~~~
Right at that moment, everything was perfect. Sirius's lips made everything else go away. Nothing else mattered for Remus: not the impending threat of Voldemort’s return, not the searing pain on his arm, and certainly not the noise that they had heard before.
But like all good things, this one too must come to an end.
The breaking of the kiss was mutual, and Remus kept his eyes closed, as if Sirius would disappear once he opened them.
“Remus... Why don’t you open your eyes? Was it wrong, what I did?”
Remus's eyes opened instantly. “No! Of course not! I just... I was afraid none of this would be real if I opened them, I guess, that maybe I’d find you gone.”
Sirius swiped Remus's bangs away from his face. “I’m not going anywhere, Remus,” he said affectionately. “Right now I’m staying right here with you,” he finished, causing heat to creep up into Remus's cheeks. They kissed again, and Remus dug his hands into Sirius's midnight hair, and Sirius returned the favor by pulling their bodies closer. After a long while they pulled apart again.
“I love you, Sirius. I’ve loved you for as long as I can remember,” he admitted, full of heart. “I’ve just realized that.”
“You’re so cute, Remus,” Sirius said, placing both hands on Remus's neck, his thumbs on his cheeks. “I love you, too.”
Sirius leaned in to kiss him again, but Remus spoke before he had the chance. “How long?”
Sirius stopped in mid-motion. “How long what?”
“How long have you felt something for me?” Remus asked, determined to get an answer.
“You really want to know?” he asked in return, to which Remus nodded.
Sirius blinked, thinking the question was a little odd, but still understanding why Remus needed to know. “A little after our last year at Hogwarts, but I was more confused than anything back then. It was just a thought in the back of my mind. It all came back to me after I saw you again, when you hugged me back then...”
Remus frowned a little, not the reaction Sirius had expected or wanted. “Let me get this straight,” he said. “You’ve been lusting after me since you came back?” he asked with an added astonishment to his voice.
“Pretty much.”
Remus’s eyes widened. “And you didn’t say anything?”
That was the last thing Sirius expected to hear. “How could I?” he countered incredulously. “That certainly would have been a conversation to remember.” He spoke as he ruffled one of his hands through his hair. “‘Um, Moony, I know you’re probably not attracted to guys but will you please sleep with me?’”
Remus frowned again. “That’s not funny.”
“I’m sorry! But I’m about to jump on you if you don’t shut up.” Remus looked slightly confused, and Sirius solved the problem by holding his hand. “Look me in the eyes, Moony,” he ordered, and their eyes met. “I love you, I want you: that is the truth.”
A little corner inside Remus's brain still didn’t want to believe those words; it was telling him that it was all too good to be true. But staring into Sirius's eyes, he just knew that they were true.
“Really?”
Sirius smiled softly. “It’s always been you, Moony, just you.”
The gap between them closed once again as their lips met in a searing kiss. The happiness that flooded over Remus was indescribable.
Sirius lowered his hands slowly, from Remus’s neck down to his shoulder, then to his arms, the ultimate goal being his waist. Suddenly, when Sirius’s hand reached the wound just above his elbow, Remus broke the kiss, and his face was pained. Sirius looked at him instantly then frowned, taking wind of the situation.
“You told me it didn’t hurt, that it was nothing,” he accused, his voice worried. Remus was about to say something when Sirius took the sleeve of his robe and pulled it up to expose the wound his mother’s portrait had caused. The bandages were soaked red with Remus's blood, and some trickled down his arm.
“Moony...” Sirius managed to mutter, a slight panic to his voice, indicating the seriousness of the wound.
“She must have hit an artery; and I think the fall made it worse,” Remus finally confessed as the pain started to surge through him again.
“I’m taking you to the hospital right now!” Sirius exclaimed suddenly.
“You can’t! Someone might see you!”
“You think I care about that right now? It’s been more than an hour since you got that wound, Remus, and it’s still bleeding!” Sirius finished in a highly concerned voice. “I’m taking you, and that’s it.” Sirius didn’t allowed Remus to protest again as he stood quickly, dragging Remus with him and helping him walk towards the door. Remus clung to Sirius. It wasn’t really necessary; he was certain he could still walk on his own. But his arm was numb enough that he appreciated the help, especially when it got him this close to Sirius.
Sirius reached the door in a record pace and placed one hand on the doorknob, turning it.
It was locked.
“What the--”
Sirius tried his luck again at opening the door, but it was indeed locked, and it was not opening.
“What’s wrong, Sirius?” Remus asked when he saw the confusion in Sirius's face.
“Alohomora!” Sirius yelled as he swiped his wand at the doorknob. Nothing happened. “We’re locked in,” he announced in a sullen voice. “Someone sealed this door from the inside. We can’t get out.”
“Are you sure?”
“With this charm, only the one who sealed the door can open it. If I only had my knife...”
After some thought, Sirius led Remus down to a sofa in the living room. He removed the old bandages with care and replaced them with new ones. “Stay here. I’m going to search for whoever locked us in. Don’t you dare move,” he ordered as he left the room.
At first Remus had the urge to stand up and aid Sirius with the search, but the numbness of his arm had spread to his chest now. He knew he needed to save his energy. For him, this was just another small bump in the road ahead. After his wound was taken care of, all would be fine. But half an hour later, Remus still sat alone, trying hard to ignore the pain and the numbness he now felt all over his body. He had never been wounded this badly before. He had started to get dizzy a few minutes ago, and even though he knew that wasn’t a good sign, he still didn’t consider it grave enough to call Sirius's attention. After what had just happened between them, the last thing that Remus wanted to do was worry Sirius even more than he already was.
He had admitted that he loved his old friend and the feeling had been returned. As far as Remus knew, this was the happiest day of his life, because deep inside his heart, he knew that he had loved Sirius ever since they went to Hogwarts together; he had never stopped loving him. It had taken him more than fifteen years to sort out his feelings, but that didn’t matter now; now he had the future to look forward too.
Another wave of dizziness hit Remus with force, and with that wave came the urge to shut his eyes and fall asleep. A sense of foreboding filled him. He pulled up the sleeve of his robes once again to find the new bandages already soaked with blood. He panicked.
“Sirius!” he yelled as another wave of drowsiness hit him. “Padfoot! Si--”
Sirius appeared at the doorway almost immediately. “Moony?”
Remus turned frightened eyes to Sirius, who was starring at the blood-soaked bandages in horror. He was instantly at his side, holding him, giving him some sort of comfort.
“I’m sorry, Sirius.” Silent tears ran down Remus’s face. “I should have told you I was bleeding out before, but I thought my healing system could handle it.”
“Hush,” Sirius ordered, placing a hand over the wound to try to stop the bleeding. “Keep your strength, Moony. Right now I need you to stay awake for me.”
Remus took a deep breath as he forced his eyes open, but he had lost too much blood already. “I’m trying, Sirius, I really am, but it’s so hard.”
“Stay with me, Remus! I’m not losing you over something this stupid!” Sirius yelled.
“I-- I can’t. I’m sorry.” Remus took one deep gaze at Sirius's eyes and clutched at his robes until he simply couldn’t hold on anymore and the darkness completely swallowed him.
“Remus!” Sirius yelled desperately, his voice completely breaking. “Don’t you dare leave me, Moony!”