James had thought the guy Sirius has been talking to could be a real game changer, but when he catches Sirius snogging Lily's friend at the back of the pub, his game doesn't seem much changed at all.
Short and happy modern Wolfstar.
Game Changer
“I can’t bloody believe you!”
James grabs Sirius’ shoulder and jerks him backwards, causing him and Lily’s friend, Remus, to break apart. Remus’ lips are red and swollen, and his jumper is hanging from one shoulder. Sirius’ hair is messy from Remus’ fingers having run through it, while Remus’ other hand has apparently been busy untucking Sirius’ shirt.
Both guys blink at James in confusion. “Bloody hell, James!” Sirius exclaims, once recovered. “What’s your problem?”
“My problem?” James asks angrily. “What’s your problem? For God’s sake, Sirius, I thought you were done with this! I thought you were over meaningless hook-ups in pubs – no offense, Remus,” James quickly adds, before focusing back on Sirius. “I thought you were ready for something real! What about that guy you’ve been talking to? I thought things were so great with him? That you were really going to try with him?”
“James, I’m-” Sirius begins, but James cuts him off.
“No, Sirius, you’re not! You’re not trying! Not when you end up snogging Lily’s friend at the back of the pub first chance you get!” James shakes his head. “I know I haven’t even met him yet, but I truly believed that guy was different. You haven’t been that happy in a long time. Constantly checking your phone, looking at your screen with that stupid smile on your face, gushing over him all the time, how he’s so witty and makes you laugh, how he’s the kindest person you’ve ever met, how pretty his eyes are, and whatnot. I’ve never seen you like that!”
Sirius’ cheeks are red, so at least he has the decency to be embarrassed about his behaviour. Remus just looks at Sirius in astonishment. Poor guy couldn’t have known.
“Lily’s going to murder you when she finds out you used her best friend like this!” James hasn’t been with Lily for very long, but long enough to know she has quite a temper. “Hell, she’s going to murder me!” And James had been so relieved that he’d been getting along so splendidly with his girlfriend’s best friend, but leave it to Sirius to cause trouble.
“It’s not-”
“I know you haven’t been talking to that guy for very long,” James interrupts, before Sirius can defend himself. “But you can’t pretend I’m imagining things here. You told me! You told me that you’ve never felt that way before!”
“James...”
“You told me that this was the first guy you ever found yourself imagining a forever with!”
“James!”
“Hell, Sirius, you told me you thought you were falling in love!”
“James.”
“I’m not trying to be mean,” James explains to a heavily blushing Sirius, who doesn’t even dare to meet Remus’ gaze. “I just want what’s best for you, Sirius. I’m tired of watching you self-sabotage every time there’s even a small chance for you to be happy. For God’s sake, Sirius, I thought you were getting better!”
“James, I promise, it’s fine-”
“Fine?” James snaps. He feels another wave of anger wash over him. For James, nothing is more sacred than love, and to see Sirius take it so lightly definitely ticks him off. “Let’s see if that guy you seemed so mad about also thinks it’s fine!” In a swift motion, he picks Sirius’ phone out of his pocket. He shakes his head, looking at Sirius’ messages. “You even have his number saved under ‘Babe’.” He presses call, prepared to shove the phone in Sirius’ face the moment the guy answers. Somewhere in the back of his mind, he knows that this really isn’t fair to the guy and not how he should be finding out, and that he shouldn’t be doing this in front of Remus either, but he’s too intent on teaching Sirius a lesson to care.
There’s a moment of silence. Then Remus’ phone starts to ring.
James stares at him.
Remus wrings his phone out of his pocket. On the screen, James can see a photo of Sirius. Not one of the overly styled photos from his Instagram, that make him look like he’s modelling in some sort of add, but a photo in which he’s wearing an old jumper, that’s decidedly not his, his hair is ruffled, his eyes bleary, and he’s looking over a mug into the camera, with a half-smile. The name ‘Sweetheart’ is displayed on the screen.
“Well,” Remus says, fiddling with his phone. “I appreciate you wanting to warn me, but I’m already quite aware Sirius has been thoroughly snogging Lily’s friend at the back of the pub.” He chuckles awkwardly. “And I suppose it’s good to know that whenever Sirius is out with you, I won’t have to worry about him even daring to look at another guy. Although,” he says, with a fond look in Sirius’ direction. “I guess I don’t have to worry about that anyway, with the way he has apparently been gushing over me.”
Sirius groans, and hides his face in his hands.
“Aw, no, sweetheart, c’mere.” Remus pulls Sirius in by his waist. Sirius allows Remus to pull him into a hug, and even removes his hands from his face in favour of wrapping his arms around Remus’ shoulders, and burying his face in Remus’ hair.
“If it makes you feel any better,” Remus murmurs against his neck. “I think I might be falling in love as well."
