Sirius Black was never one to be tied down. He'd date a girl for a few weeks, and soon he was bored and ended it. This was a fact that has always bothered Remus. The young werewolf thought about this as he watch Sirius walk through the door of the boys dorms, back from yet another date. This one had been with a tall, curvy blonde from Ravenclaw.
"Hey Moony!" Sirius chirped, flopping down on his bed, which sat directly across from Remus Lupin. The latter looked up at his raven-haired friend darkly from behind his own sandy blond locks.
"Hey, Sirius." He said simply, flipping a page in his book. Normally, Remus wouldn't behave so unkindly. However, the full moon having been the night before, his body was still surging with hormones. This sometimes made him a little pissy.
Sirius kicked his shoes off at the heels. "I don't think I'll see that bird again. She just stares, doesn't talk much. Not very characteristic of a Ravenclaw." He mentioned casually, shaking some hair from his face. Remus rolled her golden eyes, pretending to read his book.
"Nnnf," he grunted noncommittally, flipping yet another page. Sirius eyed him suspiciously.
"Where's James and Peter?" He asked, now pulling his jacket off his broad shoulders. Remus shook this from his head. He didn't want to give Sirius any compliments.
"They said they were going to the kitchen, but really I think they're going to bother younger students. Or Snape." He said flatly, turning a third page. Sirius furrowed his brow, watching Remus as he flitted through pages without actually reading them.
"What's yanking your chain, damn it?" He demanded, sitting forward on his bed, looking hard at his best friend.
Remus shook his head, averting his eyes from Sirius' intent grey-eyed stare. "Nothing it wrong, thanks. I'm tired." He replied in monotone, not wanting to bother with an argument.
Sirius shook his head, "for someone who keeps such a big secret you sure are a shitty liar, Remus." He spat. He didn't like being lied to, or getting attitude from anyone. He's gotten enough of that at home.
Remus slammed his book shut, looking up at Sirius now. He read Sirius' angry expression, but didn't particularly care how angry Sirius was.
"You know what, mate? It's you. You are my problem. In fact, everything is your fault. Every blasted, sodding, ruddy thing that happens is your fault!" Remus shouted, blowing things out of proportion and greatly exaggerating.
"Oh, and why is that? Tell me, you toerag, what do I do that makes life so bloody unbearable!?" He countered Remus' shouts, heat and anger rising to his cheeks.
Remus snapped. He couldn't help it. All these years he'd kept it in, and let it build up. Finally, it came to a head. "You and your bloody dates, damn it! All you do is date bird after bird that you don't even like!"
Sirius' nostrils flared, a keen indicator he'd just become supremely pissed. "Oh yeah, you think so?"
"Yeah, I do. I do think that. I know you don't like them because you can't stick to one!" Remus growled, suddenly realizing he'd stood up and was having a stand off with the taller boy.
"Yeah?"
"Yeah!"
"Who might you think is a better match then? Hmm? How does All-Knowing Remus think dim-witted Sirius should date, then? Who would make you happy, your highness?" Sirius didn't take lightly to being told his own emotions. Especially when the other person was right.
"Piss off." Remus said quietly, going back to his bed and shutting the curtains.
"Very mature, Moony." He scoffed, walking back to his own bed. "You're just jealous. You're jealous I get more female attention than you."
"That's not why I'm jealous," Sirius heard Remus' voice coming from behind the current, his tone completely different. It sounded vulnerable now.
"Well," he said, feeling lost all the sudden, "what's it your jealous of then?"
"Them." Remus said simply, rubbing his forehead. Why was he telling him this?
Remus had never wanted to admit to these feelings for his best friend. Albeit, they'd been with him since they were in fourth year and the boys were now in seventh. Being a werewolf was hard enough on Remus, especially because once he got into the real world he wouldn't be able to conceal it. How could Remus cope with being gay, too?
"You're… jealous of the girls?" Sirius stammered, not entirely believing his ears. He'd longed to hear these words so many times over the past few years. Now that he had, we wanted to be sure they were real.
"Yes," he said, peeking his face out between curtains to look at Sirius' stunned expression. "I am jealous of them. All-Knowing Moony… he rather fancies dim-witted Padfoot, but the idea of it was too scary until recently. Moony can't keep it inside any longer."
Sirius watched Remus stare at the floor, his cheek bright red. Sirius knew how vulnerable Remus had to feel, laying his heart on the line like this.
Sirius didn't say anything, he didn't have to. He reached Remus in two, swift strides, and raised the boy's chin with his fingers. He didn't need words; the small, chaste kiss would speak for him.
Remus, caught off guard, only managed to kiss back as Sirius pulled away. This left him wide eyed and puckering, looking similar to a startled goldfish.
"You kissed me," he mumbled, just staring at the grey-eyed wonder in front of him.
"Nothing gets passed you, does it?" He said, not mocking in anyway. He smiled shyly; probably for the first time in his life.
"Would you do it again?" Remus asked, looking up at Sirius through his rather long eyelashes. It didn't take any more than that for Sirius' face to drift closer to his own. He felt the unfamiliar lips against his again, this time ready for it.
It was brief, but perfect in the eyes of Remus Lupin. After they separated, Sirius wrapped his long, muscular arms around Remus.
"I'm sorry I've hurt your feelings, Moon. I never knew." He said quietly, happy to feel Remus' arms find their way around him.
Remus closed his eyes, relaxing into Sirius' embrace with no intention of breaking it any time soon. "I never said anything. I was afraid too. Being a werewolf I already fear prejudice, and then all those birds…"
"You don't have to be jealous of the birds anymore, Remus." Sirius whispered, squeezing the thin werewolf.
"Why's that?" He asked, looking at Sirius questioningly although he could not see it.
"It's the birds' turn to be jealous of you."