He hadn't really expected Percy to forgive and forget that easily, or to give him a second chance. He was a Slytherin, and if it was one thing he'd learnt growing up was that things didn't come easily and that trust rarely came at all.
That didn't meant that every word didn't cut him like a knife.
But when Percy accused him of fucking others, he couldn't just lay still and take it. That he wouldn't let Percy believe, and so he made the mistake of moving, fast, his voice when he spoke, half yelled, torn between the agony of having to listen to Percy's word and the agony of moving.
'No!' He couldn't say much more than that, not as the pain forced him back onto his back, though even then he shook his head. 'Distrust everything you fucking want, but don't distrust that, please!'
Taking a couple of deep breaths he let the pain subside before he went on. 'I love you, and I never fucked anyone but you, not since we decided to be more than friends. I know I fucked up - but I didn't fuck around.'
'I would love to say that I didn't tell people about us either, but as you pointed out, I gave it away when confronted with my mum's kidnapping. You're right about there not being a way for Rodolphus to absolutely know, though he could certainly guess from our living arrangements - and our way of trying to keep said living arrangements a secret. But no, I gave it away when faced with the news of my mother, with my reactions if nothing else.'
He sighed, heavily, almost as if defeated. Percy's words rang in his head, and he really didn't know how to answer it. How do I trust someone like you? How, indeed. And yet...he wasn't a quitter, he wasn't one to roll over and play dead. He had always fought for what he wanted, and he couldn't just give up.
'I never breathed a word about it to anyone without your knowledge before that day, I swear! As for work, if you're that worried then fire me right now,' he said, feeling as if he'd already lost all he could lose. What was one more thing? 'I love my job, but it's not nearly as important as you.'