#Harry is a good boyfriend

[drarrily-we-row-along]

Love Langauge

There was something about the way that Harry always knelt down to greet Scorpius with a hug that Draco couldn't take. It was too much, too precious, it made him feel like his whole world was narrowed down to just two people, heart too full.

“Daddy told Auntie Pansy that people getting shit done is his love language.” Scorpius informed Harry primly and Draco promptly wished that he could just sink through the floor as Harry’s eyes, twinkling with mischief, found his over his son’s shoulder. He knew he shouldn't have had that floo call with Pansy about work while Scorpius was in the house.

“Did he?” Harry asked, before turning his attention back to Scorpius. “Sounds like acts of service is it for your dad.”

He shook his head, "Scorpius, it's your bedtime."

His 4-year-old turned and pouted at him, "But Harry just got here."

"I know," he said, understanding completely the desire to simply exist in the other man's orbit. "But it's past your bedtime already."

"Can I see you tomorrow?" he asked Harry, turning his pout on the other man, whom, Draco knew from experience, had no defenses against a pouting Malfoy.

"I would like that very much," Harry said sincerely, looking up at Draco, "if it's alright with your dad."

They didn't do this. Harry didn't stay overnight, he wasn't there in the morning when Scorpius woke up, as far as Scorpius was concerned, they were just friends. He'd been too afraid of his son getting attached, and how it would affect him when (if) Harry left. "Maybe Harry would like to meet us for ice cream at Fortescue's," he replied.

Scorpius spun around to look at him, literally jumping for joy, but Draco didn't miss the way that Harry's face fell before he caught himself.

"That sounds great," he said, smiling at both of them.

"Do you want to give Harry a hug good night?" Draco asked.

Scorpius nodded and Harry knelt down again, wrapping his arms around Scorpius. "Night, buddy," Harry said.

"Night, night, Harry," he replied. "I love you."

"Love you too, bud," he responded easily, and Draco's heart shattered in his chest.

He cleared his throat, "Come on, Scorp," he said softly, "bedtime."

His son's arms wrapped around Harry's shoulders tighter for a moment, then he was off, dashing toward the stairs. "I'm gonna beat you!" he called to Draco over his shoulder.

"Be right there, teeth first," Draco called back. He turned to Harry who was standing from the floor once more, "Hey," he exhaled.

"Hi," Harry replied, smiling at him and leaning in to press a gentle kiss to his cheek.

"I'll be back soon. Sorry that nothing went quite according to plan tonight and he's not down yet."

"It's fine," Harry said, shaking his head, "You don't have to apologize. If you'd wanted an extra set of hands, you could have owled and asked me to come earlier."

"That's not your job," he protested. "Harry, the lines-"

"Daddy!" Scorpius called, mouth sounding full of what Draco suspected was toothpaste.

"Coming!"

"Go," Harry said, nudging him toward the stairs. "I'll be here when you're done."

Draco nodded and turned, leaving everything with Harry until after bedtime. Bedtime was his favorite time of day, stories and singing, quiet reflection, cuddles in the rocker, before tucking his child in for the night and stroking his hair until his was fast asleep.

He lingered for a few extra moments in Scorpius' doorway, watching his son sleeping. He planned the whole speech in his head: Scorpius was the most important person in his life, his world revolved around his child, he wanted Harry but he couldn't put Scorpius' heart in danger. Bad enough to be putting his own heart in such a precarious position, he thought as he closed the door and headed downstairs again.

When he reached the living room, Harry was nowhere to be seen, so he wandered through to the kitchen imagining that Harry might be uncorking the bottle of wine that Draco had seen tucked in his coat pocket.

What he found instead, was Harry standing at the sink, up to his elbows in water as he washed the veritable mountain of dishes that Draco hadn't had the time or energy to take care of. That seemed to be the case with more and more things lately, he just didn't have the capacity to work and be a single parent.

"You don't have to do that," he said, embarrassment flooding his whole body.

Harry glanced over his shoulder and smiled at him, "I don't mind." Before Draco could protest, he continued, "I'm almost done anyway. Do you want to pour us some wine? I picked up that Merlot that you were fond of at that Italian place we ate at last month."

"I can't do this," Draco breathed, feeling like the air had been punched out of him. He stumbled back to lean against the doorway.

"Draco?" Harry said softly, voice full of concern, and Draco looked up to see him drying his hands on the towel as he looked at him.

And Draco wanted to cry. The image of Harry standing there, sleeves rolled up from washing the dishes for him, brows drawn in concern, was burned into his brain. Because this was it. It had to be. "I can't," he managed, shaking his head.

"Can't what?" Harry asked gently, moving a few steps closer but leaving space in between them.

Space that Draco wished he would close, wished that Harry would crowd him into the wall and make him forget everything else.

"Sweetheart," Harry murmured, "tell me?"

"I can't do it," he said and a tear slid down his cheek. "I'm so fucking tired," he added. "I can't be a good dad and run a business when no one is doing what they're supposed to be," he shook his head, "I'm a complete shit boyfriend-"

"You're not-" Harry started to protest.

"I am!" he exploded, throwing his arms in the air. "You're here and you're cleaning my house for me, and you brought me wine that you remembered that I enjoyed a month ago! And what have I-"

"Draco," Harry said, voice very calm as he closed the distance between them and cupped Draco's face in his palms. "Take a breath, love."

He shook his head, hot tears spilling down his cheeks.

"Sweetheart," he murmured, pressing kisses to Draco's forehead, his nose, his cheeks.

"I don't have anything to give you," he said, closing his eyes so he didn't have to watch the realization of that truth dawn on Harry's face.

"You are not what you do," Harry said softly. "Your value as a person isn't defined by what you give."

"But I can't give you anything."

"That isn't even true," Harry argued, pulling Draco into his arms. "Choosing to spend your free time with me when you could be doing a thousand other things is a gift. You give me your affection. You make me laugh, and you tease me, and you listen to me rant about my day. You open your home to me, your bed to me," he added softly, voice wrapping around Draco's fragile, bleeding heart. "You give me yourself, you let me see you, let me touch you, and hold you. You accept me in return. Circe, Draco, what more could I even ask for?"

"Harry," he whispered, wanting so badly to believe him.

"Your love language may be acts of service," he said, laughing a little and Draco huffed and rolled his eyes, "but mine isn't. Mine's quality time," he added. "And your secondary love language might be gifts, but my second is physical touch. We aren't the same," he said. "And that's a good thing," he added.

He gave in and wrapped his arms around Harry's waist, dropping his head to his boyfriend's shoulder. "I'm afraid," he whispered.

"Of what?" Harry asked, letting his hands slide up and down his back.

"Of getting in too deep," he said. "That I'm going to fall for you completely and I won't be able to recover when you leave."

Harry hummed and kissed his temple, "Who says I'm going to leave?"

"It's hard to imagine that you want to stay when I'm such a mess, when I'm too afraid of you leaving to let you spend the night, when-"

"Draco," he tried to interrupt, squeezing him.

"-when I am constantly pushing you away," he finished.

Harry was quiet for a minute, then he said, "you aren't really pushing, you know." He let his fingers tangle in Draco's hair, "I hear what you're saying, but I'm not going anywhere, Draco. You can push and I won't leave."

He laughed, short and bitter, "You say that now but you haven't seen me at my worst."

Harry laughed at that, "I think we both know that's not true." He pulled back, "Sorry, but pretty much nothing you can do now will compare to the time you smashed my nose with the heel of your boot and left me under my invisibility cloak. And," he added, "there's not really much that I can do that would be worse than literally cutting you apart with my magic-"

"Because I was trying to crucio you," he inserted.

He shook his head, and pressed their foreheads together, "If you want me to leave, now or ever, you will have to say the actual words. I won't read those words in your actions or in your other words. You pushing right now actually just feels like you're trying to love me, so," he shrugged. "I'm pretty stubborn." He nudged Draco's nose with his, "I'm here for good."

"Do you promise?" Draco breathed before he could stop himself.

Harry pulled back, just far enough that he could look Draco in the eyes. He reached up and tucked Draco's hair behind his ear, "I love you," he said softly. "We've been together for over a year," he said, "but Draco, I've loved you for so much longer. I fell in love with you over pub nights, and consults for work, and watching you with your child," he shook his head. "You're amazing and I don't want to go anywhere." He cupped Draco's face in his palm, stroking his thumb over Draco's cheek, "I promise, love. I'm in this."

He exhaled, closed his eyes, and tried to let himself believe that, believe that he got to keep this.

"Draco," he said softly, "I," he swallowed, "I want to give you stability, whatever I can to show you that I mean it. I've wanted to ask you if you wanted to move in together," he said, sounding nervous. "But it seems presumptuous since me moving in with you makes the most sense logistically. And I've wanted to ask if you wanted to get married, but I know you've said-"

"You want to marry me?" he interrupted, eyes flying open to search Harry's face.

He nodded, earnest and dear, "Of course I do. I just," he shrugged, "you said marriage was the worst thing that ever happened to you and that Scorp was the only good thing-"

"Stop," he said, kissing Harry because he couldn't quite help himself. "Harry, I meant political marriages," he kissed him again because this felt like a proposal, like a huge declaration. "My marriage to Astoria where she just fucked off after she got her inheritance that had been contingent on having an heir, that marriage was shit. And I wouldn't trade Scorp, but I wanted a partner-" he broke off.

"Draco, I-" he broke off, shaking his head, "I want to be your partner, I would do anything for him, I would be anything-"

"Harry," he breathed because this couldn't be real, this couldn’t be happening.

Harry shook his head, "I know that I can't just jump in and be his dad, but Draco I love him so much, I would do anything."

He stared at Harry for a long moment before he leaned in and kissed him.

The other man kissed him back, pressing him back against the wall and caging him in with his body.

"I love you," Draco managed against Harry's mouth. "Salazar. Yes, Harry," he gasped. "Yes to any of it, to all of it. Whatever you'll have of me."

"I'll have all of you," he murmured, "Any bit that you'll give me." He pulled back and Draco almost tipped over. Harry steadied him with his hands around his waist, "Stay right here," he murmured, giddy and breathless, dimpled-smile so bright that Draco was nearly overcome. "Don't move," he repeated before leaving the kitchen.

Draco heard the closet in the entry way opening, then Harry was skidding back into the kitchen. He fell to his knees in front of Draco, opening a ring box and displaying a simple silver band.

"Marry me?" Harry whispered, eyes wet and smile bright.

Draco nodded and Harry's trembling fingers held out the band to him, slipping it over Draco's ring finger. Once it was in place, Draco fell to his knees in front of Harry and cupped his face in his palms.

"Thank you," he whispered and Draco found himself wiping the tears spilling from his eyes.

"I think I'm really getting the better end of the bargain here," he whispered back with a little laugh.

Harry shook his head and more tears spilled out, Draco's heart felt like it was bursting in his chest. "This is everything I've ever wanted," he replied.

Draco wrapped him up in his arms and hoped that he'd be worthy of that love, worthy of that claim. "Stay," he whispered.

Harry nodded back, "Always."

----------------

written for the @hdcandyheartsfest prompt 'love language'

Read more of my 2023 hdcandyhearts ficlets here.

[basicallyahedgehog]

I'll Be Loving You

For @drarrymicrofic prompt "The Darkness That You Fear" by The Chemical Brothers.

I have Feelings about my dad's birthday, and now Draco gets them too. Angst with a happy ending, hurt/comfort, Harry is a good boyfriend, Lucius sucks. Unbeta'd, we die like Lucius should have.

Harry found him on the porch, his knuckles white where he gripped the railing. 

“I brought you tea, love,” he said, setting it on the table beside them before stepping up behind Draco, wrapping his arms around his boyfriend. 

“Am I a bad son, Harry?” 

He would have missed it, had he not been waiting for the words. They always came on this day. 

“No, love. Keeping boundaries does not make you a bad son.” He pressed a soft kiss to Draco’s shoulder. “If I recall correctly, the last time you tried to live up to his expectations it almost got you killed.”

Draco’s hands momentarily tightened on the railing, before he relaxed imperceptibly into Harry’s arms. 

“I still love him,” he whispered, his voice laced with guilt. “He did so many terrible, horrible things, and yet I can’t stop loving him.”

“Loving someone doesn’t mean you endorse them,” Harry murmured, thinking of the hazy love for his aunt that had been squashed in his childhood, of the love he knew his mother had held for Snape even to her death, of the love he held for every version of the man in his arms, even the misguided teenager he had once been. Maybe especially that boy, fear a constant presence in his grey eyes. 

“You aren’t him, love. And loving him is proof of that, of how good you are.” He wrapped Draco impossibly tighter against him. “You know that I would support you if you wanted to visit him.”

“And be told what a failure I am?” Draco sighed, a sad, broken thing that wrapped around Harry’s heart like a vice. 

Harry held Draco as the sun faded, as the breeze brushed across their skin, leaving goosebumps in its wake. He held him when he finally turned, burying his head into the crook of Harry’s neck, the tears Draco rarely allowed himself running down Harry’s collarbone. 

And later, after a fresh cup of tea and a warm bath and tender kisses to soft skin, Harry held Draco as he slipped into sleep, holding him tight against the darkness of his youth, whispering promises of a brighter tomorrow. 

[ladderofyears]

Draco, petrified of Muggle movies, could barely look at the screen.

The murderer was about to grab the very silly heroine, and so he seized Harry’s hand, the tension intolerable.

She escaped, thank Merlin, but Draco didn’t dare release his boyfriend’s fingers.

Prompt: interwining fingers.

[themanfromeire]

James Potter is 100% the type to fall for scams. My guy would give away his social security number if you asked nicely

[currentlyonstandbi]

harry peter mj polycule confirmation when marvel ?

[babooshkart]

happy new year, boyfriends 🎇

girlfriends make for boyfriends, part 2: holiday edition (a gift from @emmalovesdilemmas and I for @saintgarbanzo and @academicdisasterfic ) 💕 We hope this upcoming year is kind to you both and full of warmth, love, and many new good memories together

[cryptiduni]

“white mourning.”

[khyonwa]

Ouuy porque tan presumidos, esposos??😪🎉

-

Hehe, totally kidding, I love them! (Haven't written an entire novel for nothing)

And! Very very last chapter of my wildly long epilogue is up!

(I've got a speedpaint on my Insta and a whole playlist at the End Notes of the chapter)

[thatmoonspell]

So I recently read Chasing Dragons 🐉 by @the-sinking-ship and it kinda fucking blew my mind?!? Jaded Healer Draco and BAMF Harry who rides motorcycles in black tie and rocks sex hair?? Yes fucking PLEASE.

[drarrily-we-row-along]

With his back straight, steps measured and calm, Draco walked up the walk toward his house. Everything was carefully tamped down, carefully tucked away where no one could see it or guess at it. He wore the perfect mask, a mask he'd honed over the years and had been able to employ since he was young, the perfect defense against his parents, his strongest shield.

He entered his house and stood there in the entryway for just a moment, breathing in through his nose and out through his mouth. His composure was still held tightly, knowing that the moment it cracked he wouldn't be able to withstand the torrents of his emotions. That much had been proven time and again.

So he slowly, methodically went through the motions of checking the post he'd missed in the two days he was away, hanging up his cloak, changing into comfortable clothes, and unpacking his suitcase. Then he went to the kitchen and started making supper, a stew that could simmer on the stove and a hearty grain bread. A meal that would warm him from the inside out.

As he was shaping the loaves the door opened and the wind blew Harry in. He grinned at Draco, curls riotous around his face and shoulders, bronze skin tinted rosy from the chill in the air. "Hey you," he said, like seeing Draco was the best part of his day.

"Hi," he choked out.

Harry's eyes were soft, full of compassion and tenderness as he looked at Draco. He took his jacket off and sent it to the closet, "Do you want to talk about it?" he asked.

Draco shook his head, putting the bread into the oven to avoid having to meet the other man's eyes, not ready to let go of the control he'd held onto so tightly for two days.

"Can I hug you?" he asked.

After a heartbeat, Draco shook his head again. "No," he whispered. "Sorry," he added softly, tugging at the sleeves of his sweater and pulling them down over his hands.

"Why are you sorry?" Harry prompted softly, stepping into the kitchen and putting the kettle on.

He took a deep breath and let Harry start peeling back the layers, entered into the process of acknowledging his emotions. "You wanted to offer me comfort," he said. "I can't accept it right now but I don't want you to stop."

Harry hummed softly.

Draco continued, "And I am irrationally afraid that you will stop."

"I won't stop," Harry replied steadily. "It's not irrational for you to feel that way," he added, seamlessly acknowledging the trauma Draco had experienced and his willingness to meet him in his struggle. "I love you."

His heart twisted in his chest, leaving him aching and breathless at the easy way those words fell from the other man's lips. Like they cost him nothing to give them to Draco, like he expected nothing in return. "I can't," he whispered, eyes stinging.

"Can't what, sweetheart?" he asked softly.

"I'm sorry," he said again, "shit, Harry." Tears slipped from his eyes and down his cheeks, "Sorry. I don't mean to be a mess. I don't mean to keep pushing you away. I don't-"

"Hey," he said, interrupting Draco's words and ducking his head so that he could look in Draco's eyes. "I'm not going anywhere, you're not pushing me away. Having boundaries and not being ready for something doesn't push me away. I don't mind sitting in the mess with you."

"You shouldn't have to," he blurted, frustrated by his inability to control his emotions, by his need to talk it out instead of just processing it himself or just acknowledging that his parents are arseholes and their opinions don't matter. "Fuck," he bit out, wiping the tears from his eyes. "I should just be able to move on. To not care about-"

"It's okay," Harry said softly, voice low and easy. "It's okay for that to be hard. It's okay for you to want to be loved and treated with gentleness." He stood as the kettle started to whistle and began making tea. "I am happy to listen to you and to help you process."

He shook his head, wrapping his arms around his waist. "I hate that you always get all of the worst bits of me," he whispered. Because if anyone deserved Draco's very best, it was Harry; his sweet, lovely Harry who loved him with more heart and tenderness than Draco had ever known was possible. Harry deserved all of Draco's goodness, all of the best bits ought to go to him, not all of the struggling, ragged, despairing bits.

"They aren't the worst bits," he said, handing a cup of peppermint tea to Draco before he settled back into his stool on the other side of the island with his own cup. "But even if they were, I'm glad to have them. I want all of the bits of you." He said it so earnestly, so painfully honestly, that Draco had no choice but to believe him.

It seemed like too much, like something that was completely undeserved and unwarranted. It seemed impossible that anyone could want all of the parts of him, could want to allow him space for all of the feelings and emotions he was hosting.

It seemed impossible that anyone could actually love him when the people who had made him and raised him only wanted him to be the cut out they'd designed for him. But as he looked at the other man's face, open and earnest as he waited for Draco to say more, the dam burst.

And Draco shattered.

Tears spilled from his eyes as his breath caught in his chest, pain radiating from the very core of his being through his chest and abdomen. "Harry," he whispered, reaching for him across the island.

Harry was around the island, letting Draco pull him close, in an instant. His arms wrapped around him and he held Draco up, "Hey. I see you," he whispered into Draco's hair. "You are good."

He let out a gasping sort of sob, "I'll never be enough for them," he said. "Never. It doesn't matter what I do, they'll never," he broke off as a sob forced its way out of his chest. "I try so hard," he whispered, "I can't-" he broke off again, not even sure what the end of that sentence was meant to be.

"I know," Harry replied, cradling him close with unbearable tenderness.

All of their words, their admonitions, their lectures, and guidance flooded through him, weakening all of the places in his life that he'd worked so hard to fortify after leaving home. The work that he'd done always felt like it came to nothing when he was with them, "I'm always too emotional, too lazy, too ugly, too stupid, too imperfect-"

"It's not true," the other man replied fiercely. "None of that is true, love."

"And I want to believe that," he said. He wanted to believe that more than anything. "Merlin, I want to believe that so much but I just-" he broke off, unsure of how to finish his thought.

"It's hard when that's not what they say," Harry finished for him when Draco lost the ending of his sentence. "I know," he murmured, holding Draco a little tighter still. "You are good, and kind, and clever, and fucking gorgeous. And you may be imperfect, but we all are."

He took a deep breath and then let it out slowly, then he did it again as Harry slowly stroked his hand up and down his back soothingly. He wanted to apologize but he knew that Harry would just make him explain why and then tell him that he didn't want or need that. He wanted to tell him he'd do better, be better but knew that Harry would just tell him that he wanted him as he was. That he loved him. And he didn't want to make Harry feel like he had to say all of those lovely, kind things when Draco was so ugly and broken. He didn't want to be more of a burden than he already was.

"I wish you'd let me come with you," Harry murmured, pressing a kiss to the crown of his head.

Draco huffed a laugh, "They'd tear you apart," he said. "I'd never ask that of you."

"I'd like to see them try," he said. "I just don't like that you're so alone," he continued. "I don't like that there's no one to stand up for you or at the very least tell you how spectacular you are in the quiet moments in between."

He sniffled a little and let himself imagine what it would be like not to be alone when he went to his parents'. "Thanks," he murmured. "I don't know if I'm ready to tell them about us yet," he added a little nervously, he loved Harry beyond measure and he didn't want the other man to think his hesitancy was a reflection on him.

"I'm not trying to rush you," Harry assured, "I just hate what happens to you every time you see them."

He closed his eyes and relaxed against Harry, letting the torrent of emotions batter his rib cage while Harry held him up. "I love you," he whispered.

Harry hummed and kissed the top of his head again, "I love you too. So much."

They stood together in the kitchen, Harry's arms around him, for a long time until Draco's stomach started growling and the timer for the bread in the oven went off. Dinner was quiet, but a part of Harry's body was always touching Draco; his foot against his shin, fingers tangling together, an ankle wrapped around Draco's: a constant reminder of his love and support.

And the rest of the night was similar, quiet and calm interspersed with Draco's stories of what had happened, lines and phrases that had been said to him, the re-telling cathartic even as it made him cry. Harry listened with rapt attention, focused on what Draco had to say, offering kindness and love, gently telling him what was actually true and washing away the lies.

They climbed into bed at the end of the day and Harry pulled Draco close, wrapping around his body and cradling Draco against his chest. And Draco let out a sigh, pulling Harry's arm just a little further around him and bringing his hand up to his lips, "Thank you," he murmured.

"My pleasure," Harry murmured into the back of his neck, "truly delighted to get to be with you and love you."

"It's a lot," he whispered.

"It's really not."

He huffed, "it feels like it is," he said as a tear slipped down his cheek.

"That's fair," Harry said softly, "but you don't feel like a lot to me. This doesn't feel like a lot. Loving you is the easiest thing I've ever done."

Draco closed his eyes and let out a slow breath and tried to let himself believe those words. Loving Harry was the easiest thing he'd ever done, so maybe, just maybe, he could believe that was true for Harry too.

[this-boys]

Harris Dickinson in Triangle of Sadness.

[lynsstrange]

forget boys ruining my life, books already have

[drarrywords]

voldemort: harry potter, the boy who lived, come to die

draco: no.

voldemort:

harry: bro don't. i don't want to sleep on the couch tonight. my boyfriend said no. i won't die. end of discussion. fuck off.

[larrysblooming]

boyfriends and their boyfriend jackets in the year of 2022/2023 💙✨

[thecherrygod]

if i ever were to write anything for my robot hdb au the chapter in which harry finally gets a dick would be called "have you tried turning it on and off again?" and it would be a constant trial and error, it would end on the successful attempt but on a cliffhanger also