Listen to This (Avery)

[HIRO JUN MIZUSHIMA]

Hiro sighed. It was his off period and he had nothing better to do right now that required his immediate attention. He had grabbed a bite to eat but he didn't want to keep himself in his room since he had nothing to do. His papers were graded and anything else would be turned in later. This was the problem. He had nothing to keep his mind from wondering into unnecessary thoughts. He had nothing to do to keep himself distracted. That was his problem right now. Normally it wouldn't effect him so much if it weren't for the things he was thinking of. Actually it was only thing. One person. One event that kept replaying in his mind despite the fact that this incident happened a month ago. He sighed again as he walked the empty hallway. Class was in session for basically everyone else right now. He wasn't heading for the lounge. Actually he was heading for another room in the castle that he hoped would be empty save for one person. The one person who he felt comfortable talking to at the moment. He hadn't even told his sister Isabella yet. Wait until she found out.

This other person though Hiro knew he could trust enough to keep his mouth shut and maybe even help a bit. It was definitely worth a shot. At least he'd get it off his chest and that much could at least help. He was almost nearing his destination. He could make out the door that had the word "Infirmary" written across it in black bolded letters. Hopefully the one he was looking for wouldn't be out at the moment. With one final sigh he grabbed onto the doorknob, twisted it and opened it slowly. He peaked in before walking inside the room. "Avery you in here?" he asked peeking around looking for the school nurse.

[AVERY JUNNOSUKE KAEL]

"Don't move," Avery said sternly. He was currently patching up an earth student who fell off a tree. How she got into that tree, very would rather not know and with the look of sheepishness on the girl's face, he wanted to save her the embarrassment of telling him. "Okay," he started, letting out a gust of air with a smile on his face. "All patched up and ready to go, spider monkey." The girl blushed and ducked her head, stuttering out a thank you. Avery smiled, almost father-like, and patted her lightly on the head before turning to his next patient. "Now, what happened?"

It was rather a busy day today and Avery felt more energized than anything. He loved his job, but most days it seemed only one or two people popped in for a minor injury and that would have Avery end up wallowing in boredness. Busy days like this kept him up and running and he liked interacting with the students, whether or not they liked interacting with him...well, that's another story. Avery was a big flirt and at times too friendly, so that seemed to rub off on some of the students--namely, the fires and thunders, but hey, what could he do. Avery was a water himself, and he could tell that they resented visiting him for any type of injury. And when They did, they'd act all irritable and all high & mighty...in a hospital bed. Hilarious in itself. Besides, it was a good thing he was patient, otherwise, they'd be donning more injuries than the ones they came in for. Ahem.

"Geez, how many times have I told you not to get into fights?" he asked the water, smirking a bit. The student then smiled at him cheekily. "And how many times have I told you that I'm a horrible listener?" Avery cracked a smile and rolled his eyes. "Okay, but next time fight someone your own size," he joked and proceeded to clean the water's wounds. Oh, youth. Avery didn't mean to sound old or anything, but things were exactly the same when he went to the Academy. Getting into fights, getting treated, and getting into fights again. It was a never ending cycle of blind hate, but Avery learned to get used to it. He was now more tolerant of alliances, and heck, he had a good friend from the opposite alliance actually his age.

Speaking of the devil, the door cracked open and the familiar fire poked his head in. "Over here, Hiro!" He waved his hand a bit, then turned back to his patient. "Sit at my desk, I'm almost done here." Avery said, talking over his shoulder to Hiro. The water student looked amazed and glanced between the two of them. Avery caught this and smirked. "Surprised?" The student nodded, scared to say something but then winced as Avery rubbed antiseptic over his wounds. "C'mon, you should be used to this," Avery joked and placed the last bandage on the student. "There ya go." Avery patted the kid on the shoulder and watched as he ran off, not before taking a look at the fire professor and the water nurse.

Avery shook his head, taking off his gloves and coat, and stretched out his limbs. "Ah, today was a good day," he said, more so to himself, then turned to Hiro and smirked. "Any particular reason you're here?" Avery pulled up a stool next to the fire and propped his elbow on top of the desk, his chin resting on his hand as he leaned close to Hiro. "Can't get enough of me, huh?" Avery raised his eyebrows suggestively before breaking out smiling. He patted Hiro on the head, just to spite him, and asked, "What's wrong? It looks like something's bothering you." He peered closer to his friend's face and once again raised his eyebrows, but this time in pure curiosity.

[HIRO JUN MIZUSHIMA]

Hiro followed the sound of Avery's voice until he spotted the water patching up a student. Hiro couldn't help but crack a small smile. He walked in, closing the door behind him as he took his seat at Avery's desk. When he caught the look coming from the younger water he cracked another amused smile. He knew what that look meant. The young boy was very surprised that Hiro, a very much known fire high school teacher was in the room that occupied by a water and was completely friendly about the situation. Most students barely could stand being in the same room with one of the opposite alliance and yet here came Hiro very casually showing traits that most fires would never exert in the presence of water. Hiro had know looks of disgust nor any intentions of messing with either water. He sat back very casually and wore a friendly smile at both waters. This could surprise anyone, especially if they knew the kind of guy Hiro was and the history between him and Avery. He gave the young water student a nod and friendly smile as he took off after getting fixed up by Avery. Hiro did admire Avery and his way with kids, or at least the ones that he could get along with. Fires and Thunders weren't exactly keen on getting treated by a nurse that was a water after all.

They would be even more surprised by the close friendship between Hiro and Avery. Once upon a time these two were very much at the opposite ends of the spectrum. They went to school together, same age and grade, and during a time where they weren't exactly at their brightest points. Actually it could be said that it was possibly there worst and Hiro being the jerk he was back then wouldn't miss a beat when it came to messing with someone like Avery, especially considering the phase the water was going through. Back in their high schools day it had not been a secret of the things Avery did, like drinking and drugs. For Hiro and others like him this had been perfect ammunition. Of course they had no idea as to the causes Avery's actions. They could never have known what the water had truly been going through. Hiro still doesn't know the truth except for a few things about Avery's dad but that was far from the whole truth but Hiro never asked. That wasn't his business.

Things were very much different now. It all starting when they both started at the Academy. Hiro as a teacher and Avery as the nurse. Hiro had gone college at the Academy with Avery going at an outside university only to have been both ending back to where they had started while making some huge changes in their lives in the process. That had been the big deal breaker. The fact they had both gone through some sort of event that literally changed their lives, and as far as they could see it had been for the better. So much so that when Hiro had learned of Avery also joining the staff he did something that would shock anyone. He apologized. He apologized for being such a dick. Best part was, Avery forgave him and probably very surprising to both of them, they found themselves becoming friends, rather close friends at that. In high school, that would have been the last thing you'd ever see. Now, still surprising but considering that neither of them were the people they used to be then a bit understandable, even if their were still some staff members and of course students that stuck very firmly to the alliances. Both Avery and Hiro had come to become more tolerant of the alliances than to be so hateful against one another. That had been their greatest change and the key factor in their friendship. So looks like the young water students were all too common for Hiro but he had grown amused by it.

"I see you've kept yourself busy." he said with a smirk. Being the school nurse was very different from being one of the teachers. Hiro saw his students everyday. Avery went days where he was in the room all by himself without seeing any patients. "Oh yes, it pains me every moment we're apart." he said in a fake hurt voice as he placed a hand over his heart. Hiro rolled his eyes when Avery patted his head. He didn't like it when he did that. It made him feel like a dog or a child but he let the water get away with it since he knew it to be out of playfulness. After all that was Avery's personality. Always happy and playful. His smile faded a bit when Avery asked about why he had come to visit him today. "What, I can't come visit one of my closest friends?" he asked innocently, knowing that Avery wouldn't fall for it. Hiro sighed. "You promise you can keep a secret right? Because if you can't I'm a dead man." he asked. There had been a reason for his visit. There was something that Hiro needed to get off his chest and in reality the only person he could really talk to was Avery. Some may find it odd by Avery was the person he could feel most comfortable discussing this. "You remember Ayane right? Math teacher, black hair, amber eyes. Hates my very existence." he said describing the young thunder teacher."Well, I saw her. Last month at this New Year's Eve party where we both had to show up...and well. We kissed." he said plainly but he had left out a lot of details that he was sure that Avery would be asking for. There was no going back now.

[AVERY JUNNOSUKE KAEL]

It wasn't like this was the first time students looked at the two in disbelief. It happened every time Hiro visited Avery and vice versa. It was rather uncomfortable at first, but as it kept on happening, it was just daily routine to laugh it off. Some of the other faculty members as well still looked at the two in awe, but Avery learned to not let that get the best of him. Besides, it wasn't like Hiro and Avery were instant friends. Quite the opposite actually, and that dated all the way back when they both attended the Academy. Hiro was fire; Avery was water. Hiro was a jerk, Avery was the school's drunk. They didn't mesh well at all and Hiro never showed mercy when it came to the water. It's not like he cared anyway--he had worse problems to deal with, but there were some times where Hiro pushed Avery to the edge. It was a wonder how they became close friends.

Hmm. Close friends. Avery automatically put everyone in the same category: friends; unless they gave him a reason not to, but close friends. Hiro was probably the only person who had the slightest idea why Avery acted the way he did when they attended the Academy. Avery was the type of guy to be wary of his past. Not only was he ashamed of the way he acted out, but the scars ran too deep to be able to talk about it freely. He had a hard time himself just thinking about it; he just couldn't bear the thought of someone thinking of him differently because of it. Avery changed, isn't that all that's needed? Wasn't that good enough? There were so many people trying to stick their nose into his past that he had guarded so well up until now. That's why Avery was so thankful for Hiro; he never tried to pry into his business and was patient with the water. If Avery wanted to tell him something, he would wait. Would Avery eventually tell Hiro the full story? Maybe, but right now, he just wanted to live a peaceful life. No need to get into the heavy stuff. That's why he acted so carefree and positive; it prevented any subject change.

Avery watched with a fatherly smile as the student he just patched up leave. It seems that nowadays that kid was visiting him more often--often enough to get worried, because every time he stepped into the office, he was donning more injuries than what was actually healthy. Avery faintly wondered why and how the alliances seemed tense--more so than usual--but he laughed to himself. It was always like that, much to his dismay. Especially when he saw the adults encourage it. Now that he was older and looking over the students, he now realized how crazily stupid he had been with his pride. Sure, he still did feel a little defensive over his alliances, but not enough to blindly hate one another. "I always keep myself busy, but I'll always have time for you." Avery winked, his lips forming into his famous flirty smirk. Oh, how he was too shameless with his flirting. Thank goodness Hiro was used to it by now. "No worries, I'll always be here~" he said childishly, snuggling up to Hiro while nuzzling his neck with the top of Avery's head. Avery was rather affectionate, especially around people who've given up on resisting him and accepting it. In this case, Hiro. Hey, can't blame Avery though. He wasn't pushing them to give up anything; he liked to think of them just falling into his charms. Which isn't a hard job. Just look at that face! "Um, ew. Innocence does not fit you," he said, laughing. Avery poked the fire's cheek. "Try again~"

Secrets? Oh, Avery had more than a few secrets, so he nodded vigorously, curiosity burning. "I promise!" He pinched his two fingers together and swiped them along his lips. "My lips are sealed, you may proceed." Avery sat in absolute silence, his eyes wide with curiosity as he waited for Hiro to speak again. "Ayane?" he repeated again, then laughing as he shook his head. "Oh yeah, definitely remember her. Now what did you do? Set her plants on fire?" he joked. It was a well known fact that Hiro and Ayane were archenemies. Avery didn't interact with her much, scared of her stoic self, so he didn't know her very well. Only with what Hiro told him. But why bring her up now? Hiro looked really troubled, so Avery was burning with curiosity to find out what happened. Avery took a drink of water from the mug on his desk, waiting for Hiro to finish his sentence. And when Hiro did, Avery sprayed a fountain over Hiro. "Y-you what?" he coughed, trying to calm down his throat. "Kissed? W-w-w-what?" Avery got off his chair, absentmindedly throwing a towel over his shoulder to Hiro, and began pacing back and forth. "Like, on the lips? WHAT?" Avery went back over to Hiro, his face peering close to the fire's. "Are you sure you aren't delusional? I can check you up right now!" He then began to dig into his coat, getting out his tiny flashlight. "Come here, let me check your eyes!" Avery nearly flung himself into Hiro, still not processing what he the history teacher just said. A kiss? What? Blasphemy!

[HIRO JUN MIZUSHIMA]

If you would have told Hiro that one day he would be close to Avery he would have laughed in your face and then probably glare at you and set you on fire, especially if you told him this during his high school days. He would have taken it as an insult. Him, a fire, and at one point the fire leader friends with the class drunk. That was pathetic. That was why life was so amazing because it would throw you the strangest curveballs that only ended up surprising you and if you were lucky it would also make life more enjoyable. That was what had happened between Hiro and Avery. Hiro had just walked into Avery's office with one intention, to apologize for being the dick he was. Apologzing wasn't an easy thing for Hiro but it was something he felt needed to be done at the time. An apology was his goal but even he could not imagine that it would lead to a friendship. It hadn't been instant. It had taken sometime for both of them but it had been surprisingly worth it. Yes, they got some looks whenever they were seen together. Looks out of curiousity and sometimes out of disgust. And not just from the students. Hiro could understand the students but to get the same looks from the staff was just pathetic in his eyes.

Hiro still had his pride, he was still very loyal and protective of his fire comrades. Years of the alliances being drilled into them doesn't go away easily but in the years following his parents' death made him think that they just weren't worth his time anymore. This is not to say that Hiro went out making friends with every earth and water he met. It just meant that he wasn't going to instantly hate them just because their element. This had been the case with Avery. Hiro let go of his pride long enough that he was able to apologize and with some time and patience on both parts they were able to develop a good relationship and even better friendship. Patience being the hugest fact in this. Hiro never pryed into Avery's life, that was his business after all. Hiro put up with Avery's antics. They made it work. So much so that Hiro had grown comfortable and accustomed to hanging around Avery, even if it called for some awkward looks from staff members that couldn't understand and were still so persistant when it came to the alliances. Hiro just blew them off and as long as they didn't mess with Avery then there was no problem. Hiro was a very protective person to those closest to him and in his life their were only a few people that fell into this category, Isabella, his sister and Avery, believe it or not his best friend.

"I am truly touched Avery. I really am." he said, faking wiping a tear and softly pushing Avery away when the water started snuggling next to him. "I think I'm loosing my touch. You used to love my innocence." he said playfully, poking the water in the stomach. Hiro had long gotten over Avery's flirtatious side, by now Hiro probably humored Avery more than trying to get the water to stop by being playful in return. At first he would admit that it annoyed the fire, at times it still did but when you're around Avery long enough to know that it came with the territory then you learn to just shrug it off and not worry about it. Another reason why Hiro had come to Avery to talk. If he could trust anyone aside from his sister it was Avery. Even that though couldn't have prepared Hiro for Avery's reaction. He turned his head away when he felt the water coming at him. He raisedh is hand and made some of the water evaporate but hadn't stopped it completely from getting it. At the same time he wasn't surprised by Avery's shocked. It wasn't a hidden fact at how much Hiro and Ayane detested each other. If only it had been something as simple as setting her plants on fire. Hiro would be here laughing about it more than looking down. After he dropped the bomb Avery stood up trying to let the info sink in. Hiro caught the towel and wiped himself up some. Hiro was about to answer Avery's question when the water came practicaly racing at Hiro, nearly knocking them both to the ground.

"Avery. Avery, stop." he said trying to be serious but couldn't stop his laughter of Avery's reaction from coming out. He held onto the water's wrist leading him back to the chair. "Yes on the lips and no I'm not delusional, it didn't mean anything. At least my kiss didn't. If you promise to be good I'll tell you what happened." he said talking as if he was talking to a child. Sometimes this was the best way to get through to Avery, what with the water already having a childlike personality. Hiro didn't sit down himself. Instead he walked back and forth as he explained what had happened. "I guess the best place is the beginning. Like I said I had to go to this party on New Year's Eve. I was only there because I had some....business to take care of with a few people regarding my father's company." he had been there to tear some heads off but that had been beside the point. "A little bit after I got there I found Ayane and she had....well lets just say she had been harassed some. Verbally by few of my....well, my former friends. You can imagine the type. Pricks like I used to be and always trying to impress me. This time being no different." he said, the last part in shame at the way he used to be. Avery would understand though. Hiro took no pride in the way he used to be but that didn't mean it was easily escapable. "Of course she thought I had been the ring leader behind this but after she told me what they had said to her I was able to convince her that I wasn't. And then we started talking. Civilized and nothing like we normally do. We weren't talking like cats and dogs about to go to war. It was definitely weird." he said in a soft voice as he remember the conversation.

He shook his head to get back on track. "Seeing her like that, I couldn't help but feel sorry for her. It was how I felt when I saw you again." he said looking out the window as he thought back to that time. "I swallowed my pride long enough to apologize." he said with a slight chuckle as he crossed his arm. "Then I told her I'd make it up to her. After that I went inside. Found my "friends" and you can definitely say I ripped them a new one and that hadn't even been because of Ayane. After I finished ripping their heads off because of their parents I told them to back off of Ayane because....because she was my girlfriend then I kissed her for added measure." he said knowing he had just dropped another bombshell. "After I broke the kiss I dragged her to the dance floor to explain to her what had happened and that was when the midnight struck and then....then...she kissed me." okay, break time. He was sure that he had just overloaded Avery. He slightly chuckled to himself. "Maybe I am going delusional. "

[AVERY JUNNOSUKE KAEL]

Avery pouted slightly as Hiro began pushing him away and he let out a whiny, "No~" and laced his arm around Hiro's. Avery was naturally an affectionate person; the fire should've already gotten used to it by now, but Avery noticed that this usually happened--people were literally forced to get used to him. They had no choice, and if they resisted, that only led him to push ten times mores. Sometimes they gave up and stopped resisting, some...well, let's just say he never really saw them again. With Avery, what you see is what you get. He doesn't compromise himself for anyone and thankfully, Hiro accepted that. Or Avery would be suffering from major third degree burns, but hey! At least he could patch himself up. "I'm willing to give you lessons," he chirped, laughing and flinching away as he was poked. It was a well known fact that Avery was very ticklish, everywhere, so here's a tip: when all goes wrong (and Avery somehow magically gets angry at you) poke him anywhere. He'll laugh and feel all better again. "But," Avery continued, and he leaned closer to Hiro, "I'll have to ask for repayment~" he smirked. Oh man, Avery really was shameless when it came to his flirting. He couldn't help it though; it was just so natural for him to do it, and it's not like he meant any harm.

Avery would've been laughing at this point if it wasn't for this mind-blowing secret. He did feel sorry for showering Hiro with water/spit, so he grabbed the towel he tossed to the fire and started cleaning him more roughly than he should've, but man. This...this was just too much for him to absorb. Even back in their days at the Academy he knew about their rivalry; and that's saying a lot considering Avery was a drunk and could barely remember half of it. But who didn't know about it? You'd have to be both deaf and blind.

Okay, so it wasn't in his intentions to nearly knock both of them to the ground. Avery at this point was so flustered that he barely could keep his calm, so when Hiro finally spoke up and led him to the chair, Avery succumbed into silence, following the fire like a little puppy. "You mean that there was another kiss?! Well this just keeps getting better and better!" he said, flinging his arms out for a dramatic effect. He didn't say anything else on the matter and just watched as Hiro paced back and forth and listened quietly like a good child. That was pretty much all he could do, and his interest was obvious in the way his eyes sparkled in admiration. Hiro's whole story was like a good drama unfolding, but Avery couldn't help but scoff and comment on Hiro's friends. "Pfft, I know that all too well." He frowned as he thought of them; they were all carbon copies, trying to get Hiro's attention, and all for the bad reasons.

Avery stayed quit after that, and when Hiro mentioned that seeing her was like seeing him, the water noticeably slumped in his chair, but continued listening. He remembered what it was like seeing each other again. They were both oblivious to the fact that they were coworkers until they saw each other in the teacher's lounge. They stood there for what seemed like an eternity, and the one word that Avery never imagined to slip out of Hiro's mouth slipped; sorry. So he could only imagine what Ayane felt at that time when Hiro apologized to her. "Whoa, whoa, whoa. You called her your girlfriend?! AND YOU KISSED HER." Avery blinked repeatedly, trying to process it into his mind, but Hiro was already continuing his story. Man, Avery needed some alone time after this. He was in no condition to patch up any injured students. Avery felt like he'd give them more injuries than actually heal any. "WHAT. WAIT--WHAT." Avery jumped up at this point, not too sure in excitement or pure horror, but he was sure he couldn't handle any more. He slumped back into his chair, waving his hand in defeat. "No...no more...my heart can't take it~" and he curled himself up in fetal position, his eyes wide and barely blinking. Avery then slowly looked up at Hiro, his eyes bright with curiosity. "So what now?"

[HIRO JUN MIZUSHIMA]

Surprisingly Hiro had gotten used to Avery's flirtatious side rather quickly. Of course it had surprised him so at first, but after a short while it didn't bother Hiro much. Of sometimes Avery caught him by surprise because of it, and Hiro tried to keep him calmed when they were in public but when it was just the two of them like this then he didn't resist too much. Resisting only made Avery up his game so instead making that happen Hiro just humored Avery from the start to keep it under control. Hiro raised an eyebrow at Avery. "Lessons from you, the shameless flirt? I think I'll take my chances." He poked Avery again, knowing how ticklish the water was. It was the easiest way to make him back away a bit.

Now Hiro wasn't surprised by Avery's reaction. He was expecting it, especially since Avery was one for dramatics but then again Hiro was dropping a huge bombshell so a big reaction, especially from Avery, was expected. After all this was a huge thing that happened between Hiro and Ayane. Two people that anyone who went to school with them knows just how big their rivalry was and still continues today, although it probably wasn't as bad as it was back then. Everyone knew about it. You didn't have to be a fire or thunder, and that was where it surprised some. The fact that they were of the same alliance and yet completely hated each other was surprisingly to some. So even if you didn't know the details you knew the rivalry existed. Avery was no different. You seriously had to have been living under a rock to not have known about it.

He was just thankful that Avery had calmed down long enough for Hiro to retell his story. When Avery made his comment about Hiro's old groupies he looked down with a bit of shame on his face. He wasn't proud of those days. He had two sets of friends. One set was his social class friends. They were all wealthy in their own ways and he normally only saw them when he had to go parties and things with his parents. They didn't know about him being an elemental. Then there was his Academy friends. They all knew he was wealthy and he obviously didn't have to hide the truth. What both groups had in common was that with Hiro being the huge prick he was they would try to impress him by being the same. Avery only ever had to suffer from Hiro's Academy friends but Ayane had to go through both sets. Point was though that it wasn't something he was proud off. And it had not been something easy to apologize for. When he first realized that Avery was on staff too Hiro didn't know what to think. What exactly was he suppose to say for a few years of bullying? The only thing he could think of was an "I'm sorry" and even that truly didn't feel like enough. No one would believe that he had actually apologized for something like this. Lucky for him Avery accepted and thus started an interesting friendship between the fire and water, even at the disapproval of many. He couldn't erase what he had done but at least maybe he could make up for it.

"I only called her my girlfriend to get them to back of her. The kiss was only for added measure. It didn't mean anything. " It felt like he was trying to reassure his significant other that he didn't cheat on them. Sad really. Hiro only walked back to his friend and put a reassuringly hand on the water to try and get him to calm down. He didn't want Avery getting a panic attack over this. Hiro sighed. "Now...we're back to square one. Basically despising each, not really able to stand each others presence only a bit more civil." He said. They had only talked once since that day. It wasn't exactly a comfortable conversion and not much was resolved from it. He looked back at his friend with reassuring eyes. "And if you're worried about her stealing me away don't be. The last thing she'd be able to do is take me away from you if you have anything to say about it." He said touching the tip of Avery's nose. Hiro sometimes treated Avery like a kid but that was because sometimes the water acted as such.

[AVERY JUNNOSUKE KAEL]

Okay, so maybe Avery should tone it down sometimes. Whenever he and Hiro would go out into public together, Avery (for the hell of it) would grow overly-affectionate towards Hiro. It was quite hilarious, with all the looks on the faces of strangers. What made it even more hilarious was how Hiro would resist him. Really, Avery was way too shameless, but the fire did take his antics rather well. Kind of just gave up resisting after a while. "Aww, c'mon~" And he laughed out loud again, flinching away as Hiro poked him. Avery hugged his stomach, shooting a playful scowl at Hiro. "Stop it! I know you want me and everything, but tickling will only make me want to smack you!" he joked, but seriously. He was an extremely ticklish person. Avery didn't know why, but usually the slightest touch from anyone, anywhere would set him off into giggles. Unfortunately, Hiro had found out about this weakness not too long into their friendship, so he now knows how to make the nurse keep his distance.

Avery, as he was listening to Hiro's story in great detail, suddenly felt guilt tugging his stomach. Here was Hiro, pouring out a story that was troubling him, and here Avery was; he had barely told Hiro a thing about his past. The only thing the fire knew was that his father left the family just a year after Avery entered the Academy. Hiro knew nothing about his mother, nor did he know about the store owner who was borderlining a traumatic/beautiful memory for him, and he also did not know about the old woman who started the change in Avery. He knew nothing about the water, yet here he was, trusting him. Avery chewed on the inside of his cheek, trying his hardest to stay focused. In due time he'd reveal everything to Hiro, but now...he wasn't ready. He wasn't sure if he'd ever be ready, considering how shameful he felt about his behavior, but...Avery felt like he owed something to Hiro. despite what he had done to him in their years in the Academy. All of that was long gone and in the past; Avery wasn't the kind to hold grudges. Hiro apologized. That was enough for him.

"Didn't mean anything?" Avery repeated, though he felt somewhat of a relief. Whether it was obvious or not, he was rather possessive. But could you blame him? Almost everything in his life had been taken away--he was not going to let it happen again, and Avery smiled up at the fire when he put his hand on his shoulder, though he wasn't convinced. A kiss couldn't just mean nothing. Of course he didn't see Hiro that way, but he still felt a twinge of jealousy. "Uh-huh," Avery said, his voice dragged out. "I don't think it'll stay that way for long. A kiss always starts things~" he said suggestively, spinning on his chair. Avery scrunched his nose when Hiro poked it, and he broke out into a smile before jumping off his chair (and somewhat stumbling over his own two feet). "Good," he pouted, his tone childish, hugging the fire warmly. Okay, so if anyone were to walk in at this moment, it'd be really awkward. There were already rumors of Avery being *ahem* homosexual (which was only half true!) and this would just take the cake. Oh, and Hiro along with it. Oh, that would be too amusing. Avery himself wouldn't mind because he didn't let things like that get to him, but he could only imagine Hiro's reaction. Sure, he cooled down a lot since the Academy, but being a fire, his temper didn't change at all. Avery's voice a bit muffled because his face was literally pressed against Hiro's chest, he said, "I feel like your girlfriend right now." Avery pulled back slightly with a cheeky grin. Oh, these two.

[HIRO JUN MIZUSHIMA]

Avery shameless flirting had come with the territory by this point. You either got over it or you disliked it and moved on. Point was though that this wasn't anything new to Hiro by this point. He wouldn't have stuck around this long if he really had a problem with it. Of course there were times where he would like Avery to tone it down some at times but aside from that Hiro would just humor the water. "I will try hard to resist." he said sarcastically with a small smirk. He had learned very early on into their new friendship at how ticklish the water was which Hiro very much used to his advantage at this point, especially if Avery was on the verge of going just a bit too far.

Hiro was happy that Avery listened more than made comment towards during his retelling. It made it easier for Hiro to tell. It was quite easy to tell Avery. He held no hesitation in telling the water and the most important thing he demand nor expected anything in return. Just because Hiro was willing to tell Avery these things doesn't mean that he expected Avery to give him just as much. Hiro knew very little about Avery's past aside from the fact that he had a deadbeat dad who had left the family not long after Avery entered teh Academy but Hiro didn't press for the details nor any details related to Avery's life. He figured it would be seen as a sign of trust between the two. When the time came that Avery felt comfortable enough to share then they would deal with it then but Hiro didn't want to try and force any dark history out of Avery when he wasn't ready to share it. Avery didn't owe him anything so why should Hiro expect anything. If anything Hiro owed Avery for the years of torment.

He smirked a little at Avery's reluctance to believe him. Hiro was well aware that Avery was a bit possessive when it came to him but Hiro didn't mind. In a way Hiro was a bit possessive of Avery too. Not in a romantic way or anything Hiro had grown to be rather protective of the water. Ironic wasn't it? About ten years ago he would have been the one Avery needed protecting from. Now Hiro would jump at anyone who tried to mess with the water. Funny things worked out like that. "Don't hold your breath. This is Ayane we're talking about. There's more of a chance of me wining the nobel peace prize than of something happening between me and her." he said with a reassuring smile. The polar ice caps would melt before something like that happening. He stepped forward when Avery jumped off the chair and nearly tripped over himself. He was a bit surprised by Avery's sudden hug and then just chuckled a bit. Avery never changed. He patted the water's head. It was an awkward position and he prayed that no one walked in anytime soon. This would not look good for his image. "If you were my girlfriend what would that say about me?" he said raising his eyebrow in curiosity.

[AVERY JUNNOSUKE KAEL]

There were times where Avery overdid it with his shameless flirting and he accepted that fact. He wasn't entirely oblivious to the atmosphere--in fact, he read people's emotions pretty well. Of course there were also times where Avery would push limits, but if he was given the signal, he'd stop immediately. It's happened a couple of times with Hiro, especially when they first tried being friends. Avery's personality was hard to swallow at first, but like most people, Hiro got used to the fact that he wouldn't be able to fight it. Much, anyways. "Good. Because you aren't my type~" he joked, his cheeky grin complete on his lips as he poked Hiro on the cheek. Did Avery even have a type? Even he had a hard time swallowing that one. He shamelessly flirted with anything that could stand on two feet.

It was usually hard to get Avery to be quiet. If it was anyone else, or if there was a less than interesting story, he'd be bouncing off the walls asking questions that would probably have no relevance to the situation. But this was Hiro, his best friend, and this story was like, mind blowing, the fact that the fire teacher and his long term thunder enemy kissed, in front of a crowd of people who were probably just as surprised too, no doubt. Ah, how life brought the biggest, unpredictable shocks. Just look at Hiro and Avery--fighting against the balance of nature. And in all honesty, there were times where Avery felt uneasy about the whole thing. They were best friends, no doubt, but on long nights where Avery can't sleep, he'd think back to the blurry and torturous days at the Academy. The endless days of torment and bullying--but then Avery's mind would flicker back to the fire now, the smiling face that had apologized, which was more than enough for the nurse. Even the faculty members who went to school with Hiro and Avery had there doubts, but Avery was strong enough to not listen to them. They've both changed, drastically; there wasn't a need to dwell on the past, considering how well Hiro treated the nurse.

"Uh-huh~" Avery spun around on his chair again, his tone unbelieving. "I don't know, Hiro, things like that don't just disappear as if it never happened," he pointed, his eyebrows raised. "Even if it was Ayane. I mean, look at how we turned out." And he stopped spinning abruptly, slowly turning to the fire with a cheeky grin, showing a peace sign with his fingers. Did Avery just make a good point? Why, yes, he did, and he slowly narrowed his eyes at Hiro's reassuring smile, as if he was hesitant to accept it, but the smirk on his own lips gave that away. That was one of the many things about Avery; he trusted easily. Whether that was a good thing or a bad thing, well, it depended on the situation. But mostly bad. "That you're an awkward boyfriend!" Avery chirped. It was obvious in the fact that in the way Hiro patted his head, but then again, that was probably because Avery was a dude. But that's going into details. The nurse stayed in Hiro's arms for a moment longer before spinning out dramatically, landing on his chair with a plop. "And besides, you aren't lucky enough for that to be true~" And Avery spun away, sticking his tongue out at Hiro. Ah, there were times where he wondered exactly how Hiro dealt with him.

[HIRO JUN MIZUSHIMA]

Hiro raised an eyebrow unconvinced. "Is that so? You know you couldn't resist my charm." he said teasingly. Sometimes Hiro perhaps humored Avery too much. It would explain why he was willing to push the limits sometimes with his flirting. The good thing was that Avery knew when sometimes enough was enough. That comment did make Hiro think for a moment. Did Avery even have a type? The water flirted with practically anything on two legs. From the students to everyone else. Until Avery said that Hiro had never thought about what kind of person the water would actually be interested in.

Hiro didn't think much about their friendship, at least in terms of the fact of how unorthodox it was. Hiro was a fire, Avery water. In the alliance they were truly the biggest enemies and polar opposites. Yet he they stood, in complete calm (well sort of) and relaxation (again sort of). The fact that Hiro had come straight to Avery about this said something. A fire and water that could truly trust each other. During their Academy days this would have been unheard of. Hiro would have been seen as a traitor, very much like the fire Josh who was now engaged with an Earth. After the academy the alliances weren't pushed down your throats as much anymore but Hiro and Avery would earn some disbelieving and unwanted stares from practically anyone who saw them, especially those who went to school with them. Hiro was in no way proud of the way he used to be and would go on making it up to Avery for as long as the water allowed him to. "But unlike Ayane I actually you. And you never did anything to provoke me." he said a bit sadly. That was truth. Most of the torment that Hiro had caused to Avery was unprovoked unlike with Ayane who did provoke him to get under his skin.


He chuckled a bit as Avery rolled away. He was truly like a child. That was part of his charm. At times he forgot that this was the same person that he used to mess with when they were younger. They were truly different people. "I guess I'll just have to settle with second best huh?" he said with a light smile. "Hey Avery listen. Thank you....for everything." for listening, for forgiving him, for at least not completely hating him, for giving him a chance to redeem himself, for everything.

[AVERY JUNNOSUKE KAEL]

Avery looked at the fire teacher with a skeptical look. "I think you have it backwards," he pointed out seriously, though his face quickly lit up with a grin. One of the many things that made Hiro and Avery get along so well--the fire always went along with Avery's crazy antics. Okay, maybe not always, but a good portion of it. And that also made the nurse acknowledge how far along Hiro came since the Academy days. Back then Hiro probably would've ended up socking the now Avery, though that really didn't make a difference when Avery wasn't like this--rather, the exact opposite. Meh. Details. What was important now is the fact Hiro had changed, became Avery's best friend of all people. "I think I'm rubbing off on you~"

In the beginning of their unlikely friendship, Avery dwelled on it. Big time. Of course he had forgiven the fire for all the years of torment, but it wasn't something easily forgotten. Even now he thought about it sometimes. "True. But maybe this kiss was like an ice breaker~!" he exclaimed, keeping his tone cheerful. No, he did not want to go down memory lane again. This was now. Just. Move on, he told himself, patting Hiro on the shoulder with a grin on his face. "People change." Avery shrugged. "Times change. I'm not siding with anyone or anything...just..." he tilted his head, unable to finish his sentence. What was he trying to say, anyways? Avery wasn't an expert in romance, far from it, despite the flirtatious face he put on. It was always flings, unattached feelings. Never anything real. He was so caught up on the image of love his parents set up for him that he never saw the appeal of it. Avery sighed, his expression comically confused, then asked, "Have you guys talked since then?" He spun in his chair again, though when he stopped he swayed due to being too dizzy. "I can sweet talk Ayane for you~" Ha, if that was likely. He was thoroughly afraid of her.

"D'aww, don't be sad, Hiro," he called over his shoulder as he rolled away. "One of these days you'll win my heart~" Did Avery even have a first best? He shrugged, not wanting to dwell on that detail, and stopped abruptly in the middle of his office, tilting his head to the side. Avery had stopped with his back turned to the fire and he stayed still for a moment, unable to process the guilt that had passed through him. "No worries~!" Avery exclaimed a beat later, his tone cheerful. He turned towards Hiro, a cheeky grin on his face. "We're best friends, after all."