P.S I LOVE YOU
Sirius walked into the coffee shop at exactly 4:12, eyes searching before he found Remus sitting up at the counter sipping on coffee, breathing out a sigh of relief he walked in taking the stool beside him.
"Sirius? Sirius! Hi!" Remus exclaimed the act of surprise and recognition being more endearing than it should've been.
"Small world, huh?" Sirius said playing along
"Absolutely!"
"What are you drinking?"
"Coffee," Remus replied carefully
"Plain coffee?" Sirius teased
"I wanted some cream but that prompted a very elaborate foam conversation. And the look of disapproval I got when I said I didn't want foam, just cream, rivalled the one I got from my dad when I told him I wanted to be a teacher." Remus said sighing theatrically, looking chuffed for having come up with that.
"Wow, so it's been a tough outing for you, huh?" Sirius cooed, mock concerned
"Well, it's getting better." Remus Quirked
"So, here we are" Sirius sighed
"Here we most certainly are," Remus affirmed
“Running into each other.”
“Away from the school.”
“In these unique strictures.”
“These things do happen.”
“Fate can be funny.”
"Should we cut the cute and just get right to it?" Sirius said finally.
"I think we should date." Remus proposed, crossing his arms, eyebrows scrunched seriously.
"Why?" Sirius countered.
"Because I think we both want to," Remus smirked.
"Well- I want to be in the Bangles but that doesn't mean I quit my job and get a guitar and ruin my life to be a Bangle, does it?"
"The Bangles broke up." Remus laughed
"I repeat my question: 'why should we date?' Sirius pushed
"Because we're clearly attracted to each other. " Remus said easily
"I'm attracted to pie. It doesn't mean I feel the need to date pie"
"OK then because we are --"
"Yes?"
" -- of similar heights.” Remus said defeatedly, choking for the first time since they'd met, he was clearly expecting something easier but Sirius wouldn't give him that, Couldn't give him that, not with Harry.
"Wow! Round one and already tapped." Sirius taunted.
"Look I know that you’re concerned about the appearance of us dating." Remus started.
"Yes, I am."
"Well, I can tell you that I am the soul of discretion when it comes to delicate relationships."
"Dated a lot of student's parents, huh?"
"No, I meant any relationships -- work, family."
"Oh, so you have things to hide in all aspects of your life -- very interesting." Sirius attacked mercilessly.
"Do you have any hemlock back there? Arsenic, something quick?" Remus begged the waitress passing by, making her smile, infuriatingly charming.
"Do you like rap music?" Sirius asked suddenly.
"Yeah."
"Me too. Italian food?"
"Yeah."
"Me too. Are you just telling me what I want to hear?"
"Yeah."
"I knew it!"
"Doesn't mean it doesn't coincide with how I really feel," Remus said logically, unfortunately.
"Yeah, but if you're telling me what you think I want to hear then I'm not really getting to know you." Sirius accused
"And if I know what you want to hear that shows a level of understanding on my part that far exceeds your understanding of me." Remus countered
Sirius was silent for a beat before Remus allowed himself the victory.
"Wow, round one and already tapped!" He mocked before Sirius looked at him positively solemn, "Harry is my life. He's my pal, my everything. And I would never, ever do anything that would hurt him." He said firmly.
"I understand, but Harry isn't a baby anymore." Remus said delicately.
"Don’t say that, he’s 8, he’s 8 and his favourite hobby is making necklaces out of gum wrappers." Sirius pouted, crossing his arms.
"Well, you could try stunting his growth, putting him in a box, blowing cigarette smoke on him." Remus teased in an ever so sweet tone, unfortunately, it was right as a man sat in the empty stool between them.
If looks could kill Remus would've been dead, he rolled his eyes "You are so taking this out of context." he explained only to have the man leave.
Sighing he started again "Ok, when my uncle was a young man, there was this girl who lived across the street from him and he was completely in love with her, but he never talked to her. But he knew in his gut that this was the girl he wanted to spend the rest of his life with."
"This is gonna be sad isn't it?" Sirius interrupted, trying to distract himself from the enthralling man and his enthralling tales, more so than said man.
"So anyhow, my uncle watches this girl waiting for the right moment to approach her, the next thing he knows, he gets drafted." Remus continued as if Sirius had never interrupted.
"Oh, going for the kleenex."
"No, he thinks this is perfect. ‘I’ll come back, I’ll have a career, I’ll have served my country, I’ll be worthy of her love.’
"When he gets back, she’s gone - moved away, no one knew where. He never saw that girl again. Now my uncle didn’t say much to me, but the one thing that he did say was that if there’s something in your gut that you know you feel is right, you gotta go after it, no matter what and I believe in stories that can sometimes have a great ending" Remus concluded with a tone of finality.
Sighing Sirius took the napkin laying in front of him, screw Remus lupin for being so bloody convincing, writing down his number.
"Maybe dinner wouldn't be so bad." Sirius quipped as if it wasn't the only thing in the world he wanted to do right then.
"Do you mean we could sit together? Even drive together?" Remus said clutching his heart dramatically.
Sirius tossed the napkin towards him hiding the smirk trying to force its way out "Just take the card." he sighed.
"I might frame the card." Remus beamed.
"Just use the card," Sirius suggested alternatively.
"I definitely will." Remus nodded looking sky-high
He folded the napkin carefully placing it in the pocket of his coat near his heart, which should absolutely not have been as endearing as it was, patting the hand over it as it to make sure it was secure making Sirius' heart burst.
"Hey, that story about your uncle -- is that true? " Sirius asked curiously, when Remus turned to leave.
Remus looked over his shoulder tilting his head to the side as if considering it for a moment before smiling
"Goodbye Sirius Black."