My first microfic bc I love AU month yayyyy
Prompt: Neighbor AU - @wolfstarmicrofic
"Are you my new neighbor?"
Sirius whirls around and sees a boy standing in his new apartment, eyes wide with curiosity. Sirius then remembers that he hasn't shut the door. He is waiting for James's arrival with his last bit of belongings, which isn't much to begin with. The boy must have come through the door without knowing there was a new tenant.
"Oh, hello there." Sirius approaches him, seeing that he hasn't backed down, and crouches down in front of him. "It depends. Do you live in this building, too?"
The boy nods, "We are next door. Next to you."
He points to the left of Sirius's apartment.
"Then, I guess we are neighbors," Sirius confirms with a smile, and the boy beams back at him.
"That's cool! Can I still come over sometime?" The boy's eyes glint with excitement, "I used to come here when I didn't want Da to find me. It's my secret spot."
"Well, as long as your Da allows you to, I suppose? As someone new here, I could use a friend."
"Yeah, you're welcome here all the time, er, Mr…?"
A shout from outside startles both of them, and the boy, presumably the Teddy in question, looks a little bit guilty and runs towards the door. "Over here, Da!"
"Oh, there you are. I thought we've talked about this, Teds, no secret spot before school…"
"Sorry, Da. But I heard something, and I wanted to check."
And there he is, Teddy's Da, at Sirius's door, fussing around his son. Hair a mess, tired eyes, half-tucked clothes, long fingers holding up a colorful kid's backpack, and a noticeable scar split across the bridge of his nose. Apart from the scar, this man looks like a copy of Teddy (or Teddy is a copy of him?), but older and wearier.
Sirius stands up too fast, and he feels a little lightheaded. Or maybe it's the effect of seeing this wonderful-looking man at his door. He can never be sure.
Then it comes to him that with Teddy, there must be a Ma, too.
With a clearer mind (and maybe a little disappointment), Sirius follows Teddy to the door to greet his new neighbor.
"Hello, I'm your new neighbor here. The name is Sirius. Sirius Black." Sirius reaches out a hand.
The man snaps his head towards him, and he freezes when his eyes land on Sirius.
"Da?" Teddy calls, looking at his Da with confusion.
"Oh, erm, yeah. S-sorry about Teddy, he's, um… this place was…" The man stammers through his words; his cheeks seem a bit flushed.
"Yeah, Teddy told me about his secret spot. Sorry for taking it away." Sirius flashes Teddy a smile, "But it can still be Teddy's secret spot, only if you and your… missus allow it."
"Oh, no, it's just us—just Teddy and me," the man rushes out.
The urge for clarification. Very interesting.
"Personally, I don't mind sharing my space, but I assume it's a bit dangerous for a kid to hang out with a stranger." Sirius, a little bit bolder now, said, "However, it can simply be solved by not being strangers. How about we grab a cup of coffee sometime?"
The man looks stunned. "W-with me?"
"Yeah. I mean, Teddy too if he wants?" Sirius raises an eyebrow at Teddy, and he nods excitedly and looks up at his Da.
The man seems to be considering.
"I-I'd love to. Yes." Finally, he speaks, a little smile blooming across his face, and warmth crawls up Sirius's cheeks when the man's golden gaze meets his.
"Perfect. Here's my number, we'll keep in touch then, erm…"
"Remus. I'm Remus Lupin." The man fills in while saving Sirius's number in his contacts.
"Remus." Sirius lets the name roll around his tongue and decides that this is the most beautiful name ever.
"Right, I'll text you later." Remus starts retreating to their apartment, "We have to go. Teddy has school, and I have work."
Sirius nods with a smile, "Sure, I'll see you around."
He knows he's going to spend the next few days glued to his phone, waiting for the text from his new neighbor.