"That wasn't a snog," he scoffed. "But...we could always do that next time, if you want to just...head in the direction of the finish line. No rushing, I promise."
Promising such a thing was an instant regret; he didn't have this much time. After all, he'd been seeing Adelaide for months and they hadn't even done anything - which was understandable - but still, what if Leon wanted to take things too slowly? This had to be out by summer or else he'd have failed Ginger in her plans. What kind of friend would Avery be if he allowed that to happen?

"Well all of this is your fault anyway. If you feel so bad and you aren't prepared to do anything about it then maybe you should top yourself! Fix the problem or stop complaining about it."

Avery brushed his thumb against Leon's wrist and sighed. "Taking anymore than an academic interest suggests that I have other motives for learning about dark magic. I wouldn't want to end up with that kind of reputation," he replied carefully.