James Potter is the boy who looks after everyone and puts everyone before himself, not expecting anything back; pushing down his feelings until they explode and come out in pure fury. James Potter is the boy who does not have bad days because he's the bright and sunny one. Yet, he's having a bad day.
"James?" Sirius' voice is lined with pure concern that it awakens him from his, somewhat, trance.
"Mhm?" He puts on a small smile, forcing down the food he desperately doesn't want to eat.
"James." Sirius cocks his head and looks at him with a knowing frown.
"Yes, Sirius?" He says with a quiet sigh.
"There is no point in pretending, I know something is up,"
"Nothing's up,"
"Was it my brother?"
"Regulus never bothers me,"
"Oh, yeah, ew,"
"Not now, Pads," James crumples into his hands, deflating and curving in on himself; pushing the food away and standing up.
"I'm sorry," Sirius goes to stand up but James grimaces and shakes his head.
"I just need a minute," more like an hour, he thinks before pointedly walking out of the hall, hoping he didn't cause much of a commotion.
He doesn't know where he is walking, where he is going but he just want to get as far away from everyone as possible, so he walks through the halls, half his mind concentrating on not tripping over, the other half locked away in his thoughts so he hardly notices when he shoves a boy ever so slightly and just moves straight past.
And he hardly notices when that boy starts to walk after him, concern written on his face but he finally does get knocked out of his sort of trance when a shout in his ear sends him in a panic.
"Shit, I'm so sorry, I only did it because well... you're acting strange and I needed to check if you weren't possessed, not that I care though! Because... because it wouldn't be safe for the school if you were or you could die which I also don't care about! But I'm sure Siri, Rem and perhaps that Pettigrew would be upset, but- oh my God. I'm rambling. Shit, I'm so sorry, I just wasted your day and your time, I'm gonna go drown myself in the lake now," that was the msot Regulus has ever said to him in a conversation and he's fucking ecstatic, at least one good thing can come out of this day.
"Wait! Shit, shit," he chases after Regulus, who is an annoying fast walker, before stopping in front of him, "Wait, oh my God,"
"I thought you were an athlete, Potter," the corner of his mouth ticks up slightly as he watches James pant profusely.
"You're a very fast walker," he pants in response.
"Ah," is all he says before walking around James until he grabs his hand with a small frown.
"Wait," James lets out a deep breath before smiling at the other boy whose bored demeanour cracked enough to let a small blush flood through his cheeks.
"I am," he laughs shortly.
"Thank you,"
"I didn't do anything," Regulus lets out a startled laugh.
"Well, I don't know what you did. Thanks for caring enough whether I was possessed or not, I guess?" He chuckled softly before giving Regulus a sweet smile in which he gets a small blush in return.
"The school wouldn't be safe if you were,"
"Of course," he nods and let's go of Regulus' hand, slightly disappoint at the empty space and the loss of the feeling.
"Of course," Regulus repeats before turning away and walking towards which James can only guess is the Slytherin Common Room.
James doesn't have another bad day for a while after that.
His next one hit him like a train wreck.
James wakes up drenched in sweat, his head is spinning and all he can think about is that it is pretty late and Minnie will most certainly kill him.
He can't move though, his limbs feeling like dead weights, pulling him down into the soft sheets of his bed and he immediately falls back to sleep.
James wakes up two hours later, his blinds are drawn, the only source of light is a small tear in the curtains.
The door opens creakily, someone walks over and tentatively peeks through the curtains to evidently check if he's alright.
James has a migraine and he's fucking annoyed, he just wants to be alone and he's about to tell the person to fuck off and mind their own business when a cold towel is pressed to his forehead which startled him in a good way that he groans happily, closing his eyes against the cold fabric. The person laughs not mockingly, pleasantly, it's more like a childish giggle, he really hopes it's not a first year, though he doubts it.
"Thanks," he slurs with a satisfied smile
"My pleasure, now go back to sleep," the person laughs again and he nods, falling back into a dreamless sleep.
James wakes up next to someone falling asleep on their hand whilst still pressing the more warm than cold flannel against his head, some devotion. That's when he takes a proper look at the person who helped and looked after him.
Regulus motherfucking Black.
Oh this is most certainly a dream, he thinks and laughs at the absurdity of it all. There is no way Regulus Black had giggled more than an hour ago at his half-asleep comments, no way he had been watching over him this whole time. Whilst looking devastatingly beautiful whilst doing it. Very pretty while sleeping it seems, he mentally logs that.
"Reggie?" He peers at his sleeping form, no wanting to wake him but knowing he has to eventually. He tentatively shakes him as gently as he can and when that doesn't work he runs a hand through his hair gently, admiring the prettiness of him.
Regulus murmurs something and slowly squints his eyes open, going pink when he sees James in front of him, "I thought you were Sirius, so sorry, oh, this is embarrassing. I'd better go really, so sorry to disturb your sleeping, again, I didn't meant to, you look the same slightly, must have mistaken you, I'm rambling again, goodbye," he breaths out. long breath before walking away but James catches his hand once again and he sits up, his migraine vanished and his bad day has come to an end.
"Me and Sirius look nothing alike," James laughs, looking up at the other boy.
"I mean, your noses look similar?" Regulus grimaces at the obvious lie, "Shit I'm so bad at lying,"
"Yeah, you are,"
"Well, isn't that just grand?" They both laugh softly before flushing.
"I probably have to go, you know, Pandora might be missing me,"
"I'm sure she can wait a bit longer," James says to which Regulus sighs and sits on the other end of the bed.
"Hello, James," he rolls his eyes.
"Hello, Regulus," James laughs, happily.
"What do you want?"
"Answers,"
"To what?"
"Why are you here?"
"Maybe I like visiting sometimes,"
"Yeah, yeah," James rolls his eyes with a smile, "Why are you really here?"
"Had to remind myself of how much I hate Gryffindor?"
"Then why did you look after me?"
"You must be imaging things, probably my brother," Regulus shrugs and James laughs again.
"You don't need to lie,"
"What if I'm not lying?"
"I know you are,"
"What if you're wrong?"
"Good Merlin, Reggie!" James laughs and squeezes the hand he completely forgot he was still holding, "What I'm trying to say is, do you like me?"
"Pardon?"
"Do you like me?"
"Well that's an absurd thing to think, why would you think that? I wouldn't. Absurd. If Sirius had overhear you it would be the death of us," he laughs awkwardly, glancing at the door. He's obviously lying.
"Mm, okay, but just in case you have any second thoughts, I wouldn't mind it if you did," he shrugs nonchantly, letting go of Regulus' hand and smiling sweetly at the surprised face staring back.
"What are you saying?" Regulus narrows his eyes.
"What am I saying?" James only smiles happily back.
"You're confusing, Potter. Are you saying that you wouldn't mind if I hypothetically had a crush on you because I'm your best friend's brother and I live with you or that you wouldn't mind because you like me?"
"I don't know," James shrugs which causes Regulus to groan.
"You are so infuriating sometimes!" He scoffs and surges forward, capturing James' lips tentatively as if he's checking if James will pull away and when he doesn't he tangles his hand in James' hair with such force that it pinkens his cheeks as he kisses him back with as much force as he receives.
It is all very hot and James is at Regulus' feet like a dog, he'll do anything he'll ask of him. It's quite ironic how he'll go from teasing and flirting to an obedient mess when it comes to Regulus Black.
There is no surprise when he only lasts a minute, it's probably a new record.
After they clean up after an hour of spooning and talking about the most random of topics, they eventually end up cuddling in bed once more, a comfortable silence handing over them both as they think quietly to themselves, too caught up in their own thoughts to ask what the other's are.
"Reggie?"
"Mhm," Regulus rests his head on James' chest with a satisfied hum, and -oh fuck, he looks adorable.
"Please don't tell me that we're gonna be like one of those friends with benefits kind of thing because I really don't think I can honestly handle that because I really like you and I cannot restrict that down to sex with you. I'm already halfway in love with you and everytime we would have sex it's just another step closer to it, which would make it even more gut-wrenching limiting all these feelings to sex," James looks at Regukus with a grimaces which leaves the other boy somewhat speechless before he kisses him gently.
"Will you be my boyfriend?" And, oh. James sure wasn't expecting that.
"Fuck, yes," he laughs happily, momentarily surprised.
"Thank God," he laughs, "But you'll have to somewhat deal with the blunt force of my trauma,"
"I know, Reggie,"
"Good," he says with a relived smile.
"And you'll somewhat have to deal with my random mood swings and bad days,"
"Yes, of course,"
"Okay, good," he smiles happily before kissing ever part of Regulus' face until he is a giggling, squirming mess.
"Get off," Regulus laughs, pushing him off with an elated, open face. He looks happy.
"You look beautiful when you're happy," James says to which Regulus goes a dark shade of pink.
"Fuck off," he pushes James off the bed with a satisfied laugh.
James' gace pops up from the floor, his hair and glasses messed up with a pretend hurt expression, "Uh, that's no way to treat your boyfriend!"
Regulus rolls his eyes and pulls him back on the bed and sets his glasses straight again, "There," Regulus smiles at James who is stunned into silence, this boy -his boy is so beautiful.
"Had anyone told you how beautiful you are?"
"A few or less, why?"
"You're divine,"
"Shut up!" Regulus' face brightens up, a small smile tugging away at his restraint.
"It's true!"
"Whatever," Regulus rolls his eyes with a smile and lays back on James' chest with a hum of happiness again before groaning and getting up, "Sirius will be back soon, I'd best be off," but before he even gets to sit up, James grabs his hand for the second time.
"Don't go,"
"If Sirius finds us he'll kill you,"
"Yes, well," James trails off and shrugs.
"Yes, well, what?"
"I'd rather your brother know so we don't have to keep it a secret,"
"You're gonna get beaten up,"
"Every punch would be for you,"
"You're crazy,"
"And you're lovely,"
"Shut up!" Regulus giggles, "At least put a shirt on,"
"Fine," James rolls his eyes with a smile, kissing Regulus before grabbing his shirt and quickly slipping it over his head, "Better?"
"You're gorgeous either way," Regulus says nonchantly, focused on finding his Slytherin tie, completely unaware of the affect that had on James.
James quickly intertwines their hands and gives him a sweet kiss, "And you are," he kisses him on the nose with a soft giggle, "lovely,"