This wasn’t landing, was it? Not landing well. He clocked it from the wild look Vince gave him, the way he stayed silent for too long, the way he took a deep breath (the blonde resisted a strange impulse to step closer, to feel that sharp intake of breath against his cheek). The air between them started to charge with static electricity again, and Cass felt like it signaled that he was pushing it – too much, into a corner, too soon. This was going to end badly again. He didn’t know why, or what he said wrong. But he could sense it, and it twisted his heart.

Cass looked steadily on as Vince’s jade colored eyes looked everywhere but his own. He wasn’t used to seeing the other so uncomfortable, not when he was the cause of it. It made that sound of a break in his voice even more… jarring. Infuriating, even, though at no one but himself. Maddening. Stop breaking, he wanted to say, he wanted to reach to hold the shards together of a vase fast coming apart. Stay together. Stay with me.

Though as Vincent’s words settled in on him, seeping into his psyche like a slow-brew tea, he understood. How that’s exactly what Vince confessed he would do. He said he’d do anything, even if it shattered him. Even as Cass demanded the impossible. Misery tugged at his heart, a new feeling he’d found these last two days, the kind of devastation felt once something is gone for good. Their friendship, they were simply hoping to keep it afloat now. For that unconditional bond where Vince expressed himself freely, where Cass wanted nothing - that was long gone, there was no retrieving it now.

The young Gryffindor took several steps to close the distance between the two of them, when exactly, he could not place. Nor could he place what he intended to do now that he was there – close enough to feel warmth radiating from the other’s body. His hands balled so firmly into his two pockets that fingernails threatened to make his palms bleed. Cass could not conceive of a single thing to make things better, or resolve the rock lodged in his throat, other than to accept what this was. Whatever this was.

“Okay. Then we’re settled,” he finally broke, choosing to respond to none of what Vince said, because he was sure his face said it, lips tipped down in concern, brow furrowed, gaze earnest. Vince I believe you. I know you’ll do anything.

“Come with me this way,” he heard himself saying this before it filtered into his mind that he’d said it. Not sure if the other would listen, or even want to, Cassian impulsively touched his friend’s forearm and pulled him forward gently. For an instant, it felt as though he was tugging Vince closer - perhaps into a hug - perhaps that’s what Cass thought he should do. Though the idea was fleeting, if it ever even fully formed in his mind, and he lost his nerve. The blonde took a sharp intake of breath and released his grasp, lingering just a moment before he turned away.

He led them further down the small hill, to descend the bank. A wooden platform jutted out near the end of their section of the bank, a makeshift loading pier for small sailboats, with a channel of dirt and sediment down below it where the tide of the river had gone down. This part of the riverbed was not always visible, but when it was, Cass liked to walk along it – you’d find all sorts of odd rocks washed up from the river, and just a few feet from there you could stick your feet right into the frigid water. It’s here that he wanted to go – he wanted to bring them to the edge - before taking them back home again. So Cass leapt down from the wooden platform to the channel of earth right against the river, and slipped off his shoes as he waited for Vince to join.

“You don’t have to take off your shoes, if you don’t want to,” he volunteered, setting his own on the wooden platform before he moved towards the very edge. Earth and sentiment felt squishy between his toes. They could idle privately here, for quite a long time, before any of the tugboats started to make their early morning appearances. “I don’t know how long until sunrise… but during school breaks, always the day before I had to leave. My father would take me here to see it.”

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   Vincent Iago

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eyecandy by fox<3

Vince wasn’t sure if he’d finally crossed a line with his pleading or if Cass had realized his dedication to an alarming extent. Both made his face heat, even as he ducked his gaze and scuffed the dirt underfoot, listening. They were settled, he said. Well… sure. That’s what he’d wanted right? What both of them wanted?

Careless whispers…

He could tell from Cass’ expression the other was struggling with this too. The pinch between his brows was notable and the open honesty in his expression only made Vince want to crawl into a hole and decay. (Why had he exposed this nerve to the other? Why had he dared to think this could possibly be a good idea.) The running commentary of self-loathing, pity, and humiliation continued to spin on a loop behind all of Vince’s other, more prominent thoughts.

Surprised a touch, maybe, he still followed the big blonde as Cass led him further down the small bank. This really is a beautiful, peaceful little grove, some unhelpful portion of his mind supplied. More importantly, it was special to the blonde and he was still daring to share it with Vince; that had to mean something, right? Vincent sucked in a breath and watched as Cass took off his shoes and waded into the shallows. He was so ridiculously beautiful…

Vincent teetered on the edge of hesitance as he debated the idea of wading in after his… er, Cass. This was a step in the right direction, a step towards normal. Some small, masochistic part of Vincent wasn’t ready to really[i] set this aside yet thought. Yes, for a moment there it had been terrifying to realize how close he’d come to losing everything. It was even more wrenching to realize, however, that: not only did Vince have these inclinations towards Cass, and this devastatingly ruinous devotion, but some small, [i]small part of the blonde had reciprocated only for the briefest of brief moments. Vince wasn’t ready to let the latter go, even though he knew it was a hopeless, shipwrecked sentiment that threatened to capsize them at any moment.

The Slytherin sucked in a deep breath and took off his shoes. He didn’t have much of a choice.

The water and squish was cold between his toes even as Vincent stepped out towards Cass. He kept his gaze settled to the ground and picked up a funny rock that had one dark side, twinged with red, and another lighter side the color of marble. It was split down the middle with a white stripe. He turned the thing over between long fingers, sand and dirt running through them and dropping back below. “It’s a special place for you I’m sure,” he replied quietly. Then, bending to wash the rock properly, Vincent turned it over one more time and tucked it into his pocket.

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Cassian Valenduris

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   Cassian Valenduris

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i desire very little but the things i do consume me

The earth under his feet reassured him, if only a little. Anchored him in this exact moment, in the flood of strange relief that moved through him as Vince agreed to join and walk together (a tiny part of him, still, worried the other wanted to flee). They ambled down the waterway, Cass kicking over rocks or letting his toes graze into frigid water. There was no aim here but there was also something to do, things to look at, idle commentary to make, which he hoped might help clear their minds somehow.

“It is,” he agreed, hands still shoved deep into his pockets while he watched the Slytherin bend down to inspect something. “But it’s stupid sentimentality. It won’t stay like this for much longer, people would rather see it developed into a proper promenade. I keep visiting but I should move on and forget about it before I come back one schoolbreak to find everything’s changed.” If there were any parallels between his feelings about this spot and about Vince, he didn’t make the connection on purpose. Cass more or less felt like everything he enjoyed about how the ‘way things were’ now slipped away from him, like sand through fingers. He wanted to grasp on to pieces of his childhood for a little longer, but now he learned. The more he tried to hold on to what things were, the more damage he’d inflict on what things now are.

He smiled a bit to himself then, because Vince decided to wash up and pocket the rock he found. Cass had amassed his own little collection from here over the years, and this made something else they could share at least. Proof this place ever existed. It’s not as though he shared this place with anyone else. The breeze picked up in that moment, moving Vincent’s strawberry blonde curls over his face and putting every hair on Cass’s arms and neck on end. Not from the cool wind. From the impulse to stroke that hair away from his eyes, not at all different from the way Vince first touched him yesterday. The thought constricted Cassian’s lungs.

“You should know our… agreement, is not just about you, what you should or shouldn’t do,” he released his breath in a mutter, and kept his gaze firm on the river. Of course their conversation wasn’t settled. It probably never would be. In any case, he fought hard against the idea of calling their terms something like ‘rules’. A wet, warm feeling against his right palm suggested where nails finally broke through skin from balled up fists, but Cass’s mind wasn’t on that now.

“This agreement is just as much for me. Because I have no idea how you did it, Vince,” fear and worry turned his voice to a whisper, and while he turned his head back towards his friend, his gaze rooted firmly on his feet. Vince said he loved him. For how long, he didn’t know, but tolerating any length of time alone with this knowledge felt untenable. As untenable as whatever drove Cass’s insomnia tonight, whatever built up his inarticulable rage in the study, whatever fueled his fear to be left behind. Maybe it was the fresh air and distance from his home that did it. Or the sound of Vince’s desperation. It clicked the pieces into place, reset his head around who he is, beyond the duties he’s meant to fulfill.

“I don’t know how you endured a single moment feeling the way you did. Not when just one look at you now makes it so that I have to fight every urge - every fiber of my being - to not just kiss you.”

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   Vincent Iago

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eyecandy by fox<3

Vincent couldn’t help it as his nose wrinkled, listening to Cass talk about this place. He had a rather pessimistic view of the outcome; a responsible one, the Slytherin supposed, but hopeless nonetheless. Vince was sad for him and couldn’t help but echo the sentiment as it applied to them. Time could only change everything about them, for better or worse. There was no way to turn back and un-resolve whatever had been released from their opening of Pandora’s box. Every matter of deadly, mortal sin that had been unleashed by their actions was now free, never to be retrapped and forgotten. Vince stayed quiet and turned over the rock in his palm, in his pocket.

The silence that passed over them then was interrupted only by a soft wind that tossed Vince’s fringe into his eyes. The Slytherin blew cherry curls out of his face with a soft puff of breath. He was due for a haircut. Mama wouldn’t like this. Tugging his hand from his pocket to brush the unruly mess back, he was utterly and completely surprised as Cassian spoke again.

Not just about you, the big blonde said. Green eyes blinked slowly.

As words turned to whispers, Vince felt every hair on his skin rise and goosebumps tickled all the way down his spine. No idea how you did it. …how you endured a single moment feeling the way you did… Cass couldn’t mean—

A sharp intake of breath then surprised Vince and he realized it was his own.

Cass did mean.

Vince let the silence hang between them like a living thing, uncoiling itself dangerously. He turned over those few words in his mind trying desperately to make sense of them. Cass wanted to kiss him. Kiss him, again. He felt the same rising, anxious desire from before sweep from head to toe and Vincent swallowed a small gulp of air.

“You can,” he dared to whisper nervously. Taking a small step closer towards where Cass stood, facing away from him, Vincent hesitated. “You don’t have to fight it?” He suggested, even more quietly. It was a dangerous line to toe, but… Vince could only dare to hope that Cass was feeling the same way he felt. It was, after all, what the blonde was implying? Cold, wet fingers ghosted just barely along the side of Cass’ bicep as Vincent debated tapping him. A droplet of water gave him away as it fell and soaked into the Gryffindor’s sleeve. Revealed, Vince pulled away quickly. He laced his fingers together and wrung them, hoping Cass hadn’t noticed. He wished desperately that the other would turn around but he couldn’t bring himself to ask as much.

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Cassian Valenduris

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i desire very little but the things i do consume me

His chest ached. It took a second to realize he was holding his breath again, and that he had to force a slow and steady intake of air, lest he pass out right here. Unless that was his self-preservation instinct, whatever was left of it. Willing him to tap out completely, to remove the urge he had at that second to see Vince’s face. His reaction. To understand what that gasp for air meant, to close the distance between them.

Are we both drowning? the inane thought filtered in somewhere at the back of his mind, entire body shivering as he felt the ghost of a touch against his sleeve. Cassian knew it was his fault he put Vince there. In a headspace where he’d be afraid to reach out like this, to touch him. Where he walked on eggshells around Cass, beaten into submission. The fact that Vince could at least express himself truthfully afforded a paltry comfort. His suggestion, whispered as it was, betrayed exactly what the Slytherin still felt for him. And it gave Cassian a biting sense of satisfaction that disturbed him, the same kind he got when he’s on the losing end of a fight but he still drew blood from the opponent.

Not that Vince was his opponent.

“But we have to fight it,” he let out, voice shaking with anguish he failed to bury. “To survive against a world where no one would understand us. For us to survive, too, to stay companions–” Beyond friendship, beyond family. His mind shut out the questions, what are you saying, what are you doing. He turned swiftly to meet Vince as he went on, “This… it complicates everything…” His hand captured the one that touched him just a moment ago and he looked at it, as though that’s what he meant by this.

The silence dragged between them, impossibly dense for two bodies so close. So near now, Cassian had nowhere else to look, and he could see the markings he’d left on Vince’s neck, visible just below his loosened collar. It stirred something predatory in him, and his gaze finally turned to bore into Vincent’s. It was a look that already knew the mistake he was about to commit.

“So this has to be the last time. It has to be,” he murmured, more to himself than the other. One hand still clasped firmly on Vince’s wrist, he pressed forward into a reckless kiss.

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   Vincent Iago

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eyecandy by fox<3

As if on (preservative) instinct, Vincent felt a thousand responses bubble up to deflect Cass’ protest. They didn’t have to be obvious about it, he wanted to exclaim. Cass was silly to think they even had much of a choice. But, even in trying to hide their… feelings, it would only cement what they had, not dissolve it! Bring them even closer! There was nothing that had to change beyond supplementing what was already so perfect. How could Cass not see the possibility?

There were so many thoughts crowding around in Vincent’s mind that it was a shock when Cass turned to face him and all went silent in his mind. The agonized look in the other's eye made Vince almost wish he could take his suggestion back. Cass had been nothing if not clear that he didn’t want or need this, and the anguish that was so abundant in those beautiful baby blues only made the guilt in Vince’s gut turn over. Still, a shred of hope remained, especially as Cass captured his wrist and Vince saw something flare behind the blonde’s expression.

Blue finally met green in a way that made Vince’s breath hitch. He’d seen that look contort Cass’ handsome features before but he was still entirely unprepared for what came next. As Cass closed the space between them, effectively swallowing any words Vince might have tried to retort, the world felt right again. For the briefest of moments, everything they’d suffered in the past twenty four hours seemed to vanish and Vincent felt whole again.

Free hand coming up to clutch at Cass’ shirt front, long thin fingers twisted into the fabric pulling him close. There was a much different emotion behind this encounter for Vincent than last night; this was a desperate neediness, a longing that was achingly endless more than it was fueled by pure lust. He both hoped Cass wouldn’t notice while simultaneously wishing he could communicate every possibility to the big blonde without ever having to say a word. Perhaps to this aim, Vince pressed himself entirely up against Cass and wrapped his arms up and around the Gryffindor’s neck. He didn’t pause to take a breath until he absolutely had to, and then only just paused long enough to blink up at Cass and kiss him, greedily, again.

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Cassian Valenduris

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i desire very little but the things i do consume me

Whatever the small battle was waging in Cassian’s head, coloring his urges with anxiety and fear, evaporated once their lips met. The welcome feeling of familiar territory this time, heart racing as he perceived the smell and taste of Vince who all-too eagerly pressed up against him. As though he’d been waiting for this moment, for the second Cass said go. The realization caused Gryffindor's own body to betray him, shivers running over his arms at the feeling of nimble fingers tangled in his shirt, pulling them closer still. This wouldn’t be the last time, where the thrill of power he exerted over Vince would affect him this way (even if, eventually, that sense of power was more perception than reality).

The blonde was panting slightly once they pulled apart, his hand had long relinquished Vince’s to find a more comfortable position with both arms wrapped around his waist. He leaned his forehead against the other’s, not yet willing to break their silence as their eyes found each other again. Their second encounter felt different. Nothing about it left his mind fuzzy and hazy. He felt arms around his neck, he felt his own arousal, hot breath against his face. It felt like his insides were on fire. Though Vince started the next round, Cass met him halfway, just as greedily grazing teeth against his lower lip to encourage him to deepen their kiss.

They were lucky it was dark. They were lucky no one was around. Cassian couldn’t tell how long it was, it could have been seconds or minutes or more, before he hastily pulled back. Not to yell, or shove, or revolt - but to glance around them, behind them, making sure the coast was clear. Listening, through their hearts pounding, for the sound of anything that approached. Satisfied that they were safe for now, Cass returned his darkened eyes to the Slytherin. Something tasted like iron in his mouth, he didn’t know where it came from.

“Last time,” his voice felt low and thick as molasses. Whether he meant the reminder for Vince, or for himself, or for now or later - it didn’t matter. He was stepping forward, leg in between Vincent’s, bringing them back up against the embankment to shield them from view against the slope of the grassy hill. It was inelegant, they’d probably tumble and fall sooner or later. Cass didn’t care. His hands were busy, one arm still firmly wrapped around Vince’s waist while the other grabbed a fistful of fabric against his ribs, relentless as he sought the other’s mouth again.

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eyecandy by fox<3

With Cass’ forehead pressed against his own as the only encouragement Vincent needed, the Slytherin tightened his grip around the big blonde's neck. He was infinitely pleased that Cass had not only initiated, but also seemed to know exactly what he wanted this time with little to no hesitation in asking for it. A thrill of pleasure rippled down Vince’s spine at the thought; this was a version of Cass he’d never seen before but immediately realized he needed more of in life. He’d always known the Gryffindor was a born leader. Cass had a way about him that made people want to follow, and he didn’t have qualms directing them either. But this was entirely something else.

Opening his mouth obediently as Cass pried for entry, Vincent met the other’s authority with his own small challenge. Testing the waters, he explored what he dared, letting fingers slide gently down the back of Cass’ shirt until they found a hem, tongue doing much of the same exploration in Cass’ mouth. Suddenly, Cass pulled away and for a terrible moment Vincent felt everything crash around him. Like a fumbled mirror, he careened towards the ground waiting to shatter. He tasted a bitterness then that neither of them had realized and noticed his lower lip was bleeding. Sucking on it gently, Vince was relieved when Cass only seemed to be checking their surroundings.

As the other spoke, he could only nod once before they crashed together again. It didn’t matter that this was the last time because Vince was going to make the most of it he possibly could. They had an understanding anyhow; there was no reason to be demure. Cass advanced on him then, all determined grabs and bossy direction, and Vince complied willingly. He stepped backwards as Cass maneuvered them to a better spot and snatched needily at the other’s pant hem. Pressing Cass to him, Vincent rolled his hips against the other and grinned despite himself. Green eyes sought blue even as he kissed the handsome blonde, taking in every look and moment he possibly could.

This was what he wanted; this was everything Vince needed and more.

Anxious both to make it last and simply get on with it, he slid long fingers ever so slowly around from their place on Cass’ waist to the front of his trousers where Vince tucked them under the hem, all cold and damp. One hand then proceeded to begin undoing Cass’ buttons while the other held him in place. Vince sighed against the big blonde's neck. There were not words enough to communicate the delicacy of the situation, and so he stayed silent, focused on the task at hand.

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Cassian Valenduris

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i desire very little but the things i do consume me

This was nothing like last time. Previously tentative caresses turned into hands that grappled on each other heedlessly, almost like they were fighting, which maybe in a way they still were. Fear that clouded Cassian’s ability to confront what happened before gave way to crystalline clarity and attention to detail now. Drawn in by every hushed and muffled sound Vince made into his mouth or neck, entranced by the fingers that raked against his back and built up tension in the pit of his stomach. The vivid image of Vince when he sucked on his lower lip, something Cass could never dream to forget. At least he agreed, this is the last time, a distant part of his mind decided. Foolishly. This thought would occur again to him, not even a week later. When they’re sitting separately at the Great Hall and their eyes meet across banquet tables. Cassian would know in his bones that this was not the last time.

For now, his blue eyes screwed shut, choosing every other sense to inventory this exact moment he felt hands at his waistband, tugging needily, dragging out excruciating friction between their hips. The blonde muffled his groan with Vince’s mouth, tasting metallic again (and making a mental note that he should check on that later).

When Vince broke away Cassian finally dared to open his eyes again, finding one hand clutching the grassy bank directly behind the Slytherin’s shoulder, the other tightened around his hip. His eyes gravitated down, where he shuddered from just the anticipation of the sight, and again when cool hands around his most sensitive spot felt like whitehot fire. What the hell are you planning, he wanted to ask, but the shock of the sensation swallowed any ability he had to articulate this. It’s not as though Cass had any intention of stopping him, anyway. Even when a part of him recoiled at the idea that they were going too fast, too much, too exposed. He felt too intoxicated to stop himself.

It was the moment Vincent didn’t come back to meet his lips, which left Cass to bury his face in strawberry blonde hair, that he felt a new current of energy rock them. “We… should be quick,” he managed to say, voice husky in Vince’s ear. He was just as much an accomplice now, the reason for this situation equally his fault. As though to acknowledge as much, his hand gravitated from Vince’s hip to his front, a bit too bashful to explore further, but just as insistent on the utterly unnecessary buttons and barriers to touch. It gave him something to focus on. Because even as an accomplice, he felt completely underwater. The blonde could only curse softly as Vince found his destination, and he tore out any grass under his fingers. He took a sharp intake of breath. God, if he didn’t concentrate on something else this could be over in an instant with that icecold hand.

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eyecandy by fox<3

Cass maneuvered with all the haste and roughness of pursuing something one wanted but was too impatient or frustrated to manage slowly. Vince knew, he could sense it, and yet his own surprise managed to create a blanket of deftness he couldn’t seem to shake. He maneuvered with all the slow gentility in the world, as if he had the luxury of frequent expression. At some point they’d tumbled out from the cool water and he’d backed into the bank for he could feel it now pressed against him cold and damp. The rocky, sandy underfoot was also damp and not for the first time Vince had to wonder if this was the best place and time for such activities. He didn’t care really, too selfish to even bring it up, but a small part of him wanted to make sure Cass had no reason in the future other than his own paranoia to back down. Getting caught certainly would make a bad impression.

(Vincent didn’t notice his own lapse in judgment, assuming there would even be a next time. Subconsciously, some part of him must have known there was very little that could keep him away. Not after tasting the temptation.)

Trouser buttons finally gave way and Vince relished in the idea of making Cass groan into him again. Everything about the other’s arousal tickled his own libido. He wanted to make it even more about Cass this time, to prove his devotion. Maybe if he did so, Cass would get it through his thick skull that this was worth fighting for, that it didn’t have to cause a dramatic change in beat. Maybe even, it would taunt the Gryffindor with what it would be like to do without.

A small grin stretched across hidden features in response to Cass’ request. Quick was not in Vincent’s plan, but he supposed he could humor the big blonde as he nuzzled into strawberry curls. Vince pressed a small, delicate little kiss against Cass’ neck, lingering with his breath across an exposed collarbone. Below, he reached for what he sought and with a mischievous little smirk wafting over Cass’ neck, Vince pressed his palm forward and wrapped cold fingers around Cass, waiting for the inevitable reaction.

To say that he was eager was perhaps an understatement as Vince himself rocked forward needily into Cass’ hands. He was trying to focus on the other but sooner or later he planned to drop down, still a touch sore from their excursions the night prior, and his own want for friction was evident. He let cold fingers dance up and down, rubbing as they went, and tossed his free arm around Cass’ shoulders pulling him close. Do you feel how easy this is? he wanted to ask. It could be like this always, just us.

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Cassian Valenduris

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   Cassian Valenduris

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i desire very little but the things i do consume me

The effect Vince had on him was nothing short of intoxication. Cass gasped softly at the mouth at his neck, subconsciously craning his head back to encourage Vince to continue. And continue everything. His body visibly shuddered at the intimate touch, not remembering how he managed to survive this before. As his ministrations continued Cass uttered another curse. Cursing his fate, his need, those nimble fingers— even as Cassian finally succeeded at pulling open Vince’s trousers, he could not work his head around what was being done to him fast enough to do much about it but gasp for air.

Tempted as he was to succumb to closing his eyes and feel his way through, Vince insistently pulled him closer which begged Cass to keep watching. His hand on the grassy embankment behind them was the only thing that kept his full bodyweight from crushing against the Slytherin. Their eyes found each other’s for a moment, where he found unsaid words sparkling somewhere in those jade eyes. Cass had no way to catch the full meaning, but he knew he saw devotion. Raw. Heedless. Eyes transfixed on one another. Driving him to buck harder against Vince, this time in the rhythm with which the other moved against him.

Even muffled, their soft pants and half-uttered groans would leave little to the imagination for passerby. A more sensical (seemingly now dead) part of Cass ought to worry, but instead the thrill of danger drove him forward further, rationalizing that his body kept Vince from view. Especially now- as he prised his hand from its prop on the earth behind them (covered in dirt, they would be filthy after this) and used it to tug up his shirt, pulling a wad of fabric into his mouth to bite down hard and dampen the growl of passion that tempted to fling itself to the night skies.

Their eyes were locked now, foreheads pressed together. If his body was suffocating Vince against the earth right now he would simply have to say something about it, because there was no stopping them, Cass was careening towards their end.

Both hands free now, he tugged at Vince’s pants needily — he can’t be the only one to succumb to passion like this— and finally freed the other’s arousal against his. The sensation brought a fresh cry that almost sounded like anguish as his teeth gnashed on his shirt. Fingers of one hand dug hard into the bone of Vince’s hip, while his other hand finally wrapped around him. His fingers felt cold and damp, numb, clumsy by comparison. But they grazed his velvety skin nonetheless, soon needily matching the rhythm of how they rocked against each other, Cassian desperate to see his reaction.

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   Vincent Iago

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eyecandy by fox<3

At Cass’ head tilt and expletives, Vince felt goosebumps run all up and down his spine. He was driving Cass exactly where he wanted him, and the sight was absolutely obsessive. The glint of tortured pleasure behind blue eyes as Vince continued his ministrations only made the Slytherin smirk, teeth running over his bottom lip. He knew he had the upper hand in that moment, and by Merlin was Vince going to use it. “Isn’t this better than your rules?” He whispered, delicately, brazenly, and just loudly enough for Cass to hear but also breathily and sighed in a way that could cause the other to think he was imagining it. Vince didn’t know what within him had possessed the nerve to try and defy everything Cass had laid down in their discussion before; it wasn’t like he was trying to change the Gryffindor’s mind. Not truly. Vince was determined to keep his promise. If this was it, then this was certainly it. He’d find a way to keep his hands to himself if it meant getting to selfishly keep Cass too. But… still. This unequivocally was so much better, for the both of them, than Cass’ rules, no matter what the blonde might think.

Cass bucked into him then and made a deliberate motion to bite down and stifle his own groan. Vince let out a breathy little gasp, and tugged Cass down even further by the neck as if they could possibly get any closer. If Cass was pressing him into the bank, Vince hardly noticed. Foreheads together, he wasn’t prepared then as Cass made motion to return the favor below. Gasping breathily again, Vince dug his fingernails into Cass’ shoulder and faltered briefly in his movements.

This was not Vince’s plan, but he certainly was not about to complain. Pivoting then, to match Cass’ indication, Vince kept pace and found himself foiled in his efforts to draw things out. He felt his own desire to rock quicker and quicker driving forward. Amidst gasps and moans and far too much neediness, Vince found himself panting Cass’ name quietly. It was both a prayer and a curse as Vince buried his face embarrassedly in the other’s shoulder again, trying desperately not to bite down on his collarbone. He didn’t know how long he could hold out if this didn’t change directions but, frankly, Vince could not find a single inclination within to pull away and drop to his knees.

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Cassian Valenduris

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i desire very little but the things i do consume me

Cassian didn’t dare respond to Vince’s whisper, which traveled like ice over his arms and shoulders and lifted goosebumps as it went. He couldn’t respond, lest the wad of fabric from his shirt slip down and make audible every outcome of Vince’s fingers on his skin. Instead he ground his teeth further, glowered at Vince with darkened eyes that spelled out fuck you in return to that mischevious little smirk. He wanted to wipe it away. He wanted to make Vince flinch, make him burn red again, render him speechless (among a wide variety of other things he wanted to do to him– none of which was conducive to their current position outside in public).

It was impossible to get closer, yet it was still not enough. His tugging on Vince grew more insistent as he felt the sting of nails dig into his shoulder. The way Vince faltered, however brief, did not go by unnoticed. It extracted a new kind of heat from deep within his belly, a small feeling like triumph. It drove his knee wantonly forward between Vince’s legs to dig into the earth behind them and rock with more intense friction. Turns out that making haste would not be an issue for them– though he wanted so desperately for this moment to linger indefinitely. The last time. That’s what he said. That would be the only way to resist his newfound addiction to the sound of his own name, uttered in soft pants between distressed noises against his neck.

His free hand left its bruising vice on Vince’s hip to hold the back of his head against where his neck met his shoulder, a feeble pillow against the earth behind him. Mostly, Cass wanted to hold him there, to feel his breath against his racing pulse. His other hand continued to explore Vince with brazen, eager insistence, moving at double pace to the rhythm of their hips against each other. The action gave him a sense of purpose and focus. A way to come back down from his ledge of coming undone, which he desperately wanted, because Vince needs to fall off the ledge first he decided ruthlessly. A strange shape of vindictiveness for all he’s done to him, maybe. A look they shared as Cass felt the other shivering against him. His shirt finally left his mouth, daring to whisper in a grating voice against Vince’s ear. Careless to the words that were coming out of his mouth, brain drugged by the sensations that wrapped around them. “You wanted me to touch you like this,” he hissed, though not uttered as a question, aching to hear his agreement all the same, somewhere in between the sounds of his name. “I’m here now…”

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eyecandy by fox<3

It did not escape Vince’s notice that Cassian failed to respond to his query. He supposed it was a small victory, considering the other hadn’t pulled away reeling and left him high and dry, but the fabric in his mouth likely helped. Vince smirked again at the thought, green eyes twinkling as he veritably rubbed it in Cass’ face. Perhaps this was a trend he could rely upon, stuffing the other’s mouth shut so he couldn’t protest. Stuffed with what remained variable. (The look Cass gave him was enough to communicate what he was thinking but Vincent ignored it innocently.)

It seemed like in the next few seconds Cass caught onto the idea that Vince was easily incapacitated and he felt the shift in dynamic almost palpably in the air. A shiver ran down the Slytherin’s spine as Cass surged forward with his knee, one big hand holding Vince back against the bank. There was something to be said for being entierly pinned in place and held there by someone nearly double one’s size. The same way he felt a sadistic litttle thrill at having the upper hand, he was even more intoxicated by the sensation of Cass’ dominance. The big blonde could have tied his hands behind his back and had his way, and Vincent would have let him. (There wasn’t much Vince was discovering he wouldn’t let Cass do, but the idea that he wanted the other to pin him down was new.)

As Cass’ motions became more bold, more determined, and faster in pace, Vincent couldn’t help but tip his head back and open his mouth. Like a dog, his tongue dropped out of his mouth between pants as if more oxygen could possibly help his sense of self control. He shivered against everything Cass was doing to him, and whimpered. This wasn’t fair! This wasn’t his plan. As Cass caught his eye and dropped the shirt from his mouth, Vincent suddenly realized he was in for it. The glint behind blue eyes was almost enough in itself to drive him over the edge. (That gravelly voice didn’t hurt, either.) A surge of pride swelled in Vince’s belly as the words Cass spoke settled into what part of his brain managed to still function. Yes. This was exactly what he’d wanted and Vince was determined to reward Cass for it, heartily.

A slow, wide smirk crossed Vince’s lips and he pulled back just enough to stare Cass right in the eye. He hoped the other could see how close to coming undone he was. Still panting, Vince pressed his forehead against the big blonde’s and licked his lips. It seemed fitting if this was to be the last, that they end with a sense of what had started this all in the first place so, misquoting his ever beloved Shakespeare, Vincent whispered a soft warning, foreshadowing his intentions. “If I profane with my unworthiest hand this holy shrine,” he grinned and tightened his hold of Cass for emphasis hoping to elicit a groan, “My lips, two blushing pilgrims ready stand to smooth that rough touch with a tender kiss.”

A heartbeat passed in which Vincent sucked in a deep breath, hoping against everything he believed in that he wasn’t about to scare Cass off him forever. Reluctantly then, he squirmed free of the other’s hold. The cold that blasted him was unforgivable and the Slytherin almost whined as he squirmed back into his trousers properly so as to be able to move freely. Then, without further warning, he dropped to his knees and took Cass into his mouth without a single hesitation.

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Cassian Valenduris

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i desire very little but the things i do consume me

Cassian couldn’t tear his eyes away from the view. Who knew that a smirk could make his blood simmer, or that an exposed neck and parted lips could make him groan audibly as soon as he finished his sentence?  For in all his bravado, he was barely keeping it together. And keeping his eyes open proved to be simultaneously the best and worst thing he could have done. It etched into his memory what Vince looks like the moment he loses the upperhand, or his ability for a clever retort. It gave Cass the impulse to wipe that smirk off often, much preferring the way he looked when he gasped (he even missed his own momentary lapse of judgment, thinking for an instant there would be another moment like this).

It made him see Vincent as beautiful, clearly now. He couldn’t believe it had taken him so long to notice.

What he also noticed - Vince staggeringly close to the precipice. Their gaze was unflinching, at least until Cass glanced down to watch the heady drag of Vince’s tongue along his lips. A move that should be made illegal. He hitched his breath with the expectation that the second Vince slipped off the ledge he’d bring Cass right along with. That’s fine. Things could be over soon, and then they’d find a way to move on. But at this exact second he wanted, more than anything, on principle really, to be the one to do it – to make it up to Vince somehow–

“Fucking Romeo and Juliet?” Cass gasped despite himself, shocked equal measure by the reference (that it was being made now, why now) and that he remembered it so easily (in Vince’s voice, that afternoon lounging under a tree in the grass). Though his mind wasn’t fast enough to bridge the connection to what this suggested (more kissing?). A shiver of anticipation crept up his back, Shakespeare quotes always a bit disquieting when it came from Vince. He was planned something, something that deftly brought him the upper hand again. Cassian groaned, softly, quietly, and at the command of his touch. He sensed, a second too late, how the current of energy shifted under them again.

He didn’t have a second to protest, Vince hadn’t spared him any. The shock of cold and his friend’s body disappearing from in front of him was overcome by the shock of seeing Vince on his knees - much like how Cass was when he chased him down earlier - but with a look on his face that was utterly wicked. Fully exposed, there was nothing he could do as he felt Vince’s warm mouth there. Cassian immediately knew he lost, whatever this twisted game was.

“Aagh,” he dug his teeth into the back of his hand to keep from crying out loud, his expression looked wounded. He didn’t know what the hell possessed Vince to do this. A part of him wanted to scream at him to stop. If only he wasn’t so utterly consumed by this now- every part of it. Keeping one hand firm in place to muffle his cursing, his other found its way into strawberry blonde hair, stroking his temple with his thumb while his fingers cupped the back of his head. Cass didn’t dare move, as much as his body ached to rock forward. He let out a shaking sigh against his hand, watching as Vince went on.

With everything they’d done up to this moment, it didn’t take him very long to succumb. Seeing him…proved to be too much. Finally his eyes screwed shut, and he cried out in warning.

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eyecandy by fox<3

As Cass’ hand found his hair, Vincent hummed pleasantly and the little trill of sound vibrated in his mouth. He’d never… quite… done this before, unsure of what he was really to do, but it seemed pretty self explanatory. If the Greeks could do it, then surely a 17th century modern could blindly grope his way through! And grope his way through, Vince did. Luckily it didn’t take too long to achieve the end result. Cass was sighing against him one moment and the next a quick warning cry alerted Vince to the happy climax he’d been gunning for. Panicked at the last second, the Slytherin realized he didn’t know what to do now. Did he pull away? Did he not? Too little too late he didn’t manage to make a decision and he dealt with the mess as gallantly as possible. (Even if it was abstractly terrible.)

Wiping his mouth with his sleeve, Vince stood back to full height and nuzzled gently into Cass’ shoulder. He eyed the big blonde for some sense of reaction, not yet sheepish but prepared to be if Cass looked at him grouchily. “Are you alright?” He whispered gently instead, the roar of crickets around them nearly drowning him out. Vince had no recollection of when the birds had stopped and the nighttime creatures had started, but he was grateful there was something to break the anxious silence.

Scuffing his bare toe into the sandy, rocky footing, Vince leaned against Cass more, aching to wrap his arms around the other but not daring. This was the very end, the very last, and he knew if he wanted to stay away from the derogatory comments and face slaps that he probably ought to tread carefully. He laughed a nervous, forced little laugh. “Not bad for the final hurrah, eh?” He tried, wearily. In his self-destructive way, Vince found himself wanting to reassure Cass that this was what he’d wanted, what they’d agreed, and that he would stick to it. Spent emotionally as he was, Vince couldn’t handle another verbal lashing. He unconsciously curled his fingers tightly into Cass’ shirt at the thought. Maybe, if he was obvious enough about his willingness to do or not do whatever it took, Cass would spare him the torment.

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Cassian Valenduris

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i desire very little but the things i do consume me