December 30: Hit Me with Your Best Shot

"Truth or dare?"

"That's a dumb question, Prongs." Sirius smiled widely at his messy-haired friend. "Dare, of course."

"Alright then..." James looked around the room in thought. His eyes landed upon the young werewolf. "He he...I dare you to kiss Remus on the lips."

Sirius burst out laughing. "Alright, but I don't have to like it." Barely containing his giggles, he looked at Remus, his lover, who he was supposed to kiss... How odd that was...

Sirius could tell Remus was trying to look revolted at the idea, but with the smile creeping onto his face he didn't quite achieve the look he was going for. Sirius leaned over and stopped inches away from the other's face.

"Go on, don't be a chicken." James laughed at his two friends and was quite surprised when Remus didn't object to the dare.

"One question, though," Sirius said, not prying his eyes away from the golden orbs. "How long?"

"Oooo. Good question." James stroked his invisible beard while thinking. "How about one minute?" He glanced at Peter for approval who nodded his head.

"Think you're up to it, Moony?" Sirius asked with a wicked grin.

"Why not?" Remus grabbed a handful of black hair and met Sirius lips with his. James and Peter stared open-mouthed at their two best friends unbelieving to what they were seeing. James had never seen something so...passionate. And who said they had to use tongues?

After a minute was up, James called out, "Minute's up." But the two wouldn't break apart. Hoping that it was because they couldn't hear him, James yelled, "Do we need to bring some ice water in here and pour it on you guys!?" Remus' eyes opened and briskly pushed Sirius away.

"Enjoy?" Peter asked jokingly.

"Rawr." Sirius winked at the extremely good kisser. "For a guy, you kiss impeccably."

"Lara teach you that?" James inquired. "Or Brigitte or Zoe?"

"I'm not telling you." Remus shifted on the floor uncomfortably.

"IT WAS!" James declared.

"It WASN'T!" Remus countered and hit James on the back of the head knocking his glasses askew.

"Alrighty then, who was it?"

"Not telling."

"You HAVE to."

"I don't HAVE to do anything."

"But I'm your bestest friend..." James stuck out his lower lip and pouted.

"HEY!" Sirius threw his arm around Remus' neck and pulled the other boy to him, making Remus nuzzle his neck. "I'm his bestest friend. Ain't that right, Moony?"

"Ug," the brown haired boy pushed Sirius away from him playfully. He stuck out his tongue in mock disgust. "I dunno who's worse."

"James." Sirius said simply, at the same time James said, "Sirius."

Remus raised his eyebrows at the two who continue to debate who was 'worse.' He glanced at Peter who was hyperventilating from laughing so hard. Remus patted the blond on the back until his breathing became somewhat normal.

"I don't know what's so funny, Pete," Remus remarked, "How are they acting any different from any other day? You normally don't laugh /that/ hard."

"It's just—"Peter burst out giggling once more like a crazed teen girl.

"I've got the weirdest friends." Remus noted to himself as he looked from the giggling blond to the two midnight haired boys slapping each other with 'friendly' smacks. The werewolf shook his head. "Veuillez économiser moi." (Please save me.)

James smacked Sirius across the cheek leaving a bright red handprint. Sirius, being a good friend, returned the favor.

"Obtenez-moi hors d'ici. Svp, je ferai n'importe quoi." (Get me out of here. Please, I will do anything!)

Sirius seemed to notice Peter's high-pitched giggles and gracefully smacked him upside the head. Peter instantly stopped laughing, his gray eyes widened and his jaw dropped. Sirius cackled evilly before James went over and shoved Sirius down to the ground.

"Là ils vont encore. Je ne peux pas croire qu'ils font ceci. Bons amis que je devine..." (There they go again. I can not believe they are doing this. Good friends I guess...)

The three boys wrestled around on the ground hitting, pulling hair, and kicking. Despite the somewhat brutal appearance they were all laughing and somehow having a good time. Remus found it quite amusing when James and Peter pinned Sirius to the ground and tortured him endlessly by tickling him in the spots that they've found most sensitive over the years of the 'Annual Gryffindor Wrestling Tournament.'

Remus retreated to the couch, knowing very well that if he remained on the floor he would be pulled into the scuffle.

"OW! That hurt you bastard!"

"Tough shit. You started it."

"Doesn't mean you have to pinch—OW! I'm not joking, quit that!"

"EEEEEEK!" Peter pulled away from the scrambling teens and took refuge on the couch next to Remus.

Sirius managed to get the upper hand and flipped James on his back and straddled his hips.

"Oh, Sirius! I never knew you cared so much!" James puckered his lips and threw his arms around the boy hovering above him.

"EWE! Never in a million years, Prongsie." Sirius hopped up to his feet and rubbed his cheek. "Hey Remus, is my cheek red?" He turned his head so the other teen could see his cheek.

Remus burst out laughing. He got up from the white couch and walked over to his lover. He lifted a hand to Sirius' cheek and placed it on top of the very noticeable handprint. "Hmm. Smaller than my hand. So, Peter must've been the one to hit you there."

Sirius growled in his throat and gave Peter a threatening glance. "You'll pay rat-boy. You'll pay."

"Hey, he hit you more than I did!" Peter said defensively, wagging a finger at James.

James grinned. "You know what? We all hit each other..." He put on a false thinking face. "But someone slipped our grasp...Hmm, wonder who?"

"Don't you dare even think about it!" Remus ran behind the couch.

"Oops, I already did..." James nodded at the other two. "Trap him."

"No!" Remus backed against the wall when the trio started to encircle him. "Sirius, if you hit me, you'll regret it." Sirius instantly stopped at his boyfriend's words.

"Okay then..." Sirius backed away and sat on the arm of a chair. "Get him Prongs, Wormtail."

"Sirius!" Remus exclaimed before two sets of hands seized him and pinned him against the wall. He gave the bespectacled boy the evilest glare, "James, don't start something you won't win."

"He he he." James raised his right hand.

"Potter, I swear that you'll regret it."

Either James didn't hear him or just didn't care. Carefully, James smacked the werewolf across the face—not hard enough to afflict pain but enough to send a sting.

"Baiseur! That's it! You're dead!" Remus pounced on James, knocking them both backward onto the floor. Remus succeeded in hitting the messy-haired boy several times as James flailed his arms mindlessly. "Give up yet?!"

James opened his eyes and nodded his head. "Yes! Quit the torture!"

"Alright." Remus sat back, took off James' glasses, and stood up. "Anyone else want to fight me?" Peter and Sirius shook their heads. "Good choice. And sorry Jim." He held out his hand and pulled James to his feet.

James blinked a few times and squinted at his surroundings. "Gimme my glasses!" Remus raised his arm and dangled the eyeglasses above the other's head. James reached blindly for them, but Remus quickly tossed them to Peter, who tossed them to Sirius.

"Goddamn. Could you please give them back!?" James walked forward but tripped over the end of the rug. He caught onto a door handle but it twisted and the door fell open and James sent onto his back.

"Oh shit." Remus jaw dropped when he looked into the room.

The other Marauders gazed into the room and their reactions were identical to Remus'.

There was Marc. Marc and...another man?

"Must run in the family." Sirius whispered into Remus ear. Remus responded by punching him hard—right where it counts. "Owieeeeee." Sirius fell to the ground.

Remus slammed the door shut. "That was...I never...Sheez. I never knew..."

"I don't think they noticed us." Peter commented still wide-eyed.

"God, I hope not." Remus took the eyeglasses from Sirius' grasp and handed them to their rightful owner. James took them and held them up.

"I saw enough without them." James put them back on. "If I had them on...aye..."

"You would've seen what we saw." Sirius added. They stood there for a moment before they heard movement inside the room.

"Hey!" Remus cried out. "How about we go upstairs?!"

"Good idea." The four teenagers ran as fast as they could up the stairs into Remus' room and locked the door.

Out of breath they all collapsed; Sirius and Peter on the floor while James and Remus fell onto the soft sheets of Remus' bed.

"I've never seen two guys kiss each other." James commented nonchalantly.

"James," Sirius sat up and looked at his best friend. "Not ten minutes before that, you dared Remus and I to kiss. And I do believe we both are purely male."

"No, I mean truly kiss each other. That was just a dare with no real emotion." James explained.

Sirius and Remus locked eyes both full of anxiety and fear. Carefully Sirius pursued the topic. "What did you think?"

James bolted upright and stared at Sirius, "What did I think?" Sirius nodded. "Ug, I dunno. It's not something I'd ever do."

"No duh."

"What are you asking me? 'Cause it's kinda hard to answer."

"Are you homophobic?" Sirius regretted the words as soon as they left his mouth. What if James said 'yes'? But even if he said 'no' the look Remus was giving him was enough to kill.

James scrunched up his face in thought. Several minutes went by, Remus and Sirius exchanging worried looks, Peter looked identical to James and was obviously thinking hard, and James was going for the world record of the longest time without blinking.

"James," Sirius snapped James back into the real world. "It's not that difficult of a question. Just a yes or no."

"I don't know." James said. "I've never thought about it before. I always thought it was a little...I dunno...weird..."

Sirius rolled his eyes. "Of course it's weird." Remus shot him the death look again. "It's weird because it's different. But different doesn't necessarily mean it's wrong. If two people love each other, how can that possibly be wrong? Who cares if it's male and female, female and female, or male and male? Maybe I'm speaking ahead of our times, because I know that in this era a lot of people are prejudice. Race, nationality, religion, wealth, sexuality. So many things separate people from other people. And maybe I'm one of the few who doesn't give a shit about any of that and only judge people the way they treat others."

Sirius looked at his friends surprised faces. Peter looked like he couldn't quite comprehend everything that was just said, James looked like he was smacked across the face, and Remus looked thunderstruck.

"That was amazing, Sirius." Remus smiled appreciatively at Sirius who blushed and turned away.

"I've never heard you say something that...well, serious." James remarked. "You normally don't come right out and say your true feelings. But when you do, your true to your words and usually end up shocking the whole room."

"When was the other time I have ever done that?" Sirius asked.

"When you told us about how much it hurt when your brother would ignore you and when your cousins would call you names." Peter said.

"Or the time you 'fessed up that your parents hit you." James added.

"Or a couple of days ago." Remus winked at Sirius who smiled.

James and Peter stared at them curiously. "What happened a couple of days ago?" Peter questioned.

Remus snapped his head towards the two unbeknownst boys. "Oh, you know...Christmas brings out the unexpected in people."

"Especially your freak of a sister." Sirius muttered under his breath. Remus caught the remark and said very sternly, "She's schizophrenic."

"FOR REAL?!" Sirius exclaimed.

Remus snorted. "No."

"Don't say stuff like that if it's not true." He shot Remus an irate scowl.

"I was just messing around..."

An awkward silence followed. The Marauders just laid in their places, staring up at the ceiling. Remus thought about why Sirius was so testy when he made a little joke and Sirius wondered what James' answer would be and if the answer would take or give to their friendship. James pondered the earlier question if he was a homophobe or not and Peter... he was wondering if it was time for dinner yet.

"I got it!" James exclaimed breaking everyone's train of thought.

"Got what?" Sirius asked, hoping it was an answer to his question.

"If I'm homophobic."

"Uh huh. So are you?"

"Well..."

"Well...??" Sirius pushed on. He noticed how tense Remus was and that he was no better. This answer could leave them saying goodbye to a good friend.

"I don't think I am."

"Oh thank god." Sirius whispered but James heard it.

"Why 'thank god.'" James asked. "You aren't—"

"Geez, Moony is it almost time to eat?" Sirius looked at the bedside clock and then looked at Peter. "He looks like he's about to keel over."

"Yeah, it should be time." Remus stared at the floor and waved his hand an indication for them to follow. Peter hopped up quickly and ran after the retreating back. Deciding that being alone with James after what was just said was not a good thing, Sirius sprinted down the hallway leaving the bespectacled boy alone on the bed.

"I just don't know about you sometimes, Sirius," James muttered under his breath. "You never keep secrets from me...but now I'm not so sure...And if my assumptions are correct...I don't know what I'll do..."