Open Take down

[Elio Zephyr]

After his deliveries with the roses were over, and Elio had received his, there was one person in particular that he was looking for. He’d received a red rose from the Ravenclaw, but overthinking it hadn’t even crossed his mind. The prefect went in search of his longest friend at the school, the one who when they were just first years had instantly clicked. Even if they didn’t speak to each other as often what with both of them juggling other responsibilities. Elio had already checked the most obvious places he could think of, and next on his list was the student lounge. His eyes darted around the room until a massive smile appeared on his face when he caught sight of the blonde. “AVAAAA,” he called out with little disregard for the others in the room. Noticing the beanbags on the floor a few feet away from where she was standing, Elio lowered his chest down a little, rugby tackling her round the waist as both of them flew through the air, landing in a heap on the bean bags. Elio grinned up at Ava, pleased with his surprise tackle. The Ravenclaw had always seemed to have a way of bringing out his inner child, “Hello.”​

 

[Avaria Lockwood]

Ava had been looking for Vader, needing more attention after everything that had been happening lately. It was clear he wasnt here, but she had wondered into the room anyway, looking to the table where she and Vader had met when he'd been blowing off studying to read spider man comics. She was pulled from her thoughts when someone yelled her name, looking up just in time to see someone barrel into her. She yelped in surprise as she went flying into the beanbags.

She looked down, giggling breathlessly and straightening Zephyrs glasses on his face again. "Hiya, Zephyr," she greeted, running her hand through his hair. "Round one goes to you," she teased lightly. "I think I have a sucker in my pocket if you want a prize," she offered, smiling half heartedly down at him.

 

[Elio Zephyr]

Elio smiled up at her and happily let Ava fix his glasses and play with his hair. Their relationship often had elements of playful competition so the Gryffindor had no doubt that Ava would find a way of getting him back for the surprise. "A sucker? Are you trying to tell me something?" he chuckled, "You're alright, I got my prize thanks and besides, who knows what you lace your sweets with," Elio joked, half expecting it to be incredibly sour or bring him out in hives if it was secretly intended for her enemies. "I've missed you," he said, leaning up to kiss her cheek. Ava was one of those people that always seemed to be there for other people when they needed it, so Elio tried extra hard to make sure she felt like she had at least one person looking out for her too. "I got your rose, which by the way was beautiful, I love you too," he grinned. It was a different type of relationship than he had with Rowan, and with Ava it was platonic but that wouldn't stop him telling her how much he cared for her. ​

 

[Avaria Lockwood]

Ava chuckled. "No, but if it fits..." she teased, feeling a little better. It was always so easy being with Elio. She shut her eyes, humming lightly as he kissed her cheek. But as he spoke, telling her he missed her and that he loved her too, she felt herself crack a little. Her lip quivered and she quickly looked away. "That's good," she managed, trying to sound chipper, quickly bringing her hand up to swipe at her eyes. Why was she crying? She couldnt do that in front of Zephyr. She tried to hide her face, digging the heel of her hands against her eyes like it would stop the tears. She bit her lip to keep it from quivering.

 

[Elio Zephyr]

Elio have a face of mock shock at the idea of her calling him a sucker. It was easy to play games with the Ravenclaw and fun to tease each other, although the mood sudden changed when she began to look away. Clearly something was going on with her, although was it something he said? He didn’t think so, it went unusual for him to say what he had. Lifting her hands to her face, Elio realised he really didn’t know what she was going through. Adjusting their position so that he could pull her into a tight hug, Elio nestled against her hair, just silently holding her for a moment. “What’s going on?” He asked eventually, not letting go but one hand lightly stroking her back, “talk to me,” he hated seeing his best friends upset and would do anything for them. ​

 

[Avaria Lockwood]

Ava was startled when Zephyr pulled her into a hug, and couldnt help but crumble a little, sniffling pitifully and hugging him back tightly. When he poked her for answers, she couldnt lie. "I'm not special," she whispered. "My daddy left me when I was a baby and didnt come back until my mom died and at first I was really happy but then I was scared he'd leave and I keep getting new siblings, Emily is a year younger and then Arthur is a first year and now hes engaged to Arthur's mom and she just had twins and now hes not gunna need me anymore," she rambled, trying her hardest not to cry, "And I dont know why I cant just love Vader but I don't and he doesnt love me like that and I thought I was starting to like a boy and I thought he liked me but then he blew me off like I didnt even matter and now Philip is trying to be sweet and talk to me again but I know hes just going to yell at me about Vader some more..." she bit her lip, trying really hard to keep herself from crying and to shut herself up. Zephyr had come in for a hug, not for her to break down. "I'm sorry," she managed softly.

 

[Elio Zephyr]

Elio had thought there was something wrong but not as many things as Ava went on to tell him, no wonder she was feeling overwhelmed. He let her speak and just listened to her quietly, not interrupting or saying anything until she’d finished. “Okay well firstly, you don’t need to apologise, that’s what I’m here for, chats and good hugs,” he began, giving her a squeeze and a small smile. “And how can you think you’re not special? You have a huge family which is only growing, you’re going to be the cool big sister to all of them, of course they need you.” Elio had a sister too although they had never been particularly close, there were times he had to step in for her sake. “And any boy that blows you off is a dumbass,” he continued, moving one hand to run his fingers through her blonde curls, watching them bounce free towards the end. “You deserve someone who is not going to let you down, or hurt you or your friends.” He said, worried on her behalf if someone made her feel bad about Vader, he could see the pair were close. ​

 

[Avaria Lockwood]

Avas arms tightened a little around Elio as he spoke, sniffling and trying to rub away the tears that had escaped on her shoulder. She sighed. "It wasnt just my siblings though, he abandoned his twin sister too. I got an aunt, an uncle, and three cousins I didnt know about until I came to school." She sighed. "How can I think he'll stay with me when he's left everyone in his life?" She bit her lip to keep it from quivering.

She glanced at him as he talked about boys, shrugging. "If I'm so great, why cant it just be me and Vader?" She asked softly. "Hes my Rowan. Hes had two girlfriends. But we've never been like that. Is there something wrong with me for not loving him like that? For him to not love me?" She shut her eyes, enjoying the feeling of Elio's fingers in her hair. "No, I have to like Philip. He abandoned me when I needed him, his cousin jinxed me and put me in the hospital wing and he never apologized, he tried to make me choose between him and Vader." She sighed, leaning her head on Elio's shoulder.

 

[Elio Zephyr]

Elio couldn’t imagine what it would have been like t find out he had more immediate family members that he never knew about. “Because he came back?” Elio offered. If he had made an effort to be in his daughters life after everything he’d done, wasn’t that a sign that he’d realised his mistake? “Do you think he wants to leave again?” He asked, wondering if Ava had reason to believe it might be a possibility or whether it was because of the two additional family members. Hearing that Vader to Ava was like Rowan to Elio, he smiled a little, taking one of her hands and lightly playing with her fingers between them, “You know, it’s never simple. You think there’s something wrong with me because I’m not attracted to Rowan, or can’t connect romantically to the guys I’ve been with?” He asked in all seriousness, glancing to look across to the Ravenclaw. “You know how much simpler things would be if I could actually be with Rowan, or hadn’t felt like I had to break up with Marco?” He added, recalling how confusing the last few months had been. He was happier now of course but that didn’t mean it was easy. Elio was horrified to hear what Ava has been through with Phillip, “You're kidding, right?” He had enough grief with Vegeta hurting his friends but he’d add another to list if he had to.​

 

[Avaria Lockwood]

Ava shrugged as he asked about her dad. "I dont know what to think. I expected to lose my mama, she was sick for a while. But I didnt expect to lose my grandma. You never know when you're going to lose the people you love." She told him quietly, lacing her fingers through his. She paused as he asked about himself, slowly shaking her head. She shifted, scooting closer. "Elio," she used his first name, a rarity for her, shifting to whisper in his ear. "I think Vader is... like you. But he was bullied a lot before school here. I think... he doesnt want to admit it and it might be part of why he can't sleep." She pulled back a little, giving Zephyr a small smile. "I dont know how to help with that," she whispered, not wanting anyone to overhear her speculations if they might hurt Vader.

She shook her head when he asked if she was kidding. "No," she continued to explain how she'd met Philip before school, how he'd yelled at her for getting in trouble and how Nora had boil jinxed her. How the last time they'd really spoken he'd said he loved her, that he followed her to classes to make sure she was okay and how he defended Nora for jinxing her. She told Zephyr how alone she had felt while Zephyr was gone, with no one but Vader and Alice. How hurt she'd been when Philip had told her it was him or Vader. She sighed, stretching out and rubbing her eyes. "And now he's sending me notes, saying he wants to see me. What do I even do with that?" She complained.

 

[Elio Zephyr]

Ava had a good point, although it sounded as though everything was happening for her all at once. When Ava moved a little closer and whispered in his ear, he tried to think of whether he’d picked up that vibe from Vader, although if it was true then the Gryffindor was doing well at hiding it. Elio couldn’t say he’d ever considered his dorm mate to be like him, although he did seem so invested in his work and friends that he didn’t really bring it up. If that was the case, Elio felt bad for him too. He knew he was in a lucky position where he’d never felt as though he had to hide, although he’d also been lucky enough to never find himself in trouble for it. It was the second person that day that Elio wondered if they were hiding a bigger secret, one that maybe they couldn’t tell the world just yet. “If that’s true, all we can do if show him we’re all there for him.” At the end of the day it was up to Vader if he wanted to be open about it, but after finding his own sexuality was more complicated than he original thought, he knew that it helped to talk about it to those who wanted to. Elio continued to listen as Ava spoke about the issues she was having with her friends, and another twinge of guilt panged in his stomach when he remembered the year he’d been away. He didn’t even tell Rowan the full story of what he’d done to try and get himself expelled that year. The Gryffindor didn’t like the sound of Phillip, someone who probably only realised what he had once it had gone, and he hated the idea that something like that could repeat. “Ava, you get that apology!” It was the first step to fixing any kind of friendship, “honestly if it was me, I wouldn’t even give him the time of day to try, especially if my friends were involved. He messed up, anyone who loves you wouldn’t put you in that position,” Elio was trying to explain, although he didn’t think it was what she wanted to hear. In truth, Elio was worried for her.​

 

[Avaria Lockwood]

Ava nodded at Zephyrs words, she had always suspected as much. It helped hearing someone else tell her, though. She was so protective of Vader she worried sometimes maybe she wasn't right to look out for him as much as she did.

She sighed at Zephyrs words, scooting closer and snuggling into his side. "I know," she laid her hand over his heart, "I want someone to love me but not like that. If that's what his love is like I dont want it." She admitted. "It... probably sounds stupid, but I want the soft romance. Cuddling, making cookies together and getting in flour fights, brushing my hair out of my eyes when I'm sleepy," she paused a minute. "Okay, honestly, I'd really like to date someone that's like you or Vader but... not you or Vader. Does that make sense?" She asked, looking up at him and pouting.

 

[Elio Zephyr]

As Ava shuffled even closer towards him, he wrapped both arms back around her and squeezed her tightly. He knew better than a lot of people what she meant. It was how he knew he was in love with Rowan, all the small things they had between them. It wasn't about the physical attraction to Elio that brought him to her but that they shared the same wavelength, he found himself noticing things like the way the corner of her mouth moved when she was looking at the stars, or how excited she used to get when she had the chance to put something together for a shoot. He even ate her weird cooking on his birthday despite not being able to figure out what half the things were supposed to be. "I promise you, you will have that, with someone who knows you maybe even better than you know yourself. That can see straight through all your weird and wonderful little habits and one up you on them too," he smiled, resting his forehead against hers as he spoke, "Don't you dare settle for anyone that doesn't realise how special you are, because there will be a person who will appear in front of you and suddenly you won't be able to remember what life was like without them."​

 

[Avaria Lockwood]

Ava listened to Elio quietly for a bit before sighing dramatically. "That's it then, I'm going to be single forever." She pouted, flopping back in her bean bag. "That's Vader. Hes my soul mate and no one is ever going to mean more to me than he does." She sighed, rubbing her hands over her eyes. "And I've seen the longing stares at Jigoku, I wouldnt stand a chance even if I wanted one." She ran her hands through her hair. "Great. I kissed Vader and nothing happened. No sparks, no world stopping moment, nothing. I liked you before and that didnt work out either, and now I'm stuck with an idiot that thinks stalking me is cool, and doesnt care who hurts me so long as they 'meant well', like that's supposed to make me feel safe and warm." She sighed, slouching in her chair and leaning her head back to stare at the ceiling. What a mess.

 

[Leda Layton]

 

[Elio Zephyr]

Hearing Ava talk about her experiences with Vader was like watching his own life from the outside. He was a little shocked to hear that she’d liked him when they were younger, although thinking back he had just figured they were close friends. “Arai..?” Elio asked quietly, suddenly feeling a little worse for wear at the name. Of all people, it had to be an Arai? The Gryffindor tried to keep his mind on track, this wasn’t the time to start getting annoyed again. “If that’s true, if Vader is your person, does he know how you feel?” He asked, trying to recall how he felt in the same situation. He spent months waiting for Rowan to get over him before he even realised he loved her back. ​

 

[Avaria Lockwood]

Ava saw the look on his face at the mention of Jigoku. "Yeah? Hes really nice, I've talked to him before. A little distant maybe but he isn't bad." She was confused by Elio's hesitation. She blinked at his next question. "We're getting an apartment after school," she stated. "I'm... pretty sure he knows he's my person." Her brow furrowed. "When we got in that fight it was really bad, we both almost died." She tilted her head to the side, looking at him curiously. Was that what he had meant?

 

[Elio Zephyr]

Elio didn’t want to end up grouping family member together, that wasn’t fair, and he knew he couldn’t just compare him to Vegeta without knowing who he was. Deciding instead to trust Ava and letting it go he relaxed a little, trying to take his mind off his arm. The Gryffindor looked across to catch her glance, taken aback by what he was hearing. “I’m sorry.. what?” He found his lips to suddenly be a little dry. There was a difference in hearing your best friend got into a fight, and hearing that they may not have actually made it back to school. ​

 

[Avaria Lockwood]

Avas eyes widened, and she quickly put a hand on his arm. "No, Zephyr, no! Not literally," she giggled, quickly hugging him, "I just meant we were both really upset for the longest time. It was hard," she pulled back, giving him a smile. "Remember when you and Rowan fought? I wont say it's the same but it's kinda like that," she reassured him.

 

[Elio Zephyr]

The shock on Elios face had clearly given him away although he wondered how he could’ve taken it so literally as Ava reassured him it was actually metaphorical. “Oh thank god,” he sighed, running one hand through this hair. “Yeah..” he remember that pretty well and often did his best not to. It wasn’t exactly a fight so much but it was true he felt like a part of him was missing. He didn’t have to imagine what Ava was going through, he’d seen it in the past in Rowan. “Maybe you should talk to Ro?” Elio suggested, wondering if the Gryffindor would be able to help a bit. ​

 

[Avaria Lockwood]

Ava giggled, curling up against Elio's side again. "Maybe I will," She agreed, laying her arm over Elio's waist. "I'm sorry, you came in for a hug and I've just gone on and on," She pouted, feeling guilty. "How have you been?" She asked, genuinely curious to catch up with her friend. "It's been ages since I've seen you. I missed you," She gave him her best puppy eyes.

 

[Elio Zephyr]

Elio smiled down to Ava, playing with her hair again as she curled up beside him. “You know, I really don’t mind. I’d rather you feel like you could talk to me rather than cuddles is all I’m good for, although,” he glanced between them, “apparently I’m quite good at that too.” He wanted to help his friends wherever he could, and really he felt like he had time to make up anyway since he was gone for an entire year. “I missed you too, I’ll have to tackle you more often,” he grinned, only half kidding. “I’m.. better. Better than I was that day in the tower,” he began, recalling how Ava had noticed he’d been upset last semester and had been there to let him talk about it. “I talked everything out with Rowan, and what we have isn’t idea or easy but, it works you know? Things with Marco are a bit more awkward than I thought they would be, but who could blame him.” Elio still didn’t regret breaking up with him after just three weeks. Elio wasn’t sure whether or not to tell her about the issues they were having with Vegeta though, partly because he wasn’t sure what the boys next move was but he also didn’t want to worry the Ravenclaw. “Are you coming to the next study session?” He asked, hoping she would, it would be good to have her there to tease work with.​

 

[Avaria Lockwood]

Ava hummed as he played with her hair. "I like it when you do that," She murmured, relaxing against his chest. She grinned, listening intently to everything he said. "You should," She teased, "I'll start wearing a helmet," She joked. She was glad he and Rowan were getting along again, he had been so sad when they were fighting. She wrinkled her nose as he asked about the next study session. "I have to," She told him. "You and Allie and Timmy all at the same time? I can't pass that up," She pouted. "Even if we aren't doing anything fun."