In A Rush

“Ready?” James asked Sirius as they were leaving to have lunch at their parent’s place. 

James woke up feeling quite good, actually. He slept well and for ten hours straight. Miracle, if you ask me. Once you start working night shifts your biological alarm gets a little messy, usually waking you up in the middle of the night. He headed to bed super early last night, so he didn’t know if Pete slept over or not. Sirius crawled in bed with him sometime, so if Peter stayed, he had the couch. When he woke up, it was about nine in the morning and there was no one on the couch. Maybe he left earlier? 

Oh yes. Pete stayed. The dishes were all done and there was fresh hot coffee waiting for him and Sirius at the kitchen, as well as fresh bread from the bakery. Thank God for Peter Pettigrew. So James had a nice morning, too. Sirius woke up about two hours later, claiming he needed more sleep and that James’s bed was really soft and that they should trade. Yes, Sirius always says that and he always sleeps occupying almost all of the bed, almost throwing James to the floor. Happened once, don’t ask.

“Ready.” Sirius declared, wearing sunglasses to cover his tired face, tossing his bike keys to James. “You drive.”

“Yay!” James said, delighted. “But don’t sleep on me! It’s dangerous and-“ James was using his children voice, acting like a teacher scolding his students. 

Sirius interrupted him. “Yes, Prongs. I know. Shhh, please” 

“Sure, Pads.” He smiled. Honestly, Sirius is lucky he has employees in his café. Otherwise the thing would open after 9 am, at least. He just makes it there barely by 8 on weekdays so he can try and be a respectable boss. Now, he gets the pleasure of flirting (looking, only) with Moony. Sirius never wanted to go to college and he had an inheritance from his uncle Alphard, so after school he worked a few jobs in cafeterias and cafés to understand what he needed to know and opened one of his own. It’s a comfy place, rustic and filled with kittens and soft sofas. Has rock bands records all over the walls, as well as a record player that is never off. The place is pet friendly, and home to seven kittens that interact with the customers: Moons, Liam, Noel, Stevie, Freddie, Bowie and Lennon. Moons was the first one to come to the café, he had brown fluffy fur and amber eyes, so Sirius named him moons, after their mysterious friend from that summer. Honestly, if that boy had stuck around, James would be jealous. They connected super fast and Sirius was always talking about how he missed moony. It’s been five years since the café was open, and still going strong. Everybody loves that place and honestly? Sirius always gets the best tea from the customers. He knows shit about the whole city and more. He invested the money inherited in the café and already got back all of it, making even more than necessary.  

James drove safely to their home, Sirius almost sleeping on his back. He didn’t though, thank goodness. When James opened the door, Sirius went straight to his room murmuring “please tell mum and dad that i’ll take a lil nap, and wake me up when it’s time?” he asked, already crawling the stairs, hissing at them like they were his worst nemesis. 

“Of course, Pads.” James answered. “Enjoy the nap, while you can” He whispered the last part, smirking. “MUM! DAD! we’re hooooomeeee!” he shouted.

“Kitchen!” Effie yelled back, so James headed to the compartment. 

As he got there, he saw his mum sitting on the balcony, with her hand resting in her chin. A shy smile across her face as she watched her husband cooking, with a white big hat on his head. Effie is so beautiful, her curly dark hair was voluminous and shiny. James got his hair from her. Bless their genetics. Her eyes were a deep brown, contrasting with her pale skin. Monty, on the other hand, had a truly golden dark brown skin, his hair a light brown mixed with some grays and kinda straight. His glasses were big and dark, making him look so much like James. Or the other way around, whatever. James got his charm from him. Monty was a very handsome man. Again, bless their genetics. 

Also, James grew up like this. Effie was a true disaster in the kitchen, so it was always up to Monty to cook or they would order take away.  James tried, sometimes, to be like his father, but apparently he got the disaster in cooking gene from his mother, almost burning the house down one time. Since then, he was explicitly forbidden to take a step close to an oven. Sirius was so so, he could cook if he was hungry, but nothing too extraordinary. And Regulus was good. A mini Monty. They used to cook together and even had matching hats. Ah, life back then was so much easier. Lighter. 

Monty was cooking right now, so he sat next to his mum on the balcony, laying a kiss over her head. 

“Hi mum, hi dad.” He greeted, easily smiling just to be there with them. 

“Oh. Finally. Haven’t seen you in ages!” Effie stated, pulling James' seat closer. 

“Mum! I was here Tuesday.” He defended himself, putting a hand over his heart, all in for the drama. Blame it on Sirius, too many hours next to him during a day. 

“Yeah. That’s too many days for you mother, son.” Monty intervened, glancing at James with a playful smile on his  lips. 

“Where’s my baby?” Effie asked, looking around with a furrow between her brows. 

“Uh. I'm right here?” James said, scowling, pretending he has no idea who she's talking about.

“I mean Sirius! Where’s my baby?” 

James rolled his eyes, a wide smile in his lips. Seriously? (Ha). “Sleeping. He asked you to wake him up later.” He said, already knowing where this is going. 

“Hi.” Someone whispered, shyly. Uh, hi? James looked at the direction of the door to the back garden, Regulus came from there, holding fresh harvested tomatoes in his hands, wearing the matching hat with Monty. 

“Oh. Thank you, Reggie!” Monty exclaimed, grabbing the tomatoes and heading to the sink to wash them. 

“Hi.” James said, a little bit dry. What is he doing here?

“Great. You boys can keep Monty company, I’ll wake my baby up.” Effie said, as she stood up and disappeared in the next room. 

Regulus looked away from James, walking towards Monty. “What can I do now?” He asked the older man. 

“Oh, nothing. I’m almost done. You guys can catch up.” Monty said, his back facing James, so he couldn’t see his face, but Regulus could and his face was wearing a sad smile. “Go to the living room, I’ll follow you boys in a second.”

“Don’t worry, Dad. We’ll wait.” James said, almost desperate not to be alone with Regulus. No please, God, mercy on me. 

“James. Go, i’ll be right there” Monty answered, firmly, leaving James out of options. 

Great. Just great. 

With that, Regulus and James headed to the living room. Regulus took a spot on the big couch, while James sat in the armchair next to the fireplace. All the windows were open and the sunlight was bathing them, it was a lovely, radiant summer day. Hot, but amazing. Some summers, when they were kids and even teens, they would spend in James’ grandparents’ place. It was a beautiful house at the beach, which made things ten times more awesome. The summers before Sirius and Reg moved in, James always made it work for them to come. Always. Their bio mum just…didn’t care. 

“Hi.” Regulus said, again, trying to get James’s attention. 

“Hey.” James murmured, not looking into his eyes and not trying to make conversation. So, he made up his mind fornow. He doesn’t want to talk or have any contact with Regulus unless necessary. He isn’t going to be rude, but he’s not running around chasing him anymore. He doesn’t need small talk or shit like this. Yes, Regulus is spending the summer in the city. Yes, he is living in his parents’ place. Yes, everyone loves him and James won’t be a prick about it. He just won’t have things the way they were again between them. The others can do whatever they want with Regulus, he doesn’t care.

“You good?” Regulus asked. 

“Mhm.” James answered, thinking about leaving it the way it is, but the doctor in him is stronger. “Is the headache better?” He questioned, still not looking at the man staring at him, his voice hoarse but gentle at the same time. The paradox of James Potter.

“Yes.”

“Good.” He mumbled. Going back to the ‘I don’t care’ posture. 

“So, what have you been up to?” Regulus smiled shyly, preoccupied in getting the conversation going. 

“Nothing new.” James shrugged, reaching for the TV remote, searching for something on HBO. Ha. The irony. Years ago, they would sit on the couch Regulus is on and go through all streaming platforms searching for something to watch. 

“James, stop ignoring me.” Regulus breathed, looking down.

“Am not.” James answered, clicking on Supernatural. The first show they watched together all the way through. The ironic part is making James laugh internally. It’s not funny, though. 

“But you are.” Regulus said, with Mary Winchester saying something to John and Dean in the background, making him go for the remote in James’s hand and hitting pause. 

Sorry Mary. 

“Well. Actually, I'm not.” James said, finally looking at Regulus. “It’s been eight years, Regulus. You didn’t care enough to care for the past eight years, so why bother now?” He snapped.

“James, listen-“

“No, Regulus. I'm fine. Thanks.” James interrupted him, redirecting his attention to the paused show on the TV. 

James couldn’t see it at the moment, but he knew Regulus was taken aback by this reaction of him. It’s surprising, coming from the lovely, kind, caring human being he grew up with. Not once he saw James act or say anything like that, his words cutting through like bullets. 

“But-“ Regulus' voice was a bit shaken. 

“I said no, Regulus!” James snapped, once again. “What do you even want?” James asked, voice low, finally looking at Regulus again. His eyes were shining, watering. 

Shit.

“I want you.” A tear fell down his face. 

Shit. James never, never made someone cry because of something he said. But now he made Regulus cry. His Reg. What the fuck is wrong with me? 

“I'm sorry, Regulus.” He apologized, running a hand through his hair. “I'm sorry” he breathed again.

Regulus cleaned another tear that fell with the back of his hand. His face stiffening up and his eyes getting a little colder for a moment. “I just wanted to be your friend, again.”

“Look, I was a prick. Im sorry, Regu-“

“Don’t. I’ll go wash my face, Effie and Monty don’t need to see this.” Regulus said with a blank expression, getting up. 

“Can we talk later, then?” James asked. “After lunch? In my old room?”

Regulus was about to shake his head ‘no’, putting a hand on his red eyes and his cheeks, which were a bit flushed, when James added “Please?” wearing his best puppy face. No one can say ‘no’ to that face. And James knows it.

“Okay.” Regulus nods. “I’ll meet you there.” And then he leaves, heading upstairs, probably to wash his face in his own bedroom. 

###

Eventually everyone was at the table enjoying Monty’s lunch and James and Regulus behaved very well, if you ask me. They pretend nothing happened, that no fight was placed in the Potter’s living room and that Regulus had to wash his face to look acceptably okay. Now, they were finishing dessert Effie made them (the only thing she can do impeccably in a kitchen) while the parents asked a row of questions to catch up on their children’s life. 

“How’s the café going this month, dear?” Effie asked, directing herself to Sirius, while gracefully cleaning her mouth with a napkin. 

“Oh, it’s going great, mum!” Sirius replied, enthusiastically, smiling at her. “I’m actually really involved in customer service this month. It’s good.”

Effie nodded at him, congratulating her boy while James choked a laugh, bringing the attention to himself. 

“What?” Sirius asked, scowling at his friend. 

“Tell her about the part that you’re only closer to customers because of Moonyyyyy” James chanted the last word, smirking at him.

Effie’s face lit up, while Sirius’ went red. “Oh, so there’s a boyfriend?” 

“Tell us everything, boy!” Monty exclaimed, like the best piece of gossip was laid in the table and now he wants all of the tea. Really, James blames his own gossiping needs on his parents. Genetics, what can you do about it, huh? Of course, he only hinted (hard launched) about the Moony thingy because he knew Effie and Monty would get absolutely everything they need to know out of Sirius. And Sirius always tell them about his crushes (?) more like people he want to fuck, because he doesn’t get romantically involved, so that’s no matter between them. Of course, seeing him blush, too. Always adorable.

“He isn’t my boyfriend, yet!” Sirius said, still blushing and glaring at James. 

James just shrugged, trying hard to hide his beaming, which made Sirius roll his eyes and smile, begging to talk more, “He is so gorgeous, mum! Dad, you’re so gonna love him!” 

“What’s his name, son?” Monty asked, interested in the matter.

“Remus.” Sirius replied, hands in his chin. He looked up, frowning a bit, “I still don’t know his last name, though.”

“Is that so?” Monty replied, humming. 

“Is this the guy you talked to for like, a minute, yesterday?” Regulus asked, raising eyebrows at his brother, making Sirius blush again, even harder this time. 

“Regulus!” He said putting a hand in the heart. 

“Tell more, tell more!” Effie exclaimed, laughing.

“He has dark blond hair and is 6’5 feet tall. Can you imagine it, mum? I’m drooling.” Sirius told her, eyes lost in thought. Probably daydreaming about moony. 

“I like tall ones,” Effie said, nodding and looking proud of her child. 

“Brazilian ones especially” Monty added, smiling at his wife and reaching over to kiss her cheek. Fleamont had Brazilian parents and spent most of his childhood in Brazil. James’s grandma, Maria Lourdes went to the UK to study when she was about eighteen years old, meeting a guy named Joseph João Potter there. He also had Brazilian folks, but was born and raised in England. They fell in love, married and moved to Brazil, a few years later, Monty was born. Eventually, they came back to the UK and life went on. They live at the beach now, because missing Brazil is something you can’t get over easily. After that, a few years went by and Effie found her latino boy and couldn’t resist his charms. 

“Oh, yes.” She replied, reaching over to be closer to her husband, who was sitting next to her. James hopes one day he finds love the same way his parents did. 

“Wait. Does that make James half Brazilian, too?” Sirius asked, suddenly interested.

“Yes. I even have a passport.” James said, like it was no big deal.

“No way!” 

“You never told us.” Regulus said, voice low and directing himself to James for the first time since they all gathered together. His voice was low and steady, like he was trying to remember if his statement was true. 

“I want the passport, too!” Sirius said, pouting like a spoiled child.

“I think it’s going to be easy to get, you’re both legally our adoptive children, so you’re related.” Monty explained, bringing out a smile from sirius’ face. 

“Thanks, dad.” He replied, while Regulus nodded gratefully to him, making Euphemia grin. James was thrilled to be in such a lovely place, with such lovely people.