summary: Who would have thought that sending your son to a summer camp would lead to an unexpected reunion with someone you had sworn you don’t want to see anymore?
note: so sorry this took so long T_T I have been stumped with school works and lost creativity in the process (so this chapter might be a lil meh but yeah T_T)
chapter xiii series masterlist
“I was thinking of putting a sunroom inside the house,” Shane drawled as she leaned closer to James’ height, the pointy end of her heels colliding with his shoes.
James, having been absentmindedly talking with Shane, only hummed a response, not really having any idea as to what the young woman was talking about, his eyes fixed on something, or rather someone, just a few feet away.
It had been a few days after the World Cup, with Britain securing the cup, which resulted in days worth of celebration that lasted up to the very last day, with banners still hung around on each and every tent and music still blasting all across the camp grounds.
“Or maybe an indoor garden?” she spoke again, and James could only give a faint nod of his head— still distracted, “but I think your house could go well with a small bookshelf in the living room.”
No matter how much he wanted to listen to whatever Shane was talking about, he just couldn’t. Not when your small laughter pierced through the crowded room as the young server from behind the counter threw a joke, something James knew was not even funny. There was a sudden feeling that clawed at James’ chest, something that he had been familiar with ever since he was fifteen. He cleared his throat, forcefully pulling his gaze off of your figure and instead granted his attention to Shane, who had been talking his ears off for a few minutes. He gave a tight-lipped smile, the corners of his eyes barely creasing.
“I am sorry,” he murmured, pivoting slowly on his feet to properly face the woman, “Merlin, I sound like an idiot, but could you repeat what you have said?”
He watched as Shane’s face morphed into mild irritation, her usually sweet saccharine smile was subdued—her fiery eyes looking as if the fires had dwindled into remaining embers. Though, despite those noticeable changes, James could not bring himself to care, not when you were just a few feet from him, showering your attention on the young server who looked far too happy to be entertaining a customer in this far too busy bakeshop.
“As I was saying,” Shane let out an exasperated sigh, her eyes no longer looking at James, “what plans do you have for your house?”
“I think I might have to…” he trailed off in his words as the unmistakable sound of your giggles pierced through the cacophony of people once again, and just like steel attracted to a magnet, James absentmindedly wandered his gaze toward your direction—his features pulling into a look of grimace as he saw the young server give you a poorly executed wink.
Merlin, he shouldn’t be flirting with a woman like you if he couldn’t do even the simplest of winks. But you were laughing—and James’ face contorted even more.
“I’m sorry, would you excuse me for a bit?” Shane’s face fell even more—though he barely paid it any mind as he whipped his head back in your direction, his feet already moving of their own accord toward you.
He walked with heaviness hung around his shoulders, his feet seeming to drag on the grassy grounds as he neared your place. There was a pounding in his chest, his large hands had begun gathering precipitation, and his mind seemed to dart elsewhere. Suddenly, James felt stupid.
What was his reason for approaching you anyway?
But to answer his internal question, quite frankly, he didn’t know. But he just couldn’t bring himself to just watch as the young server blatantly flirted with you. But he couldn’t just whisk you away from the counter now, could he? There must be a way, a silver lining that Merlin would endow him to pull himself out of this misery, and maybe, have you for himself, no matter how selfish that sounds.
Stopping mid-step, James looked down at his now empty cup, the body of which he had gripped tightly was now indented, no doubt taking the brunt of his flaring jealousy. He bit his lips, his eyes alight, and with a small smile pulling at his lips, he began walking—strutting towards you with an idea already swimming in his head.
“Darling,” he slipped beside you with ease, his charming smile flashing under the golden glow of the lights. He could feel you tense beside him, though he just brushed it off as he gave you a wink, this one, he knew, is better than the one that the guy gave you.
“I forgot to mention, Harry’s not fond of strawberry milkshakes.” His eyes flickered towards the young man, his smile turning into a smirk as he watched the server duck his head the moment James shifted his attention.
“And he told me to get him chocolate instead,” he leaned on the counter, his muscles protruding beneath the thin material of his sleeves.
He could see the way your eyes were clouded with confusion, your lips pressing into a thin line as you gave him an appraising look.
“He mentioned it to me, twice, actually,” you mumbled, still looking at James with uncertainty. “And this is a bakeshop, James; they don’t sell milkshakes here.”
There was a beat of silence, and James felt himself burn underneath your gaze. The embarrassment that washed over him was burning—scorching the depths of his soul until he was nothing but a flush mess, his eyes blinking as he looked at you. He shifted on his feet, his fingers flexing as if he were summoning any sort of strength—and then, with a clear of his throat, he flashed his smile, his white teeth gleaming like pearls.
He’s grinning like he just didn’t embarrass himself in front of you.
“Uh—actually,” he began, feigned confidence oozing from every word, though you could tell he was still reeling from his punctured ego with the way he was carding through his messy locks, “I just thought I’d remind you, in case you get them drinks.”
Your eyes seemed to squint even more, a crease growing on your forehead as you skimmed your gaze over his features.
“I already did, remember?” you asked, confusion still lingering. “Are you alright?”
It seemed James was rendered speechless once again as he owlishly blinked at you—his golden skin seemed to darken under your eyes. He thickly gulped as a sudden, uncomfortable lump grew inside his throat, his eyes briefly evading yours before he brought them back to look into your questioning hues. It seemed as though the Gods were against him today because not only was his jealousy tested, his pride and usual charm appeared to be not functioning well.
“Why wouldn’t I be alright, love?” he queried softly, the endearment slipping past his lips with the ease of a summer breeze passing through open windows.
He watched with bated breath as you gave him another look, his nervousness ticking like a time bomb.
“I dunno,” you replied just as the young server wrapped up your orders. James had almost forgotten the man’s existence, too focused on the way his mind had seemed to zero in on you the moment he stepped into your orbit.
“You seemed strange,” you softly remarked, and James almost had to stop the defensive scoff that threatened to escape his mouth.
You turned your head to the side, your lips pulling into a smile as you took the offered bag of pastries from the server before turning your gaze back to James.
“By the way, James, this is Louise,” you introduced the man with a faint tilt of your head, and James had to fight himself internally not to roll his eyes.
“He’s a baker near Lily and I’s flower shop.”
It was only then that James noticed the French flag hanging on the fabric wall on the far left corner of the tent—its cloth swaying softly with the wind. He cleared his throat for what felt like the umpteenth time, his cheeks burning hot even more.
He flashed Louise a forced smile, the pull at his lips barely reaching his ears. “James,” he introduced, his voice dropping an octave.
Not only was this man flirting with you—but he was also a known person between you and Lily, and worse, he could have known you for all the years that you had spent living in France. He felt a cold splash inside him at the realization, an icy feeling clawing at his chest, rendering his ability to think.
“You look so much like Harold,” Louise spoke, his French accent dripping in every word.
James gave another smile, hands shoving deep inside his pockets as if he were exuding an air of nonchalance. “Well, that is because I am his father.”
It doesn’t take a genius to notice the bite in his words, and if Louise detected it, then he had an impeccable way of hiding it. But you, however, did, much to James’ dismay.
“Well,” the young man said after a bit, his voice taking on a cheery tone, “don’t let me keep you for long. I am sure he’s waiting for you back in your tent.”
“Thank you, Louise,” you said in a sweet tone with a sweet smile, and James had to reprimand himself for feeling another surge of emotion course through him. “I’ll see you around.”
….
The walk back to your tent was awkward and silent. James had been consistently throwing glances at you, his hand seemingly stuck in his tresses as he kept on running it through them. You were surprised he had not grown a balding spot on his head yet.
Although there was a small tension that lingered in the air, James was adamant about being a gentleman as he took the bags of food from your hand, leaving you empty-handed and your arms swinging limply on the side of your body as you walked side by side together.
You risked a glance at him—the faint movement of your head was enough to be caught in his peripheral view. You could sense him tense, as if your very eyes could set him into stone.
You could tell he was deep in thought as the lines on his forehead were visible, thick brows drawn together, and his lips were puckered out in concentration.
“You’re unusually quiet,” you remarked as you rounded the corner, the path narrowing down, causing you and James’ bodies to be pushed closely against one another.
There was a current of electricity that flowed through you as the heat of his skin landed on your exposed arms—but you weren’t able to dwell on it much as you heard James let out a sigh, and finally, after what felt like a battle with himself, cast his gaze at you, a gentle smile tugging at his lips.
“Do you, um—“ he began as he scratched his nape, “do you like Louise?” He blurted out, suddenly catching you off guard, your mind appeared to stop for a moment as it tried to absorb whatever he could mean by that.
He seemed oblivious to your reaction as he waited for your answer, earnest shining in his eyes. You let out a breath you didn’t know you were holding, shoulders dropping at the motion.
“You’re acting really odd,” you uttered instead, almost in disbelief, diverting the conversation elsewhere, “but to answer your question, I don’t. He’s a good friend of mine.”
James let out a sigh of relief, and you didn’t know what to make out of that very action. He averted his gaze, a small, almost ghostly smile tugging at his lips.
Your eyes remained locked on the side of his face, your lips curling into a simper smile.
“How about Shane? Do you like her?” You asked, your shoulders bumping against his in a teasing manner.
James glanced at you, his face morphing into a look of mortification as he shook his head, his glasses nearly falling off his face.
“Merlin, no.” He laughed, “she’s just my contractor. It’s completely unprofessional.”
Your brows furrowed at that— Shane surely did not keep things professional between them. No matter how much she tried to keep it down, her flirtatious remarks and overly sweet smile that was only reserved for James, made it so obvious that she harbored feelings that go beyond professionalism for James.
But still, you kept your mouth shut.
“Are you planning to buy a house?” you asked instead, a single brow raised in curiosity.
“Uh, no, actually—I am planning on renovating our house.” He shook his head, his gaze returning to the path ahead, afraid of what he might see on your face.
Your brows were pulled close together; you seemed to be knee-deep in confusion by now. “You haven’t sold it?”
“It’s your house as much as it is mine.” He said with a shrug of his shoulders.
“Your father gave it to you.” You countered, and as much as you wanted to prove yourself right, you couldn’t help but feel a pinprick of pins to your heart.
“To us.” He stated, voice firm and authoritative.
It seemed as though every word in the book had disappeared from your mind—too fogged up with the lingering confusion and the sudden prick of realization. None of you spoke after that, only adding a heavy weight to the lingering tension in the air. Luckily, the sight of your tent came into view, and you almost breathed out a sigh of relief.
…
When you stepped inside the tent, the unusual arrangement of the furniture was the first thing you noticed. The long couch was pushed to the farthest side of the small living room, accompanied by the two loveseats that also ended with the same fate as the couch. In the middle stood a makeshift tent, made up of the blankets which, no doubt, were yours and James’.
You scoured your eyes inside, your mouth pulled to the side, eyes wide in wonder. There was no doubt in this world that this poor attempt at making a tent was done by your twins—not when you could practically see their silhouettes beneath the thick fabric of the blanket.
“I think we might have been gone for too long,” James suddenly spoke, breaking the momentary silence that had settled.
You nodded in response, eyes briefly flitting to his face. “I’m afraid they haven’t gotten your skills in making that.”
James snorted, the corners of his eyes crinkling. “Careful, you might offend Harry. Merlin knows he’s far too dramatic for his own good.”
And as if you have summoned him by the mention of his name, Harry emerged from their creation, hair sticking to his sweaty forehead. He beamed a smile, all teeth out, and not even a second after Harry went out of their tent, out came Harold who, to no one’s surprise, was also slick with sweat.
“Mum, guess what!?” he excitedly asked, jumping up and down on the balls of his feet. “Harry and I made a tent!”
“And contrary to what you’ve said, Mum, we are actually skilled at it!” Harry huffed, sending a small glare toward you.
You could only playfully roll your eyes at your son, too amused to even think of something that would entertain his bruised ego. Lifting your eyes from Harry, you met James’ gaze—and as if he had been waiting for you to do just that, he smirked, sending a kaleidoscope of butterflies inside you.
You shrugged your shoulders, completely ignoring the onslaught of those damned butterflies inside your stomach.
“I think me and your dad would be the judge of that, sweetheart,” you returned your attention to your twins, a challenging look taking over your face. “So now, why don’t we eat these foods inside and see if you really are skilled—”
Before you could even finish your words, the twins had already started crawling back to their tent, excitedly giggling over themselves as if they'd created the funniest joke ever. You looked over to James and as if on cue, your eyes collided, and with a small nod toward the flap of their tent, and ever the gentleman, he lifted it, allowing you to enter first.
“Oh my…” you uttered as you looked around the small area, a look of adoration passing over your face. “I think I might have to take back what I have said.”
“Think you’ve outdone yourselves, lads,” James followed as he, too, emerged inside, his glasses slipping off the bridge of his nose.
The tent, however small it may be, was magnificent and cozy. It had paper stars hanging on threads—each swaying gently in rhythm with your movements. There were also toys and throw pillows scattered about, making the tent even warmer and more comfortable.
“We learned from the best,” Harry proudly said, wearing an ear-splitting grin. He leaned over the throw pillows, his hands cushioning his head. “Certainly not from you, Dad.”
“Alright, enough bullying your old father. How about we eat now? You must be knackered from creating this masterpiece.”
…
Even with James’ help of extending the inside of the tent, it still somehow felt cramped, and not to mention…it suddenly felt even hotter, as if autumn had suddenly backpedaled on its onset.
After you’d finished your meals, the twins had suggested that you sleep inside the tent, with them being on either side of you and James. Meaning, you would have to sleep beside each other closely. There’s no issue with it, right? You’ve slept on the same bed for days now, it’s not like you couldn’t handle this. But why were you suddenly feeling like your heart had doubled its beat, as if it had grown its own mini organ inside?
“Mum, can you make stars appear on the ceiling?” Harold asked from beside you, his small hand gently gripping your arm.
You shifted slightly in your position, the skin of your hands faintly grazing James’ arm.
“But there’s already stars, Harold,” James spoke on your behalf, unsure, but still, he reached for his wand.
Harold scooted closer to you—pushing you even closer to James’ heated body. The boy leaned in, and with a small, knowing smile, he said, “Yes, but they don’t twinkle like they do in my room.”
Their father only nodded in understanding before he flicked his wand in the air, and the entire small area was bathed in a golden glow, intensifying the warmth that surrounded the tent. Both Harry and Harold looked around in awe, their eyes, which they had inherited from their father, looked as if they had gold beneath them.
It was as if your entire body was dappled in sunlight as a warm feeling surged through you, their innocence and joyous smile bringing forth such glow that you could only feel whenever you’re around them.
“Mum?” a voice called, pulling you out of your mind.
You blinked— humming a response before flitting your eyes over to Harry who’s looking at you with a smile. “Yes, Haz?”
“I was asking if you could tell us a story.” He said, hands propping up the side of his head as he laid on a lateral position.
“I fear I’m not really a good storyteller,” you replied with an awkward laugh, “but maybe Dad has a good story to tell. We all know he’s far more talented than me.”
It was the truth. Between the two of you, James had a way of creating such lives through spoken words—not that you weren’t talented, but you found it more comfortable to hold a quill than talk animatedly to people.
You and the twins turned to look at James, an expectant and excited look could be seen on all of your faces. He seemed proud of your compliment as he let out a grin, his cheeks darkening under the golden lights.
“Have you ever heard the story of a princess and knight?” James began as he stirred in his place, trying to find a comfortable position.
The three of you shook your heads, prompting James to continue.
“Once upon a time,”
“There was a princess and a knight,” his voice had dropped an octave, and his hands began waving in the air. “She was a beautiful princess, everyone in the kingdom adored her, even the knights of their palace were at the mercy of her beauty.”
“But there’s one particular knight who seemed to be so in love with her beauty. He couldn’t help it! He’s just a man after all.” His voice raised slightly, a tinge of excitement carrying his words. “One day—the princess was tasked by her father to ride a horse. And for the love of everything that’s holy, the princess couldn’t ride one. Not even if it could save a life.”
The twins could barely contain their giggles at James’ words, prompting James to stop himself from continuing and relish the look on their faces.
“She sounds like Mum!” Harry said through his giggles, further making his twin laugh even more.
“I am not really afraid of horses,” you retorted, rising slightly to hover over James’ body to poke at Harry’s nose.
“I beg to disagree, darling. Didn’t I scare you to death when I transformed into a stag?” James asked, his breath coming out labored from the way you were still weighing down on his body.
You looked down at him, your hair cascading down like waterfalls, making you look ethereal above him. You smirked, barely registering the situation you were in.
“In my defense, I didn’t know you were an animagus, and a horse doesn’t have horns.” You rolled your eyes in playful retort, and James, loving the attention you were giving him, snorted and shook his head.
“Same difference,” he smiled, and it melted into a lopsided one.
There it was again, the sudden feeling of butterflies erupting in your stomach. The bolt of electricity that ran through your bloodstream heated up your cheeks and entire body. But before you could even dwell further on those lovesick feelings, a groan sounded from your right side, followed by the sound of someone gagging.
“Dad, get on with it and stop flirting with each other!”
Your cheeks turned hot— and as if scorched, you scrambled to get back into your position, ears and cheeks still set aflame. James cleared his throat, seemingly having the same predicament as you.
“Er—where were we?” he asked, and if it wasn’t for your position right now—you swore this man would be running his hands through his hair again.
“The horse,” you answered, voice small and shy.
“Yeah, well—the princess was so scared of the horse that her father had to call the knight to help her mount the beast,” he continued, his earlier voice returning. “And of course, the knight was happy to assist. The first time they went horse riding—everything went downhill. It was supposed to be a smooth-sailing session, but the princess, scared as ever, had managed to also freak the horse, and so…the animal had gone and galloped in the meadows.”
James continued his made-up story, and the more he went deeper into it, the more it started becoming familiar to you. It was very similar to the very first time you and James met, with you having been scared of mounting a broom and him insisting to Madam Hooch that he’d teach you the basics of flying.
His voice had turned into a lull, and Harold— who was just giggling earlier, had now become pliant beside you, his head resting against your arm, a small puff of breath escaping his slightly agape mouth.
“His fellow knights made fun of him, saying he’s far too deep in love with the princess that he’s teaching her how to horse ride for the sake of spending time with her rather than doing the king a favor.” His voice resurfaced back into your attention, and without meaning to, you craned your neck to look at him, watching as his lips moved into a slow motion as he uttered each and every word.
“It was not long before he asked her to sneak out to the lakes, and the princess, never one to back down from mischievous adventures, agreed.” James continued, and as though there was pull in your gaze, his eyes descended upon your awaiting ones, sending your heart to pummel against your poor ribcage.
Suddenly, your world had stopped revolving, and you were stuck within James’ orbit, pulled by his strong magnetic force. For a moment, everything ceased to exist, and it was you who were the only ones occupying the space. Harold and Harry were both asleep now, their little snores were the only thing you could hear aside from the loud pounding of your heart in your chest.
James looked as if he wanted to say more, his mouth slowly opening and closing, eyes still stuck on you. He swallowed thickly— and without thinking, he leaned in, sending your heart to soar out into the horizon. Your hot breaths mingled with each other until you could no longer decipher which was yours and which was his. From this angle, you could fully appreciate the way his long lashes fluttered above the skin of his lower lids, the way his deep brown eyes looked honeyed under the twinkle of the golden stars.
When you didn’t make a move to pull your face away from his, James leaned forward again, but not too much, as if testing the waters—whether it was too hot to dip himself, too cold, or just enough. You watched with a suspended breath, your mind clouding with a pearly-like haze, and without even meaning to, you leaned in, too weak to resist his yearning gaze.
James’ eyes traveled down to your lips before flickering back towards your eyes— a silent question, that you knew all too well was swirling through his brown ones, but before you could even utter an approval, whether it was a yes or no—a gust of wind came passing by, accompanied by a hooting sound, snapping the haze that you had found yourselves in. A sudden light feeling dropped on your chest, and much to James’ dismay, you looked down, breaking whatever bubble you two had shared.
You plucked the said object off your chest, and with shaky fingers, you brought it into your line of vision, your eyes squinting as you tried to read each stroke of letters on the parchment. It was from Lily, and judging by the way it was written haphazardly, you could tell that it was a matter of importance. You risked a glance back at James and, with a strained smile, got on your feet and went out of the tent.
I am such a sucker for yearning but Jesus, it was so hard to write 😭 anyway, would guys like to hear the playlist I made for this series? Also, only two chapters left :(
James Potter always giggles every time he remembers your first kiss. The Marauders literally have to avoid mentioning you for a week because this man just gushes and just talks about how it feels like to kiss you. But they wouldn't trade it for the world; they know how much James had been pining over you for years now.
Summary: His blue eyes shine behind crooked glasses, an angelic smile plastered on his lips, as if he weren’t the one responsible for the state you’re in now. As if he hadn’t been there, just a few hours ago, with his hot breath against your skin, his hands firmly gripping your waist while the world crumbled around you.
Warnings: husband!James, wife!reader, fluff, suggestive, no use of y/n, muggle au, est. relationship, a james full of teasing about last night
The smell of fresh coffee fills the room even before you open your eyes. The aroma is warm, strong, mixed with the buttery sweetness of something freshly cooked. It’s a comforting smell, a homey smell, the kind that belongs to lazy mornings. But as your body begins to wake up, something else takes over—a heavier, lingering warmth that weighs on your muscles, a vivid memory that makes your face flush before you can even stop it.
You shift under the sheets and feel it.
Your body still soft, deliciously sore in all the right places. A faint, lingering ache that makes your stomach twist in a way that has nothing to do with hunger.
That’s when James walks into the room.
His blue eyes shine behind crooked glasses, an angelic smile plastered on his lips, as if he weren’t the one responsible for the state you’re in now. As if he hadn’t been there, just a few hours ago, with his hot breath against your skin, his hands firmly gripping your waist while the world crumbled around you.
He balances a tray carefully in his hands, walking over to the bed with the expression of someone who’s done nothing wrong.
You narrow your eyes.
“Good morning, love,” he murmurs, his voice low, lazy.
You glance at the clock on the nightstand and blink at the time. “Jamie, it’s late.”
He sits on the edge of the bed, setting the tray aside before leaning in and brushing your hair away from your face with a distracted tenderness. His gaze sweeps over you, attentive, lingering, taking in every detail—the tangled sheets around you, his shirt slipping off one shoulder, the warm flush still burning on your cheeks.
The corner of his mouth curves.
“I know,” he replies simply. “I wanted to let you sleep a little longer.”
Your breath hitches when he leans in even closer, his nose lightly brushing against your temple before he murmurs, low and conspiratorial: “You seemed like you needed it.”
The blush spreads even hotter across your face, and you shift, trying to escape that knowing look. But the movement makes your muscles protest, a sharp, lingering ache running through your body in a shiver that escapes as an involuntary sigh.
James notices.
You feel it when he holds his breath for a second. His gaze, which was soft and attentive before, becomes something else. A darker, deeper blue.
His fingers slide over your exposed thigh under the sheets, a light, lazy touch, as if testing a theory.
“Are you okay?” he asks, and there’s something in his tone—a mix of genuine tenderness and shameless pride.
You want to kill him.
“Jamie,” you start, but your voice comes out weaker than it should.
He smiles. And it’s a dangerous smile.
The kind of smile that doesn’t match the man who, now, has prepared such a thoughtful breakfast, as if he weren’t the same one who tore you apart with no patience last night. As if he hadn’t pressed his body against yours, his breath ragged in your ear, his fingers digging into your skin, holding you exactly where he wanted.
But now? Now he’s all tenderness.
His thumb traces a lazy circle on your thigh, a touch so delicate it barely tickles. His gaze is absurdly soft, his voice low and warm when he asks, with a genuine concern that would almost be touching, if it weren’t so annoyingly charming:
“Does it hurt a lot?”
You swallow hard, trying to ignore the shiver that runs down your spine at the way he watches you—as if he’s memorizing every tiny reaction of yours. As if he’s remembering what he did to leave you like this.
James lets out an almost regretful sigh before leaning in, his lips ghosting over your temple, the touch barely there. “You should’ve told me if I was being too rough, love.”
Your face burns.
Indignation rises in your throat, but it dies on your tongue when he chuckles softly, his fingers squeezing your thigh just a little before pulling away, picking up the breakfast tray as if he hadn’t just dropped a grenade in the middle of your thoughts.
James places the cup between your fingers, blowing on the rim of the porcelain as if to make sure the coffee isn’t too hot for you. Then, he breaks off a piece of croissant, buttering it with a care that makes no sense, before holding it between two fingers and bringing it to your mouth.
You frown. “I can feed myself, Potter.”
He raises an eyebrow. “Can you?” His voice slides into something low and slightly amused. “Because last night it didn’t seem like you could do much on your own.”
Your stomach drops.
His laugh is light, satisfied, but it doesn’t last long—because as much as James likes to tease, he likes taking care of you even more. And that’s why, instead of pushing, he simply brushes your cheek with his knuckles, his gaze sliding from your eyes to your mouth.
“Please, love.” His voice is low, velvety. “Do me this favor?”
You sigh, closing your eyes for a second, and open your mouth.
James doesn’t say anything, but his gaze brightens when you finally bite into the bread. He waits for you to chew, to swallow, to take a sip of coffee, before leaning in a little closer and murmuring, his breath warm against your skin:
“Good girl.”
The heat that shoots up your spine almost makes you drop the cup.
James pulls away slowly, and his smile is dangerously close to smug as he sits back down, taking your free hand just to play with your fingers between his. He presses a quick kiss to your palm before saying, casually:
“Now eat properly, love. You’re going to need to rest.”
Your body relaxes for a brief second.
Until he adds, with an undeniably mischievous glint in his eye:
poly!marauders x fem!reader who picks the worst time to bring this up [879 words]
CW: implied afab!reader, no smut but discusses smut, reader tells the boys she wants to try anal, Sirius is the only one who manages to keep his cool, discussed anal sex, references prostates, references boners, this is really just comedy but labelled mature due to content
You square your shoulders as you step into the doorway of the kitchen; Remus already in his smart office attire as he fixes himself a cup of tea, James eating his cereal as though there might be a prize for whoever finishes breakfast first, and Sirius who looks far more casual than the other two as he scrolls through his phone all gathered at the kitchen table.
You suck in a breath and brave yourself.
“I want to try anal.” You announce to the room; a bomb detonating the second the words leave your lips which leaves a wake of destruction in its path.
James nearly inhales his spoon and begins choking as a result — Sirius now responsible for thwumping him on the back in hopes of dislodging whatever might be stuck in his airway — and Remus’ cup and saucer clatter together before his tea ends up arse over tits and staining the table cloth beneath it.
You wonder for a moment if you should go back into the hallway and rehearse this again.
“You-” James tries, bringing a fresh wave of tears to his eyes which encourages Sirius to resume his quasi-heimlich maneuver, thwumping when a new round of coughing begins.
“I…want to try anal.” You try again, less sure this time now that you have three boys looking at you like you’ve grown a second head.
Remus’ mouth opens as though he’s about to say something, but it’s James who lets out a choked “why?”
“Well…” You have to admit, this is not the way you imagined this conversation going; although, you also have to admit that you never really imagined how this conversation was going to go beyond you getting your own bit out. “Well, you guys do it!”
Remus’ eyebrows disappear into his hairline as James gapes at you.
Sirius, for his part, manages to laugh; half disbelieving, half intrigued.
“Well, sweetheart, you may have noticed that the three of us have one less hole to be used in such a manner?”
Your arms — which had been stationed on your hips as you stood in some faux power stance — end up crossed in front of you as you shift on your feet.
“Well, how hard can it be?” You ask, James tilting his head at you as he takes slow, deliberate sips of his water. “Boys do it.”
This serves to nearly have James choking once again as Remus’ head rears back in surprise and Sirius cocks an eyebrow at you.
“Are you trying to kill me?” James manages as Sirius barks a laugh.
“Where is this coming from, dollface?” Sirius chuckles, his mouth hanging open as if this is the most fun he’s had in forever; one boyfriend frozen in shock and the other in immediate danger of asphyxiation as his girlfriend stands floundering in the doorway.
“I just… want to try! You guys do it all the time.” You try to reason, though it comes out accusatory.
“Right…” Sirius allows, stealing a glance at Remus before returning his attention to you. “But you do know that we have a spot up our arse that you don't, which makes any possible discomfort worth it?”
You deflate a little, unlocking your knee and cocking your hip as you lean against the doorway and mull this all over.
“What the fuck is happening right now?” James murmurs rhetorically, all three boys still staring at you in various degrees of incredulity.
“Listen, I’m not trying to dissuade you.” Sirius allows, and his easy almost excited smile keeps the little moth circling around the flame of intrigue in your chest. “I’m just…surprised is all.”
Yes, well, you are a little bit too if you’re being quite honest. But you decide that changes nothing.
“I want to try.”
You’re either cheated out of a response or the boys are saved from having to give one when Remus’ alarm goes off signalling it’s time for him to leave for work.
”Way to go, gorgeous; you’ve broken Moony.” Sirius teasingly chides; standing in order to grab your still comatose boyfriend a to-go cup for a fresh cup of tea. “And he’s got that important meeting today.”
”Fuck.” Remus hisses, remembering to be stressed about the proposal he was presenting today.
“Right, so can we talk about this later when it’s a more appropriate time to have a hard on?” Sirius asks you as he wordlessly passes Remus his travel mug.
”I need to go take another shower…” James muses mostly to himself as he stands to put his bowl and spoon in the sink.
“Make it a cold one, Jamie; I can see you from here.” Sirius lies as James readjusts himself, letting out an exasperated sigh even though he presses a kiss to your head as he walks stiffly past you.
“This conversation isn’t over, dove.” Remus threatens as he presses his own kiss to your temple, exiting the kitchen as Sirius scoffs incredulously.
”What conversation?” He screeches. “You sat there staring at her the whole time!”
The front door closes behind Remus as you hear the shower start running, turning to look at Sirius who is playfully shaking his head at you.
“Well,” you let out with a breath, smiling back at him, “I think that went well, yeah?”
congrats again on reaching 1k, my lovely sanny angel !! u deserve each and every one of ur followers and more 😚🫶🏼
im so stoked for ur ocean odyssey celebration ! and for that reason, may i request that i be accompanied by james potter, with the trope ⁵⁷⁾ evenings on the porch ? 🥰 thank u love u !!! 💘
thank you so much my lovely rese <333 hope you enjoy!
evenings on the porch + james potter
꩜ roommate!james potter x shy!reader
꩜ summary: james’ friends come over, and you feel shy. he adores it.
“Hey.”
You push yourself up a little and turn, catching James’ eye. He’s smiling, like he always is, but it’s hard to focus on his face when his upper half is on display. “Hi, James.”
You scoot over to make some space for him. His arm is on your shoulder as soon as he’s next to you, easy with his affection.
“Hi, sweetheart,” he gives you a squeeze, delighted when you don’t pull away. “Hi. How’s it going?”
“Good.”
James is undeterred despite your quiet answer; he knows he’s slowly wearing you down.
James really was a nice roommate, an even nicer guy. His friends were lovely by extension, and you didn’t mind them coming over. You usually hid in your room and waited for him to come seek you out after they left. But this time they’d begged you to join in while they hung out on your porch, wanting to get to know “the poor girl who had to tolerate their James 24/7.” It took a lot of convincing, but you ended up agreeing for his sake.
James squeezes you again, a knowing smile curving his lips. “Good? That’s all?”
You lick your lips. Your gaze darts over to Sirius and Marlene, shrieking and splashing water all around the inflatable pool. “I mean, it’s fun. I’m having fun.”
“You know, it’s okay if you’re not enjoying this. I shouldn’t have made you come out here if you didn’t want to.”
“No, it’s not that,” you shake your head quickly, embarrassed. “Really, it’s not that I didn’t want to. Your friends are very nice.”
James hums, doubtful. You feel his thumb tracing shapes on the skin of your shoulder, absentmindedly tugging you closer. “But they can be a bit too much for you, and I knew it,” he says, not unkindly. “I’m sorry I made you join us.”
You frown a little, earnestly shaking your head again. “Please don’t apologise. It’s not your fault I’m like this.”
James softens. “Like what?”
You shrug sheepishly. “Reserved. Unfriendly.”
“Unfriendly?” he asks softly, bemused. His tone is a shade of fond and something else you can’t place. “You’re not unfriendly by a long shot, sweetheart. In fact, you’re probably one of the nicest people I know.”
Your cheeks start to feel warm. “Really?”
“Really.”
“Oh.”
You duck your head, smiling, and James loves to see it. Since he’s got you flustered, he might as well continue. “And have I told you how good this dress looks on you?” He ducks his head to try to meet your gaze. “You look really pretty.”
His grin widens when you bury your face in your hands, mumbling a thank you. Although he wishes you would let him in more, he can’t deny how utterly adorable you were when shy.
“Hey, come on,” James grins, poking your ribs. “Look at me.”
He laughs when you vigorously shake your head. He tries to pry your hands from your face, grinning when you giggle and try to swat him away.
You weren’t going to be bored for the rest of the evening, James would make sure of it.
🍵 + Wolfstar + sniffing their hair and complimenting the scent of their shampoo (The Menu) + General domestic home fluff :))
stolen ribbon and…blueberry shampoo?
pairings: Wolfstar! x fem!reader
warnings: siri sneaking into girls’ dormitory?? other than that, it’s just fluff.
note: thank you so much for requesting, i hope you will like this <3 (i just realized that i strayed far from the request again and forgot to put a compliment, oh lawd forgive me 😭)
“Have you gotten a new shampoo, love?” Sirius asked as he took a sniff of your hair, his brows scrunching up in confusion. At his question, you forced yourself to look up, the look on your face mirroring Sirius’.
“Yes?” you answered, but your words came out like a question. “It’s a gift from Lily,” you added as you shifted back into your previous position, head returning to Sirius’ hardened chest.
“I don’t know how you haven’t noticed it, darling. She’s been using that shampoo for a week now,” Remus chimed in, sending you a soft smile from where he was lying, head propped up on Sirius’ bicep as he read a book.
“No,” Sirius replied as he leaned in again, this time taking a longer sniff of your hair. “I swear you were just using that bloody coconut-scented shampoo yesterday,” he murmured, voice coming out faint, eyes closing momentarily as if he were soaking up the scent of your head.
“Sirius,” you uttered as you turned to face him, your brow quirked, “since when did you pay attention to my hair? Let alone my shampoo?”
He let out a scoff, “I am quite offended that you think I do not,” Sirius made a move of crossing his arms over his chest, sending a miniscule glare your way. “I have always known the way your hair smells.”
You cast your eyes at Remus, the corners of your lips lifting in amusement. “Is that true, Rem?”
“Oh, it is,” Remus answered with a small sigh, his own lips stretching into a smile. “He wouldn’t bloody shut up about your hair in fifth year when you switched your shampoo to a blueberry-scented one.”
Your brows furrowed at his words, creating an indent between them. Fifth year. How come Sirius knew your shampoo during fifth year when you barely even talked to each other at that time? You were sure you had started talking during the end of sixth, and by that time, you had already switched your shampoo.
With a spark in your eyes, you slowly looked at Sirius, a smirk tugging at your lips that made him slightly falter. “Fifth year, huh?” you questioned in a teasing voice, head angling down to meet his gaze. “I am pretty certain we hadn’t had a single conversation back in that year—not even with you, Rem.” You shifted your gaze to Remus, who just like your other boyfriend, deflated a little.
You could see the way Sirius’ Adam's apple bobbed as he swallowed, a certain rosy blush tainting his alabaster skin. You clicked your tongue, and with a wide, playful smirk, you asked, “Sirius Black, were you sneaking into the girls' dormitory?”
“I was not!”
Sirius gasped at your words, his eyes widening a fraction in horror. Beside him, you could make out the movements of Remus’ shoulders, obviously laughing at the ebony man’s expense.
You sent him a look that said you didn’t believe any of his nonsense, which made him shrink a little in his place, cheeks now a burning shade of red.
“Alright maybe I was curious,” he conceded, eyes looking anywhere but at you.
“But you can’t blame me! I was just a lad who had a massive crush on you— and your hair just smells really good,” he continued, hands fumbling with the fabric of your shared blanket. “And Rem, don’t act like you’re a saint here when, in fact, you also stole her ribbon.”
Your lycanthrope boyfriend let out a disgruntled sound, his face flushed at his words, mouth pressing into a thin line as you met his gaze. “In my defense, darling, it had fallen during the time when you were trying to escape Peeves,” he answered with a shrug that barely concealed his embarrassment at his secret being exposed.
“Doesn’t change the fact that you stole it,” Sirius grumbled, arms still crossed over his chest. “Could have returned it to her.”
With a playful roll of your eyes, you poked Sirius’ side, head returning to lie on his chest. “Alright, as much as I want to hear about your embarrassing stories, I am rather knackered and would very much like it if we just lie here and relax.”
“Of course, dove,” Remus replied as he, too, sank back into his side of the bed, returning to Sirius’ bicep.
Sirius, at your words, slowly snaked his arms around your waist, lips planting a kiss on the crown of your head, which made you melt. “You are not cross with us, darling?” he murmured, his voice voice tinged with a small concern.
You tilted slightly to meet his gaze, a certain mischief lighting up your eyes. “No, Siri, I’d be a hypocrite if I were cross with you.”
“Hypocrite, how?” he asked as he leaned back onto the pillows, his eyes not leaving yours, confusion swimming in them.
“I may or may not have stolen some of your hair ties and Remus’ chocolates back in fifth year,” you replied, your smirk widening as Sirius’ face morphed into a look of offense, his eyes narrowing as if he were glaring at you.
Sirius Black loves it when you put him in his place. And he would not even hide it. This man would be wide-eyed, mouth ajar, and just stare at you with hearts in his irises, his chin resting on the palm of his hand while you scold him for throwing another reckless prank with James. He definitely would not care about what you are saying, his mind too fogged up with the thought of how hot you are being with your brows scrunched up in annoyance and lips pressed into a thin line.
summary: you become remus' girlfriend, officially.
obs: this is part nine of a series. here's part one.
masterlist
The past few days had been… odd.
Remus was acting strange.
Not in a bad way—if anything, he was more affectionate than usual, constantly tucking you close to his side, pressing random kisses to your temple, and looking at you like you were the best thing that had ever happened to him. Which, in all honesty, you kind of loved.
But he was also sneaking around.
And Remus Lupin was a terrible liar.
“Alright,” you said, crossing your arms as you cornered him in the library. “What’s going on?”
Remus blinked up at you, feigning innocence. “What do you mean?”
You narrowed your eyes. “Oh, don’t you dare try to act clueless, Lupin. You’re up to something.”
His ears turned pink. “I—what? Me? Up to something? Pfft, that’s ridiculous.”
You raised a brow. “You’ve been whispering with the boys every time I walk into a room, Lily keeps giving me knowing looks, and you nearly jumped out of your skin when I caught you writing in your notebook yesterday. You never hide things from me.”
Remus swallowed, looking anywhere but at you. “I have no idea what you’re talking about, love.”
You gasped dramatically. “Oh Merlin, you’re actually lying to me.”
“I’m not lying—”
You poked his chest. “You are! You’re the worst liar, Remus Lupin!”
“I am not—”
“You so are! You do this thing where you scratch the back of your neck—”
He immediately stopped scratching the back of his neck.
You smirked. “Aha! Caught red-handed!”
Remus groaned, covering his face with his hands. “I hate that you know me so well.”
You giggled, reaching up to pry his hands away. “Come on, just tell me what you’re planning.”
“No.”
“Remus.”
“Nope.”
You sighed dramatically. “You’re cruel. This is cruelty.”
He laughed, pressing a quick kiss to your forehead. “Patience, dove.”
You huffed. “You do realize I will figure it out, right?”
He smirked. “Not if I ask James to hide all your detective novels.”
You gasped. “You wouldn’t.”
“I would.”
“You monster.”
Remus chuckled, looping his arms around your waist. “Just… trust me, alright? It’s nothing bad. Just something I want to get right.”
You sighed, resting your forehead against his. “Fine. But if you take too long, I will take matters into my own hands.”
He grinned, kissing your softly. “I’d expect nothing less from you.”
And with that, he escaped before you could question him further.
He still had work to do.
The following days only made you more suspicious.
Remus was still sneaking off with the boys, still whispering in hushed tones whenever you entered a room, and now, even Lily was in on it.
You tried everything to get it out of him—puppy-dog eyes, playful threats, bribery with his favorite chocolates—but nothing worked.
Remus Lupin was a terrible liar, but when he was determined to keep a secret? He was infuriatingly stubborn.
Which was why you were currently slumped over the Gryffindor common room couch, dramatically groaning into a pillow.
“Why are men?” you whined.
Lily snorted from the chair across from you. “I assume you mean Remus.”
You lifted her head, pouting. “He’s hiding something, Lils.”
Lily gave you an infuriatingly knowing look. “Maybe he just wants to surprise you.”
You narrowed your eyes. “You know, don’t you?”
Lily only sipped her tea, looking far too smug.
“Oh, Merlin,” you groaned, flopping back onto the couch. “First the boys, now you? I’m losing.”
Lily chuckled. “Patience, dear”
You huffed. “That’s what he keeps saying.”
Lily smirked. “Then maybe you should listen.”
You were about to throw a pillow at her when the portrait hole swung open and in walked Remus, looking slightly winded, his uniform a little rumpled.
And Sirius, grinning like a maniac.
Oh, this was suspicious.
Sirius clapped Remus on the back. “Alright, Moony, you’re all set. Now go get your girl—”
Remus shot him a look. “Shut up, Pads.”
You sat up immediately. “Go get your what?”
Sirius smirked. “Your girl, obviously.”
Remus pinched the bridge of his nose. “I hate you.”
Sirius only wiggled his brows. “You love me.”
Remus sighed and turned to you, looking nervous but also determined.
You stared at him, heart racing. “Remus?”
He took a breath, then held out his hand. “Come with me?”
Your stomach flipped. “...Alright.”
You let him take your hand, casting one last suspicious glance at Sirius and Lily—both of whom were grinning like idiots—before following Remus out of the common room.
Whatever he was planning… you had a very strong feeling that you were about to find out.
Remus led you through the dimly lit corridors of Hogwarts, his hand warm around yours. He was nervous, you could feel it in the way his grip tightened slightly, in the way his thumb traced absentminded circles against her skin.
You wanted to ask but something in his expression stopped you.
Instead, you let him guide you up a staircase, down a hallway, and finally to a familiar wooden door.
The Astronomy Tower.
Her heart skipped a beat.
Remus glanced at you, then hesitated. “Close your eyes?”
You narrowed your eyes playfully. “Are you going to push me off the tower?”
He let out a soft laugh, shaking his head. “Not this time.”
You giggled but obeyed, closing your eyes as he pushed the door open and led you inside.
“Alright,” he murmured, stopping behind you. “You can look now.”
You opened your eyes—and gasped.
The Astronomy Tower, already one of the most beautiful places in Hogwarts, had been transformed into something straight out of a dream.
A thick, cozy blanket was spread out in the center, surrounded by enchanted candles floating in the air, casting a soft, golden glow. A few pillows were scattered on the blanket, along with a basket—probably filled with food, knowing Remus—and a thermos of what you hoped was hot chocolate.
But what really caught your attention was the sky above—clear, open, vast, the stars twinkling like tiny diamonds.
It was breathtaking.
You hand flew to your mouth. “Remus…”
He scratched the back of his neck, looking sheepish. “D’you like it?”
You turned to him, eyes wide. “Like it? Remus, this is—this is beautiful.”
His shoulders sagged in relief. “Good. That’s… that’s good.”
You turned back to take it all in, still in awe. “Did you do all this?”
Remus chuckled. “I had some help.”
You smirked. “Sirius?”
“Mostly James, actually,” he admitted. “Sirius just told me not to mess it up.”
You laughed, grabbing his hand and pulling him toward the blanket. “Well, you haven’t.”
You sat down together, and as soon as you were settled, Remus reached into the basket and pulled out a familiar-looking bar of chocolate.
Your eyes widened. “Remus, is that—”
He smirked. “My favorite chocolate? Yes. And before you ask, yes, I’m sharing.”
You gasped dramatically. “You must love me.”
At that, his face turned serious.
You blinked. “Remus?”
He took a breath, then took both of your hands in his. His thumbs traced over your knuckles, his expression soft but determined.
“There’s something I need to say,” he murmured.
You tilted your head. “What is it?”
He hesitated for a fraction of a second before looking her straight in the eyes.
“I love you.”
“I know I’ve said it before,” he continued, voice steady, “but I need you to know how much I mean it. How much you mean to me.”
Your fingers curled around his. “Remus…”
He shook his head, a small, almost nervous smile playing on his lips. “Let me say this, dove.”
You nodded, heart pounding.
Remus took another breath, then spoke.
“You are—everything to me. Before you, I thought I’d always be alone, that I deserved to be alone. I never let myself believe that someone like you—someone so good, so kind, so brilliant—could ever want someone like me.” He squeezed your hands. “But you do. And I still can’t quite believe it.”
You opened your mouth, but no words came out—your throat was too tight, your eyes burning.
Remus swallowed, then continued, “You take care of me when I need it most. You see me—the real me. And you don’t turn away. You never turn away.” His voice wavered, but he pressed on. “I love you. I love you more than I ever thought I could love someone.”
He exhaled, gaze locked onto yours. “And I—” He let out a nervous chuckle. “I had this whole speech planned, but my brain’s gone completely blank because you’re looking at me like that.”
You laughed, finally finding your voice. “Like what?”
“Like you’re about to kiss me,” he teased.
You grinned. “Maybe I am.”
His lips twitched, but then his expression turned serious again. “Before you do, I need to ask you something.”
You nodded. “Anything.”
Remus took a shaky breath. “Will you—will you be my girlfriend?”
Your heart stopped.
“Because I—I want you to be,” he continued, voice thick with emotion. “More than anything. But only if you want to. I don’t ever want you to feel like you have to—”
You didn’t let him finish.
Because you did kiss him.
Hard.
Remus let out a startled sound before melting completely against you, hands coming up to cup your face as he kissed you back like you were the air he needed to breathe.
When you finally pulled back, you pressed your forehead against his, smiling. “You idiot,” you murmured.
Remus blinked. “Uh—”
“Of course I’ll be your girlfriend.”
His eyes widened. “You—”
You laughed, nudging his nose with yours. “Did you really think I’d say no?”
“I—” He huffed out a breathless laugh. “I don’t know—I was terrified—”
You kissed him again, softer this time, pouring every ounce of love you had for him into it.
When you pulled away, Remus was looking at you like you hung the stars in the sky.
“I love you,” he whispered.
You smiled. “I love you, too.”
Remus grinned, then let out a relieved laugh, pulling you into his arms. “Merlin, I’m so lucky.”
You hugged him back, eyes closing as you listened to his heartbeat.
And for the first time in a long time, Remus Lupin felt like the happiest boy in the entire world.
You settled onto his lap, arms wrapping around his neck as you nuzzled into him, breathing him in. You just wanted to be close—closer than ever. Like you could melt into him, merge your hearts together because Godric, you loved him.
And Remus—Merlin, he was still trying to wrap his head around the fact that you were his now. Officially. Not just in the way you gravitated toward each other, or in the way you cared for each other, but in the real, undeniable, world-acknowledging way.
“You’re mine,” he murmured against your temple, like he was testing the words out loud, making sure they were real.
You grinned, pulling back to look at him. “Yours,” you confirmed, tapping his nose. “And you—you’re mine.”
His lips twitched. “That’s how this whole ‘relationship’ thing works, yeah.”
You giggled and kissed him again, just because you could. Just because it felt right.
When you pulled back, you ran your fingers through his soft, messy hair, admiring him. Your boyfriend.
Remus still looked a little dazed, eyes flickering between your lips and your eyes. “I still can’t believe you actually said yes.”
You gasped dramatically, placing a hand over your heart. “Remus John Lupin, are you insulting me?”
He blinked. “What? No, I—”
“Because I’ll have you know I love you, and I would’ve said yes the second you asked me—maybe even before.”
His lips curled into a lopsided smile. “Before?”
You grinned. “Oh, yeah. I would've just known.”
He let out a chuckle, shaking his head. “You’re ridiculous.”
“And you love it.”
“I do.”
You beamed. “Good.”
He took your hand in his and started tracing random shapes on your palm, looking thoughtful. “I just don’t get it,” he admitted after a moment.
You raised an eyebrow. “Get what?”
“How you—this brilliant, beautiful, perfect girl—ended up with me.”
You groaned and lightly smacked his chest. “Remus, shut up.”
He laughed. “I mean, really, you could’ve had anyone—”
You sighed dramatically. “Okay, fine, let’s settle this right now.”
Remus blinked as you leaned in, your lips brushing against the shell of his ear. “You are brilliant,” you whispered. “You are beautiful. You are perfect. And you are mine. And if you ever question that again, I will throw hands.”
His breath hitched, and you could feel the way his hands tightened on your waist. “Throw hands with who?”
You pulled back, eyes serious. “With you, if necessary.”
He grinned, shaking his head. “You’re impossible.”
“You love it,” you said again, giggling.
Remus let out a dramatic sigh. “I do,” he admitted, feigning defeat. “I really, really do.”
You hummed in approval and reached for the basket, grabbing a piece of his chocolate. “Good. Now, since I’m your girlfriend, I think I deserve the biggest piece of this.”
His eyes widened in mock offense. “That’s my favorite—”
You smirked, taking a slow, obnoxious bite. “Mmm,” you said, exaggerating the sound. “Tastes even better when it’s yours.”
He huffed, crossing his arms. “Merlin, I should’ve known this would happen the second I asked you out.”
You giggled, leaning in to kiss the pout off his lips. “Oh, Remus,” you whispered against him. “You love spoiling me.”
He groaned. “I do. And it’s awful.”
You gasped. “Did you just call loving me awful?”
His face dropped. “That’s not—I meant you’re awful—no, wait—”
You threw your head back, laughing. “Remus, I’m teasing you.”
He sighed in relief. “Oh, thank Merlin.”
You kissed his nose. “You’re adorable.”
He huffed. “I was trying to be charming.”
You grinned. “You were.”
Remus blinked. “I—wait, really?”
You nodded. “In your own awkward, bookish, Remus way. And I love it.”
His lips twitched. “I tried to flirt with you, you know.”
You tilted her head, intrigued. “Did you?”
“Yes.” He cleared his throat. “And then you stole my chocolate, and now I’m questioning my life choices.”
You giggled, popping another piece into your mouth. “Welcome to dating me, Lupin.”
He just shook his head, wrapping his arms more securely around you. “Merlin help me.”
You kissed him again, softly, sweetly. “You’re stuck with me now.”
He smiled against your lips. “That’s the best part.”
Officially his.
The days passed, and being Remus Lupin’s girlfriend was, quite literally, the best thing in the world.
You had always loved him, always been close to him, but now—now you got to call him yours. Now you got to kiss him whenever you wanted, hold his hand under the table, steal his sweaters without pretending it was an accident.
And the best part?
Remus—your shy, awkward, bookish boyfriend—was so different when you were alone.
In public, he was still himself—still sweet, still affectionate in his own way. He’d tuck loose strands of your hair behind your ear, guide you through crowded hallways with a hand on your lower back, steal soft, fleeting kisses when he thought no one was looking. But when they were alone?
It was ridiculous.
You had no idea where he had been hiding this side of him, but you loved it.
Like right now.
You were curled up in his bed, a book in your hands, completely relaxed as Remus lay beside you, his head resting in your lap. He had claimed he was reading, too, but really, he had spent the last fifteen minutes tracing slow, lazy circles on your thigh, humming softly to himself.
You smiled down at him, brushing his messy hair away from his face. “You’re staring,”.
He hummed, looking unbothered. “And?”
You grinned. “And you’re distracting me.”
His lips twitched. “Am I?”
“Yes,” you said, closing your book with a soft thud. “What are you thinking about, love?”
He tilted his head, considering. “How beautiful you are,” he said casually, like it was the most obvious thing in the world.
Your heart skipped. “Remus.”
He smirked. Smirked. “What? Am I not allowed to admire my girlfriend?”
You rolled your eyes. “Not when I’m trying to read.”
He hummed, running a gentle hand up and down you arm. “Mm. You can read later.”
You raised an eyebrow. “Oh? And what do you propose I do now?”
Remus sat up, shifting so that they were face to face. His hands found your waist as he pulled you closer, to his lap, pressing a soft kiss to your nose.
“Be kissed,” he murmured.
Your stomach flipped.
“Oh,” you breathed. “I see.”
And then he did kiss you.
Soft, slow, deep. Like he had all the time in the world just to kiss you senseless.
You sighed against his lips, wrapping your arms around his neck. “I think I like this plan.”
He chuckled, kissing you again, this time at the corner of your mouth. “I thought you might.”
You grinned. “You’re so soft when we’re alone.”
Remus groaned. “Don’t tell anyone.”
You giggled. “I won’t. But it’s adorable.”
He sighed dramatically. “Merlin help me.”
You kissed his cheek. “I love being your girlfriend.”
His arms tightened around you. “I love that you’re my girlfriend.”
You beamed. “I think I’m the lucky one.”
Remus snorted. “No, I am.”
You raised an eyebrow. “Remus, look at me. And now look at you. You’re sweet and smart and stupidly handsome, and you love me. I win.”
His lips twitched. “I do love you.”
You grinned. “And I love you.”
Remus sighed, pressing his forehead to yours. “Fine. We can both be lucky.”
You giggled, kissing him again. “Deal.”
Not the same.
The Gryffindor common room was buzzing with life, but in one particular corner, a very important discussion was taking place.
Remus sat on the couch, you tucked securely under his arm, your legs draped across his lap. James, Sirius, and Peter were sprawled across the furniture, with Lily sitting comfortably beside James, her legs crossed, eyes sharp with amusement.
And at this very moment, all of them were grilling Remus.
“I’m just saying,” James said, tossing a chocolate frog in the air and catching it in his mouth, “you’ve changed, mate.”
Remus raised an eyebrow. “Have I?”
“Oh, definitely,” Sirius jumped in, pointing a dramatic finger at him. “You’re all smiley now. And confident. And you let people touch you.”
Peter nodded furiously. “You used to flinch when Sirius so much as breathed near you.”
Remus rolled his eyes. “That’s because Sirius used to randomly tackle me in the corridors.”
Sirius smirked. “I still do that, but now you fight back.”
Lily leaned in, grinning. “They’re right, you know.”
Remus groaned. “Not you too, Evans.”
“Oh, absolutely me too,” she said, smiling knowingly. “You’re different. Happier.”
James nodded sagely. “A man in love.”
You laughed, snuggling closer to Remus. “I like him like this.”
Remus looked down at you, his heart flipping at the way you smiled at him like he had hung the stars. He pressed a kiss to the top of your head. “I am happy,” he admitted. “Really happy.”
Sirius gasped. “Merlin’s beard! Moony just admitted to being happy? Who are you?”
Remus rolled his eyes. “Shut up, Pads.”
Peter cackled. “You are different though! You talk more, joke more—you even initiate affection.”
James wiggled his eyebrows. “So tell us, Moony, what’s your secret?”
Remus sighed, looking down at you, who was staring up at him with the softest, sweetest expression. He couldn’t help but smile.
“She’s my secret,” he said simply.
The room erupted.
“Oh, gag—” Sirius groaned.
“That was so disgustingly romantic,” Peter whined.
James clutched his chest. “Moony, I think I might cry.”
Lily just laughed, nudging you. “You’ve ruined him.”
You grinned. “You say ‘ruined,’ I say ‘improved.’”
Remus chuckled, squeezing your hand. “I have to agree.”
Sirius made a choking sound. “He agrees?! Who are you?”
James threw an arm over Remus’ shoulder dramatically. “He’s in love, Pads. Let the boy live.”
Remus just smiled, pressing a kiss to your temple.
For once, he didn’t mind the teasing. Because, for the first time in his life, he was truly, ridiculously, wonderfully happy.
Later that night, when everyone had gone to their own forms, you both stayed behind, just the two of you.
It was late, the Gryffindor common room nearly empty except for a few students scattered around, quietly studying or chatting in hushed voices. The fire crackled softly, casting a warm glow over the room, and outside, the sky was painted with stars. It was the perfect setting for a quiet, peaceful night.
You sat curled up on the couch, a book resting in your lap, but your focus was barely on the pages. Not when Remus was sitting beside you, leaning into your warmth, his head resting lightly against yours. He was tired—exhausted, really—but he never wanted to leave your side.
You closed her book with a soft thud and turned slightly, taking in his relaxed expression. “You should go to bed, you know,” you murmured, gently brushing a strand of hair from his face.
Remus hummed in response but made no move to get up. Instead, he turned his head slightly, pressing a slow, lingering kiss against your shoulder. “Mmm… ‘m comfortable here,” he mumbled sleepily.
You smiled softly, your fingers gently running through his hair. “You’re practically falling asleep on me, Moony.”
“That’s because you’re warm,” he said, voice drowsy but affectionate. “And I like being close to you.” He nuzzled against your neck slightly, breathing you in. “Smell good, too.”
You let out a soft laugh, tilting your head as he pressed another lazy kiss just below your ear. “Is that the wolf in you talking?” you teased.
Remus chuckled against your skin. “Probably,” he admitted. Then, his lips curled into a small smirk. “Or maybe it’s just me being completely in love with my girlfriend.”
Your heart skipped a beat, and you bit your lip, trying (and failing) to suppress the giddy smile that spread across your face. Even after all this time, he still had this effect on you.
“Well,” you said softly, “I think I might just be completely in love with my boyfriend too.”
Remus lifted his head slightly to look at you, his warm brown eyes searching yours. His expression softened, full of something deep and unspoken. Slowly, he reached up to cup your cheek, his thumb brushing tenderly against your skin.
“You are?” he asked, his voice quiet but filled with awe.
You leaned into his touch, nodding. “I am.”
A slow, loving smile spread across his face. He looked at you as if you were the most precious thing in the world, like he still couldn’t believe you were his. “Merlin, I love you,” he whispered, his forehead gently pressing against yours.
“I love you too,” you whispered back, your eyes fluttering shut as you savored the moment.
Then, before you could say anything else, he tilted your chin up slightly and kissed you. It wasn’t rushed or desperate—it was soft, sweet, and filled with so much love. His lips moved against yours slowly, taking his time, savoring you, as if he wanted to memorize the way you felt against him.
You sighed happily into the kiss, your fingers threading through his soft curls as you pulled him closer. His hands found their way to your waist, holding you gently, grounding himself in your presence.
When they finally pulled apart, he rested his forehead against yours again, your breaths mingling.
“You make me so happy,” he murmured, his voice barely above a whisper.
You smiled, pressing a tiny kiss to the corner of his lips. “You make me happy too.”
Remus let out a soft chuckle, rubbing his thumb over your waist in slow, soothing circles. “I still can’t believe you’re mine,” he admitted.
You cupped his face, looking at him with nothing but adoration. “I’ve always been yours, Remus.”
His breath hitched slightly at your words, his arms instinctively tightening around yours. He didn’t say anything, just held you close, his heart full.
And in that moment, with the fire crackling beside you and the world fading away, nothing else mattered except the fact that you had each other.
—— 🌙 ——
A note from the author:
Hello my lovely people!
This took a while to post because i was struggling with exam week at uni! Sorry!
Hope you liked it! This is officially the last part! But there will be one more just for bonus, just for you to see how their future turned out!
Thank you for all the love in this series! 🤍
See you soon!
Taglist: @iloveremmy @jjamjamie @breakawayfromeveryday @oursweetmoony @whimsical-mistakes @froggiedragon @sophie-0012 @deathmybride @nerdbirdsworld @wolfstarsprongs @mischievousmoony @httpvomitello @msfandomsblog @starofthedawn @malenk @diiyaa @theonyxstate @waitforiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiit @theredvelvetbitch @ohheyitsrowan @a1ienmush @michtellch @weirdstartshere @arcane-fan @ilovejamespottersomuch @koolayee @lovelyteenagebeard @ill-be-okay-soon-enough @worldofsaturnsblog @lovelyygirl8 @myalchemicalgnomace (If you want to be tagged, let me know!)
I've been putting this one off ngl lol but finally read it and I've got to say, this is a beautiful ending to the series. The happiness from all of the boys+lily rem being the biggest cutie pie in the world, reader constantly(aggressively) reassuring rem that yes you are lovable you are mine aaaahhhhhh 🥺🥰💕 so so so good
Okaayyy my fav parts now
Remus blinked as you leaned in, your lips brushing against the shell of his ear. “You are brilliant,” you whispered. “You are beautiful. You are perfect. And you are mine. And if you ever question that again, I will throw hands.”
True. No notes. Just. True.
You raised an eyebrow. “Remus, look at me. And now look at you. You’re sweet and smart and stupidly handsome, and you love me. I win.”
Tell him!!!! The most sweet handsome lovable man to exist. Truly #1 boy 💓.
“She’s my secret,” he said simply.
Remmyyyy🥺🥺🥺🥺🥺 wtfwtfwtf romcom lead behavior omg 💓💓.
You cupped his face, looking at him with nothing but adoration. “I’ve always been yours, Remus.”
He deserves all of this, no notes Izzy this was beautiful and adorable and amazing and all of the good words it was just. Perfect.
SHE'S THE ONLY GIRL THAT I WANNA LOVE | MARAUDERS X READER
word count \ 1.8k | fluffy fluff | slash / poly!marauders x reader
in which you get tickets to the marauders, courtesy of your friend lily
The Marauders were your favorite band.
Their music varied depending on who wrote the song. They all knew how to play and instrument and how to sing, each of them having their own album of music named after them.
James was the album you went to when you wanted a good vibe. 13 songs each with an upbeat vibe, mostly about love, let everyone easily know just how much of a hopeless romantic he was.
Remus was an emotional wreck to say the least, both the album and the person. He had a gothic style to some of his music, and his descriptions of love were enough to make any grown man cry. Sometimes the topics got extreme within his albums, so you made sure not to listen to it unless you were struggling.
Sirius was a mess of emotions that sent you on a rollercoaster between the two. Switching back and forth between fuckboy vibes and childhood trauma turned into pop music, it was an album you listened to whenever driving, especially for this concert.
You and your friends were dressed in a rockstar kind of aesthetic, red and black mixing together with the showing off of your body. The venue was completely packed, your bodies all pressed together as you tried to find yourselves a booth.
One of your friends that you had made recently, Lily Evans, had gotten the whole friend group free tickets to see them live in a small concert venue. As far as you and your group knew, she was dating at least one of them. There was no other way she’d get the tickets for free otherwise.
Little did you know how wrong you really were.
“Do you three remember the girl I told you about a while back?” Lily asked the three guys, leaning against the wall of the recording booth as they practiced for their upcoming concert.
James, Remus, and Sirius all looked up at that.
“Yeah?” James asked her curiously. “What about her? Is she okay? Do you have any updates?”
Remus sighed, undoing his guitar from his shoulder. “Jesus, James. You sound like a stalker.”
“He has a point,” Sirius grumbled to Remus, looking at Lily as his face softened at the mention of you. “Is the lady okay?”
Lily had noticed that the three of them had developed a crush on you as soon as she mentioned you to them. She had done a couple of tests, showing photos and telling them about your day, which only seemed to make them fall farther. You weren’t aware of it, but some of their best selling romance songs were written about you.
Despite all of that, none of them knew you.
“She’s fine,” Lily said, a lazy Chesire cat smirk growing on her face as she spoke. “In fact, she’s visiting town this week.”
“She is?” James asked excitedly.
Sirius gasped, his smile matching James. “We could meet her! Right, we can do that?”
“That sounds like a horrible power dynamic.” Remus shut them both down, standing up and hanging his guitar up. “She’s one of our fans, a fan we aren’t meant to know. It’s manipulative.”
“Oh please!” Sirius said. “You played psychology tricks on me back in Sixth Year when I said I wasn’t gay after you asked me out!”
“He literally just showed his hand covered in rings.” James chuckled, making sure his guitar was tuned.
“Exactly!” Sirius said. “Psychological trick!”
Lily sighed at the three of them, knocking her shoe against the wall to grab their attention. “Do you want to meet her or not?”
“Obviously!” James and Sirius said in unison. Remus sighed before shrugging, looking between the two of his partners before over at Lily.
“Sure,” he shrugged.
Lily smirked, placing her phone in her pocket before making a grabbing motion with her hand. “Free tickets, or it’s a no go.”
You were there when The Marauders began to set up their equipment, wincing slightly as Lily stood up and dragged you near the stage. There wasn’t anyone where you were just yet luckily, which gave you a good view of the band members.
“You three!” Lily called out, not listening to you when you tried to shush her. Did she not realize they were extremely busy right now?
The three walked up to the edge of the stage, James kneeling down while the other two stood there. “Hi Lils! Hi Lils’ friend!”
“Hi,” you whispered quietly, waving your hand.
“Y/N,” Sirius said with a smirk, snapping his fingers as he looked at you. “I love your makeup.”
You blushed as he noticed you, not sure how he knew your name. You looked at Lily incredulously, eyebrows furrowed as she sent you a sheepish yet not sorry smile.
“This is the band!” she said. “James, Sirius, and Remus. You three, meet Y/N!”
“It’s nice to finally meet you.” Remus said calmly, slowly kneeling down in front of you with a big grunt. It seemed to pain him, you assumed it was something to do with his scars.
“Nice to meet you too,” you whispered quietly, shaking his hand with a small but excited smile.
“You’re much more beautiful than Lils here gave you credit for.” James chuckled, with Lily nudging his arm in retaliation. “Sorry.”
“You told them about me?” you asked her incredulously, sighing softly as she nodded.
“Doesn’t matter much now,” Sirius said, a small smirk on his face as he walked backwards while playing a string of his guitar. “All that matters now is you enjoy the show, yeah?”
“Yeah!” you said, chuckling softly in shock.
James smiled and jumped up as soon as he could, getting back to setting his instrument up. Remus was still there, most likely preparing himself for sitting up after sitting down.
“What’s your favorite song?” he asked you. “I’ll play it for you.”
You gasped before giggling softly, hands resting on the edge of the stage as you stared up at him. “You really would? Really?”
“Mhm.” he smiled gently.
You kicked your foot aimlessly back and forth as you thought, not sure what song to choose. “I think I love all of them,” you mumbled quietly. “but I think that, if I had to choose any, it’d be Like Real People Do.”
“Really?” he asked, a small smirk on his face.
“Or Mary.” you said, giggling softly.
“I can work with that.” he said, standing back up. “I’ll play one of them for you, okay dove?”
You nodded up at him dazedly, heart fluttering at the ‘dove’ nickname. You were absolutely done for, Lily having to drag you back out to your booth.
“We have our third act for you ready tonight!” Sirius called into the microphone, his setlist having just finished. He played a mix of genres. Black Dog, Smells Like Teen Spirit, MAMMAMIA, Holidays, GASOLINE, and Family Line. James had played five songs instead of six. Ballroom Blitz, which Sirius and Remus joined in on, Flawless, The Less I Know About The Better, Head Over Heels, and Out of My League. “Are you all ready?”
You smiled as the crowd cheered for Remus to get on stage, Sirius quickly rushing him off the drums. Remus was quite a fan favorite with some of the girls within the fandom, a lot of people admiring his quiet nature. He started with Starman and Iris, his setlist shorter due to a small voice injury. He finished Iris before strumming the chords to Mary, his eyes locking on you as they played.
You felt your cheeks blushing wildly as he began to play, noticing how James and Sirius also seemed to know exactly what was going on. You blushed even farther as he began talking, his voice husky within the microphone.
“Tonight is a little bit different than usual,” Remus said, the audience cheering at him. “I wanted to change this song to fit the vibe.”
The crowd cheered as he moved himself closer to the microphone, a small smirk on his face.
“Y/N is the girl that I wanna kiss,” he sang, eyes locking onto you. “She’s got big red eyes and big red lips. She’s got big sharp teeth and big fat hips.”
“Y/N is the girl that I wanna fuck.” he sung, his calm voice radiating through the stage speakers. “She’s got leather heart and leather gloves, she’s the only girl that I wanna love.”
You panic drank your Shirley Temple as he continued singing, not sure how else to hide your extreme blush.
You were a goner.
“He dedicated the song to you, hm?”
You turned around as you heard Sirius’ voice, gasping before sighing softly. You had a small cigarette in your hand, an unlit one in his as he leaned on the wall beside you.
“Yeah,” you whispered with a blush. “He asked me about it before he stood back up earlier.”
“Sneaky bastard.” Sirius chuckled, lighting his cigarette and puffing it out. “Surprised he did, to be honest with you. Seems like a James thing.”
You shrugged before smiling softly.
“He’s kinda scared of talking to you.” Sirius said.
“Why?” you asked him. Were you a scary person? You didn’t think so. But maybe he did?
“He doesn’t want to feel like he’s manipulating you into liking him because of his power over you.” Sirius shrugged. “Parasocial or whatever. He doesn’t wanna mess it up. You know?”
“Oh.” you whispered. “I think I know.”
“But I disagree,” he said calmly, looking at you. “You’re too beautiful not to talk to.”
“Oh!” you said, blushing wildly. You weren’t sure which one you were meant to be attracted to. They were all nice guys.
“You’re silly.” he chuckled softly, blowing smoke to the side. “Can I have your number? I can make a group chat with us in it.”
“You and Remus?” you asked incredulously.
“And James.” he smirked. “Wouldn’t want you feeling lonely.”
You smiled softly at him, blowing a puff of smoke out yourself. “Okay.”
SIRIUS: I am here to announce the one and only inside of a brand new group chat
SIRIUS: The amazing, wonderful, magnificent Y/N!
JAMES: Y/N? From the concert?
Y/N: hi!!!
REMUS: hello there Y/N
JAMES: Y/N HI THERE
Y/N: hi there james! hi remus!
SIRIUS: I kidnapped Y/N’s number so we can talk to her
JAMES: YOU CAN KIDNAP NUMBERS???
REMUS: no james, you cannot
JAMES: OH OKAY
SIRIUS: He smashed his phone one time and accidentally put it on permanent caps lock
JAMES: IT WAS VERY UNFORTUNATE
Y/N: that does sound extremely unfortunate :c im sorry about that james
REMUS: he’ll survive
JAMES: WE CAN SURVIVE TOGETHER!
SIRIUS: CAPS LOCK BROS!!!
Y/N: cap lock bros!
JAMES: REMUS ARE YOU GONNA BE A CAPS LOCK BRO??
REMUS: unfortunately
AUTHOR'S NOTE
hello there!! thank you to @rose-of-the-grave for requesting a poly marauders texting au! i made it into a band bc yes, yes i did. please enjoy lovely!
i was wondering if we could have some roomate!james where him and reader have a disagreement over something and reader feels like james don’t want her there anymore but he comforts her??
Thanks for requesting!
cw: reader feels financially insecure
roommate!James x fem!reader ♡ 1.2k words
“James.” You run your fingers worriedly over the small tears in the doorframe. Look to your roommate in the kitchen. “This is getting out of hand.”
“What is?”
“Juniper’s been scratching on the doorframe again.”
James tsks. “Junie-girl,” he coos, little reprimand to be found in his tone as he looks down at the orange cat currently winding through his ankles, “what are you trying to do to us, huh?”
You’re not quite so amused. Since James had agreed to look after his friend Lily’s cat while she’s traveling, Juniper has knocked down and broken two of your glasses, scratched up a corner of the couch, and pissed on the carpet in James’ room. You’re lucky you don’t have to deal with the smell of that last one yourself, but you doubt your landlord will be pleased if James can’t get it out by the end of your lease.
“She’s got to stop,” you say, oddly unsure if you’re trying to reason with James or the cat. “It’s getting really noticeable.”
“I’m not sure what else to do.” James shrugs. His pan sizzles as he turns over the chicken he’s cooking. “I’ve already moved her favorite scratching post over by the door and sprayed it with the catnip Lily gave me.”
You cross your arms and sit down on the couch, chewing the inside of your lip. “I’m worried about the security deposit,” you admit.
“Oh, don’t be.” James waves a hand vaguely in your direction. “My last apartment was way worse than this when I moved out, and they didn’t charge me for anything.”
His unconcern nettles you. Of course, why would James be upset about a security deposit? He likes to pretend at independence, but you know his parents will always give him funds if he’s in a bind. He doesn’t worry about money the way you do.
“Yes, but that was a different landlord, wasn’t it.” There’s a bit of bite to your tone, and you try to soften it. “Maybe someone else could take her for the rest of Lily's trip?”
James turns, eyebrows lifting as though he’s surprised you’d even ask. “She couldn’t get anyone else to take her in the first place. Mary’s visiting her family, Marl’s allergic, and Sirius would have a cow.” You’re not very inclined to find the last one a spectacular excuse, but you keep your mouth shut. “I agreed to take her,” he says, somewhat firmly, “and I don’t want to go back on that.”
Heat prickles over your skin. “I just—listen, I can paint over the small things,” you say. “I’m going to try to cover up as many damages as I can, but when your friends come over and break the handle off the microwave” —true story— “or you let their cats tear up the apartment, I don’t know what to do.”
“I told you I’m going to fix the microwave,” he says without turning around.
“When, James? That was months ago, and—”
“And if my friends coming over is a problem for you, it’s not like you didn’t have plenty of opportunities to mention it when we first moved in.” Now James is growing agitated too, his posture stiffening over the stove. “I don’t get where this is coming from. I told you before we moved in that I’d want to have friends here often. When I asked if Junie could stay here, you said it was fine!”
“I didn’t know it’d be like this!” You feel ridiculous, nearly shouting at him in your mostly lovely apartment. James really isn’t a bad roommate overall; you know you could do far worse. But the small things have begun to add up, and you really cannot afford not to lose your deposit. “I like your friends, and I like Junie, but this is—it’s too much.”
“You shouldn’t have lived with me if you couldn’t deal with it.”
James flicks off the stove, turning around to speak to you directly, and you see the moment he sees the glossy sheen in your eyes. His expression pinches.
“Sweetheart—”
“No. Do not feel bad for me right now,” you hiss, blinking furiously. “Just because I’m not good at arguing doesn’t mean I’m not still mad.”
Your anger is rapidly fading, though, as his words reverberate around in your head. You shouldn’t have lived with me. Does he really think that? There are certainly things upon which you don’t see eye-to-eye, but you love living with James. You love spending time with him, sharing things with him, just being around him. The idea that he doesn’t feel the same about you starts spiderweb cracks going through your heart.
“I’m not good at arguing either,” he says with a hefty sigh. The tension seems to go out of his shoulders with it, and he starts toward you with heavy steps, plopping down on the couch. “Can we just talk, please?”
You sniffle, working hard to suppress your tears. “Do you think it’d be better if we didn’t live together?” you ask.
James' eyes widen behind his glasses. His brows hook up in the middle. “No. Why would you say that?”
You shake your head, not quite looking at him. “I honestly do like your friends. I don’t mind them coming over or helping you do favors for them, and I get that—that sometimes things happen.” You take a shallow breath. Ignore the way James’ hand twitches in his lap. “But you’re right that I didn’t consider all of this when we moved in together. I’m okay with trying to get past it, but if you want me to move out—”
“Oh my god, no.” James leans forward, trying to catch your gaze. You don’t let him, because just then a small droplet of water squishes out of the corner of your eye and begins a slow trudge down your cheek. “Sweetheart, I don’t want that. I like living with you.”
Juniper hops up onto the couch, plodding onto your lap and rubbing her side against your stomach affectionately. A wet laugh bubbles out of you, more tears cresting your cheeks as you scratch awkwardly between her ears.
James makes a sound so soft you think you’ll dream about it. “Can I hug you?”
You lean toward him in answer. He meets you halfway, needling his arms under yours and folding you into him. You press your face, hot with embarrassment and upset, into the crook of his neck and shoulder, and James’ hand rubs your back in big, sweeping circles, before it stops moving at all, pressing flush to your spine, easing you closer. Junie hops off your lap. Evidently, she considers your comfort taken care of.
“I don’t want you to pity me,” you mumble. When you blink, your lashes leave wetness like the strokes of a paintbrush on his skin. “If you want me to move out, it’s okay.”
“I don't,” he promises, squeezing you until it almost hurts. “I was being rash. I was only being defensive because you were angry. About very reasonable stuff, if I’m honest. I can pay for your half of the security deposit if we lose it.”
You shake your head, shifting your body to hug him harder. James meets you a hundred percent. “You don’t need to do that.”
“I do, it’s fine. It’s my mess. Just don’t talk any more about moving out, okay?”
You mumble your agreement into his neck. It tickles, and James squeaks, but he doesn’t let you go.
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