A/N: This was written for Cast the Dice for my Large Straight with the trope - Scars.

Beta work was done by Grammarly!

Be sure to let me know what you think!

Love always,

~starr

The cut was deep, blood rolling down Sirius' cheek as he tenderly patted a towel to his face. He let out a hiss as the rough fabric grazed the tender skin left behind by the deep scratch on his face. Shaking his head, he turned on the faucet and rinsed the blood from the rag down the drain in the diminutive washroom of the pub around the corner from his apartment. Remus needed his space, and after his behavior tonight, Sirius was all too happy to give it to him.

Sirius looked at the damp washcloth in his hands and let out a heavy sigh. "Fuck, this is going to hurt," he groaned, pinching his eyes shut as he pressed the damp rag to his face once more. The warm water burned against his skin, but he held the rag there for a few moments, allowing the initial sting to subside.

Out of the corner of his eye, Sirius noticed the door swing open, and another man walked into the room, but Sirius was too focused on his task at hand to worry about what a stranger thought of him at that moment.

"That looks pretty deep," the man said, his voice low as he studied the top of the cut and trailed his eyes down Sirius' face in the mirror. The man stepped up to the sink beside where Sirius stood, chuckling at the fact that Sirius was keeping a close eye on him without direct eye contact. "I'm Jack, Jack Napier."

"Sirius Black," he replied, turning to get a better look at the man standing beside him. He could see a mark coming up from the far corner of his mouth, but he couldn't get a good look at it. Sirius furrowed his brow and frowned, adding pressure to his own cut. "Damn it," he growled at the pain.

"You should try not to move your face," Jack said, turning the picket on and sticking his hands under the warm water. He cupped his hands and allowed the makeshift bowl to fill with water. Jack took a deep breath, closing his eyes as he splashed the arm water onto his face. A soft hiss escaped his lips as his own scar twinged with a bit of pain. "The movement only makes the scarring worse."

Sirius turned to look at his reflection in the mirror. For the first time since he walked into this washroom, he took a good look at the scrape that went through his eyebrow, across the bridge of his nose, and down his cheek. It was starting to pool with blood once again, and Sirius let out a heavy sigh as he pressed the washcloth across his face once more.

"I only caught the tail end of your fight," Jack said, shutting off the faucet and turning to lean against the sink. "It sounded like a bad one. Are you sure you want to go out there on your own?"

"I'll be fine," Sirius replied, rolling his eyes as he refused to look at him. "It was a stupid fight. Honestly, I should have seen the swipe coming as soon as I opened my mouth. I deserved what I got."

"No one deserves the marks those kinds of fights leave behind," Jack said, shaking his head. "I've managed to earn a few of my own."

Sirius turned to look at the man who was standing beside him, studying his face for a few moments. He had a scar from the corners of his lips up to the top of his cheekbones, almost as though he had something in his mouth that got pulled out without caution. It looked painful, and just studying the marks sent a shiver down Sirius' spine.

"How did you end up with yours?" he asked, pressing his hip into the sink beside him as he crossed his arms over his chest. For a few moments, he allowed himself to forget about the marks scarring his face as they spoke.

"A spat, quite similar to yours," Jack laughed, shaking his head as he replayed the memories of that night in his mind. "However, instead of her nails, she shoved me into a vat of chemical waste. The docs were able to fix everything except the scars on my face and a few that are only seen by those who get to see me without my clothes on."

Sirius laughed at the carefree nature of the comment as he watched the man across from him brush his hands against his stomach.

"Acid can be a bitch when you don't realize that what you've been shoved into," Jack said, shrugging his shoulders. "Sometimes, we just have to forget about the past so that we can move on and embrace the scars this life has given us."

Sirius nodded his head slowly. "You have a good point there. Any pointers for how to take care of this?" he asked, motioning to the cut on his face.

"Make sure you clean it out good, and if you are worried about the scar, you go down to the hospital around the corner," Jack suggested, pushing away from the sink as he made his way toward the door. "Ask for Harley; she'll fix you up good."

"Thanks," Sirius said, nodding his head as he watched the man leave before turning his attention back to the mirror. He took a deep breath before putting the washcloth to his face, letting out a low growl at the pain radiating through his face. He shook his head and mumbled under his breath. "Did he really have to go for the face?"

A few moments later and Sirius made his way out of the washroom. He returned the rag to the barkeep and apologized for the blood and ruckus he was a part of earlier this evening before leaving the pub. Standing on the street, he wrapped his jacket tightly around his waist before making his way toward the hospital Jack had mentioned. If anything else happened tonight, Sirius knew that he would be in good hands.