Notes: The title and summary quote are borrowed from the song "An Easy One" by Hem, which can be found on their myspace. I know I just posted up a journal asking people what they were interested in reading, and this was not on the list, mainly because this just got written in the last hour. But it's been one of those bad days, where I want fluff, and it turns out to be emotional fluff, and I'd like to share it.

An Easy One

"Hey."

There's no answer, but he didn't expect one.

"I know you're asleep, but…"

He finds himself smiling slightly.

"I didn't want to wake you up. Maybe it'll be easier like this."

Harry's breathing continues on evenly, somehow reassuring in its constancy.

"And…I didn't want to wait until tomorrow. Just—just in case, you know?"

Draco bites his lip.

"You probably thought worse, but I was actually out with Pansy."

Softly, he brushes a finger along Harry's chin. The skin there is smooth and warm.

"She was updating me on her friends, you know, and she mentioned that Daphne's husband had just died."

A frown flits on to Draco's lips without him noticing.

"Daphne didn't even like him. Or, that's what I thought. But Pansy said she was taking it horribly."

He looks down at Harry's calm, open features, fuzzed and softened with sleep.

"We never talked about this stuff, I guess because we didn't want to think about it."

Then, he takes a deep breath and reaches for his courage.

"But then, she said Daphne had cried—and she never used to at all—out of regret, and I—"

Something cool and damp falls onto Harry's cheek, and he twitches slightly.

"All I wanted was to come back here."

His hand creeps gently over to cover Harry's rougher one.

"I know I fight you when you try to say it, but I have to tell you—"

Draco doesn't notice the streaks of hot salty water striping his face, but he leans over and kisses away every teardrop on Harry's skin.

"Even if you don't believe me—"

He barely feels himself squeezing Harry's hand too tightly.

"Harry, I love you. And…and…"

Sweeping an arm over his eyes, he smears the moisture away even as it's immediately replaced.

"And next time, I'll…I'll let you say it too."

The only sound that permeates the silence is his own soft sniffling.

"Do you mean it?"

Draco's head shoots up, his world fallen in to shock-induced stillness.

"You were…"

Harry smiles softly, his expression a little sad and somewhat amused.

"I heard you. Did you mean what you said? That if I say—"

"Yes." And to save himself from the embarrassment, he plunges his blond head into Harry's embrace.

"I love you," Harry tries out immediately, his voice still slightly tentative. And somehow it's the happiest thing Draco's ever heard, but he still feels like he's going to cry.

"Me too," he whispers to Harry's chest.

They pause for a moment to find their bearings, now that the world has been spun inside out.

"Was that so bad?" Harry finally asks him.

"Even when I thought you were sleeping…" Draco loosens his chokehold a little and looks into Harry's face. "It was still the hardest thing."

"It's never easy." Harry is smiling widely and simply takes Draco in his arms again. "But that's why it's worth it."