Teardrops on my Guitar
Chapter 1: Teardrops on My Guitar
“He's the reason for the teardrops on my guitar
The only thing that keeps me wishing on a wishing star
He's the song in the car I keep singing, don't know why I do”
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Regulus walked towards his media class, grateful the day was almost over. One more class and then he could get back to his dorm and sketch in peace. Sitting down at his back-row desk, he surveyed the whiteboard, wondering what that day’s assignment would be. There seemed to be an excited buzz amongst the other students as they chatted with one another. He wondered if they had already heard what their project was from one of the earlier periods. His curiosity peaked, wondering what everyone was so excited about.
“Settle down everyone, listen up,” said their teacher, “I have an exciting new project to introduce today!” The chatter quickly ceased and the students listened intently. “For this project, you will be assigned a student-athlete of the school. Your job is to interview them and write, film, and produce a short documentary on them and their involvement at the school.”
Regulus groaned internally while a murmur of excitement passed through the other students. Interaction with people outside of his small circle was not high on his list of things he felt like doing today. And interacting with some entitled jock? Even worse.
“Okay, I can tell you’re all very excited, so I’m going to call out your name, who you’ve been assigned to, and their sport. You all will have three weeks to complete this project, so plan on getting close with your student-athlete.”
Regulus waited for his assignment, holding his breath. Maybe he would get lucky and be assigned to Barty. He could only hope. Soon the teacher arrived at his assignment.
“Regulus Black - James Potter, soccer.”
Regulus felt his eyes widen and his heart rate increase. James? James Potter? Gorgeous, kind, utterly unachievable James Potter, his brother’s best friend? He couldn’t think of a single person in the whole school who would be a worse assignment.
Regulus had been hopelessly in love with James since his freshman year when he arrived at Hogwarts. When Sirius met James and left the year before, Regulus had resented him with all his heart, despite never having met him. Yet, the moment he laid eyes upon him, he finally understood why Sirius had left. James had a sort of magnetic presence without even trying. He took Regulus’s breath away with a single glance and soft smile. It felt as if James could move mountains or end wars with that smile. Even two and a half years later, Regulus’s feelings toward James hadn’t waned, even if they were unrequited.
Regulus winced at the memory of a party he had braved the year before. Remus had invited him, and Regulus had been trying to be a good friend and wingman for him. Regulus had drunk too much, forgetting what a lightweight he was. He had ended up alone in a random dorm room, contemplating his stupid decisions and sloshed out of his mind, when James found him.
“Regulus?” a soft voice pierced through the haze surrounding his thoughts.
“James,” he said, with a smile in his voice, recognizing the voice immediately, “what are you doing here?”
“Well, you’re in my room, so I think the better question is, what are you doing here?” James asked with a chuckle.
“What?” asked Regulus, not quite comprehending what James was saying, simply overwhelmed by his presence.
As if sensing these thoughts, James sat on the bed and leaned over the younger boy, his warm breath gently brushing Regulus’s curls.
“How drunk are you, Reg?”
“Mm,” he hummed quietly, “pretty drunk I think”
“Do you want me to help you back to your room? You can sleep it off there.”
Regulus opened his eyes and stared up at James, touched by this simple offer.
“You’re so beautiful,” Regulus whispered.
James’s eyes widened above him. “Regulus, you’re too drunk to know what you’re saying-”
“No I’m not,” protested Regulus, “I’m just brave enough to say what I’ve been thinking for over a year. Looking at you makes me understand why Sirius left me.”
“Regulus, that’s not fair-”
“Would you ever kiss me?” queried the younger boy, completely shifting gears.
“Wh-What?”
“Would you ever kiss me?”
“Regulus, I hardly know you. And-and Sirius, he-”
“Of course, Sirius,” Regulus said, reality crashing down on him while his cheeks flushed in embarrassment, “Why would you ever kiss me when you’re clearly in love with Sirius?”
“Regulus, no, that’s so far from reality I can’t eve-”
But Regulus, suddenly feeling very sober due to his immense embarrassment, had stood up and was heading towards the door, “Sorry, I don’t know where any of that came from, please just ignore everything I said.”
“No, Regulus, don’t leave-”
But the younger boy had already slipped out the door and was heading to his own room, his face burning with shame and his head bent low.
He snapped out of his memories and tried to focus on the task at hand, not the boy who constantly occupied his thoughts. His first meeting with James wasn't scheduled until the next day, so he began loosely planning the questions he would ask, trying to ignore the past. Yet, his mind wouldn’t stop drifting to thoughts of round glasses and brown eyes flecked with gold. Soon, the hour was over, and Regulus realized he hadn’t written a single question. He quickly gathered his belongings and walked quickly back to his dorm.
As he opened the door, he was glad to see Remus already there, reading on his bed. Regulus dropped his bag on the floor by his own bed and then collapsed dramatically at the foot of Remus’s bed, letting out a loud sigh. He waited for the older boy to ask what was wrong, yet Remus seemed very content ignoring him. He sighed again, louder and more pointedly, then stared up at Remus.
Remus let out a sigh of his own, then glanced up from his book, “Is something the matter, ReguluS?”
“Yes!”
Remus raised an eyebrow at him, gesturing for Regulus to continue.
“I was assigned James as the subject as a documentary for media class.”
“James Potter?” asked Remus.
Do you know another James?” asked Regulus with a scowl.
“James Potter who are you in love with?” asked Remus, ignoring the jab.
“Yes, that James!” exclaimed Regulus, “I’m just so done. He’s so beautiful, and I know he would never even consider dating me, but I just can’t get him out of my head, and I wish he could see me as more than just Sirius’s little brother.”
Remus looked contemplative for a moment, whispered a quiet fuck it under his breath, then said, “I have an idea.”
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Remus considered himself a lone wolf. He had never had many friends, but at any of his schools, but had found an easy kinship with Regulus. This might have been easier, though, if Regulus didn’t have a brother who was absolutely fucking gorgeous.
Regulus was Remus’s best friend, but when Remus first met Sirius, he felt a cosmic connection, as laughable as that sounds.
The first night he arrived at Hogwarts, Remus saw Sirius across the Great Hall during dinner. Remus saw him, felt this instant pull, and couldn’t look away. He turned to his new roommate, and asked in awe, “Who is that?”
Regulus followed his gaze and sneered, “That’s my asshole of a brother, the great Sirius Black.”
“He’s your brother?” naked Remus, shocked, “I suppose I see the resemblance if I squint.”
Regulus let out a humorless chuckle, “THat is quite possibly the meanest thing you could say to me.”
Remus could sense there was a deeper tension here, but he didn't push.
Sirius' gaze brushed lazily across the hall, and he stared at Remus for just a second longer than anyone else. Then, he immediately went back to flirting with the girl next to him. Remus felt crushed, although he knew rationally he had no right to be.
The indisputable fact was: Sirius Black was a flirt. And he absolutely did not date.
Remus pushed his feeling away, but he couldn’t help that pull in his chest to Sirius, no matter how much he tried to fight it.
So when Regulus proclaimed he wanted James to see him in a new light, a plan began forming in his head. He wrestled with it for a moment, then decided to fuck it and just see what Regulus thought.
“I have an idea.”
“Historically, those haven’t gone well.” Regulus smirked.
“Fuck you. Do you want to hear it or not?”
“Yes, yes, bless me with your unending knowledge”
Remus glared at him, but continued anyway, “What if we pretend to date?”