FICLET: Candle in the Window (Remus/Regulus - PG)
Title: Candle in the Window
Pairing: Regulus/Remus
Rating: PG
Summary: After their breakup, Regulus can't stay away from Remus for long.
A/N: Many thanks to
liadlaith &
kellygreen for beta'ing. much love.
The candle was lit in the window like Regulus knew it would be. For all his talk of breaking things off, Remus didn’t go to great pains to ensure that Regulus couldn’t find him. The candle seemed to call out to him, beckon him and Regulus stumbled up the stairs, barely even thinking.
By the time he was starting to regret his rash decision, it was too late - his fist had already made contact with the door and he could hear shuffling inside. He swore he heard a deep sigh through the thin door before there was a murmured incantation and the door was pulled open halfway.
"Regulus," Remus said. He looked tired and anyone else may have thought that he didn’t want to see Regulus as all.
Regulus, however, knew better. There was something in his eyes, just beyond the wariness, that spoke of loneliness and solitude. Something like regret turned in Regulus’ stomach.
"You should be in school," Remus said into the silence when Regulus didn’t say anything, struck by the way the light played off Remus’ features. Still handsome then, he thought to himself.
"I needed to - I just wanted to see you," Regulus said, aware as the words slipped off his tongue how pathetic and juvenile they sounded.
"Reg…" Remus started but instead stepped back and opened the door all the way. It was all the invitation Regulus needed to step inside.
"How have you been?" Regulus asked, remembering his manners.
Remus was staring at him, his brow creased in concentration as if he was trying to read Regulus’ mind.
"Fine, Reg, I’ve been fine. Why are you really here?"
"I - " Regulus started but then stopped. I miss you. I can’t sleep at night. I’m in too deep and I need you. "I was in the neighbourhood," he said, pulling a rogue smile he knew Remus couldn’t resist. He was always good at changing masks, being who they needed him to be. Remus didn’t need to know which masks Regulus had put on without him. He probably already knew.
Remus exhaled with the smallest of smiles but it was enough. Regulus reached out and splayed a hand on Remus’ waist. He ran his thumb over the protruding ribs he found there and pretended not to notice the way Remus inhaled sharply.
"I know you said - "
Remus shushed him with a gentle hand on his mouth. "It’s fine."
Regulus nodded and swallowed the lump in his throat around this quiet acceptance that Remus had always afforded him. With half a step Remus was flush against him, an elegant hand at the back of his neck.
"I almost missed you," Remus whispered into his neck and Regulus nodded, nuzzling into Remus’ soft hair. And like that everything that had happened the past few months was erased. Regulus bit his lip hard, wondering if he had known it would be this easy to fall into Remus’ arms, if he would have… no use wondering.
"Almost?" Regulus teased instead, falling into their old games.
A press of lips to his neck. "I didn’t miss your awful taste in music." Another press of lips. "Or the way you insist on paying for everything." A tentative lick behind his ear. "Or the way you wake up so goddamn early."
Regulus allowed himself a smile.
"But you did miss me," he said coyly.
He felt Remus shrug against him.
"The sex isn’t half bad."
Regulus smirked and the hands that were resting on Remus’ waist crept up to his ribs. Remus snorted with laughter and pulled away.
"Well, if it’s only half bad, I can leave," Regulus said with feigned indifference. He started to button up the top button of his jacket that had somehow been unbuttoned.
"Don’t be a brat," Remus murmured, glancing up at him. "Stay."
Stepping into Remus’ embrace was like coming home. Regulus could understand how easy it was for Sirius to forsake his heritage, how some things were more important than blood and he wished silently for some sort of forgiveness, for anything to erase the mark burning into his left arm.
Remus kissed the top of his forehead and it was forgiveness. He whispered adoration into Regulus’ hair and for a moment Regulus could almost believe it was enough to erase the past.
Pairing: Regulus/Remus
Rating: PG
Summary: After their breakup, Regulus can't stay away from Remus for long.
A/N: Many thanks to
liadlaith &
kellygreen for beta'ing. much love.
The candle was lit in the window like Regulus knew it would be. For all his talk of breaking things off, Remus didn’t go to great pains to ensure that Regulus couldn’t find him. The candle seemed to call out to him, beckon him and Regulus stumbled up the stairs, barely even thinking.
By the time he was starting to regret his rash decision, it was too late - his fist had already made contact with the door and he could hear shuffling inside. He swore he heard a deep sigh through the thin door before there was a murmured incantation and the door was pulled open halfway.
"Regulus," Remus said. He looked tired and anyone else may have thought that he didn’t want to see Regulus as all.
Regulus, however, knew better. There was something in his eyes, just beyond the wariness, that spoke of loneliness and solitude. Something like regret turned in Regulus’ stomach.
"You should be in school," Remus said into the silence when Regulus didn’t say anything, struck by the way the light played off Remus’ features. Still handsome then, he thought to himself.
"I needed to - I just wanted to see you," Regulus said, aware as the words slipped off his tongue how pathetic and juvenile they sounded.
"Reg…" Remus started but instead stepped back and opened the door all the way. It was all the invitation Regulus needed to step inside.
"How have you been?" Regulus asked, remembering his manners.
Remus was staring at him, his brow creased in concentration as if he was trying to read Regulus’ mind.
"Fine, Reg, I’ve been fine. Why are you really here?"
"I - " Regulus started but then stopped. I miss you. I can’t sleep at night. I’m in too deep and I need you. "I was in the neighbourhood," he said, pulling a rogue smile he knew Remus couldn’t resist. He was always good at changing masks, being who they needed him to be. Remus didn’t need to know which masks Regulus had put on without him. He probably already knew.
Remus exhaled with the smallest of smiles but it was enough. Regulus reached out and splayed a hand on Remus’ waist. He ran his thumb over the protruding ribs he found there and pretended not to notice the way Remus inhaled sharply.
"I know you said - "
Remus shushed him with a gentle hand on his mouth. "It’s fine."
Regulus nodded and swallowed the lump in his throat around this quiet acceptance that Remus had always afforded him. With half a step Remus was flush against him, an elegant hand at the back of his neck.
"I almost missed you," Remus whispered into his neck and Regulus nodded, nuzzling into Remus’ soft hair. And like that everything that had happened the past few months was erased. Regulus bit his lip hard, wondering if he had known it would be this easy to fall into Remus’ arms, if he would have… no use wondering.
"Almost?" Regulus teased instead, falling into their old games.
A press of lips to his neck. "I didn’t miss your awful taste in music." Another press of lips. "Or the way you insist on paying for everything." A tentative lick behind his ear. "Or the way you wake up so goddamn early."
Regulus allowed himself a smile.
"But you did miss me," he said coyly.
He felt Remus shrug against him.
"The sex isn’t half bad."
Regulus smirked and the hands that were resting on Remus’ waist crept up to his ribs. Remus snorted with laughter and pulled away.
"Well, if it’s only half bad, I can leave," Regulus said with feigned indifference. He started to button up the top button of his jacket that had somehow been unbuttoned.
"Don’t be a brat," Remus murmured, glancing up at him. "Stay."
Stepping into Remus’ embrace was like coming home. Regulus could understand how easy it was for Sirius to forsake his heritage, how some things were more important than blood and he wished silently for some sort of forgiveness, for anything to erase the mark burning into his left arm.
Remus kissed the top of his forehead and it was forgiveness. He whispered adoration into Regulus’ hair and for a moment Regulus could almost believe it was enough to erase the past.