Soon You’ll get Better
Remus woke up that Saturday morning with only one thought in his head. He needed to practice serving and setting today. He needed to push himself to his limits. Out of his limits even. He knew it could be dangerous to overwork himself, but this game could be the end of the line for him. With his hip and arthritis, it was like playing with fire. Sometimes he was working with the body of a healthy 17 year old, who can maneuver and work himself through endless drills and practice. Other times, he was playing in an old man's body. His joints cracking whenever he moved, or his hips popping. Sometimes he thought of himself as an old man at heart. With his grandpa sweaters and his earl gray tea, he certainly acted like one. That didn’t mean he had to feel like one.
He slipped his knee pads over his knees and filled his water bottle. He wasn’t sure he would even need knee pads, as he wouldn’t be doing any defensive drills. He was alone, after all.
He got into his car and yelled out to Regulus that he was leaving. Regulus groaned a tired goodbye. Remus drove slow to the rec center, where he generally practiced anytime they didn't have team practice in their gym. He warmed up first, throwing the volleyball against the wall over and over. He stretched his shoulders and arms to get them able to serve. He stretched his legs next, so he wouldn’t pull something while turning to serve. He vaguely observed someone else had walked in and started to warm up as well. He continued his warm up nonetheless. He had his earphones in, playing a shuffle of David Bowie and The Smiths. He lifted his hands above his head, stretching them enough to start serving.
He grabbed another ball, getting ready to start his serving. He picked a corner of the court he tried to hit it to, and served it there. He started with standing serves. They were easier to control, easier to regulate where the weak link on the other side of the court was. He served to the back left corner a few times, before going to the right. Eventually, he worked his way up to serving to the setter. He got frustrated when people would serve to him. He was always supposed to be the second ball. It made it extremely difficult when he was the first. He knew it was a good strategy though, so he did it. Then, once he got comfortable with that, he began jump serving. Jump serving had special steps to it, much like hitting. Unfortunately, he was not a hitter. Setting also had steps to it, but fortunately for Remus, they were not very difficult. Remus struggled with coordination. It was a big part of why he became a setter. He jump served the ball, having it land dead middle of the court, which was not where he was going for when he felt a shy tap on his shoulder.
Remus took his earbud out and turned around. He narrowed his eyes as he looked down. “Hello?” He asked Sirius Black.
Sirius Black, for once in his bloody life, looked awkward and unsure. “Hi uh- No one else is here practicing and I was wondering if you want to pass with me for a little?” Sirius asked. His words came out quite jumbled and stuck together like glue. Remus thought for a moment. He didn’t necessarily like Sirius. At all. But, there was nothing better to do.
Remus started to nod slowly. “As long as I can set.” Remus said. He unplugged his earphones and set them on the bench. Sirius nodded and bumped the ball to him.
They started to pass. Bump, set, spike. Bump, set, spike. Bump, set, spike. Bump, set, set, spike. This went on for a while, as their aim was nearly impeccable between the two of them. They worked naturally together despite being on opposing teams. It was a wonder to watch. They began to fall into a rhythm. Both Sirius and Remus were sweaty, but it was a rally that was worth not taking a break for. Sirius eventually spiked the ball a little too low, and Remus was feeling rather old man-y today, so he chose not to dive for it. Sirius looked at him with an expression Remus couldn’t figure out. He was biting his lip. Remus, though he definitely hated Sirius, had to admit, Sirius was pretty. He was smaller than Remus by a lot. His long black hair tied into a bun, and his hands wrung.
They didn’t speak for a while. They just stood and looked at each other. Remus watched as Sirius’s Adam's apple bobbed as he swallowed. Remus cleared his throat, shaking his head to clear his thoughts. “Any other drills you want to work on?” He asked Sirius.
Sirius, who seemed to jump out of his train of thoughts slowly nodded. “Uh yeah, you’re a setter, right?” Sirius asked.
Remus, who hates being asked if he was a setter in fear of someone asking him to set them or teach them how to set, found he didn’t mind the question. In fact, he wanted to set Sirius. “Yeah.” He said.
“Will you set me a few times? Then I'll get out of your hair and stop bothering you.” Sirius said, tossing Remus the ball and positioning himself just outside of the court in order to get a start at the set.
“You’re not bothering me.” Remus blurted out. He fought the urge to cover his mouth. Sirius began to slowly smile at him.
“Thanks. You’re not too bothersome either.” Sirius teased.
Did Sirius Black, his best friend’s brother, his should-be sworn enemy, just tease him? In a joking manner? Oh god, he is so gay. Remus could feel himself thinking about Sirius more often. Even before today.
Remus set the ball at him, before hearing a sharp crack in his forefinger. He groaned in pain and grit his teeth. Sirius caught the ball and dropped it, rushing to Remus. “What happened?” Sirius asked.
“I think it's my arthritis.” He admitted. He didn’t know why he told him that, as he kept it a secret from most of his team, let alone someone he shouldn’t even be talking to. He didn’t want anyone to think of him and the weak link. “Please don’t tell anyone.” He breathed through his teeth.” The pain was worse than many times he has had it before.
“I won’t. What can I do for you?” Sirius asked, leaning beside Remus, who’s hip was now acting up.
“Heat, I guess. It’s the only way to make the pain go away. Then after that, ice. For the swelling.” Remus said.
Sirius nodded thoughtfully. “I’ll be right back.”
A few minutes later, Sirius did come back with a hand warmer and an ice pack. “The hand warmer was the best I could find. I’m sorry.”
Remus breathed out a little laugh. “Not your fault.”
“Are you sure I didn’t like- I don’t know, spike it too hard?” Sirius asked sheepishly.
Remus let out a surprised laugh. “No, I'm ok. I promise.” He said to reassure Sirius. He felt the need to comfort him, to relieve him of his worries.
Sirius sat down beside him. At this point they were leaning against the wall, trying to calm themselves. “Hey I hate to ask this of you, but I need to go get some antibiotics for this. I can’t drive though. Do you mind taking me? If not I can ask someone else and you have no obligation to if you-” Remus rambled without taking any breaths.
“I’ll take you, Remus.” Sirius said, smiling.
Remus smiled back. A few minutes later, Sirius stood up. He helped Remus up carefully, putting his hands under his arms. He had Remus hugged next to him as he pulled him up. Sirius smelled like dark cherries and leather. Remus briefly wondered where the leather scent came from. Sirius lugged him and his stuff to Sirius’s car. “I’ll take us back afterwards to get your car.” Sirius said, shrugging into a leather jacket. Something in Remus’s mind clicked about the leather smell. He nodded at Sirius’s words and dropped into the passenger's seat.
They drove in silence before Sirius started to flick through the radio, landing on the 70s. “70s?” Remus questioned. He enjoyed the 70’s but he assumed Sirius would have been more of a 2000’s punk rock teenager type.
Sirius hummed. “Yeah, especially Bowie and The Beatles and stuff.” Sirius said shyly.
Remus found himself smiling. “Bowie? It’s not everyday you find someone who has the same music taste as you.” Remus said, turning to look at Sirius with his head pressed into the back of the seat.
Sirius was facing directly ahead of him. They were cruising slowly through the roads, most abandoned. Remus noticed a faint dust of pink resting upon his cheeks and neck. Remus found he really didn’t hate Sirius. Which sucked, because his best friend sure did. He was supposed to hate Sirius. It was practically essential. But when he was driving him to the hospital when he could be practicing for a game they would be playing against each other…he found he just couldn’t. “Will you use this against me in the game?” Remus asked softly.
Sirius turned to look at him this time, bewildered. “What? Of course not. Not unless you want to use my secrets against me.”
Remus looked up lazily, grinning at the sky. “And what secrets do you have, Mr. perfect?” He said, eyeing Sirius from his peripheral vision.
Sirius scoffed. “Mr. Perfect? No, I’m far from perfect.” He said, pulling into the hospital's parking lot.
“Secret for secret?” Remus asked, beginning to sit up and get into a position where he can easily get out.
Sirius thought for a moment before humming. “Okay, but please don’t tell anyone this.” He said. At first Remus thought he was being overly dramatic as a joke,but when he looked at Sirius and saw his wild, scared eyes he agreed all too quickly.
“I won’t, Sirius. Of course I won’t.”
“I’m gay. I can’t come out because the NVA will probably be incredibly unsupportive, and I may get kicked off the team.” Sirius said. His voice was small, smaller than Remus has ever seen it before, and Remus’s heart ached because of it.
“Me too.” Remus said before continuing with, “Well, kind of. I’m bi, I think.” Remus told him, they were looking at each other now, their faces both a nice red.
Sirius, who had already pulled into the parking slot, stopped the car and got out. He came around to the other side to open the door for Remus and help him out of it.
Eventually, despite the consistent pain Remus was working through, they made it out of the car and through the hospital doors. They went in, where the receptionist was clicking the keys of her keyboard with long red nails. “Hello, what can I do for you?” She asked in a southern accent.
“Hi, I just need to grab some antibiotics.” Remus said. The receptionist looked up at him and her mouth fell open.
“Yes of course, just go down to the pharmacist down the hall, tell him what you need, and he’ll grab it for you in lickity split.” She said, smiling deeply at Remus.
Remus smiled politely back, but as soon as he turned his back, the smile dropped.
After a little bit of waiting, they did end up getting antibiotics. They also technically got sent to a doctor who helped fix Remus enough so he could walk without any help.
As soon as they were done with the whole mess, Sirius drove slowly back to the rec center and got Remus into his car.
Remus smiled at him softly through the window as they both drove themselves home. Remus thought the entire car ride of Sirius. His light gray eyes and dark black hair are so different from Regulus. He was so different from Regulus despite people always saying how much they’re alike.
When Remus parked in the driveway and walked inside, Regulus was sitting on the couch eating popcorn and drinking Dr. Pepper.
“How was practice?” Regulus asked.
And so Remus told him everything. They never kept secrets from each other. They never have. Regulus listened intently throughout the entire story, nodding along or humming when necessary. “Seems like you have a dilemma.” Regulus said to Remus carefully.
Remus gave him a puzzled look. “How so?”
Regulus raised an eyebrow. “That is for you to decipher and figure out what you’re going to do with it. I forgave Sirius a while ago. It just hurts that he hasn't forgiven me.”
“Oh god, I hate when you get all poetic like this.” Remus whined.
Regulus winked at him as a text from an unknown contact came through saying 6 words.
‘I hope you get better soon.’
Followed by:
‘This is Sirius, by the way.’
And Remus felt himself smile. He vaguely heard Regulus scoff at the television in the background as he made his contact. He responded a few times before another text came through.
‘Soon you'll get better.”