Till Death Do Us Part
Disclaimer: All Harry Potter names, characters and locations belong to J.K. Rowling. I own nothing that you recognize.
Written for the Torture the OTPs competition
Prompt - Your OTP is trapped in a cave. They are unable to escape the cave on their own and must wait to be rescued.
A/N: this story takes place during GoF when Sirius was hiding in a cave during the Triwizard Tournament. The idea is that Lupin knows where he is and has been visiting him from time to time.
There was something to be said about being an outcast, about having the freedom to do what you want without having others worry about where you've gone. It meant being alone to indulge in all your secret fantasies and desires, seeking the company of others who had been cast aside and forgotten. And so it was that one sought the other, driven by lust and the desire to be with someone who understood their fate.
Primal. That's what they called it. Their animal instincts taking control when they met outside the cave, the sun setting on the distant horizon as Lupin gazed into his eyes, seeing what they had once referred to as the "madness within". But none of that mattered anymore. Nothing did. They were alone in this world, with nothing to look forward to but the nights they spent together. It was during this time when the world fell away, with one taking care of the other, never thinking nor speaking about the world that existed outside.
Weary and worn, Lupin fell into his arms and let the world dissolve around him. He was grateful for him, for the fingers that found his scars in darkness, for the lips that pressed against his own as they lay down upon the earthen floor. This moment was theirs. Even the ground beneath their feet was quivering with anticipation, a sign they shouldn't have ignored as they continued with their merry making. It wasn't until an earthquake shook the ground that they stopped what they were doing and looked up to see an avalanche of stones blocking the entrance of the cave.
Sirius was first to try his hand at unblocking the entrance. He quickly buttoned his torn and tattered shirt, then drew his wand and moved towards the mound of debris. There was an explosion of light, followed by a string of obscenities as more rocks tumbled from the ceiling.
"Padfoot, wait!" said Lupin, holding up a hand to draw his attention away from the crumbling wall of rock. "The area is unstable. One more hex and you're liable to cause the ceiling to collapse."
"What do we do then? Just sit around and wait for someone to find us?"
Lupin's face fell, his shoulders sinking as he gazed at his partner. They knew what would happen if they stayed there too long, and that there was a slim chance anyone would become aware of their situation and come looking for them.
"How much time do we have?" asked Sirius.
"Three days."
Sirius sighed heavily, running his fingers through his tangled mass of hair. Under normal circumstances he could keep Lupin's condition in check by changing into his dog form. But Sirius' food supplies had run out, and unless someone came along to rescue them Sirius was going to have a ravenous werewolf on his hands in three days time.
.oOo.
One by one the hours slowly passed, with only the sound of water dripping from the ceiling to mark the passage of time. It was like a clock, each drop counting down the minutes until the final hour arrived. Every now and then they tried shifting the debris by hand, thinking that maybe they had a better chance of escaping if they didn't try blasting through the wall with magic. But even moving small amounts was rock and soil caused tremors that shook the ceiling, making them wonder if escape was even possible.
Lupin gazed into the darkness that surrounded them, the light from his partner's wand highlighting the scars on his face and hands. "Kill me," he whispered, his lips barely moving when he spoke.
It took a moment for his words to register in Sirius' mind. "No," he murmured, shaking his head. "There's still a chance. For all you know we could get out of here tomorrow."
"I said kill me." Lupin swallowed hard, his throat constricted with emotion. "By tomorrow it'll be too late. And if sacrificing myself is what it takes to save you, then I'm willing to give up my life so that you may live."
Sirius knelt down in front of him, his callused fingers easing the man's hair out of his face. "You know that I can't do that, Remus," he whispered.
"Padfoot, please..." Lupin was almost sobbing, his arms around the older man as he felt the tremors building in his hands, spreading from his fingers down through his wrists and arms. He gripped Sirius in an effort to stop the shaking, holding on for dear life as he felt Sirius' breath on his cheek.
The last thing he remembered was the feel of his lover's lips, so tender, so soft against the scars that etched themselves into the worn features of his face. One last kiss before madness consumed him, his claws pulling strands of muscle away from shattered bits of bone. He was able to resist the urge to kill for just a moment. One moment, where he was able to see into his lover's eyes, before the world fell away and he sank his fangs into the tender flesh above Sirius' collarbone.
It would be days before someone found him lying next to the body of Sirius Black, his eyes staring blindly at the ceiling. There was nothing left but to follow his lover beyond the veil, seeking comfort and forgiveness in the arms of the one who loved him.