Thanks to my devoted readers! I'd love to get more reviews – let me know what you think:-) Thanks to Assur (I'm glad you're back and you're enjoying the story! I think you'll really like this chapter!), MoonyPadfootJr (yes, that's a yes to children. And I hope you like this chapter!) and XaveriiJade for special help on the beta!

Next chapter up next weekend!

Chapter 15

Corbin sat against the bathtub, his knees to his chest, his forehead pressed against his knees. His stomach was still queasy but he didn't think there was anything left to throw up. He heard footsteps coming down the hall. He didn't lift his head. It was all too humiliating.

"I brought some potion for your stomach." Jack's voice was gentle.

"I'm sorry." Corbin's voice was muffled against his knees, but he couldn't make himself look up. "I thought you wanted me-"

"I do."

"But I'm not Sirius." Corbin tugged his hair so hard that tears pricked his eyes. "I'm sorry he's dead. I'm sorry you can't be with him because it hurts you so much. I wanted you to want to be with me, not just because you can't be with Sirius. I'm such a…I don't know. I don't know why you'd want to be with me."

"I know you're not Sirius. I've never expected you to be. I know exactly who you are, Corbin Angus Hill." Jack's hand started to rub soothing circles between Corbin's shoulder blades. "You've been one of my best friends for years. I don't know what I would do without you." Jack paused. "Do you know when I started having a crush on you?"

Corbin shook his head, staring down at the bathmat, picking at a loose thread..

"When you told me you still wanted to be my friend. That day on the train."

"Really?" Corbin looked up at Jack in surprise.

"Yes. But you weren't gay. Then you were but you were dating Malfoy, then you weren't and then you were married and after you got divorced I wasn't sure what you were." Jack's brown eyes were smiling gently.

"Me neither." Corbin said wryly. Jack smiled and shifted closer. Corbin felt a little of the tension leave his body as Jack's hand massaged his neck.

"The timing was never right for us before. But I do want to be with you. I think you are a wonderful man, I always have."

Corbin clenched his hands together. This was it. He had to do this.

"Malfoy said you didn't know if I loved you." His voice cracked. "I love you. I love you more than I've ever loved anyone. I…I'm not good at talking about my feelings, I know that. But I'm trying. I am trying, because I don't want to lose you. You're the best thing that's ever happened to me."

Corbin risked a glance up at Jack who was staring wide-eyed at him, his hand frozen on his back. Corbin didn't know what he was going to do, but he'd just poured his heart out and Jack was staring at him like he'd grown two heads and turned plaid.

"Oh, Corbin." Jack smiled broadly, both dimples showing, and hugged Corbin towards him. "I love you too. And thank you for telling me that. It means the world to me. I'm sorry, for what I said…because I meant I want to have sex with you, because I love you, not just to get off. My brain was a little muddled. You give a brilliant hand job." Jack kissed his cheek.

"I'll put that on my CV." Corbin said sarcastically.

"Don't you dare. I don't want anyone else knowing about that." Jack handed Corbin the glass of potion. He gratefully took a sip, feeling his stomach immediately calm. "We'll take this one day at a time. But I want you to know that I am committed to you, to us. I want us to be together. Whatever you need from me, to help you, I'll give it to you. I love you."

"Corbin!" Jack burst into the bathroom at Corbin's home. "We've only got 30 minutes before we have to-" Jack stopped, realizing he'd pulled the shower curtain aside, exposing a naked Corbin…a naked, wet, soapy Corbin. He'd seen Corbin naked before but as his eyes start to travel down to Corbin's chest he noticed colorful designs on Corbin's chest and a glint of metal. Corbin shifted, one arm coming up to cross his chest protectively. He forced his eyes back up to Corbin's face. Corbin looked panicked.

"Um. I'll let you finish." Jack dropped the curtain back in place feeling like a complete heel. "I'm sorry, I'll wait outside."

He walked out of the bathroom and shut the door behind him. He leaned against the door, trying to will away the arousal and calm his breathing. A minute or so later, the doorknob moved in his hand. Jack jumped away from the door as Corbin opened it.

"Hi." Corbin said, his face downcast. He had a thick robe tied securely around his waist. His arms were crossed protectively over his chest, his right holding the left. Jack didn't know why Corbin was insecure about his body. They'd showered together during training and practice sessions. Jack had never noticed any tattoos (other than the auror one) or piercings on Corbin's lean, muscular body during any of the furtive looks he'd taken over the years and he suspected they might be the reason.

"Hi." Jack said gently, reaching a hand out. "I'm so sorry I burst in on you." Jack continued to reach until his hand was on Corbin's hip.

"It's all right." Corbin muttered.

"I remember when you got hurt." He said lightly, stroking his hand down Corbin's left arm. Corbin raised his head slowly to look at Jack. "I knew you did a concealing charm on it, to hide the scar. Dumbledore assigned me hospital watch, in case of any trouble between Regulus and Cassius. I helped Madam Pomfrey change the dressing a couple times and she told me it would leave a scar no matter what she did."

"I didn't know you helped."

"You were unconscious. I tried to convince her to let me give you a sponge bath but she always said no."

Corbin smiled. "I doubt Malfoy would have liked that."

"I would have dared his anger." Jack took another step towards Corbin and placed his other hand on Corbin's hip. "Hi."

"Hi." Corbin smiled as Jack leaned in for a gentle kiss.

"My offer for a sponge bath is still good, you know." Jack said softly.

"I'll remember that." Corbin moved his hands to Jack's waist.

Jack's eyes strayed to Corbin's neck and he watched a droplet of water move downwards to his collarbone and underneath the robe. He moved his hand very slowly and pushed the material aside, stroking over the warm, damp skin that was revealed. He lifted his other hand just as slowly and pushed so that the robe was open across Corbin's chest.

"I didn't know you had this." Jack traced over the smooth metal ring piercing Corbin's right nipple. "Or these." Jack's hand moved to trace over the tattoos on Corbin's chest. Jack looked back up at Corbin's face. He looked wretched.

"You didn't want me to know?" Jack asked.

"It's just…I was going to get them removed, " Corbin said miserably, "Before you saw them."

"Oh, " Jack said softly, lovingly stroking his hand over Corbin's skin. "I like them."

"You don't. You think piercing is weird."

"How do you know that?"

"Your reaction when you saw Malfoy's."

"Oh. Well…that's different. I think yours is hot." Jack smoothed a finger over the ring again. "Definitely hot."

"Yeah?"

"Yeah." Jack kissed Corbin tenderly. "You're beautiful. I have a tattoo too, you know." Jack said, tracing over the tattoo on Corbin's collarbone. "It's just like this one. What an embarrassing coincidence."

Corbin laughed. Jack leaned in and kissed him more firmly as Corbin moved closer to him.

"How many do you have?"

"Five."

"And…how many piercings?"

"Two."

"So, when do I get to see the others?"

"I don't know." Corbin shrugged. Jack, who had looked back down to Corbin's chest, watched the muscles move on his chest and the nipple ring caught the light.

"Aren't we going to the movies tonight?" Corbin asked suddenly.

"Yeah, I got the movie time wrong, that's why I came rushing over." Jack answered. "You've got, " Jack looked at his watch, "twenty minutes."

"I'll be ready in ten." Corbin said as he walked into his bedroom, shutting the door behind him. Jack leaned against the wall, trying to get rid of the visions of the possible locations of the second piercing.

After the movie, they stopped to get a bite to eat. They were tucked into a booth in the back of the pub. Jack did a privacy spell on the booth so that they would be able to hear each other talk over the loud music.

Corbin was playing with the food on his plate.

"You're not hungry?" Jack asked, reaching for his pint of cider.

"I've been seeing a healer." Corbin said quickly, addressing his chips. "Since my divorce. Because, I know, well, it was Stevens's idea. I told him – the healer that is – what you said the other night and he said I should trust you, talk to you, because we've been friends for so long and you know…you know. My parents…they didn't…" Corbin's voice grew quieter, "They were ashamed of me…because I was a wizard and gay. They said sex is only supposed to be for having babies and you're not supposed to like it, especially not with another man. But I like it, really like it, when you touch me…" Corbin trailed off.

Jack made what he hoped was an encouraging and supportive listening noise.

"I just…my parents, their feelings changed once they knew what I was and I've always worried…if I let someone in…let them know everything…I don't want you to hate me too."

"You're my best friend. Nothing I could find out about you would make me love you less." Jack said, reminded of a comment Remus had said a few weeks ago. "I wouldn't hate you, not because of something you are."

"You might."

"I might not like a decision you've made, but I'd still love you." Jack said with certainty, taking a drink.

Corbin looked at Jack and then took a bite of his food. He didn't seem totally convinced but at least he was eating.

"It feels different now, doesn't it?" Corbin said quietly, starting to play with his food again.

"What does?"

"It's like we're not best friends anymore. I mean, you say it, but we don't talk like we used to."

"Why do you think that is?"

"It's complicated now."

"I think it'll be less complicated once I see you naked and we have sex."

"What? Why?"

"Because isn't that what you've been hiding from me? The fact you have those piercings and you think I won't like you because you're…what's the word…wavy?

"Kinky." Corbin said quietly.

"Kinky, right. Muggles have so many hang-ups about sex." He shook his head. "You've been hiding things from me and it's put a strain on our relationship. So as I see it, we need to get naked. We don't have to rush into sex. Just the naked stuff. It'll be a big naked...party."

Corbin was silent as he ate a few more bites of his food. When he started to play with the food again, Jack pulled out some money from his pocket and put it on the table.

"Let's go back to my place." He said, standing up.

He pushed Corbin back on the bed. Kissing him gently, he slowly pulled off Corbin's clothing. Jack knelt back, looking down at the barbell that pierced the head of Corbin's penis. Corbin shifted again. When Jack glanced up he could see the blush staining Corbin's cheeks.

"I didn't think you could get sexier, but I really think…" Jack traced a finger over the piercing, rolling it in his fingers. "You managed it."

"Jack, oh, stop touching it."

"Why?" Jack asked innocently. Corbin gasped as Jack's fingers stroked over him. Jack lowered his head and slowly, carefully licked over the piercing before engulfing it in his mouth. Corbin's hands clenched on the bed as his hips jerked.

"Why'd you tell me my jaw wouldn't ache?"

"Does it?" Corbin stroked his fingers over Jack's jawbone. "I didn't last very long, you're good at that."

"Mm." Jack pulled Corbin closer. "Lots of practice."

"Really."

"My mother used to grow cucumbers in her garden and I would practice on them."

"You're joking."

"Am not. That's how I learned to control my gag reflex."

"Oh my God." Corbin shook his head. "I'm never going to be able to look at a cucumber without getting hard now."

Jack traced over the nipple ring before moving his hand to Corbin's groin.

"You didn't want me to see the piercings."

Corbin nodded. "I couldn't find any spell that would remove them."

"You can't just go back to where you got them done?"

"No. Um. No."

"Why not?"

"They were done with sex magic."

Jack had read about sex magic – it was a difficult practice, and although it wasn't a dark art, it was close. In order for sex magic spells to work, the spell caster had to be very intimate. Orgasm was the only way to complete the spell.

"I'm sure if you asked him he'd reverse the spells."

"Yeah." Corbin shifted uncomfortably. "I haven't been able to get in touch with him."

"Oh." Jack nodded, sensing that wasn't the whole truth. "Well, you like them?" Jack traced over the nipple ring. Corbin nodded. "And I like them. So...no need to remove them. I love you." Jack said softly.

"I love you too." Corbin whispered as Jack's hands slid up his chest. He kissed over all of Corbin's tattoos, scars and piercings. Corbin's breath caught every time Jack pressed his mouth against Corbin's skin.

Jack kissed Corbin's neck and moved up to swirl his tongue in Corbin's ear. He'd noticed Corbin twitched every time his ears were touched or whenever Jack leaned over to whisper to him. Several of Jack's boyfriends had liked having his tongue in their ears, so he decided to experiment. He was delighted when Corbin made a choking sound and his hips jerked against Jack's.

Jack thrust his tongue in and out a few times causing Corbin to moan and his fingers to clench on Jack's shoulder. Jack cautiously settled on top of him. Corbin's legs parted almost immediately to allow Jack to rest between his thighs. Jack started rocking against him in time with his tongue movement. He could feel Corbin growing hard again. His own arousal was almost painful. He swirled his tongue around the shell of the ear again before returning to the lazy thrusting of his tongue. Corbin's hips were thrusting up at Jack, matching Jack's movements. Corbin's hands threaded through Jack's hair and panting, moaning sighs filled Jack's ears.

Jack continued to rock against Corbin's body, kissing him. The friction between them brought them both over the edge.

Afterwards, Jack moved off Corbin, onto his side and pulled the other man close, kissing the back of his neck softly.

"Well, I don't know about you, but I feel much better." Jack murmured. Corbin laughed softly. Jack had begun to fall asleep when he felt Corbin shift in his arms. He loosened his hold, expecting Corbin to move out of his embrace but was astonished when the other man simply turned around and cuddled closer, tucking his head under Jack's chin and winding his arms around him.