Written for:
1000 prompts - Occasions: New Years Eve/Day
365 Words - Moment
Scavenger Hunt - Write a fic using a fanon pairing
Winter seasonal:
Days of the Year - 31st December - Write about kissing at midnight on New Years Eve
Winter Prompts - (Dialogue) "Happy New Year!"
Colour: Charcoal
Birthstone - Bloodstone: (dialogue) "I can't believe it's already New Year. So much has happened this year."
Flowers: (object) scarf
Elemental: (word) Damp
Slytherin: Write Fluff
Specific House: Traits: intimate
Star: Quadrantids - "You can't actually be serious about this."
Writing Club
Assorted Appreciation - (1) Write about kissing someone at midnight on New Year's Eve
Disney - Dialogue (1) "The world is cruel."
Trope of the Month - Marriage Law - (4) word: reluctant
Showtime - 12: Emotion: Fear
Amber's Attic - 2 - Write about having an important secret revealed
Emy's Emporium - 7 - Write about someone making the best of a bad situation
Liza's Loves - 4 - Write about someone who likes to be warm
Angel's Arcade - (1) Batman - Colour: Black
Build a Cheese Board - Sauces, Spreads, Etc - Hot Pepper: Scarf
Around the World - 19 (phrase) Keeping it together
Pop Figure - January - Spiderman (1) word Adorable
Family Feud - Question 1 - Colour: Green
Dry January - Sirius Black / Remus Lupin
Just One Kiss
Omegaverse but not detailed
It's New Years Eve and Sirius makes one request of Remus.
Remus could feel the snowflakes as they landed on his bare skin around his neck and on his face, and he pulled the scarf tighter around his neck, hoping that the thick, black wool would keep him a little warmer. He hadn't considered much when leaving the party. A cardigan and scarf were the only things protecting him against the cold and they weren't enough. He needed his warm coat, but didn't want to head back inside of his and James' flat.
He had rushed out onto the balcony upon Sirius' arrival. He was always excited when Sirius visited, always eager to see his friend. The Omega was the light of his life, sometimes Sirius was the only thing getting him through his days especially around the full-moon, yet… today it was different. The marriage law had been in effect for almost a month now and would end shortly after midnight. That meant that Sirius would have chosen who he was going to marry by now.
The law required all Omegas to choose someone to marry. As there were less Omegas in society than there were Alphas, it was only the Omegas that had to do this. Any Omega left would be randomly assigned someone of high-stature as a partner. Which meant that in about an hour, Sirius would be off the market forever. Though Remus would never dare make a move, the idea that there could never be a chance for him hurt his heart.
At midnight, Sirius would have chosen an Alpha and then Remus would spend the rest of his life pining for someone who saw him as nothing more than a friend, and someone who would be married and would never be his. Sirius would either choose someone or have someone picked for him by the Ministry. The people the Ministry picked were those that were important, rich. Ones with good jobs and stuff. Omegas could still reject the matches if they weren't happy with the choice, and Remus knew deep down that there was no-one in the magical world that was worthy of Sirius Black.
He ignored the music blaring from the flat behind him, choosing to pay attention to the lights in the distance. So many lights from all of the blocks of flats and houses, meaning he wasn't the only one up after eleven, waiting for the clock to strike midnight.
"Happy New Year," a couple of men shouted as a group of women passed them. Remus watched as the women rushed away, wanting to avoid the snow and damp and the two men continued on their own path. Everyone seemed to be excited for the new year to start, all except for Remus.
James was really looking forward to it, considering how loud the music was, blaring from the living room. Remus could hear it through the charmed glass, though the charms weren't overly strong. Just strong enough to block any outside noise that had filtered through the glass when they had moved in. The noise sometimes disturbed Harry when Harry spent time over, and the charms were necessary. Though this year, Harry had spent Christmas with James, meaning that he was back with Lily for New Years. James seemed to be taking it hard, as he did each time Lily came to collect Harry, but instead of moping around for a short time, James seemed to be throwing himself into the party.
Remus would rather be in his bedroom, laying down in his cozy, warm bed, covered in a ton of blankets. Ideally, Sirius would be there in his arms. But going into his room meant that people would be constantly coming to check on him. The vibe of the party would change because everyone would be concerned about him because he didn't wait for midnight, bothering him in their attempts to ensure his happiness. Not understanding that he wanted to be left alone.
It was easier to stay awake until a little after twelve, wish everyone a Happy New Year and then retire to bed.
The door opened and the sound of music poured out. "Remus, here you are," James said. "We've been looking for you. It's almost midnight." Remus briefly wondered why he hadn't put a charm up on the balcony to keep the noise at bay a little more. "Sirius is looking for you - he's gone to check your room."
"Why?" Remus glanced back towards the door. "Is he going to tell me who he's chosen to marry? Tell me when the wedding is?" As the words left his lips, he realised his tone wasn't steady as he had intended. The words had a sharp edge to them that he knew James had heard. "Or perhaps he'll allow the Ministry to pick for him," Remus added, forcing his voice into something more steady.
James chuckled slightly. "Sirius wouldn't allow someone to decide his future like that," he said. Remus was relieved that James was overlooking his upset. He had worked so hard to keep things at bay, to keep his secret. Today wasn't the day for it to come out.
"There's no way he'd allow the ministry to choose for him. Hell, he shot me down pretty quickly when I proposed to him at the start of the month.
Remus stared at James, his lips pressing together as he tried to hold back a scathing comment.
"I only did it because I want Sirius to be happy. That's what we both want, right? Well, he's not going to be happy with a stranger that's chosen by the Ministry. I wanted him to realise that there were options here - that he wasn't alone in this. I wanted him to know that there are two Alphas who care about him more than anything and that he should consider us. Do you know what he told me?"
"What?" Remus asked, a heavy sensation overtaking him. Sirius had turned down James a whole month ago but hadn't approached him. That told him everything he needed to know - that Sirius hadn't considered Remus worthy enough to be his husband - not that he could blame Sirius. Sirius just deserved so much more. Though that didn't help the feelings that he was drowning in. Remus watched James, waiting for James to hurry up and share the information so Remus could get on with watching the snow and waiting for the year to end and the new one to hurry the hell up. Not that the next year could be any better. This year, Sirius was forced to pick a husband. Next year, Sirius will be getting married to someone else. The future was looking bleak.
"Well, Sirius told me that he wasn't worried about himself. He had a few offers already, though he didn't seem enthusiastic over any of them. He told me that it was Regulus he was concerned about. The offers his brother had… he was worried that Regulus would fall back into old patterns if he married LeStrange or someone. He said he wanted me to marry his brother, because he trusts me. I sent the official proposal two weeks ago, and Regulus came to me a few minutes before I came out here with an acceptance reply. We just signed the 'intention to wed' forms for the Ministry."
Remus' eyes widened. "You're getting married again. What about… what about when you said you'll never do it again, not after things with Lily went south."
"Some good came out of that," James pointed out. "Harry, for example." He reached up, his fingers combing through the dark mess of hair on his head. "I never thought I'd get married again, but at the same time… it's Regulus. It's Sirius. The world is cruel, making a law like this. It's not like I'm marrying a stranger. I care for Regulus and it's an honour for Sirius to ask this of me, considering how protective he is off his brother. Plus, it keeps Regulus safe from ending up with a Death Eater. I think that… maybe you've not noticed it, but there have been sparks between me and Regulus for a while but I've never acted on them because Sirius wouldn't have…" he sighed softly. "This was never the plan, but I'm not being pushed into doing this. I want to do this. Maybe this time I'll get it right."
Remus smiled. "Well, I think you and Regulus are a pretty good match. He's good with kids, he gets along with Harry. Maybe something real can come from this arrangement. Plus, you finally have Sirius' approval to start something with his brother." He tried to ignore the fact that Sirius had a few marriage offers. Of course Sirius did - who wouldn't want to marry Sirius - spend their lives with someone so amazing. Though no-one really knew Sirius like he did. They saw a beautiful, fun-loving, full of life, Omega. They didn't see the vulnerable man who was loyal to those he cared about. They didn't see that Sirius was the sort of man who would go to the ends of the world for his friends and loved ones. That he was fiercely protective. That Sirius was the strongest person Remus knew, but still needed someone to protect him because he was easily hurt.
And if the person who Sirius ended up with didn't look after him in the way he deserved, Remus would destroy him.
"Congratulations," Remus murmured. "How about we do something tomorrow to… to celebrate?"
"We'll hold a little get-together on Saturday night," James insisted. "But a more intimate drink once everyone else leaves the party."
Remus nodded. Hopes of rushing to bed after the clock struck twelve faded. But he couldn't turn this down, because it was James. He would stay up, he'd have a drink and wish the couple well, and he'd make sure he focused on his friends happiness rather than his own misery.
"I can't wait," he replied. "I hope you and him will be happy together. You deserve to be happy, James. I'll come inside in a few minutes, okay. I'm just thinking."
"About Sirius," James said, watching Remus intently. "You looked upset that I asked him to marry me."
"You can propose to whoever you want," Remus said, turning away from James at last. His gaze was on the buildings again, and he was sure there were even more lights than before.
"I feel like over the past few years, there's been this puzzle that is yours and Sirius' friendship. I had a bunch of pieces and had sorted them into a picture. A fairly intimate friendship… but never questioned that. Sirius fails to adhere to normal boundaries. Always wanting to cuddle up with someone, holding hands. We know how Sirius is… so I thought I had it all worked out, you know. But now… it's like the puzzle is sitting there on the table, and I've found stray pieces underneath. I've got to take it all apart and put the pieces all together once more."
"James, I know you have a point somewhere in your… I think you're going off track."
"I'm making a point," James insisted.
"You're really not. All I've learnt is that you're really into puzzles."
"Fine. The point is that I saw you both as really close friends. But now I know I've put it together all wrong. We both hate this law, but that's something we've all discussed when it came out, and that's not going to change. But the way you look whenever I mention Sirius… usually you're all smiles, but today you look like you're going to a funeral, or worse still, preparing for your own. The way you responded to me… I never realised… Remus, you'd tell me if you were in love with Sirius, right?"
There it was. Remus had hoped James wouldn't work it out ever, but it had finally happened. Being in love with his best friend since he was about sixteen wasn't so much of a secret anymore.
He stared out at the falling snow. There was no denying anything now. His emotions were all over the place and he didn't trust himself to keep his voice steady enough to reply. He knew his silence would speak volumes however.
He heard James shift closer. "Remus?"
Remus merely shook his head. The damp from the rain dripped from his hair and onto his face.
"Remus, why have you never said?" James asked. "If you had said…"
"Then I'd be right here where I am now," Remus muttered, reaching up to wipe the drops from his skin. "It's better he doesn't know, James, and you won't be the one to tell him."
James sighed. "You need to tell him."
Remus snorted.
"I mean it. I don't think he's got anyone to sign the marriage contract yet. There's still time."
Remus shook his head. "You said it yourself, James. You told him that we were both there as options. He saw the sparks between you and Regulus and entrusted you with his brother, leaving me. It's New Years Eve. Time is almost up and he's not chosen me. We're going to drop this. We're going to pretend that this conversation never happened."
"Remus…"
"I said drop it," Remus snapped. "I'm truly happy for you, but you need to realise that not everyone is going to end up in your boat. Sirius doesn't want me and I understand that. With his upcoming marriage, I can start to move on somehow. Please don't try and give me hope where there is none."
"I just want you to be happy too," James murmured. "I didn't mean to push. I'm sorry, I just thought that if you told him… what do you have to lose?"
"His friendship," Remus replied.
"You think telling Sirius that you love him will ruin things? Remus, he's going to marry someone who doesn't deserve him. Knowing you want something real with him matters. The worst thing he can do is say no. But Sirius would never turn his back on you, and you know that. You're finding reasons where there are none. You're never going to lose him, Remus. But you'll spend the rest of your life wondering if you and Sirius could have been together, had you only told him."
"He's better off without me," Remus said. "I'm…"
"Let me guess. Poor. Jobless. A werewolf. Not good enough. We've heard those excuses too many times. The last one is bull by the way. Now that I'm thinking about it, I don't think I'd trust anyone else to be with Sirius, or trust anyone else to be with you for that matter. Remus, don't let your self-doubts stand in your way. Just talk to him. Just… just please. I…"
"Drop it," Remus murmured softly. He looked out into the snow again, not turning to James. Finally James sighed loudly and the door slammed behind him as he headed back inside.
It was a few minutes before it opened again and Remus spun around angrily, expecting to see James standing there, trying a second time to get him to talk to Sirius. Though he appreciated James' friendship, it wasn't James' business. It was Remus' heart that'd get broken when Sirius no-doubt rejected him.
"What now?" he snapped.
Sirius' hand was still on the handle and he stood, frozen, his eyes wide as he stared at Remus.
Remus stared back. It was very rare that he lost his temper, especially with his friends. "Sirius," he murmured, once more pushing down emotions. "I'm sorry, James…" he trailed off, not knowing how to explain without giving himself away. "I heard you were looking for me - is everything okay?" He shifted his expression into that of someone who was keeping it together.
"You tell me," Sirius said, his hand moving from the door handle. "You're soaked, Remus. You're going to get ill at this rate. It's freezing out here. If I'm freezing, I can't even begin to imagine how cold you must be feeling since you hate the cold. Something is wrong, isn't it? This right here is the opposite of you."
Remus began to shake his head, but Sirius approached, withdrawing his wand and using a charm to make it an umbrella. He held it over both of their heads. Remus turned back to the buildings as he tried to collect himself.
"One problem solved," he told Remus. "Are you going to talk to me?"
Remus shook his head, not knowing what to say. The logical side of him knew that he should follow James' advice. He'd never lose Sirius and would it really hurt to admit his feelings? But he wasn't being ruled by logic. Emotion had taken over and the fear of rejection, that Sirius would be disgusted was ruling him.
"Fine. Can you at least look at me." Remus turned back to Sirius and Sirius bit his lip, a nervous habit that Remus secretly found adorable. "I can't believe it's already New Year. So much has happened this year."
"Too much," Remus agreed, thinking again about the horrible marriage law.
"Can I ask something of you?" Sirius asked, his voice taking on a nervous tone.
Remus nodded. "Anything."
"No questions asked," Sirius pushed. "It is what it is. Just a last request as it were. I just want something happy to end this year one… well, or something happy to start the next."
"What do you need?" Remus asked. "You know I'm here for you, whatever you want."
"I know, but… it's not something I'd usually ask of you," Sirius explained, shifting closer. "You can say no of course. But what I want is to kiss you at midnight." He watched Remus' expression carefully. "Just one kiss. I've put off having the forms signed until afterwards."
Remus stared at him. Never in a million years would he have expected this request. Sirius Black wanted to kiss him.
"Fifteen seconds to make up your mind," Sirius murmured. A long pause and Sirius glanced back towards the party. The numbers were lighting up the room. "Ten."
"Yes," Remus said. It was clear Sirius had someone to sign the forms, but he could at least have this one thing. One kiss. One moment where he could pretend. "I'll kiss you."
"Three," Sirius counted, glancing behind him once more, before bringing his gaze back to Remus. "Two. One." He stepped forward, lowering his wand as he did so. Snowflakes found their way onto his skin again, but this time Remus didn't notice.
His eyes were fixed on Sirius as his friend closed the small distance between them. Remus' arms found their way around Sirius - one slipping around his waist and the other coming to rest on the back of his neck, strands of hair getting caught between his fingers. It was just so easy to wrap his arms around Sirius, and Remus wondered if it was real.
Sirius wasn't as gentle as Remus had been. His fingers grasped the front of Remus' cardigan and he yanked Remus closer to him, pressing their lips together as though he expected Remus to suddenly change his mind.
Remus wanted to savour the moment, kiss Sirius slowly, never stopping because stopping meant the kiss would be over and life would carry on, but Sirius had other ideas. His lips moved eagerly, coaxing Remus' lips to part. Remus felt Sirius press closer, one hand moving from the front of his cardigan, making its way into his hair, the other sliding around Remus' back, cold fingers landing on the skin underneath his cardigan and t-shirt.
Finally the kiss ended. Neither of the pair took a step back, both catching their breath, watching each other. Remus was aware of Sirius' fingers gently caressing a spot on his lower back. His own hands remained possessively on Sirius. He was reluctant to let go. He wasn't ready to do so - not without finding out why Sirius wanted to kiss him, but didn't even consider him for marriage.
Sirius reached up, his fingers gently stroking down Remus' cheek. "Thank you," he murmured. He stepped out of Remus' grip and turned to head inside.
Remus stared after him for a moment. No explanation or reason as to why the kiss had happened, just Sirius walking away. The next time he saw Sirius, the Omega would be engaged to someone else. Planning a wedding and a future. He couldn't wait until then to ask about the kiss. He had to find out before Sirius had committed himself to someone else.
"Wait. Why did you want that?" he demanded.
"We agreed no questions asked," Sirius said, pulling the door open. The music wasn't as loud now and Remus noticed James' arm around Regulus' waist. He strode after Sirius, not caring about anyone else there. He needed to know why his friend wanted to kiss him.
"I know. I… I just need to know. Please. I don't understand why you'd want to kiss me."
Sirius paused three steps from the door leading to the hallway. "You don't know?" he asked, turning back. "I… okay, let's get this out in the open. I have to sign these forms in a few minutes, so… no beating around the bush. A month ago, James proposed to me, Remus. He said that he didn't want me to marry a stranger. I sent him to my brother because I know they could be happy. Then I waited."
"Waited for what?"
"You. I knew without a doubt that James would offer and you'd also do so. Well, at the time there was no doubt, because that's who you are. I thought I knew you well enough for that. But time passed and you didn't bring it up and I realised you had no intention of offering. I considered asking you to be the one to do the forms - to be the one to marry me - but decided it was a bad idea."
"A… a bad idea? Why? Because I'm… what I am?"
"No," Sirius snapped. "You know I'd never judge you on something like that. I decided it was a bad idea because you'd feel obligated to accept the offer due to our close friendship. I realised I couldn't do that to you, Remus. I couldn't ask this of you because you'd put everyone else before yourself as you always do. You'd… I'd get comfortable and maybe I'd let slip the truth that I have feelings for you. You'd play along because we're married, and you'd spend your life having to pretend you love me back - and you would do that, because you'd put my happiness first. By asking this of you, I'd be taking away your chance to find someone you actually did love - from your own happy marriage. From having kids with someone you did want to be with. I wanted the one kiss because…"
"Because you love me," Remus finished softly. "Do you?"
"I'm sorry," Sirius murmured. "I don't want to ruin… I'll marry Fabian and then we can resume our friendship like this never happened."
"Like hell you're marrying him," Remus said, frowning. "Do you have the forms with you?"
Sirius reached into his pocket, pulling out forms that had been folded haphazardly. The corners were bent and it was clear that Sirius didn't care about the marriage he was about to enter into.
"Are you dating him?" Remus demanded, opening the forms and scanning them, pleased that the bottom had no signatures just yet.
"We had dinner to discuss the arrangement. His mum is pressuring him to marry and the law is forcing me to… what are you doing?" Sirius followed Remus across the room and watched as Remus grabbed a quill.
"You love me," Remus stated, dipping the quill in ink, whilst using his other hand to smooth the paper onto the table. "I love you. Marry me instead."
Sirius looked between Remus and the papers. "You don't mean that."
"What? That I love you, or that I want you to marry me."
"Any of it. You're doing that thing again - where you want to make everyone happy before yourself," Sirius accused. "I don't want you to marry me out of pity, Remus. I want you to marry me because you love me. Promise me you won't sign those papers unless you… you really do."
"And if I do?" Remus asked.
"Then… then I'd marry you without even having to think about it," Sirius replied. His voice shook and his eyes darted between the black quill and the parchment. "Only sign it if you want something real between us. I can't be married to you knowing you're faking emotions or just being with me for my happiness and not for your own."
"I promise," Remus said, lowering his hand. The tip of his quill touched the parchment.
"You can't actually be serious about this," Sirius murmured, his voice filling with hope.
Remus smiled up at him before signing his name. He dropped the quill down, not caring about the few drops of ink that splattered onto the table, and handed the parchment back to Sirius. "Your turn."
Sirius nodded, reaching for the quill and signing his own name hastily as though scared that Remus would change his mind before he finished. The moment he lifted the quill from the parchment, the parchment shimmered gold, and the writing faded from it, each letter turning an emerald green before fading.
"What's happening?" Remus asked, looking at it.
"Spell," Sirius explained. "It mentioned it in the text. Our names will be registered and… this parchment will tell us what happens next. The writing should appear when the time is up."
"An hour," Remus said, glancing at the clock. "So… what now?"
"Well, I have to tell Fabian know this has happened," Sirius said, still staring at the parchment. "But after that, I'm all yours. We've… you need to tell your parents. We have a wedding to plan. Do you want to move into my flat, should we—"
"One thing at a time," Remus laughed. "Tell Fabian now. We'll visit my parents tomorrow and tell them together. As for the wedding and moving… let's start making the plan tomorrow. For tonight - I think we should celebrate."
Sirius smiled. "I came here dreading the future. Now… I can't wait to begin my life with you."
"Can I ask… what prompted you to ask for that kiss?" Remus asked.
"James. I think he suspected I had feelings for you. He came to find me just before I headed out onto the balcony and told me to take a chance. He was pretty convincing."
Remus smiled, turning his head to where James was watching intently. "We kind of owe him, don't we?"
"I'm letting him marry Regulus. We don't owe him anything," Sirius insisted. He reached for Remus' hand. "I'll be back soon. I hope you have some spare pyjamas because I'm not planning to go home tonight."
4496 words
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