Exquisite Corpse

“I can do the first two. Not quite sure I’m capable of sending hot guys your way.” He said with a soft smile. He’d never been good at watching Gale with anyone else, even when he was with Aisling. There was rarely a day that went by where he didn’t think of how big of a mistake it had been to push Gale away when he lost his parents instead of bringing him closer, but he knew if he hadn’t, Aurora wouldn’t be in both of their lives. “I’d never hope I’d have to take care of you like you’ve done for us, but you know I would.” He said hopefully. HIs eyes fluttered back open as he looked up at him. How’d he get so lucky? “Can I take you up to the tower this week? Just us? I’ll get a sitter for Rory.” He asked quietly. He knew a night where both of them could maybe take some time for themselves would do some good. 

“Fine,” he sighed. “I’ll keep finding my own hot guys then,” he conceded. Though, honestly, it had been months since he’d really felt like going out, much less thought about anyone that wasn’t Sebastian and Aurora and being there for them. It was kind of sad if he thought about it. He wasn’t the one who had had a child yet somehow he was the one who’d become some sort of single parent spinster. Maybe he needed to make more of an effort to go out and have a life - in a very scary world where he was in danger, so maybe not. “I know you would, Sebastian. But it’s not like I’m going to be accidentally knocking anyone up ever,” he teased. At the mention of the tower, he paused just for a moment to think it over. It would be nice to spend time together without worrying about the baby, but would that just blur lines even further than they already were? And more importantly - did he care about blurred lines? “That’d be nice,” he finally responded. 

The fingers through his hair had never made him feel so relieved and relaxed. There had been so much on his plate, so much happening, he honestly couldn’t remember the last time he really just let himself allow his mind to drift off. It was one of those things when you don’t remember how much you need it until you have it. “Doesn’t mean I don’t want to.” He chuckled quietly as he turned over to face him. “You’re her second dad, Gale…it’s not something I could ever repay you for.” He was person Sebastian knew he could always count on, even before Aurora. No matter what shit he seemed to put him through, Gale was always right there. “We both just need you.” He admitted softly as one of his hands rested on Gale’s side. Whatever they were, whatever label people would want to give him, didn’t matter. All he knew was he had someone amazing by his side.

“Well, if you insist, I will always accept gratitude in the form of any sort of alcohol. Or chocolate. Or hot guys,” he shrugged. Honestly, it was insane that Sebastian wanted to thank him at all for doing what any decent caring person would do for a person they loved. He couldn’t help but smile softly when Sebastian said he was Aurora’s second dad, hating that he was overstepping but also sort of loving the sound of that. He’d always wanted kids, especially with Sebastian. This was as close as he’d ever get it and he’d take it. Though, he wished the circumstances weren’t so grim. “I need you both too. I can hardly remember how I functioned before that angel was born,” he admitted. “You’re my family. Family takes care of each other,” he said as he pressed forward and placed a gentle kiss on Sebastian’s cheek.

He was ready for the other to give him a lecture or something, but perhaps that was just where his mind was. Like everyone was going to tell him what he was doing wrong. As he felt the gentle pull, Sebastian let out a small sigh of relief and allowed himself to relax in the other’s arms. His eyes shut as he just allowed the feeling of escape run through his body. “I know you would be, Gale.” He whispered. The other professor’s help was one of the only things that had made this whole thing easier without Aisling. He wasn’t alone, Aurora had other people who cared for her as much as he did. Sometimes he thought maybe Gale cared about her more if that was possible (which it wasn’t). “Have I thanked you enough for all you do?” He mumbled, his eyes closed as he kicked his shoes off and curled into his touch more.

Gale ran one of his hands gently through Sebastian’s hair, glad he was relaxing instead of being argumentative. Having a baby wasn’t easy, especially when you were doing it on your own. The loss of Aisling on top of his parents made it especially challenging, he was sure. He just wanted to help in any way he could and he wanted Sebastian to know that he wasn’t alone in all of this, that him and Aurora would always have him in any capacity that they needed. They may not have been his technical family, but they sure as hell felt like it. “Come on, honey, you know you don’t have to thank me,” he reminded him gently. Gale wasn’t helping for the acknowledgment - he was helping because he genuinely cared about them both. 

HIs eyes shut for a moment as he felt the hand keeping him down on the bed’s edge. Sebastian looked over at the other professor for a moment before he even considered replying. “I came to cuddle because it’s something that makes me feel better. You didn’t do anything wrong, I did.” He was the one who had the idea to leave Aurora, so it was his fault if anything for nothing thinking it through. His eyes dropped back down to his lap as his shoulders shrugged. “I just wanted a break from the responsibility for a moment. I can’t get that feeling in there, Gale.” He knew being a dad was always a responsibility, but at least in his house he could slide into his room or down to the kitchen or even the sunroom and still be right there and just take a moment for himself. He couldn’t do that in the castle and on top of work and the stressors that were happening in the world, it was starting to creep up on him.

Gale didn’t know what to say to Sebastian because he couldn’t actually escape from the responsibility of being a parent. He was going to be a parent every second of every day for the rest of his life. “C’mere,” he said as he gently pulled Sebastian back onto the bed, lowering them both to lay down as his arms wrapped around Sebastian. A few minutes couldn’t hurt, right? They could see Aurora if anything happened. “If you ever want me to take her for a night or two, just to give you a break, you know I’d be more than happy to help,” he offered. “I know this is stressful and a lot to handle, but you’re not in this alone, Bas.”

His legs had already swung over the side of the bed as Sebastian looked back at Gale. “It’s fine, Gale.” He said, hoping it’d sort of drop the conversation, even though he knew with his ex, that probably wouldn’t happen. The words should’ve made him feel better. He felt like he was being pathetic, sliding into the other’s quarters at night just to get away or feel comfort by being held. “I’m just stressed.” He mumbled as his feet slide back into his shoes almost as fast as he’d kicked them off before.

What was happening? Gale felt like he hadn’t been included on the majority of a conversation that had apparently gone pretty badly. “Hold on,” he said, grabbing Sebastian’s hand to keep him from standing once his shoes were back on. “You can’t just come in here to cuddle and then make me feel like I’ve done something wrong by suggesting we don’t leave your infant alone while we do it. What the fuck, Sebastian,” he said, too tired to keep up with whatever was happening. “Aurora can wait a few more minutes. Talk to me.”

He let out a small groan at the mention of going back to his room. Maybe it was just nice to be out of there for a bit, away from the room that held so much responsibility. “Fine.” He said as he sat up, hand running down his face tiredly. Leave it to Gale to be the responsible “parent”, right? Sebastian’s hand grabbed Gale’s before he stood back up. “You think I’m pathetic?” He asked, though he was more making an assumption than anything at that point.

Gale sat up as Sebastian did, brow furrowed at the short response and the groan. “It can wait a few minutes if you really don’t want to go back,” he offered, though it concerned him that Sebastian didn’t want to be in the same room as his daughter. He looked down at their hands then back up at Sebastian at the question. Or was it a statement? “No? Why would I think you’re pathetic? You’re the least pathetic person I know, Sebastian. What’s going on?”

“You don’t have to.” Sebastian said with a quiet laugh. He wanted to just make himself more comfortable, maybe take his shirt off and just relax, but he knew he could possibly have to leave at any moment if his daughter decided to not sleep through the night like she’d been doing. “Sleeping. I brought the mirror, don’t worry.” He sighed as he rested his arm around Gale’s waist.

Gale breathed out a sigh of relief when Sebastian said Aurora was fine but he shook his head lightly at the mention of the mirror. “Why don’t we just go back to your room? We can cuddle or whatever it is you want there. Just in case,” he said, the idea of leaving the baby alone - even if they could see and hear her - not sitting well with him. “We can just put up charms so she can’t hear us and we won’t risk waking her up.”

Sebastian rubbed his eyes and yawned as he wandered through the corridor. He carried a mirror that had been charmed to allow him to have an eye on his daughter as she slept, looking down at it every few seconds just to make sure she was actually sleeping and hadn’t decided to wake up the moment he left the quarters. It didn’t take long for him to arrive at Gale’s and he knocked lightly before testing to see if the door was unlocked. When it was, he turned the handle and slid in. Without a word, he set the mirror up on the bedside table so he could see it, kicked off his shoes, and curled against Gale. “You don’t have to say anything, do anything, I just want to cuddle.” He mumbled as his head rested against his shoulder. 

@galethemuggle

Gale had gone to bed early that night. Even though Aurora wasn’t his, she was still exhausting. And between helping out with her and running his classes and being generally over-stressed about the state of the universe, a chance to just have a quiet night filled with relaxing sleep sounded amazing. He’d just been nodding off when an all too familiar presence was getting into his bed and he laughed when the other spoke. “I don’t have to say anything or you don’t want me saying anything?” he asked. “Where’s Rory? Is she okay?” he asked, suddenly worried something was wrong, especially since she wasn’t there with them. 

“You make me feel like I don’t do it enough for you sometimes.” He teased. Sebastian always wanted to let Gale know how much he cared about him, how attractive he was, amazing he was, all of it. Maybe he’d been hesitant, not wanting to push himself too far in case he’d end up getting rejected or hurt, but the last few months (despite attacks and the loss of Aisling), had been pretty damn great with him around. “You say that like I’d have a problem with that.” He smiled causally. He’d enjoyed having him around and just knowing he’d be in his quarters whenever he got back wasn’t such a bad thought. “Hey, without me having sex, you wouldn’t have her to play with and love.” He retorted, his smile growing as he looked over at Gale. His eyes studied Gale’s for a moment before he shifted in his seat, getting up so he could cup his face lightly. “We’re lucky to have you. I mean that.” He whispered quietly. 

“I give myself plenty of compliments each morning when I look in the mirror, I’m good,” he joked. He didn’t compliment or hit on Sebastian to make the other feel better or because he felt obligated. It was just something that he did, never expecting anything in return. “If you’re asking me to move in, you’re going to have to do it more romantically than that,” he joked. Gale missed Sebastian and Aurora whenever he wasn’t with them, but he also knew that they probably needed space. They were a family dealing with a major loss and Gale never wanted to push himself onto them too much. “Yes, yes, thanks so much for having sex with someone other than me,” he said with a roll of his eyes. He watched as Sebastian stood up, eyes searching the other male’s as his hands moved to cup Gale’s cheeks. “You two are my family, whether you like it or not. And family always takes care of each other, no matter. I’m always going to be here for you two, Sebastian. Even if I am pushy about it at times.”

“People can be so cruel. You never know, Gale.” Sebastian teased him. He smiled at the compliment but tried to shrug it off. “You always try to flatter me, don’t you?” He said with a quick wink. The two of them always seemed to flame each other’s egos a bit too much. They were both damn attractive and knew it, but to him, nothing mattered more than hearing it from the Muggle Studies professor. “So lazy. I’m not that far away from you. Plus, all you have to do is say the word and you have my permission to come and bug me or crash in my quarters anytime.” He’d been having some nightmares with flashbacks from the attacks, but it wasn’t anything he couldn’t handle on his own. Though, he had to admit, if he had Gale there beside him, it’d make it all a lot easier. “How could I forget? Me being the reason for her being in this world means nothing compared to being the fun one.” He rolled his eyes as he leaned back in his chair. “I couldn’t be raising her right now without you Gale, she might as well be yours as well.” He pointed out. Aurora sat in her toy, playing with the little lion figure before giggling and looking over at the two professors.

“I don’t try to flatter you. I just do. It’s just the state of the world we live in,” he shrugged. Sebastian was gorgeous and he and everyone who saw him knew it. Not to state it out loud would just be a lie. “Oh no, don’t give me permission to crash whenever. I’ll end up moved in by the week,” he said with a laugh. He loved being around Sebastian and even more, he loved being around Aurora. He’d never leave them if he didn’t have to.  “You being the reason she’s in the world?” he repeated before laughing. “Sebastian, you had sex, congratulations.” Sure, the sex had resulted in Aurora, but it wasn’t like Sebastian had put forth any extra effort to make it happen. He smiled over at Aurora when Sebastian said she might as well be his and his heart swelled at the idea. This probably was the closest he’d ever get to having a baby - it wasn’t like he could accidentally get someone pregnant or anything. “I’m just...happy to be here for you both. I’m happy to get to help,” he said before giving Sebastian a soft smile. 

“That’s true. I don’t know if I could do it. Imagine you being unsure if people were laughing at your jokes or your body. It’d be tough to separate the two.” It didn’t matter how nice your body was, doubts could always run wild in anyone’s mind. Sebastian smiled, honestly missing their times at his house over the summer now that they had their own quarters again. “Still. It’s a bit different now being back at work.” He shrugged casually. His smile grew slightly as Gale’s hand rested on his before his eyes glanced over to Aurora. “Daddy #2? So I’ve been demoted?” He joked, looking between the two people that always seemed to mean the most to him at the end of the day. “You basically have one.” He mentioned casually, eyes now focused on his daughter as she bounced in the muggle toy. “Just tell them you share dad duties with me. No one can give you shit for that.”

“Oh, please, like anyone would laugh at this body? It’s the second most perfect physique out there, following yours, obviously,” he stated. Evan baring everything, Gale had never lacked in confidence. He worked hard and was proud of who he was, no matter what. “I know. It sucks having to actually walk to get to you instead of just apparating,” he said with a small pout before he laughed at the comment about the demotion. “You’ve always been #2. Fun dad always gets the first spot,” he teased. He looked over at Aurora with a soft smile when Sebastian said he basically already had a baby. “You here that, Rory? You’re officially my new nap buddy.”

It was odd knowing all these events were happening outside of the safety of the castle. The Prophet’s articles were enough to send shivers down his spine, but at least at Hogwarts they had the Aurors on the look out. “Aw, but your body is perfect for a stripper. It would’ve been such a waste.” Sebastian teased. The two of them had had quite the time together when they stripped, but as degrading as some people might’ve thought it was, he wouldn’t have traded that experience for anything. “I don’t want you to think I’m some desperate stalker trying to get you in my life.” He smirked, a hand gently resting on Gale’s thigh. “We’re alright. She’s been a bit cranky today, but we had a nap a little while ago and she’s been better since then.”

“I could have told my comedy while naked,” he pointed out. Though, he’d had a fun time with Sebastian. It had been a nice ego boost to get paid just to be pretty and it didn’t hurt that he’d gotten to see Sebastian nearly naked almost all the time. It had certainly made their sex life exciting when they’d been together. “I basically lived at your place over the summer, I think it’s pretty clear that I’m happy to be here,” he said with a roll of his eyes when Sebastian said he didn’t want to seem like a stalker. His hand rested over the one that Sebastian put on his leg. He turned his head toward Aurora with a click of his tongue. “Rory, we’ve talked about your moods. Give Daddy #2 over here a break,” he said as a joke before turning back to Sebastian. “I want a baby. If I nap now, people just think I’m lazy. If I had a baby to dictate naps, everyone would just think it was cute.”

Everyone was on edge since the attacks at the student’s camp out and the gala, but Sebastian had never been more concerned for Gale in his life until then. He knew the other was worried about it all, but he admitted that he was doing a damn good job of acting like it wasn’t bothering him as much. “Ha ha. So funny.” He chuckled, eyes rolling as he set his quill down. “I was wondering when I was going to see you today.” He’d done his best to check up on him, make sure things were alright (even if he wouldn’t be completely honest with him if things weren’t), but any time he didn’t see him during their usual times it threw him off a bit.

Gale didn’t see the point in sitting around and worrying about himself - something was either going to happen to him or it wasn’t, all he could do was try to be as prepared as possible. Otherwise, he tried to act normal, knowing that the students were the focus, not his bloodline. That didn’t make it any less terrifying, however. But more than himself, he was scared for Aurora since unlike him, she couldn’t defend herself. “I know, I’m a riot. Should have been a comedian instead of a stripper, I might have made more money,” he laughed as he took a seat on Sebastian’s desk and glanced down at his papers. “You know, there’s this crazy thing called you coming to find me for once,” he teased. “How’re you two doing today?”

Sebastian sat in his office, trying to grade some of the first star charts of the term as Aurora was playing in one of the muggle toys Gale had purchased for her over the summer. It was hard being back after witnessing the attack and trying to go about business as usual when he was well aware something bigger was coming their way. There was a small knock on his door, and he sighed, looking over at his daughter who was happily bouncing. “It’s open.”

Things had been tense since the attacks, especially knowing that he was not only a muggleborn, but taught the class to bridge the gap between muggles and wizards. He’d never felt like a target before then but he kept pushing on, kept focusing on class and the students and of course, Aurora. He’d just finished up with a group of bitchy seventh years when he decided to stop by Sebastian’s office, letting himself in with a grin. “Awww, there’s my beautiful princess,” he practically cooed as he stepped inside. “Oh! And Aurora’s here too,” he teased. 

His head nodded, now even happier that Gale hadn’t been there. Merlin knew if Death Eaters could find a Muggle Studies professor to take out, they would have. “It’s been suspected they were still around. That was it though.” Sebastian muttered as he felt himself still shake. He knew he’d done the right thing for himself, but the thought that he could’ve helped someone else before leaving would’ve been better, right? “Left arm.” He said as he felt his head fall into the crook of Gale’s neck. “Medicine’s under the sink.” He hoped he had what he would need, but he was positive it wasn’t too serious. It just hurt like a fucking bitch.

Gale had never dealt with outright hatred for blood differences, but he had a feeling that that was about to change. And wasn’t the Muggle Studies Professor always one of the targets of Death Eaters? Especially if they were Muggle Born? He tried to ignore his own panic and focus on Sebastian instead. He pressed a soft kiss to the side of Sebastian’s head before carefully moving away to get to the potions under the sink. He came back with a pain potion and handed it over. “Do we need to get you to St. Mungo’s?” he questioned. “We can go there. I can watch Aurora or take her or......fuck, was it really Death Eaters?” He couldn’t get past that.  This was the moment that lead to a whole new world if it was trie, a world where he wasn’t wanted. A world where he’d have to fight. “I’m so glad you’re alive,” he breathed out. 

He should’ve just stayed in that night, let Gale spend some time with his daughter, and just take it easy. It wasn’t like there was anything waiting for him at the gala, but he had felt like he should’ve been there as a member of the Hogwarts faculty. Sebastian’s weight shifted, putting some of it against Gale as he helped him to the couch. “Death Eaters attacked the gala.” He said quietly, wincing as he felt a shoot of pain through his arm. “I-I should’ve stayed back.” He muttered, looking around. What sort of coward was he for not staying back? Then again, he was a father to a daughter who’d already lost one parent. He couldn’t risk anything else, could he?

Gale’s eyes widened at the mention of Death Eaters and he was glad they were already sitting so that he didn’t drop Sebastian. “Death Eaters? They’re still a thing?” he asked, honestly surprised. He thought their society was over all of that shit already. “No. No, you shouldn’t have stayed back. You have a daughter to think about. You did the right thing,” he said, not wanting the other to feel bad about not staying. He pulled him in for a gentle hug, not wanting to hurt the other but needing to hold him, at least for a few seconds. “What hurts? Tell me what I can do,” he said, just trying to focus on fixing Sebastian instead of the fact that actual Death Eaters were attacking and wreaking havoc.