WARNING: This is a slash story, which means it contains male/male erotic content involving consenting adults. If you're not of legal age or are offended by such material, please go find something else to read.

Title: By Way Of Sorrow (You Have Come)
Author: Pocket Witch
Email: groovewitchkitty@yahoo.com
Rating: NC-17
Summary: The sequel to Heartbreak Even, and the end of the Another Day Older trilogy.
Disclaimer: What lovely boys, how I wish they were mine ... alas, I'm just sneaking them out from JKR's watch for a bit, getting 'em a little dirty, and sending 'em back home ... and making no money in the process.
Thanks: The lovely ladies who betaed for me! Barbara, Caytin, & GodlessHarlot - ::curtseys appreciatively:: And thanks also to Jaida for the squees. :D

It was Severus who was intent that the raging should be put off no longer.

"I don't know why you keep pestering me about it. I was tired and angry when I said I needed to rage. I'm infinitely calmer now."

"There were obviously things you wanted to say. Things you felt you needed to say. You were too tired to say them, which means that they must be things that you may not be able to say calmly. Considering that you've said very little to me over the past three days - "

"I've said plenty - "

"If you'd have the decency to allow me to finish. Thank you ever so much. Considering that you've said very little to me over the past three days that wasn't firmly rooted in a safe topic - your classes, the latest Quidditch match - "

"Now, that one wasn't entirely safe. Our discussion of the Gryffindor versus Slytherin match turned out to be quite hazardous indeed."

Severus glared down his nose at him, and Remus was unable to stifle a grin.

"I most humbly apologize. Do go on."

"The point, which you are so intent upon deterring me from making, is that you have obviously not said what you needed to say to me."

"Why are you so eager for me to spew fury at you?"

"Because if you don't get it bloody well over with now, it will only resurface later on, and I don't want any more unresolved wounds getting in the way of our É friendship."

There was an almost imperceptible pause before Severus spoke the word friendship. A fraction of a second. One tiny sliver of time that somehow managed to house every uncertainty that existed in their tenuous bond.

"Very well then," Remus said quietly. "On one condition."

Severus raised one eyebrow. "Which would be?"

"You will also rage at me."

"About?"

"Anything. Everything."

"I believe that you are the one with unspoken anger."

"When we spoke in my classroom last week, it was clear that you had some unresolved anger of your own."

"Those offenses, as you pointed out, are over twenty years old"

"Which is all the more reason for you to lay them down. If we continue to carry these things around, then they might get in the way of our É friendship," Remus said, speaking the word tenuously, as though it were either too much or not enough, but he wasn't sure which. "As you pointed out."

Severus sighed, seeing no way around Remus's logic. "Very well. We will spend an afternoon shouting at each other."

"It doesn't necessarily have to come to shouting."

"It more than likely will."

"Yes." Remus paused, then smiled wanly. "It was your idea."

"No."

"You're right. But you're the one insisting that we go through with it."

"Yes."

Remus chuckled softly. "I could ask Sirius to join us, it would be a relative reuni - "

"NO."

He cleared his throat. "Of course not. I was joking."

"I realize that. Your humor has a tendency to become quite stilted when you're nervous."

"Does it now."

"Yes."

"Well. When do you propose we hold this É event?"

"Tomorrow afternoon."

"That soon?"

"Is there a point to putting it off?"

"No, I suppose not."

"Tomorrow, then."

~*-,._.,'-*~'`^`'~*-',.'_.,-*~'`^`'~*-,-*~'`^`'~*-,._.,-*~'`^`'~*-,-*

Remus was jittery and nervous the next morning, enough so that his students asked him several times if he was all right. They seemed to be even more concerned about him now than they had been during his sleepless week - they were, after all, fairly used to seeing him looking exhausted and drained. Seeing him fidgety and unable to focus, however, was a new phenomenon to them.

It reminded him of the way he felt the days before his transformations, but with the drawback of feeling terribly distracted. Before the full moon he tended to be overly energetic, but he was usually able to hone his attention and channel it, use it to his advantage. Today he could think of nothing but the upcoming meeting, and finally decided to simply assign an essay to his students and allow them to work independently while he sat at his desk and worried.

After the events on the eve of Severus's birthday, Remus had, temporarily, given up all hope of any kind of relationship with Severus. Severus's attempts in the following week to seek him out and make things right, however, had truly convinced Remus that Severus did care for him in some capacity. Severus Snape, consummate snarky bastard and Slytherin extraordinaire, did not seek people out. Yet he had come after Remus, and not for a simple "thank you for saving my life, now kindly get out of it" statement either. Now he was actually encouraging Remus to share his feelings, and had seemingly agreed - if reluctantly - to share his own as well.

Although Remus had been hesitant to agree to the raging, he understood Severus's reasons for insisting that they go through with it. Both of them were currently harboring deep wells of resentment, and if they simply tried to talk about it, they would most likely end up shouting anyway, and possibly saying things they'd regret later. At least if they went into it planning to become agitated, they could walk into the situation with some measure of control. He had heard some people who claimed to be experts in the field of relationships recommending that couples should schedule times to have intense arguments, allotting a specific time for them rather than letting the feelings take control and explode unexpectedly. He supposed that this was basically the same idea.

Except that he and Severus were not a couple.

"What are we, exactly?" he asked himself. Their conversations in the past several days, though they had not discussed any issues of any special consequence, had seemed to flow more smoothly than ever before. Severus was more relaxed than Remus had seen him, and more likely to respond to Remus's gently teasing humor with a barb of his own and the slanted glare that Remus recognized as a smile. They had not touched each other since their embrace on the day of their reconciliation, but somehow their interactions seemed more intimate.

As pleased as Remus was about the progress they seemed to have made, he felt unstable about the destination. The ground around him seemed to be constantly shifting, and he had no idea where he now stood in Severus's eyes. Was he a potential lover, or simply a now-trusted confidante? Severus's insistence upon airing their angers certainly hinted that he was building the foundations of a long-term relationship, but what sort of relationship? Did he hesitate before the word "friendship" because he was considering using a stronger word to describe their bond, or simply because he was unused to having friends?

Remus tried to tell himself that being allowed past the heavily guarded walls of Severus's trust - even if it was only as a friend - was more than he had ever realistically allowed himself to expect, and thus he should be happy with that. And he was happy. He was not, however, content.

~*-,._.,'-*~'`^`'~*-',.'_.,-*~'`^`'~*-,-*~'`^`'~*-,._.,-*~'`^`'~*-,-*

Severus made the same preparations for tea as he always did, however, he found himself having to re-pour the cream when his trembling hands caused him to miss the pitcher. He hissed soft curses at himself, tidied up the mess, and sat down, clasping his hands in his lap. Lupin wasn't due for almost an hour, but he felt he could use this time. Preparation.

"It's not as though having someone focus rage at me is anything short of mundane at this point," he muttered. "True though that may be," he answered himself after a moment, "but actually giving a damn about it is a rather new experience."

That, he supposed, was the heart of his nervousness. There were precious few people in his life who did not regularly use him as an outlet in one way or another, using him as a symbol through which to express angers that really had very little to do with him personally. This did not particularly bother Severus; he knew that he would never be likable just as he knew that he would never particularly care what these people thought of him, so if they gained some satisfaction through hating him, let them have their petty resentments.

Remus, however, had never been one of those people. He had never made unfair judgments, never treated Severus with disrespect. And now Severus was encouraging Remus to shout at him. Now, the one person who had always been, at the very least, polite to him, was going to yell and rage.

Severus had spent his life either ignoring or berating those who detested him for frivolous reasons. This was the first time he had ever invited someone to express their scorn. This time, he knew he deserved it. This time, it was someone whose opinion he not only valued, but held dear. This time, he was terrified.

~*-,._.,'-*~'`^`'~*-',.'_.,-*~'`^`'~*-,-*~'`^`'~*-,._.,-*~'`^`'~*-,-*

Remus showed up at Severus's quarters at the usual time, and they prepared their tea and inquired about each other's days just as they did on a daily basis. After the small talk had run out and they had sipped their tea silently for an awkward moment, Severus spoke up.

"You should begin, I believe."

Remus nodded and cleared his throat. "All right." He sat his teacup down, rose from his chair, and began to pace slowly around the room. He did this for several moments before turning to Severus and speaking.

"I know that you do not trust easily. I realize that, and I understand. That's why I planned on taking as long as necessary to slowly convince you that I could be trusted. However," he took a deep breath, and Severus watched him closely, bracing himself as well as he could. "After almost thirty years, I would think that you would know me enough to realize that I would never take such harsh advantage of you. Of anyone. I never expected you to fully trust me, but dear god, Severus, how could you possibly think that I'd bully a dying man into brutal sex for the mere fun of it? Do you realize how deeply it cut me to know how little you think of me, after all we've been through? I'm sure that hearing me say that I loved you was quite a shock to you at that point, and I didn't expect you to believe me right away, but could you possibly have given me a damn ounce of credit as a human being?"

He paused and took a deep breath. His voice had never quite reached a shouting level, but it had certainly been well beyond normal speech. He turned to look at Severus, who was watching him, waiting.

"Speak."

"I wasn't thinking rationally. It was not, as you can imagine, an easy night for me. Or an easy year for me. For that matter, it has not been a particularly easy life, but the last twenty years have been particularly hellish. Everything came to the surface that night. My life was ending, and I didn't have a damn thing to show for it. All of the greatest emotions of my life had been negative - anger, fear, humiliation. I had no catalogue of joyful memories to focus on in my final hours; it was the worst moments that were playing again and again in my mind. When you appeared with your declaration, all I could imagine was a repeat of - "

Remus whirled around to face Severus, his voice hovering on the edge of a shout. "You obstinate bastard, have you ever let a damn thing go in your entire life?"

"It's not especially easy to simply let go of a murder attempt," Severus replied through gritted teeth.

"I. Never. Tried. To. Murder. You." The words were quiet, ferociously determined. He tried to look Severus in the eyes, but the other man was turned away. "Look at me." Severus complied, his jaw set, his dark eyes sharp. "I have told you, over and over again, if you would simply listen - "

"Oh of course, the only reason that I don't understand is because I never listen, all this anger is my fault. If only I listened, I'd realize that you weren't responsible for that dreadful, murderous prank. If only I had listened, I wouldn't have tried to turn Black in to the dementors, because I would have seen that he was innocent - how plain it all was, how simple these realizations must seem for someone who doesn't have to spend their life straddling between light and dark. Has it occurred to no one that I've spent the past twenty-five years listening to people, watching, attempting to find the truths behind the lies? That words mean nothing to me when my observations indicate otherwise?"

Remus responded in a tone that most closely resembled a growl. "Are you saying that your observations indicated that I would thoughtlessly commit violence against you?"

"My observations indicated that you were so loyal to your little pack of friends that you would go along with just about anything they suggested."

"That's not true," he said quietly. "Sirius came up with plenty of É nastier É ideas that James and I would not go along with. That's why he never told us what he planned to do at the willow. He knew we would never agree to it."

"So you rejected the plans that involved murder, permanent bodily damage, or anything that would put you in too much danger of expulsion. Bravo. Apparently you weren't overly concerned about the name calling. Or the rumours. A trip here, a shove there - "

"I have never approved of Sirius's treatment of you, and I have made that clear to him over and over - "

"If only he'd listen," Severus snarled. "I'm sure. But you never spoke up, never discouraged him in front of others, never protested when he spewed his vitriol about me."

"I É " Remus sighed, and turned away. "I wasn't used to having such loyal friends. I made a lot of compromises in order to keep our group together. A lot of compromises that I'm not proud of today."

"So you participated in my denigration in order to keep in good standing with your friends."

"Both of us have made less than wise decisions to improve our social standing, Severus. I neglected to speak out against Sirius's belittlement of you. You joined - "

Severus rose from his chair and strode toward Remus, his height and pure fury so intimidating that for a moment Remus almost backed down.

"I joined the Death Eaters for no one but myself. I will share that responsibility with no one. That decision was many things - it was selfish, it was idiotic, it was terribly naïve and misguided. It was not, however, a pathetic plea for acceptance." He stood less than a foot from Remus, their eyes locked.

"Maybe at age fifteen you were self-sufficient enough to never need or desire a close circle of friends, but I was not. Perhaps it was pathetic. As I said, I am not proud of a lot of the things that came out of that friendship, but I have never in my life felt as loved as I did in those years, and I would not trade them for anything."

They stared at each other for a long moment, and then Severus sighed and turned away, resuming his seat. "You're lucky then. I would trade those years of my life away for just about anything."

Remus considered for a moment, then took his seat across from Severus. "Look at me," he said, softly this time. Again, Severus complied, but now instead of edgy sharpness, his eyes were warily searching.

"For any and all contributions I made to the intolerability of your youth, I am sorry. I am deeply, profoundly sorry. Please understand that. And please É let your observations show you that things have changed; I no longer allow anyone to deter me from my instincts, for any reason. I knew how I felt about you twenty-five years ago, but I knew you'd never return my affections. I had everything to lose and nothing to gain. I was young and frightened and weak. I'm none of those things anymore." He paused a moment, then dared show a small, quirky smile. "Well, perhaps I'm still a bit frightened."

Severus raised an eyebrow curiously. "Whatever of?"

"The same thing I was frightened of then. That you don't share my feelings. That you never will."

Severus made a scoffing sound and waved a hand dismissively. "That's the least of your concerns, surely you know that."

Remus gaped at Severus with something akin to befuddled awe. "How on earth am I supposed to know something like that?"

Severus stared at Remus with the look he usually reserved for Neville Longbottom. "How could you have missed it? Do I invite anyone else to visit my quarters for tea?"

"I don't recall you ever inviting me, really, I believe I just started showing up, and eventually you accepted it as inevitable."

"I never tossed you out."

"Oh, of course. I should've been planning the wedding all this time. How could I have missed it?"

Severus fixed Remus with a slanted glare. Remus returned the smile, his stomach a mass of jitters, feeling as though he'd finally started to unearth something that had been hidden to him for most of his life. He could see the edge of it; it was still half buried and in need of a good cleaning, but it was there. It wasn't until Severus spoke that he realized he'd been sitting silently for several moments.

"Good god, how long do you plan on sitting there with that damned goofy grin of yours?"

Remus cleared his throat and resumed a more serious expression. "I'm so sorry, is this better?"

"Much." The corners of his mouth twitched slightly. They watched each other for a moment, and this time Remus broke the silence.

"I hate to disturb this É whatever exactly this moment is É but É are we through? I mean, with É "

Severus was silent for a moment, and his eyes took a deeply contemplative look. When he looked back at Remus, he spoke quietly. "Not quite. You apologized for all of your transgressions against me. Some of them you've apologized for multiple times. I accept."

Remus nodded. Severus went on.

"I have been more than unfair to you in the past few years. It was purely vindictive of me to tell the students that you were a werewolf. I had no motive but to hurt you, to get rid of you. I succeeded in both. If only temporarily in the latter," he added, and Remus smiled. "Last week, I was É as I said, I was not thinking rationally. I know that you are neither violent nor manipulative. I should have thought about the situation calmly. I was in no fit state to do so. I know that what happened was terrible for you. I am sorry."

Remus looked at Severus with moist eyes. "I accept your apology."

"You were willing to do something horrible in order to redeem someone who only scorned you for it. I never imagined that anyone would think me worth any such gesture."

"I do."

"Thank you."

"You're welcome." He paused a moment. "Was there anything else you needed to say?"

"Yes. But not now."

Remus tilted his head. "Why not?"

"I want to put a little time between the raging and the rest of what I've got to say."

After a moment, Remus nodded. "I can understand that."

"Perhaps you could return after dinner?"

Remus stood, and Severus followed suit. "Certainly. Will you be at dinner?"

Severus shook his head. "I've a few things to attend to."

"All right then. I'll see you in a few hours."

Remus left Severus's quarters feeling an intense surge of hope, as well as more than a bit of anticipation about Severus's plans for the evening.

~*-,._.,'-*~'`^`'~*-',.'_.,-*~'`^`'~*-,-*~'`^`'~*-,._.,-*~'`^`'~*-,-*

After an evening of nervous energy and a dinner during which he barely touched his food, Remus returned once more to the dungeons. Not, however, before stopping at his quarters and cleaning up a bit. He brushed his teeth, combed his hair and changed his clothes, knowing that he'd feel like an utter fool if his suspicions turned out to be wrong.

They were not wrong.

Remus knocked on the door, and Severus answered, wearing a long, black silk dressing gown trimmed with emerald-green embroidery. He had clearly bathed recently; his hair was still slightly damp and he smelled of aloe. Remus took in a sharp breath and entered, finding Severus's quarters lined with candles. He turned to Severus, who was simply watching him, waiting for his reaction.

"Are you trying to seduce me, Severus Snape?"

The corners of Severus's mouth twitched, and he strode towards Remus. "That depends. How hard would I have to try?" He stopped directly in front of Remus, just short of touching him.

"Not very, I'd imagine," Remus whispered, his breath quickening. "I've only spent a quarter of a century wanting you." He grinned slightly. "Besides, it seems that you've already put quite a bit of effort into it," he commented, his voice shyly teasing. "Who would've expected that you'd turn out to be such a romantic?"

Severus sighed and rolled his eyes. "Why should anyone presume to know how I would act when I'm in love? Has anyone in this damned castle ever actually seen me in such a state? I think not."

"In love?" Remus used his last bit of breath to ask.

Severus reached out and took Remus's chin in one slender hand, tilting the man's face toward his own and gripping his gaze. "I told you there was something else that I needed to say to you."

Remus nodded, wondering if he'd ever be able to breathe again.

"That was it."

They stood that way. Immeasurable time passed. The back of Remus's mind was turning over itself, calculating the possibilities, the effect that this one week was having, the fault-line shifting of his entire future. The front of his mind was a static repetition, "Severus loves me, Severus loves me, Severus loves me É " At last he opened his mouth slightly and tried to speak, but Severus began to draw closer to Remus, leaning his face down until their noses were almost touching, and Remus lost his words.

"Ssh. You don't have to," Severus whispered, his breath warm against Remus's lips. "You won't have a single coherent thing to say anyway."

"Then you'd best find a way to stop me, else I may prattle on for hours," he breathed, his arms sliding around Severus's waist.

"Dear god. Anything but that."

And then they kissed.

It seemed odd to Remus that this was their first kiss. They had known each other for almost thirty years. They had had sex - in the barest, rawest sense of the word - but they had never once kissed.

Now they were. And it was glorious. Severus's arms around his waist, Severus's taste in his mouth, Severus's body pressed to him.

This. This was what he had imagined.

Neither man seemed willing to allow this initial kiss to end before it absolutely had to, so when they finally broke away, both took in heaving gulps of air. Once they had satisfied their need for oxygen, their mouths were quick to seek each other out once more, searching and plunging again for as long as was possible before another gasping retreat.

This was the pattern for quite some time. Snogging and panting, devouring and wheezing, until Remus, a sheepish smile on his face, spoke.

"You'll have to forgive me. I can't seem to get enough of kissing you."

"I don't recall complaining."

"I know." He paused. "I suppose I'm trying to make up for last time, when - "

"There was no last time," Severus interrupted, his words quick and decisive.

Remus frowned a bit. "Severus, I don't want to - "

"Pretend it never happened. No, neither do I. But what happened wasn't É this. What happened that night is only related to what will happen tonight in the most clinical of senses. You and I have copulated. We have never made love. Tonight we will."

Remus could not respond in words. Suddenly he felt a bit shaky, and the only logical response was to lean back in, taking support from Severus's frame, and claim that delightful mouth in yet another desperately ravenous kiss. This time, however, when he finally retreated, he knew that kissing was no longer going to be enough. His hands trailed along the silk that covered Severus's back, sliding around to where the sash tied in the front and unfastening it. He was silently grateful that Severus had chosen to wear something easily removed, as he was fairly certain that trying to unfasten all of the buttons of his normal outfit without tearing anything would drive him mad.

Severus shrugged the robe from his shoulders and allowed it to fall to the floor, leaving him thoroughly nude. Remus stood quietly for a moment in simple admiration of the other man's lean but sturdy frame, giving himself time to notice and memorize every detail that his imagination had previously attempted to fill in. Severus, with great effort, remained still and quiet during this period of inspection.

Then, without warning, after Severus had started to wonder if Remus planned to do anything but look, Remus wrapped one arm around Severus's waist and leaned his head down to take one delectably tempting nipple into his mouth, one hand rising to tease the other. Severus, for hardly the last time that evening, felt sure that he would go mad.

The surprised sound that escaped Severus's throat could only be described as a growl, and he wrapped his arms around Remus's shoulders in an attempt to steady himself. Remus continued to lick, nibble and tweak for several moments, Severus's growls turning to moans, and eventually to whimpers. Did I just make Severus Snape whimper? he thought with great satisfaction as he slowly sank to his knees, kisses trailing down the taller man's chest and stomach along the way.

As Remus dropped down in front of him, Severus felt his legs grow shaky with anticipation, and once more he latched onto Remus's shoulders for support. He closed his eyes and braced himself, preparing for an onslaught of pleasure, but Remus seemed to be in no hurry; in fact, the other man was thoroughly enjoying himself feasting upon Severus's left thigh. As delightful as this was, it was doing nothing to ease the impending madness.

Remus felt Snape lean against him, pause a moment, and then begin to squirm. He grinned against the pale, lean thigh that he was intent upon covering with nibbles. Let him squirm. Though he was enticed by the scent of Severus's arousal and the feel of his erection brushing against him as he shifted, he had no intention of hurrying. He knew that Severus wanted him. He wanted Severus to need him.

Severus felt the intellect seep from his brain as his entire being became centered on Remus, and what Remus was doing with his mouth. Not to mention what he wished Remus was doing with his mouth. He was becoming almost painfully hard, and every stroke of Remus's hair against the sensitive skin was torture. And then É oh god, oh dear god. Remus trailed the very tip of his tongue, feather soft, maddeningly slowly along the length of Severus's shaft. Severus's entire body shuddered as he let out a low, pleading groan.

Remus chuckled. Yes, this was what he wanted. He loved Severus deeply, and wanted to gift him with unending pleasure, over and over for the rest of their lives. However, right now, he wanted nothing more than to reduce Severus to a puddle. Perhaps even to hear him beg. There was no malice in his intent, and he knew that Severus would enjoy every agonizing moment, but after the events of the past week É he needed Severus to want him, to need him, to be desperate for him before he would take him. Once his tongue finally finished its trail, he shifted again, and started to work on the right thigh.

And then the tongue was gone, and that wicked mouth was fixed on his other thigh. This was damn near unbearable. "Are you determined to drive me insane?" Severus managed to gasp out between ragged breaths.

"Yes." The answer was given in a low tone that left room for no further question.

He struggled to keep control of himself as Remus continued his work, but just when he was beginning to think that perhaps he could keep from dissolving, he felt one of Remus's fingers - just one, so lightly - sliding along the tense skin of his balls.

Severus almost roared then, a deep, hungry sound. Remus almost considered having mercy on the man right then, especially because he was feeling no lack of eagerness himself. He was not, however, prepared to give in. Just yet. He continued to tease Severus with one finger, and spoke, his lips brushing against the smooth thigh as he did. "I'm sorry love, but I have no intention of allowing you to come until I'm buried inside you, fucking you senseless." The moan that Severus let out at those words told Remus that yes, that was something that Severus did want. But not enough. Not yet.

Then Remus stood, and, as if Severus weren't aroused enough, he began to disrobe. Not quickly, of course, no no, he obviously had no pity this night. Severus took the opportunity to back up a bit and sit on the edge of the bed, giving himself the support that he needed before he crumpled into a pleading mass on the floor. He sat there, transfixed as button by button Remus's chest was revealed, those delectable nipples, the soft fur that he planned on stroking again and again.

His shirt discarded, Remus kicked off his shoes and pulled his socks off, then straightened up again, and began to unfasten his trousers, a bit at a time, fingers lingering over the button, thoroughly enjoying the way Severus's mouth hung open, practically drooling as he waited.

Severus saw so much that he wanted, so many spots that demanded to be licked and bitten, such an abundance of beautiful skin that would merit exploration in time. But now É now, now now É all he wanted was to see Remus's cock. To see it, admire it, and feel it inside him.

At last he pushed his trousers over his hips, letting them fall, and stepping out of them. He grinned at Severus's obvious surprise to find that he wasn't wearing underpants. "You aren't the only one who wanted to be accessible tonight," he purred, and stepped toward Severus.

Closer. Closer. Yes. Yes yes yes. Please now touch me please É Remus's hands were on his shoulders, pushing him down onto the mattress, and then Remus was on top of him, scooting him fully onto the bed, the lengths of their nude bodies sliding against each other, skin against hot, wanting skin.

And Remus wanted him, wanted to claim him, this gorgeous man beneath him, writhing and gasping, so obviously hungry for him. But not just yet.

Then Remus sat up on his knees, and Severus moaned in disappointment at the loss of contact. Remus once again took him by the shoulders, but this time he was turning him, flipping him onto his stomach. Severus did not resist. Even if he had wanted to, which he did not, there was not an ounce of resistance left in him. All that he could muster was an all-consuming want, which was quickly turning to need.

When Severus was on his stomach, Remus parted those well-kissed thighs and felt the tremble that his touch caused. He paused for a moment, enjoying the view of Severus's lovely arse, but one of Severus's strained breaths brought him back to his task. He brought his hands to the smooth cheeks and parted them slightly, then leaned down and found the tight pucker with his tongue.

Severus felt sure that his hips rose to the ceiling. That tongue, that skillful tongue, circling and lapping and diving É he was squirming wildly, his throat full with pitiful mewling sounds. He no longer cared. Anything that would convince Remus that he was ready, that he could wait no longer. "Please," he whispered.

Remus stopped at the sound of the word. "Please what?"

"Please fuck me, Remus, for god's sake!" The voice was frantic.

That was it. That was all he needed.

Out of the corner of his eye, Severus saw Remus reach for the jar of lubricant that Severus had placed on the bed stand earlier in the evening. He was simultaneously filled with relief and anticipation.

Remus opened the jar quickly, quite beyond the point of waiting himself, and slathered both his erection and Severus's opening. He did not have to ask Severus to raise his hips to meet him, and then he was inside, buried inside that glorious body, that glorious body that wanted him, that needed him, that was responding to him.

Severus screamed. There was no other word for it. After all the teasing, to finally be filled with Remus, to be completely and utterly claimed by Remus, was almost more than his senses could bear. He thrust wantonly against his lover, wanting more more harder harder deeper deeper, the words pouring from his mouth, only half aware of his own ravenous chanting.

Remus was happy to comply. He could not, in fact, bring himself to do otherwise. His lover wanted to be fucked, and that was exactly what his lover was going to get. Gripping Severus's hips, he slammed into him, a long, lupine howl of triumph escaping him as he did.

Severus's mind exploded. There were no coherent thoughts. There was only Remus, and Remus's incredible cock, inside him, taking him, and then, oh god, Remus's hand around his own, stroking him, and his entire body was a crackling fuse about to go off.

He felt Severus tense as he massaged him with one slick hand, he felt his own climax, too immediate, too powerful to be held back. He let go, and the relief was thorough. All his physical need, all his emotional tension, all his mental anguish came crashing to the surface and pouring forth, evaporating at last against Severus's moist skin.

And then Remus was releasing, inside him, those fingers were tightening around him, and he came, every touch of Remus's body fueling him, every thrust encouraging his pleasure until he felt he had no breath left in his body.

They both held still for a moment, reminding themselves to breathe, recovering somewhat, before Remus slowly withdrew from his lover and pulled the man into his arms. They collapsed together against the mattress, limp and exhausted and sated beyond belief.

After a moment, Remus looked down at Severus's face, squeezed him, and kissed the top of his head. "Get used to it."

"Hmmm?"

"Being loved. Making love. I know it was É missing from your life for a long time."

"For my entire life."

"As I said," he murmured, stroking Severus's hair, "get used to it."

"I don't expect I shall ever get used to it. I imagine that it will be a delicious treat each and every time."

"That works as too."

They lay in silence for several moments, reveling in their first post-coital snuggle, until the pragmatic one spoke.

"We should clean up. Before we go to sleep."

"You're right. Perhaps we could share a shower?"

"That could lead to all sorts of trouble."

"And that would be a negative thing?"

"On the contrary, that's exactly why I think it a brilliant idea."

With that, the two men rose, never fully breaking contact with each other, and headed toward Severus's bathroom, to clean up. Or not.