Disclaimer - I own nothing you recognise.
Written for the QL Reserve League: S1, R1, Captain: Romance - A pairing of your choice, write something that is romantic between your two characters.
Other Challenges Listed at the bottom.
Word Count - 1284
Not The Type For Canoodling
Coming home from a long day at work was practically heaven. Harry let himself into the cottage he shared with Severus and toed off his shoes.
Okay, no. That was heaven.
"Severus?" he called out, as he hung his travelling robe up on the hook. The bright blue of his healer robes was practically blinding, and he longed to take them off.
Soon.
He wandered from the hallway into the living room, and when he didn't find the man he was looking for, continued onto the kitchen. Sure enough, Severus stood by the stove, stirring a pot of something that smelled absolutely delicious.
It was making Harry hungry.
"Pizza?" he asked, grinning.
Severus rolled his eyes, but the tilt of his lips gave away his amusement, and Harry stepped close enough to press a kiss to his cheek before he looked down into the pot.
"I thought you might appreciate a stew," Severus told him, as Harry leant against him. "Since the weather is so abhorrent. I know how you like your comfort food."
"Have I told you lately that you're my favourite?"
"This morning when I brought you coffee."
"Too long ago," Harry muttered, shaking his head. "You're my favourite."
Severus nuzzled against the nest of hair on Harry's head for a moment and then nudged him. "There's time for you to get a shower and change before dinner. Go on, I know you're never comfortable until you're out of your robes."
"I don't know about a shower, I think I need to sit down and never move again."
Snorting, Severus gave him a gentle shove. "Shower, dinner, then you can turn into a couch potato."
Harry nodded, but tilted his head up for a proper kiss before he left the room.
…
He and Severus had been dating for almost three years, before they'd moved in together—and they were still dating, since Harry forced the man from the house at least once a week for date night.
Nobody had been particularly pleased by Harry's choice of partner, but he'd never been one for the conventional version of normal.
Even to this day, Molly still tried to push the idea of a wife and children—mostly because she wanted all of the grandchildren, Harry suspected—but whenever Harry looked at small children, the only thing he thought was, "ew, sticky."
What he and Severus had suited them both perfectly, and Harry had never been so content as he was pottering around the little cottage they called home, being just them without any of the expected pomp and circumstance that surrounded his name when he was out in public.
It hadn't always been easy of course; Severus thought he was forever tainted by the tattoo on his arm, and Harry had been haunted by the things he'd been forced to see and do before he was even really an adult.
Taking it slow as they had had been good for both of them, and now, Harry knew that he'd never be happier than he was with Severus.
…
Harry, freshly showered and wearing one of Severus' shirts over his boxers, padded back into the kitchen, his slippers dragging slightly on the linoleum floor.
"Want me to set the table?"
"It's already done," Severus replied, smugly. "I thought you deserved a night off of doing anything. You've been working hard lately. Do you want wine or coffee with dinner?"
Harry smiled at him, and then wrinkled his nose. "Bleh, neither. Water? They say they're trying to build my experience in the different departments. I'm off for the weekend now though. Did I tell you that?"
"You did," Severus replied, scooping a ladle of stew into two bowls. He gestured for Harry to go into the dining room, and followed closely behind him, the bowls and a fresh jug of water and a cup of coffee for himself floating beside him. "And it's about time you got a weekend off."
"You know what I plan to do?" Harry offered as he sat down at the table, the bowl landing flawlessly in front of him.
"Do tell," Severus said, sitting down facing him.
"Absolutely nothing."
Harry grinned triumphantly when Severus chuckled.
They chatted easily over dinner, the words passing between them of nothing important. This was what Harry loved; the simple intimacy of knowing you could talk about nothing with someone and still enjoy it.
Dinner was followed by a jam roly poly from Harry's favourite bakery. Severus really was spoiling him.
Harry waved him off into the living room when it came to clearing the table, winning the stubborn-off with a smile and a twinkle in his green eyes.
The fire was already lit by the time he was done, and Severus was sitting in the wide armchair they often fought over. Instead of fighting, Harry simply dropped into his lap.
When Severus yelped, he said, "You're in my seat."
"So you just decided to turn me into a seat?"
"Sounds about right, yeah."
"I thought I was too bony to be comfortable? Your words, not mine."
"Meh," Harry muttered, wiggling a little to get into a comfier position. "You'll do."
"My favourite thing about you is your charm," Severus deadpanned, rolling his eyes.
"I got called pretty today," Harry said. "Aren't my looks your favourite part?"
"You're alright."
"But am I pretty?"
"Oh, you're just darling," Severus replied. "You make my heart flutter."
Harry barely managed a full second before he burst out laughing. "You ass."
"Who called you pretty?" Severus asked.
"A lady whose daughter I was treating. She asked me if I had anyone to canoodle with. It was all very indecent, Sev."
"Canoodle."
Harry nodded. "Uh huh. I told her that my fella wasn't the type to canoodle. She shut up pretty quickly."
Severus smirked, but ran his hand through Harry's hair, making Harry's eyelids fall shut with pleasure.
They cuddled for a while, and Harry had nearly dropped off when he opened his eyes with a start.
"Oh Merlin, it's Molly's birthday tomorrow!"
"What, already?" Severus asked, frowning.
"That's the funny thing about birthdays," Harry replied. "They're kind of an annual thing. Dammit, what am I gonna—"
"There's a present in the airing cupboard, wrapped and ready for her," Severus interrupted, rolling his eyes.
Eyes wide, Harry stared at him. "You're practically domesticated."
"I know," Severus muttered. "I hope you know that I plan to sue you for that."
"Will you take payment with canoodling?"
"Absolutely not," Severus growled. "Kisses on the other hand… I could be persuaded."
"I regret to say that I think kisses is all I'm good for tonight," Harry said, shielding a yawn behind his arm. "Probably karma for laughing at the woman and her canoodling."
"Hmm, there's always the morning," Severus replied, biting gently at Harry's lip, making it pinker and plumper. "No reason to get up early and rush around for work. It'll be a nice change of pace."
Harry nodded. "Bedtime?"
"Bedtime," Severus agreed. Harry led the way upstairs, checking the wards around the cottage as he did every night. He knew Severus was doing the same thing, but it helped them both to feel safe.
Climbing into bed, Harry spelled the curtains mostly closed, leaving just a small gap for the moon to shine through. He liked a little light, just in case he woke up during the night.
"Love you," he said, curling up with his back to Severus, waiting for the man to wrap around him like he always did.
He wasn't disappointed.
"I love you, too," Severus replied, settling himself close.
"Also," he added, tugging Harry even closer, spooning him. "It's not Molly's birthday until next weekend."
Harry laughed into the pillow.
Written for:
Writing Club
Character Appreciation: 8. Tattoo
Disney: D1. "That's the funny thing about birthdays, they're kind of an annual thing."
World Of Comics: 4. Green
Book Club: Maria: Healer / Karma / Kissing someone on the cheek / Blue / Dating.
Showtime: 18. "Your words, not mine."
Sophie's Shelf: 9. Hawaiian Cat Flu: Hungry
Elizabeth's Empire: 7. Romance
Bex's Basement: "But am I pretty?" / "Oh, you're just darling. You make my heart flutter."
Lizzy's Loft: 20. "Pizza."
Scamander's Case: 4. Smug
Marvel Appreciation: 8. Hela - "You're in my seat."
Spring Funfair
Afternoon Tea: Salad: Ham and Beetroot Salad Bowl - Content
Gin Festival: 1. Rhubarb Gin: "I think I need to sit down."
The Dog Show: Trick 3. Stand - Severus Snape.
Worker Bees: Tier 1: Canoodle
Bunny Racing: Genre: Romance
Easter Egg Decorating: Substance: 2. Felt tip - Cuddling
Spring Cleaning: 5. Magic - Shine
Nature Scavenger Hunt: List 4, Mushrooms: Tainted
Birdhouse Building: Step 1 - Coffee
Petting Zoo: Petting the Cows - Regret
Flower Arranging Station: Marigold - Severus Snape
Teacup Ride: Blue Polkadots - Gentle
Bunny Bingo: Emotion: Amused
FarmVille: The Dairy Barn - Slice of life
Guess The Name: Cookie; Kissing
Planting Flowers: Narcissus: Harry Potter
April Fools: Muggle: Post it notes: Sticky
Other Challenges:
Spring Quarterly: Anemone: Experience