They parked next to a sign that said Haystack Rock Public Parking. The sky was clear and the morning sun was warm. As far as weather went, this was as nice as it got in the Pacific Northwest, at least as far as Remus could tell. It was warm but not too warm, which was exactly how he liked it. It was still early and would warm up as the day went on, however. They had stayed in the nearest reasonably affordable hotel they could find the night before, since the drive was over six hours and they wanted a full day of sun.

The walk down to the beach took longer than Remus expected, passing by cafes, hotels and restaurants. At the corner leading to Haystack Rock was statue of a ship captain that Sirius insisted on taking a picture of.

"Why do they even call it Cannon Beach?" Remus asked as they stepped onto the beach.

"Something about a cannon washing up on the shore," Sirius said.

"Really? That's all?" Remus asked.

"I don't know. I looked it up on Wikipedia like a year ago," Sirius admitted with an apologetic grin.

Sirius was wearing swimwear he bought for trans guys online and he looked even more cute than usual, which was really saying something. Oceanfront wind was blowing his dark hair around in ridiculous fashion but it didn't make him look any less preternaturally elegant.

Remus felt sort of boring wearing a plain white t-shirt and old swim trunks he'd had for at least four years that barely even fit him anymore. Lily had been pushing him to get something new for a while but with his budget he really tried to keep expenses to a minimum.

Sirius also had big sunglasses that made him look like a hip celebrity. Remus had… squinting. He always regretted not having sunglasses but when he didn't need them he never thought to get them.

They walked across the sand to Haystack Rock. A few months before Sirius showed Remus the movie The Goonies so he could have some context for why he thought it was cool. It featured in the opening of the movie, as did Cannon Beach itself. The rest of the movie took place and was filmed in Astoria, not too far from there. Remus liked the movie well enough, though he feel liked he lacked the context for it and would've enjoyed it more as a kid.

The rock itself was large and covered in moss just off the beach, almost appearing as if one could walk right out to it, though Remus was afraid to try.

"It's a rock," Remus observed.

"Yep. That it is," Sirius said, setting his backpack down that was filled with a couple of large towels, snacks and various other things.

Sirius quickly took his camera out of the pouch around his neck and took a picture of the rock, taking his time to try out angles as he was always looking for that perfect spot that wasn't just beautiful but also said something to him. It's not enough to capture nature, because anyone can see nature with their eyes, he would say. You had to find what nature was saying to you and relate it to others.

Remus tossed off his shirt, feeling a little shy but also knowing he would be getting hot before long. Sirius then surprised him by saying, "Can I take a picture of you? Oh."

Sirius gulped as he turned away in apparent embarrassment.

"Yeah. Just tell me where you want me," Remus said with a smile, feeling a mixture of flattery and embarrassment.

Sirius got low and let Remus stand so that Haystack Rock was behind him, making him look apparently huge. Remus thought it was silly but it seemed to make Sirius happy.

"Cool. Thanks," Sirius said as Remus pulled out his towel and plopped down on it.

Remus was kind of wishing that they had chosen a different spot, just because it was going to be the highest traffic area and there were already people walking the beach or taking their dogs for walks around.

Sirius set his towel out and laid down, kicking his sandals off and wiggling his toes, seeming excited. He really was unbearably gorgeous, from the top of his shining hair to bottom of his toes. He had his face turned upwards and looked like a human solar panel, absorbing the sun for energy.

Remus laid back and closed his eyes, feeling the sun's heat pressing down on him. He had a faint memory of a trip he had taken with his parents to South Korea when he was six. No matter how many beaches he had went to, it was a memory of being six on a beach in South Korea that came back to him, though he remembered faint other details. They were there for some festival and to visit relatives of his father. It remained the only time he had ever left the states or had been on a airplane, though he would like to go back someday.

His parents went back last autumn but he was preoccupied with moving at the time, and admittedly the idea of riding on a plane kind of freaked him out. It wasn't the idea of being so high in the air so much as it was the idea of being trapped. He wasn't necessarily claustrophobic but he liked the idea that if he was on the ground he had freedom. If he was in a car he could just ask the driver to stop and let him out.

He was aware that the irony was that he spent most of his days locking himself up in a single room but that was still his choice. He had the freedom, even when he wasn't using it. A memory of his mom's smiling face appeared in his head, the sun glowing behind her like a halo. Remus remembered that his friends were all planning on heading out to New Hampshire this summer, and he still hadn't been invited.

Remus was incredibly jealous of the journey his friends were taking. When he had moved out west with Lily they had taken the fastest possible route across the country and squeezed it into four grueling days. According to Lily, James was stretching the trip to six days, allowing them to really take in the scenery. And he was paying for it all himself.

"Asleep?" Sirius asked.

Remus opened his eyes and looked over at Sirius, who was propped up on his hands and smiling over at Remus.

"Not exactly. I was just… thinking about stuff," Remus said.

"Me too… actually… I'm supposed to ask you about something," Sirius said.

"Oh?" Remus said, feeling himself perking up with interest.

"Yeah… James wanted me to ask if… He wanted to know if you wanted to come on a road trip with us? You see his ex-girlfriend is-"

"Yeah, I'll come," Remus said.

Sirius glared at him with surprise.

"I… haven't even explained," Sirius complained.

"I already knew. I… I thought you guys weren't going to invite me," Remus said, wiping his eyes, feeling embarrassed that he doubted his friends.

"Of course we were! I… I didn't think you would say yes so easily. I had pretty much resigned myself to saying behind with you," Sirius said with a chuckle.

"You… weren't going to go without me?" Remus said, feeling like he was on the verge of sobbing but managing to choke it back.

"Never. James would've been disappointed but… Well, anyhow I'm glad you said yes… even if it was faster than I expected," Sirius said.

"Lily told me earlier this week, actually," Remus said with a frown.

"Oh. Gosh. I bet James didn't expect that," Sirius said.

"Yeah, so I had time to think about it. When Lily and I came out here… we rushed. Sounds like you guys are taking it slow… I think I would regret it if I didn't go."

Sirius smiled and leaned over to brush Remus's cheek with the tips of his fingers. For a moment Remus thought he might lean over for a kiss but instead he pulled his hand away.

Sirius looked out at the ocean and said, "This is gonna be a great summer."

"The best summer ever," Remus said.

"Totes," Sirius said and laid back on his towel again.

Sirius's arm was draped over onto the sand, his fingers sliding around. Remus softly snickered. This was Sirius's signal that he wanted Remus to hold his hand. They were both too shy to admit the things that were happening were in fact happening but they both found the pull irresistible. Remus placed his hand on top of Sirius and clasped it, only the grit of sand between them.

Sirius's thin, pink lips curled into a smile and Remus felt his heart pound. Now he had the urge to lean over and kiss Sirius but the moment wasn't right, especially since Sirius's eyes were probably closed and he might find it quite a fright.

By noon, Remus had insisted on moving further down the beach. Sirius didn't share Remus's anxieties but was more than happy to accommodate him. Sirius Black wanted to be a good boyfriend. Oh, he knew that they hadn't really talked about what their relationship was but they both sort of knew that they both knew. They could hold hands and sit together on the sofa, watching television as one of them rested against the other. All the affection had become normal. But talking about it? The very notion terrified Sirius and he didn't really understand why.

What was to be said?

Oh, so I guess we're a thing now!

Yep.

Well, glad we both agree!

It all sounded awkward in Sirius's head. Maybe it was those lingering misgivings about romance he still had. Sometimes he was alone and his mind raced as he realized how completely swept away with the handsome fellow who lived in the attic. It seemed almost stupid if he tried to look at it objectively, almost immature. Then his phone would buzz and he would be filled with excitement as he read a text from Remus.

It didn't matter how silly he found romance, the truth was that he was pretty sure he was in love with Remus Lupin and he suspected, though it was not entirely confirmed, that Remus was in love with him too.

And of course, there was the trouble with the decision he knew he had to make this summer. He was going to have to decide whether to throw himself into a career in photography which would surely mean departing from the town they lived in. Their relationship would be over before it was even started.

"Man. This sun is murder," Remus said as he put more sunscreen on his body.

"Maybe we should get in the water. It's right there after all," Sirius said, gesturing at the ocean.

Sirius remembered the first time he went to the beach as a kid. He ran into the water, only to get a mouthful of saltwater. It wasn't like swimming in a lake. Salt water tasted terrible. He buried the other memories of that dreaded day at the beach, much as he did most memories relating to his parents if he could help it.

"Yeah. Probably," Remus said.

There was a family playing in the water nearby, a couple of women and a few small children. Sirius smiled. It was nice to see families getting along like that. Sirius had come to realize that when life didn't give you a good family you were left with a choice to find a family or learn to cope without one.

For a time, James Potter and his parents had been Sirius's family. But then they moved away and James's parents passed away. But now… now he was starting to feel like he had a new family, a new family in a new home. If he had found a new family, was it right to up and leave them?

Remus slapped Sirius on the shoulder and said, "Coming?"

Remus's smile filled Sirius's heart with warmth and he almost believed that if Remus had just asked him to walk into hell he might've done so. Of course, not really but when emotions overcame you, you sometimes said or felt things that were more extreme than the reality.

"Hell yeah," Sirius said, chasing after Remus who ran into water before they both dove in.

Sirius was loving the new swimsuit he bought. In the past he had just opted for a t-shirt, sports bra and swim trunks but it really wasn't ideal. Having a swim top with a binder built into it was a godsend and he thought he looked great, and Remus had definitely looked him over like he approved as well.

"Do you know how to swim?" Sirius asked Remus, whose honey-brown hair now looked dark-brown from the water.

"Erm. Technically. I'm not a very good swimmer. My parents took me to get lessons as a kid but… I was pretty scared," Remus said with a cringe.

"Race me?" Sirius asked.

"God. You're gonna kick my ass!" Remus said then laughed.

Sirius thought Remus's body looked pretty good for a guy who clearly didn't get a lot of exercise. He was thin but not skinny. He had known Remus long enough to know that he was stronger than he looked.

"Maybe. If it makes you feel any better I'm out of practice and pretty out of shape too," Sirius said truthfully.

"Fair enough," Remus said with a nod.

"OK, so we'll go out as far as… that rock and back," Sirius said, pointing to a particular small rock to their left off the coast.

"Damn. I might die. Glad the tide is mellow. What do I get if I somehow win?" Remus asked.

Sirius grinned and contemplated an answer. He wanted to say a kiss from me, but knew that would be as much a reward for himself as it was for Remus.

"One photograph. You can choose any subject or object you want me to photograph and I have to do it, no questions asked," Sirius answered proudly.

"If you win?" Remus said.

"Oh. Hmm… I guess to keep it proportional… You have to put a character based on me in your next fanfic. Doesn't have to be a big role," Sirius said.

"OK. You're on," Remus said, and they shook hands.

"OK. On your mark… get set… go!" Sirius said and they took off.

Sirius didn't pay attention to Remus. He didn't really care who won… well, maybe a little bit. He mostly thought it would be fun. Swimming was a bit like riding a bike. No matter how much time passed, he always seemed to remember how to. By the time he made it back to the beach it was obvious that Remus was lagging behind, desperately panting.

When Remus stepped back onto the sand, Sirius gave him a high five, right before Remus doubled over to catch his breath.

"Gonna be OK?" Sirius asked, affectionately rubbing Remus's back.

"Yeah. I'm… out of shape," Remus said.

Sirius felt bad even if he knew the exercise was probably good for him.

"Sorry," Sirius said.

"No. It's fine. I need more exercise. I should… start going on walks," Remus said, lifting up and smiling at Sirius.

Remus looked so stupidly beautiful at that moment, his hair wet and wild, and his full lips glistening with saltwater, that it almost pissed Sirius off. Stop being so perfect, he growled in his mind.

"I tell you what. I'll do your photograph anyway. I kinda thought you might beat me," Sirius admitted.

"Really? Why?" Remus said.

Sirius shrugged.

"I always root for the underdog, I guess," Sirius said.

"Hey, aren't you the dog star?" Remus said with a grin, inching closer to Sirius's face.

"Yeah," Sirius said, his heart pounding, his mind unable to focus on much else but the close presence of Remus, his chest still heaving and his lips so appealing.

Sirius screamed at himself to just kiss him but instead he turned away, afraid he was misreading things, not wanting to ruin the rest of their afternoon. Remus grabbed one of his hands and Sirius turned back towards him.

"Yeah, I'll take the photograph. I might hold the onto the favor, though," Remus said, moving even closer.

Sirius felt like he couldn't breathe. This was really happening. It was really happening and he might've cried if he could even have moved. Remus closed his eyes and Sirius did too. Sirius could swear that somehow the beach and ocean went silent just for them as they pressed their lips together, a perfect moment if one had ever truly existed. Remus's lips were smooth, soft, salty and ever so warm. They held in place and Sirius touched Remus's side with his free hand.

Remus pulled away and Sirius felt a tear fall from an eye, struggling to keep his emotions in check. He gulped, unable to find sufficient words to meet the moment. Sound seemed to have returned, as if the rest of reality had become unfrozen. Sirius could feel himself blushing and he looked out at the coast, which seemed infinite in the way few things could.

He looked back at Remus, who was looking down at the sand with a goofy grin on his face. Remus's eyes turned to Sirius who smiled back. Sirius knew they weren't going to talk about it. Not to each other. Sirius would tell James and Remus would tell Lily. Sirius only hoped it wouldn't be the last time. Much like every other milestone they crossed, once he had experienced it he only wanted it more and more.

And then Remus leaned up and kissed him again, Sirius letting out a happy sound to show his approval before Remus pulled away again. It was almost as if Remus was just making sure. As if he just wanted to be clear and certain that this was a new thing, a new aspect to their unspoken relationship.

"Back in the water?" Remus asked.

"Yeah," Sirius said and they ran together.

After swimming and playing in the water for a while they had relaxed and enjoyed the sun for a short time before having a late lunch in a nearby cafe. The urge to remain until sunset had been strong. Remus felt like neither of them wanted the day to end. Though it wasn't ending… they still had a six plus hour drive back home.

On the other hand, while Sirius was driving they couldn't exactly kiss. Remus kept replaying the moment in his mind. It had felt so sudden and so absolutely perfect. He always thought his first kiss would either be awkward or overly dramatic. Instead, it simply came a moment when they were both filled with adrenaline that overcame fear. He had already taken an opportunity to text Lily to shout about how perfect it was and planned to spill more details on the ride back south.

"I just know I'm gonna be sunburned. I can feel it," Sirius said as they walked back to his car.

"It's weird. I never sunburn. Even when I don't use sunscreen," Remus said.

"Lucky," Sirius said with a grin, removing his sunglasses as he opened his car door.

Remus got inside the car and sat down.

"What do you want to listen to on the way back?" Sirius asked, as he plugged his iPod in.

"Uhhhhh. Ummm," Remus said, feeling like the sun may have cooked his brain, making him more indecisive than usual.

Sirius scrolled through artists before selecting something. A Marina & the Diamonds song quickly started playing. Sirius really liked her. Remus wasn't terribly familiar with her, he did like what he had heard.

Couldn't relax, couldn't sit back

And let the sunlight in my lap

I sang a hymn to bring me peace

And then it came, a melody

It felt so sweet, it felt so strong

It made me feel like I belonged

And all the sadness inside me

Melted away like I was free

"Ready?" Sirius said, startling Remus out of a brief trance as he listened to the softly playing song.

"To take a nap? Yeah," Remus replied with a chuckle.

Never thought that I could be, I could be

Happy, happy

Sirius put the car into drive, pulling out of the parking lot as Marina & the Diamonds played. They drove down the highway as the sun faded, Remus feeling happier than he had in a long time. Perhaps, happier than he ever had been.