#step & repeat

Ahaha good question! Now, technically, the fic timeline runs from Sept 2022 through January 2028, so we're between chapters 5 and 7, which are December 2024 and January 2025 respectively. Sirius and Remus have just gone to the A.C.C.I.O gala, and shared a bed for the first time.

If you mean *after* the events of Step & Repeat, well...

________

Sirius drops the bag off his shoulder as soon as he walks through the front door of their flat. "Home, sweet home. I've missed you." he walks right to the couch and dramatically collapses onto it.

Remus snorts from behind him, rolling their suitcase through the door. "We were gone for four days."

Sirius pops his head over the couch to peer at Remus. "Sure, but before that, it was two weeks in France, and before that was--"

"Six months here," Remus reminds him as he kicks off his shoes. "And before that was only a month in LA, and--"

"And now we're home, and I missed it," Sirius says. He lays down again, disappearing behind the back of the couch "Come here and lay with me."

Remus drops his coat on the hook before walking into the living room and laying with Sirius on the couch, half on top of him. "I suppose if I have to. You're quite maudlin right now."

"Maudlin." Sirius snorts. "It's like you're a bestselling author or something like that."

Remus turns a smile into his neck, dragging his nose up Sirius's neck. "Mmm, well, you collapsed on this couch with such drama that you must be a Best Actor of some sort."

Remus feels Sirius's smile before he sees it. "Something like that, yeah."

Remus grazes Sirius's stubbly jaw with his teeth, dragging a shudder out of him. "Hot."

Sirius laughs, turning slightly away from him. "Wanker."

"No, I mean it!" Remus says, moving up until he straddles Sirius's waist, boxing him in with a hand on either side of his head on the couch. "It's hot. I'm here, on the couch, snogging with the best actor, with an Oscar to prove it?"

Sirius's cheeks are flushed, and he looks up at Remus with so much fondness that it nearly hurts. "We're not snogging."

"Oh, silly me," Remus says, dipping his head until their lips meet in a heated kiss.

~~

When the kiss ends, some innumerable time later, Remus is on his back with Sirius's thigh between his, and their clothes are significantly more rumpled than they were before. Sirius sighs, pressing their foreheads together. "I hate that I have to leave tomorrow without you."

Remus reaches a hand up to cup his face. He'd suspected this was what it was really about. "I know. Me too."

"Come with me," Sirius asks. "Please? You don't need to wait."

"I do," Remus says. "I have that meeting with Dorcas and her staff, and I can't reschedule it." Remus brushes his thumb across Sirius's cheek. "I'll be along as soon as I can."

"I know," Sirius says. "I tried to push back too. They said I'm needed on set day after tomorrow though." Sirius's nose wrinkles. "I don't like going without you. It's much better with you along."

"Two weeks," Remus reassures him. "Two weeks, and then I'll be that bum living on your couch in LA while you go off doing the big important actor things."

"Not bum," Sirius says, flicking Remus's nose with his finger. "Trophy husband."

Remus beams. "Right. That one. I like that one."

"Me too," Sirius says. He ducks his head and kisses the hinge of Remus's jaw. "I like the man who wears that title, too."

Remus hums, turning his head away as Sirius kisses down his neck. "Hmmm. Well, sounds like I have you beat then, because I love my husband."

Sirius pulls back to look at him in the eyes, and Remus is suddenly overwhelmed by the affection he sees there. The world may get to know Best Actor Sirius Black, but no one gets to know his husband, Sirius, the way Remus does. "I love you too, Remus."

modern AU, muggle AU, fake dating

Summary: Step & Repeat: 1. A banner with a repeating motif or picture that is used as a backdrop for pictures, like for a red carpet. 2. The act of actually falling in love with your celebrity best friend while being his fake boyfriend on said red carpet while the whole world thinks you’re already in love. Or, at least, that’s how it happened to Remus.

Comment: Fake dating is one of my favorite tropes, and this fic had absolutely everything I could wish for: lots and lots of mutual pining and totally platonic cuddling, so much domestic fluff, Sirius as a movie star, Remus as a writer, did I mention the mutual pining?? I'm sad I missed it when it was still a WIP because following along the social media posts on tumblr sounds so fun, but I'm so glad I read it now, because it was such a great fic, and the media content in between chapters makes the experience even more immersive, I highly recommend checking it out if you haven't already read it!

Chapter 24: News Cycle

Chapter 25: The Proposal

Sirius settled into his seat. By this point, he was as comfortable flying as he was riding in a car. It was just another one of the expected realities of his job. Remus, on the other hand, was clearly not as comfortable.

Sirius smiled as he saw Remus shuffle around, organizing his laptop and books–yes, plural. Remus had brought with him multiple hardback books. “I have to, Sirius,” he’d said when Sirius made the mistake of asking. “What if I finish one? Or what if I bring one, and it’s not the one I want to read then?”

“You could buy a new one,” Sirius pointed out.

Read the entire chapter on AO3.

Step & Repeat has hit 1000 kudos!

I'm honestly blown away. It is my first fic to hit 1000, and I'm just so in love with the story that I created. I'm happy that this is the one everyone else loved too. So thank you all for following it and loving it with me.

Summary:

Step & Repeat:

A banner with a repeating motif or picture that is used as a backdrop for pictures, like for a red carpet.

The act of actually falling in love with your celebrity best friend while being his fake boyfriend on said red carpet while the whole world thinks you’re already in love. Or, at least, that’s how it happened to Remus.

Chapter 20: News Cycle

Chapter 21: While You Were Sleeping (1995)

The next morning, Remus woke up with Sirius laying on his chest, arms wrapped around his waist, and their legs tangled together. He’s still asleep, and a glance at the clock tells Remus that it’s a rare occurrence. It’s nearly 10 am, and Sirius had never been able to sleep past 8 am without the aid of jet lag or an extraordinarily late night, neither of which applied to last night. 

He supposed that the alcohol they drank at the premiere could explain it, but Remus secretly hoped that it was because of him. 

Remus didn’t have the heart to wake Sirius, despite his protesting bladder, but instead stayed as still as possible and watched him sleep. Somewhere, in the small part of his brain that functioned before coffee, Remus was aware that this is a bit creepy, but he couldn’t bring himself to care. 

Oh, hey. I made like actual art.

“Did I write it for Sirius? Laughs Well, I definitely knew that Ellis would be read that way. But, was it intentional? Shrugs I think the dedication really says it all.”