Modern No-Magic Wolfstar AU

Chapter 57

"Sirius, can you refill the muffin jar, please?" Remus said loudly over the coffee machine as he tried not to burn his fingers again.

Sirius came rushing into the serving area. "Sorry, sorry, sorry. I'm here."

"What's wrong?" Remus asked, not taking his eyes off the machine. "Please don't tell me it's Peter again."

"It's damn Pettigrew," Sirius scowled. "He's been working here for - what, at least a year now? He can't do a single bloody thing by himself. It's like we need to babysit him! Even Harry was less difficult to babysit than a grown man!"

Remus tried not to sigh. "I know. At least you don't need to change Peter's nappy."

"Don't even go there," Sirius made a face, wrestling the tight lid off the muffin jar. Finally, it popped off and he grinned. "No jar can handle these muscles." Looking up, Sirius felt his smile fade slightly. As Remus finished off the coffee, putting the lid on the paper cup, Sirius squinted. "What's wrong?"

"Huh?" Remus almost jumped.

"You didn't laugh at my arrogance," Sirius pointed out.

"Oh." Remus uncapped the sharpie and wrote the order on the lid in his tiny, cramped writing. "I'm sure it was hilarious, darling."

Putting the jar down, Sirius rested on the bench next to Remus who was doing very well at avoiding eye contact. "What's wrong?"

"Nothing, Sirius."

"Bullshit," Sirius ran his finger comfortingly around Remus' palm. "I like to think that I know when you aren't yourself, Remus... so?"

Remus took a few seconds before crossing his arms. "Remember when I told you I texted my dad?"

"Oh shit," Sirius stood up straighter. "Yes, I remember."

"I told him to meet me here after my shift."

Sirius' initial reaction was to jump up, swear, maybe shout, 'WHY DIDN'T YOU TELL ME?!'. But, instead, he drew in a long breath through his nose, out through his mouth, and gently touched Remus' shoulder. "Okay. That's okay. How do you feel about that?"

Remus' scared expression melted into a relieved one. "I don't like how things went unresolved and I hate the thought of that if anything ever happened and we never got to talk ever again..."

"Yeah," Sirius nodded with a supportive squeeze of Remus' shoulder. "You're being the bigger person, and I admire you for that."

Remus looked down.

"But is this something you want to do?"