i thought we could wait for the fireworks...[ai&t]

[October Hemingway]

After Tobie and Aiden had hauled Nikita's wide ass up to the Slytherin common room and Tobie made sure Nikita was safely tucked in to bed, the pair made their way back to the Whomping Willow. Luckily when Tobie had asked one of the timid third years where Avery was, they told herthat he had gone off to the Library to study. Perfect. Not that Tobie expected anything to happen between she and Aiden, but if Avery were to have seen the two together, he'd probably be insanely jealous.

"So, darling, how have you been lately? i haven't been able to talk to you in ages." she said with a smile, seeing the Willow in the distance and laughing when one large branch swung at something that was invisible to the two Slytherins. Perhaps it was a fly or something; the stupid thing had always been sensitive to such things. "Seems as if Bertha has some unwanted company." she joked. "How did you manage to befriend that thing anyway? When I tried to approach it like you told me to in my first year, it broke my arm!"

as they got close to the tree, Tobie slowed her gait. "Er...mind telling her to back off before I come any closer? she asked. "Not for nothing, but Bertha's a little," she paused, searching for the right word. "Intimidating, to say that least." she finished.

[Aiden Gabriel Irvine]

"Same way as befriending a wild animal, getting beaten up until they give up." Grinning he approached Bertha calling to her softly. "Calm down, my friend, Tobie. Tobie, Bertha, Bertha, Tobie." The tree shook it's branches in response to Aiden's remark. He nodded to October to continue forward. Taking her hand Aiden lead her to the Whomping Willow carefully leading her around the knarled roots. Her dainty hand warmed his own feeling the old spark reconnect between them. "Here ya go, my favorite spot."
Settling between two rather large roots Aiden scrunched over making room for October next to him. Above them Bertha shivered, Aiden inferred from the cool breeze that blew across the tree's top. "My dear, I have to ask. How are you and well, Avery doing. You know, I'll break his pretty little face if..." His voice faltered creating a period of silence between the two Slytherins.

[October Hemingway]

"I personally don't like to beat anyone up, except for you and Row of course." Tobie said, nodding curtly to the tree as Aiden introduced her to it. It was kind of strange...but hey, she wasn't one to judge. Following her housemate, she said beside him and watched when Bertha shook herself and a few leaves fell off of her branches. She caught one of the drifters in one hand, studying it for a few moments before responding to Aiden's question. "We're..." she paused. "Alright, I guess." she finished, sighing. "He's just so immature. It's like he thinks this whole thing is a game." she continued. "Like I'd be a trophy fuck or something." she uttered, rolling her eyes.

While she was speaking, she had managed to tear apart the orange-colored leaf until it was nothing more then confetti. Blowing the fragments at Aiden's face, a light breeze picked some of the pieces up and carried them away. It was almost like fairy dust. Leaning against Aiden's shoulder affectionately, she toyed with the grass underneath them. "I mean, I like him and everything...but I feel like it's superficial."

[Aiden Gabriel Irvine]

"Then that means it probably is." Reaching for Tobie's hand Aiden idly played with her finger tips amazed at how long they had grown since he'd last played with them. "It's not a game and you know that. Tell him how you feel, or dump his ass. Please if you do dump him tell him why. It's extremely frustrating to get dumped for no reason." He thought back to his dabbling in relationships, which wasn't that much. "Feeling like your just a trophy or toy isn't love. It isn't worth staying with, humoring it will only hurt both of you in the end."

[October Hemingway]

Such strong words.

Tobie looked at Aiden, smiling as he played with her fingers. It was so sweet and made a light pink color raise to her cheeks. A frown drew across her lips as he fniished. "I know." she sighed. "I just thought...thought that i might've turned into something. I was hoping for something beautiful..." she felt utterly lost as she spoke, biting down on her lower lip. "I know you're his friend...maybe we shouldn't be talking about this," she sighed, running a hand thorugh her hair. "I'm so confused...I like him...but I do have feelings that are elsewhere, feelings that are unaddressed."

[Aiden Gabriel Irvine]

Aiden nodded noticing her nervous gestures, running her hand through her hair. "That doesn't mean you should hold onto Avery. Feelings that are unaddressed will either fade, or you make them be seen." Aiden failed to see through her words, seeing the true feelings underneath. He leaned back more into the roots of the tree eyes glancing up at the sky. Speckles of light began to seep through the branches dotting Aiden's eyes, dazing his sight. "I guess we shouldn't talk about him, but it's more about you."

[October Hemingway]

Guys were so thick-headed sometimes. Tobie sighed at Aiden's words, unsure of how she would respond. "sometimes I don't know what to do." she muttered, watching as Aiden looked up at the sky. Yea...it was beautiful. She watched as the light danced in his eyes, making her heart swell. "Aiden...I like you. A lot. I have for as long as I can remember." she said, her heartbeat comparable to that of a hummingbird's. "And...and I know that you don't feel the same way." she murmured. "But I just need you to know. I can't keep it to myself anymore." she finished.

[Aiden Gabriel Irvine]

"I... I feel like an idiot." The heat rose to his cheeks an inner battle of frustration. Yes of course he liked her. More than anything in the world. It just wasn't the right time. What about Avery? He was about the best thing Aiden had to a guy best friend. Tobie didn't love him. That's all he needed to know. "I, I. Tobie. I do, really really like you. The only thing is, I can't cross behind Avery's back for you." Aiden cracked ashamed in himself for not telling Tobie sooner. Things would have been different. Holding his hand out he caressed her check pulling her in for a kiss. The bitter sweet note ended on that, having Aiden fleeing from his normal safety zone. "I'm sorry." He tilted his head inward toward his chest shielding his eyes. It burned his insides to lead her on but it was about time he showed feeling back. They weren't unrecognized.

[October Hemingway]

Oh man. Wow. The last thirty seconds had come by in a blur. It almost made her fall backwards, but thinkfully Bertha was there to keep her stable. Her heart was trembling, on the verge of breaknig. But then that kiss...it was so right and so wrong. Sure, Avery was a nice guy...But Aiden was mature, charming...and forbidden. Maybe that was the extra magnetic pull that made her stuck on him. When the kiss ubsided, she sighed, pressing her forehead to his as he looked down. "I don't even want avery," she said, her voice faltering. "Please, Aiden.." she begged, her voice choked. "You know me better than anyone...c'mon...don't leave me in the cold," she whimpered, a few tars falling from her eyes. "I want to be more then your best friend, Ai...I want to see if something's really there! Please..." her voice dropped to a near whisper.

[Aiden Gabriel Irvine]

He was completely torn. Aiden couldn't just sweep here off her feet like he immensely wanted to. It wasn't quite that easy. Avery was his friend, October his love interest, and they just happened to be together. It wouldn't be a shocker if he kicked his ass. Maybe that would be it? "I know. October, I understand. I want you too. It just Avery. He still loves you. I know it." Wiping her tears that stained her cheeks he pulled back unsure of what to do. "We're been through so much. Nothing can stain that. I'm just, scared." It was about impossible to condense all of his feelings into one sentence. He loved her that was for sure. Avery was his friend. If he went out with Tobie then Avery would beat the crap out of him.

[October Hemingway]

What was Aiden so scared of? The fact that he was pushing her away aggrivated October, making her tempted to punch the stupid tree (Though she refrained from doing so seeing as the tree would punch back) behind her. "He doesn't love me!" she snarled. "are you kidding? He's so shallow, so pompous, so...so..." she knew her tone was livid and now she was at her boiling point. He just isn't you. she thought bitterly, turning away from him and bringing her knees up to her chest. "Who cares what he thinks? I don't care about him. Avery and I...we're done. Finished. Why are you so worried?" she asked, looking at Aiden intensely. He was like this locked door that she couldn't open. All she needed was the key. But...right now she was growing impatient and was beating at him with a battering ram. "We only live once, you know." she said quietly. "So why second-guess things?"

[Aiden Gabriel Irvine]

Cause and effect. What a wonderful experience finding out what women really truly want. "You don’t' know that." Reaching a hand to her chin he lifted it eye level with his own staring deep within the pools of blue-gray that bring even more beauty to her facial features. "I'm worried about hurting two people I care very much about." Aiden suppressed his tear ducts, he was a boy after all; it was simple.
It wasn't simple enough though.
"Teh, second-guessing things are in my nature dear." A light chuckle rumbled from the depths of his throat. "Are you positive that you and Avery are over?" As soon as the words escaped from out stretched lips he regretted them. Nothing was worse than jumping in a dead man's grave, non-the less one of your friends.

[October Hemingway]

Oh, Tobie had never felt such frustration in all her life. Aiden was so reluctant! She couldn't help but rol her eyes at his first statement. "Maybe I don't, but what I do know is that I don't love him she said flatly, looking down until Aiden lifted her head, so their sight was eye to eye. She wanted so badly to look away...but she just couldn't. She had been familiar with these serene and gentle eyes for a long while now, and they always seemed to hypnotize her. Like the time when she fell off her bike and scraped her knee when Aiden was teaching her...and he told her not to cry. Like magic (o pun intended) the tears seemed to evaporate and Tobie managed to grin. It was such a strange science; noe that October would never be able to grasp. A subject that wasn't taught directly and with a professor, but by your own heart.

"Well you're already halfway there..." she whimpered, biting down on her lip when she responded to his second comment. Her heart was thudding low in her chest, tempted to rip itself open again. "Hah hah," se muttered meekly, sniffling and then speaking again. "yes," she said, her voice distant and cold. why would he ask such a thing? Hadn't she already made that clear?

[Aiden Gabriel Irvine]

"Then apparently I'm yours." He stood pulling Tobie up with him wrapping her in a warm embrace. He was being stupid. There were plenty of other friends out there. If most of his happened to be girls, oh well. What would it matter? Tobie was much more than a friend, much more than anything that he could even fancy. Imagination running wild, a child with a cookie fresh out of the oven, an old man sitting with his wife as the swing creaked from underneath of them; nothing could justify them. Time would only tell. No matter how cliché it was, it was true. One finger underneath her chin Aiden pulled her closer again their lips colliding in a confused yet passionate kiss. "If you calm down, we can work this out. Maybe Avery will kick the shit out of me but at least he'd respect it. It's the best we can hope for. Isn't Nikita a miracle worker?"

[October Hemingway]

Tobie felt a content smile spread over her lips. It was like fireworks had just been lit in her chest; it was like a rainstorm when the sun was out. She remembered when she had felt like this around Aiden before; when they were nothing but children. During that first little peck on the lips. Maybe tht's what started everything. The match that lit a wildfire. No matter how many metaphors came into Tobie's mind, nothing could exactly retain the feelings she had for Aiden. And then he came in for another kiss...

It made her stomach perform cartwheels. She withdrew, offering him a grin. "Who would have thought that Niki would have been the one who brought us together?" she laughed. "I never saw her as the love-bringing type." she smirked. "But hell...stranger things have happened..." she commented, going in for another lazy kiss.

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