Barty Asf:

barty asf:

July 2: doctor | @jegulus-microfic | word count: 1,036

*surgeon x patient au*

Previous part, part one

James smiled to himself softly, replaying the day's events in his mind like a movie. He was convinced that this was definitely the best day of his life. James has, of course, had many great days, such as his 21st birthday, and the day he graduated med school. He might be overexcited about this all, but he was sure that this day ranked on the list for best days ever. Oh yes. Yes, yes, yes.

"Potter."

James' head snapped up at McGonagalls' sharp voice. "Yes, Minnie?"

"Are you done daydreaming or will be getting your work done today?" She raised an eyebrow skeptically. 

If he was honest, James had forgotten where he had been. He took snuck a glance of his surroundings and saw he was sitting at a computer with an article on knee bones and joints opened. "Minnie," he scoffed jokingly, "of course I'm getting my work done." He raised his hands innocently. "Just doing a little research, that's all. Plus, I've finished my charts already," James grinned at her.

"Alright, Potter but to let you know, your darn pager's been going off for a while now, it might be important," McGonagall told him curtly, leaving the little room afterward. 

Sighing, James lazily picked up his pager then jumped to his feet when he saw the room.

Regulus. 

James' breathed out in relief that it wasn't a 911 page, nevertheless, he still had a snippet of worry tugging at the back of his mind. However, despite his worries, James was ecstatic. Regulus wanted to see him. Regulus wanted to see him. James smirked. His plan had worked. 

After Dorcas told him that Regulus liked him, James decided to play the card he knew always worked: playing hard to get. And, oh, was it working. 

James was so pleased with himself that he made the grand decision to beatbox as he sauntered to Regulus' room. He bobbed his head to the tune he was making up as he entered the lift. He turned, back to the still open doors, and scanned the papers on the tiny bulletin board in there. 

"James!"

James whipped around at the sound of his name to see Sirius standing behind him, hands on his hips. The doors to lift were closed and Sirius had already punched in the floor number he was traveling to. 

"Christ, Sirius, you scared me!" James blurted out with a chuckle.

"Well, I wanted to have a word with you, actually," Sirius said, smiling, though his eyes told a different story. He took a step towards James. "Dorcas told me." Sirius' eyes flashed dangerously.

James heart seemed to do some sort of backflip inside his chest. "Uh, t-told you, um, what, exactly?" James choked out, scratching his head nonchalantly and suddenly becoming very interested in the bulletin board again. 

Sirius sidestepped and stood in front of James face. James had to look down at him because he was a few inches shorter than he was. If he was honest, Sirius looked hilarious like that, glaring up at James through his curly black bangs with the rest of his long hair tied up in a knot on his head. 

"She told me you've been making lovey-eyes at my little brother!"

"I-"

Sirius fully just put his hand on James' face to stop him from talking. "Mate," he started, "I know that us Black brothers are very, very pretty, but when you're operating on my brother, please try not to focus on our dashing family genes and focus on the surgery at hand and do your job as a doctor." Sirius grinned. "I'd tell you you're picking wrong brother, and I'd tell you that out of the two of us, I'm the one with the magically delicious looks, but, frankly, I'm quite taken with your friend, Remus," Sirius waggled his eyebrows. 

"You're not mad?" James ventured as soon as the shorter man slid his hand off of his face. 

"As long as you don't hurt him in any way, shape, or form."

"Are you, like, giving me permission to snog your brother?"

"Hey!" Sirius gasped dramatically, hand on his chest. "You are talking about my brother! I do notwant to hear whatever nasty plans you have for him!" Sirius placed his other hand on James' chest and gave him a tiny shove. 

James laughed and copied the eyebrow waggle Sirius did. 

"And the eyebrow thing is mine!" Sirius moved his hands to press his palms on James' eyebrows and pushed his head back playfully, laughing while he did so. 

For the rest of the ride, Sirius and James continued to play around and joke with each other. When the lift doors opened, they stepped out in sync and glanced at each other, before bursting out laughing again. 

Sirius made his face solemn. "James, this lift ride has been nothing but utterly life-changing, and, now, I'm afraid I've no choice but to bestow upon you the greatest title of my best friend." He gripped his shoulders. 

James settled his face and responded with equal seriousness, "And I guess I've no choice but to accept." He shrugged with a frown, then couldn't hold his grin for a second longer. 

"Well, best friend, I have got to rush my arse down to the operating room, so, how about we arrange for some drinks later after you get my number from Remus?" 

After that last remark, Sirius took off in a skip to a different hallway. James made a mental note to himself to later ask Remus for apparently his new best friend's phone number. James liked Sirius. He was funny. James liked that. Actually, scratch that. Sirius was hilarious. Even though Sirius seemed to have a habit for invading other's personal space, James really didn't mind. He found it somewhat endearing. 

James slowed to a stop in front of Regulus' door when he reached it, deciding to click his heels on the ground for a dramatic flair. James could be a diva when he wanted to be as well. Before entering, he slapped on his most dazzling, practiced smile that always got onlookers swooning and he ran a hand through his hair quickly. 

His plan: continue playing hard to get.

next part

july 18: fake | @jegulus-microfic | word count: 278

“You’re not real. You can’t be,” he whispered as the man he loved stroked the side of his face.

“I’m here, I’m here and I’m real and I love you so much, darling.”

Regulus screwed his eyes shut before the tears could fall. “No. You’re fake. It’s fake, it’s fake, it’s f—“

“I’m here, you can feel me, I’m real, it’s not fake, please, Regulus, just look at me,” the other man pleaded quietly, thumbs swiping gently at tears on Regulus’ cheeks.

Regulus opened his eyes and stared at him through the haziness of tears.

And there he was. James. With his tanned skin and dark curls. Eyes so focused on Regulus that one might have thought that he was the only thing James had ever seen in his life. 

Regulus clutched at James’ arms, straining to find a way to get closer. To see he’s really here.

“It’s just me, love. Please, breathe. You’ve known me for 9 years, we’ve been dating for 5 months,” James reassured him. “None of this is fake.”

“It has to be!” Regulus burst out with a heaving sob. “I’m not lucky enough to actually have you in my life. I-It can’t be real. I’m not that lucky!”

“Reg…”

Regulus wrenched out another sob and crumpled into James’ chest. 

“You’re too good for me… I don’t— I can’t deserve this… Please… Don’t leave me, Jamie…”

“I’ll never leave you, darling. You deserve the world, please don’t ever tell yourself otherwise.”

Regulus felt a kiss on the top of his head as he sobbed, curling into James’ embrace.

“I love you, Regulus. I’m here.”

“I love you too, Jamie. Thank you for staying.”

july 15: accept | @jegulus-microfic | word count: 215

Regulus truly believed he was the greatest actor to exist.

Whenever he was home, he’d slip into the character that Walburga and Orion punished into perfection. Pretending to respect them was the only to protect himself from getting punished. 

Whenever he was at Hogwarts, he’d slip into the character of the cold, cruel Prince of Slytherin. He’d pretend to not care about a thing in the world. He was sure that was the only reason his friends stuck with him.

Whenever he was around his brother, he had to slip into a character that didn’t want to just collapse in his big brother’s arms.

The only time when Regulus had been free was when he laid in his bed at night and imagined a world where he could be himself.

That was until James came along.

James was the first person to ever accept Regulus as he truly was. Regulus could cry and scream and laugh and grin and just feel when he was with James.

Around James, Regulus felt so incredibly loved that he wanted to cry. With every touch and word, James made him feel like he was made of pure sunshine. With every kiss and lingering look, he felt like he was finally at home. 

Around James, Regulus never had to act.

july 19: island | @jegulus-microfic | word count: 135

“James!”

“I’m serious, Reg!”

“We are not going hiking for our honeymoon! I don’t understand how you find that relaxing!”

“Well, what did you have in mind then, love?” James asked Regulus, giving him a peck on the cheek.

“I was thinking an island. With pretty sunsets and water so clear you can see everything,” Regulus murmured as James swayed slowly with him. “We can go to the beach, relax, and maybe have a little fun there…” Regulus’ fingers played with James’ hair.

James hummed. That did sound way better than hiking. 

“And we can get a room right in front of the beach so we’ll have a view,” Regulus added quietly.

James pressed his smile into Regulus’ cheek and whispered, “You’re the only the view I need, love.”

“James.”

“An island sounds wonderful, Reg.”

“imagine caring so much about fiction” imagine being so lame that you scoff at the timeless human practice of falling in love with art and stories