This Is Why I Don’t Socialise
Stop eating my fucking food,” Barty hisses at Evan, as the boy reaches over and steals another chip of his plate. Evan shook his head, mouth full of chips, shooting Barty a cheeky grin. “You’re getting far too comfortable around me, Rosier.”
Evan shrugged. He kept eating his chips.
The four boys - Regulus, James, Evan and Barty - all sat in a small circle in the middle of the dorm, plates full of food Evan had gotten from the House Elves in the kitchen earlier.
It was awkward. To say the least.
The silence was overwhelming, and Barty found him regretting the whole thing - an evening with James Potter? Who was he kidding? Socialising, not Barty Crouch’s forte. He was okay with that, humans and all their fucking emotions we’re just plain exhausting. And Regulus and Evan had enough emotions to last Barty a life time.
The evening had started off well.
They exchanged pleasantries, “How are you, Barty? Evan?” James had asked, polite yet tense. Barty could relate - at least to the tense part. “Good, eh - James, how are you?”
James had brought chocolate for Evan, “Regulus mentioned something about you liking it.” Evan had slung an arm around Regulus, “I knew you loved me, really.” Regulus had shoved Evan off, “Take that the fuck back.”
“No.”
“So - Potter. Quidditch, you play?” Call it misguided pity, but he felt bad for the boy, who looked so out of place and nervous. “Eh - yeah, yeah I do,” He scratched the back of his neck nervously, “I’ve been playing Chaser since second year, a bit of seeker here and there. But I’m nowhere near as good as our actual seeker, Robins.”
“Regulus plays seeker you know?” Evan says, “and he’s fucking brilliant.”
James chuckled, and smiled at Regulus, “Yeah, I’ve seen him play, he’s phenomenal.” Regulus blushed at James’ kind words. Good, Barty thought, Regulus deserved to feel appreciated.
“Evan plays Chaser, too, he started this year.”
“Yeah, yeah,” James said, grinning at Evan, “You play a wicked game, man. You’re a great opponent.” Barty narrowed his eyes, “He’s the best Chaser on the team.”
Regulus felt it was time to divert the conversation, Quidditch was as risky a subject as Wizarding Politics is. “Eh - Barty, James found this super cool Muggle Cafe in hogsmeade, it sells - eh what’s it called - ”
“Coffee.”
“Yeah, that,” Regulus grins, “You’d like it.”
Barty nodded his head, “Yeah, yeah, I’m sure I would. Potter, what are your intentions with Little Black here?” James seemed at a loss for words, caught off guard at Barty’s sudden aggression.
“Barty, what the hell?”
“Regulus, shut up. If he’s going to treat you like shit, then I’m going to kick his ass. Don’t fucking interrupt me, Black. So, Potter, what - are - your - intentions?”
“I have no intentions, I love him, I want to spend time with him, and I never want to hurt him.”
“Well, Potter, you don’t always get what you want.” Kudos to James for not rising to the bait, Barty was being a dick, he knew that.
“Yeah, I know. I really don’t want to hurt him, but I can’t promise that. However, if I were to hurt him there is nothing I wouldn’t do to make it better, to make him happy.”
Barty seemed skeptical, but he appreciated the sentiment in James’ words, and he seemed genuinely sincere. “You’re a good friend, Barty. Thank you for being there when I wasn’t.”
Barty felt an odd emotion for James, he didn’t like the guy or anything, but he didn’t hate his existence. Which was unusual. “Yeah, well, he deserves it.”
“Stop stealing my damn chips, Rosier,” Barty growled. “Never.”
“Be quiet, dickhead.”
~*~
Regulus led James out of the house later that evening, standing in a nearby empty room. “Your friends are - sweet.” James struggled for the word to describe tonight. Regulus scoffed and rolled his eyes. “You don’t have to say that.”
“You mean the whole fucking world to me, do you know that? And anyone that cares about you as much as Evan and Barty do, are good people. I really like them, and I want them to like me.”
“My friends, they - they mean the world to me. Don’t tell them that though. I love them. I love you.”
“Hopefully you love them in a different way to me,” James grinned, kissing Regulus’ forehead comfortingly. “Shut up, you dork.”
“Again, with the pet names that are insults.”
Regulus wrapped his arms around James’ neck, stood on his toes and pressed a soft kiss to James’ lips.
“I know I’m not as good with words as you, James, but I really appreciate you. And you’re so important to me, and my heart feels so full when I’m with you.”
James looked at Regulus with absolute wonder and love in his eyes. He lent down till Regulus could feel his hot breath on his cheek, “You're so damn beautiful, baby, inside and out. I can’t believe you’re all fucking mine.” Regulus blushed, James kissed him.
“I like kissing you,” Regulus smiled sweetly, eyes soft as he gazed at James.
“I love you.”
“I love you more.”
“Not fucking possible, Black.”