Gryffindor had just won the final quidditch match of the season against Slytherin. It had been a tough game, but Mary had somehow managed to catch the snitch from just above Peter's head from where he'd been commentating, and, let's just say the comments after that got a bit wild (Mary had almost crashed into him).
But they'd won, and that was the most exhilarating thing James had ever felt before. His first season as Captain, he'd managed to win the cup for his house, and he couldn't have felt more at home when his team crashed into each other, slowly sinking back to earth in the riskiest group hug ever. James was on top of the world, he was so, so ready to go back up to the tower to celebrate. Marlene and Sirius were already discussing the music choices for tonight's party, and James was about to join in, but then he was looking at him.
His hair was messier than it ever was, normally so neat and put together. Oh how James loved those black curls when they weren't stuck forever in one place. It was why he treasured the Slytherin games so much. He had been to every one since the start of the year. His eyes were bright, not at all upset at the loss of the game, though his mouth was curled in a petulant scowl, James could see the smile in his eyes. His lovely, watercolour eyes. The ones that were full of rain and moonlight and the sky right before the sun comes up. The eyes that were as black as the bleakest storm but could be as bright as starlight on those little moments when a book was just so, or when James said something particularly stupid. That light had been present a lot more recently. And it was present now, clear as day, and James couldn't look away.
Held in one small moment at the end of a quidditch match, the boy with dark curls and watercolour eyes smiled at him softly before continuing on, and James could have just died right then.
Regulus was looking at James again. That was happening more recently. A lot more. Not that Regulus was complaining, but it was slightly annoying when he was doing other stuff and James Potter had the audacity to stand there and look that pretty. Regulus is such a pathetic idiot.
But he would be, for him and his ridiculous hair. He wouldn't stop smiling, his face so bright and happy that in that moment, Regulus couldn't bring himself to look away. Couldn't stop to care about the loss of the game or the stern talking to he was going to get from Emma later about not catching the snitch before bloody MacDonald. No, right now, all Regulus could think about was how James's smile was full of the sun, full of teeth and warmth and mischief, of home-cooked meals and the light of the fire on a winter's night.
Regulus liked it even more when James smiled without his teeth. Those small smiles were only seen by Regulus. They were the ones that were simply just James. And James didn't need the sun to shine.
Regulus had to walk away then. Barty was already ranting about how the Pettigrew boy was being so bloody biased when he's commenting I swear to Morgana Reg, it puts me off every time. Predictably, Evan was wholeheartedly agreeing that Pettigrew was the absolute worst person in the whole world. Merlin they could be stupid sometimes and- shit- James looked at him and Regulus is smiling again.
The world stopped when James smiled at Regulus with no teeth and his dark messy hair. It simply disappeared when Regulus smiled back with his watercolour eyes that were shining so fully. The world stopped just for them, in that moment. Only for them.
In every universe.