it's been a long time coming
Four Years Later
August 1976
There was a light tapping emitting from the other side of his bedroom door.
“Regulus?” he recognized the voice of his older brother, who was knocking on his door. He got up to open it to see what it was that Sirius wanted. Pulling open the door, Regulus was face to face with Sirius Black.
“Yes?” he asked looking down at his brother, he had grown taller than him the past few months. Not by much but enough to have to turn his head slightly downward, even if it was just a few inches. Not that Sirius wasn’t tall, he was, but Regulus was taller.
“I’m going over to James’” he paused and continued “I was uh, wondering if you wanted to come with?” Sirius was uncharacteristically nervous at this, Regulus knew that he wasn’t as close to Sirius as he was years ago.
However, he knew that his older brother was not a very nervous person, he often did this as he dared to which has made their parents be a bit against him over the years, but he always did things with confidence. Regulus just stared at his brother in contemplation before Sirius spoke again.
“You don’t have to but me and James would like it if you did, we haven’t had you over there in ages. Plus Effie says she misses you and so does Mr.Potter, please Reggie?”
In a rush and seeming like he lost his breath a bit in speaking all of that, Regulus' heart sped up a bit at the mention of the Potter family. He did miss them but was it enough to show up after not having shown up for a while? He wasn’t quite sure.
Sirius’ eyes were pleading with him, Regulus against his better judgement, decided to say yes. At that a brightness bloomed in the eldest blacks eyes, in a moment of excitement Sirius pulled Regulus by the arm as he made them race through the house to go to the floo.
At Potter Manor, Regulus and Sirius came out on the same fireplace as always. James Potter was waiting for them, as soon as James saw regulus, he saw the way his eyes widened as he glanced between them. Visibly being excited at having Regulus there, he seemed as if he was trying not to bounce as he lifted his feet up and down. Regulus found himself smiling back. At that he noticed a warmth spread in the others eyes but then Sirius grabbed James and took his attention once again. Just like he always did.
He followed after them mindlessly as if all that time had never quite passed. He noticed after that Remus and Peter were not there, that it was just the three of them, like before. Regulus could tell that they were heading to James’ room as he has had Potter Manor memorized since the first few times he’s ever been there.
Upon the door was the same sign that was there years ago, his lips twitched at the sight. What was different was the room, he could tell that it had changed just as it’s owner had. Once before there was a tiny boy who had glasses that slipped off his nose, and a head of messy curls. Now there was a beautiful tanned one, with the confidence of a thousand suns, outlines of muscle on his body from quidditch, and curls that lay in a messy but nice way on his head.
He stepped into the room as if it felt like the piece of him that was gone, was slotted back into place. Regulus decided to snoop, old habits die hard, just to see what else changed besides the obvious way that the bedsheets were no longer a bright red but a deep blue.
He saw posters of quidditch hanging on the walls, there was a bookcase now, trinkets of, he is assuming the times the Potters have traveled, and the desk still there but now it’s actually organized.
What made Regulus think he was seeing things was when he saw a small black box right where the last one was years ago. Sirius still wears that bracelet to this day but he never got one. The box reminding him of what James had said all those years ago. He decides to lean against the closed closet door as the two boys talk on the bed. Observing them, but mainly staring at James as he hasn’t been this close to him in years.
Hazel eyes with long lashes, barely noticeable freckles splattered on his face, the bounce of his knee as if to expel excess energy, and the way he seemed to be trying not to look over at him. Until James gave in and turned his head to see what he was doing, he saw the way Sirius was still talking having not noticed, as James’ breath seemed to catch staring back at him, and his knee no longer bouncing.
Regulus is just staring because he'd rather watch then speak, and then James looked away back to Sirius. He decided to tune in Sirius and heard him talking about Remus? He's quite confused on that, but he believes it has to do with the fact that Sirius and Remus like each other but haven't done anything about said feelings.
Regulus knows why he’s staring at James because outside of this time, he will not allow himself to stare at him. At school he ignores the marauders for a reason, but he’s not at school, which gives him the opportunity to watch the boy he has romantic feelings for. Sirius stops talking abruptly and Regulus watches as he leaves. At that he turns his head to look back at James who is still sat on the bed, a few feet away, to find him staring back.
He raises an eyebrow at him, James stares for a few seconds more before heading to his desk and grabs that same black box just like many years ago. Regulus thinks that he has forgotten how to breathe.
James comes back to him standing in front of him, very closely, towering over him as he has at least six inches of height on him. Regulus peers up at James through his eyelashes, he notices how James seems to swallow before speaking.
“Here. This is for you. I’ve meant to give it to you a while ago.” James holds out the box to Regulus, he stares at him for a beat before accepting it. He can tell that James is now fidgeting as he opens the box, he can’t help but be surprised at what lays inside.
There is a silver ring that holds a tiny constellation right at the front, his constellation as Regulus is shining brighter than the others, he notes how the band of the ring has a light color of emerald green if you look closely. He looks up at James as the older boy starts to ramble.
“I changed it up a bit as months have gone by, the constellation has stayed the same but I just tweaked it a bit with my magic, to add the green. I don’t know if you’ll like it or even want it but I wanted to give it to you. I did after all promise it to you years ago and it was only right that I gave it to its owner instead of having it laying there on my desk unworn.” James glanced at him before looking away after he finished. He waited a second before telling him thank you and that it’s very beautiful, putting it on right in front of James as James watched.
He heard the intake of breath as the ring seemed to shine as if saying finally at the fact that it was being worn. Regulus couldn't help but grin and looked up at the other to find him watching in a sort of reverent awe. Regulus forgot how to breathe at the sheer brightness in James' eyes. He could feel his face start to flush as James' eyes moved around his face taking in every micro expression.
“I'm backkk” Sirius was yelling as he entered the room and plopped back onto the bed. Both boys seemed to regain their bearings as the trance they were in ended as they both made their way to Sirius. Regulus saw Sirius notice his ring and the way he started grinning in delight, talking about how he likes his ring and he's glad he has it now because James would not shut up about still holding it in his possession. He giggled at that before turning to go and find Euphemia Potter.
He found her in the kitchen, she was making lemonade as she had everything out, Regulus tentatively stood nearby until she noticed him.
“Regulus!” a gasp from Mrs.Potter as she hurried to him and pulled him into a hug. Saying how she missed him and was glad he was back. That he could help her make lemonade if he so wished, he did and together they made a pitcher of iced lemonade. Just as Regulus was figuring out how to balance three glasses of lemonade to take upstairs. He heard the thumps on stairs and the laughter of his brother and James as they made their way to the kitchen. He looked up at them as they entered, two glasses in hand and one still on the counter. The boys found him there and Sirius did not hesitate to grab the cup on the counter to take a sip, complimenting Effie on her job before she said that Regulus helped and complimenting him too.
James who had been slowly making his way to Regulus told him thanks with a bright smile as he grabbed the cup from his hand, their fingers brushing against each other in the process. Sirius headed out to the backyard right after as James and Regulus followed. He saw as there was now a mini quidditch pitch there and saw as Sirius went to go find brooms as if it was second nature to him by now, he supposes it was, instead of following even though Regulus is on the quidditch team for his own house at Hogwarts, he went to go lay on the grass to do some cloud watching.
He didn't notice James following him until he lay right beside him, he blinked at him in surprise feeling uncertain as to what James was up to when he yelled back to Sirius from across the space that he would join him later and going back to laying down. Regulus hadn't noticed when his breathing had started to speed up until James turned his head to him as he'd been doing.
“What are you doing?” he whispered.
“Joining you.” James replied back in a whisper, their faces a few inches apart.
“Why?” Regulus couldn't help but ask.
“To stare at you.” He heard the mischief in his voice as he smiled at him. Regulus could feel himself starting to flush again before he spoke without thinking.
“That's my job, to stare at you.” He had added the last part because of the warmth that was in James' eyes unable to help himself. He delighted in the flush now spreading across James' cheeks. giving the older boy a smirk.
“It's not fair” James whispered and just as Regulus was going to reply what exactly isn't fair. He felt the touch of another hand against his own on the grass. So he glanced away down to his hand as he stayed as he was, hearing as James continued.
“That you're the only one who makes me feel like this.” He finished as he intertwined their hands together. Regulus glanced back up at him, breath caught in his throat.
“Like what?” he has to whisper as he had to know exactly and precisely what James was referring to.
“Like I can't help but find you in every room I enter, the need to be as close to you as possible even though I shouldn't because you're my best friends little brother, like I will simply die if I can't touch you. I'm always finding myself trying to seek your eyes to see if you would glance at me too, and needing to know what you're doing just to see you.” He could see as a sort of sheen appeared on James eye's and felt his own doing the same.
“Oh,” was the first thing that came out of him. He still didn't quite know what James wanted out of that so he did the only thing he could and asked.
“What is it that you want James? Tell me and I'll give it to you,” he whispered in a rush before he forgot how to speak with all the emotion welling up inside of him.
“You,” was the simple answer he was given. He found himself frantically searching James' eyes to make sure there was nothing but the truth in his gaze but when has James Potter ever lied to him, never is the answer to that. Regulus didn't notice when he leaned forward on the ground, until his nose was touching James'.
“Have me. I was only ever yours to begin with,” Regulus moved the rest of the way as their lips met in a kiss, it felt like this was something long in the making, as if nothing else was going on as their lips pressed softly against the others. Until one of them, neither quite knows which, started to kiss with a bit more force as if trying to get as much as the other as possible before they broke away for some much needed air.
Holding hands through the whole thing, they stayed staring at each other as they knew that they were never going to let each other go in every sense of the word. Their moment broken but also not really by Sirius yelling at them to join him as he was bored. They chuckled still staring at each other before standing up, as James started running and Regulus did his best to keep up, hands still intertwined.
Laughter could be heard after them as the three boys then flew together in the sky, where nothing could touch them.