He was tense, his shoulders ached from it but he didn't care. After three painfully long months, the moment was here. The moment he'd see him again. Excitement rippled through his body as the Muggle contraption landed back on Earth with a slight bump. A mission had taken - no - stolen him from Remus, but now he was back and ready to make up for lost time.
The plane taxied maddeningly slowly down the runway and in towards the terminal. Sirius bounced his foot impatiently. It had been bad enough being abroad and not able to see him because at least then there was a feasible reason why he couldn't just apparate to the apartment the Marauders had originally all shared. But now he was within apparating distance, it was almost unbearable the speed the Muggles were moving at it was as if someone had cast some spell to slow down time for everyone other than him.
He toyed with the wand holster on his wrist, almost daring himself to just apparate out. Just when he was about to focus on the three D's, the door on the outside of the blasted Muggle flying machine opened, and people started grabbing bags down from the overhead lockers, completely ignoring the nice Muggle stewardess and her requests for order and queues. Sirius shot to his feet (thumping it on said overhead lockers) and tried pushing into the steady stream of people who had somehow thwarted his plan to get off this thing first.
He practically sprinted through the airport towards baggage claim, fighting the urge to just apparate home. But that would have defeated the whole purpose of being away for so long. He had been hunting his way across Asia and Australasia tracking down various plants, herbs and creepy crawlies for a potion Lily was inventing. A potion that would hopefully, if everything went to plan, and she managed to brew the stupidly complicated thing correctly; stop Remus from actually turning every month, limiting his curse to only the usual PMS-like symptoms.
When the bag was finally in his arms he tore across the airport to the 'Designated Apparation Area' (otherwise known as a large cupboard) and flung himself and his precious cargo into the void.
He staggered upon landing, luckily managing to keep a grip on the bag that meant so much. His room was exactly the same as he had left it, draws overturned, bed unmade, shoes all over the floor. Despite tripping over a shoe, he managed to get the bag onto his bed before he almost broke the door in his hast to get to Remus.
"MOOOOOOOONY, I'M BACK! DID YA MISS MEEEEEE!?" Sirius bellowed as he ran around the flat, checking everywhere his Moony could be hiding.
It was only when he got back to the start (his bedroom) that he entertained the possibility that Remus was in fact, not there.
Feeling slightly miffed, he grabbed his bag again and Apparated to somewhere that would appreciate him and may also house the elusive (and rare) species of werewolf.
He rapped on the door sharply. After a few seconds of no-one answering, he rapped on the door again, only for it to open halfway through the second nock.
"Yes, yes, I'm com- Pads! It's good to see you, mate!" James shouted, placing a heavy hand on Sirius' shoulder and dragging him into the house for a long-awaited hug.
Sirius, desperate to share the revelation that he'd had whilst on his mission, whispered into James' ear. His best mates eyes widened for a brief second before hugging Sirius even tighter.
"I'm happy for you, mate! Have you told Moony?"
Sirius bounced excitedly on the balls of his feet.
"Nope, that's why I'm here, I thought he might be with you."
James was nodding before Sirius had even finished his sentence.
"Yeah, he's inside playing with Harry and Lily, do you want me to send him out?"
Sirius grinned wider, if he'd been Padfoot at that moment, his tail would have been doing a fairly impressive impression of a windmill in a hurricane.
"If you wouldn't mind, Prongsikins, oh and here's a present for Lily,"
James gave him a funny look before disappearing down the hallway with Sirius' bag slung over his shoulder.
He could feel his heart racing as he waited, peering intently down the hallway of James' house. To follow James would have probably led to him blurting out his discovery, as opposed to telling Moony the way he wanted to.
Two tense and yet excited minutes later, his canine enhanced eyes spotted him. It was strange how he had expected him to have changed massively in the time they had been apart, and yet he was almost exactly the same as when Sirius had left - even his jumper was similar (previously grey with green stripes, now green with grey stripes).
Sirius drank in the sight of him, witty comments and puns about how long it had taken to fetch Moony (get it? Fetch…) dying on his tongue. All he could think of was how much he'd missed him, right down to that tiny freckle that occupied his left earlobe.
Remus smiled as he approached him, "Padf- Oof,"
Sirius dragged him into a hug, ignoring a smirking James who quickly disappeared back down that blasted corridor.
"I've missed you so much," he said, hugging him as tight as he could, safe in the knowledge that the full moon was about half a month away.
"I've missed you too, Pads," Remus said, pulling back from the rib-cracking hug and studying the man who had deserted his post as their bed's hot water bottle for the past 3 months.
Sirius, excited but nervous about his discovery decided to put it off for a few more seconds, "Why weren't you at the flat when I got back?"
Remus rolled his eyes.
"Because you didn't actually tell me when you'd be getting back, Pads," he sighed, exasperated.
"Ohhh," Sirius nodded, tipping his head back slightly with understanding, "that would explain it..."
"James said you discovered something when you were away?" Remus said with a small smile.
Sirius frowned slightly, that traitorous stag… He had no choice but to tell Moony now.
All bravado lost, Sirius stared at his shoes and tried to summon up the cocky confidence that had got him through the rest of his life and innumerable dates with people he liked a lot less than Moony. But then that was the problem, he liked Moony so much he was scared of what would happen if he mucked it up. They had a good thing going, their relationship was going in the direction he wanted it to go but what if Moony wasn't ready for this next step, what if it scared him off? They'd only been together for four months, and three of those were spent in different countries.
But he'd never know if he listened to 'what if's', Sirius thought grimly, and took a deep breath.
"Moony, I love you," he tossed out quickly, looking up at him through his eyelashes.
The man in question smiled as widely as Sirius had ever seen him smile and brought himself closer.
The kiss that followed was short but full of something that definitely wasn't a rejection.
"I love you too, Pads, I thought you knew that?" Remus said quietly, the huge grin returning.
Sirius smiled sheepishly and shook his head.
"Oh, Pads," Remus snorted, laughing lightly and grabbing hold of his hand.
They closed the front door behind them, Sirius finally walking down the corridor he'd been peering down.
"10 sickles Prongs'll wolf-whistle…"
"Well, at least it'd be appropriate," Remus turned to him quickly with a smirk, "and I don't take suckers bets..."
