiences and ate some more pizza.

"Are you gonna finish that cheese though? I can eat it if you don't want to." She added, noticing that 90% of said pizza was basically untouched. Anna was surprised to hear Cin refuse the money, but took it back. "If you say so. Thank you for paying then." Her mind lingered on his second statement and wondered if was trying to imply something by that. Maybe she should drop a small hint and try to see what he did with it? She thought against it.

Cinead wondered quietly if Anna would still hold to her ideals if she found out the secret he held. He wondered, but kept hold of his resolve of attempting to pursue a relationship. He just didn't know quite how to go about doing so... Finally breaking out of his thoughts as she asked if he was going to finish the slice of cheese pizza, Cin couldn't help the small twist of disinterest that briefly wrinkled his nose and turn down one corner of his mouth. Which was probably enough of an answer. So he didn't hesitate as he picked up the remainder of the slice and put it on the table in front of Anna. "you'll get more enjoyment out of it than I will." He admitted, using another drink of water to wash the remaining taste of tomato away in his mouth. "and you're welcome."

Picking up the remaining slice of pizza in front of him, The top laden with meat, Cinead couldn't help but hesitate for a moment before taking his first bite. He was pleased at the diminished flavor of the tomato sauce that the toppings provided and allowed the emotion to show somewhat on his face. "much better." He added, taking another bite. He probably wouldn't make pizza a priority, but at least he knew what to look for if he was ever faced with eating it again.

Anna had just finished her current slice and had a hand on the paper plate that held her possible second slice. A trait that defined Anna was her love of food with an appetite that did not match her tiny physique. A few times she had baffled her colleagues with her borderline gluttonous behaviour when she was hungry. She remembered when an ex first found out and promptly freaked out in the funniest way ever. She mentally chuckled at the thought. At Cin's face, Anna took the pizza, ripped of a little around where he bit into and proceeded to eat the new slice. "Thank you Cin." She grinned.

She watched him take the Meat Lover's slice and grew visibly excited again. "Yay! Success! Or at least, half. We'll order extra meat next time and see how you feel?" If there was a next time, but she wouldn't think about that now.

"you are more than welcome." Cinead responded warmly as she took the plate and pulled off some of the edge where he had bitten. Strange. It appeared that humans didn't really like to Touch where other's had put their mouths... Not when it came to food at least, He amended, remembering a few instances of coming across couples kissing or sharing soda. He had never really gotten the opportunity before this to share anything of his with A human while he was in his human shape. When he had hunted with other dragons, they hadn't really minded if someone else had gotten their mouth on a kill.

Blinking away those thoughts as Anna once again grew rather excited at the evidence of notably more enjoyment in him, Cin couldn't help but chuckle softly. She was so easily pleased. But then she talked about adding more meat next time they got pizza together and he visibly stiffened. Lowering the slice of pizza from his mouth where he had been about to take another bite, the young man momentarily stared at his companion with a look of evident surprise. "you can do that?" He finally asked, rather surprised. "order extra meat on your pizza, I mean." And if they could change the pizza by adding more of the good toppings, he hoped that meant that they would be willing to take away some of the bad. "I think I would really like to try that next time we get pizza."he stated, confident with the decision. He didn't quite realize until the words were out of his mouth that they had hinted at future interactions with one another. The idea made him smile however. He wanted future interactions after all.

Anna hadn't thought of it all that much, having no qualms about it when she was with someone but a random friend she technically just made? It would take a little while before she stopped caring about his spot on things. She got another text and remembered the larty she was invited to. He would be ok with that, right? Only one way to find out. "Hey Cin, you wanna go to a party with me next weekend?"

She giggled a little bit when he looked so surprised when he found out he could customize the pizza a little. "Yeah, you could make it so it's only steak on top too, for example. You can add and take away a lot of things too." Anna explained, growing a little more excited. "Would you like to try that kind of thing?"

Cinead listened with interest to Anna explain The customizability of pizza and found himself considering the slice in his hand with new interest. If those who created the pizzas were so relaxed, maybe he would learn to like this particular food more. "I think I would like to give a custom Pizza a try in the future." He excepted, the idea of asking them to pile on an extra layer of meat making him chuckle quietly. He would redefine what it meant to be a meat lover.

He had just taken another bite of his pizza when he heard the distinctive buzz of Anna's phone and Cin quietly found himself wondering what that must be like, getting so many text messages from so many different people. How did everyone keep names Straight? Without checking her phone however, Anna seemed to remember something and she looked excited again, if perhaps a little nervous. Curious now, Cinead gave his head a small tilt and was just about to ask her what she was thinking of when she quite suddenly talked about a party that was going on next week. And then, surprising him even more, she asked him if he wanted to go with her to said party. Parties were a part of human culture that he had yet to experience and he clearly didn't know what was to be expected at one, so the idea had him nervous... But Anna had asked him of all people to go with her and his resolve still held. Pushing aside his doubts about acting appropriate at a party, he instead lifted his lips in another brief smile. "I think I would like that very much. Where is this party supposed to be at? Do I need to bring anything?"

The small girl smiled at the other's interest in a customized pizza. "Then we can do it next time we're in the mood for pizza, ok?" She chirped, finishing off her second slice. She wondered what exactly he would do to the pizza he customized. Maybe put only the bare minimum of tomato sauce, and waaaay more meat toppings. It seemed like something he would do since he seemed to love meat a lot.

She mentally squealed at how cute Cin looked when he was a little confused. She wondered what she would wear for the party. It was gonna be in the woods so some cut boot-cut jeans and a t-shirt with cardigan or something could look nice. Maybe a skater dress? There were a few possibilities that she could go with. She would have to look really cute. Rex's parties always had cute guys...if Cin didn't like her or didn't wanna come. She clapped her hands together at his acceptance of her invite. "Yay! It's gonna be in the woods, so dress comfy! I'll bring the sodas, so just worry about yourself for now, ok?" She thought about how they were getting there. "Maybe we can meet in campus and I'll pick you up from there?" She suggested.

Again, her excitement was infectious, so Cinead found himself unable to stop a laugh from escaping him as she responded to his acceptance. He was glad to give her happiness. And he found that he rather hoped he would be able to keep making her happy for quite some time. The idea made him feel warm all over, surprising him slightly. His expression softened however and he nodded his head in acknowledgment. "comfortable I can do. And I wouldn't have any idea of what to bring to a party anyway, so I'm glad it's not an obligation to do so." He admitted, honestly relieved that he wouldn't have to pick out something randomly at the store. "I don't mind meeting you here. What time?" He inquired, pulling out a notebook to make a reminder for himself. It probably looked a little silly, him not using his phone, but he still wasn't completely comfortable using the touchscreen.

His laugh was so cute too~. Was what ran through Anna's head as he seemed to start getting excited with her. It was always good to see him look not so emotionless like he sometimes did when he had on a straight face. Anna raised an eyebrow briefly at the idea of him not knowing what to bring to a party. She guessed he was a bit of a loner during high school and stuff. "Let's go....8:00 to 8:20!" She smiled getting out her phone to add the reminder to meet him at the campus and another to get ready early so she looked great when she did pick him up. Her alarm rang a little in her phone, saying that she had to remember to help her friend take her pet to the vet today. "Ah! Sorry Cin, I gotta run. I have to help a friend take her dog for surgery today. I'll see you Monday?" She stood up, smiling briefly and offering him a quick hug goodbye before jogging out to her car and driving off.

~

It was here. Tonight was the party and Anna was so pumped. She had gone with a knee-length light red skater dress with matching flats and a black cardigan. Over the past week, Anna had felt that she and Con had only grown closer and closer to each other. This also meant that her crush on him only grew as they got to know each other more and more with their daily lunch outings. She checked the time on her phone. It was 7:50. There was enough time to put on a little makeup and lipstick. She sent Cin a quick text.

Can't wait to see you tonight! :D I'm heading out soon.

She put on a little foundation and eyeliner and looked herself over in the mirror. She believed she looked really good. She got her purse, made sure she had her keys, phone and wallet and went to the store as her first stop. She went in and got some sodas that everyone usually liked and then headed to the campus. She was ecstatic to see Cin again that night. Maybe if everything went well she would confess.

Over the following week, Cinead found himself dwelling on the initial surprise that had shot through his body as Anna had given him that first hug. He had never experienced anything quite like it before in his life. He was used to smaller forms of contact, hands touching, the brush of an arm, accidentally stepping on someone's foot... But to willingly put yourself so close to another hadn't ever really crossed his mind. Not until Anna had put her arms around him. His heart had been pounding after that, it was a wonder she hadn't stared at him.

As he waited in the campus parking lot, hands in the pockets of his dark washed jeans, Cinead found himself once again thinking about that moment as his thoughts ran over the lunches and time in class that he had spent in Anna's company, looking up at the Canvas of the sky. He rocked back onto the heels of his sneakers as he thoughtfully bit at his lower lip, his thread of thoughts turning toward the party that was happening tonight. His fondness had continued to increase the more time he had spent with Anna, He could not deny that. He was starting to wonder if he should officially declare his intentions, begin courting her in all seriousness... Perhaps tonight, he would get the chance to do so.

A vibration in his pocket drew Cin's attention to his phone and he quickly reached for it. There was only one person that he sent text messages with, so it didn't surprise him to see a message from Anna. His expression grew soft as he read the message, a familiar warmth heating his chest. My thoughts exactly. I am truly looking forward to spending time with you this evening. I will see you soon. He wrote in return, feeling a strange sort of fluttering sensation in the region of his stomach as he did so. Nervous? That was the only word he had for the feeling. He couldn't really understand why he would feel nervous about being with Anna... Giving his head a small shake, Cin returned his phone to his pocket, tilting his head back again to look up at the sky once more.

Her trip to the store had ended with her jogging towards her car with 2 bottles of soda in each arm, with a big bag of chips in her mouth. She clicked open her car's trunk and put everything inside somewhat slowly so that the soda wouldn't explode when they eventually opened it at the party. She looked over all the stuff and made sure she didn't forget anything in the store before she went back into the car. She started it up and started heading for the meeting spot.

It hadn't took too long for Anna to arrive a block away where she parked to do one last check over herself to make sure she looked ok. There was no wardrobe malfunction, and her makeup hadn't smudged or faded in any way. After that quick inspection, she then drove to where Cin was waiting for her. He had looked great tonight, as expected. She rolled the passenger window down with her usual big smile on her face. "Evening Cin! You look great!" She cheered, unlocking the passenger door. "Come on in!" She chirped, getting ready mentally to head to the party.

Lowering his gaze as the sound of a car approached, Cinead broke into a genuine smile as he saw Anna in the driver's seat. She stopped near him and roll down the window, greeting him cheerfully and complementing his appearance. Glancing down at the dark denim and black long sleeved button up shirt he was wearing and spreading his arms slightly, he return the compliment with another smile. "thank you." He added as he got inside her car, fidgeting with one of the partially rolled up sleeves for a moment before clicking the seatbelt into place. "I was partially worried that it might be a bit too formal." He admitted, glancing over and running his eyes over what Anna had decided to wear. "you are looking lovely this evening. That particular shade of red looks good on you."he complemented generously in return

She took a silent deep breathe and felt her heart rate speed up a little bit. "You are just fine." Anna giggled, grinning when he complimented her attire. "You think so? Thank you, Cin." She started the car up again and started to drive towards where the party was. "It's not gonna be too long until we get there." She added for good measure. There was a slight pause between the 2 of them before she piped up again. "So, are you excited for the party?"

"I do. And you're very welcome." Cinead reassured before their conversation lapsed into momentary silence. He found himself continuously sneaking glances towards Anna as she pulled into the flow of the light traffic, The fluttering in his stomach having made a reappearance. After a moment, she asked him if he was excited for the party they now headed towards, bringing his thoughts back from where they had been lingering on the right way to bring up his intentions. He tilted his head as he considered. "In a way, yes. Although, I am unsure of what to expect. I've never been to a party..." He admitted, feeling unashamed of the truth."are you excited to be going?"he then asked, curious about her response. She seemed to be excited about something, which wasn't unusual for Anna. Her heart rate was certainly elevated...

She blushed a little in response to his statement. During their silence, Anna tried focusing as much as she could on driving and not trying to catch a glance at what Cin was doing next to her. She managed to get through the short minute with only one glance and nothing else. "What to expect? There's gonna be loud music, a lot of people dancing and a lot of snack food everywhere. It's usually a blast. But worse comes to worst, we can sneak away for a little peace and quiet. Yeah, super excited." She chuckled as they pulled into the parking lot near the woods. "We're here!"

Cinead had caught a glimpse of the blush that had colored Anna's cheeks, Increasing the fluttering in his stomach while simultaneously giving him a flare of hope for his intended confession. Now, however, was not the time. He pushed those thoughts once again to a corner of his mind, listening to the description of what he should expect at the party and how Anna was indeed excited about it. Music, dancing, and food. He wasn't a huge fan of music beyond the occasional classical piece, but he could deal with whatever they were playing. Dancing he had never experienced personally, but he was sure it could be easy enough, especially with what he had seen of the dance party that had happened on campus the week before. It was just looking foolish that he would have to deal with when it came to that. Food was probably his biggest obstacle. He was, after all, very picky. Then again, he could most likely easily avoid it by claiming that he wasn't hungry... "we shall have to see how things go I suppose. But the idea of taking a break partway through does sound enjoyable." He mused thoughtfully.

Anna pulled into an empty space in a parking lot near the woods, the shortness of the trip surprising Cin. Or maybe it just seemed so short because he had been so preoccupied. Whatever the case, he found himself blinking slightly as he looked out of his window, But then reacted quickly, swiftly unlatching his seatbelt and getting out of the car, he purposefully made his way around the vehicle and opened Anna's door for her and offering her a hand. "you mentioned that you were thinking of bringing something to the party. Do you need help with carrying it?"he asked, Remembering that detail just now.

She was wondering how Cin would react to his first party. She wasn't sure if she would like the pop music that would be blasting, the many drunken couples that would be kissing and trying to walk around or most of the food they would have. She noticed that if it didn't have meat, he was very likely not to like it at all. She guessed he really needed the nutrients and/or loved the taste of meat soooo much. Anna nodded when he agreed with her plan. "Great! I do wanna dance a little, so I could teach you a few new moves too~." She joked with him.

Anna had been just about to unlatch her seatbelt when she realized what Cin was doing. He was trying to be a gentleman. How sweet. She smiled and took his hand as she stepped out of her car, unlocking the trunk before letting Cin close the door. "Yeah, could you help me bring in the soda that I brought?" She asked as they headed to get it. "You can carry 3 while I carry one and the bag of chips I also got." She explained as she opened her trunk up.