A Thousand Words....

[frank-ezra-longbottom]

WHO: Frank Longbottom and Gwendolyn Goyle WHEN: Saturday, March 18th, 1978. WHERE: The Room of Requirement

Awed, Frank lowered his camera. She was beyond lovely. The very picture of grace and elegance. A woman after his heart. “You’re beautiful” he breathed, smiling bashfully at her. 

@gwendolyn-goyle

[frank-ezra-longbottom]

puffpuff-alice‌:

Alice could only nod her head as she watched him, desperate to see his reaction. Would he hate it? Would he recognize it as her fathers and tell her to give it back? In the past she always knew how he would react but now everything felt so different. They were still the same people of course, their relationship had just changed. Significantly.  They were still best friends of course but now they were engaged. A word that still made her head spin. Even though they’d talked about the engagement, more than talked about it really, she still expected him to end it any day. To tell her that he didn’t actually want to marry her, or even worse, that he was in love with someone else already. She wouldn’t be able to hold him to the engagement then, not if she still wanted to be his best friend. She also knew that Frank would have told her already if that were the case. “It’s nothing too special or anything but I wanted you to have it.” She explained nervously. 

It took him a moment, but he did recognize the ring. Truth be told he hadn’t expected much. Alice knew him well enough to know he had no desire for anything too over the top. What he really hadn’t expected was something with so much sentiment attached. Her father’s ring. She had said that it was nothing special but to him it meant so much. The Fortescue family truly was putting their trust in him to care for her once her father was gone - when she would need him more than ever. Frank couldn’t even begin to imagine how Alice must have felt even asking for this particular piece of jewelry. “Thank you” he said, reaching out for her hand, “I have something for you too”

[frank-ezra-longbottom]

puffpuff-alice‌:

Who: Alice Fortescue & Frank Longbottom @frank-ezra-longbottom 

Where: Hufflepuff Common Room

When: Friday, March 17th before afternoon classes

It had taken weeks to get her mother to finally send her the gift she wanted to give to Frank. Alice felt like she had to give him something considering they were engaged now. Instead of writing to her mother, she’d personally written to her father for the gift she had in mind since he was the one who owned the item. It was something he’d been given when he’d gotten engaged to her mother, and although it wasn’t much of a family heirloom like she’d have preferred, it had a lot of meaning to her. Just about everything important to her parents meant a lot to the girl and was the reason why she wanted to share it with Frank. Though she would’ve preferred for their engagement to have been under different circumstances, that didn’t mean she wasn’t happy about it nonetheless. 

“Frank!” She called out to him to catch his attention. Everybody currently in the common room were leaving to go to their classes so she figured now would be a good time to get some privacy. Rather than sneaking off into an empty classroom, this was much more comfortable for her. Though it wasn’t as if Alice expected him to kiss her again, as that had happened purely because they’d been so caught up in what was going on. Still, giving him the ring felt private. “I have something for you.” She smiled, holding out the small box once the last of their housemates had finally left. 

For nearly a month now his mind had been buzzing. It seemed that life moved incredibly quickly. With everything going on in the world around them they all still had so much to fear. The castle around them was gloomy and the moods of many of his classmates was far from lifted, and yet Frank was happy. Since their engagement nothing more had happened between them which more or less might have something to do with the fact that they hadn’t actually managed to find some time alone. Frank knew now that something for sure had changed between them but he hadn’t wanted to push his boundaries so he had done nothing to pursue it. There had been one thing that he had needed to do though. After all, tradition would only stand for the finest. 

A few days after he had received the letter his mother had obtained permission to take her son off campus and to the family vault at Gringotts. His three times great grandmother had been a collector of fine jewelry and it had become a tradition within the family to select one of her pieces to pass on to one’s wife. Frank had perused the vault slowly. Whatever he chose had to be perfect. Frank had been certain that his mother was going to chime in on what she thought would be best, but she merely stood at the door to the vault beaming at him with joy and pride. Almost as if, and he more than suspected this was truth, she knew that he truly loved his future bride. After some time he found it. A smaller gold ring tucked in among some truly large stones. He could only hope that Alice found the slender diamond and opal studded band as charming as he did and that the teardrop diamond was neither too much or too little. 

For days now he had carried it around with him. They hadn’t been able to catch a moment together so of course he hadn’t given it to her. Sure, he easily could have had one of the ladies in her dorm room give it to her or perhaps even arrange something elaborate with his housemates but he thought she would appreciate a more intimate moment. Today was no different. The little box was situated in the pocket of his robes just in case the chance arose. He had been chattering with Ted when Alice had called out to him. Quickly he strode over to her watching as the common room slowly emptied. “You got me something?” he questioned, accepting the box that she offered, “Is this a ring box?”

[frank-ezra-longbottom]

edgxrbxnxs‌:

t-edwardtonks‌:

Ted Tonks was not the nosy sort. He didn’t go digging around in other people’s business or bombarding them with unwarranted questions about their personal lives. He knew what it was to have a secret, or what it was like to want to keep something to yourself. So he never pushed his friends or peers to share anything with him that might make them uncomfortable. Now, this by no means meant that Ted was not a curious person by nature. The instant Frank slid the letter his way, Ted was quick to lean in closer, scanning it until he found a familiar name. He blinked once, twice, shook his head and blinked again just to make sure he was seeing things properly. And even when he was sure that it had been Alice’s name neatly printed on the parchment, Ted found words even more of a struggle. “You- wait- I mean- how did this happen?”

@edgxrbxnxs​

Edgar Bones was the nosy sort. In unison with Ted, Edgar leaned forward to read the letter held out before them. His eyes widened, and he looked over at Ted just to make sure that he hadn’t made this all up, or something. There was a lot for him to ponder over. An arranged marriage? To Alice, of all people? Sometimes, Edgar forgot that Frank’s family was apart of the Sacred Twenty Eight, so much so that he hadn’t even conceived that Frank might be forced to marry someone beyond his choosing. “Your mother… has engaged you to Alice?” Well, that was certainly irony if Edgar had ever seen it.

@frank-ezra-longbottom​

At the very least his friends seemed to be as baffled as he was and that meant that he wasn’t overreacting. “I don’t know how or why. My parents promised me that they would never force me to marry. Unless my mother is receiving pressure from the Bulstrode’s....” Frank muttered aloud, trying to grasp at any kind of explanation, “What should I do? Alice - she’s not going to be happy”

@t-edwardtonks

[frank-ezra-longbottom]

gidecns‌:

“Hey —” Gideon looked indignant. “I was playing with that!”

“I noticed. You haven’t turned a page in the last half hour”

[frank-ezra-longbottom]

t-edwardtonks‌:

edgxrbxnxs‌:

WHO: Edgar Bones, Frank Longbottom, and Ted Tonks WHEN: Monday, October 4th, 1971. 10:32AM. WHERE: Outside of Defense Against the Dark Arts, Hogwarts. WHAT: Twelve year old Edgar meets Ted and Frank for the very first time after a lesson in Defense Against the Dark Arts.

He had only been at school for one single month, but Edgar knew that he absolutely did not like Augustus Rookwood. So, when their professor told the room of first year Hufflepuffs and Ravenclaws that there would be a change in the seating chart, Edgar practically jumped at the chance. “Charity Burbage, you’ll be sitting with Ludovic Bagman,” Came the voice of the Defense Against the Dark Arts. “Mr. Longbottom, you’re next to Alice, over there towards the back.” The professor’s eyes flickered in his own direction, settling first on Rookwood. “Augustus, you’ll be next to Mr. Lovegood and you, Mr. Bones, can go and sit next to Mr. Tonks.” 

Edgar turned in his seat, eyes settling on the muggleborn Hufflepuff he knew to be called Tonks. Edgar had never talked to him before, but anyone would be better than Rookwood. Turns out, Ted Tonks was a much better seating partner. And he made learning the Knockback Jinx especially fun. Edgar always had liked showing other people how smart he was, and Ted was the perfect person for that. Together they worked through the lesson, laughing and falling over together as they tried to get it right. By the time class was finished, the two of them were chatting happily. Edgar grabbed his backpack and started putting away his things. “I can’t wait to tell my sister that I know the Knockback Jinx.” Edgar said smugly, grinning at Ted. “She’s going to be so jealous.”  

@frank-ezra-longbottom || @t-edwardtonks

Ted had been slightly disappointed when the professor announced a change in seating arrangements. He quite liked his seat next to Charity Burbage. There was something comforting about sitting next to a fellow Hufflepuff, and Charity was incredibly nice. She was so patient when Ted fumbled over spells or took a bit longer to get them down, and he desperately hoped that he would be placed next to another one of his friends. Frank was his first choice for sure, but Alice would also make a wonderful partner, and Xeno was… also a fellow Hufflepuff. Ted considered himself lucky to be placed in a house with so many wonderful new friends, but fate seemed determined to have him branch out.

Edgar Bones was not someone Ted had attempted to befriend in his short month at school, but Ted had certainly noticed Edgar. It was obvious the other boy was much better at magic than he was, and at first Ted worried Edgar might hate having him as a partner when he learned how slow Ted was to pick up new spells. But as luck would have it, the opposite seemed to true as Edgar eagerly helped Ted with the Knockback Jinx. By the end of the lesson, Ted’s sides hurt from laughing so hard and he couldn’t help grinning as he packed up his book bag. “You have a sister?” Ted asked, his face alighting with excitement. “I have three! None of them know what a Knockback Jinx is, though.”

Over Edgar’s shoulder, Ted saw Frank already heading toward the door and called out to him. “Hey, Frank! Wait up!” Turning back to Edgar, Ted gave him a bright smile and tipped his head toward the door in a gesture for him to follow. “Come on, I’ll introduce you to my friend.” On a second thought, Ted worried for a moment that Frank might not want Edgar to walk with them, but quickly brushed the thought away. Of course Frank would like Edgar, what wasn’t there to like? “Edgar Bones, meet my friend, Frank Longbottom.”

@frank-ezra-longbottom​

Getting a new partner for this class would definitely be a good thing. Sure the girl he was paired with seemed to be pretty talented but she was also, for lack of a better word, a total brat. It didn’t escape him that people were weary of him still, especially with his father’s trial still plastered all over the papers, but that no reason at all to treat him the way that Amara Zabini had. His hopes hadn’t really been high for his new partner either. He didn’t think he had very much hope of making a lot of friends. It was with absolute joy that he waved goodbye to Amara for what was hopefully the very last time and went to sit next to one of the two friends he had actually made. 

By the end of the lesson he and Alice were still laughing about how hard her last spell had hit him. It had been his own fault for teasing her. He’d near about flown over the pillows that had been set up on the floor! They were just leaving the classroom when he heard Ted calling for him. “You win this round, Fortescue. Bet i’ll get you next time though!” he said as the girl retreated from him. It was with a smile that he turned towards Ted and the Ravenclaw boy at his side, “Bones? Hey, yeah, I think I’ve heard of you. Nice to meet you”

@edgxrbxnxs​

[frank-ezra-longbottom]

edgxrbxnxs‌:

t-edwardtonks·:

coughed once in disbelief, fairly certain he’d choked in surprise. “I’m sorry, you’re what?” He asked, his shock evident. Over the years Frank, Ted, and Edgar had spoken of their futures and what they expected them to look like. Ted’s had always been well mapped out, firmly set in place by his parents and the accident of his birth which bound him to a legacy that long predated him and would long outlive him, God-willing. How many times had his friends listened to him complain how he’d never get to marry the girl of his dreams, the woman he loved like he suspected they would be lucky enough to do themselves? Never had Frank mentioned anything about an arranged marriage for himself. “Frank- I had no idea- are you- are you alright? Did you know about this?”

@edgxrbxnxs·

Pressing a gentle kiss to Gabrielle’s lips, Edgar rose from the Ravenclaw table. Lunch was over and done, and afternoon classes would be starting soon. Normally, he would walk with Gabrielle to class as soon as they both had finished eating. Today, however, he was doing something a little different. He had spotted Ted and Frank over by the Hufflepuff table, talking about something among themselves. Feeling like he hadn’t spoken with them in awhile, he decided he would go and do so now. With a pep in his step, he marched over, waving a hand as he got close. 

“Hey lads!” It was then that he realized they weren’t smiling. Confusion settled on his face as he looked between the both of them. “…what’s going on with you two?”

@frank-ezra-longbottom·

The baffled look on Ted’s face surely mirrored his own. “I - “ he began in answer to his companion’s question when Edgar appeared at their side. His eyes darted to the letter in his hand once more before looking back to his friends. He wasn’t really sure of what to say. Surely they understood that he held no true opposition to being married to Alice. In all of their years of friendship he had never said out loud what he felt for her, but he had done absolutely nothing to try and hide it either. If it wasn’t for the shock of being forced to do so there wouldn’t even have been a problem to begin with. “My mother arranged a marriage for me. You’ll never guess the bride” he said, extending the letter back towards them so that they could read it for themselves. 

@t-edwardtonks​

[frank-ezra-longbottom]

edgxrbxnxs‌:

Edgar waved at Alice, making a mental note to talk to her soon. For now, though, he had more important matters to attend to. Edgar glanced around, taking care to make sure that he and Frank hadn’t just missed Ted in the crowd. When he was sufficiently sure that Ted wasn’t there, he looked back to Frank. 

“Yeah, I suppose that’s a good place to start.” 

Edgar furrowed his eyebrows, wondering what might have kept Ted at the Pitch when all of his teammates had shown up to the party. As far as he could remember, Ted hadn’t suffered any injuries on the Pitch, so he likely wouldn’t be in the Hospital Wing.

“Want to go look now?” Edgar asked, gesturing to the door. “Before the party goes on too long?”

@frank-ezra-longbottom·

Frank’s eyes scanned the room around them again. Ted’s was definitely a silhouette that was difficult to miss but he wanted to be doubly sure that he hadn’t just been mixed up in the tumble of people. When he still didn’t find him Frank offered Edgar a nod, “Yeah. It’s not like him to not say something” he said, genuinely hoping that they had nothing to worry about. Especially with the way that things had been going around here lately. One could never really be too sure anymore. 

He waved to catch Alice’s eye so that he could pantomime to her that the two of them were leaving before falling into step beside Edgar as the two of them headed back down towards the pitch. 

@puffpuff-alice​

[frank-ezra-longbottom]

t-edwardtonks‌:

“I’m honored you’re finally gracing me with your presence.” Ted teased, starting down the corridor with his friend at his side. “You’ve been something of a stranger recently.” He commented, though there was no accusation in his tone. He understood what it was to be busy and have little time on your hands for things like catching up with friends. Ted, Edgar, and Frank had never found that a problem, however, always easily picking up right where they left off whether that be after a few days or nearly a whole semester.

“I’ll be honest, I don’t really know where to start.” Ted admitted, scratching the back of his neck. “So much has happened, I have so much to tell you.”

“I’ve got a bit of time now” Frank supplied, “and I have a lot of questions. Start at the beginning?” He was almost certain that whatever had been going on with Ted and Edgar was far more interesting than anything that he had going on in his life right now. His focus had already on post-Hogwarts and he had more or less devoted everything to studying. It had even been a little bit since he had had the chance to pick up his camera for more than a couple of landscape photos. 

[frank-ezra-longbottom]

emmyvance‌:

WHO: Emmeline Vance & anyone  WHERE: The Great Hall WHEN: Right after the Quidditch match, on Saturday, March 11th

With a red-and-gold top hat on her head, Emmeline pouted at the Gryffindor table. She had not bothered to stick around after the match – it was bloody and the other Gryffindors around her were annoyed. Instead, she had made her way to the kitchens to grab a bowl of oatmeal before heading to bed. Emmeline wasn’t in the mood for celebrating, and she hadn’t eaten all day due to pre-game festivities. Grouchy was an understatement for how she was feeling. Her spoon clanged against the porcelain bowl as she felt a light touch on her arm. Without looking up, Emmeline groaned. “Are you here to pour some liquor in my oatmeal? I’m not interested, if you’re not.”

Frank was still reeling from having found one of his best mates in a rather compromising situation and was trying to distract himself with the thought that those in Hufflepuff could probably use some snacks. He detoured to the kitchens on the way to the common room, surprised to find Emmeline sitting there with a bowl of something. He wasn’t as close to her as Edgar was but both of them were adoptees of the Bones family and he still thought of her as a sister of sorts. “I’m just checking to make sure you’re okay, actually. Though I know a witch I could talk to that probably has some liquor”

[frank-ezra-longbottom]

puffpuff-alice‌:

“Probably not,” She laughed, grabbing onto his hand as she stood up. Alice could help but linger a bit, wondering if continuing to hold his hand in that moment would be to much. But they had just kissed each other, albeit very quickly, so holding hands felt much more mild. Even still, she hesitantly let go. Her mind was still spinning, though she felt as though the moment they had just been sharing had already passed. Already knowing that when the two of them walking in late together, someone would have something smart and embarrassing to say about it. Slowly she began the walk to leave the empty room they had stowed away in. “You know her, as long as we don’t entirely skip and don’t fall behind we should be alright.” 

For a moment he had thought that she wasn’t going to let go. Truly, he had hoped that she wouldn’t. It felt as if the two of them were finally getting somewhere. With the fall of her hand back to her side he could feel the tiny bit of progress they had made fading away with it. Even still he was in an incredibly bright mood as they began the trek towards the greenhouses. “Yeah, you’re right. I’m sure she’ll understand too. It’s not really every day that you get engaged, you know?”

[frank-ezra-longbottom]

puffpuff-alice‌:

Her breath caught in her throat, barely even registering the kiss until it was over. It made everything feel so perfect. Almost as if their proposal wasn’t something that had been arranged. Her tears had stopped, leaving her sitting on the floor staring at him as she processed it. Her heart was bursting, unbelievably happy at the prospect of him feeling the same way towards her. Though it left her wondering if he did feel the same way, or simply got caught up in the moment. She didn’t want to ruin everything she was feeling though. Alice wanted to kiss him again. Before she could say something she would surely regret, or try and get an explanation out of him, she reached up with her hand. Quickly, just as quick as the one he’d given her, she kissed him. Hoping that he would somehow understand what it all meant, even if she didn’t. “W-We should get to class.” She muttered lowly, face red as she fought the urge to run away from him and hide. 

The first emotion that registered when Alice leaned back in to kiss him was relief. He hadn’t messed up everything by being impulsive. “Yeah” he muttered, pulling away as the shock hit him that she had kissed him. Frank rose to his feet and offered her a hand up, “The um.....we’re pretty late. You don’t think Professor Sprout will mind, right?” he asked, turning back to a safe topic while he processed everything that had just happened. He was going to have to have a conversation with Ted and Edgar about it because they would be able to make sense of everything far better than he could in this moment. 

[frank-ezra-longbottom]

puffpuff-alice‌:

For a brief second she was confused by what he meant, eyes going wide the moment he began to kneel down. Alice could tell that it hadn’t been planned out, no ring in sight. But it didn’t matter, because she knew that he still meant it which was all that mattered to her. She wondered if he had had this in mind when he brought her into the classroom, away from prying eyes and turning it into a private moment. Something she greatly appreciated when her eyes began to well with tears, wondering when she became the happiest girl at Hogwarts. As she listened to his words, it felt almost surreal. As if he wasn’t really talking to her, and she wasn’t standing there but rather watching it unfold between two people. Sure there was no ‘I love you’ like she’d always imagined there would be fore this sort of moment, but it didn’t even matter. “Yes, yes yes. Of course.” The words were fast, dropping down and wrapping her arms around him in a tight hug. Burying her head into his neck, having collided into him so much force she might’ve knocked them both over. “Of course I’l marry you, Frank Erza Longbottom. I couldn’t imagine marrying anyone else.” She said, a few tears still running down her face, but with the biggest smile.

Frank laughed as she tackled him to the ground in an enthusiastic confirmation of his proposal. Protectively his arms wrapped around her as he fell to the cold stone floor of the classroom, squeezing her lightly as she buried her face into his neck. “Don’t cry, silly” he said with a chuckle, shifting around so that he could look her in the way. He moved to wipe the tears from her eyes and was struck by an overwhelming desire to kiss her. This was far from the first time that this had happened but no moment had seemed as right as this one. For the first time he didn’t even think about it which meant he gave himself no chance of stopping it. His kiss was brief and light and though he was happy that it had finally happened his heart sank into his stomach as he registered that it probably wasn’t actually the time. Their proposal was fake, not real - just like his emotions were supposed to be. 

[frank-ezra-longbottom]

puffpuff-alice‌:

She smiled as he took her hand, following him wherever he went. It seemed like a common occurrence for the two of them. Alice chasing after him in some way or another, though this was different. The fact that he was there holding her hand meant that they were going together. It was something so little, that made her feel so special. She could see that the hallways weren’t that crowded, meaning classes would most likely be starting soon. Which meant that they should both get going, no matter how much she wanted to stay with him. Plus, it wasn’t as if they didn’t have classes together, so they would surely see each other later. But she didn’t want to leave things how they were if he was still unsure about everything. “No don’t be.” She furrowed her brows. “Frank listen to me-” She smiled, grabbing his hand again now that he’d let go. “I think this is the most sure I’ve been about something since I decided to buy back my dads ice cream shop one day. So unless you want to call it off-”

As her hand slipped into his a smile spread across his face. Affection at least seemed to be easy and that was a good enough place for him to start. “I think you deserve this done right then” Frank told her as he lowered himself onto one knee before her. Technically, this wasn’t a real proposal because she had already said yes to a marriage with him and he couldn’t exactly tell her that he was in love with her - at least not in those words - but he thought that the gesture would be appreciated even if he didn’t have a ring for the moment. Somehow not telling her exactly as he felt only made him all the more nervous. “I do believe in fate and destiny, but I also believe that we are only fated to do the things that we might have chosen anyway. It’s because of you I learned how to smile again and because of you I don’t think I’ve ever stopped. I love the person that you are and can’t wait to see the person that you will become. There’s nobody else that I’d rather spend the rest of my life with than my best friend. Alice Morgan Fortescue, will you marry me?” 

[frank-ezra-longbottom]

puffpuff-alice‌:

If it were them? That was the response he had expected? “Us?” Rather than the heat rushing to her face, she felt like every trace of it drained from her body. Alice wanted nothing more than to reach out and touch him, to hold his hand. But surely it would make it weird, especially with what almost left her mouth. She had been less then seconds away from saying that she wanted nothing more for their friendship to turn into something more. Relief flooded her though as he seemingly saved her from exposing herself. Almost changing her response to call him silly because of course they would be fine. They were Frank and Alice, and after seven years of friendship she was convinced they could be friends through nearly anything. Nearly anything. “Grandchildren?” She chocked out, the thought surprising her. It wasn’t as if she’d never thought of getting intimate, with Frank. But knowing that he would be thinking of such things about her now, was nearly enough to make her die of embarrassment. “I-I’m sure we’ll be f-fine. Even on that subject.” She was unsure of how else to word it. But she wanted him to know that she didn’t mind the thought, that it obviously didn’t make her want to change her mind about their arrangement. Clearing her throat, “And if it were me and you- you know what? Let’s not worry about hypothetical’s, okay?” It was best to leave it as that, changing what she was going to say mid-sentence as it was better that way. Better since they obviously had a lot of real life things to preoccupy them.

Frank didn’t regret mentioning a future that was quite literally written into the contract he had sitting in the pocket of his robes, but he definitely knew that he should have gone about it a different way. Of course he knew that they would be fine. Even if she didn’t want him in that sort of way they would make it work. It was with great relief that she didn’t panic or run away from him because of his verbal folly. Unfortunately, he was still left with far more questions than he was with answers. Gingerly he reached out to take her hand and lead her where they might have a touch more privacy. Classes were getting ready to start for the day so the halls were already clearing. It wasn’t like him to ditch classes, but this was important. “Sorry for making it weird” he said, dropping her hand and turning to face her now that they were in an empty classroom, “Are you sure you’re going to be okay? We can call this off”

[frank-ezra-longbottom]

puffpuff-alice‌:

The question had caught her off guard. What did he expect her to say? If she answered truthfully, than she would be going against everything she previously said. The urge to spill her guts was so intense she felt ready to burst. Alice wanted nothing more than to say that she wished the rumors were true, and that she wished they could be more than just friends. “Hypothetically?” Repeating the words, as if to double check that what they were talking about wasn’t actually real. Though she hoped it was, but also knew it wasn’t. “I think, hypothetically, that sometimes falling for your friends just happens.” Shrugging to try and make it nonchalant. Though she wasn’t sure if it came across that way, as she could barely hear her thoughts over her own heartbeat. “I mean, it happens all the time doesn’t it? People who have been friends for years becoming a couple. It doesn’t seem all that unbelievable.” She paused. “Hypothetically.” It was hard for her to make eye contact with him. Though looking around made her feel claustrophobic with all the people around them. Part of her wished that she could just fold right into herself and disappear, arms crossing in front of her chest to make herself even smaller.

What was it that he was expecting her to say? He wasn’t obvious about how he felt when he was with her so he knew that she had no idea and she was the one that was always saying how they were both friends. She hadn’t really answered the question though. Sure, she thought it was fine for friends to end up romantically linked but was it something that she saw for herself? “If it was me and you though....” he said softly, his words drifting away before he could finish his sentence. There was just so much for him to lose and probably nothing at all to gain from telling her. “We’ll be okay, right? Being married and all. My mother is going to have a lot of expectations. Grandchildren for one....” he said in attempt to change the subject, belatedly realizing that he had potentially made it more awkward by pointing out that they were expected to reproduce. 

[frank-ezra-longbottom]

puffpuff-alice‌:

“Oh don’t worry about that!” She waved it off, trying to make it seem like it wasn’t a big deal. And truthfully it shouldn’t have been, except for the fact that she wanted it to be true. Though it left the question as to why he hadn’t done anything if it was, which led her to believe it was nothing more than a rumor. “I mean, I was a little upset when I first heard it. But only because I was worried that it might upset Amara.” What Alice said wasn’t a lie, as she was worried about how Amara felt. But it was only part of the actual truth. “And I mean, if it was true that you guys broke up because of- well because of me-” The words came out awkwardly. “Then surely you would have said something to me by now and you haven’t so… It’s just a rumor. I’m not worried about it so I hope you’re not because I know it’s not true.” 

Frank hadn’t thought that this was a wall that he would ever run smack dab into. She was giving him the perfect out and the smart thing to do would be to take it and he really, really wanted to but he also wanted to know what her thoughts were. Of course she was absolutely right that he should have said something by now. It wasn’t exactly from lack of trying, but every time the words came to him she reinforced that they were just friends. She’d been his best friend for a really long time and he didn’t want to lose her. Even if that meant never having her the way that he wanted her. He just had to know though. “Hypothetically” he began, “if it weren’t a rumor what would you even think? We’re friends, right? You’re not supposed to fall for your friends”