Note: Not gonna lie, I found this hilarious. Sorry, not sorry. Additional notes at the end.
When the door eventually swung open, Sebastian looked half asleep. His hair was mussed and his eyelids looked heavy, and a wave of affection hit Dave low and hard, like a kick to the gut. He didn't know how his unplanned visit was going to end, and it made his stomach churn.
Sebastian's eyes lit up as he pulled Dave into his room, closing the door behind him.
"Dave! What are you…?" his smile faded and his expression turned confused as he looked Dave over. "Is everything okay? I was worried when you didn't reply to my message."
"Do you feel trapped?" Dave asked quickly. He needed to get the words out, before he couldn't. He just needed to know.
"What?" Sebastian tilted his head, eyebrows pulling together worriedly. "Growly, are you drunk? Jesus, tell me you didn't drive all the way here like this!"
Dave's heart was in his throat. He wasn't sure he'd be able to breathe if Sebastian didn't answer him.
"Do you feel trapped?" he asked again, unable to stifle the panic that was starting to creep over him. "Do you…do you feel like you're missing something, being stuck with me when I'm hours away and you can't even see me?"
"No," Sebastian told him. "No," he repeated when Dave stared at him uncertainly. His voice sounded steady and his face looked serious, but then something flashed across his features and Dave could tell he was hurt. "Is that—do you? Is that why you came?"
"I…no. I—I thought, I mean, for a second. I was scared. I don't…fuck." Dave sank down onto the edge of Sebastian's bed, dropping his face into his hands and trying not to be sick. He felt so relieved, but also terrified, because Sebastian hadn't been thinking about leaving him…but that didn't mean he still wouldn't. Not after what had happened.
The panic was still there; maybe even worse, because Dave didn't know what he'd do if he'd ruined everything.
And maybe he hadn't sobered up as much as he'd thought, because the bed felt unsteady under him and his stomach refused to settle.
There was a glass of water in front of his face when he looked up. He took it from Sebastian, trying not to spill any as he drank several mouthfuls. The water sloshed unpleasantly as it hit his stomach, but he knew he had to keep it down. When he couldn't make himself drink anymore, he put it down on the bedside table and tried to keep his breathing slow and deep until he knew he wasn't going to be sick.
"Do you want to tell me what's going on?" Sebastian's voice was cautious, and it made Dave's shoulders hunch, made him curve in on himself as much as he could manage, because it had been a long time, almost a year, since Sebastian had felt the need to be so careful with Dave.
If he said no Sebastian would leave it alone, at least until the morning. But as much as Dave didn't want to have this conversation, he knew he couldn't leave it hanging over them, either.
"I…I was at a party," he started. "I shouldn't have gone. I was supposed to be studying since I couldn't be here. Fuck, Seb, I'm sorry."
Sebastian looked even more confused. "It's okay. You don't need to be sorry for that."
Of course he looked confused, because he didn't know what had happened and Dave didn't know how to tell him. His eyes were stinging and the words were sticking in his throat, because as soon as he said them out loud, that would be it. Sebastian was going to hate him.
"You don't have to make yourself miserable when we can't be together, Bear Cub," Sebastian murmured. "I want you to have fun with your friends."
Guilt washed over Dave again, because Sebastian's voice was calming and Sebastian's hands were on him; on his cheek and in his hair, trying to make him feel better. Dave didn't deserve that. He'd let another guy kiss him, had liked it, even…and he'd doubted himself and Sebastian.
"There was a guy there. He kissed me," Dave choked out. Sebastian's hands stilled, though they didn't abandon him when Dave let his face fall back into his hands. His head felt stuffy and he sniffed noisily, trying to hold back the tears that were burning.
"Did you…did you push him away?" Sebastian paused. "Or did you kiss him back?"
The words came out measured, steady, but Dave could tell how forced that was, how much effort Sebastian put into that tone.
Dave couldn't say it. He nodded, jerkily. Sebastian made a noise, one that Dave couldn't place, but he could feel Sebastian's hands trembling on him.
"Which was it?"
Dave's wrist tickled and he realized a teardrop was making its way across his skin and down his forearm.
"Dave." Sebastian sounded anxious, suddenly. Dave didn't know how to fix it.
"B-both."
Sebastian let out a shaky breath, and then another. Dave felt the hands on him disappear and the urge to be sick came back with a vengeance. Then one of Sebastian's hands was on him again, this time tugging on his wrist.
"Look at me. Please."
Dave swallowed, painfully. There was a lump in his throat that didn't want to ease. It took him a moment, but he pulled his head out of his hands to face Sebastian. He wished he hadn't. Sebastian's face looked tight and stressed, and his shoulders were shaking, like he was terrified. Dave did that to him.
Sebastian took a deep breath. "Explain."
"I was at a party, i-in the kitchen. This guy from class started talking to me, saying things. F-flirting with me."
"Were you flirting back?"
"No!"
"I'm not accusing you," Sebastian sighed, face resigned. "You know I flirt all the time. I wouldn't be upset with you for that."
"I know. But I wasn't. I…I told him about you, but then he kept saying that you should be there with me and I got mad. I tried to leave but then he told me he'd liked me for ages and I—I guess I was looking at him and he just…he kissed me."
"And you kissed him back." It sounded like it hurt Sebastian to say it. Dave didn't answer, but he didn't need to. He'd already admitted as much. "Do you…do you want to be with him? Are you here to break up with me?"
"No," Dave told him, quickly and truthfully. He wiped at his face furiously, trying to scrub the tear tracks from his cheeks. "No. I don't…I don't want him, I didn't. I love you. I know I fucked up so bad, but I just…it's stupid, but…I wished he was you. Except I knew he wasn't, so I pushed him off."
Dave wasn't sure what to expect. He'd never done anything as unforgivable as cheat before, but when he looked Sebastian in the eye again, Sebastian didn't look angry like Dave thought he should. The tension had all but bled out of him, leaving him looking deflated but relieved.
"Holy shit, Bear Cub, you really fucking scared me for a minute there," Sebastian told him, shakily, running his hands through his already messy hair. "Jesus."
"I…what?" Sebastian should have been furious, but for some reason he wasn't.
"Fuck, I thought you were trying to tell me we were over. You said—I mean…when you said you kissed him back I thought…" Sebastian shook his head. "So you'd been drinking, this shit stain with no concept of consent kissed you even after you told him you were seeing someone, and it took you a few seconds to push him away. Is that right?"
When Sebastian said it like that, it didn't sound so bad, but Dave still felt the shame all over his face. "Yes, but…it was worse than that. I—I enjoyed it."
"You enjoyed being kissed? Or you enjoyed being kissed by him?"
Dave frowned. "Is there a difference?"
"Of course there is. We're a pair of hormonal guys who haven't seen each other in weeks. We're both on edge and probably a little touch starved. It's not surprising that you'd enjoy a kiss, even if it wasn't the person you wanted to be kissing. It's natural. It doesn't have to mean more than that, especially since you'd been drinking."
"I wasn't drunk. I mean, I'd been drinking, but I wasn't…"
"…as drunk as you got after it happened?"
Dave could feel the heat spreading across his cheeks at Sebastian's disapproving tone. He had obviously been able to guess how wasted Dave had gotten, especially since he was still feeling kind of drunk after taking nearly two and a half hours to get there. "It was…he gave me his room number and told me all these reasons why I shouldn't be chained to someone at a different college. He…" Dave sighed and shook his head, feeling like an asshole, but he had to be honest about it all. "…he said you didn't have to know. That…that it could be no strings, but that he hoped I'd fall for him."
"And then you decided to drink every drop of liquor at the party?"
"Yes. I just got scared he was right," Dave admitted. "Not…not about falling for him. But he said all this stuff about how we shouldn't be tied down and we shouldn't miss out on stuff in college, and I just…"
"And you wondered if you were missing out?"
Dave shook his head. "No. I mean, yes, but not really. Only for a second."
Sebastian stared at him for several moments before understanding washed over his face. He sighed, lips pulling into a frown. "You wondered if I was missing out."
"Yes," he answered quietly. The expression on Sebastian's face made Dave feel like the world's biggest jerk. "I'm…I'm sorry."
"No, don't be," Sebastian told him, dropping his hand into Dave's and squeezing it tightly. "I'm not going to lie, it doesn't feel great to know you were having doubts, but it's normal, you know? I…I sometimes think about how hard it is, too. We just need to adapt, I think. It's our first semester like this and it's finals, so it's overwhelming. I hate it, but it's worth it, because of you. Because of how I feel about you."
"I feel the same. I do."
"Obviously, since you're here, when you could be…well. You could be with someone else, if you wanted to be. You could be with that…future member of the Sexual Offenders Registry."
"He wasn't quite like that."
"Wasn't he?" Sebastian said doubtfully, and then shook his head. "It doesn't matter. What matters is that you're here, instead of there."
Dave flushed again, pulling Sebastian closer to him. "I…I thought about going there, when I thought maybe you'd be happier if you could be with someone nearby. But I knew I'd just be pretending he was you."
"Well, when I told you I don't feel trapped, I meant it. I'm not missing out on anything, okay? I've been there, done that, and I'm not interested in doing it again." Sebastian took a deep breath. He looked like he was debating his next words, and he winced for a second before trying to cover it. "You know…I'd understand if you thought you were missing out. I'd hate it, but I'd still understand. You didn't play the field, or sow your oats or whatever the fuck you want to call it. Don't get me wrong, what you're getting right here is top quality, Growly, but you're really just taking my word for it, so it'd be normal for you to wonder."
"Don't be dumb," Dave said, shoving Sebastian gently with his shoulder. "I know most people do that a little until they want to settle down, but I'm just…I'm lucky, you know? I found what I was looking for first try."
"Well," Sebastian replied with the beginnings of a smirk, "you clearly have impeccable taste. Now drink the rest of this. I don't want you dehydrated and hung over in the morning. Well…later in the morning."
Dave took the glass from Sebastian and finished the rest of the water. His head felt a bit clearer, finally, and he no longer felt his stomach fighting him. Instead, it rumbled, and Sebastian shook his head.
"When was the last time you ate?"
Dave shrugged, sheepishly, and Sebastian rolled his eyes and picked up his phone. "You're lucky there's a twenty-four hour pizza place that delivers here."
After he'd called and placed an order, he folded his arms and gave Dave a scrutinizing look. "Now that that's settled, tell me the truth. How did you get here? Because I swear, Dave, I don't care how much bigger than me you are, I will kick your ass if you drove in this state. God I can only imagine how drunk you were when you left Columbus!"
"I thought about driving. I just wanted to get here," Dave admitted, feeling like an idiot, "but when I dropped my keys twice on my way to my truck I realized I couldn't and I took a cab."
Sebastian blinked in surprise. "You took a cab one hundred and ten miles? That must have cost you a small fortune."
"Yeah," Dave grimaced. "I should probably warn Dad about that before he sees the credit card bill."
"Jesus. You know, you didn't have to come out here tonight."
"Yes, I did," Dave insisted. "I really did."
Dave didn't need to open his eyes to know it was morning. After gorging themselves on late night pizza he and Sebastian had stripped naked and crawled into bed, forever grateful for Sebastian's single room, although they were both too tired to do more than press in close and kiss each other lazily until they drifted to sleep. Dave was feeling warm and comfortable despite the sunlight trying to filter through his eyelids, with surprisingly little trace of a hangover after Sebastian had encouraged him to drink glass after glass of water. Sebastian was sprawled over him, his weight welcome and reassuring across Dave's chest. He'd missed that.
His arms were stretched above him instead of wrapped around his boyfriend, but that was easily fixed. Dave shifted, only managing to move his hands an inch before they jerked to a stop with a rattle and a pull against his wrists.
"Wh—?" Dave frowned, eyes blinking open in confusion.
"Finally joined the land of the living, huh, Bear Cub?" Sebastian moved until he was grinning down at Dave, looking smug. Dave tugged at his hands again, to no avail.
Handcuffs, he realized.
"Seb, what? Where did you get these?"
"I bought them a few weeks ago," Sebastian told him with a shrug. There was a devious look on his face that went straight to Dave's cock. "I was going to surprise you with them at Christmas, but you were so worried about me feeling trapped last night, I thought now was more appropriate. I figured I'd show you it wasn't always a bad thing to be trapped, that it can be fun, too."
"Fuck," Dave groaned. "I know it can."
He did. Of course he did, since it wasn't the first time one of them had tied the other down. It was the first time with anything more hardcore than a dress tie, though, and Dave's dick was already rock hard at the idea.
"Mmm, we both do," Sebastian agreed. "I think you need a reminder, though."
"You…?" Dave's heart was thumping in his chest. Sebastian was moving, rocking his hips against Dave's. "Yeah. Yeah, I think…fuck…you're right."
"I usually am," Sebastian told him, leaning forward to nip at Dave's lips. Dave tried to surge upward, to deepen the kiss, but Sebastian just smirked and pulled out of his reach. "I can think of worse ways to pass the morning."
Dave tried to ignore the stab of disappointment that hit him when he realized how bright the sun was and how late it must already be. "How—how long before you have to go?"
"Oh…about twenty hours, or so."
Sebastian's hand dragged down Dave's chest, dancing over his navel and down his body teasingly. Dave groaned again, letting himself fall back against the pillow when long fingers tightened around him and Sebastian's thumb slipped across the already leaking head of his dick. "Jesus, Seb. You—shit—you have rehearsals today."
"Fuck them. I haven't missed a single one all semester, they can live without me this once. Besides," he added, "I'm the best fucking performer in the group. They still need the practice but I've been killing it. Every. Fucking. Time." He was stroking Dave firmly, punctuating his words with a twist of his wrist and a swipe of his thumb. Heat was prickling along Dave's skin and he tilted his hips, trying to push up into Sebastian's fist, but Sebastian let go and shook his head. "Uh uh, Growly. We're just getting started."
Before he even finished speaking, Sebastian was sliding up Dave's body. He was as hard as Dave was, and just as wet. Dave could feel him pressing into Dave's stomach then his chest as he moved, leaving a slick trail in his path. Sebastian didn't stop until he was straddling Dave's upper torso, knees pressing against Dave's upper arms, thighs by his armpits. Dave could feel Sebastian's balls, heavy and warm, resting on his sternum.
He licked his lips, eyeing Sebastian's cock. It was flushed and thick; enticing. Sebastian began stroking himself slowly, firmly, and Dave couldn't pull his gaze away. The head of Sebastian's dick was red and weeping, demanding Dave's attention each time it appeared through Sebastian's grip on his downward stroke. Sebastian shuffled forward another inch, and Dave opened his mouth expectantly.
When Sebastian didn't come any closer, Dave growled and tried to get nearer, tried to wrap his lips around the tempting flesh, but Sebastian wasn't close enough – almost, but not quite – and Dave's mouth fell short. He growled low in his throat and Sebastian chuckled.
"It occurs to me," Sebastian said, voice rough, "that this is also the perfect opportunity to prove that watching can be a lot of fun, too." Dave was glad to hear how affected Sebastian sounded; he was in complete control, but he also wasn't. "I know," he continued, "that Skype isn't quite this…this interactive…but it can still be good. If you enjoy a show, of course. And I know you do."
Dave nodded, eagerly, hoping his agreement would hurry things along, but Sebastian just smirked, like he knew exactly what Dave was thinking.
He probably did. Sometimes Dave thought his boyfriend was actually evil.
Instead of giving Dave what he wanted Sebastian stayed exactly where he was, stroking himself slowly, lazily, driving Dave insane with each passing second. It wasn't just the way he was working himself over that was making Dave desperate – it was the way he looked; hair messy, cheeks reddened, sharp lines of his hips begging to be stroked and licked as they all but framed his fist and dick; and the way he sounded with his breath hitching as he got more turned on, with the tiny but needy noises he made as he flicked a finger across his slit and used his other hand to cup and roll his sack.
Dave was hot all over. He could feel himself throbbing, aching. His heart was hammering and his breath was shallow and fast. When he wasn't sure he could take it any longer, Sebastian leaned in a little, just enough that if Dave strained forward he could steal a taste. He did, urgently, only managing to lap at the head of Sebastian's cock for a second before Sebastian pulled away again. Dave made a noise he'd probably be embarrassed about later, rolling the flavor over his tongue before it disappeared far too quickly.
Sebastian leaned to the side and Dave could hear the drawer opening and closing. Instead of looking over, he turned his head in the opposite direction, latching his mouth onto the soft skin of Sebastian's thigh that had finally moved within his reach. Sebastian stilled, holding the position longer than Dave knew was necessary, giving him a few moments to enjoy the taste of Sebastian's skin and the feeling of it under his tongue and between his teeth before Sebastian moved back into place, dick bobbing unfairly in front of Dave's face; too close but not nearly close enough.
"Seb, please. Fuck." Dave knew he was whining, but he couldn't find it in himself to care, especially not when Sebastian took pity on him, taking hold of himself and tracing his cock over Dave's lips, pressing forward a few inches until Dave could get his mouth around the head and suck. Sebastian gasped above him, rocking his hips just enough that Dave could feel the movement on his tongue. He didn't stay there for long, only a few seconds, but it was enough to make Dave's eyes fall shut and his stomach tighten.
When Sebastian pulled away this time Dave tried to follow more forcefully. The handcuffs did their job, stopping him from moving too far, and he growled again in frustration, pulling at them roughly.
"Careful, Growly," Sebastian murmured, arching over to press a kiss to Dave's forehead. "Don't hurt yourself."
"You're hurting me," Dave told him between clenched teeth.
"Liar. You love it."
That was true.
"I hate it," he shot back, because that was true, too.
Sebastian just smirked at him and slid a few inches back until he was sitting over Dave's middle, the front of his thighs brushing Dave's nipples.
"I wonder how you're going to feel about what I do next, then." Sebastian's tone was predatory, and his eyes were full of mischief. Dave's dick twitched eagerly in response.
"You're Satan," he groaned.
"How did you know?" Sebastian teased. He leaned forward, kissing Dave hotly. It was wet and messy, tongues curling and licking, teeth scraping and biting. It went on for longer that Dave expected, but not nearly as long as he'd have liked.
When Sebastian pulled back his lips were red, shiny and swollen. He looked the way Dave felt; debauched and filthy. Dave had seen him like that hundreds of times, but it always hooked him hard and fast, like a shot of lightning right down his spine. It probably always would, he figured.
A soft snick drew Dave's attention to Sebastian's hand. He had a bottle of lube, cap flicked open. Dave swore under his breath when Sebastian squeezed a small puddle of it, cold and startling, into the dip between Dave's pecs.
Sebastian just grinned at him, unrepentant, and dragged a finger through the mess. He lifted up until he was on his knees and Dave no longer had to strain his neck; he had a perfect view of Sebastian's lean abs, his sharp hips, and his hard cock. Dave thought he knew what was coming, tried to steel himself for the sight of Sebastian pressing the finger against his own opening, but Sebastian had other ideas.
Instead of dropping his hand low, Sebastian let it rest on his hip, drawing tiny circles of slick where the bone jutted out.
Oh, no.
Dave couldn't sit through that. He couldn't. Sebastian knew exactly what he was doing to Dave as slid his finger along the line of his hipbone, down towards his groin and back up the other side, leaving a shiny path in its wake. Those ridges were Dave's weakness, his addiction, and Sebastian was using that against him, taunting him.
Dave yanked at the handcuffs again, hard enough that his wrists creaked, but it was useless. He wanted to squeeze his eyes shut, but he couldn't; all he could do was follow Sebastian's fingers helplessly with his gaze. It went forever, almost, until Dave's mouth and throat were dry and his tongue felt thick and heavy. By the time Sebastian was done torturing him, Dave was in a daze. He almost didn't notice that Sebastian had stopped; he couldn't stop staring at the lines of Sebastian's hips, the shine of lubricant along the prominent ridges, emphasizing their shape.
It wasn't until Sebastian let out a long, guttural moan that Dave realized Sebastian's hand had disappeared behind him. He caught sight of fingers between hard, lean thighs and relief washed over him. Sebastian was opening himself up. He was taking his time with it, but that was okay, because he was making the kind of noises that Dave knew meant he'd want more soon. He wasn't going to make Dave, or himself, suffer too much longer.
"I should get my dildo out," Sebastian said, breathlessly, "like I would if we really were Skyping. I should fuck myself with it while you watch it sliding in and out and imagine how tight and hot I am around it."
A noise punched out of Dave; sudden and pained like a wounded animal, which made sense because that's exactly how he felt – like he'd been ripped open, like he'd die if he didn't get what he needed.
"No, you're right," Sebastian moaned. He sounded like he was getting close, like he was going to come clenched around his own fingers. "Gotta make the most of each other while we can."
Almost before Dave knew what was happening there was a slick, warm grip around the base of his erection and he swore loudly. Sebastian was holding him in place, pressing down steadily until a tight, slippery heat swallowed the head of his cock, then more, surrounding him inch by inch until Sebastian had taken all of him.
For a split second they were both frozen, just basking in their closeness. Sebastian's eyes were wide and his pupils were dark, and Dave knew he had to look just as desperate. He could hear his pulse in his ears, drowning out everything except his own harsh breathing and Sebastian's pleased murmurs.
Then, Sebastian shifted his hips just a little, and the calm of the moment was broken.
Sebastian was riding him – really riding him – hard and fast in seconds. He was bouncing up and down, head thrown back and crying out every time his thighs slapped Dave's hips. Dave wasn't going to last, had dug his heels as deep into the mattress as he could manage, rutting his hips up to meet Sebastian, to press into that tight heat as far as he could. There was no real rhythm, nothing but need and electricity in their movements. He wasn't even trying to be quiet, but neither was Sebastian, and before long he was skirting the edge, trying frantically to hold back.
"Seb…"
"Fuck, Dave!" Sebastian was wrecked; Dave could hear it in his voice, feel it in the way his legs were trembling. In moments Sebastian was spurting over his own knuckles and chest, warm droplets spilling onto Dave's stomach. His inner muscles were clutching at Dave over and over until Dave couldn't stop himself and he thrust upwards roughly and desperately, once, twice, and then came so hard his vision blurred.
By the time Dave's mind cleared Sebastian had all but collapsed on top of him, panting heavily into Dave's chest while his breath, hot and damp, tickled Dave's chest hair. Dave's shoulders ached, his arms were going numb and his cock was softening and threatening to slip out of Sebastian. They were both sticky from lube and jizz but somehow everything was perfect.
Dave was hunched over a few textbooks that Sebastian had checked out for him from the Oberlin student library. He didn't feel as guilty as he should about his plan to stay another night and leave early on the Sunday morning, but they both knew he couldn't afford to waste a whole day's study time when his finals were starting in just a few days. Sebastian had over a week left before his, so he didn't seem at all concerned about skipping his Saturday commitments in favor of studying in his room so that they could spend the day together.
Of course, Dave knew that wasn't the case; that those rehearsals mattered, no matter what Sebastian claimed, considering they'd been the reason Sebastian had needed to cancel their weekend together in the first place.
"Are you sure you don't need to go? I don't mind studying here until you're done," he offered for the third time.
Sebastian just rolled his eyes. Again. "I'm sure. Stop worrying."
"I just feel bad."
"Really? After this morning, you should feel very, very good," Sebastian smirked.
Dave tried, and failed, to hide his grin. His shoulders were still sore and probably would be for days. It would be a nice reminder, he thought.
"Maybe tonight I'll handcuff you," he teased.
"Promise?"
"If you promise to focus on your studying tomorrow once I'm gone. I don't want your GPA to suffer because of me." He was aiming for a joke, but he knew he landed a little off.
Sebastian pushed himself up from his bed and sauntered over to where Dave was sitting at the desk. His hands dropped to Dave's shoulders, kneading the aching muscles gently as he climbed into Dave's lap.
"Don't, okay? I'm going to ace my finals, and so are you. We've both been working really fucking hard. And I don't know about you, but I'm going to be able to focus a lot better now that we've had some time together."
"Yeah, me too," Dave agreed. He would; he definitely would. He'd been distracted with missing Sebastian, with feeling so far away from him recently – the impromptu visit was exactly what he'd needed.
"Good. Besides, even without the kinky morning sex, I'm really glad you're here. And not just because I'm a selfish dick who wants every second of your spare time," Sebastian told him with a smile. "You got scared and you came to me. You didn't hide it or just assume anything and react. That's…it's good, you know? It's a big thing. I'm so proud of you for that, even though you scared the living shit out of me for a little while, there." And then, much quieter, "I love you."
Sebastian's nose bumped Dave's gently, deliberately. Dave beamed, warmth and happiness unfurling in his chest and spreading through him. He pulled Sebastian closer, running his hands up and down the smooth skin of his back, under the shirt he had made Sebastian put on so he wouldn't be such a big distraction. It had only worked to a point.
"I love you, too."
"We should make a deal," Sebastian said, voice low and suggestive. "For every final you ace, you get to pick a place – public or private – and any sexual act you want. And I'll do it. And vice versa."
Dave raised an eyebrow. "You say that like you wouldn't do that normally."
"You caught me," Sebastian smirked. "But sometimes you get shy, and I plan to ace all of my finals."
"You are a fucking deviant," Dave laughed, shaking his head affectionately.
"It's part of my charm."
It shouldn't have been, but it was. Dave laughed again and they kissed for a while, slowly, easily. Everything felt just a little different. Dave wasn't sure how, but he knew – he just knew – that they would be okay. It would be difficult, of course, because they still had years of this before they were done with college. But that didn't matter. They'd handle it, they'd adapt like Sebastian said, and would deal with whatever distance and commitments and schedules they had to, because Sebastian was it for him, he felt it right down to his bones. And he knew, beyond a shadow of a doubt, that Sebastian felt the same.
Note: The lack of condom use here isn't me being hopeless about safe sex. The boys have been together for over 18 months, close to two years if you count from their first night together, and my headcanon says they trust each other enough to stop using condoms somewhere around the one year mark (after they were both tested as a precaution, of course).
This fic was originally meant to be a bit of fun with handcuffs but turned out to be a very pivotal point in their relationship, where they leave behind "high school couple" and move into "serious adult relationship" territory. You might pick up a few parallels between this fic and events in the first few fics of the series. There are the (initially) unwelcome advances of another man, the question of whether alcohol is a factor in someone's decision making, and the promise of no strings. There's also a line that is very reminiscent of No Strings: The Missing Scene, where Sebastian tells Dave during sex, "We're just getting started." And lastly, there's a complete one-eighty degree turn in Sebastian's understanding of consent and sexual assault; in Forming a Connection Sebastian was colder and less considerate of others – in his view in that fic, Dave kissing Kurt against his will wasn't that big of a deal. Back then he saw sex as having very little meaning beyond his enjoyment of it, but now as he's older and has come to understand people and relationships on a deeper level, he sees it differently and understands that Jett kissing Dave against his will is problematic. I don't believe this is solely because Sebastian cares for Dave, I think it shows how much he has grown as a person.
There are probably more parallels lurking that I haven't specified here, but those are the important ones.
