As Lily tipped back another tiny shot glass of tequila she wished it would just get a little larger. Well, it could. She knew that. She knew she could just order an actual glass of tequila, but then she'd be paying for a larger cup just filled with ice so it was better this way. Really, it was.

"What did you say his name was again?" She yelled at the sandy-haired man who had just slid his card to the bartender, indicating he wanted to close the tab with a simple shake of his head.

"Sirius... Hey! Don't laugh!" He scolded the redhead for doing just that. "He's cute! And his parents met at some astrology conference. Or maybe at the museum? I don't remember. He was fucking fit, okay?" Remus looked at her with a slight pout that only made her laugh harder.

"Aw c'mon Re, you can't really think that just because some bloke is fit as hell that I'm not going to laugh at his obnoxious name. Seriously? No pun intended." She grinned at her own joke as Remus continued to glare at her.

"No, I suppose he shouldn't." A tall man with stark black hair that fell down a little past his shoulders in loose waves commented. "But then again, the bloke's middle name is Orion and his last name is Black so apparently his parents just had it out for him from day one." The wry smile on his face matched that of his friend's. Normally Lily's cheeks would've been burning a furious shade of red to match her hair, but she knew the alcohol had already given her a pink flush that would hide her shame.

"Sirius Orion Black. Pleasure to make your acquaintance. Lily Jane Evans, at your service." She did a mock curtsy before holding her hand out for him to shake. He did so dutifully before dropping her hand and instantly moving that arm around Remus' shoulders. After sizing him up for a moment, Lily turned to Sirius' friend. "And you, oh silent one?"

He looked startled before his own cheeks went pink and she delighted in the fact that she was able to catch him off guard. It was a shame that he wouldn't be into her, because she could have easily been into him.

"James. James Potter. Pleasure to make your acquaintance." The male lifted her hand to his mouth, pressing a soft kiss to the skin on the back of her hand. She giggled before doing a curtsy.

"Well at least one of you knows how to greet a proper lady." She huffed, arching an eyebrow as she turned to Sirius who was half-preoccupied with ordering them a round of drinks.

"Nobody would mistake you for a proper lady, love." She elbowed Remus at his comment before clapping her hands together as a glass of tequila appeared in front of her suddenly thanks to Sirius. The redhead took a smooth sip before a loud bass sounded, indicating a song change. "Well, maybe you do know how to treat a lady." She commented to Sirius as it dawned on her what song was about to play.

"Absolutely not. It's not happening." Remus declared before she could even think to ask. The hand not holding her drink instantly clung to his forearm, as if trying to tug him out onto the dance floor with her.

"Please, please, please, Re. You know how much I loved this song in high school. It was basically my go to song. You essentially have to dance with me, as my very best friend." She blinked her eyes rapidly before he pulled his arm free from her clutches with a determined shake of his head.

"I'll dance with you." The voice from behind her came out so quietly she was assuming she had made it up before she saw James' eyes. He seemed sincere and she bit her lip before grabbing his hand, which was basically the same as agreeing. The two made their way out to the dance floor before she finally dropped his hand and moved her hips as she felt out the rhythm.

"I really do love this song." She yelled over the music, only to receive a confused stare in return. Lily leaned in closer, realizing she had to go on the tips of her toes to speak into his ear. All she could think of was how damn tall he was. She placed her free hand on his shoulder for balance before she repeated the words at the same volume. He tipped his head back and laughed loudly, and she couldn't help but really appreciate the sound of it.

"I believe you." He reassured her, his lips against her ear as they danced. Their bodies were a bit closer together now and she giggled when he dipped her, both of their drinks sloshing over the rims of their glasses.

"Wait, wait!" She exclaimed, finishing off of her drink before she turned and looked for an open counter space along the wall to set it down. She waited for him to do the same before they headed back to the dance floor in the middle of a new song, one she faintly recognized but was struggling to sing along to.

"How did you meet Sirius?" She asked him, arching an eyebrow as he did a move with his arms that made him look altogether silly but endearing. She grinned as he lifted his hands to hold hers and then she was being pulled in closer.

"Sirius is my brother! We met when we were young. Best friends forever and all that shit!" He told her, his eyes locked onto hers. Lily licked her lips before nodding, a small smile on her lips. His expression showed just how much he adored Sirius, and for a moment she worried for Remus about whether James and Sirius were just brothers. The music had a more sultry beat at this point and she wasn't sure when it happened but somehow she was dancing against James, though he was struggling to find the beat of the song.

"Do you want to get some fresh air with me?" She asked him, needing to step outside but not wanting to go alone, and realizing that although he offered to dance, it didn't seem to be his thing.

"Yeah, sure." James held onto her hand still and led the way, weaving through the throngs of people as they tried to make their way to the entrance. Lily was simultaneously trying to spot Remus or Sirius to let them know where they were going but it was a lost cause, as she couldn't see over anyone's heads. Remus was taller than most of the people there, but it made no difference. It only took a moment or two to get through the crowd and she assumed that was because James' height gave him some type of authority.

Lily took in a deep breath of the city air before letting out a soft sigh. "Penny for your thoughts, love?" Her head whipped up at him and she let out another soft sigh, this one a little more dramatic.

"There aren't many at the moment." She admitted, her laughter bubbling up instantaneously. "Just keep thinking about how to con you or Sirius into buying me another glass of tequila." The redhead's smirk was evident as James' eyebrows raised up in surprise.

"I think that could be arranged, though you may owe me another dance as payment." He swayed his hips in what she assumed was supposed to be a suggestive manner, but it only caused her to cackle loudly before shaking her head.

"No, no, please God no!" Lily exclaimed as she put her hands on his hips to stop him from moving them. "It's not worth it! It's not!" She continued giggling to the point that she couldn't exactly remember why she was giggling, just that she found it hysterical and then suddenly she realized that she was holding onto this man who only knew her for the past forty-five minutes and that she should probably remove her hands from his body. It took a few moments longer before her hands followed through with her brain's orders, and she knew at that moment her cheeks were burning red.

"We should get together sometime this week. I have a feeling we're going to see a lot more of each other if those two continue to hit it off." Lily was surprised by James' suggestion, but she liked the idea of getting to know more people in the city, and the thought of Sirius and Remus splitting up anytime soon didn't seem like an option. She knew from Remus' many midnight ramblings that he was more than committed to seeing this thing with Sirius through, and she was going to get closer to James to prove that she supported his decision. "Sounds great, just put your number in my phone. Otherwise I'd be waiting three days for you to call." Lily let out a soft laugh as she unlocked her phone with her fingerprint and then slid it his way.

"Cute cat photo." He indicated as he held up her phone to reveal the background she had set just days prior. Lily felt her cheeks tinged pink as he slid open her contacts app and began to create a new one to add his number to. "And I wouldn't have waited three days to call you. No guy is dumb enough to wait three days to call such a pretty girl." If her cheeks were pink, they were a deep red now, and she only wished James' compliment could mean what she wanted.

"That's very sweet of you to say. Why don't we head back inside and see if they're ready to head back. I'm all danced out." She grinned as he placed a hand on her elbow to lead her inside once he returned her phone to her.

"James!" Lily exclaimed as the popcorn exploded all over the floor.

"I am so sorry!" He apologized, but the tone of his voice said he was anything but. "That's what you get for not letting me just have some when I asked, though. I think if anything, the mess is your fault!"

"James Potter, you literally ripped the bag from my hands! I just pulled it from the microwave and said I was going to get a bowl!" She smacked his chest, pouting as she looked at the mess on her floor.

"Maybe we should get married. Mrs. Lily Pout-er has a nice ring to it!" He laughed loudly at his own joke before checking the closet for a broom. "Lily, how do you expect to clean anything with this?" He raised an eyebrow before laughing.

"Shut up, you git! It came with the flat. I needed something and I have yet to need a new broom, okay." She knew that it was a bit worn out. The bristles were all frayed at the ends and the handle was starting to splinter. It looked like a broom that the Wicked Witch of the West would hold in her grip. Instead, it resided in the spidery hall closet of Lily's East London flat, barely managing its job of sweeping up linoleum flooring; that didn't mean she wouldn't defend its effectiveness to James.

"It does the job. And until it does not do the job, I will not force it into retirement. What are you- James!" She squealed as he lifted her over his shoulder, her cheek pressed against the middle of his back. James carried her into the living room, tickling her sides aimlessly while she wiggled around in his grasp. "James if you drop me, so help me God I will never let you back into my home again!" She huffed as he tossed her onto the couch cushions, creating a yelp to come from her mouth. It also caused her hands to grab onto the nearest item which just happened to be his shirt, dragging him down on top of her.

Noting their positions, James shifted slightly, though Lily's tight grip made it impossible to fully lift himself off of her.

"Hi." She murmured, smiling brightly up at him. She realized that she was still holding onto his shirt, letting go quickly so she could lift her hands to adjust his crooked glasses. He smiled softly at the gesture, their eyes locking. "You still have to clean my kitchen, y'know." Lily wasn't sure when her voice had gotten so breathless, but she figured it had to be from all of the laughter.

"Yeah, I know." James made no move to get off of her and she couldn't help but place her hands back on his chest, not sure what else to do with them as her arms were trapped in a bent position.

"James?"

"Yeah?"

"Nevermind." She froze, not sure of what she was going to say.

This felt all too much for her and she wondered for the first time if it was odd to have a crush on your new best friend. She and James had grown incredibly close since meeting just a few weeks ago, and she wished she could see a clear line in their relationship. Instead, everything he did she wanted to read as more, and it was causing her to blur the lines. If she wasn't careful, she would fall for him and then she would just end up pining for a man who had no interest in her, and who would only end up breaking her heart.

"Alright, you weirdo." James flicked her nose playfully with his right hand before pushing up to resume his cleaning. Lily sat up on her couch and watched him through the doorway, wondering just how fucked she really was.

"Lily! Lily Evans!" Remus' voice rang through her door as she rubbed her forehead, trying to take in her surroundings. She shuffled over to the door and swung it open, turning to walk back into her kitchen to make a cup of tea without another word. Remus had been over enough times that he could let himself in and get comfortable. She put on enough water for at least two mugs worth before leaning onto her breakfast bar.

"What the hell happened last night?" She knew exactly what he was referring to, but maybe playing dumb would get her into less trouble. The look on his face showed that her confused expression wasn't working on him, and she could only let out a sigh in response.

"That girl was trying to hit on James, I just warned her that he was a lost cause." Lily explained, shrugged her shoulders as she turned so she could grab two mugs from the cupboard.

"Lily, what in the world makes you think James is such a lost cause? It's not like you're going to suddenly be changing his relationship status! You've said so at least three times since I tried pointing out how fit he was." Lily wasn't sure why Remus kept trying to make that point, but she had only been trying to save this girl the heartbreak that nobody had spared her.

"Well, I could! But James isn't exactly my type, in case you hadn't noticed, Re." She retorted, letting out a snort just as the water finished heating, to which she poured the two mugs over the tea bags and offered him one.

"What's wrong with him?"

"Well he's not exactly straight, Remus!" She let out an exasperated huff, now getting angry that her best friend was mocking her.

"What are you talking about? He's not… Lily, he has never mentioned finding a man attractive. And Sirius hasn't ever said anything about it. So I highly doubt that he is."

"We met at a gay club. And he literally dressed the part. I don't want to stereotype but…. My gaydar was dinging like crazy. And being half gay, I think I can figure that out."

"Stop saying you're half gay, Lily! You're bi. Being half-gay isn't a thing! You're such a weirdo." At this point, Remus was smiling fondly at his best friend. "I'm sure James isn't gay, and as a gay man I think I could tell. But I'll try to investigate for you." Lily smiled gratefully at Remus, pressing a kiss to his forehead before grabbing her mug again. "And in themeantime you can listen to me bitch about how Sirius got us lost again last night on our way to dinner."

"Wait, so you're telling me that Lily thinks that James is gay?" Sirius asked his boyfriend, a smirk growing on his face as Remus nodded.

"And James thinks Lily isn't into him and his hopeless, pining, pathetic, lovestruck self?" Sirius confirmed, waiting for Remus to nod his head again, though this time it was accompanied with an eyeroll.

"And Lily has a huge crush on a man who she thinks is as gay as the day is long?"

"Yes, Sirius. Yes, our friends are practically in love with one another and are too thick to realize that they fancy one another. Yes, now wipe that dumb grin off of your face. We have to tell them." Remus smacked his boyfriend's bare chest, though his head soon followed, allowing them to just lay in a silent embrace for a few moments.

"Oh, we are absolutely not telling them a thing. I'm going to enjoy this." Without even glancing up at him, Remus could see the gears turning in Sirius' mind.

Sirius' version of enjoying "this" apparently included making not-so-subtle comments the minute Lily would step out of a room, making James' cheeks go pink at every opportunity made available to him. It got to the point Remus had to withhold sex for six days before he gave in and promised to stop bugging his best friend so much. "But it's easy." He had whined, to which Remus rolled his eyes and smacked him on the shoulder.

"That's exactly why you shouldn't be mocking him. It's no fun to mock if it isn't hard."

James came back into the room and gave them an inquisitive stare before deciding to let the issue go and just fall back onto the couch. Lily sat beside him, their thighs brushing until he covered her knee with his large palm, letting out a small smile as she turned her face to meet his gaze.

"James and I were just saying we should have a proper night out this weekend. It's been so long since we've actually had one." Lily suggested, patting his arm.

The couple standing opposite them quickly agreed, sharing a thought almost instantly that the drama would really finally come to a head this Friday.

Lily knew she had spent too much effort on her outfit for someone who had no intentions of trying to actually impress anyone, but she wanted to look good. She just kept telling herself that she didn't need to look good for a man, she could do it just for herself.

A short Uber ride later brought her to the club that Lily had chosen upon, hoping the vibe would be good for the night. She spotted James first, a whole head above the people around him, other than Remus. She quickly pranced over to the group before James' arm wrapped around her shoulder to pull her in for a hug. It was almost as an afterthought that she hugged Sirius and then Remus, just before James slid a drink over to her.

A familiar song came on and instead of turning to Remus, she glanced up at James and he just laughed. "This is the song we danced to the very first time we met, you know!" He teased, already holding out a hand for her to take. "C'mon, love. Let's go boogie." She giggled loudly, taking a large gulp of her drink to avoid spilling it before he spun her around twice, holding the tips of her fingers gingerly as he did so.

They moved a little closer as the songs meshed together, partly due to being nudged together by the crowd on the floor, partly due to their magnetic pull.

"I'm really glad we met all those months ago." James leaned down to say this earnestly in her ear and she couldn't help but smile as he pulled back, their eyes locked on one another.

"I'm really glad too, James." As her drink was depleted and she felt parched, Lily indicated she was going to head to the bar for another drink. James nodded his approval, keeping an eye on her from afar before he went back to stand with Sirius and Remus near the wall. She waved before turning so she could focus her attention on getting another drink, wiggling her way between a woman in a skirt that she wouldn't have ever dared to wear out but wished she could, and a man whose shoulders were so broad she was pretty sure he could carry her on them. She hadn't realized she was staring until his eyes met hers, lifting an eyebrow before he smirked.

"Sorry! You're just really fit!" She realized what she had said and started giggling, facing the bar once more.

"No need to apologize, love. You're pretty fit yourself." He winked down at her before introducing himself as Connor and offered to pay for her drink. Normally Lily would assure him that she could buy it herself and ignore him, but something about this man intrigued her and she was sick of pining after someone she could never actually have. As he signed his credit card receipt (with a generous tip she noted, instantly adding to her attraction), he guided her over to the side of the bar where she still felt safe enough, but much more private. "Would you like to dance?" He asked, lifting his hand to his hair much like someone else she knows, causing her to compare James and Connor for a moment. Connor's shirt fit much tighter than James' ever did, though she assumed he wore it that way on purpose.

"I'd love to." She finally responded, nothing that she genuinely meant it. Connor was fit and he moved well. His free hand ended up holding her waist, pulling her into him and she accepted it.

The night wore on with lots of laughs and an exchange of numbers before Lily finally went back to her friends, ready to go home. She noticed that James looked frustrated but Sirius and Remus just looked elated. She wasn't entirely sure what happened while she was gone, but she assumed that they had taken the piss a few too many times tonight.

"C'mon, I'm sleepy." She smiled as Sirius offered to give her a piggyback ride once they had made it out of the club, carrying her down the block to his and James' flat.

The next morning was not an easy one for Lily. She was wiped out and the sun was too bright coming through the windows of the guest room. She was unable to fall back asleep and instead went out into the kitchen. Since Sirius and Remus started dating, she had been over enough times to know just where the mugs were kept to get her morning started with a cup of tea.

Looking through the doorway, she could see Sirius walking towards the kitchen with a sleepy smile on his face. "Morning red." He mumbled, and for a moment she pictured him with her best friend, seeing him in such a vulnerable state. "Morning, Black." She teased, adding water to the kettle so there would be enough for both of them.

"You sure had a fun night, hm? Left our little Jamesie alone, but that's alright. He just watched on out of pure pathetic despair." Sirius told her as he rifled through the fridge, though she wasn't sure what he planned to grab.

"Despair? Oh god, I left him all alone. He had to third wheel all night. No wonder he looked so miserable by the time we left."

"Sure, that's why." He laughed before leaving the kitchen without a cup of tea or anything from the fridge and she was left to wonder exactly what that meant.

Lily had called James to come over a few days after the bar incident, feeling disappointed that Connor had never even texted her. She was laying on her couch when he knocked on the door, opening it a moment later with a wide grin on his face. "I bought coconut macaroons! You said it was a 911 emergency with a bunch of crying emojis so I figured these would suffice."

"You're my hero." She patted the couch, lifting her head so that he could slide onto the cushion, laying it back down on his thigh. "You are the Will to my Grace." Lily grinned as she opened the box, her mouth salivating at just the sight of the desserts.

"I don't know what that means, but you're welcome. So, do you want to tell me what happened exactly?" He asked, reaching for a macaroon of his own.

"Connor never called." She sighed dramatically, closing her eyes as she nibbled on her treat. "And it's been like four days. I know we met at the club but I still thought he'd at least call for one date. I thought he found me attractive but I guess not." She shrugged before peaking up at him. "What?"

"Oh for fuck's sake. That's why you called me over here?" James asked, and he sounded almost angry with her. "Lily, that's absolute bullshit. You're fucking beautiful and if you're upset over one prick not calling you that you met at a club, then you're more dramatic than I thought!" He huffed before it must have set in what he said, because his eyes suddenly went a little wider than usual behind his glasses.

"James, that's sweet that you think that but it's not like your opinion actually… I mean, you're not exactly an impartial judge of beauty. It's not like you're actually interested in… well… you know." Lily stumbled over her words, not sure how she was support to phrase it.

"What in bloody hell are you saying, woman!"

"It's not like you're attracted to me, James! I know i'm not your type!" She huffed out, sitting up now so that she was staring at him.

"Lily, are you joking? Of course I'm attracted to you! I think you're fit as hell! I've thought so since the moment we met. I've fucking fancied you for months!"

"Wait. What?"

The words he had just spoken were swirling around her brain.

"But all of those... and the... and you... but I..." she trailed off, her eyes still blown comically wide. Lily just watched James as his shoulders fell slightly. She wanted to say something but she didn't know what.

"James. Are you saying that you've been... that you've fancied me since we met?!" It didn't seem impossible, because now that he was saying it, she felt the pieces falling into place. It was as if every moment that they had shared were suddenly being seen through a new lens. "Why didn't you say anything?"

"Are you bloody joking? Lily, I've been doing all but scream it from the rooftops!" His hand was ruffling his hair and he seemed even more frustrated now. If it weren't so serious, she'd find it incredibly endearing.

"But I didn't think you were... Bloody hell James I thought you were gay!" She exclaimed, and it suddenly hit him why she was never fully returning his advances.

"LILY, what the FUCK!" He didn't look angry, so that was a plus. Not-angry she could work with. Not-angry meant that he wasn't going to hold this against her. Not-angry meant they could work this out.

"We met at a gay bar, James. You and Sirius were the prettiest men in that club! You can't really expect me to not have made that assumption, and then we never... I just never thought to ask. I just assumed. And Remus said you weren't but that he'd talk to Sirius but then he never said anything so I just thought he didn't know how to tell me, and then we went out all those times and you never..." Her shoulders had slumped and she glanced away for just a moment before returning her gaze to his. When their eyes met, she noticed how his pupils appeared so much darker and for the first time she was able to see everything that much clearer.

"James, I-" she was cut off from apologizing before she knew what was happening. Suddenly Lily felt couch cushions beneath her body and his on top of hers. She felt trapped, but safe as his lips covered hers in a passionate kiss. Lily froze for a moment before she was able to wrap her head around what happened. James was kissing her, and that revelation brought her back to reality and she was able to focus on the matter at hand. Without a warning, James right hand slid under her shirt to grip her waist while his left did a hell of a job supporting his weight above her. She let her own hands hold onto his biceps just as his tongue pressed against her bottom lip, and she momentarily forgot who she was with. This was just like any other kiss. No, it was better. Lily pushed him away slightly before she could get any more carried away, though her breathlessness might have given her away a bit.

"James, I fancy you too." She whispered, needing him to hear the words. "For fuck's sake, I've had this massive crush on you since we started hanging out, and I thought it was pointless. Why do you think I wasted my time with that prat the other night. I didn't want to spend more time with you, wishing it would mean something else."

James grinned at her honesty, leaning down to kiss her gently, though this one was much shorter. "Lily, you daft girl. I don't know how else I could have told you."

"I think that just about did the trick." Lily returned his grin before pushing him off of her so that she could sit up, frowning at the box of macaroons that had fallen over, though a few remained in the box.

It wasn't until James was tossing the few damaged macaroons away in her kitchen that she turned to him with a mug of tea tucked between her hands, a devilish grin on her face.

"What is it, love?" He asked, pushing his left hand through his hair while reaching out to her with his right.

"Just thinking, if you aren't gay… How come I got so many gay vibes from you the first night we met?" She asked, knowing that she probably shouldn't judge based off of stereotypes.

"Oh, that night? I lost a bet. Sirius dressed me." She laughed loudly at this response, a small smile on her lips. "Makes sense." The redhead retorted.

"I really made your gaydar go off?" James asked her, letting his chin rest on the top of her head, her mug of tea squished between their chests.

"What can I say, I guess it only works half the time."

Thank you all for reading! Find me on tumblr or AO3! Same username across the board.