Futuristic Come on! Not agaain! -Sincerely, Adrian.

[chellemrys]

Cassidy felt the desire to strangle Adrian at the moment; it was good that Adrian had that gun pointed at him, in a way, otherwise Cas would have probably actually killed him. "You shouldn't be worried, I'll make it quick." Cas remarked, sarcastically. He glared at Adrian, never tearing his eyes away from his love's for a second.


The Lieutenant did not relax after the gun was slowly removed, instead tensing even more. He snatched the gun, holstering it and glaring daggers into Adrian, "I don't understand, dumb fuck." He seemed livid, for the first time ever towards Adrian, "Because you haven't emotionally scarred me. I've been shot at by people that actually want to kill me. So I actually know what trust it." He rolled over onto Adrian, entangling them messily in the sheets. He clawed at Adrian's hands, tearing them off his face. Once he was holding Adrian's hands, he pinned them to either side of his torso. The Lieutenant's breathing was intensifying, and became quick and uneven- on the verge of gasping for air. He was having an attack, and Ade wasn't actually his enemy, so this position was getting dangerous.


Cas seemed to be remembering some encounter from years past, one he never thought much of before. It was as simple as wrestling an enemy, in a fight for survival. Cas' trick for getting through fights was to stay relaxed and calm, but he was past that point now. He began gasping for air, but was so enraged this time that he did not start asking for a voffy or cigarette. He had several in his pocket, all forgotten about. The olive-skinned man felt the desire to claw Adrian's eyes out, and scream wildly, but it was all in his mind, and he just held Adrian's arms down, before squeezing his wrists tighter, and clenching his eyes tight too. "Know about it how; what are you gonna possi-bi-" Cas' words lost shape, and his grip tightened on Adrian, as he shook his head, tears beginning to squeeze out from his shut eyes, "Pos-Possi-Pos-Pos.. Possib- Pos-P-P.." He couldn't get the rest of the phase out, and began choppily repeating that syllable, like a broken record.

 

[Laine]

“Oh for God’s sake!” Adrian yelled, fighting against his partner with the little strength he had left. He tired quickly, and yelled desperately, “Enough, Cassidy, enough!” He did not stop, however, and his raspy, shallow breathing was beginning to sound crazed, verging on maniacal. The pressure on his wrists grew as Cas struggled harder and harder to finish his sentence.


“I don’t know!” Adrian retorted, willing to say anything to remove his partner’s vicelike grip from around him. “You know I wouldn’t really…“ He began, but he stopped in his tracks as he began to realise that Cassidy was repeating himself. Ade stared at him in confusion, cocking an eyebrow as his partner practically spat out the syllable again and again. His face fell, and Adrian suddenly realised that the Lieutenant was centuries away, his eyes tearful and nonfocused as he shook and clenched his fingers tighter around Ade’s wrists.


“C-Cas, Cas, you need to…!“ Ade heard the surge of panic in his own voice as he began to struggle again, attempting to reach for the drugs in his pocket but unable to move whatsoever. He kicked violently as the bedsheets in an attempt to roll him off, but the dark skinned Lieutenant only leaned in closer. “Oh my God!- Cassidy, wake up damnit!” Adrian yelled through gritted teeth, the bones in his wrist bending and starting to crack under the intense pressure. A combination of agony in his wrists and ribs as well as despair drew tears of his own to Adrian’s eyes, and he continued screaming helplessly.

 

[chellemrys]

Cassidy's hands were vices on Adrian's wrists; his knuckles were pale in comparison to his dark skin, as he tightened his crushing grip on his love's bare wrists. Adrian was right, Cas was centuries away. Both metaphorically and literally. The 62nd century, to be exact, storming a space ship. An incident where his gun was shot out of his hand was being relived in Cas' mind, and he attacked the deep space smuggler that did it, by wrestling the weapon away.


He remembered quite vividly being pinned beneath this strong purple colored gypsy woman, who had jumped from atop some crates above him, after using her last bullet to shoot him, missing and taking out his gun instead. The impact dazed him briefly, and he found himself clawing with bare hands at this long knife held above his face. He could not feel the deep cuts covering his hands, as he grabbed at the blade to stop it from being plunged into his face- her target. For a long time, they rolled around, Cas managing to just barely stay alive through it all.


This is what Cas was reliving, as he kept Adrian pinned below him. After the fight in his mind ended, he proceeded to do what he did after the actual fight. Presently, he opened his eyes again, fear driven tears dripping down his cheeks, mixed with streams of sweat. His vision focused, and he found Adrian underneath his body. He released Adrian, his screaming sending a chill down his spine, and the present and past mirrored each other. Cas rolled off Adrian in the present, and off his dead enemy in the past. And with his back turned, drew himself into a ball and began to shudder with sobs as he hyperventilated.

 

[Laine]

Adrian rolled onto his side as soon as the dark-skinned Lieutenant was off him, gasping for breath and still sobbing. He pressed his forearms against his chest in a vain attempt to relieve the pain, and dark, angry bruises had already formed in the vague shapes of his lover’s fingertips. The pain in his left hand seemed to ease gently with time, but his right felt tight and throbbed, even after a few minutes of deep breathing. He held it with his other hand, and the skin around it was painfully swollen. “Jesus Cas, you’ve broken my fucking wrist!” He gasped, shuffling to sit up. He flicked his eyes over to his lover, who was still in the exact same position he’d been left in. Adrian closed his eyes and pressed his head against the wall, breathing deeply again to try and relieve the pain.


Despite their argument, Adrian felt his heart sink in his chest as he looked over again and heard his meek sobbing, and after a few moments Ade moved over to him, slowly patting his pants pockets to find the voffys. “Cas. Cassidy. Here, here.” He nudged him hard, awkwardly trying to push his one good hand through the ball of crumpled limbs to find his face.

 

[chellemrys]

Cassidy couldn't hear Adrian over his sorrow filled sobbing. He had let his panic go too far, only once before had he gotten to this point of an attack, the initial shock of what he had just done, mixed eith ssorrow and deep guilt hit him. He was aware now of who he had attacked in the present, Adrian, and he felt a deep guilt towards the killing of the smuggler.


Between all the sobs and the rough deep breaths, Cassidy began hysterically repeating 'she was my enemy' in the universal tongue, over and over again. He smacked the voffy away blindly, brjnging his hands up to clamp over his mouth, muffling his sorrow filled words. He dug he fingernails into his skin, before hitting himself and flipping himself over onto his.back, not seeing Adrian as he hysterically babbled with his eyes shut.

 

[Laine]

Adrian lurched back as Cas hit out at him, staring in anguish as his panic attack escalated. His stomach began to churn – even though he had been sick earlier, the sticky sweat running down his forehead and his partners’ screaming combined with the pain in his hand was getting to be too much. He swallowed heavily in an attempt to keep it down, and instead focused on the shivering, babbling Lieutenant infront of him.


He took another voffy from Cas’ pocket and slid it between the fingers of his injured hand, clumsily trying to light it with one hand with the lazer lighter, and jumping as it faintly burned his flesh. Ade swore loudly but continued to try, eventually getting the drug to light up and the end, and he hastily shoved it between Cassidy’s lips. He instantly spat it out, and Ade struggled a few more times, with the other’s teeth clinking on the hard metal as he continued to gasp in universal tongue. “Oh, for fuck’s sake!” Adrian yelled exasperatedly as he gave up, beginning to shake the other violently as he grabbed him by the shoulder.


Minutes later, Cas’ pained outbursts and inner turmoil were beginning to make his chest jolt and judder from a lack of air, and his skin had turned pale whilst his breaths got shallower. His words got fainter and fainter until eventually only his lips were moving, with no sound coming out. Lost in a trance of desperation, Ade failed to notice him slip into unconsciousness until his head went limp and hit the mattress underneath him, his shivers dying down into nothingness as a silence began to stretch out between them. Adrian’s face contorted into confusion, and for a terrifying moment he thought the worse. He pressed his head against the other’s chest, and was relieve to hear steady, but still shallow breathing, and an elevated heartbeat. Sitting back from Cassidy, he pushed his hand through his hair, his own breathing still heavy with panic, and his eyes still watering.

 

[chellemrys]

Cassidy faded into unconsciousness after his body became too stressed to continue, and he had rejected the voffy unknowingly from Ade over and over again.


He woke about twenty minutes later, head absolutely pounding. His felt like he had had his skull split down the center, between his eyes. The panic was gone, and did not quite remember what happened before he blacked out. A long, tired, and pain filled groan escaped from the Lieutenant, and he blindly pawed at the air, finding a blanket and pulling it close to his face, moaning, "Auggggh, what happened to me? Ade? Adrian?" Pressing his palms over his eyes, Cas rolled onto his side, rubbing at his eyes, "Are you there? Can I.. Have I have a voffy?" Pausing, he shook his head, hands still pressed into his eyes, "Helmi, did someone knock me out with a bludgeon??"

 

[Laine]

Ade sighed heavily, the clear-white vapour of the voffy pouring out of his open mouth. The pain in his wrists were slowly easing, and the nausea was finally beginning to subside as his heartrate returned to normal. He sat the the side of the bed, his back to Cassidy, and it took him a few moments to respond to the Lieutenant’s soft moans behind him. He slowly turned, holding out the unfinished voff to him, his voice a dull whisper, “Here.” There was a flash of relief in his eyes as he watched his love draw on it, his eyes scanning his body for any sign that he was going into panic again.


He shuffled back over to Cas, being careful to keep his injured hand still, which was now red and swollen. Instead of answering his question directly, he leaned down and planted a kiss delicately on the other’s forehead. “Sorry. It was my fault.” He mumbled, the guilt heavy in his voice. During the time Cassidy was passed out, his anxiety had only escalated, and as he replayed the situation in his head he couldn’t help but feel responsible. A part of him hoped that Cas wouldn’t remember anything that had gone on in that room, fearing that their relationship had been damaged somewhat. “Are you OK?” He asked.

 

[chellemrys]

The Lieutenant sat up slowly, nausea knowing at his stomach, and putting his free hand against his right temple. His eyes were hazy, and he groaned in pleasure as the high went to his head, almost instantly relieving his headache.


Carefully, Cas swung his shaky legs over the edge of the bed, balancing himself on the edge as he sucked on the remnants of the voffy. "Since when do you do voffs?" Cas let his head fall back, and he blew out a puff of vapor, "And what do you mean, your fault... What in the world happened?" He groaned, sighing in pain. He hadn't noticed Adrian's hand yet, but the memories began to slowly come back. "We were... Arguing. Did you knock me out or something?" He had never let an attack go that far, so this temporary memory loss was new to him.

 

[Laine]

Adrian shook his head. “I wasn’t doing it. I just lit it for you.” He lied. He shuffled to the other side of the bed towards Cas, pushing his hand through his hair for the dozenth time. “Of course I didn’t.” He snorted, “We were arguing, about…stuff, and you, well…I…” He waved his left hand, trying to find an elegant way to put it. Despite the months they’d known each other intimately, they’d never spoken about Cas’ attacks, no matter how much Ade tried to press the issue. Cas had always been dismissive, insisting that the cigarettes was all he needed, and each time Adrian let him, figuring that one day he could have an attack without one. Now it’d happened, words couldn’t describe how sick it made him feel to even think about it.


“…Well, it doesn’t really matter, does it? You’re fine. I’m fine. We’re fine.” He sniffed. He leaned his head over to Cas’ shoulder, burying his face in it.

 

[chellemrys]

Cassidy didn't believe the voffy excuse, and chuckled under his breath. "Yeah, okay- Ade." His memory was beginning to come back to him, and he stiffened at Adrian's head touching his shoulder. He brought his free hand to rest on the other's head, eyes narrowed as images of holding down Adrian, being screamed at, him screaming back, and the gun being held on Cas for a brief time. And the anxiety that had swelled up in him, after so long of arguing and wrestling with Ade. The time agent sighed in irritation, remembering what the argument was all about. "You're so silly." The time agent looked down at Adrian's head, shaking his own in disapproval. "I have been used as bait before, on a mission, and knew that the people I trusted would never mess up, because it was my life on the line."


Cas crossed his arms, shaking his head, "I am insulted you even asked me those questions. Don't doubt me, or my intentions, ever." The Lieutenant had taken most of what Adrian said to heart, and that was why he had reacted so fiercely initially. With another draw of his voffy, Cas pushed Adrian to the side, obviously disappointed in the other, "I had an attack, no need lying to me. You're right, I'm fine." He threw the empty voff onto the floor, and pulled out a second one- immediately lighting it, and taking a long draw on the new one. "One last thing, remember when I rescued you from an Iridian ship, put you safely on an escape pod, and then killed myself? ...Didn't think I needed to prove my worth any more, to you. Thanks a lot."





Cas sounded calm, but he was fairly good at seeming calm when he wanted to. Instead, he left the room; he didn't look back, instead he slammed the door behind him, and it echoed through the house- leaving Adrian in silence.

 

[Laine]

Keve was sat down – at what was supposedly a makeshift breakfast bar – with a voffy perched between his lips, sloppily pouring himself a tall glass of Vaask from a large, expensive-looking bottle. He raised his eyes at the slam, and begrudgingly pulled out another glass and poured into it, predicting the emergence of his old Time Agent buddy from his room. “’Morning, Petar.” He nodded, sliding the glass across the table for him.


A slight smirk travelled up his face at Cas’ dishevelled appearance. “Aderianne said you were…’sleeping’. I know you were quick to jump on the wagon, but Helmi…This is impressive, even for you.” He sniggered. When he’d finished his hopper conversation, he’d passed the room several times, hearing a suspicious ruckus each time. When it had finally died down, Keve knocked, only to have Adrian answer, mumbling something about Cassidy needing to catch up on sleep before promptly shutting the door in his face. His ruffled hair, bruised wrists and lit voffy said it all for Keve.


He elbowed Cassidy in the ribs, sniggering again as he took a sip. “It’s the Vos atmosphere, I swear. Makes us go crazy.” He winced as the alcohol warmed his throat as it went down. He stretched upwards, groaning as his spine cracked. “Speaking of Vos-“ He said, relaxing and looping an arm around the Lieutenant’s shoulders. “I’ve got a little favour to ask you.“

 

[chellemrys]

Cas explored the home, until he found Keve. Upon receiving the remark, he held back a chuckle, shaking his head, "Shut up, Keve." He sat down next to Keve, taking the glass he poured and sipping on it with a grin. "He was upset over the gun thing, but I handled it. And it did, in fact, get a little crazy." Cas flipped his hair out of his eyes, chuckling at his own innuendo.


The dark-skinned agent turned his attention towards the Vos part of the conversation, forgetting about Ade momentarily. "Ah, the adventure, I presume?" He grinned, "I'm itching to get on another adventure, Keve; you were right about being locked up in the 21st century. I miss the traveling and the action."

 

[Laine]

Keve sipped at his drink, pushing Cas’ to his lips to he would follow suit. “Mhmm. I knew you would. I felt it, too, I mean-” He took a gulp mid-sentence, and raised his eyebrows, “I was given the opportunity for a kinda…early retirement, you could say. But you know, after three, four days, I just got bored.” He patted Cas’ shoulder with the hand that was still looped around his shoulder, “At the end of the day, there’s nothing quite like…infiltrating bases, saving planets…” Keve waved his hand nonchalantly with his speech, his eyes glazing over as he reminisced. He then paused for a few minutes, forgetting what he was going to say.


“Oh yeah, Vos.” He turned to Cas, his unsteady eyes meeting the Lieutenant’s darker ones. “I think we’re in trouble, Cassidy.” He sniffed loudly, clearing his throat. “My very dependable sources – you know who I’m talking about, right? – mentioned to me a little while ago that Vos was going to become the new inter-dimensional guinea pig. Some alien species decided it was too big for it’s boots and wanted to send this steaming mess – and the 15 billon or so living here – into the nearest black hole to see what happens.” He supped at the bottle again, sighing heavily. “You know what happened to planet Briidhe just as well as I do – that wasn’t something anyone wanted to clean up.”


“So I started out contacting the guys responsible, and got a pretty frosty reception.” He chuckled, knowing full well it was his less than respectful attitude that ticked off the alien species in the first place. “So…as a result…diplomacy I’m guessing isn’t an option. These guys seem pretty bent on tossing Vos away like it was a used tissue. I’m not the type to just let that happen. And I know you aren’t, either.” He ruffled Cas’ hair, twirling his fingers around the dark wisps as he spoke.

 

[chellemrys]

Cassidy nodded along, like Keve was preaching his religion or something- agreeing with him. There just wasn't anything else like infiltrating bases and saving planets. The darker of the two grinned, also getting lost in memories and victories that evoked a sense of pride within.


The Lieutenant's glory-day reminiscent grin sunk into concern, and he furrow his brows, "Who are these people? What planet are they from?" He shifted a bit closer to his comrade, enjoying the warm arm around him. His dark eyes floated up to the edge of his vision, to watch Keve twirl his equally dark hair around, like he was painting swirls in the air, with locks of hair gracing the brush painting them.


After he had been given the basic summary of the mission, Cas nodded in agreement, "No, they cannot be allowed to do this." The Lieutenant grinned proudly, "Of course I'll help smother these bastards." He took the bottle out of Keve's free hand, and took a sip also, before placing it back in Keve's hand. "So, what do we have to do to get these guys?"

 

[Laine]

“Uniri – ugly looking things. They got these big, nasty…” He stretched his free arm out wide, narrowing his eyes in exaggeration, “…tusks, on their damn face,that’ll poke your eyes out if you stand too close.” He swayed as he spoke, leaning against Cassidy, despite not needing the support. The alcohol was starting to take it’s toll, even for a hardened drinker like Keve. He chuckled at Cassidy’s proud, passionate stance, before furrowing his brow.


“Well, I guessed we’d just commandeer a little runner – a C680, or something – and bust in, armed to the teeth, and take ‘em out.” He mimicked firing a gun with his hands, making childish pew pew noises as he did so. He flicked his eyes back over to Cassidy, and smirked. Obviously it wasn’t quite his plan, but there were details probably best left out of the Lieutenant’s knowledge. “Just like old times, hmm?” He chirped, propping the bottle down carefully on the side table. Using the hand perched on his shoulder, he pulled the olive-skinned man closer to him, nuzzling his neck and chuckling heartily. “Speaking of old times…”


He tilted his head down, using the hand at Cassidy’s hair to angle their faces in line with each other. He unceremoniously pulled them together with his another hand, which was wrapped around Cas’ waist, and met his lips roughly, his hands running onto the Lieutenant’s shirt and over his back. His mouth curled into a smooth smile as he failed to pick up even a trace of resistance, and he groaned a little, pushing his old comrade into the breakfast bar as he passionately kissed him.

 

[chellemrys]

Cas bit his lip, sticking out his tongue as he grinned, "Uniri, eww~" He spat, chuckling at the imitation of the species, gasping dramatically for effect when Keve described the tusks. As Keve described the plan, the Lieutenant took a few large gulps of drink from the bottle, grinning ear to ear as he listened. Cas knew the plan would need more outlining than that, but he was beginning to have fun- so he dismissed ideas of planning for the moment.


Instead, Keve made a move, triggering a coquettish demeanor from the dark skinned agent. Cas rewarded his advances with a simper smile, and by allowing the other full access to his neck, by tilting his head to the side. He gasped in pleasant surprise as he was pulled in closer; his eyes brightened when the other agent tugged at his hair, so their gazes connected, and he was staring into someone's eyes, who had seen just as much starlight as he.


"Mm.." Cas groaned into the kiss, opening his mouth with a smile like Keve's, lifting his hands to bury them in his blond curls. He stumbled back, guided by the other agent's encouraging push, and pushed back, grinning mischievously, while biting the other's bottom lip, pulling at it playfully with a giggle. Cas used Keve's shoulders as a support to lift himself up onto the counter, so he was sitting on the edge, their faces now at equal height as he continued to gnaw at his comrade's lower lip.

 

[Laine]

Keve chuckled at the assault on his lip from the Lieutenant, and responded by digging his fingers into Cassidy’s sides, causing him to recoil and howl with laugher. Keve took the opportunity to lean in their bodies closer together, resulting in a tight, warm embrace, followed by the passionate meeting of lips once again.


“A-zaa, Petar…” Keve broke off briefly with a grin, one had still lovingly embedded in his dark hair, “…I’ve missed your company.” It’d been years since they’d last been together, and it was the first time he’d seen one of his old comrades since breaking away from the Time Agency. He went back to nuzzling the other’s neck, enjoying the instantaneous physical connection they had with each other. After a few moments, he slowly and slightly raised his head to speak again, his warm breath grazing Cassidy’s sensitive flesh, “…Looks like…someone else…is missing your company, too.” He cocked his eyebrows as the auburn-haired other could be seen sauntering around outside the room, passing it several times before peering in through the open door. His face visibly contorted into disgust as he witnessed the two Time Agents’ ardent meeting. Keve rolled his eyes, returning to his kiss as if there was nothing wrong – and for him at least, there wasn’t.


“Cassidy.” Ade broke the silence, his voice creaking indignantly as he approached them. Keve did nothing to stop him as he placed a hand on Cas’ other shoulder and shook it hard. “What the hell do you think you’re doing?!”

 

[chellemrys]

Cassidy did not think of Keve often, or truly miss him on a regular basis, because he had Adrian and needed no one else. However, the meeting was pleasant and inviting, so Cas just hummed in agreement, rubbing his head against the hand buried in it.


Upon being warned about Ade, Cas didn't register Keve's meaning right away. The hot breath tickled his neck, and he was compelled to give Keve a big, interrupting, smooch on the lips.


Cas snapped out of his trance when his shoulder was grabbed and shaken roughly, and he turned his head to meet Adrian's indignant stare, which he responded to with a confused blink. "...What do you mean 'what the Hell am I doing'?" Cas didn't remember, at first, the differences in social norms Cas in contrast to Adrian had experienced. He was just reconnecting with an old buddy. But to Adrian, he was cheating. Something that hardly was considered real, unless you were bound by vows.

 

[Laine]

“You were so fucking upset that I asked you if you still loved me, and then you turn around and do…this?!” Adrian snapped, completely outraged. The first time he’d seen them together, he justified it by thinking that it was some kind of greeting, albeit an intimate one. But now, it went beyond that – it seemed like Cas was purposely trying to make his lover jealous, his cheeks rosy and arms wrapped lovingly around Keve’s neck, playing with his hair. Keve gave Adrian a pitiful look. “What’s wrong, did you want to join in?” He slurred in English.


He was taken by surprise as Ade placed a hand on his chest, shoving him hard away from Cassidy. “Get the fuck off my boyfriend.” The auburn-haired doctor hissed, a deep threatening tone to his voice. Keve merely tensed, staying exactly where he was, at first refusing to release his grip on the other. Ade instead grabbed for his neck, forcing Keve to move his hands to block him, catching his wrist and twisting it backwards. Adrian recoiled, but not before pushing back, forcing himself inbetween the two time agents. Keve blinked at him, releasing his wrist and smirking in bemusement.


Meanwhile, Ade span around to face Cassidy, his face a picture of resentment, “And as for you-“ He lifted his bruised hand and brought it forcefully against Cas’ cheek, filling the room with a painful-sounding smack.

 

[chellemrys]

Cas was honestly confused, and let Cas push Keve away in his anger. The time agent narrowed his eyes, irritated that the subject was brought on again. He was drunk, now, so he began in not so perfect English, "Whaat do you meen? Aff course I lovee you. What ez the biig deel?"


Obviously something was hurting Adrian, so the time agent reached to grab at Ade's shirt front, to kiss him and say something, to make a point- but before he was able to, a sharp, shocking pain made him gasp audibly, his head snapping to the side. Cas was frozen, except for his face, which was twisted up in a wince, eyes clamped shut and his tongue bit between his teeth. His broken nose was jostled, and now stinging, leaving Cas' face a center of pain.


Cas couldn't say anything to Ade, because of two problems. Firstly, he managed only to take a large gasp inwards, raising his hands to hover over his nose, while whispering in a rasp, "Ah- oh- Helmi- Ah-!" His eyes were clamped shut, focusing on making the pain die. The second issue, however, was that his chest began to hurt, and it became harder to breathe. Only the first pain went away, and he opened his eyes after that happened, to meet Adrian's, with dark eyes that sparkled with confusion.


Cas narrowed his eyes, realizing that one piece of vital information. "21st century." He whispered, backing away. "Helmi, Adrian, een my time there is this norm... That this eez basically a way to haave fun. Nothing more." He was forcing himself to explain his ideals to Adrian, because his chest still hurt; his stomach had dropped into his feet and he felt a little sick now. "Humans don't care about dese recreational partners, they only aree attached to one of them, get it? You invest een onee emotionally, and no one else. Sex does not matter. What does the 21st cen. saay about thaat?" He knew it would be hard to explain, and right now he was not the most talkative. "Zometing primitive az always, I'm guessing."

 

[Laine]

Adrian leaned on the breakfast bar, narrowing his eyes as his lover tried to explain himself. “...You’ve got to be joking. Recreational Partner?!” He frowned at the terminology, shaking head as he tried to dismiss the mental image of Cassidy and Keve being intimate. “I see. So you figured it was okay to suck the face off every old buddy you walk up to now we’re back in the future?!” Ade huffed.


He could see that Cas was hurt and distressed, and he fought back the temptation to yell at him and storm out, since they had already had a violent argument that day. “Did it not cross your mind that it might offend me to see you with him, when you could be with me?” He was struggling not to sound like a selfish jealous idiot, and he sighed in frustration, glaring at the two. Keve was sat back from the scene, supping at a half-full bottle he’d grabbed, raising his eyebrows at Adrian as he spoke.


“It’s not primitive, Cassidy, it’s respectful. The point is that you have one partner, whom you reserve all of your affection for – and that includes kissing and hugging and sex – so you know they’re not going to run off with anyone else, and waste all your time and effort.” He dragged a hand though his now greasy hair, “Your system is stupid. How are you supposed to tell the difference? How do I know that I’m not just one of your ‘recreational partners’, and investing in you emotionally for no reason, hmm?”

 

[chellemrys]

Cassidy huffed, putting his hands on his hips. He really did not understand the big deal- of course you could tell! This was all so silly to him, Adrian's ideas didn't make sense.


"The only reason why those rules exist in your society, is because people believed in some creator. Well, guess what, there isn't one. Humans find that out- the impossible question. Meltdown of morals occurs. Humans have a reform to reinstate some of these moral traditions. People realize, there is no point in having one partner- God can't smite you for having fun."


The lieutenant challenged Adrian's claim, leaning forward with a defensive demeanor, "That's what happeened." He inched closer to Adrian's face each second; his cheek was bright red from being smacked, and Cas' eye was beginning to close from swelling. Adrian was implying that he didn't care about him, more than these recreational partners. his heart felt like it was being squeezed, and Cas rebutted with a line of things they had done, "You know thee person cares, actually, beecause they liive with you, do favors for you beeyond affection, beecause they go on dates wit you, beecause they stay wit you when you aree siick, beecause they protect you. I could go on an on. The affection stuff matteers after binding vows, een my time." He waved his hand, flourishing it, staring Adrian up and down. "This is like that girl thing all over again, remember? It didn't matter in the end, did it?" He swung his hips, grinning and sticking his tongue out.

 

[Laine]

Adrian huffed, “That’s not the only reason we do what we do. It just keeps things…simpler. And easier.”


He wilted a little as his partner moved forward, his broken nose and slapped face becoming painfully detailed as his dark eyes stared at him defiantly. He felt his argument faltering, the more Cas explained, the more he was making sense, even though Adrian didn’t necessarily agree with it. “It’s not like the…girl thing at all.” He mumbled sourly, although Cas' sassy actions twisted the corners of his mouth into a grin. His shock had probably been a little exaggerated, and in the end, it really hadn’t mattered. “You’re lucky that it didn’t bother me after all. I’m sure that there are plenty of guys that would’ve taken that news quite badly…Along with the news that you were taking me to my execution.” There was a cutting edge to his tone, and the original betrayal he felt was still there after all that time, although it was less hurtful now than it was then.


He sighed, scrunching his face up as he poured over him with his emerald eyes, “I don’t know if I can ever really adjust to you and him…doing stuff together. I’m sorry, but it's something I can't handle. I don’t want that to go on anymore.” He sniffed as he looked down, realising he was making him choose between his friend and his partner.

 

[chellemrys]

Cassidy shrugged, "I don't see how it's simpler and easier. If someone wants to beetray you, they could just go behiind your back and beetray you anyway. Rules or no rules." Cas chuckled when he caught the slight grin, reaching out and tugging at Adrian's shirt playfully. "See, you can't bee mad at dis face." He blew a gentle puff of air into Ade's face, giggling at his lover.


When the execution was brought up, his face immediately fell into a glower. "It was my mission. Am I supposed to tell you, have you at my throat the entire trip? Besides, I didn't even love you then." He whispered, his chest feeling still like there was a weight on it, "Keep bringing that up, I sure appreciate it- after what I did in the end." He was referring to numerous things, like making sure Adrian was safe. Requesting that they did not kill Adrian. Then willingly take on a mission that required an eternal servitude at Ade's home.


Cassidy smirked, "Adrian- it's not like we have taken our binding vows. I don't have to chose either one of you." He poked Adrian's nose, rejecting the 21st century norm. "Your views are archaic. My people are the ones that moved forward."