James had been looking forward to this night for weeks. Him and his friends had agreed to go out with Reg and his friends, a last-ditch attempt to have them all get along before the two moved in together. They had been dating for seven months, and while that may seem too soon to a lot of people, they had been in love with each other for far longer.
They were going to a bar, one where they thought they wouldn’t get recognized. The band had performed there in their early days, before they got any publicity and gained any real fans. They had planned for a small livestream while they were getting drinks at the start of the night, as a way to show people that the two groups didn’t hate each other, like everyone thought they did.
The two groups had notoriously been known for making digs at each other on social media, Regulus making fun of his brother at premieres, Barty laughing at James’ tweets publicly, just stuff like that. But for some reason everyone had taken this to mean they hated each other with a passion. Which was never good when two of the people, one from each group, were actually in love, and they hadn’t announced it to the world yet.
Both James and Regulus had agreed to keep their relationship private for now, seeing as since everyone thinks all of their friends, them included, hate each other, they wouldn’t believe its true, because god knows everyone chooses to believe PR over people being gay and in love, but it didn’t bother them that much. The people that mattered knew, and that’s all they cared about.
James had decided to be the designated driver for the night, seeing as he hated drinking to begin with, and mostly did it to socialize and he didn’t need to be buzzed to talk to these people, because he liked them, and what more does he need than that? Remus and Sirius had both decided to not have more than a few drinks, just so they didn’t say anything too out of line, but they were still going to drink so they wanted to be safe.
They arrived at the bar first, settling into the booth closest to the door, their usual one. The people in the bar were the regulars, who all typically respected them and their privacy enough, because they were privileged enough to watch them grow as not only people, but as a band as well. They were actually sitting in that very booth when they received their very first grammy nomination.
James and Remus sat together on one side with Sirius on the other, with a chair pulled up to the end to accommodate Evan’s fondness of personal space. Pete had taken a rain check tonight, choosing instead to go to sleep early, since he’d been having trouble lately with everything his family was dealing with. He wished them a good night and promptly went to sleep.
It didn’t take long for the others to arrive, walking through the door, eyes scanning the room for where they were sitting, Regulus being the one to find them and immediately send James a small smile. The two had agreed not to sit next to each other, at least not while on live with everyone, just to avoid any suspicion, especially since James had just recently come out as queer, so everyone took it upon themselves to “ship” him with anyone who breathed.
“You guys ordered drinks without us?” Barty said, sitting down next to Sirius, Regulus followed him into the booth. Evan took his seat at the end of the table, smiling to James in thanks for putting it there.
“You were late,” Sirius pointed out, shrugging.
“Your guys’ drinks should be out soon,” James said, rolling his eyes. “We ordered them like, five minutes ago once Reg told me you were close.”
“How sweet,” Barty replied, sarcastically.
“Can I ask why exactly we’re going live?” Evan asked, changing the subject before James and Barty started arguing about something stupid. It happened quite often.
“To ease fans into believing we’re actually friends with each other,” Remus supplied, helpfully.
“Why is that necessary?” Barty asked, annoyance leaking into his tone. Most of them got along with each other decently, Barty was the only one who had any problem with anyone, and it was with James, arguably the worst to have issues with seeing as he was his best friend’s boyfriend.
“So the two lovebirds can eventually tell them they’re dating,” Sirius said, gesturing to the two.
“Okay that is not the only reason,” Regulus argued. “Most of us are friends, we should be able to be seen together without people thinking it’s too strange.”
“Exactly,” James agreed, nodding. “And the other thing too, but that’s second.” Remus rolled his eyes, and per silent request from Regulus, hit James round the back of his head, making him shout in indignance.
“Two long islands and one vodka tonic with a lime,” Gideon, the owner of the bar said, delivering their drinks to the three new arrivals. Long islands for Regulus and Evan, vodka tonic with lime for Barty.
“Thank you,” Evan said, nodding. Gideon smiled.
“Let me know if you need anything else. Anyone who’s friends of these idiots are friends of mine,” he said, laughing at Sirius’ faux offended noise.
“I’m hurt you think of us as idiots only,” he said, bringing his hand to his chest as if he were stabbed.
“Ever so dramatic, that one,” Remus muttered, taking a sip of his beer, which resulted in a kick to the shins under the table from Sirius. “Oi!”
“Ever so dramatic, Moony,” Sirius mocked, making James snort into his hand. This was going to be a fun night.
They waited until everyone had had a few drinks, save for James, who was drinking shirley temples like it was nobody’s business, and Regulus, who had stopped after his first and had taken to stealing sips of James’ drinks when he wasn’t looking, to start the livestream.
James was the host, with him and Remus in the frame, and he invited Sirius, Regulus, and Evan as guests on it, so they could all be seen in it. They had two thousand viewers within the first minute. The chat was blowing up with people screaming about how they were all together and “I thought y’all hated each other”s.
“They’re going crazy,” Sirius laughed, watching the chats go flying by on his phone, not even able to read a single one.
“‘I thought you guys were like, enemies’,” James read out, his eyes squinting to read. Once he comprehended what he said, he burst out laughing, Evan and Remus following suit, with Regulus just smiling and shaking his head. “Do you guys never make fun of your friends to other people? No one hates anyone, and we certainly aren’t enemies.”
“Well, verdicts still out on that one when it comes to James and Barty,” Regulus said, rolling his eyes, making James groan.
“Oh god, I can already hear the speculation,” he said, amusement leaking into his voice. “Before any of you ask, I do not have enough words to tell you how much me and Barty are not a thing.” And, right as he predicted, when he slowed the chat down enough he could see the questions about it.
People were always obsessed with the idea that two people could hate each other in the public eye, and their friends play into it, only for them to be together in their private life. James knew this. Which is why the comments they were receiving in the livestream weren’t surprising.
“Just because someone’s gay doesn’t mean they fuck everything that can breathe, talk, and walk,” Evan said, shaking his head. He had come out a year ago, has since been in a relationship, and he was still asked how long he’d been dating his friends. It was insufferable.
“Preach, Evan,” Remus said, clapping.
“And,” Sirius added, his cheeks flushed from his third drink. “Just because two people of the same gender are close friends, that doesn’t mean that they’re together!”
“Except for me and Reggie!” Barty said, his words slurred a bit. He was definitely drunk. Everyone knew he was joking, him and Evan had been publicly together for a couple of months now, and everyone loved them together. “We’re actually in a relationship now! James and Reg are over, so,” he said, his words barely comprehensive, shrugging and pulling Regulus closer.
What.
What.
What did he just say?
Before James knew it he was ducking out of the camera as Remus stopped what he was doing, which was apparently kicking Sirius under the table, to look at James in shock, and possibly concern.
What the fuck.
Barty didn’t just say that.
But from the look Regulus was giving him, his mouth covered by his hand, he did.
James left the frame another time in order to try to get his breathing back to normal, so no one noticed how panicked he was. He was terrible at hiding his emotions, and if the fans caught onto his heavy breathing he knew they wouldn’t be able to brush it off.
Sirius, Evan, and Barty didn’t even seem to comprehend what was just said, because they just kept doing what they were doing, which was varying degrees of drinking, or making jokes with the people in the comments.
They all knew the two were dating, it was hard not to when they were so close when they were in private company, but they all also knew that the two were keeping it very private, but Barty, in his drunken state, seemed to have forgotten that part. Truly, why did they let him keep drinking?
“Yeah, Reggie and I are in love,” Barty continued, pulling Reg back into frame after he ducked out. “So…”
James, back in the frame, with Remus’ hand covering his own on the table, out of sight from the fans, in an effort to calm him down, looked over his camera and met Reg’s eyes, and just laughed a bit. He was in shock. This wasn’t happening.. That shouldn’t have happened, and he can see on Remus’ phone that the fans caught the slip up, and they were bubbling with questions.
Once he got a better look at the questions, and how insane and invading they were, he abruptly ended the livestream, effectively ending everyone else’s screen as well, and got up and went to the bathroom, without a word to anyone.
He refused to keep it going, not when his entire world was just outed to the entirety of their fans, who weren’t exactly known for their respect when it came to their privacy.
Regulus immediately got up and followed. Remus looked at the two leaving the dining area concern shining in his eyes. He knew how important it was for the two to keep it private. They both loved their fans, of course they did, but they also loved their relationship, and cared so deeply about the other that they never said anything that would be seen as suspicious. Once they were both out of earshot Remus turned on Barty.
“What the fuck was that, Crouch?” He asked, rage glimmering in his eyes.
“What?” He asked, his words slurred, voice sounding confused. “What was what?”
“Tell me you realize what you just did.”
“Alright, I’m confused,” Sirius admitted, putting his hands on the table.
“Barty just fucking outed James and Reg’s relationship on the live. Did none of you catch that?” He asked, and in the silence he received his voice turned incredulous. “Oh my god you didn’t.”
“When?” Barty replied, his voice clearer now, the news having sobered him up a bit.
“‘James and Reg are over, so’,” Remus mocked him, making his eyes widen and his hand cover his mouth.
“I didn’t mean to do that,” he said, shaking his head. “That wasn’t on purpose. They know that, right?”
“I guess we’ll fucking find out,” Remus returned, his voice cold.
James didn’t know what to do. His hands were shaking and his vision was so blurry that he had to check to make sure his glasses were on. He was lost. They hadn’t planned on this, and fucking Barty had to go and ruin it. What were they going to do? It wasn’t just that people didn’t know they were dating, Reg hadn’t even come out yet.
Barty had just outed his fucking best friend.
“Fuck,” he swore, shaking his hands out.
There was a knock on the door, and James tried to yell ‘occupied’ but no noise left his mouth. The person knocked again, but this time, his head was clear enough to recognize it.
“Can I come in?” Reg asked, opening the door slightly but not looking in yet, just in case he didn’t want him to. James surged towards the door, ripped it open fully, but only for enough time to allow him to pull Regulus in, and then slammed it behind him.
James pulled him into a hug, his arms tight around him, trying to regulate his breathing. Regulus seemed to know what was happening, and just tightened his arms and buried his head into his shoulder for a moment, allowing him to feel the fact that he was here, and he was safe and okay.
“Love,” Reg said, pulling back and placing his hand on James’ chest, who covered the hand with his own. “I’m going to need you to breathe. Look at my chest and follow the rhythm. Okay? Everything’s okay.”
“He fucking outed us,” he said, in between breaths, eventually bringing his breathing to a steady rhythm. “Why the fuck would he do that? He knows people can’t know yet.”
“Barty is an idiot, that’s why,” Reg muttered, anger seeping into his voice. “And when he’s drunk his two working braincells go on vacation.”
“What are we going to do?” James whispered, tears in his eyes. James had never been good at dealing with stress, and it's not helping that he can almost definitely hear Remus yelling at Barty back in the room.
“I’ll talk to my agent, and if they want to drop me they can,” Reg said, as if it was nothing. “There’s no hiding it now, he literally just claimed that we broke up, and I’m not going to let people think that I’m broken up with my boyfriend that they never even knew that I was dating in the first place.”
“Barty, what the actual fuck was that?” Regulus yelled as soon as they got in the car. The six of them all piled into James’ jeep, Reg in the front, Sirius in the trunk, and the other three in the back seat. “What the fuck were you thinking? Actually! Nevermind! I know the answer, nothing! You just fucking outed our relationship, and effectively me as a person! Nobody knew that I was gay! What the fuck?”
“I didn’t mean to,” Barty defended, his voice less slurred now, probably an effect of Remus screaming at him which definitely sobered him up a bit. “Why the fuck would I mean to do that? I know how important it is to you guys to stay private, but it just slipped out, genuinely.”
“If my agent fucking drops me, I’m sending you there to talk to him,” Reg threatened, turning back around to stare out the front. James put his hand on his leg to try to get him to relax a bit.
“If Malfoy drops you, that’s a weight off your shoulders,” Remus pointed out. “It’s shitty of him to do, but he’s a terrible fucking person. Get McKinnon or someone. I can give you her number. She’s a lesbian so she won’t hate you for being gay.”
“I appreciate it,” he replied, his voice tight.
It was silent the rest of the ride.
James went to sleep, Reg in his arms, hoping that he would wake up and it was all a horrible nightmare, because if he woke up to find that it was real, he would end up in a panic for a few reasons. The first one was the fact that it never should have happened, and it did, and not by the choice of them. The second one, and the worse one, was that The Marauders had a show tonight. Where Reg, Evan, and Barty were set to attend, to show their support.
That definitely wasn’t happening, and if it was, they’d be backstage the entire time, or in the VIP tent in a way where no one would see them. No way would James allow Reg to be attacked with questions by the people in the audience. Evan too. Barty though? James would actually encourage it.
“Love,” James whispered, moving his arm that had been under Reg’s head. “You can keep sleeping if you want, but I have to get up. I have to be at the venue in an hour and I still need to shower.”
“Fuck that,” Regulus whispered, burrowing his head into James’ neck and wrapping his arm round his waist, in an effort to keep him there, which made him chuckle.
“I have to,” he said, amusement leaking into his tone. “You’re welcome to come with me to the venue, but we can’t have you being seen with me there. It would only make things worse.”
“James, love,” Reg said, now fully awake, shifting so he could meet his eyes. “People already know. Was it our preferred method of telling them? Fuck no, but they know. We don’t have to hide anymore.”
“Okay, I’m okay with that,” he replied slowly. “I just don’t want you to get harassed with questions if people see that you’re there. Because they will do that. The fans are kind of insane sometimes, and invasive always. They didn’t need to know about this yet, but they do, and they think we’ve broken up so people will be even nastier than they normally would be. I don’t want you to be in danger.”
“We’ll have to tell them at some point,” Reg said, shrugging. “Might as well do it soon. Regardless, you need to get showered and ready for rehearsal. I’ll meet you there, okay? I like watching you all soundcheck. It’s fun.”
“Alright,” James said into the mic, the crowd screaming in reply. They had just finished their set, they only had the last song to do, Forever. “So, we unfortunately only have one song left tonight, but I wanted to have a quick sit down with you all, if that would be alright?”
The screams were deafening. James looked behind him at Remus on bass, Sirius on piano, and Pete on guitar, and saw the confusion in their eyes. He just nodded towards the edge of the stage, where he moved to sit, security moving closer to that section. His legs were hanging off of the stage, and he was mere feet away from those who had cared enough to try to get pit tickets.
They took the hint and all grabbed their mics and sat next to him, Sirius on his left, Remus on his right, and Pete next to Remus.
“So, as I’m sure you all know, last night we went live with a few of our friends,” he started, nervously glancing to the left wing backstage, where Reg was standing, watching him intently. “Something was said last night, that was not revealed on purpose.”
The crowd started going insane, screaming so loudly that when James tried speaking again, he couldn’t be heard, which prompted Remus to start yelling into his.
“If you want him to continue, you’re going to have to quiet down!” He shouted into his mic, only just loud enough to get the closer part of the fans in the seats to hear. Once they had stopped screaming, and the pit, the rest of the venue took it as their sign to stop as well.
“Thank you, Moony,” James said, laughing when all he did was mock salute him back. “As I was saying, something was shared with you guys that you weren't supposed to know just yet. And I wanted to sit down and talk to you about it. A little while ago I had shared with you all that I was queer. I willingly told you guys that because I felt I could trust you with it, and trust you to respect it.
“And if I’m being quite honest, most of you have, but there’s also the occasional person who will think I’m dating every single one of my friends, which, for the record, is not true. I’ve never dated any of them. But last night Barty, who was drunk out of his fucking mind by the way, so don’t send him any hate or anything, said something that was meant to stay private. He had mentioned that Reg and I were over and so that him and Reg were in love.”
“For the record,” Sirius interjected. “Him and Reg are not in love, he is very much smitten with Evan, before anyone tries to read into that too much.”
“Very true. Anyway, Barty was lying when he was talking about me and Reg. We aren’t over, but we are dating. And I didn’t intend for you all to find out this way, we wanted to come out on our own time, but unfortunately drunk Barty Crouch Jr wanted to proclaim his love for my boyfriend, and here we are.”
At the word ‘boyfriend’ the crowd started screaming their heads off, as if they’d never expected that James would have one.
“And now that you know this,” James started, getting up from where he was sitting. “I’d like to dedicate this next song to him. This is Forever.”
“Let’s drive for no reason, let’s see where these wheels land,” James sang, his eyes finding Reg at the side of the stage, his hand covering his mouth, his eyes shining with tears. “Let’s grind down the curve of this earth. You look fine in the evening, honey, it’s starting to storm.”
James got lost in the song. He didn’t even comprehend that eventually he was waving Reg on stage, and when his mind was back in his body he realized that Reg was on stage with them, smiling at the crowd that was, in the best way possible, losing their shit.
“...Now I’m glad I get forever to see where you end, to see where you end,” James finished, his eyes not leaving Reg once as he pulled him in for a hug.
“And that,” Remus said, looking at Pete.
“Was,” he continued, looking at Sirius.
“The Marauders!” he finished, a smile gracing his face.
“Thank you so much for coming!” James said, not letting go of Reg’s hand.
“No way we just did that.”