Notes: tigersilver asked for psych fluff, so, um, here.
Shrine
Harry hates being worshipped, but sometimes he likes being a god.
He absolutely cannot stand people following him around like infatuated puppies, idolizing his image and plastering his face over every surface, and he especially dislikes the way they stare at him, stars in their eyes, as if he can do no wrong. People paint over his human self with a thick layer of glitter and idealism to suit their view of what a hero should be, when Harry really just wants to be himself.
It especially bothers him in his relationships, when people treat him like he's going to shatter or vanish. No matter who he's dated, man or woman, all of them have always, always retained a sort of special care with regards to him, as if considering him too fragile for reality. It's irritating, because he really dislikes being coddled. After all, he, better than anyone, knows how to be strong, and he's never understood why people think he's so mentally and physically delicate. None of his lovers have ever spoken with complete openness to him, and he knows they were only doing it to protect him from the harsh world, but he really doesn't want to be protected. None of them have ever held him with any sort of strength, always too afraid he would break in their arms.
And that's the worst—the way people worship even his body. Sometimes he just wants to be treated like a lover, instead of a like a mythical creature on a different level than everyone else.
This, he thinks, might be the reason he ended up where he is now, as unexpected as it is to be with Draco. But where everyone else is a prostrating, god-fearing worshipper at the sparkling shrine of Harry Potter, Draco is the grumpy high priest, who grudgingly cleans off the shrine and sweeps the yard, who kicks all of the adoring worshippers out when night falls, who grudgingly takes care of the god without all of the cosseting.
Draco generally treats him like Draco treats everyone, asking him for things, making fun of him…but Draco also treats him like he's special, in a different way than everyone else does it. Somehow, Draco cares for and about him—not that Draco would admit it—without raising him onto pedestals he doesn't deserve. Draco tells him when he's wrong or irritating, and isn't afraid to be demanding in return. Draco doesn't flinch or step back when Harry argues with him. At the same time, though, Harry has always felt like he is special to Draco just because Draco likes him, and not because he saved the world.
So when the crowd gathers around him and shouts his name, asking for his picture, his handshake, his autograph, his body—he simply turns away with a smile as Draco grabs his hand possessively. Because while he hates being worshipped, he loves having a grumpy high priest more than anything.