some spell work

[thebloodtraitor]

It had taken Sirius the better part of two days before he'd finally found a pair of cuffs tucked into the postbox of an abandoned house. It's fuzzy and pink, as promised, and Sirius holds them like a prize as a woman eyes him suspiciously and pointedly crosses the street.

After tucking the cuffs inside his jacket, Sirius heads to Dimera. There's no guarantee Kieren will be in, but it's not as though Sirius has much else to occupy his time.

He can't quite keep the grin off his face as he taps his knuckles to Kieren's door. It's the first he's been here, though Kieren had given him the address weeks ago. There's a bit of a knot in his stomach as he waits, a mix of excitement and anticipation as well as fear. Or perhaps fear isn't the right word, but Sirius isn't certain how else to describe it.

When he hears the turn of the knob, Sirius props his arm against the door jamb and quickly pulls the cuffs from his jacket with his other hand, grinning proudly as they dangle from his finger.

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[thebloodtraitor]

Sirius has his wand a second later, murmuring the incantation to end the spell and giving a quick flick of his wrist. He's still straddling Kieren's laps, still has his other hand resting lightly on his shoulder though Kieren shouldn't feel anything but the pressure of it any longer.

"Your nose," he says quietly, nodding in a vague gesture at Kieren's face as he drops his hand away from Kieren's shoulder. "Is that blood?"

It's not like any blood Sirius has seen from a person before, but Kieren is a special case. Kieren is special, full stop.

[roartonrisen]

The blood from his nose seems to be slowing, enough that Kieren can tentatively nod. All of a sudden, he feels very, very young and he doesn't know how to make that better. "All of a sudden, it just came out," he says, a note of fear in his voice. What if the medication isn't working anymore? What if this is just one of the signs before he starts to become that monster he'd been when he surfaced from the ground.

[thebloodtraitor]

Kieren is shaken, that much is obvious. And, if he's honest, Sirius is as well.

Though, strangely, he's more curious than unsettled. Wand still held in one hand, Sirius slowly lifts the other, reaching for Kieren's face. "Can I?" he asks, stopping only centimeters away.

[roartonrisen]

Kieren's nod is a trembling thing, feeling scared and worried and missing all the people that could tell him what it means, but at least he still has Sirius. Right now, the only thing he wants, actively wants, is to just be close to him and to just be firmly held. "I don't know what that was," he confesses.

"I've never felt that before. Not like this."

[thebloodtraitor]

Very lightly, Sirius grazes his fingers across Kieren's cheek, thumb brushing the curve of his jaw as he leans in close. "I can spell it away," he says because he isn't sure if Kieren keeps tissues around seeing as he'd have no need for them. And given the turn this little experiment has taken, he's not about to cast another enchantment without Kieren's approval.

"Was it a bad feeling?" Sirius asks, his curiosity slowly melting into concern.

[roartonrisen]

Sirius is so close and Kieren's desperately attaching himself to him, not letting go and maybe holding a little tighter than he normally would, all because he's a touch frightened about what's happening. "I don't know if this means that my drugs aren't working as well anymore," is what he says.

"Maybe just tissues? If you can make those appear?" he asks, a touch wary.

[thebloodtraitor]

With a quick nod, Sirius flicks his wand and a single white tissue sprouts from the tip. He pulls it free with the other hand, his eyes still on Kieren's as he uses it to dab at the dark liquid trickling from Kieren's nose.

"Are you feeling at all blood thirsty?" Sirius asks, the question meant as a tease though his lips are still curved in a faint frown. It's obvious Kieren's genuinely frightened and Sirius can't deny the coil of guilt in his belly as he asks, "Do you think the spell could have counteracted the drugs somehow? Should you see someone?"

[roartonrisen]

Kieren shakes his head, a tentative 'no', but mainly he's trying to catalogue what he does feel. "I don't know who I could go see. Newt's trying to help me find more of the drug, only he hasn't got anything for me yet."

"Can we just sort of stay here?" he asks quietly. "And don't move?"

[thebloodtraitor]

Once the spot beneath Kieren's nose is clean, Sirius crumples the tissue in his fist and spells it away, then hesitates only briefly before setting his wand aside as well.

His knees are starting to ache, but he's reluctant to move upon Kieren's request, only nodding again as he lightly cups Kieren's face with two hands, brushing thumbs along the bolt of his jaw. "You'll let me know if anything begins to feel strange," he says, leaning in to rest his forehead to Kieren's.

[roartonrisen]

He nods, still a touch wary, but willing to try and get past his fears. "It was really nice," he murmurs, right against Sirius' skin once he settles. "Being able to feel like that, having senses again, it was incredible. I don't think I'll ever forget the feeling of kissing you."

[thebloodtraitor]

"I wish it didn't have to be only a memory," Sirius replies, selfishly brushing his lips to Kieren's before pulling back once more, but only enough to meet his eyes.

He considers for a moment, taking in Kieren's unsettled features, the furrow of his brow and curve of his lips before adding, "There are a number of other wizards here, I've found. Different sorts of magic. I can see if there's something else we might try. If you give your blessing, of course."

[roartonrisen]

Kieren's gaze slides to Sirius' lips before he closes them and lets himself indulge in the kiss, but it doesn't feel like it had before. It's back to being a pressure and not much else. He gives Sirius a worried look, still remembering that heavy pressure and the three thumps against his chest, but it had felt so good.

"I feel like any magical cure is too good to be true," he murmurs. "But you're right. There's a lot going on. And I shouldn't just give up," he admits. "So yeah. Let's try one more time."

[thebloodtraitor]

Kieren is certainly hesitant, but Sirius doesn't blame him in the slightest. If anything, he's both surprised and relieved that Kieren's open to the idea at all.

"Once more," he agrees, brushing his nose lightly against Kieren's and giving him a small smile. "I'll make some inquiries. And if there isn't anything or whatever we find doesn't work, well... we'll find a way. I may feel terribly selfish the entire time, but perhaps we'll simply have to get creative."

[roartonrisen]

"It's fine, so long as you're fine," Kieren says, rubbing his palm up and down Sirius' chest. "I still want this," he admits, even if he's half-shaking with the worry of what just happened to him. "Trust me, I still want you," he exhales, eyes roaming over his body. "It was so nice."

[thebloodtraitor]

"You did make the most astonishing little sounds," Sirius tells him, pressing lightly against Kieren's palms, his own skin still overly warm compared to Kieren's. His lips curl in a coy grin as he breathes lightly against Kieren's lips. "I'd love to hear them again someday."

In truth, there's a multitude of what Sirius would love, but the highest on the list is enabling Kieren to feel, that his touch might incite the sort of sensation Sirius has been selfishly soaking up for weeks.

[roartonrisen]

"Me too," Kieren murmurs, trailing off so he can indulge in a proper kiss, closing his eyes slowly to let himself fall into that kiss with Sirius, sighing with soft happiness. "Want to get up? Maybe while I wash up, you can grab some tea?"

"It's still ready for you, in there. Bit cold by now," he admits.

[thebloodtraitor]

Kieren opens to the kiss beautifully and Sirius lets out a quiet sound of his own, floating a bit as he eventually pulls away.

"Mmm," he says as he forces himself to his feet, standing a bit wobbly before holding his hand out to help Kieren up as well. "Cold tea is a small price to pay, I'd say," he replies, leaning in quick for one more kiss before wandering into the kitchen.

[roartonrisen]

Kieren takes the hand and stays in the same place for a long moment, trying to get his bearings before he walks. He feels shaky, yet, like a newborn colt, but follows after Sirius. "I could fry up something, too?" He's kept food in case of visits, and he needs to make some of it up before it goes off.

[thebloodtraitor]

"You have food?" Sirius replies, glancing back over his shoulder at Kieren with an arched brow. Kieren has mentioned before how he'd pantomimed with his family, how it had made them feel better. He can't imagine why Kieren would do such a thing on his own.

The tea, as expected, is certainly cool, but Sirius only shrugs before taking a sip as he rests a hip against the counter. "Oh, for guest, I'm assuming?" he replies then, holding his cup with two hands, his smile slowly stretching into a grin. "Do I count. Ooh, will I be an overnight guest?"

[roartonrisen]

"If you want to be, you can be," Kieren says, because he's never spent the night with anyone, but he can't imagine it would be a bad thing. He digs out a packet of the eggs and holds them up. "And yeah, it's for guests, like you or other people. Do you want fried eggs or not?" He might not be able to eat, but he hasn't lost the ability to cook.

[thebloodtraitor]

In truth, Sirius had only been taking the piss, but Kieren's response is so nonchalant as to give him pause.

His gaze drifts to the eggs and he finally gives a nod with a quick laugh. "I'll take some," he says before cocking his head to the side, his grin widening. "And toast? And it won't bother you if I eat in front of you?"

[roartonrisen]

"It's not like I have an appetite," Kieren points out as he digs out the frying pan and some bread, setting it all up before wetting some paper towels to drag over his face, taking off residual cover up from yesterday and dabbing at the black blood that had come from his nose. "Besides, it means you'll stay longer, doesn't it? I'm all for that."

[thebloodtraitor]

"Yes, but it's a bit like flaunting, isn't it?" he says, watching as Kieren wipes at his face, clearing off patches of bronze mousse and dabbing under his nose.

Setting aside his cold tea, Sirius steps closer, reaching for the towel. "Here, you've missed a spot," he says quietly before using the towel to wipe at a smear at the bolt of Kieren's jaw. His gaze flickers for a moment at Kieren's rationalizing, a grin tugging at his lips. "There's no need to bribe me with food to get me to stay," he says, tone light. "Sexual favours will do just as well."

[roartonrisen]

Kieren stands very still so Sirius can wipe away the last little bit of the makeup and blood. "I thought I'd lead with the fry and we'd move on to the groping after," he says, not feeling very shy about that. "I mean, this is technically our second date. And it's not like my Mum's around to yell at me for being forward if I get my hand down your trousers."

[thebloodtraitor]

It's a surprisingly blunt response, and not at all what Sirius is expecting.

"Is that in the plan then?" he asks, fighting a grin as he drops the dirtied towel in the bin and then immediately turns to wrap his arms around Kieren from behind, resting his chin lightly atop Kieren's shoulder as he cooks. "Your hand in my trousers, I mean. Because I am very much on board, if that's the case."