Reasonably, he knew, there wasn’t any need to be nervous. Remus and him were in a good place in their relationship. They doted on each other, even after 3 years, went on impromptu dates, snogged each other senseless, and never went to bed angry. Hell, two years in and they’re still doing their Friday night dinner date! The only days it got canceled was when either of them had too much work or were sick. Sick days meant Molly Weasley’s special chicken soup, blanket forts, and fuck loads of cuddling.
So yes, Sirius knew there was no need to be nervous. But the guy’s about to propose, cut him some slack.
“…And then! He had the nerve to voice his stupid thoughts in his stupid deep voice as if that would convince me! Sir, you are not a writer, you are an abomination to other writers. Kindly leave! And... what’s with you?”
Startling himself out of bad scenarios, which ranged from Moony saying no to Moony leaving him, the bit of spaghetti wrapped around his fork fell. The sounds of bustling staff, crying children, and dinner conversation surrounded him, but Sirius’ attention was grabbed by the beautiful person in front of him, with his adorably scrunched up nose and crinkled eyes, questioning.
“You’re so beautiful,” he whispered, without realizing, but it was alright since he had the chance to see a gorgeous flush grow against Remus’ pale cheeks.
“Thanks, but I already knew that. Where are you today?” he asked, going back to twirling spaghetti.
A hand came across to rub Sirius’ knuckles, and oh hell he’s going to marry Remus if it’s the last thing he does.
He cleared his throat and said, “Nothing. Just thinking about work. Tell me more about Dickinson the Writer, baby,” and picked up Remus’ hand to kiss his knuckles. Satisfied, Remus went back to eating and complaining about the guy who refuses to admit being a writer is not in his stars, and Sirius went back to staring at the love of his life, waiting for their dinner to be over so he could ask him to be his forever.
—
“Wanna watch a movie?”
The waiter collected their plates, while Remus rummaged through his tote. He took out a sanitizer and Sirius held out his hand so that he could get a drop.
“How about a walk before that? It’s nice tonight.” Sirius rebutted, hoping for a yes. Pushing their chairs in, he took Remus’ hand and swung them. With the soft smile he got as an answer, they walked towards the park.
Coincidentally (or not so coincidentally, wink wink) this was the park where they first admitted their feelings. Both were young and completely besotted with each other, but neither realized their love was reciprocated. It took James, Pete, and Lils, and an elaborate prank involving shaving foam and hearts, for Remus to blurt out, ‘I’m in love with you,’ and Sirius to enthusiastically kiss him to the point where there were knee scrapes and back pains.
Because they fell.
Sirius was a bit too love-drunk to calculate the force he used.
At the moment, though, the night was peaceful, with just a slight breeze so Remus could pull in Sirius and walk together. Remus continued his Dickinson the Writer story, and Sirius pecked his cold cheeks whenever he got the chance.
Reaching a fountain, he took a deep breath. It was now or never. Well, if it wasn’t now, he would find a way to do it later, but it’s the determination that counts.
He stopped, pulling Remus back.
“Wha-“ but he interrupted him with a soft kiss, mostly so Sirius could take one more moment before the possibility of all of this going to shit.
“Moony. I love you.” He went down on his knee, pulling the ring box from his jacket’s pocket. The same leather jacket Remus got him for his 15th birthday, which he had fallen in love with, and unknowingly, in love with Remus too.
“I love your little rants. I love your focus face. I love your adorable little freckles which cover your whole body and your soft eyes which smile at me when I’m doing something stupid. You’ve accepted me with no hesitation, you’re the first person I could call home. And, if you want it too, I’ll be with you forever. Till death do us part.”
Gathering up his courage, he opened the box which held the ring that represented his Moony perfectly. Small emeralds grouped in a circle, shone in the moonlight. Inside the ring ‘you’re the moon to my stars’ was engraved, an homage to their frankly ridiculous names, and the reason they even talked to each other for the first time.
“Say yes?” he whispered.
The grass was wet with dew, staining Sirius’ knee. The breeze ruffled their hair, and if you listened closely, you could hear James and Peter shushing each other. But Sirius’ eyes were on Remus’ hazel ones. Eyes that went through confusion, surprise, love, and then resignation.
The last emotion, quite frankly, gave Sirius a heart attack.
Really.
He was just going to drop down and let good ol’ death claim him when Remus went down on his knees too, and started rummaging through his tote.
“Where is it,” he muttered, glancing back once to check whether Sirius was still there. Ha, as if he was going anywhere right now.
Remus pulled out a small box, with a small smile, and turned towards him.
“Re-?” he started, but it was swallowed by the small gasp he let out when the love of his life opened the box, with a ring cushioned in it. It was sparkly, and dramatic, and everything Sirius was, and everything Remus loved him for. Heat rushed through his eyes and nose, and tears were starting to form in his eyes. Gesturing to the box with his, he said, “Well. Get on with it.”
Remus chuckled, tilting his head. His stupid adorable head which was on a stupid adorable body whose arm held a stupid lovely ring, and honestly, how was he even surprised? This was so on point for them. Peter teased them about being able to read each other’s minds, and while both scoffed it off, he knew, at some level, that they could. Isn’t that a quality soulmates have?
“Get on with what?”
“The speech! You have to ask me, it’s the rule.”
“But you’ve already asked,” his voice was watery, and Sirius knew if he spoke another word it would come out all incomprehensible. Instead, he wrapped his arms around Moony’s shoulders, wanting to be as close as he could get, making them fall again, and covered his face with kisses (which were really just his lips touching his freckled face) and with his laughter ringing in his ears, everything was remus remus remus.
He flashed back to the day his bitch of a mother told him no one would ever love a disgraceful child. But if that was true, then who was this ethereal man in front of him, putting a ring on his finger, and kissing him so deeply it was as if he was sucking out his soul? And who were the two boys who spent the better part of an hour sitting on wet grass just to witness the most important day of his life and were now jumping on top of them for a group hug?
Sirius Black hasn’t had many moments he could look back on with such fondness. The day they decided to call themselves Marauders, sealing their friendship forever, was one of them. Moony saying ‘I love you’ was another. But this probably topped them all.
He couldn’t remove his dopey grin when they got up and properly hugged, and when they went back to a pregnant Lily who shouted with joy, and then pain when little Harry kicked a bit too hard, and then joy again when she was recounted what happened.. His smile didn’t go away the whole ride back home, nor when they both went to bed, curling towards each other, reaching for the other even in their dreams.
—
“I want a divorce.”
He crossed his arms, and put on his ‘serious Moony face’ (used when the guys’ prank ideas went a little too far).
His statement was received with laughter he associated with love, and home, and really it was quite impossible to not smile when your whole world had icing around his face, and love in his eyes.
Not that he would ever tell Sirius.
Not that Sirius didn’t already know.
“You can’t get a divorce before we’re married, and besides, you know I saved the chocolate cupcakes for you, moonypie,” Sirius’ eyes sparkled with humour. That bastard knew all the right spots to hit to get Remus to do what he wanted.
“And you know that’s not why I want a divorce,” but he still moved forward to grab the one with strawberry frosting.
They may have taken ages to decide on the colour scheme and the invites, but two things were always clear to them. Firstly, the catering would be done by Home Sweet Home (Molly’s fairly new restaurant, which deserved all the hype it could get and more) and the place?
The seaside. They had had their first deep talk, even before getting together, at the seaside. In 4th year, when they had gone to Goa with James’ family for the summer, he and Sirius spent days lounging in the sun, or playing in the water, getting closer and forming a bond which was tested multiple times, but never broke.
They couldn’t go to Goa for the wedding, though Sirius was adamant on leaving the country for their honeymoon. But here, it was sandy. The little ones splashed in the sea before their mums could pick them up to put them into dresses and suits, and waves rolled in gently, the salty air bringing back fond memories for them both. It was sunny, and everyone was laughing, and if Remus could click a picture and stay in it forever, he would choose this moment in a heartbeat.
“We’re supposed to save these for the reception, you know, after the ‘I do’?” Remus stuffed another chocolate cupcake into his mouth, this one with orange frosting. Sirius leaned in and licked some off his lips.
That resulted in some heavy making out, but they parted laughing, swiping a few more cupcakes and a few more kisses before running back to their designated dressing rooms.
The following few hours went in a whirlwind of chaos (Peter almost bumped into the cake, it was for a photo which was later framed and hung up in the Lupin household) but every second Remus spent with Sirius made his heart race and palms sweat. He was blind with love.
Every second he could was spent pressing kisses on the lovely chiseled face.
Every glance shared was filled with laughter and love.
And when it was all over, with their suitcases packed up for their flight tomorrow, and the wine Sirius bought for the night drunk straight from the bottle, they laid on the bed with their fingers intertwined, matching rings sparkling.
“Now that we’re married, I can get the divorce.”
“Oh my god, Moony, we’re not getting a divorce because I accidentally killed our plant.”