Cass chuckled. 'I don't know, maybe we're just pragmatic about some things? And no, not everything takes a back seat to what we want, we're very much - or at least I'm very much aware of how the world works.'
He smiled. 'Why do you think I'm so against a relationship? With the extra shifts in my work, the danger, my inability to stop flirting with people - oh gods it would be a disaster. I'd screw everything up and even if I didn't...' he paused. 'You're not the only one who doesn't trust people easily. A relationship demands a whole lot of trust.'
Which was why when he he listened he knew it was utterly irrational to want to protest. The words Percy was speaking probably should have every alarm bell in his system go off, only the one thing that did go off was a deep unwillingness to stop. Which might be why he didn't let go of Percy's hand.
'Of course it matters what you want,' he said. 'And I never told you not to include your job in the calculation, Merlin knows I do,' he added with a smile. 'My job is a big part of what I want.'
He looked down at their hands, his thumb running lightly over Percy's skin before he squeezed it a moment. 'Maybe we just both need time to figure things out, and in the meantime...' He looked back up at Percy, meeting his gaze and right then the urge to reach out and pull him closer, to just kiss him senseless and forget about consequences and choices was so strong he could barely resist it. 'In the meantime we're just two friends who enjoy each other's company.'