Chapter 2: Closed for the Night
Disclaimer: I own nothing
AN: I wrote 'After Hours' as a one shot, but I agree with those who mentioned in their reviews that it was in a universe worth exploring. After nearly a year, I've finally written something besides weight loss tips. Woohoo!
…
"Watch out, that's-"
Marlene squealed and dropped the loaded tray.
"Hot. The tray is hot."
"Sorry!" She said with a wince. "I was in a hurry, and I-"
"It doesn't matter. Just get out there, we'll remake this."
"Are you sure?"
"Yes. Just . . . go."
Harry pinched the bridge of his nose in frustration, a gesture he'd admittedly picked up from Severus. He'd thought training someone would be fun; he loved to teach! Unfortunately, Marlene was a bit of a klutz. It didn't help that she seemed to have a crush on him. He'd caught her staring twice!
"Are you enjoying yourself, Mr. Potter?" Severus called from the back, and Harry physically relaxed at the sound of his voice. Severus closed the door with his foot and hefted the box in his arms higher, heading for the freezer.
Harry ran to hold the door open for him, and Severus raised an eyebrow as Harry followed him in and pulled the door closed behind them.
"Harry . . . "
Harry stepped closer in the dark and took the box, setting it down to the side. "I feel like a terrible trainer, Severus."
"How soooo?"
"Marlene drops things and forgets which tables are hers, and . . . I think she likes me."
"Really?" Severus' tone revealed nothing,
"Yeah. It'd be fine if she were only a bad waitress, but she wants me romantically, too, which makes her insane . . ."
Severus' warm hands pulled Harry closer by the waist.
Their lips met, and Harry cupped Severus' neck with one hand, the other settling between them on the older man's chest. Despite the cold, Severus was still warm from running errands all morning. Harry clung to that warmth.
"I missed you." He murmured as they finally broke for air. "I always miss you so much."
"I may have thought of you once or twice." Severus said quietly, one hand sliding to Harry's ass for a squeeze.
Harry smiled despite himself and burrowed his face into Severus' chest, engulfed in the smell he was quickly becoming addicted to.
They stayed like that for a long while, simply holding one another, until the slightest of shivers ran through Severus' body.
"You're cold." Harry said, laughing.
"Astute observation, Mr. Potter."
"I guess that means we should get back to work."
"I suppose."
Neither moved, and after a moment, Severus buried a hand in Harry's hair.
Hermione opened the freezer door and stuck her head inside. "Harry, I think you should get out here. Marlene spilled soup on an infant."
Harry heard shrill wails in the distance before Hermione eased the door shut, muffling all outside noise.
"Five more minutes." Harry whined. He burrowed back into Severus and thumped his fist against his thin chest as it vibrated with laughter.
…
"Please fire her, Severus. Please."
"I can't just yet. 'Three strikes' is the policy."
"You threatened to fire me after twenty minutes . . ."
"Key word being 'threatened', Harry."
"Ah." Harry added a handful of napkin-wrapped silverware to the bin next to him and started on another batch.
"Harry . . ." Severus began,
"Yes?"
"Would you like to come over tonight?"
"Over where?"
Severus laughed once, awkwardly. "To my flat."
"Oh. Well . . . Sure." Harry fought the blush warming his cheeks. In the four months they'd been 'half-together' (a running joke with Hermione about the lack of sex or overly personal information in their relationship), Harry had never been to Severus' flat before, although the older man had made himself rather at home at his, going so far as to spend the night with Harry in his arms, and lounge around in his shorts with a terrible case of bed head the next morning.
Severus stretched and announced it was time to leave, and Harry stood slowly, feeling his stomach flip-flop from the nerves. He left the unfinished rolls on the table, too nervous to remember to put them away.
…
The drive wasn't long, but it seemed eternal. Harry watched Severus signal a full minute before he had to turn, and slow to nearly a stop before turning at all. It was kind of cute.
As Severus parked twice as carefully as he had driven, Harry felt his heart skip a beat. He would have laughed at himself for being so nervous if he weren't so nervous.
Feeling the tension roll off Harry in waves, Severus took his hand in what he hoped was a comforting gesture and led him to the far end of the complex, ground floor.
Severus dropped his keys as he tried to open the door, which made Harry laugh a little, but when they stepped inside, he fell silent in surprise.
The apartment was tiny and sparsely furnished. The living room, or minute space parading as a living room, had only a couch, an end table, and an old television. The kitchen was an even smaller space sandwiched between an island and a counter with a microwave, mini fridge, and hot plate.
Down the hallway (which was barely deeper than a doorway), Harry spotted a small bed and table, with a lamp.
"Severus . . ." Harry said quietly. "It's perfect."
"You're just saying that to make me feel better about my meager living conditions."
"No, no. It's so small, there's no way I won't feel close to you."
"You are such a sap." Severus' smile was a rare sight Harry would sacrifice a great deal to see more often.
Harry mumbled, blushing despite his best efforts, "I know, I know . . ."
Severus stepped toward Harry, but instead of kissing him like the young man expected, he looked him in the eye for a moment. "Are you tired?"
"A little."
"Sit down, make yourself comfortable." Severus nudged him toward the couch.
Harry sank into the worn cushion, and Severus remained standing and watched him with a look of utter concentration before carefully sitting as well.
"Relax, Sev. You're making me more nervous than I already was."
Severus nodded and moved closer, pulling Harry to him as he did so and kissing him with vigor. Harry responded in kind, and it wasn't long before they were both out of breath, Harry's back pressed roughly against the arm of the couch.
"Severus . . ." Harry between pants. "I think I should warn you . . ."
"What?" Severus pushed his hair out of his face, cheeks the slightest pink from their extent of exertion.
"I've never been with a man before. Not . . . not more than this."
Severus sat back a little. Harry had mentioned something about being engaged to a woman named Ginny, but he'd never mentioned being romantically involved with men. Or likewise, not being romantically involved with men. Interestingly enough, Severus found himself aroused by the thought that he was Harry's first male lover. He pulled the young man in for another kiss.
…
Harry tried his best not to buck, but Severus made it difficult, doing such amazing things with his hands and mouth. Harry made a conscious effort to unclench the hand in Severus' hair, but the older man moaned in response, which sent such a wave of pleasure up Harry's spine, and he grabbed Severus' hair more firmly in response.
"Sev . . ." he began, meaning to say something along the lines of "I'm about to-", but then Severus did something with his tongue and there was nothing to be done except give in and release.
Catching his breath, Harry vaguely registered Severus crawling along his body to curl behind him on the tiny bed.
"Severus." Harry whispered, covering the hand on his hip with his own. "I . . . No one's ever done that for me before."
"You were engaged."
"Yeah. I was."
Severus said nothing, and Harry began to blush. "She never . . . Ginny wasn't a fan of oral sex. She just wanted to get to it, missionary or nothing at all,"
"That doesn't sound like fun."
"It wasn't." Harry blurted. His blush deepened. "I mean, I know relationships aren't always about fun, but she seemed to think fun was forbidden. She was so serious and controlling . . . I loved her a lot, but I'm glad I found you."
Severus kept quiet for a moment, and Harry worried that he had said too much, but then Severus shifted to lay on top of Harry, face to face.
"I'm glad you found me, too." He said quietly, kissing down Harry's forehead to his nose, and finally, his mouth. Harry buried a hand in Severus' hair and opened his mouth in invitation, relishing the feel of the older man's tongue exploring him as carefully as he did everything else, his strong hands feathering Harry's ribcage in a manner slightly ticklish.
When Severus pulled away minutes later, he looked at Harry with an emotion he was uncomfortable trying to define. The boy's soft hair splayed out on the pillow, his lips swollen from their kiss, only made the feeling stronger. It was as if someone had grabbed his heart and was rubbing it between two hands, creating a friction burn along the sides.
Harry traced Severus' cheekbone with the pad of his finger, and looking into his emerald eyes, Severus knew then that something had changed. This boy meant more to him than he'd ever anticipated.
….
"Spit it out, Harry. It's obvious something happened."
"I don't know what you're talking about." Harry insisted, struggling to keep a straight face as he loaded his tray with steaming soup bowls.
"You've been grinning like an idiot all day." Ron tossed a handful of carrots into boiling stock. "If you don't tell me, I'll have to ask Hermione."
Harry froze halfway though the kitchen door. "What makes you think Hermione would know?"
"Not sure. But the look on your face right now is priceless. You look constipated."
Harry blushed and made his way to his tables.
Things had been . . . interesting . . . between him and Severus. It was nearly impossible for Harry to get through a shift without Severus pulling him aside as if to lecture him, only to kiss him breathless as soon as they were alone. More than once they ended up in the freezer, Severus' hands roaming under Harry's shirt and thigh deliberately pushed between his own. Harry began to mentally refer to these instances as 'ambushes', and he knew the other employees had noticed their frequent joint absences.
Marlene, a hostess until further notice, had pointedly asked him where he'd been for the last thirty minutes. Harry blushed and said he'd gone to the bathroom to straighten up and lost track of time.
Hermione knew, Harry was convinced. She had to know. She'd known about Severus and Harry since they first began dating, and although Harry updated her often about the status of the relationship, he hadn't known how to tell her Severus had sucked him off and gotten all lovey-dovey afterward. How was he supposed to start that conversation?
He knew she'd seen them making out, however. She had been kind enough to 'ahem' loudly just before Marlene walked into the kitchen a few times.
Harry felt like a slut, giving in to Severus' advances so easily, but he couldn't seem to help himself around the older man. He had tried to narrow it down to the eyes, the height, or the appeal of dating an older man, maybe. But there was no way around it: Harry could not resist Severus, and he felt that he had possibly fallen in love with the dark-eyed man.
…
Although he was loath to admit it, Harry was hardly surprised when Severus asked him to stay after close. He watched Hermione wave and head for her car, and laughed at himself for feeling she was his only defense against the lecherous older man awaiting him in the kitchen.
With a sigh, Harry removed his apron and pushed open the door to the kitchen.
"Candles?" Harry murmured, looking around the kitchen and jumping a little as he noticed Severus at the stove, stirring something in a frying pan that smelled deliciously like curry.
"Sit down."
Harry grabbed a nearby stool and sat at the prep table, watching Severus work and wondering where this was headed.
"I know that I've been a little handsy lately, and I wanted to apologize. Since the first night you came over, when we were first . . . intimate, I've wanted to be with you every second, and I abused my power as your employer to do so. For that, I am sorry. Hermione informed me, although I received the impression she did not want to, that you and Ginny were not prone to public displays of affection. I realize now, of course, that my advances in the workplace are unprofessional as well as uncomfortable for you. I apologize for that. Truly. I never meant to embarrass you or demean you in any way, or prompt your reputation as a 'sex-hungry skank'-"
"I had no idea anyone thought of me that way."
"Marlene made a comment this afternoon . . ."
"Marlene?"
"Yes. I informed her, however, that I do not allow that kind of slander between employees and advised her to find another job."
"You . . . you fired Marlene? For me?"
"If you see it that way, I suppose."
Harry slipped off the stool and came around to hug Severus from behind, face pressed into the back of his thin dress shirt. "That's so romantic. It's like you're defending my honor."
"I would have done the same for Granger or Weasely."
"I know, but . . ." Harry pulled away and smoothed his hands down Severus' back. "It was me. And I know you care about me, Severus."
"Yes, well . . ." The older man turned slowly, blowing on the dripping spoon in his hand. "Taste this."
Harry locked eyes with Severus as his lips closed around the spoon. The older man smiled faintly at the sight.
Harry held the warm curry in his mouth for a full minute, wanting to fully taste what Severus had made especially for him.
Severus turned at the waist to set down the spoon and turn off the stove.
"Harry . . ." he began, turning back to look into the younger man's eyes.
"Yes, Severus?"
"Thank you."
"For what?"
"For being someone I can care for."
Harry shrugged. "I try."
Severus pulled Harry to him for a kiss.
