Sitting Here, Crying in my Ball Gown closed

As Rhys moved through the corridors with Jessicah towards the Gryffindor dorm, it was becoming increasingly apparent that this entire thing was ridiculous. Who had they become, chasing after someone that seemed to be entirely unavailable and out of their league? And better yet, tracking Azzy down the night of the Valentine's Ball, alongside the very girl they were competing against for their affection? Not to mention that all three of them were eleven, acting like their lives were suddenly a gay rendition of The Bachelor. With Azzy as the bachelor.

Once they reached Gryffindor, the fat lady looked the both of them up and down. "Looking for someone?" She asked, her eyes twinkling with a sort of knowledge. "You won't find them here. Young Azrael has already departed." Rhys sighed. Of course they had. This night just kept giving and giving. They waited as Jessicah grabbed a selection of items before they both headed over to the Astronomy Tower-- Jessicah running, Rhys half-heartedly speed-walking to keep up with her. They got winded on the way up the stairs, so Jessicah eventually left them behind, bursting onto the observation deck. Very faintly, Rhys could make out Azzy's voice, singing a song they knew well.

"I'm sitting here~ Crying in my Prom Dress... I'd be the prom queen if crying was a contest..." Azzy's voice was soon drowned out as Jessicah burst in, though, and Rhys picked up their pace, entering just as Jessicah was in the middle of her ramble.

".... No one’s ever wanted me," Jessicah was saying once Rhys finally stumbled their way onto the observation deck. "A lot of my family told me no one would ever want me. I became so wrapped up in my own brain that I just stood there. I wasn’t ignoring you I promise I just couldn’t control myself. It happens sometimes, I’m sorry I didn’t tell you. I should have told you. It just hadn’t happened in years, but I will get control of it. I am so sorry,” Jessicah kneeled to kiss Azzy's hand, which was, of course, the first thing Rhys saw once they finally got to the top and had to take a moment to catch their breath. Damn those stairs. “please forgive me.”

Rhys straightened up, still a bit breathless as they took in the scene. Even when they were crying, Azrael looked stunning, and Rhys mentally kicked themself for being at least partially responsible for the way their eyes were filled with tears, and the makeup that they must've worked so hard to perfect was now running down their face in messy splotches. Once Rhys caught their breath, they chewed their lip and tried to think of what to say. This was incredibly awkward-- clearly, Jessicah and Azzy were in the middle of a whole moment, and Rhys honestly wanted to be anywhere else but here. Really, they didn't need to be here. Jessicah clearly knew Azzy better, and this was really more between her and Azzy than it was with Rhys and Azzy.

In fact, Rhys decided, this was all too much to take in. They shifted awkwardly, coughing and clearing their throat.

"Ah. Well, it looks like you two clearly- have this sorted out," It was a lie, but Rhys found that their voice threatened to break. They needed to leave, like, now. "I just wanted- to make sure you were alright, and, well," Rhys swallowed thickly, starting to back away towards the stairs. The stairs they'd just wasted time climbing all the way up to the top. "Guess I'll leave you to it." Tears fought to well in Rhys's eyes, and they furiously blinked them away.

"Now wait a minute! No one is going anywhere until we sort this crap out!" Azzy exclaimed, stopping Rhys dead in their tracks. Swallowing, Rhys watched in silence as Azzy continued, gradually setting their face in a scowl as the frustration grew. "Guys we need to work this out. Ok? I've cried to much over this and so have you two. I don't know what the heck to do at this rate due to all this freaking drama. It's driving me nuts! Jessicah thought I was going to commit and is begging for forgiveness. Rhys needs to get out of their fracking head. Let's just.... Talk this out like rational people for once. We can do that right?"

Oh-ho-ho. Azzy was funny. Rationalize? After the night they'd had?

"What's there to discuss, Azrael?" Rhys snapped, red in the face. "I need to get out of my head? How about you get out of yours, and maybe explain what the hell is going on? Because, as far as I'm concerned, the one at fault here is you. Not me, not Jessicah, you. You've been stringing us both along, leaving us to wonder what on earth is going on inside your head, and you're right. It's gone on long enough. So, enlighten me-- enlighten us Azrael Faire," Rhys gestured to both them and Jessicah before they crossed their arms, hot, angry tears ran down their face. "What, exactly, do you want? What do you want from me, from Jessicah? Give us your thoughts, and then maybe I'll get out of my fracking head and give you mine." God, this night was a mess.

"You're right Rhys." Azzy relented. "I won't deny that. Jessicah. You're a really good person. But I think it's best we stick it out as friends. Rhys. I truly do care for you. There few months have been a mess... I'm done avoiding my problems. Rhys. I do really like you. Since we met I fell head over heels. I have a silver tongue when it comes to sweet talk. But I mean what I'm saying to both of you. Jessicah. You'll find someone. You will. Rhys. I know that what I'm saying you probably don't believe..." Rhys bit back a smart remark. Of course it was hard to believe Azzy on what they were saying. The entire time they'd known them, Azzy had been hard to read. Rhys never knew what was going on in their head, and it was especially frustrating considering that they always seemed to know what was going on in Rhys's. "I should have been honest with you both from the start! I'm so sorry I've strung you both along! That was never my intention! Please forgive me!" Azzy broke down into tears, and Rhys couldn't breathe. They also couldn't move. They didn't know what to do. They wanted to comfort Azzy, but their mind was a big jumble. Also, they'd never been one for hugs. They felt bad for snapping at Azzy, when clearly the other Gryffindor felt bad enough as it was.

Think, think, think, Rhys racked their brain. What would their mother do in this situation? Definitely hug the crying child, but she was very different from Rhys, who tried to avoid physical touch by any means possible. But Azzy clearly needed some form of comfort, and Rhys couldn't just stand around and stare at them like a useless imp.

Rhys took a deep breath, shifting their weight from one foot to the other and standing a moment before they walked over to Azzy, gently took their bow and violin and set them aside. Cupping Azzy's face, Rhys looked at them for a long, painful moment before they sighed and pulled them into a hug. They didn't have the words to say what they needed to, so they tried to convey them in the way they held Azzy, their own eyes closing as they briefly relished in the moment before releasing them and taking a step back.

. "You're right," Jessicah said, tears falling. "Maybe we should just stay friends. I just hope it won't be awkward after all this. Rhys, I am so sorry for bringing you into this. You are both amazing people, and I am grateful that God has put you in my life. I'll give you some privacy. I'll see you two in the dorms later, I just need to take care of a few things first."

Rhys stood in silent shock as they watched Jessicah take out a jewelry box and heave it off the edge of the tower. Moments later, a crash was heard, most likely the box shattering and splintering into a million pieces. Then, contrary to her previous dramatic act, Jessicah calmly left, leaving Rhys and Azzy alone in the soft glow of the moonlight. Rhys, embarrassed from the night's events, swallowed stiffly and looked down at the small box in their hands. They'd never opened Kayla's gift, and their date no doubtedly was wondering where they had gone off to. While they certainly didn't want to go back to the ball, they couldn't stay here, either.

"I, uh, I should go.." They said, looking at Azzy. "Um, I'll.. I'll see you later.." Lowering their head, Rhys gave Azzy's arm an awkward pat as they moved past them and walked down the Astronomy Tower's stairs.