Thanks for all the Fish #2
Title: Thanks for all the Fish #2
Rating: PG 13
Word Count: 1095
Warning(s): Slight flangst
Author's notes: Written for hogwarts365 Prompt 43: Australia, Just listen to this song and smile. Follow up to Thanks for all The Fish.
Summary: Harry doesn't show up. Draco is upset.
Disclaimer: I do not own Harry Potter. This was written for fun, not profit.
The bar was busy tonight. Draco scoured the scene, looking for one face in a crowd of dozens. Aside from a noisy crowd of Australian tourists, there was nothing and nobody who caught his notice. Draco tried to swallow against the painful lump in his throat.
Harry hadn’t shown up. Of course, it was too much to hope that he would have remembered. He had been rather drunk yesterday. It wasn’t unreasonable to assume that he wouldn’t recall his promise. Or perhaps he did, and just didn’t care.
He knew it was a lot to expect that Harry would be here tonight. But it still hurt that he wasn’t. It hurt a lot.
So, Draco snuck out of the bar with a bottle of vodka under his jacket. And then he started drinking.
****
“An’ he didn’ even show up! He said he would an’ he didn’t. Can you believe that?”
Draco pouted as his complaints refused to elicit a sympathetic response. He scowled at his companion. “’Scuse me but ‘m still talkin’ to you.”
That helped a bit. Behind the glass window of the tank, the bottlenose dolphin chattered merrily and performed an elaborate loop de loop for him. Draco grinned and offered a sloppy round of applause. The bottle of vodka sloshed in his grip and he took another healthy swig. He had no idea how he’d ended up in one of those Muggle aquarium places but it had seemed like an exceptionally good idea at the time.
It was nice here, Draco thought. Very...blue. The place was locked up for the night but at least the dolphins were wide awake. Draco liked the dolphins. He had wanted to see the dolphins. That’s why he’d come to the aquarium. Why did he want to see dolphins again?
“Potter,” he mumbled mournfully. That’s right. Potter had been rambling about dolphins last night. He had said Draco was funny and smart, just like one. Draco whined and thunked his head against the glass, eliciting another concerned chirp from the dolphin. “’S always ‘bout Potter.”
Now that he recalled why he was in the aquarium in the first place, Draco didn’t feel so great anymore. His head was reeling and his stomach felt funny. And he was sure his heart was broken too-although admittedly, that had more to do with Potter than the drinking. Draco moaned and held his head in his hands. Why couldn’t he stop thinking about the inconsiderate git? Potter hadn’t even bothered to show up after promising that he would. Draco had always been there for him, hadn’t he? He’d always listened to Potter moan and carp about that Weasley bint even though it hurt like hell. He had looked after him and been there for him...why? Why had he done all that for someone who didn’t even care about his feelings?
“Shtupid git,” Draco mumbled fretfully. “I ‘ate ‘im.”
“Well, that’s a shame. I came all this way just to see you.”
Draco yelped and whirled around at once- a decidedly bad idea in his current state. Fortunately, a pair of strong arms wrapped around him, just in time to help him up. Draco lifted his head, looking up into concerned green eyes.
“Thank Merlin I found you,” Harry muttered. “What on earth are you doing here, Draco?”
Draco scowled sulkily. “Wanted to see th’ dolphins.”
“In the middle of the night?” Harry sounded half amused, half astounded. “Wait, does this have to do with my dolphin fixation last night?”
Draco’s scowl deepened at the mention of last night. He pushed at Potter’s chest, trying to shove him away. “Go ‘way. Don’ wanna talk to you. You’re a git. You said you’d come...you said...”
“Hey, easy,” Harry soothed, pulling him over again. His hand carded Draco’s hair. Despite himself, he found himself relaxing in Potter’s arms.
“I meant to come,” Harry said carefully. “I really did. But I got held up at work.”
“What ‘appened?” Draco demanded suspiciously. Potter didn’t care about him. He knew that now.
“I had to file some paperwork. The second I was about to leave, I got called in again. Apparently, some idiot broke into a Muggle aquarium.”
Draco scowled sulkily as Harry grinned and kissed his forehead. “I stopped at the bar before coming here. When I found out you’d already left, I was worried.”
Why?
“Why?”
Harry looked confused. “What do you mean why? Of course I’d be worried. I care about you.”
Oh.
“Oh,” Draco mumbled. A flush was creeping up his neck. He felt rather embarrassed now. The dolphin’s chattering in the background sounded a bit like laughter.
“Is that your friend?” Harry asked, evidently amused.
Draco offered a jerky nod and burrowed into Harry’s jacket. “His name’s Freddie.”
Harry chuckled and dropped a kiss in his hair. “Do you want to say goodbye to Freddie and come home with me?”
Draco perked up at that suggestion. “Kiss?” he asked hopefully. His arms slipped up to loop around Harry’s neck and he leaned in...
Harry turned his head at the last moment. “Not tonight,” he whispered apologetically, pecking Draco’s cheek.
Draco’s face fell at the refusal. “But you said..."
“Hey, don’t be like that,” Harry murmured, kissing his cheek again. “Just...not like this, okay? Not when you’re drunk and vulnerable. You deserve a real kiss. Soon, I promise. But for now, will you please let me take you home and put you to bed? Like you do for me, all the time?”
Draco wasn’t entirely sure what happened after that. Everything seemed to go by really fast. But by the time they made it back to his flat and Harry tucked him in bed, he had a blue plush dolphin cradled against his chest and Harry was humming softly to him.
“Better?” he asked, pulling the covers over Draco and stroking his hair.
“Keep singing,” Draco sighed, curling against his arm.
Harry’s answering laugh was full of warmth and fondness. “Don’t worry,” he whispered, nuzzling against Draco’s hair again. “I’ll take care of everything. You just listen to this song and smile.”
He resumed his soft humming and Draco’s eyes grew heavy. He was warm and comfortable and the feel of Harry’s fingers in his hair made him feel safer than he had in years. Still, he struggled to keep awake for just a minute more. He still had something to ask Harry.
“Harry?”
“Hm?”
“Will you still be here in the morning? To kiss me, I mean?”
Harry dropped another kiss in his hair. “Of course. Third time’s the charm, yeah?”
Follow Up: Part 3
Rating: PG 13
Word Count: 1095
Warning(s): Slight flangst
Author's notes: Written for hogwarts365 Prompt 43: Australia, Just listen to this song and smile. Follow up to Thanks for all The Fish.
Summary: Harry doesn't show up. Draco is upset.
Disclaimer: I do not own Harry Potter. This was written for fun, not profit.
The bar was busy tonight. Draco scoured the scene, looking for one face in a crowd of dozens. Aside from a noisy crowd of Australian tourists, there was nothing and nobody who caught his notice. Draco tried to swallow against the painful lump in his throat.
Harry hadn’t shown up. Of course, it was too much to hope that he would have remembered. He had been rather drunk yesterday. It wasn’t unreasonable to assume that he wouldn’t recall his promise. Or perhaps he did, and just didn’t care.
He knew it was a lot to expect that Harry would be here tonight. But it still hurt that he wasn’t. It hurt a lot.
So, Draco snuck out of the bar with a bottle of vodka under his jacket. And then he started drinking.
****
“An’ he didn’ even show up! He said he would an’ he didn’t. Can you believe that?”
Draco pouted as his complaints refused to elicit a sympathetic response. He scowled at his companion. “’Scuse me but ‘m still talkin’ to you.”
That helped a bit. Behind the glass window of the tank, the bottlenose dolphin chattered merrily and performed an elaborate loop de loop for him. Draco grinned and offered a sloppy round of applause. The bottle of vodka sloshed in his grip and he took another healthy swig. He had no idea how he’d ended up in one of those Muggle aquarium places but it had seemed like an exceptionally good idea at the time.
It was nice here, Draco thought. Very...blue. The place was locked up for the night but at least the dolphins were wide awake. Draco liked the dolphins. He had wanted to see the dolphins. That’s why he’d come to the aquarium. Why did he want to see dolphins again?
“Potter,” he mumbled mournfully. That’s right. Potter had been rambling about dolphins last night. He had said Draco was funny and smart, just like one. Draco whined and thunked his head against the glass, eliciting another concerned chirp from the dolphin. “’S always ‘bout Potter.”
Now that he recalled why he was in the aquarium in the first place, Draco didn’t feel so great anymore. His head was reeling and his stomach felt funny. And he was sure his heart was broken too-although admittedly, that had more to do with Potter than the drinking. Draco moaned and held his head in his hands. Why couldn’t he stop thinking about the inconsiderate git? Potter hadn’t even bothered to show up after promising that he would. Draco had always been there for him, hadn’t he? He’d always listened to Potter moan and carp about that Weasley bint even though it hurt like hell. He had looked after him and been there for him...why? Why had he done all that for someone who didn’t even care about his feelings?
“Shtupid git,” Draco mumbled fretfully. “I ‘ate ‘im.”
“Well, that’s a shame. I came all this way just to see you.”
Draco yelped and whirled around at once- a decidedly bad idea in his current state. Fortunately, a pair of strong arms wrapped around him, just in time to help him up. Draco lifted his head, looking up into concerned green eyes.
“Thank Merlin I found you,” Harry muttered. “What on earth are you doing here, Draco?”
Draco scowled sulkily. “Wanted to see th’ dolphins.”
“In the middle of the night?” Harry sounded half amused, half astounded. “Wait, does this have to do with my dolphin fixation last night?”
Draco’s scowl deepened at the mention of last night. He pushed at Potter’s chest, trying to shove him away. “Go ‘way. Don’ wanna talk to you. You’re a git. You said you’d come...you said...”
“Hey, easy,” Harry soothed, pulling him over again. His hand carded Draco’s hair. Despite himself, he found himself relaxing in Potter’s arms.
“I meant to come,” Harry said carefully. “I really did. But I got held up at work.”
“What ‘appened?” Draco demanded suspiciously. Potter didn’t care about him. He knew that now.
“I had to file some paperwork. The second I was about to leave, I got called in again. Apparently, some idiot broke into a Muggle aquarium.”
Draco scowled sulkily as Harry grinned and kissed his forehead. “I stopped at the bar before coming here. When I found out you’d already left, I was worried.”
Why?
“Why?”
Harry looked confused. “What do you mean why? Of course I’d be worried. I care about you.”
Oh.
“Oh,” Draco mumbled. A flush was creeping up his neck. He felt rather embarrassed now. The dolphin’s chattering in the background sounded a bit like laughter.
“Is that your friend?” Harry asked, evidently amused.
Draco offered a jerky nod and burrowed into Harry’s jacket. “His name’s Freddie.”
Harry chuckled and dropped a kiss in his hair. “Do you want to say goodbye to Freddie and come home with me?”
Draco perked up at that suggestion. “Kiss?” he asked hopefully. His arms slipped up to loop around Harry’s neck and he leaned in...
Harry turned his head at the last moment. “Not tonight,” he whispered apologetically, pecking Draco’s cheek.
Draco’s face fell at the refusal. “But you said..."
“Hey, don’t be like that,” Harry murmured, kissing his cheek again. “Just...not like this, okay? Not when you’re drunk and vulnerable. You deserve a real kiss. Soon, I promise. But for now, will you please let me take you home and put you to bed? Like you do for me, all the time?”
Draco wasn’t entirely sure what happened after that. Everything seemed to go by really fast. But by the time they made it back to his flat and Harry tucked him in bed, he had a blue plush dolphin cradled against his chest and Harry was humming softly to him.
“Better?” he asked, pulling the covers over Draco and stroking his hair.
“Keep singing,” Draco sighed, curling against his arm.
Harry’s answering laugh was full of warmth and fondness. “Don’t worry,” he whispered, nuzzling against Draco’s hair again. “I’ll take care of everything. You just listen to this song and smile.”
He resumed his soft humming and Draco’s eyes grew heavy. He was warm and comfortable and the feel of Harry’s fingers in his hair made him feel safer than he had in years. Still, he struggled to keep awake for just a minute more. He still had something to ask Harry.
“Harry?”
“Hm?”
“Will you still be here in the morning? To kiss me, I mean?”
Harry dropped another kiss in his hair. “Of course. Third time’s the charm, yeah?”
Follow Up: Part 3