[ credence gives too much of himself and that's part of the problem. it's why if everything graves did had been utterly predatory, eating away at him, he'd just have nothing left. but this is... different, and he knows that.
the fingers in his hair are nice, but his attention is taken by their foreheads being pressed together. he closes his eyes with a hum since trying to look from this close a proximity is just a blurry mess. he's in this moment of comfort when graves speaks and credence startles visibly and tangibly, pulling his head back enough to stare at him wide-eyed. somehow, he'd never thought anything would actually transpire outside these walls. ]
I--you're not well enough to leave yet, what if we get caught? She'll kill you, I know it, I don't want anything to happen to you, if it's that or suffer here I'd rather suffer--
[ he pauses, trying to calm himself, taking a couple of slow breaths and looking at him properly again, searching.
[ this is different; this is definitely different from graves' preliminary intentions -- to seduce the boy to ensure his safety. no, it's become more than that, love blossoming from the imperative to survive. he's asked something reckless of credence, something he knows the boy has never contemplated before. he can sense it in the surprise and the fear, and it's impressive how he contains himself after.
then again, isn't that already a part of credence's nature, that self-restraint beaten into him by years of discipline? graves watches him, fascinated by the play of emotions across his face, but that relief and pleasure is short-lived. ]
I don't want you to suffer, Credence. Not anymore. [ his hands come to cup his face, his expression turning serious, sober. ] I've heard you crying, I've heard what she does to you, seen the marks on your skin. I won't let you suffer anymore. [ he leans up to kiss him softly, slowly. ] Let me take care of you. We can run away where they can't find us. Pretend we are cousins.
[ somehow credence keeps himself calm enough to not dart away, to not try to put distance between them so that graves will stop asking him dangerous things, will stop risking his own life just to help credence. credence, who is simply a sinful young man that loves someone he's not supposed to, isn't worth dying over. how could he be? the mere thought of it is preposterous.
instead he leans into the older man's touch, brow furrowed with worry. ] I don't want anything to happen to you. [ he repeats it, sounding very small. like he had so many months ago. ] Please. I'm used to it. I just want you to be safe. [ but as he melts into that kiss, returning it and resting his hands at graves' shoulders, he knows what his real answer is. ] You'd really take me away from here? Take care of me?
[ do they look alike enough to be cousins? that's not important right now. more important is his sudden thought: ] We can't let her hurt my sisters. [ he kisses him again though, deeper, fervent. he loves graves so much, he knows. nothing will change that.
(somewhere, mary lou is prowling and looking for her son. it's past time for him to work at his other chores.) ]
[ graves will not stop -- not when he knows that credence is who he wants; and graves at a young age has understood that what he wants, he will eventually get. credence is a young man worth loving, worth spending time with; his company as precious as any jewel buffed and honed to a sparkle. ]
Yes, I will. We'll come back for your sisters when it's safe.
[ because it's the one thing that makes most sense -- they can't travel far or fast enough if he brings the two of them with them; they will first find a place for themselves to settle down, then come back and bring them back. he reaches up and cups his face, kissing him softly. he's oblivious to what lurks outside, the trouble brimming on the horizon. the door is closed but not locked, but credence can always be relied to care for the stranger even if graves is well enough to be out and about on his own.
his hands come up to his waist, and graves aches to have him again; not under cover of night but in the light of day. in the silence of the house, perhaps they can squeeze in a quick session, can't they? there's a gleam in graves' eyes when he looks back at him again. ] We'll find a farm, live off the land. You'll be free then -- free to love me, and be loved. Kiss me again, my love.
[ credence smiles softly and even this small thing is like the sun coming out from behind a cloud. there's nothing short of adoration in his eyes, the way he looks down at him as though he's the whole world. his fingertips trace the lines of graves' face, his jaw, his cheekbones, down the side of his neck. unerringly affectionate, somehow in this bleak place credence has blossomed into his own even if he's still young and frightened.
he's always so happy to return every kiss that graves will grant him, pouring his emotions into all of them. ] It sounds wonderful. Too good to be real. [ but don't most things? someone like graves had seemed too good to be real too. credence recognizes that look in his lover's eyes with the request and he clicks his tongue once, shifting to settle properly on his lap. ] Kiss me, he says, as though an innocent lamb asking for affection. [ teasing - something he never would have done all that time ago. now, he happily leans down to kiss graves again, hands smoothing over his chest and eyes lidding shut. it's a deeper kiss, open-mouthed, his tongue flicking out against graves' lower lip coaxingly.
he's hunched over graves, seated directly in his lap, and he's still in that position when the door clicks open without so much as a knock. there doesn't need to be: credence hears the latch and it's as though an entire basin of freezing water has been poured over him - he tenses, hunches forward more, squeezes his eyes shut. maybe it's his sisters. he hasn't prayed in so long but he does now.
the voice that speaks is unmistakably mary lou, devoid of any of the false friendliness that had been present in her before. ]
![[personal profile]](https://www.dreamwidth.org/img/silk/identity/user.png){kind=small}
no subject
the fingers in his hair are nice, but his attention is taken by their foreheads being pressed together. he closes his eyes with a hum since trying to look from this close a proximity is just a blurry mess. he's in this moment of comfort when graves speaks and credence startles visibly and tangibly, pulling his head back enough to stare at him wide-eyed. somehow, he'd never thought anything would actually transpire outside these walls. ]
I--you're not well enough to leave yet, what if we get caught? She'll kill you, I know it, I don't want anything to happen to you, if it's that or suffer here I'd rather suffer--
[ he pauses, trying to calm himself, taking a couple of slow breaths and looking at him properly again, searching.
then: ] Yes. Yes, of course.
no subject
then again, isn't that already a part of credence's nature, that self-restraint beaten into him by years of discipline? graves watches him, fascinated by the play of emotions across his face, but that relief and pleasure is short-lived. ]
I don't want you to suffer, Credence. Not anymore. [ his hands come to cup his face, his expression turning serious, sober. ] I've heard you crying, I've heard what she does to you, seen the marks on your skin. I won't let you suffer anymore. [ he leans up to kiss him softly, slowly. ] Let me take care of you. We can run away where they can't find us. Pretend we are cousins.
no subject
instead he leans into the older man's touch, brow furrowed with worry. ] I don't want anything to happen to you. [ he repeats it, sounding very small. like he had so many months ago. ] Please. I'm used to it. I just want you to be safe. [ but as he melts into that kiss, returning it and resting his hands at graves' shoulders, he knows what his real answer is. ] You'd really take me away from here? Take care of me?
[ do they look alike enough to be cousins? that's not important right now. more important is his sudden thought: ] We can't let her hurt my sisters. [ he kisses him again though, deeper, fervent. he loves graves so much, he knows. nothing will change that.
(somewhere, mary lou is prowling and looking for her son. it's past time for him to work at his other chores.) ]
no subject
Yes, I will. We'll come back for your sisters when it's safe.
[ because it's the one thing that makes most sense -- they can't travel far or fast enough if he brings the two of them with them; they will first find a place for themselves to settle down, then come back and bring them back. he reaches up and cups his face, kissing him softly. he's oblivious to what lurks outside, the trouble brimming on the horizon. the door is closed but not locked, but credence can always be relied to care for the stranger even if graves is well enough to be out and about on his own.
his hands come up to his waist, and graves aches to have him again; not under cover of night but in the light of day. in the silence of the house, perhaps they can squeeze in a quick session, can't they? there's a gleam in graves' eyes when he looks back at him again. ] We'll find a farm, live off the land. You'll be free then -- free to love me, and be loved. Kiss me again, my love.
no subject
he's always so happy to return every kiss that graves will grant him, pouring his emotions into all of them. ] It sounds wonderful. Too good to be real. [ but don't most things? someone like graves had seemed too good to be real too. credence recognizes that look in his lover's eyes with the request and he clicks his tongue once, shifting to settle properly on his lap. ] Kiss me, he says, as though an innocent lamb asking for affection. [ teasing - something he never would have done all that time ago. now, he happily leans down to kiss graves again, hands smoothing over his chest and eyes lidding shut. it's a deeper kiss, open-mouthed, his tongue flicking out against graves' lower lip coaxingly.
he's hunched over graves, seated directly in his lap, and he's still in that position when the door clicks open without so much as a knock. there doesn't need to be: credence hears the latch and it's as though an entire basin of freezing water has been poured over him - he tenses, hunches forward more, squeezes his eyes shut. maybe it's his sisters. he hasn't prayed in so long but he does now.
the voice that speaks is unmistakably mary lou, devoid of any of the false friendliness that had been present in her before. ]
Credence.
[ credence is trembling, afraid to look up. ]