Letting Go Of Good
Disclaimer: All Fantastic Beasts names, characters and locations belong to J.K. Rowling. I own nothing that you recognize.
Written for the Barbecued Muggle Kabobs event.
Prompt: "Why would I use a litter box? Only muggles do that."
It came as no surprise when Albus bought him a collar. A lovely one, pale lavender in color with a bow attached to the front. Two charms dangled from the area where the bow was fixed to the leather strip, one in the shape of a crystal heart, the other made to look like the symbol of the deathly hallows.
"For me?" Grindelwald purred, his eyes widening at the sight of the ornate bow. It amused him to see such a thing, and for a brief moment he felt like reaching out and pawing at the delicate fabric.
'A silly notion,' he reminded himself. And yet his behavior had become decidedly cat-like since recovering from a transfiguration accident which involved being stuck as a cat for three hours.
Gellert Grindelwald had never been the same since then. His pallid complexion, coupled with his mismatched eyes and platinum blond hair making him appear as though he still retained his feline features. But Albus knew him better, and more intimately, than anyone else. He knew his wants and needs, his desire to be stroked and held and fed choice bits of salmon on a silver platter. And when the leather brushed against the soft crevices of his neck, Albus felt him shudder, his breath hitching as a sudden surge of heat stirred in his loins.
"You're too good to me, Albus," Grindelwald murmured. "You've given me everything a man could ever want. Everything and more besides. And now this," he breathed, reaching up and fingering the delicate bow on his collar. His eyes, both light and dark and ringed in shadow, gazed upon his partner's face, words failing as a smile formed on his lips.
Albus grinned, leaning forward and placing a gentle kiss on his lips. There was a rush of air before making contact, his heart fluttering beneath a dusting of auburn hair on his chest, and suddenly Gellert was moving closer, returning his affection as he slid his tongue past the young man's lips.
"Stop teasing, Albus," Gellert whispered, finally coming apart and tilting his head back.
Albus' hands slid from Gellert's hips to his lower back, nudging their bodies together. "I thought you liked it," he murmured, feeling the silken fabric of the bow brush against his collarbone.
Gellert laughed at this. "If anyone knew the real you, Albus, they'd hardly call me a villain."
"Really, Gellert?" Albus inquired innocently, reaching up and taking the deathly hallows charm between his fingers. He studied it for a moment, then looked up at his partner. "And all because I gave you a simple trinket as a token of my affection?"
"Trinket?" The corners of his lips turned down in an adorable pout, his eyes positively gleaming. "It's more than that, Albus. It's the way you use your affection and the gifts that you give. You know that as well as I," he added, reaching up and hooking a finger under the collar of Albus' shirt.
"And what if I kept purchasing gifts? A new food dish, perhaps a litter box to suit your feline needs - "
"Why would I use a litter box?" Gellert queried, cutting him off in midsentence. "Only muggles do that."
A pause, both men gazing at each other in the flickering firelight.
It was Albus who broke the silence, emitting a dark chuckle as he allowed the younger wizard to pull him down, the both of them tumbling backwards onto the mattress.
Maybe Albus was a manipulative little twit, but that's the way he liked it. He needed someone who was willing to let go of good, reaching for the stars in the black of the infinite heavens. It was this spark of light that Albus captured, twisting it to his advantage while still keeping his motivations deeply rooted in affection. And it was all he ever wanted - an equal, in passion and intelligence, willing to stand beside him no matter what the cost.