Hiya! Next chapter of Muse for you! Thanks for all your lovely reviews - I appreciate your support of this fic. :)

Warning: Smutty goodness. :)

Disclaimer: I own nothing!

Chapter Nine

Heavy breathing was the only sound in the otherwise quiet flat, the ragged and rapid inhale and exhale punctuated by the occasional moan. The kiss of comfort and support had grown into something much more and the two men were sprawled out on the two-seater couch, Remus laying across Sirius' chest as they tried to settle into a position that didn't cramp their long legs or result in them landing on their arses on the hard floor.

Sirius arched his back, tilting his head to bare his neck to Remus' wandering lips. Remus mumbled his approval and trailed a moist path down the exposed jugular as his hand slid slowly under Sirius' shirt, dragging up over his belly and the coarse, intriguing hair there, to come to rest over the brunette's frantically pumping heart.

Remus' knee came perilously close to Sirius' balls (and not in a good way) and the brunette shifted then grunted in obvious frustration when his new position meant he couldn't reach Remus' lips.

'Fuck, this couch is too damn small.'

Remus chuckled, pushing himself up on his hands and staring down at Sirius with a glint of both desire and mischievousness in his eye. 'You want to get on the floor? It's not as hard as it looks…'

Sirius hesitated then said softly, 'Or we could go to your bedroom.'

Remus bit his lip indecisively - it seemed the moment had arrived. He wanted this - really wanted this - but the thought of taking his shirt off made him go cold all over. Sirius had seen some of the scars, but not the worst of them. Most of the damage had been done to his chest and upper arms which the other man had not glimpsed yet. He looked at Sirius and saw the understanding in his eyes.

'We don't have to if you aren't ready.'

Remus shook his head. 'It's not that…I want to, I just…'

Sirius raised a hand to Remus' face, tracing the line of the scar on his cheek. 'Don't you think it's time to trust someone with your scars? Aren't you tired of hiding, Remus?'

Remus frowned. He wanted to do this; wanted to do it with Sirius. He'd already seen some of the scars and hadn't run away in disgust, he trusted the other man - despite the fact they'd known each other such a short time - and suddenly, Remus wasn't sure what was holding him back.

Remus pushed himself to his feet and held out his hands to Sirius who stared up at him uncertainly. 'Come on then,' Remus said with a smile. 'You're right. My bed is much more comfortable.'

Sirius compliantly allowed Remus to pull him to his feet and lead him by the hand down the hall to the bedroom, but he balked just as they got to the door.

'Remus, are you sure about this? I don't want to rush you or…'

There were far better uses for Sirius' mouth than talking and Remus decided to demonstrate one of them - pushing the brunette up against the door jamb and kissing him hard. After several seconds, he pulled back and smiled at Sirius.

'I'm sure.'

Sirius grinned and launched himself at Remus, who ended up with his back pressing against the door frame this time as Sirius kissed him with a passion that threatened to engulf them both. With a moan, Remus reciprocated, opening his mouth and returning the hungry kiss.

Sensation swamped him as Sirius' hands swept over his body, finally stopping on his arse, cupping the rounded flesh as he angled his hips to press flush against Remus'. The artist gasped as their denim-covered erections ground together then tugged at the hem of Sirius' shirt urgently.

'Off. Now.'

It was indisputably a demand and Sirius obeyed the rough, desire-edged command - shuddering before he helped Remus yank the shirt over his raven locks. The brown-haired man tossed the blue cotton shirt indifferently on the floor before he crashed their mouths together again; the artist loathe to release those sweet, talented lips for a moment longer than he had to.

They staggered towards the bed, twisting and turning as they struggled to get their shoes off then falling gracelessly to the mattress. Sirius let out an 'oof!' sound as Remus landed heavily on top of him, knocking the wind out of him for a moment.

'Sorry,' Remus huffed into Sirius' mouth.

'Fuck sorry,' the brunette returned a little breathlessly, plucking at Remus' shirt impatiently. 'Just get your kit off.'

Remus chuckled and pushed himself into a seated position between Sirius' knees. The prone man's hands went straight to Remus' belt buckle as Remus, hesitating just a second, pulled his t-shirt over his head.

They both stilled, Sirius' fingers lingering over Remus' cloth-encased cock as his eyes took in the torn flesh laid out in front of him. Remus swallowed hard, his throat tight and dry, as he watched Sirius' eyes trace the tributaries of the scars that littered his chest and stomach, all flowing across lightly defined musculature to join the largest of them all - a long, jagged remnant of the sharp glass that had sliced him open and come close to piercing his now-pounding heart. The grey orbs shifted to Remus' shoulder - the left more damaged than the right - and to the cicatrices that trailed like tentacles down his arms.

'Jesus, Remus…'

Sirius' hushed exclamation made Remus curl in on himself, shoulders slumping in an attempt to shield and protect his body, his heart, from rejection, but Sirius sat up, his chest brushing Remus'.

'No, Rem…don't.'

Sirius pressed a palm over Remus' heart and the torn and raggedly repaired skin there, and splayed his fingers over the artist's pectoral. Remus knew Sirius had to be able to feel the rapid rise and fall of his chest and the staccato beat of his heart as he waited anxiously for judgement.

Sirius' gaze moved from his scars to his face and Remus became breathless upon seeing the acceptance and longing in the expressive grey eyes. Sirius skimmed a hand up Remus' arm to touch his jaw lightly, stroking his thumb again along the streak of raised tissue on the other man's cheek.

'I wish I could paint you. I wish I knew how to capture beauty like you can…'

Remus' chest tightened until he felt as though his heart would burst from the pressure then, to his horror, tears burnt his eyes.

'God,' he muttered, turning his head in embarrassment, but Sirius stopped him with a firm hand cupping Remus' chin as hot tears of relief spilled over.

'No,' he whispered, kissing Remus' damp, salty cheek. 'Don't hide from me.'

He rained kisses over Remus' flushed skin until tears turned to into a smile and their lips met in a brackish, sloppy kiss that made them laugh at their lack of finesse. Sirius drew back, staring at Remus fondly as their laughter faded and they were left in an intense moment of honesty, seeing each other laid bare for the first time.

Sirius inclined his head, leaning his forehead against Remus' before he whispered, 'What have you done to me, Remus Lupin?'

Remus' lips twitched and he licked his lips, tasting his tears and a spicy, smoky flavour that was Sirius and he answered quietly.

'Nothing…yet.'

Sirius smiled softly, and ran his thumb over the jut of the other man's collarbone, hearing and feeling Remus' breath catch in his chest.
'I suspect the things I want you to do to me may be illegal in some counties,' he teased quietly then a faint crease appeared between his eyes. 'You make me…want…'

His voice trailed off and his face appeared strained, as if he were struggling to find the words. Remus trailed fingertips along the smooth skin of Sirius' arms, stopping when his strong hands were cupping the brunette's stubble-roughened jaw.

'What do you want, Sirius?'

Sirius closed the minute distance between their faces, his lips grazing Remus' as he answered.

'You. Just you.'

He brushed his mouth once more over Remus' before the artist caught Sirius' bottom lip between his own. The brunette groaned as Remus suckled on the plump flesh then he slicked his tongue over Remus' upper lip, begging for entry. Remus allowed it, and let himself drown in the hot, hungry kiss, wanting to sink to the bottom and never come up.

But, the need for oxygen soon made itself known and Remus pulled back, gasping for air as his lips glided over Sirius' cheekbone, tongue swiped teasingly at his earlobe, teeth nipped playfully at his jaw. Remus pushed the other man back onto the bed and dragged his hands over his chest, tweaking his nipples then drifting lower and lower until they reach the waistband of Sirius' jeans. Remus' chest squeezed tight as Sirius' hands joined his and they both worked together to rid themselves of the last remaining barriers between them.

Soon their world consisted of lips and tongue and hands and cock as they moved together sinuously, nerve ending singing as sweaty, pre-come-slicked skin slid together smoothly. Harsh gasps and muffled groans rent the sex-scented air as both men got carried away by the wave of all-consuming need that swamped them before Remus managed to raise his head and break the momentum.

'Stop…before it's too late.'

A panting Sirius nodded in agreement then whimpered faintly when Remus pressed hot, open mouthed kisses over his jaw and chin then licked a stripe from the hollow at the base of his throat, over his Adam's Apple to finish at his throbbing pulse point.

'Oh my God…'

Sirius' muttered words were barely audible, but Remus heard them, chuckling into the other man's neck then biting his earlobe lightly.

Sirius groaned and Remus smiled as he shifted his lips lower, feathering tiny kisses along the brunette's clavicle then flicking his tongue at a peaked nipple. The little nub tightened before Remus traversed Sirius' chest and stomach, leaving a trail of kisses behind him, until he was nuzzling his face into his lover's groin. Fingers carded through his golden-brown hair and he glanced up to look Sirius in the eye as he took him into his mouth.

'Fuck me!'

The exclamation made Remus laugh around Sirius' shaft and mumble, 'Not yet.'

His words were garbled but Sirius was beyond hearing them anyway. The vibrations from Remus' voice travelled down Sirius' cock, making the writhing man arch up in desperation, his length pushing further into Remus' mouth. Remus made an involuntary choking noise and Sirius, pulling restraint from the deepest part of him, muttered an apology.

Remus lifted his head, Sirius whimpering from the loss of the moist heat, and rasped, 'Don't stop. I want you to fuck my mouth.'

Sirius' eyes seemed to lose focus then Remus lowered his head again and drew the pink, saliva-wet cock back into the hot cavern of his mouth, scraping his teeth gently over the soft, sensitive head before opening his throat for the first inevitable thrust. When it came along with a carnal cry of lust from Sirius, he almost smiled. Sirius' hands grabbed his face in a vice-like grip as he pushed his cock forcefully into Remus' mouth.

Cock throbbing in tandem with each grunted thrust, Remus revelled in the sensation of that hot and heavy weight against his palate and the taste of the viscous fluid that coated his tongue. His hand slid between his own legs and stroked, unable to resist the urgent need to come and come now as he sensed Sirius reaching his peak.

The warning came in the form of a susurrus sound that could have been his name, then Remus' mouth filled. He took it all - the taste of the bitter-sweet offering, and the sound of Sirius' absolute bliss pushing Remus to the edge until he was falling, falling; gripping tight to the body under him as he lost himself inside the kaleidoscope of his climax.

He pitched forward, collapsing heavily onto Sirius' lower body. Sirius' post orgasmic tremors shook Remus as he wearily settled his head between the brunette's hipbone and groin, breathing in the heady scent of sweat and semen with each gasping inhalation. He half-heartedly wiped his come-covered hand on the sheet then felt Sirius' fingers close around his. The brunette applied a little pressure, and Remus smiled to himself as he returned the squeeze.

'Alright there?'

Sirius' voice was hoarse and the volume barely a whisper. Remus nodded, unable to convince his tongue to articulate anything remotely coherent.

Their respiration and heartbeats had slowed from their frantic beat to a normal rate before Sirius spoke again.

'Oops.'

A soft bark of laughter escaped Remus who turned his head slightly to kiss Sirius' abdomen. 'That wasn't what I intended to happen,' he admitted and Sirius chuckled.

'Mmm,' he agreed. 'Not that it wasn't fucking incredible.'

'No.'

'And we've got all night for the main show.'

Remus smiled, stifling a yawn. 'Can't wait.'

SIrius' hands curled into Remus' thick brown hair and gently massaged his scalp, winding locks of hair around his fingers absently.

'That's nice,' Remus mumbled sleepily and Sirius grunted an agreement.

Remus' eyes closed and he soon, he was drifting off to sleep with the feel of Sirius' strong hands in his hair, his velvet soft skin against his cheek, the unique tang of Sirius on his tongue, and the thought in his head that he was very much on his way to being inextricably in love with Sirius Black.

TBC...

Sorry about the overload of scribbles from me tonight (or today, depending on where you live). Hope you enjoyed some of them. :)