Written for:

Gobstones:

Blue Stone - Isolation, Accuracy - Hide by Creed, Power - Writing a Letter, Technique - Setting: Hotel

Writing Club:

Days of the Month - World Wide Web - Write a fic based around the usage of internet.

Gift Giving Gala

For Lizzy - Hotel AU, Sirius/Remus, Happy Sirius

The FRIENDS Challenge:

Season 4 - Write a Romance and combine it with Friendship or Drama.

Ultimate Promptathon Challenge

Friends to Lovers

Jenga

(Quote) "Whatever our souls are made of, his and mine are the same."

A Light in the Darkness

For Lizzy who wanted a hotel!AU

Some borderline M here guys. Non detailed.

.o.

Get lost in time

.o.

Remus switched off the work computer and stood up from the little desk, glad to be done for the day. He took a moment to tidy the desk and make sure it was in order before heading to the front door and turning the lock, closing the B&B for the night.

Ten minutes later, Remus was in his room. He had checked all of the locks and made sure all of the switches in the house were off. It didn't take him long to strip out of his clothes and toss them into the washing basket in the corner. He pulled his pyjamas on and settled down on the bed with his old laptop.

'Hey Moony, you've not been around for a few weeks. Are you okay?'

Remus smiled at the message that popped up as the laptop finally sprung to life. His fingers hovered over the keys as he considered his reply to his internet pen-pal. He wanted to find a way to explain that he hadn t been feeling himself, but that didn't feel right. He just felt like a more miserable version of himself. An unhappier Remus. But what could he say? That he was stuck in the middle of nowhere with no friends or family and that this had gotten his mood so low, that he was barely functioning anymore. That he saw no escape from the misery and that he saw himself still working there as an old man, still as utterly alone. That he desperately needed someone to talk to about it. Not just someone. He needed a friend who actually cared and wanted to listen to his troubles. Someone who wanted to help him or offer advice.

He didn't say any of those things. After some contemplation, his fingers typed out a message.

'I'm really sorry. I've been so busy working. Running a B&B isn't as easy as it sounds.'

'B&B?' came the reply a mere second later. 'Do you run it alone?'

Remus stared at the words. Having these messages almost felt like someone cared. But it was the internet. No one truly cared on the internet. 'Yes. Just me.'

'It sounds lonely.'

'It is.'

Remus stared at the screen for a few minutes waiting for Padfoot's reply. He had been speaking to someone he had met online for about six months now, but they hadn't exchanged much information about themselves - nothing identifiable. Well, a few things slipped out at times, but it didn't really matter. It wasn't like anyone would bother to come and see him. So what if things slipped out?

'You know you can always talk to me, right? I'm here for you whenever you need me. Just say the word, Moony.'

That one brought a smile to Remus' lips. Though he had no way to contact Padfoot other than the messaging, it was a nice thought. Even if Padfoot didn't really mean it. Even if he was just saying it to be nice.

'Thank you.' His fingers hovered over the keys again and he found himself typing more. 'It'd be nice if you were here. I'm tired of all the sheep and animals and being isolated. it would be nice to have someone to talk to in person. I suppose you'll be on the next train out?'

'I'll see what I can do. Give me directions and I'll be there. I promise.'

Remus snorted. 'Goodnight Padfoot.'

'Oh, you're off already? Well, come back on soon. Don't forget those directions. It may not be the next train, but it will be soon! Goodnight x'

Remus moved his finger across the pad, towards the 'x' in the top of the corner, but hesitated. His fingers tapped away before he could change his mind.

'The Lone Wolf Inn, Cardigan, Wales.'

Remus shut his laptop down and went to bed without waiting for a reply. He knew what it would say. Something like: 'Oh, Wales. That's too far for me to travel, sorry.' He didn't want to be let down.

.o.

There is no reason to hide

.o.

Two weeks passed by too slowly and Remus hadn't been on the chat again. He found himself spending a lot of his free-time locked away in his room, reading or staring at nothing. Even books had lost their appeal. Everything seemed to have lost it's interest. Once the B&B duties were finished, Remus reverted to a shell of himself once more, isolating himself to his room.

During the day, he smiled and was polite and friendly to the guests. He ran the place as his parents had. So when the bell above the door jingled, Remus pulled on his best fake smile. "Welcome to the Lone Wolf Inn," he said, turning his gaze to the door. "Are you here for a room?" He stood up and started walking over.

The man turned towards him and Remus froze in his tracks, eyes widening at the sight before him. Dark hair was pulled back into a messy bun with strands falling down around his face. Stormy grey eyes were fixed intently on him, searching his face curiously. High cheekbones only added to the man's beauty and Remus' eyes followed the man's tongue as it darted out, briefly moving against the man's lips before disappearing again.

"I'm Sirius Black. I'll be staying for a couple of weeks at least. I'm not quite sure my length of stay yet."

"I'm Remus Lupin," Remus replied, reaching out his hand to the stranger. "I own this place."

The man nodded, reaching out his own and gripping Remus' hand firmly. They shook and the man held his hand for a long moment, his eyes roving over Remus' face. "Yes, I'm glad I came when I did," he murmured. "You run this place alone?"

"How do you know—"

"You own the place and you're the one sitting at the counter," Sirius pointed out.

"Ah. Well, let me show you to your room. We have four guests staying here, but they're all checking out tomorrow."

"So it'll just be me and you." The man's lips curved up into a smile. "It seems my timing is perfect. My stay is currently indefinite so I'm here as long as I'm needed."

He stared at Remus expectantly and Remus was lost at what to reply to that. He grasped around for an answer before giving the man a nod and a smile.

The reaction seemed to satisfy Sirius. His smile widened and he pulled out his wallet, handing over his bank card. "Put me down for two weeks and just add to it as time goes on."

Remus took the card and walked around the counter to process the stay. "Which room are you after?"

"The one with the king-size bed and en-suite. I know the rates."

Remus quickly processed the payment and handed the card back. "I hope you have a great stay," Remus told him. "If you need me—"

"Oh, I'm sure I will," Sirius replied with a warm smile. "It's the first room down that hall," he said, pointing to the hallway to his left. He came out from behind his desk. "Let me help you with that case."

Sirius shook his head, insisting he could do it alone and Remus went back to his solitary existence behind the counter. There was only two more hours until he could lock the door and go and sit in his room.

.o.

My life

.o.

"So… Remus Lupin and Lone Wolf… I'm sensing a wolf theme. That explains a lot," Sirius said, as Remus set a plate down in front of him. "I haven't had a decent fry-up in ages." He winked at Remus. "You know what they say."

"What do they say?"

"The way to a man is through his stomach," Sirius replied with a wide grin. "But I can't eat this."

"Oh. If you want something else…" Remus reached for the plate, but Sirius caught his wrist.

"That's not what I meant," Sirius murmured, his fingers caressing the skin where Remus' cardigan sleeve had slipped up. "I don't want to sit alone, Remus. Go get your own breakfast and join me."

"I'm not really a breakfast person," Remus said hesitantly.

"Breakfast is important. It helps you have energy for the day. Trust me," Sirius let go of Remus' wrist. "I'd like to get to know more about you, I've enjoyed meeting you. I want to know more about the name of this place and yours. Breakfast is more enjoyable with company."

Remus nodded his head knowing that Sirius wasn't going to give up. He turned back to the kitchen and served himself up a small breakfast. He quickly slipped into the seat next to Sirius. "My mum was fascinated by our surname and she was the one who decided on the name, Remus. Naming this place had to involve 'wolf' too as you can imagine."

The pair were silent as they began eating. Sirius got through his plate much quicker. "Well, my parents were down with the whole theme too. We're all named after stars. I'm named after the dog star."

Remus smiled. "I worked that one out," he replied.

"So, you greet people and book them in. You bring bags to rooms and you cook breakfast. There isn't anyone else at all?"

Remus shook his head. "I have someone who comes in during the holidays when it gets a little busier, but other than that—"

"Give her a call," Sirius insisted, grabbing his wallet from his pocket. "I'm hiring you to take me on a tour of this place. I'll pay her for her time."

Remus hesitated. "I can suggest someone else who can take you…" He watched as Sirius pulled some notes from his wallet and handed them over.

Sirius raised an eyebrow causing Remus to sigh and take two of the notes. "I'll go and ask her now," he said.

"I'll come with you," Sirius insisted with a grin. "I can be very convincing."

Remus didn't doubt that. "Let me just clean up," he replied instead. He started to stack the plates left on the little tables and brought them out to the kitchen. As he scraped them, he heard the door open again and jumped.

He turned to look and spotted Sirius walking through balancing all the glasses that Remus had planned to return for. He glanced at Remus before heading to the sink, emptying the contents down the drain and rinsing the cups. "I'll wash and you dry?" he suggested.

"You're a guest. You shouldn't be—"

"I'm here to help," Sirius insisted. "Once this is done, we'll go and look around. I don't mind helping."

.o.

Give Life

.o.

Once the cleaning up was done, Remus checked the other guests out of their rooms. He decided to leave the tidying up of the rooms until he returned from heading out with Sirius. He merely took a quick look around to see if they had forgotten anything, before leading the way from the B&B and down the path.

They walked to a house a couple of doors away and Remus led the way up the path, still confused as to why Sirius wanted him to be his guide. Remus would have preferred sitting around and doing nothing rather than face people, but he didn't want Sirius to be unhappy.

Which was strange. Sirius was a stranger yet Remus found himself caring about the man's moods and well-being.

"Remus, how are you? Is everything alright?" Mrs Bradley said, opening her front door. "Did you need me in?"

Remus nodded his head. "Hello, Mrs Bradley. I was wondering if you're free for a few hours?"

"Mrs Bradley, I'm Sirius Black. I've come to whisk Remus away on a little site-seeing adventure, if you're free?"

"Of course. Just let me get my glasses and a book," she replied with a warm smile. "I have my daughter coming over for dinner though so I can't stay all day. I'm free until four at the latest."

"I'll make sure we're back in time," Sirius assured her, slipping an arm around Remus' shoulders.

"I'll be right there," Mrs Bradley insisted, smiling once more before closing the door.

"That was easy," Sirius replied. He grabbed Remus' arm. "Come on, let's get ready. What sort of things are there to do around here?"

"There are a few galleries we can visit," Remus began. "We can do boat trips to see dolphins or kayaking. There's a theatre, museum and wildlife centre as well as the castle."

"A castle?" Sirius looked at him, excited. "Well, why didn't you start with that, Remus? Lead the way! I can tell I'm in for an exciting time here!"

Remus couldn't help but smile at Sirius' enthusiasm. "Okay," he agreed.

.o.

oh let's get away

.o.

"I would have made an excellent Knight," Sirius said, as they approached the castle."I'd have an awesome sword and I'd be awesome with a lance." He shot Remus a lascivious wink.

"Knight?" Remus asked, raising an eyebrow. "I picture you as more of a Lord than anything. Wearing fine clothes and attending feasts."

"So, what do we do here? Go on a tour?" Sirius looked around excitedly.

Remus shook his head. "I grew up here. I've taken this tour hundreds of times," he replied. "Let's do it ourselves. I know enough about the castle."

Sirius grinned. "I love it. I'd much rather listen to you than some stuffy tour-guide," he insisted, pulling out his wallet as the approached the counter. He handed over a £20 note. "Two please."

"Wait, I can…"

"No, I insisted on having a guide so today is on me," Sirius replied firmly.

The tickets and change were handed over and Sirius shoved them into his wallet before putting it into his pocket.

"So where first?"

Remus led the way past the counter and into the castle. "Well, the earliest historical moments are the neolithic flint scrapers that were found around here," Remus began. "But we don't really know much more about them. There was a Viking raid not far from here in medieval times too."

"Vikings are awesome," Sirius murmured. "I would have been an excellent Viking."

Remus laughed. "Whilst you were being an excellent knight?" he asked.

"I like your laugh," Sirius murmured softly. "So, did anyone important live in this castle?"

"One inhabitant of the castle, we believe was Gilbert fitz Richard de Clare," Remus began, reciting words he had heard so many times. "But he received the castle from King Henry. The previous owner was a man called Owain ap Cadwgan who is known for falling in love with, and kidnapping his second cousin, Nest."

"I think we might be related," Sirius joked, with a snort.

Remus wasn't sure what Sirius meant, but continued with the story. "There was a lot of fighting and Owain causing trouble but eventually he aligned himself with Henry. Fighting on the same side was Nest's husband who took revenge and killed him."

"And that's where it gets exciting," Sirius said, listening intently as though this was the most fascinating thing he had heard. Remus was thrown by the way Sirius' eyes were watching him. He felt like he was missing something big but couldn't quite work out what that could be.

"Gilbert Fitz Richard, was next to have the castle. Our tour guide likes to make a point at the idea of a conspiracy surrounding him and that there is no such evidence even though it's been hinted at."

Remus opened his mouth to continue but Sirius suddenly grabbed his hand and pulled him off the usual route. "Where are we going?" Remus asked.

"It says 'no entry'," Sirius whispered. "We're going to explore."

"But we're not allowed…"

"I think that sign was merely a suggestion," Sirius insisted, not letting go of Remus' hand. "You said you've done this hundred of times so we have to make this time much more interesting! Otherwise it's just going to be another boring tour for you. Haven't you ever wondered what's down this way?"

Remus allowed himself to be pulled along down a hallway and Sirius pushed a door open at the end.

"Just a bedroom," he said, sighing. He turned back, still holding Remus' hand and tried each door, only to come away disappointed.

"Maybe there's another way?" Sirius murmured, running his free hand through his hair and frowning.

"Or we could go up those stairs?" Remus suggested in a loud whisper, pointing at some narrow stairs leading up, feeling a little excited that he was breaking the rules for the castle.

Sirius grinned. "A tower. Perfect!" He led Remus to the stairs and headed up first, practically running up tem in excitement.

.o.

Give love

.o.

Remus wasn't quite sure what was happening, but as quickly as Sirius had rushed up the stairs, he was rushing down again. "There's someone up there. Staff room or something. Run!"

He grabbed Remus' hand once more and they began to run down the hallway. Remus pulled Sirius into a tiny alcove that was half-hidden by a tapestry that hung on the wall he had spotted in their initial search of the hall. Whilst Sirius had been looking at the doors, Remus' eyes had been scouring the rest of the place.

It was smaller than he expected and Sirius was pressed tightly against him as they hid, barely daring to breath as they listened to footsteps pass by only a minute later.

They heard the sound of doors creaking open, one at a time and Remus looked at Sirius who was staring at him intensely.

He hadn't been this close to someone for so long and he unabashedly took a chance to examine Sirius' face. He had thought him attractive before, but it was almost overwhelming now. His gaze lingered on the long lashes and the stormy-grey eyes, before moving down to Sirius' lips.

They were inches from his and he wondered how they would feel against his own. Perfect, he thought to himself. There was no way Sirius' lips would feel anything but perfect.

He could feel Sirius' breath on his skin and when Sirius shifted, Remus could feel Sirius' body against his. The space was small and Sirius had been pressed back against the wall, but the small shift had him pressed up against Remus, the distance between their lips lessening.

"We're stuck here for a while," Sirius breathed, his fingers coming up and stroking through Remus' hair. "What do you want to do? Talk… or…" His own gaze found Remus' lips. "Or something else?"

"We can talk later," Remus whispered softly. His hands moved up to find Sirius' waist. This was a bad idea, but he couldn't help himself. It wasn't often that someone showed him interest. The last time he had gotten his heart broken but clearly he hadn't learned his lesson.

It was history repeating itself. He had fallen for a customer that had stayed for three weeks during the summer. He promised that he would return soon, but it had been two years and he hadn't even called.

But the fleeting memory of his previous love escaped his mind as Sirius' lips found his, barely moving, waiting for Remus to respond. It was all Remus could do to keep his balance and his arms slipped from Sirius' hip to move around his waist, holding him tightly.

The hand that had stroked through Remus' hair moved to the back of Remus' neck as Sirius deepened the kiss, his tongue pressing gently against Remus' lip.

Remus parted his lips, allowing Sirius entry and he pressed himself closer, gasping as he felt a hardness against him.

Sirius gasped against his mouth, but the kiss didn't end and, for the first time in a long time, Remus wanted. He didn't pull away. He waited to see if Sirius would, but Sirius' other hand had slid around his waist now, holding him tightly.

Sirius moaned somewhat obscenely against his mouth and their bodies pressed against each other harder. A thrust of his hips was all it too to have them losing control. A few seconds later, their hips were moving quicker, Sirius' lips on his ear as Sirius panted his name.

He was so close. Just a few more thrusts.

"Hey. You're not allowed in this part of the castle. Come out here now."

"Shit," Sirius whispered. "Cockblockers."

Remus looked down. "I'm not going anywhere with his," he hissed.

"Do you want me to take care of that?" Sirius whispered seductively.

Remus glared at him. "There's someone out there," he replied. "I'm not doing anything where someone can see—"

"I won't let them see anything," Sirius insisted. "Trust me, it'll only take seconds. I'm very good at—"

"Now!" the guard demanded.

Sirius slipped out in front of Remus, and Remus stayed behind him a little, trying to hide from view. He desperately started thinking about anything that could get the erection down.

"Sorry mate, just wanted some alone time and got a bit lost," Sirius said, grinning.

The man rolled his eyes and sighed. "Fine, but you have to leave the castle now." He barely glanced at Remus before leading the way from the castle.

By the time they got back to the main area of the castle, Remus' body had calmed down and he reached up to fix his hair. The place was empty and Remus was relieved that no-one saw him escorted from the castle.

Once outside Sirius took his hand. "Put a pin in that for now and we'll come back to it later," he murmured, the look in his eyes causing Remus' heart to race. "I'm a bit disappointed that we didn't get to see the gift shop, but I'm sure we can do something else. Let's have lunch, my treat."

"There's a place on the river that I like," Remus found himself replying. "You… you were right. That was my most interesting trip to the castle ever."

Sirius grinned. "I can make all the boring places interesting again," he assured Remus. His grip on Remus' hand tightened slightly. "So… show me this place you like."

.o.

To what do I owe this gift my friend?

.o.

"Remus? Come in." Sirius beamed at him widely and Remus tried not to stare at Sirius' bare chest.

"We need to talk about earlier," Remus said, trying not to let himself get distracted which was hard to do when Sirius was looking like that.

"I know. I've been thinking about it since leaving the castle. I didn't expect… when I came here, I thought... " Sirius sighed, biting on his lip which made Remus want to bite it too. "I didn't want to take advantage and I'm sorry, but I don't regret a moment of it… well, except the end. I wanted to make you finish. I wanted to see the expression on your face."

"What did you expect when you came here?" Remus asked, confused.

"To help you," Sirius replied.

"Me? Why?"

"Because you asked me to," Sirius said, frowning slightly. "You told me that you wanted me to be here. You told me where you were and I came as soon as I could. You needed me and I'm your friend and I came to help you because I knew you needed help. I didn't expect…"

"Expect?" Remus was even more confused now. He knew he was missing something. He just needed to work it all out.

"I didn't expect to fall for you. Though I think I was already falling for you from our online conversations. I never expected you to be so beautiful or fascinating. I didn't want to take advantage of you when you're at a low point and you need someone, but I couldn't control myself. I wanted to do everything in my power to bring you pleasure. Whether it's a fun day out, or in bed. As long as I can make you happy."

"Online?" Remus whispered, desperately trying to recall what was happening. After a moment he remembered his last conversation with Padfoot. He remembered giving his address. "Padfoot?" he whispered, his eyes widening.

Sirius nodded. "Moony," he murmured. "I thought you knew it was me when I got here. I thought… I mean, I did email you a picture the other day. You didn't realise?"

"I haven't been on my messages," Remus admitted. "Only the one for the B&B. I'm sorry, I never thought you'd come."

"Of course I did. I said already: we're friends. I care about you, Moony. I'm here to help you."

Remus nodded slowly. Sirius being Padfoot made it all harder because he had started falling for Padfoot too before he had withdrawn due to his depression. "We can't do this," he whispered. "I've fallen for people who have stayed here before. It hurts when they leave and when you leave, it'll—"

"Do you really think I'm going to seduce you and then leave you?" Sirius asked, reaching for Remus' hand and leading him to the bed. "I want to seduce you and stay here with you. I want to help you put your life back together. I want to help you find a way to be happy."

"Well, you'll be here a long time," Remus replied sadly. "It's this place."

Sirius looked around. "Talk to me," he insisted.

"It's nothing."

"Moony, love, I just travelled from London to be here. I've spent the last two weeks teaching my best friend how to run the counter at my work. My brother has taken over all my appointments. I'm here because of you. I want to help you but I can't if I don't know how. Talk to me. Tell me what you need from me, tell me what will make you happy and I'll do everything in my power."

"I hate it here," Remus admitted, hating himself for the words. "We've always lived here and… and my parents loved it but it's a lonely place. I'm always alone and without anyone to talk to or befriend…"

"That's why you're depressed?"

"How did you even know that before you got here?"

"Because of our conversations. I'm very observant sometimes I guess and I picked up on things. I didn't want to bring it up on chat because I didn't want to scare you away and risk you never signing back in. When you asked me to come, I was so relieved because it told me that on some level, you want my help. That you need me."

"You want to have sex with me?" Remus asked, glancing at the bed.

"I would love to have you under me on the bed," Sirius admitted. "I would have you screaming my name. I would do anything you ask… but that's not all. I want to kiss you, I want to hold you afterwards and to have you be happy about what happened. I don't want you to regret it. I want to be with you and I want to help you. I want to see you smile. To laugh… but not laughing at me in bed because I don't think I'd like that." He grinned at Remus.

Remus shivered. "I want that too, but…"

"But you're scared I'm going to leave and hurt you. You're scared of being left alone again," Sirius said, the smile fading. He pulled Remus close, resting their foreheads together. "Well, I'll show you that I'm here for you. Tell me what you need."

"I need to get away from here," Remus admitted. "I need to never see this B&B again. I hate it here. I need a fresh start. I need… I…"

"Okay. Tomorrow we'll put this place on the market," Sirius said. "Where do you want to be?"

"I… I don't know."

"What do you want to do after this?" Sirius asked. "Education? Work?"

"I like books. I used to work in the local library until my parents passed away and I got stranded with this place to run."

Sirius replied, grey eyes watching Remus intently. "Would you be happy in London?"

Remus stared at Sirius in shock. "I'd be happy anywhere, but… you..."

"Okay. Let's do it. Pack your stuff and put this place up for sale. You can come and stay with me for a bit and I'll help you find a job. Either in a library or maybe even start your own bookshop with the money you make from here. I'll do anything to help you and I'll be at your side until you tire of me and want your own place. Even then, you'll still have me."

Remus hesitated. Moving to a new place where he didn't really know anyone was a terrifying idea. But what else was there? Staying in Wales and sinking further and further into the depression that was taking over him?

No.

The reason he was depressed was because he was alone and trapped. Leaving here would make the difference, because he wouldn't be trapped. He wouldn't be stuck in a job he hated because he didn't have another option.

He could start fresh. London was busy and bustling and the opposite of his part of Wales. He had Sirius and he had no doubt that Sirius had friends. Maybe he'd click with a few of them.

"What if you get sick of me?" Remus asked.

"Love, when I came down here, I expected the little crush to just disappear and I'd be left with friendship. But when I saw you… I was screwed. Coming here just made it all the more real. At the castle… your body against mine. I've been with people before, girls and guys. I've had a couple of serious relationships in the past, but nothing felt anywhere close to how I felt when I kissed you or when our bodies were… I'd gladly accept your friendship if that's all you were offering because my offer to help comes without strings. I want to help because I care about you. I don't expect anything back but just know that I want to be a part of your life in whatever capacity you offer."

"As my friend?" Remus asked.

"If that's what you desire."

"Boyfriend?"

"Happily."

"Lover?"

"Delighted to be." There were inches between their lips and Remus was reminded at how good Sirius' body felt against his. Without a second thought, he pressed his body against the other man's, lips finding Sirius' for a soft kiss. He pulled back for a second.

"Bed?"

"I thought you'd never ask," Sirius said, dropping onto the bed and pulling Remus down with him. He smirked as Remus swung a leg over his body.

"You made a mistake earlier," Remus pointed out softly. "It's going to be you underneath me, screaming my name."

"Anything," Sirius begged, his hips bucking up against Remus.

"Now now, be patient," Remus murmured, moving down Sirius' legs. His tongue licked across Sirius' stomach. "Good things come to those who wait."

.o.

Let's Leave

.o.

Remus tried to get up to use the bathroom but Sirius had a tight grip on him. "No sneaking out like this was a mistake because it's the most amazing thing ever," Sirius murmured sleepily against his ear.

"I need the loo," Remus replied. "And I need to check the time. I need to get up and get started on breakfast and need to know what time it is."

Sirius groaned and let go of Remus. "I think it's a bit too early for breakfast," he murmured. "But I'm sure I can think of things to do to you to pass the time."

"Yeah?"

"Well, you got to enjoy my perfect body last night. I think it's only fair that I get to enjoy yours," Sirius insisted.

Remus turned back, his eyes slowly dragging across Sirius' naked form. Sirius smirked, not embarrassed in the slightest.

Maybe he was dreaming? Maybe he'd wake up alone and miserable.

He wasn't allowed to feel this content. There wasn't supposed to all this light in his mind.

As though Sirius could see where his mind was going, his quickly got up from the bed and wrapped his arms around Remus. "Let yourself be happy," he whispered, placing a soft kiss to Remus' lips. "I promise, I'm right by your side for as long as you want me."

"And if I didn't want you?" Remus whispered.

"Then I'd be just your friend," Sirius insisted softly. "You mean too much to me to just let you go, Moony. I swear that I'll do what I can to make your life into something that'll make you happy again… just work with me."

"What if I can't?" Remus found himself asking.

"Remus, you're at a tough point in your life. You have two choices. You can carry on here and be miserable and get more and more down, but I'll be at your side the entire time to do what I can… or you can come to London with me. You can say goodbye to the place that's made you unhappy. You can get a job somewhere that you'd like. It's sink or swim. What's your choice? I can help you but I can't force you to be happy. You have to stop forcing yourself away from happy things too. It'll only work if you're willing to let it."

"You," Remus whispered, hoping he didn't sound needy. "I just need you and I can do this."

"As a friend?" Sirius checked.

"As much more," Remus admitted, before turning back to the bathroom to use the loo.

.o.

My love

.o.

The couple had opted for another hour in bed before breakfast. After all, it was just the pair of them as there were no guests checking in for a couple of days, so they could afford for breakfast to be a little bit late. Sirius insisted on helping out in the kitchen, sharking smiles and kisses with Remus as they worked together.

It actually felt better doing this with someone and for the first time, Remus could see why his parents liked it so much. Having someone there to share it with made it seem like less of a hardship.

He had often wondered how his parents had stayed happy running the B&B and he could see it a little better with Sirius there. Having someone to work with took away some of the loneliness. If he had met Sirius a few years ago, maybe he'd have chosen to stay in Wales… if Sirius was willing to stay, but he had too much resentment for his business now. Plus, it was clear that Sirius had a life that he already loved. Remus couldn't pull him away from that.

It was that same day that Remus put the B&B on the market. It didn't take long for people to show interest in it either. With Sirius at his side, Remus ran the B&B, allowing customers in and people to view it who were interested in buying.

But he refused all offers. It was his parents business and he wanted it to go to the right person, whoever that was. None of the people felt right.

And as the weeks passed by, Remus felt a little bit better when Sirius showed no signs of leaving. The longer Sirius stayed, the closer the pair got. The closer they got, the more Remus fell in love with Sirius and the happier he felt at not being alone.

Two months after the sale signs went up, Mrs Bradley's daughter made an offer on the B&B. It was less than Remus had hoped for, but Mrs Bradley had always helped him out and he had no doubts about her and her family running the B&B. After discussing it with Sirius, he accepted her offer and the pair started packing up everything Remus wanted to take.

.o.

Let's leave... oh let's get away

.o.

Sirius drove the moving van through Wales and Remus allowed himself one more look around as they moved slowly down the high-street. He didn't have loads that he wanted to keep. A couple of bits of furniture that his mother adored that reminded Remus too much of her, and some bits from his own room. Most of his boxes were filled with books. He even left his bed after Sirius assured him that his bed was spacious enough for both of them.

"Are you okay love?" Sirius asked, glancing at him with concern.

"A little sad to say goodbye to my home," Remus admitted softly. "But excited to start the next chapter in my life."

"I'm glad to hear." Sirius turned mischievous eyes to Remus. "How about I do something to cheer you up?"

Remus perked up quickly. So far, most of Sirius' attempts to cheer him up involved sex, though there were some romantic dinners and walks and picnics.

"Direct me to somewhere we won't get caught," Sirius ordered. "When we park, I'm going to ride you right where you're sitting."

Remus attempted to nod as he visualised the scene. "Second turning on the left. It doesn't get used much, except on market days. It loops back around so we can get back to this road easily."

Sirius did as he was told, quickly moving down the road and turning. He drove until Remus gave the order to stop.

"I want to be reminded of this moment for the rest of the drive," Sirius insisted, pulling his trousers and boxers off as quickly as he could.

"Oh, you will," Remus insisted with a grin.

.o.

My life, my love, my soul

.o.

"Sirius, what are you doing?"

Remus hovered near the van, uncertain how to proceed. From the gist of things, Sirius hadn't actually told anyone Remus was coming back with him. The pair were far enough away to think they couldn't be overheard… but Remus could hear.

"What do you mean?"

"You said you were going to help your pen-pal but you've come back here with a bloke none of us have heard of and just announce he's living with you. This is stupid, even for you."

"James," Sirius sounded hurt and Remus wondered if he should just take the van and go to a storage place for now and rent a room somewhere. This was a bad idea. He shouldn't have got his hopes up.

"No. You can't just spring things like this on us. You told us all to be here but—"

"It's Moony," Sirius insisted. "That's him over there. You can say whatever you want about me making rash choices, but this isn't rash."

"Well, how do you explain it?"

"I love him," Sirius admitted. "I'm completely in love with him. If Remus even felt the same, I could see myself spending the rest of my life trying to make him happy. I've never felt anything close to this before."

There was a long silence. "When you were with Lucius a couple of years ago…"

"That was nothing compared to how I feel. This is a forever thing if he wants it too. I just don't want to scare him away. I don't want to come on too strong. But the way I feel when his name pops up on my computer or when I kiss him… or even the first moment I saw him. He's my soulmate, I love him and he's here to stay. Whatever his and my souls are made of, they are the same."

Remus couldn't breath. He had thought Sirius liked him, but love? He had never considered that Sirius' feelings would be that strong too. He had realised quickly after the first night that he was falling in love but had suspected in the back of his mind that Sirius would be just another man to break his heart. None of this felt real but he couldn't deny that it felt right. Sirius was his soulmate.

"I can't argue with love," James finally said. "Why is he here though - it feels a bit soon?"

"He needed to get away. I would rather not talk about it because it's not fair to Remus to discuss his business. But if he wanted to stay where he was, I'd have been here packing my own life up to go and join him there. I'd sell my business and my house and go and be with him."

"Okay."

"Okay?" Sirius repeated.

"You're my brother, Sirius. If you love him that much, I stand by your choice. You could have called and given me some warning at least. Mum and Dad are going to be pissed that you kept him a secret. Mum's still trying to set you up on dates."

"Let's move Remus in first. I don't want to scare him away by rushing him to meet my parents. Just everything at his pace. I don't want to be pushy or over eager or any of the stuff from the past, alright? So… let's get unpacking and order some takeaway."

"Sounds good. I'm sorry about earlier, I just… if you love him, he must be a good guy. I just want to make sure you're not doing something rash. As long as you're happy..."

"I am," Sirius insisted. "And Remus is too, that's what matters. I've never been happier."

The pair walked back over and James grinned at Remus. "Sorry about that. Sirius didn't think to tell us what was going on. Welcome to London, I'm James."

"It's nice to meet you," Remus replied shyly. "I didn't expect him to send for help, I can do most of it by myself, it mostly just boxes."

"Don't worry," James insisted. "It'll take us a lot less time if we all work together." He nodded at the group that standing around the van. "Go ahead," he insisted.

The van opened and everyone began talking as they unloaded the boxes. Sirius approached Remus, wrapping his arms around him tightly and placing a soft kiss to his lips. "Happy?" he asked.

"Very," Remus replied. "I can't be anything but happy today. I have a new life - a new start with the man I… I love. I don't think I could feel any happier."

"Just wait until I get you into my bed," Sirius murmured, his eyes lighting up at the word 'love'. "I'm sure I can improve the day more."

"You mean, you can top what we did in the moving van?" Remus asked.

Sirius smirked. "Tonight I'll let you tie me up."

Remus pondered the idea for a moment, visualising Sirius blindfolded and tied to a bed. He shivered. "You're right. The day will only get better!"

"Oh, and Remus… I love you too."

"Oi, lovebirds, less talking and more unpacking," James called as he grabbed a box of books from the truck. "Save that for later."

7150 words

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