Trouble in Calm Waters ( Aiden / Ally )

[Deleted]

While Aiden's curtains were pulled, anyone who knew him, knew he was in there.

For one thing his pja-mamas (as he liked to call them) were not hanging on the four poster yet his night robe (a joke his mother enjoyed) was. That said he had decided on privacy in a way. A yearmate stood there with the curtain parted speaking with him about something which had just happened and as they finished he dropped the curtain, headed down to his own bed still reading over the letter. Aiden for his part was wearing charcoal gray bottoms with purple socks and his normal wizarding shirt which had a line drawing of a manta ray moving around the shirt on it. Standard fare for him really, a number of misc pieces to make a wardrobe.

It fit his life in a sense, the collection of things from many places seemingly random to make a whole.

He lay on his stomach, knees bent with feet in the air, crossed. As he read the book (The Rise of the Chinese Empire: Nation, state, & imperialism in early China By Chun-shu Chang in the original Mandarin) his legs went up and down in an easy natural movement. His Chinese teacher over the summer often sent him books like this to challenge his reading and keep his Chinese strong. And he tested him with letters, something he found often tricky so he had to pay attention when reading them. Aiden got it was important to stay abreast of Chinese concepts so that he understood the Mah Jong better, learned more and more the ideas behind the tiles, but he wanted more interesting books then these.

With a sigh he turned his head from side to side, stretching his neck muscles as he marked the place and set it aside. Rubbing his eyes, he knew it was too early for bed, yet he didn't feel like being active either. Unsure what to do he heard footsteps outside the bed curtains as someone walked in and straight towards his bed. From the way of the direction in it he was either in some sort of trouble or-- Ally was in the guy's dorm. Thinking that his odds of being on trouble were likely half that (despite her only having been in his dorm room less then a handful of times) he said softly in Arabic "Yes?"

ALLEANA LEI MOON

[ALLEANA LEI MOON]

She had nodded. 'See you then, Cam' she had murmured in return before she stood, picking up her bag, she turned and headed for the castle. Once inside, she had paused at the foot of the first flight of stairs and brushed her fingers lightly over her lips. Had he been kissing her goodbye? Like a last kiss? She lowered her hand and took a deep breath. It hadn't felt like a goodbye, it had felt like...like he was resisting the limitations set on him by his parents in order to connect with her still. She liked that, she liked it a lot, but a part of her felt conflicted. What was he had said? 'The fidelity charm isn't on yet...' Not yet, maybe, but it was only a matter of time, and then everything would change, would have to. He was getting married, and he had said, before he'd kissed her, that he wanted it to work with Ley-- Oh man! What was her name again? Ally shook her head, a confused mix if emotions spun with her conflicted thoughts, giving her the beginnings of a headache.

She felt pulled in a hunrded different directions. She should, but she shouldn't. She wanted to, but she wouldn't...or would she...? She sighed as she climbed the stairs and made her way to the Gryffindor tower. she needed silence, she needed quiet to think through everything. She was sad, she was excited, she was worried, and above all else she was hopelessly confused. When she reached the dorm, she changed out of her clothes and into her pajamas, through herself onto her bed and buried her head under her pillow. She groaned, why was something that had once been so simple now so freaking complicated? She rolled onto her back and stared at the ceiling for a couple of minutes. She needed to quiet her tumultous thoughts, she needed peace. She paused over that. 'Peace' her mind repeated, and then echoed. She needed Aiden. He was probably in the boys' dorm by now, and it wasn't like she hadn't snuck in there before. At this point, she wasn't even sure she felt like sneaking. She climbed out of bed and left the dorm, barefoot in her pajamas, heading for the boys' stairs. The commonroom was crowded as it always was in the early evening, but she cared very little whether anyone saw her on the way up, and even less about who saw her in her pajamas.

She didn't bother knocking, heading directly for his bed instead. When he spoke in Arabic, she smiled. "I'm coming in" she warned him, also in Arabic. When she had climbed onto his bed, the upper and lower edges of her tattoo just barely visible as the shirt shifted with the movement. Another tattoo, not engraved in ink, but rather etched by memory, had wrapped itself around her hip at some point during her journey to the tower. It was dragon, one with which she had become so familiar in past months it might have been as much a part of her as her own tattoo. She looked up at him, the confusion, the sadness, the look of being completely at a loss more than apparent. She hesitated for several seconds before she spoke, not sure exactly what to tell him without having to tell him everything. "I..." she stopped, tried again. "I did a stupid thing" she said finally, "could you just let me lay here and...not think...or think too much...or something?" She wasn't making any sense, but nothing made sense today. "I have too many thoughts going at once." She wanted to cry, more out of frustration than sadness. It was never supposed to have been this way....it was never supposed to have hurt.

Words: 589
Outfit: Here
Lyrics: Chasing Cars - Snow Patrol
Thoughts: Dang it Cameron!

@shava4444

[Deleted]

He was still lying as he had been, legs up in the air when he heard her respond and smiled, knowing he had predicted that one. In Arabic he also responded "Come ahead, just shut them behind you." As she slipped in his eyes became aware rather rapidly of several things. First off she was sad in the face, more so then he had ever seen before and that hit his awareness first. Second is that she had come in what looked like pajamas, so this was not a short visit nor was it an expected one. And Ally did things like that, suddenly deciding and executing without warning.

"Of course! Here," he said automatically patting the space beside him without conscious thought about the fact others would wonder. During their first year she had come to hide out in his bed as one of the few people who had not poked fun at her hair or anything else and their friendship had long and solid. Since then it had happened maybe a handful of times, but never when they had passed puberty so it had been sometime early last year or before. There was no immediate jump to the thought actually since he auto put her into the 'best friend' category in his head, but the thoughts would come out at some point.

And he would resist them because it was Ally. She had no interest in him that way he knew.

The next thing that caught his eyes were the peeking of words on her skin at her side and top of her shirt and something which flashed at him from lower on her belly. Instantly curious, he found his eyes wider, wondering when she had started putting stuff on her skin. The second thought behind that was what if that was the mistake? She had gone and recklessly gotten herself tattooed? If she could do her skin couldn't she simply get rid of it? Actually, why tattoo it then? She could do it whenever. So surely that was not it. As she settled beside him he reached out and touched his whole hand on her forehead softly saying "Peace be with you," before switching back to English. "Talk peace or silence?"

He didn't have to say 'you will always get it and you know it' because it was them.

Removing his hand from her forehead with a slight smile he placed it on her shoulder, just holding it there to say 'I'm here.' He radiated support, innocent and full support of Ally with whatever she needed. He was automatically protective of her and in the few times she was stressed he was in the mind set to help her. The fact she was here in pjs told him she was comfortable with him and trusted as always. So nothing he had done, good. But something had happened to bring her back here in this time and he was unconsciously glad she had not lay down higher so he mostly could only see the side of her face; seeing the rest of her would have brought uncomfortable thoughts to his mind he did not need when trying to help her out.

ALLEANA LEI MOON

[ALLEANA LEI MOON]

She was already half-through the movement of climbing into his bed when he spoke. She nodded, pulling them closed behind her before she turned to face him. Aiden. Calm, cool, collected Aiden. Some of the tension went out of her, as though even the air around him relieved it. She was safe here, and that knowledge, along with the deep, slow breath she took, helped her relax slightly. She maneuvered into the space next to him, stretching out on her back and staring at the ceiling in an attempt to gather her thoughts. The ease with which Aiden seemed to accept that she had appeared in his bed very near to bedtime in her pajamas without any sort of forewarning was comforting. She could always count on him to be the friend she needed. "Thanks Den" she murmured, turning her head to smile at him, though the expression was a difficult one to muster and felt strange on her face. It melted into an apologetic look. He was one of the only people it occurred to her to apologize for inconveniencing. "Sorry for just showing up like this, but..." Eyes back to the ceiling, she sighed softly. "I was thinking too much and...well..you're great for that."

His eyes fell to her tattoos, both the real and the projected. She realized beleatedly she'd forgotten to hide them, but doesn't see the point in it now. "Only one of them is real" she says softly in Arabic, "the dragon is...one I saw on someone else." There, true enough. Strange how even after all she had been through with Cameron, she still had no trouble laying here, next to him, completely at ease. She trusted Aiden in a way that transcended the barriers that tended to exist between guys and girls their age. He had been her friend since before any of it mattered, and she felt certain they would continue regardless of everything else. His touch on her forehead was warm, caring in a way that reassured and gave strength. Cameron's touch was heat, sparks that caught under her skin and burned with a need, intense and basic. It taught, it gave, but it took also, requiring something back for the effort. She had never minded, had considered it fair trade.

But...

Aiden's touch. The softness, of his hand as it brushed her skin, affirming the words as he spoke them. She closed her eyes, another deep breath and she went still, a rarity for her. At his question, its a long moment before she speaks, knowing he won't mind. His hand on her shoulder is reassuring, and gives her courage to be more honest with him than she might have been otherwise. She hadn't told anyone about her relationship with Cam, at least, not beyond the friendship everyone saw. She needed to pour it out though. The whole thing felt as if she was full to bursting with it, pushing at her insides, threatening to explode out of her. At last, after more than a minute, she whispers. "Do you know who Cameron Clarke is? Slytherin, the year above us?" She wasn't sure if he would or not, or whether it made any difference.

Words: 542
Outfit: Here
Lyrics: Chasing Cars - Snow Patrol
Thoughts: Ah, Aiden.

@shava4444

[Deleted]

Aiden smiled at her, though never wide; he felt his own smile was too goofy overall. While he didn't have many insecurities, that one bothered him a bit. "You are always welcome, Ally, you know that." Then her other words registered and he nearly grinned back but caught himself, the amusement mostly in his eyes. "Oh? So you like me cause I don't think too much?" he teased her slightly, though he of course knew what she meant. They had been friends far too long to not know how the other thought really.

The tattoo explanation he accepted right off, not even expecting a fib from her actually. Not on something so minor as a tattoo he was sure. She had probably sen it on one of the guys at school on a shoulder during swimming or something like that. though it did surprise him sh had gone for it. His first thought was that it seemed pretty commonly the type people got and she seemed more random. "Ah, I see. I was just curious as I had never seen them before, surprised me a tad that you had made any for yourself." Although it shouldn't now that he thought of it.

She was just the type to go and do something random like a tattoo.

Seeing her relax made him smile much more warmly from eyes and face, liking the fact she could be that way around him. Honestly she was often wild enough he felt like the only time she wound down from what he knew and recognized as her nature. "Someday I need to teach you to meditate," he said softly with a tease sound to it, but soft needing no response. They both knew unless he was there he could never have managed it in any way. Her question got a nod though he knew she couldn't see it in the dim light through the curtain.

"I believe so. He has several friends in the dorm I know that. Seems pretty friendly. I've seen him swimming laps before at the lake I think, that's about all I know."

ALLEANA LEI MOON

[ALLEANA LEI MOON]

The smile he gave her would have seemed weak if it had been anyone else. But, she knew Aiden, knew he never let himself smile fully, though she was never quite sure why that was. She'd seen it once, and she thought he had a nice smile, the kind that lit up a person's face. He spoke and she turned onto her side to focus on him, propping her head up on her eyebrow. "Yeah, I know.." she pauses, and there is a gratitude in her eyes that goes beyond simple thanks. It softens her entire face into a look few others have ever or will ever see. There are, after all, few people in her life she trusts enough to be vulnerable for. Cameron had, on some level, been on that list, but this was a different sort of openness. There was nothing between herself and Aiden to complicate this feeling of warmth that spread through her, wrapping long fingers around the pain in her chest until it fell apart, fading into nothing, fading into much sought after peace. His comment, therefore, earns him her first real grin of the night. "That must be it" she answered cheekily. "Couldn't possibly be because you're my best friend or anything after all."

He didn't question her any further about the tattoos, or asked to see them, which was simultaneously one of her favorite and least comprehensible things about him. He didn't have that burning need to know and experience everything there ever was. It didn't drive him in the same way it pushed her constantly into new things, and more often than not into trouble as well. Now that she was thinking about it, the dragon faded, leaving only her real tatoo, and the words feel ironic to her just now. Still, she looks up into Aiden's eyes. "Want to see?" and without waiting for a response she rolls so that she is on her stomach and pulls up her shirt to just under her chest so that the words 'Vivi senza rimpianti' are visible down her side. "It means 'live with no regrets' " she tells him. "It seemed appropriate." After a few more seconds, she lowered the shirt, but remained on her stomach. Did she have regrets? she wondered. Did she regret what had happened with Cameron? No, definitely not, but there was a lesson to be learned about how much she put into something like that. The more you put into something, the harder it was when it ended. It was a lesson she'd remember from now on.

She focused on him again. The warmth in his eyes as he smiled down at her warmed her in turn. She decided that outside her family, he was the only person she would trust completely. He had proven himself, repeatedly over the years. Even now, the weight of the world had lifted considerably from her shoulders, and the cloud of negative emotions that had surrounded her was dissapating quickly. She wrinkled her nose at him. "Meditate? Isn't that where you sit still and quiet for hours?" She shook her head, "pass" then smirked. "I'll just keep coming to you and feeding off of your..." She hesitated, searched for the word. "Aura?" She grinned, "you meditate, I think I'll keep sneaking out to go flying in the middle of the night. Same basic result, and my legs won't fall asleep."

So he was familiar with Cameron, at least on a basic level. Funny he should mention the laps.."We had a bet, and I lost, massages every night for a month." She was fairly certain he could draw conclusions from there, but she continued anyway. "One thing kind of led to another and we...had a thing...no strings...no complications, easy." She wasn't sure if she was telling him or herself. "He's getting married, found out a few weeks ago his parents signed a contract with someone." She shrugs, "he said he wanted to make things work and that we couldn't...anymore, but then he kissed me again even though he said he wouldn't, and we're..." Would telling Aiden about her plans get him into trouble if someone came looking? Ah well, she'd come this far. "We're going to his house this weekend. He wanted me to see it." The eyes go sad again. "Kind of a last hurrah I guess, like a goodbye." She throws both arms over her eyes and groans softly. "It was never supposed to..." she's not sure what the right word is. "Be this hard."

Words: 778
Outfit: Here
Lyrics: I'm Only Me When I'm With You - Taylor Swift
Thoughts: Ah, Aiden.

@shava4444

[Deleted]

As the life came back into her eyes, he felt a deep down satisfaction. He had done that, he had brought her peace in his own way. That was his power really, to bring people back to earth and it was far better then magic in so many ways! He nearly grinned again, but the ego might have been visible in his eyes. "No, of course not. We're far too sensible to let something like that mess with us."

She offered to show him and now that he wasn't showing an invasion into her personal life he was willing to show interest. "Sure, if it's okay with you..." He didn't see the other disappear, but he looked at her back and asked softly "Do you mind if I touch it? I've always been curious if they had texture..." The idea she had used Italian and that phrase had him nodding again. "That really fits you, Ally, nice thinking! I like the way you put time into thinking that up..."

When she stayed on her front he moved back to his again, having raised himself up on his elbow to look at her back. "If you don't mind me asking, when did you get it? I thought we couldn't get them until sixteen or so." Her chuckle about meditation had him chuckle as well. "I don't think I could do it more then fifteen so I wouldn't try to make you do more then five minutes," and shook his head at the rest of her words.

The humor was in his eyes however.

"Aura is probably right. I don't know, but the wizarding world doesn't mention it much unless you look into Chinese philosophy then I find a lot of mentions about moving good energy in and out. So I tend to think it's energy." He gave her a shy smile and then nodded "That works too of course. Good practice for me. Maybe I should start calling you my own personal vampire," he added teasing again. Oh ouch what a bet! "Oooo, that's some bet! And you are super good at those..."

Confused he asked "Wait, a thing? Does that mean what I think it does?" Oh wow, she really was racing through growing up! His eyes showed his surprise as well as a certain amount of awe in a minor way. "Whoa! Contracted? They still do that? Damn...." He felt a slight chill up his spine at her words though he didn't know why. It took a moment longer before he responded, looking at her face, but then he sought to see her eyes. "Ally...did you fall in love with him or something?"

"Cause like, sneaking out of school? Going to see his home when he's getting marr-- oh wait, he's getting married in the future, right?" Still he felt a looming badness about this, but despite the fact it bothered him greatly he saw her distress and wanted to relieve that first. "Hey, come here, goof. You know better then this..." Pulling closer to her he held out his arms and let her crawl into him a bit as he hugged her tightly, his face above her head a touch. "You're tough, you know this. You can get through this, it's part of life."

His face looked hesitant and sorry to be hearing all this, but he quickly smoothed that way before she could see it in him though his heart was going a bit fast. "I bet we all have to learn this sooner or later, yu are just ahead of most of us. People survive it, they go on and keep growing. If he's getting contracted, then it wasn't supposed to be, right? I assume you will still be friends with him."

ALLEANA LEI MOON

[ALLEANA LEI MOON]

She rolls her eyes at him, grinning, and nods. "Its fine" She can feel his eyes on her intently as they travel over the words. It doesn't make her uncomfortable, but she is surprised by his request. "Sure" another nod. "I can't tell a difference really, but then I don't spend much time on it." Now that she thought about it, it did seem like something she should have been more curious about. She smiled at the praise. "I did, yeah" A trace of nostalgia as she remembers exactly how much, and her excitement when she'd first told Cameron about her choice. The letters they'd written while planning the whole thing were in her trunk somewhere. She wasn't exactly sure why she'd kept them, but the thought of throwing them away was disconcerting just now. Still, the more reminers she kept around, the more difficult it would be to forget, to detach, and Ally needed that, if nothing else, she needed to move on. She let it go, something to think about later. Out loud, she said "I thought so" and the smile broadened, pleased by his approval.

She gave him a look mixed between guilt and mischief. "This summer. Cameron took me to get it, he's a year older, and with the meta thing, it would pretty easy to fool them into thinking I was too." She looks proud of this, still, she decided, one of her more daring adventures. She thinks about the meditation a moment. "Five minutes of completely still silence..." Her voice is contemplative for a moment, then she shakes her head. "Nah, still too many." She grins almost childishly at him. She was so glad she'd made the decision to come. If she hadn't, she'd have probably snuck out to the astronomy tower, and she was going to need all of her luck for sneaking out tomorrow morning anyway.

"Energy" she repeated. "Sounds right." When she'd entered the room several minutes ago, she'd had almost none. Now she felt better, as though she'd been recharged. She wondered if it was in fact possible for one person to pass energy to another, either by magical or other means. It wasn't something she cared enough to look into, but it was worth thinking about. At his vampire comment, she smirked before leaning close and snapping her teeth near his jaw as though she intended to bite him. She gave him a rueful look at the 'bet' comment. "Usually yeah, but I bet him I could outswim him and...yeah obviously that didn't happen." She shrugged, "I couldn't back down though, you know me." She doesn't sound the least regretful about this fact. Its just who she is.

"It means what you think it means" she confirms softly, unsure exactly how he'll react, and prepared for the idea he might surprise her. This wasn't territory they'd ever covered before, and with anyone else she'd have avoided it entirely. She watched him covertly from under her lashes, searching his face, but unable to read what he was thinking. It was, she thought, one of the most frustrating things about him. She shrugged, "apparently some people do. Not really sure why, but yeah, he says its pretty set in stone." The thought of that still made her frown, not so much for herself as in empathy for him. She knew exactly how she would feel in his position. The question is so startling and unexpected that she turns to look at him wide-eyed for a minute. "What?" For a second it doesn't process fully, and when it does she laughs, shaking her head. "No, no, nothing like that" she assures him. "Cameron and I understood each other. It was just..." She was at a loss for how to explain. "I spent every night with him for a month, and several after that for most of the second semester." She shakes her head, "I got used to him being there, and with everything else it just...we were close, and I didn't really expect it to end this way. It was never going to be a long-term thing, we both knew that, but I didn't expect to have to distance myself like this, and it feels...weird." It was an under-statement, but it was close as she could get.

She isn't sure based on his tone whether he's scolding her or just trying to clarify. "Several years" she confirmed, "or at least that's what they're both hoping for." She shrugs, "they don't know each other very well and both are kind of...not too big on the idea of settling down early." As for the rest..."I know its a risk" she acknowledged, "but I just...I don't know. After this everything will change, it has to, and at least this way I get to end it on my own terms, you know?" She doubted he understood, doubted she had anyway to make him understand, but she was willing to try because she cared, because she knew he cared about her. Whether he approved or not, his next words left her no doubt he would be there for her regardless, and she felt a very powerful sense of relief at the thought. She moved closer, curling up next to him as feelings of safety, acceptance and calm washed over her. She relaxed against him, sighing when he spoke. "I know" she said softly, and then again with more conviction: "I know" She breathed in and out several times, the familiar feelings of comfort she'd come to associate with him since they were young had begun to enveloe her, forcing everything else out. Unable to resist, she added. "but its a nasty part."

He kept speaking, and she went quiet, listening more attentively than she normally did to other people. With others, she was usually formulating a response as they spoke. With Aiden, she just...listened, to the words, the sound of his voice, everything about him relaxed her, and she needed that just now. "It was never going to be" she agreed. "Neither of us is the type to chase the happily ever after thing" She stayed there, curled against him, unwilling to give up the comfort he provided. "I..don't know really. Part of me thinks it would be better if I just...walked way after this weekend, let myself forget as much as I can and move on." She knew Cameron wouldn't like it, but he'd be busy enough with his new fiancee she didn't foresee much of a problem. She had a life to live, and she wasn't going to spend it thinking about something that would never in a million years have been anyway. "I think you're the only guy I'm going to be sneaking out to see in the middle of the night for a while."

Words: 1,170
Lyrics: I Look At You - Miley Cyrus
Outfit: here
Thoughts: Ah, Aiden

@shava4444

[Deleted]

The touch of her skin was exceedingly softer then he would have thought considering how active she was, but it felt like pure magic under his fingertips. He had a bit of trouble withdrawing his fingers back when he reached the end of it but he did, reluctantly. "Nothing," he said softer then he realized, "you'd think there would be a ridge or something..." As her shirt slid back down he shook his head slightly, looking like disbelief, but really trying to wipe the impression out of his head so she didn't see. "I'd heard about people regretting some tats, sounds like you did better then most then! I thought you were smart, now I know." He patted her back shoulder as he turned back forward, feeling good about her in that at least. He nodded at the sound of the adventure, realizing she had been far more active with this guy she knew. Surely getting a tattoo was a highly personal thing? It was skin, even if she could change her body. "Did he...like he was there for all of it I guess? Did it hurt?" She had to have her shirt up, her bra as well he would have assumed because of the placement. Why did that bother him more then it should?

Nearly laughing out loud he pushed at her arm playfully before remembering where he was and dropping his voice. "Oh come on! Five minutes isn't that long and I'd be there holding your shoulder to help." Somehow he knew she needed to find that center, still spot inside of her but not today clearly. he did chuckle at her snap of the jaws, but didn't flinch because he knew she would never intentionally hurt him. He trusted her completely; that was clear. He shook his head at the bet. She could be mindlessly foolish sometimes. The chill he felt he realized was the idea she had already been ini-- had a guy insi-- had been naked with a guy. And somehow that bothered him down deep as well and his eyes closed for a moment while he thought about that. true in some daydreams he had found her suddenly telling him she deeply loved him and wanted him, but those were pipe dreams, unreality. And she surely wouldn't wait around for someone like him to make a move.

No. She really wasn't a one guy type of girl he thought feeling sad about that before he opened his eyes again.

His face showed he didn't get it. Nothing like that personal could ever be done without complete devotion in his eyes he thought. "B-But--" He stuttered a bit and frowned, stopping himself. "But it's so...much more then just personal..." No, he couldn't imagine that. Sex just for fun? Not with deep meaning and romance, intensity? That seemed so out of balance with everything that happened to a person during that, such a -- he blushed suddenly, and completely, turning his eyes from her a moment. It was clear he was a virgin, most definitely so, and considered it a deeply intensive thing unlike Ally had approaching it. However. he also still had very strong feelings for her beyond his own embarrassment and he shoved those aside for later as she came into his arms. "Maybe so but that is the heart. It's never halfway. I know this for a fact with my parents. it's hard, but the heart is a powerful thing."

The words echoed in his mind '...the type to chase the happily ever after thing' over and over.

He should have been delighted to hear her last words, but they fell hollow in his heart, which was feeling...what? he felt it intensely in his mind, hopes dashed that he had held onto hoping against the facts in front of him. No, she wasn't a one person type and he knew this even as it smacked him in the face, but he still held onto some sort of last hope saying that she could change. Yes she could, but how long? How much could he wait through, help her through, knowing she was that type, not one destined for him? And how dare he try to turn her his way anyway? He took a deep breath, let it out slowly and said maybe a bit flatly more then he wanted "Well duh, squirt, you're safe here. You know that," but his mind was telling him something very different and for once, he was trying not to listen to the truth of the facts in front of him...

ALLEANA LEI MOON

[ALLEANA LEI MOON]

His touch was soft, tentative as his fingertips grazed over her tattoo. It sent an odd tingling sensation through her from the point of contact, which she wasn't sure what to make of. 'This is Aiden' she reminded herself. They were friends, best friends, the kind you didn't ruin with trivial things like sex. She frowned, bit her lip with her back to him. She was just overthinking, she assured herself, and relaxed again after another moment. Some reactions were just basic. They didn't have to mean anything. His voice at that moment, the word, like a confirmation of her thoughts, and for a moment she couldn't remember what he was speaking about. Then he continued, and she understood. "Not really" she tells him softly, "the ink is underneath the skin, so there's no difference on the surface." As she lowered her shirt, she was too caught up in her own denials to notice his. The reminder of Cameron was...strange in the context of her current thoughts, but she nodded. "We snuck out and met in London" it makes her smile to remember, more excitement than tenderness. "He was there the whole time. He even came back with me to make sure I got back okay." What had happened after didn't need stating. There was a difference, she decided, between honesty and too much information, especially since he hadn't, and probably wouldn't ask. She smirked, "not so bad in some places, worse in others" she shrugged. "Not sure I'd do it again. Once for the experience was enough."

The subject shifted and she caught the amusement in his eyes as he pushed at her. "Five minutes is three-hundred seconds Aiden" she insisted. "That's a lot of seconds." She stuck her tongue out at him. He spoke of helping and she paused, giving in, but only slightly. "Okay, maybe that wouldn't be so bad." She gave him a playful look. "The whole five minutes?" She said it like she was going into some deep dark unknown and not just learning to meditate, ever the dramatic one. She saw him tense, and frowned. "Are you okay?" She wondered what had happened. He was rarely tense about anything that she noticed. It just wasn't in his nature. She shifted closer, facing him so that she could see his eyes. She noticed them closed and the frown deepened. "Earth to 'Den" she touched his face gently with her fingertips. "Everything okay in there?" She was nearly nose to nose with him now, concern etched in her normally bright face.

He spoke, and then she knew how he felt about the whole thing, or thought she did. Disbelief, she decided, was a reasonable enough reaction under the circumstances. Most of the girls she knew dreamed of romance. It just wasn't something Ally had ever envisioned for herself. She nodded her head, agreeing. "It is personal, but I trusted Cameron. We're good friends, or we were...you know, I'm not even really sure anymore what we are." The sort of relationship they had had changed things, and it was the sort of step that couldn't be untaken. A powerful thought, even now, and it reminded her vaguely of what her father had said about consequences and quality over the summer. It reminded her of the thoughts directly after, as she lay awake, waiting for her mother to burst in. She hadn't, but the time Ally had had to process her thoughts had brought some strange ones. Some of them half-dreams she hadn't known her subconscious could create. In one, there had been the sort of future her father described, to love and be loved by someone she could trust to be there forever. There were worse things, she had finally decided, than a forever love.

It reminded her of something Cameron had said early on about giving the right incentive. Again, his words, like an echo or an affirmation, and it makes her wonder for a moment if he can read her thoughts somehow. It wouldn't surprise her really, he'd always been the observant one. "It is" she agreed, thinking of her own parents. "But I didn't give Cameron my heart, just..." Just her body, something far less breakable in her opinion. Still, it seemed an odd thing to say out loud. "other stuff." She was grateful for that now, wondered how much worse it might have been if things had been different, if she'd been a little more idealistic. Maybe her father was right. Love was something you gave to a special person, the kind who treasured and cherished. She liked to think she'd notice a person like that if she ever found one, not that that was likely. She wasn't the kind of person someone cherished. She was the kind guys wanted, chased, and then, if they ever caught up, were content to let go again after a certain time. That suited her fine really, but it did leave her wondering what something a little different, a little more real, might feel like.

"Squirt?" she turned in his arms to give him a look. "You're not that much taller than me you know" she informed him. She poked him in the chest and gave him her best tough-looking face. "I could take you, you know." Mostly playful, but there was a challenging look in the eyes that should have been her trademark. One thing you could say for Alleana Moon, she never backed down from anything.

Words: 935
Outfit: here
Lyrics: I Look At You - Miley Cyrus
Thoughts: Oh dear.

@shava4444

[Deleted]

He nodded; it was logical. "I guess so..." Still, it nearly tempted him to get one himself some day, but that was him trying to distract his mind. Hearing Cameron had been there for such a personal thing seemed about what he had expected and a silent sigh escaped his lips before he spoke. "Well good that you had someone who knew about them, since I assume he has one?" Meditation turned to something much more of interest to him and she clearly caught part of that unfortunately.

Hearing she wasn't sure they were still friends helped actually, though he tried not to show relief. "Man... You sure do things fast." was all he could manage to say at the moment and he left it at that. Surely she would pick up on that part. He shrugged at her words as he held her, not believing she saw entirely. "I don't see how you can't give a deep part of yourself that way honestly, it's too personal for it to be more I would think, but maybe someday I'll understand more." 'Not likely understand no heart in it I think...' he thought to himself, surprised she cold say things about it had to be easier while believing she hadn't given a part of herself same time.

Her easy attack was familiar enough to bring him back from darker thoughts in a heartbeat, helping him cover the quavering in his mind. "An inch taller is still taller and I have two on you. Therefore squirt is a matter of height and has nothing to do with how you fight or who yo can take down, Ally," he said with a sticking out of his tongue. "I would never try wrestling with you, I know better then that! You'd just pin me and do that foot thing and I'd pass out eventually unable to move again..." He had no idea where she had learned massage, but she was damn good at it and she knew it.

ALLEANA LEI MOON

[ALLEANA LEI MOON]

He seemed to be contemplating something pretty closely, but she didn't push. Getting a tattoo herself was one thing. It could be hidden easily or changed. He didn't have those options, so his getting one was different in a way, final. He spoke of Cameron and she wondered why the air felt tense. There was something strange about discussing her experience with Cameron with him, and she could normally discuss anything with Aiden. She wondered for a moment why that was, but let it pass in favor of answering him. "He does" she confirmed. "Gave me the idea actually." She resisted going into detail in case he'd gotten a good look at the dragon earlier. She didn't want to have to explain that to anyone, mostly because she wasn't quite sure why she'd done it herself. She brushed her side with her fingertips. 'Live with no regrets' it said, in a language that was very common to parts of her family. She had thought it would be fun to have a permanent reminder of her experience with Cameron. Now, however, she wasn't sure. Something in her just wanted to move on, keep walking and leave it behind her after this weekend, maybe the words would be a reminder of that instead, that sometimes, in order to have no regrets, she needed to cut her losses and walk away. She didn't know, and thinking about it was killing her mood.

She arched an eyebrow at him. "Fast" she repeated. She shrugged, "I do things until they've run their course, which in Cameron's case was fairly quick, yes." It had felt like ages. Nearly every night for so many months, they had all run together, given the impression of having no beginning and no end. Everything had an ending of course, but being with him made that easy to forget. It made a lot of things easy to forget. She stayed silent then for a stretch of a couple of minutes. Had she given a part of her heart to Cameron? She frowned. It had certainly never been her intention. Losing his friendship was hurting her, yes, but that was normal, wasn't it? It took another moment for her to gather her thoughts enough to answer him. "It is personal" she agreed, "but there's a difference between being connected to someone on a personal level and being in love with them." She bit her lip. "I'm not saying its not a really intense thing" Maybe more intense than she had bargained for. "But Cameron's not the type of guy you fall in love with unless you're looking to get hurt. I knew that going in." She wondered, though, how much she'd actually understood. Was there any getting rid of this connection she felt? Somehow she doubted it, and she wondered if Cameron had known that would happen and why he hadn't warned her if he had. Maybe some day he'd understand..."Me too" she murmured, then looked startled. She hadn't meant to say it out loud.

Grateful for the shift, which all in all was much easier to handle, she rolled her eyes at him. "Two inches" she repeated, "hardly makes you a giant, 'Den" She rolled onto her side to look at him and crossed her arms. "Call me squirt again and see what happens" she threatened, grinning. He stuck his tongue out at her and she snorted, shaking her head. "Very nice" she murmured sardonically, and then laughed when he kept talking. "How well you know me" she agreed. Relaxing again, she uncrossed her arms and curled up next to him again, exhaling a long breath. "The truth is I really have no idea what's going to happen" she admitted. "This whole thing is...a lot more complicated than I thought it would be and..." A long hesitation before she confesses. "I kind of wish it hadn't happened." Her voice is small on the last part, quiet enough to only be heard if he's really listening. She shifted slightly and closed her eyes. The whole thing made her tired, so very tired. "I'm going to sleep now" she announced. Leaning up for a moment, she kissed his cheek. "Thanks for letting me talk, Den. I'm not sure what I'd do without you."

Words: 713
Outfit: here
Lyrics: When I Look At You - Miley Cyrus
Notes: Poor Aiden

@shava4444

[Deleted]

AH so Cameron was the one who gave her the idea for a tattoo. Aiden was far more interested oddly in piercings then tattoos, but to each their own. There just was something far less permanent about piercings since they would close up and recover. "Don't think I'll ever be that tempted to write on my skin, but my own thing isn't for everyone either." He was fairly sure about the piercings, they felt right in his mind. "Yes, you and fast seem to fit. You throw yourself at things I have to think about..."

He shook his head, giving her a puzzled look. "The muggles have a saying. 'For every action there is an opposite and equal reaction.' I personally think that every contact or relationship involved giving something equally of oneself to make it happen. So the more intense, the more invested you become. Glad to hear you kept your heart though..." He didn't see how it could be possible to do so, but she seemed to think it was all over. Could it be that way? Really? She had seemed so shaken up (or as much as she got) before hand about it.

Just his interpretation possibly.

"Who said I was a giant? Not me." He held up a hand, laughter in his eyes. "You'd pin me till I admitted you had won. Which I'd admit about a second after you asked of course." She far too enthusiastic at wrestling and his skills were in another direction. In fact she had him physically a number of ways, he only had her in flexibility. Aiden gave her a mock affronted look. "If I didn't know you so well you'd hardly be here, Ally. We've been best buds forever it seems." She kissed him on the cheek and he half-grinned saying somewhat weakly "Oh anytime, Ally, I'm here for you."

Pulling back the covers he slipped in and turned with his back to her, not feeling sleepy at all now He felt her settle and listened for awhile as she got comfortable, but his mind was wide awake. Through his mind her words played, re-emphasizing how she was not a one guy kind of girl, how she would probably never settle down and he knew those words pierced him to his heart. There had been little warning he had sold his heart out so early on, but she was the one. And it sounded still like she had no interest; he had been more then just friend-zoned, he had never gotten out of the starting gate.

ALLEANA LEI MOON