Muse

Thanks for all your reviews and comments on last chapter. Enjoy this chapter.

remusjacy did some wonderful art for this fic. It's at http://remusjacy.deviantart.com/art/Remus-Lupin-121873292 or go to my LJ (I'm remuslives23 there as well) for the link and to give him some love!

Chapter Five

‘So?’

‘So what?’

‘The bloke?’

‘James, it is far too frigging early in the day for you to be cryptic,’ Sirius mumbled, sipping his coffee. ‘Will you just spit out whatever you‘re trying to ask?’

‘The bloke that kept you out the other night,’ James said slowly and clearly in deference to Sirius’ morning dimness. ‘The bloke that has made you grin like a Cheshire cat since you got back from your first class. The bloke that is distracting you from the fact that your hair is about to catch fire.’

‘Fuck!’

Sirius leapt away from one of Lily Evans-soon-to-be-Potter’s brightly burning scented candles, and patted his hair frantically.

‘It didn’t mess up your pretty hair, Sirius,‘ chuckled James, moving to the table and flopping into his seat. ‘Now, who is he? What’s his name?’

‘How do you know there’s a bloke?’ SIrius asked, giving his hair one more pat before he turned back to the toaster.

James snorted as he lifted his cup of tea to his mouth. ‘You’re only ever this happy after you meet a bloke,’ he told him and Sirius poked out his tongue at him before he grabbed the toast that had just popped up.

He sat down opposite his friend, trying to hide his broad grin. He had been in a particularly good mood since Wednesday night and was looking forward to tonight‘s modelling class, but as the minutes dragged until six o’clock, Sirius felt ready to crawl out of his skin. He’d rarely felt such anticipation…

And this isn’t even really a date.

‘His name is Remus,‘ he told James. ‘He’s an artist from the community centre class and…‘ He clamped his lips together, but enthusiasm made the words burst from him. ‘James, he’s brilliant! You should see the sketch he did of me the other night…’

‘With your gear off?’ James queried, a look of disgust on his face. ‘No thanks. I’ll just have to take your word about his brilliance.’

‘I didn’t have my gear off, thank you very much,’ Sirius retorted, chomping into his toast and chewing as he spoke. ‘We both remained clothed - well, after class anyway. And before you ask, I didn’t sleep with him. I’m not a complete slut.’

James looked at him quizzically. ‘This is you after not sleeping with a bloke?’ he said in disbelief. ‘Shit, Sirius. Normally this is after-shag behaviour. This…Remus…must be a hell of an artist.’

Sirius nodded then swallowed as an idea struck him. ‘Come and meet him. You’d like him.’

‘Er, you want me to come to the art class?’ James said, his reluctance obvious.

‘No, I know you are completely hopeless at anything creative and I don‘t want you ogling my bits,’ Sirius teased, throwing a bit of crust at him. ‘Just come afterwards and we can all go for a drink…’

‘Straight bar?’

‘Aw, come on!‘ Sirius whined. ‘I can’t kiss him at a straight bar.’

‘You could…’ James began, but Sirius interrupted.

‘Yeah, if I wanted to get my arse kicked.’

‘Licked, did you say?’ James said, a sly grin on his face. ‘Thought you liked that kind of thing, Princess?’

‘Prick.’

‘You are obsessed with my cock, aren’t you? You want it bad.’

‘Ew! Not with girl germs all over it!’ Sirius said, screwing up his nose and James slapped him around the head.

‘Better than what you’ve got all over yours, you pillow biter,’ he retorted without malice then he shook his head definitively. ‘I’m not going to a gay bar again, not after last time, and I refuse to spend the night watching you two try and take out each other’s tonsils with your tongues.’

‘Fine!’ Sirius exclaimed, not really caring enough to argue further. ‘There’s a pub just down the road from the community centre. I’ll meet you there just after nine o’clock.’

James watched Sirius pick at his toast, an indulgent smile spreading across his face. Sirius caught sight of it and narrowed his eyes.

‘What are you smirking about?’ he asked and James chuckled.

‘You really like this guy, don’t you?’ he said and Sirius swallowed hard.

Shit, is it that obvious?

Already uncomfortable with his fast-growing fondness for the artist, Sirius took a big bite out of his toast and shrugged. ‘He’s alright,’ he said, with an attempt at nonchalance that, if James’ knowing grin was anything to go by, failed miserably.

~*~

‘What’s his name?’

‘Sirius. Sirius Black.’

‘Weird.’

‘No weirder than Remus.’

‘True.’

Remus chucked an old, turpentine soaked rag at Peter Pettigrew’s head, the blonde boy catching it deftly and chuckling as he threw it back. He stretched out on the artist’s sofa, watching Remus as he brushed paint onto the canvas in front of him.

‘Will you stop moving, Pete?’ Remus scolded, glaring at his wriggling friend.

‘Sorry,’ Peter said carelessly. ‘So? You like this guy?’

The corner of Remus’ mouth quirked up and he nodded. ‘I do. He’s…funny, and smart, and intuitive and as sexy as all hell.’

‘Certainly qualities I look for in a man…’ Peter joked.

‘Oh, fuck off, Pete.’

‘Sorry,‘ Peter apologised again, this time just as insincere as the last. ‘You’re just making him sound bigger than the Beatles.’

‘Never liked the Beatles much…’ Remus said slyly, sneaking a peek at Peter as he said it.

‘Fucking blasphemy!’ Peter cried.

Remus snorted in the face of his friend’s predictable indignation then frowned. ‘Pete, please stop fidgeting.’

He added some white to his blue to match the colour of the other man’s jeans, then continued to paint, falling into a rhythm now that his friend had stopped questioning him. Remus was finding this harder going than he usually did - his rhythm, his pattern, was off a little, but he could do it. Perhaps a little slower and not quite as effortless as it was before the accident, but this practice painting of his friend wasn’t crap.

‘Thank God,‘ he murmured to himself, although he suspected that the deity had less to do with the process than meeting Sirius Black did.

He knew some great artists had a muse, someone that provided them with the inspiration to create, but Remus had never really believed that one person could have that kind of power.

Now he wasn’t so sure.

It worried him that Sirius seemed to have that effect on him…what would happen when the man decided to move on? Remus’ brush stilled and he sighed, staring blankly at the painting on the easel in front of him. Was this just a coincidence that he started to improve as Sirius came into his life? Or did the brunette really have that big of a hold over him already? He bit his lip, hand cupping his chin as his finger absently traced the line of the scar across his cheek. Sirius was…beautiful. Classic, aristocratic beauty that could have been intimidating if the other man wasn’t so friendly and warm. Sirius might be momentarily interested in flirting with the only man his own age at the art class, but in the end, he would want someone more like himself, someone who wasn’t broken and damaged.

‘Remus? You done? I’m cramping.’

Remus shook himself out of his reverie and nodded, tossing his brush down into a jar of thinner.

‘Yeah, I’m done for now,’ he said. ‘I think I can finish without you.’

‘Thank Christ!’

Peter stood up and stretched then moved to stand beside Remus, looking at the painting. ‘Hey, that’s pretty good, isn’t it?’ He looked at Remus for confirmation and the other man nodded.

‘Yeah, it’s not too bad… considering what I had to work with.’

‘Oi!’ Peter punched Remus lightly on the arm. ‘Last bloody time I do you a favour.’

Remus chuckled as packed up his area and Peter collected his coat, saying, ‘I’ve gotta get to work, but want to meet up tonight for a drink?’

‘I’m meeting Sirius tonight,‘ Remus said, a flush spreading quickly across his cheekbones. ‘Hey, why don’t you come too?’

Peter looked surprised. ‘You want me tagging along on your date?’

‘Well, it’s not really a date per se…’ Remus admitted, then owned up to the reason he wanted Peter to come along. ‘And maybe you could tell me if he really is as perfect as he seems or if I’m imagining it because it’s been so damn long since I was with a bloke that I’ve forgotten what to do.’

‘Er, you do recall that I’m straight?’ Peter reminded him and Remus slapped his forehead in mock shock.

‘Shit, really?’ he exclaimed. ‘So I suppose me buggering you the other night when you passed out on the scotch was a bit of a faux-pas?’

‘I’ve told you before, Remus…drunken blowjobs are acceptable, buggering is a big no-no,’ Peter teased.

Remus grinned and hugged his slightly rotund friend. ‘So you’ll come and check him out for me?’

‘You buying?’

‘I’m a starving artist, Pete…’

‘So, is that a yes?’

‘Breeder.’

‘Tosser.’

‘Yes, I am!’ Remus howled dramatically, throwing up his hands. ‘Which is why I need you to come and check him out. I’m sick of fucking my own hand.’

Peter laughed, opening the front door of Remus’ flat. ‘Okay, okay, I’ll be there, just stop talking about your masturbatory habits. Time?’

‘Er, about nine,‘ Remus answered. ‘There’s a pub down the block from the community centre…’

‘Shippley Street?‘ Peter asked and Remus nodded. ‘Yeah, I know the one. I’ll see you there.’

‘Cheers, Pete.’

~*~

Hands grabbed at Remus’ coat as he walked through the door and before he knew it, he had been pulled into a supply closet, the door closing behind him effectively cutting off any light source. Remus blinked, his eyes slowly adjusting to the sudden shift to darkness, then he heard him.

‘Hi.’

Remus smiled at the smooth, velvety tone of Sirius’ voice near his ear, then let loose a soft moan as a hard body pressed him into the wall.

‘H…hi,’ he stammered then a warm, moist mouth covered his and he was being kissed into a stupor.

This kiss was demanding and fierce and Remus couldn’t help but match Sirius’ urgency, particularly when he realised with a strong surge of lust that all the other man had on was the thin towelling robe he wore during breaks. The darkness was thick around them, and Remus felt himself drowning in sensation as Sirius’ mouth worked magic on his body, heating him up until he was at boiling point and felt as though he might just completely combust. He was still managing to hang onto his ragged self-control, even when he felt Sirius’ erection pressing against his thigh, but his restraint snapped when Sirius’ warm, slightly rough palm slid under his t-shirt and over his bare stomach.

With a noise that sounded a lot like a growl, Remus twisted them until Sirius was the one being shoved into the wall, deepening the kiss and swallowing Sirius’ groan of approval. He wasn’t usually this forward with someone he knew so little about, but there was something about Sirius that made him lose all control. Tongues plundered warm, moist mouths, neither man realising their hips were moving in tandem until they could no longer breathe and pulled away to gulp down lungfuls of air. Their bodies kept pressing against each other in an imitation of the act their bodies desperately wanted and Remus whimpered into Sirius’ neck as his denim-covered erection rubbed along the other man’s thigh. Sirius hands, which had been gripping Remus’ shoulders tightly, slid down until he was cupping the other man’s buttocks in each palm.

‘You’ve got an even better arse than I remembered,’ he whispered hoarsely and Remus moaned into the juncture of the brunette’s neck and shoulder as his hips involuntarily thrust again, Sirius’ hands tightening on his arse as he met the movement with a snap of his own lower body.

‘How do you do this with one kiss? I’m so fucking hard, Remus,’ Sirius gasped, shifting his hand to ghost over Remus’ hip then skimming over the brown-haired man’s throbbing erection. ‘Christ, so are you. Shit, Remus. Please? Let me?’

Even as he sought permission, Sirius’ fingers were undoing Remus’ fly as if he knew the other man didn’t have the strength or desire to even think of refusing him. Remus’ hands moved as well, shoving the sides of Sirius’ robe apart then trailing his hands over the lightly defined chest and abdomen to come to rest on Sirius’ hip bones. Sirius’ breath on his neck was sending tremors of need down Remus’ spine and that, combined with the texture and taste of Sirius, made the artist’s head spin. Sirius’ pelvis pushed forward frantically, his cock - his fucking hard, thick cock - brushing over the inside of Remus’ wrist as he moved, smearing warm, sticky pre-come across the thin skin there.

‘God, touch me, Remus. Please…’

The hoarse whisper filled the darkness and made Remus’ insides turn to liquid as the pressure in his jeans increased. Surprised by his uncharacteristic boldness, Remus caught Sirius’ lips with his own again as his hand closed around the other man’s cock. He couldn’t miss the powerful shudder that shook the brunette and it emboldened him further, shifting his other hand to his own crotch to help a fumbling Sirius to unbutton his fly. Both of Sirius’ hands grasped the waistband of Remus’ jeans, yanking them down to bunch at the tops of his thighs, before he wrapped his fingers around Remus’ shaft, which pulsed wantonly in his grip.

‘So fucking hard.’

There was no time for gentle exploration or playful teasing - both men were too needy now to take their time. Snogging furiously, they feverishly fisted each other, not bothering to try and muffle their moans of pleasure as they quickly reached the pinnacle and drove each other over. Sirius finished first, his cock throbbing in Remus’ fist as he wrenched his mouth away from the other man’s and threw his head back in complete supplication, giving himself over to his release and to Remus. Remus moaned breathily as he plunged head-first into his climax, teeth sinking into Sirius’ exposed throat as he shot hot ropes of come over Sirius’ stomach and hand.

Legs shaking and gasping for breath, Remus leaned heavily against a panting Sirius, not quite able to wrap his mind around the fact he’d just jerked off a guy he’d known for a week in a closet in the Community Centre. And been jerked off in return. And he was still holding said man’s softening cock.

Fuck! What am I doing?

But for the life of him, he couldn’t bring himself to feel any shame or embarrassment, just a repletion that left him wanting to curl up in Sirius' arms and never leave.

‘Well,’ puffed Sirius with a laugh in his voice as he broke the silence. ‘That was…not what I expected in the way of a greeting.’

Remus groaned into the other mans’ shoulder and heard his low chuckle - the sound making his should-have-been-spent cock twitch in interest in Sirius’ hand. He felt Sirius’ other hand stroke over his head then brush against his cheek before gripping his chin firmly. He applied a little pressure, forcing Remus’ face up then their lips were pressing together and Remus’ cock definitely started to firm up. Sirius’ mouth left his, but the brunette’s forehead rested against Remus’.

‘You…aren’t sorry are you?’ he whispered, lips brushing Remus’ with each word. ‘I know that was fast…’

‘You were a bit quick…’ Remus teased softly and Sirius growled playfully, nuzzling Remus’ jaw and biting the rough skin lightly.

‘You’re just far too desirable for me to hang on long,’ he retorted. ‘Plus I have been thinking about doing something like that to you for two days and was as horny as hell.’

Remus smiled then made a noise of dissatisfaction as Sirius finally thought to remove his sticky hand from Remus’ cock.

‘Wipe your hand on the robe,’ he said and Remus removed his hand also, smiling at Sirius’ sigh of disappointment as he wiped his hand on the terry-cloth, smirking in the dark at the thought of Serendipity finding the soiled robe.

They tidied themselves up, adjusting their clothes and trying to flatten mussed hair before they had to enter the studio. Remus put a hand out and opened the door, a beam of fluorescent light penetrating the darkness of the closet before Sirius put one arm up to block the exit.

‘I don’t regret this, Remus,’ he said quietly. ‘Do you?’

Remus could see Sirius clearly now, could see those grey eyes which were filled with an uncertainty and vulnerability that didn’t sit well on the usually confident man, and all Remus wanted to do was make that expression disappear.

‘No,’ he said softly, reaching out and taking Sirius’ hand, giving it a squeeze. ‘No, I don’t.’

He may not understand what was happening here between him and Sirius, and he may have been a little unnerved himself by the speed in which they’d reached such an intimate point, but he did know one thing for certain…

He didn’t regret it.

TBC...