Chapter 4 - Dates and Confessions
"How do you expect me to help you open it?" Regulus quizzed as he observed the egg.
"You're great at figuring out riddles- if anyone can crack its code, it’s you." James assured.
"Crack it's code or crack it, because we both know I'm super-" Regulus sentence fell off as he slipped, falling to the ground as the egg rolled from his hands and into the bath, "...Clumsy."
Regulus pulled his shirt off, before stripping completely.
He stepped into the tub filled with warm, bubbly water- clutching to the side.
He inhaled before going underwater, still holding to the wall.
He was a terrible swimmer and was grateful that the egg didn't require him to get off the wall.
He reached for it, twisting it, as it popped open.
A song began that wasn't the screaching that'd been playing previously.
Regulus' eyes widened in realization before he closed it, swimming to the surface.
He gasped for air as a worried James stood by the edge.
"What were you doing? You could've drowned." James hissed recovering from his mini heart attack.
"You have to listen to this." Regulus huffed holding the egg.
James sighed stripping before joining Regulus.
He swam over to the boy, moving him so Regulus was on his hip.
Regulus' wrapped his legs around James' waist and his arms around the older boys neck.
James dunked them both under as he twisted the egg open.
He prepared himself for the ear-shattering screeching, only to be met with a soft melody.
"Come seek us where our voices sound, we cannot sing above the ground, and while you're searching, ponder this", the voice sung, "We've taken what you'll sorely miss. An hour long you'll have to look, and recover what we took, but past an hour- the prospect's black, too late, it's gone, it won't come back."
James closed the egg before pushing the two of them back to the surface, allowing them to fill their lungs.
"We've taken what you'll sorely miss?" James quizzed wondering what they'd take.
"You have an hour to look." Regulus explained.
"How am I supposed to breathe underwater for an hour?" James questioned.
"Easy, a Gillyweed potion. It'll cause you to temporarily grow gills, so you can breathe underwater", Regulus explained, "Lucky you, it just so happens that your boyfriend is a potions master."
"He is, is he?" James teased playfully, "I had no idea, lucky me I guess."
Regulus chuckled before pecking the boys lips.
"I'll tell Ivan and Claudette tomorrow." Regulus muttered.
James smiled at the boy, pressing a kiss to the side of his head, "It's nice seeing you making friends."
Regulus furrowed his eyebrows as he pulled back from the boy, "What's that supposed to mean?"
"It's just a nice change seeing you have a group of friends." James assured.
"I had friends before." Regulus explained slightly offended by the boy.
James sent him a look, "I don't count."
"You and I have never been friends." Regulus scoffed pushing away from James.
He tried not to focus on the fact that he wasn't close to a wall if he needed it, but his ego was slightly more important.
"Awww come back here, I was just yanking your chain." James chuckled as he moved closer to the boy.
Regulus went under to dodge the boys grasp.
He had two options- stay perfectly still where he was and risk probably not being able to swim back up or make his way to the wall a few feet away- so logically he went for the latter.
"Regulus?" James quizzed as he looked around worried that the boy hadn't re-emerged.
His anxiety skyrocketed as he looked all around the waters surface for the boy.
"Reg?!" James called terrified he couldn't find the small boy.
Regulus managed his way to the wall, pushing up it and hitting the surface just as he ran out of air.
"You fucking wanker! Don't do that! I thought you drowned!" James spat as he swam over to Regulus by the edge of the huge tub.
Regulus laughed as he spit out water, "Sorry."
James rolled his eyes at him before pushing him up onto the ledge.
Regulus sat covered in a layer of soap bubbles as James stood in-between the boys legs.
James took the chance to get a good look at the boy in front of him.
His curls damp and sticking to his forehead.
His eyes were piercing grey and his lashes were long and dark.
He had a sharp, defined jaw line and a cute button nose, that was slightly pink against his fair skin.
His lips were soft and full and James very much wanted to kiss him and never stop.
"You're really pretty." James cooed.
Regulus blushed violently as he broke eye contact with James, looking downwards.
Regulus played with his fingers, hiding his blush from the boy. Not giving James the satisfaction of seeing him flustered.
James took Regulus' hand in his own before bringing it to his lips, pressing gentle kisses to his knuckles.
As Regulus' eyes met his like magnets, James smiled- swearing he could see the boys eyes dilate.
"I love you, Regulus Arcturus Black." James muttered.
Regulus tensed slightly as James looked into the boys piercing grey eyes, searching for any sign of a reaction.
"What?" Regulus quizzed.
They both knew it was there. That feeling, but neither had ever labeled it- much less said it out loud.
In all honesty, Regulus wasn't entirely sure what love was. How was he supposed to know when the only person he'd ever 'loved', left him.
And maybe that's why the words sounded so foreign coming from James' mouth, but the way he said it made Regulus' heart beat faster.
"You heard me." James said wondering what was going on in his boyfriend’s beautiful head.
Regulus didn't know what was going on.
Had the room gotten warmer or was it just him? It felt like heat-flashes.
He could hear his heart beating faster in his chest, loud enough that Regulus wondered if James heard it.
Regulus cupped James' face with his hands, bending to press their lips together.
James' tongue slipped across Regulus' bottom lip as Regulus let him in.
Regulus tasted the addictive sweet vanilla on James' lips as the boys rough tongue scraped against the insides of his mouth.
James held onto Regulus' thighs for balance, spreading a deep and inexplainable fire through Regulus' limbs- something that Regulus had only just now been more conscious of.
The pair pulled back, huffing as the air refilled their lungs.
"Say it again." Regulus spoke breathlessly.
"I love you." James muttered again, a huge smile plastered upon his face.
Why those three simple words did so much to him? Regulus didn't know.
Maybe it was because he'd secretly wished to hear those words his entire life- to no avail.
"Hmm.. I love me too." Regulus joked.
It wasn't what he wanted to say, but he found himself making jokes out of serious things.
It wasn't until after that Regulus worried if his inability to say it back hurt James, but the boy was fast to deny that claim.
"You don't have to say it", James assured with a smile before pecking the boys lips, "I know you do."
"How so?" Regulus quizzed playfully.
James picked up on this, "Well, how many other boys do you make out with in the prefects bathroom?- completely naked might I add."
"Oh, plenty", Regulus said failing to hold back his smile, "You're like top ten."
Regulus wrapped his legs around James as the boy walked backwards, pulling the boy back into the water.
He wrapped his arms around James' neck as the older boys arms held him up.
"Oh yeah? Who's number one?" James asked with a smirk.
"Lupin. Obviously." Regulus quipped.
Both boys failed at hiding their snickers, before breaking out into a fit of uncontrollable laughter.
***
"Ya know, Ivan, maybe you should just- I don't know- just go up and ask her like a normal person." Regulus suggested as they walked down the empty corridor.
"What fun would that be? Come on, Regulus, be a little creative, will ya?" Ivan exclaimed.
"You're not asking her to marry you, it's just a dance. Just make her a nice card." Regulus said tired of having this conversation twelve times a day.
"A card? You really are the Scrooge of anything romantic." Ivan scoffed.
Regulus smirked, "I don't know, I think I'm pretty romantic. At least James thinks so, especially when I do this thing with my tongue-"
"Gross. Spare me the details." Ivan said as he fake gagged.
Regulus chuckled as Ivan clicked his tongue unimpressed.
"Whatever, I'll just ask James. Since he seems to be good at this stuff." Ivan huffed.
"What are you even talking about?" Regulus quizzed confused as he stopped outside the library door.
Ivan kept walking though.
"Where are you going? I thought we were studying?" Regulus called.
"Nope. I was just supposed to bring you here. Use Protection!" Ivan yelled as he turned the corner.
Regulus furrowed his eyebrows before grumbling under his breath about being abandoned.
He pushed the door open to an empty library.
It was later at night, meaning there weren't many people, but still some students were scattered around.
Madam Pince was nowhere to be found either, making Regulus slightly wary.
Apprehensively, Regulus headed towards his normal studying spot by the window, overlooking the school grounds.
As he reached the table there was a rose, sat in front of where he'd sit.
It wasn't a real rose, but those small fake ones that people used to make flower crowns.
Regulus lightly picked the rose from the table, holding it awkwardly as he looked around.
About ten feet from him was another rose sticking out from the bookshelf.
Curiously, Regulus abandoned his original studying plans in search of any other flowers.
By the furthest door in the library, was another, tucked into the unlit lantern.
Regulus carefully removed the rose and adding it to the collection in his hand.
Following out the door by the roses direction, Regulus spotted another.
This rose lay upon the windowsill of the large windows.
He slipped it into his hand before heading down further into the dim hallway.
He stopped at an intersection, unsure where to go. He took a wild guess- taking a left.
He was unsure until his eyes spotted the rose beside the hallway column.
Not too far ahead was another rose, strategically placed in the middle of the hall- petals pointing towards a room Regulus had never been.
Regulus bent down placing the rose with the others, making half-a-dozen roses.
Regulus pushed down on the door handle, opening the wooden door, to reveal the inside.
James stood with a smile, holding another red rose in his grasp.
He dressed nice- dress pants and a nice dark grey button up, that he kept slightly unbuttoned at the top.
"Should've known you'd be the one behind this." Regulus scoffed with a smiled as he approached James.
James smiled before tucking the rose in his hand behind Regulus' ear.
"Hi, Angel." James greeted with a smile.
"Want to tell me what this is about?" Regulus quizzed his eyes traveling around the golden-glowing room.
Towards the middle was a small square table draped in a white table cloth with a red runner and two chairs across from each other.
Silver platters placed at each chair with dome plate covers.
At the center was a a set of two tall candles on silver holders- illuminating the dim room with a warm glow- on either sides of a silver bowl cup with a dome lid.
James' fingers ghosted to Regulus' chin, pushing it ever-so-slightly up to look at him.
"There's a Champion's dinner a bit after the opening ceremony of Yule Ball and I happen to have a plus one spot wide open", James started before taking on a more joking tone, "But don't get too much of a big head- you're like the fourth person I've asked."
Regulus held back his laugh, smiling like an idiot, "It's like you want me to say no."
James tensed at that, something Regulus found happened quite often- his insecurities showing through.
"I'm only kidding", Regulus assured the boy, bringing back James' teasing smile, "I'm sure I could clear my schedule for my third favorite boyfriend."
James smashed his lips to Regulus'. Both boys smiling into the kiss as they melted into each other's affection.
James pulled away gleaming at the small boy as he stepped aside, "Ladies first."
"Why aren't you going first then?" Regulus quizzed playfully.
"I'm older." James quipped.
"I'm younger." Regulus retorted.
James chuckled, "Just go."
Regulus rolled his eyes, a huge smile on his face as he moved towards the chair.
James pulled it out allowing Regulus to sit before pushing him in.
"Such a gentleman." Regulus snorted.
James was acting posh and he never acted posh, so Regulus found it way too comedic.
James sat down across from him, their legs tangling together underneath the clothed table.
Regulus placed the flowers in his hand into the small glass, vase-cup that sat at the edge of the table.
Regulus was apprehensive of whatever was under the cover. However much Regulus wanted to trust his boyfriend, James was ultimately a prankster above all else.
"I promise it's nothing bad." James assured.
Regulus squinted, unbelieving him, but continuing to remove the cover anyways.
Underneath sat a simple plate of strawberries- arranged in the shape of a heart.
Regulus looked up towards James as he removed the lid on the bowl cup, revealing whipped- cream.
Regulus held back his smile as much as possible, but he couldn't help but smile like an idiot at the boy across from him.
"Just when I've figured you out, you find ways to surprise me." Regulus hummed, dipping a strawberry into the whipped-cream.
James seemed to like that response smiling as he grabbed Regulus' free hand and intertwined their fingers- which like puzzle pieces, were design to fit together.
"How come you've never taken me here before?" Regulus questioned licking the whipped-cream from his finger.
"Well I asked Lily to be my partner for this stupid dance at Yule Ball and she only agreed if I gave her complete control over the lounge- for her girl sleepover parties." James explained plopping a strawberry into his mouth.
"'Cept she let me use it tonight as long as I told her all about it", James chuckled, "She's a sucker for romance."
Regulus laughed, she truly was a sucker for romance- but of course that's what made Lily, Lily.
"Speaking of being a sucker for romance- your conjoined twin isn't wondering where you are?" Regulus quizzed.
"Oh, no. Moony gets super worked up the day before a moon. I'm almost positive him and Pads are doing it in the dorm", James explained with a grimace, "Poor Peter."
Regulus chuckled at the thought of Pettigrew having to listen to all that- commotion.
After awhile both boys just basked in each others company.
Regulus found his eyes traveling towards the brown couch against the back wall.
In the back of his head a voice urged him to get James naked on that sofa and he wasn't opposed to the idea- biting his lip at the thought.
"You've got a little something-" James started before he plopped whipped-cream onto Regulus' nose, "Right there."
James snickered as Regulus was shook from his thoughts.
Regulus smirked before grabbing whipped-cream in his hand, "Oh yeah?"
"No, no, no don't you-" James exclaimed as he scrambled up only for Regulus to smack if right to his cheek and wipe it down the boys face.
Regulus was now the one laughing at the boy, the side of his face covered.
"Think that's funny, do you?" James quizzed before rubbing his cheek on Regulus' as the boy squirmed to get away.
Both boys broke out into laughter as they both had whipped-cream all over their faces.
Regulus pushed his lips to James' as they smiled ridiculously into the kiss.
Shorty the kiss grew passionate, James' tongue exploring around the smaller boys mouth.
Regulus pushed him backwards, until James' legs hit the sofa and he fell back onto it.
"Maybe you should leave this part out, when you're telling Lily." Regulus suggested as he straddled James.
James snickered, flipping them over so he was hovering over the smaller boy, "Nah, she asked for it."
Regulus rolled his eyes lightheartedly, wanting to get on with the program.
And quite like usual, Regulus gets what Regulus wants.