His fingers lingered against the door knob as he blinked at Basil, unsure of his next move; he’d woken him to go supper together, right? Gus highly doubted he was using it as an excuse to get him out the room (there was no doubt if that was the case, the man would have no qualms telling him to leave), but at the same time it seemed like he was having second thoughts too. 

Gus felt… safe, in this room, like nothing that was looming out there could hurt him. (Or break him, rather because he was already hurting in a way that was impossible to soothe.) He breathed in softly as blue eyes watched him curiously; he could still feel his fingers running against his back when he’d sat up in the bed, and his fingers against his cheeks and forehead as he stroked his hair when he’d woken him up. The gestures felt like a shift in their relationship to Gus, although he wasn’t sure what kind or where it left them.

He breathed out a sigh and mimicked the gesture of rubbing the back of his head before he dropped his hand to his side and nodded, not trusting himself to say anything. There were a lot of things he needed that Basil had already agreed to help with him.  Instead he took a few steps to close the gap between them, and then glanced down at the shoes he suddenly wished he wasn’t wearing. “I just want to stay here with you.”Forever. He confessed as he moved to wrap his arms loosely around him, his head dropping against his shoulder. “Are you sure I can’t tempt you back into bed with me? Even for just a bit longer?”

Gus had a feeling that the moment they walked over the threshold of the door, things were going to fall back the way they were before; having Basil this way, his life felt almost perfect, but people like him weren’t meant to be happy, so of course he would lose the other eventually. He sighed against him.

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Basil Foxwood

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   Basil Foxwood

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Basil felt ridiculous just standing beside his bed as Lissington stood by the door, evidently at his beckoning for supper. He had woken the other in hopes of getting something in the redhead’s grumbling belly after all. It was good that he was willing to go and eat, right? Basil sighed a little to himself. The pleading request was out before he could catch the words as they tumbled from his lips however, and he found he was a little bit surprised by Lissington’s response.

The distance closed between them faster than he anticipated and before Basil could think, or let his mind catch up, he had an armful of the pretty Hufflepuff again. Lissington’s face was buried in his shoulder and Basil blinked a few times in rapid succession, unsure. Was he being fair to the other? Likely not. Keeping him here, or wanting to, was not in the tired, miserable, busy, Defense Against the Dark Arts professor’s best interest. He had so many things to take care of now and he seemed to almost be in the right headspace to do it. It was a selfish desire to delay otherwise and Basil realized sooner or later he would have to set it aside. Still, he lifted his arms to wrap carefully around the other’s shoulders as if he would break. “I’m sure you could tempt me into just about anything right now,” he sighed into Gus’ neck, albeit too honestly.

Basil didn’t know why but it felt as if the moment Gus walked over that threshold everything would be different. Painful, again. There was a small, self-preservative part of him that wanted to keep that from happening for as long as possible. It wasn’t realistic; he’d have to face reality eventually. But right now, with his arms wrapped loosely around the one he’d been haunted by for almost a decade, Basil just couldn’t bring himself to pull that trigger. He would regret every moment longer that he hesitated, that he was the one to mislead them and demand without qualm the attention he so desperately desired. It would be impossible to return to normal after this. He had shown his hand too clearly and putting this to rest again seemed… unlikely, without a significant amount of chaos and disaster. (Chaos Basil Foxwood was not sure he’d survive again.) He pressed closer into Lissington’s neck, and closed grey eyes to these thoughts. He couldn’t bear to let them sink in now, to start filling the cracks that echoed in his empty heart. So instead, he did the most destructive thing he could think of. He pulled back and gently pressed another kiss to Gus’ lips simply because he could.

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Gus Lissington

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A very smile, melancholy smile tugged at the corner of his lips as he felt Basil’s arms wrap around him; there were a lot of things Gus wanted to tempt him into, but wouldn’t. Couldn’t. Not right now at least, when they’d both come out of it a little more broken and a little more resentful. (Him of the situation because he desperately wanted to love Basil in the way he deserved, and Basil of him for tempting him in the first place.) It would end in a way that blew up in their faces as always and this time around Gus wasn’t sure he’d recover from it. He was barely holding himself together as it was, and knowing that in the end he’d lose the person he loved most of all was something he didn’t want to think about.

He hoped (wish, prayed) that whatever was happening between them wasn’t a result of the other trying to put a band-aid over his bleeding heart. That was the biggest reason as to why he was delaying the inevitable about leaving this room – how were things going to change? The professor had walked into the room a broken man, and would walk out the same, just with a tiny bit of hope clutched in his hands. (He could already hear Sophia sighing at his unwillingness to let go.) He couldn’t help but huff in amusement as his arms tightened around him. “Then let me stay just a little bit longer.” Gus mumbled against him. “I’m scared to walk away from you again.” Maybe if he showed Foxwood his hand – his bleeding heart on his sleeve – he’d see how much Gus regretted walking away from him so many times. How much he wanted to be with him in any capacity he would give him, and never in his life would he make him choose between himself or his family.

Hope was a fickle thing, and even if Basil hadn’t meant to give it to him, Gus was going to cling to it. A soft sigh escaped him as Basil finally stepped back and then a moment later kissed him; he wished he knew if this was because the man loved him (as he’d told him), or if it was just to ease his pain. His lips were soft and delicate, like butterfly wings, and brushed against his just lough enough that he could inhale his breath and feel the warmth of his skin against his own.

Butterflies fluttered in his stomach as he returned the kiss, keeping it soft and slow. There wasn’t an urgency; Gus wanted to pour every ounce of love he had into it just so the other could see his feeling hasn’t changed – and, probably never would no matter how this ended for them. His heart pounded his chest but Gus could only focus on how soft Basil’s lips felt against his mouth, and how additively he invaded all his senses. One hand trailed from his waist and up his spine before settling against the base of his neck. His fingers brushed through the soft brunette locks, while he moved the other to settle against Basil’s waist. It didn’t stop him from stepping closer to fill the space that had been left between them.

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Basil Foxwood

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   Basil Foxwood

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Basil felt his stomach flutter in a somersault as the pretty redhead in his arms asked to stay just a bit longer. It would seem Gus too was scared of what came next. Basil buried his face closer into the others’ neck, tugging him close, in what he hoped was the appropriate display of affirmation. The kiss that followed only amplified the resounding plea for Gus to remain, forever here, forever his, and Basil wasn’t sure he’d ever escape the desperate need this feeling was driving within him.

There could be no future anymore where Gus wasn’t… his.

It was selfish, and stupid, and downright ludicrous, but Basil felt the sentiment settle deep into his bones. He wanted this, forever, even if it was impossible. He pressed forward, deepening their kiss with his urgency and desperation. Even if reality denied them the possibility to have this after Gus stepped over that threshold, at least for this one more moment Basil could live the haunted daydream that he’d denied for over a decade.

The feel of Gus’ hand tracing along his back and curling into his neck made Basil shiver as the redhead closed the space between them. It was almost magnetic, the way Basil felt himself drawn wholly into Gus’ being. H wanted nothing more in that moment than to belong fully to the other gentleman and it was… alarming, how that very thought didn’t jolt him through as if struck by lightning. There had been a time once, some months, maybe even weeks ago, where Basil would have fallen into a pit of despair for ever admitting any such thing even to himself. But today… today all he wanted was Gus.

Fingers looping into the other professor’s belt loops, Basil jerked the redhead’s hips forward and leaned into him, almost as if to make Gus bend backwards. He held on for dear life, knowing he was taking more than he was due, but with aplomb he finally pulled back just a fraction. He panted a little, grey eyes searching blue as desire clouded them a touch. He couldn’t press Gus for anything more. This was… the end of the line.

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Gus Lissington

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He always liked kissing Basil – it felt like coming home after being adrift for so long. He’d done it to himself, turning tail and running as he did, and while Gus would always live with that regret of not fighting for him, even if it had been Basil who’d had to decide if he was worth the risk or not, he wasn’t going to let go now. The kiss deepened and Gus fell into it, letting it consume him. Things were going to be different between them, not that he was sure of, although whether it was for better or worse was yet to be seen.

When the man jerked him forward it elicited a low groan from the back of his throat because he liked where this was going, and he wound his arms around his neck to keep him in place, his lips desperately working against Basil’s. Then he pulled back and Gus breathed out in small puffs before he raised one hand to cup against the man’s cheek. “We should get supper before we decide I’m not leaving tonight.” He whispered as he untangled himself from the man to take a step back, although he did reach out to take Basil’s hand in his own, entwining their fingers as he did.

He hated himself for saying it because there was nothing more he wanted in life than to continue the rendezvous, but they’d both come to regret it in the morning. Gus squeezed his hand and offered a reassuring smile – this was going to change things for the better, or at least he hoped it was.

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Blushing furiously, even though he was perfectly aware that it was what he’d wanted, Basil released Gus as the pretty redhead pulled away. A wry smile stole across his lips, lopsided and a tiny bit chagrined, but Basil couldn’t find it in himself to be sorry. He was a touch uncomfortable from the desperation he’d felt blossoming deep down, but he resisted the urge to adjust himself. It wasn’t terrible enough to deign drawing attention to.

Instead, the brunette agreed and drew a hand to the back of his head. He was untidy, to say the least, and made a small effort to fix as much. His hair was used to being unkept, and at this stage it wasn’t an unusual sight to see the professor mussed and somewhat keenly concentrated on something as he meandered the halls but… this was altogether different. Basil made a self-conscious effort to straighten his waistcoat then too, but Gus grabbed him by the hand and tugged him towards the door.

Doxy wings rocked him in the stomach at the contact and Basil’s blush only deepened. He allowed it until they reached the threshold and then he pulled away carefully to open the door. He didn’t know what waited for them on the other side of it, but he did know that something this afternoon had changed. He could only hope it was for the best. 

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Gus Lissington

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