“Murphy? Murphy?” Remus knelt before him, his sturdy hands holding on to Murphy’s arms. Remus shook him a little, trying to get any reaction from him. Murphy didn’t know what to do or what to say.
“Come on, Murph. You’re okay. You’re okay,” Remus’ voice, softer and more tender than ever, soothed his nerves, eased him back into reality.
“Is he dead?” he whispered.
“Yeah.” Remus dropped his head, his breath heaving out of him. “I had to, Murphy. I had to. He was going to kill you.”
Murphy nodded; he couldn’t manage more. Remus had killed a man to save his life, and Murphy couldn’t make that fit into the life he thought he’d been living. Turns out fate is one nasty b***h.
Big hands held his face tenderly, a warm, steady palm on each cheek. He idly wondered how Remus wasn’t shaking like h
