Belated birthday!gift; HarryLovesDraco #8
Title: Never Too Late
Author: enchanted_jae
Characters: H/D
Rating: R
Warning(s): Sexual situation
Word Count: 1350
Disclaimer: Characters are the property of JK Rowling, et al.
Author's note: Written as a terribly belated birthday gift for kuro_jashin, who requested Angst with a happy ending; angry!sex, miscommunication/betrayed/feelings laid bare; sad!wanting!bottom!Draco. Also written for Prompt #8 at harrylovesdraco, which is Don't leave me here..
Summary: "It's never too late when two people love one another."
Draco sat at one end of the sofa, huddled in a ball of misery as he watched Harry move about their flat packing his things in a box. This was it--Harry was really leaving this time. Draco knew he had only himself to blame, and that served to compound his despair.
Harry was the best thing that had ever happened to Draco, but he had pushed his boyfriend away with his aloof manner. It had been too difficult for Draco to break through years of being taught to keep his emotions in check. Harry had needed more from him--he'd told Draco as much during their last row--yet Draco had remained outwardly impassive. Even while his heart was breaking he had kept his feelings bottled up.
Now Draco felt almost numb as Harry levitated items into the box on the floor with expert flicks of his wand.
~*~
Harry didn't dare glance at Draco as he worked; he couldn't afford to give in now. It was a familiar argument between them. Harry liked knowing he was loved, but Draco seemed utterly incapable of telling him that. Harry resented it, and he began to feel more and more like Draco's favorite fuck toy than his boyfriend. When he had confronted Draco about it, Harry had asked, he'd pleaded, he had threatened and ultimately, Harry had made the difficult decision to walk away.
Harry loved Draco, but he wanted and needed more from his boyfriend. Having grown up without love and affection, Harry now craved it, and Draco was unable or unwilling to give it to him. In either case, Harry knew he deserved better. He finished putting the last item in the box and then picked it up and straightened. Harry's back was to Draco, but he didn't turn around.
"Goodbye, Draco," Harry whispered past the lump in his throat. He took a step toward the door.
"Don't leave me here."
Harry hesitated. Draco's voice had sounded more tortured than his own. He began to turn, but forced himself not to. It was too late for them. "Draco," he rasped, "it's too late."
Harry heard Draco push off the sofa and run down the hall, followed by the sound of retching. He dropped the box he was holding and ran after his boyfriend. Draco hadn't suffered from stress-induced illness since he was sixteen. Harry arrived in the bathroom in time to see Draco's body heave again. "Draco," he sighed, dropping to his knees beside his boyfriend.
"Just go," Draco muttered. "I don't want you to see me like this."
Harry stood without a word and ran a washcloth beneath the faucet and wrung it out. He returned to Draco's side as another dry heave wracked his body.
~*~
Draco accepted the damp washcloth from Harry and used it to sponge his face and wipe his mouth. He was mortified at his body's betrayal. So much for maintaining his dignity. Harry had moved away again, but he came back and pressed a glass of water into Draco's hand. "Thank you," Draco whispered. He took a gulp and cleared his throat. "You can go now," he said in a stronger voice.
"I'm not going to leave you like this," Harry said softly.
Draco felt a surge of irrational hope. He ruthlessly squelched it and embraced the anger that came with his show of weakness. "I'm not sick," he snapped. "I don't need you to coddle me."
"Come on," Harry said, taking Draco's arm and urging him to his feet. Draco didn't resist as Harry led him into the bedroom and tugged him onto the bed. He stiffened when Harry's arms enfolded him, but he was shaking with exhaustion, and he subsided with a tired sigh.
"I never wanted to hurt you," Harry whispered.
For Draco, it was the final straw. A sob tore from his throat and precipitated a complete breakdown. He clung to Harry and cried harder than he had in the past fifteen years. Harry held him through it, crooning to Draco and stroking his hair while Draco's leaking eyes and nose made a mess of Harry's shirt. Draco eventually lapsed into hiccups before he slipped into slumber.
~*~
Harry held his sleeping boyfriend in his arms and wondered how he'd ever thought he could walk away for good. Oh, he'd had every intention of leaving, but he suspected it would only have been a matter of time before he had returned.
Draco loved him--he knew that, but was the knowledge enough? There were times when Harry simply wanted to be held as he was holding Draco now, but Draco was only physically demonstrative when it came to sex. He was uncomfortable with hugging and hand-holding and snogs in public.
As Harry mulled it over, his eyes grew heavy.
~*~
Draco opened his gritty eyes to find early morning light encroaching at the window. Harry's tousled hair was in his face, and he drew back to look at his boyfriend. Harry's breathing was deep and even, and he looked so peaceful lying there. Draco was going to miss waking up like this. "I love you," he breathed.
Harry tilted his head up and seized Draco's lips with his own. Draco's initial surprise was quickly swamped by rising desire. He opened beneath the pressure of Harry's mouth and allowed Harry's tongue to slip between his teeth.
Without breaking the kiss, Harry levered himself above Draco and settled atop him. Draco welcomed his boyfriend's solid weight, and he parted his legs and raised his knees to frame Harry's hips. They had fallen into bed fully dressed, but eager hands made short work of their clothing. Draco accepted Harry's first hard thrust into his prepared body, wondering if this would be for the final time.
Harry moved on him slowly at first, but at Draco's urging he began thrusting harder and faster. It was over almost as quickly as it had begun. Their need was too great and their desire for one another was too explosive. Draco cried out and jerked his knees up higher as he pulsed between their bodies, and Harry climaxed a moment later with Draco's name on his lips.
The lay panting in the aftermath, bodies still joined. Draco closed his eyes and turned his head to the side. "I do, you know." He missed seeing Harry's gentle smile.
~*~
"Is it so difficult to say the words?" Harry chided. "I. Love. You."
Draco turned to glance up at Harry. "Love you," he muttered.
Harry beamed his approval. "That's a good start."
"A start?" Draco repeated, catching his bottom lip in his teeth.
Harry eased out of him and pulled Draco into a loose embrace. His non-demonstrative boyfriend tensed for an instant before yielding with a weary sigh. "Do you want to try again?" Harry asked.
"I thought it was too late for that," Draco replied, echoing Harry's words from their row.
"It's never too late when two people love one another," Harry replied in a solemn voice. He tipped Draco's chin up to look into his red-rimmed eyes. "Draco, I don't need to hear the words every day," Harry told him, "but I'd like to hear them every now and then. If that makes me seem like a girl I don't care. I lived without love for too long to deny myself now."
Draco swallowed heavily and nodded. "I know," he said. "I never meant to hurt you either."
"I know you didn't," Harry assured him. "I just happen to be harboring a lot of leftover hurt from my childhood."
Worried gray eyes lifted to meet Harry's warm regard. "You'll stay?"
"Yeah," Harry answered. "I'll stay." He pulled Draco in close, and this time Draco didn't resist.
Author: enchanted_jae
Characters: H/D
Rating: R
Warning(s): Sexual situation
Word Count: 1350
Disclaimer: Characters are the property of JK Rowling, et al.
Author's note: Written as a terribly belated birthday gift for kuro_jashin, who requested Angst with a happy ending; angry!sex, miscommunication/betrayed/feelings laid bare; sad!wanting!bottom!Draco. Also written for Prompt #8 at harrylovesdraco, which is Don't leave me here..
Summary: "It's never too late when two people love one another."
Draco sat at one end of the sofa, huddled in a ball of misery as he watched Harry move about their flat packing his things in a box. This was it--Harry was really leaving this time. Draco knew he had only himself to blame, and that served to compound his despair.
Harry was the best thing that had ever happened to Draco, but he had pushed his boyfriend away with his aloof manner. It had been too difficult for Draco to break through years of being taught to keep his emotions in check. Harry had needed more from him--he'd told Draco as much during their last row--yet Draco had remained outwardly impassive. Even while his heart was breaking he had kept his feelings bottled up.
Now Draco felt almost numb as Harry levitated items into the box on the floor with expert flicks of his wand.
~*~
Harry didn't dare glance at Draco as he worked; he couldn't afford to give in now. It was a familiar argument between them. Harry liked knowing he was loved, but Draco seemed utterly incapable of telling him that. Harry resented it, and he began to feel more and more like Draco's favorite fuck toy than his boyfriend. When he had confronted Draco about it, Harry had asked, he'd pleaded, he had threatened and ultimately, Harry had made the difficult decision to walk away.
Harry loved Draco, but he wanted and needed more from his boyfriend. Having grown up without love and affection, Harry now craved it, and Draco was unable or unwilling to give it to him. In either case, Harry knew he deserved better. He finished putting the last item in the box and then picked it up and straightened. Harry's back was to Draco, but he didn't turn around.
"Goodbye, Draco," Harry whispered past the lump in his throat. He took a step toward the door.
"Don't leave me here."
Harry hesitated. Draco's voice had sounded more tortured than his own. He began to turn, but forced himself not to. It was too late for them. "Draco," he rasped, "it's too late."
Harry heard Draco push off the sofa and run down the hall, followed by the sound of retching. He dropped the box he was holding and ran after his boyfriend. Draco hadn't suffered from stress-induced illness since he was sixteen. Harry arrived in the bathroom in time to see Draco's body heave again. "Draco," he sighed, dropping to his knees beside his boyfriend.
"Just go," Draco muttered. "I don't want you to see me like this."
Harry stood without a word and ran a washcloth beneath the faucet and wrung it out. He returned to Draco's side as another dry heave wracked his body.
~*~
Draco accepted the damp washcloth from Harry and used it to sponge his face and wipe his mouth. He was mortified at his body's betrayal. So much for maintaining his dignity. Harry had moved away again, but he came back and pressed a glass of water into Draco's hand. "Thank you," Draco whispered. He took a gulp and cleared his throat. "You can go now," he said in a stronger voice.
"I'm not going to leave you like this," Harry said softly.
Draco felt a surge of irrational hope. He ruthlessly squelched it and embraced the anger that came with his show of weakness. "I'm not sick," he snapped. "I don't need you to coddle me."
"Come on," Harry said, taking Draco's arm and urging him to his feet. Draco didn't resist as Harry led him into the bedroom and tugged him onto the bed. He stiffened when Harry's arms enfolded him, but he was shaking with exhaustion, and he subsided with a tired sigh.
"I never wanted to hurt you," Harry whispered.
For Draco, it was the final straw. A sob tore from his throat and precipitated a complete breakdown. He clung to Harry and cried harder than he had in the past fifteen years. Harry held him through it, crooning to Draco and stroking his hair while Draco's leaking eyes and nose made a mess of Harry's shirt. Draco eventually lapsed into hiccups before he slipped into slumber.
~*~
Harry held his sleeping boyfriend in his arms and wondered how he'd ever thought he could walk away for good. Oh, he'd had every intention of leaving, but he suspected it would only have been a matter of time before he had returned.
Draco loved him--he knew that, but was the knowledge enough? There were times when Harry simply wanted to be held as he was holding Draco now, but Draco was only physically demonstrative when it came to sex. He was uncomfortable with hugging and hand-holding and snogs in public.
As Harry mulled it over, his eyes grew heavy.
~*~
Draco opened his gritty eyes to find early morning light encroaching at the window. Harry's tousled hair was in his face, and he drew back to look at his boyfriend. Harry's breathing was deep and even, and he looked so peaceful lying there. Draco was going to miss waking up like this. "I love you," he breathed.
Harry tilted his head up and seized Draco's lips with his own. Draco's initial surprise was quickly swamped by rising desire. He opened beneath the pressure of Harry's mouth and allowed Harry's tongue to slip between his teeth.
Without breaking the kiss, Harry levered himself above Draco and settled atop him. Draco welcomed his boyfriend's solid weight, and he parted his legs and raised his knees to frame Harry's hips. They had fallen into bed fully dressed, but eager hands made short work of their clothing. Draco accepted Harry's first hard thrust into his prepared body, wondering if this would be for the final time.
Harry moved on him slowly at first, but at Draco's urging he began thrusting harder and faster. It was over almost as quickly as it had begun. Their need was too great and their desire for one another was too explosive. Draco cried out and jerked his knees up higher as he pulsed between their bodies, and Harry climaxed a moment later with Draco's name on his lips.
The lay panting in the aftermath, bodies still joined. Draco closed his eyes and turned his head to the side. "I do, you know." He missed seeing Harry's gentle smile.
~*~
"Is it so difficult to say the words?" Harry chided. "I. Love. You."
Draco turned to glance up at Harry. "Love you," he muttered.
Harry beamed his approval. "That's a good start."
"A start?" Draco repeated, catching his bottom lip in his teeth.
Harry eased out of him and pulled Draco into a loose embrace. His non-demonstrative boyfriend tensed for an instant before yielding with a weary sigh. "Do you want to try again?" Harry asked.
"I thought it was too late for that," Draco replied, echoing Harry's words from their row.
"It's never too late when two people love one another," Harry replied in a solemn voice. He tipped Draco's chin up to look into his red-rimmed eyes. "Draco, I don't need to hear the words every day," Harry told him, "but I'd like to hear them every now and then. If that makes me seem like a girl I don't care. I lived without love for too long to deny myself now."
Draco swallowed heavily and nodded. "I know," he said. "I never meant to hurt you either."
"I know you didn't," Harry assured him. "I just happen to be harboring a lot of leftover hurt from my childhood."
Worried gray eyes lifted to meet Harry's warm regard. "You'll stay?"
"Yeah," Harry answered. "I'll stay." He pulled Draco in close, and this time Draco didn't resist.