Closed A Matter of Trust

[AJ Ari]

When AJ had thought about his life plan after school, playing Quidditch on the other side of the world hadn't exactly been up there in his list of possibilities. The Macaws had apparently thought differently however, and AJ couldn't help but wonder if their performance against the Hogwarts team here had something to do with him being scouted. It would certainly explain why he had so much trouble with their seeker for one.

"Irons, wait, hold up," AJ called, touching back down after practice and pushing his sweaty hair from his eyes as he tried to keep up with Blake. He knew it would take time for him to really integrate with the team, most of them were kiwis and AJ was still trying to get used to the country as a whole, let alone his teammates, but he'd been having extra trouble with Blake lately. It was probably something he should bring up with their coach, but AJ somehow felt tattling on Blake was a bit too high school. They were both adults, he could talk this out. "I can't exactly protect you if you won't let me get near you," AJ said, still trailing after Blake as they crossed the pitch, nearly tripping over his broom as he tried to gather it and his bat up as they walked.

 

[Blake van Houten]

Joining the Macaws had been a blessing on a lot of levels, as far as Blake was concerned. He had found a team he could play with, a way he could earn a living after Hogwarts and keep doing what he loved, as well as a chance to make amends with an old teammate and learn from other former Slytherin champions, not to mention connecting with the rest of his team, a group he knew he could rely on in any circumstances, being put to the test like never before. He felt immensely proud of and deeply connected to every single one of his teammates.

And then there was AJ.

Blake still remembered all too well their matches at Hogwarts, and the fact that the former Ilvermorny player had showed his face in New Zealand at all, let alone tried out for a team here was a slap in the face. AJ had played a brutal game when they were students, and Blake knew on some level that he should be happy to have that on his team. But he wasn't. He couldn't bring himself to trust the American, doing his best to avoid AJ entirely while they were playing. It struck him as the best way to deal with his lingering animosity, and it had been working so far. Until, apparently, it wasn't anymore. He bit back a scowl as AJ approached, though he couldn't quite keep it from leaking through as the American spoke. "Sure you won't put me in hospital again if I get near?" He snapped, entirely failing to hit the joking tone he had aimed for. It wasn't really a joke anyway, and Blake didn't have the energy to pretend he was okay with AJ being around.

 

[AJ Ari]

AJ faltered at Blake's response, having to scramble to catch back up after hesitating, mouth set in a firm line. He knew abjectly he could mark the line up to kiwi humour; the jokes here were often more caustic or dry in a way AJ still wasn't used to, but considering the way Blake played, AJ wasn't quite ready to let it go so easily. He already felt at odds with the team, with the whole country so far, and he was sure if he could just get Blake on his side maybe things would settle easier from now on. If it were that simple. "What are you scared I'm gonna do? Hit our own seeker? Give me some more credit than that," he said, the jovial tone he was trying for coming out weaker in the face of the defensive feeling in his chest. "Look, I know things were a bit uh. Brutal. When we played against each other in the past, but we're on the same team now," AJ said, moving to grab Blake's shoulder to try and help emphasize his point and stopping himself, letting his hand drop back to his broomhandle instead.

 

[Blake van Houten]

Blake was actually surprised at how much of an impact his comment had on AJ. He knew he had failed to come across light hearted, but seeing the other man falter for a moment was a surprise. Still, he walked on, not quite able to summon up the spirit of teamwork he knew he ought to. He snorted with laughter when the American tried to joke along, glad he wasn't the only one who couldn't manage a light tone. He sighed heavily when AJ turned to the meat of the subject, looking at the other man just in time to see a raised hand falling. "Yeah, it's a bit hard to muster up camaraderie for someone who put me and half my team in hospital last time we saw each other." He said bluntly, stopping walking to look AJ clear in the eye. He knew he should be putting the past behind him, but it just wasn't that easy.

 

[AJ Ari]

AJ wanted to feel bad about how brutally they'd played against Hogwarts in his last year, but he couldn't quite drum up the sympathy. They'd still lost that game, after all that, and AJ knew he'd played his best, even if it meant having to pummel Blake and his team into submission. "It was my last game too, you know," he hedged, wondering if that was why Blake couldn't let it go. "I had to play hard, for my team. And now I want to play just as hard for our team," he tried, motioning vaguely to the pitch around them. Blake's direct eye contact made him antsy, but AJ needed to get this off his chest now that he'd started talking. "What do I need to do to convince you that I have your back?" New Zealanders were so confusing. They seemed so friendly and yet AJ still couldn't find a way to break through from the "outsider" label that seemed to be sitting on his head. At least not in Blake's eyes.

 

[Blake van Houten]

Blake knew he was being unfair, but being dishonest about his feelings certainly wasn't going to fix anything. "I don't know." He said coldly, folding his arms. "I don't doubt we're playing for the same team now, but that doesn't mean I trust you. That's just how it's going to be." He knew what any of their other teammates would say if they were hearing this, knew it wasn't sportsmanlike, but every time he saw AJ on the pitch he could see the bludgers decimating his teammates, felt the same concern and anger that had flooded him at Hogwarts all those years ago. "You can't just brush what you did under the rug like it was nothing."

 

[AJ Ari]

AJ resisted the urge to stamp his foot in frustration at Blake's stubbornness, but only barely, throwing his hands up in exasperation. He'd half been hoping Blake would suggest some ridiculous or embarrassing hazing thing and AJ could do it and just get this over with. He was sure that would be the American solution but apparently it couldn't be that simple here. "Maybe your ego can't," AJ muttered, staring sourly at the ground near Blake's feet. "I can't win with you, can I? Either I let you go off on your own and you take a bludger to the teeth and it's my fault, or I spend the whole match tailing you and can't actually play properly, which is also my fault. Do you get it?" AJ asked, scrubbing a hand through his hair. "Whatever, forget it, have it your way," he said, scrunching up his face before sighing and moving to pass Blake to head back to the locker room. Quidditch had been a lot more fun when he was just messing around at school and now AJ just needed a shower and break from all this.