Chapter 1

Remus

Sirius Black was made for Southern California. I cannot get over the way the sun darkens his skin and how often he has his shirt off. This is the second beach we've hit this week, and I never want to go anywhere where Sirius has to wear a shirt.

James clears his throat from where he's playing in the sand at my feet.

"What?" I ask, eyes still very much glued to Sirius splashing in the waves with Lily and Marlene.

"Moons..." James drawls.

"What, James?"

James snaps his sandy fingers in my face. "Moony."

I roll my eyes and finally look down. "Yes?"

"You're staring again," James informs me. He cups a handful of sand and adds it to the plastic castle pail that he most definitely did not have before today.

"Thank you for the observation," I mumble, dropping my eyes to the book resting in my lap.

I've been on the same page for at least half an hour. Sirius is just...too beautiful to look away from. But I can't keep staring at him, either. So, I watch James instead. He's at home here, too, all tan skin and endless energy. The number of times he dashes to the water and back for more wet sand exhausts me, and I haven't moved from my beach chair all day.

Sirius makes his way back to us and drops onto the towel next to me. "Gnarly sand castle, Prongsie."

James grins at him, glasses on the very tip of his nose. "Thanks."

"Gnarly?" I snort, again pretending to read the same page.

"Yeah. Gnarly," Sirius growls dramatically. "I'm practically a local."

"You said that in Texas when we went line dancing and you wore a cowboy hat." It was a sight to behold and something I'm very glad I got a picture of.

Sirius grins, and I thank the universe that the sunburn on my cheeks hides what would have been a very obvious blush. "I was a local there, too, partner."

James and I groan in unison, and James throws a handful of sand at Sirius. Half of the sand lands in my lap, and I squawk. "James!"

"Sorry, Moons. Collateral damage," James says, shrugging.

Lily jogs up, looking like some sort of beach goddess in a turquoise bikini, white fringe cover up, and a wide brim hat. I have never been and never will be attracted to women, but Lily is the closest I've ever gotten. And it's not just because of her looks. She huffs a few deep breaths. "It's almost two. We're going to head over to the campground."

Sirius whoops and jumps up from the ground. "Yes! Let's go!" He points at me. "You! You are going to get in the water today. I'm determined."

I shake my head and start packing up my stuff. "Not today, Sirius."

"Oh, come on. We've been at the beach for two days and all you've done is sit in your chair under your umbrella and read your book."

There's not a specific reason that I haven't actually gotten in the ocean. I can swim fine. I'm not afraid of water or sunburn. I'm not even worried about everyone seeing me without a shirt on. That's happened enough times over the last two years of travelling together that all of my scars aren't a secret anymore. Honestly, I just haven't felt like it. If Sirius tries any harder, I will cave. Especially with the puppy dog eyes he keeps throwing my way.

"Stop looking at me like that."

Marlene arrives next. She's decked out in a black one piece and matching wide brim hat. "Mary and Dorcas are having way too much fun surfing. They're going to stay and meet us at the campground later."

Lily rolls her eyes but gathers her stuff anyway. "Fine. As long as they don't get lost."

"The campground is literally down the beach," James says. "They'll be fine."

We make the trek back toward the parking lot, and I watch in amusement as James, Sirius, Lily, and Marlene attempt to wash off at the beach shower. Eventually, they give up and head toward their cars. My Ford Transit Connect is waiting for me just next to the bathrooms. Mary and Lily's sea blue bus is in the spot next to mine, and Marlene drives her and Dorcas' Sprinter van past with a wave as I'm shoving my beach chair behind the passenger seat.

Sirius texts me as I'm backing out of his spot to remind him of the camp site number - even though I'm the one that booked it. It's a relatively small campground, so it takes me no time at all to find our site. James and Sirius have beat me, and I watch as Sirius deftly backs their full size school bus in. James will never admit that Sirius is the better driver, but he does let him back into any spot without complaint. And I don't blame him. I chose one of the smallest vans for a reason. I back into my spot with ease, and James parks his blue Wrangler next to me.

"Alright! This place is amazing!" Sirius exclaims as he emerges from the bus.

It is pretty amazing. It's not the nicest campground we've stayed at, but it is one of the pricier. That's mostly because we're right on the beach. Well, our campsite isn't right on the beach. But Lily and Mary are sharing a beach site with Marlene and Dorcas right across the campground road. So, by extension, we're right on the beach.

I lean against the hood of my van and Sirius joins me with a mischievous glint that I know all too well. "Alright, Moons, come swimming with me."

"Pads..." I sigh, even though I already know I'm going to say yes.

"Please, Re. Please." The puppy dog eyes are back, and I really can't deny him when he calls me Re.

I draw out Sirius' whining, just to see him pout a little more, before saying, "Alright. Fine. Let me change."

"Yes! Yes!" Sirius throws his hands in the air. "James! Remus is going to come into the water with us!"

"Sweet!" James' voice calls back from somewhere on the other side of their bus. "Now, come help me hook up, slacker."

I huff a laugh and round my van. On autopilot, I prop the back doors open, hang a shower curtain, and crawl in. James thinks it's insanely hilarious that I, at six foot four, decided to convert and live in the smallest van. And it is sometimes annoying to not be able to stand up in what is essentially my house. But the Transit Connect was cheaper and smaller, which meant that I could convert it quickly and for as little money as possible. As a recent journalism grad with a low paying writing job at MSN and a mountain of college debt, inexpensive was imperative.

So, I make the cramped space work. And I pride myself on how I was able to utilize the tiny space as much as I did with the little building experience I had at the time. It's a simple floor plan. One side of the van is occupied by my bed, overly long and a bit narrower than I really like, and it holds my fridge (really a glorified cooler) and camping toilet (something I try to use only in emergencies).

The other side is a long countertop with cabinets underneath for storing, well, everything else. There's a sink at one end and enough room on the countertop for me to work on my laptop and cook dinner with my camp stove. I haven't cooked inside much, opting to use either the campground tables or a folding table I stow in the topper on the roof. Actually, these days, I cook more with James and Sirius than in my own van.

I dig my swim trunks and a rash guard out from under the bed and change in the relative privacy of my shower curtain set up. Just as I'm tying the drawstrings, Sirius throws the curtain open, and I let out a decidedly embarrassing squeak.

"Sirius Orion Black!"

"Ooh, the middle name," James chuckles, sticking his head around the van door. "Did he peek something, Moons?"

"No!" I snap. "I was fully dressed, but I very well could have been naked. Sirius, we've talked about this."

Sirius smiles a bit sheepishly. "Sorry. Ready?"

"Yes, I'm ready."

Lily and Marlene are setting up their camps as James, Sirius, and I wander through their site, and we run into Mary and Dorcas in their wetsuits as they lug their surfboards up the beach.

"Dinner at ours tonight?" Mary calls as they pass.

"We're bringing the salad," James confirms.

Sirius bolts straight into the water, diving in headfirst and reemerging past the crest of the waves. James and I wander in just to our ankles, and I let the sea breeze and the sun shine and cool water wash over me all at once. Sirius smooths his hair back from his face and grins at us. James loops his arm around my shoulders. And I bask in the wonder of this life I've found. I wouldn't trade it for anything.