So American

“Oh, thank you, ma,” James carries in the bag of groceries on the counter. Effie has spent the time since the group left making cookies for the four boys.

“Of course, darling,” Effie says. She takes the plate of cookies and sets in on the coffee table, next to the popcorn and waters. Effie sets out the ice cream so each boy can make their own bowl, which they all do immediately. “There should be extra blankets in the ottoman. Don’t stay up late, boys. And don’t eat that ice cream on my couch.”

Effie kisses James’s cheek then goes down the hall to her room.

“James, I think I’m inlove with your mother,” Remus says, his mouth already full of cookies. He already finished his small bowl of ice cream.

The other three boys eat their ice cream at the table, respecting Effie’s wishes.

James’s face goes red and he flips Remus off as he sits down on the sofa. He settles down on the corner, holding a cookie in one hand and pulling the blanket up with the other. Sirius quickly makes himself comfortable, flopping down next to James. He takes the other half of the blanket and drapes it over himself, ignoring James’s protest.

Remus sits down on the other side of the couch, his leg propped up on the coffee table. He reaches forward and grabs a handful of cookies, smiling to himself.

Regulus sits down in the arm chair, setting down his phone. Buddy pads over and lays his head on Regulus’s foot. He smiles down at the dog, leaning his hand down to pet Buddy.

James sighs as he scrolls through Netflix, trying to find a movie to watch as a group. Sirius kept suggesting superhero movies, which Regulus shut down right away.

Soon enough, the group decides on a comedy movie. Remus leans back on the couch, half asleep. He doesn’t even stir when Buddy leaves Regulus’s side to lay his head in Remus’s lap. Sirius snuggles up with the blanket, moving the tiniest bit closer to James.

James smiles and wraps his arm around Sirius’s shoulder.

They looked so brotherly it made Regulus want to throw up.

Regulus doesn’t want to say he’s jealous, but it’s something close. He’s a deep feeling, one buried in his stomach. It’s not fair, really. He’s had Sirius for years, but James comes along and snatches him up?

Sure, Regulus gets along with James and Remus. He’ll make small talk and laugh and smile, but Sirius? He just clicked. It’s like Sirius has spent his whole life here.

It’s almost like Sirius belongs here.

Far away from Paris.

Far away from Regulus.

“Seriously! Gross!” James complains as Remus falls asleep, the sandy haired man drooling on James’s blanket. “Gross, gross.”

James uses his fingers and tilts Remus’s chin the other way, so he’s drooling on his own shoulder.

Regulus pretends to not notice the scar on Remus’s neck.

It’s small, almost unnoticeable, but the way Remus’s shirt is falling on his collarbone, makes it stand out to Regulus. It’s a sliver of pale skin, thin and jagged.

Regulus has also noticed the one on Remus’s eyebrow, and hand, and wrist. Regulus just wants to know, but clearly James either already knows, or doesn’t care, because he never talks about it.

Regulus can’t seem to figure James out either.

James is so loud and obnoxious when he’s with his friends. He shines.

But back in the car, when it was just Regulus and James awake, James was quiet. He was gentle. A certain warmness that attracted Regulus in a way he didn’t understand.

James wasn’t loud. He didn’t talk with his hands or use his eyebrows to express his emotions. The words slowly slipped from his lips and caressed Regulus.

It made him feel safe. Warm. At home.

He didn’t need a bonfire with hundreds of people, then a trip to Walmart, then a movie night.

All Regulus needed was a talk.

Regulus looks over to see Sirius asleep as well, his head lolled over towards Remus. James still has his arm around Sirius, gently holding his shoulder. His thumb is rubbing circles over the bone.

James hands never stay still.

For some odd reason, one Regulus can’t explain, or figure out where it comes from, he wants to reach out and soothe the tension from James’s hand.

Maybe he’s just worried about his new friend.

Maybe.

Hopefully.

—

Regulus doesn’t realize time passes until all three of the other boys are asleep. James’s head is back on the couch, his mouth slightly parted. Sirius is slumped on his side, his head on Remus’s shoulder. Remus, on the other hand, is resting his head on Sirius’s, his mouth open with drool. Buddy is lying on the edge of the couch, his little dog head in Remus’s lap.

Regulus sighs and reaches over to turn the TV off.

He needs some air.

He takes the blanket off his lap, folds it into a neat square, then grabs his phone and slips out the back door.

Immediately, he’s refreshed by the clean air. Regulus sits down on the Potter’s porch swing, his head tilted up towards the sky.

He can see the stars so clearly here. There’s not enough pollution or clouds or city lights to block the view. Thousands of little twinkling lights ignite the sky, along with a round moon. A full moon.

Regulus relaxes into the swing, his eyes scanning the constellations. He had to learn them once, back in his old boarding school. So, slowly, he raised a finger and started to name the constellations.

Andromeda

Aries

Carina

Canis Major

Ara

Regulus does this until he’s too tired to stop. He covers his mouth in a yawn and leans back into the cushions of the swing.

“Regulus?”

Regulus whips his head around to see a sleepy Remus walking towards him. Remus’s hair is a mess, and his shirt slightly bunched up. “What are you doing out here?”

Regulus shrugs, “couldn’t sleep. I guess.” He scoots over as Remus sits down on the swing, his gaze directed towards the sky.

“You’re named after a star, right? Both you and Sirius?” Remus asks, his gaze never leaving the stars.

Regulus looks over at him, mouth agape. No one has ever guessed that first try. Ever. “Um.. yeah, we are. How did you know that?”

Regulus pretends to not notice the way Remus tenses, “I.. I had some time to study stars and the moon. It’s pretty cool, actually.”

Regulus just stares at him as Remus talks about astronomy. He talks about how the moon controls the tides of the oceans, how a lunar eclipse works, how stars explode.

Remus is so confusing to Regulus.

There’s so many things to discover.

Why does he act the way he does?

Why does he limp?

Why does he know all of these things?

“Why do you have a limp?” Regulus asks before he even realizes what he said, but it’s too late to take it back. He wants to know. No, he needs to know.

Remus freezes, and moves his head to look at Regulus, “what?”

“Why do you have a limp?” Regulus repeats.

Remus blinks, then blinks again.

“And the scars? And why do you know all this?”

“You’re.. quite observant.”

“It comes with moving to a new country, with randoms.”

The corner of Remus’s lips turn up, “I might as well.. tell you, I guess.”

Regulus smiles in relief, leaning back into the cushions. He hugs a pillow to his chest then nods at Remus to talk.

“Well, um, I’m pretty sure I told you I used to live in Wyoming, correct?” Remus asks, and Regulus nods in confirmation. “I lived with my mom and dad in Cheyenne.”

Regulus nods again.

“I had just turned 16, and like, I mean literally just turned 16. My mom.. wanted some coffee, so she asked me to drive down the street to a coffee shop at the edge of the block. I had taken that street with my father so many times, I didn’t really worry about driving by myself.”

Regulus feels a pit in his stomach, growing bigger and bigger as more words flow from Remus’s mouth.

“I.. don’t remember much after that… I just.. apparently.. I hit another car and rolled into a ditch. I messed up my leg pretty bad and scraped all over, so that explains the limp and the scars.”

Regulus feels sick. So sick. He was so worried about Sirius getting stolen by James, he didn’t even dare to think about what might be happening to Remus. He honestly didn’t care.

“They had better doctors and stuff in Omaha, so that’s why we moved and.. yeah.” Remus tilts his head back up towards the sky, “yknow, I haven’t told James that.”

Regulus’s eyes widen, “you haven’t?”

“You.. you’ve seen how he is. He’d be up my ass about taking my meds or not walking too fast,” Remus sighs, “part of moving here was a fresh start.”

The corner of Regulus’s lips turn up, “he would be up your ass.”

“Yeah he would.”

The two fall into a comfortable silence, Remus looking up into the sky and Regulus out into the forest.

“It’s really nice here,” Regulus says.

“Yeah, it is.”

“Way better than back home.”

“Really?”

“Really.”

“Whys that?” Remus says, tilting his head towards Regulus.

“Well, my parents suck, so that’s part of it. But it’s so fresh here, like I can actually breathe. It’s so.. calm. Back home, there’s so many people and tourists, you can’t really do anything.” Regulus closes his eyes and takes a deep breath, taking in the feel of the fresh air and the sound of the bugs.

“That makes sense. Maybe someday we can all come visit you?”

Regulus softly smiles, “maybe someday.”

The pair fall back into a comfortable silence, taking in the atmosphere around them. The smell of Effie’s fresh flowers, the sounds of the bugs and the owls, the feel of wind on their faces.

That is until Remus yawns. “I better go back to bed. Get some sleep, alright? You look like a zombie.”

Regulus scoffs. “Yeah, yeah. Goodnight, Remus.”

“Night, Black.”

Remus gets up from his seat on the swing and pushes his pillow back into place. He smiles once at Regulus, then turns and opens the sliding door to go inside.

Regulus sighs as the door clicks shut.

Remus intrigues him.

Regulus wonders how long he’s been keeping all that inside.

Regulus wonders how stupid James has to be to not notice.

Regulus runs his hand down his face, then gets up, pushing his pillow back into place. He walks back into the house to see James and Sirius still asleep, both in the same positions. Remus is asleep again, with Buddy’s head in his lap.

Regulus walks past them and up into his room. He left it very tidy this morning. The only sign someone was there is the tiny pilot of dirty clothes, which Regulus has no where to put.

Regulus slips out of his clothes and into his sweats and a sweatshirt. He opens his curtains and cracks the window, sighing as the sound of the bugs comes through.

Regulus crawls into bed and relaxes. He sees now why James likes to sleep with the window open so much. It’s peaceful. Calm. It’s nice to feel the night air on your face.

Before Regulus knew it, he was drifting off into a deep sleep.

While his brother, and 2 new friends slept on the couch downstairs.