#i love too much the idea of little Pete having a crush on James sorry not sorry | Explore Tumblr posts and blogs

honeymooneyy · 4 years ago

Text

Valentine’s Day

context: Remus has been out since the beginning of the year, Sirius realized he likes Remus over winter break, it’s now valentine’s day

James knew it was silly to be upset that Lily had a date for Valentine’s day.

They weren’t dating - they were barely even friends. But watching Benjy Fenwick give Lily a box of pink chocolates during breakfast pulled at his heartstrings and he couldn’t help but sigh. Remus glanced at him before following his gaze towards Lily who was now laughing at something Benjy said.

“Lily didn’t say anything to me about liking Benjy, it might just be a date because it’s Valentine’s day,” Remus comforted, bumping his shoulder against James’. “I can ask her about it later?”

James smiled weakly, “It doesn’t matter, she wouldn’t like me either way.”

“She’s warming up to you!” Peter weighed in from across the table. “She’s your partner in Potions.”

“That was in the beginning of the year, not much has happened since.”

“Maybe next year, mate.” Sirius just shrugged, glancing back at Benjy once more. “I thought he way gay.”

“Sirius!” Remus hissed, glancing around to see if anyone heard. “You can’t just say that!”

Sirius turned to him with wide eyes, “But I thought he was! ‘S not a bad thing, I didn’t know he wasn’t.”

James snorted at their exchange, thankful for their antics as it improved his mood just a touch. Though he had been kidding around, Sirius caught James’ eye in a silent question and he offered him a smile in return.

And though he tried to convince himself he doesn’t really care that much, James couldn’t help but watch as Lily left the Great Hall, her long red hair swishing with every step she took. Benjy was still next to her, and they seemed to be in some sort of intense conversation, but James decided to ignore him, instead focusing on her bright smile. As long as she was happy.

Thankfully, Valentine’s day had fallen on a Saturday this year - so James could go to his dorm and not sulk instead of watching couples make out in every class. Deep down, he was glad none of his friends had dates, they could all be lonely together.

Even though Sirius and Remus had been hopelessly pining, he knew they wouldn’t resort to making out in the dorm, so he was safe. And Peter, he knew he could always count on Peter to be mindful about stuff like that, even if he had no one to kiss.

He had totally not been moping on his bed after dinner when Peter plopped down on the foot of his bed with a grin.

When Peter didn’t say anything he asked, “What’s up, Pete?”

“I know you’re sad, or not sad, or whatever. But that doesn’t mean we have to do nothing today! Remus had an idea, wanna hear it?” Peter asked hopefully, blue eyes twinkling.

James couldn’t say no to him. “What is it?”

“So you know that passageway that leads to Honeydukes? We were thinking of sneaking out and getting some fun stuff!” Peter waggled his eyebrows. “Like firewhiskey fun?”

James brightened at the idea, “I like the direction this is going in. We going now?”

Peter shrugged, “It only really takes two of us to make the trip. It’s easy for me to sneak in and get what we need, and someone to help carry it back. Remus volunteered.”

James narrowed his eyes at this, leaning back to rest on his palms. “Why are you even asking me, sounds like you’ve got it all figured out?”

“We knew you’d agree,” Peter assured, patting his shoulder and scrambling off the bed. “I think Sirius is heading back, we’ll be back soon!”

True to his word, as Peter left the dorm, Sirius slipped in. In his arms were various different snacks for the night, and James smiled at the sight of his favorites. He helped Sirius lay them out on the floor, almost like a little picnic, sorting them out by each item.

“Is this all because Lily has a date with someone else? I promise I’m not that hung up over it, we’re barely friends and it’s just a silly crush.”

Sirius just laughed, tossing his dark hair over his shoulder. “Nah, we wanted to have some fun. Who knows what we’ll be doing for Valentine’s day next year. We ought to spend it with each other while we still can.”

“And?”

“Okay, and you looked downright miserable. Merlin, you’re whipped for Lily,” Sirius caved in despite the smile playing at his lips. He went back to arranging the snacks, shaking the hair out of his eyes.

“Says you,” James prodded back at him. “Oh Moony, I love your vinyls, of course I’ll sing to you.”

Sirius cheeks burned red at his words, “I thought you were asleep, you wanker. He was sad and tired and in pain, I was being a good friend.”

“Right, because I sing to you in French when you’re sad?”

“Why are we talking about me, what happened to Lily? You never had a problem talking about her for hours and hours and hours before.”

“Exactly, we’ve heard enough about Lily. Anything new about Remus?” James propped up his face on his palm, watching Sirius.

“I dunno. He’s still gay, I think that’s good,” Sirius started, obviously uncomfortable with where the conversation was going. “He’s not hanging out with a guy for Valentine’s day.”

“You are so bad at this,” James groans at the lack of juicy information.

“I’m sorry I don’t want to talk to you about boys!” Sirius exclaims. “Can’t exactly tell you about his looks and stuff.”

“I have eyes. Remus is attractive,” James nods motivatingly. “C’mon, just tell me, I wanna know.”

“Fine.” Sirius pauses, collecting his thoughts before chewing on his lower lip. “This is weird, but he’s gotten a lot more attractive since I realized I liked him. Like, he’s always been hot, ugh it’s so weird to say that out loud, but I dunno it’s different now. Maybe he’s always been like this and I just didn’t think about it?”

“Mmhm.”

“I noticed he blushes a lot nowadays. I can’t tell if it’s because of me or if it’s just something he always used to do and I didn’t realize,” Sirius murmured before mirroring James and leaning his face against his palms. “It’s really cute though.”

“He doesn’t blush around me,” James smiled suggestively. “Maybe it’s something he only does around you.”

Sirius didn’t really know what to say to that and kind of just stared at him before shrugging. “Blushing doesn’t mean he likes me. I mean, in the end, he’s my best friend. Anything I look into could be normal. I mean, you and I sleep in the same bed a lot, so what’s different about Remus and I doing it.”

“I don’t sing to you in french, and he doesn’t read to me when I can’t sleep,” James reminds him with a pointed stare.

“Oh my god, back at it with the singing? He said he liked it and it was after the moon, it wasn’t like that.”

“You were in his bed with him and were singing to him.” James enunciates every word. “Are you blind?”

Sirius swiped at his glasses, effectively knocking them off his head. “Says you!”

Huffing, James grabs for his glasses and puts them back on, pushing back his dark hair. “Not fair. That was dirty.”

“Oh hush, you drama queen.” Sirius rolls his eyes but it’s all in good fun. “Okay, I talked about Remus, now you tell me whatever it is about Lily that’s bugging you.”

James finally gave in to his best friend. “Okay fine. I thought things were going okay, y’know? Like, she wanted to be my Potions partner at the beginning of the year. And I tried not to be overbearing or anything and I dunno, I thought we were kinda friends? And then she kind of just stopped?”

“Stopped?”

“Like, she doesn’t ignore me. But she doesn’t seem much interested anymore. In being friends, I gave up on the whole dating thing for now. And then Benjy just comes in and they hit it off like right away. Kind of hurt, I dunno.”

Sirius ponders what he said, nodding a bit. “I’m not sure, honestly, girls are kind of confusing. Moony’s really good with it, Peter too, his advice is the best. Maybe you can ask them when they’re back? There’s gotta be a reason, I don’t think she’d just shut you out for no reason.”

“I guess,” James agrees, but he doubts they can say anything to make this situation better. Either way she doesn’t want to be his friend.

Remus and Peter worked fast, because soon enough they were back with armfuls of drinks. Not all of them were alcohol, and James spotted a couple butterbeers in the mix. The weirdest though was this bright pink bottle Remus had tucked in the fold of his arm.

“Did you get a love potion?” Sirius questioned, jumping to his feet to inspect the bottle.

“No, it’s just a normal drink.”

“But it’s pink!” Peter chipped in, enthusiastically. “Isn’t the bottle cool?”

James smiled at his excitement, “Yeah, it’s cool, Pete.”

Soon enough they had all sorted out the drinks and food and were lounging about the floor. A game of truth or dare had started up only to be shot down because there wasn’t much the boys wanted to know about one another for the truths. This time, there was more than one bottle of firewhiskey so the boys each had one, and it was working wonders.

Peter had been telling some story when he ended up mentioning Lily, before turning to James with a sheepish smile, “Sorry, mate.”

“You guys are horrible,” James groaned. “Acting like we just got divorced or something. I’m fine!”

Remus shrugged, “It’s okay not to be fine. You’ve liked her forever, it hurts.”

James felt as if he wasn’t just talking about Lily but didn’t say much about it. Instead he spilled the thought that’s nagging at him for the past couple days.

“Do you think it’s because I’m-” James gestured to his face.

The boys exchanged looks, ones filled with clear confusion.

“You’re not ugly,” Peter finally spoke up, though his statement sounded more like a question.”

“No, I know I’m not ugly,” James blew a breath out, dropping his head back against the footboard of the bed he was leaning against. “I meant that I’m not white.”

A hush fell over the group at his words.

“I’m not saying she’s racist, or something,” James rushed to add in. “But I dunno, sometimes I think she’d give me a chance if I wasn’t brown.”

“I don’t think it’s your race, more you being a prat,” Remus assured him. “I don’t think Lily cares about that sort of stuff.”

James’ voice seemed small when he spoke, “Every guy she’s ever liked or been with was white. It doesn’t matter how attractive I am.”

Sirius had scooted over next to him and threw an arm over his shoulder, squeezing his arm. “I think you’re overthinking this a bit. I mean, Mary’s black and they’re friends!”

“Yeah, well she’s not going to date Mary, is she?” James shrugged off Sirius’ arm. “I’m not overthinking this. Tons of people don’t like people like me, it’s just a fact. I can’t ignore it.”

Peter who had been quiet this whole time finally spoke up. “If she doesn’t like you because of your skin color, then you’re not missing out. Lily’s awesome, but she doesn’t deserve you, if that’s why.”

“See! Peter always has good advice about stuff like this!” Sirius points out, bumping his shoulder against James’.

“I guess.” James just shrugged, eager to change the subject. “Anything new with you, Peter?”

He began another story about something he overheard some fourth years talking about, and while James tried his hardest to listen, the alcohol and time weren’t on his side. At first, he decided that lying down and listening to Peter might make it easier, but it did the opposite. WIthin minutes his eyes had slid shut, face nestled in the crook of his arm.

“Did he just fall asleep in the middle of my story?” Peter asked, thoroughly baffled. He leaned forward and was about to prod his forehead when Remus smacked his hand away.

“Let him be. He’s having his own problems, let him sleep.”

Peter agreed wordlessly, and Sirius scooted further away to not wake him up while talking.

“Remus, you got an eye on anyone?” Peter asked, turning his attention towards him. “I haven’t heard you mention anyone.”

Remus just shrugged wordlessly, and Sirius scanned his face for any signs of him lying.

“No one?” Sirius questioned, his eyes zeroing in on the way Remus was fidgeting with the edge of his sweater.

“Nah, no one. I promise,” Remus assured, raising his eyes to Sirius’. Sirius didn’t pull his away, silently challenging him. They stared for a solid thirty seconds before Remus broke it off, instead glancing at Peter.

“What about you Peter? How’s your love life going?”

Sirius tried his best to look at Peter but everytime he closed his eyes he could envision Remus’ warm eyes boring into his one, an eyebrow raised challengingly. Drunk Remus had a lot more confidence than sober Remus. As Peter began talking, Remus shimmied around before ending up lying on the floor with an arm behind his head, eyes trained on Peter.

“Sometimes, I think I’ll never get my first kiss,” Peter sighed, pursing his lips. “It’s already fifth year, and I’ve never kissed anyone. I feel like it’s even more embarrassing the longer I go without it.”

“James didn’t kiss anyone till Halloween,” Sirius supplied, trying to comfort him but it had no effect. “I don’t think it matters.”

“But he kissed someone! What if I never kiss anyone, ever?” Peter covered his face with his hands with a groan. “I’m going to be seventy and still waiting for my first kiss.”

“I’ll kiss you,” Remus offered nonchalantly, sitting up. “I’m good at kissing.”

Peter’s eyes widened and he shook his head furiously, “N-no. Gay people are cool and all, but I’m not gay. No offense.”

Remus snorted at the fact that he was apologizing for being straight. “Kissing a boy doesn’t make you gay. Think of it as practice so you don’t embarrass yourself when you kiss a girl you like.”

Sirius looked between the two of them incredulously, “Peter, you’re not actually considering this are you?”

Peter chewed on his bottom lip, contemplating it. “Er, I mean, it would be fast right? And no one would really know…”

“That’s the spirit!” Remus grinned, seeming way too happy to help. He sat up properly, shifting around to perch on his heels.

“No tongue, okay?” Peter looked awfully scared, but he crawled closer to Remus. “And do it really fast.”

“Quit acting like you’re getting a shot,” Remus rolled his eyes before leaning in to place his lips on Peter’s.

Remus didn’t touch Peter’s face or anything, but he did put a hand on his shoulder to keep him steady. He didn’t use tongue, but it definitely wasn’t a quick kiss. Sirius hated the way he couldn’t look away from the two of them, and honestly wasn’t quite sure what to feel - on one hand, it was the hottest thing he’s ever seen, on the other hand, he wished it was him who Remus was kissing.

When Remus pulled away, he was smirking, looking very proud of himself. Peter was bright red and he leaned back with wide eyes, before returning back to his spot on the floor. He rubbed his lips against each other before shooting Remus a scared look again.

“I think some of his gay rubbed off on me,” Peter whispered, a blush still painting his cheeks.

Even Sirius had to laugh at this.

“What, was it that good?” Remus quirked an eyebrow, and his whole composure about it was so attractive - the way he had been so confident about his skills and how he had taken charge and, Merlin, the way he smirked afterward. Sirius couldn’t pull his eyes away, and then Remus was turning to look at him, catching his gaze. “You want one too?”

Sirius immediately shook his head, cheeks heating up. “I’m good.”

“Suit yourself. See, Pete, am I not a good kisser?” Remus turned his attention back to Peter who wasn’t quite as red anymore.

“Well, I have nothing to compare it to,” Peter began but at Remus’ glare he shook his head, “Er, yeah. You are.”

Remus grinned triumphantly, lying down on his back again with his hands crossed behind his head. The position flexed his arms and Sirius was once again staring. He knew he was being painfully obvious, but he couldn’t find it in himself to care. Remus was so attractive he couldn’t breathe, he couldn’t think, he couldn’t do this.

Peter broke the silence, “I think I’m going to bed. Should we just leave James there?”

The three glanced at James who was sprawled on the floor snoring.

“Yeah, I don’t wanna carry him into his bed,” Sirius decided, leaning over to pluck James’ glasses off his face. He folded them up and set them on the nearest table.

“Cool, night guys,” Peter mumbled, stumbling over to his bed and shutting the curtains as the boys echoed him.

Remus made no move to get up so Sirius nudged his leg with his foot. When he didn’t reply, Sirius crawled over to his side, “Hellooo.”

This time Remus just hummed sleepily so Sirius layed down onto the floor next to him, stretching out to stretch a bit. The plush carpet of the floor welcomed Sirius and he let out a content sigh at how comfortable the position was, no wonder Remus didn’t want to get up. Barely a minute passed before he grew bored, and turned on his side to face Remus, propping up his head on his hand. His dark hair fell into his eyes and he wrinkled his nose at it, as if it would help.

“Stop staring at me,” Remus mumbled without opening an eye.

Sirius scowled at this. “You can’t even see me. How do you know if I’m staring or not?”

“Magic.”

“Oh, shove off,” Sirius groaned, smacking Remus’ shoulder causing him to laugh.

His laugh was soft as to not wake up the others, including James who was barely feet away from them, but was still joyful and it made Sirius smile. Remus’ face relaxed as he quieted down and he looked so utterly content that Sirius wished he could take a photo. It wasn’t often that he got to witness Remus so carefree and just simply existing, and Sirius reveled in it.

“You’re still staring,” Remus reminded, a cocky smile pulling at his lips that made Sirius’ stomach flip. “Something on my face?”

Sirius couldn’t be bothered to deny it, instead he brushed a finger against Remus’ cheekbone. “Freckles.”

Usually Remus’ freckles faded as the cold crept in and would’ve been long gone by a normal February. Yet somehow, they had reappeared, lighter than in summer but still present, dusting his cheeks and nose.

Remus hummed, “We took a trip to Spain over winter break and I found a spell to stop the fading.”

At his words Sirius realized that he hadn’t been this close to Remus since long before winter break and that it had taken him a month and half to notice. Despite the fact that it took him so long, he loved them. Remus’ freckles were one of his favorite features about him, and to have them all year long made his smile grow.

“They’re like constellations,” Sirius mused, letting his finger drift from Remus’ nose to his temple. Though the effects of the firewhiskey were fading, it still gave him a small confidence boost to even think of reaching out and touching Remus like that. He knew that Remus wouldn’t be so willing to be studied if it wasn’t for the alcohol.

“See yourself?” Remus still had his eyes shut and the dull lighting of the room cast shadows of his eyelashes onto his cheekbones.

Sirius squinted his eyes at the freckles, mentally going through every constellation he knew. He finally arrived at one and traced it out, “There’s Cepheus.”

Remus didn’t flinch back but his eyes fluttered open and he looked up at Sirius, pupils blown out to adjust to the lack of light. Sirius realized with a start that his finger was absentmindedly tracing Remus’ face still and retracted his hand sheepishly.

“Er, I should get to bed.” Sirius stood abruptly, turning towards his bed to avoid Remus’ eyes. “Night.”

He had just sat down onto his bed and was about to pull the curtains shut when Remus called out his name, having stood up from the floor and hovering near his own bed. But when Sirius turned his questioning stare towards Remus he just swallowed.

“Never mind. Goodnight.”

The exchange was weird and Sirius wanted to ask what he was going to say but decided against it. Something about Remus’ gaze was unnerving, he seemed almost scared?

What could Remus possibly be scared of?

#marauders #marauders era #jily #jily fic #wolfstar #wolfstar fic #sirius black #remus lupin #james potter #peter pettigrew #valentines day #james potter x lily evans #remus lupin x sirius black

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wolfstar-supremacy-innit · 4 years ago

Text

"Tell who?"- Part 2

Remus smiled into his pillow. Why’s he so cute? He felt something rustle under his stomach. Reaching under himself, he pulled out a wrinkled piece of parchment. His resolutions list. Remus flipped onto his back and squinted at the letters. Warmth was pooling in his chest. Something is missing here. He patted the bed in search for his quill and ink, then wrote:

5. Fuck this I wanna tell him I love him

The paper slipped to the floor as Remus’ arms gave out and he drifted into an instantaneous, profound sleep.

Alternatively:

The Marauders are in their 6th year at Hogwarts, it's New Year's Eve and Remus writes a New Year's resolutions list. Sirius finds it the next day. The story is written from Remus' point of view. It's wolfstar and lighthearted. Kinda inspired by this fanfic.

This is part 2 of the story. I will be posting the other parts separately here and also the full fic on ao3 (I will link everything when it's done, check this post for that in some time). Warnings: underage drinking and smoking, mentions of anxiety disorder.

Part 1 Part 3

Enjoy! :)

“Moony! Get up, mate!” Like it was that easy. He couldn’t even get himself to pry his eyes open. It was James that woke him. “Come on, mate. We gotta show up at breakfast, so nobody gets suspicious.” Remus groaned and turned onto his back. A dreadful headache split his forehead.

“Ugh, fuck me.”

“Not right now, Moony. We gotta dash.” He could practically feel James’ stupid grin.

“Fine, fine. I’m getting up.” He blinked his eyes open, pushing onto his elbows, then slowly sat up. The throb in his temples was menacing. He got up gingerly. No nausea. Good. Picking out clean clothes from his neatly organised wardrobe, he headed for the bathroom. “Pete and I should probably go as soon as possible. Will you be alright to bring him down to the Great Hall,” he heard James question as he shut the door.

The shower did wonders to Remus’ hangover. It diminished his headache and helped clear his vision. It also felt nice to be in clean clothes, even though it was devastating having to take Sirius’ shirt off. But letting himself feel his emotions was no more, so he pushed down that thought. Remus walked back into the dorm, rubbing his wet hair with a towel. Lifting his gaze, he noticed Sirius leaning against his bedpost with one ankle crossed over the other. His lips were pulled in a small smile. Their eyes connected.

“Tell who?”

Remus’ stare fell on the yellow paper in Sirius’ hand and the realisation hit him momentarily. His heart dropped all the way to the floor. Oh, no. Oh, no no no no no... His mouth was utterly dry. Fear and panic washed over him like a thousand giant ocean waves coming down at once. ‘I wanna tell him I love him,’ he had written. Holy fucking fuck, he thought, Sirius knows I like a boy. There was a deafening, high pitched ringing in his ears.

“M-my dad... I never tell him that.” He was grasping at straws.

“Remus, come on,” Sirius huffed out a short laugh as he pushed himself off the board. He was shooting Remus this terribly meaningful look, and Remus begged the ground to crack open and claim him.

“I...“ Then before much further thinking, Remus turned on his heel and darted out the room and down the stairs as Sirius called out his name.

Fucked. He was so fucked. Idiot. Imbecile. How could he have written that and then just left it lying around?! Idiot. He smacked his forehead as he rounded a corner, then scuttled down the hallway. He was headed for his favourite hiding spot- a cosy alcove in the wall behind a tapestry on the fourth floor. Settling on the stone ground, Remus went through his breathing exercises. It wasn’t the first time he’d had an anxiety attack, except it was usually something associated with his lycanthropy. Shit, thank Merlin I didn’t write his name. He exhaled a shaky breath. It could have been worse, at least. He’s never drinking again, he concluded. Well, Sirius knew Remus liked boys. A boy. That was that. He rested his head on the wall behind him and closed his eyes. He stayed like that for a while, just breathing.

“Moony,” a voice called behind the tapestry. It was Sirius. Remus’ heart rate spiked again. “Stop freaking out, mate.”

“I can’t,” Remus replied.

“Can I come in?”

“Okay.”

Sirius pulled back the tapestry and gracefully climbed inside. He was clutching the map. He sat opposite Remus and drew his knees to his chest so they could both fit in the alcove. Remus was looking at the ground.

“Here, I brought you a sandwich. You skipped breakfast. Can’t imagine it helped your hangover.”

Remus took it without looking up. “Thanks.”

After a moment, Sirius started: “This is because it’s a him, right?”

“Well...” Remus cleared his throat. It’s also kinda because it’s you. “Yeah.”

“And what? You think I wouldn’t be okay with that?” Silence. “I don’t care about stuff like that, you idiot.” Sirius’ voice was incredibly soft and comforting. Remus finally looked at him. He shook his head and buried his face in his knees.

“Christ. Of course you don’t. It’s just... It’s a big deal for me. Nobody knows.”

“That’s alright, Moony, I get it. It’s all good with me." He paused. "So, are you... if you don’t mind me asking...” Remus drew his head back up. Sirius was asking if he was gay.

“I have no idea what I am, honestly. This has never happened before. Then again, it hasn’t happened with a girl, either.”

“Well, that’s fine. You have your whole life to figure it out.” Sirius flashed him a sympathetic smile.

“Yeah.” Remus’ lips curved as well.

After a few beats of silence, Sirius continued: “Moony in love... Blimey, this bloke must be something else, eh?” Yup.

“Well, I don’t know about love... I was pretty pissed last night when I wrote that.”

Sirius chuckled, throwing his head back. “Right. So... Does he fancy you back, d’you reckon?”

Remus couldn’t suppress the panicked short laugh that escaped his mouth. “No.” Sirius liking him back? What a joke.

“Well, how do you know? He doesn’t even know you fancy him, it seems.”

“Nope, and I hope it stays that way until the end of time.”

“Merlin, who is this lad anyway?”

“I’m not telling you!” Remus’ cheeks were flaming. There wasn’t a force in the world that could have made him look Sirius in the eye. This was a little too close for comfort.

“Hah, fine. One step at a time.”

They sat in silence for a few moments. Their ankles were touching. Remus pushed down his feelings of affection with all the mental strength he could gather.

“Um, could you not tell Wormtail and Prongs, please? I’m just not ready for people to know.”

“Of course, mate. You know you can talk to me about it, though?” His expression was soft and understanding.

“Yeah, I know.”

“Brilliant. Okay then.” Sirius pushed himself up and dusted off his trousers. “Should we get out of here? This is definitely a secret snogging spot.” He offered a hand to Remus and pulled him to stand as well.

“Please don’t taint the aura of my favourite hideout, Padfoot.”

This is why Remus liked Sirius so much. Of course, he was strikingly good-looking and cool as hell, but Remus liked his personality more. Sirius was a troublemaker and joked around with everyone, but when it came to moments like this, he was an incredible and supportive friend. Never short on advice (even if it was questionable a lot of the time). He never hesitated to go above and beyond for the people he loved. These were also the reasons why Remus reckoned he’d had a crush on his best friend for much longer than 4 months. Sirius’ looks just made it crystal clear, but Remus had been falling for him for years. Maybe love wasn’t such a strong word after all...

On the way back to their dormitory, Sirius asked: “Is it that Ravenclaw guy you study with at the library? What’s his face? Oliver?”

An obvious choice, but wrong. “Shut up,” Remus said, looking straight ahead, but the corners of his mouth lifted.

“Okay.” Sirius put his hands up, smiling. “Not Oliver, then.”

Sirius kept prodding him like that every once in a while for the following two weeks. Sometimes he would point at a random bloke in the hall and ask if that was Remus’ mystery crush. It made Remus laugh. Generally, it didn’t bother him at all and even became rather amusing. It grew into a sort of an inside joke between them.

They were sitting side by side at dinner one evening after all the students had returned from the holidays. Sirius was in his curious, mischievous mood.

“Oh! The- the muggle kid we hung out with last Christmas? When we were at James’,” he tried.

“Hah, no,” Remus answered, “I saw him like twice.” Sirius huffed.

“Is it somebody from home, then? Somebody I don’t know?”

Remus could’ve lied. He could’ve lied so easily. Still, he decided against it, given how dreadful he was at keeping life-changing secrets. He shook his head, looking at his plate. Sirius leaned so close to him, their shoulders touched. He all but started bouncing in his seat.

“So it is someone from Hogwarts!” Remus didn’t bring himself to answer. Instead, he shoved a particularly packed fork into his mouth. They were silent for a few moments, then: “Is it Snivellus?”

“Yuck, Sirius!” Remus shoved his shoulder as they both laughed.

“So, why don’t you just tell this bloke of yours, then?”

“Ha. Because he’s straight.”

“Oh, bummer. Sorry, Moony.”

Remus wanted to bang his head on the table. If only Sirius knew he was apologising for himself being straight. “It is how it is.”

Back in their dorm, a parcel was sitting on Sirius’ bed. “Padfoot, something arrived for you earlier. I paid the owl,” James explained.

“Oh, yes! They arrived! Cheers, mate.” Sirius leapt onto his bed and started tearing the paper. “What is it,” James asked, leaning closer to Sirius’ bed and peering at the package. Remus and Peter were doing the same. “My rings,” he exclaimed, sliding a silver loop onto his finger. He placed one on his ring finger, one on his thumb and two on his index finger, then stretched out his arm to examine his hand. They were all different shapes.

“Wicked,” James blurted out.

“Yeah, wicked,” Peter repeated. Remus could just sit and gawk like his mouth was sewn shut. What the fuck, Remus thought. He’s trying to kill me. It was hot. It was hot. Like his hands could get any sexier.

“Don’t worry, Moony, it’s not real silver,” Sirius said with the biggest grin on his face. Remus could just nod, swallowing thickly. Yeah, that was a good excuse for why he was baffled.

Sirius wore his rings everywhere. To class, to every meal, sneaking around the castle at night to arrange their next prank. And Remus loved it. After the initial bewilderment subsided, he adored looking at them. However, it didn’t help reduce his massive fucking crush on Sirius. Quite the opposite, as a matter of fact. Girls would come up to Sirius at lunch to tell him ‘his rings look amazing’, and Remus would almost start growling. It was a bit of a problem. He needed to repeatedly tell his brain to shut up in these moments.

***

Sirius was running out of ideas for who Remus' infamous crush could be. Remus was a bit concerned he would actually figure it out. However, Sirius just started bringing it up less and less. It seemed like the entire thing was blowing over and Remus was getting away with it.

They were sitting on James’ bed, leaned over the map. There was nobody else in the dorm. Their bodies were close together, Remus’ right shoulder behind Sirius’ left.

“Good old Prongsy,” Sirius said. James’ dot on the map was in the hallway outside the Great Hall. Lilly’s dot was right next to it. “He’s probably making an idiot of himself again. Poor lad’s gonna get himself hexed.” Remus laughed.

“I admire him,” Remus said, “I would have died from embarrassment by now.”

“Oh, have you seen it?!” Sirius suddenly turned to look at him, their noses almost brushed. Remus’ heart skipped a beat.

“Seen what?”

“The abomination James made for Evans for Valentine’s day!”

“For Valentine’s? But it’s January,” Remus said as Sirius opened the drawer of James’ bedside table and reached inside. He pulled out a wooden cube that fit in the palm of his hand.

“It opens on my voice for now. Later he’ll change it to activate when Evans says ‘James’.” In that moment the top of the box popped open and the sides fell to reveal a petit yellow bird figurine. Just as Remus thought: Oh, this is cute, a blearing sound spread through the room. “Evans,” the bird boomed in James’ voice, “go on a date with me this Hogsmeade weekend!” Remus grimaced at the volume of the noise.

“My idea to make it loud,” Sirius said with a proud grin.

“Oh, why did you help him with it?!” Remus started laughing.

“He’s gonna transfigure it into a real bird and make it sit oh her shoulder giving her compliments the whole day. I haven’t decided whether I’m gonna let him go through with it. Reckon it might be worth it to see the look on Evans’ face.”

“This is bad.” Remus couldn’t stop sniggering. “This is so bad.”

“The lad has no shame. Maybe you could make one for your mystery man. I bet it would change his views,” Sirius joked. He was being incredibly charming. Remus couldn’t help it. When you’re not supposed to look at something, it’s all your eyes want to do. He dropped his gaze to Sirius’ flawless lips. It wasn’t discreet at all. Remus realised he was leaning towards him, smiling stupidly. Sirius’ eyes flickered between Remus’ as realisation flashed across his expression. He drew back a little. “Oh,” was all he said. Remus’ smile dropped suddenly as he pulled back as well.

“Me?”

Remus’ heart was thumping in his ears. It kind of felt like his soul was leaving his body. No, actually, he was sure his soul was leaving his body. Suddenly, he scrambled off the bed frantically, saying: “Fuck, sorry,” then crossed the room in three large, quick steps and bolted out the door. “Moony,” he heard the dim and distant shout. Deja vu. Only this time he’d had enough sense to grab the map.

Part 1 Part 3

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yee-fxcking-haw · 5 years ago

Text

What Happens Next?

Summary: You begrudgingly go out dancing with your best friend, but you're consumed by the fear that you'll run into James Barnes. You two shared a wonderful afternoon in highschool and somehow ended up at prom together. Unfortunately, James ruined everything with a horrible prank at your expense. Of course, at the most popular dance hall, he shows up.

Hi guys! This is my very first fic ever so pLeAsE be nice. I apologise for typos and for being long winded. I want to preface this by making it clear that I have absolutely no idea what I am doing I just hope y'all have fun reading the story. My comic book knowledge is eh, it's set in the 1940s ish?? LOL I suck y'all are in for a wild ride. Maybe four or five parts if you guys like it?? Maybe??? Please like it????>

Warnings: Mentions of death. Asshole guy tries to get reader to leave with him without consent. Eventual smut. More specific warnings will be at the beginning of each chapter.

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"Molly I do not want to go dancing." You bite off the end of the sentence as you put the rest of your clothes away.

Your best friend is sitting on your bed, touching up her makeup in a delicate handheld mirror. She rolls her eyes in a dramatic manner then slapps the mirror down on the bed and huffed at you. You can't help but laugh at her theatrics.

"It's not my thing." You say in a softer tone, trying to ease the tension you'd created with your snapping.

She looks at you with her soft brown eyes and pouts her red lips.

"Oh for Pete's sake I don't even own a dress." You say as you motion at your overalls.

"That is a sorry excuse and you know it, they're all I wear- you can borrow one of mine." She says, stressing the last half like you're hard of hearing.

"Yours are all too nice! I rip things and spill things and lose things, no way I'm using one of yours." You take a glance at her lovely yellow dress, decorated with a delicate white floral design. Of course she could pull that off, but you could never.

"I have plenty I don't wear anymore, you can just have one."

You cross your arms and scowl. You know how this is going to end, but you won't go down without a fight. Molly is one of those girls that just got what she wanted, like it was a fact of life. She's too pretty, too convincing, and dangerously clever.

"There's going to be people from highschool there. Please don't make me do this." You beg, maybe the pity card will work. Graduation was only two months behind you, so a lot of the humiliation still stung.

This was true, the majority of your highschool career was indeed filled with self induced bullying.

"What if he's there?" You ask, feeling much more serious.

Molly's hands stop and she looks you in your eyes, they soften a little as she sees your genuine anxiety. Your mind goes to that horrible boy, James Barnes. Handsome enough to get himself out of any trouble, heartless enough to ruin highschool for you. Against every ounce of good sense in your body, you had developed a crush on him the last two years of highschool. It was probably those blue eyes that looked silver in the right light. The contrast of those eyes against his chocolate brown hair that always laid so well combed on his head. He had this way of walking down the halls with such confidence, you'd swear he had every intention of owning the building one day. You assume it was the hormones, the desire to be wanted by the most wanted boy in school. Any girl could fall victim to those looks, even you. You had even grown to find his childish antics somewhat amusing. All of his pranks and obnoxious behavior had become something adventurous that you'd always longed for, something that had been missing from your life.

She interrupts your thinking by running her hands through the rest of your hair to undo the last half of the braid.

"Well, I say we get you all dolled up and show him how blind he was." She offers you a soft smile and a pat on the shoulder.

Your eyes drop to the floor, trying to give off the impression that the carpet has suddenly become very interesting to you. You hear her sigh while she reaches a small hand up to tilt your chin towards her face.

"He can't ruin dance halls, he can't ruin our fun, he especially can't ruin college boys." Her voice takes on a mischievous tone and you see that light in her eyes that only means you've already lost. You can't help but smile at her endearing girlishness.

"Fine, but I will not wear pink."

Like a five year old who's just been told she can have a sleepover she squeaks and runs to collect her makeup off the bed.

"Please no lipstick. I'm begging you." You smile at her, knowing full well she will pitch a fit over your reluctance to wear that awful stuff.

"Just a little, to give you a touch of color?" She says, using her sugary voice to convince you.

Another easy victory for her, you roll your eyes and throw up your hands. She's on you immediately, doing God knows what to your poor face. She works with light touches, most of the application is not so bad. The mascara is the worst, it tickles and makes your eyes feel heavy. You can't find it in your heart to object though, given how joyful she is about the entire ordeal. She runs her finger through your hair a few times, pulling some pieces forward to frame your face. She steps back and crosses her arms in a very self satisfied way.

"You really are pretty." She says, not beautiful, just pretty.

"I'm not ugly." You shrug and turn to the mirror.

Slightly shocked, you take in your rather foreign reflection. You did look pretty. She had been very light with the makeup like she had said, she had given you just a touch of color in all the right places. Your lips look rosy, your cheeks blushed gracefully, the color to your eyelashes gives your eyes lovely definition. She tosses your hair to one side and smiles. She had given you the appearance of a girl who knew what she was doing with her looks. Perhaps you could fool a college boy into a dance with you. The overalls stood out sorely, but that would be remedied with one of her elegant dresses.

"So… what do you think?" She asks cautiously.

"I think you might be right." You smile softly at her.

She replies with another triumphant squeak and grabs her bag. She hoists out a bright red dress and thrusts it at you.

"Red? Molly this is the most attention grabbing color you could put me in! Did you pack this before you left, before you even asked me?" You're slightly offended, but mostly impressed. Of course she had, she knew she would get her way.

"Oh just put it on you big baby."

With a huff you toss the dress over your chair and unclip your overall straps. You give her a glare as you shove them down your legs. You discard your shirt to the pile in the corner of your room and she sighs at your messiness. You hold the soft dress in your hands before throwing it over your head, admiring the way it glides over your skin. A very welcome contrast to the roughness of denim. It falls down your body, you have to tug a few times to get it all settled. It hugs you a little tight in a few places, as Molly is slightly more petite than you. You turn again to the mirror to inspect your transformation, again shocked by what you see. The red brings out the blush and lipstick even more, making you look like you've just been caught doing something not so lady-like. Molly walks up behind you, that same satisfied smile on her face.

"Now that's a lady." She says smugly.

You sigh in defeat, not only had she convinced you to go dancing, but she had made you somebody worth dancing with. You reach up to try to flatten your hair a little and she snatches your wrist.

"Don't you dare ruin that volume. Grab your shoes, let's go." She scurries off downstairs, you assume to let your mother know of your plans for the evening. You take a moment alone in the mirror to run your hands over the dress. It really is a pretty dress, delicate neckline with a bow to tie the waist. It brings out your curves in a very flattering way, giving you that much envied hour glass look. You had that going for you, you were full in all the right places. As much as it pains you to admit, Molly had made you look pretty. Pretty, just pretty. You wonder what it would take to be beautiful.

You go to grab your boots instinctively, but catch yourself. You wander over to the closet to fetch the little black dress shoes your mom bought you for graduation. They looked almost like black ballerina slippers, very sleek and feminine. They feel very strange once they're on your feet, but Molly would have an absolute meltdown if you tromp down the stairs in your boots, so you suck up the slight discomfort. On your way downstairs you hear Molly and your mom laughing about something, probably at your expense.

"Well I'll be! How hard did you have to fight her to get her in that thing?" Your mom exclaims when you round the corner into the kitchen. She takes in your appearance with a dropped jaw.

"Oh Molly you did wonderfully." She touches your hair, smoothes the shoulders of your dress and steps back.

"Thank you ma'am, she's a lovely canvas."

Growing slightly irritated at the gawking, you shove past them to grab the keys to your truck.

"Alright y'all this ain't a museum quit your staring."

They both chuckle at your grumpy state.

"We're just saying you're pretty is all." Your mom says gently, knowing too well your hatred for dressing up.

You turn and sigh, you know they mean well. They don't know how difficult it's going to be to go out and just be pretty next to Molly. Molly is gorgeous, and she'll be told that by any man who sees her. You'll be given a once over and they'll move on to her, you'll become her shadow all evening and the truth of it fills you with dread. Your hand sneaks to your stomach to try and calm your nerves. You think maybe you can feign an illness, get out of this whole charade that will inevitably end in you watching Molly be swept off by countless men, while the most action you'll see is the root beer bottle touching your lips while you sit alone.

"Oh no you're not doing the sick act." Molly is all too familiar with your tricks. She grabs her purse while your mom laughs.

"Molly get her out of here before she has the most sudden case of the flu known to man!" They both laugh deeply at this and you grumble while they usher you towards the front door. Your mom gives you each a kiss on the cheek and smiles fondly.

"Be safe, stay away from soldiers, and always keep an eye on each other. I will allow a small amount of mischief but nothin' that requires me getting dressed to come pick you two trouble makers up."

You and Molly chuckle at her little speech. She was well aware that you two could very well get yourselves into a right mess, given the years of shenanigans. You lean in and hug her tightly.

"It's just the dance hall ma. Nothin' we can't handle." You reassure her.

"Oh I know that. I'm worried it can't handle you." Another round of laughter, Molly opens the door and bows with a dramatic sweep of her hand.

"After you Madame." She says through laughter.

You roll your eyes, at her, at your mother, at the absurdity of this entire evening. Maybe it won't be so bad to get out and have fun again. Since you graduated you've been hesitant to show your face anywhere around town. Going to the dance hall was a big deal as it was just outside the city. James and his best friend Steve were there often during the weekends in highschool. You always admired Steve a little, he reminded you of yourself. A shadow to an attention grabbing best friend. Steve always seemed sweet, you wondered how he could be best friends with such an ass like James. Then again, James seemed harmless until he proved to be heartless.

"Very well, but I'm driving," you announce, Molly tries to object but you whip around quickly and give her a warning look.

"Fine that's fair, you've already budged on a lot tonight." She ends her sentence with a sweet giggle.

"I love you both! Keep her from biting any heads off Molly!" Your mom calls out as you walk to your truck.

"As always!" Molly calls back.

You climb into your old blue truck, the only thing you have left of your father. The war took him, not an uncommon story around these parts. This truck has become a thinking spot for you, a little sanctuary made of cracked leather and discarded soda caps. You smile fondly as you start up the engine. Your father and you had a friendship that you believed to be rare. He never once made you wear a dress, or brush your hair. He admired your stubborn nature, he used to tell you the world had another thing coming if it thought it was ready for a girl like you. Swallowing the tears that threatened to spill, you reach over and pop the lock of the passenger side door so your best friend can join you. Molly hops into the passenger seat and gives you a wide grin.

She says your name softly, you glance over to offer her confirmation of your attention.

"Thank you for coming with me. I owe you." She's set aside the joking to genuinely thank you for stepping out of your comfort zone for her. While Molly was at times irritating due to her ability to always get her way, she was a genuine, loyal friend.

"You sure do." You laugh, flick on the lights and shift the gear to drive.

Your dad had taught you how to drive at 14, something he was very proud of while your mother was horrified.

"If I'm gonna send you out on the road, you're gonna know how to handle a truck. I want you surrounded by all this metal, much safer than all those little show cars people got now." You can hear his strong voice reciting his speech for why he wanted you to start so young.

He had succeeded indeed. You could handle a truck better than anyone you knew, every time you drive you thank him for it. There probably wouldn't ever come a day when you'd part with this ugly blue truck, not when it held every memory you love.

The drive to the dance hall is filled with Molly yammering about all the fine young men that will be there. You try to listen, but your mind is stuck on James. It's a Friday night, of course he'll be there. You were a fool to think there was any maybe about it. He would be there, you would see him, and you would have to relive his most horrible prank all over again. Your only hope was that Steve would be with him, if Steve was there James would somewhat behave himself. You hoped so at least. When you pulled into the dance hall parking lot your stomach began to tie itself in knots. A white hot embarrassment clawed at your lungs and your stomach. You could already see faces you recognize from highschool, you wanted nothing more than to run back home with your tail between your legs. You pulled the truck into a spot along the road, so you were turned away from anybody that might see you. The thought of somebody seeing your face then leaning over to whisper to their friend was enough to make your eyes water. You curse yourself for being so damn sensitive about the matter. It was only prom right? Only a stupid dance, that's what you always said. That was until that arrogant coward James went and-

"Are you ok?" Molly asks quietly.

You hadn't even heard her calling your name. Your thoughts consumed by the horrible shame eating at your insides.

"Just worried." You say, almost a whisper.

She's quiet for a moment, contemplating your anxious state. She reaches over and covers your hand with hers, rubbing it with her thumb affectionately.

"He can't take this. You get to smile, you get to have fun. People like him peak in highschool and end up miserable the rest of their lives. People like that don't get to ruin things for people like you." Her voice is calm, resolute, it brings you the peace you've craved since you left the house.

You think of your dad, how livid he would be if he knew you were letting some stupid boy steal your thunder. You could never let him see you this bent out of shape over somebody like James. You take one deep breath, begging the air to steady your nerves. Looking over at Molly, you smile at the honesty in her eyes. She's right, he doesn't get to have this too. He had his moment, his last hoorah. Prom was all he was ever going to take from you. You fluff your hair a little, tossing it to one side like Molly had at your house. Taking one last breath, you square your shoulders and smile at her.

"Let's give 'em hell." You say.

"Atta girl! You're a knockout hon, you'll see." She hops out of the truck and runs around to meet you on your way out. She hooks her arm in yours and pulls you towards the building. So far none of the people heading in have turned to throw any rotten fruit at you, so you allow yourself to relax slightly and follow Molly's lead. As you make your way to the door you notice a group of soldiers leaning against the wall, a few smoking, a few cradling beers. Naturally their eyes wander over to you two. You anticipate the eyes that land on Molly, but not the eyes that land on you. You're especially caught off guard by the low whistle that leaves the lips of a particularly handsome soldier. You must look like you've never even seen a man before, let alone had one compliment you. Molly doesn't miss a beat, letting out a soft giggle and raising her free hand to wave.

"Evening boys, y'all here to dance or cause trouble?" She says with her flirty voice. They all chuckle.

"How's a little of both sound, sweetheart?" The one that whistled says with a deep husky voice. You blush and try to hide your sheepish smile by looking down when his eyes meet yours.

"Sounds like a plan." Molly winks and ducks into the doorway.

The lobby is absolutely packed with people, some saying excited hellos, some couples all over each other, all far too busy to even notice you two have entered. This brings you even more relief, maybe you would make it through tonight without having to relive any painful highschool memories. People probably didn't even care anymore. That's what happens after highschool anyway, it all gets forgotten while everyone finds their own way. That's thinking optimistically of course, an event like prom was sure to be remembered, but for tonight you're determined to pretend it never happened. Clinging to Molly like a life raft you let her lead you into the dance hall. You are absolutely floored by all of the movement, the bodies wrapped around each other, the band blaring on the stage, the twinkling lights illuminating the entire event. It's all so incredible. Everyone seems to have completely lost themselves in the movement of the band's driving melody. They're playing In The Mood by Glenn Miller, a song you've learned is a hit at places like this. You crane your head to take in the entire room, out of the corner of your eye you notice the soldiers from the front door, the one guilty of the whistling has his eyes glued to you. You offer him a shy smile, he returns it with his own confident grin.

"Molly that soldier won't stop looking at me!" You say urgently.

"Well then let's go." She says it like it's obvious. You don't even get the chance to object, she yanks you around and you're on your way over to the group of charming soldiers. Your eyes are glued to your admirer, who looks pleased with Molly's decision to bring you over.

"Hello again." She says with her signature confidence.

"Hi there." His friend says, giving Molly a long look up and down.

"I'm afraid no young man has had the guts to ask either of us to dance, either of you up to the challenge?" She asks.

The two men give each other a knowing look. The friend offers Molly his hand immediately.

"It would be a pleasure darlin'." He says with a goofy smile. He's very handsome, warm brown eyes with tight curls to match. A strong jaw and a bright look in his deep eyes. Built strong and broad like most soldiers, dwarfing Molly. You hear her giggle and ask him his name as he sweeps the off into the dance floor. You're left with your soon to be dance partner, tongue tied and full of nerves. You glance up at him through your lashes, hoping you don't look too helpless. He offers you a small smile. His eyes are a deep brown like his friend's, but his hair is a rich auburn. Freckles decorate his handsome cheekbones, pairing beautifully with his rich eyes.

"What's your name sugar?" He asks with confidence while he steps forward, placing his left hand on your waist, moving his other to hold yours up in a typical pose for dancing like this. You're so very thankful for his obvious experience. If this was all left up to you, there would be nothing but awkward silence and a sorry excuse to duck and run out of the building. His confidence puts you at ease, so you settle into the dance, a slow easy pace to match the new song the band had begun to play. You tell him your name softly and give him an awkward glance.

"Thank you for the pity dance. That girl that stole your friend is my best friend. She had to practically drag me here." You add a chuckle to the end of the sentence, making sure it comes out soft and feminine.

He smiles down at you, a look you can't quite decipher crosses his eyes. Before he speaks again his eyes drift to your neckline quickly then dart back up. You try to stuff the uncomfortable feeling it gives you deep down so you don't ruin the dance.

"Ain't no pity dance sweetheart. You're a vision in red. My name's Daniel." He says, eyes dancing over your collar bones briefly. You suppose this is the kind of attention that you should expect at a place like this. This is the kind of attention girls come here for isn't it? You sure hope so. Finding yourself lost for what to say next you think about what Molly would say. Despite your nerves, you let your free hand slide to play with his collar, you bat your eyelashes and give him what you hope is a flirtatious smirk. This seems to boost his confidence a little, he lets the hand on your waist drift down slightly. You swallow that uncomfortable feeling and ignore the gesture.

"So Daniel, how long have you been a soldier?" You internally kick yourself for the disgustingly ditsy question. This is why you don't go dancing.

"About a year, joined right out of highschool." He says, shamelessly watching your neckline now instead of meeting your eyes.

Channelling Molly, you utterly shock yourself with the sentence that leaves your mouth next.

"Well if you think I'm a vision in red, you should see yourself in this uniform."

This apparently sparks something in him, because he drops his hand so his fingers are on the side of your ass, and the hand holding yours drops to mirror it. You grab his shoulders to steady yourself, he brings you flush against him and drops his head so his lips are at your ear.

"You should see me out of it hon." His voice is low and sinister and you positively hate it. You plant your palms on his chest and look up at him with as much alarm as you can convey.

"Look dude, I'm new to this but I'm not an idiot. You need to find another girl if this is how you want tonight to go," you snap.

He doesn't drop his cocky smile for a second. Before you can even react he has you by the wrist, dragging you into the lobby and out the door. The bastard had positioned you for a quick escape while you were dancing.

"Hey knock it off!" You holler, looking around wildly, pleading for someone to notice. They're all far too caught up in their own activities to notice, just like when you and Molly arrived. Your legs betray you as you stomp along behind him, desperate to avoid a scene. Your stomach starts to flip and you dig your heels in once you're in the parking lot. You yank your arm back and call out to him again.

He turns on you like a wolf, grabbing the sides of your face with a crushing grip. You let out a whimper while your hands fly to his and attempt to pry them off your face.

"Look hon, you got two options, embarrass the hell out of yourself, or come with me and have the time of your life." Now that he's this close you smell the alcohol on his breath.

"You pig!" You snarl, your foot comes down on his right foot hard and you spit in his face. He hops back and howls, grabbing his foot and wiping his face. You turn on your heels to run into the building but his strong hand is around your wrist again. He yanks you so your back is against his chest. Before you can object to this horrid action, a strong and smooth voice echoes from behind the both of you.

"I ain't no genius, but I don't believe a woman wants to be held like that by a man that she's just called a pig."

Daniel's arm releases you and you stumble forward, not even sparing a glance back at your rescuer, you run into the lobby and find a table to brace yourself on. You swallow as much air as you can to still the rattling of your bones. You hear shouting, maybe the sound of a fist connecting with a face. Daniel let's some colorful language fly at his assailant, followed by heavy footsteps and a slamming car door.

You let out a huff, flattening your fingers out on the cold wood of the table. Willing yourself to relax before you see Molly again, the last thing you want is to ruin her night out.

"Are you alright doll?" That smooth voice from the parking lot asks from behind you. You feel a wave of calm wash over you. It was just a voice, a stranger's voice, why did it bring you so much peace? Dropping your shoulders, you turn to face whoever this bold savior is.

"I am now, thank you for-." You freeze, suddenly feeling like you're in even more danger than you were at the hands of Daniel. You stare directly into eyes so blue they look like silver. Your throat closes, Your heart hits the bottom of your stomach and you bring your arms around your abdomen. Those beautiful lips part and he says your name gently, like you're some wounded animal he doesn't want to scare off. You damn the butterflies that flutter in your stomach at the sound of his voice saying your name like that. Those eyes have you trapped in their gaze, you will yourself to run, to rip your feet from where they're planted and run like hell. You can't fucking move though, not away from him.

"James." You whisper. Embarrassment burns white and hot in your gut. You swallow thickly and grab your elbows, wishing to hold yourself tightly, hoping maybe if you squeeze hard enough you'll crumble and disappear.

"Uhm, th-thanks for that." You blurt out then turn to run to your truck, hoping to hide until Molly comes out to find you. You need the safety of that dingey cabin, to smell the leather and the oil and have your nerves stilled by memories of your father.

He calls out your name, hot on your heels as you stomp to the truck. You won't turn around. You will not fall for it again.

"Doll please, hear me out." That damn name always turned your legs to jelly. Not tonight. You whip around, hair flying wildly around your shoulders. He comes to a jolting stop and looks at you with begging eyes. Your finger comes up to point at him, you take two stomps forward and place it firmly on his chest.

"Do not fucking call me that. Stop fucking following me." You say as firmly as you can, trying to hide the pain behind the words.

"Please just listen." He says after a breath. His eyes soft and honest, those stunning eyes. Shit. You fell for it.

You cross your arms and look to the side, following some tail lights down the road.

"I am so sorry…" He says with a weak voice.

Part Two

#bucky x you #bucky fic #bucky x reader #winter solider x you #bucky barnes smut #marvel smut #captain america #sebastian stan #sebastian stan smut #bucky barnes #marvel

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themissinghippogriff · 5 years ago

Text

| ,love james | an imagine

Sirius x Reader

Desription: (Really sweet, in my opinion and im rather proud of it) James gets tired of the amount of time reader is spending with Sirius and figures out a way to break the two up.

W.C: 1.8k+

Warning: Eh not really

Requested

0000

James huffed as he played with his snitch, once again Sirius was off with (y/n). He hadn’t minded that much at first but it was like they were always with each other. He barely saw Sirius and even between classes she dragged him off somewhere for a snog or a bloody quickie.

Remus suppressed a smile as he leaned against the tree, book open, “ Is everything alright, James?” he asked, a sandy brow raised.

James let out an even heavier huff, “ Just peachy, that leech with (y/h/c) hair is an absolute Padfoot hog!” he cried in disbelief to both Peter and Remus who shared a look, as if the two had heard this a hundred times before, “ I mean at first it wasn’t a big deal-,”

“ Easy, Prongs,” said Remus in a mild voice, “ You wouldn’t want Sirius to hear you talk about (y/n) like that,”

Jame’s mouth dropped, “ HE’S NOT EVEN AROUND TO HEAR!” he stated before pulling himself up, the cogs in his head turning at top speed, “ And I’m going to do something about it!”

Remus let out a sigh and looked at Peter, “ This isn’t good is it Pete?”

Peter smiled lazily, “ Might as well sit back and watch, you know it’s not a good idea to get in between a married couple,” he quipped staring at James’s back as he marched up to the castle.

Remus only nodded, “ Look at you, Pete, using your head for a change,”

James racked his brain for an idea to break the two up, make Sirius think she slept with someone? No, too messy, same going the other way around. James might have been an ass but he wasn’t a dick, well that’s what he liked to think anyway.

He paced back and forth around his dorm until an idea- a brilliant idea hit him like a bolt of lightning. An evil glint appeared in his eye as he pulled out a piece of parchment and a quill.

(y/n) was a fairly sought out after girl, much like Sirius- he guessed that’s what drew the two together, so this idea was genius. He would write a boy in Ravenclaw, Benjy Fenwick, a love note posing as (y/n).

He took a deep breath and with his left hand, pressed his fingers together before doing what actors did before getting into character, but he looked more like an angry Italian if anything. He was (y/n), and then he began-

“ Dear Benjy,

I have feelings for you but I don’t know how to tell Sirius, please leave your response underneath the gargoyle on the second floor.

, Love (y/n) “

The messy haired teen laughed maliciously, all he needed was a final touch and he knew just how to get it. Lucky for him no one else was in the common room besides first and second years. All he had to do was sneak up to the girls’ dormitory, grab her perfume, spray the letter, and get the hell out of dodge.

He tucked the letter into his pocket, grabbed the invisibility cloak and then hurried down the stone steps. He whispered the spell to the stairway, ensuring it didn’t become a huge slide when he tried to climb it.

He ran up the stairs, his heart racing at the thought of being caught. He made it to the fifth year dormitory and opened it slightly, peeking in to make sure there wasn’t anyone in there. He stepped into the room which looked- and smelled a lot better then his own.

He moved over toward the dresser and saw tubes of lipstick and eyeshadow palettes but no perfume- and then he saw it. On top of (y/n)’s trunk a small glass bottle that was tinted purple. Quickly, he fished the letter out of his pocket and basically hosed down the paper with it.

He set the bottle down and bolted.

The next day during Charms when Remus wasn’t looking he slipped the paper into Benjy’s bag, undetected. Now the only thing there was left to do was wait. He sat back, a frown gracing his handsome face. He was doing the right thing, yeah?

Sirius had to be miserable with that bird constantly up his ass, he’s just too scared to break it off with her- yeah! That was it.

Later that evening James made his way to the second floor, eager to see if Benjy had written back. He was not disappointed-

“ Dear (y/n),

I can tell you this is delightful news as I’ve had a crush on you for quite some time now, and as for Sirius, just break it off. But in the meantime, what he doesn’t know won’t hurt him.

, Love Benjy “

Jame’s burst into a laughing fit which quickly turned into coughing as his eyes bolted around the hallway. He caught sight of a second year looking at him with wide eyes but they scampered off after he glared.

This was perfect, thank Merlin!

Before dinner James composed another letter, this time adding bit and pieces of not exactly PG rated ideas, and as he knew what the perfume bottle looked like and the name he could summon it easily.

He placed the letter back behind the gargoyle and then headed to the Great Hall, which unsurprisingly, Sirius was nowhere to be found.

James opened up his dorm to see (y/n) atop Sirius- naked.

“ BLOODY HELL MATE!” he screamed, his hands going to his eyes, “ REMUS STAY BACK! STAY BACK!” he repeated before slamming the door shut.

Remus huffed a laugh, “ Are they going at it?” he asked.

James shuddered, “ This is the fifth time I’ve walked in on them! I swear it’s like they want to be seen!”

It had been three days and James was getting impatient. He had been kicked out of his own dorm, blown off, robbed of a best friend, and his eyes assaulted far too many times! Enough was enough but the question was how to have this all come tumbling down.

He racked his brain for ideas as he walked down the corridor one afternoon but stopped when he saw Benjy looking out at Sirius and (y/n). His fists were clenched and his eyes narrowed as he sped towards them, “ Oi, Black!” he yelled.

Oh shit.

“ Gerrof her!” he said, pushing (y/n) behind him, “ She doesn’t bloody want you!”

Sirius’s eyes flashed and (y/n) looked confused as she shoved Benjy off of her, “ Excuse me?!” she sputtered, “ What the hell is your problem?!”

Benjy’s mouth dropped, “ What are you doing?! You told me you were going to break up with him and get with me!”

(y/n), Sirius, and James’s jaws dropped in unison at this sudden declaration.

Sirius spun around onto (y/n), his eyes full of devastation, “ Is...Is that true?” he whispered.

She shook her head frantically, grabbing his hand, “ No Sirius!” she gasped, her eyes pleading, “ You know me, you know I would never cheat!”

Sirius nodded his head but didn’t meet her eyes, he took her hand from hers and turned back to Benjy, “ Shove off and let her and I talk, you damn liar,” he growled.

James watched the whole thing go down with large hazel eyes, if this is what muggles called a soap opera then he just might get into watching them.

The blond boy faltered but reached down into his bag and pulled out the letter that had been sent by James, unbeknownst to him. James grimaced, things were about to get ugly.

Fenwick handed Sirius the letters, “ These were written by her, to me- smell them! She sprayed them with perfume,”

James rubbed his hands together as a fly would, but little did he know he was about to get smacked in the face with the newest rolled up addition of vogue, “ This isn’t her handwriting- nor is it her perfume,” bit out Sirius, throwing the letters back in Benjy’s face who paled.

Oh shit.

(y/n) picked up one of the letter’s and sniffed, “ This… this is Emmaline’s perfume,” she said, her eyes hurt. Jame’s eyes practically bulged out of his head, she thought Emmaline had done it.

His stomach soured as guilt made a home in his chest, the realization that he had not only roped Fenwick into his little play, but Em as well.

Fenwick bolted back up to the castle as (y/n) wiped at her eyes, “ Why would Emmy do this,” she sniffed, “ She’s my best friend,”

Sirius didn’t know what to do, “ I’m sorry love, but… it doesn’t seem like she is,”

James’ heart lurched as he replaced the names. He acting as Emmaline, (y/n) as Sirius, and Sirius as her. He had fucked up, royally.

She said something to Sirius who nodded. She started off toward Gryffindor tower while Sirius watched her go with sad eyes, running a hand through his dark locks before making his way to the hall for dinner.

James chased after her, “ Oi! (y/l/n)!” he yelled before she could reach the staircase. She stopped and turned to him with a curious look.

“ Yes, James?”

He opened his mouth but nothing came out, he struggled but in the end his voice came through, “ It was me,” he said quietly, “ I sent the notes,”

Her eyes widened and her hand went to her heart, “ What? W-Why?” she asked.

James rubbed the back of his neck, “ Because I was jealous and I felt like… I felt like you had stolen my best mate,”

Her eyes flashed with anger, “ Are you bloody thick, James Potter?!” she demanded, “ Steal Sirius from you? Are you kidding?!” she asked in disbelief, “ Sirius loves you so much! I could never steal him from you!”

James shrunk back, his eyes on the ground, “ I’m sorry I was wrong, but please, Emmaline had nothing to do with this, it was all me,”

She was silent, “ I appreciate your honesty, “ she murmured, “ But don’t think I’m not telling Sirius,”

James hung his head as Sirius yelled at him and afterwards he slammed the door, leaving James to feel horrible.

It was three days later and Sirius hadn’t spoken to him, and that was when (y/n) came up to him, a frown on her face, “ C’mon, James,” she said, “ Let’s go get your best mate back,”

Sirius was eating breakfast when a letter swayed down in front of his face, landing near his plate. It was addressed to him but didn’t have a name. The teenager opened it-

“ Dear Sirius,

I know you’re absolutely pissed at me but I just want you to know how sorry I am, I know I fucked up. I’ve apologized to (y/n) over and over and she had the idea for me to write you a letter… ironic huh? Once again I’m so sorry Padfoot, and I promise I’ll never do something as stupid as this again.

, Love James”

Sirius sniffed the letter and chuckled, that git had really sprayed it with his cologne. He looked down the table to find his girlfriend staring at him with a soft smile. He returned it, getting up to go find his best mate.

---

@writingwieny ʰᵒᵖᵉ ʸᵒᵘ ˡⁱᵏᵉ ⁱᵗ :)

#sirius x reader #fluff #james potter #young sirius #young sirius x reader #platonic james potter

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nah-she-didnt · 4 years ago

Note

okay, so all i want is for remus to have a crush on reader or whoever . you can do absolutely anything with this remus just has a really big crush on her and he notices things about her personality and all. fluff because I also want them to like kiss at the end of this all.

Okay here’s the deal anon, I owe you an apology because I’m almost certain that the following story is not what you had in mind. I headcanon that Sirius is gay and Remus is bisexual or pansexual (I also headcanon that Tonks is NB, and I do ship Remadora to a point, but that’s beside the point). So while this might not be exactly what you intended, it’s the story that came to me, so I hope you enjoy!

Please Send Me Prompts My Inbox Is Sad And Empty

Firsts

In the three previous years, James had partnered with Sirius in Herbology and Remus with Peter. This was generally how lesson pairs broke down between the four friends, partly because James and Sirius had so much fun goofing off together and partly because Remus wanted to actually concentrate on the professor during lessons. Fourth year, however, was different.

The first day of classes began like any other. The bright September sun followed the four of them across the grounds into Greenhouse 2 for their first Herbology lesson of term.

“I hope we do Devil’s Snare this year,” Sirius grinned mischievously.

“God, I don’t,” Peter paled, “imagine if it got you and never let go.”

“Don’t worry, Pete,” James beamed as he threw glances to the group of Gryffindor girls ahead of them, also on their way to Herbology, “we’d visit you all the time, bring you biscuits, everything.”

“Fuck off,” grumbled Pete. He’d been in a foul mood all day after their disastrous first Potions lesson where he’d managed to melt his brand-new cauldron.

“Someone’s grumpy!” Sirius declared as they crossed the threshold into Greenhouse 2, “don’t worry, Pete, I’ll tell you a joke to cheer you up. Have you ever heard about the troll, the hag, and the leprechaun who all go into a bar-”

“Remus?”

Remus doubled back, not sorry to miss the rest of Sirius’ joke. Amelia Bones stood a few feet away, wearing a pretty blue hair ribbon to match her Ravenclaw tie. She was twisting her hands nervously over her stomach, and he noticed that she was blushing slightly. The effect the flush had underneath her freckles was quite nice.

“Hi Amelia,” he squeaked, trying to sound more confident than he felt, “what’s up? How was your summer?”

“Erm, not bad,” she smiled sweetly up at him, “I was wondering if…”

“Oi, Remus!” Sirius called across the room, “Pete saved you a seat.” James and Peter snickered behind Sirius, clearly in on the joke to make him look a fool in front of Amelia.

Remus waved them off and turned his attention back to Amelia. “Sorry, ignore them. What were you wondering?”

She went from pink to red at his words. “I was wondering if… you wanted to be my Herbology partner this year.”

Remus blinked. “Oh,” he said, unsure if he understood her properly, “um, yeah, alright. You mean all year?”

She looked stunned at his words. “Oh, yeah, if you wanted…”

“I do,” he said quickly. To his annoyance, he felt his hand fly to his hair, just like James did when he talked to a girl. “Yeah. I’d like that, Amelia.”

She beamed at him. “Great! Well, I guess we should get on with it, then,” and she gestured to a pair of empty chairs.

And so they sat together in the Greenhouse. Their conversations were awkward at first. They kept running into long pauses between their feeble attempts at small talk. Remus always kicked himself when he couldn’t decide what to say. He couldn’t tell too many stories, so much of his life had to be kept secret. He couldn’t very well tell her why he looked so tired that one Wednesday after the Full Moon, nor where he had gotten a particularly nasty scar that stretched across the back of his right hand. He was sure she’d get bored of him eventually, but lesson after lesson there she was, smiling from the seat next to him. She didn’t seem to care that he had little to say, because after a few weeks she talked enough for the both of them.

She told him about her mother’s work in the Department of Magical Law Enforcement. Remus braced himself at this. He knew that the Department was none too friendly towards werewolves, but the topic never came up. She told him that she wanted to head the Department herself someday.

“Yeah?” he grinned, “you want to work in magical law?”

She smiled as she misted a rosebush with a spray bottle. “It’s the only thing I can imagine doing, you know, with everything that’s going on.”

Remus nodded. That was one of the things he liked about Amelia. She had parents in the Ministry. She knew about the war that was surely coming, and she wasn’t afraid. She’d told him once that she’d give her life to protect others if it came to it.

“Sounds like you should have been in Gryffindor,” he’d told her at this.

“Nah,” she laughed, “you lot are too aggressive. Give me a book over a fight any day.”

Remus pretended to look wounded. “Not all of us are like that.”

He stopped his work on the engorged Venus Flytrap in front of him and glanced sideways at her. Her large blue eyes studied him carefully as if she were making up her mind. “No,” she almost whispered, “I suppose you’re not, are you?”

That night in the Common Room found the boys sitting around the roaring fire. James and Sirius played a game of Exploding Snap while Peter watched, clapping his hands and cheering loudly when one of the players had a particularly impressive move. Remus stared into the fire, the book he had been reading lay forgotten in his lap.

“Moony,” James called, waking Remus from his daydream about Herbology that day, “what’s got your face look all crumpled like that?”

“Isn’t it obvious,” grumbled Sirius, “Bones. Again. Am I wrong?”

Remus was sure his cheeks had turned dark red at this comment. “No.”

Sirius grimaced. “See? Told you.”

James laughed out loud. “Remus? In love? I never thought I’d see the day.”

“Not in love,” Remus argued, trying to regain some of his dignity, “in….like, I suppose.”

“Like...you want to shag her brains out, do you mean?” Peter chuckled.

“Don’t be gross,” Remus tossed his book at Peter’s head, which unfortunately missed. “She’s funny, that’s all.”

“Funny?” Said Sirius incredulously, “I’ve never heard her be funny.”

“Have you ever even talked to her?” Remus frowned. He didn’t know why Sirius was being so nasty.

“‘Course I have,” Sirius muttered, “she seems boring if you ask me.”

“Well, good thing no one asked you, then,” Remus snapped. He wasn’t interested in dealing with one of Sirius’ moods today. Amelia was a nice girl. She had a good heart and she cared about the things Remus cared about. Sirius was just jealous for whatever reason.

Sirius jumped to his feet. “Well, if you’re going to blab on about her all night, I’m going to bed.”

Remus rolled his eyes. “What, and deprive us of your pleasant company?”

Sirius glared at him, then stomped off up the stairs.

James stared after his friend. “What was that about?”

“No idea,” Remus gestured to Peter for his book back, then went back to pretending to read in front of the fire. Really, if Sirius had a problem with Amelia, who cared.

But he did care.

The ground had frozen solid already, a sure sign that winter approached. Amelia had insisted that they study for their Herbology exam down by the black lake. He wasn’t sure why they had to be outside, but she’d lit a fire that floated several inches above the blanket she laid out for them which provided a buffer of warmth against the brisk wind.

“Name the Kingdom, Order, and Family of Crataegus, give its common name, and list its magical properties,” Amelia recited from her textbook.

Remus screwed up his face in concentration.

“Let’s see...Crataegus, also known as Hawthorn, Kingdom is Plantae, Order is Rosales, and Family is Rosaceae. In ancient times Muggles believed the Hawhotrn had magical properties of rebirth and fertility, and Wizards use its elements in draughts to strengthen the heart,” He glanced at Amelia, “how’d I do?”

“Brilliant,” she beamed, snapping her book shut. She stretched her legs so that her shoeless feet reached towards the Black Lake. “Let’s take a break, I’m exhausted.”

“Up all night reading, were you?” he teased.

She tried her best not to smile, but the corners of her mouth gave her away. “If you must know… yes. I couldn’t put down our Transfiguration textbook.”

Remus gaped at her. “Oh come on!” he laughed, “there’s being studious, and there’s being a bloody nerd!”

She looked at him in disbelief. “Traitor! I would have thought you, of all people, would understand.” Something changed in her face when she said this. She seemed to grow softer, more earnest. She looked at him as if he were supposed to gain some greater understanding from her words.

Remus laughed nervously. “Well, I like bloody nerds.”

“Yeah?” she whispered. She drew closer to him by the second, her eyes boring into his.

“Yeah,” he breathed. He knew what she wanted from him, and he was pretty sure he wanted it too.

Their lips met across the space between them. Her skin was warm, and her lips moved naturally against his own. It was a nice feeling, and he kissed her back with interest. His stomach swooped when she gently tugged at his bottom lip with her teeth. He lifted a hand to her cheek and rested it there, gently pulling her closer.

“You WHAT?”

Remus did not look up from his book. “We kissed. Alright?”

James stared at him open-mouthed. “How!” he howled, like a child who had a toy taken away by a fed-up parent, “how are you the first one to kiss a girl of the four of us? You’re afraid of girls!”

“Apparently not,” Remus grinned despite himself. It was true, he’d never been a flirt. But it seemed that James’ strategy of annoying girls until they liked him hadn’t quite paid off yet.

“And how was it?” Sirius barked across the room from his spot on his four-poster. He still had that strange, hard edge to his voice. He’d been that way for a few weeks now.

Remus shrugged. “It was nice.”

“Just nice?” cried Peter, who looked like he was about to explode, “Come on, we need more than that!”

Remus thought back to the moment down by the lake. “It was...unexpected.”

“Was it everything you’d ever dreamed of?” Sirius drawled in a bored voice.

Remus shot him a dirty look. “And if it was?”

Sirius scoffed. “I doubt it.”

“Look,” Remus said angrily, “I don’t know what your problem is, but I’m sick of this. You’ve been sulking around me for weeks. I don’t know if it’s jealousy, or-”

“Jealous?” Sirius’ eyes flashed with anger, “you think I’m jealous of her?”

Remus faltered. “No,” he stammered, “I meant-”

But Sirius cut him off. “Of course, I didn’t mean,” he took a breath, “I just don’t want you lording it over the rest of us, alright? That you’ve got a girlfriend, or whatever. Us Marauders have more important things to think about.” And with that, Sirius tore the hangings around his bed closed with a huff.

Remus stared at the spot Sirius had been feeling shaken. What had Sirius meant, “you think I’m jealous of her?”

“Let him sleep it off, mate,” James said uneasily, glancing at the closed hangings around his friend’s bed, “he’s just in a mood.”

“Fuck off, James,” Sirius called from out of sight.

James sighed, threw Remus one more apologetic look, then began to get ready for bed.

Remus sat quite still for a moment. Just minutes ago he could think of nothing but Amelia. Now, Sirius filled his brain. They fought so rarely, it was hard to believe that his kiss with Amelia had made Sirius so angry. After a while, Remus realized he was the last boy awake in the dormitory. Confused and upset, he got to his feet and turned out the light.

#nina writes #prompts #remus lupin #sirius black #amelia bones #peter petigrew #james potter #slowburn wolfstar #poor baby bisexual remus

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youwerenevermeanttofeelalone · 5 years ago

Photo

Somebody Sweet to Talk To ❁︎ 𝐓𝐇𝐑𝐄𝐄

Pairing: Harry Osborn x Plus Size Reader

Word Count: 3.2k

Gif credit: @lovingpostit

Summary & Warnings || Series Masterlist

A/N: shortest chapter yet and also the shortest in the whole series!

𝐁𝐥𝐞𝐬𝐬 𝐭𝐡𝐞 𝐜𝐡𝐢𝐥𝐝𝐫𝐞𝐧 𝐰𝐡𝐨 𝐭𝐮𝐫𝐧 𝐨𝐮𝐭 𝐟𝐢𝐧𝐞

𝐈 𝐠𝐨𝐭 𝐭𝐡𝐞 𝐩𝐢𝐞𝐜𝐞𝐬 𝐢𝐟 𝐲𝐨𝐮 𝐠𝐨𝐭 𝐭𝐡𝐞 𝐭𝐢𝐦𝐞

❁︎ ・・・・・❁︎ ・・・・・ ❁︎ ・・・・・❁︎

Tuesday and Wednesday weren’t too different from Monday. You arrived at school with Peter, parted ways with him by the spot he always waited for Gwen, entered the classes you had that day, took lunch with a couple of classmates you considered almost friends, did homework in the library, were joined by Harry two hours before the time to go home, got home with the three, accompanied them to do homework, spent time alone with Harry while teaching him how to play chess and getting to know him, and then hung out with the three until Harry and Gwen had to go, attended family dinner, went to sleep.

Thursday brought slight changes, Gwen didn’t leave school with you because of a family member’s visit. As you entered the compound, a pair of strong arms engulfed you in a hug, startling you.

The metal against your back should have been a sign but now that Tony had a metal arm too, what let you know it was Bucky was his scent so you relaxed and hugged back. “Hi, Buckaroo.”

He laughed in that gruff way he always did, parting from you to gaze down at you. “How did you know it was me?”

“I happen to know your scent very well.” You made a face. “That sounds creepy, what I truly meant was—“

“We get it,” the Sargent laughed again and stretched his arm to close the door. “How was school?” at that he looked at Harry and Peter too.

“Great!” Peter exclaimed, telling Bucky all about his school day.

Harry just hummed, extending a hand in your direction. You frowned down at it, your palm inching closer before you remembered you were carrying his cellphone and slid your hand into your pocket to retrieve it.

“You gave me yours,” he snorted, looking at the (Favorite Artist)’s photo you had as locked screen.

“Sorry,” you mumbled, repeating the motion of withdrawing the cellphone but now from your left pocket. You exchanged devices under Peter’s and Bucky’s eyes.

James started speaking, but Tony interrupted. “Can any of you help me? Bruce says aspirin hurts the stomach but I don’t believe him because it stops my stomachache.”

“Don’t all NSAIDs hurt the stomach?” Harry asked, not in general but to you, his body even rotating to face you properly.

You nodded, “but acetylsalicylic acid is one of the worst— stomachaches are treated in different ways than other pains because of that.”

“As mere symptoms?”

“Yep, or not as the main focus of the treatment because they’re usually caused by something else.”

Tony pouted childishly, probably because he loved being right, and grumbled something about having to throw up the pill.

“Don’t!” You yelled, walking after him to put a hand on his shoulder. Your mentor turned around, watching you. He looked so tired and sick that you frowned. “Go try to get some sleep, Tony,” you said softly, moving your hand to his forehead to check for a fever. “Once you get up I’ll give you a check-up, okay?”

Tony hummed, “Pep said it’s the flu, though.”

“Stomach flu, probably.”

Humming again, he announced he’d be in bed and asked you all to keep an eye on Morgan. Bucky sighed, watching his now close friend disappear through the hallway before sprinting toward the stairs to go get Morgan.

You sighed too, Tony was whiny when sick and you could only imagine how much Bruce had been struggling with him.

Peter plopped down on the couch, tiredly opening his backpack to do homework. Harry sat in front of him, watching him. The shorter man looked annoyed by something and a lot of things could be the cause but he had a theory. Testing said theory could be dangerous at that moment, but he was too curious not to try.

His eyes found yours. Making a gesture for you to sit down with him, he turned his attention back to Peter. Your best friend watched your movements, even following them. You sat close to Harry, turning to look at him as if to say something.

Harry threw his arm around your neck. “Can you go out tomorrow even if Tony’s sick?”

“It wouldn’t be appropriate,” Peter chimed in.

You lifted an eyebrow at your crush. Tony had a case of the stomach flu, it was painfully obvious and normal by how careless he was sometimes while eating street food. “I can, don’t worry,” you smiled at Harry without showing your teeth, “there’s always someone around here to check on him, and the flu is viral so there isn’t much to do other than keeping him hydrated and rested.” He hummed, relaxing his body so you two would appear to be physically closer.

Bucky offered to help the two young men with their homework and you placed Morgan on your lap, humming when the little girl asked if you would braid her hair. Tony’s daughter ran toward the stairs like Bucky had done earlier to retrieve some hairbands and a brush.

Moving a little farther from Harry, just enough to be comfortable while moving your hands, you started slowly brushing Morgan’s hair with care. The girl asked for as many braids you could do which was a slight pain in the ass but you complied without a negative word, separating the strands meticulously.

Harry’s attention would shift from his homework to the movement of your hands, a few times catching how relaxed the little girl looked on your lap. When Bucky coughed, he went back to paying attention to the Sargent.

You were done rather quickly, now used to braid hair frequently due to how much Morgan asked for the hairdo. Pepper paid a lot of attention to her daughter, but she couldn’t do it all even if she tried so you helped her like you wished someone would have helped your mother.

That early night, after Harry left and before he would go out to do his friendly neighboring thing, Peter told you he needed to talk to you about something important. You hadn’t thought he would tell you something so soon, but he still made himself clear by saying he didn’t think it was a good idea for you to date Harry.

“We’ll see, Pete. It’s too soon to know.” That was your only comment on the topic before leaving the living room in direction to the stairs.

Pepper stayed home to keep an eye on Tony, knowing her husband wouldn’t take care of himself if he didn’t even do it while healthy. Bucky liked spending time with Morgan so he was elated by the fact, and planned an afternoon full of fun activities.

But the Sargent didn’t do any of it without pulling you to the side before you could leave with Harry. You knew what was coming, and you weren’t up for it but sucked it up.

“I just want to make sure you’re comfortable with him, sweetheart.”

You nodded. It wouldn’t be a lie to say you were comfortable, and it wouldn’t be a lie to say Harry treated you just fine, but it definitely wouldn’t count as the truth either. Middle grounds didn’t exist in that situation, and you didn’t want them to. What you truly wanted at that moment was for Bucky to stop looking at you like you’d break at any second, you wouldn’t do it— you couldn’t do it because it would mean showing what happened with Quentin left a mark deeper than anyone knew, it would mean showing a weakness no one around you had ever shown.

“Is that a yes?”

“Yeah,” you nodded again. If the Sargent didn’t believe you, he didn’t show it. He kissed your forehead and wished you good luck like Tony did almost a week ago.

With the weight of having somewhat lied to James, you left Tony’s home-office and strut toward the door. Gwen squealed a ”good luck” too, Peter didn’t even take a glance at you. That weight was on you too, how displeased your best friend and crush was.

❁︎ ・・・・・❁︎ ・・・・・ ❁︎ ・・・・・❁︎

Harry observed you were more silent than usual, and it unnerved him a little bit. You had made progress regarding conversation, on Wednesday you even talked naturally without having to ask questions about the other. It worried him that you had gone back to avoid his eyes and stay quiet when you wouldn’t have time to redo it all.

Walking up to the movie theater’s door, he opened it for you to walk in as you gratefully bowed your head. The movie had been chosen the day before, an independent film you heard was interesting enough to leave The Compound. Harry was fine with it upon hearing the synopsis and the hardest thing to do was finding a place screening it.

The long drive was worth it. He couldn’t remember a time where he felt so comfortable at the movies, or with someone— you weren’t a loud eater and kept your comments to yourself for when the movie had finished. It wasn’t common for you to see that type of movie with someone, your... friends... weren’t into that kind of entertainment and with the lives they had you couldn’t particularly blame them; still, it was nice to have an acquaintance who wasn’t against watching a movie only fifteen minutes longer than the drive to the cinema complex.

A few tears were shed on your behalf at the end of the film. You heard Harry sniff beside her too and he thrust a couple of napkins in your hand. The last time you had gone to the movies with someone, Peter had found a little funny you cried with Bumblebee so Harry’s reaction was shocking to say the least— from what you knew, Harry wasn’t very emotional and that had made you think he didn’t like people who showed to be.

“Do you watch movies like those often?” his question was uttered as you walked back to his car.

“Yeah, usually online because I don’t drive and no one else has the time nor likes them.”

He hummed, pulling on the passenger’s door handle for you to get in. He saw you enter the vehicle from his peripheral view as he crossed the hood, there was a change in your facial expression that made him think you had finally relaxed a little bit.

“I watch any kind of movie as long as it sounds appealing,” you added once he was in the car. “I only avoid the horror genre because I get anxious easily, but if a film is worth the pain I do watch it.”

“Everyone at school thinks you’re stuck up, but you’re the most open and knowledgeable person I’ve met.”

You weren’t sure if it was a compliment or an observation, but you took it as both. “Judgmental biases are more common than we like to admit.”

“Yeah,” he turned the engine on with a sigh. “I used to be like that, to be honest.”

“What changed?”

“It was emotionally damaging.” He didn’t explain anything further on, at least not for a few minutes.

Pulling back to the main avenue that would take you back, he wondered if speaking more openly was a good idea. Harry liked the way his walls were still up, that was one of his reasons to not get too close to people— he would be lying if he said he didn’t want to have someone to talk to freely; Peter couldn’t be that person as much as he loved him, and Harry truly did.

“I was angry all the time,” he continued the explanation. “Because I assumed the worst of people.”

“For what it’s worth, I’m glad you learned from your mistakes. It takes courage to do it.”

“Experience?”

“Plenty,” you lamented with the right side of your head resting on the window as you looked at him drive. He cast you a sideways glance. Getting the hint, you explained yourself too. “My family isn’t averagely normal, and I went through things as a child that turned me into a very cold person. It’s been hard to break out of it, I cave into it from time to time; it’s too damn comfortable not to.”

“Only child, right?”

You hummed, “did the bitter tone give it away?”

“Painfully so.”

Easing the break at a stoplight, he took his cellphone out to make sure his father hadn’t called. The only notification appearing on the locked screen was a text from Gwen, asking if you two were close to getting back. A quick reply of ‘in thirty minutes or so’ was what he typed before dropping the device into the cup holder at his right.

“How are we going to function next week?”

You hummed in thought. You had no clue, the options were limited in every aspect. “We’ll have to improvise.”

The rest of the drive was spent talking about the movie you saw. His phone had dinged in the middle of it but he ignored it, knowing it was either Gwen or Peter because his father didn’t like texting.

Both of you saw two silhouettes near the entrance of The Compound as the car crossed the gates. An idea came to his mind, but he wasn’t sure you’d be up for it. He wasn’t even sure if he himself was, but he leaned more toward the positive answer than he thought you would.

Turning the car off, he immediately gripped your hand so you wouldn’t leave the vehicle. You turned to look at him, a question building up in your throat as you unbuckled your seatbelt. “Kiss me,” he ordered gently.

“W-What?”

He sighed, undoing his seatbelt to lean closer to you. “They’re watching, we both know.”

Pushing yourself slightly upward, you let out a shaky breath before closing the gap between you both, eyes fluttering shut as contact was made. His lips moved softly on top of yours, the taste of the popcorn mixed with chocolate he ate earlier distracted you for a moment as his hand moved up to your cheek. You grasped the front of his shirt, tilting your head a few millimeters to meet his lips fully. Harry’s thumb dug into your neck while he deepened the kiss just enough for it to look realistic.

Kissing Harry Osborn as the light from the gigantic A in front of the compound illuminated the moment wasn’t how you imagined your Friday night would go. You didn’t imagine a knock on the passenger window would interrupt the kiss either.

You pulled back, him unlocking the car so both could leave it and see what was that Peter wanted. Your best friend didn’t look happy, and the fact that Gwen whistled teasingly made him frown.

“Gwen needs a ride to her grandma’s house. Can you take her, Harry?”

“Sure.” Harry craned his neck to his side, where you were standing. “I’ll text you later, okay?”

You nodded, looking up at him. “Drive safe.” He hummed, leaving a light kiss on the side of your head before turning on his heel.

Gwen followed him, waving at you and Peter. Harry didn’t open the door for her, nor waited for her to put the seatbelt on. Harry was actually in a hurry to get out of there, face slightly flushed in front of the lights from the dashboard.

The teasing was coming, he knew the blonde wouldn’t be able to keep it inside for long. He also knew he needed to sound convincing because she would tell Peter everything. But what terrified him to know was that he had enjoyed kissing Peter’s sister figure— he would have continued it even. Maybe Peter knew that too, maybe that was why he interrupted, and maybe by the end of the month, he would be all by himself most of the time again.

“Are things going well between you and (Y/N)?” He hummed as an answer to his best friend’s question, eyes on the road. Gwen watched him. “Pete’s worried.”

“He told me in the morning.”

“I’m worried too,” she mumbled. “You haven’t dated in a while and she’s Peter’s best friend. Also...”

“Also what?” He caught a shrug with his peripheral vision. “Tell me.”

“I’m happy for you two, Harry. And I’m sorry for having a but— but she isn’t right for you and you’re not right for her.”

“Because she’s smarter than me?” he couldn’t keep himself from sounding hurt. Everyone always treated him as if he was less, his dad had done it since he was a kid, Gwen since she met Peter, Peter since he found out his coping mechanisms.

“I don’t know if she is smarter than you,” the blonde quickly said, too quickly to be telling the truth. “But she has deep issues from what everyone’s told me. You’re not the type of person that can deal with that.”

“What can I deal with, then?”

“Someone more open, that’s all.” Gwen felt bad by telling him that, she was aware of how hard it was for Harry to get close to people, and of for how long Peter had told him not to pursue you. Her boyfriend was right by being worried when none of you were ready for a relationship and your pasts showed it.

He didn’t say anything through the rest of the drive. Harry dropped Gwen off and didn’t even wish her a good night. Had his friends been talking about him behind his back? What was Peter telling you about him at that moment?

Swerving into the first parking spot he saw, he took his cellphone out. His fingers hovered over the send button for a few seconds before he decided to simply send it and hope for the best.

Has Peter told you something about me? Like ever.

When your cellphone buzzed in your jean pocket at dinner you withdrew it and carefully looked down at it to not alert anyone. Harry’s question took you aback, and the answer even more.

Nothing other than the usual: you’re his best friend and son of Norman Osborn.

Nothing else? Maybe something in nonchalance like how fucking annoying I am?

You’re not annoying, and no.

Okay.

Gnawing on the inside of his bottom lip, he stared down at the screen. He tested his luck then.

I’ve been thinking about telling my dad I’m dating you, probably tomorrow at breakfast. Can I?

Is that what I should say? What does “dating” even mean? Now that I think about it, it sounds like people are going on dates and seeing what’s up— but from what I know there isn’t a difference...

Colloquially, dating is being in a relationship as partners. But I get what you mean.

So you would tell your father I’m your girlfriend?

Basically.

That was... too much. But you would look like a coward by suddenly taking it all back, you had kissed him earlier for crying out loud!

It’s fine. Thanks for asking beforehand, though.

No problem. I’ll text you tomorrow, have a good night.

Good night.

Locking the device, you went back to your meal. As you lifted your head, you saw Bucky staring at you and quickly took a mouthful of food to distract yourself. He didn’t say anything, but his eyes didn’t move from you until you left the table at the end of the meal.

#ssttt #harry osborn x reader #harry osborn x plus size reader #plus size reader #plus size fanfiction #plus size series #harry osborn series #fake dating au #harry osborn #marvel x reader #marvel x plus size reader #marvel series

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cultureaddictconfessions · 5 years ago

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Don’t Get Caught - A Cubicles sequel - CYO Adventure + Marauders Workplace AU

re-read Cubicles here

After your enchanting evening at James’ after-work soiree, you're feeling nervous to interact with your office crush, with whom you shared a special moment. They’ve made it clear that there’s a spark, but navigating an office romance can be tricky if you don’t want your co-workers to know the situation. With that in mind, you must find sneaky ways to fan the flames of your delicious dalliance. Will you steal another moment with your sweetheart or be found out?

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As always, Y/N=first name, Y/L/N=last name. When you get to the end, click one of the titles to get your chosen ending! You can also be added to the tag list for this series (I’ll probably write more sequels, as this is a personal favorite of mine and I got ideas!) This is my present to my Tumblr fam, hope you have a wonderful holiday and see ya in 2020! <3 Bri

------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------- The weekend was fairly uneventful. You spent Lazy Saturday with Lily, as always, before the pair of you joined the other office girls for drinks at a hip rooftop bar. Sunday was spent in a lull of running errands and dreading Monday and all that it might bring. You hadn’t mentioned anything to Lily about your party rendezvous for fear of her reaction. You didn’t know how many people bore witness to what happened, but if you could keep it under wraps, you would feel much better. It was tough enough dealing with Rita and the stresses of the workplace, let alone trying to integrate a blossoming crush on one of your co-workers who you would have to see almost every day. You groaned, curled up in your favorite lounge chair in the reading nook you set up in your apartment.

You had flirty conversations with more than one person on Friday when you thought about it. You just happened to have sparked feelings with one of them. You weren’t the type to kiss and tell, so what did you have to be worried about anyway? Still, you couldn’t help blushing fondly over the memory of that night. It was cliche to call it “magical”, but that was exactly what it felt like. You sank deeper into the chair and tried to focus on the book you were reading, before spending the rest of the evening failing to eat and agonizing over what you would wear the next day. Once settled, you spread on a face mask and turned on your favorite show on Witchflix to distract yourself. You crashed halfway through the episode.

You’d woken up in the middle of the night, tossing and turning anxiously. You got up a little earlier than usual and decided to go pick up coffee for you, Lily, and Rita in an effort to feel productive. The Potion Truck was your favorite little cafe and food truck near the office. You swept in, rattled off the orders without a second thought, then went to wait for them a few feet away. You spotted Emmeline Vance standing nearby, scrolling through her phone with a bored expression. Her shiny black hair was slicked back into a low ponytail, draping over her shoulder. She was clad in a classic trench coat, and her tortoiseshell sunglasses were perched on her head; always the picture of style. You strode over, managing a small smile as you tapped her on the shoulder. She looked up.

“Hi Y/N, fancy seeing you here! Can’t believe it’s Monday again already. What a weekend! Sorry I didn’t come out for drinks on Saturday; I had rehearsal that ran way too late and I went straight home to sleep.” She chuckled, pocketing her phone. Emmeline happened to be a talented hip-hop dancer. You had gone to one of her recitals, and you’d been debating attending one of her classes just to see how much fun she was having. You nodded in commiseration, wishing you were back in bed. The barista called Emmeline’s name, so you were left to yourself for a moment. You wondered guiltily whether she’d seen you at the office party.

“That sounds very busy indeed. You have to let me know when your next show is. Emm, I just realized… I don’t remember seeing you at the party on Friday!” You mumbled, fishing for information. She made a bemused expression. Uh oh.

“Well, I saw you making your rounds, Miss Popular! Did you have too much of the spiked punch? I guess we didn’t get to chat, so I can see why you might’ve thought I wasn’t there. I was rather preoccupied myself if you catch my drift.” She gave you a saucy wink, making the color drain out of your face. Maybe she had caught you and a certain someone getting hot and heavy. You didn’t have time to ask because the barista finally called your name. You scurried up to grab the drinks, and as soon as you returned, Emmeline motioned for you to follow her to the office. Your stomach was turning as the two of you walked, with Emmeline chatting amiably about the details of the party, not revealing anything helpful. You made a mental note to shoot her a text message later to find out real gossip.

You passed Alastor at the desk with a soft greeting before arriving at the elevator. Emmeline worked on the floor below you in operations. Not only was she a talented dancer, but she was a clever controller as well. Before the elevator could close, you were joined by the Prewett twins and Peter Pettigrew. Emmeline tensed up slightly beside you, only to the degree that you would notice. You gave her a curious look, but she gave you a sidelong glance and shook her head.

“Morning ladies! Looking lovely as ever!” The twins chimed together. You smiled, and Emmeline gave a curt nod.

“Hi Y/N, hi Emmeline! The brothers and I were just talking about that new baking show everyone’s been raving about! I watched 4 episodes on Sunday afternoon, not even going to lie.” Peter bubbled with laughter as he addressed the two of you. He looked so adorable when he talked about his passions.

“You should audition, Pete! I bet you could show them a thing or two…” Emmeline grinned, winking at him. He flushed at her compliment. You nodded in encouragement, but you couldn’t help but feel a little caught off guard by the easygoing banter Emmeline and Peter displayed. She was a total Cool Girl™, and he was the office dormouse. Since when had they become so friendly? You turned your attention to Gideon and Fabian. They certainly stood out from the crowd, tall and well-built, with shocks of red hair. As you recalled, they happened to be rather athletic and were part of a club outside of work which some of the other office members frequented… though obviously not as devoutly, based on the brothers’ chiseled physiques. You engaged them in light conversation before they and Emmeline stepped off on their floor, leaving you alone with Peter.

“You looked really lovely on Friday, Y/N. I don’t think I got to tell you that.” He smiled softly, hands twisting in front of him. You blushed your attention fully on him. Peter rarely voiced his opinions, much less made such a confident declaration. It was a nice change of character if you were honest.

“You’re a sweetheart for saying so, Pete, thank you. I had a lot of fun! I think I had a little too much to drink by the end if you’ll forgive me. Feels like a dream…” You sighed, a grin slipping across your lips as you laughed. He laughed along with you, looking at you with appreciation. He seemed as though he were about to say something when the elevator opened. Noticing Rita standing in her office on the phone and looking angry, you were forced to bid the young man goodbye. You didn’t notice him staring after you as you walked swiftly to the time clock.

Lily was already at her desk, so you placed the coffee in front of her with a pat on the head. She swiveled around in her chair and grinned brightly up at you.

“How did you have time to go and get me coffee, Y/N? Couldn’t sleep?”

“How are you so early today, Lils?” You countered, to which she stuck out her tongue. She picked up the drink and sipped thoughtfully, a grateful expression melting her. You were glad you could return your best friend’s favor since she was always the one who went for early-morning drink runs. Rita didn’t come out of her office, so you wrapped up her coffee, sat down and began going through your emails and voicemail. You were completely caught off guard when James Potter came over and leaned on the partition between yours and Lily’s cubicles, grinning like a Chesire cat.

“Evans, where were you on Friday?! We missed you at the party! Y/N was gracious enough to help me decorate, the whiz that she is. Very good company.” He queried Lily, smoothly winking in your direction. You felt your body warming up, but not from your coffee. Lily, however, was not amused and threw a scathing glare at James. You were surprised that he would come and bother her over the party, considering what had transpired. However, it was well known around the office that he had a soft spot for your best friend, despite her obvious distaste. You had to credit the guy, he was nothing if not persistent.

“Amscray, Potter, I don’t have time for your attempts at witty banter this morning. Rita has been on the warpath all morning and your decorator just arrived. Thankfully with coffee, of course.” Lily spat at him, softening her tone when she mentioned you, although you noted her resentment in referencing you helping James. You clammed up, as did James, though you exchanged a look of concern. Your friendliness toward her rival was quite a sore spot.

“Well, there’s always the next one! Maybe Y/N can convince you to attend…” He commented, trying to maintain his bright demeanor despite being shot down by the other woman. James gave you a meaningful look before he turned on his heel and stalked off toward the marketing department. Lily groaned in frustration but didn’t look up as he walked away. She hadn’t said anything about Rita when you got there, although you’d seen your boss glowering at the air in her office. Why did Lily feel the need to bring it up to James? Was she annoyed that you chose to go to the party? You’d spent Saturday with her, and she hadn’t said anything about it at all. Had his appearance brought up those unpleasant feelings that she hadn’t addressed with you over the weekend? You sighed, not wanting to push her buttons any more than James already had, electing to focus on your current project. Rita had emailed you some of the details so you could get started, although she expected you to sit down and talk with her further.

Rita came barging out to your desk about an hour and a half before lunch and ushered you into her office. She kept you in there for the whole time and a little more before dismissing you. You felt exhausted after that conversation and would have skipped lunch entirely to debrief, except Remus Lupin was standing beside your desk looking sheepish. You glided over to him and an easy smile crossed his face. You were surprised to see him there. Usually, it was Sirius…

“You look like you’ve been run through Rita’s gauntlet, Y/N… if there’s anything I can do to help, please never hesitate to ask,” his voice was soft but tender, and you couldn’t help but beam up at him. He really was one of the most thoughtful men in the office, if not in general.

“That, however, can wait. You are cordially invited to join us for lunch at Molly’s in 10 minutes. I’ve been sent to fetch you, with your acceptance, of course.” He smirked, recognizing the confusion that was evident on your face.

“Sirius get bored of being the errand boy?” you quirked an eyebrow at him, to which he shrugged, “I really shouldn’t… this project Rita assigned to me is going to be a nightmare. But… in that case, I probably should come with you, since I’ll be holed up forever after this point.” You sighed dramatically. Remus snickered.

“I think Miss Skeeter can afford to lose you for an hour, don’t you?” He held out his arm, ever the gentleman. You took it shyly, slinging your coat and bag over your shoulder as you did. You couldn’t help but feel lucky to have made such… charming connections at work. Your last office had been full of old codgers who were bitter about their own lives and couldn’t be bothered with friendliness.

You and Remus made your way around the block, chatting pleasantly about the weekend. He mentioned that he’d gone to a book signing on Saturday, though he wished he’d had a companion to bring along. You couldn’t tell if that was his attempt at flirting, or whether he was just being friendly. You blushed regardless.

“I did run into Dorcas, though, so that was lovely. She’s very sweet when she’s outside of Marlene’s company.” Remus was only half-joking, judging by the grimace that passed over his face. Marlene McKinnon was a well-known troublemaker around the office, much like James and Sirius. She was a loud, attractive blonde who was confident and very popular with your male co-workers. If one wanted to have fun, Marlene was the best person to go out with any day of the week. However, she was also very reactive and had a vindictive streak.

Hell hath no fury like Marlene scorned, and Remus had made it very clear one evening when she drunkenly made a pass at him that he was under no circumstances an interested party. She didn’t take too kindly to that, and promptly turned tail and stole Sirius away for the rest of the night. Remus considered her a bad influence and was not shy in expressing this to his friend.

“Say, Y/N… I wanted to talk to you about Friday…” He said his voice barely above a whisper. You were startled, your head jerking sideways to see him blushing. You couldn’t imagine what Remus might’ve been thinking about since the weekend, but luckily you didn’t have to, because you arrived at the cafe. He seemed to realize this as you reached for the handle, and couldn’t hide his frown.

“I… can talk about it with you after work if you’d like?” You murmured shyly, unable to look at him. You could see the tension fall out of his shoulders, relief evident on his face. He nodded, managing a small smile and reaching past you to open the door. Your hand brushed his as you pulled yours back. The two of you stepped in, blushing brightly.

“There you two are, bloody hell! Thought you’d gotten lost on the way!” Sirius was the first to pipe up as soon as you spotted the table where your friends were seated. He seemed delighted, but that tempered when he saw the close proximity between you and Remus. When you came to the high top, Sirius shot up and pulled out your chair in a smooth flourish. Your whole body alighted in a moment of emotional combustion before you managed to compose yourself, giving him a million-watt smile in thanks. He gently pushed you close to the table, fingers brushing your shoulders expertly. You sucked on your bottom lip nervously as he returned to his seat, conveniently located beside you. If the other guys noticed this exchange, they pretended not to care. The waitress came over after spotting new arrivals, and you and Remus placed your orders before she flitted off.

“The waitress is pretty fit, am I right? Pete, you should give her your number…” James half-whispered to the table, waggling his eyebrows at the other man. It was Peter’s turn to blush, and he mumbled something about how James should do it if he was so interested. Sirius snickered at this moment but also gave you a sidelong glance to check that you weren’t annoyed by the conversation. At this point, you were used to the guys talking about other potential love interests in front of you. You would only intervene when the discussion veered into inappropriate or disrespectful topics. So, you just snorted and rolled your eyes, to which he grinned back with a mischievous glint in his eyes.

“You’re so predictable, Jamie. She’s alright, but I’ve seen prettier women in the office, Merlin’s sake… or have you given up on your favorites already?” Sirius smirked, his tone jabbing at his best friend. James scowled, pouting angrily.

“The girls in the office are too busy with work to agree to anything beyond friends-with-benefits, in my experience,” James’ comment was laced with a bit of resentment, “but maybe I’ve just got rotten luck… Hey, Y/N, why don’t you have a boyfriend? I am honestly shocked thinking about it now… I don’t think you’re lacking suitors from the gossip I hear.” He turned his full attention to you, his petulant tone dissolving into suggestive curiosity. You couldn’t help narrowing your eyes at him then, but you composed yourself quickly. Despite Lily’s similar intimation that you were a popular object of affection among your office mates, you still weren’t convinced that their intentions were fully-formed. Remus coughed, looking away from James in distaste. Peter frowned, but he seemed to wonder along with James. Sirius seemed to be the only one who felt the urge to retort.

“You’re a nosy little blighter aren’t you, Potter? I feel like we’ve agreed that kind of talk about Y/N is off-limits. Her business is her own. She’s our friend, after all.” There was a thinly-veiled hostility to his tone which surprised even Remus. The waitress returned with the food before anything more could be said, and the rest of lunch was far quieter. James shut his mouth and looked away, eyes burning.

You were too uncomfortable to make any response one way or the other, though you didn’t really want the men to get into an argument over such trivial things. ‘Is it really trivial though? James is kind of right… why aren’t I dating anyone? I have a crush… why don’t I act on it? It seems to be reciprocated, from what I gather. Or was that just the effects of alcohol…’ You were so lost in thought that you barely ate. The waitress brought you a box to pack up your leftovers.

James was the first to leave after paying, without a word to anyone, although you caught an apologetic glance as he walked away. Peter popped up quickly and tagged along behind him, giving you a small goodbye wave. An audible sigh slipped past Remus’ lips as he stood up.

“While I agree with you, Sirius, I don’t know if that was the most effective way to deal with James’ query. But I understand… and I’ll go handle damage control since I already had the pleasure of Y/N’s company to myself. Thank you for joining us, by the way, Y/N. Sorry it didn’t go over as smoothly as we’d hoped.” His voice was firm but resigned. You shrugged and gave him a soft smile, knowing that there was nothing that could have been done about what occurred. You still had to speak with him later anyway, so he gave you a nod and followed the other two out the door, leaving you alone with Sirius, who was worrying at his cufflink. You turned to him, tilting your head at the door. He seemed to remember himself then and loped toward it alongside you. He took the box gently from your hand.

“Well, that was a lovely lunch, wasn’t it? I’m sure you’re itching for my next invitation now, aren’t you? You can plan for everything but this, I suppose…” Sirius tried to chuckle, but it sounded hollow. You reached out and gave his arm a gentle squeeze. He looked at you with a doleful expression, so you smiled back.

“I’m just happy I could get away from my desk and spend some time with all of you, really. Don’t worry about me. Your chivalry is noted, however…” Your tone was all velvet and sweetness, and this seemed to bring the warmth back to Sirius. You strolled in comfortable silence together, occasionally brushing shoulders before you finally arrived at the office building. He paused, looking up at it.

“Well, you’re always invited to lunch with us, regardless of our behavior. It makes me sad seeing you stuck at your desk all the time. I like to see you outside of your office persona. The party girl is just as cool as the businesswoman to me.” He purred as he handed back your box and opened the door. You could’ve sworn he winked as he mentioned partying; you couldn’t help blushing again.

It felt rather warm as you rode the elevator up together, and you had pointedly avoided the look Alastor gave as you two had passed by. You didn’t dare look over at Sirius for fear of him discovering your nervous demeanor, though you could feel his eyes on you. You let out the breath you didn’t know you were holding as the elevator reached your floor. You stepped out before Sirius stopped you, placing a hand on your arm. You started, turning back to him.

“You know I care about you, right? I mean, we all do, but I don’t want to have crossed a boundary defending you to James. And the whole thing with the party… I’m not sure what you think of me, but it’s important to me that those thoughts are positive. You’re… different. Special, you know?” The wholehearted vulnerability it took for Sirius to admit all of this, in the office potentially within earshot of other people, shook you to your core. It was a very rare man indeed who felt comfortable enough in his self-awareness and masculinity to admit all that. You didn’t quite understand why all this came to him now, but that didn’t matter.

“I do. And they are, trust me. Thanks for trying to wrangle James, but don’t worry about it for next time. I know him pretty well already to not take everything he says at face value, nor does he say anything to me that’s malicious. We’re all friends like you said. No need to dwell on it when we already have so many worries! But…” you paused to catch your breath and consider your final verdict, “I feel the same about you. You’re definitely a character, but a wonderful one!”

It was Sirius’ turn to blush, but you squeezed his hand on your arm before slipping out of his grasp and sauntering away to your desk, leaving him to stare in wonder after you. You didn’t look up until you were already seated, but he was already gone. Lily leaned back in her chair, giving you a look. You frowned, mouthing an apology before tucking into your desk. Rita had already sent another email making sure that you were on task. You’d made up your mind about talking to your love interest, but you would have to make time for that later...

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Thanks for reading, friends! You can now choose which path you want to finish up this little vignette below. Please specify if you want to be added to the tag list. Sorry for the repetition, but I had some people miss the rules last time so I want to be double sure you know what to do!

1. ...In the Office Kitchen

2. ...In the Floo Hub

3. ...In the Supply Closet

4 ...In the Testing Studio

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Tag List

@supremequeenofthenerds, @wizardwritings, @couragetocontinue, @fudgefight, @lionnottheanimal, @crtreg, @shehassomuchsoul, @formersovietunion and anyone who needs a rest from denouncing JKR for supporting nastyass TERFs! :)

#don't get caught #cubicles #choose your own ending #marauders x reader #office au #harry potter fanfiction #harry potter imagines #modern au #james potter x reader #sirius black x reader #remus lupin x reader #peter pettigrew x reader #my writing

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imaginejamesandsirius · 5 years ago

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Hi, I love your work! Can you do a fic where everyone thinks James and Sirius are dating? They aren't, but they've got massive crushes on each other. Of course, they get together by the end. Please make it fluffy! Bonus points if the teachers think they're together, too!

Remus saw James and Sirius cuddling on the common room couch and rolled his eyes. Could it even be called cuddling if James was just laying on top of Sirius? That seemed to be crossing a line. It was one thing to do it in their beds-- aka worse-- but at least then the only other people that could see it were Remus and Peter which was better the entirety of the Gryffindor House. "Oh my god, get a room."

"We have a room," James mumbled, not opening his eyes.

"A private room," he corrected. "One where a whole bunch of impressionable children can't see you groping on the sofa."

"We're not groping," Sirius denied, a tell-tale blush dusting his cheeks. Remus didn't even want to think about how much he blushed when they were actually fooling around instead of laying down being (arguably) innocent.

"Yeah, if we were, we would actually have our own room." James paused, then added, "You know what, that's a good point, let's go up to the dorm. Your bed's more comfortable than this anyways." He wiggled around, putting his hand on the cushion and pushing himself up. He did a weird half-roll to get off the sofa without poking Sirius somewhere squishy and landed in a heap on the ground. It sounded painful, but he bounced up right after, so maybe it hadn't been that bad after all.

"My bed? What about yours?"

"Yours is comfier."

"It is not," Sirius said, frowning as he followed James to the stairs up.

"Great," Peter muttered as they disappeared, still bickering about who had the better bed, "now we have to wait until they're done shagging to go up there. What if I need something?"

"Maybe you'll actually finish that essay for Flitwick."

"I wouldn't count on it."

Sirius wished he could turn his head just a little and press his lips to James's. It would be so easy. Barely a second, and... Sirius sighed, turning his face into the pillow. A stupid dream that's what it was. If something was going to happen between him and James, it would have happened by now. All the teasing in the world from Remus and Peter wasn't going to change that.

McGonagall was too good to roll her eyes at them, but she was pretty sure they could sense it all the same-- they had that talent, but it's a pity that they didn't act on it and save her a bit of a headache. She understood; they're teenagers, they're in love, they'd rather be snogging than sit through her class on spells they already knew how to cast.

It was still annoying. "Potter, Black," she snapped.

They straightened, looking towards her with expressions affecting innocence automatically. "Yes Professor?" James asked. He'd always been better about talking them out of scrapes, in large part because none of the other professors were willing to let go of their bias to the Black Family.

"Do your classwork, and then you can flirt to your heart's content. You don't want to fail your final year of Transfiguration because you were too lazy to pick up your wand."

"Yes Professor," they both said.

A minute later, the finished product sat on their desks and they were back to what they'd been doing before: looking at each other like the world began and ended with them.

Internally, she gave a sigh. She had no idea how Euphemia could handle it, especially with them living under the same roof. For now, she was just going to be thankful that it wasn't her problem, and that in a few months, she would have zero responsibility for them.

James knew that it was the exact opposite of Gryffindor courage to do what he'd been doing. But he'd thought about it, and it was nice to have everyone think he and Sirius were dating. Even nicer was the fact that Sirius didn't seem to mind. He didn't trick himself into thinking that that meant Sirius felt the same, but it was fun to pretend that when Sirius only rolled his eyes at Moony and Wormtail's exclamations of disgust of how schmoopsy they were, it was because Sirius thought they were overreacting instead of the truth that they weren't together at all so there was no snogging or shagging for their mates to be worried about.

He didn't have anyone to talk to about it since his friends were Sirius, Remus, and Peter. Remus and Peter already thought they were together, and he definitely couldn't ask Sirius himself if he thought James had a chance with him. Well alright, he could but that would sort of defeat the purpose, wouldn't it.

"We should do something stupid," Sirius declared, just him and James in the dormitory. They were sitting on the floor, newly finished homework in haphazard piles off to the side.

When all the Marauders were around, it would be stupid; when it was just him and Sirius, it was going to be positively awful. "I'm in."

"Great!"

"Anything in mind?" James asked.

"Gimme a minute." They sat in silence for a while, and James organised the piles so that they'd know whose homework was whose and they wouldn't have to mess with it later.

All the warning James got when Sirius made up his mind was a quick glance, and then Sirius was on top of him, hands at his face and leaning in as he kissed him. "I- huh?"

Sirius licked his lips as he leaned back slightly. That didn't change the fact that he was straddling James, and when did he put his hands on Sirius's hips? "We said we'd do something stupid. Right?"

There was nothing more stupid than snogging his best mate that he was secretly in love with. It was probably too stupid even for him, but when would he ever get a chance like this again? Sirius wanted to try it, and he had that little glimmer in his eye that James could never resist. "Right." He tilted his head up a little so they'd be better aligned, and then they were kissing again.

They didn't get very much time alone before the door opened and Peter exclaimed, "Oh gods, my eyes!" because he was an over dramatic bastard.

"Get out!" Sirius yelled, grabbing the nearest textbook and throwing it at him.

Peter made a little 'eep' and ducked out of the way even though it wasn't necessary and the book hit the wall next to where he'd been standing with a loud thump. "Fine, I'm going! But FYI, other people have to live in this room too, you know."

The door closed again, and Sirius glared at it with more vitriol than James thought was strictly necessary. "You okay?"

"Fine," he muttered.

"Yeah, you seem fine."

Sirius huffed, his anger turning to annoyance easily and making like he was going to climb off of James which was just unacceptable. James tightened his grip on Sirius's waist and frowned.

"Where are you going?"

"Well I was trying to put my homework away," he said, raising an eyebrow.

"Does that- I mean, are we... done?"

"Yeah mate," Sirius said, giving his chest a condescending pat.

James let go of him and let him get to his feet to busy himself in putting his rolls of parchment in his bag for safekeeping. His immediate reaction was hurt, but Sirius was acting too blase about it. If this was them fooling around because they wanted to do something stupid, he would've laughed, given James another kiss or made a joke, and then climbed off him to go back to normal world. Acting like this meant... something. He didn't know what, but Sirius wasn't as cool with this as he was pretending.

He leaned back so he was laying on the floor. He couldn't see Sirius anymore, but he heard him moving around. "Why did you suggest that?"

"Why did you say yes?" Sirius shot back.

Same answer. That was what people meant when they asked like that, right? "People always think we're together," he said.

"I noticed."

"You think they're onto something? Kissing you wasn't exactly gross."

"'Not exactly gross'. Glowing review there, James."

"You know what I mean. It was," he said, propping himself up on his elbows to look at Sirius, "it was good. And I like you better than everyone else anyways. We should try, shouldn't we?"

Sirius was quiet for a moment, then he blew out a breath and sat down next to him. "And when it doesn't work?"

"If I can't make it work with you, I can't make it work with anyone." Then what he said sunk in, and James elbowed him. "Why wouldn't it work? I'm a bloody catch, and your best mate, you should like me."

"Course I like you."

"I meant fancy."

"I do that too."

"Yeah?"

Sirius started to blush, and in general he looked ridiculously embarrassed, but he still said, "Yeah."

"Well that's, er, good, yeah? Cause me too." Oh gods James was such a moron. Every time he imagined confessing to Sirius, he was a lot smoother than this.

"Yeah," Sirius said again. "Good." He leaned a little into James, and James leaned a little into him. They shouldn't be this shy considering they'd been snogging a minute ago, but it was better than what James had imagined they could have when he rolled out of bed this morning.

James couldn't help but chuckle, running a hand through his hair.

"What?"

"It's nothing," he said, laughing a little more.

"C'mon, what is it," Sirius said, turning his head to look at him.

"It's just so stupid that we're acting like we don't know how to talk to each other."

Sirius snorted, then started laughing too. They both relaxed as the mood lightened, and Sirius mumbled, "Sorry I was being an arse about it. Got nervous, y'know?"

"Believe me, I know. Are we gonna have to apologise to Pete?"

"Fuck no."

"Are we gonna tell anyone that we haven't been together before now?"

"Also no," Sirius said with an infectious grin.

#prongsfoot #marauders #fanfic #james potter #sirius black #remus lupin #peter pettigrew #filled #getting together #hogwarts time #no voldemort au #siriuslystarbucks #Anonymous

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siriuslyblack12 · 5 years ago

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chapter 3

“Pete, mate, as much as I love you, this is genuinely the worst idea that anyone has ever had, and I fucking mean that.”

The four marauders, most popular people in the school, doted upon and loved by almost everyone they crossed paths with, all attractive in their own ways, seemed to be at the lowest point they’d ever experienced: kneeling behind a bush onlooking Mary MacDonald and her friends. To any passing person, this would seem like incredibly creepy, perhaps even stalker behaviour. They would like to inform you that, no, that was not their intention, rather to do a good thing for their friend. Peter had been innocently crushing on Mary from the very first moment he’d seen her, and he was finally wanting to do something about it.

When Peter had suggested ambushing her as she was outside for PE, something she was very passionate about, the other three had laughed, until realising that he was deadly serious. So there they were, clichéd binoculars in hand, watching as Mary ran laps around the freshly cut grass, waiting for their moment to strike. Her hair was in tight box braids, falling down to almost her elbows, moving from side to side with the effort.

“How does she even do that? She must have ran around that about 15 times!” Peter squeaked, obviously impressed .

“Just because you can’t do two without collapsing.” James laughed in a manner that Remus initially thought to be a little mean, but further inspection and Peter’s own smile showed the playful banter.

“I’d like to see you try, Prongs.” Sirius jabbed.

“Fuck off.”

“Gladly, but unfortunately Wormy here requires our assistance.”

Peter shifted uncomfortably from where he was sat, seeing that Mary had now stopped to chat with Dorcas, catching her breath. He hadn’t bothered to organise exactly what he was planning to do, thinking that he could wing it, but he was now having serious doubts.

What exactly would he say to her?

What if she rejected him?

Suddenly feeling sick, he looked over to his friends who were snacking on chocolate, scrolling through unopened snapchats and talking to himself respectively, hoping for some sort of copout.

“Alright, now’s your chance, just walk up to her and work your magic.” One of them said, Peter wasn’t paying enough attention to know which.

“What exactly is my ‘magic’? Sounds gross.” He replied, hand fidgeting.

“Awe, c’mon, you’ll be fine! Channel your inner… me.” Sirius stated, with a wink thrown in Remus’s direction, who then flushed the same colour as the berries on the bushes. Peter groaned, waiting for the floor to swallow him whole. Unfortunately for him, that didn’t happen, instead he was lifted and pushed right into Mary’s arms.

Damn Sirius.

His eyes raised to meet kind ones, dazed and confused, but kind. She placed her hands on Peter’s shoulders to steady herself, lingering there for longer than necessary and twisting her fingers in the material. Realising what she was doing she briskly cleared her throat and dislodged herself from the boy. They looked at each other for a moment, neither really knowing what to say or do, searching each other’s faces for a clue in.

Dorcas called out, “Mary, coach needs us on the track. What’s going on?”

“I’ll be right there, you go.” She said, before turning back to Peter with a flutter of her eyelashes. “Did you need anything?”

Internally screamed internally, wanting to say it but not knowing how, his friends still watching him encouragingly. “No, no, never mind.” He stammered, immediately regretful. Mary’s eyes narrowed, but she smiled sweetly and walked in the other direction. She’s getting away. Do something..

“Hey, um, Mary?” His hands heavy on the back of his neck as she hummed in acknowledgement. “You-, do you-, um,” It’s not that hard. “Do you want to, maybe, go out with me sometime? Only if you want to, you can pick the place and everything, I just thought-“

“Of course I will, Pete.” She grinned, making him do the same, both grinning stupidly at each other until she jogged away to thread her arm into Dorcas’s, laughing as friends do.

The three other boys stalked forward, shouting praise and clasping Peter on the back. Maybe he did have that magic that Sirius was talking about.

Remus observed quietly through the following days as Peter and Mary grew closer, spending almost all their time together. He thought they were rather cute together, hesitant touches and lovesick glances, though obviously in their ‘getting to know each other’ phase. He couldn’t help but feel jealous, not of them themselves but of the idea of it, just having that closeness with someone (that someone preferably being Sirius) was appealing. He was a hopeless romantic, though too afraid to admit it.

He and the others sat at their lunch table, as per usual, eavesdropping on another group’s drama. It was ridiculous, but funny, and ridiculously funny. Tiffany had allegedly cheated, and was now being scolded by her boyfriend, whilst her other friends rallied around her; Remus felt as if he was overstepping some sort of boundary, but alas, it’s not as if he could help it. They were shouting over the noise of the entire canteen.

“This sounds rich coming from you!” Tiffany shrieked, “You cheated on me a month ago with Nina Hudson, and I didn’t say a thing.”

“What-, no I didn’t, that was just a rumour.” The boyfriend matched her volume.

“You did so, she told me herself.” She turned her nose up proudly.

“I didn’t! I swear on my life.”

“You’re such a bad liar, you-, you-, shitbag.”

James laughed loudly, cheering her on whereas Sirius looked disinterested, possibly sharing Remus’s own discomfort. He’d have guessed that he would have shared the same enthusiasm as James, the two being inseparable and frankly obnoxious when paired together, but that wasn’t the case.

Lily spoke from Remus’s left, “I feel bad for them both, don’t you? Having their relationship so out there like that.” Ironic considering all James could talk about was the ocean blue of her eyes.

“I don’t see the point.” Sirius said disconnectedly, “Why does there have to be so much fuss about it? Everyone pairing of, who’s fucking who.”

Remus had taken a sip of water that he all but choked on when James replied, “Just because you’re not getting any.”

The two bickered as they often did, the two practically being brothers. It had always baffled Remus how one moment they loved one another, and the next they were wrestling, punching, kicking as people said boys did. It was also confusing how Sirius could have such a strong sibling with one person and be so distant from his own brother. Remus couldn’t recall a single conversation the Black brothers had had, nor did Sirius like to talk about it.

“Come to think of it, have you ever had a girlfriend?” James questioned, the table immediately silencing as he said it.

Sirius stammered and blushed, “Well no, I’m… just looking for the right person, nothing wrong with that.”

James looked at him, breaking the amused tone. “Excuses, excuses. How long will it be until you find this ‘right person’ exactly? Plenty of birds would kill for a date with you.”

“I don’t know James!” Sirius snapped, rising and packing his bag. “I’m going to class, don’t wanna be late.”

What’s going on? He’s never early.

Maybe I could find out.

“We best go too, Re. The library awaits.” Lily chorused, bringing him out of his thoughts. He threw one more look to a disgruntled Sirius, halfway across the room by now, before scuffling to follow the girl.

“What d’you think is up with him?”

James and Remus were sat in Physics, test papers in front of them, the latter hard at work scribbling something or other when James whispered over to him. For the rest of the week the boy in question had been strangely distant from his friends, making excuses as to why he couldn’t hang out that were about as thin as a paper bag. A nerve had been struck, showing itself as he avoided the help of those around him. Remus felt sorry for him, desperate to piece together exactly what was going on.

“I dunno,” He said, earning a glance from their professor. “Should we do something?”

“I’m sure he’ll come around. He loves the drama, I guarantee he’ll be back to himself in no time.” Remus doubted this, but he trusted that James was his closest friend, and ultimately the person who knew him best; making him the most qualified for judgement.

He trailed off, “I guess… it just sucks to see him like this, you know?”

“Of course, I get that, but there’s not really much we can do. We can’t sit here and beat ourselves up about it.” James was always the mother hen.

“There should be no need to talk during this test, thank you very much.” Their professor reminded flatly, finishing with a pointed look to the two boys. Remus waited until she turned her head back to laptop, typing away, before speaking again.

“Has he seriously never had a girlfriend?” He asked, more out of his own interest than actual care, but no one had to know that. He’d only had 1 himself, one of those primary school girls who held hands with you once before breaking up with you over text. He was vaguely aware of the few that James had had, including a fling with Marlene before she’d realised her sexuality. Turns out one of the only girls James hadn’t dated was the one he wanted to the most.

“Not that I know of, I think he’s just embarrassed.”

“Are we talking about the same person here?” Remus asked sarcastically, hoping to amuse the other. It seemed to work well as James let out a laugh that was followed by another warning from the professor, this time more stern.

“Do you think it’s about Regulus? Something might have happened there that he hasn’t told us about.” James said thoughtfully and seriously, looking behind him to see the very boy he’d just mentioned, pale face pressed almost right into the paper, bony fingers wrapped around a pen.

“That’d make sense,” Remus responded. “There’s no way of actually knowing until he comes around though.”

“I wish he’d just tell us, everything would be so much easier.”

Remus thought about that for a moment, replaying it in his mind. Telling people what’s the matter could help.

Maybe that’s advice I could take.

Remus alternated between pacing up and down the concrete of Lily’s driveway, and standing perfectly still to lower the rate of his heart. It was dark with the evening sun, but this simply couldn’t wait. His thoughts were far too loud in his head to wait any longer.

He had to tell Lily.

He had to tell Lily he was bi.

The two had always been close, but as of late they’d been spending more and more time together. Bitching about their friends, helping each other study, and Remus felt like he was living a lie. His chest tightened with every word he spoke, and he simply couldn’t continue without confiding in her. It was eating him up, swallowing him whole, biting at his dignity and heart. He wasn’t exactly sure why he hadn’t already told her, putting it down to a combination of imperfect timing and chickening out last minute. He was now determined that he would. He had to be.

Lily gazed out of the window to find him in one of his pacing staged, fingers nervously picking at a cut on his hand. She scrambled up before her sister could see what she was looking at and intervene, heading straight for the door.

What the fuck is he doing here?

Her fingers fumbled with the keys as she tried to unlock the door before anyone noticed what was wrong, which was becoming increasingly harder as she heard the screeching voice of her sister ring through the house. When she finally got the right key, shoving it into the lock and fumbling for a few more minutes to turn it the correct way, the door opened to a shaking and shivering Remus staring back at her.

He blinked, throat closing up as he worked up the courage. Lily gave him a look, tried to convey ‘why the hell are you on my doorstep unannounced at 8 in the evening on a school night’ as best she could.

He opened his mouth to speak and was startled as the words fell out of his mouth like a waterfall of emotion. “Lily, I’m bi.”

“Cool, anything else?” She was surprised but it came out effortlessly smooth.

Remus hesitated, “Wait, you’re okay with it?”

Lily came out onto the step to meet him, closing the door behind her, and gestured for him to follow as she set off down the street. “Re, of course I’m okay with it. Dorcas and Marlene have been out for ages, there’s nothing to be worried about.”

“I know, I know,” he said breathlessly. “But it’s different… I thought-, I’m a boy,”

“How is that any different? I love them, and I love you, nothing’s changed.” Lily suggested gently. “Am I the first person you’ve told?”

Remus looked down at his feet, carrying him weightlessly through the street. The tension had evaporated. “Yeah, you were the first person that came to mind, not that I wouldn’t have told you first anyway-“ He added quickly. “I just, I wasn’t planning on telling anyone, not right now anyway, but then James said some poetic shit about telling people what’s up and how it helps and… I don’t know. This is stupid.”

She cut his rambling short, “It’s not stupid, god, none of this is stupid. I’m proud of you!”

Remus finally eased into his words, “I never really realised it, never had that lightbulb moment where it all comes to you at once and you know exactly who you are. It was always just something in the back of my mind and I tried to ignore it but the more I did that the more it came forward and forced me to deal with it.” She hummed in acknowledgement. “For a long time I had no idea what was going on, you know?”

Why? He remembered thinking. Why me?

“But then, a couple of month ago, I saw people like me for the first time. They were always there, but I’d never really seen them. So I looked into it and got my shit together and stopped fucking… denying it.” Reflecting on his past self, it all seemed rather stupid. “I’m sorry for dropping all of this on you, you’ve got your own stuff to-“

She cut him off once again. “You have nothing to be sorry for, Remus” She never calls me by my full name. “If anything I’m sorry that you had to go through all of that.”

He looked at her, fully this time, and felt his heart pull. In his mind he’d known she was going to be okay with it, of course she would, but seeing it play out in front of him was emotional to say the least. He was so grateful to have her. The two continued to walk as another layer of friendship and love was shared between the two.

She raised her eyebrows knowingly as she said “It’s Sirius, isn’t it?”

“What-, what are you talking about? I don’t,” He spluttered, wondering if he was ready to tell her about that particular problem.

She chuckled, “You’re about as obvious as a person carrying a sign that says ‘I’m in love with Sirius Black’. I’m not stupid.”

“I never said-,” He sighed as she put a hand on his shoulder to prevent him from walking further. “Sirius is my friend.”

“And Peter was Mary’s friend, and we all know how that turned out for them.”

Were they really talking about this?

Remus let out a low, wounded sound, “Lils-“

“Not that you asked me, but I think you’d be really cute together.” Her smile was warm and inviting, but not warm enough to get burned. No going back now.

“Fuck, Lils, I really like him. I think… I think I might love him. A little bit. Maybe.” He slumped his head onto her shoulder and groaned comically.

She laughed, a real laugh, and petted his curls reassuringly. “I know, mate. It’ like I said, you’re not exactly the least obvious person in the world.”

“What the hell am I supposed to do? He’s straight for fuck’s sake!”

A smirk painted her face. “Just hold out hope, you never know what’s going to happen.”

“Lilith Jane Evans is do you know something that I don’t?” Remus raised his voice.

A laugh escaped from her lips as she pulled him into a hug, “You’ll have to wait and see, Remus Elizabeth Lupin.”

“My middle name is not Elizabeth.”

“And my name isn’t ‘Lilith’, I’m not that posh”

Sirius watched Regulus from over the feast in front of him, eyes trained on the way his fingers drummed lightly on the table. Everything looked to far too expensive to even touch, plates and glasses lined with gold embellishments and 5 different forks lined up next to them. He hated family dinners with every fibre of his being, especially when everyone was set on edge by news that Sirius had just shared.

Regulus hated when his brother did that, gave himself a rebellious reputation that he would do anything to avoid. The boy was much thinner than Sirius, skin pale with an tint that was almost green, limbs longer and face flatter, with his hair cut short and curling around his forehead.

“Why aren’t you eating, boy? Is this not good enough for you?” The cold voice of Mr Black tried.

“I’m not hungry.” He said simply, voice devoid of the personality he would usually have an abundance of.

His mother shook her head from wear she was sat, “is that any way to address your father?”

Sirius shifted angrily in his seat, “I’m not hungry, sir.”

This earned a shallow and cold smile from his mother, a stark contrast to the smiles he was used to from his friends throughout the day. “Now that wasn’t so hard, was it? I’d take a clue from you brother if I were you, at least he can get it right the first time round.”

The table fell silent as Regulus sank down into his chair, hesitant to meet the eyes of anyone. “He’s only so willing because he’s scared, sir.” Sirius said with a bite. “Must be miserable, to have your own children afraid of you.”

Mr Black stilled, the moment so tense he would be grateful for a pin drop. His fingers curled around the arms of his chair as he stood ever so slowly, towering over Sirius with anger boiling behind his eyes. The tension only grew as the man’s voice came out as quiet as a whisper, “As far as I’m concerned you are no child of mine.”

He continued, voice rising with every syllable “You say you’re not hungry, then I suppose you wouldn’t mind if you didn’t finish this meal, or any meal for the rest of the weekend, eh? Would you be hungry?

Regulus gasped, still desperate to keep his voice low and unheard as he squeaked his brother’s name.

Sirius rose to his father’s level, voice wavering. “I’d rather starve then spend another minute in this hellhole.”

“Then leave! Get the fuck out of my house!” Mr Black boomed.

And so he did.

#as we grow older #wolfstar #remus lupin #sirius black #coming out #pining #angst #love #fluff

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lilydeerwrites · 6 years ago

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A Muggle Studies Moment 3: Part 3. A Lily and Sirius Sidequest.

After dinner, Lily had owled her mum about the neighbor’s motorcycle. Mrs. Evans, still proud to have a witch in the family and well accustomed, for a Muggle mum, to sending post via owl, did not respond until two days later. In the interim, it seemed that Sirius might actually implode into a little ball of nothing. James did his best to keep him distracted with mischief, while Remus distracted him via ... other means, but the jittery excitement was always there, just under the surface. When the owl came, Mrs. Evans had indicated that she had spoken to the neighbor, who was over the moon at the idea of someone buying the thing and had priced it quite reasonably. Mrs. Evans had also told Lily to bring her friend over for dinner if they were going to come for the motorcycle, a little fact that had James burning with jealousy.

They were to wait for the next Hogsmeade weekend, and have their Saturday in Muggle London. James, Peter, and Remus had made plans to welcome their friends back by readying the shed at Potter Manor that Fleamont and Euphemia had gladly given their permission for their nearly-adopted son to use for his newfound project. The issue of money also had to be resolved. Leaving home had left Sirius cut off from most of his funds, except for the inheritance he had received from his Uncle Alphard. Those funds were now under the guardianship of the Potters until Sirius was of age, his blood family not being able to touch that money. Fleamont came to Hogwarts to take Sirius out for an early dinner after his classes ended on Friday, took him to Gringotts, and helped to arrange and explain the Muggle exchange rate. Lily had assured them both that should Sirius forget how Muggle money worked, she would make sure things went smoothly.

By Saturday morning, when the Marauders met Lily in the Common Room, Sirius was in the best mood of his life, and Lily was starting to wonder what on earth she was supposed to do with a ridiculously happy Sirius for half a day on their own. The most time she’d ever spent alone with him, he’d been hurt and half out of it, then recovering and trying to catch up on his school work. After that, he’d leaped straight back into mischief and Quidditch with James. He’d remarked a little too casually from time to time that Lily was his hero and that she’d saved his life, but she had always shushed his praise and told him he would have done the same.

Muggle London had always fascinated Sirius, but he had never been allowed to experience it. The few times he had managed to steal away to a Muggle music shop or convenience store, he had either had to hurry so much he hadn't been able to appreciate much, or he had gotten caught and been punished for associating with Muggles. He found Lily to be an excellent and entertaining guide. She stopped at a fast food kiosk so he could try an "American style" hot dog, and get some practice counting Muggle money out. He had the hot dog gone in three bites and fortunately, the vendor was from Eastern Europe and didn't find it odd that a boy with an English accent couldn't count his change out without assistance. He probably just thought Sirius was from Australia or New Zealand or something.

Still working on her own hot dog, Lily sat on a public bench and offered to share her chips. Boys her age seemed to be oddly bottomless pits where food was concerned, she had noticed. James and Sirius in particular seemed to burn off so much energy with Quidditch and generally high levels of activity that they could eat twice what any normal human being ought to and never gain a pound. He hesitated, clearly wanting the chips, but trying to be a gentleman and not steal her food. She sighed.

"I got extra for you, Sirius. I thought you might like to try more Muggle foods. Of course, now we'll have to pretend to be hungry for dinner so we don't hurt my mum's feelings."

He accepted the chips and smiled sheepishly. "I won't have to pretend. I'll be hungry again in about an hour. Remus said I was clearly eating for two and asked if there's anything I need to share with him. He said if I'm pregnant with alien babies, he'll help me raise them to be good, upstanding citizens of this planet. Then we got into this weird conversation about whether alien babies raised by gay wizards, one of whom is a werewolf, would be accepted at Hogwarts, and what to do with our alien kids if they turned out squibs."

Lily snorted inelegantly with laughter, picturing Remus' serious expression as he declared his willingness to help raise his boyfriend's alien babies with integrity. "He's as ridiculous as you and James."

"Merlin, I love him," Sirius sighed.

Without the slightest hesitation, Lily grabbed him in a spontaneous hug and squeezed. It took him a moment, but he returned the hug, his hand hesitantly patting her back.

"Lily? Everything all right?"

She let go of him and smiled. "Sorry, I was overwhelmed by how horribly sweet you two are on each other and I just wanted to show you that I'd like us to be actual friends, not just mutual friends of Remus who sometimes talk."

He smiled, a genuine, slightly shy smile that was so different than his usual smirks and grins that Lily caught a glimpse of how Remus must have seen him to fall for him so hard.

"I think I'd like that. And, now that we're friends, I feel I must inform you that James Potter has an enormous crush on you. Like ... it's huge."

"Bigger than his ego?"

The retort was automatic, but there was no real anger behind it, not anymore. And he could tell, the absolute wanker. He knew.

"Look, I'm not going to harass you about it. I know your opinions of James are founded in the reality of his complete lack of social graces where you are concerned, but ... you used to hate all of us, then you got to know Remus and became friends with him. I - I'd like to think getting to know me a little made you change your mind about me a bit. I know watching you treat Remus so kindly made me change my mind about you."

Her jaw dropped. "Me? What did you used to think of me?"

His eyes widened as he realized what he had said, and he immediately began to backpedal. "I mean, I didn't know you, not really. All I knew was that you were always mad at James, who is basically my brother, and so when he was upset by something you did or said, it didn't make me have a good opinion of - oh, bollocks! I'm making it worse! What I meant is that you were always with Snape and sticking up for him, and - and - "

"And you hate him, so you hated me too? Were you only not bullying me like you did him because James thought I was pretty?"

"No! It's more complicated that that. Please believe me."

He looked worried. Really worried. However upsetting it was to find out that someone you used to dislike actually disliked you as well, it was a moot point. She didn't dislike him any longer. She wanted to be his friend, and that meant that she needed to listen and communicate and not scare him half to death. She took a deep breath.

"I'm not mad. We're still friends. I was just surprised, that's all. It hadn't occurred to me to think about how you lot saw me, you know?"

His sigh of relief was immediate and noisy.

"I didn't mean to be insulting, Lily. I just - "

She raised an eyebrow expectantly. "Friends talk to each other. It's fine if we don't agree on some things, okay? What was the issue with you and Snape? Why do you hate him so much?"

If she hadn't been so curious, she would have felt badly for even asking. Her question seemed to suck the joy of impending motorcycle right out of him.

"I suppose it was mostly Regulus, for me. And a little bit James. You know what my insane family is like. Regulus is my brother and I love him, but James is the brother who chose me, you know? He looked past my family's pureblood bullshit and gave a shit about me. So, when Snape and James got into it, I was Team James. Then, when Reg came to Hogwarts and got into Slytherin, Snape saw him as a way to get back at me. He started filling his head with - with reasons why I wasn't someone he should care about. Reg gave him access to a lot of pureblood society, and suddenly he was hanging out with Mulciber and Malfoy and they started teaming up to help my family make me miserable. And James saw it and fought back for me, and then it was this awful cycle. Every time there was an altercation, Snape would spin it a certain way to Reg, and then he'd ignore me or worse, tell our parents. They never let me explain anything, never cared what really happened, just that I'd embarrassed them again, and then they'd - "

She shushed him softly, rubbing his arm gently to reassure him that she understood, and he didn't need to say it. "And there I was, defending a person who directly led to you being hurt. I'm sorry for that. I really didn't know. I just hated to give up on someone who used to mean so much to me. Severus has it in him to be kind and sweet, but his fascination with the Dark Arts always worried me, and now it's carried him away from me. I'm so scared I'm going to find out that he's taken the Dark Mark. I miss his friendship, how he used to be, but I'm so mad at him for calling me ... that word, and thinking I'd be happy to be his exception to policy for hating Muggleborns."

Sirius winced sympathetically. "I worry about Reg taking the Mark too. When I was a little kid, before Hogwarts? I didn't know that word was bad. James told me. It's just what my parents always called people whose parents are Muggles. I had no idea it wasn't okay until I saw James' face when I said it. He pulled me aside and asked if that's how my parents talked at home. He knew how some pureblood families are and gave me the benefit of the doubt AND explained things to Remus and Pete so they wouldn't think I was some snobbish git."

Lily felt that now-familiar stirring of curiosity about who James Potter was to his friends and family. The picture painted by Remus was of a loyal friend who kept and defended his secret, and Sirius described a friend who became a brother who looked after him when his own had abandoned him. Her own view of James Potter had been colored by a friendship that was no longer viable and informed by a source who was no longer a reliable narrator. Yes, he was annoying when he constantly praised her and asked her out, but was his bravado simply that? A facade he wore to hide the depth of feelings that made him feel vulnerable and awkward? And, he had actually stopped, now that she thought about it. It had been a good long while since he had asked her out. He had complimented a few times, but it had mostly been about her academic accomplishments or if she had done or said something nice for or about one of his friends. She had grown and changed since the day she found out she was a witch, to finding out that Remus was a werewolf, to the moment she had realized that she was unwilling to continue to ignore Severus' views, to the moment she had discovered that Sirius wasn't who she had thought. Maybe James had gone through a similar path? She had stopped excusing Severus' increasing darkness, and maybe James had stopped constantly asking her out for similar reasons?

Aloud, she mused, "That makes sense. How were you to know if you were never allowed to associate with anyone to tell you otherwise?"

"It's still a poor excuse. I don't know how anyone could see how good you are at everything magical and not understand that you're every bit as magical as me!"

She ruffled his hair, ignoring his halfhearted protests not to mess it up. "That is my favorite thing about you, New Friend."

Still patting his glossy black hair back into place, he said, "My hair? I know, me too. It's pretty much perfect,"

"Don't be a vain git. You know what I meant. I like that you're not prejudiced. That you respect me and people like me."

"Firstly, I am a vain git. Ask James, Remus, or Pete. Secondly, my capacity for talking about my feelings is just about maxed for the week, and thirdly, I've been on the wrong end of a Lily-hex and a healthy dose of respect and fear is more than appropriate. I don't care that your parents are Muggles, especially not when you can do things with Charms that even Remus can't figure out."

She rolled her eyes at him, but she was smiling. No wonder Remus liked him so much. He was entertaining to say the very least. "Sorry I taxed your capacity for talking about your feelings. I appreciate you listening to me. I need to tell you one more thing. I - I don't know if my mum told my sister about us coming for dinner. Petunia hates magic, always calls me a freak, and ... well, I just wanted you to be prepared if she's an utter bitch. It's not personal."

Sirius stood from the bench and collected their trash, offering Lily a hand. "Believe me when I tell you that I get the whole sibling thing. I promise not to purposely provoke Petunia," he said, popping each "P" with purpose.

She giggled. "Promise?"

"Positively. Now. Motorcycle? Please?"

She laughed. "Yes, motorcycle. Come along. We've got a bus to catch!"

"Hey, Lily?"

"Yes?"

"You know who else likes to talk about their feelings?"

"Am I going to regret asking who that might be?"

“James. It's James. There's a bloke you won't wear out with that subject. Of course, I think about 75 percent of his feelings in some way pertain to you, but ... there you go."

#marauders fic #marauders fanfiction #fanfiction #fic #Harry Potter #Marauders #the marauders #marauders era #James Potter #Sirius Black #Remus Lupin #peter pettigrew #Lily Evans

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616marvel · 6 years ago

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SOULMATE PROMPT for @blackberrywidow‘s writing challenge! Word count: 4.9k (im so sorry this got so fucking long) Pairing: Civilian!Bucky x Natasha (Black Widow) Summary: Bucky doesn’t believe in soulmates, so you could imagine his surprise to learn that his soulmate not only exists, but is also part of the Avengers.

Soul mates was such an odd concept to grasp, not that it’s anything fairly new, but the idea of soul mates tend to limit ones options and if there’s one thing that can describe James Buchanan Barnes is that he, much like most Americans, like their options. This sounds pompous, but he’s great with socializing, even more so when a pretty gal is involved. It’s to no wonder that he thinks that this whole notion of ‘she’ll light up the room once you see her’ was a total buzz kill. He’d only been serious with one girl, her name was Gretchen and he swore that she was going to be the one. It turns out, unreciprocated feelings were not fun and soul mates has a bond that ‘simply cannot be broken, I’m sorry James.’ What a load of crap that was.

Truthfully it was youth’s predisposition of naivety that got him, he really shouldn’t have bought that ring at the age of 24. Call him jaded, but what was so good about soul mates anyway? At age 32, he has yet to find his so called soul mate. Of course not finding his soul mate meant he was free to explore, and explore he did. Naturally he’s single yet again, dating was a game for him that only lasted a good month or two. Anymore will have consequences, like actually caring for them. ‘That’s the point of dating, Buck,’ he can hear his best friend’s voice echoing at the back of his head like some voice of conscience. They’re the complete opposite of one another and yet through thick and thin, they’ve managed to stay as friends.

That punk’s probably out with his wife and yet he still manages to remember the guy’s lectures. A soft chuckle escapes James’ lips at the thought; bring forth his beer before taking a swig. If he’d been any younger, he would’ve hit the club for company, but he’s 32 and it’s a Wednesday night. The last thing he needs is any excitement when he has an early shift tomorrow morning. Dive bars were god sent for a quick drink and swanky music and this place was close to his apartment, what more could he ask for?

Breaking news: Another alien attack in New York! The Avengers are seen to be fighting –

Right, the Avengers. The mighty heroes that has saved the world multiple times. James had always found their tenacity impressive, but he’s gotta wonder, who the hell pays for all of those damage? “Probably my tax money,” he mumbles absentmindedly as he shifts his attention from the TV to the jukebox. Really, he doesn’t mind giving his tax money to fix New York, but the constant threat was getting tiring. It’s like Earth was the only planet that’s worth to invade or something, couldn’t they invade Mars? If it wasn’t the president asking to build a wall, it’s aliens invading. ‘It’s always something,’ the thought lingers while he scans the 1980’s song selection on the jukebox.

On his fifth page, a chitauri bursts through the east wing of the bar, destroying half of the joint and startling all of the patrons. The chaos happened too fast, but the fear that crept on his chest was gradual, his initial instinct of assessing the situation and noting if anyone was hurt kicked in. Thankfully, no one was close to the wall when it happened and from the looks of it, everyone seemed okay. “Is everyone alright?” an authoritative voice coupled by the sparking wires reverberates from the direction where the chaos had entered. Muted blues were swift to glance at the direction, taking note of the infamous red hair and black cat suit. It’s one of the Avengers! It’s Black Widow!

James would’ve been excited at meeting one of the Avengers face to face if not for the fact that the moment he laid eyes on her, the whole room lit up.

It was at that moment that he knew he was screwed.

“Wait, so you’re telling me,” Sam’s face looked amused despite of the disbelief, “that you believe that your soul mate is Black Widow. As in, The Black Widow. The Avenger.”

James knew he shouldn’t have told Sam.

“Look, when we locked eyes – the room lit up and I could’ve swore she knew it too,” which was true, he saw the way black widow’s eyes widened at the realization.

“Nah man, I’m sure you were just awestruck! I’d be awestruck too if I were in your shoes,” ever quick to disregard Barnes’ statement, really, why were they friends?

For a man that was so against the notion of soul mates, he was never more sure that Black Widow of The Avengers was his soul mate. Which wasn’t exactly a bad thing because he’s pretty sure he’s had a crush on her since – well, the first time she came on the news. Look, he can acknowledge the fact that she’s way beyond his league, but the fact that she might actually be his soul mate made him feel all sorts of things. First, how the hell does that happen? Second, how in the world is he gonna ask her on a date, she’s a superhero for Pete’s sake and he’s – well, he’s a senior engineer for Stark Industries. It’s a nice gig, but he doesn’t see superheroes there, let alone Black Widow, aka the woman that’s apparently his soul mate. And third, wasn’t he against the idea of soul mates?

“Lets say that she is your soul mate,” Sam’s voice interrupts his train of thought, the man looking ever so relaxed as he takes a gulp of his beer, “how are you even going to contact her? She’s a super hero and you’re…well – a man who sleeps with 22 year olds.”

“It was one time and she said she was 29! How was I supposed to know that she meant senior in undergrad and not a graduate student-“ One of the things that Sam will never ever let go was that mistake. Also one of the reasons why he no longer goes to clubs (he hung that towel after that incident, though in retrospect, he should’ve hung that towel the moment he turned 31).

“Look Buck, all I’m saying is, she might be your soul mate but I think you’re hopeless in this situation. She what, came in the bar, checked if everyone was alright, then went back to kicking ass? What did you do during that whole transgression?”

As much as he’d love to argue with Sam, he knows that the guy was right. After seeing her at the bar, he couldn’t do much of anything and stopping her to say hi (because saying hi in the middle of a battle was definitely practical) was out of the question. It was his first and only time that he could’ve done something and he blew it. See? Soul mates be damned.

Except fate was a jester and he’s simply a pawn in the game. It doesn’t take a week and a half before he sees her again, fighting crime and being a hero while he watches from the sideline, yet again. He saw her take a swift glance at him before noticing the incoming punch from the goon. “Watch out - !”

Of course she wasn’t Black Widow for nothing, even if he hadn’t said anything, she was quick the side step before turning it into a roundhouse. What was he even doing there? Why was this even happening at a Target parking lot? Much like what Sam had said, he was hopeless and she was way beyond his league. Instead of getting in the way, he joins the other civilians and finds shelter while the heroes – his soul mate – handles the situation.

There was a saying that once you meet your soul mate, you tend to bump into them often; James didn’t believe it at first until he sees yet another commotion, this time in his gym. “Oh come on!” it was his favorite gym, it was close to his house and the people minded their own business. To see it in rubbles was such a shame and it was then that he realized, having a superhero as a soul mate was an occupational hazard. Once more, he’s left with nothing but a prompt glance followed by him running with the civilians.

It takes a month and four battle run-ins before it happens – before he sees her at work in casual clothes, hair still ablaze and green eyes sharp as a cat. She was asking the front desk for information but at the turn of her head, muted blues and scrutinizing emeralds meet, making him gulp at the spot.

“Geez louise-“

You ever seen a woman so pretty you actually say geez louise out loud? Because he’s never done that before but then again Black Widow is no normal woman. She embodies grace, beauty, and death; which is a weird thing to note considering she’s there, lighting up the room and walking up to him like he’s her new target. “James Barnes,” her voice catches his attention (as if her presence hasn’t already).

“Uh…ma’am,”

Ma’am? Are you serious –

“I think you and I need to have a little chat,” nonchalance threaded her tone; his only response was a nod as she walks through the hallway as if she knew the outline of the building. It wouldn’t be surprising if she did know the outline, given her background, intelligence, and connection to Tony Stark. It takes a few left and right turns before arriving to one of the meeting rooms; James doesn’t even have to ask what she’s doing prior to following her in and getting locked in the soundproof and fogged windowed room.

And then there were two.

“You know why I’m here, don’t you?” despite the lack of threat, he knows that she wasn’t up for games so he nods in affirmation, “good, since we both acknowledge that we’re each other’s soul mate, why don’t we get to the point, shall we?”

Wait, she acknowledges him as her soul mate?

Why was he proud of that? Jesus Christ-

“All the research point that we will keep bumping into each other unless we bond and I don’t know about you, but I’d like to keep the collateral damage under control,” meaning to say she doesn’t want him to die just because fate’s a massive dick. James’ isn’t sure whether he should be grateful that she thinks about his safety or offended that she thinks he can’t take care of himself. And what does the bond even really mean? He should’ve researched this but considering that he didn’t expect to see her at work or at all, he didn’t deem it necessary.

“Uhh…bond?” he sounds like a child asking that, like she was years before him. Though looking at the situation, she probably was, both in experience and knowledge.

“Bond. Intimacy. Look, I’m not one for this soul mate deal and I was taught to believe that I didn’t have one, but I can’t have another life on my hands just because fate decided that we’re destined to be together,” it was her guilt that had brought her here. The red in her ledger that made her sought him out.

Somehow he knew that she wouldn’t be the type to believe in this fairytale sales pitch; she’s as jaded as him but more so taking her background into account. Exactly what did she want to happen then? “Given our rare circumstance, it’s best if you allow SHIELD to monitor you-“

“Whoa, whoa, I’m going to be monitored? Absolutely not!” his mouth ran off before he could think about whom he was talking to. The idea of being monitored was out of the question.

“Well we can’t just leave you vulnerable – whether you like it or not, we’ll keep bumping into each other while I’m probably in mid-battle,” Black widow replied like this was a business deal, like he should just accept it as is.

“Well I ain’t going to accept being monitored by the government, if anything why can’t you just monitor me if you’re the one that's worried about my wellbeing.”

what-

What did he just say?

Jesus Christ, Barnes, think before talking!

Cerulean hues lands on the rather silent operative, unable to read her face and wondering if this was how people felt under her scrutiny. Her reply came after a few seconds but it felt like years to the brunette. “Okay, that can be arranged.”

Wait –

“Your apartment has a lot of blind spots and isn’t as well equipped as mine, nor is it as well hidden, so I’ll have your belongings transferred to my apartment by the end of the week,” again with her business-like timbre, as if living with another human being was nothing but another mission.

James opened his mouth to retaliate, but finds himself unable to find any comeback. He’s the one who suggested this idea, but he didn’t think she’d actually agree to it! Before he could even really think of a reply, she gets a call and bolts out the door without a goodbye, leaving him there with a dumbfounded expression written all over his face.

What the fuck just happened?

A part of him didn’t want to believe it, really. He slept that week trying to forget the whole thing, but at the end of the week, a pair of familiar sharp eyes greeted him at his apartment. It’s at that moment that he realizes that this wasn’t a joke and the Black Widow really did take his suggestion into consideration. What was he supposed to say in this situation? That he was joking? That he didn’t think she’d take it seriously? Rather than arguing, he follows for now, albeit begrudgingly as they finally arrive to her well-secured apartment near the Avengers facility.

Feeling intimidated was an understatement given that his neighbors were the freaking avengers and he’s living with the Black Widow all of a sudden. “The guest bedroom’s been prepared for you, you’re also in FRIDAY’s system so you have clearance levels to some rooms. I’ve talked to Tony about relocating your work here instead, so you’ll be working with some of the agents.”

This was all too much for him – they changed his job? Not that he’s complaining because this means a promotion right? Wait, that wasn’t the case right now –

“Wait, you can’t just trap me in here like I’m some kind of a liability,” that was the big picture; they were treating him like he didn’t know any better. Like he didn’t experience the world before this whole soul mate thing happened.

“Whether you accept it or not, you are a liability if it means that I’ll keep bumping into you during missions. In my job, a lot of people tend to get hurt, or worse, die. Unless we’re certain that this occurrence ceases, this is the safest method we have.”

Right, the bond. That part was still confusing to him, how the hell was he supposed to bond with Black Widow when she talks to him like he’s a responsibility? Would sex change anything? Would that create the bond? All those articles that he’s read over the week did nothing but make him question this whole thing more.

“If you don’t have anymore questions, I’ll head to bed,” and that’s how he’s left at her living room with a million questions and one running through his head.

Fan-fuckin-tastic.

James just had to work on the bond thing before he could go back to his life, right? If that’s the case, all he had to do was be charming and see where it goes. That sounded simple enough in his head but after living there for two weeks, the most he’s got from her was a good morning and goodnight. Half of the time she doesn’t give his compliments the time of day. The only thing that changed was the fact that he actually calls her name now rather than her alias.

“Look pal, she may seem hard to approach but trust me, she likes a pretty face and I’m almost certain that she’s at least attracted to you,” Clint, one of the few Avengers that he has gotten close with, consoles him as they have a couple of beers at the lounge. Out of the whole group, the archer tends to hang around the facilities’ kitchen a lot, making it easy for James to make small talk that eventually became full conversations that mostly entailed a certain redhead.

“That’s good to know, but every time I compliment her, she gives me this look like I’m a gremlin,” he rubs his face as he leans back on the couch, a sigh escaping his lips in exasperation.

“Try a different method, why not join her at the gym instead?” now that was an idea.

James would like to think that it was a doable feat. He practically lived at the gym before this whole ordeal happened and he knows how to punch – he’s sure that he can keep up with her. The brunette takes the archer’s advice, waking up at 5 in the morning just to meet her at the gym. She looks like she’s been there for a while, the sweat trickling down her skin as the obvious evidence of that as he makes himself known. The last thing he needs is her feeling threatened by him. “Fancy meeting you here, Natasha,” he offers a small greeting, she reciprocated with a nod.

Barnes spots a free punching bag and begins to work on it, endeavoring to find a perfect opportunity to ask if she’d want to spar. It takes a few minutes before he finally found the courage to ask, “Hey, did you want to spar?”

She looked at him like he’d lost his mind but beneath the scrutiny was – amusement? That was a first. She’d never looked like she was genuinely interested in what he had to say until now. There was a smirk on her lips and he could’ve sworn he saw his life end right then and there.

“Are you sure you’re game for that, Barnes?” in spite of the playfulness in her voice, he can note the almost feral and threatening tone beneath it. James gulps but powers through it.

“Yeah, it’ll be fun.”

Says the dumbass that sparred with Natasha Romanoff only to get his ass handed to him. He knew she was good and that he could never throw a punch at her even if he tried, but he thought that he could at least match a quarter of her stamina. It turns out it takes only 15 minutes before she has him face down and asking for a break because he’s pretty sure she dislocated his shoulder.

“Please tell me you weren’t going easy on me, I don’t think Sam would let me live if he finds out that I got a handicap when I sparred with Black Widow only to get my ass handed to me-“

And then she laughs, it’s really more like a chuckle, but he’ll take it!

“That’s for me to know and for you to find out,” and that tone was something he’d never gotten before. Wait, was she- was she flirting with him?

Before he could digest it all, she’s already packing her stuff while he nurses his shoulder. He doesn’t notice her jump out of the mat, nor does he notice her reach the door but she does acknowledge him, “Not bad Barnes, same time tomorrow?”

And that was enough for him to suddenly ignore all the aching bones in his body because no way in hell was he gonna let that opportunity slip by.

The next day at 5am on the dot, he finds himself at the gym ready to get his head stifled between her thighs all over again. There were bruises all over his back and rather than complaining, he wore it like a medal. How many people could say that they’ve fought the Black Widow and lived? Again he gets his ass handed to him. 15 minutes, like that's all his body could take. Maybe training with her could change his endurance. He used to think that he was pretty athletic but compared to her; no amount of six packs could match what she could do. Anyone else would’ve thought that this feat was suicide, but not her – Natasha almost seemed…entertained, proud even. Like the previous day, she smirks at him and gives him a remark that could either be taken as a flirtatious compliment or a threat. He doesn’t know which one turns him on more.

All James knows is that he suddenly doesn’t mind waking up at 5am in the morning and even if he’s sporting a new bruise everyday, it all felt worth it. Not only was he physically getting challenged but the way she reciprocated to his advances challenged him in a way that he’s never been played before.

It takes him another two weeks before he could pass the 15-minute mark, finally being able to keep on par with her for at least 20 minutes. It was small, but the road to that achievement was not an easy feat; Natasha acknowledged this and actually gave him pointers, something she hadn’t done before. “Try to block my hand this way if I’m coming to you this way,” she lunches forward and he follows her instruction, blocking her punch just fast enough to minimize the damage.

“Good, shift your feet faster so you don’t get hit. Try to move less but hit harder. The less movement you make, the more stamina you’ll save,” it made sense, her steps was always so light compared to his. His was full strength, using his whole body like a tank. He wasn’t like Captain America and he sure as hell wasn’t Hulk.

“Thanks, I’ll…see you tomorrow morning then?” because god knows how little they interact elsewhere. As much as he loves sparring with her in the wee hours of the morning, he’d like to at least be able to talk to her like a normal human being outside of the gym.

Except the strangest thing happened that day, James actually sees her at the kitchen after he finished showering and changing into comfy clothes (thank god for his day off, he really needed to tend to the new bruises). In fact, she’d actually greeted him upon entering the room like he actually existed. “Anymore creamer?” she looked at him with those sharp green eyes coupled by an amicableness that he had never seen before and all he could muster up was a nod.

“Thanks, see you later Barnes,” and she was gone right after she’d made her coffee, his eyes never leaving her trail even as she left the room.

“Did she just…greet me first?” he was at disbelief, but trust Clint to give him that pinch of reality.

“Yep. And you know, she didn’t even take the creamer,” James doesn’t need to look at the blonde to know that the archer was grinning, “guessing you impressed her at the gym, not bad, pal.”

That statement made his stomach do summersaults and he knew he was absolutely screwed.

“Geez Louise-“

After that incident, sparring with her almost felt like a date. It was so odd, flirting through fighting without the damn words. Instead of charming his way to her bed, she has somehow challenged him to flirt with her by trying to find a way to beat her. Which was honest to god, impossible. He never gives her the upper hand, never underestimates her skill, but the way she moves and fights was just on a different level and he could only hope to learn even a quarter of what she teaches him. Through absolute tenacity, he powers through every bruise, every cut on the lip, and every mixed signal that she gives him. Needless to say, he’s had a lot of cold showers since the incident.

He wonders if he asks her on a date now, would she object? Was that still out of the table despite feeling her press her breast against his back? He’s pretty sure that was intentional. She never does anything unless it’s intentional. Unless it has a purpose. She’s going to kill him through sheer blue balls alone.

James finds himself learning through mimicking her steps, keeping the movements light, but putting enough force for every punch and every block. Every session, she seems more impressed. It’s another two weeks before he finally manages to land a hit, it was on her shoulders but it was a hit nonetheless. For a quick second he was going to ask if she was okay, but the look on her face was priceless and challenging and it takes 20 seconds before his face meets the mat, his arm pinned on his back and her breast pressed on his scapula. This woman knows what she’s doing to him and he doesn’t even care, the cold showers always welcomed him with open arms anyway.

After a few seconds, he feels her move off of him, releasing him from her grasp while he prays that he doesn’t have a very obvious excitement between his legs. Joggers could only hide so much, alright?

Thankfully, a higher power was on his side and he manages to stand up without embarrassing whatever dignity he has left. James expected her to leave after beating him yet again, but surprisingly, she stays. She doesn’t make it obvious that she’s waiting for him, but her movements were relaxed, as if she was making it last. The brunette takes the opportunity and asks, “Why…why did you say yes when I asked to spar?”

It was clear that she wasn’t expecting that question considering the way she looked at him. Should he have just asked if she wanted to go on a date? Did he miss the opportunity?

Natasha hums in contemplation as she puts her water in her bag, “Because I wanted you to learn how to defend yourself.”

What?

He must’ve looked confused because Natasha continued on with her explanation, “When you said I was treating you like a liability, I agreed because other than going to the gym, you knew nothing about fighting. If you’d been faced by a Hydra agent because you were in the same location as me, I’d have no choice but to fight for you.”

It was suddenly starting to make sense. The redhead pauses, taking the towel and wiping down the sweat on her neck as she stood up straight to look at him, “I accepted to spar with you in the hopes that you’d learn how to fight and you’ve impressed me the first time we fought, so I kept teaching you.”

So that’s what it was.

She acknowledged him as an equal after he took initiative. In her eyes, he’s no longer a liability, but rather someone that can stand on their own. The fact that she could express that she was proud of him and saw him like an ally without outright saying it made his face burn and his stomach summersault. He’s so screwed.

“Go out with me,” it was a word vomit, but it was now or never, “on a date – it doesn’t have to be outside of the Avengers facility if you don’t want it to – just…just go on a date with me”

Dial it down, Barnes.

“…Please?”

Three seconds felt like a lifetime, but the smile she gave him was worth every heart palpitation that he might’ve had. It took her two steps before closing their distance and suddenly he’s very aware of the trace of gold at the rim of emerald hues. Her finger traces his lower lip and Jesus H. Christ, he could’ve swore he forgot how to breathe.

“Alright. Tonight at 7, don’t be late James.”

He likes the way his name wraps around her lips.

“Yes ma’am.”

She finally withdraws, the same smile still on her lips before turning to grab her duffle bag and heading the other way. He watched as she walked out, certain that there was a sway at her hips that was only for him to see. She’s going to be the death of him.

Thank god the cold showers were effective.

+ Bonus

“When I asked you out, I didn’t imagine our first date being interrupted by goons,” he takes a step back before pivoting to pull an uppercut, the knuckles of his fist meeting the guy’s chin.

“Really? Because this is exactly how I imagined our first date,” she was being cheeky, but there was truth underneath her witty response.

“I don't know how your dates usually go, but it usually doesn’t include AIM agents. More kissing, less punching,” for a guy trying to dodge a knife lunging towards him, he’s fairly calm – maybe because he learned how to fight from the best of the best? Probably.

“Well, now that just seems boring,” she responds and James swore he could picture her smirking, “and it’s not like I don’t have plans on kissing you at the end of the date, James –“ he hears a crack followed by a groan, “try not to get stabbed tonight and you might get more than just a kiss.”

James laughs, “You’ve got yourself a deal.”

#buckynat #winterwidow #bbwidow’s500wc #writing

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