Open Bookends and Holidays

[Elliot Briar]

Open after Jess posts with Lily

Stepping into the hall, Elliot took a moment to take it all in. It was strange to think this would be his last time to see the hall decked out like this. And to think just how long ago the first time had felt with Lily. So much had changed since his first year, or even just last year, but he was glad he still had Lily.

Stood by the large tree in the corner as he waited for her, Elliot idly watched one of the decorative fairies preening itself and trying not to think too hard about fairy wing wands. He straightened up when he spotted her, smiling and fixing his tie as she joined him, giving her a small, fond smile and holding out a hand so he could twirl her. "It's weird how different it all feels this year and yet absolutely the same right," he said, letting her hand drop and shaking his head. "Oh, hey, here," he said, drawing his wand and summoning a small pohutukawa blossom to tuck behind Lily's ear. He'd been practicing to make up for not having any exams yet this semester and was rather pleased with the result.

 

[Lillian Lockwood]

Lily wasn't going to admit to how nervous she felt today. She had been slowly coming to terms with being by herself, but days like today seemed to make it especially hard. Part of her knew that if Alice was around she would really be left on her own, but she pushed that aside. This was her last Yule Ball. And just like her first, she would be with Elliot. As she slipped into her dress that night she couldn't help but wonder if there was something wrong with her- she and Elliot had been closer than anyone since first year, but nothing had ever happened between them. He had liked Lars, and then Alice, so apparently he was alright with falling for his friends. Just not her.

Lily sighed and shook her head. And she had liked two of his roommates. And William, briefly. And Jasper, twice. She and Elliot just weren't a couple. Even if she did wonder sometimes why they hadn't. For now there was a dance to attend. Lily squared her shoulders and walked down to the ball. Her heart twisted a little as she saw everyone- Blake and Lars, Clifton and Knox. Jasper and Nell. But she set that aside. They all looked happy. And that was enough for Lily. She just hoped that maybe someday she might find that, too. For right now, she needed to go and comfort her best friend.

She found Elliot easily enough, smiling warmly as she walked over to him. "Hi, El," She greeted, giggling softly at both his words and the flower he placed behind her ear. She reached over and laced her fingers through his, before settling the other hand in the crook of his elbow. She stepped in, laying her head on his shoulder. With a soft sigh, she closed her eyes. "Always you and me," She peeked up at him, before leaning back and brushing his hair from his eyes. "I'm sorry I'm not Alice," she added softly, knowing in the back of his mind he'd rather be with his girlfriend if he had the choice.

 

[Elliot Briar]

Elliot had been running through a mental checklist of things he wanted to do before the evening was over. One last this and one final that, content as Lily laughed and settled in; a warm weight next him. He tilted his head, smiling and trying not to roll his eyes when she brushed the hair out of his eyes, remembering how long it used to be when he was younger. He kept it shorter now, but Lily had never quite shaken the habit of fixing it for him.

"I- I wasn't-" Elliot started to say, caught off guard when Lily mentioned Alice. But that wasn't quite true. He did miss Alice. And he wished she was here. But he could feel that and still want to spend time with Lily, right? "You're not.. Replacing her, you know?" He asked after a moment of mental floundering. "Or vice versa. I mean. Yeah. I miss her but- It does feel right to be here with you tonight and all," he said, waving a hand vaguely as he tried to find the words. He'd said it before. A lot had changed since they'd first started school, and Elliot had been thinking about that a lot lately. But he wanted to hold onto the things that had stayed. Like Lily. He spent a moment, searching her face, trying to figure out what she was thinking. "You're my best friend, Lils. I'll always love you. Like you said. Always you and me," Elliot offered, smile small, unsure, but sincere, as he gave her hand a squeeze where it was tucked on his arm.

 

[Lillian Lockwood]

Lily tried to feel reassured by his words, tried to push down her feelings. She sighed softly, burying her face in his shoulder in an attempt to hide the tears that slipped out. Why did she feel so miserable? She didn't want to rush out, or make a scene, but she felt awful. Without thinking, her fingers drifted down his arm, taking hold of the edge of his sleeve and tugging softly. It struck her a little how ironic it was. She'd rushed away from their first dance, too. With a cupcake. She summoned one over, catching it and tucking it behind her back.

 

[Elliot Briar]

Elliot let Lily lean against him, just enjoying the moment for now and pondering if he wanted to ask her to dance just yet. The tug on his sleeve caught him by surprise, a half-hidden memory they hadn't needed in quite awhile and he looked down at Lily's face against his shoulder. "Hey, what's wrong?" He asked, pausing for a moment before stepping them closer to the hall wall, shielded from the noise of the ball some by the tree and nearby tables. In the past, his first instinct if Lily was overwhelmed had always been to escape. To grab her hand and run out to the courtyard or the common room. But they'd grown a lot, and Elliot hoped if they could talk, he and Lily could still enjoy what was left of the evening without needing to bail.

 

[Lillian Lockwood]

Lily let Elliot move them easily, turning more to hide in his side as he tucked them a bit more out of the way. She let out a soft sigh, hiding her face in his shoulder and trying to catch her breath. "I just.... I feel like I can't breathe," she admitted slowly. "I've been doing alright, most of the time, I'm okay on my own, really, I..." she bit her lip, before sighing softly and turning teary eyes to Elliot. "What's wrong with me, El?" She asked, looking defeated. "I just... I feel so lonely sometimes it hurts," she shook her head and hid her face in his shoulder again.

 

[Elliot Briar]

Elliot watched Lily's face closely, feeling his chest tighten with worry. He'd been enjoying the nostalgia of the evening, but this was a blast from the past he figured they both could have done without revisiting. "You're allowed to feel lonely, you know," he told her after a moment of consideration. "It's okay to be sad and need other people. No one expects you do everything on your own," he told her earnestly, rubbing his hands up and down her arms a few times, as if it would help ward off the bad thoughts like it did the cold. "There's a lot ahead of us, I think it'd be silly if we were all weren't a bit worried about being left behind or- Or losing some part of us," he added as Lily hid her face back against his chest, blinking a few times as he turned the thoughts over in his own head and wondering if he was comforting Lily or himself right now. He knew Lily had been struggling, but he hadn't realized how much she'd been pushing down to put on a brave face. He wondered how many of their other classmates were feeling just as adrift right now too.

 

[Lillian Lockwood]

Lily relaxed slowly with Elliot comforting her. No one else had ever really seemed to understand her the way he did. She let out a shaky sigh. She didn't feel perfect, far from it, but she felt like she could get a hold of herself again. She stayed nuzzled against his chest a few moments before shifting, pressing up on tiptoe and kissing his cheek gently. "I love you, El," She told him softly, curling up in his neck a moment. "I don't think I would have ever survived school without you," she murmured, completely content to spend a few more moments nestled into his familiar warmth.