Written for the Midnight Challenge. Things that happen after Midnight - Prompt: Spying on the neighbours.

This originally was going to be about 500 words.

Sirius Black couldn't sleep.

He wasn't quite sure why. He had a tiring day, waking up early to take a jog, working and a trip to the gym when he had finished work. He liked to keep busy and keep in shape, otherwise he'd be too restless for the evening.

Normally on such a busy day, he was passed out before eleven, but it seemed that his age was catching upto him. The nights where he was able to stay up until two-am were long gone now. He now needed a full nights sleep to function in the mornings.

Sighing deeply, Sirius climbed out of bed and stuck his feet into some bunny-earred slippers. - Lily's idea of a joke. He opened the curtains to let some moonlight in. He paid no mind to the light in the house next door and he headed out onto the balcony for a cigarette.

...oOo...

Sirius Black wasn't one for being on his balcony at two-am. He never usually smoked that late either, preferring to have his last cigarette before he brushed his teeth for the night. He hated the taste of smoke and tobacco in his mouth when he woke up in the mornings, but he wasn't able to sleep and the only thing he could think of doing at that time of night was having a smoke. It relaxed him and being relaxed was a good idea for someone who wanted to sleep.

The balcony Sirius was standing on overlooked the garden and Sirius' gaze moved across the houses that backed onto his garden, trying to see how many other households were up by seeing how many homes had more than their hallway light on.

He wondered if anyone else was doing the same. Was anyone else up at this hour struggling to sleep too?

He knew Lily would be fast asleep at the other end of the house they lived in. He was glad for the warm night as he hated smoking out in the cold - but Lily would go mental if he smoked indoors. It was either outside or in the kitchen with the window open.

As he took a long drag from the cigarette in his mouth, his eyes fell on the window of the house next door.

...oOo...

Sirius Black wasn't a peeping Tom, but he couldn't draw his eyes away from the window. He knew it was rude to look in other people's windows, but he was curious as to who had moved into the house that had been empty the whole time him and Lily had lived there?

He had seen the moving van the day before, but he had paid no attention as he was heading out to work. The van was gone when he returned and he had only seen a flash of black hair in one of the windows as he walked past, but nothing more.

His eyes were fixed on the bedroom facing his. He knew if he went back inside into his own room he'd have a clearer view of this room, but he didn't want to be obvious.

It was only a minute before a man with messy dark blonde hair came into view. He set down a box of books and opened it, before stacking the books on a bookshelf, completely oblivious to the man watching him.

...oOo...

Sirius Black wasn't a jealous person.

But he was jealous of those books. He watched the man take them from the box with more gentleness than Sirius had even shown any man who graced his bed. The man's fingers ran over the books as though wiping away imaginary dust, the way Sirius could imagine someone gently caressing his face. The man clearly treasured the books, and Sirius had never felt more jealous of an inanimate object!

If he treated books like that, how would he treat his partner? Sirius shivered at the thought of those gentle hands on his own skin instead.

He smiled each time the man tried to brush his hair out of his eyes, only for it to fall back into his face as he leaned over the box to collect more books. It was a repetitive cycle, but Sirius was lost to it, and couldn't look away.

Part of him hoped that this man had many more boxes of books, because Sirius could watch him unpacking them all night. The other part of him wanted the man to hurry up and finish and turn off the light so Sirius could finally look away and go to bed.

And probably drea about soft hands running over books, gently stroking them.

He ignored the fact that he shouldn't be watching, but it wasn't like the man was getting undressed.

Sirius wasn't a pervert.

...oOo...

Sirius Black was never one to blush.

But the man had looked up and met his gaze and they had stared at each other for a few seconds before Sirius blushed at getting caught. He looked away, taking a pull of his cigerette before his eyes drifted back to the window.

If this new neighbour was bothered he could have closed his curtains, but he didn't. The book unpacking continued for another half an hour, their gazes locking a few times and a shy lopsided smile met his own smile before Sirius finally headed back inside to brush his teeth again and crawl into bed.

...oOo...

Sirius Black never usually forgot to close his curtains.

But last night had thrown him. He had opened them to let the moonlight in and been too distracted by the stranger to close them again.

He realised his mistake the next day when he rolled over in bed to find himself seeing straight through to the man's bedroom.

He sat up, rubbing his hands over his face, and slid out of bed. A movement from the other window made him fall from the bed and he quickly jumped up. Amber eyes met his, and they both blushed. The stranger for getting caught looking, and Sirius for making a fool of himself by falling down. Sirius quickly ran his hand through his hair, offering a wave to the man before disappearing from anywhere near the window so he could get ready to go for a run.

He couldn't believe he done something as silly as waving at him.

...oOo...

Sirius always hated the thin wire fence that separated the gardens, thinking that it didn't offer enough privacy.

But today it didn't seem so bad.

At four foot tall, the fence was low enough to see into next door and Sirius would have a clear view if the man from next door was out. Maybe the man liked sitting around in his garden and Sirius could find a way to strike up a conversation with him, see if the man was as interesting as he looked.

After his run, he took a long shower before heading outside to where Lily was reading one of her books, her legs tucked under her on the deckchair. There was a jug of juice on the table and two glasses turned upside down to stop bugs from getting to them.

Sirius fiddled with the old CD player on the table, shoving in an old Queen album. He dropped down into an empty chair, putting his feet up on the chair facing and lit himself a cigarette.

He closed his eyes and relaxed as the music began to play.

...oOo...

Sirius always paid attention to what was going on around him.

So he was extremely surprised to hear a soft voice from next door singing along to Queen. A glance in that direction and he spotted a man cleaning the outside windows of the house. A second man was attempting to play the air guitar and Sirius snorted in amusement, watching them. His smile dropped when he realised that they might actually be a couple. The blonde was saying something to make the other man laugh.

A few moments later, the dark haired man glanced up and saw him looking. Sirius and Lily both gave a small wave and the man waved back, nudging the man from the window.

After a few seconds of whispering, they approached the fence to introduce themselves and Sirius and Lily done the same.

Sirius' gaze shot to the arm around the amber man's shoulders for a moment. Yup, they certainly looked like a couple. It didn't surprise him that the man was taken. Who could resist him with looks like that? Not that it was all about looks of course.

"So, are you married?" the bespectacled man asked, before wincing as an elbow met his side.

"Are you two married?" Lily retorted and the arm moved away quickly and the men stepped apart both laughing at the thought of it.

Amber eyes found his and Sirius was lost. "Hi, I'm Remus," the man said, extending a hand towards Sirius, a wide grin on his lips.

"Sirius," he replied. "Not married to her... or anyone. Just single. Completely single." He could hear how stupid he sounded, but he wanted to let this man know that he was available just in case this guy liked men too.

Lily stifled a laugh next to him and Sirius glared at her before taking Remus' hand and shaking it.

"That's good to know," came a soft reply that had Sirius almost melting at the sound. He could listen to Remus talk all day and not get sick of the sound of his voice.

"I'm very single too," Remus said shyly before his eyes drifted down to stare at Sirius' chest for a moment. His eyes darted up and the man blushed slightly.

"I'm James," the other man said.

"Lily," Lily replied with a smile,

Sirius needed to ask Remus out. He had to be cool about it and not scare Remus off.

"Dinner," Sirius blurted out. "I can cook really well." He was suddenly determined to impress this man. "You can both come of course. Like a date. No. I mean, just greeting new neighbours... unless you want it to be a date. Lily has a thing for guys with glasses, and -"

Sirius stopped when a hand covered his mouth and he waved at the two amused men as Lily dragged him inside.

"What is wrong with you?" she asked, but Sirius couldn't tell her. This man had completely thrown off his usual smooth self. He probably thought Sirius was a babbling weirdo who stared in people's windows and fell over and was insane.

...oOo...

Sirius Black was always smooth and charming.

Except around his new neighbour, Remus. What was it about this man he had only spoken to for a few minutes that made him lose his cool and start saying the first thing that came into his head? He flopped down onto his bed and sighed.

After a little while he sat up again, his gaze falling on the window facing. There was something there.

He moved closer and saw a sign propped against the window. One that Remus wanted him to see.

'Dinner sounds great! We'd love to come.'

Sirius grinned, looking around for a notebook. He found one and found a marker and returned to the window, scribbling his own note. He placed it against the glass, leaning a photoframe against it to hold it in place.

'Seven tonight?'

He headed downstairs to take a look at what food they had in for dinner and began to make a list of what he would need if Remus and James were coming over. Before he left he headed upstairs to check if there had been a reply.

'It's a date.'

...oOo...

Sirius Black was still smooth and charming, he reminded himself, happily. He had managed to get a date with his cute new neighbour and he couldn't wait until seven.

Review Please :)

Kind of a bit different than the way I usually write I think. Let me know your opinions please :D

I wrote this last night... after Midnight.