Shoes
It’s the loud bang followed by a colourful curse word and the James Fleamont Potter! that made James stops at the spot. He already knows this is not good. And it’s apparent to everyone else as Sirius laughs at him. “You are in trouble.”
“As always,” James answers.
“What have you done?”
James just shrugs. He is trying to think what could get the boy mad, but his brainstorming is cut short by furious Regulus storming into the kitchen with a shoe in his hand. It looks rather comical, and James is trying so hard not to laugh at him. By the look in Regulus’ eyes, it wouldn’t be a wise decision.
“Here he is, the love of my life. Have I told you today how beautiful you look and…” He is cut out by a stern look. He can see in the corner of his eye Sirius sitting at the kitchen cabinet silently laughing.
“Potter. I don’t know how more I should simplify this so you would understand it, but Don’t. Leave. Your. Shoes. In. The. Middle. Of. The. Fucking. Hall.” Regulus over pronounces each word as you would do for a five-year-old. Frankly, James thinks he is absolutely gorgeous like this. He is snaped from admiring his boyfriend by a flying shoe that hits him in the centre of his chest.
“James! I almost broke my leg.” Regulus says and James is pretty sure he is exaggerating. “If I find the shoes there again it will be your leg that will be broken.”
James just gazes at him. “You are so pretty when you threaten me.”
To which Regulus just lets out incoherent noise full of frustration. “I could just…” He reaches his hands out pretending to strangle someone, preferably James at the moment.
“Come on, Reggie. They are just shoes, aren’t you a little bit overreacting?” Sirius speaks up and James thinks how much of a fool he is drawing attention to himself. Regulus slowly turns himself to face him.
“And youuu…” Regulus hisses through his teeth pointing at his brother. “You are the same. So this warning goes for you too. IF I find those shoes in the middle of the hall tomorrow instead of neatly placed in the shoe closet you will lose them.” And with that, he turns around and leaves the room as quickly as he entered.
As soon as they know he is not able to hear them both of the boys burst out laughing.
~.~.~.~.~
The next day James is coming for breakfast when he stumbles on Sirius standing in the hall looking at the ground in disbelief. He follows his gaze and notices all of their shoes are gone and all it’s left is two pairs of old flip-flops. There is no question who the thief is since they of course didn’t put away their shoes yesterday after Regulus what they assumed was an empty threat.
When both enter the kitchen, they can see Regulus sipping his morning coffee with a satisfied expression on his face. “Morning.” He sings.
“Where they are?!” Sirius narrows his eyes.
“What do you mean?” Regulus tilts his head in mock confusion.
“Regulus. The shoes of course.”
“They are not in the shoe closet as they are supposed to be?” Regulus asks and calmly sips his coffee.
“You know well enough that they aren’t,” James answers instead of Sirius.
“Well, I told you what will happen, and you didn’t listen, so here you go.”
“C’mon Prongs, let’s go find them.” Sirius turns around already done with the conversation.
“Good luck with that.” Regulus hums. Going by his unbothered expression James is pretty sure they won’t find their shoes.
“Reggie, love, will you tell us where there are?” James tries because he would be a fool not to ask before they go for a blind hunt.
“I will if you manage to put the flip-flops in the closet every day for the next five days as I asked you many times before.”
“Blackmail, really Regulus?” Sirius asks in disbelief.
“I wouldn’t call it blackmail per se. More like targeted behaviour modification.” Regulus muses clearly satisfied with himself. Sirius looks furious and James just laughs. It’s more a punishment for Sirius than him since Sirius absolutely hates flip-flops. But maybe hearing Sirius complain for those five days will be enough punishment itself.
“Well played,” James says and goes to pour himself his own cup of coffee.