MOON MAN. remus lupin ✓

ix. unexpected truths

The words took a moment for him to process. His attention was still fixated on Liam's eyes, the way they swirled in the dim light of the back room. The effect they had on him was quite severe, he found. Disorienting. It didn't last for very long. Quick as lightning, Remus was off the couch and stepping away from the man who had figured out his darkest secret.

     He backed into a wall.

     Liam was looking at him, still sat firmly on the couch, his mouth parted. He didn't seem to be angry, or scared, but in Remus' experiences, that didn't always last. The ball would drop at any moment. The surprised widening of his eyes would narrow into a godforsaken glare and it would all be over. Soon, Liam would be out of the shop and rushing towards the police station. He would never look at Remus the same way. His life in Godwin's Books would end. He braced for it.

     But Liam didn't do any of those things. Instead, he got up from the couch and slowly made his way over to Remus as if he were a frightened animal, as if he was the one in danger. Then, slowly, so slowly it made Remus ache, he reached out a hand and grasped Remus' own. Scarred. Rough.

     "I probably shouldn't have began like that. It was very inappropriate and I gave you a right scare," he whispered, his thumb rubbing calming circles over Remus's hand. He tried to ignore how much the simple touch affected him.

     "Um, I just want you to know that I really don't mind. There's nothing to mind, you know? You're the kindest person I know. You're sweet and you honestly brighten my day. I don't want you to think that I think anything less of you, or that I'm afraid of you, because you're a werewolf." He flinched when it was said. "It's a trivial fact among an otherwise completely interesting plethora of things.

     "I mean, you're an amazing person. You like colour coordinating your socks and have an obsession with chocolate I don't completely understand and I think you've read every play by Shakespeare there is. You're more than just a werewolf, Remus."

    Remus chanced a question. "How did you know?"

     "Oh, well, I'm a muggleborn," he explained, rubbing the back on his neck. Sheepish. "And we covered werewolves in third year."

     As his head spun, trying to pick out any hints that Liam was a wizard, he allowed him to drag his body—tired and without any fight left in him—back to the couch.

     "Were you ever going to tell me?"

     "I—Eventually. Kinda. Maybe. I was a Hufflepuff and two years behind you. I remembered seeing you around when you came in with your resume and I wanted to see how long it took you to notice. I'd even started wearing things from school to see if you'd pick up on it."

     His mind flashed to the scarf.

     "Merlin! You—the scarf—"

     Liam was giggling in his seat, hunched over, his laughter a mere wheeze at that point. Remus found himself chuckling too at the sheer ridiculousness of the situation. Liam was a wizard. Liam knew about him. Liam didn't care.

     "This is... a lot to take in."

     "I know I should have told you sooner," he said, "but it was just too much fun seeing how far I could push it."

     "Why now?"

     "Well. You've just been really down recently. Less cheery, more tortured. Like those male love interests the teenage girls who always come in gush about. I wanted you to know that you didn't need to bear this burden alone." He paused. "I'm aware of the death of your friends. It was all over the Daily Prophet. And I wanted to offer my condolences. I know the anniversary was only a month ago."

     Tears prickled at the corner of his eyes. Don't cry, they wouldn't want you to cry.

     "Yes, it was."

     His throat felt thick.

     Liam had wrapped his arms around him. The position wasn't particularly comfortable, and Remus wasn't one for hugs, but he wrapped his arms around Liam's shoulders anyway.

     His voice was muffled when he spoke, his voice filling the quiet room. "...It's to remind myself that I'm human."

     "What?"

     "The chocolate. It's to remind myself that I'm not a monster"

     Liam just tightened his arms around him.

——————————

a/n: omg im so sorry for not updating. i was terrorised by school and homework so much that i forgot wp existed. but im gonna update twice today to make up for it, promise!! hope ur all doing well