An Unexpected Celebration

[lesyeuxverts]

Title: An Unexpected Celebration
Author: lesyeuxverts
Beta: unbroken_halo - thank you!
Word Count: ~2000
Rating: NC-17
Pairing: Percy/Severus
Prompt: birthday surprise
Warnings: bondage, orgasm denial
Disclaimer: Not mine.
AN: For iulia_linnea … happy birthday and many more, hon!



Percy Weasley did not, as a rule, celebrate his birthdays. As a child in a large family, he had been subjected to boisterous celebrations and general merriment that had little to do with the birthday in question, and more to do with the sloppy, sentimental jollity that his family enjoyed. Percy's idea of a birthday celebration had nothing to do with public humiliation at the hands of his twin brothers or worse, the embarrassing conversations his father had insisted on once Percy was of age. He wanted neither blue hair nor lectures on safe sexual practices for his birthday, thank you very much.

Once he had his own apartment, Percy simply stopped celebrating his birthday. It was no small matter to fend off Molly's increasingly hysterical owls and Howlers; nor was it easy to convince his colleagues at work that he didn't want to go out for a drink at the pub or, worse yet, celebrate the occasion of his birth at some sort of gentleman's club.

For his birthday, Percy brought home take-away from his favourite Indian restaurant, put his feet up in the evening, and indulged himself with a second glass of whiskey. It was dignified, and it was a perfectly satisfactory celebration – Percy did exactly as he pleased, without the inanities of cake and candles and bright-coloured streamers.

When he, step by painstaking step, combined his life with Severus's, Percy didn't expect anything to change. There was no need for anything to change. They had sorted out all of the domestic disputes over the brewing of potions in the kitchen and had allocated household chores appropriately. They had decided that it was best, all things considered and household harmony kept in mind, that their sock drawers remain entirely separate. They had agreed on curry Tuesdays and pasta Thursdays – they had decided that eating out one night a week was not excessive, and that regular sexual relations were necessary for the functioning of a healthy relationship and that three times a week would be appropriate, with exceptions for occasional headaches and late nights at the office.

It was all very organized, and Percy felt a smug sort of contentment at the fact that he'd a perfectly satisfactory relationship, in spite of what his family and the wizarding world thought of his staid ways. He certainly didn't need to be boisterous and open and sloppily affectionate in public in order to be in love. Severus didn't celebrate his birthday. Neither did Percy. Their flat was clean, their sock drawers were organized, and all was well with the world.

It was, therefore, a surprise when he came home at precisely six o'clock, the evening of August 22nd, with a bag of take-away and a bottle of whiskey, only to find that the apartment was empty and Severus was apparently gone for the evening. Percy had never mentioned his plans for the evening to Severus, but neither had Severus suggested that there would be any deviation in his daily routine of brewing and shipping mail-order potions.

Percy put the take-away and the whiskey on the counter, frowning. It may not have been a celebration, but he certainly did want to spend his birthday with Severus. While Percy wasn't about to be soppy and start calling the man his lover or his boyfriend or, heaven forefend, his 'significant other' … Severus was Percy's, and Percy was Severus's. It was simple and well-understood between them – they both understood that they'd had to take different, difficult paths to the Light, with nothing straightforward or easy. They'd both been spies. They'd both made sacrifices in the name of Albus Dumbledore. They understood each other, and without any romance or unnecessary fuss, they belonged together.

Percy ran his fingers through his hair and sighed, waving his wand at the bag of take-away and casting a Keep-Fresh charm on it. He'd have to wait for Severus, that was all.

Hanging his cloak on its peg, Percy toed off his shoes and put them against the wall, side-by-side in the closet. He'd get a head-start on the cleaning for the week, perhaps, or pick out a movie that they could watch later on their charmed television later this evening. Surely Severus had only gone out to the Apothecary for an ingredient he needed – surely he would be back in a few moments, and chase away Percy's irritation with a quick kiss. They might not celebrate birthdays, but Severus wouldn't have forgotten.

Percy flipped on the lights and went into their bedroom, aiming his wand at the bed, intending to take care of any stray dust-bunnies. He would just clean up and–

He stopped in the doorway and stood frozen there, his mouth open and his wand still pointed at the bed. He was – it was – Severus–

"I – you–"

Severus only smiled and stretched. The ropes that held him to the bed moved with him, and there was an assortment of floggers and paddles on the bedside table, and there were gags and blindfolds and other toys and things that weren't even identifiable, and there was an anal plug in his arse, Percy had seen it when Severus moved–

Percy shifted his weight from foot to foot, acutely aware that his cock was already hard. He was – Severus was– "What … what is this?"

Stretching again, Severus said, "Happy birthday, Percy."

When Percy said nothing – was, in fact, still frozen in the doorway – Severus licked his lips and said in a husky voice, "You know, when someone gives you a birthday present, it's rather rude of you not to … enjoy it."

Percy took a shaky step into the room. He – this was beyond what they did in their occasional forays into the unusual in their bedroom. This was Severus, bound and waiting for his pleasure. His legs feeling numb, Percy made his way to the bed and stood next to Severus, reaching down to trace lines on his bare skin.

He traced a line from the base of Severus's throat to his cock. Hard, already leaking pre-come, bound by a leather strap … "Have you been waiting long?"

"No," Severus said. Arching his back and rolling his hips, he thrust up into Percy's hand, grinding against him. "I knew you would be home at six."

"Right," Percy said. "Of course."

Severus pulled on the ropes that bound him to the bed, straining them to their limits and sitting up as far as possible. "Percy? Is this all right?"

"No, I … no, just … just very unexpected," Percy said. He flushed, cursing himself for stuttering, but Severus only raised an eyebrow.

"Then," he said, "I think that you're wearing far too many clothes – and I think that, seeing as how I went to some trouble to arrange this for you, you should take advantage of it."

"I … yes. Yes, of course." Percy's hands went to his collar – his fingers stiff, he had to concentrate as he unbuttoned his robes. Severus was – was–

"You are … this is for me?"

Severus met Percy's gaze and nodded, not flinching when Percy looked at the toys on the bedside table. "This is for you," he said.

Percy finished unbuttoning his robes and smoothed them out as he folded them, laying them neatly on the dresser. His trousers and socks followed and Percy, hesitating, dimmed the lights before he stripped out of his pants.

Sex was easier, somehow, in the dark – when he didn't have to see Severus watching him or judging his pale skinny body. Percy had no illusions about himself, growing up as he had with Bill and Charlie … but even the thought of his brothers was enough to make this almost impossible, so Percy clenched his jaw and moved to the bed, stretching out next to Severus.

With careful fingers, he traced the lines of Severus's scars, the parallel lines that went down his neck and the several smaller scars that were scattered around his body, burns from brewing potions and other reminders of his days as a spy. Severus jerked and shivered under Percy's fingers, but he grew still when Percy leaned over him, claiming his mouth for a kiss.

Severus tasted the same – proof that the world had not run mad, that Percy was not going to fall in the habit of finding naked men in his bed when he came home. That was something familiar that he could hold on to, and he kissed Severus again. This is what he had come home to, on special occasions, when he'd received a promotion at the Ministry or they had finished the last of the paperwork for Severus's parole – just Severus, just kisses.

Percy took a deep breath, a breath he didn't know he was holding, and relaxed. His hands moved faster, covering Severus's body – thin ribs, taut skin, the bony protrusions of hips and elbows and knees, the lines that he knew. Levering himself up on his elbow, Percy leaned over Severus and looked at him in the half-light.

The leather cock-ring was a black band around Severus's cock, and when Percy reached down to touch it, Severus arched into his touch, a soft moan escaping his lips. "I want you…"

Having never quite gotten used to this – having never been wanted like this, Percy took another deep breath. Delight rose in his throat like a hummingbird, fast and frantic – it wanted to escape, but Percy held it in by kissing Severus again. He had never been wanted before. He was not about to descend into sentimental frippery and ruin things with this man.

He kissed Severus, stroking his cock and toying with the plug in his arse – it slipped out easily, and Percy set it on the nightstand, fumbling for the lube. His heart was beating hard in his chest and he was nearly shaking with need, wanting Severus in return. Reciprocated need. It seemed so easy, in the dark.

They moved together, Severus struggling against the ropes that bound him and arching to meet each one of Percy's thrusts. Percy rolled his hips, looking for the right angle, and soon Severus was gasping, his breath coming in harsh pants as Percy moved inside him.

Percy worked one arm between them and fumbled with the ring that bound Severus's cock. It took a moment, but he worked out how to unfasten it, and then he was whispering dirty nothings in Severus's ear and telling him, "Don't come until I tell you to."

It didn't take long. Percy was – and this was – and then he was coming, his fingers clamping down on Severus's shoulders, hard enough to leave a bruise, and he said, "Now," at the last second, his voice harsh and sounding strangled.

He clung to Severus for a moment. Then his heart rate returned to normal, and there was a mess to be tidied up, and Severus had worked his hands out of the restraints and was pushing Percy off him with a grumpy comment about his weight.

"I–" Percy scrambled back into his clothing, pulling on pants and trousers and a loose shirt, at least, before he waved the lights on again. He helped Severus with the rest of the ropes, and blinked at the toys on the bedside table until Severus waved his wand at them and they all turned into paperclips.

"I brought home take-away," Percy said.

"Excellent." Severus swept past him to the doorway and then stopped, turning and coming back to Percy, kissing him on the lips. "I know … I know that you are not inclined to celebrate," he said. "Nevertheless, I wanted to wish you a happy birthday."

Percy caught Severus's hand and squeezed it. There was – This had been for Percy, and for him alone. "It was … not entirely objectionable," he said, with that upward twist to his lips that he and Severus shared and both used for wry humour or understatements. "It was … thank you, Severus. I think I shall learn to enjoy celebrating birthdays."