Betaed by my darling Eliza, my sweet Emerald, and my dearest Boni. Fourth in the Some Blissful Dream multi-fandom series, inspired by the song "Dance With You" by Live. This one is for Vic, Tham, Pru, and Eliza.

"Did you know," Sirius says with all the gravity of the very drunk, staggering up the steps to their porch overlooking one of Curacao's more secluded beaches, "that if you put a seashell to your ear, you can hear the ocean? Even Muggles can do it!"

"Yes, Sirius, I did know that." Sirius tilts downward to kiss him, and the smell is a bit overpowering. "Enjoying the local brew, I see. Or smell, rather."

"Green Hornets," Sirius informs him. "Marvelous things, should have tried them years ago."

"You didn't know about them years ago."

Sirius waves off the comment as though it's inconsequential, then breaks out into a brilliant smile. "Maybe I'll buy a distillery while we're here, then I can have them all the time. But look, Moony! I've brought you a present."

"Will I have to disarm it before I open it?" But Remus can't help answering the smile.

"You don't have to disarm it or open it," Sirius promises solemnly, and then holds out a conch shell nearly as large as Remus' head. Remus takes it, admiring its cream and rose color, the graceful line of its spiral.

"It's beautiful, Sirius."

"Hold it up to your ear."

Remus obediently does so, smiling a little at the contained shush shush of the tide. And then the voice begins to sing.

Sirius watches him with eyes more sober than they should be, and Remus cannot break that gaze as Sirius' ruin of a voice husks promises into his ear. It's a song he taught Sirius when they were in school.

A lifetime ago, now. Truly a lifetime, in Sirius' case.

The voice falls into silence, so that again all he hears is the ocean. After a count of five heartbeats, the voice starts over from the beginning. Remus lowers the shell. Sirius watches him expectantly, but he's not sure what to say.

"Padfoot," he begins, but there's hardly any sound to it. He has to stop, and swallow, and Sirius fidgets.

"You said you missed the sound of my voice, and I thought...if anything should happen again--"

Remus makes a sound at that, a protest he can't articulate, and Sirius breaks out into a feral grin.

"If anything should happen again," he says deliberately, "this can keep you company until I come back."

Remus considers, and nods. "Until you come back," he says. Then he sets the shell aside and pulls Sirius down until their lips are almost touching. "But you're here now, and there's only one song I want to hear you singing."

"Always happy to oblige," Sirius whispers back, "so long as you sing harmony."

~END~