Chapter 1
Red.
Red was the color of his mum’s array of spices. Red was the color of the smell in his house. Red was the color of the blood trickling down his leg at that very moment.
“Fuck. PADFOOT!”
James sat on the floor of the claw tub in his bathroom, in boxers put hurriedly on, red filling his nose and eyes. Watching it. The red consumes him, swallowing him whole. Loud footsteps come to a halt as the bathroom door opens and the red disapparates. Well, not really. It morphs into a stormy blue. More of a grey, actually.
The grey clears away, fizzling out under his feet before swirling down the drain. He watches it, before looking up, once again met with the grey. Sirius is standing by the threshold of the door; with narrowed eyes and a bedhead one could only describe as manic, dressed in only his boxers and a huge rolling stones T-shirt, that James was convinced was Remus’.
“Tell me potter, what did you do this time, hm? Dragging me from my slumber at such an hour like thi- MERLINS BALLS JAMES WHAT THE BLOODY FUCK HAPPENED?!?!?”
He had finally noticed the skin (or lack of) ripped up on his leg. It wasn’t small either. To James, it resembled that time he was bitten by a small animal (whom to this day, James still doesn’t know what it was), and left his with more blood gushing than he knew he had.
Sirius rushed over to him and immediately started to play nurse, heroically brandishing the first aid kit from the bathroom, and saying random sentences from Grey’s Anatomy. James laughed at him, until he pressed firmly on the cut and that laughter quickly turned into groans and winces.
“You gonna tell me what happened?”
“Mmph… bloody fuck pads that hurts! It’s embarrassing…”
“Mate, I say this with love, but everything you do slightly embarrasses me.”
Groaning, James started to explain what happened, fully aware of how it made him sound in this situation (like a himbo).
“Well, as you know, I was out for a quick run, just getting the body moving. I, uh came home and was all gross and sweaty so I hopped into the shower and then I uh. Um. Well. I saw mum’s razor. And for some bloody stupid reason I wanted to shave my legs. So, I uh, sat down to do it, and I must’ve not done it right because... well… here we are.”
Wincing at his words and his cut, he looked at Sirius, who had a blank expression on his face. That was, before he burst into an obnoxiously loud laugh, waking the others in the house (his mum and dad, and Remus who was staying for the week. Peter was too but hardly anything wakes him up – when he’s out, he’s out).
One hand clutching his belly and one clutching the bathtub, a bandage in between his fingers he laughed. And laughed. And laughed. So much so that one Remus Lupin waddled down the stairs, stuffing his head through a sweater that James reckons he pried off an old man’s dead, bony fingers, and boxers that were far too big for him, slipping dangerously low down his narrow frame.
Umber hits James’ senses as Moony stands in the bathroom, arms crossed, with an exasperated expression on his face. Umber, umber, umber. Remus, Remus, Remus.
“You two better have a good fuckin reason for waking me up at the hour of the devil or I swear to God, I will choke you.”
Laughing dimming away, Sirius looks up at Remus and winks.
“Yes please.”
Internally, James is groaning. Yes, he may be slightly oblivious, but even he knew about the sexual tension between these two. You could cut it with a razor! Reminded, he looks down at his mauled leg, as the pain returns, just thinking about it. Of course, Remus is now blushing like a schoolgirl, but still manages to mumble a “fuck off”, though it’s got no heat. Noticing James’ cut, he rushes over, while Sirius retells the story, with (James thought amusedly) a lot more exaggeration and hand movements.
“Sirius, I did not say that!”
“Sirius what are you talking about that never happened! You weren’t even there!”
“Okay come on. Moony trust me, that didn’t happen.”
Ignoring James’ pleas and grunts of embarrassment, Sirius kept talking, right now explaining in meticulous detail that he was also giving himself a bikini wax and that “Evans should come and see if he’s okay.”
Remus laughed and nodded, playing along with Sirius’ rants, whilst dabbing the blood away from his leg gently with a damp cloth, before applying some betadine and a couple of large Band-Aids.
“There. All better. Now, can I go back to sleep?”
“Aww, but moons, you’re already up! Might as well hang with the lads!”
“Hang with the lads my arse Sirius, it’s five in the fucking morning!”
“Start the day early then!”
“Go to fucking sleep Sirius.”
“Ooh. Yes sir.”
Going red (but not quite James’ red) Remus flipped two fingers the other way, before turning on his heel and walking up the stairs, skipping 2 at a time. Tall bastard.
Turning back to Sirius, who was still smirking, he held onto Sirius’ arm to help himself back up, wavering slightly at the small pain shooting through his leg from the movement. Picking up the clean shirt and shorts he placed on the vanity, he started to dress himself, whilst Sirius was lost in thought, a dreamy look spread across his face.
“Pads you want brekkie? I was thinking of making pancakes.”
“…”
“Pads? Earth to Padfooooooot? SIRIUS!”
Jumping, Sirius looked at James with a surprised look plastered on his face.
“Sorry, did you say something?”
“Yes, I did. Do you want pancakes for brekkie? Or would you like to keep daydreaming about Remus naked?”
“Mmm the latter definitely the lat- WAIT! You know?”
Smirking, James sat back down, this time against the lip of the tub, placing a supportive arm on Sirius.
“Mate, not to be rude but, it's pretty obvious. I’m surprised he doesn’t know.”
A red blush (not James’ red though, more of a pink, really) starts creeping up the column of Sirius’ neck, as he blinks several times, looking up at James with a wide-eyed stare.
“Y-you can’t tell him James, please don’t tell him!”
James is confused (though it doesn’t take much). Why would he tell Remus? I mean, if he was to tell him, Remus might combust and melt into a little puddle of goo out of happiness, but why would Sirius assume he would tell?
“Of course not pads, I would never! Honestly, don’t you trust me?”
Sirius looks guilty for a moment before sighing.
“You’re right. I’m sorry I do I just… fuck prongs he’s just…when it comes to him, you know he’s one of your best mates an-and one of my best mates and Peter’s and it's just… if he finds out… I can’t lose him prongs.”
Sirius made eye contact with James; with such emotion it made James’ heart break just a little bit. Softening his gaze (or as Peter likes to call it, ‘switching on mum mode’), he stroked Sirius’ arm gently.
“Oh Sirius. I understand. I wouldn’t dream of telling him, I promise. But… that doesn’t mean I don’t think you shouldn’t.”
“…What?”
“Yeah. You should tell him pads. Cmon, what’s the worst that can happen? He doesn’t like you like that, and you stay friends?”
“No, James. If I told him, and he most definitely doesn’t like me like that, he’ll feel uncomfortable being alone with me. I don’t want to ruin what we already have.”
James scoffed.
“You really don’t see it?”
Sirius looks confused.
“See what?”
Now it’s James’ turn to laugh. How does even he see it but not them?
“The way he looks at you. It's not the way he looks at me, or Pete, or even the girls. When he walks into a room with all of us, you’re the first person he looks at. He always fights you on stuff, always tells you anything before us. You and him text each other more than you and I do, and that’s saying something, considering we text a lot and moony barley answers anyone in more than one worded answers. He’s infatuated with you. Its complete, utter adoration.”
Sirius stares blankly at James. Slowly, realization spreads across his face, obviously remembering all the times where it was so obvious.
* A few months ago, they were playing spin the bottle and Remus landed on Sirius, blushing so hard as he delivered a tiny peck on his cheek. Remus wasn’t seen for the rest of the party. Remus stuttering like a madman when Sirius came out of the shower in only a towel, because James turned the washing machine on, taking the hot water. When Mary did Sirius’ makeup, all Remus could mutter was “‘s nice...”. When Sirius came out in one of Lily’s miniskirts and a tank top for a dare, Remus rushed to get a pillow and put it on his lap, not long afterwards, declaring he was tired and running upstairs. *
“Oh my god Remus likes me back.”
Smiling James thought ‘finally’ .
“He sure does padfoot. He sure does. Everyone knows. Everyone. Even kids we don’t know, know. You two couldn’t be more obvious. Or oblivious, actually.”
Bewildered, Sirius tries to sit back against nothing (forgetting that he is sitting on the edge of a bath), and James frantically catches him with a strong hand on his back. Sirius doesn’t even realize that he was about to fall. Abruptly standing up, he says in a Terminator voice:
“I’ll be back.”
And with that, starts up the stairs.
Of course, James knows what he is about to do and follows him, grabbing Peter from his bed on the way, a greenie yellow filling his senses, but ignoring it for the time being. Blinking a few times, it disappeared eventually.
“Ow-what the fuck James?!”
“Sirius is gonna do it.”
“Do what?”
“Tell Remus.”
“Holy shit, finally.”
Fixing his nightshirt, peter follows behind James, only stopping because he almost tripped over his own sock which was barley on at this point.
Sirius had stopped in front of Remus' door. He took a deep breath, before knocking three times.
“…Bloody fuck… one second! Jesus fucking Christ my back… mph… Yes?”
Leaning against the doorframe, was Remus, his hair still in a bed headed manner, looking suspicious as the other three Marauders stood outside his bedroom for the summer. Sirius stood straighter and coughed a few times, looking very nervous.
“Um hi moo-Remus. I need to tell you something…”
Looking confused, Remus nodded slowly.
“Out with it then.”
Taking a deep breath Sirius launched into his speech. It was awkward, messy, and downright cliché, but that is what made it beautiful.
“Hm. Okay. I like you. Like, like like you. A lot. Like not in a friend way. Have been for a… well yeah, a while now. You are so bloody cool and wickedly funny and so fucking hot it should be illegal. Ow, prongs I’m just saying! Any-anyways, I really, really like you, and I thought that you should know.”
Remus started back blankly, before he broke into a smile, covering it with his face. He looked back at Sirius, smiling softly.
“I… I like you too pads. Like, like you. I just… I never believed you would like me back as well.”
James smiled. Was this really happening? Peter, bless him, was still rubbing his eyes, getting the sleep out, but he was also wearing a dopey smile.
“Never believed I could like you… Remus have you seen yourself? It’s like living with sex on fucking legs. Long legs.”
Blushing, Remus rubbed the back of his neck with his hands and laughed. They fell into silence just looking at each other before looking away again and laughing. This happened three times, before peter had enough.
“Fucking hell, I woke up for this shit, and as adorably disgusting this is, just kiss already! Sirius you like Remus and want to jump his bones. Remus you like Sirius and want to fuck him into oblivion. Just do it so I can go back to bed, Jeez Louise.”
Everyone looked at Pete in shock and pride. Morning Wormy was the best Wormy. Sirius and Remus made eye contact again before Remus stepped forward and grabbed the back of Sirius’ neck, pulling his mouth up to his own. Sirius grabbed his shoulders and kissed back with equal vigor, sighing into it, before opening his mouth and letting Remus slip his tongue in. Sirius moaned loudly as Remus pinned him against the threshold of the door and slotted his leg in between Sirius’. It was at this moment that James thought it best to leave, starting to turn around, and realizing that Peter had already left.
“Just gonna… leave you guys to it… ahem, uh yeah. Yep. See you.”
Ignoring James, Remus had pulled Sirius’ hair back and started to suck on his earlobe, while Sirius groaned softly. Quickly Remus picked him up, legs wrapped around his waist and pulled him into his room, still connected by their lips and kicked the door shut.
Whilst walking down the stairs whistling (at 5:00 in the morning, he was hated by Peter and his parents at that moment) he thought, ‘ I will never let them forget that I technically got them together ’.