So, idk why I’ve had this thought about IVV. Bear with me!
I always picture a scene where Nesta and Cash go to an event of some sort (a friend’s wedding, Solstice party for Nesta’s firm, etc). Of course Cash is always a wonderful, charming guest and people enjoy talking to him. He makes them comfortable, and they seem at ease around him.
Over time, they broach the subject of wine— something he’s carefully avoided, especially when the wine provided is not something he would have necessarily recommend— and he’s doing the polite thing by sipping the “meh” wine and saying diplomatic things to be polite.
But there’s usually someone who considers themselves quite the expert, and they challenge him on most things he says. And they’re outright wrong. So he keeps gripping the back of Nesta’s dress and sending her pleading looks when they aren’t looking so that maybe she’ll save him. Because he’s capable of a lot of things— of being polite and reserving his own opinions— until someone is not only dead wrong but rude on top of it.
Eventually they develop a system of sorts where on the way to these events, Nesta helps mentally prepare him and his wine snobbery for some of the repeat offenders. He’s receptive, but he always makes her promise to bail him out when they start to approach his breaking point or one of his top 3 pet peeves. Otherwise, she’s allowed to find a little amusement in his light suffering.
Idk if this is something you would agree with my any means, but the scene insists on itself in my brain 😅
OMG I love it SO much, Cassian just tugging urgently on Nesta’s skirt in child-like panic as she casually bats him away because yes, she heard Karl from M&A insist that rosé is made by blending white and red grapes, but she’s also in the middle of a conversation, and Cassian is just going to have to wait! 😂
When I first started reading your headcanon, I also imagined it going something like this:
Nesta has—from Cash’s perspective—been seemingly avoiding bringing him to any of her work functions, which he of course internalizes as her thinking he will be bad for her carefully-crafted professional reputation.
Luckily, Nesta and Cash’s relationship is in a really healthy, communicative place, and instead of letting this unsubstantiated fear fester in his mind, Cash casually asks Nesta about it.
Nesta is equal parts amused and vexed by this question.
This isn’t about Cash not being well-recieved, she assures him. In fact, she’s confident he would be almost annoyingly popular, and that she’d never hear the end of it.
She hasn’t invited Cash because as delighted as most of her colleagues would likely be by Cash’s dazzling smile and quick wit, she doesn’t think he’d find them nearly as charming. Lawyers can be pedantic at the best of times and egomaniacal at worst, which can make for dreadful cocktail conversation if one wasn’t careful. If Cash doesn’t believe her, he’s welcome to come along to the next party and see for himself.
Mostly satisfied with this answer but still eager to prove to Nesta that he belongs in her well-heeled, erudite world, Cash goes HARD in the paint at the first firm event he attends. Chatting to everyone, making all the right jokes and generally just working the shit out of the room. When Nesta tries to stay close—claiming that she just wants to be on hand in case Cash needs rescuing—Cash eventually convinces her that he doesn’t need hand-holding and that she should work the room...
....and that’s when he gets stuck talking to Todd, a hopelessly long-winded Electronic Discovery Consultant that everyone—save poor Cash—knows to avoid at functions like this.
Doubly unfortunate is that Todd has recently taken an interest in wine, and now considers himself something of an “amateur professional” on the subject (who is going to tell this poor sap that one cannot, by definition, be both an ‘amateur’ and a ‘professional’ in the same area??)
However, Cash doesn’t really have a rude bone in his body, and he’s still stubbornly trying to prove his adeptness at navigating this type of socio-political environment, so he’s just sorta—stuck listening to Todd incorrectly mansplain wine. The time for politely interjecting that Cash is a sommelier himself has long since come and gone, so Cash just has to nod along and pretend everything Todd’s saying isn’t wrong.
Just went he’s starting to panic that he might literally have to fake a stroke to get out of this convo, Cash feels Nesta’s hand at his elbow. Before Todd can attempt to restart his educational monologue for Nesta’s sake, she cuts him off.
“Todd, my boyfriend may be too polite to tell you that he’s a Master Sommelier and knows more about wine than any of the rest of us could hope to learn in a lifetime, but thankfully I’m not.”
Having done the seemingly impossible of stunning Todd into silence, Nesta flashes him a quick smile and just says, “Will you excuse us?” Before steering Cash away.
Cash only has time for a sheepish wave before Nesta drags him to safety behind a pillar, grinning like a Cheshire Cat.
Cash can only really roll his eyes.
“I told you,” Nesta says, voice a little sing-song. “Now, are you going to be honest with the next arrogant ignoramoose who tries to tell you about your own job, or am I going to have to get you one of those ‘Ask Me About Wine. I’m an Expert!’ Buttons they wear under their nametags at Whole Foods?”
