Regulus never got letters, which is why it was so odd that for the past few days he’d practically run to the letter box and retreat into his room. It was even odder that Sirius could hear him giggling from his office. He’d never actually seen what happened, he’d only heard it from the first room next to the front door. But today? Today, he stood in their kitchen and stared at the door, trying to figure out what magic it now possessed.
At exactly ten twenty five, Sirius heard Regulus’ alarm go off. At exactly ten thirty, Reg walked out of his room, stifling a yawn and went over to the door. At exactly ten thirty two a letter fell through the slot into his waiting hands. It had been the same for almost a week.
“Reggie?”
The younger brother froze where he stood for a second before turning to face him. Sirius usually had a meeting at ten fifteen which lasted until eleven. “Good morning, don’t you have a meeting?”
Sirius held up his phone, the screen showing he was indeed on a call, but muted. He tapped his ear where he had his headphone and smiled, “I’ll know if they need me, it’s the same boring drivel.”
“You’re the boss, why do you even need to be in all of the meetings?”
“I’m a hands-on boss. What’s the letter?”
“It’s nothing.” He shifted the weight of the paper between his hands slightly and forced a convincing smile, “do you want to order in tonight?”
“You never get mail.”
Regulus shrugged, “well I wouldn’t know what it was unless I’d opened it, hm?”
“Oh, right of course. But our mailman does his deliveries at eight and no one else has access to the foyer. Unless you’ve given them the code?”
“I’m not an idiot, Sirius, besides, plenty of people have the code.”
“People who work for me.”
“You are indeed the boss.” He shifted his weight again and rubbed at his eyes, feigning more exhaustion than he was experiencing. “Can I go back to bed now?”
Sirius narrowed his eyes at him, “is there a security breach, Reggie?”
“What? No!”
“You can’t trust everyone, you know?”
The younger scoffed and moved to walk past him but he was stopped in his tracks by his brother stepping practically into him. He glowered at him, “move.”
“This is serious.”
Reg rolled his eyes, “no, that’s you. Now budge.”
“You might like them, Reggie, but it’s not safe for anyone to have that code other than the people I directly give it to.”
“Yes, yes, I know. I know all about the bloody business. No need to remind me. I’m perfectly safe. I don’t even open the bloody door.”
The older brother straightened up, “Regulus.”
He groaned and lifted his tee slightly to show the gun resting in the elastic of his shorts, “happy?”
Sirius stared at him for a moment, “where did you-”
“Oh please. Did you think I thought you were the CEO of a tech company? I’m twenty-three, Siri, I’m not naive. You could keep me locked in this apartment forever and all it would show me was the ways out.”
“I told you not to… it’s not safe, Regulus!”
“Well, I’ve not died yet. You might as well train me, I’ll be joining the others anyway.”
“Don’t be absurd, and don’t change the subject. Who did you give the code to?”
Regulus just smiled, “I didn’t.”
“Then-”
“You did. They’re on your payroll.”
“Everyone on my payroll is in the meetin-” he broke off and stared at the letter, then at his brother’s face, at the door, back at his phone. He hung up without a word and called a different number. “My baby brother? Are you kidding me, James?”
“Hello to you too.”
Sirius cursed under his breath and Reg was mildly worried he’d snap his phone in half, “did you tell him?”
“No, of course I didn’t. He’s not an idiot. He’s known for years.”
“He’s- you’ve known for years?!”
Regulus shrugged and smiled again, “most of your plans would have failed.”
“You messed with my plans?”
“I fixed them.”
He glared at him somehow more but turned his attention back to James, “I told you to guard the fucking perimeter not drop off love letters.”
“You can’t assign me as the bodyguard to someone so beautiful and expect me to just be fine.”
“I will kill you.”
James scoffed and the brother’s heard the door to the foyer open. Reg felt his cheeks heat and he quickly ducked into his bedroom to change, “no, you won’t. I’ve kept him safe for years.”
“Whilst what? Flirting with him?!”
“Sure… flirting… yep. Anyway, I'm almost there, one second.” He hung up the phone and there was a very smug sounding knock on the door. You might be wondering how someone could make a knock sound smug but if anyone could, it would be James Fucking Potter.
Sirius typed in the code to unlock the door and flung it open with a dramatic huff, “you’re dead, Potter.”
“You’ve said. Where is he?”
“I hate you. I’m the bloody boss and-”
Regulus walked out of his room in a hoodie Sirius distinctly remembers not buying, “hey, mon amour. Sirius, breathe. I mean, this is really your own fault. If you’re going to lock me in here and the only man I’d have access to is this fucking hot? Your own fault.”
“I-”
“Careful, mate, you’ll catch flies if you keep gaping like that. Hi, sweetheart, c’mere.”
He smiled and walked over just slow enough that it could be considered walking before jumping up and giggling when he was caught by the brunette. He wrapped his legs around his waist and knocked their foreheads together, “hi.”
Sirius was staring at them again, his mouth still agape, “you- he- you’re… you’re dating?”
“What did you think it was?”
“I don’t know! A secret admirer thing! How did you two even-”
James smiled, “when you go out on business, I mean, really he’s far safer with me in the apartment than me just strolling around outside.”
“And I’m much safer going out with him than sneaking out alone.”
The older brother threw his hands up in defeat and walked back into his office and into the hallway again, holding out a gun to Reg, “come on then, we better get started on that training. And get rid of that piece of shit, you need a proper gun now.”