....never felt deeply for anyone other than Dallin... he nodded understanding. For some reason he wasnt surprised by it, as it would explain the way she sat on him-- which still had the same, racy effect on him to this day. Weird.

But Joao-- now that was the first time the Ravenerd realized there was something more to him than the flirting at the pool he saw. It wasnt just flirting, there was something already there, a history. His eyes grew large with anxiety. Good Merlin what did he just.... ruin something between them? Blundering Vanderbilt goes off with the Birthday girl while Boyfriend--ex Boyfriend?-- is abandoned by the pool? "I.. I didnt know.... " he stammered as his eyes fell to the ground, shock and shame mixing in his face "I'm sorry... " he mumbled barely above a whisper.

It took him a few seconds to have the rest of her words sink in and thats when he finally looked up, his face was still remorseful but there was a twinkle in his eye "I'm ice?..." he repeated. "I dont feel cool, unlike Eijah, now he's cool.... I feel more dull.... like the earth." And as his gaze fell on his glass which still had about half their drink remaining he suddenly had a thought"Earth and Fire equals.... molten lava..." he added and he gazed up into her face, the twinkle in his eye still there "...thats a dangerous combination." as it can literally change the face of the Earth.

And now she asked him another question, of which got him to furrow his brows in confusion "Rebound? Rebound from who--" and he trailed off. Was she referring to Kurumi? His lips presses together as he sat silently. His emotions for Kurumi has never passed his lips, not even to the Gryffindor Prefect. What feelings he had for her was written down in some convoluted poem for a class activity, which wasnt a surprise why she didnt understand as he barely understood it himself. But there was that question and his answer is "There really isnt anybody for me to rebound from Louisa...." he started "... yes, I had the hugest crush on Kurumi since the day I met her back in New York, even before I came here. But ever since I got here, learning who she was with-- who she's with now-- its taught me to accept the fact that I was never an option anyway." He gulped as he collected more of his thoughts, it was like flipping back through the pages of his past "It was hard for me to hear them talk about each other at the pool because of how I felt for her, its like a wound that was healing but it kept being peeled open." He wasnt sure if that was the right analogy but thats how he felt like back then "...But to think that you were some substitute-- like 'Oh since I didnt have Kurumi so I'd hook up with you instead?'...." He set the glass aside and took her hands in his "Havent I told you that the first time I really liked you was when we made this swing?...." he knew he had to have said that to her already, but it bears repeating as it was the truth, potion notwithstanding "That was way before your party... and it was there that I finally had the guts to do what I felt about you all along." A blessing with the way the refreshments were prepared then right?

Did it answer her question? It was a pretty lengthy response but he wouldnt be surprised if it brings up more questions. But now it was his turn to ask her another one "Is there anything about me that you want to change?" because he knows he needs to improve, he just didnt know what, blind he was on himself.