Chapter 4
It’s been a few weeks, James and Regulus were going steady and were currently getting ready to go for a somewhat date which was really just them going to a bar and finding someone to eat but it worked for them.
Regulus sits on the couch, bored as James takes what feels like hours to get ready. “How much longer are you going to take?” He asks into James’s head.
“Only a few more minutes I promise.” He replies and true to his word, comes down five minutes later in a suit that almost makes Regulus’s jaw drop.
A three piece black suit with a deep, almost blood red waistcoat and the same red stitching along the arms and the collar, the shirt underneath is just a plain white button up but it almost has Regulus pouncing on him.
“When did you buy that?” Regulus asks, staring at him as he takes in every detail of the suit.
“I had it made last week, I wasn't sure when to wear it but I thought tonight was a good occasion.” He smiles at Regulus, adjusting his glasses.
“You look stunning darling.” Regulus replies, getting up and taking James’s arm in his before opening the door, stepping back instinctively. A man stands on the other side and James frowns, Regulus going quiet as he barely hears him ask. “What are you doing here, Barty?”
“You didn’t think you could stay away from me for this long did you?” The man asks, looking a little maniacal as James still looks confused.
“Sorry, who are you?” James asks and steps in front of Regulus who’s shaking and keeping his eyes on the floor.
“Reggie didn’t tell you about me? How disappointing, I thought I meant more to you.” He peers his head around James to look at Regulus, James shoves him back.
“Who are you? Answer the question or-”
“Or you’ll what?” The man has an amused smirk, looking at James as he leans against the door frame.
“James just leave it, just shut the door.” He hears Regulus from behind him who sounds smaller and more vulnerable than he’d ever heard him.
“You can’t get away from me, you know this Reggie.” The man talks again and James just shoves him back before slamming the door.
“Who the fuck was that?” James asks and Regulus doesn’t answer, moving to sit on the couch as he puts his face in his hands. “Well?”
“That’s the vampire I was talking about, the one who I had to move away from.” Regulus talks slowly and quietly, trying to make sense of this.
“Well why’s he here?” James moves to kneel in front of Regulus, easing his tone a little and resting a hand on his knee.
“I don’t know, I don't even know how he followed me. I left when he was already away. I don't want to have to move again.” Regulus sounded helpless and James panics a little at the fact he’s thinking about moving already.
“You don’t have to move just because he’s here, maybe he’ll get bored and go?” James pities himself with how desperate he feels to get him to stay.
“He won't and I know he won't because I've dealt with this before, he’s relentless and he’ll start showing up everywhere we go. I can't go through this again.” Regulus moves his hands from his face and brushes his hair back, lifting his head as he chews on his lower lip.
“You won’t be alone though, I'm here with you.” James replies and looks at him, resting a hand on Regulus’s face.
“That doesn’t matter to him, he’ll be just as nasty and persistent as he was before. Doesn’t matter where i am, who i’m with, how many miles are between us he’ll find me.” Regulus looks at him, instinctively leaning into his hand. “You have to believe me about this. I don't want you getting involved.”
“I want to help you, isn’t there anything I can do?” James looks desperate and rubs his thumb over Regulus’s cheekbone.
“No there isn’t. The last time this happened I had to move, I don't want to but it might be the last option.” Regulus replies and looks at James, hoping he’ll understand.
“What about me? You’d be willing to leave me here?” James pulls his hand away, anger bubbling in his voice.
“I’m not willing to, I don't have a choice. You really want to stay here and have him lingering everywhere we go?” Regulus retorts, sounding exhausted as he puts his head back in his hands.
“Well no but I don't want to leave either, I've lived here for almost half a century. I can't just leave.” James replies and starts to pace.
“If it’s as bad as last time i’m leaving, it’s too draining to deal with him.” Regulus watches him pace, noticing how tense James’s jaw is.
“How does he even find you? Who is he?” James asks, moving to sit on the couch opposite him.
Regulus stays quiet for a few seconds, “He’s my maker, he thinks because we share blood that we have a special bond or something.” He closes his eyes not wanting to see James’s reaction.
“If he’s your maker then first of all, why didn’t you tell me? Secondly, how can he even find you? I know we can sense each other but he’s your maker he shouldn’t be able to.” James replies, sounding slightly accusatory and it makes Regulus glare at him through his hands.
“Trust me I know, I don't get it either but he is like six hundred years old so maybe that’s why. But I'm not keeping up with this conversation so I'm going up to read, do whatever you want.” Regulus says and does exactly that, walking up the stairs and grabbing some books.
James sighs and stays downstairs for a while, trying to think of what to do about the whole thing before deciding he’s going to go hunt.
____________________
It’s been weeks and by this point it has become almost impossible for the two to leave the house without Barty lingering around them, whether it being down the street or in the back of a bar they were at.
Regulus started leaving the house less and less and it was starting to bother James, they barely did anything but leave to hunt and then come back to the house for the full night.
One night James went out for a walk, Barty’s voice taunting him in his head to the point where James snapped. He had to do something about it. He walked for longer, trying to find whatever alley Barty was haunting before he did. He finally found it.
His anger got the better of him and they ended up fighting, Barty managed to get a few hits in and deal a deep cut on his stomach before James gave the final blow. He’d snapped his neck, a motion he didn’t realise came so easily to him.
It took a few minutes before James had realised what he’d done and he called out to Regulus to tell him he’d be spending the night at his place because he’d gotten sick, a stupid excuse but it seemed to work. At least he thought it did.
Not even twenty minutes after he’d called out to Regulus, he was at his door and knocking. “Come and open the door, I brought you some stuff that might help.” Regulus calls out to him from the porch.
James panics, lying beneath the sheets in bed as he prays he’ll leave. “I’m okay, it's just a little thing, I'll be fine.” James calls back but Regulus doesn’t buy it and opens the door.
There are bloody, smudged hand prints splayed across the walls that lead to James’s room and it only makes Regulus walk faster to his room tracing his fingers across the still wet blood.
“James?” He calls out loud this time, if his heart still worked he’d be able to hear it in his ears. Terrified of what he might find when he opens the door, pushing it open slowly.
“I’m fine really.” James says from beneath the sheets, the top of his head poking out and if it weren’t under these circumstances Regulus might’ve found this cute but he just rushes over to his bed.
“Who’s blood is on the walls? Is it yours?” Regulus demands and stands over James, reaching to pull back the sheets but he just holds it tighter to himself.
“You can’t be mad at me okay? Please don’t be mad at me.” James looks up at him, feeling like he’s shaking but he’s that nervous that it wouldn’t surprise him.
“I’m not mad, just tell me what happened, are you okay?” Regulus replies and James lets his grip loosen, letting Regulus pull the sheets down. What he sees is the underneath of the sheets soaked in blood along with James’s shirt and the cover sheet beneath him too.
“I didn’t mean to, he was just taunting me and all I could hear was his voice and I just.. I just snapped.” James rambles nervously as he looks at Regulus who just stares at the blood.
“You killed him?” is all Regulus can say despite his mouth opening and closing a few times as he crouches to see his wound better.
“I’m sorry, I didn't mean to please believe me. I just got so mad and I didn't realise what I'd done until after.” James sounds desperate as he winces a little when Regulus lifts his shirt, the blood making it stick to his skin.
“It’s okay we’ll talk after, let me just clean this up, take your shirt off and stand up.” Regulus replies and James does exactly what he says as Regulus goes to the bathroom to grab the medical kit.
They both stay quiet as he works, cleaning him up and sewing the wound shut so it’d heal faster. James just stares at him the whole time, tense and nervous about what Regulus will say when he’s done.
“So you’re not mad at me?” He asks quietly and Regulus glances at him, staying silent for a few moments before answering.
“I’m not mad, well I don't know how I feel but no I'm not mad at you. I’m just a bit confused, that's all, I've never managed to get out of it this easily before.” James frowns and looks at him.
“I thought you would’ve been happy about this, I know I didn't mean to but he’s out of our life now that means you don’t have to move anymore and we can stay here.” Regulus sighs and stands up fully, closing the kit as he starts on the sheets.
“I am glad he’s gone, I'm not happy you killed him. If any other vampire catches wind of it then we’re going to be hunted and it won’t just be Barty, he had vampire friends almost everywhere.” James takes his wrists and makes Regulus face him, the frown still on his face.
“Well I don't know what you wanted me to do. I couldn’t just have this vampire, who was also your maker by the way, follow us everywhere and be in my head all the time teasing me about the fact he had you first.” James is almost raising his voice and it makes him cringe, not wanting to shout but it seemed like the only way Regulus would listen.
“I know he was a pain in the ass. I just don’t want the repercussions of this, we’re still going to have to lay low for a while til it blows over.” Regulus looks at him, manoeuvring his wrists out of James’s grip and goes back to taking the sheets off.
“Okay but we’re fine right? Like you’re staying here and nothings going to happen between us?” He asks, suddenly feeling a little self conscious about it.
“Yes baby, we’re fine. Go sit down somewhere, I'll clean up and go find us dinner.” Regulus replies and takes the sheets off while James wanders downstairs, sitting on the couch as his mind races.
They end up going back to Regulus’s house, finding dinner on the way there as they walk in near silence. It was driving James crazy, just wanting to know what was going on in Regulus’s head but every time he tried it was like hitting a brick wall.
Regulus stays unnervingly quiet, observing his surroundings as they walk down the street and James ends up losing his patience. “Why are you being so quiet?”
“I’m thinking.”
“You’re thinking?”
“Yes, you should try it sometime.”
Regulus’s voice is deadpan and he doesn’t look at James so he doesn’t know if he’s joking or not. “Well what are you thinking about?” James asks and looks at him, feeling like he’s trying to draw blood from a rock.
“Barty.” He replies simply like it's a light topic of conversation. His short answers are infuriating James, he pulls at his hair as he runs a hand through it.
“What about Barty?” James is sounding more and more agitated, staring at Regulus as they get closer to his house.
“It’s nothing.”
“You’re seriously not going to talk to me about it?”
“Nope.” Regulus replies, popping the ‘p’ as he pulls his keys out to unlock the front door and let them in. James is almost seething by the point but he decides to let it go and just focus on having a shower and going to bed, or well, coffin.
________________________________
A few weeks later, they’ve talked it out and are back to normal by this point. Their routine is regular again, waking, dressing and feeding before heading home. James is feeling content that Barty is gone, out of sight out of mind. Regulus is more endearing than he’d ever been, more loving and giving in bed and in general. It made James feel great.
One night after a feed, Regulus offers James to go on a walk but he refuses so Regulus walks alone. Taking in the sights around him even though he’d been living here for a while now, feeling happy with his relationship and how his life was going so far.
He turned the corner onto his street and walked to the door, frowning when he sensed another vampire but he tried not to think too much of it as he pulled open the front door and stopped in front of the living room. It felt like someone had ripped his heart out.
The sight before him almost made him sick, James was on the couch with a red haired woman. Kissing. When James pulled away and realised he was there his face dropped but Regulus didn’t stand there long enough to see what he had to say.