"So warm," Sirius mumbled when he woke up, burying his face into Remus's neck.

"It's a good thing you run cool," Remus replied, carding his fingers through Sirius's hair, "you sleep like a koala."

"Sorry."

"When did I say I didn't enjoy it?"

"Fair point."

"Can I get you some breakfast?"

Sirius laughed quietly into Remus's neck before pulling away to look at his face.

"You don't do this very often do you?"

"I have never done this before, actually."

"Could've fooled me."

"I've had sex before Sirius, I've just never seen the point to a one night stand."

"What changed?," Sirius asked curiously, playing with Remus's fingers.

"My best friend wouldn't get off my case. She thinks I'm still hung up on my ex, which I'm not by the way. Any feelings I had for him died after he cheated on me. I didn't even plan to actually bring anyone home. I thought I'd walk around, maybe get a free drink, and head home. You surprised me."

"Why me?"

"Be more specific, love."

"What attracted you to me?"

"Your laugh," Remus replied, closing his eyes with a smile.

"My... laugh?," Sirius repeated slowly, head tilted in confusion.

"It's such a loud, booming laugh. Almost like a bark, you know? I heard your laugh and it made me smile. I needed to find the source of it. I turned around, we made eye contact, I smiled at you, and then you surprised me by buying me a drink."

"Why would that surprise you?"

"You're a curious little thing aren't you?," Remus teased, kissing Sirius gently, taking the other man's breath away. "I like that. You're so beautiful, what interest would you have in me?"

"You're tall, you have a kind face, and I knew the moment I laid eyes on them that I needed your hands all over me. The way you grabbed my waist last night..."

"Oh, you mean like this?," Remus replied with a grin, holding Sirius's whole waist with both of his hands.

"Fuck, just like that. It's like you were made to hold me."

"I think you were made to take me," Remus whispered in response, pupils dilating as Sirius pulled him down for a passionate snog, that soon turned into a rolling of his hips.

"Remus," Sirius whined, seeking more friction.

"I just changed these sheets so you can choose, my hand or my mouth."

"Fuck, I'll take your mouth."

Sirius quickly reciprocated, and fell back onto the pillows with a happy sigh.

"Can I get you some real breakfast now?," Remus teased, tracing patterns on Sirius's chest.

"You want me to stay?"

"I think I may be just a wee bit obsessed with you."

"That's it?"

"I don't want to come off too strong."

"Tell me what you're thinking," Sirius begged.

"I think that it would be very easy to fall in love with you Sirius Black."

"You don't know me," Sirius replied quietly, looking into Remus's eyes and being surprised by the total honesty.

"No, but I'd quite like to, if you let me."

"Remus Lupin, I'm glad you suck at one night stands. Make me breakfast?"

"For the record, I didn't think it would be a one night stand once you started trying to guess my uni major."

"Believe me, I've had my fair share of one night stands, and I've never cared enough to get to know the person before. If it wasn't you, I probably wouldn't even have bothered with a drink. I would've just danced on you until you decided to take me home."

"I never would have gone for that, no matter how gorgeous you are," Remus replied with a laugh.

"I knew you were different when you bought me ice cream on the way home. I never looked at the pictures! Let's see how good of a photographer you are."

Remus sat on the couch, and pulled Sirius into his lap. Sirius gasped as he looked at the most recent photo on his phone.

"Look at you capturing our first kiss! Fuck, we look hot."

"You said I had ice cream on my face, then you kissed me and surprised me! My finger slipped."

"Sure it did Remus. I will be keeping these photos forever actually."

"You will be sending them to me actually," Remus corrected, plucking the phone out of his hands.

"When did you add yourself to my contacts?"

"In between you posing for pictures. As if I'd be stupid enough to let you slip through my fingers."

"You've surprised me yet again wolfman. What was it you said you do for fun? Howl at the moon? I think I'll call you Moony," Sirius decided.

"Moony?"

"Moons for short. If I'm keeping you around, then you need a nickname."

"By all means, nickname me. What's yours? I assume you have one if your best mate is called Prongs."

"Padfoot."

"I'll be asking for that story later. Let's keep looking at how pretty you are."

"I think I'd rather look at how hot you are when you're kissing me. Look at how your hand fits on my face."

"Oh, you mean like this?," Remus asked innocently, cupping both of Sirius's cheeks in his palms.

Sirius closed his eyes, leaning into the touch.

"I think you're going to be my undoing Moons."

"As if I'm not putty in your hands, Pads."

Sirius surged forward, capturing Remus's mouth with his own. They snogged until Remus's phone went off incessantly.

"Sirius. I need to get that. Padfoot!"

"What could be more important than snogging me?"

"The zoo apparently."

"I'm sorry, the zoo?"

"I'm taking an animal science course for fun. I have a behavioral study due at the end of the week. It's supposed to be a nice day today so I planned to get it done."

"Oh. That makes sense I guess," Sirius responded, climbing off of Remus's lap.

"Come with me?"

"You don't have to invite me."

"I want to invite you. If I haven't made my intentions clear, I would like to take you out on a date Sirius. Many dates actually, but maybe let's start with the one?," Remus asked, eyes wide and town hopeful as he looked at Sirius.

"Can you drop me by mine so I can change first? As much as I love wearing your clothes, they're not practical for me. I'd be tripping over your trousers all day."

"Definitely not practical because all I want to do is kiss you senseless and take you back to bed."

"I don't fancy getting banned from the zoo. At least not today."

"Wait, breakfast! I'm making you breakfast."

"God, how are you single?"

"Hopefully I won't be by the end of today," Remus said pointedly.

"Something quick for breakfast Remus, you can treat me next time."

"There most certainly will be a next time. Some toast and eggs then. I'll change, then we'll go to yours before the zoo. Tea or coffee?"

"Whatever you make is fine."

"Not what I asked Sirius," Remus prodded.

"Coffee, please."

"Good boy. I prefer tea myself."

"Tea would have been fine," Sirius replied, looking down to hide a blush.

"We've already had sex, we're doing this backwards. Now is when I get to know you. Birthday?"

"November 3rd."

"Mine is March 10th. Favorite color?"

"Black. Unless you're an art snob telling me black is a shade and not a color, in which I would say maroon."

"Mine is green, but I think silver is really starting to grow on me. Any siblings? Here's your coffee."

"Thank you. Prongs is practically my brother, but I do have a younger brother, Regulus. Family is a touchy subject for me. I was disowned and ran away at 16. His family took me in, and I'm forever grateful for them. Things with Regulus have never been the same. I try, but he's still under their influence. It's gotten better since he's gone to uni. Sorry, do you have any siblings?"

"Nope, only child."

"I can't quite place your accent. Where is it from?"

"I grew up in Wales. My parents still live there, I visit when I can. You must be straight from London posh boy," Remus teased.

"Piss off!"

"I bet you have beautiful penmanship."

"Oh believe me, I do. Calligraphy and all. I also speak French."

"I speak Welsh. And some Latin."

"Latin? Isn't it a dying language?"

"Precisely! Science is full of Latin root words and I thought it would be fun to learn. It helps a lot when working with different organisms because the names tell you a lot about what you're looking at. It's also really fun to say random words at homophobes and bigots and watch their eyes widen as they pray at me."

Sirius barked that special laugh of his, and Remus couldn't help but smile.

"I think your laugh is my new favorite sound."

"You would be the first to ever say that. I get told I'm too loud all of the time, I can't help it."

"I think because of your childhood, you want to be seen and heard. I see you, I hear you. I was in and out of the hospital a lot due to an accident when I was younger, hence the scars, so I prefer to sit back and observe. I'm not much for the attention," Remus admitted.

"Well, you've captured all of mine. Hard to blend in when you're a bloody giant."

"Breakfast is served. I slouch a lot, or have my face buried in a book. It helps."

"I'd love for you to read to me sometime."

"Really? None of my past partners have enjoyed books like I have."

"I'm not much for reading honestly, I think I have undiagnosed ADHD, I always need to be doing something with my hands. I like your voice though, and books matter to you, so I'd like to enjoy them with you however I can."

Remus walked over to Sirius, caressed his cheek, and kissed him softly.

"That's very sweet of you. Do you have any other questions or anything you want to share?"

"I'm bisexual. I'm a closeted hopeless romantic. I think you can tell on a first date how well you'll get along with a potential partner. My friends joke that I get around a lot, but that's not really true. Maybe I did sleep around a bit at the beginning of uni, but I was freshly out of the closet trying to discover myself. Nowadays, I'll go out maybe once a month looking for something, but sometimes I just want to dance. Prongs's girlfriend is not quite a big fan of me, you'll meet them both eventually, so I figured I'd explain myself before that comes up."

"I'm gay. Very fond of the male anatomy if you couldn't tell. I obviously do not do one night stands-"

"Thank God for that," Sirius interrupted. "These are the best eggs I've ever had."

"I've had two serious boyfriends, but obviously those relationships didn't work out. The first one we just grew apart, it was an amicable split, but the last cheated on me. He said I was boring and too focused on my studies to be any fun," Remus continued, rolling his eyes.

"Well, his loss is my gain because I had the most fun of my life last night. And I got ice cream!"

"Sweet tooth? Also, your past is your past, that doesn't matter much to me. Unless you've cheated on someone before."

"Major sweet tooth. I've never cheated and I never will. When I get attached, I tend to cling. My past partners didn't like that, they felt stifled, hence being told that I'm too much."

"If it comes to that, we'll talk about it. Communication is very important to me. I would never want to go to bed mad at someone else."

"Except your ex," Sirius clarified, gesturing with his fork.

"It isn't love, it isn't hate, it's just indifference. He's just, there. I thankfully am all the way over here."

"I like you better when you're, right here," Sirius teased, pulling Remus's chair directly next to his own so their thighs pressed together.

"I think this is my new favorite place."

"Really, not the zoo?"

"Right, I do need to get to that. You're sure you want to come, even though I'm doing school work?"

"Of course! You can take more pictures of me at the zoo for my Instagram. What's yours?"

"I don't remember, I don't use it. I only made one because my best friend made me."

"Knowing you, it's probably your full name," Sirius teased. "You'll have to find your password for me later so we can find your account."

"Let me change, then we can stop at yours before the zoo."

"I need to see your sweater collection at once."

"Come on, you."

"You have to wear this green one, it's so pretty."

"My mam knitted it for me. It's my favorite."

"This brown one has such an ugly pattern I love it."

"That was a gag gift that I wear to annoy my best friend. She regrets ever buying it for me."

"Oooh purple. This would look nice with your skin tone. Wear this on our second date."

"I like to think the zoo is our second date, and ice cream was our first," Remus replied, changing into the green sweater. "I will wear that for you on our next date."

"Thank you."

"Let me grab my bag and we can go. Ready?"

"I'm ready."

Sirius's flat was only a 10 minute drive away.

"Normally I'd invite you up, but if my best mate/brother/roommate is home we'll never get out of here. He'd also invite himself to come with us, and I would somehow end up third wheeling."

"I'll be here waiting for you, don't worry I get it."

Kissing Remus quickly on the mouth, Sirius headed up to change. Thankfully, James was out, probably at Lily's still, so he didn't have to explain himself. He would tell him all about Remus... at some point. Sirius was feeling a lot of feelings, and he knew James meant well, but he didn't feel like being lectured. Remus was different from the rest, he was special, and Sirius would be treating him as such.

"Let's go Moons."

They talked idly on the way, about Remus's current studies and Sirius's brief time in uni as Remus drove.

"School has simply never been for me," Sirius admitted.

"That's perfectly fine. I'm glad you found something you're passionate about."

"All thanks to my motorbike. She was a gift from my Uncle Alphard, and was one of the first things I've ever received, no strings attached. I didn't trust anyone with her, so I learned to fix her up myself. It felt so good to do something for myself with my hands. I enjoy it. It's good, honest work."

"That's why I like working in the lab. There's strict procedures and protocols for everything. I like structure. My weeks tend to be relatively planned in advance."

"Well, I hope you'll have time to pencil me in?"

"I could move some things around. It'll be easier, once the semester ends in a few weeks. I was fortunate enough to get a paid lab internship so I really cannot be on my phone during that time," Remus explained.

"I understand that, I can't be on my phone at work either for obvious reasons."

"My phone passcode is 3001, you can share my calendar with yourself if you like? Then we can find some days that work for the both of us."

"Done. My passcode is 2703, if you ever need it."

Remus watched from the corner of his eye as Sirius mussed up his hair and played with Remus's phone.

"What are you doing?"

"I need an attractive contact photo."

"Just use one of the ones I took at the ice cream shop."

"That will have to do, for now. I'll find a better photo later. However, the one of you holding my face is quite attractive. So many decisions to be made."

"I don't think an unattractive photo of you even exists."

"Oh believe me they do, I think my brother has a whole album of them saved for my wedding. If I ever have one."

Remus laughed at the snort of indignation Sirius let out.

"Would you ever want to get married?," Remus asked curiously.

"With the right person sure. I'm just not sure if it's in the cards for me."

"I'll get back to you after a few dates."

"Can I look through your Spotify?," Sirius asked. "Oh, I can do a blended playlist! I love that feature."

"Yeah that's fine. Just don't judge my playlist names."

"I take back what I said. Queen and Bowie! Pink Floyd, the Moody Blues. We're actually on our way to get married right now. My Chemical Romance and- HA!"

Remus knew Sirius had found the playlist names.

"'When You're on Your 13th Reason and Then You Stub Your Toe'. 'A Day™' . 'Redrum'. Oh my God Remus is this playlist full of murder songs? Goodbye Earl, Murder on the Dance Floor, Two Black Cadillacs, No Body, No Crime."

Sirius was full on belly laughing, and Remus didn't bother stopping the small smile growing on his face.

"Have you never seen The Shining? Redrum is murder backwards."

"'Lab Laments', oh is that your work playlist? I'm not a fan of horror movies, I'm a screamer."

"Oh don't I know it," Remus replied with a smirk, glancing at Sirius.

"Remus!"

"My name has never sounded as pretty as when it was the only thing coming out of your mouth."

"No fair, you can't say these things when I can't kiss you!"

"Oh, look a red light!," Remus teased, grabbing Sirius by the chin and pulling him in for a kiss. "Are you actually going to play any music or just judge my playlists?"

"Both. I think I might be into Redrum I don't know. Let's see what else we have. 'Broadway Bops' are you a theater kid, Remus Lupin?!"

"Guilty as charged. I played Seymour in our uni production of Little Shop of Horrors like three years ago?," Remus estimated, pulling into the parking garage.

"Shut up! I was there! We were sitting in the first row and I must have stared at you the whole night. Prongs was obsessed with the girl playing Audrey so I tagged along. I think he had actual tears in his eyes when you two kissed. I can't believe I didn't recognize you. I still have that cast cd somewhere in my flat."

"It was a fun show. It's one of my all time favorites, I never thought I'd actually get a part. I actually auditioned to manipulate the Audrey II animatronic. The casting director caught me singing Grow For Me and yelled at me for not auditioning for the lead, and then she talked me into it."

"Well, I'm very thankful for that. Was it weird having to kiss Audrey?," Sirius asked.

"Lily is actually my best friend, so that's really the only part that made it weird. We faked most of the kissing angles, but from some spots it's easy to tell when it's a stage kiss."

"Wait, wait. Evans is your best friend? This Evans?," Sirius asked, scrolling through his phone and pulling up a picture.

"Yes that's her- oh my God you're James's brother. She..."

"Absolutely fucking hates me!," Sirius supplied cheerily.

"When you said Black was your surname I never thought to put two and two together... huh," Remus remarked, getting out of the car and opening the door for Sirius. "So I was thinking we see the penguins first, is that okay?"

Sirius sputtered and looked up at Remus in concern.

"That's it?"

"Was I supposed to have some sort of reaction to this news?"

"Well yes, I would think so! Doesn't she complain about me?"

"Oh yeah, all the time."

"And?!"

"Use your words," Remus instructed, holding Sirius's chin in his hand.

"Don't you hate me too?"

"Sirius, I find you to be absolutely delightful. Lily just doesn't like loud things. Which makes no sense because James Potter is loud as fuck. She thinks it's endearing when it's him. Truthfully, I find him to be annoying, overbearing, and overly friendly. He also dislikes me because he was convinced that we showed 'real chemistry' during the show and he thought I was going to steal Lily away. I'm sure he's a great guy but he literally just shows up uninvited when Lily and I are hanging out. Quite like yesterday actually. If she can date someone I'm not very fond of, I think you and I will be okay, but I understand if this isn't something you want anymore."

"No, I want you. I do remember hearing about that. He really thinks you don't like him because he's dating her."

"I can only tell him I'm gay so many times before it starts to sound like I'm convincing myself. I dislike him because Lily disliked him for four years. God, I feel like I'm dating him with how much unnecessary information I know about him. She complained about him for years and now everything she found annoying is somehow cute. Maybe I'm just bitter because I'm single but some days it's just... a lot. And then he shows up everywhere! I told her to stop sharing her location with him and that it's getting creepy.

Her and I were supposed to hang out alone at the bar and catch up yesterday. We haven't caught up in over a week. This was the only time I was thankful to see him show up unannounced because his presence distracted her enough that I could escape without having to hear about how much I needed a boyfriend."

"And then I seduced you at the bar," Sirius replied, wiggling his eyebrows suggestively.

"If I knew you were his best friend I probably would have run away screaming."

"But then I would have laughed and you would have been completely enamored."

"That's probably true," Remus agreed with a shrug.

"So we're okay then?"

Remus kissed him in response.

"I'm just cursed to deal with a lifetime of James Potter. If I get you out of it, I think I can survive."

"He's a good guy, I promise. She didn't like him when he was in sports mode. I told him he needed to lay off and respect her boundaries when they got assigned that project together last year. I told him to only text her if it was about the project, and nothing else."

"Ah, you caused the event that we call 'The Confusion'. She had no idea why when he finally had her number he backed off and barely initiated conversation."

"That was me. My only question is how have we not met before? Surely we've been at the same places loads of times."

"If James is there and Lily is my only friend in attendance at any event, I won't go. I'm very introverted, I'm not a fan of people. I went to one event with them at the beginning of their relationship and they left me alone, stranded at the house of someone I didn't know to go back to hers and shag. So, I don't go out with them anymore. I'm sure you and I have been stood up by them for the same things, multiple times."

"Jokes on them, we have each other now," Sirius promised, wrapping his arms around Remus's neck.

"I hope you don't think I'm with you for spite or anything like that," Remus said with a frown, pulling Sirius closer. "That's not what this is."

"I know. Pissing each other's best mate off is just an added bonus! Let's go see those penguins, Moony."

Laughing, Remus wrapped his arm around Sirius's waist, hand resting on his hip.

"Okay?"

"Perfect."

As they made their way around the zoo, they continued to laugh and get to know each other. They posed with the animals and took more pictures than Remus could keep track of. He tried to finish his assignment as quickly as possible so that he could enjoy walking around with Sirius freely.

"Take your time Moons, I brought my sketchbook with me."

Once the work was done, they had lunch before walking into the butterfly exhibit.

"I love it in here," Sirius said in awe, gasping as a butterfly landed on his finger.

"My own personal Disney Princess," Remus teased, snapping a picture.

"I can take a picture of you both if you'd like?," a staff member offered.

"That would be lovely, thank you," Sirius agreed, handing her his phone.

Remus wrapped his arms around Sirius from behind and smiled, before leaning forward to kiss him on the cheek. Sirius then tilted his head and kissed Remus sweetly.

"You have a butterfly in your hair."

"So do you."

"Here, let me help. People accidentally smuggle out our butterflies all the time. We've chased after people with nets before, it's a whole thing."

"Thank you, have a nice rest of your day."

"You both as well."

"This has been really nice," Sirius remarked as they headed back to the car. "Can I treat you to dinner?"

"I'd like that a lot."

While Sirius was giving Remus directions, his phone started to ring.

"Hiya Prongsie, alright?"

"I called to ask you that. I haven't heard from you all day, I'm making sure you weren't kidnapped."

"Not kidnapped, I was on a date actually."

"Really? Where'd you go?"

"The zoo."

"You went to the zoo without me?!," James yelled, so loudly that Remus could hear it, followed by a quieter "sorry Lily flower."

"Hello Evans."

"Go fuck yourself Black."

Remus raised his eyebrows in surprise.

"I found a quite lovely bloke to do that for me actually. I think you'd love him."

"That'll be the day Black."

"Is this your one night stand? Are you on a date with him?," James whispered.

"Yep. I'll text you later, we're almost at the restaurant. Love you."

"Love you too. I can't wait to hear all about it."

"Well, that was something," Remus said once Sirius hung up.

"She was in a good mood today actually."

"I'm sure there was some kind of misunderstanding. I'll figure it out."

"I'm used to people not liking me. It bothered the hell out of me at first, but I'd rather be happy with myself than conform to what other people want me to be. It took years to learn that, but I'm happy as is."

"You should be. There's a lot to like."

"Remus you flirt! Hoping to take me home again are you?," Sirius teased.

"Actually, yes I am, if you'd like."

"Of course I'd like."

By the end of dinner, Sirius was amazed at how comfortable he already was around Remus.

"I feel like I've known you forever," he admitted as they took a stroll around the neighborhood.

"I think we were together in a past life."

"Well, I'm glad I finally found you in this one," Sirius replied, kissing Remus softly under the stars. "Back to yours now?"

"Let's go."

They actually listened to music on the way back to Remus's, sitting in a companionable silence that followed them inside.

"Shower? You can go first if you like, I can make us something to drink in the meantime?"

"Are we not shagging?," Sirius asked in confusion.

"We can, but I thought we could watch something together maybe?"

"You really are such a sweetheart aren't you? How about, we shower together, and then we watch something? I was feeling presumptuous and packed an overnight bag when we stopped by mine."

"Good. Let's go then."

"You're so beautiful," Sirius said quietly, watching as Remus stepped under the spray of the shower.

"Thank you. Come be beautiful with me," Remus invited, holding out a hand for Sirius.

"If you insist."

"I absolutely love your hair."

"It's a blessing and a curse. It's not as effortless as people think, and it's hard with my job sometimes because even if I put it back I still get engine grease in it sometimes."

"Maybe you can do a French plait and tuck it up into a hat or something?," Remus asked, grabbing the shampoo from Sirius's hands to lather in his own. "Turn for me? I'm going to wash your hair."

"You don't have to, Remus."

"I know, but I want to. Is that okay?"

"That would be really nice. Fuck, I love your hands. They're like magic."

"I can do massages too. I took a class."

"I don't know where they've been hiding you, but consider yourself officially off the market. I'll ask you in a romantic way later."

"I think this is sweet."

"This is not the story I'll be telling to everyone. Besides, I didn't even ask officially."

"Sirius, will you-"

Sirius clamped his hand over Remus's mouth.

"Not happening Moony. Turn around so I can shampoo your hair. Then I'll get us both off while the conditioner rests."

"What's more romantic than that?"

"Just you wait. I'm going to plan the perfect date. You're also not allowed to ask me, or I will say no."

"Okay, I'll let you have this."

"Good boy," Sirius teased, kissing Remus as his hand traveled down his chest and kept going.

"We both know you're the one with the praise kink my sweet boy, but it's still nice to hear."

"I'll find something you like to tease you for, mark my words. But for now, let me have some fun."

"I'm most certainly not stopping you."

"Can I wear one of your shirts?," Sirius asked once they got out of the shower.

"Sure. Bottom left drawer. Can I get you something to drink in the meantime?"

"Tea is fine, whichever you're having. Yes, I'm sure."

"Okay. I'll get that started now."

Sirius made his way into Remus's room, taking a few moments to actually look around. If he would have done this last night, he would have seen the pictures of Remus and Lily together. He's glad he hadn't, because he's ashamed to say it might have led him to having an ulterior motive to get with Remus. It would have completely ruined whatever relationship they're working towards.

He just hoped Evans wouldn't ruin what they had before it even began. Sirius had no idea how James would be reacting to the news anyway. He supposed he was getting ahead of himself, and it wouldn't be an issue until they were official anyway. Remus said they would be okay, and Sirius trusted him.

At some point during the movie they had fallen asleep on the couch, and Sirius woke up to Remus's arms around him, lifting him off the couch.

"Remus?"

"We fell asleep, I'm just bringing us up to bed, okay? Go back to sleep love, I've got you."

"Okay, goodnight," Sirius replied sleepily, nuzzling his face into Remus's neck.

The last thing Sirius felt was a kiss on his forehead, until he woke up the next morning.