What’s a few bruises? Finished

Alan was outside, once again and it was as if the second year lived there. He spend most of his free time out of the castle, liking the feeling and smell of fresh air. He smiled lightly, on the way to his small hill. He hoped for a peaceful day and it kind of has been one for now. But when he passed by the few benches that had been placed on the ground, he noticed a figure.

Alan blinked and would have continued walking, but the boy seemed to be covered in bruises. The split lip caused blood to pool at the wound and trail down at the corner of the boys lips. Alan took in a sharp breath stepping towards the boy as he scrambled to find a tissue in the pocket of his robes. ”A-are you okay? These bruises look tough”, he asked in a soft voice, concern visible in his eyes.

”Ah-”, Alan pulled his hand from his pockets, now holding a silken handkerchief that he had cleaned, after an incident in the Great Hall. ”I have some water too, if you want to get rid off the coppery taste? How did this happen anyway?” Now Alan was holding out both the sealed bottle of water and the tissue, his body casting a shadow over the boy who had his eyes closed, when Alan found him like that.

Kyle was enjoying himself as he lay there relaxing when a shadow was cast over him and he heard someone talking to him. He cracked one eye open and say the boy holding a silk handkerchief and a water. Asking what was wrong with him, offering to help, blah blah blah. How boring.

With a sigh he sits up and waves off the other boy. Wait a moment...he recognized this boy. He examined the robes and saw the Gryffindor colors on his robes. Another lion, of course. So why were they fawning over him like some hufflepuff? Kyle wipes the blood from his chin and wipes it off on his pants. He leaned forward for a moment and considered being snarky or telling the boy to piss off. But he needed some more time before he got into another fight so he decided against it.

”listen uh...whoever ya are. Just had a bit of dust up with a Fork tongue. Don’t worry, he got off worse than me” he chuckles and scratches the back his head and mussed his messy hair even more. ”Every now and then you just gotta throw down yeah? Remind yourself ya still got blood in yer veins”

[quote]"Alan" he muttered, even though he was sure that the other was not someone to care. Maybe? Who knows, Alan didn't but he thought it was at least polite to give him the option of calling him by his name. Alan wodnered who he was, but there was also douht that he would be willing to tell Alan.

"No.... I don't get it", he admitted nervously, pulling back the offered item, staring at the bruise at the others eye. "Is the pain worth it? I mean, after the fight is over...", again Alan did not know. He knew nothing about fights, least of all their purpose. Was he nosy? Maybe, was he?

Alan also wanted to tell him that fighting woud get him into trouble, but for this he was one hundred percent sure that it would just make the other boy mad. And Alan wouldn't say it, it was not his deal to tell him how to act. He had ni right to lecture anyone and he wouldn't, he was neither Hufflepuff not Ravenclaw. Alan himself was not really following every rule, sneaking out of the castle and all that.

He was still looking at the boy, waiting for some kind of reaction, as he stuffed the handkerchief into his pocket.

Kyle couldn’t help but notice how uncomfortable Alan, what a boring name, seemed to be as he spoke. Almost like he was walking on eggshells. Did...did he think Kyle was going to just up and punch his lights out too? What a dork. Kyle chuckled to himself and shakes his head, people at this school were so weird.

"Is the pain worth it? I mean, after the fight is over..." Alan asked. Ah man had this guy never been in a fight before? That was almost adorable. Maybe Kyle SHOULD just punch his lights out, give the guy a taste.

Kyle slaps his lap and gets to his feet ”alright Al, so getting punched sorta hurts sure. And letting yer arse kicked makes you sore the next day. But the adrenaline rush, and the thrill of the fight makes ya feel alive. No feelin quite like it”

Kyle shakes his arms and rolls his neck before he plants himself and turns his face slightly as if offering his cheek. This was either going to be very fun or be incredibly boring. ”don’t think, stay out of yer head. Just punch me. Hard as you can. Come on” he beckoned the other boy with both hands before shaking his arms again to psyche himself up. The ball was in Alan’s court

Alan pursed his lips, frowning at the other boy before he shook his head. ”I won't, I won't punch you”, he declared with his voice somewhat steady; or as steady as his voice could get. Alan folded his arms in front of his chest, tucking away his hands beneath as if to hide them. They would not be able to even form fists like that and therefore he would not be able to punch him. Not at this moment at least.

”So for you it is like a sport? Muggles fight, they box- my cousin told me”, Alan had no idea how Muggle fighting works. However he knew that sport usually had rules... so was this a hobby? Was there a difference? He just shook his head in a slight motion as if to get rid off the thoughts, they were not important. He was sure he would never have to do such stuff, he did not want to cause hurt to anyone. But his cousin had told him anyway, some stuff about fighting and his cousin said he would at least have to know how to defend himself; with Muggle ways. Alan thought it had been stupid, but he did it anyway and his cousin taught him how to block, at least he tried. But Alan was bad at blocking, he would just dodge, that he was good at.

Kyle drops his arms and slouches his shoulders and lets out a heavy sigh. Really? He wouldn’t punch him? Kyle examined Alan’s body language with the crossing of his arms and he couldn’t help but frown and shake his head, how disappointing.

Kyle would turn away from Alan and plop down heavily on the bench once more and he ran a hand through his hair. ”Listen Al. It’s not a sport, it’s not a hobby. It’s just something to do. I like the rush of a fight and pain is a reminder. You either fight or get taken advantage of. Fightings more fun”

Kyle lays flat on the bench once and closes his black eye while staring up the at the sky once again. He met a lot of people and not all of them would fight and those that did not all of them liked it. And that was boring. Getting into trouble, getting into fights, doing dangerous things, taking risks. It was exciting, and it was also the best way to find out the truth about people. With a pocket full of stolen stuff and the cops on your tail you knew exactly how much you could depend on someone.

”aren’t hufflepuffs supposed to be all touchy feely and passive?”

Alan did not fully agree with him, but he did not say it. He did not even think it mattered what his opinion was and honestly it was not his right to tell him how to live. They were not friends or anything, Alan did not even know his name. He knew that the boy must be in his house, he had seen the badge with their house symbol on it and the way he was behaving screamed Gryffindor. ”Oh...”, he muttered, when the boy told him it was neither a hobby or a sport. It was something the other just did, which Alan could not understand. But he understood the explanation. Maybe it was like running, running until you felt exhausted. Which is what Alan does sometimes, to clear his head.

He watched as the boys laid down on the bench again, one eye closed, which looked a bit swollen and had a bruise; well he did fight. He even told him that it was against a Slytherin and Alan hoped they were alright.

”The hat chose that I am a Gryffindor, it doesn't mean I have to hit anyone, or get into fights-”, he shrugged, his gaze wandering towards the hill which had been where he had wanted to go. But then he remembered he still didn't knew the others name. ”Before I leave... what's your name?”

Kyle let out an audible groan as the other boy droned on. He really was going to just be completely passive? What a dweeb. He was about to just tune the guy out and ignore him until he was asked his name was asked and he got curious. The two of them were pretty opposite, and Kyle told Alan to punch him then berated him when he wouldn’t. So why on earth did Alan want to get to know him? Kyle opened his eyes and took a deep breath as he sat up and then leaned forward onto his knees and look over at the other boy and cocked an eyebrow.

”Names Kyle. The lads back home call me Rook” the other boy would only be asking his name if he was curious. And since he was curious about Kyle instead of wanting nothing to do with him that meant there was wiggle room. Room that could be used to corrupt the other boy into either hitting him like he wanted, or maybe talking him into doing something else. Maybe like breaking stuff or sneaking into somewhere and taking something. At the very least trying to corrupt the boy could be an interesting challenging

Alan nodded when the other boy introduced himself as Kyle. Maybe he would remember the name, but most likely he would forget it as soon a she turned around to walk away. That's how he was, names weren't the most important thing to remember. The personality was more important and Alan thought the boy was weird. Who would like to be punched by someone they don't know? In an actual fight, not for fun... or was it fun for the boy? Maybe it was, he said so after all.

For Alan that was not comparable for the usual mischief he caused, like sneaking out after curfew or vising Hogsmeade. Alan was usually extra careful with activities like that because he did not want to be caught. But Kyle wanted the trouble as it seemed and that was weird for Alan.

”Well... I guess I'll go do some homework now. See you around, Kyle”, he said, before walking past the benches into the direction of the stables. He was curious, but not curious enough to bother him further. After all he was not stupid, the other Gryffindor clearly wanted to be alone- to Sleep or something like that, so Alan would not continue to throw questions at him.