net wars

James Potter is an anxious person. He always has been. Everyone knows it. But right now, anger has been added to it. Because everyone hates Avery, but James is sure that he hates him more than anyone. Especially now.

"If he beats Reg, it changes the perspective, and you know it," Sirius comments without taking his eyes off the TV. He can also sense his nervousness. "Come on, Reg!"

Sirius hits the table when Avery scores another point. James doesn't even want to look. He knows the damn guy has the advantage, for the first time in years.

"James. Indian Wells is yours, like every year. But from then on, things change. Rosier is hot on Reg's heels, and Avery isn't far from you. So get ready."

When the commentator highlights another shot by Avery, James feels his blood boiling even more. "What the hell is wrong with Avery, did your bloody mother train him? Because there's not a single fuckin’ reasonable explanation for how he's playing."

"It's Reg. I don't know what's wrong with him. Fuck."

James looks back at the screen where the play is repeated. It's not hard to catch that Avery isn't doing anything new or amazing; it's Regulus who isn't doing what he should be doing.

When the live feed returns, James sees that Regulus has called a timeout and approaches the barrier separating him from the spectators. It's then that everyone sees Remus Lupin, his coach. And how much he seems to be yelling.

Despite the silence spreading across the court, Remus's words aren't heard. James watches Regulus with a lowered gaze. It's almost humiliating to see him like this. Then, Remus hands him a pill capsule and passes a piece of paper that seems to be a prescription to one of the officials.

"Why is he on medication?" Sirius asks to himself.

James notices it right away. The slight limp. The slight tug that can barely be noticed. But James knows perfectly well it's there. He knows it must be something with his hip or leg. From the way Regulus grips the racket again and doesn't support the handle near his right side, he knows something's wrong. He knows Regulus has to stop.

"He has something in his leg. Or in his hip. I don't know."

"What? Why do you say that?"

"There's a slight limp if you look closely, and the expression he puts every time he touches between his hip and his right leg."

James becomes distressed when he sees Regulus stepping back onto the court. Just bandage wherever it hurts or put something on, please, he thinks. And as if Regulus could hear him, before re-entering, he requests a stabilizer for the part where the hip and leg connect.

Then his gaze changes. And the air seems to grow heavier as silence falls amid the crowd's noise, and Regulus Black looks disdainfully at a flustered Avery. He knows Jackson Avery's weak point is that he's simply bad. And that he tires quickly, specially when he has wasted his effort on repetitive, tiresome, and futile moves.

Because of this, when he steps back onto the court for the remaining of the second set, Regulus appears sharper than before. More awake. More ready. And he beats his opponent soundly.

Soon, he claims the second set as his own, followed by the third. And everything returns to its original place when Regulus declares himself the winner after winning the fourth.

"Thank God, fuck!"

James is relieved too. But he doesn't say it.

It's not until half an hour later that Sirius comes back to the hotel room's lounge distressed again. "He's on two weeks rest. Something's happened, but Remus told everyone he'll be fine for Indian Wells."

"But that's in two weeks."

"Exactly. Reg has never requested time off so close to a competition like this. I think he's up to something."

And as if Sirius had some kind of connection to his brother's mind, he's not wrong in his prediction. A few hours later, the draws for the Indian Wells doubles are announced. And as usual, James is paired with Peter Pettigrew. What catches attention isn't that France is bringing its top tennis players, but that Regulus Black and Evan Rosier are leading as a pair.

"No way."

"You've got to be fuckin’ kidding me."

•

The venue is nearly as packed as in other years. It seems California's unpredictable weather hasn't deterred anyone, and the atmosphere is charged with tension. Everything is set.

Everything except James Potter.

He knows he's running late, as always. But if anyone asks, it's all Sirius's fault for getting carried away talking to handsome men. Still, James struggles with getting ready because he's always clumsy, and no matter how basic the suit he has to put on, it never looks spectacular in his eyes. However, much to his luck, Sirius could have pursued a career in styling, and he fixes everything before it becomes a disaster.

The ceremony is in one of the large rooms of the hotel where everyone is staying. A grand welcome dinner held at every tournament to wish luck to all participants and foster sports relationships among the world's best.

James loves these dinners. He has the chance to see all the acquaintances he values most. For example, the one who greets him upon arrival is Frank Longbottom. The man he admires most after his father, and undoubtedly a role model in his tennis career.

Frank is the tennis player with the most Grand Slams in history, and his wife, Alice, happens to be the same in the women's category. They are both a couple of years older than James, but they are so youthful that it's no surprise he enjoys spending time with them.

"James, dear. It's been so long since we've seen you!" Alice exclaims. "I hope this ATP tour goes spectacularly for you. The other day, Frank reminded me of when you won your first Grand Slam in France when you were so young!"

"Yes, my nineteen were an amazing time."

James remembers his first Grand Slam perfectly. It was just a year after Sirius's dreadful injury. While the tennis world overlooked their champion to find another. And James happened to be nearing the top and he was finally crowned at Roland Garros.

It was the only year he won there. Because a year after his coronation, Regulus Black, Sirius's younger brother, rose from the ashes of his family and made a place for himself among the top ranks of international competitions. And maybe it had something to do with Regulus reigning in France ever since, but James didn't win one prize there again.

Honestly, he hopes to have better luck this year.

"Oh, I bet, Jamie! Have you seen Regulus yet?"

"To be honest, I haven’t seen him since Río. And even there we didn’t coincide.”

“That one was hard, I remember.” Frank says, “Mulciber got that one, right?”

“Yeah.”

The damn Mulciber stepped up his game and defeated James in the sixteenths, then waited until the quarterfinals to beat Regulus. In James's opinion, he did it in a very disrespectful way that deserved a sanction, but since Jack's parents had a lot of influence, nothing happened to him.

When Frank and Alice have to go greet other people, he focuses on finding Sirius again, who seems to never be able to stay still where there's food or men.

He finds him by the small chocolate fountain they've set up, but obviously he doesn't find him alone. In fact, he's enthusiastically talking to Remus Lupin, as if they're in some kind of argument, but the taller one just smiles.

"Why didn't you tell me?! He's my brother!"

"And I'm his coach. Besides being his best friend. If he tells me not to say anything, I won't."

"But I'm his brother!"

"Great."

Remus remains impassive and Sirius only dramatizes even more.

"What the hell! I can't stand you."

James can perfectly observe the moment when Remus lightly pulls on one of the buckles on Sirius's pants, drawing him slightly closer.

"Yeah sure."

"Yeah an-" James doesn't want to interrupt, but inevitably does when Remus notices him and separates from his best friend. "Hi, James."

"Hi, sorry to interrupt, I was just leaving. Well, wait, Remus, tell me where’s Reg and I'll leave you alone." The mentioned one looks at him reproachfully. "Please?"

"If you bother him, I swear I-"

"Yeah yeah yeah, I know. I'll just talk to him. As always."

This time it's Sirius who speaks. "Don't annoy him, James. It's too early. But do try to get the info out of him that we discussed."

"Hey!"

"Mr. Remus here doesn't want to talk about his contacts! I wonder why?" Sirius says it with a hint of malice. He knows he hasn't let go of the Indian Wells draw incident and also knows that Remus and Regulus have someone on the inside who tells them classified info. "Also, ask him why we weren't the first ones they told."

"Oh, so you're just jealous then."

James knows when it's a good time to leave. Anyway, he knew Remus wouldn't tell him where Regulus would be, simply because he prefers them to meet on a court rather than in a refined salon where there are breakable things. However, it's Regulus who finds him.

"Hey, Potter."

Regulus looks at him with curiosity, and with some determination as well, as if he knows perfectly what he's doing.

"Black."

"Why so serious? Aren't you happy to see me?"

His tone turns sarcastic as he responds, "I'm always thrilled to see you, love."

"Liked that better."

In this light, and with that suit that accentuates his figure, Regulus Black stands out among everyone present. He is an intriguing and utterly attractive person. He knows how to lay his cards on the table and play them perfectly.

Regulus is attractive even in his way of playing tennis. James has never told Sirius, for obvious reasons, but since the first time he saw Regulus, he's wanted to pin him against a wall and make him completely his.

The first time they exchanged words was in the Australian semifinal that kicked off a season in which Regulus would revolutionize the world of tennis. James just wanted to be friendly and make another acquaintance (and maybe kiss him until he got tired), but Regulus was only cruel to him and disqualified him from the competition. James will deny it for the rest of his life, but it was then that the more he hated him, the more he desired him.

"How about we leave already, don't you find this boring?"

"Seeing all these people wondering if this time they'll be able to beat me? Not at all, it's quite amusing."

"They can wonder all they want. At the end of the day, it'll be me making you scream."

"You're very sure of yourself, Potter."

"It's tradition, isn't it?"

Regulus laughs. And then, he slowly considers what he intends to say, “Don't get your hopes up, Potter. I might just surprise you.” And James doesn't doubt it. In fact, he's completely sure he will. So, they share a glance that promises something interesting.

James loses sight of him then. Not because he wants to, but because more and more people are arriving, bringing with them more acquaintances and friends. The first person he notices is Marlene, in a green dress he perfectly knows Dorcas picked up.

“Marls!”

“James!”

"How's it been going? Haven't seen you in a while. Saw you won the Argentina Open, congrats! The Belgian star is shining bright this season!"

"Thanks, Jamie! Just trying to give it my all, although Lily leads the pack. Still, we're really proud of her."

"Yeah! Haven't seen her yet, I'll tell her she's started off the season on fire."

"Of course! You weren't too shabby in Australia either! Tense matches, but really good ones."

"Yeah well, Regulus disqualified me again."

"Must be his way of showing you affection."

"Yeah. I'm a lovelorn and mistreated man. My tragic version breaks the mold. What can I say, I'm used to it."

"Well, the bets on you are skyrocketing, buddy! The other day I tried to bet that you'd win Indian Wells again this year, but Dorcas caught me and banned me from it. Said my gambling addiction would make me lose my fortune."

His best friend laughs, and James can't help but join in. He's known Marlene since they were kids, in the junior categories where they faced off in mixed friendlies. He met her practically before Sirius, just a few months apart.

However, Marlene is different from Sirius. They're alike in essence, but she exudes a lightness that's incomparable. Playing tennis with her was always fun, more like a hobby, as if neither of them had any professional concerns.

Probably, that's what set her apart from Sirius above all. Because Sirius was competitive to the core. James knew very well it wasn't because of him, but because of the pressure of having a mother like his. Walburga Black would have been the greatest tennis player in history if not for her injury.

In a way, Sirius Black would have undoubtedly been the greatest tennis player in history too, if not for his injury. James and Sirius don't like to talk about those things. For both of them, what happened happened, and now they only focus on succeeding as the duo they are and have always been.

When everyone sits down for dinner, conversations flow back and forth. There's excitement about starting the ATP tour, but also tension. The atmosphere is generally good, as almost always, but it doesn't go unnoticed by anyone the weary looks between some of the players. James doesn't want to look at anyone, because he knows that if certain people at the table make any comments, they'll test his patience. And James is a very patient and empathetic person, but not if they annoy him too much. And that goes for the group of hateful lackeys at the back, who come only to tense the atmosphere and gossip nonsense.

So James directs his gaze elsewhere, and allows himself to contemplate the beauty of Regulus Black in all his splendor. He whispers things in Remus's ear and they laugh together, almost as if they were plotting something nobody else knows about. And James believes it's totally possible. It's Sirius who interrupts his moment of appreciation.

"I'm not going to lie, Remus is literally the most annoying being in the universe! I don't know why I didn't realize it before!"

"Uh huh."

"And seriously, James, I hate him. Why does he act so arrogant? So important? And-"

"And that's why you want to shag him, isn't it?"

"...what!" Sirius turns red instantly. His pale skin makes it even more noticeable. James just laughs and keeps eating.

"James, have you lost your mind?!"

"Relax, I'm sure he's into you too."

Then he can't help but laugh, because Sirius's face is priceless and it's the best thing he's seen in weeks. His best friend continues to reproach him with more and more things, as well as raising his level of drama, but James can only laugh.

Certainly, he longs for the day when Sirius realizes, in general, about things. And James may seem unaware of much, but he can perfectly sense the desire between Remus and Sirius. But he's not going to talk sense into him; he simply lets Sirius make a bit of a fool of himself and have fun.

Finally, when people start to leave, James decides he's had enough for this dinner too; he says goodbye to those he can and heads to the elevator. The tournament starts tomorrow and he needs to ensure the first victory.

That's why, as luck is certainly on his side, Regulus is already waiting for him upstairs with a smirk that James is willing to go crazy for.