They were sat together at the edge of the lake, watching as crystal water lapped gently at the roughened shore before slowly receding, only to be back again for more as the tide pulled in. Changes were upon them, and for the two men this time right now was for relaxing and letting the slightly humid air melt away the anxiety of an ending year, taking insecurities and inhibitions with it.
A melancholy mood settled over one of the men as he peered over at his companion; the one in which he owed for everything in his life. He would be nothing, feel nothing, know nothing if not for this still boy; lingering on the cusp of adulthood, not yet crossed over and playful in his boyish immaturity as he was still allowed to be. The man being watched so thoroughly stared straight ahead, mesmerized by the tranquility of the shore, a quizzical look dancing about in his moon-struck silver eyes. He remained oblivious to the piercing gaze tracing every slightly rounded angle of his face. The enraptured eyes of his companion followed a strong jaw, dark with barely there stubble, up to perky full lips and a straight nose, playing into almond eyes filled with mischief and carefully concealed intelligence. Smooth black hair fell carelessly across his forehead and curved around the man's ears, lifting up at the ends, matching the eyelashes that shadowed his eyes and brushed high cheekbones. He studied the person sat beside him, expression lit by the dying light of the sun as it sunk below the hills stretched out before them. He stared and let his mind wander and take over as he pondered everything that had brought them to where they were today.
The other man turned his head and peered at his thoughtful companion, jerking him out of his nostalgia as he shook away the haze and turned his eyes upon his friend's.
"Whatcha thinking about, Remus?", the dark-haired man inquired.
His friend, Remus, simply stared back, meeting his gaze evenly for so long the dark-haired man thought for a second he might have missed his question. Remus suddenly dropped his eyes to his lap, seeming to struggle with himself silently and quickly before settling and appearing to make a decision. He lifted his deep amber eyes to lock with his friend's, supple lips opening to state quite honestly, "you, Sirius."
Sirius startled a bit, the answer obviously not what he expected to hear, and quirked an eyebrow.
"Why?"
In answer, Remus did something neither of them could have pre rehearsed, something that threw caution to the wind and could easily end a friendship and everything each man has ever known and held onto.
He leaned in and pressed his chapped lips to Sirius' slightly parted ones.
The moment soft lips touched against spit-slicked surprised ones, sparks flew for Remus like electric fire from head to toe. The sun was bathing them in a gentle afterglow of yellow light that danced across the lake and highlighted their faces and it was oh so cliché but oh so perfect and Remus didn't care that this might change everything.
Because Sirius wasn't pulling back.
He wasn't pushing Remus away and letting disgusting derogatory terms fall of those beautiful lips while he rushed off into the sunset without Remus. Sirius was clinging, grappling, holding Remus against him while applying even more pressure into the kiss that was rapidly deepening. Finger nails were clawing into Remus' arms, Sirius grasping onto Remus like he's his last link to this life.
Maybe he is. Maybe he always was.
This would change everything. This could make or break the life they had built over secrets and smiles and late night conversations under musty bed curtains, laughs and the feeling of having mates. This could be something ugly that cracked and foiled and destroyed the unbreakable, the friendship that maybe wasn't unrequited love, Remus thought, after all.
But this could be beautiful. Yes this would change things but maybe finally Remus wouldn't feel so broken and empty inside every time he laid eyes upon his friend, wouldn't feel the crackling pain of loving something and not having the confidence to reach out and take it.
As Sirius eased Remus down into the grass by the lake and landed on top of him, he thought, oh yes, this will change everything.
Together, the boy who took a chance on his dream and the boy who just discovered what was lingering under his nose the whole time let their thoughts mingle unknowingly, and bonded by trials of trust and connected by lips and intertwined fingers, realized that maybe that change will be beautiful.