Everything hurts, but Severus was used to getting hurt. James Potter loves him, and it hurts him. But, he was also used to James Potter hurting him. James Potter pranked him with a mis-brewed amortentia. That, too, he was used to.
I love him. I hate him. I want to kiss him. I want to punch him. Love. Hate. Love. Hate. Love, love, love. I love him.
Potter's voice has been incessantly screaming in his head like this. Whatever fuck up he did, Severus has spent his entire day listening to James Potter's agonizing love for him. Worst part about it is that it was all in his head, and Severus was on the edge of delirium hearing this much voices in his head.
Pomfrey told him the most ridiculous antidote to his headache— a true love's kiss would stop the magic. It was an ancient nullification magic, she explained. Ridiculous. Severus knew he could come up with an antidote for it.
Except, that was a week ago. The headaches have gotten worse, and the voices have gotten louder. James Potter was still cruel, but Severus could now see the look of something else in his gaze. It was disgusting.
Severus just had to kiss him, right? Disgusting as it was, he couldn't live the rest of his life in pain from James' love. It would just be a one and done situation, and he would move on from this with little difficulty. When he found James alone with him, a werewolf in the shack behind them, Severus grabbed his collar and smashed their lips together.
It was a sloppy thing, their kiss. It was messy, and James bit Severus' tongue at some point. He didn't care whether it was an accident or intentional, just that the voices need to get away. The kiss started to taste like blood, and that's fine. Severus didn't love James— no, he hated James. But, James kissed him so gently even with the blood and spit. It was nauseating.
When Severus pulled away, the silence in his head gave him peace. The hungry look in James' eyes, however, did not.
