Aaron

[mooningremus]

Things had been pretty bad for Remus before the whole world went to shit, so in some ways it wasn't objectively worse. The worst part of all of it though was that his wand had snapped in half, and since Hogsmeade had burned to the ground he had no idea how to get a new one.

Small mercies, however, he'd found a place to chain himself up during the full moons. An abandoned house - there were many of those - not far from the city, where he was squatting as well (his house had basically fallen to pieces) and had concrete walls that weren't going anywhere no matter how hard the wolf yanked.

He assumed the howling and screaming could be heard from anyone outside, but it wasn't as if that would be the most unusual thing. And he figured that, chained up, he couldn't hurt anyone even if they stumbled upon him.

So just before moonrise he stripped out of his clothes, neatly folded them, and put a silver cuff connected to a chain coming fro the wall, around his ankle.

And eventually, the wolf was shrieking its displeasure as it threw itself around the room.

Comments

[quitollis]

Aaron nodded. Of course. "I imagine the label of monster is easily applied. But... I know monsters. You clearly are not one."

[mooningremus]

Remus smiled at him. “Oh I’m… glad that’s how you see me. Here, sit. And there’s some water there.” He pointed to an old glass bottle and put the meat onto a plate.

[quitollis]

"Smells delicious," Aaron said. "Last meat I've had was some time ago and...well, I chose not to ask, but I'm fairly sure it was bat."

[mooningremus]

Remus chuckled. “This was terribly lucky.” He brought it over on cracked plates, all he had.

[quitollis]

"I imagine some skill was involved... Or did you find it?" Aaron asked, conversationally.

[mooningremus]

“I taught myself to use a bow and arrow,” Remus said, and handed him the one knife he had first. “Lots of time on my hands. The trees outside here do not thank me for it.”

[quitollis]

"In hindsight, I've been prepared for this scenario quite well," Aaron admitted. "I was taught survival skills since I was about twenty. Came with the job."

[mooningremus]

“An exorcist,” Remus remembered. “I confess I don’t know much about that, but I suppose it’s partly ah… monster hunting?”

[quitollis]

"Something like that yes," Aaron said. "I hunted demons and... ugly things that don't belong in this world. I was quite good at it."

[mooningremus]

“And I’m not one of those ugly things?” Said Remus, managing a small quirked smile as he cut off a piece of meat.

[quitollis]

"No," Aaron said, quickly, as if afraid Remus might be upset. "Not at all. I saw you weren't even transformed. Your eyes were too human, too...kind."

[mooningremus]

“I have trouble ke believing the wolf might have kind eyes,” Remus said. “But… I did know that the eyes look like mine. Or so I’m told. I’ve never seen it, of course.”

[quitollis]

"Your eyes are beautiful. There was a soul there, " Aaron quickly added. "What I hunt doesn't have a soul."

[mooningremus]

Remus blushed. “I… well… I do my best under the circumstances. And it’s only… I’m just a man most nights.”

[quitollis]

"Fortunately, " Aaron said. "I can't imagine what you go through every month. Would be hell if it happened more."

[mooningremus]

“It’s…” Remus hesitated, and then admitted, “it’s very painful. But the worry is worse. What I might do. That I might hurt someone.”

[quitollis]

Aaron nodded and put a hand on Remus' knee, amicably for a brief moment before realising that was probably inappropriate fir the setting, so he pulled away. "Does it happen? That you hurt someone, I mean?"

[mooningremus]

Remus wished Aaron would touch him more.

“I…” He hesitated. “Only a couple of times, in all these years. But yes.”

[quitollis]

"I'm sorry, that must be awful," Aaron said, sympathetically. He took a bite from his meat, to make better use of his hands that wanting to touch Remus again.

[mooningremus]

"Yes."

Remus watched him for a long moment. "Aaron, why... did you come to see me, really?"

Say that you wanted me, he thought. God, that would be nice. But maybe he was just fantasizing.

[quitollis]

The eyes on him were causing him very inappropriate reactions. Physical ones that he shouldn't be feeling. And in the back of his mind, a little voice: who'd know? Who'd care? The Vatican is gone, the church as an institution is mostly gone. Who'd be bothered if he broke his vows?

But no, he had to adhere to something. His principles his morals.

"I just wanted to know if you were doing alright," he said, feeling his heart best faster.

[mooningremus]

Remus ate the last bite of meat from his plate and then got to his feet.

He wasn't normally this forward. Not at all, in fact. But he could literally smell Aaron's arousal. And the wolf inside him, closer to the surface in the days before the full moon, told him to take what he wanted. And god did he want it.

He moved to stand behind his chair, and leaned over him. Inhaled. His mouth was close to Aaron's neck. "That's very kind of you."

[quitollis]

This was doing things to him he'd never felt before. It caused his mouth to go dry. It caused his heart to beat faster. It caused him to incline his head towards Remus, while he should be standing up to leave. "I should..." He couldn't even say it.

[mooningremus]

"I would like very much if you would stay," said Remus softly.

And very chastely, he kissed his upturned jaw. "Though only if you wish to."

[quitollis]

Chaste, but so nice. He'd only ever kissed a woman before, or we'll, a girl, when he was fifteen. He hadn't felt much for it and was convinced it wasn't for him.

But what he felt now... he turned his head and kissed him again, chaste still, but on the lips.

God, it felt nice.