Disclaimer - I own nothing you recognise.

Challenges listed at the bottom.

Pairing - DudleyBill

Word Count - 1685

Beta'd by the lovely Elizabeth

Spark

Dudley hugged his tearful mother goodbye at the airport. Even there, she'd tried to convince him not to leave, but his mind was made up.

He was a grown man, and it was time for him to start standing on his own two feet.

The plane seat was uncomfortable, and he shifted restlessly. He tried to take solace from the fact that the flight was a little less than five hours. Since he'd contemplated going to Australia instead, he was even more satisfied with his choice now.

He'd never been able to sleep on planes, so as soon as the place was airborne, he slipped on his headphones and searched through the list of movies before settling.

It was strange, to be without his parents, but it was also freeing. Never before had he flown without his mum fussing beside him or his dad complaining loudly about every tiny detail.

It was a new experience, but one that he was more than ready for.

He stepped off the plane into blistering heat and smiled to himself as he put his sunglasses on. This was going to be brilliant.

…

Egypt was everything the brochures said, and even more than that. Dudley took time to explore the area around the hostel he was staying in before he headed out into the desert to see the Pyramids.

He was about a week into his stay in Egypt, and already his mum had called him seventeen times, asking him about sunscreen and eating and if he was ready to come home yet. More than once, he'd thought about turning his phone off, but he hadn't. Yet.

With a cap on his head to try and keep his face from being burned, he set off with the tour group. It was interesting, of course, but it was only when they got to the Valley of the Kings that Dudley's interest was truly peaked.

Peering around, he couldn't help but think it held a magical quality to it and he suddenly wished that his little cousin was there to tell him if his imagination was on point.

He stayed for so long, he almost missed his tour group moving on.

The next pyramid was smaller and less interesting, so Dudley decided to wait outside. The sun was starting to go down and it wasn't quite so hot, so he allowed himself to enjoy the midnight air. Across the way, talking to a few men with camels, was a red haired man.

He looked oddly familiar, and Dudley frowned when he met the man's eyes. There was something about him that Dudley just… recognised, though he couldn't quite put his finger on what.

As the man stared at him, eyes wide with shock, Dudley felt a spark running along his skin and he frowned. What the fuck was going on?

He took a step forward towards the man, but before he could get any further, the tour group came out of the pyramid and hustled them on.

Dudley couldn't stop himself from looking back repeatedly until the man was out of sight.

…

"Dudders! Oh, my baby, it's so good to see you!"

Dudley submitted to his mum's manhandling, wincing when she squeezed him tightly. On the journey home, he told his parents about the pyramids, about the hostel and about the heat, but he didn't mention the redhead.

The redhead that had filled his mind since their eyes met.

Dudley hadn't seen him again, though he'd taken the same tour the following day in the hopes of running into him.

It was strange. It wasn't the first time he'd been interested in a man, though it was the first time he'd ever felt a connection so suddenly, vividly, intense, from nowhere.

Determined to put the man out of his mind, Dudley threw himself into his new job working security, and spent his time alternating between looking for somewhere of his own to live and spending time with his friends.

He managed well, considering. The problem came at night, because even determination couldn't give him any peace in his dreams.

…

"I can't believe you got married," Dudley said in greeting, when Harry appeared in front of him with a beaming smile on his face. "Bit young to settle down, no?"

Harry shrugged, his smile not even twitching. "She's my soulmate. I love her."

Dudley nodded and looked around the tent. There was evidence of magic everywhere, and while he'd been nervous before he'd arrived, he was utterly enthralled by it all. He'd spent his first hour there peering around at all of the things that shouldn't, couldn't possibly, exist.

"It was a beautiful wedding," he offered, because that was what his mum always said to the bride and groom when they went to weddings in his youth. At home was another story of course, but this time, Dudley actually meant the words.

The love between Harry and Ginny was palpable.

"Thanks, Dud. And, uh, thanks for coming. I know it couldn't have been easy for you, so… thanks."

Dudley nodded and was about to tell Harry that he was enjoying himself when he caught sight of a man across the tent and his mouth fell open.

"Who is that?" he asked, nodding with his head so that Harry could follow his gaze.

"Oh. That's Bill. Ginny's eldest brother."

"I… I've seen him before," Dudley said, unable to tear his eyes away.

He could practically hear the confusion in Harry's voice when he said, "I doubt it, Dud. He's only here for the wedding, he lives in—"

"Egypt," Dudley finished for him, finally turning back to Harry. "I know."

"Holy shit," Harry muttered, glancing between the two of them. "You're the muggle…"

When he didn't finish his sentence, Dudley scowled and poked him none too gently in the side. "I'm the muggle what?"

"Uh. Nothing. I… come on. Let me introduce you."

…

Later, Dudley wouldn't remember their whole conversation. He'd remember the shock on Bill's face when Harry tugged him over. He'd remember the conversation about magical people having soulmates (which, Harry and Ginny were actually soulmates, it wasn't just sappy nonsense like Dudley had thought), and he'd remember the spark when their hands met (Dudley stumbled over a twig and Bill caught him).

Harry took him home to his new flat in a second—and urgh, if that's how magical people always travelled then he was glad he wasn't magical—and he laid out on his bed, not even bothering to rid himself of his suit.

Soulmates?

What?

He wasn't quite sure what he was supposed to do with that. He'd never thought about the prospect of only being able to love one person forever, of having a guarantee that a relationship would actually work.

In the back of his mind, he was already thinking about his parents' reaction and wondering if they'd be more angry that Bill was a man or a wizard, but that was another story entirely, and if he was struggling to deal with it himself then he wasn't even close to being able to tell them about it.

They'd parted with a promise that Bill would write, though if that letter would come by owl or post with many stamps, Dudley had no idea.

Rubbing a hand over his face, Dudley closed his eyes. Would his life ever be simple?

…

Letters began arriving, and to Dudley's relief (and slight disappointment: that envelope had been hilarious) they arrived by standard post with the correct stampage. While Dudley appreciated every one of them, and replied as soon as he could, it just wasn't… it wasn't what he wanted.

Bill was a curse breaker (what?) for the Wizard Bank, which meant he couldn't just up and leave Egypt just because he felt like it, and even Apparition (Dudley thought that Bill was just making words up at this point because wasn't an apparition a ghost?) wasn't doable cross-countries.

As much as Dudley enjoyed the letters, it wasn't… right.

He craved Bill, which was ridiculous, they'd had one conversation and Bill had been fairly certain that the soulmate thing wouldn't overly affect Dudley.

In the end, he lasted three months. It was two months longer than he thought he'd last.

…

"I still don't understand, Duddy! What on earth could there be in Egypt that makes you want to live there?" his mum asked, for the fourth time in the last hour. It was a conversation that had happened a lot in the last few weeks since he'd told his parents he was moving.

Admittedly, he'd expected the questions. It was uncharacteristic of him, and he knew it, but he just… he needed to be where Bill was.

He expected it to blow up in his face, if he was honest with himself, but he had to try.

"I like it there, Mum. I just… want something different in my life. I'm not saying I'll never come back but—"

"We could come with you?" she suggested, and Dudley almost choked on his tongue at the look on his father's face.

"No, Mum. I promise, even if I decide to stay out there for a while, I'll visit at Christmas, okay?"

"Christmas is five months away!" she shrieked, and oh no, now there were tears.

Dudley closed his eyes and pulled her into a hug, feeling his t-shirt shoulder dampen. "Mum, I need to do this. Be happy for me, please?"

She pulled back and he looked into her blue eyes, begging her to be happy for him. He didn't want her to worry, though he knew she would, but he'd hate to think of her being sad all of the time simply because he wasn't there.

"You really feel like you need to do this?" she asked, her usually sharp voice oddly soft.

"I really do, Mum."

…

They watched the sunrise together over the desert. Bill had taken him to the top of the Valley of the Kings, and they sat side by side, their pinkies linked together.

Dudley leant his head against Bill's shoulder.

It was perfect.

Written for:

Convince Me Competition - DudleyBill

Showtime - 1. Relocating to a new home.

Pop Figures - Agent Coulson - 1. Sunglasses / 3. Security /4. Blue

Mythology - 10. Beautiful

North Funfair - Photo Booth - Mad Tea Party Theme, 4. Wonderland Background - Nonsense

East Funfair - Petting Zoo - Bowtruckle - Twig / Peace / Sharp

South Funfair - Guess The Name - Bill - A Curse Breaker

365. 274. Sunrise