For Lo

Word Count: 707

It's embarrassing, really. Piers is attending university only three cities away, and Dean is already hopelessly lost. He doesn't want to admit it, but he doesn't have a choice. It's snowy and freezing, and all he has is a bicycle, which offers little protection against the cold wind. If he doesn't bite the bullet and call Piers, he'll probably freeze to death.

With little choice, he steers into the parking lot of the petrol station and parks his bike near a payphone. With a sigh, he hops off the bike. "So much for surprising Piers," he mutters, adjusting his scarf and walking toward the payphone. He puts the coins in.

"Hello?"

"Piers!" Dean says, laughing. It's all so ridiculous, and now he's fully aware of how silly the whole situation is. "Funny story…"

His boyfriend listens as he recounts his story. Dean doesn't even finish when Piers starts laughing. "You can't be serious about this," he says with a snort. "Really?"

"I've never been here before," Dean grumbles.

"A bicycle, Dean? Couldn't have at least gotten a carriage?"

In retrospect, that might have been a better idea, but there's nothing Dean can do about it now. At the time, he had been so sure that a bicycle would be fine.

"What are you even doing here?"

"It's New Year's Eve," Dean says. "I wanted to celebrate it with you."

"God, you're mushy," Piers says, and Dean can hear the grin in his voice. "Which petrol station are you at? I'll be there in a bit."

…

Piers helps him get the forest green bicycle in the back of his car before turning and grinning at him. "You're sweet," he says, his pale cheeks flushing a soft pink. "You didn't have to come all this way."

Dean grins and gets in the passenger seat. "I know," he says, "but I wanted to."

Things have been difficult between them. Now that Piers is busy with university and Dean travels the world with his illustrator job, their schedules rarely match up. They've found a way to make it work, of course, but things aren't the same anymore. Dean misses the way it used to be, and he will do everything he can to get that back.

"What are you thinking about?" Piers asks.

Dean keeps his dark eyes fixed upon the passenger side mirror. He smooths out the creases in his grey jacket. "You," he admits. "Us."

"Should I be worried?"

Dean chuckles and looks at Piers. "Nah," he says. "I think we're fine."

…

"It isn't much," Piers says as he leads Dean into his bedroom. "But my flatmate is pretty quiet, and it's peaceful."

"I like it."

It's cozy, and Dean can't help thinking about the Gryffindor dormitory. He wonders if Piers' flatmate is nice, if Piers is happy.

"Make yourself at home," Piers says. "I'll get some tea going."

Tea. Dean laughs to himself. Not many people have tea as their drink of choice during New Year's Eve, but he understands. Before he had moved next door to Piers, Piers had been an entirely different person. Dean can't imagine it, but Piers has told him stories about sneaking out, getting drunk, doing drugs. He's really turned over a new leaf now.

"Milk, no sugar," Piers says, appearing through the door with a silver tea tray.

"You know me too well."

…

"Five… Four… Three… Two… One… Happy New Year!"

Dean pulls Piers close, kissing him. He's always wanted a New Years kiss, and he's so glad that Piers gets to be his first.

"Where did the time go?" Piers murmurs, baby blue eyes twinkling when he pulls away. "Seems like only yesterday we were sixteen, and you were my new neighbor."

Dean doesn't understand how time could move so fast. So much has happened since that day, three years ago, and yet it feels like things have only just begun.

"Got a resolution for the new year?" Piers asks.

"I want to love you every day and every night."

Piers laughs and reaches out, affectionately caressing Dean's cheek. "So cheesy," he teases.

"I mean it. From here on out, I will make more time for you. I missed you."

Piers kisses him gently. "I missed you too."

Written For

Around the World, ticket: going to a new city

Cheese Board, Provolone: Piers Polkiss

Bath Bomb, orris oil: Dean Thomas

Appreciation: kissing someone on NYE

Book Club, Chikako: pale, tea, mirror

Showtime, Freeze Your Brain: petrol station

Arcade, Lex Luthor: grey

Bex's Basement: "I want to love you every day and every night."

Days, NYE: kissing someone at midnight on NYE

Winter: "Happy New Year!"

Color: baby blue

Birthstone, aquamarine: "Where did the time go?"

Flowers, holly: scarf

Elemental, pisces: DeanPiers

Slytherin, Christmas Cake: fluff

House: forest green

Star Chart, Quadrantids Meteor Shower: "You can't be serious about this."

Scavenger Hunt: Write a fic for a Hufflepuff

1000 Prompts: Dean Thomas

365: bedroom