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littlestpan · 2 months ago

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Service With a Smile

James Potter x Regulus Black (Slow Burn)

A/N: Hello lovelies, here’s chapter ten! You can also find fan fiction on AO3 if you want to read ahead.

Chapter 9 (here) | Chapter 10 (You’re here) | Chapter 11 (here)

Chapter 10: Tied with a Bow

When the morning of Friday finally rolled around, the air had a decent bite to it that was considerably chilly in comparison to the week prior. The wind, at times, gusted enough to blow the cascading clouds over the morning sky. They had a heavy quality to them that suggested rain; however, just as fast as they rolled in, they rolled out once again.

Regulus attributed his added apprehension to the risk of rain. It’s not as though Regulus didn’t like rain; it was actually the opposite—he rather enjoyed it quite a lot. However, something about those clouds overhead made his guts turn in a concerning kind of way. As though they held secrets to the storm yet to come.

It made sense, considering this is by far the most complex dispute the brothers have had thus far. There have only been minor disagreements since the beginning of their journey to rebuilding their relationship. With the miniature truce midweek between the Black brothers, the tension between them seems to have slowly dissipated by the end of the week. However, there are still unresolved issues, leaving a lingering sense of unease in the air. Especially with the impending plans with Sirius adding a significant weight to the day.

With things as they are between the brothers, Regulus is at risk of losing more than just Sirius this time around. There’s a chance he would lose his job, his new friends, and, by extension, even James. Thus, repairing the vulnerable state of their brotherly bond is essential to his happiness because keeping Sirius in his life is the most important thing to him. Regulus loves his older brother, Sirius, more than anything, and having his brother back in his life means everything to him. If he were to lose his brother again, it would be unbearable.

As the day carried on, Regulus couldn’t fend off the looming feeling that something awful was just around the corner. Despite there being nothing out of the ordinary at the start of his day, he still couldn’t shake the feeling.

Problems began only after he arrived at work. As he walked into the kitchen, tea from his travel mug spilt down his shirt. In retrospect, that was a clear sign that today was going to be one of those days. Regulus did his best to ignore it; after all, it was easily remedied by changing into his work uniform. He brushed it off as a sudden bout of clumsiness rather than an omen.

The second sign hadn’t found Regulus until just as the lunch rush began. Regulus was instructed to transfer the freshly cut and washed lettuce from the industrial salad spinner into two large bowls—a simple task he had done multiple times before. However, for some reason, this time, everything went awry. The large plastic bowls Regulus would normally use for this task were not returned to their usual place. Instead, they were left on a tall shelf above Peter’s workstation. With everyone preoccupied, Regulus didn’t have the usual assistance of one: James Potter. When he was finally able to retrieve said bowls, he miscalculated his grip and dropped one of them on the floor. On impact, the plastic bowl shattered, and Regulus swept up the pieces, uttering multiple guilt-ridden apologies.

The first sign could have been pure coincidence; the second was a little harder to ignore. Regulus had never been a naturally clumsy person. With several years of ballet in his youth, it was nearly impossible for Regulus to do anything without a level of grace. He couldn’t simply ignore the weird occurrences because he has always been a firm believer that good things come in threes; therefore, so do the bad things. With the first two signs down, there was one more waiting for him around the corner before anything good would come.

By the end of the day, Regulus was more tense than usual—he was on the lookout for the third and final bad thing. During the first two food deliveries with James, Regulus hardly said more than a few words to the man. Alternating between staring into space and listening to James fill the cab of his truck with conversation.

Regulus is pulled from the trance when he feels the brush of James’ warm hand against his. He turns towards James to meet his gaze. "Hmm? Sorry, did you say something?"

James chuckles softly, "I was just asking if you had plans for the weekend."

"Oh, um. Yeah, kind of. Sirius and I made plans for later today." Regulus responds, taking James' hand in his and lacing their fingers together.

James smiles, "Yeah, Padfoot might have mentioned that once or twice. He's been looking forward to spending time with you."

"Padfoot? I take it you and my idiot brother were able to work things out then." Regulus responds.

James nods, "Yeah, we had a little heart-to-heart and cleared the air. We've fought plenty before, but we always manage to figure things out in the end."

Regulus sends James a mildly relieved smile, “That’s good to hear. I’m glad you two were able to sort things out.”

James squeezes his hand gently, “Me too. As misguided as Sirius is at times, I know he just wants what’s best in the end.”

A soft chuckle bubbles up from Regulus, a feeling he hadn’t felt all day. “Misguided is an understatement, but I know he means well.”

James joins in the laughter, “Padfoot can indeed be a lot at times; it’s how he shows he cares. But I don’t need to tell you that; he’s your brother, after all.”

As they pulled into the final food delivery location earlier than usual, the laughter dwindled naturally down to a comfortable silence. James reaches over with his nondominant hand and puts the truck in park like he had the first time he held Regulus' hand in this manner.

Regulus feels himself shift back to his previous dazed state. While James makes it clear he doesn’t want to sit in silence.

“You seem a little out of it today. Are you doing alright?” James questions with his eyebrows knit together and a touch of worry on his face, looking over at Regulus. It’s as though James can see right through Regulus’ attempts to mask how he’s really feeling.

Regulus forces a tiny smile before avoiding James’ gaze altogether. “I’m fine; just a lot on my mind lately.” He responds in a half-truth, looking out the passenger-side window as he watches the clouds roll along the sky.

“Regulus… I know you’re probably tired of me saying it, but I’m here for you if you need someone to listen.” James offers as Regulus turns back toward him to meet his gaze.

James then gives Regulus’ hand another gentle squeeze, signalling his desire to comfort the shorter man. “Anything you say will stay between us, British Boy Scouts honour,” James promises with a sweetly sincere smile on his face.

Regulus gently returns the squeeze with a more genuine smile—small but sincere, nonetheless. “Thank you, James. I think…” Regulus trails off, going silent for a moment, trying to find the words to explain how he is feeling.

James waits patiently as he continues to hold Regulus’ hand tenderly in his.

When Regulus feels ready to finally speak, his voice comes out in a low tone as he confesses honestly, “I think I’m worried about my talk with Sirius.”

James’ expression shifts to something more sincere. “What exactly about your talk with Sirius has you worried?” James questions. The use of his brother’s given name clues Regulus in that James is taking the conversation very seriously.

“Um, I don’t know; I guess I’m worried because this is our first big fight since... you know..." Regulus trails off again.

Normally, Regulus wouldn’t be this forthcoming with his innermost struggles. These thoughts were often reserved for himself and, on occasion, his closest friends. Yet, here in this space with James, Regulus feels like he can trust the taller man.

“Sirius and I haven’t really fought like this since the night he left." He finishes as he stares down at where their hands are interlinked.

“Oh, I see. I can understand why that would be a concern.” James nods in a sympathetic manner.

“Yeah… So, part of me is worried that he’ll get upset again and leave.” Regulus relents, finally saying the words he is most scared to say aloud.

“Regulus, I might not know every detail about how it happened. But I can say with the utmost certainty that your brother loves you more than anything. He would never willingly put you through that again.” James comforts Regulus as he softly brushes his thumb along the side of the man’s hand in a soothing motion. And in turn, Regulus watches the movement for a moment, taking in James’ words.

James takes Regulus’ silence as a sign to keep going, so he does. “It's not really my place to speak on Sirius' behalf, but he’d never admit it... Sirius and I have talked a lot about that night and the guilt he still has over leaving you there with those people."

With that, Regulus meets James' gaze again, his eyes heavy with hope.

"As for your talk with Sirius, I can’t say much. I promised him I wouldn’t say anything to you because he made it very clear that he wanted to be the one to work things out. But what I can say is that you never have to worry about Sirius leaving ever again.” James insists.

Regulus is at a loss for words, a mix of feelings rushing over him. Unbeknownst to James, his words did two things at once—they soothed Regulus' fear of losing his brother again while simultaneously reassuring him that James also had no intention of leaving.

Comforting the people he cares about without expecting anything in return has always been second nature to James. And yet, Regulus wants to thank him, to let James know what the gesture means to him. Unfortunately, he can’t seem to find the right words to thank James; he knows whatever he comes up with will fall short.

However, if there’s one thing he does know about James, it’s his appreciation of physical touch. Regulus might not have the words, but he knows how to show James he’s grateful. Regulus leans over the centre console of the truck and presses his head to James’ shoulder, their hands still interlinked between them.

Leaning his weight into the man as Regulus whispers a soft, “Thank you, James.”

There’s a natural lull in the conversation as they sit, resting their heads on each other, Regulus pressed snugly against James' arm.

When Regulus pulls away from James, he notices a look on the man’s face. He can tell that James wants to ask him something, but instead he keeps it to himself. Regulus has an odd feeling he knows what the question might be: ‘Am I also weighing on your mind?’ And Regulus doesn’t have the heart to lie to James. If James were to ask his question, Regulus would answer it whether he wanted to or not. It’s as though, on some level, James knows this and refuses to put Regulus in that position.

Instead, James asks, “Was that all that was on your mind?”

Ironically enough, the answer to both questions is the same: “Yes,” Regulus responds simply.

James nods. “Well, if there is ever anything else you want to talk about, I’m always here to listen.”

Regulus simply nods, relaxing as a sense of relief falls over his shoulders, and he lets out a deep sigh.

Regulus is so used to dealing with things on his own that he hadn't realised how much he needed this—someone who understood the gravity of the situation and could dispel his anxieties while also validating them. Even if he can't bring himself to share everything with James. It's comforting just knowing that someone like James is willing to sit by his side and hold his hand through the difficult times.

The pair sits holding hands a while longer before Regulus moves once again. This time, slipping his hand from the taller man’s grasp, he clears his throat.

“We should probably finish our last delivery.” He offers as he turns to open the truck door.

“Right, yeah. Good call,” James tells Regulus as he follows suit, meeting the shorter man at the tailgate to collect the last set of Cambro boxes. They’re parked a little ways away from the building and have to carry the boxes up the block to the location. However, the delivery goes off without a hitch, much to Regulus’ surprise.

Yet a persistent feeling that something might go wrong still lingered in his mind. He does his best to push the feeling back down again as he focuses on the job instead.

When the pair enters the building, they communicate with the staff as usual. Then they’re led off to a room to stack the food in the designated area like they would for any other delivery. After they’re finished, they wave their goodbyes and then make their way out of the building.

It isn’t until James and Regulus are about halfway to James’ truck that the last sign appears. Almost like a herald from the universe, the sky opened up, and it began to pour down onto the pair. James is a step or two ahead of Regulus when the shorter man pauses on the sidewalk, a little stunned.

Regulus knows most people would feel upset about being caught in the rain. However, he can’t bring himself to be. He stops in his tracks, his eyes falling shut as he tilts his head upward, letting the rain fall over him. With the rain soaking into his light spring jacket, there's a certain peace to the heavy rainfall. He stands there unmoving as the rain washes over him, taking all of his worries from the day with it.

Regulus opens his eyes again when he hears James calling his name. The taller man in his black chef coat is moving back towards him with his hand out. Regulus then feels James’ warm hand against his wrist as James pulls him gently towards his truck at a somewhat hurried pace. When they reach the truck, James’ opens the passenger side door and tells Regulus to ‘hop in’, taking the Cambro box from him as he does.

Soaked, shivering, and looking like a drowned cat, Regulus climbs back into the passenger seat of James’ truck. While James places the Cambro boxes into the bed of the truck before appearing on the driver side. Unlike Regulus, when James joins him inside the cab. The man looks like he stepped off the cover of a swimsuit magazine—a dripping wet daydream.

James wastes no time starting the truck and turning the heating on to blow in Regulus’ direction. Regulus watches as James then removes his glasses and tries to clean the rain droplets from the lenses. Running his hand through his wet hair, James brushes his sodden fringe of curls from his eyes. There’s an infectious smile on James’ lips when the man returns his glasses to his face. Regulus can feel the smile start to spread across his face too, as James looks toward him.

“What lovely weather we’re having,” James says with a small chuckle.

“Yeah, maybe if we were ducks,” Regulus tells James as he tries to suppress a giggle.

A genuine laugh bubbles up from James, and Regulus can’t help but join in. A bright sound of laughter fills the cab of the truck as they make light of their drenched state. Amused by the oddly humorous situation they've found themselves in.

“Ducks?” James’ eyes crinkle at the corners as he laughs, his head falling back with the shake of his shoulders.

Regulus covers his mouth with his hand as he tries to muffle his laughter. “Yeah, ducks.”

“Well, my little ducky, how about you and I head back to the kitchen? We can get dried off; I’m sure there’s some spare clothing that’ll fit you there.”

“I’m not going to complain about dry clothes; the name, however, is something I will complain about. James, that’s so bad,” Regulus tells him in a playful tone.

“What? You don’t like it? I think it’s cute,” James offers, grinning mischievously from ear to ear.

Regulus rolls his eyes as he tries to suppress a smile. “Agree to disagree. Let’s go get out of these wet clothes, you big goof.”

James chuckles as he puts the truck in gear; then they make their way to the Marauders compound.

When they arrive at the compound, James turns to Regulus before they exit the truck, “Leave the boxes. I’ll bring them back on Monday morning. I don’t want you getting any more wet.”

Regulus nods, and they make their way to the entrance in a hurried manner.

Once inside the building, James leads the way back through the kitchen. “Come on, ducky, let’s get out of these clothes before we catch our death,” James calls in a playful tone; the sound of his voice echoed through the empty space.

Regulus rolls his eyes again but follows James back to the dining hall, still chuckling under his breath. When Regulus turns the corner, James has already made his way into the warehouse. Regulus quickens his step in an attempt to catch up with the taller man. Once he rounds the corner into the warehouse, Regulus finally sees James. The drenched man is bent in half, digging into a rather large cardboard box.

“Go on, I’ll meet you in the locker room,” James tells Regulus, waving the shorter man toward the stairs.

“Alright,” Regulus says, making his way to the first step.

At the top of the stairs, he glances down at James once more. James is making a decent mess of the content of the cardboard box. Regulus chuckles again before crossing the staff room, then the locker room.

Finally, in front of his locker, Regulus opens it and begins stripping his soaking wet clothes off. He starts by kicking his boots off first to reveal possibly the only fully dry article of clothing on his person—a pale green pair of socks with little flowers printed on them. Regulus then shrugs out of his spring jacket, dropping it onto the floor next to him. When it hits the floor, it makes a wet plop sound. He struggles out of his wet shirt; it clings to his damp skin. His black jeans follow close behind, joining the pile of wet fabric. Leaving Regulus standing in his damp boxer briefs, his hands politely folded over his groin. Shivering as he waits for James to enter the room.

Moments later, James enters the room with two fluffy towels draped over one arm and red clothing draped over the other.

As the door swings open, he starts, “I knew we had a few pairs of sweatpants left over from..." James trails off when he finally looks up to see Regulus standing in his underwear.

James hesitates in the doorframe, looking over at him. Regulus watches James’ eyes slip down his body as though he’s taking every inch of him in.

“James, my eyes are up here,” Regulus tells him in a mildly playful tone, a slight smirk threatens to spread on his face.

Regulus is surprised to see the man’s ears flush and colour spread to his cheeks. At the sight, Regulus can’t fend off the smirk as it spreads on his face. He likes that he can make James blush with a few simple words; however, he’d like it more if he weren’t on the verge of dying of hypothermia.

“I’m freezing to death over here, James. Would you mind handing me a towel?” Regulus questions, shifting to cover his chest with one arm and, by extension, his nipple piercings. Which seems to have caught James’ attention more than anything.

“Oh, right! Sorry.” James sputters as he enters the room, walking over to the shorter man.

Once he is right in front of Regulus, James drapes one of the soft, warm towels around Regulus’ shoulders, wrapping him in the warmth. Regulus then grips the edges of the towel, holding it around himself, and says, “Thank you, James.” Regulus tells him sweetly.

“You’re welcome. Um…” James clears his throat. “Like I was saying, I found some sweatpants. I figured you could make do with one of your work shirts for the time being. There weren’t really any t-shirts left, and Sirius took the last jumper in your size,” James explains while handing over the sweatpants to Regulus.

Regulus takes them with his free hand, watching as James unlocks his locker and throws his sweatpants inside.

“They might be a little long on you, but we didn’t have any of your size left. Sorry.” James says, unbuttoning his chef coat before dropping it to the floor like Regulus had moments ago.

“That’s alright; dry clothes are better than wet ones.” Regulus explains, draping the towel over his shoulders so he can slip his legs into the red sweatpants.

As Regulus pulls them over his hips, he continues to watch James strip out of his wet shirt. James flexes like he’s making a show out of it, and Regulus can’t complain. It’s very reminiscent of the first time he saw the man undress.

When James reaches to pull off his jeans, Regulus turns back to his locker, dropping the towel in favour of searching for a shirt. The only clean shirts left in his locker are the red Marauders’ ones he’d been avoiding on purpose. Left with no other option, he pulls one of the shirts out before pulling it over his head. Once the shirt is in place, he turns back to James, who is now standing in his underwear—a pair of light blue boxer briefs with yellow smiley faces on them.

Regulus lets out a small chuckle as he says, “Cute,” hinting at James’ boxers.

When James looks over at him, then down to his own underwear, that soft blush returns to his face. “Laundry day,” James explains before tugging his sweatpants up his thighs.

Regulus simply smiles as he bends down to slip on his boots and tie the laces. Regulus looks up when he hears James call over to him, drawing his attention.

“Catch,” James says, and Regulus sees a red article of clothing fly in his direction.

Regulus catches it, stretching it across his chest to reveal a red Gryffindor hooded sweatshirt. He makes an unamused face as he asks. “You honestly don’t have anything else?” hinting at the all-red outfit he is sporting. Before looking back at James, who smiles.

“What? Don’t want to complete the look?” He asks with a tiny chuckle, finding Regulus' disinterest in wearing the Gryffindor merchandise entertaining.

“I’ll literally take anything else, please.” Regulus says, standing as he holds the hoodie out towards James.

James laughs as he takes it back, digging into his locker again. “Yeah, I do. Here.” James holds out a black hoodie to him, and Regulus takes it.

It’s softer than the red one with the Marauders logo on the chest. Flipping it over to look at the back, Regulus notices a name printed in red writing along the lower back; it reads, ‘Prongs.’.

"It’s my favourite. So I would like it back at some point.” James informs, slipping the Gryffindor hoodie over his head.

Regulus nods in agreement before following suit, slipping the hoodie over his head. It doesn’t fit him as well as it does James, for obvious reasons. The sleeves are longer, and it hangs low on his frame. But Regulus doesn’t mind because it’s soft, warm, and smells like James—eucalyptus and citrus, with a hint of cologne that’s different than the usual one James wears.

Regulus picks up his wet clothing, wringing out what little water he could from the wet fabric as James towel dries his hair. When they’re finished, James throws their towels into a clothing hamper across from the showers.

“It’s later than I expected,” James offers, looking down at his watch. “We should probably get you home; I wouldn’t want to make you late for your plans with Padfoot.” He continues, reaching down to grab his wet clothing off the floor.

“Yeah, that’s probably for the best.” Regulus responds, following as James makes his way out of the locker room.

It’s become a common theme for James to lace his fingers between Regulus’ the moment the truck is in motion. If asked directly, Regulus would deny how much he enjoys holding James’ hand. Like usual, when they pull in front of Regulus’ building, James lingers in the grasp.

Regulus is the first to pull away, untangling his hand from James’. However, before he pulls away completely, Regulus shifts closer to James, leaning over the centre console. He presses a small peck at James’ cheek before shifting to open the door.

Once Regulus’ boots hit the wet pavement, he looks up at James’ smiling face and says, “Thank you for everything, James.” He shifts to close the truck door, but before he swings it closed, he adds, “Oh, and James… You’re not getting the hoodie back.” Regulus’ tone is cheeky, with a smirk on his lips as he slams the door. James isn’t able to respond because Regulus has bolted toward his building, taking cover from the rain.

~~~

Regulus is freshly showered, changed, and lounging on his bed. His curls are in full ringlets but still damp in places. His atrocious red sweatpants were traded for more comfortable knee-length shorts, and his socks are now soft pink with little clouds. The only part of his previous outfit he’s wearing is the black hoodie he was given by James. Regulus is lying on his stomach, nose deep in a book, as he waits for Sirius to finally arrive. When he hears a knock at the door, he rolls off his bed and sprints toward it.

“Coming, Siri! he shouts, knowing it’s most likely his older brother.

When Regulus opens the door to his flat, there standing in the doorway is his older brother, Sirius. In one hand he has a paper bag that smells of takeaway, and hanging from the other is a grocery bag filled with snacks. Lastly, Regulus notices two blue gift bags that are tied with bows.

“Well, are you going to let me in?” Sirius questions with a half smile.

“Hello, Sirius.” Regulus greets as he steps to the side, making room for his brother to enter the flat, closing the door behind him.

Sirius slips off his boots before shrugging off all the bags he’d carried into the flat. His beaten-up leather jacket is damp and covered in rain droplets. Sirius pulls Regulus into a tight hug, making the front of Regulus’—James’—hoodie damp.

“Hello, little brother,” Sirius responds into Regulus’ shoulder, hugging him.

Regulus grimaces at the wet hug. "Was that really necessary?"

“What? I can’t show my brother how much I love him.” Sirius asks, letting go and then shrugs off his jacket.

“You could do that in a less obnoxious manner.” Regulus offers, wiping off his hoodie before retreating into the flat.

“Where’s the fun in that?” Sirius remarks, picking up the bags and following Regulus.

Regulus shakes his head unamused.

“Hang on a second,” Sirius says, dropping the bags again.

Regulus stops in his tracks. “Hmm? What?” He questions, turning back towards his brother.

“Why are you wearing Prongs’ hoodie?” Sirius’ tone is a mix of confusion and accusation. “You didn’t shag my best mate, did you?” Sirius continues, his face twisting into a look of horror.

“What are you going on about?” Regulus questions back.

“You’re wearing Prongs’ favourite hoodie. Why are you wearing his favourite hoodie?” Sirius asks again, stepping closer to grip the sleeve of the sweatshirt.

“Oh, this?” Regulus looks down at the hoodie he’s wearing. “Yeah, James lent it to me—wait, did you just ask me if I’m shagging James?” Regulus’ face shifts from a neutral expression to one of surprise.

"Then why do you have it?" Sirius asks, crossing his arms over his chest.

Regulus pulls the sleeve from Sirius' grasp. "Calm down; I'm not shagging James. We got caught in the rain. It's really not that deep." Regulus explains, looking back to his brother. "Why was your first thought that James and I were shagging? What gave you that impression?” Regulus questions, one of his eyebrows quirking upward.

“I have my reasons. It was just a feeling,” Sirius offers in a cryptic manner.

“Not saying I wouldn’t, though. James is very good-looking.” Regulus offers in a teasing tone with a shrug. “But, no, I haven’t shagged your best mate, so you can calm down.” Regulus finishes heading towards the kitchen.

“Regulus, you’re not allowed to shag James. No-dating rule, remember!” Sirius calls, picking up the bags.

“I heard you the first time. Now, do you want anything to drink?” Regulus asks, boiling the kettle.

“Coffee, black. If you have?” Sirius huffs, taking the bags into the lounge. He makes himself comfortable on the sofa as he places the bag of takeout onto the coffee table.

Moments later, Regulus enters the lounge with two mugs; he hands one to Sirius before settling down cross-legged on the sofa across from his brother. Regulus takes a few sips before placing the mug on the coffee table. Sirius mirrors the movement, then reaches over to open the bag of takeout.

“I got your favourite, bacon carbonara, from that little Italian place on 4th,” Sirius explains as he hands Regulus his food first, then pulls out his own.

“Thank you,” Regulus says, accepting the food.

“I figured we could talk about the whole locker room situation while we eat. Rip off the bandage sooner rather than later.” Sirius explains as he opens his container of food and passes a disposable fork to Regulus.

“Sounds fair. Did you want to go first?” Regulus asks, taking the fork, then opening his container.

“Maybe you should go first.” Sirius tells him, taking a bite of his fettuccine Alfredo.

“Alright, I guess I’ll just get straight to the point.” Regulus starts, shifting his pasta around the container with his fork. “I feel like you don't see me as an adult… The locker room made me realise that you still treat me like a little kid sometimes. Even on Wednesday, you seemed almost surprised that I've changed—grown up.”

“Yeah, I'd say that's fair; however, if you consider it from my perspective. When I left, you were still just a kid, my annoyingly perfect little brother.”

“I was sixteen, Sirius. That’s hardly a kid.” Regulus interjects before taking his first bite.

“Yeah, technically. But it's hard for me to not still see you as my kid brother.” Sirius counters.

“I’m not a teenager anymore either,” Regulus adds, his tone stressing the fact, taking another bite.

“I mean, come on, you still make that pouty face when you’re upset.”

Regulus sends his brother an unamused look, his mouth still half-full of food.

“See, there it is. That one!” Sirius points his fork at Regulus with a half smile. Then he continues, “Look at you now. All of a sudden, you’re this grown person. The tattoos, the piercings, the whole—well, everything.” Sirius gestures to all of Regulus, pointing his fork at him again.

“I’m not the only one that’s changed. You’re not the same as you once were.” Regulus offers after swallowing his food. “You seem almost happier.” There’s a slight sadness to Regulus’ tone.

“I could say the same about you too; you’ve changed. For example, you're keeping secrets from me now—we never kept things from each other before.” Sirius says, setting his food aside for a moment to take a sip of his coffee.

“As if you’ve told me everything about everything. You seemed pretty content keeping the fact that you’re snogging Remus to yourself. I never lied about the bar or the bruise. I just didn’t think it was something worth mentioning.” Regulus shoots back, his tone hinting at his annoyance.

“That’s neither here nor there. We’re talking about us right now.” Sirius changes the topic while picking his food up again.

“Fine. But I’m not going to sit here and pretend like it wasn’t hard. Because it was hard for me too. You were barely eighteen when you left. One day you were there, and the next you weren't.” Regulus’ tone shifted back to one riddled with emotions of hurt and sadness. While Sirius listens quietly as Regulus pours his heart out.

“I had to rely on myself because I had no one to turn to. You were gone! Now that I have you again, I don't want to lose you. But, Sirius, it's hard to rely on you again so easily. I can't guarantee that you're not going to leave me again.” Regulus responds honestly.

The look on Sirius’ face could nearly break Regulus’ heart. There was hurt and ache beyond Sirius’ eyes, and Regulus almost regrets speaking his truth. However, Sirius needs to hear this if things are going to work out between them.

“Reggie, I won't—” Sirius tries but is cut off by Regulus.

“You can't promise that.” Regulus knows the words sting, but it’s what he believes.

“I can. I promise I won't leave you again. You have my word.” Sirius is relentless, as though he’d do anything to make Regulus understand.

“I don't want your word. I want you to prove to me you won't. Actions speak louder than words.” Regulus counters again.

“I'll prove it to you. I don't care if it takes me a lifetime. I love you, Regulus. You know that I don’t say that lightly. Whatever it takes.”

Regulus doesn’t fight it; there’s a look in Sirius's eyes that shows he truly believes what he’s saying. Regulus wants to believe it too. So, he doesn’t fight it. Instead, he nods in agreement. The brothers sit in silence as they eat a few more bites of their food.

Regulus is the one to start again. “There was something I wanted to ask about that day in the locker room. I take it; you know I’ve talked with James a bit.”

Sirius nods, and Regulus continues, “Alright… Why did you tell James to stay away from me?”

Sirius makes a face of surprise, as though he wasn’t expecting that to be the question Regulus was most curious about.

“I—” Sirius starts but then stops just as fast. He opens and closes his mouth a few more times as though he’s trying to decide how to approach the question. Looking as though he’s accepted defeat, he answers honestly. “I got jealous. I saw the way you and James were getting closer, and I overreacted.”

There’s a shocked expression on Regulus’ face. He wasn’t sure what Sirius was going to say, but that wasn’t it.

“You and I are still trying to work on our relationship. We’ve been rebuilding it for almost a year. I mean, look at us. Even now, we're still having to slow down and have this conversation. So, it was hard for me to watch you get along with James so well, so fast—it made me feel insecure.” Sirius stops again, letting out a deep sigh, and Regulus simply listens.

“When I realised that James knew something important about you, something you didn’t tell me about. I got jealous… I’m your brother after all. I’m the one person you should be able to trust with anything. I didn’t handle the situation the right way because I was angry. I took it out on you; I took it out on James, and for that I’m sorry.”

Regulus thinks about Sirius' answer, his face going through several emotions before he responds. It makes sense why Sirius might think that. From the moment Regulus met James, he was already being drawn into the man’s orbit. It was strange how fast Regulus became comfortable around the other man. A part of Regulus knew that he was falling for James, but it wasn’t until Sirius had put it into words that it finally clicked. Sirius saw something deeper between James and Regulus before even Regulus himself saw it.

Regulus places his half-eaten container of food onto the coffee table. Then he leans forward on the sofa, closing the distance between Sirius and himself. “Sirius, you realise my relationship with James has nothing to do with the stability of our relationship, right?” Regulus asks as he reaches to hold one of his brother’s hands. Sirius follows Regulus’ lead, placing his food down on the coffee table as well.

“I know. Obviously, on some level, I know that, but I can’t help but feel like you’re the one leaving me behind this time.” Sirius explains, and Regulus grips his hand a little tighter. It makes Sirius feel like a little kid again—how his little brother would cling to his hand when he got stressed or scared.

“Siri. I’m not going anywhere. You realise that if I didn’t care about you or want you in my life, you wouldn’t be.” Regulus begins to explain with sincerity in his voice.

Sirius scoffs, “Thanks for that. Good to know I mean so much to you too, Reggie.”

“No, Siri. Would you just listen to me for a second? If I didn’t care about you, we wouldn’t be here right now. You wouldn’t be sitting on my sofa, and we sure as hell wouldn’t be having this conversation.” Regulus clarifies.

Sirius looks at him for a moment as all the pieces fall into place. “Oh,” Sirius says dumbly with a look of surprise on his face.

“Yeah, ‘oh.’” Regulus mocks back with a cheeky smile forming on his face. “Believe it or not, I do actually care about you, Siri.”

Sirius then pulls Regulus into a hug, squeezing him tightly, “I love you too, Reggie.”

The hug lingers longer than Regulus is normally comfortable with, but he doesn’t bother trying to fight it. Instead, he relents, relaxing into his older brother’s arms like he used to when they were kids.

“So, does this mean we're good?” Sirius asks, resting his head on Regulus' shoulder.

Regulus let out a small chuckle. “Do you really need me to answer that?”

“No. Obviously, I know the answer… But for the sake of clarity?”

Regulus’ chuckle breaks out into full-blown laughter. “Yes, Siri. We’re good.” He tells his brother between laughs.

“Right then, good!” Sirius exclaims as he pulls away from Regulus with a bright smile on his face.

Regulus lets Sirius’ excitement spread to him as he leans back onto his side of the sofa. He’s about to pick up his food and start eating again when Sirius’ draws his attention.

“Since we’re good now, I’ve got something for you,” Sirius explains as he retrieves the blue gift bags from beside the sofa.

Sirius hands one of the gift bags to Regulus before placing the other in his own lap. Regulus takes it with mild hesitation and a concerned expression on his face. It’s a simple blue gift bag tied with a bow.

“Should I be worried?” Regulus questions as he pulls the ribbon of the bow.

Sirius gives him an unamused look. “No. I thought it would be a nice little something to add to the night. Just open it already!”

Regulus slides his hand into the bag without looking inside. When his fingers brush the soft fabric, his expression shifts to a more neutral one. He then lifts it out, unfolding it and holding it in front of himself. In his hands are the tiniest pair of red pyjama shorts with little white stars printed on the fabric.

“Um, as much as I appreciate the sentiment, Siri. They look a little shorter than I’m comfortable wearing.” Regulus tells his brother with a nervous look on his face.

“Oh shit!” Sirius exclaims, looking at the article of clothing in Regulus’ hands. “Those are mine. Sorry, this one is yours.” Sirius gestures to the gift bag in his own lap.

Regulus places the shorts back in the bag, setting it next to Sirius, as his brother hands over the other gift bag. When Regulus opens the second bag, he finds a matching set of pyjamas. This pair is forest green with the same little white stars printed on them. Pulling the shorts out of the bag, Regulus can see that they’re still short shorts; however, they’re not nearly as short as the first pair.

Regulus lets out a small chuckle. “Really, Siri? Matching pyjamas?” Regulus says as he pulls the short-sleeve button-up pyjama shirt from the bag.

“What? I thought it might be fun; this way, we can have the full sleepover experience we never had as kids.” Sirius explains with a smile.

Regulus feigns annoyance, but in all honesty, he’s very touched by the gift. Sirius knows his brother well enough to know how much he actually enjoys it.

Sirius’ smile spreads wider as he tells him, “You’re welcome, Reggie.”

This makes Regulus scowl as he places the bag on the ground before grabbing his food to finish eating, and Sirius does the same. Once they're finished with their meal, Regulus disposes of the containers, and Sirius takes it as a sign to get ready for their movie. When Sirius rounds the corner into the kitchen with the gift bags in hand and a smile on his face, Regulus grimaces.

"Oh, Reggie," Sirius calls in a playful tone, dangling the gift bag on one finger in front of him. "You know what time it is."

"Siri, do I really have to?" Regulus whines, despite knowing this is a losing battle.

Sirius gives him a look, and Regulus rolls his eyes but takes the bag, knowing his brother won't let him off the hook.

"Fine, let's get this over with then," he mutters in defeat, heading toward his bedroom to change into his new pyjamas.

Sirius follows him down the hall and then turns off toward the bathroom at the last second. A triumphant smile perched on his lips as he disappeared, closing the door behind him.

Once in his room, a nervous flutter went through Regulus as he prepared to take off James’ hoodie. Wearing the hoodie felt like a hug from the taller man, and taking it off left him feeling strange; the hoodie had a comforting effect much like its owner. Although the pyjama shirt that took its place wasn't a bad alternative, it wasn't quite the same. Slipping his lounge shorts off and the pyjama bottoms on had him rethinking agreeing to wear them in the first place.

‘Leave it to my brother to pick the shortest shorts he could find.’ Regulus thinks to himself as he tugs them down a little; in reality, they fall a little lower than mid-thigh. While not extremely short, the shorts are short enough to bother him, but he doesn’t have the energy to argue with his brother.

Speaking of his brother, once Regulus opened his bedroom door. There standing in the hallway is Sirius in his matching star-themed pyjamas.

"Nice shorts, Reggie," Sirius teases with a smirk, gesturing to the shorts as Regulus readjusts them. Regulus rolls his eyes, and Sirius pushes past him to enter the room.

"Could say the same about you," Regulus snipes back with no real heat, referring to Sirius' pyjama shorts that fall high on his thighs.

Regulus follows him back into his room and watches as Sirius flops onto his bed, letting out a sigh. Regulus then plops down on the bed next to him.

"You know, Siri, I think we need to have a serious talk about your fashion choices," Regulus tells him with a cheeky grin, causing Sirius to let out a chuckle in response.

"You're just jealous that you couldn't pull off these shorts even if you tried. I can't help that I look amazing in these." Sirius says, striking a pose with a mischievous glint in his eyes. Regulus chuckles, shaking his head in amusement at his brother's antics.

"You may be a fashion rebel, but I'll always be the one with better taste," Regulus teases, earning a playful shove from Sirius. The two brothers continue with their light-hearted banter, their laughter filling the room.

The chiming of Sirius’ phone causes him to sit up on the bed. With difficulty, he finds it, unlocks it, and checks the message. While Regulus scoots closer, peering over his brother’s shoulder to snoop. With the screen in view, Regulus can see a new message from a group chat between Remus, James, and Peter.

Marauders Misfits

Padfoot:

Wish me luck; I just pulled up.

Prongs:

Good luck!

Wormtail:

Luck 🍀

Moony:

Good luck, Pads. You’re going to do great.

Padfoot:

Thanks, guys. 💕

Moony:

Hey, so how did things go? I’m assuming the silence is a good thing.

The new message is from Remus, asking how things are going between the brothers. Sirius grins and quickly types out a response, eager to let the group know how things went.

Marauders Misfits

Padfoot:

Everything went better than I could have ever hoped. We’ve got our pyjamas on now!

Upon seeing Remus’ message, Regulus is reminded of his injury and is still worried about their tall friend’s well-being. “How is Remus doing?” Regulus questions.

Sirius sends the message, then clicks out of the chat. “He’s doing better, still a little sore.” Sirius explains as he opens his private messages with Remus; scrolling up, he pauses on a photo. “See.” Sirius says, pulling the phone closer for Regulus to see the screen.

The photo is of a shirtless Remus smiling; he’s lying on his back in bed with a rather large black dog lying snuggled against his side.

Regulus smiles at the photo, relieved to see Remus doing well despite his injury. Regulus wasn’t overly surprised to see the taller man’s upper torso is just as scarred as his forearms. He doesn't comment on it. He does, however, want to comment on the semi-nude state sent so casually in their chat. Instead, he responds, "He looks comfortable. I didn't know he had a dog. It's cute."

“That’s Bane. He’s a big softie. He’d lick you to death given the chance.” Sirius informs him with a smile.

Their attention is drawn once again to the sound of several new messages from the group chat. Sirius swipes away from the photo and then back into the group chat.

Marauders Misfits

Moony:

That’s wonderful; I’m really glad things worked out.

Prongs:

Glad to hear that; I was getting a little worried. Super happy for you, Pads.

Wormtail:

Lol. The pyjamas, really? 🤣🤣 I’m actually curious how you managed to get Regulus to put them on 🤔.

Moony:

I wouldn’t mind a photo of the pyjamas, if I’m honest.

Prongs:

Oh, Moony, you’re missing out. They’re matching, Pads showed me before he left. 😏😜

Definitely second the photo idea.😄

Wormtail:

Yea, photo or it didn’t happen. LMAO 🤣

Regulus reads the messages over his brother’s shoulder, and before Sirius can ask, Regulus is shooting him down. “No way, don’t even bother. It’s not going to happen. Message them back and tell them they’re not seeing shit.” Regulus responds by pulling away from his brother and crossing his arms.

"Oh, come on, Reggie. Don’t be dramatic. It’s only one photo.” Sirius tries to persuade his brother.

"No, Siri. You know how I feel about photos. The pyjamas alone are mortifying." Regulus wines, shaking his head.

Sirius rolls his eyes. "No one else is going to see it. I'll even delete it right after. They just want to see us in our matching pyjamas." Sirius tries to reason with his brother, hoping it will change his mind.

Regulus hesitates, but eventually, he concedes, "Fine, but only if you promise to delete it immediately after."

Sirius grins, then makes an X motion over his heart. "Promise." Sirius then scoots off the bed, pulling Regulus by the wrist to follow.

Sirius then positions them both hip-to-hip in Regulus’ full-length mirror. Regulus is already pulling at his pyjama shorts, trying to make them appear longer and failing miserably. He has an annoyed expression on his face, but Sirius knows it's more embarrassed than angry.

“Stop fidgeting and smile,” Sirius tells him as he puts his arm around his brother’s shoulder.

Regulus lets out a dramatic, exasperated sigh, “Just take the damn photo.”

“Not until you smile. If it’s only one photo, I want it to be a good one. You could at least try to seem happy.” Sirius reasons, shifting his phone to the mirror to take a photo of their reflection.

Regulus rolls his eyes, plastering a sarcastic smile on his lips.

"A real smile." Sirius deadpans.

Regulus shoots an annoyed look toward their reflections in the mirror before fixing his face into a small but genuine smile. Sirius mirrors Regulus’ expression, a large happy grin forming on his face. He wastes no time snapping the picture, adding, "See, that wasn't so hard, was it?" in a mocking tone.

Regulus sends another unimpressed look at his brother in the mirror before pulling away again. “Happy now?” He questions as he flops onto his bed with a sigh.

“Very.” Sirius comments, crawling onto the bed and sitting cross-legged next to his brother. His eyes are focused on his phone as he texts the group chat with a smile. "See, look how cute we are," Sirius says with a chuckle, pointing the phone in his direction and showing him the picture.

Regulus rolls his eyes. "I guess we don't look terrible." Rolling closer to get a better look at the photo. His curiosity getting the better of him, he asks, "So, did they say anything yet?” Adding on a quick, “Not that I care or anything.”

Sirius gives him a knowing smile before responding, "No, I haven't sent it yet."

Regulus raises an eyebrow, propping himself up on his elbow. “Why not?”

Sirius shrugs. “I wanted to show you first before sharing it in case you wanted to change your mind. I’m not a complete monster.” Sirius offers with a chuckle.

Regulus smiles, mildly surprised by the gesture. “Well, I guess it’s not too bad. You can go ahead and send it,” he says, flopping back down on the bed.

Sirius nods, sending the picture with a message that reads, “Fuck you, Wormy. Here’s your proof; don’t be jealous that I’m hotter than you.”

Regulus laughs at the message before asking, “You really enjoy riling each other up, don’t you?”

Sirius grins mischievously, eager to see Peter's reaction. "You know it."

There’s a moment of silence before a single notification fills the room. Regulus turns his head to the sound. “Okay, now what are they saying?” Regulus asks, glancing at his brother, then to the phone.

A part of Regulus hopes that it's James who responded first. James obviously knew about the scandalously short pyjamas before Regulus did. It's not as though he could come right out and ask his brother, 'So what did James think when you showed him the pyjamas?'. Regulus was beyond curious, so the group chat was his best option to see James’ response. He has to know, even if he has to endure some mild teasing from the others.

Sirius presses his phone to his chest, “I thought you didn’t care.” He offers in a teasing tone.

Regulus rolls his eyes, attempting to seem uninterested. "I don't, but you can't blame me for being mildly curious."

Sirius chuckles, then shoots back, "’Mildly curious,' uh-huh."

Another notification sounds, then another, and another. It's around four before Regulus is sitting up and placing his head on his brother’s shoulder. Sirius moves his phone into view, and Regulus swipes the screen to read over the previous messages first. Sirius doesn’t protest; he simply shifts the phone screen closer for Regulus to see.

Marauders Misfits

Padfoot:

I don’t think Reggie will let me, but I’ll see what I can do.😘

Prongs:

Totally fair, but also damn. 😞

Wormtail:

Guess it didn’t happen then 😏.

Padfoot: attached an image

Padfoot:

Fuck you, Wormy. Here’s your proof; don’t be jealous that I’m hotter than you. 😘

Sirius then scrolls down to the new messages; the pair read them to themselves. To Regulus' disappointment and Sirius’ delight, Remus is the first to respond.

Marauders Misfits

Moony:

Well, damn, Padfoot. 😳

I was not ready for that.

Prongs:

Muy guapo. 😉😏

Is there any chance I can save a copy?

Wormtail:

Definitely not jealous, but I can appreciate short shorts. If I wasn't so incredibly ace, I'd consider throwing my hat in the ring.

Padfoot:

Thank you, Moons. 🥰

I see you, Prongs. This is your warning. 👀

Also, Wormy, you flirt. 🤭 Unfortunately, you're not my type. I like them a little taller than you.

Wormtail:

You wound me, Pads. 💀

Prongs:So is that a no on saving the photo? 🤔

Padfoot:

Prongs.

Prongs:What? I'm asking for a friend.

"That's embarrassing; tell James 'no.'" Regulus responds as he watches Sirius text with his friends.

"Obviously." Sirius tells him, shooting back an unamused look. He responds to the text with, "No, I have strict orders to delete it. Say 'goodbye' to the photo!" Before deleting it, moments later the chat is filled with a variety of emojis.

However, Sirius clicks away from the chat before Regulus is able to see more. Instead, he opens his private messages between Remus and him once again. There are several messages from the taller man; Regulus only gets a quick glance before his brother is pressing his phone to his chest again. With the rapid flush growing on his brother's face, Regulus deduces that the message is most likely salacious in nature.

Sirius clears his throat. “You know, Reggie, I think we should probably start our film before it gets too late.”

Regulus gives his brother a knowing look before agreeing and making their way out of Regulus’ room.

As they settled on the sofa in the lounge to watch their film, Sirius chose an action-adventure film neither of them had seen. Blankets, snacks, and any other essentials for the perfect cosy atmosphere. However, during the film, it’s hard for Regulus to pay attention. His thoughts keep shifting to Sirius’ accusations about his relationship with James.

At around the halfway point of the film, Regulus can’t stop the thoughts from gnawing at his brain. He felt he should be honest with his brother, and so he delicately raised the matter. Regulus is hoping that being truthful to Sirius now will stop further problems later.

“Hey Siri,” Regulus starts, looking over to his brother.

“Yeah?” Sirius asks with his mouth full of popcorn.

“I feel like I should come clean about something…” Regulus starts again, and Sirius looks over to him. His full attention was on Regulus, waiting for him to continue.

“I may or may not have kissed James.” Regulus finishes with a nervous expression on his face.

Sirius doesn’t say anything at first; he simply turns back to the film. Shoving more popcorn into his mouth. After a moment, he responds, not looking away from the film, “I know.”

Regulus sends his brother a look of surprise. “I thought you’d be mad. This is weird; why are you not mad?” He rambles out in mild disbelief.

“Because I knew,” Sirius says as though he’s unbothered by it.

Regulus reaches for the remote and pauses the film. “What do you mean you knew? How did you know?”

“Okay, so we’re doing this now, then?” Sirius shifts on the sofa to face Regulus, then he starts again. “Prongs told me. We worked things out on Thursday. Funny enough, the conversation kind of was like this—a bit weird, if I’m honest.”

Regulus slowly pieces it all together as he listens to his brother explain.

“I had this feeling that something was going on between you two. Not to mention, I saw you two leave the bar together the night of Prongs’ birthday.”

There’s a beat as Regulus digests the information.

“Oh. What did he end up telling you?” Regulus questions, trying not to let his genuine concern show on his face. Silently cursing James for not filling him in on that very important piece of information.

“You were both drunk; it happened once, end of story.” Sirius pauses. “Unless that isn’t the end of the story?” He finishes, quirking an eyebrow upward as he asks.

Regulus shakes his head. “Nope, that’s pretty much it.” Mentally thanking James for not giving away every detail. Regulus is grateful that James only told his brother half the story. “I wasn’t sure how to tell you, especially after last week.” Regulus confesses, excluding information to match his story with James’. “I thought you’d be upset considering the no-dating rule.”

Sirius gives him a mildly sceptical look before taking Regulus at his word. “That’s fair, I guess. I’ve made out with Moony while drunk more times than I can count. So I can’t really say much, plus drunken make-outs don’t count against the no-dating rule.” Sirius finishes matter of factly.

“Are you sure that was a pre-established clause, or did you just make that up?” Regulus questions in a playful tone.

“I feel like snogging doesn’t really count as ‘dating’; we’re adults, after all.” Sirius corrects himself.

“Alright, good to know. So does that mean—Regulus began, but his brother quickly interrupted him.

“Don’t even think about it. That doesn’t give you permission to snog my best mate.” Sirius gives him a stern look. “Snog him again, and I’ll have to kill you, and then him, for snogging my little brother.” He pauses in thought for a moment. “And then I’ll kill myself because I can’t live without either of you.” Regulus chuckles at Sirius’ dramatic threat, rolling his eyes.

“We definitely don’t want that, so I promise to keep my lips to myself,” he replies with a smirk.

Regulus knew that Sirius was just being protective; he couldn't fault him for caring about both James and his well-being. However, as Sirius said, they're all adults. If Sirius was allowed to snog Remus and send a few salacious messages back and forth. Then it's only fair if James and he were able to do the same. If James wanted to pursue something with him, who was he to deny that handsome man? Regulus couldn't help but feel a surge of excitement at the prospect of exploring further with James, regardless of Sirius' protective nature.

Regulus couldn’t help but feel as though everything was falling into place. Sirius and he had solved their issues, and now he felt like he could be honest with his brother. Regulus also felt like he understood his feelings for James a lot better now. The admission from Sirius that they had broken no rules neatly concluded the situation, mirroring the perfectly wrapped gift his brother gave him.

Translations “Muy guapo.” - “Very handsome.”

#marauders era #marauders fanfiction #jegulus #jegulus fanfiction #service with a smile #fanfiction #ao3 #rennie writes #slow burn #eventual smut #background wolfstar #background rosekiller #james potter x regulus black #james x regulus #modern marauders #food service au #its a fanfiction thing

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littlestpan · 2 months ago

Text

Service With a Smile

James Potter x Regulus Black (Slow Burn)

A/N: Hello lovelies, here’s chapter nine! You can also find fan fiction on AO3 if you want to read ahead.

Chapter 8 (here) | Chapter 9 (You’re here) | Chapter 10 (here)

Chapter 9: The Lion Heart and the Loyal Dog

The following day, Regulus has a hard time getting out of bed. His only desire is to curl up under his duvet for the rest of the week, but alas, it’s only Wednesday. He knows that if he were to call in sick, Effie and Monty would understand for at least a day or two. He also knows the pair would be sympathetic to his situation, even with such short notice. Yet, the inevitable questions from his loved ones after his time away seemed even more unbearable.

Regulus wishes he could hide away from the world and work through his feelings from the comfort of his bed. He knows there’s a chance that if he were to not show up to work, James would assume it had something to do with him. Technically, on some level, he would be right in his assumption. For Regulus, the desire to process his feelings for James couldn’t justify putting the man through that kind of panic.

The other factor keeping Regulus chained to his bed is the situation with Sirius. Unfortunately, knowing his brother is expecting him to be there makes it harder for him to skive off work. Even if he’s still upset with Sirius, he cares for his older brother. Regulus knew things would be better if he and Sirius were to talk things out. Things would be so much simpler for both of them if they sat down and discussed the situation. However, he doesn’t want to hear Sirius out, not yet, at least. Regulus just needs to be mad at the situation for a little while longer.

Even with all the mess swirling around his head in regards to James, Regulus couldn’t help but look forward to seeing the man’s smiling face. That thought alone was enough for Regulus to pull the duvet off and swing his legs over the edge of the bed.

Simply being around James has a somewhat calming effect. His smile, his smell, his touch—everything about the man brought Regulus comfort. Regrettably, Regulus is having a hard time trusting his feelings because, in his opinion, it was far too easy for the man to walk out of his life like his brother had. Regulus should be happy that things worked out in his favour because things rarely do. Still, there’s a pull in the back of his mind telling him to be cautious. He needs a little more time and reassurance in order to put his complete faith in the man.

Regulus takes his time getting ready, moving about the flat in a lethargic manner. He walks at a sluggish pace from his room to the bathroom, spending more time than usual standing under the hot spray of the shower. When he’s finally dressed, he shuffles his wacky socks—navy blue with cartoon eggs printed on them—along the hardwood floors down the hall toward the kitchen.

As he fills the kettle with water, he glances at the clock on the microwave. Regulus wouldn’t have time to make breakfast because of the extra time he spent in the shower. Yet, the man is willing to be a few minutes behind schedule if it means he can sneak in his morning cuppa. By the time the water has boiled, Regulus has to take his tea to go if he wants to make the bus.

Regulus ensures he has his headphones, cell phone, wallet, keys, and his travel mug of tea before he heads out the door. He nearly misses his bus, catching it just as it arrives at his stop. On the ride to work, Regulus sips his tea slowly as he thinks of the day ahead.

When Regulus enters the kitchen, he notices almost immediately the absence of both Remus and Sirius. Regulus paused at the entrance to the kitchen, looking around the space with a confused expression. His gaze landed on Peter in his usual spot lounging on his station. Regulus makes a beeline directly towards Peter and stops in front of him.

Peter looks up from his coffee mug to greet him. “Good morning, Regulus. You look a bit tired; is everything alright?”

“Good morning, Peter. I’m alright, thanks.” He tells Peter before moving on to his reason for starting the conversation. “Do you by chance know where Remus and Sirius are? They’re normally here by now.” Regulus enquires as he nods over his shoulder toward the empty workstation.

“Moony? No idea. But the last time I saw Padfoot, he was in the office with Effie.” Peter responds, taking a sip from his mug.

“Moony’s not in today,” Marlene informs as she pops up behind Regulus. “Not sure why, but that’s what I heard Padfoot say before heading off to the office.” She finishes and hops up to sit on Peter’s workstation.

Before Regulus could respond, Monty rounded the corner from the dining hall into the kitchen. The older man isn’t wearing his usual jumper-slacks combo but is wearing a crisp chef coat with his name embroidered on the sleeve.

Regulus had never seen the man wearing his chef coat before. On occasion, he’s seen him in an apron with his sleeves rolled up—getting his hands dirty with the crew. The older man is handsome and undeniably the blueprint for one: James Potter. And Regulus can’t complain because it’s a wonderful blueprint.

“Ah, perfect, you’re all here,” Monty says with a smile as he looks around the kitchen. When he doesn’t see his son in the group, he says, “Well, almost all of you.” He then returns his eyes to the group. “Crew meeting in fifteen minutes. Regulus, you should get changed; it’s all hands on deck today.”

Regulus nodded in affirmation.

“Pete, if my son isn’t here by then. Phone him, fill him in, and tell him to get his ass moving.” Monty tells Peter with a mildly serious expression.

“Heard,” Peter responds—kitchen lingo for understanding an order.

Kitchen slang is something Regulus is only somewhat familiar with. Despite hearing it used quite frequently, there are still some terms he doesn’t understand. Most of it was common sense, like ‘heard’ means ‘I heard what you said,’ and ‘sharp’ refers to a sharp object like a knife in hand. Learning kitchen lingo isn’t something anyone has made a point of teaching Regulus, but he’s slowly picking up on a few things.

Monty then turns his attention to Marlene, “Marlene, if he’s later than fifteen minutes, you have Effie’s permission to, and I quote, ‘smack him around a bit because he knows better.’” Monty finishes with a bright chuckle.

“Have I told Effie I love her recently? Because I do. No offence, Monty, I know James needs to get here ASAP. But I hope he’s late today,” Marlene says in a tone that signals that she’s joking around.

Monty lets out another laugh and then continues, “Alright then, I’ll see you all back here in fifteen.” Then he’s turning on his heel and heading back out the way he came.

The crew’s chatter goes quiet after Monty’s interjection in their conversation. It feels a bit like they were almost caught talking about something they shouldn’t be. Not that kitchen gossip is against the rules or anything, but there's obviously a time and place for it.

Regulus uses the lull in the conversation to excuse himself. “I should probably get changed. Not that I’m scared of Effie or anything, but I don’t want to find out what would happen if I got on her bad side.” He turns to make his way to the door Monty exited through. As he passes his workstation, he places his travel mug on the table.

“Yeah, no. That’s probably for the best; Effie is a force of nature.” Marlene offers as Regulus leaves.

On his walk to the locker room, Regulus half expected to cross paths with Monty. Instead, as he approaches the stairs, he catches a glimpse of his brother and Effie standing in the office doorway. Regulus watched how the pair interacted as he slowly made his way through the warehouse. He can’t make heads or tails of their conversation because they’re speaking in Spanish. Even if he could understand them, he’s too far away to eavesdrop discreetly.

Effie is holding Sirius in a gentle embrace that looks soft and comforting. The hug is deep and mothering as she rubs soothing circles into his back. There’s a smooth, subtle rocking to their hug. It makes sense why James is such a good hugger—he takes after Effie. Seeing the pair hug, Regulus felt envious; that was the type of hug he desperately needed while dealing with the events of last week.

Every part of Regulus knew it was meant to be a private moment between his brother and Effie. Yet, he couldn't help but watch them both in awe. There’s an ache in his chest, similar to the one he felt seeing the photos in the building’s entryway.

When Effie releases the hug, Regulus is close enough to catch the look on Sirius’ face. It’s a pensive expression with traces of hurt. Regulus knows that face; he’s been on the receiving end of it more times than he’d care to remember. Sirius reserves that face for when he’s really struggling. Regulus only hopes that it doesn’t have anything to do with him because he’s not ready to deal with the Sirius aspect of his problems. Regulus also doubts that Sirius would go to Effie with his concerns regarding a brotherly quarrel. It’s even more doubtful that Effie would respond with such care. That thought has a small amount of worry drifting from the back of his mind.

Regulus’ presence went unnoticed by the preoccupied pair. Effie is the first to release the hug, but she keeps Sirius close. She whispers something to him in a low tone as she presses one hand to either side of Sirius’ head, cradling the shorter man’s face. Then presses a kiss to his forehead. In its wake, she leaves behind a smudge of red lipstick on his pale skin. Effie lets out a sweet laugh as she licks her thumb and attempts to wipe the smudge from Sirius’ forehead.

It was then that Regulus looked away, stumbling as he started toward the staff room—nearly tripping on the first step of the staircase. The pair were gone from the office doorway by the time Regulus finished changing and made his way downstairs. The concern he felt for his brother was still very present and growing more apparent. It didn’t help that when he entered the kitchen, he saw his brother still sporting a mild version of the look.

Regulus approached his workstation; he looked to Remus’ empty workstation, then to his brother. Though he knew better than to ask Sirius about the tall man’s absence, Regulus felt there might be a connection between the two—the face Sirius was making and the reason for Remus’ absence. Without further information, Regulus isn’t able to dispel the discomfort. Regulus chews the post of his tongue piercing in a nervous fashion as he watches Sirius wipe down his workstation.

“Good morning, Sirius.” He greets his brother across from him and waits for his brother to greet back.

Sirius is laser-focused on a particularly difficult smudge on his table. He didn’t look up from his scrubbing as he greets back, “Morning, Regulus.”

The entryway drew the entire kitchen’s attention, preventing Regulus from speaking further. An enthusiastically apologetic James Potter enters the kitchen with a nervous smile on his lips.

“Sorry, I know I’m late. I slept right through my alarm this morning.” James calls as he makes his way through the kitchen in a hurried fashion.

When Regulus first asked his brother why he and James don’t carpool to work together, considering they live with one another. He got the simple answer of, ‘more deliveries plus more cars equals faster delivery times.’ Which seemed to satisfy his curiosity for the most part. Although, it still didn’t explain James’ knack for being late every day.

“Dammit, Prongs, you couldn’t have been two minutes later than usual?” Marlene calls over to him from her workstation.

James chuckles, “Placing bets on me again?” He calls back.

“Something like that,” she tells him honestly.

“Sorry to disappoint you. Maybe next time.” James jokes before sprinting to the dining hall doorway. “Corner!” He shouts as he crosses the threshold between the dining hall and kitchen, rounding the corner at a light jog.

When James rejoins the crew in the kitchen, he’s dressed in his work uniform. Effie and Monty are both standing at the heads of Remus’ and James’ workstations, like they normally do when debriefing their team.

James does his best not to disturb them, to no avail, earning an unimpressed look from Effie. While Monty speaks, she wordlessly taps at the face of her simple watch, and James understands. He shoots back an apologetic look, mouthing something to his mother before hanging his head.

“As I was saying, we’re a man down again this week. Remus won’t be joining us today or for the rest of the week. He doesn’t wish to disclose more than letting you all know that he’ll be back Monday.” Monty continues as he addresses the crew.

“Marlene, we’re going to need you to take over Remus’ duties for the next little while. I’ll be assisting you with anything you might need.” Monty informs Marlene, looking over at the blonde still seated on Peter’s workstation.

“Remus trusting me with his babies.” Marlene gestures to the ovens on her right. “The big boss man as my little buddy. It must be my lucky day.” Marlene beams back.

Monty chuckles, “Only for today; we would rather not fall behind.”

Monty then looked over to Sirius, “As for you, my boy. You will be taking over Marlene’s work for today. The rest of the week, you’ll be assisting Marlene.”

“We’ve asked Lily to come in for Thursday and Friday to cover for Marlene. However, she’s unable to come in today.” Effie adds.

Sirius nodded in response, “Of course, whatever you need me to do.”

“Flea and I will be sticking around the kitchen for today if you have any questions. I think that’s the last of our notices; you can all get started on your tasks.” Effie finishes before dismissing the crew to their work.

A few hours into the shift, Regulus stands in the dish pit in front of the first sink, his back to the kitchen—completely lost in thought. He’s watching the middle sink fill with water while Peter uses the bathroom. Peering into the water as it rises, his mind is drifting helplessly from thought to thought with the swirling motion of the soapsuds.

He drifts from his struggles with James to the apology, then James’ lips to his forehead. Blinking, his mind shifts from his overbearing brother to the hug with Effie this morning and the face he made. Regulus can’t seem to keep a consistent train of thought for more than a minute at a time.

Meanwhile, across the kitchen, Sirius is checking the texture of his boiling pasta. Blowing gently, he spoons a hot noodle from the pot into his mouth. Once the noodles reach the desired texture, he switches off the hot plate. Sirius then lifts the heavy pot from the hot plate on the workstation next to the ovens.

It’s a large industrial stock pot filled with boiling water and freshly cooked pasta. The pot is heavier than Sirius is used to lifting. James or even Peter usually helps with this part, but with them otherwise preoccupied, Sirius took it upon himself to finish the task alone.

Hoisting the pot up off the workstation, he calls in a clear tone, “Hot, heavy behind!” As he turns toward the dish pit, struggling with the weight of the pot. Waiting in the first sink are two perforated hotel pans that Sirius plans on using to drain his pasta.

As he gets closer to the dish pit, seeing his brother hasn’t moved, Sirius calls again. “Hot, heavy behind!”

It’s clear he’s trying to get Regulus to take a hint as he approaches his brother. Regulus is unmoving even when Sirius is nearly standing behind him. Sirius is struggling to hold the hot pot as it slowly starts to burn the exposed skin on his wrist.

Regulus steps back half a step and feels the hot pot brush his shirt. He snaps out of his dazed state. “Shit,” he curses, feeling the sudden heat.

The hot pasta water splashes around the pot; it doesn’t spill, but it’s enough to make Sirius snap. “Regulus! Move your ass!” Sirius shouts with a strained quality to his voice.

Regulus jumped out of his brother’s way. “Oh, sorry I didn’t—”

“God dammit! When someone says ‘hot behind,’ it means there’s something hot behind you, and don’t step back into them!” Sirius huffs in a snappy tone.

Visibly agitated, Sirius scowls as he lifts the heavy pot onto the edge of the sink.

The entire kitchen comes to a screeching halt as the crew watches the interaction unfolding. They look amongst themselves, uncertain whether anyone should intervene.

“I’m sorry I—” Regulus tried again, his eyebrows pinched in a combination of confusion and apology. His mind was trying to catch up with the scenario unfolding around him.

“Haven’t you any common sense? Someone could have been seriously injured!” Sirius’ voice is a mix of concern and anger, but Regulus can tell there’s something more. Sirius dumps the heavy pot of hot pasta and water into the first sink as he yells. Once the pot is empty, he slams it down onto Peter’s workstation.

“I mean, come on, Regulus, you’re not a little kid anymore. Use your fucking head next time.” Sirius’ frustration peaked as he took a heated step toward Regulus.

There was a look in Sirius’ eyes that finally allowed Regulus to connect the dots. It's not Regulus' actions themselves, but the risk of Sirius harming him that drove Sirius to his breaking point.

In the blink of an eye, James is pushing himself between Regulus and Sirius.

“Sirius, that’s enough; you have no right to speak to him that way. You need to calm down.” James tells Sirius; his tone is firm and slightly dipping into anger. It doesn’t have the desired effect Regulus is sure James was hoping for. His intervention only escalates the situation more.

“Yeah, of course, you take his side. Why am I not fucking surprised?” Sirius shouted back his frustration, shifting from Regulus to James.

“I’m not taking anyone’s side,” James replies back his tone rising.

“You’re meant to be my best mate.” Sirius spits, then shoves past James, making his way to the dining hall.

James stumbles back into Regulus and then regains his balance. “Sirius,” James called after him, shifting to follow Sirius out of the kitchen.

Before James can make it more than a few feet, Regulus is pulling James back. He gripped his hands at the waist of the taller man’s chef coat.

“Hey, hey. It’s alright—”

“That was uncalled for.”

“No, no, James.”

James abruptly stops as Regulus pulls harder on the waist of his coat. Seizing his chance, Regulus pulls James around so that he is facing him.

“Reg, I need to go speak with him.” James looks at the door, with his body facing Regulus. His tone is a mix of hurt and frustration as he tries again to follow Sirius.

Regulus placed his hands on James’ chest as he tried to hold James in place. “James, no. Look at me.” Regulus moved a hand to the side of James’ face, gently forcing James to look him in the eyes.

“Please, just stop.”

“Reg.”

“Let me talk to him.”

“No. I—”

“James, stay.” He tells James as he removes himself.

James doesn’t say another word, his eyes fall shut as he takes a deep breath. Regulus takes it as a sign that it’s okay to step away. The younger Black brother now looks around the room at the concerned faces. Regulus let out a sigh, unsure what to say.

Effie was the first to approach with a worried expression. “Regulus, dear, maybe I should be the one to speak with him.”

Regulus turns to Effie with a half smile, “As much as I appreciate the offer, it has to be me. I know my brother well enough to understand when he needs me most.”

Effie doesn’t say another word; she simply offers him an understanding look as she steps to the side.

Regulus then made his way through the dining hall for the second time that day.

Even after all these years apart, it seems as though Sirius is still the same as always. Regulus is glad that time and distance haven’t changed Sirius into someone completely unrecognisable. Although Sirius’ appearance may have changed—his hair longer, new tattoos, and piercings. Under it all, Sirius was still that rebellious and tenderhearted older brother Regulus looked up to.

A part of Regulus is happy that his older brother is still predictable. Just like he was when they were younger, Sirius is still that hotheaded force of nature. Deep down, Sirius still blames himself for everything that goes wrong around him, and he still yells at people when he gets overwhelmed. Regulus can count on the fact that his brother is the same as him in one regard; after something big or difficult, they had the tendency to run. To seek solace from quiet self-isolation by any means necessary.

However, the brothers are vastly different in their approach to their isolation. Regulus needed time to think and space to work through his feelings. He wanted to be the one to reach out after he’d sorted through everything. Whereas Sirius needed space to cool off before he expected someone to come find him. He needed to know that he was still loved and cared for, even after his harsh words and explosive outbursts.

Trusting his gut, Regulus headed up the stairs to the staff room. As per usual, his instincts regarding his brother were spot on. Sitting at the table in the corner of the staff room is Sirius, with his head in his hands. Regulus knew that the look on his face earlier this morning had something to do with it.

Regulus took a deep breath, doing his best to put their issues to the back of his mind, and focus on what Sirius needs. Right now, his brother needs him more than anything.

“Sirius?” Regulus said as he approached his brother slowly.

Regulus waited for his brother to respond; when Sirius didn’t, Regulus made his way to the table. He pulls one of the chairs out, shifting it closer to his brother before he sits down.

“Siri, are you alright?” Regulus shrinks down in his chair. He tilts his head to get a better look at his brother’s hidden face.

Sirius runs his hands down his face, letting out a deep exhale. Then he drops his hands onto the table in front of himself.

“Honestly? No,” Sirius confesses.

“Do you want to talk about it?” Regulus asked, taking one of Sirius’ hands in both of his.

Sirius averts his gaze, looking at where Regulus was holding his hand. “Look, Reggie, I’m sorry—” Sirius starts but is cut off before he can finish.

Regulus shakes his head in disagreement. “Siri, it’s alright. I know you didn’t mean it.”

“No, Reggie. It’s not alright, so please just let me finish.” Sirius raises his eye to meet his younger brother.

“Reggie, I’m sorry I snapped at you. You didn’t deserve that. I was upset with myself… and instead of dealing with my shit properly, I took it out on you.” Sirius tells Regulus with a sincere tone as he gently squeezes Regulus’ hand in his.

“Siri, I understand. Thank you for your apology; I appreciate it." Regulus responds.

“Reggie, I really mean it. I am truly sorry for—” Sirius starts again, trying to express how sincerely sorry he is for his actions in the kitchen, but Regulus cuts him off.

“As much as I would like to continue this loop of you grovelling for my forgiveness. I’m more curious about what made you upset in the first place.” Regulus says with a slight chuckle.

Sirius smiles for a moment, but it falls from his lips just as fast as it came.

There’s a moment of silence before Regulus starts again. “So, are you going to tell me what’s really bothering you, Siri?”

Sirius let out a deep sigh. “I’m worried about Moony. It’s my fault he’s not coming into work.”

“I highly doubt you’re the cause.” Regulus tries to reassure his brother, but Sirius is having none of it.

“I am, though; it’s literally my fault.”

Regulus offers a confused expression in return. “How so?”

“It’s a bit ridiculous, really,” Sirius offers. “After our phone call yesterday, Moony asked me out for a drink so that I could get away from the house for the night. Before you say anything, yes, I am still in the doghouse with James.”

Regulus returns a disapproving look.

“I know, I know. I’ve only got room for one crisis at a time. Please stop judging me.”

“We’ll come back to that at a later date. Anyway, continue.” Regulus responds, urging his brother to get to the point.

“Alright. So, after a few drinks, we thought it was a brilliant idea to walk through the park. Picture, if you will, me in my big, dumb combat boots, fresh rainfall, and my tipsy ass. I bet you can see where this is going…”

“Um. You’ve lost me.” Regulus confesses honestly.

Sirius rakes his hands over his face with a groan of embarrassment. “Reggie, my stupid drunk ass didn’t notice my laces were untied, and I slipped in the wet grass.”

“Okay, and what does that have to do with Remus?” Regulus questions, not understanding what Sirius is hinting at.

“I slipped, nearly fell, and broke my skull open. Before I could, Moony, with his superhuman reflexes, caught me.” Sirius explains further.

“Isn't that a good thing? Don’t you like Remus anymore?” Regulus asked, with a confused expression still on his face.

“I do, but that’s besides the point. He caught me, and I fell on top of him. That would have made me overjoyed, were it not for our rough landing. He’s not here because when I landed on him, he got hurt.” Sirius’ expression is one of guilt and sadness.

Regulus nods in understanding. "I'm sure he knows it was an accident," Regulus offers, trying to console his brother.

Sirius sighs, "He does; I just wish I hadn't caused him any pain."

Regulus leans forward, pulling Sirius into a hug.

"You didn't mean for this to happen, Sirius. It wasn't your fault; you shouldn't blame yourself," Regulus tries to reassure him, rubbing his back like he had seen Effie do earlier.

Sirius just lets his brother hold him for a moment before he returns the hug. Placing his head on Regulus’ shoulder as he speaks.

"I don't think you understand the gravity of the circumstances. It's not my story to tell, so I won't. However, for context, Moony has a very bad back. And when I say 'bad,' know that it is a massive understatement. He visits a chiropractor frequently and has massage therapy a few times a week, but that's all I can say on the subject."

"I see; I can understand why you would think that. However, I don't think Remus would hold something like that against you. From what I know about Remus, he’s probably just happy that you’re alright." Regulus responds.

“You’re right, he said so himself at the time. But that doesn’t make me feel any less guilty about the situation.” Sirius admits with a sigh. "It's just hard to shake off the feeling that I could have done more to prevent it."

Regulus pulls out of the hug and nods sympathetically, "I get that, but what more could you have done in the moment?"

Sirius remains silent for a few seconds, trying to come up with an answer. He opens his mouth a few times as if he is about to say something but never actually says anything.

"Exactly. Plus, Remus is a very forgiving and understanding person. All you can do now is be there for him when he needs you."

Sirius’ expression shifts for a moment to surprise before shifting to one of appreciation, “Huh, that was actually really helpful. When did you become so insightful? Where’s my moody little brother gone?” Sirius tells him with a half-hearted chuckle.

“I’m not that grumpy little kid you once knew. Believe it or not, I’ve grown since then,” Regulus tells his brother with an unamused look.

Sirius leans forward again, pulling Regulus back into a hug. “Yeah, you have, but you’re still my annoying little brother.” Sirius says as he ruffles Regulus’ hair.

Regulus lets out an annoyed groan, “Really, Siri?” He tries to pull out of Sirius’ hug with no actual force. When he fails, Regulus succumbs to the hug with mild resistance.

Sirius holds his little brother tenderly. “Hey, Reggie?”

“Hmm?” Regulus grunts in response.

There’s another beat of silence. “We’re good, right? Like the whole thing that happened last week.” Sirius questions with mild worry in his voice, holding on to Regulus tighter.

Regulus thinks a moment, “Yes, we’re good… But you’re still not forgiven. You’ve got to make it up to me for that. I’m looking forward to your expert grovelling and some metaphorical ass kissing.”

Sirius sighs, “Yeah, fair. I kind of figured that would be the case.” He pulls away from Regulus.

“Since we’re on the subject, I was wondering if you had a chance to think about our phone call yesterday?” Sirius asks.

“No, not really, but if it has something to do with your plan to apologise. I’d be willing to discuss it right now,” Regulus responds with a tiny smirk forming at the corner of his lips.

“It does. If you’re open to the idea, I was thinking we could have a sleepover at your place. It’s been a few months since we’ve had one of those.” Sirius says as he tries to gauge Regulus’ reaction.

“And if I say ‘yes.’. What would we be doing at said sleepover?” Regulus asks, giving Sirius very little to work with, wanting his brother to put in more effort into selling it.

“I mean, I figured we could talk about what happened last week. You know, catch up. Spend some quality time together as brothers, maybe watch a couple of movies, and as a last resort, we could get blackout drunk.” Sirius offers with a hopeful expression.

“Hmm,” Regulus hums, pretending to think over the offer. In reality, he has every intention of accepting his brother’s offer. He just wants to make Sirius sweat a little before he says ‘yes.’.

“I don’t know; I feel like you could do better than that.” Regulus' response was a thoughtful expression.

“Better?” Sirius questions; he's not sure what more he could add to sweeten the deal. “I could bring takeaway?” He offers cautiously, not wanting to say the wrong thing.

“Snacks,” Regulus said flatly.

“Snacks?” Sirius tilts his head slightly.

“Yeah, takeaway and snacks. I want both.” Regulus informs.

“Alright, I’ll bring takeaway and snacks. Is there anything else?” Sirius nods at Regulus’ requests.

Regulus shrugs. “I don’t think so; if I can think of anything else, I’ll let you know.”

“Okay, great.” Sirius smiles; the aura around the older sibling had transformed completely. The once gloomy man sitting in the room has morphed back into his usual happy self.

“Yeah.” Regulus nods in affirmation as he stands. He moves away from the table and pushes his chair in.

Sirius follows suit before he speaks up, “Reggie?”

“Hmm, yeah?”

Sirius pulls his little brother into another hug, and Regulus hesitates for a split second before he hugs Sirius back.

“You alright, Siri?” Regulus asks as he pats his brother’s back softly.

“Mhmm, yeah. I’m better now. I just wanted to let you know that I love you.”

“Ah, I see. Thank you, I guess.” Regulus responds, not sure what to say.

Sirius let out a sigh, giving Regulus one last squeeze before he pulls away, “Alright, we should probably get back.”

Regulus nods as he follows Sirius back to the kitchen. When they enter the room, the rest of the crew pauses, looking in their direction.

Sirius clears his throat. “Right, I probably should address this, since I have all your attention. I wish I had handled things differently, but it’s all good now. Let’s go back to work and forget this ever happened. Okay?”

A few of the crew offer understanding nods, while others simply say nothing, returning to their work. Effie sends Sirius a motherly look that says, ‘We’re going to talk about this later, but you’re off the hook for now.’. After an awkward moment of silence, the kitchen is back in full swing preparing for the lunch deliveries.

When Regulus returns to his workstation, James is looking at him with a mildly worried expression. Regulus can tell that James wants to ask about how things went; instead, the tall man shifts closer to Regulus, offering silent support. It’s as though James understands that now is not the time or place for that kind of question.

Once they arrive at the stadium for their last shift feeding the players for the week, Regulus half expects James to ask the question he’s clearly burning to ask. However, he doesn’t; alternatively, the entire stadium shift James follows Regulus like his shadow, almost a little too eager to help. Regulus attributes it to James’ need to prove himself and his overwhelming need to fix things. Or maybe some level of worry for Regulus’ well-being after the fight with Sirius. Despite his multiple reassurances to the man that he’s fine, James is hovering.

Every time there’s a lull in the service, Regulus takes the opportunity to sit down. The stools James had placed for them against the pillar—Regulus' first shift at the stadium—have become a semi-permanent fixture. The pair sit shoulder to shoulder, leaning their backs against the pillar. It’s around the second or third time since they sat down that James has sent that same concerned doe-eyed stare in his direction.

Finally reaching his limit, Regulus asks, “Is there something you want to talk about, James?”

James hesitates for a moment before responding, “I just want to make sure you’re really okay. You know you can always talk to me, right?”

“Yes, I’m well aware. Thank you, James, but I'm alright, truly." Regulus responds with a small smile.

Nevertheless, the response seems to do little for James' concerned expression. Regulus decides to take a more direct approach; he places his hand on James' knee before he speaks again.

"You know my brother as well as I do; he'd never do anything to intentionally harm me. I promise, I'm alright."

This time Regulus’ reassurance seems to do the trick. James’ expression relaxes as he places his hand over Regulus’ on his knee.

“Actually, since we’re on the subject. I want to thank you for stepping in. I’m more than capable of handling myself, but I appreciate the backup, nonetheless.” Regulus says with a fond expression.

“Of course, Reg. I know you can take care of yourself, but know that I'm here if you ever need me,” James replies warmly, giving Regulus’ hand a reassuring squeeze.

Regulus can feel a warmth blooming in his chest, a sense of comfort and security. He likes the idea that no matter what, James will have his back. Although he's not certain he can rely on that fully, it's a nice feeling nonetheless. He knows that having someone like James in his corner could make all the difference.

When he was younger, Regulus had Sirius to rely on. He knew that Sirius would be there to protect and support him; it was a bond like no other. However, when Sirius left, Regulus was left feeling lost and alone, unsure of who he could turn to in times of need. Since then, Regulus hasn't felt that level of comfort and support from anyone else. So, for James to offer that reassurance and comfort so freely with no strings attached was a pleasant surprise for Regulus.

Regulus’ expression is like a window into his soul, revealing his vulnerability and gratitude. He rotates his hand in James’ flipping it palm up so that he can lace their fingers together. The warmth spreading through him, there’s a glimmer of hope that he hasn’t felt in a long time. With his hand intertwined with James’, Regulus can’t help but feel that there’s a chance he’d found someone new he could depend on.

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littlestpan · 3 months ago

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This blog is rated PG for pretty gay.

#yep #same #me #Rennie

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littlestpan · 3 months ago

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Service With a Smile

James Potter x Regulus Black (Slow Burn)

A/N: Hello lovelies, here’s chapter eight! You can also find fan fiction on AO3 if you want to read ahead.

Chapter 7 (here) | Chapter 8 (You’re here) | Chapter 9 (here)

Chapter 8: Crepuscular Rays

At the beginning of the following week, the bruise on Regulus’ back faded to a sickly pale yellow colour. Just as Regulus’ anxiety had faded from sadness and confusion to frustration and anger. With that pesky little rain cloud still hovering around him.

And as much as Regulus would deny it, Barty predicted correctly; he was, in fact, less sad the following morning. However, he replaced that sadness with anger. To say that Regulus was furious would be an understatement; He was frustrated with his brother for being overprotective, for overreacting, and for pushing James away from him.

At the moment, Sirius wasn’t the only one Regulus harboured ill feelings for. James was also a recipient of Regulus’ irritated thoughts. Regulus is angry at James for avoiding him and for not allowing him to explain himself. He’s also angry at James for letting his brother manipulate his emotions so easily. Regulus was under the impression that he and James were on the same page. Especially considering the events that took place on James’ birthday.

It’s not as though a few intoxicated kisses and some light petting were enough to expect the man to confess his undying love for him. However, it was enough for Regulus to question whether or not the tension and mutual attraction they shared meant nothing to James.

Turning the corner toward the Marauders’ compound, Regulus did his best to take a few calming breaths. Watching the compound come into view, Regulus’ anger began to settle at the sight of James’ large red truck. Crossing the threshold of the gated compound, Regulus can see the truck is parked in its usual spot. He isn’t certain about how he should feel, but he can hear Evan in the back of his mind: "If he’s there, see if you can get him talking again.”

Regulus’ stomach does a nervous flip at the prospect of seeing James. He does his best to regulate his expectations appropriately. There’s no guarantee that James will be open to discussing the weirdness surrounding the events of last week. But Regulus can’t help but feel mildly optimistic about the opportunity of things working out in his favour.

Regulus takes another calming breath, then he pulls the metal door open, walking into the building. “Hello, good morning.” He greets in the cheeriest tone he can muster.

The usual crew is already putzing away in the kitchen, a chorus of good mornings returns to him as he makes his way through the kitchen toward the locker room.

No surprise to Regulus, James has yet to arrive. That man would still show up late to work even if he were dropped at the front door an hour before his shift. Regulus feels a fond smile creep onto his face at the thought of James managing something of the sort. He’d probably wander round the shops nearby to fetch coffee and pastries for the crew. Or something to that effect; James was always thoughtful like that.

Speaking of the man, Regulus was almost finished with changing, but the tall lovable idiot was still nowhere to be seen. For the past month and a bit, James has always shown up around the time Regulus was finishing changing. Part of Regulus hopes that James did it on purpose as an excuse for the pair to talk in private. Regulus likes it when James’ eyes are on him, regardless of the circumstance, half-naked or otherwise. Even so, James isn’t the type to disrespect someone’s boundaries.

When Regulus enters the kitchen, he makes his way into the walk-in cooler behind his station. He helps himself to a bottle of water and then makes his way towards Peter in the dish pit. Peter is casually leaning against one of the sinks, sipping on a mug of coffee.

“Morning, Regulus,” he greets with a cheery smile.

“Good morning, Peter.”

“To what do I owe the pleasure?” Peter enquires, sensing that Regulus’ initiation into this conversation has other intentions than the usual small talk.

“Clocked me already?” Regulus questions back, closing the space between them to stand shoulder-to-shoulder with Peter against the sink.

“My powers of observation are excellent; you’d be surprised what I can see when I watch from a distance,” Peter explains. The tone of his words hinting at his knowledge of the dynamic between Regulus and James. “Out with it, what’s on your mind?”

Regulus looks around the kitchen to ensure no one is paying them any mind. When he’s satisfied, he enquires in a hushed tone. “No James today?”

“Nope.” Peter returns with a knowing look.

“Hmm.”

Lifting his mug to hide his mouth from view, Peter then responds in a barely audible tone. “Skived off work again.”

Regulus’ anxiety starts to rise as he gives Peter a confused look, “But his truck is here.”

“Sirius is driving it, which is a surprise, considering they’re fighting at the moment,” Peter explains, lowering his tone. Giving Regulus a look that suspects that Regulus might know more details than Peter does on that particular subject.

“Still?”

“Seems like it; I don't think I'm meant to tell you the real reason James didn’t show…" Peter trails off, taking a sip from his mug.

Regulus feels his stomach turn into an awful circle as he twists the lid of the bottle of water off. “But you are going to tell me… the real reason. Right?” Regulus takes a sip of his water and then twists the lid back on.

Peter gives him a discrete nod, hesitating a moment before he responds, “Mental health day.”

The frustration Regulus once felt for James slips away as he does his best to quiet the anxiety taking its place; there’s no real proof that James took a mental health day because of him. He recalls James’ words from when he apologised to James: “Sometimes, I find myself needing a moment too.”

That seems to do the trick until Peter continues, “Seems like whatever happened last week has really put him out of sorts.” Peter’s gaze lingers on him as though he is trying to piece together a puzzle that is missing too many pieces.

Regulus’ stomach drops at Peter’s words. James is, in fact, avoiding him; there’s no way around it now.

“Does—does that happen often?” Regulus enquires, trying not to let on that he feels responsible for James’ absence. He doesn’t hide it well; Peter clues in immediately.

“I wouldn’t dwell on it; James gets like this sometimes. We can’t all be sunshine and rainbows all the time. Even James Potter has an off day now and again. He’ll be back to his cheery self before you know it.” Peter explains, trying to reassure Regulus.

Regulus’ facial expression says it all; he can’t hide the fact that he’s upset. He isn’t certain how to respond, which doesn’t matter because their conversation is interrupted when Sirius cuts in.

“If you two slackers are done with your chin-wagging over there, we could use your help.” Sirius snarks from across the kitchen.

“Jealous of my multiple sexy chins, are we, Padfoot?” Peter snipes back in a playful tone.

Thankfully, Peter effectively drew the attention from Regulus onto himself. Allowing the shorter man a moment to adjust his facial expression.

“Oh yes, Wormy. I can hardly control myself in your presence; you’re so breathtaking with your sexy chins,” Sirius responds with a faux lustful tone.

“I knew you found me attractive,” Peter responds with a faux flirtatious tone.

“As much as I would love to keep gazing dreamily at your sexy chins. I do need you both over here.” Sirius explains getting back to the task at hand.

Without saying anything else, Peter turns to the sink behind them. He dumps the remaining coffee from his mug and places it in the sink. Then he heads to join the rest of the crew in the centre of the kitchen, Regulus in tow.

As the pair joins the group, Sirius begins, “Now, I know things are a bit off today because we’re a man down. But we’ve got to keep on top of things. I’ve called in Lils for backup, and she’ll be here when we start deliveries.”

The crew send a knowing glance around the room, well aware of James’ absence. Marlene draws the attention of the crew, eyes shifting to her as she begins to speak.

“What did you have in mind for the stadium?” Marlene questions, looking at Sirius with a concerned expression.

“I know how much you detest working there, but I was hoping you’d be willing to go with Regulus,” Sirius tells Marlene, not looking up from the clipboard in his hands.

Marlene groans, “Isn’t there literally anyone else you can send with him?”

“Sorry, Marls, you’ve logged the most hours there apart from James and me. We need someone with the experience to get us through service.” Sirius explains.

Regulus notes the use of James’ name as Sirius speaks with Marlene. Which confirms that Sirius is still, in fact, upset with James.

“You can’t go in place of me?” Marlene has a hopeful look on her face.

This causes Sirius to look up from his clipboard for the first time since the conversation started. “Nope, I’ve got four more deliveries to do than usual. You’re the only option we’ve got. If you’d like, I can send Lils with you for added support. Apart from that, my hands are tied.”

Marlene groans again, this time in defeat. “Alright, but if I have to put up with another sweaty bloke trying to ask for my number, drinks are on you after work.”

“If it will get you out to the stadium for today, you’ve got yourself a deal. Plus, the guys will appreciate having a few lovely ladies out there,” Sirius says, marking it down on his sheet.

“One can’t blame them for desiring a feminine presence. Being surrounded by blokes all day, every day can be a lot,” Peter offers with a chuckle glancing around the group.

“I don’t think I would mind it, if I’m honest. Bet they’re considerably more fit than you lot,” Remus jokes with a smile.

“Speak for yourself, Moony; Sirius thinks I’m ‘dreamy.’” Peter tells Remus in a sing-song voice.

The conversation fades to the background as thoughts of James’ are pulled to the forefront of Regulus’ mind. He knows it's unreasonable to blame himself for James’ absence; however, Regulus can’t help but feel somewhat responsible. He can’t seem to forget the sad look on James’ face and the anger in Sirius’ eyes that day in the locker room. Like the rising tide, Regulus can feel the guilt filling him up within. How was he going to fix things with James? Where should he even start if James won’t even talk to him? Regulus isn’t certain what to do about the situation. He spends the rest of the day on autopilot, completely lost in thought. He isn’t able to force his head out of the clouds until it’s time to head to the stadium.

A gentle voice and a soft hand on his shoulder pull Regulus back to Earth.

“Regulus?” The voice calls.

“Hmm? What? Sorry, did you say something?” Regulus looks up to find Lily looking at him with a worried expression.

“I called your name a few times, but you didn’t respond. Are you feeling okay?” She asks, shifting her hand to rub his upper arm in a slow soothing motion.

“Yes, I’m alright. I was just thinking.” He explains in a half-truth, accompanied by a forced smile.

Lily is smart, she can tell he’s not alright but she doesn’t question it. Instead, she simply fills him in on the parts he missed.

“I was just asking if you wanted to ride with me to the stadium.” She says, with a soft smile.

“Yeah, I’d like that. Thank you, Lily.”

“Alright then, grab your coat and come meet me in the car. It’s the little red one parked at the end of the lot.” Lily explains before turning on her heel and heading toward the door.

When Regulus exits the building, he looks around the compound for Lily’s car. Just as she said, parked at the end of the lot is a red Volkswagen Beetle. There’s no mistaking it; without a doubt, that is Lily’s car.

Regulus approaches the passenger side, and Lily waves at him to get in. Opening the car door, Lily greets him. “Hello, Regulus.”

“Hello, Lily,” He greets back as he sits down in the passenger seat, closing the door behind him.

This is Regulus’ first time driving with a coworker that wasn’t Sirius or James. He looks around Lily’s car, taking in her vehicle decor.

She has a strawberry-shaped air freshener hanging from the rearview mirror. A crochet steering wheel cover made to look like sunflowers. The floor mats are a sunshine yellow to match the vibe. The last thing Regulus notices is the tiny ladybird figures no bigger than his pinky. They are in a perfect line on the dash near the windscreen.

Every bit of the Beetle Bug screams 'Lily,' and Regulus can't help but find it charming.

“Ready to head out?” Lily asks in a cheery tone.

Regulus nods. And with that, Lily is putting the car in reverse and making her way out of the compound. Once they’re on the main road, she reaches over with one hand, taking her phone from the cupholder. She unlocks it with muscle memory, not taking her eyes from the road. She then hands the phone to Regulus with Spotify open on the screen. In return, Regulus gives her an odd look but accepts the phone nonetheless.

“Can you put some music on? I can’t stand driving in silence.” She explains, keeping her eyes still fixed on the road.

“Um, sure.” He’s a little taken aback by how trusting the Marauders crew members are with their phones. Not that Regulus isn’t trustworthy; he simply wouldn’t feel the most comfortable handing his phone over to such a new friend.

Being someone who listens to almost anything—especially considering who he lives with—Regulus takes a moment to scroll through her playlists. Even Lily’s playlists make total sense and match her personality. They range from musicals to classic rock with a healthy mix of pop, a dash of folk, and indie.

“Sunflower, Vol. 6.” by Harry Styles begins to play over the stereo. Which brings a smile to Lily’s face.

“I love this song. It’s pretty obvious that it’s my favourite flower.” Lily says, gesturing to the steering wheel cover. “Most people think because my name is ‘Lily’ that it must be my favourite flower. Which is kind of ridiculous if you think about it. My mum was fond of flowers; I even have an older sister named after one.” Lily finishes.

“Guess that makes Sirius and me a bit of a cliché then. Considering we’re both named after stars and also have an unhealthy obsession with them.” Regulus tells her with a gentle laugh.

"Maybe just a little, but I think it’s adorable," Lily laughs along with Regulus.

When the laughter calms, Lily starts again, “You’re named after the Leo constellation, and Sirius is the dog, right?”

“Mhmm, that’s right. Sirius is Canis Major, I have it tattooed behind my ear.” He says it without thinking, only realising after the words leave his mouth. “Don’t tell Sirius; I’d die of embarrassment if he knew that,” Regulus confesses with a mildly shocked expression. He hadn’t considered it before, but Lily is really easy to talk to; it’s nice.

“Your secret is safe with me. Also, that’s precious.” Lily tells him with a sweet expression. She continues after a moment, “And for the record, Sirius has one of you too—a tattoo constellation.”

This makes Regulus smile at the thought; he might be mad at his brother right now, but it’s sweet knowing how much Sirius cares for him.

Regulus is about to place her phone back into the cup holder when it sounds a text notification. Purely on instinct, he glances at the screen to see who the message is from. Completely forgetting that this isn’t his phone, but it’s too late, he saw. The name “Jamie 🦌” flashes across the top of the screen.

Lily glances over to Regulus upon hearing the sound.

“You got a text. Sorry, I didn’t mean to look—” He begins, but she cuts him off.

“It’s alright; who’s it from?” Lily asks, unbothered by Regulus’ curiosity.

“James,” Regulus responds, facing the screen toward Lily so she can see.

Lily glances over a moment, “Can you read it out for me?” She asks him, still focused on driving.

“Uh, I don’t think that’s a good idea. It might be private.” He explains feeling a little awkward at the request. Their messages feel a little too personal for Regulus to be snooping around in.

“No, it’s fine. We were just talking about me working the stadium shift. I mentioned that it was you, me, and Marls.” Lily reassures Regulus with a sweet smile in his direction.

Regulus hesitates a moment before turning the screen back toward himself. He clicks the text notification at the top of the screen. Their conversation pops up, and Regulus can’t help but glance over the previous messages.

Jamie 🦌

Jamie:

Sorry, you got stuck at the stadium because of me.

Lils:

It’s fine, I really don’t mind. Marls will be there, plus I get to work with Regulus. Tu leoncito. 😏🤭

Jamie:

Regulus no es mi leoncito.

Lils:

If you say so. 😏🤭

Jamie:

Lily, stop. 🙄

Regulus does not understand Spanish; however, he does know that James and Lily are talking about him.

“It just says, ‘Lily, stop.’.” Regulus tells Lily, reading her the message.

Lily lets a cheery laugh tumble from her smiling face. And Regulus can’t help but feel a little bit more confused.

“Send him back three laughing, crying emojis; he’ll understand,” Lily instructs Regulus.

Regulus does just that, sending James back three emojis without any context as to what’s funny. From the previous emojis, Regulus understands that the pair are joking around. More precisely, Lily is joking, but James isn’t amused.

After a moment, three dots appear on the screen, signalling that James is typing. Regulus can’t help but feel a little strange considering James isn’t talking to him. But in a weird way, he sort of is. He feels a little guilty because James doesn’t know Regulus is texting for Lily.

“He’s typing,” Regulus informs Lily.

The text notification sounds once, then a second time shortly after.

Jamie

No he hablado con Regulus desde el jueves por culpa de Sirius.

Since we’re on the subject, how is he doing? Does he seem okay?

Regulus pauses for a moment after reading the message to himself. He glances at Lily. “I have a feeling that I’m not meant to be reading this,” he confesses.

Regulus doesn’t want to jump to conclusions and assume that James is worried about him. However, his name is in the text message, and he isn’t certain how he should feel about that.

“Why? What did he say?” Lily questions.

“I’m not really sure; it’s half in Spanish. I just have a feeling it’s meant to be for your eyes only.” Regulus explains honestly.

Regulus clicks the lock on Lily's phone before returning it to the cup holder. There's a beat of silence, and it feels like he should apologise. Regulus feels bad for invading their private conversation. So he apologises, “I’m sorry.”

“No, I’m sorry. I shouldn’t have asked you to read it in the first place. That’s totally on me.” Lily tells him with an apologetic look.

Lily and Regulus spend the rest of the ride to the stadium listening to Lily’s playlist. The whole situation left Regulus feeling a bit awkward. And the rest of the shift went by without any major complications. At the end of his shift, Regulus was ready to climb into his bed and never leave it again.

~~~

On the following day, Regulus is filled with uncertainty about how things are going to play out. Seeing James' truck in the compound leaves him with the same level of uncertainty that it did the day prior. Partly because he isn't sure if Sirius is the one driving it again. And partly because he still isn't sure what to say to James if he does show. Nevertheless, this time he knows not to get his hopes up. Anticipating that James, once again, won't be there at work.

Regulus' gaze lingers on James' truck as he opens the door to the building. He greets the staff the same way he always does, and like always, they greet back with a chorus of good mornings.

Regulus continues on his way to the locker room, keeping his thoughts far away from any hint of James. He does his best to keep his mind busy with thoughts of how much laundry he needs to get done and what he feels like having for supper. Which seems to do the trick as he climbs the stairs toward the staff room. Regulus crosses the staff area before swinging the locker room door open. He freezes in the door frame, looking into the room.

There, standing in front of his open locker is James. He looks to be in a better mood from what Regulus can tell. James' hair looks soft and freshly washed, and he already has his Marauders’ work shirt on. Regulus watches for a moment as James rummages in his locker for his chef coat before the man looks to the door.

“Good morning, Regulus.” James smiles his usual beautifully sunny smile.

With James smiling at him, it almost feels as though last week never happened. Regulus stands in the door frame a moment longer, afraid to move. Worried that if he does, he could wake up and this would all be a dream.

“Reg?” James questions with slight worry in his tone as his face falls into a slight look of concern.

Which seems to snap Regulus out of his stunned state. “Morning, James,” he greets back in a low tone. Then he makes his way from the door to his locker next to James.

Regulus is mildly confused because James seems to be back to his usual sunny self. He hasn’t seen James smile like that since last Monday, before the fight. Does this mean everything has gone back to normal? Would this be the right time to bring up what happened last week?

Regulus thinks to himself for a moment, weighing the options in his head before deciding against saying anything; in favour of seeing how things play out naturally.

The pair continues changing in silence; James finishes first and exits the locker room. He throws a simple, “See you out there,” over his shoulder before letting the door swing closed behind him. Effectively leaving Regulus alone with his thoughts.

It seems as though James has assumed they’ve moved past the whole situation. Regulus isn’t over it, not by a long shot. James avoided him for a week and didn’t give him a chance to explain himself. How could Regulus be over it? Nevertheless, James seems more than happy to pretend it never happened.

The rest of the time Regulus spent in the kitchen felt different. He wouldn’t say that James was as physically affectionate as he had been in the past; however, he was no longer acting like Regulus’ touch would melt his skin off. The tall man was back to relying on Regulus as his little buddy and requesting help with any other task-related needs. A brush of a hand or bumping of elbows didn’t result in James jumping out of his skin but simply a small, fond smile at the corner of his mouth.

One would think the smile on James’ lips would bring Regulus some level of comfort. Unfortunately, it has almost the complete opposite effect on the shorter man. With every passing hour leading up to the stadium shift, Regulus notices an uneasy feeling building within himself. By the time the clock signals that they need to get ready to leave; Regulus feels as though he’s going to burst.

Once alone at the stadium, things take a turn for the worse. Regulus was starting to get fed up with James ignoring the massive elephant in the room. He tried the quiet approach, waiting for James to bring up the conversation.

However, it’s starting to look like Regulus has no other choice but to take the situation into his own hands. He starts by dropping less-than-subtle hints, commenting that he’s there if James ever needs someone to talk to. Similar to when the taller man had done the same for him a few weeks prior. Or about how he prefers when people are honest about how they feel.

In spite of his efforts, the man’s cheery and blissfully unaware demeanour stays fixed in place. Regulus could almost applaud James for his ability to ignore every single one of his hints if it weren’t driving the shorter man insane.

It isn’t until after the player’s lunch that Regulus feels as though he’s made a breakthrough. While packing their supplies, James asks, “Want me to drop you round your flat after we take this stuff back to the kitchen?”

This takes Regulus by surprise because James hasn’t offered since the day he asked Regulus to attend his birthday celebration. It wasn’t revolutionary, but it was a meaningful step forward in the right direction. And he didn’t even need to corner James for it to happen.

“Um, yeah. If it’s not too much trouble.” Regulus replies, trying not to sound too eager.

“No trouble at all,” James tells Regulus before turning to push the hotboxes towards the door.

Regulus pulls the trolley behind him and follows James to the exit. He flicks the light off as James holds the door open. They take the lift up to the main floor and out of the building.

As the pair make their way to James’ truck, the tall man starts up a seemingly casual conversation. He asks, “So, how have you been? Lily might have mentioned that you seemed a little out of it this last while.”

The shorter man thinks of how to respond. Regulus senses there might be more to James’ words; however, he doesn’t dwell on it for long. It doesn’t seem worth derailing his progress, not to mention James’ effort to communicate.

When they finally reach the truck, James opens the tailgate. Pausing a moment as though he’s waiting for Regulus to continue.

“Mmm, maybe a little more spacey than usual. My mind has been elsewhere lately.” Regulus answers honestly while also skirting around the real reason for his distracted nature over the last few days.

James lifts the first of the two hot boxes into the back of the truck as he listens to Regulus speak. The hotboxes are light compared to when James first lifted them out, considering they’re now empty.

“It’s not all that unusual, especially when I have problems sleeping.” Regulus tacks on almost as an excuse, picking up on James’ quietness.

James hums in response, as though he’s thinking about what Regulus said.

Regulus knew that if he brought up the situation so soon after James had started talking, James would stop talking altogether. Instead, Regulus lifts one of his Cambro boxes into the back of the truck as he asks, “How about you? How have you been?” He’s looking right at James to gauge the man’s reaction.

Watching the taller man gives Regulus no hint about what James is thinking. Infuriatingly, James ignores the question completely; it looks like no matter what Regulus says, it won’t help the current situation. There’s a moment of silence as Regulus lifts the second Cambro box into the truck, waiting for James to be the one to break the silence.

James is pretending as though Regulus hadn’t just asked him a question; instead, he lifts the second hotbox into the truck bed. Before James says, “Here, let me give you a hand with that.” James reaches down to take the last Cambro box from the trolley.

“No, I’ve got it,” Regulus responds, taking the empty Cambro box before James can get his hands on it.

“Oh, alright,” James responds, taking the hint; he steps back and allows Regulus to place the box into the truck. He watches as Regulus then folds the trolley and places it in the back. When Regulus steps away, James takes it as a sign to shut the tailgate.

The air surrounding the pair is awkward; a better assessment would be that James feels awkward. It's clear to anyone in the know that James is overcompensating for his absence. It’s unclear if James’ worry is from guilt about how he treated Regulus or perhaps it’s genuine concern for him. Regulus wishes he could figure out the answer, but once again, James isn’t giving him much to work with.

On the drive back to the kitchen, there’s barely a word exchanged between the pair. As per usual, when they pull into the Marauders’ compound, they are the only ones there.

When they’re halfway through the unloading process, James holds the door to the building open for Regulus—just as he had done when they were at the stadium. Regulus pulls the trolley through the open door. James follows behind moments later, pushing the hot boxes through.

Once everything is inside the kitchen, something flips in Regulus, and he just goes for it. “Have you had a chance to talk with Sirius?” He asks, looking over at James.

James stares back at him with an unreadable expression, then turns away. Regulus can feel his blood pressure rising higher than his anxiety. It doesn’t take a mind reader to see that Regulus is irritated.

“I don’t know why I bother; it’s not like I’ll get a straight answer from you.” Regulus says under his breath.

There’s a hint of snark behind his words; Regulus can’t help himself. James has been giving him the runaround all day, and Regulus is getting tired of it. It’s unfair that James can ask him anything and get an answer when he can’t even hint at something without the man shutting down.

Regulus pulls the trolley over to his and James’ workstations. When he glances over his shoulder, James is following him like a lost puppy.

“What do you mean?” James questions as he hops up to sit on his workstation.

“What do you mean, what do I mean?” Regulus asks back as he places the Cambro boxes on top of the table next to James. The boxes cover at least three-quarters of the table.

When James just stares at him again, Regulus lets out a somewhat dramatic sigh. “I’m talking about what happened in the locker room.” Regulus fills in the gaps for the confused man.

A look floods over James’ features as though he’s finally putting the pieces together. Of course, Regulus wants to talk about what happened and why James was acting the way he was all week.

“What does this have to do with Sirius?” James asks clearly not following Regulus’ line of thought.

“What part of this doesn’t have something to do with Sirius? James, after my brother’s outburst, you completely avoided me for over a week. You suddenly stopped showing up to work. And now you show up acting like nothing happened.”

After a beat, James says, “It’s nothing, Reg, I swear.”

This isn’t even mildly convincing to Regulus and James knows it. James may have a neutral expression on his face, but his eyes give away the sadness within.

“Clearly, it’s not nothing,” Regulus tells him, his frustration is spreading into his tone. Sounding more like his brother than he would like to admit.

When James tries to protest again, Regulus cuts in before he can.

“No, you don’t get to sit there and pretend like everything’s okay. After the week I've been through, it’s not fair. Tell me what my idiot brother said to you. I feel you at least owe me that much.” Regulus tries his best to keep his tone level as he speaks to James. He attempts to get a handle on his emotions because he refuses to yell at the taller man like his brother had.

James looks down at his hands as he fiddles with a loose thread on his chef coat. If James were to come clean about the conversation in the locker room. He would have to admit his feelings for Regulus. And if he admits his feelings for Regulus, that would surely invoke the wrath of Sirius. So, instead, he says nothing.

James’ silence is infuriating. When Regulus isn’t met with a response from the taller man, it pushes him past the point of anger. Regulus finds himself falling somewhere between anxiety and sadness.

“You told me you weren’t worried about Sirius, but clearly you lied.” The frustration in Regulus’ tone is nowhere to be found; it’s been replaced with disbelief and hurt.

James looks at Regulus, a realisation filling his face. “Reg, I didn’t lie—”

“You’re the one that kissed me and kept kissing me. You know, if you didn’t like me, you could have been honest with me. Why did you have to keep kissing me? Touching me?” As Regulus speaks, his volume lowers as though he’s losing steam. When he finishes, his words are no more than a whisper.

“Reg…” James’ expression is a mix of confused and sad as he tries to understand what Regulus just said.

“I mean, I felt something for you. I thought you felt it too.” Regulus confesses, the corners of his mouth curve downward.

James’ face morphs into one of panic, and before Regulus can say another word; James is hopping off his workstation and stepping into his space.

“Regulus, I do.” James starts as he reaches out to touch Regulus’ arm.

This time, Regulus is the one to recoil from James, creating distance between them again. Regulus avoids eye contact as he curls into himself, making him look smaller than he actually is.

James doesn’t take offence; he understands and respects Regulus enough to know when the dark-haired man needs his space. He returns his hand to his side, opting to grip the hem of his chef coat—an action of self-restraint.

“I like you, Regulus. I really do; that’s the problem.” James confesses honestly, looking at Regulus as though he’s trying to read his mind.

“Problem? I didn’t realise ‘liking’ me would be such a problem for you, James.” Regulus responds as he meets James’ gaze; his tone is void of emotion. The look on his face, however, is something else entirely.

Regulus’ facial expression is enough to stop James’ thoughts dead in their tracks. The shorter man looks as though James has ripped his still-beating heart from his chest. This was the opposite of James’ intention, a panic rising within the taller man again.

“Reg, no. I didn’t mean—” James is scrambling to find the words. Anything to fix the hurt that caused Regulus to make such a face.

“You know that’s not what I meant. At least allow me to explain.”

Regulus remains quiet, allowing James the space to speak freely.

“That day in the locker room, Sirius—he told me to stay away from you,” James explains.

Regulus tilts his head slightly in confusion, his eyebrows raised, hinting at his mild disbelief. Why would Sirius tell James to stay away from him? If anything, Sirius should be having the shovel talk with Regulus about James, not the other way around.

When James speaks again, he’s rambling nervously, his hand reaching to rub the back of his neck. He isn’t certain where to look, glancing from Regulus to the floor and back again.

“I wasn’t even remotely worried about Sirius knowing before that point. It’s no surprise that he could tell that something was different between us. I’ve been told that I’m pretty obvious when I like someone…”

A brief moment of silence is enough for James to collect his thoughts, this time making direct eye contact with Regulus.

“Anyway, like I was saying, Sirius told me that if I knew what’s good for me, I should stay away from you. So I did—or, well, I tried, Reg; I really tried.” James has an earnest tone in his voice, as though he has no reason to lie; especially when Regulus has laid his intentions bare for James to see.

Regulus feels as though he can trust James’ words because this is the most open and vulnerable he has ever seen James.

“Is that why you avoided me?” Regulus doesn’t need to ask because he already knows the answer. He still asks, driven by the need to hear it from James himself.

“If I had any other choice, I wouldn’t have done it.” There’s hurt in James’ voice as he responds.

As the words linger in the air, Regulus contemplates how the distance might have hurt James as much as it hurt him. Regulus felt slightly better knowing James only did it because he had no other choice. No longer resembling a startled kitten, Regulus uncoils from himself into a more relaxed posture.

“Even though I avoided you, I couldn’t get you off my mind. Not to mention, I had to fight myself every time you got closer to me. I didn’t want to stay away, but I kept hearing Sirius’ words in my head. That mixed with the fear of what would happen if he found out about us.” James confesses.

“Us?” Regulus perks up at the word. “I didn’t realise there was an ‘us,’” his eyes widening with a hopeful undertone in his voice.

“Well, I’m hoping for an ‘us,’ at least.” James presses his lips in an awkward smile; it’s a shy yet hopeful one.

“I don’t understand. If you like me as much as you’re implying you do. Why not just tell me that?” Regulus asks, attempting to discern more information from James’ words.

In typical James Potter fashion, the tall man with little regard for subtlety responds with conviction. “Because I feared liking you too much, liking you more than you liked me,” he declared.

Regulus steps forward, closing the distance between them, a hint of a smile crossing his lips.

“Not possible,” Regulus tells James matching his tone. He reaches to take James’ hand in his—a clear indication of his willingness to let James in.

James moves closer, placing a hand on the side of Regulus’ face. It’s gentle, and his voice matches the sweetness, low and sultry. He asks, “Reg, can I kiss you?”

Regulus leans into the touch, pressing into James’ soft hand. “No, not like this,” he mutters in a soft tone, and when James’ face falls a little, Regulus clarifies. “I want to kiss you, James, more than anything. But not like this, not after all that’s happened—”

Instead, James pulls Regulus even closer, wrapping him in his arms. Regulus melts into the embrace, allowing James to hold him. He leans his head against James’ chest, letting himself relax in the taller man’s arms. Sheathed in the man’s comforting warmth, Regulus’ breathing levels out. James smells good—fresh, like the smell of eucalyptus, juniper, and a hint of citrus.

“I understand,” James says, still looking as though he wants to kiss Regulus, but makes no effort to push the man’s boundaries. James rests his cheek on the top of Regulus’ head, and they stay like this for a while.

Regulus is the first to move, untangling himself from James’ arms. However, he stays close, not wanting to leave the man’s space completely. “As much as I’d love to continue to hug. You’ve yet to give me a proper apology, and I think I deserve one.” Regulus says, his tone implying that he’s serious. After all that Regulus went through, the stress, hurt, and anxiety. He wants James to apologise because it feels right.

James nods in affirmation with Regulus’ words; he allows the dark-haired man to finish.

“When you started ignoring me, it felt like I had done something wrong. I felt the same way I had when Sirius left, as though nothing I did would make a difference. I refuse to be put in that situation again. Especially by someone I could potentially see myself with.” Regulus’ tone is firm as he explains.

When Regulus starts again, his tone is softer and filled with emotion. “If there’s going to be any hope for an ‘us,’ I need you to take responsibility for your part in the situation.”

James understands completely, his expression mirroring his sympathy for the pain he caused. “Right, yeah. I do owe you an apology…” He trails off as though he’s looking for the right words.

James begins again; his facial expression reflects the sincerity of his words. “I failed to consider how this whole situation may have affected you. Not thinking everything through before acting was stupid of me. I admit that my communication and handling of the situation were severely lacking. I understand now how my actions have affected you.”

Regulus remains quiet as James speaks, really allowing himself to take in the man’s apology.

James continues, “I let my fear and anxiety get the better of me. I thought that creating a space between us would allow me to sort out my feelings for you. In reality, it just ended up hurting you more, and that was never my intention because I care about you.”

James takes a breath as he finishes, “Regulus, I’m sorry for the way I treated you, and if you could find a way to forgive me. I promise that I will never hurt you again.”

James’ apology is heartfelt, honest, and more than Regulus has expected out of the man. He stands for a moment a little stunned as he thinks about everything James has said thus far. A part of Regulus knows that James’ words are true, but he can’t seem to fight his instincts. His mind is swimming with thoughts of ‘James. James. James.’ on a loop. If Regulus knows one thing for certain, he needs time to work through his thoughts.

“Thank you for your apology. I think I need some time to process before moving forward. I hope that you will be patient with me,” Regulus responds honestly, pressing back into James. He reaches to place his hand on the side of James’ face. It’s tender and sweet as he finishes, “I don’t want to rush into anything because I care about you too.”

James leans into the touch, placing his hand over Regulus’. “I understand completely.” After a moment, James moves Regulus’ hand down from his face to press it into his own chest. “Whatever you decide, I will respect it,” he finishes with a sweet smile.

“Thank you, James.” Regulus leans back into him, allowing the taller man to hug him again.

For the second time, they stand in the quiet kitchen, holding each other close. Regulus feels as though a great weight has been lifted off his shoulders. Standing there in James’ arms, listening to his heartbeat. Regulus is slowly coming to terms with the fact that he genuinely likes James. He definitely likes James more than he originally intended to, that's for certain. And who could blame Regulus for liking the man?

The sound of Regulus’ phone ringing startles the pair enough for them to break apart. It’s loud and somewhat alarming compared to the calm atmosphere that surrounded them previously.

“Sorry,” Regulus says, stepping back to pull out his phone.

“It’s alright,” James tells him, moving his hand to rub the back of his neck.

Regulus glances at his phone to see Sirius’ face and name flashing on the screen. Regulus looks to James and then to his phone again. “It’s Sirius; I should probably—”

“Yeah. Of course, I’ll start putting this stuff away.” James gestures to the stuff on their workstation.

With that, Regulus steps out of the kitchen and into the dining hall as he answers the call.

“Hello, Sirius. I literally saw you like three hours ago. Did you need something?” Regulus answers the phone with confusion and annoyance in his voice.

“Hello to you too; I didn’t realise I couldn’t call to talk to my little brother.” Sirius is in a testy mood, most likely from how Regulus answered the phone.

“I was in the middle of something. What was so important that it couldn’t wait until I see you tomorrow?” Regulus asks, hoping Sirius will get straight to the point.

Sirius sighs on the other end of the line, “It could have but—Look, Reggie, I know you’re still upset with me, and I don’t blame you. I want to discuss what happened last week, but I don’t want to get into this over the phone…”

“Okay... What did you have in mind?”

“It’s been a while since we had time to ourselves. So I was going to ask you if we could plan something for this Friday.”

Regulus lets out a sigh along with the frustration he held when he first picked up the call. “Do I have to answer right now? I’ve got a lot on my mind at the moment, and I don’t think I have the energy to respond.” Regulus answered truthfully, passing the phone to his other ear.

“No, of course. I understand. Take your time; I can wait.” Sirius responds with a mix of disappointment and understanding in his voice.

“I’ll let you know soon,” Regulus responds flatly.

“Bye, Reggie, I love you. I’ll see you tomorrow.”

“Yeah, goodbye, Sirius.”

Regulus ends the call, letting out another sigh before he rejoins James in the kitchen. Entering the space, Regulus can tell that James made quick work of putting away all the supplies from the stadium.

“Hey, Reg,” James greets as he closes the door to the walk-in cooler.

“Hello, James,” Regulus greets back.

“I’m finished here if you’re ready to go.”

Regulus nods, and the pair turn in the direction of the locker room to collect their things.

The drive to Regulus’ flat is quiet in a pleasant way. The entire drive, James holds Regulus’ hand with their fingers interlocked. Regulus strokes slow circles into James’ hand with his thumb, letting the tall man know that he’s comfortable with the touch.

The atmosphere in the close quarters of the truck is reminiscent of the first time James dropped Regulus off at his building. The dark clouds are finally starting to give way to bright and comforting sunbeams.

James puts the truck in park with his non-dominant hand, it feels as though James is finding every excuse not to let go of Regulus’ hand. The thought makes it hard for Regulus to fight the smile curling at his lips.

“Thank you, James,” Regulus says slowly, releasing James’ hand to unclip his seat belt.

“My pleasure as always, Reg,” James says, smiling his signature sunny smile.

“I’ll see you tomorrow,” Regulus tells James as he turns to open the door.

“Wait,” James says.

Causing Regulus to stop and turn back to face him.

“Yes, James. What is it?”

James doesn’t say a word as he leans forward, and for a split second, Regulus thinks James is going to try to kiss him again. A small flurry of surprise washes over Regulus as he shuts his eyes. He knows that James knows he doesn’t want to be kissed, but the prospect still excites him.

The next thing Regulus notices is James’ soft touch as the man brushes his fringe out of the way. He feels as James presses a gentle kiss to his forehead. Regulus’ face heats up as James pulls away. When he opens his eyes again, James is smiling.

“I’ll see you tomorrow, Reg,” James tells him.

Regulus is too stunned to speak, so he simply repeats James, “Tomorrow…”

Regulus then opens the door of the truck and drops down on the pavement. Looking up at the man in the truck, he meets his gaze. “Thank you, James.”

“My pleasure, as always. Bye, Reg.”

“Goodbye, James,” Regulus says before closing the door.

He then starts his way toward the building; he doesn’t need to turn and look to know James has his iconic smile plastered on his face. Once he’s standing at the front entrance of his flat, he hears James’ truck drive off down the road.

Finally, inside his flat, Regulus calls out, “I’m home.”

When Regulus is met with silence, a slight feeling of relief washes over him. He isn’t sure he has the energy to unpack all that happened today with Barty and Evan. Regulus makes his way toward his bedroom. He flops face-first onto his bed, feeling a warm sensation filling up within.

Regulus knows there’s a lot he needs to think about. However, all he can think about is the softness of James’ lips against his forehead. He can’t help but feel as though the sun has begun to break apart the rain clouds surrounding him. Things are far from perfect, but simply the knowledge that James feels the same is enough for now.

Translations "Tu leoncito." - "Your little lion." "Regulus no es mi leoncito." - "Regulus is not my little lion." "No he hablado con Regulus desde el jueves por culpa de Sirius." - I haven't spoken to Regulus since Thursday because of Sirius.

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littlestpan · 3 months ago

Text

Service With a Smile

James Potter x Regulus Black (Slow Burn)

A/N: Hello lovelies, here’s chapter seven! You can also find fan fiction on AO3 if you want to read ahead.

Chapter 6 (here) | Chapter 7 (You’re here) | Chapter 8 (here)

Chapter 7: Nimbostratus Clouds

The first week of April marked the one-month milestone of Regulus working at the Marauders’ kitchen. Although it isn’t a massive achievement like Sirius’ almost seven years, it’s important to Regulus nonetheless. He finds himself relying on the other crew members less, no longer requiring constant guidance and supervision; for that alone, Regulus is proud. The skills he’s learnt along the way, albeit not difficult, are a lot more practical than the ones he learnt in university. And even though Regulus' lack of experience wasn't beneficial in the beginning. His eagerness to learn and determination to prove himself made him the perfect blank canvas. Hiring Regulus was mutually beneficial; he was looking for work, and they were in the market for a new prep cook. Regulus turned out to be a better fit than either had originally anticipated.

As the crew swiftly approached their busy season, Regulus became more confident in his role within the kitchen. One of the roles Regulus is rather fond of is his little buddy role. Each core member of the staff has their designated, as Sirius calls it, ‘little buddy.’. In layman’s terms, it is someone that helps with smaller tasks that benefit the primary job. Often a little buddy would also have their own separate smaller tasks to complete but is required to assist when their core member needs it. For example, in Remus’ case, Sirius is his little buddy. If Remus was busy making the main course of a meal, his little buddy would focus on the prep work necessary to finish his job. He would focus on meat prep, like trimming, marinating, and seasoning. Sirius would focus on preparing any other needed ingredients.

Before Remus, Sirius was James’ little buddy; Regulus can’t even imagine how they got anything finished. On a good day, James and Sirius goof off a healthy amount. On a bad one, the pair can’t go more than twenty minutes without distracting one another.

Remus and Sirius, on the other hand, work like a well-oiled machine. Before Remus can ask for something, Sirius has read his mind and is already placing it into his open hand. The undeniable chemistry between Remus and Sirius became obvious when Remus was hired, showing that they were a better match.

Naturally, they reassigned Sirius to Remus as his little buddy. Leaving James to rely on Marlene or Peter when he needed assistance, that is, until Regulus joined the crew. Similarly to Remus and Sirius, James and Regulus are a perfect match. Falling into his role in assisting James came naturally to Regulus. After a month of watching the man closely, Regulus can almost anticipate James’ need and supply him with what is required to finish the job.

Regulus has always been the type of person that excels when on a set routine. Working for the Marauders was exactly the routine he needed. Every day Regulus starts his shift the same way. By greeting the staff already in the kitchen before heading to change into his uniform. Once changed, he returns to the kitchen and reviews the work sheets and prep list before starting his tasks. After finishing the lunch meals, the crew packs and delivers them. Often, James and Regulus work deliveries together, similar to the little buddy system. After they return to the kitchen, they then finish the prep work for the following day and clean. There is little deviation from the set routine but enough variety to keep it interesting. The core motion never varies: arrive, change, lunch, deliver, prep, clean, and repeat.

However, much to Regulus’ dismay, the first week of April disrupts his set pattern. When Regulus arrives earlier than usual to the Marauders’ compound, there aren’t as many vehicles parked in the lot as there should be. Entering the building, the usual crew members aren’t putzing about the kitchen like they normally would before the proper work begins. It’s rather odd for Remus to not be busying himself with Sirius yammering his ear off. Even Peter isn’t in his usual spot lounging on his workstation.

Strange.

Yet, the convection ovens hum reheating, the LED lights are buzzing, and even the hood vent above the ovens whistles. The kitchen is full of life, but not a single breathing soul. Regulus does his best to ignore the liminal qualities the kitchen possesses when not occupied by bustling staff.

Regulus feels content when he enters the staff locker room to the sounds of a shower running. A sign of life in an otherwise eerily quiet building. Regulus hardly notices the running water stop as he removes his coat and hangs it on the hook in his locker. As Regulus reaches to pull his shirt over his head, he then stops.

There it is, that feeling of someone’s eyes on him.

A pleasant sight greets Regulus when he turns around. With a towel draped over his head, James is standing in his boxer briefs, covered in water droplets.

“Don’t let me interrupt. I was just starting to enjoy the show.” James offers with a cheeky smile as he leans on the wall dividing the lockers and the showers.

Regulus pauses, taking in the sight that is James’ mostly naked form. He was just as attractive as the first time Regulus had seen him in a similar state of undress. He lets his eyes drift over James’ body.

There’s a tattoo of a quote above James’ right knee that Regulus can’t quite make out. However, his attention is quickly drawn to the waistband of James’ underwear, riding low on his hipbones. Just as they had been the first time he had met the man. More of the black tattoos are visible on James’ toned V-shaped abdomen, but not enough to tell exactly what they are.

Regulus, keeping his back turned away from James, pulls his shirt over his head.

“I’m surprised you can see anything from all the way over there.” He remarks, his expression is slightly amused as he refers to James’ lack of glasses.

“I know a sexy blob when I see one,” James responds with a chuckle.

Regulus’ shoulders shake gently as he laughs at the ridiculousness of being referred to as a ‘sexy blob.’. Only James Potter could make something so idiotic as ‘sexy blob.’ sound like flirting.

“I’m not opposed to getting a better look,” James continues drying his hair with the towel as he makes his way to his locker.

When Regulus turns to face James this time, the taller man is now wearing his glasses, with the towel draped around his neck. Regulus watches in amusement as James slips his jeans on, leaving them unbuttoned.

“And?” Regulus questions, folding his arms over his bare chest, a smug expression on his face. “What’s the verdict? Still ‘sexy’ even all the way over here?”

“The sexiest,” James confirms, stepping into Regulus’ space and tucking a loose curl behind his ear. He then rests his hand on the side of Regulus’ face.

“Mmm, right answer,” Regulus tells him, pressing closer into James’ space; he smells clean with a hint of eucalyptus.

Regulus is close enough that their lips are almost touching. He runs his hand down towards the waistband of James’ underwear. James closes the gap, pressing his lips to Regulus, kissing the shorter man gently as he shivers into Regulus’ touch.

Once he reaches James’ hipbone, Regulus dips his fingertips into the waistband.

James pulls away from the kiss. “Reg,” he warns playfully.

Regulus pays him no mind as he shifts James’ jeans out of the way with his other hand. Allowing him the access he needs to fold the waistband down slightly. James watches as Regulus reveals one stag's antler low on James’ hip. It definitely wasn’t what Regulus was expecting, but he can’t stop himself as a filthy thought crosses his mind. If Regulus were on his knees, he would look like he had antlers. That is, if he were giving James head.

James finally cluing in on what Regulus’ intentions were. He draws Regulus to reality, questioning, “Thoughts?”

Regulus makes eye contact with James as a small smirk threatens to sneak its way onto his lips. “Don’t even, James, you know that you’re attractive.”

James is unable to hold back a grin. “Yeah, but maybe I want to hear you say it.”

Without breaking eye contact, Regulus lets the smirk spread onto his face. As he then pulls the waistband of James’ boxer briefs out.

Regulus enquires in a sultry tone, “You’d like that, wouldn’t you?”

Before James could respond, Regulus releases the waistband quickly. Letting the elastic snap back into James’ skin. James’ body stiffens at the sensation; his eyes fall closed as he knits his eyebrows together, visibly affected.

“No disminuyas ninguna de mis aflicciones, solo dame fuerza para soportarlas.” James whispers to himself under his breath.

Regulus ignores James and turns back to his locker as if nothing happened. He does his best to keep his back facing away from James as he resumes changing into his uniform. Regulus is about to pull his work shirt over his head when he hears the door to the locker room open.

Standing in the doorway is Sirius, already dressed in his uniform. “Prongs, are you—” Sirius starts until he sees Regulus. He is mildly surprised to see Regulus in the kitchen so early. Sirius greets his brother, “Oh, hey, Reggie. You’re here early.”

Regulus turns his head to look at Sirius to greet him, “Good morning, Sirius.”

Regulus tries to turn his back toward his locker, but he’s not fast enough. Sirius has spotted it; it’s too late. He is storming across the room, crowding his space with a horrified expression.

Oh no.

“What the hell happened to your back?!” The man nearly shouts, his tone laced with genuine concern.

Great, because this is exactly what he needs right now.

“What? Siri, it’s nothing.” Regulus protests, pulling his shirt over his head.

Sirius is grabbing Regulus by the shoulders, “Nothing, that doesn’t look like nothing. Let me see.”

“What is going on right now?” James perks up with a worried tone.

Sirius is forcefully turning Regulus to face James while Regulus tries to squirm out of his brother’s grasp. Regulus does everything in his power not to make eye contact with James. He knows the man has a concerned expression on his face, and Regulus doesn’t want to see it.

“Sirius, I’m telling you I’m fine.” Regulus protests, trying to stop Sirius from pulling his shirt up over his back.

The pair are roughhousing like children, Sirius trying to undress him and Regulus trying to push Sirius off.

“‘Fine’? That’s definitely not ‘fine.’” Sirius insists, trying to gain the upper hand in the tussle.

“Sirius, let go.” Regulus shoots back in a warning tone, shaking one of Sirius' hands off of him.

“Your back is all black and blue.” Sirius readjusts his grip on Regulus, holding him in place.

“You’re being dramatic.” Regulus shifts his hold on the hem of his shirt.

“I’m being dramatic, am I? Look at you! Why won’t you just show me?” Sirius raised his voice in disbelief.

“Because there’s nothing to see.” Regulus tries to convince his brother.

James just stands there dumbfounded. He expected this kind of behaviour from Sirius, but he never in his wildest dreams expected this from Regulus. He watches the two brothers fight, uncertain what to do. Should he say something? Should he break them up? What should he do in this situation?

“Then you’ll have no problem showing me.” Sirius counters.

Sirius then pulls away, removing himself from Regulus entirely. Regulus stumbles a little, regaining his footing while Sirius stands back with his arms crossed as though he’s already proved his point. Sirius knows how to push Regulus’ buttons like no other person. If there’s one thing Sirius knows about his brother, it’s that Regulus will never back down from a challenge.

“Go on then, if there’s ‘nothing to see,’” Sirius taunts.

Regulus shoots his brother a venomous look before he shouts in defeat, “Fine!”

Regulus lifts his shirt over his head, revealing his back to the pair. There, running horizontally across the centre of Regulus’ back, is a deep purple bruise. The edges of the bruise are starting to fade, but the centre of it is still rich in colour.

After a few moments of standing in silence, Regulus speaks first, trying to sound convincing. “I told you it was nothing, plus it looks a lot worse than it actually is.”

“Reggie, what on earth happened?” Sirius questions, his tone sounding more concerned as he reaches to touch Regulus’ back.

Before he can, Regulus pulls his shirt down, covering himself again. “Really, it’s nothing, Sirius. You know, I bruise easily.”

Regulus turns to face the pair, and for the first time since the argument started, he makes eye contact with James. James’ expression is almost unreadable; is he upset? Hurt? Regulus can’t quite tell. Sirius, on the other hand, looks very annoyed.

“That’s not what I asked, Regulus, and you know it.” Sirius’ tone is shifting to one that means business. “Did someone—” Sirius starts again, but Regulus doesn’t let him finish the thought.

“No, Sirius, it isn’t anything like that.”

“Then why won’t you tell me?” Sirius questions again, his voice more gentle this time.

Regulus’ eyes flicker to James for a moment before returning to his brother. It's a pleading expression. Sirius catches the look and turns to James with an expression of disbelief. Regulus isn’t sure what Sirius thinks is going on, but he knows for certain his brother has the wrong idea.

Sirius enquires in a dangerous tone, “James, do you know something I don’t?”

In all the time, Regulus has known about his brother and James’ relationship. He can’t remember a time he has ever heard his brother call James by his first name. It has always been ‘Prongs,’ never ‘James.’. That alone is worrisome. The tension is thick in the air as the three men stand in silence.

Regulus looks between them; he tries to speak, “Siri—” Sirius raises his hand, effectively hushing Regulus.

Sirius’ could slice clean through James with his gaze alone.

“James.” Sirius repeats himself, waiting for the tall man to respond. There is unquantifiable rage bubbling to the surface.

James looks anxious. “Padfoot—”

“Don’t you dare, ‘Padfoot,’ me. If you know what happened to my little brother, you better tell me now, James. I want the truth.”

James’ face falls as he confesses, “It’s my fault—”

Regulus cuts him off, trying to rectify the situation unfolding before him. “No, that’s not what—”

Sirius interrupts again, his tone just as harsh, “Your fault?” Sirius is yelling now, “What do you mean it’s your fault?!” His anger spilling out of him like a pot of water boiling over.

“No! James didn’t—” Regulus tries again to explain becoming more agitated every time Sirius interrupts him.

“Regulus, enough!” Sirius bites.

“But Sirius—” Regulus tries again, looking between the men.

Sirius turns to his little brother, sending a frightening look in his direction. “Regulus, wait outside.”

“Sirius.” Regulus hisses, looking to his brother, then to James, with a worried look.

“Regulus. Arcturus. Black. Outside. Now.” Sirius demands.

Regulus hesitates a moment, looking at James, but the tall man maintains his gaze on the floor in front of him.

“Don’t make me repeat myself.” Sirius warns, pointing at the door.

Regulus turns without a word, doing as his brother instructs. He exits the locker room, walking out into the staff room. He doesn’t stop until he is standing on the stairs leading down toward the warehouse. Regulus sits on the top step, defeated and feeling rather numb. He can hear the faint sound of Sirius yelling in the distance.

It wasn’t James’ fault that Regulus got hurt; James protected him. He doesn’t understand why James is claiming responsibility for what happened at the bar. Had James not reacted as fast as he had, both Evan and he could have been seriously hurt. If Sirius had let him explain, this whole situation wouldn’t be happening right now.

After a short while, the yelling subsides, and Regulus can hear footsteps approaching; he doesn’t bother looking to see who it is. He already knows it’s Sirius.

“Reggie,” Sirius starts in a soft tone. He sits down next to Regulus on the top step, placing an arm gently over his little brother’s shoulder.

Regulus turns to the sound of his brother’s voice, his expression a little dazed. Sirius pulls him into a hug, resting his head on Regulus’ shoulder.

“I’m sorry I yelled at you. I didn’t mean to get so upset.” Sirius offers sounding genuine as he rubs soft circles into Regulus’ upper back.

Regulus sits there unmoving; he lets Sirius hug him as he explains.

“James knows better than to keep things from me, especially if it has something to do with you.” He continues.

Regulus finally speaks up, “James did nothing wrong.”

“James shouldn’t—” Sirius starts again, but Regulus cuts him off.

“No.” Regulus says flatly as he pulls out of his brother’s hug. Regulus doesn’t let him get a word in, looking Sirius in the face, “It’s not James’ fault I got hurt. I don’t know what he said to you, but it isn’t his fault.”

Regulus places his hands on his brother’s shoulders, willing him to understand the words coming out of his mouth.

“James protected me.” Regulus insists.

Sirius blinks at Regulus’ explanation, trying to make sense of the new information. He shakes his head almost as though he disagrees with what Regulus has told him.

“That doesn’t change the fact that he kept it a secret,” Sirius responds.

Regulus sends his brother a confused look. “How does that have anything to do with—”

“This isn’t up for debate, Regulus. I dealt with the situation, and it won’t happen again,” Sirius tells him, moving away.

‘Dealt with the situation.’ Was his brother being intentionally cryptic?

“What do you mean?” Regulus tries to gain more information, but Sirius doesn’t budge.

Instead, he presses a kiss to the top of Regulus’ head. “I just wanted to say that I’m glad you’re alright and that I love you.” Sirius then stands and starts making his way down the stairs. He doesn’t give Regulus a chance to question him further. So Regulus sits there, stunned for a moment, trying to understand what just happened.

The second time, Regulus can hear footsteps approaching; he looks, knowing it’s James. Regulus stands as James presses past him, not making eye contact. James starts down the stairs but stops when Regulus calls his name.

“James.”

He turns to face Regulus from the lower step; they’re the same height now. James is looking down at Regulus’ shoes. He ducks down a little to force James to look him in the eye.

“James?” He questions in a softer tone, his expression mirroring his concern.

James finally shifts his gaze to look Regulus in the eyes.

“Regulus,” he responds in a sombre tone.

There’s a massive shift in the man; his usual spark is nowhere to be found. As if someone had turned off the sun, something or someone had dimmed James’ light. That obviously had been his brother. What on earth did Sirius say to the man that would cause such a shift?

Regulus leans forward to caress James’ face like he had done the night at the bar. Just as he’s about to make contact, James’ expression shifts to one of pain. Reacting as though Regulus’ touch would burn him, James shies away.

“Did I do something wrong?” Regulus enquires, trying his best to keep his face neutral as he returns his hand to his side.

Internally, Regulus is fending off wave after wave of anxiety. They crash over him, threatening to drag him down with the undertow. The look on Regulus’ face was enough to bring a little life back into James’.

“No, Reg—Regulus,” He corrects himself and then finishes, “You didn’t do anything.”

“Did Sirius say something—” Regulus began, but James interrupted him.

“It’s alright, nothing to worry about. We’re good.” James shoots a half-sunny smile in his direction, avoiding Regulus’ direct eye contact.

It’s fake; James is clearly faking it. Regulus is having a hard time believing the words coming out of James’ mouth. Especially when the man is clearly not telling him everything. Regulus does his best to push his anxiety aside as he scans the man’s face. Slowly understanding why James didn’t want Regulus to touch him. There are cracks all over James’ armour; one touch from him and it would all come crumbling down. Regulus wants nothing more than to hold him close, but James is seemingly uninterested in any contact with Regulus, and that hurts.

They stand in silence for a moment before James speaks again, “We should probably join the others. We have a busy day at the stadium.”

Regulus is unable to respond; James is turning to walk away before he can. Even if he wanted to, Regulus isn’t certain what to say. He watches James make his way down the stairs. He follows, and the pair walks in silence.

Entering the kitchen, Regulus is surprised to find that everything is back to normal. The crew is busy working away at their tasks, getting everything ready for the day ahead. Looking at Sirius, even he is in a better mood; it’s as though the fight in the locker room never happened. Regulus could almost convince himself of that if it weren’t for James.

The tall man won’t look Regulus in the eyes; every time he is close enough to touch him, James pulls away before they do. It isn’t until he notices Sirius’ intense gaze watching over them as they work that he clues in. Whatever Sirius had said to James was causing the man to keep his distance. Rather than press an already tense situation, Regulus does his best to give James the space he needs.

James and he will be working alone at the stadium today. There, they will get another chance to talk without the added stress of his brother’s looming presence.

They continue to work in silence, speaking to one another only when necessary. Their productivity is unaffected by the odd tension surrounding the pair. The fake sunshine is still pouring off of James in waves. While Regulus does his best to not show how affected he is by James’ lack of attention toward him. Which seems to pacify Sirius’ looks until it’s time to leave for the stadium.

~~~

The drive to the stadium is awkward. The last time the pair had been in James’ truck, they were bantering back and forth in a flirtatious manner. Regulus would give anything to go back to that moment and as far away from this one as possible.

James’ eyes are trained on the road as he cautiously navigates through the busy streets towards the stadium. Regulus wants to return to the conversation they had on the stairs, but solely based on James’ current expression, that wouldn’t be in his best interest.

When they arrive at the stadium, Regulus slings the badge he had gotten on his first trip here around his neck. They exit the truck and work in silence. Similar to his first time here, Regulus works on instinct alone. It's not as though James has made any effort to talk, let alone teach Regulus what he's meant to be doing. As much as he hates the idea, he’s winging it.

Four black Cambro boxes and two large portable hot boxes sit neatly stacked in the back of James’ truck bed. The Cambro boxes are just light enough for Regulus to lift without any assistance. However, the hot boxes are heavy, awkward to lift, and normally take two people to load and unload.

James opens the tailgate and pulls the trolley onto the ground. Regulus then begins to shift the Cambro boxes around, loading them onto the trolley one by one. While Regulus works, James reaches in and pulls one of the heavy hot boxes to the end of the tailgate. Without even so much as a word in Regulus’ direction, James lifts the first hot box onto the ground, wheels first. As Regulus is nearly finished unloading his boxes, he is about to help James lift the second, heavier hot box. Without batting an eye, James lifts it out with ease, stacking it on top, interlinking the boxes.

Just as Sirius and he had done his first trip to the stadium, Regulus and James make their way towards the Gryffindor players’ lounge. It isn’t until the pair are pulling the food boxes through the lounge’s doorway that James finally speaks.

“Hot lunches are a little different from the cold boxes. We can’t just leave them and run like we normally would. These guys are like wild animals; there won’t be enough food for them all if we don’t serve them.” James explains as he pushes the hot boxes toward the staff area in the kitchen.

Regulus simply nods along, worried that if he speaks up, James might stop talking altogether. He follows James’ lead, pulling his trolley next to James’ hot boxes. He then lifts them from the trolley, stacking them in a neat row on the table in the staff area.

As Regulus works, James keeps talking, “Lunch runs for two hours, from 1 P.M. until 3 P.M., no later. The guys work on a strict schedule around here, and if they aren’t back on the field by 3 P.M., they get a penalty.”

James moves towards the breakfast bar carrying three chafers from the staff area. Regulus watches as he lines them lengthwise along the breakfast bar buffet style.

Shifting the placement until he’s satisfied, James calls over to Regulus, “Can you bring me six of those sternos?”

“Sternos?” A confused expression on his face, Regulus questions, not quite understanding the request. He spins around in the space looking for anything labelled ‘Sterno.'.

“Right, I forgot you’re still new,” James states as he crosses back into the staff area, brushing past Regulus in the tight space.

James reaches past Regulus into a box on the table behind him. He pulls out a small can with ‘Sterno’ written on the side. Holding it in front of Regulus in his open palm.

“Sternos are just portable heat sources; they keep the food hot during service. Can you go fill the pitcher next to the sink with water, and I’ll show you how they work?” James instructs as he moves back to the breakfast bar.

Regulus does as he’s told, meeting James at the chafers. He lifts the lid of each chafer and instructs Regulus to fill each with water. James then pulls a lighter from the chest pocket of his chef coat and lights them. He then pulls one hotel pan of chicken, beef, and a vegetarian option from the hot box, placing them into the chafers.

After, James works alongside Regulus to unload the condiments from the Cambro boxes onto the end of the breakfast bar. A large bowl of shredded lettuce, one of shredded cheese, a bowl of homemade salsa, pico de gallo, sour cream, and everything one could need for the perfect taco. A large stack of disposable plates, a tower of serviettes, and a basket of tortillas are placed at the beginning of the breakfast bar.

“We like to start the season off with a team favourite. The guys go wild when we do tacos, but it’s just leverage to convince them to play well. When they do well throughout the season, they’re allowed to pick their lunch as a reward. More often than not, it’s tacos. Mi abuela’s pico de gallo is to die for; the recipe is a family secret.”

Regulus watches as James rounds the breakfast bar, ensuring everything is in place. When he’s content, he reaches under the front side of the breakfast bar to pull out two stools. He carries them around the bar and places them against the pillar in the centre of the kitchen.

James then sits on the stool; he smiles, patting the one next to him, telling Regulus. “Come, it’s going to be a while before the guy starts showing up. We’re early.”

Regulus would have assumed this was the olive branch he had hoped for if it weren’t for that fake half-sunny smile. Identical to the one from the stairs, that irritating fake smile is affixed on James’ lips. Olive branch or not, Regulus accepts cautiously, settling down onto the tall stool. He watches James as the tall man makes himself comfortable against the wide pillar. He crosses his arms, leaning his head back against the wall with his eyes closed.

The pair sit in silence for a while, nothing but the sounds of Regulus’ heartbeat and James’ even breathing echoing in his ear. Regulus can’t help but feel like he’s missing his chance to talk with James about what happened this morning. His desperation to know the conversation that took place in the locker room far outweighs the anxiety he feels prickling under his skin. Regulus lets out a breath he hadn’t noticed he was holding.

“James,” Regulus starts.

James makes no sound, his facial expression neutral with his eyes still closed.

“Can we talk?” Regulus questions, shifting his body towards the other man.

“About?” the tall man grunts, not making an effort to seem even remotely interested in the conversation.

“About what happened in the locker room.” Regulus’ tone is low and cautious, as if trying not to spook a deer.

Which seems to yield mild success in the form of James peeking at Regulus with one deep honey-coloured eye through his eyelashes.

Without turning his head, James responds, “There’s nothing to talk about, I told you. ‘We’re good.’.” Then he closes his eye again, returning to his restful, uninterested state.

“I understand that, but it would really mean a lot to me if we could at least clear the air.” Regulus confesses as though it weighs heavy on his chest.

It seems as though that was enough to draw James’ attention. James sits up, shifting to mirror Regulus’ body language, leaning in. Regulus’ words seemed to dispel some of the gloom that had clouded James’ usually sunny disposition.

Regulus starts, “James, I’m not stupid; I may not know him as well as I used to, but I know my brother well enough to know he can be a little much when it comes to me.”

James is a little taken aback, but he sits in silence, allowing Regulus to get his feelings off his chest.

“As well-intentioned as my brother may be, he’s my brother, not my keeper. I’m more than capable of making decisions on my own.” Regulus finishes feeling more confident.

James then reaches a hand out and places it on Regulus’ knee closest to him. “If only it were that simple,” James says, implying that the situation is a lot more complicated than his brother’s involvement.

Before Regulus can push the subject further, James pats Regulus’ knee and stands. He offers Regulus a half-sunny smile as the clouds return again. Regulus watches James wander over to the breakfast bar to greet a few men standing in line.

The shorter man hadn’t noticed the small cluster of men entering the players’ lounge. They definitely look like rugby players at a glance. They’re tall, attractive blokes that are very in shape. Regulus can’t help but think that James would fit in well with this lot, being as fit as he is.

Regulus watches the interaction between James and the men for a bit. The tall man has slipped into his naturally charismatic role of server with ease. James looks as though he feels at home in the space; some of that naturally blinding sunshine is returning to James’ demeanour.

The thought brings him back to his conversation about the no-dating rule. His brother’s words drifted through his mind: ‘He spent a lot of hours working at the stadium.’. It finally clicks to Regulus why James seems to have returned somewhat to his old self. These are James’ people; they know a side of him that Regulus’ has yet to have the pleasure of seeing.

Regulus joins James at the breakfast bar; he stands as close to James as he can without James shifting away. Regulus doesn’t press the conversation further; tomorrow is another day; he’ll have other opportunities to talk with James. For now, Regulus wants to bask in James’ sunrays while they’re still shining. They spend the rest of their time at the stadium with not another word between them.

~~~

The rest of the week leaves Regulus trying to decipher James’ words, which plays out like a complex game of chess. With Regulus on the offence, trying his best to get James alone to talk. And James is playing defence, doing everything in his power to do the exact opposite. The moment James finds himself alone with Regulus, he would find a way out of the situation and as far away from Regulus as humanly possible. Which was a little hard considering they’re paired with the buddy system and they work the stadium shift together.

On Tuesday, Regulus waits patiently until he and James are at the stadium alone. When he tries to approach the subject surrounding the locker room fight again, James changes the subject. Albeit not the outcome Regulus was hoping for, he still counts it as a win because at least James is talking. Even if it’s small talk, anything is better than the sad eyes and cryptic response from yesterday.

On Wednesday, Regulus tries again with no advancements in his goal. If anything, James has taken a step back completely. James’ demeanour has shifted; the change isn’t enough to immediately alarm Regulus, but he notices James is considerably more withdrawn, cold, and distant. A hint of anxiety rears its ugly head at the sudden switch in the man Regulus was kissing no more than two days prior. The more time he tries to spend with James, the more James avoids him.

Thursday, James was a completely different man and in the worst way possible. Regulus wasn’t certain it was even possible for James to wake up on the wrong side of the bed. Thursday proved it was indeed, and then some. The tall man was curt with Regulus, speaking now only when absolutely necessary. Regulus’ anxiety is rising and is now at the forefront of his mind.

By the time Friday rolled around, Regulus was beginning to wonder if James really liked him at all. A week ago, there was no doubt in his mind that James felt something for him. Or, at the very least, James found him attractive. However, when James didn’t show up to work after almost a full week of increasing distance, Regulus was questioning where they stood. He may not fully understand what is going on with James, but he knows for certain that the man is avoiding him. This would have been an overestimation had it not been for a casual comment about James avoiding work to ‘escape unwanted tension.’. It was meant to be nothing more than Peter’s kitchen gossip; however, it had Regulus reeling the rest of the day.

Over the weekend, Regulus sulks around the flat, feeling utterly defeated. He mopes from his bed to the sofa and back again. An agonising loop that carries him from Saturday into Sunday. Regulus is infamous for his gloomy demeanour, but even for him, this was excessive. It’s almost as though he had taken some of James’ dark clouds home with him in his pocket.

Regulus lies sprawled out face-first on his bed with Evan sitting at the foot end of the mattress. Regulus’ duvet muffling his dramatic groans.

“Moping like this isn’t going to make the situation any better,” Evan tells him, crossing his legs on the bed.

Which causes Regulus to groan again even louder.

“He’s still at it, is he?” Barty leans on the doorframe of Regulus’ bedroom, eating a banana.

“Yep,” Evan supplies flatly, looking from Regulus to his boyfriend.

“And he calls Sirius the dramatic one.” Barty snarks, taking another bite of his phallic fruit.

Not bothering to move, Regulus speaks a muffled sentence into his duvet. Neither Barty nor Evan can make out a single word.

“Reggie, we can’t understand you.” Evan tells Regulus, lightly tapping at the back of the man’s calf.

“Yeah, Reggie. You have to take the cock out of your mouth before you speak,” Barty adds in a teasing tone.

The first time Regulus lifts his head since Evan entered the room is so he can shoot a death glare at Barty.

“I said, ‘Go fuck yourself, Bartemius Crouch Jr.’” Regulus replies in a sassy tone before flopping like a dead fish back onto his bed.

“No need, Evan did that earlier in the shower,” Barty shoots back with a shit-eating grin.

Which earns him the middle finger from Regulus pointed in the man’s direction. Barty chuckles, entering the room and making himself comfortable on the head of the bed next to Regulus, mirroring Evan’s posture.

“You certainly can’t avoid the situation. What are you planning on doing?” Evan asks, changing the subject back to the issue at hand.

Regulus moves into a sitting position, facing the pair. He looks exhausted. His hair is a wild mess, and his curls are flat in a few places.

Regulus shrugs and then simply says, “He’s avoiding me.”

“You can’t know that for sure,” Evan offers.

“He’s definitely avoiding you, Reggie.” Barty agrees with Regulus’ as he puts his banana peel on the nightstand behind himself.

“When’s he on the schedule next?” Barty asks, scooting closer to Regulus, leaning his back on the headboard.

Regulus pulls his phone out from under his pillow, opening the Marauders’ group chat. Barty leans forward to look over Regulus’ shoulder as the man scrolls to the schedule.

“Monday. We work at the stadium together.” Regulus responds.

“Maybe you guys can talk then.” Evan supplies, trying to be optimistic about the situation.

Regulus rolls his eyes, throwing his phone on his bed. “Yeah, because that worked so well for me all of last week,” he says as he flops onto his back. “There’s no guarantee that he will even show up.” Regulus laments, covering his eyes with his palms.

“He has a point there, Ev.” Barty offers.

In response, Evan stretches across the space and lightly smacks Barty’s arm. Giving him an annoyed look that says, ‘You’re not helping.’. Barty shrugs his shoulders and shoots back a look that says, ‘What do you want me to say?’

Regulus pulls his hands from his face before he rants to the pair. “I have no idea what my idiot brother could have said to James to make him avoid me. If I could figure that out, then maybe I could somehow fix it. Because working alongside James has been torture. Not to mention my brother is dancing on my last fucking nerve.”

Evan rubs Regulus’ lower leg comfortingly.

“What did he say to you again, your brother?” Barty questions, running a hand through Regulus’ curls, attempting to flatten out the bird’s nest on the man’s head.

Regulus rolls closer to Barty, placing his head into the man’s lap. Then he responds in a tone mocking Sirius, “That he ‘dealt with the situation.’.” Regulus makes lazy quotation marks in the air around the words with one hand.

“What the fuck does that even mean?” Evan scoffs.

Regulus shoots up from Barty’s lap, “My point exactly!”

“Meanwhile, James just kept saying, ‘We’re good, don’t worry about it.’. Then when I finally got something out of him, he was like a fucking fortune cookie. Spouting some nonsense about how things aren’t that simple.” Rolling his eyes again.

Regulus falls back into Barty’s lap annoyed, “If it’s so complicated, why can’t he just make it simpler?” As he finishes, he pulls Barty’s hand back to his hair.

The two flatmates exchange a look as Barty plays with his curls again.

“I’d play it by ear if I were you. If he’s there, see if you can get him talking again. Maybe he’ll be more open to the idea of talking after his time away.” Evan offers.

“And if he isn’t there? What then?”

“Enjoy the fact that you’re not being tortured by the sexy idiot.” Barty adds with light amusement.

A silence falls over the trio while Regulus considers his options. When he comes up with no solution, he announces, “I’m tired; I’m going to take a nap.”

He hints at the pair that he wants to be left alone. It’s not a total lie; he is tired. With less than four hours of sleep over the weekend, Regulus needs it.

“I’m going to get started on dinner; I’ll make your favourite.” Evan says, climbing off the bed. “I’ll check on you when it’s done.” He messes up Regulus’ hair before heading toward the door.

“Thanks, Ev.”

Regulus shifts as Barty moves from under him, untangling themselves from each other. Regulus makes himself comfortable on his bed again.

“Come on, Reggie, you’ve got this. Have a cry and a good wank, and you’ll be back to normal by tomorrow.” Barty says, offering his sage wisdom as he heads toward the door.

“Yeah, okay… I’ll get right on that.” Regulus deadpans with no intention of doing either of those things.

Barty is almost out the door when he turns back to sneak in one last comment. “Also, Reggie, do us all a favour and shower before tomorrow. This place is starting to smell of desperation and sadness.” Barty gestures around Regulus’ room with a chuckle.

Regulus props himself up onto his elbow, looking at Barty in the doorframe, “Fuck you.” He shoots towards the man with an unimpressed expression. “And take your fucking rubbish with you!” He shouts, picking up the banana peel from his bedside table and flinging it at the man through the doorway.

Barty catches it out of the air with a cheeky smile, “Remember: Cry, wank, shower. In that order.” He says in a teasing tone.

Regulus fully sits up in bed and launches a pillow in Barty’s direction. The pillow misses Barty as he ducks around the corner out of view. It lands in the hallway outside Regulus’ bedroom door.

Barty peaks back around the corner, “Love you too, Reggie.” He tells the man, picking up the pillow and tossing it back onto the bed.

Before Regulus can get a word in, Barty closes the bedroom door, leaving Regulus to his thoughts.

Laying back down on his bed, Regulus can feel the distinct prickling sensation of anxiety stinging under his skin. The steady rain clouds were rushing in to fill the empty spaces in his mind, at least not the spaces occupied with thoughts of James.

What on earth is wrong with him? How can a man he’s only known for a short while cause such a stir within him? The thoughts clawing at the back of his mind started to wriggle loose.

Maybe there’s a chance that Regulus likes James more than he originally assumes. Not that it makes a huge difference with James avoiding him.

The thought sends another thrash of anxiety through Regulus before he catches it and pushes it deeper down. ‘It will pass,’ he tells himself, not sounding very convincing as the rains begin to pour in his mind.

Translations "Mi abuela’s" - "My grandma's" "No disminuyas ninguna de mis aflicciones, solo dame fuerza para soportarlas.” - "Do not decrease any of my afflictions; only give me strength to bear them."

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littlestpan · 4 months ago

Text

Service With a Smile

James Potter x Regulus Black (Slow Burn)

A/N: Hello lovelies, here’s chapter six! You can also find fan fiction on AO3 if you want to read ahead.

Chapter 5 (here) | Chapter 6 (You’re here) | Chapter 7 (here)

Chapter 6: Planetary Alignment

Author note: This is a very long chapter.

The bathroom mirror is a little crowded, with both Evan and Regulus standing shoulder to shoulder in the horizontal rectangular reflection. The two men are strikingly different: Regulus, with his black hair and ivory skin, and Evan, with his sepia skin tone and platinum blonde hair. Yet, the two men share one obvious similarity: curly hair.

Evan styles his platinum curls with a curl cream. He flips them from side to side, scrunching them towards his head. Regulus handles his a little more gently; he runs his fingers through his roots to shake out the curls without disturbing the ringlet pattern too much.

What the pair considers ‘party attire’ is also vastly different; Evan has a laid-back, down-to-earth style. Evan is wearing Regulus’ cropped Smiths shirt, which is cropped in a way that shows his midriff. Overtop, he has the green flannel unbuttoned, and his baggy jeans hang low on his hips. He has a stud in his left nostril, one in his eyebrow, and a ring in the centre of his lip. He’s got a few beaded bracelets and green fingernail polish.

Whereas Regulus is more classy and clean with a hint of slut. Regulus has on the outfit Barty picked out yesterday. He changes out his jewellery, his studs for dangle star earrings; his septum is now a hoop rather than a horseshoe, and his fingers have multiple rings.

Regulus can feel himself stalling, finding anything he can to keep himself from being ready to leave. For example, Regulus turns to face Evan. “Would you mind giving me a hand?” He questions as he holds out a necklace, a silver snake pendant on a short chain.

Evan takes the chain in hand. “Of course, turn around.” Regulus turns to face away, and Evan loops the chain around his neck. When it's securely in place, Regulus thanks Evan, as that is the final piece to finish his look.

“Let me know when you’re ready to leave,” Evan tells him, leaving Regulus to finish getting ready alone.

Deodorant, then a spritz of cologne under his shirt on his sternum and the back of his neck. With that, Regulus is finished getting ready, and his delaying tactics have come to an end. One last look in the mirror, and Regulus is exiting the bathroom, flicking the light off on the way out.

“Ready?” Evan questions when Regulus rounds the corner into the lounge.

Regulus gives a hesitant nod, “Yeah.” The pair decides that an Uber is the best method for heading to the party.

~~~

Regulus and Evan stand outside Sirius and James’ large building complex. He isn’t sure what to expect, but there is one thing for certain: Regulus is nervous. He isn’t certain if he’s shaking from the nerves or because he stupidly didn’t bring a coat. If Evan were to ask, Regulus would say the latter.

Every time he has been at Sirius and James’ flat in the past, James was mysteriously nowhere to be found. He assumes that his brother’s flatmate was simply being courteous of the brother’s fragile attempt at rekindling familial bonds. Which, now knowing James, isn’t out of the realm of possibility.

Evan slings an arm around Regulus’ shoulder loosely. "Come on, Reggie. I can hear you overthinking this; it's going to be alright."

Regulus takes a deep breath, pushing Evan’s arm off his shoulder, heading to the entryway door with Evan in tow. Regulus positions himself in front of the building’s intercom; he presses the button to the flat.

After a moment of buzzing, a deep voice comes through the static, “Yeah? Who's there?”

The man sounds as though he has had a few drinks and is pleasantly buzzed. It takes Regulus a second to recognise that it is Remus.

“Remus, it’s Regulus. Can you buzz us in?” He asks, holding down the intercom button.

When he releases it, Remus’ voice fills the air in a cheery tone, "Regulus! Yeah, come right up.” Which is followed by more static and a buzzing of the door.

The two men step away from the intercom to the front door. “Just a heads up, they can be a lot,” Regulus tells Evan in a warning tone as he opens the door, leading them inside.

Evan questions, “Did you forget who I’m dating?” Regulus laughs a little as they head to the lift and step in when the doors open.

“I think I can handle it,” Evan offers with not even a hint of reservation in his tone.

Barty and Evan have been dating on and off since their late teens, now going stronger than ever. They function in a similar manner to Effie and Monty. That is if Effie and Monty were a chaotic dynamic that thrived off of rough sex and loose boundaries. Even so, they are the perfect balance, and it's painfully obvious how much Barty and Evan love each other.

When the doors open again, they stroll toward the flat, and Regulus shoots Evan a look. Regulus stands a moment in front of the flat before he knocks, “Don’t say I didn’t warn you.” Before Evan can get in another word, the front door swings open.

The pair are met with the sight of James Potter crowding the doorway. He leans against the door frame on his forearm while holding the door open with his other hand. His posture is comfortable and relaxed with that iconic James Potter cockiness. Regulus’ eyes sink down James’ form, drifting over his chest.

James is wearing a deep red dress shirt with the top three buttons undone, and Regulus takes a moment to appreciate the small amount of chest hair peeking out the top. As well as the simple gold chain that complements his complexion. He has on a simple pair of well-fitting slacks. The man is gorgeous from his tousled curly mane down to his clean red socks.

“Hello, Reg,” James greets, and Regulus’ eyes flash back up to make eye contact with the tall man.

“Looks like my feeling was spot on; glad you could make it,” James finishes with a sly smirk on his face.

“Uh, hello, James,” Regulus tries, clearly tongue-tied, unable to get out more than a few words before James then turns his attention to Evan.

“You must be one of Reg’s flatmates. I’m James, nice to meet you.” He reaches a hand out for Evan to shake.

Evan grips James’ hand firmly. “Evan. Nice to meet you too.”

Then suddenly, from seemingly nowhere, a smiling Sirius pushes under James’ arm in the doorway, “Prongs, who’s here?”

Sirius has his arm curled around James’ waist for balance; he’s wearing a black sheer shirt that hugs his body. With a tight pair of pants and a simple black belt, his long black hair is pulled into a half updo. Even the simplistic facial piercings Sirius normally wears for work have been switched for more fun pieces of jewellery. It’s also incredibly obvious that he is a little beyond the point of tipsy.

“Reggie! You came!” Sirius shouts as he leans forward, pushing James out of the way. He pulls the younger man into a hug.

A little stunned, "Hello, Sirius." Regulus lets it happen; they stand in the embrace until Regulus starts feeling awkward, which is almost instantly.

Evan notices the shift in his best friend’s body language and comes to his rescue. “So, are you going to let us in?”

“Right, of course. Padfoot, let’s invite our guests inside, shall we?” James presses a hand to Sirius’ shoulder, gently pulling him off of Regulus.

Finally, with enough room to breathe, Regulus shoots Evan a look that says, “Thank you,” with a relieved expression.

James removes himself from the door frame, walking into the kitchen with his best friend whining, “Prongs, I just want to hug my brother; is that not allowed? He’s my brother.”

“Yes, Padfoot, but we can’t leave our guests in the hall, now can we?”

“Yeah, I guess…”

Evan closes the door behind him and Regulus as they enter and remove their shoes. And once Sirius is standing in the kitchen with Remus, he seems to be less upset about being pulled away from his brother.

The flat is at least three times the size of Regulus’. A very nice-sized kitchen with all the fancy trimmings any chef could dream of. The island in the centre of it is covered in a decent variety of alcohol. The flat is filled with chatter and music turned to a low volume. Regulus hasn’t anticipated the vibes to be so chill. Working with this lot involves a fair bit of yelling and profanities hurled across the Marauders kitchen in a playful manner. There’s a stark contrast between work and here, Regulus notes.

Remus is standing pressed against the kitchen counter with Sirius leaning into his space. Remus is dressed in simple slacks similar to James’, with a cosy-looking sweater and the collar of a button-down peeking from it. He’s also wearing fun green socks with tiny dog bones on them. He and Sirius look to be now having a pleasantly animated conversation.

Regulus watches the pair talk until Evan leans over to him and whispers in his ear, “Looks like your brother didn’t get the ‘whore’ shirt memo.” Evan jokes, hinting at Barty’s comment from yesterday. Which earns Evan a light jab with Regulus’ elbow to the ribs and a small laugh that bubbles from Regulus.

“Lucky you didn’t go with that one, hey? Don’t want to be matching your brother,” Evan chuckles.

“No, we definitely don’t want that,” Regulus agrees.

James watches the interaction between the two shorter men intently from across the kitchen island. There’s a look in his eye as he moves back across the room toward the pair; Regulus feels as though he knows that gaze; he’s definitely felt the heat of it before.

When James reaches them, he cuts into their laughter abruptly with an apology on his lips, "Sorry about Padfoot; he's been pre-gaming since around 9:30."

“Honestly not overly surprised; sounds like something my brother would do.” Regulus offers.

“Well, it looks like we’ve got some catching up to do,” Evan adds, looking at Regulus.

“Yeah, looks like.” Regulus turns from Evan to James. “What are our options?”

James starts his way back toward the kitchen, excitedly stepping into his host role with ease. “Nothing is off limits; we’ve got a little bit of everything.” He then picks up his half-empty drink off the counter, taking a sip.

Evan takes that as his cue to help himself; he wanders to the kitchen island and grabs a plastic Solo cup. Evan pours a healthy dash of rum and tops it up with coke. He shifts away from the island toward Remus and Sirius to join their conversation.

Regulus follows, standing close to James when he reaches the island of alcohol.

“What’s your poison?” James questions as he pulls a plastic red Solo cup off the stack and offers it to Regulus.

“Mmm, the classics: beer, wine, gin. I’ve been known to enjoy a cheeky cocktail from time to time.” Regulus takes the plastic cup, looking over his options.

Nothing is really jumping out at him; he turns his attention to James. Regulus leans forward, peeking into James’ cup. “What are you drinking?”

“Would you like to try it?” James offers holding the cup toward Regulus.

Regulus takes the cup and eyes it with mild hesitation. “What’s in it?”

“I can promise you’ve never had anything like it before,” James lets out a breathy chuckle.

Regulus gives him a sceptical look as he takes a sniff. It smells like beer but with a hint of something sweet. He takes a sip.

“Ugh, that’s foul! What on earth is that?” Regulus makes a disgusted expression, sticking his tongue out of his mouth. The metal ball of his tongue ring glints in the light as he does so.

James lets out a laugh watching Regulus, “Cream soda and beer.”

“I don’t know what I was expecting, but it wasn’t that,” Regulus replies before pushing the cup back into James’ hand.

"Sorry, I should have warned you; it's an acquired taste." James apologises, brushing his hand against the back of his neck. He takes the cup back and finishes the drink.

“It’s definitely something, that’s for sure.” Regulus gives a little shudder of disgust, trying not to think about the aftertaste in his mouth.

“How about something a little less experimental, yeah?” James offers holding a bottle of gin.

“You can’t go wrong with the classics,” Regulus starts, a playful smile slipping onto his lips. “Even so, I do rather enjoy a fair bit of experimenting,” Regulus finishes as he taps his empty cup onto James’ chest. “Fill ‘er up, Handsome?”

James can’t help but smile that iconic James Potter smile as he takes the cup. He fills it with a few ounces of gin and tops the cup off with ginger ale.

“Maybe if you’re feeling a little adventurous later on, I can make you one of my favourite shots.” James returns the cup back to Regulus along with the flirty tone.

“I just might have to take you up on that. Thanks for the drink, James.” Regulus smirks as he turns to walk into the lounge.

Entering the lounge, Regulus is greeted by his three co-workers, Marlene, Peter, and Lily.

Marlene sits on the smaller sofa with her arm slung around Lily’s shoulder, a drink in her opposite hand. She’s wearing a cropped black and red Joan Jett t-shirt with the sleeves cut off. She has on tight black pants with a belt and a few chunky bracelets. She has a fresh stud in her right nostril, and Regulus notices her belly button is also pierced.

Lily is laughing at something that was said before Regulus stepped into the space. Lily has on a long navy sundress with a slit up to the middle of her thigh. The dress has thick straps and ties at the centre of her chest. Her hair is styled in a half updo with most of her long ginger hair falling over her shoulders.

Peter sits across from the girls on the end of the longer sofa against the armrest. Peter has on a simple black t-shirt and a short-sleeve navy button-down over top. His pants are a comfortable light wash denim, and he has on a silver watch with a leather band.

“Regulus, so nice of you to join us; come have a seat.” Peter welcomes Regulus into the conversation, patting the space on the sofa next to him.

“Hello,” Regulus takes a seat near the middle of the couch, leaving space on either side.

“Hello, Regulus,” Lily greets with a smile.

Regulus smiles back, then Marlene draws his attention. “Glad you could make it; Prongs would not shut up wondering whether or not you’ll show.” Marlene remarks, hinting at something more.

“You should have seen him; he jumped every time the intercom would buzz,” Peter added with a chuckle.

“Really?” Regulus wondered, his eyes drifting over to James.

The tall man is leaning comfortably on the counter, mirroring Remus’ posture. His arms are crossed over his chest, and his head is thrown back in laughter. Regulus takes a sip from his drink, watching the men in the kitchen. He doesn’t turn his attention back to the group until Lily chimes in.

“Oh yeah, the poor thing was like a lost puppy wandering around.”

“Interesting, my money would have been on Sirius. He's always hounding me to come out with everyone.” He takes another sip, then another, attempting to catch up on the night's festivities.

“He was for the first bit, but he’s been rather preoccupied since then,” Peter tells him, passing a knowing look around to the others in the lounge.

Regulus catches on pretty quickly, turning his attention to Remus and Sirius. Sirius is now sitting on the countertop, leaning against the upper cabinets. Remus’s arm is pressed to Sirius’ thigh with his hand draped over Sirius’ knee casually.

It’s not all that surprising that the rest of the crew know about the shared attraction. The astronauts on the space station could probably also see it with ease from outer space. However, Sirius and Remus are either painfully oblivious to the mutual feelings or unable to act on them because of the stupid no-dating rule, or so Regulus thinks. Regardless of the reason, the pair are completely unbothered by it; there's a relaxed atmosphere surrounding the two men. Especially considering the pleasantly tipsy state they’re both currently in.

“I bet; that sounds like my brother, easily distracted,” Regulus chuckles with a shrug of his shoulders.

“So Regulus, would you consider yourself a gambling man?” Marlene asks, changing the subject.

Regulus thinks for a moment, “Mmm, occasionally. I guess it depends on the wager. Why do you ask?”

She leans forward with an excited expression on her face. “We love a good bet; it makes things around here more interesting. You want in?” Marlene enquires with a sly grin.

“Let me guess, Remus and Sirius?” Regulus questions as though he might be picking up what she’s putting down.

“Oh no, they’ll be snogging by the end of the night.” Marlene starts as if it's pure fact.

Which is a massive detail his brother must have purposely left out of their conversations surrounding Remus, “That little shit,” Regulus thinks, shaking his head.

“All that is part of their mating ritual,” Marlene gestures toward the pair in question.

“Well, we can’t exactly confirm if they’ve shagged or not yet. Give it a few more months, and I’ll be winning that bet,” Lily adds.

“Marlene thinks Moony is going to break first, and I think Padfoot will. Whereas Lils wins regardless of who breaks the rule as long as it happens after May. Because it marks Remus’ one year of working for Marauders.” Peter explains.

Regulus is putting the pieces together. “I see, and you want to start a new wager?”

Marlene downs the rest of her drink and then responds, “Exactly, so are you interested?”

“Sure, I’ll bite; what are your terms?” Regulus has a feeling he knows where this is going.

“Prongs. We think our darling Prongs has taken a shine to you.” Peter supplies.

“And there it is,” Regulus thinks to himself.

Regulus has noticed it too; it's very hard to ignore, especially with James’ gaze lingering on him so often. Regulus isn’t stupid; there’s something there. Barty and Evan made that abundantly clear at this point. Regulus simply wanted to enjoy the view and harmlessly flirt a while longer before having to address it.

“I don’t think that’s a good idea. Firstly, the rule, and second, my brother would murder me.” Regulus tells the group with an unamused facial expression.

Lily takes a sip from her cup before she begins to explain. “Oh, don’t worry about that. Padfoot never has to know—”

Marlene cuts in, clarifying, “We’re not saying you should shag him,” which earns her a light jab to the ribs from Lily and a look.

Regulus watches the pair for a beat, feeling as though the group isn’t telling him the full truth about this bet. Nevertheless, he’s curious where this is going, so he lets them press on.

Lily continues, “We just want to have a little fun and test a theory in the process.”

“Then why include me at all? Why not keep it a secret like the other bet?” Regulus enquires, hoping that one of them will let more slip. Unfortunately, they don’t.

“Because you’re far too smart not to catch on and because it’s more fun this way,” Peter explains, finishing his beer and placing the empty cup on the coffee table.

“Fair enough, what did you have in mind?” Regulus says as he takes a final sip, his cup now empty as well.

Peter smiles as he tells Regulus, “Lils and I think you and Prongs will be snogging by the end of tonight.”

Marlene chimes in, “And I think Prongs doesn’t have the balls to snog you.”

Regulus protests, “I’m not going to snog—” before Peter cuts him off.

“That’s the point; you’re not going to do anything. That’s why there’s no harm in you knowing about the bet. You see, if Prongs tries to snog you, Lils and I win. If he doesn’t, Marlene wins. And we all walk away knowing whether Prongs is actually interested or not.”

“I don’t know…” There's a lot for Regulus to consider. He's not sure how to feel about this situation; on one hand, it's nice knowing the crew would support him if he did end up pursuing James, or vice versa. But on the other hand, it doesn't feel right keeping James in the dark when it involves him too.

“We can start small if you’d like?” Lily offers with a cheery tone, to which Regulus nods hesitantly. “I bet that if you look at James for long enough, he will come over here, wagging his tail like an excited little puppy.”

“Alright, and what do you get if he does?” He questions.

“The satisfaction in knowing that I’m right.” She tells him smiling brightly. “And what do I get out of it?” Which earns him a knowing look from Lily, as if to say, “Do I need to answer that?”.

This is definitely a side of Lily the Regulus has never seen before. He’s definitely starting to see why she’s so likeable, and he’s starting to question why he disliked her in the first place.

“What happens if he doesn’t come over? Does that mean I automatically lose?” Regulus asks, trying to ascertain the guidelines of the bet before he agrees to anything.

“I don’t think you need to worry about that,” Marlene tells him with that same knowing look. Regulus is at a loss for words, and he doesn’t like being challenged, nor does he like losing.

When Lily asks, “So, are you in or not?”. Regulus is all in; he tries to summon a little extra courage because he isn't drunk enough for this. “Alright then, you’re on.”

“Okay, let’s set some ground rules. He has to look at you first; you can’t look at him until then. You aren’t allowed to get his attention by calling his name. Nor are you allowed to wave him over. He has to come over on his own. Sound good?”

“Okay. So I just have to get him over here? Can you at least tell me when he’s looking? if I can’t look at him.” Regulus asks in a deadpan tone, certain that the odds aren’t in his favour.

“There’s no need for that.” Lily tells him matter-of-factly.

“What? How is that fair? How will I know if I can't look—”

She cuts him off with a smirk, “Because his eyes haven’t left you for the last two minutes.”

Regulus doesn’t believe her at first; he turns to face the kitchen and is met with James making eye contact with him intently. The taller man has a slightly surprised expression on his face when he realises he’s been caught. This might be a lot easier than Regulus had originally thought. He shakes off the strange feeling before he smiles at James sweetly.

James shoots a smile back to Regulus and then turns back to the conversation he was having. Dammit. Maybe this isn’t going to be as easy after all.

Marlene laughs, “Ooh, tough luck; he didn’t even budge.”

“It’s not over yet; have a little faith, would you?” Lily counters, sounding hopeful.

Knocking his tongue piercing against his teeth, a thought crosses Regulus’ mind. He thinks back to the last time he unintentionally made James speechless. Regulus has an idea; he just needs James to look at him again.

It’s as though Regulus can feel it coming, like a wave about to break. James turns his head back to Regulus, as if to confirm that Regulus hadn’t looked away. Regulus takes the opportunity to pin James in place with his gaze. Regulus darts his tongue between his lips, wetting them before he flicks the ball of his tongue piercing between his teeth. Giving James a cheeky smile before the taller man looks away again.

“Are you sure about that, Marlene?” Pete asks as James looks away from Regulus, then back again. Regulus simply leans back on the sofa, crossing one leg over the other, and waits.

Marlene shoots him a look. “You sly devil, I feel like that’s against the rules. How is that not cheating?”

“Technically not against the rules, Lily didn’t say anything about flirting,” Regulus muses, taking clear advantage of the loophole he found.

The group goes quiet as James starts his way over with two solo cups, one in each hand. He stops in front of Regulus, clearing his throat. Regulus looks up at James through his lashes.

“Hello, James,” he says with a cheeky smile.

“Hey Reg, figured you could use another drink.” James responds, still looking down at Regulus.

Regulus lifts his cup, shooting a glance at Marlene before looking back up at James. “Well, would you look at that? You have perfect timing as usual. Thank you, James.” Regulus smiles sweetly with a glint of mischief in his eye.

He takes the full cup, then pats the spot next to him, signalling James that it’s okay to sit down. James sinks into the seat, making himself comfortable. He slings an arm around the back of the sofa behind Regulus’ head, careful not to touch him.

“And would you look at that, mine is empty. Time for a refill.” Peter says, standing up and walking over to the kitchen.

“I second that,” Marlene states, following Peter, pulling Lily with her.

The pair are left alone on the sofa; James pays no mind to his friends as they leave. Regulus has his full attention. James enquires, "So, are you enjoying yourself?”

Regulus sips his drink, resisting the urge to lean into James’ side. “Mhmm, I am.”

“That’s good to hear. So, what were you guys talking about?”

“Nothing particularly interesting. By the way, I like your shirt.” Regulus is changing the subject but still telling James the truth. He most definitely likes James’ shirt, or, well, maybe more James in the shirt. Regulus reaches over to pull at the pointed part of James’ collar.

Regulus isn’t acting like his usual self. He isn’t certain what’s come over him; it could be the alcohol, or maybe it’s James’ cologne. Normally, he isn’t a big drinker, but his tolerance isn’t super low. The drinks James poured him aren’t super strong either, so it must be the latter. Regulus can feel his body giving in and shifting closer to James; he can’t help himself. The man smells delicious.

“Thanks, I like the colour red. I think it suits me.” James answers in a confident tone, leaning a little closer to Regulus as he speaks.

“Mhmm, it does; you look good in red.” Regulus confirms, letting go of the collar, dropping his hand to his lap.

“So do you,” James counters, and Regulus gives him a confused look as if he missed something.

To which James points down to Regulus socks, he’s wearing black socks with red roses on them. Regulus points his toe straight outward like a ballet dancer. “Oh, I forgot; thank you,” he says before he returns his foot back down to the floor.

The pair sit in close proximity until their drinks are nearly empty. That is until Evan steps in front of them. “I’ve got something to show you; come with me.” Before Regulus can protest, he’s being pulled from James’ side by his wrist.

Regulus whispers so only Evan can hear. “Cock block,” with a sprinkle of venom in his tone.

“Oh trust me, it’s worth it once you see what I found.” Evan insists, pulling Regulus to the kitchen. Once they’re in front of the alcohol island, Evan reaches over the bottles to pull out a medium-sized container of freshly cut limes.

“You pulled me away for limes? Barty’s going to be so pissed at you.” Regulus deadpans unamused.

“Oh my darling Reggie, you underestimate me.” Evan tells him, setting the container down on the island again.

It looks as though Evan has made a line of tiny shot glasses along the island and filled each with an amber liquor, tequila. Evan then holds the bottle up to Regulus, and he finally clues into what Evan has planned. Body shots.

“If anything, Barty is going to be pissed that he missed out on this.” Evan states with a devious smile.

At some point during their conversation, James has migrated closer, leaning against one of the kitchen counters with an unreadable expression on his face. He watches the pair intently as Evan takes a lime from the container. Evan hands the lime slice to Regulus. Regulus takes the slice then calls over to his brother.

“Siri, where do you keep your salt?”

Sirius looks up without a word, watches for a moment, then grabs the salt shaker off the rotating spice rack behind himself. He taps the salt shaker on Remus’ shoulder, hinting at him to pass it along, which he does.

At this point, the pair have gained the attention of the other people in attendance. They carry on with their conversations, glancing over to watch the show unfold.

Regulus takes the salt shaker in hand. “Thank you.”

Evan holds his shirt out of the way as Regulus then passes the lime over Evan's collarbone and sprinkles salt on the patch of lime juice. Evan then takes the lime and presses it into his mouth and holds it with his teeth. He holds the shot out to Regulus, who takes it in hand.

Regulus glances over to James to make sure he’s watching; he is. Regulus then takes Evan’s jaw in one hand. In one sweeping motion, he presses his tongue to Evan’s skin, licking the salt and lime away. He then shoots back the tequila shot and presses forward, taking the lime from Evan’s mouth with his own.

Sirius lets out a long wolf whistle, two fingers from each hand in his mouth. Remus yells out a long howl, “owooooo,” in encouragement of the display. The rest of the crew clap and cheer along.

After a moment, it’s as though Sirius is struck with lightning. He is hopping off the kitchen counter swearing, “Oh shit, I forgot about my Polaroid camera; I’m missing out on great opportunities.” Sirius states as he runs off in the direction of his room. Remus follows, if only to make sure Sirius doesn’t hurt himself in the process.

Evan, being the world's best wingman, turns to James. “James, you’re next,” Evan held the salt shaker out to him, dangling it between two fingers.

"You can do a body shot off me, if you’d like,” Regulus offers with a smirk, looking at James.

James takes it in hand and asks, “You’re alright with that?” Regulus approaches him and turns so his back is facing James.

“Yes, I wouldn’t have offered if I didn’t want to.” He confirms without even an ounce of hesitation. “Unless you don’t want to?” Regulus shoots over his shoulder, and James steps forward with confidence.

“No, I do.” Regulus welcomes James closer, pressing back into him ever so slightly.

“Well then, what are you waiting for?”

Regulus tilts his head, giving James more space to work; his dangly star earring falls to the side of his neck. He then holds a lime slice out for James, who takes it in hand. James gently brushes Regulus’ earring out of the way before he presses the lime to the side of Regulus' neck. James slowly drags it over the space, leaving behind a trail of lime juice. Regulus is unable to breathe for a second as James works.

Regulus can feel a gentle brush of James’ fingers on his back through the cutout of his shirt. As the hand makes its way to his waist, it sends shivers through his body.

He wriggles away a little, and James apologises with a soft, “Sorry.”.

Regulus can only assume that James mistook his movement as him being uncomfortable. When in fact, Regulus shifted for the exact opposite reason. Regulus speaks up, hoping James will move his hand back, “It's alright; it just tickles,” he clarifies.

That’s all James needs; he is now travelling his hand towards Regulus’ waist, this time on the outside of his shirt. The heavy weight of James’ hand holds Regulus in place so he can’t squirm away. The gesture, combined with the closeness, stirs excitement within him. Regulus pushes back into the touch, and James smirks in return.

When James finishes, he hands the lime back to Regulus and then licks the excess lime from his fingertips. Regulus takes the lime slice and places it between his lips. The taller man sprinkles salt onto the lime-covered patch. Evan leans forward, trading the shot glass for the salt shaker.

James leans down and presses his hot tongue to the side of Regulus' neck. Regulus can feel his heartbeat rise as James sucks the spot gently. He can feel himself holding his breath as James moves to slam the tequila shot back.

Regulus notices the hand on his waist has now shifted to his neck. Softly, James tilts Regulus’ head back until he’s looking up at him. Regulus’ feels faint as James leans down to take the lime slice from his mouth. Their lips brush briefly as James bites into the lime, standing back to his full height. James is the first to step away, and when he does, Regulus stands there, awestruck; his breath comes back to him slow and shallow. His skin buzzing from James’ touch, he can feel a cool chill through the opening of his shirt. When Regulus turns to face the taller man, James is still sucking the lime.

The Polaroid camera is in Sirius’ grasp as he and Remus return to the kitchen. They join the crew’s cheers and applause. To Regulus' benefit, it seems his brother is completely unaware of the body shot that just took place between James and Regulus.

During all the excitement, Peter took the opportunity to pull Regulus aside and have a word. “That was hot as fuck, but it doesn’t count,” Peter tells him in a hushed tone. “I don’t know what you’re talking about,” Regulus tells Peter with a tiny smirk.

Then Lily cuts through the lull as she strolls over. “You call that a body shot? I think we can do better than that. Can’t we, Marls?” Lily looks to Marlene, who comes bouncing over to the ginger.

“You don’t need to ask me twice,” she tells Lily enthusiastically.

Lily picks up a lime slice, then drags it over the swell of her left breast. Taking the lime in her mouth, she sprinkles salt over the space like the others had done. The major difference is that when Lily takes the shot glass, she nestles it between her breasts. When she’s ready, Lily looks up at Marlene, who takes the hint.

Marlene leans forward, licking the salty lime off of Lily’s breast before she shifts to her cleavage. Dipping into the space, Marlene takes the shot glass with her mouth and tilts her head back.

In the middle of their body shot, there’s a flash of a camera and another howl, this time from Sirius.

Marlene finishes the shot, removes the glass, and leans forward again to take the lime from Lily's lips.

“And that, boys, is how it's done.” Sirius shot, fanning himself with the Polaroid photo. Lily does a curtsy, holding the skirt of her dress. The crew erupts into applause as Lily turns in the opposite direction, giggling and curtsying again.

The photo is halfway developed when Sirius hands it to Lily, “Here you are, Lils, that one’s a keeper.”

“Thanks.” She takes the photo, looking it over with Marlene before she slips it into her bra ‘for safekeeping.’.

Sirius makes his rounds, working from person to person, taking photos of everyone. A photo of Marlene smiling and giving the middle finger to the camera. One of Peter with Lily lifted on his shoulder in a display of his strength. Another of Remus as he pulls his comfortable sweater over his head, the black collared shirt under lifting to expose his toned stomach. One of Sirius tipped over Remus's shoulder as he carried him out of the room, taken by James. One of James and Sirius back-to-back while smiling at the camera, taken by Remus. Sirius has a nice little stack starting to pile up, the photographs sprawled out on the alcohol island.

“Told you it would be worth it,” Evan tells Regulus once the pair are standing away from the group.

“You just want to hear me say ‘you’re right,’ and I’m not going to give you the satisfaction.” Regulus replies, finishing his drink.

Evan chuckles, “No, I want you to thank me for all my hard work.”

“I don’t think that’s necessary; the rough sex you and Barty have later should be enough of a ‘thank you.’. Especially when I tell him all about the body shots.” Regulus tells Evan, hinting at Barty’s jealous yet highly voyeuristic nature.

Which earns another more energetic laugh from Evan, “Maybe I should be thanking you instead, but we both know that it’ll happen either way. I think we should focus on getting you laid—”

Evan is cut off by Sirius yelling, “Reggie!”

When the pair look up, they’re met with a bright flash. Before Regulus can respond, Sirius has hurried into the other room, clutching an unimpressed photo of Regulus standing next to Evan at the edge of the kitchen, Sirius’ face in the corner of the frame.

When Evan sees James approaching, he says, “That’s my cue; I’m going to take a leak.”

He then wanders around the corner and down the hallway. When James finally reaches Regulus’ side, he has two shot glasses, one in each hand.

“Where’s he off to?” James questions as he nods in the direction Evan left in.

“Bathroom. What have you got there?” Regulus asks, looking at the drinks.

“Shots, I figured you might like this a lot more than my drink from earlier.”

“I don’t know if I should trust you; I’ve been burnt before.” Regulus gives a cheeky smile as he takes one of the shots from James and smells it; it smells like cinnamon and something sweet.

“Come on, Reg. Give me a chance to redeem myself; I promise this one is delicious,” James says with a sincere look on his face.

“Alright, but if this is disgusting, when we get to the bar, you’re buying my drinks for the rest of the night.”

“Deal,” James agrees enthusiastically, “Salud,” he finishes as they clink their glasses together.

In tandem, the pair tilt their shots back as they drink them down. It’s actually very pleasant; Regulus’ face lights up. “It tastes like Cini Minis; that’s incredible.”

“See, I had a feeling you would like that one,” James is beaming ear to ear.

The nice moment is interrupted when Sirius approaches James and Regulus. “Smile,” he tells them.

Sirius is looking at them through the viewfinder of his Polaroid camera, waiting for the two men to turn. Instantly, Regulus is lifting his arms to block his face from the camera.

“No Sirius, you know how I feel about photos,” Regulus protests. Sirius drops the camera from his face.

“Oh, come on, Reggie. Just one more. I want a photo of my best friend and best brother,” Sirius tries to convince Regulus with little success.

“I’m your only brother,” Regulus counters with an unamused facial expression.

“Prongs, help me out here?” Sirius pleads to James with puppy dog eyes.

To which James sighs, turning towards Regulus, “You know, Reg. One photo couldn’t hurt...”

But Regulus doesn’t budge. Regulus is adamant; he does not like his photo taken. He never has; it's something to do with the way his eyes always looked so empty in photographs.

When it looks like James is also going to lose this battle, he adds on, “And well, you know this is technically my birthday party.”

“That sly bastard,” Regulus thinks as he moves his arms down slightly to glare at James. He has a sweet, pleading expression on his face; how could Regulus say ‘no.’”? Regulus sighs in defeat as he moves his hands down the rest of the way, “Fine, but only one.”

Sirius’ face lights up with excitement as he raises the camera again, “Yes! Okay, now get closer.” James steps a little closer to Regulus; Sirius repeats himself, drawing out the word, “Closer.”

Regulus moves this time, putting his hand around James’ waist like his brother had done to the tall man earlier in the night. James’ glances down at Regulus as he shifts his arm behind the shorter man. He runs his warm hand down Regulus’ back, following the planetary tattoos with his fingers. When he reaches the small of Regulus' back, James stops, pressing into his bare skin. In response, Regulus curls his fingers tightly into the fabric of James' shirt.

At this point, Regulus isn't sure if James is playing with fire or if he is the fire itself. James' hand is hot like the sun; it burns in the most intoxicating way possible. Regulus prays that James' can't hear the rapid increase of his heartbeat. It feels as though it could leap out of his chest at any moment. Yet, his facial expression stays unchanged while James is grinning his most charming smile.

Dropping the camera again, Sirius huffs, “Reggie, you have to smile.”

“I only agreed to the photo; I never said I would smile,” Regulus counters.

“Come on, Reg. Smile for the photo, please?” James asks with honey dripping in his tone.

James begins tracing patterns ever so slightly on Regulus’ back with his fingers. Regulus is incredibly ticklish and is doing everything in his power not to move. The whole situation wouldn’t be that big of an issue if it wasn’t a massive turn-on for him. He has always loved the slow build of things, feather touches, and gentle caresses. If only James knew what he was doing.

Regulus looks up at the taller man, and James’ charming smile has turned into a more playful, mischievous smirk: James is toying with him. It’s as though he is hell-bent on getting them caught.

Had the circumstances been different, Regulus would be dragging James to the nearest room with a lock and shagging him into next week. Instead, Regulus is here, with his older brother pointing a camera in his face.

James Potter is toeing the line into very dangerous territory. Regulus can’t think straight with James’ hands on him. If James doesn’t cut it out, Regulus will soon be in a rather awkward situation. So, Regulus does the only thing he can think of. He uses his hand on James’ waist to pinch the smiling man. James reacts by stiffening his posture, his hand now frozen on Regulus’ back. A soft colour seeps into James’ cheeks; he looks embarrassed.

“Alright, fine. Just take the damn photo,” Regulus tells his brother, trying to maintain a level, yet mildly annoyed, tone.

Sirius lifts the camera to his face, lining up the shot, “Okay, okay. Ready?” Regulus’ face softens to a sweet smile, James following Regulus’ lead. “Three. Two. One.” The camera flashes.

Once the photo is taken, Regulus slips out of James’ grasp, letting go of his shirt. Sirius takes the freshly printed photo, swishing it around in a fanning motion. He approaches the pair, looking at the mostly developed photo.

“Cute, I want this back after; add it to the kitchen island when you’re done with it.”

Sirius tells the pair as he slips the photo into Regulus' open hand before sauntering back to the rest of the party.

Regulus holds the photo out of James’ view, pulling his phone from his pocket. He snaps a photo of the Polaroid before returning his phone to his pocket. “Here, Reg, let me see.” James moves forward, reaching for the photo.

"No," Regulus moves away, clutching the photo while dodging James’ hand.

"Why not?" James reaches again, this time trying to take the photo by force.

Regulus grabs James’ wrist instead, pulling him down the hall toward the bathroom. Praying to whoever is listening that James Potter doesn’t get the wrong idea as he shoves him into the open bathroom.

The taller man stumbles over his feet and lets out a surprised, “Woah!” He regains his balance and looks to Regulus. Regulus shoots a fierce look over his shoulder in return as he shuts the door.

James starts to explain himself with a worried look on his face. “Regulus, I—”

But he shuts his mouth the moment he’s pinned against the sink. Regulus grasps the front of James’ shirt with a little more force than he intended to. He leans into James’ space and speaks in a low, menacing tone.

“I don’t know what you’re playing at, James. But you shouldn’t go starting things you can’t finish.”

James’ expression shifts to one of shameful desire as he sighs a confession, “Dios mio. Me agrada cuando eres perverso.”

Regulus presses himself against James slightly, releasing James’ shirt to run his hand over the man’s chest. James tracks the movement with hunger in his eyes as he watches the hand slip lower. His breath catches in his throat when Regulus’ hand reaches his upper thigh.

“The next time you want to try something like that…” Regulus slips the photo slowly into the pocket of James’ slacks.

“You have to be prepared to deal with the consequences,” he finishes before he removes himself completely.

James is unable to utter a single word, visibly flustered, his mouth slightly agape. Without another word, Regulus turns to exit the bathroom as if nothing happened, leaving James to cool off alone.

The crew is now sitting in the lounge when Regulus rejoins the party. Remus and Sirius are nestled close to one another on the smaller sofa. Across the lounge, Peter and Lily are on the longer sofa, having an animated conversation with Marlene, who is seated on the floor. Regulus looks around the room until his gaze lands on Evan. The blonde is sitting on the floor with his back against the glass sliding door to the balcony, scrolling on his phone.

When Regulus crosses the space towards Evan, he looks up. “Où es-tu allé?” Evan questions in a hushed tone, trying not to gain the attention of the other people, specifically Sirius.

Regulus gives Evan a devious smile as he sits down next to his best friend; he murmurs back. “I’ll fill you in later.”

Evan is about to question Regulus but stops himself when he notices James exiting the bathroom, making his way over to the lounge. James’ shirt looks slightly more wrinkled, and his cheeks and the tips of his ears are flushed. Evan looks from James to Regulus, then back again. His mouth curls up at the corners as he creates a less-than-innocent scenario in his mind.

“Atta boy, Reggie.” Evan whispers back, patting his hand on Regulus' outstretched leg.

Regulus brushes Evan’s hand off of him, giving him a less-than-impressed look. Regulus tells Evan the truth, “Nothing happened.”

“No need to be modest; I know how good you are with your mouth.” Which earns Evan a pointed glare from Regulus before their attention is drawn to Peter.

“Prongs, good of you to join us; the first Uber is almost here. It only seats six, so we had to request a second one because, as per usual, Padfoot can’t fucking count.”

Peter informs James with a playful glance over towards Sirius. Sirius raises his middle finger toward Peter with no real heat behind the gesture.

“Sit on it, Wormy,” Sirius tells him, doing his best to hold in a giggle.

“I’d rather not; don’t know where that’s been.” Pete pauses with a smirk, glancing for a split second toward Remus.

“Or who it’s been in,” he finishes. Which causes the rest of the room to erupt into a gentle hum of laughter.

The laughter subsides when Sirius’ phone begins to ring. “Must be the Uber,” he says before picking up the call.

“Hello? Yes, we’ll be right down, cheers.” Sirius ends the call before he stands, pulling Remus up with him.

“Alright, fuckers. Move your asses; the Uber will be here in five.”

With minimal fuss, the crew makes their way down to the main floor by cramming all eight of themselves into the lift. Once there, they opt to wait for their ride on the curb so as not to crowd the building's small foyer.

The evening air is cold when the first Uber arrives, so they waste no time loading themselves into the back. Wearing the least amount of layers, Lily is the first to climb in, followed by Marlene. Remus ushers Sirius in first, then ducks his head low, entering the small backseat.

Peter turns to Regulus and Evan, motioning to the pair, “You guys want to hop in this one?” The two men look to each other in an unspoken agreement.

“No, I think we’ll catch the next one; you two can go ahead.” Evan gestures to Peter and James before the Uber.

“Alright then, it shouldn’t be long. Coming Prongs?” Peter responds to them before hopping into the back of the Uber. James approaches next but doesn’t get in; he leans his head into the open door, talking in a hushed tone with Peter. Then James steps back a little and closes the door to the Uber; he taps the top of the vehicle, signalling for it to drive off. Then he turns back to the shivering pair standing on the curbside.

Regulus and Evan look at the man with identical confused expressions plastered on their faces. James feels the need to explain himself as he moves back to the pair. “What kind of host would I be if I left two of my guests behind?” he questions with a charming smile.

"If you want to stand in the freezing cold with us, be my guest." Regulus snarks, rubbing his hand up and down his arm, trying to warm himself. James' grin doesn't falter even for a second, that slight hint of red creeping back into his cheeks; he lets out a nervous chuckle.

"Regulus, ne sois pas grossier," Evan scolds his shivering friend.

"Casse-toi, je suis si froide." Regulus responds, visibly irritated about the whole situation.

James does his best to look in any direction but the pair as they converse in French.

“Je veux ma chemise,” Regulus whinges pulling at the sleeve of Evan’s shirt.

Evan brushes Regulus’ hand off of him, taking a step away, “Non, demandez à James.”

The mention of his name catches James’ attention. The tall man questions, looking mildly confused, “Sorry, what?”

“Connard,” Regulus hisses in response, his cheeks heating up as he looks at James, who looks seemingly unaffected by the cold.

Ignoring Regulus, Evan responds to James with a cheeky smile. “Nothing, I was just telling Reggie that you look warm.”

“Oh, yeah. I’m naturally warm-blooded; are you cold?”

“No, I’m alright, but Regulus is freezing,” Evan tells James, nodding towards Regulus.

Regulus opens his mouth to protest, but James is already stepping into the space behind him.

“Oh, I can help with that,” James offers, wrapping his arms around him in a loose hug. James is indeed very warm; Regulus can’t help but lean into him.

“Aw, il est si gentil. Dis merci, Reggie.” Evan teases.

Regulus glares at Evan from James’ arms; in a soft tone, he tells Evan, “Va te faire voir.”

Which makes Evan laugh. Not long after, as Peter had said, the Uber arrives. When it pulls up next to the trio, James lets his arms fall but makes no effort to move away.

Evan approaches the front seat of the car and sends Regulus a shit-eating grin as he grabs the door handle. Regulus looks at him speaking with his eyes, "Don't you fucking think about it, Evan Rosier."

Evan sends one back that says, "Deal with it." He opens the front door before slipping into the seat without a word.

James then opens the back seat door; like the gentleman he is, he waits for Regulus to enter first, “After you.”

Reluctantly, Regulus slides in first with a simple, "Thank you, James."

~~~

Regulus is a little surprised as they enter The Leaky Cauldron. He had no idea they would be ending their evening at the bar where his roommate works. Had he known, he would have given Barty a heads-up they were coming. The bar is packed with hordes of people crowded around the bar and swarming the dance floor. Loud music is bumping from the speakers, filling the space with a lively energy. There’s hardly any room for the trio to move about as people push past them.

James leans into Regulus’ space, talking over the music, “I’ll find the others; hold on to me and don’t let go.”

“Okay,” Regulus shouts back as James reaches down to grip his hand.

James uses his body to part the waves of people pulling Regulus behind him. Evan trails behind Regulus through the crowd, holding on to his best friend. Once they’re closer to the dance floor, James stops abruptly.

Regulus wouldn’t have believed it if he hadn’t seen it with his own eyes. There in the sea of bodies is his brother grinding along to the beat of the music in Remus’ lap. Partly shocked by the fact that he sat through countless conversations with his brother about how this very situation would never happen. And partly over the fact that Remus, quiet and sweet as he may seem, is a passionate and captivating dancer. Nevertheless, there will be a conversation between the Black brothers after tonight to address the crucial information withheld regarding the Remus situation.

After a moment of gawking, James is pulling the smaller men away from the crowd. In a less congested area near the edge of the bar, Peter is sitting at a table alone, watching over a few drinks.

“Wormtail, you found us a table; thank you.” James greets moving toward the bigger man.

“Prongs, glad to see you didn’t get lost on your way over. The girls are in the bathroom; I’m on drink duty.” Peter tells James, taking the last sip of his beer from the bottle.

“If you’re heading for drinks, can you bring me back a beer?” Peter asks, placing the empty bottle on the table.

“Of course, be back in a second.” James tells him, dragging Regulus and Evan toward the large horde surrounding the bar.

Once they reach the edge of the chaotic line, James turns to Regulus, “What do you want to drink?”

Regulus shifts up on his toes while pulling James down by his shirt collar. He does his best to speak into James’ ear over the loud music, “Surprise me.”

James’ smiles in response, moving through the crowd again, this time towards the front of the bartender’s station.

Just as they reach the front of the horde, a fight breaks out in the crowd next to them. Two large intoxicated men begin shouting and throwing fists. Evan and Regulus are being pushed by the crowd toward the scuffle. Before Regulus can react, James has pulled him against the bar in a swift turning motion. When Regulus makes contact with the bar, his midback is slammed against the bar top, and he winces.

James does his best to protect the smaller man with his body, pinning him against the wooden bar. James then grabs Evan by the wrist, pulling him to Regulus’ side and away from the commotion. Things slowly come into focus as Regulus looks up to see his roommate Barty jump up onto the bar top.

Barty is dressed in an oversized cropped black T-shirt with “Warning: I bite.” printed in red. Black ripped jeans and fishnets, paired with large, chunky boots. His hair is styled in a shaggy cross between a wolf cut and a mullet with green tips. He has snake bites, and the bridge of his nose is pierced.

Barty’s face is filled with the most intense rage as he stares at the spot where the fight broke out. Simply knowing the danger Evan and Regulus were put in by the drunken brawl is enough to send Barty over the edge. He stands on the bar top with a massive pail of ice in hand. With a pissed expression on his face, Barty hurls the pail of ice over the two men.

“Oi! Knock it off, you fucks! Or I’ll come over there and knock you both the fuck out!” Barty’s shouts ring over the crowded bar.

If being pelted with ice wasn’t enough to break up the fight, a frightening Barty shouting off the bar definitely was. Within seconds, a beefy bouncer is grabbing the two men, hauling them out of the crowd. When Barty turns to jump down off the bar, he catches a glimpse of James. His protective body language as he stands looming over Evan and Regulus. The searing anger Barty felt begins to subside at the sight of knowing his loved ones are safe.

With his feet firmly planted on the ground, Barty locks eyes with Evan.

“Fuck, Ev, what are you doing here? Are you alright?”

Barty’s eyes are filled with worry as he reaches over the bar to hold his boyfriend’s face in his hands. Evan lets Barty check him over, if only for Barty’s peace of mind.

“I’m fine; I’m okay. We’re here for—” Evan starts but is cut off by his boyfriend pulling him into a passionate kiss.

Regulus watches his roommates over his shoulder in a daze until James’ voice brings him back to reality.

“Are you alright, Reg? You’re not hurt, are you?” James questions; his voice is low and thick with concern.

Regulus looks up at James, his hands tangled in the front of the man’s shirt. He is still wrapped in James’ protective grasp. The pressure of James against his body has Regulus’ back painfully digging into the bar top. Feeling safe in James’ space, Regulus would rather risk a bruise by morning than ask James to move.

“Yeah, I’m okay.” Regulus lies to James, unable to move his shaky hands from the tall man’s shirt.

Regulus was frightened by the sudden eruption of chaos, the adrenaline still rushing in his veins. If Regulus is physically hurt, he can't feel it. However, he is a little shaken up. James’ moves back slightly, creating more space between Regulus and the bar top.

“Are you alright?” Regulus returns the question, watching James' face intently.

“I’m fine, don’t worry about me. I’m just glad you’re okay.” James replies, his eyes soften as a smile creeps onto his face, and Regulus breathes a sigh of relief.

Regulus slowly removes his hands from James to turn toward the bar top. Regulus can feel James’ hands relax as they move down to his waist in a less defensive stance. Barty draws their attention, speaking to James; Regulus listens as the two men talk.

“Hey man, I really appreciate you taking care of my boys.” Barty greets, reaching a ring-clad hand to shake James’ hand.

“It’s no trouble at all; I’m just glad I was here.” James’ confesses shaking Barty’s hand.

“I’m going to start you a tab here at the bar; drinks are on me for the rest of the night.” Barty attempted to express to James what the gesture meant to him.

“That really isn’t necessary; anyone would have done the same.” James’ tries to convince Barty to no avail.

“It’s best if you just accept it; things will go a lot smoother if you do,” Evan assures. To which James looks from the pair down to Regulus, who simply nods.

“Ah, alright then, two beers and a glass of water.” James tells Barty.

“Coming right up,” Barty replies, then goes about the motions of his job.

Regulus takes the moment to gesture out of James’ view to Evan. Signalling him, asking to borrow his cigarette pack. Evan nods, taking the pack from the chest pocket of the flannel shirt and handing the pack to Regulus.

When Barty returns, he has two open beer bottles and a clear plastic cup of ice water.

“Thanks, cheers.” James says, skilfully grabbing the beer bottles by the necks, then the cup by the rim in one hand.

Then he takes Regulus’ hand in his empty one before leading him back through the crowd. It isn’t until Regulus is following James towards the table that he notices it. The entire back of James’ shirt is damp from the sudden ice shower. Regulus presses his hand into the damp fabric as he follows James. The sheer force and volume of ice thrown by Barty must have been cold; however, James’ skin is warm under Regulus’ touch.

When they reach the table, Peter is no longer alone; he’s having a nice conversation with a stranger sitting next to him. That’s when Regulus looks back to notice that Evan has stayed behind with Barty at the bar. Unsure what to do with himself, Regulus silently stands behind James, still holding onto his hand. While James places the beer bottles down on the table.

“Thanks, Prongs.” Peter takes one of the beers.

“Of course, Wormtail. Let the crew know there’s a tab at the bar, alright?”

“Yeah, no worries.”

James then turns and presses the glass of water into Regulus’ hand. “Surprise,” James tells him with a soft smile, to which Regulus smiles back, taking the glass. “You looked like you needed that more than another drink,” James confesses.

“Yes. Thank you, James.” Regulus confesses taking a sip of the water.

Regulus then reaches past James to place the cup on the table. He clears his throat before he speaks, “Do you want to maybe step outside with me? I need a little air.” Regulus confesses honestly.

“Yeah, sure.” James smiles, turning to grab his beer off the table. “Lead the way.”

Without another word, Regulus is leading James this time toward the back of the bar. He stops when he reaches the back door; glancing around before pushing the door open. Regulus slips out first with James in tow.

The pair walk out of the building into a fenced-in area behind the bar. It's clear the space is meant for staff members only. Outside, the air is cool and refreshing compared to the stuffy hot atmosphere inside. Regulus lets go of James’ hand, and turning slowly, he stretches in the open space.

“I didn’t know this was here,” James confesses, taking a sip of his beer.

Regulus is now facing him, pulling the pack of cigarettes from his pocket. “Yeah, Barty lets Evan and me sneak out for a fag or two when we're here.” Regulus finishes, placing a cigarette between his lips.

“I didn’t know you smoked,” James says as he watches Regulus attempt to light the end of the cigarette.

“Every once in a while, usually when I drink.” Regulus responds, cupping his hand around the lighter as he flicks it again.

“Do you smoke?” Regulus asks, shaking the lighter before trying to light the cigarette again.

James takes the lighter from Regulus’ hand, lighting the cigarette on the first try. A plume of smoke slips between the pair.

“Usually when I drink,” James echoes back Regulus's words to him.

Regulus holds the cigarette out to James between his fingers. He takes Regulus’ wrist, directing the hand towards his mouth. He presses the cigarette still between Regulus' fingers to his lips. James inhales a long, slow drag before he releases Regulus. He tilts his head back, letting the smoke float into the sky above them.

Regulus takes another puff as he listens to James talk. “I don’t mind a cigarette every now and again, but I prefer to smoke weed if I’m honest. Do you?”

Regulus offers the cigarette back to James, who accepts after placing his beer on the ground.

“Smoke weed? Mmm, sometimes, if I’m having problems sleeping.” Regulus confesses feeling more relaxed than he was in the bar.

“That’s fair; Padfoot is the same way,” James responds, returning the cigarette. Regulus finishes the cigarette, taking one last drag before dropping it on the ground. Then crushing the butt under the heel of his boot. The cold air now seeping into Regulus’ skin, he lets out a slight shiver.

“Want to head back in?” James questions watching Regulus start to rub his arms for warmth.

“Not just yet; I like the quiet.” Regulus explains.

“Alright then, come here.” James says, opening his arms, hinting for Regulus to use him for warmth.

“Are you sure?” Regulus questions hesitantly, knowing how cold his hands feel.

“Warm-blooded, remember?” James smiles, and without another word, Regulus is stepping into James’ arms, hugging the taller man.

“This should feel awkward,” Regulus thinks to himself but can’t help feeling comfortable in James’ space. Regulus sinks into the warmth of James’ hug as the body heat pours into him.

The moment is quiet until James speaks up, “I thought you said you weren’t hurt.”

“What?” Regulus questions raising his head off James’ chest.

“Your back.” James responds as if that explained everything.

Regulus has a vague idea of what James is referring to but doesn’t think much of it. The initial discomfort he felt during the bar fight subsided after being in the cold for so long.

“What about it?” Regulus questions as James releases the hug.

James turns Regulus around so that he is facing away. Regulus glances over his shoulder, trying to see what James is hinting at.

“Your back is red,” James supplies, running his fingers along Regulus’ spine down his tattoos.

He follows the planetary alignment with a delicate touch. The sensation raises goosebumps as James’ fingers pass over each planet on Regulus’ bare skin. Regulus shivers at the movement, feeling his temperature rising.

“James,” Regulus says his name in a warning tone.

“What? Does it hurt here?” James asks in a concerned tone as he passes over the centre of his back. His knuckles gently brush over the space. “I’m sorry,” he apologises sweetly.

Regulus does his best to handle the situation with care, hoping James will take the hint. “No, quite the opposite. Remember our little conversation back at the house?” Regulus is focused more on James’ hand than anything else.

James’ hand freezes in place on Regulus’ back. “I remember you running off before I had a chance to respond.”

Annoyed by James’ more-than-accurate recount of the events from the bathroom, Regulus turns to face James again.

“And?” Regulus questioned, trying not to give away that he’s annoyed.

James leans closer before he responds, “Sometimes the risk is worth taking, no matter the consequences.”

Regulus is a little shocked at James’ answer; it's not what he was expecting him to say. Reading the subtext loud and clear, James is referring to the no-dating rule. Obviously, James knows that he knows. James is aware that he and Sirius talk about everything, just like James and Sirius do. Maybe it's about time that Regulus and James have a few secrets of their own. The only question is whether or not James can keep his mouth shut.

“And what if it’s not?” Regulus questions glancing from James' eyes to his lips and then back again.

“And what if it is? Aren’t you the least bit curious, Reg?” James lets the question hang between them for a moment before he continues, “I know I am.”

“You’re not worried about Sirius—” Regulus starts but is quickly cut off by James.

“No, not at all.”

“Then what are you waiting for?” Regulus hints for James to make the first move, but James doesn’t budge.

“Your permission.” He answers with a sly smirk on his lips.

And if that isn’t the sexiest thing Regulus has ever heard from James’ mouth, he doesn’t know what is. James doesn’t push; he simply waits for Regulus’ answer, his hands loosely draped over his waist.

"Kiss me," Regulus tells him, pulling him down by the front of his shirt. James wastes no time leaning forward, pressing his lips to Regulus’.

It comes as no surprise, James Potter is a fantastic kisser. Gentle at first as though he is testing the waters, reading Regulus' movement to gauge what he likes best. Regulus lets his hands wander over James’ body like he had done earlier in the night. With every movement, James responds with an equal amount of enthusiasm.

Growing more confident in his movements, James is switching the pace up; he runs a hand along Regulus' waist down to his hip. Kissing from Regulus’ mouth along his jaw before making his way down. He leaves marks along the side of Regulus’ neck.

Regulus slides his hand up James’ chest to the base of his neck, threading his fingers in the curls.

“James,” Regulus warns, giving James’ hair a firm yet light tug.

He pulls away, looking at Regulus with a mildly concerned expression on his face. “Yeah?”

“Not above the collar; I don’t want to have to explain myself come Monday.”

To which James offers a sheepish “Sorry,” with a mildly apologetic look. “Might be a bit too late for that,” James explains, running his knuckles over the soft part of Regulus’ neck.

James might have gotten a little carried away, which is evident by the marks forming on Regulus’ pale skin. Accepting defeat, Regulus rolls his eyes as he presses back in, kissing James on the lips again. This time, he is the one deepening the kiss and setting a more fevered pace.

Regulus feels as though everything is falling into place, something that rarely happens for him. For once, it seems the universe is working with him, cheering him on from the sidelines.

James presses forward, slotting his knee between Regulus' thighs. Regulus' mind starts to soften around the edges, and he can't help but sigh into James' mouth.

Before Regulus is really able to enjoy the change in pace, he's being pulled back to reality by the sound of the back door creaking open. Shocked, they freeze in place, unable to move away fast enough as Evan steps out from behind the door into the cold air.

“Reggie, can I have my cigarettes—” Evan begins but cuts himself off at the sight of the pair pressing against one another.

James awkwardly moves back a little, creating space between him and Regulus. He clears his throat as he stands up straight.

Regulus is the first to break the silence, his cheeks rosy with embarrassment, "Evan Rosier, je te ferai mourir."

Evan raises his hands in mock surrender, "Je suis désolé, my bad. Carry on."

Before Regulus gets the chance to yell at him, Evan steps backward to the door and slips back inside the building.

“I’m sorry about that. That was embarrassing,” Regulus confesses, completely mortified, as he leans forward, pressing his face into James’ firm chest.

James wraps his arms around Regulus, and Regulus wishes he could hide here forever.

“It’s okay, Reg.” James tries to comfort Regulus, pressing a kiss to the top of his head.

Regulus groans as James moves to take Regulus’ face between his hands. He kisses Regulus softly on the lips, “As much as I’d love to continue this.” Kissing him again, James continues, “Maybe we should head back inside.”

When James moves away, Regulus lets out a deep sigh, “You’re probably right; I’m just glad that it was Evan and not my brother.” Regulus confesses.

James leans forward, pressing their foreheads together with a chuckle, “Yeah, I can’t say that’s a conversation I’m ready to have just yet." Regulus laughs at the thought.

Leaning back with a smile on his face, James continues, "I would prefer to keep this between us. Is that alright with you?”

Although Regulus isn’t certain what ‘us’ entails just yet, he’s more than content exploring what it means for him and James. Regulus nods. “More than alright; the less my brother knows, the better.”

“Glad we’re on the same page because I really enjoyed this, and I’d like to keep doing it.” James confesses honestly, leaning forward and kissing Regulus again. “Come on, Reg.” James pulls away this time; he turns, pulling Regulus by the hand toward the building.

When James and Regulus return to the table, Evan sends Regulus a knowing look that says, "You better fill me in later." To which Regulus sends one back that says, "You'll be the first to know."

Still holding James' hand, Regulus chuckles to himself, “Looks like Marlene lost the bet after all.” James definitely has enough balls to snog him, and then some. The knowledge that James wants to do it again is enough to keep Regulus satiated. Well, that combined with the fact that James can't keep his hands to himself the rest of the night.

Translations "Salud," - "Cheers," "Dios Mio. Me agrada cuando eres perverso." - "My God. It pleases me when you're wicked." "Où es-tu allé?" - "Where did you go?" "Regulus, ne sois pas grossier," - "Regulus, don't be rude," "Casse-toi, Je suis si froide." - " Get lost, I'm so cold." "Je veux ma chemise," - "I want my shirt," "Non, demandez à James." - "No, ask James." "Connard," - "Asshole," "Aw, il est si gentil. Dis merci, Reggie." - "Aw, he's so nice. Say thank you, Reggie." "Va te faire voir." - "Go to hell." "Evan Rosier, je te ferai mourir." - "Evan Rosier, I will murder you." "Je suis désolé, my bad." - "I'm sorry, my bad."

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littlestpan · 4 months ago

Text

Service With a Smile

James Potter x Regulus Black (Slow Burn)

A/N: Hello lovelies, here's chapter five! You can also find fan fiction on AO3 if you want to read ahead.

Chapter 4 (here) | Chapter 5 (You're here) | Chapter 6 (here)

Chapter 5: A Purely Hypothetical Scenario

Looking at the schedule for Friday, Regulus isn’t on it. He assumes there’s even less work to be done because the only staff working are James, Sirius, and Remus. This means tomorrow he will have to talk to James about what happened; otherwise, he won’t get a chance until Monday and risk the wrath of his brother. Regulus would like to avoid that scenario at all costs if possible.

Regulus hasn’t thought a lot about what he’ll say; however, he has spent a lot of time thinking about the rule, more specifically the James aspect. If the rule was as pointless as his brother made it seem, why would James agree to it, let alone follow it? How likely would it be that James would consider breaking the rule? What would it take for him to break it or forgo it completely? Those were a couple of the silly little queries knocking around in his head. Although highly unlikely, Regulus couldn’t stop them from gnawing on his brain.

Barty and Evan were no help when it came to trying to rid himself of those pesky thoughts. Evan was optimistic about the whole James thing: “I feel like there’s something there, Reggie. I wouldn’t brush it off too quickly,” Evan would tell him.

Whereas Barty found it amusing to egg the whole situation on any chance he could: “Yeah, he’s madly in love with you; the next time you’re around him, pull him into the dry storage and suck his dick,” Barty would laugh. “That will get his attention for sure.”

“Can you for once not think with your cock?” Regulus would groan.

“What? There’s nothing wrong with thinkin’ with your dick; Evan would agree that it’s my better head of the two, wouldn’t you, love?” Which would gain him an unamused look from both Evan and Regulus.

The pair knew every embarrassing detail since day one. Like a silly teen romance film, in the evening the trio would sit in the lounge gossiping about what had happened that day. They knew about the locker room, Regulus expressing how he was trying not to read into things. Barty and Evan exchanged a look before returning their gazes to him; Regulus could have sworn he had grown a second head from their facial expressions alone.

Each day was littered with little moments that made it even more increasingly obvious to Barty and Evan that something was clearly there. Regulus is unaware of his painfully obvious crush on James. Arguing that his interest in the taller man was purely driven by sexual attraction and nothing more. Barty and Evan, however, were adamant that it was entirely not the case, especially when Regulus brought them up to speed on the events that unfolded earlier that day.

“I kind of just snapped; I don’t know what came over me,” Regulus finishes.

“So wait, you’re telling me that James offered to take you out on his next delivery with him and you nearly bit his head off?” Evan tries enquiring, attempting to grasp the whole scope of what Regulus is telling them.

“Well, when you put it like that, it makes me sound even more stupid than I already feel,” Regulus admits.

“Reggie, you’re an idiot,” Barty chimes in, carrying three mugs of tea from the kitchen. Regulus does his best to calm his urge to whip a throw pillow at Barty's head.

“Don’t you think I’m aware of that?” He bites back, reaching for his mug.

“You had Potter eating from the palm of your hand, and instead of leaning into it, you essentially slapped him in the face.” Barty continues handing over the tea to Regulus. Regulus takes a sip before placing it on the coffee table.

Barty sits on the floor in front of Evan, leaning back onto his boyfriend’s legs. “Barty,” Evan warns. “You’re not being helpful.”

“Helpful? No amount of help can fix this; he’s hopeless,” Barty shrugs, taking a sip of his drink. Evan lets out an unamused sound.

“I don’t know how I’m going to fix this; Sirius wants me to apologise,” Regulus’ eyebrows knit together. From his sitting position, Regulus stretches out on the couch until he’s lying down.

“What do I even say to him? Walk up to him like, ‘Hi James, sorry I was a total prat. I can’t help but say stupid shit when I’m around you.’.” Regulus covers his face with the throw pillow and groans dramatically into it.

“Maybe not those exact words, but I mean it’s a start at least,” Evan offers.

“Or you can take my advice and just shag him,” Barty offers again, grinning over his mug.

Evan threads his fingers through Barty’s hair and gives it a gentle tug. “Barty, darling, the adults are talking.”

“I’m just saying that it might be more helpful if you get it over with. You guys are going to shag at some point,” Barty shrugs.

Regulus gives Barty the middle finger, not bothering to move the throw pillow off his face.

“Honestly, it will save you some time. Cut the bullshit and—" Barty is cut off with his boyfriend placing a hand over his mouth. “Ignore him,” Evan tells Regulus.

Regulus sits up, gripping the throw pillow to his chest. “And you know what makes this whole situation even harder? The stupid fucking no dating rule—"

“Ugh, you’re disgusting!” Evan shouts, wiping Barty’s slobber off his palm and onto Barty’s shirt.

“Can you two focus for like ten seconds? Hello? Having a crisis here,” Regulus says annoyed, this time actually whipping the pillow at Barty. The pillow hits Barty square in the face with a thud.

“Sorry, Reggie. I can’t help it; Barty is acting like a child. What were you saying about the no-dating rule?” Evan sends an apologetic look at Regulus.

Barty makes an annoyed face and throws the pillow back at Regulus. “Who are you calling a child? I’m not the one throwing shit.” Barty argues.

Regulus catches the pillow from the air and holds it to his chest again. “The rule isn’t even an actual rule. Apparently, it was something my idiot brother made up after some stuff went down,” Regulus explains, trying not to give too much away regarding James’ situation.

Barty and Evan exchange a look for the millionth time. Barty starts first, “So what you’re saying is that I’m right! There’s nothing actually keeping you two from shagging. Stop standing in your own way and loosen up a little.”

“You’re forgetting that he’s my older brother’s best friend. Just because the rule isn’t an actual rule doesn’t mean he doesn’t think it is. Not to mention, we don't know for sure if he actually would be interested." Regulus is visibly exasperated.

“Fair enough, but consider for a second if things weren’t as weird as they are. Would you be at least a little open to the idea of something more with James?” Evan searches.

Regulus thinks for a second, like actually considers it, “Well, I mean, yeah. James is actually really nice, and it definitely helps that he’s attractive. But I’m not really looking for anything in particular.”

The first reasonable thing out of Barty’s mouth: “Okay, so maybe you’re not completely hopeless. But you’re not going to get anywhere until you apologise, even if you only want to be his friend. Say you’re sorry for getting frustrated with him. Tell him you were nervous about doing deliveries for the first time. Ask him if he’d be alright teaching you the ropes on the next little adventure.”

Regulus has a surprised expression on his face. “That was actually really helpful. Thanks, Barty,” he says a little stunned.

“Then you’ll have no excuse not to shag him,” Barty adds with a grin.

“And there it is; I was waiting for that,” Evan admits as the three of them burst into laughter.

~~~

Walking into the Marauders compound, Regulus is one of the last people to arrive. Due to the bus schedule, Regulus is never the first to the kitchen and thankfully never the last. Despite being the son of the owners, James Potter is always, without fail, the last one in the kitchen. As long as the sun will rise, the grass grows, and rivers flow, James will be late to work.

It’s truly a skeleton crew today, consisting of Sirius, Remus, James, and Regulus. Which isn’t all that out of the ordinary; there are days when only a few lunch deliveries are scheduled. They’re more common when Effie is out of town for business or right before they’re gearing up for a particularly large event. In this case, there isn't anything that sticks out in Regulus' mind as significant.

Just as Effie had communicated the day prior, today looks like it is going to be shorter than usual. There was only a handful of lunch delivery sheets stacked on the divide between Remus’ and James’ workstations. Regulus greets Sirius and Remus with a wave as they stand shoulder to shoulder talking over the sheets. The pair hardly acknowledge his presence as he makes his way to the locker room to change.

Standing in front of his open locker, Regulus turns his attention to the sound of the door as it opens. In the doorway, similar to Regulus’ first day working here, stands James. Regulus can feel the sudden shift in the atmosphere; it's strikingly different than the first time the pair were in this situation. This time Regulus is fully clothed for a start, and James doesn’t have a look of surprise on his face. It's almost as though a small wave of sadness has taken its place. Everything feels slightly off, and it's making Regulus uneasy.

James clears his throat as he walks toward his locker and, by extension, Regulus. He does his best to avoid Regulus’ eye line as though he is trying to feel out the situation. “Hello, Regulus,” he greets in a quiet tone, eyes fixed on his locker as if it is the most interesting thing in the world. He opens it without another word.

As he watches James, Regulus can feel his heart sink a little as he realises the gravity of the situation. After almost a full two weeks of James calling him ‘Reg,’ hearing James call him by his full first name stings a little. He does his best to shake the feeling off, greeting back, “Good morning, James.”

The pair go about the motions of changing into their work uniforms in silence, neither of them daring to look at the other. It isn’t until James closes his locker and turns to head out the door that Regulus stops him. Regulus steps forward, pulling at the sleeve of James’ chef coat. “James,” he begins.

James freezes in place with a mildly startled posture, shifting until he is now looking at Regulus. “I wanted to speak with you if that’s alright?” Regulus questions releasing his hold on the chef coat to take hold of his own long sleeve.

“Yeah, alright,” James replies, which is very unlike him. Normally James is a man of many words; it’s part of his charm. He constantly has something to say and an opinion to offer. It’s very out of the ordinary to hear only a handful of words from him.

“I wanted to apologise for yesterday,” Regulus tests the waters. When James doesn’t say a word, Regulus takes it as a hint for him to continue.

“I had set expectations for how I imagined deliveries would go, and everything was changing so fast. Nothing was going the way I had hoped. If I’m honest, I’ve been looking forward to doing deliveries for a while. It always seemed like fun, but when it came down to actually being able to go, I got nervous. When that happens, I tend to be difficult to be around, or so I’ve been told. I got frustrated with myself, and I took it out on you, and for that I apologise.” The words flowing out of Regulus until there’s nothing left in his mind.

It’s not exactly the full truth; in reality, it was the closeness between James and Lily that sparked the reaction. However, now knowing there's nothing romantic between the pair. Regulus feels a little silly admitting it, especially to James. Yet, what he told James isn’t actually too far off. He hadn’t meant to lash out at James; he also isn’t the most pleasant person to be around when he’s in a mood. He hopes James doesn’t question it any further and accepts the apology, as his brother informed him James would.

Regulus' gaze had naturally migrated toward the floor without him realising it; he stared at it for a moment as his words hung in the air. James has been far too silent for Regulus’ comfort. A slight panic starts to take hold of him as he looks at James’ face. The feeling settles a little as he realises that James is processing what Regulus just said.

“I think I understand where you’re coming from; I don’t blame you for being upset. Things can get really fast-paced here. If it ever gets to be a little too much or if you’re ever feeling overwhelmed, you can always come to talk to me,” James tells Regulus, placing a hand on his shoulder. Regulus nods at him.

“Sometimes, I find myself needing a moment too. I’m here if you need me. Thank you for the apology; I appreciate it, Reg.” James’ face brightens into his usual cheery self, his hand falling from Regulus’ shoulder.

“Thank you, James. I’ll keep that in mind,” Regulus says, a soft smile creeping onto his lips. A weight now lifted off him, it feels as though he can breathe a little more freely.

The pair head out of the locker room and down the stairs toward the kitchen. Once finally in the kitchen, they make their way to their side of the workstation. Sirius has placed a sheet pan on Regulus’ workstation. There are small disposable cups in neat lines, and Regulus begins scooping salad dressing into each one.

James, on the other hand, immediately reaches overhead to turn on a large portable Bluetooth speaker. James’ chef coat rises up with the motion.

Regulus does his best not to peek over, especially when he notices Sirius is giving him a look from across the way. He looks to Regulus before shifting his eyes to James as if to ask, “So? How did it go? Did you talk to him?” Regulus gives his brother a quick nod and a half smile. Sirius returns the smile with a proud, brotherly look that says, “See, I told you it would be fine.”

James breaks the silence, glancing around the room, “Does anyone have any requests? Or does someone else want to connect?” “Moony? Padfoot? No?”

“I’m fine with whatever as long as it's not rap,” Remus responds with a shrug. Sirius simply nods toward Regulus, hinting silently to James. James reads Sirius loud and clear; he steps over to Regulus.

“Reg? Want to pick something?” James says, placing his unlocked phone into Regulus’ hand; Spotify is open on the screen. Regulus is a little surprised that James is so trusting with his phone.

“Oh, uh? Sure?” Regulus scrolls for a moment through James’ playlists before selecting something he knows will make his brother smile. “A Kind of Magic” by Queen begins to play on the speaker overhead. Then Regulus presses James’ phone back into his hand before returning his attention to the task in front of him.

“See, I knew there was a reason I liked you,” Remus chimes in, a smile on his face as he snaps along to the music.

“Nice choice; I didn’t realise you were a Queen fan,” James adds, looking at Regulus a little surprised.

“Of course, he has good taste in music; he’s my brother after all,” Sirius tells the others with a proud look on his face. “Would you expect anything less?”

“It’s not usually my first pick, but how could I not when you’ve got an entire playlist dedicated to classic rock? Queen has some of the best music.” Regulus responds to James.

Which earns James a smile, “We’re big fans of Queen here. Classic rock is one of our go-to genres when the whole crew is here.” James explains.

And with that, the guys work mostly in quiet, listening to James’ playlist as they prep the components for the deliveries today. It isn’t the most difficult lunch to begin with; Remus places hot half pans of lasagna into boxes. Sirius closes and adds them to sheet pans, then moves them in the hot boxes across the kitchen to keep them hot. While James builds small boxes of Caesar salad. Regulus steps into James’ space to place his cups of dressing into James’ open boxes along with disposable cutlery packs.

Once finished, the crew places the hot food into one set of Cambro boxes and the cold food into another set. When they’re close to being finished, James looks over to Sirius. “Padfoot, would you mind if I took Reg with me on deliveries today?”

“I can’t see why not.” Sirius looks to his brother, "You can go if you’d like, Reggie.”

Regulus looks to Sirius and then to James. “I’m allowed to tag along?”

"It's alright with me as long as Padfoot doesn't need you," James explains.

“Yeah, we’ll be alright. It’s only two deliveries today; I can’t imagine it will be all that difficult. While you guys are out, Remus and I can clean up here,” Sirius offers.

“Perfect, thanks, Padfoot. We’ll get our stuff packed up and head out in 20.”

Just as James had said, twenty minutes later Regulus is sitting in the passenger seat of his truck. Now for the second day in a row, Regulus watches James finish packing the last Cambro box in the back of the truck. This time, James is the one heading to the driver's side. James clicks his seatbelt on before gripping the steering wheel. Then he turns to Regulus with a smile, “Ready to head out?”

To which Regulus nods, “Alright then.” James starts the truck and backs out of the Marauders' compound.

Regulus finds it a bit strange to be alone with James like this; it’s not bad, just different. At least at work he always has something to keep his hands busy. Regulus picks at the grown-out nail polish on his fingernails. He’s trying to keep himself busy. He doesn't know what to talk about in order to fill the awkward space.

Thankfully, James is an expert at filling the silence. He can tell from Regulus’ movements that he’s nervous. So he does what he does best, flipping on the charm. James starts, “So, how did you like the delivery to the stadium, Reg?” He asks politely, making conversation.

“It was alright; Sirius was being… well, Sirius. We were late on the drop-off, but he did take me round the rugby pitch. It was incredible to see in person.” Regulus answers back.

James’ face lightens up to the subject change. “Are you a fan of rugby?”

“Not really; I’ve watched a few matches with my roommate Barty. He’s a big fan of the Slytherin team. I can’t say I understand the appeal, but I think I prefer the Slytherin team if I had to choose. Plus the Slytherin team colours are better compared to the Gryffindor ones,” Regulus expresses reluctantly with an undertone of amusement.

“Ahh, of course, you’d favour the only massive rival team; it makes total sense.” James laughs a little. Clearly happy that he’s managed to get Regulus talking. The conversation flows naturally between the pair.

Regulus gives James a mildly apologetic look. “Sorry, I know you’re a huge rugby fan. Quite the Gryffindor supporter, or so I’ve been told.”

“That’s alright; it just means I’m going to have to take you to a few matches. See if I can change your mind. Gryffindor is clearly the superior team.” James says in a playful tone, grinning ear to ear.

“I guess you can try, but I won’t be caught dead in a red team jumper,” Regulus counters, visibly looking more relaxed.

“We’ll see about that. Mom’s already got your team jumper in the works. Resistance is futile,” James counters back with no real heat behind the statement.

“I’ve already been warned not to tell Effie ‘no.’ when she’s got her heart set on something, so you might be right on that one.” Regulus chuckles lightly.

“Yeah, that’s probably for the best. She can be quite frightening when she wants to be,” James joins in on the soft laughter.

The pair arrive at their first lunch delivery at half past eleven. James puts the truck in park, and they each grab a Cambro box from the back. James takes the heavier of the two, that being the hot food. They enter the building; James waves a quick ‘hello’ to security, heading down a long hallway into a staff room. Regulus shuffles his feet to keep up with James’ long strides, two steps for every one of the taller man’s.

Just as Regulus and Sirius had done the day prior, James starts unloading the Cambro box of its contents in neat stacks onto the open counter space. Regulus follows James’ lead, doing the same with his box.

Once finished, James takes the Cambro box Regulus was carrying and stacks it on top of his as they leave back down the hall they came through. A quick nod to security once again, and the pair are on their way, climbing back into the truck.

“So, did your brother get the chance to invite you round to our place tomorrow night?” James asks, looking to Regulus a moment before turning his attention back to the road.

“No, he hadn’t mentioned anything,” Regulus remarks. In a curious tone, he questions, “Was he meant to? Is that why Friday is such a small crew?”

“Yeah, we’re celebrating; that’s why it's a short day.” James starts, “Sirius was meant to tell you about it; we’re going to grab a few drinks at ours before we head to the bars.” James finishes looking at Regulus again.

“Celebrating? What are you celebrating?” Regulus watches the cars pass as they sit stopped at a red light. “A birthday. Wanna tag along?” James offers not giving Regulus much information to work with.

“Depends, whose birthday?”

"Mine," James responds with a smile, pressing on the gas as the light turns green.

"Oh, I wasn't aware it was your birthday tomorrow."

"Well, if we're being technical, my birthday was on Monday. My family celebrated last Sunday because this week was going to be a busy one. Padfoot and I decided to hold off until this weekend to party." James explains pulling into their second delivery location.

Regulus turns his full attention to James, feeling somewhat guilty, "I'm sorry, I had no idea I missed it. Happy belated birthday, James."

James chuckles, "Thank you, but there's no need to apologise; how could you have known?"

"I guess that's true, but—" Regulus starts.

"Really, it’s alright, Reg. If I wanted to make a big deal out of it, I would have,” James cuts in.

“Fair enough,” Regulus pauses. “Are you sure you want me there? Considering yesterday and all.” Before Regulus' mind could run away with his thoughts, James answered. "Come out with us; don’t make me beg."

“I don’t know; I usually only go out to bars with Barty and Evan.” Regulus ponders.

“You can bring them with you; I don’t mind. You know most of the people who are going to be there anyway,” James offers. “Think about it at least,” James says as he exits the truck.

“Okay, I’ll think about it.” Regulus follows the motion and meets James at the truck bed. Just as they had at the last location, the pair carry the Cambro boxes into the business.

Regulus watches as James strolls confidently up to the reception desk and greets the secretary politely, “Hello, I’m with Marauders Catering and Services; we’ve brought your delivery. Where would you like us to set it up?”

“Finally, follow me.” Looking mildly annoyed, the secretary stands from his chair and leads the pair into a conference room.

“You can leave them here and show yourselves out when you’re done.” The man instructs impatiently before scurrying back to his desk.

Regulus is the first to begin stacking the lunch boxes into piles; he thinks about the conversation he had with Barty and Evan last night. He considers what they might say to him if he were to tell James ‘no.’.

Barty would say, ‘Reggie, you’re hopeless. He invited you out, and you told him you’d think about it. That was your chance, you complete idiot.’ Adding something overtly sexual that would make Regulus roll his eyes.

Evan would also be disappointed, ‘We’ve talked about this, Reg; you really need to consider stepping out of your comfort zone more often. Plus, we could all use a night out.’.

Regulus couldn’t deny that his friends made a strong argument: He should at least try to make an effort. He clears his throat, “Hypothetically, if I were to say ‘yes.’. What time should I show up?”

James looks up from the few boxes he has placed into neat stacks. James’ grin mixes into something mischievous: “10:30 is what I would say; that is if you were interested in coming. Hypothetically, of course.”

"And if I were to attend, is there anything you would like me to bring?" Regulus does his best to keep his expression neutral but can feel his lips curl slightly. However, he doesn’t fight it much when he feels himself leaning into the playful atmosphere.

“Since this is a totally hypothetical situation,” James begins, taking notice of Regulus’ interest.

“Purely hypothetical,” Regulus confirms, allowing the cheeky grin to spread across his face.

“I would say, ‘No need to bring a single thing but your pretty little self.’.” James finishes with a hint of flirtation in his tone.

Regulus turns back to the boxes, stacking his last one on the pile. With the empty Cambro box in hand, he turns to exit through the door they entered.

“Good to know,” Regulus shoots playfully over his shoulder, exiting the room.

As he walks away, Regulus can hear the hurried sounds of James as he scrambles to finish stacking the boxes. Regulus assumes he knocks a few over in the process because he can hear what he can only assume is a string of curse words in Spanish. The thought of James rushing to catch up to him stirs something in Regulus.

Once outside, Regulus waits for James, his shoulder pressed into the tailgate as he leans on the truck. Regulus watches as James exits the building with a bound in his step. James’ face is a little red, and his breathing reflects his rush.

Regulus pushes away from the tailgate with the same cheeky expression he had when leaving the room. James approaches with a new vigour; he opens the tailgate and places his Cambro box inside. Regulus does the same with his box, letting his and James’ elbows brush intentionally as he does so.

When Regulus steps away, James slams the tailgate and looks to Regulus, “Shall we?” To which, Regulus nods.

Once the pair are situated in the truck again, James fires off a quick text message to Sirius. “Looks like Moony and Padfoot are finished. We can head back to the shop to drop off the boxes, and after I can drop you off at yours if you’d like,” James explains, not looking up from his phone as he texts.

“Yeah, I would. Thank you, James.”

James smiles brightly as he starts the truck and puts it in gear. “My pleasure.”

The atmosphere in the close quarters of James’ truck is charged with a pleasant buzzing sensation. There is a possibility that it’s Regulus who is buzzing, but he isn’t certain. He does know for sure that he is content to sit in the space a while longer. James is nice; he’s nice to talk to, he's nice to be around, and he’s nice to look at; it's all just very nice.

Not long after, he can feel it all coming to an end as he directs James towards his flat. When they arrived in front of Regulus' building, he reluctantly opened the door of the truck. "Thank you again," Regulus drops down onto the damp pavement.

"Like I said before, it’s my pleasure; I don't mind." James' wrist slung over the steering wheel casually. "Bye, Reg."

"Goodbye, James," Regulus turns to close the door.

Before Regulus can walk too far from the truck, James has rolled down the passenger side window. He calls out to Regulus. "Hey Reg, you’re going to come tomorrow, right?"

Regulus spins to face James with a mischievous smile, “I guess you’ll just have to wait and see. Goodbye, James.”

Regulus continues toward the flat without another word. He knows James has his iconic smile plastered on his face as he calls out again with a chuckle, “I have a feeling I’ll see you there, but alright. Bye, Reg,” and with that, he drives off down the road.

Regulus is met with a similar scenario to yesterday when he approaches the front door. Cigarette pressed to his lips, Barty is leaning against the door frame in a well-loved leather jacket.

Smoke seeps from Barty’s mouth. “Now that was definitely not your older brother,” he says with a sly smirk.

Regulus approaches Barty on the front step. Regulus stands in front of him; he reaches into Barty’s chest pocket and pulls out the cigarette pack inside. Taking one from the pack, he presses it between his lips. He hands the pack back to Barty. “Light?”

Barty accepts it, then digs his lighter from his jean pocket and lights the end of the cigarette.

Regulus takes a long drag, the smoke billowing out as he responds, “Very observant, Barty.”

Regulus doesn’t smoke often, but he's been known to take a few drags off his friends’ lit cigarettes. It’s not frequent enough to justify buying a pack for himself. Barty and Evan never seem to mind when he nicks a fag or two either. Regulus usually only smokes when he’s had a few drinks, but today he finds himself giving in to his cravings more than usual. His lungs burn in a satisfying kind of way.

“The photos don’t do him justice,” Barty responds, putting his lighter into the pack and back in his pocket.

“Mhmm, I wasn’t lying when I said he was fit,” Regulus smirks before taking another drag.

“You’re in a better mood than usual; anything interesting happen today?” Barty questions hinting at something more.

“The apology went well; you should be proud.”

“Regulus Arcturus Black, you sly dog, I didn’t think you had it in you.” Barty’s expression is now a mix of surprise and amusement.

“Whoa there, down boy, not that proud.” Regulus tries to calm Barty's expectations.

“Fuck, and here I was thinking you made some progress. Weren’t you just saying yesterday that you were open to pursuing him?” Barty finishes his cigarette and flicks it into the wet grass.

Regulus follows suit, dropping the butt on the ground and crushing it under the heel of his boot. Regulus opens the door and heads down the hall towards the flat. “There was some progress; I’ll explain when we get inside. I don’t want to have to explain it twice.” Barty follows Regulus’ lead, “I’ll need your guy’s help with something,” Regulus finishes as they enter their flat.

Barty closes the door behind him and Regulus; they strip off their shoes and coats. “Ev, are you home?” Barty calls into the flat.

The bathroom door swings open, and Evan steps out with a puff of steam. “Yeah, love, I got home a little while ago. What’s going on?” He pulls a t-shirt over his head before he drapes the towel over his wet hair, which sticks up in every direction.

"Our darling Reggie has got some news to share with us: Mr. Dreamy and Totally Off-Limits just dropped off our dearest boy. And apparently, there's more he has to tell us," Barty supplies in a teasing tone as he heads to the lounge to make himself comfortable on the sofa. Regulus curls into the armchair, tucking his feet under himself with an eye roll.

Evan saunters down the hall toward the lounge, plopping down next to Barty. “My, my, you didn’t waste any time, did you, Reg?” Barty takes the towel and finishes drying Evan’s hair.

Regulus groans, “Not you too, Evan. I need you both to be serious for a moment.”

“If you wanted Sirius, you could have called your brother.” Barty laughs.

“Oh, har har. Do you want to know what happened today or not?” Regulus asks in an unamused tone. The pair waits in silence for Regulus to explain.

He gives them a brief recap of the day's events, the apology, the work in the kitchen, and finally the drive home; he finishes with, “And that’s why I was hoping you guys don’t have any plans for tomorrow night. James invited us to his and Sirius’ place for drinks.”

“As much as I’d love to watch you make a fool of yourself in front of a hot guy, I, unfortunately, have a shift at the Leaky Cauldron tomorrow night,” Barty laments.

Evan enthuses, “I’m free; count me in. It’s unfair that Barty got to see James in person before I did.”

“And this is why Evan is my favourite.” Regulus stands from the armchair and walks out of the lounge and down the hall. “Come on, I need help picking out something to wear.” He calls for the two roommates to follow.

“Fuck yeah, now we're talking.” Evan excitedly jumps off the couch and barrels around the corner and down the hall following Regulus.

Barty takes his time as he joins the other two, spreading out on Regulus’ bed and watching the pair dig through his closet. He lays on his stomach with his chin propped up on his hand.

Evan pulls a long, flowy sleeve shirt with a high, snug collar from one of the hangers. “What about this one?”

“Hmm, I don’t know,” Regulus makes a face.

“Try it on; that's the point of this whole thing," Barty insists, drawing circles in the air with his finger.

Regulus rolls his eyes and strips off his work shirt, tossing it to the corner of his room. He pulls the shirt on and turns in a circle. “Happy?”

“Hmm, no, you look like a sexy nun,” Barty comments.

"Aren't we going for sexy?" Evan questions looking at Barty.

"Sexy, yes. Sexy nun, no," Barty explains, giving his boyfriend an unimpressed look.

Regulus groans as he pulls the shirt over his head and tosses it on the floor. Evan hands him another shirt to try on. It’s a sheer black short-sleeved shirt with buttons down the front. Regulus slips it on and buttons it up, leaving the top two buttons undone.

“I don’t hate that,” Evan offers, looking at Regulus up and down.

“It’s not bad, but we’re going for ‘sexy,' not ‘whore.’” Barty counters, gesturing to the fact that Regulus' nipple piercings are visibly glinting in the light through his shirt.

“Fair enough.” Evan turns back to the closet; he starts to dig again. “Do you own anything that isn't black or green? We need to start introducing you to some more colours, Reg. This is almost sad.”

“I can’t help that I look good in green. Plus Black is a family tradition,” Regulus offers with a shrug.

Evan emerges from the closet again with a cropped Smiths t-shirt, something Regulus thrifted a few years back. Evan holds the shirt up. “This is cute. Can I borrow this?”

“Yeah, I don’t mind. Here, wear this one with it.” Regulus grabs a soft forest green flannel from a pile and hands it to Evan. “See, you just get me. Thanks, Reg.”

“Alright, I’m over this.” Barty stands up from the bed and walks to the closet. “Out of the way.” The pair stagger to the side to make room in the closet for him to dig. Clothes are thrown in every direction, and Regulus will have a hell of a time picking it all up.

After a moment of digging, Barty tosses a baggy pair of black cargo pants at Regulus' head. “This one, and where’s the—” “Hey! Watch it!” Regulus’ shouts fall on deaf ears.

Barty is in the zone. “Aha! There it is.” He then turns, holding up a black long-sleeve shirt. “Try that.”

Mildly annoyed, Regulus strips off his work pants to pull on the cargo ones. Barty tosses him the shirt, and he slips it over his head.

The shirt has a bit of a flow in the sleeves with the back centre cut out. It hugs his shoulders and sides. With the shirt’s cutout, almost all of Regulus’ planetary back tattoos can be seen. With the right accessories, it’s an outfit that can go from a nice evening out to clubbing very easily. Regulus is impressed as he turns to face his full-length mirror.

“This is quite good. Well done, Barty.” Regulus offers; he's checking himself out, and he does a little spin, genuinely impressed at Barty's choice.

“Yeah, darling. You did wonderfully.” Evan kisses Barty softly before joining Regulus in the mirror. Although Barty enjoys giving Regulus a hard time, he is still a great friend that comes through when he needs it the most.

Regulus knew when he talked with James about the party that it wasn’t all that hypothetical because he had every intention of attending. Nevertheless, looking at his reflection in the mirror, Regulus feels as though it truly is turning into reality.

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littlestpan · 4 months ago

Text

Service With a Smile

James Potter x Regulus Black (Slow Burn)

A/N: Hello lovelies, here's chapter four! You can also find fan fiction on AO3 if you want to read ahead.

Chapter 3 (here) | Chapter 4 (You're here) | Chapter 5 (here)

Chapter 4: The Arbitrary Rule

Regulus wouldn’t consider himself a religious man; however, his first two weeks of work had him praying for the weekend. At the end of every day, he would come home with aching feet and vow that he’d never return. And every day his alarm clock would ring, and he would find himself back in the Marauders’ kitchen.

The work in the kitchen is divided based on experience; each member has a few jobs they excel at. When it comes to boxing meals, deliveries, and events, the crew works together as a team.

Effie is in charge of all the scheduling, bookkeeping, and social networking. She ensures the Marauders crew always has a wide variety of interesting events to cater, which keeps things fun in the kitchen.

From a distance, Monty oversees the day-to-day function of the kitchen. He also skilfully translates the bookings Effie finds into physical menus. If there is ever a problem, Monty knows someone who can fix it.

James is wonderful at taking the lead in the kitchen; he delegates tasks and organises the Gryffindor game day meal, which consists of over seven hundred meals, including players, reserves, coaches, and volunteer staff.

Sirius is great with events; he is brilliant with people, often taking the lead when serving high-end banquets, fundraisers, and corporate events.

Remus is in charge of the hot food, and he expertly handles the two ovens with ease. As if it were second nature, everything Remus does is based on pure instinct. He knows exactly when to put one thing in and pull out another; his timing is incredible.

Peter focuses primarily on keeping the kitchen functioning from the dish pit. He oversees the ordering and stocking of cooler and dry storage; without Peter, the kitchen would have nothing to cook.

Marlene is in charge of smoking meats and cooking the larger briskets and roasts. From time to time she likes to compete in BBQ competitions and has earned the Marauders three first-place titles.

There are also a handful of part-time staff who come in to help during the busy season, one example being Lily. Regulus, however, isn’t quite sure where he fits into the kitchen's dynamic as a whole.

The prospect of starting his third week of work left him feeling less enthusiastic. Regulus didn’t hate the job; he rather enjoyed it. He took pleasure in sharing laughter with the crew, acquiring a fresh skill every day, and bonding with his brother. But the hours were long, and the work had an element of physical labour he didn’t anticipate. He dreaded coming to work; however, once there, he seemed to rather enjoy his time. In fact, over the last two weeks, Regulus has found himself warming up to the crew. To his surprise, seeing James every day also carried a certain allure, beyond just enjoying his pretty face. On some level, Regulus can tell that James also enjoys his company.

Arriving in the kitchen in the early mornings, Regulus is like a moody cat. He blames it on the chilly air circulating in the space. It seems that the majority of the staff are naturally warm-blooded, unlike Regulus, who is freezing in his short-sleeved shirt. Yet another reason to dread coming to work. However, it's easily remedied by their lenient rules surrounding the dress code. This is apparent in the creative liberties taken by each staff member with their uniform. The nicknames stitched on their chef coats, for example. Regulus has also taken a more lax approach, opting for a more baggy work shirt in order to fit a tight long-sleeve black shirt underneath for warmth.

Despite all the fun and excitement that come with working for Marauders Catering, it still comes with its drawbacks. Learning the ropes in the dish pit with Peter made Regulus painfully aware of how much he loathed cleaning dishes. Peter, however, seemed to handle the area with a level of command and finesse, which Regulus found rather impressive.

Peter is about four inches taller than Regulus with mousy blonde hair. It's clear to anyone who cares to notice: Peter is a bigger guy. Matched with a witty personality, his size makes Peter all that more attractive; he wears it well. Peter is funny; that's one of the first thoughts that crosses Regulus’ mind. He’s able to push Sirius’ buttons in a way that brings a wave of laughter over the kitchen. When he’s not goofing about, Peter is quietly minding his business in the dish pit.

Regulus detests working in the dish pit because of how his hands are in a constant state of being both wet and dry. By the end of the day, his shirt smelt strongly of dishwater, so strong that it felt as though it was seeping into his bones. The solution is the cologne he has started keeping in his work locker, a tiny bit of advice that was given to him by Peter. There is no way Regulus would ever willingly wander around smelling of dishes, especially when considering James' lack of awareness of other people's personal space.

Not to mention, like clockwork, the moment he has finished catching up with the teetering tower of dishes, James Potter would come brushing past with more dishes to be washed. Not even his pretty face and witty charm could save James from the seething frustration Regulus felt in those moments. A thought that seemed to take the edge off was that he knew that James didn’t seem the type to do such a thing on purpose. His brother, however, seemed to get some pleasure from making Regulus suffer only a little. A soup ladle or a sauce spoon dragged across the freshly cleaned dish pit seems to irritate Regulus to no end. Which only seemed to please his brother more.

By far the most irksome drawback of the kitchen is that Regulus swears that everything was designed for giants. The kitchen tools above every station, the tall storage shelves in the dry storage, and the ones in the walk-in coolers. Even the tables of their workstations fall around waist height. It shouldn’t surprise Regulus as much as it does simply because every member of the staff is taller than him. With the exception of his own brother, who would argue his massive mere two inches of height he has on Regulus are worth mentioning.

Yet, the Black brothers shared solidarity when it came to their short stature. Knowing he was no help, Regulus would often empathetically watch his brother struggle to reach something off one of the high shelves. Only for Remus to come to his rescue, helping the shorter man with whatever was out of his grasp. It was obvious to any onlooker that there was something more waiting to be discovered between the pair. Whereas, with Regulus and Remus, the gesture was a sharp contrast between him and his brother. Towards Regulus, the action was one of kindness, Remus' intention purely compassionate to his shortcomings; for his brother, the gesture held something more.

Nevertheless, Regulus would occasionally find himself helplessly waiting when something was out of reach. He would just quietly stare at whatever it was because he was too prideful to ask for assistance. Waiting patiently for one of the taller men to notice and come to his aid.

The one and only time Regulus attempted to crawl onto the counter to retrieve what he needed on his own, he could hear Peter and James laughing across the kitchen. Embarrassed, he flipped the pair off before hopping down and going back to his work, his face hot.

Regulus found himself wondering what Sirius ever did before Remus; the man was a tall blessing, that was for certain. That query was quickly answered with James stepping into his space.

At around 6’2”, James stood almost a foot taller than Regulus, his athletic chest pressing into Regulus' shoulder. James reaches over Regulus' head to retrieve a cutting board from over his station. The taller man’s pretty mouth curls into a smile as he places it in front of Regulus; he asks, “Was that what you wanted?”

A soft blush dusting his cheeks, Regulus mutters a quiet, “Thank you, James.”

“There’s no need to thank me, Reg,” James brushes a hand over Regulus’ back before sidestepping to his own workstation. Although he would never say it out loud, he likes that James has started to call him by the nickname, 'Reg.'. It rolls so nicely off of James’ tongue.

With the warm feeling of James’ hand lingering on his skin, he watches James move until he sees Lily Evans pop out of nowhere. She invades the space between James and Regulus, pulling at the sleeve of James’ chef coat.

Lily is petite in comparison to Effie yet taller than Regulus. Her ginger curls are pulled into a loose bun at the base of her neck. Her eyes are a deep emerald colour, and her cheeks are dusted with freckles. Lily has a green cardigan pulled over her work shirt; she often fiddles with a loose thread on the sleeve as she listens. Regulus has only worked a handful of shifts with Lily. Nevertheless, he can tell she’s smart as a whip, with equal parts kind and charismatic.

“James,” she starts, stretching his name sweetly. “I need your help with something in the back,” she finishes with a smile. James drops what he’s doing once again, turning his attention to Lily, “Yeah, sure. What do you need?” He asks, smiling down at her. Regulus watches the interaction intently with a sour taste in his mouth.

A moment later, Marlene rounds the corner from the dining hall. “Did you find Prongs, Lils?” She enquires, poking her head around the doorframe.

Marlene has sharp blue eyes and freckles, her shaggy blond hair tied into a half ponytail, the longer bits falling on her shoulders. She has the short sleeves of her Marauders work shirt rolled over her shoulders. Regulus has realised over the last few weeks they’ve worked together that she’s confident with a carefree nature. It makes sense why she and James get along so well; both are clearly good with people.

“Well, technically we need your help. Come on,” Lily corrects herself before she ushers James out the door towards Marlene.

He wants to like Lily; he’s really trying his best, but he can’t help but dislike her for some reason. A more intelligent man than Regulus would discern that it must have something to do with the closeness between her and James. The way she calls his name in a light, playful tone when they joke around. The witty banter between the pair makes Regulus’ skin crawl. It shouldn’t bother him as much as it does, because Lily is sweet, and obviously James is too cocky for someone like her. They don’t make a good fit, Regulus tells himself. Regulus watches the pair exit the kitchen, and when he turns his attention back to his work, he catches a knowing yet sympathetic glance from Remus before they both return to their work.

Regulus likes Remus, not in the same way his brother likes him, but he can understand why Sirius does. Remus has a calm and compassionate nature; he’s very intelligent and resourceful. He’s by far the tallest person in the kitchen, even taller than James and twice as pretty. Similar to James, Remus is also tanned. Remus’ complexion is more deep and rich like the harvest moon. The only major difference being the long scars that track diagonally across his face. His hands and lower arms are also covered in scars of varying lengths. A lighter shade on his skin, they look as though they had faded with time. Remus isn’t bothered by them; it’s very apparent in the way he carries himself and doesn’t shy away from stares. Although he has only been with the Marauders for a little under a year, he has at least four years of kitchen experience under his belt, and it shows.

~~~

It wasn’t until the middle of Regulus' third week working for the Potters that Sirius succeeded in getting his brother alone to talk. Since his first day, Regulus has managed to strategically evade his brother’s incessant need to seek out and fix every issue between them. He can tell his brother is plotting something.

The crew stood circled round the centre, sandwiched tables, discussing the game plan for making deliveries. Sirius, Remus, and Peter sit on Peter’s workstation. Marlene leans with her forearms folded on Sirius’ and Remus’ side of the workstation. Standing next to Marlene is Lily.

Effie and Monty stand shoulder to shoulder at the head of the tables. Worksheets are spread over the end of James' and Remus' stations. Each sheet has the information of every order, customer name, addresses, contact information, and a detailed list of the food requested.

“Alright,” Effie starts, pulling a pencil from her high ponytail. “I think it’s about time that we start taking Regulus on deliveries; it will be beneficial for you to learn how we do food drop-offs,” she finishes scanning the pages.

Regulus perks up to his name being mentioned, nodding along with a hint of excitement.

“Things are going to start picking up around here pretty fast. It’s best if you learn as much as you can before then,” Monty adds with a nod.

Over the past three weeks, he has watched the other staff members be sent out of the kitchen on what Sirius has dubbed “little adventures.” Every time the crew would circle the tables, Regulus hoped he’d hear his name and finally get the chance to tag along. And every time Regulus was left behind, a minor flurry of envy would spark inside him. He didn’t hate hanging back at the kitchen with Remus and Peter; even so, he was annoyed the rest of the crew got to leave.

Effie jots names down on the sheets before sliding them over to each person. “Mi corazón, can you take this one to the Ministry? I’m headed to St. Mungo's Hospital to deliver and meet with the head about that one thing." She tries to articulate the thought, but it disappears before she can.

“Yes, mi vida, I can handle the ministry. You’re thinking of the fundraiser,” Monty finishes, reaching for the paper. “Yes, of course. What would I do without you, Flea?” Effie looks up from the pages to place a quick peck on his cheek.

Regulus had never seen a couple as in love as Effie and Monty. Married for over thirty years and business partners for almost half that. Monty’s quiet, carefree nature complements Effie’s enthusiastic organisation. Two halves of a whole with more love and care in their pinkies and willing to share it with the world.

“To the stadium as usual, mi sol,” Effie slides the page in front of James. “It's a bigger delivery; you should take someone with you,” Monty interjects.

James turns his gaze to Regulus as he asks, “Regulus, do you want—” Then Sirius cuts him off before James can finish, “Effie, would it be alright if I took the food to the stadium this time?”

Effie looks up at Sirius, who is now making the sweetest puppy dog eyes Regulus has ever seen. Regulus is a little shocked his brother had it in him. With a sigh, Effie turns to James, “Would that be alright with you, mi sol?” James smiles at his mother, “Ok, mamá, no hay problema.” Regulus’ eyes are naturally drawn to James as he speaks. He has a look of mild disappointment crossing his face like a flash of lightning, almost too fast for Regulus to catch.

Monty interjects again. “No way, you troublemakers aren’t allowed on deliveries together, remember?” He chuckles.

Sirius responds in faux outrage, “What? I’m no such thing. Soy un ángel.” Sirius raises his hand to draw an invisible halo above his head with a smirk. That earns a laugh from the rest of the crew, and Regulus can tell there’s a story there. He makes a mental note to ask Sirius later.

After the laughter quiets, Regulus looks to his brother again; Sirius is giving him the look. A feeling twists in his chest then drops to his stomach as the wheels in his head begin to turn. The look on Sirius’ face: he knows all too well what awaits him; Sirius wants to talk.

Sirius hops off the table and then stretches himself over his station to pluck the page from in front of James. “You’ve nothing to worry about, Monty; I’m taking Reggie,” Sirius offers as he wanders back over to his spot between Remus and Peter.

“Slight problem there, Padfoot; the delivery is too big for your car,” Remus chimes in, leaning into Sirius’ space, resting with his palm behind them for support.

“Not you too; you’re meant to be on my side, Moony,” Sirius whines as he leans his head back onto Remus’ shoulder.

“I never said I wasn’t, Padfoot; Prongs’ truck is big enough to transport all the food in one trip,” Remus reasons with a chuckle. “Brilliant as always, Moony. We’ll take Prongs’ truck,” Sirius beams, whipping his head to look at James. “James,” Sirius pleads, making the puppy dog eyes once again.

“Alright, Padfoot, enough with the face,” James says; Regulus notices that he’s back to his cheery self. He reaches into the front pocket of his jeans and gently tosses his keys over to Sirius, “Catch.” Remus reacts faster than Sirius; he plucks the keys from the air in a swift movement. He opens his palm, face up, offering the keys to Sirius, who takes them grinning ear to ear.

Effie waits patiently for the crew to settle before she continues. “Marlene, you’re fine with your normal route?” She questions as she begins to slide the sheet across the metal surface of the table. “Mhmm, got it covered, Effie,” she confirms, sliding the paper the rest of the way towards herself.

“Lily, do you think you can deliver to the electric company?” Effie questions, looking up to speak with Lily. “Uh, yeah,” Lily says with an uneasy look. Effie begins to slide the sheet forward until Lily begins again, “Um, Effie, would I be able to bring someone with me as well?” She questions with a bit of hesitation. Regulus looks to James as though he already knows where this is going, feeling a hint of jealousy.

“It’s not a very big delivery.” Effie says, glancing at the sheet before she enquires, “Is there something the matter?” Then Marlene perks up, with a frustrated expression, “Is handsy Hank still giving you a hard time?” To which Lily nods. Regulus’ jealousy quickly shifts to a surge of empathy; Lily is very pretty; it’s unfortunate but comes as no surprise she’s forced to deal with unwanted advances. Regulus isn’t unfamiliar with the feeling of warding off creeps.

“Fuckin’ perv,” Marlene swears. “I gave him a right good talking to when we went last time, but it doesn’t seem to make a difference. Maybe you can send Prongs with Lils; some muscle might make a difference,” Marlene finishes, looking at Effie.

“Good idea. Mi sol, you and Lily can finish the electric company and these two,” Effie hands the sheets to James. She looks to Lily, “If you have any more issues, you don’t hesitate to call me; I’ll make sure it doesn’t happen again.”

Effie turns to the three men still perched on Peter’s workstation. “Remus, Pete, are you alright finishing clean up round here? It’ll be a short day tomorrow, so I don’t have much for you either.” Remus nods, and Peter gives Effie a thumbs up. “Good, off you pop, everyone.” She dismisses the staff; they all make their way in a horde toward the staff locker room to retrieve their coats before congregating in the kitchen once again.

The crew works together moving cambro boxes from the raised pallets in the walk-in cooler. James and Sirius work perfectly in tandem, filling the back of Effie's SUV and then assisting Monty. In separate vehicles, Effie and Monty are the first to leave the compound with the furthest distances to travel.

Regulus does his best to be helpful in carrying a box to Marlene's vehicle. Once finished, Marlene is the next to drive out of the compound.

Regulus enters the building as his brother is going out with a Cambro box. “Not many left now,” Sirius calls after him. “Okay,” he calls back.

When Regulus rounds the corner into the kitchen, he can hear Lily and James laughing. Lily exits the walk-in cooler with a Cambro box and a smile.

Regulus can feel the jealousy begin to rise again as he tries to smile back. He walks into the cooler, and James greets him, smiling, “Hey Reg, excited to finally get to see what it’s like to head out on deliveries?” Regulus mutters, “Hi, yeah,” before he reaches for a Cambro box.

James reaches down to help Regulus lift the box. “Maybe next time you and I can head out on a little adventure together,” he offers. Regulus grows more frustrated as James lifts the box from his grasp. “I bet you’d have more fun with Lily on your ‘little adventure.’.” His tone hinted at his annoyance. “I’ve got it, James,” he finishes, pulling the box away aggressively. Regulus then pushes past James, then his brother, who is walking into the cooler.

Sirius enters with a confused expression as Regulus makes his way to James’ truck outside. Sirius looks to James, questioning, “What—what did you say to him, Prongs?” Looking equal parts confused and concerned, James confesses, “I didn’t say anything, Padfoot; I don’t know what I said wrong.”

After placing the box into the back of the truck, Regulus heads to the passenger side door, he opens it, and hops inside. He lets out a frustrated sigh. That was stupid; he didn’t mean to do that. Regulus wasn’t intentionally being a jerk to James. It kind of slipped out, and now he’s here sitting in James’ truck.

James has a very nice truck; it's big and red, it has a spacious backseat, and the truck bed has a cover. The interior is clean; it smells fresh with a hint of James’ cologne. In the side mirror, he watches Sirius and James approach; they’re talking as they pile the last of the boxes into the truck bed.

James waves as he heads over to Sirius’ car, where Lily waits, and Sirius climbs into the cab of the truck. “Reggie,” he greets as he moves the seat forward until his feet touch the pedals. “Siri,” he greets back, trying to sound less annoyed with himself.

Sirius clears his throat as he adjusts his mirrors and questions, “I’ve noticed you’ve been a little off since your first shift. Does that have anything to do with what just happened?” Sirius puts the key in the ignition and starts the truck. Regulus knew this conversation was bound to happen, but why did it have to happen now, especially after he was a jerk to James? “There’s nothing to tell,” Regulus tries to convince his brother as he watches James back out of his spot and out of the compound.

“Reggie,” Sirius says, knowing his brother too well. “Siri,” he deadpans back. Sirius gives Regulus a long look, then turns the truck off.

“Nope.”

“Siri, no.” Running his hands over his face, annoyed.

“Nope, you’re going to tell me what’s wrong, or we're not going anywhere,” Sirius folds his hands in his lap.

“Sirius, we're at work; we don’t have time for this,” Regulus tells his brother.

“Then you better start talking,” he responds, picking at his nail polish, unfazed. “Something has definitely been up with you, Reggie. If it's something I can help with, I need you to tell me,” Sirius assures.

“If I do, will you drive?” Regulus asks hoping Sirius will meet him halfway. “Yes,” he starts the truck again, putting it in reverse.

“James,” Regulus pauses.

Sirius backs out of the spot and starts towards the gate before he stops again. “Yeah, what did he say to you?”

“No, nothing. It was— Je me sens stupide. It was just me being… me. James is probably mad.” Regulus confesses, covering his face with his hands again.

“Oh Reggie, I don’t think you should beat yourself up about it. James is a big boy; you just need to talk to him. He’s very forgiving; maybe apologise and tell him what’s going on. He was very confused.” He rubs Regulus’ shoulder in a comforting motion before he pulls out of the compound. Regulus drops his hands and nods.

They’re quiet for a moment while Regulus collects his thoughts. “Can I ask you something I’ve been meaning to?”

Sirius watches the road as he drives. “Yeah, of course. What’s on your mind?”

Regulus blurts out, “What’s with the no-dating rule?” The question hangs in the air for a moment while Sirius thinks. “Mmm, I’m not sure how to approach this. Why do you ask?”

“Well, you’ve mentioned it before, and I was wondering if there’s an exception to the rule?” Regulus explains. “An exception? What do you mean?” He gives Regulus a confused look.

“James and Lily.” Sirius burst out laughing, “Prongs and Lils? Reggie, do you think Prongs and Lils are dating?”

“What’s so funny? Aren’t they a couple?” Regulus feels his heart rate rise and his stomach flip; he brushes it off as anxiety.

When Sirius’ laughter calms a little, he turns to his brother, “No, not even close. James and Lily have been friends since they were in nappies. But Prongs is the reason the rule exists in the first place.”

“James is the reason. What do you mean? I don’t understand.” Regulus gives his brother a confused look.

“I probably shouldn’t be telling you this because it’s not my place. Just to clarify, I’m only telling you because I know Prongs, and he’d be alright with it. But only because you’re important to me.” Sirius explains with a hard look.

“When we were about twenty-two, Prongs fell head over heels for a newly hired temp worker. Effie and Monty had hired them for the summer; the set term was three months. When Prongs falls for someone, he falls hard. At the end of the term, they moved on, and Prongs didn’t. It took us almost a year to get him back on his feet.”

Regulus isn’t too sure how to process the information. “Okay? But how did that turn into a no-dating rule?” Regulus questions again.

“Well, it caused a lot of problems for all of us in the kitchen. It threw the whole place into chaos without Prongs there. When they left, it tore the poor bloke to shreds. He needed time away from the kitchen, time to heal. He spent a lot of hours working at the stadium.” Sirius explains as they pull into the back of said stadium.

Sirius puts the truck in park as he continues, “It was my idea; it’s not an actual rule. You see, as his best mate, it was my job to make sure it never happens again. Thus, the no-dating-in-the-kitchen rule was born.” Regulus nods as though the pieces are falling into place.

“It didn’t seem like a bad idea at the time; I wanted to present a united front. I’ve always been… Well, you know—” “A Whore?” Regulus cuts in.

“Hey! I was going to say, generous with love.” Sirius tries to defend himself, and Regulus laughs as they exit the truck.

“You’re telling me the best thing you could come up with is some arbitrary rule about no dating in the kitchen and throwing yourself in there for solidarity?” Regulus clarifies as he opens the tailgate.

“Yeah, pretty much,” Sirius confirms as he pulls a hand trolley from out of the bed of the truck.

“You’ve essentially mucked up the whole situation, rendering yourself and James off-limits.” Regulus muses.

“Well, when you put it that way, it sounds bad. Prongs is my best mate. What was I meant to do?” Sirius whines, lifting a box on the trolley.

“You’ve never been the type to follow the rules, Siri. Plus, Remus is a fit bloke. I think he’s worth breaking the rules for.” Regulus smirks, lifting another box onto the trolley.

“Regulus. Arcturus. Black. Don’t you even think about it.” Sirius tells his brother, swatting at his arm.

Regulus laughs, “I’m just saying. Am I wrong though? You’d climb that mountain of a man in a heartbeat given the chance.”

Sirius groans in response because he knows Regulus is not wrong. Remus is exactly his type, down to his deep brown eyes and fluffy hair. “Exactly,” Regulus responds.

“I’m right fucked, aren’t I?” Sirius questions in a tone that sounds as though he already knows the answer. “Deeply,” Regulus responds, smirking again.

The brothers pack the rest of the boxes onto the trolley. Before leaving, Sirius hops back into the cab of the truck, muttering something about “badges,” before slamming the door shut and joining Regulus in pulling the heavy trolley toward the stadium doors.

Once they reach the door, Sirius loops a lanyard with a badge on it around Regulus’ neck, then one around his own. Regulus looks down at the badge; it’s Gryffindor red with the team logo, and it has his name on it with a photo of his face smiling. He doesn’t question it. “It’s meant to be a surprise, but I know how much you hate surprises.” Sirius starts.

“James will be bringing you round here more often come the first week of April. You get to meet the team and feed the players lunch three times a week. Monty and I usually handle the breakfasts. Marlene was more than happy to offer up her spot. Don’t think she can handle another romantic proposition from those meatheads. Not the smartest lot if they can’t tell she fancies girls.” Sirius swipes his badge and opens the door.

Regulus drops the badge and pulls the trolley through the door. “Thanks for the heads up, Siri.”

Once inside the building, Sirius directs Regulus to an lift. He presses the call button; when the doors open, he steps inside with the trolley. They ride it down a few floors before it opens again. Sirius steps out first, pulling the trolley with one hand as he checks his phone. Regulus helps from behind, pushing.

“Looks like we're a little behind schedule, but the players normally are too,” Sirius says, popping his phone back in his pocket and wandering down the hall towards a double door. “This is the players' lounge; it’s where you’ll be feeding the players,” Sirius explains as he swipes his badge again. Pulling the door open, he holds it for Regulus to enter first.

The room is large and square; there's a half kitchen that’s spread along the main wall. It has cabinets, a double sink, a full-size fridge, two coffee makers, a countertop water cooler, and an ice machine. A full breakfast bar that could easily fit twenty grown men that separates the kitchen from the rest of the space. On the other side of the breakfast bar are several round tables with chairs. Behind the tables are multiple long couches that face a wall of TVs. Tucked in the corner next to the bathroom is a billiards table. There's a small staff area at the end of the kitchen with a pillar that hides it partly from view.

“Friendly blokes, most of them; a few prima donnas, but you’ve got experience with those,” Sirius says before striking a pose. Regulus laughs at his brother, “You’re not wrong about that one.”

Sirius laughs as he makes his way to the breakfast bar, “We stack the lunch boxes here. Normally it's a hot meal, full service with chafers, but they’ve got a busy day, so it's just boxes today.” He explains as he opens the Cambro boxes and starts placing boxed lunches in neat stacks. Regulus joins his brother making another neat stack next to Sirius’.

The brothers finish emptying the Cambro boxes on the table; around one hundred twenty boxes are stacked in neat stacks. Sirius loads the empty Cambro boxes back onto the trolley and parks it near the door they entered. “Come on, I’ve got something to show you,” he tells his brother, leading him back through the kitchen towards the door in the staff area. Sirius swipes his badge before opening the door and entering a long, tunnel-like hallway. “Siri, where are you taking me? This doesn’t look like somewhere we’re meant to be.” Regulus replies in a hushed tone.

Sirius grabs his brother’s wrist before dragging him along down the hallway. “Oh, stop your whining; it will be worth it. I promise.”

Without another word, Sirius brings Regulus to a larger hallway with massive metal doors. Sirius drops his brother’s arm to push the doors open. He walks out with Regulus lagging behind. “Siri, what is this place?” “Come see for yourself!” Sirius calls as he begins to jog down the hallway; there’s a bright light at the end.

Regulus rolls his eyes before he picks up his pace to follow his brother. Before he knows it, the hallway opens onto a rugby pitch. It’s one of the most amazing experiences; despite not being a rugby fan, Regulus likes the view of the wide-open field, the large stadium, and the smile on Sirius’ face as he watches Regulus.

Regulus is at a loss for words. “Siri, this is incredible.” He pulls his phone from his pocket and snaps a photo to send to the roommate group chat. Barty is going to be so jealous.

Sirius slings an arm over Regulus’ shoulder. “Quite brilliant, isn’t it? It's worth getting into a little trouble for, hey?” He shakes his brother a little.

A look of worry shifts in place of Regulus’ look of awe, “What do you mean trouble? Siri, are we not meant to be out here?”

Sirius chuckles before turning back to the hall and heading back inside. Regulus panics and follows, a quickness in his step. “Sirius! This isn’t funny; are we going to get in trouble?”

Sirius doesn’t respond until they’re back in the players' lounge. He stops in his tracks and reaches for Regulus’ badge before flipping it over. “Relax a little, Reggie; I was only joking. These are all access badges; we can go anywhere in the stadium, within reason.” Regulus makes an annoyed face as they make their way back to James’ truck.

Once the Cambros are packed away, Sirius hops into the cab, checking his phone. “Looks like we're done for the day; everyone has headed home. I can drop you round yours if you’d like.” “Yeah, if you wouldn’t mind,” Regulus replies as he pulls his seat belt on.

The ride to Regulus’ flat was less eventful than the one to the stadium. However, when Regulus opens the door to hop out, Sirius stops him.

“Hey Reggie, about the James thing from earlier? You should really talk to him; he’s very understanding, and he’s actually a good bloke. He’ll appreciate an apology, and you definitely owe him one.”

Regulus sighs, “I’ll talk to him tomorrow. Thanks for the ride.” Regulus drops down from the tall truck and slams the door before his brother can say another word.

The truck drives off as Regulus makes his way to the front door. Barty is sitting on the front step with a lit cigarette hanging from the corner of his mouth. He greets Regulus, “Nice truck. Whose is that?”.

“James’,” Regulus responds flatly. Barty wolf whistles, the cigarette between his fingers now. “Wowie,” he drags the word out.

“That didn’t take you long, hey Reggie? Only three weeks in, and Mr. Dreamy but Totally Off-Limits is dropping you round your place.” Barty wiggles his eyebrows before taking a long drag and offering it to Regulus.

Regulus gives Barty an unamused look, taking the cigarette; he takes a drag. “James’ truck, but Sirius dropped me off,” he explains, handing the cigarette back to Barty.

“Lame,” Barty responds flatly, taking the cigarette back. He finishes it, then puts it out, flicking it onto the ground. “I was hoping to get a good look at him,” he explains as he and Regulus head inside the building toward the flat.

“The Marauders have social media; Effie runs it. I bet there are loads of photos of him there.” Regulus offers before he kicks off his shoes and then coat.

Regulus retreats to his room as he calls to Barty, “Stalk to your heart's content; you have my permission.” To which Barty laughs.

Once in his room, Regulus flops on his bed, pulling out his phone. He scrolls over to Instagram and types in “Marauders Catering and Services.”. Purely out of curiosity, no other reason, or so he tells himself.

He is met with a wide variety of photos and videos of food, events, and the staff. Regulus was correct; James is featured almost as much as his brother. Regulus stops on a photo of James smiling in his chef coat, tying an apron around himself. His brother’s words float through his mind: “It’s not an actual rule.”

Regulus groans. What is he meant to do with that information? If it were a rule put in place by Effie or Monty, Regulus would have no other option but to respect it. However, knowing it's a completely arbitrary rule his brother made up only makes him want to break it more. If Regulus isn’t a religious man and James isn’t forbidden fruit, what's the harm in having a little taste, he thinks.

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littlestpan · 4 months ago

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Hello, my lovelies, I wanted to share another floor plan I made for the fanfiction. This is for those few people who are like me and enjoy a nice visual! If you’re curious about the fanfiction, I post here and on AO3. Obviously, AO3 will be updated more frequently. You can start reading it here!

#fanfiction #new fanfiction author try to be kind to myself #floorplans #floor plans #jegulus #jegulus fanfiction #reference for fanfiction #service with a smile #marauders era #marauders fanfiction #ao3 #ao3 fanfic #rennie writes #littlestpan #service with a smile updates #service with a smile authors note

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littlestpan · 5 months ago

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Service With a Smile

James Potter x Regulus Black (Slow Burn)

A/N: Hello lovelies, here's chapter three! You can also find fan fiction on AO3 if you want to read ahead.

Chapter 2 (here) | Chapter 3 (You're here) | Chapter 4 (here)

Chapter 3: Admiring the View

The morning sky is dark and dull when Regulus' alarm sounds, a loud and offensive noise. An exasperated expression forms on his face, brows pinched together, peeking one eye open. He rolls over to the opposite side of the bed. Only opening his eyes long enough to shoot daggers at the blasted clock. Its small red numbers blink a repeated six o’clock. He reaches for it, knocking things off his bedside table in the process. He groans in frustration, sitting up halfway, then slams the clock. The sound stops, and Regulus lays back down, throwing the blanket over his head. In his twenty-four years of life, he has never been a morning person, nor will he ever be. He lies for a few moments before pulling the duvet off.

“This will be the death of me,” he thinks, running his hands over his face.

Regulus swings his legs over the bed, wanting nothing more than to curl back into the warmth of his duvet. He stands and stretches, his nightshirt riding up as he arches his back. Phone in hand, he wanders to the bathroom to shower.

Afterward, Regulus wonders what is considered appropriate attire for kitchen staff. He picks out purple socks with little alien faces, then settles on black jeans with a belt and a simple black t-shirt tucked in. Once dressed, he heads out of his room, down the hall, and around the corner to the kitchen.

Evan is perched on the sofa, one leg tucked under him, and he has a rather sleepy expression. “Mornin’ Reg,” he greets with a wave.

Regulus waves back without saying a word as he pops two slices of bread into the toaster.

“Kettle’s hot if you want a cuppa,” Evan informs, holding his mug up with both hands.

Regulus utters a small "Thanks," pulls his mug from the cupboard, and makes himself some tea.

It’s a simple mug with ‘I woke up this bitchy’ written on the side. Barty gifted it to Regulus a few years back, laughing about, “It’s perfect because it’s literally you.” Which earned Barty the middle finger, but Barty knows it’s his favourite mug, though Regulus will never admit it out loud.

Regulus' toast pops; he butters it with marmite before joining Evan in the lounge. He settles in the armchair to eat his toast and sip his tea. Evan and Regulus sit content in silence until the flat’s door opens, and the pair instinctually turn their heads. They watch as Barty enters, closing the door behind himself and kicking his shoes off in the process.

"Morning, you're home later than usual," Evan greets, placing his empty mug on the coffee table. Evan watches Barty cross the lounge toward him on the couch.

"Rough shift?" Regulus questions while he finishes off his toast.

Barty groans as he sits on the couch, "Complete and utter shite; I had to stay later to receive a shipment." Barty finishes as he moves Evan's leg from under him.

Barty makes himself comfortable with his head buried in Evan's lap. Evan gently runs his hands through Barty's hair, and Barty melts into the touch.

Evan is the first to break the silence, “Ready for your first day? Are you excited?” He asks Regulus.

“Not really, a little nervous if I’m honest,” Regulus admits around a bite of toast.

“Fair; I can’t imagine it’ll be all that hard, though. It being the first day and all,” Evan continues, mindlessly playing with Barty’s shaggy hair.

"Mhmm, Effie mentioned the first bit will be showing me the ropes. Sirius and Remus will be there; Sirius said they’ll answer any questions I might have. So it's not like I'm going in blind," Regulus supplies while he finishes off his toast.

“Everything will go fine, Reg; you’ve nothing to worry about,” Evan reassures.

“I hope so,” Regulus says as he goes through the motions of getting ready to leave.

“Well, I wouldn’t say that, Ev. You never know for sure,” Barty says, lifting his head from Evan’s lap.

His boots tied, Regulus pulls his coat on when Barty draws his attention again, "I mean, come on, I know it’s only your first day, but there's a chance you won’t last long. Especially when they realise your skill level in the kitchen. So, don't go burning any pots now," Barty laughs.

This earns Barty a slap on the side of his head from Evan and the middle finger from Regulus.

“What was that for? I was only joking!” Barty shouts, rubbing the side of his head.

“Read the room, you tosser,” Evan scolds.

Before Barty could say another word, Regulus slipped his headphones on and walked out the door.

~~~

Today is by far the warmest it has been in about a week, and for that, Regulus is grateful as he walks the ten minutes to the bus stop. When he arrives at the bus stop, he stands under the metal awning waiting for the bus. While he waits, he pulls his phone from his pocket and scrolls through his social media.

The bus stops, Regulus steps through the door, and scans his travel card. He sits in a window seat towards the middle of the bus. The route number 10 travels across the city and toward Diagon Alley.

Entering the Marauders' compound once again left Regulus a bit taken aback. The gate was drawn fully open, and there were several cars parked within the fence. It's not as though Regulus expected it to be empty, but he definitely didn’t anticipate this many cars. He heads to the door like he had the week before.

Inside the kitchen is already buzzing; it takes a moment before anyone notices Regulus' presence. Regulus stands near the kitchen’s entrance watching all the staff move about the space. Each member of the crew is dressed in a uniform with some small variations.

Peter is hiding in the back corner near the dishwasher station. He’s sitting on the workstation next to the sink with his phone in his hand. He has on a red t-shirt with a Marauders logo. Remus is standing in front of the ovens with the door propped open. His chef coat is black with short sleeves that come to the elbow. “Remus” is embroidered on one shoulder and “Moony” on the other.

Effie enters the kitchen through the same door she had the day of the interview. She’s carrying a clipboard. This time her hair is pulled high in a clip with a few face-framing pieces. She’s dressed in a deep red, flowy blouse with her sleeves rolled to the elbow, black slacks, and a white apron with the Marauders logo. Sirius enters the room close behind Effie as though he is trying to keep up with her. He has a long-sleeved black chef coat with “Sirius” embroidered on one shoulder and “Padfoot” on the other.

Effie notices Regulus; first she greets him, “Regulus, morning dear.” She stops in front of him, talking a mile a minute, “Perfect timing. We’ll give you a quick tour, then we’ll get you settled into some work. Sound good?”

Regulus looks to Effie, “Morning, Effie, yes, that would be lovely.”

Effie turns to Sirius. “Mi Estrellita, would you mind doing the introductions and then showing Regulus around?“ She asks.

She taps her clipboard. “I need to discuss some things with Remus before I forget. Oh, maybe get him settled with his uniform; I didn’t get a chance to last week,” she informs. Without another word, she’s walking over to Remus.

“Mm-hmm. Of course, Effie,” Sirius responds with a smile.

Regulus turns his attention to his brother. “Morning, Sirius,” he greets.

“Morning, Reggie. Glad to have you here, shall we?” Sirius responds back with an excited smile, and Regulus nods.

Sirius leads the way to the Dutch door closest to the entryway; opening the door, the brothers poke their heads in. Several long shelves line the outside of the room; each shelf is labelled and stocked with food.

“This is the dry storage room; anything nonperishable is stored here,” Sirius explains.

The boys move from the room and close the door behind them. Sirius then pointed around the room clockwise.

“The two workstations side by side are Effie and Monty; madly in love they are. The corner station is Marlene's and sometimes Lily's if she’s in,” he says as he points around the room.

“They’re not in today, a bit of a skeleton crew. You'll get a chance to meet the others at some point,” he admits with a shrug.

Sirius points at the tables in the centre of the room where Remus and Effie stand in front of the ovens. “Then we have Moony’s station; he’s in charge of the hot food. That’s why he likes the workstation in front of the ovens; it’s easier.” Sirius explains, and Regulus nods along.

“I’m next to Moony. I was next to James, but apparently, I’m a distraction. So, Monty separated us,” he continues as Regulus gives him a knowing look.

“That’s because you are, Padfoot,” Peter shouts across the room with a chuckle.

Sirius gives Peter the middle finger before using it to point at him, “The arsehole behind me, Wormy, in the dish area. You’ve met him.”

Regulus suppresses a laugh, but his shoulders shake slightly.

“Prongs is across from Moony,” Sirius points, then walks over and pats the table in the spot across from his workstation.

“Which means this is your station, across from me. You get the best view in the house, Lucky you,” Sirius smiles.

Regulus moves to stand next to his brother, “Lucky me,” he deadpans.

“Har har,” Sirius says before moving along with the tour. The interaction earns a laugh from Peter.

Sirius opens the walk-in cooler right behind James' station for Regulus to look inside; it has metal racks with all kinds of vegetables and produce. “Cold storage, fresh foods,” he continues to the next door.

Sirius opens the second walk-in cooler right behind Regulus' station; it has metal rolling racks with hotel pans and metal chafers. “All the cooked food goes in here to cool, most of our food prep too,” Sirius says before closing the door.

“Come along; there isn’t much left now,” Sirius tells his brother before exiting into the dining hall.

Regulus follows him, “I’ve been through here, the dining hall. Banquets, weddings, and whatnot.” Regulus supplies.

“Yeah, mostly,” Sirius nods, passing through the dining hall into the warehouse. “I suppose Effie told you about this stuff?” He asks.

“Sort of,” Regulus admits.

Sirius gestures to the walls of stuff, “Most of this stuff is used for serving or storing food. There’s also a freezer in the corner.” Sirius points off in a random direction.

“Have you been up to the staff room yet?” Sirius asks, and Regulus shakes his head ‘no.’.

Sirius leads the way up a long staircase that ends at a closed door. Regulus follows his brother up the loft’s staircase located above the office. “This is the staff room,” Sirius begins, propping the door open with a doorstop.

“We watch rugby matches here sometimes while we wait for the larger meals to cook. On the long shifts, we eat here as a family, the whole crew. It’s not much, but the couches are comfortable if you need a nap,” Sirius offers.

There’s a circular table with a few chairs, a simple flat-screen TV attached to one wall, and two comfortable leather couches. Two doors lead to the staff bathroom and the locker room.

“This building used to be a factory at one point, which is why it’s fully equipped with lockers and showers. When Effie and Monty started renovating the building, it was easier to keep them,” Sirius explains, handing his brother a locker key.

Sirius points to a door. “In there, you’ll find your locker already has your name on it,” Sirius smiles as he finishes.

Regulus takes the key, looking around, “Thank you.”

“You’ll find your uniform in there; get changed, then come to my station,” Sirius finishes over his shoulder as he heads back to the stairs.

Without another thought, Regulus heads to the locker room. He pushes the door open and lets it close behind him.

The room is lined with full-length lockers on one side and showers on the other. Regulus walks along the lockers searching for his name, “Marlene, Peter.”

Marlene’s locker is decorated with stickers from top to bottom; only the name is visible. Peter’s locker had his name crossed out with a single line in a Sharpie marker. Under his name, “Wormtail” is scrawled in bold, and under that is Sirius' pretty handwriting; it reads “Aka Wormy.” A comical drawing of Remy from Ratatouille is drawn underneath it with an arrow.

Regulus skips a few lockers, then reads as he scans, “Remus, Sirius.”

Remus' locker has his name also crossed out. The name “Moony” is written below, the same as Peter’s locker but in rather messy penmanship. A full moon is expertly drawn around his name, clearly Sirius' handiwork. Sirius' is similar to the other two lockers before. Sirius is now “Padfoot,” with the paw prints of a dog running vertically up the locker. Lastly, “James” is no longer James but “Prongs,” with a massive pair of stag horns drawn onto the locker.

The last locker in the row has Regulus' name on it, and it seems as though Sirius has already defaced his as well. Regulus' name is also crossed out, and “Reggie” is written under it. Under the name is a drawing of the constellation he was named after, Leo. Regulus would be annoyed if it wasn’t done as a loving gesture from his brother to make him feel included.

Regulus unlocks his locker, pulls off his coat, and hangs it on the hook. Inside, as his brother had said, are his work shirts. A classic black dress shirt, two red football t-shirts with the Marauders logo on the chest in gold, and three simple black t-shirts with the logo in red. Each of the T-shirts has “Regulus” embroidered on the sleeve. Lastly, hanging in the back of the locker is a crisp white apron with the Marauders logo on it, the same one he saw Effie wearing. Regulus runs his hand over the clothing with a smile; it's a nice gesture that makes him feel welcome. Barty’s comments from that morning no longer weighed on his mind.

Regulus faces the locker room door, glancing around once more before he begins to pull his black t-shirt over his head. It isn’t until the shirt is over his face that he hears the door to the locker room open and he freezes. A feeling of dread washes over him; for a second he pauses. A part of him prays it's his brother coming to hound him to ‘hurry up,’ but another part knows it's not Sirius; he can feel them staring. Which normally wouldn’t be an issue if it wasn’t for his nipple piercings on display for the mystery individual. He quickly resumes undressing himself, feeling a little embarrassed. His tongue piercing pressed between his lips as he chews on the bar.

This wasn’t how he wanted to start his first day working here.

Once freed of his shirt, Regulus made eye contact with the man standing in the locker room doorway, who was definitely not his older brother.

Looking back at him is none other than the elusive James Potter. James is even more fit in real life, tall, tanned, and dreamy. His glasses are simple, circular, and gold; he is wearing a red hooded sweatshirt, jeans, and red Converse. His hair is soft and curly, his expression is a little surprised, mouth slightly agape, as though he didn’t expect another person in the room.

James stands there for a moment, looking Regulus in the face until—he’s not. Regulus can feel his eyes track down from his face to his chest with an unreadable expression on James' face. A kind of heat behind his gaze. Regulus clears his throat as he attempts to cover his chest with his shirt. As though a spell had been broken, James' eyes snap back to Regulus' face once again, James jumping into action.

“Uh, sorry, didn’t mean to startle you; I’m James,” he says, oozing with charm. James approaches Regulus with his large hand outstretched with the intent to shake his hand.

Regulus does his best to hold the shirt over himself with one hand, reaching back to shake James' with his other, “Regulus,” he greets back.

“Nice to finally put a face to the name,” James smiles, and Regulus can feel himself melt slightly.

James turns to his locker, unlocking the lock and stripping his hooded sweatshirt over his head. Underneath, James has on a navy blue Spiderman t-shirt with the logo on the chest. James' t-shirt rides up his body with the motion; dipping down into the front of his jeans, Regulus can see a hint of black tattoos on his hips. Regulus doesn’t quite get a good look as he watches James adjust it back down and straighten his glasses. Before James can see him, Regulus turns his attention back to the shirt he folds and places it inside the locker.

James breaks the silence as he lifts his shirt over his head, as Regulus had done moments ago. “Sirius was chuffed all week waiting for you to start,” James muses.

Regulus then pulls one of the black work shirts from the locker and then turns his attention back to James.

“Don’t know how you managed to survive that; my brother can be a lot at the best of times,” Regulus replies as his grey eyes wash over James' half-naked form.

“Of course, James had to be proper fit,” Regulus thinks to himself.

A toned chest and stomach with broad, bronzed shoulders. Regulus can now see the tattoo resting along his inner forearm, a tattoo of a daisy and sunflower. On his shoulder, James has a tattoo of a sun with designs that radiate outward from the centre. He has multiple small gold hoops in his ears and a single gold hoop in his left nostril.

Regulus has always been a huge fan of tattoos; however, he’s always found them more attractive on other people. He does have a few well-thought-out pieces of art on his body, a constellation tucked behind his ear, and the planets down his spine. Another that was a little less thought out is the matching snake curled around a skull on his inner forearm, which he shares with Barty and Evan. Regulus is no stranger to the sharp end of a needle; his ears have multiple piercings, his septum, his tongue, and his nipples. The nipple piercings were something he got somewhat as a spur of the moment. Yet another brilliant decision egged on by Barty and Evan. However, they’ve grown on him since, and he now loves the look of them.

Regulus turns away to pull the shirt over his head; once on, he unbuckles his belt, unzipping the fly of his jeans to tuck the shirt in as he did this morning.

James laughs, “You’re not wrong; Sirius can be a handful. But I’ve heard my fair share of stories about you too, baby Black.”

Regulus listens to him; glancing over his shoulder, he watches James.

As though James can tell Regulus is watching, he makes a show of flexing slightly to pull his Marauders shirt over his head.

“Cheeky bugger,” Regulus thinks. James is hot; he knows it, and that fact makes Regulus annoyed.

Regulus closes his locker door, slipping the key into his front pocket; he starts, “I wouldn’t really consider Sirius an expert; there is plenty my brother doesn’t know about me.”

Regulus then crosses the room to the door. James follows the movement as he pulls his chef coat from his locker.

Once Regulus opens the door, he turns to James again, “Oh, and James.” He pauses.

Giving him a once-over, Regulus makes eye contact with him one last time, “It’s also nice to put a face to the name too.” Then he smirks as he leaves, the door swinging closed behind him.

Honestly, how stupid can Regulus get? James is the son of his boss's, not to mention his brother’s best friend. Regulus has no idea what he was thinking, flirting with James Potter on day one. He wasn’t thinking; that was the problem. James Potter simply checked too many of his boxes not to at least have a little fun. He mentally scolds himself as he walks from the staff room down the stairs, hoping that James will forget the whole thing. Very unlikely, but Regulus can still hope.

Regulus can’t help when his mind wanders back to the black ink peeking from the hem of James' jeans. Who could blame him when James looks the way he does?

Regulus isn’t certain why there is a no-dating rule in the kitchen. He only vaguely remembers his brother whining about how ‘fit’ Remus is and that it's against the rules for him to pursue the spark he feels for Remus.

Like a child in a candy store, Regulus has never liked being told he couldn’t have something. Regulus always found himself drawn to the taboo, and if James was one thing, it was forbidden fruit—the juiciest and richest kind of forbidden fruit.

“Then again, James is also nice to just look at,” Regulus thinks to himself. “There’s no harm in admiring the view, right?” He flicks his tongue piercing inside his mouth as he feels a hint of anxiety.

Completely lost in thought, James' unreadable expression and his gaze flash through Regulus' mind as he turns into the dining hall. Upon rounding the corner, he knocks directly into someone. Before he can catch himself, he’s ass over tea kettle and on the floor.

Looking up, he sees an older man still on his feet. He’s tall, almost as tall as James; as a matter of fact, this handsome man looks a lot like an older James. That’s when Regulus deduces that it must be Fleamont Potter.

Fleamont is in his early 50s, with glasses and facial hair. His hair has a slight wave, and a large mix of salt and pepper with most of it concentrated at his temples. He’s wearing a Gryffindor jumper and dark-wash jeans. If this is a preview into what James will look like in twenty-odd years, the man will age like a fine bourbon. This family must have amazing genes, Regulus thinks.

Regulus begins to apologise, “Sorry, I wasn’t looking where I was going,” as the man offers Regulus a hand up. Regulus takes the hand.

“No, sorry, that was on me; I was checking my emails,” the man supplies.

Once he’s stable on his feet, Regulus dusts himself off. “You must be Mr. Potter; it’s a pleasure to meet you.”

“Only when my wife is cross with me,” Fleamont chuckles.

Fleamont extends a hand out again, this time to offer a handshake. “You’re Sirius' little brother; it’s very nice to meet you, Regulus. You can call me ‘Monty,’” he finishes.

“Monty, of course. Yes, that’s me,” Regulus replies, shaking Fleamont’s hand.

“Love to chat, but I don’t want to keep you; your brother is waiting in the kitchen. You know how impatient that boy can be. Apologies again for knocking you over; I hope you’re alright,” Monty informs with a smile.

Regulus smiles back, “I’m okay, thank you.”

“Cheers, off you pop,” Monty tells him as he rounds the corner towards the office.

Regulus tries to clear his head, but he can feel his anxiety rise again as he heads towards the kitchen through the dining hall. He rounds the corner and walks through the dishwashing area to his brother’s workstation. Regulus stands behind his brother waiting for him to notice; he clears his throat when he doesn't.

Sirius turns to look at his brother; placing his hand on his shoulder, he says, “Tu es beau, Regulus. Ça te va bien.”

Regulus makes an annoyed expression. “Tu m’énerves,” he responds, shaking Sirius' hand off his shoulder.

Sirius laughs, “Don’t be rude now, Reggie.”

Regulus has a look on his face, a cross between worry and annoyance. Noticing the tone shift, Sirius gives him a sympathetic look. "Regulus, dis-moi ce qui se passe."

Regulus' eyes soften; he looks around the room, and he replies, “Je vais bien.”

Regulus gives his brother a pleading expression, “Not here, Sirius. Can we just focus on work?"

Sirius knows better than to push, especially when Regulus tells him otherwise.

“Alright. So, today we’ve got a handful of small boxed lunch deliveries. We build the lunches here; everything goes in a box, and we deliver it where it needs to go. There’s also prep for tomorrow and then clean-up,” Sirius explains.

James arrives in the kitchen while Sirius is walking Regulus through the steps of boxing lunches. Regulus probably wouldn’t have noticed James' presence if James hadn’t been watching him. It’s hard to focus on his brother’s explanation when James' gaze is as warm and comforting as the sun. Drawing his mind from James, Regulus runs through the motions in his head: place the brisket sandwich into the box, then add chips, side salad, dessert, and utensils. Close the box and repeat. It's simple work but painfully repetitive.

Regulus' motions are clunky and slow compared to the other staff. He looks to James' station beside him and watches James' hands for a moment. Confident, swift, and smooth, James closes the boxes with ease, the number of open boxes decreasing rapidly. His disappointment must be painted on his face. Because when he looks down at his less-than-adequate box and a large number of open boxes, James is now stepping over to his station.

“Here, let me help. It can take a little practice to get the hang of it,” James says.

“Um, thank you,” Regulus says, trying to sound a little less flustered.

With James this close to him, they’re brushing elbows. The warmth rolling off James raises goosebumps on his arm. Regulus glances at James' face, then down at the man’s hands, and tries to mirror James' motions. Regulus' boxes begin to look neater with each one he finishes. With a focused expression on his face, Regulus mindlessly plays with the ball on his tongue. After a short while, Regulus breaks his quiet concentration; he turns toward James.

“Look, I think I’ve got it,” pleased with himself, there’s a hint of a smile on Regulus' face.

Then he realises it; James couldn’t have been more obvious, his gaze flicking from Regulus' lips to his eyes. For a long while, James had been staring down at the metal ball that poked out from between Regulus' lips. He had been caught in the act; Regulus had caught him. He watches James realise he’s been caught.

“Uh, yeah. It looks that way,” James responds, trying to look anywhere but at Regulus.

James rubs the back of his neck before he turns his attention back to the boxes, his cheeks dusted with the slightest rosy hue. The softness of James does something to Regulus that he can’t quite place. It seems Regulus wasn’t the only one guilty of admiring the view.

Translations “Mi Estrellita." - "My little star." “Tu es beau, Regulus. Ça te va bien.” - "You look handsome, Regulus. It suits you." “Tu M’énerves.” - "You annoy me." "Regulus, dis-moi ce qui se passe." - "Regulus, tell me what's wrong." "Je vais bien." - "I'm fine."

3 notes · View notes

littlestpan · 5 months ago

Text

Service With a Smile

James Potter x Regulus Black (Slow Burn)

A/N: Hello lovelies, here's chapter two! You can also find fan fiction on AO3 if you want to read ahead.

Chapter 1 (here) | Chapter 2 (You're here) | Chapter 3 (here)

Chapter 2: Into the Lion’s Den

North of the city’s centre, the Marauders’ kitchen is located in the warehouse district of Diagon Alley. Surprisingly, it was only a short bus ride from Regulus' flat. It’s a little after ten forty-five in the morning when Regulus hops off the bus a few streets from the kitchen.

Regulus is dressed in an oversized, classy grey sweater tucked into simple black slacks and a belt. He wears a long overcoat with a stiff collar that he tugs to block the chilled February air. He heads to the corner to cross the bustling intersection.

Regulus has a vague idea of where the kitchen is because this isn’t the first time he has been to the Marauders compound. He pulls his phone from his jacket pocket, ensuring that he is heading in the right direction before he wanders down a side street. He arrives at a tall, fenced compound surrounding a large industrial building. The gate to the compound is half open, enough for a single car to enter.

Regulus is there earlier than expected. “This is it then, Marauders Catering and Services,” he muses.

It was a different experience seeing the building in broad daylight, Regulus thought. A few months back, Sirius had invited Regulus out for drinks with Remus after a hectic shift. Regulus met them while they were parked outside near the compound. Sirius was locking the gate, muttering to himself. “Always the last one out of the shop. I hate being stuck locking up,” as Regulus strolled up.

Regulus has indeed met a few of the Marauders' crew already. Mainly Remus, who spends a great deal of time with Sirius outside of work. He’s also met with Sirius and his friend Peter for coffee on one occasion. However, Regulus has yet to meet the elusive James Potter. Despite Sirius and James being flatmates, Regulus never seems to cross paths with him. It's always a voice in the background of a phone call or a figure waving in the flat window as he and Sirius drive off. At this point, he’s starting to wonder if James exists at all or if he is a figment of his imagination.

Regulus cautiously enters the compound with a level of uncertainty in his step. He approaches a large steel door on the side of the building. Upon closer inspection, he is met with a large logo confirming that he is in the right place. He gives the door a firm knock and then waits a moment. Met with silence, Regulus tries again with a little more gusto. He pounds on the cold, hard surface and is once again left in the quiet.

Anxious, Regulus weighs his options in his head, staring at the door. He considers turning and walking right back the way he came. The thought brings him momentary relief from the anxiety gnawing at his insides. Until his mind turns to the inevitable disappointed look on his brother’s face. Especially when he hears how Regulus didn’t show up after all the trouble he went to to get him this job interview. He goes with his second option, mustering what little courage he has, and pulls the metal handle. The door swings open with ease. “Hello?” Regulus calls out down the long tiled entryway. No response.

He follows the entryway down a long hallway, undoing his jacket now in the warmth. He begins to look around the hall. Hung neatly on both walls of the hall are photographs of the staff. Various photos range from professionally dressed individuals to light-hearted ones with smiling faces. The rest of the wall is covered in photos of fancy meals and signed autographs from famous rugby players.

Regulus calls out again, “Hello? I’m here for an interview.”

He hesitates in the hall for a moment; he’s about to continue forward when a certain photograph catches his attention; it's of two young men smiling. Both men look to be about nineteen years old. One of the men is a slightly younger Sirius with his arm slung around the taller man’s shoulder. Judging from what his brother has told him, the handsome face and charming smile must belong to James. He’s tall, with a strong frame and golden, sunkissed skin. There is no denying it, James Potter is attractive. They are smiling wide with flour dusted in their hair, on their faces, and on their clothing. James' glasses sit at a crooked angle on his face. It’s as though the photo was taken mid-laughter. Seeing Sirius so extraordinarily happy does something to Regulus' chest. A thought of envy comes and leaves just as fast.

He continues on his way towards the end of the hallway. Another photo stands out; this one is of a couple, a man and a woman. They’re positioned holding each other tenderly in front of the compound, both smiling at the camera. They look to be in their early forties, with subtle signs of ageing present in the woman's hair and the man’s beard. Their shared joy brings a smile to Regulus' face and warms his insides.

Regulus is pulled from his thoughts by the smell of something mouthwatering wafting from further inside. He turns, following his nose towards the sweet smell. The hall opens into a large commercial kitchen, long and rectangular with all-steel equipment and LED lights. The whole space is blindingly bright with not a window in sight. The area is truly a marvel to behold; it's pristine and shiny.

Long steel workbenches line the outside of the room, with a few benches sandwiched in the centre. They create a shared workspace for at least four people to work comfortably. Above every workstation is an assortment of cooking utensils and other frequently used tools.

The farthest corner from Regulus is a dishwashing station with a drying rack. Handwashing stations are located on either side of the room. On the same short wall are multiple tall red hot boxes for storing hot food next to a Dutch door that leads somewhere. On the other end is another Dutch door into a dark room. Along the longest wall are two large commercial convection ovens. The opposite wall across from them has two large walk-in coolers. Regulus stood dumbfounded in the centre of the beautiful kitchen, taking in the space. He wonders what the delectable smell emanating from one of the ovens could be.

Suddenly a loud alarm sounds that rips Regulus from his thoughts. He turns his head, watching the oven's built-in alarm as it wails for attention.

“I’m coming; keep your knickers on!” Shouts the gentle voice of a woman who calls back to the oven from somewhere else, Regulus isn’t certain where exactly. Then the Dutch two-way door on the other end of the kitchen swings open and then swings back. Her face looks familiar, and Regulus deduces that it matches the one from the photo. This must be Euphemia Potter.

“¡Dios mío!” She yelps at the sight of Regulus standing there in the kitchen, placing her hand on her chest. “Bloomin’ scared me half to death!” She breathes a sigh of relief. "I thought I was alone; it's only me at the shop today. Didn’t expect you for another half hour," she continues.

Euphemia Potter is nothing like Regulus imagined she would be. He expected her to be more like his own mother, Walburga Black, a stern, cold scarecrow of a woman who means business. Euphemia Potter was as opposite to his mother as any woman could be. She’s above average height with tanned skin and a well-fed figure. Her hair hangs in long curls down her back. Her eyes are kind with a hint of mischief, and her mouth is curled in a friendly way at the corner. Euphemia looks soft; she’s dressed in a long-sleeved shirt and long denim dungarees.

“You must be Regulus,” she states knowingly. She strides towards Regulus with a bounce in her step, her hand outstretched to him.

“Euphemia Potter,” she says with a smile. Regulus could smell the soft notes of lilac in her perfume when she entered his space. He found it most comforting; if Euphemia Potter was one thing, she was indeed comforting.

“Yes, Mrs. Potter. I’m Regulus Black; thank you for the opportunity.” He takes her hand in his and gives it a respectful shake before pulling his hand back.

Euphemia moves from Regulus to the oven, turning her attention to the alarm. She leaves the door ajar, and the smell floats throughout the entire kitchen.

“Oh, please, dear. Mrs. Potter was my mother-in-law. The boys call me ‘Effie,’” she shoots over her shoulder with a smile.

“Effie,” Regulus echoes, trying out the name.

Effie turns to face Regulus, “It’s wonderful to finally meet you. Sirius has told us a great deal about you.” She talks to him as she walks back across the room towards the Dutch door.

“Sirius tells me you have some experience when it comes to cooking. Come, we’ll talk in the office.” She pauses in the doorway and motions for him to follow her.

Regulus allows her to lead him through the Dutch door and then through a simply decorated dining hall. The dining hall has a high arched ceiling with similar LED lights as the kitchen. The tables are bare and organised into perfect lines with comfortable chairs down each side.

“I’m not certain what Sirius has told you, but I don’t think he’s told you the truth,” he replies honestly.

Effie laughs, “He said you’d say something like that. I appreciate your modesty.”

Effie walks fast through a double door that leads into a back warehouse area. The warehouse is stocked to the ceiling with different disposable containers. Chafers, Cambro boxes, and many other things. Effie opens a door that is tucked under a lofted staircase. With his short stature, Regulus has to shuffle his feet to catch up with her.

The office has two desks facing opposite walls with a couch along the middle wall. Effie sits at her desk, spinning her chair to face him while she gestures to the couch. “Make yourself at home; we keep things pretty informal here.”

He moves to the couch and settles in, taking his coat off in the process. “Thanks.” He eyes the other, much messier office desk with a curious expression.

“Monty’s desk,” Effie supplies. “We find we work as a team better this way; it's easier when we share an office,” she finishes with a smile.

“Now,” she turns to her desk, pulling a paper off an organised stack. “I received the resume you sent, but I’ll need you to supply me with your National Insurance number and direct deposit information. Sooner rather than later, so I can put you into our system.”

She hands the sheet of paper and a pen to Regulus without looking at him. “Please fill out what you can now and send the rest to me by the end of the week,” she states, now typing away at her computer.

Regulus nods as he gives the sheet a once-over. “I’m a little confused; I thought this was an interview. You’re talking to me as though the job is already mine. I don’t even know exactly what I’ll be doing here,” he confesses, scanning the paper.

Effie turns from her computer to face Regulus once again. “Oh, I’m always getting ahead of myself. I thought Sirius would have told you. The job is yours; the interview is just to straighten out the book side of things.”

Regulus' face turns to a bemused expression. “He did… I thought he was joking. I got the job?” He questions.

Regulus' academic resume is rather impressive, but his practical work experience is nothing to snuff at. It's not as though the Black brothers were out and about brushing elbows with the working class of the world; Walburga Black made sure of that. Their mother prided herself on a strict schedule that prioritised education above all else. By the age of ten, Regulus could speak three languages, was proficient at four musical instruments, and could hold a level-headed conversation with anyone twice his age. What a load of good that is doing him now; he has two degrees that don’t pay his bills, he thinks.

“The job is yours,” she confirms. “As for what you’ll be doing, we’ll start you out on small odd jobs to find where you fit best. We’ll have you shadow a few of the staff so you can learn the ropes. We do a lot of different things here: weddings, banquets, and staff parties, to name a few. Most of our day-to-day is food deliveries to local businesses,” she explains in more detail.

Effie raises her hand, pointing to the flag hanging over the office door. “We also supply the Gryffindor rugby team with breakfast and lunch three times a week during rugby season.”

Regulus follows her hand, and a large crested lion on a flag stares back at him. “Go, Gryffindor!” Effie enthuses with small jazz hands.

“Monty is pretty proud of that contract. We get free tickets to their home games for the staff if you’re ever interested in catching a game,” Effie finishes, pleased with herself.

It hadn’t occurred to Regulus until now, looking around the office. There was a great variety of rugby paraphernalia strewn throughout the room. Mugs, photographs, an autographed rugby jumper pinned to the wall, the flag above the door, and a rugby ball or two. It was apparent now with it all staring back at him: the Potters were avid rugby fans.

“My flatmate Barty is a rugby fan, but I can’t say I’m well versed,” Regulus offers, glancing about the room and then landing on Effie.

“We haven’t missed an opening game since before James was born,” she supplies. “Now that I think of it, he has been to every opening match since he was born. His first game was when he was only a few days old,” Effie remembers fondly.

“Anyways, if you have any questions, let me know,” she gestures for him to finish the sheet in front of him.

Regulus returns to the paper, taking his time to fill in the blank information. When he finishes, he returns the page to Effie with a polite smile.

“That about settles it. I’ll add you to the group chat where we share important notices and the schedule. You can also find it posted on the whiteboard here in the office. That’s also where you can mark off if you need time off work; a week's notice is preferred, but we understand life happens,” she points out, and Regulus nods along with her as she speaks.

Effie stands from her chair, placing the sheet on a neat stack. Regulus stands out of habit, his coat draped over his arm. He was always taught to respect and mirror the superior in the room.

“Could I interest you in a quick pop over to the kitchen for a snack? I was just finishing a little something sweet to pick at while I did some housekeeping here in the office.” She asks Regulus as she moves towards the door, hinting for him to follow.

Regulus tries to protest, “Well, actually,” he starts fishing out his phone from his pocket to check the time. A good forty minutes have passed to his surprise.

“I have plans to meet with—” he continues. He looks up to notice Effie is no longer in the room.

Effie was already halfway to the dining hall, making her way in reverse through the building the way they entered. Once again, Regulus has to hustle to keep up with the speedy older woman. When he turns the corner through the swinging Dutch doorway, Effie is already fishing a large pan of something heavenly out of the oven. She places it on the centre table before spinning to return the oven mitts to the top of the convection oven.

Regulus approaches Effie. “Mrs. Pott—I mean, Effie, I couldn’t possibly. I’m going to meet Sirius for lunch. I wouldn’t want to ruin my appetite.”

Effie turns to one of the workstations to retrieve a knife when Regulus is close enough to finally see what is in the pan. “Are you sure?” Effie asks, turning back. “I made brownies,” she finishes in an enticing tone.

Inside the large pan is the most mouthwatering salted caramel brownie Regulus has ever seen. It smells unlike anything he’s ever smelt, chocolatey, sweet, and savoury goodness. There’s no way Regulus could deny his horrendous sweet tooth the satisfaction of this confectionery treat.

“I mean, it couldn’t hurt—” Regulus starts.

The sound of the door opening at the end of the entryway creates a pause in the conversation. A man with a warm-toned voice calls out cheerfully as he enters, “Hello!”

Regulus recognises the voice immediately; it belongs to his older brother. Effie pauses in place, the knife still in her hand. From where he entered the building, Sirius can see Effie in the centre of the room with the knife. Sirius walks down the hall into the kitchen before pausing. He’s dressed in his beaten-up, trusty leather jacket and tight jeans. As usual, Sirius is underdressed for the weather, Regulus thinks to himself.

“Effie! You didn’t stab my poor darling brother, now did you?” He asked in an overly dramatic tone of shock as though he were the lead in a cheesy telenovela, hand draped over his forehead. Effie laughs at Sirius' dramatic display, shaking her head as he crosses the kitchen.

She finally greets him sweetly, “Mi Estrellita.” He presses a kiss to her cheek before she continues.

“I didn’t think you’d be in today. ¿Quieres un brownie?” Effie says brightly before turning her focus to Regulus again without looking directly at him, “You too, Regulus?"

Effie is already cutting into the pan when Sirius responds, “Sí, por favor.’

“I also stopped by because Prongs asked me to drop off the kitchen’s washing.” He gestures to the almost forgotten bag down the hallway.

“Thank you, Mi Estrellita,”

Regulus watches the exchange thoughtfully, the silver ball of his tongue ring peeking from between his lips. It's as though a bubble has formed around the two; Regulus fears that he might pop it with his presence. However, Sirius can read his brother like a book; he can feel Regulus hesitate. Without missing a beat, Sirius turns to address his brother, welcoming him into their bubble.

“You know, Effie makes the best brownies on this side of Diagon Alley. You’ll be kicking yourself if you tell her ‘no.’.”

Regulus steps into the invisible bubble surrounding the pair, feeling uneasy. He doesn’t get the chance to think about it before Effie has placed a good-sized piece of brownie into Regulus' hand. “Thank you,” he nibbles the treat slowly.

It is in fact the best brownie Regulus has ever had. Sirius must be crazy to think it's the best on this side of Diagon Alley. Effie’s brownies are much more superior than any in a hundred-kilometre radius, Regulus thinks. “This is—” Regulus tries to find the words, “Incredible!” he finishes.

“Thank you, dear. It's a family recipe,” Effie says, handing Sirius a piece, then cutting one for herself. Then she packs the remaining pieces into two paper bags. The Marauders Catering and Services logo is printed on the outside of them.

“Well, we’re off then. Promised Reggie lunch,” Sirius tells her, popping the brownie into his mouth.

“It was a pleasure to meet you. Thank you for everything, Effie.” Regulus tells her with a smile.

“No, the pleasure is all mine; I'm so glad to have you joining the team.” She says, slipping one of the paper bags into Regulus' hand. “For later,” she tells him with a wink.

Regulus pulls his coat on and starts heading to the door with a polite wave.

“One for the road,” Sirius helps himself to another piece of brownie and starts down the hallway, the sweet treat in hand.

“Ah, hold it right there! Aren’t you forgetting something?” Effie asks stopping Sirius in his tracks.

“Lo siento,” Sirius states apologetically before running back over to her and pressing another kiss to Effie’s cheek. Effie places the other paper bag into Sirius' hand.

“Thanks for the brownies; they’re perfect as always. Bye, Effie!” He turns back again, heading towards the door.

Once outside, Regulus whines to Sirius in a frustrated tone. “You could have told me I had the job.”

“I told you the interview was just a formality, didn’t I?” Sirius tells his brother in a cheeky tone, popping the brownie from his hand into his mouth.

“I didn’t think you were being serious,” Regulus responds.

Sirius chuckles as he finishes his treat, “When will you learn, little brother, that I’m always Sirius.” He ruffles Regulus' curls just to annoy him.

Regulus pushes his brother away, fixing his hair. “Oh, you think you’re just so hilarious, don’t you?” He replies in an annoyed tone.

“Oh, but I am,” a cheeky grin on his face, he slings his arm over Regulus' shoulder, and they walk linked together towards Sirius' car.

A thought crosses Regulus' mind: The whole situation probably looks similar to the photograph hanging in the hallway. A pleasant feeling rises within him at the thought, and he is now smiling too.

Translations “Mi Estrellita." - "My little star." "¿Quieres un brownie?” - "Do you want a brownie?" "Sí, por favor." - "Yes, please." "Lo siento." - "I'm sorry.

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