Harness your hopes on just one person.
Sirius feels like jumping off the walls.
Somehow he manages to stay still.
His baby brother, stood right in front of him.
Where he knows he's safe, away from the claws of those awful people they call their parents.
When remus called sirius into his office to talk about someone replacing franks place in the bau, his first thought was Regulus.
His first thought and worry is always Regulus now days.
And when remus actually considered it and decided it was a good idea, sirius genuinely thought his heart might leap out of his throat with how hard it was beating.
Then regulus called him, he called him and they spoke for hours.
First about the job, then living situations (sirius is still annoyed his offer to live with him was declined), and then just about life.
It was wonderful.
When sirius left to go to london he was in a bad place for months, ridden with guilt about leaving regulus. Checking the papers and keeping any sight of a case he worked on.
Sometimes almost giving into the temptation of booking a train journey home.
Then he met james and he got the job at the bau.
He found his family, he found refuge in his fellow co workers.
He was happy, but that gaping hole in his chest that longs for his younger brother never went away. It could dull, but never fully leave.
Regulus is here now, in his sight. Right infront of him, close enough that he can reach out to hold him and never let go.
But he's different now. He's grown. Even got a few inches on sirius, of which sirius will never admit because how dare he be taller, and has grown into a new person.
The fact that sirius missed that will keep him awake at night.
The whole closes slightly, and sirius is willing to get to know the new regulus.
Though right this second he's tempted to throw him out of the window.
"Sirius, i am telling you. that screw does not go there!" Regulus exclaims, huffing in frustration. They've been trying to assemble this bookshelf from Ikea for the past hour and have gotten barely anywhere.
"Oh for gods sake, regulus, look at the instructions" Sirius retorts, shoving the small sheet of instructions in his face and getting a crumpled up bag thrown at him.
He laughs, not because it's funny but cause of how domestic it is. Because of how truly happy he is. Because the knot in his chest has loosened enough that he can just breathe.
They eventually actually get the bookshelf up, it full to the top with old books and trinkets that just scream Regulus.
He doesn't get a verbal thank you, but he gets a smile and that's enough.
Then his phone buzzes and the knot tightens when he reads the message.
"What is it?" Regulus asks, his voice laced with hidden curiosity.
"A case. I'm sorry reggie, i have to go. They need me"
Regulus from first glance looks fine. Actually his face looks blank, a void of emotions.
But sirius is a profiler, raised and surrounded by the best of the best.
He notices the small furrow in between his brows, the slight purse of his lips and the way his eyes narrowed a minuscule amount.
Regulus nods, going back to shelving glasses into the cupboard.
"i'm sorry" Sirius repeats
"It's fine, sirius. It's your job, go." Is what he gets back.
Sirius sighs in defeat, gaze lingering on the younger for a few seconds before he nods and grabs his bag.
Getting to the door and hesitating on the door knob before opening it and leaving.
The ache in his chest has awoken once more.
He eventually gets to the bau, immediately being handed a cup of coffee when he enters the briefing room.
Peters sat at the table nearest to the screen, hunched over a laptop and rapidly typing away.
Remus is scolding Barty for getting ink on the table and, somehow, Evan, who was the one to hand sirius coffee when he walked in and is now currently trying not to laugh at Barty being yelled at.
Marlene's sat next to dorcas on the long table and Dorcas writing something in a file.
Everyone glances at him when he walks in and he can feel remus' gaze linger a smidge longer then everyone else's.
Ignoring the weird fluttery feeling in his stomach at that.
Everyone sits and peter clicks something on a remote and the screen pops up with gruesome crime scene images that makes sirius want to look away. He doesn't, because this is the job.
Just another day at work.