"Absolutely not," she says, smiling sunnily. "I have found the dork of my dreams."

John shrinks into his chair and blushes and tries to hide. He's not really necessary for this conversation at this point, is he. 

"A lady of discerning taste, I see," his dad says, grinning. "Not necessarily good, but certainly discerning. Then what brought you to this refined conclusion, that John is the slightly bruised and misshapen apple of your eye?" 

"...have you met him?? He's so sweet! And smart! And cute!" She notices John attempting to depart this plane of existence and pats his arm. "Okay, I'll stop."

"Don't stop on my account," John's dad says. "I'm curious to see if he'll make it to the floor." 

John groans and pulls himself up into a more reasonable sitting position, then takes a big bite of casserole so he doesn't need to talk. 

"So, what, you chased him down in school today, and professed your undying love, and browbeat him into having a date with you? Doing math, of all things, no less? That certainly was a clever strategy."

"I wouldn't say browbeat. More encouraged. Enticed? Suggested?"

"Some amount of convincing was required, though. Thought so. Well, hopefully John is enjoying his unexpected birthday present. Oh, did you know it was his birthday?"

"I did know that! That's part of how I convinced myself to finally say something."

"Aha. He must have slipped up somehow, then, John usually doesn't make that much of a big deal out of his birthday."

"It's not that important! It's not like I deserve anything special just for it being some number of days after I was born," John says.

"And that's why your mom and I bought cupcakes for just the two of us and didn't get any for you. We knew you wouldn't want any. Oh, Rosy, you're welcome to a cupcake or two if you want, though I'd recommend you finish dinner first." 

John sighs. This is not surprising. (Embarrassing in front of Rosy though.) "Could I have a cupcake, dad? Since it is my birthday? And I know that's why you really got them." 

"I don't know, Rosy, what do you think? Do you think he should get a cupcake?"

"Hmm, I don't know. Is the custom around here to make people earn their cupcakes? How? Riddle games? Trial by combat?" She laughs and shakes her head. "Give him a cupcake, he does too deserve it."

"You're lucky she's here to vouch for you, John, or else you might have gone cupcakeless. And on your birthday, no less! Very well, you can have one cupcake, once you finish your dinner."

John rolls his eyes and sighs. As though any other outcome was actually going to happen. "Thanks, dad."

"Only one?"

"A second one! Goodness gracious. Two entire cupcakes, John. That much tasty dessert should only be for special occasions, but John doesn't really want to celebrate his birthday, so I think--" 

"You can celebrate this birthday if you want, dad," John says, defeated. "I'll be happy to have a second cupcake." 

"Really? It's not making too much of a big deal out of an unimportant arbitrarily chosen anniversary or something like that?" 

"It's fine dad, I promise," John says. 

"Well, if you say so. Two cupcakes then. Once you're done eating." 

"Yes, dad. I'm very sorry about him, but he's just like this sometimes," he adds, to Rosy. 

"Clearly being charmingly goofy runs in the family."

"If you say so," says John, taking another bite of casserole.

They continue to have friendly conversation (and Dad continues to make fun of him while Rosy is amused, he's glad she's amused but wishes he would stop), until everyone is done and it is time for cupcakes. 

They are chocolate cupcakes with chocolate frosting, with rainbow sprinkles (of course they are), and clearly bought for him (as though there was any doubt, which there wasn't). John takes one, and when he goes to take a second his dad pulls it away slightly. "Hold on a moment, if this second cupcake is in celebration of your birthday I think you need to have Happy Birthday sung to you first. Don't you agree, Rosy?" 

"...my instinct is to say 'absolutely' but first I should ascertain whether this course of action will lead to John praying to be swallowed by the earth."

"That hasn't entirely stopped you before," he says with a wry grin. "It'll probably be fine. I hope." 

"In that case, prepare to be serenaded!"

Happy Birthday is not anybody's idea of a magnificent musical experience but Rosy does have a nice voice and a decent idea of how to use it.

The earth does not come up to swallow him, and he only mostly wish it to be so. (Her voice is nice, though.) "Thanks, I think," he says, taking the second cupcake, and waiting for everyone else to serve themselves. Once they are, he eats his cupcake. If Rosy is paying close enough attention to him (she probably is, she is constantly staring adoringly at him), she'll notice he eats his cupcakes almost from the bottom up, tearing off the part that hasn't spilled over the paper and eating that first, before eating the frosting-covered top. 

She is so endeared by this strange and wonderful boy. (Her own cupcake consumption involves trying to be fair to the cake and frosting and sprinkles by not imbalancing too badly how much she has eaten of each. This occasionally leads to an overambitious bite.)

John takes a quick glance at her at breaking point in his chocolatey feast, and giggles. "You have chocolate on your nose," he tells her. (Some small part of him thinks about licking it off, but that is an incredibly bad idea for many reasons. Why is he thinking about things like this.) 

She touches the end of her nose and inspects her fingertip. "Hmm, so I do." Shrug. Smile. "Chocolate on your nose is how you tell you're enjoying your cake."

"I can see that. I'm glad you're enjoying your cake." He is. She enjoys a lot of things, and enjoys them very strongly, and for some reason he enjoys watching her enjoy things. It's looking more and more likely that this relationship will... progress. (He still doesn't know how he feels about the, the, the bit where she wants to give herself to him though.)

She takes another bite without bothering to get the chocolate off her nose. Om nom happybounce.

(Aaaaah help. Yep. Cute. Fuck. He likes her, doesn't he. He likes her quite a bit.) He watches her and takes another bite of his cupcake and smiles. 

Only after she finishes her cupcake does she pick up a napkin and de-chocolate her nose.