Written for shipping week at Caesar's Palace. Prompt: Pasta

Contains...

Piper/Leo aka /bestfriend/family- relationship

Jason/Piper aka Jason is an idiot/like really such an idiot/piper got a crush - relationship

Piper trailed the edges of the silverware with a carefully manicured nail and tried to focus on her boyfriend across from her. Not typically a hard task to do but tonight it was almost impossible. The lights, the setting, and the candles. It was all so romantic. This would almost be her first date with Jason. Almost being the key word.

"Madame...?"

Piper jumped suddenly, "Oh! I'm sorry!" She fumbled for the menu and pointed to the dish she wanted. The server smiled pleasantly and replied, "My favorite dish."

His eyes trailed over her and she got the feeling he wasn't just talking about the menu, "That'll be it, thank you." She said, handing the menu to him briskly and with some charmspeak added in her voice.

The server's eyes glazed over and he took the offered piece of paper then hurried off to put their order in. Serves the guy right. She narrowed her eyes. It may not look like a date but it was.

"Hey..."

It was.

"...what did you get...'

Her romantic date with Jason.

"...Pipes?"

Or it was nice pretending it was.

Piper sighed, "Pasta, Leo. You?"

Leo Valdez leaned back in his seat, grinning like the utter baffoon he was, "Well, I was hoping for tacos, but the guy in the tie," He gestured to their server, "Said 'sir, this is an italian restaurant'" Leo stuck his nose in the air and imitated the posh voice of said server, Piper had to restrain a laugh. "And I said, 'sir, I am not italian.' and then he looked like he might smack me so I ordered a salad."

Piper had no words.

Leo turned to her boyfriend who looked vaguely amused, "So, what did you get, big guy?"

"Pasta." Jason inclined his head towards her, "Like Piper."

She smiled despite herself. He ordered the same thing as her. It shouldn't have made her pleased, but it did.

Leo ruined it. "Aww, man, did you hear about the Italian chef that died?"

"What?"

Leo nudged her, "It's a joke. Come on."

Jason frowned, "No, I didn't."

"Yes, well, it seems he... " Leo leaned forward dramatically, "... pasta away."

Piper snorted and immediately covered her mouth. They were in a nice restaurant, honestly. Couldn't Leo wait to use his jokes until they left?

Leo was watching her, amused. It wasn't until she met his eyes that she realized... he was apologizing to her.

"Here today, gone tomato."

She giggled; Jason chuckled.

Leo leaned forward until they were close enough that Jason couldn't hear them. "Sorry, Pipes. When Jason invited me along, I didn't know it was... " He gestured randomly with his hands, "...this."

Piper placed a hand on his arm and shook her head, smiling, "It's fine. Really... it is."

Leo scoffed, "Yeah, you can happily go to your posh Italian restaurants without me next time." He frowned at the kitchen, "They better fill that salad bowl to the top, that was an expensive salad, chica."

Jason interrupted them, "Are you two plotting against me?"

Leo whispered to her, "The least I can do it is help you out a bit." He winked at her and leaned back towards Jason, "Not at all, dude."

Jason looked somewhat mollified, but before he could ask any more question, Leo had already gone for the dagger. "Say, Jason.." Leo's eyes twinkled at her, "Pipes really dressed up tonight, didn't she? How do you think she looks?"

At that moment, Piper wanted nothing more than to give Leo a sweet kiss.

"Um, she looks fine..." Jason was avoiding her expectant look and she could feel her dreams crash. Leo looked like he wanted to throw the bread rolls in his friend's face, but Piper gave him a warning look.

Leo coughed, "Yeah, mighty fine if you ask me."

Jason gave him a confused look and Piper just wanted to hide somewhere.

"Those beautiful shoulders and softly flowing brown hair with those eyes." Leo was hinting, he was giving Jason so much pathway that Piper wanted to crumble because it was equally sweet and pathetic that her dense boyfriend had his friend complimenting her.

Jason knew something was up, "Dude... " He was narrowing his eyes at Leo, "Have you got an interest on my girlfriend?"

Piper flushed. Jason never called her his girlfriend. Or at least, not frequently. It was nice to hear it.

Leo looked like he wanted to say, 'more interest than you've had this evening, buddy'

"No..." Leo shook his head, "I just think that denser people should look closer at the beautiful people around them." He smiled tightly.

Piper wanted to cry. Leo was just being so sweet.

"...Are you talking about our server?"

Leo abruptly got up from his chair, his face rather pained. "Going to the restroom, guys. Be right back." He mouthed to her when Jason's back was turned, 'you are on your own, girl'

Piper was then alone.

With Jason.

Just like she had planned originally.

"Leo's acting weird tonight." Jason shook his head.

No solution better than being blunt about it.

"This is a date, Jason."

He stared at her, "Oh."

"Yep."

"Oh."

"Mhm."

"Okay.."

"Yes"

He stared distractly at his napkin, "Sorry then."

"Mhm."

"About Leo."

"That's fine."

"And ignoring you."

"Mhm."

"And not seeing the beautiful people around me."

Piper smiled at that, "Thanks."

"I have trouble complimenting you with other people around," Jason's face was tinted red with embarrasment, "You do look very pretty tonight."

That's what she had been waiting for. Just a simple compliment, an apology, and just sitting the two of them across the candle light. She leaned forward to press a kiss to his cheek, "Thank you, Jason."

Perfect.

From the corner of her eye, she caugh the sight of Leo giving her a grin and a thumbs-up before grabbing their disgruntled server in a one-arm hug.

Piper laughed. Honestly, he was such baffoon but he was her best friend. Jason was dense but he was her boyfriend. They were like family.

And she loved the both of them.