Timeless: Timeless

by Yulara


Their eyes light up when they meet, as if they hadn't seen each other for a long time. Wrinkled hands touch tentatively, then hold on tight. They sit side by side, talking softly, and every now and then, a hand sneaks up to caress a cheek, or touch a strand of silver hair.

The first kiss is shy, but the awkwardness soon fades away between smiles and touches in the warm sunlight of early summer.

Teddy watches them sit on the bench in the garden and can't help smiling. It's good to see them so happy. They're freshly in love, and they will always be, exchanging first kisses every day. They don't remember yesterday, that they know each other, that they kissed before. Or maybe they do, in a way, maybe their hearts and bodies remember what their minds cannot any more.

There are bad days too, days when Teddy has to distract and comfort, when Severus will frown in confusion and call Remus a beast, when Remus will shy away from Severus's touch in disgust. “Murderer,” he called him on one of these days, before he lost coherent speech.

But most days are good days, and as Teddy slowly approaches, he thinks that it was a good decision to have brought them home with him, together. Severus's head lies against Remus's shoulder, his eyes are closed, and he doesn't seem to care, or notice, that Remus's soft chatter is no more than fragmented sounds and murmurs. In turn, Remus takes no notice of the wet spot slowly spreading out on his robe under Severus's mouth.

Everyone tells Teddy they feel sorry for them, and how tragic it is, but he's not so sure. It's not that he isn't sad to see his father like this, or that taking care of them isn't exhausting. But he wonders if he should truly resent the way it is so much, like everyone suggests. It doesn't seem as though the two of them do.

Whatever it was that made them push away each other before is gone. Now, all that is left is affection, most of the time, and an understanding that needs no words. There might be worse ways to age, and at least they're not lonely. They have him, and each other, and a timeless day of first kisses. Is that so terrible?

Teddy can't find an answer.

This story archived at: Occlumency

http://occlumency.sycophanthex.com/viewstory.php?sid=7044