Make up and make out
Regulus was mentally praying for James as he got dragged out of the room by his brother, poor thing. Regulus was in a bit of a haze as the game continued his friends had send him looks but he waved them off he needed time to process first because holy fuck James potter just snogged him.
He and james kissed.
What?!
His ‘problem’ was slowly going away which was good, he bets his friends noticed but he couldn't bring himself to care, they should be glad he didn't pounce on James right then and there. It took some self control.
Regulus looked around the circle of people and his eyes met lily's. He thought she might be bothered by this all, her and james were the non official couple of the Gryffindor tower, everyone in the school thought they fancied one another. But lily's gaze was filled with nothing but a smile, a knowing one.
Regulus didn't know what to do with that.
"You still okay Reggie or do you wanna go back to the dorms and wank to the thought of James" Dorcas joked nudging him with her shoulder.
"fuck off meadows" Regulus muttered shoving her back in her place.
She had a point, regulus definitely would do just that when he gets back to the dorms later tonight.
James and sirius came back through the door both laughing with an arm thrown over one another. Regulus felt a weight lift off his shoulder, if James didn't get a scolding and is still on good terms with Sirius, it would hopefully be the same for him.
James met his eyes as he walked to his spot and sent him a soft smile and regulus found himself smiling back. He couldn't wait to get james alone to talk about it, also to kiss some more but no one had to know that part.
The game went on for a few more rounds but everyone was getting a bit bored of it after a while so they collectively decided to go back downstairs where the rest of the party was still In full swing.
It was Regulus’s plan to try and get James alone but he failed as the whole group trotted down the stairs and emerged with the crowd making him loose sight of james.
With a sigh he scanned the room and after a minute or so he found him in the corner of the room, talking with Lily both with big smiles on their faces.
Of course the first thing James would do was go to lily.
Was this all some sick joke?
Just another on of his stupid pranks?
Is that why he high-fived lily?
James caught his angry stare from across the room and arched his brow up in question, anger and jealousy flared up in Regulus, who did James think that he was.
Breaking his harsh glare he turned around and started storming out of the room. He faintly heard someone call his name behind him but he ignored them quickening his pace.
“Reggie wait! what’s wrong?” It was when he was in the corridor away from the music and loud chatting that he noticed It was Dorcas running after him.
Regulus stopped walking and waited for Dorcas to catch up before he slumped against her. “Oh honey what happened?” Dorcas asked In that sweet and caring big sister tone she has.
He just shook his head against her as she wrapped her arms tightly around him holding him for a moment.
“Regulus?”
His head shot up at someone calling for him from the other end of the corridor. He knew It was james without needing to look up, but when it was confirmed by the sight of him, regulus moved away from Dorcas and abruptly ran away from the two, he didn’t want to face James.
Back in the dorms he climbed right into bed, dressed in his pyjama’s already, and charmed his curtains closed so no one could come in and no one could hear him so he could silently cry himself to sleep.
—
James felt very uneasy at breakfast the following morning, the looks that came from a particular part of the slytherin table made him anxious.
“I swear sirius, don’t leave me alone today I think I’ll get murdured” sirius followed James’s gaze towards the green robed side of the hall.
“What happened?” He asked concerned.
“I don’t fucking know, I should’ve never kissed him, Merlin Regulus probably hates me and now I’ve kissed him and made it all so much worse”
“Prongs, If he didn’t like you, then why did he kiss you back huh? And if he really did hate you he would’ve hexed you the moment you stepped towards him, trust me the kissing isn’t the reason you’re getting death glares”
“Then what is?” James asked desperately trying to ignore the slyterins, he had hoped to see Regulus at breakfast but he wasn’t there, only his friends.
“I don’t know either” sirius sighed prodding at his eggs, probably worrying about his younger brother.
—-
Regulus ignored him for the following days. Word had spread about what happened at the party and rumours about why the two weren’t talking were starting to form.
“I mean he Is the Black heir, did you really think his parents would allow him to be a fairy”
“Maybe it was just another prank, it has always been Slytherin against Gryffindor”
“If my kid was queer I would’ve thrown em out the moment I found out, imagine that! both Black brothers disowned”
Regulus had done a good job of ignoring all the whispers but that one made him stop In his tracks and turn around to face the group of slytherin girls with a face like thunder. Go say bad things about him all you want, but you don’t say a bad word about his brother in his presence.
“What did you just say?” He dared them.
They were about to speak up but before a sound left their lips Regulus hexed them to be sealed so they couldn’t talk anymore.
“Thought so”
—
Sirius laid awake, staring at the curtains around his bed. He had tried to talk to regulus that day with no success.
“Sirius?” Came the low whisper of Remus in the bed next to him “I can tell you’re still awake”.
Sirius didn’t answer, instead he climbed out of his bed and made his way to the bed next to him peeling the curtains back to reveal Remus sitting up In bed holding the book he had been reading.
wordlessly Remus moved over a bit and lifted up his duvet. Sirius took the hint and climbed in next to him, whispering a silencing charm so they could talk without disturbing the other two, even when he was sure james was still awake as well.
Remus put his book away to give his full attention to his friend as they laid next to one another on the twin-sized bed.
“I think Reggie is scared of what people might think, people generally aren’t that accepting” he started in a low whisper.
“What makes you believe he is?” Remus asked, it was a genuine question.
“Because I am scared too”
It was silent for a little while after the comment as Remus let the words sink in.
“Sirius?”
“Yeah”
“I understand, I am scared as well”
They looked at one another, enveloped In a bubble of understanding and silent acceptance.
“I wish we could all just be, just like the others can be, why can other couples eat each others faces In the hallway while people like us don’t even dare to hold hands, too afraid to be attacked for it” Sirius’s voice was wavering a bit.
“James was very brave for kissing Regulus like that, it made me feel.. I don’t know, strong? Seen? People like to pretend we don’t exist but James showed it then and there, that we are here, James has done many brave things in the years I’ve known him, but nothing compares to that” Remus told Sirius, who wholeheartedly agreed.
“Dorcas and Marlene were holding hands today in the corridor, james told me he walked in on them making out in the stairwell the night of the party. And then there was this ravenclaw boy who asked a hufflepuff boy out to hogwarts in the corridor, its not many, but there are people starting to show themselves now that the first rumours of gay people have begun to go around the school”
“They are all so brave” Remus commented.
“I wish I was brave like that, you guys always make jokes on how I do reckless things and am not afraid of the consequences but there are so many things I don’t dare to do” Sirius whispered “the things I want to do so desperately are the things I’m the most scared to do, I am afraid of those consequences”
He looked up at Remus, hoping it was clear that he was talking about him. Remus looked back, his gaze soft as his eyes scanned sirius’s face.
Slowly Remus reached his hand out, tucking a fallen piece of sirius’s long hair behind his ear. Sirius’s breath hitched as Remus’s finger tips brushed against his cheek, His hand softly cupping his jaw and leaving it there.
“Moony?” Sirius breathed out as Remus began moving his thumb against his skin and hummed in reply. “You make me want to be brave”
Remus’s thumb stopped moving, his breath hitched like sirius’s had done. Slowly, giving remus enough time to back out, Sirius leaned in brushing his nose against Remus’s cheek before pressing a delicate kiss there.
Remus’s heart was beating fast, sirius could feel It when he pressed his hand against his chest clutching his sweater.
Remus didn’t move away, he stayed in his place but kept their eyes locked.
He placed another kiss to his cheek inching closer to his mouth. His own heart was fluttering in his chest as his lips kissed the corner of remus’s mouth.
That was the last straw for remus, he moved to chase Sirius’s lips meeting him in a deep kiss. Their body’s arched towards one another, having longed for this for years.
Their limbs Intertwined trying to get as close as possible.
When they woke up the following morning they were a mess of tangled limbs and goofy smiles.
——
James has had enough. After another night with barely any sleep he was determined to get an answer out of regulus.
He waited for him outside the potions classroom next to the supplies closet. When Regulus walked out of the classroom James summoned him to him using a spell. Before regulus could so much as make a sound he was already being pulled into the closet by his tie.
James pushed him against the wall bracing both his hands next to the slytherin’s head pinning him In place.
“What the fuck Potter!” Regulus yelped with a furious glare
“Don’t ‘Potter’ me I had my tongue down your throat” retorted with the same tone.
Regulus gaped at him before regaining his composure.
“What do you want?”
“You”
—-
Regulus stared at James, his skin feeling hot as he was pressed against the wall like this. James so close he could smell the scent of his cologne.
It took everything in Regulus to not close the distance between them.
“You” he had answered and Regulus didn’t know how to properly function after that statement. But he had to remind himself of lily.
“What about your girlfriend?” He arched his brow. To his surprise James broke out in laughter.
“Are you talking about lily right now?” He asked between chuckles. Regulus nodded.
“Reggie, love, you do realise I’m like super gay”
And.. oh.
“You mean to tell me it wasn’t one of your pranks?” He still didn’t trust It.
“It wasn’t, I promise you love, it wasn’t, want me to take a gulp of verita serum to answer your questions becausee I will… for you”
“How did you know I wouldn’t jinx you for making a move on me?” Regulus asked instead ignoring the fact that his stomach was fluttering at the nicknames and the fact that james would take truth serum for him.
“Because I saw you” James answered vaguely, his hands leaving the wall and moving to Regulus’s shoulders instead. Slowly sliding down his arms moving them to lay over his own shoulders. Regulus complied, his hands clutching the back of James’s neck as James put his ands on his hips instead, making them stand even closer.
“What are you on about?” Regulus asked and if James wanted to get an answer in, he would have to answer quickly because regulus was on the brink of folding.
"The first day back from summer, the start of this year, I was working out and you were flying, I saw you watching me, and not because you wanted to copy my workout routine" james thumbed at his hips prying his finger under Regulus's shirt to move over his skin.
"You're the whole reason I took of my shirt, I knew you were watching me, I was trying to impress you, trying to get a reaction out of you" James continued talking his face getting closer and closer until the tips of their noses touched slightly.
"Merlin, I really want to kiss you" Regulus breathed out, his voice sounded husky from how close james was.
"so do it"
that was all regulus needed to close the distance, kissing james feverishly.
They pulled each other in closer as they continued making out in the small closet.
“You don’t know how long I’ve waited to do this” James whispered as he trailed kisses down Regulus’s neck. Regulus himself had his head thrown back refraining from making too much sound as James assaulted his neck with bruising kisses, claiming him as his own.
Because Regulus is, he is his.
Has been for a while.
James just didn’t know it yet.
“You don’t know how long I’ve waited for you to do this” he joked James chuckling against his skin before moving back up.
Gently he cupped his face in both hands Making Regulus look at him. “We wasted so much time” he whispered tragically.
“So let’s not waste any more”
—
Almost everyone stared at them as they came walking Into the great hall together for dinner, their hands proudly clasped together between them as they both made their way over to the Gryffindor table.
Regulus had a slight blush on his cheeks as he took a seat next to james across from his brother who was smirking at him his eyes moving between him and james.
“Chicken or ham?” James asked Regulus as he was making them both a plate.
“Chicken please” he answered with a fond smile taking the plate from James as he finished putting food on it.
“Awh look at them moony” Sirius cooed leaning his head against Remus’s shoulder as he watched the interaction. Remus hummed and pressed a kiss to the top of his head halting in place when he realised what he did.
James’s hand stopped midway of bringing his fork to his mouth staring at his two best friends. Peter who was next to him was also frozen.
“Took yah long enough” regulus mumbled grabbing his cup and taking a sip.
His comment made everyone shoot into movement again. “Told you you’d figure him out” James winked at Remus.