the predatory wasp of the palisades is out to get us!
Oh, how I meant to tease him
Oh, how I meant no harm
Touching his back with my hand, I kiss him
I see the wasp on the length of my arm
('The Predatory Wasp Is Out To Get Us!' by Sufjan Stevens)
Monday. 23:08.
The sound of loud, bell-like laughter and the smell of marijuana filled the air as the moon rose and the stars began to appear more illuminated over the Mckinnon backyard. Remus, Sirius, Peter, Marlene, and Mary were huddled around the firepit, leaning into each other and sharing blankets and joints.
“Oh my God, it’s so painfully obvious. Like, every single time James and I hang out, his name is always mentioned!” Peter took a drag of the blunt before passing it to Sirius on his left. “How is Regulus, by the way? I haven’t seen him in a bit.”
“He's been alright. I think he gets better and better each day.” Sirius offered the joint to Remus, who shook his head.
“Growing pains.” Remus was already beginning to feel like he had drank too much to smoke, judging by the almost-empty Aperol Spritz cup next to him. It had been his third at that point of the night.
“Yeah, it was really weird in the beginning, but it’s good now.” Sirius took another hit, blowing the smoke away from Remus’s face. “It’s still a little weird thinking my brother loves me again. We hated each other for the longest time…”
Hate was not the right word. Sirius thought they hated Regulus for a while. And maybe it was on a lower scale, but it was never pure, coldblooded, pure hate. Sirius could never hate their little brother. They would still deeply adore Regulus, and would not have changed anything about this summer. They couldn’t imagine being ripped away from their brother again. It was almost too much for them to think about Regulus leaving for Hogwarts next week.
“And you guys are trying to set him and James up?” Mary asked, taking a sip of her drink.
“Right,” Sirius replied.
“You’re okay with him dating Regulus? It doesn’t seem, I don’t know, in character for you,” Marlene piped in as Sirius handed them the blunt.
“I mean, I want him to be happy. He deserves it.”
“Does it seem weird to think James is probably going to bang your brother?” She asked, laughing. Maybe they’d had a bit too much tonight.
“Okay, let’s not make it weird. I’m just going to take this one from you, thank you!” Remus interjected, grabbing the blunt from Marlene’s hands as she was giggling.
“Yeah, I think I like the version of it where I pretend my brother isn’t going to have sex with my best friend, thanks, Marlene.” Sirius kissed Remus on the cheek.
“Well, we know Regulus has spilled his guts open to you two,” Peter indicated towards Sirius and Remus. “But has James said anything?”
“Actually…Surprisingly not. Hmm…” Remus handed the blunt to Mary.
“And you’re sure this would work out?” Remus asked.
“What do you mean?” Sirius was beginning to sound whiny.
“Well, James would have definitely said something by now if he has feelings for Regulus. He wears his heart on his sleeve. I mean, he feels everything so deeply and without remorse, you know?” Mary coughed after taking a hit, wincing as she drank down half of her Aperol Spritz to lessen the pain in her throat. “Oh, fuck me, that one was bad.”
“See, that’s also the thing. He’s been more quiet about this stuff recently. Like when we were trying to figure out if he had been seeing someone, and he wouldn’t budge?” Peter was thinking out loud as he swirled his drink.
“Oh, right.” Mary finished her glass, voice still hoarse.
“Yeah, he’s been more reserved. He doesn’t really talk about love that much. He’s all about Quidditch and his parents and how Regulus is staying at his house and how they went to the beach and split an orange and how James made him a sandwich–Fuck me!" Remus squeezed Sirius’s shoulders.
“What?” Sirius squawked.
“It’s been in our bloody eyes all along, and we’ve been too stupid.” Remus looked around but was left with a circle of clueless faces and raised eyebrows. He took a deep breath. “Okay. Obviously, James is head over heels for Regulus. He just hasn’t admitted it to himself yet. The poor bloke’s in denial.”
There was a collective murmur of ‘ohhh!’ from everyone in the group.
“That explains so much.” Sirius took a sip of their Aperol Spritz.
“So much what?” James’s head had suddenly appeared over Sirius and Remus’s. Sirius spat their drink out everywhere, earning a collective groan from everyone.
“You spewed all over it!” Peter held up the soaked blunt. No one knew how he had managed to hang on to it for that long.
“Sorry!” Sirius held their hands up in innocence. “Just got the living bollocks scared out of me.”
“Speaking of bollocks, oh, hi, James!” Mary said, wiping herself off with the blanket she and Marlene were sharing.
“Hi yourself! What’s going on?” James asked.
“Nothing. Just catching up. What’s up with you?” Sirius was toweling off the side of Remus’s face with their own blanket they had been snuggling with Peter.
“Weren’t you supposed to be staying at Remus’s?”
“Weren’t you supposed to be turning off the backyard lights?” They snapped back.
“Not when I overhear my friends talking and I was not made aware.” James sat down in between Sirius and Peter, who groaned when the blanket was taken from him. “What’s the word, hummingbirds?”
There was an awkward silence among the group, only punctuated by the sound of the rolling waves in the distance and the crackling fire before them.
“Oh, come on, if you’re going to talk shit about me, maybe don’t do it fifteen feet away from my backyard!” James rolled his eyes, standing up.
Peter pulled him back down to sit beside him, hugging his arm. “Not shit talking…Just…”
“Gossip?” James looked down at Peter, who was very much far gone from reality. His eyes were very red, and he had an extremely dopey smile on his face.
“Pretty much.” Marlene giggled. Mary playfully pinched them on the shoulder. “Ow!”
“Come on!” Mary chided her, smoothing the spot she had pinched with a kiss.
“Okay, what the hell is going on? Why are you guys being so secretive? It’s really weird…” He looked around. “Is this an intervention? Because you know I don’t think I really drink that much, just whenever it’s a celebration! Besides, who the motherfucking FUCK drinks Aperol Spritzes and smokes a jack shit ton of weed during their friend’s intervention anyways?”
James was waving his arms around while talking, and Peter had been slightly jerking along with each move. He let go of James, feeling a bit dizzy.
“I…” Sirius started and then trailed off.
“And I haven’t smoked since our last night at Hogwarts.” James crossed his arms. “And! If I really did want to get high, I’d just use edibles ‘cause I hate inhaling smoke.”
“No, it’s not that, it’s just…Well, you see, it’s…how do I put this…Peter?” Remus looked over towards Peter.
“Youuuu are in the trenchesssss ofdenialllllllllll, my friend!” Peter sang out, adding jazz hands.
“And you are tripping balls!” James replied.
“Still doesn’t change you swimming in denial, mate.” He reached out and booped James on the nose, laughing after doing so when James scrunched his face.
“Like the river?” James’s eyes darted between his friends.
“Whatever gets your dick hard.” Peter shrugged, slumping down and cradling himself. “Speaking of getting your dick hard–”
“Okay, woah, slow down. What am I even in denial about?” James was laughing.
“You have fat feelings for one of the Black brothers.” Peter blew Sirius a kiss.
James tugged on his shirt collar, adjusting his necklace. “What are you talking about?”
“You’re into Regulus. But you can’t accept it!” Peter leaned against his shoulder.
“Uhm…” James looked over at Sirius, who shrugged. “You believe this?”
“Dude, everyone knows you’re into each other.” Mary adjusted her position so Marlene could lay their head in her lap.
“I…” James looked back at Peter, who planted a fat kiss on his cheek. “Regulus?”
“Oh, come on.” Sirius buried their head against Remus’s shoulder. “Remus, please tell him that he’s being an absolute idiot.”
“Wait, no, no, I mean…” James adjusted his glasses. “Look, I just…I mean, would he like me back?”
“So you do like him!” Mary grinned.
“Hang on, I didn’t say–”
“Merlin, you should have heard the earful he had given Remus and I a couple weeks ago, I swear the man is head over heels for you.” Sirius shook their head. “You need to talk to him.”
“A couple weeks ago? You’ve been planning this for weeks now, that’s what you’re saying?”
“Yup.” Mary nodded.
“Fuck, he leaves next week too, doesn’t he?” James frowned. “Fuck me!”
“Hey, hey, you’ve still got time. Unless you’re waiting until holidays or something–” Remus started.
“No! No, no, no, I…” James sputtered. “It’s got to be soon.”
“Vienna waits, James,” Peter chided him.
“Vienna might be waiting for me, but is Regulus?” James asked.
A short spell of silence flooded the backyard until Marlene broke it.
“Got his ass!” Marlene had piped up. Marlene was gently tracing her fingers through their hair.
Everyone had started laughing, but for once, James could not join in. He swallowed harshly, fidgeting with the ring on his thumb. James’s heart began to beat very fast. He had a chance? He wasn’t really just faking himself out?
James had gotten his hopes high with Lily. And when Lily had liked him back, they tried to date, but just as quickly as he was yanked from the strings in his heart into her interest, he was quickly thrown back out. He had the most sudden loss of feelings for her, and he had no clue what had gone wrong? Was it the idea of her that he had liked? Or was it her?
Would the same thing happen with Regulus?
And Regulus was leaving soon. He wouldn’t be around for much longer, and it’d be quite inconvenient to throw his heart out for Regulus to catch. And he was still uncertain it was mutual. What if Regulus thought he was taking advantage of him since he had let Regulus stay with him? What if Regulus thought he was being a creep? What if Sirius would get weirded out? Would they care? It was weird for them to try and set him up with their little brother, right? Right? James wasn’t going mad, right?
“Are you alright there, mate?” Remus asked James.
James’s vision focused in again, and he was met with stares from the entire group.
“Uhm…I think I need to tell him. Soon.” James blinked. “I’m not crazy, right? You think I actually have a chance with him?”
“If you won’t let my little brother be happy, I will never speak to you again, James Potter,” Sirius threatened. “And that’s a promise.”
James let out an audible gulp.
“Got it.”
Fuck!