Vince felt himself wince again even if Cass’ tone seemed more frustrated than angry, determined and not… disgusted. It didn’t matter; every new syllable only proved the Slytherin’s point. Cass didn’t trust him, what’s worse, he didn’t trust them as a unit. They were no longer the inseparable duo, Ying and Yang. Instead they were two halves of a fractured island, torn right down the middle, with only a rickety unstable bridge connecting one side to the other. That bridge could easily fall away, fall apart, with too much pressure from either side and the island could never be whole again.

Listening astutely and feeling his gut roil at Cass’ delineations, Vince stared back at him wide eyed and terrified. He felt like a fly pinned to a wall straining to be freed or killed. He didn’t want to go through this with the big blonde. He didn’t know if he could realistically even manage what the other was asking, either. What would life be like without… normal? Without the ease and familiarity that came with the comfort of knowing someone, trusting them, as he did Cass? Vince supposed he didn’t know but Cass had certainly lost his own faith, leading them to this path in the first place. They were virtually strangers now and Vince wasn’t sure he could handle that.

Nodding miserably, the Slytherin new he wouldn’t disagree with anything Cass asked of him in that moment. The Gryffindor could have asked for the moon and Vincent would spend the rest of his life trying to miniaturize it for him. He had neither the will nor grounds to disagree however. Vince knew that, but it still stung having to bite a silver tongue. After a long moment, he cast green eyes towards the ground again and spoke in a broken whisper.

“I don’t know if I know how to keep these promises,” Vince admitted. “It’s not… the poetry that led to this.” It was my taking a chance and floundering greedily for something I shouldn’t have. Something you did not deny.

Green eyes searched the bank underfoot for something, anything, to serve as distraction. When nothing occurred, Vince took in a shaky breath and lifted his gaze once more to Cass. “But whatever you want, I’ll do it.” He said, heart bleeding out into his sleeve. “Ask me to jump and I’ll fly, ask me to walk, and I’ll run! Just please, please can we set this aside? I promise Cassian, I’ll do anything you want.” Vince’s voice broke on the final statement and he hiccuped a small squeak, miserably trying to cover it up.

If this was what Cass wanted, Vince would figure it out. He didn’t have much of a choice. He couldn’t live without the other in some capacity, and he was good at making life concessions. He’d done it all his existence, what was one more?

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   Cassian Valenduris