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"Right, are you off?" Marnie asked, as James put on his jacket and Harry unlatched the front door, bag in hand.
"Where are you going?" Romeo asked from the sofa, surprised.
"They're going to the opera," Marnie enlightening him.
Romeo laughed. "Rather you than me," he scoffed in Harry's direction.
"I'm excited to try something new," Harry replied diplomatically. "Maybe you should branch out. We going?" he asked, turning back to James. James kissed Marnie goodbye and they headed to the car without exchanging words.
-
James paused before starting the engine. "You do... want to come?" he asked nervously.
Harry's heart broke a little at the worry and uncertainty etched across James' face. Did Harry really want to sit for three hours listening to music he didn't like, pretending he had a clue what was going on? Not really. Did he love James and want to share in something he was passionate about? Help him feel wanted rather than laughing at him and undermining his interests? Absolutely.
"I've had Puccini on my Spotify all week tryna brush up," he lied, a white lie and one he'd tell again and again if it made his man feel loved and secure.
James smiled, his eyes lowered shyly before looking up again at Harry, the back of his index finger tracing a line across his cheek.
"I love you," Harry said, no hint of a lie or exaggeration now. James reached behind his neck and kissed him, his mouth hot, his lips delicately attaching themselves to Harry's before going in for more. Harry responded full of desire, the desire to undo a lifetime of James being told he wasn't good enough, he wasn't valid or deserving. He curled his fingers behind James' ear, bringing him in closer, deeper, letting him know he was needed, wanted.
"You are gonna help me with the plot a bit, aren't you?" Harry knew that eliciting someone's help was a simple way of making them feel valued, reinforcing their self-worth.
"I'll buy you a programme," James responded cluelessly, Harry suppressing a laugh over the fact he'd expected James to read his cues. Harry sat back in his seat, a smile on his face still from the laughter inside.
"Thank you, Harry," James said earnestly, a bit embarrassed.
Harry shook his head, dismissing it. "No need."
"I love you."
Harry put his hand on James' thigh and gave it a squeeze, James breaking his heart yet again by quickly placing his hand on top and holding it down ever so gently so he wouldn't let go, as if that was what he expected.
Harry separated his fingers so James' would slot between them. They sat there like this for thirty seconds or more before James lifted his hand away and patted Harry's thigh. "To your education," he smiled and off they went.
-
They arrived home the next day, Harry stopping James as he put his key in the lock.
"Thank you, James. I loved every minute of it."
And he had. The plot itself was, true, difficult to follow but the music sounded much better than he'd imagined in the plush, circular hall and, sat in the boxes to the side, it was easy to keep subtly glancing over at James as he cried, and marvelled, and breathed it in. It was that which had increased his enjoyment tenfold, watching his boyfriend be so moved by it, and he too by extension.
James hadn't been wholly taken in by Harry's display earlier in the day so felt he had to make the trip worth his while by taking them out for some wine and tapas afterwards. James, perhaps due to the emotion of the opera, had got tipsy quite quickly despite them drinking at the same pace and he even stumbled a little when they entered their hotel room. They'd had fun, awake for a while longer before falling asleep, James on his front with his hand on Harry's wet stomach.
Back in the present, James smiled and finally turned the key to open the door. The sight of Marnie and Romeo in the same positions they were in when they'd left them, in the kitchen and on the sofa respectively, was comical and ridiculous at the same time and Harry laughed to himself as James went to greet his mother.
"How was it?" Romeo asked.
"Really, really good," Harry replied, his gaze diverting to the kitchen just in time to see Marnie give James a big smile and see James' face light up in response.