"I'll put that on my to-do list," Remus chuckled. "Live Happily Ever After, right below Spoil Regulus Rotten as Much as Possible." Not that he wouldn't try to do just that, of course, in both cases.
God, he loved this, seeing how the simplest of things affected his lover -- a word, a promise, a turn of phrase or tone of voice. He thought it might be that more than anything that was finally convincing him these desires were right and normal, at least for them. It didn't matter what the world thought, or what he'd been taught about his own instincts. It only mattered that Regulus wanted it. "I'll just have to practice more," he said, feeling his own voice rumble in his chest because of how close they were. "Take a few more steps."
Remus shrugged, the feigned casualness of the gesture belied by the spark of amusement in his eyes. "We can try that up against a wall idea you liked before. You can shut me up with a kiss and I'll leave marks while fucking you against a wall." Not that he'd ever touch Regulus out of true violent anger. But, a desperate need to stop an argument neither of them wanted? Maybe. Propping himself up on on elbow, shifting so their legs were still entwined as he did, he stared down at his lover. One finger gently brushed a lock of hair from Regulus' eyes as Remus spoke. "Knowing you care enough that I can hurt you is...good, in a way. I'll just have to be careful and try not to use that power. I may fail from time to time. But, hurting you is the last thing I want to do. The very last.
"I can see where it wouldn't be," he said of the gift once Regulus finished speaking of the conversation with Sirius. "Are you still confused? About why you feel this way? I know you said it's difficult to talk to me when I'm what you're confused about. But, talking to you about us, even in writing, like those check-lists, helps me. It may not be what you need. But I can try listening if you think it would help?"
He smiled softly. "I love all those ways. But, it's more than that. It's this." Remus looked pointedly between them, at the way they held each other, each with their arms around the other, both equally possessive and protective despite the way Remus had hidden his face. "This is belonging, too. I'm not asking you to do anything on that list to prove I belong to you. I don't need to. Not when I have your ring, your snake, this. I just needed to hear it, as well, I guess. It's part of that balance, maybe, belonging to you and claiming you for myself in equal measure. I think it was part of the reason I was so out of sorts with the initial idea behind that list. I felt out of balance with us. Now that's changed, I don't have the issues with exploring that list that I had before."
Nipping at his lover's shoulder...collarbone...neck, Remus pushed Regulus over onto his back. "I want to explore those things with you," he said softly, words ghosting over Regulus' skin as Remus leaned down to press a line of kisses along his jaw. "I'm still figuring things out about myself. But, I'm not afraid of this any more."