Assignment 3 - Healer Studies - Task #3: Skele-Gro vs. cast: Prompt: Write about someone looking for a quick solution to a problem. Alt: Write about a problem that takes a while to solve
Hold me closer in the night
Remus is sick of people thinking he's boring, so decides to try and do something wild when in Las Vegas..
Sirius wants something real. He doesn't expect to find that in Las Vegas.
Maybe accidentally getting married is what they both need.
Remus is sure that he can hear birds. It's the sound that wakes him up, and it's a horrible, grating sound, getting right on his last nerve. He hates birds, he decides, as he regrets even waking up because his head is spinning and laying still doesn't seem to be helping that.
He opens his eyes, but that makes it all the worse. He scrunches them shut, hating the light that's shining in through the window. Everything hurts. Everything is so fuzzy. He tries to move his arm to cover his face, but as he goes to lift it, he realises that his arm has a weight on it, and he slowly opens his eyes, wincing at the light.
His eyes adjust, though it hurts and makes him feel really sick, and he turns his head. He's quickly met with the sight of black curls, and there's rapidly growing horror inside of him, because his arm is trapped underneath another person and he's not sure how he's ended up in bed with a stranger.
He can't remember last night.
He tries to tug his arm. How do people handle this situation? What do they do when they've woken up? He has never been in this situation before, and he wishes he'd seen more television shows or read more books that feature one-night stands so they'd give him a clue. Does he walk him out? Thank him? Cook him breakfast? What is the social norm in this situation?
He shifts his arm again, and the figure moves and Remus stills. When his bed-partner sits up, Remus pulls his arm towards himself and he waits, completely terrified. The figure stretches and Remus hears clicks and then the person turns.
"Oh. My. God." Remus' voice is little more than a whisper. "You're a woman. I slept with a woman. How drunk was I last night?"
The person laughs hard. "I'm not a bloody woman, luv. More the drag-queen variety."
Remus squints, his eyes still blurry. "Oh," he murmurs, relieved. "Did we… look, I've never… did we sleep together, or…"
"Oh trust me, we slept together. You don't seem to remember, I have no memory of it either. But trust me, I can feel it." The guy lifts the blanket and smirks. "Yup, I'm naked."
Remus' lips move and no sound comes out.
"Gimme five. I'm using your shower, luv," the guy says. "Then we'll talk. I've still got the make-up on. Sorry if any is left on your pillow. Just flip it over and people will be none-the-wiser."
He pushes the cover back as Remus rubs his eyes, and he walks to the bathroom, completely nude, and Remus stares after him. A minute later, the shower turns on and Remus glances around, trying to make sense of everything.
Okay. He did something wild. He had a one-night stand. He's never had one before. He also got so drunk he doesn't remember anything.
He regrets both of these things. Remus isn't someone who likes to be that drunk, or likes to find himself waking up next to strangers.
He gets up and realises he's completely naked too. There are two open condom wrappers on the floor, and at least he was sensible about this.
The man starts singing in the shower, horribly off-key and loud, but very enthusiastically, and Remus almost smiles at the sound of it. He'd be amused were he not horrified at himself.
He quickly starts tidying up, not at all happy about the clothes that have been strewn across the floor. He folds the other man's clothing into a tidy pile on the chair, and wonders how the man walks in those heels, and just as he reaches for his own clothes to get dressed, the shower turns off and the man comes out, only in a towel.
Remus' vision is better now, and he can only stare. Dark wet curls fall down the man's back and this man is stunning and Remus is speechless. His eyes trail down the man's chest, finishing on the towel and he wonders what the man looks like without it.
The man smirks, his gaze moving down Remus' body and Remus quickly realises he's naked still, and there's something about the man's gaze that… well, they both know the reaction Remus is having right now.
"Want me to lose the towel?" he murmurs, and Remus nods eagerly.
"Good. I want to too." The towel is dropped to the floor and Remus watches the guy walk slowly over, so confident in his nudity. He has every reason to be, his body is perfect. Beyond perfect.
"Let's move this to the bed, shall we?" the man asks.
"I don't even know your name," Remus points out. He wants to sound confident too, but he sounds as shy as he feels. He takes a quick glance at the clock to make sure there's time, but it's too early for breakfast. Usually, he'd go back asleep. But right now, sleep is the last thing on his mind.
The man's gaze moves down Remus' body, so slowly, and he looks like he's enjoying what he sees and Remus can't understand why. He's nothing to look at. Not when faced with this stranger.
"Fuck, you're perfect," the stanger says. "Can I?"
"Can you what?" Remus asks.
"Kiss you. Touch you. Take you to bed." The stranger smirks. "And it's Sirius - my name. And yours? I need to know what name to moan when you fuck me."
Remus lets out a very unmanly noise before taking a deep breath and letting it out. "Remus," he says quietly. "And yeah. Yes, to all of that. You can."
Sirius doesn't rush. He simply reaches out, a hand trailing down Remus' arm. Each touch is slow, and finally he steps into Remus' space and he presses their lips together.
"I might keep you," Sirius murmurs. "Though… Welsh accent? Wales isn't that far from England."
"Welsh but I live on the outskirts of London."
"Perfect. I'm from Central London. This must be what fate feels like?"
Remus wants to ask about how Sirius has determined this fate, but Sirius' lips captures his again, Sirius tugging gently on his bottom lip as he does so.
And as fingers gently touch him, innocently at first, before exploring in a way to make Remus gasp and want more, Remus realises that he's never been treated so gently or lovingly before.
Maybe he'll keep Sirius too.
Remus doesn't expect to be put in charge of James' stag-do. At first, he even considers turning this offer down and letting someone else do it. After all, they have very different tastes in what they like and what they'd enjoy in an event like this. He had expected James to pick someone else
Remus' own stag-do would be casual. It'd be him out for a meal and a drink with friends. Though Remus is so often overlooked, he's not sure he'll even have a date, let alone a husband.
James, on the other hand, wants something big. Even more so now that his marriage is being arranged. Until a few months ago, he had assumed that they wouldn't give him an arranged marriage, even though it's traditional in certain high-class families to do so. James has always insisted that his family is very 'with the times', and not stuck in the past. That they've let go of these more ridiculous traditions.
How wrong he was. But now James is determined to make the most of his last couple of weeks of freedom before the wedding. He wants a big blow-out event. He wants something that'll give him some good memories before he marries someone who he's never met. Someone whose name he doesn't even know.
Remus is a romantic. He's often thought about meeting someone in the cutest of ways. He secretly watches romance films (though not so secretly, because James watches them with him sometimes). He can understand the pressure James is under, feeling like he can't control his own life because his parents have control of it. James wants what Remus wants. James wants to just look at someone and feel a connection. He wants to fall in love and find his soulmate.
He's not getting that. He's getting a wife that his parents have chosen for him. At the very least, he can have a good send-off before his future is taken away from him. The pair discuss it often, though not around James' family. The last thing James wants to do is marry this woman.
Remus tries to catch his breath in between kisses as Sirius presses him gently against the bed. Lips nip down his neck and he lets his hands explore the other man, getting braver and braver as Sirius starts to moan softly.
Sirius asked to be fucked, but Remus doesn't want to move from his current position. He wants to feel Sirius' weight on top of his body, and SIrius is eager to comply.
Their bodies finally start moving together, and Sirius' kisses get deeper, and in between those, Sirius lifts his head and meets Remus' amber eyes with stormy grey.
He rests his forehead against Remus' damp with sweat, and Remus lifts his chin, trying to seek out another kiss, and Sirius is all too eager to oblige. In the back of his mind, he wonders if this means anything, or if this is just a bit more fun before they part ways.
Either way… Remus likes this. He doesn't like not remembering sleeping with Sirius the night before, and this helps him make sense of it in his mind. Now he has an idea of what he missed, and it in a way fills in the blank a little bit.
"Harder," Remus whispers.
"Yeah?"
"Just… just a bit," Remus whispers. He doesn't want this vibe to change. He likes how Sirius is treating him. He likes that Sirius is looking after him. Aside from remembering to breathe, he has little else to say, instead choosing to pay attention to the man in his bed.
It's when they're finished and have showered that Remus notices it. The ring on Sirius' finger, and he immediately starts to panic.
"You're married?" Remus says, horrified. "You're married. I've just slept with a married man. At least three times. Maybe four."
Sirius frowns at him, but he follows Remus' gaze and lifts his hand, and his mouth drops open.
"I'm not married," he says. "But… look, I promise you, I'm not married. I…" he looks back towards Remus. "Uh. You're married though."
Slowly, Remus lifts his hand, and he notices the silver band on it. It's silver, like Sirius'.
"I'm not married," Remus says quietly, as things click in his mind and he realises the truth. "But… we might be now."
Sirius just stares at him.
"And… and we've just consummated the marriage," Remus adds in a whisper.
Sirius smirks suddenly. "Not just - that would've been last night. But it wouldn't hurt to do it again," he comments, and Remus can't help but smile himself. He's not sure if Sirius is joking or not, but still, it eases the tension. It's happened and there's not much they can do about that. Well, they can find an office and sort it that way, but he doesn't want to have to drag James around to do this. Or they can wait until England and sort it then.
"The flight to Las Vegas will be boarding at gate twelve."
James looks towards Remus urgently, as he has for the last six announcements, and Remus nods, causing James' face to light up in excitement. They've kept this trip a secret from James, and Remus has been running around for ages trying to organise this.
He's organised who can go, he's made people sort out their passports and check they are in date. He's booked the hotels and he's organised transport. Everything is set up for this trip, and Remus is determined to make this the best weekend ever. It's all he can do for James.
"You're kidding, right?" James says, looking between the group for signs that this is some sort of elaborate lie. "You haven't really booked us to go to Vegas?"
"Remus' idea," Frank says. "He wanted you to have the best trip ever."
Remus hands over the credit card that James supplied him with a while back. "You told me the max I could spend," he says. "There's still quite a bit left over. I found really good deals. It's why we're here at three-am to catch our flight. We'll rent a car out there for the weekend too."
"This… this is amazing," James murmurs. He's almost bouncing in excitement. "My last event as a single man and it's in Vegas of all places. You've outdone yourself, Remus. This must have taken ages to organise."
"It's your stag do. Only the best for you," Remus insists. It's why he's invited the people he's invited. Whilst Remus gets along great with Frank, Peter, Gideon and Fabian… he's not as fond of James' other friends. The ones he's made through his family. People like Edgar, Benjy and Caradoc. Benjy is the hardest to handle, due to a few brief relationships that lasted three weeks and ending with them in bed together, before Benjy never called. Remus is sure that James is still angry over that, though James doesn't say anything in front of him. Remus is almost certain it had been some sort of bet or dare, which hurts so much. He sees them whispering when they're all together if he's around, and the smug smirk on Benjy's face. He's sure James doesn't know this part of it and he's not planning on filling him in.
"Come on, you're sitting with me," James insists, as he stands up and leads the way towards the platform. Remus beams at him as they walk. He prefers to sit and chat with James, but he worries about taking all James' attention, so wanted to leave it down to James to pick. There's a quick look over the tickets as they walk and they make their choice over who is sitting where.
Boarding the plane doesn't take all that long, and James is bouncing in his seat. Remus yawns widely, having not slept at all.
"I can't wait," James says. "How long are we doing for?"
"Well, today is Thursday. We return on… Tuesday," Remus says, rubbing at his eyes.
James glances over him, a fond smile. "You're knackered. I'll catch up with Frank whilst you're sleeping, and we'll talk later."
"If you're sure. I'll wait until we're in the air though."
James nods. He reaches out and taps Edgar on the arm, in the seats in front of them, and Remus looks through his bag to see what he's brought on the plane with him. He's checked the bag several times, but paranoia has him checking once more.
"Excuse me, do you have any blankets? Any pillows?" James asks, and Remus glances around, not even realising that James was getting the attention of the staff.
"There are some available in the store," the woman says. Before Remus can insist of using his folded cardigan as a pillow, James is already pulling out his wallet. He hands the items over to Remus once they're given, and he starts chatting with Frank on his other side.
It's uneventful. Remus knows James is leaving him to relax, but there's a lot of chatter on the plane. He's awake to listen to the crew, and while the plane takes off. Then he feels the exhaustion hit him,, so he reaches for his bag once more, searching for earplugs.
"I dunno why Lupin came along," he hears the guys in front of him say. "What's he going to do in Vegas? Read his book whilst the rest of us have fun? He's a nice guy, but he doesn't know how to have fun like the rest of us."
"Lupin is a stick in the mud," Edgar agrees. "We'd have much more fun without him. He's too… nice. Predictable. He's not the Vegas sort. He's the person you call to house-sit when you go to Vegas without him. He's boring, just say it, mate."
They laugh, and he hears James shift around, and Remus closes his eyes, feigning sleep.
"Shut the fuck up," James hisses, attention on the pair. "That's my friend. Just because Vegas isn't his style, no need to be dicks."
Remus tries not to frown at this. Does James think he is predictable too?
He falls asleep, the words echoing around his head. When James wakes him up, when the trolley is rolling down the aisle, he doesn't feel all that much rested. James knows something is up, it's there on his face, and Remus is sure he's made the connection quickly, but as Remus hasn't commented on it, James doesn't bring it up. He just buys some very overpriced chocolates and hands them over.
"You know there's no-one I'd rather spend my stag-do with, right?" he murmurs quietly, reassuringly. Though it has little effect. Remus hates that people assume he's a pushover and that he doesn't take chances. Unfortunately, with friends like Peter and James, someone has to be the sensible one, and that falls to Remus.
Remus does his best to join in with the others, and he tries not to think about the comments that were made, but his brain fixates on it with an intensity that he's unused to. As the time passes, he realises that he has to prove everyone wrong this weekend. This weekend, he's not going to be the responsible one. Okay, sure he's sorted out that everyone has credit cards with limits, so they can't overspend, but that was the old Remus. That was the Remus that lives in England. This is the Las-Vegas Remus, and Las-Vegas Remus is going to have fun and get wild. Maybe.
Okay, so maybe Sirius took that news better than Remus expected, celebrating by dropping to his knees and making Remus lose his mind.
"I wanna see you again, beautiful," Sirius murmurs, as he gets to his feet and wipes his mouth with he back of his hand.
"Yeah. We're kind of married. We've got to… to sort that out," Remus says. His legs are shaking and he's holding himself up against the wall. He's had more sex in the last few hours than he's had in his life. Maybe a little holiday romance is good? It's wild, right. Even if it wasn't wild, Remus would still be choosing it because he's having fun, and there's just something so sweet and nice about Sirius, and doesn't Remus deserve someone sweet like this?
"I meant that I want to see you again. Properly. Wanna spend time together today. Though… I mean, I don't want to be too forward. I'm not so good at this dating stuff, and the rules, you know."
Remus relates to that so much. He's married to Sirius, he's had quite a bit of sex with him and he really really wants to see him again, when they're back. Sirius seems to fancy him back and this never happens.
"We're going about this backwards. I'll assume we started with the wedding, and we're working our way backwards to the first date," Remus jokes.
"I think that makes it easier somehow," Sirius points out. "We'll sit down and talk about this whole married thing when we get back to England, okay? Or maybe before leaving here. But… I wanna get to know you better."
"I'd love to get to know you." Remus isn't sure how serious that Sirius is about something happening in England. He tells himself not to get his hopes up for that. Maybe Sirius is saying these things to keep Remus sweet, but he's happy it's not over so quickly. "Hey, have you got somewhere to be or do you want to come to breakfast with me?"
"I need to call my hotel and leave my brother a message there, but breakfast sounds great," Sirius insists. He yawns widely. "Who'd have thought that the most amazing sex I've ever had is the best way to work through a hang-over."
"The best?" Remus doesn't believe this. He's sure Sirius has had better sex. Benjy made a point of telling Remus that he wasn't all that good in bed.
"I gotta brush my teeth too," he mutters. "Crap."
"I… I have extra toiletries," Remus says quietly, his cheeks red. "I organised our trip and I was prepared for people to forget things like toothbrushes so brought an extra few. Would you like orange handle or red?"
Sirius grins. "You're even more adorable now. Red please."
Remus fetches the toothbrush, taking it out of the packet and hands it over. "I'm just going to call my friend. I think… someone should have a heads-up that… extra people for breakfast."
"Which hotel is this?" Sirius asks. "So I know how far I am from mine. Might need a change of clothes."
"Uh… Luxor."
Sirius grins. "I guess I won't be going far to get those clothes," he says. "What floor is this?"
"Third."
"Just upstairs then. You get ready, and I'll leave the same time as you, I'll meet you at breakfast, yeah?"
Remus nods. That gives him time to explain to James and the others that… well, he's not sure. He's going to have to admit that he's got a husband.
"My friends… well, some of them are nice." He considers this. "Actually, my friends are all nice. The other guys we're here with - my best friends over set of friends are arseholes."
"How so?" Sirius asks, settling on the bed, completely naked, as he watches Remus pull out clothes and start to dress. "Hey, lend me the dressing gown and slippers so I can just go upstairs a bit easier."
Remus nods his head. "Sure. But… well, the biggest arsehole is Benjy. We… had a thing and it kinda… went bad. I always worry that I'm being overly-sensitive about it."
Sirius is still watching him, his grey eyes moving down Remus' body and he looks a little put out that Remus is wearing clothes, until Remus pulls his arms through the cardigan.
"I'm definitely keeping you," Sirius murmurs quietly. "So, spill. You can't just tell me that it went bad and leave it there." He pauses. "My brother tells me I'm too nosy for my own good, so you can just tell me to mind my own business."
Remus' gaze moves down Sirius' body, because he can't stop himself. Sirius just laying in his bed, completely naked, and completely perfect.
"We dated for three weeks. We slept together and then he ghosted me. When I finally got through…" Remus trails off, and shrugs his shoulders awkwardly. It still hurts. "I think it was just some sort of bet or something between him and the other two. On the plane yesterday, coming here, they thought I was asleep - well, that or they didn't care enough to check - they said I'm boring and shouldn't be here. I wanted to do something wild and shock them, but… I didn't really expect to get married. I'm a cliche."
"A gorgeous cliche," Sirius murmurs. "What an arsehole, doing that to you. You deserve better, luv."
"Sometimes I wonder."
Sirius sits up, swinging his legs off the bed as Remus finishes getting dressed and goes to retrieve the dressing gown and slippers.
"Sometimes I wonder if I deserve better in life too, but my brother tells me I don't deserve my past. I'm a good person, and I barely know you, but you strike me as a decent bloke, Remus. No one deserves to be used, no one deserved to be treated like they don't matter."
He stands and approaches, putting his arms into the dressing gown.
"And I would never treat you like that, right?"
Remus nods his head. They'll have until they are back in England, he knows, but it's still nice that he's got a few days with Sirius.
Sirius pushes his feet into the slippers and leans in for a soft kiss.
"Room four-one-three," Sirius says. "So you know where to find me. And as for my surname, it's Black. I know you haven't asked yet, but just so you know that I'm not leaving for good."
"Sirius Black. Does that make me Remus Black?"
"Oh god no," Sirius laughs. "I'd not sully your name with my cursed family's name. What's your surname, husband?"
That word sends shivers through Remus. "Lupin," he murmurs.
"Sirius Lupin. Sirius Lupin-Black. Remus Lupin-Black." Sirius grins. "Perfect. I like this. Who'd have thought married life would be so perfect." With one last kiss, Sirius excuses himself and leaves the room, pausing only to confirm one thing.
"There's nothing wrong with wanting something to be real," he says, peeking around the door. "You weren't being over-sensitive. He was being over-arsehole. You won't ever have to worry about that from me though."
Remus lifts the phone and calls James' room, glancing at the paper where he's listed the room numbers. As it rings, he writes Sirius' room-number at the bottom.
"Hello?"
"James. I… I just…" he doesn't know what to say. "Uh… we might have one more person for breakfast."
"Yeah cool, I'll get a bigger table." There's a strange edge to James' voice that Remus can't place. "So… hung over?"
"A little," Remus admits.
"Good night?"
"Excellent morning," Remus confirms, because he can't remember what had happened during the night, but he knows what happened that morning.
"I'll bet. Do we need to call down and say the numbers?"
"Oh. My… guest is staying in this hotel, so it shouldn't be a problem."
"Right. Well, I'm almost ready. I'll meet you down there in a couple of minutes. Go on without me, yeah?"
"Yeah sure," Remus says. They could go down together, but something sounds up, because this is James' shady voice. He'll find out when they're downstairs, maybe. He hangs up the phone and looks down the list. Usually he'd call the others and give them a wake-up call, but he's not feeling all that nice.
He calls Peter and Frank, before grabbing his stuff and leaving the room, locking the door behind him. As he walks past the other two doors of their party, he pounds loudly on them. "Wake up," he says, before walking away, Frank and Peter coming out of their rooms and joining him.
"Is that a love bite on your neck?" Peter asks.
"Yeah. You should see the other guy," Remus smirks.
When Remus doesn't automatically offer to be in charge of the driving, Frank steps up, though he gives Remus a confused look. There were plans, and he's not following the plans.
Remus tells himself that he's done all of the organising. He gets to rest now. He gets to have fun, and this Remus is in holiday mode.
"You alright?" Peter checks quietly, as they're loading the suitcases into the people-carrier. "You've been quiet. You're letting someone else do the driving."
"Yeah, I'm fine," Remus says, but there is something in Peter's expression that tells Remus that his friends know what was said on the plane. James must have told them in private, and Remus is a little annoyed at this, but he lets that go. James is always looking out for him, and he's probably told the others what has happened so that they can understand the change of mood.
"It's just… you like being in charge," Peter says. "You shouldn't feel like you can't do that just because… of things."
Remus hums rather than answering. He doesn't want to talk about this. He doesn't want to find out the truth of what his friends think, if they think that he's predictable too. Predictable means boring. Well, not to Remus. But he assumes that's what other people think. He hates that people talk when they think he's not listening, and those are the things they say.
He does his best to be kind, to be a good friend and good listener. He looks out for the people around him, and they just think him dull.
"Maybe I should… should relax a little," Remus decides. "Enjoy Vegas. You know what the saying is: what happens in vegas…"
Peter smiles and nods, but he doesn't look like he believes what Remus is saying, and that makes Remus even more determined to do something a bit wild, a bit crazy. The problem is, he doesn't know what. But he'll find something and then no-one will ever call Remus predictable again.
He sits up front with Frank though, not wanting to participate in any of the conversations. Instead, he reads his book. It was supposed to be saved for the actual holiday, because as much as Remus likes to explore, he also finds relaxing an important part of things. His idea of relaxing is having a good book.
James is loud, excitable. For now, he's forgotten about Remus' strange mood, and Remus is glad. He doesn't want James commenting again - for now, at least - and he'd rather the others just move past the whole topic because them lingering on it makes it that little bit worse.
He only glances up a few times, when Frank asks for directions. He tries to pay as little attention as possible otherwise, though his eyes find the road.
"Hey. Remus. Hey, look. Look, Remus. Look!"
Remus clothes his book and looks out of the window. It's starting to get a bit dark now, but the lights that are already on are completely beautiful. Las Vegas is busy and loud and like an explosion of light and colour and Remus finally starts feeling excited once more. He starts to direct Frank to where the hotel is, eager to check in and take a nap before they go out.
But then reminds himself that Vegas-Remus doesn't nap. This Remus is wild and… well, Remus doesn't really know what else. But it'll be unexpected to everyone (even to him).
"When we check in, we should have a rest. Take a couple of hours," James says, yawning widely.
Remus shrugs his shoulders, as they navigate the streets and towards the car-park. "I'm good to just put my bag in and get started on the trip, but whatever you want," he says, glancing back at James.
James merely raises an eyebrow, his gaze on Remus.
"Yeah. I'm knackered. We go to the rooms, we take a couple of hours to sleep and then we head out for dinner." It's like he knows Remus perfectly, because that would have been Remus' suggestion. Remus knows that James is going to call him out on this, he can tell from that look, but James can do it all he wants. Remus has something to prove this weekend.
They get the car set up in the car park and they head inside. Remus considers having someone else deal with this side of things, but he just wants to take that nap now. It's fine to do so if James has suggested it, and Remus suspects that James has done this partially with Remus in mind.
Remus leaves the group so he can check them all into the hotel, only calling James over when James needs to confirm use of his credit-card. They're handed a group of keys and Remus passes them to James.
"Most of them are single rooms, and there's one with twin beds. I was going to share with Peter or someone," he says.
James shakes his head. "Look, I know you heard what happened on the plane. What those dicks said. We'll talk about it at some point, when you're feeling more yourself, but you're going to have an amazing time, Remus. This isn't just about me. This is so I can spend time with the people that matter the most. You know that those arseholes are family friends. You - you, Peter and Frank. You three are my real friends, okay?"
Remus gives a slight nod. "I can be wild," he replies quietly. "I want people to see the other side of me this time."
"You don't have to prove yourself to any of those prats," James replies, just as quietly. "I think you're one of the coolest people I know. Just because your interests differ than theirs, it doesn't make you less wild. But if you feel that you need to do something, you've got my full support, as always."
Remus gives a little nod. "James, I gotta do this," he says quietly. "I don't want… you know."
He doesn't know how to explain it, but as always, James knows what is going on in James' mind.
"As long as you realise that I don't need you to prove anything to me," he says. "I think you're perfect the way you are. You're my best friend."
Remus smiles. "Maybe it'd do me good, to do something a little wild and let my hair down, or as the saying goes. You're going to be married, I'd love to find someone to… you know, date, if that ever happens. This might be both our last chance."
James nods, contemplating this. "We'll both go wild before returning to real life back in England." They head back over to the group, and James examines the keys.
"Sorry boys, two of you gotta share one of these rooms." He hands the key to the room with two singles over, and gives one of the keys to a single room. Remus is pleased to note that those are the rooms furthest away.
"We can't share," Edgar complains. "What about… Remus and Peter? How about they share, and—"
"Remus organised this," James points out quietly. "He organised this hotel and everything. He's getting his own room. You're welcome to see if you can switch to two singles." He puts the keys in Edgar's hand. "This is my stag-do, Edgar. I want to enjoy myself, and you best remember that Remus is my best friend." There's an edge to his voice, and Edgar takes the keys and says nothing more.
Remus reaches out and takes his own key, and starts towards the lifts.
"Remember, we're in America. They call this floor the first floor," Frank says, catching up with him. Remus thanks him and presses the button to bring them upstairs.
Five minutes passes. James is the first to join them and he's quiet - quieter than James usually is. The others don't push him for answers, and Remus doesn't say much about his own evening and events. He needs the gaps filled in, but he's going to have to explain himself, and he doesn't want to have to do it twice.
Though, does he have to tell Benjy and the rest? Is it any of their business? Maybe he'll just catch James, Peter and Frank after breakfast and tell them all quietly?
"Look who it is," Benjy says, as he approaches the table. His eyes are on Remus only, and Remus doesn't know what to say.
The three pull out their chairs and sit down. There are two seats left between James and Remus, Remus notes and he realises that James is having a guest too, and that leaves so many questions. He tells himself it's probably Peter or Frank who have someone joining them.
Remus says nothing. He feels like it's the safest bet.
"Last we saw you, you were being dragged off by a trashy drag-queen in a reddish black dress. I would say you must have been desperate, but…"
James' frown hardens but he doesn't say anything. He looks like he's having a silent crisis, and Remus just wants to drag James away and help him and find out what's wrong. But he doesn't want to draw attention to the panic.
"But he's the desperate one," Benjy finishes, looking quite delighted that James isn't calling him out.
"Fuck off," Peter snaps. "Remus is a catch."
"Yeah, one I threw back," Benjy mutters, though they all hear it.
A chair scrapes loudly back and Remus turns his head, eyes wide.
"Mind if me and my brother join ya?" Sirius says, taking a seat. His curls are pulled back into a bun and he's wearing a white t-shirt with a leather jacket over it. His brother is wearing a shirt, and the other man shares a look with James, and there's a shy smile, and Remus has even more questions.
Benjy's interest is clearly piqued by the sight of Sirius, before his smirk is replaced by something nice, and Remus doesn't like this. Benjy is much better looking than himself. What if Sirius wants someone who is actually good looking, rather than boring, plain, Remus Lupin?
"Sirius Black, and this is my brother Regulus," Sirius says.
"James Potter," James says.
Sirius raises an eyebrow, but says nothing on the matter.
"Frank Longbottom."
Peter opens his mouth to introduce himself, but Benjy is leaning forward, hand out. "Benjy Fenwick."
Sirius stares at the hand, and slowly drags his gaze up to the man. "Sorry, I don't shake hands," he says. "You understand."
Benjy quickly withdraws his hand.
"Right, who are the rest of you?" Sirius asks. "You, what's your name?"
"Oh. I'm Peter Pettigrew."
"Good. Heard good things," Sirius says, though Remus is certain he's not mentioned Peter at all. Though it's clear to see which three are the arseholes, and Sirius has probably deduced this.
Sirius barely looks as the other two introduce themselves.
"Why are you here?" Frank finally says. "I don't mean to be rude and no disrespect of course, but…" his gaze moves between Sirius and Remus, asking the silent question.
"We're all friends now," Sirius supplies. "We both got invited, don't worry. We're not crashing breakfast."
"Speaking of which," Regulus says, finally speaking up. "Should we?" He gestures to the buffet food that is being brought out. "I'm exhausted."
"Same. I'm sure I didn't get much sleep, but the morning has been pretty active."
"Oh. Do you use the gym?" Benjy checks. "Jog? I'm happy to spot you in the gym. Or we could go for a run together, get to know each other a little better?"
Sirius turns to Remus, and somehow Remus knows that Sirius is asking for permission to say something. Whether it's something about their relationship, or if it's something about Benjy's actions…
Remus can only nod. He wants Sirius to be himself. They'll find out soon enough.
"Sorry, I don't do one night stands with arseholes who don't call afterwards," he says, a polite smile on his lips. "I have very high standards, and I can't even stomach the thought of letting you shake my hand. I'm going to go and get some food, because being a trashy drag-queen makes me hungry, but not as much as a morning of amazing sex. Speaking of which… Remus, luv, you must be famished. Wanna come up with me to get food?"
Remus nods, trying not to smirk.
Sirius slips his hand around Remus' waist as they stand.
"Trust Lupin to hook up with a married man. Did you see his ring?" Caradoc says.
Sirius pauses, and glances at Remus again. Remus gives a slight nod, because it's easier to let Sirius say it than trying to find the words himself.
"Oh. Me and Remus got quite wild last night. When in Vegas, right?" Sirius laughs. "We're doing it all backwards. Starting with the marriage, then the great sex, then the first date." He leans in and presses his lips to Remus, and Remus is speechless. "As for you…" he looks at Benjy. "You got lucky, getting a night with my Remus. But he's worth a million of you. More than that, even."
"Guys," James says, finally speaking, having only said his name since sitting down with them. "I… I was a bit wild too last night."
"Double honeymoon, yay," Regulus offers, snickering.
"You said you hooked up with the bloke. You never said you married him," Sirius says, removing his arm from Remus' waist and crossing his arms.
"You were my best man," Regulus points out. "Double wedding, Sirius. You and James were getting along great last night."
"We were?" He casts a judgemental eye on James. "Hurt my brother and we're having words."
"I won't hurt him," James says quietly. "I just… how do I tell my parents?"
"You're supposed to be getting married to someone else in a few days," Edgar points out. "Your parents will be so mad!"
James doesn't look all that bothered at that. He shrugs. "Sorry, Reg," he murmurs. "A little bit of panic at how to handle the situation. How about we get some breakfast?"
Sirius puts his hand back around Remus' waist and leans against him whilst they walk. "Hey, is your friend a good guy?" he asks, sounding worried. "I don't want my brother to get hurt, but if he's got someone back in England…"
"Arranged marriage," Remus offers quietly. "To a woman he's never met before. He doesn't want that life. If they've consummated the marriage, then the wedding can't go ahead."
"He's using my brother to stop the wedding?" Sirius sounds a little annoyed.
"James doesn't use people," Remus is quick to point out as they approach the food and reach for plates. "James cares too much. He's the most caring person I know, so trust him. For me."
"For you," Sirius repeats. "And have I told you how amazing you look this morning? I mean, you looked even more amazing naked, but if you have to wear clothes, I'm glad it's such… dorky cardigans. I think they're making me hot."
"Well, if that's the case you can strip it off me later," Remus says, smirking.
"Oi, I don't need to hear that," James jokes, as him and Regulus reach them. "You okay, Remus?"
Remus nods. "I should be panicking a lot more," he admits. But he glances towards Sirius and his cheeks redden. "I'm not panicking."
James grins. "I'm panicking about my parents, but not about what's happening here."
As Sirius moves to talk to his brother, Remus moves ahead with James.
"Is this a 'what happens in Vegas' situation?" He asks quietly.
"I really like him," James admits. "I'm scared of what happens in England, or if we'll even last past leaving here, but… but no. I don't take this situation lightly. What about you?"
"No-one has ever made me feel more wanted. I hope he still wants me in England," Remus admits. "He's amazing. I don't know why he'd ever want me, and—"
"You deserve someone who can see that you're amazing and treat you how you deserve." Remus sees Sirius catching them up, a smile on his face as he meets Remus' gaze. "I like him, for what it's worth. How he stood up for you. You look happy. Glad that being wild is working out for you."
"I'm glad too," Remus admits.
"Hey, so we were thinking of catching a show tonight. Do you guys wanna join us? I mean, we could do it as a group - we've got friends here too. Save the first dates for when we can be alone?"
"We've got tickets booked for tonight," Remus admits. "But I can make some calls and get more?"
"And tonight, you're staying at my place," Sirius decides.
"Yeah. I am."
"Next round on me," James says, setting the card down on the sticky table.
"On your parents, you mean," Remus says, laughing as he reaches for the card. "My turn to go up to the bar, is it?"
James shakes his head. "I'll go up. The show will be starting soon. What are we seeing again?"
"Drag queens," Peter says. "Hey, do we invite this group of ladies to join us?"
"The more the merrier," James insists, with a wide grin.
"Oi, Frank," Peter says, nudging Frank who is sitting next to him, but has turned to talk to a woman at the next table. Remus turns his attention away. It's their second night here, and they've decided to go to watch a famous drag queen, though Remus doesn't know the name. He loves the vibe here though, people enjoying themselves There are people on the tables surrounding who are dressed up in drag too and no-one is being judgey, no-one is being homophobic.
"You know, this is the best place," Remus says, standing up and following James to the bar to help him with the drinks.
"You think?" James glances around. "I like it, but is this your way of telling me that you wanna dress in drag? Mate, you're my best friend and I'm here for you, but I might not be very good at helping you pick out the clothes. I mean, I'll do my best, but…"
Remus laughs. "I don't think I'd feel comfortable with all of that make-up," Remus admits. "I mean the vibe." They squeeze into a space at the bar, and Remus almost knocks into someone next to him with dark curls. "What I mean is the vibe. People have all come here expecting to see drag queens. I'm not hearing people talk badly about drag queens. There are no homophobic slurs. It's nice, you know. We don't see this in England."
"We don't see it anywhere," James comments. "So… how is the 'being wild' thing going? Ready to go back to normal, or still trying to prove Edgar wrong?"
"I'm not boring," Remus starts.
"Mate. You know I don't think that. Frank and Peter don't either. It's just Edgar and them - and they're family friends. Their opinion doesn't matter to me and it shouldn't matter to you." He sighs. "Okay. Tonight we're going to be wild and do unexpected things and prove that expectations… you know. Maybe you'll have a boyfriend by the end of the night."
Remus snorts. "I'm not boyfriend material," he says. "My last relationship was with your friend, Benjy, who shagged me and then dumped me. Then there was Lucas before him, and… I'm fine, I know people overlook me. I'm used to not mattering. I think that's why I need to do something to prove myself this trip, you know."
"I do." James orders the drinks, and Remus turns his head to look around, but his gaze falls on the man at his side. The man has dark curls falling around his shoulders, and he's wearing a dress and has make-up on, and he's gorgeous.
"You alright there, luv?" the man asks, his lips curving into a smile as Remus' gaze darts all over his face. "Like what you see?"
"Oh. I'm sorry," Remus whispers, turning red.
"Looks like your friend got you a drink already, or I'd offer," the man says. "But perhaps I can get you the next one?"
Remus glances at James, who gives him a thumbs up and disappears towards the table.
"We're sitting over there," Remus says, pointing. "Maybe…"
"Maybe me and my friends can take that empty table by yours," the man says. "If you aren't put off by the attire, that is."
"I think you look amazing," Remus admits.
"I'm Sirius, by the way. That's my name, not my mood. Though it's also my mood right now. Serious about getting you that drink."
Remus laughs. "Remus," he says. "And I'm looking forward to getting that drink. I can't pun on my name, I'm afraid, but I'm very… very eager to talk to you again. But I better…" he points to the table, but is reluctant to leave the bar.
"I'll be right over at the next table," Sirius says. True to his word, he's at the table only a minute later, and a few others follow him over. As the groups start talking, the tables end up being pushed together, and Remus finds that Sirius' attention is fixed solely on him.
He loves it.
Remus wakes up and he immediately feels sad at the idea of the holiday coming to an end. It's their last day, and they've spent so much time together, and Remus can't imagine going back to his little flat and being alone. Sirius and Regulus changed their tickets to Remus' flight, but he's worried that when they say goodbye at the airport, it'll be forever.
He's wrapped tightly in Sirius' embrace, and he shifts, trying to get more comfortable..Lips press against his neck.
"You know, I'm so used to one night stands. I really like this," Sirius murmurs against his neck.
"You, or them?" Remus finds himself asking.
There's quiet for a moment. "Circumstances. I never sleep with anyone that I don't hope for more with. The only time I've left in the night is once when I woke up for a drink and realised that he had hidden pictures of him and his wife in a cupboard whilst pretending to be single. I started wondering if guys just liked my body and there was nothing more to it."
Remus quickly feels bad because, didn't he start off by wanting Sirius' body too?
"I can hear the cogs in your head turning. Physical attraction happens, so don't start doubting anything. That's what drew you in, but I just hope you find something about me that makes you want to stay."
"I've already found that," Remus admits. "I love how you treat me. I feel special. Like I matter."
Another kiss presses against the back of his neck. "Me too. You're worth the shit I'm going to face back home."
"What are you going to face?" Remus finds himself asking. He turns around, and smiles at the wild curls sticking up everywhere.
"Well, no secrets because we're married," Sirius says quietly. "I'm in Vegas because of a work thing. Father let me and Regulus stay for an extra few days because we closed some good deals. Very strict upbringing, very… overly strict and horrible family. I think… I think you weren't the only one who needed to do something wild, you know."
"We should discuss… do you want to carry this on when we go to England? Be truthful, Sirius. You won't hurt my feelings by telling me the truth, but you will by lying and leading me on. Do we have a future?"
Sirius reaches out, his fingers playing with a lock of Remus' hair. "We have. I want us to have. But… but my family will cause problems. Or they might just disown me."
"So your family will make you choose them, and—"
"And I've wanted freedom from them for so long. To make my own choices. I've been trapped, Remus. These few days in Vegas with Regulus, with Alice and Marlene - friends I convinced Father to hire at work - have been a breath of fresh air. Then I saw you at the show and you and James came and stood next to me. You said… I overheard you both talking and you mentioned how you always get overlooked. I… maybe it's the opposite for me, but the feelings behind everything were the same as what I felt. You're lonely because you're overlooked. I'm lonely because I get used over and over again and let people, in the hopes that someone will finally want me. But then I turned to talk to you, and I… I think you're gorgeous. You captivated me the moment I looked at you, and I knew I had to know you better. I never thought we'd end up in bed. I never imagined that I'd marry you, but… I mean, is that the reason you stuck around, or…"
"No! I mean, I fancied you the second I laid eyes on you, but I've never had a one-night stand before in my life, Sirius. Sleeping with someone is because they mean something to me. I don't think a drunk me would change that, and I approve of my drunk self's choice, because you're amazing. In bed, but also just talking to you and spending time with you. This relationship may be unconventional considering the rate in which we got married, but I'm happy. I'm so happy. I'm scared for when we go back, that something in your life will make you change your mind."
"My family?" Sirius guesses quietly. "My family is all about image. They're cold, cruel people. I may… I have savings. I'll just come stay near you and we'll have to do a lot of winging it."
"You'd… choose me?"
"I'm falling for you, and pretty quickly too. My parents own our flat, but me and Regulus will make it. He's really taken with your friend. I think me and you are going to work. I'm scared for him."
"James' parents left a message at the front desk last night for James to call them. He didn't," Remus says. "We were talking and we think that one of the other guys decided to be a blabbermouth and told them. James is so angry. He's scared of facing them."
"We'll support them and hopefully his parents come around. But what about you? Your parents?"
"I think they'll be shocked. Maybe a bit upset at first, but they'll come around. Mum just wants me to be happy. Dad is still coming to terms with the fact that I'm gay. But… hopefully he won't take too long."
"If he doesn't like me?"
"He doesn't have to like you, as long as I do. But you're worrying over nothing, Sirius. I want this. You're… you're welcome to come and stay at my place until you're on your feet."
Sirius' lips curve into a smile. "Moving in together before our first date," he teases. "Have I mentioned that I'm an amazing cook?"
"Well, I'm a terrible one," Remus admits. "But I'm really tidy."
"I snore."
"I'm a heavy sleeper, I won't even notice."
"This is all working out really well. How long before we need to get up?"
"An hour," Remus mutters, looking at the clock.
"Oh. In that case, let's worry about talking about our families later. This is our last hour of privacy together. I want to make every moment count."
James has switched to water, and he can see Remus watching, but he doesn't say anything. Remus has had quite a bit to drink and James is trying to be the sensible one here, but he can tell that Remus is starting to feel bad about it.
"Have another drink, I'll stop," Remus decides, but James laughs.
"Mate. You're having fun. Just enjoy yourself, okay? I just want to keep a clear head right now, I have some thinking to do - and I like that you're having a great night. That guy really likes you."
"I like him," Remus admits, his cheeks red. "He's sweet. He's in England. We're making plans to meet up when we get back there."
"Get his number and I'll hold onto it for you so you can call him once we're back," James insists. Remus does just that and James prays that this guy actually will, because Remus deserves happiness, and Remus is just so happy right now. Not because he's drunk (okay, so that's a part of it) but because he's been noticed. Someone is paying Remus undivided attention.
"I'm sorry about my brother." A man takes Remus' now vacated seat. "You don't mind? It's a bit strange sitting next to him whilst he's trying to pick-up your friend."
"Not at all." James straightens up. "That's your brother?"
"Beneath those layers of makeup, he looks a lot like me, but I'm the attractive one." The man's gaze moves over James. "And I'm not sure why he's after your friend when you're right here."
James smirks. "Remus deserves happiness, leave him be."
"Oh. No disrespect intended. He looks nice enough, but I have a thing for guys with glasses."
James laughs. "Do you? Wanna show me?" he jokes. Then he realises that yes, he was right to switch to water.
"I hear you're getting married soon. Is this something you really want to do? A last fling? I mean, I'm flattered, but I'm not anyone's bit on the side."
"Arranged marriage," James explains bitterly. "I've never even met the woman."
"Ah. Well, I'm Regulus Black, and if you've never met her, than it's not like you're cheating, right? You're not actually involved. So it's okay that I do this." His hand rests on James' leg. "You're not drinking anything else?"
"No, but I'll get you a drink," James insists. "If you can think of a way to get me out of this marriage."
"I have a couple of suggestions," Regulus answers. "First off, refuse."
"Next," James mutters.
"Fake your own death?"
"Let's call that Plan B."
Regulus smirks. "Okay. Well, you can't really marry someone else if you're married. There are laws against that."
"Wait, what?"
"It's Vegas. Marriages here are legal and binding. Especially if you consummate it. Divorces are long. Do what everyone else does. Do what my brother is no-doubt planning to do with your friend. Pick someone you'd like to shag, get married, consummate it and then wing it, as my brother would say."
It's so simple. James can deal with the fall-out later. He can feign being too drunk. It's Vegas, and everyone does this.
"Hey, Reg, ever thought about tying the knot?" he asks.
Regulus smiles. "My parents are going to kill me. Or blame this entire thing on my brother and kill him. Why the heck not, I'm in." He pauses. "There will be a fall-out on my side. My family will be angry and I may have to stay with you until they calm down. I'm not taking this risk unless I know I have somewhere to stay should shit hit the fan."
"I've got a place," James insists. "I wouldn't let my husband end up on the streets."
Remus laughs softly. "Should we get more drunk for this?" he checks, but James shakes his head.
"No. I want to be aware of this. I want this choice to be when I'm in my right mind. I don't want to regret it tomorrow and blame it on the drink."
"Good plan. I guess we'll have to bring my brother and your friend along. Maybe the air will sober them up?"
James glances around. Frank is talking with one of Regulus' friends, Alice, and Marlene is dancing with Peter, though it doesn't look like he has a chance tonight. The other three are talking to another group at a different table.
He doesn't want to ask Frank or Peter to watch over drunk Remus, and he doesn't trust the other three. He's been trying to slowly move away from them, but Remus didn't know that when he invited them. James dislikes how they talk to people, especially Remus. He hates how Benjy treated Remus. He doesn't think he'll ever forgive the guy for that.
"Yeah. We'll bring them."
Everyone goes their separate ways, except for the four men. They all stand around with their suitcases as they try and make a plan.
Even with the difficult news that he has to give, James still looks more calm and relaxed than he has in months. He looks happy, and Remus really wants to know the story of what happened - if James remembers it, that is - but now is not the time to ask.
They've not had as much time for private chats as usual. Either he's caught up with Sirius, or James with Regulus. But Remus hasn't worried, because sometimes it happens, but they always find time for each other.
"We know our parents are going to freak out," Sirius murmurs, his arms wrapped around Remus' waist and his head resting on Remus' shoulder. "We should just call them all together and tell them in one swoop."
"It'll be too much commotion," Regulus replies. "Let's go and tell mother and father first. At least we'll know where we stand once we've told them."
"But what happens if James' parents change his mind about this?" Sirius pushes. An ongoing argument they've had on the plane.
"What if Remus' parents did that?" Regulus retorts, earning a dirty look from Sirius, whose arms wrap around Remus even tighter.
"Nothing is going to change my mind," James insists. "I'm sure about this. With or without Regulus, I'm not going through with this wedding. I've had time to think, time to let my hair down and just be me, and I don't want to spend my life married to a woman I don't even know. Narcissa, or… or something."
Sirius and Regulus look at each other and Regulus sighs whilst Sirius starts laughing.
"Oi, it's not funny," James snaps.
"Not why we're laughing," Sirius snickers. "Just that… Narcissa Black, yes?"
"Probably."
"James, not a lot of families do this whole arranged marriage thing," Regulus explains. "But… ours is that type. Our parents have been searching for wives for their two gay sons for ages. They accept that we're gay, as long as we don't tell anyone. Or be involved with people that'd talk. Just hide it and pretend. But… Here we are, in the same boat as you. Almost, because there have been no arrangements."
"Okay…" James says, clearly confused as to the connection between their family and Narcissa.
"Which means our cousins have all arranged marriages. All except Andromeda who legged it, because she has sense," Sirius fills in. "Bellatrix is married already, but our other cousin… she's not. She's got an arrangement though."
"For next week," Regulus points out. "Cousin Narcissa is dreading it."
There's a long silence which is only broken by Sirius' snickering.
"I was supposed to marry your cousin. Oh, this makes it a hundred times worse," James mutters.
"Or better. Both families will have to call this off mutually," Regulus points out. "I think we put our cases at Remus' flat for now and take a moment to freshen up, and then go to your parents first, James. My family is second, and because Remus' family sounds the most accepting of this, we do that one last. Then retreat back to the flat and plan from there."
"Sounds like a good plan," Remus comments.
"Things might not go to that plan, but it's good to have something to refer to if we don't know what to do."
They walk up the strip, and the chapels are all lit up, and people are heading in and out and laughing.
"Elvis impersonator?" James suggests.
"Do we need to make our wedding any more tacky than it already is going to be?" Regulus complains.
Sirius laughs. He wouldn't mind an Elvis impersonator. In fact, anyone. As long as he gets to marry this guy - Remus, or whatever his name is - who is clearly his soulmate.
"How about it, sweetheart," he says, because he doesn't want to get his soulmate's name wrong. "Let's tie the knot."
Amber eyes find his. "You mean… you want to stay with me?"
Sirius nods, because that's all he wants. To have his own family that aren't arseholes. To have a bloke that wants more than sex, and Remus hasn't even checked him out properly yet. Remus listens to all his rambling nonsense and his stories and talks to him and listens and… Remus is perfect.
"Yeah. Very much so." As they walk, they pass a jewellery shop and Sirius is pleased to note that after a quiet chat, James and Regulus decide to go inside.
"Come on, let's choose our wedding rings," Sirius insists, and he's glad he brought his credit card out. Even though the rings are cheap and not all that great, it's the thought that counts. The ring symbolises their connection.
He's quick to pay for two that Remus had been looking up, and notes James buying some too. Sirius nods in approval. If a man wants to be with Regulus, he should definitely marry him first, otherwise Sirius might have to do something bad to him. He makes a point of telling James? Jamie? Well, whatever his name, this.
James looks surprised and a little worried when Remus tells them that they've brought rings, but Sirius just assumes that James was worried about Remus in the same way that Sirius was worried about Regulus. He's going to marry him first and do this right.
Sirius picks the chapel. It's got a little moon and some stars, and he can't remember the words he says once they leave his mouth. Something about him being the stars and Remus being the moon, but Remus clearly loves it. James and Regulus roll their eyes in jealousy because they can't come up with anything as beautiful as that, but he walks in, hand in hand with Remus, and the other two follow.
There's no Elvis, but that doesn't matter to Sirius. All that matters is this wedding, and spending the rest of his life with this amber-eyes-vixen. He's somewhat convinced the guy's name is Remus. But he has forever to learn the name of his beloved.
"Remus, are you sure about this?" James checks, as the pair start organising the wedding with the woman at the counter.
Remus nods. "I know what I'm doing," he insists, and James backs off. There's a little stall with things like veils and bouquets, and they all look over the things there. Sirius of course picks up a veil, to go with his dress, but somehow it ends up on Remus' head.
It ends up being a double-wedding and by the time they're done, Sirius' feet are killing in the heels.
He shares a soft kiss with Remus, making the marriage official, and before he knows it, he's signing forms and showing his passport and what he's waited for all night - he gets Remus back to the hotel, wanting to spend hours celebrating his new marriage with his husband.
They stand outside of the chapel, and Sirius wraps his arms around Remus. "Our love is like a red red rose, and I'm a little thorny," he murmurs.
Remus laughs, and it's such a cute laugh that Sirius is even more in love.
Fleamont and Euphemia Potter look like they've been expecting James when he knocks on the door. Remus gets a nod from Fleamont, but his lips are stretched in a thin line as he tells the group to come in.
They walk into the garden where Euphemia is doing some gardening. She stops at the sight of them and sets her straw hat on a nearby chair, before sitting down herself.
"Would you all care to sit?" she asks. She doesn't seem surprised that there are more than two of them, which confirms that they know what happened.
Regulus nervously smooths his hands over his indigo shirt, clearly hoping for the chance to make a good impression.
"I've already called a lawyer," Fleamont hastens to tell them. "We'll sort this out. Mistakes like this happen all of the time, of course. We're going to rush the annulment through. Unless…"
James gives a little nod, confirming what Fleamont fears, and he closes his eyes and takes a deep breath. "Divorce. On the grounds that you were very drunk and unaware of what you were doing."
"Dad, this is Regulus Black," James mutters. "Turns out he's the cousin of… her. Dad, Mum… I don't want to get divorced. I don't want to marry someone else. Why don't I get a say in this? You've planned what to do next without even asking me how I feel about it." He takes a deep breath. "This wasn't intentional. I didn't go away with the idea to go behind your backs, but… but since the wedding, I felt this wave of relief because I've made my own choice."
"Without consulting us," Euphemia points out.
"Yeah, well, was I consulted on the marriage you arranged for me?" James retorts quietly. "No one asked me what I wanted. You say you're doing the best thing for me, but it's not the best for me. I don't want your future, I want my future."
"It's tradition," Fleamont tells him. "I'm very disappointed in you."
"I'm disappointed in all of us," James tells his father, standing back up. "I came here to tell you that I'm married and I'm happy. You haven't even considered how I feel about this matter. Does my happiness matter less than these traditions? I think it's best we leave now. I hope we can… fix this, and I'm sorry that I went behind your back. I felt trapped, like there was no other choice. But to fix this, you'll need to understand that I'm falling for Regulus. I truly am, and I'm going to follow my heart."
He turns to leave.
"Hi Mr and Mrs Potter," Sirius says eagerly. "I'm Regulus' brother and I'm the lucky bloke who gets to spend forever with Remus, because—"
James grabs Sirius by the arm and drags him away. Remus hides a smile at Sirius' behaviour.
They lay across James' bed. They've been there for hours, just talking. James has talked about his upbringing and parents expectations. The only child, he bears a heavy burden. They think he's perfect, so expect perfection. He hates their disappointment, or letting them down.
Regulus' upbringing has been worse. He talks about cold and distant parents, who value perfection. Where James hates his parents being disappointed, Regulus grew up fearing it. He talks about Sirius' protective streak, taking the blame and the punishment for anything and everything in order to protect Regulus. Sirius being branded the 'black sheep' until their cousin ran from her wedding.
He talks about Sirius a lot. Wanting his brother to find happiness, having his heart broken and being hurt over and over again. James talks about Remus' struggles with relationships, and as the words flow, they realise that the pair are perfect for each other. Both hurt in their own way, both longing for the same future.
They discuss their families' reactions and how to proceed, and they talk until the early morning. James doesn't even realise the time until the light is shining through the window.
"Should we get some sleep before breakfast?" he finally asks.
Regulus shakes his head. "We could… but I've spent the night getting to know you, and I want to know you that little bit better." He reaches for the bottom of James' t-shirt. "If you're good to take this last step."
"Yeah. I've never… not with another man."
"I have," Regulus says softly. "I've got you, okay."
James nods his head. "Yeah. Yeah, I'd like… I'd like that very much," he admits. "So.. what do you like… in the bedroom?"
"Well, for starters, kissing is always good," Regulus says. "So hurry up and start with that. Once you're more comfortable, we'll discuss how I want you to tie me up."
James' eyes widen at this. "That sounds… yeah. I'd be into that." He shifts closer to Regulus, winding a hand into his short, dark curls and pulling him in for a kiss.
"We got married in Vegas," Sirius announces. "These are our husbands."
Remus and James look at each other, and Regulus lets out a groan. They were supposed to ease their parents into it, but he made the mistake of letting Sirius speak. This is Regulus' own fault, he should have known what'd happen.
Walburga sips her tea, only the frown at the corner of her mouth turning down even more. There's a clench in her jaw too. "I see." She glances to her husband. "Orion…" and then towards their servant. "Kreacher, remove them."
Kreacher starts to move between the brothers and James and Remus, trying to shoo James and Remus out of the house.
"Like that'll stop us being married," Sirius points out.
"Leave them. I'll have the lawyer over immediately to sort out the forms. If you two can remain so you can go through the annulment process."
"Oh. We're not getting annulled. I shagged Remus countless times afterwards," Sirius informs them.
Walburga closes her eyes and takes a deep breath and Regulus knows that his mother is furious. She's containing it because of the visitors, even if she doesn't want them there, but they're going to see the extent of her fury when the house is empty.
But Regulus reminds himself that they won't be sticking around. He believes in fate, even more so upon finding out that James was to marry Narcissa, because he could have met anyone in Vegas, and it happened to be this group."
"That's not all," James says, stepping forward. This was planned, at the very least. "I… from conversations earlier today… I'm James Potter. I didn't realise the family connection until after we got off the plane today."
"Annulment," Orion starts. "You will—"
"No, Father, we won't," Regulus says quietly, and Regulus' words are what finally get a proper reaction from Walburga Black.
"Your brother has corrupted you," she says, pointing at Sirius. "This freedom we've given, and you've thrown it back in our face. You are ungrateful, disgusting, depraved."
"If I may," Remus says loudly, cutting her off in shock. She sneers at him, looking at him in a very much 'how dare you' way. "That's my husband you're talking about, and I thought a family of your standing would have been brought up with better manners than that. It'd be a shame if the gossip columns heard that you called a gay man - your own son no less - depraved and disgusting."
Sirius leans in and plants a kiss to Remus' cheek, beaming at him.
"But if that's how you feel about people like us, it's good that Sirius is away from you. Should you want to make amends, I'm sure you'll find a way to be in touch. But until then, we'll be taking our leave."
"Regulus," Walburga starts.
"Remus is right," Regulus says quietly. "I did this because I'm tired of hiding who I am. I can't be the good son you want, I can't pretend. I can't go through with an arranged marriage in the future. I want to live my life. But don't blame Sirius. This was all my idea. He just copied me."
He walks out with James, ignoring his father shouting about them losing their jobs and their flat. He's always been the best son he could be, but now he's free.
Remus and Sirius barely make it into the room before they start pulling at each other's clothes. Thankfully the dress isn't hard to remove, and Sirius finds himself being pushed onto the bed, surprised that his new husband is quite forward and a little bossy in the bedroom.
He loves it. Remus can boss him around any night. It's hot.
He watches as Remus removes the last of his clothes, before joining him on the bed.
"You're beautiful," Remus murmurs. "Fuck."
Sirius hopes there's more than his looks. Please. This time, let it be more. He's not sure he can take a heart-break again, because from the moment he looked at Remus earlier, he was lost.
But this time, it was lost in a way he's never felt before.
"This makes things final," Sirius points out. He's silently praying that Remus chooses this. Because even if Remus doesn't want this tomorrow, they're stuck together and that gives him time to prove himself to Remus. He just needs time for someone to see that he'd do anything to make them happy.
"I've never met anyone like you," Remus tells him softly. "You make my heart race and… I want this. I don't usually do things like this, Sirius. That I'm doing it with you… you've already made a big impact on my life, and there's nothing more I'd love than for this to never end."
Sirius hopes that he's right in trusting Remus' words.
"Mum, this is Sirius, and this is Regulus." His mum looks at their joined hands, and she smiles.
"Where have you been hiding your boyfriend?" she asks. "It's lovely to meet you. Oh, and James, you have a boyfriend…" She trails off, and Remus knows that she's trying to figure out what has happened since he was supposed to be getting married soon. The invitation is still on the fridge.
"The wedding is off," James says. "I'm choosing my own happiness."
"That's amazing. Did your boyfriends go away with you?" she asks, because she's clearly so puzzled. They wouldn't have gone on a stag-do holiday if James was dating someone else.
"Mum, that's something I need to talk to you about," Remus says. "Dad, are you listening?"
He nods, glancing up from his newspaper.
"We… met in Vegas. You see… you know when people are in Vegas on television…"
Hope's eyes move to Remus' hand and she lets out a laugh. "Dear, did you… did you get married in Vegas?" She's more than delighted. "Do I have a son in law?" The laugh fades. "You're staying married, are you?"
"We… we are. Don't be mad, I'm falling for Sirius, and I want—"
"Sweetheart, we're not mad, are we Lyall?" She pauses for a split second before continuing. "Of course we'll need to do a small thing in the church, get the families together. I want to see my son getting married. But you're happy and… James, did you get married on your own stag-do?"
James nods, and Lyall is the one to start laughing this time, with Hope joining in.
"Well, until your parents come around, you're welcome here whenever you need someone, okay?" She insists.
"Our parents aren't talking to us anymore," Sirius quickly adds, clearly looking for a bit of attention.
Hope is amused. "And you and your brother too. You're family now, Sirius, Regulus. I think we should go and celebrate. I'll go and change and get my purse and we'll go out for dinner. Let me go and pick a nice hat to wear." She rushes from the room and Lyall stands up and walks over.
He looks between Sirius and Regulus for a moment. "You take care of James, he's one of my boys," he says, and Regulus nods.
His gaze moves to Sirius. "And you… I'm your father in law. We can get along well or we could get along terribly. You decide."
"I'd like—"
"By how you treat my son," Lyall says. "This is all unexpected, but if Remus is happy, that's all I need to know. Do good."
"I will," Sirius rushes to tell him.
"Words," Lyall says. "Actions are what I want. If he's happy, I'm happy, and we'll get along well."
Sirius nods and Remus squeezes his hand.
James sits in the room and tries to gather himself. He's ready. He just needs to go and face the others.
He's feeling so guilty. He wasn't drunk last night, just tipsy, and he let Remus do something so big as get married.
At the time it made sense. In James' head he was justifying his own behaviour based on Remus'. Or maybe, he tells himself, he was letting Remus do it so he wasn't making this choice alone. So they'd both share the blame.
He hates himself. He's a bad friend. He had a moment of weakness, of indecisiveness and the selfish side of him finally broke through. Now Remus is probably hating him. Remus was intoxicated and James should have been there for him, to help him make the right choice, even if Remus wanted to do something wild.
As that thought haunts him, the phone rings. He considers ignoring it, but it doesn't stop and he finally reaches for it, scared when he hears Remus' voice.
But he can hear that Remus is happy. Delighted. In a way James has never heard, and James can breathe a little easier, because maybe it'll work out for them after all. Regulus had insisted that it would, but James can't fight that guilt.
But maybe he can be there to support Remus whilst they find their footing, and earn forgiveness that way. Not that Remus will hold anything against him. James needs to redeem himself in his own eyes. He expects his friends to do the best for him and he gives the same back.
He stands up and looks in the mirror. His reflection doesn't look so down anymore. He looks more alive, despite the lack of sleep.
He's ready to face the world.
"This is perfect," Sirius says, as they move their boxes into the two bedroom flat. The van has been loaded with his and Regulus' belongings that they put in storage on the day they all informed their parents. "Our first place together."
"Until you're on your feet," Remus says softly. "Then maybe we'll get our own place." Because it seems silly for a married couple to live together and then not live together. "But we'll find our footing."
"We will. I'm contacting the companies that used to try and head-hunt me from Father's company. Even without my Father's recommendation, they know what I'm capable of. Me and Regulus both."
"Is that the future you want though?" Remus checks. "Because you said it pays a lot, but you were unhappy there. We don't need to be rich, Sirius, as long as we're together. What would make you happy?"
Sirius considers this. "I just want to do the best for you."
"Your happiness is what's best for me," Remus tells him. "What is your dream? You have savings, what do you dream? What would you love to do?"
Sirius smiles. "Cooking. I love to cook. When I was younger, I considered being a chef for a bit, but… there was always a plan for me."
Remus grins. "That's the plan then. If you want to be a chef, you're going to do that. You have savings, which you can fall back on if you need."
"Really?" Sirius checks.
Remus nods. He leans in for a kiss, and Sirius is quick to slip his arms around Remus. "Bedroom?" Sirius asks.
"The moving van hasn't arrived, unless you find the floor a good place to have sex?" Remus asks.
Sirius' smirk is enough of an answer. But there's a knock on the door and that's what draws them apart.
"We'll set the bed up first, and getting you naked will be my reward," Sirius states, as he walks to the door and opens it. "Oh. Hello."
"Hello, you're… Regulus? Well, we… me and my husband want to invite you and James to dinner on Sunday."
"Euphemia, come in," Remus says, quickly heading over to the door. "How'd you find this place?"
"We called Hope," she explains.
"This is Sirius, my husband," Remus says. "James is doing some painting in his new room." He rushes to the door and calls for James. A minute of awkward silence passes, before James emerges, Regulus following.
"Mum?" He quickly looks guarded, wary.
She looks past him to Regulus, before returning her gaze to James.
"Me and your father want to invite you both to dinner. A family dinner. So… so we can get to know your… your husband," Euphemia says, nervously. "If you're willing to give us a chance."
"You… you're accepting this?" James checks.
"Tradition matters to us," she tells him. "But you matter so much more."
James' frown turns into a smile. "Yeah. We'd love to come. We'll both be there."
Euphemia turns her gaze to Remus and Sirius.
"We won't come. I think maybe it's best you guys talk through everything without us tagging along," Remus says. "We're going to my parents on Sunday, and to a farmer's market."
"My first farmers market!" Sirius says, delightedly. "Come on, sweetheart. Let's get back to organising things and give them some space." He takes Remus' hand and leads them away.
"Maybe your parents will come around next?" Remus suggests, as they walk.
Sirius shakes his head. "My parents will never come around," he says. "But we've found new families, and that's fine. That's enough for us."
Euphemia walks forward and takes Regulus' hand. "Welcome to the family. It's a few days late, and I'm sorry about that. But welcome. Both you and Sirius." She looks relieved that her son has accepted the olive branch, and Remus smiles as they leave James to talk to his mum, happy that things are working out.
Fin
14087 words
Writing Club:
Written in the stars - 10 (action) getting ready for an event
Book Club - 5. Owen: (character) Regulus Black, (action) smirking, (colour) black
Showtime - 7. (word) intoxicated
Film Festival - 21. Dialogue: "Our love is like a red, red rose. And I am a little thorny."
Lizzy's Loft - 21. Who We Are - We were never welcome here [bonus]
Elizabeth's Empire - 7. (trait) confident
Angel's Archive - 13. Red-black (colour)
Amber's Anime Adventure - 11. (color) indigo
They Said What? - 17. [Laguna Beach] "You weren't being over-sensitive; he was being over-assh*le." - LC
Lyric Alley - 18. Found hope in my heart
Artist Appreciation - 9. Mirrors: Prompt - (trait) insecurity BONUS
Buttons - Word: 2 - Blabbermouth, Emotions: 1. Guilt
Fight Club - (dialogue) "You got lucky."