Disclaimer - I own nothing you recognise.

Written for Lex, for the July Monthly Exchange. I'm sorry this is late, I failed at life in July. Either way, I hope you enjoy it. Prompt used - Trust.

Always Be Mine

"Will you stop," Harry said, batting at the hand that caressed his neck.

"Take a break," the owner of said hand murmured, replacing his hand with his lips.

"Severus -" Harry said, breaking off from the planned admonishment to let out a moan. "You're not playing fair."

"When have I ever said I played fair?" Severus asked, his breath caressing Harry's ear.

"I need to - oh, right there - finish marking these, or we'll never make the reservation."

"Or, you could show me some attention now, and the grading will wait until tomorrow," Severus replied, pulling Harry into a standing position so he could wrap his arms around him.

Harry sighed, resting his head against Severus' shoulder. "We're not making the reservation, are we?"

Not bothering to reply, Severus chuckled before he captured Harry's lips with his own.

Harry couldn't find it in himself to care.

"Harry, are you home?"

"In the kitchen," Harry shouted, making Severus smile. Harry rarely had the time or the energy to cook, but when he did it was always worth it. Setting his cloak and shoes in their places by the door, he padded through the rooms they shared to the kitchen.

Wrapping his arms around Harry's waist, he stood behind him, taking in the delicious smells emanating all around him.

"What did I do to deserve this?" he asked.

"We never seem to make it to the restaurant, so I thought I'd cook for you instead. You tend to keep your hands to yourself when you know I've got something in the oven."

Severus snorted. "What can I say? You should have been a chef. Besides, I'd much rather enjoy your cooking than something mass produced in a restaurant."

"Charmer," Harry mumbled, before he pressed a brief kiss to Severus' cheek. "The bath is ready for you, go clean up. It'll be ready when you come out."

"You look after me far to well. I'm likely to keep you forever if you keep doing that, you know," Severus said, kissing Harry's neck gently before letting him go.

As Severus wandered from the kitchen in the direction of the bathroom, Harry smiled to himself. "That's the plan."

Severus settled on the sofa in front of the fire, as Harry leaned into his side. It was his favourite place to be. Silence filled the room, but it was comfortable. There was a time when he'd though finding someone to talk to would be something special, but since he'd met Harry, he realised it was someone you could be silent with that was hard to find.

"I missed you today," he murmured in to Harry's messy hair.

Harry shifted in his embrace so he could look up at him. "Did you wonder why I kept re-making that reservation even though we always managed to be... otherwise engaged?"

Severus nodded slightly. "I wondered what could be so important about that restaurant."

Sliding his hand into his pocket, Harry pulled out a small box. "I've been waiting to give you this for three months."

Severus took the box, opening it with a shaking hand. He looked at the ring that sat inside, innocently resting on a bed of black satin. "Is this...?"

"It is. For a long time I thought I wanted the wife and the kids and the white picket fence. You've proved to me that I don't need any of that. I love you, Severus, and I don't want to spend a night without you for the rest of my life. Will you bond with me?"

"Do you remember what you said to me when you proposed?" Severus asked Harry out of the blue. They were each sitting at their respective desks, each working on the piles of essays turned in by their classes.

"Of course I do. Which part?" Harry asked, looking up at Severus with his eyebrow raised.

"That you wanted a wife and kids and the picket fence."

"Sev -"

"It's possible, you know? Well, not the wife part. But there's adoption... we could buy a house... you don't have to give up anything to be with me."

Harry smiled softly and stood up, moving across the room to sit on the edge of Severus' desk, directly in front of him.

"When I said that, it was... I was trying to explain to you that I wanted... normality I guess. Trust me when I tell you that you're all I need to be happy, Severus. I don't need the kids, or a new house, or anything else. I only need you."

Severus wrapped his arms around Harry's waist. "I just don't want you to miss out on anything."

"If adoption is something you want, we can talk about it," Harry conceded. "But truly, I enjoy what we have now. I enjoy the freedom of being able to holiday when we're not working. I enjoy the freedom of having a night out whenever we want. I enjoy the freedom of making love to you whenever and wherever the mood takes us."

Severus looked up at Harry, a smile on his face, his eyes twinkling.

"Hmm, I enjoy that too. Particularly the last one. How about we give into that freedom and go and christen the rug in front of the fire."

"I think it's only classed as christening the first time you do it..."

"Then maybe I just want to see you splayed, naked and ready for me, on our living room floor."

Harry moaned softly. Leaning into Severus, he nipped at his jawline. "I'm pretty sure that's the best idea you've ever had."

"I love you, Harry."

"Not as much as I love you. Make me yours, Severus."

"You'll always be mine."