Friday, April 8
Friday, April 8
“Happy Birthday to youuuuu,” was the first thing Remus heard when he woke up.
“It’s my birthday?” He heard himself mutter. “Wait, no it isn’t! Whoever’s there, keep up. My birthday was a month ago.”
“Even half-asleep, you’re a sassy little shit,” someone said in a dreamy way. Who was that dramatic?
Sirius. Okay, it was definitely Sirius.
“What do you want, Pads?” He asked, sitting up and rubbing the sleep from his eyes. He ran his fingers through his hair instinctively, trying to feel more presentable.
Sirius was standing in the doorway, leaning against the frame like some sort of model (skinny jeans, leather jacket, and all). He was carrying a package of some sort- Remus couldn’t tell what.
“I made you a birthday present!” Sirius said delightedly, a very puppyish grin filling his face.
Remus picked himself up, smiling stupidly at his sweet boyfriend. He attempted to walk over, but his limbs were heavy from sleep. He managed to make it most of the way, but tripped and stumbled into Sirius as he reached him.
“Falling for me already, Sleeping Beauty?” Sirius teased.
“I’m not falling, I’m swooning,” he corrected.
“If you say so,” Padfoot chuckled. “We should probably talk outside, so that we don’t wake your roomies.”
“My roomies?” Remus asked, raising his eyebrows.
“Y’know, your roommates. Duh.”
“I know that, it just doesn’t seem like the kind of slang Sirius ‘punk rock’ Black would use.”
“Don’t mock me, or you won’t get any presents,” Sirius said, closing the door and holding the present away from Remus in the hallway.
“Don’t give yourself illusions,” Remus teased. “You’re too short to play keep-away with someone a foot taller.”
“You are not a foot taller than me!” Sirius exclaimed indignantly. “Like, eight inches, maybe.”
“You’re adorable,” Remus said condescendingly, patting his boyfriend’s head. He stepped into Sirius’s personal space and pulled the present easily out of his outstretched hand.
Sirius pouted, and Remus, enjoying himself, pressed a soft kiss onto his forehead.
“Can I open it?” He asked.
“Go ahead,” Sirius replied, now looking excited.
Remus pulled the wrapping paper off carefully, only tearing along the taped lines. It was patterned with moons, which he found very fitting. He suddenly realized he didn’t hate the moon anymore, thanks to Padfoot. He smiled at his boyfriend, who had already been watching his expression eagerly.
“What?” Sirius asked. “You didn’t even open it yet.”
“Nothing,” he said, still smiling. It was one of those instances where ‘nothing’ meant everything.
“Open it!” Sirius practically shouted. “The suspense is killing me, and I already know what it is!”
Remus chuckled, tearing the rest of the paper off in one sweep to reveal a piece of lumpily knitted cloth. He held it up. It was a turtleneck sweater, indigo blue and patterned with stars.
“Did you…” He began, turning to Sirius in amazement.
“I, uh, made it. I know it’s kind of a mess, but Effie had been wanting to teach me to knit for a while, so I thought I should finally take her up on the offer.”
Remus stared at him for a moment, and then pulled Sirius tight to him, wrapping his arms around him and tucking Siri’s head underneath his own.
“Is it okay, then?” Padfoot’s muffled voice came from his chest.
“It’s perfect.” Remus said instantly. “Just like you.”
His chest filled with warmth as Sirius returned the hug, and they stayed folded together for a long time.
When they came apart Remus couldn’t resist pressing a tiny kiss to Sirius’s mouth. Sirius reddened, and gave him one in return. That was it, nothing but a few sweet moments, but it was enough.
Remus wore his sweater the entire day, feeling far too much pride in telling anyone who asked that this sweater was made by his amazing boyfriend, and wasn’t it just lovely? He was just crossing the courtyard after a glorious dinner of embarrassing Sirius when someone came up behind him and tapped him on the shoulder, nearly startling him out of his skin.
It wasn’t anyone he knew, a younger boy with dark curly hair that was a little like Sirius’s (but obviously not as hot).
“Can I help you?” Remus asked uncertainly.
The boy looked up, and Remus felt a shiver plunge through his body, because he really did look scarily like Sirius. His hair was shorter, his face was a little rounder, his eyes more blue than gray, but the resemblance was breathtaking.
“I’d like to talk with you, if you don’t mind,” he said mysteriously.
“You’re Sirius’s brother,” Remus blurted out. “Romulus, or something.”
“Regulus,” the boy corrected.
Regulus. Remus nodded. He’d been close.
“So, uh, what did you want to talk about?” Remus asked, a little nervously.
Regulus studied him for a moment, and a memory of something Sirius had said once flashed through his mind. About how he was worried Regulus was buying into his family’s idea.
“Is it about me and Sirius?” He asked before Regulus could continue. “Because if you have a problem with-”
Regulus shook his head. “I’m not homophobic.”
Remus exhaled. “Really? Sirius said-” He stopped, realizing Regulus probably didn’t want to know what his older brother thought of him.
Regulus appeared to understand. “He worries about me. I wish he’d have a little more faith in my abilities to resist our family.”
“So, where do you stand in your relationship with them?” Remus asked
“Everyone thinks I support their beliefs, but I don’t. It’s for the better if they all think that; then maybe I’ll be able to leave the family more cleanly than Sirius did. That was a mess.”
“So you’re just a better liar,” Remus assumed.
Regulus nodded. “Yeah. In some ways, Sirius and I are very different.”
Remus chuckled. “He’s terrible at hiding stuff, that’s for certain.”
“He seems happy with you,” Regulus said, studying him.
Remus ducked his head nervously. “I hope so,” he murmured.
“That’s why I wanted to talk to you,” Regulus explained. “To get to know my brother’s boyfriend a bit.”
“You’re the real big brother out of the two.” Remus decided.
Regulus smiled faintly. “I’d like to think so.”
“So, uh,” Remus continued awkwardly, “Favorite color?”
“Oh, now you’ve crossed the line,” Regulus told him sarcastically.
Remus rolled his eyes, feeling deja vu from whenever his boyfriend was that dramatic. “Mine’s probably indigo.”
“Yellow,” Regulus admitted.
Remus suppressed a laugh. Sirius wasn’t the only brother who tried to seem cooler than he was, evidently. Looking Regulus over once more, he noticed a rainbow fuzzy sock peeking out of one shoe.
“Favorite food?” Regulus asked next, “Mine’s pizza.”
“Mac and cheese,” Remus eventually decided. “Or chocolate, if that counts.”
“It totally does,” Regulus assured him.
“How about favorite book?” Remus inquired after that.
“That’s tough…” Regulus said, looking pensive. “I like the Outsiders a lot, also Autoboyography?”
Remus studied him. He loved Autoboyography, personally, but it was quite gay. “Can I ask, are you…?”
“Queer?” Regulus asked, reading his face.
Remus nodded. They were crossing into difficult territory.
“I dunno,” Regulus admitted. “I wish I did, one way or the other, but I haven’t figured things out.”
“And that’s normal,” Remus told him quickly. “I didn’t really know until I dated quite a few people that I liked both equally.”
“I know,” Regulus agreed, “It’s just frustrating being unsure. Even if I was a gay disaster doomed to defy my family just like Siri, at least I’d know. And so many other people my age do know…”
“I’ve known twenty-year-olds who still have no clue,” Remus recounted. “It’s difficult not knowing, but it’s normal.”
“Yeah,” Regulus agreed. “Thanks.”
“Although personally,” a voice piped up behind them, “I’d be extremely proud if my baby brother followed so closely in my footsteps.”
“Sirius!” Regulus jumped, turning around. He fiddled with his hands anxiously. “It doesn’t… bother you?”
“I’m not exactly in a position to judge, am I?” Sirius replied, smirking. “We’ll be brothers no matter what, Reg,” he added kindly.
“I love you too,” Regulus said softly. “When you’re not being a git. Or an idiot. Or stealing my socks. Or eating my fucking Snickers. Or-”
Sirius clapped a hand over Regulus’s mouth. “I love you too, arse.” He ruffled his brother’s hair, and Regulus swatted at him, resulting in a mini-wrestling match. Remus couldn’t hold back a smile.
“Night, boys.”