For @casualmaraudering who is having a bad day. Have some artist!Remus schmoop.Ā
Ā Ā Ā Ā Ā Ā Remus sat with his legs crossed in the center of his art studio, an unknown streak of blue paint on his cheek. He scratched his cheek with the back of his paintbrush, unsure why it was itchy to begin with. Sticking his tongue out in concentration, he smudged his thumb over one of the lines to soften it slightly.
Ā Ā Ā Ā Ā Ā The sounds of a motorbike pulled his attention from his canvas just as it always did at 5:15 pm when Sirius Black returned from work. Remus glanced out the slightly ajar window, his head just barely poking over the sill from his place on the floor. Sirius was whistling what appeared to be Another One Bites the Dust as he made his way up the driveway to his front door.
Ā Ā Ā Ā Ā Ā Feeling inspired, Remus grabbed his phone and pulled up Spotify, letting a playlist of Queen fill the room. He lost himself back in his art for a while until what sounded like hail on his window made him jump. He found a few small pebbles by his feet and went to the window to find Sirius Black standing underneath it.
Ā Ā Ā Ā Ā Ā Remus put his hands up the bottom of the window and yanked it upwards. Sticking his head out, he found Sirius beaming up at him from his front yard. āCare for a walk?ā Sirius asked, shoving his hands in the pockets of his leather jacket.
Ā Ā Ā Ā Ā Ā Remus blinked a few times in surprise. Never mind that Sirius Black was unfairly attractive but they had never spoken more then ten words to each other despite being neighbors for the past two years.
Ā Ā Ā Ā Ā Ā Sirius shrugged in response. āYou coming or not?ā
Ā Ā Ā Ā Ā Ā Remus considered for a moment and then spent another few moments wondering what the hell was wrong with him. Gorgeous blokes didnāt show up at your window every night for moonlit strolls.
Ā Ā Ā Ā Ā Ā āBe right down!ā
Ā Ā Ā Ā Ā Ā Remus turned the music off on his phone and shoved it into his pocket. By the front door he crammed his feet into his sneakers before grabbing his wallet and keys. When he opened his front door, Sirius was standing on his front stoop waiting for him.
Ā Ā Ā Ā Ā Ā āOveralls?ā Sirius asked, raising an eyebrow in amusement. āReally?ā
Ā Ā Ā Ā Ā Ā āShut up,ā Remus said, rolling his eyes. He stepped outside and made sure his front door was locked. āTheyāre comfortable and I donāt care if I get paint on them.ā
Ā Ā Ā Ā Ā Ā Sirius walked backwards down the steps in a manner so smooth Remus would have thought it had been rehearsed, however he doubted Sirius Black was practicing on Remusā front porch. He looked up at Remus expectantly from the few steps the separated them. Remus chewed his bottom lip for a moment and then joined Sirius on the sidewalk.
Ā Ā Ā Ā Ā Ā āSoā¦ā Remus said, breaking the silence as they fell into step with each other.
Ā Ā Ā Ā Ā Ā āSo,ā Sirius echoed, grinning mischievously. āHi. Iām Sirius.ā
Ā Ā Ā Ā Ā Ā āI know that,ā Remus said, playing with one of his longer curls by his temple. He really needed to get a haircut. āIs there a point to this?ā
Ā Ā Ā Ā Ā Ā āDoes there have to be?ā
Ā Ā Ā Ā Ā Ā āTwo years of pleasant greetings and suddenly you want to go for a walk.ā Remus sighed and kicked as a rock. āDoesnāt make a whole lot of sense.ā
Ā Ā Ā Ā Ā Ā Sirius turned and stepped in front of Remus, blocking his path. āWould you ever consider painting me?ā
Ā Ā Ā Ā Ā Ā Remus managed to keep his jaw from dropping but it was a near thing. āIf that sentence ends with like one of your French girls I will hit you.ā
Ā Ā Ā Ā Ā Ā Sirius snorted. āI am actually French but we donāt have to go full nude on the first portrait.ā
Ā Ā Ā Ā Ā Ā āOh you imagine there will be many, do you?ā Remus sidestepped Sirius and continued walking. It felt a bit like running away from the handsome man who had just offered to pose nude for him.
Ā Ā Ā Ā Ā Ā āDonāt you want to know why I want my portrait done?ā Sirius asked, following after Remus.
Ā Ā Ā Ā Ā Ā āProbably so the portrait can grow old for you and you can stay youthful for the rest of time?ā Remus quipped over his shoulder.
Ā Ā Ā Ā Ā Ā āYou know,ā Sirius said, catching up to Remus. āOscar Wilde believed art showed more about the artist than the subject. What would you reveal, Remus?ā
Ā Ā Ā Ā Ā Ā Remus swallowed thickly and picked up the pace of his walking. āI want a milkshake,ā he said, changing the subject entirely. āWould you like a milkshake?ā
Ā Ā Ā Ā Ā Ā āRemus!ā Sirius called out, hurrying to keep up with him. āWhatās the rush?ā
Ā Ā Ā Ā Ā Ā Remus didnāt slow down until theyād reached the little diner on the corner. Remus sat down at the counter, as sitting in a booth across from Sirius felt too intimate. Sirius sat backwards on the rotating stool next to him, his elbows on the counter as he lounged back, his legs crossed at the ankles.
Ā Ā Ā Ā Ā Ā Remus ordered a chocolate milkshake for himself while Sirius got a strawberry one and a plate of chips.
Ā Ā Ā Ā Ā Ā āYouāre a strange one, Remus,ā Sirius said as they waited for their order.
Ā Ā Ā Ā Ā Ā āAm I?ā Remus asked, pulling a napkin from the holder and beginning to doodle on it. Before he knew it heād drawn Siriusā mouth. He quickly sketched his eyes and nose so it wouldnāt be quite so weird. He always doodled when he was nervous.
Ā Ā Ā Ā Ā Ā āYou know youāve got paint on your cheek,ā Sirius said, grinning that same wicked grin. Remus found himself pulling out another napkin so he could attempt to capture it. āAnd it hasnāt bothered you in the twenty minutes weāve been together. Not once.ā
Ā Ā Ā Ā Ā Ā āShit,ā Remus said, licking his palm and attempting to clean his cheek. āHazard of the trade, unfortunately.ā
Ā Ā Ā Ā Ā Ā āLet me,ā Sirius said softly. He dipped a napkin into his glass of water and gently began to rub at Remusā cheek. āMay I tell you why I want my picture done now?ā
Ā Ā Ā Ā Ā Ā Remus nodded, not trusting himself to speak.
Ā Ā Ā Ā Ā Ā āWhen I was little my mother had our portraits done, it was a family tradition. Your portrait went on this wall that formed a family tree. Well when I was sixteen I came out to my parents and my mother proceeded to take my portrait off the wall and throw it into the fireplace. Symbolic gesture, right?ā
Ā Ā Ā Ā Ā Ā āSirius āā
Ā Ā Ā Ā Ā Ā āLast year my brother went into rehab and guess what? His portrait also ended up in the fire. Sheās got high standards, that mother of mine, and unfortunately neither of her sons quite lived up to them. Heās getting out soon and heās going to come stay with me until he feels like he can be on his own. I thought I would start a new tree, you know? Turn a negative into a positive. Start with my portrait and then his, if youād be up for it. Then maybe my best friend Jamie, his wife Lily and my godson Harry. New family, new life, you know?ā
Ā Ā Ā Ā Ā Ā āSirius,ā Remus said, wrapping his fingers around Siriusā wrist to still his hand. He didnāt know if the blue was off his face but he didnāt care. āFuck, of course. Iād be honored.ā
Ā Ā Ā Ā Ā Ā āReally?ā Sirius asked, his smile so bright and wide it made Remusā heart clench. āItās not a whim, by the way, although it might seem like it to you. Iāve been trying to gather up the courage to ask you for months.ā
Ā Ā Ā Ā Ā Ā āWhy?ā Remus asked, shaking his head in confusion. āIām not exactly intimidating.ā Remus gestured with his free hand to his paint splattered overalls.
Ā Ā Ā Ā Ā Ā Sirius huffed out a laugh and broke eye contact. It was only at that moment Remus realized they had been staring at each other quite intently. āYou know when you first moved into the neighborhood I was going to make you a cobbler. It was Jamieās mumās recipe and I tried so hard to get it right because it reminded me of home. But it was rubbish. I went wrong somewhere, Iām not sure where but Iām not great at baking. All that measuring, bleh.ā
Ā Ā Ā Ā Ā Ā āYou were going to make me a cobblerā¦ā Remus said, his brow furrowing in confusion. āI donāt understand.ā
Ā Ā Ā Ā Ā Ā āI wanted you to feel at home,ā Sirius said, tucking his hair behind his ear. āI wanted you to stay, I wantedā¦ā
Ā Ā Ā Ā Ā Ā āSirius?ā Remus said softly, barely audible even to his own ears as his heart threatened to beat out of his chest.
Ā Ā Ā Ā Ā Ā āI wanted to be your home, eventually. You were so cute and fuck Iām so gay and I left it too long. It got to the point where I didnāt even know how to say hi to you without getting fucking lost in my feelings.ā
Ā Ā Ā Ā Ā Ā Remus opened his mouth to respond but the waitress interrupted them by bringing their order. Sirius let his hand drop and quickly spun around to face the counter, his head ducked down as if embarrassed. He shoveled a handful of chips into his mouth as if he was trying to get himself to stop talking.
Ā Ā Ā Ā Ā Ā Remus watched him for a moment with a bemused smile on his face. Sirius Black, the unattainable gorgeous bloke that liked to cut his lawn shirtless had beenā¦pining for Remus all this time. āSo what kind of cobbler was it?ā
Ā Ā Ā Ā Ā Ā Sirius began to choke in surprise at the question, thumping his fist against his chest. Eventually he managed to swallow, bypassing the straw to take a large gulp from his milkshake. āBlueberry.ā
Ā Ā Ā Ā Ā Ā āMaybe you should try again,ā Remus said, playing with his own straw, dipping it in and out of his milkshake.
Ā Ā Ā Ā Ā Ā āI did,ā Sirius said grumpily. āThey never came out right.ā
Ā Ā Ā Ā Ā Ā Remus bit his lip to keep from laughing. āSo there were several cobblers.ā
Ā Ā Ā Ā Ā Ā Sirius made a funny noise in the back of his throat and then mumbled something that Remus couldnāt understand.
Ā Ā Ā Ā Ā Ā āWhat was that?ā
Ā Ā Ā Ā Ā Ā āI said eleven!ā Sirius snapped, biting a chip roughly. āI drew the line at an even dozen.ā
Ā Ā Ā Ā Ā Ā Remus turned to the side so he could look at Sirius. He rested his cheek in his hand and just stared at him in a mix of flattered and bewildered. āYou made eleven cobblers that all turned out wrong?ā
Ā Ā Ā Ā Ā Ā Sirius shot him a look and then drained half his milkshake in one go, wiping his mouth with the back of his hand. āThey werenāt good enough, okay? Sure they were edible but when has that ever impressed anybody? When Mrs. Potter made them they were amazing. I never quite got to amazing.ā
Ā Ā Ā Ā Ā Ā Remus took a chip and dunked it into his milkshake before popping it into his mouth. āWhat did you end up doing with eleven edible cobblers?ā
Ā Ā Ā Ā Ā Ā āIād take them up with me whenever I visited my brother Reg,ā Sirius confessed, taking a napkin and beginning to shred it with his fingers. āDo me a favor and let me wallow here for a while alone in how pathetic I am. Iāll pay for this.ā
Ā Ā Ā Ā Ā Ā āI donāt think youāre pathetic.ā
Ā Ā Ā Ā Ā Ā Sirius gave Remus a wary glance. āYou donāt?ā
Ā Ā Ā Ā Ā Ā āA little misguided, perhaps,ā Remus said, taking a pensive sip of his milkshake. āMaybe you just need a little help, not that Iām that good at baking myself, but two heads and all that.ā
Ā Ā Ā Ā Ā Ā Sirius stared at him in awe. āYou want to come back to my place?ā
Ā Ā Ā Ā Ā Ā āFor cobbler.ā Remus said sternly, poking Sirius in the chest. āDonāt get any funny ideas.ā
Ā Ā Ā Ā Ā Ā āOf course,ā Sirius said, slipping off his stool and going to the register to pay for them. Remus finished off his milkshake and went to the door to wait for Sirius. A few moments later, Sirius joined him, bounding over like an excited puppy. āReady to be amazed?ā
Ā Ā Ā Ā Ā Ā Remus considered it for a moment and then laced his fingers through Siriusā. His face broke out into a wide smile matching Siriusā own. āIām ready.ā
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