For Clover.
Prompts: 1) Assignment - Write about an injury of some kind that leaves permanent physical scars on your character. 2) 365 Drabbles - Feud. 3) Writing Club - And I'd give up forever to touch you.
WC: 1024
"Al?"
Scorpius whispers across the room, his voice barely audible over the hush of the waves lapping against the dungeon walls. But he knows that Albus will answer.
"Yeah?"
"I was just thinking... was there any Potions homework?"
"No."
"Good."
"'Night."
"'Night."
Scorpius tries to roll over in bed, but then he remembers that his legs won't move again and suddenly he can't breathe.
"Al." He manages to choke something out between his racing heartbeat and his constricting chest.
"I'm coming."
Scorpius feels a familiar touch on his shoulder and thank Merlin he can feel that, he just can't feel anything else below his waist, and he's not sure how he can deal with this (how is going to deal with this?). "Shh."
Albus awkwardly rubs his arm and smooths back Scorpius's hair as he shushes Albus. "It's going to be all right."
Albus stays until Scorpius's breaths become even.
The next day, Scorpius and Albus pretend like nothing happened the night before. That's how they've been for a while.
They're sitting at the lake, Albus noisily shuffling through his Transfigurations notes.
Scorpius is staring out into the setting sun like it won't come up tomorrow. The deep purple of the clouds cupping the sun like a fragile yolk is like a bruise.
"How was school today?" Albus asks.
"It was the worst day of my life, what do you think?"
"Wow, I didn't think anything could top The Day."
"The Day doesn't exist."
"Clearly," Albus says dryly.
"I don't want to talk about it."
"Fine." Albus gathers up his notes. "Ready to go back? It's getting cold."
Scorpius nods, so Albus slugs his school bag over his shoulder and grabs the handles of Scorpius's wheelchair, preparing to wheel back.
He steps back with a yelp.
"I don't need help," Scorpius grumbles, tucking his wand into his robes.
"Did you just jinx me?"
"A little."
Albus crosses his arms, his frown deepening. Further down the path, Scorpius is pushing himself away, not looking back, and Albus can tell that he's never had to use his arms for much before. "Scorpius!" he calls.
"Fuck off!"
The knot in Albus's stomach grows until it's ready to combust, and Albus almost runs after Scorpius to give him a piece of his mind, but then the knot dissolves. He sighs instead, oddly feeling as if he could cry.
The Common Room is illuminated by peals of laughter from the couches near the fireplace. Albus's laugh is clean... pristine... it's quiet and there isn't a bit of breath in it. It sounds like a hiccup, and Scorpius's brain feels like it wants to destroy itself inside its cage when that laugh is shared with someone other than himself.
He broods in the corner, scowling at the highest intensity he can muster. Slytherins know better than to approach him with false apologies.
"Okay," he hears Albus say. "The window's getting black...which means it's time for me to go."
"Heading to bed early?" some girl says.
"He needs some alone time, don't you, Albus?" Brown says with a laugh.
"Nah, this might sound odd, but I just feel weird that the mermaids can see us but we can't see them."
Scorpius snorts. Albus could probably fit right in with a field of daisies.
Albus passes Scorpius on the way to the door exiting the common room, completely ignores him, and leaves the room. Scorpius huffs. Tonight, Scorpius has chosen to be very expressive.
"You having a row or something?" Scorpius turns towards Brown, who is raising his bushy eyebrows in a knowing but questioning manner. "Matrimonial strife, you know?"
Scorpius feels his cheeks starting to burn crimson. In an attempt to calm himself, Scorpius tries to reason that Brown is just doing this because he's trying to impress the girl he fancies. He tries for about half a second to be understanding. "The fuck are you talking about?"
"Oh, Scorpius, I can't believe that you can't even discern your own feelings," Brown says with a headshake. "It's so painfully obvious that you're whipped."
Scorpius curls his hands around the chair's arms and digs his nails into the good leather. Oh well. His father can buy new leather if needed. With an unintentional croak, Scorpius opens his mouth to say something, but all he can think about is how his father will buy him just about anything right now, as if it'll be a sufficient apology for what happened back at the Manor. Instead, Scorpius pulls out his wand and starts to levitate his chair out the door. Albus can usually calm him down with a hug or two. On the way out, it hits him that he'd give up forever just to never have to go without Albus's touch.
It's a little sad, how the accident made Albus a little more caring towards Scorpius, and how Scorpius would go through the accident ten more times if it meant Albus would stay.
He doesn't neglect to spell Brown's shoelaces together before he descends the stairs for the night. It feels childish but good.
Albus is, of course, waiting for him when he gets there. Scorpius can tell that Albus doesn't want him to think that he was waiting, but after they've been together for this many years, Scorpius knows that Albus never falls asleep on his side like that.
"Al?" he calls softly into the dark.
Here they are again.
"I'm here."
Scorpius levitates himself over to Albus's bed and Albus turns to face him. On his face is an unimpressed look.
"Stop that," Scorpius says and brushes some hair out of Albus's eyes.
Albus is here, just like he'd been when Scorpius panicked before stepping into the Great Hall for the first time. Just like he'd been when they had their first exams. Just like he'd been when he came out to his parents. Just like he'd been on the day that Scorpius was a little too curious one day and stumbled into a Dark object in the Manor's basement and subsequently lost his legs and his freedom. How fitting.
Scorpius gives Albus's hand a squeeze. "I'm sorry. I'm here too."