the_debt_of_time

"Shit." Mia winced, realising her mistake the moment the words left her mouth.
Unfortunately, she had no way to retrieve them. "Remus, I didn't mean―"
Remus gaped at her in hurt disbelief. "You really think my concern for your well-
being is because we haven't had sex lately?"
"I didn't mean that." She frowned, feeling horrible for her accusation. "I just
snapped, and I'm sorry... I haven't been sleeping well and―"
"Then take care of yourself!" He growled at her, whatever sympathy existed
previously long gone. "Merlin knows you're not letting anyone else do it for you lately."
His voice deepened, and his eyes briefly flashed gold. Instinctively, Mia's own eyes
turned skyward where she quickly noted the waning moon in the sky. Before she could
bring her eyes back to look at Remus's face, she heard him inhale sharply.
"Did you just...? Are you checking to see what stage the moon is in?" He stared
at her. "Are you joking? Please, tell me you're joking."
"I just think you're being a little temperamental," she mumbled.
"Right," Remus scoffed, his nostrils flaring. "So, that must mean that my anger is
irrational and unjustified. I'm just a moon's glance away from snapping at any moment,
right? I can't just be worried about you. No, the monster in me must be on edge."
Flinching at his self-deprecation, Mia shook her head. "Don't put words in my
mouth, Remus."
"Since when do you even need to look to tell when the moon's coming?" he asked
her, gesturing to the sky. "You've had the dates for each full moon over the next decade
memorised since we were eleven."
"I... I just.. ." She closed her eyes and put her fingers against her temples. Lack
of sleep mixed with heightened emotions and his increased voice volume was not helping
her thought process.
"Mia, what day is today?"
"I... Sunday?"
"The date, Mia, the date," he specified, waiting for her to reply. When she took too
long to answer, he groaned and ran a frustrated hand through his sandy blond hair. "Merlin,
you don't even know?"
She sighed. "I told you I haven't been sleeping well."