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The Present
It can't be. Disbelief and longing choke Remus as he leans against the glass for a better look. Ebony hair he hasn’t seen in years, yet recognizes in an instant, stands out at the counter of the local coffee shop. Sirius Black. He doesn’t even need to turn around; the sight of him from behind is burned into Remus’s mind, the last image he had before Sirius disappeared ten years ago.
10 Years Ago
“Moons, I promise everything will be okay. I’ll call you as soon as we get to the new house.” Sirius sounded confident, but then again, he always did.
“I just don’t want to lose you.” Remus couldn’t hold back a sob, knowing this was one of their last nights together before the Blacks moved back to France.
“You won’t. I promise.” His boyfriend leaned in for a kiss, a soft press of lips. “I’ll never let you go.”
Remus let out a breath, forcing some of his tension out of his shoulders. He believed Sirius. He had never seen anything stand in the other boy’s way when he set his mind to it. “We still have a week, but each time I drop you off, it’s harder to say goodbye.”
Sirius smiled sadly, knowing the time they could spend in each other’s arms was inching closer and closer to nothing. He threaded their fingers together, love echoing in the space between them. Remus had never fallen in love before, and sitting there in his beat up truck, he couldn’t imagine falling again. Sirius was it for him.
“I know, love, but we will see each other soon enough.” Sadness clogged their time together, but both boys tried to ignore it.
“Tomorrow?” They already had plans, but Remus couldn’t help asking.
“Tomorrow.”
Remus leaned in for a kiss, tears falling as their lips told stories of their love. Sirius’s parents were asleep 30 feet away, but he couldn’t make himself care as he soaked in the moment as if it were their last. It wasn’t a desperate kiss, like it was when the boys first heard about the move, no, it was filled with longing for a love that hadn’t even been taken away yet.
“I will see you tomorrow, bright and early.” Remus said with a confidence he didn’t feel, knowing Sirius needed him to hold it together.
“I love you.” Sirius’s voice was soft as he opened the door.
Remus blinked back tears, wondering how many more times he would get to hear that. He wanted it for the rest of his life, not a single day without sharing their love between them. But with the move and how harsh Sirius’s parents could be, Remus knew that was a mere dream.
“I love you too.” Remus whispered, and the door shut between them.
Alone, he watched as Sirius disappeared into his house, inky hair bleeding into the darkness.
With a sigh, Remus started up his car, reminiscing on their conversation as if it hadn’t ended moments ago. ‘I’ll never let you go’ forced itself to be heard, tricking Remus into a smile as he gripped the wheel.
The drive wasn’t long, but the next morning it felt like an eternity. Weight filled his chest from the moment he woke up, and Remus wasn’t surprised to see the house empty when he got there. Devastated and desperate for days stolen from them, Remus broke in and searched for a message left behind for him. Nothing—only an empty house filled with ghosts of an awful family and a beautiful boy.
The Present
Remus doesn’t hesitate, throwing the door open as his heart beats out of his chest. In all these years, he never doubted the love he felt, even when he never heard from Sirius, despite his promises. He loved Sirius Black at 16, and he still loves him at 26. While years might have passed, his feelings have not. They are meant for each other, souls bonded together across every universe, and Remus feels destiny snapping into shape as he reaches out to tap his love on the shoulder.
He loses his breath as he is met with a silver gaze, getting caught in the storm that is Sirius Black before either man even says a word.
“Remus?” Sirius says, eyes wide with disbelief.
“Hi Pads.” Remus’s vision blurs as tears threaten to fall, much like they did on that night ten years ago.
“I never let you go.”
Suddenly Sirius is in his arms, pulling him close as if no time has passed. Remus has a million questions, but instead focuses on what he knows.
“I knew you never would.”