AN: wanted to have this posted by V day... but oh well. Hope you like it and thanks for all the comments!

Come Valentine's Day, Sirius was determined to tell Severus how he felt. He loved him. He didn't want to get divorced, he didn't want to leave their house, and he didn't care about anyone else's opinion on the matter. He wanted Severus and it was about time he told him so. When the time came, however, Sirius found his mouth dry and his words faltering. Every opportunity to confess failed him and made him increasingly nervous and tongue-tied as the time flew past him.

By nightfall, Sirius was so tense and befuddled he simply lay there pretending to sleep when they went to bed, leaving Severus feeling frustrated and somewhat rejected on what should have been the most romantic of evenings.

The next day didn't go any better, and neither did the following week, nor the week after that, nor the week after that. In fact, the rest of the month was nothing but a sad series of failures and Sirius' strange behavior did nothing but convince Severus that his interest was waning. In response, Severus spent more and more time cooped up in his den to work on his book with only Sirius' moping dog to keep him company.

Sirius knew he was ruining everything with his strange and sudden cowardice, but he was a stubborn man, and Blacks were never known for backing down once their minds were made up. So, after trailing Severus around the house as an overly affectionate dog for a few days, Sirius slowly concocted a plan.

~0~

It was more then week into March, almost a full month since what should have been the most romantic day of the year, when Sirius' plan came to fruition.

Severus had spent the day over at the Potters, sharing his woes with a very sympathetic Lily, before returning home late in the evening. Much to his surprise, he found the living room lit only with the faint and flickering glow of a few sparsely placed candles. On the floor at his feet, was what appeared to be a black bear skin rug, and on top of it, almost invisible in the dim light, was Sirius' loyal mutt.

For a few moments, Severus surveyed the room, looking for any trace of his husband, but found none. He took a few steps in, rousing the canine with his movement, and made his way over to the coffee table where something glistening caught his eye. He picked a small glass bottle from off the table and stared suspiciously at the label.

"Lubricant?"

A noise from behind caught his attention and he looked to see the dog sit upright and look back at him. Then the black animal shifted among the shadows, the form lengthened, and the fur pulled back to reveal toned flesh. Bare, tanned, toned flesh.

Severus nearly dropped the bottle as an unclothed Sirius grinned at him and casually lay back on his elbows.

"Evening." Sirius chuckled as he watched the gears in the other man's mind turn. Yes he was the dog, but more importantly, there were candles, a very nice bottle of lube, and he was very, very naked. He smirked, and waggled his finger for Severus to come closer.

He felt a bit lightheaded as blood rushed away from his head, but Severus managed to walk over and kneel in front of the other Mr. Black without too much difficulty. Sirius took the lube from him and winked and whatever spare blood Severus had left in his upper half stained his cheeks a rosy pink.

Without so much as a word, Sirius placed a hand on his chest and guided him down to lie over the thick fur rug. He leaned in and placed a few chaste kisses on Severus' eager lips, then trailed them down his neck and stopped at the top button of Severus' shirt. Severus reached up to remove the obstacle between his lover's lips and his skin, but Sirius took his hands in his and smiled mischievously. "Ah ah, hands are cheating."

Severus bit his lower lip in anticipation while Sirius took the first button in his mouth, and after a moment, the button was undone and he slowly moved down to undo the next one. "Merlin."

Sirius paused from his work and grinned. "That's not my name."

It took an agonizing moment for Severus to realize his husband was stubbornly waiting to hear his own name between Severus' heavy breaths. "Sirius." He took advantage the opportunity presented by the pause to better maneuver himself and wrap his legs tightly around Sirius' waist. "Sirius, Sirius."

"That's better." He leaned back down, and button by button, slowly finished undoing the top portion of Severus' clothing. Then he looked up, and with a twinkle in his eye continued further down to work at removing the lower portion as well. This turned out to be far more difficult for him then planned as the large bulge he found there at mouth level proved to be very distracting.

Having two layers of cloths in between himself and the other man's attentions was maddening, and Severus reached down once more to remove the obstacle out of the way only to have Sirius hold on to his hands as before. "What did I just tell you?"

Severus' hips rolled from frustration and desire. "Hands are cheating."

"Good boy." He went back to his work, completely ignoring the fact that the zipper was still up and that he wasn't even trying to fix that problem anymore.

Severus pushed his hips forward and gripped large handfuls of the rug to keep his hands in place, but Sirius couldn't help himself. He loved driving Severus crazy, and he knew Severus loved it just as much as he did.

~0~

Hours passed, and the two men lay soiled, exhausted and exposed below the dying candle light. Caught up in the throes of passion, Sirius had finally declared his love for Severus Black, and Severus had answered him with enthusiasm and vigor.

It felt strangely calming now, dozing in the afterglow of lovemaking, to know for certain that they loved each other.

Sirius pushed closer against Severus' body and nuzzled into him affectionately. With his mouth pressed against one of Severus' shoulders the muffled echo of "I love you" could barely be understood, but Severus still smiled knowing exactly what was said, and basked in every word.

"I love you too." He never imagined things would have turned out like this, that he could be so serenely happy with someone he once hated so venomously. Now, as he lay peaceful and still in his lover's arms, his thoughts sped off to what their future held while the man he loved held him tightly and slowly drifted off to sleep.

~0~

When the time came, though they had had their difficulties, the ministry was forced to accept their union and approve their permanent marriage license.

They stayed in their beautiful country home until the fullness of their years when they were buried together on their favorite spot overlooking the meandering stream among the blackberry bushes that had brought them together so many years ago.

And when the old Black family home was ever visited by Regulus' grandchildren, it was always with the most fondness that he spoke of their great uncles whose names showed proudly on the mended family tree of the most Noble House of Black.

FIN