Remus nodded, figuring he wouldn’t be able to ask more of Sirius, not here and now. In other contexts, Remus had seen Mulligan call on him with little warning, Sirius seemingly never off his balance, easily finding the words to defend even the most obscure tangent or consideration. Here, now, Sirius seemed hard pressed to even speak two-syllable words. It would have ingrained a sense of doubt in Remus, had his fingers not rested against the pulse points in Sirius’ necks, feeling the adrenaline rush through Sirius’ veins.<br/>It was intoxicating.<br/>“I’ll ask,” Remus assured with a smile, meeting the expectation half way, not sure if Sirius would be able to speak up unprompted.<br/>The most basic safety net established between them, Remus finally allowed himself to cross the distance between them, catching Sirius’ lips in another kiss, tentative in the way it asked for more.