Just Breathe

f o u r t e e n

Remus

January 4 was the start of the second semester. With that, there were a lot of long days in the cold classrooms at the castle-like school. Well, maybe not long days. I only had a few classes at the college. Most of mine were online.

One of my assignments was to watch a Bob Ross video tutorial to get a feel for another person's painting style. Sirius was sitting beside me, watching me paint. 

I brought the brush too far to one side, making my tree look too fake and lopsided. I grunted in annoyance. 

"What? It looks fine, Remus. Better than fine," Sirius reassured. 

I rolled my eyes and paused the video. 

"I'm making a lot of happy accidents," I said.

Sirius laughed.

It was about a week later when I crossed the hall to Sirius's apartment. I'd been feeling lonely all morning and I knew that Sirius's company would be the perfect remedy. I pushed open the door and was about to take a step inside when James came out of nowhere and gently shoved me right back outside.

"No visiting today, sorry Remus. Sirius has been throwing up all morning. He's got Influenza B. Can't have you getting sick."

I frowned in disappointment. It was true, I couldn't afford to get sick. I still had that cold leftover from Christmas. 

James gave me a pitying look. "Sorry. But I think it's best if we all stick to our own apartments until Sirius get's over the flu. Carrying germs back and forth, you know."

I sighed and nodded, turning around. 

"I'll tell him to call you later when he wakes up," James called after me. I went back into my apartment and sat down next to Lily on the couch, setting down the oxygen cart. 

"Back so soon?" Lily looked up from her laptop where she was editing her photos that she took for her photography class. 

I leaned my head on her shoulder and watched her work. "Sirius is sick," I said. "James has banned me from their apartment."

Lily hummed in response, resting her head on top of mine. "It's for the best, Rey. If he's sick, you have to stay away."

"I know," I grumbled. "But I don't have to like it."

Lily chuckled. "I didn't say you had to like it, you dodo."

My cheeks heated up. "James said no one should associate at all until Sirius isn't ill, so that means you lot can't hang out either, you know," I said, strictly to dampen her spirits.

Lily seemed to be amused by my crankiness.

"You forget we live in the 21st century, Remus," she said, waving her phone in my face. I huffed, crossing my arms over my chest, going into a coughing fit. When I thought it was almost done, it just got stronger and I doubled over, coughing harder. Lily rubbed my back.

When I was done coughing, I sat back up, wiping my watering eyes. 

"Still got that cold?" Lily asked. I nodded. "My nose is always super stuffy, so its hard to breath through my nose, even with my nasal cannula," I said, motioning to the tube under my nose. 

"And my throat's all scratchy," I added. Lily nodded. "I think you've given me a mild cold as well, Remus," she said. 

"Sorry," I muttered sheepishly. Lily shook her head. "You don't have to be sorry, Remus, it happens."

I snuggled further into her side and she closed out of her computer and wrapped me up in a hug, holding me close. She pressed a kiss to the top of my head. 

"I love you, Remus," she said.

My heart swelled. It was exactly what I'd needed to hear. 

"I love you, too, Lils." She hummed again and closed her eyes and the both of us fell asleep like that on the couch. 

I woke up hours later to the smell of food cooking. I scrunched my face up in confusion because Lily was still sitting on the couch with me, sleeping. I lifted my head, my neck stiff, to look over the back of the couch. Mr. and Mrs. Evans had apparently let themselves in and were bustling quietly around the kitchen, making supper.

Mrs. Evans smiled when she saw me and I returned it, weaseling my way out of Lily's hold. I grabbed my oxygen cart and padded over to the kitchen, stretching and yawning as I went. 

"Hey, baby, how are you?" She asked, giving me a hug. 

"I'm alright," I murmured sleepily. Mr. Evans gave me a hug too. Mum handed me a chocolate bar, because she knows how much I love chocolate and how I've been sleeping all day and need to eat something. 

Smiling, Dad gestured towards the stack of the many chocolate bars they'd brought for me. 

A little closer to supper, Lily woke up to the surprise of her parents and supper. She gave out hugs and we all sat down to eat. 

"So how are the boyfriends?" Mum asked, passing around the food.

"Sick," I answered with my mouth full. Mum gave me a look and I grinned. At least now I had a mum who cared. 

"Sick, you said?" Dad asked. I nodded.

"Well technically just Sirius, but out of safety for Remus, James has banned the lot of us from interacting," Lily said. 

Mum chuckled. "He's a sweet boy, looking out for Remus like that."

"He is," Lily said, nodding eagerly. "You know, he carried Remus to the hospital when he wouldn't stop coughing that one time."

I blushed, I could see the new appreciation for James Potter in Mr. and Mrs. Evans eyes.

They stayed throughout the next week because they said they would be away for Lily's birthday, 31 January, so they wanted to spend some time with us now. During the days when we were at classes, they would either stay home and clean our apartment(which was nice) or they would go out and do things in London. 

Every night, Sirius would FaceTime me and we'd talk for hours until one of us fell asleep. 

Finally, after an entire week, Sirius was well again and James took him off house arrest and lifted the socializing ban. The three of them came over to ours for supper on the last night of the Evans staying over and the second Sirius was through the door, I had him in a hug, determined to never let go.

Sirius smiled and hugged me back. I leaned up to kiss him, but he pushed me away.

"Nuh-uh-uh," he said. "No kisses. Not until we're absolutely sure the sickness has gone. I can't risk getting you sick yet."

I frowned but nodded, opting to take his hand instead.

"I promise I very much want to kiss you," Sirius said, trying to make it better. "It's just that I can't."

"Tomorrow?" I asked hopefully.

Sirius shook his head. "No. But maybe the next day."