Chapter 10
James was never a believer.
He was always first to roll his eyes at stories as a child, point out their inaccuracies and impossibilities. He never liked folklore about fairies and dragons. But here he was, bathed in sunlight, lying in a field, his hand intertwined with just that.
Regulus’ skin practically glowed under the sun, his dark lashes fanned his blushed cheeks, full of blood from his deer meal he had eaten an hour earlier whilst James slept.
He had came back, his eyes wild and his hair messy, trying to hide it, but James couldn’t ignore it, instead he helped him clean up. He scrubbed the blood from his collar and listened to him explain his strength.
”Stronger than me?” James muses, if it was a comparison on biceps he’s certainly beat him.
”Much stronger.”
And of course being as cocky as he is, he wasn’t letting that go. He arm wrestled him 12 times, each time James’ fist slamming to the table immediately. He let that go pretty quickly.
He was impossibly fast, James watched in awe as Regulus whooshed past him, not hiding anything anymore. He said he could run miles in seconds, he could cross the country in a few hours. And James thought that was the coolest thing he had ever heard.
They were in the forest, lying and watching the birds in the tree’s, Regulus under his arm, his eyes closed.
And it felt like everything might just be okay.
Everything made sense, yet it all didn’t at the same time.
All he knew was he felt alive and he was going to spend as much time as possible enjoying this time with him.
Of course he still had endless questions.
”What were the 70s like?”
Regulus grins, peeking open an eye. “Loud.”
”Come on, tell me.”
”They were… wide, everything was brighter, england was entering a time of acceptance. I learnt about bisexuality and Bowie. Me and Sirius were happiest in the 70s, everyone was as strange as us.”
It was impossibly cool. But also made him feel a little young.
”So how old are you… fully?”
Regulus groans, “23!”
”No… actually.”
“184… give or take.”
James laughs in disbelief, sitting up and looking down at him. “You are so old!”
He flashes his fangs at him, scowling, it was scarily attractive as it was terrifying. “I’ll eat you.”
”Start at my hips, I hold a lot of my meat-“
”James!” He gasps, swatting him away as he laughs.
It was the first time they’d spoken regularly, albeit they weren’t talking about anything normal, but James didn’t mind one bit. He was happy.
They lay there all afternoon, Regulus swishing in and out when James would need a drink or food, appearing in seconds with a glass for him and a smile. It was miraculous.
In the evening Regulus and him received a knock on the door, James was a little spooked, given their current situation was still being tracked by a group of vampires.
But it was the post man.
A letter to Regulus.
James read it as he perched on his lap.
Dearest Regulus and his human,
I’m pleased to inform you that the vampires found me in New York. They beat me black and blue and stole my motorbike. I was about to be killed when a human saw me and shouted they’d call the police (ridiculous I know) Anyway. That little distraction was enough that I managed to escape again!
I’m going to swim the ocean, and hopefully that’ll mask my scent enough to make it back to England without dying.
I think we should meet up, strength in numbers and such.
If the human doesn’t know about us yet, can we say we are in the mafia? I think that would be cool.
If not, hello human, sorry for the trouble.
Meet me in Surrey, the old farm that belonged to Uncle Alphard.
Much love,
Sirius Black
Ps. Does the human have any sexy friends?
Pss. Does he know about me?
Psss. Do people still say ps?
See you soon!
Regulus rolls his eyes, crumpling up the paper and tossing it into the fire. “Idiot.”
He was not like Regulus it seemed, he was very brash and a little too happy to state he was almost caught and killed.
“Well, shall we pack?”
Regulus huffs. “You don’t know unbearable Sirius is, regardless of all of this trouble. He is just painfully annoying.”
James shrugs. “It’d be nice meet your brother.”
“Even though he’s the reason we’re in this mess?”
”This mess has changed my life. I wouldn’t change a thing.” He replies honestly, kissing his neck softly.
He stands up, brushing himself down with a sigh and firm nod. “Alright, to Surrey we shall go. I’ll pack.”
”Okay-“
He’s gone 5 seconds before he’s stood with their bags full, the sound of the wardrobe from the other room closing with a bang.
“That’s insane.” James laughs.
“Let’s go, can you drive?”
”I can.”
Regulus smiles, “You drive.”
When he said he could drive, he meant technically. Yes he could drive. Not well. Not even kind of well. He was a shit driver, dad always told him so.
But Regulus insisted so he did, and plus apparently he was pretty indestructible so if they crashed James didn’t have to worry about that.
He was effortlessly cool, his hair blowing in the wind, a pair of sunglasses on, his feet on the dashboard, humming away.
It was delightful to look at. Except when he’d look for too long and swerve into a different lane or a bush.
The drive was long, 9 hours of bad radio music, they swapped over at 2am, with James yawning, Regulus hoped over and shoved James to sleep in the back.
He woke up when they were passing into Surrey, yawning as the rain came down onto the window. The summer sun gone.
“Morning, we’re just about in surrey.”
James yawns, stretching his stiff neck and climbing clumsily into the passenger seat beside him, looking at the big posh houses lining the roads.
”Can I ask another question?”
”Yes.”
”Are you rich?”
Regulus smirks, taking off his sunglasses, a small curl falling before his eye. “Terribly.”
It was kind if obvious. He wore nice t-shirts. He had nice shoes. He always looked posh.
”How rich on a scale of me to Rothschild?”
”They were dear friends of mine.”
”Fuck off!” James gasps.
”I’m kidding. But yeah, I have a lot… like… enough for… well eternity.”
James blows a whistle, leaning back in his seat, trying to imagine a number so big. He hasn’t seen more than 4 numbers in his own account.
”Can I have a million?”
“Sure.” He says casually.
”I was kidding, but now I might just ask because that’s insane.”
The area was full of huge houses, country houses, farms and estates. James watched out the window like a child, wondering what the lives of those inside were like. If they knew of vampires. Witches.
”Oh my god, do dragons exist?”
“No, I’m sorry.” Regulus muses, rubbing his thigh as they pull into a long field, a far away house barely visible from the drive.
He was pretty disappointed with the knowledge, he’d really like a dragon.
The house was big, not the biggest, but it was drenched in ivy, like his own home, only far nicer and much more pleasant on the eye.
”Whose is this place?”
“My uncle Alphards, Sirius is already here.”
”How do you know?”
Regulus gestures his head to the door, James stares at the taller man, a cigarette between his lips, a bottle of whiskey in his hand, waving madly as they get closer.
He was startlingly surprised at how confident he was, how he pulled James into his arms and squeezed him tightly as if old friends.
”Wow you’re so gorgeous!” He told him, holding his face in his cold hands.
”Thank you… erm, so are you.” James says truthfully.
Regulus rolls his eyes, pulling James away from him, Sirius’ eyes are more blue, less grey than Regulus, he has a goatee and piercing in his eyebrow.
He looked very modern, only he too had those regal features, the straight nose, the perfect brows and full lips. He was attractive. But completely differently to the way Regulus was.
”Did you bring a friend?” Sirius asks, smiling widely, looking into the car.
”He has none, move please, we’re tired.”
James gives him an apologetic smile as Regulus pulls him inside, through the long hallways up to the red carpeted bedroom, equipped with a huge oak bed that had pillars and a roof to it.
He had no time to even think about it because Regulus had that look in his eyes, the desperate docile one, where he’s no longer looking at him and more begging him.
”Can’t he hear-“
He holds his finger to his lips.
Fine, James thinks, nothing is strange anymore.
Not even sex on a dead mans bed.