It’d been 4 weeks at the new job that Remus had started at the learning centre for adults before being told he was to go away to Greece with his history students to explore the origins of philosophy. Hed met all of the new students he’d be alongside, all but one. A Mr S Black who always emailed in to say he was absent of not reporting at all. Remus always thought this strange as the course was £20 a week so he must’ve had money to burn, the other student of his were all much older than him 40s or 50s not at all in his age range, so the thought of jetting off to Greece with a gaggle of OAPs was not particularly thrilling.
Just as the entourage of people were getting settled on the coach Remus’ phone pinged.
Already on a plane see you in Greece Professor.
Regards,
Mr S Black.
He shook his head; all he could think when he thought of this bloke was that he must be some old posh wanker who is not really interested in the course but wants the flashy qualification for bragging rights.
“Remus you need to get on the coach mate.” Dorcas, Remus’ co-teacher, and best friend since sixth form shouted.
“Yeah yeah, coming. That S Black bloke says he’s boarding a plane and will see us there, what’re the odds he actually is?” Remus enquires.
“I don’t know he’s quite rich I reckon he’s got some daft private plane or something.” Dorcas says as she sits Remus down next to her.
The coach trip is more than arduous, its 8 hours to France and then two hours on a plane. All he can remember from the journey id the one page of his book he read over and over again and the fact that Dorcas is seeing this new girl Macy or Michelle or Marlene, he really didn’t listen as well as he should’ve.
When they finally arrive outside the hotel he’s pleasantly surprised to be greeted by a resort, with sparkling clean signs and cool air conditioning in the foyer. He takes in the surrounding and can tell why the centre he teaches at has chosen to book this particular hotel as it is also full of old middle aged, middle class white people, just like his class. All of the people there fit this description bar him and Dorcas, and the young gentleman who was casually leant against the reception desk. His raven hair tied back with small pieces cascading to cover his eyes ever so slightly, there was something about hi the overly intrigued Remus. Why was he here? Who was he with? Why does he look so casual? Is he single? The last one was a slip of train of thought, but truly this man was slender, and just looked so cool.
Remus and the rest of the class approach the reception desk.
“We have a booking for a large group under the company name Greenwich further leaners.” Remus says to the woman at reception.
“Greenwich further learners?” The casual younger guy asks.
Remus’ eyes widen in confusion, “erm yeah why?”
“I’m with you guys, you must be Professor Lupin, I’m Sirius, Sirius Black.
There was nothing withing Remus’ character that could save him from his mouth falling wide open.
“Mr S Black, from the emails?”
“In the flesh, hiya Dorcas, you never told me the new guy was fit.” Sirius whispers the last part.
“Right, these are the room assignments, some of you might be sharing so apologies but you all knew that prior to the trip. Just collect your key from Dorcas and go and chill for the rest of today.” Remus announces,
After the chaos of organising rooms, he takes himself up to his own, room 1981. He taps the key to they door and creaks it open to find Sirius in there.
“Oh, shit I must’ve got the wrong room” Remus says.
“What’s your number?” The other boy asks.
“1981.” They say simultaneously.
Theres a look on Remus face that says oh fuck and one on Sirius’ that says this could be fun.
“Well, where’s the other bed then all the rooms that we booked were twins, and that’s a double.” Remus asks.
“Erm, well you’ve stumped me there Prof.”
“Call me Remus you must be like what two years younger than me.”
“I’m 25.”
“You’re my age, then.”
“That’s fun, isn’t it Remmy.”
Remus gives him a pointed look.
“Okay, got it not Remmy. What then Remoo, ‘mus like Gus or Remoon, oh oh Remoony, no no moony that’s it I’ll call you Moony.
“Must you nickname me at all?”
“Yes, if we are to share a bed Moony, I have to be on a nickname basis with you.”
“Who said anything about sharing?”
“Well do you see another option?”
That incessant back and forth of to share or not to share went on for a good 45 minutes before Remus caved and just decided to go with it and share with him. They went down with the rest of the group eventually to have something for dinner before all decided to wind down before tomorrow day of excursions. All but Sirius and Remus who both separately decided to visit the bar. They wound up bumping into each other as they ordered the same drink at the same time to the same bartender.
“Two Hugo spritzes?” The bartender asks.
“Yeah thanks.” Sirius says and pays for the two drinks.
“Thanks, you didn’t have to.”
“My treat.” Sirius smiled back at the taller man softly.
They ended up in the longue of this bar for a while drinking and chatting where Remus had found out that Sirius was psychology student and was doing this course not to learn about history but the study the classmates covertly to assess how they learn differently now that they are older. They talked about their academics deeps into the night what they also discussed was their types in men, as soon on they both discovered the fact they were both gay. They tumbled into bed where they both sleep in their boxers and their limbs eventually intertwined during the night.
This is what continued to happen over the course of the trip, they’d do the tours and excursions in the day and then they’d eat with everyone in the evening and wind up in the bar together. The thing is the drinks became less and the hours spend alone became greater.
This particular night they were ten days into this month and a half stay and, in the lift, Remus had decided to reach out his hand to tuck a piece of hair behind Sirius’ ear for him. It was almost instinctive, natural, like had been doing it forever. Sirius proceeded to take Remus’ wrist so that his hand gently cupped his face. It was those grey eyes and the way that night after night Remus had felt every curvature of him pressed up against him in bed, which had ultimately led him to kissing him that night. They kissed with such fervour any person would assume that the earth and all in it had ceased to exist in that moment.
That was the night they’d properly made use of the shared bed situation, so waking up the next morning was different to the others. Sirius lay in his chest and traced patterns on his bare chest, he could feel his breath tickling him and the beat of his heart against his own. It was nice, it was; like two puzzle pieces that had slotted together. Remus never really believed in fate, not until he met Sirius. There was something about this that felt like it was more than a summer fling or a casual few weeks, Sirius seemed to know his every move. There was one occasion where Remus felt a sneeze and Sirius had held out a tissue before the sneeze had even arrived. Remus never was certain about anything, but he was certain about this.
The weeks slowly merged into a month and before they knew it the two had become a pair, it was never ‘where’s Remus?’ without an ‘and Sirius.’ Dorcas had lectured Rem us about the inappropriate nature of dating a student, mostly to poke fun at him because there were not enough hours in the day where Remus could reiterate that they were the same age.
There was a matter of a few weeks left on the trip and the sky had clouded over, Remus looked out at the shore the sea was frightfully choppy. Something about it put him on edge.
“What’s the weather looking like Moony?” Sirius asks as he appears from the bathroom wrapping his arms around Remus’ waist.
“Sea is choppy.”
“Nothing to worry about I’m sure it’ll be fine. Stop worrying, lets enjoy it okay?”
They’d been out exploring the beach on the promenade for a few hours before they’d decided to sit down at a bar. They held one another’s hand across the table laughing and making memories. It’d been that day where Sirius had decided to ask Remus the question of what exactly this was, they’d ultimately decided that they were them, they were an us.
They were mid conversation discussion which one of the founding fathers was gay when the table shook ever so slightly. Both their eyebrows knitted together in confusion, as the shaking only grew. It was this moment where Remus had concluded that it was an earthquake, He was aiming to stay calm. It got stronger and stronger. It wasn’t until they were grappling onto each other underneath the very table they determined themselves as a unit that he felt fear. Real and visceral fear.
He peeled back his eyes, that pain radiating the noise of chaos and disarray echoing in his ears. He sat up far too quickly than he should’ve to see whether Sirius was or wasn’t around him. He wasn’t. Oh. He wasn’t.
Eventually, the tears and the search had to stop, he had to go home back to London, the same as he left it alone and not knowing where Sirius was. It had been about 4 months when he received the call declaring him legally gone. It was strange because the one person had been the most certain about in his whole 25 years of living was ripped right of hands. It ended up a summer fling. The person he’d thought he’d spend the rest of forever with he never really spent any time with at all. That was the problem, wasn’t it? Time there just was never enough of it, not for Sirius and Remus anyways.