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Remus awoke on the day of his 36th birthday, his eyelids fluttering, the feeling of the warm duvet and another person wrapped around him, and for the first time in weeks, he didn’t feel tired.
Before he even properly opened his eyes the man next to him pressed his lips to his cheek, his still fairly new to Remus beard tickling him.
A smile pulled on Remus’ lips as he opened his eyes and saw Sirius Black grinning at him. Because it had been years since he’d gotten a birthday kiss from him.
“Good morning,” Sirius said.
Remus’ smile grew even bigger. “Morning.” He looked around the room - their room, the one in the House of Black which they shared, which angered the portrait of Sirius’ mother to oblivion - and wrinkled his nose. “What hour is it?” he asked. “Why am I so rested?”
Sirius pressed another kiss to his cheek. “Because I didn’t wake you, birthday boy .”
Remus snapped his head to him. “Wha— Pads . We’re thirty-six.”
Sirius nodded. “Yes, that’s exactly the point. Or did you not hear me say ‘birthday boy’?”
Remus rolled his eyes. “What I mean is that we have things to do. We’re not schoolboys anymore.”
“It’s your birthday,” Sirius said simply. “And a Sunday.”
“And there’s a war.”
Sirius grimaced. “Oh come on, Moony. Obviously, I’ve noticed. But it’s your birthday. Just one day. And everyone deserves a break.” He tapped his fingers against Remus’ bare chest. “Even you.”
Remus stared at him for a second, not saying anything. Sirius arched an eyebrow.
“Alright,” Remus said finally. “Okay. Thank you.”
Sirius grinned and cupped Remus’ chin with one hand, pulling him in for a kiss.
Sirius’ beard scratched. He hadn’t brushed his teeth, but neither had Remus. They were much older than Remus felt was appropriate for behaving like this, and they really did have things to do. But Remus let himself drown in the kiss anyway. He let his hand travel up to Sirius’ jaw to pull him even closer.
Because he hadn’t had this for so long, because he’d thought he’d lost it forever. He’d thought he’d lost Sirius forever.
Nothing compared to getting him back. Nothing compared to the way Remus’ heart bloomed around him, and how Remus allowed it to do so. Nothing compared to the relief, to the years of missing and yearning being over. Nothing Remus could think of compared, not even their first kiss, not even the blissful teenage love they’d used to share.
It didn’t compare because back then, they hadn’t known what it was like to live without it. They’d loved in the moment, mischievous and rebellious. Losing that was like crashing into the sea after flying for years.
And nothing felt better than getting back into the air.
They pulled away after a couple of long moments, resting their foreheads against each other.
“What now?” Remus asked in a whisper.
Sirius grimaced slightly. “Well, there’s not much we can do, me being stuck in this hellhole and all that—”
Remus felt a surge of pity for Sirius come at him. Out of all the places the Order’s headquarters could’ve been in, it landed in the house where all the ghosts of Sirius’ past lived. Haunting him day and night, even if he was too proud to admit it.
“—but don’t worry, we’ll make do with what we have,” Sirius finished off cheerfully and pulled away from Remus, hauling himself to his feet. He extended a hand. “For now let’s get breakfast.”
They walked down the stairs, Remus’ hand safely in Sirius’. He was surprised to find the house so quiet… And empty. When they walked into the kitchen there was no one there.
Sirius let go of Remus’ hand and walked up to the cupboard hanging above the counter.
“Pancakes?” he asked, opening it and not looking around at Remus.
But Remus wasn’t listening. His brows had pulled into a deep frown.
“Where is everyone?” he asked.
Sirius glanced at him and shrugged. “Dunno. Probably out in the world. They’re not grounded like me.” He turned back to the pantry. “So. Pancakes?”
Remus’ frown turned into a knowing quirk of eyebrows. He crossed his arms on his chest.
“Pads,” he said.
Sirius huffed and turned around, full body this time. “What?”
“Did you tell everyone not to come here today?” Remus asked. “Threaten, perhaps?”
Sirius gasped dramatically, his hand flying to clutch his chest where the heart was. “Moony, how dare you! Accusing me of such foul things. I did nothing of the sort.”
Remus simply stared at him, his brows still knowingly raised.
“Okay, I might’ve implied that it would be better if no one came,” Sirius said. “But just implied. No illegal activities here, mister.”
Remus rolled his eyes and walked up to Sirius, pressing him against the counter and placing his hands on his sides - trapping him. Sirius’ cheeks reddened slightly and Remus heard his heartbeat quicken, their bodies so close, but Sirius raised his chin anyway, an attempt to look confident.
“ Just implied?” Remus repeated, a smirk dancing on his lips.
Sirius nodded, swallowing. “Yeah. Who do you think I—”
His words were muffled by Remus’ lips landing on his. Sirius let out an mmm sound and kissed Remus back, placing his hands on his waist to pull him close.
Remus pulled away a few seconds later, leaving Sirius chasing after his lips.
“Pancakes sound nice,” he said. “Except you’re a shit cook.”
Sirius’ mouth fell open and he shoved Remus away. “I am not! And I cannot believe you are insulting me like this. First the accusations, now this. ”
Sirius shook his head in mock offence and turned around to rummage through the cupboard once again. Remus stood on the side, a few chuckles escaping his throat.
“Don’t laugh at me,” Sirius grumbled, pulling out the ingredients from the cupboard. “These are gonna be the best bloody pancakes you’ll ever eat.”
Remus grinned. “I don’t doubt that. But can you even reach the top shelf?”
Sirius froze and after a split second grabbed a bag of flour he’d just taken out and turned around to chug it at Remus.
Remus dodged and the bag landed on the floor, flour spilling out of it.
Remus cocked an eyebrow as Sirius stared at that spot with the miserable expression of I’m gonna have to clean this on his face.
Remus laughed, soft and whole-hearted.