Remus Lupin jumped into a convenient bush and hid. He didn't know why he did this- it was almost as if it was a reflex. Sense dictated that he should walk across the road, greet Sirius, be introduced to the blonde man in the red velvet suit and explain that he was out walking because he couldn't sleep. But instead Remus had dived for cover and then, with motives he couldn't understand, hid himself from his best friend.
Remus took a deep, steadying breath and watched Sirius walk past, still arm-in-arm with the blonde man. And then, for no reason he could see, Remus began to stalk them. Keeping to the shadows and moving as silently as a mouse, he followed the couple. Eventually, he crossed over the road and crept up behind them. He could now hear a fragment of their conversation:
"I hope when you are dancing tonight Sirius, you are dancing for me."
"Well, I…"
"Because I do love to see you dance."
"Err, yes. It's just…"
"Do you find me attractive, Sirius?"
"Oh… Orion…I…Uummm…"
The blonde haired man coughed sharply. "Well, do you?"
"Yes."
Remus stopped in his tracks and tried to comprehend the meaning of what he had just heard. His previous suspicion was confirmed- Sirius was gay and, moreover, he had a boyfriend. Pain coursed through him- he could feel actual physical pain at the thought of Sirius with another man. Kissing another man. Making love to another man.
He was jealous.
By the time Remus came to his senses, Sirius and Orion were out of sight. He started walking again, aimlessly wandering the streets. The world looked cold and empty. Remus shivered and began to hurry on in an effort to warm up- he felt as if his blood had frozen.
It's not hard to imagine then, how Remus felt when he heard the rhythmic pulse of dance music, mingled with laughter and the chink of glasses- when he saw bright lights seeping through a doorway to light up the dreary night. He couldn't resist. He had to go into this place of dancing and warmth and happiness.
The bouncers guarding the club's doorway didn't trouble Remus and soon he found himself in a huge room filled with people drinking and dancing. Above the bar was a huge neon sign bearing the words STAR CLUB. It came as quite a surprise to discover that, away from the bar at least, most of the people in the club were women and most were eagerly watching a podium high above the dance floor.
Remus automatically made his way to the bar and, deciding he deserved to get drunk, ordered a glass of vodka. A man in a purple suit winked at him and Remus began to feel distinctly uncomfortable. "Do you come here often?" asked the man, moving closer.
But Remus never had the chance to answer because at that moment the music blared out even louder, the lights dimmed and the crowd of women underneath the podium began to wolf-whistle and cheer.
And on that podium was Sirius Black.
He was taking his clothes off.
##
Sirius was so used to stripping now that it was no longer embarrassing. While he was up there, dancing on the podium and hearing the crowd go wild, he would be thinking about other things such as last week's shopping bill and how much a new cloak would cost. Indeed, the only thing that ever bothered him in the slightest was Orion, who was always watching him from somewhere- eating up Sirius' body with his eyes.
Where was Orion today, he thought?
His eyes scanned the club even as he discarded his shirt. He caught sight of Orion drinking champagne with a group of men at the back of the club. He appeared to be pointing Sirius out to the rest of the group.
Sirius pretended not to notice this act and instead focused on stripping. He swung his head with its mane of coal-black hair and ran his hands over his bare chest. His fingers found their way to his belt buckle. He winked seductively at a man in a purple suit sitting at the bar. Then something caught his eye…
A small slender man with sandy-coloured hair.
It couldn't be.
Surely not.
The sandy-haired man looked up at Sirius. He had bright amber eyes. Wolf's eyes.
Sirius found himself looking directly into the eyes of Remus Lupin. His finger's slipped on the buckle. He froze. A blush coloured his cheeks. He found himself stood on a podium, half-naked and looking at the one person he'd ever loved.
And Remus was staring back at him, horrified.
##
Remus didn't know what to do. He panicked. He ran to the club's door and elbowed past the guards, and he didn't even stop when he head Sirius yell "REEEEMMMUUUUUSSSSS!!!!!!!!" behind him.
Remus ran down the streetlamp-lit roads with a speed brought on by madness. He didn't know where he went or even how far he had run before he collapsed on a bench and sat there with his head between his legs, gasping for breath. The image of Sirius' body, dappled by the colours of the disco lights and shining with a fine layer of sweat, tormented him.
It was then that Remus finally admitted it to himself.
He was in love.