Prompt 22 - Thirst
@wolfstarmicrofic February 22, word count 998
“This. Is. Torture!” Remus panted, clutching the stitch in his side as he ran beside Peter.
“It’s not that bad,” Peter laughed, not even out of breath. “You just need to lay off the multiple bars of chocolate you eat a day, and you won’t feel so sluggish.”
Remus didn’t have the breath to make a clever retort, so stuck his fingers up at Peter instead as he contemplated what he’d done in life to end up here.
“Come on, last bit, and I’ll treat you to a smoothie at this new place.” Peter urged him on, picking up the pace a bit.
“If it has kale in it, it’s a dealbreaker!” Remus shouted after him and tried in vain to catch up.
Peter stood outside the colourfully decorated shopfront. ‘You’re Bananas’, the name above the door read.
“Well done,” Peter grinned, slapping him on the back. “As I promised, let’s go quench your thirst,” Peter pushed the door open, the little bell above it tinkling merrily, and Remus followed him in.
The shop was impeccably clean and smelled of fresh fruits with an undertone that Remus could only describe as green. They went over to the counter, and Remus looked up at the blackboard listing all the drinks available. It looked like they all had something green in them. He screwed up his face as someone shouted out of the doorway to the side of the counter.
“I’ll be with you in a second. Sorry, I’m having an argument with a pineapple!”
“No rush!” Peter called back.
By the sounds of it, there was more than one attacker, and the smoothie maker took a few minutes to come through.
“Sorry about that. What can I get you?”
Remus blinked stupidly at the man, and Peter took over as Remus took him all in.
His curly black hair was swooped back into a messy knot at the back of his head. He was wearing makeup, with some sort of shimmer on his eyelids, that brought out the hints of violet in his grey eyes. His name tag said James, pinned to the front of a black apron. He looked back up at James’s shimmering eyes and was shocked to see he was staring at him.
“Sorry, what?” He stammered, realising that James had been talking to him.
“What drink can I get you?” James asked, humour glinting in his mesmerising eyes.
“Oh, erm, do you have anything that doesn’t have anything leafy or remotely green in it?” he asked, thankful that his face was already flushed from his run. James grinned at him, his smile so dazzling that Remus nearly had to look away.
“Sweet tooth?” James questioned.
“Like you wouldn’t believe,” Peter chortled next to him. Remus shot him a dirty look.
“I have just the thing. You don’t have any allergies, do you?”
“Nope, all good,” Remus smiled back at James.
“Then take a seat, and I’ll bring them over.” They picked one of the seats by the window, but Remus made sure to sit so he could see James.
The shop filled with the sound of chopping and then the loud whirr of a blender, followed by a second one. The silence was almost deafening once they’d stopped. James came over holding two vastly different-looking drinks. Peter’s was green, go figure, but Remus’s was a dazzling pink.
“Wow, thank you,” Remus said and took a tentative sip. His eyes widened in surprise as he took a longer pull on the paper straw. “This, James, is the best smoothie I’ve ever tasted, thank you,” He beamed at James and was surprised to see his face crumple and his head tilt to the side.
“James?” he asked, and Remus pointed to his name tag. “Oh!” James slapped himself on the forehead. “No, no, James is my partner. Business partner,” he reiterated when he saw the disappointment in Remus’s face. “I’m Sirius,” he stuck out his hand, and Remus took it.
“Well, then, Sirius, this is the best smoothie I’ve ever tasted. You may never get rid of me,” he laughed before taking another drink of the sweet berry smoothie.
“Promises, promises,” Sirius winked at him and walked back to the counter as a gaggle of young girls walked in, all giggling and casting shy glances at Sirius. The shop was filled with the sound of blenders again as Sirius busily made smoothies for them all.
The girls left, giggling still and looking back over their shoulders at Sirius as he tidied up his workspace. Remus and Peter finished up their drinks and took their empty cups back to the counter for Sirius to dispose of.
“I never got your name,” Sirius said, looking up at Remus, a sudden shyness overcoming him.
“It’s Remus,” Peter answered for him and promptly walked out the door, leaving Remus and Sirius alone.
“Remus,” Sirius repeated, his name sounding wonderful coming out of Sirius’s mouth.
“That’s me,” he laughed nervously, his voice sounding slightly hoarse. Sirius cocked his head again, looking him over.
“Can I have your number?”
Remus was back to blinking stupidly, shocked that someone as beautiful as Sirius would even be slightly interested in him. The door opened again, and Peter came rushing over to the counter.
“This is his number. He’s free tomorrow night and likes pasta and chocolate. I suggest taking him to Al Chiaro di Luna. He’ll have the carbonara and tiramisu. Have fun!” And he promptly ran back out of the shop and out of sight.
“You up for it?” Sirius asked him, and, still stunned, Remus nodded yes. “Excellent. I’ll text you my number, and we’ll pick a time.”
Remus nodded again before turning as though in a dream and walking out of You’re Bananas, his feet taking him home with him, having no idea how he got there.
His phone buzzed as he collapsed onto his sofa. It was a text from Sirius.
‘Can’t wait until tomorrow night x’
And neither could Remus.
