Sirius was struggling. Pascal could see that Sirius was struggling. He’d been out of the game because of his ankle injury, and then they got kicked out of the playoffs. He blamed himself, and he was not using their early summer to rest and relax.
He remembers visiting Sirius that summer, all alone in his big house, forced to sleep on the couch because the stairs were too difficult to use with crutches. Pots and Lily had offered for him to stay with them, for a bit, but he insisted he was fine, that he would feel more comfortable at home.
Pascal didn’t buy it. Neither did Celeste. They knew that Sirius had never been good at letting other people care for him.
But lying around his house sulking was not doing him any good. Pascal was glad, when he heard Sirius was going to Europe with some of the boys. He hoped the trip would get him out of his funk. Instead, when he got back, he was just the same.
Troubled, restless, and unable to take any of it out on the ice.
Pascal and Celeste had Sirius over often. Their kids had tried their best to cheer him up, and Sirius had tried his best to put on a good face for them, but Pacal could see. It was there, in the quiet moments, in the occasional twitch of his jaw, a pinch of his eyebrows.
Eventually, it was Celeste who got to him. Poor thing didn’t stand a chance, up against Celeste Dumais and a bottle of wine. Pascal wasn’t there, and he tried not to linger too much on that fact. The fact that it was easier for Sirius to talk when he wasn’t around. It was different, talking to Celeste, he knew that better than anyone. He just wished, after all this time, Sirius felt comfortable opening up to him.
Still, Celeste got to him. “He’s worried about next season,” she had told Pascal later that night, “He’s worried his injury will get in the way.”
“But I thought it was healing well?”
“It is, the bone is healing well, but it’s going to take a lot of physical therapy to get back his full range of motion. He’s worried he won’t get it back, that coming back to the game off of an injury won’t be a strong start to the season, and he’s worried a weak start will ruin the rest of the season.”
“This is the best time for him to come back, he’ll be rested, and ready, or he would be if he’d stopped fretting.”
She’d given him a look at that, a look that said you of all people know how easy it is to fret over hockey, and you of all people know it’s not so easy to rationalize those feelings. It was a truly incredible skill, to say so much in just a look.
“Okay, so he wants to be ready. He’s worried about getting back his full range of motion.” And that’s when the first part of what she said hit him. “He’ll need a lot of physical therapy.”
“I was wondering when you’d get there,” her look had turned into a sly smile. One of his favorite smiles in the whole world. Focus, Pascal.
“You think he’s worried about spending time with Remus.”
“I think… he has a history of not going to Remus when he should.”
“But now he has to.”
There was a pause.
“We can’t make assumptions.”
They’d said it over and over again. We can’t make assumptions. Because they can’t. They knew what an assumption like this could mean when you play in the NHL. But Sirius wasn’t just captain to the Gryffindor Lions. He was also the boy Pascal and Celeste considered a son. A son they worried about. And when you live with someone for years, you notice things.
“I told him he should talk to Remus.”
“You told him what? Celeste, what happened to being delicate?” He sort of hissed the words, trying to be quiet in the late night.
“I was delicate!” She hissed back, “I didn’t suggest anything, if anything I suggested the opposite. I told him that, whatever reservations he has about Remus, I trust him. And he should, too.”
(Poor Sirius had spent the rest of the night turning over her words, how she had said “I know you aren’t Remus’ biggest fan…” and how wrong she was. He feared he might just be Remus’ biggestfan.)
“I suppose that’s okay”
”Oh, you suppose?” She put her hands on her hips, and gave him another look, her, you know I’m right, look.
He smiled, just a little, because he did, “I suppose.”
Pascal wasn’t sure if Sirius had taken Celeste’s advice until, at the first team dinner of the season, the new rookie, Leo, asked Sirius about his ankle. Rather than answer himself, Sirius turned the question to Remus, and every head at the table followed, looking for an update on their captain.
“We’ll have to see how you do in the next few weeks.”
Kasey let out a groan. “Such a media answer. Fucking Christ.”
“It’s true!” Remus insisted. “I can’t make it heal any faster than it wants to. All I can say is that he looks good out there so far.”
It was a media answer, but Sirius listened like it was gospel. He didn’t look away. He leaned in, and pressed, “You said I was keeping weight off of it.”
“You are. That doesn’t mean that if you’re smart you can’t break the habit. Favoring the uninjured foot doesn’t always mean the injured one is still hurt. It just means you’re scared that it is.” Remus replied.
Pascal expected Sirius to become defensive at the implication that he was scared. Instead, he just leaned back in his seat, taking it in.
Remus seemed to regret his choice in words, and quickly added: “I looked at it. The bone looks good, the muscles around it look good. You just have to trust yourself.”
It was good advice, and if the smile on Sirius’ face—small, but pursed, like he was trying hard to keep it from growing—was anything to go off of, he thought so, too.
“It’s good to have you around, Loops.”
When Pascal arrived at the next team dinner, Sirius and Remus were sitting next to each other.
James arrived late, with a squeeze to Remus’ shoulders, making him jump and spill what remained of his nearly empty drink. Next to him, Sirius slid his own, much fuller, drink over.
As Sirius flagged down the waitress, Remus briefly took a sip of Sirius’ drink, then pushed it back.
Sirius and Remus were sharing drinks. They were leaning into each other, talking. In fact, they’d talked almost exclusively to each other, the whole night.
Pascal mostly left them to it, catching up with James (Pascal had a sneaking suspicion that Lily was pregnant, and was trying to get information out of him), Kasey, and Thomas, until all of their attention was drawn by a sudden laugh from Sirius. He’d put his head down on the table and was visibly shaking in his shoulders. Remus was red in the face, trying to cover it with his hands.
James must have been feeling left out, because he threw his arm around Kasey, jostling him as he leaned over to the laughing pair, asking across the table, “Why are we laughing without me? Is Loops funny and I didn’t know it?”
“Pots, get a grip, I’m fucking eating,” Kasey grumbled, wiping away the food James had made him smear on his cheek. Pascal had to agree with James, however: what could possibly be so funny?
James was unphased, and offered a “sorry, babe” before leaning past Kasey and asking again, “but seriously, why are we laughing, I need to be included in everything.”
“Oh, we know” was all Sirius had to say as he turned to share another look with Remus.
James leaned back in his chair and huffed. Luckily, Pascal was able to distract him by introducing the topic of the team Christmas party.
When the end of the night came, as the team gathered outside the restaurant to head their separate ways, Sirius turned to Remus and asked, “Ready?”
Sirius was giving him a ride home…
“Yep.” Remus replied.
…Sirius never shares a ride to team dinner…
Of course, James noticed, and of course, he brought it to everyone’s attention. “Fruit-loops riding with captain?”
“Yeah, yeah, yeah” was all Sirius had to say for himself.
“Do my ears deceive me?”
“Yes, yes, alright.” Sirius held his hand out to James and pulled him into a hug, “Goodnight, Potty,” and turned and left with Remus.
…until now.
Just before the season started, Pascal injured his wrist in practice. Not badly, but enough to need to take time off and let it heal. Enough that he was stuck watching the season opener from home.
It was a good game. Sirius looked good. They all did. He wouldn’t say it out loud, and really it was too soon to say, but Pascal had good feelings about this season.
They were up 3-1 at the end of the first period when Sirius speed up the ice on a breakaway, when Krum came out of nowhere and slammed him into the boards, knocking him down and allowing Krum to steal the puck and score.
It wasn’t a gentle hit, but it was clean. Still, it took Sirius a few moments to get up.
A hand pulled at his sleeve, and Pascal looked down at Katie, who was sitting next to him.
“Is Sirius going to be okay?”
“Yes, mon chou, our captain will be just fine. Look how he’s skating, no injury, see?”
The buzzer went, marking the end of the first period, and they watched the team file off the ice.
“Will Remus check him? Just to be sure?”
Pascal smiled at that “I bet he will.”
Once Logan was home, Celeste heated up some dinner for him and sat with him while he ate.
“Tough hit on Sirius tonight.”
Logan nodded as he chewed, and once he swallowed spoke, “Yeah, took him a sec to get up. Remus brought him back to the recovery room during the first intermission, but he looked fine when they came out. Well, you saw how he played. Didn’t seem to slow him down any.”
“No, it didn’t. That’s good. It seems like Remus has really helped him.”
“Ouais, he helps us all.” He took another bite.
“I’m sure he does. I’ve always liked him, that Remus.” She waited a few more moments, letting Logan eat, then added, “His family usually visits for opening games, don’t they?”
Again, Logan nodded. “They were there tonight, he brought them back to the locker room after the game.”
“Did he?” That was interesting. Remus talked about his family plenty, but—as far as Celeste knew—had never introduced them to the team. She’d certainly never met them. I wonder if that was Sirius’ doing…
Logan smiled a bit and added, “His little brother looked like he was going to faint with all the attention he got from Cap and Pots.”
It was Celeste’s turn to smile.
Pascal’s first game back was against the Snakes. The whole team was on edge, Remus included, and they were using talk of Halloween as a distraction.
It sounded like the party would be at the captain’s house, and Pascal was wondering if Remus would go, when he heard Sirius ask the same question.
“Yeah, sure. I mean—if I’m invited, yeah,” came Remus’ reply.
“You’re always invited.”
Good answer, Sirius.
Remus laughed a small, nervous laugh.
Pascal spared a glance in their direction, just in time to see Sirius give Remus a little punch to the shoulder, and then take an awkward step back.
Remus didn’t seem to know what to make of that. Pascal wasn’t sure, either.
Was he…
“Um. Cool. See you there.” In his peripheral vision, Pascal saw Sirius do a little dance as he started to turn away, and then back toward Remus. “Or, not—like, I’ll see you before, obviously. But…”
Well, that certainly seemed like flirting. Bad flirting, but still…
Remus laughed, again. “Sure thing, Pads.”
Sirius cleared his throat again, and then promptly left the room. Remus just stared after him.
Bad flirting, but it was working.
“Why am I always Santa?” Pascal asked as Marlene adjusted the red and white hat on his head.
“Because he’s Father Christmas, and you’re the father Lion.” She replied.
Logan snorted at that, but his face fell when she turned to him and held up an elf costume.
“Non, non, non,” he tried to back away.
“Nom, nom, nom” Finn called from behind him as he walked into the room wearing a leprechaun costume.
Logan turned around and let out a delighted laugh. The two of them dissolved into their usual chirping, but Pascal was distracted by a sight across the room.
Remus and Sirius had their heads bent together, foreheads nearly touching, looking down at the beagle puppies Sirius was holding. They were speaking so softly to each other that if it wasn’t for their mouths moving, Pascal wouldn’t think they were talking at all.
Carefully, Sirius transferred one of the sleeping pups into Remus’ arms. As he did, he said something that made Remus laugh as he cradled the dog to his chest. Then, they both glanced up, right into each other’s eyes.
“Sirius, you’re up!” Marlene interrupted them.
Tabarnak, Pascal cursed to himself.
Neither of them seemed to want to move. After a moment, Remus handed back his puppy with a few more quiet words. When Sirius walked over, he was fighting to contain a smile.
“That,” Marlene said, “is perfect. Keep that look on your face, Captain, and these photos will be all the fans talk about.”
There was still a visible hesitance between the two of them. Like they were being careful. Careful with their words. Careful with each other, figuring out where they stood. Figuring out what it all meant.
That was good. Sirius needed someone who would be careful with him. Maybe Remus needed that, too.
For now, they had a game against the Snakes to focus on.
During warm ups, Sirius glanced multiple times across the ice towards his little brother, who didn’t spare him a single glance in return.
It was a tough game. Dirty, with a high stick on Finn, and a trip on Logan. Despite two beautiful goals from Sirius, they lost. And all the media cared about was that Sirius’ younger brother was on the other team.
The loss was hard on Sirius, Pascal knew that. He just hoped, if their captain wouldn’t talk to him or James, maybe he’d talk to Remus.
Sirius was a terrible host. He took no part in putting up decorations, or setting out the food. Each time someone showed up with a dish, he just told them to put it on the table with the rest. He did make sure there were plenty of drinks in supply, and simply told everyone to help themselves.
He was certainly helping himself. It appeared as though Sirius was playing a drinking game with himself. It went like this: every time he glanced at the door, he took a drink. He glanced at the door a lot. They were well into the night when (after plenty of glancing and drinking on Sirius’ part) Remus arrived, upon which Sirius promptly led him into the kitchen.
Shortly after, Pascal followed, with Katie and Marc in tow, just in time to hear Kasey bluntly state, “Remus, the captain is drunk!”
“James did it first” Sirius defended, which Pascal didn’t think was fair, considering James was drinking for two.
“And if James jumped off a bridge, so would you. We know, mon ami.” He replied as he entered the kitchen, and turned toward the guest of honor, “Hello, Remus. I see you’re calling the shots tonight, eh, ref?”
Remus picked up ingredients to make himself a drink, which Sirius promptly took from his hands and made himself. This is the first drink Sirius has made tonight that wasn’t his own.
Remus offered a smile and a shrug, “I’ll call ‘em when I see ‘em.”
This could go very, very well. “As you should.”
There was a pull on one of his arms. “Papa, I want another.”
“Katie, you have had two cupcakes and you’re going trick-or-treating tomorrow, ma puce.”
“Candy is different than cake! Marc wants one, two”
Ahh, that’s what this is, they were teaming up on him. He tried his best for a stern glare.
It didn’t work. Marc bounced over to Sirius and pulled out the big guns. “Sirius said we could!”
“Oh, did he now? Are you in charge of my children now, mon capitaine?”
Sirius smiled and placed his hand on Marc’s head. “You know I can’t resist. It’s your fault for leaving them with me.”
He wanted to be mad, but he loved how Sirius was with his kids. Loved how he’d warmed up to them, over time, after initially seeming so scared of them, that first year.
He held up one finger. “One,” he said to Marc and Katie, who quickly shrieked and ran off toward the food. As he took a beer and turned to follow them, he first pointed at Remus, “Make sure he gets a penalty for that, eh?”
Remus raised his drink to him with a “will do, Dumo” and promptly blew lightly on the whistle around his neck at Sirius, making him laugh.
Pascal had to quickly turn away and hide his smile in his drink.
Celeste was putting Katie and Marc to bed in one of Sirius’ guest rooms when she heard someone walk down the hallway and enter a room. Shortly after, another set of footsteps followed, and then Sirius’ voice.
“Penalty,” she heard him speak from the hallway, or maybe from the doorway to one of the rooms, since he was likely speaking to whoever had come through first. His voice got farther away, “two minutes for snooping.”
At the sound of Sirius’ voice, Katie started to blink her eyes open. Luckily his voice got more muffled, after that, and with some more coaxing, Celeste was able to lull her back to sleep. Once she was sure both her children were out, she got up and carefully went into the hallway, planning to go downstairs.
“Sirius, it’s okay.” The sound of Remus’ voice stopped her in her tracks. “It’s alright, I’d never tell anyone, I just—I brought it up because I thought maybe that you…”
“I… it’s not good. I can’t.”
Oh, Sirius…
“Right,” Remus sounded pained, like he could barely get the word out. “Right, yeah, okay.”
And then it was Sirius who sounded pained, “No, Remus, listen, Remus.”
She really should go.
”I’m listening”
This was a private conversation, she should leave, and let them be alone.
“It would have to be” Sirius paused, briefly, “secret. So secret, and—so hard. It wouldn’t be fair to you. Remus, if my parents found out—I mean, if anyone found out—”
“Are you saying…”
“Yes. Yes, I want you. I’ve wanted you for, mon dieu, I don’t know how long.”
“I want you, too,” Remus sounded confused, “Sirius—”
Celeste had to leave, then. She wished it was because she’d come to her senses, and shouldn’t have listened at all, but really it was because she couldn’t bear to hear anymore.
She carefully made her way down the stairs, and went to find Pascal.
It hurt, watching Sirius and Remus go from flirty and playful back to cold and distant. It hurt watching Remus be the one avoiding Sirius, this time around.
They had a much-needed day off, and Pascal was lying on the couch pretending to watch the news, but was really listening to Celeste congratulate Lily over the phone. It sounded like they’d moved on to discussing Sirius’ birthday plans.
“It’s just that we’ve always had Sirius at ours for his birthday, and that tradition has become important to us,” Celeste was pacing at the side of the room, but suddenly stopped upon facing the TV, which had moved on to the weather. “You know what, Lily, it’s okay. We’ll just celebrate with him on the fourth.”
That made Pascal sit up.
“Yes, I’m sure. That gives me more time to plan, you know how hard it is putting a meal together on a game day, especially with four rambunctious kids.”
She kept talking, despite Pascal waving his arms and shaking his head.
“Really, Lily, this is better for me. Enjoy your night with him, and congratulations, again. Okay, bye.”
“Celebrate on the fourth? Celeste, Sirius’ birthday is on the third.”
“I’m well aware, Pascal.”
“We always celebrate with Sirius on his birthday.”
“We usually do, yes.” When he just gaped at her, she grabbed his shoulders and turned him toward the TV. “Don’t worry, I have a plan.”
He just stared. “You have a plan.” What did this plan have to do with the weather?
“Yes, I have a plan. And we can discuss said plan later,” she wrapped her arms around him from behind, and rested her chin on his shoulder, so she could speak softly into his neck, “but right now, the kids are at school, and day-care, and Logan is out with Finn and Leo…”
He smiled at that, “we have an empty house.”
“That we do.”
Quickly, he turned around, scooped her up in his arms, and carried her up the stairs.
It was a good plan, as long as Pascal could convince Remus to join them for dinner.
He and Sirius still didn’t seem to be talking to each other, but Remus was watching Sirius toss pucks over the glass with a dreamy look on his face when Pascal skated up to him, leaning his forearms on the boards between them.
”Hi, Dumo” Remus looked wary, like he suspected Pascal was up to something. Fair enough.
He debated for a second how to approach the invitation, then decided to just spit it out like he did his mouth guard.
“You should come over for dinner tomorrow night, Remus. Me and the family—and Logan, of course—are throwing Sirius a little dinner party, just us French Canadians, for old time sake.”
Remus still looked skeptical, “I’m not French Canadian.”
“You basically are. Besides, I’m inviting you. Me, Logan, Celeste, and the kids. Very casual. I know James is having him over tonight—the little shit took his actual birthday—but Sirius used to practically live at my house.”
That got a small laugh out of him. “You complain about billet housing, and yet you seem to have an awfully hard time letting your kids go.”
Pascal shoved his arm. “He is all alone in that great big house of his. It’s true, I’d shove him back in my basement with Logan if I could.” He couldn’t help but smile at the idea, “But don’t tell him that.”
Remus looked back to Sirius, and that dreamy expression returned.
“He’ll want you there,” Pascal half-sung, in a hopeful attempt at convincing him.
“I don’t know,” Remus sighed, like he doubted Sirius would want him around.
He put his gloved hand on Remus’ shoulder to get him to look directly at him, he needed Remus paying attention.
“I do.”
The doorbell rang at 7:00, on the dot.
“I’ll get it,” Pascal said, with a kiss to Celeste’s cheek, then bent down to pick up Katie, resting her on his hip as he went to open the door.
“Remus!” He greeted with a smile, “Right on time, as usual.”
Remus smiled back, and shook some snow off of his collar as he stepped inside.
It was already snowing, good.
“Hi, Dumo.” Remus replied, with a wave to Katie. “I hope you guys have candles. Apparently there’s going to be a huge blizzard tonight.”
Pascal had to turn away, at that, to school his expression. “Really? I hadn’t noticed.” And lead Remus to the kitchen.
“Blizzard!” Katie cheered, “Kasey!”
“Parfait, ma chou.” He gave her a big kiss on the cheek, for that. “Exactement.”
They entered the kitchen and Celeste was ready to greet their guest with a glass of wine and a kiss on each cheek. “Remus, we are so happy you could come.”
“I am, too, thank you so much for—”
“Remus?” And there was Sirius, standing at the top of the basement stairs, wide-eyed, Logan behind him.
“Hi, Sirius. Tremzy.” Remus greeted when he turned around to face them.
Logan waved in greeting, then shoved Sirius forward when he still didn’t move.
“Welcome to French court, Fruit-loop,” Logan grinned and punched Remus lightly in the shoulder, then pressed a quick kiss to Celeste’s cheek. At least he could be counted on to be a good host. Sirius still stood near the doorway, gaping like a fish. “Where the food is the best. And there’s little monsters to chase.”
Then Logan playfully growled at Marc and Katie, and chased them around the kitchen island as they shrieked and laughed. Adele and Louis were both holding back smiles like they were trying very hard to seem unimpressed. The room was warm with laughter and the smell of delicious food, and one look at Celeste told Pascal she was feeling the same pride in the home they’d built as he was.
And Sirius still hadn’t moved, hadn’t taken his eyes off of Remus.
“I can see why you can’t get rid of Logan.” Remus had turned back to Celeste. “Dinner does smell incredible.”
Sirius seemed to unfreeze at that, “Are you here for dinner?” He spoke as he came over to stand next to Celeste, who clicked her tongue at him and hit him lightly in the chest with her dishtowel.
“Sirius, Où sont tes manières?”
“No, I…” Sirius, flustered, paused to collect himself. “I just didn’t know you were coming.”
“Oh?” Pascal had picked up a spoon, and pretended to look like he was helping with dinner to avoid the look Remus sent his way. “I thought…”
“I think dinner is ready,” he cut Remus off. “Adele, set the table, Louis help help your mother bring the food out.”
“Katie and Marc could do it for once,” Adele protested even as she stood up to do as she was told.
Celeste pushed Logan and the rest of their kids into the dining room, signaling for Pascal to follow, so Remus and Sirius could have a moment alone.
When the two made their way into the dining room, they both paused at the sight of the two empty chairs, next to each other. As they each sat down, they both glanced at each other, and away, at the same time. They each continued to glance at each other, and away, throughout the night. Pascal was struggling to contain his glee.
Remus, across from him, seemed to pick up on it, but Pascal just ignored his imploring looks.
Katie, on Remus’ other side, tugged on his sleeve. Remus turned to look at her.
“Joues-tu au hockey?” She asked him. “Like my papa?”
Remus smiled at the question, and shook his head. “I wish. I’m not as cool as your papa.”
Well, wasn’t that nice?
“Finally! The praise I deserve.” Pascal said, and despite her eye roll, Celeste was smiling, too.
“I used to, though.” Remus added.
“Did you?” That was new information. “I didn’t know that.” And he thought he knew Remus well.
Remus shrugged, a little awkwardly, at that. “It’s… you know. I miss it, so I don’t talk about it much.”
“Jesus f-fudge,” Logan managed to catch himself, with an apologetic glance at Celeste. “You’ve got to play with us, bud. How did we not know this?”
It was a good idea, and Pascal was about to say so, when Sirius beat him to a response.
“He’s already promised,” Sirius hid his smile in his glass. “All we have to do is win a Cup.”
At the mention of winning the cup, Pascal knocked on the table with Sirius and Logan. As they did, the lights flickered out. Adele squeaked when the room was thrown into semi-darkness, light reflecting off of the snow outside and into the room, wind howling.
“Woah,” Logan helpfully supplied.
“Oh! A storm!” Pascal knew he was failing to contain his delight, but everything was going according to Celeste’s brilliant plan. He stood up, “I’ll get the candles, you were right, Lupin, you were right.” He gave Celeste a thank you kiss on his way out.
“Well. The weatherman was right, really” Remus replied.
“Pascal will never know where the candles are, I’ll be right back.” He heard Celeste say from the dining room as he poked around in different drawers, trying and failing to find the candles. Okay, fair. “Why don’t we all go to the living room. We’re all almost done anyway and it’ll be more comfortable there. I’ll light the stove and bring coffee, too, non? And desert.”
Shortly after, Pascal felt Celeste’s warm hand on his back, and she guided him to the correct drawer. He turned to wrap his hands around her waist, and bent down to kiss her. She reached up and placed her other hand on his cheek, leaning in to kiss him back.
“Nice work” he whispered into her lips
“The night’s not over yet,” She whispered back, not pulling away.
“You aren’t allowed to do that right now,” they overheard Remus say from the next room.
Pascal sighed, “No, it’s not.”
“Boys, go sit down!” Celeste called to them, then turned to grab the temporarily forgotten candles.
When they brought the cake out and started singing happy birthday, Sirius smiled like a little kid. It was the same smile he’d worn his first birthday with them, one of the first smiles they’d gotten out of him. That smile was the reason they’d insisted on spending birthdays with him since. That smile made Celeste want to replace every bad birthday, every bad memory he’d ever had from before them with happy ones.
“Guys,” he said, rubbing at the stubble on his cheek. “Merci…thanks.”
“Le gateau!” Katie celebrated.
“Oui,” Sirius replied, “Will you help me blow out the candles?”
“What are you going to wish for?” Adele leaned forward and asked. It was sweet, how much she adored Sirius.
“Well, I can’t tell you.” Sirius looked down, a little. “It won’t come true. And… I think I need this one to come true.”
At that, Celeste and Pascal both looked to each other, making a wish of their own as Sirius blew out the candles with Katie.
Not much later, their phones started lighting up with severe storm warnings.
“Oh, would you look at that,” Pascal held his phone close to his face, trying his best to block the twitch of a smile on his face. “Dangerous roads.”
Celeste stood and walked to the window, “Oh,” she said as she peaked past the curtain. “God, we can barely see. I didn’t know it was going to be this bad.”
Yes, you did, you devious angel.
She turned back to them, carefully averting her eyes away from Pascal. “Well… I don’t know if I want you boys driving in the dark like this. Especially after all the wine, the food…”
Pascal held his breath as Remus looked down at his glass.
“You both should stay here,” Celeste added as she walked back to the table and picked up her cake. “Just to be safe. The snow plows will come in the morning. The worst that could happen is practice being delayed a little—”
The worst that could happen is you say no and this plan doesn’t work.
“—We have a guest room, if you don’t mind sharing.” She finished.
Sirius looked to Remus, letting him decide. He seemed to appreciate that, and after only a few seconds made up his mind.
“That would be wonderful.” He answered with a small smile to Celeste. “And I don’t mind if Sirius doesn’t.”
“No,” Sirius was quick to reply, then seemed to catch himself, with a small cough. “I mean, no, I don’t mind. At all. It’s fine.”
Oh, we know exactly what you meant.
“Are we having a sleepover?” Katie asked, as she requested a bite of cake from Sirius with a tap to his wrist, which he supplied. Pascal rolled his eyes, a little. She had them all wrapped around her finger.
“Cap and Loops are having a sleepover, ma chère,” Logan said, unknowingly proving Pascal’s point as he stretched out a foot to nudge her own until she laughed. “You and me can have a sleepover, how’s that?” He looked to Remus to explain, “I’m just saying because she really will climb into your bed if you say yes.”
Pascal wasn’t sure if Logan knew what a good idea it was to keep Katie out of Remus and Sirius’ bed tonight, but he appreciated it, anyway.
“Tremzy.” Katie sighed happily.
Celeste laughed, “She really will. I speak from experience. Anyway, finish your cake and coffee and I’ll make up the bed for you”
“We can do that,” Remus offered.
“Speak for yourself, Fruit-loop,” Pascal laughed. “I’ve never met a hockey player below 25 who can make up a bed for himself.”
“I can make a bed!” Sirius protested.
“We’ll see, won’t we?” Pascal said as he raised his eyebrows and took a large, obnoxious bite of cake, grinning while he chewed and making his kids laugh.
Celeste fondly rolled her eyes. It was the same look she’d given him when they first met, and he’d flirted with her during an interview. He knew that very first moment he’d spend the rest of his life trying to get her to smile like that, again. “Stop teasing the boy, Pascal.” She waved at the remaining food, “Eat up, or I’ll have children begging for leftover cake for the next week.”
As Pascal ushered the kids upstairs and showed Sirius and Remus to their room, Celeste went downstairs to the laundry room to grab them fresh sheets and something to wear to bed.
She was debating how to pass off having extra pajamas just lying around, when she saw a basket of Logan’s laundry. On top was one of his Lions shirts, bearing the number 10 and the name Tremblay.
She knocked on Logan’s bedroom door. When he opened, she handed him two of his own shirts.
“Give these to Remus and Sirius”
“These are mine?” It was more of a confused statement, than a question or protest.
“You can share” was all she said.
Each of the kids wanted to say goodnight to their guests before going to bed, and then it was Pascal’s turn to give them each exaggerated kisses to the cheek with a final “bonne nuit” before letting Sirius shut the door.
Now, all there was to do was leave them to it.
When Pascal shut the door to his own bedroom, the house finally settled, and quiet, Celeste immediately pulled him into a kiss.
“I think it’s going to work,” She said when she pulled away.
“I think so, too,” He replied as he leaned in for another kiss.
It took a lot of effort the next morning to keep Katie from going into Remus and Sirius’ room and “waking them up.” Celeste suspected they were already awake, just… taking their time. And take their time, they did. Eventually, the two made their way downstairs, looking distinctly proud of themselves. The tension from the night before was visibly gone.
In sync, Pascal and Celeste each took a sip of their coffee, and shared a quiet high five, hands hidden behind the kitchen island.
Success.