Chapter 15: Beautiful Blindness

They had lived at the manor peacefully as a couple for about a month now and Dudley had never been better. As strange as it sounded he found himself settling down, it was his first relationship, his first anything really and he was already thinking about how he would be more than okay with living the rest of his life right there by Draco´s side.

He chuckled for himself thinking how crazy it was that they had already become so open and natural around each other, Draco´s icy exterior had melted in front of Dudley´s eyes over the last few weeks and what was underneath was someone that Dudley found himself ready to fall in love with.

They had even started to become quite domestic, people would probably think they had been together for far longer than they actually had. To Dudley it felt like they had known each other forever at the same time as his heart started to pound every time he saw Draco as if it was for the first time all over again.

He hummed to himself as he was walking down the stairs to go out into the gardens, Draco had told him he had a surprise for him. It was in the end of June and the sun was shining over the green landscape surrounding the manor. Dudley loved summer, the light was making him feel so much brighter and less gloomy. Draco had the same effect on him he pondered while opening the big glass doors and was met with bird twitter.

The gardens was one of his favorite places around the manor, the fragrance and the colors making it seem like it was hope in the world, the flowers stood for life and that the good had bested the evil. Draco had told him how deserted the gardens had been under the war, how the whole manor had seemed to be bathed in a veil of death and sorrow. Dudley associated the manor with happy memories and life changing decisions and had therefor a hard time seeing the place he now called home in a bad light.

A butterfly flew past him and landed on the tulip that was just in front of Dudley, he smiled. He was like a butterfly, he had been in a cocoon for all the years leading up to this spring, now he had gained the confidence and the support he needed to show his true colors and spread his wings, learning to fly for the first time. He was learning to live as himself and to be proud for who and what he was, what made him himself.

He stroked his fingers over the petals and the butterfly flew away. If Dudley knew Draco he would find him in the rose garden. Draco loved things with a deeper meaning and he saw roses as beautiful but deceiving just as he was. And Dudley had to agree, if he was a butterfly, Draco was a rose. He was both beautiful and delicate but he could also be dangerous, had hard edges just like the thorns on the stalk of a rose. The thorns of the rose was Draco´s masks and Dudley was one of few if not the only one that had had the pleasure to see behind that, to have the opportunity to get to the beautiful flower underneath and see it blossom.

He smiled before turning on the track and heading into the rose garden where he stopped in his tracks. The butterfly from earlier was not the only one, in the garden there was a butterfly sitting on every rose, Dudley was stunned he could not believe how thoughtful Draco had been.

In the middle of the garden was Draco looking more like an angel than ever before and the smile he sported was even more breathtaking than the ones in his dreams where Draco had been starring the main role for a while now.

"What´s all this?" he felt like he had to do something to break the tension he felt was rising "you´re not proposing are you?" He grinned when Draco scowled in response, now that was more the bloke he knew.

"Don´t be ridiculous, I just thought…" it seemed like Draco was surprised over the lengths he had gone himself, he was not the most emotional and expressive person after all. "We have been together for a while now and I feel like we are ready to take things to the next level" here he smirked confidently but Dudley could easily see through it and knew that Draco was nervous, it was very cute, he found more reasons to fall in love with him by the minute.

"It doesn´t mean anything, I just thought you would want something special, I don´t really care just for your information" Dudley´s smile grew until he was beaming. Draco was much more compassionate and aware of other people's emotions than you would first imagine, he cared more then he wanted anyone to know, more then he himself probably knew.

He erased the distance between them and looped his arms around his neck, "it´s perfect, you are much kinder" he leaned in for a kiss "romantic" he nuzzled Draco´s neck before taking in a deep breath through his nose "cuter" a nip to his pulse point "then you let on, it´s one of the things I like so much about you."

Draco was licking and nibbling on his ear but stopped when his words was registering in his mind, Dudley sniggered, he knew Draco would get riled up by his comments however true they were, it was so much fun to tease him.

He was glaring at Dudley "I am not and will never be either cute or romantic that is for Hufflepuffs" here he sneered to Dudley´s amusement. Draco smirked then before he started to tickle him making Dudley start to laugh, he was able to slither his way out of Draco´s arms however and sprinted around the fountain in the end of the rose garden.

Draco was chasing him and he felt such a thrill, this was what life was supposed to be all about, this was what a relationship was supposed to be about, it was all about love.

Just then he felt himself being lifted into the air and turned upside down. He made a squealy sound and was met with Draco´s triumphant face only a second later. Being a muggle was hard sometimes "tease" he said to Draco and pouted.

Draco just laughed and smiled satisfied "that is what you get for being a cheeky little bugger" he moved his wand and Dudley was grateful to be turned around again, his head had started to feel heavy.

He couldn't help but respond to that with "interesting, I am the bugger am I, do this mean I will be the one doing the buggering?" he really had spent too much time with Draco if he had started to make crude comments. It was so much fun bantering though, to be able to match his wit was such a thrill. He had learned from the best after all.

Draco looked surprised at first before rising his left eyebrow and giving an impressed and satisfied little smile "we will see about that" the expression on his face changed and an almost predatory gleam arose in his eyes "in the meanwhile I like to show you how not kind and nice I can be."

Dudley felt himself shiver and beginning to become aroused, this was it, he would lose his virginity today being dominated by Draco and that aspect was making him more excited than he wanted to admit.

They had done some experimenting through the weeks leading up to this, they had seen each other naked and got each other off, it had all just happened and he could not be more grateful for how easy it was to experience all these firsts with Draco. He was ready and it felt right, he had thought he would never even have the opportunity to be a sexual being, not counting having to provide his parents with grandchildren that is, the thought of bedding a girl made him feel ill.

Draco brought him back from his thoughts by tackling him to the ground, his breath being knocked out of him in the process. Draco was laying atop of him smirking, he was murmuring some words and before Dudley knew it they were both naked.

The grass was tickling his backside and it was surprisingly more arousing than annoying. His surroundings was soon forgotten all together though when Draco leaned in and whispered in his ear "you are ready for this, right?" Dudley could not even begin to try to express himself with words so he just nodded.

"I need you to say it" once again he was remembered of the fact that Draco cared, he put Dudley´s feelings and wishes before his own gratification, he was the boyfriend he had not even dared dreaming about. He was compassionate at the same time as he took control giving Dudley just what he wanted and needed.

Draco being Draco though was not the most patient so when Dudley didn´t answer directly he sneaked his hand down and squeezed around Dudley´s manhood and lifted an eyebrow in question.

He gave out an embarrassing little whine in surprise before trashing a bit "yeees." Draco only smirked and lowered himself back down grating their hips together "yes, what?" he licked a long line between Dudley´s ear and along his jawline.

The friction was there but just on the verge to too little, he needed more but didn´t know how to ask. Draco was a master at getting him to be rendered a mess without even needing to try.

"Yes, I´m… Ahhh I´m ready" he squeaked out between groans. Draco just lifted the other eyebrow so that it joined the first before he took the hand around his shaft and moved it to his arse before giving it a squeeze.

This was torture but he loved it and Draco knew it all too well. "Ready for what?" he asked next with a lowered voice that made something in Dudley snap, he needed more dammit.

"You… Ugh I´m ready for… You, for you to stick it up my arse" he had joked about doing the buggering but what he wanted was to be owned but still free, he wanted Draco to dominate him at his terms, he wanted to give himself over to someone completely.

When Draco kept looking at him he bit his lip before giving Draco what he was sure the other bloke wanted. "Please… Fuck me Draco."

The begging did the trick, Draco responded with a little moan of his own and with a snicker that went directly to his already extremely hard prick went downwards to prepare him for what was to come.

The next half an hour or so he was in a total daze, the magical preparation spells had been a blessing. He was so grateful to Draco for how he had made it possible for Dudley to let go completely, for him to give up all control and trust the other boy fully.

He was never again not letting himself have this, the feeling of being completely connected to another human being, to be on the same level and be a part of something bigger then himself.

They were holding a steady pace, Draco was caressing one of his thighs with one hand and nibbling at his neck. Dudley had located his other hand and had interlaced their fingers. A fire was burning in the pit of his stomach and a pleasure he had never felt before was coming from within him where Draco was hitting with every each thrust.

When Draco lifted his head their eyes met, possessive and emotional melted silver meeting astonished and overwhelmed ocean blue, he arched his back and his vison went white, he could not have asked for a better first time.

When he opened his eyes again after his black out Draco was lying beside him with his head resting on one hand, he was looking down at Dudley grinning.

"I was that great was I, leaving you coming undone like that" he had a feeling he was not going to get to live this down. He grinned back anyway not caring. His first time may not have been traditional but it had been them doing what felt right. They had not just shagged, he was now 100 % sure over that he was in love with Draco.

He knew what he had to do, he wanted to do it but was afraid of what kind of response he would get. He was afraid of being rejected, of him having interpreted the situation for something it wasn´t. For his feelings to not being reciprocated and for him to be left with a broken heart.

He had a good feeling about it though, how could he not? The glances he received from Draco, the small gestures of how much Draco cared about him, the interactions they shared where they didn´t need to talk just knowing what the other was feeling at the moment and how to make each other feel better was just a few things that made him feel reassured. He was confident in that they were in this together but was still insecure, his self-doubt would not disappear overnight.

He sighed, love was straight forward and easy but at the same time it was not because it was both complex and complicated.

"A galleon for your thoughts" Draco asked then suddenly, this could be the perfect end of the perfect afternoon, a kind of afternoon Dudley wanted to relive over and over for the rest of his life.

He rolled over to his side so that they were face to face and after looking their eyes together he swallowed "Dray… I, I love you." He closed his eyes and held his breath for a few seconds when nothing happened he cracked one eye open and looked at Draco.

Draco´s face was blank, he just stared at him not close to either saying it back or outright reject him. He had been smiling but it was slowly floating away to Dudley´s despair. The hopeful feeling he had had disappeared and he felt like he had just been stabbed in the heart.

It looked like he had been wrong after all, Draco didn´t love him back and he was just about to break it to him, he was frowning probably thinking of the least harsh way to reject him. He had thought and hoped that they had both been in this relationship for the long run but maybe to Draco he was just someone to get the time to pass by in the wait for someone better.

He could not stomach to hear what Draco had to say because it was obvious from his expression it was nothing he would want to hear. He tried to smile but felt how fake it was, he searched for something to say and settled on "It´s okay right, okay to call you Dray?"

Draco seemed to let out a breath in relief and it looked like he was going to pretend Dudley had not even confessed his love for him. He laughed, it sounding just a little strained "sure, just never call me Drakey" here he shuddered before shaking his head "there was this girl Pansy at Hogwarts that called me that, she was horribly clingy" he chuckled a little before adding "girls, what a nightmare."

Dudley´s smile did became more genuine and he nodded "I had a girl like that too, Tracy, she so desperately wanted to be my girlfriend it was terrifying."

They laid there for a while talking and the easy feeling did come back but there was something in the back of Dudley´s mind telling him nothing was the same. They wanted different things, he may not have been rejected but only because he didn´t let it happen. He had somewhere known it had been inevitable nothing good that ever happened to him lasted.

There was this little hope though that he was holding on to, maybe Draco just wasn´t ready to express his feelings, he just needed to give him a little time. Draco would see what he was seeing, that they did love each other and was destined to guide each other through what life had to offer.

HAPPY THANKSGIVING!

Because of thanksgiving and because you´re all awesome I wanted to thank you for reading what my crazy mind comes up with. I am very grateful for the 4 people that have reviewed and I´m glad you have enjoyed the story so far. To other people reading this story I hope you are enjoying it too. I´m also thankful for all kinds of love, we are capable to achieve so much just by loving others, never stop and keep spreading love all around you. We are all worth to be loved.

Rainbow colored kisses

/Erica