Remus nodded, eyes to the stairs as he processed that information. It made better sense, not only about the way Black carried himself in his everyday life, but also given his flustered reply.<br/>It made Remus glance sideways over at this colleague, his expression showing little of the way his mind had spiralled although Black’s cheeks had become noticeably flushed.<br/>Black had said so little, and yet it was deafening, precisely what Remus himself found so uncomfortable about sharing about his job; a few single words produced an endless string of expectations and imagery.<br/>“I’m sorry, I’ve never noticed.”<br/>As his attention returned forward, Remus had felt compelled to apologize not out of remorse but from the awareness that he might have seemed impolite. He wondered, for a moment, if he would have recognized Black earlier if he had been wearing less, the memory of ink covering his skin still burned into Remus’ consciousness.<br/>“You should say hello next time,” he offered as they took the last step, pulling the strap of his bag up onto his shoulders. With a delay, he turned to offer Black a little, friendly smile.