that.butitwastrue,wasn’tit?potterhadsavedbloodyeveryone.andnowhestillfeltlikehehadtodowhatpeopleexpetedofhim?

draosighed,dreadingwhathewasabouttosay.“youdorealiseitwouldn’tbeselfishofyoutolivethelifeyouwantforyourself,right?”

potter’seyeswidened.

“you’renotdoinganybodyanyfavours,beingalltorturedandbrokenupaboutit.”ashereahedforhisup,draomadesurehiseyesdidn’tleavepotter’s.itwasharderthanhehadantiipated.hewasbeingahyporite.beausethatwasexatlywhathewasdoing,but,apparently,hewasbetterathidingitthanpotter.butitwasn’tlikehewasn’twonit.hewastryingtobebetter.itjusttooktime.apparently.

“i…ihaven’tthoughtofitthatway,”pottersaid,astonishmentwrittenalloverhisfae.

“well,asmymotheralwayssays,youan’tmakeotherpeoplehappyifyouaren’ttrulyhappyyourself.”

potterlookedlikehewantedtosaysomething,buthestayedsilentandsimplynodded.draoinwardlysnorted.howhadthisturnedintoamindhealingsession?itwasutterlyabsurd.

“areyouhappy?”pottersuddenlyasked.drao’smouthdroppedopeninvoluntarily.hisinstintstoldhimtoreplywithsomethingsnarky.but…afterpotter’shoy,baringhisiies,itjustdidn’tfeelright.

“idon’tknow,”draosighed.“ithinki’mhappierthaniwasrightafterthewar.”

hedidn’twanttogetintotoomanydetails.justbeausepotterfeltomfortablesharinghisseretswithdrao,didn’tmeanhehadtodothesame.

“youeverthinkaboutgettingajob?”potterasked.

draosnorted.“asifanyonewouldemployme.”