Both their knees seemed to simultaneously give out. Still deep inside Severus, Harry sank to the carpeted floor, drawing his lover down onto him as he knelt there shaking in the aftermath. They were both gasping for breath like they'd run ten miles.
Harry tightened his arms around Severus and rested his chin over the nearest bony shoulder, breathing in Severus' warm scent.
Before long, Harry's legs were cramping up, protesting both his kneeling position and the weight resting on him.
"This can't be comfortable," Severus murmured a few minutes later, carefully moving off him before Harry could open his mouth to keep him where he was.
Severus sat down on the rug, and after a moment, Harry shifted so that he was lying on his side, his head pillowed on Severus' right knee as he stared up into that long-nosed face.
As if of their own volition, Severus' fingers moved to stroke through his hair. An index finger traced his lightning bolt scar. It was a favourite move of Severus'.
"That was . . . . " Harry began, not knowing what to say, but needing to say something.
"Yes," Severus swiftly agreed.
The moment seeming to draw in around them, they stared into each other's eyes.
Severus cleared his throat and said in a hesitant voice, "We never speak of what we've been doing together these last three months."
'I, er, noticed that," Harry said, pressing Severus' palm to his cheek and then turning his face into the damp palm to kiss the perspiration away.
"Perhaps some things need to be said?" Severus suggested.
Tensing a little, because he could never tell what Severus had in mind when he wore that expression, Harry softly asked, "What sort of things?"
"Well, I couldn't help but notice that you've slept in my bed every night since January. Also, your clothes now seem to reside exclusively in my wardrobe," Severus remarked in that same unreadable tone.
Harry's stomach clenched in a tight knot. This could be a prelude to a goodbye as easily as something pleasant. He'd known he was taking his chances by leaving his clothes here and returning every single night, but he hadn't been able to help himself. Unable to deny Severus' words, he offered a soft, "Yes."
Harry felt the leg supporting his head tense up.
Severus' gaze seemed almost questioning as he searched his face.
Somehow, that nervousness gave him hope. Severus was never hesitant or reluctant when he was angry or irritated. Reaching up, Harry pushed the long hair back behind Severus' ear and asked, "What do you have on your mind?"
"I, er," Severus never stumbled over his words. "I was wondering if perhaps it were time for you to consider moving all your things here? There is more than sufficient room."
Severus appeared scared to death.
Harry couldn't blame him. He hadn't seen this coming at all. Taking a deep breath, Harry tried to stamp down the urge to shout in triumph. He was literally weak with relief as he answered as calmly and nonchalantly as he could while his heart was about to burst with joy, "Yeah, I could do that."
Severus' hand closed almost painfully on his shoulder. He looked like he'd just evaded a killing curse.
"Er, there might be one small problem with that, though," Harry felt obligated to point out.
The hand on his shoulder had to be drawing blood.
"That would be?" Severus asked, his body terribly still.
"Dobby lives with me. I can't just dump him on the street or leave him in an empty apartment," Harry reluctantly said.
"So, this would be what the Muggles call a package deal?" Severus asked, demonstrating some of the culture he'd picked up during the last three months. "You and the house elf?"
The fact that Severus wasn't screaming was highly reassuring. Taking a deep breath because this could still all go very wrong, Harry said, "It isn't quite a love me, love my dog standoff, but the sentiment is similar."
Only after he'd spoken did Harry realize that bringing the L word into this, even jokingly, was probably a great tactical error. He could see Severus processing his blunder as he stared down at him
"I suppose there is more than sufficient room to support a house elf," Severus said.
"You'd really let Dobby live here?" Harry asked, too shocked to even try to mask his reaction.
Severus' mouth twisted upwards in that bashful smile that Harry adored. "Well, not without you."
If the resulting laughter was more than slightly hysterical on both their parts, neither of them seemed to care.
Harry climbed to his knees and flung his arms around Severus in an exuberant hug that was eagerly returned.
Maybe they weren't like conventional lovers. There mightn't be any soul-melting declarations of love or binding promises. They might have stumbled into every successive level of intimacy by accident or expedience rather than approaching them head on, with intent. But as Harry pulled back far enough to stare up at Severus, he decided that he'd never loved anything more than he did the things that Severus said without actually saying.
Holding Severus' almost happy gaze, Harry grinned and asked a totally outrageous, "In that case, can we get a dog?"
"Don't push your luck, Potter," Severus said.
It was no doubt meant to be a warning, but it was hard to take the man seriously when he was shaking with contained laughter. Harry wasn't in any doubt at all that if he pushed for it, there'd be a four-legged, tail-wagging puppy cavorting through the place. Of course, if he pushed too hard, that four-legged, tail-wagging puppy might be himself, but the man's unpredictability was one of the things he enjoyed most about Severus.
Melting against Severus, Harry covered that laughing mouth and commenced some of the wordless communicating that they did best.
The End
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