Chapter 4
As it turned out, sneaking quietly back into a mostly empty house occupied only by one Regulus Black was rather difficult. Especially when James and Peter were trying to lug Remus’ lanky form up the stairs between them while Sirius kept look out as Padfoot. It had been a rather good moon ignoring the fact that Remus had had to shift back outside because it would have been a lot harder not to get caught had they been trying to get a werewolf, a stag, a rat, and a dog through the front door. Usually, they made quite a racket getting back inside but the risk of waking Regulus was not one they had been willing to take. It had been a fight to get through the door as it was because there was a small black cat that was trailing them and trying to squeeze inside with them. Binchi was not impressed by the intruder and made a fuss which Peter was required to silence magically.
Somehow, the four of them made it up the stairs and into the large guest room without waking Regulus. They lowered Remus onto the queen-sized bed and Peter slumped on the single mattress on the floor. James sat down next to him and Padfoot who had not shifted back hopped up beside Remus who barely had enough energy to raise his head. Padfoot nuzzled his head under Remus’ hand and then dropped it down on his paws, big eyes watching Remus with nothing short of admiration. Sometimes James preferred it like this.
Sirius's big mouth couldn’t get in his own way and Remus was weak for the black dog. But James loved Sirius, and he knew that Sirius would eventually return with the sun and there was nothing to be done for it except hope that one of them would grow just slightly less daft.
“Night boys, I’m going to grab some shut-eye before morning. Pads.” The dog turned his eyes on James without shifting his head. “Can Pete take your bed if you’re sleeping here?”
Padfoot let out a low ‘boof’ noise that James took for affirmation. He leaned down to scratch behind the dog's ears and then dragged Peter to a standing position, helping him to Sirius’ room before stumbling into his own. He stripped off his muddy clothes and pulled on a pair of sleep shorts before climbing under the sheets and falling asleep.
…
James was rudely awakened by Peter whisper-yelling his name.
“James! Get up. You’ll want to see this.”
“Wha- What time is it Pete? Bloody hell.” He groaned, turning over to cover his head with his pillow which was promptly ripped from his grasp.
“He’s right actually Potter. Get up. This is important and I don’t know where you keep the cameras.” Regulus’ voice in James' room was what jolted him into consciousness.
“Regulus?” He got silence in return, but he could see two hazy figures standing over him, so he reached over to his nightstand, hand flailing for his glasses. He finally made contact with the rounded metal frames and used his other hand to scrub the sleep from his eyes before shoving them onto his face. Suddenly the world was far clearer. Peter and Regulus stood over him and while they wore extremely different expressions, there was an air of excitement that buzzed around them both. “Okay, What’s going on that you had to wake me at- ” James glanced at the clock on his wall, “seven AM on a holiday?”
Instead of replying, Peter grabbed his wrist and tugged him out of bed, leaving his entire upper body exposed due to his lack of shirt.
“Grab one of the cameras Prongs.”
James reached for one of the wizarding cameras on the top shelf of his closet where it was out of reach of Binchi. Peter had hurried from the room when James turned but Regulus was standing in the doorway, staring at him kind of blankly. Upon realising James was looking at him Regulus seemed to snap back to reality.
“Come on Potter.” He waved and James followed him down the hall into the guest room, camera clutched in calloused hands. Thick sunlight the colour of honey glowed through the window, staining the room in a gold hue. It haloed the sleeping forms of the two boys on the bed. Remus was on his back, the scars across his bare chest would almost blend with the rest of his skin if not for the fact that the rest of his chest was so heavily freckled it could be mistaken for a tan. Remus had told them about the fact he’d spent most of his summer working in the fields of his family farm, but he had failed to mention that he must have been working shirtless because not even James – who was definitely not into guys because he liked Lily – could help but admire him. Looking over at Regulus, James saw that he seemed to share in the sentiment. Regulus’ eyes were glued to Remus’ leanly muscles torso, tracing each dip and swell of his chest with something close to awe in his eyes.
Remus had one arm thrown over his eyes and the other, well, the other was wrapped around Sirius’ waist. Sirius himself was lying tilted on his side, half on Remus’ chest and half beside him, legs tangled together, and head tucked under Remus’ chin. James made a sound far too close to Wormtail’s squeaks and lifted the camera, snapping numerous shots of the two boys. Sirius’s hair was splayed out across Remus’s shoulder in a spill of dark ink, and he had an arm flung over Remus’s chest. All of the tattoos across Sirius’ back were exposed, as well as the ones tracing up his neck and across Remus’s collarbones. The sight was truly artistic, and James was reminded again of why he had taken up photography in third year after ‘The Prank’.
It had started off as a coping mechanism to deal with the arguments and the stress and tension caused by Sirius’s actions. But the photography had become a safe place for James, a moment of stillness captured to contrast his constantly moving mind. It was a passion, a love that James nurtured. Effie and Monty had doted on him as a child and they still did, buying him all the best cameras, but James had found he preferred some of the older models because of the effect they produced. Sometimes James wasn’t sure he’d have made it this far without his photography. He wasn’t one to think dark thoughts often but the struggles to organise and handle his thoughts could seem impossible and James could recall wishing it would just end on more then one occasion. Not life but the constant cacophony in his mind.
He smiled now though. Sirius and Remus were made for each other, even if they didn’t know it yet. James grinned at Regulus and Peter, and he could see the same spark of mischief he felt reflected in their eyes. This photo would be put to good use some time in the future. For now, it was time for breakfast.
… Regulus Black POV …
Regulus Black was having an internal panic attack. He was seated at the kitchen bench waiting for breakfast and across from him, James potter was shirtless. He was cooking and he would be the death of Regulus because he had tattoos scattered across his back, everything from celestial bodies for his friends to band names and a pair of antlers that arched across his shoulders and ripple with the shift of the muscles he had built up from years of quidditch as he scraped bacon from the pan onto a plate. Regulus’ cheeks were on fire, and he was so glad Barty and Pandora weren’t there or he’d never hear the end of it.
There were honestly too many attractive men in this household. Sirius was his brother, and his cousin, but Regulus could admit he was objectively attractive. The there was both Potter men. However skilled Regulus was at lying to himself, he wasn’t going to ignore that James Potter, like his father, was extraordinarily hot. He could even admit that he’d had a small crush on Monty when he first arrived but if anyone asked, he would deny it even in the face of certain death. With the addition of Remus – who was quite possibly one of Regulus’ best friends – Regulus was struggling to keep his gaze respectful.
As for many others, Remus had been Regulus’ gay awakening and even his first kiss if only so Regulus could confirm what he was already near certain of. While Regulus no longer fantasised about Remus – a shameful habit he’d had for half of fourth year – he still found him attractive, anyone would have to be blind not to. But he also knew that Remus was permanently and irrevocably in love with Regulus' own brother. An admission Remus made in fourth grade which had brought Regulus’ fantasies to an abrupt halt.
Regulus had not been aware of the fact that he found the ability to cook an attractive thing but apparently spending enough time relying on house elves for even the most basic household needs made self-reliance an attractive quality in any man. So now here Regulus was, drooling over James Potter’s abs as the man served him breakfast. He snapped back to the present when Peter started speaking,
“So, what are we doing today? Remus probably won’t wake till after midday, and I doubt Sirius will be leaving his side. Once they do wake it’s going to be excruciatingly awkward between them though, so soak up the pleasantness of people being able to make eye contact and maintain conversation while you can.” Peter snickered.
“If you still want those tattoos, I can do them for you once I wake a bit more. Remus has been teaching me and I’m trying to improve. I want to work in a studio where I can charm them to move.” James offered.
For a moment Regulus actually considered it. Pictured himself lying face down on the couch with James hovering over him, tan hands sliding across pale skin as the stab of the needle traced a steady line across his back. But then he remembered what else traced his skin that James could never know of. The healing scars situated over his ribs where his breasts once rested were something that must remain hidden, at least for now, until it was safer for people like him. So having James Potter tattooing him would have to wait till another day.
“Sorry Potter, I’d rather not run the risk of an amateur botching my skin permanently.” The words tasted rather bitter, but he knew the scorn would disguise any longing.
“I swear Regulus, I’m actually rather good. Please.” Merlin. Why did he have to make it so damn hard for Regulus’ minimal self-control?
“Are you daft? I said no Potter.”
James seemed to dull at the snappish tone Regulus had used but he didn’t push any further which was what Regulus had been aiming for. So why did he feel almost disappointed?
Ignoring his contradictory thoughts, Regulus dug into the breakfast laid out before him, opting to ignore Peter and James in favour of food.
…
Peter was right. The simplicity of human interaction that morning had been a blessing caused by the absence of Sirius and Remus. Regulus knew the exact time they woke because Sirius had screamed. Full on, ear bleeding, blood-curdling, murder in the night screaming. Regulus, who had been wondering why the others even kept him around concluded that he must be a useful, if unpleasant, alarm clock.
The other three boys had run into the room to see what the commotion was, to find Sirius on the ground, face in his hands apologising. Apparently, he hadn’t expected to be sharing a bed with someone and had panicked. Regulus could see the flush that burned the tips of Sirius’ ears that peaked through his hair. He was distraught over the fact he had woken Remus who was roaring with laughter after recovering from his initial shock.
The rest of the day was endured as Sirius avoided eye contact with Remus at all costs and Remus continued to try and scare Sirius at any available opportunity. He didn’t succeed once but Regulus watched Sirius fake a fright on more than one occasion for Remus’s enjoyment. Watching them was starting to drive Regulus up the walls. At Hogwarts, the constant pining was something he could usually avoid rather easily, but now he was subjected to both Remus’s rants of why Sirius was perfect and watching Sirius walk into things because his gaze was glued to Remus which admittedly was very amusing. But the way they were oblivious to each other’s feelings was making Regulus consider just shoving their heads together and demanding they kiss.
In the end, no one got much done that day because Remus was too distracted to do the tattoos and none of them had any plans. James demonstrated his artistic ability in an inking he completed on Sirius’ shoulder, a small wolf who was charmed to roam across his shoulder and upper back and howl at nothing. Only Regulus noted the way it usually howled whenever Sirius and Remus brushed fingers or made accidental contact as they sat.