Part 2
James thought for a moment, trying to recall Regulus's features. "Well, he's rather young, early thirties, I’d say. He has black hair, a bit tousled, and fairly dark blue eyes. He's quite slender with an angular face, but he has a warm smile." Sirius chuckled slightly at James's description. "We must be related, then. From how you describe him, he's pretty handsome, right, James?" James blushed slightly at the question. It's true that Regulus is a handsome man, but James didn’t see him that way—he was his son’s teacher. "Could you stop flattering yourself all the time?" Remus threw at Sirius. "Dare say I’m not gorgeous, Moony..." Remus rolled his eyes as his husband moved closer on the couch, resting his head on Remus's shoulder. Remus said nothing, but he couldn’t help smiling foolishly. Seeing Remus's smile, Sirius gently kissed him on the cheek. "You see, I know you can't resist my charm," he joked. Remus sighed lightly, feigning exasperation, but his smile betrayed his amusement. "You're incorrigible," he replied softly.
James had always been fascinated by the love Remus and Sirius shared. They’d been together for over ten years now, yet they still loved each other like the first day. With that thought, James decided it was time to head home. After saying goodbye to his friends, he set off for his apartment.
On the way, James decided to walk home. He needed to reflect on the day's events. He took a deep breath of the cool evening air and started walking. He passed through streets lined with imposing red brick buildings as the streetlights began to pierce the early darkness. As he neared his home, James mulled over Remus's words about his divorce from Lily. He needed to move on. He was tired of seeking someone to blame, especially when it involved his son's mother. Lily had been so important to him; for years, she was the center of his world, and now, nothing felt grounded, everything was off-balance.
He entered his apartment. He hated being there, especially alone. It was a rather small apartment, with two bedrooms and an open-plan kitchen and living room. He had found it in a panic when joint custody was established, and he couldn’t keep bringing Harry to his friends' places. The place was sparsely decorated, mostly with family photos, pictures of his friends, and drawings his son had given him. He didn’t stay there often when Harry was with his mother; he preferred working late or staying at Remus and Sirius’s place.
As he lay in bed, he thought of Regulus and his friendly, kind smile. James had rarely met a man who caught his attention like that. He found his beauty hypnotic and intriguing. Since the divorce, he’d only had one-night stands, nothing worth mentioning. James turned over in bed, trying to shake these troubling thoughts from his mind. Why was he thinking so much about Regulus? He was a man he’d barely met, yet he couldn’t help feeling a strange fascination with him. However, as he closed his eyes in the darkness of his room, Regulus's image continued to haunt his thoughts. He recalled their conversation in the classroom, admiring how he interacted with Harry. He remembered the kindness in his eyes and the charm of his smile. Gradually, fatigue overtook him, and he fell asleep, hoping that sleep would rid him of the images of Regulus occupying his thoughts.
On Friday, James went to pick up his son from school. He had planned a great weekend for Harry, which he had organized with Sirius. After leaving work, he met up with his friend at the corner of the street. James had been working at a clinic for a few years and enjoyed it. He had struggled to give up his sports career, but after learning that his son was on the way, he wanted to be around to watch him grow up without having to be away for months. It was only natural for him to change career paths and become a physical therapist. James liked helping others, and the idea of healing people, especially after sports injuries, made him feel useful.
On the way to school, Sirius looked worried. "Spit it out, Siri!" His friend gave him a mock look of shock. "No, seriously, I can’t talk about it now," Sirius said more seriously. James stopped for a moment. "Are you going to leave Remus?" Sirius turned around abruptly. "What? Are you crazy?" James looked at him intently. "You don't want to talk about it?" Sirius shook his head. "Not now. We’ll talk about it later, okay? Remus wants us to tell you together." They continued on their way to the school, each lost in their own thoughts. However, James's worry didn’t leave him. He had known Sirius for years, and he could see that something was seriously troubling him. He decided to press on. "Sirius, I know you. You're scaring me, for god’s sake. I feel like you're about to tell me you have cancer. What's going on?" Sirius hesitated for a moment, but faced with James's insistence, he sighed and lowered his eyes. "You're relentless. Moony's going to kill me... We... we want to adopt a child." Sirius's words hit James like a bombshell. He blinked, stunned. "Adopt?" he repeated, incredulous. Sirius nodded, a gleam of excitement mixed with anxiety in his eyes. "Yes, we've been talking about it for several months, and... we think that… well, we feel ready." James quickly regained his composure and hugged his friend. "I'm so happy for you," James whispered against Sirius’s shoulder. After a few moments in each other's arms, Sirius pulled away and smiled at James. He looked at his watch. "Damn, we’re late!" James burst out laughing, and suddenly the two friends started running towards the school.
Out of breath, they arrived at the closed gate. "Today’s not the day we’ll break any world records," said Sirius, panting. James pressed the intercom. "Yes, hello, this is James Potter, Harry's father... Yes, I know, sorry for the delay." The door slowly opened, and the two men entered the main courtyard. A few children were still playing, paying no attention to the two adults. Sitting on a bench was Regulus, with a tearful Harry on his lap. The teacher was talking to the young boy, not noticing James and Sirius approaching. Harry turned his head, and a radiant smile lit up his face at the sight of his father and godfather. "They're here! They're here!" Harry shouted, jumping off Regulus's lap. James scooped his son up into his arms.
Regulus’s gaze fell on Sirius, and he froze, his face growing even paler than usual. Sirius noticed and had the same reaction. After James had reassured his son, he noticed the tense atmosphere between the two men. "Alhena?" Sirius said in a trembling voice. Tears welled up in Regulus's eyes as he struggled to hold them back. He stood up abruptly and walked toward a classroom. Harry tugged on his godfather's sleeve. "Siri, why are you making Professor Reg cry?" James, not understanding the situation, picked Harry up to carry him. "James... would you wait for me at the apartment?" James looked at his friend incredulously. "What's going on?" Sirius started walking towards the school, then quickly turned back. "We’ll talk at the apartment." James felt a pang of worry. He knew something was wrong. But he nodded and turned back, carrying Harry in his arms.