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Sirius Black is single and has been for nearly two weeks.

It's absolutely unthinkable to everyone, but him. He's heard the rumors about himself, about how he goes through relationships faster than how a girl changes her mind. Of course, it's all bullshit. He's not a Playboy or a Casanova.

All he's looking for is love.

Sirius doesn't think that's too unreasonable. So what if his relationships don't work out because he doesn't feel that spark—the butterflies in his stomach, the stuttering beat of his heart, and the tingling sensation when he presses his lips against someone else's—which inevitably causes him to break up with his current partner.

If he doesn't feel himself falling in love, the relationship is done. His parents were never in love; Sirius wants to fall in love so very badly. Unfortunately, it seems like his Damsel or Prince Charming will never appear.

So that's how ends up single for weeks the day before the Yule Ball at Hogwarts. Sirius isn't upset at all, despite all of James' teasing. It just seems like love is never in his favor so he decided to take a small break from love.

The gang is currently in the Gryffindor common room playing, or watching in Sirius' case, a very intense battle of poker. He sits beside Remus on the couch while James and Peter sit on the floor in front of a coffee table. He releases a heavy sigh, letting his head droop onto Remus' shoulder.

"How is it that I don't have a date for tomorrow?" Sirius whines, burying his head into the crook of Remus' neck. He inhales the soft scents of vanilla, cologne, and something purely Remus. It relaxes him but he can't explain why. It's such a pity Remus is straight.

James looks unimpressed. "You rejected everybody who asked you. Why are you complaining?"

"They weren't my soulmate, y'know? No sparks, no nothing, nada." Sirius reluctantly leaves Remus' shoulder to glare at James. He lays his elbows on his knees, body leaning towards the table. "Do you think I'm not suited for love?"

"That's ridiculous," Remus chimes in, placing his cards on the table making James groan. He smiles fondly at Sirius. "You do have a soulmate."

"Moony is so kind, unlike some people," Sirius cries, feeling warmer and happy. He launches himself at the other boy, hugging Remus' midsection; Remus laughs and pats his head, one arm around his waist and one on his head. "Why can't I find a nice guy or gal like you? All my problems would be solved."

He misses the pained look Remus sends his way.

"Oh? You could always try the spell out," Peter points out. "The soulmate one?"

Ah, the spell. You see, the reason he hasn't tried the spell out is that it's rumored to be dangerous, even if it is the easiest way to find his fated one. Another reason is that Sirius wants to find his soulmate on his own terms.

The grip Remus has on his waist tightens slightly. "You can't," he argues, looking disapprovingly Peter. "Haven't you heard of all the risks? There's no telling if your soulmate is at Hogwarts. You'd have to follow the whims of your heart until you do. And at what price? If you don't find them within the three days, you'll be stuck having your heart out and your emotions gone until you do."

"But he could find his soulmate!" James adds, eyes shining bright with the possibility. "Hell, I should do it, too."

"It's dangerous."

"Well, what do you know. Aren't you going to the ball with Lily? Some of us have to resort to magic to find our soulmates."

"It's . . . complicated," Remus sighs, absentmindedly running his fingers through Sirius' black locks.

Sirius contemplates the decision. How desperate is he to find his soulmate?

"Remus is going to murder you two," Peter mumbles, shaking his head as James and Sirius hold out their wands preparing themselves. They've even rolled the sleeves from their suits back. "This is not a good idea."

Sirius raises an eyebrow. "You're the one who suggested the spell. This is on you, Wormtail."

"Besides, I know our soulmates are definitely here somewhere. There are two other schools in there along with Hogwarts. There's no way we'd end up as those love zombies."

Peter shakes his head and wobbles into the Great Hall muttering about how he was joking and why would they listen to his words now?

Both boys grin at each other before raising their wands. "Invenies alterum dimidium cor meum."

Find the other half of my heart.

Sirius gasps in pain as his heart burst of his chest. He stumbles until he reaches a wall to lean against. There's a gaping hole where his heart should be, though, you can't tell with the suit in the way. He's . . . disconnected with the world or that's what he feels like.

He turns to look at James who's on the floor on all fours, panting heavily. Floating above him is a bright red heart—the unrealistic ones you see in cartoons. Sirius stares in awe and looks around to see if his heart is near. He giggles as his heart, pulsing and warm, nudges Sirius' cheeks.

This is a good sign. Sirius takes a few minutes to compose himself before straightening himself and following his heart. In the corner of his eyes, he sees James do the same.

Sirius laughs when his heart leads him toward the Great Hall. His soulmate is in there. His soulmate is here.

He opens the door and hears a few gasps when some of the students see the floating heart. It's almost comical to see how a few girls and guys step in his path just to see if the heart leads to them. Sirius gives them apologetic smiles but hurries away. He's so close to his soulmate. He can see it in the way his heart beat increases and how it glows even brighter.

It leads Sirius to a more secluded area of the hall where there are strings of couples sitting down in the tables. He almost misses a step. He never considered the possibility that his soulmate was seeing someone trudges forward until his heart stops.

His stomach drops.

This . . . can't be real. It has to be a joke. There's no way one of the two is his soulmate. But his heart goes forward and over the couple's head to float in front of them.

Lily shrieks and Remus mutters an oh, no.

"Surprise," he says halfheartedly.

They turn to look at him. Remus appears to be in shock while Lily gives him a strange look. He can't figure out what it means.

"Is this your heart?" Remus speaks softly, his eyes on the glowing heart.

Lily narrows her eyes at the heart. "Does this mean one of us is your soulmate? What if we don't want to be? We're happy together."

Sirius swallows uncomfortably. He reaches out to grab his heart which struggles against his hold. "It's okay. This was stupid anyway. Enjoy the dance," he murmurs, turning away.

Before he can do so, his heart breaks free of his grip and crashes into Remus. Remus' mouth falls open in shock as Sirius' heart curdles with him. He hesitantly brings his hands up and holds Sirius' wildly beating heart.

"It's me?" Remy's asks, more to himself than to Sirius.

Lily startles him when she yells, "I knew it! Merlin, you two are idiots." She stands up and brushes the imaginary dust off her dress. "Sirius, we're not dating. We never were. He was just helping me avoid some pesky boys. Have fun!"

Sirius, for once, us speechless. "Remus?" he manages to croak out, voice breaking at the end.

Remus glances up and smiles. He kisses the heart tenderly and Sirius is a mess. Breath leaves his lungs again as his heart—as love— fills the gaping hole in his chest. "I'm glad it's me," Remus shyly says, standing up to grab Sirius' hands. "I like you, Sirius Black."

Sirius nods, a goofy grin taking over his face. "Me, too. I like you, Remus Lupin."

And when they lean in for a kiss, he feels it: feels the frantic beat of his heart, feels the butterflies fly madly inside of him, and feels the fireworks as he presses his lips against his soulmate—against Remus.

Sirius happily drags Remus to the dancefloor, pressing their sides against one another and giggling all the way. He doesn't even care that he can see James and Regulus all over each other, being handsy with one another, as they slow dance. He'll deal with that tomorrow, but for now, Sirius enjoys how it feels to be wrapped up in Remus' arms.

Sirius was by no means a Saint, but he wasn't exactly the Devil incarnate either. So being neither a Saint nor a Devil, he couldn't figure out how his life lead up to this moment: being gagged and tied as some strange man ran his hands over his body.

And the delivery man had seemed so normal (and extremely cute) too.

It all went down like this.

When the doorbell rang, Sirius, who had just come back from an extremely draining meeting with one of his clients in the Ministry, was lounging on the couch idly watching the television. He stood up reluctantly and answered the door with a frown on his face. Which immediately vanished when he noticed the adorable man holding a package for him.

"What can I do for you?" Sirius purred, leaning against the doorframe. A smirk graced his face at the blush which spread on the delivery man's cheeks. "You've got a package for me? It looks quite big."

Remus—as the name tag read on his cardigan—nodded, amber eyes shyly meeting his own. "Uh, yes, you're Sirius Black, right?" he asked, stumbling over the words, his blush deepening.

"Yes, in the flesh." He grinned wolfishly. This Remus bloke was alright for a Muggle. Well, more than alright. He looked absolutely scrumptious in his navy blue cardigan buttoned up all the way, or as much as the cardigan allowed to, with a peek of a firmly ironed collared shirt. "Do you need me to sign?"

"Yes, please." Sirius gladly took the pen from Remus' hand, making sure to brush against Remus' fingers and linger for a few seconds before pulling away.

It was then that things took a turn for the worse.

In Sirius' defense, he had firmly believed this man to be a Muggle. He wasn't expected to be Petrificus Totaled when he turned his back. And he certainly wasn't expecting the shy look on Remus' face to turn confident and sly as he heaved Sirius over his shoulder. It was downgrading to have Remus undo his necktie and tie his own hands with it, and the same happened with his feet except it was his belt this time.

Remus smirked, caressing Sirius' cheeks softly. He took off his own tie and wrapped it around his mouth. "Now, don't you look pretty all tied up for me?" Remus quickly muttered the counterspell and watched as Sirius struggled to move. "Ah, I love it when they struggle."

Sirius tried to yell but his scream was muffled. His heartbeat was wild. He was almost thankful nobody would hear his scream. He was a very important Auror and this would be a major scandal.

"Nobody's going to save you. You're all mine," Remus whispered, biting Sirius' earlobe.

But Sirius remembered the situation all too clearly. He'd rather want someone barging in to stop this madness than lose some face in the Ministry.

"D-Don't," Sirius cried, barely managing to speak the words with the tie in the way. "P-Please."

Shivers went down his spine when he felt Remus' hands go underneath his shirt. His hands were warm against his cool skin.

"P-Please," he gasped out, tears prickling his eyes. "S-Stop!"

Sirius yelled in vain as Remus' left hand traveled closer to the dip of his hip and his right hand climbed further up to flick his n—

And then the hands disappeared altogether.

"Sirius, I'm so sorry," Remus murmured softly, as he unties the bands on Sirius' arms and feet. "I can't do this. I can't go along with this scenario."

Sirius sighed, rubbing his wrists, only mildly annoyed. "You were doing so well, love. It was amazing," Sirius said, reaching out to place a chaste kiss on his boyfriend's lips. "I really felt that."

Remus' amber eyes shone with tears. "Really?" he asked nervously. "I thought I was hurting you."

Sirius laughed, shaking his head. His lover was an absolute softie and he loved him so much. "No, you weren't. Hell, I was really enjoying it. A bit longer and I was going to let out a loud moan."

Remus sighed, pressing his forehead against Sirius'. "I would've liked to have heard it."

"We can start over," Sirius purred, sly grin in place. Remus looked at him warily. "What do you say, Rem?" Sirius whispered, tilting his head in order to run a tongue against his ear. "Start over?"

"I don't know," Remus replied, pressing his thighs together.

Sirius grinned. He knew exactly how to change his boyfriend's mind.

"I'll appease your own fetish tomorrow night." Remus swallowed nervously. "I'll wear the lingerie just for you. The red one with the bows," Sirius moaned wantonly in Remus' ear.

Sirius whooped in joy as Remus agreed.

"I love the fact that I can exploit your own fetish to satisfy my own," Sirius said, putting on his belt and tie again. Remus groaned and did the same.

"Your scenarios are too extreme," Remus muttered, not really angry, just a bit bitter that he was wrapped around Sirius' finger and it was so startlingly obvious.

"Shut up. You loved the police one, Mr. Lupin," Sirius teased, waggling his eyebrows. He all but shoved Remus out the door. "Okay, let's start from the beginning!"

Remus stood outside the hairdresser salon with an anxious stomach. It looked fashionable and expensive, and Remus wasn't sure if he would be able to afford it. The only reason he was here, even though he hadn't cut his hair in ages, was because Lily had told him of the place. She wanted to rid him of his fear for hairdressers.

Remus wasn't really afraid of hairdressers. He was just uncomfortable with them. Ever since he was small, the men and women would mess around his hair claiming it was soft and of high texture. They gave him unnecessary massages and washed his hair for too long. It was creepy.

Lily, who had just finished parking the car, laughed as she saw Remus still outside. "You know, you actually have to go in to get a haircut."

Remus shot her a glare. "I haven't been to a hairdresser since I was 12. Excuse me for having worries."

"Pft. Look, this salon is great. Pros: You get a fabulous haircut and maybe find your soulmate. Cons: There are none." Lily rolled her eyes, guiding Remus inside. She glanced at his arm. "I'm pretty sure I know someone with who would gladly say those words of yours.

"It might not even be a hairdresser," Remus muttered, as Lily chatted with the receptionist, Marlene.

"You're just in time. Sirius is free and so is Regulus. Er, actually, I think James just stole Regulus." Marlene squinted at one man with glasses who shot her an apologetic look while he sat down in front of the hairdresser with the shorter hair. "He's such an idiot. He's been coming here almost every week trying to woo his soulmate, Reg."

Remus wasn't one for staring at other people. He knew how it made himself uncomfortable to have others stare at him, but those men. Remus assumed they were brothers. They looked far too similar to be anything else. Maybe cousins, but he doubted that. They appeared to be sculpted by the Gods. With piercing gray eyes, tan skin, long, shiny hair pulled into a ponytail showing a glimpse of his nape, leather jacket and black jeans, the one Marlene called Sirius caught his attention.

"Take a picture. It'll last longer," Lily teased, smirking at his silence. "Go. Marlene here and I will chat."

Remus nodded, walking slowly to Sirius' station.

"Sirius, a new client!"

"Thanks, Marlene!" Sirius called back, grinning at Remus. He handed him the smock and smoothed out the wrinkles. He gently ran a hand through Remus' hair.

Remus bit his lip when he saw the delight in Sirius' eyes.

"Oh, god, your hair's orgasmic," Sirius breathed out, hands stilling. He blushed madly when his brain caught up to what he said.

Remus felt his stomach turn over. "That's not the only thing about me that's orgasmic," he managed to say, despite his shaky voice and massive blush.

Sirius' face was comical. His jaw dropped open. "Oh, my god. You're him. You're my soulmate," Sirius rambled, arms waving and voice loud. "I can't believe I just said that! I thought you were gonna be a sex worker or a confident Playboy, but holy shit, you're beautiful and adorable."

"Thank you?" Remus replied, head tilting. Sirius was cute when he rambled. "You're really attractive."

Sirius blushed, groaning into his arm. "God, you're nice." He took a breath. "I'm going to give you the best haircut ever."

This time Remus didn't feel nervous at the thought of getting a haircut. He knew he was in good hands. (And he certainly wouldn't mind if Sirius massaged his scalp. He just wanted those hands near him.)

Sirius half-stumbled into the Potter Manor, inhaling sharply when James pressed himself against his side.

"Sorry," James mumbled, leaning off him and faintly calling out for his mother. "Mum!"

"It's okay," Sirius grunted, hands attempting to stop the blood flow. He looked at James and nudged James' shoulder which was also soaking with blood. "You need to bandage that up."

James laughed breathlessly, the two of them stumbling their way into the living room. Euphemia Potter appeared around the corner face ashen and still dressed in her night cap. She looked at the two boys and immediately rushed over, pulling her wand out.

She muttered healing spell after healing spell, looking at their open wounds with a grimace. "Hospital," she said, summoning the bandage wraps. "That's what you two need."

Sirius grinned, "You know we can't, mum. We were in disguises. They'll know it was us."

Mrs. Potter sighed, "Well, I'll do the best I can." She grimaced, rolling up her sleeves. "Brace yourselves. This isn't going to be pretty.'

After an agony of pain and muffled screams, Sirius' wound was wrapped carefully. The pain was ever present, but it wasn't anything he couldn't handle.

"I'm gonna sleep," he said, standing up with a wince. "G'night."

"Oh, dear, Remus is up in your room. He also refused to go to the hospital. Take care of him, would you? He's as stubborn as a mule."

Sirius nodded, the speed of his steps increasing as well as his heartbeat. He hadn't seen Remus since he had gone off to another secret mission months ago. When he made it to his room, his heart squeezed itself painfully. He let out a sigh of relief at the sight of Remus wrapped up in a knitted blanket with just the top of his head peeking out.

Sirius gently climbed into bed and under the blanket, making sure not to aggravate his injury.

"You're so warm," Remus mumbled, bringing his head up. He smiled and placed a kiss on Sirius' cheek. "I missed you. A lot."

Sirius grinned, eyes and smile fond. He noticed the new scratches and scars on Remus' face. He was positive there were far more on his body.

"Me, too. I missed you so much," Sirius whispered, finding Remus' hands underneath the blanket. Sirius let the touch do its magic, feeling the pain transfer onto his own body. "I love you, Remus."

Remus frowned, squeezing their hands. "I don't need you to take the pain for me. I can handle it. I know you're in pain, too."

"I want to. Your pain is far greater than my own," Sirius said, kissing Remus' forehead. "Let me."

Remus smiled sadly. "I wish we didn't have any pain to transfer." He sighed, cuddling against Sirius, letting his other hand rest tentatively on Sirius' waist, below his injury. "I love you," he breathed out.

Sirius laughed softly, rubbing circles with his thumb on Remus' hand. "Let's sleep."

"Yeah," Remus murmured, pressing their foreheads together, and they slept with their hands joined together all night long.

Sirius had high hopes for Hogwarts, and so far, he hadn't been disappointed.

When his father had dropped him off at King's Cross station and let him board the train, he had subjected himself to a life of unexciting Slytherins. He was positive the Sorting Hat would detect his connection to his father and mother or the rest of the Black lineage and place him in Slytherin. Now, though, as he watched his new best friends James Potter and Peter Pettigrew banter around in their compartment, he wasn't so sure anymore. He wasn't so sure he wanted to be a Slytherin. James already stated he was gonna be a Gryffindor and Sirius didn't doubt him one bit.

"Okay, so obviously, we'll both be in Gryffindor, right?" James asked, looking excitedly at Sirius. He slung an arm around Peter. "You, too!"

Sirius could hear how strained his laughter sounded. "Yeah, I'd love to."

"You gotta sound confident! Forget your ruddy Slytherin connections because they aren't you. Only you're you, Sirius," James cried, looking particularly proud of himself. He waggled his eyebrows. "Now, onto more juicy topics."

"You're an idiot," Sirius sighed fondly.

"Soulmates! Have you met yours yet?" James bounced in his seat, pushing his glasses forward. "I haven't yet. I'd love to be able to see color."

Sirius groaned, remembering all those horrible play dates his father used to set up with all respectable Pureblood ladies. He shuddered at his father's anger when he remained colorblind. "No, I haven't met them yet. I want to."

"There was an incredibly cute redhead named Lily I saw earlier. I so thought she was my soulmate, so I went up to her and we stared into each other's eyes. But we weren't meant for each other." His eyes lit up in a brighter shade of gray and he grinned suspiciously at Sirius. "So, you got any cute sisters?"

Sirius barked a laugh. "No. I've got a little brother. He's one year younger. I'd love to have you as a brother-in-law."

"I hate you."

When the Hogwarts Express finally stopped at Hogsmeade Station, Sirius almost regretted having to ask the Sorting Hat to be in Slytherin. James and Peter were good guys, but his father would never approve of them. He wasn't even supposed to have sat with them, but it was honestly the best decision he'd ever made.

He rolled his neck and cracked his back, taking delight in being able to walk with a relaxed stance without his father breathing down his back.

Sirius took his time to cast an appreciate look around. He saw how the older students communicated with ease and knew exactly where to go compared to how the First Years nervously glanced around. Whilst he was in the midst of contemplating his House and friends choice, a boy bumped into his shoulder.

Sirius' eyes widened as he lost his footing and went tumbling backward, landing unceremoniously on his behind. He groaned and let his head hang back before attempting to stand. He lifted his eyebrows in surprise as he noticed the outstretched hand in front of him. He gladly took the offer.

Sirius looked up to thank the person when he found himself staring deep into another boy's amber eyes. Sirius inhaled sharply, mesmerized with the color, unconsciously taking a step forward. "Your eyes are pretty," he blurted out, demonstrating none of the finesse he was raised to have.

The other boy blushed and Sirius grinned at the pink overtaking tan skin. He quite liked that look on the other boy.

"I like the gray of your eyes, too" the other boy murmured, his eyes looking Sirius up and down. "I'd never thought I'd enjoy the color gray after seeing it for so long. But yours is different."

Sirius' jaw dropped before he blushed and quickly closed his mouth. "I'd never thought you'd be a boy," Sirius admitted truthfully. He'd been raised with the mindset to provide an heir, so he had assumed his soulmate would be a girl. The boy's face fell and Sirius felt his heart clench. "Not that I mind. Not one bit."

The boy smiled. "I'm Remus Lupin. It's nice to meet you. Also, sorry for knocking you over. I had my head stuck in a book I'm afraid."

"I'm glad you did." Sirius winked. "I'm Sirius Black."

Remus smiled. "I hope we get to know each other better."

"What House would you like to be in?" Sirius questioned, heart thumping wildly.

"Oh, Gryffindor. And you?"

Sirius smiled, well, that was not a hard choice at all. "Me, too."

And so the paid left Hogsmeade station to catch up with the rest of the First Years. Sirius had already decided to be in Gryffindor, no matter what his father would say or what the Sorting Hat would say to him. Remus and his new friends would be there to support him.

Screw the Black family, he thought cheerfully, walking by Remus' side, the world twinkling with hope and color.

Sirius is stretched out across the couch, half of his face burrowed into a pillow. He's very down, not feeling up to doing anything at all. James even invited Sirius and Peter to a Quidditch scrimmage, but he declined it so only Peter went. Remus was off studying in the library with Lily. So that left Sirius all alone, contemplating what shouldn't be contemplated.

Soul mates.

Supposedly, there was another person out there that destiny—the universe playing Cupid—had chosen specifically for him before he was born—before the creation of time—that was supposed to be his other half. Sirius thinks it's bullshit. He's seen marriages involving soulmates that fail. His own parents are soulmates, and they're not in love.

But you see, Sirius' heart is traitorous and still carries on that hope of believing. Every bone in his body screams that soulmates are lies, but his heart clenches painfully and continues to hope. Hope that he finds his soulmate and that they'll be perfect for him; supporting him through all the messed up things going on in the world. Or just simply to hold him when he can't go on anymore.

It'd be really easy to check who his soulmate is, if they attend Hogwarts. All he has to do is due his hair or just a piece of his hair. But this overwhelming fear he feels when he thinks of finally knowing who his soulmate is, leaves him thinking it's better not to find out.

Sirius wouldn't be able to take it if his partner is one of those stuffy Slytherin girls or boys. It'd be like a constant reminder of how he's going to be like his father or how it's in his fate to succumb to the dark forces.

He's afraid it means he has no chance of change.

And he knows that the flimsy excuse of not wanting to ruin his natural hair because does James know how much it takes to become this beautiful isn't cutting it out for his best friend. James, ever the romantic, wants Sirius' best interests at heart and apparently it includes finding his soulmate.

James has, of course, dyed his hair one time. It had been over the summer where he showed up on Sirius' doorsteps when his parents were gone, sporting a strand of green hair. Sirius was surprised at James' choice to do it in the summer, but he was even more surprised when Regulus walked down the stairs, sporting the same green strand. Regulus was scared and ran away. James hasn't attempted to dye his hair again.

Sirius is scared that his own soulmate will reject him. That he'll disappoint them.

(Maybe he's afraid of letting himself be happy. Maybe he's afraid it's not the person he wants it to be.)

He hasn't got much to offer them. He's a disgrace to his family name, even if it is for all the right reasons. So he chooses to wait, hoping they'll make the first move, because he can't.

He closes his eyes and sighs. How long will he live with this fear? He hopes it's not much longer.

When he comes to, there's an unsettling weight on top of his legs. He wakes up in increments, blinking groggily. He sees Remus and Lily huddled together, talking in hushed tones and harsh whispers. He glances at his legs and finds James peacefully sleeping opposite of him.

It's then he realizes that his legs have fallen asleep. He groans loudly, trying to kick James off. He manages to slide them from underneath James' torso and stand on wobbly legs.

"Sirius!" Lily exclaims, straightening up, casting a quick glance Remus' direction. "You're up! We found you sleeping with James when we walked in."

Sirius furrows his brows. "When did you come in?"

"About half an hour or so," Remus replies, voice soft and oddly distant.

"Oh, James must've climbed in with me sometime then because I'm more than positive I fell asleep alone." He raises his arms and stretches. Sleeping on a couch is awful for his back.

"Oh, we were just wondering because of the …" Lily vaguely motions to her head, "Your soulmates aren't you?"

Sirius laughs long and hard, clutching his stomach. "Uh, no. We're not."

Remus raises his gaze from the floor, tilting his head. "What about the matching red strands?"

Sirius feels around his hair and pulls out the fake red hair extension. "Oh, it's probably that prank we were talking about earlier, you know. Besides, James already has a soulmate."

Lily laughs, nodding her head. "So that's it! Sorry, we just assumed." She nudges Remus with her shoulder. "Wait, James knows his soulmate?"

Sirius winces, glancing at James' still sleeping form. "Don't mention it. It's a sore subject."

There's a moment of silence before Lily blurts out, "Remus just dyed his hair."

Sirius' eyes widen and he quickly looks at Remus. "You did?" he asks roughly.

Remus nods shyly, turning around to show a piece of blonde hair at the back of his head. Before Sirius can respond, Lily walks behind him and shrieks.

"God, I knew it." Lily laughs. "You have a blonde lock of hair, you know."

Sirius gasps, looking at a hopeful Remus. "Does . . .we're?"

Remus shoots him a hopeful smile. "If you want."

"I do," Sirius replies quickly, face burning. He needs to think and talk it out with Remus. He needs to know that he hasn't disappointed him. "Shall we take a leisurely stroll through the garden, just you and me? I think we need to talk about what this means for us."

"I'd love to."

Remus hesitantly stretches out a hand and Sirius takes it. They wave goodbye to Lily and move forward, unsure of what this means for the future, but certain that this is what they want.

It was pure chaos.

The lights in the club shone on the multitude of bodies pressed against one another in a disjointed rhythm. The dancers were much too inebriated to care about the unbearable heat of having others in such close proximity. Sirius didn't mind. He let the music and the flow of the crowd take him. He would've been content to stay in that sweltering heat, just living, had it not been for his ex-boyfriend, Remus Lupin, showing up and pulling him away from the dancefloor. Sirius would've been happy with this action any other time last week, except the couple had broken up a few days before.

"My stuff is over there," he whined until Remus took him to the spot in the bar where he sat. Sirius grabbed his jacket and slipped it on, though he had difficulties doing so that Remus helped him.

He also tried to take a swig of his bottle of whiskey because he paid money for it and wasn't about to let it go to waste. Remus had other ideas. He took the bottle from his hands, ignoring Sirius' protests, and proceeded to drag them outside the club.

"What have you done?" Remus asked rhetorically, looking at Sirius' obvious intoxication. He sighed and pinched the bridge of his nose with his thumb and forefinger. "Something bad could've happened to you tonight. Didn't you the notice the sleazy guy behind you trying to touch you?"

Sirius frowned, pulling his arm away from the other man. "You can't tell me what to do. You're the one who told me to leave. What do you care?" he demanded, crossing his arms.

Remus took a step forward, his face showing so much concern. "I care, Sirius. I do. Just because we're not together, it doesn't mean I don't care."

Sirius laughed, taking the bottle of whiskey back from him. "Look, how many times have I told you that I don't stay friends with those I've broken up with. It doesn't work out. So I'm going to go back in there and maybe meet some nice guy or girl to take home."

He saluted Remus and was heading back into the club when he felt Remus grab his arm again. He groaned but Remus didn't let go. By the time Sirius realized, he and Remus were in an alley behind the club and his bottle had been dropped somewhere in the journey here.

"Sirius, I really care about you." Remus smiled sadly. "I love you, and I was scared. I hid a big part of who I am because I couldn't deal with you rejecting me."

"You didn't trust me," Sirius said, letting his body rest against the wall. "You lied to me, Rem."

"I know, and I'm sorry. I really am. I'm going to tell you why I'm always leaving sometimes in a month." Remus took a deep breath. "And I'm not making fun of you. I swear. What I'm about to tell you is all the truth."

Sirius nodded, unsure of what Remus possibly had to say for himself.

"I'm a wizard. I know it's hard to understand, but I can use magic. But I'm also a werewolf. That's the reason I disappear during the month and say those sketchy excuses "

Sirius groaned and he felt his legs go weak. Remus placed a hand on his shoulder and another on his waist to secure him.

"Please, you have to believe me. I'm not-"

"I know," Sirius said, laughing bitterly. Remus tilted his head in confusion. "I know magic exists. But those aren't the reasons you broke up with me. Sure, they played a role, but it wasn't that, was it? It was the string. All wizards and witches can see the string of fate. So tell me, Remus, who your soulmate is."

Remus paled. "I-I thought you were a Muggle. I didn't know you knew about the string."

Sirius laughed, clipped and harsh, shaking his head. "I'm a squib. My family disowned me once they realized that. Once they realized I couldn't see the goddamn string. I know about them. How they link you up to another wizard or witch and sometimes to a Muggle; how they link you to your soulmate."

"Yes, I met her. The witch connected to my string. I didn't choose to break up because I met her. She's a lovely girl, but she's not the one I want." Remus hesitated to touch Sirius but eventually decided Sirius couldn't be too mad and placed his hands on his cheeks. "I love you and it's why I began this relationship. I was scared because my string was connected to another. I was afraid of eventually breaking up that I dumped you in order to avoid the disgust sure to come."

"You're an idiot. I thought you were cheating on me. I thought you didn't want me anymore but were too afraid to say it. And then you did."

Remus frowned, lifting Sirius' head slowly so they could see each other clearly. "I would never cheat on you. I want you so bad, Sirius. I want you so much it scares me. I-I heard you were coming to a club, and I got here as fast as I could. You see, I was afraid you'd find someone. I was afraid you'd go home with them and they'd be able to touch you all over. That's when I realized how stupid I've been.

And then I saw you on the dance floor. You were only enjoying dancing and the movements. I could see that. But there was a man behind you who kept trying to dance with you and touch you. I was so angry that I pulled you away. So fuck what the string says, but I love you. Please, give me another chance to cherish you."

Sirius nodded, his voice hoarse with the tears the threatened to fall. "Oh God, yes. I love you, too."

Sirius looped his arms around Remus' neck and brought him down for a sweet, chaste kiss. He tasted salt on his lips but the sweetness in his heart canceled the bitter flavor. Remus might not be the person the universe had assigned to him as a soulmate, but to Sirius, he was.

There is a silence no one dares to break after the Healer finishes saying the result. The machine connected to his arms hums softly and he can hear the drop noises from the rain outside, and it's what he chooses to focus on instead of the dreadful news. Eventually, it's his mother that breaks down sobbing.

"I'm so sorry," she whispers, even though she has nothing to do with it. No one had anything to do with cancer growing in his lungs; it just happened. Dorea Potter looks at the Healer and frowns. "There isn't anything we can do? Anything the hospital can do to help him?"

The Healer shakes his head, sending him an apologetic smile. He doesn't want the pity. "I'm afraid not. There are some treatments to help him and hopefully clear the cancer from his system. However, that doesn't always work, so you must be open to the possibility of death."

"We'll try the treatment," James says, holding his mum close to him.

His mum breaks into sobs again and his brother is trembling. She babbles nonsense about failing to see the signs and how bad of a mother she's been. Sirius reassures her she hasn't. She's been the best mum he could ever hope for. The Healer bids them goodbye and good luck and walks away from the room to give them a moment. The machine still hums, it's still raining, his mum still sobs, and he's still sick. Nothing has changed.

Sirius wonders if it ever will.

"Oh, dear," his mum says, the two walking towards his bed—or is it his deathbed now? She grabs his hand and squeezes. "We'll figure this out, okay? Nothing will happen to you."

Sirius doubts it, but he nods all the same.

"I'm gonna go get the boys," James murmurs, leaving his mother at Sirius' side.

Sirius doesn't realize he's started crying until Mrs. Potter wipes away his tears. He holds her close to him and hopes she's right.

The door bursts open and Remus and Peter stare at him with pale faces and scared eyes. He smiles weakly, waving a hand in greeting.

"Oh, Merlin," Remus sighs, walking over to his other side and grabbing his other free hand. He squeezes it tightly and holds it close to his heart.

Sirius' throat closes up and he desperately clutches Remus' shirt. "I want to do the test. Please.'

Remus' lower lip trembles but he nods. They've never done the soulmate potion test because they didn't care to figure out who the universe had chosen for them. They are content with simply being with one another. But now, Sirius needs to know. He wants to see if Remus really was his soulmate. And if he isn't, maybe Remus could find happiness with his true soulmate once he's gone.

James leaves the room to go get the soulmate potion. His mum smiles sadly and leaves with Peter to give them some privacy.

"I need you to know," Sirius begins, releasing his hold on the shirt, "that I love you. No matter what happens I'll always love you. But if someone else shows up, I want, no, I need you to give them a chance when I'm gone."

Remus shakes his head. "No. I can't do that. You shouldn't talk that way. You're going to live, okay?"

Sirius smiles, pressing his lips to Remus'. "Can you at least try for me? I don't want you pining after dead old me if you could be happy with someone else."

Remus glares at Sirius, his nose and face scrunching up, and he's shaking slightly. "No."

Sirius sighs, but James comes back in before he could say anything. He holds the vials out for them and leaves the room, but not before hugging them both.

Sirius lifts the potion to his lips, but Remus stops him before drinking it.

"This won't change anything. At least not for me. I know it's you I love."

Sirius tears up and they drink the potion together. He can only see white for a few seconds before Remus' face appears before him, smiling and laughing.

When the image disappears, he sees Remus sobbing, tears and snot dripping down his face, and he knows his face isn't any different.

"You're a fucking idiot," Remus says, wiping his nose with his cardigan. "You're my soulmate. How will I be happy with anyone else?"

Sirius laughs, and Remus wipes his face with his other sleeve.

"So stop this stupid talk about not making it out. You will. The treatment will work." Remus presses his forehead against Sirius'. "Also, stop crying. You need your strength. You're an ugly crier."

Sirius protests weakly. His mum walks back into the room and she smiles because the result of this test is so obvious on their faces.

"Remus, darling, Sirius needs to go start his treatment now. I'm afraid you'll need to let him go for now."

Instinct kicks in and Sirius grabs Remus tighter. "I love you," he whispers.

Remus hugs him and lets go. "I wish I could stay. But I can't. Don't worry, I'll be right here when you get out. I'll always be here for you no matter where you go."

Sirius echoes the statement back, hoping he'll get better. It's still raining and he's still sick, but maybe the sun will come out and he'll get better.

Summer '67

Sirius scrunched up his nose as his mother talked on and on about nothing in particular while dropping off Regulus and Sirius at their uncle's house. They stood next to her, dressed stiffly in suits, squirming uncomfortably. His Uncle Alphard smiled knowingly at him, raising his brows at his mother.

"I understand, Wally," Uncle Alphard said, grabbing the suitcases from the boys. "They'll be safe and sound."

Walburga wrinkled her nose, obviously disgusted with the nickname. "Stop that. It's childish." She sighed. "Make sure they don't socialize with the Muggles around. Especially Sirius. Why you decided to stay in the Muggle parts is beyond me. I would never have brought them here if I had any other choice."

Sirius made a face, already picturing himself playing in the park he saw earlier. Once his mother left, Sirius immediately starting taking off his tie and blazer.

"Can I go to the park?" he asked, grinning at his uncle who seemed amused by him. "I'm not allowed to go there but mother doesn't have to know."

"Your place is the park, isn't it?" His uncle gestured to his arm. Sirius nodded, pulling his sleeve to reveal Rosewood Park 2:30 pm. "I thought so. Your mother made it very clear she didn't want you there."

Sirius' face fell.

"So let's go! Anything to annoy Wally is good with me." Sirius grinned, marching towards the door. "Hold up. Don't you want to change first?"

Sirius nodded, dragging Regulus to their guest room to change.

The park was nice and had good equipment for the two brothers to play with. It wasn't too full and loud, so they played happily. He didn't even notice how time flew until his glanced at his watch. Sirius nervously looked around the park, trying to see if anybody else was coming. It was almost 2:30 pm.

He sat on a swing and waited. Nobody came and the time passed. He tried not to feel too sad. There was always tomorrow and the day after that.

But Sirius came to the park every day for the month he was staying at his uncle's home, and nobody ever showed up at the time.

Sirius let his uncle buy him a popsicle every day.

It was to make up for the fact that his soulmate never showed.

Summer '68

The second his mother left them at Uncle Alphard's place Sirius had already been changing to leave. Like usual, he pulled along a reluctant Regulus. Of course, his brother had fun every time they went, but Regulus still complained about the heat and his tiredness.

"You don't have to come with me," Sirius angrily replied when Regulus sat down and refused to move. "I could go by myself. I don't need you to play with me."

"Fine. Go then." Regulus stuck out his tongue and stood up to get his coloring books.

His uncle sighed, "If Regulus doesn't want to go, we're gonna stay inside, okay, Sirius?"

Sirius frowned, nodding his head but not enjoying it one bit. He tapped his foot on the floor and stood there before sulking off to the room.

There was no popsicle to cheer him up.

Regulus had grown used to indoors, so Sirius managed to convince his uncle to let him go by himself to the park. It wasn't far, only a block or two away. He went faithfully, exploring the various sections of the park. He wanted to tell his soulmate everything there was to know. Maybe they'd be impressed with him.

But just like the past summer, nobody appeared. He had a collection of popsicle sticks in his room for every time he had to make himself feel better. So on the last night he was there, he laid in bed, holding his stuffed wolf tight.

"Don't worry, Padfoot, we'll-we'll be alright." Sirius sighed, rolling around in the bed. He could hear Regulus mumbling nonsense next to him. He squeezed his wolf harder. "I' them, and I'll tell you all them! And I'll tell them about you too."

Summer '69

Summer '70

Summer '71

Sirius grinned happily at his uncle and moved through his house was ease. He still had hope he'd meet his soulmate, even if all the past summers had been unsuccessful. But this was a lucky summer, he could feel it.

It was the summer right before he was bound to enter Hogwarts.

It also might be his last summer coming here. He heard his father and mother whispering about how his Uncle Alphard wasn't a fit Pureblood anymore and how he disagreed on certain topics. He remembered very vividly the harsh words his father spat when he talked about their summer stay. He almost forbid Sirius from going this time around but relented eventually after some words from his mother.

It also helped that Regulus refused to go this summer saying that there was nothing to do there and how bored he was. His parents were fine with that and vainly tried to convince him to do the same.

But here he was again, placing all his belongings on the bed and unpacking quickly. His eyes fell on the shoe box tucked away in one of the drawers, untouched from the last summer. He opened it and smiled at the amount of popsicle sticks he racked up over the summers. Glancing at his watch, Sirius made his way over to the park but not before informing his uncle.

He walked slowly, not like the first time he had gone to the park. Over the many times, he realized running and walking quickly didn't help in finding his soulmate quickly.

"Fancy a popsicle, lad?" The vendor said, already taking out the red flavor which Sirius adored. He handed over the money and thanked the man before making his way deeper into the park.

Sirius didn't always stay in the area of the swings and other equipment. Sometimes he sat on the bench that looked over the field of soccer and baseball, watching game after game and cheering on whichever team he rooted for. Other times he found a nice empty bench to sit on and read a Muggle book his uncle had laying around, or he drew the scenery in the sketchbook his Uncle Alphard bought in. They were all good ways to pass the time.

This time Sirius walked around the park, idly licking the popsicle until 2:30 pm came around.

Sirius found himself at the entrance of the park five minutes before 2:30 pm, buying another popsicle. This time it was the blue flavor. He tapped his foot and glanced out onto the upcoming traffic.

He felt time freeze as he locked eyes with twinkling amber hued eyes. He could hear his heartbeat in his ears, pounding fast and hard. He gasped, not noticing his popsicle had fallen to the floor. The boy widened his eyes but was prodded forward by a kind looking man to get inside the car. That was the only good look Sirius got before the car drove off.

Sirius glanced at his watch and saw the hand pointed to 2:31 pm. Was that his soulmate? No, he wasn't even in the park! Only Sirius was. But even Sirius couldn't deny the soft and fluttering sensation throughout his entire body.

When he went back to bed that night, he hugged his stuffed wolf with a heavy heart. He was far too old to still be sleeping with Padfoot, but he didn't care. He whispered everything into his wolf's ear, not leaving a single detail out.

He dreamt of twinkling amber eyes.

"Incoming Strike: Wormtail head east, Padfoot try and strike from behind, and Moony are you high up enough?"

Sirius stealthily moved through the crumbled and intact buildings, grinning as he adjusted his grip on his bow. The enemy base was on the complete opposite side of the map and he'd been semi-close already. He checked his map and began his journey.

"I'm in a good position, Prongs," Moony said. Sirius brought up the radar and laughed silently. It seemed their sniper had chosen a rather tight and risky spot. But if Moony had the complete confidence in it, then so would Sirius. But not because Sirius liked the sniper or something like that since who would be dumb enough to develop a crush on your teammate? In a game? Someone you don't know in real life?

Sirius would, and he did. He fell hard for the teammate named Moony with the nice voice and kind words. In Sirius' defense, they played in life and death situations daily. That is more than enough time to know someone because those situations bring out the true person, or so people said.

"If you get any higher, you'd be closer to your home. Heaven." Sirius smugly smiled to himself as he heard Moony snort. "I'm being completely serious, y'know?"

"Uh, guys, less flirting and more kicking ass, please," James, codename: Prongs, whined. He was the only one Sirius knew in real life when they weren't connected to the game, Order of the Phoenix. "If we let this team beat us, we'll never hear the end of it."

Sirius wanted to respond, but he bit his tongue. He could make out rustling and footsteps a few yards in front of him. Being so close to the enemy's location he doubted it was Wormtail. Tightening his hold on his rifle bow, he lifted it up and began walking forward. The noises seemed to completely stop as he got closer and he wondered if he'd made any noise along the way.

Sirius cursed underneath his breath when he heard the telltale sign of a bow being used. He jumped to the side and grunted when his shoulder struck the wall. Sirius immediately whirled around and the other enemy player held his bow in his face.

"Well, it seems I'm the victor here," a voice drawled. Sirius groaned when he made out the voice. Rabastan practically preened on having cornered Sirius on an empty street. Sirius simple hummed, already thinking of his next move. Rabastan was a decent shot with the bow, but Sirius, well, he was an expert. "Have fun respawning on the other end of the m-"

Bang.

Blood smeared his face and armor when Rabastan's head exploded.

Sirius' eyes widened and he immediately turned on the comms. "I had him, Moony. I so had him."

"Didn't look that way to me," Moony quipped back, a cheeky tone coloring his voice. "This is the part where you thank me for saving your cute behind."

Sirius flushed and his hands stilled in place. What was the boundary line when you had a flirty relationship with the sharpshooter of your team? "So you think I'm cute?" he asked hopefully, scavenging Rabastan's dead body to keep himself busy. He gasped when he found a particular special compass in Rabastan's belongings.

This compass led you to your soulmate in the game. It had even been said that those who disconnect and transport out of the game to meet up when the compass recognizes the pair as soulmates, there was a 95% chance that they'd end up forever.

"Uh, well, you," Moony responded, obviously flustered himself. Sirius desperately wanted to know if it led to Moony, so he equipped the item and left quickly.

"You guys make me puke," Wormtail chimed in, sounding positively disgusted.

"Agreed. Now, is everybody in position?"

After hearing the team's murmured agreement, James yelled, "Attack!"

The rest of the raid sent smoothly. James barged in the building with Wormtail on the other end and Sirius incoming from behind. The Death Eater's had some knowledge of their arrival because they saw the announcement of their teammate's death. They were down one member, but the Death Eater's were a team of 7. Their Captain was Lord Voldemort. He was a pompous asshole who thought he was better than everyone. Unfortunately, he was actually a good player.

But not good enough.

The Marauders worked quickly and efficiently. Moony with his epic headshots, Sirius with his arrow shots, James with a sharp and lethal sword, and Wormtail with his magic and potions.

The Death Eater's stood no chance. The sky exploded in red and gold colors with The Marauders written in the center. Sirius grinned, feeling James yell in excitement and clap him on the back. Sirius returned the shout and laughed when James did the same to Wormtail. Out of the corner of his eye, he saw Moony making his way over. Sirius activated the compass right before the map they were in dematerialized.

"I'll never get used to that," James groaned, blinking rapidly. "I swear I see nothing but pitch blackness. It's like free falling."

"I see a galaxy," Moony added, taking his helmet off. "It's beautiful," he breathed out, but his gaze was on Sirius.

Sirius blushed under the stare of those amber hued eyes. The beeping of the compass interrupted his thoughts. It was one of those special items that still worked even if you weren't in battle.

Many other players gathered around them and pointed excitedly at the leaderboard. Sirius had no time for them. His eyes were fixed on the compass whose needles were pointing in front of him. He ignored James' calls to celebrate and walked forward. To his surprise, Sirius only walked two steps forward before the compass stayed still.

"I guess these really do work," Moony spoke, holding his wrist out and displaying his very own compass. "I got it off Rodolphus' body," the other man admitted sheepishly.

"I wanted it to point to you," Sirius blurted out, soaking in the sight of Remus' pink cheeks. "I'm glad it was you. I've had this crush on you for a while."

"Me, too," Moony agreed, hesitantly taking Sirius' hands in his. "My real name is Remus Lupin."

"I'm Sirius Black." Sirius bit his lip, his heart beating wildly. "Want an out of this world experience? Because as nice as this is, I want to meet you in real life. Outside of this game."

Remus smiled. "Yeah, I'd like that very much."

They exchange phone numbers and Sirius happily scribbled it down on his hand. Once they were Apparated out of the game, nothing came out except for their essence being brought back to their physical body. This was the next big thing in saving a number.

Right before Sirius and Remus disconnected from the game, Remus leaned over and whispered, "I do think you're cute."

Sirius was transported back into his body as a blushing mess. He reached for his phone and dialed the number Remus had given him and he waited for the phone to pick up.

"Hello? Sirius?"

Sirius smiled. Yeah, the Order of the Phoenix was a nice escape from reality. But he'd very much rather be with Remus in the real world instead of the virtual one.

When Sirius was small, he didn't quite understand the concept of soulmates and why they had to share pain. He figured pain was something an individual had to face alone. If he fell and scraped his knee, that was on him. He didn't get why when his soulmate got a bruise, he was left with a shadow and a jolt of pain.

However, now at the age of 18, he understood. There was something about pain that linked soulmates together. Something about bonding over it and supporting each other through the hurt. It also served as medication for his heart. Sirius knew someone was there, and he was glad.

But looking at the odd placement of the bruises now, he was worried. There were several bruises on his back, arms, and legs. Odd discoloration also adorned his usual creamy skin.

"Oh, god, what happened?" his mother asked, wiping her hands on her apron and walking to the door of the kitchen. "Your face," she whispered, taking it in her hands.

"They're not mine," Sirius replied, biting his lower lip. Mrs. Potter accidentally poked his bruise too hard. His adoptive mom was overprotective, so it might've been a good thing to not mention that it looked like his soulmate had undergone surgeries. "They're my soulmates. Mom, there are a lot more than usual. What does that mean?"

His mom sighed, picking up her knife to continue cooking breakfast. "I have some . . . ideas. None of them particularly good."

"Like what?" he questioned, leaning against the table. He regretted it when he felt pain shoot up his arm.

His mom sent him a sympathetic look. "Well, Sirius, I know it's unusual to get bruises every so often. It doesn't usually work that way. Most people experience a toothache or bruise every now and then. But this bruising and color. It's a fact that they are a professional fighter or your soulmate's . . . sick. Very sick. I've seen patients with similar pains and bruises."

He remained silent.

"At the hospital, there's this program the nurses and I are running. It's on a volunteer basis. You get to keep company and interact with those who might not get any visitors or company. It's a good program. It also might help you understand your soulmate's situation better."

"I'll think about it." Sirius frowned, aching bones and body making their way back to his bedroom. He had to check them out in more in his body mirror.

He hoped his soulmate was okay. His mother was right. This was not fighting. Sirius should be better informed of any illness his soulmate might have.

Remus sighed once again, looking out his window. It was so very boring in the hospital. He had nothing to do but read. Usually, that would've been an ideal situation, except it wasn't so fun when it was the only thing to do. He liked reading when the choice was given to him.

Now, exhausting the hospital books, he people watched. There were many types of people who entered the hospital, but only three types left. One: the workers who appeared exhausted for their part, two: happy people who must've gotten positive news, or three: the depressed bunch who left in near tears.

"Remus, I've brought you some lunch," his mom said, walking into the room with the hospital tray. "I know you feel it an effort to chew so it's soup! Please eat. It's good for you."

Remus smiled fondly at his mom. She was always there one who kept to his room, changing the flowers or making sure he was alright. She was part of the type 3 group.

"I … got a job," his mother began, sitting by his side and grabbing his hand, "but I couldn't figure out how to tell you."

Remus nodded, knowing exactly where this conversation was headed. She couldn't visit him daily anymore. Of course, he was saddened, but Remus knew that hospital fees weren't cheap. His dad was already working plenty and his mom must've realized that it wasn't going to make the payments.

Squeezing her hand, he said, "It's okay. I understand. I'm already a new adult. I can take care of myself. The nurses will always be there to help out if I need it."

"Okay, honey." Hope kissed his cheek and caressed his face. "Don't worry. These will fade, and you'll get better."

Remus grinned, her name fit her perfectly.

"Oh, and I hope you don't mind, but I put your name on a sheet to receive some volunteers who talk and keep company to the patients." She grabbed her bag. "I signed you up around a week ago. It starts today, and I know my job was happening soon. But I don't want you alone here."

Remus was nervous, but he reassured his mom that everything was fine. She left happy and he liked it that way. Besides, most volunteers were older than him, so they'd be easier to communicate with. Worst case scenario was that the volunteer cared nothing about him and was an asshole. He hoped it wasn't that kind of person.

When the clock struck 3 pm, someone knocked at his door. He called out for them to enter. To his surprise, a boy around his age entered, grin wide and face happy. He was handsome. Extremely so. Remus didn't want this guy to see him like this.

However, Remus could just make out the bruises covering his face and arms.

"Hey, you must be Remus Lupin. I'm Sirius Black. It's great to meet you."

Remus repeated the sentiment, sitting just a bit straighter in his chair. Nobody told him the volunteer was going to be this cute.

The heavy sigh escaped his lips before he could stop it. Sirius smiled apologetically to his date as she raised her eyebrows.

"Late night?" Lily Evans asked, looking through her menu with little interest. The pair were at a high-end restaurant having dinner; that was it, nothing more. Their parents had hoped they'd fall in love or at least get married for the sake of their companies.

"No," he answered, effectively cutting all further conversation. Sirius did not want to be here at another marriage meeting. His father kept arranging them no matter how much he protested. Sirius was an absolute romantic. He wanted to meet his soulmate and fall in love.

Of course, he felt bad for acting like a jerk to what seemed like a nice girl. It was just ...this was his sixth marriage meeting in the last four days. He was absolutely done with them.

"You know, I don't want to be here either," Lily said nonchalantly, frowning slightly at the menu. She looked up and made direct eye contact. "I've already met my soulmate. He's a fool. A loveable fool. I'm just trying to figure out a way to introduce him to my parents. This, unfortunately, was already planned before I met him."

Sirius leaned forward, excited. "How'd you meet him? I've been dying to meet my soulmate."

"It was pretty cliché," Lily admitted, her cheeks turning pink. She huffed, trying to hide her obvious embarrassment. "I was at my local bookstore and we both reached for the same book. Our hands touched and we stared into each other's eyes. And we just knew."

Sirius sighed wistfully. "My best friend James met his soulmate like that. You're lucky."

"Potter. James Potter, right?" Lily laughed, shaking her head. "Oh, this is hilarious. He's gonna be so jealous that I'm on this ridiculous date with you."

"God, no, he'd kill me. James literally spent an entire day talking about you. He never mentioned your name either," Sirius snorted, leaning back in his chair.

The two were laughing at the small coincidences when a new waiter appeared.

"Hello, I'm Remus Lupin. I'll be taking over your table today. Are you ready to order?" Remus asked, smiling in Lily's direction as she rattled off her order. But Sirius couldn't take his eyes off Remus.

He didn't know why. The man before them was gorgeous. He was tall and lean with sandy brown hair and long eyelashes framing amber eyes. Sirius wanted Remus to desperately turn in his direction. He wanted the man to talk to him in that low, deep voice. Desire swelled in the pit of his gut.

Sirius was on the edge of his seat when Remus finally looked at him. Electric currents ran through his body and he finally saw.

Remus' image flashed in his mind various times. He was a librarian and Sirius was a patron. Remus was a sheriff and Sirius a criminal. Remus was a werewolf and Sirius his mate and a wizard. Sirius was a gamer and Remus was his teammate. Sirius had cancer and Remus was his boyfriend. Sirius was a teacher and Remus was a single parent. In every single life, Remus was beautiful.

He hardly realized when he stopped breathing. Taking in deep breaths, Sirius grabbed Remus' hand. It fit perfectly in Sirius'.

"You're my soulmate," Sirius began, taking in the sight of Remus' flushed face. The amber eyes opened impossibly wide, the soft pink covering his cheeks, the small scar on the tip of his eyebrow, and the pink lips parted open. "I've been waiting all my life for you."

Remus nodded shyly, glancing at Lily. "Isn't she your date for the night?" he asked, his voice sounding sad.

"Oh, god, no! She's nobody," Sirius quickly replied, ignoring Lily's cry of protest. "She's my friend's soulmate. She's different. She's not even of importance right now."

"You have no idea," Lily muttered to herself, the two obviously lost in each other.

"I'm single and free." Sirius winked.

"Good," Remus breathed, blush deepening when he realized his statement.

"Actually, I'm not free," Sirius whispered, pulling Remus down to him. The worry in Remus' eyes was adorable. "You've stolen my heart."

"That was so cheesy," Lily chimed in, giggling as Sirius flicked her off without sparing a glance in her direction.

"I liked it," Remus whispered, squeezing his hand back.

Sirius' heart swooned. "Do you want to go get dinner with me?"

Remus laughed, it sounded like heaven to Sirius. "Aren't you having dinner right now?"

"I will leave this second if it meant spending time with you," Sirius spoke truthfully. "Like, really, just say the word and I'm all yours."

"I'm working. I can't just leave." Remus took his hand back and grabbed their menus. He looked around the room and quickly pressed a kiss to Sirius' cheeks. "I'll be waiting after my shift ends. I end at 10."

"Yes," Sirius sighed dreamily, hand reaching up to touch his cheek. He'd wait forever for Remus Lupin.

Lily snorted, Sirius looked like a puppy waiting for his owner to come back. "Whipped."

The ship is taking me far away
Far away from the memories
Of the people who care if I live or die

The official letter lay on the table, opened and read. Sirius had left it there in his excitement when he rushed to Remus' side. His boyfriend was reading calmly on the couch and Sirius wasted no time pouncing on him.

"I got in. I got in. I actually made it!" Sirius exclaimed, wrapping his arms around Remus and sighing in content. He nuzzled his face into Remus' neck. Just one touch of Remus put him immediately at ease. Maybe that's because they were soulmates, but Sirius liked to believe it was because Sirius loved Remus. This level of intimacy was them, not the universe naming the two soulmates.

"Hold up. What are you talking about?" Remus asked, letting Sirius clutch onto him, a fond smile on his face.

"The Space Program in NASA! I'm going to be an astronaut!" Sirius laughed, a few tears slipping out. He promptly wiped the tears away with Remus' cardigan. "I'm actually gonna go to space!"

Remus pulled back in shock and stared at Sirius' happy face. His heart squeezed painfully, but he smiled nonetheless. "I'm so proud of you! I knew you could do it." The words spoken were genuine.

Sirius nodded and hugged Remus even more; he couldn't get enough of him. But Remus didn't mind because he wanted it just as bad. Sirius and Remus were confident in their relationship—in their love—to be able to support one another and believe space wouldn't separate them.

• . . . •

Sirius adjusted the camera screen to make sure his face and torso was visible. As much as he'd like to show Remus his nether regions and do something less than appropriate, there were two other astronauts-Alice Longbottom and Benjy Fenwick- in here with him. He secured himself in his seat, not wanting to be flying around once the anti-gravity hit. He impatiently waited for the loading signal, all pout and crossed arms, until Remus' face appeared on the screen.

His face broke out into a dopey smile. "Remus! It's so good to see you."

Remus smiled, eyes soft and smile warm. He was wrapped up in a blue jumper and obviously on their bed, resting against the headrest. "Hey, I miss you."

Sirius groaned, "It's so good to hear your voice! You have no idea how tough it is to only hear two other people besides yourself." A loud protest sounded in front of him and Sirius laughed sheepishly. "That was Alice. She's fine as long as she's not teasing." He spoke the last bit louder and laughed when Alice flicked him off.

Remus hummed, content with watching and listening to Sirius talk. Sirius moved his entire body when he spoke. Always a bit too big for life. Maybe that's why he always wanted to go in space.

"You know, Alice has her soulmate back on Earth, too. It's nice having someone who relates to you, y'know? I know I sure as hell miss your touch." Sirius sighed. They exchanged longing looks and Sirius cleared his throat. He didn't want to cry in front of Remus. This was his dream and he'd chosen this. "What's new there?"

"Well, James and Lily are finally getting married; they decided on a date and everything. It's in about 6 months. They wanted you to be there but that likely isn't going to happen." Sirius grimaced and Remus nodded apologetically. "The university allows me to teach a core class now. I'm going out for some drinks later with the others to celebrate."

Sirius swallowed. He had missed so much ever since he officially went up into space. James and he always envisioned each other being their best man. It hurt to think that someone else would take that role. Sirius wanted to be the first to know about Remus' career accomplishments. He wanted to be there for Remus, physically and emotionally. But he couldn't do that in space.

"Oh, that's fun." Sirius leaned forward in his seat, hoping Remus could see how immensely proud and happy he was. "I'm proud of you, Remus. I'm so goddamn proud! I truly am. Your students are going to love you very much."

Remus wiped his eyes, some tears were threatening to spill. Sirius did the same. "Thank you."

Sirius couldn't cry or he'd never be content with himself, chasing his dream and leaving his heart behind. If he changed the subject, he'd spare Remus and himself the heartache.

"Do you ever wonder if there's life on other planets? Because let me tell you …"

Two hearts yearning for each other—for each other's touch—but the distance separating them.

I don't know if it's worth it anymore

Sirius couldn't wrap his head around Remus' words. "What does that mean?" he asked softly.

It didn't help that Remus looked so incredibly guilty. Remus bit his lower lip and wouldn't meet Sirius' eyes.

"It means exactly that." Remus sighed, gathering enough courage to lock eyes with him. The nervous smile, the tense shoulders, and the sad amber eyes was beginning to be the image Sirius associated with Remus. This was the Remus who had been on his screen in the past few months. "I've met someone."

Sirius wanted to argue and protest, but the words were stuck in his mouth. He only stared dumbfoundedly at Remus, blinking rapidly as if to stop the tears which were pressing at his eyes. There was a long pause before Remus spoke again.

"I didn't mean to. Trust me. I had no intention of looking for someone else. But she found me." Sirius could see the small fond smile Remus let out. The smile that used to be reserved for him. "I-I guess I missed human contact, human touch. She's a good a person. A really good girl. I didn't mean to develop feelings."

Since when were they talking about feelings? Sirius thought bitterly and sighed. Sirius couldn't blame Remus. He was out here in space, far far away, and he couldn't make Remus stop living his life for him. It was unfair and cruel to even ask Remus to wait. Sirius had only figured Remus would because they were soulmates—how could he ever live without Remus?

The answer was: he couldn't.

"Aren't you going to say something?" Remus asked frustrated. Sirius then made two realizations: first, Remus wanted Sirius to get angry and explode so they would have a fight and Remus wouldn't feel guilty now that he's so obviously with her, and second, Remus doesn't love him anymore.

Sirius nodded slowly, opening his mouth and closing it again. "I...I understand," he began, looking at Remus properly. His face looked better than it had in weeks. This girl was a good thing for him. "I can't blame you. It'd be cruel of me to do so. I'm over here and you're there. I'm chasing my dream and you should too. I can't ask you to wait for me, to put your life on hold for me."

Remus stared blankly at Sirius. It pained Sirius that he couldn't read Remus' face anymore. He gulped, willing himself to continue.

"I can't be the one holding you back from happiness. That's all I ever wanted for you. And if she makes you happy, then I can't stop that. Does … she make you happy?" Sirius asked, voice cracking on the last word.

"Yeah, she does," Remus admitted, face at ease before he remembered who he was talking to and what he was doing. Breaking Sirius' heart.

"Good. That's really good." Sirius smiled honestly. I wanted to make you happy. "It's fine, Remus. Don't feel guilty when you're with her. Cherish her, okay?"

Remus sighed in relief. He nodded determinedly. "I will."

Two heart beats once yearning for each other, in disharmony.

"Goodbye, Remus," Sirius said, reaching a hand out to cut the transmission.

"Wait!" Remus cried, looking embarrassed at his sudden outburst. He opened his mouth and closed it twice before finally managing to ask, "Can...Can I still call you? I-I don't want us to never speak again. But I understand if … if you don't w-want to."

Sirius hesitated to answer. He wanted to say no, please, don't ever call me again, but his heart wouldn't allow it. Sirius didn't think he could live without ever seeing or talking to Remus again. And maybe Remus had counted on that fact because his traitorous heart wouldn't let him disagree.

"Sure."

Our hopes and expectations
Black holes and revelations

"I've been really busy lately with Teddy and teaching. Tonks is still on maternity leave, but her energy is amazing. She made a really fast comeback," Remus explained, rocking his small child in his arms. Sirius laughed on the monitor, looking at Teddy in wonder. He was so very tiny and fragile. "He cries so much in the night. I can hardly get a good night's sleep anymore."

"But he's so tiny," Sirius cried, shaking his head. Teddy made small noises at his voice. "How could he possibly make so much noise?"

Remus thought about all those late nights where Teddy woke him up multiple times. He snorted, "He's a crybaby. I'm going to tease him so much when he grows up."

"You're being petty, Remus. Teasing the future Teddy just because he's keeping you up all night. He's your responsibility, okay? Keep the little bud safe."

Remus smiles, letting Teddy grab his pinky. "Of course."

A little bang sounded through the rocket and Sirius glanced up to see Benjy staring sulkily at him, making their Rubix cubes drop to the table. Benjy gave him a longing look, opening his arms and inviting Sirius to cuddle.

"I've got my own little baby to take care of," Sirius teased, staring at Benjy and murmured a hurried goodbye, blindly cutting off the transmission. "What? Couldn't wait?" he whispered, making his way over to Benjy, slipping into his arms.

Back over on Earth, Remus muttered a belated 'bye' as the feed cut off. It felt … odd to see Sirius moon over this Benjy Fenwick fellow. It's not like Remus hadn't expected it or foresaw it before Sirius himself. He could clearly see how painful it was for Sirius to talk with him after they ended their relationship of many he himself had ended it.

So seeing Sirius fall in love with another was a pleasant, if not painful, surprise. He noticed the way Benjy's name appeared more often in Sirius' speech. How Sirius' smile become fond over time, how his lips curled into a smile at the mention of the other man. It was a relief to his guilt, but a stake through his heart.

Remus was upset at himself. He had no right to be jealous or bitter. He had caused this. Remus drove him into the arms of another. Teddy made small noises and squirmed around his arms as if sensing his worries.

He kissed Teddy on the forehead and pressed fingers into Teddy's stomach. "I'm okay, Ted. I'm okay. Now, let's wait for mommy together."

Hold you in my arms
I just wanted to hold
You in my arms

Sirius felt disoriented when his feet touched Earth for the first time in years. He breathed in the fresh air and sighed. Benjy offered his arm to him and Sirius took it. On his other arm was Alice, and the three walked off the ship, giddy and proud.

Once they went to get ready to go back home, or their version of home on Earth, Sirius pressed kisses on both his companion's cheeks. His relationship with Benjy had ended on amicable terms and they were better off as friends than lovers. They all parted with words of seeing together again. Sirius didn't doubt their words.

He was exhausted and tired, but glad to be back. Slipping into his regular attire, he waited for his ride to come. The rumble of a car called his attention and he grinned.

James Potter honked and made sure to park the car on the curb before rushing out and bear-hugging him. Sirius hugged back as equally as strong and they toppled over to the floor. The two laughed and finally calmed each other down.

"Oh, I missed you! My best friend goes off to space and those video calls are not enough!" James cried, as they stood up. "Your stupid face isn't nearly as endearing in space than in real life."

"You asshole," Sirius said, punching James' arm. He glanced over and blew a kiss in the direction of Lily who was getting out of the car with baby Harry in her arms. "Is this my godchild?"

"Welcome back, Sirius," Lily greeted with fondness in her voice. Sirius hugged her too and took Harry in his arms. "James has been insufferable without you. Can you believe he wanted me to do crazy stuff with him?"

"I bet you did them, too," Sirius teased, bouncing the boy. He laughed when Lily's face exploded in red.

"Sirius," a terribly familiar voice breathed out. Sirius froze and slowly looked up to see Remus with Teddy in his arms. "It's so good to see you."

Sirius swallowed, handing Harry carefully over to Lily. He brushed back a lock of black hair over his ear. "... Remus, it's been a while," Sirius shakily said, drinking in the sight of Remus. It seemed life had aged him; worry lines were cemented into his skin.

Remus smiled weakly and Teddy babbled incoherently. His small, chubby arms reaching for Sirius. James stepped in and gently took Teddy in his arms. James winked before musing Teddy with funny voices.

"It's been a while," Sirius began, hands stiffly at his side.

"Understatement of the century," Remus finished for him, taking a step forward. Sirius met him halfway and he could feel his heart beating wildly against his ribcage. The sheer proximity of Remus was making him lose his mind and heart.

Sirius and Remus met each other halfway and their hug was electric. They touched one another—hands roaming everywhere in an effort to feel the other as much as they could —like they were in a desert for months and the other was an oasis. Sirius let his head rest in the crook of Remus' neck, inhaling the sweet scent of Remus.

Yes, Sirius was happy in Benjy's embrace, but with Remus, he was ridiculously content with life—with him.

"I love you," Sirius whispered, pulling back slightly to see Remus' face. "I love you so much. I don't think I ever stopped loving you."

"Me neither," Remus admitted, lifting his hands to cup Sirius'. His amber eyes mirroring the desire in Sirius' gray orbs. "I loved Tonks, yes, but it was a different type of love. This love, these feelings in my heart, they're uncontainable."

"I love you."

Sirius' closed the distance between the two, pressing a chaste and fleeting kiss to Remus' cheek. Remus sighed and they kissed, lips kissing every bit of skin they could find.

Remus was his soulmate and the feel of his touch was like no other.

• . . . •

Sirius groaned when he felt a heavy body strewn across his back. It was too early in the morning for this. He wanted to bury his head deeper into his pillow. "Teddy, no."

"Teddy, yes!" shouted Teddy from on top of his fathers. Sirius brought his head up from the pillow and looked at him. The cheeky ten-year-old smirked and began moving uncontrollably. "I'm hungry. Feed me. It's your duty."

Sirius groaned once more before slipping out from underneath Remus' arm and from Teddy's weight. "I'm going, I'm going." He shot a disgusting look at Remus who slept peacefully. Sirius envied Remus' ability to sleep like the dead. "Wake your dad up," he said, ruffling Teddy's hair.

"Sure, Pops!"

Sirius slipped on a shirt and his slippers, walking groggily to the kitchen. On his way there he passes Tonks' memorial picture, he bows his head in respect for the dead. Sirius met Tonks various times through the video calls and she was an amazing woman. He was genuinely upset when they detected the first stage of cancer in her lungs.

Sirius closed his eyes and took a deep breath before continuing his pace. At least, he knew she was happy to be reunited with her soulmate who was taken far too soon from this world, just like Tonks was.

Their fridge was thankfully full since he went grocery shopping a few days ago. Sirius had the eggs on the table already and was finishing frying up the bacon when he felt Remus hug him from behind. Sirius clicked his tongue and tilted his head to the side, allowing Remus more access to bury his head into his neck.

"You're finally up," Sirius teased, setting the spatula down and turning off the stove. He pushed Remus away gently to finish setting up the table. "About time too."

Remus smiled sheepishly, sitting down. "Teddy told me how he woke you up." He reached over to squeeze Sirius' fingers and entangle their hands together. "Would a kiss make it better?"

Sirius frowned, his brows furrowed. "Since when did you become such a smooth talker. You probably learned from watching me," he huffed, leaning down and kissing Remus slowly.

"No. I just want to eat in peace," Teddy exclaimed, sliding into his seat. "You two can be gross when I'm at school!"

Sirius and Remus laughed, making exaggerated kissing noises though they weren't kissing. Teddy groaned some more, wrinkling his nose exasperatedly.

Despite the struggles to get to this moment, Sirius was so very content. He looked at the adoring faces of his family and memorized the image to get him through the lonely nights in space.

Remus and Teddy were his happiness, and Sirius wouldn't change the past at all. All the pain and sadness he went through led up to this moment—their happily ever after.

When Sirius pictured the end of the world, he certainly never imagined he'd reunite with his old lover and be killing zombie hordes in order to survive and impress Remus Lupin.

But that's exactly what was going on as Sirius sliced through zombies, swinging his sword around in precise and efficient movements. Remus was a few feet behind him, shouting spell after spell in deadly success to kill the incoming zombies. The horde of the infected were almost wiped out. When Remus delivered the final spell, Sirius sighed and gave him a tired smile.

They were a really good team together. With Sirius' skill on the sword and weapons combined with Remus' insane knowledge on spells and curses, they were an unstoppable force. Being soulmates also increased their strength and teamwork. When groups went out for water or food runs, it was always advisable and mandatory to have one skilled in weapons and one skilled in magic, just in case something went wrong.

Sirius felt power flow through his veins when Remus was beside him whether it be fighting for their lives or simply resting on the ratty, old couch in Grimmauld Place. This power was the proof of their soulmate status.

So when Remus returned the smile, Sirius felt invincible, like he always did with Remus beside him.

Ever since the apocalypse began and he was able to escape Azkaban, Sirius had many troubles. First, he was terribly weak from being locked up in a cell for so long. Second, he had no wand to use since his was taken away. And lastly, Sirius had no one to turn to in the outbreak.

All of his past friends were either dead (from the war) or had burned their bridges with him. No one wanted to remain friends with a convict, even a wrongly accused one, though many believed he was guilty. Sirius had left the island on a boat filled with other prisoners when none of the guards had ever come back. The Dementors had also gathered and left. The boat came to land on a dock that was crawling with zombies.

That's also where Sirius picked up his sword. It seemed like those years his parents put him through sword training would finally come into use. Long story short, he made it to Wizarding World and found chaos. He met up with a small group of familiar faces and they traveled to his childhood residence. Point of this story was: Sirius had found Remus again.

Remus summoned his patronus and said, "Clear, Shacklebolt. Getting supplies now. We should be back within the hour."

Sirius slipped his sword back into his sheath and began grabbing food items from the shelves. He laughed when he found the aisle of junk food. Sirius grabbed some chips bags and stuffed them in the bag. Look, they all needed some indulgences, right?

"Sirius," Remus' scolding voice called out. Sirius winked when Remus crossed his arms and threw some cans into his own bag. "Those aren't healthy. What you need right now are nourishing foods to build your strength up again."

Sirius groaned as Remus tossed him a beans bag. "Rem, I need those. I was fed rarely, enough to keep me alive, and it was slop. Let me take the chips. Please," he fluttered his eyelashes, making sure to give Remus the best puppy dog eyes.

Remus bit his lip but wearily nodded. "Fine, but you gotta eat your entire plate today."

Sirius walked up to Remus and kissed his cheek. "Of course, love. I'm off to the pharmacy section to get what I can. Meet me there in 20."

"You're incorrigible!"

"But you still love me!" Sirius' laughter rang through the store. He quickly cast a revelio charm and grinned when there were three zombies hiding in the back. This was a piece of cake. No need to use his sword for this.

Sirius banged the countertop with his hands and succeeded in calling the undead's attention. They stumbled towards him. "Reducto!" he called out, watching as blood and limbs of the first zombie splattered the walls. "Reducto!"

He gasped when a splurge of magic traveled through his body and both the zombies exploded into bits. Sirius turned around and grinned at the sight of Remus leaning against a shelf with an amused smile.

"Like what you see?" Sirius purred, shooting finger guns at Remus.

"You know there are less…bloody spells you can use," Remus pointed out, a teasing smile on his lips. "But you always have to be dramatic, don't you?"

Sirius laughed and hopped over the counter, bag at the ready.

They managed to make it back with enough supplies to last the Order of the Phoenix a week before they had to go out again. Sirius collapsed on the couch burrowing his face into the pillow. He heard a small chuckle behind him and he lifted his face high enough to see Kingsley raise his eyebrows at him.

"Have a good time outside?" Kingsley asked, sipping a cup of tea. He rested on the armchair. "Remus is helping put the groceries away."

"Somewhat," he grumbled. Sirius pulled himself to a sitting position. "Do you think that we'll live to see this end?" Sirius didn't notice when his eyes drifted to Remus' figure.

Kingsley studied his face and slowly nodded. "Yes, I do. We're more advantaged than others. If you were wondering whether you'd make it out with Remus and live to grow old. I'll tell you this." He took a deep breath and smiles fondly. "Some people live more in 20 years than others do in 80. It's not the time that matters, it's the person."

Sirius swallowed, Adam's apple moving up and down. "Yeah, I believe that," he whispered, body thrumming as Remus looked over and smiled.

Sirius thanked Kingsley and made his way over to help Remus. He hip-checked Remus and pressed a kiss to his lover's cheek. Sirius would make the best of this given opportunity with Remus by his side.

'Are you an alien? Because your ass is out of this world!'

Remus groaned, unable to hide the smile and his blush at seeing the daily pickup line his soulmate had written. It had become a sort of tradition for his soulmate to write these pickup lines in the morning. Remus quickly grabbed the marker on his bedside table and wrote, 'Sorry, I'm not. I am a werewolf, though. Is that alien enough?'

He was incredibly nervous about telling his soulmate about his furry little problem. But Remus quickly realized that his soulmate would probably think he was joking instead of telling the truth. Still, it felt better to let his soulmate know the truth, even if they took it as playing along.

Remus' soulmate was certainly something. His soulmate had even bought a special marker to communicate if the sea green writing said anything. Based on their personality, Remus could tell they were loud and funny, someone who could capture the attention of an entire room. So in short, someone completely the opposite of Remus. He sighed and got ready for his day. Surely James and Sirius were planning something that he had to stop.

After his morning routine was done and he'd washed away the marker, he made his way towards the Great Hall. The tingling sensation on his arm made him pause. He looked around to make sure no one was coming and pulled his sleeve.

'I know a werewolf. He's amazing. He's also your competition. Step it up, love. I want to be wooed.'

Remus snorted, pulling his sleeve done and walking into the hall. Highly unlikely that his soulmate would ever know a werewolf and call them amazing, not with all those suspicions the Wizarding World has. He could see James loudly complaining as Sirius pocketed a marker. Ah, Sirius Black. If Remus' soulmate had any competition, it'd be Sirius.

Sirius who was so unobtainable. Remus was lucky enough to have become such good friends with Sirius over the years because he wholeheartedly accepted him. Yes, Sirius was impulsive and brash, but he was also kind and warm. He was also unfairly good looking.

"Remus, tell Sirius to let me borrow his marker," James whined, as soon as Remus sat down. Sirius shot James a scathing glare and shook his head. "He won't let me write to my soulmate."

Sirius scoffed, crossing his arms. "It's not my fault you broke your marker. I just got this sea green soulmate marker because my soulmate deserves color." Sirius turned to Remus with his face in full puppy dog mode. James squawked when he noticed. "Tell him no, Rem."

"That's cheating! No puppy eyes!"

It was definitely cheating. Remus could never say no to Sirius when he did that stupid (adorable) face. He sighed and smiled apologetically at James. "Why can't you use a regular marker?"

"I don't have one." James crossed his arms. "You like Sirius more than me. I can't believe mother choose a favorite son."

"I'm not your mother." Remus flushed. "I have a marker. Do you want to borrow it?"

James grinned and extended his palm. "Yes, please."

"Uh, no way. He wants to use the same tactic I do to my soulmate," Sirius complained, watching the interaction with narrowed eyes.

"As if," James muttered, covering his arm and focusing on whatever he was writing.

"Oh? And what tactic is that?" Remus raised a brow. Could Sirius tell that Remus wanted to know in a more than friendly way? Because Sirius and his soulmate were so alike, Remus could only hope that his best friend was also his soulmate. Also, he almost had a heart attack when Sirius mentioned the sea green marker. "Nope, not telling."

Remus deflated slightly. Maybe Sirius would say something if he brought it up first?

"Well, my soulmate is horrible with words." Sirius narrowed his eyes and leaned forward. Remus wasn't sure what to make of this behavior. Was Sirius his soulmate? He could only hope he wasn't wrong. "They're really funny, if not borderline idiotic. It's like they're trying too hard."

"Are not," Sirius cried, taking Remus' hands in his. "You always respond to my lines! I know I've made you laugh. Also, I'm not desperate! I just love you."

Remus laughed, and it was nobody's business if he cried too. He grinned. "Me, too. I just wanted to make sure it was really you."

Sirius blushed. "I knew you were lying. I'm incredibly smooth," Sirius replied, smiling dopily. "I figured out you were my soulmate because I accidentally saw my writing and pickup line on your arm. I was really happy."

Remus practically drank in the sight of Sirius' blushing face. He was determined to see that look again. "I had my suspicions when you mentioned the color of the marker."

Sirius pouted, "I've been dropping so many hints and that's the one you noticed?"

Remus shrugged, removing his right hand from Sirius' and letting it cup Sirius' cheek. Sirius leaned forward eagerly and pressed their foreheads together. They both giggled nervously and leaned forward slowly. Remus' heart beat wildly and he knew Sirius' pulse was the same.

"Potter!" an enraged shout sounded throughout the Great Hall and Sirius and Remus broke apart when they jumped. Remus watched as Regulus stood up from the Slytherin table and marched over to Gryffindor.

"Yes?" James asked nervously, glancing at Remus and Sirius for help.

"Get up," Regulus snarled. James did so immediately and he put his hands up.

"Look, I don't know what's wrong, but we can talk about it?"

Regulus scoffed and grabbed James by his collar. Sirius squeezed Remus' hands and even Professor McGonagall was beginning to get up from her seat. "This is for the daily dick drawing on my arm," Regulus drawled before crushing their lips together.

What the hell? Dick drawings? was Remus' only coherent thought before Sirius cupped Remus' cheeks and forced him to look at him.

"My baby brother will not outdo my moment, " Sirius exclaimed. He smirked and pressed his lips to Remus'.

Remus practically melted into the kiss. His hands found their way into Sirius' hair, and he leaned even more forward despite the fact that the table pressed uncomfortably into his stomach. Remus experimentally tugged on Sirius' hair and was delighted to make Sirius open his mouth in pleasure. Remus wasted no time slipping his tongue in to explore Sirius' mouth.

"Boys!" Professor McGonagall yelled, swishing her wand and magically separating them. Remus took in the content look on Sirius' face and smirked. He wasn't even upset that his favorite teacher was scolding them about appropriate behavior.

Sirius was his soulmate and Remus had plans to see that bright red, content face again.

Remus Lupin studied like no other student. He was quick to finish his homework and prepared months ahead for tests and quizzes. At all times, he had a trusty book with him—whether that be a book for pleasure or a study guide was not an important question.

All this was common knowledge.

The students knew this and the professors did too. It was always a pleasant class if Remus Lupin was there. His genuine interest and hardworking attitude made him the best kind of student to teach and the best classmate to get tips and advice from.

What was not common knowledge, however, was that Remus studied an insane amount because he was absolutely grateful for the opportunity to simply attend Hogwarts. Remus tried his absolute best in every class because he didn't want Headmaster Dumbledore to think he'd made a mistake. Remus wanted to prove that being a werewolf was only a minor bump in his life. Something so insignificant that it wouldn't cause any trouble.

Sirius Black knew all of this.

He knew of Remus' worries and fears. He stood by Remus when he'd come to Sirius frustrated and worried that he'd have to miss an important class when the full moon came around.

This was why Sirius would take the best damn notes he could when Remus had to miss class. This was why Sirius made sure Remus would take much-needed breaks from study and homework sessions and do the most ridiculous things to make Remus smile and laugh. This was why Sirius always carried chocolate around to comfort Remus when his anxiety would spark up. This was why Sirius would hug Remus for hours, and let Remus vent and cry on his shoulder because it made Remus feel so much better to let his fears out of his system.

Another piece of common knowledge around the school was that Sirius Black was a great boyfriend to Remus Lupin.

Much like his relationship with Remus, moving in together was more difficult than it seemed.

Sirius, of course, had known that Remus—as much as he followed the rules—tended to be a bit messy. They lived together for seven years in a dorm, so Sirius was rather confident with living with Remus. He could handle a little mess.

Except Remus was not just a little messy, he was incredibly messy.

It only then dawned on Sirius that Hogwarts had elves! He never truly experienced the Lupin mess, just small peeks into his messiness.

Still, he knew he wasn't a picnic himself.

Having Walburga engrain into him proper etiquette and manners and order, Sirius liked clean. He liked having the shoes fit in their proper place, liked having a clean countertop and kitchen, liked having the bed made early in the morning, and liked having the house smelling like fresh flowers.

However, Remus was the sort of person who left his shoes all over the house, left the bed undone, left his dishes to pile in the sink, and who did not take a moment to spray the house with Febreze like Sirius did.

(Those air fresheners were a marvelous invention and Remus was a heathen who showed it to him and never used them.)

Still, Sirius loved it and loved him.

Sirius loved how now he knew exactly what do in order to prompt Remus into cleaning, how if Sirius stayed into bed too long Remus would worry that he was sick because Sirius wasn't getting up to clean, and how he knew exactly how many marshmallows Remus liked in his hot chocolate. Six was too little, eight was too much, but seven was just right.

And how the amount marshmallows represented Remus' mood. Six was when Remus was feeling down and upset about himself because some asshole of a wizard insulted him. Those nights were spent with Sirius showing Remus just how much he appreciated and loved him. Seven was when Remus felt content and happy, and those nights were spent cuddling. And eight were nights were Remus was completely overwhelmed with his emotions and he needed space to think and breath.

Sirius was pleased to have the opportunity to find all of this and more out as each day passed. Moving in together was possibly the best decision Sirius made.

The kingdom was divided and upset. Sirius' knights were in conflict and kept yelling at each other. Sirius frowned, looking at the two and wondering how he could solve this. James Potter, his first knight, crossed his arms and attempted to glare holes through his second knight, Peter Pettigrew. Truth be told, it actually surprised Sirius to see Peter argue back. Peter was terribly shy and tended to follow Sirius and James around the kingdom.

"Stop," Sirius called, putting a hand in the air, effectively cutting their conversation. He glanced at his people—Frank, Alice, and Lily remain unaware as they continue working the field—and let out a sigh of relief at their ignorance. It would not do good to let his people see the struggles of leading. "Knights are like brothers. You're not acting like brothers so fix this."

Peter huffed, crossing his own arms. "James is being a jerk. He won't let me lead the mission. I can do it, I know I can, but he won't let me."

"Really? Last time you couldn't!" James pointed out. "That mission failed."

Sirius sighed, holding his nose just like he'd seen his parents do whenever he got into trouble. "This mission is really important."

Peter looked at Sirius with puppy dog eyes. "I don't want to play anymore."

Sirius gasped and sent James a glare. "No, no, Peter, you'll lead this mission. Okay? You two can switch!"

"Okay!" Peter replied, picking up his sword from the ground. James sighed loudly but picked up his sword as well.

Sirius nodded and motioned for them to follow him. Sirius was on a very secret important mission today. He was going to find his Queen. Well, not find them because he'd already seen them. He was going to name his Queen.

Sirius smiled when he saw the boy with brown, soft hair and pretty eyes sitting by himself on the swings. Him. That boy was going to be his Queen. Mother always said Queens are the prettiest people.

"Hello!" Sirius exclaimed, extending his hand for a handshake. The other boy looked at him curiously but returned his handshake. "I'm King Sirius. Who are you?"

"Remus Lupin," he replied, glancing at James and Peter behind him. "Did you say you were King Sirius?"

Sirius stuck out his chest proudly. "Yes. I'm King Sirius. These two are my knights, James and Peter. Those three over there are my people!"

"The ones playing in the sandbox?" Remus questioned with a smile. "Is that why James and Peter are holding sticks?"

"They're working in the field, actually. And they're carrying swords, not sticks" Sirius corrected. "Anyway, seeing as you're new to this kingdom. I wanted to see if you wanted to join us."

"You mean play with you?" Remus had a sparkle in his eye. "Would I get to be a knight too?"

"Nope! You'll be my Queen. Queen's are the prettiest, right?" Sirius eagerly stepped forward to grab Remus' hands. "Will you be my Queen?"

Remus' opened his mouth in shock. He looked at Sirius as if he had two heads. "Aren't Queens supposed to be girls?" he whispered softly.

"Uh, does it matter?" Sirius frowned, thinking back to all the fairytales he'd read. "I think boys can be Queens too."

Remus turned red and slowly nodded. "Okay, I'll be your Queen."

"Mission success!" He turned around and patted Peter's shoulder. "Good job, Peter."

"Kids, recess is over! Let's get to class," Ms. McGonagall called, holding their classroom door open. Every child in the jungle gym ran to the inside of the classroom. "That also includes you, Sirius!"

"Darn," Sirius said, seeing Peter and James drop their swords and hurry back. "I'll save you a seat next to me on the rug!" he quickly said, before turning to run inside. "I can't get into trouble again."

Remus laughed and quietly made his way to the classroom.

"Did you enjoy your first day of school?" Ms. McGonagall asked him, a kind smile on her face.

Remus looked inside where Sirius waved happily on the rug, patting a red square beside him. "Yes, I did."

The first time Sirius lays eyes on Remus, he drives his motorcycle straight into the curb and goes flying headfirst onto the pavement. It's not his finest moment, but it certainly isn't his worst either. In all his twenty-five years of living, it's only fitting that this is the way Sirius dies.

In the presence of an angel.

Or was it finally the angel of death coming for him in some sort of divine retribution for causing mischief on others in his youth?

Sirius doesn't know and doesn't care because he knows what he saw. There was an angel standing on the pavement just outside the coffee shop Sirius frequents often. Sirius' stomach fluttered alive with butterflies when he met those amber eyes. He felt the world stop for a short moment before his body jerked itself off his bike.

He hears faint screams around him and the next thing he knows there's a soft voice above him, "There's an ambulance coming soon. Just hold on," and a hand in his hair.

Sirius blinks at the angel and tries to raise a hand to paw at the man's face instead it falls pathetically on his chest. Now that the angel's up close, Sirius is only a tad disappointed when he can't see a halo or wings, but what does he actually know about angels anyway.

"Oh, no, everything's going to be okay. There isn't that much blood," the angel says gently.

Sirens sound in the distant and Sirius closes his eyes, despite the angel's protest, and lets himself be lulled into a safe place. If his time comes while he's in the arms of an angel so be it.

So imagine his surprise when he so rudely gets jostled out of the man's lap. He whines and reaches for a hand.

"What, no, stop." Sirius opens his eyes and reaches for the angel's hand. "Aren't you supposed to take me?"

"Holy crap. Fuck." The EMT guy curses and Sirius takes his gaze off the angel to stare unabashedly into his best mate's face. "Why aren't I surprised it's you?" James turns to the angel and smiles apologetically. "I'm so sorry for the trouble he's put you in."

The angel nods slowly, glancing between Sirius and James with curiosity, but Sirius notes with delight that he still hasn't let go of his hand. "It's okay. I just hope he's alright."

"Don't leave me," Sirius pleads with the angel, using the best puppy dog eyes he can muster, even the holy wouldn't be able to say no to him. There are more dark spots appearing in his vision the longer he stays awake. Maybe he'll go to sleep soon. That sounds nice. "Stay."

The last thing he registers is the small upturn at the corner of the angel's mouth before a darkness overcomes him.

"I'm dead," Sirius announces when he opens his eyes only to stare into a blinding white light. He quickly closes them again and releases a heavy sigh. Death was bound to catch up to him at some point. He just didn't think it'd be so early.

A soft snort sounds from his right side that has Sirius thinking that he is not, in fact, dead. He opens his eyes and turns to the side and gasps.

"You're the angel," he says to the man sitting awkwardly on the chair beside the heart monitor. Sirius looks at the man up and down. Shit. Okay. He pinches himself, but the man doesn't magically disappear. "Oh, wait, you're human?"

The angel—wait, no—the man, the very fit man, raises a brow and smiles. "I usually go by Remus, not human or angel."

Sirius groans but makes sure to flash one of his brightest smiles. "Well, you certainly seem like an angel to me, so tell me, did it hurt," he waits for a pause, "when you fell from heaven?"

There's a long wait where Sirius thinks that he messed things up when Remus laughs softly. "James told me you'd use that line."

"Hold up, James? As in James Potter?" At Remus' nod, Sirius decides that Peter is now his best mate. "Well, he's an idiot. All he does is lie."

"So you didn't want me to stay and want my number?" Remus asks, sitting back in the chair and letting his shorts (which Sirius now sees are so short) ride up his leg more. "Pity."

Sirius' jaw drops. "You're gorgeous and want my number? You're aren't pulling my leg? Wait, would you be so kind to let me take you out on a proper date?"

"I would. If a cute guy asks me to stay with him through his concussion, I'd say that warrants at least a coffee date."

"I crashed because of you," Sirius admits, showing a sheepish smile. "I thought you were an angel and your beautiful eyes distracted me so bad, I didn't see where I was driving."

Remus makes a face. "Well, you wouldn't have had a concussion if you were wearing a helmet, but you weren't."

Sirius flops dramatically on the bed, wincing a bit at the pressure to his head. "I broke it last week showing James a new trick."

Remus fixes his fringe and smiles. "I can imagine that actually. I have to go to work, but I think James put my contact information in your phone. Recover quickly, and I'll be waiting."

"I'll message you as soon as you walk out of the hospital," Sirius chirps brightly and keeps his eyes on Remus until he leaves the room. As soon as Remus's gone, his eyes scan the small table beside him and his greedy fingers reach for his mobile tucked into a bag of his clothes.

Sirius laughs when he searches through his new contacts list. His fingers deftly type in a message to my only angel.

It was written in a split-second, a quick thought which had his hand moving before he could get a grip and properly have a think. He'd always been too brash for his own good, but Sirius liked to think that he knew when to respect boundaries—save for unfortunate incidents in the past.

But there was something about the man which tugged on Sirius' heartstrings and made him do something which he declared he wouldn't do when he had landed the job as a barista at The Marauder's Cafe.

Write a pick-up line on a customer's cup.

Perhaps it was the dark shadows under the man's bright, but tired amber eyes that broke his resolve, or maybe it was the way the man flipped through flashcards and mumbled every now and then that invoked Sirius' compassion because the life of a student was fucking hard. (He should know by the number of times he was practically a zombie on the shots of espresso he took secretly during work.) Whatever it was, Sirius had this urge to make this man smile.

He couldn't rationalize it and he didn't even bother to. He was never one to dwell on things anyway. So Sirius watched with a bated breath as Remus (based of the name on the cup) took the latte from Frank at the counter only to see that Remus had grabbed the cup with a small thanks and went straight to a table.

Sirius frowned but tried to ignore this uncomfortable feeling which settled in his stomach. After all, he had other drinks to make.

Remus had come back to the cafe a lot of other times since that fateful day in April enough to make it his regular haunt, and each time he came, Sirius would write another pick-up line.

He hadn't planned to continue this at all but then he saw Remus smile. See, the first time Remus had come to shop Sirius had happened to glance in the other man's direction when he read the pick-up line Sirius had hurriedly added.

If you were ground coffee, you'd be Espresso cause you're so fine.

Fine doesn't even begin to describe the beautiful expression which overtook Remus' face at that moment. His entire body had lost its tension and his frown had transformed into a stunning crooked smile which made wonderful crinkles by his eyes. It was a short smile but it was everything. Sirius felt utterly hypnotized as if he had been put under a spell. He shot Remus a wink when the man looked in his direction shyly.

And it was then that a new tradition had been born.

Sirius had always been smooth and these cheesy pick-up lines were practically second nature. He'd had no shortage of them (and when he did, he just made them up on the spot even if they didn't quite make sense) and each time Remus smiled when he read them.

Of course, they had progressed from a first name basis to actual words since that one day Remus had called Sirius out on the cheesy lines. Phone numbers were exchanged eventually and they had even found out they went to the same university. And now a year later, the pair were closer than ever and Sirius was constantly happy and glad that he got to see those smiles daily.

So Sirius didn't even hesitate to write today's pick-up line when Remus came in at the usual time.

"What do you think?" Sirius asked, a lazy smirk settled on his face as he leaned on the counter, watching Remus carefully read the words. "It's one of my best ones yet."

You're so beautiful you made me forget my pick-up line.

"You're such an idiot," Remus groaned, but he couldn't hide the fond in his voice.

Sirius laughed and pressed a chaste kiss to his boyfriend's lips. "But I'm your idiot, so you can't do anything about it!"

Let it be known that Sirius was never much of a book lover. He had been the kind of student who read only the mandatory reading assigned by the professors and even then Sirius had skimmed a few chapters. How he ended up working at a library came to a surprise to many who had known him. Even his best mate James had questioned Sirius' career choice because the plan had been to become a firefighter, just like James had achieved.

But there was something calming in working at the library that attracted him. There was also the fact that working at the library wasn't boring like many people thought. Hell, it was always lively. Like just this morning there was an outright race to get to the desk in the back and away from the Self-Help desk.

As it was, Sirius had lost the race because Alice had cheated and tripped Sirius then hopped over the counter and booked it to the chair.

"Have fun!" Alice had cheerfully said when he got up and rubbed his bruised shin. "Better luck next time!"

Sirius shot her one of the dirtiest looks he could muster. Sitting at the Self-Help desk was literal hell. The number of people who lied straight to Sirius' face about returning their books was staggering. It was as if they actually believed they could bullshit straight to Sirius' face. Please, he was the master of lying. Of course, the phone calls were horrid too. Some senior citizens wouldn't take no for an answer when they called the wrong number.

So he sat down and pulled his leather jacket closer to him and waited for the usual patrons to ask for help.

"Hello," a surprisingly deep voice murmured, distracting Sirius from his rather intense game of solitaire. Sirius hid the tab quickly and sat straighter in his seat.

Sirius had always been one for dramatics, but he definitely wasn't exaggerating whatsoever when he said that this man was stunning. Everything about this man screamed fit and soft. Fit in the way that the light brown cardigan hugged his shoulders and soft in the way that his amber eyes gave Sirius a sense of comfort and warmth.

"How may I help you?" asked Sirius smoothly, quirking an eyebrow when the man shyly met his eyes.

"Er, I was wondering if you could direct me in the direction of the books on types of rare plants," the man said, eyes staring at the nametag clipped to the pocket of Sirius' jacket. "Only if you don't mind, Sirius," he added, saying Sirius' name as if he was testing the word on his tongue.

"I'd love to help. Just follow me," Sirius replied, already standing up from his desk and walking around the counter. How fortunate that that particular section was further into the library. With a smug grin, he looked at Alice and said, "Oh love, please take care of the desk right now."

Remus Lupin. That was the name of the handsome man who had come and taken Sirius' heart. Remus was absolutely wonderful and, yeah, he was a little weird. Or more like his choice of books were entirely random. He had come in once a week for about two months now and inquired for books that had nothing to do with each other. From plants to demons to baking to extreme sports to the interbreeding of dogs, it was always a surprise.

It had even become a little game between Sirius and his coworkers.

"Well, he asked for books about ghosts last time, so I think it'll about the afterlife." Alice waved a baby carrot in the air to emphasize her point. "It's only logical."

Sirius scoffed and crossed his arms. "Absolutely not. I know my boy."

"Oh, is he your boy now?" Lily teased from her checkout station. "I wasn't aware you had a claim on him."

Two lovely pink spots appeared on his cheeks and Sirius huffed. "Well, he's certainly not yours, Lils. And of course, he's not gonna go with the same theme. Jeez, what do you take Remus for? He's not boring like you two nags."

"Oh, shut up," Alice cried, throwing her carrot stick at Sirius' head. "You're such a wanker."

The telltale sound of the door opening made Sirius shush the other girls and whirl around in his swishy chair. He pushed a lock behind his ear and cleared his throat just as Remus approached the desk.

"Hey, Remus," Sirius quipped, sending him one of the best smiles.

"Hey, Remus," Lily and Alice mocked in breathy voices.

Remus looked at the two and sent them knowing smiles, and he so kindly ignored the blush traveling down Sirius' cheeks. "Hello, Sirius. I was wondering if you could help me again today."

"Whatever you want."

"Well," Remus began, his eyes dancing with mirth, "all this time I've come and you've yet to give me your phone number."

Sirius' jaw dropped. "What?" he croaked out.

Was he dreaming?

"You know, to discuss books perhaps over a cup of coffee?" Remus looked a little unsure of himself because of Sirius' lack of response. "Maybe?"

Sirius nodded. "Yes, absolutely, yes!" He pulled out his mobile with record speed. "I'd love to get a coffee anytime. Even right now. I'd leave work this very moment."

Remus laughingly shook his head, grabbing the phone and entering his number. "No, not right now." He handed back the cell phone and sent Sirius a mischievous smile before leaning forward a bit and whispering, "Also, I'll be needing a book about kissing today."

Gulping, Sirius stood up shakily and just blindly followed Remus who was already leading the way. He didn't even bother to look back as he flipped the bird at Lily and Alice when they catcalled and whistled.

He couldn't wait for what his boy had in mind.

(Definitely, his boy.)

Sirius registered the heat on his face before he fully woke up. That was the first indicator that something was wrong. His dorm room didn't have any windows for natural sunlight to wake him up. (One of the many reasons he was constantly late to class.) He could feel the hardwood underneath him and a cold breeze that sent chills down his spine.

And by the feel of his head trying to break out of his skull, Sirius already knew exactly where he was and what had happened last night.

Bloody James dragged him to a pub and the both of them got absolutely smashed. He tried to open his eyes, but they felt glued shut, so he just lay there on his side, on a park bench, and waited.

It was then he heard the noise.

A goddamn awful shuffling noise; leaves and twigs cracking loudly behind the park bench he was on. And the groans. Like someone was dying or something.

Sirius opened his eyes quickly and turned over onto his back.

Staring down at him was a zombie.

He may or may not have let out a very manly shriek.

"Son of a—" Sirius scrambled off the bench and got to his feet, looking wide-eyed at the zombie man before him. No fucking way. A couple of yards behind this zombie was an entire hoard! What the hell had happened in the time he'd been knocked out?

He shoved his hand into his pocket and fished out his pocket knife. He flipped the blade open and stared wide-eyed at the zombie, daring it to make his move.

He didn't know what was worse: that the zombie apocalypse had begun or that this zombie bloke was handsome. It was such a shame he had died.

"Wait, no," the zombie said, holding his hands up and smiling sheepishly. "It's just a zombie crawl. Please don't stab me."

"Thank fuck," Sirius blurted out, letting his hand fall from its defensive position. His rapid heartbeat began calming down. "My knife skills are rubbish."

The zombie tilted its head and gave him a curious smile. He glanced down at Sirius' wrinkled clothes and raised a brow. "I take it you aren't here for the event."

Sirius laughed and shook his head. He regretted that immediately. "Sorry, my head is killing me. I didn't know zombie crawls were a thing."

"Oh, yes, it's a thing. I'm really only here for the extra credit my professor is giving out." The zombie glanced back at his pack that seemed to be moving further away the longer the two talked. He nodded to himself and pulled out his mobile. "Well, how about you give me your number and I'll invite you to coffee later to make up for almost giving you a heart attack?" Sirius would've thought that this man was confident if it weren't for the pretty blush that shone through the pale makeup. It warmed Sirius' heart.

"I'll text you as soon as I get over this hangover," Sirius said after they exchanged information. He looked at the new contact and smiled. "I won't keep you any longer."

Remus—the name of the zombie—had to leave quickly after, but the smile on Sirius' face wasn't leaving anytime soon.

Waking up in the park wasn't so terrible after all.

Remus flips a page of his book, bobbing his head slightly to the music filtering through his headphones. It's late September and the sun has long since set. It's almost time to close shop and he wishes the last half hour passes quickly. There's a soft tap on his book and Remus looks up, slipping his headphones down.

"Incoming," James says, pointing not so subtly at what appears to be a drunken person attempting to open the door. He knew he shouldn't have spoken so soon. Remus can't get a good look at the person because of the signs posted on the door, but he thinks he can make out another shape beside the drunk.

Remus taps his fingers on the counter and wonders why the other person isn't helping the obviously inebriated one. Maybe the other person was drunk too.

"Oh, wow," James whispers, voice filled with awe as the door is wrenched open and two stunning figures enter the tattoo parlor. They look so alike that they must be brothers or at least closely related. The pair have high and sharp cheekbones, rosy lips, and black hair varying at different lengths. Remus, however, finds himself drawn to the brother with the longer hair. His skin is a glowing tan, even though it's the middle of autumn, and his cheeks are a rosy pink.

"Hello, lads," the one who has captured Remus' eyes greets loudly, waving his hand. He takes a few steps and fumbles a bit to get to the counter. Remus raises a brow when the other man simply laughs softly into his palm. "I want a tattoo, and I hear you guys are the best."

"Oh?" Remus prompts, sharing a quick look with James. Obviously, they're not even going to consider his request. This man is clearly too drunk to even think properly or walk straight. "Where'd you hear that?"

The man smiles, toothy and wide. He points at the door and cheekily answers, "That's what your sign says."

"But you're drunk," James interrupts, sending the man an incredulous look. Remus groans and wants to tape his mouth shut. They don't even know this man's temper and James could've just gone and made the man angry. "I doubt you could even read the sign."

"Ah." The man makes a motion for James to lean in closer all the while smirking. James does indeed lean closer. "That's why I had dear Regulus here read the sign, of course! You think I'm just some fool who goes into any random tattoo parlor? No. So how about that tattoo?"

Remus bites his lip in order to control a smile threatening to break out. "I'm afraid it wouldn't be in good conscience to give you a tattoo while you're under the influence," Remus says, grimacing when he watches the expression fall of the handsome man's face. "But you can make an appointment and come back tomorrow."

Those words quickly bring that lovely smile back. "I'd love that! Reg, make me an appointment because I think I'm gonna puke," the man says, face turning an awful color.

Remus quickly walks in front of the counter, leaving Regulus with James to sort out the details before he guides the man into the restroom. The man immediately slumps down once the toilet seat is open, and Remus doesn't hesitate to hold the man's hair back. It'd be a shame if such wonderful hair got dirty. After some rather unpleasant vomiting, the man rinses his mouth with some mouthwash they have and they go back to the front.

The man goes on and on about how Remus is a saint. "You're so nice and kind," the man rambles, waving his arms a lot. "You're also so cute and fit. Wow, I'm gonna be so embarrassed by this tomorrow. Has anybody told you that you look like an angel? And, god, that cardigan looks so nice on you. You have to hold my hand tomorrow, okay? I'm gonna cry if you don't. Have I told you I hate pain? Yeah, I really do."

Remus blushes when Regulus stares a little bit too intensely at him before pulling his brother out of Remus' arms. "I think I'd better get him home," Regulus sighs, "We'll see you tomorrow, James. Goodbye."

"See you," James cheerfully cries. Remus politely waves when the man swings his hands in the air as a goodbye. "Well, they were something," he adds once the two have left the parlor.

Remus can't help but agree.

Remus is stumped when he sees a name he's never seen before in his appointment log. He doesn't remember booking anyone else. "Who is Sirius Black?" he wonders out loud. "And why does it say tattoo? I only do piercings?"

"The drunk guy!" James calls from further inside the parlor where he's currently setting up his needles "I put him down for you because of how taken you were with him last night. I'll do it, of course, but I thought you'd appreciate a warning."

Remus makes a soft protest, but he's too focused on the name. Sirius. It's a pretty name.

"Oh, fuck," a familiar voice rings loudly throughout the shop and Remus immediately turns to look at who has just walked in. It's the guy from last night. It's Sirius. Regulus is there too, hands tucked into his coat looking amused when Sirius curses. "No. I change my mind. I don't want it."

Regulus rolls his eyes. "You've already paid for it and no refunds. This isn't even your first tattoo."

Remus clears his throat. "I assume you're Sirius Black?"

Sirius' face loses becomes even paler and he stares in horror at Remus. "Oh, god, I thought I made you up in my head," he whispers horrified, more to himself than to Remus. "Why did I think that? I vomited in front of you!"

Remus laughs and shakes his head. "It's alright. And your brother's right, we don't do refunds so that's money down the drain."

Sirius curses silently but nods all the same. "You'll be doing my tattoo?"

"No, sorry, that's not my specialty. James here is amazing, though."

Sirius steels himself but shyly turns to him. "Can you hold my hand?" he asks softly, eyes hopeful. "It's just that I don't really handle pain well."

Regulus makes an affronted noise but shrugs and leaves to talk to James like he can't be bothered.

Remus blinks. "Are you sure?" he asks, shifting his weight from foot to foot where he stands.

Sirius nods. "If you wouldn't mind, that is. I don't want to make you uncomfortable."

It's endearing how Sirius, who is dressed in a leather jacket and seems tough, wants Remus to hold his hand. "It'd be my pleasure."

The two of them make their way to James and Regulus and, after a moment's deliberation, Sirius decides on a dog's paw print. Regulus takes a seat next to James to watch him work and Remus sits dutifully beside Sirius, squeezing his hand and offering murmured reassurances.

"Maybe one day you'll figure out what my tattoo means," Sirius quips, voice light and airy. Remus also finds himself wishing that he'll have the opportunity to know what his tattoo means.

All in all, it's a pleasant morning. And by the time Sirius and Regulus leave the shop, Remus has a phone number and a lunch date so he figures he's quite glad the tattoo parlor stays open rather late.

Remus' day starts out simple enough. He wakes up half an hour before six am, thankful that he'd already prepared his lesson plan the day before, to shower, eat, feed his cat, and drive to the school. He's currently working as a high school teacher and he loves it. He loves molding student's mind and preparing them for what lays ahead. Being a teacher, much less a high school teacher, hadn't always been his number one career choice, but he's incredibly grateful to have walked this path.

The life of a teacher is surprisingly busy and Remus has never been one for social media. His best friend and fellow teacher, Lily Evans, is the only reason he even has an Instagram set up in which he posts many photos of his cat with a few selfies sprinkled in there and a Twitter account, set up long, long ago for other reasons, that he uses every now and then. So one could safely assume that he isn't always up to date with any celebrity news.

"Have you heard?" Lily asks as soon as he's walked through the door of the teacher's lounge. She has a large coffee in one hand and her phone in the other. The strange expression on her face has him pause.

"Have I heard what?" he replies, walking over to the refrigerator to place his lunch inside.

Lily huffs, shoving her phone in his face. "Sirius Black is apparently in the market again," she explains. "I can't believe he broke up with Marlene though. They've been together for about four years! I mean, you know, they're the couple. Been together ever since his career started."

Remus feels his heart stop at the mention of Sirius. Who hasn't heard of Sirius Black nowadays? He's a pop star whose career shot off ever since he auditioned for the X-Factor five years ago and was put in a group that later turned into one of the biggest boy band in the world. You couldn't go anywhere without hearing one of their songs on the radio or seeing their faces plastered on a poster. "That's interesting," he says, trying to make his voice sound disinterested as possible.

Except he's never been able to act disinterested about Sirius.

See, he knows Sirius or he knew Sirius before, well, everything. Before the fame, before everything went wrong. They'd grown up together, back in their small town in Yorkshire, and were the best of friends. The two boys had been inseparable. Where there was a Remus, there was a Sirius and vice versa. Sirius had been his other reasons. The reason why he had made a twitter account was to keep in contact and know what was going on with Sirius career-wise. Somewhere along the way, they had lost contact (he knew exactly why they lost touch) and Sirius now was another memory of his childhood. A memory he couldn't exactly share with other people because of an NDA—non-disclosure agreement.

"You know I love the band," Lily argues, taking a large sip of her coffee. She points an accusatory finger at him. "Also, shut up, I know you like The Marauders too. Especially Sirius."

Remus makes a face at her and reads over her shoulder. She's currently retweeting one of the other band member's tweet. "Not as much as you like James Potter," he shoots back affectionately.

Lily hums and pulls out the camera option to take a picture. "C'mon. I wanna tweet something with you in it. Nothing bad, I promise. Plus, there's a hundred percent chance that the person will never see the tweet."

"Why?" he asks, but still poses for a picture, smiling. "For who?"

"Sirius and James," she answers easily, snapping the picture. Remus groans. However, she's completely right. With the number of people who text the boys—men, really—he isn't so naive to think someone will see the tweet.

So Remus sighs and goes on with his day, putting the tweet and Sirius far out of his mind.

Turns out his students really like the band because he hears the same gossip every time the classes change. He ignores it for the most part and it's easy to tune it out when the students work on their assignments.

It isn't until the class before lunch that things turn mad.

"Oh, my god!" a student, Lavender Brown, shouts during the time the class is supposed to be working on their essays. Remus startles and looks up from grading assignments. Lavender stands up, holding her phone. "Mr. Lupin!"

"Is something wrong?" he asks, concern spreading across his face.

"Sirius Black! Do you know him?" she asks affronted, waving her phone in her hand. "Why does he have a picture of you? Oh, my god, how have you mentioned this? His tweets suggest that he's bi!"

"I suggest you take a seat and continue working on your essay before I write down a warning for your phone," Remus answers, trying to calm his heartbeat. Lavender must be imagining things. That can't possibly be. As far as he knows, Sirius is still very much in the closet.

He can't wait for lunch to begin to sort out whatever the hell was happening. The bell thankfully rings in ten minutes and he avoids all the girls and boys whispering as they look at their phones.

He practically runs to the teacher's lounge to find Lily. "What did you do?"

"He responded!" Lily takes a sharp breath. "Holy crap. Sirius Black tweeted me back! Well, mostly about you, but my notifications are blowing up. I didn't know you knew him!"

She pulls out the tweet she sent and Remus gives her a dead look. The tweet in question is a photo of Lily and Remus with the caption, " Sirius_Black, looking for a new lover? How about Moony? I'd give him to you, even though nothing can beat how adorable we look together!" and right below is Sirius' official twitter account with a picture of Remus and Sirius with their cheeks squished together from when they were eighteen and so very young. "I beg to differ. Obviously Moony and I are the cutest ever! There's no question about it! Moony, all the love XX"

Remus feels queasy and takes his phone out. He quickly opens his twitter app and shakingly opens it. He grimaces at the number of people who have DM'ed him already about Sirius and their relationship. His heart is practically in his throat when he sees Sirius' message in his inbox. With a deep breath, he opens the message.

Hey, Remus. I know this is sudden, but can we talk? I miss you so much it's embarrassing. XX

There's a slight hesitation when he questions whether he should reply or not, but Sirius has broken the NDA and Remus can't lie to himself. He misses Sirius very much too.

Call me.

It's a whirlwind of events after he sends that message. His students look at him oddly when he says nothing about the tweet, and even his coworkers stare at him a little. Next thing he knows, he and Sirius have plans to meet one another in person after not seeing him for over 4 years. There was always something about Sirius that rattled his insides, and that still hasn't changed.

So when he first lays eyes on Sirius on his doorstep who is wearing an oversized jumper, black skinnies, and a beanie—looking so very much like the 18 yr old Remus last saw—he can't help but embrace him.

And, yes, there are lots of things wrong with their situation and they still need to have a proper conversation about everything, but having Sirius in his arms feels like home.

Sirius wanted to bang his head on the door. He was such an idiot. "You wouldn't like them," Sirius calmly told his mother, hoping she got the hint and ended the conversation. He didn't even know why she insisted on his coming to a stuffy dinner. Hell, she pretended he didn't exist most of the time. "They're male and not a rich twat like those from the club."

"I don't believe for a second that you're telling the truth," his mother snapped through the phone. Sirius clenched his teeth at the mocking tone she had. "It's just another one of your lies to refuse to meet the lovely daughter of the CEO."

"Why would I lie about dating someone? You know I've got no shortage of offers." It was true even if he wasn't dating anyone currently.

"Then bring him. That's it."

At the dial tone, Sirius groaned. His mother probably wanted to impress some stupid clients. They always seemed to prefer him than his little brother. Regulus was too quiet and calm for the snotty rich folk.

Sirius dialed James' number after a moment of freaking out. "I need a date," he said without waiting for James' response.

There was a pause before James' confused voice sounded out a long, "What?"

"More like, a fake boyfriend. Someone nice and humble and the opposite of what my mother wants. Fuck her. I could totally date a soft, nice man. It's not impossible."

There was a reason why James was his best mate. "I know the perfect person! Text me when and where and I'll send him."

As Sirius pulled up at James' flat, he sent a text to Remus Lupin, apparently a mate of James, who was going to pretend to be his boyfriend for the night. He wasn't prepared for the sight of a gorgeous man he saw to wave at him.

"You're Remus?" Sirius blurted out, looking the man up and down. Remus nodded slowly, smiling nervously. "Holy fuck, you're perfect."

Remus quirked an eyebrow and smiled. "I'm wearing a cardigan and you're wearing a suit."

Sirius shook his head. "Regardless, you still look amazing." He gave Remus his best smile. "Are you ready for snotty people and good champagne?"

"As long as there are chocolate pastries," he replied, nodding.

Barking out a laugh, Sirius put the car into gear. He was going to get along with Remus just fine.

Remus has never been one to gravitate toward sports. He's not called Bambi for no reason. He's tried to play football before but he's clumsy and falls a lot. He wasn't very good at passing either and always kicked the ball in the wrong direction. So to no one's surprise, he quit the football team. He thought it would be nice to make some friends there, but nothing is worse than falling and getting bruises. He'll stick by himself during lunch if that's what it takes to meet new people.

He's content with doing that, but his mum isn't. She wants him to talk to new people besides Lily and the other girls. Actually, she wants him to meet boys. Ever since Remus told her his sexuality, she took one look at his friend group and sighed. "You're never going to get a boyfriend like that," she warned him before making him sign up to a club. Once football was a bust, she told him to try again.

It's the main reason he's nervous to enter the home economics club. He can't do sports, but this seemed like an easier option.

"Are you going in?" a boy asks to his left. Remus looks and bites his lip. The boy standing next to him is Sirius Black. There's not a student in their year who doesn't know him. He's a delinquent. Sort of because he refuses to follow the school's uniform and every now and then he skips class.

Remus swallows and hesitates to answer. He doesn't want to be made fun of by Sirius because he's devastatingly pretty and out of Remus' league.

"Yes," Remus eventually answers when Sirius simply stares at him. He puts his hand on the doorknob and enters the classroom with a small wave to the club's advisor. He speaks quietly to Mrs. Pomona and takes a seat in the back, grabbing a couple of materials to start.

To his surprise, Sirius takes the seat right next to him. He's smiling and gestures excitedly to his half-finished scarf. He's using knitting needles and black yarn. "Hi, I'm Sirius. I'm usually the only boy here, so this is fun," Sirius says loudly and grins when the teacher scolds him. "Do you know how to sew? Do you want me to show you?" he asks, pointing to the needle in Remus' hand.

Yes, Remus does know how to sew, but he doesn't say this to Sirius. He's more than happy to let this boy teach him and babble on excitedly about his own creations. Home economics is instantly looking more attractive than football ever did.