It wasn’t uncommon for Remus to wake up in a different place than when he first intended to sleep. It just happened a lot less since they all stopped sharing a room. That didn’t mean it didn’t happen, it just took more work and was usually fueled by worry as much as the seeking of comfort. More importantly, Remus was restless. Anxious as the moon became more full.

Sometime around 2 am, Remus had let himself into Peter’s flat. After a standoff with Hairy Pupper, he also invited himself into Peter’s bed with a few mumbled words exchanged. He really didn’t like that Peter was still living on his own.

While he might have slept a little more soundly knowing that Peter was safe, he didn’t think through the other side of it. Peter was probably the most adult of them. He had a proper job that required getting up in the morning. With an alarm!

Remus groaned rolling over, bodily pressing into Peter. “I am only getting out of this bed in order to consume every ounce of meat to which you don’t lay immediate claim.”

Peter was observant enough to know that he’d obtained a guest in the middle of the night that wasn’t quite as furry as Hairy Pupper (at least not every day). He lay awake for a few hours after just listening to Remus breathing but eventually he fell back into a slightly less fitful sleep than before his friend had arrived.

He was quick enough with dispatching his alarm, but not enough to get out of bed before Remus did. He didn’t mean to stiffen up when his friend pressed against him. It was hard not to though. Being alone with Remus now felt more uncomfortable than being alone with Sirius, which was saying something. “You can have whatever you want. I’m not really that hungry anyway.”

“Not hungry?” Remus lifted his head to better look at Peter. “That’s blasphemy!” He still wasn’t fully awake. His brain was slow to start on most days. There would be napping later, certainly. Probably after breakfast.

Except something seemed off. Remus reached up to trace above the splotchy rash on Peter’s face, not quite touching him. Not there at least. “I think I might have hurt you. Or you’re allergic to me now.”

It took Peter’s sleep-deprived brain a moment to actually understand what Remus was referring to. His cheeks flushed and he shook his head quickly as he remembered the stupid rash he hadn’t remembered to hide when Remus showed up last night.

“If I were allergic I would’ve been fucked far sooner than this,” he replied idly while he tried to come up with some sort of excuse. “S’nothing. Happened at work yesterday; just forgot to get it checked out. My face is still intact so I’m not too worried.” He needed to go see Snape and get it fixed. He didn’t say it though, since Remus had mentioned talking to Snape during the camp out and Peter had no logical reason to also be talking to the man.

Remus hummed, squinting at the rash as he was suddenly an expert on skin conditions. Before he was able to say anything, his stomach gave a very loud rumble. Apparently that was awake now. “Ah yes. To feed the beast.” He ruffled Peter’s hair, pulling ever so gently on the curls. They were so bouncy! “But you should get it looked at. I’ll worry if nothing else, can’t have just anyone competing for my title.”

It wasn’t like Remus had never used the word ‘beast’ before, but it felt heavier in the air now. There had been no reason for Bellatrix to open her stupid gob (other than to make Sirius squirm). Things felt like they were rapidly falling apart now and he had no way to hold the pieces together. “I’m definitely not on the lookout for taking away your title, which you gave yourself anyway.” He rolled his eyes and felt a smile tug at his lips even with his discomfort. He hated everything about this.

Peter pushed himself into a sitting position on the bed and waved vaguely at his friend. “Why’re you here, anyhow?”

“Thought I didn’t need a reason to stay the night?” Remus stretched into the place that Peter had opened up by sitting. The oversized jumper riding up just a little. Another rumble. “I missed you. And I feel better if you’re not alone.” As he spoke he was trying to muster the energy to get up. Food was usually a good motivator, and coffee a nice bonus.

“Is it really staying the night when you show up halfway through said night?” he asked only to be contrary. Peter turned a little so he could look down at Remus and did his best not to eye his friend up since that wasn’t really a normal thing that friends did.

“I’m fine,” came the automatic reply. He had resigned himself to the fate of being alone long ago; it wasn’t like anything had really changed now, aside from deluding himself of his reality for a while. “I think Sirius needs you more than I do right now.” Which wasn’t exactly true.

“Yeah, well, I need you.” And Sirius, but Remus was starting to pick up that his budding relationship with Sirius was a point of contention for Peter. “Besides, Sirius is a grown boy. He can manage for a while.”

“You don’t need me.” He never really had needed Peter - he was far more capable than Peter ever had been. The snort that left him at Remus’ next was involuntary. “I’m not sure he can manage to keep himself out of trouble.” Ironic, considering Peter was in more trouble than most of them at any given moment. Sirius did have a way of finding it though.

Remus groaned again and finally pushed himself upright. One step closer to food. “Also you’re kind of a shite liar with me.” He scrubbed his face.

Peter couldn’t be certain, but it felt like his face drained of colour at Remus’ statement. His body stiffened too, but otherwise he did his best to remain outwardly calm. “What do you mean?”

“You’re not fine.” Remus finally pushed to standing, glancing back to Peter still on the bed. “Haven’t been fine since August.”

That was true and also much better than what Peter had been thinking Remus was implying. “Yeah, well…” He ran his fingers through his hair and avoided eye contact by looking at the sleeve of Remus’ jumper. “I can’t change it. It is what it is.”

“James and the broken boys.” Remus said mostly to himself. Then he reached across the bed for Peter, having to kneel back down to close the distance. “We’re better together.”

This was a topic Peter and Remus had already touched on before. “Maybe we are,” he agreed quietly with eyes downcast, “but we aren’t together.” He sighed and looked at his friend. “Not like before.” And never again when things finally blew up in Peter’s face. But he had been convinced since they graduated that he was on the way out of their group.

Remus dropped his hand, shaking his head. “Not for lack of trying.” And maybe he could have done better, but Remus did what he could, and perhaps greedily took what opportunity presented him. Which still rather embarrassingly for the moment was his stomach’s insistence on food.

“I’m sorry.” He was, especially because he knew that Remus had been trying. A lot more than anyone else. “I know you’re trying and I know I’m not making it easy.” Peter didn’t want to be dealt false hope. He was resigned to his fate and accepted it for what it was. “I want you to be happy, yeah? All of you. And that happens fine without me around.”

“Blargh.” That was all about Remus wanted to say on this, too early and with an empty stomach. “I am going to go eat all of your food now.” Yes. That was a better option. “You should join me. If only for moral support. And eventually, one day, you might realize that I’m happiest with you around.”

Peter was more than happy for this conversation to be over; honestly happy to pretend that it had never happened in the first place. It never went anywhere productive anyhow and when the truth came out, Remus would change his tune. Peter had no doubts about that. “Alright. I can make you some bacon and eggs.”

“Good man.” Remus agreed, just as happy to move on to more pressing matters. “Now you’re speaking my language. With extra bacon.”

Feeling far more weary than usual from the weekend he’d had, Peter shook his head as he got out of bed and passed Remus on his way to the kitchen. “I’m not,” he muttered, though he knew Remus would hear him regardless.