Chapter Text
“Hey, Reggie, why did I see James getting into my car, that you borrowed…?” Evan asked whilst trying not to throw Regulus out their window.
Before Regulus could think of an excuse, a voice chimed in from the kitchen.
“Oh, Regulus kidnapped James because he got petty after losing a chess match against his brother.”
“Dora!?” Regulus turned his head to the kitchen, “How long have you been here, and how did you know that?”
“Well, I’ve been here long enough to hear you flirt with ‘Jamie’, also you drunk-called me when you made that plan.” Pandora answered as they came out of the kitchen with their apron covered in flour and hair tied with a ribbon whilst holding a mixing bowl.
“See, I told y’all that Pandora has superpowers and can turn invisible on command!” a voice yelled from a room across the hall.
“BARTY!” Regulus said, his voice louder than he anticipated, “Wait, so all of you have been home…this whole time?”
Between the voices, as Barty joined from his room, the door to Regulus’ room opened and a head popped out. If not for the creaking of the door, no one would've noticed it.
“Regulus, could I have some water please?” James asked while still hiding behind the door, not wanting to interfere or go against what was asked of him by Reg.
“And you brought him to our house…” Evan sighed as he rubbed his temples.
Regulus simply ignored Evan and walked past them to the kitchen and got a glass of water for James.
Regulus gently handed the cup to James, “Here you go. Could you please wait in my room? I will be right back after I subdue the alarm.”
As James went back into the room, the cuffs clicked, reminding Reg of something.
“Evan, why were there red cuffs in your car, you know, the ones from our last Halloween party?” Reg questioned.
“Oh-um..” Evan stuttered whilst trying to give a response as his cheeks and ears turned red. Barty snickered and gave Regulus a knowing look of ‘take a guess.’
As the situation settled in Reg's brain, he stumbled back towards his room whilst grimacing, and started muttering curses towards his friends.
Without saying a word and with a tint of redness to his face, Reg started to take the cuffs off of James but caught his foot on the corner of a rug and fell into James' lap in the process.
“You’re trying to take off my restraints but your actions suggest something else, darling” James grinned, showing the dimple on the right side of his cheek.
‘Cute’. The thought popped into Regulus’ brain but as he noticed the position they were in, he turned a much deeper shade of red. He quickly got up and tried to move away but was caught by the other.
James kept a sturdy but gentle grip on his wrists, as he successfully removed the cuffs with little to no effort while maintaining direct eye contact with Regulus.
He knew what he was doing and knew exactly what the effects of his actions were.
Regulus blinked, then gulped, feeling heat creep through his body. His heartbeat was so loud he thought it was going to pound out of his chest, ‘Surely James must be able to hear it from here’. He looked down at where he and James were touching, James’ hand wrapped around his thin wrist, brown against his pale skin.
A pot clanged in the kitchen making Regulus flinch and realize he’d been staring, unblinking, at James’ hand for longer than appropriate.
“See something you like, Reg?” James asked, raising an eyebrow.
“You wish, idiot.” Regulus snapped, standing up and trying to tug his wrist out of James’ grasp. He didn’t get very far before James’ hand closed around his wrist again, firmer this time, and pulled him back towards James and the bed.
“I do, actually.” James whispered.
Regulus’s breath caught in his chest, a fondness he’d never seen before shone from James’s dark eyes. His body moved, as if under a spell, closer and closer to James. It followed as James laid back on the bed drawing Regulus on top of him. He could feel James’ body, solid beneath him, could faintly smell the eucalyptus soap James must’ve showered with that morning, could see the dark curls of James’ hair crushed against the duvet. Regulus’ face lowered closer to James’. His eyes caught on James’s lips, plump and pink against his tanned skin. He could almost feel James’s breath ghost against his lips. He shifted closer, almost touching.
Two loud knocks sounded at his door, breaking him out of his trance.
“Regulus! Out here. Now!” Evan’s voice sounded.
Regulus jumped away from James, face burning and swiping the cuffs off the bed as he did. He rushed towards the door, tripping over his own feet in his haste to get out. As the door clicked shut behind him he took a deep breath, trying to calm his racing heart. He noticed Evan watching from a few feet away, an eyebrow raised in question.
Regulus, with effort, pasted a blank look on his face and slung the cuffs at Evan. “Here, have them back. They’re infected with whatever you and Barty have.” he said as he turned around to join Barty and Pandora in the kitchen.
Evan soon followed and with all four of them being in the kitchen, they busied themselves with helping Pandora bake.
“What are you going to tell your brother for an explanation though?” Evan looked at Regulus with a raised eyebrow.
Before Regulus could reply, Barty said in a pitch way too high to be his or any of theirs “Oh Siri, I am in love with him and can't live without him so I am kidnapping him and keeping-” Before he could finish, he was stopped by a knife Regulus had thrown, heading straight for his head.
Evan caught the knife mid-air, looked at Barty to see if he was okay and then at Reg, “Reg, you could have hurt him.”
“Oh come on, we both know that he’d probably like it if he did get hurt.” Regulus replied.
“Guys, I think I just fell in love actually. Reg, throw more knives at me, I want Evan to save-”
A cough suddenly sounded from behind Regulus.
“Why am I the one who always gets inter-”
“You guys seem like you’re having fun.” James said. Regulus spun, eyes widening as he saw James leaning against the kitchen door frame, eyes darting between Regulus, his friends and the knife.
“James, you interrupt me one more time and I will be the one throwing knives. At you.” Barty said, finishing his sentence in one breath.
“Oh Barty, be careful. You might make the others jealous of us.” James winked at Barty and looked back at Reg and Evan smirking.
“Can’t tame wild dogs now, can we?” Evan shrugged and turned back around to eat the almonds Pandora just chopped up.
“James, go back to my room,” Regulus finally stepped in with an edge of panic in his voice. He glanced towards Barty and Evan who were both smirking, “Now!”
“But it seems so much more exciting out here. There was nothing to…occupy me in your room.” James’ gaze was intense on Regulus’ face when he said that, leaving no question as to what he meant by ‘occupy’.
“James-”
“Ooooo. What are you baking today Dora? It smells so good.” James cut off Regulus, addressing Pandora instead.
“Oh! An almond tart! It’s just about done. Would you like to try some?” Pandora said.
James stepped across the kitchen towards where Pandora was standing by the oven, brushing against Regulus’ shoulder on the way, sending a tingling feeling down his spine.
Regulus’ eyes tracked James' movements as he took the slice of tart that Pandora offered and brought it up to his mouth to take a bite, chewed, swallowed, Adam’s apple bobbing, then licked his lips, tongue lingering on his top lip. Something banged, making Regulus jolt. His eyes flicked up to catch James’ stare, an undeniable heat behind his eyes.
“Oops. My bad.” Barty said sheepishly, looking at the tray he’d just dropped on the floor.
Regulus flushed, turning to busy himself with tidying away some of the pots Pandora had used. The corner of James’ mouth twitched and he looked like he was about to say something but Pandora interrupted before he could.
“So? What do you think?” they asked eagerly. James smiled at her before answering.
“It’s delicious Dora, the best one you’ve made yet.”
Pandora grinned, glowing with the compliment
“Don’t tell them that. They’ll keep baking more and we’ll all have to eat it and end up with diabetes before we’re 35.” Evan grouched.
“Well, I’ll just give it all to James since you don’t seem to appreciate it.” Pandora snarked. Evan just huffed in response, turning back to his almonds.
“Oh yeah. Regulus? My boss called, she’s got a job for me so uh, I’m kinda gonna have to leave.” James spoke up.
“James, you’ve been kidnapped. You can’t just leave. That’s not how kidnapping works. You leaving sort of defeats the whole purpose of me kidnapping you.”
James pouted and started to say something but something suddenly occurred to Regulus, “Also, how the fuck did you get your phone off me?” Regulus snapped.
“Swiped it out of your pocket when you were, you know, on top of me earlier?”
“REGULUS WAS ON TOP OF YOU?!?!” Barty burst out. Regulus blushed hard, his ears burning.
“Barty shut up. James, not a word, 'cause you’re not leaving. And give me back your phone.”
“Come and take it off me, pretty boy.” James teased.
Regulus just crossed his arms and stared at him, as if challenging him to continue.
“Ok, ok. But if you let me go I will come back, and I won’t even contact Sirius. Unless…you want me to stay?”
Silence.
James sauntered a couple of steps towards Regulus and leaned down close to his ear before whispering.
“Do you want me to beg? I can beg. I’m very good at begging.”
Regulus turned his head away with much effort as he put his best blank face on. ‘play it cool’
“whatever. I’m not petty enough to put up with your antics just to get back at my brother. Just leave, James.”
“Do you want me to use the window or the door?”
Regulus raised an eyebrow at him.
“I’ll show him to the door Reggie.” Pandora chimed in.
Regulus nodded, turning to walk back to his room.
“I’ll see you around Regulus~.” James said, a promise in his voice as he followed Pandora, waving everyone on his way out.