Love. Love was a foreign concept to Remus Lupin. It was something that his parents stopped telling him when he was four. It was when he was 8 that his older made him freeze up brother told him that no one would ever love him because he is a monster. Hearing Sirius say those three words to him for the first time since they became boyfriends made him run away leaving a very confused and hurt Sirius behind. Remus kicked at some of the old boards in the shrieking shack angry. Why would Sirius love him? He was incapable of having love. He was a monster. Those thoughts circled through his mind as he kicked and let out his anger and frustration. Sirius showed up a few minutes later, Marauders map in hand.
"Moony," Sirius said quietly tentatively taking a step towards his boyfriend. "What's wrong?" Remus had never told his friends about his parents lack of love for him. He always exaggerated how kind his parents were to him during the holidays. "Please talk to me Moony. You're scaring me. Do you not love me or something?"
"How could you possibly love me? I'm a horrible monster remember?" Remus yelled.
Sirius slowly over to his boyfriend. "You're not. Talk to me. Tell me what's wrong. Please. Do you not believe me?"
Remus broke down crying and confessed to Sirius all of the pain that his family has caused him over the years and how his brother told him that no one could ever grow to love a monster like him. "I don't know if I don't believe you or not. I just have been told so many times over the years that no one could love me so its hard for me to believe someone could."
Sirius frowned. "Oh Moony. I am sorry to hear that. You do deserve love. And I am telling you the truth when I say that I love you. You're amazing. You're sweet. You're not a monster. This explains a lot actually. Why didn't you say anything? We've shared so many things with each other."
"Because, I don't know. I guess I thought they were right. Why would anyone want to be with someone like me and how could they love me?"
"I'll tell you why I want to be with you. When you smile it brings light to my very dark life. Your laugh sends shivers down my spine. It is the most amazing sound that I've ever heard. When you touch me I have never felt calmer. When you look at me with those special eyes I melt. You are the best. You are the sweetest person. You're also the smartest person I know. I love how sneaky you are with pranks. You've pulled off so many amazing pranks and never got caught for them."
Remus couldn't help but laugh. "You guys never seemed to get mad at me when McGonagall would blame me for those things. I guess there are perks to being a top marks student."
"I love you. For those reasons and millions more. I hope that you believe me. I would never lie to you about something like this or lie to you period about anything serious," Sirius told him taking his hand. "It's ok if you can't say it back. I understand."
Remus took a deep breath before speaking. "Sirius, I care about you so much. I hope you know that."
"I do," Sirius told him gently kissing his lips. "Even if you can't say the words I can tell through your actions. I love you Moony. I have for a long time and will continue to love you till the day I die. I don't need to hear those words from you to know that you feel the same. I just wanted to tell you how I felt. You don't have to say the words to me until you're ready to do so."
Remus felt slightly relieved. "Padfoot, you deserve to be with someone who can say those words. I feel that way towards you but I don't know if I can ever say them. When you've been told that no one would love you its hard to express love towards others. At least its that way for me."
Sirius kissed Remus's nose. "I only want you. I hope you'll be able to say those words one day but its not the end of our relationship if you can't. I know its hard for you to verbalize how you feel. I am sorry for freaking you out. But I was serious and am serious when I say I love you. I'm going to tell you that all the time and show you that I do so you can believe me and trust that there will always be love in my heart for you."
Remus couldn't help but start to get a little teary eyed. "Padfoot, you're the best."
Sirius smiled and gave his lover a tight hug. "You're the best."
Six months later
Sirius sat across from Remus at the table in the Great Hall reading an article in the Daily Prophet about how werewolves should be put to death. "Stupid ministry people. They should be put to death for even suggesting to put down werewolves. Not all werewolves are bad. You are the sweetest person I know Moons," Sirius said tossing aside the paper to look at Remus who didn't hear much of what Sirius said. "Earth to Moony."
"I love you Sirius," Remus said letting the words roll off his tongue easily while smiling that special smile that he reserved for Sirius. Sirius's heart stopped and all thoughts of what he just read in the paper left his mind.
"Morning Padfoot. Moony," James said sitting beside Remus. James looked at Sirius who climbed on top of the table to hug his boyfriend which resulted in both of them tumbling to the ground and James getting food and drink dumped on him.
"I love you too," Sirius said kissing Moony with tears in his eyes. James stared incredulously at his two friends going at it on the ground.
"You two do know that you're in the great hall and you're causing a scene," James asked amused. He knew how touchy they got with each other but he had never seen anything like that happen before. Even Sirius is better at composing himself in front of the whole school.
"Shut up Prongs," Sirius said smiling down at his beaming boyfriend.
Remus smiled and pulled Sirius back down for a kiss. Not even the wrath of McGonagall could keep Sirius from kissing some part of Remus as she escorted the two of them out of the great hall.