Chapter 3
"I feel like an idiot," Remus muttered, glancing over at Regulus.
Regulus didn’t look up, his attention focused on making matcha in the kitchen. But a smirk played on his lips as he replied, "Come on, you were good at this."
He whisked the matcha with practiced precision, the vibrant green foam swirling smoothly in the bowl. He looked annoyingly calm, completely unaffected, while Remus’ mind was still spinning from the lunch they’d just survived.
Remus crossed his arms, leaning against the kitchen doorway as he watched Regulus move effortlessly around the kitchen. "Yeah, maybe a little too good," he grumbled. "You enjoyed that, didn’t you?"
Regulus finally looked up, his grey eyes gleaming with amusement. "I don’t know what you’re talking about."
But the smugness in his voice gave him away, and Remus rolled his eyes, unable to fight the small smile tugging at his lips.
Remus shook his head, pushing off the doorframe and moving closer, his arms still crossed. "You were ruthless," he accused, though there was no real heat behind his words. "Poor James didn’t know what hit him."
Regulus’ smirk widened as he poured the matcha into two cups. "He had it coming," he replied smoothly, his voice annoyingly casual. "If he’s going to stare at me like a lost puppy, he should expect to get burned."
Remus huffed out a laugh, his shoulders finally relaxing. "And Sirius?" he pressed, his eyes narrowing playfully. "Did he have it coming too?"
Regulus shrugged, passing one of the cups to Remus. "He needed the reminder. You’re mine now." He said it simply, like it was the most obvious thing in the world, and it made Remus’ heart stutter for just a second.
"You’re ridiculous," Remus muttered, but he took the cup, his fingers brushing against Regulus’. The touch was brief but grounding, a quiet reassurance after all the pretending they’d had to do today.
Regulus leaned back against the counter, sipping his matcha with a satisfied look. "Maybe," he conceded, his eyes gleaming with mischief. "But you loved every second of it."
Remus opened his mouth to protest, but the memory of James’ confused expression and Sirius’ frustrated frown flashed in his mind, and he couldn’t help the small laugh that escaped. "Yeah, maybe a little," he admitted, taking a sip of his matcha. It was warm and soothing, the perfect contrast to the tension that had followed them all afternoon.
Regulus’ smirk softened into something more genuine. He reached out, hooking a finger into the waistband of Remus’ sweatpants, tugging him closer until they were standing toe to toe. "See?" he murmured, his voice low, his eyes flickering over Remus’ face. "We’re good at this."
Remus’ breath hitched, his hands instinctively resting on Regulus’ hips. "A little too good," he agreed, his voice barely above a whisper.
Regulus leaned in, his lips brushing against Remus’ in a feather-light kiss before he pulled back, his smirk firmly in place. "Well, it’s not our fault they’re terrible at this game."
Remus laughed, his forehead resting against Regulus’. "Yeah," he murmured, his fingers tightening on Regulus’ hips. "Not our fault at all."
Of course, the cups of matcha were forgotten on the counter the second Remus leaned into Regulus, his lips capturing his in a kiss that was both slow and urgent. Regulus didn’t protest—he never did. Remus had this way about him, this magnetic pull that Regulus couldn’t seem to resist. He was impossible to ignore, too irresistible to turn away from. His touch, his presence, his kiss—it all shattered Regulus’ world in the best way.
It wasn’t that Regulus was unwilling; far from it. Remus had this quiet confidence, a way of taking control that left Regulus breathless, unable to think of anything else. And maybe that was why he never protested, why he let Remus lead them wherever their chemistry took them.
The fact that they didn’t even make it out of the kitchen didn’t even register in Regulus’ mind. The moment Remus kissed him, all of his thoughts scattered. They were on the kitchen island, the cold marble counter pressing against his back as Remus kissed him with that same fire that made Regulus' heart race. He didn’t care about anything else.
He could feel Remus’ hands on his waist, tugging him closer, and Regulus couldn’t suppress the sharp breath that left him as their bodies aligned. His fingers slipped under Remus' hoodie, skin against skin, the heat between them rising. And that was the thing about Remus—he knew exactly how to drive him wild with nothing more than a look or a touch.
Why would Regulus complain? This was exactly where he wanted to be, caught in the heat of it all, with Remus. The kitchen island might not have been the most romantic setting, but it was theirs in the moment, and Regulus didn’t need anything more. Every kiss, every touch, felt like a promise—a reminder of how good they were together, of how easy it all was when it was just the two of them.
No, he certainly wasn’t complaining. Not when Remus was the one who had the power to unravel him so completely, to make every second feel like it was stretching into eternity. And honestly, Regulus would let it happen over and over again.
Their evening unfolded just as it usually did, and Regulus loved every second of it. After a long, exhausting day, they decided to order takeout. "I can’t cook when I can’t walk, Lupin," Regulus had declared with a mock-serious tone, earning a chuckle from Remus. And so, they collapsed onto the couch, wrapped in blankets, the food arriving just in time for them to settle in and start watching Supernatural on the projector.
The familiar hum of the opening credits filled the room, and Regulus felt the weight of the day melt away as he leaned against Remus. The comfort of being home, with Remus close and the simple joy of their usual routine, was more than enough. There was something calming about it—the predictable rhythm of their evenings together.
But their quiet night wouldn’t last long. Just as they were getting comfortable, there was a knock at the door. Barty and Evan had gotten the memo after the numerous times they’d walked in on them. They’d learned to knock, mostly out of respect (and perhaps fear of interrupting something they didn’t want to witness again).
"Can we come in?" Barty’s voice called out through the door, dripping with that mischievous tone Regulus knew all too well.
"Yeah, yeah," Regulus called back, rolling his eyes but not bothering to get up from the couch. “I suppose the evening’s ruined now.”
Evan was the first to step inside, his usual calm demeanor a welcome contrast to Barty’s relentless energy. “We didn’t want to disturb anything… this time,” Evan said with a small smirk, catching Regulus’ eye as he made his way over to the couch.
Barty followed in, his grin wide and unrepentant. "Sure you didn’t," Regulus muttered, but he scooted over to make space on the couch.
They all sat down, and despite Regulus’ initial grumbling, there was a strange comfort in the chaos Barty and Evan always brought with them. The four of them, like this, felt like an oddly perfect match—a combination of banter, shared history, and the undeniable bond of being friends who knew exactly how to fill the silence with laughter.
The takeout was spread out on the coffee table, and Barty immediately dug in, making loud noises of appreciation with every bite. “God, why don’t we do this more often?” he asked, mouth full, though no one really needed to answer.
Evan, ever the quieter one, simply settled back, content with the food and the company. “It’s nice,” he said, his voice quieter than usual. "We don’t do this enough."
Regulus glanced over at Remus, their eyes meeting for a moment as they shared a small, knowing smile. Even with Barty and Evan interrupting their plans, it still felt right. There was something comforting about this familiar routine—about having people who knew them, who they didn’t have to pretend with, joining in on their evening.
As the night wore on, the laughter and conversations flowed freely, the warmth of the takeout and the easy camaraderie filling the space between them. Supernatural played on, but Regulus hardly noticed.
“So…” Barty took a way-too-big bite of his food, his mouth full as he looked between Remus and Regulus with a mischievous glint in his eyes. “How’s the whole ex’s situation going?” he teased, clearly enjoying himself.
Remus rolled his eyes, letting out an exaggerated sigh. “Honestly, it’s like I’m an actor in some Netflix series or something,” he muttered, not bothering to hide his sarcasm. "The drama is real."
Evan chuckled, shaking his head in amusement as he glanced at Regulus. “Well, I have to admit, you were good today, Lupin. Not possessive at all,” he remarked, clearly enjoying the tension that had been building throughout the lunch earlier. His eyes glinted with mischief, and he added, “You were practically playing it like a pro.”
Regulus smirked, leaning back against the couch, clearly amused by Evan’s comment. “Oh, Sirius’ face was priceless,” he said with a low chuckle, clearly relishing the memory. "I swear, if looks could kill… he would’ve had me six feet under by now."
Remus snorted, clearly trying to stifle a laugh. “You’re enjoying this way too much," he said, though his tone was fond. He draped an arm around Regulus' shoulders, pulling him a little closer as if to make a point.
Regulus leaned into the touch, his eyes sparkling with a bit of wicked humor. “What can I say?” he replied smoothly, his lips curving into a satisfied smile. "It’s nice to remind them who’s really in charge."
Barty laughed, nearly choking on his food as he leaned back against the couch. “You two are absolutely terrifying,” he said between breaths. “No wonder everyone’s always so freaked out by you both.”
Evan shot him a look, his lips quirking upward. “No, it’s because you can’t keep your mouth shut, Barty.”
Regulus raised an eyebrow at Evan, giving him a pointed look. “It’s true,” he agreed, his voice dry, "Crouch’s the worst kind of instigator."
Barty just shrugged nonchalantly, clearly not bothered by the teasing. “What can I say?” he said with a grin. “Someone has to stir the pot."
Remus just shook his head, a small smile on his face. "I think we're all better off when you two are quiet," he said, resting his head on Regulus' head.
Regulus gave a half-smile, his arm around Remus pulling him closer. "Yeah, but where’s the fun in that?" he said, his voice soft but mischievous.
“Speaking of fun,” Remus began, a mischievous smirk tugging at the corners of his lips. “When are you two finally going to stop acting like you're not secretly fucking?” He glanced over at Barty and Evan, the teasing evident in his expression.
Regulus couldn’t help but laugh. Oh, that was hilarious. Really, the whole situation was absurd, and he couldn’t stop himself from thinking about it. Barty and Evan, of all people, trying to hide something like that? It was just too much.
It all started one night in Kyoto. Regulus and Remus had snuck off for a little privacy, as they usually did. They disappeared for a couple of hours, leaving Barty and Evan behind at the hotel. But when they came back later that night, things were... different. Barty was practically losing his mind, pacing the room like a nervous wreck, while Evan stood there, completely silent, as if he’d never uttered a word in his life. The weird tension in the air was enough to make Regulus raise an eyebrow, but he didn’t think much of it at the time.
The real kicker came the next day when Remus walked in on them. Apparently, the quiet, composed Evan had decided to take charge—at least in the privacy of his own room. Remus had walked in on them mid-fuck, Barty sprawled out on the bed and Evan, well, doing what Evan did best. Remus hadn’t let them live it down since.
“Oh, he was devastated,” Remus added with a wicked grin, clearly still amused by it. “Like a deer caught in headlights. I swear, Crouch was ready to die right there.”
Regulus snickered, shaking his head. “I’d love to have seen that. Rosier didn’t say a word, did he?”
“Not a single one,” Remus replied, laughing. “Just stood there like it was an everyday occurrence.”
“Classic Rosie,” Regulus muttered with a chuckle. He could practically hear the way Evan’s monotone voice would’ve responded, or rather, not responded, as usual. The silence was probably all part of the plan.
“And Crouch,” Remus said, shaking his head, “was mortified for. Could barely look me in the eye. Rosier, though?” He shrugged dramatically. “Couldn’t care less. Like, ‘Oh, sorry, didn’t realize you’d be back so soon.’”
Regulus snorted. "God, that's so them. Trying to pretend it’s no big deal." He looked over at Barty and Evan. “You two are terrible at this,” he said with a smirk., as if they couldn’t hear the conversation at all.
Barty shot back a pointed glare, though his flushed face betrayed him. "We’re not ‘terrible.’ It’s just—complicated," he muttered, clearly trying to salvage whatever dignity he had left.
Evan just shrugged, his usual unreadable expression on his face. “Not that complicated,” he said nonchalantly.
“Uh-huh. Sure, whatever you say, Rosier,” Regulus shot back with a grin. "You guys are absolutely terrible at hiding it."
“Yeah, we’re all just experts at pretending, aren’t we?” Barty said, rolling his eyes, though he clearly wasn’t enjoying the teasing.
Remus just laughed. “Well, at least you two make things interesting,” he added, raising an eyebrow at them. "Anyway, maybe one day you’ll be open about it, huh?"
"Not happening," Regulus replied, his tone deadpan as he leaned back into the couch. "Some things are better left unspoken. Especially when it involves you two."
Barty rolled his eyes, but even he couldn't help the small, guilty smile tugging at his lips.
The conversation rolled on, everyone teasing and joking around. Barty and Evan might have tried to play it cool, but Regulus and Remus knew the truth—and they had no problem letting it hang over their heads for a while longer.