Chapter Text
“I have no idea what you’re talking about,” James feigns innocence, taking another drink from his almost-empty cup. The red plastic is covered in Sharpie, most of it smudged from the way he’s been refilling it all night.
“‘Course you don’t Jamie. I’m going to find Moony, you’ll be alright?” He nods as Sirius kisses his cheek and follows his figure until it slips into the sea of people in their house.
Their house was a generous term for the massive, almost mansion-like building they lived in. It was technically the communal housing for their fraternity. Tonight it was being used for the party of the year. The current president, Frank, was graduating at the end of the semester and had already let everyone know that James was to take over his position; Hence why nearly the entire student body was currently in their living room.
He chugs the remnants of his drink and strides across the house on autopilot into the kitchen to refill it. Quite a few people are milling about, most of whom seem to be sloppily making out on all possible surfaces. If James weren’t as drunk as he currently is he might’ve cared, but he can barely be bothered to bat an eye. Instead, he pours himself a bit of coke and then adds an absurd amount of rum afterward.
James is about to hunt down Sirius again when he’s grabbed by the elbow and dragged into one of the many living rooms. He can’t tell who’s pulling him, and truthfully he doesn’t bother to care as he takes another drink from the sloshing liquid in his cup.
“James!” Peter is slurring his words and clinging to James’ shoulder as if he’d fall over without it. He’s pretty sure Peter would fall if he let go, which is why he deposits him onto the sofa between Sirius and Lily instead.
Marlene is in an armchair to his left, her girlfriend, Dorcas he thinks, is in her lap and talking animatedly with a tall, blonde-haired boy and Regulus, Sirius’ younger brother. Next to the blond is another boy, even taller, with an array of silver piercings and an undercut littered with neon green highlights.
James thinks he hears something about Remus and Mary getting more drinks, but honestly, he’s had a bit more to drink than he cares to admit and the green-haired boy is definitely his type.
“James?” He blinked owlishly at Sirius who had a concerned expression on his face. “Hm?”
Sirius raises a brow and turns to look toward the group before grinning back at him. “Go on then, I’ll cover for you.” James shakes his head with a blush he’ll definitely blame the liquor for in the morning. He kisses his teeth and takes another drink before approaching the group.
“-I’m telling you there is absolutely no way in hell I’m letting you do that!” Dorcas shakes her head but is smiling fondly at Barty who has a criminally attractive smirk on his face. He takes the small opening and nods to the three boys.
“Hey, I’m James, one of Marlene’s friends.”
Regulus snorts but doesn’t say anything as he reaches his hand out to them. The blonde shakes his hand with a smile, “Sirius’ James?”
He laughs breathily and takes another drink before nodding, “That’s one way to put it. He’s my best friend, if anyone is his it’s Remus.” Marlene laughs with him and he can feel himself grow more comfortable. James has always flourished in the company of others, but that doesn’t make it any less nerve-racking to start up a conversation with people he wasn’t familiar with.
“Got it, just James then.” The blonde is still smiling when he elbows the boy beside him. “I’m Evan, and this is Barty. I’m assuming you already know Dorcas and Reg?”
James nods and sticks out his hand to Barty who’s still glaring daggers at Evan. When he does turn to face James he furrows his brows. He then turns to Regulus, mumbles something about the air, and quickly slips away into the crowd.
“Don’t mind him, he’s a moody asshole,” Dorcas soothes, taking a small sip from her cup. He gives a small smile and looks back over his shoulder where Barty’s green hair has faded into the masses.
Evan’s started speaking again and James tunes him out. He nods when appropriate but focuses more on what he possibly could’ve done to piss the boy off already.
He loses his sense of time somewhere in between wondering where Barty went and when Remus returns with shots for them all.
At this point, he’s had enough alcohol to blur the edges of his vision and fill his chest with warmth, but still, once he realizes his cup is empty again he finds himself stumbling to the kitchen. It’s significantly less crowded, likely due to the couples or dates or one-night stands leaving to hook up.
James bites his lip and unscrews the cap of a cheap bottle of vodka, stiffening when he feels a presence behind him. The person slinks beside him and gently pushes a crinkled solo cup next to his own. “Barty” is scribbled on the edge of it, along a poorly drawn snake.
“Just this?” James turns to face him and blinks until Barty nods once, then twice.
The clear liquid spills into the cups and James screws the cap on again before handing his cup back to him. They stand in silence a moment before Jake breaks it again.
“Did I do something?” He winces as he takes a drink, the liquid burning his throat. Barty gives him an odd look and then barks out a laugh. James now gives him an equally confused look but is smiling slightly when he does so.
“No, sorry, you didn’t do anything. I was just in a foul mood and you gave me an out,” He finishes his drink in one go and sets the cup down.
He nods, ignoring the way his chest loosens in relief at the admission. “Okay, that’s good. I thought I’d fucked up my chances.”
The second the words leave his mouth he’s bright red and biting his lip. James felt the whole situation was unreal because, sure, people in movies would drunkenly let on a bit more than necessary but not once had that ever happened to him before. To say he was embarrassed was an understatement.
“Fuck, I didn’t mean that. I mean I did but I didn’t mean to tell you- Or I did but not like that ,” James rambles. He looks up to see Barty watching with an amused expression, his fingers pulling at the pointed end of a septum piercing.
“Calm down James. it was kind of obvious.” He’s laughing and James goes red in the face again.
“No, it wasn’t.”
“It definitely was. I mean, don’t get me wrong, it's cute, and I definitely feel the same, but you’re by no means subtle, baby.”
His heart flutters and his head swims and he’ll definitely blame the alcohol in the morning for his thoughts at the moment, but right now it’s taking all of his self-restraint to not jump the boy in front of him so he lets himself ignore them.
“I really want to kiss you right now,” James breathes. And apparently, he just says whatever comes into his mind now because why the fuck did he just say that.
Barty laughs again, “That can be arranged, baby.” He nods his head to follow him and slips to the back door. He holds the door open for James. When he turns back around he has a lighter in one hand and a spliff in the other, a small smirk on his lips when he gestures to the railing of the porch.
James rests his elbows on the cool metal and lets his head drop onto it after. The cool sensation on his forehead makes him sigh and when he lifts his head again Barty has already lit the joint and is exhaling a cloud of smoke to his other side.
They sit in silence for a bit, Barty smoking and James staring at the stars beside him. It’s comfortable and it’s tranquil and James still wants to kiss Barty’s face off but it’s pleasant nonetheless.
“Have you ever smoked?” The silence is broken when Barty finally finishes his spliff, the butt now resting in the plastic ashtray next to them.
“Once. In high school.” He adjusts his body so he’s facing Barty. “I coughed a ton and the guys I did it with laughed and I was an embarrassed sixteen-year-old. Haven’t tried it since.”
Barty hums, “Do you want to? Try it again I mean?” The wind picks up and James shivers.
“You just finished though.”
“Don’t worry about me, baby. Trust me when I say I smoke enough that I can handle a spliff and half a blunt.” He chuckles and reaches into his pocket, producing another joint.
His lighter flickers in the wind and he offers the blunt to James once it’s lit. He mumbles his thanks and lifts it to his lips, inhaling gently and holding it for a few seconds before exhaling again. It burns just as much as the first time and James coughs quietly as he passes it back to Barty.
He doesn’t laugh at James, only smiles and takes his hit. They go back and forth a few times and James has stopped coughing when he takes his. Barty looks at him and James’ face heats up as he blows a small puff of smoke to the side.
“Can I try something?” Barty’s voice is smooth and James’ head feels like it’s full of cotton when he nods slowly. The space between them is then closed and Barty’s face is tilted down toward James’. He’s breathing heavily, unsure of whether it’s the smoke lingering in his lungs or the incredibly attractive boy inches away from him.
He watches as Barty inhales slowly, holds it, and leans forward to close the distance between their lips. They don’t kiss. Instead, Barty uses his tongue to gently part James’ lips and allows the smoke to fill his chest.
When he pulls away James’ face is red and he’s coughing softly while Barty watches him with an unreadable expression. He knows his eyes are glassy from the weed and when he steps forward he nearly trips, but Barty is there and he falls into his arms. And, God, they’re just as strong as James thought they’d be.
“I’m going to kiss you,” James mutters once upright again. Barty doesn’t say anything. He stands there and smirks and when James stands on his toes to kiss him he lets him.
The kiss lasts maybe ten seconds before James shoves him into the railing, hands flying to Barty’s shirt to tug him closer.
Barty is pliant in his hands and James whines, fucking whines , when his teeth catch on one of the snakebites on his lip. It’s then that Barty takes back control, snaking his hands up and down James’ waist until he can barely stand anymore. He lets Barty pull them to the couch, still kissing one another roughly even when James falls back onto the rough material of the outdoor furniture.
“Fuck,” James hisses in a breath. Barty takes this as an invitation and his tongue slides into James’ mouth expertly. He bites Barty’s lip and grins against his mouth at the sinful groan the boy lets out when he does it. Their tongues swirl around one another and the ball of Barty’s tongue piercing is slowly driving him crazy.
He’s lost his ability to form thoughts when Barty pulls him up again, his hands snaking down his back and eventually stopping at his waist. Barty’s lips leave him and he lets out another pathetic noise until he feels Barty lips again, kissing his jaw, his neck, behind his ear.
James hisses when Barty’s teeth graze his pulse point and he fails to suppress an embarrassingly loud moan when he begins to suck harshly on the sensitive skin. James' nails dig into his back, and he’s unsure of when he moved his hands under Barty’s shirt, but can’t bring himself to care once Barty’s teeth graze the same spot.
He moves his hands and pulls Barty’s hair so that he’s facing James again. His lips are swollen and his eyes are bloodshot and red, and fuck James has never seen someone so beautiful.
“You’re beautiful.”
The filter between his brain and mouth is still missing and James is so grateful because he gets to see Barty’s eyes crinkle in a smile before he’s pulling James back in for another kiss.
Neither notices when the door slides open. It isn’t until the person clears their throat does Barty grunts and sits up fully. He assumes Barty is glaring at the person but he can’t tell for sure from where he’s hidden his face in the crook of Barty’s neck. His arms wrap around James possessively and he sinks into the embrace.
“We’re leaving.” Regulus’ tone is clipped and then he’s leaving just as soon as he’d appeared.
Barty groans and runs a hand across his face at the same time James peels his face away from his collarbone. They look at each other for a few moments, both of their expressions unreadable until James opens his mouth to speak.
He’s cut off before he gets the words out. “Pass me your phone?” He blinks a few times before he processes what Barty meant and then tries to hide his smile as he passes his phone. James is wildly unsuccessful in his attempt but he doesn’t care because Barty is handing him back his phone with an added contact. There’s his number, his name with an exclamation mark, and a photo of him with his tongue out, his piercing glittering in the moonlight.
“Bye, baby. Hopefully, I’ll be seeing you again soon.” Barty stands and leans down to presse a chaste kiss to James’ lips and slips back into the house leaving James smiling dumbly to himself on the porch.