Disclaimer: As always I own nothing but the original characters and the situations all characters find themselves in. Everything else belongs to someone else and that's the way it's gotta be according to the lawyers.

Using One's Words

Entertaining the idea of homicide was nothing new for Alexei Dolohov. In truth it was a pretty standard part of his day since he'd been old enough to realize that the anger he felt when someone dared take his toys or tell him what to do was the desire to show them just what happened to someone who thought they could cross him and get away with it. The Slytherin would be the first to admit that he had an anger management problem, at least to himself, but he'd gotten a lot better over the years up until the past four months. Alexei could even give the exact day he'd returned to embracing his darker impulses, though he preferred not to think about that because then that made him twice as homicidal as he normally was these days thanks to Hugo Weasley.

He hadn't killed anyone yet of course, no one had pissed him off quite enough to risk possible jail time where he couldn't play Quidditch, but Alexei was fairly sure that the man he was currently walking side by side with might just be the first human being he put permanently into the ground if the strutting gobshite didn't shut his mouth and stop touching him like he had the right to.

The conceited peacock was the son of one of his team's owners and the little bastard had been chasing after him since the Wizarding World had found out that he and Hugo were no longer a couple. Naturally he'd wanted nothing to do with the whiney little rich boy-who would-but yesterday his coach had taken him aside and told him that he'd be benched for the foreseeable future if he didn't at least give the bastard one date. The order had come from on high and the coach was tired of being harassed by the twat and his father.

Ergo, because he'd already lost Hugo and Quidditch was the only thing keeping him remotely sane and not homicidal these days Alexei had agreed to the one date only plan. While making it very clear to ALL parties that this was a onetime thing.

He should have known that the redhead beside him didn't have enough brain cells to realize how despised he really was.

Giving thanks to the Quidditch gods when they arrived at the door of the gaudy and nouveau riche building that housed the flat the guy lived in after their 'date' Alexei forced himself to show good manners by holding the door open and walking with the bastard all the way to the entrance of the lift. There he made his final stand so to speak, unwilling to spend another second in the prat's company.

"Well you've had your date so I'm taking my leave now. DON'T contact me again."

"Oh but it's just getting started." The arsehole practically purred as he reached out to grab Alexei's wrist. Though he let go of it pretty quickly in response to the death glare aimed in his direction for his audacity. "Come up with me, Alexei. I have all sorts of fun things planned for us tonight."

"And I was only blackmailed into dinner. I'm not a whore for hire." He'd play for another team or even another country if necessary. Hell, maybe he should be looking into moving another country so that he never had to accidentally lay eyes on Hugo again. Why hadn't he thought of this before? It was perfect!

"Wait!" Showing that he did in fact have a few brain cells Alexei's 'date' didn't try and grab him again, instead pulling out a book Alexei recognized as being the one the jerk had been reading when he'd arrived at the restaurant. He'd thought it was a prop at the time, the idiot trying to convince him that he liked to read because Hugo was a complete bibliophile and everyone knew that-dammit, he wasn't going there. Wasn't thinking about HIM.

"This is what's in store for you if you come upstairs." Opening the book to the place marked by an ornate bookmark the boy held it out to him with what was probably supposed to be a smoldering look but had zero effect on the Slytherin, who took the book from him just so that he knew how insulted and pissed off he should be at the moment.

Out of habit Alexei turned the book over briefly to glance at the title, not recognizing it or the author's name. Though the fact that W.G. Hugo's last name was the same as HIS first name did not predispose him to feel any kinder towards the current thorn in his side.

Then flipping back to the page that had been marked Alexei started reading, his eyes narrowing pretty quickly in reaction. In fact the predatory look in them just kept getting more frightening as he continued to read with a white knuckled grip on the book.

"Really hot, huh?"

Slowly looking up from the paragraph he'd been reading the look in Alexei's eyes had the book's former owner actually backing up a few steps and automatically reaching for the button to call up the lift with an urgency born of weak prey sensing a predator in the vicinity.

"I'm going…to kill him."

And so saying Alexei spun around on his heels and with ground eating strides was out of the building before the 'prey' he'd left behind could collapse onto the floor as his legs turned to mush on him in relief.

He did NOT want to date or see Alexei Dolohov EVER again.

Scary.

)

After stomping his way out of the building and down the street for a good distance-everyone gave him a wide berth-Alexei came to a sudden halt as it occurred to him that not only did he still have the book in his hand, but he needed to sit down somewhere and read the damn thing to confirm the fact that it wasn't just a horrible coincidence that that sex scene in it had sounded like an eerily accurate retelling of one of the last times he and Hugo had shagged before they'd broken up. It was a very slim chance, the author's name pretty much confirming Hugo had written it since he was guessing the W stood for Weasley and the G for Granger, but he could hope. And maybe pray that he was wrong while he was at it.

But in the likely event that he wasn't wrong he needed to read the damn thing just so that he had a good handle on just how inhumanely he should kill his ex lover.

So Alexei headed back to his place, which he hated with a passion that only increased every time he walked through the damn door. He hadn't hated it when he'd bought it, he'd liked it well enough then, but thanks to the current bane of his existence home had come to mean a fairy tale cottage in the middle of nowhere. A place surrounded by huge flower gardens and a surprisingly soothing forest. Home was a place so full of books that he'd constantly wondered why the structure hadn't exploded from them all yet. It meant absurdly comfortable furniture and a bed with a homemade quilt and a curly haired menace in it who treated him like his personal fecking teddy bear when they were sleeping together.

Dammit!

Throwing the book across the room Alexei was even more angry that he had to go and retrieve the damn thing from the floor and then take a seat on his stupid, plain couch with no colourful cushions or warm blankets to stretch out with.

And he started reading. And reading. And more reading.

Halfway through the Slytherin had to stop before he gave himself a brain aneurism or got off on the fictional sex scene he'd just read because damn, Hugo had a way with words. He hadn't been with anyone since he and the Gryffindor had broken up because...

"Fuck it. I'm going to tan that pretty little arse of his raw for this and that's just for starters."

Decision made Alexei bounced off the couch and stomped back over to the coat rack, shrugged on his jacket again, and then apparated from his front door to the stone pathway that led to the cottage bathed in moonlight before him.

The shields up around the cottage were easily bypassed because he knew them well. Had even added to them himself when he and Hugo had been together. And he still had his key that Hugo had never asked for back, and using it Alexei let himself into the quiet little cottage he knew as well as the back of his hand.

Not being an idiot it did occurring to Alexei that Hugo might not be alone in the bed on the second floor. There had been plenty of both witches and wizards who'd made their move on the Gryffindor even when they'd been together, but Alexei pushed those thoughts aside with the thought that if there was someone who didn't belong here…he'd have no problem removing them.

Heading up the stairs, knowing where to step to keep from making a sound, Alexei made his way to the second floor and then down the hallway to the bedroom that had once been their bedroom. Opening the door his eyes automatically went to the bed, Alexei letting out the breath he hadn't even realized he'd been holding when he saw that Hugo was alone in it.

But the relief only lasted so long, and then he was back to being pissed and wanting Hugo to wake up so that he could yell at him.

Taking a seat at the side of the bed Alexei turned on the bedside lamp and then gave the other man's shoulders a hard shake, demanding that Hugo wake the hell up as he tried not to notice that it looked like Hugo had lost weight since the last time they'd spoken. That Hugo was hugging the pillow that had been his in his place.

Making an annoyed sound, one Alexei knew well, it took a few shakes but finally Hugo rolled over and onto his back, blinking up at him in confusion. "Alexei?"

"What the hell were you thinking, writing a sex book about us? And how did you get it published for that matter?!"

Eyes slowly drifting over to book being waved in his face Hugo blinked a couple times, looking even more perplexed now. "It's not a sex book. And it was supposed to be a present."

"It bloody well is a sex book! And that scene with the collar and you in black leather trousers never happened!"

"It was going to happen. For your birthday."

"For my…dammit!" Mentally cursing a blue streak, especially since the sexy book plus the sex scene described would have probably topped what Hugo had done for his birthday the year before and he would have said that as impossible up until now and... "Why would you think I'd want that published for my fecking birthday?"

"Wasn't gonna publish it, just for you." Was Hugo's grumbled reply, the Gryffindor rolling over then to give him his back. "Now tired, gotta sleep. Mum says if I lose any more weight she's going to kill you herself."

"Me? What the hell did I do? You dumped me, remember?!"

"All you had to say was you love me. That's all I asked. You love me but you wouldn't say it. And I needed to hear it. I needed you to say it. I couldn't not hear it anymore."

Staring at the back turned against him, knowing that he couldn't argue with that even though, dammit, he had been working up to saying it when Hugo was awake instead of asleep. If Hugo had just given him more time…

Hugo had given him a lot of time. More than probably anyone else would have. Alexei knew that too.

But he couldn't say it, and by the time he was ready to say something along those lines Hugo was asleep again and Alexei couldn't bring himself to wake him. So instead he walked out of the room and back down the stairs, heading into his second favourite room in the cottage to sprawl out on the couch after turning on a lamp.

And finding the place where he'd left off, Alexei started reading again.

To see how they should have ended.

)

Waking up with a loud, jaw cracking yawn Hugo rubbed his eyes and wished he could just go back to sleep, especially since he'd dreamed about Alexei that night. But the potion he'd taken to get to sleep in the first place had run its course and if his mum came by and found him still dressed for bed again she was liable to ream him out good. Again. She was convinced he was depressed, and he would agree with that to a certain extent, but she really didn't need to worry about him so much. He'd get over Alexei eventually…maybe. And even if he didn't he was tough enough to go on without the love of his life. Yes he wasn't as tough as Teddy's grandmother, Hugo acknowledged, but he'd do okay. Maybe get a pet.

Hearing the sound of faint footsteps on the stairs-oh crap, who'd come in to check on him now-Hugo was frantically checking the time when the door opened and in came the last person he'd expected to ever see in his cottage again.

"Alexei…what are you…is that…breakfast?" That was definitely a tray the Slytherin was carrying, with a bowl and toast and a glass of juice.

By way of answering Alexei crossed the short distance to the bed and all but shoved the tray into Hugo's face. "Eat. You look like crap."

If he hadn't been in the process of going into shock Hugo would have pointed out that Alexei wasn't looking so great either, but he was shocked and stupidly happy at the same time so he took the tray as he asked, again, what Alexei was doing here.

"Don't remember our conversation from last night, Brainiac?"

It took a moment, but he really was a brainiac so sleepy or not Hugo came to the conclusion that the dream conversation he'd had with Alexei had been a real one. "You read the book. Why? It's not your thing at all. It only came out last week for that matter."

"Finney showed it to me. He thought offering me a re-enactment of a certain chapter would change my mind about him."

Scowling at the very idea that his figurative love letter to Alexei had been used in such a manner Hugo regretted for the millionth time that he'd ever submitted the damn thing to be published. He'd been drunk at the time, but still…

And seeing the look he was getting Hugo explained the drunk part, not surprised by the surprise on his ex's face since Alexei was well aware of his high alcohol tolerance. "I gave blotting you out with alcohol a go." He explained haughtily as he set the tray on his nightstand, not hungry at the moment. "It didn't work."

"It didn't work so great for me either."

His turn to be shocked-had he heard right-Hugo blinked owlishly at Alexei, even more wary now about both the man's presence and the food he had yet to touch. Alexei did come from a potion-making family, and while the man generally preferred meting out his vengeance personally there was a first time for everything.

"Eat your damn breakfast, Weasley."

"What's in it?"

It took a moment, but Alexei was pretty quick too. "I didn't put anything in it! If I kill you it will be with my bare, bloody hands."

While he was willing to admit that odds were that was true…

"Why did you make me breakfast then? I'm not sick, injured, or likely to reward you with sex." Which were the only three reasons Alexei had ever made him food to the best of Hugo's considerable knowledge.

"I can do things just because!"

To that Hugo just shook his head. "Alexei, I love you more than life, but even I'm willing to admit you don't do things for others unless you see some way it benefits you in the short or long term."

"Bloody Hell!"

Jumping a little at the volume of those two words Hugo didn't know what to think when Alexei suddenly sat down on the side of the bed and leaning forward smacked his forehead against his shoulder. "Uhm…Alexei?"

"Why is that so fecking easy for you to say?!"

"What?"

"The stupid, fucking L word. Why can you say it so fucking easily? Why isn't it hard for you?!"

"Well loving you isn't the easiest thing in the world to do." Hugo pointed out, mentally thinking that it took all his strength not to strangle the Slytherin at times. "But I can't not love you. It's proven impossible for me."

That resulted in a very loud groan, followed by mumbled words Hugo couldn't decipher even with his extensive understanding of languages. "Pardon?"

A long pause and then, "It's impossible for me too."

"What's impossible?"

Lifting his head Alexei glared at him. "You damn well know what I'm talking about!"

"No, I don't. I haven't had any caffeine yet, remember?"

"I mean that I can't help but love you either, and if you make me say that again I'll turn you into quaffle and beat you repeatedly with a Beater bat!"

Staring at the Slytherin, who was staring back at him with one of his lethal death glares, Hugo couldn't believe what the man had just said.

"I have been waiting…since preschool…for you to say that you love me…AND THAT'S HOW YOU SAY IT TO ME?!"

Another long pause. "You've been waiting since preschool?"

"YES, YOU SLYTHERIN BASTARD WHO WILL NEVER IN A BILLION YEARS DESERVE ME!"

Now it was Hugo's turn to lean forward and rest his forehead against Alexei's shoulder, mumbling curses against the gods who'd given him such horrible taste in men.

"Oh."

"Oh? Oh? That's all you can think to say to me?" Lifting his head Hugo made strangling gestures in Alexei's direction. "Why do I put up with you?!"

"Hey, you wrote a smutty book about us and published it! If anyone should be pissed off it should be me!"

"All right, that's it!"

Having reached his limit Hugo grabbed Alexei, yanked him against his chest, and then ignoring the cursing and threats he was getting maneuverer them both into lying down positions with the Gryffindor's arms wrapped tightly around Alexei's waist, holding him there like a teddy bear. "And you aren't getting turned loose until you say it properly!"

"You can't be serious."

"I will personally send a copy of that book to your mother and tell her you wrote it if you don't."

"The author's name makes it clear who wrote it, you idiot!"

"Are you willing to take that chance?"

Wiggling around Alexei managed to roll over so that they were at least facing each other. "I am going to break your arse for this, just so we're clear."

"We have four months to make up for so that seems fair."

"You suck."

"Sucking can be arranged, yes."

"Dammit." Another pause. "Maybe I love you." And wrapping his arms around Hugo's waist in turn Alexei snuggled in close. "And that's the best you're going to get so take it or leave it."

Smiling widely Hugo kissed the top of Alexei's head. "I'll take it."

At the end of the story he'd written Alexei had brought him breakfast in bed. He got it now.

The End