How long had it been..? How long without the man in his arms? How long had it been that he had not believed him, that he let him stay trapped in that hell hole...?

Too long. Remus deemed it too long, too long without Sirius, too long without feeling his skin, too long without him. Too long.

He pulled the man closer against his bare chest, feeling the chill from the other..

'I feel the cold in my bones, Moony...' he had whispered to him in a night just like this, then he had kissed every individual tattoo on his body, then he was happy to have his loverback, then he had hoped it would be better, then... It's gone, then is gone. There is only now.

So, now he'll cherish him like he couldn't all those years, now he'll worship the body he had mapped out several times at Hogwarts and he'll kiss him when he asks for attention.

Remus nuzzled into Sirius' hair, closing his eyes tightly as he heard the rain pouring down outside, listening to the rain's gentle tapping, listening to Sirius' soft, almost inaudible breaths as he slept..

The rain was heavier now, the gentle rhythm now more akin to the sound of a small waterfall. It sounded soothing, and Remus almost felt himself dozing off, until a soft noise woke him up entirely. A soft whine, barely audible over the rain. Remus sat up, peering down at the sleeping form in his arms.

How many times had he tried to soothe those nightmares..? How many times he had woken up to Sirius' scared face? Too many. It's been too many times.

Remus sighed softly, pressing his lips to his sleeping lovers's forehead, hoping that the gentle kiss would soothe him, but he didn't see any change in Sirius' expression, he was still whimpering.

Remus sat up, gently pulling Sirius' sleeping form onto his lap, his arms tightening around his lover. He nuzzled his hair, closing his eyes, and he began to hum an old lullaby his mother used to sing to him all those years ago. An attempt at comfort.

"Love, wake up... Sirius, you're safe, my love." He pleaded he wake up from that nightmare...