A/N: SUGAR SNAP PEAS! that's right. Here's the chapter I promised would come day. TODAY! Mind boggling.

ENJOY! and as always REVIEW your enjoyment! :-)

Disclaimer: "Junior does this belong to you?"

"No Ma..."

"Then you go give it back to the nice Ms. Rowling, do you understand me?"

"Gee Ma do I have too?"

"Junior..."

:-(

WARNING: not much really... violence... a slash fic (duh) ... men getting girly emotional....

CHAPTER 8: Blood and a Boon

I don't know why nobody told you

how to unfold your love

I don't know how someone controlled you

they bought and sold you –The Beatles, While my Guitar Gently Weeps.

"Hey Mr. Something I can do you for?"

Same line, Same place, different time.

Different me. Sirius added thoughtfully. Was it really only so short a time ago that he had dragged James down these streets on a juvenile mission to make Lucius Malfoy jealous? What were the chances? Sirius shook his head. Another time when he wasn't so damn anxious and love sick maybe he'd sit down and contemplate life and luck over tea. But now wasn't the time.

"Actually kid you can." Sirius eyed the pale sickly looking kid who'd spoken to him and held up a 20 pound note.

The kid, obviously a junkie even to Sirius's sheltered eye, stared at it greedily before snatching at the money.

Sirius held it out of reach at the last second and the boy sneered, his arm twitching for a fix just out of reach.

"Fuck you rich man. You pay up front like everyone else. You're no better."

"I want some information first." Sirius growled. His patience fraying at the kids serious attitude problem.

The junkies eyes squinted a little but nodded his head jerkily in agreement.

"Remus Lupin."

"What about him?"

"Do you know him?"

"Maybe."

Sirius sighed and made like putting the money away.

"Yeah, yeah I know him. Jesus, keep your poof pants on."

"Where can I find him?"

"Well he's Gray's favorite fuck toy aint he? So I'd say this early in the day he'd be round there."

Sirius winced. "Who's this Gray?"

The kid laughed which turned into a coughing fit. "Gray is not someone you want to know rich boy, trust me. And Remus aint worth the trouble he'd give you. Wouldn't you be more interested in someone a little more available?"

He reached out for Sirius's belt but his hand was swatted away.

"Where can I find this Gray and Remus?"

The kids eyes got wary. "You can't be going there."

"Where is there?" Sirius reached into his pocket and pulled out another twenty. The kid licked his lips and his hand twitched.

"Take a right at the end o' the block. Warehouse on your left, you're crazy rich man you know that?"

Sirius smiled wistfully. "We're all fools in love kid."

He gave the boy four twenty pound notes and one of the cards he carried around for the free clinic Lily Potter was a part time nurse at.

The kid snatched it up and ran before Sirius could change his mind.

The money was quickly put to use making the boy's night almost bearable. The paper card slowly disintegrated in the filthy street puddle he tossed it in.

Sirius quietly let himself into the dingy warehouse.

"Remus? Remus?" he whispered looking around.

Ratty, broken down furniture was littered the edges of the space sparingly. A couple of sickly boys stood frozen defensively at the edges of the room. Quivering like rabbits in the trap. They stared expressionless at Sirius like he was an exotic animal wandered into the post office.

"Remus?" Sirius called again, his tone begging.

One of the boys hesitantly pointed towards a corner of the room, shrinking under the glares of the others.

Sirius rushed nervously in that direction and gasped.

Laying in a pool of blood an unrecognizable young man lay motionless. His body black and blue. His face swollen. Even his hair color was a mystery it was so matted with blood. Sirius could see a slight rhythmic shuddering and knew the person was still alive. Barely.

Sirius fell to his knees by the man and tentatively brushed a sticky strand of hair out of his eyes. His heart beating wildly and loud, oh so loud, he silently begged. Please let it not be him, please…

"Remus?" He whispered. An agonizing second passed on bated breath before one puffy eye cracked open and Sirius was staring into gorgeous golden eyes.

"Oh god no." He sobbed. "Remus, Remus, what has he done to you?" He reached for his love but stopped, his hand quivering in place hovering over Remus's cheek. Too frightened to touch, he didn't want to hurt him. Sadly he drew his hand back clenching his fist tightly in his lap.

Remus's eyes slid closed with a whimper of loss.

"Well hello gorgeous. You look lost."

Sirius spun around leaping to his feet. A brutish, wild looking man was standing behind him. The man grinned in an unfriendly way revealing jagged yellow teeth.

"I am Mr. Gray. If you're looking to make a business deal, Mr. Black you'd best deal with me from now on. Remus …" Gray spared a disgusted glance for the broken pile of boy on the ground. " won't be on the market for a while I think. Not until he's learned his lesson."

"What have you done?" Sirius choked horrified.

"The bitch defied his master. He had to be trained. You must keep animals in their place. Don't you agree Mr. Black?"

Sirius saw red.

He wanted to say something like "How dare you speak of Remus like that. How dare you touch him." or "I'm going rip your fucking balls off." Or "You're the animal you monster."

But all he managed was an enraged scream as he lunged for Gray's throat clawing and punching. Regardless, his point was made.

The larger man attempted to defend himself against the onslaught of heavy landing fists and feet and clawing nails but there was a passion within Sirius that he didn't stand a chance against.

After all, Sirius had love on his side.

With a ferocious knee straight to the balls, crushing the delicate trio, Gray fell down in agony and with a flurry of fists and blood he slumped into deep unconsciousness.

Sirius stepped back from the monster breathing heavily. Trying to calm the rage boiling his blood. Remus. He had to take care of Remus.

With great effort Sirius turned his back on Gray and hurried towards Remus. As gently as possible he gathered the young man in his arms uncaring of the blood staining his expensive suit, pulled out his cell phone and speed dialed.

"Sirius if James put you up to this you can save your breath cause I'm…"

"Lilly." Sirius sobbed his voice breaking. "Need you. Remus… Remus… need you. Need…"

"Sirius? Slow down. Where are you? What happened?"

Sirius wasn't sure how he explained where to find them. Or if he even explained what had happened at all. The world was quiet. Even the sound of his own voice muted. Sirius's ears only heard the fluttering heart beneath his hands. Beating a name into his soul. Re-mus. Re-mus. Re-mus.

Need-you. Need-you.

Sirius didn't know how much time had passed when he felt Lily gently peel his fingers off of Remus. His weak protests muffled by the comforting tones of James as his best friend carefully dragged Sirius away and wrapped him in a hug.

Through itchy, swollen eyes Sirius watched Lily turn into the professional she was and examine Remus's injuries. Deftly controlling bleeding and checking for broken bones.

"He'll be all right Sirius. He's just very bruised and lost a lot of blood. He needs somewhere to sleep. We can take him to the hospital but I don't know how long they'd let him stay…."

"He'll stay at mine of course." Sirius rasped.

Lily nodded her head as if she expected as much.

"The car's right outside. I'll carry him down." James said.

Sirius started to protest. "I'll do it…"

"Sirius you're an emotional mess and can barely hold yourself up. Not to mention your hands are bleeding rather badly." James glanced nervously at the unmoving body of Gray.

Sirius glanced down at his bloody knuckles damaged on Gray's face with a little surprise.

"I'll carry him down. You're not the only one who cares about the bugger mate." James continued a bit softer.

Sirius felt a rush of affection for his friend and nodded.

As carefully as possible James hoisted the unconscious Remus into his arms while Lily and Sirius closely monitored the boy.

They all headed towards the car and home while a scattering of pale and silent boys watched them drive away.

James slipped into the master bedroom only knocking over a lamp in the process.

"Sirius mate,"

Sirius was sitting on the edge of the bed holding Remus's sleeping hand and staring at the man.

"Come downstairs and eat something. The foods still good even if Harry stuck his head in the curry. Don't know what Lily's talking about, unhygienic indeed. I washed Harry's hair just 4 day's ago."

"Not now James."

"Sirius… Remus will be fine. You on the other hand will make yourself sick. Do you think Remus would want that?"

Sirius shrugged. "I don't know that he'd care."

"What's that supposed to mean? I thought you two, you know, liked each other and stuff…" James trailed off confused.

Sirius turned around to face James. A fire in his eyes.

"Yes, yes I like him. I also love him. Being lucky enough to have your love returned has made you naïve Jamie. Loving Remus doesn't mean the affection's returned, I don't know if he even likes me much. I'm probably just another stupid, rich John to him."

"Lo.. Love him?" James stuttered surprised. "Sirius you've only known the man what… three, four days? You don't know anything about him. You can't love him."

Sirius shook his hand angrily. "I can't love him? But of course not. So not love then, something else. Something that makes my chest ache all the time. Something that when I'm away from him my head pounds and he's all I can I think of. Something that makes seeing him in any pain or even discomfort twists my soul in anguish and I would do anything to make him happy and safe again. Something that when I see him I just want to smile, or cry, or laugh, or something. When I'm with him I feel infinite. When I'm away I am no one. I can't remember what was important before we met. Maybe nothing. Maybe I've been waiting my whole life for this. Just to feel this something for him. Not love then, but that. Whatever that something is. Maybe you can enlighten me as to what you'd call it James, if not love?"

James opened and closed his mouth in shock. Slowly a kind of understanding, happiness, and pride filled his eyes and James looked suspiciously close to tears. Something Sirius would have ruthlessly teased him for if he didn't feel the wet tracks down his own cheeks.

"Love." James said solemnly. "I'd have to say that was definitely love."

They clasped hands and smiled. "You're half right though I'm sorry to admit. That's how I feel but Remus still doesn't feel the same."

"Psh." James scoffed. "Well of course he feels the same."

"He doesn't. he doesn't care about me at all."

"Sirius when someone loves you as much as you love Remus, it's not possible to just not care. Besides what's not to love? You're kind, funny, effing gorgeous, bloody rich…

"James, really, you're wife's just downstairs." Sirius fluttered his eyelashes. James smacked him up the head.

"I'm just saying that you're somebody worth loving Sirius Black, and Remus will see that if he hasn't already, because you're right for each other and… and… you deserve love. You both do. And you have my blessing."

To his utter humiliation Sirius felt the tears spill over his eyes again and pulled James into a long, tight hug.

When they pulled apart James' eyes were suspiciously red and dewy and he was blushing. Nervously he ran his hand through his hair, further ruffling the untamed locks.

"Christ, all that talk of love and crying shit was the gayest thing I've ever done. Which is seriously saying something considering what went down last night." Sirius chuckled awkwardly.

James blushed and avoided his eyes. "Yeah, err sorry about that. Don't know what came over me. Don't tell Lily."

"Oh please, my lips are sealed. As if I'd want to admit to sharing a weep with you. But we should probably do something manly to make up for it."

"Yeah," James nodded enthusiastically. "Reclaim our masculinity with some real guy shit..."

When Remus awoke he felt surprisingly comfortable. Am I dead? He wondered. But no, death wouldn't have those irritating sounds coming from below him would it?

Remus cautiously opened his eyes and recognized Sirius's bedroom.

A dozen questions flooded his mind. Peering over the edge of the bed looking for the source of the huffing and puffing, Remus saw Sirius and James on the floor with their shirts off, doing push ups and muttering things like 'Go team.' and sniffing their armpits.

He cleared his throat.

"Remus!" Sirius cried and jumped up. "You're awake!" He looked like he wanted to hug him but settled for patting him fondly on the knee.

"Ah Remus. Good to have you back with us. I'd best be getting back downstairs. God knows what Harry's stuffing up his nose this time. It better not be that bread I've been looking forward to eating. See you lads in a bit." James spit into his own hand, slapped Sirius a high five, and nodded at Remus who just looked terribly confused.

James walked out of the room quietly closing the door behind him. Remus could hear him walk down the hall and fall down the stairs. But Sirius didn't seem to notice.

"I'm so glad you're okay. How are you feeling?"

Remus blinked lazily. Still a little out of it. He opened his mouth, shut it, shrugged and looked tired. Sirius seemed to understand. "Shhh, it's all right. Don't wear yourself out. We'll talk later. You're safe here Remus. I promise." He hesitantly stroked the hair out of Remus's eyes.

Remus smiled peacefully. "Boon." He rasped. "A timely benefit. A blessing."

Sirius froze, studying the man he loved. "Yes, yes you are Remus Lupin." He bent down to place a soft, chaste kiss on his lips. "Yes you are."

"Why are you here Peter? I'm a busy man."

"I have some interesting information about Black's new boyfriend, Remus Lupin."

Lucius Malfoy looked intruiged. "I'm listening."

Peter smiled. No one humiliated Peter Pettegrew and got away with it. Not this time. Not this time.

A/N: GASP! DRAMA! Anyhoo, please review. the more reviews I get the more likely I'll update soon.... you know you want to... cause next chapter we get to meet Harry. Who'll, knowing me, will probably be covered in curry with a bread stick up his nose...