(no subject)
A Hard Day's Night
Author: westwardlee and ceria_taliesin
Characters: Kingsley Shacklebolt / Gideon Prewett
Rating: R
Summary: At the end of the day, this is all that matters.
Author's notes: Written for the AWDT prompt, "It was no use pretending. He was scared."
The index of stories
Kingsley was antsy, unable to concentrate on anything. Fabian had scolded him during training that morning, telling him if he kept like that, he might as well walk with a target printed on his forehead for the first Death Eater he met.
He would've loved to hex the git into oblivion, were it nor for two rather important facts: one, Fabian was his superior; and two, he was Gideon's brother and Gideon wouldn't take it lightly if Kingsley hexed Fabian, especially because Fabian was right!
Gideon.
The reason for his edginess. Not consciously, of course. Gideon hadn't done anything to make Kingsley upset. Quite the opposite. After Kingsley came out to his parents, his relationship with Gideon had taken a new, wonderful path. It was still awkward to leave home to meet his "boyfriend," but his father had stopped making any comments, probably because Mac was afraid of Maura's scowl.
The issue was that there was going to be a big party for his grandfather's birthday and everyone would bring their significant others.
And Gideon hadn't set foot inside the Shacklebolt's house since that fateful day when Maura had walked in on both of them.
Kingsley wanted to bring Gideon to the party. He just didn’t know how to ask.
Stepping out of the shower after practice, Gideon threw on a clean tee shirt and pair of sweats. He assumed Kingsley would call him through the Floo or just come over any time now, but Gideon was content waiting for him.
It was interesting how their relationship had changed in the last month. Even after Kingsley's declaration and Gideon's acceptance of it, he was still edgy around him, careful of what he said and did. He couldn't help it; part of him still expected Kingsley to renege his word.
It wasn't fair to feel that way, and Gideon tried to keep that thought to himself, but he couldn't get rid of it. Not yet. Running his fingers through his hair instead of using a brush, he sat down, reading some sport magazine on the table at his feet while he waited.
Kingsley concentrated on Apparating home, so he wouldn't splinch himself. He was dying to shed those Auror robes and dress in something comfortable.
He Apparated into an empty home. There was a message from his parents: they had gone out for dinner, but there was food for him if he wanted to eat in. He opened the Charmed containers and sniffed a steak-and-kidney pie, his favorite. Lucille had probably made it for him and would be very upset if he didn't eat it.
But he really wanted to see Gideon and have dinner with him. The aroma of the pie wafted to his nose and he smiled; he could do both things. He'd take it to Gideon's flat. This way he wouldn't have to cook there and they could stay in, spending more time together.
Whistling, he went upstairs for a quick shower. Dressed in jeans and tee shirt, he picked up the pie and Apparated outside of Gideon's flat. It bothered him that he wasn't cleared through the wards, but he'd never mention it to Gideon. If Gideon felt comfortable enough to give him clearance, it had to come from Gideon itself.
Shrugging, he knocked at the door.
Surprised to hear the knock, Gideon pulled the door slightly open. "Didn't expect you to show up here so soon," he said, moving back to let him inside.
Then he raised an eyebrow at the container, "And with food?"
He closed the door and stepped behind Kingsley, wrapping an arm around his waist. Nuzzling Kingsley's head, he said, "What did Lucille make for dinner?"
Kingsley leant into the embrace and craned his neck, giving Gideon a sloppy kiss on the mouth. "Steak-and-kidney pie. My favorite. And hers is the best. Mum and Dad went out for dinner, and I thought it would be unforgivable to let this good food go to waste." He kissed Gideon again. "Hungry?"
"Always," Gideon said. It was a shame he hated to cook and relied on Kingsley to do it.
Pushing Kingsley into the kitchen, Gideon sat him down at the table and pulled out two plates and glasses.
"You'll have to thank her for me, when you can," he said, sitting across from Kingsley.
"The best thanks we can give her is to show the empty dish," Kingsley replied, serving the pie. He started eating - it was delicious, as usual, and it was a nice distraction from the problem storming in his mind. He didn't know what to do. He wanted Gideon to go, but he was reticent because of his family's reaction. He didn't know what his father would do when he saw Gideon. Mac had been furious when he learnt of Gideon and Kingsley's relationship.
Santini had sent him an owl asking him if he'd invited Gideon yet and had jokingly called him a chicken when he admitted he had not.
"Do you like it?" he asked, in order to hide his discomfort.
"You know I do." Gideon could see that he was nervous about something and wondered if he and Fabian got into an argument.
"Are you going to tell me what's wrong? How was training today?"
Kingsley dropped the fork and knife with a loud clank, but asked nonchalantly, "Why do you think there's anything wrong?"
Smirking, Gideon set his fork down and leaned forward to watch Kingsley.
"Well, if I didn't suspect it before, I definitely do now. Did you and Fabian get into another fight?"
Shaking his head, Kingsley said, "Your brother's a git. He told me I might as well have a big target on my forehead." It was stalling, he knew, but it was also the truth.
Shaking his head, Gideon said, "And? My brother might not like you, but usually you can handle his training.
"Why are you still stalling?" It was a shot in the dark, but Gideon thought he might be correct.
Squirming extremely uncomfortably, Kingsley shifted his eyes and asked, "What do you mean, stalling?" He wondered if Gideon was a Legilimens, after all.
Biting the inside of his lip to control his irritation, Gideon leaned back in the chair and ate his dinner. He wasn't going to continue guessing. Either Kingsley would tell him or not.
Finished, he carried his things to the sink and washed his own flatware. Instead of sitting back down at the table, he walked into the other room, clicked on the WWN and sat on the sofa.
Astonished, Kingsley watched Gideon rise, wash his utensils and walk away; when he heard the noise of the WWN, he realized he still had a forkful of pie halfway to his mouth.
Gideon seemed furious - no, Gideon was furious. Ruefully, Kingsley thought that if Gideon had done that in his parent's house, he'd be guaranteed a lonely night in his bedroom. At home he was only allowed to leave the table after everyone had finished dinner, or if he excused himself and was granted it. Mac would have a fit if anyone left the dinner table like that, and Kingsley laughed, thinking about his father scolding Gideon, telling him to mind his manners.
He stopped laughing abruptly when he remembered that Mac would do much more than scold Gideon if he came to Southwood's party. In silence, Kingsley finished his dinner.
Propping his feet on the table, Gideon picked up the magazine again and finished flipping through it. He paused at the advert for new brooms, admiring the bend of the handle. It seemed easier to handle that way. However, he wasn't going to waste his money on something he didn't need.
He randomly picked one of the articles, about the new coach for United, and started reading it while Kingsley finished eating.
Kingsley finished eating and did the dishes; then, feeling awkward, he walked to the living-room and saw Gideon reading a Quidditch magazine. He stood up near the fireplace, examining the family pictures. A few redheads waved at him and he playfully waved back. He wondered if the rest of Gideon's family would be more accepting of their relationship than Fabian, who obviously hated Kingsley above all things.
He waited to see if Gideon would speak first, thinking that maybe he should go home until Gideon was in a better mood.
Gideon dropped the magazine and folded his hands behind his head, watching Kingsley. He would quietly wait until Kingsley told him what was wrong, or Kingsley wouldn’t tell him, but Gideon didn't like the way he hedged around the truth until either Gideon gave up, or guessed what was wrong.
Well, it was obvious Gideon would not speak. But something was keeping Kingsley there - the last thing he wanted to do was to go back to his empty house. He looked directly at Gideon and decided that someone had to say something. "What?" he asked.
"Come here," Gideon said, not moving until Kingsley walked over to him.
Unfolding his arms, he stretched one across the back of the sofa. Patting the cushion next to him, he said, "Sit down."
A little warily, Kingsley sat down next to Gideon and laid his head on his outstretched arm - and waited.
"I could have sworn we had this discussion before, and I'm pretty sure I told you not to do it again. So are you going to tell me what's bothering you?"
Wrapping his arm around Kingsley's shoulders, Gideon kissed the top of his head, keeping his irritation in check. At least he hoped he was.
Sighing deeply, Kingsley reminded himself that this was his boyfriend, the one he'd braved his father's fury for. Besides, Gideon was also his best friend and he couldn't keep secrets from the friend or the lover.
"My grandfather's birthday is approaching and there'll be a big bash. The whole family will be there, and…and I want you to go with me. I want to introduce you to my family as my…mine."
Stilling instantly, Gideon kept his lips pressed against Kingsley's head. Apparently, Kingsley was more serious about their relationship than he originally thought. "All right?" he said, voice wavering slightly.
He did want to go, but he wouldn't push the issue. He hated the fact that he hadn't seen Mac or Maura since Kingsley told them. He felt like a child hiding behind his mother's skirts. No matter that he had to trust Kingsley's opinion, and that Kingsley felt it was best to wait a while before seeing them again.
It was no use pretending it was all right. He was scared shitless of his father's disapproval, of his grandfather's reaction. "No, Gideon, it's not all right. I don't know what my father's reaction will be, what my grandfather will say. I…I don't want to cause a rift at my grandpa's party." He swallowed. "But I want you there. I want you to meet my whole family, I…I want you to feel part of it. I want my parents to like you as much as they did…before. And I don’t know what to do."
Gideon pulled him closer, unsure what to say to that. "Well, your options are to take me or not take me. Tell me again what happened with Chambers and Nigel."
He turned his head to the side, rubbing his cheek against Kingsley. Shifting his body, he threw his legs over Kingsley and leaned against him, curling around him for emotional support. They were both nervous about Mac, and Gideon desperately wanted to feel accepted by the Shacklebolts again.
Kingsley rubbed Gideon's legs and snorted. "Chambers and Nigel had it easy! My mother was wholly on their side. She told my dad and my uncles off for being ugly to them. Grandpa didn’t seem to have an opinion one way or the other. And now everyone accepts Nigel and they like him. He's a good bloke, actually.
"My mother shuts my dad up when he's trying to get a little ugly with me, but I'm not sure if she'd be as supportive as she was with Chambers and Nigel. I know she doesn't have a problem I'm with a bloke; what she resents is that she felt we deceived her."
"I wish you'd let me talk to her. She probably thinks I'm too scared to do it. It's not right that you faced them alone like that."
"Well, I was the one who had to face them." He put his fingers inside the elastic bottom of the sweats and caressed Gideon's calf. "You can talk to her. I can arrange a lunch or something like that. She's not the problem, though."
But Gideon's words struck the right chord. Kingsley looked firmly at Gideon, saying, "I want you to go with me to Grandpa's party. Will you? Will you be there with me to face a mob of Shacklebolts?" Kingsley laughed. "They won't bite. May bark, but won't bite." He kissed Gideon softly on the lips. "And eventually they'll get used to you."
"If you want me to, then yes, I'll go," Gideon said. He shifted his body so Kingsley could reach his skin better. Leaning back, he pulled Kingsley on top of him, laying them on the sofa with Kingsley's head on his chest.
"Of course I want you to go. But do you want to go or are you going just because I want you to? Do you want to face my mum and dad?" It was strange, this new sense of protecting Gideon. Kingsley loved his parents very much, but he wouldn't let them harass Gideon.
"I knew what I was getting into when I finally said yes. Being with you means Mac, Southwood, Santini and your Mum. I understood then and I understand now.
"If I didn't want it, I wouldn’t have caved to your insistence, Imp." He turned their bodies so that Kingsley was pressed against the back of the sofa with Gideon leaning against his chest. Burying his head beneath Kingsley's cheek, Gideon wrapped his arm around him and lay still, enjoying the moment.
Nestling against Gideon, Kingsley sighed and finally decided to say what was eating at him. "You know, I eavesdropped on my father and Uncle Bruns talking - he's Chambers's father. My dad was using less than flattering words about you and me and told Uncle Bruns he knew what he had felt when Chambers came out. Then my uncle said it wasn't the same thing. He said something like, 'Chambers is gay, Mac, but this is only a phase Kingsley's going through. Chambers never liked girls, but you wait and see, Kingsley will get tired of this and will find a nice witch to marry. It’s just a matter of him finding the right one.' I wanted to barge in and tell them I had found the right one, the right wizard for me.
"Because it's true, Gideon. This is not a phase. It took me too long to understand what you meant to me. I'm glad you're going to the party with me." He kissed Gideon deeply. "I feel stronger by your side."
"I… I'm glad you came back," Gideon whispered, and it was nothing less than the truth. He'd been miserable most of Kingsley's seventh year and depressed after Christmas. Which led to him doing several stupid things he didn't want to think about any longer.
Pushing his leg between Kingsley's, he rubbed his thigh against him. He wasn't even looking for sex at the moment, but he enjoyed the fact they could be intimate, or touch however they chose without worry.
Opening his mouth, he let Kingsley lead them to wherever he wished to go.
Feeling Gideon's body so close to his, Kingsley decided that he wouldn't think about the other thing that bothered him: he would have to go home soon, maybe after they had sex. It was a work night and he couldn't sleep over. That was reserved for the weekends, which he spent mostly with Gideon.
He hated having to go home on weeknights. It was awful to leave Gideon and it was embarrassing coming home and knowing that his parents knew he'd just had sex.
But they were together now and he had to enjoy the moment. They were rare, with Gideon's busy schedule and the git's training program, which seemed geared toward destroying Kingsley and trying to leave him too tired for sex.
Pushing his hands beneath Kingsley's shirt, Gideon slid his fingers across smooth skin, digging his thumbs into the soft flesh and rubbing them in circles. Pushing his thigh up a little more, applying pressure against Kingsley's cock, Gideon sucked his tongue in. Well, he had thought he didn't want sex.
But Fabian-the-Git didn’t know what his brother's body did to Kingsley's senses. He could never be too tired, too hurt for sex with Gideon. He ached for those moments of intimacy, when a simple touch from Gideon made his cock twitch.
For all that Kingsley irritated him sometimes, Gideon easily forgave him for moments like this. It was more than just sex between them, even if he shied away from naming the emotion quite yet. Every touch led to the desire for more and no matter how tired he was, he usually found energy for this.
***
He laughed afterwards - how typical of them to not find their way to his bed and misuse his sofa again. Even the shower was too tiring a thought. He pulled Kingsley's head onto his chest, kissing him briefly, and lay still, listening to Kingsley breathe.
Kingsley wanted to fall into blissful sleep in Gideon's arms, but he knew he couldn't. He had to get back home, back to his own lonely bed and try to sleep until the next morning, for another day of gruesome training. Another day that would certainly bring more news of recent deaths, another day of sorrow for so many.
But for him, the day was only the beginning. At the end, there was Gideon, waiting for him, with a warm embrace.
Emboldened by this thought, Kingsley rose, cast a Scourgify on both of them and got dressed. He kissed Gideon good-bye and Apparated home.
Author: westwardlee and ceria_taliesin
Characters: Kingsley Shacklebolt / Gideon Prewett
Rating: R
Summary: At the end of the day, this is all that matters.
Author's notes: Written for the AWDT prompt, "It was no use pretending. He was scared."
The index of stories
Kingsley was antsy, unable to concentrate on anything. Fabian had scolded him during training that morning, telling him if he kept like that, he might as well walk with a target printed on his forehead for the first Death Eater he met.
He would've loved to hex the git into oblivion, were it nor for two rather important facts: one, Fabian was his superior; and two, he was Gideon's brother and Gideon wouldn't take it lightly if Kingsley hexed Fabian, especially because Fabian was right!
Gideon.
The reason for his edginess. Not consciously, of course. Gideon hadn't done anything to make Kingsley upset. Quite the opposite. After Kingsley came out to his parents, his relationship with Gideon had taken a new, wonderful path. It was still awkward to leave home to meet his "boyfriend," but his father had stopped making any comments, probably because Mac was afraid of Maura's scowl.
The issue was that there was going to be a big party for his grandfather's birthday and everyone would bring their significant others.
And Gideon hadn't set foot inside the Shacklebolt's house since that fateful day when Maura had walked in on both of them.
Kingsley wanted to bring Gideon to the party. He just didn’t know how to ask.
Stepping out of the shower after practice, Gideon threw on a clean tee shirt and pair of sweats. He assumed Kingsley would call him through the Floo or just come over any time now, but Gideon was content waiting for him.
It was interesting how their relationship had changed in the last month. Even after Kingsley's declaration and Gideon's acceptance of it, he was still edgy around him, careful of what he said and did. He couldn't help it; part of him still expected Kingsley to renege his word.
It wasn't fair to feel that way, and Gideon tried to keep that thought to himself, but he couldn't get rid of it. Not yet. Running his fingers through his hair instead of using a brush, he sat down, reading some sport magazine on the table at his feet while he waited.
Kingsley concentrated on Apparating home, so he wouldn't splinch himself. He was dying to shed those Auror robes and dress in something comfortable.
He Apparated into an empty home. There was a message from his parents: they had gone out for dinner, but there was food for him if he wanted to eat in. He opened the Charmed containers and sniffed a steak-and-kidney pie, his favorite. Lucille had probably made it for him and would be very upset if he didn't eat it.
But he really wanted to see Gideon and have dinner with him. The aroma of the pie wafted to his nose and he smiled; he could do both things. He'd take it to Gideon's flat. This way he wouldn't have to cook there and they could stay in, spending more time together.
Whistling, he went upstairs for a quick shower. Dressed in jeans and tee shirt, he picked up the pie and Apparated outside of Gideon's flat. It bothered him that he wasn't cleared through the wards, but he'd never mention it to Gideon. If Gideon felt comfortable enough to give him clearance, it had to come from Gideon itself.
Shrugging, he knocked at the door.
Surprised to hear the knock, Gideon pulled the door slightly open. "Didn't expect you to show up here so soon," he said, moving back to let him inside.
Then he raised an eyebrow at the container, "And with food?"
He closed the door and stepped behind Kingsley, wrapping an arm around his waist. Nuzzling Kingsley's head, he said, "What did Lucille make for dinner?"
Kingsley leant into the embrace and craned his neck, giving Gideon a sloppy kiss on the mouth. "Steak-and-kidney pie. My favorite. And hers is the best. Mum and Dad went out for dinner, and I thought it would be unforgivable to let this good food go to waste." He kissed Gideon again. "Hungry?"
"Always," Gideon said. It was a shame he hated to cook and relied on Kingsley to do it.
Pushing Kingsley into the kitchen, Gideon sat him down at the table and pulled out two plates and glasses.
"You'll have to thank her for me, when you can," he said, sitting across from Kingsley.
"The best thanks we can give her is to show the empty dish," Kingsley replied, serving the pie. He started eating - it was delicious, as usual, and it was a nice distraction from the problem storming in his mind. He didn't know what to do. He wanted Gideon to go, but he was reticent because of his family's reaction. He didn't know what his father would do when he saw Gideon. Mac had been furious when he learnt of Gideon and Kingsley's relationship.
Santini had sent him an owl asking him if he'd invited Gideon yet and had jokingly called him a chicken when he admitted he had not.
"Do you like it?" he asked, in order to hide his discomfort.
"You know I do." Gideon could see that he was nervous about something and wondered if he and Fabian got into an argument.
"Are you going to tell me what's wrong? How was training today?"
Kingsley dropped the fork and knife with a loud clank, but asked nonchalantly, "Why do you think there's anything wrong?"
Smirking, Gideon set his fork down and leaned forward to watch Kingsley.
"Well, if I didn't suspect it before, I definitely do now. Did you and Fabian get into another fight?"
Shaking his head, Kingsley said, "Your brother's a git. He told me I might as well have a big target on my forehead." It was stalling, he knew, but it was also the truth.
Shaking his head, Gideon said, "And? My brother might not like you, but usually you can handle his training.
"Why are you still stalling?" It was a shot in the dark, but Gideon thought he might be correct.
Squirming extremely uncomfortably, Kingsley shifted his eyes and asked, "What do you mean, stalling?" He wondered if Gideon was a Legilimens, after all.
Biting the inside of his lip to control his irritation, Gideon leaned back in the chair and ate his dinner. He wasn't going to continue guessing. Either Kingsley would tell him or not.
Finished, he carried his things to the sink and washed his own flatware. Instead of sitting back down at the table, he walked into the other room, clicked on the WWN and sat on the sofa.
Astonished, Kingsley watched Gideon rise, wash his utensils and walk away; when he heard the noise of the WWN, he realized he still had a forkful of pie halfway to his mouth.
Gideon seemed furious - no, Gideon was furious. Ruefully, Kingsley thought that if Gideon had done that in his parent's house, he'd be guaranteed a lonely night in his bedroom. At home he was only allowed to leave the table after everyone had finished dinner, or if he excused himself and was granted it. Mac would have a fit if anyone left the dinner table like that, and Kingsley laughed, thinking about his father scolding Gideon, telling him to mind his manners.
He stopped laughing abruptly when he remembered that Mac would do much more than scold Gideon if he came to Southwood's party. In silence, Kingsley finished his dinner.
Propping his feet on the table, Gideon picked up the magazine again and finished flipping through it. He paused at the advert for new brooms, admiring the bend of the handle. It seemed easier to handle that way. However, he wasn't going to waste his money on something he didn't need.
He randomly picked one of the articles, about the new coach for United, and started reading it while Kingsley finished eating.
Kingsley finished eating and did the dishes; then, feeling awkward, he walked to the living-room and saw Gideon reading a Quidditch magazine. He stood up near the fireplace, examining the family pictures. A few redheads waved at him and he playfully waved back. He wondered if the rest of Gideon's family would be more accepting of their relationship than Fabian, who obviously hated Kingsley above all things.
He waited to see if Gideon would speak first, thinking that maybe he should go home until Gideon was in a better mood.
Gideon dropped the magazine and folded his hands behind his head, watching Kingsley. He would quietly wait until Kingsley told him what was wrong, or Kingsley wouldn’t tell him, but Gideon didn't like the way he hedged around the truth until either Gideon gave up, or guessed what was wrong.
Well, it was obvious Gideon would not speak. But something was keeping Kingsley there - the last thing he wanted to do was to go back to his empty house. He looked directly at Gideon and decided that someone had to say something. "What?" he asked.
"Come here," Gideon said, not moving until Kingsley walked over to him.
Unfolding his arms, he stretched one across the back of the sofa. Patting the cushion next to him, he said, "Sit down."
A little warily, Kingsley sat down next to Gideon and laid his head on his outstretched arm - and waited.
"I could have sworn we had this discussion before, and I'm pretty sure I told you not to do it again. So are you going to tell me what's bothering you?"
Wrapping his arm around Kingsley's shoulders, Gideon kissed the top of his head, keeping his irritation in check. At least he hoped he was.
Sighing deeply, Kingsley reminded himself that this was his boyfriend, the one he'd braved his father's fury for. Besides, Gideon was also his best friend and he couldn't keep secrets from the friend or the lover.
"My grandfather's birthday is approaching and there'll be a big bash. The whole family will be there, and…and I want you to go with me. I want to introduce you to my family as my…mine."
Stilling instantly, Gideon kept his lips pressed against Kingsley's head. Apparently, Kingsley was more serious about their relationship than he originally thought. "All right?" he said, voice wavering slightly.
He did want to go, but he wouldn't push the issue. He hated the fact that he hadn't seen Mac or Maura since Kingsley told them. He felt like a child hiding behind his mother's skirts. No matter that he had to trust Kingsley's opinion, and that Kingsley felt it was best to wait a while before seeing them again.
It was no use pretending it was all right. He was scared shitless of his father's disapproval, of his grandfather's reaction. "No, Gideon, it's not all right. I don't know what my father's reaction will be, what my grandfather will say. I…I don't want to cause a rift at my grandpa's party." He swallowed. "But I want you there. I want you to meet my whole family, I…I want you to feel part of it. I want my parents to like you as much as they did…before. And I don’t know what to do."
Gideon pulled him closer, unsure what to say to that. "Well, your options are to take me or not take me. Tell me again what happened with Chambers and Nigel."
He turned his head to the side, rubbing his cheek against Kingsley. Shifting his body, he threw his legs over Kingsley and leaned against him, curling around him for emotional support. They were both nervous about Mac, and Gideon desperately wanted to feel accepted by the Shacklebolts again.
Kingsley rubbed Gideon's legs and snorted. "Chambers and Nigel had it easy! My mother was wholly on their side. She told my dad and my uncles off for being ugly to them. Grandpa didn’t seem to have an opinion one way or the other. And now everyone accepts Nigel and they like him. He's a good bloke, actually.
"My mother shuts my dad up when he's trying to get a little ugly with me, but I'm not sure if she'd be as supportive as she was with Chambers and Nigel. I know she doesn't have a problem I'm with a bloke; what she resents is that she felt we deceived her."
"I wish you'd let me talk to her. She probably thinks I'm too scared to do it. It's not right that you faced them alone like that."
"Well, I was the one who had to face them." He put his fingers inside the elastic bottom of the sweats and caressed Gideon's calf. "You can talk to her. I can arrange a lunch or something like that. She's not the problem, though."
But Gideon's words struck the right chord. Kingsley looked firmly at Gideon, saying, "I want you to go with me to Grandpa's party. Will you? Will you be there with me to face a mob of Shacklebolts?" Kingsley laughed. "They won't bite. May bark, but won't bite." He kissed Gideon softly on the lips. "And eventually they'll get used to you."
"If you want me to, then yes, I'll go," Gideon said. He shifted his body so Kingsley could reach his skin better. Leaning back, he pulled Kingsley on top of him, laying them on the sofa with Kingsley's head on his chest.
"Of course I want you to go. But do you want to go or are you going just because I want you to? Do you want to face my mum and dad?" It was strange, this new sense of protecting Gideon. Kingsley loved his parents very much, but he wouldn't let them harass Gideon.
"I knew what I was getting into when I finally said yes. Being with you means Mac, Southwood, Santini and your Mum. I understood then and I understand now.
"If I didn't want it, I wouldn’t have caved to your insistence, Imp." He turned their bodies so that Kingsley was pressed against the back of the sofa with Gideon leaning against his chest. Burying his head beneath Kingsley's cheek, Gideon wrapped his arm around him and lay still, enjoying the moment.
Nestling against Gideon, Kingsley sighed and finally decided to say what was eating at him. "You know, I eavesdropped on my father and Uncle Bruns talking - he's Chambers's father. My dad was using less than flattering words about you and me and told Uncle Bruns he knew what he had felt when Chambers came out. Then my uncle said it wasn't the same thing. He said something like, 'Chambers is gay, Mac, but this is only a phase Kingsley's going through. Chambers never liked girls, but you wait and see, Kingsley will get tired of this and will find a nice witch to marry. It’s just a matter of him finding the right one.' I wanted to barge in and tell them I had found the right one, the right wizard for me.
"Because it's true, Gideon. This is not a phase. It took me too long to understand what you meant to me. I'm glad you're going to the party with me." He kissed Gideon deeply. "I feel stronger by your side."
"I… I'm glad you came back," Gideon whispered, and it was nothing less than the truth. He'd been miserable most of Kingsley's seventh year and depressed after Christmas. Which led to him doing several stupid things he didn't want to think about any longer.
Pushing his leg between Kingsley's, he rubbed his thigh against him. He wasn't even looking for sex at the moment, but he enjoyed the fact they could be intimate, or touch however they chose without worry.
Opening his mouth, he let Kingsley lead them to wherever he wished to go.
Feeling Gideon's body so close to his, Kingsley decided that he wouldn't think about the other thing that bothered him: he would have to go home soon, maybe after they had sex. It was a work night and he couldn't sleep over. That was reserved for the weekends, which he spent mostly with Gideon.
He hated having to go home on weeknights. It was awful to leave Gideon and it was embarrassing coming home and knowing that his parents knew he'd just had sex.
But they were together now and he had to enjoy the moment. They were rare, with Gideon's busy schedule and the git's training program, which seemed geared toward destroying Kingsley and trying to leave him too tired for sex.
Pushing his hands beneath Kingsley's shirt, Gideon slid his fingers across smooth skin, digging his thumbs into the soft flesh and rubbing them in circles. Pushing his thigh up a little more, applying pressure against Kingsley's cock, Gideon sucked his tongue in. Well, he had thought he didn't want sex.
But Fabian-the-Git didn’t know what his brother's body did to Kingsley's senses. He could never be too tired, too hurt for sex with Gideon. He ached for those moments of intimacy, when a simple touch from Gideon made his cock twitch.
For all that Kingsley irritated him sometimes, Gideon easily forgave him for moments like this. It was more than just sex between them, even if he shied away from naming the emotion quite yet. Every touch led to the desire for more and no matter how tired he was, he usually found energy for this.
***
He laughed afterwards - how typical of them to not find their way to his bed and misuse his sofa again. Even the shower was too tiring a thought. He pulled Kingsley's head onto his chest, kissing him briefly, and lay still, listening to Kingsley breathe.
Kingsley wanted to fall into blissful sleep in Gideon's arms, but he knew he couldn't. He had to get back home, back to his own lonely bed and try to sleep until the next morning, for another day of gruesome training. Another day that would certainly bring more news of recent deaths, another day of sorrow for so many.
But for him, the day was only the beginning. At the end, there was Gideon, waiting for him, with a warm embrace.
Emboldened by this thought, Kingsley rose, cast a Scourgify on both of them and got dressed. He kissed Gideon good-bye and Apparated home.