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Regulus’ relationship with his brother had always been…strange. Some people would say it was strained, or even unhealthy, but Regulus deemed most people stupid and refused to listen to their unnecessary opinions that he had never asked for. That was especially because, despite the years of differences and mutual hatred, Regulus and Sirius were trying to find their way back to each other and build their relationship back up from nothing. And in a way, it was actually nice, even though Regulus would’ve rather chewed his own foot than admit it out loud.
However, this also meant being present in each other’s lives more than just by sending memes to one another at three in the morning. No, that wasn’t enough, because apparently relationships took effort . And that exactly the reason why Regulus found himself in a small venue, where Sirius and his band were supposed to play.
Because, of course , Sirius was in a band. The Marauders . What a stupid fucking name. (Regulus let Sirius know what he thought about the name of their band, too, because honesty was very important in the healing stages of family relationships. So were white lies, but Regulus found out about that only after Sirius had already dramatically stormed off.)
“I fucking hate this already,” mumbled Regulus, talking to Barty. He almost begged Barty to come with him – because, honestly, Regulus hated big, loud crowds, and he hated them even more when he was alone. This helped. A little bit. (Barty was also his ride there and back home because, according to some people , Regulus’ driving was a hazard to society.)
“Don’t be so fucking negative, Reggie,” replied Barty, putting one arm around Regulus’ shoulders to bring him closer. “I mean, we both know that you absolutely hate loud noises, but we also know that you want to be here for your brother.”
“I’m going to poke your eyes out, Crouch,” hissed Regulus, heaving a deep sigh. “Why did I decide to repair our relationship?”
“Because you love your brother. Now, hush, we’re going closer,” said Barty, straight up dragging Regulus to the stage. Oh, Regulus hated him so fucking much. This was a bad idea, but mama didn’t raise a quitter. (No, instead, she raised a bloke with enough trauma that Regulus had changed therapists five times in a span of three months. Therapy was going great, guys.)
Barty decided to drag them right in front of the stage, so close, actually, that Regulus could’ve reached his hand out and outright touch someone. Because Barty was psychotic like that. That little freak. God, Regulus hated it so fucking much–
When the lights in the venue turned off, and the spotlights above the stage powered up, Regulus…froze. That had to be the closest words to describe what happened to his body the moment the lights shone right at the members–friends–of Sirius’ band. And the thing was, Regulus did know them – they all attended the same high school, and it was very hard not to notice them, even though they were all a year above Regulus. None of them were very special, and Regulus barely paid them any mind.
They were all bloody annoying, and the most annoying of them all had to be James Potter. A cocky, headache inducing git with an enormous ego. (And, maybe, he was a bit attractive, and it was driving Regulus mad, because no one that annoying deserved to be hot.)
But there he was, right in front of Regulus. And, unfortunately for Regulus, James got hotter ever since they had last seen each other. It was pissing him off.
It definitely didn’t help that James looked incredibly attractive when the spotlight illuminated his features as he started singing. Oh, alright, not only did he get hotter, but had an angelic voice. That was just fucking fantastic . (Regulus’ heart was doing somersaults, but he was bravely ignoring it.)
“You’re staring at Potter,” shouted Barty, trying to drown out the music.
“Am not!” countered Regulus immediately.
“Are too!” Barty cackled, shaking his head. “Oh, you’re hopeless, Reg.”
Regulus didn’t answer – he refused to waste his breath on Barty, when a very hot bloke was standing on the stage in front of him. Even though, Regulus was angry about it. Potter shouldn’t have been that hot. It was unfair.
Soon enough, Regulus found himself bobbing his head to the rhythm of the songs, his attention purely on James, even though, he went there for his brother. But Sirius was long forgotten, and Regulus hated it. He hated James Potter. He wanted to kill James Potter. Regulus wanted to kiss James Potter.
That’d at least shut him up.
Regulus couldn’t help but scoff at some of the names of the songs because it was more than obvious that Sirius was writing some of the lyrics. Songs such as star brothers or the heart of a lion were a dead giveaway - and yet, Regulus’ heart felt strangely warm while listening to those songs. (He didn’t know if it was because of the lyrics, or because James was the one singing them. Regulus really didn’t want to get into it.)
When the concert was over, Regulus could clearly see Sirius gesturing at him to go to the backstage. With a roll of his eyes, he prompted Barty to follow him. While Regulus just wanted to just go home and bury himself in a pile of blankets, he had to actively put in some effort. Unfortunately.
“What do you want?” asked Regulus, raising one unimpressed eyebrow at Sirius. He was currently putting his electric guitar in a case, a grin was spreading across his face as he watched his brother.
“How did you like the show?” asked Sirius when he closed the case.
“It was alright,” mumbled Regulus, crossing his arms over his chest. When he noticed James, talking to the rest of his friends, he shot the older man a quick look - even after such a long show, he still looked somehow put together, and Regulus couldn’t help to let his gaze wander up and down.
Sirius followed Regulus’ gaze before immediately looking back at Regulus. “Are you checking my best mate out?” he hissed.
“Why does everyone think that?” mumbled Regulus, rolling his eyes.
“Because that is exactly what you’re doing, mate,” noted Barty with a knowing look, grinning like a madman he was. Because, of course , he had to say some shit like in front of his older brother. Why not.
“Shut your mouth before I cut your tongue out,” mumbled Regulus before looking at Sirius. “I wasn’t checking him out. I find him as infuriating as I did all those years ago. No worries. I’m not stealing your best friend.”
Despite that, Regulus couldn’t help but steal one more glance, taking in how James looked. And when he least expected it, James returned his gaze and shot him a warm smile, raising his hand to wave at him.
Regulus immediately turned away - he wasn’t in the mood to do this.
Throughout the following months, Regulus would attend every single concert - it didn’t matter how tired he was, he’d always be there. Some days, though, Barty was too busy with work, or had a date with Evan and couldn’t come with Regulus - so, he had to suffer through the whole thing alone. Now, the music wasn’t bad, not in the slightest (Regulus would never admit it, though), but it was loud , he could’ve sworn all the bass was inside his chest, making him feel uneasy. Despite that, Regulus pushed through every single time.
And, really, it wasn’t that bad. Regulus would hang out with Sirius and his friends after every single show - the boys he once knew as annoying and insufferable grew out to be…well, still annoying, but bearable.
Regulus soon found out it was rather easy to talk to Remus and Peter - they both loved chess, and Peter started to bring his chess board, so they could play after shows if they still had a bit of time. Sirius was, well, Sirius. He was annoying no matter what, but it was more pleasant to spend some time around him. Keyword being some .
And James was…that was a special case, truly. Regulus found him annoying, cocky, and overall unbearable. He was truly a headache inducing git. But he was also trying his hardest to make sure that Regulus was feeling welcomed - he’d always ask Regulus if he was alright (usually when the music was especially loud. Regulus didn’t even have to mention his dislike for loud music, and yet James noticed immediately). Overall, James would always talk to Regulus, even when he would only roll his eyes at the older boy. It was annoying. And at the same time, it was so, so sweet.
Regulus would never admit it out loud.
“You have issues,” Regulus told James. In a span of ten minutes, Regulus had insulted James about seven times, and he was still chuckling, giggling even. “I’m being mean to you. Why are you laughing?”
“You’re lovely,” admitted James, his voice quiet. They were standing away from the rest; James had already packed his things.
“Again, I’m insulting you,” repeated Regulus, frowning. “How am I lovely?”
“I don’t know, you just are,” mumbled James. He was smiling at Regulus, and his gaze was so incredibly soft. For whatever fucking reason.
“Let me repeat myself, because apparently you’re deaf, too,” huffed Regulus, narrowing his eyes, “you’ve got issues.”
“So do you, love, and you don’t see me pointing it out all the time,” mused James, looking like he was desperately trying not to laugh. When James only got a scoff in response, he pursed his lips. “Am I wrong?”
“Shut up, Potter,” mumbled Regulus, rolling his eyes. He waved his hand, as if to dismiss James completely. “You see, at least, I have some preservation skills and stay away from people, who clearly want to murder me.”
James smirked. “You want to murder me?”
“I have a pocket knife,” noted Regulus, shrugging one shoulder almost nonchalantly, “I could stab you.”
James tilted his head from side to side, seemingly deep in thought. Oh, that git was pondering over it. He was definitely insane, alright.
“I mean, it wouldn’t be a bad way to go,” said James in the end, and had the audacity to wink at Regulus, who was maybe fifteen seconds away from actually stabbing him.
“You’re so…” Regulus trailed off, scanning James up and down. Really, there were many things he could use to describe James: too annoying, too bright, too kind, too hot. He was just too much in general, and yet Regulus found himself seeking out his presence more and more. Wasn’t that just fucking dandy?
“I’m what, love?” asked James, stepping closer. Carefully, he put one hand on Regulus’ cheek, caressing it – oh, and he was smiling too, that motherfucker. James’ smile was warm and bright, and Regulus had to fight the urge to smile back. No, he couldn’t give James the satisfaction of actually smiling at him.
James was still cupping his cheek, looking at Regulus with those soft eyes, and really, Regulus wanted to melt. Because it would’ve been so easy to do exactly that – he could easily surrender to the soft touch that James was providing him with. Lean into it. Bask in it.
“You’re annoying,” said Regulus once he finally found his voice, and he scowled at James, “that’s what you are.”
James hummed, clearly amused with Regulus’ answer. “Perhaps, but you still talk to me. And you even let me touch you. So, just admit that I’m growing on you, love,” he whispered.
Regulus rolled his eyes, but didn't move away. Instead, he stared dead in James' eyes, which only resulted in James giggling like a maniac. Alright, yeah, he did have issues.
“We're all packed. Prongs, are you done?” asked Sirius, turning around at the same time as James pulled his hand away from Regulus' cheek. Now, maybe it was a bit pathetic, but Regulus was definitely enjoying the proximity, and he wanted to strangle his brother for quite literally ruining everything.
“Yeah, I'm all packed,” mumbled James, shooting Sirius a half-smile.
“We want to go to Peter’s flat,” said Sirius, looking between Regulus and James, “Gid and Fab want to come over, too.”
Regulus shook his head, “I'll pass. I've already had enough social interaction for a week. I won't be leaving my flat until your next concert,” he mumbled.
Despite Regulus' flat tone, Sirius smiled at him. Yeah, they were doing better, they were putting in the effort to actually reconnect. But, to be fair, if anyone had told Regulus he would’ve been actually happy about seeing his brother and spending time with him, he would’ve laughed in their fucking face. Perhaps, even punch them. But now, Sirius was grinning like a fool, and Regulus was watching him with appreciation.
“Well, I’ll walk you home, alright?” said James suddenly, stopping Regulus’ train of thought. “It’s pretty late.”
“I can take care of myself, Potter,” huffed Regulus, rolling his eyes. “I don’t need you to protect me. I told you, I have a pocket knife on me, and I’m not afraid to use it.”
James laughed, honest and warm, and the sound made a warm feeling bloom in Regulus’ chest. Gosh, why was he so perfect in all the fucking ways? He could at least snort when he laughed, it would’ve been easier if there was at least some kind of imperfection. But, no, of course not. He just had to be so infuriatingly perfect, huh?
“I know, but I still want to make sure you get home safely,” murmured James, smiling at him. “So, can I?”
Regulus was a weak man. So, so weak, because he found himself nodding, his mouth not cooperating in the slightest. But that seemed to satisfy James, and he called out to Sirius that he’d be taking Regulus home.
“Be a gentleman!” Sirius called after James.
Oh, Regulus wanted James to drop that gentleman persona more than anything in the world. He wanted to feel James’ hands and mouth on him, whispering all the dirty things James wanted to do.
Alright, it was official - Regulus had to get laid soon. Very soon.
The walk from the venue to Regulus’ flat wasn’t too long, about twenty minutes, and they both mostly spent it in a tense silence, stealing glances at each other the entire time. Regulus felt like his body was on fire, and he couldn’t properly breathe no matter how much he tried. Anytime, their arms would brush against each other, Regulus could’ve sworn the fire was only burning brighter.
“We’re here,” mumbled Regulus once they arrived to his apartment building. It was just a shabby looking building, much different than what Regulus was used to while growing up, but, hey, it was enough. He had a roof over his head, so that was at least something.
James only hummed, shifting his weight from one foot to the other as he dodged Regulus’ gaze. And he was…quiet. Regulus didn’t even know he was capable of that.
“What?” asked Regulus, tilting his head to the side as he examined James’ expression. The thing was, Regulus was good at observing people, he’d spend hours just sitting on his windowsill, watching people. Even back in high school, he’d sit in the courtyard and observe what was happening around him. But now…hm, if Regulus hadn’t known any better, he would’ve said that James looked almost bashful. Maybe a little nervous.
James bit the inside of his cheek as he finally looked at Regulus. “Go out with me?”
And, alright, that was not what Regulus expected. Not in the slightest. “Pardon?” he asked, just in case he heard James wrong. Realistically, he had to, right?
“I want to take you out,” said James.
“Like, with a gun, or?” mumbled Regulus, narrowing his eyes.
James let out a sound somewhere between a sigh and a laugh. “No, you prat, on a date. Would you like to go out with me on a date?”
Now, Regulus really had to think about this. People would probably sue him for it, but his first reaction was to desperately yell out ‘yes’. Now, was it because he was sexually frustrated, or because James was…well, James? The jury was still out, but it seemed to be both. James was kind, so fucking kind, and it was so different from everything that Regulus had known. When they talked for the first time, Regulus had expected that James would be angry with him on Sirius’ behalf, but instead he was so warm . So bright. And so welcoming. It made Regulus’ heart flutter.
But that was where the problem came. Sirius .
Ever since they reconnected, Sirius became this obnoxious, over-protective older brother. And while it was nice of him, it was also very annoying. Really, Regulus found most of the things in this world annoying, so it was no surprise, really.
“Sirius will kill you,” said Regulus after a moment.
James laughed. He was…laughing. Was he really just accepting his fate? “No, no. Trust me. We–we talked about it. I’ve already got the shovel talk, which mainly included Sirius threatening to cut my balls off just for having, well, some not so pure thoughts about you,” he added, rubbing the back of his neck.
Regulus snorted. “Not so pure, eh?”
James waved his hands, shaking his head frantically. “But I promise I’ll be on my best behaviour. I’ll lend you my jacket when you’re cold, and I will pull the chair for you, and open the car door, and–and–”
Now it was Regulus’ time to laugh, shaking his head in disbelief. “Oh, so you got it all planned, hm? Including my brother’s blessing.”
“I had to do a whole presentation on why I think I’m good enough for you,” added James with a lopsided smile. “I worked on it really hard. But if you say no, I’ll respect it, too. I promise. Nothing has to change between us, but I just wanted to ask.”
Regulus heaved a sigh, his lips curled up in a small smile. “My, my. What will I do with you, James?”
“You called me by my name,” whispered James, his smile impossibly wide.
Regulus only shrugged in response.
“So? What’s your answer, love?” asked James - he was clearly holding his breath, his entire body tense.
Regulus huffed out a quiet chuckle, “Sure, I’ll go out with you.”
James buried his face in his hands, letting out a scream before looking back up at Regulus. “Really? You will?”
“I just said it,” deadpanned Regulus.
“Oh, you’re so lovely. God, I want to kiss you so bad,” blurted James. Then, he cleared his throat, looking away. “That is, of course, if you do want to. If not, that’s totally fine, because I do respect your wishes. And you have every right to say no, because it’d be unfair of me to expect that you want to kiss me, simply because you agreed to go out with me, and–”
Regulus finally took pity on James – he grabbed James by his shirt, pulling him down to press their lips together. At first, it was only a small peck, but it soon turned messy, heated, and desperate, leaving them breathless in front of Regulus’ apartment building.
Once they parted, Regulus licked his lips, still tasting James on his tongue. “Do you want to come in? You know, to chat?”
“That sounds lovely,” breathed out James, and there was a smirk tugging on his lips.
Really, who would’ve thought that by reconnecting with his brother, Regulus would get himself a very hot boyfriend. Just a few months ago, he was feeling like the whole world was collapsing, but, really, sometimes the universe was kind, and sometimes it brought kind people into his life.