That's everything
It was the sound of drawers being opened and closed and loud shuffling that have woken up James. He quickly scanned the empty room. According to the alarm clock on his nightstand, it was half past three in the morning so none of them had any reason to be up yet. James was having a mental debate if he should get up and check what was happening when a loud sound of something dropping echoed from the other room followed by exhausted sight. Right, that’s his cue.
When James enters what will in a few weeks be a child's bedroom, he sees Regulus sitting on the ground with a box full of children's safety cupboard locks. He has his face hidden in the palms of his hands. There is a manual laying a few feets away from him. James guesses that it wasn’t helpful, so Regulus probably tossed it across the room.
“Sweetheart?” James asks quietly and Regulus’ whole body jerks in alarm since he apparently didn’t hear James come in. Sorry James mutters as he sits down in front of the other boy.
“What are you doing?” He asks with concern. James would laugh at the clearly despaired expression on Regulus' face his dishevelled curls that he gets when things don't go his way if it wasn’t for the hint of tears in the corners of Regulus’ eyes.
“Did I wake you? Sorry, I didn’t mean to wake you.” Regulus says completely ignoring the question.
“That’s fine. So, why are we mad at the cupboard locks?” James reaches for the manual to read it. Regulus apparently decided to do this right now in the middle of the night and from experience, there is no changing his mind.
“They are stupid.” Regulus resorts and when James arches an eyebrow at him he adds. “And the manual it’s even more stupid.”
“Okay.” James puts down the manual because even its presence seems to be offending Regulus. “Reg, you know we have plenty of time since we will need these, right?”
“Harry will be here in three weeks,” Regulus says, and James can hear the slight panic in his voice.
“Right…” He takes one of the cupboard locks from Regulus’ hand and interlinks their fingers instead. “But he won’t be able to reach the cupboards for a long time.”
“I’m not taking any chances,” Regulus says immediately.
James chuckles a little. “Reg, he won’t be able to walk or even crawl for months.”
Regulus gives him an unimpressed look. He knows this. They both do with the ridiculous amount of parenting books they have read. But if Regulus will feel better with the locks on, they will have the locks on.
“Okay, let’s look at the manual again,” James says as he squishes closer to Regulus so they can reread it together.
It’s almost four in the morning when they finally finished the whole room and Regulus checks every cupboard twice and then one more time to be sure. They are lying in the bed, Regulus resting his head on James’ chest as James slowly traces his fingers across his back.
“I’m scared, James,” Regulus confess guiltily as it was the greatest sin he ever did. James squeezes his arm to let him know he is listening but doesn’t interrupt. “I’m scared that he will get hurt and it’s gonna be my fault.”
James can feel the hot tears on his chest, and it breaks his heart as always when Regulus is crying. “I don’t want to let him and you down. What… What if I will be a bad parent?”
James moves so he lies on his side next to Regulus. He tugs the few curls behind Regulus’ ear so he can fully see his face. “You will be a great parent, Reg.”
“How do you know that?”
“Because, my love, you want to be good.” He says and places a tender kiss on his cheek kissing away the tears.
“It’s not enough.”
“Oh, that’s everything. You will make mistakes, same as me. But the important part is that we will do the best we can. And that’s…” He kisses him again. “That’s enough.”