In Need

CHAPTER 9

NOTES:

Hi, dears,

Thank you for all the love you've given this story so far. I love seeing your kudos and reading your comments.

I have a warning for this chapter. This is going to be heavy, this chapter and the next will discuss and show quite an ugly face of childhood trauma. If you want to understand more about it, check out @MattiasJBarker on Instagram and Youtube. His videos are very informative, he talks about how childhood trauma manifests itself, how it works and how can we heal. I took a lot of his explanations to understand how Severus's trauma might manifest and how Harry might be able to help him. I hope I did it justice.

Also, some offensive language is used in this chapter.

Rest assured, Severus WILL have a happy ending. But he was to fight the ugly parts first.

ENJOY!

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Harry woke up to childish giggling next to him. He opened one eye, surprised, and saw Severus sitting up in bed with his legs crossed, looking at him with a wide grin on his face.

"Morning, buddy. I see you're already awake" Harry said, but Severus only giggled, covering his mouth with his hand "now, what's so funny?"

"Your hair, Hawee!" he exclaimed, pointing at Harry's head.

Then, he couldn't control it anymore and a burst of laughter erupted from his belly. He fell back on the mattress, rolling around with uncontrollable laughter, and Harry touched his hair to see it was more of a mess than it usually was. And that was saying something.

"Alright, my hair is a bird's nest, I get it," Harry said feigning annoyance, but his wide and twinkling eyes gave him away. "I may have to do something about that, hm?"

Severus only laughed harder and Harry joined him, feeling his stress going away and his heart flutter in his chest. He couldn't deny he adored those Sunday mornings. It was on those days they had time to themselves and Severus naturally fell back into headspace, that Harry most loved seeing his Little charge. Sometimes Severus still needed a nudge, a bit uneasy at the prospect of regressing, his own guilt surfacing. But other times he felt safe and secure in the knowledge that he wasn't alone any longer, and almost as easy as falling asleep, he fell back onto his child self.

How long had Severus wished he had that but had denied himself that option? How long had Harry himself wished he had someone, a companion, a faceless person who would come up in his dreams and face their hardships together? This faceless person he'd been waiting for all his life had come in the way he least expected it. He was embodied in the person he'd spent years loathing; but now, he could melt his heart with only one look.

Harry smiled and caressed Severus's long raven hair, enjoying how soft it was now that he was looking after it more often. It didn't have that greasy texture anymore, and Harry saw how Severus enjoyed having his hair caressed and combed. His smile grew wider.

"I think it's time for breakfast, don't you?" he asked as he got up from the bed and he offered his hand to the child. Severus took it, but with a mischievous smile, he pulled his arm until Harry fell onto the mattress again. Then he sat on top of him, straddling him with a victorious expression.

"I win!" he exclaimed with his fist in the air.

"Oh, really?" Harry asked, playfully "I don't think so"

And then he turned around, taking the man with him, and began tickling him in his ribs. How he had discovered he was ticklish he couldn't remember, but as soon as his hands touched Severus's skin he squirmed, trying to get away from his attacker.