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Regulus smiles, then rolls his eyes as he lifts up James’s sleeve. “You’re wearing gold. Of course you wear gold,” He mumbles, eyes dragging over James’s wrist and fingers - since when did he have a freckle there - before lingering on the simple yet elegant golden band.
James is grinning, because of course he is. “Why do you say that like it's a bad thing- Wait! What do you mean ‘ of course I wear gold,” He says, trying to sound indignant but Regulus can hear the mirth in his words and feel the laughter in his warm eyes.
Regulus runs a finger along James’s gold bracelet, mouth turning up at the corners because he’s allowed to just touch James. And, of course James wears gold. He’s so predictable. He is gold.
“I’ll let you know gold is very fashionable, my mum said so, and I think it looks quite nice-” James is rambling, and Regulus lets himself tune out his voice, his warm honey tone that allows Regulus to forget everything else, and concentrates on the writing within the bracelet.
Forever and Always
Oh.
Fucking hell it’s a love declaration Regulus thinks, ignoring the uncomfortable feeling in his gut at that thought.
Forever and always
Regulus squints.
until the end - Padfoot
Regulus drops James’s wrist like it's burned him.
“- Remus said he thinks it's quite handsome, we all know Remus is right about everything, and even Pete-”
“My brother got you this?” Regulus asks sourly.
James, who blinks like he himself forgot he was even babbling to Regulus, smiles, then nods, bending his wrist so he can see the inscription on it.
“Sirius got me it.” And James gets this happy, content, expression passing over his face as he watches the bracelet. Regulus feels like a fucking idiot.
“And why did he get you that bracelet, James,” Regulus chews out, sounding strangled.
“Hm?” James hums non-committedly, too busy tracing his fingers over the words. ‘ Forever and always until the end ’ Regulus wants to scream, because those words are printed at James’s wrist, feelings his pulse and touching his skin and-
“Forever and always?” Regulus says, not unkindly, raising an eyebrow as James turns to him, looking confused.“What? It’s like some sort of fucking love declaration there.” please don’t let it be a love declaration please don’t let it be a love declaration. “I didn’t realize Sirius could be so…romantic. Or poetic.” Which is a lie actually, because Regulus has heard his brother hollering sonnets many a time within the great hall, but he doesn’t care because don’t be in love with Sirius is he in love with you i thought he liked the tall one what the fuck-
To Regulus’s horror, James guffaws as it finally clicks what he’s getting at.
“Mate,” James begins, turning his golden flecked eyes to him, and Regulus feels like a rich man just from staring into them. “No fucking way. We love eachother but not like….we aren’t in love….Sirius-” James is struggling to get his words out at this point, shoulders shaking with breathless laughter. Regulus sits, trying to look unperturbed even though his stomach has just flipped and his heart has soared because the bracelet is not a love declaration. James keeps laughing though, and Regulus begins to feel his face heat up in embarrassment because, was it really that absurd of an idea?
“You’re so funny, Reg, honestly.” It takes James a moment to calm himself as he wipes a tear from his eye.
Disgruntled, Regulus frowns,”Don’t mock me, Potter. Not my fault you’re both so obsessed with each other, and you have this gay little bracelet to confirm it.” He isn’t bitter. He isn’t.
“Bracelet’s can’t be gay, Reg,” James grins, shaking his head. “C’mere, I’m not mocking you. You really make me laugh.” And then he’s pulling Regulus in, against his will, and wrapping an arm around his shoulders. Regulus stiffens, because James is touching him, he’s touching him, holding him? No not really a hold, more of a friendly side hug- but James Potter is touching him!
“Can’t wait to tell Sirius this though,” He laughs and Regulus groans, because Sirius will have an absolute field day.
“Please don’t,” Regulus says flatly, wriggling out of James’s grip because he really can’t handle that, then leaning back against the tree they’re perched under, putting his legs in between him and James because, god, Potter really holds no spacial awareness judging from how close he’d gotten. Regulus wills the heat to leave his face, because one can only pretend to be embarrassed for so long, and not to be blushing from a simple hug. Not even a proper hug.
“We have them matching, yknow,” James smiles, placing an arm behind his head to rest on as he observes Regulus with slightly shut eyes. He looks at home, Regulus decides, basking in the gloriousness of the sun, himself, looking content and happy with eyes of gold and his tanned skin glowing.
“Matching?” Regulus asks, tearing his eyes away from James to observe the glittering lake.
“He has a silver version.”
“Forever and always?”
“Until the end,” James finishes off, looking pleased with himself. “God, we are sappy aren’t we?”
Regulus finds himself smiling, even though it hurts because it's his brother, and he’s never had a friendship like that, with love so blatantly obvious that they aren’t afraid to voice it for the whole world to hear. James is just so loving, Regulus realizes, and that James probably has never faced anything but love, strong and unwavering and everything Regulus desires. James loves freely because he is loved.
“Massive saps.” Regulus nods primly. “It’s disgusting, really.” James is still watching him as Regulus turns to him, and finds himself swallowing because James’s tie is gone and his collar is open, shirt just wide enough he can see a glimpse of collarbones, and god is Regulus truly that touch starved that a slither of skin makes him feel wild inside, or is James Potter just that perfect?
“It isn’t.” James grins again, that fucking grin, and before he can say anything so annoying but equally as lovable it makes Regulus’s heart flutter, Regulus jumps up.
“Makes me feel sick, truly.” He turns on his heel, not waiting to see if he follows although he secretly wants him too. To his delight, he can hear James sigh and get up, appearing at his side.
“Your desire to pretend you’re dead inside is admirable,” James quips, but he’s still smiling gently. It’s like the sun has this effect on him, warm weather putting James into a constantly blissed out mood.
“Not pretending.” Although, Regulus’s heart does flutter as James’s arm brushes against his own.
“He got them back in fourth year,” James says, glancing over at Regulus as they continue to march back towards the castle. “The bracelets, I mean. I think we had an…argument or something, can’t really remember what about.” The way James paused tells Regulus he can remember.
“So he bought back your forgiveness?”
“No!” James snorts, raising the hand that isn't holding his tie to run through his hair. “He’d apologized so much, and I’d ignored him for, like, three days-” Regulus thinks its endearing how James believes three days is a crazy amount of time to ignore someone, because he himself has done much longer than that, but knowing James, every second of it probably killed him on the inside. “-and when we finally made up, he got them to just….solidify us.”
“Yippee. You’re practically married,” Regulus deadpans and James lets out a laugh, swatting his shoulder.
“Piss off,” James says, but there’s no venom in his words. “Not my fault you’re jealous, Reggie.”
Regulus rolls his eyes. “Don’t call me that.”
“Oh, Reggie,” James takes on this arrogant, all knowing tone, putting his arm around Regulus’s shoulders again. “One day, you will also have someone to be your forever and always.”
Regulus looks at James, and wants to scream.
“Until the end?” Regulus huffs, once again moving out of James’s grip.
“Until the end, Regulus.”
Regulus pretends the words don’t ring in his head as they move closer towards the castle, James jabbering on about whatever catches his eye, and he continues to pretend they don’t ring in his head as James pushed him towards the great hall, saying something about needing to find Moony and that he’ll ‘see you later’. Regulus also pretends he isn’t thinking about James’s words all the way through dinner, thoroughly annoying Dorcas as he can’t quite focus on a single thing she’s saying. Only when he’s crawled into his bed, curtains shut around him, and alone does Regulus let himself be greedy, drinking in the way James said his name, breathing in
until the end until the end until the end,
pretending that just for a second, James was truly saying those words to him.