criminal - @wolfstarmicrofic - word count: 397
"Sorry," Sirius muttered into the awkward silence, eyes cast downward into the depths of his mug as he sat at Remus's ancient table, the chair creaking under his meager weight. "Don't mean to put you out."
Remus, who had also been sitting awkwardly, gnawing at his lip and tapping his foot in obvious anxiety, looked over to Sirius in confusion. "What? Pa–Sirius, what the fuck're you talking about?"
He smiled wryly, trying not to let the fact that Remus had avoided his old nickname stab him in the heart. "You're harboring a criminal. Probably not ideal."
But now Remus leaned forward, closer than he'd been since the hug they'd shared a year ago. "I'm helping an innocent man. There's a difference."
"Not in the eyes of the law. Not right now."
"Well it's different in my eyes. To me. I'm not just going to let my- my-" But Remus cut himself off, looking flustered, as he grappled for words. "I'm not going to let you stay out there," he finished, nose wrinkled. "Not when I could do something."
But Sirius desperately wanted to hear the end of the sentence Remus had avoided. Smiling wryly, feeling like he had nothing to lose, he gazed over at the taller man. "Even after all these years, we still can't define what we are to each other, eh, Moons?"
He said it lightly, but he felt his heart hammering in his brittle ribs.
Remus's returning glare was piercing. "I'm not–we're–it's been so long, Sirius..." he murmured, expression tortured. "You've been through hell, the world is upside down, and–"
"Sure," he cut him off, a little flare of irritation igniting in his chest, "so shall we wait until the next time one of us gets through with over a decade in prison?"
Remus flinched, hissing as if in pain. "That's not what I mean."
"Oh? Then what do you mean? Because I mean that I've waited long enough. I'm done being scared. Where am I sleeping tonight, Remus?" Sirius challenged, absolutely terrified that he'd pushed too much, the adrenaline coursing through his veins.
Thankfully, though, the taller man's eyes filled with something akin to adoration as a small, resigned smile formed on his face. "If you thought you were sleeping anywhere other than my bed, Padfoot..." he began shaking his head fondly.
Sirius broke into a relieved grin. "That's what I thought."
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