In Some Other Existence

The previous prompt but from Seamus' perspective since that's how Sparrowsace imagined it (also I think we can all see that I'm a sucker for Dean putting his hands on Seamus, examples one and two being chapters seven and eight)

Originally posted July 23, 2015, on tumblr

9: Sunscreen - Seamus

Seamus stood grumpily under the shade of the tree as he slapped sunscreen on his chest. There was just no way he could take the chance of getting sunburnt, first of all because Hermione gave a speech about skin cancer every time she saw someone sunburnt, and also because he was pretty sure his mam would find out somehow and either write him a howler or appear at the school herself.

He squished some more of the hated substance onto his hand and then tried reaching his back, straining with his pointy elbows sticking into the air.

"Oi, I think I the castle has a new ghost!" he heard Dean call.

Seamus scowled at Dean. To be fair, Seamus was incredibly pale. Being in the sun somehow made his skin look even paler, and he practically glowed when he stood in the sunshine. He heard the trio laughing and then heard a splash and a shriek, meaning that Ron and Harry had succeeded in getting Hermione's hair wet.

"Ye gon' to keep laughing or are ye gon' to help?" Seamus asked him, using one arm to try to force the other farther down his back, then realized what he'd just asked and what the result would be if Dean complied.

He blushed at the thought of Dean's hands on his back, but didn't have much time to think about it since Dean was now jogging over to him.

"Here," Seamus mumbled, turning around so Dean wouldn't see his blush.

He twiddled his thumbs, waiting, and he heard Dean flip the cap of the bottle open. Then, he felt Dean's fingers swipe some onto his shoulders, and then…nothing? Was Dean embarrassed to have to touch Seamus' back? Was this too intimate for them or something?

Seamus turned his head to look at Dean, but what he saw wasn't disgust or discomfort, but nervousness.

"Ye have to rub it in, mate," Seamus said teasingly.

"I-I know. I was just marveling at how translucent you are is all," Dean retorted, but Seamus could see through him. He was definitely nervous.

Still, Seamus laughed and turned his head back. "Shut up and keep going."

Dean used the palms of his hands spread it over Seamus' shoulders, then squeezed more out and went over Seamus' back, but he was still being nervous about it. He wasn't so much rubbing it in as he was just brushing it over his body.

Seamus felt Dean's hands still as they approached his lower back, and despite the butterflies emerging in his stomach, he said, "Quite being so hesitant. Just rub it in."

He waited, wondering if Dean would actually do it or if he'd pass the job on to Lavender or Parvati. But then he felt Dean's hands press into his back and Seamus' breath caught in his throat. He felt Dean's fingers - his long, thin artist's fingers - press and pull across his skin. He'd seen Dean's fingers in action before, holding quills as he sketched, finger painting on a canvas, smudging lines in a drawing, and he wondered if Dean was subconsciously pressing designs into Seamus' back as his fingers traveled over his skin.

Dean was working on his lower back now, and he suppressed a gasp as Dean's thumbs dipped under the hem of his swim shorts and rubbed along the skin there. Dean's hands then disappeared, then reappeared on Seamus' hips. They dragged forward across the skin, tickling his belly some, and then they were in a half-embrace and Seamus' heart was beating out of his chest.

He'd realized his feelings for Dean at the Quidditch World Cup last year, when, after Ireland won, his first instinct was to grab Dean's face and kiss the bloody hell out of him. Needless to say, he resisted and simply hugged the bloody hell out of Dean instead, but that left him with a pretty clear indication of where his true feelings lie.

But he'd always been doubtful of whether Dean could ever feel the same. Dean talked about how gorgeous Fleur was, or how Parvati and Padma were the prettiest girls in their year. He'd expressed some interest in Ginny once, but that never came to fruition. But now, with Dean's hands roaming up his sides, pressing into the gaps between his ribs, Seamus was pretty confident Dean felt the same - or at least could in the future.

Dean was now rubbing sunscreen into his shoulders again, and even though he'd now gotten everywhere that Seamus hadn't been able to reach, he didn't tell Dean to stop. He didn't ever want to have Dean stop touching him like this. Dean's fingers traveled up Seamus' neck and tickled the hairs at the base of his neck, then stroked down his arms.

If things continued like this much longer, Seamus would be sporting a stiffy. So he tried to think of things like McGonagall's underwear or the giant squid, but he couldn't focus on anything other than Dean's hands on his skin.

Dean stepped closer and Seamus leaned back a little so his shoulders were resting on Dean's chest. He felt Dean's breath on his shoulder as his hands went up and down Seamus' arms. There wasn't even any sunscreen on them now, he was just touching him.

Seamus turned his head a bit, looking into Dean's eyes. He could kiss him, Seamus thought. He could kiss Dean right here right now, and maybe Dean would reciprocate, maybe they would hold hands as they went into the lake, maybe they would spend the summer -

"Say, Lavender, how much sunscreen do white people really need?" Parvati's voice cut through the air, slicing their perfect bubble as they hurriedly took a couple steps apart, Dean's hands falling from Seamus' shoulders.

Lavender looked over and laughed, and Seamus wondered yet again why he was friends with her, the traitor. "Not that much, that's for sure. Although Seamus is really pale."

"Shut up," he mumbled, rubbing his neck as he felt his face heat up.

"Oh, looks like you missed your face," Parvati exclaimed. "Your cheeks are already red!"

Seamus groaned with frustration - he'd been so close to Dean and they had to ruin it - and instinctively grabbed Dean's hand and began dragging him over to the lake. Dean caught up to his side in just a few strides, but as an experiment Seamus didn't let go of his hand, and Dean didn't bother to pull away. Seamus felt a little hope bloom in his chest.

They stopped at the edge of the water, still hand in hand, and Seamus turned his head to look up at Dean. The sun was just behind Dean's head, so it was a little hard to look at him, but it illuminated his curly hair and made his eyes sparkle. Seamus really hoped that Dean felt the same way as he did. He didn't know what he would do if Dean rejected him, if these feelings ruined their friendship.

But then Dean smiled at him and shifted his hands so their fingers were now interlaced, and Seamus felt almost like crying. And just as he was about to open his mouth to say something, to ask if this was real, Ron and Harry let out great roars of excitement and suddenly they were being pelted with water blasts and knocked over into the water.

Oh well. He'd talk to Dean later. Now was the time for revenge.