James smiled softly and ran his thumb over the back of Regulus’s hand. The corners of his mouth twitched softly, the only indication that he was happy.
Well not the only indication. Regulus gazed at James like he had hung the stars, moon, and sun. He could not take his eyes off of his boyfriend.
“You look beautiful,” James murmured, running his thumb over Regulus’s wrist again. Regulus’s eyes widened. He was caught off guard by the compliment, even after two years of dating.
Regulus could not be more thankful for their secret love, something hidden away from prying eyes. He knew that the world did not accept them, but he did not care. There was something beautiful in their privacy, in the sneaking around and secret meetings. No one knew that the Heir to the House of Black and one of the most famous Quidditch players in the UK were together. He secretly enjoyed the thrill of the secret. It was safe in their little bubble, but fun to imagine the scandal that would ensue if they were ever found out. Regulus didn’t care much about his image; all he cared for was James. James, who was sitting across from him at a restaurant, telling him he looked beautiful.
“I love you,” whispered Regulus softly. James beamed and the whole world fell away for Regulus. Seeing James smile, it was the cure to any ailment Regulus could ever battle. He made it his personal mission to make James smile at least fourteen times a day.
“I love you too,” James replied, his eyes crinkling with happiness. This, right here, was bliss. Regulus could live like this for the rest of his life. He wanted to be with James forever, and there was nothing that could make him ever think otherwise.
After finishing their dinner, James and Regulus strolled out of the restaurant and began to walk home. They walked with their hands intertwined, soft smiles rolling on both of their lips. Regulus’s eyes wandered to James’s jawline as they walked. He was so handsome, Regulus could not stand it. He made Regulus’s knees go weak every time without even trying.
“Something bothering you love?” James asked. Regulus realised he had been staring.
“Um no, I just want to..” Regulus trailed off as James pulled him gently by the arm off the main road and into a dark alleyway.
“What’s the matter baby?” asked James, cocking his head. Regulus avoided his eyes, keeping his gaze trained on the ground. He felt James lift his chin softly with his fingers. James was smirking.
“You’re looking a little eager there, my love. Anything I can help with?”
Regulus lost every sense of words, all of his knowledge of both the French and English languages flying out of the window. James smirked once more and then he leaned down and kissed Regulus. Regulus’s brain went blank. His whole body drooped and James pushed him gently back into the alley wall. His arms framed Regulus’s body, and his knee slowly pushed between his legs. Regulus moaned into James’s mouth and wrapped his arms around him.
The kiss grew more passionate, their mouths intertwining. They were becoming so absorbed in one another, that neither saw the small flash or heard the click of the camera from the main street.
Regulus Arcturus Black caught in a compromising position last night with none other than James Fleamont Potter! The two were spotted in a lover's sort of way in a dark alleyway last night! What exactly does this mean for the rest of the Sacred Twenty-Eight? Everyone knows that this sort of thing is not tolerated. How embarrassing for the Black Family. We hope that they can take the appropriate action to deal with this situation.
“FUCK! Fuckfuckfuck!”
James opened his eyes, confused as all hell. He could see his boyfriend running around the room, clutching the Daily Prophet. He sat up in bed, intending to go calm down Regulus. But Regulus turned to him first, and his were so full of panic that all James could do was freeze.
“James… we were seen. So-someone saw us. There’s a picture.”
James’s blood ran cold. No, that was impossible. They would have known if someone had seen them. They would’ve heard, would’ve seen. He jumped up and ran over to Regulus. He shoved the paper into James’s chest and sank onto the bed, his head in his hands. James opened the paper with trembling fingers. Sure enough, there it was. A picture of James pushing Reg against the alley wall, kissing Regulus’s neck. His heart hammered in his chest.
“Reg, what does this mean? For us?” James asked. He was scared, more scared than he had been in years. Regulus’s head remained in his hands for a minute or two before he looked up to answer.
“It means that we’re done. I’m the heir to the most powerful Pureblood family. Do you think that they will let me continue this?”
James felt his heart drop into his stomach. He couldn’t breathe.
“You- Reg, you don’t mean that. You can’t mean that.”
“And why not?” Regulus asked, standing and crossing his arms.
“Because I love you…” James spluttered out.
Regulus’s gaze softened and his lips parted.
“James, I- I love you too. But this has-”
He was cut off by a terrible, shrill shriek. A howler had just come racing into the foyer of their apartment and was screaming its lungs out. James caught words here and there ‘traitor!’ ‘immoral!’ and ‘disgusting!’ before Regulus pointed his wand at the howler and it burst into flames.
“Look James, everyone knows. The only thing to do now is end it.” His demeanour seemed strong but his voice shook and his lip trembled even as he said it.
“The only thing?? No Reg, you could fight. You could stand up against this. You know there’s nothing wrong about us, why are you still ashamed?” James cried. Tears streamed down his face as he regarded the man before him.
“I am not ashamed” Regulus countered, but he averted his eyes. “You don’t understand James, you weren’t raised like this. It’s not that simple, fuck. Your integrity is easy come for you, but it makes me feel so fucking small! I’m not ashamed, but I’ve been conditioned to believe certain things and I am trying- oh I am trying- to let those go, for you!” Regulus’s voice grew louder and louder as he spoke and James felt his heart clench as the sound of his lover’s distress.
“Okay, Regulus breathe. Just breathe.”
James crossed the room and took his boyfriend in his arms. Regulus shuddered against his chest, clutching at James’s shirt. James tried to remain as steady as he could for him. He held Regulus in his arms as tightly as he could, determined to keep him safe. He knew that Regulus was struggling with this, and probably always would be, but that didn’t make James love him any less.
“Do you want me to get Sirius?” asked James softly. While Regulus and James had been seeing each other, the two siblings had reconnected slowly. At first, it had been all fights and accusations, but James had made them work through it and overcome their aversion. They weren’t perhaps as close as he would like, but in times when Regulus was suffering with things that James just couldn’t understand, Sirius was always there to help. Sirius had grown up in Reg;s world, he understood all the feelings that Regulus hated himself for. Regulus nodded slowly into James’s shirt, raising a hand to wipe his eyes.
“Don’t tell him I’ve been crying or I’ll permanently blind you,” Regulus said with very little conviction. James kissed the top of his head lightly and walked to the fireplace to call for his best friend.
James waited outside the door anxiously. He didn’t want to interrupt the important talk going on inside, but he wanted to know how Regulus was doing. He was worried about his boyfriend. All morning, they had received a deluge of hate mail and howkers, all painting Regulus as this ‘great betrayer’ of his family name. James had destroyed them all without a second thought. He had also seen if he could pull any strings to take down the article in the paper. He hadn’t seen any progress, and the mail just kept coming. It seemed that everyone had an opinion on who Regulus loved.
James’s heart weighed heavy in his chest as he waited. Sirius had come when called, as always. They were talking right now in the bedroom of James and Reg’s apartment. James hoped that Sirius was telling Reg to fight. He couldn’t imagine a life without Regulus, without his other half.
The door opened and Sirius poked his shaggy head through, smiling.
“James, come in. Reggie wants to talk.”
James leapt up from his seated position and scurried into the room. He crossed the space between them in three steps, grasping Regulus firmly and kissing him as hard as he could. Regulus went a little limp in James’s arms, sighing in satisfaction into James’s mouth.
“Merlin’s balls, get a bloody room,” Sirius groaned from behind them. James grinned, pulling back and softly tucking a strand of curly black hair behind Reg’s ear.
“You okay love?”
Regulus nodded, sitting down on the bed and inviting James to do the same. Sirius slipped out of the room quietly, shutting the door behind him.
“So… I’m sorry for what I said. I’m sorry about everything James, I really am. This is all- I do-don’t know how to live without you and-and I’m afraid that you won’t want m-me anymore after this.” Regulus words came out rushed and frantic.
“You’re stuttering baby,” whispered James softly. He cupped Regulus’s face gently, and Reg closed his eyes and leaned into James’s touch.
“So-sorry.”
“Don’t apologise for something you have no control over,” James reminded him gently. “That goes for this situation as well Reg. You didn’t do anything. I get why this is hard for you.”
Regulus stared up at him with wide eyes. He bit his lip softly before speaking, “Are you sure?”
James nodded fervently. “Nothing could ever make me love you less Reg.”
“But I can ne- never give you whatyou- what you want. I can never love you out- out loud, I can never give you peace. We’d have to hide it or lie, or be disowned like Sirius,” Regulus stammered.
“And I don’t care Reg. As long as I have you. You are the only thing I want, the one I would die for. I need you like fucking water Regulus. You are ingrained in my very soul, my heart, my body, my being. There is no James Potter without Regulus Black. Okay? I am nothing without you, and everything with you. Fuck your family, one day we’ll have our own anyways,” James said with a smile. Regulus however, paled at James’s words. “What’s wrong??” James asked, alarmed.
“A f-f-family? You want a family?” Regulus’s voice was pitched higher than usual and he began wringing his hands, playing with and pulling at his fingers anxiously.
“Yes of course, with you baby.”
“But- but we c-can’t. I can’t give you children, I can’t I can’t I can’t!” Regulus launched off the bed with a cry, tears welling in his eyes. James felt his heart wrench at the site. He had never seen his boyfriend so distressed in all their years of being together.
“Regulus calm down. Please. I know that you can’t give me children. That isn’t what I meant. I meant you and me and Sirius and Remus and any pets you want or any kids that you want to adopt my love. I know that you are scared that I want someone else, something else. But this is enough Reg. You are enough. There is no where else I would rather be, alright?”
“You deserve better,” Regulus said bitterly.
“No, I deserve you. You are my ‘better’, you are the best I could ask for. You are all that I want, for the rest of my life okay?”
“Are you sure, they won’t leave us alone. It will be hard and painful.”
“It will be pure bliss if you’re at my side my love.”
Regulus’s lip trembled and James hurried forward and kissed him before he could say anything else. James put every ounce of love that he held for Regulus into the kiss.
They fell back into bed in a tangle of limbs and soft kisses, filled with soft love.