Written for:

Camp Potter - Archery: Write about someone with a fear of commitment.

Build a Cube - Blue: Movement

The FRIENDS Competition - (Season 3) TOW The Metaphorical Tunnel: Write about someone who fears commitment.

Hogwarts Pride Month - Orange

A/N - thanks to those who have left reviews recently. I know I'm terrible at replying, but I'm glad you're all enjoying my stories. The reviews have been making me happier with my writing. :)

Hopefully I'll be getting more stories up soon. I think I'm getting my muse back!

Title: Making a Commitment

Sirius/Remus

Remus is not ready for the commitments Sirius is asking for but there's one commitment he can't say no to.

"I think I need to go for a walk."

"Do you want me to come with you?"

Sirius lowered his gaze, not meeting Remus' eyes. "I think I need a few minutes by myself. In fact, I'm feeling a little bit tired. I have something that I wanted to talk… I mean, I have an errand to run. Maybe I'll just go..."

Remus stared at Sirius, but Sirius didn't look up. "See you later, love," Sirius added, turning to the door and leaving. His shoulders were slightly hunched and from what Remus could see, he looked downright hurt.

Remus headed to the window, watching Sirius carefully. Sirius left the building the same way he left the flat, but lingered by the door, turning as though he was going to come back in.

After a long pause, Sirius shook his head and stormed away.

...oOo...

Sirius didn't call or stop by all week. It wasn't like him to stay away and Remus had waited hopefully every evening for one of Sirius' 'surprise' visits. Since they happened more often than not, they weren't so much of a surprise. But Sirius had never stayed away almost a whole week before and Remus hated him not being around.

Sirius had left because he had asked Remus about marriage and Remus hadn't taken it seriously. He hadn't realised that Sirius was so eager for commitment and had just brushed Sirius aside. Remus was scared of the idea of marriage. They had been together for two years, he didn't see the need to rush something like that.

But after almost a week of thinking, Remus knew that he had to offer Sirius something to show that he wanted the relationship to move forward. He didn't want to lose Sirius and this could be what broke them - the divide in what they wanted.

Remus wasn't ready to accept Sirius' proposal so he thought hard about what he could offer as a compromise. He decided that he was going to wait until after the full moon when he had his energy back.

...oOo...

Sirius didn't turn up at the same time he usually did and Remus slowly healed himself, wondering how much Sirius hated him and if Sirius would ever come back. Sirius had never not been there the next day. Even the day when he had told Snape about the tunnel, Sirius had turned up and healed Remus, even though Remus wasn't talking to him. Even the following month when Remus hadn't forgiven him.

Remus wondered if he should have said yes. Anything was better than being without Sirius. Even making himself marry Sirius. After all, he knew he wanted to spend the rest of his life with Sirius. It was the marriage side that terrified him.

But in Sirius' absence, Remus came to realise that he was able to take a smaller step. Living together. He was ready for that. Maybe that would be enough for Sirius?

...oOo...

Sirius was two hours late, but Remus was relieved that he actually turned up. He wasn't mad - just happy that Sirius hadn't forgotten about him. Those two hours had Remus panicking that Sirius would never return and he stumbled across the flat, throwing himself at his boyfriend.

"I think we need to take a break," Sirius said.

"Let's move in together," Remus said at the same second.

Remus pulled away and the pair stared at each other.

"Of course. A… a break." Remus walked from the room and to the kitchen to fix himself a cup of tea but Sirius was right behind.

"You want to move in together?" Sirius asked.

"It doesn't matter. You are right. A break is what you… we need." Remus knocked over the cutlery holder as he reached for a spoon and cursed under his breath as he fixed it.

"Sit down, let me do that. You should be resting," Sirius insisted.

Remus shook his head. Making the tea meant he could focus on the tea and not on Sirius wanting to take a break. Remus had seen enough movies to know that taking a break led to breaking up. It was pretty much the same thing. It contained the same word: 'break'.

"Last week you were so against commitment and now you want to move in together? Remus, you're confusing me."

"Well now that we're breaking up, maybe I won't be so confusing," Remus muttered, his hands shaking as he tried to spoon up some sugar for his tea.

"Woah, that's not what I said," Sirius insisted, taking the spoon from Remus and quickly scooping up the sugar. He glanced at Remus as he reached for the kettle. "I said 'take a break'."

"That's the same thing," Remus replied, grabbing the milk before Sirius could and putting it in his tea. Sirius beat him to the cup with the spoon and Remus glared at him. He was capable of making his own tea.

"Remus, you thought I was ending things and you were just going to accept that? You weren't even going to fight me on it? You weren't even going to ask why."

"It's because I messed up and refused to marry you," Remus muttered. "I should have just said yes."

"No. I don't want you to do something you don't want," Sirius said, his voice going quiet. "If you don't want that with me, I'd rather know than think that I'd ever get that from you."

"I never said never," Remus quickly replied. "I'm just not ready now." He watched Sirius as he took the cup to the dining table, and he shuffled over himself, taking a seat as Sirius started making his own drink. "That's why I said we should live together. I… I want that and thought maybe it would be enough. I guess not. I ruined things too much."

Sirius was silent as he made his own drink. He took a seat at the other side of the table.

"I was hurt when you turned me down. We both discussed this being a forever thing and I thought that meant that you were ready for marriage. Marriage is forever. You're my soulmate. I want to spend my life with you."

"But you want a break?"

"It's… Remus, I've just become a father."

"I think it's time you leave," Remus whispered, feeling faint. Just became a father meant that nine months ago (give or take a few weeks), Sirius… no. He wasn't going to let himself think about it. Sirius cheated on him and that was worse than anything because Sirius swore he would never do that to Remus.

"Wait, what?"

"I said it's time for you to leave," Remus snapped, forcing the tears back. Remus didn't want a break. He wanted it to be over now. They were through. "We're done."

"What? I don't understand?"

"What's not to understand? You have a kid, Sirius. Who is she? How long were you sleeping with her for?"

Sirius stared at him for a moment before his eyes widened. "No, Moony. No! I haven't ever. I swear. I mean… last month there was an urgent meeting and a boy had been attacked by a Werewolf. He has been in hospital almost the whole month, recovering. His parents were waiting for… he transformed last night and that was what his parents were waiting on. They abandoned him. I've been to see him a few times, keep him company, you know…"

"You never mentioned this kid," Remus interrupted.

"I never needed to. I just thought he was a lonely kid and he was scared after the attack and stuff…" Sirius shrugged and let out a loud sigh. "This morning his parents signed the forms to give him up. Just like that. The Order stepped in…" Sirius fixed Remus with a hard stare. "I adopted him this morning. Dumbledore said that Greyback's pack are trying to get all the abandoned young Lycanthropes to teach them… I offered to adopt him. I couldn't allow a child to be used as Greyback's weapon or to get hurt."

"So you didn't cheat?"

"I would never!" Sirius exclaimed. "But I've a kid now and I'm going to be bringing him home from the hospital later and… and I'm going to be moving to a bigger place. I want the break because I've made a commitment to being a father and I know you aren't ready for commitment. I don't want to be apart from you, we just need to cool things. No overnight stays because of Teddy. His life is changing so quickly and I need to offer stability and… and stuff."

Remus nodded slowly, processing the information. "So you only want a break because of… Teddy? If you didn't have Teddy, what would you be saying and doing right now?"

"Helping you get dressed so we can go flat hunting," Sirius said, with a shrug. "But I get it. Commitment isn't your thing." He smiled slightly. "But I had no choice. The kid looks a bit like you. He's four, Remus. You were four when you were bitten. You said once that if you didn't have your family, you doubt you'd have survived. I wanted him to have what you had. That's why I was late. I was making sure Teddy was alright. He… he needed me more."

Remus stood up and Sirius stopped talking, frowning slightly at the unexpected movement. "Remus?"

"You might want to help me shower and get dressed," Remus ordered, walking slowly from the room and trying not to wince at the pain in his face. "Bring me to meet our son and then we'll look for our new flat."

"Our son?" Arms wrapped around him tightly. "Remus, our son?"

"Yes," Remus sighed. "You're right. He needs a good home and I can't think of anyone better to give him that then us. I didn't picture kids and marriage for another… five years at the very least, but I'm not going to step back from the best thing that's ever happened to me—you, Sirius—because you opened your heart to someone else who needed you more than me. I can't commit to marriage, but I can commit to living with you and raising a child with you."

Sirius' lips pressed against Remus' neck. "This was going to be one of the worst days of my life, taking a break from you, but it's quickly turning into one of the best," Sirius murmured. "So, let's go in the shower and celebrate… I mean, get cleaned up, and then we'll go and meet our son officially."

"I need to call my mum," Remus said, feeling dazed. "She'll want to know that we have a child."

"She'll be over the moon," Sirius said, laughing at his own joke. "And we'll need Godparents and we'll have to look at schools - he'll be starting school in September."

"It's December," Remus pointed out with a grin. "We'll have to ask around for ones that have magical knowledge."

"Christmas presents," Sirius said, leading the way into the bathroom.

"Having to buy more chocolate," Remus said, starting to warm to the idea more and more.

"Like you need an excuse. Moony, we're going to live together."

"We are," Remus murmured softly. The idea of raising the boy with Sirius just felt right. For the first time, Remus found he wasn't scared of the commitment at all.

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Thanks to Lizzy for betaing.

1895 words