Disclaimer - I own nothing you recognise.
Written for the Iron Throne Competition Round 1. Prompts - OliverLee, Angst, Hollow, Afraid, I promise, it's important.
Dirty Secret
With a sigh, Lee leant against the post waiting for Oliver to notice him. He'd had a hell of a fight even getting into the grounds, and now his boyfriend was too busy arsing around to even notice that he was there. Lee thought briefly about shouting his name to try and get his attention, but then decided against it. It would only give Oliver more reason to be pissed with him.
"Hey, we've got a spy in our midst," one of the players called out, drawing the others attention to Lee.
Oliver raised an eyebrow at him, a frown already making its way to his face as he mumbled something to his teammates and moved quickly towards where Lee stood waiting for him.
"What are you doing here?" he whispered angrily, pushing at Lee to move them somewhere a little more private.
"I needed to talk to you, obviously," Lee snapped back, as he allowed himself to be moved away from the prying eyes.
"What, and it couldn't wait until later? What could be so bloody important?"
"Oh, I promise, it's important," Lee replied quietly, his anger leaving him as the hopelessness that had been in his chest since he heard the news returned.
Oliver took note of the hollow tone of Lee's voice and looked at him properly for the first time, head askance, concern easily discernible on his face.
"Sheana lost the baby," Lee whispered, his voice shaking with repressed emotion. "I came here from the hospital."
He watched as the news seemed to sink into Oliver, watched as his eyes lost their sparkle, even as the brightened with unshed tears. Reaching out, he took Olivers hand in his own, a partially selfish act he knew, for he needed the comfort too.
Oliver squeezed his hand, pulling Lee closer into a tight embrace as they shared their grief for a baby that should have been theirs. For a baby that was theirs.
"How is she?" he asked quietly.
"Sheana? She's okay. Has to stay in hospital for the night, but she'll be released in the morning," Lee replied, resting his head in the crook of Olivers neck.
They stayed there for a moment, until a shout from the pitch disturbed them. Immediately, Oliver stiffened, before he released his hold on Lee and stepped away swiftly.
"I have to get back," he muttered awkwardly. "I'll see you when I get home, alright?"
"Seriously? You're going back to practice? Now?" Lee demanded, anger rising in him so fast he thought he was going to start steaming from his ears. He'd accepted Olivers reluctance to 'come out' when he first started with Puddlemere, had supported his boyfriend quietly from afar, hurt that he couldn't support him openly at matched, but accepting of it. This, however, was beyond anything Lee thought Oliver capable of.
Did it matter anymore if his team found out about Lee? Oliver was well established as a Professional Quidditch Player, well liked on the circuit, and it wasn't as though people finding out he preferred men to women was going to impact his ability to fly.
"I can't just leave, Lee, they'll know something's up," Oliver said quietly, his tone mildly chastising as he looked over his shoulder to make sure no one was coming to look for him.
"So fucking what?" Lee shouted. "Our baby died, Oliver, and you want to go and practice fucking quidditch maneuvers. Are you being serious right now?"
"Will you keep your voice down! I know what happened Lee, and I'll call the boss after practice and get some time off, okay?"
Lee shook his head. "You know what, Oli, do what you want. I'm done."
Turning his back on his partner of four years, Lee walked away. To his mind, it was telling that Oliver didn't even try and call him back.
Oliver watched Lee walk away with a sinking feeling in his heart, Lee's last words echoing in his mind. "I'm done." Done with what, Oliver was too afraid to find out. With a heavy sigh, he turned back to the Quidditch Pitch and his team mates, more than ready to get the session over and done with.
xxxx
Lee packed the last bag before stacking it with the others. He looked around the flat he'd shared with Oliver for three years and tears fell from his eyes. Four years, thrown away because of a stupid argument.
Inside, Lee knew he was doing the right thing. It may have been a stupid argument, but it was just one in a long run of many about Oliver putting his fear of 'coming out' before the needs of his boyfriend. How many nights had Lee sat alone in front of the fire while Oliver was at one event or another, unable to take Lee for fear that someone would realise they were more than friends? How many Birthdays, Christmases, New Years had they spent apart because it was inappropriate for them to be seen being too close?
A few shrinking spells later, and Lee's belongings were stashed safely in his pockets. Putting his keys down on the table, Lee opened the front door as the fireplace flared up, Oliver stepping out of the flames. Lee watched as Olivers eyes quickly zeroed in on the keys on the table, and then on Lee standing, hand still on the door knob, door open, one foot already out.
"Don't leave," Oliver choked out, and Lee felt what remained of his fractured heart shatter at the emotion in Olivers voice.
"I have to," he replied. "I won't be your dirty secret anymore, Oli."
"Lee, I'm sorry, please," Oliver begged, moving over to Lee. Reaching out to touch him, he stopped when he saw Lee flinch away. "I've taken three weeks off. We have time, we can talk about this, grieve together. We can work this out, Lee, please don't leave."
"Are you ready to be open about us?" Lee asked.
The overwhelming silence answered his question for him, even as tears leaked from Olivers eyes onto his pale cheeks.
"I love you, Oliver Wood. I hope you find a way to make yourself happy."
Oliver watched as the love of his life walked out of the door and apparated away. Walking around the flat they shared, he realised that every single trace of Lee was missing, from the clothes in the wardrobe to the pictures on the walls.
Sinking to the floor, Oliver let the sobs threatening to overwhelm him shake his body as he submitted to them. Lee was gone and it was all his fault. Happiness was the last thing he would be able to find.