Too Sweet
“Good Night!!! We are The Marauders. Tonight is special because Prongs here wanted to give you a surprise, so, give him a big applause” Just as Sirius says this James is entering the stage and everyone screams (too loud to his liking but anyways).
“Thank you Pads for this introduction, thank you everyone for this welcome. Well hello, I’m going to tell you all a quick story. So here I was last week thinking too much about someone I shouldn’t be thinking about.” Potter grins with his special charisma and continues explaining ‘his story’.
“and I found it a very good idea to make a song about them, middle of the night, calling the band, practicing a lot, and now we are here presenting you Too Sweet, I know incredible name, I thought about it myself. Enjoy the show, and my incredible vocal skills” he smiles at some people, then he looks where they are, very close to the stage and winks to him. Regulus has to remind himself this is just an act, it’s hard.
While James explained about that new song, the band has been preparing everything and just as he finishes talking they start to play. McKinnon’s bass starts dragging every attention to her.
Once James Potter starts to sing he stops paying any attention to the bassist, couldn’t be said the same about Dorcas though.
At first it is just a normal song, very much Regulus’ style of music, he sees Emmeline buzzing with energy by his side, Remus staring to his brother, Pandora who is there with them is looking to Evans, Dorcas doesn’t tear his gaze away from Marlene, not even for a moment. He is not who to talk, he stares at James, he looks so good it’s not even fair.
The chorus arrives and James sings
I think I’ll take my whiskey neat
My coffee black and my bed at three
You’re too sweet for me
You’re too sweet for me
Regulus gets so caught up with that part of the song he doesn’t register what else is happening. When he looks up again another song had already started. He listents his brother singing something but he is distracted and doesn’t really know what the lyrics are about. Emmeline does know the lyrics. He likes her so much but he swears once the concert is over he won’t be able to listen anything thanks to the girl, she has been screaming for an hour next to him, she knows every single song it’s a bit concerning.
He doesn’t usually go to concerts, he doesn’t have time and money for that. He can say tonight’s concert is good, once it’s over he feels a bit sad about it, he knows his brother will invite them more but he doesn’t want it to finish yet.
“Thank you all so much for coming tonight, I hope you enjoyed the show and… well, we shouldn’t be talking about this but we are planning something so stay informed. I won’t say more about it. Good night and thank you”
The Marauders make their exit. Everyone is going crazy about Sirius' new information and maybe it’s also because the concert is ending now.
They wait for his brother and the band to change clothes.
“Hey Reg, did you like it?” Potter is the first one approaching. He stands in front of Regulus and ignores the others, it’s just an act, of course, they have to pretend to be close.
“It’s Regulus, and it was alright I suppose”
“Thank you” He is smiling so brightly, if you look at him you would think Regulus made the biggest compliment on earth.
“You played well” Remus says to the band, they are all already there
“Thank you” His brother says shyly and blushes? What is he doing honestly, he thought Sirius was more cool but he is a mess.
“Okay thank you for the invitation brother but we have to get going”
“Thanks for coming” Sirius approaches to hug him but Regulus doesn’t do hugging, he steps backward and his brother capts the message.
★★★★★★★★★★★★★★★★★★★★★★★★★★★★★★★★★★★★★★★★★
He is laying down in his bed. Regulus has a shift tonight at the bar, without Remus that will be hell but he doesn’t have to work in the morning, a win is a win. Sirius wanted to give him money but he declined, he wants to be independent, he wins his own money, he can do it on his own, he doesn’t need his famous brother saving him. Yes it’s exhausting but that’s life.
A notification pops. He is used to having notifications on instagram or facebook, but that sound is from neither.
unknown number
hey! :))))
It’s James I got your number from Sirius hope that’s fine
I thought we could hang out, you know seeing us together could
be good for the rumors and all that.
you can say no
that's fine
you don’t have to feel pressured
nothing like that
I just
Regulus 🔪
Oh god.
Stop freaking out.
it’s a good idea actually.
When do you want to do this fake date?
Potter
oh
I don’t know
I didn’t think I would make it this far
Regulus 🔪
You really are stupid
Are you free right now?
Potter
yep
Regulus 🔪
Then let's do this
Potter
now?
Regulus 🔪
Why not?
Potter
no that’s fine
where do you want to go?
Regulus 🔪
We can go grab coffee.
Potter
okay
I’ll be there in 20
Regulus 🔪
Okay
It was okay? No it wasn’t but who was he to say no to Potter.
Just like he said, James is in 20 minutes in front of his flat waiting for him.
“Hey”
“Hello Potter”
“You look stunning”
“Leave this for when we have public will you?”
“Can you not take a compliment like everyone else and say thank you?” Potter says and there is no malice in his voice he looks amused but he is not laughing at him, that’s good.
“Should we go?” He says trying to change the subject
“Lead the way”
They walk, Potter is capable of being in silence, that comes as a surprise, he was prepared to be annoyed and to have patience but James is adapting to his liking. He talks from time to time but they mostly walk in silence, and it’s not even awkward, it’s quite comfortable.
They stay for a moment in front of the coffee, he sees the same girl as last time. Now that he thinks about it every time he goes, she is there, how is that he didn’t notice her sooner?.
Inside it’s empty except for a table with two teenagers there is no one else.
“Good morning, what can I get you? Wait I remember you, you were last time with Sirius Black, and you normally come here a lot. I think by now I know how to make your sugar with a bit of coffee just right” Is she really just laughing at his way to drink coffee? She doesn’t know him at all. How is she so casual?
“Yeah, that’s me” He feels weird, he didn’t expect the girl to remember him.
“And now you are with James Potter, lucky me you are going to introduce me to all the band huh? haha” She is calm and joking a bit. Regulus finds it so weird.
“Nice to meet you” Potter smiles.
“What can I get you boys? If you want to sit at the same table as last time I can carry the drinks there once they are done” She proposes, oh, she is nice
“Thank you” He is about to turn when she speaks again
“Sorry but can I catch your name? It’s just if you are going to continue coming, which I hope you do, I would like to know you or your name”
“Alice that’s invasive” Just as he talks Regulus notices for the first time the boy in the corner, he supposes that’s the boyfriend the big fan.
“Oh sorry for that, was it invasive?”
“I don’t know, probably but I don’t care, I’m Regulus, Regulus Black”
“I’m Alice Fortescue” He was hesitating to tell the girl his last name but as it seems she doesn’t care about him and Sirius being brothers, the boyfriend is kind enough to not bring it up, he does look surprised but he says nothing.
“And I’m Frank Longbottom”
“Nice to meet you I guess”
“I’m James Potter” the boy smiles
“They know who you are idiot”
“Yea well it’s weird and I think it’s rude not to introduce myself”
“James, Regulus, no need to worry your secret is safe with us” Alice interrupts. She winks at them, and gestures simulating his lips locked.
“Yea this is a safe place” his boyfriend smiles.
Okay this is not how his date not date with James was expected to go but honestly he likes Alice his boyfriend is also nice.
They sit at Regulus' usual table and just as the girl said she brings the coffee, extra sweet for him and a black coffee for James. Another time he is surprised by how wrong he was about Potter, a black coffee? He doesn’t seem the type to drink black coffee, if you think about it Regulus doesn’t seem the type to drink sweet coffee, he supposes you can’t judge based on appearances.
“I like this”
“What?”
“I know this is just a fake date but I really do want to be your friend Regulus”
“Oh, okay. I’m not very good with this friendship thing you know?”
“That’s okay you don’t have to do much, we can start with easy questions, like… what’s your favorite color?”
“Oh now you stepped on the line” Regulus says, rolling his eyes dramatically.
“So funny”
“Black, what’s yours?”
“I love red, everyone thinks it’s my favorite, but I also like orange. I think I actually like orange more, and black is not a color you know?”
“I expected to be red, orange is a surprise but I think it makes sense, and Sirius said the same about black, if is not a color then green I guess”
“Cool”
It’s his turn to ask something, what can he ask? He doesn’t know a single thing about James Potter now, does he still like football? What is he doing right now, only the band? Studying something? What are his hobbies? He doesn't even know that
“What’s your favorite band or artist, The Marauders don’t count”
“Then if we don’t count, one direction” James replies without hesitation
“Really?”
“Yea, don’t tell me you don’t like one direction because sorry darling but this would be over” Of course Regulus is not blushing right now ‘darling’, nope definitely not.
“Are you that type of fan who is waiting for someone to sing with, they don’t know about us?”
“That’s actually my favorite one direction song”
“That’s ridiculous”
“Hey, let me be a romantic, okay? What’s your favorite artist then?”
“Not sure”
“If you had to pick?”
“I will think about it and I will tell you next time”
“Next time?” James asks hopefully
“Well Potter is getting late we should call it a day”
“Okay, I will accompany you home”
“I can walk on my own just fine, see you Potter”
“Then bye Reg, I had an amazing date”
All the way home Regulus repeats a mantra in his head: this is fake, remember, don’t get your hopes up, this is all fake, a lie. It doesn’t do much because he has fucking feelings and his brain doesn’t seem to control his heart, gross.