His Intuition
Remus’ eyelashes fluttered against his skin as he groaned in the natural tiredness of waking. He was so comfortable and decided to didn’t want to move. There was a soft grasp on a soreness in his side. So delicate and fragile as to hold it in place. Remus was never going to move again.
There was unfamiliarity to the air but it was welcoming in its nature. Like a friend you’ve never met before. Or the warmth in deja vu in a forming fond memory.
As consciousness waved through him, Remus slowly snapped out of his sappiness and realized it was just a boy lying with him.
A boy?
What boy?
Remus gasped audibly.
I’m in bed with Sirius.
The other began to stir at the noise, but only gripped Remus with more force, using his entire arm now to engulf him. Mumbling incoherent words. So soft Remus could have imagined them. If there was even a slight breeze, he wouldn’t have caught it.
Remus swallowed deeply, willing himself to remain calm. It was hard when every part of Sirius was a work of art. His small wrists that daringly led to his hands. The most elegant fingers that effortlessly always look purposeful. The slight part in between his lips as if they were painted to stay that way. His long black hair that always almost hit his shoulders now splaying over the white sheets, tickling Remus’ chest.
Every part of Sirius lit him on fire a million times.
Like the only truth in a secret that lies.
A whispered confession.
A crush.
A love.
Remus was struggling to breathe.
It wasn’t like he had any reason to move. Even in sleep, Sirius was so careful with his wound, never applying too much pressure. He was so gentle and pure. But all Remus could do was lay there watching him.
Then as his eyes became heavy and warmth hugged him all around, there was a loud bang at the door. A consistent and relentless one.
“Sirius!” A voice yelled. No. James yelled.
Sirius all but moaned as he rolled awake. He was the epitome of peace until he realized their position and his eyes went wide. His mouth shutting abruptly as he sat perfectly straight. “I’m… I’m so-”
“-Sirius!”
Remus didn’t want to acknowledge anything and began to dance around it. “How do you not get complaints?”
He blinked, rubbing his beautiful wrists over his eyes. “Oh… um I-I’m the only one on this floor. The rest is storage.”
Frowning at that detail, Remus stood as quickly as he could and passed through Sirius’ apartment to get the door before he had the chance to circle the conversation back. “Hi James.” He said with hair falling over his vision.
James skipped into the apartment, closing the door behind him, and began shuffling through the kitchen. “Tea?”
“English?”
“Chai.” Sirius answered from his bedroom doorway. His black boxers hung low on his hips. “He has a smug smile on his lips.”
James scoffed. “I do not have a smug smile, I just called mum and got inspired.”
“You called her, why?” Sirius then wore a smug smile of his own.
“Because me and Lily are going on a second date.” He mumbled with his head in a cabinet, searching for a pot.
Sirius took a seat on the stool tops by the counter. “Hence the smug smile.”
“Whatever! The point is that Lily Bermuda Evans wants to go on a second date with me.”
Remus took second seat next to Sirius. “That is not her middle name.”
“It could be Beula and he would swoon.”
As the day passed Remus received more texts from Lily that were starting to become concerning. It had been a day and a half of him not texting her back, but why hadn’t he? James knew he was here then Lily might as well know too. He said as much to them when they were finishing their second batch of chai on the couch.
James immediately raked his fingers through his hair in a nervous manner. “Well it’s that… I kinda already know…”
“He’s been through this before. James knows what he’s in for. Lily doesn’t.” Sirius stared pointedly at his lap.
“She’s my best friend. She’s not even going to buy the story of me flying back home for my injury.”
James then set his jaw in place. “Honestly, I think you should tell her.”
“Wha- no! We can not bring any more people into this.” Sirius begged.
Remus set his mug on the floor next to him. “I don’t even know what this is.”
“Well you’re in-arguable at this point.” Sirius rolled his eyes, shifting uncomfortably on the couch. Still in his boxers that were now riding up. “So unless you think Lily is anywhere close to your stubbornness, then go-”
“-She’s on her way.”
When Lily arrived she was banging at the door in the same manner James had only a few hours ago. Sirius went to retrieve clothes from his room to appear decent and Remus went to open the door for her.
Her breath caught in her throat and her stare fixated towards the dark-skinned man with unruly hair in the living room. She threw an awkward hand up as a wave and James did the same, now standing with his back unaturally straight.
As she stepped foot into the apartment with tiny steps, Sirius reemerged from his bedroom with a silk robe that cut off well before his knees, and all other focuses from all parties had been quickly diverted.
Lily furrowed her eyebrows so aggressively a wrinkle appeared in between them. James vividly cringed. And Remus was watching their reactions instead of letting the heat creep into his cheeks like a fucking school girl.
It was then that Remus realized that also only been in his boxers due to being too lazy to figure out trousers. Luckily he had thrown on an oversized long-sleeve from his bag shortly after James arrived, hoping to avoid the questions on his scarring. But if Sirius kept being himself, he was going to need the trousers. In the mild hysteria of Lily silently judging Sirius, he slipped into the bedroom to find his bag of clothes that had been thrown into the corner by the nightstand. Settling on the first pair he found.
When Remus walked back into the living room, Sirius was clutching his robe with a baffled face. “This is my fancy robe!”
“I can tell.” Lily nodded with sarcasm. “The length really screams dignity.”
“It’s silk.”
James hid under his hands. “Pads, go put on more clothes.”
“Pads?” Lily and Remus asked at the same time.
Lily continued to splutter. “What the fuck did you just call him.”
“Never mind that, just sit.” James gestured to the small couch and single chair.
Remus took his spot on the floor, close to Lily who chose the end of the couch, with James in the chair. “Can you explain what happened now?” Lily eyed Remus strongly. “If you tell me you moved in with Sirius… I’ll admit it's a bit soon but to each their own.”
“No.” Remus huffed.
James tampered with his hair again. “It’s a lot more serious than that.”
“Well I’m always Sirius.” Sirius smiled as he took a seat on the other end of the couch, with now Levis and a baggy Led Zeppelin T-shirt. “No but um… this is serious.”
In slow and in grave detail Lily learned everything. She wanted to comment on a lot of little things, but Remus wouldn’t let her, telling to wait that ‘it’ll get worse’. It did and Lily’s face resided in small gasps and wide eyes. And Remus couldn’t be more thankful for her. Any other person would have laughed and ran out the door, but not her. She believed every word they said, trusting Remus.
Eventually when they had finished, Lily could be seen making a mental tally on all the questions she still had. “Okay so first… your STAB wound opened twice and you decided not only to not get medical help but to ignore the fact that your best friend is a nurse who could have helped.”
“Huh.” Remus thought to himself. “Yeah, I did do that.”
“Bro, I could’ve fixed you in two seconds. Now you’re saying it’s ripped twice?”
“Ahh, to be fair, I did climb nineteen floors through a broken fire escape and used a dumpster to get down from it… so-”
Lily narrowed her eyes. “Yeah, I got that part.”
“Thank you!” Sirius rolled his head on his neck in relief. “Can you please tell how stupid he’s being.”
“I am sorry Sirius… for yesterday.” Remus made sure to catch his eye even if he was reluctant to do so. “I didn’t even think about what feelings it might bring up.”
Sirius shook his head. “I’m fine. I just need you to listen to me when I say so.”
“And I need you to let me in on the whole truth. You could have just told me what was going to happen yesterday.”
“I can’t!” Sirius yelled and instantly regretted it. His head retreating back to his shoulders. “It’s hard okay… and I don’t know you well, and I’ve barely met Lily. I get it your life's on the line now, but it’s hard okay?”
“How about a system?” Lily tried cautiously. “Next time, just warn us… you don’t need to say what it is, but let us know something bad’s gonna happen.”
Sirius chewed on his lip as always did. “So you’re in?”
“Obviously.”
It was an unspoken agreement for everyone to stay in the apartment to sort through their messes. Lily began to properly care for Remus' wound, grumbling over how bad a job he had previously done. Remus and Sirius then took turns in the bathroom showering and properly getting dressed for the second time while James and Lily decided what to order for food. Remus had made the mistake to assume that would go swiftly until he heard a screech from the other side of the bathroom wall.
“You’ve never had NAAN?!”
More mumbling and words Remus couldn’t pick up on and then,
“You’ve never had INDIAN FOOD?!”
When Remus entered the living room, James was excitedly rummaging through the kitchen once again unloading multiple ingredients from the pantry shelf. Complaining that Sirius had nothing to work with. Sirius whacked him in the back of the head while on the phone with who he could assume was James’ mother, retrieving a recipe, as she was scolding both of them for their behavior. Hours later the food was made and they all ate through loud suggestions and brainstorming.
Lily was offering ideas, but was simultaneously still learning the ropes on the situation. Remus was in the same boat because he had never been in something like this, but James and Sirius seemed to be accustomed, shutting down all the plans they had already been through before.
However, there was one thing the two hadn’t thought of. “What are we going to do about this painting?” Lily asked with a frown.
“I-I don’t know.” Sirius frowned back.
Eventually they had settled on taping the edges of the frame to the wall. Going through three entire roles, forever ruining the wallpaper near it. Obviously it wasn’t the best solution, but at least now they would hear a loud noise of tape splitting before anyone could manage to get inside.
When that project was set aside, they all took their respective seats in the room except James. He was staring at the tape curiously. Uncharacteristical calm washing over his features. And perhaps it could have been calming if it wasn’t for the way Sirius was confused by it. Sirius was never confused by anything James did. It seemed as though they had known each other too long for anything to be surprising. So it was unnerving when Sirius couldn’t crack what was going on with him. Remus prepared for the worst to leave James lips, but all he said was,
“I think we should call Regulus.”