Slash… Predictably… Again… I guess now I'm Just missing Armin in one of these. Though who I'd pair him with, I've just about no idea.
Is this even romance? There should be a Lust tag or something.
Red Jelly beans
He stares at the pavement three floors below him and the universe dies out in an explosion of technicolor that makes little to no sense to the quickly drowning rational side of his mind.
Or something like that.
That little, red, jelly bean looking thing wasn't candy, was it?
Well of course not, putting the thing to his mouth was equal parts mock rebelliousness and drunken thought processes.
The bigger mistake was probably the vodka then.
Maybe he should still stick to his curfew, even if no one enforces it anymore.
Pleasant fire runs below his skin and the floor and the walls and all of the smokers out in the balcony with him are lovely, the smoke is lovely, curling into ribbons and highways and loopy, windswept shapes.
'Ok, Nathaniel you'll just stand here and not move, even if everything looks very, very nice'. The rational side is barely a whisper in the left side of his head by now.
Silly thing.
Everything is just so pretty and warm and kind of spinning and he feels like he's going to either puke or kiss the next person that he sees.
Since that one first glass of whiskey at his housewarming party, he's found that he has a very resistant stomach.
"Yer high Pres, go home" The slur floats in the inverted universe, it's deep like an abyss or a black hole and there are rough fingers over his wrist.
Distantly he hears himself muttering a negative before he turns and his eyes take in the stranger.
The man's made of pretty smoke and warm blood, the smell of leather is tangible and the curve of his mouth is a slope and he's so pretty with gunpowder eyes and a glassy, vodka smirk covering half of his face.
"The hell Nat-"
Nathaniel makes good on his earlier thought and smashes his lips to that grin.
The taste is ash and booze and stars, heady and somehow amazing though bitter, but he has never liked sweets anyway
Handsome stranger kisses back.
.
.
Waking up leaning against a couch to a very dry mouth and a headache that makes him want to pull his brain out and rinse it is a new thing.
He's never gotten that drunk before. Tipsy or buzzed sure, his friends were quick to show him to parties once he moved from his parent's house and was thus free of the ridiculous curfew.
Though right now it does not seem that ridiculous anymore.
He's going to set one for himself.
Looking around, he realizes that, he's not the only one who ended up sleeping on the living-room. He's part of a tangle of bodies that span over the whole room, some in various spans of undress.
Panicked he looks down and sighs in relief that his clothes are all where they should be though there's a warm hand laying below his shirt which is buttoned sloppily and missing the third button.
What the hell happened?
Where are Lynn and Rosalya?
First, he decides to follow the hand to its owner, who happens to be behind him, laying on the couch.
He cranes his neck, the angle painful even when he's not stiff from the alcohol and the horrid sleeping position.
And proceeds to panic and flail internally like he's sure his sister would.
Castiel has his hand down Nathaniel's shirt of some reason and looking at the other's sleeping face brings fragments from the night to the forefront of his brain.
Erratic thoughts start accumulating 'So I was stoned?'
'I'm seriously setting that curfew'
'Why would I ever think it was a jelly bean?'
'I was drunk though'
And the last one which has him wishing that he was not such a light sleeper or and early riser. 'I threw myself at someone, someone with red hair, and it was definitely not a girl'
'Oh god. No'
The urge to just scramble up and run out in a huff is strong, though he manages to reign it in by imagining just how awkward the situation will be when he has to face this- meaning if he's not lucky enough and Castiel remembers the whole thing- and how with this headache he'll probably commit homicide if someone starts pushing his buttons.
And he'll be catching the criminals eventually, so having to bury a body right now would be bad.
So he disentangles his limbs from the strangers bodies' and softly lifts Castiel's hand out from his shirt –it twitches, nails lightly scraping against his nipple, and Nathaniel shivers-. When it's done, he checks his pockets.
Keys
Phone
Cash? Somehow a few bills are in his pocket though he didn't bring any, his apartment is a block away and he had plans to leave at ten. No use wading through the dark waters of last night's memories though, he probably doesn't want to know.
I.D
Red Pill? He leaves that is some random girl's hand, wanting nothing to do with it. The giggly feeling, while welcomed the last night, troubled him deeply now.
He's set; at least he didn't lose anything.
Nathaniel walks out into the cold air; he doesn't take a last look at the room.
He has no reason to.
.
.
Trying to avoid the most unpredictable person in school is tiring.
Especially when said person is giving him knowing glances and trying to corner him so he can tease him every time they happen to bump into each other. Also, it is especially not helpful that he has obligations within the school that requires him to spend most of his free time in a designated room- which puts him on edge because any professor could send Castiel in at any time-.
Resignation comes to him on Friday in the form of papers with a certain redhead's name on them and an empty signature line that he is supposed to get filled out before the day is over.
He's managed to push these things into Melody's hands for a week, but since she came back looking like she saw a banshee, he doubts that she will be so willing to help him, even if he tries to charm her into it.
Being late won't make any kind of good impression in his boss; he thinks to distract himself as he walks towards the courtyard hoping that the fates are kind enough and he finds the other preoccupied with something else so he'll just sign the papers quickly and without commenting on what happened on Saturday.
The fates, as it has been proved time and time again, do not appreciate Nathaniel very much.
Finding the redhead proves to be easier than he'd thought, there's smoke coming from behind the trunk of a tree on the edge of the courtyard, near the fence that separates Sweet Amoris from the dense forest that lines the city.
Nathaniel skirts around it, careful not to trip on the engorged roots. There is a surprising quantity of cigarette butts littering the floor around this particular tree, most look old, and it shows that the elements have worn them over.
Huh, maybe he just found the redhead's usual smoking spot.
The man is laying on the floor, leaning his back on the tree. A cigarette hangs from the lips that Nathaniel remembers thinking very weird things about that night. Steel grey eyes come up and meet golden once; he immediately blushes and fixates his eyes on the ground.
Usually, the other would glare and practically growl at him, now though, a lazy smirk blossoms on Castiel's face.
"Got tired of avoiding me already Pres?"
Nathaniel's eyes never leave the ground "I have some paperwork that you need to sign, also, the director wants to see you about the counseling sessions that you skipped"
Castiel groans, mood changing completely "Can't the old hag understand that I'm not fucking going to a shrink?"
"If you humored her even once maybe she'd stop insisting"
"Nah, she'll just get more annoying" The redhead rolls his eyes and stares directly at Nathaniel, who can feel that gaze burrowing into him even when he's still stubbornly refusing to look at the other man "Anyway, onto more interesting topics, Who'd have known our ever so straight up Pres would be the type to get stoned at parties?"
One would expect from Nathaniel's lithe frame, that he was agile and fast, it's not that surprising that he's crouching and pressing his hand to the other's mouth in barely enough time for the syllable to be out of the redhead's mouth. It's not really that he's worried about someone overhearing, not many people are big on gossip here, and it's already the late afternoon when one can usually only find the odd student with extracurricular activities at school –and Lynn, because she's Lynn and therefore in everyone else's business- roaming around campus.
It's because the memories are already making him feel weird without having Castiel run him through them.
"You will not mention that to anyone, got it?" He's sure that he looks ridiculous, face flushed from the ears down and eyes blazing as he near straddles another man.
Castiel seems to find it funny though because he bursts out laughing behind his hand. Nathaniel retracts quickly; face burning the color of a fire hydrant. "Jumping me again so soon?"
"Wha-No. I didn't jump you"
The other raises a red eyebrow "You threw yourself at me and then decided you wanted to get naked." He says with a snort.
'So that's why my shirt looked like that'
'Fuck'
Nathaniel sort of wants earth to swallow him up when he remembers –more like realizes- another thing "You kissed me back" He growls
The other raises his hands in mock innocence "Hey, I was drunk too. And you're decent looking for a dude. I still wasn't the one whispering senseless crap about my eyes though."
Yeah, just kill him now, this is the lowest he could have fallen, he's never accompanying Lynn to a party again. "Just, please don't say anything" And now he's begging, at Castiel, this has really not been a good month.
That grin like a knife spreads over the other's face, a mischievous glint in gunpowder grey eyes "We'll see" Castiel leans forward and grabs the forms from his hands, seemingly innocently shifting one leg that happens to brush against Nathaniel's inner thigh.
The blonde is suddenly very aware of just how they are positioned. He's crouching in front of the other with his legs on either side of one of Castiel's. So of course he scrambles to stand and ends up tangling his foot on some random root, which in turn propels him forward, landing into the other's stomach.
'Well, he has some muscles I must admit' he thinks while recovering from the daze, though this sends him into a panic.
'Where did that come from?'
"See, you are jumping me again." Malicious steel eyes get closer to his; a cigarette is discarded to the side "I never thought you'd be such a slut Pres."
Nathaniel leaps off of the man, this time managing to stand up without tripping. "Bastard"
The other laughs "You're really repressed, you know?" He signs the papers fast, shoves them at the blonde and a glare takes over his face once more "Now leave me alone, I have no patience for your subjugated hormones"
It's not like Nathaniel with his mind that currently feels like a typhoon passed through needs to be told twice.
He limps away, half hard for some reason.
.
.
Last night he managed to calm himself down through a few quite unsavory images, though this morning's dream seems to be quite a bit more resilient, Nathaniel has tried just about everything and he still can't get rid of it.
It starts generically, he's in the student council room with his paperwork and everything's normal until the door creaks open.
He's sure grateful that it's Saturday, going to school like this would be hell.
Getting home at twelve was not usual, but he stayed late helping his coworker set the numbers straight, and he wasn't in the mood to sleep, so he studied for two hours before going to bed. Only to end up having a wet dream, about that bastard nonetheless.
The kiss is rough, the desk separates them, but he finds himself walking around it soon enough, fearing he'll end up kneeling on it and knocking all of the paperwork to the ground if he doesn't get contact with the hard body in front of it right now.
Being raised in the home he was, it is well, normal that he's be a bit naïvewith these issues –he had other things to worry about after all- and he always, very deep inside, has known that he is attracted to both genders this, of course, remained repressed in the back of his mind just in case it could give his father another excuse to be brutal. But why can't his hormone driven teenage mind pick someone whose throat he hasn't felt propelled to tear out in more than one occasion to fantasize about?
Maybe it's that whole ordeal with the pill and the parties to which he won't ever show up again. Or maybe it's just that Castiel is an attractive man when one gets past his quite awful personality.
If he doesn't accept that, it's bound to drive him crazy and really, that little sarcastic voice on the back of his head seems intent on reminding him of it every time he so much as is reminded of the other man.
Which, taking into account that one very embarrassing dream is quite a lot today.
Ugh
He has midterms this week, he has to study.
But his body seems pretty intent on not allowing him to.
He shoves him against the wall, hard and there are hands trailing down his back and squeezing his ass with enough force that he knows there will be bruises. Red hair forms a short curtain around his face.
Concentrating on anything has become nigh impossible, and his little problem just seems to turn the unsavory images that usually keep him down into things that somehow really turn him on.
Nathaniel sighs and heads toward the bed.
Laying down, he figures that it's either this or resigning himself to an awful grade in science.
Slender hands slide below his pajama bottoms
Thumbs press into the 'V' of his pelvis and the other man is biting at his collarbone, probably leaving a bruise that he'll have to cover for a week, he moans and slips his hands below the other's shirt, only to rake his nails down that expanse of soft, warm skin
He bites his lip as his hands wrap around his hard cock.
.
.
It winds up being an awfully chaotic week. Between running after professors, working and taking care of his own academic responsibilities Nathaniel finds himself more high-strung than ever on Thursday, when he's finished his last exam and discovered the pile of paperwork that despite his best efforts, consists of two stacks of messily arranged sheets of paper.
One good thing is that he has hardly seen Castiel and that the redhead has actually been at school for the exams so there are no forms for him to sign and thus, now that Nathaniel has learned the other man's schedule, he has been able to avoid him effectively.
That does sound a little creepy, but his hormones don't need any more stirring than what they've already been subjected to. However infuriating Castiel is he seems to be the most powerful catalyzer for that at the moment, which means that being creepy is just about his only alternative –he could also always drag the other into the student council room and have his way with him like in that recurring dream he's been having, but he tries not to think about such indecent things, in school at least-.
Nathaniel rubs at his temples, hard, he's practically blowing through the ceiling from the pent up stress that hasn't had the opportunity to evaporate and be carried away by the wind yet.
The pile of paperwork on top of his desk dwindles rapidly, he doesn't have to work today, so he stays in late hoping that no one will come with a last minute task because he's so damned close to finishing and being able to run out. Maybe he'll go to the gym to box; god knows he has a lot of frustration to work through a sandbag.
He finishes without any major setbacks and heads to the gym, it's a half hour walk to the gym, but the night air is fresh and pleasantly chilly against his heated skin, it helps cool his head a little.
The workout really helps his stress, finishing at almost nine and thankful that he keeps his gym clothes at the school locker, he heads home, not bothering to put on anything over the loose tank top that he's wearing since he likes the cold anyway.
Halfway there though, he remembers that he forgot to buy cat food for white and he's pretty sure the cat will get annoyed at him if he gives it tuna again, so he makes a detour to the pet shop.
He's just going in when a great mass of black hair and a pink tongue crashes into him from the side.
"Hey! Demon! No, he doesn't want to play" That voice, he gets up from the ground where the huge dog knocked him on his behind, still a bit startled "Sorry man- Pres?"
In terms of running into the redhead, the week was going well.
Was
"Ouch, could you reign in that thing? Dogs that size can be dangerous you know? Even when they aren't particularly aggressive"
"Tch, bastard" Rubbing his leg, he walks into the pet shop, pretending not to hear the other man's words or feel his gaze running up and down his body.
Despite the late hour there are two part timers attending the counter, and thankfully there are no other clients, so he doesn't have to awkwardly wait beside Castiel for his turn.
They get attended at just about the same time. He gives the smiling brunette girl the brand name for White's food and she hurries to the back to see if they have any left.
Turns out Castiel's looking for a stronger leash because his beast broke the last one.
The guy that's attending to him shows him a variety of what are pretty much just thick chains with padded leather collars, no wonder the thing had knocked him down, if it was that strong…
Though it did seem friendly enough, sitting beside Castiel and wagging it's tail.
Once again, he asserts his hatred of dogs.
They are done at about the same time and both exit the place, not bothering to say a word to the other.
Nathaniel walks faster, and h takes the lead, figuring that their paths will split eventually.
"Wait, Demon No!" Again, he feels two heavy paws land on his back, and though this time the dog doesn't knock him over it does shove him off balance enough that he has to hold on to a nearby pole while the canine tries to lick the side of his face.
"Ugh, get him off me" He hates to sound like Amber but there's still a huge dog on him. Castile pauses to laugh, but takes pity on the blonde and finally gives the dog a command to leave Nathaniel alone.
"He likes you" the other says with a strange gleam in his eye.
"It's not mutual" He says dryly, staring into the dogs black eyes. "I probably smell like my cat all over though, I wonder why he hasn't barked at me yet"
"Demon's a good boy"
"Uh huh" he says in a tone that makes it clear that he doesn't believe a thing.
Nathaniel turns around and keeps walking, Castiel and the beast stay a few steps behind him.
He can feel the bastard's eyes fixated on him.
And he can't say that he doesn't enjoy it at least a little.
After a while walking like that gets kind of ridiculous, walking almost together like this, they're almost at his apartment though.
Castiel seems to thin the same thing though "You live around here"
"A few blocks ahead"
"Hmph me too"
And the conversation just kind of dies.
Which is good, what with being them.
Nathaniel turns his head a bit to find a predatory gaze raking over him, and he'd be lying if he said that it didn't turn him on.
From that night two weeks ago, those eyes are the only thing he remembers seeing mostly clearly.
He bites his lip subconsciously.
And that's of course when Demon decides that he wants to walk beside Nathaniel, not behind him.
As the redhead starts walking beside him, trying to prevent the dog from jumping Nathaniel again, his teeth dig deeper into his lip, and he tastes a bit of blood on the tip of his tongue. He hopes that Castiel's house is closer than his, so that he can shake this urge, he really does.
The other lights a cigarette and though Nathaniel knows it's fucked up to hell he finds himself craving the taste, not the smoke, the smoke is annoying and awful and carcinogenic, but he faintly remembers the taste from kissing Castiel that one night and it makes shudders go up his spine.
They get to a corner, just about two blocks from Nathaniel's apartment. And Castiel stops. Demon won't stop trying to pull Nathaniel along, so very reluctantly, he stops too to stroke the playful dogs head warily. Why does this dog even like him anyway?
He raises his eyes to the two story house in front of him, he would have never guessed that the red haired man lived so close, though I makes sense that they only realize this now, because Nathaniel has been living here for a little less than two months and always takes the other way to get to class or work, and that street runs further towards the east and the school is in the west, Castiel who rides to school in a car wouldn't take it.
Again he feels the other's eyes on him.
Nathaniel would like to fight it, but sincerely, he's tired and right now with the chilly air and the pleasantly sore muscles he does not care as much as he should.
Castiel's eyes re fixated on him, and thanks to the light of a conveniently placed streetlamp that his pupils nearly take over his irises. Nathaniel rises to full height and takes a step towards the man, somewhat transfixed though he does not know why.
Like there's a physical pull
'It started with that damned party' He thinks, but somehow knows that the attraction was somewhere before, it was just dormant and he was not in a position where exploring these kinds of things was safe, so he'd repressed it. Now though, everything's clearer, that stupid red jelly bean looking thing slid the lid of Pandora's Box open. And it's not like he can't tell that the other feels similarly, it's more of a hunger than anything, Nathaniel, inexperienced though he is with these things can tell that there aren't feelings between them, not of the kind that mushy couples have. There's rivalry, and grudging respect, and somehow, desire. All of it can be chalked up to hormones or typical teenage rebelliousness, or anything but actual affectionate feelings.
Then there are bruising hands gripping at his bare arms and teeth on his bottom lip. The puffs of their breath are white in the cold air, mingling when they pant. His fingers slide into the other's tresses and Castiel groans and bites his collarbone.
Demon stands at the door of the house until they compose themselves enough to open it and leave the packages with pet food at the entrance before getting tangled up in each other once more.
.
.
He can't believe the other is interrupting to say this.
As if he didn't know
Nathaniel looks up at the redhead innocently,-though he's unable to prevent a smirk from crawling into his face- golden hair spilled around him like a halo "Afraid of tainting my innocence Cassy?"
The other frowns, leaning down to bite harshly at Nathaniel's shoulder, the other just moans though; it's perplexing, and kind of hot. "Keep the pet names to yourself or I might start calling you Natty" The growl that this tears from the blonde's chest is satisfying, but he continues more sternly "I'm serious though, 'm not having any of that fluffy shit" He leans down to press his tongue flat to Nathaniel's neck.
"Do you- ah think I w-ah want that with you?" Nathaniel says in a huff. "No-oh one needs t' know either"
Castiel lifts himself up on his palms "I'm going to have fun with those repressed hormones"
Hooded golden eyes look up at him. Castiel might not like him very much, but he sure is pretty, looking up with innocent eyes that Castiel is sure, aren't a hoax.
For two weeks now he's wanted to do this, spread this boy open, it's a question of dominance, mostly, dominance and lust. He wants to see the other come undone, feel him arch up into him, muscles taut like a drawn bow.
There is a lot of rebelliousness in Nathaniel though, and that just turns him on further, to see to which point he can push the boy.
It might be Nathaniel, but it's going to be so much fun.
He can tell the other thinks along those lines too.
Grinding down with his hips, he kisses a bruise into Nathaniel's shoulder, feeling the pleasant pain of nails leaving red trails down his back.
.
.
There almost was smut here, almost, though I might write a smutty continuation to this in the future.
'lo and behold, something I write isn't angsty.
Though I'm not all that sure about this one.
