Echoed - a wolfstargazer microfic - word count: 380
Lily shifted in bed beside him. The scent of her filled his senses, bedwarm, and something floral, and he gathered her to him in his arms.
She gave a little sigh against him, held his hand tight around her waist, and said, "Can't sleep?"
James said nothing for a moment, planted a kiss on her shoulder, before saying, quietly, "I just wish that I could make them see..."
James trailed off, the memory of the argument between them from that evening drifting back to him, their words and accusations echoing through his mind. He had tried, and failed, yet again to make them see. But reason seemed to be beyond them now....replaced by suspicion and the bitterness of betrayal.
Sirius had shouted.
Remus had shut down.
And then both of them had stormed out, with things worse than before, and half-empty glasses left on the table and half-truths left unsaid.
"Perhaps you can't," James heard Lily say, her voice bringing him back to the present.
James tensed a little but tried to relax as Lily gently stroked the back of his hand with one thumb. "Perhaps it's not your job to make things right between them?"
"Hmmmm." James made a thoughtful sound and, resigning himself that whatever could be done to fix things could not be fixed right now, closed his eyes.
A beat of silence. Then Lily said, "Do they know... do you think? Do you think they've realised?"
James' eyes fluttered open. He could just about make out the shadowy outline of Lily's head turned away from him on the pillow beside him. His stomach gave a tiny lurch. He knew, without question, what his wife was really asking.
James thought of everything that had passed between them. The years of hesitations, uncertainty, and guarded smiles. He remembered the way their eyes would follow one another, unnoticed but so apparent if either of them had dared to really look.
He thought of Padfoot, Sirius, closer than a brother... who shared everything with him...apart from this.
James cleared his throat and said, slowly, "Yes. I think so."
Lily nestled herself into James more closely.
"That makes it all the sadder, somehow," she said.
James said nothing, although he silently agreed, held his wife tightly to him and tried to get some sleep.
Prompt by @breakmyheartwolfstar
