14th Arrondissement
Series: Teddy Lupin, by the Numbers
Fandom: Harry Potter
Characters: Teddy Lupin, James Potter (II)
Rating: Somewhere between PG-13 and R (actually, the British 15-certificate would probably fit quite well)
Warnings: Implied Sexual Activity, Language
Word Count: ~780
Teddy startled himself a bit as he slammed his hotel door behind him. He shook his head, and sighed; that really hadn't been called for. It wasn't, after all, the fault of the people in the room next to him that he hated his job today. Or for the last two weeks. He walked over to the window of his room and sighed as he looked out.
Alarian Despartes was easily the most frustrating author he had dealt with in... ever. The book was finished, everyone had already signed off on the editing. He was supposed to have been here for 3 days, maybe 5.
But Despartes didn't just want to discuss book signings. He wanted to discuss where his book would be shelved in any given book store. He wanted to discuss the lighting in the stores, and how it would make his face look on the cover. And most of the time, when he wanted to discuss things, he really just wanted to babble without substance or purpose and say nothing at all.
And it wasn't even a bloody good book either.
So now instead of 3 days, it was 13. 13 days discussing annoyingly nonspecific concerns about lighting in stores Despartes had never even been to. 13 days that made it February 14th, bloody Valentine's Day, and he was stuck on the wrong side of the Channel on business.
A part of him had been sorely tempted to pull a couple strings: it would have be laughably easy to ask Harry to arrange an international port key on a couple day's notice, even with after the attacks on muggles in Berlin last month. But using Harry like that always felt wrong, and he knew James wouldn't like it much either.
So instead he was here, in a hotel room with a great view of the Montparnasse Cemetery and all the nice little cafes where everyone else was having a wonderful Valentine's Day. Everyone but him.
As he took out his wand to charm the drapes shut, he heard a slight clink and the sound of soft breathing behind him. Ignoring the drapes, he twisted around and raised his wand.
“Stupefy.”
Teddy cringed slightly as he watched James fall to the floor. The wine glasses he was holding shattered as they hit the tiles. The champagne bottle fared better, but the champagne itself was quickly pouring out and making a mess.
“Bloody Hell.” Teddy bit his lip. He was torn between crying and yelling at James for sneaking into his bloody hotel room. He wasn't even really sure if he wanted to cry because he felt like an ass or because he was happy James was here.
After he got a hold of his emotions, Teddy walked over to where James was on the the floor and kneeled down. He vanished the mess of wine and broken glass and took a quick look to make sure James hadn't been cut.
Straddling James's waist, he smiled and brushed a bit of James's hair off his brow before lightly placing his wand on James's chest and enunciating: “Ennervate.”
James blinked a couple of times as he came to. “Bloody Hell Ted,” he said, rubbing the back of his head, “Happy Valentine's Day.”
“Same to you, you git.” Teddy bit his lip to try and compose himself. He really wasn't used to being this wound up, this... emotional. “I'm... I really wasn't expecting to get to see you tonight.”
“Well that was stupid.” James pushed his hands under Teddy's shirt as he responded. “It's Valentine's Day and you're in Paris-- what kind of shit boyfriend would I be if I didn't show up.”
“How did you even bloody get here-- I tried like hell to get a portkey back. Don't tell me you pulled strings with your Dad.”
“No, just called in a favor with Dullage. He's playing for Paris now, and you'd be amazed how quick things get rolling when a Quidditch star whines for a healer.” James bucked his hips slightly and slid so that Teddy was over his chest. He reached around and put his hands in the back pockets of Teddy's pants. “It almost sounds like you don't want me here.”
Teddy grabbed one of James's hands from his back pocket and brought it around to his crotch. “What do you think?”
James undid Teddy's belt: “Planning to let me up any time soon, then?”
Teddy took off his shirt and used his wand to vanish James's. “Not in the plan, no.”
“Good plan.”