Chapter Text
"Hi Casey!" Lars beams as he comes through the door, all glowing with triumph over his victory. Casey looks up quickly, snaps out of his thoughts.
"Is Karin ok?" he asks.
Lars falters. "Oh, you saw that. Sorry I just - I mean I'm Not sorry, because we'd made a plan, and commitment and reliability is extremely important in, um, in - Casey?"
Driver had been thinking about how seconds ago, part of him'd been all ready to run out on Lars again. Great commitment and reliability, Casey.
Lars misinterprets his expression. "Oh no, do you- do you think she's very upset? I didn't...I just Cannot, Will not change a plan that fast, and definitely not when it's so important."
Lars thought it was important, to hang out with him. Lars thinks he's important.
"I don't want to meet the neighbours." Driver says. "I only want to hang out with you tonight."
Lars melts at him. Put those away, Casey thinks, meaning his cute little bunched-up, rosey-red cheeks. Or I won't be responsible for my actions.
"I'm going to have a shower, then are you ready to go?"
"Yes, Lars. I got the car turned round all ready." He'd done that three hours ago. Got cleaned up Thoroughly, got all clean-dressed. Had been waiting for Lars since. Started thinking too much, that was all. Didn't have to Mean anything.
Lars hangs up his coat, toes out of his shoes. He comes over shyly, and takes Casey's hands in his.
"Thank you, sweetheart."
Driver's hands are raised, and a kiss is pressed to each one, on top of the leather. Lars sparkles down at Casey, who thinks "stop that," weakly.
"I've been looking forward to tonight so very, very much, all through work today, dear. Well. As a matter of fact..." Lars laughs soft and bashful. "Since Monday, so all week long, to tell the truth. I think we're going to have a wonderful, wonderful time tonight."
Casey can only nod vigorously.
His eyes have gone all big and he can't talk again, Lars thinks. I must've done something right ☺️
Lars smooches him on the top of the head, pats the top of his shoulders twice.
"I'll be back soon, Casey!" he calls, super loud and super rushed, disappearing into the bathroom. Steam pours out shortly after.
Driver claps his hands to his face and slides down in his chair, nearly sliding to the floor. He feels like steam's pouring out of him too. Lars is just Too CUTE. Something has to be done.
That something ends up with Driver helping him - unnecessarily-, put his on coat over his - Casey won't think of it as Lars's "date night" outfit, that way madness lies - but Lars seems to like that he did this, he smiles, all squishy. But when Lars sits to put his shoes on, Casey panics and suddenly he's kneeling to put Lars' shoes...
on...for...him.......
Oh god
Casey, Lars knows how to put on shoes. What are you - oh, no, ok, you're tying his laces up for him like he's four years old, he's Really going to like That, isn't he. Jesus christ.
Why are you still tying his laces??/
WHAT ARE YOU DOING
A hand settles in his hair, brushes it out of his eyes. Casey's finished, though it's not his best work. He makes himself look up at Lars and - oh, ok, um.
Lars is semi-hard. So not all a disaster then, just,
Casey had really liked the pizza plan, is the thing.
"Sweetheart, are you nervous?" Lars asked gently. "I am a bit too, it's ok, I think."
"You're nervous? Me-am - I mean, - I - am, too. Sorry."
"Don't be sorry, Casey."
"...sorry."
Lars sits back and huffs a little laugh at him. "Nervous doesn't always mean bad, just means someon-something's important to you. It's ok, especially since we're both nervous, then. It makes a lot of sense, to me."
Lars is always so brave. Driver can be brave.
"You are Very, important, to me, Lars."
"Ohhh, Caseyyyy!!!"
He's delighted! Lars leans forward and captures Casey's lips in a soft, warm kiss. It's heavenly.
Driver fumbles forwards, pulls back. Like a yo-yo.
"Can we still get pizza? Even though. Instead. You know, maybe later, after, do that after-?" he gestures towards Lars's crotch, then thinks great, now you've made him self conscious, dick.
"Of course, love."
:D !
"Put your shoes on too, Casey, dear."
Once their headed for the car, Driver feels more sure of himself. He driving his...Lars? He's driving Lars and he for a lovely evening out, and they're gonna get pizza and see some very pretty views (and also some nature or something.)
(Driver's joking to himself, he's actually pretty pumped about the lake, too, there might be cool birds there. There were some old binoculars left behind when Gus and Karin purged the attic and Casey had tucked them away in his trunk. Sometimes when it was nearly dawn and he'd been awake from nightmares since two, and his body physically itched to get up and go, he'd drive til there were only wind-worn fields, and watch birds waking up with the sunrise. Then back into bed before breakfast.)
(Birds are cool. What of it.)
He opens Lars' door for him, and Lars's eyebrows go right up! Lars straightens his clothes, and slides on in, pretty suavely, thinks Casey, then scrunches up his eyes at Casey like a double-eyed wink. Less suave, equally devastating. Muppet.
He makes sure to close the door very gently on him. Casey makes his way round the front bonnet, with his terribly distracting way of swinging his hips, like an old-timey cowboy or something. Casey would make a good cowboy, Lars thinks.
Lars takes a moment to settle himself down in the quiet bubble of the car. It feels so Casey in here. It makes him feel like Casey does. Casey is never too loud - he slams doors sometimes, which is annoying, but he's never loud in...energy? Lars thinks he's like a puppy, mostly, with how eager to please, but he's also like a big, rangy, sleepy, cuddly house cat. In the early Casey days, as he'd slowly relaxed from that scared, shivery, hungry-eyed creature, he'd definitely napped like a cat. But only when Lars went out - he'd always wake up when Lars came back in. And usually start trying to do chores again, silly man. The first night Casey'd let himself fall asleep before Lars, Lars felt a warm, golden, proud glow in his chest. He'd done that. He'd made Casey feel safe.
Casey is still outside, for some reason? And, oh No, Karin's back, and she's talking to him. Lars sinks low in his seat, because he'd thought he'd won that argument, but also because he feels kinda bad about how he'd yelled now. He couldn't remember who'd started the yelling but if it Hadn't been him, Lars hadn't of needed to continue it, had he? Casey probably thought he was a giant stroppy baby.
He hears Karin call "have a nice night!" so phew, ok, Casey must've smoothed things over. Thankyou, sweetheart.The driver's door clicks open, Casey slips inside.
"I hope you didn't apologise for me, I really should do that myself," Lars mumbles shamefaced.
Casey smiles at him, follows Lars' gaze down to his folded hands in his lap, lets his eyes settle there, warm.
"She's ok. She says she shouldn't have changed things up on us, forgot we were going out."
"But I wrote it on the schedule!" Lars yells, catches himself. "What's even the point, I..." Lars trails off, then rallies. He shakes his head, "We have a plan. We're doing the plan. We're getting pizza. Casey, let's go."
You got it, Lars. Casey drives.
---
By the way Lars runs to get Casey's door outside the pizza place, Casey is feeling like he might've started something with the chivalry act. Not act. He just likes to be a gentleman. And so does Lars, from the way he offers Casey his arm and ushers him around a puddle (and made sure Casey'd come his brains out before following suit, the other night.) Presumably they'll now be engaged in a vicious battle of chivalry, getting more and more harebrained until the heat death of the universe. Or like. The sun gets eaten or something. Sounds fine by Casey, so long as Lars is there.
When he'd been by the other day, Casey's first thought had been the pizzas were fuck-off massive, what the Fuck. Driver's thinking it might be the only pizza place in town, not because the town is butt-fuck nowhere central, but because they're viciously undercutting any possible competition by portion size alone. Accordingly, he and Lars get one..fucking...behemoth of a pizza to share.
Lars always gets chicken, sausage, corn, and mushrooms if he's feeling dangerous, which tonight he apparently is :) Casey typically got whatever spicy thing whichever place has, but tonight he just gets the same as Lars, except with red and green peppers for colour on his half. Sue him if he doesn't want to get all snotty and teary and hopefully stay Somewhat cool and unbothered, on his date that's not a date*. It might not hit quite the same in terms of flavour but he has a reputation to maintain**.
They get a big thing of soda to share because it's cheaper and Lars is paying so Casey will force him to pay as little as possible if it physically kills him. The freezer is broken, so the lady there is giving out little pots of chocolate ice cream and Lars eagerly scoops two up.
"We'll have to eat them first, in the car, before we drive," Driver says warningly. It's not hot by any means out (though thankfully the rain's holding off) but he just really, really doesn't want to get ice cream off the leather after finally winkling out the very last, dried up specks of blood. Lars smiles and nods, happy as a clam.
He eats the ice cream very carefully, with the tiny spoon, in tiny mouthfuls. His little pink tongue running over his lips, licking a bit out of the mustache. Driver's transfixed, his own ice cream's forgotten, the pot sitting on top of the hot cardboard pizza box. Lars' lower lip turns shiny red from the cold, and, the licking.
He finishes up, and turns to Casey, laughing when he sees his brainless face. "What? Casey what, did I miss something?"
He lifts a thumb up to wipe the corner of his mouth but Casey beats him to it, swoops in and licks it up. He tries to be as un-sloppy and neat with the lick as possible, because they have a plan and he's not trying to start something here but he just can't resist.
Lars startles and giggles but lets Casey clean him up. Casey pulls back, but- there's some left in Lars' mustache too.
Well shit, what can you do?
Lars carries on giggling uncontrollably as Casey licks and pecks and eventually just starts kissing Lars because he physically can't not do. His lips are ice cold and that should be a turn off but it's not, it isn't at all, and they're slightly sticky from the ice cream and that should Definitely be a turn off, and again, no, neither of them are turned off at all, it would seem. Casey daringly dips his tongue into his mouth and Lars tastes like chocolate and it's so fitting for his...i don't know. Easter bunny, garden pixie self.
Casey pulls back and smirks at Lars. His eyes are closed, and the pot and spoon are hanging, forgotten, half way to being put down on his lap. Then Driver feels something cold on His lap and shitfucknono-
"Casey, you've spilt your ice cream! Oh, messy, Messy puppy!"
Why the fuck does Lars have to pull out the disappointed school teacher voice and and and the Puppy thing NOW. If Casey had a dick it'd be hard And ice-creamed.
"It's not even that much, shut up Lars-" He scrubs furiously with some random napkins. So much for cool and unbothered. More like, ice cold, and Very bothered. At least it's not on the car.
"Want me to lick it up for you? It's only fair turnabout."
Driver stops scrubbing, and lets his chin drop. Lars cackles.
...Driver is so out of his depth all of the time and it's really not fair.
"The plan," he says quietly, to his gloved hands. He'd wanted to look nice for Lars tonight.
"We are absolutely still doing the plan and it doesn't matter at all that you have chocolate on your pants, dear. You still look very, very handsome."
He's handsome :)
"I don't go around offering to lick just anyone's pants, do I?"
He does not :)
Driver shuffles the pizza box into a less precarious position. He tips back the cup of fully melted ice cream and downs it like, an icecream soup-shot. It's pretty good.
Hands on the wheel, foot on the gas. Winks at Lars (who gasps, he literally gasps, like a fairytale princess.) Floors it out of the parking lot, 'cos there's some dark clouds to the west and Casey really, Really wants to see the treehouse. Lars giggles whenever Casey goes fast on the turns.