She Saved Me | Tom Riddle

Stand Up

Thanks to everyone that gave me their input in the last chapter! I really enjoyed reading your interpretations of Ava and her relationship with Tom.

Listen: What's Wrong With Barry? by West Thordson

33| stand up

Following the lull in their heated discussion, Ava decided to have them actually talk everything out right away. So nearly an hour later found them sitting across from each other on Tom's bed. Tom was leaning against the headboard while Ava sat at the end of the bed cross-legged and facing him. He was reluctant at first, not understanding the point to such an exercise, but Ava was insistent. She explained that this was something her and Lizzie did to work out any arguments growing up. Her mother was insistent that they learn how to handle conflicts on their own in a constructive way. Ava thought doing the that with him would work the same way.

Tom crossed his arms as he waited for Ava to stop fidgeting with the hem of her shirt and talk. He wasn't sure how to begin a more in-depth discussion of their issues, so he thought it was best to let her do it at her own pace. However they were going to talk it out, he hoped they would be able to work through everything. He was horrible at expressing it, but he did agree with Ava. He didn't like arguing with her all the time, and to his displeasure, he didn't enjoy upsetting her.

"You'll ruin your shirt if you keep doing that," Tom said after a few more irritating minutes of watching Ava fidget.

Ava's hands halted and she glanced up at Tom. She moved her hands from her shirt and settled on folding them on her lap. "I didn't even realize I was doing that."

Tom shrugged, "that was obvious." He truly didn't care that much, he just wanted her to talk. "But I do hope you plan on starting this discussion soon."

"I do, sorry." Ava took a breath and let it out with a sigh. "There's just so much to go over, but I don't think we really need to dig that deep." She rolled her shoulders back to sit up straighter. "Everything really stems from one thing."

"Which is?"

Ava licked her lip. "Trust." Tom nodded in agreement to that. "And not telling each other things we should. Everything that we've argued over boils down to that."

Tom smirked. "You have a habit of trying to shield me from things I may find unpleasant."

"And I don't think you trust me."

The smirk slipped from Tom's face at Ava's blunt remark. "You know more about me than anyone else."

"That's true," Ava without hesitation. She wasn't going to give in that easily however. "But I don't think you trust me completely. There's still a lot I don't know."

"Even after your gossip meeting with Dumbledore?"

Ava sighed exasperatedly, "Tom." She ran a hand through her hair with little care and leaned forward to lean her elbows against her legs. "I've already explained that to you. It wasn't to gossip about your bad qualities." Tom huffed and looked away from her. "I meant I don't really know you past all that. I know a lot about you, but I don't feel like I really know you."

Tom scoffed at her. "What more could you possibly want to know?"

"I don't know, the typical things friends know about each other." Tom raised a critical eyebrow at her, he wasn't convinced. "I just want to feel like I know who you are."

"You would be the first."

Ava found herself momentarily speechless when he said that. "I doubt that." Tom's face remained impassive. "You're being serious. No one ever got that close to you?"