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Regulus and Sirius never meant to get a job at the palace. It all started as a joke when they saw that the palace was looking for people ‘to join the team’. They figured you wouldn’t get a job at the palace unless you’d gone through a dozen screenings and you had a lifetime of experience. But with the Potters’ popularity going down by the year, they were adamant on doing whatever it took to be seen as more approachable.
The whole stunt had backfired, as the public would have preferred them to have actually done something useful for once, instead of making it out like working for them was an honour, and like you were supposed to be grateful to get the chance.
After a few interviews - in which Regulus and Sirius definitely lied about their experiences with gardening - they were both given a job. By then it was too late to admit that it was all meant to be a joke, and seeing as the job actually paid pretty well, they decided to just give it a go.
For a while they had gotten away with pretending to know what they were doing, but while Sirius was actually learning, it was obvious that Regulus wasn’t meant for the job. The royals had their reputation to think of, and they couldn’t just fire someone, so Regulus had been given a job inside the palace. He spent most of the day setting tables or cleaning up after the royals, but he didn’t mind. Over time he actually grew to like his work, and the people he got to work with.
He didn’t get to know the royals, though. Fleamont and Euphemia couldn’t be bothered speaking to the staff, and while the prince was less stuck in his ways, and a friendship actually grew between him and Sirius, there was no reason for him to say anything more than a polite hello and goodbye to Regulus.
From a distance, Regulus had watched the friendship between his brother and Prince James grow, but once they were home, he never asked Sirius about the prince. They spent most of their time at the palace, and once they finally had some time off, they didn’t want to waste any more time thinking about their employers.
Regulus may have spent hours watching Prince James from a distance, but apparently it still wasn’t enough to make him recognise him up-close.
Just as they were about to head off home after work tonight, Sirius had received a text to let him know about some party in the city. Regulus was tired after a long day at the palace, but Sirius convinced him that a night out was exactly what he needed to destress. They were let in without questions, but Regulus hadn’t given it much thought. The house was filled to the brim, and most people were wearing masks. From the amount of bodyguards keeping an eye on things, it was obvious that the people behind masks were not your average Joe. But after working for the royals, Regulus didn’t get excited about partying with some tv-folk or pop stars. He’d seen enough of them visit the palace, and from his experience, most of them weren’t nearly as likeable as they seemed to be from afar.
Sirius may have been right about this party helping him relax, because after a few drinks, Regulus found himself on the dance floor. It didn’t take long before one of the masked men started dancing with him. Regulus didn’t care too much about who he may be, not even when the guy pulled him closer to kiss him. Working at the palace was exhausting, and why shouldn’t he spend the night drinking and making out with a stranger whose name he didn’t know? He deserved it, didn’t he?
Perhaps he should have cared a bit more, because when the stranger led him into an empty room, and he took off his mask, it was as though the whole world came to a stop. Regulus was expecting to find someone he recognised from tv - perhaps someone he knew to be married, and that’s why he couldn’t show him his identity in front of the others. Not once did he think that he was making out with none other than Prince James.
When he was led upstairs, he was hoping for some more making out, or perhaps even more than that. But when he saw the prince - his employer - standing in front of him, his heart sank. Was this a prank? Had Sirius set him up? Was that why he was so adamant that they’d go to this party? So they could trick him and make him feel like a fool?
He wanted to ask James a thousand questions, but before he could say a word, a bodyguard stormed into the room, announcing that someone had tipped off the press, and they needed to get out of there right away.
Regulus had gone downstairs, and he hadn’t mentioned to Sirius what happened. And from the way Sirius wasn’t laughing or mocking him, he started to wonder if perhaps it wasn’t a cruel trick after all.
That didn’t stop him from tossing and turning all night, though, wondering how the hell he was going to face James when he had to see him at the palace the next day. Or more than that, how he was going to face the king and queen. Because surely if they were to find out what had happened, he would be fired right away. James may have formed a friendship with Sirius without them trying to stop him, but there’s a difference between hanging out and making out with the King-To-Be.
“So…” Sirius grins when they are on their way to work the next morning. “Did you have fun last night?”
“Mhm.” Regulus mumbles weakly, as he feels his face flush. He can feel his brother’s eyes burning a hole in him, and he knows that he won’t give up until Regulus has told him what’s going on. “I messed up.”
“Messed up how?” Sirius sighs. “What did you do?”
“I think there’s a good chance I may have committed some light treason last night…”
“Treason?” Sirius laughs. “Did you… wait, is this about you making out with James?”
“You know about that?! Did he tell you?” Regulus panics, because what if it had been a trick after all?
“I saw you, Reg. Everyone at that party did,” Sirius points out.
“You knew it was him?”
“You didn’t?” Sirius laughs.
“He was wearing a mask!”
“That thing barely covered his face,” Sirius laughs. “You see him every day, how could you not recognise him?” he asks, but Regulus just shrugs. Maybe he was so caught up in the dancing and the joy of finally having a night out, that he didn’t even truly look at the guy he was flirting with. If he had, perhaps he would have recognised him and he could have walked away to avoid risk losing his job over it.
“If he recognises me and he realises I work at the palace…”
“Reg!” Sirius shakes his head, “You realise you were not wearing a mask yourself, right?”
“I know, but he clearly had no idea who I was, or…”
“He asked me to bring you to the party,” Sirius interrupts. “Trust me, he knows exactly who you are.”
There’s something in Sirius’ tone that makes Regulus wonder if there’s something he’s not telling him. If James had recognised him as Sirius’ brother, surely he shouldn’t have kissed him, right? But then why did he?
Regulus had made sure to stay as far away as possible from the royals that day. He was still nervous to have to face them, and what Sirius had told him hadn’t exactly helped his nerves. Before, he figured James just didn't know it was him. But if he did know, then why did he kiss him? What was he trying to do by bringing him up to that room? Was he trying to get him in trouble?
Truth be told, Regulus wasn’t sure he wanted to know. So he is still hiding in the kitchen that afternoon - to the kitchen staff’s frustration, as he’s completely useless in the kitchen and he’s only getting in their way. He thought he’d be safe here, because he didn’t think James or his parents would go anywhere near the kitchen, but just as he’s being shoved out of the way again, James steps into the room.
“There you are!” He flashes a broad smile, and it’s making Regulus blush right away. That smile may have seemed great from a distance, but now that it’s intended for him, it’s damned near perfect. “You weren’t trying to hide from me, were you?” James teases, but when he sees the guilty look on Regulus’ face, his smile fades. “You were?”
Even though the others aren’t paying attention to the two of them, Regulus still feels uncomfortable with them around. He can’t even get himself to speak, because what is he supposed to say after what happened last night, especially with the others able to hear his every word?
“Want to go for a walk?” James suggests, trying his best to flash another smile - although it’s not nearly as real as the one before.
“Sure,” Regulus mumbles, before following him outside. He feels like he’s about to be told off, and he’s already trying to come up with excuses. But what can he say? The truth is that he simply didn’t know it was James, but telling a prince that you didn’t recognise him, when his face is not only all over the papers, but you work for him too, is not very believable, is it?
“I’m sorry about last night,” James begins, after a tense silence that seemed to last for hours. “I hate it when that happens.”
“You hate…?” Making out with someone by mistake? Regulus thinks, but he doesn’t want to be the first to bring up what they did.
“When someone tips off the press,” James sighs. “I don’t think I’ve ever been able to stay until the end of a party.”
“Right…”
“I didn’t mean to leave you behind like that, but…”
“You had to go. I know.” Regulus nods, still not entirely sure if they are going to discuss the making out part, or if they are going to pretend it never happened.
James leads him over to the rose garden, before motioning for him to sit down on the bench where Regulus knows that Sirius and he often hang out in secret. The bench is hidden from view, and it’s the perfect place to hide.
“I was a little nervous you wouldn’t recognise me,” James admits. “With the mask, I mean. But…”
“I didn’t,” Regulus blurts out, thinking he’s about to have to apologise and make excuses for what happened. But when he sees the disappointed look on the prince’s face, he quickly realises that was not what he wanted to hear.
“Oh… Did Sirius tell you it was me, or…?”
Regulus shakes his head, and when James realises that he hadn’t kissed him because he knew it was him but because he thought he was kissing a random stranger, he looks down at his hands in embarrassment. Normally he does well to keep up pretences - as he has been taught to do from a young age - but Regulus can tell that he is too disappointed to pretend right now.
“Would you have danced with me if you had known?”
“No!” Regulus blurts out, and again he realises he has just said the wrong thing, so he quickly explains, “I’m pretty sure it’s forbidden for someone like me to dance with someone like you.”
“Forbidden?” James smiles shyly.
“I work at the palace, and you’re a prince, so you’re supposed to…”
“Marry a distant cousin to keep the bloodline pure?” James teases. “It’s 2022, Regulus, I’m pretty sure we’ve moved on from all that.”
“But your grandfather, he…” Regulus begins nervously, not sure if he should bring this up. But James sighs, clearly already knowing where this is going.
“My grandfather fell in love with a girl who worked in the palace kitchen,” James remembers. “When his parents found out, he had to choose between her or his family.”
“She was fired, and he married your grandmother a few weeks later,” Regulus adds. “I can’t lose my job, James… sorry, Your Royal…”
“James,” the prince chuckles embarrassedly. “Just James. I know what happened with my grandfather, but things have changed. This situation isn’t the same, and we’re not like them, we can…”
“Dance,” Regulus quickly says, not sure he can handle James bringing up the kissing.
“Right. We can dance with whoever we want to.” James smiles, before placing his hand on Regulus’. “I asked Sirius to bring you to the party last night.”
“Why?”
“Because I’ve been trying to ask you out for months, but I was too nervous you would reject me. Sirius got tired of me asking about you, so he suggested I’d try and talk to you. He thought it would be easier away from the palace…” James shrugs. “I’m sorry, Regulus, I thought you would recognise me.”
“You wanted to ask me out?” Regulus asks, ignoring the rest of his words. “Me? Are you sure?”
“Yes,” James laughs. “You. Do you remember the first time you and your brother came to the palace?”
Regulus can’t help but look away in shame, because not only had he almost knocked over an expensive vase, he had bumped into James and was shoved into a wall by security who thought he was trying to attack him. It had been so embarrassing that Regulus had almost quit on the spot, and Sirius’ laughter hadn’t helped one bit. But the incident wasn’t mentioned again, and Regulus hoped that James had forgotten all about it.
“I tried to come after you to talk to you, but they wouldn’t let me,” James explains. “I started going for walks, hoping I’d run into you one day, and that’s how I got to know Sirius.”
“But you knew I was working inside the palace, so…”
“I didn’t think you’d be interested,” James admits, and Regulus rolls his eyes, because James is the UK’s most eligible bachelor, and he’s probably used to everyone throwing themself at his feet. “Don’t give me that look. Asking someone out is just as nerve wracking for me as…”
“Oh, please,” Regulus laughs, any awkwardness between them fading with every minute they’re out here in the rose garden. James isn’t the reserved person Regulus thought he would be, and it makes him wish he had tried to get to know him sooner. But then, he wasn’t really supposed to talk to the royals, was he? And as great as James seems, he’s still a prince, and Regulus is sure there are at least a dozen rules he’s supposed to stick to when talking to him - let alone going out with him.
“So…” James smiles, intertwining his fingers with Regulus’. “Would you be interested to go out with me some time?”
Regulus can’t stop himself from smiling, and even though part of him still wonders if this is all a big set-up and there’s someone about to pop out with a camera to reveal the joke, this is what he has been dreaming of for months. All the times he was watching Sirius and James from afar, his thoughts started wandering off to what it would be like to be friends with the prince. And, as he couldn’t deny, it had quickly turned into what it would be like to kiss him - or more. He hadn’t told anyone about his crush, though, not even Sirius. Although he’s sure he must have figured it out a long time ago, seeing as Sirius wouldn’t have brought him to the party last night, knowing James’ intentions, if he didn’t think Regulus was interested in him too.
“My family is having a picnic tomorrow,” James suggests, “I invited Sirius too, but maybe you…”
“You want our first date to be at your family’s picnic?” Regulus laughs in disbelief. “With your parents, the rest of your family… photographers?”
“Well, I would argue that it’d be our second date, but…” James teases, nudging him in the leg. “I know it might be a bit much, but these picnics are usually a lot of fun. But if it’s too much, we could go out for a coffee?”
“You really want to go out with me?” Regulus asks, still trying hard to take in what James has just told him. Working for the royals is one thing - having accidentally made out with a prince, and going out on a date with him is another. “What if your parents find out?”
“I’m sure they will,” James laughs. “If I bring you to the picnic.”
“But it’s…”
“Forbidden?” James cocks an eyebrow, making Regulus blush. “I told you, things have changed. If I want to go out with you, that’s my choice.”
Regulus thinks it over for a moment, before finally looking down at their hands. It’s still a lot to take in, but if James is willing to take a chance to ask him out, surely he can get over his nerves about spending the day with the royals.
“Do I need to dress up for this picnic?” he asks, smiling shyly, and when he looks up, James has a grin from ear to ear on his face. They may have spent half the night making out already, but last night Regulus didn’t know that he was kissing James. Now that James leans in to kiss him, he feels nervous butterflies in his stomach, as though they are about to kiss for the first time. But when James kisses him, the nerves fade, and he wishes the moment would never have to end.
“Stop picking at your shirt!” Sirius orders, slapping Regulus’ hand. “I already told you, you look great.”
“But what if…”
“Fleamont and Euphemia don’t like you?” Sirius guesses.
“I’m pretty sure you’re not supposed to call them that…”
Sirius shrugs, as he straightens his tie - looking more than just a little uncomfortable, wearing an old shirt he bought a few years ago for a wedding. Regulus is just as uncomfortable, perhaps even more, because not only is today supposed to be his and James’ first date, he will also have to meet his parents. Who just so happen to be just about the most famous people in the country, and who surely will have something to say about the guy their heir goes out with.
“James’ parents are alright, Reg.”
“Have you actually met them?”
Sirius shrugs, meaning that he definitely has not met them. But he’s been friends with James for a long time, so maybe he has heard enough about them to know. Or that’s what Regulus hopes for, because he’s so nervous that it feels like his legs are about to give out.
It feels odd to be at the palace as a guest, but Regulus tries not to show it. He’s not doing a great job, though, because as soon as they step out onto the grounds, he trips over his feet and he almost falls into his brother.
“Are you okay?” Sirius laughs. “Relax. James wouldn’t have invited us if we weren’t welcome.”
Regulus feels completely out of place, joining a picnic where everyone is either a member of the royal family or someone with a title. For a moment it seems like they are about to be ignored all afternoon, but when a cousin of James’ comes over to them to greet them with a hug - clearly knowing exactly who they are because James told her about them - the ice is broken.
This first date may have started off a little awkward, seeing as James was pulled into a hundred different directions, and Regulus actually spent most of the afternoon with Sirius and James’ cousins. But when James finally managed to get away from his family, he quickly found Regulus, and he had led him to a quieter place where they could talk without his cousins and Sirius listening to their every word.
“This didn’t turn out like much of a date, did it?” James sighs, as they’re walking through the rose garden.
“That’s okay.” Regulus smiles shyly. “Your cousins are great.”
“They are.” James nods, but when he stops walking, Regulus thinks that he’s about to tell him bad news.
“But?”
“No but,” James quickly says, “I just really want to kiss you right now.” He reaches out to fix Regulus’ hair back into place, but when they hear rustling, Regulus quickly steps away from him. James keeps a firm hold of his hand, though, to let him know that it’s okay.
“Sorry, I’m just worried about your parents.”
“They know why you’re here, Regulus,” James tells him. “I told them this morning.”
“And?”
“And they’re happy I’ve met someone.” James smiles, taking his hand. “They like you.”
“They know who I am?” Regulus asks. “I thought they…”
“Yes, they know who you are,” James laughs. “You’ve been working here for how long?”
“Too long,” Regulus blurts out, blushing, but James just laughs at his honesty. “Sorry…”
“Now…” James smiles, ignoring his comment, and pulling him closer. “Can I kiss you?”
