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Word Count: 471


Murder or Maiming


Harry stared at the flowers for a long moment and then tilted his head. "Who did you murder?"

"What makes you think I murdered anyone?" Tom asked, an amused smile on his face as he arched his eyebrow.

"You normally only fetch me flowers when you've murdered or maimed someone."

"Maybe I thought you just deserved a reward for being so good to me," Tom suggested. Harry arched his eyebrow, but accepted the flowers, burying his nose in them for a long moment.

"Get me a vase please," he requested, smiling slightly at Tom.

Together, they got the flowers arranged in the vase, and Harry set it on the mantle in the living room.

"I'm making lasagna for dinner," he said, when Tom followed him back into the kitchen, where he'd already started cooking. Tom wrapped his arms around Harry from the back and dropped his head to rest it on Harry's shoulder.

"I love your lasagna."

"I know," Harry agreed. He turned his head to press a kiss to Tom's cheek. "So really, who did you murder?"

"No murder," Tom replied. "Not today. I promise."

"Maiming?"

There was a pause. "Perhaps a little maiming."

"Who got maimed?"

Tom scowled. "Rodolphus. He was being, ah, flighty with the protection of the most important thing in my life."

Harry blinked. "I thought I was the most important thing in your life and I thought Severus was in charge of my protection."

"You are, he is, but he's also on holiday, so Rodolphus was put in charge of your protection, and instead of actually paying attention to the work, he was found in the broom cupboard with Bellatrix."

Harry grimaced. "Ew." Then he thought about it. "I guess at least if she's pawing him, she'll leave you alone. I don't like the way she looks at you."

"Baby, I'm your man and everybody knows it," Tom replied, pressing a kiss to Harry's throat.

Harry gave an accepting hum and shifted in Tom's arms to start chopping the onion.

"I'm going to go and get in the shower," Tom said, leaning back a little. "Come with me?"

"The lasagna ain't gonna cook itself, Tom," Harry replied, smiling. "So how about you go and do the paperwork I know you've got while I finish cooking, and then have a shower with me after dinner?"

Tom nodded. "Hmm, counter offer. I'll do the paperwork, we have a shower while the lasagna is in the oven, and we can watch a movie after we eat?"

"I don't think we've ever made it through a whole movie," Harry mused. "Maybe if we have sex before the movie, we'll actually get to see the end of one."

Tom snorted. "Not likely."

The shower was wonderful.

The lasagna delicious.

And they still didn't see the end of a movie.


Written For:

Games Corner: 11. Cooking

Showtime: 6. Romance

Trope of the Month: 21. Giving someone flowers.

Ari's AU Armoury: 19. Protection

Limited Edition: Young Adult: Hunger Games: Protection

Valentines or Palentines: Day 4: OTP: Murder (word)

365: 222. Reward

Musical Yearly: 85. Cheesy: I'm Your Man: Baby, I'm your man

Insane House: 303. Lasagna