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“Hold the lift!”
The door was just about to close when a hand shot through causing it to retreat. Remus huffed an annoyed breath, leaning on his umbrella as a soaking wet man carrying an armful of plastic bags busted his way into the near-empty lift.
Near empty because Remus was the only person in there.
“Cheers, mate,” the man said to Remus, obviously sarcastic. It was not Remus’ job to hold the doors. He grimaced in response as he finally took in the dripping man.
He looked around Remus’ age with soaking wet dark black hair that reached his shoulders. He was wearing a leather jacket, ripped jeans, and Doc Martens. He could have dressed better for the weather , Remus thought, but he did look rather good regardless of poor planning . It wasn’t as if the storm was a surprise—they’d been having constant storms for the last few days.
The lift started to go up, finally. All Remus wanted to do was go to sleep. He had classes all morning and a gruelling shift at the library all afternoon.
After a few seconds of rising, the lift stalled, jerking the men around as it came to a stop. The lights went out and it became deadly silent.
“Oh you have got to be fucking with me,” Remus groaned, startling a laugh out of the other man.
“Rough go of it?”
Remus grunted. He took out his phone and turned on the flashlight. Getting up off the wall he was leaning on, Remus walked over to the control panel and hit the call button. Nothing happened so Remus pressed it again. On the third try, there was a long beep and some static coming out of the speaker above the button.
“Hello?” came a gruff, tired voice. This man sounded exactly how Remus felt.
“Yeah, the lift broke down. There are two of us here. What do we do?”
A long moment of silence passed, save for what most likely was the sound of keys clacking on the other side of the speaker, before the man responded. “Just messaged the repair service. Looks like they probably will be a while before they show up. There’s a right nasty storm out there.”
Could this day get any worse? Remus knocked his head against the panel before asking the man, “What constitutes a while, by your definition?”
The man huffed in return. “Well, you’re not the bloody Queen, are you? The storm is supposed to calm down in a couple of hours. Maintenance said they’ll be here as soon as the roads are clear to drive on. So strap in fellas, it might be a while.”
And with that, the line went dead. Remus was yet again left in complete silence with this beautiful stranger.
“Welp,” the man said, as if Remus’ thoughts had summoned him. “We may as well get comfortable.” With that, he plopped onto the ground, set down his bags, and pulled out his phone.
“I’ve got to let my mate know I won’t be there for dinner. I was supposed to bring the food.” He gestures to the bags next to him. “And of course as soon as I had picked up the food it started pouring. And, like, it isn’t far from the curry place so I didn’t bring an umbrella so I was drenched by the time I got here.”
Remus slowly lifts his head off the wall and turns to look at the man behind him. He was tapping away on his phone as he continued to go on about Christ knows what.
“My best mate, James, and his girlfriend Lily, just moved into an apartment here. Hence the food. I was supposed to finish helping them unpack after we ate, but it looks like the universe is trying to save me from Lily’s wrath if I put something in the wrong place.” With that, the man finished typing on his phone and set it on the ground next to him with the flash on, casting a dim light around the lift. “Jesus, I am soaked.” He leaned forward and rustled around trying to take off his leather jacket. After a few minutes of struggling, he managed and threw it to the other side of the lift. Underneath, the man was wearing a short sleeved Bowie t-shirt. His arms were covered in tattoos. Remus wanted nothing more than to look at each one and ask for its story. “I’m Sirius, by the way. Have a seat.”
Without a word, Remus nodded and leaned his umbrella against the wall next to Sirius’ jacket. He pulled his tote bag from his shoulder, groaning in relief as he put the heavy bag on the ground. A little self-consciously, Remus slid down the wall and tried to arrange his long limbs into a somewhat comfortable position. He set his phone with the flash on the ground next to the strangely chatty man’s.
While Remus was moving, Sirius pulled a tie off his wrist and pulled his long hair up into a knot on the top of his head. He offered Remus a sly grin. “Do you live here?”
Remus nodded. He couldn’t find the words to speak. Especially now that he was fully taking in the man across from him. With the hair off his face, Remus could see the mesmerizing storm-grey eyes covered in thick, long eyelashes. Fuck , Remus thought, he is beautiful .
“Common, mate. I don’t bite—unless you want me to.” Remus gaped at him. Sirius’ grin fell a little before he started again. “Right, sorry. I tend to go a bit overboard. What’s your name?”
All he could muster up is a stuttered out “Remus.”
Sirius nodded once as he began to open the plastic bags on the floor. “You like curry? Can’t have this go to waste, and no offence mate, but you look like you haven’t eaten all day.”
Not going to lie, Remus was a little offended. While it might very well be true, who was this man to tell him he looked like shit?
Remus must’ve made some sort of face at the comment because Sirius began to backpedal again. “Sorry, I know it’s not my place. I shouldn’t have said anything. You see, I sort of ramble on when I get nervous. Which happens a lot more often around hot guys.” As he finished his last sentence, Sirius’ eyes went wide, almost as if he hadn’t meant to say that.
Remus could feel his cheeks heat up from the comment. This guy thought he was hot? How could someone who looked like Sirius think Remus was hot? He was baffled.
Remus cleared his throat and replied “It’s fine. I also get quite worked up over hot guys.”
The bags stopped rustling as Sirius’ head jerked up to look at him. His eyes were still wide, which was doing something to Remus, as he looked across the tiny elevator at him. Slowly, the grin started to return to Sirius face, as if the confirmation that Remus was also into men changed everything.
“Anyway,” Remus continued on, pointedly ignoring Sirius’ sly grin. “While I don’t appreciate someone like you telling me I look like shit, you are in fact correct. I had literally no time to eat today.”
“Someone like me ?” Remus was almost irritated with the smirk that seemed to never leave Sirius’ face. Almost.
Huffed under his breath, Remus said to Sirius “As if you don’t know how hot you are.”
Sirius’ smirk grew into the most beautiful, genuine smile Remus could possibly imagine. “Oh, Remus, I’m so happy we’ve been trapped together.”
A few minutes later had Remus and Sirius eating out of takeaway containers while Sirius raved about the small Indian place down the street.
“I don’t know if you’ve been there before, mate, but this is the real shit.” He was talking with his mouth full, which usually would gross Remus out to no end, but there seemed to be nothing this man could do that Remus wouldn’t be endlessly attracted to. “James is Indian so whenever he sees any curry place he needs to try it and compare it to his mum’s. When we saw this place when looking at the apartment it was an immediate trial. And while it is smashing, nothing will ever compare to Effie’s.”
He could have sworn Sirius had said just James and his girlfriend lived here, but he’s making it seem as if he does as well. Remus couldn’t stop himself from thinking if it would be weird to ask?
Ultimately, Remus decided it wasn’t weird enough to not cave and ask. “So you said your mate and his girlfriend live here?”
Sirius nodded as he swallowed what food was in his mouth. Remus watched the way it made his throat bob. It should not be as hot as it was. “Yep, they live on the tenth floor. James and I used to live together until he ditched me to move in with Lily.”
“How dare he be in love and abandon you,” Remus replied.
Either Sirius didn’t notice or chose to ignore the sarcasm seeping throughout the statement because he beamed at Remus. “Exactly!” After a few minutes of them silently eating Sirius continued on. “So, you live here too? What floor?”
“Ten as well.” Remus surprised himself with a smirk as he said, “I actually am fairly certain I know which apartment your mates are moving into. Right across the hall from mine, my friend Dorcas used to live there until she moved out last week with her girlfriend. I’m guessing that’s where Lily and James are moving.”
“Oh Remus,” Sirius gasped, dramatically clutching his chest. “You have no idea how exciting that is for me. I intend to see James a lot . And even more now that I know he has such an attractive neighbour.”
Remus couldn’t stop the blush that rose on his face, yet again. He huffed out a small “I’m looking forward to it” and continued to eat.
Sirius must have been satisfied with this response because he continued questioning Remus. “You in uni?” He nodded towards the stack of books that were coming out of the tote Remus had set down.
He nodded in response. “Yes,” he told Sirius. “I’m getting my masters in English Literature with a focus on queer history in England and its literature.”
“That is so cool!” Sirius gave him that smile again, making butterflies fly around his stomach. “Tell me about it.”
This was not something many people said to Remus. No one ever wants to hear the ins and outs of historical queer literature. He wasn’t going to let this opportunity pass. Remus proceeded to spend far too long telling Sirius all about his favourite books and the classes he’d taken. He only noticed how long he went on when Sirius set down his empty curry container while Remus’ own was still mostly full.
“Oh my god,” Remus breathed out. “I am so sorry. That was probably too much. I just get really passionate about it. You should have told me to stop, my friends usually do.”
“No!” Sirius vigorously shook his head. “There is nothing I love more than listening to someone who is passionate about something talk about it. Plus, this is really interesting. I never knew how much queer history there actually is.”
“No one really does, do they?” Remus smiled softly at him. “What are you passionate about, Sirius?”
“As surprising as it may be,” Sirius said, the signature smirk returning to his face. “I am a tattoo artist. I tend to practise on myself a lot. Hence, these.” He held up both arms to show Remus his work.
“They’re incredible.”
Even though it was only slight, Remus could see the blush rising on Sirius’ cheeks. “Most of them were done by James—we work together. But the designs are all mine. And a couple I did on myself as a sort of practice.”
“Which ones did you do?”
Sirius scooted closer and began pointing out a few smaller tattoos all over his left arm. They were pressed together from shoulder to hips. Remus was so distracted he almost missed the most beautiful twist of fate. Just above his elbow there was a small moon and star, which Remus took an immediate liking to. Feeling bold, Remus took Sirius’ arm in his hand and ran his thumb over the small design.
“It’s us,” Remus said, smiling softly at the tattoo. “Sirius, the star. Remus, the boy raised howling at the moon.”
Their eyes met, causing Sirius to return his smile. “This may be kind of cheesy, but this feels kind of like fate. That was my first ever tattoo—first I got and first I did.”
“Your tattoo sealed our fate. We were destined to meet.” Remus stopped moving his thumb. Something must be in the air because he has never been this bold in his life. He slid his hand from Sirius's upper arm up to the side of his neck. “You are so beautiful, Sirius.”
“Remus,” Sirius all but gasped. He watched as Sirius’ eyes darted to his lips.
“I’m not usually like this,” Remus whispered. “But there’s something about you that really does feel like fate.”
Sirius surged forward and kissed Remus. It was like nothing he’d ever felt before.
The hand Remus didn’t have on Sirius was still holding a mostly full container of curry. Without breaking away from Sirius, he sat it on the floor beside him and brought his now free hand and ran it through Sirius’ still damp curls. This drew a small groan from the man.
Sirius must have more control than Remus ever could because he was the one who ended up pulling away first. Without having realised it, Sirius’ hands had ended up around his neck and they were fully facing each other.
“Remus,” Sirius whispered, eyes running around his face. “Go out with me?”
Remus barely noded before he pulled Sirius back into another kiss.
Just as Remus began to pull Sirius into his lap, the lift started to shake and the lights flickered back on. The intercom crackled before the same gruff voice called out, “back up and running,” as if it weren’t obvious.
Sirius groaned as he fell to the side next to Remus.
Remus laughed in response. “Great timing,” he said, turning his head to look at the other man. Sirius was still breathing heavily, his head leaning back against the wall with his eyes closed. Remus watched his chest rise and fall and the lift pulled them closer and closer to their destination.
Remus picked up his phone from the floor, turned off the flashlight and stuck it in his tote. He turned back and Sirius still hadn’t moved so he grabbed the remaining phone. Turning off the flashlight, Remus asked Sirius what his password was.
Without question, Sirius listed off the numbers and Remus was in. He pulled up his contacts and made a new one for himself. Just as he was shutting off Sirius’ phone, the lift dinged and the doors opened on the tenth floor.
“I think this is us,” Remus said. He grabbed Sirius’ chin between his thumb and pointer finger and turned his head to look at him. His eyes fluttered open and Remus was once again met with the most beautiful man he had ever laid eyes on.
Sirius nuzzled his cheek into Remus’ hand before he slowly stood. He turned back to Remus and offered a hand to help him up.
After gathering all their things and walking down the hall, the pair were standing in the hallway between apartments 1023 and 1024. They both stared at each other, not wanting their time together to end so quickly.
“It was—” Remus started at the exact moment Sirius began to say “Why don’t—.”
They both laughed, suddenly shy. Remus gestured for Sirius to go first. “Come over? You can finish the curry with me and Lily and James?”
Remus let out a breath he didn’t realize he was holding. “Yeah,” he nodded at the man next to him. “Yes. I would really like that.”
The smile on Sirius’ face as he grabbed Remus’ hand and dragged him to the door of the apartment across the hall from him was blinding.
They didn’t need to say anything else. Remus squeezed Sirius’ hand and followed him to the door of his brand new neighbours. As Sirius knocked on the door, he turned back to smile at him.
Remus couldn’t wait to see where this fascinating man would lead him. Because, even now, he knew he would follow this man anywhere.
Their fate was tattooed on Sirius’ arm, after all.