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Remus has just served a bunch of girls their iced coffees, when a heavily pregnant Bill steps into the shop. He has come to Remus’ shop every afternoon for months now, and after a long day’s work he always looks tired, but today he looks especially exhausted.
“Hello to you, too!” Remus laughs, when Bill crashes down in the booth next to the counter without a word. “How was your day?”
“Don’t even get me started,” Bill sighs, as he picks up a menu to fan himself. “Being this pregnant during a heatwave…” He opens the top buttons of his shirt, still fanning himself.
“Just a few more weeks,” Remus tries to encourage him, but it only makes Bill look more frustrated.
“A few weeks?”
“Until your due date,” Remus explains.
“And then I’ll have a baby to take care of in this heat.”
Remus can’t help but smile, because he has dealt with a lot of overheated customers today, and he knows full well that once Bill has had a drink and maybe a snack, he will feel much better.
Bill checks out the menu, even though he must know it from memory by now, after spending so much time at Remus’ shop. Any other day Remus would have made him his favourite, but he assumed that Bill would want something cold today.
“How about a raspberry iced tea?” Remus suggests, as he leans back against the counter. “Or I can make you…”
“My favourite?” Bill asks, looking up with a grin on his face - his frustration from a minute ago seemingly already forgotten about. “With extra caramel?”
“Weren’t you just complaining about the heat?” Remus laughs, shaking his head, making Bill flash a sheepish smile. “Are you hungry?”
Bill checks out the cakes that are left, and Remus catches him glancing hungrily at the gooey chocolate cake with marzipan flowers on it.
“I shouldn’t.”
“Go on, you deserve it!” an elderly lady who was clearly listening in says as she gets up to leave. “Congratulations, love.” She smiles as she points at Bill’s baby bump, before looking up at Remus, clearly assuming that they are a couple and that he is the father. It’s not the first time - far from it - but it still makes Remus blush, and he quickly turns his attention to making Bill his drink.
They had become good friends over the years, and when Bill had first found out he was pregnant, Remus was the first person he told. Remus knew how hard it was, being a single father, and if it hadn’t been for his friends and family helping out, he didn’t think he would have coped. He wanted Bill to have the same kind of support, so he had been there when Bill told his family, and he had been there for every doctor’s appointment.
Over the months, they had grown even closer than before, and as tired as Bill was every day after work, he still made sure to come and see Remus because he knew it would cheer him up.
“Is it good?” Remus laughs, when just a minute after giving Bill a large slice of chocolate cake, it’s already half finished.
“Did you make this?” Bill asks, already tucking in for another bite. “It’s so good, I could kiss you right now,” he blurts out, not even realising what he has said until he looks up and he sees the blush on Remus’ face. “Sorry, I shouldn’t have…”
“It’s fine.” Remus smiles, hoping that Bill won’t have noticed that it’s jokes like these that spark up his hope again - when deep down he knows that Bill doesn’t feel the same way about him.
“Can you sit down for a minute?” Bill asks. Remus looks around the shop, and everyone seems to be happily chatting away while they’re enjoying their drinks. So he sits down in the seat across the table from Bill, the smile on his face growing bigger when Bill stuffs another large bite of cake into his mouth.
“You have a bit of…” Remus points at his mouth, but after wiping his mouth, the chocolate is still on Bill’s lips. So Remus reaches out, and he runs his thumb over his bottom lip to wipe it away for him, but when he sits back again, he sees that Bill is the one who’s blushing now.
“I ehm…” Bill begins nervously, while staring down at his last bite of cake. “I’ve been wanting to tell you something for a while now. But I’m not sure how you’ll react.”
“Is it bad?” Remus asks, a worried look on his face. “Is it the baby? Is he…”
“He’s fine.” Bill smiles shyly, “No, it’s about you… or us…”
“Should I be scared?”
“Depends,” Bill chuckles. “I ehm…” He takes a deep breath. “How can I say this?”
“You’re making me nervous here,” Remus admits, his heart almost beating out of his chest by now. “Just tell me.”
“I think I may have fallen in love with you,” Bill tells him, before adding, “No, I don’t think so. I know so.”
“Really?” Remus asks, laughing in disbelief.
“Don’t laugh at me, Remus,” Bill tells him, but he is smiling, clearly relieved that Remus hasn’t told him to fuck off just yet. “I love you. I know it’s not the right time to tell you this, with me about to have a baby, but if I don’t tell you now…”
Remus takes his hand, and when he squeezes it tight, Bill stops rambling. “You know I love you too.”
“But?”
“No but.” Remus shrugs, “I love you too. I was scared I would ruin our friendship if I told you, but if I had known…” He shakes his head, feeling silly now for being so nervous. “What’s wrong with us?” he laughs, as he intertwines his fingers with Bill’s. “So where do we go from here?”
“I meant what I said.” Bill grins. “About that kiss…” He tries to lean in, but there is no way he can reach Remus, so he chuckles embarrassedly as he glances down at his bump.
Remus gets up, and he slides into the seat next to Bill, before gently placing a hand on the side of his neck, and pulling him in for a kiss.
“Better?” Remus laughs, as Bill looks at him, blushing and grinning like a Cheshire Cat.
“Much better.”
