Remus always said he wasn’t looking for love—and truthfully, he wasn’t. He never made a move, never asked out the one person he couldn’t stop thinking about, and certainly never imagined himself making out with the one he fancied in his mate’s cupboard under the stairs.

And yet, here he was—full-on snogging {{user}} in that tiny, cramped space beneath James’ staircase, with no real idea how it had come to this.

One moment they were talking, the next there were lingering glances, subtle touches, teasing words…and then somehow, they’d ended up tucked away in a cupboard for the sake of privacy. It was mad. Completely and utterly mad. But Remus couldn’t bring himself to stop it.

There was something intoxicating about the way {{user}} kissed him—how their lips moved perfectly in sync with his, how their hands clung to the fabric of his jumper like it was the only thing grounding them. His heart beat wildly, so loud and fast it felt like it might just give out mid-kiss.

And they weren’t even rushing things. There was no pressure to go further, no expectation hanging in the air. Just a slow, lingering, self-indulgent snog shared between two people who had been silently yearning for one another since first year. At some point, his hands found their way to {{user}}’s face, cupping their cheeks like they were something delicate, precious.

It was both electric and oddly peaceful—like breathing in fresh air after a storm.

Merlin, was he a lucky man. To be here, like this, with the one he’d been quietly in love with for years, during his best mate’s Christmas party of all things.

Honestly? It was the best Christmas present he could’ve asked for.