Relaying Relations Errand PV Finished

Takes place after the events of Time Spent

The day of the relay had arrived, though Flash was not feeling as enthusiastic as he thought he was going to be. When he told Burnett that he wanted to invite Ruka himself, he imagined it going a lot smoother than it had. He got Ruka to agree, though that was never the intention of talking to him, really. In his deluded mind, he imagined telling Ruka that the three of them would greatly benefit each other. He felt the two of them had done him an immeasurable service by talking to him the way they did. For Burnett it had been intentional, though. He should have realized that Ruka had been saying such things out of not having much of an option otherwise, not out of any feeling of interest or care. Perhaps Burnett’s words that day had made him soft to the true harshness of reality-- that his problems didn’t matter, and no one really cared. Except maybe Burnett, but even that was hard to accept with the way he kept pushing and pulling.

Either way, Flash hadn’t been swayed on his original thought. Even if the particulars were against him, he knew the three of them were better as allies than they were as free agents. Perhaps they couldn’t see it as clearly as he did, but he knew an asset when he saw it. They were intelligent and clever, not bound by convention or the need to be liked. On the same token, they were people with a personal moral code, though in execution they could certainly do much better than they were. All three of them were failing on the execution of their standards, but Flash’s system accounted for that. Unity and teamwork was the answer to their problems. Well, at least some of them. People were stronger together, which was why despite what he knew would be an awkward reunion, he didn’t feel any apprehension for the relay.

He was wearing his usual outfit he put on for his jogs: a relaxed fit white t-shirt meant for exercise with light, easy fabric and ventilated mesh on the back and regular green athletic shorts. Well, they were regular, but underneath them he had an elastane liner with pockets, namely for his wand. He rarely used it, and had no plans to use it that day either, but as a precaution he never liked to be without it. His wand preferred to always be by his side anyway, and he was an accommodating sort of person.

He had running shoes as well, about the best that money could buy, but they looked like any other running shoes, now a bit worn from their repeated use over the last year. Still cleaned and maintained, of course, but that could only do so much to prevent their inevitable decay. Good shoes like that were sure to last him five years at the least, if it weren’t for the fact that he was growing out of them. He noticed they were starting to feel a bit tight, he was just going to keep getting steadily taller.

Arriving at the Quidditch training pitch, he saw Burnett had already made it and was looking thoughtfully at the large obstacle course that had been set up. Flash quickly glanced over the assembled track himself, but made a beeline for his teammate. He was slightly glad that Ruka had not arrived yet, though he tried not to dread it.

”Burnett.” He walked up to Burnett’s side after calling out to him. He always made a point to never approach people without making his presence known. ”Are you quite ready? Did you want to do some warm-ups with me?”

Regardless, Flash would start doing some light stretches.

Interacting with: @Jack Burnett
Mentioning: @Ruka Tân

Word Count: 623/1000

@Jack Burnett @Flash Holmwood

Ruka was decidedly not looking forward to this particular errand.

A race was already not something he saw himself doing, no matter what; He was a dancer, not an athlete, and he didn't think he'd ever really done any running in his life. While sure-footed when doing skips and twirls during his dance routines, he wasn't usually the most graceful either so he wasn't quite sure how well he would do in any type of obstacle course. Aside from that, they were supposed to compete in teams of three and Ruka had never had any experience with team sports and exercises, had always preferred doing things by himself, unless it was Fire Dance.

None of those things, however, were the reason for why he found himself in an extremely foul mood as he made his way down to the Quidditch Training Pitch, clad in his dad's old, grey joggers with holes over the knees and an oversized old white T-Shirt. Only his grey sneakers were picked from his new collection of clothes, his overall exterior resembling the version of him that had wandered the hallways after the Valentine's Party, rather than the version that had been attending regular mealtimes and sleeping on a regular schedule.

He could have dressed in brand new sports clothes he hadn't gotten around to wearing yet, but a part of him had wanted to look his least put together, knowing full well one of his team mates of the day wasn't exactly the happiest when things looked in any way out of place, judging by the way he could never seem to resist the urge to fix Ruka's tie each time they saw each other. As ridiculously childish and spiteful as it was of him to neglect his own appearance just to annoy someone else, Ruka couldn't help the way it made him feel a little better inside knowing it would awaken some sort of OCD inside Flash each time he looked at Ruka's general state of disarray.

There it was, the reason Ruka would have really rather stayed in his dorm room than to participate in this race; The fact that Flash was going to be there, most likely looking impeccable as always, with his many faces of which he probably didn't even remember anymore which one was really his own.

They hadn't seen each other since Flash had asked Ruka to join the race with him and Jack, and it was probably for the best, because each time the Gryffindor so much as thought of the other boy it filled him with a sense of dread that made his skin crawl. He could still hear Flash's voice in his head, could see the words he said thick and heavy, floating behind his eyes where they repeated themselves over and over again. They didn't sound any less threatening to him now than they did roughly two weeks ago, which was the exact reason for why Ruka felt like he had to show up to that race either way.

He wasn't going to leave Flash alone with Jack for longer than necessary if he could possibly help it, not after seeing that freaky smile on Flash's face.

Upon arriving on the Training pitch, Ruka barely took a second to really study the obstacle course set up there before his eyes had found his team members of the day, already present - Had they arrived together? - and with at least Flash already warming up for the upcoming race. Ruka's fingers twitched nervously at the sight, and his left hand wanted to almost instinctively reach for his wand tucked away in the pocket of his joggers. He had realised that his wand would most likely be in the way while doing some type of physical activity, but that hadn't stopped him from bringing it anyway; He needed to be prepared in case Flash was planning on doing anything foul.

With a little sigh to himself, Ruka approached the two Slytherins with confident steps, lightly slapping a hand on Jack's shoulder in greeting as he offered him a small smile that probably spoke of too much discomfort than strictly warranted by the situation.

Foregoing a verbal greeting, Ruka turned his attention to Flash next, expression turning sour as he observed the other boy as if he could somehow see bad intention written over his face and body. "Holmwood," he said bitterly, and the use of the last name made him cringe inwardly. He didn't ever really call anybody by their last name, not even Jack who so desperately insisted on being spared the intimacy of being on a first name basis with people. There was something almost dehumanising about it as he spat the word in Flash's direction, like he was trying to strip the boy of the identity he had made for himself.

"How's this thing work then?" he asked as he turned his attention back to Jack with a sense of urgency in his voice and his expression. I want to get this over with, his stance said, shoulders tense and hands balled into loose fists to keep from picking up the nervous tapping he'd worked so hard on to control. I want you to get away from him.

He didn't say it out loud, however, was hopeful Jack would notice the alarm in his expression either way, the widening of his pupils that said I don't trust him and You should stay away from him, though a part of him doubted that the other boy would honour that request anyway, not now that they were all already here and signed up to participate.

It was alright, that was why he had agreed to come before they could have asked someone less observant or less concerned with Jack's well being; So he could keep an eye on Flash and make sure he didn't even think about lifting a wrong finger Jack's way.

If he did, Ruka would be ready, and while he was in no way a violent person, that didn't mean he wasn't completely prepared for war.

Word Count: 1013/1000 | Complete

"Burnett."

Flash's voice speaking his name drew Jack's attention immediately and he turned his head.

"Are you quite ready? Did you want to do some warm-ups with me?"

Jack snorted. "Maybe I'm not quite ready," he teased, poking fun at the English boy's formal manner of speech. "so sure, why not?" He began to mimic what Flash was doing, stretching the same way he did and holding said stretches for the same amount of time, until he stopped at the sight of Ruka on the pitch.

"There he is. Hey, Tân!" he called, straightening up with a big grin on his face. But then it faultered at the sight of the other boy's expression and clothing. What was he wearing...? Had something happened to upset him? Had he misplaced his other clothes or gotten them stolen or confiscated by someone?

For his own part, the Welsh boy had put on the clothes his mother had sent them to practice fire-dancing in - the black long-sleeved top and black pants with breathable material that kept it from getting too hot. He might have still preferred a tank top or something and maybe some shorts given the option, but he was a bit worried about the professors watching noticing his numerous scars and burns. Apparently Ruka didn't have too much of the same worry since, even though his joggers were long, his oversized t-shirt was still not long enough to cover his entire arms.

Well, if they asked, Ruka could just tell them his impressive collection of burns came from years of practicing fire dancing. Jack, on the other hand...his scars were still more numerous than his burns and they were the sort that couldn't really be explained away so easily. Thus, he had decided it would have been better to keep the skin of his arms and legs out of sight altogether. Like the other boys, Jack had also stuck his wand in his pant pocket, but more out of the habit of keeping it on his person than anything else.

Before he could open his mouth to ask what was up, Ruka had approached both Slytherins and slapped a hand on Jack's shoulder playfully before giving him a smile that the first year didn't like the look of. Uh oh. So it had gone badly on Ruka's side, too? Was it so bad to have lasted this long since his and Flash's last encounter? No, no...maybe he was overthinking things. Perhaps Ruka just wasn't fond of the idea of the obstacle course. Or he was still upset about not being able to wear his newer athletic wear for some reason. Perplexed, he watched as the copper-haired boy then turned to interact with the brunet. He did little to hide his contempt when he spoke the other's last name.

"Holmwood."

Had they...always called each other that? Jack may not have seen them interact before, but when Ruka had talked about Flash in the past to Jack, he'd always used the other first year's preferred nickname. Why, then, had he suddenly switched to his last name instead? Was it because he, Jack, was present...? No...he didn't think Ruka had done that with anyone else before regardless of whether Jack was around or not...

"Heheh...heeeey," he chuckled, trying to lighten the mood before the tension got too thick. "How come you call him by his last name and not me?" It was an indirect way of asking what was going on and not too serious to suggest his growing concern yet. Still, he would have to keep an eye on the both of them and try to read between the lines. He cast Flash a weak smile, as if asking for a little help. "What do I have to do to earn that privilege?"

"How's this thing work then?"

Oh... It seemed written on every fiber of the Gryffindor's being that he wanted to be done with the whole errand as soon as possible. But why? Was he here against his will? Was there some blackmail going on? Looking between his two companions, Jack frowned slightly and raised a brow. Evidently, though, it seemed neither boy was so readily willing to talk about what had occurred during their meeting prior. At least Ruka wasn't. Not in front of Flash, anyway.

Did Flash know it was this bad? But if he had, wouldn't he have mentioned something about it to Jack? Maybe even asked him to talk to Ruka about it before they were forced to try to work together for the errand? With a heavy sigh, Jack gestured to the obstacle course. There wasn't a whole lot of time to talk things out just then. The professors were waiting as well as everyone else set to use the course after their trio.

"Each of us has to choose a part of that course over there. There's a beginning, a middle, and an end. Since something seems to be going on between you two, I think it's best I take the middle," he suggested, nodding toward the monkey bars. "I probably need to work on my arm strength the most anyway. But basically...

"Whoever goes first will start the race carrying the baton while jumping the hurdles. Then they'll pass it to me in the middle and I'll do the monkey bars before I pass the baton on to the last person. Whoever goes last will get the baton from me and then climb the rope net to finish the race. Our goal is to make the fastest time possible. Make sense?"

Burnett mimicked his movements, seemingly putting the effort into doing it correctly. A small smile crept onto Flash’s face to see Burnett’s own. It was contagious, though hadn’t it made him sick earlier in the year? Social engagement was certainly a topic that Flash trusted he would never be able to fully grasp, the whims of the mind to like or dislike things were simply too unpredictable. He had known Burnett for less than half a year, and his opinion of him had flipped completely. He went from cursing him quietly to hugs and smiles.

The smile disappeared however when only very shortly after did Burnett look out from beyond them and herald their final team mate. The word ‘Tân’ shot through Flash like an injection of fear into his veins. He shooed away the instinct, trying to center himself. He watched Burnett’s expression rather than turning around, but it too lost the joyful light within it. God, what now?

Submitting to his fate, Flash turned to watch Ruka’s approach, with a clear expression of the anticipation of grief. He was wearing clothes like he used to, like before Burnett got him a newer, cleaner wardrobe. Why? Wasn’t he taking care of himself, wasn’t he doing rather well? What was this, a relapse, or some sort of strange act of rebellion? Why even try to understand… What once held apprehension changed into something more like spite. He knew we would both react to him looking like this. He did it on purpose.

The way he waltzed up to Burnett so confidently, clearly enjoying the looks the two boys were giving him, made Flash look on with a scowl. Then, Ruka looked at him.

”Holmwood.”

Flash had to look away, even though it betrayed his weakness. He had come to the race wanting to put things aside, to learn to coexist, since they both clearly didn’t want to give up what they had with Burnett. But you can’t accept harmony when it’s given to you. You have to kick me while I’m down. He wasn’t sure why Ruka seemed so pleased with himself. Was he trying to get revenge for Flash insisting that they spend time together, try to mend things?

Well, he could be as shameless as he liked, it wouldn’t change Flash’s conviction. If he had to endure Ruka’s petulance in order for this to work, he would harden himself to it. The benefit outweighed the cost, and he could focus on that. He had tried to say his honest feelings, about how he was proud of what Ruka had done, how he needed to stop taking part in needlessly risky behaviors, but he had been rebuffed and humiliated. Told he was fake, told he was selfish. Walked all over.

Flash accepted that his words weren’t going to be the deciding factor in getting Ruka to listen to him. In fact, he wasn’t sure what was, but the first step was to get the three of them talking more openly. It was what Burnett wanted.

Speaking of the fox, he tried to smooth out the unmistakable animosity between the two of them. Trying to divert the attention by asking about the use of his surname was pointless, at least between Flash and Ruka themselves. Flash was sure he knew the message that Ruka was sending. ’We are not friends’, among other things. Burnett asked Flash a question, probing for some kind of fragment of information to work with, his smile showing his lack of confidence.

”I think he calls you by your first name as a sign of affection. You should feel flattered.” Flash’s eyes returned Burnett’s questioning gaze with one of pained apathy. Or, better known as ’please don’t ask’.

Ruka promptly used the proper method of diverting, bringing things back to business. As usual, Flash was of the same mind. There wasn’t much to say any longer, though there was plenty left to do. Burnett took the reins of explaining the errand, also accepting the middle position, under the pretense of keeping Flash and Ruka away from each other. Flash smiled to think of what Burnett could have possibly imagined them doing to ruin the relay by being too close. That they might start bickering? That Ruka might keep the baton away from Flash just to be petty? Well, the more he entertained the humorous thoughts, the more he realized they existed within the realm of reality.

”Unless Ruka disagrees, I can take the start in that case. I’ve done hurdles before, so I know I can clear them.” Also, he was the tallest, but regardless of the salience of that point, it wasn’t something he wanted to bring up. The two of them had a tendency to jump down his throat the second he said something even remotely pedantic. ”That would mean Ruka would hold the key to our victory. That doesn’t sound bad to me.”

As much I would love to see you try to jump over the hurdles. He wondered if Ruka would have really given it an honest try, or if he would eventually get out his wand and shrink them one by one. Even though it was certainly not the time or place for it, Flash had to shield another guilty smile, though with such close proximity it was unlikely that neither of them saw it.

@Ruka Tân @Jack Burnett

@Jack Burnett @Flash Holmwood

There was a short lived moment of genuine joy flooding through Ruka at the sight of the wide grin on Jack's face upon his approach, but it didn't last long enough to even show as the delighted expression fell from the other boy momentarily. It was the result of his appearance and his own display of a sour mood, he was certain, and for a short moment he felt guilty for not having put in more effort for Jack's sake at least.

Then again, Jack was the one person who seemed to prefer when Ruka acted exactly according to his own feelings without regarding what others might think about it, so wouldn't he appreciate the fact that he wasn't going to put on a fake smile and act like he was happy to be there?

The fact that Flash took longer than necessary to actually look at him wasn't lost on Ruka, and he tried his best not to roll his eyes at it, but he failed that attempt, ending the gesture with a small, spiteful smile in the blue eyed boy's direction. There was a sort of satisfaction rushing through him as he saw the immediate effect it had on Flash that he was using his last name the way he had been; He actually averted his gaze as if Ruka had struck him, unable to look at him at least for a moment. It was a rush of power that the Gryffindor wouldn't forget so quickly.

His attention didn't rest on Flash for long, however, as Jack's voice tried to cut through the tension with as much of an attempt to lighten the mood as it was to figure out what was going on between his two teammates. Ruka had countless responses at the ready, most of which would have turned into an angry rant that they had no time for right now. He was going to ask Jack if he wasn't being accommodating enough by using his first name, was going to say something petty and childish, but he was cut off by Flash before he had the time to formulate his thoughts properly.

"He knows that," he said with a small sigh of frustration. "He's not an idiot." Almost instinctively he reached out to wrap a hand around Jack's wrist and give it an almost nervous squeeze, a sign of anxiety he wasn't sure anybody was really going to pick up on, but he hoped it was enough to show Jack that it was Flash who made him feel like he couldn't breathe, like he needed to be prepared with a plan of defence at all times.

As useless as Flash's words had been, as little information as they had held, Ruka thought they were nothing but a way of saying Let's not talk about it, and surprisingly enough he could agree with that sentiment. He had no desire to elaborate exactly on what was going through his head, especially not with Flash there. If Jack wanted his side of the story he could pull him aside later on, but he definitely did not feel comfortable enough around the other boy to say anything revealing his thoughts.

Letting go of Jack's wrist again, slowly and unwillingly, he turned his attention to the obstacle course they would have to get through. The explanation was simple enough, and Ruka couldn't help but let out a vague sound of amusement at the way Jack proposed taking the middle to keep the two other boys apart when there was clearly something wrong between them. It suited him quite well either way as it would give him a position in which he could observe any interaction between Jack and Flash and possibly interfere should anything look wrong in any way. Though he would have really preferred there to be no chance of interaction between them at all, but Ruka had grown up learning how to adapt.

He nodded his understanding to Jack's words before sighing quietly when Flash offered his input immediately, suggesting himself to take on the beginning of the race, unless Ruka disagrees. He wasn't sure if the consideration of his own opinion was supposed to be a sign of amicability, a peace offering maybe, but by now Flash should have learned that his attempts at accommodating Ruka in any way usually backfired severely.

"Of course it wouldn't," Ruka snarled in Flash's direction when he pointed out that him holding the key to their victory didn't sound too bad. "You're quite comfortable relying on other people to get you what you want, aren't you?" He rolled his shoulders tensely, hands balling into fists that made his nails dig crescent marks into the palms of his hands for just a short moment of anger and frustration.

Shaking off that feeling as well as he could, he turned back towards the obstacle course, a far away look on his face as he tried to imagine every possible outcome of this race so he could be prepared for all of them. "Anyway, that's fine by me," he agreed with a small wave of his hand as if his confirmation was of no importance anyway. "I'm decent at climbing. Better than at jumping hurdles at least."

For all his observations, the more Jack heard and witnessed of the other boys' interactions, the more perplexed he became. They acted like they were playing nice, which meant something, because if they truly detested each other, then neither of them would have had reason to show up at all. Well, it was possible Flash might have for the errand reward, but Ruka...? Why? because he, Jack, was here?

That didn't make much sense either, though. If he had really come for Jack's sake, the Slytherin doubted he would have worn what he had come in, particularly without any offered explanation. When Ruka neglected to say anything about his worn clothes, the redheaded first year concluded that the Gryffindor was acting out of spite. Flash's scowl, followed by the careful aversion of his gaze, made it clear that the blue-eyed boy understood the intention loud and clear. Worse yet, however, was the telling and - to Jack - rather surprising smile on the second year's face upon noting the successful affect of his ploy.

As uncharacteristic as Jack thought it was for Ruka to be so intentionally hurtful, he was under no illusions that he knew every side to the older boy that existed. However, there was still a great deal that didn't add up even if Jack did accept that as the truth.

For one thing, if both Flash and Jack were upset by or concerned about his chosen clothing, who was the real intended target? Both of them? Perhaps for asking him to participate in this errand? Didn't Ruka know Jack would have preferred him to decline if he'd truly been against joining? And Jack was no mind-reader, but he was fairly certain Flash would have shared his opinion. But...perhaps he was wrong.

Why, then, had Ruka agreed to come if neither he nor Flash was happy about it? Had he only come to be vindictive against Flash? Maybe thinking simultaneously that he could do Jack a favor? But Ruka was too clever to think that Jack wouldn't see through this childish display. What in the name of Merlin's beard, then, was going on?!

Even if Ruka had only meant to hurt one of them, he was too smart to not know his actions would hurt both. Furthermore, what kind of pride could the fire-dancer possibly take in hurting someone who he could only hurt because they had given him the power to hurt them by caring about him? It was similar to the time when Flash had subtly gloated over using Ross' diary against him, but worse.

At least then, though Flash had been smugly proud of utilizing an advantage he had accidentally gained rather than one he'd earned, he hadn't done it with the idea that Ross cared about him. Furthermore, while Flash's ultimate objective back then seemed to be in his victim's best interests, in this case, Jack could see nothing good that could come of Ruka's blatantly bitter behavior. Was he just not looking hard enough...? Surely there had to be something...

If Flash knew what was going on, though, the brunet was keeping tight-lipped about it. If he hadn't mentioned anything already, Jack was seriously doubting he would say anything even without Ruka around. Ruka, on the other hand, seemed like he was bursting to tell Jack something and probably would have if not for the taller Slytherin present.

Well...so long as they didn't get into any trouble before the race was over, talking could wait until then. Despite Ruka's reluctance to speak in front of Flash, however, Jack thought it would have been better to get everything out in the open. Perhaps there was a misunderstanding between them that neither was even aware of in the first place.

Just then, though, it was time to get down to business. He nodded at Flash's offer to take the start, going for the hurdles, though it was precisely for the reason that Flash knew he could clear them that Jack kind of hoped he would try the net instead. Similarly, since Ruka would obviously be more adept to climbing, he'd hoped the smaller boy might have stepped outside his comfort zone to give hurdles a try, but that was not the case either.

It was their choice, though, and since both boys at least seemed to be of the same mind regarding who should overcome what obstacle, Jack wasn't about to argue against them. The young lion's snarl at the blue-eyed snake, however, caused Jack to purse his lips and raise a brow. What was Ruka's problem? Had he been this hostile before and Jack just hadn't noticed?

Ruka's mention that he was better at climbing than jumping hurdles seemed to elicit another smile from Flash, though his eager attempt to conceal it suggested he hadn't intended for it to be seen. Jack tilted his head at his fellow house member when he walked by on his way to the start of the monkey bars, giving him a curious smirk in response.

"Alright. If everyone's warmed up and ready, we can all take our places on the course. Ruka, since you're last and have the best view of the course where you are, please let Flash know when to begin. Unless you have a better idea, Flash," he added, looking to his peer.

"Oh...and one more thing," he called, speaking loud enough and turning his head to make sure both of his companions could hear. "Please stick around after we're done. I'd like to have a discussion with the both of you. Together." His gaze made sure to meet each of their own to let them know he didn't intend for the request to be turned down. If they didn't do as he asked them to, he would hunt them down until he got what he wanted.

Almost everything Ruka said made Flash want to roll his eyes, but of course, he resisted. It seemed clear enough that the path Ruka had chosen for himself that day was to antagonize him, perhaps make it clear just how little control he had over him, despite showing up. Flash had specifically gone to ask for Ruka to try and open up a line of communication between the three of them, but he overestimated his own ability to do so. That, and Ruka was making it glaringly obvious that he didn’t appreciate the attempt. He busied himself around Burnett’s space, holding onto his wrist and glowering. Was it even worse than Flash thought, had he made it worse?

Ruka only continued to bite back whenever Flash would say anything, things he knew would trigger fresh pain. He wanted a fight, perhaps. Was he just bored, or was he lashing out? His attire and attitude had been an affront from the beginning, but he only seemed to want to continue to rub salt in the wound. Flash didn’t have any kind of snarky retort, instead he started to seethe with resentment. Was it worth it for him? Did he detest Flash so much that he would act like that in front of Burnett? It boiled in Flash’s chest.

Burnett stepped in again, perhaps noticing the sneering expression Flash was adopting the longer he looked at Ruka’s own snarl. He pushed them along to the matter at hand like a kindergarten teacher sending two students off to separate corners. For a split second, Flash almost wanted to snark at him instead, but he bit his tongue. He couldn’t let Ruka’s behavior succeed in changing him. Getting a rise out of him. Flash’s disturbed expression dissolved back into nothing.

”I think Professor Kibitzer has that job handled, Burnett.” Flash cast Ruka a cursory glance, the bitterness only superficially contained, yet present in the delivery of his words. Ruka can go be by himself and do nothing. His favorite activity.

Just as Flash had turned to take the lead, Burnett called out to them both again. Turning back to listen, he paled at the words. It really was kindergarten all over again. Was Burnett really going to sit them down and discuss their bad behavior? He wondered what use he expected to draw from that, though perhaps he was only upset to consider that Burnett’s words were more effective than his. What did it matter, would Burnett simply tell the two to get along and Ruka would obey? The dynamic between the two only furthered the bitterness growing inside him. Better yet, perhaps I could find a nice cliff to jump off of so you two could return to your happy life together.

It was fine. He was about to run anyway, so he could grind the feeling down into the ground. Exert himself until he had no more energy to think. It was too bad the course was so short, he almost wished he could just complete the damn thing himself. Relying on others… was supposed to ease the pain. Had Ruka never relied on anyone before, had every single person he met let him down, except for Burnett? It wouldn’t surprise him, the way his own kindness had been treated. Burnett’s kindness, and Flash’s own… the difference was only his perception of it. He didn’t want Flash’s kind of kindness, he liked the kind that Burnett offered. Flash wasn’t even sure where to begin with that, it almost seemed like Ruka was opposed to Flash down to the structure of his DNA. No amount of changing things about himself would satisfy him, yet being himself was also detestable in his eyes. How was Burnett planning on mending a rift like that?

More likely, he had no idea what he was getting himself into by asking them all to talk it out together. Flash was never one to give up on things, even when he tried to stop thinking about Ruka, it always came back. Even then, with the demon to his back out of view, he felt his presence like the heat of a blazing fire, ready to consume him the longer he let it burn out of control. He could try to return to something like normality, to pretend that Ruka didn’t exist like so many others seemed content to do, but it wasn’t really possible. Why... The idiot question had floated between them multiple times.

Flash was starting to get a feel for the answer. It reminded him of what Burnett had said, when Flash told him to ‘look away’. Perhaps it was different for other people, but he couldn’t just watch a burning building go down with someone inside, even when that person was slapping away his hand and questioning his reasons. Perhaps it was selfish, or wrong. Perhaps it only made things worse for everyone. Still, he had tried to ignore it, and he couldn’t. It was like someone was screaming in his ear.

With that, he walked to the starting point. Frankly, he wasn’t worried about his part of the relay, he had no reason to think he would have any trouble with it. The hard part would come after that, when he had to sit back and watch his team finish the rest, powerless to have any further effect.

Professor Kibitzer announced the start of the timer, allowing Flash to kick off into a sprint. Finally able to exert some of the pent up frustration, he relaxed his mind so he could give in to the pleasure of exertion. Physical exhaustion was so much easier to deal with, to concentrate on. Perhaps that was the same reason the other two seemed to love pain so much.

Making short work of the hurdles, Flash looked up from his partial daze to reach out and tag Burnett. He was standing still, instead of the more professional method of starting to jog alongside. Not that this was a professional relay race... it was basically kids let out to recess. Still, it would be a shame to lose the good momentum he had by skidding to a halt.

"Get ready!"

Instead, he reached out with both hands to grab Burnett by the shoulders and swing him forward using counter weight and a short spin. Basically, transferring some of his speed in one fell swoop. Of course for it to work, Burnett would have to go with the flow, or else he would probably just fall face first into the floor. Flash thought it would be funny either way.

@Jack Burnett @Ruka Tân

((OOC Note: Posting order has been changed - at least for the duration of the actual relay race - to make the flow of the roleplay go more smoothly. Permission given by all parties involved.))

"I think Professor Kibitzer has that job handled, Burnett."

"Right...okay, then," Jack answered, not wanting to argue on the subject. It was probably better that the Professor was the one to start them off anyway. It was curious to Jack how Flash visibly paled when he mentioned staying after to talk, though. What was he worried about? What was the worst that could happen?

Well, whatever it was, he trusted it wouldn't be enough to bother anyone enough to hinder their performance in the relay race, especially since the other two boys had picked the obstacles that suited their strengths. Watching the brunet walk to the starting point, Jack tensed and got into a ready stance, glancing back over at Ruka to check to see how he was doing. If able, he would try to meet the other ginger's eye and cast him a reassuring wink if he could.

Once the professor started Flash off and the timer began, his fellow dorm mate turned back to get into position. It was a treat to watch the other Slytherin jump the hurdles with the same effortlessness gained from years of practice that Ruka had with fire. He found himself unconciously smiling as the English boy approached, though for some reason, Flash seemed somewhat displeased. Had Jack done something wrong?

"Get ready!" the blue-eyed boy called.

"I am," Jack answered, amused at Flash's seriousness, but also ignorant of the 'professional method' that his peer had in mind. He grabbed the baton, but before he could do anything more, the Welsh boy found himself grabbed by the shoulders and swung toward their goal with a fancy little spin manuver and a transference of momentum.

What the - ?

Fortunately for Jack, he was rather accustomed to going with the flow when it came to physical forces because he had long ago discovered that it was much more confounding to those who wished to hurt him when he gave no resistance. Not that Flash seemed to want to hurt him, but instinctively, his body behaved as it would have otherwise.

Astonished at the action but quickly picking up what the other Slytherin had been trying to do, a small laugh left his lungs. Well, now it was his turn. Though he hoped Ruka didn't mind, Jack delicately held the baton between his teeth before launching himself at the monkey bars straight ahead of him.

Left, right, left, right... His hands started to feel slippery and his arms weak much sooner than he thought they would, but he thought of Flash behind him and Ruka before, driven by his determination not to let them down. Almost...there...

The instant his full weight was on the last bar, he dropped to the ground and took off running the short distance to Ruka.

"All you now, Tân!" he yelled, hoping to give his best encouraging grin as ran while holding out the baton for Ruka to accept.

@Jack Burnett @Flash Holmwood

Flash was giving him nothing.

If anything at all, Ruka had at least hoped for some kind of reaction from the other boy; He could see his aggravated expression, the flame in his eyes longing to lose his composure, to give into Ruka's blatant provocations, but he didn't. No, his facade shifted back into controlled nothingness in the blink of an eye and it only made Ruka's hold on Jack's wrist tighten with discomfort.

The fact that Flash seemed so incapable of expressing the anger Ruka was surely making him feel was definitely one reason that the Gryffindor felt uneasy around him; Someone who was so good at swallowing down anger and resentment, who had himself under control that much, was definitely capable of masking every single emotion they came across, which in turn made them horribly untrustworthy. Ruka, at least, felt himself growing more and more tense with each passing second, his insides pounding like they were about to burst out of him.

There was no time to spontaneously combust, however, before Ruka had released Jack's wrist and turned to listen to the Slytherin's words, desperate to cling onto an ounce of comfort he wasn't able to find.

Quite on the contrary, Jack's words made his stomach churn, his skin crawl with an almost unbearable heat washing over it. It felt like he was five years old again, flames licking at his skin, the sickening sweet scent filling his nose, tears running down his cheeks as he did his best to keep on a bright smile as if none of it mattered, as if the pain was nothing but a phantom whisper trying to stop him from accomplishing what needed to be done.

The pain shooting through him now had nothing to do with physical injury, but he could still hear his dad's voice urging him to push through his tears, to keep going, keep dancing, keep smiling. This needed to be done, he was here, he had committed and he wasn't about to turn away just then.

A small hiccup and the momentary tension of his shoulders was the only indication he would give that Jack's words had in any way unsettled him. The sound of his own first name on the Slytherin's lips had hit him like a slap to the face, followed by another when he had addressed Flash with his first name as well, like a scolding right after Ruka had made a point of calling the blue eyed boy by his last name. Everything about that sounded to him like If even I can accommodate him why can't you pull yourself together?

Accompanied with that, Ruka found himself looking at the ground like an ashamed child, bottom lip drawn between his teeth as he nervously nibbled on it, trying to keep himself from pointing out that he obviously wasn't warmed up, hadn't really been given the time to do so despite the fact that he hadn't exactly arrived late. He wanted to say something about that, wanted to point out that it clearly didn't matter, however, as long as Jack and Flash had gotten the chance to do warm-ups together. He questioned, for a second, if it had been a good idea to show up where he so clearly had no place to be; He'd been stupid to, hadn't he? There were teachers around and other students, it wasn't a setting in which Flash could have possibly harmed Jack without serious and immediate consequences and he should have considered that before mindlessly throwing himself into something he had no business in out of some ridiculous need to play, what, protective big brother?

There was no chance for him to say anything anyway; Just as before Flash had something to say before Ruka could even open his mouth, a blatant jab at something the Gryffindor couldn't quite understand, but the look Flash was giving him made it quite clear that his words were not meant to be nice and accommodating. He wasn't trying to relieve Ruka of any workload or responsibility, but what then? Was he just trying to make him feel even more useless than he already did? Point out that he wasn't really needed around here as if that wasn't glaringly obvious to him already anyway?

"Fine," he just said, hands balling into fists for a second, clenching and unclenching, like it was the only thing keeping him from tearing at his own hair in frustration.

Slowly making his way to his position, he stopped only for a second when Jack's voice rang through the air again, with a request Ruka felt the need to deny almost immediately, no matter how clear it was that the other boy wasn't going to accept any argument.

What were they supposed to discuss exactly? Together of all things.

Why are you doing this to me? he thought frantically as he met Jack's eyes, taking a deep rattling breath as if to keep himself from bursting into tears right then and there. How can you not see?

The wink Jack cast him elicited nothing but a tense smile from Ruka, skin still crawling with anxiety and paranoia and that devastating feeling of inadequacy. He barely even noticed when the race started, tried to keep his gaze off Flash for as long as possible, busying himself with studying the rope net he was positioned in front of to figure out where to best start his climb. It was only when he could see Flash approaching Jack from the corner of his eye that he returned his attention to the actual race, and for a devastating second his hand instinctively reached for his wand, pulling it out of his pocket, prepared to cast.

Instead of simply handing Jack the baton, Flash had gone for a grip on the other boy's shoulders, a move eerily resembling an attack from where Ruka was standing, but just a second later he felt stupid for having gone into such defensive mode over clearly nothing.

Jack had adapted to Flash's move like they were a well oiled machine, steady on his feet as he let himself be twirled and pushed the right direction of the monkey bars.

It was in that horrifying second, as he stood there, watching Jack laugh at Flash's actions before putting the baton between his teeth, that he realised how gravely he had misjudged the situation; What Ruka had taken as a threat against Jack was much more likely Flash showing off. The brunet snake didn't have the intention to hurt his dorm mate in any way, he was simply boasting about their closeness, wasn't he?

In his concern for Jack's well being, Ruka had made it so simple, so obvious for Flash too; He could have just as well put a handwritten note with instructions on how to hurt him most in his bag. Not for a second had he considered that maybe this wasn't supposed to be something to get Jack back for but rather a punishment for Ruka. Had that kiss been the last straw? The fact that he hadn't played along with Flash's game as easily as he'd wanted him to?

You can see me and Burnett together, too.

How could he have been so stupid when it had been so obvious?

Think of how fun that will be.

He should have seen it from the start, should have stayed away to save his own feelings, instead of wanting to be some kind of hero. Wasn't he the first to claim heroism to be tainted with stupidity? Wasn't he supposed to be the one who knew to stay away from anything that could potentially break him like this?

Apparently, however, that wasn't who he was anymore because he was here, and he thought to hear Flash's message loud and clear through the fog in his mind now.

You thought you were special? You're not. You were gone for a month, that's all it took me to take your place. You hadn't realised how disposable you really are? Well, now you see.

The realisation felt like a punch to the stomach, like for a moment he was completely unable to breathe without risk of bursting into tears right then and there. He had to blink a few times to get rid of the mist clouding his vision, needed to roll his shoulders to regain control of his body. His wand was still in his hand, stupidly, even as Jack finished the last of the monkey bars and started his sprint Ruka's direction. The grin on his face would be credited to the lasting amusement of Flash's antics rather than the rush of competition or, Heaven forbid, Ruka himself, and for a second the Gryffindor was tempted not to take the baton, to simply turn around and leave, but he didn't.

Instead he tucked his wand back into the pocket of his trousers and reached out for the baton, accepting it with an empty expression on his face. He just needed to get this over with, get over that net, finish the race, let Flash and Jack know that he wasn't going to be disturbing the harmony they'd found between themselves anymore and return to his dorm where he should really just have stayed in the first place.

Solitude had been his partner before, and Ruka thought that maybe at least there he'd be unconditionally welcomed.

Another rattling breath, shaky hands moving up so he could mimic Jack's approach of putting the baton between his teeth, and without anything else, maybe a second later than necessary, he turned to the net and started his climb. This, at least, was easy, almost too easy, nothing in comparison to climbing trees until he was high enough to make himself a spot to sleep in out of reach of carnivorous forest animals. The emotional turmoil inside him was calmed down vaguely by biting down hard on the baton as he tangled and untangled his feet and hands in the net until he reached the top, swinging one leg after the other over it just to let himself drop a bit of the way before grabbing onto the net again to prevent a full fall.

The palms of his hands felt raw, rough rope having irritated the sensitive skin, but in a way it was a welcome distraction from the way his chest was aching, his head was spinning.

Almost done, almost there.

Once the ground was close enough to ensure Ruka's safety, the Gryffindor let himself drop down the rest of the way, jogging down the last part of the course until reaching the finish line. With that obligation done he felt himself simply dropping the baton as if on autopilot, steps carrying him away from the parkour, away from people. His ears were buzzing, but it wasn't excitement, wasn't even anger anymore, just a white noise of emptiness. He didn't hear their time being called, didn't care even in the slightest.

All he wanted was to get this nightmare over with so he could be by himself again where he didn't need to question his purpose. He knew when he wasn't really wanted.