Chapter 4: 14th December 2021

Draco's hands were shoved deep in his pockets as the thick wet snowflakes fell from the sky, glowing in the moonlight and the Christmas lights in the shops surrounding him. The cold wind blowing in the street should have burned against his cheeks, but instead he just felt numb.

Despite the bustle of the people around him, Draco didn't move, not even when a passerby would knock into him. His eyes were locked on one spot in the middle of the street, the place where on this exact day fifteen years earlier he'd watched the love of his life parish.

Astoria.

She had been everything he was not. She had a light in her that warded off the darkness that lived inside him. Without Astoria, it had been unbearable to live. Well, it had been until Theo had come back into his life. First with seeking his aid in finding a missing Potter, which Draco had failed at. Even though Draco had sworn he would bring the missing husband and father home, Theo never held it against him when he didn't.

With the failure weighing on him, Draco had fallen into a depression much like the one that had nearly taken his life after Astoria's passing. Though instead it had been brought on when he'd failed in helping his friend, and knew that Theo was living with a similar heartache that he did.

And then Granger had thrown Theo out, and feelings of longing that had laid dormant in Draco for so long had come to life again.

All up until he'd found those fucking bottles hidden in his home.

"Knut for your thoughts?"

"That you're a fucking prick." Draco answered, not looking towards his friend that he hadn't seen since the night he'd stormed Granger's place over a month ago. "What are you doing here?"

"Thought you could use a friend, rough day and all. Didn't want you to be alone," Draco finally looked towards Theo, raising a brow.

The man looked like fucking shit. Dark circles under his eyes as if he hadn't been sleeping, his normally perfectly pressed clothes were wrinkled and stained, and he looked as if he hadn't had a proper meal in weeks.

"You've been living rough days," Draco replied instead of acknowledging what he'd said.

Though the fact that Theo had remembered the anniversary of Astoria's death was a bit of a shock. No one, not his mother, not his friends – not even her parents. No one had even mentioned her since a year after her passing. Everyone had just expected him to move on and move past her loss, but he couldn't. If he did, it was as if he were forgetting that she'd ever existed. And a world where Astoria had never been real, well, it wasn't one he wanted to be a part of.

"Yeah, well, this guy I was seeing tossed me out on my arse. My own fault really, had a good thing going with him and couldn't help but fuck it up." Draco's eyes were locked on where he'd watched in horror as his fiancée took her last breath, but he was hanging on Theo's every word.

"A good thing, huh?" Draco could feel Theo's warmth as the other man moved closer to him. The urge to lean in and accept the comfort that the other wizard was offering was so tempting, but Draco held back. Theo's blatant disregard for Draco's feelings around alcohol had cut him deeper than he cared to admit.

"I've been doing a bit of soul searching."

"In a bottle?" Draco interjected, unable to help himself. Theo knew that a drunk driver had been responsible, and still Theo had brought alcohol into his home. The place where Draco could barricade himself away from reality.

When Theo didn't respond, Draco took his silence as a yes. There was no denying it, and yet Draco almost wished that Theo had at least tried to. Then instead of being grateful for his presence here, he could be pissed off.

"What do you want, Theo?" Draco asked, finally turning and fully facing the brunette. His heart beat had begun picking up and Draco's breath was catching.

"Let me help you through today," Theo stepped towards him, reaching a hand out towards Draco, but pulling it away at the last moment. "I…I didn't want you to be alone. Not today, not any day."

The wet snow was falling even harder now, making it feel as if they were the only two people in the world. The view of the street and the shops was blocked now, putting the pair in a vortex that was just their own. Even if that hadn't been the case, Draco only had eyes for Theo. His Theo. His stupidly considerate Theo.

The weight of the day was heavy, and it had for so long been something that only he carried. Yet, when Draco looked into the blue eyes that held so much comfort for him, it felt as if some was lifted.

How he wished to unload onto the man that had sought him out when no others had. Draco was tired, and there was nothing else that he craved than what Theo was offering.

When Theo reached out again – this time not pulling back and taking Draco's hand – Draco caved and accepted what was being given so freely to him. Gripping their hands together, Draco spun in a whirl of snow and the two of them disapparated, landing in Draco's bedroom.

Their emotions were raw as they tore at each other's clothes. The coats they wore were thrown carelessly about, the melting snow wetting the floor around them. Buttons were flying, cotton was torn, their teeth were clanking, but neither stopped. They were both starved, and their desperation for one another showed in their actions.

Draco backed Theo towards the bed, until the back of his knees made contact with the mattress – causing him to topple onto the plush pillow top. With Theo splayed out in front of him on the silk sheets, Draco took a moment to marvel at the beautiful sight Theo made before him. He'd never been with another man before, truthfully, it'd never even crossed his mind until recently.

Gazing down at Theo's body, Draco felt hunger at all the hard edges and muscles that he could see. His olive skin was marred with scars from his childhood and tattoos from his adolescence. Theo's pink nipples were pointed straight up, begging for attention that Draco was happily going to give them.

"You're beautiful," Theo whispered, his eyes blown with lust as he took in heavy breaths.

Draco leaned forwards, capturing Theo's mouth in response, leaving the rest unspoken between them. There was nothing else tonight, but to feel things that Draco had denied himself for so long. He worked his way down, following the trail of Theo's muscles, until he was at his pecs, licking slow lazy circles around the nipples that he'd been admiring. Theo's moans motivated him to continue his treatment of the wizard, happily obliging by giving more.

Loving Theo, Draco realised, was as easy as breathing. He was a constant, who while unreliable at times, still always showed up when it mattered the most. His love was silent and helpful. He noticed the small details that others needed, taking care of things that no one else noticed.

Draco continued to work his way down, until he was at Theo's prick. It was hard and standing straight up, weeping at the tip begging for attention. Draco licked his lips and glanced up to Theo, who was watching him intently. Slowly, teasing the other man with every movement, Draco slid his tongue up the shaft, enjoying the way Theo's hips jerked and he moaned in pleasure.

He smirked against Theo's cock before closing his lips around his wizard, enjoying the slightly salty taste of him on his lips. It wasn't nearly as unpleasant as Draco would have thought it was going to be, drinking down the small bit of pre-cum he'd gotten. Bobbing his head up and down a few times, it took him a bit to adjust to the feeling of giving head instead of receiving. However, Draco knew how he liked it, and he imitated what felt good to him on Theo and was rewarded with a symphony of sounds coming from the man.

"Draco, please, take me. I'm begging," Theo cried out, wiggling in Draco's hold.

Pulling off and sitting back on his knees, Draco looked down at Theo. He was sweating and panting and his eyes were hooded with need. He looked so stunning like this that Draco wanted to keep this mental image for all of eternity.

"I don't have any lube…" Draco trailed off, realising that he was ill prepared for this. He hadn't even considered seeing Theo today, much less…

"Just think about lube and wave your bloody wand. It'll work, I promise," Theo encouraged, laying his head back and swallowing hard. "I need you, I swear to Merlin that I need you more than I need my next breath."

Spurred on by Theo's proclamation, Draco looked on the ground, spotting his wand and quickly moved to retrieve it. Doing just as Theo had instructed, Draco was pleased when the spell worked on his first try. It wasn't that he doubted his abilities as a wizard, but he typically wasn't so…stimulated…when trying new things.

"You'll have to get me ready, it's been a while," Theo instructed, and Draco understood what he meant. Using a single finger, Draco penetrated Theo. The tightness around his finger caused his cock to twitch, aching to feel Theo squeezing him instead. Fuck, it had been a while for him too.

Slowly, Draco continued to work Theo, until the both of them were so ready and edged that when Draco slid inside they both nearly came. Draco gazed down at Theo, watching him stroke his slightly softened cock while Draco pumped his hips. They were in a steady rhythm and in such sync with one another that it felt as if they were connected on a deeper level. It wasn't just sex, it was so much more for both of them.

"I'm going to cum," Theo moaned out, his eyes closed with his head thrown back. "Fuck, please Draco. I need you to fill me. I need to feel you pumping inside me," Theo begged.

The small amount of restraint that Draco had been holding onto snapped, and he fucked Theo with everything left. His muscles were screaming at him, but Draco didn't stop. He couldn't, Theo continued to pump himself in his fist, speeding up his pace to keep up with Draco and when the spurts of white began to coat his hand, Draco lost himself.

Spilling his seed into Theo, Draco held perfectly still, not remembering the last time he'd had such a powerful orgasm. With Astoria, he'd been so young and inexperienced that they were still exploring and finding what made them thrum. With Theo, Draco had felt powerful and in control, knowing exactly what to do to make the experience memorable for the both of them. The contrast wasn't lost on him, but Draco refused to dwell on those thoughts.

With his body sweat covered and spent, Draco pulled himself from Theo and laid beside him, pulling the brunette into his arms. They laid like that for a few beats, Draco enjoying the rise and fall of Theo's chest. Reassurance that this wasn't just a fantasy.

"You have to go to rehab," Draco whispered, not knowing why he'd said it, despite it being the truth.

In all his time as Theo's friend, he'd tried his best to keep his opinions to himself, yet here he was. Though the things they'd just done were a bit more than friendly, Draco wondered if it was even his place to say such a thing.

When Theo didn't respond, Draco worried that he might have said too much, but the words were already out there and he couldn't take them back. Instead he gripped the man tighter, wanting him to know that he was coming from a place of love and concern. Not someone who was trying to control him.

Draco had almost begun to wonder if Theo had fallen asleep, with it having been quiet for so long, but then Theo turned in his arms so that they were face to face.

"I know…I– I also wanted to go to therapy with Hermione. She came by the office a few weeks ago, told me you found the well– anyway, she came by. We talked for a bit. I think it might be good for both of us to meet with someone, someone who doesn't know us or our backgrounds."

"I'm proud of you," Draco whispered into the dark. His heart was racing in his chest even though he meant what he said. If Theo was wanting to work things out with Hermione, who was he to stop them? They'd been together over twenty years and had four children together. What was he in comparison to that?

Not only that, but Draco had seen the way Hermione looked when she spoke about Theo. Even if she had asked for Theo to leave he knew that she still loved him and she knew it too.

The thing was…where did that leave Draco?