Aaron (hospital AU)

[mooningremus]

Remus woke up laying in a bed in the emergency room. "Where... am I?" he asked, his voice a croak.

"Ah, welcome back," said a woman standing by his bed. She was wearing a nurse's uniform. "You're in the hospital. A helpful bystander found you passed out on the sidewalk. You don't have any ID on you. What's your name?"

"Remus Lupin." He rubbed his head, and realized he was connected to an IV.

"It's saline," the nurse said. "You're severely dehydrated. Malnourished too from the looks of it though we're waiting for more bloodwork. Any medical conditions we should know about?"

"I'm HIV positive," Remus said with a sigh. "I... I'm so sorry about all this trouble. I'm fine, I probably just... haven't been taking care of myself..." Or more accurately, couldn't afford food.

"Well you should feel better once you're hydrated, and I'll send a doctor in to do a workup," the nurse said. "Rest."

Remus nodded, feeling like a complete idiot. Or maybe burden to society. Or something. And a few hours later he had a diagnosis of nothing worse than what the nurse had said. Though at least confirmation that his HIV status hadn't transformed into something worse. Sometimes he had trouble with food when the shelters were full, but he went to the HIV clinic to get his meds.

The nurse also kindly brought him some fresh clothes. He did feel better as he prepared to leave.

Comments

[quitollis]

Intimacy. The word didn't leave his mind. It circled, in Remus' voice, and he couldn't shake it off.

"The pleasure of your company," he said instead. "You're not an imposition at all."

[mooningremus]

"Well, if... my good fortune means that someone else can have my spot," Remus said. And the bed there wasn't much more comfortable than this couch. "Thank you, Aaron."

[quitollis]

"We can look for a bed," Aaron suggested. "Doesn't have to be expensive. Second hand. It'll be better than the couch."

[mooningremus]

Remus hesitated, and then nodded. "If you're sure. I think I would like this very much."

Though even as he said it, he knew the real problem. That he was almost certainly developing some kind of... feelings, and he might very well be setting himself up for a sad heart. But that wouldn't be the worst thing he'dd endured.

[quitollis]

Aaron thought it would be really nice to have the company of someone he really liked. There were feelings, yes, and he was certain he shouldn't, but the thought of not being alone was louder.

"It's settled then. I have a spare key too, so you can come and go as you please."

[mooningremus]

"I really don't know what to say," said Remus quietly. "Can I... may I hug you?"

[quitollis]

Best not, probably. "Sure," Aaron said instead and smiled.

[mooningremus]

Remus looked at him for a second, and then approached and wrapped his arms around him. "Thank you, my friend," he said softly.

[quitollis]

Aaron hugged him back. It was nice. Really nice. He smelled nice.

God help him, but he truly did want to kiss him.

[mooningremus]

Remus pulled away from him, though they were still very close. He was looking right into Aaron's eyes. And then he looked away and down, self consciously. Aaron had never asked him about the scars. He was so polite, didn't pry.

"Why don't I pour more wine, to celebrate," he said, but didn't move away.

[quitollis]

Remus had thd most beautiful eyes he'd ever seen. They pierced right into his soul. But then he looked away and Aaron cleared his throat. "Yes, please."

[mooningremus]

This was such a bad idea, thought Remus. He was going to get his heart broken.

He nodded and pulled away from him. He poured the wine evenly into the glasses. Generous pours, finishing off the bottle. He smiled and offered one of them to Aaron.

[quitollis]

"Thank you," Aaron said. He wondered if the unspoken air here, the uncomfortable atmosphere was only in his mind. God, was he that desperate for sex that he read it in situations where if had no place?

He took a generous gulp.

[mooningremus]

Remus sat down on the couch, and took a generous drink of the wine as well.

After a moment he said, "You've been very polite not to ask, Aaron, but I don't mind telling you what happened to me. The scars on my face, the HIV, it's... all from something that happened to me when I was eleven."

[quitollis]

"I didn't want to pry, but if you want to tell me..." Aaron nudged gently. He was curious, of course.

[mooningremus]

"I, um... it was a bomb. At a railway station." Remus looked down at his hands. "You might have heard about it at the time. A lot of people died. I almost did. I had to have several blood transfusions, and..." He sighed. "It's rare but things slip through the cracks. I'm glad to be alive, though. Even with HIV and evidence of the shrapnel."

[quitollis]

"Oh, that's... That's terrible," Aaron said. He remembered the bombing. It had been on the news for weeks. Everyone seemed to know someone affected or injured.

An eleven year old wouldn't be in the subway alone, Aaron thought. "Who was with you?" he asked. He hoped they'd survived.

[mooningremus]

"Ah, my father," Remus said. "He didn't make it. My mother died about ten years later, cancer. I don't really have any family left."

[quitollis]

That was terribly sad. It must have been so difficult to go on without his father, and to support his mother though her illness. "I'm so sorry," he said, sympathetically. He could offer sound advice, but he didn't think Remus was here for therapy or a sermon. He put a hand on Remus' arm instead and squeezed it lightly.

[mooningremus]

"Thank you," Remus said. There wasn't really much else to say, honestly. "I'm happy to be alive. Even in the hard times. There's a lot of beauty in the world."

[quitollis]

"There is," Aaron agreed. "It's a testament of strength to be able to see that in dire situations. To keep that faith."

[mooningremus]

"It's nice to think of my struggles as just being a testament to strength," Remus said with a small smile on his lips.

[quitollis]

"Not just," Aaron assured him.

It was that small smile, in the end, that sweetness... Aaron leaned in and kissed him. Then, realising, he pulled back. "I'm sorry... I don't know... sorry."

[mooningremus]

Remus' eyes went a little wide. "Aaron... " He moved a little, as if perhaps he was going to kiss him again, but then stopped.

"I - I don't want to - make things worse for you," he blurted.

[quitollis]

"No, no, you didn't," Aaron said, rushed. "You couldn't. I just... I'm sorry. I don't know what came over me. You're being very kind and I..." He sighed.