Work Text:
Remus stood in front of a dimly lit cafe, just in time for his date with a boy, one year below his year. With a neat but comfortable outfit and his wood-carved cane taken off of the coat rack, he was sure there was nothing to be worried about. His hair was neatly combed, a tiny clump of gel put into it, but not enough to make it look like he was flawless, and just before he walked inside, he trampled out his cigarette stub. He was nervous, but not in a way that makes you want to bite your nails and fidget with your clothes, more so in a way that makes your belly do flips and makes your speech incomprehensible. Remus checked his hair in the window reflection just before making his way into the cafe. It did not take long for him to spot the curly-haired guy sitting in the back of the cafe, so, he walked up to him.
“Hey, Reg.” Remus greeted him, Regulus' lips forming a slight smile. Regulus looked good, any man was lucky to have him. He wore black trousers and a dark sweater vest, layered on top of an off-white blouse. Remus could not believe the fact he looked so charming. His legs were crossed, his hair looked clean and well-kept, and his hands were resting comfortably on his lap. When he saw Remus approaching, he stood up.
“Hello Remus, glad you could come today. Why don’t you take a seat?” Regulus said while pulling out a chair on the opposite end of the table.
“Oh, thank you.” The brown-haired boy smiled, his face reddening slightly. Feelings rushing from one side of his head to the other.
“I am so glad we get to see each other again, it’s been a while, honestly,” Remus told the boy sitting in front of him. To be fair, it had been a little while since they last met up. Both being busy with university, they didn’t get a lot of time to catch up. Sometimes in the late evenings, Remus used to walk a couple miles to the university Regulus attended, just so he could meet him in his dorm, but lately, everything had been so hectic, and neither of their schedules matched up.
“I’m just happy we can be together again. Life is always better with someone who understands you. I think you understand me well, even in moments where we are both silent.”
“I agree. I’ll always try to understand you, as well as I possibly can. I like talking to you, Regulus, being with you makes me feel like I matter. It makes me feel like someone is willing to see both the good and the bad sides of me and, believe me, I have a lot of bad parts. But… well, you accept them. Honestly, I have no idea why, but thank you.” Remus smiled.
“Glad to be someone you trust, I’ll always accept you for who you are, because I know you would do the same for me,” Regulus answered. A quick conversation happened before Regulus took the initiative to get drinks. “What would you like, Remus?
“If they have any, I’d like some chamomile tea, please.”
“Got it, I’ll be right back.” Regulus stood up and walked up to the counter. One of the ladies behind it smiled at him, and then hastily walked towards him.
“Hello there, what would you like to order?” She asked in a sweet voice.
“Oh, I’d like one chamomile tea and one coffee, no sugar, no milk. Thank you.” He answered, as well as giving her a quick nod. Regulus walked back to the table, sitting down in front of the spaced-out boy. “Remus?” He asks.
“My bad, I was just daydreaming. Did you get the chamomile tea? And what did you get?” He smiled, teeth showing. Regulus couldn’t help but curve his lips into a smile again, Remus just looked so beautiful. His hair grew longer every time they saw each other and Regulus wondered if it was because he didn’t care or if he thought it was stylish, but either way, it was stupidly attractive to him.
“Yes, I ordered your chamomile tea. And for me, I ordered a black coffee, but you probably would have guessed that anyway.”
“I would like to lie and say I didn’t expect it, but honestly, I don’t even know why I asked.” Remus laughed, eyes lighting up. Regulus chuckled. It didn’t take long for their order to arrive. Regulus cupped the mug with his hands, pressing his cold fingers against the hot porcelain. He let out a pleased sigh.
“What have you been reading lately? I require new books to read. A lot of stuff seems so dull.” Remus asks. Regulus took out a book from his bag and put it on the table, in front of Remus. The brown-haired boy took the book into his hands and flipped through the pages with care.
“To the Lighthouse. Virginia Woolf. I know the author, but haven’t read the book yet. It seems very good though.” Remus' eyes lit up. The sight made Regulus blush.
“Would you like to borrow my book?” Regulus asked without any hesitation, his speech flowing out in excitement. Remus smiled, one of those smiles that makes all the negativity around someone disappear.
“Yes! I’d love that.” He enthusiastically responded, his eyes filled with happiness. Borrowing a book from Regulus only meant that he’d have to go to his dorm sometime soon, to give it back. Regulus couldn’t help but smile at Remus’ answer, he was feeling glad that Remus was interested in the same things as him. Remus slid the book into his bag, careful not to damage any edges or pages. He pulled another book out of his bag and showed it to Regulus.
“This is the book I’m currently reading, it’s by Jeanette Winterson. Have you heard of it? I like it so far, it’s very emotional.”
“Oranges Are Not the Only Fruit? That looks intriguing, yes. I haven’t heard of it before, but if you like it so much, maybe it’s worth reading. How about we go to a bookshop for our next date? I think it would be fun.” Regulus answered while looking at the back of the book. It was about a queer girl falling in love with one of her church friends. It seemed like an interesting book to read.
“Yeah, we should go on a bookstore date, it seems like a fun time.” Remus nodded. It made the black-haired boy happy, he loved books, and he loved Remus. He couldn’t wait for the day to come.
“Sounds like a date. I’m so happy we share a mutual love for books. I like that we can give each other recommendations and just talk about our favorite books. I enjoy that. Thank you for being with me.”
“Me too, Reg. I feel like you and I match each other well in general. We suit each other, we truly fit. That’s something I don’t often find to be the case. I’m glad to be with you, you make me happy. Whether we meet every day, or only call each other on occasion, not one minute spent with you is a waste of time. I just… love you a lot, you know.” Remus answered honestly.
“I love you too, Remus. You’re an incredible human being. I’ve been a lot happier ever since I’ve been with you.” Regulus smiles. The two boys were both blushing and smiling by now, happy to be in each other's presence. As Remus finished the last sip of his chamomile tea, they exchanged a look that meant something like ‘Let’s walk home?’ Regulus picked up his long coat from the chair he was sitting on and put it on. He held his hand out for Remus to grab it. Remus took his hand and stood up, he took his cane from the side of the chair and walked towards the door, his fingers interlocked with his lover's. They walked out of the cafe together, both still grateful to be with the other.
“Thank you, Remus, I had a nice time with you,” Regulus told the tall boy. Remus brushed a strand of hair behind his ear and chuckled.
“I agree, thank you as well! I can’t wait for our bookstore date, just call me anytime you feel up for it. I’m looking forward to it.” Remus answered kindly. Regulus nodded and moved closer to Remus to give him a goodbye kiss. Remus leaned in towards Regulus' lips and pressed a gentle kiss onto his lips. Regulus answered the kiss and put his hand on Remus’ cheek. The kiss was soft, yet passionate, and it felt so nice.
After a while they parted, the kiss leaving both of their bodies warm and tingling.
“I’ll see you next time, my love.” Regulus waved Remus goodbye. Remus waved back and smiled sweetly because of the pet name Regulus gave him. They both walked in opposite directions, as Remus walked back towards his apartment, he looked back once, hoping Regulus would look back too. And, he did.