Sirius was exhausted. What was supposed to be an fourteen hour flight had somehow become twenty seven between unpredictable weather delays and engine trouble. He'd slept little between unforgiving airplane seats and noisy boarding areas, waking often to damn kids kicking his chair and some lady who thought he was her son and decided to tell him her life story. Sirius hadn't the heart to tell the old, decidedly Japanese lady that, even given his dark hair, he was in fact both British and caucasian, as he listened politely on his seemingly never ending layover. And, despite telling every airport personal in sight that he was competing in the Olympics, no one seemed able to get him on a faster flight. Sirius felt doomed.
With just hours to spare before opening ceremonies, Sirius was barely able to make the staging area as he frantically wheeled in his luggage while simultaneously stuffing an energy bar in his mouth. After checking in, he was handed a uniform and made a mad dash for the changing rooms. Luckily he wasn't alone, although everyone else was fully dressed and chatting together or listening to headphones. Barely missing the toes of another athlete, Sirius shoved his luggage into a corner and leaned against a wall with an exasperated sigh, closing his eyes and finally taking a moment to savor the fact that he was indeed, finally, at the Olympics.
When Sirius opened his eyes, his heart almost stopped. Decidedly not a man to get easily starstruck, Sirius was never the less arrested by the sight of the Remus Lupin as he sat casually before him on a bench as if he weren't the most beautiful man in the entire world. Or at least in Sirius' world.
Sirius still remembered how his breath caught the first time he'd seen Remus skate. Four years ago, he and his friends had snuck into a bar at the tender age of sixteen, with some very sketchy fake IDs. While his friends had been caught up in the fun of taking illegal shot after shot, Sirius couldn't tear his eyes from the telly where a young British boy was making his Olympic debut. He skated so gracefully, with such poise and technical skill, that Sirius was enraptured, his heart caughting in his throat every time the boy took a jump, not wanting to see such a beautiful creature fall. Sirius admittedly knew shit about figure skating, the adrylin rush of dangerous sports was more his cup of tea, yet nothing could make him look away as delicate hands arched above Remus' head as he performed gravity defying jump after jump. The boy somehow looked both young and old, an odd mix of vulnerability combined with the weight of the world on his slight shoulders. When the skate ended, Sirius was amazed to hear the announcer state that the boy was the same age as him.
And now, four years later, here they both were. Four years of Remus turning from a sixteen year old boy into a man, though still as beautiful in Sirius' eyes. His hair was a bit longer, kissing the nape of his neck with fringe that he tucked behind his ears. But his eyes looked the same. Young but old, full of determination and a sadness that Sirius wondered how to possibly dispel.
Never one to shy away from what he wanted, Sirius took a confident step forward.
"Remus? Remus Lupin?"
The man looked up, dark amber eyes meeting his own, furrowing as Remus took him in. He glanced to the uniform in Sirius' hand before his features relaxed, probably weary of reporters bargaining him for interviews. Sirius hoped he looked like less of a threat.
"Uh huh," Remus finally replied, leaning back more casually, the tension leaving his shoulders.
"Hey, uh," Sirius found himself suddenly nervous as he brushed a hand through his long hair. "So I loved your program at Skate Canada. It was really...uh...nice."
"I'm glad you thought it was 'nice,'" Remus said with a hint of something in his voice that could either be annoyance or humor. Sirius wished he knew which.
"I mean...well, sometime... if you want to get a drink or something…"
"You're drinking before your event?" Remus asked incredulously.
"No but… After? Or," Sirius took a moment to compose himself. He was usually much smoother than this. His friends all called him a regular Casanova with the men. "I'm Sirius."
Remus cocked his head. "And here I thought you were joking."
"What? No," Sirius put his face in his hand. "My name. Is Sirius."
"Ah. Well Sirius, I think you'd better get changed. We have to be in position in fifteen minutes," Remus said, standing in one lithe moment.
"Right," Sirius said, incredibly embarrassed at being brushed of by his long time crush.
"Oh and Sirius," Remus said over his shoulder as he walked toward the door. "Good luck on your slopestyle qualifiers."
Sirius jaw dropped before he banged his head against the wall and wondered where the biggest rock in Korea he could crawl under could possibly be.
Luckily, since Sirius seemed unable to compose a coherent sentence around the man, he was not standing next to Remus as they walked out to represent Great Britain during Opening Ceremonies. His heart beat madly as he waved to the crowds and cameras, awed that all of this pomp and circumstance was for them, wrapped up entirely in the surreal nature of it all.
Once the fanfair had ended, the reality that he would actually have to compete set in. Luckily nerves never bothered Sirius during competition, only, apparently, when he was face to face with beautiful unattainable figure skaters.
Finally able to check into his room in the Olympic Village, Sirius found his skis and gear present along with his fellow teammate James Potter. Unlike Sirius, who trained in Switzerland, James' coach was in Canada, so though they competed for the same team, they barely saw one another except for events and holidays.
"I was afraid you wouldn't make it," James said as they finally got a chance to speak, embracing in a tired hug before Sirius sunk onto the bed.
"Almost didn't mate. Bloody airline gave me the run around," Sirius said with a hand over his eyes.
"Well you're here. And just in time. You'd better acclimate to the time change before qualifiers in three days or you'll be screwed."
"I'm already screwed," Sirius sighed, scrunching up on the bed, "I talked to Remus."
"Oh? Ohhhh," James said, well aware of his best mate's long-time crush. "I'm guessing he's not as perfect as on the telly?"
"Sadly, even more so. He turned me down James. Me! Turned down," Sirius lamented dramatically.
"So...you're moving on? Like a normal bloke?" James suggested.
"How can I? You said it, he's perfect. And unattainable. I'm smitten."
"No one says that anymore you old man," James sighed, sitting down to pat Sirius' head sympathetically. "Now come on. We're at the Olympics. Let's get out there and have some fun."
Sirius had been warned, both by coach and teammates, to take it easy partying before his events. And to be fair he was actually taking their advice to heart as he nursed a Vitamin Water while others around him got wasted at one of the many parties in the Olympic Village.
With no alcohol to embolden him, Sirius had absolutely no idea why he decided it was a good idea to approach Remus Lupin once again. The man was dressed in some very tight acid washed jeans and a well-tailored coat, leaning against a wall surrounded by fellow skaters. Sirius knew he didn't belong, but he simply didn't care.
"Can I get a do-over?" he said boldly, walking up beside Remus and interrupting him mid sentence. Luckily Remus looked more amused than annoyed.
"I don't know, can you?" he replied, clutching a drink in one hand.
"You knew who I was and let me make an ass of myself anyway, it's only fair" Sirius said, shaking his head.
"And yet you're back," Remus said.
"I said I was Sirius," Sirius said with a smirk and Remus rolled his eyes.
"Well, Sirius. Meet Lily Evans and her partner Gideon Prewett."
"Partner as in 'ice dancing,' not romantic," Gideon said with a grin. Sirius smiled back. This was much more what he was used to as far as flirting went.
"Oh don't start," Lily said, rolling her eyes. He could see why she and Remus were friends at least. "I swear, if your ass is sore for qualifiers…"
"Lily!" both Remus and Gideon exclaimed, though the later just shrugged apologetically while Remus simply sighed.
"What? I'm allowed to make some demands of my partner," she huffed before stealing Gideon's drink and downing it in one gulp.
"Can I get a do-over too?" Gideon asked in exasperation and Sirius laughed. Gideon was quite fit, but with Remus in the room, Sirius couldn't be troubled to notice.
"Alright, restart," Lily said. "Hi I'm Lily. I've lost four toenails this year, I love Korean food, miss my bed and can't figure out why that weird guy keeps staring at me."
"Ah, alright then. Er, Sirius Black. Firstly, where'd you lose them?" Remus snorted which Sirius took as a good sign. "It's my first Olympics and I almost missed it. I now hate airplanes, love classic rock, and that weird guy is my teammate James who should be my wingman but apparently got distracted by you, Lily."
Lily shook her head in exasperation before Remus took his turn.
"Remus. I'm tired of Lily showing me her black toe nails. Really Lil, they're gross. I miss my dog and wish I could have a real drink."
"I'm Gideon," the other man began. "I love horror movies and cheesy pick up lines." When he winked at Sirius, he couldn't help but laugh.
"Ugg," Lily said, "have you no shame? He's hitting on Remus, not you!"
"Hey, a guy can dream!" Gideon replied and laughed. Sirius smiled and shrugged apologetically
at the extroverted ice dancer.
"So what event are you in?" Lily asked Sirius, attempting to change the subject.
"Slopestyle skiing," Sirius replied.
"Yikes, that's intense," Lily observed.
"Broke three ribs last year, a wrist and two fingers the year before," Sirius said, with an odd sense of pride. He was an adrenaline junkie, the danger excited him in a way that frightened others.
Strangely Remus seemed less impressed than his usual audience who were liken to fawn over his prowess.
"Ouch," Gideon said, eying his friend when Remus failed to respond.
"I've been more careful this year though," Sirius added. "No broken bones yet."
"Miracle of miracles," Remus said, looking around the room as if bored.
"Er right," Sirius replied, finally feeling like he was butting in. "I'll just...it was nice meeting you both. Best of luck." Sirius spun around, walking quickly back to James before he felt more unwelcome.
"Remus, go easy on him, he was gorgeous as fuck!" he heard Gideon say behind him. Sadly the words didn't boost his ego for once in his entire life.
"Who is she?" James asked excitedly the moment Sirius returned.
"What, no 'How did it go Sirius?' or 'You don't need that stupidly beautiful man Sirius?'" the skier lamented as he eyed the bar.
"Huh? Oh right. You're stupidly beautiful Sirius? Now who is she?"
"That's not what I...never mind," Sirius sighed. "Come on, I need some sleep, I'll tell you all about Lily and her toenails if you accompany me back to the room."