#48 - Project


Ash watched in amusement as Harry practically bounced in place. "Now," he said slowly, "are you absolutely sure you want to do this?"

Harry scowled and shot a venomous look at him. One that was completely undermined by his inability to keep still.

Ash chuckled, which lead to Harry's scowl turning into one of the most adorable pouts ever seen. Not that Ash would ever admit that though, due to the fact that he did not find Harry adorable. At all. Ever.

"Ash…" Harry whined.

Ash had to shift to try and temper his body's reaction. Gods damn it all he was not going to blush!

"Of course I want to go!" Harry continued on blithely, completely oblivious to Ash's mental panic at his complete lack of control over his own body. "It wasn't as if I could spend my time wandering around the city while Savitar was training me. I haven't been to the 'real world' in ages.

"Besides," Harry shot him a sly grin that had Ash giving up any and all pretences of even trying to gain control over himself, "I want to meet this best friend of yours."

Ash frowned slightly as jealousy stabbed through his chest at the thought of Harry wanting to meet Nick. He nodded a little reluctantly, even if Harry didn't seem to notice. "Okay, but Nick'll be working tonight so we'll just pop in quickly and then I'll take you to see the sights."

Harry smiled brightly. "Sure! Where are you taking me?"

Ash couldn't help but grin in return, "Ah, ah, ah! It's a surprise."

Harry pouted at him again and Ash had to feign checking over his backpack once again to give him time to regain his composure. He closed his eyes. Damn it all, what was wrong with him lately? Harry was just a friend, right? Why on earth was his body reacting like this?

"Ash?"

Ash glanced up at the worried tone and barely stopped himself from jerking away and letting out an embarrassingly high-pitched yelp at the lack of distance between his face and Harry's. They were so close that Ash could feel the faintest wisps of Harry's breath brushing against his lips.

He had to clear his throat three times before he was sure his voice wasn't going to crack. "Yeah?"

Harry was looking at him with concern burning in his green eyes, "Are you okay? You were staring at your bag and you looked like you were in pain."

Ash swallowed dryly. "I'm fine." He blustered. "Er, yeah. How about we…um…head off now?"

Oh yes, he was one smooth customer tonight.

Ash grimaced slightly, who the hell said 'smooth customer' anymore? Even his inner voice has regressed at the proximity between himself and Harry. He could only pray that this was not going to continue or he'd find himself saying something completely embarrassing like 'totally awesome' or even 'dude'.

He sighed and wiped his face clean of anything but a smile. Harry was staring at him looking a little suspicious, but he didn't hesitate at grabbing hold of Ash's hand when Ash held it out for him to take.


They materialised in an empty, medium sized room panelled in a dark wood. One wall was completely taken up by a window that showed an expanse of open ground, hemmed in by trees and glowing silver under the moonlight.

There were two desks, each with its own state of the art computer set, facing each other but set at a slight angle so the window was more behind them then directly to the side.

Harry let go of Ash's hand and turned about, taking everything in with a sense of childish wonder.

Ash watched him fondly, though he clenched his hand into a fist at the sense of loss he felt when Harry moved further away from him.

To his surprise he found himself striding across the room until he was practically plastered against Harry's back. He was so close that he could smell the fruity shampoo that Harry used and had to restrain a smirk at the thought.

Harry glanced over his shoulder at him, questioningly and Ash racked his brain to think of a reason as to why he was standing so close. Surreptitiously he glanced around the room as the silence began to feel a little uncomfortable.

Awkwardly he nodded to the desk that Harry was standing in front of. "That's Nick's work space here at the house."

Harry blinked and (to Ash's relief) turned to look at the desk again, before smirking and hopping up to sit on it, facing Ash.

Ash's mouth instantly turned dry and he could feel his heart thundering in his chest as his brain refused to acknowledge anything but the fact that he was practically standing between Harry's legs.

He was about to move or say something that would defuse whatever moment was building between them when Harry looked at him properly for the first time they had appeared in the mortal realm and gasped.

"Your scar!"

Ash stiffened, his spine straightening and jaw clenching shut as his eyes closed themselves off.

Harry didn't seem to notice as he was staring at Ash's neck. "It's gone…" he whispered in some surprise.

No one ever mentioned his scars, not if they wanted to live. Ash wanted to snarl and lash out instinctively.

And he probably would have if Harry hadn't chosen, at that precise moment, to tug up Ash's t-shirt and run his fingers over his abdomen.

Ash found himself stiffening for an entirely different reason.

"Oh, wow…" Harry murmured appreciatively as he trailed his fingers back and forth over the unblemished skin. "It's not just glamoured, it's like you've completely removed it."

Harry leant forward to get a closer look and looped the fingers of his left hand in the waistband on Ash's leather pants to stop himself from slipping off the desk.

Ash stopped breathing as Harry's weight tugged his pants down slightly and his breath caressed his belly button.

"Hmm…" Harry mumbled to himself, "I wonder if all…"

Ash quickly found himself going from not being able to breathe to trying not to pant as Harry's fingers danced across his stomach and chest as he tried to find any remains of the scarring.

He couldn't stop the twitch of his hips as Harry brushed over his rapidly sensitizing skin, even if he wanted to. He was also undeniably grateful that Harry's single-minded search left him too distracted to look down.

It wasn't until Harry's hand stopped moving and just lay pressed flat against his sternum that Ash regained enough sense to open his eyes (unable to say when he had closed them) and gaze down into bright green eyes.

Harry was staring at him, his gaze tinged with awe.

"It's completely gone."

Ash hummed lazily.

"Can you teach me how to do that?" Harry asked quietly, "Not…not get rid of it completely…just hide it?"

Ash (completely drunk on Harry's touch) reached out with his left hand and cupped Harry's cheek, his thumb brushing the lightning bolt scar. Harry shivered unconsciously and Ash smirked darkly, continuing to trace the scar relentlessly, delighting in the way Harry shifted under his ministrations.

"This one?" He asked, only a little shocked at how deep his voice had become.

Harry swallowed sharply. Ash watched; feeling very satisfied when Harry's eyes darkened and his lips parted, his breath speeding up.

"Yeah," Harry said breathlessly, "I…it marks me as the boy-who-lived and everyone always stares at it like it's some sort of holy sign. Sometimes I just want it gone. But," he trembled, his eyes fluttering shut as Ash drew his thumbnail across the mark, "b-but," he stuttered out, "i-it's also the reminder that my parents gave their lives for me – that they loved me. So I don't want it gone completely…"

"I understand…" Ash whispered as he leant down, his own eyes sliding to half-mast as instinct took over.

"Oh my God! What the hell are you doing on my desk?"

Ash and Harry jerked up and away from each other, the tension in the room immediately broken by Nick's horrified wail.

Harry turned to face the room's newest occupant looking completely dazed and thoroughly shagged (which really didn't help the situation at all).

Ash, for all his awesome god-powers, couldn't stop the blush darkening his cheeks as he took in the position Nick had found them in.

Harry, sitting on Nick's desk with Ash standing between his legs and cupping his face, hand shoved up Ash's shirt and the other curled into the waistband of his pants.

Even with the embarrassment, Ash could barely restrain a snort of mirth escaping him at the look of horror pasted on Nick's face.

Harry blinked a few times and seemed to come back to himself, immediately blushing bright red and stammering.

Ash scratched the back of his neck, "Harry, this is Nick. Nick, Harry."

Nick seemed to be coming out of his horror induced shock as he narrowed his eyes, glancing quickly between Harry and Ash a few times, noting both their blushes, before turning his attention solely on Harry and smirking.

"Pleasure to meetcha. Gotta say, Ash's never mention'd you to me before..." Nick held out his hand to Harry, shaking it solidly when Harry gripped it with a shy returning smile. "Guess he's been a bit…busy lately…" Nick said genially, shooting Ash an evil smirk when Harry wasn't looking.

Ash felt a cold shiver travel down his spine at the look on his friends face. The knowing wink didn't help either. Oh gods, Nick looked exactly like he did when he had found a new project to work on. And Ash knew from experience that when Nick looked like that all obstacles in his way either moved, bent to his whims, or were destroyed completely.

Ash silently sent a prayer to whatever benevolent power there was who was listening (and willing to help and not just sit around laughing their arses off at his predicament) that both he and Harry would survive Nick reasonably unscathed.


UST? I have no idea what that means. At all…

Yay! Nick!