“Shit,” Sirius Black cursed as he checked the message on his phone. “Shit shit shit shit shit.”
His best friend, James Potter, raised an eyebrow. “Everything okay?” he asked.
Sirius moaned, burying his face in the textbook in front of him. Lehninger’s Biochemistry did not offer him much comfort. “It’s Valentine’s Day,” he murmured from his uncomfortable pillow. “I completely forgot about Valentine’s Day.”
James shrugged. “I mean, we’ve kind of been busy, with studying and rounds and you, know, finishing up med school. I’m sure Remus won’t mind if you guys just celebrate over the weekend or something.”
Sirius looked up from the book, glaring at it for good measure. “Remus texted to remind me to meet him at the El stop downtown. He’s got this whole huge big thing planned, and I don’t have anything for him! I’m meeting him in… twenty minutes and I don’t have a gift!”
“Remus is easy to shop for- just get him some good chocolate and he’ll be thrilled.”
Sirius grunted in reply, standing and hurriedly packing his books into his backpack. “Yeah, hopefully there’s still something left at the convenience store. See you later, James!”
He dashed out of the library and ran down the street to the El stop, bounding up the escalator steps two-at-a-time, then cursing a little when he saw the crowds of people waiting as the train pulled in. He squeezed himself onto the last compartment, and waited as the train pulled off between buildings heading downtown.
He jumped off with most of the other passengers at Clark and Lake, and ran down the stairs. He followed a small group of similarly-stressed looking men into the drug store, and grabbed the first stuffed bear he could (although it was kind of weird looking, with this strange eye-liner thing going on), along with a heart-shaped box of mystery chocolates, and an over-priced red gift bag with a sparkly heart on it. He made it to the restaurant just as Remus was walking up, greeting his husband with a hug.
“Happy Valentine’s Day, darling,” Remus whispered. He grabbed Sirius’ hand and they walked inside, the host directing them to a small table with candle burning softly.
Sirius sniffed the air. “Hmm, my favorite. Love the fondue at Rosmerta’s,” he said happily. It was one of his favorite restaurants in the city; a perfect choice for his Valentine’s surprise from Remus.
“Can I take your drink order?” the waiter asked after they had settled.
Sirius was about to order, but Remus stopped him, reaching into his messenger bag. “I actually have a bottle for us to share, if that’s okay Sirius?” Sirius smiled as the waiter helped open the bottle. It was Sirius’ favorite Savoie Roulette. Leave it to Remus to do something so tooth-achingly sweet.
“Cheers,” Sirius said, clinking their glasses. He took a sip, smiled. “Perfect.”
Remus smiled serenely, staring Sirius right in the eyes. “Aye, you are.”
Sirius barked a small laugh. “Smooth, Remus, very smooth. Keep playing your cards right like this, and you might get a happy ending tonight.”
Remus chuckled lightly. “It’s true though. Still not sure how I lucked out, meeting someone as kind and loyal and funny as you. And then locking you down in marriage. I’m a very, very lucky man.”
Sirius rolled his eyes, and took a moment to enjoy Remus’ face. Soft brown curls, honey-amber eyes, and a loving smile provided an overall cherubic look. Add in the diagonal scar crossing from his left eyebrow to the upper corner of his right lip, and he went from angelic to dead sexy. “I think, Mr. Lupin-Black, if you looked at the evidence, you would see that I am actually the lucky one. What man is his right mind hasn’t dreamt of a ruggedly handsome, sexy Sottish professor type, hmm?”
Remus laughed. “I love you Sirius, I truly do, but I hardly think I’m the fantasy for the average American man.”
Sirius shrugged, the wine helping relax him after his long weeks of studying and working toward his medical degree. “Well, lucky for me I don’t have to worry about any competition, hmm?”
Remus nodded shyly. “Aye, no one could compete against you, Love.”
Dinner was, unsurprisingly, perfect. The caramelized onion fondue, the cassoulet, the tart tatin were all perfect. They finished with a slice of chocolate gateau. Sirius found himself leaning over the table to kiss the remaining frosting off of Remus’s lips. “We should get chocolate cake more often,” he remarked. Remus smiled brightly, nodding happily.
They left the restaurant holding hands. Sirius started towards the El stop, but Remus pulled him across the street. “Date’s not over yet, Love,” he explained. They hopped on a bus heading north, and Sirius beamed when they got off at their destination.
“Glow-in-the-dark mini-golf!” he exclaimed. “I haven’t done this in years! Oh, James and I used to go every weekend with Lily! This is perfect!”
Remus smiled at his husband’s excitement. “I’m glad you like it!”
Sirius turned to Remus, a bit sobered. “You’re amazing, Remus. You know me so well. Thank you.”
Remus smiled, and tugged Sirius into the building. While Sirius showed off, getting a few hole-in-ones even as the glowing lights danced and the lasers bounced around, Remus managed to get most holes in fewer than 10 hits. They laughed and clung to each other as they left, hopping on the train for home, at last.
At home, Sirius was stunned as Remus presented him with a gift. “Rem- you’ve already done so much!” he tried to protest. Remus just waved him off.
“It’s my first Valentine’s Day married to my ridiculously good-looking husband. Let me enjoy.”
Sirius smiled as he opened the box, pulling out a black leather jacket. He had stop for a moment, holding back his tears. “Remus… this is…”
He grabbed Remus and embraced him, hugging him tightly to his chest. “I don’t deserve you, Remus, you’re too much!”
Remus laughed a little. “James helped me pick it out. He said it looked a lot like the one you had in high school before your parents…”
Sirius nodded, tears sliding slowly out of his eyes. The jacket… He had bought himself a leather jacket when he was 15, and his motorbike when he was 16. His parents, in their typical over-the-top anger, had set both on fire. That incident had given Sirius the final push he needed to leave their home and live with the Potters. And Remus… beautiful Remus had gone through so much trouble to find a replica of it.
And then Sirius panicked. “Shit.”
Remus arched an eyebrow. “What’s wrong, Love?”
Sirius felt awful. He hadn’t done anything for Remus, for their first Valentine’s Day as a married couple. He reached into his backpack, pulling out the (now crumpled) gift bag with the weird-looking teddy bear and shitty chocolates.
“Remus, I’m so sorry-“ Sirius began. But Remus shushed him.
“Sirius, darling, I know what you’ve been going through. Fourth year of med school is no joke. You’ve been working non-stop. I wanted to do something nice for you today because I love you. I told you, I don’t need a gift.”
Sirius sniffed. “Well, that's good. Go on, open it and see how shitty a husband I am.”
Remus put the bag down. “You’re an excellent husband. I didn’t marry you so you could lavish me with gifts. I married you because I love you. How many times have I been ill and you’ve spent taking care of me, getting my medicines, taking me to doctor’s appointments? And you never complain. You do it because you love me, just like I did this because I love you.”
Sirius smiled through his tear-shiny eyes. “Yeah, okay.”
“And I’m sure I’ll love my gift,” Remus said, opening up the bag and pulling out the chocolate-filled heart. “See! I love chocolate!”
He then pulled out the teddy bear, and Sirius realized it wasn’t actually a teddy bear- it was a stuffed sloth. That’s fine, Sirius thought. Sloths are great. Everyone loves sloths. But Remus face scrunched up into that adorable, confused, exasperated expression of his.
“Something wrong?” Sirius asked.
Remus turned the sloth to face him, and Sirius read the message on the heart for the first time.
There, in pink sequins, the loving message he gave to his husband on their first Valentine’s Day as a married couple, were the words:
“You Go, Girl!”
They spent the rest of the night laughing.