Written for:
Hogwarts Forum: Assignment 1 - Sex Ed: Task Two - Write about someone getting pregnant.
1000 prompts - Omegaverse
365 - Omegaverse
Resolution Challenge - Write a one-shot over 5k
Writing Club - Character Appreciation: Falling out with your best friend
Dear Evan Hansen - (dialogue) "You got what you always wanted."
Tea Challenge - WolfStar
Sticker Challenge - Write about a family
Bath Bomb - Write about a pair of characters getting in the mood
What He Always Wanted
Warnings:
MPreg (male pregnancy)
Omegaverse
Remus shifted nervously at the table, his fingers reaching for the water and closing around the cold glass. He brought it to his lips, taking a deep drink from it before looking at his boyfriend.
"You know, I think I'll have the ribs," Dirk said, engrossed in his menu and not noticing Remus' nervousness. "Now, are we having dessert?"
Remus didn't answer, focused on how he was going to share the big news. He struggled to say anything and just wanted to tell Dirk and get this off his chest.
Dirk looked at him for a long moment. "Where's your drink? Why are you drinking water?"
"I…" Remus hesitated for a long moment. "I can't drink alcohol," he said, realising that this was a good opening to his news. "Not for a while."
"Why not?" Dirk asked, his eyes scanning the dessert section of the menu once more.
"I'm pregnant," Remus blurted out.
The menu hit the table and Dirk stared at Remus. "What?"
"I'm pregnant," Remus replied. "We're pregnant." He took a deep breath and tried to smile. "We're going to be parents."
A silence fell over the table and Remus reached for his water again, unsure what else to do as he waited for Dirk to finally get over his shock and -hopefully- be excited over the news.
Dirk stared at him in silence, his eyes fixed on Remus for a long time.
"Dirk?" Remus finally asked softly. "Are you okay? I mean, I know this wasn't planned… but…" he trailed off at the sound of Dirk's chair scraping back. Without a word, his boyfriend stood up and walked away, grabbing his jacket from the back of his chair in the process.
Remus knew what had happened, yet he tried to tell himself that it was a mistake. Of course Dirk hadn't left. Dirk was just getting some fresh air - or he needed a few minutes to think. He'd be back soon. When the waiter came over, Remus sent him away.
Twenty minutes later, the waiter returned with his notebook. "Are you ready to order?"
Remus knew at that point that Dirk wasn't coming back. Maybe he'd come around Remus' apartment later or in a few days? Remus turned his attention to the waiter. He wasn't going to miss out on something to eat now that Dirk had left. "Yes, I'm ready to order," he said. "I'll have the Shepherd's Pie and for dessert, I'll have the chocolate fudge cake with ice cream."
The waiter made a note on his pad. "And to drink?"
"A lemonade please," Remus requested. He watched the waiter walk away and considered his next move.
If Dirk returned, they'd make an announcement to their friends and family. They would begin to plan their life together. But did Remus want that? He cared about Dirk but he hadn't been anywhere near the stage of wanting things like marriage and living together.
The more he thought about it, the more he realised that Dirk walking out was the best thing. Yes, he desperately needed support because he couldn't do this alone but the alternative could have been Dirk insisting on something Remus wasn't ready for. Marriage. Mating. Living together.
As terrified as he was, Remus saw no future with Dirk and the idea of not being pushed into something because of a pregnancy was a relief.
And everything was quickly replaced with anger. Though he didn't want any of this, he hadn't been sure about it earlier or when he had done the test, yet Dirk had just walked away without a single word about being a father, having a relationship with his future child.
He had forgiven Dirk a lot in the past, but this was something he wouldn't forgive and forget. Dirk was out of his life for good and this was time for Remus to have a fresh start.
As the food was set in front of him, Remus wondered if his friends would react like Dirk. Would they think badly of him for getting into this situation? Would they even stick around after he made such a big mistake? Maybe they'd do the same thing as Dirk and walk away from him as though he meant nothing. After all, Sirius had already been pulling away for a while now and James had missed the full moons because of a very extended honeymoon and plans to have a child of his own. Peter was scared to visit Remus alone and Remus couldn't blame him. It wasn't safe for a rat to be with a Werewolf without one of the bigger creatures there.
Remus knew he should consider what it'd be like if his friends were supportive, but he couldn't. He was too fixated on losing them. No, he'd keep this a secret for as long as possible. He'd work out a way to handle this.
...oOo...
"Remus! Open the door." Loud banging followed James' voice and Remus hesitated where he was sitting, packing his books. If he opened the door, his friends would come in, see what was happening and he'd have to tell them the truth.
He had just wanted to quietly go back to Wales without fuss or having to explain himself. He had hoped he could slip out of his friends lives easily. It wasn't as though he saw them as much anymore so he thought it would have been easy.
He stayed still, not making a noise. Maybe they would go away.
"Remus!" The banging resumed again and Remus shifted into a more comfortable position, the back of his hand rubbing against his cheeks and eyes. He had been talking to his mum - he had asked his parents if he could move back home but had avoided telling them the reason why. After all, admitting his fuck-up wasn't something he could do over the phone. Plus, his parents would be less angry if they saw him when he told them he was six months pregnant.
"Remus! We're not leaving until you open the door!" Remus' head shot up. Sirius was there? Sirius never came by anymore. Well, he had turned up the day before each full moon to see if Remus had needed him, but the visits didn't last long once Remus told him that he didn't. James and Peter made more of an effort, but Remus had been scared that his friendship with Sirius had been destroyed.
He stood up hesitantly, not sure what to do now. Sirius sounded concerned.
"We know you're in there," came Peter's voice. "Magic, remember? The spell says someone is in your place. So either you let us in or we make our own way in."
"We're not leaving," James added. "Come on! Please!"
"Remus, please," Sirius called.
Remus started towards the door, knowing that Peter really would find a way in or that his friends would break down the door. Failing that, they three would sit outside of his house for days waiting for him to emerge. They had done it once before. He walked over to the door and clicked the lock back and pulled the door open. He half-hid behind the door so they couldn't see his stomach.
"Remus! Why haven't you been answering my letters?" James began, pushing his way into the flat. Sirius and Peter followed and the three stood in the small narrow hallway looking at Remus. Remus was glad that none of them had looked down or realised that he was pregnant.
"Why are you here?"
"You've been avoiding us and we're not going to let it happen anymore!" James said. Remus snorted, his eyes falling on Sirius briefly and Sirius had the decency to look embarrassed. Of course he did - Remus decided. Sirius was the one avoiding Remus at all costs - only popping up when it was the full moon due to a promise he made back in school. If Remus meant something to him, Sirius would have made an effort. Remus had… he had tried mending their friendship but Sirius had pulled away so much that Remus knew Sirius would be gone entirely if not for the full moon.
"Your mum called Sirius. She said you were upset over something on the phone but wouldn't tell her. She asked him to come here and make sure you were alright," Peter explained. "Should I put the kettle on?"
Remus nodded slowly. He hadn't started packing the kitchen up yet so it was safe.
"You're shaking. Do you need a blanket?" Sirius asked. Remus didn't look at him again.
"I'll get it myself. You three go into the kitchen," he said, his tone clipped.
"Oh. Okay." The softness quickly left Sirius' voice and his friends all walked away.
Remus headed down the hall and into the bedroom, shutting the door behind him. He searched through his stuff, pulling out one of his baggier winter cardigans and pulling it on over his clothes. Feeling slightly warmer and more confident that his stomach wasn't as obvious, Remus headed out of his room and to the kitchen.
His friends weren't there. Of course they weren't. He closed his eyes and took a deep breath before turning and walking to the living room. His three friends turned to look at him as he entered the room and Remus sat down in the empty armchair, pulling a nearby blanket onto his lap to hide the bump, and reached for the cup of tea they had made him.
"So… boxes everywhere?" James asked, his arms folded. "Having a little clearout?"
Remus knew he could lie about it. He could say that he was donating the books or something, but he was just tired of doing it all alone and wondering if his friends would stick around.
"I'm moving," he replied instead.
"Moving? Why?" Sirius demanded.
"Are you moving in with Dirk?" Peter asked.
Sirius snorted. "Dirk - I should have known. Yeah, it's not important so I'll leave you guys to it." He stood up from the sofa and marched towards the door.
"I'm pregnant," Remus blurted out. "Dirk left me. I lost my job. I can't afford my rent and… I'm moving back to Wales."
Sirius stopped in the doorway, unmoving for a long moment. Remus nervously turned his gaze to his other two friends, both of whom were staring at him in complete shock.
"And you've not reached out to any of us for help?" James asked.
Remus gave a small shrug. "You had the long honeymoon and you're trying to have a child. I didn't want to be a burden. Peter has been looking after his mum because she's sick and Sirius was always working when I… you guys have your own lives going on and I didn't want to… I mean, I—I didn't want you all feeling like you had to drop what's important and come rushing around here."
Sirius turned around slowly. "This doesn't make any sense," he said slowly. "If you've just gotten dumped and lost your job, you'd still be able to do rent for a bit." He stared at Remus, realisation quickly crossing his face. "How long have you been keeping this secret?"
Remus sighed. "I'm six months pregnant. I knew after the first full moon when I didn't transform."
Sirius' hand hit the door. "I knew something was up!" he said. "You kept telling me that you didn't need us for the full-moon. I may have been busy with work, but I was here for the full moon and you had every chance to tell me."
Remus frowned, annoyed. "Well, I didn't feel comfortable sharing that information with someone who can barely look at me," he snapped angrily. "Maybe you've been here for the full moon, but you've pretty much pretended I don't exist for the rest of the time."
"Six months?" Peter asked, before an argument started. "When did you tell Dirk?"
"After I found out, so pretty much straight away," Remus said, turning to look at Peter. He didn't want to argue with Sirius. It just hurt that Sirius was acting like Remus was the one in the wrong where Remus never felt like he could approach Sirius. There had been a time where he had told Sirius everything - where there had been very few secrets between them. That time had disappeared and Remus didn't know how to get it back.
Months ago, Remus could send Sirius an owl at 3am and Sirius would be there.
"You could have told me," Sirius insisted.
"Why?" Remus asked shrugging. "It's not like we're that close anymore." He couldn't keep the hurt from his voice as much as he tried.
"Don't… don't say that." Sirius moved back into the room, hovering near Remus' chair. Remus focused on the cup of tea, bringing it to his lips again and savouring the taste. Tea always relaxed him. "I…"
"I think we're all guilty of not having time for Remus," James muttered. "We've all been so caught up in our lives that we didn't even know he was pregnant, alone, struggling."
"You couldn't have known," Remus replied with a shrug.
"And if one of us was in trouble, you'd have known," James replied. "You always knew back in school when one of us needed help or advice or someone to talk you. We've failed you."
"Why didn't you tell us sooner?" Peter asked.
Remus stayed quiet. His reasons sounded stupid now. After hearing his friends being supportive, he realised how he had automatically assumed the worst of three people who really cared about him.
"He thought we were going to walk away - like Dirk," Sirius filled in after a long silence. "I'm right, aren't I, Remus? He always thinks the worst."
"I did something stupid and I tried to handle it."
"You're not handling it very well," Sirius insisted.
"We haven't been there for him," Peter murmured. "Of course he's going to think the worst. You know Remus is sensitive like that."
"I am not," Remus quickly replied, miffed at the look the other three shared with each other. At least Peter didn't say it was because he was an Omega.
"Even so, he should have shared," Sirius said.
Remus sighed. He wanted to argue, but Sirius was right. "Law states I have to tell my employer immediately and he got rid of me."
"Wait, they can't do that if you're pregnant—"
"He can," Remus replied. "I'm a werewolf. Laws aren't exactly friendly towards us! I've tried to find work but I can't. I applied for muggle benefits but I'm waiting to hear back about that and the best thing for me to do is go back to Wales. My parents can help with the baby. A farm is a nice place to raise it. I mean, I should have done this after finding out. What was I thinking, trying to stay here whilst pregnant? What was I going to do when the baby came?" He felt panic rise up inside of him again at the thought.
"You do know we'll help you, right?" James asked. "We'll look after you and the baby. We'll help you with whatever you need. We can take you to appointments—"
"You can't," Remus replied. He tried to push the panic down but it wasn't going. His arms wrapped around himself. "You have Regulus and work - you've only been married for about six and a half months. Sirius works and Peter has a mum to care for. I need to get back to packing - I have a moving van arriving tomorrow."
"And we've already screwed up, we're not going to screw up again. I'll cover your rent," James insisted.
"No," Sirius replied, his eyes following Remus' movement. "I have that spare bedroom. Remus, you're moving in with me."
Remus' head whipped around. "I can't do that."
"You can," Sirius insisted. "I'm the one who let you down the most. James and Peter have other people in their lives to look after. I was working. I could have left work on time and come over but I didn't. This is my fault."
"You're not responsible for me," Remus replied.
"Perhaps not, but I should have realised something was up. I should have pushed you for answers when I came over but I didn't do any of that. I'm not taking no for an answer - you're staying with me."
"I'll be a burden," Remus muttered.
Sirius dropped down next to Remus' chair. "Dirk the Jerk might have walked out on you, but we're never going to do that," he insisted. "We're your friends and we'll all be a part of that baby's life. Uncle Sirius, Uncle James, Uncle Peter. We're not going to let you down again. We're not going to abandon you like Dirk. We're certainly not going to let you go to Wales. We're your friends - even if we've been doing a crappy job of it recently - and we're going to look after you."
His arms wrapped around Remus and Remus leaned into the embrace, tears threatening to spill. It wasn't long before James and Peter had gotten up from the sofa and wrapped their arms around him too.
"I don't want to be a burden," Remus said, sniffing. He could feel his body shaking. But Sirius' arms around him helped more than he could put into words.
"Love, you will never be a burden," Sirius replied softly, his hand stroking Remus' hair. "I'm sorry I wasn't here for you."
"I don't expect you to put your life on hold to—"
"I know, but I've been a rubbish friend, A good friend would have been here months ago, but I'll fix this. We're here now, whatever you need. Tomorrow you're moving in with me. I'm going to make it up to you. I'm going to look after you, do anything you need."
"But I have no job, no… not much money. I…"
"So what?" James murmured softly. "If this was the other way around and you had money and one of us needed help, what would you do?"
"You'd help up," Peter insisted. "We can help you. My cousin had a baby a few months ago. I'll get clothes and stuff."
James and Peter moved away as Remus calmed down, but Sirius still held tightly. "Boy or girl?"
"I… I haven't had the appointment yet. I'm on the waiting list."
"You should have had it around now," James insisted. "It's at twenty weeks which is around four and a half months I think."
"Werewolf," Remus muttered.
James frowned. "I'll make some calls," he said. "I'll get my family doctor to see you."
"I'll call your mum and say that you're not coming back… if you like?" Peter offered.
Remus nodded slowly, still uncertain about everything that was happening.
"I'll stay here with you. Have you eaten? Do you need anything? I'm going to order pizza."
"I can't eat cheese. It makes me sick," Remus whispered. "You have work tomorrow though."
Sirius looked at him, horrified. "You can't eat cheese?" he asked.
"It makes me sick," Remus repeated miserably. "You don't want to take me on, Sirius. I'll be better off in Wales."
"Well, I'm not letting you leave," Sirius said firmly. "I'll take tomorrow off. Now. Tell us about Jerk… I mean Dirk."
Remus snorted, running the back of his hand over his face. "I… I don't want to talk about it right now. I told him and he left and I haven't contacted him since."
Sirius nodded. "We will talk about this," he muttered. "But you sit back and we'll get everything packed for you. James, can you ask Regulus to grab a change of clothes and pyjamas for me and drop them here?"
"On it," James replied.
"Let's order Chinese instead," Sirius insisted. When Remus didn't reply, Sirius gave Peter a nod. "We'll eat and then pack."
...oOo...
Remus woke up extremely early the next morning feeling lighter than ever. The fears he had been suffering from the past few months had disappeared. He wasn't concerned over his rent and over what he was going to do because his friends had turned up and they had insisted on helping.
Remus didn't feel like he deserved their help, but they were as amazing as they always were, wanting to make sure that Remus was safe and protected and looked after. The same thing he would do for any of them if they needed him.
He climbed out of bed and slipped his feet into his slippers. He pulled his dressing gown on and walked through to the living room only to find Sirius stretched out on the sofa, snoring softly. His blankets were covering half of him and the rest were on the floor. Remus smiled at the sight before walking over, grabbing the cover and fixing it over his friend. He resisted reaching out and pushing the hair from Sirius' face.
Instead, Remus cast a quick spell to warm up the living room before picking up his book and turning to leave the room. He decided he would read at the little table in the kitchen whilst having a cup of tea or two.
"Moony?" Sirius murmured.
"Sirius?" Remus paused.
"Cold. Come 'ere. You shouldn't be up."
"I couldn't sleep any longer," Remus replied, clutching his book.
"Rubbish. Come 'ere." Sirius pulled the covers back and held his arm out.
"Sirius…" Remus began uncertainly.
"C'mon. It helped after the full moon when you were restless," Sirius said, cracking open one eye and staring blearily at Remus. "It'll help now. Helps to be around an Alpha or so I've heard."
Remus hesitated for a long moment, but found he had little self-control. Ever since their one night stand at James' wedding, things had been strange between them. Perhaps this would help them fall into old patterns? Maybe this could be a step into fixing their friendship?
He moved closer to the sofa and slipped into the small gap that Sirius made, finding himself pressed up against Sirius. After some awkward shuffling, his back was to Sirius and Sirius' arm was wrapped tightly around him, the cover pulled up to their chins
"Goodnight love," Sirius muttered, nuzzling his nose into the back of Remus' neck.
"Goodnight," Remus murmured even though it was four-am and technically morning. He closed his eyes and listened to Sirius' breathing behind him.
"Gonna help you and the baby," Sirius muttered sleepily. "I'ma be a good dad."
As Remus slipped back to sleep, he wondered if he had heard Sirius correctly.
...oOo...
The few items that had been left out overnight were packed into the one box that hadn't been stuck down. Sirius had already looked around at Remus' furniture, deciding on what he had space for and what he didn't. Remus was glad that Sirius had space for his armchair because Remus loved curling up in the large seat with a book. His sofa was secondhand and he had considered just leaving it, but it would make more sense having it stored away for when he moved on from Sirius' place because he wouldn't be able to afford another one.
But Remus couldn't help but smile all morning. He had woken up in Sirius' arms, Sirius hand wrapped protectively around Remus' stomach, and Sirius had been wonderful. He had made breakfast for Remus, made him cups of tea throughout the morning and even been over-protective when Remus was trying to lift the lightest of boxes. Though a part of Remus wanted to protest that he could do these things, it was nice being fussed over.
No. It was nice that Sirius was the one fussing when only 24 hours ago, Remus thought that Sirius didn't care about him.
Maybe one day he'd find out why Sirius had given that impression - but for today, he was fine not knowing. It was too nice having Sirius acting like this and he didn't want Sirius to pull away again.
Once breakfast finished and everything cleaned and sorted, Sirius contacted James. It wasn't long before James, Regulus, Peter, Frank and Alice all turned up to help out. Remus was made to sit on his armchair on the curb whilst the others made trips upstairs to bring everything else out.
When the moving truck arrived, it didn't take long for Remus' friends to load the van. Remus headed back to his flat to take a last look around and make sure nothing got missed. He didn't miss the way Sirius came upstairs with him.
"I'm sorry," Sirius murmured, as Remus slowly looked around each of the rooms, checking cupboards and drawers.
"What? Why?" Remus asked, not pausing in his task.
"I let you down," Sirius said. "I never wanted us to be at the stage where you felt like you couldn't come to me about anything. You used to be able to talk to me about any issues, any problems. I was always there for you. It's my fault that you couldn't come to me because I wasn't here for you like I promised I'd always be. I caused this."
Remus didn't know what to say to that. He stayed silent as he finished walking around his old flat, feeling sad that he was leaving it. Finally he finished and headed to the front door, Sirius trailing after him.
He turned, feeling like he needed to say something before leaving. He moved closer to Sirius, wrapping his arms around his friend and feeling Sirius' arms around him. Throughout all of Hogwarts, it was the place he felt the most safe and secure and the hurt over the last few months disappeared whilst Sirius held him tightly.
They stood there for a long time. Not a single word exchanged. They didn't part until James cleared his throat from the doorway. "The van is packed," he said softly. "I'll be downstairs when you're ready."
"Yeah. We'll be down in a minute," Sirius murmured. The pair listened to James walk away and Sirius sighed. "This time I'm going to stick to my promise," he said softly. "I'm going to be there for you no matter what. Even if Dirk comes back, I'll be there."
"He's not coming back," Remus replied. "Even if he did, I want nothing to do with him. I'm glad he left."
"I'm glad too. You were always much too good for him."
"I thought you guys liked him? You used to come out for drinks with us."
"That was before he broke up with you last time," Sirius replied, stepping back and letting go of Remus. "None of us actually liked him. Actually we kind of hated him."
"You never said."
"Because we wanted to see you," Sirius insisted. "We thought if we told you the truth, you'd stay away from us because you were always with Dirk."
"I don't think it's possible to stay away from you," Remus admitted.
Sirius' hand reached up, tucking a strand of Remus' hair behind his ears. "You managed for the past few months."
"That was different. I… I didn't…"
"Don't explain. It's my fault. You felt like you couldn't talk to me. I caused you to feel like that and I never wanted us to be in that place. No matter what happens, if you ever need me, I'm there." He removed his hand. "Now, let's get you home."
"Home sounds good," Remus murmured.
Sirius smiled softly in a way that always made Remus' heart skip a beat. "Well what are we standing here for?" he asked. "Let's go!"
...oOo...
Remus was sent to the sofa with a cup of tea and a bar of chocolate. He could hear the others moving around and getting his bedroom sorted and his stuff unpacked and he really wanted to help.
But at the same time, he didn't want to appear ungrateful. His friends just didn't know how to deal with someone who was pregnant - they didn't realise how much a pregnant Omega could actually do and it was in their natures to be protective of him and go out of their way to look after him. Besides, he didn't really plan on moving again anytime soon - so it'd just be that once that they would be making such a fuss.
Half-way through, Sirius put another cup of tea on the table and flopped down next to Remus, giving Remus a wide smile. "So… living together again. It's going to be great."
"It will be," Remus agreed. "And once the baby is born, I'll get my own place so you don't have to worry."
Sirius grabbed his hand. "No," he replied urgently. "I have space for the baby too. I'll make spare. I want the baby here too. I want you to feel like this place is your home."
"Are you… are you sure?" Remus asked, nervously recalling the words Sirius had muttered in the early hours of that morning. "People will talk, Sirius. They'll make assumptions."
"Let them," Sirius retorted. "I made a promise that I fully intend to keep." He slipped an arm around Remus' shoulders and Remus leaned against Sirius. "Like I said, this is your home, love. I'll never ask you to leave."
James walked into the room, his gaze darting between the pair. "Remus, I just got an owl from our family healer. You've been added to his patient list and he'll see you for a checkup and a scan."
"And I'm coming with you!" Sirius insisted quickly.
"You don't have to. You've done so much—"
"I insist," Sirius replied firmly.
"Tomorrow is Friday. Don't you have to work?"
Sirius shook his head. "I'm taking the day off," he insisted. "You're much more important."
...oOo...
The Healer's wand moved slowly over Remus' body before he removed it. A slip of paper shot from the end of the wand and the healer unrolled the slip, his eyes scanning it.
"What?" Sirius demanded, his eyes urgently moving between the paper and the Healer. "Is Remus okay? Is the baby okay?" His hand quickly reached out and settled on Remus' stomach. "Is our baby okay?"
Remus' head span around so quickly it made his head hurt. Sirius' eyes widened. "It's my nephew in there," Sirius quickly replied. "My Godson even." He quickly removed his hand.
"It might be a girl," Remus suggested, the words our baby still ringing through his head. "That'd make the baby your niece or Goddaughter."
"James is going to be so jealous that I'm the Godfather," Sirius replied. "So - is… is Remus' baby okay?"
The Healer nodded. "Results are harder to get for someone with Lycanthropy," he said. "The baby measurements and due date are… I can't detect them. I can tell you however that the babies appear to be healthy. Do you want to know the sex of them?"
Remus glanced at Sirius. "I… I want it to be a surprise," he said.
"Wait. Babies? Them?" Sirius asked. His hand found Remus' stomach. "How many?"
"Twins," the Healer said with a smile. "I'll start you on some potions that'll help them along and I want to see you every week. As I can't be confident in my other results, you'll need close monitoring."
Sirius jumped up, eyes wide. "Close monitoring? Weekly appointments? What are you not telling us?" he demanded. "Is Remus okay? Are the babies?"
"Mr. Lupin is perfectly fine," the Healer insisted. "From the results I have, the babies appear to be in good health. I only want Mr. Lupin to come in often because lycanthropes don't have as clear results therefore it's possible for even the best healer to miss something. Weekly appointments mean that I can catch any issues should they arise."
Sirius nodded, sitting back down next to Remus. Remus reached out, grabbing Sirius' hand. "I'm glad you're here with me," he murmured. "I'd be terrified right now if I was here alone."
Sirius smiled at him. "I'm here every step of the way."
The Healer smiled. "What time is best for you?"
"In the afternoons," Sirius said, glancing at Remus. "If I work through my lunch, I can leave work an hour early and be here."
"You don't have to," Remus insisted.
"Of course I don't. But I want to. There's no way you're keeping me away from any of this."
...oOo...
Remus hung up the phone, tears falling down his face just as Sirius walked into the flat. Immediately Sirius was at his side. "Love, what happened? Who upset you? Was it Dirk because I'll kill him!"
Remus shook his head. "I told my parents."
Immediately Sirius' strong arms were wrapped around him, Sirius' hand coming to rest on Remus' stomach. "Are you okay?"
Remus leaned against Sirius. "I'm okay. I had to explain everything to my mother though. Why I'm six months pregnant and haven't told her. Why I haven't been to visit. Why I was going to move back there and that I'm here with you. That Dirk abandoned us, how I feel about it. Everything. Her and Dad were mad, but at the same time, they weren't mad. Just mad that I kept it from them. Mostly worried."
"Are they going to come up when the babies are born?" Sirius said, pulling Remus closer. "I can make space for them. I'll take the sofa for a few days and they can take my room."
"You're so sweet. How did I ever think I was going to do this without you?" Remus asked.
"I can't believe I could have missed this because of my own stupidness," Sirius murmured. "I wouldn't miss this for the world." He hesitated. "Remus, can we talk?"
Remus nodded his head and Sirius sighed. "I knew I should have taken more time off," he muttered. "I knew you'd have to call them yet I still went to work."
Remus shook his head, pulling Sirius closer. "It wasn't your fault," he insisted. "I should have waited for you but… but I…"
"What?" Sirius asked.
"I needed to feel like I could handle things on my own too," Remus said. "I chose time near when you'd be home in case I needed you - in case I needed an Alpha to comfort me afterwards, but I needed to make the call alone."
"That's not the only thing I wanted to talk about," Sirius said. "Today was my first day back and… I just couldn't stop thinking about you here. I hated being away from you."
Remus smiled. "I hated being away from you too."
"I read today that single Omegas seek comfort like this from Alphas during pregnancy," Sirius said. "I found some books when I was working. Does this help?"
"Immensely," Remus admitted. "Just being around you has eased up all of the fears and doubts. I think without an Alpha around, I just struggled to remain positive. But I have you here now - well, I'm here with you and living in your house…"
"Living in our home," Sirius corrected him. "I'm not going to ask you to leave. Remus, you're going to be a single parent to twins. I'm not saying that you can't do this - I'm just saying that I want to be there for you and your family - I want to help you. I want to be a part of this in whatever way you need me. What I'm saying is… I mean… well, I'd love it if you stayed with me even after having the twins. We can move to a bigger place when we need it, but I'm not leaving you to do this alone."
"Babies can get attached to the Alpha," Remus said softly. "It could cause confusion."
"You're worried that they might see me as a second father figure?" Sirius asked. At Remus' nod, Sirius shrugged his shoulders slightly. "Would that be so bad?" As Remus began to pull away, Sirius quickly continued. "Because what if you meet someone and they get attached to this new person but it doesn't work out? Let them get attached to someone who is a permanent fixture in your life."
"I can't ask that of you," Remus insisted.
"You're not asking it of me. I'm offering. Your kids will only have you. Let them think I'm their father. Let me raise them with you. I'll be a good parent."
"I don't doubt that," Remus replied. "Okay - when they're born, if you still want to be a parent, you tell me."
Sirius nodded eagerly and Remus shifted closer. "You're a good friend," he murmured.
"Yeah, friend," Sirius murmured softly. Though raising children together could lead to something more. Once Remus started to see the four of them as a family - once Remus had truly forgiven him for avoiding him for months, then Sirius would confess his feelings: that he was completely and utterly in love with Remus Lupin.
That he had feelings for Remus since school. That the one night they had shared together (the evening of James' wedding) was the single most perfect moment of his life - and losing Remus to Dirk was the worst.
This time he wasn't going to let anyone get between him and Remus. This time he would fight as he should have done seven months ago.
...oOo...
"I'm handing in my notice," Sirius said, passing over a sheet of parchment to his manager.
Mr. Howard reached for the parchment, his eyes scanning it quickly. "There is no notice mentioned here - only that you're leaving immediately."
"I have a week's holiday due to me," Sirius replied. "I'll take that in lue of my notice which I'm entitled to do."
"Mr. Black, I advise you not to throw this job away," the man said, peering at Sirius through his spectacles. "From the request you made for time off, we can't give you that because they aren't your children."
Sirius bristled at the comment. "They're as good as mine," he replied instead. "My future mate is carrying them."
The man nodded. "Yes, I read that in your request. Unfortunately we can't do anything for you if you're not mated or if the children aren't yours."
"Which is why I requested some time off when the babies arrive but as unpaid leave," Sirius insisted.
Mr. Howard shook his head. "We need you to work," he said. "Sirius - you show great potential but you must get your priorities straight. A wonderful career or someone else's children? There are plenty of Omegas out there but jobs like this don't come around very often.
"Well… if you put it like that…" Sirius said. "I choose my Omega and my future children. Thank you, Mr Howard." He stood up and walked out of the office, quickly apparating home.
Remus was picking at a sandwich when he stormed in and immediately his love was on his feet, rushing over. "Sirius, what happened?"
He wrapped his arms around Remus, holding tightly. His nose found its way into Remus hair. "Do you know why I don't believe in truemates?" he asked.
"No, why?"
"Because I don't believe that scents can find the person right for us. Our scents don't change after we become adults. So how does my scent show that I've matured since I was seventeen? How does it show my likes or interests? How does it show how smart I am? I believe that scents find the most compatible mate in terms of reproducing. Nothing more. You find someone with a wonderful scent and you want to be with them and have children and stuff."
"Well, I did go and get pregnant pretty easily," Remus admitted.
"But there's more to it than that. What about love? What about falling in love first? Falling so hard for someone that their pleasant scent becomes the most enticing thing in the world. That their scent hasn't actually changed, but when you breathe it in, you crave it more than that of your 'truemate'."
"I don't want to argue with something you believe in, but do you think you'd feel differently if you had met your truemate?" Remus asked. "I'm not disagreeing, I'm just curious."
"I met him," Sirius admitted. "Just after you got back with Dirk. It didn't take long for me to realise that we wanted different things. He wanted an Alpha who would wait on him hand and foot. Someone who worked hard and earned a lot of money whilst he sat around and did nothing all day. He acted like I had some sort of obligation to him just because of our scents. It lasted two weeks and his perfect scent didn't even compare."
"Compare?" Remus asked.
Sirius nodded and took a deep breath. "His scent didn't compare to yours. Yours has so much more impact than my 'truemate's' scent."
"Is this your way of saying you love me?" Remus asked in a jokey tone, though his voice shook with each word.
"I left my job today," Sirius muttered rather than answering the question. "They wouldn't allow my time off when the babies are born. My boss even said that you were just 'some Omega' like there would ever be anyone else like you. I didn't even need to think about it because a stupid job which I hate or you and your children… it's no competition."
"Stupid? I thought you liked your job?" Remus asked.
Sirius shook his head. "I took the job so you'd think I was more mature. I stopped painting and got an office job because Dirk has one so I thought… it'd impress you."
"Sirius, you don't need to change who you are just to impress me. I'm already plenty impressed and amazed by you. You certainly didn't have to take a job or give it up. I'm not worth losing a job for." Sirius shifted closer to Remus, his fingers reaching for a strand of Remus' hair. Remus thought Sirius was going to tuck it behind his ear again, but Sirius' hand slipped down to his jaw, gently stroking his skin.
"I don't have words for how much you're worth. You don't realise how much I'd give up for you."
"Why?" Remus whispered.
"You know why," Sirius replied softly. "You worked it out. Why else would you ask me if I was in love with you?"
He lowered his head slowly, his eyes darting between Remus' lips an eyes, and Remus began to lean in. Their lips were inches away when Remus pulled back, stepping out of Sirius' grip.
"Wait," he began. "Sirius. I… you were the one who said that it was to be a one-time thing. You were the one who insisted. I… I don't know what to say."
"Preferably you could say that you love me too. Or perhaps… not my favourite like but… you could say that you care about me but don't feel the same." Sirius' hand moved, reaching for Remus before he pulled it back. "I didn't want to upset you. I just can't hide my feelings anymore."
"I need some time to think about this. It's so sudden."
Sirius nodded. "At least you didn't say no immediately," he said. "That means I have a chance. I'm going to take a nap and make up for all the early mornings. If you need anything at all, wake me up. I'm going to get back to my art so I have more time to be here with you."
"Sirius - why were you really avoiding me if you're in love with me?"
"Because I was stupid. I said it would be a one-night thing because I thought you'd be more open to the idea. When it was over, I couldn't find the words to tell you I wanted it to be forever. You left the next morning thinking that was it. A week later you were back with Dirk and my heart broke. I couldn't watch you with him, knowing what it was like to be with you. It hurt too much. I thought if I took some time away from you until I was over you… funny thing about this kind of love though. I realised once you moved in that I'd never get over these feelings for you."
"And if… if I don't—"
"We forget this conversation ever happened," Sirius replied sadly. "We go back to how we were yesterday. I'll stand by my promises no matter what. I'll be here for you in whatever way you need me. I'll make sure you and our… your children want for nothing."
He turned and walked from the room. Remus followed, pausing in the hallway. He heard the sound of a zip and realised Sirius was undressing and the springs on the bed creaked.
Remus returned to the living room, thinking about Sirius' words. He had feelings for Sirius but never considered that Sirius would feel anything back.
Did he see a future with Sirius though? He hadn't seen one with Dirk, but he tried to picture him, Sirius and the babies together. Now, that was something he could picture. It was clear that Sirius already considered the children his and Remus realised that Sirius was the reason why he had no future with Dirk.
Before they had broken up a few months back, perhaps he had considered a future. But one night with Sirius Black and Remus had realised that there was so much more that he wanted. He had thought Sirius was just having a fling but if Sirius actually loved him, what was he doing sitting around?
He headed to his room, tossing his clothes onto his bed as he went. A nap sounded like a good idea, he decided. He hadn't been sleeping well except for that one sleep in Sirius' arms the morning he moved out of his old place.
Remus pulled on a pyjama top and slipped out of the room. He had stopped wearing trousers to bed because they tended to be too uncomfortable, but boxers were fine.
"Sirius?" he murmured, slipping into Sirius' room. He watched the shape in the bed shift around and Remus approached.
"Remus, do you need anything?" Sirius asked.
Remus bit his lip, reaching for the corner of the cover. He pulled it back. "Can I?"
"Yes," Sirius replied quickly. "Anytime you need."
Remus smiled and climbed into the bed, settling against Sirius' chest. "I want a future with you. Me, you, our children. I love you."
Sirius grinned. "I thought the night we spent together was the best night of my life… it turns out today has just topped that."
Remus snuggled closer. "I haven't been sleeping well throughout the pregnancy."
"Say no more. From now on, my bed is your bed." With his free hand, he reached over, his fingers touching Remus' stomach. "Three months to go and we'll have a family."
Remus smiled. He was going to have a family with Sirius Black. Could things get any more perfect?
...oOo...
"Love, I don't want to wake you, but we need to get up and eat."
Remus opened his eyes and let out a large yawn. "How long were we asleep?" he mumbled.
"It's morning. We missed dinner," Sirius replied, cuddling against Remus' back and pulling him tightly against him. "It was worth it to have you in my arms, but with the babies, you can't miss meals. It's not good for them."
"I'll be fine," Remus murmured. "Don't worry."
"Well, we should get up," Sirius said, beginning to pull away. As his body shifted, Remus' eyes widened as he felt something hard against his arse.
Memories came flooding back, making Remus remember what had happened between them all those months ago. He grabbed Sirius' arm, stopping him. "Before we get out of this bed, how about we celebrate our new relationship?" he suggested hopefully.
Sirius smirked. "I think I'm going to like where this is heading," he murmured.
Remus rolled over to face Sirius and Sirius shifted closer again, letting his lips find Remus'. The kiss was desperate, filled with need and Remus struggled to catch his breath as Sirius' hand began to roam down his body.
"Sirius! Are you still asleep? I've been…" James trailed off, standing in the doorway, his eyes fixed on the pair. Sirius glared at him.
"What are you doing here?" he snapped.
"I've… you and Remus are… no - I don't want to… I was just worried. I've been trying to get through since yesterday. Me and Regulus wanted you both to come to dinner and… and I wish I had just owled the invite."
"Our first date," Sirius said, turning his attention back to Remus. "You don't mind that it's a double-date with my brother and James, do you?"
"First date?" James asked.
Sirius sighed. "James, it's as if you want to see me and Remus get naked," he replied. With that, James ran from the room.
Sirius' fingers found the waistband of Remus' boxers. "Now, where were we?"
...oOo...
Sirius paced the waiting room of the hospital, completely on the verge of fighting his way into the delivery suite. Remus had been in there fifteen minutes already and they had refused to let him in. He wasn't the biological father to the children and he wasn't Remus' mate… though he insisted he was - they were just waiting until after the babies were born to do mating marks.
He had been sent to the waiting room and after his previous attempt to find Remus, there was an Alpha guard standing by the door.
Finally James turned up with everyone else in tow. "Sorry. Remus' parents were asleep when I turned up to get them but we're all here now. Wait. Why aren't you in there with Remus?"
"Why would Sirius be in there?" Hope asked, walking in and looking between the pair curiously.
"They wouldn't let me in!" Sirius stated, glaring towards the guard that he could see through the glass. "I'm not the biological father and I'm not mated to Remus. They won't listen, James. I said that those kids are as good as mine - that I'll be raising them. I said we were going to mate once our babies were here, but did they listen? Remus needs me in there and they won't let me be with him."
"Relax," Regulus insisted softly, using a tone that Omegas liked to use to calm Alphas. "Remus' parents can go in. I know you wanted to be there, but at least someone can be there with him so he's not alone."
Sirius nodded reluctantly. "I just wanted to be there to hold his hand through this," he admitted.
Hope looked between the men in the room. "I'm going to find my son," she said. "Lyall, can you see if you can do anything to get Sirius through?"
"I don't know if I can make a difference." Lyall said. "Rules are rules. They've put these rules on the wards in place for a reason. We've known Sirius for years and know he's a good man, especially after what I've just heard—" Lyall shot Sirius an approving look "—but the hospital won't bend the rules for one Alpha. It's either you or me going in and I think you might handle it better."
Hope disappeared and Lyall took the seat on the other side of Sirius. "You're dating my son?"
Sirius turned around so he was facing Remus' father. "He's been living with me since Hope called me to go and check on him. I've been in love with him for years and I'd do anything for him. I want to raise those children as my own, I want Remus to be my mate. I plan to marry him one day and… I didn't expect to have this conversation here - I was planning on coming to Wales to speak to you properly, but the babies are over a month early! I'd really like your blessing."
"You're happy taking on someone else's children?" Lyall asked.
"There's nothing I want more than to have a family with Remus," Sirius replied softly. "Family doesn't always start with blood. They're Remus' children and that's all that matters."
"You know, I thought I'd find it harder to give my blessing to anyone when it came to Remus, but I know there's no one better for him than you. You got what you always wanted. You have my blessing."
Sirius smiled at his future father in law, before turning to James. "If you and Peter get into a fight, it might distract the guard long enough so I can find Remus."
"Remus won't be happy if you get yourself kicked out of the hospital," Peter replied, rolling his eyes.
...oOo...
Hope carefully looked between all of the men in the waiting room as she walked in. Sirius was the first on his feet. "How is he? How are our babies?" he demanded desperately. "Are they okay? It's over a month early and the books—"
"Everyone is fine," Hope interrupted. "Actually… they are only twelve days early it turns out."
Sirius frowned slightly. "But… but that means Remus got pregnant before… I don't understand."
James' hand rested on Sirius' shoulder. "It means Remus got pregnant at mine and Regulus' wedding," he murmured.
Sirius turned to stare at James. "No. That can't be it."
"In twelve days, it'll be our ten month anniversary," Regulus confirmed.
"Sirius. I've had my suspicions over that night for ten months now and it's about time you tell me the truth," James demanded. "Did you go home with Remus that night?"
"No," Sirius replied. "Remus came home with me… but we were both stupid and talking about how it should be a one-night thing because neither of us were brave enough to say what we really wanted. I never thought… I never considered that…"
"Sirius, you were going to raise these children as though they were really yours when you thought they were Dirk's. But they are actually yours," Peter said.
"Which means that you're allowed through," Hope replied. "Only one visitor at a time though until Remus is out of recovery. I'll bring you through."
...oOo...
Remus' body ached as he lay on the bed. The babies were both being cleaned and Remus was happy that his mother was there, keeping an eye on the newborns.
"Darling. I've met Dirk, haven't I?" Hope asked.
"Yes," Remus murmured.
"And he was blond. Lighter hair than yours?"
Remus nodded.
"I'm your mother and it's not my place to judge or accuse, but… these children are an average weight. Premature children tend to be a little on the small side. Remus, were you with anyone else a month or two before Dirk?"
Remus' eyes snapped open. "A month or two?" he whispered as one of the babies began to cry. "Mum, do they… do they have black hair?"
"They do," Hope confirmed. "Now, there's a man in that waiting room ready to kill to get in here to you. It's clear there is history there. Is Sirius the real father?"
Remus smiled as Hope placed a crying baby into each arm. "Yes. Yes he is."
...oOo...
"Are they mine?" Sirius asked, bursting into the room. "Remus, are they really mine? From our night?"
Remus nodded. "The tests show that they aren't premature - just a few days early," he said. "And there's only one other person I've been with - and that's you. You have a son and a daughter."
"Which was first?" Sirius asked, slowly approaching the bed, his eyes moving from one bundle to the next.
"Your son came first," Remus murmured, nodding his head towards the baby sleeping on his left arm. "Then this little one came along. So… I had a few name ideas which I immediately rejected upon seeing the dark hair. Do you have any thoughts?"
Sirius looked at the tiny bundle. His daughter with a few dark curls on her head, nuzzling against Remus. He itched to hold her but knew he shouldn't until she woke up, or until his son woke up. He wasn't fussy with which one he could hold. "Elara," he murmured. "One of the moons of Jupiter. It's not a star, but it's fitting all the same."
Remus smiled. "Elara Hope Black," he murmured. "And our son?"
"Oberon Regulus Black," Sirius suggested.
"Is that another moon?" Remus checked.
Sirius nodded, awestruck at his children. He sat down carefully on the edge of the bed.
"Perfect," Remus replied. "Are you happy - are you sure you want this?"
"A life with you and our children?" Sirius asked, leaning over and carefully placing a kiss on Remus' lips. "There's nothing I want more. Well, except to marry you."
9,427 words
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