It was a good thing Cassian wasn’t looking over at Vince. He didn’t need to see him, to feel the way his words probably landed, every last syllable clumsy and heavy coming out of his mouth. Even Cass still felt a twinge of humiliation, he couldn’t imagine what the other felt like. So the blonde kept his eyes resolutely on the river in front of them, because he couldn’t. He honestly couldn’t trust himself with what would happen if he looked. No, now was the time to firm up his resolve, not make things even worse.
Vincent’s first words seemed like he might have somehow, blessedly, managed to get his message through. But as often happened with his friend, the first meaning would soon twist and coil and churn away into a different meaning entirely. The young man swallowed thickly as Vince went on. As his words turned to pleading, imploring, still determined with something to prove. He furled and unfurled his fists a few times, really regretting not having cigarettes on his person.
“It’s not about formalizing restrictions,” he cut in using Vince’s own words, and though his voice was softer than it was angry, his expression was visibly perplexed. “This isn’t… a situation where conditions need to be met for just one of us, don’t twist things that way…” Finally he turned to look at his friend, blue eyes scanning the other with earnest apprehension. Beseeching.
“I just want to… protect what’s important to us,” he tried to clarify, eyes searching. Right? Maintaining an us in a way that makes sense? “I— yes, we probably shouldn’t… touch each other often,” he flailed, miserably embarrassed, though notably already progressed to noting that it came down to the both of them, really. They went into the deep end together.
“Though I want to see you most mealtimes. I… hope we can still study together, and go on Hogsmeade weekends,” he went on, feeling a bit reckless but Vince had to know. These little moments in life that couldn’t stop now, that would feel empty otherwise. “...Maybe we don’t share poetry anymore,” he added, voice so soft it felt distant. He wouldn’t insult the other by adding his last thought, nothing that might wind up with us falling asleep together.
Vincent’s first words seemed like he might have somehow, blessedly, managed to get his message through. But as often happened with his friend, the first meaning would soon twist and coil and churn away into a different meaning entirely. The young man swallowed thickly as Vince went on. As his words turned to pleading, imploring, still determined with something to prove. He furled and unfurled his fists a few times, really regretting not having cigarettes on his person.
“It’s not about formalizing restrictions,” he cut in using Vince’s own words, and though his voice was softer than it was angry, his expression was visibly perplexed. “This isn’t… a situation where conditions need to be met for just one of us, don’t twist things that way…” Finally he turned to look at his friend, blue eyes scanning the other with earnest apprehension. Beseeching.
“I just want to… protect what’s important to us,” he tried to clarify, eyes searching. Right? Maintaining an us in a way that makes sense? “I— yes, we probably shouldn’t… touch each other often,” he flailed, miserably embarrassed, though notably already progressed to noting that it came down to the both of them, really. They went into the deep end together.
“Though I want to see you most mealtimes. I… hope we can still study together, and go on Hogsmeade weekends,” he went on, feeling a bit reckless but Vince had to know. These little moments in life that couldn’t stop now, that would feel empty otherwise. “...Maybe we don’t share poetry anymore,” he added, voice so soft it felt distant. He wouldn’t insult the other by adding his last thought, nothing that might wind up with us falling asleep together.
![[Image: BC4TW0z.jpeg]](https://i.imgur.com/BC4TW0z.jpeg)
eyecandy by fox<3