cherry slushies
[ Incoming Call ]
james potter <3
[ Accept ] [ Decline ]
“Hello?”
“Hi. Are you awake?”
“Shit…now I am. James, it’s like, 7am, why are you awake?”
“Sorry for waking you up, but I normally wake up early. I go for a run in the morning, but that’s besides the point. Do you trust me?”
“Not right now, no.”
“I take offense to that.”
“Good-, oh fuck, sorry Pan,”
“…”
“Yes, James is on the phone. I don’t know why he called. Yeah, he’s fine. Go back to bed. Love you too.”
“Are you alright? Is Pandora alright?”
“Sorry, I woke her up so I left the room. Also, how are you not hungover?”
“How did you know I was drinking last night?”
“…first, Remus sent me videos of you and Sirius singing Disney Channel music, then Remus sent me videos of you singing Best Friend’s Brother from Victorious-,”
“Fuck, I did that?”
“Per my request. Remus played the song, he’s my favorite currently. But then you started drunk texting me after Remus came over to my place because he didn’t want to deal with you two.”
“Oh my god. I’m sorry.”
“James, you’re fine, I’m used to drunk texts from you. But my question still stands, how are you not hungover?”
“I don’t get hangovers.”
“What the fuck?”
“I don’t know, I just don’t get them. Sirius gets them pretty bad, though. Do you?”
“I inherited my family’s obscenely high tolerance for alcohol. Sirius did not. My hangovers weren’t bad, but then I started testosterone and they got worse.”
“Ah, that makes sense.”
“…why did you call me?”
”Oh, right. Back to what I was saying earlier; do you trust me?”
“James, I can’t answer that question unless I know the context.”
“Generally.”
“Yeah, I trust you generally. Why?”
“Do you trust Pandora to not burn down your flat?”
“I trust her with my life, so yeah.”
“Great. What’s your address?”
“James-,”
“Trust me, okay?”
“…”
“Please?”
“…fine. I’ll text it to you.”
“Great. See you soon, handsome.”
“God, you’re lucky I like you.”
“Awww, you like me? I’ll remember this forever.”
“Fuck you. See you soon, I guess.”
“Bye, darling.”
[ Call Ended ]
[07:12] < Attachment: 1 Location >
[07:13] see you soon, my love!!!!!!!!! 💞💞💞💞
i’ll text u when i leave <3333333333
[07:13] yeah yeah see you soon <33
stargazerlily added regulusblack, wolfywolf, pandoraexplorer, flowermeadowes, and oldmacdonald to a group chat
stargazerlily: hello everyone
regulusblack: ???
im so scared
hi
wolfywolf: hi lily :D
oldmacdonald: omg theres so many ppl here
pandoraexplorer: !!!!!
HI EVERYONE
stargazerlily: i didnt have everyones phone numbers, plus on instagram we can have fun chat colors and stuff
regulusblack: thats so cute lily
also why is everyone awake so early
first james now literally everyone else on earth ig
flowermeadowes: WHAT THE FUCK
HDKFHDJDH
oldmacdonald: good morning everyone x
omg wait
IS THAT THEEEEE REGULUS BLACK???
THE ONE JAMES WONT SHUT UP ABOUT
pandoraexplorer: OH MY GOD HI MARY
ALSO WAIT JAMES TALKS ABOUT REGULUS?????
oldmacdonald: CONSTANTLY
stargazerlily: ur so right
he wont shut the fuck up about you reg its kind of embarrassing
regulusblack: CAN WE PLEASE CHANGE THE TOPIC
wolfywolf: NO HE WONT SHUT UP ABOUT YOU
SO WE WONT SHUT UP ABOUT YOU
pandoraexplorer: regulus get out of the shower rn
also stop avoiding my questions
regulusblack: shut up
also no
wolfywolf: oh theres drama?
spill x
pandoraexplorer: he’s been avoiding my questions ever since james called him this morning
flowermeadowes: ????
oldmacdonald: omg did james ask him on a date
regulusblack: I DONT KNOW
HE WAS BEING WEIRD AND CRYPTIC OKAY IDK WHAT TO DO
stargazerlily changed the chat name to my best friends <3
stargazerlily: 1: we’re all best friends now
2: babes he’s definitely taking you on a date
regulusblack: NOOOOO I CANT DEAL WITH THIS RNNNN
pandoraexplorer: REGULUS ARCTURUS BLACK STOP LISTENING TO TAYLOR SWIFT IN THE SHOWER
oldmacdonald: what song
pandoraexplorer: nothing new from red tv
regulusblack: IVE HAD (IVE HAD)
TOO MUCH TO DRINK TONIGHT
AND I KNOW ITS SAD BUT THIS IS WHAT I THINK ABOUUUT AND I
stargazerlily: WAKE UP (WAKE UP)
IN THE MIDDLE OF THE NIGHT
ITS LIKE I CANT FEEL TIME MOOVIIIING
oldmacdonald: oh god james is gonna off himself when he finds out you two are bonding over taylor
stargazerlily: ur so right darling x
flowermeadowes: reg get out of the shower
regulusblack: i’m beinf attacked!!!!
i hate you all!!!!
except for lily she can stay
stargazerlily: stay in the shower!!! live ur dream!!!!
wolfywolf: I AGREE WITH LILY !!!!!!!!
regulusblack: ok remus u can stay too
pandoraexplorer: ?????
ive been betrayed by my bestie 4 life...
cant believe it honestly
“I still can’t believe you’re just…letting him show up and drag you somewhere for the day,” Pandora said incredulously, running her fingers through her hair.
Regulus sighed and took another bite from his piece of toast, groaning quietly.. “I know. Romance is gross. I’m a bit scared, if I’m being honest. Like, what if he kidnaps me or something?” He asked.
Pandora stared at Regulus from across the table with a look he hadn’t seen her give him since they were in school, when they would be causing a raucous in the library with Evan and Dorcas and the librarian would come over, scolding Evan for being too boisterous, and claiming that the people he surrounded himself with would never act this foolishly. It was full of curious, mischievous joy, and Regulus immediately knew what she was planning.
“Pan,” Regulus said slowly.
“…what?”
“You’re not allowed to follow James and I around today.”
Pandora threw her arms up in the air, exasperated by Regulus’ words. “Come on! I need to make sure you’re safe, mate!”
“No, Pan. You’ll end up doing something stupid. I trust James.” He said.
She rolled her eyes and took another bite of cereal.
“Plus, I assume you’d rather hang out at my place than watch James and I go on a date.”
“Oh, so it’s a date now?” Pandora asked.
Regulus paused and let out a sigh, shrugging. “Yes. No? I have no idea. I haven’t been on a date in, like, four months. I don’t even know what we’re doing. God, I hate this, I should just cancel.”
The last date Regulus had gone on was…well, it wasn’t awful, but it wasn’t that good either. The guy had been nice, he’d paid for dinner, but he was just so bloody boring. He didn’t have any hobbies, he was an accountant, he didn’t even have a favorite movie. They barely spoke during the entire dinner, and they’d decided that a second date wasn’t in the cards for them.
Regulus had taken a step back from dating after that.
“Absolutely not,” Pandora said, standing up from her seat at the table. “Come on, let’s get you dressed. You can’t go on your first real date in months looking like a slob.”
A few minutes later, Regulus stood in front of his mirror staring at his reflection. He was dressed in a pair of dark red trousers, a plain black t-shirt, and his docs. Pandora had even done his hair and added a few silver necklaces and rings into the look, claiming that it made him look cooler, and would make James fall for him ‘even more than he has already’. He doubted that sentiment, but appreciated it nonetheless.
“Stop fussing with your appearance, starshine,” Pandora said, adjusting the necklace around his neck. “You look good. And I’m not just saying that because I’m the one who dressed you.”
Regulus huffed and let his head fall back, staring up at the ceiling. “God, I don’t know why James makes me so nervous. I hate this so much.”
“He makes you nervous because you like him, Regulus,” Pandora said softly. “That’s not something to be ashamed of, darling. Romance is scary, especially if you’ve been fucked over as many times as you have. Trusting people is hard. Letting people in is hard. You’d put so many walls up around yourself, and James came in with a sledgehammer and knocked them all down. It’s scary. But you just need to trust yourself.”
Pandora was right, Regulus knew that. When you grow up with a family like him and Sirius had, you built walls around yourself. Fortified, indestructible walls, carefully crafted without any cracks or breaks. He had spent his entire life crafting walls, reinforcing them to ensure that not even the strongest person could break them down. When he met Pandora and Dorcas, they were the first people he’d ever let know him on a deeper level, which was something that they’ve respected, and they’ve never taken advantage of. They were the only people he’d ever let in, the only people he’d trusted with the darkest parts of himself.
Then came James.
James crashed through the walls he’d spent years building up, breaking through every stone, every brick he’d placed, pulling the deepest parts of himself out and helping Regulus explore them without judgment. He was open, and kind, and caring, and truthfully, Regulus couldn’t help but feel himself drawing closer to James. He wanted to know James inside and out, more than he had ever cared to know anyone else.
Trusting himself was the hard part. Could he trust himself to know or trust James, trust himself to not revert to his old defense mechanisms and use what he knows against James? Could he trust himself to let James in, to let James know the parts of himself he didn’t truly know?
His phone started to ring, pulling him out of his thoughts.
[ Incoming Call ]
james potter <3
[ Accept ] [ Decline ]
“Hey,”
“Hi. I’m here, do you want to take my car or your bike?”
“I knew you were going to ask. We can take my bike.”
“Yes! Okay, let me know when you’re on your way down. See you soon, darling.”
“Okay, see you soon.”
“So…how do I ride it with you?”
Regulus looked at James, an eyebrow raised. “Haven’t you been on a bike with Sirius before?”
James shook his head. “No, I have,” He said. “Also, I just…don’t want to make you uncomfortable.”
Right then and there, Regulus could have curled up in a ball on the pavement and cried. God, James was incredible, and god, his standards were low. It was such a basic, normal thing- not wanting to push someone’s boundaries, respecting the things that might make someone uncomfortable. No one, other than Pandora and Dorcas, had cared enough to not push his comfort level like that. “It’s alright, I promise,” Regulus said, smiling softly. “First, put the helmet on.”
James followed his instructions, pushing the helmet onto his head. “It feels weird. It’s uncomfortable.”
“It always is when you first put it on. I’m going to get on the bike, and then you’ll get on behind me, alright?” Regulus instructed.
James nodded.
After climbing onto the motorcycle, he felt James slide onto the seat behind him. Regulus quickly pushed his own helmet on his head, turning to look back at James. “Hold onto my waist,” Regulus said. “You wouldn’t want to fall off.”
The man laughed behind him, sliding his arms around Regulus’ waist. “You have the address of the place, right?” Regulus heard James ask. Regulus nodded, pushing the key into the ignition. “Yeah, you ready?” He asked, and he felt James nod against his back.
“Hold on tight,” Regulus said, starting the engine and beginning the journey to the address James had given him. Throughout the drive, he could hear James laughing through the helmet, his grip on Regulus’ waist growing tighter and tighter. He couldn’t help the dark flush that covered his cheeks, desperately willing it to disappear before they arrived wherever James was taking him.
Eventually, they pulled up to a large car park, pulling into the motorcycle parking spots and cutting the engine. James hopped off first, pulling the helmet off of his face and replacing it with his glasses. “Jeez,” He said, laughing softly. “You ride faster than Sirius.”
Regulus laughed, stepping off of the bike and taking his helmet off as well. “Oh, do I?” He said, taking James’ helmet and locking them both up with the bike. “Well, I’m glad that I ride better than my brother does.” Regulus said teasingly.
“Oh, shut it,” James said, grinning brightly. “Ready to see where I’m taking you today?” He asked excitedly, practically bouncing where he was standing. It made Regulus smile more than he had been already.
regulusblack added jamesfpotter to my best friends <3
regulusblack: [2 Photos]
jamesfpotter: I HATE YOU
pandoraexplorer: YOU TOOK HIM TO A THEME PARK???
@James WHY DO YOU LOOK LIKE YOURE IN TEARS????
regulusblack: HE DRAGGED ME TO ALTON TOWERS
AND HE WAS IN TEARS
wolfywolf: STOP AHAHAHAHA
stargazerlily: OH MY GOD
THIS IS SO FUCKING FUNNY HELP ME
im framing that fr
regulusblack: he literally wouldnt stop screaming
jamesfpotter: oblivion is scary :(
flowermeadowes: literally no its not
jamesfpotter: WELL IT WAS SCARY TO ME!!!!!
regulusblack: LMAOOOO
oldmacdonald: @Lily do you remember when sirius and james went to disneyland paris and james was too scared to go on space mountain
jamesfpotter: im literally being attacked /j
i love theme parks
i just hate roller coasters
regulusblack: SPACE MOUNTAIN???
oh my god james im never letting you live that down
Regulus hadn’t been to many theme parks.
There had been the occasional trip to Disney, mostly coordinated and executed by his uncle Alphard. He’d been to Alton Towers once, when he was young. Andromeda had been asked to babysit Regulus and Sirius while their mother and father had gone on a business trip, so her and her then boyfriend Ted took them to Alton Towers, with the promise that they wouldn’t tell Walburga and Orion where she had taken them. In his closet, tucked inside of a box of items from his childhood, was a small red t-shirt that read Alton Towers in bright, blocky, yellow letters; the only souvenir he had gotten from that trip, which had been kept at Andromeda’s house until he left.
The day had faded into night, the twinkling lights of the rides and games illuminating the walkways of the theme park. James had taken Regulus’ hand into his own, intertwining their fingers together. “So we don’t get lost,” James had said, and if he had seen the deep flush on Regulus’ cheeks, he hadn’t said anything. They hadn’t stopped holding hands the entire day, aside from rides where they couldn’t. In Regulus’ other hand he had a plastic bag, a small plush that Regulus had won James from a midway game, and a bright red Alton Towers t-shirt sitting inside of it. He felt James squeeze his hand softly, turning to see James’ bright smile staring back at him.
“Did you have a good day?” James asked as they walked towards the exit of the park.
Regulus nodded, cheeks warm. “I did. Thank you, James, this was incredible.”
James smiled, walking a bit closer to Regulus. “I was worried you wouldn’t like it,” James admitted. “I didn’t even know if you liked theme parks. I did have another plan, though.”
“Oh?” Regulus asked, smiling. “Smart. I don’t really seem like the kind of person that would like theme parks.”
“I did, I was gonna take you to see a movie. I’m glad I got to take you on a proper date, though.”
“So this was a date. Pandora will be pleased.”
“You had doubts that this wasn’t a date?” James asked, laughing softly.
Regulus shrugged. “A bit,” He said. “I didn’t know if it counted as a date. To be fair, you did ask to take me out the same day.”
James laughed again. Regulus thought he could listen to that sound for hours, and never get tired of it.
“I felt kind of bad. Remus tried to talk me out of it, but I couldn’t wait.” James said.
“Of course you couldn’t. I don’t mind, I got an incredible date out of it.” Regulus said. It was James’ turn to blush, that time.
The two made it back to Regulus’ bike, tucking their bag of souvenirs into the small bag he had on the motorcycle. Pandora had left Regulus’ flat earlier since she had work, which he had discovered when they arrived back to Regulus’ flat. “Damn,” Regulus said, chuckling. “I wonder if she cleaned my flat while I was gone.”
“Does she do that?” James asked, using the bike to steady himself as he pulled his helmet off of his head. Regulus laughed a little, pulling his helmet off and taking the bag of souvenirs out.
“Sometimes. She claims I’m messy, which I disagree with.”
James smiled fondly at Regulus. There was a small, comfortable silence as they walked into his flat building, taking the elevator up towards Regulus’ floor. They both walked slowly, like they didn’t want the day to end, though they both knew it had to eventually. Eventually they made it to Regulus’ flat door, Regulus stopped and turned to look at James.
“I, uh, I had a really good day today,” Regulus said softly, a small smile on his lips. “Thank you.”
James leaned against the wall of the hallway, smiling softly back at Regulus. “I did too. And there’s no need to thank me, darling.”
“But there is. You treated me to an incredible day, went on rides with me that I know for a fact you didn’t want to go on. I appreciate it a lot, I wish I could repay you,” Regulus said quietly.
“There’s no need, love,” James said, reaching out to hold Regulus’ chin in between his finger and thumb. Regulus felt his cheeks flush a deep pink, their eyes meeting. Time simultaneously felt like it was flying, and like it had stopped. He felt paralyzed, but he didn’t care; if they could never move again, he would be content with having James’ eyes be the last thing he ever saw.
“Can I kiss you?” James asked quietly.
Regulus nodded quickly, moving to close the gap in between them. There it was; the feeling Regulus had unknowingly been pushing away since the day he met James, exploding and encapsulating his whole body. It felt like fire, it felt like all of his nerve endings had been activated at the same time. James pressed his lips against Regulus’, and they were kissing. James’ lips were soft, and they tasted like the cherry slushie he had before they’d left the park. Regulus reached up to cup James’ cheek softly, running his fingers over James’ stubble while they kissed.
He’d never been kissed like this before; with Barty, it was always rough, possessive, controlling. But with James; god, with James he felt like he was flying through the sky, nothing holding him down to the earth except for James. Barty kissed for the sake of kissing; James kissed for the sake of showing Regulus how much adoration he held in his heart for him, and Regulus never wanted it to end.
They broke away after a few moments, looking back up at each other. A short nod was exchanged between them, and Regulus quickly opened his apartment door, James stumbling through the doorway behind him.
wolfywolf: has anyone heard from james since last night
sirius thinks he died
pandoraexplorer: i was just about to ask the same question but about regulus
stargazerlily: oh my god
stargazerlily added siriusblack and marthebartender to my best friends <3
siriusblack: RED ALERT EVERYONE I CANNOT FIND MY BEST FRIEND
oh
hi remus i didnt know you already asked
wolfywolf: my god youre terrible
anyways
@Dorcas have u seen either of them
flowermeadowes: no
marthebartender: why was i added to this
stargazerlily: bc its easier than trying to get everyones numbers
hi marlene how r u doing today
marthebartender: 1 hi lily im doing good how r u doing today
2 i have not seen either of them
oldmacdonald: have y’all not put two and two together yet
pandoraexplorer: ???
OH
OH MY GOD???
siriusblack: OH MY GOD HFDKJHSFKDJS
WAIT IM SO STUPID
PRONGS DID YOU SHAG MY BROTHER??
@James @James @James
IM GONNA KILL YOU
wolfywolf: sirius PLEASE calm down
jamesfpotter: lol
regulusblack: lol
oldmacdonald: HELPPPP AHAHAHA
I CANT FUCKING BELIEVE IT
regulusblack: btw pan
it was indeed a date
pandoraexplorer: REGULUS ARCTURUS BLACK
YOU HAVE SOME EXPLAINING TO DO MISTER