Neither friend nor foe
James has always believed meetings and appointments were something to detest. Since he was a little kid and his dad went to meetings at the company he worked at (which he later quit realising he had better things to do than waste his life there). Still the belief had been distilled into James anyway, looking at his Fathers weary face after long days at the office had permanently affected his belief.
Regulus Black might have changed that, I mean he’d had a meeting that definitely couldn’t be described as boring.
You may have noticed that I used the word ‘might’.
Because after Regulus Black had found James he’d dragged him to another office. The office of one Narcissa Malfoy.
It wasn’t Narcissa’s fault that the meeting had been literal torture for James. I mean Narcissa seemed to be a nice woman she was a little older than him and she was very sweet and all.
But James had never been one to sit still, wait around or even really be patient. So sitting in an office for several hours signing contracts and NDA’s was physically torturous for the man.
Yet he did sneak glances at Regulus every now and then appreciating his face as well as the rest of his features sufficiently.
He was pretty sure he caught him staring to every now and then. James was also absolutely certain he saw Narcissa shoot a disapproving glare at the other man when he bent over to sign yet another contract.
So by the second hour James had all but zoned-out and was just barely reading the papers he was being asked to sign, I mean they could probably slip some ridiculous shit in right about now and he’d be non the wiser.
As he was zoned-out he was thinking of all that had happened over the last day and a half.
Around halfway through their third hour Regulus got a call and his face dropped.
He turned to James and said “I’m so sorry but some… business has literally just come up and I’ve got to go, Narcissa will finish up and I’ll come find you I swear.”
He then turned and left looking back at James once before the door shut.
After that the mood changed drastically if was increasingly more somber by the line and his eyes that had previously been drawn to Regulus every few seconds now drooped.
It wouldn’t have taken long for him to full on fall asleep if Narcissa hadn’t asked said.
”He’s happy.”
The statement had been sudden. Definitely sudden enough to warrant his blank stare.
Especially considering they had been reading through one of the NDA documents that he was required to sign before they presented him with his contract. He was just reading about Regulus’s final conditions about their arrangement.
He wasn’t really too awake either so his possibly a bit startled or dumbfounded look to the statement was probably very humorous.
”Regulus, Is happy.” Was her only reply though.
That confused him. Why did that have anything to do with him? Or her for that matter?
He must have had another blank stare on his face because Narcissa replied.
”He hasn’t been happy for a while, years in fact. He came into this job young. Too young and it’s been hurting him.” She paused for a second she looked like she was about to say something then changed her mind quickly “And then he gives me a call yesterday saying that he needed me to draft a contract for a new client”
She paused again this time looking at James gauging his reaction.
”He has never called me before about someone. It’s just been work, He’s my cousin you know I’m only a couple years older.” She sighed seeing that James still didn’t get her declaration.
“My cousin was happy when he asked me to attend this meeting. You made a man happy who hadn’t been happy since he was a teen. I’m always going to support you and him in whatever you do cause you make him happier than he’s been in a long, long time.”
James was…. shocked.
She didn’t actually mean that, right? He was nobody. A twenty year old with dreams and a talent.
He didn’t make an extremely successful, attractive man… happy?
Narcissa gave a sharp laugh at his face before scoping up the papers on the table.
She said “Well we’re done her I’ll give you some information soon on your accommodation and your first job coming up.” And then promptly left, grinning at him on the way out.
James just sat there for a while.
His life was looking up for once he was achieving a stable income with a large agency and he’d get a new flat he’d been living in the same place since he was 18 and now he was finally moving out!
He smiled he was sure it was goofy and ridiculous but he was getting out of his shithole of an apartment, fucking hell!
James started out of the office making his way down to the ground floor he was about to leave when he saw a party leaving the opposite elevator. It was Regulus.
He made his way over to Regulus and his party of bodyguards he saw several people he was sure he’d seen around the building before as well as his driver from earlier, Dorcas. Which meant Regulus had actually sent a trained bodyguard to take James the 15 to 20 minutes drive to the office building, that made his heart flutter slightly.
On his way over he caught the attention of regulus who quickly dismissed his bodyguards to walk over to James and over his a hand.
”James I’m just heading out for some lunch now do you want to eat with me?”
James blushed and smiled he hadn’t expected his request so he turned red very quickly and barely stuttered out a response.
“Y-ye-ah-h!”
Regulus chuckled and pulled him towards a car parked outside.
The car had a driver and Regulus nodded once before pulling James into the back seat. The driver seemed to know where they were going so James was left with Regulus no clue where he was following him too or where he was being taken. James and Regulus talked on the ride but only little things and it was mainly Regulus trying to find things out about the other.
After 20 minutes they pulled up outside a building it was one of those large fancy restaurant places with 3 or 4 stories and waitlist of multiple years. Regulus got out the car and opened the door for him anyway grabbing his arm and walking towards the place, James obviously begun to panic a meal at this place was a hundred percent more then his triple the price of his flat- No - the entire building he lived in how the bloody hell were they getting in?
He knew Regulus was rich, of course he did he was like the direct result of nepotism, but he should not have money to throw at this restaurant no one should have money to buy a meal here.
“What are you doing? We cannot buy food here!” James stated very vehemently and loudly stopping in his tracks halting Regulus.
”Of course we can? It’s a restaurant James.”
”No I mean how this place is like thousands of pounds we bloody course and the waitlists are years long! The getting in part is actually impossible.”
Regulus laughed. It started and a little sound and then slowly progressed into a loud belting noise. It definitely shocked James and a blush may or may not have light up his face from the melodic sound coming from the somber man.
After calming down though he finally said “We can definitely eat here I don’t know your perception of the place but it’s not millions or thousands and it’s not even denting my pockets being here.”
Now it was James turn to stop and laugh, yet that was stopped when looking into Regulus’s very SIRIUS (ha humour) face changing to an expression of shock rather then hilarity.
Regulus continued still holding the others arm and they entered the building. Non of the employees were shocked when he entered he even came up to a few to order food.