A.N./ This is kind of reads like an epilogue for "The Staircase," but it doesn't have to be. I was listening to a lot of The Fray and I just wanted to see if more people might comment on this one. Please, please, please comment if you like it! I feel like a failure with the last two chapters that I did. So, with that, enjoy the story!

The Morning After

Remus felt his body jolt up before he even opened his eyes. Without thinking, he jumped out of his bed, nearly getting tangled in the heavy hangings. The clatter that he made caused the hangings of the bed beside his to ruffle and a mess of black hair pushed through and a pair of sleep pale eyes looked frantically around the room. After searching for the sound, those eyes, clouded with sleep, met with his.

It was like he was seeing them for the first time.

Sirius gave a lazy smile and Remus felt his stomach melt, suddenly realizing their confrontation last night. How they had crashed into each other and shared their very first kiss. Remus' breath came short just thinking about it. However, remembering exactly why he was so skittish, Remus turned and grabbed Sirius' clock. Classes had started three hours ago. Checking once more, finding that the time hadn't magically changed, he sat back down on his bed. "Shit," he groaned, dropping the clock and rubbing his eyes. He heard Sirius get up and sat very still, not knowing what he was going to do.

His body went ridged when the other boy sat next to him, barely close enough for them to touch bare arms. Remus conjured enough courage to look at him. Their eyes met once again and he suddenly forgot why he was nervous in the first place. This was still Sirius, just a little brighter, a little more understandable, a little more deliciously mysterious. He was still his best mate who he had been infatuated with for the past two years and who he had shared his first kiss with a mere few hours ago.

Shaking his reverie he looked around the room and found that they were the only ones sitting in the dorm. "What happened to James and Peter?"

"They left us," Sirius said, leaning back on his arms.

"Wankers," Remus mumbled, leaning forward, placing his elbows on his knees. He couldn't make the little spiders inside of his stomach stop from crawling. He could feel one tickling at his throat at that very moment.

"Actually," Sirius said idly from behind him, "I vaguely remember Peter poking me, but I think I whacked him in the face so he didn't do it again. I saw James go to your bed too, but I fell back asleep before I said anything."

Remus half turned around, frowning. "You let me sleep in?"

Sirius looked a bit taken aback. "…Yeah …" he said cautiously. It had dawned upon him who exactly who he was dealing with. "I thought it might help for you to sleep in a bit." Remus recognized that Sirius was just as nervous as he was and relief washed over him.

So, leaning back, facing him, so close that his belly touched Sirius' own. After a moment's hesitation where he felt Sirius' breath on his lip, he kissed him softly. It wasn't deep and passionate like they had let themselves become carried away with last night. It was slow and sweet and innocent. It made his heart throb and the heat rush into his face then down into his gut. Sirius lifted his hand and ran his fingers through Remus' bed tousled hair. There was a low moan and Remus didn't know which one of them initiated it, but he pulled away, his breathing shallow, and too preoccupied with looking at those full lips.

Before he knew what was going on, Sirius' tongue was in his mouth and needle pinpoints were running up and down his spine. A fire started on his stomach, chasing away those spindly spiders. He shoved his tongue against Sirius' with an enkindled want, a need he could not deny. They kissed that way for what seemed an eternity, and Remus was fine with it. As long as he felt the slide of tongues, the smack of lips, and Sirius' fingers in his hair, he would forever be content. Sirius let go, taking deep breathes and kissing at his neck as Remus kissed his brow sweetly. He marveled silently at Sirius' reactions, loving the way that the simple touch could set his body trembling.

But Sirius rested that kissed forehead in the crook of Remus' neck with a soft moan. "What are we going to do now?" He asked this with a tone that Remus hade never heard from Sirius before: despair.

Remus leaned back, laying down with Sirius half on top of him. He stroked his hair with one hand and his back with the other. "We just keep doing this," he said, unsure himself. They couldn't go out in public like this together, and they couldn't really tell anyone. All they could do was just be. Remus placed his lips to his temple, moving the sweet touch slowly down from cheek, to jaw, to chin, to nose, to lips. His body tensed as sparks ignited in his chest again. He wondered if every kiss would do this to him.

Remus sighed, knowing he'd have to get up and go for the rest of whatever little class they must have. He didn't know how he'd explain himself, but he would have to think of that while he got dressed. Dragging away reluctantly, he sat up. As he went to stand, Sirius' arms were around his waist, pulling him back. One of his hands were unconsciously rubbing his hipbones and all the blood in his body rushed to his face. Sirius only barely noticed the blush until he became aware of the precarious positions of his hands and blushed an even deeper red. All though these were the most thrilling moments of his life, Remus couldn't deny that the both of them were terrified of what it all meant.

Lying down on his side, he faced Sirius and watched his face carefully. Sirius scooted closer and reached for Remus' trembling hand. Once both his hands cradled the single one he began kissing first the palm, then the knuckles, then the digits. Remus swallowed the dry lump in his throat, unable to stop the words of truth from spilling out of his mouth. "We're gay."

Sirius stopped, looking up into Remus' eyes. He seemed to have been afraid of the same exact thing. But he smiled reassuringly, calming Remus' shot nerves. "Have you ever thought of another boy this way?" he asked, motioning to their clasped hands, searching deeply into his eyes.

Remus thought about it. He had imagined in depth how things would be with Sirius, multiple times, but he had never tried to think of any other boy. He would see James and Peter in the nude, but that was when they were transforming and he really never put any thought at to looking at them. Only with Sirius did he look and imagine. "Actually, no," he said, like it was a breath of fresh air.

"Me neither," Sirius smiled again.

"Well, what does that mean?" Remus said, closing his eyes, resting his forehead against Sirius' own.

Remus felt the heat radiating off of Sirius' face. Before he could pull away to see what the problem was, however, Sirius whispered, "We just fit."

Remus pulled away slightly, looking into his face. Sirius kept his eyes closed and his cheeks and ears were as red as the curtains around his bed from the statement he had just made. Remus brushed away the bangs from his face and ran his thumb over his lips, kissing him softly. Sirius smiled sheepishly. "I am a pansy, aren't I?" He gave a nervous chuckle and Remus couldn't help but laugh along as well.

No matter what the odds were, Remus felt like it didn't matter anymore. He was safe and comfortable right there in that moment. Not even the thought of people finding out about them perturbed him in the least, but he knew that was to change quickly once they were shocked back into reality. For the moment, however, they just enjoyed each other with kisses and looks and promises. The universe closed in on that small bed and nothing else seemed to matter as long as they were together.

A.N./ I'm not prone to begging, but please comment if you like the story! With final projects and exams coming up my self-esteem level is at an all time low and stress level at an all time high. Your lovely words calm the savage beast that wants to go spit in the faces of many of my teachers. Think of them, of their sakes, and please review.