Chapter Text
“Ready for tomorrow?” Sirius asks into the quietness of the hotel room, slowly putting his sketchpad away for the night. He’d surprise Remus with the sketch of him later. He’d forgotten how much he missed sketching for arts sake and not for work. Don’t get him wrong, he loved it, but sometimes he missed hiding himself away in his room for hours and coming out with a finished project.
Remus sighs as Sirius slowly lays down in the bed. "Am I ever ready for big social events?”
“Eh… you did well at our wedding.”
“Yeah, because you were there the whole time.” Remus turns over to look at him. Sirius reaches out to softly trace his jawline with his thumb. “It’s easier when you’re by my side.” Sirius moves closer and Remus slowly opens up his arms for him.
“Well then I’ll be right there...Any news from Amelia?” Sirius asks softly.
Remus shakes his head. “Not yet, my love.”
Sirius sighs. “I was hopeful.”
“I know…” Remus rubs his back gently with his hand. “I know, sweetheart.”
“She seemed so sad when we left.” Sirius whispers, listening to the beat of Remus’s heart.
“I think reality is starting to hit. I felt bad about leaving too.”
“Moony?” Sirius asks softly.
“Yes, darling.”
Sirius clings onto his shirt and pulls him closer. “I’ve missed having this time with you. I love our kids, but sometimes...”
“You just want to exist without thinking about everything all the time?” Remus answers. “I understand.” He leans over and kisses his forehead. Remus reaches up and runs his fingers through his hair.
“Yeah.” Sirius exhales and hides in his neck. “Mhmm.”
Remus chuckles softly and pulls him closer. “Come here, beautiful.”
“Don’t want to go anywhere else.” Sirius closes his eyes and lets Remus ease him into sleep.
***
“I’ll get us drinks,” Sirius whispers to him and Remus smiles. He squeezes his waist before reluctantly letting him go. “I love you.”
“I love you more,” Remus replies, watching him go with a tug in his chest. He watches Sirius step into the crowd and his heart hums in his chest. Minerva takes his arm and starts leading him around. He smiles politely, but his eyes keep finding his way back to find his partner.
He remembered when he’d first agreed to let Sirius babysit for Teddy. He didn't know yet that it would lead to some of the best times of his life. He was worried then, and he told Lily it was a horrible idea. Lily listened as she always did, but merely laughed at his concerns.
“You worry too much about him, Remus,” she chided gently, “Who knows. This could be very eye opening for both of you.”
Lily had listened to years of complaining from him at this point. She’d listen to him tell her how much he longed for Sirius’s touch, his kiss, his presence… How every second around him felt like being revived and being slowly killed at the same time.
He thought back when they'd first started dating that having distance between them was the way to drive himself insane.
However, he’d been sorely mistaken. Nothing compared to the yearning in his heart for Sirius when they were in a crowded room, and he couldn’t touch him. He hated being unable to pull him into his arms and kiss the life out of him. He despised it on their wedding day. He’d just married the love of his life, his friends could wait.
Today was no different. He would do anything to be back in their room last night, sharing soft touches beneath the moonlight and soft whispers of old memories and new dreams. Remus wanted to reach out and grab him. He wanted to squeeze him so tightly he could never escape again. Every moment that passed it was harder to push down the urge to march through the crowd, and pull Sirius into him arms again. Especially when he looked downright sinful in that suit. Remus had nearly not let him out of the hotel room looking like that. Now he wished they hadn’t gone. He knew he was supposed to be the reasonable and responsible one, but he was sure he’d never been either while loving Sirius.
So no, distance was not the way to drive Remus’s heart mad. He was learning fast that it was his company’s party, because here he was, trying his best not to shag his husband at a work event. No one here seemed to understand how much of an effort he was making for them at that current moment.
All these people were trying his patience. Sirius was easily chatting them up, weaving through the crowd like a beam of effortless moonlight. Attracting the attention of the room with his grace. Everyone was looking at him, but Sirius’s eyes were only for him. He kept looking over at Remus now and again for reassurance, something Remus didn't think he needed. He wondered sometimes when Sirius looked at him like that if he did it out of a habit from the days he lived with his parents. He simply smiled back and nodded, hoping his eyes would carry his true love for the man across the space.
You’re doing great, baby. You can talk to whoever you want. Don’t worry about me. Just come back home when you’re done.
Don’t get Remus wrong, he loved Minnie, but right now he’d do anything to get her to free him from this prison of politeness he’d found himself trapped in.
“And these are the people I was most excited for you to meet this evening. Ladies, this is Remus Lupin.”
Both the women turn towards him and their eyes light up.
“Nice to meet you. I’m Emmeline Vance, we talked on the phone a week or so ago?” She asks and Remus nods in familiarity.
“Ah yes of course, and this is my friend Hestia Jones. She’d be the lead writer on the project. She was excited to meet you tonight.”
“Of course,” Remus says, giving the woman a gentle smile. She was young and reminded him of Lily when they were younger, full of life and a fire to prove herself. Remus wanted to make it easy for her.
“What do you want to ask me?” He addresses her, she seems a bit surprised, but nods, pulling out a notebook.
“This story, Emmeline said it was special to you in a way the others weren’t. Of course, if I do say so myself, this story felt very emotionally told. It really wraps up your reader, so I was hoping that our film could infuse that in it.”
“Oh, of course.” He feels an arm brush his own and smiles down at his husband. “Thanks, my love. You have perfect timing.”
“Oh?” Sirius asks, passing him a drink, and slipping an arm around his waist.
“Ladies, I’d love for you to meet my husband, Sirius.”
“Oh what a pretty name!” Hestia says and Emmeline smiles with a respectful nod.
“Thank you.” Sirius says and leans slightly against Remus’s arm. Remus smiles down at him, feeling that familiar warmth trickle through him.
“You asked what was special about this story?” Hestia nods and he looks back over at his husband. “This one. If you’ve read the dedication I say something about writing a love story.” Remus smiles and wraps his arm around Sirius’s waist and squeezes. Sirius smiles wider at him and Remus wants to catch that look he's giving him and frame it. He wants to hide it in his heart forever to look at whenever he misses Sirius during the day, because god this is what he was waiting for. This was always what he would wait for.
“I wrote our love story. Obviously modified, but the baseline is the same. Two friends have loved each other forever. After one of them goes on a work trip, I had my main character as a photographer instead, but one of them babysits their son. They end up admitting over that time that they’ve fallen in love. That’s what happened to us.” Remus leans over and kisses his temple. Sirius squeezes his waist. “So of course this story is going to be special to me, because it’s my love story with my husband in a different font.” He looks back over at the women who are listening earnestly. “I’ve seen your previous work as a company. I do believe that you have the capabilities and the tact for this book that needs that care. I’d be happy to respond to any questions you have on the project, but know that this story is my baby in a way. I’m trusting you with a very big part of my life. I mean, I proposed to my husband by showing him the book dedication.”
Sirius laughs. “It was very romantic. I just had no idea he was planning this, as I had been trying to figure out how to propose to him for months.”
Remus chuckles as well and presses another kiss to Sirius’s cheek. “I think what makes this story beautiful is the fact it is real. It could be real. It has happened, and I think that as long as you keep it real, and keep the characters love in their love, I think you’ll be on the right track.”
“So you’re willing to work with them?” Minerva asks.
“As long as I don’t have to give up all my rights to the project,” Remus jokes with a laugh.
“Oh, we’d never ask that of you, sir," Emmeline replies.
“You’d be surprised,” Sirius says as Remus takes a sip of his drink. “Another company wanted exclusive rights.”
Emmeline makes a face and Hestia’s jaw drops. “Oh my god, is that what happened?” She asks. “Sorry. I only heard rumors...” Emmeline gives her a look and she slowly sinks down. “Sorry.”
“It’s quite alright. We’re glad we found you,” Minerva says and Remus nods in agreement. “Now, I know you and I both came with some details to discuss. I’d love to take this time to talk to you Emmeline about some details we can iron out and Hestia if you want to tell Remus about what approach you’re planning to take with the story, I think that would be the right thing to do.” She turns towards Sirius. “Sirius, you are welcome to stick around with Remus if you’d like. I’m sure I’ve kept him away from you long enough tonight.”
Sirius laughs. “Thanks, Minnie. I…” His voice trails off as his phone goes off. “Sorry, that’s Teds, I gotta take this.” Minnie nods and walks away.
“Probably checking in,” Remus suggests.
“Yeah. I know there are some bad storms back at home. Maybe they're trying to find parts for the generator. I’m sorry, give me a moment.” He gives Remus a quick kiss on the cheek before stepping to the side of the room.
“I wish we could cast you two,” Hestia says.
“Oh?” Remus asks, forcing himself to look away from his husband.
“You two just are the characters, you know. Would make my job easier. However, right now, this is the idea I have. You had the book in dual points of view, and I’d love to try and keep that as much as possible by having a split screen at the beginning or some kind of transition where like, someone puts down a coffee cup and the other picks it up. I want to show the juxtaposition of their current lives, while also showing something like - how much of their calendars have each other on it, or a reminder goes off having to do with the other. Something to set the tone their close early on. Like their mirrors of each other.”
Remus nods as she continues to ramble, loving the ideas she brings to the table.
“My question is, if it came down to the scene with the baby, and the scene where they admit they miss each other for the first time… is there any way that if I blended the two you think it would still get that meaning across? Unfortunately it is a film so we don’t have as much time to do that build up.”
Remus is about to speak when Sirius shakes his arm. Remus looks down and sees something frantic in his eyes.
“Baby, what’s wrong?” Remus asks, his attention suddenly completely focused on a different matter entirely.
“We have to go home. Now.” Sirius begins to tug.
“Sirius, my love, what’s going on?” Remus asks, gently digging his heels in so Sirius could explain.
“It’s Hope.” Remus freezes hearing the panic in his voice. His whole world stops for a moment when Sirius next speaks. “She’s missing.”