12

Author:Tressa Cho
Rating: NC-17
Archiving: All FQF will be archived solely at this site until August 31st, 2007. After that, it's yours to do with as you will.
Disclaimer: This story is based on characters and situations created and owned by JK Rowling, various publishers including but not limited to Bloomsbury Books, Scholastic Books and Raincoast Books, and Warner Bros., Inc. No money is being made and no copyright or trademark infringement is intended. I do not own Harry Potter, its characters, or anything associated with it. I'm not making any money from this story, and I don't intend to.
Challenge & Summary: Challenge FM12: It's their first Christmas together at Twelve Grimmauld Place, and Sirius wants to give Remus something special. (Besides himself, that is.)

The lights were off when he Apparated back to Grimmauld Place. He carefully opened the front door and stepped inside. He shucked his jacket and crept out of hearing range of Mrs. Black, and called, “Sirius?”

He heard no response. He walked through the hall, approaching their shared bedroom. The door was cracked, but there was no light coming through. Remus tapped on the door cautiously before slowly pushing it fully open.

“Sirius?” He stepped in and looked around, eyes adjusting to the dark. “Are you in here?”

“Remus! What are you doing home?” Sirius’ startled voice issued from the blackness.

“What are you doing in here?” Remus scowled. He lit the lamp with his hand, and found Sirius sitting on the bed, hunched over his knees. His face was pale and drawn. All anger Remus might have felt vanished. “Are you all right?” Remus moved to the bed.

Sirius jerked away. “Wait, wait. I’m not ready yet.”

“Ready for what?” Remus stopped in his tracks. “Sirius, what’s going on?”

Sirius inhaled sharply and exhaled. “Wait. Just… give me a minute.”

“Sirius.” Remus felt his anger build again. “You’ve been avoiding me all day. What is going on? You even missed Molly’s Christmas party. Are you ill? Tell me what’s happening.”

“Your Christmas present,” Sirius said faintly. Remus blinked.

“My what?”

“I missed her party because of your Christmas present.”

“Well that’s a bit stupid. Why would you do something like that?” Remus folded his arms over his chest. Sirius turned an intense look on him, and Remus swallowed suddenly.

“Remus.”

Remus answered uneasily. “Yes?”

“Remus, I love you.”

Now Remus was worried. “Sirius, what’s going on?”

“You know I love you, right?” His face paled further and he stood, hands clenched at his sides. Remus took an involuntary step backward.

“Oh Merlin. Dumbledore gave you a mission, didn’t he?” Remus’ throat closed around the words as Sirius’ eyes went wide.

“No, no, no. Merlin, no!” Sirius covered the distance between them in two short steps and took Remus into his arms. “No, he hasn’t given me a mission.” He held Remus too tight, but Remus didn’t care. He gripped the front of Sirius’ shirt as the initial panic subsided.

“Am I going to hit you when you tell me, for making me worry?” he mumbled into Sirius’ shirt.

“Please don’t, that would hurt,” Sirius answered, his voice rumbling reassuringly against Remus’ hands. Remus tipped his head back, a small smile on his lips. Sirius pulled a hand through his hair before stepping back. Remus let him go reluctantly. “I have your present.” Remus nodded. Sirius grabbed one of his hands and bent down on one knee. Remus let out a weak chuckle.

“Sirius, while I love to see you on your knees, what exactly are you doing?”

“Shut up for a minute,” Sirius said, frowning. He glanced at the floor, composing himself, and then looked back up at Remus. “Remus, will you – ”

“If this is a trick to get me to do your laundry again, I told you that was the only time I was going to – ”

“Dammit, Remus, let me finish!” Sirius snapped. Remus clamped his jaw shut, trying to still the stream of panicked babble that was trying to get escape his mouth. His brain was in overdrive. He almost missed Sirius’ next words. “Remus, will you marry me?” With his free hand, he drew a tiny box from his side and flipped it open to reveal a plain golden ring.

Remus blinked. Sirius stared. Remus opened his mouth and closed it. Sirius’ hand clenched painfully tight around Remus’.

“What?” Remus finally asked.

Sirius let out a choked laugh. “Moony?”

“Did you – Are you – Oh Merlin…” Remus shut his mouth, trying to gather his thoughts. “This isn’t funny,” he finally settled with.

“I’m not joking.” Sirius’ voice cracked a bit. His eyes were wide and slightly panicked.

“Sirius, you just got out of Azkaban, and you want me to… to…” Remus swallowed, his hand clammy inside Sirius’.

“You don’t have to answer me now, just please, think about it.” Sirius got up on both knees and placed his hands on Remus’ hips. He stared up at Remus, who looked torn between being slightly amused at the action and terrified of answering Sirius’ question. “Remus, I love you, no matter what you say. I won’t love you less if you say no, I know I was away for a long time – ”

“Thirteen years, Pads,” Remus whispered.

Sirius looked pained. “I know, I know.” His thumbs rubbed reassuring circles under Remus’ shirt, touching cool skin and sending lovely shivers down Remus’ spine. “If I could change it, I would, but I can’t. I love you so much…” He rested his forehead against Remus’ stomach, wrapping his arms around his waist.

Remus sighed and placed his hand on Sirius’ head. He wondered why he could never, ever say no to Sirius. “Sirius.” His hands were shaking. Sirius lifted his head. “Sirius, yes.”

It was Sirius’ turn to blink and say, “What?”

Remus smiled, feeling a bit silly. “Yes. Yes.”

Sirius’ eyes lit up. He leapt to his feet, dropped the box on the ground, and grasped Remus’ face in his hands. He planted a kiss solidly on Remus’ lips. Remus gripped the back of his neck and pressed back against him hard, fighting tongue with tongue as he opened his mouth for Sirius. The other man’s lips slid hotly over his own, and Remus couldn’t stop the groan rising in his chest.

“And now for the other part of your present,” Sirius breathed against his lips. Remus found himself stumbling backwards. Sirius tipped him, and he landed on his back on the bed, with the other man immediately on top of him. Sirius placed hot nips and kisses along his jaw and down his neck. As Sirius placed hot nips and kisses along his jaw and down his neck, Remus twisted his hands into his fiancé’s long shaggy hair, biting back a small cry as stubble brushed against a new scar. Sirius paused and licked the sensitive spot, before pressing his lips there and placing a languid kiss on the skin. He rolled his head and put his lips to Sirius’ forehead.

Sirius’ fingers made quick work of the buttons, and Sirius sat up to pull the cloth aside. Remus watched in amusement as Sirius ran his fingers over some of the newer scars, a look of concentration on his face. Satisfied at what he saw, Sirius leaned over Remus and pinned him to the bed with a kiss as his free hand worked its way towards Remus’ trousers. Remus sucked in a quick breath as Sirius’ fingers ghosted over the skin just above the waist of his pants.

Sirius grinned wickedly and sat back on his heels, straddling Remus’ thighs. He undid Remus’ trousers and gently freed his cock. He performed a smooth, gentle stroke from base to tip, and watched as goose bumps spread across Remus’ skin. He did it again, bringing Remus to hardness. Smiling, he looked at the man beneath him.

“Ready for something different?” he asked slyly. Remus nodded, wriggling a bit under him. Sirius shucked his shirt in one fluid motion and placed Remus’ hands at the belt of his pants. Remus freed one hand to wrap around the other man’s neck and pull him down for a searing kiss. With Sirius held firmly in place with his lips, Remus used both hands to open Sirius’ pants and slide his fingers in. Sirius gasped against his mouth, and Remus bit gently into his lower lip. Sirius started a slow, easy motion of their hips, creating pleasant friction as Remus slipped his hands back up Sirius’ hot skin.

One of Sirius’ hands vanished, but Remus barely noticed, intent on the blinding pleasure of their hips locking. Sirius slid away, and bit gently into Remus’ shoulder. Remus turned his head back against the bed as Sirius choked out a gasp against his skin, sending a delicious shiver down Remus’ spine.

“Ready?” Sirius grunted. Remus nodded, pulling his hands deep in Sirius’ hair. Sirius slipped a hand around Remus’ cock, slick with lube. Remus didn’t have time to wonder when Sirius had gotten the bottle out, before Sirius’ entrance was lined up with the tip of his cock. Remus grit his teeth, and Sirius lowered himself.

Sirius panted, arms and legs shaking with the strain of adjusting to Remus’ length inside him. Sirius bent over, resting his elbows on the bed. He captured Remus’ lips in a slow, hot kiss, and started to rock slowly. Remus hissed at the sensation, digging his fingers into Sirius’ bare shoulders.

The pace grew faster, each thrust of Sirius’ hips eliciting a cry from Remus’ throat.

“Sirius!” Remus groaned, warning him. He grunted in response, and Remus jerked his hips up as he came inside Sirius. Sirius shook his head, sweat-heavy hair falling in Remus’ face as he choked on his breath and came in his own hand. He collapsed on Remus and pressed his forehead to Remus’ collarbone.

“Happy Christmas,” Sirius whispered, lifting his head. Remus smiled and brushed the hair from his fiancé’s face. He cupped Sirius’ cheek and pulled him close.

“Happy Christmas, Pads.”