Work Text:
Barty’s head spins as he searches across the packed Slytherin common room for Evan. Since seventh year had begun, the parties had gotten simultaneously bigger and more chaotic. And now, before the exam season started after Easter, they were having their biggest party yet. Barty loved it. Today had been fun, his numb mind thinks, but it would’ve been better if Evan hadn’t kept wandering off. The alcohol buzzes down to his fingertips as he sits up straight, allowing his body to feel weightless.
Barty’s eyes hazily scan the room till they finally land on a blonde man who is looking back at him with furrowed eyebrows.
“Evan!”, he hears himself shout.
At Barty’s call, he walks over from across the room placing a gentle hand on your shoulder. “You alright there?”, Evan says with a hint of amusement in his voice.
“I’m completely fi-iine. Just had a lil bit too much.”, Barty grins up at him.
“Sure, just a little bit.”
Barty, slightly irritated at this accusation, attempts to stand –only to just end up stumbling forward instead, grappling on Evan’s shoulders to steady himself.
“Woahh.”, Evan says, grabbing onto Barty’s waist to keep him up right, “You okay?”
Barty’s face was only a few inches away from Evan’s now and his throat feels heavy. Barty looks at him through half-lidded eyes. “Yeah, just a bit dizzy.” He lets out a small laugh as he hears his own dopey voice.
“I can see that. Do you want me to help you up to the dorm?”
Barty sighed dramatically. “Oh how noble of you, my knight in shining armour!” He lets go of Evan to pretend to faint like a damsel in distress only to stumble back slightly.
Evan huffs as he pulls an arm around his torso to catch him and begins to walk him towards the stairs. “Right, come on then big guy.”
Barty laughed again; he wrapped an arm around Evan’s shoulders to support himself as he leaned into him heavily. The alcohol was causing Barty to jolt them every few seconds, meaning that Evan was practically carrying him.
“Oh fuck it.”, Evan huffs before turning and lifting Barty into a fireman’s lift. One arm comes up to circle under Barty’s knees before the other one wraps around his shoulders.
Barty lets out a yelp in surprise as Evan swiftly picks him up before clinging his arms around Evan’s neck as he begins to walk them to the doors of the stairs. He can feel his face turning red, “Now this is quite embarrasing–”, he protests but he doesn’t fight against it.
“Stop complaining.”, Evan smiles slightly strained as he walks up the stairs. “Y’know, this would be a whole lot easier if you weren’t the longest fucking creature known to man.”
Barty just rolls his eyes. “It’s not my fault everyone else is just short as hell”, he teases with a grin spread across his face as his long legs dangle off the side.
Evan lets out a breathy chuckle, “If you say so.”
Barty chuckles as well, holding on tight to him, “You should carry me around like this more often.”. He jokes, but his face still flushes a light shade of crimson as if he hadn’t meant to say it.
“Yeah?”, Evan says with amusement at Barty’s drunkenness.
“Yeah”, Barty confirms, suddenly more sure of himself, his arms tightening possessively around Evan’s neck. “I like being carried by you.”
Evan snorts and Barty gives him a playful glare.
“What? You think I don’t mean it?”, he teases. “I do mean it. I like the way your arms feel around me.” Barty continued bluntly, the seven shots had probably loosened his tongue and lowered the filter. Not that Barty usually had a filter but he definitely had one when talking about how he felt about his best friend.
Evan just smiles, “I think you need to stop drinking too much. You’re gonna regret telling me this in the morning.”
Barty groans loudly, “Don’t remind me.”. He hung his head back against Evan’s shoulder. “It’ll be your fault for not stopping me drinking by the way.”
“As if anyone could stop you, Bat.”
“True. I am unstoppable.”
Evan snorts, “I should get an award for putting up with you.”
Barty lets out a small laugh, nuzzling closer towards Evan’s neck. “Yes, you should.”, He agreed, his voice soft and lazy. “A giant, shiny gold one for dealing with my stubborn ass without complaint.”
Evan sucks his teeth as though in thought.
“I don’t know, you’re not that bad.”
Barty’s lips tug up into a smile against Evan’s skin and he feels the way Evan shivers in response.
“Yeah, right. I’m a terror and a pain in the ass and you know it.”, he lifts his head to grin devilishely at Evan.
“No you pretend to be but you’re actually a huge softie at heart.”, Evan responds smirking.
Barty huffs dramatically even though he knows it’s true. Only for Evan though, no one else, just Evan.
“Shut up.”, he mumbled, burying his face into Evan’s neck again. “I am not a softie.”
“Sure mate.”
Barty lets out a dramatic sigh. “Fine. Maybe I am slightly a softie for you–”, he muttered, his voice slightly muffled from the way his face is still hidden in the crook of Evan’s neck.
Then he lifts his head up and stares at Evan with a smug grin spread obnoxiously across his face, “But I could still beat your ass in a heart beat.”
“In this state? I don’t think so.”, Evan smirks as he pretends to drop Barty when they reach the top of the staircase before their dorm. Barty screeches as Evan bounces him, loosening his grip before tightening it again to catch him.
“You bastard!”, Barty exclaims, staring up at Evan in indiginance as Evan pushes open the door chuckling.
Evan walks over to Barty’s unmade bed and places him down gently before reaching and taking his shoes off for him. He undoes the boots with such reverence that Barty can’t help but melt slightly.
“Wow, such princess treatment. Is this what all the girls get when they sign up for the Rosier special?”
“Shut up.”, Evan laughs quietly and Barty watches the subtle tinge of pink that arises in his cheeks.
He grabs the bunched up duvet at the bottom of Barty’s bed and lays it over him but Barty can feel the moment coming to an end. Barty really doesn’t want that.
“Will you stay?”, Barty asks, his voice quieter than before.
He sees Evan pause before speaking softly, “Okay.”
Barty closes his eyes and turns onto his side as he feels the warm body get into the bed behind him. He’s so close he can feel Evan’s breath on the back of his neck and it fills Barty with so many emotions he doesn’t know how to deal with them. So instead, he just falls asleep to the rhythmic breathing that causes his stomach to flutter.