The Consequence.

"You don't know me," The boy murmured, cold lips pressed to the other's forehead. His tight grip on the other boy was unrelenting, sharp.

"Come on then." The reply, slurred, verging on desperate. He doesn't notice the way he's being held a little too tight, barely aware of the wind pushing his hair into his eyes, blinding him. "We agreed. I owe you this. I owe you."

The boy holding him tightly's eyes flicker down the boy who seems so keen and so over eager. It frightens him, how much the other boy wants him. He bites at his own lip slowly, thinking about the situation. Sirens suddenly invade both boy's ears as the town alarm goes off...

His hand is grabbed and they're running, got to get away, got to get inside. Their feet crunch on the gritty asphalt and it's hard to tell which boy is keeping the other from falling. They duck into a doorway and the heat is smothering. But they're still alone.

"Aled!" He chokes slightly, as the two fall against a wall, gripping onto his friends hand.
There's a slight laugh, and then a nervously messy kiss pressed to the corner of his mouth.

Gustav strokes the back of Aled's hair for a second, savouring the moment, then pulls away and sighs a little. Outside the sirens still sound but neither boy worries. It's safe in here.
"No, Aled," He says, firmly.

"Yes. I owe you." He says it as if it's a matter of life and death.

"No." He lets go of the other boy, stops holding him entirely. "You owe me nothing."

Aled staggers backwards, hitting the opposite wall and sliding down. He hugs his knees to his chest, anything to have something to hold onto. Then the bitterest little laugh.

"My own worst enemy. As always."

Gustav rubs at his temples and looks at the ceiling awkwardly. His instincts tell him to leave the boy and run, drop this while he can and get out before it's too complicated. Self preservation is debatably a skill.

Aled blinks for a long moment, and then looks up to try and meet those eyes again. Gustav stares back down at the younger boy with eyes bright even in this light and realises he can't just leave Aled. Of course he can't. Aled is just about the last chance he has.

Aled knew he was going to win, right from the beginning. But he won't allow himself to smile until he knows that Gustav has agreed. One last time: "I owe you this."

Gus stares down at Aled and shakes his head insistently. Once again, he repeats:
"You don't know me." And there's a conviction in his words, a certain desperate look that he holds.

The corner of Aled's mouth twitches. "Oh, but I could." He holds the gaze, firm in those dilated pupils.

"You don't want to." Gustav holds Aled's gaze steadily for a few moments and shakes his head again. "Consider this a warning."

"But who says I have to listen to it?" He's staggering to his feet again, taking another step towards the older man pressed against the wall opposite him.

"I do!" His words were intended to sound harsh, but just sound a little needy. Gustav stares at Aled, before casting his eyes around the room. "Aled, it's too hot here..."

Aled shrugs slightly. "What are you going to do about it?" He always was the king of double meanings. A moment of silence, then a hand reaches out to rest on Gustav's upper arm. The whole room seems to heat up and slow down, and Gustav's eyes flicker from Aled's hand to his lips, his eyes, his hand... he bites a little at his own lip again. Aled glances up into his eyes again, then allows himself that elusive smile, just for a moment. He takes another step forward and rests their foreheads together. Deep breaths.

Gus closes his eyes and kisses the side of Aled's head. once again his lips are pressed against Aled's temple, but he's no longer cold. Aled feels a bead of sweat begin to form at the nape of his neck, and then Gustav's thumb rubbing circles into the skin, unintentionally wiping it away. Aled blinks again, even slower.

He takes a slow, deep breath, and reluctantly shakes his head.
"Aled. We'll overheat here. It's not safe."

Aled pauses for a moment. He's so close to achieving what he set out for. "There's always..." his eyes flicker to Gustav's again. "...There's always the roof."

Gustav's eyes widen and he takes a step back before looking down at Aled.

"Are you mad?!"

"There's stairs that go up there. And no cameras once we're at the top," He runs his fingers down Gustav's arm to grab at his hand and squeeze it gently. He leans forwards again, his lips nearly touching the older man's ear. "Just us."

"But Aled... we..." Gustav trails off as he feels Aled's teeth worrying his earlobe. He closes his eyes part of the way and holds his arm tightly again. Another squeeze of his hand and the slightest tug on his arm, and the metal staircase is clanging beneath their feet as they race skywards.

Gustav doesn't know why he's following Aled. He doesn't do this sort of thing. He doesn't follow other people around. He doesn't stick around for this long, mostly. And yet here he is, scraping his hand up the bannisters and pushing breathlessly at the door. Beautifully powerless, hideously unable to stop.

He stops when they're on the roof and looks at Aled for a second.

"Who are you, really?"

"I guess you don't know me, either."

Gus stares at Aled for a second and then grabs his shirt, suddenly seeming angry.

"COME ON."
It's as if he's trying to provoke a fight.

Aled is suddenly thrown into uncertainty. What to do, what to do? He stands perfectly still, arms straight down by his sides, and stares up into those eyes. Gus glares fiercely down at Aled, gripping his shirt roughly. He leans in and tells the younger man;

"I'll give you a headache you can't fix."

Aled continues to stare back at him, in not-quite-defiance. He leans his head forward until he can feel Gus' heavy breaths dance across his upper lip.
"This one's on your side."

Gustav trembles slightly, gripping Aled's shirt tighter, trying to be even harsher, nastier, anything that will push the boy away. Pushing him away would be easier than this.

Aled's back in his comfort zone now, however much he might be teetering on the edge of it. He brings a hand up to where Gustav grips his shirt front and rests it on top of Gus' own, smoothing his thumb across the clenched knuckles. Gus stares down at him, eyes wide, lost. He doesn't know what to do so he does nothing.

Aled smiles, more a smirk than a grin, and presses their mouths together. Victory.