It was the hum— the feel of it against him, and those deep green eyes that did it. Cassian’s entire body tensed, then quivered as the shock of his climax rippled through him. That cry turned into soft pants for air, as his brain sluggishly caught up to what happened. To what Vince did— which registered somewhere in his subconsciousness as fucking hot. He would ruin himself with this image, again and again.

Air still felt hard to come by, and he staggered back a step once they’d parted as if drunk. With cold, aching hands he put himself back into his trousers. He couldn’t say anything even if he wanted to, his mouth felt bone dry. Of course, Vince was always there, with his silver tongue (he shivered again, now he had more complex thoughts about that tongue). His comment elicited a wry laugh, at least. Cass unthinkingly rested his hand on the back of his head, pressing Vince against his shoulder where he nuzzled. The other hand flitted, a bit uncertain, against Vince’s hip. “I should be asking you that…” he muttered, expression… inscrutable. His gaze was soft as he pulled back to look at Vince, though twinged with worry and apprehension. Cass didn’t know what everything that happened meant. But after all that happened these last 24 hours, he no longer had the energy to think more about it. This—- the last time he reminded himself— is all that mattered at this second.

“I’m sorry,” he muttered as he scanned the other’s face, eyes alighting on swollen lips. His hand moved from its absent stroking of Vince’s hair to caress the side of his face, then to graze his lower lip with his thumb. “For making you bleed,” he managed quietly, feeling as though his apology should be for other things too.

At Vince’s last he dropped his arms to his sides - they felt like lead. Cass visibly tensed as fingers tightened against his shirt, but he was determined to see this through. Their so-called end to this… unnatural emotion. Coming to terms with it, Cass passed a hand up and down over his own face, pausing to cover his mouth as he studied the Slytherin quietly. Perceived how fucking happy he seemed, delighted even, try as he did not to show it, it rang through in his hasty jibe to ease the tension. The mask he wore was less effective now than it has been. All this understanding… twisted Cass up completely on the insides. His hand dropped from over this mouth finally, down to squeeze Vince’s shoulder.

“Not bad... But I didn’t expect fucking Shakespeare to make an appearance,” he finally joked. Trying to hide, behind a twitch of a smile, a profound sadness that welled up inside him. He wasn’t as convincing as Vince was with this kind of thing, but he wouldn’t be able to articulate the source of his sorrow if asked. Was it over what Vince said? This isn’t how things are supposed to happen…

But then, what was supposed to happen? They were free now that they’d decided this was over. They could move on and pretend things were how they used to be, convincingly enough that one day it would feel true again. These thoughts moved like ticker tape drifting in the wind through his head.

“Let’s go back inside.”

---

  

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eyecandy by fox<3

Vince eyed Cass skeptically, still unsure as to where - exactly - they stood at present. He felt awkward and slightly unfulfilled, despite his plan having come to fruition exactly as he’d predicted. He didn’t, particularly, need the release himself? But he did wish the after-effect wasn’t so prickly, leaving him both emotionally and physically wanting. At least Cass was sensitive enough to hold him and Vince sighed a little as the other’s hand rested on his head. The hint of a smile tickled at Vince’s lips as the other inquired after him and apologized, but he only nodded as Cass pulled back. He’d already forgotten about his split lip.

Lifting a hand to touch it, Vince licked his bottom lip. It did still have a rather metallic zing; grazing his teeth over it repeatedly probably hadn’t helped. He gave Cass a small shrug. Vince wasn’t worried about it, truly. There were bigger issues on his mind.

Cass rubbed a hand over his face then and Vince took a small step back, releasing the other's shirt front. Perhaps he felt stifled, now that reality was dawning. Vincent really, desperately hoped that Cass wouldn’t want to rehash this again. All amusement waned and the little Slytherin teetered on the edge of anxiety, waiting for Cass to speak. At last the other gave his shoulder a small squeeze and relented. A real grin split across Vince’s features as Cass mentioned his quotation and he hummed in his infinite amusement. Vince knew he was pushing his luck but for a moment, the glimmer of an old, easy camaraderie set in and he couldn’t resist: “I must be cruel, only to be kind; thus bad begins and worse remains behind.” Hamlet, Act 3 scene 4.

Vincent snickered, determined to play this off as if it was nothing. They could be alright if he pretended as much. He knew Cass was attempting to do that same and, surely, if they both set their minds to it some semblance of normality could be grasped. He could sense something within Cass was lurking under the surface, waiting to be revealed, but Vince pushed past it, giving the big blonde a small, friendly nudge with his elbow. Everything was… fine.

Humming again as the other suggested they head inside, Vince nodded. “Do you think there’s any dessert left from supper?” he asked, stepping out from Cass’ shadow and grabbing his shoes further along the bank. The water level had risen a touch since they’d arrived. “I wouldn’t rather mind something sweet,” he offered. Least of all to get the taste of you out of my mouth.

---

Cassian Valenduris

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i desire very little but the things i do consume me

Cassian frowned a bit at Vince’s aloofness – all of it – but it rapidly built an index of mental notes in the back of his mind, things to follow up on or think about later. Like the salve he should probably find for his mouth, it wouldn’t do for him to look like he’d been fighting before the school year even starts. And, the fact that Vince knew he still wasn’t completely bought in to what was happening. But the fact was that he had his hand on the door and the train was taking off the platform. Cass had no choice.

He couldn’t help the audible scoff of laughter, shock maybe, for Vincent to quote so relentlessly. No more Shakespeare - that had been a rule, and despite his initial outburst of amusement Cass leveled him a warning look. Though he wouldn’t bother to tell him to stop out loud – odds were high that would only incite Vincent to do this all the time whenever he wanted to get a rise out of him, cocky maniac that he was.

“Perhaps you should audition for a play,” he retorted instead, with playful diffidence. In actuality, Vince would probably do well in theater, however ironic it would be for him to play Hamlet or Othello. He caught himself smiling at the idea as he hastily moved behind Vince. He moved his feet and hands through the water a few times to take off the worst of the dirt, then scooped up his shoes and easily bounded over the platform. He lingered a bit, offering Vincent a hand to climb up if he needed it.

Off still several meters away, Cass clocked a tugboat coming down the river, probably some of the first ones that were factory-bound before dawn. The sight made his heart rate tick up a beat, thinking about how lucky they were to have gone unspotted.

“There’s some pudding I’m sure,” he replied distractedly, dropping away from Vince hastily as he pulled on his shoes and they started their walk back. They probably shouldn’t… be seen together, really? Not rolled around in dirt and sand and tousled like this. Maybe Cassian could get away with it, but it would seem strange for his guest to be so, contrasted with the good mood of two gentlemen who supposedly just viciously fought.

“Maybe you head to your room, I can get us some things,” he started delicately, keeping his eyes averted from him to avoid seeing his reaction. He’d omit the insult of adding, and you can clean up, he’d probably want to for his own comfort anyway. “And I’ll come meet you there? Er, is dessert all you’d like? Please don’t be mad.

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eyecandy by fox<3

A small snicker escaped Vince in response to Cass’ comment about auditioning for a play. He had no real interest in it, but he could likely recite much of Shakespeare’s work unprompted. The look that accompanied the comment was less amused however, and Vince tried to hide his own laughter behind a false cough. He knew better than to press this button, lest it ignite Cass’ overthinking. Instead, Vince watched as Cass too pulled on his shoes and noted a distinct shift in the atmosphere.

The sound of a boat coming up the river made green eyes narrow and Vince scanned the horizon line. He couldn't see anything, but there was a definite sound of human interaction. Cass’ response then seemed a bit more on edge than Vince might have liked but he didn’t think much of it, knowing it was best they get back now before their joint absence was noted. Er— further noted, he supposed. Cass seemed to have the same thought and Vince nodded once, in agreement. “Let me go first,” he said. “I can probably sneak in through the back window unnoticed if you come through the front entrance.” His room might have been on the second floor, but there was a single window that Vince knew was generally left unlocked by the hall to the servants quarters nearest the staircase.

Pausing in his calculations, Vince made a little “Hm?” sound at Cass’ inquiry. For a brief, terrible moment he was tempted to make a crude comment about having Cass for dessert, since they had some unfinished business, but Vince swallowed the words down deep. Instead, he tossed a lopsided little grin in his friend’s direction. “Yes, thank you,” he replied. If there was a small blush coloring his cheeks, he ignored it. “And… er, thanks.” Vince made a little gesture between them that was so vague it didn’t mean much of anything. “You know for not… er, for… well.” He paused, realizing he was bumbling. Vince tugged on his last shoe and straightened. Then, turning his full expression on Cass so the big blonde could see the honesty in his eyes, he grabbed the Gryffindor by the shirt front and rocked close to his face. Vince’s voice dropped to a whisper. “For complicating things, for me, one last time.” Then, with a mischievous glimmer behind green eyes, he kissed Cass full on the mouth.

It was a brief little snog, full of too much emotion for Vince to easily tug away, but he did so and then turned tail to trot up the bank before Cass could protest. He was glad for a small break from the intoxication of the big blonde, even if it was only to tidy up.

---

Cassian Valenduris

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i desire very little but the things i do consume me

The sound of Vincent laughing felt reassuring, like some kind of confirmation that they… would be alright. It didn’t matter that his brain still felt foggy from the course of the evening’s events. This reminded him of how they used to joke with each other, and it gave him a glimpse for the first time since this all started at how they could be in the future. It also made him think about that stupid sonnet, though he couldn’t say why. What was it? For thy sweet love remembered such wealth brings…

Tension noticeably seeped from Cassian’s shoulders with Vince’s easy agreement. A plan helped wring out residual nerves he had about what they were doing, or the implication that this could give to other people. Although the blonde couldn’t help but nod at Vince with a incredulous, amused look – really? He seemed to always just ‘happen’ to have an intimate knowledge of the entrances and exits of any building he spent considerable time in.

“All right, I’ll come find you if you take too long,” he smirked as he watched his friend pull on his shoes. It seemed that something was on Vincent’s mind, but he wrestled with not saying it. It slowed down that silver tongue used to making quick retorts, at any rate, and as Cassian watched a blush carry across Vince’s cheeks he tried to not look too entertained. He didn’t know why Vince was thanking him, of all people. The Gryffindor hid his grin under a hand as he cleared his throat.

“It’s fine,” he cut in, really not wanting Vince to stagger around belaboring a point that benefited the both of them. It was a conclusion they reached together, after all, and—

Cassian’s breath hitched the second he felt fingers tug at his shirt, and for a thrilling moment he wondered what would happen. Not fear, not disgust– blue eyes scanned Vince’s face just inches from him, and his heart fluttered. A feeling he’d never experienced before. It drowned out anything it was that Vince said – this is complicated, he thought idly – and their lips crushed together. Reflexively his mouth opened to deepen their kiss, his hand flitting to the side of Vince’s face. It felt simultaneously like forever, and no time at all, where they stayed in this lover’s embrace.

Too quickly, Vince pulled away from him, leaving Cass to stagger back. “Hah,” he breathed, still dumbfounded, before the sight of the Slytherin’s back leaving him caused everything to fall into place. He surprised him. “Damn it…” Cass hissed, more to himself for getting carried away. He hastened behind the other, just far enough to keep hidden as they rounded towards the back of his home. Cass resolved that he wouldn’t address this little… shock to his senses right now. They were still very much intoxicated by what just happened, he reasoned, and Vince didn’t really… get his. It was a good thing the young man wasn’t looking at Cass, as he felt his face burn red from the thought.

Was it a good idea to follow Vince back to his room? All signs pointed to no. In his mind, Cass knew the answer should be no. But instinctively, unthinkingly, he whispered just for Vince to hear: “I’ll be a few minutes before I can throw the servants off… stay out of sight. See you soon.”

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eyecandy by fox<3

The amount of emotion Cass responded with surprised Vince, though at this point it really shouldn’t have. Feeling himself swell under the overwhelming essence that was the big blonde, he was reluctant to tug away. This was where he belonged: in the hazy space between sleep and awake, passion and reality, curled into Cass’ arms. Somehow though Vince managed to extract himself and trotted up the hill, heart beating a little too quickly. He heard Cass move to shuffle along behind him and a hidden little smile stole across the Slytherin’s face.

As the both of them crouched along the bank, peering for a clear path, he nodded at Cass’ suggestion wordlessly. It was as good a plan as any. Vince didn’t wait for Cass to give him any type of signal before he straightened and took off in the direction of the Valenduris house. He… mostly knew the way. It wasn’t far at least, and with a few circles, he eventually found the aforementioned window. It was unlocked, as Vince expected, and the Slytherin propped it open without hesitation. He tugged off his shoes and slipped in through the small space, grateful for his lithe form. Then, hearing footsteps coming up the staircase to the left, he panicked. Vince looked around for somewhere, anywhere, to hide. Unfortunately there wasn’t much of an option other than to slip back out the window. Deciding to risk it, the little Slytherin bolted. He took off up the staircase and didn’t stop until he reached the guest room he’d been assigned.

It was still dark, darker even than when he’d left. The bed remained untouched and his bag, neatly packed, continued to lean against the frame. Vince let out a shallow little breath and wondered how long it would take for Cass to find him. Curling back up on the armchair he’d spent most of his day thinking in, Vince heard his pounding heart echo in his ears. He couldn’t help it then as the crazy evening played over itself in his mind.

He wasn’t sure how… they’d managed to get here. Cass touching him, Vince panting breathlessly. Vince finishing him, and Cass letting it happen. The very thought made him excited again. Briefly, the idea of managing his situation himself occurred to the Slytherin but Vince quickly shook the thought from his mind. He would be a good, patient, well behaved guest.

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Cassian Valenduris

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i desire very little but the things i do consume me

Cassian needed a moment to recover. Maybe a few.

Strolling through the front door of his home, he tried to act as nonchalant as any man of the house should. At least by now most should be long asleep. Though he found a single house elf who laboriously crept down the staircase with all the dirty linens, and paused at the base of the stairs. Really he wanted to peer up, because he was certain this was the window Vince mentioned. But the house elf was too encumbered to notice anyone behind her, and if he’d been there, he long blended into the shadows by now. At the sight of Cass, the elf exclaimed over finding him still awake and asked if he needed anything.

“Yes actually,” he fiddled with the cuffs of his sleeves to avoid her look. “Once you’re finished. Mind making a plate arranged with whatever dessert is left from supper?” She agreed eagerly, rattling off things he didn’t pay attention to as he nodded down at his fingertips. Filthy with dirt, clawing into the earth while Vince…

“Thank you, send it to my room,” he interjected, catching the last words of what she said. Before she could answer he swiftly dispatched to the bathroom. It was unwarranted paranoia, and the old elf wouldn’t say anything to trouble her master to anyone anyway. But he felt nervous all the same. Maybe it was these… inklings he had, aftershocks of pleasure and adrenaline. He swore he could still feel those hands on him.

At the bathroom he washed his face and hands with cold water, and tried to get a fucking grip. Easier said than done. Though he was determined to not make Vince feel bad about this all again, this was going to be much harder than he thought. This should be ripped off like a bandaid, he knew. A part of him understood that unless he stopped giving mixed signals, Vince would always want to take these little liberties. It wasn’t even fear that they could be caught that held him back. The blonde firmed up his resolve in the mirror because he knew this was his vice, and it could only lead to self destruction.

Dessert was already waiting at his room when he arrived, and maybe because he didn’t have much of a sweet tooth himself, it struck him as bloody outrageous. The blonde scoffed on sight: several fruits were arranged beautifully around a crystal glass of chocolate pudding, beside three types of cheese, and a chunk of layered vanilla cake. What the hell? Had she whipped some of this up just because he asked? This looked like he was trying too hard, but he couldn’t just let it go to waste now. Still wearing a frown, he rifled briefly through his things and found a healing salve he used often after quidditch games, and Vince’s cravat (resisting the strange urge he had to keep it, thinking only briefly how the soft silk rested on the base of his neck).

A few minutes later he found himself in front of Vince’s room. He should go in. He should make sure things are clear between them, leaving none of this ambiguous. He should still his heart, pounding ferociously in his chest. Cass did none of those things as he lingered in front of the door, unsure of what he would find on the other side. Wearily, he knocked gently on the door before he pushed it open.

“Um, I’ve come bearing gifts…” A sheepish smile accompanied his offer of the extravagant plate.

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eyecandy by fox<3

Vince sat in the silence and darkness letting his emotions crawl over his skin like ants. It took a bit, but eventually the sensation subsided and he realized he was still as dirty and covered in grim as he’d been when they originally agreed to freshen up. Deciding to make the best of a filthy situation (he flinched at the thought), Vince stripped his shirt and pants quickly. He then washed his hands in a clean basin of water from that morning and drew a bit of it up and over his face. His curls were all over the place, the strawberry blonde hue looking almost dirty blonde in the light of the moon; his eyes too had a certain drawn quality to them. Vince could feel the weight of the day’s terror and disgust taking thier toll on him; he hoped Cass would find something sweet to distract them both for a little while and then... He would sleep. Sleep endlessly and well into the day tomorrow, unable and unwilling to face their new reality, again.

As he stepped away from the basin, Vincent scrubbed a hand over his face and looked about for a fresh pair of trousers. He found a pair from the day before neatly folded in his bag where he’d tucked everything away just earlier. He might have been considering making a run for it the majority of the day, but a part of Vincent was glad he hadn’t. (The other very well still felt the need to flee, but the obstinate, possessive side of him reared its ugly head at the thought. Vince knew now he was nothing without Cass; why pretend otherwise?) The Slytherin had just reached to look for his shirt when there was a small knock at the door and Cass slipped into the room.

Still shirtless and feeling rather exposed, Vince felt a blush tear across his cheeks. He turned quickly away from Cass and dug through his bag, pulling something free. “Er-- thanks, it looks wonderful,” he replied, shoving the white material messily over his head. There wasn’t a waistcoat or cravat in sight but at this stage… it wasn’t even worth the effort. Turning back to Cass, Vince teetered awkwardly and glanced at the perfectly coiffed, untouched bed. He made a small, vague gesture towards it. “Should we sit?” he asked, unsure. On the one hand, it was the only space large enough for them to sit and share whatever it was on the platter Cass had brought with him; on the other, he was sure the last thing Cass wanted was to share a bed with him again. Not after yesterday…. And today…

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Cassian Valenduris

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i desire very little but the things i do consume me

Cass moved into the room swiftly, not wanting to be found lingering in the hall with the world’s most ostentatious show of sweets. It took him a second to clock where Vince stood along the bed, shirtless. The curve of his spine, and the blush that twinged his neck, made his mouth run dry. Fortunately Vince didn’t catch his expression, twinged with embarrassment over what it made him think. The Gryffindor took a profound interest in the opposite wall’s wallpaper, ignoring his own baffling impulse to stop Vince from covering himself. They were through with that now.

“Ah–uhm,” he bumbled, appreciating that Vince had the foresight to ask the question. It troubled him slightly, the idea of sitting so close together on a bed in this dim room. If given a choice he’d much prefer sitting on this armchair, awkwardly set some distance away from the bed and too burdensome to move closer. So in the end, he didn’t have a choice at all. There was no way he could sit off to the side without making Vince feel discarded in some way. The goal was to act… natural.

“Sure,” he finally volunteered, haltingly slipping off his shoes as he brought the plate to the bed. The little elf even gave him cloth napkins and golden cutlery for the treats, albeit just one set. Climbing onto the bed, Cass arranged himself directly opposite Vince, sitting cross legged on the end of the bed. He set the plate and utensils carefully between them. “This plate is… a lot. Deely is insane. I wasn’t listening when she said what she’d get.” He volunteered this all in a rush with a soft smile, with it all his hope to diffuse some of the tension he felt between them.

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eyecandy by fox<3

Vince could sense Cass’ hesitation as it leaked into the atmosphere around them like poison. He hated how obviously difficult this was for the big blonde; it wasn’t… they weren’t… Vince ran a frustrated hand through his strawberry curls and tried to calm the roiling in his gut. They’d both agreed this would take some getting used to. He just had to be patient with Cass, and Cass with him. (Even if a tiny, nasty voice in the back of Vince’s mind was convinced things could never be the same again. Not really.)

Following the other’s lead mutley, Vince settled on the bed opposite him, glad the tray of sweets served to give them some distance. Normally he wouldn’t have hesitated in crawling over to Cass and shoving whipped cream on his nose at the first hint of a joke about sweet teeth, but today even that felt alarmingly too intimate considering Vince knew how hard it would be not to lick it off himself. Face warm, the Slytherin ducked to hide his expressions and poured over the dessert tray like his life, and their future, depended on it. He gave a noncommittal little hum as his attention refocused and the plethora of delicacies caught his attention.

The spread was impressive, to be sure. Everything from candied fruits to fluffy, spongey little cakes in every flavor imaginable had been pulled together and, not for the first time, Vince was immensely jealous that Cass had all of this at his disposal. It was not a nasty jealousy, but more of an aching one, wishing that even the smallest things like this didn’t mark them so pointedly from one another. Deciding to start in on a triangular little scone that he dared to hope was lemon glazed, Vince was surprised when his stomach suddenly gave an embarrassing rumble. The Slytherin froze, arm still extended over the tray.

Well, this was awkward.

With a small cough, Vince scooped up the scone and pulled it towards himself, sparing only the slightest glance at his friend. Perhaps he was hungrier than he was ready to admit considering he’d kept to himself most of the day and hadn’t gone down for supper. Idly, Vince wondered if Cass too was hungry and then, thinking better of it, offered the one scone on the tray back towards the other. “Did you er-- want to share this one?” he asked, dumbly. The words felt heavy on his tongue, even as Vince already knew the answer. Of course Cass wouldn’t want to share with him; hadn’t they shared enough between them already? A small drip of icing ran down the side of the cake onto Vince’s finger and the Slytherin switched hands, sticking his finger into his mouth. Well, at least he didn’t have to feign decorum after all of this.

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Cassian Valenduris

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i desire very little but the things i do consume me

Cass thanked all things holy that Vince focused on the dessert, because he wasn’t sure what he was capable of doing if the young man’s attention lingered on him for even an instant. Something about the way Vince’s fingers twined through his blonde curls in a frustrated pass made the expansive room feel entirely too small and stifling - it reminded him too much of his earlier urge to close the distance between them outside. He bit the inside of his lower lip, lowering his gaze to his lap as bumbling conversation about Deely faded.

At the sound of Vince’s growling stomach, however, blue eyes snapped back up to his friend and regarded him with a frown. It wasn’t as though he had much of an appetite today himself, but the servants were incessant in bringing him three square meals (it would’ve been four, if he hadn’t impatiently shooed them away). “Shit, he grumbled, rubbing the back of his head awkwardly as he wrinkled his nose. “Didn’t they bring your meals today? I asked them to…” He didn’t finish his sentence, make him feel taken care of, because it felt like a jagged barb now. Cass could’ve taken care of Vince himself today, if he wanted. If only he had the courage.

Still miffed over the thought he distractedly waved the scone away from Vince, shaking his head. “No, no… It’s all for you.” He made the mistake of glancing over as he said this, witnessing the heart-stopping moment icing dripped down a long pale finger that summarily found its home between soft, supple lips. The blonde’s jaw slackened at the sight, eyes glazing over as his mind flashed back to the other thing Vincent recently did with his mouth. It nearly made him groan out loud, blood lit with fire he had never felt before last night. Cassian’s arousal shocked him (though it shouldn’t have, after all he’s learned in the last day), and pulled him away from his momentary reverie with an abrupt clearing of the throat. As though it might offset the embarrassment he angled himself away from Vince slightly, towards the wide expanse of the room to focus intently on the quality of the wooden carvings on the guest room’s dresser and vanity. But even in the dim room, it was hard to miss the blush that twinged his cheeks and ears.

To do something with his twitchy hands, Cassian turned towards the plate and plucked up a grape from its stem. He popped it in his mouth and gnashed impatiently on it, risking an averted gaze to Vincent again. Their eyes met. They were probably thinking the same thing, if he had to guess. How the fuck are we going to manage this?

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eyecandy by fox<3

Vince gave a noncommittal little shrug at Cass’ question. He supposed he’d gone down to breakfast this morning expecting to see the blonde as was usual. Now, in retrospect, with everything that had happened, it had been rather dense of him, hadn’t it? Vince should have known Cass would avoid him; and maybe he had, he just hadn’t wanted to face the reality of it until forced. Suffering through a breakfast with the Valenduris family without Cass had certainly set him straight though. He’d tried to wait the Gryffindor out, hoping against hope that the blonde would appear and they could have pretended nothing had happened. At least… at least they were here now, right?

Sucking on his finger and trying to set these thoughts aside, Vince almost didn’t notice the scene that unfolded quite clearly before him. In fact, if it hadn’t been for Cass’ suddenly awkward shuffle, Vince wasn’t sure he would have caught it. He knew the other too well by now though; there was something distinctly telling in that small motion and the sudden blush that spiked across the big blonde’s face. Green eyes narrowed, zeroing in on something extraordinarily interesting.

If a manipulative smile curled up against previously soft, anxious features, Vince didn’t notice. In fact, that very moment spoke such volumes to the Slytherin that he wouldn’t come to actually realize how much significance there was in that manipulation until much later in their relationship. As it was, he only just managed to think about his next action before he actually did it.

With a rather obscene implication, Vincent stuck a second now sticky finger into his mouth and sucked on both of them for the briefest of moments. He caught the look in Cass’ eyes and responded only with a glimmer of mischief in his own: we don’t. Then he dropped his fingers from his mouth and gave a little pop of his lips, grinning at the other in a way he knew would only get him into trouble. “Are you alright there, Cass?” He asked, voice low more to keep from attracting unnecessary attention at this time of night than anything. It wasn’t amusing. He knew it wasn’t, and he shouldn’t be mocking or teasing or whatever it was that he was doing. But blast it all, at this point Vincent didn’t know what to do. He was amused, and flattered, because despite whatever Cassian might try and say, he knew better now. Vince knew that he had something of a hold on the blonde much as Cass had a hold on him, and he relished in it. 

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Cassian Valenduris

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i desire very little but the things i do consume me

Cassian’s heart rate picked up with the curl on Vince’s lips, a deviant little look he’d thrown at him a few times today already. The blonde took a slow, furtive breath as he watched, completely entranced. His mind had barely managed to work around the sight of one finger, let alone two, and it caused him to sigh ever so softly. The house could catch fire, a comet could land right outside. Nothing would cause him to look away from this moment.

The soft pop of suction breaking between his fingers and mouth finally punctuated his thoughts. Cassian came around to present reality with the realization, too late, that he’d been staring hard. And speaking of hard, his trousers felt profoundly uncomfortable, and he really did not want Vince to notice. During these ‘innocent’ minstrations he’d angled his upper body towards Vince, as though a moth pulled to flame. His left leg was still thrown over the edge of the bed, but his right curled up on the bed in a half cross-legged seat, and he hastily turned back towards the room bringing both knees up to shield himself.

Cass shot him a glower at his cavalier question, a look that needed no further explanation as to ’how the fuck I’m doing’. To make it abundantly clear to the other, however, he let out a short huff of a sigh. “Tch.” There was no… ignoring this. What the hell did Vince think he was doing?

“I don’t know what you think you’re doing,” he said as much, starting with a gravely voice. If Vince was going to be blunt about this, fine. Cassian was trying to smooth these jagged edges over, but it seemed that this alone wouldn’t work. “But it’s not fair.” A foul play were the words he really wanted to use, but reminding himself the other was no quidditch aficionado, he worried it would set him off on the beaten trail they’d just run on. All he meant was that it was… unsportsmanlike.

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eyecandy by fox<3

At the blonde’s reaction, Vincent couldn’t help but snicker. “I’m trying to be normal,” he replied, innocently. “Isn’t that what you wanted?” The grin plastered across his tired features reached Vince’s eyes for the first time that day, even as the Slytherin turned to appraise his scone. He was infinitely amused with this situation, despite any former misgivings. “Normally, I tease you about everything. Why should this be any different?” Green eyes danced to meet blue in the dark, mischief and mayhem still alight. “Besides I’m not technically doing anything,” he added, drawl-ing the word ‘doing’ with a seductive little purr. I’m just over here, licking icing off my fingers. It’s not my fault you find that terribly tempting, he wanted to add, but didn’t. Instead, Vincent let out another breathy little laugh and decided enough was enough. He knew he wasn’t being fair and pushing Cass at this stage wasn’t going to do him any favors in the long run.

“I’m sorry,” he finally conceded, trying to school his features and failing a touch. “I shall try to be less sultry when licking myself in the future.” A little smirk escaped him before Vincent took a decided bite of his scone and then, with a wave of sugary sweetness, he sobered into something else entirely. Lemon and zing flooded his taste buds and Vincent hummed happily, leaning back away from Cass and the desserts to curl up on the abandoned pillows behind him. The sheets were cold against his bare forearms.

“Are you sure you don’t want anything?” Vince asked after swallowing the bite and turning a much more sobered expression on the big blonde. “I don’t need all of this to myself, surely.” Concern tittered on the edge of his tone, the usual sense that Vince got when he was worried Cass wasn’t taking care of himself. It was… nice, in a way, to have broken through that barrier. Things were still far from normal, but at least they were trying - and in earnest this time. On his best behavior, Vince nudged the tray towards Cass with his toe and took another bite of his scone. “You’ll need your energy tomorrow for the train,” he offered, mouth full and decidedly not caring.

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Cassian Valenduris

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i desire very little but the things i do consume me

“That’s not…” Cassian heard himself injecting too quickly, frustrated and wanting to pick apart Vincent’s logic. Though he caught himself right before diving in, first with the understanding that continuing to brood on this would do little to remedy the situation, and second with the knowledge that it would do nothing to help Vince feel more at ease in his own skin. So his words shuttered, expression kept impassive as they took a quiet moment to regard one another in the darkness. They spoke to each other silently in that moment, Cassian putting all his heart into imploring the Slytherin to understand things from his perspective. This is different, Vince. This does something.

And privately, Cassian was terrified of what it did.

When Vince finally ceded an apology, the blonde released a breath that he’d not realized he held in. This felt… good, like a step in the right direction, even if the description of himself as sultry caused a small grimace. He’d have picked a different word for it, unless maybe Vince knew the heart palpitation it gave him and that’s why he said it. “Thanks,” he mumbled, and turned his face into his knees. For a second - he didn’t want to burrow here like a turtle, but needed… just a quick recovery.

“No, just have your fill and leave the rest,” Cass reacted to the idea of getting on the bloody train tomorrow, already, with all this looming over their heads. It gave his voice a bit more anxious bite than he’d meant it to, he noticed it even as he said it. The blonde dropped his knees back into a cross legged position to give Vince an apologetic look. Warily, he looked down at the plate like it came with some kind of peace offering. He picked up a golden spoon and took an unwilling mouthful of chocolate pudding.

Focusing on the taste of chocolate was an act of self-preservation at this point, really. He decidedly ignored the pose Vince took stretched catlike against the pillows – not intentionally driving him mad, but terrifyingly effective at it all the same. And though Cass found himself reacting to things that were very normal (like Vince craning his head back in a gentle stretch), this was compounded by his uneasiness over how the Slytherin seemed to think this was a decadent joke.

They tried to make small talk about tomorrow. The things to do, the weather. By his fourth bite, the spoon finally dropped from Cassian’s hand with a clatter on the plate. He leveled Vince an inscrutable look, torn between feelings and action.

Finally, he picked action.

Cass moved to a swift stand, and set aside the plate on the bedside table. Reflexively, he slid onto the bed next to Vince and grasped his shoulder. In one gruffer-than-planned movement, he shoved him down into the pillows and held him there, hand pressed hard against his chest. As though peeking his head over a hole with a rattlesnake, Cass moved slowly to bring their eyes level, a few inches apart.

“You’re not going to try to be less sultry. There is no reason for you to act that way.” He wrestled to speak calmly and even-tempered. Blue eyes flicked to stare at Vince’s mouth, and the cut on his lip from earlier. “Certainly not in public. And in private… I don’t like surprises, really,” His fingers curled into Vince’s shirt, a touch menacing. “Maybe you like to be surprised like this?” he asked, airly. “I don’t think I do. So please… don’t suddenly… kiss me like you did when we were coming back here, or flirt with me to get what you want,” his voice grated slightly on the word. He was struggling with these blurred lines, between friendship and something else, and with what could happen when.

“Just ask for what you want, and wait for the response. Like… right now,” he eased his hand from its vice on his shirt; fingertips dared risk a gentle graze against Vince’s cheek. “I have healing salve for your lip in my pocket. And I want you to use it before you go to bed, but I want to kiss you before that. Is that… okay?”

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eyecandy by fox<3

A pang of guilt hit Vince as Cass turned his face into his drawn up knees. Alright, he might have taken this one too far… Perhaps it was too early yet to tease, even if to Vince it hinted at a semblance of normalcy. This whole thing really wasn’t amusing at all if he cared to look at it from Cass’ perspective. He could only imagine how difficult it must seem to process all of these new emotions, actions and liabilities. Cass hadn’t been prepared for the onslaught that these past twenty-four hours had exposed him to. Vince, for his part, at least had a sense of what he’d wanted, what he’d been feeling. Cass… was just coping as best he could. In that light Vince felt an even heavier pang wash over him for being so… defensive. The other didn’t know how to manage change very well, and that had always been true. Perhaps Vince should have been more forgiving throughout the turmoil.

As the genuine little query to eat something slipped his lips, Vince didn’t react to Cass’ biting remark. He understood that this was still a touchy subject and he’d been wrong to treat it so lightly. Still, the other indulged him by taking a spoon of something chocolate and Vince relaxed a little, hoping they were past this little blip.

Chewing in silence, the Slytherin contemplated the look on his friend’s face just earlier. It had been a searching, pleading expression that even in his teasing Vincent had not been blind to. He knew he had to handle Cass, and this new situation, more delicately else he risked not quite breaking the other, but igniting something neither of them was prepared for. The undercurrent of Cass’ temper was always a threat. It had never been something that worried Vincent before, and he really wasn’t sure it was something to be weary of now, but it was certainly a presence he could not neglect.

The conversation turned then more casually towards things like the train, classes, and hoping that the rain would hold out long enough for them to get into the Great Hall. It was with this thought process that Vince found himself thinking perhaps everything would become all that more manageable when they had the distraction of this newness upon them. Surely he could keep himself distracted from Cass enough with all the hustle and bustle of a new school year? They only needed to maintain the charade long enough to find their new normal, right? Finishing the last bite of his scone, and feeling much better than he had before, Vince made motion to sit up at the same instant Cass dropped his spoon. Eying the blonde, green eyes searched blue as Vince tried to gauge what was happening.

Cass moved the tray of goodies to the side. Cass moved back towards the bed. Cass reached for him and, in a fluid movement, held Vince down against the bed in a terrible turn of events the Slytherin had not foreseen. Flinching at the action, he looked up at Cass as that familiar visage pressed close to him, closer than Vince had ever thought possible again. His breath caught in his throat.

Cassian’s voice was hard when he spoke, sending Vince reeling. For a moment he wondered what could possibly have happened? They were doing so well there! What had he done, or not done, to set fire to Cass’ temper? Cold fingers came to wrap around the hand pinning him in place, but Vince didn’t move to shove Cass off. Instead he listened and frowned as Cass listed out more ‘rules of engagement’ - this time rather offensive ones if Vince was honest. What kind of imbecile did he think he was talking to? Certainly Vince had no intention of up and snogging him whenever he felt like it. If nothing else, that had been made very clearly off limits today. And he was going to try, evidently, to keep from manipulating flirting with the blonde to get what he wanted. There wasn’t much good it would do him anyway since it only seemed to bring about this Cass that Vince wasn’t sure he was keen on. (Well, that was certainly a lie; this Cass touched a part of Vince that the Slytherin didn’t want to indulge at the moment.)

Irritation rising, Vince opened his mouth to respond but snapped it shut as Cass continued. The Gryffindor’s hand brushed ever so softly against his cheek and Vince felt a little trail of fire in its wake, fizzing out his annoyance as it went. Green eyes appraised blue, entirely unconvinced this wasn’t a test he was about to fail. Had he done this? Had he accidentally encouraged Cass to need to be so explicit in his demands? Vince hadn’t meant to, if he had. Perhaps this was all going to be more complicated than he’d thought.

Licking his lips and trying to keep his focus, Vince looked at Cass’ mouth with no semblance of trying to hide his desire. He knew he should push back and say something along the lines of: Cass, think about the line you’re crossing right now. We agreed the last was the last; what message is this really sending? Or some such rot. But there was nothing inside of Vincent that wanted to push Cassian away even the slightest bit. So instead of turning over the other’s demand that he just ask for what he wanted, and think through the endless implications of such a thing, Vince let out a breathy little laugh. “Always,” he replied.

Cassian Valenduris

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i desire very little but the things i do consume me