Chapter 3
Anxious filled thoughts swarmed James' mind. He was unsure if he should really text Regulus. What if he did not remember him. The stranger seemed to be one of a busy life. They met months ago surely he would have forgotten him. Swallowing his nerves James Potter texted the beautiful stranger.
“Hi!” He sent the message and waited to see if the beautiful stranger was one of those that answered fast like James was. After a few minutes passed and no response, he forced himself to take deep breaths and not overthink the situation as much as he was doing so. Distracting himself he left his bed in which he had been sitting on staring at his phone, he got up to go to the kitchen and purposely left the phone, making himself a snack. By the time James goes back to his shared bedroom, turns on the tv to watch a show, is bundled up in his covers, and decides to see if he got a response, holding his bowl in the other hand. He has to do a double take when his screen lights up to show 2 new messages from an unknown number. Sent a few minutes ago, hastily he sets down the bowl by his bedside desk, picking up his phone properly holding it with two hands as if it were the most precious thing in the world. He clicks on the texts to see Regulus texted him back “hello. who is this?” heart skipping at the response and yet a slight disappointment curls in him as the other doesn't know who he is. Rationally this is not unexpected but it doesn't mean it doesn't still hurt.
“It's James, you helped drop off my girlfriend Lily a while back. I never got to properly thank you for that by the way. Just wanted to check in really.” He sent all of that in a rush before he regretted it. A few moments later he could see the three dots appear as an answer was being typed in. At that all of his anxiety from before returned at full force. A few minutes pass before he gets an answer and in that time he had managed to convince himself that Regulus had forgotten all about them.
“oh” was the first message which had him rather confused because he was unsure on what to make of it. “yeah I remember, Lily was awfully drunk. are you guys doing okay? i've been alright, thanks for checking on me, haha.” His nerves considerably calm at this. He tells him that they're great and before regretting not asking, he asks him to meet up as friends or soon to be friends of course. Once Regulus says yes, they schedule to meet later that week.
Lily arrives home later, she clearly knows James well enough to see that something is up with him and it's not long before she makes him tell her what's making him so anxious. So he reveals that he will be seeing Regulus later that week, he can see how her face brightens at the prospect which admittedly clears some of the anxiety he had.
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The day of their hangout, both James and Regulus had been nervously filled with giddy like feelings. They learned about each other. Connected rather easily as they spoke and spoke, both of them were secretly falling more and more for the other. They scheduled more meetings between them.
A few weeks passed as they hung out at least once a week, in one of them Regulus brought along his brother Sirius. They had connected easily, James and Sirius seemed like the most platonic soulmates anyone would wish to have. They were like two peas in a pod. When they started talking about going places without Regulus and did do that. Regulus felt a bit left out. Which allowed him to focus on Lily, Lily who was just as special to him. He got her number off James who sent it to him without another thought when he knew that he was with Sirius. Regulus texts Lily, and they talk and talk until he asks for them to meet up, and they do. They took walks in nearby parks or went to eat. In one occasion they were in the shared place she had with James. They'd been talking, Regulus listening to Lily rant about her friends. When mindlessly Regulus had brought up a hand to tuck a piece of hair behind Lilys ear, as she stopped talking because of that. It ended in them staring at one another, the want and uncertainty written in the air. They were able to brush it off and continue as they were. When James came back with Sirius, Sirius revealed the awesome idea of all of them going somewhere but that he was going to bring Remus, his boyfriend, so everyone can meet. They set it up.
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The day all five of them meet, Sirius and Remus end up leaving early causing the three of them to be left alone in the cafe they'd chosen to meet. Yet there were okay with that because they all felt the way that everything felt as it should be.
It had been another few weeks since they all met up, everyone had been caught up in their own lives, Regulus had had finished his exams. He'd started the year good, they all still messaged whenever they could. Eventually nearing January again. Regulus was able to see them. They all planned a relaxing day. The three of them ended up snuggled on the bed, Regulus in the middle who somehow ended up with his head on James' chest, James who was playing with his hair as Lily was on regulus' other side eating popcorn from a bowl as they all watched the movie playing. It got so late that they all didn't realize when they fell asleep entangled with one another.
Sirius had been trying to contact Regulus all morning who was just not answering him. As a last resort he decided to go to James and Lilys apartment to see if they knew where he could be and the slight chance that he could be there. He started to knock but couldn't hear anyone. Trying to see if there was a spare key Sirius found one under the only plant there, laughing to himself he opened the door. Saw that there was no one in the living room or kitchen, he headed to the bedroom, trying the door to find it unlocked. A smile appeared on his face to find James, Lily, and Regulus all sleeping. He took a picture to be able to bother Regulus about it later. He woke them up and as they all took turns to freshen up in the only bathroom there. This results in them just staying there eating breakfast.
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Another few weeks passed as they all hung out either together or just with one of them. James asks Regulus to go somewhere to eat. Lily was supposedly busy that day. James took him to a fancy restaurant. They sat outside, they were in the back overlooking the city as it was night. It was beautiful as they waited for the food to arrive, Regulus had stood up to see better. He felt James beside him, James who was staring at him like he loved him. So when James held onto Regulus and asked him to be his boyfriend, Regulus was too busy dealing with his too much at once emotions before accepting. Their first kiss had happened that night. They ate and had a wonderful time. The next day when Lily asked Regulus to hang out because James was to be with Sirius and Remus, he hadn't really questioned it. They had a picnic by nature, Lily had been staring at him with a determined glint in her eye which made him a bit nervous. When she asked him to be her boyfriend, he couldn't help but kiss her as a yes. They spent the rest of the picnic being high on their happiness.
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Regulus decides to stay in the apartment he was in already until he finished his studies that year. When summer arrived they all moved into a house. Sirius and Regulus got to meet James' parents, as Lily was not in contact with her own family.
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A year later, Regulus graduates and on their anniversary, he takes Lily and James to a fancy place, similar to the one James took him. There he officially asks James and Lily to be with him, seeing as he never asked. They accept. They spend the rest of their lives being together finally feeling complete.