Caru

It's these times when Draco thinks he loves Harry most, with the snow falling softly around them, bathing the park across from their flat in white downy flakes that stick to Harry's hair. His cheeks are flushed pink but his lips are warm as he pulls Draco in for a kiss, stealthily slipping a handful of snow down the back of the blond's jumper. Draco just laughs grabs a blob of snow of his own, chasing Harry as he makes a mad dash for the safety of their flat, laughing and calling out "Love you!"

When Draco catches up to him and sends them both tumbling onto the blanketed ground, he's laughing jut as much as his lover and is just as out of breath--from running or the cold or the sight of Harry so carefree, rid of the constant worries of rebuilding their world, if only for a few precious hours.

He stares into Harry's eyes, sparkling behind his glasses like emeralds, and smiles as he plops the melting snow in his gloved hand onto the top of Harry's head.

The black-haired man chuckles and reaches up to brush the cold powder from his hair.

"I suppose I deserved that," he says and flashes Draco a dazzling smile.

Draco smiles back, silver eyes lovingly taking in Harry's flushed face, his hair black rivers of ink in the new fallen snow, lips redder than rubies longing to be kissed.

"I suppose you did, Potter," he teases, leaning in close enough for their breath to slowly roll like miniscule clouds of fog against the other's lips in the crisp chill of the air. With a content sigh, he closes the distance between them in a soft, chaste kiss.

When he pulls away and meets Harry's eyes, there's nothing but love shining behind them, and Draco's heart melts and his stomach does a pleasant little flip just as it does every time Harry looks at him that way.

"I know I don't say it enough," he whispers and kisses Harry again, "but I fucking love you."

Harry's smile could melt the snow pillowed around them, Draco thinks as Harry wraps his arms around him and kisses him properly.

When Harry looks up at him, there's an impish grin gracing those beautiful, kiss swollen lips. "Why don't we go back inside and you can show me just how much you love me."

Draco is one his feet in an instant, a hand offered to Harry. The man takes it and lets Draco pull him to his feet and into his arms, Harry's laughter making Draco's own lips tweak into a loving half-smile.

"Eager, aren't we?" Harry chuckles and takes Draco's hand.

"What?" he says in mock innocence as Harry starts to lead him back towards the pavement and across the tarmac tow their building. "It's cold outside. It's warm inside. It's only logical I'd want to go back in after you insisted of dragging me out here to freeze my arse off."

"And the thought of doing naughty things with the Christmas decorations has nothing to do with you getting me back upstairs?"

"If you insist, then yes, I suppose it might," Draco drawls as they stop in the doorway of their building for a quick kiss.

And when Harry follows him to the lift, hands roving as they ascend, and stumbled into the bedroom wrapped in each other's arms, the world outside as serene as the snow, he knows that here with their limbs intertwined and hands clasped--a welcome oasis in the centre of a still hostile world--is where they'll always belong.