Work Text:
- Quidditch
James has always loved Quidditch. His happiest childhood memory? Easy. Quidditch World cup when he was five years old. His parents took him to watch the game. His favourite team won. He still gets excited when he thinks about it.
He is in love with the game. He has practised for the chaser position ever since he was old enough to sit on a broom. Needless to say, it became his singular goal to be a chaser for his house team at Hogwarts and eventually team captain.
He made the team in his second year and – truth be told – he wasn’t the best player in the team. How could he? It was only his second year, he was 12 years old. He got better and better over the school year, learning how to work with the team, learning how to play to his strengths.
He is now in his third year. The last quidditch season of the school year begins today with their match against Slytherin. Over the entire year, Gryffindor hasn’t lost one game.
This match is a special one, though. It is the first match with Slytherin’s new Seeker – Regulus Black.
Regulus, 12 years old, at the cusp of 13, with the face of an angel and the physique of a Victorian child nearing death, looks ridiculous next to their 7th-year Seeker, Queenie. He is James’ best mate’s younger brother, though. So, James wants to be nice to him.
“Don’t worry, Regulus, we won’t go too hard on you,” he says with a smirk when the teams stand opposite each other on the pitch. “Only accidental Bludgers for you. We won’t embarrass you too much.”
The rest of his team chuckles with him. James winks at the boy. Regulus blushes slightly and looks unsurely from one Gryffindor player to the next, looking scared.
They get on their brooms and lift off. The game starts. James immediately puts his game brain on. Nothing else matters then. He has the crowds, the comments and even the Seekers completely tuned out. He only cares for his fellow chasers and is always vaguely aware of the location of the opponents and the Bludgers.
He scores and scores again, showering in cheers from the Gryffindor stands. He high-fives Marlene, the other chaser, before getting back into the game.
He catches a glimpse of Regulus then. He is soaring through the sky now, looking quite sure of himself on the broom. James looks to Queenie, who seems to watch Regulus surprised and then follows him.
It doesn’t take long then. James tells his team to hurry – but they don’t get one more point before the game ends. Regulus caught the snitch. Slytherin wins the match.
James halts on his broom, staring up at Regulus who is holding the snitch up in his hand, a smile playing lazily on his face. Queenie is staring at the boy surprised.
“Merlin’s pants,” James hears Marlene yelling, “How did he get that thing so fast? That was the quickest bloody match we ever played!”
“Worse, it’s the first we lost in one and a half years!” Queenie complains as they get to the ground.
Regulus is sitting on his broom, lazily balancing himself, leaning forward and throwing the snitch into the air, catching it again. All shyness and self-consciousness have fallen from him. Looking at him, one might think this boy isn’t capable of blushing or self-doubt – and he sure as hell, isn’t scared of them.
“Hey, Potter,” he calls, still throwing and catching the snitch, “Hope I didn’t embarrass you too much.”
The rest of his team erupts in gleeful laughter, high-fiving each other and congratulating Regulus on his win. This time, James is the one who blushes.
***
- The Prank
James has learned one thing from that first quidditch game: Never trust Regulus Black.
The boy can lie and act and deceive without any tell. Face of an angel, physique of a starved Victorian child, and the mind of a supervillain. That is Regulus Black.
James is now in his fourth year, and Regulus in his third.
James’ friends Remus and Peter don’t have a heart for Quidditch. It’s just not something they’re interested in and the four boys can’t connect through it.
They can connect through pranks.
James, Sirius, Remus and Peter have been terrorizing the school with their mischief for almost four years now and they are not relenting.
It is well past curfew. James and Sirius are sneaking around the corridors in preparation for their next prank. Remus and Peter have the map, so James and Sirius have to rely on their ears to know when someone is coming.
“Shht,” Sirius hisses suddenly, “I think I’ve heard something. Quick, lights out and in there.”
They kill the lights of their wands and press against the wall around the corner of a small corridor. James hears it too, then. Light footfalls coming their way, but no light.
“Is it Filch?” James whispers. Sirius hits his arm.
The footfalls stop. Then – Lumos. And there stands Regulus looking at them.
“Reggie?” Sirius steps away from the wall. “What are you doing here?”
“Going to my dorm.”
“Where are you coming from?”
“None of your business. What are you doing here?”
“Going to our dorm,” Sirius imitates his brother. “Tell me where you came from just now.”
“No. You’re out for a prank aren’t you? Please don’t do stuff to the showers again. That was vile.”
Sirius and James chuckle and high five discreetly. Regulus rolls his eyes at them.
“No showers,” James promises, “Just tampering with breakfast.”
“You have to go to the dungeons then.”
“Yes.”
Regulus nods. “The prefects should still be out at this hour. If I were you, I’d take that way,” he points to the left, “Not this one.” He points straight ahead, the direction they took before Regulus found them.
James and Sirius share a look.
“Sure,” James says, “And why would we trust you? I bet you only want to get us into trouble. In fact, I bet you’re sending us in the direction of the prefects.”
Regulus simply shrugs. “Do what you think is right. I don’t care. Night. Nox.”
The light vanishes and according to the footfalls, so does Regulus.
Sirius lights the tip of his wand again. “Do you think we should take the direction he said?”
“No. Why would he help us get away with a prank? He lied. We’re taking the way we were on. Next time, we get the cloak again, not Remus. Why do they have map and cloak?”
“Remus’ turn for the cloak, Pete’s turn for the map. We should have split the teams differently,” Sirius mumbles and walks down the corridor they have initially taken.
“You insisted on not going with Remus. You’ve been acting strange around him all year. What’s that all about?”
Sirius scoffs. “You’re imagining things. Now, quiet.”
They make their way down – and are swiftly caught by a set of prefects.
Regulus has, in fact, not lied.
James cannot say whether he told the truth to help them or because he knew they would ignore him. He cannot figure this boy out for the life of him.
***
- Fifteen
It is the beginning of James’ 6th year.
He is excited, to say the least. He is the captain of his Quidditch team now. He also has a feeling, it is the year Lily Evans will finally see what a good catch he is and agree to go on a date with him. By the end of last year, James, Sirius and Peter became Animagi, so now they will be able to spend the full moons with Remus. All in all, it promises to be an amazing time.
James, Remus, and Peter are already in their compartment in the Hogwarts Express, waiting for Sirius.
The boy finally appears at the door to the compartment, a lazy smirk on his lips. He pulls his hair out of a neat ponytail his mother has forced it into and runs his hand through the long waves reaching down to his collarbone. Remus is staring at him, mesmerized.
Remus is head over heels in love with Sirius. Anyone can see that. Just Sirius seems to be oblivious to it. Remus literally cannot take his eyes off Sirius, watching his every move.
Sirius falls into the seat next to Remus. “Sorry boys, Mother had a few lectures before we got on the train. Well, lectures for me. Our darling Reggie never can do anything wrong, of course.”
James is kind of excited to see Regulus, too. This year he will finally beat him at Quidditch. He just knows it. Gryffindor hasn’t won a game against Slytherin ever since Regulus became their seeker. – In fact, no one has won against them since Regulus became their seeker. The boy is a fucking miracle. You could throw any tiny piece of rubbish at him, and he would catch it, blindfolded.
Not this year. James is captain now and they will beat Regulus. If not with their seeker, then with points.
How hard can it be to beat Regulus, really? He is just Sirius Black’s baby brother – face of an angel, physique of a starved Victorian child, reflexes of a fucking cat. He will beat this pretty child.
“Sirius, you still have my book, give it back.” – James doesn’t connect the voice to anything. He looks up at the new person standing in the compartment and doesn’t connect the looks to anyone either.
Then the realisation hits him like a Bludger to the head.
There stands Regulus.
Pretty child? He grew over the summer. He grew into his face – high cheekbones, thin but sensual lips, pale freckles on his paler cheeks. His hair falls in black curls around him, accentuating his features. His shoulders are broader, he is wearing a tight, black t-shirt, so James can see the lean muscles in his arms. He can see the planes of his chest and his flat stomach; the waist is the perfect size to wrap one’s hands around. His long legs are giving him the extra height. Silver rings adorn his slender, dexterous fingers.
James can’t bring himself to look away.
He looks fucking handsome.
What an arsehole. How dare he?
“In this day and age, if possible,” Regulus says to his brother, who is searching his pockets for Regulus’ book. His voice is deeper, too.
Sirius finds the book and throws it at his brother, who catches it without fumbling.
Yeah, James won’t win a game against him this season.
“Thanks.” He turns to look at James. His eyes are stormy grey, adorned by long, black lashes, almost identical to Sirius’ eyes. He pushes his fingers through the black curls of his hair. Then winks at him. “See you on the pitch, Captain.”
James keeps his mouth shut, probably only capable of a weird, whimpering noise instead of words. Regulus turns around and leaves.
Regulus is hot. Regulus is handsome. Regulus is fucking beautiful. – What the fuck. What the actual fuck.
Two months. The summer is two bloody months, and that boy went from a big-eyed child to that.
James blinks at his own thoughts. That is still a boy. He usually isn’t attracted to boys.
And then James decides that is too much to unpack right now and shoves the thoughts to the side.
***
- Run Away
James sees the scar on Sirius by accident. He walks into the dorm after quidditch practice and walks in on Remus and Sirius lying in Sirius’ bed. The two friends are shirtless – James isn’t quite sure why – and whispering to each other with red cheeks.
James sees it when Sirius stands up to grab a shirt. A rather large scar sits on his right shoulder blade.
James won’t just ignore it or let it go – no matter how often Sirius tells him to drop it. So finally, after a week, he confesses. His mother got angry over the summer, as she usually does, and cast a fire spell at him. Usually, she only does it to scare him, and he thinks, she wanted to hit his hair not his shoulder, but it hit nonetheless and burned him.
“You’re not going back home,” James says sternly. “I’ve heard enough of this. Your mother is a bloody monster. Please, finally come home with me. Run away, come to my place. My parents would love to take you in.”
“I can’t,” Sirius says with a shrug. He is wearing Remus’ jumper as he often does.
“Yes, you can. What you actually can’t do is stay at that house and get more injuries. She will kill you one day.”
“No… I mean, I want to. I really want to. It’s just… it’s Reggie. I can’t leave him alone.”
“Oh, right…” As far as James knows Regulus has a better relationship with their parents – which really just means, he gets into less trouble.
“Can I bring him?” Sirius asks quietly, “If I run away, can I bring him?”
James blinks surprised. “I mean… sure. My parents won’t mind, and I won’t either. Ask him. But to be honest, I doubt he will say yes.”
James really doesn’t believe Regulus will run away from home with his brother and start living at the Potter house. He doesn’t believe it one bit, so he doesn’t even bother asking his parents if it is okay.
But Regulus agrees.
Sirius goes home with the Potters and so does Regulus. James’ parents are thrilled about the new addition to the family, of course. James is happy too. He wants both brothers to be away from that awful family – but he cannot hide his surprise.
“If it is staying with my brother at the end of the world, or staying with anyone else, I will go with my brother,” Regulus says to him one evening, completely unprompted. “So, don’t be so surprised I’m here. But don’t think even for a minute that living with me will get you an advantage at our matches, Captain.”
James can’t think whenever Regulus calls him captain like that.
***
- The Kiss
Over the course of James’ sixth year, he accepts that Lily Evans doesn’t want him. She will never want him. They are better off as friends.
He accepts it. He gets over her.
In his seventh year, he decides to date. Other people are interested in him, they have always been interested in him. He’s cool. He’s popular. He’s a prankster and Marauder. He’s the Quidditch captain. This year, he is Head Boy, to top it all off. He is handsome and kind, too.
All those things should help him.
They don’t.
Sure, many attractive people are interested in him – girls and boys. James has come to the conclusion that he is bisexual. So, he dates boys, he dates girls, he kisses them.
But it never feels right. And when it feels right for the moment, he is pulled out of that dream rather quickly.
Just this morning, James came to breakfast only to hear a girl he snogged the day before bragging to her friends. “Yeah, I shagged the Head Boy and Quidditch captain. And he’s so fucking good, you should die of jealousy. I think there should be a title like – Head Boy Girlfriend. I should get a badge like he has.”
- Needless to say, James, who was not her boyfriend, nor had he shagged her, ended the budding thing between them right then and there.
He could barely concentrate on the game afterwards, fumbling and losing the Quaffle several times. It didn’t really matter, they played Slytherin anyway and James has accepted that he won’t beat Regulus, ever. If he is honest with himself, he doesn’t want to beat him, either. He wishes for Regulus to excel in everything he does – and that includes going through Hogwarts and not losing a single Quidditch game from year 2 to 7.
After the game, he doesn’t go to the changing rooms right away. The pitch and the stands empty out. He leans against a wall, head tilted back, eyes closed. His mind is on the girl from before.
He didn’t even like her that much. It’s not ending it what hurts. It’s the fact that people never seem interested in him. Lily wasn’t interested in any part of him – but now, people only seem to be interested in his positions and titles, instead of his personality.
“Are you alright?”
James opens his eyes and looks at Regulus. He is still wearing his Quidditch uniform, too. His curls are tousled from the game. His stormcloud eyes search his face.
“Yeah, I’m fine. No worries, Regulus.”
“I guess you aren’t in this mood because you lost, right? Should be used to it now.”
“Losing to you? Yeah, used to it. No, it’s… it’s stupid.”
“I’m used to stupid from you. Go ahead.”
James looks at him and sighs. They don’t confide in each other, usually. They have grown closer over the summer. James would consider them friends.
“It’s just… dating shit. I just feel like no one is ever interested in me, you know? No one wants to date James, just James. They want the quidditch captain, the prankster, the head boy – all of that. That’s not me. I’m loud and messy and forget things and get excited about small shit and have bad moods, sometimes. I’m a person. And no one likes the person.”
“That’s nonsense,” Regulus says.
“It’s not nonsense. It’s a pattern. For the entire school year, it’s just been a race to be Head Boy’s girlfriend or boyfriend. Not James’s.”
He looks away and slumps against the wall.
Regulus steps forward, closes the space between them and presses his perfect lips against his. James’ brain blanks.
Regulus is kissing him.
Regulus Black is kissing him.
One of his perfect, slender hands is on his cheek. His usually steady fingers tremble against his face.
Regulus pulls back again, slowly lifting his eyes to him. He bites his bottom lip.
“I quite like just James,” he whispers.
James can only blink in surprise. Regulus looks away quickly and then steps back and turns to leave.
James catches his wrist. He pulls him back against him and smiles at him. He lifts his hand to Regulus’ cheek and touches the cool, pale skin, he strokes over almost invisible freckles. He is so fucking beautiful.
Regulus carefully looks up at him again.
He has always been beautiful. Face of a fucking angel.
James leans in and kisses him.
Regulus practically melts in his arms.
James thinks of a thousand little moments over the last years – Regulus Black surprising him over and over, keeping him on his toes. Regulus Black, talented seeker, loyal brother, clever and mischievous.
He is fucking perfect in every sense.
How could James be so blind?
Regulus’ lips are soft and giving under his. His beautiful fingers are in James’ hair pulling him closer. James has one hand on Regulus’ waist digging his fingers into the Quidditch robes.
This kiss, James decides, is better than all Quidditch World cups together.
Kissing Regulus feels right.
Kissing Regulus feels like the best decision he has ever made.
***
- I love you
James could hit himself for not noticing Regulus sooner. Of course, he has noticed him. He has noticed him from the very first day onwards and never let him out of his sight again – but he didn’t notice that he noticed him.
Stupid idiot.
Regulus is his boyfriend. He made himself a little badge saying “James’ boyfriend” at one point when people kept calling him “Head Boy’s boyfriend” or whined about him and not them being “Quidditch Captain’s boyfriend”
At first, Sirius hasn’t been thrilled about this development. He found distraction pretty soon though, when Remus, in the middle of one of Sirius’ dramatic meltdowns, said “Sirius, I love you but if you don’t shut up now I will throw something at you!” – James isn’t sure when they started having something going on, but this was the point where Sirius abandoned every other thought and started chanting “I love you, too. I love you. I love you” and then vowed to devote his life to making Remus happy.
All in all, it was even more dramatic than his little fits about James and Regulus dating.
James and Regulus have a very happy time for the rest of the school year. They have an even happier time in the following summer after James’ graduation.
But now they are nearing the end of that summer. James is an idiot. He chose to open his eyes and see Regulus so fucking late, he barely got any time with him (five months) and now Regulus would leave for his last school year.
James had seriously considered flunking all his tests so he would have to redo the seventh year and could stay with Regulus. Regulus called him an idiot and forbade it.
James comes into the living room. He is bored and decided he wants to take his boyfriend out for a date. Regulus is sitting on the couch. One leg tugged under him, one pulled to his chest, balancing a book on his knee. His black curls are tucked behind his ears while he reads. He is pure beauty.
James is in love with him. Just, completely and utterly in love. He wants to be with this boy forever. He wants to move in with him and marry him and spend his life just being with him, talking to him, watching him read.
James smiles and sits down on the couch. Regulus hates being interrupted while reading, so he waits. He takes one of the books on the coffee table.
“Is something the matter?” Regulus mumbles.
“No. I’ll wait until you finished the chapter.”
Regulus smiles and shifts out of his position to lean into James instead.
“I love you,” Regulus mumbles.
James freezes. He stares down at Regulus.
“You- you just said that.”
Regulus looks up at him. “Yes?”
“You said that.”
“I know. I was there.”
“You said it first. I never thought you’d say it first, Reggie.”
Regulus frowns. “Is that important?”
“Is that- yes!” he wraps his arms around Regulus. “I love you, too.”
Regulus smiles and James kisses him. He kisses him and never wants to do anything else in his life.
He kisses his lips and his cheek and his jaw and his neck, pressing Regulus against himself in a hug. Regulus laughs and wraps his arms around him in return.
“I love you so much, Reggie,” James mumbles.
“I love you, too. I’ve loved you since I was twelve, you know?”
No, he didn’t know. He squeezes Regulus, making him laugh again.
***
+ 1
Several years later.
“I will propose to Regulus,” James says. He is sitting on the couch in Sirius and Remus’ house. The two men, utterly lost in each other, still and look up at him.
“What?” Remus asks.
“I will propose to Regulus, today.”
Sirius blinks at him and sits up straight. “You want to propose to my brother?”
“I want to propose to my boyfriend of six years.”
Sirius frowns. “He’s too young for marriage.”
“You’re engaged.”
“I’m older.”
“By fourteen months, settle down.”
Remus smiles, “Well, congratulations James. Just try not to outdo our wedding.”
“No reason to congratulate him yet,” Sirius says sharply, “Regulus hasn’t even said yes. Why do you even think he will say yes?”
“He loves me,” James says with a shrug.
“So? That doesn’t mean he’s ready to marry you. I don’t think he even wants to get married. Does he believe in marriage at all?”
“He will say yes,” James smiles, “I know it. He will ask whether I mean it, first, Then, he will laugh. And then he will say yes and kiss me.”
“Oh, how cute, excuse me while I go puke,” Sirius mutters.
Remus chuckles and kisses his cheek. “Come on, you love them together, we all know it. Imagine: James will be your brother-in-law once they get married.”
That does bring a smile to Sirius’ lips. “Okay. You have my blessing. But remember what I said to you when you got together.”
“Yeah, yeah, I hurt him, you kill me.”
“Yes. And that was as his boyfriend. I will hold you to a much higher standard of his happiness as his husband.”
“That’s okay. It’s my life goal to make him happy,” James smiles, “Well, I have to go. Lots of plans. I will owl you once I have news.”
He leaves the flat with a grin.
When he gets home to the flat he shares with Regulus, he finds his boyfriend on the couch, reading. He stops in the doorway to the living room and watches him.
Regulus looks up and smiles at him. His curls are a little messy from a day spent running his hand through them. He wears one of James’ hoodies – only the hoodie as far as James can see. It reaches down to his thighs. James has taken to buying his hoodies one or two sizes too big just so he could see Regulus like this.
James puts a hand to his chest and sighs. “You’re killing me. Too beautiful.”
Regulus smiles and rolls his eyes. “You’re being stupid. I look like a mess.”
James holds out his hand. Regulus puts the book away and gets up. He walks over until he can take his hand and James pulls him in.
“I love you,” James whispers. Regulus interlaces his fingers in James’ nape.
“I love you, too.”
James threads his fingers through Regulus’ curls. “You’re the absolute love of my life. I want to spend every single one of my days with you,” he says softly and kisses him short and gently, Regulus has his eyes closed, lips pulled into a smile, “You are the most amazing person I ever met and I am the luckiest man alive every day you wake up and choose to love me. … Will you marry me?”
Regulus opens his eyes and blinks up at him in surprise. “What?”
James reaches into his pocket and pulls out a silver ring adorned with a glittering diamond. He holds it between them.
“Will you marry me?”
Regulus looks at the ring and then up at him again. “Really?” he whispers.
“Yes, really.”
He laughs quietly, his face erupting into a bright smile. “Yes,” he whispers, then looks up at him again and clearer: “Yes. Yes, there’s nothing I’d rather do.” Regulus pulls him down to him and kisses him deeply.
James laughs against his lips and pulls him against him.
When they part, James puts the ring on Regulus’ finger. – His fiancé. His fucking amazing fiancé.
“I surprised you,” James whispers, foreheads pressed together.
“Yes, you fucking surprised me. If I had had any idea, I would have dressed better.”
James throws his head back laughing. He pulls Regulus against him and spins him around. “You’re beautiful. Fucking beautiful. I love you so much.”
“I love you, too.”
Regulus looks down at the ring and then kisses James again.