Who: Zuko + Draco Malfoy What: Talking about future plans When: Recently Where: Their place Rating: Low Status: Complete
Draco was lounging on the sofa in the living room, eyes closed and thoughts running rampant around his head. He’d been so sure what he was going to do, finish college then get representation and see what he could do with a music career. But now. He had a regular gig at the bakery, was working on a collaboration with Mitchell and another with Robert. And then Pansy had mentioned music school.
He had no idea what to do so he’d decided to talk to Zuko about it all.
Zuko was curled up on the arm chair to the side of the room, large book in his hands and attention mostly on that. He liked reading, and he made a habit of doing it more often than not. He glanced up though, every once in a while, just to see what Draco was up to.
“You okay?” he asked, after a moment of silence.
Draco opened his eyes and looked over at Zuko, knowing it was a little odd for him not to be on the piano or guitar while Zuko read. Luckily it didn’t seem to disturb his husband if he played while Zuko was reading.
He shrugged, “I need to talk to you” he sighed, “Are you at a place you can stop?” he indicated the book.
Zuko blinked at that, frowning slightly. “Yeah,” he said, closing the book with no more thought on the matter at all -- setting it aside on the arm of his chair. “Of course. What’s the matter?” He felt worried, suddenly, and couldn’t quite place why.
Draco held his hand out to indicate Zuko should join him on the sofa, “Nothing to worry about” he assured Zuko, “I’ve just been thinking” which to be fair could be worrying in itself.
Well, it was a bit. Zuko had been raised on the idea that serious conversations that started with ‘I need to talk to you’ ended in break up or violence. There was no way that he wasn’t going to worry, even if Draco told him not to.
Obediently, he transferred himself to the couch next to Draco, pressed closer than normal just to calm his own nerves. “Thinking about what?”
Draco put his arm round Zuko’s shoulders automatically, he hadn’t even thought about how he’d phrased things. His mind was just really preoccupied.
“College, career, the future” he smiled, “You know just little things”
“Oh,” Zuko sounded a little lost for a second, a tiny bit dazed, but then he nodded, got over it as subtly as possible. His fingers curled around Draco’s forearms and just held on there. “Okay?” he prompted, encouraging Draco to finish with those thoughts.
Tilting Zuko’s face towards him he kissed his husband briefly, trying to reassure. He didn’t know what was going through Zuko’s mind but he could tell he’d worried him now. “I’m not sure if I want to go back to college” he said, “In fact I’m sure I don’t. I’d like to see if I can get my career to kick off. But wanted to make sure you’d be okay with that first?”
Brushing his nose against Draco’s cheek, the Japanese boy considered those words for a moment. His husband had been right, there had been no real reason to worry. “You should do what you want to do,” he said, easily. Because that was what mattered, really.
“If you’re not interested in finishing school, then you probably shouldn’t. Going through the motions isn’t how education should work. Do you know what- er, how-- you’d like to start?” Maybe he could help. Zuko was ridiculously business minded, and he read about it an awful lot.
Draco nuzzled into Zuko’s hair, he knew he’d be supportive of whatever Draco wanted to do but it was nice to hear it.
“I have no idea actually” Draco replied, “I mean I’ve got that regular gig at Audrey’s place and people seem to like my stuff. I guess contacting agents would be next” But while he’d been able to put Mitchell in touch with people he didn’t want to use anybody associated with his mother.
Zuko considered that for a moment, chewing at the inside of his cheek thoughtfully. His fingers curled tighter around Draco’s arm, and he found himself content, if not a little silly for being concerned.
“I think you’re forgetting the age we live in,” he told his husband quite seriously. “There’s no greater advantage than the technology we have now. Agents are possibly a good idea, but I think a fanbase on youtube would probably be a better start.”
It was a little silly, Draco was completely and utterly devoted to Zuko, he’d never suggest anything that might be bad for them and the idea of leaving Zuko would never even enter his head. He was with this man for life and beyond.
“Yeah?” Draco said, “So like upload a few songs that I do at the bakery and see what happens?” he asked.
“Yes,” Zuko nodded, but still looked thoughtful. “Well. That and -- you should just do stuff here and record it. Better quality and sound. A little more intimate.” Zuko was well aware that Draco was a beautiful man, that he could use that to his advantage just as well as he could his talent.
“Okay” Draco nodded slowly, he trusted Zuko and knew his husband had a good business head. Something Draco himself was lacking, “So it’s just occurred to me that I’ll need a manager, want the job?” he asked. It made perfect sense to Draco, he just hoped it did to Zuko too.
Zuko blinked at that, a little surprised by the offer. It did make sense in its’ own right. Zuko was competent when it came to business and monetary things (although, to be fair, they both had a lot of money, so it wasn’t as if they needed to be concerned there). “Really?” he asked, looking a little embarrassed. “I mean -- yes, if you don’t think it’d be a conflict of interest.”
"I need someone who looks out for my best interests and who will make the best decisions for me. Who better than my husband? The one person I trust above all others" Draco smiled, "Besides you'll need to reign me in if I start to get an inflated ego" he winked.
“It’s too late for that,” Zuko said wryly, amused. But then he nodded, looking thoughtful again. “I think -- I mean. I’ll do my best. You know, I was thinking about going to school.” It was like they were trading places or something.
Draco chuckled before listening to Zukos own plans, "Oh yeah, what lucky subject area is going to get that big brain of yours?" he asked, content now that things were a little more sorted and Zuko was in his arms.
Pressing closer, Zuko rested his head on Draco’s chest, thoughtfully. “Well. I figured business management.” That only made sense.
Draco nodded, "Perfect" he said, "You gonna be okay doing both?" as much as he wanted Zuko he didn't want to become a burden or a chore.
“Yes,” He sounded resolute about this, very sure. “I was only thinking about part time schooling. I’m in no particular rush with it. It will be nice to have something to do with my time for once.” He’d spent nearly the last year doing next to nothing and so he figured it was about time to start being productive with his life.
"It's a good idea" Draco said, hand coming up to gently brush through Zuko's hair. "You'll do well I'm sure, top of the class. And I think we work well together in every other way so I don't see this being any different"
“Maybe. I have to get into a school, first. And, yeah...I don’t either,” Zuko knew this to be the case because he was the one who pushed his husband out of the bed most mornings. Playfully, but still. “It could be -- you know. Fun.”
"You'll get in" Draco told him confidently, "They'd be stupid to turn you down" Zuko was one of the smartest people Draco knew after all. "It'll be lots of fun" he agreed, even being pushed out of bed could be fun sometimes. He knew this from experience.
More flies with honey than vinegar and all that. Anyway, Zuko benefited from being gentle in his pushiness, too. He smiled, feeling a bit reassured and pleased about everything, and so scooted down on the couch a bit in order to settle his head in Draco’s lap. “What’s the pay for this management position?” he teased.
Draco chuckled as he moved his hand from Zuko’s hair to his side playing with the hem of his shirt, fingers skimming the skin underneath every now and then. “I’m sure we can work out something you’ll be very happy with” he grinned, “How do you feel about payment in kind?”
Zuko snorted at that, but closed his eyes and just enjoyed the easy comfort that was this moment in their lives. “Mm, no. Hard cash or no dice, Malfoy.”
“Damn” Draco said, his fingers now playing over his skin more obviously, tickling gently along his side just stopping at his waistband before travelling back up again, “Sure I can’t convince you otherwise?”
Zuko actually giggled at that before turning his face up to give Draco a wry sort of expression. “But this was given freely before. It’s a terrible double standard, husband.” Of course, he didn’t actually expect or need pay, not really.
“You have me there” Draco admitted, “I’d say we’ll just have to do it more often but we actually need time to eat and study and write songs” he smirked. But it was true, if they increased the rate at which they had sex any more they really wouldn’t have time for much else. “Looks like it will just have to be a normal payment” Zuko may not need it but if he was going to be Draco’s manager it wouldn’t feel right if they didn’t have some form of financial agreement. Though exactly what he’d leave to Zuko, because he was kind like that.
If they had more sex, they’d probably just wither and die of starvation. Zuko seemed amused at this, and only shook his head, stealing Dracos hands and wrapping his own around them to sit the other man still for a time.
“We’ll come up with a plan of all those things later,” he said. “Anything else you were concerned about?”
Draco smirked when Zuko took hold of his hands but said nothing. He shook his head, “Don’t think so. Well Pansy suggested music school but honestly I can’t see me enjoying that any more than college” in fact the more he thought about it the less he thought it was the right move for him.
“What’s music school?” How was that any different than being a music major in college? Zuko rose his eyebrow and fully conveyed his confusion.
“It’s like a specialist school, the main focus will be on music and you audition to get in. That kind of thing. Higher level than you’d get in regular schools and colleges” Draco explained.
“Oh. Hm. I don’t really see the point to that.” Specialty schools didn’t always give a better advantage, and sometimes just came off as -- well. Not right for everyone, anyway. “Especially if you don’t even want to finish college.”
“Yeah I know. She just suggested it and it kind of distracted me from the idea I had,” Draco admitted.
Zuko shrugged, and it was a little strange from his horizontal position, but he managed well enough. He snuggled his cheek into Draco’s thigh and closed his eyes. “Well, you have a plan now. That’s something.”
“There is something else we could consider” Draco said, carding one hand through Zuko’s hair, “California law says we could get married here now...” he watched for Zuko’s reaction to the thought which had been running through his mind since it had been announced.
Zuko had recalled reading about it in the paper, seeing it on the news. He had, admittedly, not thought about it much more because he was terrible in terms of romanticism and just didn’t think about things like that too often. He peeked an eye open, glancing back up at his blond. “Do you want to be married again?”
Whereas Draco was actually a big old romantic at heart and soppy with it a lot of the time. He shrugged, "Might be nice to do it closer to home. Nothing big just Pansy, Robert, Hermione. Close friends and family. But only if you want to as well"
Draco was allowed to be romantic enough for the two of them -- Zuko reciprocated in the only way he knew how; he just tended to agree with everything Draco said. “We could do that,” he murmured. “It could be nice. Your sister might be happy about it.”
"I'm more concerned about you than Pans" Draco told him, hand still petting Zukos hair, "Do you want to do it again? In front of people we love this time."
“Well when you put it like that, what kind of shitty human being would I be if I said no?” He nuzzled into the head petting, amused. “But I mean, really. I would. If that was just you proposing this time. I do.” He laughed.
Draco chuckled thumb running gently down Zukos cheek lovingly before returning to the petting. "I'd get down on one knee but this is too comfortable to move" he replied cheekily with a grin.
“And I thought you were the romantic one,” Zuko said with a little pout. “I got on a knee for you, damnit.” But he enjoyed the petting anyway.
“You did and it was wonderful” Draco agreed leaning down to kiss Zuko softly, “But admit it, you don’t want to move either”
“Yeah, not really,” Zuko agreed, taking the kiss and bumping his nose against Draco’s chin playfully. “I suppose once is enough anyway.” Still, he felt happy about it -- about their agreement on the topic. It was comfortable instead of stressful like that first time, when he’d been sure he was going to pass out or maybe just die.
Draco laughed softly, “Well we wouldn’t want to overdo it. And it was you who proposed, I like remembering that” he admitted. Because even though it had been unexpected and he thought Zuko looked like he was having a panic attack he had still proposed and Draco loved that.
It did kind of suggest a momentary role reversal. It wasn’t like Zuko was normally the thoughtful romantic one. He supposed he liked it too. He wouldn’t change things. He nodded, and settled his head back into Draco’s lap. “I understand,” he murmured, and then considered just taking a nap here.
Smiling Draco continued threading his fingers through Zuko’s hair, soothing the other man into relaxation. He loved these moments, where it was just them quietly together enjoying doing nothing. Leaning his head back against the couch he closed his eyes feeling like a weight had been lifted from his shoulders, thanks to this wonderful man he called husband.