Written for Prompt #40: pickles and ice cream at harrydracompreg on Livejournal. Check out my livejournal (linked on my profile) for more details.
Draco narrows his eyes as he looks at the bag of food that Harry is holding in his hand. In a very small part of his mind, Draco knows that his husband of quite a few years is just trying to be supportive but "Pickles and ice cream, Potter?" Draco asks in that dangerous voice of his. It's a voice that he's found himself using a lot during his pregnancy but damn it, everything seems to be annoying him or frustrating him or something during the pregnancy. It's not his fault!
Immediately, Harry can sense the mood and he shifts backwards, realizing his mistake when Draco narrows his eyes. Moving away from Draco now? As if it's not Harry's fault that Draco is even like this. "You… Well, I thought that you'd want it."
"Why in the world do you think that I would want something like that?" Draco asks and the more that he thinks about it the more annoyed that he becomes. Why would he want something as common as pickles and ice cream? He, of course, has to ignore the voice in his head that says that just a few days ago he'd wanted one of those cherry Muggle popsicles and had forced Harry to run out to the store at two in the morning. That's not the point.
Harry lets out a breath and Draco can practically see the way that his mind is working, obviously trying to figure out the right answer. In some logical part of Draco's mind, he knows that he should be grateful. After all, Harry is just trying to be supportive, as he's been trying to be ever since it was first discovered that Draco got pregnant. But then, Draco knows that it's practically impossible for him to be logical right now. The hormones and the mood swings and the damn cravings are so much worse than for a female and he curses the fact that he and Harry had decided to go for a magical pregnancy instead of just getting a damn surrogate.
"Well you were talking about how you craved the sweet and sour taste," Harry says slowly, his voice soothing. Every word is obviously thought out. It annoys Draco for reasons that he doesn't bother dwelling on.
"Yes but I'm not going to eat something as… as… ridiculous as pickles and ice cream. I'm not some Muggle woman," Draco snaps before turning on his heel although he doesn't walk away. His arms are crossed tight over his chest, his breaths leaving him in huffs. Now that he doesn't have to look at Harry's face he's feeling a bit happier about the pickles and ice cream. Of course, there's no way that he's actually going to eat it together but there's no reason to get so upset at Harry… Right? Yes, of course.
Harry's still standing exactly where he was before when Draco turns back around with a wide smile on his face. "Does that smile mean that I should be scared?" Harry asks immediately, warily.
Still smiling, Draco shakes his head and he steps forward, plucking the grocery bag (Muggle grocery store. Harry will be getting a lecture on that one later too). "No. I've chosen to forgive you for this. I'll simply eat the ice cream for now."
"Oh… Uh, that was my plan anyway. Oh you thought I thought that you'd eat them together? Draco! That's disgusting. I've lost my appetite now. We're ordering dinner," Harry says, his nose wrinkled as he looks down at the bag, full of the tub of ice cream, pickles and probably a few other random groceries that Draco would normally have a house elf pick up, from a non-Muggle grocery store thank you very much.
Draco's smile fades somewhat as he realizes that perhaps he had been a bit unreasonable. After all, he had said that he wanted sweet and sour together just not something like pickles and ice cream. Draco Malfoy-Potter may be a lot of things but one could never call him a cliché. "Perhaps I owe you an apology."
"If you didn't apologize for yelling at me asking if I have a problem with your hygiene when I suggested that we share a shower because I thought it would be fun to do together then I don't think you have to apologize for this. Although, may I suggest that next time we choose to have a child that we have a surrogate?"
Although Draco had been thinking the same thing just a few moments ago, that rubs him the wrong way. He's doing a just fine job of being pregnant, thank you very much. Immediately, Harry seems to realize his mistake and that's the only reason that Draco is able to stalk off to the kitchen without saying another word about it.
Harry follows behind, watching as Draco scoops two bowls of ice cream and trying not to let Draco see how wide his smile is that Draco still chooses to get a bowl for Harry even though he's annoyed at the moment. It's kind of flattering although really, Harry thinks that he'd do the same. He can't say for positive since he's never been pregnant and the hormones are obviously doing a number to Draco but he thinks so. He'd try at least and he can see that Draco is trying. On his part, though, he doesn't think that he ever wants to try. Seeing the way that Draco is utterly miserable means that Harry has no desire to be pregnant.
"Would you like some pickles in your ice cream?" Draco asks with a sweetness that Harry can tell immediately is quite faked. He feels as if he should be offended but he can't bring himself to be and instead he has to laugh.
"I love you."
Before his eyes, he can see the way that Draco seems to melt, his lips curving into that beautiful, unguarded smile that even Harry only gets to see rarely. It's the kind of smile that Draco normally gives him in moments when he's sure that they're alone, when he just can't help but how just how happy he is to be with Harry. It's a flattering smile when Harry really thinks about it.
"I love you too, Potter," Draco responds, even as his voice takes on that soft tone and his hand goes almost instinctively to his stomach.
It hasn't been easy with the two of them and they both know how much of a test that this pregnancy is on their relationship, from the medical worries that even magic can't quite eliminate to the fights that they seem to have even more now that hormones and worries are running wild. But when they smile at each other, when they're open and when they tell each other that they love each other, both know that there's nowhere they'd rather be.
Harry steps forward, wrapping his arms around Draco, one of his hands coming around to rest on Draco's stomach. They don't want to know yet whether the baby is a boy or a girl, preferring to be surprised when it comes. Draco lifts his head from where he's been staring at his stomach and Harry kisses him gratefully as Draco slides his arms around Harry's neck.
They stay in comfort, neither of them caring about the ice cream that's in the bowls on the counter or anything other than staying there with each other for as long as they possibly can. After a few minutes, when Draco just can't stand in the one position for much longer without moving, he pulls away, leaning back against the counter and looking at Harry carefully. "I do agree about a surrogate next time. Merlin knows that I'm not being pregnant again and I don't think I have the patience to cater to you the way that you do to me."
Wisely, Harry chooses not to answer that, just smiles and kisses Draco again. They've talked about how many children they want, both of them more than one since they both want a playmate for their child but not too many. Draco had said he didn't want to end up like a Weasley and Harry had snorted, burying his face in the pillow since he hadn't wanted to be rude about the Weasleys by responding.
"Well as long as I remember that apparently pickles and ice cream are apparently offensive to give to somebody who is pregnant?" Harry asks in a teasing voice, pouting playfully for a moment when Draco pulls away. He smirks as Draco smiles and goes to finish scooping up the ice cream.
"You should remember that, Potter. The nerve of you to buy me pickles and ice cream," Draco responds.
Harry feels his grin widening because he knows that they're going to be okay. He's sure they're going to fight, a lot more. With a farther pregnancy comes more fights and more hormones and everything. But Harry's slowly learning. He just figures that he'll finally know exactly what to do by the time that the baby is born… Hmm, maybe they will have to try again. He doesn't say that to Draco though.