[color=caccdf][center][img]https://fontmeme.com/permalink/210511/1d79e615b8609809056b9133bb336361.png[/img]
[img]https://i.imgur.com/m4LEy1d.png[/img]
[sup][b][b][color=a57e67]Caspian[/color] & [color=676FA5]Cael[/color]
[@LovelyComplex] & [@GhostMami][/b][/b][/sup]
[img]https://i.imgur.com/kvbFfdR.png[/img][/center]
[indent][indent]Cael’s cheeks prickled with heat when he felt Caspian’s whisper against his ear, thanking him for the cocktail. Good god, this man did not realize how sexy he was, did he? With fear of going as red as his solo cup, Cael hazarded a glance towards Cas and realized that the thanks might be about more than just the beverage. He got the feeling that he might also be acting as a distraction for something and, by the sounds of it, he was a welcomed distraction. [color=676FA5][b]“Anytime, kitten.”[/b][/color] He murmured and took a sip from his own drink.

The pair continued to watch the altercation in collective silence, sipping and standing and slightly judging. He had no idea what was going through Caspian’s head, but Cael was personally doing his best to store this all in the memory bank for future gossiping purposes. Surely, Rae would want to hear about the night’s testosterone-laden misadventures… and would likely have theories about lycanthropy or the like being the true source of the aggression.

From the looks of things, this was all about a clash of the queens — a ridiculous fight about who would stand on which rung of Rosefell’s social ladder. Hilarious, really. The most interesting part of it to Cael was the cute twinky asian boyfriend that Dee looked like he was about to snap in half before some killjoy prep-jock stepped in and calmed it down. Damn, that hatefuck fanfiction was practically writing itself, what a shame it was cut short before the climax.

Just when things were starting to seem like they might get boring, a short little spitfire of a girl declared a drink-off to get the school competition out in a more party-oriented way. Cael mentally noted that she seemed like a fun potential friend to make, as he appreciated her attempt to un-harsh the vibes. [color=676FA5][b]“Shit… this doesn’t mean we have to play for different teams, does it?”[/b][/color] Cael asked, playfully letting the double meaning hang on his smirk.

Caspian timidly responded with a smile, as he brought his cup to his lips. Poor Cael had no idea how much of a killjoy his new friend was. Cas did not know how to let loose and have fun. Many times over, he wasn’t willing to [i]try[/i] out of fear of ruining his image. Even now, as they stand in front of the drinking table, silently judging the many party goers in attendance, he was thinking of an escape plan so he could return to the comfort of his cold, barren, and lonely manor. Having a companion beside him made his time bearable but it still didn’t change his current state of anxiety and internal panic. 

The room itself was crowded and [i]hot[/i]. He did not have enough booze in him to handle the chaos and watching all the bodies against bodies just made him [i]uncomfortable[/i]. Thankfully, his partner of the night respected the silence and filled it when he saw necessary. Seeing Marcos’ sister intervene not only concerned the pale teen but made him think of what his own sister would do in a situation like this. He wondered if she would even care enough to intervene or would she be too busy getting drunk with Billie by the pool, playfully slapping the water with her feet. If Callie were here, she would have a ball… and yet, she wasn’t here. 

After downing the rest of his drink, feeling overheated, Cas turned toward the table, placing his empty cup on it. With charming struggle, he unbuttoned the collar of his button up as well as the button below it. When his  collar was no longer tightly wrapping around his neck, his hand trailed to his pant’s pocket, feeling his cigarette box and lighter. He needed a smoke but that would mean he would have to push through the crowd to get to the nearest exit. Keeping himself mentally preoccupied he took off his expensive dress coat, making a note that his style was definitely ‘overdressed’ for parties like this. Every movement, while it seemed like he was in his own world, still showed he was aware of the space he was in. Moving to the side when someone needed to get to the drink table, glancing around him, looking over his shoulder, adjusting his position when people moved their hands around him... Whether it was his anxiety or paranoia, Caspian Grey wanted to stay one step ahead of the crowd. 

Right when he turned to Cael to ask if they should go somewhere more private, he heard a shift in the crowd, some murmuring when the host came in with a hose, and while subtle, and buried under the music and chatter, he could hear the voltage of water build up. As if he could feel what was coming next, his quick reflexes from fencing, among other things, caused him to throw his coat on Cael’s beautifully vibrant green dyed hair. He hoped he was quick enough to provide Cael with some protection because if not, then, how unfortunate to see such hard work go to waste. With Cael hidden by Cas’ coat, Caspian found himself completely soaked, from head to toe, once more. 

Well, his sister would love something like this. Having been cooled down, Cas leaned up against the table, took his wet box of cigarettes out, pulled one out, and lit it, watching everyone else in amusement. Might as well salvage his smokes before they got too soggy. This was a first for him, having enough courage to smoke in front of others. By the looks of it, it was far too tumultuous for him to really give a shit. As long as his parents didn’t find out, that’s all that mattered to him. At a party, you either got away with murder or it all caught up with you. One way or another, as mistakes usually do. Since smoking wasn’t an odd thing for people in his year, he knew he was safe. Plus, what would his sister think if he didn’t take any chances? His dark gaze glanced over to the boy next to him — his spirit calming because of the nicotine burning in his throat. An ever growing curiosity, twisted with butterflies, spun in his stomach, as he waited to see Cael’s face once more. For his hair. 

Cael had been too busy being stunned by the unbuttoning of Caspian’s shirt to notice any of the oncoming commotion. Not just one button, but two… and his previously pale cheeks were flustered red all of the sudden. This was purposeful... right? An invitation to stare? Cael’s gaydar was sending mixed signals but his hormones were full force with desire. 

And then, suddenly, it was dark. He heard squeals and Christian’s voice and… water falling? But that was all in the background as the fae-like boy found himself surrounded in darkness. Delicious darkness. No, really, it smelled sooo good, like snuggling up with a warm cup of tea, citrusy and herbal… but with sweet undertones, like opening a fresh bottle of rum. Was this… was this what Caspian smelled like? Gods, he smelled [i]expensive[/i]. Realizing that he was probably hiding in his classmate's coat for a suspiciously long time, Cael carefully peeked out of the collar, but kept it closely wrapped around his shoulders.

[color=676FA5][b]“Oh!”[/b][/color] Cael responded in shock, taking in the sight of a dripping wet Caspian taking a drag from a cigarette. Jesus, how drunk was he? Did he pass out and this was just a [i]literal[/i] wet dream? His breath hitched and his words got caught on his tongue. [color=676FA5][b]“You’re… wet.”[/b][/color] Smooooth one, Crawford. Cael mentally kicked himself for being so distracted by the way the boy’s shirt was clinging to his… [color=676FA5][b]“We should… I should...”[/b][/color] Breathe, start over. [color=676FA5][b]“Let’s go get you dried off, yeah?”[/b][/color]

He slipped his arms into Caspian’s jacket sleeves and offered to show him the way to the nearest full bathroom. Because, you know, there was more than one full bathroom in rich people’s houses, apparently. [color=676FA5][b]“Thanks, by the way, for the shield.”[/b][/color] Cael chimed in, realizing that he never said thank you. With Cas’ almost superhuman reaction time, Cael had barely gotten damp from the spray. With any luck, his hair dye wasn’t embarrassingly running neon streaks down his face, although the tips of hair resting on his forehead did seem to be a little wet.

[color=a57e67][b]“Anytime.”[/b][/color] Caspian answered and took one last long drag before using the inside of his old cup as an ashtray. Instead of gesturing with his hand for Cael to lead the way, he took charge, clearly aiming to go to a further destination. Secluded, private, and away from the party. He preferred not being too close to the drunken crowd, so a little trek through the mansion didn’t hurt anyone. There was no doubt in the wealthy boy’s mind that his classmate, Christian, had a bathroom upstairs. Why wouldn’t he? He was rich. And if Caspian had things his way, they would not be interrupted. Searching through the crowd, he saw the best path to maneuver through and strode off, making sure to look back and ask the stunned boy, [color=a57e67][b]“You coming?”[/b][/color] 

[color=676FA5][b]“Mhm.”[/b][/color] Cael nodded as he bit back the urge to say something risqué like… [i]hopefully soon[/i]. Caspian seemed eager to usher them off to a secluded location. So, the show of unbuttoning [i][b]was[/b][/i] on purpose. Butterflies stirred up in his stomach, partially from the inebriation, partially because… well, it had been a hot minute since he’d hooked up with anyone. After trying a couple of doors, Cael finally found one that was a bathroom and held it open for his soon-to-be-lover. 

[color=676FA5][b]“Uhm…”[/b][/color] Was asking him to take off his shirt too forward? Yeah… probably. Start slower. Cael turned to the linen closet and opened a couple of the cabinets until he found a pile of neatly folded fluffy towels. [color=676FA5][b]“Damn… these are nice.”[/b][/color] He said without thinking, and then blushed out of embarrassment. Way to be the poor kid… impressed by luxury towels. Shaking it off, he spun around to offer to dry Caspian’s hair.

[color=676FA5][b]“Oh, [i]fuck[/i].”[/b][/color]

While Cael was finding towels for him, Caspian took a moment to unbutton his shirt completely and hang it over the sink. He didn’t think too much into it because all he wanted was the wet shirt off of him. They were both guys so it wasn’t like Cael hadn’t seen a shirtless man before. Stepping forward when Cael turned around, he gingerly pulled a towel out of the boy’s hand, having missed his mutter. With a towel now in hand, and the distance between them broken, the “Vampire King” focused on the task at hand: drying his hair. Plopping the towel on his head, he acknowledged in relief,  [color=a57e67][b]“Glad your hair is fine.”[/b][/color] 

[color=676FA5][b]“And I’m glad yours wasn’t.”[/b][/color] He replied confidently, boosted up by the fact that Caspian had already started undressing. He stepped forward to close the space between them further and reached up to the towel. [color=676FA5][b]“Here, let me help.”[/b][/color] he said, standing on his tippy toes to dry out his dark curls.

Well, this was nice of his new friend. Caspian peered through the openings of the moving towel on his head. They were nearly the same height, which was a first for him since most guys were increasingly taller. His gaze went from Cael’s face to his tip toe feet. This position probably wasn’t comfortable for him.  [color=a57e67][b]“Do you want me to sit?”[/b][/color] Cas probed, peaking through the towel. 

Was he offering to give him a — No, that was just the perverted drunk thoughts taking over. Unless… 

Cael lifted the towel so that he could fully see Caspian’s face and met his gaze. He didn’t look away, which was a good sign, but, there was such a mystery in those eyes. Who was Caspian Grey, really? Eager to find out, Cael leaned forward, his left fingertips reaching up to graze the bare chest in front of him. Parting his lips slightly, he breathed in more of that intoxicating scent, just centimeters away from Caspian’s own lips before— the bathroom door SLAMMED open to interrupt them.

[center][color=ed1c24]((Note: The person that is interrupting them is Billie Grey; so that is reserved for her solo post.))[/color][/center]
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