Disclaimer - I own nothing you recognise.

Challenges listed at the bottom.

Word Count - 393

Written for Romance Awareness, Day 28. Touching your soulmate accelerates healing of physical injuries / Extra: 37. Genre: Hurt/Comfort.

Warning - alcohol abuse and an offscreen overdose.

Don't Touch Me

Harry reached out for George, only to have him flinch away.

"Don't," he begged. "Don't touch me."

Thinking fast, Harry sunk down the wall until he was sitting beside his soulmate. "What's going on, sweetheart?"

"I deserve this pain, Harry," George whispered, tears falling down his cheeks. He was clearly intoxicated and it made Harry's heart hurt to know how much pain he must be in. "I deserve it. I made Percy—"

"You didn't," Harry interrupted firmly. "Nobody forced Percy to do anything and nobody else blames you. Doing this, punishing yourself, isn't going to help anything."

Harry had never been so thankful for Molly in his life. She'd sent him a patronus earlier that day to let him know that Percy was in the hospital after an overdose and that George hadn't taken the news well. Looking at his soulmate now, Harry couldn't help but think that was an understatement.

"I didn't do it on purpose," George promised. Apparently, Harry's worry was obvious even despite the alcohol. "I dro-dropped the bottle and tried to clean i-it up."

His breathing was hitching as he worked himself up, and Harry closed his eyes for a minute. "How about you let me help you to bed, and then I'll clean it up, okay?"

George looked at the glass around him and nodded. Harry pulled him to his feet and helped him up the stairs to their bedroom. He undressed George and spelled the dried blood away from the cuts on his hands. Carefully, he helped George lay down, and then he placed his hand on George's cheek, caressing the slightly rosy skin.

The soulmate bond between them activated immediately, and the cuts on George's hands started healing.

"I'm sorry," George whispered. He was still crying, but silently now, tears just sliding down the sides of his face into his hair. "I'm so sorry. You deserve better than this. I'm such a mess."

"You're a mess," Harry agreed. "But you're my mess. You're not alone, sweetheart."

He stayed with George until he fell asleep and then got up and headed back down the stairs to clean up the alcohol and glass.

Tomorrow, he'd take George to see Percy at the hospital if he was allowed visitors. It was going to be a hard few weeks, Harry knew but George was worth it.

He was worth everything.