Draco's heart was lodged somewhere in his throat.
"You love me."
He unwillingly tense. Every scrap of rationality was tugging at him hard. It was way to early. Harry wasn't ready yet. Harry wasn't meant to know yet.
"Yes."
The word felt like lead on his tongue. Even with his eyes closed, his sharp ears picked up the sound of a sharp exhale.
What was Harry going to tell him? He knew, Draco knew that they were moving way too fast, or at least he did. He knew they had only technically known each other for maybe about four months. He shouldn't be in this deep, he shouldn't feel like this, not yet at least.
But he couldn't stop his treacherous heart from loving what it did, could he?
"D-draco I-" Harry croaked.
He looked overstimulated. His usually firm green gaze wavering. Draco shushed him gently.
"You don't have to say anything right now," Draco affirmed with a wry grin, "I know-" he inhaled softly trying to sound braver than he felt, "I know you aren't ready. I just needed you to know where you stand with me."
Harry was stunned to silence. His bottom lip wobbled and his eyes swelled with tears for what felt like the hundredth time that night.
"I-I like you." He said finally, "but I don't know if I-"
Guilt tugged at his guts when he noticed the slight slump in Draco's shoulders. Harry liked Draco so much so that it hurt him at times. He knows what he feels, he just wasn't sure if he was ready to love him yet. But how did he tell Draco this? He felt like his words wouldn't be enough, like he would just end up disappointing the alpha and breaking his heart.
His mouth opened and closed as he tried to find the words that would not come to him. Seeing the expectant look on Draco's face and then being unable to express how he felt frustrated him. In the end he could only whine softly on distress, looking at the blonde and hoping Draco could understand what he was trying to say.
Draco smiled, using his thumb to wipe tears he didn't know were falling again, "I said you don't have to say anything didn't I?" The blonde man sighed heavily, "It doesn't matter to me if you can't love me right now... Just please give me a chance?"
The blonde took Harry's smaller hands in his. He stared at their joined hands with a sort of wistfulness that has Harry's chest aching with a feeling he couldn't name.
"I know you haven't had much love in your life," Draco whispered, "So let me show you." He looked up so that Harry could see the fire burning behind his grey irises, "Let me love you, let me hold you, let me show you what it is like to love irrevocably and without question."
Harry's breath hitched in his throat. The stones in his guts broke down and melted into something warm and syrupy sweet.
"And if," Draco paused, he looked almost constipated like the thought of it disgusted him, "If you should ever decide you can't be with me and want someone else, I'll let you go."
Harry gasped, the protest at the tip of his tongue never made it out of his mouth.
"Should that ever happen, my only request is that you let me stay in your life, be it as a friend or distant acquaintance."
Draco felt bile rise in his throat as he said those words. He couldn't do it and he knew it, it seemed Harry knew it too.
Draco sighed and breathed in deeply. His eyes fell to Harry's lips, swollen and red from all the biting he had put it through. His thumb began to soothe the muscle asbhe watched mesmerised.
