Fic: Unguarded (Draco/Albus Severus, ~15k, NC-17)

[birdsofshore]

Title: Unguarded
Author: birdsofshore
Summary: Staying with Scorpius for the first time proves to be more eventful than Albus expected, right from the moment when he walks in on Mr Malfoy shaving.
Pairing(s): Draco/Albus Severus (age 43/17). Brief mention of Harry/Ginny. Mention of past Draco/Astoria.
Rating: NC-17
Warning(s): Powerplay, talk of cutting with a razor. This makes it sound really angsty – it isn't.
Word Count: ~15300

A/N: I've been looking forward to talking a little more about this fic, purely because I enjoyed writing it so much and found it fascinating how different it felt to other things I was trying to work on beforehand. It really brought home to me the joy that comes from writing something that's going well, as opposed to the drudgery and uncertainty of struggling on with something that simply isn't working. I simply could not leave this fic alone, or vice versa, and I had to make myself stop, because, honestly, it felt like I could have gone on forever.

I feel a little afraid that I will never write anything that feels this way again, nor anything that people liked so much. But, I'm going to try to stop thinking about that and just feel happy that I got such pleasure writing this.

I forgot to give credit in my original A/N to the fabulous website The Art of Manliness. They have some great resources about shaving and I also lifted some of Draco's dialogue and state of mind from their article here.

Straight razor shaving has meditative benefits. It’s a craft that requires you to slow down and really focus on what you’re doing. After a few times of shaving with a straight razor, you just might start to notice yourself entering an incredibly manly zen-like state.

You’ll feel like more of a bad ass. You’ll be shaving with a tool that can double as a lethal weapon. Putting razor-sharp steel next to your throat every morning reminds you that you’re alive.

I also found watching shaving videos completely fucking addictive and hot quite inspiring. This one is a favourite of mine. It doesn't hurt at all that the barber is so cute.

And this next one leaves me quite weak at the knees. The guy getting the shave just seems so blissfully into it, and he's so pliant in the female barber's hands, nnngh.

Both of these videos are actually SFW, which is ridiculous, considering how erotic they are (in my admittedly weird opinion :D).

I can also finally say thank you to my lovely betas! lumosed_quill, omi_ohmy and raitala were a joy to work with and so encouraging and helpful. Thank you so much. It was terribly indulgent having 3 betas, but, OMG, fun. ♥

Thank you again to gracerene for this wonderful prompt. Shaving kink will never not be irresistible to me and it was perfect for this pairing. ♥

Thank you to vaysh and kitty_fic for running such a stonking little fest! ♥  I think H/D will always be my OTP, but god, this is a seductive second. I adored lumosed_quill's description of DM/ASP as being "the ship for H/D people who are a bit WRONG." :DD

And thank you to capitu, who guessed my fic and sent me an email consisting entirely of the words "oh my god" written about twenty times :DDDD ♥


Unguarded

Comments

[sophie-french.livejournal.com]

Powerplay, talk of cutting with a razor. This makes it sound really angsty – it isn't.

Lololol! Oh god no! Nothing but sheer hotness! ♥

Oh, I hadn't seen the rest of the post! :P

I'm really happy that this has made you happy, and I'm sure it'll happen again. Sometimes we struggle and there is always a reason, even if we don't know about it. I've struggled for three long months on my Harrybang and very nearly dropped out, very, very nearly. Until someone pointed out to me what the problem was. It was really eye-opening, plus I've learned some valuable things about writing too.

Do you know what the problem with that fic was?

Anyway, I'm sure these videos are pretty hot, and god, you've managed to describe this act of shaving as incredibly sensual and exciting. It was UST at its best! ♥

The last thing I'll say is that no matter what happens to our fics, the ones we publish and the ones we don't, the important thing is that each and every one of them teach us something. And that's priceless! ♥

[birdsofshore]

Thanks Sophie! I always love your encouragement!

I haven't a clue what was wrong with my bang, other than, it was dull, badly plotted, with a big ensemble cast I couldn't control, H and D didn't really speak to one another for 20k, I didn't know how it was going to end or what it was about, and, errr. Yeah. That kind of thing :D

People offered to look at it and help me fix it but I was too ashamed to let anyone see it at all. I tend to be a messy writer with longer fics - I leave all sorts of gaps and put "insert banter here" and stuff. This was MUCH WORSE. It was like a ragbag. So no-one ever looked at it, and the thought of rewriting even the 20k I had made me want to lose the will to live. Maybe one day, when I've got the hang of this writing lark, I'll come back to it and just fly through it and write it all beautifully. Maybe ;-)

I'm so glad you were able to turn that problem with your bang around! I had something like that once - it just wouldn't come until I switched to Draco POV and then I was off and flying. In fact, switching to Draco POV is usually rhe solution to all my woes. THAT was probably the problem with Bang, LOL. It should have been Draco Bang ;-)

[lumosed-quill.livejournal.com]

THAT was probably the problem with Bang, LOL. It should have been Draco Bang ;-)

I've actually had this exact thought about what might have been the issue with your piece! You would kick a Draco Bang's pretty pretty arse!

[birdsofshore]

Well, I feel bad about that. Because I really adore Harry. And my longest fics have all been Harry POV! So I don't know if that really was the problem. It was probably just too long, too ambitious and *shrug* who the fuck knows? It's better in the recycle bin, anyway. I like the other stuff I've written since MUCH more.

[lumosed-quill.livejournal.com]

I didn't mean to insinuate that you *couldn't* write Harry, because I very much LOVE how you write Harry! Just meant that you were SO in Draco's head for the dm_asp piece that maybe your preference at that time of writing was strongly Draco. I hope I didn't just offend you, bb. <3 I almost didn't join the harrybang, because the only idea I had was very much Draco's life, too. But then YOU came along with your party game talk. ;-)

[birdsofshore]

Oh, god, no, you didn't offend me in the least! I just meant that I feel guilty for not managing to write 50k of Harry POV. I want to go and explain myself to Harry and tell him that I love him dearly anyway!

I think it could well have been part of the problem... I certainly did have a splurge of Draco once I ditched it. But, then again, it's quite a handy excuse for not managing it, know what I mean? I'm writing Harry POV again quite happily atm.

[lumosed-quill.livejournal.com]

Oh, that's fantastic! :-D

Yeah, I think one or the other of them just pipes up more readily here and there, and we all just have to follow that. And when the Draco voice is strong in you, young Jedi, boy the fuck howdy is it STRONG. You've got the strongest Draco voice I've ever read.

[birdsofshore]

Oh, well. *blush*

Oh.

♥

[sophie-french.livejournal.com]

I just can't focus at all on what you're saying with this icon.

I'm just drooling on my keyboard.

Sorry. :P

*useless comment is useless*

[lumosed-quill.livejournal.com]

Blame capitu. ;-) :-)

[sophie-french.livejournal.com]

God I understand about the Dracobang! I love Harry too as a character, I mean I really love him, he is my one and only, honestly, but for my harrybang, it's hard not to see Draco as a central character too. I think it'll be pretty obvious when people read it, but I hope I've managed to make it Harrycentric enough! :)

Anyway, I've had blocks like these and I agree, changing POV often helps. The block I had was different and it was all a question of genre. I mean, I was mixing two different genres and I didn't even know it and I've learned that, well, it's not really possible. Or it is, but I'm not skilled enough to. So once I'd picked what I really wanted to write, I felt liberated and now I'm having great fun. I had no idea it could happen! :)

About your fic being a ragbag, I know other very talented writers who write like this, I mean, out of order and betaing for them has taught me a lot. I admire people who are able to do that, I feel it's really complicated to do but it's helped me realise it's good to focus on what you want to write at the moment, not necessarily what needs to be written in chronological order.

God, I'm going to shut up now because I'm knackered, I've just had drinks with friends and I'm afraid I'm not making any sense tonight, sorry!!! :P

And I hope some day you'll get to write this story! :)

[firethesound]

Oh, those videos. The face-rubbing that happens at the end of each of them, especially the one with the girl. ::flail::

[birdsofshore]

His face around 6:50. NNNNNGH. He's so blissed out and it looks completely intimate.

[gracerene]

Oh that fic! So good! It definitely came across how much fun you had writing it! And if there were any doubts about the hotness of shaving beforehand, there certainly aren't anymore! Speaking of, I believe it's time for me to watch these lovely videos you have here.... :D

[birdsofshore]

Oh, grace, I hope you like the videos! I think they are largely responsible for the efficacy of the fic.

[lumosed-quill.livejournal.com]

This is going to sound really overdramatic, but I'm not sure how else to phrase it: getting to beta this fic was like getting to watch history being written. Like, this story had "I'm going to be legendary" written all over it. So it's a good thing I beta'd it, because "I'm going to be legendary" just doesn't make for good story-telling.

;-P

NO BUT SERIOUSLY FOLKS.

It felt like magic from the start, and I'm so happy it's gotten such a lovely reception! I know I'm going to keep coming back to it. <33

I've found that watching vids on this netbook is impossible. Yet another reason to prioritize getting The Big One fixed. I'm going to do that with this next paycheck. Then I can watch ALL THE SHAVING. \o/

[birdsofshore]

You crazy loon! A kinky Draco / Al fic = historical event occurring. Maybe if it had been the FIRST EVER Draco / Al fic. Hey, I wonder who wrote that? It would have been just after the epilogue of doom, I suppose. They would have been reeling from the awfulness, and trying to take in the fact that the whole series was over and deal with their feels about Harry in the forest, and, Oh halp, all of that....

and then suddenly a twisted little thought came into their brain. "Hold on, I could write Harry's youngest son all grown up and gorgeous and DRACO MALFOY could fuck him." Imagine the horror and the glee :DD

[birdsofshore]

Oh, and, thank you very much, of course. And I hope you can get the other pc fixed up soon. Sorry, I just got distracted with the thought of being the pervy fucker who first dreamed up DM/ASP :DD

[lumosed-quill.livejournal.com]

ROTFL!!! I love that pervy fucker, whoever she is. <3

And you're welcome! *snort*

[blithelybonny.livejournal.com]

In the words of Faith Lehane, 'this is a thing of beauty, boss'.

Seriously, beyond champion work. Paragon work, is what.

<3

[birdsofshore]

You are good to me. Thank you so much. I saw a good bit of flailing over rockstar!Draco, though - what a memorable portrait you painted there. This pairing is just so rewarding, ugh!

[blithelybonny.livejournal.com]

d'aw, thanks. :)

All around, this was such a solid fest. Everybody brought their A-Game!

I loved LQ's thing too, about it being for us wrong-folks. Nothing wrong with that at all, lol.

[anemonen.livejournal.com]

This fic was such a treat! I could tell you have fun writing it, and I'm sure you'll find that again :D Thanks for sharing this with us! And I loved reading your additional notes here. <3
This fest spoiled us so much!!!

[birdsofshore]

Thank you; I really did enjoy it! It was a small but very exciting fest. I hope maybe a few seeds of DM/ASP shipping might have been sown, so that perhaps next year some more people will come and play?

[capitu]

Oh birds, THIS FIC!

I know it's the first time you ever switches POVs, but damnit. I wish I could have recored my reaction because I loved having Draco's pov so much. I think I danced and did fistpump while going OH MY GOD, over and over in my head. I was ecstatic while reading this fic (seriously, I was incoherent), it was an experience, it was delicious and so fucking hot, and your Draco, the perfect mature fucking bastard on the planet that had this cake and ate it too and I loved it.

[birdsofshore]

\o/
I'm so glad you liked it. Draco always wants to have his cake and eat it, too, and I thought it was time he was indulged. However he is quite pissed off on some level that he had to let Albus go back to Scorpius' room. He wanted to keep him in HIS bed and, well, play with him until the sun came up, basically.

[capitu]

I KNOW!!!! I'm not surprised there was talking of a, what was it, 50k of this? XD

[nia_kantorka]

These vids. Not as hot as your fic, Birds. Though I found them quite relaxing and want one or two of these hot towels on my face. NOW. :D

And I seriouly enjoyed your little dream about the first dm/asp fic after the epilogue of doom. ROFL

[birdsofshore]

Those videos are scary HOT. I think there is something wrong with me.

Imagine that moment, though! All of it still going around in your head as you finish Deathly Hallows. You're stunned... maybe elated... maybe tearful... and then the evil thought comes into your head, HARRY HAS A SON NOW. A SON FOR MALFOYS TO DEBAUCH.

[nia_kantorka]

*giggles* I don't think so. You just have a healthy barber kink and we are all happy about it. It just got us THIS FIC. ♥

LOL
FOR MALFOYS as in more than one hot blond guy debauching the 'poor innocent' Potters. So many possibilities. Yay.