Disclaimer: I do not own Harry Potter and Batman.
Another story with super long length! I thank you faded. brilliance. because you edited this although I nagged at you 24/7. -insert hearts-
Warnings: Alternate Universe (Batman, Gotham City) and a bit of OOC.
Enjoy your reading.
"Your schedule for today starts at 2 pm. You have an appointment with Mr. Dumbledore about the new site for the weapons basement. It should take around 2 hours. At 4, you have to attend a meeting with the Board of Directors. I'll bring you your evening snack," Harry made a mark in his writing pad, green eyes focused on the schedule as he continued, "Around 8 pm later, you'll be attending a formal party held by Mr. Riddle. I'll let you do what you want but around 11 pm, I must get you back here because tomorrow you have an early flight to Sweden. We can't afford you to miss your flight, like the last time Tom held a party and you got drunk with him."
Cedric chuckled weakly, remembering the previous party; so-called 'The Party Tragedy' by Harry, as he sipped on his warm coffee made by his personal assistant. 2 spoons of sugar and a dollop of cream, exactly like how he liked it.
"It is not easy to meet him, and it's not like I get drunk every time-"
"Not just like your flight last time, also like the previous one before that. He dragged you to a brothel and I had to go through the revolting place to search for you."Harry made a pinched expression as he relived the memory and Cedric sighed.
"Okay, fine. Maybe he is always up to no good. But hey, you miss him too, right?" Cedric offered him an easy smile as he placed his now empty mug into the sink. He was already in his work attire – gray button-up with dark blue tie, black waistcoat with matching black slacks and a pair of expensive leather shoes – and it was only 7 am. Cedric figured he could get some paperwork done before all his appointments and meetings came to swallow him whole.
But when he gave his back to Harry, he missed the scandalized expression on Harry's face as he stared at him with mouth agape.
"I," Harry emphasized with wide green eyes, "miss him?"
Cedric laughed at the expected reaction he had waited from the dark haired man. They walked out from the kitchen into the hallway where his butler was waiting for them. The blond turned and took his blazer from the old butler, muttered a 'thank you' while he wrapped a black scarf around his neck, put on his trench coat next and lastly, his pair of gloves.
"Yes, Harry." Cedric nodded with a smile and exited his large mansion swiftly but with elegance as his assistant followed him. "You miss Tom as much I do. But you hate his guts."
"I hate his very existence," Harry gritted his teeth and watched as the driver opened the door for Cedric andentered it once their boss was in. Cedric only hummed at his response, a smug expression on his face but refused to say anything else. Harry huffed, tightening his own trench coat around his body and Cedric gently patted him on his knee.
"Just to make you feel better, I know Tom misses us too."
A vein popped on Harry's temple as he glared at his smirking boss.
"Cedric!"
Harry J. Potter was a personal assistant to one Cedric Diggory, who was the young Head of Directors, the CEO, to a large and prominent company producing weapons for world security and defences. They lived in a large city called Gotham City, and somehow, the weather there was always cold and gloomy. It was raining at the moment and Harry found it exhilarating and daunting at the same time.
He had worked with Cedric for more than 6 years, now that he was 26 years old. Cedric picked him up from the Accountings Department when he managed to find a mistake in a report. Which was quite remarkable, because Diggory Corporations did not do mistakes. At that time, Cedric was only the Vice President. When his father died two years later, he took over the position as the CEO and Harry was dragged up with him to be his personal assistant; the only person Cedric had ever trusted to handle everything in his life.
This was due to the increasing crime rates in Gotham. Harry had lost count on how many times they were attacked by criminals and how many times Cedric was kidnapped, and even quite a few times, Harry himself, to be used as bait against Cedric. Cedric had almost given up once and tried to fire Harry in order to give him peace, but Harry threw the letter back on his table in his office and nagged at him for trying to cut Harry loose.
He had been with Cedric for so long; he couldn't imagine his life not being with the man. Cedric was a warm man, a nice boss and certainly a good looking one as well. His profile was nothing but filled with good records and Harry applauded himself for managing to find such a good superior. But the thing that had been ticking him off annoyingly at the back of his head, was Cedric's best friend.
Tom Marvolo Riddle.
Harry had no idea how on Earth they managed to be best friends, and how in hell they managed to stay as best friends.
Physically, both of them were quite similar. Tall, handsome, and bloody rich. Tom has dark wavy hair and pale skin. His eyes were a pair of dark blue orbs and he held himself with such arrogance Harry could just die feeling it oozing out from his ever present smirks. But unlike Cedric, who was warm, who smiles like he really meant it, Tom spent most of his time smirking, and flirting, and demanding and surprise, Tom was also a complete douche who thought he owned the world.
Well, Gotham City, practically.
Heck, Harry thought he did in the first place, since he was definitely more wealthy than Cedric who already a King's version of wealth in Harry's eyes.
Not that Harry didn't think it was amazing, but two men, who could have just about anyone they wanted, were also bachelors. Cedric was a man who had wanted to settle down but since the tragedy that was Cho Chang, he didn't seem to be interested in anyone else. Tom, on the other hand, was a complete player.
In 6 years of his working period with Cedric, he had always wondered why he always got involved into whatever mess Tom managed to drag Cedric into. It has been too many times where Harry found himself in drunken parties, in hotel rooms, in a brothel – for God's sake, the smell was still lingering in his nostrils – to rescue both of them, or specifically, his boss. Tom was enjoying it too much to consider being saved by Harry.
And to make it worse, the first time Cedric introduced Harry to Tom; the older man checked him out, his sight sweeping up and down Harry's body and lingering at places he particularly took an interest in, as if he was devouring Harry with his eyes. Harry had punched the smirk off his face a second later, almost too sure that Cedric would fire him for that, but Tom had just waved him off.
He had placed a white handkerchief that Harry gave to him out of courtesy, onto his bleeding nose and smirked, saying how much he loved the new secretary Cedric had gotten for himself and how appreciative he would be to meet Harry again in the future. No one can ever imagine the murderous look on Harry's face as he took in the suggestive comment, save for Cedric, who thought it would be for the best if he stepped in between them before Harry punched his best friend into a pulp.
However, it was rare for them to meet Tom frequently. Tom was the sole heir to Riddle International, which was a famous multinational conglomerate. He tended to leave for extended trips, whether for business or just to have fun. Harry bet it was for the latter, since Tom basically had given all the work responsibilities to his ducklings. The man had no shame in doing such and at times, Harry didn't know whether he did it out of despise for responsibility, or because he thought he was incapable of handling it. Tom came back to visit mostly twice in a year, his mansion was taken care by his housekeepers, and Cedric also always visits the houseto borrow important documents.
That was the entirety of Harry's life. Being stuck between his work and his boss – and Tom who just couldn't get off his back – which led to his almost inexistent love life.
Almost.
"I see you had a good night." Harry looked up at Cedric, confusion written on his face as the blond chuckled at him. Both of them were inside Cedric's office, doing Cedric's paperwork that just kept on piling up. Harry had given up his own cubicle outside of his office when it was proven that Cedric would always need him near to check on the documents.
Cedric was going to die without him there, Harry inwardly muttered, he should definitely ask for that nice new trench coat he saw at Raf Simons.
"What are you talking about?" he went for an innocent face instead when he realized that he had forgotten to cover the bite mark on his neck. Cedric rolled his eyes in good-natured way – everything he does never seem to piss people off, he was just too likeable for that – and pointed at his neck.
"There."
Harry suppressed the urge to slam his face down on the open document in front of him.
"I do have a sex life, you know." Harry blurted out instead, eye twitching. Cedric blinked his eyes.
"Eh? I am not taunting you on your sex life. Come on, Harry, I wouldn't go that low." Cedric chided, shaking his head as he turned his focus back on the paperwork. Harry bit his lower lip to stop himself from pouting, scribbling another important term in the document before giving it away to Cedric. The blond took it gratefully but his eyes averted back to his bite mark. He seemed to control himself from commenting on something, and Harry glared at him full force.
"What is it?"
Cedric grinned almost sheepishly.
"How long has it been?"
Harry looked down at the next document in his lap, cheeks flushed with embarrassment as he opened the file. Cedric was content enough not to push, his fingers scrawled a perfect signature of his name, and Harry tried his best to control his voice when he answered the blond.
"I…" he started, and Cedric's warm brown eyes sought for his green carefully, "Don't really count the days but… it has been going for quite a long time."
"Wow." Cedric leaned back against his leather seat, eyes wide as he took in Harry in front of him, as if he was only seeing him in his entirety now for the first time in 6 years. Harry tried to glare at him again, but failed to do so, as those brown eyes scrutinized him critically.
"So it's a real relationship?"
"Cedric!"
"Fine, fine... But how come I didn't realize it? You covered it up well, very well." Cedric put a hand under his chin, acting as if Harry was one of his stubborn clients, and Harry rolled his eyes at him. Cedric could be quite insufferable when he felt like it, Harry sighed.
"We… rarely contact each other. He's busy most of the time." Harry explained half-heartedly, as he watched Cedric's eyes widened even more. "And me too. Busy. With you."
"Please don't tell me it's…" Cedric made a pained face for a second, before he leaned forward a bit towards Harry, "It is Tom?"
Harry's eyes went wide at the suggestion and he almost choked on his own spit.
"What?! No! Cedric, hell no!"
"Well, both of you do tend to make those eye-contacts-"
"What are you talking about? No!"
"And don't forget those unresolved sexual tensions. I could just die being in the same room with the both of you-"
"Okay, I don't want to know whatever things that you've imagined about Tom and I inside of your head! Just focus on your work, Cedric, before I set more meetings on your schedule." Harry threatened, face red and his left eye twitching. Cedric, in response, laughed kindly.
Both of them continued doing their works after a minute or so. Harry once in a while checked on his Blackberry for upcoming messages regarding Cedric's appointments, meanwhile the blond kept on ignoring all the beeps that echoed in the large office, hoping that perhaps by doing so, he could avoid attending those boring meetings.
The raining outside was getting worse, and Harry turned to glance at the window of the office. He hoped that it wouldn't be a problem for them to get outside. He had to settle a few things with a client later, replacing Cedric, around 5 pm, and things such as bad weather would be a big problem for him. He didn't intend to postpone the appointment.
A chirp was heard then from Cedric's cell phone on top of his table, and Harry blinked his eyes when Cedric suddenly let out an amused chuckle while checking the message.
"What is it?" he inquired curiously, and Cedric showed him the new message he just received.
"It's Tom. He demands me to look handsome tonight. Apparently he got a few ladies over that he thought will take my breath away." Cedric smiled, shaking his head at his friend's behaviour, and Harry couldn't help but to roll his eyes at that.
"I can't believe that man. I can't even believe it more when his secretary called me to inform that tonight would be a formal party."
The blond grinned again, already used to the way Harry kept portraying Tom as a bad person. Though he does come across as a debauched party boy, Tom was a kind man at heart. Harry went back to read his file when another message came in through his Blackberry. He groaned a bit, and checked the notification. His green eyes widened at the message and he quickly grabbed the television remote on the couch next to Cedric's working table. He looked a bit panicked, and Cedric blinked his eyes at his younger secretary. And then the blond watched as Harry switched the television on, and both of them looked at the screen for the latest news.
The female reporter was talking on the microphone, face serious as she made a brief description regarding Severus Snape's recent kidnapping. Cedric's face paled as he watched the older businessman being led into an ambulance. Apparently, he just escaped the kidnappers' clutch without any severe injuries. The reporter revealed that he was actually saved by Voldemort, who was still on the police's dangerous list.
Harry didn't even blink his eyes as he stared at the screen, and was startled out from his mind when Cedric spoke to him.
"Up until now, I'm wondering why the police really want to catch him. He seems like a good guy." Cedric commented, almost casually but his eyes were serious and curious. Harry shook his lightly, and let out a shaky breath.
"I don't know… Because he's a vigilante, perhaps." He responded and looked over his shoulder at his boss. Cedric met his eyes, a small smile on his face as he shrugged his shoulders.
"Perhaps."
The first time Harry was attacked by a group of thieves,which was three years ago, was the first time Harry met him.
At the time, the place was quite dark and Harry couldn't see him clearly. But later, Harry would know that he wore a black bodysuit, made of a hard material that Harry couldn't pinpoint – it looked expensive, as if it was custom-made instead of manufactured –, black gloves and shoes that made of a hard material as well, but light and made no sound as he moved. But the thing that made Harry wonder all the time, was the mask that he put on his face. The only part that was visible was his eyes. His body was not solidly built, but his tallness and fit muscled body made up the loss.
He moved with precise accuracy when he handled the five thieves with knives who were surrounding Harry. Harry really thought that he could control the situation himself – who was his kidding, he's practically a small nerdy guy with a Blackberry and files in his carrier bag, which summed up his life – but he was left blinking in surprise and amazement as the masked man turned the thieves into a pile of bodies within 5 minutes.
When there was nothing left to kick around, the man turned to look at Harry, giving his body a glance over, probably to check for injuries. But that didn't stop the unfamiliar shivers that ran through Harry's body. They were in a dark alleyway, the thieves managed to push Harry there before they proceeded in robbing him of his belongings. He was just returning home from Cedric's mansion, deciding to just walk since his own apartment wasn't that far away from there.
Harry's hands were balled into fists on his sides; his phone on the ground was forgotten, as well as his bag. The man watched as Harry slowly took a step closer, and Harry's eyes widened as he recognized the stranger in front of him. The scant illumination from the moon revealed the man clearly to him and Harry, with a shaky hand, pushed his glasses up his nose.
"I…" he stuttered, and slowly took a controlled breath, "I can handle that myself, you know." He meekly ended his sentence, and he could almost swore he saw the vigilante – it's him, for God's sake, he's Voldemort! Harry screamed at himself – rolled his eyes at him.
"You were saying?" he replied, sarcastically and if Harry wasn't holding onto his pride – the remainder of what's left, mind you – Harry would have jumped back in fright at the sound of his voice. He never thought that he would actually talk back, heck, Voldemort was known to settle things with the bad guys, and then just leave.
Harry raised up his chin, since he only reached the vigilante's nose if he were to stand close to him. "What I am saying is… thank you for saving my life."
Voldemort looked down at him, as if he had just grown another head. Then he blinked his eyes and stepped back into the shadows. But before he could completely disappear, Harry stepped forward and caught his arm in a strong grip. Voldemort turned to look at Harry with wide blue eyes, as if he was shocked that Harry would even have the bravery to touch him. Harry only tightened his grip for a second, before loosening it but didn't let him go. Both of them looked at each other; Harry trying to get his words out from his mouth and Voldemort giving him the stink eye.
"I don't…" Harry started and Voldemort's blue eyes became darker as they tore a hole through Harry's own green eyes, "I don't believe them when they said you're a bad guy. You've saved a lot of people, I don't know why, but you did. So I don't believe in them."
Then the taller man blinked his eyes at Harry's short speech, and Harry could feel his posture slowly relaxing. They continued to stay like that for another minute, before Voldemort carefully placed a gloved hand on top of Harry's, that was still holding onto his arm, and pulled Harry's hand away, not unkindly.
"Take care of yourself, Harry." The vigilante murmured to him almost inaudibly, but Harry heard him clearly. Harry's green eyes widened as the man made his escape and disappeared into the dark. Harry quickly looked around to search for Voldemort's presence, but the place was too dark and his mind was screaming nonstop with thousands of unanswerable questions.
"Voldemort," Harry breathed out shakily, placing a hand on his chest to calm down his frantic heart, as his face reddened and his eyes wide, "… He knows my name."
Harry was not a fanatic fan of Voldemort, not at all, but once he got home, he looked out for information regarding the masked vigilante.
Voldemort had been operating since the last 5 years, his origin was unknown. But he has the skills of a highly trained military man as well as other skills. Civilians sometimes see him chasing bad guys with a black sleek car, or a motorbike. He rarely killed people, mostly just caused them injuries and let the police throw them into jail. Nothing else was known about him. But the police force was trying so hard to catch Voldemort as well. His actions, although with good intention, caused problems in the security department because of his methods. And truth be told, the enforcement team would not tolerate being called lousy rescuers.
Harry didn't put much thought about the police enforcement. Voldemort had saved his life, and that was good enough for him to be biased. And aside from that,Voldemort had also once saved Cedric from a kidnapping attempt doubled with bank robbery. It was when Harry and Cedric were at the Gotham City Bank to settle some business; a group of robbers entered the place and started shooting randomly. Cedric had volunteered himself to be their hostage in order to save the scared civilians, and Harry shouted at them to leave his boss alone. His head was bashed by a gun handle which caused him to lose consciousness because he was fighting too much against the robber who was holding him. But later when he woke up, he was in the hospital with Cedric looking down at him with concerned brown eyes.
Apparently he had missed an epic fight between Voldemort and the robbers, which of course ended in the favour of Voldemort. Harry had cursed like a sailor that day – he got a concussion, he had to make a new appointment, he had to file reports on that, and he just couldn't believe that Cedric had pulled the most stupidest stunt at the bank by volunteering himself to be a hostage, how could he not be frustrated?! - and Cedric relented to all his naggings and tantrums like the extraordinary, awesome boss he was.
Harry also made a mental note to himself to go and meet the Police Enforcement of Gotham City. All these criminals had to be controlled, it was getting out of hand, Harry had grumbled under his breath, as Cedric fluffed his pillows for more comfort.
His meetings with Voldemort didn't end just like that. Voldemort had been around to control the messes that the Gotham's criminals were doing for more than five years. Harry always found himself seeing the vigilante when he was in danger. He was even there to release Harry from his kidnappers, four times out of seven that he was kidnapped. The other two were his own attempts, and one time, the police surprisingly managed to save him.
Sometimes Harry thought that his whole life was a staged play, because who else can claim getting kidnapped that often nowadays. Not even Cedric. It was getting too dramatic for Harry to handle. Voldemort had once told him before he left Harry in front of Gotham's hospital – he drove a sleek black car which marque Harry couldn't pinpoint as well but it was fast and really amazing –, that Harry had just the right face to be kidnapped. Harry had rolled his eyes at the taller man and kicked him on his leg.
It resulted in him straining his foot, but the look of surprise in Voldemort's eyes was really worth the pain.
And somehow, between all these accidental meetings and rescuing, Harry had created a relationship with the masked vigilante. Most of the time, Harry would return late from work. Cedric had many times insisted for him to just move into his mansion but Harry refused, believing that it wouldn't be good for their professional relationship, although Harry had long ago accepted Cedric as his friend. The blond had even offered Harry a car but he decided not to take it since his place wasn't really far away.
It was during one night around a year ago, when Harry was on his way home from Cedric's mansion. The night sky was surprisingly clear from dark clouds and Harry could see the bright moon clearly. He wrapped his arms tighter around himself, his thick gloves managed to keep some warmth to his hands. It was past midnight and Harry looked around him as he walked. Most shops were already closed, save for a few bars and Harry took a deep breath.
Then he was alerted by the sound of an approaching motorbike. He turned to look over his shoulder but was reduced to a shouting mess as he jumped back from letting a body fall against his. The said body fell hard against the pavement and Harry stared; mouth agape, barely registering who was the rider that had made a swift stop of his motorbike next to Harry.
Voldemort looked at him from his position on his motorbike; the 'I'm seriously unimpressed' aura he was emitting came in waves as Harry stared at the prone body on the pavement.
"You never learn from mistakes, do you?" Voldemort commented after a minute passed in awkward silence, and Harry turned to look at the vigilante so fast he could have gotten whiplash.
"What the hell did you do?!" Harry hissed at him, and the taller man's eyes narrowed.
"He was about to stab you in the back, and then rob you." Voldemort replied instead, pointing at the knife in the unconscious man's grip and Harry's eyes widened. It turned out that the vigilante had just knocked the man unconscious from behind, bashing his head just when he was about to stab Harry.
Harry closed his eyes and let out a long-suffering sigh when he realized Voldemort just saved his ass. Again.
"Take this."
Harry turned to look at the other man and blinked his eyes when he realized Voldemort was handing him a helmet. He watched the helmet warily; finally gave in and took it when Voldemort rolled his eyes at him.
"Get on." He ordered as Harry put on the helmet, shifting forward to get some space for Harry behind him. Harry muttered 'bossy vigilante' under his breath, at the same time carefully straddled the comfortable seat of the motorbike. He wrapped his arms around Voldemort's waist when he heard the man pressed the pedal, and soon they were riding fast into Gotham's heart.
Harry clenched his eyes shut throughout the journey, his grip on Voldemort tightened and he could almost feel the man's amusement as he put more velocity in his speeding.
It was not long after that, Harry found himself sitting next to Voldemort, on the top of Gotham's Clock Tower. Apparently the man had used his Grapple Gun to bring them up fast. Harry was happy he managed to keep his dinner down in his stomach.
Their legs were swinging in the air, as both of them watched the beautiful, dark city together. Harry felt the strong wind flew pass them, and Voldemort had one arm behind Harry, like a precaution, in case Harry managed to slip down the ledge. Harry didn't say anything to that because he knew if he fell, it wouldn't be pretty.
He turned slightly to one side, glancing at the taller man as Voldemort kept his silence.
"No more bad guys tonight?" Harry asked, trying on a casual tone. The other man looked back at him and Harry watched as his blue eyes softened a little.
"Hopefully no."
Harry nodded slowly, giving back his attention to the city view. Somehow, Harry found it funny that Voldemort could feel very comfortable to spend time with. He didn't talk a lot, most of the time he just made sure that Harry was okay before he took his leave. But this, this spending time together, was actually a whole new thing for them.
When the winds were picking up and getting colder, Harry realized Voldemort had wrapped an arm around him to warm him up. He took the chance to lean his head against the vigilante's shoulder. The taller man said nothing to that, but he squeezed Harry's waist, before he placed his chin on top of Harry's head. They stayed in the same position for a while; Harry was contented enough to let loose and relax and believe that Voldemort would take care of him for at least a little while.
It was a bit too exhausting sometimes, being a secretary to a busy businessman. If Harry wasn't concerned about Cedric so much, he would have dumped him and spent a two months holiday in Hawaii instead.
Then Harry felt a gloved hand covering his eyes, and he tilted his head up at the vigilante, wondering what was happening. He felt the other man breathing against his cheek, and his covered eyes widened at the thought of Voldemort opening his mask in front of him.
"Volde-" he started, gently holding onto the wrist, and Voldemort pressed a gentle kiss against his temple.
"Please." He heard the voice clearly – deep baritone, almost familiar –, for the first time, and Harry sighed softly. His grip on Voldemort's wrist loosened and he let himself being pulled forward by the other man. When their lips met, Harry closed his eyes and leaned into Voldemort blissfully, ignoring the fact that the hand was no longer covering his sight.
If Voldemort trusted him to not open his eyes and see him, then Harry would protect that trust with his life.
"Harry?"
"Oh." Harry blinked his eyes and turned to look at Cedric, who was eyeing him with a warm, but sheepish smile. The blond was putting on his cravat awkwardly since he did not really know how to tie it correctly, and Harry shook his head with a chuckle. He stepped forward, close until his nose almost touched Cedric's shoulder. He tied the cravat for the blond, patting his waistcoat to get rid of all the wrinkles before looking up at the pair of brown eyes.
"What would you do without me?" He asked solemnly and Cedric made a pained face. "I'd die?"
Harry couldn't stop faking the serious face as he burst into laughter and fixed Cedric's cravat, tightening it comfortably.
"I bet you would." Harry chided with a grin, while the blond smiled warmly. He ran his own hands on Harry's chosen attire; a simple black suit with a dark grey waistcoat and dark blue tie. They looked at each other for a moment, smiling; both standing in the middle of Cedric's master bedroom and then Harry looked down to eye his cravat again.
"I can't believe you're going with the classic style."
Cedric grinned before he turned to look at himself in the large mirror. He tilted his head slightly and wiped away the invisible dust from his suit.
"I believe I do look very charming." He turned to look at Harry over his shoulder, smiling and Harry chuckled in return, shaking his head slightly at Cedric's attempt of narcissism. "I believe you do."
The Riddle Mansion was brightly lit as affluent people from throughout the city flocked to the party. Cedric entered with Harry in tow, both of them smiled at the butler who took off their trench coats for them. The butler, Alfred, tilted his head over to the living room.
"Master Riddle is inside." He smiled and Cedric thanked him before making a beeline for his best friend. Harry let out a heavy sigh before following suit. It had been almost two years since the last time they met Tom face to face and Harry wasn't quite happy about this. He had to put a very wary eye over them, in case if Tom managed to drag Cedric into something bad. Harry entered the large hall where Tom held all his parties and he watched with curious eyes when Cedric finally found the tall dark-haired man, who was busy talking with a few ladies. The ladies were laughing and Harry could easily imagine how charming and ridiculously flirty Tom was being with them.
Tom was wearing a bespoke black suit, with a dark blue silk tie to match his eyes. He looked composed and elegant, exuding the air of a wealthy man, yet with a dangerous and mysterious mind; his aura lingered in the air where he stood. When the dark haired man realized his friend was approaching, he politely excused himself from the ladies and turned to smile at the blond.
"Ced, my friend." Harry stopped in his steps when he saw Tom greeting the blond with open arms. The blond rolled his eyes at the nickname, but proceeded to hug his old friend back
"Don't call me that." Cedric reminded him with a stern face but Tom just smirked and shrugged his shoulder. "I'm back and the first thing you said to me is that? Come on, let's get some drinks, Ced."
Harry watched as Tom pulled the scolding blond towards the table serving refreshments. When a waitress bypassed him, he took a glass of champagne and slowly made his way into the crowd. There were a lot of rich people, many that he recognized – that was one of the perks of working with Cedric – and he offered smiles when some of them greeted him politely.
Tom gave Cedric a glass of wine, smiling when the blond took a delicate sip and raised an eyebrow at him. "Petrus Pomerol, 1998. Seriously, Tom?" He asked with a shake of his head.
Tom chuckled and patted him on his shoulder. "Only for my best friend."
Cedric laughed at the response, turning to look at the crowd of people, dressed in formal wear, which were undoubtedly expensive. He felt Tom standing next to him, both of them checking on a few outstanding people, before Cedric gave Tom a slight glance.
"So what brought you back this time?" he asked, sounding nonchalant but Tom could feel the curiosity and resignation in his voice. Cedric had contacted him numerous times to ask of his health and current whereabouts, but most of the time Tom just waved his concern away and changed the topic. He leaned back against the table, careful to not let any desserts ruin his expensive suit.
"Just felt like it. And I figured you must have lost your mind, busy with your work and meetings and all those boring stuff. I thought I'd come and drag you out of your misery." He replied, smirking as Cedric rolled his eyes at him. The blond put down his glass and faced his friend with a quirk of his eyebrow.
"Don't say that in front of Harry. He'd punch you in the face. And I'm not in the mood to accompany you to the hospital." He reminded and started to take some mini sandwiches for himself. Tom crossed his arms across his chest, his blue eyes searched for Harry's presence in the crowd of dancing people and those who were socializing. He found the young secretary talking to Mr. Ron Weasley and his wife, his face free from the usual stern secretary expression and Tom unconsciously smiled.
Cedric looked at him over his shoulder, couldn't help but to smile as well.
"You missed him, don't you? The only person who actually stood his ground against you and rubbed his principles in your face." He grinned, and Tom abruptly turned to look at him. His cheeks were a bit red and Cedric almost cackled with a wicked expression on his face.
"Ced, I can assure you that I have no such feelings for him-"
"My name is Cedric-"
"And I'm good like this." Tom smirked, referring to himself as a rich, handsome and unattached bachelor. Cedric rolled his eyes again at him before looking at Harry as well. He was silent for a moment, remembering about the man that Harry said he was seeing, before he turned to look at the dark haired man next to him. Tom had been exploring Europe for the last two years but they managed to stay in contact. But Cedric didn't know about the situation of his relationship with Harry. Tom stood close to him, body stiff but trying so hard to appear relaxed. Cedric shook his head, patted Tom on his shoulder and proceeded to eat his sandwiches.
"Now show me the ladies you were talking about."
Harry left Ron and Hermione with a cheerful parting, smiling happily as he approached the desserts table. He was a bit hungry since he rushed back from an appointment with a client to Cedric's mansion to help him get ready and forgot to grab lunch beforehand. He took a small plate, carefully picking up the daintily frosted cupcakes and placed them on it.
"There had better be chocolate scones," Harry muttered as he looked around and his green eyes widened at the sight of his favourite dessert. He took a few of it onto his plate before proceeded to savour it happily. He closed his eyes and hummed delightfully when he took a large bite of the chocolaty bread, unable to stop himself from eating more than one.
While he was busy stuffing his mouth with the desserts, he didn't realize that he was approached from behind. It was when someone took away his plate, not unkindly, and placed it back onto the table, that Harry opened his eyes in surprise. Tom smiled as he also took out his handkerchief and wiped the remaining crumbs off Harry's lips, and not a second later, he pulled him towards the dancing floor. Harry, still surprised by Tom's sudden appearance, gaped wordlessly and unable to do anything else but to follow.
However, Harry looked over his shoulder to look at his abandoned plate of scones, eyes mourning the loss helplessly as Tom dragged him away. He was too absorbed in enjoying the scones that he didn't have the strength to fight the older man.
An arrangement for a waltz was being played. Tom pulled him onto the dance floor, placing one hand on the side of his waist and another in his own hand. Harry rolled his eyes but obliged, placing his left hand on Tom's shoulder and allowed the older man to lead their dance. They waltzed around on the floor with ease, the familiar steps of the dance due to frequent practice made them sway together almost flawlessly. Harry sighed when Tom looked down at him, smirking as they glided across the floor.
"Hello, Harry," Tom greeted, his hold on Harry's waist tightened slightly and Harry sighed again. "Hello, Tom."
"You look lovely tonight," Tom continued after a moment, his blue eyes bright with contentment and Harry found himself slightly blushing, "It has been a long time since I last saw you."
"You look different too, I must tell." Harry responded instead, his own green eyes searched at Tom's face for something amiss. It felt as if Tom was there all along, but wasn't at the same time. It was true, that the man seemed older than the last time Harry saw him. Much older, as if he was way beyond his age, he looked like he had gone through hell and back, and then assembled himself back into perfection, together with maturity. His grip on Harry's body was strong, and he no longer had the gentle and soft side of him – like Cedric, Cedric still had them although he and Tom was the same age – but now he was all sharp angles and seriousness.
"Different?" Tom chuckled, spun Harry around once swiftly but then caught him back with precise accuracy. "How is that?"
Harry leaned his back against Tom's chest as they swayed in the position for a moment, closing his eyes and just tried to enjoy the song that was playing.
"I don't know. Older?" Harry tried and he felt the deep vibration on Tom's chest as he laughed against Harry's ear. Then he spun Harry back to the normal pose and their foreheads pressed together, their eyes met in a warm but intense gaze.
"I can assure you, Mr. Potter, I am anything but old." He remarked with the beginning of a smirk, and Harry had to bite his lower lip to supress the upcoming laughter. Although they didn't have a good start, there were some parts of Tom that Harry found amusing. The man was so full of himself but Tom was a man who never gives up, and Harry never met a man who strived so hard for perfection like Tom.
They danced for a while more, Harry shot down every suggestive comment that Tom threw his way with sarcasm but their bodies fit each other like two pieces of puzzle that completed the whole picture. And later when the music morphed into a different one, their waltz decelerated to a slow dance. Harry rested his chin on Tom's shoulder, his green eyes cloudy as he thought of Voldemort and how he was doing at the moment. They met last night but only for a while, because Voldemort had an emergency to attend to and left Harry half naked and blindfolded in his bed.
He blinked his eyes when he realized they had been dancing for quite some time. Harry looked up from his position into Tom's face and was a bit surprised to see that the man was watching him almost lovingly. Blinking his eyes again, he saw that Tom was now looking at another place. Harry bit his lower lip and tightened his grip on Tom's shoulder, but not uncomfortably.
"How long are you staying this time?" he decided to start a new topic, causing Tom to look at him again. This time the older man had a thinking face on, as he led them gently to the song.
"I have no idea as well," he replied but then he shook his head with a small quirk on his lips, "Why? You'd miss me?"
Harry rolled his eyes at the older man, and then sighing exasperatedly. "Go on and try some more, Mr. Riddle. I can assure you that I am the furthest person in this room to do something as common as missing you."
He shot back and Tom couldn't help but to grin at the answer. He pulled Harry even closer to him by his waist and looked down at the annoyed face, fighting the urge to just lean down and kiss the younger man. He sometimes wondered what kind of reaction he would get out of the man. Harry, in his part, found Tom's eyes to be a bit familiar and he shook his head again to wipe away the thought.
"I'm just wondering, would you be busy later tonight?"
"I'm seeing someone."
Harry blurted out spontaneously when he heard Tom's request and to his surprise, the older man looked taken aback, as if he didn't expect that kind of response at all. Tom paused in leading him for a second and Harry did realize the sudden faltering in their movement but decided not to comment on it. Tom's startled expression was quickly masked by his usual grin as he continued leading their dance, as if nothing had happened a moment ago.
"Oh? Who is the lucky person?" Tom asked instead and Harry wanted to say that it was none of Tom's business, but the thought of the lucky person, Harry couldn't help but dazedly smiled. He believed that Voldemort wouldn't be the lucky one, if anything it would be Harry.
He was lucky, too lucky to meet such a person like Voldemort.
Harry didn't realize that Tom was staring at him intently. The black haired man had to bite his tongue from commenting on the strange but fond expression on Harry's face. "I'll take it as none of my business?"
Harry blinked his eyes at the sudden statement before he looked up at the older man, and promptly scolded him.
"Yes." Harry replied with a frown on his face and Tom only nodded, peculiarly accepting the refusal without any further argument. They danced to the music silently for a moment, Harry thinking deeply about his secret love affair and Tom leaning his cheek against Harry's temple. The act resulted in Harry missing a small smile that appeared on the young businessman's lips.
His green eyes then caught the sight of Cedric dancing with a black-haired woman; the blond looked uncomfortable and Harry would bet that his dancing partner was definitely groping him shamelessly. When Cedric caught his gaze, Harry had to stop his grinning because the blond looked so helpless.
"I believe I have to rescue my boss." Harry looked up into Tom's face again and the dark haired man glanced slightly over his shoulder at his best friend. Tom however, wasn't too discreet to hide his laughter, but he did lead them closer to the tall blond.
Later into the party, they found themselves standing on a large balcony on level four of Tom's mansion. The party was still ongoing, people socializing and enjoying themselves, but Tom had pulled Cedric away to finish off the wine he bought for him. Harry followed from behind, smiling silently as the two best friends laughed and conversed with each other. It had been too long since they met and Harry couldn't find it in himself to stop them from drinking too much.
"The lipstick stained my expensive suit and I was just this close of suing her. I mean, look at me. Do I look that I would stoop as low as to buy a prostitute?" Tom made a face, a finger pointing at himself and the other two men couldn't help but to roll their eyes.
"It's true, right?" Tom continued, as if they did just agreed with him and swirled the wine in his glass. "Everyone wants me, to pay for something I can get for free is just ridiculous."
Harry made a gagging sound and Cedric laughed good-naturedly.
"You, Tom, are just so full of yourself. If you ever get anyone to marry you, I'd be shocked." Cedric commented teasingly, sipping on his wine and Tom shook his head with a grin. His blue eyes stole a glance towards Harry's direction, who was standing close to the balcony railing and was watching the bright full moon. Fortunately, the rain had ceased to fall a few hours ago. Tom turned to look at Cedric when the blond let out a small chuckle.
"Enough about me. You're not seeing anyone at all?" Tom asked and the handsome blond only shook his head with a smile. Cedric sipped on his wine and Harry turned to look at the two of them with a raised eyebrow. Tom averted his eyes nonchalantly, remembering the last woman that Cedric had dated, and the fact Tom was the one who revealed her plan without Cedric and Harry's knowledge. The rest of the story, Harry had handled well – and perhaps with a bit of bitch slapping as well, not that anyone minded – and Cedric surprisingly managed to think with rationality instead of like those who were blinded with love.
"So quick after Cho? I don't think so." Cedric commented after a while and Harry made a disapproving face. "You better not be. I'd rather have you unmarried and get stuck with you forever if the alternative was you marrying another money-sucking bitch."
Cedric laughed at the statement, and Tom only smirked at the younger man. They talked some more about their lives – about Tom's escapades throughout his travels, about Cedric's non-stop work and Harry's job in assisting the blond – but it was the sudden blackout that startled them out of their conversation. The mansion was suddenly engulfed in darkness and they could hear loud gasps coming from the ballroom.
Tom frowned slightly at the sudden loss of electricity. Alfred did not inform him of any maintenance failure, and he turned to look at his companions.
"Excuse me for a moment." He gave a charming smile, and received a nod from Cedric and a roll of eyes from Harry. Gracefully but quickly, Tom made his way down to the ballroom where the party was being held, one hand tracing the railing of the stairs while another checking on a pager he hid under his belt.
Cedric looked at the younger man at his side, brown eyes worried as he watched Harry approach every window in the corridor to open the curtains and allow moonlight to shine inside. It was almost too eerie; the place that they were in now and the sudden loss of lights made Cedric step forwards to cover the shorter man.
"Cedric?" Harry blinked his eyes up at the taller blond, and Cedric shook his head slightly.
"Stay close, Harry, I don't feel good about this." The blond placed a hand on Harry's back and the younger man had to stop the cold shivers he felt at Cedric's words. He nodded quietly and carefully pulled them next to an open balcony. The slight darkness provided them cover and Cedric pulled out his cell phone to call Tom who was probably trying to calm the situation three levels downstairs.
"Don't you think we should go downstairs?" Harry murmured under his breath and Cedric's widened eyes were the only response that he received. He held onto his boss' arm to shake him slowly but then the blond turned to look at him and showed him his cell phone.
Harry blinked his eyes in surprise at what he was seeing, before he quickly took out his three cell phones – personal, work, and one specialized for Cedric – and his breath stuck in his throat at the display of zero coverage on each of his cell phone.
"What the-" his words were cut off as Cedric grabbed his arm and pulled him close, his usually calm brown eyes were filled with fear and controlled panic, "Harry, we need to find Tom. Quick!"
Harry had always wanted to know who Voldemort really was.
But he believed the only way he would find the answer was when Voldemort gave it willingly to him.
So in the morning when Voldemort left his bed to make coffee and breakfast for them, Harry faked his sleep and only smiled into the pillow that smelled so much like the vigilante. Usually in the morning, the blindfold that he had willingly wrapped around his head to cover his eyes the night prior had become loose and usually will fall. Voldemort had never told him that he could open his eyes and look at him yet he had never explicitly stopped him from doing so.
Harry found it a bit sweet, the way Voldemort tried to protect him by not allowing Harry to know his identity, but at the same time granting him chances to see the man he had kept close inside of his heart for quite a long time. After Voldemort had set the breakfast tray on the bedside table, he would run his long fingers through Harry's messy hair and a gentle kiss would be pressed against his temple.
It was a small gesture of good bye before he left. And most of the time, Harry would respond to it by pulling Voldemort down by his arm and pressing his own kiss on Voldemort's jaw, his eyes remained closed but his body had memorized Voldemort's like the back of his hand.
He would silently leave afterward, leaving Harry docile, happy and comfortable in his bed, and surrounded by Voldemort's scent after a long night of passion.
They rushed quickly to where the others were; Cedric's hand firm behind his back as he pushed Harry to walk first and checked behind them whether there was anyone following them. Harry felt his breathing quicken in fear, the mansion was too dark and only the moonlight spilling inside that allowed him to see a bit clearly.
Finally they approached the large fancy door that led into the ballroom, and Harry turned to check whether the blond was still with him when two clear gunshots rang in the air. There were screams inside of the room and Cedric with wide eyes, pulled Harry away from the door and placed Harry behind him. He faced the door instead and his hand hesitated in turning the handle.
"Cedric," Harry called out with a small but panicked voice, and the blond turned to look at the black haired man. They looked into each other's eyes for a second, and Harry put a hand on Cedric's, their hands clasped together tightly in a familiar gesture of a long and close friendship. "We shouldn't get in, we need to get help and we need to find Tom, maybe he's not inside."
Cedric nodded his head, his worry for his best friend was too clear in his face and Harry felt his own hand shake terribly in Cedric's grasp. They quickly turned to find a place to hide, and tried to ignore the now unnerving silence in the large mansion.
Cedric led the way as they walked hand-in-hand, trying to remember any hidden places in the mansion where he used to play hide-and-seek with his best friend. Harry tried to control his breathing as he looked around them uncomfortably. The mansion was large and anyone could easily get lost inside of it, not to mention it was too dark as well. He was grateful that at least Cedric was a bit familiar with the place.
Someone, or maybe a group of people, had cut off the electricity and blocked the phone coverage, and raided the mansion. It was too out of the blue and Harry believed perhaps this had been planned for quite some time. Tom was a wealthy man and they must had been waiting for this moment to come and attack.
From afar, another gunshot was heard and Harry jolted against Cedric's side, causing the blond to abruptly turn and pull him closer.
"Harry, calm yourself," the blond murmured, trying to calm his rapidly beating heart as well, when a voice suddenly came from not far from where they were standing.
"Well, well, look what we have here."
A redhead, tall and dressed in a uniform, smirked at them. He was holding a gun and Harry watched with wide eyes as Cedric – again – pushed him behind his back as to protect him.
"Cedric!" he hissed behind the man, hating the way how protective Cedric was of him since the last incident at Gotham's Bank. Cedric ignored him but his shoulders were tense and his body went rigid as he stared at the man in front of them. The redhead grinned at them and he slowly started to approach them, causing Cedric to take a step back as well with Harry.
"Aww, what an adorable pair of lovebirds. And if it is none other than Cedric Diggory, one of the rich bastards of Gotham."
Cedric glared at the redhead, mindful of his weapon but at the same time, his voice held a gentle but firm tone in it.
"You want money, don't you? I'll give you money, but let us leave. Or at least just let my friend go." He chose his words carefully and Harry tightened his grip on their clasped hands. The offer shocked him but Harry knew even if the redhead agreed to only let Harry go, Harry wouldn't ever leave Cedric behind.
They were in this ever since the day Cedric took him under his care. And there was no way Harry was going to leave him at a time like this.
The redhead only blinked his eyes at them, as if he was surprised by the offer but then he started to laugh gleefully.
"Oh? How much would you like to offer?" the redhead grinned and Harry felt Cedric's body tense even more at the sarcastic tone clear in the question.
"You name the number." He replied instead and then the redhead stopped approaching them, tilting his head to one side like he was considering it for real. His hand that was holding the gun, twirled the gun with skill that Harry knew he got from experience.
"Seriously? Money? I can get more satisfaction watching you get shot to death, Mr. Diggory." He grinned wide and raised his gun towards them. Their eyes widened in shock as Cedric quickly pushed Harry away.
"Run, Harry!" the blond shouted at him and Harry screamed when the gun was shot at them and a sound of broken glass echoed loudly in their surroundings.
"Cedric!"
Voldemort tackled the redhead that was aiming his gun at the blond and Harry from behind, the gun missed its target and hit the windows instead, sending shards of glass scattering around them. He knocked the man unconscious and swiftly turned to look at the duo in front of them.
Cedric was staring at him, mouth agape and Harry was quick to approach him, only to be held back by the blond.
"Cedric-"
"Harry, that's Voldemort, he's dangerous-"
"No, he's not!" Harry hissed at his boss, causing the blond to turn his shocked face at him instead. Taking advantage of the blond's reaction, Harry escaped his clutches and ran towards the masked vigilante. Voldemort caught him in an embrace and Harry wrapped his arms around him as tightly as he could.
"You're okay?" he heard the almost inaudible question from the taller man and Harry nodded his head shakily. He pulled away slightly from their hug and looked up at Voldemort's eyes.
"Thank you for saving us, thank you so much," he breathed with open admiration in his face and Voldemort was taken back a bit when Harry pulled the mask that covered his mouth and kissed him fervently.
Instead of pushing the shorter man away, Voldemort basked in the passionate kiss he was given and his arms around Harry tightened almost possessively. The image of Cedric Diggory gaping at them kissing wassomething he could easily wave away from his attention – maybe he should rewind it back later when he was alone because Cedric Diggory with wide eyes and a slack jaw was a hilarious view – as he kissed the breath out of his smaller lover.
Harry pulled away from the kiss with a flushed face and carefully pulled his mask down to cover his face again, and Voldemort couldn't help but chuckle deep in his chest. The dark haired man smiled sheepishly before he turned to look at his blond boss behind him, and Voldemort followed his line of sight as well.
"Cedric, this is… umm… Voldemort. And this is my boss, Cedric Diggory."
The two men stared at each other; Cedric with his still wide eyes and Voldemort with amusement dancing in his.
"You're…" Cedric started later, his eyes blinking slowly as he took in the image in front of him, "dating Voldemort?" he ended the question meekly and Harry nodded slowly with a small, hesitant smile.
He knew that Cedric doesn't have anything against the vigilante but then again, Harry didn't really know where the blond was standing in regards of any relation with Voldemort.
Voldemort then approached the tall blond, one hand still wrapped around Harry and with his free hand; he threw a cell phone to the blond. Cedric caught the device and blinked his eyes confusedly at the masked man.
"But the coverage-" The masked man tilted his head slightly toward the cell phone and Cedric looked down to it. To his surprise, the coverage was full and he immediately opened the dialler to call the police.
Harry watched with wary eyes at their interaction, his hand was holding tight onto Voldemort's arm around him while the blond waited for the police to answer his call.
"Hello, this is Cedric Diggory. I'm at the Riddle's family mansion and we are being attacked by a group of raiders. Yes. Yes, please send help as quickly as you can. Yes, they are armed. Umm… who else is with me now?" Cedric turned to look at both of them and his brown eyes were reluctant as he spent a second longer gazing at the masked vigilante. Harry almost wanted to snatch the cell phone away from his boss' grip, worried that the blond would give his lover away but then Cedric turned his gaze at him and he slowly spoke into the phone.
"… Harry Potter, my assistant. Only the two of us. Please be quick, we need help here."
Harry didn't know he was holding his breath at all, but he heaved a shaky breath when Cedric finally ended the call and faced them again. He missed the small, amused chuckle that left Voldemort's body from seeing his reaction, but Harry didn't miss Cedric saying a grateful 'thank you' to the vigilante.
Voldemort only nodded his head before he turned to look at Harry again. This time, Harry watched with wide eyes as Voldemort ran a gloved hand through his hair and leaned down until his masked face was an inch away from Harry.
"Take your friend with you, and hide. I'll deal with them. Stay safe." The masked man demanded in a whispering voice at him and Harry would have rolled his eyes at the tone he was using if the situation wasn't really grave.
He nodded his head shakily and squeezed Voldemort's other hand in his hold.
"Okay… okay. You too."
Voldemort did take care of the raiders as how he told Harry he would. The police came around twenty minutes after Cedric made the call, forming a barricade outside of the mansion and warning the attackers to surrender. While the police were outside, Voldemort took down the 9 armed men inside the ballroom, darkness of the night be damned and he went and disappeared after he tied all of them in the centre of the large hall.
Cedric had found a small room under the stairs for them to hide in while waiting for things to clear up. He didn't ask anything about Voldemort and Harry thought it was only because he was too worried for his best friend. They couldn't find Tom in their way to search for a place to hide, and Harry came to the conclusion that the businessman must have been in the ballroom.
When the place was finally cleared out, Cedric was quick to look for Tom. Harry followed him faithfully, at the same time his eyes checked out the place in case Voldemort hadn't made an escape out of the place yet.
The guests in the ballroom insisted that they didn't see Tom at all in the room when Cedric asked around. The policemen were handling the raiders and Alfred was sorting out and helping the traumatized but relieved guests, but Cedric only had eyes for his childhood friend.
When Tom finally emerged out from the back of the crowd, Cedric quickly approached him in large strides. His blue eyes were wide when the blond pulled him into a one-armed hug, but then he chuckled as he returned the hug.
"Hey, don't cry, I'm still alive," he joked with a smirk fixed on his face and then Cedric pulled away with a deep frown instead. "Were you here all this while?"
Tom nodded his head, waving a bleeding hand almost too casually. He ignored the way Cedric's brown eyes widened horrifically at his injury as he explained with a smug face.
"Yes. Actually I sneaked inside once I got down. Those stupid raiders didn't even think of locking the door. They let out three gunshots to scare the guests. I was at the back and the first jolt scared an old lady in front of me. She fell on top of me in order to lie down and pushed me against the dessert table. Been stuck like that throughout the scene, including the one where Voldemort came to rescue."
Cedric's face looked pinched for a second before he grabbed Tom's hand and pressed his handkerchief against the wound. Tom looked down at quickly reddened white cloth, and then he gazed back at his friend.
"You're okay? Harry?" he asked carefully and Cedric nodded his head.
"Yes. Voldemort saved us too." Cedric answered dutifully, and his brown eyes later caught Tom's blue, and a small smile danced on his lips. Tom tried to ignore the sudden meaningful way his friend looked at him and took his hand away from the blond.
"You know, maybe we should go-"
"I'd never give you up, you know." Tom's blue eyes widened at the words Cedric spoke to him. The blond was still smiling but his grip on Tom's hand was firm at the same time. Tom looked back at his face, the two of them standing close to each other in the now empty room and Harry was standing at the open door watching them from afar with clear relief in his face.
"Cedric-"
"I would never, ever, give you up."
"I really don't-"
"Ever." Cedric emphasized his word with a firm tone, and Tom resisted to go slack with frustration at his blond friend. The said blond, in response of Tom's exasperated expression, only patted him on his shoulder and then pulled him outside to get some help. The other man relented to follow him and when they were shoulder to shoulder with his hand still in Cedric's tight grip – to stop the wound from excessively bleeding – he heard his bestfriend of 23 years muttered under his breath.
"But now, this superhero needs help."
Harry woke up from his deep sleep at 8 in the morning to the sound of someone showering inside of his bathroom. He blinked his blurry eyes, yawning sleepily at the same time, before reaching toward his bedside table to take his glasses. He put his glasses on, checked the time, and sat down to stretch his body.
It was his first day off in the year, and Voldemort had come to see him last night after the attack at the Malfoy's family firm. It had been almost a week since the accident at Riddle's mansion and surprisingly for Harry, Cedric never brought up the topic of Voldemort. And the days had filled with so many appointments and work, Harry didn't even have time for himself. Especially because the attack at Riddle's had attracted a lot of reporters' attentions.
Cedric however, had been giving Harry the doubtful eyeever since the accident, as if Harry knew something that he didn't. The blond asked him where he was at strange times – including the time when Harry went to the toilet in a hotel where Cedric's meeting was being held, and when he returned the blond kept stealing glances at him as if Harry just came back from Narnia – and it was slowly driving him crazy.
Maybe he thought Harry would elope with the masked vigilante. But it was ridiculous to even think about it. And the blond had also been insisting on them to meet Tom almost every day.
Harry had wanted to kill his boss with the nearest silverware available when they had dinner together with the handsome Riddle's sole heir for the fourth night in a row. He believed Tom also had the same intention, if the way he glared at his best friend all the time was any indication.
Harry rubbed his eyes behind his glasses, and slowly blinked himself back into reality. He put down his glasses back on the table, and was about to get back down to pretending to sleep, when the cell phone specialized for Cedric suddenly rang. Groaning exasperatedly, Harry grabbed the cell phone from his bedside table and answered on the fourth ring.
"Today is my day off."
"Good morning to you too, Harry."
"What do you want from me?"
Harry pressed his face down against the soft pillow, voice almost inaudible but somehow Cedric heard him perfectly fine.
"Nothing. I just wanted to check on you. Now that I'm sure you're fine, I wish you a good day. I'll see you tomorrow, okay."
The sound of the call being hung up was heard and Harry blearily turned his head to look at the cell phone. A frown appeared on his forehead as he stared at the device, before he threw it back onto the table.
Cedric had been acting weird ever since he met Voldemort. It was okay, and it was almost understandable. But Voldemort was started to act weird as well.
First, he didn't show up until four days after the accident. Then he was more loving and possessive of Harry. Harry kind of understood why, maybe the accident scared the masked vigilante; but then again, Harry was not injured at all and he had been in worse situations before. And then Voldemort sometimes faltered in whatever he was doing every time Harry mentioned about Cedric being super weird and suspicious.
It was as if they knew each other a lot more than what Harry knew.
The thought made Harry blink his eyes in surprise.
As if they knew each other a lot more than what Harry knew.
Harry blinked his eyes again and slowly turned to look at the bathroom. The shower was still running and Harry felt himself pale as he remembered every suggestive comment his boss sent his way every time they talked about Tom.
And how Tom refused to look at Harry's face every time they went out for dinner.
And also how Voldemort literally freaked out when Harry wanted him to meet Cedric again, how Voldemort knew his way easily inside the large Riddle's Mansion, how Voldemort addressed Cedric as Harry's 'friend' instead of 'boss' like how Harry introduced him and stupid Harry, stupid, stupid Harry, familiar blue eyes-
The door to his shower opened and Harry turned to look at Voldemort, green eyes wide as he took the first glance of his lover.
Fuck the world because even though Harry had a bad eyesight, it was too clear that Tom Marvolo Riddle was standing half naked in front of his bathroom. Tom's blue eyes went wide as well as he stared back at Harry's, probably because he thought Harry would still be asleep.
"… Oh, fuck."
.
.
.
END.
A/N: Remember what I told you guys about how suck I am in writing humor? You got the proof now. -crying-
Please review.