The apartment was small. Much too small for two people with completely different lives. One bedroom with one bed was definitely not enough, especially since Scorpius was dating. And fucking. And the sofa they found on a street corner felt like sleeping on bags of dried lawn clippings.

But it was all they could afford. Or, more realistically, all Scorpius could afford. He received a small stipend from his father every month while training to be a Healer and it was barely enough to cover rent on their shoebox as well as a survivable about of groceries. Albus, on the other hand, didn't have the courage to ask his parents for money. He thought he was above that. Even if getting a job in the Muggle world was harder than he had thought it would be.

Even with all the problems, though, Albus found he wouldn't trade this cramped space for anything. Not when the nights Scorpius came home alone allowed him to be close with his friend again. He could handle the arrangement they'd designed. If Scorpius didn't bring a date back to the apartment, they could share the one bed. They'd been sharing beds since they were eleven. It was one of the easier intimacies still left in their friendship.

The bed he shared with Scorpius was Albus' quiet and personal safe place. It was a place where he could dream about a life they used to have and no one, not even Scorpius, had to know. They'd fixed things between them. The awkward past was behind them. They were moving on. Albus still, of course, held out hope of a continued romance in the future. For now, though, just being as close as friends could be would work.

Most mornings, Albus woke in that bed alone. Scorpius was up early to study, which gave Albus the freedom to take care of the aftermath from his Scorpius-filled dreams in peace. Something he'd found to be able somehow refresh him for the day. It gave him a chance to let out all of his pent up sexual tension before continuing through another day with the man.

"Morning."

Per usual, Scorpius was up and ready for the day before Albus had even thought to try. He looked very put together in his soft blue robes, his blond hair tied back and smelling of lingering shampoo. Not per his usual, however, his shoulders tensed when Albus greeted him with a soft kiss to the cheek. His hands stilled in the dishwater before he resumed his scrubbing at a more vigorous pace. "I'm going to be late," he hissed, practically slamming a freshly rinsed bowl on the counter.

Albus stepped back cautiously. "Sorry…. Anything I can do to help?"

"Get a fucking job?" Albus winced at the venom in Scorpius' voice, wishing he'd stayed in bed just a bit longer. "Or at least do the damn dishes while you're home all damn day doing nothing? All of the bowls are dirty, so I have to wash them so I can eat a damn bowl of cereal before going to my damn internship. Which I will now be late for. Thanks to you."

Albus had no defense. He had no arguments or reasons why he didn't do the dishes. It was probably best to stay silent anyway. Bearing that in mind, he quickly dried the bowl for Scorpius before pouring him breakfast and pressing it into his chest. "I'll do better. I promise. But…is this really about the dishes?"

Sighing heavily, Scorpius dried his hands and snatched the bowl away. In between shoveled bites, he managed to mutter, "Paul broke up with me last night."

For the last few weeks, Scorpius had been dating a man from his internship. One of the Healers in charge of his education. Or, more like, shagging him. They hadn't gone on a single date, as far as Albus knew. It was a relationship Albus had warned him from the beginning would only end in trouble. And now that it had, he couldn't help but to feel a sick nag of satisfaction from it. "I told you not to date your instructor…."

"Yeah, I know." Scorpius' sigh was heavy, carrying the full weight of his internalized emotions. "And I didn't listen. And now I have to listen to him talk about diagnosing patients today when all I can think about is how he told me we couldn't fuck anymore while his dick was still in my mouth."

Trying hard not to wince at the imagery, Albus wrapped his arms around Scorpius' waist. Nuzzling in close and peppering gentle kisses down the bared length of his friend's neck. "How about you stay home today? Hm? We could make a fort with the blankets like we used to. Camp out with some junk food…read the advice column from the Prophet and make up our own answers…take a nap listening to that croony boy band you like. We can make you forget all about Doctor Douchebag. Alright?"

Just for a moment, Scorpius looked like he was going to cave. He gave a small, half-smile, but it disappeared a second later as he pulled out of Albus' hold. "As nice as that sounds…we're adults now, Al. I have to go. If I don't pass training, I don't get a job. And we can't leach of my father for forever." Abandoning the rest of his breakfast, Scorpius pushed up off the counter and made for his book bag. "Maybe we can do, like…one of those things tonight, okay?" Scorpius doubled back with a near-wincing smile and pressed his lips to Albus' forehead. "Please go out and put some more applications in today. And maybe finish the dishes? I'll see you when I get home."

Albus watched Scorpius go, feeling an instant emptiness in his presence. "Bye…," he whispered to the empty apartment before sighing and plunging his hands into the dishwater.