fire on fire | void stiles [au] (DISCONTINUED)

SEVEN ━ HOW ICE MELTS BEFORE FIRE

The brunette couldn't quite put her finger on it. He hadn't done anything wrong — not in the slightest. He somehow always said and did the right thing, showing that he cared about her whenever it was possible. He was sweet, and gentle, and... everything you would want in a boyfriend. So why couldn't she even remotely picture an instance where they were more than friends?

"Ave, you okay?"

Her head turned to look at him, watching him shut the vehicle off, the car now motionless as it rested in a parking spot. "Yeah. Well, okay enough for a hungry person."

"You ate most of the popcorn. I thought you'd be at least half-full," he chuckled, taking off his seat belt and opening the door on his side, "Then again, I shouldn't be surprised. Your appetite is insatiable."

She breathed out a light laugh, watching him through the windshield as he rounded the car to get to the passenger side. He opened her door, waiting for her to step out, which she did without hesitation. His adorable smile was uncontrollably contagious, and she felt one of her own forming despite the doubts infesting her brain.

Avery made sure her white sundress was situated and wasn't rode up awkwardly before stepping into the establishment with Teddy's arm loosely wrapped around her waist. It wasn't long before a hostess guided them into an empty booth and the pair were sitting across from each other on the red leather the cushions were made up of.

"So..." Avery let out after the waiter disappeared with their drink orders, her slender fingers picking up the menu.

"So..." The dirty blonde repeated, his lips upturning again, an action that happens a lot when he's with her.

"Do you know what you're going to get?"

"Let's be honest. I'm going to get my regular, a cheeseburger and fries, and you're going to get yours, a kid's pepperoni pizza with extra cheese. And of course a chocolate milkshake for dessert."

"You know me too well. It's almost kind of scary," She giggled, abandoning the menu and now playing with her silverware that was laid out neatly on the table.

"Well, you're the only person I know that orders pizza every time you go to a restaurant," He explains, remembering the look on the waitress' face when Avery told them her order at a fancy seafood place his parents had brought them to. It was yet another thing he couldn't help but adore about her.

"Hey, you can never go wrong with pizza." Avery shrugged, the conversation pausing soon after because the worker had returned with their drinks and had began writing down what each of them had wanted.

The waiter was middle-aged, thin black hair styled the best it possibly could, but he was polite and had a kind tone to his voice despite the fact he was working a night shift once again. Both of the teenagers returned the small smile he offered before leaving them alone once more, getting ready to put their orders in. There was only a few other customers in the restaurant too, the dinner rush over, so the atmosphere was calm and enjoyable just like the rest of their date had been.

"I'll be right back. I'm going to to go to the bathroom real quick," She told him, gathering the over-the-shoulder purse she had set beside her and getting up from the booth.

After watching Teddy nod in understanding, Avery walked towards where she remembered seeing signs for the restrooms. She passed a few people, not really paying attention to any of them, since she was mostly focused on how much her bladder was about to explode any second. Thankfully the bathrooms weren't difficult to find and the girl ventured towards an empty stall in the luminous room.

She was glad to get away and take a breather, to think without worrying if Teddy was trying to decipher her body language. Of course she actually had to pee as well, but now was the time for her to make a decision. She could either walk out there, pretend everything was alright and maybe even let him kiss her goodnight when he took her home. Or Avery could be honest, and not waste both of their time by investing in something she's never going to feel the same way about.