"Shitting fucking bollocks," Charlie said on a breathless, awestruck whisper.
Both the twins laughed.
"Eloquent, bro," Fred snickered.
Completely ignoring his brothers, Charlie took long strides forward until he was standing right in front of Harry, his fingertips gently grasping at the other man's waist.
"Fuck," he said again and Harry smiled, gently pushing his fingers through Charlie's hair.
"I'm taller than you again," Harry said. It was the lightness in his tone that was a silent signal to Charlie that little things like this, although painfully little, were actually things that really mattered.
He nodded silently. "Yeah. You are. How..."
"Oh, glad you noticed we were here," Fred said scathingly.
"Fred and George made splints that hold me up," Harry said, his eyes still locked with Charlie's. "They're going to teach me how to walk again."
"At least, that was the plan until you turned up and started making goo-goo eyes at him," George muttered.
"Does it hurt?"
"No," Harry said. "Feels strange, though. I'm not used to supporting my body like this any more."
The process of re- learning how to walk took hours. Hours. Even with Charlie's encouragement and Fred and George's support, Harry was soon drenched with sweat and was forced to take regular breaks.
Bare chested, he pushed forward until he was able to take two, then three wobbly steps unassisted. The twins hovered either side of him, ready to catch when his body inevitably gave up under the additional strain he was forcing on it.
"That's it," Charlie said as he caught Harry around the waist for the fiftieth time. "We're done."
"No," Harry protested. "I can keep going for a bit longer."
"We're done," Charlie said and forcibly helped Harry to the floor so the twins could start the process of removing the splints.
Harry sulked.
Taking the splints off took longer than putting them on since Fred was making precise notes of the measurements so they could be replicated, and Puff seemed to want to settle his furry body down on top of the paper whenever Fred left it unattended.
"You're going to need to give us some time," George warned as he loosened the strap around Harry's ankle. "We need to do some work on these before you can have them back."
"How long?" Charlie asked.
"Maybe a week?"
As Harry sighed deeply, short fingers scratched through the hair at the back of his head in a gentle, comforting gesture. To be so close to normality, even for a few short hours, and then to lose that again... well, Charlie knew his partner well enough to know how devastating that was going to be.
"We'll get them back to you as soon as we can," George said as he got to his feet, the splints in his arms.
The twins disappeared back into the Floo and Harry shuffled closer to Charlie's arms. He was sat back against the sofa and helped Harry to lay back with his back tight to his chest, strong arms wrapped around Harry's body; comforting, safe, home. Love.
Harry turned his head on Charlie's shoulder, seeking out the warm taste of soft lips and the intense kisses of two men who couldn't find words. Were there words for this?
"Love you," Charlie whispered.
Oh yes. There they were.
xXx
"Aren't you tired?"
Harry's hand roamed possessively over the thick expanse of toned torso with its light dusting of hairs and abundance of freckles. His fingertips found a rosy pink nipple and rolled it experimentally between thumb and forefinger until it stood proud from creamy skin; tugged on it, squeezed it hard enough to cause the sensuous undulation of Charlie's spine.
"Tired? Why would I be tired?"
"I thought this afternoon would have been pretty tiring for you."
"No. It was more mentally exhausting than physically."
"I guess I can understand that."
Charlie laid on his back, one arm thrown carelessly over his head, the other loosely wrapped over Harry's shoulder. Harry laid on his side propped up on one elbow. He leaned in and pressed a wet kiss to the curve of Charlie's shoulder, sighing with deep, deep contentment as he did.
"Can I suck you?"
A warm chuckle slipped from between Charlie's lips. "I'm sure you can."
"Help me?"
They were lovers who knew each other beyond the normal range of intimacy, something which had only got more intense with Harry's disability. Suffering in silence simply couldn't be allowed to happen. Needs were recognised, assessed, and the right response executed with a combination of clinical detachment and warm care.
And this type of lovemaking always seemed to take them right back to their roots as a couple. Harry in control, Harry giving, Harry knowing what he wanted from his partner's body and taking it. A dick in his mouth, his hand on his own. Charlie begging for more than just teasing licks around the head of his cock, desperate for more stimulation because this teasing would drive him fucking crazy.
"Baby, please."
Harry looked up, his green eyes full of mischief as he wet his lips, then plunged his mouth back down on Charlie's cock, swallowing rapidly to take it to the back of his throat and sucking hard.
With his fingers wrapped in silky hair... Charlie came. Hard.
The unrestrained cries were enough to tip Harry over the edge too, spilling into his own hand and smearing the sticky wetness down his length as he shuddered through the aftershocks. For a few moments everything stopped: heart, brain, lungs, testicles. Then all four gave an almighty shudder and started up again.
Harry cast a wandless cleaning spell, then another to be sure and allowed Charlie to help him back up to the pillows. He licked his sore, stretched lips, still tasting his partner there, and smiled softly as he met tired grey eyes.
"We should have more sex," Harry decided as he combed Charlie's hair back from his forehead. It was getting long again.
"More sex?"
"Yeah. There's always room for more sex, Charles," he said primly. "You should know that."
"Okay. I'll think about where we can try and fit it in."
"Don't worry, I know exactly where to put it in."
"Dirty bugger."
Harry laughed, delighted, until it turned into a yawn. With his hand raised he extinguished the lights and found what he silently referred to as his snuggle spot, right between Charlie's neck and shoulder. There, he could sleep.