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Dan sits on the edge of the roof.
It's the start of a bad joke—
A vigilante falls from grace just as he's begun to climb out of the trenches.
How Dan could've ever believed he'd get out of the depressing ditch that is, and has always been his life, is unbeknownst to him.
There's a quiet whoosh and Dan closes his eyes, annoyance teeming along his entire being.
He doesn't have to look to see who it is.
"I don't want you here, Cantus."
"Well, that's too bad."
Cantus comes and stands next to him. He takes a moment to scan their surroundings, humming aimlessly, before he sits.
Dan pointedly keeps his gaze averted.
"What happened tonight was not your fault," Cantus speaks, and in the back of Dan's mind, his powers ding truth, even though Dan himself knows it is a lie.
"Cantus," Dan starts, voice bitter and he has no energy to play games tonight. “You and I both know that’s not the case.”
"You know for someone who can tell when someone's lying, you're pretty shit at it yourself." Cantus tells him, blunt and Dan feels his hackles rise.
He turns to him, eyes piercing behind his domino mask into Cantus' winged mask who stares right back.
Suddenly the space between them feels too close and Dan feels his shoulders draw in. "You know what Cantus, I didn't ask for you to come here. I didn't ask for you to insult me. And I certainly didn't ask for you to give me your pity. So if you could please—”
Cantus puts a hand on Dan's shoulder and Dan feels himself shut up.
It's not really of his own accord. If he had it his way, he'd continue giving Cantus a piece of his mind, but his mouth has gone dry, his tongue suddenly limp, and his brain has decided to conveniently go blank.
"Ver. It's not your fault."
(Truth.)
Dan swallows.
"If you need me to tie you to a chair and repeat it 'til the moon sings, I'll do it."
(Truth.)
"I didn't know you were into that kinda thing," Dan says, and of course that's what his mouth decides to allow to come out of his mouth.
Cantus just smirks. "Oh, there's a lot you don't know about me."
(Truth.)
"Oh, yeah? Are you feeling particularly generous tonight?" Dan asks, and his voice is flat, doesn't hold the same tune that it normally carries for their dance, but Cantus follows just the same.
Cantus leans in, close enough that Dan can feel the heat of his breath and he just avoids shivering. "Oh, I'm feeling very generous."
(Truth.)
Dan doesn't know how he feels about that.
He decides to do what he always does best:
Ignore and distract.
“You have, uh, something on your mask.” Dan reaches up and flicks off a random speck of dirt on Cantus’ mask.
Cantus watches him the entire time, looking amused and like he doesn’t believe him one bit. “Is that so?”
“It is. It’s important to keep our masks clean, you know.” Dan tells him, the tension from the evening loosening just a bit as he falls back more comfortably into his persona.
“Oh, yes. Incredibly so. Thank you for letting me know.”
“Well, of course. We wouldn’t want you to carry on utterly unaware now, would we?”
“No, never.”
“Not at all.”
“It’d be considered blasphemy, I’m sure.”
“Of the highest order.”
“I’m indebted to you. How can I ever repay you?”
“I can think of a few different ways.”
“Mm? Wanna show me?”
And Dan,
For a moment—
For a stupid, stupid moment—
Considers leaning in right then and there.
His eyes flick to Cantus’ lips and he wants.
“Veritas?” Cantus asks and he sounds breathless.
Dan Rydell, always the man who takes and takes, and leaves his loved ones behind with nothing at all.
Dan breaks their stare, standing abruptly. He stumbles as he does so, tipping over the edge, and Cantus’ hands fly out to catch him.
“Hey, hey, hey. Slow down. ” Cantus’ charm slips through and Dan lets it wash over him, relishing in the feeling of it tickling his skin.
Dan pushes a breath out, and leans into Cantus hold. Everything in him wants to stay here forever, but he knows he has to leave. He can’t let this go too far. He can’t let him or Cantus get attached.
(He ignores the voice in his head that says it’s too late for that.)
“Veritas?”
Dan can’t stay here. He can’t—he can’t focus like this.
Dan breaks from Cantus’ hold, staggering back towards the fire-escape. “I’ll see you around, Cantus. Make—make sure that I don’t see another speck of dirt on your mask, next time, ‘kay?”
Cantus doesn’t smile. “Ver—”
“Goodnight, Cantus.” Dan turns around and—
“Veritas.”
Dan freezes.
On a good day, he’s resistant to his charm. On a good day, he wouldn’t even flinch.
This day is the farthest from a good day as physically possible.
Cantus catches up to him in two strides.
“Talk to me, Veritas.” Cantus says—no, begs and any resolve Dan had left withers to dust.
His shoulders begin to shake with the weight of all the emotions he’s been feverously repressing and his eyes sting.
“I can’t,” he whispers and it’s broken.
Cantus steps around and faces him, eyes piercing into his soul. “I know you can.”
“You wanna know something funny? The kid tried to warn me. He pointed behind me, eyes wide and scared, and—and—” His throat tightens, tears building in his system more and more, but the dam’s broken, and the words keep pouring. “And what did I do? I kept talking. I. Kept. Talking. Veritas, keeper of truths and killer of—”
Suddenly lips press against his, rough, desperate, and Dan can feel teeth knock against his own.
Cantus pulls back, just enough for him to speak. “You’re not a killer. Not of anyone or anything.”
Dan stares, dumbfounded.
“You are an idiot if you think otherwise. Come back to my place tonight. You shouldn’t be alone.” Cantus more or less orders Dan, but he doesn’t use his voice.
If Dan really wants to, he can ignore him. He can continue on his way and crawl back to his apartment and spend the rest of the night wallowing.
Dan stares into Cantus’ eyes through the mask.
“You really want me? Me? ”
“I do.”
(Truth.)
“I want all of you, Veritas.”
(Truth.)
Dan Rydell may be the man who takes more than he can ever give in return, but Cantus is just as greedy and willing to take.
And Dan…
Who is Dan to say no?
“Okay.”
“Okay.”
They don’t kiss again, though Dan can see the hunger that he feels reflecting in Cantus’ eyes, but Cantus grips his hand and doesn’t let go the entire way home.