Chapter x
James (Last Name Pending)(Sirius's Friend, f.k.a. TDH)
I really am sorry for what I said that sounded creepy, I didn't intend to intimidate you, and I'm sorry that I did.
Regulus stared at the text, unsure whether or not to roll his eyes. Since the grammar and spelling were correct - including the punctuation - he could tell that James had thought very hard about what to say. And Regulus didn't know what to do with that.
But he had to respond. Obviously.
It's alright now. If I was intimidated before - which I wasn't - I certainly wouldn't be after what went down in the truck.
"Please tell me you didn't fuck Tall, Dark, and Handsome in a truck." Evan's voice was amused, and directly behind Regulus's ear.
Regulus reached up and flicked the spot where he knew Evan's forehead would be. He was far too used to this by now.
"I didn't fuck him, idiot. I barely tolerate him, and that goes both ways."
"Oh, really? Well I'm betting he goes both ways, too. So. Keep that in mind."
Regulus was in the middle of explaining to Evan just how he could do something anatomically improbable to himself when his phone lit up again. Of course.
James (Last Name Pending)(Sirius's Friend, f.k.a. TDH)
I guess that makes sense. Can I give you a ride to the study group tonight? Marlene said you would want to come.
Again, correct grammar and spelling. James was overthinking the interaction.
Why?
What did he want?
"Wow, asking if you wanna ride and come? Reg, you definitely fucked that boy."
Regulus ignored Evan's comments. He was too used to the little bastard to react. Evan seemed elegant and refined in public, but he was a menace, which was why he got along so well with Barty.
"Was his junk as large as he acts like it is?"
Pandora's voice was light and innocent from the other side of the room, where she'd appeared without warning, as she was apt to do.
"Both of you can go die," Regulus suggested, standing up and walking to the door. His dorm was no longer a safe space, he'd have to head to the library. "I'm going to go start a blood feud with Grandmother and Grandfather Rosier."
"Have fun!" Pandora called as he slammed the door shut behind him.
Once alone in the peace of the library, Regulus turned back to his phone. The text remained on read, which seemed rude, all things considered.
Sure. Anything to escape the Rosier menaces.
James responded in roughly three seconds.
lol
c u at 5 then
Ah. Regulus supposed that was the end of the correct spelling, grammar, and punctuation.
See you, James.
James just sent a smiling emoji back, and so Regulus turned to his studies. Notre-Dame de Paris wouldn't analyze itself, unfortunately. Regulus was in the middle of writing that "Quasimodo was a fucking pedophile, and his unfair past neither changes nor excuses that" - he would have to edit the paper heavily before having it peer-edited - when a notification popped up, covering the top of his page.
Sirius Orion Black
Hey, sorry I had to skip yesterday, can we talk?
Regulus decided that, between his friends, his brother, and James, he would never have a moment of peace again.
But he was tired of writing about a pedophile who was praised because he had a sad past- a story still far too common. So.
I suppose. I'm at the library, third floor. By the windows, you know the spot.
He closed his laptop, and his phone lit up half of a moment later.
Sirius Orion Black
Okay, nerd. See you in a minute.
And he did. Regulus was fairly surprised when the chair next to his was suddenly filled by a short, dark-haired man. Sirius had actually shown up.
They stared at each other for a moment before Sirius cleared his throat.
"Nice spot. Lots of light."
Okay.
Regulus nodded. "Mother would hate it."
Sirius gave a small smirk. "Too right, too. Swear that woman's a vampire."
Regulus felt himself stiffen, but he was careful to keep his voice and face neutral. "Oh? Then what does that make father?"
Sirius gave his coldest smile, bitter and bright and cutting. The one he'd given his parents when they'd asked why Narcissa's new husband was bleeding, the one that screamed 'danger.'
Regulus had seen that smile countless times. He'd seen it given to tutors who called migrant workers 'dirty creatures,' he'd seen it given to his aunt and uncle, who'd said it was only right to kick their daughter Andromeda - who was fifteen at the time - out, because she had asked them to please stop yelling at their underpaid servants. He'd seen it given to his parents more times than he could count.
But he'd never seen it directed at himself.
He understood, for a minute, why his parents hated Sirius so much. It was that smile. That look that made Regulus feel like he was less than nothing, and Sirius knew it, made Regulus feel like he'd be better off being nothing, because he was a negative, sucking the life out of everything around him. That look had been directed at his parents countless times, so how could they not be angry? How could they not be hateful?
And then Sirius was there, kneeling on the ground in front of Regulus, not touching him, but looking ready to catch him if he should fall. Looking worried. "Regulus? You look like a ghost again. Are you gonna faint? You don't have to faint."
And his eyes were wide, and his skin was smooth, and his hair was dark, and he was young. Sirius was so young. And Regulus didn't understand anymore.
"So young. We were so young. How could- so young?"
Sirius's eyes returned to normal after a second, and he nodded. "Yeah. We were just children."
And oh, he was right. Sirius and Regulus were just children.
And so Regulus dug into his brother's arms, just like when they were younger children. When they were young kids, before Regulus grew scared of being touched.
And Sirius held him. He seemed uncertain for a second, or maybe just surprised, but he held him.
Just like they were children.
They were children.
"I want to be your brother," Regulus said a few minutes later, when he finally pulled away.
And Sirius's face.
Oh, Sirius's face. He wasn't cold, his smile was warm, and soft, and surprised, and sad, and real.
"You are. You're my little brother."
And he was, wasn't he? He was Sirius's little brother.
But he didn't know how.
How could he be a brother if he didn't know how?
"Sirius?" he asked quietly after a second, scared to speak up lest his voice break. "What do brothers do?"
Sirius stared blankly for a moment before his smile fell.
Oh, no. Not again. Not so soon.
But then Sirius spoke, and his voice was amused, if a little sad. "You think I know?"
Of course he knew. He had been the best thing in Regulus's life, even when he pushed him through an open window or locked him out of the house for a while. He was a bastard, but he'd always cared. Always been a brother.
And so Regulus did know how to be a brother. He'd do the same.
"Do you want to-" It felt wrong, so he cleared his throat and tried again. "Care to meet my friends? You'll like them."
They had brought Regulus so much. They could do the same for Sirius.
But then Sirius laughed. He laughed, and Regulus began to draw back into himself. Maybe he didn't know how to be a brother, maybe he was doing it wrong.
"I've already met them," Sirius reminded him, and he smiled. Really smiled. He was happy, and maybe Regulus wasn't doing it wrong.
"Well, yeah. But they'll be nicer now that I like you."
Sirius seemed to find this extremely funny, and he laughed again. A great, booming laugh. The real one. And so Regulus joined in, and it felt good. It felt good to laugh with his brother again, after far too long.
"Alright," Sirius agreed once his laughter had somewhat subsided, "but you're giving my mates another shot, too. You terrified the pants off James yesterday, you know. He brooded in his room for hours." Sirius's voice stayed the same, but his eyes grew darker and - for lack of a better word - more serious. "You can't do that again."
Oh, James.
James!
Regulus had forgotten in his preoccupation, and he grabbed his phone.
6:13.
Twenty-three texts, six missed calls.
"I forgot about James," he hissed to Sirius, whose face grew pale.
"Reg, James and I are a unit. You can't not-"
"No, study group!" Regulus interrupted. "He was going to pick me up at five, but I forgot and-"
And his screen lit up.
James (Last Name Pending)(Sirius's Friend, f.k.a. TDH) calling
Regulus clicked the green button, but his hands were too sweaty to hold the phone to his ear. He put it on speaker, and James's frantic voice met his ears.
"Reg, what's wrong? Are you okay? What happened?" James's voice was panicked through the phone, and the sounds of traffic were loud behind him. "Your roommate said you were at the library, but Ms. Pince said you weren't there, and nobody could get ahold of you-"
Sirius spoke up, seeming completely shocked. "Oi, why all the fuss about Reggie? Your best friend wasn't responding either."
The traffic sounds came through Regulus's phone, but nothing else did. James was silent.
"No, Siri, I was supposed to meet him over an hour ago, and I didn't text back, and I'm never late-"
Regulus knew his speaking was rushed, but it still didn't sound right.
"Since when have you been friends with my baby brother?" Sirius asked, his voice crescendoing.
"Since yesterday with the boba and-" Regulus started to answer, but he was cut off by James's incredulous voice.
"Since when are you friends with your baby brother? Since when is he 'Reggie'?"
"Today we talked and..." Regulus tried to explain, but he stopped when he realized that nobody was listening to him. James and Sirius were in their own world and didn't seem to notice anything or anyone else.
It took a few minutes for their voices to quiet down, but eventually Sirius and James seemed calm, if still somewhat incredulous and more than somewhat surprised.
"Reg," James's voice eventually crackled through the phone, "it's a but late for tonight, but Mar says you are - uh - required to come next week."
"Alright," Regulus agreed, cringing at how flat his voice was. He sounded like a middle-school boy.
"See you then," James answered stiffly, and the call ended.
And Sirius was staring at Regulus, seeming exhausted and amused and completely done with his bullshit.
"Guess I won't have to force you to give James a second chance, then. The charming little fucker."