There doesn't seem to be a lot of Cassie/Adam around here yet, so I don't know if people even wanna read that. I just can't write non-canon-pairings, so give it a try. It's fairly short for now.

Also, English isn't my native language but I'm fairly comfortable with it. Still, if anything sounds off, please let me know.

Set between the car-ride and closing the circle

Cassie lowered her head in embarrassment and sucked in a slow, deep breath as quietly as possible before she stuck out her chin in petulant defiance. She had never been someone to repress her emotions, but usually she had fared well with 'Can't change what just happened, so why dwell on it…' She had really tried to keep her emotions in check around Adam but apparently that still didn't quite work. Exploding streetlights! What was next? Yet another reason to bind that stupid circle.

Next to her, Adam was driving towards the beach now. They had to bind the circle. He could feel himself almost slipping off the edge time and again. His control was waning, like just now. He was good at pretending problems were easily fixable while looking them straight in the eye, and thereby creating his very own self-fulfilling prophecy. But since Cassie had arrived that obviously didn't work anymore. For now, he was in control again. For now. His senses seemed to have gotten used to Cassie's presence in the car after the assault they had endured when she sat down less than two feet from him. But now, he could feel her tension rolling off of her much stronger than anyone probably should be able to. When he looked at her from the corner of his eyes, she was determinedly staring out the window.

They didn't speak until Adam parked the car next to Faye's and Diana's on the outskirts of the woods that led to the lake. He took a shaky, last breath of her before they both opened the doors. They slowly and quietly rounded the car; Cassie because she wanted him to take the lead without actually having to talk to him and Adam so he could try to decipher her mood. It couldn't just be her nervousness over binding the circle, could it? As they came closer to the opening in the woods Cassie could see the bonfire through the branches and suddenly decided her new strategy would be getting this over as fast as possible.

"Cassie wait," Adam called, taking her hand and effectively stopping her although she still stubbornly kept her body turned away from him. Holding her hand now, he could feel the current running through and between them even stronger than the other times. They should become used to it over time, but, instead of dissipating, their connection just seemed to be getting more distinct every time they touched.

"God, why is this so hard," Adam thought without realizing he'd released the words with a gush of air.

"I'm sorry," Cassie whispered back ruefully while trying not to focus on the warmth of his hand.

"What about," he asked going around her to face her but she still averted her eyes.

"Making that streetlamp explode. I didn't even feel it," she answered defiantly staring into the shady forest.

Adam put his head into the line of her vision causing Cassie to simply close her eyes. "Believe me," he said his deep voice even more soothingly than usual, "you didn't. That one wasn't you." He gave her a small smile as her eyes shot open in sceptical surprise. He lifted his hand to cradle the side of her neck now that she was finally looking at him and understanding. Cassie took a stuttering breath as the so far most intimate touch tripled the aching pounding in her stomach and chest, and she involuntarily closed her eyes.

That seemed to break the spell if not the connection and Adam put his hand away from her head. He forced himself to also let go of her other hand, although he couldn't bring himself to step away from her completely.

Cassie's eyes shot up to his almost thankfully for a second, but then she guarded herself again. "Let's get this over with," she breathed out, shaking herself internally, and shuffled along next to him trough the woods, careful not to trip and stumble into his side.

I do plan to continue this and I have collected quite a few ideas for future scenes. However, sadly my experience tells me that actually sitting down and writing the next chapter is a whole different issue once I've gotten the worst out of my system. So, if I can actually bring myself to find time and continue this, it will probably be an assortment of one-shots following a storyline, and the show to some extent (in between different scenes and episodes), until it takes on a life of its own. If that makes sense…

Review if you like.