The Halloween party that Marlene and Dorcas had thrown was in full swing by the time Remus arrived, nervously adjusting the bandanna around his neck.
"Rem, you look amazing. Don't fret!" Lily whined, pouting at him. She was dressed as a Bridgerton character whose name he couldn't remember.
"Yeah, mate! That costume was made for you!" James parroted. He was dressed as a pirate - the first mate to his boyfriend who was already there. In a costume none of them had seen.
Regulus had chosen the costume theme, and Lily and Remus had helped James dress.
He looked fantastic, if Remus did say so himself.
They entered the house, all of them looking around at the chaos.
Regulus spawned out of practically nowhere in a torn to shreds skirt and corset combo that showed a LOT of chest.
"Regulus Black, you dog!" Lily teased.
"Female pirates often fought topless to show the men they killed exactly who they were killed by. Figured I'd embrace the part." He winked back, turning to James and playing with one of the ties to his loose white shirt.
"Hi, baby." James leaned down and gave him a long kiss, looking pleased beyond measure when Regulus gave an approving hum.
"Come now, we need to go show Evan and Barty what a real pirate costume looks like." He grabbed James tightly, and dragged him off.
"Kidnapped already." Lily looked amused.
"Don't act like your girlfriend isn't coming to collect you as we speak." Remus nodded to Pandora, who wore a full suit that matched whatever character Lily was playing. Lily giggled and skirted off with Mary, leaving Remus standing alone - surrounded by the writhing bodies of a metric tonne of people he didn't even know.
"Oh, Remus! By the way, my brother is finally in town! Came to the party dressed as Howl! If you see him, introduce yourself!" Regulus looped back to yell at him over the music.
Remus gave the other a thumbs up as he dragged a helpless James off again.
Remus snickered to himself, and slipped to the kitchen to snag himself a drink.
"Well aren't you just the cutest cowboy in the West!" Someone complimented - dressed as Jack Frost.
"He's definitely well-suited! Could actually be a cosplay if you're not careful!" Another boy dressed as Spiderman came and grabbed him around the waist, giving Remus an apologetic grin as he dragged who Remus assumed was his boyfriend off.
"He's not wrong though!" A guy dressed as Hawks winked, sauntering out with his own cup.
Someone dressed as Crowley - he couldn't quite tell their gender, and assumed that was the entire point, seeing as Good Omens basically said fuck gender in it's entirety over the course of the show - poured him a heavy handed whiskey.
"You're gonna get a lot of comments tonight, mate." He gave a little nod, somehow managing to nail the accent of David Tennant spot on.
"Thanks." Remus sighed, walking past a few other people as he went to try and find a mostly deserted wall.
Hunter from Owl House, Childe from Genshin Impact, Woody from Toy Story - that was creative, Milo Thatch - cute, Loki from Marvel, Percy and Annabeth, Hiccup and Astrid, Flynn Rider. There were some interesting costumes, and a few cute couple costumes.
He sighed as he found a part of the wall to lean on, and took a long pull of his drink.
He gave off a heavier sigh as he leaned back a little further and surveyed the room around him.
His eyes just so happened to meet a startling silver-blue among the crowd. So familiar, yet so different.
The man whose eyes he'd caught smirked as he strode forward.
Black hair, pink and blue jacket, loose white shirt... even the earring.
Howl Pendragon. From Howl's Moving Castle.
And this man suited the part perfectly - save for maybe in height.
"There you are, sweetheart, I've been looking all over for you." He teased the line from the movie, and Remus felt himself smirk into his drink.
"Sirius Black, I presume." He added the fake little twang to his voice, watching as the other bit slightly on his lip and looked Remus up and down.
Oh.
Oh, if that didn't just send heat travelling all the way through his toes, nothing else could.
"Remus Lupin... I must admit I was a bit scared when Reggie said he had someone he wanted me to meet. Typically when he introduces me to people, it's because he needs them for something and I'm the more charming of the two of us. He didn't tell me he was introducing me to the hottest man I’ve ever had the pleasure to meet." Sirius leaned forward just slightly to lean his shoulder on the wall near where Remus was leaning.
Remus eyed the other out of the corner of his eye, taking another long pull of his near-empty drink.
Fuck it.
"Was about to say the same. Regulus doesn't typically talk about family - with you being the only exception. I didn't know what to expect... but I can't say I'm disappointed." He gave a little shrug, knocking back the rest of his drink.
Caught Sirius eyeing the way his throat bobbed and felt a shiver of excitement race through him.
The gaze of the elder Black brother was electric and molten all at once. Remus felt drunk, and he'd hardly drank any alcohol at all.
"Oh, lucky me, then! What do you say to getting out there and having some fun?" Sirius looked pleased, hand gesturing toward the sea of gyrating hips and waving hands.
"Sorry, darlin', I don't dance." Remus mused, looking at the other with a grin. Sirius pouted just slightly, framing the pretty pink of his lips.
Remus had the insane urge to see if they were as soft as they looked.
"Not even with me?" Sirius asked, voice sweet and smile coy.
"Yer cute, but not cute enough for that." Remus murmured, attempting to keep from being entranced.
Forget stealing the hearts of unsuspecting women, this man was stealing the hearts of everyone. Remus was not the only one looking, and it made him want to drag the other close by his waist to stake a claim that wasn’t his.
Sirius made a little clicking sound with his tongue.
"Aw, and here I thought I might get special treatment." He teased lightly, looking far too amused for the way Remus was struggling to seem unaffected.
It wasn't fair.
"Darlin', you are. If ya knew me in any capacity in real life, you'd know I'm a right wreck talkin' to anyone. Yer just pretty enough I'd be damned if I didn't try." Remus grinned, all crooked and bright. Watched the other's eyes widen and breath hitch just slightly.
Obviously, he’d made the correct choice.
"Bold boy! I like it." Sirius looked all the more intrigued, leaning in towards Remus a little.
"Not normally. Guess the costume brings out a lil' more in me 'n usual." Remus offered, enjoying the way the other hummed.
"Outside of that, how about a smoke?" Sirius slipped a pack of cigarettes from his pocket.
"Sounds fun." Remus finally dropped the accent he'd assumed, grinning a little when Sirius grasped his hand and led him to the back door.
He just barely managed to throw his cup away before he was brought outside.
Unsurprisingly, no one was outside. It was chilly this October, and there was a light drizzle.
Dorcas and Marlene had a covered porch, but most people wouldn't desire to be out here unless they needed to smoke.
Even then, downstairs was set up with a tiny area that was ventilated for such a purpose indoors, so people typically went down there.
That was also where the bong was, and Dorcas always bought excellent substances for these parties - from alcohol to weed to edibles. Everything.
Sirius swung him around, and sat Remus down in one of the porch chairs, plopping himself down across his lap with no shame.
"Hope you don't mind if I make myself cosy? It's a bit chilly out." Sirius' eyes glittered with mischief, and Remus grinned as one of his hands came up to gently brace Sirius at the waist.
His waist was so slim, it made Remus' already large hands look enormous.
Sirius lit up, and took two drags before offering to Remus, who took a drag straight from between slender fingers.
So very delicate compared to his own.
"I cannot believe Reggie has been hiding you from me! You're not featured in any pictures on his socials!" Sirius whined a little, pouting as he took another drag, eyes lidded where they regarded the boy he was draped across like a personal throne.
"I'm usually taking the pictures." Remus admitted quietly, eyes following the slender curve of the other boy's neck.
Sirius was smirking as he watched the other survey him, eyes flashing with something that vaguely registered to Remus as dangerous.
But fuck if he could find any self preservation at this point in life.
"Regardless, Reggie was very selfish. Dating my childhood best mate, keeping me from the man of my dreams, inheriting the family business and making me the face of the company because he doesn't like people...." Sirius listed, flicking the ash from the cig into the little pot by his elbow.
"How rude." Remus agreed, a tiny little grin in place.
"Right? Lucky me, though, that we've met like this. Means I can leave with your number in my phone, and all of the socials you have so I can stalk them for cute photos." The other continued, looking amused when Remus couldn't help but snicker.
"A lot more tame than what I thought you were going to say." Remus teased. Grey glittered in the dim porchlight.
"Oh, I do like the way you think." Sirius teased, smudging out the remainder of the cigarette and leaning over Remus a little.
Remus, without even thinking about it, tilted his head back to match the angle of the other - perfectly aligning their faces as Sirius leaned towards him.
Just as soft lips - whisper soft - brushed his, the door slammed open.
"I saw them - OH GROSS!" Regulus had come out, looking unimpressed, but he shrieked out and covered his eyes as he surveyed the two of them.
James snickered.
"Baby, haven’t we been caught in worse?" He wondered, looking vaguely amused.
"Yes, we have, but not when my brother is around to find us!" Regulus shouted as he returned inside.
"Sorry, guys. Carry on. Just making sure neither of you were dead somewhere." James gave them a beaming little smile, and closed the door behind him as he followed his boyfriend in an attempt to comfort him.
Remus and Sirius stared at the door for a moment, before turning to blink at each other and breaking down into giggles.
"Are you kidding me?!" Remus laughed brightly, bracing Sirius further as they both shifted with their amusement.
"No, I'm Sirius!" The other grinned - the force of it wrinkling his nose in the absolute cutest way. Remus knew he was going to be gone for this man in no time at all. Regulus really was selfish, he decided. Because he’d kept Remus from the man of his dreams as well.
"Oh, lovely! You're a dork, too." Remus grinned, dragging him a little closer.
"What about me said I wasn't?" Sirius looked a little amused, and a tad offended.
"The crassness. The boldness. You are not shy in the least, and are incredibly flirty. You seem so far out of my league, and yet, with that one joke, you've helped me to realise you're worth it." Remus teased. The other laughed brightly.
"Oh, yes, I don't think I can survive another moment without your contact information in my phone." Sirius slipped the device from the back pocket of his sinfully tight jeans, and opened it to hand to Remus.
The other man gently shifted his legs to give Sirius a better way to support himself without the help of his hands, and slipped it from the other's grasp.
He put in his number and texted himself, and then was prompted into putting his socials in there as well.
He felt his phone in his own back pocket buzz a few times, and handed the other his device back. He wasn't going to shift them to get it, though, enjoying the way they sat a little too much.
Although, it was starting to become slightly too chilly.
"Let's head on in. Reggie's probably calm enough now." Sirius snickered, lifting himself smoothly, and extending an elegant hand to Remus.
The other took it, lifting himself to follow inside.
Regulus glared at them from where he sat with James as people started rounding up for the "costume contest".
Remus plopped himself on one of the finally open couches, and Sirius slipped himself right into his lap again, the ravenette sticking a tongue out at his scandalised brother next to him.
Then he leaned his back to Remus' chest and surveyed the people who volunteered for the contest.
Hiccup and Astrid went up, and Spiderman and Hawks, joined shortly by a Jack Skellington costume that was frankly incredible, and a few others.
Remus knew exactly who his vote was for.
"The makeup looks so cool!" Sirius whispered, both of them looking at Jack.
"Hell yeah. I don't even want to know how long that took." Remus winced, feeling his pores attempt to clog up at the thought of how much and how long that had taken.
"Yeah, no. And it hasn't melted at all since he got here. I'll have to ask about his setting spray." Sirius agreed.
"Will you two shut up? I'm attempting to ignore that you exist." Regulus growled, and Sirius nudged him.
"Come on, Reg, this is your own fault for introducing me to the man of my dreams at a Halloween party you haven't left yet." Sirius teased.
"He's mad because I bet him a tenner that the two of you would hit it off romantically, and he thought I was bonkers." James looked pleased.
"Not like he won't have that tenner tucked back into his waistband as soon as he's drunk enough to actually start dancing. You two are disgustingly predictable." Sirius grouched. He pouted, really.
Regulus turned red and started sputtering, and James chuckled.
"True enough." The man agreed, pulling his paramour a little closer.
They spent the rest of the "contest" (Jack won, of course, with the largest amount of applause) and the couches were pushed back to the edges of the room.
People were dancing once more as Remus stayed seated and observing.
"What about... maybe ditching the place and heading home?" Sirius asked, still perched in his lap but facing him this time.
Remus looked at the other thoughtfully.
"Mine or yours?" He wondered, brows raising.
"Whichever's closest." Sirius grinned sharply.
"Mine, if you're staying with Regulus and James." Remus offered, knowing full well he was staying there, because he knew neither man would let him stay somewhere else when they had a spare room.
"Done deal." Sirius lifted himself once more, Remus not being able to help himself from skimming his hands down the ravenette's sides, and they gave a couple of waves to specific people and left.
This, they did not realise, would be the start of something absolutely fantastic for them both.