Chapter Text
Remus and Peter didn't have any idea of how they got there. Standing outside a strange looking pub, while Remus anxiously smoke a cigarette.
"You know, it's gonna be okay."Peter said to his friend, although he wasn't really sure about that.
Remus had just gotten fired from his job as a barista. It hadn't paid well and he had anxiety so it wasn't easy dealing with customers everyday, some nicer than others. But it paid rent, which was the most important thing at the end of the day.
"It's gonna be okay". This time, Peter gave him a shy pat on the back.
"Peter, you said that already. And It's not. Obviously."Remus was usually pretty upbeat and optimistic, but not this time around. He felt bad because he had been in a terrible mood and Peter, who was a sweetheart and was just trying to help him, was gettin the collateral damage of Remus's anger.
"Listen, let's go inside, listen to some music, have a couple of shots and just relax. Don't look at me like that Remus, I know it's not going to solve anything but for now, at least you'll feel better tonight."
Remus couldn't help but smile at this. He didn't have many friends, but Peter was a good one, that was for sure.
"Okay Pete, let's go inside."
Inside was playing a band that didn't sound really good. The bandmates seemed to be around seventeen, not even old enough to be in that kind of pub and Remus immediately regretted going inside, but he didn't want to upset Peter, so he stood there, feeling like a total outsider. After a couple of shots and muffled conversations, the band finally stopped playing and the lead singer approached the mic.
"Hello, lovely people."
"Who says that?"-Murmured Peter and Remus stifled a laugh.
"We're sorry that the show has gotten to an end."He made a pause, as If he was hoping that the public would cry in command, but no one made a sound and he laughed awkwardly."But don't worry, because now another band is going to give you a hell of a time. Here they are, the Animagus."Remus noticed, quite surprised that the crowd seemed to recognise that absurd name, because they started to cheer loudly.
The other band left the stage and the lights dimmed, creating a darker ambiance for the next performers.
"Do you think that they're going to be worse?"Asked Remus.
"That's impossible mate".
Remus didn't care enough so he turned his back to the stage and walked to the bar, ready to buy another shot. He wasn't a big drinker and he wasn't proud of using alcohol to drown his sorrows, but he was desperate. Suddenly, the thrum of an electric guitar started to fill the air, at first slowly but then it started to pick its pace as someone started to sing. The voice was mesmerizing. It was low and seducing and a little rough at times. Remus felt hypnotized by this. He felt as if he were a fisherman, lured by a beautiful siren. He started to make his way to Peter, curious to see who was singing, his drink long forgotten.
"They sound good, although a band of two seems a little sad, don't you think?"Peter was nodding along to the music, clearly enjoying it."They need some drums, i reckon. Right, Remus?"
But Remus couldn't answer. The man that was singing looked like a painting, or a marble statue made by God himself. The sight took his breath away. He was tall, although probably shorter than Remus. He had long dark hair that was tied up in a bun, with some messy strands framing his face. And oh, his face. He had hard features, with full round lips and feline eyes the colour of the gardens in Monet's painting. The light casted shadows in his face, contrasting with his pale skin. He moved around the stage like he owned the place. Like it came naturally to him, to be this good. He smirked everytime a girl shouted something at him and would even dance when the guitar got more frenetic. It was a sight to behold.
"Remus, are you okay?"Asked Peter.
"Yeah. I don't think I've ever felt this good.
Peter laughed, clearly catching on the situation.
Remus kept looking at the singer until, finally, finally, the man caught his gaze. He seemed to stop for a second, as If drinking Remus in, but kept singing while maintaining eye contact. After a couple of seconds he looked somewhere else, but Remus thought he saw the ghost of a smile forming on his face. He felt like he had stopped breathing altogether. Ths wasn't normal for Remus, he never had such strong reactions to other people, no matter how gorgeous they looked, or how great they sang.
After a couple more songs the show ended and people clapped and shouted names as the two boys left the stage.
"I'm so glad that they're performing again."Said the girl that was in front of Peter.
"Yeah, but I thought that they would have already replaced the others."Said a girl that seemed to be her friend.
Remus was tempted to intervene in the conversation to gather more information about that man, but was too shy. He wasn't going to ever see him back, so there was no point in embarrassing himself. After a couple of minutes he told Peter that he needed some fresh air and got out. It was just an excuse to smoke without Peter reprimanding him.
He stood in a corner while he lit his cigarette. The september air was humid but there was a refreshing breeze that made him feel better after having so many drinks.
"Hi, do you have fire?"Someone asked.
Remus turnt to see who it was and froze on the spot when he saw the singer from the band standing right in front of him.
"Of, of course."Remus hated himself for not being able to even speak a coherent sentence. He gave his lighter to the man, who was looking at him satisfied.
"Well, thank you. My name is Sirius, by the way."Sirius gave his lighter back to Remus and lit his own cigarette. Remus felt like he could faint at the sight of him smoking in his leather jacket. It was way too much for his own heart. Sirius was even prettier now.
"Okay."
Sirius let out a surprised laugh.
"Aren't you gonna introduce yourself? Or you don't have a name?"
Remus wanted to answer but he couldn't find his words, too enthralled by Sirius’s beautiful face..
"Okay Moony, I'll call you that then. Don't worry."
"Moony?"
"I don't know. I just noticed that there's a full moon. And I write songs so I'm pretty creative."
Remus smiled, pleased at the nickname.
-
"I'm Remus, but i like Moony too."
He thought that he would like everything that came out of Sirius’s mouth.
"I like it too. It suits you."
Sirius couldn’t stop looking at Remus, and he didn’t want to either, but James, like always, cme to ruin the moment.
"Sirius, here you are. I've been looking for you mate." It was the guy that had been playing the guitar before. He was cute too, but not Remus's type.-Hello, who are you?"He seemed taken aback by Remus's presence."
"No one."Remus felt pathetic. Why had he said that? But apparently the guy found it hilarious because he started laughing.
"Okay, no one. I'm James. I wish I could introduce myself better but Sirius."He turnt to his bandmate, with a panicked expression.-We got to go. They aren't coming back.
"You're kidding."Sirius's smile dropped.
"I wish I was kidding but they just called me. So we need to cancel the announcement. There's no point in doing this anymore Sirius. This isn't a band, but a duet at this point, and it sucks. Duets suck."James looked like a lost puppy.
"Who is not coming back?"Remus didn't know why he meddled in the conversation but he couldn't help. They seemed really distressed about whatever was going on.
"Our old bandmates. They told us they didn't want to play anymore but two days ago came back, pleading for a second chance and telling us that we should make a big announcement. But apparently they were messing with us because they just called to tell me that they're not interested in a reunion."
"Oh, well, I'm sorry to hear that."Said Remus.
"Don't worry. We're better off without them. I'm just mad that I believed them and that we wasted time planning this whole thing."
"They were dickheads." Sirius smirked."And not as attractive as us.
Remus laughed nervously, not wanting to admit how much he agreed with that statement. James was very attractive too, with his tan skin, his cute freckles and emerald eyes. He had that kind of boyish look that he imagined turned so many people crazy. But Sirius...He didn't even have words for it. He found himself drawn to the guy. It wasn't love at first sight, of course. Remus thought that was frivolous and stupid but he was drawn to him and he couldn't deny that. He was staring at him and Sirius had noticed it because he started looking at him with a curious smile.
"Do you agree?"Sirius took a step closer to Remus, who panicked. He didn't know what to say. If he said no it would be obvious that he was lying but If he said yes...What If he said yes?
"Oh, come on Sirius, leave the poor man alone."James gave a reassuring smile to him."Don't inflate his ego anymore, he doesn't need It."
Sirius threw his head back in a laugh.
"You know me so well Prongs."
Remus thought that there seemed to be a fondness between them that he had never seen before and selfishly, he wanted to be a part of It.
Suddenly a red haired girl appeared. She had long hair that fell on her back, and her face was dusted with freckles. She gave James a look that resembled a warning.
"Oh, Lils, I'm sorry."
"We need to head now and solve this mess."
"Yeah, yeah, we got distracted."
The red hair took a curious glance at Remus, who seemed to get small under her strong gaze.
"Who are you? Hope you're not a crazy fan."
"Me? What? No, of course not. I didn't even know them before this night."
She raised an eyebrow in disbelief.
"Well, don't worry, we still have time to get to know each other really well."Sirius looked at him through his long eyelashes and Remus, again, panicked.
"Sirius, leave him alone. Come on, let's go back inside."
"Well, It has been a pleasure Remus, I hope we see each other again, but If I don't go inside right this moment this woman is going to kill me."James gave him a friendly smile and followed Lily inside.
Sirius, instead, didn't move.
"Aren't you going to go with them?"
"Do you want me to go?"Sirius was holding his cigarette and standing there, lit by the haze of the moonlight, Remus had the strange suspicion that he had to be a figment of his imagination.
"No."
Sirius looked away and Remus swore that his cheeks had turned a rosy color. He had made Sirius, who apparently was kind of a superstar and should be used to all kinds of compliments and flattery, blush? And It had only taken one simple word.
Sirius didn't know what to say. He wasn't a stranger to hooking up with people that he had just met, from fans, to friends to strangers. He had earned himself the reputation of a heartbreaker, not because he liked playing with people's emotions but because he didn't want to get attached to someone else. He would go from casual fling to the next, waking up in a cold and unfamiliar bed and leaving before breakfast. He was always honest and upfront about what he wanted, just something casual, that could last a week maximum. So, what was the problem now? He found Remus attractive and knew that he would really enjoy kissing him, by only looking at his round scarlet lips, so what was stopping him from doing so? Granted, Remus seemed to have something that set him apart from everyone else that Sirius had ever met. It seemed dangerous. He felt as If he would burn himself If he took another step closer to him, lighting all of his insides on fire.
"I'm sorry, but I should really leave."
Remus's heart dropped. He felt naive for thinking that someone as gorgeous as Sirius would actually be interested in Remus, who was full of bruises and scars. Of course that would have never happened.
Sirius looked at him apologetically, and he looked down, feeling too bad to hold his gaze.
Sirius exhaled and dropped the remains of his cigarette to the ground, already feeling as If walking away from that man was a mistake. But he did it anyway and Remus stood there, frozen in time, cursing his heart for being so hopeful.