Disclaimer: The concept is mine, the rest belongs to Disney.
A/N: As far as I know I'm one of the first and possibly few to think of this ship. Maybe I've watched "Strange Relations" too many times, I don't care. Yes, I'm a huge Elsa/Mercer and Cassidy/Devin shipper, but I refuse to fight what the muse wants and this time it's some slight Cassidy/Mercer (she's 18 in my fics). Don't like it, don't read it.
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"Cassidy?" Anton asked he saw the petite blonde seated on one of the blue benches outside of Reefside High late that cloudy Tuesday afternoon.
"Dr. Mercer, what are you still doing here?" she asked as she watched the tall, lean man walk over to her.
"I was in charge of detention today. Why are you still here?"
She held up her cell phone slightly and answered, "Devin had an emergency at home so now I have to wait at least another hour for my mother to get off work to pick me up since she leaves before my dad does and I'm not walking all the way home from here when it's about to rain again.
"Why don't you let me give you a ride home? That way you won't have to wait here alone or risk falling ill when the rain starts again."
"You're sure?"
"I wouldn't ask if I wasn't," he answered with a slight smile.
"Alright then," she agreed as she stood and slung her backpack's strap over her shoulder.
"Which way?" he asked the blue and white clad young woman in the passenger seat as he stopped at the intersection.
"Left," she answered. But what she wasn't saying was this was also the way to Hayley's Cyberspace and she desperately wanted a soy latté.
Though by now the rain had begun to fall. Lightly for now.
When stopped at a red light a few minutes later, Cassidy knew she couldn't keep her want quiet any longer. "Could we stop at Hayley's real quick?"
"Are you feeling alright?" he asked her, unsure of why she mentioned stopping when he knew she wanted to get out of the rain.
"Nothing an extra tall soy latté with extra foam wouldn't cure," she replied with a hopeful smile to him.
He gave a soft laugh before he complied.
"Thanks," she told him as her smile turned grateful.
"You're welcome. So what was this emergency that was so important to your friend to leave you at school?"
"He didn't say. Just that his mom needed him home right them. He made it sound super important," she replied, sounding surprisingly upbeat given what she was saying. "So do you do this often, chauffeur your students?" she asked with a slight laugh.
"Typically only Trent when he needs a ride," he answered, now unsure of why he felt so relaxed around her.
She only laughed slightly in reply.
"Dad?" Trent asked when he saw him walk in a few minutes later, Cassidy having immediately heading towards the bar.
"Trent, hi," he told him.
"What are you doing here? My shift doesn't end until -"
"I know. I was just giving Cassidy a ride home and she asked if we could stop in here first."
"Why are you giving Cassidy a ride?"
"Seems Devin and her parents were busy, I was the only one who was there and considering the storm, I didn't think it would be good for her to walk."
"Okay, I'm ready when you are," Cassidy stated happily a she made her way back to Anton, holding her drink.
"Why the rush all of a sudden?" he asked as he looked to the petite blonde beside him.
"I've got a lot of homework to do and I don't wanna get behind."
He nearly laughed.
"Later, Cassidy. See you at home, Dad," Trent said as Cassidy began to walk towards the doors.
"Later," Cassidy called back.
"Good luck," Trent added softly to his father.
Anton smiled at his son's meaning. "See you later, Trent," he told him as he followed his younger companion back to his car.
"Wow," Cassidy stated as she raked a hand through her now nearly drenched and heavy blonde strands.
"Suppose we should hurry," Anton replied as he had been rendered soaked himself from the rain that was now falling in sheets, the sky now dark as night.
She nodded. "I hope it lets up soon though. I hate being out in this kind of weather."
"It's alright, Cassidy. I'll have you home soon," he promised as he started the silver sedan back up.
But it seemed the traffic lights were refusing to cooperate with Cassidy's wishes. Through still she decided to make the best of it. "Thanks for not telling me I had to finish this before getting in your car," she told Anton with a smile as she reached for her latté.
"Why would I?"
"Devin typically does. Just worried something will spill in his mom's car or something."
"Are those all you order there?" he asked as he heard her soft moan at the taste as she took a long sip.
"No, they're just my favorite," she answered before taking another long sip. "Want a taste?"
Anton glanced to the light. Still red. Looking back to her, he was tempted but thought better of it. "No, it's yours, you should enjoy it."
"Come on, you know you want to," she playfully taunted, moving the covered cup towards him a little more, letting the lean blonde take in the aroma.
He smiled, nearly ready to give in when he heard a car honk behind him. The light was green.
"Your loss," she told him just as she went to take another sip.
Her plan was working, but Anton silently knew that latté wasn't all he considered to be his loss.
Though as the next light was red itself, Cassidy decided to ask once more. "Last chance. Sure you don't want to try it?"
"Alright," he caved. He couldn't understand her seemingly giddy smile as he took it, but lifted the top off the cup and took a sip. He knew then why was practically addicted to them. He was sure he was about to fall victim to the same addiction if he drank too much more of it. Replacing the top, he soon handed it back to her.
"Good?"
"Very," he admitted.
Cassidy finished her drink in the next sip and put the now empty cup in the holder, the light changing to green a second later.
But what neither companion could know was that would be the last time they would smile that night.
Just then a truck was rounding the turn too fast, swerving over the double yellow line just enough to where Anton couldn't see it until it was too late. He heard Cassidy cry out just before everything went black for them both.