Work Text:
Sirius slammed his coloured plastic tray on the table and sat in the uncomfortable chair across from Remus. Eating the school lunch was dicey on the best of days, but today’s mystery meat on a bun with a side of sad canned vegetables, bruised fruit, and pudding blob looked worse than usual. He picked up the green — and somehow also brown — banana and inspected it with a frown.
Dropping the banana back onto the tray with a dull thud, he glanced at Remus’ lunchbox. “What did your Mum pack you today?”
Remus set his half-eaten ham and mustard sandwich down, unzipped the insulated lunch bag and withdrew a chicken and mayo sandwich on wheat bread — Sirius’ favourite. The sandwich was made especially for Sirius because Remus always packed him an extra sandwich, just in case. But Sirius didn’t need to know that.
He didn’t need to know that lunch was Remus’ favourite time of day because they didn’t share any classes this year. While Remus spent most of his time in the art room and was taking AP classes, Sirius spent most of his time in the metal or woodshop — when he wasn’t skipping, which he was apt to do.
After school, Remus either had tutoring or his job at the bookstore, and Sirius had rugby practice. Often Remus wondered how he managed to stay on the team despite his poor marks — it probably had something to do with being the highest scorer in the district.
Their free time to spend together was quickly dwindling in their last year of high school, so Remus was going to cherish every second they got because graduation wasn’t far off, even though it was painfully obvious he harboured a one-sided crush on his best friend.
Holding the sandwich at eye level, he leaned forward, resting his weight on his elbow. “What’s in it for me?”
Licking his lips, Sirius glanced up at the bright fluorescent light strips running across the ceiling, then snapped his fingers and grinned. “Do you work this weekend?”
“Nine to two on Saturday.”
“I’ll pick you up when you get off.”
“Why?”
Sirius smirked and grabbed the sandwich out of Remus’ hand. “You’ll see.”
Remus stared at the former industrial building looming ahead with Blazer Tag painted in tall, neon pink letters surrounded by a fiery inferno, across the side. Ever since the ill-fated attempt at tee-ball when they were kids, Remus had purposefully forgone athletic endeavours in favour of fine arts. This seemed to venture a bit far into physical activity territory, which he only engaged in when a burly PE teacher was yelling at him.
Why did I agree to this? Oh, right — Sirius Black.
Resigning himself to his fate, Remus plunged his hands into his pockets and followed Sirius through the front doors.
A skinny teenage boy stood behind the counter. There were liability waivers to sign before he could take Sirius’ money, then he turned to remove their vests and weapons from the wall behind him.
While the employee was busy getting their equipment, Sirius scooted closer to Remus and said in an undertone, “I’ve been wanting to come here for a while but couldn’t think of a way to ask you.”
Didn’t really ask me. More like kidnap.
As if reading his thoughts, Sirius continued with a small smile, "I decided kidnapping you would be easier.”
Wondering what Sirius meant by way to ask you , Remus’ mouth went dry. He couldn’t ponder long because the gangly boy soon set their equipment on the counter and began explaining the rules.
Concentrating on the boy’s dull drone was difficult when Sirius kept glancing out the corner of his eye at him.
He’s up to something.
Turned out an abandoned, then renovated, industrial building is perfect for laser tag. Imagine a giant store, but all the lights are turned off except a lot of strobing ones, and a fog machine on full blast. Then add a bunch of strangers and tell them to shoot each other with fake laser guns — the result is pandemonium.
Supposedly there were ‘teams’ but in the dark, it’s impossible to tell who is who, and Remus tried to aim at anything that moved. He had no idea what happened to Sirius; they got separated in the jostle at the beginning.
He was casting a cautious glance around a wall when an arm grabbed him around the waist and yanked him into a nearby darkened corner. His heart skipped a beat, recognizing Sirius’ Calvin Klein cologne.
“Found you.” Sirius’ body pressed into him.
Then Sirius lips were on his, warm and inviting — everything Remus had dared to hope and dream. Before his brain caught up to what was happening at his mouth, his vest made the sad sound of being shot.
Sirius smiled, lips still grazing Remus’. “You know what would make this the perfect date? If you bought ice cream after.”
Laser tag and ice cream — sounded like the perfect kidnapping disguised as a date to Remus. He would get Sirius back later for the cheap shot but for now, he was going to enjoy the secluded corner and the two-sided crush.