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Habit was not a pleasant creature to be around. He was so unbearably twitchy, volatile to the point that Vinny felt his hairs stand on end when he entered the room.
In the early days, Vinny learned how to walk on eggshells, avoid topics that made Habit's eyes flare up and fists clench. Even the most insignificant of things could get him snarled at or hit. He generally kept to himself, didn't bother Habit first unless absolutely necessary, shut himself in his room with his camera and editing software. Solace was found in pouring through emails and YouTube comments with the excuse that maybe somewhere in there were answers. Deep down Vinny knew there wasn't.
But the years took their toll. Such little sleep and so much torment had its effects. His responses got shorter and snappier, he learned how to bite back just enough to make his point and still keep his head on his shoulders. There were inevitably times where Vinny pushed it too far, said the wrong thing at the wrong time and Habit was sure to let him know, he had the scars to show for it.
A particularly bad week for the both of them had been steadily filling the apartment with a thick air of tension. Vinny had barely managed to get any sleep between Habit's demands and his own tasks, leaving him with a short temper and even shorter patience. So when the evening hit and Vinny realised there was nothing left to do, he knew exactlyhow he was spending it. Sleeping. He was going to collapse into bed and crash, preferably not wake up for another day, maybe ever, and nothing could stop him.
At least, that was the plan. Habit caught Vinny before he even reached his bedroom. "Vinny!" That sinister smile splitting Evan's face, arms open wide, a recipe for disaster no matter how Vinny looked at it. His face dropped in anticipation of whatever was to come. "Got a little project going on, I need you to film something," demanding as ever, Habit brought his hands to his hips, blocking the hall and evoking a groan of annoyance from Vinny.
A sharp inhale, eyes screwing tightly shut, Vinny released a heavy breath. He couldn't deal with this tonight of all nights. "I don't want to."
Habit's smile faltered, playful demeanor snapping off in an instant. "Excuse me?"
"I said- I can't be bothered, Habit. I'm tired. Can't this wait until tomorrow? Or better yet, get one of those things to do it," he waved a hand vaguely about, gesturing to the idea of somewhere, wherever those camera freaks may be lurking.
"Vinny," Habit balked in disbelief, "you don't get to just say no when I tell you to do something like this. I point, you film, that's how this whole thing works."
"Whatever you want filmed can either wait or if it's that important, do it yourself. I haven't slept properly in weeks," he restated, emphasising his distress and exhaustion. "Tonight is-"
Habit lunged before Vinny got a chance to finish, hands balling up in his shirt so tightly that the fabric threatened to tear under the force. Together they surged forward until Vinny collided with the wall, the sudden impact sending a spike of pain through his spine.
"Get off-"
Baring sharp teeth and puffing hot breath out against Vinny's skin, Habit glared up through furrowed brows, intense and unwavering. Vinny recognised the situation well, Habit caging him in against the wall, hands tightly gripping his shirt. It rarely spelled well. There was still a dull ache in his shoulder from last time.
"Are you in charge here, Vin? Did I miss a memo or something?" Habit leaned in close, mere inches from Vinny. "Because as far as I know, I'm the one who makes the rules. I say what goes. You," Habit punctuated his point with a hand moving up to squeeze against Vinny's neck, "don't get to make the demands here."
Vinny made an attempt to speak up, only to be immediately silenced by a particularly inhuman snarl. Habit dove in for his neck, lips against skin, trailing up with the flat of his tongue following the pulsing line of his artery. Vinny half expected him to bite down, for his blood to end up spraying against the wall- he'd seen Habit rip someone open that easily before- but thankfully that feeling never came. There was barely a grazing of teeth. Vinny could almost mistake it as loving if it weren't for the hand firm against his throat.
An involuntary gasp slipped from Vinny as Habit's mouth came to rest around his earlobe, sucking and pulling with his teeth, so uncharacteristically gentle that Vinny's sleep-deprived mind almost forgot the situation he was in. It was tender, domestic, something Vinny could only dream of these days. Evan's name was lingering at the tip of his tongue, his face at the front of his mind. If he really tried he could imagine this was him; Evan's deft hands on him, Evan's body flush against his own, Evan's breath hot on his ear-
Suddenly there's a change, a rumble in Habit's throat that started like a laugh. His teeth latched onto the stud pierced through Vinny's earlobe. Oh, he thought, oh no, no, no- His pleading never even got a chance to pass his lips before Habit pulled, Vinny's hands flying up to push at his shoulders in a panic.
The sound of soft flesh tearing came first, then the pain. A searing hurt that radiated out from his ear until his whole face was paralysed. Vinny felt as though his whole ear was about to be ripped clean off, the hand on his neck sliding upwards to grip his hair and hold him firmly in place as he pulled in the opposite direction. A wet, sticky warmth trickled down his neck, soaking into the collar of his shirt as Vinny gagged on the pain.
The rip of his ear is slow, and Vinny is positive that it's intentional. He's sure Habit could rip it out in a second if he so pleased, but that would be far too merciful. Tears were welling in his eyes within moments, fat droplets rolling down his cheeks and into his beard. His mouth remained half open as he choked on a sob, any words caught in his throat as his hands shook against Habit's shoulders.
At long last, the pressure tugging at Vinny's ear disappeared, though the agony didn't subside as quickly. His head lolled to the side, mouth still agape and chest rising and falling in a shaky pattern. Each deep breath of air seemed to give some relief, but Vinny couldn't tell if it was actually helping of if numbness was setting in. Unfortunately the initial shock dying down allowed a few coherent thoughts and other sensations to flood back into his mind, providing the awful realisation that the pain sent a familiar buzz to the rest of his body. He really didn't need that, not now.
Habit finally pulled back, lips and chin dripping with blood, and turned to the side to spit out the small steel stud from between his teeth. He wiped- more smeared, really- the red from his chin, licking it from his fingers and lips in a grotesque, mesmerising display. The remaining pain helped distract Vinny from how it all made him feel.
If Vinny didn't know any better, he'd say Habit was getting a bit of a buzz from it all too. His grip on Vinny tightened and loosened erratically, eyes unable to settle in any one place for too long. For a moment Vinny saw him staring hungrily at his other piercings and his stomach twisted into knots. So many feelings balled up inside of him, mingling into a hideous and indistinguishable mess of pain and pleasure and fear and want. He wanted to push that ball of emotion down, pretend it didn't exist in the first place, or better yet spit it up and remove it from himself entirely.
Finally Habit seemed to gather himself enough to speak, though his eyes were still glossed over and words uttered in a breathy tone that unfortunately really did things to Vinny. "Are we clear, Vin? Are you gonna do as I fucking say and point your little camera where I need it?"
Vinny downright whimpered, nodding short and fast. He wasn't sure if it was the fear or hopeful anticipation of more, but fuck his mind was reeling.
"That's my good boy," Habit gripped Vinny's face by his chin, nails digging into skin. A violent collision of lips against lips, teeth knocking together in a painful mockery of a kiss. Vinny's fingers twisted in Habit's sleeves, unsure whether to push away or pull closer, eventually settling on simply holding on for dear life. Habit's tongue searched around his mouth, over his teeth and gums and tongue, disgusting and invasive and so fucking good that Vinny couldn't help but moan around it.
The metallic tang of his own blood washed around his mouth, sticking to the back of his throat. For a very brief second Vinny could almost understand why Habit seemed to love the taste so much. It was heady, addictive, absolutely vile- Vinny wanted more. Wanted Habit to cut him open and let the red pour out, to lick it up and feed it back to him. Fuck, fuck, fuck, Vinny didn't want to think about how hard that thought made him.
Searing pain abruptly burst out from the warmth as Habit's teeth came down hard on his bottom lip. Vinny couldn't choke down the noise in his throat. It came out somewhere between a pained yelp and a moan, a pathetic drawn out whine. Still, he pushed forwards into Habit, desperate for more. More touching, more tongue, more hurt; it didn't matter when it was all blurred into one, the only thought in his head was a hazy voice saying 'more'. He gripped Habit tighter, tugging their bodies flush together against the wall. Habit continued to chew and suck at his lip, drawing out every drop he could until he at last pulled away, apparently satisfied.
"Please-" Vinny heard himself sob, not entirely sure of what he was begging for himself. "Habit, please-"
Habit huffed out a breath from his nose and dropped Vinny's face like he was suddenly the most repulsive creature on the planet, stepping back. Vinny was left to support himself against the wall, aching and brimming with need, looking down at the other with glassy, pleading eyes. All he got was Habit creating more distance between them, grinning and laughing wildly.
"You're a sick boy, Vinny," a cackle tore Vinny from his thoughts, looking up to see Habit's tongue darting out to catch the blood upon his own lips. "Go get the camera."
His gaze fell back down again with a sniffle and a wipe of his tears. Wiping his mouth with the back of his hand, Vinny pulled it away to see a bright stain of claret. He bit down on the split lip and had to swallow down the groan that came with it. Sick boy . Fuck, Habit was right. He needed to go sort himself out.