Chapter 4
After checking that Sirius wouldn't see him, Regulus slipped out to the same balcony after him, with absolutely zero plan, cup still in hand, as he never started drinking from it again once James started 'dancing.'
James was sat on the railing, facing in, and still had a tired grin, his breathing much more visible and heavy than Regulus had thought from afar. "Regulus," James greeted, his tone warm, still laughing and breathless, with none of the malice he’d had expected.
"James," Regulus returned, with almost matching warmth, which surprised both of them. He then commented, "I have to ask: How many drinks have you had?"
"Are you insulting my dancing?" James joked, then answered, "Two. Which, by the looks of it, is far less than you've had."
"It is. Less than I've had, I mean. Dancing? Is that what we're calling that display?" Regulus taunted, but it came out softer than he wanted it to.
"I saw you watching me," James teased back.
"People don't look away from train wrecks, Potter. Don't you read?"
"Ouch. Need I ask what you thought of my so-called display?"
Regulus had a thought that froze over his demeanor, and he coldly asked, "Can't you ask your girlfriend?"
James nearly choked on nothing, and confusedly echoed, "Girlfriend?"
"The redhead," Regulus replied, taking another drink.
"You mean- Oh. We aren't dating."
"You sure? You two seem rather close," Regulus bit out.
Get it together. He's going to figure it out if you keep acting like this.
"Yeah, we're friends. Ever heard of the concept?" James answered, but shortly realized that the last sentence sounded kind mean, and added, "I just mean, because you're- you're acting so weird about my friends... Why are you acting so weird about the fact that me and Lily were dancing?"
"No reason. You read too much into things, James."
"Sometimes, maybe. I'll give you that, but I don't think that's what I'm doing right now. You got really upset all of a sudden."
"Fine, if you know everything, what do you think I'm upset about?"
Stop letting your temper get the better of you! You have no reason to be angry!
"If I didn't know better I'd think you're jealous."
Regulus coughed, then replied, "Good thing you do know better. That's insane."
James nodded, and looked down with a bit of a 'sad puppy' type of expression.
"Don't do that, James," Regulus pleaded before he could stop himself.
James looked up at him, and a small smile grew on his face.
Regulus cleared his throat, thinking, Why did I say that? Get it together! James' smile slowly started falling, and fuck, Regulus couldn't stand it. He kissed him quickly, then, before James could react, walked fast to the other side of the balcony and leaned on his hands, looking down at the bushes on the grounds below.
James went over to him and tried to put his hand on his shoulder.
"No," Regulus said, trying to process what he had just done.
James backed off, and, after glancing at him again, went back to his spot on the railing.
"Fuck. ," Regulus breathed out.
"Oh. I'm sorry, I'll back off," James said quickly, and hopped off the railing to go back inside.
"Only you could be kissed, have that person say they're in love, and then believe that they were talking about someone else."
James stopped in his tracks, and dumbly questioned, "What?"
"You're an idiot."
"So you've mentioned. Again, what?"
"Do I really have to spell this out for you?" Regulus asked, then told him, "I am in love with you."
James mumbled another, "What?"
"You've asked that three times. The answer's not changing."
"Why didn't you say something before?"
"I don't know how you remember the last time we talked, Jamie, but I remember you talking at me and leaving before I could say a single word," Regulus told him, then lifted his head, still looking out over the grounds, and confessed, "But mostly I was... scared."
"Can I touch you?" James asked, then Regulus glanced back at him with his eyebrows raised, and he groaned, "Come on, you know that's not what I meant."
"I guess you may."
James walked over to him and softly held his arm.
"Are you going to say anything?" Regulus questioned.
"About what?"
"God, you're clueless. I just told you that I'm in love with you. Are you going to say anything?"
"Oh. I thought it was already kind of established that I'm in love with you, too."
"I know you were."
"You think I winked at you when I dropped to my knees because I hate you?"
"You could have done it to annoy me, or in a feeble attempt to embarrass me."
"I did it because I saw you glaring at me the entire time, and I wanted you to bloody talk to me. Which, that worked out perfectly."
"Stop being so arrogant."
"Why would I do that, Reggie?"
"Excuse me?"
"If I'm Jamie then you're Reggie, get over it. And anyway, I saw you gawking at me."
"Half the school was gawking at you."
"And you were one of them."
"Piss off."
James started pulling away, because he was fairly sure that Regulus would stop him. He did, grabbing his collar without even looking before James had taken two steps. James let out a quiet laugh, and Regulus said nothing, but a smile twitched at the corner of his mouth. After a bit, he reluctantly told him, "They're going to wonder why you've been gone for so long."
"Let them wonder."
"Let me rephrase that. Sirius is going to wonder why you've been gone for so long."
"Ugh," James complained, then gave Regulus a hug and left before he could protest. Regulus followed several minutes later, so that no one would notice them coming back at the same time. He threw his empty cup in the trash on the way in, and he began to realize how hard those drinks had hit him.
James was in the corner that Regulus had been in earlier, with what was, apparently, his third drink. Regulus somehow managed to act cold again, despite his drinking, and declared, "This is my corner, Potter. I was here first. Move."
"I didn't realize that you could claim a corner," James retorted, his tone also cool.
"Stop being childish, Potter. Move."
"I'm being childish? You're the one that won't go to a different corner because, 'I was here first.'"
"You're infuriating."
"Thanks," James replied with a grin, then walked away.
Are you fucking serious? What was that for?