4. Drum (An Interlude)

Sometimes, when they sat down to tell each other of their pasts, they'd curl up together beneath Harry's warmest quilts and breathe out their stories and stilted whispers. Tears mixed and hands clasped between them.

They'd both marched to the drums of war, fought with the drums of death reverberating through their chests. It was a battle song no one else could understand unless they themselves had survived through the midst of war.

And, sometimes, they found themselves caught back in the past, in the war; the thunderous beat of drums deafening their ears, fear and pain rising through their chests, choking them on the memories, the pain pain pain.

But, sometimes, when Harry woke screaming and shuddering, trapped in the nightmares of the past, John would hold him, press his ear to his chest and let him fall asleep the drum of his heart, it could drown out the rest of the world.

And when they woke in the morning, their eyes would be clearer, their minds no longer recalling the vestiges of war that would always be within them, but rather the thrums of their heartbeats twining as one.

And when John woke up screaming, he knew that Harry would always be there.

Reply to Guest Review Sarah: "Why Hadrian?"

I've always liked the name Hadrian, and it'll have its uses as a more formal name for Harry to use when he wants to pull out has BAMF-y Lord-ness.

Note: Liberal use of commas here and a rather short update, but more is on the way don't worry.

Reviews are welcome.

Thank you for reading.