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prompt: champagne — 745 words (telling sirius that they’re dating ft. brunch and not so gentle threats lmao) @jegulus-microfic

How Regulus had let his boyfriend convince him that brunch was the place to inform Sirius of their relationship is beyond him. A couple fluttered blinks of those bright hazel eyes and a well placed ‘please, love, it’s important to me’ between kisses in bed and it was done.

Regulus has never considered himself a weak man, but fucking hell, if James Potter hasn’t proven otherwise.

Sirius, to his credit, hasn’t exploded. He’s currently seeming rather catatonic where he sits across the table, which is its own sort of concerning, but there’s no immediate screaming. A good sign? Regulus isn’t convinced.

When Regulus catches their waitress on her way past their table, he waves her down. She’s polite with a smile when she steps nearer, asking what he needs.

“Do you have anything stronger than the champagne in these mimosas available right now?” He asks, fluttering a hand toward the few glasses on the table.

“Um, well, there’s vodka in the bloody Marys on our brunch menu. Would you like to order one of those?”

“I’d like a bottle of just the vodka for the table, actually.”

He knows it’s an impossible request, he’s just hoping that maybe sliding her a twenty note or two might convince her to do him this one kindness. Her brow furrows and she looks at Sirius first before glancing past Regulus at James.

“He’s joking,” James says, forcing a nervous sounding laugh.

Regulus sinks in his seat, mumbling, “I’m really not.”

James lets out another shaking laugh before requesting the check as soon as she can get it for them. The poor girl darts another odd look around the table before painting a smile back on and nodding, then she’s gone again. Regulus goes back to staring at Sirius, who has taken to looking at him through narrowed eyes.

“You two are dating.” It’s not a question, no longer needing the clarification given they’ve already explained twice.

Regulus arches a brow. “Should I say it in French for you next?”

“Reg…” James warns.

“Actually, you,” Sirius swivels his focus to James who looks back at him, wide-eyed. “Millions of people on this earth and you decide my brother is the one you want to date?”

Regulus rolls his eyes so hard it’s a miracle they don’t get stuck that way. This is the response he expected. Because of course Sirius would jump to that, to the fact that James would choose to be with him, as if it’s some great offense to the order of the universe. 

Instead of offering further comment, Regulus snatches his glass from the table and downs the remaining bit of mimosa in it. He wasn’t joking about the little bit of champagne not being enough to get through this.

“You know I’ll kill you if you hurt him, James.”

Regulus chokes on the gulp of his drink.

Both James and Sirius look at him in concern as he reaches for his napkin and covers a couple more sputtering coughs into it, then wipes at his mouth.

“I’m sorry, what?”

Sirius scowls at him, kicking his shin beneath the table. “You idiot, of course I’d kill him for you. I’d kill him in a heartbeat.”

“Cheers, mate,” James snorts.

“You— Hang on.” Regulus sits up straighter, blinks beneath the crease of his brows, and glances between the two of them. “So, you’re… okay? With me and him?”

“I mean, I’m not totally wrapping my head around it at the moment. Still in shock, maybe, but… sure?” Sirius tilts his head like he’s thinking it over before he shrugs. “You’re both pains in my ass so I guess it makes a little sense.”

James laughs; it doesn’t sound nervous anymore. Now it’s Regulus’ turn to stare blankly at his brother as he tries to make sense of this actually going fairly well instead of being the catastrophic event he had been bracing himself for all morning. 

It’s only when James knocks his elbow into his that he’s pulled from his thoughts. There’s a fond smile on his face when Regulus looks at him, the same kind that has soothed many of Regulus’ worries in the past few months. God, he really does love him, stupid brunch announcements and all.

“Told you it wouldn’t be as big a deal as you thought.” James presses a quick kiss to his cheek.

Regulus notices Sirius’ nose scrunch at the open display of affection and ends up laughing finally, too.

Sirius: I feel like I'm being stabbed.

Remus: how do you even know what getting stabbed feels like?

Sirius: points at Regulus accusingly.

New torture method: I lock you in a room and play the ‘touch a touch a touch a touch me’ scene from glee on repeat until you claw your own eyes out and die

The way the second ao3 is down we all flock to tumblr

july 10. snitch. 215 words. @jegulus-microfic

James wakes up to a light tap on his bicep, and a whispered “Got it.” 

He grumbles, letting Regulus know he was awake. He’s expecting his boyfriend to explain why he tapped him, but instead, all he gets is another tap—on his hip this time—and a huff in frustration. 

“Reg, love,” he says, voice rough from sleep, “Why’re you tapping me?”

“Oh, did I wake you?”

He did, but James isn’t about to make him feel bad when he probably would’ve woken on his own soon enough. “No, I was already up. Did you need something?” He feels yet another tap on the back of his neck and a quiet cheer from Regulus. “Love?”

“Hmm?” 

“Why do you keep tapping me?”

“Oh, I like to see if I can catch your snitch tattoo under my fingers. It’s nice to watch it fly all around your body.”

A burst of warmth floods through James’ chest. He’s never said anything specifically, but he got that tattoo for Regulus. It was nice that not only did he enjoy how it looked on James’ body, but that he’d found a small joy in being able to try and catch it. It was moments like these that reminded James just how capable of childlike wonder Regulus still was, despite everything.

and they both call Lily "my flower"

James calls Regulus "my star" and Regulus calls James "my sun"

James calls Regulus "my star" and Regulus calls James "my sun"

Saving each other

(James Potter / Regulus Black ; Sirius Black & Regulus Black | 697 words)

For @jegulus-microfic prompt: Alive

CW: child abuse (Walburga and Orion A+ parenting)

It was a night James is sure he will never forget. The picture of Sirius, bloody, his hair mass and a hunted look on his face, with unconscious Regulus in his arms, firmly burned in his memory. It was a regular boring Wednesday until late at night someone frantically started knocking on their dorm. And everything changed.

James has never been this scared in his life. His hands were trembling when he wrapped them around Regulus to hold him. His voice broke when he called for his parents to help him when Sirius collapsed on the ground.

It's the morning of the next day. Sirius and James are sitting on the sofa in James’ bedroom talking in hushed voices.

“… after mother raised her wand, I don’t remember much,” Sirius says. James needs to know what happened, but he hates that his best friend has to live through it again. “I don’t know for how long it was happening, but they left me there on the ground in the end. That’s when Reg…” Sirius wipes his wet cheeks. “That’s when Reg came. He snuck out of his room to help me, but our parents heard him.”

James looks at the bed where his boyfriend is still sleeping. He hasn’t woken up since they arrived. But his parents and the healer say he should be alright, his body just needs time to heal. James would gladly take every curse instead of him. Just to spare him the pain. But he can’t. He just has to sit here and wait.

“He locked the door.” Sirius continues. “I could see the moment he made the decision. He pushed me into the fireplace the second our mother stormed in furious. Don’t you fucking dare to come back, Sirius. I got this. He yelled at me. He trowed the floo powder and called the name of an abandoned house we used to play in.”

James wants to burn the world to the ground. And most of all he wants to burn everyone who laid a hand on his best friend and boyfriend. He gave up a long time ago on trying not to cry.

“The last thing I saw was how the curse hit his body. My little brother. Screaming on the ground.” Sirius gets up to check on Regulus. He does it a lot. They both do. As to make sure he is still there sleeping. Sirius sits on the ground next to the bed. “I couldn’t leave him there, Prongs. I went back there in the middle of the night. No one expected me to, so they didn’t see us leaving. But they will know it was me. They will come for us. That’s why Regulus wanted to stay there. So, they would leave me alone.”

James slides down next to Sirius pressing their shoulders together. “You are safe. We will work this out. My parents are already talking to aurors.” Sirius gives him a sad look full of hopelessness that twists James’ stomach.

“I need you to take care or him, James. He will be mad at me when he wakes up. And he will need you.”

“Why would be mad at you?”

“Because I didn’t listen to him.”

“You saved him, he can’t be mad at you.”

“It doesn’t matter. The only thing that matters is that he is here, alive.” Sirius closes his eyes like he has to repeat the last word several times in his mind to convince himself that it’s true. “Will you take care of him for me please?”

“Of course. I always take care of him.” Sirius knows this. But he still looks relief when he hears the confirmation. “I will go to call Remus.” He says and walks out of the room.

James sits on the other side of the bed. He doesn’t touch Regulus. For one he doesn’t want to wake him up, but he also knows it might scare the boy. So even if his arms are aching for him to wrap them around his boyfriend, he doesn’t. He settles for watching Regulus’ chest rise and fall. Each breath is a demonstration of the words: alive, safe, here with me.

*wolfstar raising harry*

harry: guys i have something to tell you. you might not like it, but it’s who i am, and i can’t hide that from you guys any longer

sirius: harry you can tell us anything!

remus: yes we love you!

harry: okay well… i’m bisexual… idk if you guys are okay with that or if you even know what it means but i had to tell you

remus:

sirius:

remus: harry what do you… what do you mean that we don’t know what being bisexual is??

harry: well yk because both of you are straight-

sirius: I’M SORRY WHAT

remus: harry you think we’re straight??

harry: yeah because you guys are!

sirius: REMUS AND I ARE MARRIED

harry: WHAT I THOUGHT YOU TWO WERE ROOMMATES OR SOMETHING??

sirius: WE LITERALLY RAISED YOU 😭 YOU CALL US “MOONS” AND “PAD” DO YK WHAT THAT STANDS FOR HARRY?? IT STANDS FOR “MOM” AND “DAD”

harry: I THOUGHT YOU GUYS WERE JUST RAISING ME PLATONICALLY??

remus: there’s literally a picture of us kissing above the fireplace…

harry: i thought it was a platonic kiss?? 😭😭😭

sirius: WE WEAR WEDDING RINGS

harry: I THOUGHT THEY WERE FRIENDSHIP RINGS

sirius: WTF IS A FRIENDSHIP RING??

remus: we celebrated our anniversary last week!

harry: i thought it was some sort of friendship anniversary 😭

sirius: omg i knew i joked that he would be stupid because james is his father but this… this is another level

i made this 😭

Bill me

(James Potter / Regulus Black / Lily Evans | 570 words)

For @jegulus-microfic prompt: Dress

It was a sunny day and all three of them were walking on the street, every now and then stopping by the shopping windows to look in. James made sure he would comment on every piece of clothing or jewellery. Lily on the other hand didn’t spend much time looking until she stopped in front of one shop with a summer dress on the display.

“Lily, you would look great in it,” James says sincerely.

“Definitely.” Regulus agrees. “Do you want to go in and try it?”

“I can’t just go in and try it. The shop looks expensive.” Lily says but her gaze lingers a little too long on the dress. Regulus smiles knowingly.

“It’s fine.” He says and opens the door for both of them. He lets them enter first and closes the door behind them. As soon as the cashier spots them, she hurries to greet them. “Good afternoon, Mr. Black.”

James and Lily immediately turn toward Regulus with confused looks. “Hello,” Regulus answers.

“Please, have a seat. Vincent is in the office; I will call him for you.” The cashier gestures towards the sofa.

“Who is Vincent?” Lily asks.

“The owner.” Regulus shrugs and links their arms so he can lead her to the sofa. James has an amused expression on his face and when they pass him, he wraps an arm around Regulus’ waist and whispers to him.

“Of course, you know the owner, you pretentious git.”

Regulus gives him an unimpressed look. “I shop here.”

James laughs out loud. “Of course, you do.”

“Oi, what does that supposed to mean?” Regulus asks but James’ answer is disturbed by the entrance of Vincent, an older-looking Italian man with his hair slicked back.

“Mr. Black.” He comes towards Regulus, and they shake hands. “I hope you are having a great day. What can I do for you?”

Regulus sits down on the sofa, tugging James right next to him. “My beautiful girlfriend would like to try the summer dress you have in the window.”

Vincent looks towards Lily. “Excellent choice, Ma'am. It’s our new collection. It arrived just two days ago.” He gestures to the door behind him suggesting Lily should follow him. The girl looks back nervously to her boyfriends but both of them nod in reassurance.

When Lily comes out James and Regulus can only stare. Because she looks like a goddess. The dress fits her perfectly. But the most beautiful is the look on Lily’s face when she sees herself in the mirror. Regulus can tell she loves it.

“Lils, you look amazing. They are perfect for you.” James says and Regulus can only nod. Lily blushes and goes back to the room to take them off.

“We should have a picnic date, Reg. Lily would wear this dress and you can braid flowers in her hair.” James says and presses a quick kiss to Regulus’ hair.

“Sure. This Saturday?”

“Great. I will cook for us.” James muses and rest his cheek on Regulus’ shoulder.

“Did you like them?” Vincent asks as soon as Lily comes back.

“Yeah. How much do they cost?” She asks.

Before Vincent can answer Regulus is already standing up, holding his hand towards James to help him. “Doesn’t matter. Send the bill and the dress to my address as usual. That will be all. Thank you, Vincent.” And without another word, he leads them out of the store with satisfied smirk.

Headcanon that Sirius always wants affection from Regulus, but he is also very aware of his boundaries:

It's 4am and Sirius and Regulus find themselves in the kitchen at the same time but they don't speak. They just sort of nod to each other and continue doing whatever it is they came to do.

When Sirius is about to leave the room, he stops for a moment and sets down his coffee, turning around to face Regulus with his arms open wide in invitation.

Sirius half expects it when Regulus simply shakes his head 'no' and he nods in quiet understanding, allowing his arms to fall to his sides.

He's about to pick up his coffee again and leave, but instead, he smiles at Regulus and lifts one hand from his side, offering a fist bump instead.

And Regulus just rolls his eyes, but not without the tiny smile that finds its way to his lips because even as he lazily slaps the top of Sirius' fist, not even putting in the effort to give him a real fist bump, Sirius's face still lights up in that same grin that he would have if Regulus had accepted his offer for a hug in the first place.

Then Sirius picks up his coffee and says, over his shoulder as he leaves, "Love you!"

To which Regulus responds as he always does, in a tone that suggests otherwise,

"Hate you."

Remus: what’s wrong James?

James: Reg was mean to me today :(

Sirius: really? He’s usually too well behaved for that

James: usually he just smiles politely when I talk to him which is annoying but he proper lost it before

Sirius: he’s only mean to people he trusts not to hurt him for it

James: …are you saying what I think you’re saying?

Sirius: *sighs* yes prongs, I think he likes you more than he lets on

James: :D

fanart for art heist baby by @otrtbs

my masochistic tendencies made me reread ahb and i haven't been this sad and this inspired in a while so enjoy while it lasts

i love tumblr fandom culture bc i see fanart and i can’t tell if it’s regulus black, nico di angelo, or keith from voltron

i like imagining that sirius gushed about regulus to his new friends at hogwarts, but also talked about how worried he was for him because he was all alone in that house. peter felt bad, and would write regulus a letter everyday, telling him sirius loved him and was worried and he was too, in some strange way.

peter was confused when he waved and smiled at regulus on the way to hogwarts on reg’s first year, because the boy glared and turned the other direction, looking offended that someone like him would dare to even look at him.

regulus didn’t receive a single one of his letters, they were all turned to ash by the hand of one certain woman.

@jegulus-microfic

12 June 2023 Micro-fic

Prompt: warmth

Tags: angst, subjective allegory, no dialogue, references to self harm and child abuse but nothing graphic, sort of toxic past bartylus but it’s not their fault, not sure if you can read this as romantically involved Jegulus but it’s not platonic either, I’m quite literally completely unable to write anything under a thousand words I’m so sorry

WC: 1300 words, average read time 17 minutes

Regulus was always cold. It didn’t matter what season it was, what he was wearing, or how many blankets he was under, he was always, always cold. He wondered if it was a byproduct of living in that godforsaken house for too long. Sometimes, when his mind wasn’t working the way it should and he gave into the temptation to look at Sirius, he would see Sirius burrowed in his friends’ embraces. Like maybe Sirius was just as cold as he was.

For a long time, the closest he came to warmth was Barty. But Barty wasn’t warmth, not really. Barty was flame. Scorching, dangerous, burning, and uncaring of the damage left behind. And Regulus was like a moth. He let himself get pulled over Barty’s edges again and again, each time hoping he may get to soak the warmth up from the coals at the end. Barty left him burned and scarred every time, and Regulus left him snuffed and drenched in return. They both knew they’d kill each other one day, but it didn’t matter. They were both toxic people at their cores. They would poison themselves until one of them dropped dead and the other would follow shortly behind. A sick, twisted, crude facsimile of a phenomenon that neither of them knew but desperately craved.

James isn’t sure when he started noticing Regulus’s eyes on them, but now that he’d noticed, he’s hyper aware of his gaze. At first, he’d thought his gaze was bitter and angry and directed only at Sirius. And, it was, kind of. The farther into the term they got, the more Regulus seemed to lose the battle in himself and the more his eyes would land on their group.

He never seemed to realise he was being watched in return.

James watched Regulus closely and at some point, he realised that the anger and bitterness in his eyes wasn’t actually directed at Sirius like he had thought. Regulus was jealous. His eyes burned with it, desperate, longing stares that shuddered with a kind of sadness that left James with chills along his spine. The longer he watched Regulus, the more he saw. The way his hands never stopped shaking, the way his chapped lips always looked like they were a hair shy of blue, how he always wore long sleeves and jackets no matter the season, and how he caved in on himself, like if he scrunched down into himself far enough, he might find the barest hint of warmth. James isn’t sure when he starts flicking warming charms at the younger boy, but when his tense face smooths out for just a moment every time they hit him, James knew he wouldn’t stop.

He never finds out how Sirius finds Regulus that cold, stormy, December night. All he knows is one minute they’re sitting around the fire in the lounge, and the next, Sirius goes rigid beside him. James doesn’t manage to get a word out before Sirius is gone. He comes back hours later with a half dead, drenched Regulus who’s bleeding from Merlin only knows where and shivering so hard he keeps biting his own tongue. He’s drawn to Regulus with an urgency he’s never felt before, and the fact that he’s not at all a healer doesn’t occur to him. He’s been treating Regulus for years, hasn’t he?

He tries not to let his eyes linger on the countless, brutal scars that line the hidden planes of Regulus’ body as he strips him from the soaked robes he wears, but if the sound of his heart breaking over and over is anything to go by, he’s not successful. He’d be able to recognise Walburga Black’s handy lacero work in his sleep, or the deep wounds left from Orion’s rage, and it doesn’t take him long to discover Regulus’ own work across his left forearm. This body holds the remains of so many different people’s violence. James wonders if it holds a person at all.

He stays with Regulus through his nightmares. Speaks softly to him when he wakes screaming and staring into nothingness with haunted eyes that should never live in the body of an eighteen year old. The words don’t seem to help much, James doubts he even hears them, but the warming charms do. He casts them on the blankets piled atop Regulus, he casts them on the sofa he lies on, he casts them on the much too large borrowed clothes Regulus has on. Anywhere Regulus touches, James funnels warmth into it. Anything to keep Regulus from shivering into tens of millions of tiny pieces right before his eyes.

Regulus will never talk about what happened that dreadful December night all those years ago. He will never speak of what he saw or what he did or what happened to him, but James doesn’t need him to. He knows enough to form his own ideas, and he knows enough to know that when Regulus’ eyes go glassy and void, that warming charms, hot tea, and a warm muffin will bring him back to the present. He knows Regulus will burrow into his side, as though he wishes he could crawl inside James’ rib cage and even then it might not be enough, and James will wrap his arms around him, holding him close for as long as he needs. Never tightly, Regulus fears being trapped more than he fears being touched, but firmly enough that Regulus knows he is held together, kept whole. Regulus will shove his feet under James’ leg, and even through his trousers he can feel how cold they are. He won’t complain, ever, about Regulus’ cold, he just bundles him up, encases him in the warmth James can provide, and soothes the cracks and aches and edges as much he can.

Regulus accepted long ago that he is a weak, weak man. He knew the second he recognised the source of the warming charms he’d been hit with back in school that he would become an addict. James’ warmth is intoxicating. He gives it so freely, completely surrounds Regulus with it, and never tries to take it away. Regulus is a weak, selfish man, and he can’t bring himself to care that he must scald James’ sweet, rich skin with his frigid cold. He can’t bring himself to care when James wraps his arms around him and bleeds his warmth directly into Regulus’ very soul. He feels alive for the first time ever while he’s surrounded by the feeling of James’ heart beating against his back, the smell of a blueberry muffin in front of him, a book he’s not even really reading open in his lap, piping hot tea cradled in his hands, and the hum of a familiar warming charm pulsing around them. He understands what is different between Barty’s flame and James’ warmth now. Barty and Regulus only had one language they could speak. Violence was how they understood each other. James, though? James knew love. He knew kindness. He knew gentle. Years down the line, James is still teaching Regulus new words in this foreign language with the same amount of patience he had when he started. Barty was fire. James is sun. Both similar to each other, both with the capability of destroying Regulus, but only one with the ability to put him back together.

He may never understand how to love another person, but James has enough warmth for the both of them. Perhaps, one day, he may even stop shivering.

taking chances. 223 words. @jegulus-microfic.

James was the first person who made Regulus smile after he showed up at the Potter’s doorstep dripping with water, a hysterical Kreacher in tow.

Two months later, Regulus laughed at something Remus said, and the jealousy that ripped through James was what made him realize.

He liked Regulus. A lot.

It took two more weeks for James to get Regulus to laugh. And it wasn’t even on purpose. He’d been up at an ungodly hour, trying to make crepes for breakfast because he knew Regulus and Sirius used to eat those when they were children.

Regulus padded into the kitchen, eyes still half closed with sleep. He was wearing one of James' old shirts Effie had given him, the sleeves long, extending past Regulus’ fingers.

James dropped the eggs he was holding at the same moment he stepped forward, crushing them neatly underfoot and proceeding to eat shit.

Regulus had to sit on the floor across from James, he laughed so hard.

James was so pleased he didn’t even mind that he’d made a complete fool of himself. He’d do it again if it meant hearing Regulus’ squeaky laugh, seeing his cheeks flushed pink.

“I was trying to make you crepes.” James said, and held up a crushed bit of eggshell.

Regulus’ laughing hitched a bit. “Me?”

“Yeah.” James leaned forward. “You.”

Sirius has a habit of grabbing James’ face when he sees him and placing a wet kiss on his cheeks. James usually would willingly offer his cheeks the moment he sees Sirius but today James was a little busy making his sandwich to do so.

Sirius, determined to give James his wet kisses, grabbed James’ face and unintentionally touched his glasses, immediately James’ vision was blurred. Sirius probably came from Potions class and did not wash his hands thoroughly and so whatever ingredient he last held was now in James’ glasses.

“Pads, my glasses!” James exclaimed as Sirius kissed his cheek.

“Oops. Sorry, mate!” Sirius replied with a grin as he pulled away from James and sat at the opposite side of the table.

James, who does not like it when his glasses get smudges, grumbled under his breath. Annoyed that his hands were a little crumbly from the sandwich he was about to eat, James let out a sigh. He was about to reach for a napkin to clean his hands when suddenly his glasses were taken from his face.

“Hey!” James said, turning to the person who took it.

It was Regulus. Sitting next to him their thighs touching and their elbows bumping into each other whenever they move. But he wasn't paying attention to James at all, instead he was in a deep conversation with Remus. It was almost mindless the way he took James’ glasses and was now wiping it clean with the inside ends of his shirt. He continued on listening to Remus and even adding his own thoughts while he meticulously cleaned James’ glasses.

James felt his heart warmed at that. He didn't even know that Regulus noticed Sirius smudging his glasses, didn't even know he heard James grumble about it, he didn't even know Regulus knew how annoyed James get when his glasses get dirty.

James continues to watch as Regulus cleans his glasses and then checks to see if it's really clean before once again wiping it with the inside of his polo. It's adorable how he was nodding and conversing with Remus as he cleans James’ glasses for him.

James knew he had a bright grin on his face but he didn’t really want to stop smiling.

“Here.” Regulus said, handing him his glasses.

James just continued smiling and then leaning his face closer to Regulus, implying for Regulus to put it on him. Of course, immediately, he understood. He rolled his eyes but nonetheless did as James silently requested.

“I love you.” James said.

“I just cleaned your glasses, James.” Regulus said, red dusting his pale cheeks. “I hardly think that was worthy of a love declaration.”

James just grinned even wider, how his smile got bigger he doesn't know but with Regulus his smiles seems to grow and grow. “Doesn’t make it less true.

Regulus rolled his eyes but he was smiling a little. He turned to Remus and picked up their conversation easily.

“Gross.” Sirius declared from the other side but his eyes were twinkling so James doesn't believe him at all.

Barty, whilst high: Who even decided that skeletons are scary because personally I would be much more fucking terrified if the muscular system started walking around

Regulus coming up with baby names Florimel and Aster after flowers/stars. 😭

knife. 354 words. @jegulus-microfic .

A few days before Regulus is due to get the dark mark he finds a kitten mewling on the steps of Grimmauld place. It’s a tiny thing, gray with little dollops of white on its chest and the tips of its ears. He hesitates before reaching down and scooping it in his arms. The kitten’s reaction is immediate violence, hissing and spitting and ripping scratches across Regulus’ arms with tiny daggers of claws.

Regulus hisses back at it and wraps it in the bottom of his shirt in an attempt to protect his own flesh.

He dashes up to his room, narrowly avoiding his father on the second floor landing before dumping the kitten onto his bed.

It yowls up at him, puffing up its tail.

He’s never going to be able to keep it. Nagini will swallow it down on sight.

But he can’t just abandon it.

He has to save it.

So he does the thing that’s been playing on the edges of his mind for weeks.

He throws some of his things in a bag, scoops the kitten back into his arms, and he apparates to James Potter's house.

He isn’t expecting to find the whole family sitting on the front porch, all sipping tea like some kind of perfect holiday card, but his luck has been pretty shit lately.

“Oh my,” Euphemia breathes.

Fleamont chokes on his tea

Sirius drops his cup.

“Regulus?” James says and stands from his chair. “Are you bleeding?” He comes charging down the steps, stopping only a breath away.

The kitten spits.

“Oh.” James looks at the both of them, eyes soft. “And who is this?”

Regulus gazes down at the kitten. “This is Knife.” He clears his throat and gestures with his bleeding arms. “They’re quite sharp.”

Knife growls in agreement.

“Well.” James takes a deep breath. “Is Knife here to stay?”

Regulus looks to the porch. SIrius is standing at the top of the stairs, his hand reaching back to clutch Euphemia’s hand. He’s clearly straining to hear Regulus’ response.

“Yes.” Regulus looks up into Jame’s wide brown eyes. “We’re here to stay.”

They are like fire and water, exchanging motions between each other. You thought you knew who was who ... think again.

Regulus: I hate you

James: *in his head* enemies to lovers, slow burn, angst with happy ending, 300k+ words

breakfast

for @jegulus-microfic prompt spider, wc 100

James rubs his eyes as he walks into the kitchen. He didn’t get any sleep 'cause he spent the whole night cursing assignments he deliberately procrastinated. So for once, Regulus woke up before him. Regulus told him he would make breakfast. In the kitchen he sees Regulus eating toast. Sitting on top of the counter.

“Why are you up? You should’ve slept some more.”

“What are you doing on top of the counter?”

“Having breakfast.”

“Sitting on the counter?”

“Yes.”

James gives Regulus a long, searching look. He sighs and shakes his head.

“Where’s the spider?”

“Near the bar stools.”