sugar and spice | ashley

[Elijah Theron Fleming]

only dust settles.

THE AIR IN THE SMALL, ABANDONED POTIONS room smelled of a mixture of burnt sugar and fresh fruit. At first, when he'd burnt his second batch and the smell really hit him, Eli had almost gagged. But, as time wore on and he ran through batch after batch, Eli thought maybe it was growing on him. It wasn't so pungent after all. Like burning a new incense or something. Plus, that wasn't what was important. It was the concoction he was currently stirring in to a frenzy on the work top.

Ashley had trusted Eli a long time ago with her guilty pleasure. And he had to admit, it had been nice that she had trusted him. It didn't take a genius to know how important it was to her that she kept things private. She had always been a private person. Eli was not, which was why it had always been such an accomplishment that he managed to keep their friendship quiet. Now, he didn't care quite as much. He had to get her back on his side first. And so, he was whipping up his best recipe yet.

First, Eli had tried a mint chocolate mixture that had clung to his shirt and skin like a sweet cologne. It was nice, but only nice. Second, Eli played around with a banana split flavour that, while definitely memorable, was only a 6 out of ten when he got it right. Finally, Eli had settled on a sherbet, mixed berry ice cream flavour that clung to his taste-buds and smelled just as good as it tasted. The trouble was perfecting the batch, which he'd spent much of his Saturday doing while locked away in a potions room. He'd never been good at spells, and the pile of failed batches filling an empty trash can sure proved that.

However, eventually Eli concocted a batch he deemed worthy to share. If he couldn't draw her back with forgiveness and fixing her bracelet, well he was willing to bribe her with ice cream. Setting it aside gently, Eli left the potions room still tangled in his apron. Winding his way through the hallways in search of Ashley. When he finally found her, wandering outside in the courtyard, he paid little attention to who was watching when he approached her.

"Come with me," He said urgently, tilting his chin up and motioning behind him. He must have looked a sight. Smelling of sickly sweetness and singed cloth. He didn't touch her, only reaching out as if to as he began backing away. "Quickly!" He said, hoping the serious tone he adopted was effective enough to overcome her stubbornness. 

@ashley

NEVERLAND at ADOXOGRAPHY 2.0!

[Deleted]

Ashley was regretting her decision to not be Eli's friend anymore. She still thought she did the right thing and was convinced that them being friends again would merely end up in disaster when she did something that would really make him hate her, but she missed him. She missed meeting with him and tutoring him and simply having someone to spend time with when she didn't have homework and other things to do. In other words, on days like today. 

As usual, she finished her homework during the week. It was a wonderful thing because she wasn't frantically studying like all the others who put their work off ... but the fact that all her friends were busy with homework meant Ashley really had nothing to do, which she definitely did not like. 

She decided to wander the school during her free time, investigating the corridors and looking for anything interesting. However, that did not hold her attention long and Ashley was bored. So she went outside, figuring that maybe fresh air would do her good, or maybe she'd run into someone that could help her be not-so-bored. 

What she wasn't expecting was for Eli to hurry up to her, telling her to come with him, quickly. He was a disaster, with a messy apron, his hair all over the place and a smell ... well she couldn't quite put her finger on what the smell was of. What in the world did he get himself into? Ashley, ever curious, needed to know what was going on and the urge to go with him was impossible for her to fight. It was almost as though he had a rope attached to her and was pulling her towards him, that's how strong it was. The thing was, Ashley didn't want to fight it. Excitement lit up her eyes as she nodded and stepped forward, following him immediately and without a second thought. Finally something to do today! "What is it?" she asked, trying to move fast enough that she could walk beside him.

Elijah Theron Fleming

[Elijah Theron Fleming]

only dust settles.

AS ELI WALKED BACKWARDS A PART OF ELI WAS certain that Ashley would reject him. It wasn't the first time he had felt that way, but it always felt like the first time. The very first rejection. But, he still kept going back. He still found himself coaxing her in to another scheme, and every time she agreed he felt that same thrill. His face broke out in to an immediate grin as he turned, his long legs striding back the way he'd come.

"You'll see..." He said evasively, turning his head to quirk his brows at her before looking away. There was merit in the mystery, he reckoned. The less she knew, the less she could overthink it all. He wouldn't stop her from leaving, he just wanted her to try it first. Plus, it was kind of funny seeing her squirm a little. Was he wrong to guess that she was excited to? Or was that wishful thinking?

Back at the Potions classroom, Eli made a show of looking around before he turned and grabbed at Ashley's sleeve. "C'mon..." He whispered. hit bottom lip wedged between his teeth as he tugged her inside. The room still smelled like a sugar cane factory had exploded, but that wasn't the point. "Ig-ignore the smell!" He said in a rush, waving his hand as he let go of her sleeve and crossed the room in three large strides. The bowl was covered in another, larger bowl and Eli didn't bother pointing out the many discarded copies pushed to one side. "This... is it." He said, a gleam in his eye. 

@ashley

NEVERLAND at ADOXOGRAPHY 2.0!

[Deleted]

Of course he wouldn't tell her what was going on. Eli was being mysterious, which was a side of him that Ashley always found intriguing. He wasn't good at keeping secrets, but he knew just how to get her interested and invested before revealing whatever crazy plans he had. She saw the familiar glint in his eye as he glanced back at her and rolled her eyes. He didn't have to see just how curious she was, did he? Or would he notice the way she was almost matching steps with him, the way the back of her hand brushed against his a few times as they walked- entirely unintentionally, but that in and of itself said something. Ashley was always in perfect control of everything she did, even with her hands. At this moment, she was too full of anticipation to really pay attention to it all. She smiled as she followed, moving fast to keep up with Eli's quick pace. What was so urgent? It probably wasn't bad but ... she was curious. That was probably the point, but she didn't care.

He stopped, glancing around before tugging on her sleeve and pulling her inside a classroom and a few giggles escaped Ashley. She couldn't remember the last time she felt so free and relaxed. Her nose wrinkled almost immediately upon entering and she covered it with the hand he wasn't tugging on. "Ignore it? What have you been doing in here?!" Ashley looked from side to side, trying to figure out what he did to the poor room. It was a mess, just like he was, but after a second Ashley followed him across the room. He announced that this was it and Ashley lowered her hand from her nose before she glanced to him, shaking her head slightly as her eyebrows furrowed. This was what? There were bowls in front of her and, rather than ask him what he was talking about, Ashley leaned forward to look inside. "Ice cream?" she asked, a delighted smile covering her face as she looked back up to Eli. "You made me ice cream again?!" She squealed, jumping up twice in her excitement. Sure, she could have ice cream any time she went to the kitchens, but Eli made this and she knew that he did it just for her. "What flavor is it?" Ashley asked, leaning over to grab his arm and give it a quick squeeze before letting go and leaning forward to look at the ice cream again. She couldn't help herself.

Elijah Theron Fleming

[Elijah Theron Fleming]

only dust settles.

ELI HADN'T ANTICIPATED JUST HOW PLEASED HE could make Ashley with one thing. At best, he'd hoped it would warm her to the idea of them being friend again. At worst, of which he had considered at great lengths, she would have brushed it off entirely. But, when she hopped happily in place, almost glowing when she realised what he had done. It made it all worth it. Ever single ruined batch, the amount of ingredients discarded.

"Yeah, I just-" Suddenly bashful, Eli shook his head and looked down at his feet. "I thought maybe it would remind you of home or something." The ice cream at Hogwarts was okay, but it wasn't the same. The variety was different, the flavours more subdued in his opinion. Hence his venture in to the homemade. Grabbing two spoons from his back pocket, Eli polished the heads with the corner of his apron. "It's mixed-berry-sherbet," Eli said, looking up as he said it all in a rush. "I got the sherbet from a wizarding sweet shop." He explained, handing Ashley a spoon. "Pops like popping candy once the ice cream melts." This, in the end, had been the root of a good 90% of his explosive batches.

Pushing the bowl across the table, Eli grinned softly. There was no caution in their steps at that moment. Neither of them holding back, just like old times. "Taste it, tell me what you think already!" He explained, twirling his spoon before sticking it dry on to his tongue to shut himself up. "I'm dying here." He declared around the well of it, his words muffled but comprehensible. 

@ashley

NEVERLAND at ADOXOGRAPHY 2.0!

[Deleted]

Ashley pulled her attention from the ice cream in front of her when Eli started talking again. She turned to face him, not even trying to hold back any part of the delighted expression on her face. He had ice cream, for her. He made it and she couldn't wait to try it out. She nodded when he said he hoped it would remind her of home. "I'm sure it's going to be great," she answered, her tone carrying all the excitement she couldn't contain. He pulled out two spoons and Ashley reached forward to take one, not turning to the ice cream yet. She wanted to know what it was. Her mouth fell open slightly as he explained the flavor, and the fact that it would pop in her mouth. Oooh this was going to be great!

He pushed the bowl toward her and Ash didn't hesitate a second as she pulled it closer and scooped out a decent-sized spoonful. Eli was telling her to taste it and tell him what she thought, but she wasn't in any rush. She wanted to enjoy this moment. She glanced over him and winked, a sign that she was going to go at her own pace. Then she put the bite in her mouth. Her eyes widened as the flavors hit her. Everything Eli said. Berries, sherbet, she smiled as she felt the popping sensation start. She swallowed it and forced her expression to calm slightly before turning to Eli. "You know ... I think I'm going to need to try a bit more before I can say what I think," she told him, going for innocence before she turned back to the ice cream, scooping up another bite immediately, closing her eyes and moaning as she let it melt in her mouth. "Eli, you have found your true calling," she muttered once it was gone, eyes still closed as she smiled and enjoyed the lingering flavors. She opened her eyes and shook her head, laughing. "I can't believe you just made this! It's better than ... oh, I can't even say!" She reached her spoon back towards the bowl, giggling before she popped another spoonful in her mouth. Yeah ... this wasn't going to last very long.

Elijah Theron Fleming

[Elijah Theron Fleming]

only dust settles.

THOUGH ELI KNEW IT WAS GREAT WHEN HE tasted it, there truly was no guarantee that Ashley would agree. He'd tried to think of flavours she would like, but he couldn't be sure. He had questioned himself often. But, eventually he went with his gut. And his tongue. He rocked on his heels impatiently as he waited for her, his spoon sticking out of his mouth so that when she winked, he almost choked.

"You're torturing me." He said as he pulled the spoon out of his mouth. And he meant that in more ways than one, whether he knew as much, or not. But, he watched her closely as she popped the spoon in her mouth. Her eyes round, a good start. Though, when she declared she needed more instead of telling him he threw his head back and whined a little bit, shaking his arms out. She was playing him, he was certain, but he liked it.

So, when she finally spoke again he was eager, flopping his upper body over the sticky table edge, head turned towards her. "You think?" He said, straightening quickly. He had no intention of being an ice cream maker, but it sure didn't hurt hearing that he could be. "You know, I wasn't too sure..." He began, falling in to a ramble. "I thought maybe the sherbet would be too much, or it would be too... fruity, you know, but-" He stopped, drawing in a deep breath. "I'm glad you like it." With a soft smile and a gentle nod, Eli reached over and grabbed his own bowl, scooping out a mouthful to stop himself from talking. 

@ashley

NEVERLAND at ADOXOGRAPHY 2.0!

[Deleted]

Ashley was fully aware of the fact that her slowness was driving him crazy. She knew Eli well enough to be ready for that kind of a reaction, but she still did it, smirking over at him when he told her that she was torturing him. Good. He blindsided her by making ice cream for her in the first place. Now it was her turn to pay him back by taking her sweet time in telling him what she thought. She almost laughed when he whined at her refusal to say anything after her first bite, but she was too intent on getting her second bite to really say anything. 

When she finally told him what she thought, he questioned her, but she figured it was more out of surprise than anything else. She nodded firmly at him, not saying anything since her mouth was full of the ice cream yet again. She rolled her eyes when he started talking about all the ways he doubted his ice cream. She swallowed and turned to face him. "It's great. Way better than all the ice cream they have in this place." Ash licked her lips, smiling at the fruity flavor again as he took his own bite. "Do ... you think you could make it again? I mean, not right now ... but maybe you could show me sometime?" She wasn't really sure if he paid enough attention to his recipe to be able to make it again, but if he did it would be absolutely worth every minute. She glanced back down at her bowl, scooping out some more to hide how much she was hoping that he said yes. This was so good ... Ashley knew she wouldn't be satisfied with only eating it once.

Elijah Theron Fleming

[Elijah Theron Fleming]

only dust settles.

ELI WAS SO OBVIOUSLY PLEASED THAT HE'D managed to impress Ashley. A cheek creasing grin splitting his face in two. He scooped a mouthful of ice cream in to his mouth and tried to act casual, but he wasn't very good at faking it. "It was nothing." Except, it so obviously was. One look around the scattered remains of the potions classroom told a story of a thousand words. But, he didn't care. It was worth it.

"Uh, yeah of course." Eli said enthusiastically. "This is my best creation yet!" He guffawed in to his bowl, scooping another spoon in to his mouth so hard it clattered against his teeth. He turned his back to the table, hopping up on to the top and setting his bowl in his lap, legs swinging merrily. "I think it's helping with my potions," He began, licking the remnants of his spoon before continuing. "You know, cooking and stuff. It's not that different." He shrugged one shoulder, lifting his head to smile at Ashley. 

@ashley

NEVERLAND at ADOXOGRAPHY 2.0!

[Deleted]

The grin on Eli's face was contagious and Ashley felt herself smiling back at him. She laughed when he said it was nothing, "Sure it wasn't." She glanced around the room. "Still, thanks." Ash took another bite of the ice cream, feeling all her previous tension leave. It was amazing what just spending time with him could do for her and the fact that he planned all of this ... well she loved it. 

"I mean, I'll trust you on that since I haven't tried your others, but I'll look forward to it," she said, picking up her own bowl and moving to sit beside him on the table, nudging his shoulder with her own before scooping out some more ice cream. "Really? I'm proud of you, Eli! I'm glad cooking helps you." She laughed softly, then sobered as a thought came. She hesitated to ask him ... but she really wanted to know. And they were kind of already talking about his grades, so it wasn't that out of the blue, was it. She looked down into her bowl of ice cream. "I ... was wondering ... how did your exams go last year?" She couldn't look up, felt entirely self-conscious mentioning it, but she also couldn't help herself. 

Elijah Theron Fleming

[Elijah Theron Fleming]

only dust settles.

SPENDING TIME WITH ASHLEY IN SUCH A CASUAL and easy setting reminded Eli of all the great things about them. About their friendship. But, he dare not voice them. With every side eye he cast her way, smiling as care-free as he could, he realised that she was falling in to it just like he was. She wasn't looking at him with that skittish, guilty stare. And God, it was all he had really wanted. But it felt... limited. Even he was smart enough to know that. He vowed to enjoy it while it lasted.

"I'll make you a taste tester." Eli smiled, licking sugar from the corner of his mouth. "And you can decide for yourself." He shrugged, like it was easy. "But I'm right..." Pointing his spoon at her he poked his tongue out until it almost touched the tip of his nose. His eyes were crinkled at the corners. Though, admitting anything about school work felt like dangerous territory. But, it was true, the cooking helped in a strange kind of way. Forced him to focus, especially when he was cooking for somebody else.

Dropping his spoon in to his bowl, Eli balanced it in his lap and avoided Ashley's gaze. He knew she would ask, she had tutored him for months. It made sense that she would care. "They... went..?" He said with a dry laugh, reaching up to scratch the back of his head. "I mean, you helped me out a lot." His smile softened and he didn't look quite as down-trodden for a moment. "I passed most of them, took a couple of resits in the summer." He shrugged his shoulders. "I mean, I'm here right?" He snorted, shaking his head once as if to loosen the thoughts from his head.

"I just... gotta make it to graduation." Eli sighed, leaning back on his hands until he was staring at the ceiling. It was going to be a hard year, the last ones always were. But, all he wanted to do was find a magizoology internship, maybe at a sanctuary or on the road, and he'd be fine. "Then I'll be fine." He nodded like he was reassuring himself, sitting up and almost dropping his bowl. He scrambled to catch it before setting it aside. "What about you? What're you gonna do?"

@ashley

NEVERLAND at ADOXOGRAPHY 2.0!

[Deleted]

Ashley grinned at Eli, delighted by the idea of her being a taste tester for ice cream. "Done! I will taste your ice creams and tell you which ones are best," she giggled, knowing the entire situation was hypothetical and wouldn't really happen. Then he said he was right and she laughed a little more, "I'm sure you are. This stuff is amazing," she said, lifting her bowl as she mentioned it, taking another bite and closing her eyes as she allowed it to melt in her mouth. 

She glanced up at Eli when the silence came between them after her question. Crap. She shouldn't have asked that, should have known that doing so would definitely make him feel uncomfortable. She knew him well enough to know that. He wasn't looking at her either, so she turned her attention to the bowl in her hands, slowly twirling her spoon in the ice cream and scooping some up. She smiled a little when he said that he helped her a lot. Really? She felt a small weight lift from her shoulders when he said that he passed most of them. "I'm glad you did all right and that the tutoring helped a bit," she answered softly, nodding when he said he was here. Then she looked up, giggling softly. "I'm glad for that too." Ashley didn't want this conversation to be awkward. It was too much fun being with Eli to let her stupid questions ruin everything. 

When he said that he needed to make it to graduation, Ash wanted to volunteer to help again. She could almost sense his stress about the situation and if her tutoring really helped him last year, maybe she could offer to help again. "I could ..." Ashley's voice was hardly audible and she trailed off, coughing and hoping that he hadn't heard her. What if he didn't want her to help? She smiled, chuckling when he almost dropped his bowl. "Nice catch," she teased, scooping out the last bit of ice cream from her bowl and stuffing it in her mouth. She shrugged at his question, "I'm not entirely sure. I might try singing, or potions or something." Honestly, Ash hadn't really thought too much about life outside of school. She needed to start though. She looked over at him, biting her lip as she placed her bowl on the table beside her. "Tell me a secret?" Ashley asked with a small smile, leaning forward just a little and resting her elbows on her knees as she looked at Eli and played with her fingers. The words felt familiar and for a moment Ash had a feeling of deja vu, but she ignored it, just wanting to hear whatever Eli had to say.

Elijah Theron Fleming

[Elijah Theron Fleming]

only dust settles.

IT WAS EARLY DAYS BUT ELI THOUGHT THAT IT had to be a good sign that Ashley was agreeing to plans with him. Even loose, easy ones about ice cream. More often than not, Eli could understand when those were pushed aside, but suddenly when she agreed he felt full of hot air. Like he might float away. He didn't mention it as he nodded, a mouth full of sweet ice cream remnants and half-baked ideals.

But, it couldn't always be easy, and Eli tried to be as honest as he could without bursting their bubble. School was such a delicate subject for Eli and he knew that Ashley knew that. She'd seen how he struggled while she was tutoring him. "I wouldn't have made it without you." He told her, his voice as soft as a whisper as he looked at her through his lashes.

While watching the ceiling, Eli heard Ashley begin a sentence and then let it die. In the past, he would have chased it, made her finish what she was about to say. And he almost did, nearly sacrificing his bowl when he did. "Thanks," He muttered with a snort instead. Those were days gone by and he didn't feel like he could say what he wanted anymore. He let the words die between them like she intended them to, feeling like a coward. "Singing; you'd be a great singer." Eli said wistfully, sitting up and turning to pull his leg under him and face her. "I'd come to all your shows." He told her, a dreamy look in his face as he watched the words fall across her face.

The bowls discarded and Eli's leg pulled up in to the space between them, he realised they were almost touching. That every time she breathed or he breathed his shin brushed against her hip. It was like old times, where he could feel the prickling tension in the room. But, this time it was overshadowed by caution. Looking down at his legs, Eli's head whipped up when she spoke.

'Tell me a secret', she'd said and it oozed a quiet, blissful nostalgia. Eli remembered the last time they'd said that. It was probably the only reason they were there, eating ice cream because she caved and told him it was her guilty pleasure. It made so much sense to revisit it and he loved that she had. Whether she knew it or not. 

Drawing in a deep breath, Eli's eyes creased at the corners and he reached for the bracelet that hung delicately from her wrist. "You remember when I gave you this?" He asked, knowing that she did but wanting to reach out to her. His fingers brushing gently against the soft skin of her wrist, feeling her own fingers flex under his own. "I bought most of the charms from a vendor in LA, but this one..." He fingered the ice cream cone, rolling it between his hands. "I made this one..." Shaking his head, Eli used his free hand to rub it nervously across his nose.

"My mom... we used to collect precious metals together." Eli was almost whispering, leaning close to make sure she could hear. He hadn't told anybody about this. The only people who knew where his family and they never spoke about mom any more. "We'd go and drag rivers, use metal detectors and stuff? No-maj stuff..." Shaking his head, Eli adopted a faraway stare as he recounted better days. "And when we found stuff we'd... keep the special coins and weird stuff, but we'd melt down the scraps." The little cone was warm under his touch and he let it fall against her wrist again but didn't pull his hand away, hovering just above hers.

"Metal is... it's really malleable- soft, you know?" He looked up to catch her eye. "I used some of our last scraps to make the cone." He smiled tentatively, watching to see if it bothered her in some way. "That's why... it's kind of banged up looking and a little... discoloured?" With a short laugh, he tried to shake it off. It had mattered to him, and when he hadn't been able to find the perfectly sized ice cream cone, he'd decided to make his own. It had taken forever but he'd wanted it to be perfect. He thought that it was. "There, that's my secret." He licked his lips and quirked his brows like what he had told her hadn't been a slice of his own heart. "Your turn."

@ashley

NEVERLAND at ADOXOGRAPHY 2.0!

[Deleted]

Ashley's eyes widened when Eli decided to elaborate on his grades from last year, saying he wouldn't have made it without her. "Really?" she whispered back, a small smile creeping onto her face as his words seeped in. She helped him! The fact that he thought she helped him that much was like magic with how much it lifted her spirits. "I'm happy that our working together helped you so much." The words sounded awkward as they escaped her lips, but they were true. Over the past few months, she'd worried about him, hoping he did well in his exams and that maybe he'd think their time together hadn't been wasted. Knowing that he attributed his passing to her help was more validation than she ever hoped to get. 

When Eli didn't try to get her to finish her sentence, Ashley figured he probably hadn't heard her, which was all for the better. Tutoring him now ... it wouldn't work, as much as she wanted it to. She didn't get the chance to think about it when he thanked her for her teasing compliment and then went on to tell her she'd be a great singer. She blushed slightly, even though she knew that. She had an amazing voice, that was just fact. Her eyes widened at his next words. "I'd love that!" she exclaimed, surprised that he would want to come hear her sing more that once. "Are you sure you wouldn't get bored though? I'm sure some of them would be the same songs," she teased. "You don't have to come to all of them." 

He was so close. Ashley didn't even realize how near he was to her until she asked her question and he started reaching for her. She leaned back slightly for a second, but relaxed when he answered with a question of his own. He was reaching for her bracelet. Ashley leaned toward him once more, moving her wrist so it was a little closer to him. "Of course I do," her voice breathy. She couldn't help it. He touched her wrist for a second before focusing on one of the charms. She couldn't tell which one and found herself moving so she could see which charm he was talking about. The ice cream one? She glanced up at him, almost disbelieving. "You made it?" 

He was already explaining, leaning closer and Ash found herself mirroring his movements, not even noticing it. He was talking about his mother and how they would find metal and sometimes keep it, while other times melting it down. She noticed him letting go of the charm, but his hand hovered there, which she hardly noticed due to the fact that he was then looking up at her. "You used the last ... " her voice cracked as pure emotion took over and she couldn't finish her sentence, but he kept going, explaining why the charm wasn't as perfect as the other two. Ashley shook her head, "It's perfect. I've always liked that one the most, because it was different from the other two." She bit her lip for a second, lifting her hand so that her fingers rested lightly on top of his for a second. Then she started pushing at the tips of his fingers with her own, not really realizing what she was doing, but wanting a physical connection to him all the same. "Now I like it even more," she admitted with the tiniest of smiles, still pushing lightly at his fingers and loving the feeling of having him sitting there, so close to her. 

When he asked for a secret of hers, Ashley spoke immediately, her tongue moving before her brain had a chance to think about it. "I started running this summer," she said. The words came out quickly, her fingers freezing as she registered what she actually said. She felt extremely self conscious, even though it was unlikely that Eli would realize what a huge admission that was. She cleared her throat, looking down at their hands and starting to push at his fingers again in an attempt to distract him what she was about to say, not even aware of the small smirk that crossed her face as she started to explain. "I ... had this friend, you see. He used to love running and would drag me all over with him and it was fun. Then summer came and I couldn't see him anymore, so ... I started to run kind of as a connection to him. Sometimes I ran with my brother, but most of the time I ran on my own" She glanced up to look at Eli for a second, "but I never told my friend, even when school started again. I still run though," Ashley blushed as she looked away again. She was talking about Eli, which made this all the more embarrassing that this was the first secret that came to her. But ... maybe he wouldn't realize she was talking about him. Part of her wanted him to know, though. "Have any more secrets for me?" Ashley teased, trying to keep the conversation going.

Elijah Theron Fleming

[Elijah Theron Fleming]

only dust settles.

A SLIGHT CRINKLE FORMED BETWEEN ELI'S BROWS as he looked at Ashley. Didn't she knew how much she had helped him? Not only by just being his friend, but by tutoring him too. Ashley had been Eli's most patient tutor by a long shot. He'd breezed through many without a hint of success, and yes he had considered that his success was probably a result of his massive crush on her, but at the same time she had made him want to be better. "Yeah," He nodded firmly. "It literally saved my school year." There was no doubt about that.

With his bowl set to one side, Eli snorted once through his nose as Ashley told him he'd get bored at her concerts. "No I wouldn't." He told her, shaking his head with complete assurance. Eli felt for definite that he could sit and enjoy a thousand of Ashley's performances without question. "Just try and stop me." He smirked, poking at her leg before he stopped to tell her a secret.

It was, quite completely, a piece of Eli he hadn't been prepared to share before that moment. And the fact that it surprised Ashley was as disheartening as it was complimentary, especially when she noted that she liked it most. He was blushing at his ears and neck by the time he was finished, eager instead to know something more about Ashley. That was the beauty of it. That everything he gave, she met him with something of equal or more significant value. Like they were sparring, each landing blows by giving just a little more. Ashley could not convince Eli that they were not friends.

With his fingers pressed against hers, they moved in sync. Like a battle of its own as they threaded in and out, peddling their middle fingers until eventually Eli looped his pinkie with hers. He didn't look at her when she began to speak, but couldn't help it when he realised what she was saying. They had always been running, Eli and Ashley. It was as much there 'thing' as there study sessions had been. Eli's face split in to an unruly grin, teeth glinting as he listened to her. He tightened his pinkie around Ashley's, to give her a little of his strength when she froze.

"You're running without me?" He joked, his smitten smile as soft and oozing as his eyes as he dipped his head to catch her eye. "That's the best secret I've ever heard." His voice was croaky, quieter than usual to fill only the space between them. Threading there fingers together completely, he pulled them up under his chin and hugged them there for a second. "Let me come next time," He pleaded, his bottom lips brushing against her curled thumb before he set them down in his lap, afraid that if he let go she might run again.

"I miss you, Ash." He said, blinking heavy, feathered lashes at her. "Is that a secret?" Though Eli was sure it was not, he thought he'd remind her just in case. "I miss how things used to be- like this..." He gestured between them, his eyes wide and open. It wasn't the same kind of secret as not being able to swim, or making her a charm for her bracelet. It was more raw, left Eli feeling much more vulnerable. "It could be like that again." He looked down at their hands, running pinkie along the delicate bed of her nail, pressing his pad against the curved end until it dug in to his skin a little bit. 

@ashley

NEVERLAND at ADOXOGRAPHY 2.0!