Work Text:
The Exposition
For the longest time, Sirius remembered being alone. His parents, who he’d loved quite dearly, had left him abruptly when he was just eight years old. Car accident.
Accident. Chance.
Sirius hated it. Hated how unpredictable life was. There was nothing he could do to influence where he was going, where his parents had gone. He was floated between relatives who didn’t want him, which was fine by him. He didn’t want them either.
Until finally, one day, a woman had called his aunt (who he’d currently been pawned off on) and agreed to adopt him. Apparently she was his grandmother, one that went missing years ago to live in the mountains. His aunt had been happy to be rid of him and he soon found himself in the back of a beat up mini-van driving towards his future.
His grandmother, Dorothy, was sweet and kind. Something Sirius hadn’t known since his parents departed. She comforted him when he cried, brewing up floral tea and bringing him biscuits. She meant the world to him. He didn’t need anyone else. So when another girl entered his life, with wide smiles and even wider eyes, he’d been rude. Lashed out. This was his grandmother, his family, and it was perfect the way it was. But Claire Elford weaseled her way into his heart over the years.
She was his family. His sister.
One he was fiercely protective of.
They grew up together with Lady Dorothy, always close by. Sirius didn’t make many friends and he scared away most of Claire’s, so they really only had each other. But with the way life flowed, he knew it couldn’t be that way forever.
Eventually they got too old and they had to move out. Claire was excited to see the rest of the world, but Sirius didn’t want to. He wanted to sit with Dorothy for the rest of his life, playing chess and drinking chamomile. He wanted his secure little room, shelves lined with his favorite story books. He wanted his family to stay together. Forever.
But that wasn’t how this worked.
So the siblings moved out, opening a small tattoo parlor in an even smaller town. Dorothy visited often, helping them with the lease and set up. Like she was slowly dropping a baby in water, making sure it could swim before she let go. It was childish and Sirius didn’t exactly like being treated like one, but he was grateful nonetheless.
The town was nice, their apartments set up above the shop in a safe area. They were nestled on a corner, surrounded by other little shops. It was secure and calm in that way only a small town could be. The community was apparently very tight knit, but it didn’t take long for Claire to make her first friend.
In fact, the man burst into both of their lives, breaking down any walls without regard, just as he burst into their shop on that fateful day.
Sirius was setting up a jewelry display, trying to get the small metal bars and diamond earrings to look just perfect, while Claire hummed behind the desk. It’d been a slow day, no customers, and they were both bored.
“Oh wooow! This place is fancy!” The stranger exclaimed, sweeping his arms out in a large fashion. He had no issue with being seen, in fact he seemed to relish in the attention. Or just didn’t care about the space he took up. “You two are new in town, yes?”
The man skipped up to the counter with a swishing braid, ogling the pictures of Claire’s work spread out on the walls.
“Yep! Elford’s tattoos and piercings!” Claire sat up straight in her seat, bright smile on her face. They hadn’t actually talked to anyone in the town yet, no one had approached them, but this man was loud and had no need to be wary of strangers.
“That’s so cool! Y’know I actually just moved here too, couple weeks ago! I was traveling around the country but this town is just so nice, right? And there’s a bakery! Sweets are the way to my heart, honestly, so I figured why not? And I mean-,”
Sirius quickly found out the man talked a lot. But Claire could keep up. They rambled on for hours and hours that day, becoming best friends in the matter of minutes. The man’s name was Ashe and he lived right down the street, above the café he worked at as a baker. When he finally left for the night, Sirius remembered being relieved. Ashe was already getting on his nerves.
But then the next day, Ashe appeared on their door step again and helped them both unpack their things for their apartments. You’d think Claire had known the guy her whole life with the way they got on. It almost made Sirius sick.
From then on, Ashe became a permanent part of their life. And Sirius tried to push him out, oh he tried his best, but the guy stuck like glue. Sirius’s tiny circle was expanding and it scared him. It scared him bad.
But even through all the arguments, the bickering, Ashe Bradley didn’t leave.
Months later and Sirius had to accept him into his life. Even if the guy still annoyed him. And that brought him to now.
“You’ve got to meet him, Miss Claire! I think you two will get along swell.”
“Did you just say ‘swell’ in current year?” Sirius crinkled his nose, raising an eyebrow at Ashe. The man just narrowed his gaze and swiftly ignored the younger Elford.
“He sounds lovely, Ashe! It’s crazy that I haven’t already met him, guess I haven’t been over to the café enough.” Claire grinned.
Sirius just huffed under his breath, watching it steam in the cool winter air. They were currently discussing Ashe’s roommate and only coworker, Noel Levine. The dude was practically a legend to the group with the stories Ashe told of his kindness, but as small as the town was, the siblings had never met him. Ashe finally decided to introduce them, having enough of the silly charade and having to refer to his best friend as if he was an elusive ghost.
Sirius couldn’t say he was excited to meet another person, but Claire certainly was. She loved Ashe, but Claire had always been a social person and flocked to other people like a moth to light. So the prospect of making another friend was always a welcome one.
Sirius, on the other hand, was apprehensive. If this “Noel” was anything like Ashe, he’d only be a headache. Really, Sirius could only deal with one Ashe per lifetime.
Soon the group made it to the end of the block, entering Ashe’s café with a bell chiming above the door. The sweet smell of pastries and coffee flooded Sirius’s nerves and despite himself, he relaxed just a little. He’d only been in here a few times, but the air was comfortable and the regulars were calm. The place practically glowed with soft beiges and warm yellows, glistening danishes lined up in perfect rows along the glass displays. While he may not like the man, Ashe always showed up smelling just as sweet as the goods he baked during the day and Sirius found it nice.
He wasn’t working today, it being a slow Monday in winter with almost no customers, so there was just a single man bustling behind the counter. He had his back turned to them, but Sirius could make out his tall frame and soft blonde hair.
“Noel! I come bearing guests!” Ashe called out, simultaneously gesturing to his friends and waving widely at Noel. Sirius had to duck to avoid accidentally getting slapped in the face. The man sure was eccentric.
The man behind the counter froze, pausing to brush his hands on his apron before he promptly turned around. His gaze was still downcast, smudging some flour off his clothes.
“Oh? And who might-,”
And then he glanced up.
It was like time froze. Suspended in a single moment.
For Claire and Noel at least.
Time sped by as normal for Sirius, as he was just a bystander in all this. He watched as his sister’s eyes widened, something close to awe flooding her expression. Noel seemed to react in kind. Neither of them spoke. They just stared, cheeks pink and—oh no. Sirius knew what this was.
Now see, Sirius liked his storybooks. Cinderella, Sleeping Beauty, Snow White. Classic stories Dorothy used to read him to bed with. But even so, he never quite believed in love at first sight.
Not until he saw it before his very eyes.
Ashe was still rambling, introducing Claire and Sirius, but Sirius knew the pair didn’t really hear him. Claire drifted closer to Noel, as if pulled by an invisible thread. Their eyes never left the others’.
Gross.
“Claire. How lovely to meet you.” Noel smiled and it was infuriatingly soft. Almost shy, Claire tucked a lock of hair behind her ear, eyes practically sparkling as she stared up at the man.
Double gross.
“Noel, I’ve heard so much about you. It’s good to finally put a face to a name, y’know?”
Their voices were mere murmurs, afraid to break their shared moment.
“Oh of course! Especially when you’re every bit as beautiful as Ashe described.” Claire giggled and Sirius gagged. “I look forward to making your acquaintance.”
Finally, Ashe’s droning tapered off when he realized no one was actually listening to whatever nonsense he was spouting. In fact, Claire and Noel seemed to forget there was even anyone else in the café. Ashe slowly scooted over to Sirius.
“What the fuck is going on?” He hissed. Sirius scowled at him. What? The idiot hadn’t already figured it out? Sirius wasn’t one for romance, but even he could tell how immediately smitten the pair was.
“Love at first sight, Bradley.”
“LOVE?!”
--
After a full agonizing ten minutes (Sirius and Ashe had to loudly fake cough to break the other two out of it. It was the only time they would ever work together to achieve anything.), the group found themselves seated in one of the booth seats, cups of coffee in hand.
“Sirius! It’s nice to meet you! Ashe talks of you often.” Noel, who Sirius had had his doubts about, was unfortunately a really nice guy. Like really nice.
“All good things I hope,” Sirius grumbled sarcastically into his mug. Ashe barked a shrill laugh across from him.
“You know how he tends to exaggerate. I’ll be glad to get to know you more myself.” Noel grinned.
UGH.
Could this guy stop being so nice for like five seconds so Sirius could have the opportunity to hate him?
With Ashe, it was easy. The man was a pathetic loud overgrown child with nothing better to do than bother Sirius’s little family. His voice was grating, his face was grating, hell, Sirius pretty much couldn’t stand the guy in the slightest. But Noel. Noel was nothing like him.
He was reserved, but kind hearted, filled with the same wonder for the world that Claire had always possessed. He respected boundaries and generally didn’t want to intrude, the stark contrast to Ashe, who barreled through life. Ashe’s motto was don’t ask permission and ask for forgiveness later. It’s why Sirius didn’t want him around Claire. Surely, this man could not be a good influence.
But Noel clearly didn’t think the same.
Still, Sirius was skeptical of how quickly he wormed his way into Claire’s heart.
They could barely keep their eyes off each other for a full minute and Sirius gripped his mug harder. The coffee was bitter on his tongue. He should’ve gotten something sweeter.
In the time Sirius had zoned out of the conversation, he found Noel had moved on to discussing something about stars with Claire. They both had dopey grins on their faces, mouths moving as quick as their lungs would allow. Ashe had been left to sip through his drink alone, a third wheel to his own two best friends.
This wasn’t the way it was supposed to be. He wasn’t supposed to let anyone else in.
Sure, his sister could be annoying and loud and all over the place, but she was his sister. Family.
Th-this blond man couldn’t just sneak his way in. After last time, Sirius had agreed to try harder. He didn’t—couldn’t lose his sister.
She was all he had.
So no matter how nice this man was, no matter how hard he tried to befriend them, Sirius would not let him in.
But then.
But then Claire giggled, smile wider than he’d seen it in a while.
…fuck.
-
And that’s how Noel became one of the Elford siblings’ closest friends
2.
Sirius was going to lose his mind.
Now, this was nothing new. With Claire Elford as a sister and Ashe Bradley as a friend, it was only inevitable, but surprisingly this had nothing to do with the latter.
See, he could only watch Noel and Claire dance around their obvious feelings for so long.
Sirius knew he didn’t want any part of romance himself, to be quite frank he just didn’t find the idea all that appealing, but he’d read enough fairy tales to know when people cared about each other more than platonically. It was disgusting and infuriating to watch, and it really wasn’t any of his business, but at this point the two were giving him a headache. And he wanted his sister to be happy.
So when weekly game night rolled around and they played cards, Noel’s hand lingering too long on Claire’s and both of them blushing bright red before turning away, Sirius was ready to tear his hair out. And see, this wasn’t even a new development. This had been going on for months.
Sirius had hoped that when they first met and their immediate attraction had been ridiculously obvious, the two would figure their shit out and try dating. But then the days passed into weeks and into months. Noel would stare at Claire with a lovesick look and she would be none the wiser. AND Claire would smile at every single word coming out of that man’s mouth, cheeks rounded and pink. BUT apparently both of them were sickening oblivious and didn’t think the other felt the same way.
Take now for example: They were all in Claire’s apartment, painting the walls a nice blue color. The floor had been covered in a cheap plastic tarp, spottled with paint at this point. Cans and trays were scattered around the room, spare rollers and paint brushes left out to crust over. Sirius had resigned himself to a break, arm aching from the constant motion, and he sat back to observe their progress.
Ashe had been working on the same wall for an hour, painting smiley faces and obscenities on the stark white before slathering over it. He’d been working on a portrait of himself for the last twenty minutes and Sirius personally thought it looked wonky as hell. The eyes were different sizes and his hair stuck up in all directions. Sirius snickered. That man was so bizarre. And not in a good way.
Letting his eyes drift to the rest of the room, he observed as Noel balanced precariously at the top of a ladder, painting the tops near the ceiling. Him being the tallest, he was easily able to reach without much of a hassle, which was a huge relief. Sirius wasn’t a huge fan of heights and he certainly didn’t trust the integrity of ladders. Claire herself was on his left, painting the rest of the wall.
All in all, they’d made good progress with no issues so far.
But of course something always had to go wrong.
Ashe, having finished his “masterpiece”, jumped back to observe his handiwork. Unfortunately, that left him right in the path of Noel’s ladder.
Shit.
The man bumped back into the metal structure, leaving it creaking dangerously. The ladder rattled and Sirius could only watch in horror. Noel wobbled, eyes going wide. But for a moment, just a moment, he caught his balance.
Before the whole thing collapsed.
Ashe dove out of the way of the tilting structure, clattering with it to the ground. Noel was left without any support. A yelp barely escaped before he was falling.
Sirius shouted. Metal clashed with hardwood. Noel sailed through the air, hurtling towards what Sirius was sure was certain doom. Reaching hands. Screaming.
Noel didn’t hit the floor though.
His fall was cushioned by strong arms, supporting his back and under his legs.
“Noel are you okay?!” Claire exclaimed, staring down at the man she was currently holding bridal style despite the good foot in height he had over her. Noel’s eyes were wide, never once straying from Claire.
“Y-you saved me,” he murmured. His cheeks splashed pink.
Sirius wanted to groan. What was this? Some bad romance movie?
Of course, he was very relieved Noel was alright, heart still in his throat. But still. He could almost see the cherry blossom petals flying across the screen.
“Of course I did.” Claire smiled, still holding Noel. “I’ll always save you.”
Sirius gagged, but Noel stared at Claire like she was the stars. Twinkling and beautiful.
But someone always had to break their moment.
“Oh god, Noel are you alright?” Ashe scrambled up from the floor, rushing up to hover anxiously over his best friend. Any trace of his usual playfulness had disappeared and was replaced by dark concern. “I didn’t mean to-!”
“It’s alright Ashe, it was genuinely an accident. I forgive you.” Noel’s feet finally touched the ground, him reluctantly turning away from Claire. His arm stayed wrapped around her waist.
Ashe’s eyes just tightened at his words. He didn’t seem relieved in the slightest. “Still, even if it was an accident, you could’ve been really hurt.”
“We’ll just have to be more careful next time, right?” Claire beamed at Ashe. Her hand gripped Noel’s sleeve. Sirius wondered if they even realized they were practically attached at each other’s hips. “That’s what mistakes are for.”
“Right…mistakes.” Ashe didn’t exactly seem convinced but he nodded anyway.
They decided to take a break after that. Noel and Claire didn’t leave each other’s side the rest of the day, Ashe volunteering to take the ladder and finish the tops of the walls.
Sirius wanted to roll his eyes, but even he could admit Noel and Claire were growing on him.
3.
Sirius didn’t know how he got stuck in this position.
He’d agreed to help his sister out, wanting to do something nice after all her hard work, but this was not what he had in mind. Apparently there was a new flower shop opening down the street and Claire wanted to get Noel a gift. No, they weren’t dating yet. Yes, Sirius was still sick of their bullshit.
But he was a nice guy. Sometimes. So he’d agreed to go check it out in her stead. Unfortunately, this somehow ended up with him walking down the sidewalk side by side with Ashe Bradley.
The man claimed to have the day off and he just “loved” flowers so he had to tag along. Sirius was pretty sure he did it just to annoy him. Either way, he was stuck now. All because he’d decided to help someone else. Ugh.
“And so I told her to stop, because bananas and pizza should never cross but…,”
Sirius tuned Ashe’s rambling out. He didn’t even know what stupid story he was telling now, but it wasn’t interesting enough to hold his attention. If only there was someone else Ashe could ramble to. The man seemed determined to only bother Sirius’s family. No other friends and Sirius hadn’t heard anything about his family, much less a loved one. Despite how disgusting Noel and Claire could be, Sirius found himself wishing Ashe had a partner, just so he’d leave him alone.
They made it to the flower shop quickly, with it being pretty close to the rest of the shops on their block. It was a quaint place with a large cursive sign reading The Dark Lily above it. Large windows allowed sight to the bushels and bushels of flowers inside. There were so many colors, pastel and bright, splashing out over the sea of green. They looked fresh and well kept too.
Sirius wasn’t exactly one for flowers, but maybe Lady Dorothy would appreciate some next time she comes to visit.
Ashe eagerly pushed open the large glass doors, a tiny bell chiming as they entered. The inside was as nice as the out, sweet in its floral scent. Sirius could appreciate it, bright daisies catching his eye. Claire had told him she wanted to get yellow roses, because, after some quick googling, she found they meant friendship and joy. Sirius wanted to scoff at her choice because he was pretty sure their friendship wouldn’t be friendship much longer, but he complied and started his search for them. It looked like the shop was empty at the moment, cash register left unattended.
Sirius shrugged and started his hunt.
“Ooo Sirius do you think they have daffodils? Those are my favorite!” Ashe exclaimed, rather loudly in the quiet shop, as he combed over the different bouquets.
“How would I know?” Sirius wasn’t even sure what a daffodil looked like.
“Or irises? The purple yellow complementary combo is really something. I wonder if I should order flowers for the café! Bet they’d look nice on the counter…,” The teal haired man hovered behind him as he pressed his knuckles to his chin.
“Why do you know so much about flowers anyway?” Sirius picked up what he thought was a rose (it was yellow after all), but the label read “Tulip” so he put it down.
“Ah I used to do a lot of research on natural medicines and read a whole book on flowers and their features. Guess some of it stuck.”
Ashe drifted over to a bouquet labeled “Sunflowers” and lightly brushed the pedals with his fingers. His smile dulled into something quite melancholy.
“My sister, a lot like Claire, loves everything pretty, so I’d often read the book to her. She always liked when I could name all the ones on our path home.”
Sirius rose his eyebrows. This was the first he’d even heard of Ashe having a sister. He’d just assumed the guy was an only child.
“A sister, huh? What’s her name?”
Something dark passed over Ashe’s face, but Sirius wouldn’t get the chance to know why as someone entered through the back room, apron typed around his waist and a spray bottle in hand.
“Sorry, I heard you guys, but I was finishing watering the ones in the back.” The man, probably the florist who ran the shop, explained.
He had shaggy black hair, mostly loosely tied into a small ponytail while some hung loose in a clip framing his face, and a deep red apron. His eyes made him look bored, but he was clearly paying attention.
“Can I help you with anything?” He wondered, voice deep.
Sirius nodded quickly. As much as he’d like to say he could figure this out himself, botany wasn’t his strong suit.
“Do you have any yellow roses?” Sirius questioned. The florist nodded and gestured to a large display labeled “Roses”. There were a wide array of colors, neatly organized into a rainbow fashion.
Sirius felt a little incompetent at the fact he hadn’t noticed it.
“How many would you like? I’ll package them for you.” The florist moved to the display, picking out a few of the prettiest yellow roses.
“Just a standard bouquet, thank you.”
The man nodded and continued his work.
“Wait wait wait. Yellow roses? Why yellow?” Ashe piped up, raising an eyebrow at Sirius.
“Claire wants a bouquet to give to Noel.”
Ashe narrowed his eyes. “She wants a bouquet symbolizing friendship…for Noel?”
Sirius shared in his astonishment.
Ashe barked out a laugh, shaking his head. “They are ridiculous.”
The florist, having finished collecting his bouquet, took it to the counter and started clipping the stems. Clearly, he was quite skilled in his business, tying the bouquet with a yellow ribbon in a quick flourish. Sirius wondered how long he’d been working in the floral industry and if he was the owner of the shop. Probably. He seemed to be the only one working here at the moment.
Having moved to this town almost six months ago, Sirius could understand how opening a shop alone in an unknown place could be nerve-wracking. He’d been lucky, he’d had Claire with him. And although he’d been nervous to move away from Lady Dorothy, he found it actually was for the best. He’s watched Claire blossom, making new friends and getting to see the world that was so much bigger than just Sirius. Sirius’s world may be his family, but he wasn’t bitter or jealous. He’s just happy his sister got to live the life she was always destined for, surrounded by the people she loves.
And if Sirius was to be honest, his family may have expanded to include a certain kind blonde and, unfortunately, an annoying idiot. He doesn’t think he’s ever been happier (but of course, he’d never admit it).
“You’re new around here, right? What’s your name?” Ashe leaned across the counter, resting his head in his palm. He was also totally leaning into the florist’s personal space. The man was much like Sirius, in that Ashe had a good few inches in height on him. Sirius would call Ashe’s behavior rude, but it wouldn’t be anything new.
“Yeah, just moved in. Name’s Wilardo.” The florist, Wilardo, didn’t seem to mind though as he just continued his work, wrapping the bouquet stems in a thin plastic.
“Wilardo! Well, welcome to the neighborhood! My name’s Ashe Bradley! I’m 5’9’’, shoe size 8.5, blood type AB, and my favorite food’s cream pasta! I’m a baker at Storybook Café. It was actually named after that one book Witch’s Heart…,” As Ashe continued his introduction spiel, Wilardo just nodded through it all. Sirius wasn’t even sure if he was listening. The florist rang up the bouquet, gesturing for Sirius to pay without interrupting whatever Ashe was talking about now. Sirius handed over the cash Claire had given him earlier and Wilardo waited until there was a break in Ashe’s speech to open the register with a ding.
And Ashe continued to ramble because of course he did, but something in his eyes sharpened. His mouth streamed random fun facts, but Sirius could tell he’d noticed how Wilardo hadn’t cut him off yet. He seemed almost surprised.
“But anyway.” Ashe, for once, was stilted. Not speechless (that’d be too good to ask for), but a little confused. “I should bring you cookies sometime. As a welcome.”
Wilardo looked up, dark eyes meeting Ashe’s head on. He nodded. “Sure. I like chocolate chip.”
Ashe’s eyebrows shot up and he smiled. But he’d already been smiling so Sirius wasn’t sure why this one was different. It looked…less goofy, less fake? Sirius kind of hated Ashe’s smile because it always seemed too wide, too much for the situation. And Sirius knew the tall man’s sinister taunting smile very well (he hated that one too, it was so infuriating) from all their arguments, so why did this one stand out?
“I’ll be sure to make them fresh.” Ashe finally straightened up, no longer leaning on the counter. Instead he lightly hopped on his feet and tucked his hands in his long sleeves.
Wilardo gave him a small smile before turning to offer Sirius his change.
“Alright and will that be all today?” He handed over the bouquet and the purple haired man gently took it into his arms. He wouldn’t want to smush Claire’s present.
“Yes thank you very much.” Sirius bowed his head and turned to leave the flower shop.
He made it ten feet down the sidewalk when he finally realized that Ashe wasn’t rambling like usual. The tall man was walking silently beside him, seemingly deep in thought. Huh. Color Sirius surprised.
(Ashe did end up bringing Wilardo cookies the next day, as well as an invite to their Friday game night)
It’d been 3 months since Wilardo moved in and he fit seamlessly into their little group. He was generally a man of few words, but he also wasn’t afraid to speak his mind. Sirius finally had someone who would bully Ashe with him and join him in snarky conversations. Wilardo let Claire talk with him about flowers for hours, her raving about how beautiful they were. Ashe also seemed to take a liking to the new guy. They were often seen together, sitting next to each other, and conversing quietly. They weren’t often on the same team during game nights, but it was clear the two were very competitive with each other. Ashe seemed…comfortable, for lack of a better word. Sirius wasn’t sure what it was, but the man was always over the top with Claire and Noel, but sometimes when he was just alone with Wilardo, Sirius would watch his shoulders visibly drop. Relaxed. A little more real.
And Sirius was finally becoming more open to letting people in, something he patted himself on the back for. He barely even pushed back when Wilardo joined.
For now, Sirius was over at Noel and Ashe’s apartment, having just finished a movie marathon. Ashe had left earlier, something about running errands, and Sirius had found it quite enjoyable just to spend time with Noel. A surprising luxury considering their friends’ tendencies to just appear whenever. Sirius found he had a hard time spending time with the others without Claire as a buffer, but he’d gotten better at it. He and Noel got along well, usually doing a quiet activity together. Wilardo was also comfortable to be around, although they tended to just sit in silence in each other’s company instead of actually doing anything. Ashe was still a pain and the two of them still ended up bickering when they were alone. It was a work in progress.
“Hey Sirius?” Noel sat up from where he was slumped against the couch, wearing a comfy hoodie with a cartoon cat on it. “Can I get your advice?”
Sirius paused the credits that were currently rolling and turned to face his friend. “Sure.”
He wasn’t exactly great at giving out advice, but Noel had asked so sincerely, it seemed a shame to turn him down.
Noel twisted his mouth to one side, thinking through his words.
“Well, it’s about Claire,” Noel admitted.
Oh.
Sirius sat straighter.
“What about her?”
“I just…guess I wanted to get your opinion.” Noel’s fingers twisted in his sleeves.
Distantly, the apartment door opened.
“See, she’s just…amazing. She’s always so positive, glowing, and so very kind.” A soft smile blossomed on Noel’s face. “Even after everything she’s been through, she still looks forward to the future. And I admire her so much, I look forward to seeing her each day, and talking to her.”
He took a deep breath, oblivious to the person approaching behind him. Sirius’s eyes widened before he beamed. About time.
“Claire makes me so happy. She makes me want to be a better person, she’s my role model. My hero.” Noel’s eyes were so soft, staring down at his hands. He tightened his fingers into fists, looking up at Sirius who was openly grinning. He steeled his nerves.
“Would it be alright if I asked her out? On a date?” Noel asked with bated breath, expectant and nervous. His leg started bouncing up and down.
Sirius didn’t want to make him anymore anxious, but he just had to laugh, making eye contact with the person standing behind the couch.
“Why don’t you ask her yourself?”
“Wha-?”
Noel whipped around only to find Claire herself staring at him. Her face splashed a brilliant pink, beautiful eyes glossy with unshed tears.
“You really think all that?” She whispered, hands clutched to her chest. “About me?”
Noel’s eyes blew to the size of saucers, cheeks bloomed a deep red. He was clearly surprised, but even so, he kept his composure.
“Of course, I do. Claire, you’re amazing.” Noel hopped off the couch and rounded the back so he could stand in front of her. He lightly took her hands in his. Sirius couldn’t help but smile at their display. He’d been waiting for this for so long.
“Will you…go on a date with me, Claire Elfor-.”
“Yes!” Noel didn’t even get to finish his sentence before Claire threw herself into his arms.
“Oof!”
They both fell to the ground with a thump, but they were laughing so Sirius saw no need for concern. He even snickered himself. Finally. It’d been 8 months of painfully watching them dancing around each other, avoiding the romantic feelings that were so obvious to everyone else but themselves. He quickly pulled his phone out of his pocket.
**Operation NoelClaire**
4:48 pm
Sirius: You both officially owe me 10 bucks.
4:50 pm
Bakerboy: WAIT WHAT??? :O
Bakerboy: FINALLYYYYY???????? :OOO
Wil: lmao
Wil: good
Sirius snorted and turned back to his friends. He almost felt like he could finally breathe a sigh of relief. He was finally done with all this romance bullshit between his friends. Finally.
(Claire came back that Friday night with stories of twinkling stars and beautiful constellations. Sirius couldn’t be happier for her. She was absolutely radiant.)
5.
Sirius thought he was done with this shit. HE THOUGHT HE WAS DONE. Lord, please put his head through a wall.
Wilardo showed up with flowers. FLOWERS. Which, sure, was fair considering he was a florist, but still!
The whole squad was currently chilling in Ashe’s bakery, sipping the tea Noel had brewed for them while they waited for everyone to arrive. They had plans to go to the ice rink today, but not all of them had cars they could drive, so carpooling with Noel’s minivan was the best course of action. So they’d been sitting around, waiting for Wilardo as he was the last to show.
And then he did. With a bouquet of flowers in his hands.
“Sorry I’m late.” He waved as he entered the café, soft bell chiming.
“That’s alright! We weren’t waiting long,” Claire grinned, looking to her boyfriend, Noel. Oh yeah, those two had officially been together for four strong months now. They were practically rotting Sirius’s teeth they were so sweet. Truly soulmates.
“Whatcha’ got there?” Ashe wondered, staring at the bouquet in Wilardo’s hands. It didn’t look to be anything special to Sirius, just a bunch of yellow and purple flowers, but Ashe was staring like his dog was just killed in front of him.
“Oh uh flowers.” Wil nodded. “For yo-uh the café.” He gestured with his free hand towards the counter. “They’re-,”
“Irises and daffodils.” Ashe cut in, still looking vaguely spooked while Wilardo looked…embarrassed?
If he was just bringing flowers for the café, why would he be embarrassed? Was he afraid Ashe and Noel wouldn’t like them? Sirius couldn’t remember what flowers the two liked, but he was sure they wouldn’t reject them.
“How’d you know they were my favorite?” Ashe moved forward to take the bouquet, staring down into the flowers like they had all the answers to the universe.
“You mentioned it a while back, when you were picking out flowers at the shop,” Wilardo explained.
He did? Sirius did have a vague memory of that conversation but he certainly didn’t remember Ashe’s favorite flower. Wilardo must have a good memory.
“Thank you, Wilardo,” Noel graciously expressed when Ashe didn’t speak up. He was still staring down at those flowers, a stupid smile on his face.
Ah. Sirius recognized that smile. The others had coined it the Wilardo Smile. They weren’t quite sure what it meant and they didn’t get to see it often since Ashe usually kept his facial expressions carefully regulated (for reasons Sirius didn’t know), but it was distinct from his other smiles.
“We don’t have a vase, but…,” Ashe rushed to the kitchen, coming back with a tall glass filled with clear water. He gently placed the bouquet inside, brushing his fingers over the soft petals.
“Thanks, Wil. They’ll really liven up the place.” Ashe beamed at his friend, who couldn’t help but grin back.
It was a sweet moment, but their eyes lingered on each other for just a little too long for just simple gratitude. Sirius narrowed his gaze.
Oh no.
Not again.
He knew what was happening and he would NOT deal with this again. Why did all his stupid friends have to go and have feelings for each other? He was going to be the worst fifth wheel for all of eternity.
“Well! Are we ready to go?” Noel wondered, collecting their ceramic mugs to clean later. With everyone’s enthusiastic confirmation, the squad quickly locked up the café and piled into Noel’s car, ready to hit the ice rink.
--
Sirius liked the idea of ice skating. It seemed fun, being able to swoop around the rink all graceful like. But in practice, he wasn’t very good.
His legs slipped from underneath him, skates skidding along the ice. Crashing to the ground unceremoniously, Sirius sighed. His butt was starting to get seriously sore from all this falling.
He’d never learned how to skate, not on ice or roller blades. His sense of balance was adequate as Dorothy always told him to practice good posture, but clearly that didn’t translate to his skill on the ice. At least he wasn’t the only one. Noel was a baby fawn on wobbly legs. He had to clutch onto Claire’s hands just to get onto the ice—where he then immediately fell. Sirius would’ve found it humorous if he wasn’t in the same situation.
Claire, who also never learned to skate, seemed to be a natural. She was a little cautious at first but after two tumbles, she seemed to get the hang of it. It helped that it was a Wednesday during a slow week making the rink nearly empty except for a few stragglers, so she was free to practice without worrying about running into anyone.
Surprisingly, it seemed Ashe was the best amongst the group. He was able to zip around the rink in record time, lapping the rest of the group multiple times over. When asked, he just laughed and said he used to skate on frozen lakes all the time. He was graceful in all senses of the word and Sirius was so totally not jealous. He’ll learn quick and then he’ll be able to beat Ashe.
Not that this was a competition.
(But it kind of was.)
Wilardo, on the other hand, hadn’t let go of the wall. He seemed content to just coast along it, using it to pull him along. He didn’t wobble much, legs straight and balance centered, but he refused to actually pick up his feet.
“This is fun, guys!” Claire called, slowly skating her way towards the center.
“Want to race?” Ashe shot Sirius a sly grin, hands behind his back as he skated next to him.
“I will trip you.” Sirius glared. Ashe just laughed and went to join Wilardo near the wall.
Sirius watched them for a moment, Ashe obviously teasing Wil about something, who lightly huffed a laugh. As much as Sirius hated to watch more of his friends fall in love, they seemed good for each other. He drifted a little closer to listen in.
“Oh come on! You won’t learn if you just hold onto the wall the entire time.”
“I’m good.”
“Wilardooooo,” Ashe huffed, tapping his chin in thought. “What if you held my hand? I could guide you! And teach you how to actually move on your own.”
Wilardo narrowed his eyes at Ashe’s light tease but ended up shrugging anyway.
“Sure. But if I end up dragging you down, don’t blame me.” Wil smirked.
“Oh please.” Ashe held out a hand and Wilardo wrapped his calloused fingers around Ashe’s lithe ones. “I’m sure it’ll be f-“
Wilardo let go of the wall.
“fffUCK!”
And down they go.
Blades skidding, they both fell backwards immediately. They hit the ice with a crack and a thud, Wilardo accidentally kicking the wall.
“Owwwww…,” Ashe groaned and pressed a hand to the back on his head.
Sirius wheezed.
He was laughing so hard, he lost his own balance and plopped to the ground. But not even the ice cooling his bottom could stop him from his barking laughter. His stomach hurt and tears pooled in the corners of his eyes.
Oh that was priceless.
“Shut up Sirius!” Ashe called from across the ice. Sirius just laughed louder in response and the teal haired man flipped him off.
A whole five minutes later and he was still chuckling to himself.
Ashe and Wilardo had slowly climbed to their feet again and were now veeeery slowly making their way around the rink, hand in hand. Ashe didn’t seem annoyed about being slowed down, in fact he looked quite content. He gave Wilardo skating tips every once in a while but the rest of the time, they just kept a quiet conversation. That stupid Wilardo Smile was back on Ashe’s face.
But enough about them. Sirius was finally getting the hang of this skating thing. He’d gone a whole three minutes without falling, which was truly an achievement. He was able to make it over to Noel and Claire all on his own and it wasn’t even that hard. Noel was still wobbling on his legs, but he was getting steadier. Claire continued to hold his hand, probably just because she wanted to at this point.
“How’re you guys doing?” Sirius asked, lightly skating along.
“Ah I’ll have a few bruises.” Noel grinned. “But we’re having fun.”
Claire nodded. “Yeah! It definitely gives me an appreciation for figure skaters! Even just balancing is hard.”
They both lifted their conjoined hands.
“Hey Sirius, we actually have something to tell you.” Claire smiled kindly, almost like she was trying to let him down easy, but Sirius wasn’t sure why. His feet scraped along the ice, the sound setting his teeth on edge.
The atmosphere shifted. Something much more serious. Noel’s smile slowly faded and he pursed his lips, glancing down at his feet for a second. Claire squeezed his hand, some supportive expression on her face that Sirius couldn’t hope to identify. Soft pop music flooded the empty air.
“What is it?” He questioned. Blunt, to the point. A foreboding smoke crawled over his shoulders.
“Well, we…,” Claire looked to Noel, who had since adopted a dopey smile on his face, like he couldn’t hold it back, “were thinking about moving in together.”
What.
What?
Claire continued talking, explaining how Noel would move out of his shared apartment in with her, but Sirius didn’t register any of it.
He…honestly didn’t know how to feel.
He expected a pang of sadness, jealousy, some all consuming rage, but truthfully, he was just content. Claire was moving on to the next stage of her life, but that didn’t mean Sirius was being left behind. His family had expanded and he couldn’t be happier. Noel was a great guy. He knew he would treat Claire well, he’s seen it since the day they first met.
Sirius reached out to give Noel a friendly pat on the shoulder. The tall man jumped, eyes widening.
“I’m happy for you two.” A sincere smile pulled at his lips, something warm and soft blooming in his chest. Noel relaxed, patting his hand over Sirius’s and beaming brighter than usual.
Heartwarming moment out of the way, panicked screaming flooded the scene. Wind rushed past them, nearly knocking Sirius off his feet. Ashe and Wilardo were currently sling-shotting each other across the rink, hands conjoined and spinning rapidly out of control.
The wall rattled when they both slammed into it.
The other three could only watch on in disappointment.
Yeah, those two idiots were perfect for each other.
+1
Sirius didn’t consider himself a matchmaker.
He wasn’t responsible for Claire and Noel getting together. He’d just been along for the ride. In fact, he much prefers just watching what everyone else does and just silently seething. He was happy for all his friends, obviously, and he certainly didn’t envy them, but he’d never known how frustrating watching two people dance around each other could be. He’d already gotten his fair share of torture through Noel and Claire, he didn’t need Ashe and Wilardo causing him issues too.
But here they were.
After Noel moved in with Claire, Ashe had been left looking for a roommate. Sirius, who under no circumstances would ever share a living space with Ashe Bradley, immediately refused. But having another person to pay half the rent was very tempting for Wilardo.
So through proclamations of how annoying it would be, Wilardo happily accepted.
And they were getting on swimmingly.
It was rough at the beginning, their almost constant fighting getting on every last nerve in Sirius’s body (though it was pretty funny to hear about what set them off now), but it got better. There was some fiasco with a fire, something Sirius didn’t hear about until it was resolved apparently.
But Ashe had stopped coming around Sirius’s apartment to bother him as often, so Sirius would take the win.
Now, the two were closer than ever and Sirius hated it.
They flirted with each other almost constantly, but when asked if they were together, the two would adamantly refuse with blushed cheeks. Sirius had had enough. He wasn’t going through this shit again.
So he was going to take matters into his own hands.
They were gathered around Ashe and Wil’s apartment, snacking on chips and playing a loose game of truth and dare. So far, Noel had had to stick his head in the toilet bowl, Claire’d had to sing everything she said, and Ashe had done the knife game, with scary accurate precision and speed. Wilardo had been stressed the entire time, so sure Ashe would chop off one of his fingers.
This was the perfect opportunity to knock some sense into them. Sirius’s chest burned with eagerness.
Ashe leaned over to whisper something in Wilardo’s ear, stupid smirk on his face. Something in Sirius snapped. The straw that breaks the camel’s back, if you will.
“OHHHHH my god!” He slammed his feet on the ground, standing with enough force to startle everyone in a twenty foot radius.
Ashe jumped back from Wilardo, glaring at the interruption.
“YOU TWO!”
He jabbed an accusing finger at the two offenders.
“We get it! You’re in love! Can you please just confess and get it OVER WITH ALREADY?!” Sirius let out a haunting laugh. Claire and Noel shared a concerned glance.
“In fact, I dare you.”
Silence swept the room. Ashe’s eye twitched and his hands shook in fists. Sirius figured he was at serious risk of getting punched here, but he’d said his piece. His chest felt lighter, some of the anger that had been bubbling over the last few months drifting off into the wind.
Still, he’d made the situation awkward.
No one wanted to speak. Claire glanced between Wilardo and Ashe, wanting to salvage this, but unsure how. Noel was shooting a specific look at Ashe, although the other man was still too busy burning his gaze into Sirius to notice.
“Well,” Wilardo sighed.
He shifted to the side to face Ashe, cheeks pale but burning red ears giving him away. The teal haired man jolted in surprise. His gaze flicked everywhere, unsure of what was happening. Was this happening? For real? After all this time?
Wilardo reached up and cupped one of Ashe’s freckled cheeks. His golden eyes widened but his skin burned crimson.
“I mean if that’s alright with you. It is a dare after all,” Wilardo murmured, looking ready to pull back. Ashe’s lack of response made him hesitate, shoulders tensing.
“No-!” Ashe’s hands grabbed Wilardo’s sleeve to keep him from leaving. “I mean yes! Uhm—please?” He squeaked.
Wil grinned, cheeks round and eyes sparkling. Sirius didn’t think he’d ever seen that expression on him. So happy. The short man gently leaned forward, closing the gap, and kissed Ashe Bradley.
Claire and Noel erupted into cheers and Sirius couldn’t help but bark out a laugh.
He hadn’t thought he’d ever see the day where Ashe Bradley would find someone so perfect for him. Sirius hadn’t thought the man would stick around long enough for it to happen. In fact, Sirius hoped figured that the man would’ve been out of his life within the first month in which they met.
But sitting here now, in this small apartment all aglow in soft yellow lights, listening to the cheerful laughter and whooping of his friends…his family, Sirius wouldn’t want to be anywhere else. He wouldn’t want it to be anyone else. Claire, Noel, Wilardo, and yes, even Ashe filled his life with so much light. He couldn’t have ever imagined his life like this all those years ago as a small boy left in the care of his grandmother. These people were his family.
Ashe broke away from Wilardo and met his eyes from across the room.
‘Thank you,’ he mouthed.
And maybe, just perhaps, Sirius was their family too.
TheMarvelousMetamorphous Thu 27 Oct 2022 08:08PM UTC
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AVID WILASHE NOELCLAIRE ENJOYER (Guest) Tue 21 Feb 2023 05:08AM UTC
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