Work Text:
Sirius never been the one to enjoy a morning in the library, but he was grateful of the warmin the building when he came in that morning.
He needed to finish some research for an article he was writting, but he was also on Harry duty, so he thought the local library would keep his godson entreteined while he finished that job.
He loved to spend the saturdays with Harry, they were their alone time and usually he avoided to work in order to truly enjoy his time with Harry, but he already postponed enough that article. It was a boring piece about bank investments, he usually prefered more human interest topics, or sports and cultural events, but with a major on business it was inevitable he was sometimes assigned with more boring topics.
That morning was a cold one, some light snow fell on their way to the library, so Sirius thought Harry would enjoy reading some childrens books on his own while Sirius worked and then they would enjoy a hot chocolate and watch a movie cuddled at home with the wool blanket Eufemia knitted for him almost ten years ago.
The weather didn’t ask to go out, and it seemed almost everyone thought the same that day because the library was almost empty. He saw a couple of ladies, maybe in their fifties, one of them reading a botanical book and the other a big tome about women in history, but both of the ladies had one of their hands above the table, holding the other’s gently and sharing a smile when one of them needed to let go to pass a page.
There was also woman with blonde almost white hair walking through the book aisles and picking one from time to time to read the plot, sometimes checking the lasts pages before putting it back.
And finally Sirius noticed a man, tall, even taller than James, with wavy soft brown hair a lovely face for a grown man and a warm-looking brown sweater with green pattern. He was sitting on a table checking different books and taking notes, and next to him a little lad about Harry’s age. They were obviously related, same tan skin with some freckles, same soft and messy hair, same dark eyes and pump lips… Minus the scars covering the man’s face they were almost a copy of each other, so either he was a young dad like James and Lily or he was a really older brother, or an uncle like him.
Sirius sent Harry to the childrens section to chose a book and he himself left to take the ones he needed. Once he got everything he seated on the cosest table to the childs area, casually the same table the other man was occuping. They shared a polite smile, and what a dazzling sight that was, and both of them continued their work.
When Harry finally chose a book he ran torwards Sirius. He assumed he wanted to show it to him before going back to the small tables or the rug to read it, but little Bambi had other plans.
“Uncle Pads! I’ve got a book but I need your help!” the librarian shushed from wherever he was but Sirius catched the little smile of the man next to him.
“Prongslet, remember where we are, we must not shout at the library” Sirius said smiling and checking Harry’s book.
“I want to read this book but I don’t know Spanish, I need your help Uncle Pads” Harry explained showing Sirius the pictures in the book.
“Why don’t you pick a book in english?” Harry frowned and retrieved the book offended.
“Because I want to read this one! This one has a dragon, look, and you know I love dragons the most.”
“But Harry, I don’t speak Spanish either, sorry lad.” Harry sighed like if it was the end of the world and lower the book defeated.
“I can help you read the book.” said a little voice next to them and both Sirius and Harry turned around to find the other little boy next to them.
“You can read this book?” Harry asked excited and the little boy smiled proudly.
“Of course, my Da tought me how to read, and I’m really good at it.” he said pointing to the man at the table. Sirius noticed the amused expresion the man was trying to contain without removin his eyes from his books.
“Can I read with him, Pads?” asked Harry with puppy eyes and Sirius laughed and nodded. “Cool, I’m Harry Potter, very nice to meet you and thank you.”
“Hiya Harry, my name’s Teddy Lupin and I’m super glad we met” the boys said on their way to share the loveseat besides the window.
Sirius smiled at the sight of the two kids sitting toghether with the book on their laps and talking and laughing softly, shushing each other between laughs and covering their mouths.
Next to him the other man was smiling too, such love and care in his look while he looked at his son. Sirius was totally mesmeraized, not only he was the fittest man he ever saw, kind-looking and with an incredible big dick energy, but he also seemed a great dad.
And when he heard a little snort coming out of him Sirius knew he needed to at least learn his name.
“Really kind of your kid to help Harry, thank you” he said moving on chair closer to the man in order to talk better without screaming, and also because he wanted to be closer.
“Well, it would be, but he doesn’t speak spanish, so I don’t know what is he telling your kid” he talked and Sirius melted at the sound of his mellow voice and the light laughter, also the accent.
“Not my kid, I’m just his godfather, he’s… Wait, he doesn’t speak spanish?” he asked understanding now the amusment of the man.
“Nah, guess he just wanted to make a friend” he shruged and both man started to laugh before being shushed by their own children.
“Well, I kinda wish it was that easy to make friends as adults.” the man sighed and Sirius smiled and move closer until he was sitting in the chair next to him.
“It could be. Hi, my name’s Sirius and I like your jumper.” he said caressing the man’s arm to check if the fabric was as soft and worned as it seemed. It was.
Luckily ythe man found Sirius’ oddity funny and went along.
“Oh hello Sirius, I’m Remus and you seemed really cool with your leather jacket even thought it must be freezing” Sirius laughed at that and shrugged noncommitaly.
“You’ve gotta live for the look, I bet you wear those in summer too” he touched again the fabric, he was becoming addicted to touch the man.
“I would if I could but I have to set for basic T-shirts” that simple mental image did funny things on Sirius’ stomach. He needed to see that.
“So… what are you reading, Remus?” he picked up one of his books and checked the cover. “The anatomy and biology of the okapis?” he raised an eyebrow and Remus laughed.
“Well yeah, you see, I’m a vet, but there’s this man he first bought his dog and became a client, and for the last years he just came up with the weirdest animals. Like once he had a pangolin, a giant spider, a lemur…”
“And now an okapi?”
“A pregnant okapi, and he wants me to assist the birth so here I am, trying to know what am I getting into” he sighed defeated but Sirius could see the glint in his eyes. Remus was passionate about his work and he wasn’t the one to back up from a challenge. “What about you?” Remus picked Sirius’ book and grimaced.
“I Know, I know, I just lost the cool factor, aren’t I?”
“Nah, you’ve still have the hair and the dashling looks to save you. You lost some points ther, though.” Sirius smiled happily and move his hair to try to deflect of the fact he was blushing.
“In my defense is for a work thing, and I dislike it as much as you do. I work for a magazine and usually try to get assigned with better topics but they still give me these bollocks from time to time.”
“You should mess it up somehow, make it yours.”
“Well Remus, I kinda wanna keep the job, you know?” Remus laughed and shook his head.
“I meant in a subtle way, like put a secret message, like in the first word on each line, or something like that.” he shrugged like if it was nohing but Sirius was amazed with that man.
“Oh lord, there’s more in there than just a pretty face, you’re a genius Remus”
“Ha, funny.” Remus rolled his eyes and pointed to the scar on his face like if he thought Sirius was joking about it.
“No!” he winced when Harry and Teddy shushed him again. “I meant it, you have a lovely face, the gorgeous man I’ve ever seen, thats the first I thought when I came in, I was just…” he noticed the awkward stance of Remus and how he was blushing. “Oh god, I’m just blabering now, and I’m coming on you super hard when you’re probably married and straight and definitly not interested on being hit by a random weird man at a library while you’re with your son and…”
“Sirius, breathe” Remus was smiling now, his hands on Sirius’ shoulders and he brushed them down until they were on top of Sirius’ hands. “Not married, not straight and definitly interested. I lied before, there’s no way you could lose cool points with me.”
“Okay, cool, that’s good.” Sirius smiled and grabbed Remus hand. “Anyway, if you ever wanna know more about bank investments look out for the next issue of Hogwarts Magazine”
“You just get another reader then, really need to know how that story ends” Remus joked and Sirius nodded absentmindly too distracted by the akward but adorable Remus way to be.
“So Teddy’s mum…?” he asked so suddenly he himself winced.
“Oh, we had him very young, she was 18 and I was 19, she never felt ready for it so she renounce to the custody and moved to Australia to work, she sees him from tme to time but it’s more like an aunt to him. He’s cool with that, with just being us, at least I thing so. What about Harry?”
“Oh, he’s my best mate’s kid. Me and Hary’s dad, James, are like brothers so he made me Harry’s godfather and I love the little lad, so every saturday I try to have some time with him, it allows James and his wife to be alone for a while and so Harry and I can bond more. I like to be ther for him when he needs me, like a constant presence of support of love. I lacked that as a kid so it’s important to me Harry’s have it.”
“Sirius, I told you I was already interesed, no need to overdo it.” Remus joked and Sirius blushed.
“Well I…”
Both men stood up in a second when they heard the ruccus coming from the children’s area.
Teddy and Harry were no longer seated and reading peacefully, now Teddy had watered eyes and his lip was shaking whil Harry looked furiously at the kid in front of him.
“I’ve read that book in english and that’s not how it goes, he doesn’t know spanish” the kid said with a supperiority tone.
“I know how to read! My da showed me!” Teddy insisted on the verge of tears.
“You could do better than going wih people like him, he’s poor and dumb” the blond kid snorted “He goes to my class and he always need help” now Teddy was crying in shame and went torward Remus who was already halfway.
“Shut up, you’re mean and your eyebrows are stupid! They’re so white it seems you don’t have it!” Harry shouted and pushed the kid to the ground.
“Yeah, you go Harry” Remus whispered trying to cover a snort.
“My dad would know about this”
“And where is your father, Draco?” Remus tone was resigned, like if he had no interest of dealing with that kid or his father.
“Wait, Draco? As in Draco Malfoy?” Sirius frowned and Remus nodded “Fuck, no.”
Without thinking he grabbed Remus’ hand and make a gesture to Harry to gather their things before sprinting outside the library ignoring Lucius Malfoy’s voice and the librarian’s complains.
“What was that?” Remus asked huffing and trying to put Teddy his jacket while holding the rest of their things.
“He’s a relative of mine, and I hate my relatives.”
“If all of them are like the Malfoys I can understand why.”
“Even worst. Look Remus, I’ve gotta go, like now, or else I’d be summited to a different level of torture” without thinking he kissed the taller man’s cheeck before grabbing Harry and running off, realizing too late he had no way to contact Remus ever again.
It had been a week since his encounter with Sirius and Remus’ life had resumed as always. He dropped Teddy at school every morning and then headed torwards the clinic, where Dorcas and Mary were already waiting for him with some breakfast from Marlene’s Coffe. He would work and then pick up Teddy from his parents house and spent the rest of the afternoon with him, helping him with homework and practicing different activities to help Teddy with his attention issues.
So everything was back to normal, and yet Remus couldn’t forget the brief interaction with Sirius that morning in the library. He couldn’t forget the confidence in that smile, or how soft his hair looked, or the stormy colour of those eyes, or how his hands left a tingle feeling everywhere he touched him. He couldn’t forget how easily Sirius made him laugh, or blush, how sincere and honest he sounded about his feelings, and how cute and tender he looked with Harry.
Maybe it was all of that Remus bought the next issue of Hogwarts magazine and spent his lunch hour reading a boring article about bank investments and how to optimize the capital, but that’s how obsessed he was.
He pitied Sirius for been forced to write all that, and by the half of it he zoned out watching the words in the page without really processing them, until one of them really catch his attention, his name.
Remus.
There it was, first word of a line, Sirius used a reference to Rome’s creation with Romulus and Remus.
It was then when it ocurred to him that maybe Sirius followed his advice to sneak a secret message in there, and it seemed a message directly for him.
I loved our time toghether, and I would love to have a chance to know you better Remus. Meet me at the library Friday at seven, it’s a date.
Remus had to read it several times to really believe Sirius had asked him out via published magazine. And since him had no way to reply Sirius wouldn’t know if Remus would show up until Friday, and it was only Monday.
So no, Remus couldn’t let the poor boy suffer like that the whole week.
“Excuse me, Sirius?” Peter’s head appeared from the crack of the door to his office “There’s a man here asking for you.”
“A man?” Sirius frowned, he had no reunions planned for the day, he was just starting the research for his next article.
“Yeah, tall bloke, welsh accent…”
“Angelical face, musical voice, the awkward shy type but in a charming way. totally fit and a spectacular arse?” he finished and Peter grimaced.
“I guess he’s a good looking lad? I don’t know man, do I let him in or no?” he asked exasperated and Sirius cointained himself to snap at him.
“That’s my future husband we’re talking about, of course you let him in, don’t fucking leave him out there!”
Pete rolled his eyes and disappeared. Sirius started checked his outfit and hair, making sure he was presentable for Remus. He was considering if leave the shirt outside his jeans or to tuck it inside when the door bursted open and Remus entered walkind directly to Sirius and grabbing him by the waist.
“I came to confirm our date this friday” he said before kissing him without hesitation.
It didn’t took long for Sirius to respond to the kiss, burying his hand in Remus’ soft hair and moaning softly through the kiss.
“So considerate of you to come all the way here to confirm assistance” he mumbled in a haze still playing with Remus soft curls.
“Well, who do you think Teddy learnt it from?”
“What a reference for the kids are you”
“Actually he learnt it from Bluey, what he learnt from me are stunts like pretend to know spanish just for the funs.”
“Well, lucky you cause I love a good prank, and a mind like yours is just what I need” Sirius smiled before rejoining their lips a more passionate kiss they both wished could last forever.