âWhat is that?â Draco asked incredulously, staring at Harryâs naked chest.
Harry immediately blushed, scolding himself for being so careless as to run around half naked with thisâŚthing. Because right there, on his chest, right over his heart were numbers etched onto his skin in black ink.
âWhat is what?â he finally asked, going for denial, pulling a new shirt over his head and tried walking out of their bedroom.
Draco scrambled out of bed and his hand shot out to grab Harryâs wrist to keep him from leaving. Harry turned back around reluctantly.
âPotter,â Draco ground out through his teeth, âwhat is that? Tell me you didnât get aâŚâ
âItâs a tattoo,â Harry said sighing.
âIt was a mistake, I went to the Three Broomsticks with the lads andâŚwell.â
Draco blinked at him unbelieving.
âYou got so drunk you got a bloody tattoo?â
âI can have it removed,â he murmured and looked into Dracoâs eyes, trying to read him.
Harry didnât think heâd ever felt this vulnerable. Or this weak. Even though heâd been together with Draco for almost two years now, neither of them had ever felt the need to say the three words that Harry now felt he was wearing on his chest in plain sight. He didnât know if he was ready for Draco to find out. He didnât know if Draco was readyâŚ
Dracoâs eyes were fixed on the numbers.
âWhatâs it mean, anyway?â he asked and read aloud:
â51.5309.0.1233 â please tell me itâs not some guyâs phone number.â
âItâs not some guys phone number,â he muttered, quite unable to meet Dracoâs eyes.
They were standing in silence for a few seconds before Draco groaned.
âGreat, donât tell me, whatever. Iâve just been with your sorry arse for two years and living with you for one, what do I care what random numbers you decide you need to have on your chest forever,â he spat and Harry recognised all the signs for an oncoming Draco Malfoy tantrum.
âTheyâre coordinates.â
Draco had been about to say something else, but stilled and stared at the numbers again.
âCoordinates to what?â
He let his hand caress the still sore tattoo and Harry thought that his heart was about to explode â with love or terror he couldnât say.
âKingâs Cross station.â
Draco looked up from the ink then and straight into his eyes, puzzled.
Harry thought that his heart seemed to be beating faster and faster by the second when he said:
âItâs where I first boarded the Hogwarts Express,â he placed his own hand over Dracoâs to keep it in place right over the ink, right over his heart.
âItâs where I first found a place I felt like I belonged,â he inhaled deeply, âmost importantly, however, itâs the place I fell in love with you at the first of September 1999.â
The silence in the room was deafening.
Harry forced himself to keep his eyes on his boyfriend, whose breaths now seemed to be coming in hard and shaky puffs.
Neither of them said a single word for what seemed like ages and then Draco looked up.
âYou got that for me?â
Harry nodded, trying not to crumble to the floor.
âBecause youâŚâ Draco prompted and searched Harryâs face.
âI just told you why.â
âIâd like you to tell me again.â
Harry took a deep breath and shifted his weight from one foot to the other.
âBecause I love you.â
There. The three words they had managed without so far were finally out. Harry felt light headed. He felt scared and happy and nervous and giddy all at the same time.
And then, the negative feelings fell away completely when he saw the grin that spread over Dracoâs face.
âI love you, too,â he said enthusiastically.
They stared at each other as if they couldnât quite believe what was happening.
âSo,â Harry asked finally, âdo you want me to have it removed?â
Draco laughed loudly and let his arms slide around Harryâs waist to keep him in place.
âNo, idiot,â he smiled softly, âI want to look at it forever.â
It was Harryâs turn to smile until Draco leaned forward and kissed that smile right off his face.
The kiss was somehow different to all the kisses they had shared between them so far and Harry didnât quite know why. Maybe it was the fact that he tried to pour all of his feelings into that one touch of lips on lips or maybe it was Draco who kissed him like his life depended on it.
Either way, Harry thought that he should have said what was in his heart much, much earlier.