A/N: Last Day of Blackinnon Week 2020!

Prompt: First time being sick/injured/vulnerable around the other.

A/N: I've already written this story, Balm - chapter 23 of Saudade. I'm writing a new story for today, and if you'd like you can hop over to Saudade and read Balm. Today's story is from this prompt I found on Tumblr, link on my AO3 and Tumblr accounts.

Write a piece about people playing phone tag.

Propinquity

Marlene sat in one of the few seats left on the tube watching people get on and off at each station. She liked to watch the controlled chaos of moving hundreds of commuters across the city. Today specifically, as she watched a group of four men who seemed to find everything funny. Their laughter was loud and a bit ridiculous, but Marlene kept finding herself drawn to them, trying to eavesdrop on what was so funny.

But then the men reached their stop and as she watched them exit the train, one of them dropped their wallet.

Marlene groaned as she realized that no one else noticed which meant she really should call out and try and stop them. But as she called out and went to fetch the wallet, the train lurched unexpectedly and the doors shut. A frazzled voice came over the intercom apologizing as the doors opened again but it was too late, the group of men that the wallet had fallen from was long gone.

Marlene groaned and went back to her seat with the wallet in hand. She shouldn't look through it. She should give it to security when she left her station and tell them what station the men got off. She looked down at the wallet and ran her hands over the worn black leather. She wondered if it belonged to the man that had worn the black leather jacket. It wouldn't be hard to find out, but she really shouldn't. Marlene looked around at the other passengers and bit her lip. She was pretty sure no one had taken interest in her holding someone else's wallet. Maybe just a quick look to see which of the four men had dropped their wallet, then she'd close it and put the wallet into her purse and not snoop anymore. Yes, that sounded alright.

Carefully Marlene opened the wallet and looked at the man's driver's license. It was the man in the black leather jacket, which made her smile.

"Sirius Black," she murmured as she read the name, "Maybe I'll just mail it back to him."

Then she saw the debit card and shook her head. Mailing it was a bad idea. She noticed a business card and decided that she'd already invaded Mr. Black's privacy this far, she might as well keep going. She pulled out the card and sighed in relief. It was his own, and more importantly, it had his phone number on it.

Before she could talk herself out of it, Marlene dialed his number as the train pulled into the next station and waited as the call rang through.

"You've reached Sirius Black. Leave a message."

Marlene froze and almost hung up, but the tone sounded and she felt compelled to say something.

"Hello, er, my name is Marlene and I, er, I found your wallet on the tube. I was thinking I could leave it at security unless you need me to do something else. So, er, I guess, call me back."

She hung up and went back to the wallet. He looked alright in his license picture, not quite as good looking as he'd been on the train, and he was only a bit older than herself. His business card said he was a translator for a local agency, and Marlene blinked at the list of languages on the back. Clearly this man was brilliant, there were six languages listed that apparently, he was capable of translating in and out of.

Marlene went to search for the agency but her phone freaked out and froze up, so she restarted it. By the time it was done with its cycle, she had a voicemail.

"Hey, this is Sirius. I'm trying to reach Marlene; she has my wallet. Er, I'd rather it didn't get left at security, so if you could call me back, we could figure something else out if that's alright."

Of course, she'd miss his call. She saved his number in her phone and then gathered her things and got off at her stop.

Marlene hit the call button as she came out of the station.

"You've reached Sirius Black. Leave a message."

Marlene groaned. Of course, he'd miss her return call.

"Hi Sirius, it's Marlene. Sorry I missed your call earlier. I didn't leave your wallet with security so I still have it. I'm off the tube now, so I shouldn't miss any more calls. Er, I guess call me and we'll figure this out."

Marlene got to the turn for her flat and stopped. Maybe she should find a coffee shop or a cafe or something close to the station for when he called back. That way she would be able to get it back to him quickly.

She looked like a crazy person as she turned around and started back towards the station. There was a coffee place the next street over that she'd been to a couple of times, and it seemed like as good a place as any to wait for what would hopefully be a quick return.

Her phone lit up as she walked into the shop and Marlene sighed in relief.

"Hello, Sirius?"

"Hello? Hello?"

Crap. He couldn't hear her. Marlene stepped back outside.

"Hello, can you hear me now?"

"Hello? Hello? I'm trying to reach Marlene."

Marlene moved closer to the curb. "Sirius, this Marlene, can you hear me?"

"Bloody phone," Sirius muttered.

Then the call disconnected.

Marlene immediately called him back. And it went to voicemail.

"Sirius, it's Marlene. I could hear you when you called just now, but you couldn't hear me. I'll try calling again."

And she did. This time it went straight to voicemail.

Marlene growled. This was so frustrating! Why wasn't there an easier option?

Then she felt like an idiot.

Marlene opened up Sirius' contact card and started a text message.

Marlene: This looks like it might be a better way to contact each other.

She sent the text and then walked back into the coffee shop and ordered a tea.

Sirius: See why didn't we do this in the first place?

Marlene laughed.

Marlene: Because we're both coming off of a full week of work?

The kid behind the counter called her name and Marlene retrieved her tea and found a place to sit down.

Sirius: That's probably it. Now, where can I meet you to grab my wallet?

Marlene dropped a GPS pin into her next text.

Marlene: I figured this would be a good place.

Sirius: Coffee shop, slightly better than a dark alleyway as far as boosting my confidence that you aren't going to murder me. :)

Marlene grinned.

Marlene: I can't have you suspecting my motives, can I?

His response came almost immediately.

Sirius: I just got back on the tube, I'm committed now, whatever your motives.

Marlene bit her lip and looked back at Sirius' driver's license. She wondered if he was one of those guys that were attractive from afar but not so much up close. She hoped not.

Marlene: I'm at the table in the southwest corner.

Sirius didn't respond, and Marlene figured that he didn't have cell service. But after him not responding for fifteen minutes Marlene started to wonder if he really was coming to get his wallet.

"I honestly didn't expect the woman who found my wallet to be considerate and beautiful."

Marlene looked up from her phone and froze for a moment. Driver's license pictures were notorious for being awful, but Marlene thought that the inaccuracy of Sirius' would be worthy of a citation. His gray eyes were penetrating and his features were sharp like they were chiseled from marble. His black hair lay perfectly but didn't look styled at all, it looked like he woke up that way.

Sirius looked unsure for a moment.

"You are Marlene, right?"

Marlene blinked.

"Yeah, er yes, I'm Marlene McKinnon. I'm glad you made it." She pulled his wallet from her purse. "Here's your wallet, everything intact.

"Thanks," Sirius took it from her and put it in his back pocket. He looked at her for a moment and then sat down across from her.

"Would you think it too forward if I thanked you by taking you to dinner?"

Marlene smiled. "Would you think me insane if I said yes?"

He smirked at her, "No I would think you were a bright woman who knew never to turn down a free meal."

"Well, I do happen to be a bright woman, so I guess that means I have to accept."

Sirius stood and gestured toward the door. "I know a place just a block away. We could walk."

"That sounds great." Marlene followed him out the door. "And while we walk you can tell me what it's like to speak every major language."

Sirius laughed, "Things to know about Marlene McKinnon, she will snoop through your wallet."

"Only when you're daft enough to drop it on the tube." Marlene grinned up at him.

"Was it really so daft if I get to have dinner with the most beautiful woman that was on the tube today."

"You can't expect me to believe that you noticed me." Marlene rolled her eyes as her heart tried to flutter out of her chest.

"Anyone who didn't notice you is blind," Sirius shrugged.

Marlene couldn't help the smile that pulled on her lips.

"Maybe after you take me to dinner, I could take you for a drink."

Sirius opened the door to the restaurant and smirked.

"I'm a pretty bright bloke, Marlene, I never turn down a free drink."

And when he placed his hand on the small of her back as they waited for the hostess to seat them, Marlene thought that picking up Sirius' wallet might end up being one of the brightest things she'd ever done.