Tangled paths
The backstage area was a jumble of discarded instruments and half-eaten snacks, the air still thick with the energy of the show that had just ended. The muffled sounds of laughter and chatter drifted in from the after-party, but Regulus stood in a quieter corner, absently tapping his fingers on his arm. His thoughts were a mess, swirling between frustration and something else he wasn’t quite ready to name.
He had come backstage to see Sirius, but it wasn’t Sirius he was looking for now. He had been feeling something—an odd pull, a strange connection, and it was all centered around one person.
James Potter.
Regulus had never meant for it to be like this. He was supposed to be angry at James, irritated by his presence, and yet… there was something about James’s teasing smile, his self-assurance, that was slowly unhinging everything Regulus thought he knew.
“Oi, Reg, you coming out or what?”
The voice came from the door, and Regulus froze. There was no mistaking it. James. His heart, which had been strangely still, picked up speed at the sound of his voice. He had barely seen James tonight, what with the show and all the chaos. But now that James was standing in the doorway, it felt like the room had suddenly shrunk.
Regulus looked up, his throat tightening. James was leaning casually against the doorframe, his eyes scanning the room until they landed on Regulus. There was something in his gaze—something like concern, or maybe something more.
“Why aren’t you out there with the others?” James asked, stepping further into the room.
“I didn’t feel like it,” Regulus replied stiffly, though the words sounded hollow even to him. He wasn’t sure what he wanted anymore.
James hesitated, taking a step closer, but the movement wasn’t casual. There was an edge to it, like he was carefully gauging Regulus’s reaction. “What’s going on?”
Regulus swallowed hard. He wasn’t sure how to answer. He had spent so long keeping everything inside—burying feelings, pretending things didn’t bother him—but with James standing there, with his warmth and that damn smile, it felt like the dam was starting to crack.
“I don’t know,” Regulus muttered, shaking his head. “I don’t know what I’m doing here, James.”
James took another step forward, his voice softer now. “You don’t have to have everything figured out. I get it, you know. Things are… complicated.”
The words hung in the air, and Regulus felt something shift in his chest. It wasn’t supposed to be like this. He wasn’t supposed to feel this vulnerable, this raw. But James was standing too close now, his presence filling the space between them in a way Regulus couldn’t ignore.
“I’m not asking for an explanation,” James continued, his voice lower now, almost hesitant. “I just… want to make sure you’re okay.”
Before Regulus could respond, something happened—something he didn’t expect. James, who had stepped a little too close in his attempt to reassure, shifted his weight at the same moment Regulus moved. The collision was soft at first, their shoulders brushing, but then it happened.
The force of their movement sent them crashing together—James’s lips brushed against Regulus’s.
It wasn’t a kiss. Not really. But it was close enough to make Regulus freeze, his breath catching in his throat.
The seconds that followed felt like an eternity. James pulled away first, his face flushed, eyes wide with surprise. Regulus stood motionless, unsure of what to do with the strange mix of panic and something else—something that felt uncomfortably like disappointment, even though he wasn’t sure what he had expected.
“I—shit, I didn’t mean to…” James stammered, stepping back quickly, his hands running through his hair in frustration.
Regulus opened his mouth to say something, but the words wouldn’t come. Instead, he found himself looking at James, at the man who had somehow made everything feel more complicated than it ever had before.
“Don’t… don’t worry about it,” Regulus said, his voice low and shaky. His mind was spinning, trying to catch up with what had just happened. “It’s fine.”
But it wasn’t fine. Not really.
The door swung open again, but this time, it wasn’t anyone Regulus had been expecting.
A tall figure appeared in the doorway, their silhouette sharp in the dim light. Regulus’s heart skipped a beat.
“Am I interrupting something?”
It was Sirius. His tone was casual, but Regulus could see the way his eyes narrowed as he took in the scene.
James looked between them, clearly thrown off by the sudden arrival. He shifted uncomfortably, his expression unreadable.
Regulus’s stomach churned. He didn’t know why he felt like this—why it suddenly felt like everything was slipping out of his control.
“James, I… I didn’t mean to…” Regulus began, but his words were caught in his throat.
Sirius tilted his head slightly, watching them both with an unreadable expression. “Maybe you two should sort things out,” he said softly, before turning to leave.
James watched him go, his face tense. Then he turned to Regulus, his voice barely above a whisper. “Maybe we should talk later.”
Regulus nodded, though his chest felt heavy with the weight of things left unsaid. As James walked out of the room, the silence that followed was suffocating.
Regulus stood there for a long moment, feeling like everything was on the edge of a cliff, ready to fall.
And he wasn’t sure if he wanted it to.