James saw the tattoo first. Sirius was in the shower, and James came in to piss. It wasn't an unusual circumstance, after so many years of friendship.
"Right so I have a question Pads," he began as he came in.
"Since you're bent (Sirius had told him as soon as he got back from the cinema that night) Have you ever fancied any of us? I mean you had to have, right? We're the fittest blokes in our year. Who was it? I've been thinking, and I think it must have been Peter because-"
James gasped.
"Well Pads, I think i just answered my own question."
Sirius, who'd been ignoring James' rant, turned at that, and realized too late the position he'd been standing in. A position that just so happened to show...
"A tattoo Pads, really? What- I mean, when- WHAT?"
Shit
"It isn't a big deal," he tried to say.
Instead, what came out was, "You can't tell Remus."
James sat looking at Sirius for a few more moments, gaping.
"It doesn't mean anything," Sirius tried.
James looked at him in disbelief.
'It's just a tattoo, right?"
James looked at him for a long minute, searching.
"Yeah," he finally said, "I guess so."
Then he zipped his pants and left.