Chapter Text
The rain drizzles down lightly outside. Gloomy skies carry over, even into the next day. It’s always like this. Day in and day out. Whenever he stares out his window, from the third floor apartment he lives in, Remus can’t help but notice the horribly gloomy and dull weather.
Grey clouds stretch endlessly overhead, swallowing up any trace of sunlight. Rainwater trails sluggishly down the glass of his kitchen window, distorting the city below into a blurry mess of muted colour and moving lights.
He cringes at the wet, slippy grounds. His mind’s already jumping to possibilities of what could happen if he even so much as stepped a foot outside, into that horrendous weather. One wrong movement. One misplaced step. One patch of slick concrete he doesn’t notice in time…
He shudders at the mere thought, his grip tightens unconsciously against the edge of the counter as his stomach twists unpleasantly.
Sighing, Remus peels his gaze from the window, turning to face his massive black dog. The dog pants at him, tongue sticking out, head tilting to the side as if to ask are we going, dad?
Remus chuckles softly, though his heart aches painfully in his chest. Shaking his head, he allows the small, sad smile to tug at his lips.
“Sorry, Padfoot,” he whispers, his tone holding a sad edge to it. “No walks today. Too wet.”
The dog whines sadly at him. His wide, light grey eyes sparkle under the lighting of the kitchen, impossibly expressive for a dog. Remus groans quietly, crumbling immediately under the weight of those sad puppy-dog eyes.
“I know. I promise, buddy,” he continues, reaching a hand out toward the dog.
Padfoot instantly lights up, tongue sticking out further, panting louder, as his whole body wiggles its way toward Remus, soaking up the attention as Remus pats him. Thick black fur brushes against his palm, warm and soft and comforting.
Remus snorts at his dog, still feeling bad. “Tomorrow. Walkies tomorrow, okay?”
Padfoot sneezes at him, dropping down onto his haunches, front paws stretching out eagerly as he prepares to play. Remus watches as the dog darts off, running around the flat, nails clicking loudly against the wooden flooring, truly believing he’s getting to go on walks today.
A sharp pang of guilt twists through Remus’s chest.
He knows it’s not good for his dog to be cooped up inside all day like he is. It’s just… Remus can’t—not for a lack of better words—comfortably go outside and take his pup on a walk. It would be too dangerous. He could seriously hurt himself.
And Padfoot deserves better than a miserable owner too scared of the weather to properly walk him.
—
Rain continues to pour, now heavily, down outside. The sound pounds steadily against the windows, loud enough to drown out the quiet hum of Remus’s laptop. The apartment feels colder now too, damp creeping into the walls and furniture until everything smells faintly of rainwater and wet concrete.
Remus sighs, knowing he should take Padfoot out to the toilet. He groans, pushing himself up from his desk chair, closing the lid of his laptop, allowing himself the five minute break it takes for him to take a dog out to the toilet. His joints protest instantly at the movement, stiffness settling deep into his hips and knees.
He makes his way from his study, out into the living room. “Come on, boy,” he says, grabbing a hold of Padfoot’s lead. A nice light blue colour—one to match his collar. Utterly adorable. “Let’s go outside to the toilet.”
Padfoot’s big, black, fluffy ears perk up at the sound of his voice. Remus chuckles loudly when the dog bounds his way over toward him, sitting down so patiently, tail wagging furiously hard enough to thump against the floor.
“Yeah, yeah, I know,” Remus mutters fondly.
He clips the lead on, grabbing his cane, which rests by the front door, and soon, they are outside in the cold, rainy weather.
The icy air hits him immediately. Rain mists across his face, dampening the curls hanging around his forehead within seconds.
“Padfoot,” Remus chastises, as the dog tugs on his lead, excitedly. “Padfoot, stop.”
The dog glances back at him, eyes somehow widening with a hurt that makes Remus hurt. It’s unfair, what this dog can do to him. Why did he let Lily convince him to get a dog? Why not a cat? They’re so much less work.
Leaning down carefully, he unclips the lead, muttering a quick, “there you go,” before the dog dashes off into the small courtyard-type area the building Remus lives in maintains.
He sighs, standing straighter once more. His back pops, cracking, and he winces hearing—and feeling—his joints protest at the movement, against the harsh weather. He should’ve brought a jacket out with him, Remus thinks miserably, it’s way too cold out here.
He shivers slightly, rubbing the palms of his hands up and down his forearms. Glancing around, he looks at the pitiful space that is the courtyard. A few sad bushes sit shoved into corners, soaked through with rainwater.
The concrete glistens under dim outdoor lighting, puddles forming unevenly along the ground. He really should’ve thought about getting a dog before getting one like a proper adult, instead of acting on impulse. These conditions—a dog shouldn’t live in this.
Padfoot deserves open fields and sunshine and long walks through parks. Not a cramped apartment and a courtyard barely large enough to run in circles.
Remus peels his gaze away from where Padfoot has decided to do his business, instead turning to look at the wall holding each and every flat’s mailbox. Humming to himself, he might as well check his mailbox whilst he’s out here. Not like anyone really mails him things anyway. Considering, you know, technology.
Pulling out his key, Remus unlocks 3C. He instantly frowns when he opens it to find a flyer inside. He takes it out, inspecting the obvious advertisement, shutting and locking his mailbox.
SIRIUS’S DOG WALKING BUSINESS
Anytime, Any day
Starting at $10 for one dog, every hour!
Please contact this number for further details at: XXX-XXX-XXX
Huh, Remus thinks, flipping the flyer over. How… useful.
Almost suspiciously useful, actually.
He fishes his phone out of his pocket, struggling to juggle his cane, phone, and flyer in hand, as he limps his way over to the bench protected by the roof of the building. Taking a seat, Remus unlocks his phone, typing the phone number offered. Rain hammers loudly just beyond the shelter overhead.
Remus:
Hey, is this the number for Sirius’s dog walking business
Right?
Remus watches three dots appear, then disappear, then reappear. Then—
Sirius’s Dog Walking Business:
Yep!
This is the one!
Though, I prefer if you were to call me Sirius
Considering, ya know
That’s kind my name
Remus could smack himself on the forehead, he’s that much of an idiot. Heat crawls embarrassingly up the back of his neck.
Remus:
Right
Of course
My bad
So sorry
He quickly changes the name of the contact from Sirius’s Dog Walking Business to Sirius (the Dog Walker), which, honestly, seems much more appropriate.
Sirius (the Dog Walker):
No problem!
And, um, who is this?
Just so I know what to put in my contacts
Remus:
Name’s Remus
Sirius (the Dog Walker):
Awww
What sweet name for a dog
Remus stares at the message for a second before laughter bursts loud and bright out of him, bubbling over with the full force of his chest. It startles even him a little, the sound rusty from disuse.
Remus:
Lol
The dog’s name is Padfoot
The owner is Remus
The sudden sound of his laughter quickly catches the attention of Padfoot, and soon, the big, black bundle of joy is at his feet, desperate to see what all the commotion is about. Rainwater drips from his fur as he nudges his wet nose insistently against Remus’s knee.
Remus places a hand on Padfoot’s head, scratching behind the ear. Before he gets the chance to even utter a word, his phone pings with a new text notification.
Sirius (the Dog Walker):
Haha!
That’s so funny
But regardless, Padfoot’s an adorable name
I’m assuming for an adorable pup?
Remus glances down at Padfoot, whose tongue lolls happily from his mouth.
Remus:
The most adorablest
Sirius (the Dog Walker):
That’s good
Anyways, can you tell me a bit about why you contacted me?
Ah, right, Remus thinks. The nitty-gritty part.
Remus:
Well
As you know
I have this sweet adorable fluff ball who needs walking
Preferably two times a day
Maybe for an hour
But I’m not too sure
I don’t really take Padfoot out on many walks
His thumb hesitates over the keyboard after sending the final message. Guilt settles ugly and familiar in his stomach.
Sirius (the Dog Walker):
That’s alright!
How about this
I come to get the adorable fluff ball tomorrow
To test his endurance
Free of charge
Remus blinks at the screen.
Remus:
Oh, no, I couldn’t do that to you
Sirius (the Dog Walker):
Yes you can!
I do it with all my new clients
Just send me your address
And, is there a time that suits you best?
My working hours are from like, 6:30 to 6:30
But I can make exceptions (and have)
Remus smiles despite himself. Sirius types exactly how he imagines someone named Sirius would type—overly enthusiastic and completely incapable of sounding formal.
Remus:
Umm
Let's say 10, if that suits you best
Sirius (the Dog Walker):
Yep, can do
I have another dog at 10 too
If that’s good with you
She’s the best girl
Very well behaved
Great with other dogs too, if you’re concerned
Remus:
No not at all!
And, yeah that sounds great
I’ll send you through my address
Sirius (the Dog Walker):
Great!
See you then
Remus:
Yeah
See you then
Remus lets out a breath. He stares down at Padfoot, who is looking curiously up at him, tail swishing slowly against the wet concrete.
And suddenly, the guilt of not walking him daily eases from his chest.
His solution has been found.
A dog walker.
The classic beat to one of his favourite songs starts pulsing in his ears. He bobs his head along to each timely beat, the—what he can only describe as a drum, or something akin to it—makes the beat so memorable, his lips are moving before the song has time to catch up with it.
Ooh, let’s go!
Sirius’s feet thud to the sound of the music, in time with the beat. His heart races, beating rapidly against the cage his ribs protect him in.
Steve walks warily down the street,
With the brim pulled way down low.
Ain’t no sound but the sound of his feet,
Machine guns ready to go.
He has a dog leash wrapped pleasantly, tightly, within one hand, his head is held up high. The sun is shining, for the first time in days, and Sirius actually thinks to himself: this is nice.
Are you ready? Hey! Are you ready for this?
Are you hanging on the edge of your seat?
Out of the doorway, the bullets rip,
To the sound of the beat, yeah!
His sneakers—black, like his soul—grip the concrete of the path. He doesn’t even need to hear the sound his shoes make, he can feel it vibrating up his spine, with each harsh, forced step.
Another one bites dust,
Another one bites the dust,
And another one gone, and another one gone,
Another one bites the dust, yeah!
Hey, I’m gonna get you too,
Another one bites the dust.
Turning the corner, Sirius wonders what his new client is like. Of all the people he has ever interacted with, has ever been paid from—he’s never had someone be so… nonchalant? About the whole interaction, if that makes sense.
It was like the man—Remus, his name is—seemed awkward. Nervous. Hesitant. Sirius wonders the reason why. Wonders if Remus is simply nervous to have his dog walked, or something entirely else.
Sirius resonates with him.
How do you think I’m gonna get along,
Without you, when you’re gone?
You took me for everything that I had,
And kicked me out on my own.
A shudder passes its way through Sirius as he turns down another street, still listening to his music, whilst also trying to figure out where in the hell Remus lives.
Are you happy, are you satisfied?
How long can you stand the heat?
Out of the doorway, the bullets rip,
To the sound of the beat.
Look out!
Sirius walks down the sidewalk, coming onto a street that he would consider somewhat busy. There’s a few cars driving past, the commuters inside probably staring at him like some weirdo. They’re probably thinking: dude, get a life!
But, the thing is, he does, have a life. This is his life.
Some people just can’t respect that. Clearly.
Another one bites the dust!
Another one bites the dust!
And another one gone, and another one gone,
Another one bites the dust!
He hums, bobbing his head at the good part of the song. Mouthing the lyrics, Sirius continues to walk, stumbling across the building, making his way inside.
His legs burn, calves aching, as he walks up the flight of stairs. There’s an elevator next to the emergency set of stairs, but, well, it’s good cardio, really. Plus, marshmallow here really enjoys her flights of stairs.
He’s huffing and puffing as he reaches the top. Not over the top, not dramatically either, but Sirius is winded, as he trips over his own two feet, trying to get down the hall in one piece.
Hey, I’m gonna get you, too,
Another one bites the—
Sirius pauses his music, cutting off the sensational Freddie Mercury himself. Please forgive him, Freddie, it was necessary…
His chest rises and falls heavily, as he heaves in breath after breath. Taking his earphones out, he places them into their case, before raising a hand, knuckles knocking—rather harshly—against the wooden door of his new client’s flat.
The door swings open and Sirius’s jaw drops completely.
There, standing right in front of him, is the most gorgeous man, Sirius thinks, he has ever seen.
“Hello there,” the incredibly hot—Remus, Sirius corrects himself; though, he doesn’t think his mind fully registers the corrections—man says.
He’s wearing a crooked smile, nervous energy radiating off of him. Sirius stares, breathless, eyes tracing every inch of his face, noting the intuitive, eyes staring right back at him.
His eyes are like a mixture between yellow and orange. Warm, like the sun—no, not like the sun. Like the sun setting over the horizon, casting an elegant, a regal glow across a forest, telling the inhabitants that it’s nearing the end of the day, to prepare themself from what night has to bring.
Sirius keeps staring, unable to pull his gaze away. He’s fully enraptured by the man standing before him. He’s taller too, than Sirius had expected. In his mind, he was envisioning a man in his mid-forties, not someone his age.
Though the man dresses like a person in their mid-forties, that doesn’t deter Sirius. If anything, it only makes him fall harder.
Wait, falling? What?
Remus clears his throat, as if trying to gather Sirius’s—obviously wandering—attention. Sirius startles, his face growing awfully hot at being caught… staring.
“Umm… hi?”
Wow, that was stupid.
The smile that spreads across Remus’s face is one Sirius could only ever dream about. His pink, lush, definitely cracked lips twist upward, a flash of pearly white teeth glints the light, just for a second, before it disappears, hidden behind those lips.
God, what Sirius would do to see those teeth. Maybe even have them—
Nope. No. Do not. Stop it.
But, Sirius doesn’t think he can. He continues to watch, the corners of Remus’s eyes crinkle slightly, extenuating the tan skin. Blinking a few times, it only occurs to Sirius then, that Remus has the most beautiful tanned skin, he will ever have the pleasure of laying his eyes on.
Remus chuckles warmly, and oh, isn’t that the most beautiful sound. “Sirius, right?” he asks, clearly enamored, and finding his amusement way too pleasurable, than Sirius would like.
He doesn’t care.
Nodding oddly, his head jerking up and down stiffly, Sirius just stares at him, without saying anything. It takes another moment of Remus eyeing him curiously, before Sirius recognises what he’s doing.
If his face wasn’t already hot, it was positively burning now. He can only imagine what he looks like, an utter tomato, probably.
Sirius clears his throat, trying to save face. “Um, yes, that’s er—right. That’s right. Uh huh.”
Remus’s smile widens slightly, the left side of his face shifts upward with it. His eyes, as golden as polished gold, pure too, can get, sparkles with it, capturing the overhead lights, exaggerating the look. A look that will, most certainly, haunt his dreams.
It better, or Sirius might just go out chasing it.
“Cool,” Remus says, before turning around, torso twisting slightly, whistling, like a call out, to, what Sirius presumes to be his dog.
The animal that bounds over is big and black and very furry. It melts his heart completely, especially the light grey of his eyes—Sirius can only describe them as silver. The moon. Moonlight, he thinks with a soft, careful smile.
“Good boy,” Remus leans down, petting the dog. Marshmallow sits, all fluffy and white, perched like the excellent girl she is. Sirius always knew she was great with other dogs—even in her older age, she’s still just the same, calm, collected girl, as when she was a pup.
Remus stands again, after clipping Padfoot’s lead on. He stills for a moment, neither saying a word. Sirius’s gaze flickers from Remus, down to the dog leash within his hands, then to the dog, who looks incredibly eager, then back up.
Sirius can see the hesitant, almost fearful look shimmering within his eyes. It breaks him, because, it’s clear, even without so much as interacting, that Remus loves his dog.
“Remus?” he calls out softly.
Remus blinks, as if coming out of a haze. His smile returns, though it looks forced. Sirius reaches a hand out, palm facing outward, open.
“Right,” Remus mutters, nodding his head once. “Of course.”
He hands over the dog leash without another word. Sirius smiles bright and wide and warm at him, hoping to ease some of the nerves he’s experiencing.
“We’ll be back soon. I promise.”
That seems to do it, because the crooked, awkward, nervous smile seals his lips. Sirius’s chest tugs weirdly, heart doing an outrageous flip.
“Thank you,” is all Remus says, before he’s closing the flat door.
Sirius stands there, staring at the dark blue painted door. He’s pulled from his trance by the tug of Marshmallows leash. With that, he’s quick to place his earphones back in, hitting play on his music.
—dust!
He turns, making his way back down the hall, and down the stairs. Both dogs seem to be content, Sirius learning more and more about Padfoot, as they begin their treacherous, yet equally exciting, adventurous walk.
—
Padfoot can definitely—easily—without any sort of doubt, take a good, two hour walk.
How does Sirius know this? Well, that’s because they went on a two hour walk.
Sirius is more puffed than Padfoot is! That’s how he knows.
He knows he could take Padfoot on a two hour walk each day—that’s barely an inconvenience to him—it’s simply… what Remus said, that’s stuck to him. Sticking their like a little yellow sticky note, highlighting important information, Sirius can’t seem to get out of his head.
Padfoot doesn’t really leave the flat. Remus had seemed so guilty, had seemed so… like he hated himself, almost. Sirius can’t understand why he would, he’s honestly one of the more loving, caring pet owners he’s met. And, he’s met a few, to say the least.
A couple, neglectful ones come to mind. Sirius shudders at the thought of taking one singular glance at these animals, and immediately calling the police. Some of those poor dogs were tortured! Tortured!
He gets so angry simply thinking about it. His heart grows heavier the more he allows his mind to spiral into dangerous territory.
Sirius sighs, making his way up to the third floor of Remus’s building. Padfoot pants, loudly, light pink tongue poking out, lolling to the side, as he lets every puffed breath be known. He smiles, chuckling warmly to himself, the moment the dog’s eyes find their way to his.
It’s like Padfoot knows. Knows exactly where he is. Sirius can see it in his bright, brilliant eyes, the excitement, the way his body startles to wiggle with it. It’s adorably cute, for such a large dog.
“Yeah?” Sirius says, taking the final step of the staircase. He’s still looking pointedly at Padfoot, the dog’s big, black ears pointing upward, on alert. Listening. “You know where you are, don’t you boy?”
Padfoot lets out a suppressed bark, almost like he’s been taught to bark, using an inside voice.
Sirius allows laughter to ripple its way throughout his chest, sucking in the joy of the experiencing, of witnessing such an odd, such a cute, little trick. Smart one, more accurately.
“Where did you learn that, huh, buddy?” Sirius asks, as he makes his way toward Remus’s flat number. Padfoot looks at him, and Sirius swears it’s like the dog is telling him where do you think? In the most serious tone, humanly possible.
Sirius snorts, stopping at Remus’s door, Padfoot sits instantly, tail wagging against the floor of the communal hallway. Sirius has learnt, over the two hours he’s known this dog, that he’s incredibly intelligent. He shakes his head, raising his fisted hand to the door, tapping twice.
Not even seconds later, does the door swing right open. Sirius startles at the movement, having to take a considerable step backward, heart racing as if he were in danger. He’s not in danger, he notes to himself, taking a deep breath, in and out. He’s fine. A door simply opened.
“Padfoot!” A gasp of relief, mixed with uncontained happiness, snaps Sirius from his thoughts.
He shakes his head, blinking rapidly, finding Remus standing in the doorway, a massive smile tugging his lips high up onto his cheeks. His hands are held outward, slightly, as the tall, lanky man stares down brightly at his well-behaved, genius of a dog.
Padfoot’s tail wags so hard, Sirius is afraid he might break it. His entire black, furry body wiggles, lead pulling, trying to get closer toward his owner.
Remus kneels downward, noticeably struggling, taking his time with his descent. Sirius doesn’t think too much on it, not when Padfoot is practically jumping into Remus’s arms, causing the poor man to stumble backwards.
Sirius lets out his laughter, barking it out into the moist air of the hallway. Padfoot has climbed his way into Remus’s lap, licking at his face, causing slobber to be placed everywhere.
Remus, though, he doesn’t care. He’s too busy laughing also, loud, the sound does something funny within Sirius’s chest, drawing oxygen casually sitting within his lungs, out. It’s a weird feeling.
“Hey there,” Remus says, in between breaths. “Settle down. Okay, okay. I missed you too.”
Sirius has stopped laughing now, unable to stop staring down at the man on the floor, reuniting with his dog, like he’s just come back from war. The sight has his body tingling. A smile spreads onto his cheeks, causing them to ache with the intensity of it.
“Okay,” Remus grunts, standing up after getting Padfoot off of him. The dog is still wagging his tail, still looking up at Remus like he’s the only person in the world.
Funny how people can do that, huh?
The man groans slightly, wobbling as he stands. Padfoot comes to his aid, forcing one of Remus’s hands underneath his head. Remus glances down at him, smiling softly. Sirius catches his words, barely, but it doesn’t help the weird feeling growing in his chest. In fact, it adds to it.
“Thank you,” is what he heard. That’s it. That’s all. What is wrong with him?
Sirius clears his throat, trying to gain the attention of the other. The sound, somehow, surprisingly, compels Remus to peel his gaze, amber eyes locking onto him.
An expression of realisation dawns on him. His face twists, like he’s just now remembering that someone else is there. Sirius has to suppress a light chuckle, at the way Remus’s face burns, turning a nasty, bright red colour—it reminds Sirius of a tomato, almost—at the sheer force of his embarrassment.
“Ah, right, yes,” Remus coughs, clearing his own throat, as if to pull himself together. “You’re still here.”
Sirius snorts, audibly at that. “Yes,” he nods, smirk dripping at his tone. He folds his arms across his chest, leaning his body automatically to the side, trying to be awfully casual about it.
Though, Sirius must have miscalculated how far away he is to the doorframe, as, when his left side doesn’t hit the frame like he thought it would, gravity actively takes over.
He stumbles, hearing a covered, distant laugh escape someone from in front. He repositions himself, standing upright, pretending like what just happened, didn’t occur. That his failed attempt at being… casual? Flirting? Was purely… a mistake. Yep, he’ll go with that.
Sirius swallows, feeling his own face heat up. “I am.”
Remus is grinning at him, with so much amusement, Sirius can physically feel it in his chest.
Instantly, his embarrassment is gone. Instead, being replaced with a wide grin. Pride courses through his veins, heart practically racing with joy.
“So,” Remus says, eventually breaking whatever weird tension that’s started forming between them. Sirius calms himself, schooling himself. He has to be cool. “How was your walk with Pads?”
Sirius blinks. “Oh,” he replies, feeling like an idiot. It took him a second to realise why he was there. Much like Remus, moments before him.
“Oh, yeah, no, Padfoot was great,” he says, an awkward chuckle falls from his lips. “Most well behaved dog I think I’ve ever met.”
Remus smiles, sweetly at him, almost as if he were… glad.
“That good,” he says, turning his gaze away from Sirius, to glance down at Padfoot. “Were you a good boy for Sirius? Were you?”
Padfoot barks, mostly having stayed quiet throughout this whole… ordeal. Remus chuckles, Sirius alongside him. He can’t help it. It just slips out. Almost as if it wanted to accompany Remus’s own, light, airy chuckle.
Remus nods, once, pleased. “That’s good,” he says, looking back up at him. “Thank you for walking him. I know he just had the time of his life out there.”
Sirius waves Remus off, feeling a stutter within his chest. “Oh, it was nothing. No need to thank me.” Remus hums, still smiling softly, nodding his head in agreement.
Silence settles over them. Sirius can’t take his eyes off him. Remus is just so enchanting.
He doesn’t think he ever would, want to take his eyes off him, that is.
“Oh, uh,” he begins, pulling himself from his daze. Remus is still looking at him, waiting almost patiently so; his amber eyes holding a kindness, Sirius has only ever seen on James and his family. Sirius clears his throat. “About a walking schedule—”
Remus mouth parts as he nods his head. “Ah, yeah, that.”
“I was thinking—I mean, Padfoot tolerated a two hour walk well, but, umm… I think it would be… better if he got the chance to go out, twice a day. I was thinking for an hour and a half?”
Remus hums, tilting his head to the side, clearly thinking. He nods, after a while, decisively, as if he’s made a decision. The entire time, Sirius stands there, watching him, waiting with a bated breath.
He has no idea as to why. It’s not like there’s feelings for Remus there. That would be weird. And oddly inappropriate.
“That sounds good,” Remus finally answers, taking Sirius out of his misery.
“Yeah?”
Remus nods. “Yes, it does.”
Sirius smiles, nervously, awkwardly. “Good. Yeah. Just umm… text me, you know, whenever.”
Remus smiles politely at him. “Yeah,” he agrees, voice barely rising above a whisper. “Will do."
“Cool.”
“Cool.”
—
The sweat clinging to his skin, once dripping, falling its way down his skin like raindrops against a window, have now crusted over, collecting a light layer of grime and body odour to form.
Sirius feels absolutely disgusting, gross beyond a simple shower will fix. He’s going to definitely need to have some sort of serious self-care happenings tonight, otherwise, he might not ever feel clean again. God, he thinks, he hopes he will. He doesn't think he'd be able to live with the phantom sheen of sweat sticking to his skin for the rest of his life. Sirius won't be able to survive.
Taking another step further into the house, the front door clicking softly behind, Sirius can’t help but suddenly feel his limb grow an extra, unaccounted for, weight. It’s dark within the house, reflecting what’s occurring outside. Nightfall has draped its way across the sky, wrapping the world up in a nice, warm blanket.
Not a single light is on—Sirius tosses his keys onto the counter, flicking the kitchen light on—which only means one thing: James isn’t home.
And, if James isn’t home, that means he’ll have to make dinner. Sirius groans, throwing his head back with frustration. Squeezing his eyes shut, hands running down his face, Sirius fights the urge to dig his pleasantly sharp nails, right, directly into the skin surrounding his eyes.
If there’s one thing certain about Sirius after a long day of dog walking, it’s that he definitely does not want to make himself dinner. Not in the slightest.
He sighs, exhaustion creeping its way heavier, deeper into his bones. The sound of his sneakers squeak against the tile floor as he shuffles what remaining energy he has left into the kitchen.
Maybe he’ll order dinner, save his energy for his long awaited bath.
Sirius is just about to open the fridge, when the sound of his phone pinging, signalling a new notification, fills the silence.
He immediately shoves a hand into the pocket of his shorts, digging around for his phone. Fingers wrap around the familiar, smooth case, and Sirius is pulling it out without a second thought.
He stares, unseeing for a moment, at his screen. His brain takes an embarrassingly long time to catch-up with itself, because his phone goes dark before he can even register who the message is from—let alone what it says.
Unlocking his phone, a buzz of excitement zips straight up from the base of his spine, landing directly into his chest. A smile instantly spreads out across his face, a bit of his bone deep exhaustion pushes itself out, at the name that appears at the top of his screen.
Remus
(Dog: Padfoot)
Sirius’s eyes dart across the words sent through in the form of a text. He reads, absorbing every single word Remus has to offer.
Remus:
Hey, Sirius!
Just wanted to send you a quick message on the details
You know, for walking Padfoot and all
If you’re free, of course
Sirius:
Hey Remus! Yeah I’m free.
What’s up?
Remus:
I just wanted to tell you specifics
Monday, Wednesday, and Thursday I’m home all day
Is it okay if you come get Padfoot at 6:30?
I’m an early bird, and I’d like to have him with me for the day
Sirius:
Sounds great! 6:30 works extremely well for me then
I do have two other dogs at that time, and their owners like me taking them to the dog park for bout an hour
Is that alright with you? If I took Padfoot to?
As well as the 30 minutes that we agreed upon
Remus:
Oh!
Well, if you’re taking other dogs to the dog park
Then we don’t really need to do the hour and a half in the morning
Sirius:
Sure! Yeah, totally get that
Remus:
Awesome. And, um, for nights, at 5?
5 to 6:30? Is that alright?
Sirius:
Yep! Sounds great!
Is that for Monday, Thursday and Friday?
Remus:
Yes, and, for Wednesday and Sunday as well
If you work Sundays, of course.
Sirius:
Haha
No, not really
But, I’m happy to do a Sunday walk with Padfoot
Whatever works best with you.
Remus:
Oh, no
If you don’t really do dog walking on Sundays, then that’s fine
Sirius:
Like I said, I make exceptions all the time
Padfoot can just be the dog that’s the exception
I mean, how could I say no to such a cute face?
*Remus liked a message with a ‘HAHA’*
Remus:
No, guess you can’t lol
He’s a pretty adorable boy
Sirius:
Agreed
Remus:
Alrighty then
I’ll uh… see you tomorrow at 6:30?
Sirius:
Sounds perfect!
See you then!
Remus:
Oh! One more thing
Sirius:
Yeah?
Remus:
Payment method?
What suits you best?
I can transfer you money or get out cash
You’re choice, I have absolutely no preference.
*Sirius liked a message*
Sirius:
I usually have clients send me the entire payment at the start (or end) of the week
Whatever you classify Sunday as
Via phone transfer
Though, I do take cash too, just to keep things open
Remus:
Haha fair enough
Yeah, okay, I’ll send you the full amount on Sunday!
Hope you have a good evening
Thanks again for walking Padfoot!
Sirius:
No problem!
Enjoy yours!
Sirius has been following along to the sound of his music, Queen continuously blasts in his ears; he honestly could never become sick of it. Their music is what keeps him going. Thriving, day by day.
What else keeps him going is his business. Dog walking. It’s easy to become distracted, when you’re trying to wrangle a bunch of chaotic animals into behaving. It makes life joyful, less time for his thoughts to run rampant.
But, above all, is his new client.
Remus.
Or, what Sirius has dubbed him: mystery man.
He’s intriguing, to say the very least. Sirius is intrigued by the man. Every time he heads to his flat, ready to pick up Padfoot for his daily walks, he discovers new, enticing things about him.
Like, on his third visit, when Padfoot was getting a little too excited.
He noticed Remus simply standing there, unmoving, frowning at his frantic, happy pup. He kept calling out to him, also, like that would do any good.
Like Sirius gets it. He knows a lot of people who save their energy, and their dogs typically respond after being prompted for the umpteenth time. But, what was even weirder, in Sirius’s eyes, was the fact that Remus didn’t chase after Padfoot when he ran out the front door.
He just stood there, sighing, as if it were a common occurrence. Sirius knows, for a fact, that every single pet owner he has met would be running after their dog, screaming their name, or, a version of it.
Yet, Remus didn’t. And that intrigued Sirius.
—
Tue, 19 May
(4:29PM)
Remus:
Hey! I was just wondering if you can come by 5:30 instead of 5 to get Padfoot?
Sirius:
Yeah!
That’s totally fine!
Remus:
Thank you so much
Sirius:
No problem!
—
Wed, 20 May
(8:33PM)
Sirius:
Hey!
So, just realised I have to go get another client’s dog at 8.
You don’t mind if I keep Padfoot for an extra half hour, tops, tomorrow, do you?
Remus:
No
Not a problem at all
Thanks for letting me know!
*Sirius liked a message*
Sirius:
Yeah
Awesome
Cool
Thanks!
—
Mon, 25 May
(6:00PM)
*Sirius sent an image of Padfoot watching the rain*
Sirius:
Such an adorable dog!
*Remus hearted an image*
Remus:
He really is, isn’t he?
(6:45PM)
*Sirius sent a video of Padfoot rolling in the mud*
Sirius:
That, right there, is the reason we are LATE
Apologises
I’ll go wash him for you and everything
*Remus liked a message with a ‘HAHA’*
Remus:
Honestly having more fun than I am
Sirius:
Literally
Sorry again
Remus:
Don’t worry about
And, hey, thanks for cleaning him
Sirius:
Absolutely no problem at all
Remus:
Truly, you are a miracle
I don’t think I would’ve been able to do it myself
Sirius:
Hahaha
No worries
—
Fri, 26 May
(1:52PM)
Remus:
Hey!
Sorry if this is a bit… premature
But I’m just messaging you, to let you know, not to come by to get Padfoot
For the weekend, and Monday.
Sirius:
Oh no, why?
Is he okay?
Remus:
Yeah, he’s alright.
My parents are coming to visit, is all.
We’re planning on heading to the beach
Sirius:
Awww so cute
Well, hope you have fun!
Remus:
I hope so too
Thank you
(Sorry for any inconveniences)
Sirius:
No inconveniences what so ever
Enjoy your family time!
Remus:
Will do
Thank you
Sirius:
No problem!
*Remus liked a message*