( he stops fighting after a minute, resigning himself to his fate. hopefully no one he knows will see him — he's really not sure his pride could take it.
the state of his apartment is sorry and depressing, but it's not entirely unfamiliar. harry briefly wonders if this is all jin ling had seen, the first time he came over to spend time with him — empty take out boxes detailing nights alone, an apartment unlived in for fear of setting down roots. sleepless nights. harry is almost impressed at how good mingyu is as seeming well put together — harry knows how hard it is, and he isn't even successful.
effectively thrown down, harry abruptly slaps mingyu's hands away as they pluck at his clothes, wrestling away from him. )
Okay, okay — I can do that myself. ( he's grumbling. he's not fighting the apparent shower — just the taking off his clothes. mingyu's care kink is showing. ) What, so you're never going to have your friend over here? You could at least make an attempt to live like a real person.
( hoodie, shirt off, harry curls a little into himself, covering the brunt of scars littered across his chest and torso. mingyu didn't even get to see eleven years of child abuse in his searching, which speaks profoundly of how shitty the rest of his life has been. )
I don't have to have him here, he finally has his own place.
[ mingyu speaks like that settles the matter in its entirety, and as far as he's concerned it does. the scars get no comment; mingyu isn't exactly surprised. a little sad, a little furious at the world, but he's been both those things for as long as he can remember now. and he fully intends to take that out on the world every chance he gets. ]
If we're really in a pinch, we can meet up at yours. Although.
[ lips quirking to one side, mingyu pinches up his hoodie by the sleeve to shake a dried bloodstain in harry's direction. ]
I'll send some cleaners over first. In you go.
[ he gestures to the shower expectantly, flashing harry a cold smile as he takes off his blazer, removes his cuff links, and starts to roll up his sleeves. ]
( — oh is that blood. huh. maybe this was a bad look.
anyway, he hops down from the counter, undoing his pants with a glare sent on mingyu's direction comprised mostly of irritation, kicking his shoes and jeans off in one go. his socks follow — the boxers stay on, thank you very much, though he leaves his glasses on the countertop as he goes to tend to the shower, testing the heat of it as it flares up. )
My apartment's clean. My boyfriend likes to stress clean, and he's stressed pretty much all the time.
( another one like him, whose life was too cruel for the soft boy it made. harry toes in once the water is acceptably warm, pressing his head under the spray to soak his face. he doesn't usually take warm showers, as they make him too sleepy to function — so this is nice. relaxing, hot water soothing away days old aches. he should really consider taking care of himself more often, it's pretty nice. )
You kids swingers or something? [ mingyu asks this mildly, politely, in the disinterested way of a relative asking after a child's grades. he steps in after harry, washcloth in hand. unlike the rest of the apartment, the bathroom is actually fully supplied. shampoo, conditioner, body wash, conditioning treatments, face masks, exfoliating rubs. the works. he picks up some body wash, squeezes some out on the washcloth, and just starts in on the back of harry's neck because all of this boy needs scrubbing. ]
( and it's none of ur business, so he doesn't answer any further than that.
it can partly be blamed on the shock written on his features instead, as mingyu makes his way into the shower. he — didn't expect that. he really didn't expect that. whereas all of mingyu's abrupt and generally forceful movements have most responded in harry yelling at him and getting angry, this just. makes his stiffen, surprise and a little confusion evident in the taunt pull of his shoulders. harry potter is, at his core, just an awkward guy.
he eases a bit once mingyu touches him. two hands, ten fingers. they trail over a dragon's claw mark on his shoulder that disfigured the flow of skin permanently, intended into the flesh. harry. calms, breathes, enjoys it. jin ling is kind to him every single day, but kindness really never stops being amazing. )
... Sure just. ( he huffs a laugh, probably the first one mingyu has heard since their introduction. ) Taking a shower with the guy that tried to kill me the other day. That's normal.
I wouldn't be in here if you so obviously have never been taught to scrub behind your ears in your life. And what did I say about being dramatic?
[ mingyu gives harry's hip a little pinch in reprimand, fond and snide in equal measure. ]
I hardly tried to kill you. Considering what I saw and the state of you, you should know what an attempt on your life actually looks like.
[ and then he pinches harry again, lips thinning as he tsks. ]
...mm, of course you're also too skinny. Well, this is turning out into quite the project.
[ he absolutely gets that you have a boyfriend, but he trusts you to know the arrangement with said boyfriend, and besides that teaching you to wash and eat real meals is a favor he's doing for this mystery stress cleaning boy. ]
( he tolerates the first pinch, but at the second his hand falls down to thwap at mingyu's, turning partway around in the shower to better face him. it's still a stubborn look in his expression, but it's softer in ways that speak more than words do — or maybe it's just that half his face isn't covered by oversized glasses or tousled locked of black hair, now. in any case.
he lifts up his hand and flicks mingyu's forehead, atop that fading lightning bolt. )
That's the Killing Curse I told you about before. I'm the only one who's ever survived it, but there's no reason why you should be included in that. ( he shakes his head, turning back to collect the ... shampoo. that's a lot of bottles. he finds it eventually. ) What happens if you look into the memory of a dead person? You both go down, murder-suicide?
Which one's the murder and which one's the suicide?
You'll find a lot of that, here. ( harry doesn't mention that he is among that crowd. it makes sense that memory didn't show up as mingyu called for it — dying was the only good thing harry potter ever did. ) You probably won't listen, but you might want to be careful.
It's not like that— [ sighing, mingyu rolls his eyes a little, swatting at harry's hand in irritation in turn. ] It's not like I got the spell cast on me, it's just— The cellular memory of your body being relived. It's always less intense to begin with. Like you saw, right? With Fox's arm.
[ even mentioning the memory makes mingyu flinch a little, swallowing hard as the memory plays itself before his eyes all over again. the dark room, the cold, the screams. what the spell didn't show harry, that mingyu was in fact using the spell on the dead arm, or had minutes before. it would've been suicide, to do that on a dead man's arm if the visions could kill you. not that mingyu would've cared, not that it would've stopped him from looking. ]
My arm didn't come off. I got a gash there and it took a couple days to get feeling in my hand back, but it's not literally mirroring the past.
[ then he snorts, seizing harry's hand, lacing their fingers together, and pinning harry's arm up against the shower wall—...to have something to brace again to scrub his upper arm. ]
Anyway, that's rich. You telling me to be careful.
( he trails off. despite the rush of water, his throat feels dry. it hadn't been the first severed limb he ever saw, but it was certainly the most disturbing — just because it belonged to someone he cares about, because he didn't see the impact or whatever caused it, couldn't confirm that he was dead. it was just ... there. lifeless, devoid of fox's usually carefree movements.
moonlacing licks up their wrists as mingyu folds their fingers together — truly, harry doesn't know how to make heads or tails of this situation so he just goes with it, looking at their folded hands, and then where mingyu scrubs him. he rolls his eyes. )
We're different kinds of dramatic. Mine's attractive. Yours is. Well. Mm.
[ mingyu gives harry a thin, impolite smile, then lifts an eyebrow at the unexpected moonlacing between them. his understanding is it has to be desired by both parties to happen, so he figured forcibly washing this grimy creature would do nothing of the sort. carting him back here certainly didn't, so... he gives harry's hand a little squeeze, the corner of his lips twitching in what is very near to a smirk. ]
Harry. [ he says the name like it's an admonishment. ] Just what kind of unpleasant business are you into? Do I need to warn Fox of what to expect in bed with you?
( well that's all kinds of bullshit isn't it!! if harry potter could control his blush then he would not be blushing right now, but in fact he is — though he'd be sooner to blame it on hot water than anything else. he rolls his eyes again to conceal it, gaze focusing on the swirl of water down the drain. )
I was just thinking about all the Chroma I'd be spending if I had to fight you, if you decided to be crazy again. ( yeah. he turns back heavily to face him, putting a sharp, fake smile over his mouth. ) And then this happened.
I probably don't have to remind you it's a two-way street.
( harry is still under the impression that they're the best of friends, despite having a somewhat odd relationship. different strokes, he figures, although how a sunbeam like fox met literal satan incarnate mingyu, he's not entirely sure.
[ mingyu gives a slow, unimpressed blink at harry's confusion, lips pulling taut once more. when he speaks, his voice is bone dry. ]
Because dating me gets him killed. Try to keep up. And as we just covered, I'm the kind of monster who tortures people on the street. Why wouldn't I keep away from him?
[ sighing, mingyu pokes the bolt-shaped scar, hard. ]
( he shakes his head. mingyu will never fully know the irony of harry potter saying as much, but it's better that way — it's easy to pick out right from wrong when the actions are on someone else's shoulders. harry? simply pushes everyone away from inevitability itself.
recoiling from the poke, harry lifts his hand to shoo him, like a fly. he wrestles from his grasp and turns again to face the water, ducking his body under to clear off any suds. )
I knew you were in love with him. ( he shakes his head. ) Do you ever say anything that isn't completely annoying?
Congratulations, you've cracked the code. [ mingyu's voice remains as dry as a midday desert, allowing harry to elude him for the moment. ] I still think you're brain damaged.
[ he lets harry rinse a moment, then yanks him back out from under the water because they're not nearly done with the amount of scrubbing this boy needs. magic would be faster and more effective at this point, but why limit harry's suffering? he's practically begging for it. ]
There's only two types of people in the world, Harry. People who are in love with Fox, and people who are mistaken. I'm delighted to know you're at least not stupid enough to be in the latter category.
( he was kind ofmoving with an air of finality to it, but mingyu tugs him back and harry releases a huff of breath, brows arched as if each to ask the question really?. moonlacing still tickles in effect, though, so whatever his expression says, his body betrays. at the end of the day, harry potter is happy to be wanted in any capacity — among prickly friends withstanding. )
You speak so highly of someone you keep at arm's length.
( a little defeatedly, harry lifts up his other arm for scrubbing, emerald eyes focusing on something, anything, other than mingyu. )
— you know, he's going to see this place eventually. He's not the kind to just let you push him away. ( weightlessly, he shrugs ) Why bother trying? The two of you feel so ... inevitable.
[ mingyu challenges this softly, scrubbing harry's arm a clean, rosy pink before stopping to grip him by the jaw, forcing the teenager to meet his gaze. those eyes are certainly something to get lost in...
he brushes harry's damp bangs out of his eyes, clear of his forehead, and lightly caresses over that lightning bolt scar. ]
Shouldn't one who did not die when all before him did not rage against the very idea of it?
( this is the second time mingyu has grabbed him by the jaw — it doesn't make much sense, but there's an instinctive fear that washes over him like the dirt from his body, anticipating another unpleasant walk down memory lane. instead? bitter reality. his eyes stay stark on him throughout that gentle touch, a rock suddenly formed in the back of his throat.
he tries to swallow but it's dry, something like — nervousness. )
Who says I don't die?
( his expression is unchanging, not given an inclination one way or the other. he grits his teeth, jaw clenched. )
I know more about destiny than anyone. If death is in that poor guy's future, maybe you should work harder at making the time he does have something special. Something that ...
( makes it harder to die? he can't finish the line, due to his own lack of belief in it. jin ling has filled his life up in the short time they've had — but it only makes it harder to go home, to die alone. he pities hermione and ron for loving him, for having to say their goodbyes to a boy they would've been better off never having met. now he pities mingyu too, for something lost, found again, only for inevitability to flash its sharp teeth and rip it away.
he looks away, sadly, moving to wave mingyu's hand off with less vigor than before. his hand brushes his, and doesn't necessarily pull away. )
Well, believe in inevitability all you like. [ mingyu's voice comes out halfway to a sneer, frost descending at the very suggestion that fox's death at 28 is somehow preordained. ] I intend to be the only destiny there is. Our world has only two paths, Harry. And someone as foolish as you should feel grateful not to be a part of it, whatever your fate.
[ his touch scrapes against that scar tissue once more, then moves away, though he only leans in closer so that harry can hear him over the shower's spray. ]
They'll give him back to me, alive, and I will look past... most of this unpleasantness.
[ his hand goes to harry's throat, grasps but doesn't squeeze. ]
Or I'll find confirmation that he is dead, and I will send the rest of creation to warm his grave.
( whether danger even registers across harry's mind anymore is sill up for debate — he's just lingering on every word, from each of them really, to gather the field view of a foggy picture he hardly understands. the throat bobs under mingyu's hand, a thick swallow echoing a previous thought. anxiety. embarrassment. don't look down.
his voice comes out raspier, quieter than he intended. )
He's alive, here. ( no matter how awkward he feels harry doesn't back down from this, jutting his chin out, no ounce of fear in his eyes. ) Don't treat him poorly just because you feel you don't deserve him. Maybe you'd consider putting off the destruction of creation and your shit attitude until you get back to your world. Or maybe you could think of a better solution. One that doesn't involve murder, because you know that isn't what he'd want.
But who am I to tell you anything, right? I'm a fool, like you said. How could I understand anything about loss?
Really, Harry? A pity party for yourself right in the middle of mine? Do they not teach etiquette in your world, or just Britain?
[ mingyu's eyes are bright with taunting, and though harry does not look down, mingyu does, and a slow, deeply satisfied smile spreads over his face.
he knows that harry's a gangling teenager, and in the way of gangling teenagers a strong breeze will get them up, but. it's anyone's guess if harry himself has figured that part out, as teenagers tend to be pretty oblivious and harry seems to excel on that particular front.
and there's no reason harry has to know that mingyu knows any of that, even if he has somehow managed to scrape together an ounce of self-awareness. ]
I'm beginning to think you enjoy being talked down to, pet.
[ murmuring this low, mingyu's hand drifts south, traveling down harry's chest, his midriff, his abdomen— ]
Did someone give the poor wounded boy a complex...?
( he still refuses to look down, because if he can't see it then it isn't there, valiantly attempting to tent the soaked fabric of his boxers. he does, however, look to the side in evident shame, a blush of red parting across tanned skin. gooseflesh lifts up on his arms as mingyu takes his flighty fingers down his chest, the weight in his stomach feeling heavier and heavier with each passing descent.
he makes a decision, then. and while he is absolutely no good at self-defense or fighting without magic of any kind, he's gotten better through wrestling with jin ling by mediocre amounts. gripping mingyu's wrist a little roughly, harry twists it back, at the same time sliding his foot between his legs to hook back around his ankle. the result? they both end up tumbling to the floor of the bathtub, harry using his free hand to wrap around mingyu's head, protecting him from the fall.
protecting him, what a bunch of crap. once they land, harry keeps the wrist he has in his grasp pinned to the side of the tub, expression a little wild as he stares at him. )
I'm — I don't like to be talked down to. And I'm not your pet.
( he doesn't know how he feels about it, really. why is elicits the reactions it does — he's embarrassed, thoroughly. eventually the steam fizzles out of him in response to being know like this, and he groans, turning in the bathtub and flopping back, his head on mingyu's stomach. he covers his face with his hands. )
You're such an ass. So why ...?
( he sees a flash of white hair beneath the lids of his eyes, and groans again. )
[ mingyu misses none of it. nothing harry does escapes his notice, not the frustration and anxiety leading him to wrestle mingyu down, not the care harry took to keep him from striking his head when mingyu has done absolutely nothing to merit that kind of consideration. quite the opposite, in fact.
hopeless.
the thought could not be fonder in mingyu's mind, and he sits up slowly, picking harry up under his arms until they're both upright, harry settled against his chest there between his legs. the walls of the tub press them close, mingyu's arms sliding around harry's waist to cage him in. he finishes the slide down harry's abdomen to palm over wet boxers, searching for the seam to slip his hand in. he goes slow, giving harry ample time to pull away, but slowly, surely, skin finds skin, mingyu's chin tucked against harry's shoulder as he strokes. ]
Mm, I think that's a question to ask yourself. Why indeed...?
[ he turns his head just slightly, not kissing harry's neck but nuzzling fondly against it. ]
...but I wouldn't worry about it too much. The one thing I've ever truly been good at is selling myself, so you're not special.
[ for falling for the plush lips, the piercing gaze. mingyu has only ever sold parts and pieces of himself to get what he needs out of life, and his soul has been no exception. ]
( it's just a rush of breath that leaves him, head tilting back into the bend of mingyu's shoulder, eyes back on the ceiling. if he doesn't see it it isn't happening — not the pounding of blood in his ears, not the shudder of his breath that he tries not to let mingyu hear. he shifts, sinking his teeth down into the lower of his lips. he hates, a little, that it feels so good.
swallowing around a lump in his throat, harry's hands find the thin length of mingyu's still clothed thighs. he grips him, too tightly. )
I'm not buying anything. ( it's quiet, again, hard to hear over the water still splattering against them. harry shuts his eyes. ) It's just — moonlacing.
![[personal profile]](https://www.dreamwidth.org/img/silk/identity/user.png){kind=small}
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( he stops fighting after a minute, resigning himself to his fate. hopefully no one he knows will see him — he's really not sure his pride could take it.
the state of his apartment is sorry and depressing, but it's not entirely unfamiliar. harry briefly wonders if this is all jin ling had seen, the first time he came over to spend time with him — empty take out boxes detailing nights alone, an apartment unlived in for fear of setting down roots. sleepless nights. harry is almost impressed at how good mingyu is as seeming well put together — harry knows how hard it is, and he isn't even successful.
effectively thrown down, harry abruptly slaps mingyu's hands away as they pluck at his clothes, wrestling away from him. )
Okay, okay — I can do that myself. ( he's grumbling. he's not fighting the apparent shower — just the taking off his clothes. mingyu's care kink is showing. ) What, so you're never going to have your friend over here? You could at least make an attempt to live like a real person.
( hoodie, shirt off, harry curls a little into himself, covering the brunt of scars littered across his chest and torso. mingyu didn't even get to see eleven years of child abuse in his searching, which speaks profoundly of how shitty the rest of his life has been. )
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[ mingyu speaks like that settles the matter in its entirety, and as far as he's concerned it does. the scars get no comment; mingyu isn't exactly surprised. a little sad, a little furious at the world, but he's been both those things for as long as he can remember now. and he fully intends to take that out on the world every chance he gets. ]
If we're really in a pinch, we can meet up at yours. Although.
[ lips quirking to one side, mingyu pinches up his hoodie by the sleeve to shake a dried bloodstain in harry's direction. ]
I'll send some cleaners over first. In you go.
[ he gestures to the shower expectantly, flashing harry a cold smile as he takes off his blazer, removes his cuff links, and starts to roll up his sleeves. ]
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anyway, he hops down from the counter, undoing his pants with a glare sent on mingyu's direction comprised mostly of irritation, kicking his shoes and jeans off in one go. his socks follow — the boxers stay on, thank you very much, though he leaves his glasses on the countertop as he goes to tend to the shower, testing the heat of it as it flares up. )
My apartment's clean. My boyfriend likes to stress clean, and he's stressed pretty much all the time.
( another one like him, whose life was too cruel for the soft boy it made. harry toes in once the water is acceptably warm, pressing his head under the spray to soak his face. he doesn't usually take warm showers, as they make him too sleepy to function — so this is nice. relaxing, hot water soothing away days old aches. he should really consider taking care of himself more often, it's pretty nice. )
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Try not to squirm.
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( and it's none of ur business, so he doesn't answer any further than that.
it can partly be blamed on the shock written on his features instead, as mingyu makes his way into the shower. he — didn't expect that. he really didn't expect that. whereas all of mingyu's abrupt and generally forceful movements have most responded in harry yelling at him and getting angry, this just. makes his stiffen, surprise and a little confusion evident in the taunt pull of his shoulders. harry potter is, at his core, just an awkward guy.
he eases a bit once mingyu touches him. two hands, ten fingers. they trail over a dragon's claw mark on his shoulder that disfigured the flow of skin permanently, intended into the flesh. harry. calms, breathes, enjoys it. jin ling is kind to him every single day, but kindness really never stops being amazing. )
... Sure just. ( he huffs a laugh, probably the first one mingyu has heard since their introduction. ) Taking a shower with the guy that tried to kill me the other day. That's normal.
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[ mingyu gives harry's hip a little pinch in reprimand, fond and snide in equal measure. ]
I hardly tried to kill you. Considering what I saw and the state of you, you should know what an attempt on your life actually looks like.
[ and then he pinches harry again, lips thinning as he tsks. ]
...mm, of course you're also too skinny. Well, this is turning out into quite the project.
[ he absolutely gets that you have a boyfriend, but he trusts you to know the arrangement with said boyfriend, and besides that teaching you to wash and eat real meals is a favor he's doing for this mystery stress cleaning boy. ]
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( he tolerates the first pinch, but at the second his hand falls down to thwap at mingyu's, turning partway around in the shower to better face him. it's still a stubborn look in his expression, but it's softer in ways that speak more than words do — or maybe it's just that half his face isn't covered by oversized glasses or tousled locked of black hair, now. in any case.
he lifts up his hand and flicks mingyu's forehead, atop that fading lightning bolt. )
That's the Killing Curse I told you about before. I'm the only one who's ever survived it, but there's no reason why you should be included in that. ( he shakes his head, turning back to collect the ... shampoo. that's a lot of bottles. he finds it eventually. ) What happens if you look into the memory of a dead person? You both go down, murder-suicide?
Which one's the murder and which one's the suicide?
You'll find a lot of that, here. ( harry doesn't mention that he is among that crowd. it makes sense that memory didn't show up as mingyu called for it — dying was the only good thing harry potter ever did. ) You probably won't listen, but you might want to be careful.
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[ even mentioning the memory makes mingyu flinch a little, swallowing hard as the memory plays itself before his eyes all over again. the dark room, the cold, the screams. what the spell didn't show harry, that mingyu was in fact using the spell on the dead arm, or had minutes before. it would've been suicide, to do that on a dead man's arm if the visions could kill you. not that mingyu would've cared, not that it would've stopped him from looking. ]
My arm didn't come off. I got a gash there and it took a couple days to get feeling in my hand back, but it's not literally mirroring the past.
[ then he snorts, seizing harry's hand, lacing their fingers together, and pinning harry's arm up against the shower wall—...to have something to brace again to scrub his upper arm. ]
Anyway, that's rich. You telling me to be careful.
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( he trails off. despite the rush of water, his throat feels dry. it hadn't been the first severed limb he ever saw, but it was certainly the most disturbing — just because it belonged to someone he cares about, because he didn't see the impact or whatever caused it, couldn't confirm that he was dead. it was just ... there. lifeless, devoid of fox's usually carefree movements.
moonlacing licks up their wrists as mingyu folds their fingers together — truly, harry doesn't know how to make heads or tails of this situation so he just goes with it, looking at their folded hands, and then where mingyu scrubs him. he rolls his eyes. )
Kind of like you telling me not to be dramatic?
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[ mingyu gives harry a thin, impolite smile, then lifts an eyebrow at the unexpected moonlacing between them. his understanding is it has to be desired by both parties to happen, so he figured forcibly washing this grimy creature would do nothing of the sort. carting him back here certainly didn't, so... he gives harry's hand a little squeeze, the corner of his lips twitching in what is very near to a smirk. ]
Harry. [ he says the name like it's an admonishment. ] Just what kind of unpleasant business are you into? Do I need to warn Fox of what to expect in bed with you?
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( well that's all kinds of bullshit isn't it!! if harry potter could control his blush then he would not be blushing right now, but in fact he is — though he'd be sooner to blame it on hot water than anything else. he rolls his eyes again to conceal it, gaze focusing on the swirl of water down the drain. )
I was just thinking about all the Chroma I'd be spending if I had to fight you, if you decided to be crazy again. ( yeah. he turns back heavily to face him, putting a sharp, fake smile over his mouth. ) And then this happened.
I probably don't have to remind you it's a two-way street.
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[ not letting go of that hand, harry gets a little cheek pinch in addition to all his other current indignities. ]
Is that all you have to say for yourself?
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( harry is still under the impression that they're the best of friends, despite having a somewhat odd relationship. different strokes, he figures, although how a sunbeam like fox met literal satan incarnate mingyu, he's not entirely sure.
at length, )
Yes. ( a beat ) I think so. ( another beat ) Yes.
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Because dating me gets him killed. Try to keep up. And as we just covered, I'm the kind of monster who tortures people on the street. Why wouldn't I keep away from him?
[ sighing, mingyu pokes the bolt-shaped scar, hard. ]
Scrambled your brains with this, hm? Poor thing.
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( he shakes his head. mingyu will never fully know the irony of harry potter saying as much, but it's better that way — it's easy to pick out right from wrong when the actions are on someone else's shoulders. harry? simply pushes everyone away from inevitability itself.
recoiling from the poke, harry lifts his hand to shoo him, like a fly. he wrestles from his grasp and turns again to face the water, ducking his body under to clear off any suds. )
I knew you were in love with him. ( he shakes his head. ) Do you ever say anything that isn't completely annoying?
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[ he lets harry rinse a moment, then yanks him back out from under the water because they're not nearly done with the amount of scrubbing this boy needs. magic would be faster and more effective at this point, but why limit harry's suffering? he's practically begging for it. ]
There's only two types of people in the world, Harry. People who are in love with Fox, and people who are mistaken. I'm delighted to know you're at least not stupid enough to be in the latter category.
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You speak so highly of someone you keep at arm's length.
( a little defeatedly, harry lifts up his other arm for scrubbing, emerald eyes focusing on something, anything, other than mingyu. )
— you know, he's going to see this place eventually. He's not the kind to just let you push him away. ( weightlessly, he shrugs ) Why bother trying? The two of you feel so ... inevitable.
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[ mingyu challenges this softly, scrubbing harry's arm a clean, rosy pink before stopping to grip him by the jaw, forcing the teenager to meet his gaze. those eyes are certainly something to get lost in...
he brushes harry's damp bangs out of his eyes, clear of his forehead, and lightly caresses over that lightning bolt scar. ]
Shouldn't one who did not die when all before him did not rage against the very idea of it?
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he tries to swallow but it's dry, something like — nervousness. )
Who says I don't die?
( his expression is unchanging, not given an inclination one way or the other. he grits his teeth, jaw clenched. )
I know more about destiny than anyone. If death is in that poor guy's future, maybe you should work harder at making the time he does have something special. Something that ...
( makes it harder to die? he can't finish the line, due to his own lack of belief in it. jin ling has filled his life up in the short time they've had — but it only makes it harder to go home, to die alone. he pities hermione and ron for loving him, for having to say their goodbyes to a boy they would've been better off never having met. now he pities mingyu too, for something lost, found again, only for inevitability to flash its sharp teeth and rip it away.
he looks away, sadly, moving to wave mingyu's hand off with less vigor than before. his hand brushes his, and doesn't necessarily pull away. )
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[ his touch scrapes against that scar tissue once more, then moves away, though he only leans in closer so that harry can hear him over the shower's spray. ]
They'll give him back to me, alive, and I will look past... most of this unpleasantness.
[ his hand goes to harry's throat, grasps but doesn't squeeze. ]
Or I'll find confirmation that he is dead, and I will send the rest of creation to warm his grave.
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( whether danger even registers across harry's mind anymore is sill up for debate — he's just lingering on every word, from each of them really, to gather the field view of a foggy picture he hardly understands. the throat bobs under mingyu's hand, a thick swallow echoing a previous thought. anxiety. embarrassment. don't look down.
his voice comes out raspier, quieter than he intended. )
He's alive, here. ( no matter how awkward he feels harry doesn't back down from this, jutting his chin out, no ounce of fear in his eyes. ) Don't treat him poorly just because you feel you don't deserve him. Maybe you'd consider putting off the destruction of creation and your shit attitude until you get back to your world. Or maybe you could think of a better solution. One that doesn't involve murder, because you know that isn't what he'd want.
But who am I to tell you anything, right? I'm a fool, like you said. How could I understand anything about loss?
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[ mingyu's eyes are bright with taunting, and though harry does not look down, mingyu does, and a slow, deeply satisfied smile spreads over his face.
he knows that harry's a gangling teenager, and in the way of gangling teenagers a strong breeze will get them up, but. it's anyone's guess if harry himself has figured that part out, as teenagers tend to be pretty oblivious and harry seems to excel on that particular front.
and there's no reason harry has to know that mingyu knows any of that, even if he has somehow managed to scrape together an ounce of self-awareness. ]
I'm beginning to think you enjoy being talked down to, pet.
[ murmuring this low, mingyu's hand drifts south, traveling down harry's chest, his midriff, his abdomen— ]
Did someone give the poor wounded boy a complex...?
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he makes a decision, then. and while he is absolutely no good at self-defense or fighting without magic of any kind, he's gotten better through wrestling with jin ling by mediocre amounts. gripping mingyu's wrist a little roughly, harry twists it back, at the same time sliding his foot between his legs to hook back around his ankle. the result? they both end up tumbling to the floor of the bathtub, harry using his free hand to wrap around mingyu's head, protecting him from the fall.
protecting him, what a bunch of crap. once they land, harry keeps the wrist he has in his grasp pinned to the side of the tub, expression a little wild as he stares at him. )
I'm — I don't like to be talked down to. And I'm not your pet.
( he doesn't know how he feels about it, really. why is elicits the reactions it does — he's embarrassed, thoroughly. eventually the steam fizzles out of him in response to being know like this, and he groans, turning in the bathtub and flopping back, his head on mingyu's stomach. he covers his face with his hands. )
You're such an ass. So why ...?
( he sees a flash of white hair beneath the lids of his eyes, and groans again. )
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hopeless.
the thought could not be fonder in mingyu's mind, and he sits up slowly, picking harry up under his arms until they're both upright, harry settled against his chest there between his legs. the walls of the tub press them close, mingyu's arms sliding around harry's waist to cage him in. he finishes the slide down harry's abdomen to palm over wet boxers, searching for the seam to slip his hand in. he goes slow, giving harry ample time to pull away, but slowly, surely, skin finds skin, mingyu's chin tucked against harry's shoulder as he strokes. ]
Mm, I think that's a question to ask yourself. Why indeed...?
[ he turns his head just slightly, not kissing harry's neck but nuzzling fondly against it. ]
...but I wouldn't worry about it too much. The one thing I've ever truly been good at is selling myself, so you're not special.
[ for falling for the plush lips, the piercing gaze. mingyu has only ever sold parts and pieces of himself to get what he needs out of life, and his soul has been no exception. ]
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( it's just a rush of breath that leaves him, head tilting back into the bend of mingyu's shoulder, eyes back on the ceiling. if he doesn't see it it isn't happening — not the pounding of blood in his ears, not the shudder of his breath that he tries not to let mingyu hear. he shifts, sinking his teeth down into the lower of his lips. he hates, a little, that it feels so good.
swallowing around a lump in his throat, harry's hands find the thin length of mingyu's still clothed thighs. he grips him, too tightly. )
I'm not buying anything. ( it's quiet, again, hard to hear over the water still splattering against them. harry shuts his eyes. ) It's just — moonlacing.
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