Dinner’s Ready!
It’s not him. It’s not the same.
Regulus sat in the passenger seat of a red Chevrolet pickup truck. Arm leaned in the window to hold his head up. When the door opened with a creak, he directed his attention from the easily desirable people to the person who now sat next to him in the driver's seat.
“Okay, I believe he gets off at eight. If you wait in the car, I’ll take care of the rest.” Sirius said not looking away from the carnival booth once.
“I thought you said I was doing it this time.” Regulus muttered.
“Yeah, but he wanted the better-looking one.”
Regulus rolled his eyes at his brother. Though their features looked similar, their personalities were quite the opposite in some aspects.
“Don’t play around this time; you almost got caught last time.” Regulus went back to staring at the girls.
“I’ll be back.” Sirius shut the door loudly.
7:28 PM
Sirius spent his time teasing; it was as if the boy was a treat. Like dangling a bone in front of a dog. He sipped down a can of pop as he eyed every player at the booth.
The carnival was in town. The warm breeze mixed with the sound of laughter and music always drove Sirius crazy. It made him hungrier; he would do anything for a meal now.
His main target, the booth man, it wasn’t ideal, but he had to feed Regulus before he lost his mind. Licking his teeth as the man dragged his glance back over to Sirius. No ring; that was already a good sign. He promised Sirius eight o’clock. Now there was the wait. The worst part of the game.
Regulus calls the game “The Dinner.”. Sirius always thought of it as grotesque, but it stuck.
What was his name again?
John. Sirius remembered now, John…something. Last names weren’t important. Tossing the can into the bin and walking off. Leading and teasing was what Sirius did best. He knew how to keep his prey going and anticipating.
Straight into the cornfields as far as possible.
“Where are you taking me?” John laughed.
“Try and keep up.” Sirius followed through with a laugh, almost like a bark.
John continued until they were met with a small patch of missing cornstalks. John circled the patch, trying to see where Sirius went to.
“Looking for someone?” Sirius eyed John up and down from across.
John jumped, startled, as Sirius didn’t make a sound. He was rather unsettling, creepy almost, similar to a doll. He didn’t blink, and if you looked hard enough, he didn’t breathe either.
“Enough playing, and come over here and show me what you said you were going to do back there.” John said in a quieter tone, unsure if Sirius could hear him clearly.
Sirius walked over menacingly, grabbing onto the man’s face. Almost digging his nails into his face as he kissed him. Inhaling his scent anomalistically, John kissed back even deeper. He definitely wasn’t his type. John matched Sirius’s height too well; he reeked of weed, and his hair was bleached blonde.
It wasn’t long before John’s clothes were gone; Sirius only took off his shirt. He didn’t want to mess up such a nice top. John shivered as the warm breeze turned cold. The sun seemed to be setting faster. Everything seemed to be getting darker, for him at least.
Sirius’s teeth latched onto his neck without warning. Draining the blood from his body as fast as possible. No matter how long he’s been doing this, it never does get old. How it feels to feed on fresh human blood. The way it warms Sirius a little inside and the metallic taste that burns the back of his tongue.
Wiping his face with John’s shirt, he slid his undergarments and trousers on. Cutting through the cornfields as his mind rushed again. The headache faded just as fast as it came. Everything seemed less disoriented; his sight and hearing came back heightened.
Sirius knocked on the window, scaring a half-asleep Regulus.
“You can go now. And don’t worry, I put his pants on this time.”
Regulus glared at Sirius. “Thanks.” He said sarcastically before opening the door for himself and heading in the same steps as Sirius once did.
Sirius didn’t mind Regulus’s attitude; it made him feel still human, less lonely.
They drove around for a while, passing time, and possibly did a bit of shopping. Regulus liked looking at the lights that still hung from the roofs of houses that they drove by. Bright and made him feel warm inside.
He was still invested in how the humans lived. How much it had advanced since they were first brought into this world.
“Did I tell you about the party?” Sirius said, turning the radio down to try and get Regulus’s attention.
“Once or twice. Why?” Regulus answered.
“Did I tell you who I ran into?” Sirius looked over.
“You never got to that part, just that the humans wear those funny glasses and use smaller devices to play music.”
“Remus…he was there. It was his party.”
Regulus looked over his shoulder from out the window.
“Before you say anything, I’m still not sure if I want to talk to him. He has a lot going on, and everything is still fresh; I’m not sure if I want to cause more damage.”
“Is this why you dragged me to…this town? For you to fling?” Regulus huffed.
“Would you stop saying that? It’s not a fling; if it was, why would I keep finding him?”
“It is a fling if he doesn’t last longer than a year with you.” Regulus said, rolling his eyes and returning to his precious window.
“It can be different this time. I know it can.” Sirius hit the turn signal.
“You said that the last time, and the time before that, and the time before that.”
“I get it! I have it right this time.”
There was a long silence before Sirius pulled into the motel parking lot.
“Just try and get some sleep; I’m going to run and get some supplies.” Sirius frowned at Regulus, who didn’t make eye contact.
“I’m dead, I don’t need to sleep.” Regulus’s tone was cold; he opened the door to the truck and walked to the door.
Sirius knew his brother hated having to fit it. Driving around when they would easily run everywhere, having to force themselves to work up an appetite for food, sleeping to pass time…sometimes.
Sirius pulled out of the parking spot and back to the road. He drove until he reached the local market. Open twenty-four hours a day, seven days a week.
He sighed at the taste of blood still lingering in his mouth. His eyes began to turn red, pulling the sunshade down and staring at himself in the mirror. He rubbed his eyes until it faded away.
Being dead wasn’t all that bad; you didn’t need to sleep or eat at times or even die. You had all the time in the world, but everything comes with consequences, and if looking like a monster meant having time, in Sirius’s eyes it wasn’t worth it.
He opened the driver's door and got out. Walking through the automated doors—Regulus’s only compliments to the humans for creating something useful—and into the nearly empty shop.
Sirius began to fill up his cart with supplies, hydrogen peroxide, bleach, chocolate kisses, and the most important, a new card deck. Sirius loved showing Regulus new card games he picked up.
Though mildly cold to his brother at times, Regulus liked learning from him, learning how the humans have advanced without having to actually interact with them. He also loved books and how stories have been twisted and bent over and over again.
As he pulled to check out, he noticed a familiar face. Sirius perked up when he realized it was Remus.
Buying cigarettes from the counter and looking rather tired. As he slid one pack into his pocket and began to open the other, he noticed Sirius staring.
He saw me! Oh, he’s coming over…
“Didn’t think I’d see you again.” Remus was now standing in front of Sirius.
Sirius was starstruck; Remus had not changed one bit since he first saw him. The same face he’d fallen in love with many, many years ago.
“I guess you wished hard enough. I’m staying in town for a few weeks.” Sirius began to place his items on the scanner.
Beep.
“Oh yeah? Where are you staying?” Remus played with the plastic wrapping on his pack of cigarettes.
“The motel just down the road.”
“Oh, that’s not far from me. You should come by one of these days.”
Sirius tilted his head in confusion; he was never this bold in the past.
“You left your keychain, the one with a star on it?” Remus smiled softly.
Sirius sighed in realization; he knew he had forgotten it somewhere but wasn’t sure where.
The conversation didn’t continue long before they were both walking out of the store.
“Well, I believe this is where we both part ways.” Sirius said, holding on tight to his bags.
Remus frowned. “Do you have a number? I’m sure we can find something to do together, maybe the fair.”
Sirius cringed at the thought of going back to the fair after today's events. He even wonders if they ever found the body; the town did seem rather underwhelming. Maybe he will check the news tomorrow morning when everyone is more aware.
“Sirius?” Remus questioned.
Sirius looked at him and realized he had been left to his own thoughts. “Fair? Not my thing. Maybe something else?”
Remus thought until Sirius cut him off, “How about I give you my number?” He grabbed a pen from his pocket that he stole from John, along with a few other things, and wrote his phone number on his hand. “And you can give me a call later?”
Remus nodded and smiled widely. Sirius nodded him a farewell and headed to his car. Tossing the bag into the passenger seat and leaving Remus standing there.
It wasn’t right for Sirius to leave him sitting there after so many mistakes, but the time, as always, wasn’t right.
Sirius could recall their first meet like it was yesterday. They both said forever, and sometimes Sirius still believes it. Knowing how disappointed Remus would be in his decisions. The decisions he’s made to try and keep him alive and each time how he failed terribly.
Regulus knows every tear and scream like the back of his hand. It never happened in the way Sirius wanted, and it still haunts him, yet it still brings him back to them.
Sirius drove mindlessly down the road; it was silent besides the sound of the tires rolling at high speeds across the street. Lost in a storm of his own mind was never a good thing. He always came up with crazy ideas, and they always turned rotten.
Sirius finally made it back to their motel room; it was quite small for the two of them, but it would have to do for the meantime.
“We could’ve stayed in France; what was so bad there?” Regulus said, lying on the bed and leaning against the headboard.
“It’s infested with cannibals; they would tear us apart if they got their hands on us.”
“Oh right, the barbarians.” Regulus mocked. “What about Brazil? It’s quite hidden; we probably wouldn’t fit in, but—“
“Enough! If you don’t want to be here, then go.” Sirius slammed the cabinet closed.
Regulus went deafeningly silent; he was good at that. At ignoring in an instant. Sirius hated it because it took tooth and nail to get him to talk again.
“Look, we both know why I brought us here. I don’t want to be mean, but I am getting sick of your questions.” Sirius threw the bag at Regulus.
Opening the bag, he was greeted with supplies, rolling his eyes, and using them to now try and remove the blood ring from around his shirt.
Sirius sat in a chair, playing with the lighter with the initials ‘J.R.’ on them. It was quite fascinating how egocentric this guy was. To have nearly all his belongings engraved somehow.
Sirius clicked and clicked at the lighter until the sun rose; it was time passing and mesmerizing even.
“Sirius!” Regulus shouted, kicking at the chair leg.
Sirius stopped clicking the lighter and glanced at Regulus.
“I’m going to the library; if you need me, just dial there.” Regulus walked out with his bag hung over his shoulder.
“Yeah…” Sirius went back to flicking the flames onto the lighter.
Sometimes it seemed as if Sirius and Regulus switched places. Regulus never did understand it, but it is what it is.
Regulus.
Regulus didn’t like driving; it felt all too fast. So, he walked to the library, slow-paced and taking in the scenery.
Mainly fields, but they were just on the outskirts, so it didn’t take long to reach the library.
The university library was the best place to Regulus. Seeing people close to his age—close enough, he doubted they were hundreds of years old—and being in a quiet, confined space.
Reaching for a book on Greek mythology, he had read this one many times. Achilles and Patroclus were always his favorite. Their close bond and how they developed their friendship through a war. Regulus hardly believed the friendship aspect.
There was something holding him from believing that they were destined to be just “friends.”.
He was making his way to an empty table when someone bumped into him with great force. Regulus huffed and looked to see who dared to disturb his peace.
Looking to see a man slightly taller than him, and... it was almost as if looking at Achilles himself. Regulus stared hard and coldly.
The man pushed his glasses to his face with his finger. “I’m sorry, I was in a rush and didn’t see where I was going.” He touched Regulus’s arm. “Are you alright?”
Regulus looked longer at him than at his arm, then back at him. Not saying a word but saying everything inside. He wanted to say everything at once, maybe yell at him for being so inconsiderate and unaware of his surroundings, but also didn’t want him to ever leave his side. To keep his touch there for eternity.
“Go away.” Regulus pushed James's hand away and headed straight for his table. Placing the book down and opening it without hesitation.
James was rather confused, not knowing how someone could not like him, let alone for his charm. Now focused on changing his first impression, he sat across from Regulus. Eyeing the book he had open.
“I’ve always deemed myself an Achilles.” James beamed with a bright smile.
Regulus looked at him and looked right back at the book. Hoping he would now disappear from sight.
“Come on, you don’t hate me already? I apologized for running into you. Isn’t that enough?” James pulled the book towards him to catch Regulus’s attention.
“Potter. I would rather be alone, so if you would remove yourself from this conversation, I would be more than glad to forget it happened.” Regulus tugged the book from James’s grip.
“You know my name?” James said, flustered.
Regulus looked up fully. “It’s embroidered on your jacket.”
James looked at his jacket and back at Regulus, both staring for a bit. There were more words exchanged between the pair through their eyes than their lips.
“You are not Achilles; you are an Icarus. You think the world revolves around you and stops for you. You are the sun.” Regulus said with full disgust in his voice.
James smiled hopelessly; he didn’t remember the last time he had a genuine reaction from someone like this before. It’s a shame coming from someone as beautiful and interesting as Regulus, but he was enjoying every moment of it.
“You think I am the sun?” James said finally.
“I think you will get hurt by the sun—by your ego.” Regulus sneered.
“You seem to know a lot about me. Have you been watching me?” James said, now fully intrigued.
“I barely met you.”
James squinted slightly behind his glasses, as if trying to read Regulus.
“Well, you’re on my campus, telling me about myself, so I can’t help but think you have been watching me.”
Regulus froze. “Your campus?”
Of course.
James nodded affirmatively, “Well, my family owns it.”
Regulus sighed and closed the book. He slid it over to James’s side and got up from where he sat. Panic set in James, following almost every move of Regulus’s.
“Where are you going?” James said the following as Regulus began to walk away.
“Anything owned or touched by you is bound to be burned. I’d rather stay unscathed.” Regulus turned and replied, stopping James in his tracks and heading out the door of the library.
Regulus knew he was bound to be cursed by the love of someone else, but he was now praying to every god there was to not make it James Potter.
James, on the other hand, was praying to God that he had just found the one. Still holding the book that once touched Regulus’s mind and hands. James tightened his grip on it and slipped it in his backpack.
He was now Hephaestion, prepared for the greatest war that was winning Regulus Black’s heart.