Firehose
“I barely know him, you know.” Sirius murmured under his breath.
James and Sirius were in the kitchen, cooking together. James had just finished his shift, and like always, he stopped by Sirius’ place before heading home.
It wasn’t something they planned—it was just how things were. It was basically their routine. Whatever if it’s cooking together, watching something, drinking or sometimes just to enjoy each other’s company in silence. This was home to both of them.
And no matter how much their lives changed—no matter how many fires James ran into or how many nights Sirius spent at the dispatch center—Sirius knew one thing for certain. James would always be there. Just like he always had been. They were each other’s persons.
“What?” James asked, glancing at Sirius while trying not to burn his food. He was starving after his shift.
The fire earlier had been brutal, but after that, the rest of the calls were routine—nothing too dangerous. It had been an easy night, all things considered.
“Regulus,” Sirius said, exhaling slowly. “I mean… I know him. But I don’t. Not really. I wasn’t around him for years, and I didn’t even tell you much about him because—” He hesitated, rubbing his eyes, exhaustion weighing on his voice. “Because I didn’t want you to think I was some kind of monster who left his little brother in a burning house and ran away, okay? That’s why I never talked about it. I tried to ignore it. But James… now that he’s back in my life, I just—I want to know everything about him. But he’s not like that. He doesn’t just open up. It takes time. And I want him to trust me again.”
James set down the spatula and turned to Sirius, his voice was softer. “Hey, hey. Breathe, alright?” He pulled him into a quick hug. “I’ve only known your brother for, what? A week? But I can tell you this—he’s fine. And I would never, never think that about you, okay? You were a kid, Sirius. You had to save yourself. And I’m sure he gets that now. He’s not talking to your parents either, right?”
Sirius swallowed hard. “I… I don’t know. I never asked. I don’t even know if they’re still in touch.” He let out a small, bitter laugh. “I haven’t asked him anything personal, really. I just figured I’d let him tell me things when he was ready.”
James frowned. “Maybe you should ask. Let him know you actually want to know.”
Sirius nodded slowly, considering it. Then, after a moment, he sighed. “You know, last week, I was scared for him.” His voice was quieter now, almost ashamed. “I know he’s a firefighter, I know he can handle himself, but… hearing him on the radio, knowing he was in that building—it was different. I even thought about talking to him during the call.”
James leaned back against the counter, watching Sirius carefully. “Of course you were scared. He’s your brother. And yeah, he’s a firefighter, but that doesn’t mean you stop worrying about him.” He paused, then added with a teasing smirk, “Especially when he throws himself into burning buildings.”
Sirius let out a short, breathy laugh, shaking his head. “Yeah. Exactly.”
“You can tell me about him if you want now.” James softly speaks.
Sirius smiled. “I really do want to but I think he wouldn’t appreciate you knowing him as my little brother.”
James and Sirius shared a quiet laugh and lay down together until fall asleep.
Sirius woke up before James and quickly got ready without waking him up. James still had an hour to sleep but Sirius didn’t so he rushed to the dispatch.
“Good morning!” Mary said in the elevator. She was basically Sirius’ one of the closest friends, Mary had this bubbly - always happy face and Sirius tend to like that.
“Morning Mary.” He replied with exhaustion. Every time he fells asleep with James he would wake up in pain.
“Long night?” Mary asked with filth. Sirius released a little giggle. “Yes, long night with James .”Mary ended up rolling her eyes.
“Heard your brother was in the big fire last week.” Mary said.
“Well, you know… He is a firefighter.” Sirius tried to cut short the conversation because he was pretty sure that he had a nightmare about Regulus in the fire.
After a very short conversation about his brother Sirius sat down and took his first call of the day.
“9-1-1, what’s your emergency?”
“There is a cat in the three and we can’t pull her down.”
“Okay. What’s your address ma’am?” And the caller gives her address, Sirius sends a team and the cycle continues.
After 4 hours, Sirius decided to take a break and call his brother, Regulus was middle of the shift, Sirius knew because James told him their schedules.
“Hey, Sirius.” Regulus answered the phone. His voice sounded like he was out of breath.
“Hey? Is everything okay?” Sirius immediately panicked.
“Yeah, yeah. We were just returning from a call, car accident one.” Regulus explained. “Are you okay?”
Sirius was relieved. “I am. I’m taking a break, still have 3 hours of work though. I wonder if we could go somewhere after work?”
“Yeah, that works. I’ll call you.” And he hangs up immediately.
Sirius didn’t have time to say “Okay, see you there..” or anything like that because Regulus literally ran away from the call.
Sirius went back to his desk. Thinking about where to go or what to talk about his brother. He might ask him about work? Yes, he really needs so scold him about putting himself in danger. He also really wants to ask him about more personal things. “Hey Reggie, do not die in work! Also, is your favorite colour is still dark green?”
No. But yes.
Maybe Regulus wants to know more about his brother too. Maybe he will ask some questions too. Or at least Sirius hopes he does.
He takes another call. “9-1-1, what’s your emergency?”
“My mom - she, she doesn’t breathe.” A little girl calls while crying.
“Okay, okay. Breathe with me okay? What’s your name?” Sirius asks.
“Olivia. She doesn’t breathe please.” She was still crying, of course. “Olivia, do you know your address?” Little girl replies with, “Yes, 2382 Elk Street.”
Sirius hastily writes down her address and continues to speak with her. “Okay, they are coming to you Olivia. Is she lying down in the bed?”
“No. She fell. She fell.”
“Okay, okay, Olivia, listen to me carefully. I know this is really scary, but I’m going to help you. How old are you?”
“I’m eight.”
“Okay, you’re doing so good, Olivia. Can you tell me, is your mom awake at all? Is she moving?”
“No—no, she’s just lying there. She won’t wake up.”
“Alright. Is she breathing? Look at her chest—do you see it moving up and down?”
Olivia sniffles. “N-no. I don’t think so.”
“Okay. Olivia, we’re going to help your mom, okay? I need you to be really brave. The ambulance is on the way, but we have to help her now. Can you do that with me?”
She gives out a shaky breath. “Okay.”
“Good girl. First, I need you to put your phone on speaker. Keep it close so you can still hear me.”
A rustling sound comes through, then Olivia says, “Okay, done.”
“Great. Now, I need you to put one hand on the center of your mom’s chest, right between her ribs. Can you feel it?”
More rustling. A quiet, “Yes.”
“Good. Now put your other hand on top of that one and press down hard. You need to push fast, okay? Like this: one, two, three, four. Try to push hard enough that her chest moves down a little. I know it’s tough, but you can do this.”
A sniffle. “O-okay.”
Sirius listens carefully, counting with her. “That’s it. One, two, three, four. Keep going. You’re helping her, Olivia.”
“I’m trying.” Her voice is small, but determined.
“You’re doing so good. Just keep pressing. The paramedics are almost there.”
Faint sirens begin to filter through the phone. Sirius feels a small sense of relief. “Do you hear that, Olivia? That’s the ambulance. Keep going until they get to you, okay?”
“Okay,” she whispers, still pushing.
A few seconds later, there are voices in the background—paramedics arriving, taking over.
“They’re here,” Olivia says, her voice trembling.
“You did amazing, Olivia. You helped your mom so much,” Sirius tells her gently.
A new voice comes on the line. “This is station 132, we’ve got it from here.”
Sirius exhales, the tension easing slightly. “Got it. Good luck.”
As the line disconnects, he leans back in his chair, letting out a breath.
“I want everyone to be at the table in 5 minutes.” Fleamont announced.
Dorcas was helping Fleamont cook. Remus and James were in table duty. They were setting out forks, glasses and bringing everything to the table.
Regulus was still a stranger and he was watching them in a distance. He liked observing them. Remus was really moody in morning shifts. On the other hand, Dorcas was moody in night shifts, she would constantly complain about wanting to home to cuddle his wife, Lily.
Regulus learned about them over time. Dorcas and Lily had been married for two years and now they were trying to adopt a child. Lily was a freelance translator and the funniest thing about them is they actually met on a call. Dorcas didn’t give too much details but it was for sure love at first night. Dated for 3 years, married for 2 years. It’s cute Regulus thought. He never knew or even got close to a healthy relationship so listening to Dorcas about hee relationship was oddly healing for Regulus.
Remus, he was single, if Regulus understood it correctly. Remus wasn’t very much of a talker, he wasn’t distant or cold just reserved. It was Regulus’ job, obviously. Remus was an observer like him too, that’s why they were getting along. By getting along, he means they would sometimes sit in silence in the truck and enjoy each other’s company. On the other hand, Sirius had this weird obsession over him. Also, Regulus sometimes caught Remus asking about Sirius too but didn’t think too much about it. They were adults. The only thing he was wondering about Remus was how we got his face scars. But it would be so disrespectful to ask.
Fleamont was… Well, Regulus was more distant to him than everyone else. Not because he disliked him but because he respects him a lot. Regulus’ last fire captain, Henry, wasn’t the best person in the world. He was sort of, abusive even. So he was very surprised how kind Fleamont was to him. Fleamont was kind but he was still a very strong man. He was the captain everyone needed really. He was firm but he was fair. He gave advice instead of orders, he was willing to listen and he definitely didn’t have any favoritism towards anyone. Not even for his son, James. He also learned that Fleamont was happily married to his wife, Euphemia.
James… This was a complicated one for Regulus. He was feeling a bit bitter towards him because of the bond him and Sirius had. Regulus knew it was childish but he couldn’t help himself. The first thing Regulus realized about James that, he was very - very handsome. The kind of handsome that you would stop and stare. He was literally so strong that sometimes Regulus would think how much James can handle. He would see something heavy and wonder if he can lift it or not. James’ handsomeness was recognized by everyone actually. In the calls, there were so many people who tried to flirt with James. He was flirty and cocky by nature so James always played along with them. Regulus thought he could never.
Fleamont brought the last dish to the table. Apparently, he had cooked some traditional Turkish dishes today. Regulus already knew that Remus was half Turkish, and Fleamont had overheard him mentioning how there were almost no good Turkish restaurants in Los Angeles. So today’s dish was Manti. Manti is a dish that basically is tiny dumplings with meat inside of it. It was flavored with yogurt, on top of that there were melted butter mixed with red pepper, tomato sauce.
“Cap, I love you so much.” Remus said with joy while sitting down to eat.
“This is my first time doing it.” Fleamont warned Remus and sat down.
Dorcas came to the table very quickly after washing her hands. She sat down right next to Remus.
James sit right across to them. Regulus was the only one who was still standing. He decided to sit next to James. They shared a quick glance, James even smiled a bit.
As everyone settled in, Fleamont picked up his for and gestured to the food. “Alright, dig in.. We have to eat as much as we can before the fire alarm and also if it’s bad… pretend it isn’t.”
Remus was already taking his bite, he was wasting no time. The second he tasted it, his eyes widened. “This is actually so good.” I think this was the first time Regulus had seen Remus truly happy.
Fleamont raised an eyebrow. “Really?” His voice was sounding a little proud.
Remus murmured. Dorcas took a bite and hummed in approval too. “I have never had Manti before but this is good.”
“Everything he does is good. He is trying to be humble really.” James jumps in. “Folding this tint dumplings with meat must’ve taken forever.”
Fleamont shook his head. “Patience my son.”
Regulus, who had been quietly eating, finally spoke. “I really liked it too.”
Fleamont was relieved. James pointed at Regulus, “We can see you liked it.”
Regulus rolled his eyes and took another bite. “It’s food.”
“Yeah and you are eating it like someone is about to snatch it from you.” And yes, Regulus was a fast eater by nature.
Fire alarm went off very quickly after that. Regulus turned to James. “See? Someone did snatch it from me.” Everyone shared a laugh and immediately run over to get ready.
Dorcas wasn’t really happy with the call they were answering to. The call was about a woman who is been literally chocking to death, by her pet snake. “This call has to be a joke.” She hissed.
Regulus wasn’t enjoying this either. “Did they really just say snake?”
James sat across to Regulus, he was with his happy face again. “Los Angeles, baby, you never know what’s going to happen next.”
Remus was clearly upset too. Not because of the snake situation, because he really wanted to eat the second plate.
“Ever dealt with a snake before?” James asked to Regulus.
Regulus shook his head. “Not my specialty really.”
“Guess today is our lucky day.” Dorcas said. The thing was, Dorcas would rather to die than accept that she fears something but she was really scared of snakes. She was visibly uncomfortable.
Fleamont was keeping his professional face. “Dispatch, do we have details on type of snake?”
Dispatch quickly answered through the radio. “Caller said it was a large snake, never had any trouble in the past but didn’t give much information.”
“Oh for fuck sake!” Dorcas crashed out. “I swear, people should have a license to own these animals.”
James grinned. “Big guy, huh?”
“Big enough to kill.” Remus said. Everyone turned to him. “What?”
Regulus was the one who broke the awkward silence. “And it’s currently wrapped around her neck.”
They arrived at the scene, the house was - odd. It was small and there were plants everywhere with a faint musky smell in the air. And in the middle of it all, standing unsteadily near the couch, was a woman with a massive white-and-yellow python coiled around her shoulders and neck.
Her face was flushed, and she was breathing heavily, but she was conscious—just visibly stressed. She spotted them immediately, relief flashing in her dark eyes.
“About time!” She rasped. “I really thought I was going to die like this.”
James was very surprised that she was still able to crack jokes. “I wouldn’t let that happen.”
Regulus gave him a quick look. Fleamont was still observing, thinking. “Ma’am stay calm. Can you tell us your name?”
“Lena,” she said. “And before you ask—yes, Dobby is my pet, yes, I know he shouldn’t be out, and yes, I definitely underestimated how strong he’s gotten. But I must be spooked him or something! He never done this before.”
Dorcas crouched, eyeing the situation. “You’re breathing okay?”
“For now. But I’d like to keep it that way.” Lena gave a tense laugh. “He’s just… holding on too tight.”
“Regulus, James,” Fleamont said, nodding to them. “Let’s get the snake off her. We need to be careful—sudden movements could make it worse.”
Regulus stared at the massive python. “Great.”
Dorcas, standing behind them, whispered to Remus, “I hate this, I hate this, I hate this.”
“Not a fan of snakes?” Remus asked.
“Not when they’re big enough to eat me.”
Fleamont nodded toward the snake’s head. “We need to control the head first. If it feels threatened, it might squeeze harder.”
James and Regulus moved in sync. James reached for the snake’s head, careful and firm, while Regulus focused on unwinding the coils around her neck. The woman let out a breathless chuckle.
“You are strong.” Lena added looking at directly to James.
James was still trying to figure out how the fuck he was going to control the snake. “Gotta keep in the shape. You know, firefighter and all.”
Regulus muttered under his breath, “This is ridiculous.”
Slowly, they began working their way up, loosening the coils one by one. The snake resisted, tightening slightly, but James kept a firm but gentle hold, murmuring, “Easy, buddy. Let go of the pretty lady.”
Lena let out a breathy laugh. “I like you.”
James flashed her a grin. “That’s the oxygen deprivation talking.”
Regulus rolled his eyes, but he was too focused on keeping the snake from coiling tighter to comment.
After another tense minute, they managed to unwind the last coil from around Lena’s neck. As soon as she was free, she stumbled back, rubbing her throat.
Dorcas quickly sat down right next to her and started examining. “Are you breathing fine?” Lena nodded in approval.
James held up the very large snake in his arms, looking between Regulus and Fleamont. “So… what do we do with Dobby here?”
Fleamont sighed. “Animal control’s on the way. Just keep a good grip.”
Regulus, still holding part of the snake, looked unimpressed. “Great. Let’s babysit the murder noodle.”
“God, that was intense,” she said, rubbing her throat. “I owe you guys one. Especially you, handsome.”
James giggled, Fleamont was clearly uncomfortable too so he coughed as a warning. “Just doing our job.” He said.
As they packed up, she leaned against the doorway, still watching James with a smirk. “So, handsome, do you always rescue women from dangerous situations, or am I just special?”
James grinned. “You’re definitely special.”
Regulus, already walking away, muttered, “Unbelievable.”
The ride back to the station was quiet at first, the only sound being the hum of the firetruck’s engine and the occasional crackle of the radio. Regulus sat next to James, arms crossed, staring ahead as if deep in thought. James, on the other hand, was tapping his fingers against his thigh, still looking far too pleased with himself.
Finally, Regulus broke the silence. “So… did you actually flirt with her, or were you just trying to be humble?”
James turned to him with a smirk. “Why? Jealous?”
Regulus rolled his eyes. “I’m just trying to figure out if that was genuine or if you were just being your usual, unbearable self.”
James shrugged. “Well, she was pretty. And, you know, there’s no rule against dating someone we save.”
Regulus raised an eyebrow. “You’re actually going to call her?”
James grinned. “Why not? She clearly liked me, and I think I handled the snake situation pretty damn well. If anything, I earned a drink for that alone.”
Regulus huffed, shaking his head. “You really have no shame.” And didn’t want to believe James would actually go out with her. He dropped the conversation with thinking James was just messing around.
Sirius was pacing in his apartment, running a hand through his hair for what had to be the tenth time in the last five minutes. He had no idea why he was so nervous—this was his little brother, not some stranger. And yet, it felt like he was about to meet someone entirely new. Because, in a way, he was.
They hadn’t talked in over nine years. Ten years of silence, of distance, of living completely separate lives. Sirius had left, Regulus had stayed, and now they were here, trying to bridge a gap that felt impossibly wide.
Yes, they were talking with each other for a year now, sometimes. Not every day, not regularly. They would call each other time to time or sometimes go to each other’s house, but only to talk casual things. They never had a dinner before. They never spent more than 2 hours together. Sirius invited Regulus too many times but he always kindly declined.
This was going to be the first time. Sirius was really going to try to get to know his brother better.
He had no clue what Regulus even liked to eat. What if he still hated seafood? He felt stupid for choosing a sushi restaurant. Or what if he didn’t drink anymore? He felt ridiculous for not knowing these things, for needing to learn them like they were meeting for the first time.
But at the end of the day. It was his little brother. Sirius had fears, not only because he didn’t know his brother. But for also, he didn’t want to be blamed for choosing himself. He needed to get out and he did. He was proud of it, mostly. He needed to survive. He was a survivor. He was just hoping for Regulus to understand it.
He was having second thoughts already. Maybe he needed more time. He was maybe using the Regulus card while he was the one who needed more time to get to know or have a bond with him.
He checked his watch, still had an hour to dinner. He exhaled and sat down, trying not to overthink. It was just dinner. Dinner with his brother.
Regulus was no different than Sirius. He came a little bit early, half an hour early if he needed to specify.
He was sitting in his car outside of the restaurant. He wasn’t going to go in there, not now. He was so freaking anxious.
He had no idea why he agreed to this.
Well, that was a lie. He knew exactly why. Some part of him—maybe the part that still remembered what it was like to be a kid with an older brother who actually cared—wanted to see if this could work. If they could talk. If they could be something other than strangers.
But that didn’t make it easy. His chest was tight, the familiar weight of stress pressing down on him. It had been years, and there were things they just didn’t talk about. Things that still made his stomach churn.
And yet, here he was.
Still hoping for a brother. Still hoping for to be a little brother to someone. He would rather die than to admit this. Over the years, he made himself believe that he didn’t care about Sirius.
He blamed him for many, many years. For leaving the house. For leaving. Him. Behind.
But after that, he left the house too. Not like he ran away but he decided to take his life back from his parents. He understood Sirius. He tasted freedom and he never came back again.
He was somehow glad that Sirius asked for a dinner to be honest, he really wanted to get to know him too. He had so much pride to ask but he really needed a closure.
Did you ever thought about me Sirius? Ever dreamed about us? Did you ever regret it? Would you take me with you if you had another chance? Did you know I was struggling too?
No, he tried to loosen up those thoughts.
Regulus inhaled slowly, exhaled, and reached for the door handle. He could do this. It was just dinner.
He stepped inside the restaurant, scanning the place quickly. It was warm, dimly lit, with a quiet hum of conversation in the background. Sirius wasn’t here yet—he still had fifteen minutes. That was fine. Regulus was early. He could handle waiting.
A waiter approached him with a polite but professional smile. “Good evening, sir. Do you have a reservation?”
Regulus cleared his throat. “Yeah. Under Black.”
The waiter glanced at the reservation list and nodded. “Ah, yes. Table for two. Would you like to be seated now, or would you prefer to wait for your party?”
Regulus hesitated. Sitting alone would probably make him more anxious, but standing awkwardly by the entrance wasn’t appealing either. “I’ll sit now.”
“Of course. Right this way.” The waiter grabbed a menu and led him through the restaurant.
Regulus followed, resisting the urge to fidget. When they reached the table, the waiter pulled out a chair for him. “Would you like something to drink while you wait?”
“Water’s fine,” Regulus said quickly, already feeling out of place.
The waiter nodded. “I’ll be right back.”
Regulus sat down, exhaled again, and tapped his fingers against the table. The silence of waiting settled over him. He checked the time. Ten minutes now.
Nine.
Eight.
Seven.
Four.
Three.
One.
Sirius was a no-show.
Regulus clenched his jaw, forcing himself to stay still. Sirius was ten minutes late now. He knew it wasn’t a big deal, not really, but the longer he sat there, the worse he felt. The familiar sting of being left behind crept in, wrapping around his chest like a slow, suffocating grip. He had been stupid to come. Stupid to think this would be any different.
Maybe Sirius changed his mind. Maybe he realized Regulus wasn’t worth the effort after all.
He should leave.
Just as the thought settled, the door swung open, and a familiar figure rushed inside, slightly out of breath. Sirius scanned the room quickly until his eyes landed on Regulus. His face immediately softened with relief.
“Shit, I’m sorry,” Sirius said, hurrying over. “Traffic was hell, and I—” He ran a hand through his hair, looking genuinely apologetic. “I should’ve texted. I didn’t mean to keep you waiting.”
Regulus inhaled sharply, gripping the edge of the table for a second before forcing himself to relax. He wasn’t abandoned. Not this time.
“You’re late,” was all he said, but his voice lacked the usual sharpness.
Sirius nodded, still catching his breath. “I know. Let me make it up to you?” He slid into the seat across from him, offering a hesitant smile.
Regulus stared at him for a moment, then exhaled. “You already did by showing up.”
Sirius just smiled. He didn’t expect this kindness from Regulus. When they were a child, Regulus used to hate waiting.
“So, how was your day?” Sirius asked and turned into the waiter to order. “Did you ordered?”
“No, I didn’t.” Regulus murmured. “I’ll take whatever you order.” He said.
Sirius gave orders for both of them, okay, Regulus didn’t rebel any of the orders so that was a win. “Now tell me about your day.”
Regulus thought about the crazy day he had. “We had a snake call.” He explained everything, especially the part where James flirted with the victim.
“Oh, I’m not surprised with James. They call him *Firehose* for a reason.” Sirius said.
Regulus eyes were wide open. “They call him what?” He asked in shock.
“Firehose? Oh my god, you never heard of it?” Sirius was in shock too but he was partly laughing.
“No!” Regulus said. “Is he always sleeps with people from calls?”
“No, no! Nothing like that but… You’ve seen the man! He is handsome and single.”
Regulus just nodded. He was handsome. “How was your day?”
“Classic, taught a girl how to CPR on her mom, every day things.” He said. Regulus just laughed.
Their orders came in and they ate slowly, they were talking time to time but they were still distant. Sirius reminded himself why he got here.
“How is mom and dad?” Sirius said. Fuck. He actually didn’t want to ask that, it just slipped away from his mouth.
Regulus opened his mouth and closed again. He didn’t know how to answer to that. He wasn’t in contact with them, not regularly, just sometimes he would check on them. “They are fine, I think.”
“You think? Sirius raised an eyebrow.
“I didn’t talk to them since last year, I mean, they left a voicemail for my birthday - but yeah.” Regulus said.
This was a little bit surprise for Sirius.
“They never celebrated my birthday after my fifteenth.” Sirius exhaled.
“I remember your fifteenth birthday.” Regulus smiled. It was a happy memory until their parents got involved. “I made you a book, do you remember?” He asked.
Sirius was literally felt like he got punched in the stomach. Of course he did. He carried it with him to everywhere. “Of course I do Reggie.” He smiled. “It’s still in my apartment.”
Regulus felt like he was about to cry. But of course he wouldn’t let that happen in front of Sirius. He wasn’t comfortable enough to that, not yet. Maybe never. So he decided to change the subject. “So, what did you do over the years?”
“Well, you know after I…” Sirius hesitated. “I left, I was with Alphard, for two years, after I graduated he passed away.” This wasn’t a topic he really liked.
“I have heard. Sorry for your loss.” Regulus said.
“It was our loss.” Sirius said. Regulus was now directly looking at him, he wanted to disagree. Because it wasn’t “their” loss, he never knew uncle Alphard or he didn’t care.
“Anyways, after that I went to college, met James and followed him to Los Angeles.” Sirius completed his sentence.
Regulus pressed his lips together, nodding slowly. “Followed him to Los Angeles?”
Sirius didn’t seem to catch the shift in his tone. “Yeah. James had this whole plan—fire academy, moving out here—and I just… went with it. Best decision I ever made.”
Regulus hummed, swirling the water in his glass. Of course. James. It always came back to James Potter. Even now.
He wasn’t angry—not exactly—but something bitter settled in his chest. He shouldn’t care. Sirius had left. Regulus had stayed. It was that simple. But knowing that James had been the one Sirius chose to build a life with, the one Sirius followed across the country—it stung.
He forced a neutral expression. “Right. And you’ve been glued to his side ever since?”
Sirius chuckled. “Pretty much. He’s my best friend.” He took a sip of his drink, then raised an eyebrow.
“Are guys getting along with each other?”
Regulus scoffed, looking away. “We work together, that’s all.”
He didn’t want to be a rude but that was all.
“Yeah, tell me more about 118.” Sirius said.
“You mean, tell me more about Remus?” Regulus teased him.
Sirius immediately blushed. “Regulus!” He said between his teeth.
Regulus just smirked, taking a sip of his water. “What? I’m just making an observation.”
Sirius rolled his eyes. “I just want to know how you guys get along, that’s all.”
Regulus hummed, pretending to think about it. “Well… we don’t talk much. He’s quiet. More of an observer, like me.”
Sirius nodded, interested. “And?”
Regulus glanced at him, unimpressed. “And what?”
Sirius shifted in his seat. “I don’t know. Just… what’s he like?”
Regulus shrugged. “Smart. Keeps to himself. Has a dry sense of humor.” He paused, tilting his head slightly. “He’s good at reading people. I feel like I can trust him you know?”
Sirius nodded, absorbing the information. He didn’t say anything right away, just stirred his drink again.
Regulus watched him for a moment before smirking. “Was that an answer you’ve been looking for?”
Sirius huffed, shaking his head. “Shut up.”
Regulus just leaned back in his seat, amused.
Sirius pushed his food around his plate for a moment before glancing up at Regulus. “Just… be careful, alright?”
Regulus frowned slightly. “What?”
“I know you’re a firefighter, I know you can handle yourself,” Sirius said quickly, holding up a hand. “But I also know how dangerous this job is. Just—James will have your back, no matter what. You can trust him.”
Regulus’ grip on his fork tightened slightly. “I know that. But I’m a firefighter just as much as James is. I don’t need him to babysit me.”
Sirius sighed. “That’s not what I meant—”
Regulus cut in. “Then what did you mean?”
Sirius hesitated, running a hand through his hair. “I mean… I don’t want to you to get hurt.”
Regulus blinked, his expression unreadable. He looked down at his plate, then exhaled slowly. “I’ll be fine.”
Sirius didn’t push any further. Instead, he just nodded, and the conversation shifted to lighter topics after that.
They stepped out of the restaurant, the cool night air hitting them after the warmth inside. The city was alive, but for a moment, it felt like just the two of them standing there on the sidewalk.
Regulus shoved his hands into his pockets, glancing at Sirius, who was staring down at the ground like he was lost in thought. Tonight had been… weird. But not bad. Just unfamiliar. Like stepping into a house you used to live in, where everything was the same yet completely different.
Sirius rocked on his heels before exhaling. “Well.”
Regulus hesitated, then said, “Do you need a ride home?”
Sirius looked up, surprised, and for a second, Regulus regretted asking. Maybe this was too much. Too soon.
But then Sirius gave him a small, lopsided smile. “You drive?”
Regulus rolled his eyes. “Yes, Sirius. I drive.”
Sirius let out a short laugh, then shook his head. “Nah, I’ll be fine. I like walking at night.”
Regulus nodded, unsure what else to say.
There was a pause. Not uncomfortable, but something close to it. A silence filled with everything unsaid.
“This was… nice,” Sirius finally said, his voice quieter. “Strange. But nice.”
Regulus glanced at him. He felt the same way, but admitting it felt too vulnerable. So instead, he just nodded. “Yeah.”
Sirius looked like he wanted to say something else, but instead, he just clapped a hand against Regulus’ arm. “See you around then.”
Regulus stood there, watching as Sirius turned and walked away, disappearing into the city.
For the first time in years, it didn’t feel like an ending.