The Only Girl - Remus Lupin x Reader [Book 1] - Rewritten

18 - Nail Polish

I'm doing homework, Remus beside me, but I look up suddenly when I hear a snapping sound.

"Are you okay?" I ask Remus, looking at the broken quill in his hand.

"Stressed." He mumbles, dropping the quill to the table.

"Full moon?" I question and he nods. "Just focus on the homework later, take some time to relax."

"But-"

"Shut up and relax," I say and he jokingly glares at me. "I've got an idea, wait here."

He looks at me confusedly as I run up to my dorm.

I return moments later with a small box.

"Unless that box can come alive and eat my stress, I'm not sure this will work." He say jokingly as I sit back down beside him.

"Haha, very funny," I retort sarcastically. "Now pick a colour."

"What?" He questions.

"There's nail polish in here," I say, opening the lid of the box. "Now pick a colour, I'm going to paint your nails."

"No, you are not."

"Please," I beg. "Sometimes when I'm stressed I'll paint my nails and it helps me relax. And Sirius sometimes lets me paint his nails, he agrees that it's relaxing."

"Y/n-"

"Please." I cut him off and he sighs.

"Fine, but nothing too bright." He says and I smile. I push the box towards him and he picks out a pastel yellow.

I gently take his hand and begin painting his nails. He watches closely the whole time.

Once I'm done he looks at his hands weirdly.

"Is it strange that I actually quite like it?" He says quietly.

"Not at all," I shrug. "It looks nice."

I then begin painting my own nails, I finish one hand but before I begin the other Remus speaks up.

"Can I try?" He asks softly.

"Sure, but if you get nail polish all over my hand I'll kill you." I joke, handing him the bottle carefully.

"There is a way to get it off if I do mess up right?" He asks before he starts.

"Yeah, I've got nail polish remover, and it comes off skin pretty easily anyways."

"Okay, that's good." He nods.

He takes my hand in his. My breath hitches at his soft touch. I ignore the feeling as he begins painting my nails.

I admire the look of pure concentration on his face. His eyebrows furrowed, his lips tightly shut, his eyes unmoving from my hand.

"Done." He suddenly says cheerfully and I realise I had been staring at him.

Ignoring the fact that I'm probably blushing, I look down at my hand. He has done a pretty good job, there is some nail polish on my fingers, but it's good, especially considering this is probably the first time he's ever even touched nail polish.

"I know it's not the best and it's quite messy and I-"

"Shush, you did great." I cut him off.

"And you're right, that weirdly did help me relax."

"Told ya."

~*Remus' POV*~