meetcute
“Mum?”
James called out well walking into the ice rink completely ignoring the huge “reserved for practice” sign outside the door. Wandering Further into the cold room, James could hear the distinct sound of blades on the ice. sound he had grown to love over the years Because of his mom, who is one of the most well-known figure skating coaches in all of London. turning to set his stuff down in the bleachers, he hears a boy's voice call from the ice,
“Are you blind or just stupid? This is a closed practice. Get out.”
James laughs quietly turning around to apologize, and explain that he was only here because his car was in the shop being fixed after he and his best friend Sirius got in a fender bender while arguing over Sirius’s latest obsession, a boy in his history class named Remus, only to loose his voice completely.
Time slowed down as James took in the sight before him. A beautiful boy with jet-black curls tied back into a ponytail, a dark green leotard, and dark grey sweatpants hanging low off his hips, and piercing dark eyes, so grey they were almost black, and those eyes were staring back at James.
Well, more glaring at him. James couldn't care less about the obvious look of hatred on the younger boy's face however because he couldn't get over how insanely stunning he is.
Then the boy snapped his fingers in James's face, bringing him back to reality.
“Are you even listening? I said this practice is closed. Leave.” the boy had said rather harshly.
“I know, I’m sorry I don’t mean to interrupt, I’m just looking for my mum, my name is James, James Potter” James rushed out trying not to tumble over his words and failing miserably.
“Your James?” the boy asked and James nodded “Effie is in her office. Now leave, Im busy and you're annoying me by standing around watching.”
James smiled and thanked him, rushing off to his mother's office trying to get rid of the obvious blush coating his cheeks.
Pushing open Effie’s office door, and giving a quick kiss to his mother's cheek, James slumped down in the chair across from her at her desk. After debating in his head for a moment he decided to ask her the question burning in his mind.
“Mum?”
“Yes, lovey?”
“Who's that boy out there skating? The one wearing the green leotard?”
“Are you serious James? You've been Sirius’s best friend for god knows how long, I mean he's lived with us for the past two years and you can’t recognize his younger brother?”
James sat there shocked for a moment. That was Regulus Black? He’s heard so many stories but of all the years of knowing Sirius, he’d never met Regulus. Sirius’s parents had never approved of his and James’s friendship so all of their hang-outs were held at James’s house.
Thinking back on it, James should have known, Regulus and Sirius look similar, but Regulus is shorter and has much sharper features. His eyes are also much darker than Siri’s, but still the same grey. Sirius’s long dark curls that he usually keeps in a messy half-bun thing, and his huge smile he was almost always wearing drew the attention away from his eyes, but on Regulus, that's all James could see. Dark eyes. By no means was Siri ugly, James’s best friend was incredibly pretty, and it was only emphasized by his extreme confidence level. Sirius black could get anyone he wanted and everyone wanted him. Regulus, however, was something else entirely. He was the most beautiful thing that James had ever seen. He also exuded confidence but in a completely different way, where Sirius’s made him inviting, Regulus’s was almost a threat to stay away.
“Are you ready to go?” Effie asked snapping James out of his thoughts
James just nodded.
“Great, let's go, your father is cooking, and im starving,” Effie said excitedly, standing up and grabbing her things.
They exited back out to the rink and James walked back to the bleachers trying not to stare too obviously at Regulus well grabbing his gear.
“Amazing job today reg,” he heard his mom say “Keep it up, and you'll win on Saturday for sure”
“Thank you, Effie, I really appreciate it” Regulus replied warmly smiling at his mother.
‘Wow, Im surprised he was so nice to her with how he was talking to me earlier’ James thought to himself
As James walked to catch up with his mom, he walked past Regulus who was getting off the ice.
“Bye regulus” James smiled at him
Regulus said nothing and kept walking.
At home, James was lying on his bed thinking about dark grey eyes when Sirus burst into his room and collapsed onto James with a loud sigh.
“I dont know what to say to him prongs. I never have trouble talking to guys and for some reason with Remus, I just can't get any words out. He asked me to borrow a pen today and I froze. Some girl next to him gave him one instead. It was pathetic”
“Have you thought about texting him?” James asked
“How would I even get his number If I can't say hi without looking like a bloody idiot?” Sirius whined
“Ask Lily, I'm pretty sure she's friends with him. They studied together in the library all the time” James shrugged
“Your beautiful prongs”
Sirius said kissing James’s cheek before jumping up and rushing out of his room to go call Lily leaving James alone with his own brain again.
Eventually, James’s thoughts got the best of him and he opened his phone clicking on Instagram, and searched the name Regulus black.
@R_A_Black
James opened the profile and immediately froze again. So many videos of him doing tricks and spins on ice so gracefully that it seemed like a second nature. A few pictures with a brown-haired boy and two blonde twins, a boy and a girl. And scrolling further down a picture of Regulus sitting in a cafe, black coffee and book in hand, with a small smile at the camera.
James stared at that picture for what felt like ever, until he heard Siri call him for dinner. James tossed his phone in shock hoping Sirius wouldn't come in and find his best friend Insta stocking his little brother.
Making his way downstairs, James took a deep breath to still his heart and sat down at the table.
Dinner went by quickly, Effie and Monty asked about his and Sirius’s day, James talked about his sports med class and Siri told Effie how Lily gave him the phone number of a boy he liked.
Sirius and James did the dishes and then went their separate ways.
James looked around His room for his phone having no idea where it had gone when he tossed it. eventually, he found it behind his headboard. picking up the phone his face went pale. in his frantic act to not seem weird to Sirius, he had accidentally liked the photo Regulus had posted. the pretty photo of him in the cafe. he knew that Regulus would see it, and he knew the photo was way too far down on his page for it to be confused as anything besides Instastalking. so he accepted his fate, turned off his phone, and picked up his basketball to go outside and play a little to get his mind off the mortifying accident.
After a couple of hours, he finally made his way back inside, showered, and decided to just go to sleep.
When he woke up he had completely forgotten about the incident The previous night. That was until he turned his phone back on and the first thing on it was an Instagram Direct message notification from one @R_A_Black
James's stomach dropped to the floor. and after a few deep breaths opened the message
‘You didn't stare at me long enough yesterday?’
James didn't know how to respond. he was anxious and blushing and he couldn't ask Sirius because the person who was making him feel like this was his little brother.
Shakeley James typed out a reply
‘Sorry it was an accident, and as for yesterday, I wasn't staring I was admiring. I've never seen anybody skate like that’
About 10 minutes later his phone pinged again. he wasted no time opening the message.
‘That's because hockey isn't real skating. There's no technique, just big muscles, testosterone, and a stick’
‘That's not true. there is some technique it's just more focused on speed instead of Grace’
‘learn how to figure skate and then you can talk to me about technique, Potter’
At that James hesitated, and then typed out his next message quickly before sending it.
‘You could teach me’
‘No’
‘why not? it could be fun'
‘ask your mom. we're not friends so I see no reason to spend time with you'
‘we're not friends YET, but I really like to change that’
‘ No’
‘we'll see’
after that, Regulus stopped responding.
And James couldn't stop smiling.