Severus awoke to the sensation of someone staring at him. He smiled at the warmth and amazing cosy feeling of holding his young love in his arms.

"I can feel you staring at me," he said. Still smiling, he slowly opened his eyes. He stared right back into Harry's amazing emerald eyes.

"Good morning, my sleeping beauty," Harry said with a warm smile.

Severus couldn't help but snort at the "beauty" part.

"Don't you give me that," Harry said playful. "You," he said, putting a finger on Severus' chest, "are beautiful."

Severus smiling face turned into one of shock as he quickly covered up his scarred chest. "Don't lie to me, Harry, it makes it hurt even more."

"What?" Harry asked, shocked by this fast swing of moods.

"The moment that you realize that you made a huge mistake, the moment you realise I am not beautiful like yourself, but just an old scarred soul and body. The moment… where you realize I could never measure up to the standards of your society," he ended with a sigh. It was clear that he did not intent to continue the conversation, because he got out of bed and walked to the bathroom, leaving Harry with absolutely no idea what he'd done wrong. Seconds later, Harry heard the shower running and got out of the bed, that felt all of a sudden very cold without Severus beside him.

He shrugged on some sweatpants that he'd forgotten a few weeks ago when he'd had his own little slumber party on Severus' couch and just flooed to his own rooms. He didn't bother for a shirt, since Severus kept his rooms at a very acceptable temperature (for the fact that they were in the dungeons). He went to the kitchen and began to prepare breakfast.

Meanwhile, Severus stood in the shower, thinking over the conversation. He regretted what he'd said, but it just was a touchy subject. He never had been nice to look at, which his rivals in school didn't hide. One other time he'd been called beautiful, and that particular prank had left him so heartbroken that now he had convinced himself that those words spoken to him could never be meant. Until he saw the look on Harry's face, he had turned around in the bathroom and peeked though the door before he shut it. Harry had looked truly lost and regretting, but also clueless of what he'd done wrong. He'd decided that Harry had meant it when he saw his young love stroking the space where moments before Severus had been.

Severus got out of the shower and put on some pants and a dark blue T-shirt. On his way out of the bathroom, he stopped to look into the mirror, and unlike he expected, there wasn't a cranky old man looking back, but a relaxed looking- in his late thirties looked back and smiled at him. His eyes were shining, his face wasn't pulled into a mask, but had nice manly curves. His silky soft hair framed his face just as much to make his nose look smaller and his skin a light, but definitely glow.

With a new found confidence he walked into the living room, just in time to see Harry balancing two heavy loaded plates in his hands. Severus walked up to him, took the plates out of his hands while faintly noticing a very mouth-watering smell.

He put them on the table and turned back, to Harry, who had noticed Severus' smile and smiled back. Severus gently put his arms around Harry and laid his forehead against Harry's.

"I'm sorry," he whispered.

Harry's smile got even wider, which on it's turn made Severus' eyes gleam with happiness.

"You really are beautiful," Harry whispered.

"And I'm glad you think so," Severus managed to say before he caught Harry's lips in a sweet make-up kiss. After they had parted and smiles ensuring to one another, Harry sat down and Severus finally realised that Harry had made him his favourite breakfast, so he put his arms around Harry from behind and gave him a sweet kiss on his check.

"Thank you, Harry, thank you," he said, and only a tiny part was for the breakfast. "For being you, and loving me," he whispered with his mouth in Harry's hair.

Maybe it wasn't meant to be, but Harry heard him, which was only reflected in his shining eyes.