When I have two single clients that I want to set up so I schedule their sessions back-to-back and hope they meet, I’m subtly just like…

Chapter 6: Wading In

When the Avengers go on a low-tech beach vacation getaway (with Spidey in tow), matchmaking the unsuspecting Iron Man and Captain America becomes a team-building exercise.

Rated Teen, Will Tip 40k and 10 chapters at least, Stony, Hulkeye, Thorki, Potentially DevilSpideyPool, Background Relationships, Domestic Avengers, Meddling, Hijinks & Shenanigans, Light Angst, Fluff And Humor, Steve Rogers and Tony Stark Need To Use Actual Words, Bad Matchmaking, Mutual Pining, Snarky Clint Barton, Unscarred Wade Wilson, Teen Peter Parker, Marvel Red Team, Possibly Unrequited Love

New chapter each Tuesday and Friday. ♥

Chapter 6 is here on AO3!

Low-tech Hijinks: A Marvelous Beach Trip

Chapter 5: Waffling Around

When the Avengers go on a low-tech beach vacation getaway (with Spidey in tow), matchmaking the unsuspecting Iron Man and Captain America becomes a team-building exercise.

Rated Teen, Will Tip 40k and 10 chapters at least, Stony, Hulkeye, Thorki, Potentially DevilSpideyPool, Background Relationships, Domestic Avengers, Meddling, Hijinks & Shenanigans, Light Angst, Fluff And Humor, Steve Rogers and Tony Stark Need To Use Actual Words, Bad Matchmaking, Mutual Pining, Snarky Clint Barton, Unscarred Wade Wilson, Teen Peter Parker, Marvel Red Team, Possibly Unrequited Love

New chapter each Tuesday and Friday. ♥

Chapter 5 is here on AO3!

Chapter 4: From Señor Tequila, With Love

When the Avengers go on a low-tech beach vacation getaway (with Spidey in tow), matchmaking the unsuspecting Iron Man and Captain America becomes a team-building exercise.

Rated Teen, Will Tip 40k and 10 chapters at least, Stony, Hulkeye, Thorki, Potentially DevilSpideyPool, Background Relationships, Domestic Avengers, Meddling, Hijinks & Shenanigans, Light Angst, Fluff And Humor, Steve Rogers and Tony Stark Need To Use Actual Words, Bad Matchmaking, Mutual Pining, Snarky Clint Barton, Unscarred Wade Wilson, Teen Peter Parker, Marvel Red Team, Possibly Unrequited Love

New chapter each Tuesday and Friday. ♥

Chapter 4 is here on AO3!

Chapter 3: In Love, S’more or Less

When the Avengers go on a low-tech beach vacation getaway (with Spidey in tow), matchmaking the unsuspecting Iron Man and Captain America becomes a team-building exercise.

Rated Teen, Will Tip 40k and 10 chapters at least, Stony, Hulkeye, Thorki, Potentially DevilSpideyPool, Background Relationships, Domestic Avengers, Meddling, Hijinks & Shenanigans, Light Angst, Fluff And Humor, Steve Rogers and Tony Stark Need To Use Actual Words, Bad Matchmaking, Mutual Pining, Snarky Clint Barton, Unscarred Wade Wilson, Teen Peter Parker, Marvel Red Team, Possibly Unrequited Love

New chapter each Tuesday and Friday. ♥

Chapter 3 is here on AO3!

I will happily accept any interaction between Murray and Byler. However, at a minimum, I’d love a scene where he’s watching Mike and El and just looking like ??? Then he sees Will and Mike talk or them just ignoring each other, and he goes “ohhhhhh”.

Give one of them a knowing look please!

engie-ivy:

(Wolfstar Crush Confession with just Fluff and Humour, starring Matchmaker Remus Lupin and his client Sirius Black)

“Let me make one thing very clear,” Madame Puddifoot snaps. “You better start arranging dates for Sirius Black, so he can find his perfect match, or otherwise, there may not be a future for you at this agency.”

Remus works as a matchmaker at Madame Puddifoot’s Dating Agency, and if he wants to keep his job, he has to find a match for ‘most eligible bachelor’ Sirius Black. While there are plenty of very willing candidates, for some reason, Remus is reluctant to let any of them go on a date with Sirius Black.

A Worthy Match

“Okay, listen to this,” Lily says. “Dorcas Meadows, with Marlene?”

Remus taps his pen on his paper in thought. “Alright. That could work. That could really work. They could be good together, and it could be really good, but it could also be a complete disaster. They are both very strong-willed. Dorcas can be snarky, and Marlene can be a lot. They can either end up loving each other, or killing each other.”

“True,” Lily says, leaning back on her desk chair. “But think about it like this: do you see either of them with someone who’s not strong-willed? They need someone who doesn’t go along with everything they say.”

“Good point,” Remus says. “I’d say make it happen!”

Lily grins and starts typing on her computer.

Remus scrolls through his email. “Oh lord,” he groans. “We received another application from Gilderoy Lockhart.”

Lily raises her eyebrows. “Really? After the background check we did?”

Remus scans the email. “He says the plagiarism case is just a ‘minor inconvenience that he’s sure will be resolved soon’.”

Lily snorts. “Good god, does he believe those stories himself?”

Remus shakes his head. “Can you imagine if we had taken him up into our database and set one of our clients up on a date with him?”

Lily shudders. “That would’ve cost us a client in the least.”

The database is filled with singles of all ages, genders and preferences, but all have gone through an extensive selection process. When a client enlists at their agency, they first check whether they have the proper financial means to cover their services and the right intentions when it comes to finding someone, and when a client is accepted, they are set up with members from the database who could be potential matches.

Remus lets his fingers glide over the keyboard. “Let me see, how do you say ‘fuck off’ in a professional way?” He starts typing. “ ‘Dear Mr. Lockhart. As per my last email…’ ”

Lily chuckles, but she immediately shuts up when they hear the tell-tale sound of high heels ticking on the hardwood floor.

In all her promotional material and public appearances, Madame Puddifoot looks like your favourite aunt, with her bright pink suits, neatly curled blond hair and wide, red lipstick smiles. But working for her has taught Remus that beyond the scenes, she’s actually a hands-on, ruthless business woman, who’s willing to go to any length for her company. It’s what it takes to run the most prestigious dating agency in the city and the surrounding area, known for its high-quality database, long-term successes and discretion. Madame Puddifoot’s Dating Agency is a household name, that caters to a large variety of prominent clients; celebrities, athletes, socialites, business men, politicians, you name it.

Keep reading

(Wolfstar Crush Confession with just Fluff and Humour, starring Matchmaker Remus Lupin and his client Sirius Black)

“Let me make one thing very clear,” Madame Puddifoot snaps. “You better start arranging dates for Sirius Black, so he can find his perfect match, or otherwise, there may not be a future for you at this agency.”

Remus works as a matchmaker at Madame Puddifoot’s Dating Agency, and if he wants to keep his job, he has to find a match for ‘most eligible bachelor’ Sirius Black. While there are plenty of very willing candidates, for some reason, Remus is reluctant to let any of them go on a date with Sirius Black.

A Worthy Match

“Okay, listen to this,” Lily says. “Dorcas Meadows, with Marlene?”

Remus taps his pen on his paper in thought. “Alright. That could work. That could really work. They could be good together, and it could be really good, but it could also be a complete disaster. They are both very strong-willed. Dorcas can be snarky, and Marlene can be a lot. They can either end up loving each other, or killing each other.”

“True,” Lily says, leaning back on her desk chair. “But think about it like this: do you see either of them with someone who’s not strong-willed? They need someone who doesn’t go along with everything they say.”

“Good point,” Remus says. “I’d say make it happen!”

Lily grins and starts typing on her computer.

Remus scrolls through his email. “Oh lord,” he groans. “We received another application from Gilderoy Lockhart.”

Lily raises her eyebrows. “Really? After the background check we did?”

Remus scans the email. “He says the plagiarism case is just a ‘minor inconvenience that he’s sure will be resolved soon’.”

Lily snorts. “Good god, does he believe those stories himself?”

Remus shakes his head. “Can you imagine if we had taken him up into our database and set one of our clients up on a date with him?”

Lily shudders. “That would’ve cost us a client in the least.”

The database is filled with singles of all ages, genders and preferences, but all have gone through an extensive selection process. When a client enlists at their agency, they first check whether they have the proper financial means to cover their services and the right intentions when it comes to finding someone, and when a client is accepted, they are set up with members from the database who could be potential matches.

Remus lets his fingers glide over the keyboard. “Let me see, how do you say ‘fuck off’ in a professional way?” He starts typing. “ ‘Dear Mr. Lockhart. As per my last email…’ ”

Lily chuckles, but she immediately shuts up when they hear the tell-tale sound of high heels ticking on the hardwood floor.

In all her promotional material and public appearances, Madame Puddifoot looks like your favourite aunt, with her bright pink suits, neatly curled blond hair and wide, red lipstick smiles. But working for her has taught Remus that beyond the scenes, she’s actually a hands-on, ruthless business woman, who’s willing to go to any length for her company. It’s what it takes to run the most prestigious dating agency in the city and the surrounding area, known for its high-quality database, long-term successes and discretion. Madame Puddifoot’s Dating Agency is a household name, that caters to a large variety of prominent clients; celebrities, athletes, socialites, business men, politicians, you name it.

Madame Puddifoot demands full effort from all her employees. With her, there are three clear signs you’re in trouble. One, she says the dreaded words ‘my office’, two, she calls you by your last name, and three, worst of all, she calls you ‘sweetie’.

Remus almost lets out a relieved breath when Madame Puddifoot has passed his desk, but then she says, without even a glance in his direction, “Lupin, my office, sweetie.”

Remus groans, and the whole office throws him pitying looks. Lily bravely manages to give him an encouraging smile as Remus gets up and follows Madame Puddifoot into her office.

Well, he knew this was coming.

“I assume you know the reason you’re here.”

“Yes, madam.”

“And that is…?”

Remus sighs. “Sirius Black.”

Everyone in the area and beyond knows the name Sirius Black. He’s sort of a socialite. He’s the eldest son of the illustrious and powerful Black family, and heir to the Black family fortune. But he’s not just some party-boy rich heir. He studied Medicine, and volunteered with Doctors Without Borders for a few years. Now, he’s running a department in the city’s largest hospital, and often campaigns against the poor coverage of medical costs for vulnerable people.

Now, combine all that with the fact that Sirius Black is drop-dead gorgeous. Like, magazine cover gorgeous. Literally. Tabloids are fascinated with the famous heir and handsome doctor, and their covers often feature stories about him. If you’re launching a product, you’ll want Sirius Black to endorse it. If you’re hosting an event, you’ll want Sirius Black on the guest list. Of course, after being the city’s most eligible bachelor for years, the fact that Sirius Black has gone to a dating agency to find love caused quite a stir. Finding Sirius Black his perfect match will undoubtedly generate an immense amount of publicity for Madame Puddifoot’s Dating Agency.

“I do not have to tell you how much it will benefit our business if we can add the name Sirius Black to our list if satisfied customers,” Madame Puddifoot says.

Remus nods.

“Well then,” Madame Puddifoot folds her hands together. “Let me try a different approach then. Let me tell you what it would mean for our business if we fail in making a success story out of Sirius Black. Sirius Black is young, handsome and rich. If we can’t find him someone, then what hope is there for the rest? Why would anyone still come to us to find their match if we can’t even find a match for someone like Sirius Black? We might as well go out of business! Do you understand, Lupin?”

“Yes, Madam. I do.”

“Then explain to me, if you understand all that, why are you doing such a poor job?”

“I’m trying-” Remus protest.

“No, sweetie, you are not!” Madame Puddifoot interrupts. “At least I hope you’re not, because if this is you trying, it’s even worse then I thought.” She shakes her head. “And it started off so promising, when you had your exploratory business dinners.” When a client is accepted, the agent the client is assigned to usually arranges one or more business lunches or dinners with the client, to get a better read on them, get a clear idea of what they are looking for, what their likes and dislikes are, and in what points they might be willing to compromise, which is all incorporated into the client file. “Sirius Black was actually very enthusiastic about you.”

“He was?” Remus asks, feeling a rush of excitement, but Madame Puddifoot ignores him.

“I don’t understand how he hasn’t started complaining yet. Your performance has been absolutely unacceptable.” She picks up a report from her desk. “He has been our client for months now, and so far, you have set him up on… two dates.”

She looks up at Remus from over the report. Remus stays silent, so she continues. “One dinner, which they both reported to be quite pleasant, but then, immediately afterwards, you put his date in a cab home.” She puts down the report and gives Remus a pointed look. “Dare I ask why you were even there?”

“To chaperone!” Remus quickly says. “Like you said, Sirius Black isn’t just any client. I needed to make sure our member was on his best behaviour.”

Madame Puddifoot just looks at him.

“I sat at a different table,” Remus mumbles.

Madame Puddifoot pinches the bridge of her nose. “And sending his date home on his own immediately after?”

“He didn’t make any move to pay for his dinner when the check came!” Remus says indignantly. “Nothing! Not even a half-hearted attempt at suggesting to split the bill! We can’t have Sirius Black thinking our member are gold-diggers or something.”

Madame Puddifoot sighs and flips through the report. “And the other date, seeing the City Orchestra playing in the Royal Theatre. And you were sitting behind them.” She looks up at Remus again. “To chaperone.” She says sceptically.

“To chaperone,” Remus confirms.

“And then,” Madame Puddifoot scans the report. “In the break, you sent his date home and took his place.”

“He placed his hand on Sirius Black’s thigh!” Remus protests. “Not even halfway through the first date! It was highly inappropriate! I had to intervene. We can’t have Sirius Black thinking we’re that kind of agency, can we?”

“And that’s all you’ve done so far,” Madame Puddifoot continues undeterred. “Two dates, nothing more.”

“Well, if anything, those dates proved that I had to be even more selective!” Remus retorts. “I don’t want to send him on just any date, I want to wait until I’m sure I’ve found him the perfect date!”

“Only Sirius can decide whom he finds perfect for him, and you should’ve been presenting him with options.”

“If I could find options that are good enough…”

“Lupin,” Madame Puddifoot says firmly. “Each young man in our database has been hand-picked by me, and each of them is highly educated, accomplished, and well-spoken. And you honestly claim that after months, you weren’t able to find more than two options?”

“It’s not about quantity, it’s about quality.”

“And you haven’t been delivering either!” Madame Puddifoot slams her papers down on her desk, and then takes a deep breath to compose herself. “Truthfully, I wanted to pass your client on to a different agent, but Sirius Black insisted he’d like to keep working with you, God knows why.”

“He did?” Remus asks, unable to stop his lips curling into a dopey smile.

“Wipe that smile off of your face, sweetie,” Madame Puddifoot snaps. “If I could’ve given your client to someone else, at least you would’ve kept your job, but as it is, let me make one thing very clear. You better start arranging dates for Sirius Black, so he can find his perfect match, or otherwise, there may not be a future for you at this agency.”

“Lily, will you take care of my plant when I’m gone?”

“No,” Lily says, from where she’s sitting perched on the corner of Remus’ desk. “First of all, that has got to be the ugliest plant I have ever seen.”

“Oi, she can hear you!” Remus hisses.

“Secondly,” Lily continues undeterred. “You are not going to lose your job! Madame Puddifoot is right. Sirius Black is handsome, rich, and successful, how hard can it be to find him a match?” She picks up the folder with their database from Remus’ desk and starts flipping the pages. “Oh, what about Fabian Prewett?” She exclaims. “They will look good together!”

Remus purses his lips. “Didn’t he just get divorced? We don’t want Sirius Black to be used as some kind of rebound.”

“He married way too young, and he got divorced three years ago.”

“Sounds pretty fresh to me,” Remus says.

“Okay,” Lily starts flipping the pages again. “Caradoc Dearborn then? He’s a great guy!”

“Caradoc Dearborn doesn’t like dogs,” Remus says pointedly.

“So?”

“Sirius Black loves dogs!”

Lily takes Sirius’ file from Remus’ desk and scans the document. “He hasn’t listed a hard demand about liking dogs anywhere!”

“No,” Remus admits. “But someone who doesn’t like dogs is obviously a psychopath, Lily. I can’t send Sirius Black on a date with a psychopath, now can I?”

“Remus, you’ve known Caradoc for years. You know he’s not a psychopath!”

“Do I, Lily? Do I really?”

Lily narrows her eyes at him. “Alright, let’s see… Benjy Fenwick! Everyone always loves Benjy! He’s such a sweetheart.”

“Yes, he’s sweet…” Remus says.

“But?” Lily asks, with barely suppressed annoyance.

“But he’s too sweet! I mean, Sirius Black is a bit of a rebel. He’s the kind of guy who likes to live his life with a little risk, and thinks rules are meant to be broken. Benjy is the kind of guy who gets a panic attack when he’s a day late returning a library book.”

“Evan Rosier then? No one can accuse him of being too sweet.”

“No, he’s too posh.”

“Sirius Black is posh!”

“No, he’s not!”

“Remus, he’s a Black. That family is the textbook-definition of posh.”

“I know he seems posh, but once you get to know him, you’ll see that he’s really not. He’s actually very down-to-earth, open and approachable.”

“If you say so,” Lily says, rolling her eyes. “Well, there’s Edgar Bones?”

“He’s alright.”

“So… you’ll let him go on a date with Sirius Black?”

Remus shrugs. “If you think just ‘alright’ is good enough for someone like Sirius Black.”

They continue like that for a while. “He’s too pretentious.” “He talks too much.” “He doesn’t talk enough.” “He’s not socially aware at all.”

“What about Victor?” Lily asks.

“He won’t get Sirius’ humour,” Remus replies directly.

“Now you’re just making shite up!” Lily throws the folder back on Remus’ desk. “There isn’t even a Victor in our database!”

Remus crosses his arms over his chest. “But if there was, I’m sure he wouldn’t get Sirius’ humour!”

Lily jabs her finger against Remus’ chest. “You’re just being purposely difficult!”

“I’m just making sure we uphold to a certain standard in quality! I’m just doing my job, and I don’t know why everyone is on my case about it!”

Lily opens her mouth to protest, but then the door to the office opens and Lily groans. “Oh, for the love of God, what is he doing here?”

James Potter has just walked in. He’s a professional athlete. Neither Remus nor Lily knows the first thing about sports, but apparently, he’s the next big thing in football or something. At first, Lily was very excited to have him as her client, but at this point, that excitement has turned into frustration.

“It’s the same thing every time,” Lily has often complained. “I set him up on this lovely date with this lovely girl and they have a lovely time- afterwards, they all gush about what a perfect gentleman he is, so he’s not just in it for an easy shag- but he says the same thing after each date: ‘There wasn’t a spark’. I swear, Remus, the guy just doesn’t know what he wants!”

Truth is, James Potter knows exactly what he wants: a fiery red-head who scolds him when he forgets to hold the door open for his date and rolls her eyes at him when he talks about sports too much.

James grins broadly when he approaches them. “Hi Lily, Remus. That’s an… interesting plant you got there. How are you?”

“Busy,” Lily says curtly, as if she isn’t currently sitting on top of Remus’ desk, clearly not working. “And I do not believe we have an appointment today.”

“We don’t,” James says. “But you’ve arranged this lunch date with Emily this Saturday-”

“Emmeline.”

“Right. This lunch with Emmeline this Saturday. Now, I found this Italian sandwich shop, but I’m not sure if it’s suitable for a date. I was thinking that maybe we can check it out together, so you can see if it’s something Emmeline would like?”

“I don’t think you can go wrong with an Italian sandwich shop,” Lily replies, idly inspecting her nails.

“It might be good to get a woman’s input,” James urges.

“What a woman considers a good lunch place isn’t that different from what a man considers a good lunch place, Potter.”

“Still,” James says. “Best to be sure. My treat, of course!”

Lily looks over at Remus, who shrugs. “Free lunch?”

Lily lets out an exasperated sigh, as she jumps off of the desk. “Fine!” She grabs her purse and marches towards the door. “But I’m putting these hours on your bill!”

James, smiling like the cat that got the cream, gives Remus an awkward wave before quickly following Lily outside.

Remus shakes his head. James is a good guy, bless him. And actually, it’s not a bad idea, checking out a location beforehand with your client. You know, to see if it has the right feel and atmosphere before you send them on a date there. He knows this really cute restaurant down at fifth street, maybe he should ask Sirius if he’d like-

“Lupin!”

Remus is pulled out of his thoughts by Madame Puddifoot slamming down a form on his desk.

“After you left, I realised that I just couldn’t leave the future of my agency in your incapable hands, so I decided to take it upon myself to organize a Mix and Match Event for Sirius Black! I have already made a list of all members I want to be invited and booked a venue. Now, after the event, Sirius Black will fill out the names of the young men he’d like to see again, and then all you need to do, is set up follow-up dates with the persons whose name Sirius Black has written down. I trust even you can do that much?”

Remus nods dumbly, and Madame Puddifoot gives a satisfied smile before stalking away, leaving Remus to stare at the list like it has personally offended him.

The venue Madame Puddifoot has booked is the lobby of a fancy hotel. The standing tables are covered in crisp white tablecloths with intricate flower arrangements in the middle, waiters are walking around with trays filled with high glasses containing expensive wine or small hors-d’oeuvres, and soft, classical music is playing. The place is fancy, polished and clean.

Exactly the kind of place Sirius hates.

Sirius would’ve preferred a casual pub, Remus thinks as he looks around with frown. Somewhere with pints of beer, fried onion rings, band music playing in the background.

But despite not liking it, Sirius Black fits in perfectly. In his fitted trousers, suit jacket, and long hair tied into a neat, high ponytail, he looks devastatingly handsome. Even the waiters, however professional they may be, are giving him looks. He’s charming, and seems comfortable and at ease, making easy conversation.

Nearby, Sirius is currently talking to Fabian Prewett, both of them smiling and chatting animatedly. Remus scoffs. So Lily thought they’d look good together? Well, he really can’t see it.

“Really?” Fabian smiles up at Sirius. “You drive a motorcycle?”

“I do,” Sirius replies.

“Because a leather jacket looks so good on you?” Fabian asks with a wink, and Remus has to quickly put his glass down, as it makes a dangerous cracking sound as he subconsciously tightened his grip around it.

“Oh, definitely,” Sirius laughs. “But that’s not the only reason. It just gives you this great sense of freedom.”

“I’d love to know how that feels.”

“Do you know how to drive?”

“No,” Fabian replies. “But I’d let you give me a ride any day.”

And that’s just it! If that’s not inappropriate then Remus doesn’t know what is! Surely he must intervene now.

“Fabian,” Remus says coldly, walking up to them. “Could you give me a moment with Sirius please?”

Fabian looks from Remus to Sirius, and back to Remus, an amused expression appearing on his face. “Sure, Remus. Whatever you want,” he says with a smirk as he walks away.

Remus stares after him. Now what was that all about? Then he notices Sirius gazing at him, and all thoughts of Fabian immediately disappear from his mind.

“I, ehm, I just wanted to check how you’re doing?” Remus says. “How are you enjoying getting to know the other men?”

“You know,” Sirius replies with a teasing smile. “It would be easier to get to know them if you would let anyone talk to me for longer than five minutes.”

Remus’ cheeks flush. “Well, that’s… just my job. I need to make sure you don’t get overwhelmed, you know. These events can be a lot.”

Sirius nods. “It is quite overwhelming to think that these amazing men would all be interested in me. Well, my looks and money, at least,” he adds with a shrug.

“I promise you that each member of Madame Puddifoot’s would never-” Remus begins to protest, but Sirius cuts him off.

“It’s okay! Don’t worry, it’s fine. I mean, I went to a dating agency to be set up on dates with men whom I don’t know, and who don’t know anything else about me, so it’s kind of what I signed up for.”

“They might not know much more about you now,” Remus admits. “But once they’ll get to know you, they’ll have so much more and so much better reasons to like you! You’re so funny, incredibly smart, kind…” He trails off as Sirius looks at him with an unreadable expression on his face, and for a moment, they just look at each other.

Then Sirius shakes himself out of it and a clears his throat. “So, how does this thing work? Do I get to hand out roses at the end?”

Remus chuckles. “Nothing that fancy, I’m afraid. You just write down the name of each person you’d like to go on an actual date with on this form and hand it back to me, and I’ll arrange the follow up dates for you.”

“I can do that,” Sirius says with a bright smile as he takes the form from Remus.

I can’t, Remus thinks, reading the piece of paper for what is probably the hundredth time. Well, he can, but he shouldn’t. Should he? It’s probably not just frowned upon, but actually forbidden. Yes, Remus is pretty sure there was something about this sort of thing in the contract he signed when he started working for Madame Puddifoot’s.

But then again, it is his job. The client writes down the names, Remus sets up the dates, plain and simple as that. Madame Puddifoot’s words echo in his head

“All you need to do, is set up follow-up dates with the persons whose name Sirius Black has written down. I trust even you can do that much?”

He can do that much. Madame Puddifoot has been very clear in what she wants him to do, so the least Remus can do, is simply do it. He doesn’t have a choice, really. He has to do his job, after all.

Remus grins broadly as he unlocks his computer and starts typing in the name of his favourite restaurant in the search bar. He glances one more time at piece of paper, the form Sirius Black has filled out, where only one name is written down in his elegant handwriting: Remus Lupin

“Wow!” Sirius exclaims as he steps onto the rooftop terrace and takes in the table setting, the candles, and Remus in his favourite jumper.

“Hi,” Remus says.

“Hi,” Sirius replies.

“I, ehm,” Remus is nervously wringing his hands. “I hope I didn’t misinterpret?”

Sirius barks a laugh. “Remus, I was asked to write down the names of whom I’d like to date, and I only wrote down your name. There’s hardly any room for interpretation.” Then a slightly uncertain look appears on his face. “Though, I know I am your client, and I don’t want you to feel obligated to do anything. I can imagine it’s not-done in your profession, and you don’t want to jeopardize your job. But the truth is, I really like you, and I think you may like me too. The only reason I came to a dating agency is because I was hoping to find someone who can make me feel the way you make me feel, so I thought I at least owed it to myself to try.”

“I took this job because I believed in love,” Remus says slowly. “And I thought that if I could help at least one person find it, it’ll be worth it. So, it would be rather counterproductive to give up on a chance at love in order to keep my job.”

“Love?” Sirius asks, his face lighting up.

“Chance at love,” Remus corrects with a smile. Then he holds out his hand. “If that’s a chance you’re willing to take?”

Sirius doesn’t hesitate for a second as he takes Remus’ hand. “In a heartbeat.”

One year later

“I’m just worried she’s making a mistake,” Lily says, leaning back against the soft cushions of the large suede corner sofa. “And God knows what she sees in him! Vernon Dursley has got to be the most boring person you’re ever going to meet.”

“You’ve always had a different taste than your sister,” Remus says, while taking a chocolate truffle made of rich, Belgian chocolate from the crystal bowl on the table. “In the end, she’s a grown woman and it’s her decision.”

“And it’s such a terrible cliché,” Lily sighs, hugging one of the silk cushions to her chest. “The secretary hooking up with her boss. What will her co-workers say? The whole thing is inappropriate and unprofessional!”

“Lily,” Remus says. “Neither one of us is in any position to judge someone for inappropriate and unprofessional work relations. After all, we both took a job at an exclusive dating agency, snatched up the hottest, richest guys for ourselves, and bailed.”

Lily stares at him in horror. “Oh God, we really are that kind of people, aren’t we?”

Remus nods. “We are.”

Lily looks over at the kitchen, where Sirius is leaning on the kitchen island, looking like a model in an add with his dark hair gracefully falling over his eyes and wearing a white button-down with the top buttons undone and the sleeves rolled up to his elbows, animatedly talking to James, who looks dashingly handsome in his soft cashmere sweater, and has just taken four crystal wine glasses out of the cupboard and is now opening a bottle of wine that most likely costs more than what Remus and Lily used to pay for rent summed up.

“Oh well,” Lily sighs. “It was worth it.”

“So worth it,” Remus agrees, putting another chocolate truffle in his mouth.

You all know that there is a pretty neat leaver system implemented in Dota 2 and it’s currently being tested. But there might have been times when you might have found something about it that you really didn’t understand - like an unexpected loss or win?

Well here’s a little touch up on the rules and regulations that govern the system.

• Games that do not begin with 10 players are never counted in Match Making. If it does, it’s a malfunction of the system. Please report it on the developer forums.
• If there is a leaver in the game before any action takes place, then the game will NOT be counted at all. But however, there is an exception to this rule. If the game is finished and the team with 4 manage to win the game, then they are awarded a win. This is very situational and this point may or may not be awarded.
• If there is a leaver at a later point of time in the game, then wins and losses are awarded accordingly. The leaver ALWAYS is awarded a loss however the rest of the players will be resulted based on the outcome of the game.
• Players are safe to leave the game without the abandon marker popping up once the game announces the same.  [via EricTams, Valve.]

* A player is considered a leaver if they have stayed disconnected from the game for over 5 minutes irrespective of whether they reconnect or not at a later point of time.

To discuss this more, please feel free to follow me on my Facebook Page.

Second Chances, The Setup (KakaSaku Valentines Day)

This is my take on the matchmaking section of the day one prompt @bouncyirwin. It can also be found on FFand A03.

Kakashi stared down at the paper in his hands as disbelief warred with amusement inside his chest. He read the name again to assure himself that he wasn’t imagining things. “This can’t be right. There must have been a mistake.”

“I don’t know why you signed up for that thing in the first place,” Tenzo observed, scrolling through his phone with a thumb without looking up. “Honestly, a matchmaking service is about the last thing I would expect you to take part in, even if it does benefit the school.”

“Technically, it benefits the Wounded Warriors project and the school,” Kakashi pointed out, leveling his best friend with a stare. Then, he sighed. “And, I signed up for it because I lost another bet with Gai. He cares about the charity, so this was his twisted form of punishment.”

Tenzo’s gaze flicked up from his phone, and he rolled his eyes. “Why do you let him drag you into these stupid things? You act like posturing five year olds instead of department heads at a prestigious university.”

Crossing the office, Tenzo snagged the paper from Kakashi’s hands. His brown eyes skimmed over the name once, then his brow furrowed. He read it a second time, then burst out laughing. “They matched you with Haruno Sakura? That can’t be right, can it? I mean, she’s, what, twenty years younger than you?”

Warmth rose in Kakashi’s cheeks at the words as anger and embarrassment heated his face. He scribbled a note on the lesson plan in front of him without looking at Tenzo. “It’s more like fourteen, but yeah. I’m sure it’s just an oversight.”

With another chuckle, Tenzo dropped the paper onto Kakashi’s desk and slung his bag over one shoulder. “I’m surprised she’s taking part, to be honest. The last I heard, she was dating some hotshot Uchiha lawyer, the one everyone was talking about a couple of years ago. I was pretty sure they were engaged, actually.”

Kakashi wondered why the man had kept up with Sakura, but he didn’t ask. Folding the paper in half, he slid it out of the way. “Maybe she got roped into it like I did. I’ll go down to the office and sort it out after my next class.”

Years ago, the woman had been a student of Kakashi’s. First, she’d be in an advanced placement class through her high school, then later she’d taken two Introduction to Literature classes at Konoha University. He remembered Sakura’s vibrant pink hair and whip-quick wit. She’d been one of the few students who actually put effort into their assignments and offered insightful observations during discussions. She would have done well in the English department, but her interests lay in another direction. Last he heard, she’d planned to go to medical school, and that had been five or six years ago.

Shaking his head, Kakashi pushed the memory away as a worry for another time. He was sure that pairing them together for the charity Valentine’s Day dinner must have been a mistake. It would be easily corrected when he went and talked to organizers. A small smile played across Tenzo’s lips when Kakashi raised his gaze back to the man. “You could just go with it, you know. I mean, it’s not often you get the chance to—”

“I could have plenty of chances,” Kakashi interrupted, folding the notice and dropping it into the leather messenger bag on his desk along with his notes for the next class. He adjusted the buckle, then stood. “I don’t need any help in that area, thank you very much.”

“I’m just saying that she’s an adult now,” Tenzo continued, pushing open the heavy door of the office so they could leave it behind. “There’s nothing wrong with going out with her, if you wanted to, I mean.”

Kakashi leveled the man with a stare and shook his head. “I’m sure it would make a lovely headline. You know, just before I lost my job.”

Laughing, Tenzo shook his head. “It’s just dinner, nobody could fault you for that. I’m not suggesting you sleep with her.”

“I have a class to get to,” Kakashi interrupted, cutting the man short. “And then, I’m going to go get this sorted, end of story.”

You should try living a little,“ Tenzo called as the pair separated in the hallway. Kakashi shook his head and continued like he hadn’t heard the words.

————————————————————————

"I’m sorry, Hatake-sensei,” the brunette behind the computer screen repeated, tapping rapidly on her keyboard. “The results have already been sent out. There’s no way we can change them now.”

Kakashi blew out a breath to contain his annoyance and tried again. “But, there’s been a mistake with my match. This can’t be the person who was intended to be matched with me.”

“You aren’t obligated to go to dinner with them if you don’t want to,” the woman continued. Soft brown eyes flashed up at Kakashi with a touch more calculation than he liked. He loosened the collar of his shirt with one finger as she smiled. “It’s just a silly fundraiser, after all.”

“Wrong,” A growled word from the back room answered the statement before Kakashi could. A woman stepped into the office, combing her fingers through her long blond hair like it had annoyed her. Then, she tugged at her crop top, trying to make it lie smoothly over her chest. Kakashi looked away as she continued. “It isn’t just a silly fundraiser. We worked hard on those matches.”

“I’m sure you did.” Kakashi made a placating gesture under the woman’s scrutiny. She looked at him like she’d treated her hair or clothing: something she’d force back into place if he defied her. “But, I was under the impression that matches would be among faculty or students, not mixed.”

Seafoam blue eyes that had to be colored contacts rolled toward the ceiling. “Well, that’s your mistake, then.” The girl smiled with a vindictive edge. “We were careful in our matches, but some do have a slight age gap. It was unavoidable given the pool of applicants.”

“A slight age gap,” Kakashi repeated. He let out a measured breath to control the surge of annoyance rushing through him. It wasn’t intentional. It’s nothing personal, he reminded himself, reining in the frustration.

“Leave him alone, Ino.” The brunette behind the desk leveled the blond with a glare before turning back to Kakashi. “I’m sorry for the confusion, Hatake-sensei. But, if you’re uncomfortable with the arrangement, you could explain over dinner, perhaps? It’s already paid for, after all, and no one says it has to be romantic.”

Ino crossed her arms over her chest in a gesture of annoyance. “It’s Valentine’s Day. It’s supposed to be romantic.”

“Of course,” the girl nodded along with Ino’s word, then shrugged. “But, this dinner doesn’t have to be romantic. I’m sure your match would understand if you explain things.”

Kakashi stared at the paper with Sakura’s name for several heartbeats as he considered the options. Sakura had been easy to get along with in his classes, but that was hardly the same thing as sharing dinner. He sighed. “So, how does this work? Do we both agree to come to the event, and then you’ll let us know? Am I supposed to ask her?”

Ino moved forward, half pushing the brunette away from the computer. Leaning down, she tapped a series of commands into the keyboard as she answered. “We send out matches, and each person confirms whether or not they’re planning to attend. Most people make a good night out of it, even if they aren’t happy with their partner.”

The challenge in Ino’s words made Kakashi chuckle; she’d given him an easy out without meaning to. He started to say that he wouldn’t be attending, thank you very much, when a sound from the computer stopped him. Ino flashed a smile at Kakashi. “Sakura-chan has already confirmed that she’ll be there, by the way. We’re just awaiting your confirmation to send out the final details to each of you.”

Something heavy dropped in Kakashi’s stomach, leaving a sick feeling in the back of his throat. It would have been easy to refuse the event had Sakura done the same. But, she hadn’t. The idea of turning her down now seemed cruel. Sakura accepted, even knowing their age difference and past. She’d always been logical, so she must have realized they could have a friendly dinner and nothing more.

“Fine,” Kakashi agreed with a sigh. “We don’t have to fall into the romance trap just because it’s Valentine’s Day. We can eat dinner together, then go our separate ways.”

“Spoken like a true romantic,” Ino mocked, rolling her eyes again. “Unless you’ve spoken to your match, you might not want to treat it so lightly. You might think it’s a friendly dinner, but what if she thinks it’s something more?”

Ino laughed, a deep, rich sound that seemed to fill the office with that. “Good luck with that.”

“It’ll be fine,” Kakashi answered, shoving the paper with Sakura’s name back into his bag. “Nothing to worry about.”

Ino’s amusement followed him from the office.

——————————————————————————

Staring at the clock on the wall, Kakashi sighed. He needed to finish getting ready so he could make it to the restaurant on time, but he was debating whether or not he could pretend to be afflicted by a sudden illness to get out of the whole arrangement. It wasn’t that dinner out didn’t sound good, even with company fourteen years his junior, because it did. But, Kakashi was already tired of everything that had to do with Valentine’s Day.

The university had been a buzz of stupid, sappy shows of affection for the majority of the day. Pink, white, and red dominated every surface in a shower of roses, teddy bears, candy, and balloons. Kakashi had forcibly removed one young man from his second lecture for trying to record some kind of confession challenge on his phone. Half of the other students had been documenting it as well, and the poor girl who was the object of the poorly thought out display of affection looked embarrassed enough to faint.

Kakashi’s remaining classes hadn’t gone any better. By the time he’d wrapped up his fifth and final one for the day, he wanted nothing more than a stiff drink and a good book. But, he’d signed up for and promised to attend this twice damned event. Kakashi didn’t want to stand Sakura up just because he didn’t want to go. Dinner would last maybe an hour or a little bit more, then he could come home and stop worrying about it.

Instead of getting dressed, Kakashi poured himself a half measure of the whiskey that he wanted. It would settle his nerves and make the night less awkward, hopefully. As he was savoring the smoky burn in his throat, Kakashi’s phone pinged. Frowning, he picked it up from the bed where he’d thrown it before his shower. A text message from Tenzo flashed on the screen. You need to leave in five minutes if you’re going to be on time.

Huffing out a breath, Kakashi threw the annoying device back onto the bed and finished his drink. By the time he carried the glass to the kitchen and rinsed it in the sink, he’d heard the message notification three more times. Kakashi closed his eyes and physically forced himself not to pour a second drink before moving back to the bedroom.

Have you decided what you’re going to wear?

Did you remember to get flowers?

Have you left yet?

Stop ignoring me!

The fourth text scrolled across the screen, interrupting Kakashi’s ability to read the others. He swiped it away in a fit of annoyance. Tenzo needed a life that revolved around something besides watching Kakash’s every move. Besides, this wasn’t even a real date; Kakashi didn’t need a wingman or a babysitter. Even if it was, Kakashi knew how to get ready for a date without Tenzo’s help. He was older and more experienced, after all.

Tossing his towel into the bathroom hamper, Kakashi returned to the closet in his bedroom. He’d been considering what he wanted to wear to the dinner since confirming that he would go. The normal dress pants and button up shirt felt a touch too casual for something like this considering the tickets had been fairly expensive. But, he assumed that most people weren’t going to be wearing tuxedos either.

Kakashi settled on a middle ground and selected a white tailored suit with black shirt and tie that he’d purchased years ago. He’d bought it before the conference where he’d been a guest speaker on the influences of Edo period literature because he wanted to make a good impression. In hindsight, hardly anyone cared about the subject and fewer still cared what he looked like. Except for the woman who had propositioned him later that evening, of course.

Chuckling at the memory, Kakashi pulled the suit from the back of his closet. It would be good enough for a fake date with his former student, he supposed.