ROMANCE . . . oneshots

♡ should've said it ♡

You considered that for a few moments. Then you fell back on your pillows, looking around for Remus and finding him sitting on his bed, looking at you. "And you won't tell anyone?"

"Not another soul," he promised.

You stared at your hands, picking at your nails because you felt uncomfortable under his gaze. It was just . . . constant. Like he couldn't stop staring at you, trying to piece you apart and figure you out.

"I like guys," you admitted, blunt but careful with your words.

He stared at you incredulously. "You . . . what?"

You rolled your eyes. "I like other boys romantically, Remus. It's called homosexuality."

"I know that!" He said feebly. "I just didn't expect it."

"Well, now you know that," you said, still messing with your nails. Maybe you should get some rings like Sirius does so you can fidget with them. You'd ask him later where he got his.

"What does this have to do with—" Remus cut himself off, his eyes going wide. "You liked James?"

"It was a lot more than liked," you let out a mirthless chuckle. "But yeah. We were actually a thing, for a year."

"You were," he echoed. "So you guys broke up."

"Yeah."

"I'm sorry."

You shrugged. "It's fine. I'll get over it. It's not as if I haven't dealt with my share of heartbreak."

He looked at you, a little angry, a lot concerned. "Y/n."

"It doesn't make it any less true," you said, but despite this you gave him a small, tight smile. "Thanks, Remus, for listening to me."

"Of course." He gave you a smile back, though it was probably a lot more real and genuine than yours was. "I'm always here for you."

A whirlwind of things had happened after that talk — a week later, Remus was coming out to you as bisexual, and then days after that you'd accidentally kissed him, but you'd liked it a lot and so did he. Yet it took you two another month to get together, mostly because you were still caught up and confused over James and Remus was in self-denial that you could ever want him because he's a werewolf. But you did get together with him, and now you're his boyfriend. Privately.

You were hesitant of a private relationship, especially after the experience you'd had with James, but you were more hesitant of a public relationship. You didn't want people all up in your business, and you weren't ready for the constant homophobia that would've hounded you two for the nearly two and a half years you had left of Hogwarts — of course, if you and Remus even made it that far.

But surprisingly, dating Remus was nice. He was warm, loving, comforting; he was everything you've ever wanted. He spoils you with chocolate and he helps you study. He worships you as if you're a god and he's praying to be cleansed. If being cleansed means kissing all over him until he's like putty in your hands. But every kiss he places on your lips erases the taste of James, so much so that you don't remember what James tastes like anymore.

Instead of sneaking to James's bed, you snuck to Remus's instead, and he snuck to yours just as often. Instead of healing James after Quidditch matches, you heal Remus after full moons. Instead of being in love with James, you were in love with Remus.

And, good god, it's the best feeling in the whole world. You're addicted to that feeling, like how addicted Sirius is to cigarettes. You're still addicted even years later, the summer before your seventh year when you were invited to James's house again for a month and a half.