An Archive of Our Own, a project of the Organization for Transformative Works
Of Bookshelves and Baby Carriers
poppunkpadfoot @deangirldyke
Chapters: 5/5 Fandom: Harry Potter - J. K. Rowling Rating: Teen And Up Audiences Warnings: No Archive Warnings Apply Relationships: Sirius Black/Remus Lupin Characters: Sirius Black, Remus Lupin, Harry Potter Additional Tags: Alternate Universe - Muggle, Alternate Universe - Modern Setting, Raising Harry Potter, Hurt/Comfort, Fluff, Community: HPFT, Chronically Ill Remus Lupin, Remus Lupin Has Self-Esteem Issues
Summary:
The customer standing in front of him is quite possibly the most beautiful man Remus has ever seen. Like, he looks like a model or something. He has long, black hair, flattened by water, and just the slightest amount of scruff on his face, and…
And a baby strapped to his chest.
Okay.
Excerpt:
Remus is definitely imagining how nervous Sirius looks, right? He’s picking at his coffee cup sleeve again and he’s got his gaze fixed down at the counter, and he’s silent for a moment before he says, “I’m kind of… a mess. I’ve been kind of a mess for a long time, since long before James died, and that certainly hasn’t helped matters at all. And I can be kind of a hard person to be around sometimes, and I have a kid now, and I don’t know that I’m worth the effort, but what I want to say is that I really, really like you, and that I’d really like to go out with you - and it’s not that I think you’re going to fix me or something, and I’ll totally understand if you don’t want to, but…”
He trails off with a wince and mumbles an apology under his breath, and Remus almost laughs because this is ridiculous, that Sirius would doubt for one second that of course Remus wants to date him and that he could possibly think that he’s the potentially undesirable one is just… he doesn’t even know what to say.
"I think you're underselling yourself a bit, there," he goes with eventually, because that’s as good a place as any to start. "You know I love Harry, and I, um, I'd really like to go out with you too?"
It seems to take a moment for that to land but as soon as it does, Sirius’s whole face lights up. “Wait, really?” he says, sounding positively delighted. “You mean that?”
“Yeah, of course I do, I just - I mean - listen, I’m kind of a mess too,” Remus blurts out, because apparently it’s his turn to ramble now. “I have health issues and an anxiety disorder and sometimes I can’t do stuff even if I want to, and some people find it all too much to handle, so you just… should probably factor all that in to asking me out. But, I mean, if you’re still interested-”
“Of course I’m still interested,” Sirius interrupts eagerly.
“-Then of course I want to go out with you,” Remus concludes. He feels like his face is on fire and hopes he doesn’t look too ridiculous, blushing so much. It seems that Sirius doesn’t think he looks ridiculous, because he grins widely and leans in across the counter, close enough that Remus can see the flecks of blue in his eyes.
“Awesome,” he says softly. “In that case, if it’s cool, I would really, really like to kiss you now.”
Remus doesn’t answer. Instead, he leans the rest of the way over the counter and kisses Sirius right on the mouth.
“Cool,” Sirius mumbles against his lips, and kisses him back.
꒰⑅ᵕ༚ᵕ꒱˖♡
