Open Hide and Seek

[Elliot Briar]

Elliot had been so worried about planning for Halloween he hadn't thought about bringing anything fancy for the yule ball. He'd gone for a collared shirt in an attempt to dress up, uncomfortable without being able to hide his hands in his sleeves like he usually did. Lily was supposed to meet him in the Entrance hall but he hadn't seen her yet. He knew girls sometimes took longer getting ready for these sorts of things, so she was probably on her way. He hoped. They'd both agreed to go together and she'd seemed happy about it, but after last time he couldn't help but worry that she might have panicked about the crowd and decided she wasn't coming at all. He fidgeted with the small box in his hands, watching the other students entering the hall. It was a Christmas present for Lily, and now that he was a little worried he'd been stood up, he wondered if he should have given it to her before the ball instead. He tucked the box into his pocket, tugging at his shirt cuffs and peering into the hall to see if he could spot her familiar blonde hair.

 

[Lillian Lockwood]

Lily had been insanely worried about tonight. But she wasn't going to back down. El had been so sweet when he'd asked her to come to the dance. Especially since he knew how she could be in crowds. That's why she'd come early. Lily sat at a table in the corner of the room, swinging her legs beneath her chair. She sipped on her pumpkin juice. There was only one other chair at the table she'd picked- she'd gotten rid of the rest as soon as she sat down.

The table was laden with cookies and cupcakes and other treats. There was also another cup of pumpkin juice and a small box. After everything, she wanted to thank El for being her friend- her best friend. He always seemed to be there when she needed him.

Lily ignored the rest of the world easily. She had accustomed herself to the crowd, at least. As long as she blocked them out, she was fine. She just... didn't think to see if the one person she was waiting for had shown up yet.

 

[Elliot Briar]

Getting antsy, Elliot decided to do a lap of the hall. Maybe he'd missed Lily and she was already inside. If not, he could grab them some snacks and go find her. He was already running through a list of potential hiding spots as he stepped into the great hall. The decorations where impressive, Elliot had to resist the urge to reach up and try to touch the falling snow. It was a sharp contrast to the summer-y weather they'd been having, but Elliot appreciated a little reminder of home, even with the pang of homesickness it brought.

Elliot skirted around the dance floor, pointedly ignoring its occupants. He knew Lily wouldn't be out there and just looking at other people dancing was making him feel nervous for some reason. Pausing near a cluster of tables, Elliot did another sweep of the room. If he couldn't spot Lily, maybe he could see someone else he recognized before going to look for her elsewhere. He liked spending time with Lily, but he wanted to try and enjoy the ball for a bit longer before giving up.

 

[Lillian Lockwood]

Lily had just drained the last of her pumpkin juice. Maybe waiting here was a bad idea. She had just stood to go for a refill when she saw Elliot walking away. It seemed he hadn't seen her. "El!" She cried out before rushing forward. She had been half worried he'd decided not to come.

Lily hardly noticed the people she pushed past trying to catch up with him. "El! Elliot!" She called after him before she finally broke through the last of the crowd. Her momentum carried her forward, and she smacked into him. She snuggled closer, hugging the boy. "I was starting to think you weren't coming," she teased softly.

 

[Elliot Briar]

Elliot had nearly finished his lap of the snack tables when he heard someone calling his name. He turned around just in time to catch Lily as she collided into him, letting out a quiet oof. Luckily, he was able to keep them both upright, instinctively wrapping his arms around her. He'd be happy to not make a tradition of them both falling on holidays if he could.

"Hey," he said, catching his breath after Lily had knocked the wind out of him a bit, "There you are," Elliot let out a huff of laughter when Lily mentioned she thought he wasn't going to come, returning Lily's hug. "Didn't think you'd be in here already," He stepped back, taking a better look at Lily. She looked very pretty again, her hair falling around face in graceful waves. Elliot cleared his throat and fluttered his hand a bit "You look.. Really nice." Elliot winced at his own fumbling but tried to move past it. If Lily was doing so well getting over her nervousness, he could handle his own.
"I got you something," he said, pulling the gift from his pocket and handing it to her. "Merry Christmas."

 

[Lillian Lockwood]

Lily smiled nervously as Elliot stepped back. She could feel the crowd around them, even as she so stoically ignored them. She blushed a little at his compliment. "Thanks. So do you. I never thought I'd see you with sleeves that fit." She teased him with a giggle. Her eyes widened as he offered her a gift. "Oh, really?" She smiled widely and took his hand, attempting to pull him with her back to the table. "I got you something too, come on," She smiled back at him cheerily.

It sort of surprised her how quickly she and Elliot had become friends. And it also surprised her that he seemed to like her just as much as she liked him. Lily was often uncomfortable with new people, and new places. She had never expected anyone to be able to put her at ease the way Elliot did. And if that didn't deserve a present, she didn't know what did.

 

[Elliot Briar]

Elliot had to resist the urge to fidget with his sleeves when Lily teased him, shrugging sheepishly as he smiled at her. She seemed in good spirits, though he was sure he could see what might be a ghost of her own nerves hovering on her face too. He was secretly pleased when Lily said she'd also gotten him a present. He hadn't been expecting anything, but it was nice all the same.

Keeping a tight grip on her hand, Elliot let Lily lead the way as she wound them back over to a table with suspiciously few chairs. He couldn't help but note the contrast of the moment from their last school event. He knew Lily still struggled with her fears, about school and other people, but she was already doing so well. Watching her cheerily pull him through the hall, Elliot couldn't help but take some solace in it. If she could try to power through it all he could probably do it too.

 

[Lillian Lockwood]

Lily was doing very well ignoring the crowd. Until a fifth year nearly knocked her over. She squeaked, scurrying backwards to avoid him. She bumped into Elliot, her grip on his hand tightening. She stood there frozen for a moment, her heart thundering in her ears. The fifth year moved away without even a glance at her. She swallowed nervously and took a breath before setting off again. She couldn't get back to her little table fast enough.

She took her seat quickly, letting out a sigh of relief. She was eager to see what Elliot had got her, but also eager to see what he thought of his gift as well. She hurried to open hers as he sat down. She let put a soft gasp as she saw them. "Ooh, El, they're so pretty! Thank you!" She hurried to put them in her hair. "What do you think?" She asked, turning to him with a shy smile.

 

[Elliot Briar]

Elliot squeezed Lil’s hand back reassuringly as they walked, frowning at the older student who had knocked into them. He paid them no mind, but Elliot hoped he’d still gotten his point across. It was a relief when Lily continued walking, clearly a bit shaken but determined none the less.
As they sat down, Elliot smiled at Lily’s sigh of relief now they were out of the main thoroughfare. He took the package from Lily, trading it for hers and hiding a smile into his collar as Lily ripped into hers. He gave the box a perfunctory shake, before opening it and dropping the bracelet into his palm. Rotating it in his hands a few times, Elliot felt the leather with his fingertips before smiling at Lily. “I love it, thanks,” Rolling up his left sleeve to fasten it on, Elliot raised his left arm once it was fastened neatly “Tada,”


He was glad Lily liked the hairpins, he’d seen them while they were in Brightstone and immediately thought of how often she seemed to fuss with her hair. Actual lilies might have been more appropriate, but the bright flowers seemed to suit her better to him. “Oh, here,” he said, hesitantly adjusting one of them that was sitting a bit crooked before leaning back. “Perfect.”

 

[Lillian Lockwood]

Lily giggled as El showed her the bracelet. "See," She reached out and took his hand in hers so she could test her theory. She was right, the bracelet was a little big on him. "I know you like hiding your hands in your sleeves, so I thought you could fidget with this if your sleeves weren't long enough." She explained softly, twirling it around his wrist once before sitting back.

A light blush colored her cheeks as Elliot readjusted the hairpin. She gave him a shy smile before turning her attention to the food. "Here," She took hold of a cupcake with green icing and split it in half, offering one to him. "It's a little darker than Halloween," She smiled softly. "And I promise not to fall asleep this time," She joked lightly, remembering their last holiday.