It's been a swelteringly hot week. So much so that it's easier to be outside and hopefully catch some breeze than inside with about a hundred fans running as you slowly melt into a puddle onto the vaguely chilled tiles of your kitchen floor.
That's why you're lounging on a blanket underneath a tree with Lily as your boyfriend and your other friends play...frisbee? It's very unclear as to what the rules are, if any, or if they're even playing a real game. It looks to you like they're just tossing the piece of plastic back and forth and tackling the shit out of each other as they get all grassy and gross.
Marlene keeps calling for you and Lily to join but you both wave her off in favor of sprawling on the blanket, munching on grapes, sipping lemonade, and "reading." Lily is actually sneaking glances at James as you do the same at Sirius.
"It's a bit embarrassing how much faster Marlene is," Lily muses. "They haven't got a chance when she sets off."
You cheer as your friend seems to score what amounts to a point in this game. "And yet they still try."
"So," Lily says. It's a tone you know well -- she's about to ask you something she knows you won't want to answer. "How's it going? With Sirius?"
You've been together for months now. They've been the most fun, most exciting, most tender months of your life. You've come to learn that Sirius is utterly besotted with you despite how cool he is on the outside. He's intimidating, loud, and a bit prickly but he's also funny, fiercely loyal, and quite tender. Not to mention he's frankly beautiful.
But you're not very good with words. "What do you mean?" you say instead, turning to face the boys. Your eyes wander to Sirius first, but he and Marlene are busy trying to out maneuver each other.
Lily tosses her firey hair over her shoulder and pops a grape into her mouth. "Oh, fine," she scoffs. "Play that game."
"You used to do that about James!" You remember back in the day before they figured their shit out when they used to moon at each other across every single room. Torturous for everyone involved.
She laughs loudly and you watch as James turns towards the sound like a flower towards the sun and consequently gets smacked in the head with a frisbee and falls to the ground.
"Eyes on the prize, Potter!" Lily calls, evidently not worried. "He's got a hard head," she says to you.
"Looking gorgeous, Evans!" James shouts from the ground.
"Don't think you're getting out of my question," she mutters, waving at him. Your eyes find Sirius again. He and Remus are now doing...cartwheels? Marlene is laughing at them as she goes to help James up.
Your boyfriend is the only one with his shirt off. His chest shines and you know he tossed it somewhere so he could show off his tattoos, which you can't complain about. He's got gorgeous pieces on his chest and back and arms, making him look like a rock god or something. It sounds corny in your own head but Sirius is gorgeous and you never know how to articulate it. His long tangle of curls are frizzy as he shakes them out like a dog, sweat glistening on his collarbones and the gold rings in his ears and nostril glinting in the sunshine. He's so beautiful it makes your stomach flip.
"We're happy," you tell Lily. She snorts.
"You're looking at him like you've just gotten back from starving on a desert island and he's your first meal."
It's your turn to laugh as you look back at your friend. "So verbose, Lily." She winks at you and then hops to her feet.
"Oi! Potter!" she calls, heading onto the grass. "Think you can bench me?"
Before you can think of following her, someone flops onto the blanket into her spot.
"Hiya, beautiful," Sirius says, resting his head into his hands. His muscles ripple. He's not sculpted, not exactly, but he's physically strong underneath it all as he is in so many things.
"Hiya...sweaty," you say. You take a sip of your lemonade just so you have something to do with your hands. You told Lily the truth -- it's been months and while he's seen every inch of you by now, sometimes he still makes you a little shy.
"You seemed to like it a few minutes ago when you were ogling me."
"I was not ogling you."
"Yes, you were," he says, grinning. His canines make him look wolfish. "A bit indecent, really."
"Sirius," you groan, reaching out to gently smack his bare chest and finding it tacky with sweat. You really should find it gross but you can admit that you like everything about him.
He catches your hand and holds it to his ribcage. "Sill like it up close?" he teases.
Your cheeks are on fire now and you look back to the field to see the rest of your friends up to their own shenanigans and not paying you any attention. You like Sirius. You like him a whole lot, actually. Most days you're pretty sure you love him and he is your boyfriend, but he's always been braver than you, louder, more confident.
"They're not watching," he says softly. "Which means I can do this." In an instant he's up and you're on your back on the blanket and he's over you, arms caging your face and knees bracketing your hips.
"Oh," you say, and he grins that wide grin again, the one that makes your belly tighten.
"Oh, indeed."
"You smell," you manage to say, clinging desperately to your rapidly fading composure. Sirius does it all -- he flirts with you, he riles you up, he satisfies you. But he also gets your favorite flavor of yoghurt from the shop to keep in his fridge and switched his detergent when it irritated your skin. He takes your makeup off when you're tired and lets you take off his when you're feeling a bit needy. You think he loves you and you hope he fesses up soon because you'd very much like to tell him. Maybe his bravery will rub off on you and you'll say it one of these days.
"You love it," he says, lightly rubbing your noses together. Your eyes flutter closed.
"Maybe," you tell him. His lips hover over yours and you can feel his breath. Just when you're about to wrap your arms around his neck and tug him down... someone shouts.
"Public indecency!" James cries. "Remus, call the authorities!" Sirius tugs you close, letting you bury your face in his neck. He really does smell.
"Leave them alone," Remus says. "Do I need you remind you of the time you and Lily got caught behind the laundromat --"
"Hey!" Lily shouts.
"Sorry, love," Sirius whispers before he kisses your cheek quickly and springs to his feet. He holds out his hand and hauls you up into his arms. You try to grimace but it probably comes out as more of a grin, despite how embarrassed you are.
"Sirius, you really are sweaty," you mumble.
"Too bad," he says. He turns you so your friends have a view of his back before leaning in to kiss you properly.