BONUS
Sirius looked at James, his eyes gleamed like shards of lightning as he calmly, but bitterly spoke, “What the actual fuck?” Sirius was beyond confused, he could hardly believe what he just witnessed.
James glanced at Regulus, who was still laying in one of the cots with wide eyes, looking like a deer caught in headlights. “Let’s take this outside.” James muttered, walking out into the hallway. If it were any other situation, Sirius wouldn’t have listened. He would have had the discussion right there, in front of Regulus. It would make it a lot easier if Sirius only had to yell once, rather than yelling at them individually. However, Regulus had a concussion, and Sirius would respect that. For now.
The moment the doors closed behind them, Sirius whipped around to face James. “Are you out of your mind?!” Sirius shouted, grabbing James by the shoulders and shaking him. He was seeing red, his whole body trembling violently with rage.
“Sirius, it’s not what it looks like.” James pleaded, gently removing Sirius’ hands from shaking him further.
“Not what it looks like?” Sirius snarled, his voice rising dangerously. “I know what I saw, James! You had your tongue down my brother’s throat!”
“Okay, maybe it is what it looks like.”
“So you were just… making out with my little brother?!” Sirius yelled, eyes shooting across James’ face, trying to find some sort of answer to what was happening.
“I- yes, but my intentions-“ James didn’t even get to finish before Sirius was pressing again.
“You were doing it with the intention of doing something else with him, too?” Sirius said, not quite yelling this time, but that only made it scarier. Sirius’ breath was shaky and sharp. He felt the need to shove James’s head into the wall, and then slam himself into the wall as well.
“NO! Well I wouldn’t be opposed to that… But that’s not why- I- he-“
Sirius’ eyes narrowed and his fists clenched in fury; something in him snapped. “How would you feel if I was to make out with your little brother, hm?”
“I don’t have a little brother, Pads.”
Sirius huffed, “You know what I mean!” Sirius shoved James back roughly, nearly knocking him to the ground. His face was twisted up in anger, his breathing becoming heavier and heavier.
“I love him, Sirius.”
Sirius suddenly froze. The only sound in the hallway his heavy breathing. “What did you just say?”
James took a deep breath before answering, “I wasn’t just making out with him to kiss him. I love him” James paused a moment, expecting Sirius to say something, but when nothing came, James continued, “I know your relationship with him is complicated and I know you’re angry, but… I think he loves me too.” James spoke out the last part softly.
Sirius stared at James for a long time. He had to have heard him incorrectly. There was no way that James was serious. He couldn’t imagine someone like Regulus loving someone like James. James seemed completely sincere, though. “You mean to tell me that you two… love each other?”
James swallowed nervously, “We’ve been… seeing each other for a bit.” James didn’t look Sirius in the eye while saying this.
Sirius felt as though he had been punched in the gut. He couldn’t believe what he was hearing. “How long?” He asked, shakily.
“Since April of sixth year.”
Sirius exhaled deeply. He couldn’t believe that this had been going on right beneath his nose. For nearly a year. “And you didn’t tell me?” There was no anger to his words, maybe a bit of bitterness, but mostly betrayal.
James looked up to finally make eye contact with Sirius, “I really am sorry, Pads. I didn’t know how you would react, and Reg insisted on not telling you and- it just got all out of hand.”
“Why didn’t he want me to know?” Sirius was shaking for some unknown reason. Maybe a mix of anger and confusion. He remembers the times when they were younger and he used to ask Regulus if he had seen any girls he had thought were cute, only to be given vague answers or brushed off altogether. Sirius obviously hadn’t asked in a long time, but he couldn’t help but wonder if this was derived from something that was happening even back then, Regulus hadn’t wanted him to know that he liked boys. Sirius hadn’t been out at the time, so it was entirely possible, but he still felt a part of his heart shatter at the idea of thirteen year old Reggie thinking that Sirius would be mad at him for being… gay.
“He thinks you hate him”
Sirius only gave himself one moment to feel relieved that it wasn’t what he had thought. Sirius quickly became upset again. Sirius knows that they didn’t talk anymore, not since he had moved in with the Potters, but hate?
“I know you’re angry. I am really sorry, Sirius. But… I’m not going to stop seeing him.” It didn’t go unnoticed how James took a small step back when saying the last part. Sirius felt so incredibly guilty. His best friend was afraid of him. His brother thought that he hated him.
“…Pads?” James asked, awaiting a reply from Sirius.
A surge of emotions swept over Sirius, ranging from anger to pain to grief. He wanted to shout at James for betraying his trust, but what was the point? Sirius never thought of himself as a scary person. He could be scary when he wanted to be. But he had never wanted to be the type of person to invoke fear with just a look in his eyes. He had never wanted to be like her.
“I don’t like this. I don’t like this one bit.” Sirius said. But something in his tone changed, and James could feel it. James looked at Sirius with hope in his eyes, waiting for him to continue. “But I’m not going to stop you, either,” Sirius said quietly. His voice was heavy with emotion, but he looked James straight in the eye. “If what you said is true, then you have my approval.”
James immediately smiled before hugging Sirius tightly, “Thank you, Sirius.”
Despite the anger and confusion still lingering inside, Sirius couldn’t resist the urge to hug James back. Despite everything, this was his best friend he was talking to. “Just one more thing,” Sirius added, but this time there was a playful tone to his voice.
“Anything,” James was still beaming from ear to ear.
“You’d better treat him right.” Sirius said with a slight smile.
“Aye, aye.” James replied, giving a small salute.
They walked back into the hospital wing. Sirius could feel his rage fading completely. Despite everything that had happened, he was starting to think about the possibilities of this new relationship. He couldn’t deny that it had hurt him deeply to know that his friend and brother had been hiding something like this from him. But the thought of them together and happy made all the hurt Sirius felt wash away.
Regulus looked up with fear in his eyes when he saw them approaching. Sirius hated it. Hated that he was invoking fear. But he knew that he would fix it.
Before anyone could say anything, Sirius wrapped his arms tightly around Regulus. Sirius felt his heart swell with tenderness and protectiveness and all the other emotions he had felt so long ago when he had last held his younger brother close in his arms.
When Sirius finally pulled away, Regulus looked up at Sirius with an unreadable expression, “You’re not mad?”
Sirius hesitated for a moment but remembered his new revelation. He wasn’t her.
“No,” he finally said. “I’m not mad.” Sirius was accepting that they loved each other, and there was no point fighting it.
Regulus’ eyes seemed to light up ever so slightly at the news before nodding.
Nobody said anything after that. The silence hung heavy between the brothers, neither of them knowing quite what to say next. Sirius’ anger had completely dissipated, but the pain and guilt he felt for his and Regulus’ relationship still weighed heavily. “I would like it if we started over,” he said gently. “I want us to become brothers again, the way we were before. Will you give me the chance?”
Regulus looked at James first, who just gave an encouraging smile. Regulus turned back to face Sirius, “I suppose we could try that.”
A look of relief flooded Sirius’ face as Regulus accepted. It was definitely going to take some work, but he was willing to do that work if it meant he could have back the relationship he had wanted with his brother. Always his brother.