Sirius cursed silently after their third attempt to put on their fuzzy slippers. The fourth attempt turned out to be the one and it is with a sigh that they got up from bed, rubbing the sleep off their face as they tried to will their growing headache to go away.
They groaned a bit, flexing their muscles as they stretched their shoulder blades and wincing. This is not ideal. Definitely not ideal.
It’s early, but not early enough that it would make sense for Sirius to feel so exhausted already. They suspected it had something to do with getting a bit rain-soaked the day before. They had made plans to meet James and the sun decided it had graced them all with its presence long enough before going into hiding and leaving a brief storm in its wake. Sirius had forgotten their umbrella at home (but they could tell you exactly where it was, thank you very much) and even though they escaped the worst of it, having to sit two hours in a coffee shop with wet socks and dripping hair is never ideal.
Still, they had gotten a good 8 hours of sleep last night, ate well, and went to bed after blow-drying their hair, thinking that the mild headache was courtesy of having warm air blowing in their face for half an hour. But this morning the headache returned, lulling its ugly head and bringing a wave of exhaustion and pain all over Sirius’ body along with it.
It was good that they didn’t have a lot of things to do today, always planning ahead to make their Friday less hectic. But, their body hurting all over as if someone was constantly squeezing it did not exactly warrant perfect conditions for them to go on about it.
They walked in the kitchen, the smell of freshly brewed coffee and the sight of Remus leaning against the wooden table, glasses on and paper in his hands felt like an instant hug for Sirius. The pillow marks were still there, along with his bedhead. All they wanted to do was slip under his jumper and lay on his chest all day.
At the sound of their slippers Remus looked up, a soft smile grazing his lips instantly. “Good morning, love.”
“Mmm.” Sirius groaned, moving dejectedly towards him.
Remus knew Sirius well-enough to turn around, placing his mug and paper on the table in time for Sirius to sink into his embrace.
“Morning.” Sirius murmured, closing their eyes and dropping their head to rest on Remus’ chest while his arms wrapped around their body, palms stroking along their back lazily.
Remus chuckled. “Bad day?”
Sirius took a deep breath, practically begging the throbbing in their temples to calm down, before they lifted their head to look at Remus. They stood on their toes for a second, enough to kiss Remus briefly on the mouth before falling back on their feet.
“No, ‘m just tired.” It was better brushing it off with a shrug. They knew Remus would start worrying and they had an appointment with Minerva today that they couldn’t miss.
Remus hummed, moving one hand to cup their cheek, Sirius instantly nuzzling into it and closing their eyes.
“Love,” Remus began, his tone having shifted from soft to slightly apprehensive. “Are you sure you’re okay?”
The second Sirius opened their eyes they knew that Remus knew. He was frowning, eyes concerned behind his glasses and lips curled up a bit in worry.
“Yeah.” Sirius nodded, attempting to give him a smile. They were sure it looked lazy if not completely dazed.
“You look flushed.” Remus said, his thumb stroking Sirius' cheek lightly. They tried to ignore their desire to just slump against Remus and be grumpy and widened their smile instead.
“Moony, you flirt.”
It had the desired effect. Remus chuckled, shaking his head as he leaned closer to place a kiss on Sirius’ forehead. Sirius almost melted into it before realising that it was more a press of lips than an actual kiss.
Remus pulled back, the worry, now, taking over his expression. “Pads, you’re hot..”
Sirius grinned, a lazy thing that involved too much slow blinking to look enticing. “Aren’t I, always?”
“I think you have a fever.” Remus said distractedly, his palm now coming up to Sirius forehead to check their temperature, then moving on the nape of their neck down to their back under their t-shirt.
“I don’t. I’m just a little fuzzy from sleep, that’s all.” They tried sounding casual, even shrugging to get the full nonchalant effect. But today was apparently the day that their body had decided it was a traitor and a chill ran through them, making them shiver.
“Oh, cariad. You’re sick-”
“I’m not sick.” They insisted, Remus’ frown deepening.
“Love-”
“Moons, I’m fine.I just need some breakfast and then I’ll liven up for my appointment.” Sirius interrupted, kissing his cheek to convince him while trying to brush it off. They really needed to sit down soon.
“I really don’t think it’s a good idea for you to go out.” Remus said quietly, still looking at them sceptically.
Sirius sighed. “Okay, listen. I was going to go by the atelier after my meeting with Minerva. How about I skip that and come home? Will you worry less?”
Remus regarded them for a few seconds in silence, clearly weighing his options. Sirius smiled, tilting their head to give him the infamous puppy eyes and trying not to wince at the way their head throbbed.
Remus eventually sighed, tricking Sirius into thinking that he would let it go, but then he shook his head a bit. “Go sit on the sofa and I’ll bring the thermometer and tea.”
Sirius barely had time to protest, the words ‘Remus, I’m fine!’ dying on their lips as Remus disappeared down the hallway in search of the thermometer. They just stood there, blinking into the empty space before admitting defeat and relocating to the living room.
A few minutes later found Sirius curled up on the sofa, trying to fight against the shivering and the desperate need to wrap the blanket laid on the back of the sofa around their body.
Remus walked in soon enough, a cup of tea on one hand and the thermometer in the other. He sat down next to Sirius, barely managing to lean forward in order to place the cup on the coffee table before Sirius curled up around him.
“Here, love. Put this on.”
He passed Sirius one of his jumpers, Sirius practically snatching it from his hands and putting it on hastily, curling their fists around the too-long sleeves.
“I’d laugh at how endearing that was but I’m too worried at the moment. Here,” Remus murmured while shaking the thermometer back to zero. Once he was satisfied with it, he passed it to Sirius who tucked it under his arm grumpily and then proceeded to slump against Remus.
They both waited for the minutes to pass patiently, Remus wrapping his arms around Sirius and resting his cheek against their forehead.
Sirius had to concentrate really hard in order not to fall asleep right there, the warmth of the extra layer and the comfort of Remus making his body relax dangerously.
They gave up on staring at their furniture soon enough and as soon as their eyes started to drop they felt Remus nudge them softly, not jostling them too much but enough to indicate that it was time to check their temperature.
Remus tutted. “38.6.” He read out loud, making Sirius groan. They slumped against Remus even further, abandoning all efforts to act okay. There was really no use anymore, they had a fever and felt like death personified and could finally act accordingly.
“Moony,” They groaned, head falling on Remus’ lap. His hand found its way through their hair instantly, brushing it back from their flushed face. “I’m sick.”
Remus snorted. “I know, love.”
“I have to call Minerva.”
“Do you want me to do it?”
The idea sounded more than appealing since Sirius really didn’t feel like doing anything other than staying right where they were at the moment, but they had to talk to her. They needed to apologise for the inconvenience and arrange a new appointment.
“No,” They said, using all their willpower into pulling themselves away from Remus’ caress to sit up. “I will do it. My phone’s in the bedroom.”
“Want me to get it?”
Sirius shook their head, regretting the movement instantly, before placing a kiss on Remus' shoulder. “No, I’ll get it.”
With their palms on either side of their body they managed to push themselves off the sofa and stand up. They heard Remus sigh behind them, obviously catching on the way Sirius grimaced from the pain.
“I’ll make you some breakfast.” Remus called from his place on the sofa.
Sirius smiled at that. For all his worrying and doting on them, Sirius could not deny the way their heart squeezed under Remus' care.
They found their phone quickly upon entering the bedroom, sitting atop the bedside table where Sirius left it last night.
The call was brief. Sirius apologised extensively and Minerva brushed it off each time by reassuring them the last minute cancellation was no inconvenience. They rescheduled for Tuesday morning and hung up with Minerva wishing him a quick recovery.
It was only when they hung up the phone that Sirius became aware of how tense they had been. They slumped against the wardrobe for a second, gathering strength to move around the room and make the bed. They wouldn’t be of much help with the house today and Remus would be too busy taking care of them from what it seemed. The least they could do was leave Remus one less thing to worry about.
They had managed to drag themselves across the room, pick up a few clothes and make Remus’ side of the bed when the other man appeared in the doorway.
“Sirius, what are you doing?”
“Hm?” Sirius raised their head and met Remus’ confused look, “Oh, I’m just making the bed- which I assume by the look on your face I shouldn’t be doing.”
Remus' confusion had morphed into a soft reprimand, scowling at Sirius with his hands resting on his hips. He looked so much like Hope then, that Sirius’ apprehension melted into pure, unadulterated fondness.
“I’m…sorry?” They grimaced.
Remus sighed, dropping his hands and extending one arm in invitation. “Leave it, come on. I made you breakfast, you should be resting.”
Sirius walked to him slowly, tucking themselves under his arm before Remus moved them to the living room.
“I wanted to help you.” They sighed, head resting on his shoulder. They felt exhausted, the constant shivering keeping their muscles tense and hurting.
“I don’t need help. I need you to rest and feel better. Here, sit.”
Sirius, despite everything, bit their lips around a smile. They felt such a strong wave of emotion towards Remus and his ability to still be gentle even while stern.
They sunk on the sofa, Remus instantly moving to unfold the blanket and drape it over Sirius who clung to it pathetically. He moved to prop their body up on their pillows, two crochet-covered bohemian things that were gifts from Hope, and then passed them a bowl of cut fruit and crackers.
“We have some apple-pie left from last night but I don’t think you should have that now,” Remus said, lowering himself on his knees next to the sofa. “I brought you water, your tea, and- where is-oh, here,” He fished under the blanket near Sirius’ feet for a hot bottle which he then proceeded to place on Sirius stomach for them to hug under the blanket.
“Thanks, Moons.” Sirius smiled lazily, taking a bite of banana and chewing slowly. They didn’t have much appetite but they thought arguing against food right now wouldn’t be very wise of them. Remus would worry more and it was good for them not to go on about their day on an empty stomach.
Remus looked at them for a bit with a quiet smile, his fingers tucking Sirius’ hair behind their ear in a soft gesture. Sirius smiled gratefully before taking another bite of fruit.
Once the bowl was mostly empty, Sirius turned to place it on the coffee table, only then noticing Remus’ frown.
“Hey.” They said softly, pulling him away from his thoughts.
Remus bit his lip. “Maybe I shouldn’t go to work.”
“Wha-”
“I’d feel a lot better staying here-”
“Remus, no. I’ll be fine. See?” They gestured to the coffee table where their tea, water, and half-eaten bowl sat, next to what they now noticed was a packet of painkillers. “I have everything.”
Remus seemed to mull it over for another second, worrying his lip. At last he nodded, pushing against his thighs to stand up. “Okay, yeah. Okay. I’ll go get dressed and be right back.”
“Bye.” Sirius said weakly, watching him walk down the hall before reaching for the packet of painkillers and the cup of water. Once they made sure the cup was securely placed back on the table they sighed, falling back into the pillows more comfortably.
They reached for the remote and after a bit of searching they decided on something they had already watched enough times not to miss anything in case they fell asleep. They turned the volume lower as the intro of Friends started playing, and turned on their side with their cheek mushed against the pillow to watch comfortably.
“Okay, I have a staff meeting soon and then I have office hours for students which I can skip today.” Remus said, walking in the living room in his dark blue jumper and dark trousers, still in socks.
“You don’t have to-”
“I will be back as soon as possible,” He came around the sofa, bending to place a kiss on Sirius’ forehead and brushing his hand across their forehead to check if their temperature remained the same. “I promise.”
“I’ll be fine.” Sirius grinned tiredly. In reality, it would be perfect for Remus to stay home all day and cuddle Sirius in bed while allowing them to be as dramatic as they liked about this. But it wouldn’t be fair. Remus had work to do and besides, the weekend was just around the corner and they would get to be lazy and tangled up in each other come this afternoon. Sirius could be patient.
“Two hours, tops.” Remus promised, getting up and hurrying towards the front door.
“Go.” Sirius chuckled. They heard Remus stumble and curse, followed by the sounds of him putting on his shoes that sat by the front door and grabbing his coat.
There were running footsteps, and suddenly Remus was leaning over the back of the sofa to place another kiss on Sirius's head. “I love you.”
Sirius grinned, turning in place to watch him rush out the door. “Love you.”
“Call me if you need anything!” He called from the front door.
“Bye!” Sirius called back, laughing a little before the door closed and they were left alone.
They sighed a bit, curling further under the covers and hugging the hot bottle closer, getting comfortable enough.
As expected, Sirius only managed to watch ‘til the beginning of the next episode, the heaviness of their lids proving to be too much for them to fight against and, eventually, falling back to sleep.
The next time Sirius came to, they registered two things. One, the headache had subsided significantly, and two, they were too hot.
They tried to sit up a bit despite their sore muscles’ protests, and soon became aware of the fact that not only were they softly panting, but their shirt was clinging to their sweating body. They reached for the cup of water and emptied it all at once before slumping back into the pillows helplessly.
They needed to change clothes and get more water. They looked around a bit, telly still on and playing the same show as Sirius contemplated how badly they needed to get up and for how long they could just stay under the blankets and ignore their own existence.
Just as they came to the conclusion that the misery wasn’t as enticing as it sounded and decided to get up, they heard the keys turn in the front door, Remus appearing at the doorway seconds later.
He took off his shoes quietly, Sirius looking at him sadly from over the sofa quietly, waiting.
It was when Remus hung his coat that he turned and met Sirius’ eyes across the room, his face instantly lighting up before his smile turned sad.
“Oh, love.” He sighed, moving quickly across the room to get to Sirius.
They didn’t care to know how pathetic they must have looked to warrant this response. They were too needy of Remus’ coddling at the moment.
He sat next to them on the sofa, placing two paper bags on the coffee table before turning his whole attention to Sirius.
“Did you sleep?”
Sirius hummed, slipping closed as Remus placed his palm against their forehead to feel their temperature. Sirius leaned into the touch instantly while kicking the blankets further off. They pooled around their thighs, Sirius relaxing when Remus moved closer to place a brief kiss on their forehead.
“‘M hot.” Sirius grumbled petulantly.
“Yeah, your fever must be breaking.” Remus hummed, placing another kiss on their cheek and pulling back to look at them. “I brought you food, anything else you need before you eat?”
“Water and a t-shirt, please.”
Remus nodded, giving their hand a quick squeeze before getting up.
“Bring one of your t-shirts.” Sirius called when Remus was halfway down the hall.
About a minute later Remus returned with a glass of water, a clean fresh t-shirt and a wet towel for Sirius’ head.
He helped Sirius change into the clean shirt before passing them the water. Once the glass was empty, Sirius balanced the wet towel on their forehead while Remus ran to the kitchen to get them more water.
“Okay,” Remus emerged, sitting back on the sofa next to Sirius before placing the glasses of water on the coffee table. “Better sit up for a bit, Pads.”
Sirius nodded, moving slowly to a seating position, perfectly lined up so they could fall against Remus, who instantly wrapped his arm around them.
He reached for the paper bag, balancing it on his lap before unloading its contents. “I have chicken soup from Effie, veggie broth, vitamins, and I also stopped by my mam. She sent more of that herbal tea you love.”
Sirius watched with a tired grin, leaning into him further and tucking their legs close. They felt a sudden wave of something, an all-encompassing warmth spreading inside their chest, bringing tears to their eyes.
How overwhelming can it be, the feeling of being cared for and loved in such a pure way by someone as wonderful as Remus? Remus, who didn't want to go to work to stay home and take care of Sirius who they both knew would be impossibly dramatic under Remus' attention, who stopped by both his and Sirius parents on his way back just to stock up on Sirius' comfort foods. Remus, who looked for his glasses while they sat atop of his curls, who laughed with toothpaste in his mouth and kissed Sirius with so much fervour, but somehow still softly as if Sirius was something sacred , of most importance, to be worshipped. Remus, who would always tell them how beautiful they looked and pair it with a kiss on their shoulder. Remus, who wore a band identical to Sirius' on his ring finger, and who Remus got to call theirs.
"-the soup first, and then I'll go make us some tea-wh-" Remus was cut off by Sirius' lips, kissing him slowly, desperately needing the kiss to pour everything they felt, every ounce of gratitude and adoration they felt for Remus, hands caressing his jaw.
When Sirius pulled back, they couldn't help the laugh that escaped them. A fond laugh, product of Remus' dazed grin and flushed cheeks, glasses askew and beautiful.
"What was that for?" He asked quietly, looking at Sirius with so much reverence.
"I love you." Sirius said simply. They shrugged because really, it was that simple and inevitable. "I don't want to get you sick-"
Remus ignored them, leaning close to place a series of kisses from their forehead, to their lips, both their cheeks and finishing with a slow kiss on their lips.
"I love you." Remus said, looking all dopey with a lovesick grin. Sirius nearly melted off the sofa. "Now, please, eat this before it gets cold. Effie will ground me."
"She can't ground you, Moony." They chuckled. Remus gave them a look, a question at the raise of his brow. "No, you're right."
They reached for the utensils on the table and Remus passed them the sealed bowl before sinking further back into the sofa, pulling Sirius with him.
"Thank you." Sirius whispered at some point. They had finished their chicken soup and decided to save the veggie broth for later. Remus had offered to braid their hair so it wouldn't get all tangled up from lying around all day and Sirius had to put all their concentration into controlling their breathing and not letting themselved burst into tears.
Now, they were lying on Remus' chest across the sofa, draped completely over his body while his hands moved along their back. Their cups of tea sat half-drunk and forgotten on the coffee table, relaxing Sirius enough that they were on the brink of sleep once again. Remus turned to look at them, their chin resting on his chest and eyes dropping in lazy blinking. He sighed fondly, eliciting a sleepy grin from Sirius. "I wouldn't have it any other way."
Sirius let their head fall back on his chest, eyes slipping closed the second Remus' hand moved to scratch soflty at the nape of their neck.
"Sleep, cariad."
It was the last thing Sirius heard, allowing themselved to let go in the comfort of Remus' arms, his steady heartbeat under their ear and the knowledge that once they woke up, Remus would be there to do it all over again.