Celandine's Chronicle (celandineb) wrote in cels_fic_haven, @ 2008-09-08 08:06:00 |
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Entry tags: | coauthor: emiime, hp fic better the instruction, hp fic remus, hp fic remus/sam |
HP fic: Better the Instruction (6/22) [Remus solo, Remus/Sam]
Title: Better the Instruction (6/22)
Authors: celandineb and emiime
Fandom: HP
Chapter pairings: Remus solo, Remus/Sam; references to Remus/Teddy.
Chapter rating: adult
Chapter length: ~9200 words
Warnings: Wanking, plugs, rimming, anal sex, incestuous fantasies.
Summary: Remus, Sam, and Teddy go to a Quidditch match, Remus and Sam have a romantic evening together, and Remus takes Teddy somewhere new.
Note: AU (Remus survived the war). See here for complete story header with all pairings/warnings. Also posted here.
Chapter 6
Remus did his utmost to discuss what Teddy should do before his fourth lesson, and when that might be, with calm and certainty. The lesson on mouths and kissing had been significantly more emotionally wrenching than he had expected, even if some of that could perhaps be attributed to the fact that the moon would be full the next night, and his body was already beginning to respond to it.
It had been difficult, though. Even as he talked them both back to a more usual father-son state, closing the spare room door behind them and offering to take Teddy for fish and chips before he went home to his own flat, Remus's mind kept presenting him with memories of the taste of Teddy's lips, his unselfconscious responsiveness to Remus's kisses, the sounds he made as he came in Remus's mouth--twice, god. He was careful to keep his long cardigan on and buttoned all the way down, disguising his physical response. It was cold enough, this time of year, that Teddy wouldn't notice anything unusual in that.
He sighed with mixed relief and regret when Teddy bounced out of the door, having given Remus one last embrace and a kiss on the cheek that was no more than he would have given his father six months before, but which now carried far more with it. He'd have a good satisfying wank, he decided, and then--no, tomorrow, a bit late tonight--he'd send an owl to Sam, try to find out what Sam's schedule for the next several weeks might be. Remus would be leaving work early Monday, and taking Tuesday off to recover, which meant he'd be working next Saturday, but he could offer to have dinner with Sam then anyhow.
Before he did anything else, though, he cleaned up the spare room, changing the sheets and making sure everything was tidy. Not that he expected any guests, but it seemed appropriate. Then he went to his own room and looked over his collection of toys, considering whether he would use one tonight. That reminded him that he had planned to buy Teddy a graduated set of plugs as a gift; he had better do so soon, so he could give them to Teddy at the next lesson and allow Teddy to use them as part of his practise and preparation for the fifth one, if he wanted. Though apparently Teddy had already acquired lubricant on his own.
Thinking of Teddy slipping a plug into his tight pink hole decided Remus on using one himself. The biggest one he had. It had been a while since he'd used it, but that oughtn't to be a problem, if he took it slowly. Sam's cock was pretty good-sized, after all.
Remus lifted the toy from its box, marvelling at the heft of it in his hand, its smooth contours. He set it on the bedside table, taking the lubricant from the drawer and placing it alongside, in preparation for his wank.
When he'd undressed, dropping his clothes in the hamper, he doused all the lights save the one on his bedside table. It illuminated the little tableau he had set up, the plug dwarfing the bottle of lubricant, and Remus felt himself clench involuntarily at the idea that the plug would soon be inside him. He was craving penetration as he sometimes did just before the moon--and when this particular craving hit, his small plugs simply would not do.
Remus sat on the bed against the headboard, his legs spread wide. His cock was half-hard already in anticipation of penetrating himself with the big toy, and he coaxed himself to full stiffness with only a few strokes, his mouth curving into a smile as he did so.
He took the lubricant from the bedside table, coating his fingers liberally with the stuff, and smoothed it over the shaft of his cock, then smeared what remained over his arsehole. He blew out a long breath.
Once he had relaxed, he began to finger his arsehole, leaving his cock bobbing untouched for the moment. He scraped his fingernails over his thigh as he penetrated himself, letting out a shuddering sigh when finally he had three fingers flexing inside his arse.
It was time for the plug.
Remus reached for it with his free hand and pressed it to his arsehole as he slipped his fingers out one by one, leaving himself stretched and ready for the blissful burn of penetration with something so large.
As the plug entered him, he gasped. Fuck, yes, this was exactly what he had wanted, to be penetrated and stretched so far that he almost thought he might not be able to bear it. He willed himself to open wider as he pressed the toy into his slick hole, hissing and grabbing at the duvet with his free hand.
A final push, a little pop, and then it was inside him, filling him just as he had desired. Remus lay there for a moment, his knees drawn up and spread wide, and just held the plug in place, floating through the feeling of fullness before he began touching himself.
The wide flared base of the plug let him hold it easily, sliding it in and out as his other hand worked his cock. Remus groaned, the pressure of the toy against his prostate sending ripples of sensation through him. Sam was a very good lover, but sometimes it was better to take care of these needs oneself. He did regret not having Sam there to kiss and to be kissed back, however, after what he'd shared with Teddy. His son had great potential, but Remus was leery of taking things too far. It was clear that Teddy was inclined to take the lessons too seriously, despite his promises. Remus let himself recall the sweetness of Teddy's mouth, both against his lips and around his prick.
He needed more. Remus paused and rearranged himself, kneeling so that he could hold the base of the plug against the mattress and sink down on it, pushing it as deeply as possible. It was a little awkward, crouching, but the result was worth it. He teased the crown of his cock, glancing down at the flaring scarlet head that bobbed against his belly. He determinedly imagined Sam there, rather than Teddy, sucking him. He'd not played with toys with Sam; perhaps he should suggest it.
Rocking against the plug, his bollocks nearly brushing the mattress as he rose and fell, Remus could feel his orgasm approaching. He slowed his tempo, drawing out the pleasure of it. The heat rose in a steady wave, flooding through him and at last cresting, semen spurting through his fingers as he shuddered and stilled.
Remus sank down to the bed, rolling over and touching the plug that still filled him so delightfully, shivering with the last aftershocks as he withdrew it. The emptiness almost had a sensation of its own, something he had always thought odd, but rather enjoyed. After a few moments to relax, he sat up and padded off to the bathroom to clean the plug properly--soap and water did a better job than any cleaning charm, although he'd used those as well before.
No, as he'd assured Teddy, there was nothing wrong with a good wank, even if you had a compatible partner. Though he did look forward to seeing Sam later in the week, and he would definitely feel Sam out about the possibility of trying a few new things together. He rather thought Sam might be more knowledgeable about certain practises than he'd previously indicated. After all, Remus knew full well he'd not heard the extent of what Sam had done during his rock star days--and if Remus had things he didn't share, sexually, why shouldn't Sam?
Remus rolled his eyes a bit at himself at this last idea. Somehow, he thought, Sam's sexual secrets probably weren't as big as Remus's most recent one.
He dressed in pyjamas and put the plug and the lubricant away, slipping between the sheets, ready for sleep to overtake him.
But sleep wouldn't come.
He growled and rearranged his pillows, flopping over onto his other side. He needed rest, for he knew he'd get little the next night. He had thought the wank would do him some good, relax him after the day with Teddy.
Oh, Teddy. Remus cringed as he recalled the plaintive note in Teddy's voice when he'd told Remus he loved him. They were walking a dangerous edge. He'd have to have a long talk with Teddy before their next lesson to clear the air. Maybe encourage him to go out to a club, or nose around to see if any of his mates might be having the same feelings Teddy was. Even if it was just a one night stand or a casual string of dates, Teddy would become a little less dependent on Remus, and that could only be a good thing.
Remus sighed and rolled onto his stomach. He already knew Teddy would refuse. But it was worth a try. He hoped.
He wondered if perhaps the lesson on kissing had been a bad idea. Too late now, he chided himself. Kissing was just so much more intimate than anything they'd already done--and, really, anything else they were going to do. A fuck was a fuck, a blowjob a blowjob. Bodies were bodies and spoke of need, but when mouths met, they spoke greater volumes than bodies ever could.
Remus traced his fingers over his lips as he lay there in the semidarkness, moonlight streaming through a crack in the curtains. What had he done?
He was still worrying over it when, finally, sleep overcame him.
The next day he worked only until mid-afternoon, needing to go home and take the Wolfsbane Potion before the moon rose; early, at this time of year. He drank it with distaste, then made his usual sweep of the house, ensuring that all the doors and windows were secure, before retreating to the cellar he'd had reinforced years before.
No one had stayed with him during his transformations since Sirius. Tonks had offered to do so, but Remus feared that even with the potion to keep him calm and relatively harmless, the sheer change in him would disturb the delicate equilibrium of their relationship. Far better to be alone, he thought. He never remembered much of the night, only vague sensory impressions, but the transformation back to his human form was never less than excruciating as bone and sinew and muscle tore themselves apart and re-knitted. He howled his way through the pain--not something he wanted anyone to witness, sympathetic though they might be.
Whimpering, he lay naked on the carpet, until the cold creeping through forced him to rise and put on the dressing gown and slippers he'd left hanging from hooks on the wall, where the wolf usually would not disturb them. He'd go and have a hot bath, then some tea, and rest the day away. Sam might drop by that afternoon, he'd indicated in his reply to Remus's note yesterday.
Unlike last month, though, Remus had determined that he wouldn't rely on Sam to bring him his supper. He'd put together a strata, layers of spinach and cheese and bread all soaked in egg, which would be easy to bake tonight. There was plenty for two, if Sam did come, and if not Remus was quite happy to eat the leftovers for another night or two.
The hot bath and then a long nap left Remus fairly well recovered, although he was glad that he could take things easy. The question of Teddy and his evident emotions still troubled him. He brought the parchment with his lesson notes out, un-enchanted it, and began to doodle at the bottom of the page, trying to think of a way to move past this.
It wasn't just Teddy, either. He had to admit that. Yes, Remus was happy with Sam, more than he'd been with any lover in a very long time, since Sirius, in fact, and he was glad that the feeling seemed to be mutual. Nevertheless a willing and enthusiastic young man was a real temptation--the worse for being Remus's own son. He'd overcome the taboo enough to teach Teddy; it should be no surprise that he might want more, and still less that Teddy would.
He would have to get over the feelings that arose in him each time he remembered kissing his son. He snorted at this thought. Easier said than done, that was.
Perhaps if he could ensure that Teddy would focus on the essence of each future lesson, they could avoid it... but no, no, he'd been so intent on making sure that Teddy built upon what he had learned so far that he couldn't abandon kissing altogether.
Nor did he want to. Dammit.
Remus was jolted from his thoughts by the sound of the front door opening. A day or two before the moon, he'd have heard the key turning in the lock, but now he was tired and his senses were dulled. Quickly he spelled the parchment back to its disguised form and slipped it back into his desk drawer as Sam called out from the front hall.
"Remus?"
"In here," Remus replied, rising from his chair, his bones creaking.
Sam was at his side in a moment, embracing him with gentle strength, kissing his jaw. "Missed you," he said. "How was last night?"
Remus shook his head and kissed Sam's lips as if that would override what he'd done with Teddy. "The same," he said. "The same as ever. I'm glad you're here."
If Sam noticed that Remus's kisses were greater in number than usual, especially with Remus exhausted after the moon, he said nothing. They chatted amiably over dinner, two helpings each of the strata Remus had set to bake, and afterward Remus asked if Sam would like to spend the night.
"I'll have to leave early in the morning," Sam said, "but yes. I'd like that."
"I have to disclose, though, that I won't be up for anything physical tonight," Remus said, and he put the last bite of strata in his mouth.
"Lucky for you, then," said Sam, "I'm not just in this for the physical aspect."
Remus smiled around his mouthful. They cleared the table together, leaving the dishes for the morning, and played a game of Wizard chess and argued about Winkus Oddpick's op-ed piece in that day's Prophet before Remus began to yawn and his eyelids began to droop.
"Bedtime, I'm afraid," he said, and he let himself lean on Sam as they climbed the stairs together.
"Oh," Sam said as they undressed for bed, "I meant to ask--how's Teddy?"
"He's," Remus paused to toss his socks in the hamper, "he's fine, as far as I know. He was over on Sunday to visit, but you know boys of that age; they don't talk about their lives all that much. I guess he's settling into a bit of a routine, though, as he said he'd been to the Leaky with a few friends on Saturday."
All of which was true enough, although misleading. Remus didn't look at Sam as he spoke. "Be right back, I need to clean my teeth," he said.
"So do I," said Sam cheerfully, and went with Remus to the bathroom. "I'm glad to hear that Teddy doesn't seem to be too upset with you about me." His voice was slightly muffled by the toothbrush. "I was a bit worried that after he'd thought about it longer, he might be, even if he's fancied a bloke or two himself. It's not the same when it's your own dad."
"No, it isn't." Remus cleared his throat. "But he does seem all right with the idea that I'm queer, at least, and as far as I can tell he likes you... even if maybe he'd rather have his dad all his, so to speak, he's old enough to realise that that isn't possible. He'll go off and have his own life, and he knows I'll have mine."
Sam put his toothbrush back in the rack and slipped an arm around Remus's waist. "Good to hear." He smelled of mint and soap, and Remus turned and held him tight for a moment.
"Thank you for asking," he murmured.
"I care about you, you know that, which means that now that your son knows about us, I want to get along with him too." Sam's shoulders rose and fell in a shrug. "If--Merlin forbid--I'd ever had any children, you'd do the same."
"Why are you so glad you didn't have a child?" Remus asked when they had climbed into bed, and he'd made his usual desultory protest at the way Sam put his cold feet next to Remus's warm ones. "The work you do, both teaching voice lessons and the charity work--I'd think you'd make quite a good parent, actually."
Sam chuckled. "I'm good with kids in small doses, mostly," he said, "especially the younger ones. There are days when I don't think I can stand to hear Priscilla Creevey sing another note, for example, but her mother brings her in all the same, then little Prissy gets upset and wets her pants and she's taken home. I don't have to clean it up. Teddy, on the other hand--well, he's technically an adult, isn't he? Teddy, I like."
Remus mm-ed, pushing Sam's feet away again. "I'm glad," he said, "though I have to tell you, he did wet his pants as a small boy." He laughed, and so did Sam.
"They all do!" Sam exclaimed. "Not to mention heaps of other things I don't think I'd have the patience to deal with constantly. I may have had my share of young witches claiming they were pregnant with my kid during my day, but thank god that's all over."
They had talked extensively on that topic before. Sam had been slapped with nearly a dozen paternity suits in a year's time, none of which, after extensive spellwork by specialists at St. Mungo's, had been proven valid.
"Except Angela Singer," Sam had recalled with a sigh. "We were close since we were kids. Neighbours. Good friends. Hers might have been the only one that was actually mine. If it had ever got to be born. And then--" He'd waved his hand as if to wave away the memory. Remus knew what came next; he remembered the headlines in all the papers when the entire Singer family had been killed by Death Eaters, the photo of the Dark Mark floating over their house, green and sinister.
Remus had merely put a hand over Sam's, then, and the two of them had sat in silence until the moment had passed.
Remus wondered sometimes if Sam ever thought about the kid that might have been, but he never asked. And he had wondered whether Sam's protests were always genuine--he suspected they were, mostly, but sometimes he wasn't sure. Sam was awfully good at covering his feelings sometimes.
But Remus put the what-ifs out of his mind as Sam let out a contented sigh. And as the waning moon peered in the window, he drew Sam closer, holding him as they fell asleep together.
"Damn," Sam swore in the morning, sipping hastily at a too-hot cup of tea and glancing at the clock. "I'm late. Board meeting breakfast--I'll never understand why we have to meet at these hours. Lunch would be far more civilised." He stood up, leaving the half-drunk tea, and gave Remus a buss on the lips. "I'd much rather have breakfast with you. It's nice not to eat alone, I will say, but trying to work over breakfast is worse."
"You told me last night you had to leave early. It's fine." Remus caught Sam's hand and squeezed it for an instant. "You can come back tonight, or later this week if you're too busy. I do have to work on Saturday, since I took yesterday off, but we could go have a nice dinner Saturday evening, perhaps?"
"That would be good." Sam was shrugging into his coat. "I'll owl you later, or come by this evening, for a bit anyhow. See you then!" And with that, he was gone.
Remus finished his own tea and munched on a piece of toast spread with plenty of sweet butter and blackcurrant jam. Things were definitely becoming serious with Sam; he might not have given Remus a key to his flat yet, but he seemed very comfortable with the idea of simply dropping by. Which was good, very good, although it was going to complicate the last several lessons with Teddy.
He pondered the possibilities. Despite the potential for emotional trouble after their last lesson, Remus was unwilling to renege on his promise and stop the lessons altogether. He'd indicated to Sam that Teddy was reasonably comfortable with the idea of Sam and Remus being together... but perhaps he could put the notion out that the three of them could spend a Saturday doing something--watching a Quidditch match perhaps--and then he would spend the Sunday just with Teddy? Remus nodded to himself. That might be a good way to manage it, if Sam didn't happen to be conveniently away one of the next several weekends.
As long as Sam was all right with going out with Remus and Teddy in public. Well, it shouldn't be a problem; Sam and Remus had had dinners out together more than once, without feeling they were being too indiscreet. It was one thing not to parade one's relationships in public, but another to live in fear.
The day dragged by, full of the usual minutiae--restocking shelves, assisting customers to find the books they wanted, manning the till. Remus was still a little stiff and sore from Monday, but he ignored it as best he could, looking forward to seeing Sam that night. He spotted Teddy hurrying past in the street at lunchtime, talking with another young man, and smiled to himself.
It was probably nothing at all, but the sight reassured Remus. Talking was something, at least--and quite often something led to, well, something else. And Teddy's hair had been a happy bright turquoise, which fanned the flame of hope in Remus's heart.
That evening, he sent out two owls: one to Sam, and the other to Teddy. He had seen in the paper that there would be an exhibition Quidditch game between the Holyhead Harpies and the Pride of Portree; it might have been too late to get tickets but for the fortunate acquaintance between Remus and Catriona McCormack, a regular shopper at Flourish and Blotts, who was in at least once a week.
He knew that her daughter Meghan was--or had been, how long had it been now? three years, so probably still was--the Keeper for the Prides, and that her son Kirley had taken guitar lessons from Sam several years ago, so it would be easy to strike up a conversation the next time he saw her and attempt to get a few tickets.
Yes, that would be perfect, Remus reflected as he straightened up the kitchen after his supper that evening. Perhaps a bit odd--but to the world they would just be old friends out to see a match on a blustery day. Quite manly, really, taking one's son to see a Quidditch game in November. Remus smiled to himself.
Catriona produced three tickets with delight at Remus's interest in watching her daughter play. Remus was pleased when both Teddy and Sam accepted the invitation--Teddy almost immediately, by return owl--and he fell asleep easily that night, dreaming the dreams of a man with nothing to trouble him.
Saturday dawned bright and cold. Remus was up with the sun and was sipping tea in the kitchen when Sam showed up. A light snow had fallen during the night, and Sam kicked his boots off at the kitchen door, grinning.
"I love this," he declared. Remus quirked an eyebrow.
"This is precisely why you're on top more often," he declared, and this set Sam to laughing. Remus chuckled and made Sam a cup of tea. Well, it was true. The older Remus got, the less use he had for blustery days and snow and rain--he swore his blood got thinner with each passing year. And his blood might be warm, but that just meant that he felt the cold more. It might not have been terribly masculine, but he preferred his jumpers and firesides and cups of hot English Breakfast.
"When's Teddy coming? The match starts at nine o'clock, right?" Sam asked.
"He should be here at any moment." Remus glanced at the clock. "We've plenty of time, though. I thought we'd just Apparate there; it's quickest."
Sam nodded and sipped at his tea. They sat in comfortable companionship for ten or fifteen minutes, drinking their tea and making intermittent conversation as they waited for Teddy.
Remus was starting to wonder where his son was when Teddy banged in, his face glowing with cold and hair an electric blue under the woolly cap he had on. "Hey, Dad, Sam," he said cheerfully. "I stopped and picked up some pastries to take with us."
"Let me guess, they're all full of jam and cream." Remus grinned, knowing Teddy's sweet tooth.
Teddy laughed. "Well, mostly, but not all. I'm ready whenever you two are."
"Give me a couple of minutes, Ted; I need to find my purple jumper and use the loo first." Remus collected the teacups and carried them over to the sink, then hurried upstairs to rummage through his drawers for the jumper in question, which was the warmest one he owned, perfect for watching Quidditch in November. He had finished using the toilet and was washing his hands when he realised that Sam was standing in the doorway, watching him. He'd put on his shoes again, and was wearing a very smart black cloak.
"What?"
"Nothing. Just wanted to make sure you'd found the jumper, or see if I could help." Sam came up behind Remus and slid his hands up underneath the purple wool. "But I see my help's not necessary." He kissed the nape of Remus's neck, and Remus leaned into the embrace.
"Help, maybe not, but you can keep doing that," he murmured.
Sam kissed him again. "If I do, Teddy will be woefully disappointed at missing the match."
"True. We'd better go, then."
Teddy was indeed practically dancing with impatience when they got back downstairs. "Here's your cloak, Dad," he said, holding it out. "Come on!"
Remus shrugged his cloak on, laughing, and wound his scarf around his neck. They all Apparated separately, ending up just outside the stands, and made their way through the crowd. Sam clasped Remus's hand in his for a moment in the middle of the crowd where no one could see, and Remus's heart beat a little faster. They met Catriona at their seats, and Remus made introductions all around--Sam remembered her bringing Kirley in for lessons; he had been a particular talent--and the four of them settled in as the match began, chatting amongst themselves.
The match was an exciting one--Portree won, 350 to 310--and afterwards, Catriona's daughter Meghan, glowing with sweat in the afternoon sun, invited them all to the victory celebration at a pub that Remus had seen but had never been inside. Bacchus, it was called, and it was more a place for young people, he thought.
Remus and Sam begged off, but Teddy seemed to be considering the prospect.
"Go," Remus insisted. "How often do you get to spend time with professional Quidditch players?"
Teddy went, after some deliberation and a promise to come over for breakfast the next morning. He hugged Remus goodbye, then turned to Sam and hesitated. After a moment, he stuck out his hand, which Sam shook, grinning. And then Teddy was gone, swept up by the crowd.
Sam bent to murmur in Remus's ear. "Are you hoping he'll meet someone?"
Remus nodded. "Were my motives that transparent?"
"Not to Teddy, I don't think," Sam said, "and maybe he will. Meet someone, that is. You never know."
Remus certainly hoped so.
They said their goodbyes to Catriona, thanking her again for the tickets, and wandered through Holyhead together, distancing themselves from the dispersing Quidditch crowd. The wind had picked up--not surprising on an island, Remus supposed--and he shivered even with all he was wearing. Sitting still in the stands had chilled him.
"Tea?" he suggested when he saw a teashop. "It's a bit early for dinner, I suppose."
"Sounds good. Although I want to take you to dinner later," said Sam. "I have a special place in mind in Edinburgh; I made a reservation for three, but it shouldn't be a problem to turn up with just two people. If you don't mind some extra Apparating?"
"Not at all, and I'd love to," said Remus.
They ordered a pot of Earl Grey to share, which was Sam's favourite and Remus didn't mind it once in a while, and sat drinking slowly and discussing the finer points of the match. Meghan had struggled a bit that day, allowing more goals than she usually did, according to Catriona, but the rest of the team had done reasonably well and Portree's Seeker had saved the match for them.
Dusk had set in by the time they emerged.
"We could go to Edinburgh now, do a bit of wandering before dinner," said Sam. "The reservation isn't for nearly two hours."
Remus had never spent any time to speak of in the city, and enjoyed walking through its older streets, full of grey stone buildings. "Where are we eating?" he asked presently.
"It's called the Witchery." Sam grinned. "It's here in the old town, very near the gates of Edinburgh Castle, and has absolutely wonderful food. I've had a starter of grilled mixed wild mushrooms that was amazing; it's not exactly the season for those now, but I'm sure there will be other choices."
"Sounds delicious." Remus's mouth watered. The snacks they'd eaten at the Quidditch stadium seemed a very long time ago, especially after walking up and down the hilly and windy streets.
Remus was surprised to find, when they arrived, that the Witchery was actually a Muggle restaurant, but he played along, making sure his wand was stowed safely away. It was so much easier to pass for Muggles in cold weather, with jumpers and scarves and even cloaks being common to both Muggles and Wizards.
The prices were beyond what Remus was usually comfortable paying for a meal, but Sam had made the reservation and would, Remus knew, insist upon paying. He never worried about money, and Remus had learned to relax a bit around him when it came to financial matters.
They began with a dozen oysters--Sam's choice. Remus enjoyed them, to his delighted surprise--he'd had the chance to sample them before, but had never quite worked up the nerve.
Over dinner--braised oxtail for Sam, leg of rabbit for Remus--they fell into conversation about Teddy.
"Will it be odd for you if he meets a bloke?" Sam asked, his voice low.
Remus frowned. It would, actually. Not difficult, he thought, but odd, definitely. He pictured Teddy at the Quidditch celebration, his face pink with excitement and alcohol, shouting and laughing with members of the Prides and their supporters. Surely there would be a bloke or two there who weren't averse to the idea of taking a good-looking boy like Teddy home for the night.
His frown turned to a scowl, and he tapped his fork on the rim of his plate. "Yes," he said, not looking at Sam, "but it's for the best." He shrugged.
Sam reached across the table and touched Remus's shoulder. "Don't pacify yourself with platitudes like that," he said.
Remus sighed. "No, you're right." He looked up and took a breath to speak, but found he couldn't. Dammit. They'd had a nearly perfect day, capped with a delightful dinner, and now thoughts of Teddy--inappropriate thoughts of Teddy--had interrupted. Remus couldn't help picturing Teddy's pink lips wrapped around the cock of a stranger from the pub, the stranger's dirty fingernails clutching Teddy's electric blue hair, urging him on.
"He is a good kid," said Sam, "with a great dad. And, if I may say so, one who has good taste in men himself; so if Teddy does end up with someone tonight, I expect he's learned from you the kind of bloke to choose."
The creamed spinach that had come with his rabbit suddenly tasted like ashes in Remus's mouth, and he choked. But there was no way that Sam could possibly know about Teddy's lessons. He was reading too much into a casual comment.
"Er, thanks," he finally said after a good deal of coughing and sputtering and sipping at his glass of water. This was ridiculous. He'd been concerned that Teddy was becoming attached to him in an unsuitable way, but apparently the apple didn't fall far from the tree. He couldn't be jealous of his own son. He refused to be. Deliberately he turned his mind away from images of Teddy on his knees and reached for Sam's hand. "I'm flattered you think so."
"'Course I do." Sam's voice was low, his eyes bright. "Remus, you're the best thing that's happened to me in a long time."
The bare statement made Remus's heart turn over. He felt a fool for even thinking of Teddy that way when Sam was here, and Sam was who he really wanted. "You, too."
"Come to my place tonight?" Sam asked.
The waiter came to the table before Remus could answer, inquiring whether they wished to have any dessert, or coffee, or perhaps port or brandy to round out the meal. Sam chose a dark chocolate torte and coffee. Remus declined any sweets, but opted for a glass of fifteen-year-old port, and was pleasantly surprised when he was served a single chocolate truffle as well.
"Teddy's coming over to my house for breakfast tomorrow," Remus said when they were alone again, "but I can't imagine he'll be there before ten."
Sam nodded. "I promise to kick you out of bed in plenty of time to get home for that." His eyes were twinkling, and Remus chuckled.
"Done, then."
As he had expected, Sam wouldn't even let Remus look at the bill when it was presented. He had a Muggle credit card, and when he'd signed the receipt and they both rose, he took Remus's hand. "I'll Side-Along us once we're out of sight," he murmured.
There were few things Remus disliked more than the sensation that went along with Side-Along Apparition, but he had only Apparated to Sam's flat a scant handful of times, and from so far away, and after the wine they'd had at dinner and the port afterwards, perhaps Side-Along was the best choice after all. Remus closed his eyes and tried to remember to breathe as they disappeared from the alley behind the restaurant. He concentrated on Sam's arm, so sure and strong about his waist, and in a moment they were in the lavish hallway outside Sam's flat.
Remus broke away, leaning against the wall, and wiped the sweat from his brow. Sam touched him lightly on the shoulder as if to steady him, then let them both into the flat.
Once they were inside, Remus moved to the kitchen and filled a glass with water, downing it all at once. Better. He set the glass in the sink and smiled at Sam.
"All right?" Sam asked, and Remus nodded.
"I just always get a bit lightheaded from Side-Along Apparition," he said, a little embarrassed. Sam smoothed Remus's hair back and kissed his temple.
"When you're feeling better," he murmured against Remus's skin, "shall we go into the bedroom?"
Remus put his arms around Sam. "Do you really think I can refuse an offer like that?"
Sam grinned and kissed Remus's temple again. "I certainly hope not." He kissed Remus's mouth, then, and Remus hummed a little as Sam's tongue licked along the seam of his lips. He opened his mouth, letting Sam's probing tongue in, sighing into their kiss. He was getting hard already, and Sam's kisses had certainly helped him to recover from the Apparition.
Sam walked Remus backwards into the bedroom, tugging at the front of his trousers all the while. Remus tried to reciprocate, but Sam pushed him gently onto the bed and knelt between his legs, unzipping his trousers and shoving them down.
"Just let me--" he said, and he reached into Remus's pants.
Remus murmured in his throat as first the cool air, then the wet warmth of Sam's mouth closed around his cock. With double vision he saw Teddy in exactly the same pose, and swallowed, caressing Sam's hair to bring himself back to the welcome reality of the present. Sam licked along the length from base to tip, flickering his tongue in the slit, making Remus gasp.
Sam shifted, settling himself more comfortably, resting his arms on Remus's thighs, from which he used one hand to tease Remus's bollocks and the other to slide under his jumper and toy with the hair on his chest.
"Oh," Remus groaned when Sam sucked hard for a moment and then relaxed his throat to let Remus's prick slip almost all the way into his mouth. "Oh, fuck, that's good."
With his mouth too occupied to reply, Sam merely rubbed Remus's belly in a gentle circle.
The tender insistence of Sam's fondling caresses had Remus on the verge of coming far sooner than he wanted; this was no night for a quick tumble, not after such a day and evening. He touched Sam's cheek. "Not yet, please?"
Sam let go of him with a little pop of suction, and looked up, his eyes dilated. "No?"
"I want you in me," Remus requested.
"All right, but I want to rim you beforehand," Sam said, nuzzling along the crease of Remus's thigh. It tickled, and Remus laughed.
"You think I'll say no to that?"
"Nope." Sam grinned. "Maybe we should both finish taking off our clothes first, though." He suited actions to words, standing up and quickly unbuttoning and unzipping until he stood naked, his cock curving up hard and red and eager.
Remus shoved his own clothes to the floor as well, and knelt, resting his head on his folded arms, his arse raised for Sam's delectation. Sam pressed a long trail of kisses down Remus's back, then spread Remus's cheeks apart and murmured a cleaning charm before taking a long, loving taste.
"Ohh," Remus moaned, and he spread his legs wider as Sam's tongue teased around his entrance, swirling and lapping over the puckered hole. Remus could feel himself relaxing, growing looser, as Sam pointed his tongue and began to spear it into him. Sam always made greedy little panting noises when he rimmed Remus, and this time was no exception. The noises turned Remus on fiercely; he gave answering moans and murmured Sam's name in encouragement.
Sam pressed a suckling kiss to Remus's hole, then blew hot breath across it. A convulsive shiver made its way down Remus's spine at the new sensation, the breath of air.
"Not done with you yet," Sam murmured against Remus's hole as Remus shifted on the bed.
Remus groaned.
"What, do you like that, when I talk with my mouth full of you?"
Remus whimpered.
"Yes," he hissed, and he grabbed his rock-hard prick, squeezing at the base of it, afraid he would come before Sam had filled him.
"Love to lick you," Sam murmured between licks of Remus's arsehole, "Love to eat your arse, suck your hole, fuck you with my tongue." His words fell off into indistinct mumblings as he pressed his mouth even closer to Remus, his lips surrounding Remus's hole, his tongue spearing him wide open.
Remus cried out wordlessly, still squeezing his cock to stave off his impending orgasm. "Sam, Sam," he chanted as Sam filled his entrance with his eager tongue, then withdrew, licking wide stripes over Remus's stretched hole.
"Love this," Sam declared, and he licked again, again. "Love your arse so fucking much."
"God, Sam, please," Remus begged, and after one final lick, he felt Sam move, kneeling up and positioning the head of his cock right at Remus's entrance.
"Love you so much," Sam said just as he pushed in, his fingers digging into Remus's hips.
Remus came with a howl, prick throbbing in his hand, arse clenching tight around Sam's cock as he shook with the force of it. "Sam," he gasped. "Oh Sam. I love you too."
Sam's mouth came down to bite and suck at Remus's neck as Remus reared back to meet him. He thrust fiercely, possessively, holding Remus tight. Remus could only acquiesce to the sudden demand, letting Sam take him hard, loving the way that Sam showed his desire.
It wasn't long before Sam too found his release in Remus's body. Still holding Remus in a firm embrace, Sam rolled them both over so that they spooned together on the bed.
"I meant that," Sam murmured, his breath hot against Remus's ear. "It wasn't just the heat of passion talking, or anything."
"I know. So did I," Remus replied. He took Sam's hand and brought it to his lips, then pressed it against his heart. "It's not something I've said in a long time." Except to Teddy, his conscience nagged him. But that's different, he retorted silently. Son, not lover.
Sam let out a shuddering sigh and hugged Remus closer. "Me, either. I didn't expect to feel like this toward you, you know. Not because you're a werewolf--if that bothered me, I'd have never asked you out in the first place--but because we lead such different kinds of lives."
"I'm pretty ordinary, it's true," said Remus ruefully. "Single father who works in a bookshop. Whereas you're an ex-rock star who spends half his time teaching talented music students and the other half popping 'round the globe doing brilliant work for charity."
"Yes, more or less," Sam admitted. "But when I'm around you--I feel more me. And I like that. It's a feeling I very much want to hold on to, and it doesn't matter to me what you do for a living or what anyone else might think, not really."
"Well, I'm very fond of you," said Remus, "so I'm really pleased you said that. I may have had a crush on Stubby Boardman, but--" He paused, smiling a little, then blurted, "but I'm in love with Sam. With you."
Sam punched him playfully, then hugged him again. They lay together in silence for several minutes, and Remus felt his eyelids begin to droop. Sam gave a great yawn, then squeezed one of Remus's arsecheeks.
"Let's get clean," he said through another yawn, "and then let's sleep."
Remus thought that this was a capital idea, though he groaned when Sam peeled his body away and stood up. He dragged himself to his feet and pulled on his pants and vest, then joined Sam in the bathroom, where he was brushing his teeth, wearing a garishly polka-dotted dressing gown that Sam had been given by his mother and never worn, so he'd lent it to Remus.
"You know," Sam said, spitting into the sink and taking in Remus's outfit, "maybe you should buy a new dressing gown."
"I have a new one," Remus pointed out. "Teddy gave it to me last Christmas. The plaid one. You've seen it."
Sam leaned against the counter, watching Remus brush his teeth. "No," he said, folding his arms over his chest, his expression deadpan. "I mean one to keep here."
Remus paused a moment, eyeing Sam's reflection in the mirror.
"I mean, you already keep a toothbrush here," Sam continued.
Remus spat into the basin. "I don't 'keep it here'," he countered. "You just happened to have an extra one the first time that I spent the night, and said it was mine to use." He pointed the brush at Sam before placing it back in the holder and rinsing his mouth.
Sam embraced him from behind, burying his face in Remus's neck. "Maybe next time I'll just have to have a more attractive extra dressing gown lying around, then," he said.
"Maybe." Remus caught himself smiling and turned around in the embrace. Sam kissed him, pressing him back against the sink.
And Remus closed his eyes and let himself drift in the moment. Though they had been fairly serious about each other for a while, to the point of not seeing other people in a romantic context, neither man had ever told the other he loved him. And while Remus didn't necessarily want to move in together with Sam--not yet, anyway, though he wasn't entirely opposed to the idea of it, sometime in the future, depending on conditions--he knew that the gesture of the dressing gown was Sam's response to being given the key to Remus's house.
In the morning Remus had a cup of tea with Sam before going home, leaving Sam on his sofa with the morning Prophet. They'd agreed that Sam would come to Remus's house on Monday night, but Sam seemed to understand that it would be best to let Teddy have some time alone with his father--"If he didn't find someone else to spend Sunday with and not show up at all," Sam said with a grin. "Just kidding; I'm sure he'd at least let you know, one way or another."
Remus agreed with that. Teddy might be late occasionally, but he knew better than not to be where he'd said he would be, not without notice. And, indeed, Remus was frying sausages and mushrooms and eggs when Teddy walked in.
"How was your evening with the Quidditch players?" Remus asked.
Teddy's eyes shone. "Brilliant. Not that I could ever be one of them, but it was a lot of fun to hear them rehash their past games, argue about how they could have played better in certain situations, that sort of thing. A couple of the reserve team members are only a year or two older than I am, too, so we talked about what it's like to leave school and not know for sure what you're going to do; Andrew worked at the Owl Post for a year before he was picked up for the Portree team."
Andrew, eh? Remus divided the food and carried the plates to the table. "I'm glad you had a good time. So did I."
"I suppose you and Sam did something after the match too?" Teddy swallowed a mushroom and looked around. "He didn't stay overnight, did he?"
"No, we had a nice dinner and then I stayed at his flat, actually. He knew that you were coming over for breakfast so I left early." Remus cut off a piece of sausage. "But I got plenty of sleep and I hope you did too."
"Enough." Teddy turned pink. "I was out rather late, but I'll be fine."
Remus wondered if Teddy had just been out late drinking, or if he'd been doing anything else. He rather hoped that it had been the latter, but he didn't like to ask and seem too intrusive. "Have you had enough chance to practise those charms I taught you last time?"
Teddy choked on a bite of sausage. He took a moment to recover, hitting himself on the chest and wheezing. He cleared his throat and looked across the table at Remus, who waited patiently for a response.
"Um," he said, his face even pinker after his exertion, "I did. A couple of times."
"Only a couple of times?" Remus put on his sternest professor face. "Do you think you've mastered them after only 'a couple of times'?"
Teddy hung his head a little, poking at the remaining eggs on his plate. "No," he admitted, "probably not."
Remus's imagination went wild. Had Teddy not practised the cleansing charms because he'd been out at least twice this week (twice that Remus knew about, anyway--could there have been more?) with other blokes? And what had Teddy done with those blokes? Whatever it was, apparently it didn't involve cleansing charms--which could either be very good or very bad, depending on the situation.
He decided not to ask, though he ardently wanted to know.
"All right," he said, dabbing his napkin at the corners of his mouth, finished with his breakfast. "We'll practise them some more a little later today, then."
Remus's choice of words had not gone unnoticed by Teddy. "What do you mean, later?"
Remus stood, taking his plate to the sink. "I thought we'd take a little trip first, Ted. To London."
"Why?" Teddy scraped the last of his eggs into his mouth as he crossed the kitchen with his plate. Remus gave him a look that clearly said Finish your breakfast at the table, please before he answered.
"There's a shop there that I'd like us to visit together. A Muggle shop. I believe the polite term is an 'adult' shop."
Teddy puzzled over this for the briefest of moments. "You mean a--a sex shop?"
Remus coughed. "Yes. A Muggle one, where no one will know us. Still, though, I'd like it if you could change your appearance a bit--we do look rather alike, after all." He paused, regarding his son. "The shop is called Prowler--which is, I'll admit, a ridiculous name, but it has what we'll be looking for."
"What's that?" Teddy shoved his hands in his jeans pockets and leaned back against the counter.
"Hand me the frying pan," Remus told him as he started to wash up. "Well, the next lesson is toys. Not today's, but the one after. I wanted to buy you a few things. Generally it's not a good idea to share toys, or at least, you want to be very careful about it and clean them well."
Teddy's eyes went wide. "What are you going to buy for me?"
"A set of plugs. Perhaps one or two other things. And of course, you're free to buy whatever you like for yourself as well." Remus put the last dish in the rack and reached for the towel to dry his hands.
"P-plugs?" Teddy stammered. "You mean, like for my arse?"
"That's exactly it. They come in various sizes." Unconsciously, Remus licked his lips. "So grab your jacket, change your appearance, and let's go."
"Yes!" Teddy concentrated, and his cheekbones became more prominent, his nose a little wider. His hair remained blue, but then, Remus had seen plenty of Muggle boys Teddy's age with blue hair, and the changed face was enough that he didn't resemble Remus any more.
Since it was a Muggle destination, rather than Apparating directly, they first went to King's Cross, then took the Tube to the Piccadilly Circus stop and walked the rest of the way to Prowler.
"It's not like I thought it would be," Teddy whispered to Remus as they went in. "It's all, I don't know, bright and clean."
Remus squeezed Teddy's hand. "Why don't you look around a little bit? See if anything catches your eye."
Teddy moved off, looking very young as he gazed at all of the paraphernalia the shop stocked. Remus reassured himself that he was right there, and nothing could possibly happen to Teddy here in the middle of the day. He found a set of three plugs in graduated sizes that seemed to be pretty close to what he'd hoped for, and looked at several others that were larger... not for Teddy, perhaps, but for himself or maybe Sam.
He considered a vibrating plug, but frowned and put it back when he realised he'd either have to stock up on batteries or keep going into Muggle shops to buy them. He preferred to stay close to home and generally disliked shopping in Muggle stores, so that wouldn't do. He crossed his arms over his chest, still holding the set he'd chosen for Teddy, and was deciding between two plugs, one slightly larger than the other--he thought he'd bring the idea of toys up to Sam, after all--when a voice sounded behind him.
"Remus?"
Remus's heart shot into his throat and his eyes went wide. He spun around, certain he'd been discovered in a sex shop with his son. Oh, god, he'd never be able to explain--
And there was Teddy, rocking back on his heels.
Remus scowled. "What do you mean, frightening me like that?" he whispered.
"Well, I didn't want to call you--" Teddy looked around and mouthed the word Dad. Remus nodded, his heartbeat slowing, and he patted Teddy's shoulder.
"Sorry--yes. Of course. You just startled me, that's all." He noticed Teddy was clutching something behind his back. "Have you found something for yourself?"
Teddy's cheeks went pink, and the ends of his hair went magenta. He hastily shook his head and his hair turned back to all blue.
"Sorry," he said, smoothing a hand over his hair. "Um, yeah, though. Just a magazine." He didn't offer to show it to Remus, and Remus decided not to ask. Maybe they could look over it together when they got home. But Remus had everything he wanted, and his nerves were a bit jangled, so he proposed they leave, unless Teddy wanted to look at anything else.
Teddy shook his head. "I might want to come back here sometime, though, if that's okay."
Remus smiled as they walked up to the counter together. "Anytime you like--just be careful." He nearly asked if Teddy would be returning with a friend, but he bit his tongue as they paid for their purchases. As an afterthought he added a couple of bottles of lube from a display near the counter; it was a brand he'd used before and found good.
With the parcel discreetly tucked under his arm, Remus considered whether they should go to any other shops while they were out, but decided that they'd probably do best simply going home. They were lucky enough to find seats together on the train--even on a wet November Sunday, the tourists were out in force--and he murmured to Teddy, "Ready for your next lesson?"
Teddy nodded vehemently and took Remus's hand, staring with defiance at a middle-aged man whose mouth was pursed in vinegar disapproval--whether it was of two men holding hands in public, or Teddy's colourful hair, Remus didn't know. He was glad that Teddy was willing to be open about his preference, even if this particular manifestation of it might be inappropriate. No one else could possibly know that, after all, so he squeezed Teddy's hand back and counted the stations as they passed.