Warm-cold-dynamic
Snow fell slowly and steadily to the ground under the light of the lamppost. Regulus watched carefully as the voice belonging to a person Regulus was pretty much ignoring reached his ears.
“Freezing?”
“No”
Silenced filled the night before James said something again.
“Really? You just seem very up-”
“The temperature is literally below zero, of course, I'm freezing, asshole,” Regulus interrupted. James flinched slightly, retreating a step and making it seem as nonchalant as possible.
“Oh, sorry, I was just,” James mumbled, and Regulus instantly felt guilty. Only James could provoke that coiling feeling in the pit of his stomach. It wasn’t James’ fault that they were standing outside in the snow, waiting for Sirius to come pick them up at an ungodly hour. “It doesn't matter,” James finished.
Regulus sighed.
“Sorry,” he said, annoyed at everything and anything. “I snap at people when I'm in a bad mood.”
“Wait.” James held a short pause, and Regulus resisted the temptation to turn around and look at him. “Did you just...?"
“What?”
Regulus looked at James over his shoulder, not bothering to heed the voice in his head telling him he was a weak man.
“Did you just apologize? Regulus Black apologized? To me?”
Regulus snorted and sent James the coldest death glare he could muster.
“You know what? Fuck you, I take it back, I am not sorry for snapping at you.”
“I was just kidding, Reg.” James laughed.
“I wasn’t.”
Another small silence fell between them, and Regulus turned his gaze away, wanting to go home. He was indeed freezing, and his mood was dropping drastically for every second passing.
It took Regulus exactly three seconds to realise James was looking at him and he turned around annoyed once more.
“What?”
“Nothing.”
It was indeed not nothing, Regulus knew for sure.
“You were staring at me.”
“No,” James said to himself, shaking his head. “It doesn’t matter.”
“James Potter, you were staring at me. Why?”
James pressed his lips into a think line and shrugged, giving Regulus a small smile.
“You don’t want me to say it.”
“I do.”
“You don’t.”
“Stop being dramatic.”
“Fine,” James said, dropping his hands to his sides, before looking up and giving Regulus a wolf’s smile. “Do you want my jacket?”
James was right, Regulus had not wanted him to say that.
“No, I don’t need your jacket,” Regulus got out between gritted teeth.
“Regulus,” James continued. “As you pointed out yourself, the temperature is below zero, and your shirt is thinner than I would’ve ever thought possible.”
His shirt wasn’t that thin, was it? And it had long sleeves. Still, Regulus kept his arms folded across his chest, shielding himself from the cold wind.
“I don’t want your jacket.”
“You're going to freeze to death.”
“If you give me your jacket, you’re going to be cold too,” it was a pathetic excuse, because it meant that he was close to agreeing, close to giving in. James seemed to realise too.
“I'm wearing one of Remus’s sweaters underneath this, so I think I'm going to survive,” he said quickly. “Also, I usually don’t ever get cold.”
Regulus cast a sidelong glance at James.
“You don’t...?” It didn’t make sense. There was no way James was never cold. Regulus was never not cold. “What?” Regulus asked in disbelief.
“I barely ever get cold when I'm outside. If anything, I start sweating.”
“That’s not even possible,” Regulus laughed, because that had to be a joke.
“It is,” James said sincerely. “Feel my hand.”
James took his hand out of his pocket, offering it to Regulus, who shook his head quickly. He was not touching James Potter voluntarily.
“No”
“What?” James furrowed his brows.
“I’m not touching your hand, James.”
“Oh, come on, Regulus,” James rolled his eyes, stepping closing. “I’m not poisonous.”
Before Regulus could pull away, James carefully let the back of his hand stroke Regulus’ cheek. It was warm. It was really warm, and if James hadn't been quick to pull away, Regulus would have been content just standing with James' hand on his cheek like that.
“Holy shit, you’re cold,” James said. His eyes were dilated behind his glasses, and Regulus was mesmerised by them. “Oh my god.”
James grabbed the zipper of his jacket.
“How are you not dead?”
He shrugged it off, and Regulus dodged as James stepped forward to fling it over Regulus’ shoulders.
“Jesus,” James cursed. “Take my jacket, Reg.”
“No.”
“No?” James furrowed his brows again and Regulus sighed.
“I already told you. I don’t want your jacket.”
“Reg, you’re colder than a dead body. You take my jacket whether you want it or not.” This time, Regulus couldn’t complain as James flung it over his shoulder and buttoned it at the top. “I don’t want Sirius to kill me for not taking good enough care of you.”
James pulled back, admiring his work for a second, and Regulus felt stupidly hot under his gaze. The jacket was really warm too. Regulus lifted his hands to the one button done, needing to occupy them in some way. James was still looking at him, and a small smile found its way to his lips as his and Regulus’ eyes locked.
“What now?” Regulus asked.
“Give me your hands.”
“No,” Regulus got out quickly, ignoring the fact that his hands were indeed cold, and James’ hands looked...well, nice.
“Reg.”
“No.”
“Reg, I'm just going to warm then for-”
“No,” he didn’t care that he was interrupting. He was not letting James hold his hands.
“Reg,” Jamed tried again.
“No.”
“Regulus, you have some very lovely fingers, and I'd very much not like to lose them because they end up freezing off, so give me your hands.”
Regulus blinked confused.
“What did you just say?”
James met Regulus’ gaze, equal confusion shining in them, as if he really couldn’t understand what Regulus was finding weird. Regulus couldn’t help the small laugh that fell from his own lips.
“What?”
“You just sounded very stupid,” Regulus said truthfully.
“Sure.” James rolled his eyes. “Just give me your hands, okay?”
Regulus didn’t resist as James took his hands, trapping them between his own. The warmth from James’ hands were calming, and Regulus felt himself relax slightly. It felt nice being around James like this. He felt tired and yet still so awake. James’ eyes were trained on their hands in between them, but Regulus couldn’t pry his eyes away from James’.
“You're warm,” Regulus said, and James looked up, giving Regulus a smile warm enough to melt the snow falling around them.
“You’re cold,” James whispered with a sweet smile on his lips.
It was like that Sirius found them when he finally came to pick them up, fifteen minutes later.