Come on, Ade, meet the family! - Sincerely, Cas

[chellemrys]

The cop arresting him was careless, had assumed he was just a 'druggy' he could push around or something. The Gliesian equivalent of Miranda Rights was not read, as Ade was pushed against the wall for struggling.


"I don't have time for your lies. I've heard them all." The other cop stood back, rolling his eyes at Adrian's futile protests. They always had an excuse for their behavior. "They've been cracking down on people like you, especially in this city. Foreigners who think they can come here, make a profit, and flee." He spat at Adrian, "Well not anymore."


****


Cas was in a galaxy far far away- passed out. In a dream world. The purple powder covered the seats and his clothes, but no one cared enough to notice through the shaded windows. His mouth hung open and let drool drip in a stream from his mouth. A heavy arm was flung over his eyes, blindfolding him from reality. Not that anything could wake him up after the dose he took.


It had been a couple hours now, and Cas began to stir. His island world began to fade; the isolation melted. He had been looking at the stars, in the dead of a moonlit night that he looked upon so many years ago, for two hours. Listening to peaceful breathing, warm breezes rustling the tropical plant life, and rush of the tide going in then out. He had nestled his back into the hot sand, enjoying being held to the planet by unseen forces. But most of all, he looked around with a tiny smile, because things were as they should be. All his comrades were alive, well, and happy- it appeared.


Then his vision started to black out- in the dream. His head was resting against the sand, staring at the waves, when a big black blob formed in the center of his view. He blinked rapidly, sitting up in confusion. After all, right now this was reality.


Cas sat up, and reached out in front of him as his vision began to dissolve. He took a last look at the people around him before he went blind. He began to feel tired, and his head fell back onto the sand. Sleeping. But within a second, his eyes opened again. This time he felt himself in his car. Staring at a beige roof, and not a starry night in the middle of an ocean. He reached out, felt that it was really there, and let his arm drop. The syringe was jostled, and it fell with a clink to the ground. Cas sat up frowning and finding the purple powder was littered across the seats, and was all over his clothes. Then reality really sank in.


The Lieutenant's shaky hands became fists, and he twisted around to clutch the reclined seat. Pounding his forehead into the headrest in frustration, choking back a shaky sob. "...Ade?" He called, lifting his head back up in confusion. Realizing they never left the mall, but Adrian was not here.

 

[Laine]

“This…” The officer drawled, pacing slowly around the table, “…is slumber.” He dropped a tiny transparent container just out of Ade’s reach, squinting hard as the traces of lilac powder seized from Ade’s shirt caught in the light. He continued pacing, scrutinising the criminal in a deadly serious manner. The doctor shuffled uncomfortably as he did so, lips drawn tightly as he dared to speak. However, the officer caught in before him. “Now, where does a foreigner – one who cannot even afford reasonable clothes – get a hold of this, hmm?” The cop’s eyes were slits as he slid around the table to face Ade, the baggy of slumber drug inbetween them.


“I – err…” Ade began, tiny beads of sweat gathering around his forehead as he stammered to explain himself. We were at the mall, my partner took a drug, we had an argument and I got lost. The cop looked disinterested in the story, but waited patiently – for the record more than anything else – for him to finish. Adrian shuffled again as he finished, causing the cuffs to clink loudly amongst the awkward silence. “You don’t believe me…do you?” He sighed finally in shaky Kerschanille, and the cop twisted his lips, perhaps in amusement, or perhaps in irritation.


“No.” He said plainly. Adrian sank in his chair, and felt panic rising in his chest. The cop took the baggy, and pretended to examine it again. Every so often his eyes flicked back to Ade, making the Earthling more and more nervous and intimidated. Nothing on him. DNA, facial profile, name, chemical profile – no relatives, planet of origin, nothing. According to all the databases, or at least the publically accessible ones, Ade didn’t exist. He didn’t look like a professional – but then again many years in the force had taught him to be cautious of those types the most.


“Listen,” Adrian said, suddenly leaning forward. He had a look of desperation in his face as he pleaded with the officer, “If you let me have my damn…phone call, or whatever you future people use-” He failed to notice the officer's eyes widen at the word 'future' , and carried on blabbering, laughing weakly "-If you could just let me speak to Cassidy, I could easily...explain...all...this..."

 

[chellemrys]

The officer endlessly squinted at Adrian, half expecting the suspect to start laughing. This was all some big joke, right? There was no way someone like... this could get slumber. Let alone be a dealer! The cop's eyes flashed in shock over to the unaware suspect at the ridiculous mentioning of the 'future', like he himself was from some other time or something. "What the Hell is a phone?" He whispered, lifting a brow in confusion.


At the mention of a name, the officer's ears would have twitched up if he were a cat. "Who?" He pushed suddenly, leaning forward, "Who is... Cassidy?" This was the key to the lock, the real mastermind behind the drug system! Finally, a chance to prove himself! And he would get all the credit, since the chief was on vacation in the next star system.


***


Cas hurriedly began cleaning the slumber from his seats and clothes, brushing the powder in haste into the baggy it came in. He ran his hands through his hair to make it look less dis shelved, but made no effort to wipe away the heavy drool stain on his collar, or even see the dark bags sagging beneath his eyes. He leapt from the car, jogging off towards the mall to find his partner.

 

[Laine]

Ade shuffled in discomfort as the cop repeated his partner’s name, wincing as his panicked thoughts turned to Cassidy, eyeing the bag of slumber that was still facing him. Oh, shit. His mouth turned dry. They arrested me for the tiny specks on my shirt…If they caught Cassidy with the amount he had, he could get into serious trouble – what if they kicked him out of the Agency for it? Even though the Lieutenant’s behaviour was becoming more erratic and damaged as a result of the Time Agency, Ade knew deep down the career meant the most to him, and being fired would be catastrophic for his lover.


A few quiet seconds passed, and the cop’s eyes continued to burn into Ade’s forehead. He repeated his question, this time in slower, clearer Kerschanille, although he knew full well Ade had understood him. The doctor could feel his palms starting to sweat under the cop’s scrutiny, and he changed the subject fast, “Like a phone – you know what I mean. Whatever you use to…call other people on…with…” He mumbled, the limited knowledge of Kerschnaille beginning to show as he switched between Universal Tongue and English words. The cop tried to mask his surprise, narrowing his eyes and continuing to stare. Ade attempted to motion with his cuffed hands, but failed miserably. “…A little like…well you know what a hopper is? Like that, since you can...use them to talk to...other people…” He trailed off as the officer slowly stood.

 

[chellemrys]

The police man scrutinized the 21st century human, beginning to circle him. "Hopper." He repeated, completely distracted by the new terminology. He had heard about those before- a long time ago. "Like... A time agent's hopper. Why on Gliese would I-"


The man froze, scrunching up his forehead, thinking hard. He was trying to put together the puzzle that was this red haired man. He was pale, and had this uncommon red hair. Especially on Gliese. The majority of humans on the planet were like Cassidy: Indian and African American-looking. Not... Whatever Adrian was. No, by the 51st century the mixture of traits had caused dark skin tones to become common. The dominant trait had taken over.


A thought clicked in the cop's head. Time agency. He pursed his lips, fighting a gleeful grin. "So... Can you please tell me our current GGU Commander?" He won a blank stare from Adrian, and laughed, "A-zaa..." The grin slipped onto his features, and he stomped out of the room, "Someone get me on the phone with a time agency officer!"

 

[Laine]

“No-no sir, you – you need a request from city hall to open a formal Agency investigation.” The woman sighed, recoiling from the sound of the cop yelling from the other side of the call. “Because we’re very busy, and the TA only processes-“ She paused as the information about the prisoner streamed in from the Gliesian Police department. His file seemed to add up to that of an early human – pale skin, tall, ill-clothed, English speaking, extremely stressed. Coupled with the drug offense he’d been caught for, what appeared to be a trivial case of mistaken identity suddenly turned into something a little more serious.


“-I see, sir. And you say he has mentioned specialised Time Agency equipment?” She said, cutting the irate cop off. She began typing at her screen, requesting a DNA matchup with those on the Time Agent records.


“Yes. I am sure of it. He said ‘hopper’. And not just that - he barely speaks the universal tongue, and he shows virtually no knowledge of basic…” The Time Agent muted the conversation, leaning over to her associate beside her and gesturing towards the screen. They both peered as the DNA result came back with an instant match, to a 21st century human who was supposedly on permanent guard by a mid-ranked Agent – on Earth, in the past. Finding him in the present, with no Time Agent and loaded with drugs suddenly sent alarm bells ringing, and she nodded towards her associate, not bothering to read the rest of Adrian’s file before climbing out of her chair and marching over HQ’s main office.


----


The cop slid back into the room, red-faced but looking pleased with himself. He slinked around Adrian, who since had his arms cuffed behind his back, and several more guards placed in the room as extra security. Finally, the cop thought, the big career break. Singlehandedly, he had apprehended not just a drug dealer, but a time-traveller, possibly at the root of some large-scale trans-dimensional criminal organisation. At least, that’s what the cop told himself, as he circled around Ade, grinning from ear-to-ear. It was so important they contacted the Time Agency Colonel herself about it. He thought smugly.


The auburn-haired doctor followed with his eyes, shaking his head and pleading desperately with him. “Look, if you just listen to me – the drug wasn’t mine, or at least – I wasn’t using it – take my blood, and see, it must’ve…rubbed off from those criminals that were harassing me-“ Adrian continued to blabber, clanking the cuffs against his wrists as he got more and more frustrated.

 

[chellemrys]

Cassidy was in the bathroom, where e had originally bought the drugs, when his hopper made a loud beep, and he hurriedly ducked into a stall.


Before him appeared a hologram of Lydia, tapping her foot. She was glaring at Cas, who was stuck in a salute. His friend's seriousness slipped off her face, and she lost it with a loud, "Pfft..." Cas dropped the salute, eyes narrowing, too confused to also laugh. Too worried and worn to laugh.


Lydia glanced up between giggles, putting a hand up and hiding her poorly composed face in the crook of her arm. "Missing something, Petar?"


"...What?" The agent's brows lifted, and leaned forward, "How do you-"


"Adrian- Oh, Helmi he-" Sputtering laughter. Cas cleared his throat, and Lydia copied him to calm down.


"He was reported and pulled in for drug use and dealing, at the city's East station immediately five blocks from your location. The officers there were so baffled by his language and lack of understanding of common technology and custom, that they actually reported him to the time agency."


Cas' jaw hung open in shock, silence filled the stall.


"And you, being the closest agent, get to go drag him into custody again. You are very lucky."


****


Cas came through the automatic doors of the station looking like he rolled out of the field. He approached the desk with a grim expression, and the cop behind the glass looked up slowly, eyes scanning the human in mild shock when he held up his agency badge.


Cassidy was marched down the corridor, towards the head of the station- Adrian's interviewer. He stood at the end of the hall looking proud; pudgy upturned nose sticking into the air as if he was sniffing for his reward.


The cop lowered his gaze to smile an greet Cas, but his eyes bulged at the sight. A short, unassembled mess was approaching. Not an agent!


Cas had rid himself of the purple powder, but his hair was sticking up in obscene directions. There was a distinct line of drool trailing down his chin and to his black shirt. His bomber was worn and beaten- not the pressed uniform of an agent he expected.


"Sir, Agent Lieutenant Cassidy Petar of Andromeda Sector Station."


The cop found himself catching flies, and quickly shook his head before saluting. He turned quickly away, and nervously led Cas to the nearby window. "W-We found him dealing drugs in an alleyway, our section of town. A very dangerous section at that. We think he has affiliations with-"


"Thank you, that is him. I will take this into my own hands now."


The man turned on his heels, and looked Cas up and down, before Pressif a combination into a pad On the wall, causing the cell to open. they briskly entered. "I'm sorry, but... What was your name again?"


Cas was already to Adrian, fighting a smirk, "Lieutenant Cassidy Petar."


Cas' back was turned, but Adrian got to see the cop's bulging eyes at the name. "Cassidy." He repeated, swallowing. "O-OK. Uhm..." He mumbled, stumbling after him as he led Ade out the door.


Cas was halfway to the exit, and the cop ran after. "W-Wait, I don't understand. Isn't he... Dangerous."


Cas froze, the smirking finally breaking through, "Extremely." He whispered in a despairing way, shaking his head.

 

[Laine]

They both strode through the corridor of the station, with the cop standing a respectful distance behind the Time Agent. He tucked a promotion recommendation form deeper into his back pocket, ready to pounce on the Time Agent for a signature at his nearest convenience. Even though this Cassidy didn’t look the part, it was enough to get him a fatter paycheck, and that’s all he really cared about. “I can…I can get you some armoured transport for the prisoner, sir…?” He murmured, wondering why this extremely dangerous Earthling was being merely escorted out, with not even a weapon pressed against his back.


Ade grimaced as he chinked the cuffs still firmly around his wrists. “You took your sweet time, dear,” He growled from the corner of his lips, not bothering to even turn around and face Cas as he said it. Despite his surprise and slight relief on seeing the Lieutenant, the sight of his dishevelled, drool-encrusted lover made his blood boil. “Too busy shooting up to fulfil your Time Agent duties?” he spat, with venom, switching to English to ensure the cop did not fully understand him.

 

[chellemrys]

Cas snickered at the armoured vehicle offer, shaking his head as he led Adrian out casually with one hand. The agent knew he should not find the situation funny... But it was too funny. From his childhood, and his shenanigans with his friends, he was used to being in trouble. But for Adrian, it was understandable that he was upset, and even scared.


"Oh, please sweetheart. This is just child's play trouble." Cas was serious, snickering still. "You scare too easy. There was this one time in-" The agent was cut off with Adrian's venomous words. They were upon the car now, and Cas sucked in a sharp breath. "What, jealous you didn't get some? I offered you it." He smirked, coming to a halt next to the passenger side. He glanced down at the door handle, and sniffed. Walking away to his side, watching a frustrated Adrian stare at the door. "Sorry I inconvenienced you, Princess Ade."

 

[Laine]

Ade glared at his partner, teeth gritted. “You did ‘give me’ some. And I got fucking arrested for it.” He pressed himself against the side of the car, grunting as Cassidy sauntered around the car without opening the door, or undoing his cuffs. A prominent vein stood on his head as he struggled for the handle with his bound hands, failing miserably as Cas sniggered behind him. “…Princess?! You don’t have to be royalty to expect not to be-argh!” He suddenly yelped as the part of the handle popped out and immediately slid back in again, catching the skin on one of his pinky fingers.


He spun around and kicked the door of the rental vehicle harshly, grunting again as the reinforced metal took no damage but sent throbbing pain shooting through his foot. He lifted his head to finally face Cassidy, and the doctor’s expression only grew more frustrated and strained as he caught sight of the Lieutenant’s mischievous smile.


“You’re pathetic, you know that?” Ade snarled, his angry voice echoing around the parking lot. “One of your friends is dead and you’re just…you’re just going to get high and pretend nothing happened?” His voice was barbed as he spoke. “I got lost in the shiftiest fucking place imaginable, your parents are probably worried sick that you aren’t home yet, who knows what kind of side-effects that stuff you took has…And look, you just don’t give a shit! God, I hope Lydia doesn’t kick the bucket anytime soon, ‘cause you’ll have to take out a loan for all the slumber you’ll need to get over that one!”


He shook his head in disbelief, pressing himself against the side of the vehicle as a violent chill ran down his spine. A bitter, eerie silence fell between them, and the doctor shuffled awkwardly. “…Let me in this fucking car before I freeze to death, Cassidy.”

 

[chellemrys]

Cassidy's smirk became a wide grin, and he nodded, "I mean, I know you haven't ever been in much trouble before... But just imagine what my friends and I do for fun." He lifted a brow, suppressing more giggles. Adrian always forgave him; this was no big deal after all. That was what he told himself as Ade's face continued to darken.


He blinked when Adrian swiveled round and harshly pounded the car with his foot, and he stepped back in mild surprise. "Ah- Ade-" Cut off by a snarl, he pursed his lips and listened, the grin melting slowly into a straight, pressed line. Without the lighthearted grin lighting up his face, the unusual paleness of Cas' dark skin gave off a sickly glow.


Silence filled the space between them, across the car, and Cas stared blankly at Adrian. His mouth twitched into the tiniest smile, and he padded over to the other side, the usual proud face lowered. He tugged the door open, hitting Ade in the arm, and he circled round to the driver's side, leaving Ade to at least shut the door for himself. Once Adrian had finally clumsily gotten into the car, he reached across the doctor and tugged the door shut, ignoring him completely. Before Adrian had the chance to ask to get uncuffed, or buckle his belt, he started the vehicle and peeled out, driving with his eyes locked forward. He turned the car in a sharp semi-circle, shifting his shoulders to achieve the nasty angle, the building distant from the car just a metallic blur.

 

[Laine]

The force of the car swerving caused the doctor to fall forwards in his seat, first colliding with the passenger seat window, and then the dashboard as he tried to catch himself. “Fucking hell, Cassidy!” He yelled, hands straining against the cuffs as he tried to resist the sickening turning. What little of the Lieutenant’s face he could see was pale, gaunt, and looked as if he was light years away. A tiny smile was etched into his mouth as he twisted his shoulders in the opposite direction, causing the vehicle to lurch violently sideways again. The car jerked left and right in the air, going away from the mall in some vague direction.


“What-Whatever,” Adrian gasped, struggling to stay sat in the seat as the Lieutenant continued his reckless driving, “You’re only doing this because – you know I’m right.” He sniffed, surprised that his aching nose wasn’t bleeding. He glared at the Time Agent, whose eyes were still fixated on the invisible road ahead. “You’re always running away from your problems, Cassidy-” He gasped as the car suddenly dropped a few inches in altitude, causing Ade’s stomach to churn. He matched Cas’ own tiny smirk as he sat back in his seat, satisfied that he had touched a nerve, “-The voffs, the slumber, the practical jokes – you just do this to ignore what’s really going on, aren’t you?”


He let out a sarcastic chuckle, “Of course, they don’t know about it, do they?” His head smacked the headrest and the car jolted again, and he growled as his hands twisted painfully in the cuffs. He looked again at Cassidy as the car suddenly began to slow, “Tell me, Cas-” He bit his lip briefly as a wave of nausea came over him. Adrian shook his head again and turned back towards his partner, eyes burning with accusation, “How do you think the TA would react if they found out you were so shellshocked you’re turning to hard drugs?”

 

[chellemrys]

Cas ignored Adrian's protests, straight faced and apathetic to any terror he was inducing in his lover. He muttered a story under his breath out of habit, something about his training, that he had done this before with no roof or a seat belt. He could have simply told Adrian to shut up, and it would have meant the same thing though.


But Adrian kept blabbing on, oblivious to Cas' white knuckles from how hard he gripped the wheel. What's really going on. He closed his eyes, swallowing with substantial effort. Is that I'm protecting people. And exploring. And just- living. For the first time. Adventure: Cassidy Petar's air. He would never admit it was actually suffocating him. Because he did not want that to be the truth.


The shift in Adrian's tone made Cas wrinkle his nose in surprise, and glance at Adrian out of the corner of his eyes, breaking his hardened focus. He twisted the wheel, whizzing past a transport vehicle, the tiny car shook, as he flew mere inches from scraping the side of it. His focus broke, and his eyes averted from the road, and to the accusatory pinpointed glare of Adrian. His lips were parted, chest heaving at the implication that Ade may actually report him.


Cas stared, his bloodshot eyes, protected by swollen, puffy lids narrowed in disgust. He began slowing the car without looking where he was going. An idea popped into his head, the only alert to Ade of that was Cas' sudden lifting of the corners of his lips, and the raising of his brows as if to say: Oh, really??





Adrian would not get hurt, he knew. Much. There was safety padding and an anti-gravity system built into the car to protect riders from getting harmed. Sorta like an airbag. Cassidy's eyes snapped back to the road, and he violently smacked a green, lit button on the dash that said in kershnaille: ANTI-GRAVITATIONAL SAFETY. The button turned red, and Cas immediately hunched down for steadiness, and slammed his right arm down, causing the vehicle to swerve off the marked air-road, and into free air with no force field. He then pushed the wheel inwards, keeping his right arm down, so the car did a barrel roll. Twice.





As soon as he felt the heavy chest smack into his legs, he straightened the car out, and landed it safely on the ground. He did not care to notice how many things Adrian had slammed into, before landing in his lap. His smirk now looked a bit more harsh, and his bloodshot eyes bore into Adrian's head. His chest heaved, and he shakily turned Adrian over, so he could stare down at him. "Adrian Mason, you-" He gasped, and reached halfway towards his partner, like he was going to claw at him. But he froze; found himself more terrified and upset than any mission had ever left him. "You could at least run with me, instead of mocking me."

 

[Laine]

The slam into Cas’ legs was just enough to shock Adrian back into consciousness. The throbbing in his head was almost instantaneous, whereas the burning notion in his spine and chest came on over several long, drawn out moments. The doctor stared out, wide-eyed with shock as the vehicle drew to a stop, the quiet whirring of the engine dying down the only indication that he was still in the car. Like a deer caught in headlights, his whole body was stiff as Cassidy turned him over.


The weight lifted off his chest made him take a sharp inhale in, and eventually Adrian’s vision focused, settling on the image of his lover, smirking harshly down on him. He didn’t react or recoil to the hand moving towards him, and he simply stared out towards the Lieutenant. The words that poured from his lips seemed far away, distant and unthreatening. They hung there for a few seconds, and Ade’s mind slowly began to process what had happened. The doctor finally exhaled, the breath escaping with a judder to it – like a strained chuckle. His mouth swung agape, displaying teeth bathed in bloody saliva. “You…you…” Ade slowly murmured, another nervous laugh escaping his lips. He swallowed thickly. Underneath his body, his hands were beginning to go numb, and he squirmed his shoulders in a vain attempt to adjust them.


“...You need help, love.” He finally breathed, his face falling from a slight smirk to a look of horror and distain, “You can’t keep going like this.”

 

[chellemrys]

Cas' lips were screwed into a frown, his nose wrinkled up and he glared down at his lover. He visibly recoiled at the sight of bloody saliva, and his hands flew off Adrian. Blood was nothing to him, he was shocked he had actually hurt Adrian. He might as well have hit him in the face.


Cas' glare lifted, he blinked a few times to avoid tears. "I d-do not." He tried to bark, but his words were dried up and puny. Cas shifted to lean down, putting his nose to Adrian's cheek, "I worked my entire life to do this- d-don't you dare even think about taking away- I've done so many things- beautiful things. You don't know how worth it this is."


A new thought popped into his head, he wondered instantly if Adrian had already thought about it. Cas swallowed, afraid that he already had, and that he didn't really care. If he was reported, and he lost his career, he lost Adrian. To them, all they are is a mission assignment. Lydia had pulled some strings to even arrange the assignment! He narrowed his eyes, nose still brushing on Ade's cheek. "Sick of me?" Cas didn't want to tell him. If he knew, he might just be trying to save his own ass- who knows what they would do to him. Assign him a new watch... Go through with the original plan... Jail...

 

[Laine]

Adrian grunted as he swallowed another mouthful of bloody saliva. The Agent’s words were clearer now, but still lacked sense. What if I did tell them...? He opened his mouth to ask, but closed it again, thinking better than to run his mouth when Cassidy was in such a volatile mood. More eerie, empty silence descended between them, embellished by the rhythm of the two’s breathing.


“I’m a little sick of…all this…” Adrian finally admitted, biting his lip. His eyes lowered, turning away from the agent pressing against his cheek. “Do you really think it’s worth it, Cassidy? Having to hide your career from your parents? Using voffs to deal with triggers on a daily basis? And then when something unexpected comes up, like what happened Vos, or – or this-“ He sniffed suddenly, turning his eyes back to Cassidy, “-you just do whatever it takes toget through it, no matter the consequences. Not even thinking about what’s going on inside your own head.”


He sighed after finishing his rant, realising how empty his words really were sounding. Of course. He will stay with the Agency, no matter what. The realisation was numbing. He shuffled his shoulders again, awkwardly pushing up on Cas’ head to sit up. The Agent didn’t yield, keeping Adrian pinned. “Perhaps what you need to think about, Cassidy,” he mumbled, mind flying back to his conversation with Sabe earlier, “…is whether or not you’re sick of me. You sure act like you are.”

 

[chellemrys]

Cas froze, scrunching up his nose. So there it was- the admission. He huffed, a tiny smile of disbelief replacing his deadened glare. "You have got to be kidding me." He actually laughed. Adrian, asking him if it was worth it? The agent was barely listening to the list Adrian had; he rolled his eyes, and recoiled when Adrian's cheek awkwardly brushed against his nose. He drew back, letting himself sink into the seat, limbs heavy, dark eyes squinting at Ade in the red Gliesian afternoon glow.


After Adrian finished he began: "You say that like it's so simple, Adrian." Cas pressed himself against the seat, looking down at the doctor in scrutiny. "You've never read about what could be out there, and wished to explore it." The agent sounded accusatory, "You've never stood on the edge of a cliff, towering above an ocean the color of of-" He sought the description he was looking for, and looked away in shame as he spat, "YOUR eyes", before continuing on, "Or found yourself on a space station long lost, shaking hands with a famous commander who died five hundred years before your town was even a thought. Or- You've never shared a meal with your friends INSIDE a glacial crystal cavern that- that has fish swimming under the crystal floor-" He could list phenomenon forever. He closed his eyes, "There could be anything out there. There is anything out there- beautiful things."


Cassidy 's eyes flickered open, "No- No- No-, Adrian. Don't you pull that one on me." He was refusing to call Adrian by that affectionate nickname 'Ade' now, and he emphasized his name every time he said it out of spite. "I only thing I've ever gotten sick of was only being a dreamer."

 

[Laine]

Adrian closed his eyes, wrinkling his nose as Cassidy reminisced. The memories bore no significance to him – since he hadn’t been there – but the nostalgic tone in the Agent’s voice made him envious, perhaps, that he hadn’t been there to share them with him. He couldn’t help but smirk, “My eyes? How romantic.” He commented quietly in sarcasm, with Cas outright ignoring him and carrying on.


He slowly shuffled to sit up again as Cassidy finished, peering out at the flat red terrain from the passenger side. “Mhmm.” He huffed. He suddenly twisted his legs in an attempt to get back into his own seat. “Pretty sure you still are a dreamer, Cas – if you think the Agency has given you more than it’s taken.” He grunted in frustration as a grim numbness shot up both of his arms from the cuffs, as well as a deep ache in his neck that felt like whiplash. Determined to not sink to Cas’ level by asking for help, he finally made it over to his side, awkwardly sitting on one of his own legs and staring at his lover expectantly. “I’m not saying this to upset you, Cas, but…” He sighed tiredly, biting his lip as he struggled to finish the sentence. “...Don’t you think you could so all that stuff without the Agency?...Do you really need them...?”

 

[chellemrys]

Cassidy fell silent, not moving to help Adrian. He sniffed at the other, unmoved by Adrian's struggles. He rolled his eyes at Adrian's remark about dreaming. "At least I dream." He spat back, implying how humdrum he believed Adrian's lifestyle to be. Cas fell silent, clenching his jaw at the new question. "Of course I need them- where do you get the money to do anything. We're funded by the UGG. Besides... I get this thrill from the job- the investigating. The exploring new, forbidden worlds. I don't know about you, well-" He looked over with dark, narrowed eyes, "I actually do know about you. But that's me. What do you want me to invest that in. Scanning fruit at a grocery market?"


Cas could see Adrian's frustration with the cuffs, but made no move to remove them. He would have been enjoying the spectacle, if the situation wasn't so serious. A deep ache in his chest had rooted itself, and he gasped the feeling was so tight. He felt attacked on all sides. His career threatened to drive him insane, although he loved it so awfully bad. He had to hide it from his family. One of his best friends was ripped away from him. Drugs were only a temporary fix. And on top of it, his lover was so upset that he was almost convinced he hated him. He shut him eyes, turned his head away from Adrian's expectant stare, and opened them to re-focus; every expression between horror, defeated anguish, and dark rage flickering on his dirty face before returning to a glare.

 

[Laine]

Ade rolled his eyes, “Yes – the same thrill you get, I’m sure, when you run out of voffs, and you’re forced to relive the same scene…over and over again, until you pass out from exhaustion.” He snarled. The bitterness in his voice was deceptive – he was angry at the Agency for not having enough provision to look after their Agents, not at Cas himself for having the attacks. The more he learned about the Agency, the more it seemed Cassidy had been roped in, using his thirst for adventure as a means of obtaining skilled personnel to carry out their missions.


He sighed heavily at the glare, wincing as the thought rested in his mind. Using the leg beneath him as leverage, he suddenly pushed himself forwards to lean towards the Lieutenant. “You’re worth more than that to me, Cassidy. Far, far more.” Adrian mused, his voice lowering to a murmur. If his hands were free, he’d have taken a moment to brush the wild frond of hair from in front of his dark eyes away – but instead as he was, he continued to awkwardly lean forward, until he was close enough to plant a kiss on his cheek, “…And I hope you feel the same way about me.”

 

[chellemrys]

Cas had no idea that the anger was not directed at him, but at the agency. Deceptive indeed. But his reaction was not deceptive; he screwed up his lips, obviously holding back hideous words that he someday would regret. Just as he open his mouth to spout out what he thought about Adrian, the other pushed himself swiftly over to his seat. He pressed his lips into a tight line, staring in confusion at Adrian- the idea that he could say kind words completely foreign to him at that moment.


Cas backed the few inches left between the window and his head, into the cold glass. His glare remained, but Adrian advanced right up to his cheek, filling the entirety of his vision with the pale skin and the color of that water he dreamed about. Cassidy scrunched up his nose, as if he may get further away by doing so. He stared right back into the sea, brows drawn sharply down. As Adrian began speaking, they lifted slightly, surprised at what he heard. Then he couldn't bring himself to continue making eye contact, and his eyes flicked down to the left. The agent flinched at the feel of warmth on his cheek, his knuckles turning a bright white where they sat, in his lap.


The agent bit his lip, and lifted his black eyes to meet Adrian's once again. It took a mere second for Cas to give in and release the clamp on his lip, sucking in air in a trembling gasp. He opened his mouth, but was unsure what to say. He half mouthed a choked 'I'm sorry', but didn't move.

 

[Laine]

As he pulled away, Ade cocked an eyebrow at the Lieutenant, who had screwed his face up, almost recoiling at his lover’s kiss. His response wasn’t what he was expecting, and he gave a begrudging “Yeah. Me too.” with a sigh.


The Agent still didn’t move, his facial expression crumpled and confused. It was as if he was paralysed by his own internal conflict, created by years of doing the same thing and never questioning it. God, who knows that’s going on in that head of his…? Ade continued, leaning in again, staying for longer this time. At least he doesn’t have to suffer alone anymore.


----


The sun appeared to sink into the horizon, and then stay there when it got halfway, as if it never fully set on the red planet. Ade couldn’t work out how long the Gliesian days were in comparison to Earth days, but this one had seemed to stretch on and on incessantly.


“We should probably get going already, Cas.” The doctor said, clearing his throat and finally shuffling to sit up. Adrian slid back over into his seat, which was a far easier task as he was free of the handcuffs, which were now dangling from the rear-view mirror. Wiping the condensation from it, he glared at his own dishevelled appearance and pulled at the tangled strands of hair surrounding his face. “Sabe will be wondering where we’ve got to.”

 

[chellemrys]

The dark agent lifted his head off the seat, the thick heap of hair on his head stood up at obscure, jagged angles. He ran his tongue over his teeth behind his lips, still able to taste the metallic tang of blood in his mouth.


Cas didn't feel like moving, or especially driving. "Mm..." He whined rubbing encrusted saliva from the corner of his lip. "Why? Dad doesn't worry about me. Only mom does." A hoarse, languid voice didn't seem accusatory. Cas thought that Adrian has simply made an innocent mistake about what Sabe was like.


Cas stealthily reached over after Adrian leaned back into his own seat, and tugged a level on the side. The weight caused the back rest to fall flat like Cas'. "Do you want to go to that planet Ade- the one with the water? It's so warm. We were protecting some scientists that mission... But we ran into nothing dangerous on that desert island."

 

[Laine]

Ade chewed on his lip, “Mhmm, maybe, but….we’ve been gone for hours. We were supposed to be right behind them.” He lay back in his seat, scrunching up his face at the thought of Cas’ mom at home, worried sick that her son hadn’t yet reappeared. “...Although I think Alecia will have a heart-attack if she sees the cuffs-”


His eyes suddenly widened with shock as the seat snapped backwards, casting a suspicious look back at the Lieutenant. The expression softened slightly as Cassidy started reminiscing again, however, and he sighed as he dragged a hand through his auburn curls. “Yeah…I guess so.” Adrian smirked as he remembered the comment about his eyes, and blinked several times at Cas, poking him in the side, “Because these aren’t enough for you, right?”

 

[chellemrys]

Cassidy rolled his eyes, "When I was a kid, I used to disappear for hours. Once my friends and I caught a bus and went halfway cross the continent, just to see some protest in Modrivov, and..." Cas frowned, "Well, I was practically under watch and guard when I got back." He laughed, realizing that story didn't help his point.


The agent drew up to the edge of his seat, only dividing arm rest in the center separating them. He blew gently into Adrian's eyes, grinning when Adrian blinked in surprise. "It was more for you than me." He could barely see Adrian's face in the darkness of the cabin. The Gliesian sun was down now, leaving only the glow of a moon that looked like Earth's. Now the difference between Earth and Gliese was more subtle. The rocky landscape was brown and gray, and the grass was actually a light green instead of red. A desert, essentially. A frigid one.