Competition: Truth or Dare

Quidditch League

Seeker - Holyhead Harpies

Prompt: Person A and Person B meeting on a train when Person B falls asleep on Person A's shoulder.

take my hand and never let go

Thanks to Dash and Ari for the help!

It's after midnight when Remus shows his ticket and boards the train at Euston Station. With a satchel slung over his shoulder and a small case trailing behind him, he rushes up the platform towards the front of the train, walking as fast as possible.

He's a fast walker and his stride is long, allowing him to get there before the majority of people. He finds his reserved seat quickly, and breathes a sigh of relief for not having to wait for people to move out of his way. All he wants is to just drop in the seat and relax with his book or his headphones.

The train starts to fill up, quickly at first before it slows down again, and finally, the surge of last-minute boarders crowd the compartments.

Remus hopes that the seat next to him remains empty. Empty is good. It allows him more space to himself. He can put his bag on the seat and relax and not have to worry about someone's elbow bumping his.

He watches the time, hoping the train moves soon. But two minutes before they're due to set off, someone runs onto the train with their boots clunking loudly against the floor, and…

"Whoops, sorry, didn't mean to knock you there, mate," a man says, almost elbowing Remus in the face as he flings himself into the empty seat and nearly knocks Remus' hot chocolate over.

"It's fine," Remus responds, despite it being very much not fine. He steadies his precious drink and shifts his stuff up. This journey is going to be even longer now he has a seat-mate, and this is not something he wants to be dealing with. He just wants to read, listen to music, and fall asleep with his blanket.

"So, where's this train going? What's the last stop here?" the man asks, leaning towards Remus despite his pointed efforts to stare out of the window.

"Wales," Remus points out, mildly irritated. Shouldn't this man know where he's going?

"Excellent. I've always wanted to visit Wales. Cardiff and all that."

"North Wales," Remus says pointedly, because not all Wales is Cardiff, and if this man is picturing Cardiff, he's very much mistaken. "Llandudno."

"You said that pretty well," the stranger comments. "You Welsh?"

"Did the accent give that away?" Remus turns his head now to acknowledge the man, because clearly he's not allowed to have the peace he so desperately craves.

Bad idea.

He's face to face with someone who could easily be a male model or a rockstar. A man with silvery-grey eyes looks back, dark curls curling around his face and almost hiding the purple and yellow bruising around his eye. "Yes, I'm Welsh." Remus' voice shakes a little. For once, music and hot chocolate are the last things on his mind.

"I'm from England myself," the man says. "France, if you want to trace my ancestry back that far., My family certainly does." He shrugs. "Right, Wales. I can learn to speak Welsh."

Remus' lips twitch. "Welsh is a beautiful language, but the majority of the people in Wales speak English," he replies, wanting to reassure the stranger. His eyes move over the man's face. The bruising looks fresh, and this guy doesn't know where the train is going — it's not hard to put two and two together. "You might want to move your bag out of the aisle before someone trips over it."

"Good idea." The man moves his bag. "So, this is some sort of overnight train? Do we have many stops, friend?"

Remus hesitates on the word friend. This is a stranger, but there's an edge of panic and fear in his voice that betrays his otherwise friendly and confident demeanour. It's unsettling, but he brushes it off quickly.

"One stop, and then straight through to Wales," Remus informs him. "But the train won't get there until morning."

The man nods his head. "Great. Perfect." He sounds relieved. With that, he leans his head back against the seat and closes his eyes, sighing in what Remus imagines is in relief.

Remus is too kind-hearted. It's why he offers his crisps and part of his baguette to the other man, feeling eyes on him when he unpacks it. The man eats like he hasn't had food in days, and Remus thankfully has two bottles of water. He can cope with just one.

The man doesn't say much more, but accepts the offered earbud when Remus decides to listen to music. Remus likes the camaraderie as they both listen together, and though he doesn't admit it out loud, he feels amused when his seatmate taps along softly to some of the many 80s songs that make up the playlist.

Once they pass the first station, the man relaxes even more, and Remus returns to looking out of the window. It's not until he feels a slight tap on his shoulder does he turn back around to the stranger.

"I'm starting to doze off. Here's your earbud back, and… thank you. This is the first bit of kindness I've been on the end of for the longest time."

Remus opens his mouth to ask… well, he's not quite certain what, but it feels like the man wants to talk. When the guy closes his eyes and leans back, Remus wonders if his assumption is wrong. But he still feels warm inside, knowing that his small act of kindness has had such an impact on someone else.

He puts his belongings away and leans back on his own seat. Pulling his cosy blanket over himself, Remus closes his own eyes, letting the rumble of the train lull him to sleep.

He feels warm breath tickling his neck and Remus opens his eyes with a start, almost jumping. There's a weight on his shoulder and, in his still-sleepy state, he's not really sure what is even happening. As he twists his head, he realises his seatmate has fallen asleep.

And then cuddled into the crook of Remus' neck.

What should he do? What is the protocol? Does he wake him? Leave him? What do people do in these situations?

Does he actually mind all that much that a handsome man is snuggling against him?

He probably doesn't, honestly—but won't this man question this when he wakes up and realises that Remus could have woken him? He might think Remus is creepy, and Remus doesn't want that.

He shifts around a little, hoping to stir the guy, and after a few seconds, bleary eyes look at him.

"Will you quit that, Moon-Eyes?" the man grumbles. "You're warm and I'm sleepy! So go back to sleep. Don't make this weird, okay?"

What the hell? Remus stares at the stranger as the guy closes his eyes once more, and he tries to think of a reply. Moon-eyes, though?

He could shift around again and insist the man move, but… but he kind of doesn't want to. He can live with the breath on his neck and the weight on his shoulder. So he takes the man's advice and closes his eyes once more, instantly falling back asleep.

"Are you visiting someone?" Remus asks as they walk up the platform side by side.

They haven't talked about the sleeping or the cuddling, or about how this man somehow found his way under the blanket. It was cold in the train, and Remus can't blame him for seeking warmth.

The man shakes his head and tucks a hand into his pocket. "I just… I'll figure out my next step when we leave the station. Find work, or… or keep moving," he says. He reaches up, wincing as his fingers brushing his eye. "Everything happens for a reason, right? Well, I'm here for a reason, I suppose."

"Why do you think that?"

"I was lucky enough to get the last ticket for this train. If fate didn't want me here, that ticket would have been gone. Or they could have told me a different train, or… I dunno." He shrugs. "So, thank you again for… for everything."

He gives Remus a smile and turns to walk away, but Remus can't. He's too invested now, and that's something he tries not to be, but if he doesn't help this man who has nowhere else to go…

"We have a sofa," he murmurs, though he should be checking with his mum before inviting someone to stay with them. "You can sleep on it for a few days."

"I can't," the man insists, He's stopped walking, though, and is now looking at Remus like he's some sort of guardian angel. "Bad idea."

What? Why?"

"Because you're cute," the man replies with a shrug. "Gorgeous, really, and that's why I can't take your sofa. Though if I could have your number… if you're maybe… coffee sometime?"

Remus shakes his head. "As much as I'd like that," he admits, "I can't walk away knowing that you have nowhere to go. Please. Just for a couple of nights. At least until you get your bearings."

"I'd appreciate that," the man tells him, throwing a small smile Remus' way. "So, Moon-Eyes, what can I call you?"

"Remus," he offers. "And you?"

"Sirius. Sirius Black," comes the quiet reply.

Sirius Black. Remus tests it in his head, and he knows without speaking the name that it will roll so easily off his tongue.

"You visiting family, or…"

"Uni," Remus explains. "I'm off home for Christmas. You…"

"Trying to put some distance between myself and mine," Sirius says, a tired laugh. "And Wales… good amount of distance." He nudges Remus with his arm. "I really appreciate this, you know."

"I know," Remus says with a smile his way. He nods towards an approaching couple. "My parents. Give me a minute, I need to explain to them what's going on."

Sirius nods and Remus walks away.

It takes thirty seconds for him to explain. His parents are taking it better than he thought, considering he's invited a random stranger on a train to stay on their sofa. His father is talking about good Samaritans and his mum is already planning what to make this man for dinner, and suddenly Remus is not his mum's favourite child, as she slips her arm through Sirius' and starts talking to him about London and about what he enjoys eating.

He trails behind with his father—certainly not checking out Sirius' arse in the tight jeans—simply listening to his parents' gentle interactions with Sirius and marvelling at how different his holidays are already looking to be.

He is certainly going to be in for an interesting Christmas.