I would like to express my sincere apologies to my faithful reviewers. I have been battling with time, computer problems, and my rough-draft of this story and would like to say that this chapter will be worth your while. Again, I am soooooooooo sorry! *Grovels on floor at readers' feet!* My gratitude to Fireblade, Vividian, Meow Mix, Sashimi, Loonymoon, ElvishJedi, DemonAngi, Davey-boy, kimi, Meg, Rena Lupin, none, noxlupis, Monica-Chan the Hanyou Kitsune, aoi-yuki-yume, Nolwe the Lady Dragon, Psycho Sam, kabeeners, Misty, Lunaris, and my other adoring fans for making me write more.
This chapter is not the last one either. By the way, for anyone who has heart problems, perhaps you shouldn't read this. You may die from the fluff. I warned you, so don't sue me in the end. I'm just the pleaser!
Disclaimer: I don't own this crap, so don't make me come over there and hit you… I will!
Chapter 10: Say That You Love Me
The amber eyes of Remus J Lupin opened early that next morning, blinking and taking a while to focus on the white sunlight streaming through a window into the abandoned dorm room. He looked around groggily; trying to remember what happened last night to make him so tired. Then, the werewolf remembered, or thought he did… or had it all been just a dream, a silly little fantasy he had thought up to make him feel better? But as he rolled over, this hypothesis was proven wrong.
Two powerful arms held the wizard securely around his thin waist; pulling him closer to the muscular body they were connected to when Remus moved to see proof that the fantasy had been a reality. In red flannel pajamas, Sirius Black lay still asleep on his side, holding his love close to him, which made him sleep that much better. His scruffy black hair was falling over his closed eyes, giving the animagus an air of sophistication that Moony had never noticed before.
It had all been real… every word he had uttered, every feeling of Padfoot near him, and every emotion he had felt swell up into his throat last night had all been real. And now, Remus looked up at his love's kind and sweet face, putting a soft hand on the cheek of his heart's desire, which was smooth as the pillows they lay upon and the sheets that covered them both. Perhaps it was even smoother, because there was a feel of affection to the gesture.
The werewolf leaned against the sturdy chest of his lover, and listened carefully to the perfect heart beating within it, his hands sliding around Sirius' neck, so that their bodies could be even closer. It was wondrous and almost euphoric for Remus to feel this close to the wizard he had loved so dearly for so long… but he didn't know at the time that Sirius was thinking the same thing, having been awake since almost 5 am.
Stirring with great ease, so as not to disturb the angel lying next to him, Sirius opened his brown eyes and looked down to see his piece of heaven soundly in his arms, the soft amber eyes staring at nothing in particular. "Good morning, Moony," he whispered down as the two amber eyes looked up into his dark ones, they're love present in the way they both gazed at each other.
"G-Good morning Sirius," Remus stuttered out, slipping over his words because he couldn't help noticing the affection in his love's eyes as he held him. Padfoot leaned down and kissed the light brown and gray hair, making the werewolf in his arms want to fall asleep again in such comfort. But they both knew they should get up for breakfast.
Sirius slid the lighter wizard slightly sideways, still keeping him in his arms as he sat up, holding his treasure tightly. When he leaned against the back of the bed, cradling the boy with amber eyes close to him, he rested his chin on Remus' head. "How did you sleep last night?" he asked as Moony lightly nuzzled the scruffy Marauder's neck.
"Well, thank you… What about you?" Remus meekly and sleepily asked, gazing up to the animagus' kind face. Padfoot smiled, and gave a very mischievous grin that the werewolf knew all too well. Moony began to slowly inch away when the animagus grabbed his sides hard enough to make the smaller wizard squeal with the ticklish feeling. And yet, despite how much he hated it when Sirius did that, he couldn't help but laugh, because today was so much better than yesterday had been.
"As good as I could with my heart burning," the animagus with black hair growled out, picking the thin, brown haired wizard up and foolhardily spinning him around. It seemed that things had finally turned around in Sirius' life, all because of four words coming from one person last night. He could still hear Remus sobbing out "I love you, Sirius…" but now the Marauder would make sure that Moony would never cry again, because his heart ached whenever he saw his love's amber eyes filled with tears of hurt.
Remus looked at Sirius and finally asked, looking worried, "You have heartburn?" The black eyes stared and Moony and the scruffy Marauder roared with laughter, dropping onto the bed, the werewolf still securely in his arms. Blushing, the meek boy looked at his laughing lover, wondering if he said something wrong. Finally, after calming down a bit and sitting up, having the small Lupin held on his lap, Sirius teasingly said, "No, Rem, I don't. You make my heart burn every time I'm near you, that's all."
Cheeks turning red again, Moony nodded in acknowledgement and was about to speak when he found himself looking in Sirius' eyes the way he never had before. The deep gaze of love in them stayed his mouth from making any noise except breathing. Padfoot too found his voice silenced by the depth of his love's calm and striking amber eyes. He couldn't even smile, for he was in such awe.
The two stayed like that, Remus' hand on Sirius' knee so that he wouldn't fall off him. But they were both lost in each other's eyes. Unable to escape, letting all other worries flow out of them.
Suddenly, the alarm clock went off with a crude and harsh beeping sound emitting from it. Being the tense werewolf that he was, Remus jumped, slipping off the animagus' lap onto the ground. Sirius nearly swore as he took out his wand and blew the irritating thing up in a cloud of green smoke.
He knelt down next to the werewolf and helped him up asking his beloved if he was alright about ten times before Remus finally said, "If I weren't alright you would know it, believe me." With a smile, Sirius weekly commented, "Well, I'm overprotective, give me a break." The werewolf shyly returned the smile and muttered, "I need a lot of protection…"
They got dressed as they usually would, except that there was one thing different. Remus could feel Sirius looking lovingly at him as he got dressed (and undressed). His cheeks were burning, but in a way, the werewolf felt almost as though he were beautiful, if there is a way to feel like that. Turning around after finishing, Moony only just caught a glance of Sirius' eyes as the animagus spun around and continued to dress.
So this is what its like to be in love… Remus thought to himself as he sat properly down on his bed, his posture perfect, as usual. He watched Sirius amorously as the werewolf leaned against the bedpost, though he turned away blushing when the scruffy Marauder removed his shirt.
There was something about Padfoot that made him feel possibly too good, almost like he was sinning just by looking at him, and it made Remus feel embarrassed to think even a little about Sirius bearing skin. Though he had seen him shirtless over a hundred times, since fourth year it had become very awkward to.
Remus was so engrossed with these thoughts and dreams that he didn't notice Sirius walking over toward him. Nor did he notice Sirius walking up behind him. The thing he finally did notice is when Padfoot jumped onto the bed, grabbed the yelping werewolf around the middle, and spun him around to pin him to the bed, laughing at the funny shocked face before him.
"SIRIUS CANIS BLACK!" the Lupin yelled, scolding his love, "YOU SCARED ME NEARLY TO DEATH!" Sirius merely put on a very irresistibly innocent and loveable face and whispered into the smaller wizard's ear, "I couldn't resist…"
The werewolf's anger subsided almost immediately as he looked into the Black's strong and handsome face. He slowly reached up a trembling pale hand and let it gently caress his love's left cheek, his own pale cheeks growing red. The silky cheek he was touching also grew slightly pink, and Sirius looked at Moony, stunned by how delicate and loving such a simple touch was.
Having never been touched like that before, and finding that he liked it, Padfoot lifted a hand and softly held Remus' wrist, lifting the hand off his cheek and guiding it over in front of his lips. Tenderly, Sirius kissed the three long fingers of the werewolf's small hand, afterward smiling down at his very red, very small lover.
"Have I told you today that I love you, Moony?" Sirius asked, still holding his angel's small and delicate hand in his, his eyes staring into the depthless amber pools below him. Moony piped out a quite "You didn't need to…"
This was followed by Padfoot leaning forward to whisper sweetly in his love's ear, "I love you, Remus Lupin," allowing his lips to lightly caress the smaller wizard's skin as he spoke.
Remus' eyes were becoming wet again, with memories of how horrible it was thinking that Sirius could never love him, but all of those thoughts had been in vain. So the werewolf circled his arms limply around the animagus' neck, holding onto the one thing that he had always wanted, but never had. Having all the money in the world could never have made a difference to Remus, but now he had a lover who made his heart fly. Whispering so as not to wake the will to cry balled up in his throat, the thin wizard murmured, "I love you so much, Padfoot," before a tear and a sob escaped him.
I was originally going to make this longer, but I'll give it to you now. STAY TUNED FOR CHAPTER 11!! COMING SOON!