Potions & Charms

Kissing

But the man's gaze softened quickly and then he closed his eyes as well.

Avi's lips were surprisingly soft as Scott's moved against them for the short amount of time Avi allowed him to. When the man pulled back he blinked slowly and silently turned back around towards the lake. 

"Avi-" Scott began but then sighed softly. "I'm sorry." 

"No." 

"What?"

The man took a deep breath. "Don't be sorry" he then said and looked down to his hands, to his fingers picking on the dry skin. Avi rubbed the sides of his thighs as he tried to get rid of the nausea in his stomach and kept breathing through his nose. 

"Avi, it's okay. It was just a kiss" Scott mumbled when he saw the man next to him struggling. "Nothing more." He reached out and touched his shoulder, and when Avi turned back to him Scott gently pulled him into his arms. "You're okay." 

Scott held him for ten minutes, until Avi started to squirm in his arms and lightly push against his chest as a sign for the Charms professor to let go.

"How to people usually react when they get told that someone loves them?" Avriel asked and looked at the man. "Because I can't figure out what to do." 

"Some run away, some cry, some are angry, some like it...it depends on the person. What do you feel like doing? I mean, I guess it's a good sign that you're not pointing your wand at me."

"Kiss me again." 

And Scott did. He kissed him again, lips barely brushing over Avi's, before he felt the bearded man's hands resting on his sides and pulled him closer. 

They were quiet on the way back and kept their distance, until Avi reached out at some point and took Scott's hand without saying anything. He squeezed it lightly and together they walked back to the cabin to warm up and, like Avi hoped, cuddle and kiss some more. He had enjoyed the feeling of Scott's lips against his own, the way they moved in sync with him, and even though he was aware that the kiss must've been awful for Scott - it had been Avi's first - he couldn't wait to do it again. 

Avi was against Scott's chest again, with one of his knees bent and resting on the man's thigh while his upper body was pressed against the side of Scott's. It was almost three am and they were both ready to sleep - had been for almost an hour - but a certain activity had kept them from getting comfortable in the bedroom. 

By now Avi's first hunger was satisfied and he pulled away to look at Scott, not before leaving another kiss on his lips. "Didn't know kissing is so much fun" he mumbled and sighed softly. The man rested his head on Scott's chest and pulled the blanket over his shoulder. He was thankful for how tall the Charms professor was as his blankets seemed to be longer than the ones Avi had, which meant that they kept his feet warm even if he was stretched out all the way and had the edge of it up to his nose. 

"Now you do" Scott said and chuckled softly. His hands found their way back into Avi's curls again and he started running his fingertips over the man's scalp, just how they both liked it. He was amazed by how soft they were since Avi didn't seem to be that person who moisturized his skin or did hair masks, but he didn't complain and made a mental note to ask him in the morning as Avi seemed tired and not in the mood to answer questions about his hair care routine. "Have a good night, okay? And Happy New Year." 

"Happy New Year" Avriel replied. "What was the best thing to happen to you last year?"

"I ran into you." Scott's hands found their way down his neck and to his upper back. 

"Same for me.." 

The baritone chuckled softly. "You're such a sweet guy, Avi.." he whispered and started rubbing his fingers over Avi's neck while he watched the bass slowly drifting off. His head felt heavier, his breathing slowed down slightly and his lips parted just slightly. "Love you, Bud.." 

This time he didn't tense but just smiled lightly, just enough for Scott to notice. "Love you too" Avriel then replied, so quietly that the baritone wasn't sure if he had heard these words correctly. "So much. G'night." 

And Scott couldn't stop grinning. He laid in bed on his back, with Hogwarts' famous Potion Master who had just confessed his love for him, and grinned at the ceiling like an idiot. But he also knew that he had to be careful, even more careful as before, since their bond was still fragile and every wrong move could ruin not only months but years Avi had been through to fight his trauma. 

For a moment Scott thought of introducing him to a therapist as he doubted that any of the potions Avi might've been taken to medicate himself to get rid of nightmares and bad memories had nudged the man towards just an ounce of improvement, but then again he almost smacked himself. There was no way on earth, in heaven and in hell that he would get Avi to talk to a professional. For now Scott himself was as professional as it would get and he was determined to help as much as he was able to. For now all what mattered was the bearded man sleeping soundly on his chest, buried in dreams and feelings of happiness.