A/N: Though Remus has agreed to try a relationship with Tonks, his actions say differently. Remus/Tonks. I do not own Harry Potter.
Submission for:
The Dance Competition: Merengue - Write about a couple who is afraid to open up to each other.
Pick a Card, Any Card Challenge: Five of Diamonds: Write me some Remus/Tonks
Achieve that OUTSTANDING: Acceptable - Angst. Prompt: alone
"You agreed to give us a chance, Remus, but I need a little more than this," she says as she takes the chair across from him.
She steeples her fingers as she gives him a hard stare which pins him to chair's high back. He looks at her nervously. "What's wrong with this?" he asks but he knows exactly what's wrong. Since the day he agreed to the relationship, he has still been avoiding her. Every time she enters a room, he tries to leave. It's simply because her chair is closer to the door than his why he hasn't already made a run for it.
"You haven't touched me since," she says bitterly. "And I'm not talking 'intimately'," she continues, which causes him to cringe at a bit, "I'm talking not even a brush of skin. Don't think I haven't noticed that you never look directly at me when we talk, or the way you turn around whenever you see me."
He looks down at his hands. She's right. She's always right. "Tonks, I-, It's just, I-"
"It's what, Remus?" she demands, interrupting his stammering. "You told me you'd try. You gave me your word. I need to know if your word is worth anything."
"It is. I wouldn't have said it if I didn't mean it," he says. In his heart, he knows he meant it. He wants to open up to her and let her in but he can't. He's still scared she'll run when she discovers the real him.
"Then prove it in your actions as well," she says. She rises from her place and comes to crouch near him. She places a soft hand on his knee and he flinches.
She frowns at this, but says softly, "I'm not going to hurt you, Remus. I'm not going to run from the big bad wolf."
He gives her a wry grin, knowing she trying to diffuse the situation with humour.
She gives a small smile and continues, "I want to know everything about you, the good and bad, your hopes and your fears, but you have to actually let me in. You can't just say you will. We both have to try, we both have to work together for it to work."
It is in that moment he realizes that she is just as fragile as he is. She too is scared of losing someone. He nods and then reaches out to put a hand over hers. He looks deeply into her eyes and says, "You're absolutely right. I'm so sorry. I'm not very good at this. Everyone I ever knew ran away from me after I first told them, and the only people who haven't are dead or as good as. I don't want to lose anyone else. I don't want to be alone again."
"Then stop pushing me away, Remus. I'm here for you," she says. She reaches up and puts her hand on his face. He can feel her warm palm against every scar and is grateful that she finds no problem with it. She leans in and he meets her halfway.
When they release, she gives him a hard look. "Are we going to have to have this conversation again?" she asks. Though stern, there is a small hint of playfulness in her voice.
"Never again, my dear," he says softly as he brings her in for another kiss.