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COWT - Clash Of the Writing Titans/Chronicles Of Words and Trials
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Published:
2020-03-21
Words:
937
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1/1
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44
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Cheiro No Cangote

Summary:

Sirius finally flees from Grimmauld Place and runs back to the Potters.

Notes:

It's been a while!

Written for this year's COWT #10, W6, M2, prompt: "Cheiro no Cangote (Brazilian Portuguese): tenderly nrushing the tip of one's nose along the neck of one's lover".

Work Text:

Leaving wasn't easy, but what comes after seems even harder. Sirius hasn’t been able to stop his heart from racing since he left Grimmauld Place. The moment he passed through the door he felt as though a weight had been lifted off his shoulders, and for the first time he was able to breathe fully, fill his lungs with oxygen and process it like a normal person. But then his heart started beating faster – what do I do with all this freedom? Where do I put it, how do I use it, where do I go now that the only place I felt where I belonged to, despite how much I hated it, is lost forever?

Then, naturally, he thought of James. He smiled and walked off – he knew where James’ house was, he had been there multiple times, he had spent there summers, and that wasn’t just where he thought he could be for a little while, it was where he wanted to be. For a little while or a little while longer.

He didn’t think, obviously, that that could be a long-lasting arrangement. He didn’t want to impose on the Potters, generous as they could be, but the battle he fought with Fleamont and Euphemia, though strenuous, has also been pretty fast, and, ultimately, resoundingly lost. They insisted and insisted so much at some point Sirius felt ungrateful at the idea of trying to put up any more resistance against their invitations to stay.

All through that, James just kept smiling, saying nothing, scratching his nose to conceal an amused snicker, every now and then.

When Sirius finally surrendered and accepted their invite to stay, only then James hopped off the table, on top of which he had been sitting up to that moment, and grabbed him by his arm, dragging him away.

Now they’re in James’ bedroom, and James finally closes the door behind himself, resting against it with his shoulders, his arms crossed behind his back. He’s looking at Sirius with a wicked smirk, and Sirius can’t help but blush a little, backing away. “What?”

“You really left?”

Sirius exhales, relaxing a little. “Couldn’t spend one more minute in that house, I was just about to suffocate,” he says.

James unglues himself from the door and walks towards him. “You left for good? Are you sure?”

“I can’t see myself walking back into that house after my mother blasted my name off the family tree, no, so I believe it’s safe to assume that yes, I’ve left for good.”

James chuckles, and then breathes in and out in relief. “If feels good to hear you say that,” he says. Sirius doesn’t know why, but he blushes again. “How are you feeling?”

“Like I’m going to have a heart attack soon,” Sirius nods quickly, speaking confidently, because this is the only thing he can be certain of right now, “My heart is beating so fast it’s almost aching.”

James chuckles and gets closer. “Can I feel it?” he asks. Sirius shrugs, and James puts his hand on his chest, silencing himself and only breathing for a few seconds. “You’re right, either you calm down or you’re gonna die.”

“Shut up, Potter.”

James laughs again and then lets go of him, stepping away from him and towards the bed. “Do you need me to conjure another bed or are you fine sleeping with me?”

Sirius raises an eyebrow, surprised by his question. “Won’t it be embarrassing? We’re not kids anymore.”

James turns to look at him, blinking slowly behind his glasses. “What’s that supposed to mean? What would be embarrassing about it?”

Sirius blushes again. How to explain something like this to someone as thickheaded as James Potter?

“I don’t know, we’re both too big to share a bed without touching!”

“And what if we touch, then?”

“Wouldn’t that be weird?”

James narrows his eyes and studies him silently for a moment. “Are you planning on doing something weird to me?” he asks.

The question detonates in Sirius’ mind, leaving only scorched earth behind. He lowers his gaze – of course he’s not planning on doing anything weird to him. That there could be something potentially weird that he might want to do to him, that’s a whole different question, on the other hand. He sighs, though, shaking his head. “Of course not, idiot,” he mutters.

James chuckles and walks back to him. “Sirius,” he says. His voice sounds sweet and Sirius doesn’t want to look at him but ultimately does. “I know,” James says, and then chuckles again.

And what Sirius thinks is no, you don’t. You don’t, and you won’t, ever. Because in telling you I’d risk losing you, and you’re the only thing I absolutely cannot lost.

He sighs, offering him a little smile. “Sorry for inconveniencing you and your family,” he says, “I promise I’ll find some other place to go. Soon.”

“Don’t be an idiot,” James smiles openly and, as naturally as he does everything else, he hugs him. Petrified, Sirius can’t even raise his arms. “No need to search for anything else. You can stay as long as you want and after we get our diploma we will find a place of our own. It’s gonna be great, you’ll see.”

Sirius scoffs, closing his eyes for a moment. He basks in the warmth of James’ hug and takes his lucky chance to let, only for a second, the tip of his nose brush up along James’ neck.

James chuckles, backing away immediately. “Don’t tickle me!” he says innocently.

Sirius just smiles again. Then, Fleamont calls them back out for dinner.