Time After Everything || a Sequel to Saving Myself

XVI

Scorpius opened his eyes slowly, hearing faint breathing in his ear. His stomach fluttered when he remembered Erick coming through his window, kissing him. I love you.

Scorpius was surprised to see Erick's bare back facing him. In the bit of sunlight that seeped through his blue curtains, Scorpius could make out a bruise on his shoulder, yellow around the edges and blue in the centre.

Unhurriedly, Scorpius reached his hand out, brushing the bruise ever so slightly with his fingertips. Erick visibly tensed; his shoulder blades drew close together and he sat up, looking around Scorpius' room. His blue-brown eyes landed on Scorpius, who was looking up at him curiously.

"Why's your shirt off?"

Erick looked down at his torso and Scorpius did the same, running his fingers from Erick's sternum down to the bit of a V-line that came past his waistline. Erick grabbed his hand, bringing it up to his lips, kissing Scorpius' knuckles. "Dunno."

Scorpius pursed his lips as Erick reached over the side of his bed, grabbing his shirt and pulling it over his head. His red-brown hair was mussed up, sticking up on the side he slept on.

"How'd you get that bruise?"

"I tripped and fell backwards onto the corner of the table, " Erick replied, his voice bitter. "Can we not talk about it?"

Scorpius sat up, pressing his lips to Erick's jaw. "You know, your eyes are a very peculiar colour."

Erick sneered and leaned close to Scorpius' face, making the blonde's face blush pink. Finally, he commented, "Your eyes are. . .cold."

"Wha'd'ya mean, cold?"

Erick peered into Scorpius Malfoy's eyes, trying to find the right words to describe his eyes. There was a twinkle in them despite the room still partially dark. They were the sort of grey you would see in the sky right before a frightening thunderstorm, eight before the first strike of lightning. There were just a few specks of blue as if the sky were trying its best to show.

"They're. . ." Erick began, his voice wavering as he held his hand out, placing it on Scorpius' cheek. "They just are."

"Is that a bad thing?"

"No, no, " Erick whispered. "But I'd like to see them when you're excited or. . ."

"Or what?" Scorpius asked quietly, his lips looking particularly scandalous as Erick tried not to kiss them.

"Or when you're---" he started but was cut off by a pounding on Scorpius' bedroom door. Scorpius jumped.

"Scorpius, open your door!" Albus' voice called from the other side.

"Hang on, arsehole!" Scorpius shouted back. He turned to Erick, panicking slightly as he said, "Go through the window. Hurry!"

Erick opened the window, slipping through as Scorpius shut it behind him. He waited for his heart to stop pounding in his ears before opening the door. Albus stood there, his arms crossed and his emerald eyes flaming.

"What do you want so badly as to wake me up?"

Albus hissed, "I heard you talking to someone."

"Well, you need your hearing checked."

Albus scowled. "Who were you talking to?"

"I wasn't, " Scorpius replied curtly. "Even if I was, it isn't your business."

Albus uncrossed his arms, only to cross them again. He didn't believe Scorpius at all. He had been completely sure that he heard his younger brother talking to someone in his room. "Liar, " he snarled.

"Not so, " Scorpius countered, shutting his door in Albus' face. Albus scoffed and walked downstairs, where his parents were in the kitchen, in the middle of a heated conversation.

"Draco, you can't seriously---" his father said, but Draco cut him off.

"I'm just worried. He hasn't been talking and he starts to cry for no reason!"

Harry told him, "I'm sure it's nothing serious."

Albus walked into the kitchen, promoting Harry and Draco to halt their conversation. Albus told them, "I heard Scorpius talking to someone in his room."

Draco furrowed his pale eyebrows. "What do you mean?"

"I heard him talking to someone. And, when I went to his room, he---"

"Albus, if you don't know for sure---"

"I know what I heard!" Albus said. He looked at Draco, who was rummaging through the refrigerator. "What are you doing?"

"Did you drink all the milk?"

Scorpius walked in the kitchen, dressed warmly in a thick sweater and jeans. Albus glared at him and asked, "You gonna lie to them too?"

"What are you on about?" Scorpius asked, doing his best to look confused as he put a slice of bread in the toaster.

Albus said, "You had someone in your room---I know it!"

Scorpius rolled his silver eyes. "I swear, Albus, you need your hearing checked out."

Albus stomped off, saying, "I'm getting Erick!" in a particularly cutting tone.

Scorpius slathered his toast in marmalade as Draco asked his son, "Was there really someone in your room?"

Scorpius looked him dead in the eye and told him, "No. But I had my WWN radio on. Maybe he thought I was talking while I was listening to the news." He bit on the inside of his cheek, hoping be had pulled off the lie. Draco studied his youngest son and nodded. He believed him. Scorpius said, "I'm going to see Violet. Don't wait up."

He left, still nibbling on his toast. When Harry heard the front door shut, he turned to Draco, saying simply, "He's lying."

Draco came up short, nearly spilling the milk he had finally found. "How---?"

"He bites his cheek when he lies."

"How in the world do you know that, Harry?"

Harry shrugged. "You're really bad at picking up cues, Draco."

Draco asked, "So he did have someone in his room last night?"

Harry nodded slowly. "I would say so."

Draco frowned as he sat down across from his husband. "But why would he lie about that? I mean. . .who was in there to make him lie to me?"

Harry patted his hand and said, "We can ask him later. Really, kids just lie sometimes."

Draco nodded and kissed his cheek. "Thanks, love."

Harry smirked and sipped his coffee, murmuring, "Thank me tonight."

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