red [complete]

1.3

Remus is hesitant to let Sirius into his apartment, so they sit in the car for a little while.

This doesn't bother Sirius. He turn on the interior light and pulls out his crossword. "Eight letters. Satchel's distant cousin."

"Backpack," Remus offers.

Sirius nods.

"Side, opposite of out." Remus makes up.

Sirius looks at him. "In. Okay." Sirius quickly opens the car door and makes towards the entrance of Remus' student housing apartment.

Remus sighs, turns off the dome light, and follows him.

———

Of course Remus notices the way that Sirius' gaze lingers on his lips or his how hand travels towards Remus' as they sit at the table to have a mug of tea. He realizes that he needs to be ready to stop Sirius' advances, should they come.

He sets Sirius up to sleep on the couch, he figures it will suffice for a night because in a couple of hours, Sirius will be on his way to get ready for the funeral. "The bathroom is the second door on the left down the hall."

Sirius sinks into the couch as he asks, "and your bedroom?" He sees the way Remus looks at him with pity etched in his features. Sirius realizes that he made an utter fool out of himself; maybe he shouldn't have tried to kiss Remus, but he's not really regretful.

Remus sighs and sits down next to Sirius and he places a cautious arm around Sirius' shoulder. He feels Sirius melt into him and he debates if the comfort he's offering is helpful or harmful. "It's the first door, " he takes a moment to look at Sirius- his sharp cheekbones and jawline with his hollow eyes. He wonders if Sirius has been taking care of himself since Regulus' passing; he assumes that he hasn't been. "But, we can't."

Sirius nods.

"I know that you're sad and hurt and you want me to comfort you. But I can't, not physically. I can't take advantage of you like that."

"I wouldn't be," Sirius interrupts quickly, "I mean I want to- you wouldn't be taking advan-"

"Sirius, we can't. I don't want to. I don't want to when you're in this headspace."

Remus sees the way Sirius spaces out for a moment- his eyes glaze over and he looks out at the hallway at nothing in particular. "Is it alright if I sleep with the TV on?"

"Erm- um yeah," Remus clears his throat as he rises from the couch. He retrieves and hands the remotes to Sirius. "Netflix is logged in and everything."

Sirius takes them from his spot on the couch and nods.

"But remember, it's already 5:30. The funeral is later today."

"Are you coming?"

"Jen is going to let me know if she can take my shift pretty soon hopefully. I'll know either way soon. You said the service starts at 4?"

"Yeah."

Remus yawns, "Alright, I'm usually up around noon, but wake me if you need anything."

Sirius watches Remus pad towards his room, "hey, Remus?"

"Hmm?" Remus spins to face him.

"Thank you."

Remus smiles and makes his way to bed.

___

The awful sound of someone hurling wakes Remus from his nap. He blearily makes his way to the bathroom through the door attached to his bedroom. "Sirius, you alright?" He grumbles.

Sirius doesn't reply given his head is in the toilet bowl.

Remus groans and goes back into his bedroom. He spent all night cleaning up after others.

...but that doesn't mean he's not going to look after Sirius.

He returns with a fresh set of clothes and kneels beside Sirius. "I can't help you unless you tell me why you're vomiting."

Sirius groans and grabs for his stomach as he dry heaves again. "I just-" he wretched again, "wanted to eat."

Remus sets his hand on Sirius' back to realize he's practically sweating through his t-shirt. "What did you have?"

Sirius wretches once more before sitting up and resting his back on the toilet. "Cereal?"

Immediately, Remus goes into diagnostic mode, "have you eaten anything else in the last 24 hours?" he asks as he glances at the clock on the wall; 7:48 am.

Sirius pushes some rogue, sweat soaked, strands of hair out of his face. "No."

The fact that Sirius doesn't need to think all that hard points Remus in one direction, "not since Regulus passed."

Remus didn't ask it as a question, so Sirius doesn't respond to it as one. Instead, he quickly throws himself back over the bowl and dry heaves once more.

"What can I do to make you feel better?"

Sirius hesitates, "I don't want to be a bother..."

Remus is too tired to play a back and forth with Sirius, so he makes the decision for him, "come on, you'll feel better after a shower."

"No, Remus, I really don't feel like it."

Remus had already made his decision, "too bad." He stands and runs the shower until it has a nice temperature. "Come on." He helps Sirius to his feet. "I'll leave these clothes here. Assuming you don't need me to wash your hair for you or anything." Remus intends for it to be joking as he says it, but he realizes that it's a little condescending as he says it.

Sirius enjoys the shower for a long while, long enough that Remus ponders checking to make sure he hasn't fallen asleep. Eventually he hears the water turn off. He rolls over and checks his phone before going back to bed. The time is now 8:23 and Jen has agreed to cover his shift this evening.

He's just gotten comfortable in bed when the bathroom door slides open, he sighs.

"Remus? I know you said, but I just really hate being alone right now. Can I sleep on your floor or something?"

"I don't want you to do something you'll be ashamed of later, Sirius, that's all. But no, you cannot sleep on the floor."

"Oh.."

"Come here." Remus sits up in his bed.

Sirius follows Remus' instructions hesitantly.

"If you'd like to occupy that half of the bed for the next three or so hours, be my guest." He gestures to the half of the bed he is not laying in.

Sirius doesn't protest, he simply crawls under the cover and quickly falls asleep for the first time since Tuesday night.