The Reunion
Lily’s pov.
For the second time in two weeks, Lily and Mary are on the Eurostar that connects Paris to London. But this time, instead of being two best friends heading to Lily’s horrible sister’s wedding, they are a couple heading to their best friends’ engagement party.
As it turns out, Sirius and Remus were about to announce their engagement the next day to their entire group, right as they invited them to the engagement party. So, really Regulus didn’t ruin any sort of surprise, but only shortened the period of time during which Lily and Mary didn’t know.
The engagement party takes place at James’ parents’ house, in London, because, as Lily understood, James’ parents are also Sirius’ adoptive parents, and also, a party in London is much more practical than going all the way to Wales, especially when half the guests are coming by train or plane.
Lily is stupidly excited about the party all week leading up to it: it’s both an occasion to see her best friends, especially Marlene, whom she misses more than the others, since they used to be closer than ever back in Rowena, but also an occasion to announce hers and Mary’s relationship. And Lily cannot wait for it.
She realised that she really, really enjoys introducing Mary as her girlfriend to strangers. Even if it’s just the barista at the coffee shop or the train attendant, she likes people to know that yeah, the beautiful girl next to her is her girlfriend. It just makes her proud, in a way.
So, after a pretty long train journey and Uber once in London, they finally arrive at the Potters’ house on Saturday 12th of July around three in the afternoon. As soon as they knock at the door, they’re greeted by Sirius’ exuberant happiness and Remus’ calm joy.
They realise quickly that they aren’t the first to arrive: while Pandora and Xenophillius are on a plane over from Dublin, and Marlene and Dorcas are on a plane from Athens, both James and Regulus are there, standing far enough from each other for Lily to know that they haven’t talked yet.
As they enter the house a little further, they see that four long tables have been put in a square in the living room for the party, and that the whole floor is filled with the scent of spices. Sirius explains that Euphemia wouldn’t let them get a cater, swearing that no one would get the food quite right, and it’s why she’s cooking instead of greeting the guests.
In the living room, Fleamont Potter and Lyall Lupin are talking loudly over a game of football, rumbling when someone misses a ball, and on occasion, Fleamont calls his son over to ask a question about the players, if he’s ever met them, and if they’re nice. Lily thinks it’s sweet; it’s clear that Fleamont is proud to have a football player as his son.
The afternoon passes in a flash, everyone catching up little by little, while also not saying too much as to keep some conversation for the dinner, when everyone will get there. At some point, Lily gets to meet both Euphemia Potter and Hope Lupin, and she understands quite quickly from where James gets his warmth, and from who Remus inherits his wit.
It’s nine at night when they finally sit at the table with all of the guests. Marlene and Dorcas arrived around six, after a delayed flight, and Pandora and Xeno got to London around six thirty as well, because there was too many people at the shelter for them to leave early.
In all, around the table, there are all ten of them from the experience, plus Sirius and Remus’ parents. A beautiful table indeed.
Lily and Mary are seated together, but right next to Marlene, and spend most of the entry catching up with her. She and Dorcas have joined the Greek firefighters, and they spent most of spring fighting the flames starting up in the driest of regions. Them leaving for three days in the middle of July was a little tricky, but since neither of them had taken any vacation for eight months, they were allowed to go. Lily feels undeniably proud of her best friend.
For the main dish, they eat Euphemia’s signature curry, which proves to be better than most things Lily has ever tasted, and at some point, the conversation drifts from Pandora and Xeno’s shelter to her and Mary, thanks to Regulus.
“By the way, you two.” Sirius starts, smirking at them over his glass, “A little birdy tells me you’ve got something to tell us.”
Lily frowns, then catches Regulus’ gaze, who is smirking at her mischievously next to Pandora and Dorcas, and she sighs, “You little shit.” She shakes her head at him, and he just grins.
“Wait, who?” Marlene asks, then looks at them both, “What is he talking about?” she frowns in incomprehension.
Mary looks at Marlene, then at Lily, and sighs, “I-well, Lily and I…” she starts, and Lily sees James choke on his food as his eyes widen in realisation.
“No way!” James exclaims before turning into a coughing fit as his food goes down the wrong way, “I fucking called it!” he continues despite being actively dying. Next to him, Euphemia sighs and taps on his back.
“What did he call?” Marlene asks again, and is supported by Sirius.
“Yeah, we have no idea what’s going on.” He says, looking at them in question.
“Mary and I are dating. We’re in a relationship.” Lily announces with a grin, and next to her Mary throws her arms in the air like a cheerleader.
“Yay?” she grins, and immediately chaos breaks around the table.
“What!?” Sirius shouts out.
“I KNEW IT!” James cries again, as if people didn’t understand before.
“That’s amazing!” Remus smiles across the table.
“Excuse me!?” Marlene yells louder than anyone, and it’s the remark that gains Lily and Mary’s attention.
“What?” Lily asks Marlene, whose eyes are wide and jaw dropped. She doesn’t exactly look thrilled, is the thing.
“Are you telling me that I wasn’t the only gay one back in school?” she asks loudly, “Damn, we could’ve started a club!” Marlene exclaims, and the whole table bursts into laughter.
“You git! I thought you weren’t supporting us!” Mary chuckles, swatting Marlene on the arm, “I was legit about to cry.”
Marlene rolls her eyes, “You always cry anyway.”
“We proved that in Iceland, actually.” Remus points out, “Crybaby right there.”
Mary scoffs, “You’re one to talk, you’re marrying one.”
“How does it feel James, to have your only ex-girlfriend to end up liking girls?” Dorcas smirks at him, and he only shrugs.
“Kind of alright when you like boys yourself.”
“They should hire you two at conversion camps.” Xeno snorts, making all of them laugh.
“Wait, are you the only single one, now James?” Marlene asks, and Lily’s eyes widen in fear. She looks across the table at Regulus, who also looks in alarm.
Euphemia chuckles, “He’s a handful. No wonder no one can put up with him.”
“We should find him someone.” Sirius nods at her, “Little Prongs is just too adorable to be alone!” he coos after James, pinching his cheek, until James chuckles. It doesn’t quite reach his eyes, Lily notices, and she feels for him. Hopefully, Regulus will make things right soon.
“No, thank you.” James grins boyishly, “Just alright on my own, really.”
“French people aren’t pretty enough for you, are they?” Dorcas grins at him, and James chuckles. His eyes flit to Regulus for a second before settling back on his drink.
“Nah, they’re lovely, actually.” He smiles, then looks back at Lily and Mary with a new wave of excitement, “The city of love. No wonder you too finally got together.” He grins, and the interest quickly switches back to Lily and Mary’s new relationship.
“How did it happen, then?” Remus asks.
Lily grins at Mary and lets her tell the tale, “So, at first, it was just for pretend.” She grins, and immediately, the avid readers of the table groan.
“Not the fake dating trope.” Marlene chuckles.
“You know exactly how it ends!” Remus laughs, “It always ends the same way.”
“I agree.” Hope chuckles, “Fake dating always ends up in real dating.”
“Well, it wasn’t exactly planned!” Lily defends with a grin, “It was…a temporary fixture to an issue.” She reformulates, making them chuckle again.
“Just helping out a friend!” Mary explains, “Because my boss was being a little pushy, and there was Lily’s sister’s wedding, and we both needed partners.”
“Wait, Petunia got married?” Remus inquires, always picking up on the least important part of the conversation.
“Yeah, was horrible.” Lily rolls her eyes, “The guy’s a dick, most of the guests were fascists, and she yelled at me in front of everyone.”
Mary giggles, “We ended up making out in some broom closet out of spite.”
“And we’ve kind of been going out since then.” Lily smiles, “So, two weeks.”
“And we know it doesn’t seem like much, but we know it’s forever anyway.” She shrugs.
“Aw, that’s sweet!” Sirius smiles at them.
“So happy for you two.” Pandora beams gently.
“I completely agree with the making out out of spite.” Dorcas nods seriously, and Regulus joins her.
“I can’t believe it!” Marlene grins, “My two best friends!” she exclaims and squeezes Mary’s hand in excitement.
“To love!” Euphemia raises her glass, and quickly everyone around the table raises their glasses too, toasting to love.
___________________________________
James’ pov.
Dessert was a chocolate cake, Remus’ choice, of course, which they spent listening to Sirius recount the day they got engaged, with the occasional pipe from Remus to correct him or add precisions. They talk together with such an ease, finishing each other’s phrases and making puns together without any rehearsal. It makes James think that they couldn’t have found anyone better for them. He knows without a doubt that they’ll live a happy marriage.
He steps outside to have a smoke once liquor is getting brought out. It’s some of his father’s mead, foul stuff that gives James horrible headaches.
He knew that being in the same room as Regulus again was going to hurt, but he didn’t think he knew how much. Turns out, it hurts a lot. Too much. James should have never been in this situation.
When he sought out Regulus in the dancing room, he didn’t think it would ever lead this far. He thought that he could just have some fun with him, progressively gain his trust, until he told him that he loved him.
Of course, when they’d kissed, nothing could’ve made James pull back. He’d been wanting this for almost a whole year. There was no way he was letting it go, not for anything in the world.
Then, they took it to Regulus’ flat, and again, James thought he’d found heaven. He thought that all the answers the world could give him were there, on Regulus’ skin, waiting to be touched, kissed and loved.
He thought that once they’d gotten the obvious sexual tension and lust out of the way, they could talk. Really talk. Without any feigned hatred, and without any pretence of nonchalance. No, James had thought that this was the end. The end of his unrequited passion and the start of something beautiful.
When Regulus demanded of him to leave in the morning, James realised that the light at the end of the tunnel were actually headlights. That he was about to get run over.
And that he was. And a few hours later, when he went to text Regulus and saw that his texts weren’t getting sent, a proof that Regulus had blocked his number, the car ran over his heart, over and over again. Until there was nothing but hurt.
He just doesn’t understand. If Regulus didn’t want anything to do with him, then why did he take him back to his place? Why was he so gentle with him at the piano? Why did he dance away with James in the streets of Paris like nothing in the world mattered?
Did he play with James’ heart for the sake of it?
James feels like he was allowed a touch of heaven, if only for a few hours at Regulus’ house, but then was locked out and the key was thrown away. Never to be touched again.
He finishes his cigarette and takes another. Chain smoking is really bad, especially for someone who considers themselves an athlete, but he can’t find it in himself to care. It’s either smoking or crying, and he can’t do that at his best friend’s engagement party.
He walks to the back of his garden, where he knows an old well is still standing. No one uses it anymore, and the water at the bottom has probably stilled, but the well in itself is pretty: it’s in cobblestone, and there’s ivy running over it. When James was a stupid twelve years old, he used to throw junk down the well. Now, at nineteen years old, he wishes he could make his emotions go away by throwing things again.
But well. It wasn’t enough at twelve, and it probably won’t be enough at nineteen.
When James checks the time, it’s about ten past one in the morning, and he hears the window leading outside close behind him in the distance. There’s a good chance it’s either Sirius or his mum, so James doesn’t turn around, simply keeps staring at the bottom of the well, leaning against it the stone. He hopes he doesn’t look too sad. He wouldn’t want to worry them.
When the footsteps get closer, James does turn to look, and he sees that it’s neither Sirius nor his mum, but the source of his melancholy.
“I was looking for you.” Regulus says as he gets to James’ level. It’s good to know that for once, it’s Regulus seeking James out and not the other way around. “Is that functional?” he asks, pointing at the well, and James raises an eyebrow.
“You’re asking me about a well right now?” he asks, and Regulus’ eyes cast downwards. He bites his lips and nods, scuffing his shoe against the floor.
“Right. I’m sorry. I didn’t know how pissed off you’d be.” Regulus says, and James almost scoffs. About as pissed as anyone in his situation is, he thinks, but he doesn’t say. He isn’t pissed off, is the worse; he’s just hurt. It’s like when a teachers tells you that they’re not mad, but disappointed. James feels the same.
“I’m not pissed.” James says calmly, “Just…hurt. And sad, I guess.” She shrugs, looking back to the bottom of the well. Down there should be his childhood diary someone had found and read in front of everyone in primary school. James was so angry and hurt when he came home that he just threw it at the bottom of the well, wishing never to see it again. Years later, anytime James went to throw something down there, he saw the brown cover of the diary floating in the water.
Regulus stares at him, until he takes a step towards James. They’re more than a few feet away and yet James feels like he’s both too far and too close. Too far because James always wants him close, and too close because a single touch can hurt James beyond repair.
“You want to know why I said I hated you?” Regulus asks, and James’ eyes snap up to him. He nods slightly, and Regulus continues, “It was because you made me feel.” He declares solemnly, staring at James with determination in his eyes, “Because all I ever knew how to feel was hurt and pain and just, all the atrocities that come with that house, but when I met you, I felt something else. I didn’t know what it was, but it was hope.”
“You were there to make my brother feel human, and not like their martyr, you were there to smile at me in the hallways, even when no one else would. You were there when Sirius used to prank me in school, and you were the one who apologised afterwards. You made me feel seen. You made me feel so much, James, and I wasn’t used to feeling good things.” He explains, “And I decided that it was easier to hate what I didn’t know rather than embrace it.”
“And then, when I saw you again during the Experience trip, I knew you made me feel more than just hope. You made me feel love.” Regulus confesses, still staring at James with a smile. James, who is completely speechless, and cannot find it in himself to understand.
“So I stayed away. I made Sirius and Remus promise to keep you far, and I drew up barriers to keep you away. Because you were everything I wanted, and everything I shouldn’t get. Like Eve’s apple, you know?” he asks, but doesn’t wait for James to answer.
“And then, well you moved to Paris. And while I didn’t even try to move on, because it was already impossible, it just made it so much harder. Especially since you decided to have some newfound interest in me, for some reason.” He shrugs, and it gets too much for James.
“I, wait, Regulus. I don’t get it.” James stares at Regulus with hard eyes, “If all you’re saying actually happened, then why are you pushing me away? Why did you ask me to leave?” he asks and he hears the hurt in his voice. He can’t find it in himself to care.
“Because I got scared.” He shrugs, “I’ve been wanting to be with you forever, but I also don’t trust easily. So when I went to sleep that night, I just thought that I couldn’t wake up in your arms. I couldn’t, not if I could only do it once and never again.” He explains, and James hates that it makes sense, “It was like getting a taste of the forbidden fruit. I didn’t want to have it, because I knew I wouldn’t be able to leave afterwards. And I thought you’d obviously want it to never happen again after that.”
James stares at him, and hates even more that Regulus’ face is more open than James has ever seen it. He’s telling the truth, and there is no doubt about it.
“Did you change your mind, then?” James asks, and Regulus nods.
“I did. I’m still scared, and half of me doesn’t believe you really want this, but I do. I don’t want to deny ourselves of something that could be so great.”
When the words leave Regulus’ mouth, James feels all the pression and hurt leave him. Regulus wants this. He wants it. He wants to actually be together. And he’s the one confessing.
James doesn’t think any further, only takes two short strides and kisses Regulus with the force of a man in love. He’s waited a very long time already. And he almost thought he’d never get to kiss Regulus again in this lifetime.
Beautifully, Regulus kisses him back, pulling his face gently towards him, and James smiles. Regulus wants him. Regulus loves him. Regulus is kissing him.
“I love you.” James breathes out as they pull back, and Regulus rests their foreheads together.
“I love you too.” He says, “Please don’t make me regret it.”
James smiles at him and kisses him again, “I wouldn’t dream of it.” He says, and thinks that this is it. Finally.
___________________________________
Later that night, under the stars, James and Regulus talk. It's mostly useless jabber, talking about everything and nothing, but it's everything. It's all James every wanted.
Gone is the semblance of hatred, or Regulus' reservedness. It's just them, and they allow themselves to just be. James and Regulus. Nothing else.
Around three in the morning, when James sees that inside the house, the lights have travelled from the living room to the upstairs guestrooms, they walk back inside. The whole first floor is void of anyone, and James and Regulus are able to sneak up to James' room together without anyone realising.
Because in their talking, they agreed to one thing: keeping their relationship a secret for now. James agrees: neither of them need the additional pressure of their friends knowing. Of Sirius knowing.
Now James has no idea how the idiot would take it. In his quest to get Regulus to stop hating him, he somehow didn’t take the time to think about his best friend. Really, James thinks that the universe would be really cruel to put yet another obstacle in their way.
But well, they don’t have to worry about that for now. In front of people, they'll be friendly, and alone, well. It's another affair.
That night, they fall asleep together, sharing one pillow and Regulus doesn’t ask him to leave. No, that night, they cuddle and truly sleep, finding comfort in the other's scent and presence. James had forgotten how it felt to sleep holding someone, and he thinks that he would hate to ever sleep alone again.
Around seven in the morning, James wakes up with his nose buried in Regulus, dark curls. He smiles to himself, and as much as he would love to stay there with him, he promised his mum he'd take care of breakfast in the morning. So, after pressing a kiss in Regulus' hair, he slips out of bed silently. He's halfway out the door when he hears a sleepy voice coming from the bed.
"Where do you think you're going?" Regulus asks with a graver voice than usual, and it makes James smile. He'd never seen Regulus this early in the morning before.
He turns around and finds Regulus sitting up in bed, staring at James with a snarl. It'd be intimidating if James hadn't spent years receiving that snarl anytime he talked to him.
"I'm going to make breakfast. Didn’t want to wake you." he explains, and Regulus slips out from bed slowly, stretching his limbs as he sits on the edge. James stares, because he always is, and watches as Regulus' snarl turns into a small smile.
"Wait five minutes. I'll come with you." he says, and so, James waits. Ten minutes later, because Regulus is a liar who takes more than five minutes to wake up properly, they are both downstairs in the kitchen, getting everything they need for pancake batter.
"Do you even know how to cook?" James asks with a grin, and he sees Regulus smirk.
"I can show you my talents, but I'd rather to keep you alive for now." he explains, and James laughs.
"Being a horrible cook is in the Black genes, i see." he grins, and Regulus cocks his head.
"Sirius is worse than me." he argues, "You know he set the kitchen on fire once?" he asks, and James chuckles as he cracks the eggs into a bowl.
"Oh yeah, he was so proud of that one." James grins, "I'm curious though." he starts, eyeing Regulus from the corner of his eye, "Sirius always says you were the sensible one, and that you never cause any trouble. I find it hard to believe."
Regulus arches a brow, "Because I'm such a prankster?" he drawls, making James laugh.
"Because you're the meanest person I know." he corrects him, and Regulus smirks.
"I suppose I did a little more than what Sirius knows about." he disclaims with a proud smirk, "I did sent them both to prison, didn't I?"
James grins, "I knew there was more!" he chuckles, "Tell me, tell me, tell me, I want to know!" he exclaims, making Regulus chuckle.
"I didn’t really do anything when we were kids, but it was after Sirius left." he explains, "The house was just too... quiet. And they were so fucking smug about it too, you know. Their nuisance was gone." he rolls his eyes, "So I decided to create some nuisance. I hid some speakers all around the house, and I coded an algorithm to make them sound with screaming goats anytime someone walked past them." he grins, and James stares at him, speechless.
"I can't believe you did that." James chuckles, "That's some marauder level pranking."
Regulus rolls his eyes, "I always hated that stupid nickname." he says, but James ignores him.
"How long did it take for them to realise it?" James asks as he whisks the batter with the milk, making it more liquid.
"Two months." Regulus grins, "They were going insane, and they hired an electrician to help." he chuckles, "They thought it happened every time someone switched the lights."
"Wow. Forgot how fucking stupid they were." James rolls his eyes, and Regulus bites his lip.
"I did something a little worse, too." he starts, biting his lip.
James stares at him warily. From his behaviour, he knows it is much, much worse. "What did you do?" he asks, and Regulus has the decency to look guilty.
"It was last December. I... I kind of lost the plot, at some point. Was just... so mad. I couldn't move on from what had happened to me, and i just wanted to be free from it."
James nods. For now, it sounds logical. A good justification, really. "So I took a train and went back to Grimmauld." he declares, "With a tank of gasoline and a match." he adds, and James' jaw drops.
Sirius had told him, back in December, that 12 Grimmauld Place had burned to the ground. A gas leak, apparently. They'd celebrated, of course, but James had never questioned it any further.
"I... It was you?!" James exclaims, "They told us it was a gas leak."
Regulus rolls his eyes with a grin, "As if I don’t know how to bury the proofs." he says, and James keeps shaking his head.
"Who knows? Apart from you and me?" he asks, and Regulus shrugs.
"I told Barty and Evan. Needed someone to drive the getaway car." he says, and James feels his eyes go much rounder.
"Fuck." James swears, once he's processed the information, "I can't believe my boyfriend is an arsonist."
"Shh." Regulus puts a finger over James' lips, "You can't breathe a word of it to anyone."
James nods, "Of course, never." he says, then chuckles, "You're sure you don't want Sirius to know? He'd treat you like a hero."
"He already does." Regulus rolls his eyes, "The dude's obsessed with me." he declares, making James laugh.
As they talked, James finished the pancake batter, and is now moving to cook them. He takes a pan and pours the batter with a ladle, flipping the pancake with ease after so many Sundays spent making pancakes.
"I still can't believe it." James shakes his head, "I knew you were a little... scary, but not a criminal."
Regulus arches a brow at him, "Rethinking things, are we?" he asks, "I guess the 'I love you no matter what' business was just bullshit, was it?" he smirks at James, who blushes.
"I'm not rethinking things. Just thinking that you're much hotter than I thought you were." he grins, "Arson is one sexy crime. Now, if you'd been a murderer or a robber, it would have been a little worse, but arson? It's cool." James shrugs, and Regulus laughs.
"I agree, arson is kind of cool." he nods at James, "The hottest crime is murder though. Imagine killing someone for love? Now that's a declaration." he states, and James grins.
"Well yeah, seeing it like that." he agrees, then looks over at Regulus with his charming, goofy grin, "I'd kill for you, Regulus Black." he declares, and Regulus chuckles.
"And I'd set the world on fire for you." he tells James, and braces his hands on James' shoulders to kiss him. With the frying pan in hand, James kisses Regulus back, while simultaneously flipping the pancake with a flick of his wrist.
He pulls back from Regulus to settle the pan back on the baking tray and kisses him again a little more deeply. He hasn't got the chance to kiss him today, and in the morning, he looks just so, so kissable. And if this one pancake is a little burnt, then so be it.
Of course, James doesn't get to have one peaceful morning with his boyfriend, cooking pancakes in his family home's kitchen.
Because right as James lowers his hands that were on Regulus' back down to his arse, he hears someone gasp in the distance.
James and Regulus almost jump to separate, and James presses his eyelids together. Let it be his mum. Or anyone else. Anyone but Sirius.
"WHAT ARE YOU DOING TO MY BROTHER?" Sirius bellows from the entryway, with a dreary Remus in tow, staring at the scene with a surprised face.
So much for keeping it a secret.
"I-Sirius-" James starts, but Sirius doesn't get it. Almost breaking out in a run, he enters the kitchen and pushes James against the wall forcefully, almost hurting him.
"That's my baby brother!" Sirius shouts in James' face, and grabs a stray newspaper that was on the kitchen table to hit James on the head with it. Of course, it makes James burst out laughing, which proves to be a bad idea.
"You're laughing?" Sirius shouts as he runs after James, who managed to break from his hold, "You're fucking my brother, and you're laughing?!"
"Sorry, it's just really funny!" James continues to laugh, dodging Sirius' rolled-up newspaper attacks like a pro. They fight travels to the living room, where James jumps over the sofa to take cover. At the door, Remus and Regulus are watching the scene with amused grins, and when James squats behind the sofa to hide, he gets hit in the head with the TV remote.
"Stop laughing and explain yourself!" Sirius shouts, and James finds that he isn't laughing. Sure, he doesn't look mad or truly angry, but something more like hurt and disbelief. Like unsureness.
It makes James stop laughing too. He looks at Sirius with a smile, and back at Regulus, who arches an eyebrow at his brother.
"You know I’m in on this too, right?" he asks, looking at his brother judgingly, "He isn't some big villain or something."
Sirius stares at him like he's got three heads, then starts stammering, "Y-you're defending him?!" he asks with round eyes, "I've really seen it all." he shakes his head in disbelief, until he seems to remember the origin of it all.
"But wait, what is this?!" he asks again, his eyes flitting from Regulus and James, "I swear to God if you're just using my baby brother, I’m going to rip your balls off, James." Sirius warns with a truly deranged voice, and James shakes his head.
"I'm not using him!" James swears loudly, but Regulus starts speaking over him.
"I'm not a baby, Sirius" he tells him with a judging voice, "I'm a far better judge of character than you." he declares, and Sirius gapes at him.
"You're a minor! You're a little baby!" he exclaims, "You can't know his true intentions!" he continues, and James knows that he's just fighting for the sake of it. There's no true argument behind his words, and it makes James smile.
"I literally turn eighteen next week." Regulus deadpans, and Remus snorts.
"C'mon Pads, d'you really think James would've waited this long if he just wanted sex?" he says. Both James and Regulus snap their heads towards him, silently begging him to shut the fuck up, and Remus only realises when it's too late. He chuckles and looks down, “Wasn’t supposed to say that." he mumbles, and Sirius loses his mind again.
"YOU KNEW?!" he asks, gaping at his fiancé, "You lied to me?!" he asks, and Remus winces.
"James asked me to. He's the one fucking your brother, not me." he points his finger towards James, immediately getting himself out of trouble.
James snorts, "Gee thanks, mate."
Sirius shakes his head between all three of them, at a loss for words.
"You're fucking my brother?" Sirius asks more calmly after a moment, looking directly at James. His stare is open, asking him for the truth, and James obliges.
"I-it only happened once." he says, and Regulus snorts in the distance, making him crack a smile, "Okay, one night."
"But Remus said-" He starts, and Regulus fills the gaps for him.
"He's been obsessed with me forever." he starts.
"A year." James corrects.
"We both know it's been longer." Regulus rolls his eyes and James gasps.
"You're one to talk! He accuses and Regulus shushes him.
"No one cares about that." he shrugs off, and weirdly, no one corrects him. “He’s been obsessed forever, and, well, a lot has happened." he summarizes, and James is glad. He doesn't need his friends to know about everything that happened before, "We just figured things out yesterday. This is very, very new." he disclaims, and James nods.
"So really, we haven’t hidden it from you. Just, you know, needed some time."
"Still didn't ask for my approval." Sirius grumbles, and Regulus rolls his eyes.
"Come on, what is this? I can't date someone unless you approve?" Regulus asks, narrowing his eyes at Sirius in distaste, "You haven't asked me when you started dating Lupin." he points out, and Sirius shakes his head.
"It's not the same. Remus isn't your best friend, and I’m not your little brother." Sirius tells him with a sad face, "I just, you hate him? You asked us to keep you away from him last year?" Sirius reminds him, and Regulus blushes.
"I-well, hate and love, it's not so different, is it?" he asks, "And James loves it when I’m mean." he grins, and a voice comes from the stairs, starling them.
"He really does!" Lily grins at them, "He loved it too when we were going out." she says, and all four of them turn around at once towards the staircase, where Lily, Mary, Marlene, Dorcas and Pandora are stacked.
"I-were you just listening on us?" James accuses, and all of them nod with matching grins.
"Absolutely." Marlene grins.
"Wouldn't miss it." Dorcas agrees.
"We wouldn't have if you weren't screaming so loud." Mary nods at them, and horrifyingly, James' mother's voice agrees with her.
"Yes, it was a rather unusual waking alarm."
"Come on, we weren't that loud." James argues, and Marlene points at Sirius.
"He was. Bloody acting like he's Reg's father, too." she rolls her eyes.
"I woke up because I smelt like something was burning." Pandora specifies, and James' eyes snap to the kitchen. Fuck.
"The pancakes!" James shouts, and quickly, everyone tumbles down the stairs, out of the living room and onto the kitchen, which is slowly getting filled with smoke.
On the frying pan is the pancake James was making when he started kissing Regulus. Now, it isn't so much as pancake as it is a burnt crisp. He grabs a tea towel lying around and covers the pan with it, just as he learned before, and turns the burners off without burning his fingers off. When the sizzle of burning subsides a little, James realises that everyone in the house: his friends, his parents and the Lupins are at the door of the kitchen, watching him struggle with mocking smiles on their faces.
"Thanks for the help, guys." he nods at them and looks back at the plate with three finished pancakes, the pan that's good to go to waste and the full bowl of uncooked batter, "Who wants breakfast?" he asks with a grin.
In the end, no one wants his pancakes. James feels betrayed until he tastes one of the few he managed to do before getting, well, distracted, and realises that it's just as well. He swapped the sugar and the salt.
He throws the whole batter in the bin and serves his guests some already made cereal. So much for promising his mum he'd do breakfast.
As they sit around the same table as the night before, everyone is laughing. They're mocking him and Regulus, teasing Mary and Lily, and making bets on Sirius and Remus' wedding.
"How is it that there's always a fire when we're around?" Marlene asks Dorcas, who shrugs.
"It must feel we're firefighters. Got to keep us on our toes."
James leans in and whispers in Regulus' ear, "How come there's always a fire when you're around?" he asks, and Regulus swats at him.
"Shut up." he bids, but still with a grin.
An hour later, as he cleans out the table, Sirius joins him in the kitchen. They put their glasses in the dishwasher tranquilly, until James looks at him.
"Are we okay?" he asks, "I probably should have told you about Reg before it's just... I didn't really want anything to jinx it." he winces, because his excuse is shit, but Sirius nods.
"I didn't tell you about Remus right away either." he tells him, "It's just... with Moony, you and Reggie are my favourite people ever." he explains, "If you two don’t work out, I wouldn't be able to pick a side. And I would hate to see either of you get hurt."
James nods, "I'll do my best to never hurt him then." he smiles, "I'm really serious about this, you know?" he asks, and of course...
"But I'm Sirius?" he says, and James shakes his head with a grin.
"He's back." he announces, pushing Sirius' shoulder. In a very bromantic way, Sirius brings him in a hug over the dishwasher and whispers in his ear.
"I'm happy for you two."
James smiles. He's happy too.
"Congrats on your engagement." he tells him back.
Later that day, when James boards the train with Regulus, leaving behind his childhood home, his best friends in the world and his family, he smiles. He smiles because when the train will stop again in a few hours, we'll be back at his new home. In Paris. To his new, perfect dream job, to Lily and Mary, with whom he and Regulus have been coerced into having double dates with, and all of it with his boyfriend by his side. He realises, as he watches the streets of London pass him by and onto the countryside, that he couldn't be happier. He has everything. And yet...
"Will you finally help me find a flat?" he asks Regulus, who has an open book on his lap, but is watching out the window too. His gaze turns slowly to face James, and the July sun catches onto his eyes, making the forest green somewhat vibrant.
"I don't think I will, actually." Regulus answers solemnly.
James stares at him in confusion, until Regulus breaks out in a smile, "I'd rather you just move in with me." he asks James, who grins back at him.
He's happy. He has it all.