When no-one else can understand me, when everything I do is wrong, you give me love and consolation, you give me hope to carry on.
Draco watches his Harry sleep, little breaths; in, out, which seem, still, to carry all the love and beauty in the world.
"Love you, Harry," says one.
"Love you, Draco," says the other, and they smile and they kiss and they are happy.
They haven't fought in a long time. Not real fights; they have promised themselves that the eight years of constant fighting makes up for anything that a 'normal' couple would have. So if they have disagreements, now, they whisper 'promise' and then they let it go.
"I am a nothing," whispers the boy, and he is crying silently, his dirty hands fisted tightly in his blonde hair.
Harry puts his hands softly over Draco's, unclenching them gently.
"Look at me," he says tenderly, and Draco looks up, grey eyes swimming with tears.
"You are not a nothing," says Harry, and he is forceful in his words, as though he can make Draco believe him if he is strong enough in his emotion.
"You are not a nothing, you are my everything. Now get up, we will dry your tears together. I love you, Draco. I love you."
Harry always made him strong, always helped him. Even when what he did was wrong, Harry would not admonish him. He would only kiss him and say "Draco, we will do better next time. Together." And they would. Together.
And you're always there to lend a hand, in everything I do. That's the wonder, the wonder of you.
He was always there for Draco, ever since they had gotten together. He never left him, not once. Not when he was crying and screaming in the night, overwhelmed by nightmares, not when he was raging at the world, not when he was sullen and withdrawn, not ever, not once. Not even when he said cruel things in the heat of the moment.
"Draco, sit with me. Hold me; we'll get through this."
Draco turns to him, tears streaking his face.
"No! No, stop being here! You have so much more to do with your life, why are you wasting it with me? Go, go away, Harry. Do something for yourself! Stop…stop wasting yourself!"
Harry sighs and stands up, walking towards Draco.
"Draco, I love you. I'm not going to leave you, not ever. I don't want you to hurt, and I am not wasting myself by being with you. I have never been as happy as I am with you. But don't push me away, I can't stand that. I love you too much."
Draco twists away, looking at the wall, his breathing ragged.
"Go away, Harry, go away. I…I hate you…I hate you…"
And he doesn't, but he feels that it is the only way to get Harry to go away and live his life. Even though he wants to be selfish, wants to keep Harry with him always, more than anything he wants Harry to be happy.
"No you don't." Harry says softly, and he holds Draco even as he struggles, even as he cries out and whispers "I do, I do…you have to go away, I hate you…"
But Harry holds him and he soothes him, and he strokes his blonde hair, and eventually Draco looks up at his Harry, his grey eyes so sad, and whispers "I don't hate you, Harry. I love you so much, I love you, I do. And I want you to be happy and I don't think you're happy with me, so you should leave. And I won't mind so long as you're happy. Are you happy?"
Harry smiles at him fondly.
"Bollocks, Draco. Of course you'd mind. And of course I'm happy. I love you, I love being with you. I would be devastated if I couldn't be with you. You know that, truly and deeply you know that I would be nothing without you."
And even though Draco doesn't believe a word of it, he lets Harry hold him close and he is content.
And when you smile the world is brighter, you touch my hand and I'm a king. Your love to me is worth a fortune, your love for me is everything.
When Harry was with Draco, everything seemed alright. Sometimes things got to be too much, but Harry would be there, and eventually Draco would see the world as wonderful again. Because Harry was in it.
"Ready, Draco? On three…"
Draco holds Harry's hand tightly, closing his eyes. His heart beat faster and faster, anticipating the third number.
"One…"
Harry squeezes his hand, and Draco braces himself.
"Two…"
Draco gulps, looks across at Harry, who grins.
"Three!"
And then they jump off the bridge into the cold water below, their hands still tight together. When they emerge from the dark water, their clothes stuck to their chill bodies, their hair plastered to their heads, Harry pulls Draco towards him and they kiss, their cold lips heating up slowly as they do so.
"You're a nutter, Draco," Harry says fondly, and he looks at Draco with so much love in his eyes that it is all Draco can do to keep himself above water.
"Well, sure I am. But aren't you glad we jumped in?"
Harry grins, pulling Draco under the water. When they came up again, spluttering and laughing, Harry says with a smile, "Yeah, but only because you look so good when you're wet."
And even though Draco knows that Harry loves him, knows it is true, it is still so overwhelming, and he knows that if for some reason Harry were to stop loving him, Draco would not be able to survive. Because his love is everything. And nothing can replace it.
I guess I'll never know the reason why you love me as you do. That's the wonder, the wonder of you.
If he was honest with himself, Draco wasn't entirely sure why Harry loved him. It was a mystery that none of Harry's speeches could solve. Because he could never really bring himself to believe what Harry said about him. None of that could be true.
"Why do you love me, Harry? Truly?"
Harry holds Draco close to him, warming his naked skin. He is silent for a moment, thoughtful.
"Well, I suppose I love you because you are beautiful, inside and out. I love you because you make me so deliriously happy. I love you because you allow me to be me, you don't compromise me. I love you because you ask for nothing but me, you know?
"I don't have to be the boy who lived with you. I love you because it's effortless, and you make it so that I don't have to pretend to be anything but what I am, because you make me proud of myself. I love you because it's right, and because you are worth it. I love you because you have given truth to my being, and you have given me all the reasons to look forward to my day.
"I know that sometimes there are bumps along the way, but if we are here for each other we can get over them, and grow because we have gotten over them together. I know there are sometimes uncertainties, but I also feel that whenever I wake up there is nothing more certain than the fact that I will still feel for you what I feel now, unless it has grown during the night. I love you because I can't think of anything in the entire world that could be more beautiful, flawless or magical than loving you. I love you because when I am with you my heart feels light, and you understand me.
"I love you for what you make me. I love you because you are willing to grow, to change, and to never be stuck. I love you because you make me want to grow as well. I love you because even if you weren't as handsome as you are now, you still would be because of the person you are. I love you because you gave me hope when I thought all hope was lost. I love you because you give me wings to fly, fins to swim, feet to run and a heart to love. I love you because you make me feel safe. I love you when you are sleeping and I watch you and put my hand onto your chest and feel your heartbeat, so that I can remember that you are not just a dream, you are mine.
"And…Draco, I love you for a hundred thousand reasons, but the big one, the main reason, my raison d'etre, is that you are you. I love you because you are you, and I am here because you are you. I am alive in more ways than one, because you are you. I love you."
And he might not believe it, but it was nice to know that Harry could say something like that to him. Because the reasons Harry had given for loving Draco were the reasons Draco loved Harry, as well as thousands more. But the only thing that mattered, really, was that they did love each other. So it didn't matter if he never knew why.
I guess I'll never know the reason why you love me as you do. That's the wonder, the wonder of you.
Harry opened his eyes slowly, blinking up at Draco in the soft morning light. He smiled sleepily, stretching like a cat. Draco watched him, affectionate amusement on his face.
Before he knew what was happening, Harry had pinned Draco down on the bed and was kissing his face. Draco laughed up at his Harry, and the dark haired boy swooped down and kissed him again, running his tongue slowly through the other boy's mouth.
As he melted into the dark haired boy's arms, Draco said softly "I will live every single day of my life loving you. It is my ultimate truth. Once in a while, right in the middle of an ordinary life, love gives us a fairytale. You are my fairytale."