Chapter Text
Friday
“Ah come on Pete, I don’t wanna have to go in there and get you.” Remus’s hands flex on the steering wheel, knuckles turning white. He’s looking in through the outbuilding door, hoping he’ll catch a glimpse of Pete’s sandy blond head poking out of one of the stalls.
Remus leans back, cracked leather seats of his old truck groaning as he stretches, speakers crackling when he turns the song up. Robert Plant’s voice fills the cramped cab and he lets out a long breath.
He’ll give Pete three more minutes, until the end of Ten Years Gone that’s playing on the stereo, then he’s gonna go in and look for him.
The sun is setting over the rolling hills, painting the sky in a way that reminds him of calm before the storm. Pete’s been aching to him about the rodeo for the past few months and every time he brings it up Remus always says the same thing.
“You wanted to help out, you brought this upon yourself.”
Since Pete took over his parents ranch, he’s been trying to keep up with their legacy. But Patricia Pettigrew was one hell of a planner and he was definitely starting to feel the room in the shoes he was trying to fill.
He’s been helping as much as he can, coming up on his days off, following up with people in town and just trying to stay out of Pete’s way, but there always seemed to be something falling through.
Remus can just barely make out Pete’s silhouette in the distance, scurrying about through the barn. He squints at him, thinking about staying in the truck when Pete disappears again out through the back.
Rolling his eyes, he lets out a sigh, pocketing the keys and pulling on his jacket that was tossed in the back.
It’s brisk for September, leaves already starting to change and he’s not ready to kiss the warm nights goodbye. Leg aching, Remus slams the door shut hard, checking to see if it clicked.
His hair is getting long, brushing against his neck and the tops of his ears and he does his best to push it back under the baseball cap.
The barn is quiet, nothing but an empty building with pop up stalls. Sweet smell of wood shavings and hay hitting him. One of the horses in a paddock in the distance whinnies and Remus knows it’s Scabbers calling to Pete.
The back garage door is open, overlooking the outdoor ring, all the bleachers flanking the sides, silver metal painted gold in the setting sun. The shutes are set up on one end, bright orange with the temporary corrals attached but empty. It’s eerie seeing the arena this quiet, without the commotion of animals in the pens.
Remus scans along the horizon, hoping to catch another glimpse of Pete.
Someone is lying in the middle of the ring. Flat on his back, left leg bent, right ankle over his knee. His hat is perched on his foot, beat up black felt that’s seen better days, creases in it, well-worn and faded.
He approaches slowly, trying to make some noise so he won’t scare the man. Why on earth would someone willingly lay in that dirt.
As he gets closer, Remus gets a better look at him. He’s wearing a beat up old t-shirt from a case of beer with a flannel thrown on top. The t-shirt is paper thin, flannel worn around the elbows to the material is streaky and there’s deep fades on his jeans in all the places that bend. His boots are creased, leather looking soft and pliable and his black felt hat is just as loved.
It dangles from his foot, dirt in a few spots and the crease along the top all pinched in. When he moves his foot, the band catches the light. Silver and turquoise embellishing the beat up cattleman.
The man's eyes are closed, breathing even, face calm. His black hair is tied loose, coming out around his temples, hands folded behind his head.
He’s tan, not as deeply as Remus is but he’s got the telltale mark of someone who works outside. Not freckled, his skin is smooth and even, nose strong and his jaw defined.
Remus clears his throat, hoping it doesn’t sound as nervous as it feels, a rope of anxiety coiling in his gut. He looks up at the sound, the man on the ground, his eyes cool and blue and that rope coils further, knotting deep in Remus’s stomach.
“You-uh, you alright?” he asks, rubbing the back of his neck when the man's gaze softens.
“Yeah, I’m alright.” he says and turns his face back towards the sky.
Remus shifts his weight, side to side and shoves his hands deep in his pockets.
“Qualifiers aren’t until tomorrow.” he says, looking around. They’re the only ones out here, the only ones near the ring.
“I know.”
There’s a silence that falls between them, thick in the chill. Remus can feel it, the tendrils begging him to take a step closer, to ask something else.
“What’re you doing on the ground?”
The man cracks open an eye, settling it on Remus and for a moment he thinks about looking away and breaking the spell. The corner of his lip quirks revealing pearly white teeth and it’s devilish. That rope knots even more, as a blush creeps up his neck. Remus looks away.
“Wouldn’t you like to know.” the man says, grabbing his hat and hoisting himself up to sit. He’s got dirt all down his back, clinging to his clothes but he’s in no hurry to brush it off.
Remus licks his lips, focused on the back of the strangers head, the way he’s curled over his knees. The broadness of his shoulders and how his shirt pulls tight over the muscles in his back. Lean and sturdy, he tilts his head back and forth, stretching his neck.
“So you’re one to keep secrets?” Remus asks, words falling between them as the man stands. He’s shorter than Remus, but everyone is shorter than Remus. If Remus stood up straight, his nose would touch the man’s forehead.
He steps closer, still keeping space between them, looking up at Remus through his dark brows and tilting his head. He’s got his hat in his hand, settled over his heart as he talks.
“Why? You wanna tell me a secret?” His voice is husky and low. Remus bites his lip, swallowing, struggling to hold his intense gaze. Eyes so blue they’re almost silver, black pupils a stark contrast in the middle.
“I don’t have any secrets.”
The man snorts at him, nothing but a quick scoff and Remus is about to rebuttal back when there’s a commotion at the other end of the ring.
“Remus! Jesus Christ I thought you were raptured—” Pete’s hollering, coming at them with a vengeance. “—truck’s out front, you’re nowhere to be found—” He stops in his tracks, looking between the two of them with a huff, “—Qualifiers aren’t until tomorrow Black! Nice try getting here early and trying to sweet talk Remus into—”
“Oh Pete no—” Remus starts, hands up defensively but he’s cut off.
“I wasn’t trying to sweet talk anyone—” The man smirks, brushing the loose tendrils of hair out of his face and putting his hat on his head. “—Tomorrow's ride’ll be a surprise, just how I like ‘em.” His lingering gaze settles on Remus for longer than necessary. Remus is the first to look away.
Tipping his hat, he says his pleasantries before leaving the two of them in the ring.
The walk back to the truck is filled with Pete’s nervous ramblings, going through everything he needs to have finished before the grand entry tomorrow at noon.
“—Fuck me I gotta get all the chickens fed in the morning too, I’m gonna be—”
“I’ll deal with the animals tomorrow.” Remus cuts him off as they get into the truck. Pete’s looking at him from the passenger seat, mouth a hard line. “I’ll get the farm shit done, feed the alpacas and all your chickens and I’ll meet you down at the fairgrounds before eleven. No need to fret.”
Pete just nods, biting on his bottom lip like he’s worrying about something else but doesn’t say anything about it.
The drive back to Pete’s little farm on the edge of town is quiet, nothing but the radio between them. Pete’s fidgeting in the front seat, leg bouncing as he twists his pocket knife in his hands.
When Remus pulls into the driveway he barely has the truck in park before he reaches over and halts Pete’s movements.
“It’s going to be fine, Jesus Christ you’re making me nervous and I’m not doing anything.” he laughs, trying to lighten the mood.
Pete bites his cheek, looking at him from the corner of his eye. “Do you wanna change that?”
Letting out a long breath, Remus lets his hands settle in his lap. “Not particularly.”
“You wanna be a pickup man tomorrow?”
“Gideon isn’t going to help you?”
“Gideon double booked this weekend. It’s his anniversary with his wife so he’s going away with her.” Quiet stretches between them, Remus looking out through the windshield at the rolling fields.
“Good man.” he says finally, licking his lips before turning to Pete in the passenger seat. “Kingsley isn’t around to help? You know he’s a better roper than I am.”
Waving his hand, Pete scoffs, “Kingsley can help Sunday but not tomorrow—” he fiddles with his pocket knife again, opening and closing it while he talks. “—Come on Rem, you can borrow Moony, he’s push button. Can’t get any easier than that.”
Rolling his eyes, he leans back against the headrest. The suspension in the truck squeaking as he does it.
“It’ll be like old times.” Pete tries again and Remus lolls his head to the side, furrowing his brows.
“I dunno, it’s been a while since—”
“Just for the day—” Pete says quickly, like that makes it better, like that makes the decision any easier. “—Come on Rem.”
Another moment stretches between them and the truck seat is getting uncomfortable, digging into his back. Pete’s back to fiddling with his knife, leg bouncing so the suspension squeaks.
“Fine.” Pete lets out a bit of a squeak and Remus is already holding up a strong finger, pointing it in his direction. “Just for tomorrow, the second that last cowboy ends their ride, I’m gone.”
Chapter Text
Saturday
Moony’s quiet this afternoon, shifting his weight from hoof to hoof as Remus leans on the front of the horn, reins in his hand he watches as everyone files into the ring. The announcer's voice booming over the speakers, constant chatter of rodeo goers surrounding him.
He’s waiting in the wings, off to the side as the rest of the volunteers and special guests enter the arena.
Remus bites his lip, keeping a keen eye out for anything running a little different than it should be. A few of the pretty cowgirls on their quarter horses look at him before entering the ring and his face heats.
“Pick up riders are next.”
Remus turns his head, locking eyes with Pete on his sturdy Palomino as he sidles up next to him.
“You gonna ride out there with me?”
“No you’re with Frank today, I’m racing around back here until later. I’m hoping I can sneak away to che—”
Remus rolls his eyes, shifting in the saddle, “Your chickens are fine Pete, they’ve been fed.”
“I wasn’t going to ask.” He fluffs, cheeks turning pink as he tries to hide it under his hat.
“I know you were,” Remus snorts as Moony stomps, hard clack of his shoe against the concrete. “And Emmeline’s ridiculous alpacas have been fed too.”
A moment of understanding passes between them and Pete frowns.
“Lord are those beasts ever angry.”
“Almost took my damn finger off.” Remus says with a playful tone, holding up his middle finger in Pete’s direction and he doesn’t quite catch the joke.
“They make her happy.” he responds almost dreamily, “I’ll make sure you get a nice hat from their wool at Christmas.”
Remus snorts, watching the parade in the ring.
“Have you uh, have you seen that guy from yesterday yet?” Pete asks and Remus narrows his gaze, pursing his lips.
“What? No, should I have?”
Pete shrugs, “You just have this expression on your face, like you’re looking for someone…”
Remus leans back and heaves a sigh.
“All I’m saying is he seems sweet! Good rider too.” He tacks on at the end with a quick glance in Remus’s direction.
“Whatever you say Pete.”
Frank is approaching them on Marlboro. He’s got a big smile on his face when he sees Remus on the other side of Pete.
“I didn’t believe Pete when he said you’d be my partner today.” he says when he gets closer and Remus shrugs, fixing his hat on his head. He’s swapped out his usual ballcap for a well loved Cutter.
When he had pulled it out of the depths of his closet, he was worried it had been crushed, but there it was, still dirty from his fall that handful of years ago. Brim still a little flat on one side, mule kick on the front of the crown from pinching it too much. The grey felt discoloured along the band from sweat and the sun.
Remus swallows down any nerves that threaten to surface and nods in Frank’s direction quickly.
“It’s nice to see you back in the saddle.” he says, quieter this time and it settles Remus almost instantly.
“Nice to be back.” he mutters as the announcer calls them in.
He follows Frank into the ring, Moony falling into place nicely beside Marlboro. The stands are full, so different than the quiet of last night and Remus finds himself scanning the procession for the cowboy from yesterday.
Frank stops near the head of the arena, next to the rest of the competitors and chats with one of them as Remus continues to scan. All the folks from town in the stands look thrilled, drunk on the excitement. He recognizes most of the faces, people he’s known for almost his whole life, all in one place.
The announcer continues, rifling off the names of competitors and their respective events, each one stepping out of line to race around the arena before falling back in line. A few of the younger guys hoot and holler as they do it, taking off their hats as they pass.
“All the way from Oklahoma City we have Sirius Black!”
Remus looks across the arena, all the way to the entrance and sees the guy from yesterday racing in on a striking dapple grey. He’s wearing the same worn in hat with the fancy turquoise band. His paper thin t-shirt swapped out for a button down and competition vest.
As he rounds the corner closest to them, Remus swears he sees a quick wink, a smile plastered over his face as he joins the end of the line. Remus is staring, watching as he chats with the competitor next to him and Sirius’s blue eyes find him across the ring.
He looks away, turning his attention to Frank who isn’t paying him any mind, too busy looking for Alice in the crowd.
When his own name is called, Remus urges Moony forward, stepping up and giving a wave and as he does it he can see Sirius staring once more.
There’s a bit of a break between the bareback and saddle bronc events, and Remus and Moony hole up along the side of one of the outbuildings. He’s pulled off Moony’s bridle, letting him graze, giving the lead rope a tug if he pulls too far.
Remus is wiping his face with the bandana around his neck, always forgetful at how much work it is to be a pickup man.
The first few riders hadn’t even made it past the 2 second mark, getting thrown into the dirt without so much as a glance from their horses. Remus and Frank worked together in silent communication, herding the horses out of the ring and into the chute, clearing the space quickly as the announcer went on.
When Remus heard the name Sirius Black over the loudspeaker, his ears perked. He had been leaning on the saddle horn, eyes trained on the chute and he swore their gazes locked.
Sirius gave him a wave, a cocky little gesture before tamping his hat down low on his head and wiggling his hips.
He came flying from the chute like a bat out of hell on a wild little bronc known to throw a shoulder. His boots, old and dry with dulled up spurs marked the horse before their front feet touched the ground.
Remus had found himself sitting up, keeping a keen eye on Sirius and the clock, waiting out the eight seconds. He watched, nodding to Frank, communicating which side they would approach and starting to inch towards him.
Sirius moved with the horse, chin tucked, teeth grit and his free hand swinging. It’s always funny seeing someone in their riding clothes, much like the rest of Sirius there were bits of flash to him. The buckles on his chaps are shiny, polished, but the black leather is worn. They're cracked in places and it looks like he’s tried to repair them a few times. His vest is much the same and the only sponsor he has on it is small and over his heart.
Potter Feed.
Remus alerts when the buzzer sounds and kicks into action. He and Frank flank the bronc on either side, Frank going for the bucking strap while Sirius plants a firm grip around Remus’s hips.
He throws a leg right over Moony’s behind and slides into Remus’s space. Arms wrapped around his middle, Sirius is gripping him tight while he slows Moony down, Frank busy chasing down the bronc and herding her into the chute.
The first thing that Remus notices when he’s knocked out of his stupor is Sirius laughing right in his ear. A nice sound, one that cuts through the rest of the noise from the ring and he chances a glance over his shoulder.
Sirius is staring up at the scoreboard, those blue eyes of his glinting in the late afternoon light and he’s smiling, tipping his hat up to get a better look.
With a pat on Remus’s shoulder, he pushes off and slides down Moony’s rump, landing with both feet in the dirt. He pulls out his mouthguard, drool connecting it to his lip and leaving some behind as Remus looks down at him, trying to remember to close his mouth.
“Thanks for the lift.” he says with a smirk as Remus shifts in his saddle, nodding and it looks like Sirius is about to move away before he says, “You my pickup man for the saddle bronc too?”
“I am.” Sirius nods at Remus’s answer, eyes trained into the dirt and he isn’t in a hurry to move away. “Are you doing two events?” He looks up at that, blue grey eyes such a shock in the sun.
He nods again, wiping the spit off of his lip.
“I am. I ain’t no one trick pony.” he says with a smirk, patting Remus’s thigh and moving back towards the chutes.
Remus keeps finding him for the rest of the day, watching him with the other cowboys, his bright white smile a beacon. He can hear his laugh, now that he knows the sound of it, from the other end of the arena. Everytime he lets it loose, Remus looks, and catches those clear blue eyes staring back at him.
***
The bar is a little more crowded than Remus would like, people filling the tables and the open space near the jukebox the locals like to call the dancefloor. Pete buys him a drink as a thank you, face red from being out in the sun all day and there’s dark circles around his eyes. He’s fiddling with the sticker on the bottle, playing with the edge that’s already detaching, hands unable to still.
Remus takes a sip of his beer, elbows on the table and lifts a brow in Pete’s direction, an unspoken question shared between them.
“One more day Rem, one more day.” he laments, taking his hat off and laying it on the table.
“I think it’s going swimmingly. People look like they’re having fun, crowds been rowdy which is good.” Remus gives him a shrug, but Pete continues to fuss. He’s got half the label off, grabbing the bottle roughly and swigging it.
“Do you know how hard it is keeping twenty-two cowboys in line? I found two of the out of towners climbing a flagpole to fucking steal a flag earlier, doesn’t matter that we’ll charge them for extra dues—” Pete’s rambling on, punctuating his sentences with his hand that’s now holding the wet label, crunching it up and tearing it as he talks.
Something’s caught Remus’s eye, just over Pete’s shoulder, the door to the bar swinging open as the music plays, as the crowd talks. The sound bouncing off the small space and the neon light of the beer signs painting everything in a red-orange hue.
Sirius stumbles in, arm around another guy, facing each other and laughing. Remus swears he can hear the sound of it right in his ear. Just like he had heard earlier today. Clear and bright and full of mirth.
That rope he thought he shed the other day coils in his gut, a familiar feeling of jealousy as Sirius tugs the man up to the bar. Through the crowd, Sirius’s gaze flicks to where they’re sitting and Remus focuses on the table, face heating and taking another pull from his beer.
“He’s cute.” Pete says nonchalantly, looking in Sirius’s direction.
“You’re married.” Remus answers, deadpan with a tilt of his head and Pete rolls his eyes.
“I may be married but I do have eyes.” Pete squints trying to get a better look, “He’s that fella from yesterday.”
Sirius still has his vest on from earlier, Potter Feed the only sponsor right above his heart and it’s unzipped. His shirt underneath is unbuttoned revealing more skin than Remus is prepared for. He’s changed out of his chaps for well-worn jeans, creased and whiskered in all the places that bend.
His heart sinks as they carry on, the two of them like something a little more than friends. Remus recognizes the other guy when he turns his head, someone from in town, but no one he knows personally.
Remus always prefers to stick to the outskirts, get his work done and leave.
“Hey.” Pete’s boot finds his shin, a gentle nudge under the table. “You should go talk to him.”
“You sound like my mother.” he scoffs, cutting a glance in Pete’s direction. The other man untangles himself from Sirius, moving away from the counter and Sirius turns to order.
Pete holds up his empty beer, giving Remus a wink. It takes him a moment but he stands with a hug and approaches the bar.
He slides up next to Sirius, heart pounding in his throat, not knowing if he should say something when a hand touches his elbow. His head snaps down, watching Sirius’s fingers move, the rough touch of his callouses along Remus’s smooth weathered skin.
“Can I buy you a drink?” he asks and Remus can’t hide the shock on his face, “You know, as a thank you.” Sirius adds on quickly.
“Why’re you thanking me?”
“For being my pickup man.”
He shrugs quickly, eyes hitting the bar, shoulders tensing. “It’s my job, no need to thank me.”
Sirius turns to the room, elbows on the counter, looking up at Remus. Only a little shorter than he is, Remus doesn’t have to crane his neck down to look in his eyes. Something he isn’t used to.
Another thing he isn’t used to is how close Sirius is, their elbows brushing as he leans in to say, “Well, bronc riding is thirsty work, why don’t you buy me a drink.” there’s snark to his tone and he tilts in when he says it, like they’re sharing a secret.
Remus smirks at him, “I’ve broken colts before,” Sirius’s eyes light up, a glint in the blue and Remus’s stomach knots up a little more at the sight of it. “Doesn’t seem that hard to ride a bucking horse.”
Sirius scoffs, “I’d like to see you try.”
“It’s not really my thing, doing stuff in front of all these people.” Remus sweeps his hand around the bar and Sirius’s gaze flicks around the room.
“I could give you a lesson.” He bumps Remus again, touching him longer than necessary and it sends a shiver through him. “You know, show you the ropes and all.”
Remus’s face is heating, palms sweating as they rest on the bar and he musters up a mocking tone, doing his best to not let it fluster him.
“Bold of you to assume I’d take your help.”
“I’m only in town for a few days friend, so you let me know if you wanna take me up on the offer.” Sirius touches him again, hand over his and Remus’s heart almost stops.
A slow smile spreads over his sharp features as Remus cuts a glance in his direction and he’s about to turn Sirius down when there’s a loud clearing of a throat.
A little rough and tumble blonde is suddenly in their space, grabbing on Sirius like she knows him.
Remus uses it as his cue to leave, making eye contact with the bartender. He takes his drinks and returns to the table with Pete, sliding the bottle across. Pete raises a brow in his direction.
“I think he was flirting with you.”
“Nah, he was just looking to sell his wares.” Remus mutters, unable to keep his eyes off of Sirius at the bar. The girl, the one that interrupted them, is bumping against him and Remus doesn’t like the feeling that’s brewing deep in his gut. “Just looking to make a quick buck on a wannabe rodeo star.”
“If you say so.” Pete doesn’t sound convinced.
After a while, Emmeline shows up, sitting right between them and fixing Remus with a look. She asks him about his day, her alpacas and if they were good as well as what’s caused the cloud to come over his head.
“What do you mean?” He looks at her from the corner of his eye and she just tilts her head, dark curls spilling over her shoulder.
“I mean you’ve got this little cloud over your head Remus.”
“Someone’s been flirting with him all day. Got his britches in a knot.”
Remus rolls his eyes and Pete shares a conspiratorial glance with Emmeline.
“He hasn’t been flirting with me.” Remus barks and Emmeline just laughs.
“He has so.” Pete says flatly, turning to her. “You shoulda seen Remus when he had to help him off the bronc.”
Remus puts his head in his hands scrubbing his face just as the jukebox kicks on to another song. Someone turns it up. He lifts his head, watching as a few people pair off to dance. Their excited faces as they tug each other into the open space.
Emmeline nudges his shoulder gently, pinning him with a stare that can see right through him.
“I don’t think I’ve ever seen you so flustered.”
He looks away, taking a drink from his beer as his eyes settle across the bar. The guy Sirius came in with is nose to nose with a girl. Long red hair swept off her face in a braid and she tucks a loose strand behind her ear.
The blonde from earlier is next to her, Sirius sitting across and he’s in perfect sight. The redhead grabs the other man's hand tightly, yanking him out of his seat and they disappear amongst the throng.
For a moment, it looks like Sirius is going to get up. Him and Remus looking at one another in silent communication. Sirius raises a dark brow, sweeping his chin towards the dancefloor.
Remus’s ears heat at the thought of being asked to dance. No one’s ever asked him to dance and before he gets a chance to even think of a response, the blonde is standing. Her hands are on Sirius immediately, ripping him off towards the crowd.
Heart sinking, Remus leans back, resting his hand on the empty seat beside him as Sirius goes off to dance with a girl.
Emmeline squeezes his shoulder in a way that’s supposed to feel reassuring but only seems like pity.
“Go off, go on, you two can dance. I can watch the table.” Remus waves his hand at them and Pete throws a look in Emmeline’s direction.
“We can stay if you want.”
“It’s nothing I’m not used to.”
The two of them disappear into the crowd after a little more persuading, leaving Remus at the table with his beer. He pulls over an ashtray, lighting a cigarette and continuing to watch as the crush opens.
Sirius is dancing with the girl from earlier, but when he looks down at her it doesn’t feel heartfelt. He sways his head back and forth grinning but when he looks up and catches Remus’s eyes again, he licks his lips and winks.
It feels like a little something he can hold onto and Remus thinks perhaps he should have let Sirius buy him a drink.
Chapter 3
Notes:
So this one has a lot of ‘action’ and that’s something I don’t normally write or gravitate towards reading so this was a bit of a challenge!! Also a lot (not all) of broncs / bucking horses are actually mares and I never got out of the habit of calling then she or her lol and we get a little feature from my absolute favourite event at small time rodeos!! The rescue ride!!
(See the end of the chapter for more notes.)
Chapter Text
Sunday
The next morning, Remus ventures down to Pete’s homestead and feeds the chickens again. The alpacas are a little more friendly with him today, nosing in his pocket as he lines the ground with feed.
His old pickup kicks to life after a few tries and he heads over to the fairgrounds. Technically Pete doesn’t need Remus today. Technically he could be home in his apartment relaxing on what will become his only day off this week.
But he wants to see who takes home the winnings.
The fairgrounds are already packed with people. Albus waved him in when he tried to go for his wallet, shaking his head and stamping his hand. One of the older crowd that still comes around for big town events. Albus had been a ranch hand for most of his life and his body showed the signs.
Sitting hunched on a stool near the gates, legs on either side of it as if it were a horse he smiles as he lets people in.
Remus moves through to the back of the grounds, slipping into one of the out buildings and finding Pete in a titter. Like a wasp in a mitt he’s pacing around, stopping every once and a while when someone comes to talk to him.
As he approaches, Remus can hear what all the fuss is about. Someone’s locked out of their stand and can’t find the key. Another vendor has misplaced their generator cord. One of the cowboy’s has a broken wrist, no not from the bucking horse yesterday he fell while leaving the bar.
Pete turns to him, with a wild expression as he grabs him by the shoulders.
“I’ll deal with the vendors. I’m assuming Sybil is locked out?” He asks and Pete just nods, handing him a key ring.
The rest of Remus’s morning is spent running around the grounds and fixing things. He’s hauling his toolbox back to his truck when he hears his name being called. Turning to see where it’s coming from in the din of all the other noise, Poppy is waving frantically from the medical tent.
“I don’t know if I’m the one who can help you with anything here Poppy.”
Poppy runs a little medical clinic in town, the only doctor for a few hundred miles in every direction; she's always busy.
“Oh no, I don’t need your help, I just wanted to see how you’re getting on in the heat.” She grabs his biceps gruffly, running her hands along his arms, tips of her fingers digging in at his wrist, checking his pulse. He rolls his eyes, huffing a breath and shaking her off.
“I’m alright, no need to fuss.”
She nods up at him quickly, biting her lip before she speaks again.
“Saw Pete roped you onto Moony yesterday.” Poppy pauses and Remus knows what’s coming next. “It was nice seeing you on a horse again.”
He casts his eyes down at his boots, rubbing the back of his neck. He won’t admit it to her, but being back in the saddle had been a nice change. It was the first time he had been calm on a horse since before the accident.
“I don’t know if it’ll become a habit…” he mumbles, meeting her gaze and seeing hope in there, “but it was nice for a bit.”
She lets him go after that, sneaking in one last glance up and down to ensure he’s all in one piece. Someone else is trying to get Poppy’s attention, a mother with her child looking worse for wear and Remus says his goodbyes before disappearing into the crowd again
He drops his toolbox back in his truck before making his way over to the stands, looking for a spot to sit. Frank’s wife Alice is perched up near the chutes and when their eyes meet she waves him over enthusiastically.
“Fancy seeing you here.” she says warmly, bumping his shoulder with a smile.
“What did I miss?” Remus asks, fixing his baseball cap on his head. The sun is hot on the back of his neck, mid afternoon rays hitting their peak.
“Well,” Alice pulls the program out of her back pocket, cracking it open and reading the time on her watch. “Pole bending is done, I think we have one or two more barrel racers then it’s the main event.”
He nods as the PA crackles to life, the announcer's voice ringing out over the chatter of the crowd.
“Our next contestant is a cowgirl by the name of Lily Potter on her mare Bichette!” Remus perks up at the name, eyes trained on the entrance as a little chestnut quarter horse bolts out.
The girl from the night before atop the mare, her long red braid flying out behind her as she urges her horse on. Remus is so close to the ring he can see the expression on her face, sheer determination etched on her features.
Remus’s brows draw together as he looks on and the announcer says her time. A quick sub 17 second run. He’s fidgeting as the next rider is announced, turning to Alice.
“I thought the Potter’s only had a son?” he asks, “Do they have a daughter too? I guess I wouldn’t know her.”
Alice shakes her head, “Oh no, Lily is James’s wife.”
“Wife? He’s married? When did that happen?”
“Has been for a while Rem, it’s been like two or three years. Him and Lily took over the feed store from James’s parents too.” When she says it something passes across her features. Gentle recognition of what happened those handful of years ago.
“Right around the accident.” He responds quietly and Alice nods. Since his fall, he hasn’t had the need to venture into the feed store, not since he quit ranch life.
Alice has a stricken look on her face at the casual mention of it. Everyone always gets a little weary when he talks about it. A silence stretches between them and he can see her worrying, hands wringing together and he knows she wants to reassure him.
Remus is the first to move, putting his arm around her shoulders and pulling her into a quick hug. The tension in her shoulders ease as she returns the gesture.
“It’s alright, it’s in the past. Nothing we can do about it now.”
They sit like that for a spell, watching the last of the barrel racers before someone’s in the ring cleaning up.
Frank is atop Marlboro close to the chutes, waiting to be ushered in. A couple of the cowboys are already getting ready, stretching near their gear. They’re boisterous with one another, laughing and carrying on.
Alice notices Remus keeping a close eye on things and smiles a little.
“Oh Frank is being called out!” she says suddenly, leaping to her feet and whistling as Marlboro canters around the ring. Kingsley is in tow and they wait together at the far end of the arena chatting to one another.
More crackling of the PA and the announcer says a familiar name.
“First out the chute today in our championship is Sirius Black, a cowboy from Oklahoma City.”
Remus finds him immediately amongst the little crowd. He’s standing amongst the other men as they saddle his bronc. Sirius has an air of calm to him, arms crossed and leaning to one side as he smiles.
He climbs on, getting ready, tamping his hat down on his head, tucking his chin and wiggling his hips. The bronc is getting antsy, throwing her hind end into the gate and the rattle of it sends a shiver up Remus’s spine.
He licks his lips, eyes trained to the gate, waiting for it to fly open. Remus is so close he can see Sirius grit his teeth, muscle working as his chest rises and falls. He’s in the same vest as yesterday with the Potter Feed patch and Remus wonders what the connection is.
They aren’t related obviously, him and James aren’t together like he thought they were. But he’s seen James around, knows his face from being in town. Remus has never seen this fellow before this weekend.
The second the gate opens, Remus finds himself leaning forward. Hands against the rail he’s fighting the urge to stand up, the sound of the crowd around him mixing, morphing into crackling as they cheer.
The announcers cool tone over the PA as he chats through the ride and the rest of the cowboys are cheering from the sidelines.
This bronc is moving quickly, throwing all of her weight around as all four of her hooves leave the ground and Remus’s breath leaves his chest. He tips forward, moving back with the motion of it as Sirius grips the rope, his free hand flying.
They barrel towards Remus and he bites his lip hard. Sirius’s beat up old cattleman flying off his head and landing on the other side of the fence, right next to Remus’s foot.
When the buzzer sounds, Frank and Kingsley nod to each other, surrounding the bronc. They make quick work of the flank strap and the second it falls from her belly she’s trotting around with her ears pricked forward.
Sirius holds on a little longer, dismounting far more gracefully than yesterday.
After Sirius’s feet are planted firmly in the dirt, Remus turns his attention to the hat, picking it up and dusting it off. He’s about to sit back down next to Alice when he hears something from behind him.
“You’ve got something I need, friend.” Sirius’s calm cool voice from the other side of the fence.
Remus turns, trying to hide the smirk on his face, leaning his forearms on the top of the rails. He looks down at Sirius on the ground in the ring, the stands raised up a foot.
“You sure about that?” he responds and it’s Sirius’s turn to smirk. When he does, Remus notices a crooked tooth, right next to his incisor.
“Positive.” He motions towards the hat, mouth guard clutched in his fingers. When Remus doesn’t move, he raises one dark eyebrow, looking like he’s about to climb the fence when Frank hollers in their direction.
He glances over his shoulder and Frank is motioning for him to get out of the ring, the next contestant waiting to get into the chutes.
Sirius turns his attention back to Remus, looking him straight in the eyes.
“I’ll come find you after I win.”
“Presumptuous of you.” Remus snorts before Sirius trots off.
“Oh he likes you.” Alice mumbles to him quickly.
Remus has the hat in his hands, turning it around slowly. All the turquoise stones set in silver are brilliant in the light.
“Nah he’s just fooling.”
“I dunno Remus, those eyes don’t lie.”
***
A man of his word, Sirius finds Remus after the event. Still in his gear, beat up old leather chaps with a few repairs, his vest is unzipped, the first few buttons of his shirt undone and a thin sheen of sweat on his skin.
“Look at that,”—he calls, lip curling as he approaches—“told you I’d win, even without my lucky hat.” Sirius plucks it from Remus’s grasp, brushing it off again before plunking it onto his head.
He’s got a smug look on his face, gazing up at Remus who’s at a loss for words when an elbow connects with his ribs. Remus blinks, looking down at Alice before giving a gentle nod.
“Alice Longbottom, this here’s Sirius Black. Sirius, this is Alice Longbottom.”
Sirius is immediately standing up straight, taking his hat off to shake her hand and give her pleasantries.
“Longbottom, wife of Frank? My pickup man today?”
“The one and only.” Alice looks between the two of them, raising a brow at Remus before she clears her throat. “Speaking of Frank, I’m going to go find him. Remmy, are you going to be at the Broomstick later?”
“I’ll see how I feel.” He responds with a shrug and she returns it with a knowing glance. Alice makes herself scarce but not before tossing another glance over her shoulder, a look of approval on her face.
“You know, we keep meeting like this but I don’t think I know your name.” Sirius is fidgeting with the brim of his hat in his hands and there’s a quirk to his lip that holds nothing but mischief.
“Didn’t you hear it during the grand entrance?” Sirius shakes his head quickly. “It’s Lupin, Remus Lupin.”
“What a name.” There’s a bit of reverence to his voice.
“It’s served me well so far.”
Sirius returns his hat to his head, tucking his hair behind his ears when he does it.
“Well Remus Lupin, I’d better go and collect my prize money. I hope I’ll get to buy you a drink later.”
***
Remus approaches the arena again, hearing the laughter echoing through the stands and above it all he catches Sirius’s voice. A quick yip of excitement followed by the stampede of hooves.
He just catches sight of Sirius atop the same chestnut mare Lily was on earlier, tearing around the ring at full tilt.
Lily and James are at the fence watching and James has a toddler on his hip. A little boy no older than Alice’s son Neville.
Remus stops at the entrance as Sirius comes around once more, eyes locking and he urges the mare on even more than she already is. Racing down the centre of the arena gaze unfaltering as he leans back and she skids to a stop.
The mare pins her ears when Remus takes a step forward.
“Bichette! Play nice!” Lily calls out from the corner, stomping towards the horse whose ears magically prick forward.
“Bichette is anything but a darling.” Sirius whispers, shifting his weight in the saddle as he looks down at Remus.
He lifts his hand, stroking her neck idly, firm and full of show sheen, she’s soft under the tips of his fingers.
“Is that what that means? Bichette means darling?” Remus asks and Lily is on the other side of the horse's neck.
“It literally means doe, but it’s a term of endearment like sweetheart.” she says and there’s a loud pat from the other side. The top of Lily’s hat peeking up just over her horse's crest.
“We’re trying out each other’s events.” Sirius says and Remus turns to look at him again. He’s out of his chaps, vest gone and he’s even changed his shirt, back to a paper thin t-shirt that stretches tight across his chest. “If you bet on me you’ll win something.” he says cheekily and Remus gives a small nod.
“Oh yeah? What’ll I win? Your charming company?” Remus retorts. There’s a snort from Lily and Remus’s face heats up.
“You know that could be arranged,” he says, leaning down, a breath away from Remus and whispers. “I’ll let you in on a secret,” He makes a grand show of looking around, “they don’t know I’ve worked on ranches before.”
Lily’s grumbling muttering something to herself and it’s Remus’s turn to snort. Leaning back, he’s trying to put a bit of space between them as he licks his lips.
“So you aren’t just a show cowboy?”
“Nah, I can work too.” Sirius says in a smug way.
“You know Pete’s not going to let you use his calves.” Lily’s voice from the other side of the mare.
“We can always do something else.” Sirius bites back, turning his attention away from Remus and towards Lily.
“Who’s still left?”
Sirius has a quick glance around, “Looks like Kingsley and Frank are still kicking about. Why don’t we have a rescue race?” He glances down in Remus’s direction.
“What do you mean we?”
“Come on Remus don’t you wanna be my damsel in distress?” Sirius leans on the horn, corner of his lip curling in a devilish way that turns his insides in a way he isn’t used to.
“I don’t think I fit the criteria.” Remus mutters back feeling the tips of his ears turn pink.
“James and I are using Bichette.”
“Who says you’re invited to this shindig?”
“Oh piss off, the more the merrier right?” Lily’s on her tiptoes, peering over Bichette’s neck, looking for Remus’s approval.
“Then who are Remus and I supposed to ride?”
“Use your own damn horse.”
There’s an exasperated sigh and a grandiose eye roll before Sirius looks down again, “What about the fella you used yesterday? The little bay?”
“Moony?”
“Yeah, where’s he?”
“Kingsley had him tacked up, I can see if he’s still around? Frank’ll probably use Marlboro.”
Swinging his leg over the side, Sirius dismounts and claps Remus on the shoulder.
“Good man, now let’s go find us a horse.”
***
Remus wrangles Pete and convinces him to let them use Moony. Alice is already at the edge of the ring with James and Lily’s son on her hip. She stands at the ready, stopwatch in hand, keeping time as the rest of them race.
Last ones to go for the first round, Sirius is looking at Remus with a stern expression.
“First round I’m the damsel, second round you are. Got that?” Remus nods his understanding and Sirius pats Moony on the neck gruffly. The horse shakes his head back and forth, shifting his weight from foot to foot, already ready to go after their quick jaunt around the arena.
Remus’s heart is pounding so hard in his chest he can feel it all the way down to his toes. He has a brief flash of worry when gathering up Moony’s reins that he won’t be able to grip them with the amount of sweat pooling on his palms.
He watches Sirius sprint to the other end of the ring, standing square next to the barrel. There’s no doubt in his mind that Moony can feel all the tension Remus is harbouring. The stiffness caught in his shoulders as the cool tingle of anxiety slides across his skin.
Reminding himself to breathe, closing his eyes, he relaxes his seat. He melts into the saddle, feeling Moony under his leg, pushing his heels down and rolling his shoulders back.
“You alright up there?” Alice asks and he glances over with a stilted nod before she counts him down.
Moony’s pulled taught with anticipation under him, muscles ready to spring and by the time Alice says go, he’s leaping forward at a full sprint with barely a cue. Hooves flying underneath him, Remus tilts forward, giving Moony his head and his eyes are locked on Sirius. Leaping from foot to foot, Sirius is shifting his weight around, readying himself.
There isn’t enough time for Remus to think about where Sirius’s hands will be, how once again, they will be in each other's space. Up close and personal, Sirius’s nose in the back of his neck, arms tight around his waist.
Instead, he keeps his hands quiet and calm, urging Moony forward with his leg and squashes down the nerves threatening to bubble up.
When he gets closer to the end of the arena, Sirius steps to the inside, giving him space as he rounds the barrel. His eyes are locked, hands clamping down on the saddle horn, forearms flexing with the effort before he lets Moony’s motion carry him.
With far more grace than Remus ever expected, Sirius is up and onto Moony’s back, wrapping his arms around Remus’s middle. His face is buried in the nape of Remus’s neck, hot breath tickling across his skin and it’s taking everything in him not to go limp.
“Come on Moony!” Sirius calls out, his arm leaving Remus’s waist to give the horse a tap on the behind. He’s still breathing down Remus’s neck, lips close to his skin. As they cross the finish line, Remus leans back to slow down, weight shifting and Sirius squeezes him tight so he won’t slide off. They skid to a stop, Moony’s hooves mere inches from the gate and Sirius is already squirming behind him.
Alice looks at her stopwatch, shifting the child on her hip as Sirius demands their time. She smirks, cutting a glance in Lily’s direction as she waits in the wings.
“Lily and James were still a whole two seconds faster boys.” She tells them and Sirius lets out a groan. He untangles himself from Remus and slides down Moony’s rump.
Boots on the ground with a soft thump, he smacks Remus’s thigh excitedly before proclaiming, “we still have one more ride! It’s the best of two!”
Remus dismounts, patting Moony’s neck appreciatively and shaking out his stiff hip. He rolls his neck before making the daunting walk to the other end of the arena.
He’s never been one for games, more specifically, rodeo games. When he was working on the ranch, a bunch of the other hands would gather around after dinner and practice. Roping each other, tag teaming on horseback, sometimes they would even practice cutting, but he never took part.
Even as a kid, when he was just starting to come up in the world he had spent every waking moment helping his parents keep everything afloat.
So as he walks out into the arena and the chill evening air hits him, he comes to the gross realisation that he’s putting all his trust into someone he doesn’t even know.
A shiver rolls through him, the sweat on his skin cooling as he stands next to the barrel. Everyone else is down at the other end, clustered around Sirius and Moony.
He and Sirius lock eyes as he readies himself, shaking off the nerves. His mouth is moving like he’s talking to the horse, shoulders hunched forward, ready to pounce. He’s shifting his weight in the saddle, waiting for Alice’s mark.
The little bay is stomping his foot, shaking his head in anticipation when Alice gives the signal. Moony bolts, taking off like a shot out of the corridor as Sirius throws his weight forward, spurring him on.
Remus’s breath catches in his throat, he bends his knees, trying to remember the stance that Sirius had taken when the roles were reversed. There’s nothing but the pounding of hooves in the empty arena as the two of them race towards him.
He steps to the inside and Sirius takes a wide corner, lifting his reins to make space for Remus to plant his hands on the saddle horn. Moony circles, a quick tight little spin and Remus can’t get his leg high enough to throw it over Moony’s back.
Struggling, his hip is straining, the muscles tight after being used in a way they aren’t accustomed to. Sirius is already straightening Moony out to race back to the start.
“Fuck me, slow down a little.” Remus grits out quickly and Sirius cuts him a look from the corner of his eye.
“I believe in you, hold on tight.”
White knuckling the horn, Remus runs next to Moony for a few paces, feeling the speed begin to pick up and the little quarter horse is extending his gait, getting ready to gallop.
“Shit.” he mumbles, gripping the horn tighter, not wanting to get left behind. Pressing his feet together, he leaps up out of the dirt just as Moony starts to race off. Throwing all of his weight up and over the horse's back, Remus lands just behind the saddle, sliding to one side and correcting himself. He lets go of the horn, wrapping both arms around Sirius.
Remus can just see over the top of Sirius’s hat as he angles forward in the stirrups. He can feel Sirius’s shallow breaths, the expansion of his chest as Moony pounds down the line. His t-shirt is sweat damp, the smell of Irish Spring and Lucky Strike cigarettes wafting his way.
They cross the finish and Remus takes longer than normal to dismount, Moony throwing his hips back and forth. When he finally slides off, he misses the feel of Sirius against him.
They manage a time of fifteen seconds, a whole one second faster than James and Lily, but still slower than Frank and Kingsley.
Alice pats Remus’s shoulder lightly, smiling at him in a gloating way.
“Sorry love, Frank’s pretty good.” she says with a little laugh and Remus is trying to hide the fact that he’s still out of breath. Still a little shaky and sore from yesterday, the exertion is compounding and he’s favouring his bad hip but doing his best to hide it.
Moony’s dancing in the corridor, now that he’s gotten a few gallops in he’s ready to keep going. His hooves are kicking up dust and Sirius is sitting deep, gathering up the reins in his hand.
“Marlboro and Frank are old pals, they know each other better than anyone.” Remus responds and Alice beams.
“Will I see you at the bar in a bit? You should buy the winner a drink or two.” Alice looks at him, then to Sirius and back.
Remus shakes his head. “I’m gonna head home, hips a, hips a little stiff after all that exertion.”
“It was nice seeing you on a horse again.” Alice pats his cheek, leaving Remus and Sirius alone in the ring.
“Damn, this guy has some feist in him!” Sirius snorts as Moony drops his shoulder, tossing his head up and nearly clocking him in the nose.
Remus stands straight, digging through his shirt pocket and pulling out a mint from a tin. Moony’s head is in his hand in an instant.
“The way to his heart is definitely his stomach, he’s a little older but he still has plenty of life left.” Remus says quietly, stroking slow circles on the white mark on Moony’s forehead. The patch of hair looks like a crescent moon.
“I should uh, I should bring him back to Pete, so he can finish loading up.” Remus clears his throat and Sirius nods, dismounting. They’re almost toe to toe, Sirius gazing up at him with a funny look in his eye. His heart is pounding, Remus can see it under the thin skin of his neck.
“Do you wanna—”
“Sirius!” Pete’s voice rings out from the other side of them, full of fury. “Is that your fucking saddle in a heap out here?!” Sirius rolls his eyes, moment broken, and brushes past Remus.
“Yeah, yeah I’ll clean it up.” Remus watches his back as he disappears into the darkness of the stables.
“Ah shit Remus, I didn’t mean to interrupt but I’m trying to pack up and get going.” Pete whispers, wringing his hands together and Remus shrugs.
“It’s alright, do you want me to deal with Moony?” The horse is nosing his hand, looking for more mints.
“No, no you’ve done more than enough this weekend, I can take him.” Pete takes the reins from him and Remus feels reluctant to give them. The want to follow Sirius into the barn almost outweighs his want to go home.
His chest is tight when Pete shoos him away, telling him to get to the bar and relax a little. Torn up, he walks slowly back to the parking lot, empty save for his pickup truck and Pete’s trailer.
A little part of him is tempted to head over to the Broomstick, to eat his pride and buy Frank a few drinks. If he goes, he could always try and find someone to dance with, the thought alone sending his stomach into knots.
He doesn’t really want to go to dance, he just wants to be out of his own head for a while because it keeps circling around to Sirius’s breath on the back of his neck.
Fumbling in his pocket for his keys, he lets out a long sigh, willing the emptiness away when there’s a low whistle from behind him. Turning his head, he barely catches a dark haired figure from the corner of his eye before a loop of rope catches around his shoulders, cinching in at his biceps.
There’s a quick tug that throws him off balance and the sweet sound of Sirius’s laughter. Pulling against the rope, Remus hides his smile as Sirius saunters over. He’s gathering up the rope, saddle perched high on his hip.
“My ride seems to have left me, can I bum one off you? I’m staying close, hopefully it’s not too much trouble.” He’s smirking when he says it and Remus can’t tell if he’s being serious or not.
“James and Lily left you?”
Sirius shrugs, dropping the saddle in the dirt and stepping close to loosen the rope.
“They have a kid, Harry was probably getting fussy since my antics caused them to stay a lot later than they would have liked.” He’s focused on the rope as he talks, fingers working the knot loose in a practised way. “Besides, I’m an adult, I can find my own way home.” Sirius pulls the lasso over Remus’s head and the absence of the pressure and warmth of his hands sends him reeling head first into a pool of want.
He licks his lips, Sirius’s eyes darting down at the movement and that pool opens, turns into a flood.
“And this isn’t just you being clever and trying to get me to go home with you?” Remus whispers.
Sirius takes a step back, picking his saddle up from the dirt and brushing it off before tossing it into the truck bed. He lets out a low whistle.
“Jesus, I wish I was that smooth.” He’s already rounding the front of the truck, making sure he brushes past Remus before waiting for him to unlock the door.
***
They drive down the winding country roads in near silence. The windows of the cab are open, letting the breeze blow through and filling it with the sweet smell of wildflowers. There’s a storm brewing over the horizon, clouds starting to roll in and the air is thick.
Sirius has his head leaned back against the headrest, eyes closed as he takes deep breaths. His hat’s in his hands, flipped upside down so the brim won’t warp and his hair is tucked behind his ears. Falling just past his shoulders, it curls up at the ends.
Remus knows where he’s staying, the Potter residence is close to where he grew up on the outskirts of town. An old ranch converted into a farm that provides feed for all the cattle in the area.
Rows upon rows of hay and alfalfa surround a spacious farmhouse with a wraparound porch. Situated right in the middle, it sits on a couple of acres of land, nothing too large that a family can’t manage on their own.
When the Potter’s downsized, they sold off what they didn’t need to other families in the area. Mostly richer folk looking to raise more livestock than their own land could handle.
The long and twisting driveway passes through a few of the leftover pastures and Remus can see Bichette immediately. She’s grazing along the fence close to the house. Lifting her head as they pass, Remus half expects her to pin her ears upon his presence alone but she lets out a soft nicker.
There’s another horse out with her, the same striking dapple grey from the grand entrance, who pops their head up at the sound of his old pickup.
He slows down, glancing over to Sirius for directions and he motions to a horse trailer near a small pond on the other side of the house. Remus parks close to it, windows still rolled down as he stares out the windshield. His hands flex nervously on the steering wheel glancing over in Sirius’s direction.
The dapple grey thunders over to the fence, tossing his head excitedly and whinnying. Bichette pins her ears in the other horse's direction, snapping her lips in a threat.
They sit there for a minute, a cool breeze blowing in through the open windows and Remus still has his hands on the wheel. Sirius is fiddling with his hat next to him, rolling the brim between his fingers nervously like he doesn’t know what to do next.
Finally he says, “That’s Padfoot. He has a bit of separation anxiety.” He’s pointing to the dapple grey and Remus nods.
Padfoot’s racing along the fence, pacing back and forth, throwing his head in excitement. Remus is licking his lips, ears turning pink as he takes a hand off the wheel. He doesn’t want Sirius to leave just yet, doesn’t want him to get out of the truck and he’s mustering up all the courage he’s got to say something.
His heart is slamming against his ribs, old wounds threatening to reopen when Sirius turns in the seat so they’re facing each other. The old truck has a bench seat, when he turns, he brings his leg up, knee touching Remus’s hip. A little bridge between them, a little bit of touching.
“He uh, he can fetch ya know.” Sirius motions with his head towards the horse and Remus snorts.
“No better than a dog.” he mumbles, turning so he can look at Sirius. His expression is soft, lips shiny from licking them and the sun is filtering in through the clouds at such an angle it’s painting him in shades of reds and oranges.
Remus gestures towards the trailer, larger now that they’re closer but still smaller than the house itself, and says “Are your friends making you stay in this trailer?”
Sirius shakes his head. “Nah, it’s a choice, I’ve always been better at keeping to myself. Having my own space and all, besides—the living quarters aren’t so bad.” He raises a brow when he says it and Remus nods in understanding.
He’s also one to enjoy his solitude. When he first laid eyes on Sirius he never expected them to have that in common. This Sirius, far away from the splendor of the arena, is a much different man. He feels calm, not as showy and there’s a quiet confidence about him that doesn’t need all the pomp and showboating.
Remus moves in the seat, their knees brushing together as he tries to readjust, the cramped quarters of the cab getting uncomfortable but he doesn’t want to leave just yet.
He’s got the keys in his hand, shuffling them around when Sirius stops him. Fingers against his own, stilling the motion and he forces himself to look. Sirius is staring, blue eyes ablaze in the sunset and there’s a little quirk to his lip.
“God are you ever fucking cute up close.” He reaches over, hesitating for a second, before letting his hand settle on the back of Remus’s neck.
His hand is calloused, rough against the bit of exposed skin under his collar and the contact sends a shock down his spine. A quick jolt followed by an eruption of goosebumps and Remus almost forgets to say something.
“What?” It comes out breathless, low on an exhale. Sirius smiles, slow and steady and perfect and Remus’s stomach knots up a little tighter. The feeling settles low in his gut as Sirius’s thumb lands under the hinge of his jaw.
“I’ve been trying to catch you all fucking weekend.” he whispers between them and there’s no doubt in Remus’s mind that Sirius can feel his pulse hammering.
He lets the words wash over him, taking a second to register what Sirius has said. The warmth of his hand on the back of Remus’s neck is causing a delay which only gets worse when Sirius’s other hand falls right on his thigh.
“I just wanna kiss you so bad.” Sirius says and the lust in his voice is palpable.
Before Remus can think better of it, he’s nodding, voicing out a quiet okay as Sirius lunges forward. He crushes their mouths together with such a fervor that Remus is half worried Sirius has broken his nose.
All the air leaving his lungs, Sirius pushes closer, kissing Remus with a ferocity he’s never had the chance to experience. Pressing him against the door of the truck, hand clenching in the hair at the nape of his neck, their teeth knock together. Noses hissing before he pulls away with a gasp, leaving Remus equally breathless and knocking his ball cap off his head.
Leaning back he surveys Remus, a pleased expression on Sirius’s face as he sweeps his thumbs over the high plains of his cheeks.
“You’re blushing.”
Remus knows he is, he can feel the heat of it all the way up to the tips of his ears as he does his best to hold Sirius’s gaze.
“Well you just kissed me within an inch of my life.”
Sirius’s smirk grows, his thumb travelling down to trace the scar Remus has close to the edge of his lip.
“If I knew you’d be so sweet about it I would have done this at the bar yesterday.”
“Oh jeez I’m glad you didn’t”
“Why? You worried about the people in town?” There’s hesitation in his voice now, caution in his touch.
“No, God no.” Remus leans in, hand coming to rest on Sirius’s hip, gripping it tight. “Pete would never let me live it down if he caught me kissing you on the dancefloor. It’d be like back in high school all over again.” He manages to let out a quick huff of a laugh before planting another kiss on Sirius’s lips.
They do that for a while as the storm blows in, trading quiet kisses and sweet caresses. Remus lets Sirius’s hands roam, up and down his chest, circling around the back of his neck to crane his head down, to get better access.
It’s all shy until Sirius is climbing into Remus’s lap, pressing himself as tight as he can against Remus’s already half hard cock. The little bit of friction between them, the pressure and sensation of Sirius’s hips grinding down causes Remus to gasp.
“Do you wanna come in?” Sirius pants and all Remus can do is nod.
The trailer is small, barely enough room to turn around. It’s barebones with a kitchenette and a fold out futon that’s covered in clothing. A few pairs of well-worn boots tossed on the floor and a stack of CDs next to a little stereo tucked up in the gooseneck.
Sirius is kicking things out of the way, tossing the clothing off the futon and into the dark abyss of where the bed sits. He steps up close so they’re toe to toe, hanging his hat and kicking off his boots.
“I didn’t think I’d actually be able to get you back here.” he mumbles, cheeks tinged red. He traces along Remus’s face, stopping to feel the scar on his lip, the little one near his temple. Careful, precise, his eyes dance over Remus’s skin as moves his hand before going for the hem of Remus’s shirt. He untucks it with nimble fingers, hitting his skin and causing a deep shiver.
“Am I really that unapproachable?” Remus mutters and leans into the warmth as he struggles out of his own boots. He kicks them off into a heap in the corner, pulling off his ball cap and tossing it with them.
“It’s alright, I like the chase.” Sirius explores, running his hands up and along Remus’s collarbones, across the plains of his chest and keeping as much contact as possible.
It rouses something deep within Remus, a buried want that’s been building over the last couple of days. Something he’s been forcing himself to ignore, not because of anything other than he just didn’t have the time or effort to pursue it.
The stirring, the thrum of need pools deep and when Sirius starts kissing his neck, gently biting along his jaw, Remus lets out a moan. Long and low and almost feral, knees getting weak under Sirius’s careful touching.
He allows Sirius to get the first couple buttons of his shirt undone, popping open the collar. Remus knots his fingers into Sirius’s hair, careful, and when he lets out a little keen he gives it an experimental tug.
Sirius all but melts under his touch, eyes rolling back, breath coming out in quick puffs as Remus’s other hand finds its way to the hem of Sirius’s t-shirt.
“Can I take this off?” he asks and Sirius’s answer comes out as a breathless yes.
Remus cranes Sirius’s neck back, exposing his throat and watching his expression. Soft, open, excited and there’s a little glint in his cool blue eyes, a part to his lips that sends Remus reeling.
He pulls off Sirius’s shirt, tossing it amongst the piles on the floor. Sirius is strong, muscled and bulkier than Remus expected him to be. He runs his hands over Sirius’s chest as goosebumps form. Pale, he has a distinct line from where the arms of his t-shirt cut off.
Remus touches it gently, fingers caressing his skin, watching the goosebumps bloom. He has little beauty marks, like constellations all along his bicep and Remus traces them, connecting them like they’re stars in the sky.
“Told you I was a working cowboy,” Sirius whispers, tilting his head to catch Remus’s gaze. “Even got the farmer’s tan to prove it.”
Snorting, Remus pulls him in again so they’re flush against one another, both hands settling on either side of Sirius’s face. The feel of Sirius pressed against him, lips moving, mouth opening as Remus licks along his bottom lip. He wants to unhinge his jaw, devour him whole, leave nothing left. He reels it in, careful about the little pool of need opening up within him, worried it’s going to turn into a flood.
Sirius lets him dive in, to lay claim as he goes for Remus’s belt. Managing to get it undone, hand dipping into his pants and Remus is already hard, already eager. Pressing in with the heel of his hand, Remus groans, bucking into his palm, chasing the tension that’s already building.
“God, fuck—” Remus coughs out and Sirius continues, regarding him carefully, watching his expression as he starts to stroke. “I just wanna fuck you.” he grits out and Sirius’s lip quirks his eyes darkening with want.
“I’d like that.” he whispers, a huskiness to his voice, need lacing his words. Remus groans again as Sirius manoeuvres them towards the futon, pushing hard on his shoulders, forcing him to sit.
“I was real worried you’d be a top.” Remus says, looking up at Sirius as he straddles his waist. Firm thighs on either side of Remus’s hips, grinding down and adding to the pressure building as his cock presses on the zipper of his jeans.
Sirius lets out a bark of a laugh, “Why’d you think that?” He has a coy look in his eye, something mischievous.
“You give off that kinda energy.” Remus’s hands are running up and down Sirius’s thighs, thumbs digging into his hip bones and coaxing him to move more.
“Glad you think that.”
Sirius smirks, leaning in and kissing along Remus’s neck, working on the rest of the buttons on his shirt. His lips are hot, biting at his pulse before moving on. Working his way down, Sirius pushes the shirt off Remus’s shoulders and he shrugs out of it, adding it to the pile.
The futon is old, springs nestling into Remus’s lower back as Sirius moves. It groans under the weight of the two of them, popping and scraping as he shifts.
“Is this thing gonna hold the two of us?” Remus pants out, hand finding the back of Sirius’s head, tugging on his dark hair. He shrugs, flicking Remus’s nipple with a well practiced tongue before pulling away and sliding onto his knees.
“We’ll find out.” He’s nestled between Remus’s thighs now, looking up through his long dark lashes from the floor. Fiddling with the button on Remus’s jeans, Sirius tugs at the fly, getting it undone before Remus shimmy’s out of them.
“What’s that supposed to mean?” Remus responds, Sirius palms him roughly over the thin cotton of his underwear.
“I mean I’ve never brought someone back to this trailer.”
Remus’s breath hitches, “You’re not a virgin are you?”
Another laugh, that sweet sound and Remus thinks he wants to hear more of it. Sirius shakes his head placing an open mouthed kiss just above the waistband of Remus’s underwear.
“Fuck no, far from it.” He works his way along the hemline, talking between kisses. “Usually it’s my shitty little place back in Oklahoma City.”
“Oh good.”
At this moment, Sirius frees Remus’s cock, gripping the base and stroking slowly. Remus lets a hiss out between clenched teeth, head tossed back as Sirius continues to stroke. His stomach is already in knots, tightening and tugging as Sirius moves.
His hands are calloused and rough but his touch is gentle and soon he’s working Remus with his mouth. Hot and wet, his tongue swirling around the tip before taking the rest of him. Remus almost hits the back of Sirius’s throat, his hips rising as a firm hand lands on his thigh.
Chin to chest, he watches, enthralled as Sirius bobs, drawing the flat of his tongue all the way from base to tip. He gasps, the sound coming out more like a pant than anything before it turns into a groan.
Fists clenching at his sides, Sirius coaxes Remus to place his hand on the back of his head. He works Remus, gripping the base of his cock when he starts to twitch, holding him off in an experienced way. Deep hum from the back of his throat and Remus’s eyes roll. Right to the back of his head. He lets out a sharp keen, breathing in time with every stroke of Sirius’s tongue, with every bob of his head.
Before long, there’s a tug, from behind his navel and Remus is worried he’s going to come right there.
“I thought you wanted me to fuck you.” Remus grits out, hips chasing and he can feel the smile on Sirius’s lips. He pulls off, replacing his mouth with his hand and stroking a few times before standing.
“I wanna get you all riled up first.” He’s quick with his pants, throwing them into the gooseneck part of the trailer before rifling in one of the kitchenette drawers. Sirius returns with a bottle of lube and a condom, straddling Remus once more.
They fall together like they’re made to fit, Sirius’s thighs slotting around Remus’s hips. He lays his hands on either side of Remus’s head, the futon sagging under their combined weight, springs digging in further but Remus is too busy looking at Sirius.
His high cheekbones and pink lips, crooked tooth and eyes so blue they’re like the summer sky. Remus’s chest is getting tight, the heat of Sirius’s skin radiating over his own and he’s worried this will be a little more than a one night stand.
Sirius’s hips move in slow circles, their cocks rubbing together, sweet friction after the absence. They’re both hard, Remus painfully so, his own cock twitching between them and before Sirius can say anything Remus grabs the lube dribbling it down his stomach. He lets it pool there before slicking up his fingers. He grabs a handful of Sirius’s ass in one hand while the other dips a finger into his hole.
Sirius lets out a little hiss as Remus moves, slow at first, holding his gaze. Sirius gives a quick nod, confirmation to keep going. He knows he’s doing something right when Sirius grinds down against him, meeting his thrusts, panting into his open mouth.
He works Sirius out slowly, a tight heat around him beginning to relax. Sirius grips him, hand on the back of his head, tipping it into his shoulder. Remus mouths at his neck, biting where the muscle meets and Sirius moans again.
“Please fuck me. Please, I want you so bad.”
“You want me to fuck you?” he growls, pulling away to look at him. Their noses touch as Sirius continues to roll his hips down on Remus’s fingers. Three deep he’s already shaking at the anticipation of Sirius being so greedy.
“More than anything.”
Remus pulls Sirius off his fingers, groping around the futon for the condom and rolling it on. He has Sirius by the nape of the neck, forcing eye contact between them.
“How ‘bout you show me how you ride.”
With a steadying hand on Remus’s chest, Sirius lowers himself, biting his lip and breathing out as he does it. The gust of air across Remus’s lips and he surges forward, capturing Sirius’s lips as he situates himself.
Heart slamming against his ribcage, pounding away and making him light headed. The churning in his gut starts up again as Sirius starts to rise. Their lips stay locked, noses hissing while Sirius moves, clenching on the up, relaxing on the down.
Pulling away, Sirius’s hands knot into Remus’s hair, tugging at the root tossing his head back. He’s rolling his hips, the smack of their skin hitting together sounds obscene and Remus is eating it up.
The cut of Sirius’s jaw, the motion of his throat when he swallows, the way his cock is rubbing against Remus’s stomach, still slick with lube and he moans when Remus takes it into his hand.
He works Sirius in time, squeezing the base like he had done for Remus earlier. Swiping his thumb over the tip to collect the little bit of precum and relishing in the way it makes Sirius quiver.
“Look at me.” Remus says and Sirius does, gaze locked his dark brows coming together. “God are you ever fucking beautiful.” and he leans in, capturing Sirius’s lips, taking his face in his hand and lifting his hips to meet Sirius’s thrusts.
He plants his feet flat on the floor, driving his hips up and Sirius melts under his touch. He’s shaking, his thighs that are bracketing Remus’s hips trembling and he tips forward, burying his face into Remus’s neck.
“Fuck God, fuck.” he turns panting into Remus’s ear. He keeps going, meeting Sirius’s rocking hips, movements becoming erratic as his own thighs start to fatigue. Muscles he isn’t used to working threatening to give out as their sweaty bodies slide together.
That white noise static is beginning to take hold, skittering across his peripherals and before he can finish, Sirius comes first. Hot and sticky between them, gasping loudly as his body relaxes.
He’s whispering now, sweet nothings into Remus’s neck, throat dry as he does it and Remus isn’t far off. A few more erratic thrusts with Sirius’s lips on his throat and he spills into the condom. Sirius is still steadying himself, still panting, his face buried deep into the natural curve of Remus’s neck as he shifts.
Remus is collecting himself, head tossed back and heaving. He untangles his fingers from Sirius’s hair, letting them settle on his lower back and rubbing small circles on his sweat slick skin. It feels natural to do it, allowing himself to touch and Sirius leans into it, breathing beginning to slow.
They stay like that for a little longer, entwined around one another, waiting for the rest of the world to catch up. Then, Sirius is heaving a sigh, pulling himself off with a shuddering breath and they clean up.
Sirius roots around for his underwear as Remus watches. He doesn’t know what to do, doesn’t know if this is done and over with, a need taken care of, so he sits for a second.
Sirius grabs a pack of cigarettes from one of his shirt pockets, still in just his underwear, he tosses the door of the trailer open and lights on. He’s barely leaning out of it, hand hanging out the door and the smell of Lucky Strikes wafts Remus’s way.
Remus is enthralled, still a little love drunk on the end of his orgasm as Sirius stands there in the early moonlight. His hair is mussed from Remus grabbing at it, marks on his hips red against his milk white skin, so much lighter than his tan arms. As he’s looking, a jolt runs through him that he doesn’t like much.
Never one for one night stands, Remus tends to try and protect his heart from this sort of stupidity.
So he tears his eyes away, focusing on looking for his own clothing, standing and digging through the pile. He finds a sock and his button down and is making his way to put them on when the door slams shut.
Sirius is putting his cigarette out in a little ashtray on the counter, looking up at him with intensity.
“You can stay,” he says firmly, hands clasping together in front of him. “You know, if you’d like.” He shifts his weight from foot to foot and Remus realises he still has his socks on.
Looking up at the gooseneck part of the trailer, where the mattress is, Remus lets out an involuntary noise.
Sirius snorts, closing the gap, hands settling on either side of Remus’s face.
“I’d like it if you stayed.” he says again, softer this time, breath ghosting over Remus’s lips before he leans in to kiss him. “We know the pull out will hold the two of us, I won’t make you sleep up there.” he keeps the tips of their noses touching.
“Okay.”
Sirius pulls the cot out, laying it flat and rummaging behind it and grabbing a few discarded blankets. Remus climbs in, back against the trailer wall and the second he’s situated, Sirius slides right up against him.
The weight of him, pulled close, is something Remus isn’t used to. Having another body pressed next to his, feeling his gentle breathing, the rise and fall of his chest. Sirius is looking at him, at his face, eyes dancing around as he brings a hand up, mapping out the scar on his cheek.
His touch is light, careful, thumb sweeping over the corner of his lip and when Remus starts to speak, Sirius looks right into his eyes.
“I was thrown.” he says and Sirius stiffens slightly, “I worked on a little ranch way outside of town. Small time operation with a couple hundred acres out in the hills.”
Remus heaves a breath as Sirius’s fingers continue to trace, a grounding feeling.
“There was this horse, kind of mean and a little wild, but my usual ride had gone lame the day before and we were giving her some rest. So I took Fenrir and didn’t think anything of it. The first half of the day was fine, chasing cattle around and finding the lost ones in bramble and the like, but he spooked.
“God, I don’t even know what caused it, I still don’t even really remember what happened. They tell me I cracked my skull open on a rock, landed face first in the dirt and busted my leg in two.”
He moves the blanket to show the scar that runs from hip to knee, still raised but not as angry as it used to be. Remus knows Sirius has already seen it, was tentative to touch it even just moments ago and he bites his lip like he’s going to apologise.
“Haven’t really been on a horse since then. This weekend was my first time actually back in the saddle in two years.”
Sirius’s head snaps up and Remus nods.
“And here I am forcing you to play all my rodeo games.”
Remus just laughs, yanking him in and holding him there.
“It was nice being pulled out of my own head for a while…” He lets his voice trail, running a hand along Sirius’s arm. “Sometimes I miss working on the ranch, but I don’t think that life is for me anymore, I don’t think I’d be as confident as I’d need to be.”
“You let me talk all that shit about being a working cowboy and here you are.”
“So were you lying to me? About being a working man?”
“Nah, I wasn’t lying. I work on ranches, but I do a lot of other odd jobs, you know like laying asphalt and concrete and shit. Lots of fence posts. Once I helped out on a ranch for a whole season when I was seventeen and I built all the shelters for all the animals.” He gets quiet when he says it, pensive and Remus is tempted to press on, waiting to see if he’ll do it naturally.
When he doesn’t, Remus brushes some of the hair away from his face, trying to get a better read on him.
“If anything, me being at this rodeo is a lie.” he mumbles and Remus scoffs.
“You won?!”
Sirius snorts, “This is the fourth rodeo I’ve ever been in, and three of those were in my teens.”
“What made you stop?” Sirius stills in his arms, sucking in a breath and staying quiet for a moment.
“My brother died—”
Remus cuts him off quickly, “You don’t have to tell me.”
“Nah you told me about your shit, I’ll tell you a little of mine. He was younger than me by a couple of years, we grew up kind of affluent outside Dallas—my dad made his money buying up cheap properties after they were hit with tornadoes.” He makes a disgusted noise when he says it and Remus’s hand clenches on his side.
“We lived on this little homestead with some land because my parents thought it looked nice. People came and tended to all the animals we had, you know all the sheep and shit, and all the gardens were kept by them too. But Reg and I always looked after the horses. Him and I spent all our free time together down at the barn.
“He always dreamt of winning some money and getting away from where we’re from, so when we got a little older I tried just that. The two of us entered a couple of competitions in the local circuit—I didn’t win any of ‘em—but he did. He won a thousand bucks riding this mean bronc called Bushwacker. Bought me that hat band right there.” Sirius motions towards his cattleman. “Said it would give me some luck.”
He quiets again, fidgeting, moving around uncomfortably.
“He wasn’t really lucky though, I don’t think any of us are. Reg was coming back from something,”—Sirius lets out a strangled laugh, the sound of it catching in his throat— “It’s funny but I can’t remember what the something was…I know it was a Tuesday and I can feel the way the air settled on the ranch that day. It was thick, like it was gonna rain but it never did.
“My mother got the call—car accident—someone had t-boned him. It was so sudden, you know, one minute I’ve got a brother and the next…”
He lets the weight settle over the two of them, allowing it to absorb as the night picks up outside. There’s a train in the distance, horn carrying for miles. One of the horses whinnies, calling out and waiting for an answer.
“Sometimes I think about him, in the chutes, that maybe I’ll be able to win a little something for him.”
“You won something today.”
“I won for selfish reasons today.”
“Oh yeah and what would those reasons be?”
“Wanted some winnings to take with me to the next event. I told that last bucking horse I had someone to impress in the crowd. Told him to go easy on me.” He looks at Remus through dark lashes, the corner of his lip turning up in a devilish way.
“Maybe he listened, or maybe you’re just a good rider.” Remus whispers, lips brushing Sirius’s as his hand knots into the hair at the nape of his neck.
“Shoot, you know I can show you again? How I’m a good rider, I’m not a one trick pony you know.”
“We’ll see about that cowboy.”
***
When Remus wakes, Sirius is pressed right against him, whole body from tip to tail. His arm is draped over his middle, palm pressed flat against his stomach, nose nestled between his shoulder blades. Not very often Remus gets the pleasure of being loved on like this. Someone else being the big spoon and Remus basks in it for a moment before seeing the sun peaking through the trailer window.
He untangles himself from Sirius’s grasp, doing his best not to wake him and checks the time. It takes a moment to find all his things, Remus’s pocket knife had fallen out of his front pocket at some point last night and he found it in a pile next to the boots. His shirt was wrinkled, tossed aside and on the floor with the rest of Sirius’s clothes.
Remus is sitting on the edge of the cot, pulling on his boots when Sirius’s arms snake around his middle. Pulling him back he lets out a quick hiff before Sirius’s lips are against his ear.
“Where’re you getting off to this early in the morning?” he whispers, voice husky and cracking from sleep.
“I’ve gotta work today.” He doesn’t want to leave, doesn’t want to get up and drive and leave Sirius here.
There’s a gentle snort, a puff of air on the back of his neck before Sirius’s lips are on his skin and for the briefest of moments, Remus is tempted to crawl back into the cot. Springs and all he would climb back in for Sirius.
“Likely story.” Another whisper and those lips trail back to his ear, biting at the lobe while Remus fights back a deep sigh.
“You don’t want me in your bed all day.”
“Is that you offering?”
Once more he thinks about it, really thinks about it. Weighs out old Moody’s rage and the sweetness of Sirius’s touch. His hand trails down Remus’s chest, over the waistband of his jeans and comes to rest on his groin.
His heart starts to pound, a staccato rhythm against his ribs and he leans back against Sirius’s chest. Warm and inviting, his hand begins to move before Remus sighs.
“I do have to go.” he says, getting up but doing it slowly, letting Sirius’s touch linger. “Old man Moody will have my head if I’m too late.”
Sirius nods, not hiding his disappointed expression and pads behind him, standing in the doorway to watch him go.
“I wanna see you again.” Sirius barks out suddenly amidst the quiet. “Two weekends from now, my next competition is in Oklahoma City. There’ll be a ticket with your name on it, if you feel so inclined.”
Remus turns his head, looking at him from the corner of his eye.
“We’ll see cowboy.”
“Wear something red, so I can find you in the crowd.” Sirius shouts after him just before he closes the door to the trailer.
Remus leaves, getting in his truck and hoping it’ll start on the first try. It roars to life, Padfoot and Bichette’s heads shooting up in surprise and as he drives down the lane, Padfoot chases after him.
He stops on his way in to work, pulling off at one of the gas stations close to the edge of town, and buys a bright red ball cap.
Notes:
A big thank you to AJ for fostering this idea and helping me with the ending and a MASSIVE thank you to every single person who has read this short little fic. It was a joy to write and I hope it was just as much of a joy to read <3
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