Written for the Quidditch League Finals Round 1 : Player 3 - Write a section in Epigraph and Epistolatory.
Prompt: (word) Warmth, (word) Tradition, (word) dawn
Appleby Arrows, Keeper's (Princi's) OTP: Scorbus/AlScor
Word Count: 2,900 (Google Docs)
Disclaimer: Nope. Never Have, Never Will.
Spell Love For Me, Please
Piglet:
How do you spell love?
Pooh:
You don't spell it. You feel it.
-Winnie The Pooh
Scorpius Malfoy, as much as he abhors to admit it, is a weak and stubborn man. You see, he is the meticulous kind of person who loves color coded schedules, daily reminders on sticky notes, advanced notices, and routines. Now, he isn't just some extreme perfectionist or someone who follows the rules to the dot. (Okay, he definitely is a perfectionist and it's completely natural to follow the rules! It isn't like he's some goody two shoes. He only doesn't want to end up in jail or killed! He prefers to stay out of conflict. Thank you very much, but he doesn't need anxiety.) He just likes order. Every Monday morning he plans out every day of the week. If something doesn't work out, he just makes minor adjustments and, voila, problem solved. Having said all that, Scorpius, obviously, isn't one to change his established routine, however, he's a weak man to pleasure.
He is weak to the funny feeling in his heart which could've been a horrible illness for all he knows. (It has to be a disease. He refuses to admit he actually has a crush.) Scorpius is weak because he goes back to the coffee shop he only entered out of an adjustment. And it's entirely his pinning ass (and so not the coffee he so adamantly answers when asked) which goes back the week after which quickly turns into a month, then two months until he's become a regular at The Owl just like the shop's become a regular fixture in his schedule.
Scorpius loves the cozy atmosphere of The Owl which is why thought to enter it in the first place. At exactly 9:00 am, four months prior, he usually went to his regular cafe which was The Three Broomsticks until it happened to be closed. Scorpius, refusing to let anything stand between him and coffee, quickly walked to the coffee shop near the university campus since it was already in his way, and he had been done there once before and enjoyed the environment. It's in that coffee shop he so happens to meet him.
"Scorpius, your drink is ready!" Shaking his thoughts off, Scorpius walks from his table to the pickup station of the cafe where a smiling Albus Potter stands, holding his drink out to him. "So, Scor, when are you going to order something other than black coffee? I could introduce you to something sweeter and better, and I'm not just talking about myself."
Albus Potter is an absolute flirting idiot with quite the ego. Albus flirts with anyone who he deems attractive, but he doesn't really mean any of it. Especially not with Scorpius. The only reason Albus tells him cheesy pickup lines is because he knows it bugs Scorpius since they're so awful and horrible. (He hates that he finds the pickup lines so cute and endearing coming from Albus.) Scorpius doesn't know what he sees in the fool. (Okay, They do say love is blind after all. Though it should really be deaf since it's when Albus talks that he questions his feelings.)
"Are you serious? That's the best one you could come up with?" Scorpius raises a brow and takes a sip of the coffee. Delicious. "At least you have decent coffee making skills."
"Wow, so rude. Just you wait. I'll make you change your drink soon," Albus vows, his eyes shining playfully. "And I'll even get you to admit that it's the best thing you ever tasted!"
Of course, the coffee Albus already makes for him is the best thing he's ever had. He's just stubborn and won't admit it. At least not to his face. (He's admitted it before to their other friends who hate how much he whines about being unable to tell Albus the truth.) "You're welcome to try. I doubt it," he snorts, walking back to his window seat.
"You'll be eating your words soon!" Scorpius glances back just in time to see Albus laughing as Teddy Lupin, the manager and a good friend of theirs, scolds him for causing a commotion.
So, you see, that is the reason he kept coming back to the small, cozy cafe. Albus freaking Potter who has a wonderful smile with dimples, wavy, messy, black hair, striking green eyes, and tanned skin from being outside so much and playing sports. (Also, Albus is very fit. The white T-shirt with a black apron over it and black skinny jeans fit him extremely well in all the right places.) He practically radiates happiness and warmth. Scorpius is drawn in like a moth to light.
Opening his laptop Scorpius allows himself to focus for the next hours and study. (With only minor distractions of ordering more coffee and talking to Albus again which caused another round of butterflies in his stomach.) It's only when Teddy comes by his table for the fourth time that Scorpius thinks he's had enough of studying.
"Are you done?" Teddy asks when he sees Scorpius pack up. "I wanted to ask you something before you left."
"No! Wait, let me!" Scorpius eyes widen when Albus climbs over the counter to where the pair are. Teddy shakes his head in exasperation. Albus grins sheepishly but it's easy to tell that he's not really sorry. Scorpius jumps when Albus grabs his shoulders and brings his face close to his that he just might die because he's definitely blushing now. "Okay, Scor, you have to come to the New Year's party here! You missed the Christmas party which I still haven't forgiven you for, but you'll pay for that later. Especially since you left me to deal with Rose and Lily by myself!"
"Getting off topic," Teddy interrupts, sending Scorpius an apologetic smile.
Albus merely sticks his tongue out and laughs. He lets Scorpius' shoulder go which is good since Scorpius isn't sure how much longer he could stand the close proximity to his crush. "Anyway, you better show up. Got it? No more being unsocial and staying in your room! I expect you to come."
"I'll be here." Scorpius sighs, his heart is beating fast and his cheeks are still pink. He can't believe he's saying yes. He can't believe that he's writing the party information into his black planner. (He should actually believe it since he's been so weak to Albus' words ever since they met.)
Albus grins and walks back to the counter. Scorpius wishes his heart would stop because Albus just wants his friends to be together. It's definitely not that he specifically wants Scorpius Malfoy there. He shouldn't be getting his hopes up since there's no way someone as great as Albus would like regular, boring Scorpius.
The cozy cafe is bustling with people that Scorpius slips in unnoticed and awkwardly wanders over to the drink area. He grabs a cup of what appears to soda and nurses his drink as he walks around. All the chairs and tables have been placed in the storage to allow room for people to mingle, so Scorpius is forced to chat with a few acquaintances from his lectures. Thankfully, he's spotted by Rose Weasley and is saved from a conversation about the marketing ploys of the media.
"Scor, it feels like I haven't seen you in forever," she yells, practically engulfing him in a hug. "We seriously need to spend more time together! I feel like all the recent information about you I get from Albus!"
Red blooms across his cheeks and it's not something that goes unnoticed by Rose. He flinches when she was squeals, yes, squeals right in his ear. "Rose, are you okay?"
She scrunches her nose and swats his arm. "Am I okay? Are you really asking me if I'm okay?" Scorpius shakes his head and the growl Rose gives him lets him know that it was the wrong answer. "Scorpius Hyperion Malfoy, you are in big trouble. I cannot believe you and Albus are the biggest idiots I've ever met! You like him, don't you? You like like him."
"Oh, jeez, is it that obvious?" He groans, covering his face with his hands. If it's so obvious that Teddy and Rose know, then does Albus know? He thinks he's going to be sick. "Why do I like him?" He whines, glaring at Rose's smirk.
"You wait right here. I swear to whatever's holy that if you move, I will kill you," she threatens, narrowing her eyes for effect. The next second she's weaving her way through the crowd until Scorpius can't see her anymore.
He wishes the floor would swallow him up. He can't believe that almost everyone he actually talks to knows about his feelings for Albus. Teddy knew in an instant as did his girlfriend, Victorie, when they saw the two interact. Lily actually cornered him and forced him to admit it. Lysander and Lorcan would always make excuses so the two could be left alone when they planned to study together or just hang. And now, Rose Weasley, who was super oblvious when things didn't pertain to her, knows.
"I wanna die," he mumbles, staring at his red cup.
"Wow, I hope not," a cheerful voice responds. Of course, it's Albus giving him that smile which Scorpius absolutely loves. (It's all about those dimples and the way his eyes crinkle and turn soft.) "I still have to win our challenge."
"You mean lose, Al?" Scorpius teases, his eyes focused on man beside him. He sees how embarrassed and nervous Albus is acting and thinks about a familiar flower. "Did Rose send you?'
Albus laughs, rubs the back of his head, and nods. Scorpius can see an object in his other hand, but is distracted when he speaks. "Sort of. I couldn't find you, and she found me and basically pushed me in this direction. I have to thank her for that."
Albus wants to see him? His heart races and those darn butterflies start fluttering again. "Oh, well. I'm glad you finally found me."
"Actually, um, I have something I want to give you," Albus speaks hurriedly, shaking the little bag he has. He glances around at the people around them and leans in closer to whisper in his ear. "Do you want to go to the roof garden for more privacy?"
Oh, damn. That was definitely something. "Lead the way, Al."
Scorpius allows himself to be led by Albus to the roof where it, fortunately, was closed off for the New Year's party. He smiles softly at the marvelous sight of the sky. He can barely make up the stars, but they were there twinkling. He looks down and widens his eyes when he realizes Albus staring straight at him with an unbelievable fond expression in his face.
"Is something wrong?" Scorpius asks, his head tilted and brow raised.
Albus laughs and pulls Scorpius to the bench near the plants. They sit in a comfortable silence letting the soft breeze cool their heated cheeks and the muffled chatter of down below wash over them. It's only when Albus grabs the bag he set down that Scorpius realizes they never let each other's hands go.
"Well, I wanted to give you this gift on Christmas, but you didn't show," Albus says, somehow losing all his big personality since he's peering shyly under his lashes at Scorpius. "I know I gave you another present, but I really want you to have this one. I know how you like to organize and schedule everything, so I bought you a planner for the new year. You might already have one, so it's not like you have to use this one. I kind of wrote a little message for you to read later. So, um, here you go."
Scorpius bites his lip and pulls Albus into a fierce hug. He lets himself relax into the other boy's embrace. "Al, thank you so much. I'll treasure it."
With great reluctance Scorpius lets Albus go and throws him a giant grin. He sees Albus smiles shakily before taking a deep breath. Albus opens his mouth to speak but is interrupted when a loud 'TEN!' sounds from downstairs. Scorpius figures it must be the annual tradition of counting down the seconds till the New Year.
"Oh, has it been this long already?" Albus wonders out loud.
"NINE!"
"I guess it has," he replies, his cheeks beginning to hurt from how long he's been smiling.
"EIGHT!"
"Scorpius, I need to tell you something." Albus' eyes shine with something fierce.
"SEVEN!"
He gasps when Albus grabs his hands and leans closer.
"SIX!"
"For a really long time now, I've been wanting to get this off my chest."
"FIVE!"
Albus chuckles. "I had convinced myself that I shouldn't say anything at all."
"FOUR!"
He's taken aback by how shy and anxious Albus seems to be. "It turns out that I can't keep suppressing what I feel," Albus whispers, eyes focused solely on Scorpius.
"THREE!"
"I like you. I like you so very much that sometimes it hurts to breathe because my emotions overwhelm me."
"TWO!"
"So, Scorpius Malfoy, will you go on a date with me?"
"ONE!"
His heart stops, and when it starts, it's wild. He remembers that tradition of kissing someone you like on New Year to be happy together in the upcoming year. He wastes no time in closing the small gap between their lips.
"HAPPY NEW YEAR!"
It really is. Scorpius' first kiss with Albus sends fire throughout his entire body. When the two pull back, they stare at each other a few beats before breaking off in laughter full of happiness and relief. A sensation of warmth fills his heart and it's far better than anything Albus has ever made him. You see, Scorpius can definitely get addicted to this feeling which he hopes never goes away.
"So, you like me?" Albus asks, his lips red from their kissing and his voice hoarse from being slightly out of breath.
Scorpius gently places a hand on Albus' cheek and kisses him slow and long. "Of course," he whispers.
And this is how the two boys greet the New Year together. They felt relaxed in each other's presence as they moved sometime later to lay on the floor. They talked more about their feelings and how they were both unsure of the other's. They are content.
It's in that position where Teddy finds them around dawn when most of the guests have gone. The sun is barely rising and the soft, pink light illuminating their sleeping faces. He smiles fondly and takes the opportunity to snap a picture. They look so cute together as Albus has his arm around Scorpius and how perfectly Albus seems to fit underneath his arm like a connected puzzle piece. He decides to let them sleep a bit longer,so he goes back down to bring them a blanket. As he wraps the blanket around them, he notices a small, dark green notebook sitting on the bench wide open.
Dear Scorpius Hyperion Malfoy,
I can't believe how cheesy I'm going to be right now. Read the rest at your own risk. Another thing I can't believe in is how it took me this long to confess my feelings. I know I must've told you if you're reading this since I'm writing this to ensure myself I don't chicken out!
I like you. A lot. I really, really, really, really like you.
I know you like things organized and neat, but I'm not really like that. However, I want to know loads more about you than I already know. I want to understand your passion with order, so I decided I should write a list. I've seen you make loads of lists before, so I thought I should write my own to you about the favorite things I like about you.
Your laugh, your smile, that little snort you do when you don't want to laugh but it slips out before you know it, your passion when you talk about music and how you chose it as your major, your love of schedules and lists and routines because it's your adorable quirk, how much you care for your loved ones and how you would do anything for them, even becoming like a little mama bird and making sure nothing's wrong.
How you scrunch your nose when you don't understand something, how your eyes light up when you've finally found the solution and the small whoop of joy which follows after, the whine you do when Teddy and Rose drag you to be interact with us because you're holed up studying or practicing your piano that you forget the time, your humor which never fails to bring a smile to my face, your way of being able to calm my shenanigans down in an instant, and your interesting points of everything.
I like you so much that sometimes I'm suffocating. If this all goes as I hoped, then you would be the fresh breath of air I need.
I hope we can be happy together.
Love,
Albus Severus Potter
Teddy grins as he makes out his cousin's sloppy writing and gently closes the book, quietly slipping down to the cafe to brew coffee and letting the couple bask in each other's warmth.