Work Text:
It is the first of September and Draco is just leaving for work when he notices that someone is finally moving into the vacant flat across the hallway. He grips the handle on his leather briefcase tightly as he attempts to maneuver through the hallway which is currently full of more people than he is quite sure that floor has ever seen at one time. It sets his nerves on edge and for reasons beyond his control he is convinced that this new neighbor is going to disturb his life, he can just feel it.
On his way to the lift he notices a rather tall, gangly looking redhead wearing a threadbare jumper and an old looking pair of trainers helping an even taller man with dark skin, brown eyes and strong looking arms carry a rather large, squashy looking red sofa down the hallway. Trailing behind them is a rather plain, if not slightly handsome man with short brown hair carrying several house plants and looking a bit worried as he steps around Draco with a quick nod of his head before hastily heading into the empty apartment.
“Oi wait for me you prats!” Another young man yells, sprinting by Draco so fast he almost knocks him over. All he has time to notice about him is an obnoxiously loud Irish accent and an apparent lack of ability to move at a normal speed.
“Watch where you’re going!” He yells, shaking his head.
A hollered “sorry, mate!” is all he hears before the man also disappears through the open apartment door. He spares one last glance at the two guys attempting to fit the red sofa through the narrow doorway before he makes his way down the rest of the hallway.
He stands there for a few minutes waiting for the lift to appear and bitterly wondering which of the four men are actually moving in. When the lift finally opens with a soft ding he’s surprised to see two more girls coming out and he can tell immediately where they’re headed.
“Lovely weather we’re having, perfect for a picnic don’t you think?” The girl on the left tells him as if she knows him. Draco takes in her strangely matched outfit and long blonde hair as she exits the lift, and as she does he notices her carrying what looks like a strange triangle shaped wind chime. Draco glances out the window beside the elevator and sees the sky is just as stormy and grey as the first time he’d looked outside this morning and wonders who in their right mind would find this ideal picnic weather.
The girl doesn’t even seem to notice that Draco isn’t going to respond and just smiles at him as she begins to walk down the hallway backwards.
“Morning,” the other girl says kindly, shifting a heavy looking box in her arms. Her clothes look far more put together and practical than the other girl and he doesn’t think the two girls could possibly look more different. “Do you live here then? It’s a beautiful building. Did you know there’s an entire book written on its history. I checked it out weeks ago from the library for a bit of light reading when I found out about the move.”
“Are you the one moving in then?” Draco asks, unable to hide his curiosity.
“No, I’m not, that’d be - ” but who it is Draco never finds out as a loud crash comes out of the no longer empty flat. “Oh they’re going to break something! Nice meeting you!” She yells before hurrying down the hallway and yelling “Ronald I told you not to open any of the boxes until I’d organized them properly!”
“Right,” Draco mumbles to himself, stepping into the lift and reaching to press the ground floor button. As the doors begin to shut Draco is already mentally going over his list of to-dos for the day when he hears someone shouting to hold the lift. He looks up just in time to see yet another different young man who just manages to sneak himself in between the closing doors with quick reflexes, shimming in sideways just before the doors shut with an audible pop.
“Thanks, mate.”
“Anytime,” Draco answers, inwardly thinking he hadn’t actually done anything, but one look at the other occupant has him biting down several other responses. He watches as the other man bounces lightly on his feet, seemingly unable to stay still. He has jet black hair that seems to shoot out all over his head yet somehow manages to look unnervingly like he’s just been shagged rather than messy. He also wears thick, dark framed glasses and when he turns to look at Draco his breath nearly catches at the intensity of his green eyes.
“Sorry about the ruckus in the hallway earlier. I could hear a bit of what was going on from inside. My friends are just helping me move in today and some of them get a bit carried away,” he says, and Draco finds that he quite likes the sound of his voice.
Draco feels his stomach dip and he tries not to smile too much at the discovery that he will be the one moving in. Perhaps getting a new neighbor won’t be an entirely unpleasant experience after all. "It was nothing, really. So you live alone then?“ he asks, hoping he doesn’t sound as obvious as he feels.
"Yeah just me, well and sometimes-” though what sometimes means Draco never finds out as the lift doors open. The other man laughs softly, smiling at Draco as they both step out into the lobby of the apartment building.
“Right, well it was nice meeting you, er-”
“Draco.”
“Ah I’m Harry. just Harry.” He shrugs, as if being just Harry might somehow be disappointing, and shoves his hands into his pockets. “Guess I’ll see you around then.” And he’s off with a wave, heading towards the moving truck parked just outside the main doors. Draco spends several extra minutes outside fiddling with his briefcase and pretending to be busy as he watches the other man grab several heavy boxes and carry them into the building, noting the way his arm muscles contract and the muscles in his back show through his thin t-shirt at the heavy load and he can’t help but grin to himself.
When he finally gets to work that morning several people ask him what he’s smiling about, but he shakes his head and refuses to answer.
Just Harry, he thinks to himself.
*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~
The next few days seem to pass in a blur for Draco who, despite his deepest desires, does not in fact run into Harry immediately. He finds himself particularly swamped at work, leaving earlier than ever and returning home far too late for his own liking.
It isn’t until Sunday morning, as he’s standing in the hallway reaching for the newspaper on his doormat that he hears the adjacent door opening. Straightening up he leans back against his own door frame and takes in the scene before him.
Harry looks like he’s just woken up as he yawns, his eyes squeezing shut as he rubs his hands over his face and through his impossibly unruly hair. He’s not wearing a shirt and the pants he is wearing are a particularly endearing pair of red striped fleece pajama bottoms that hang so low on his hips Draco thinks it should be illegal, revealing so much golden skin; Harry has broad shoulders and a smooth, flat stomach with a soft looking trail of dark curls leading from just below his belly button down beneath his waistband.
“Morning,” Draco says with a smirk, moving his hands to hold his newspaper in front of him to hide his predicament.
Harry jumps, blinking several times and then flushing crimson red as he looks at Draco.
“Couldn’t find a shirt in all your moving boxes?”
Harry barks out a bit of laughter, seeming to lose a bit of embarrassment at the obvious teasing. “Can’t say I expected to run into anyone out here.”
“You ought to be careful, you never know what kinds of dangerous people you might meet in hallways.”
Harry’s smile drops a bit and he licks his lips, glancing down to the precariously placed newspaper and back up to his face and this time it is Draco who can feel himself beginning to blush. “Are you dangerous, Draco?”
“Not unless I want to be.”
“And what if someone else wants you to be?” Harry asks and Draco has to take a steadying breath because it’s way too early in the morning for the kind of arousal this is causing.
“Guess they’d have to find out,” he finally answers, winking at Harry and quickly retreating back into his apartment.
“Fuck,” he mutters, dropping the newspaper and thumping his head back against the wall.
It was at that moment that Draco decided that Harry was probably going to be the death of him.
~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~
The rest of September passes by fairly quickly. With Draco’s work load lightening up slightly he finds that isn’t required to be in the office quite so early, and instead he finds himself making more and more excuses to leave for work late in the hopes of catching Harry on his way out of his apartment.
Most days he doesn’t see him, but on a good day he manages to catch Harry at his front door bleary eyed and adorable, searching for his paper. Draco is rather disappointed to notice however that after that first encounter Harry always wears a shirt, though he can’t help but wonder if Harry only owns shirts that are at least a size too small or if perhaps he’s doing it on purpose just to drive Draco insane. Because the shirts never do anything to hide what Draco now knows is beneath them and Harry’s bottoms are always a bit too big which only highlights the fact that his shirts are too small which leaves a strip of golden skin showing in the gap between his top and bottom and its all Draco can do not to reach out to touch it some days.
Although if he’s honest he suspects it’s more accidental since from the few encounters they have had, he gets the distinct impression that the other man has absolutely no idea how captivating he is. Which is something Draco absolutely cannot understand. For as along as he can remember he was raised to understand his own worth, and yet Harry does not. It intrigues him and confuses him.
That first day they’d met in the lift Draco had thought to himself, “I want to fuck this man.” Yet as the weeks fly by, the air turning colder and the leaves outside changing colors, he finds his own feelings shifting just as much as the weather. It is slightly unnerving since Draco can’t recall the last time he’d wanted something and not tried to take it immediately. But something feels different, though he can’t put his finger on exactly what it is.
It is the first of October when Draco thinks, “I want to know this man.”
Draco is on his way back to his flat, trudging down the hallway and wanting nothing more than to throw himself face first down onto his sofa and never move again when he hears laughter. As he rounds the corner leading to his flat he stops short at the sight before him. Harry is in the hallway, holding up a small child that looks no more than three or four and together they seem to be taping things to Harry’s front door.
Not entirely sure why, Draco hangs back, peeking around the corner curiously, somehow incredibly conscious not to be spotted.
“Are you sure you want that one there?” Harry asks.
The small boy nods, kicking his legs and bouncing in Harry’s arms. “Here!” He laughs, tapping an empty place on the door just above the handle. He watches as Harry nods and tapes up a rather badly cut out drawing of an orange pumpkin covered in an obscene amount of glitter. Once they’re done with that one they move on to another one and Draco notices the floor seems to be covered in different Halloween pictures.
“This one next, Harry! It’s my favorite like you!” The boy says happily handing Harry a picture of what Draco can only guess is supposed to be a large black dog with two heads. They spend the next half hour covering almost the entire door in the little boys drawings and Draco simply watches, finding himself unwillingly to intrude on whatever it is that’s going on.
He watches the tenderness with which Harry handles the boy; kissing his head and praising each one of the pictures, patiently allowing him to choose the position of each one and several times acting out a funny scene for no reason.
“Alright Teddy, last one. Where do you want this one to go?” Harry asks holding up a drawing that looks like a snake.
Teddy, for obviously that’s his name, looks around at the door which by now doesn’t have a single free space on it, before glancing over at Draco’s bare door across the hall. “There!” Teddy shouts confidently.
“Ah, Teddy, that’s not our door. I’m not sure Draco would like us decorating it without asking.”
Draco feels something clench in his stomach at the idea of Harry using his name so casually as if they were friends.
Teddy frowns, looking confused. “But you said you liked him! I heard you tell Uncle Ron when you thought I was napping.”
Draco nearly chokes on his surprise, and forces himself not to laugh at the gobsmacked expression on Harry’s face. And there it is again, that feeling in his stomach, not so much a fluttering now, more like the feeling you get when someone punches you.
“Right….right. I did think you were sleeping,” Harry admits, blushing furiously. “I do like Draco, but I don’t know if he- never mind Teddy you’re four you don’t need to know this.”
“I heard Aunt Hermione tell Uncle Ron it’s ok if you have urges when you weren’t in the room, they thought I was sleeping too. She says you’re a walking poster child for someone who needs love. But I’m not sure what that means.”
At this Draco nearly loses it, covering his own mouth with his hand to stifle his soft laughter not sure if he’s more amused by this young boy who seems to say exactly as he thinks, or by the ridiculous way Harry seems to be trying to decide whether he could disappear.
“Alright, enough of that. No more pretending to be asleep to listen to grown up conversations.”
Teddy just shrugs, and Draco gets the distinct impression that is not the first time something like that has happened.
“Can we put my picture on Draco’s door. Please, Harry? Please! His door looks sad.”
Harry for his part still looks highly uncomfortable and seems unable to tell the little boy no. “Alright, alright…. we can put it up but don’t be surprised if he wants to take it down alright, Teddy.”
He watches as Harry ruffles Teddy’s hair affectionately, before taping the drawing to his own door. He then bends down to pick him up easily swinging him onto his hip and carrying him back inside their own apartment.
Once Draco is sure they’re staying inside, he finally makes his way down the rest of the hallway and pauses to look at the drawing on his door running his fingers along the crudely drawn snake. Something about it makes him smile.
Draco does not take the drawing down.
~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~
A few days later while on his way to work he once again manages to catch Harry opening his front door. This time he makes sure to take an extra few seconds locking his door, just in case.
“Good morning, Harry.”
Harry looks up and smiles at Draco. “Morning.”
“Nice pants.” Draco wonders where on earth he managed to find pajamas for adults that are covered in dinosaurs.
Harry laughs, shaking his head softly. “My godson, Teddy, picked them out for me. He’s-”
“I’m Teddy!” A small voice shouts, darting out from the open door in a pair of his own dinosaur print pajamas clutching a stuffed wolf.
“Nice to meet you, Teddy. I’m Draco.” He holds out his hand and Teddy laughs again.
“You’re funny!” He tells him, taking Draco’s hand and waving it around madly in his own.
“Did you like my drawing? I made it special. Harry got me lots of colors and paper and I did them all myself and we decorated…only your door was plain and sad so we put one on your door and Harry said you might take it off but you didn’t! Is it cause you liked it? I might be an artist one day. Harry says I can be anything.”
Draco just blinks, not at all used to the rapid way children’s brains work. “Yeah I liked it. It was a very fine snake,” he finally says and this seems to be the right answer because Teddy just smiles and nods before turning and heading back into Harry’s apartment. “Bye, Draco,” he yells on his way back inside.
“He’s not shy,” Harry says smiling and Draco can’t help but laugh.
“Yeah I did notice that.”
“I was surprised. That you didn’t take it down I mean, and sorry we didn’t ask first. Teddy was just so set on the idea I didn’t have the heart to tell him no.”
“It’s alright, I don’t mind. I might have noticed you guys putting it on my door and I didn’t want to disappoint him.” Draco leaves out the part about how it’d made him feel to know that Harry had been talking about him.
“Er….you saw us?” Harry questions looking decidedly nervous all the sudden.
“I was just coming down the hallway as you did it and was going to say hi when you went inside in you must have just missed me,” he lies, finding himself somehow unwillingly to embarrass either himself or Harry by confessing. Besides, something about that had seemed special and Draco finds himself oddly reluctant to let go of it.
“Of course, well it was awfully nice of you. Anyway Teddy’s my godson. I think I said that already but yeah….his parents died not long after he was born and he lives with his grandmother. They were out of the country for a few weeks on holiday while I moved. I’d wanted to make sure the flat was all set up for him when he got back. I take him most weekends to give his grandmother a break and the odd day here and there during the week when I can. I’d happily take him all the time but I’m afraid the life of a young bachelor isn’t exactly the best for him and he loves his grandmother terribly. I probably spoil him a bit too much when I do get him, but I love him like he was my own and I don’t really have any family except Teddy and my mates.” He stops talking suddenly, looking self conscious, and running his hand through his hair.
Draco isn’t sure why Harry has told him so much, but he finds himself soaking up the information as if it were precious.
“It’s just me and my parents. Don’t get me wrong they were very doting when I was a child, though my fathers opinions on what I should do with my life bordered on quite oppressive as I got older. All the same, I understand what it’s like not to have a large family….to treasure the few people you do care about.” This time Draco isn’t sure why he is talking, or divulging something so personal in the middle of the apartment hallway, all while he is making himself later and later for work yet again. All he does know is that something is changing.
He apologizes for having to leave and bids Harry good day, hurrying to the lift and continuing on his way to work. As he steps out the buildings front doors, he’s hit with a rush of almost freezing Autumn air, and yet for some strange reason Draco feels decidedly warm all over.
~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~
Over the next few weeks the tension bubbling up in Draco becomes so strong he isn’t sure how he manages to function at all.
His work is clearly suffering because of his inability to focus on anything except messy black hair, sooth, tanned skin and bright green eyes. He’s somehow managed to be late to the office a whopping thirteen times this month already. Which he thinks is more times than he has been late put together in the last two years since he’d started working there. He has also managed to miss his train five times, spill his tea on himself on the way out the door four times and has only just barely managed to scrape through a boring presentation while completely aroused and thinking about the dark trail of hair that leads beneath Harry’s waistband no less than three times just this week. Truth be told he isn’t sure how he hasn’t gotten fired yet because he’s quite certain he hasn’t done a single productive thing this entire month and he can only be grateful that he’d managed to show his worth there a long time ago.
And so, on the last Saturday of the month, exactly one week before Halloween, Draco is not surprised to find Harry standing alone in the basement laundry room of their building, because these days Harry seems to be just about everywhere he looks. Not that he would admit to looking for him, at least not out loud anyway.
He’s just walking through the open door, about to say hello when he stops at the sight of Harry reaching down and grabbing the hem of his t-shirt and quickly pulling it over his head in one swift motion, then tossing it into the washing machine in front of him. The action ruffles his hair and knocks his glasses to the floor but all Draco can focus on is Harry’s broad, lightly muscled shoulders and the sharp curve of his back; so much smooth tan skin and two small dimples at the base of his spine just above the waistband of his jeans which are quite clearly at least one size too big and as such are hanging precariously low on his hips just barely covering his arse and Draco can barely breathe when he realizes that Harry must not be wearing boxers underneath. Harry bends over to retrieve his fallen glasses and Draco has to bite back a groan at the sight of Harry’s arse spread out before him.
Unfortunately he doesn’t manage to be quiet enough though because Harry snaps up at the noise, his mouth quirking up in a half embarrassed smile as he rubs at his face looking a bit awkward.
“Do you always go around without a shirt or is that something you do special just for me?” Draco teases, grateful for the laundry basket he’s holding to hide his more than obvious reaction to seeing Harry half naked again.
“Well I didn’t think anyone would be down here so I figured I was safe to go ahead and wash that one too,” Harry grins at that, not looking at all embarrassed anymore as he moves to take a few steps closer towards Draco and hooks his thumbs underneath the waistband of his jeans tugging them just another inch or so more but it’s all it takes to reveal the sharp v at Harry’s hips and a bit more of dark curls that he now see just get thicker as they get lower. He licks his lips and tries to remember how to breathe.
Not for the first time since Harry had moved in across the hallway does Draco think there is absolutely no blood left in his head, since he’s pretty sure it’s all rushing straight to his cock.
Draco is almost positive that this time Harry definitely knows what he’s doing and he can’t help but let his eyes travel downward, pausing just briefly to note the bulge in the front of Harry’s pants with satisfaction, extraordinarily pleased that he isn’t the only one getting worked up so quickly.
Draco is sure the look he gives Harry must be almost predatory because he watches as the other man swallows audibly and takes a hesitant step backwards just as Draco begins to stalk towards him. His eyes are focused on Draco’s as he sets his laundry basket down and then swiftly moves to stand in between Harry’s open legs just close enough so that both of them can feel the others erection straining towards them but not close enough to provide any real friction.
“Need any help with that?” Draco whispers, eyes focused on Harry’s.
Harry opens his mouth to respond when out of no where pops up Teddy holding a large picture book with Dinosaurs on the front. “Help with what? I wanna help! Harry says I’m a good helper!”
“Teddy! Shit!” Harry yells, right as Draco jumps back rubbing his hands on his trousers and turning his head away so Harry can’t see him blushing.
“That’s a bad word!” Teddy admonishes, shaking his finger at Harry. “You should get a time out.”
“I’ll give you a time out,” Draco says, unable to stop himself. Harry just blushes as Teddy looks back and forth between them both.
“You guys are weird,” he laughs, before walking back over to the corner and sitting down to prop open his book on his knees.
“Sorry about that. You distracted me. I sort of….well shit, I sort of forgot he was there for a minute to be honest,” Harry admits, and he looks deeply embarrassed. Draco only hopes that it has more to do with forgetting his godson was there and less to do with Draco’s proximity.
“Can’t say I noticed him either.”
“No, I don’t suppose not. We were um…..distracted. Did you want some help with that?” For a moment Draco thinks Harry is referring to their earlier conversation and is shocked he would suggest something like that with Teddy so close before he realizes that Harry is staring at his overflowing basket of laundry and smiling.
“Sure, thanks,” he answers, figuring if he hasn’t died of sexual frustration yet it certainly won’t happen tonight.
It should be strange, he thinks, hanging out in the laundry room on a Saturday night with his shirtless next door neighbor helping him wash his underwear. But rather than awkward their conversation is both effortless and funny. Harry doesn’t seem at all bothered by his biting sarcasm and instead laughs in all he right places. And when his clothes are finally in the dryer, Teddy asks him to come sit with him and Harry and read, and as they all sit together on the cold floor, his side pressed into Harry’s with Teddy sprawled out across both of them as they take turns imitating dinosaur noises, he can’t remember the last time he’d felt so free.
~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~
Draco isn’t sure why but he finds himself avoiding Harry after their encounter in the laundry room. That night he’d gone to sleep dreaming of warm fingers and a soft mouth, with a smile on his face. It had felt like the beginning of something new.
The problem was the next morning he’d woken up and reality had crashed down on him like a ton of bricks. He liked Harry, a lot. Possibly more than he could ever remember liking anyone. His history was riddled with relationships, some good and some bad, but most of them had been about satisfaction of the body and not the heart. He had never let anyone get close to him like that. His life was like a well oiled machine without room for extra pieces that might clutter it up.
But when he looked at Harry he found his heart aching in a way he thought he’d buried long ago. That night he’d fall asleep to thoughts of holding hands, laughing over nothing, sharing a cup of tea curled together on the couch, and waking up warm and safe instead of alone. He’d even briefly imaged blanket forts in the living room and pillow fights with Teddy. Those were the thoughts that truly terrified him.
Because he knew this was more than sex and it was more than a fling, and even more than that it was more than just Harry. Because the little bit of time he’d spent with them had shown him that while Harry might not technically have custody of Teddy, the charming little boy was a permanent fixture in his life. If he wanted Harry then Teddy was part of the deal. And what terrified him even more than that realization was just how much he liked the idea.
Draco had never wanted so desperately for his life to become completely intertwined with someone else’s and the idea shook him to the core. He’d always wanted something - control, power, satisfaction. For the first time in his life he found himself wanting to give things away, or at least one thing; his heart.
~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~
By the time Halloween came Draco felt like complete shit.
He couldn’t remember the last time he’d felt so guilty and he hadn’t even done anything. Or perhaps it was his lack of action that had him feeling so guilty.
He had successfully avoided Harry all week purposely leaving an extra half hour early for work and coming home late enough that he’d known there was almost no chance of catching Harry out of his apartment.
Only once had he had to hide from Harry and Teddy. Friday afternoon he’d seen Harry lugging two huge pumpkins down the hallway with Teddy gleefully running after him and he’d ducked around the corner and watched them just like that first time. He’d felt ashamed of himself for reasons he didn’t want to think about and yet he hadn’t been able to make himself walk towards them and simply say hello. Instead he’d listened as Teddy had begged to invite Draco over to carve their pumpkins and felt his stomach drop at the sadness he was surprised to see on Harry’s face when he’d told Teddy he didn’t think Draco would want to.
He’d been unable to listen after that, and had instead gotten back into the lift and headed back outside where he’d wandered around in the frigid Autumn air for hours finding himself unable to go back upstairs and be so close to where he wanted to be, so close to where he was so clearly wanted, but for some reason could not bring himself to be.
So on Saturday evening he allowed himself to wallow, sitting on his couch in complete silence in the pitch dark. He had every single light in his apartment turned off, refusing to even have the television on just in case any trick-or-treaters got the wrong idea and tried to knock on his door. Or at least that’s what he kept telling himself, but the truth was he knew the only trick-or-treaters he was truly hiding from were Harry and Teddy and in the most pathetic turn of events he couldn’t even admit to himself why.
Which is why when, at exactly six o'clock when his doorbell rings rather loudly, disturbing Draco from his not so cheerful train of thoughts, he can’t help but nearly jump off the couch in fright. Clutching the pillow next to him him he slows his breathing down and decides to ignore it. Except a moment later comes more knocking, a lot more knocking.
After almost five minutes of persistent though gentle knocking Draco can’t stand it anymore and though he now has a very good idea of who might be on the other side of that door he decides to open it anyway. Though nothing he is k aging could have prepared him for the sight that greets him.
Standing on his doorstep is the most bizarre looking trick-or treater Draco has ever seen. And he knows it has to be Teddy because Harry is there but all he can focus on is Teddy’s costume. He is wearing one of the poofiest, pinkest princess dresses that Draco thinks he’s ever seen and it reminds him of a Disney movie on steroids. But it’s not even that Teddy is a boy and he’s wearing a dress it that makes it odd, what makes it bizarre is the fact that he’s also wearing a rather realistic and furry werewolf mask on his head and what looks like pirate boots underneath his dress.
“Hi, Draco! Like my costume? Harry let me pick it out! Everyone else said it didn’t go but Harry told them I was a big boy and I could pick if i liked it and I liked it so Harry said I could wear it. I picked out Harry’s costume too.”
Teddy sounds so proud that Draco cant help but smile at him. “You look great, Teddy. Definitely the best werewolf pirate princess I’ve ever seen.” Teddy practically beams with pride.
“He was so happy about it I couldn’t tell him no,” Harry says, shoving his hands in his pockets and for the first time Draco notices what Harry is wearing. His jeans and t-shirt are normal enough but he is also wearing a pair of very glittery purple fairy wings and a sparkly pink tiara.
“I like your costume too,” Draco tells him, noticing the way Harry s entire body seems to relax at his words and there is that feeling again that makes him feel like the whole world is spinning.
“Ah yeah, well it’s all in good fun, yeah?”
“Definitely the prettiest fairy princess I’ve ever seen. Any prince would be crazy not to want to sweep you off your feet and never let go,” Draco tells him quietly, forcing himself not to look away.
Harry’s head snaps up and the way his face lights up as he smiles at Draco makes him feel like he could cry, because in that moment the only thing in the entire world he is afraid of any more is the possibility of a future without Harry.
“Harry are we gonna do more trick or treating now? I wanna show more people my costume!” Teddy begs, nearly bouncing with energy and tugging on Harry’s hand.
“Yeah of course, Teddy. Sorry, we have to go I promised but…” And he trails off clearly unsure what to say.
“I’ll find you later,” Draco tells him not surprised at the hesitancy he sees, though he can’t blame him after so clearly avoiding him all week. “I promise. Prince charmings never break promises.”
“Are you my prince then?”
“I can be, if you’ll let me.” Draco says, voice laced with all the sincerity he can muster.
“Yeah, yeah i’d like that,” Harry says, with a smile so open Draco knows this is going to work. That they will work.
“Come on were going to miss Halloween!” Teddy finally yells, running down the hallway and leaving Harry to chase after him
Draco stands in the doorway watching them, listening to Harry and Teddy laugh as they run towards the lift is like music to his ears, and as he watches them walk away he feels lighter than he has all week. But instead of shutting the door he grabs his wallet and heads out too, hoping it’s not too late for what he has in mind.
Several hours later Draco finds himself standing at Harry’s door knocking softly. It takes a minute before Harry cracks the door open slowly and Draco is pleased to find Harry standing in front of him just like the first time he’d seen him, bare feet peeking out of too long pajamas bottoms that sit impossibly low on his hips and no shirt. He rubs at his eyes and yawns sleepily, Draco has a moment of dread when he realizes Harry must have been sleeping.
“Hey, didn’t expect you tonight,” Harry yawns again, rubbing at his face and he still hasn’t properly opened his eyes. “I put Teddy to sleep but-” but then he stops talking his mouth falling open as he looks at Draco and seems to realize just what Draco is wearing.
“I did promise,” Draco says hoping he sounds a lot more confident than he feels as Harry stares at him. It had taken him several hours and a lot of closed shops before he’d found one still open, and one that happened to have a prince costume complete with plastic crown and a plastic sword. He can’t remember the last time he’d dressed up and he feels completely ridiculous.
“I know it’s a bit silly, only I wanted to let you know I’m sorry. I freaked out. The thing is I like you, Harry. More than I’ve ever liked anyone. And I like Teddy too. And I want this, I want you. If you’ll have me.” And Draco suddenly feels like maybe the costume has given him some kind of power, or perhaps that comes from Harry, because he suddenly feels both reckless and brave, traits he has never once associated with himself.
“I want you too,” Harry laughs softly, grabbing the front of the rather garish red and gold velvet vest he’s wearing and dragging him through the doorway. Once inside they come together easily, and Draco doesn’t think he’s ever known anything as perfect as the feeling of Harry’s warm, chapped lips crashing into his own.
“What about Teddy?” Draco asks, pulling back breathlessly, surprised at his own self control.
“He fell asleep as soon as we got home, but his grandmother picked him up an hour ago. He’s gone, but my tiara is still here if you wanted to play,” Harry teases.
“Well I have to admit I think I’ve always preferred princes to princesses,” Draco confesses against his mouth, pulling back to take the crown off his own head and place it onto Harry’s who looks unbelievably pleased by the action. In that moment, Draco thinks he’d do it all over again just have Harry look at him like that, to look at him as if he were everything he’d ever wanted.
“A prince with no crown. Whatever does that make you?” Harry asks softly, fingers threading through Draco’s hair before wrapping themselves around the back of his neck and resting there gently. He shudders at the intimate touch.
“Yours,” Draco whispers.