Chapter Text
“Come on Pads don’t be like that”
“Don’t be like this?!! How am I supposed to act calm when you hid this from me!”
“I didn’t hide anything from you I just didn’t think you’d want to know.”
“I WOULDN’T WANT TO KNOW??? How can you say that you when you didn’t tell me that Tony Stark dies in Endgame!”
They slumped down against the couch together their eyes glued to the paused movie in front of them.
“I just didn’t want you to be sad” James tried meekly
“I know”
Sirius pulled him into a crushing hug with a small sob.
“I love you so much Prongs”
“I love you too Pads”
At this point they were outright bawling into one another. Despite it being the smallest disagreement, both boys often ended up crying and apologising after any argument.
“What the fuck”
Sirius whipped around to find Remus standing in the doorway, bag in hand, with a confused expression on his face. Remus had become friends them a few months ago after Remus had joined their swim club as the assistant coach. Sirius was the head coach and had been slightly apprehensive toward the taller man because, well, he could be fucking terrifying. The first time Sirius had met Remus was at a 5am training and he was clearly not a morning person, he’d spent the entire session not so much as talking to Sirius about anything other than drills, but Sirius had to admit he was an excellent coach. Remus had gelled in well to their little group but was still getting used to the antics which Peter had grown up with. Fast forward to now where Sirius was self-consciously wiping his face while trying to act as nonchalant as possible.
“Oh, hey Moony. What are you doing here?”
“You invited me for dinner, like we do every Friday?”
“Dinner?” Sirius looked down at his watch to find that it was already seven “Fucking hell you forgot to make dinner” he said pointing and accusing finger at James.
“I didn’t make dinner?! What about you? You never make anything!”
“Fine then, I’ll make food” Sirius said getting up and stomping to the kitchen. But before he could reach there and inevitably burn the house down, he felt a hand clasp around his wrist pulling him backward. He looked down to find Remus’s fingers curled around his wrist which sent shivers up his arm, not that he would let anyone know.
“Oh no you don’t, I would like this house to stay upright thank you.” Remus chuckled before pushing Sirius down onto the couch with James once again.
“And besides,” he said holding up a bag of takeout “I already bought food after Pete told me you were going to watch Endgame.” Remus glanced at the screen which was paused at the moment after Tony had snapped his fingers and then at James face that was still swollen from crying.
“You didn’t tell him Tony died, did you?”
“YOU KNEW” Sirius yelled incredulously
“Of course I knew, James and I watched the movie at my place last week”
Sirius turned around toward James slowly “Is this true?”
“I’m sorry Pads, I went over to help him move some furniture and one thing led to another… I never meant for it to happen I swear!”
“How could you? One minute you’re planning to watch it with me and the next minute I find out you’ve already seen it with another man!”
“I swear it will never happen again; I love you Pads”
“It better not”
“I feel like I’m intruding” Remus added
“Don’t worry babe you’re not” Sirius added, revelling in the way Remus’s cheeks flush at the name. Sirius isn’t quite sure why he says it, or why he enjoys seeing Remus react. It’s because they’re friends, Sirius decides, friends like to tease one another that’s all.
“Come on now we should eat dinner,” Remus says sweeping out of the room in that elegant way of his “Anyway we all have to get up early tomorrow for training.”
“Oh fuck” Sirius and James groan in unison. They were not ready for training.
-/-
James was completely and utterly screwed. Ever since Sirius and Regulus had reconciled, they had been hanging out with one another almost constantly, trying to rebuild their relationship without their parent’s looming presence. James didn’t know much about their upbringing besides the fact that their home was a terrible place and the only reason he knew that was because Sirius ran to his house at fifteen soaked in blood asking to live there. Normally, the brothers becoming closer would have been a reason for James to rejoice if it weren’t for the fact that Regulus was really fucking hot. Now he was constantly hanging out at their apartment in those godforsaken skirts and low waisted jeans looking like the epitome of sin and ignoring James for every second of it. Sirius had tried to get Regulus to talk to James, but Regulus refused to initiate conversation without Sirius’s pestering. And to put the cherry on top of James’ sundae of suffering Regulus was an amazing swimmer who was likely looking at a future in the olympics and he was joining their club, the Golden Griffins.
The Griffins had incredibly high standards with most of their team working toward Olympic trial times. James was their physical therapist and worked closely with all the swimmers and their nutritionist Mary MacDonald. He attended nearly ever training session to support Sirius and had sparked some great friendships within the group seeing as he was only five years older than the youngest member who was 19. James attending the sessions had become routine and now James would have to watch Regulus swim in tiny, tiny clothes every day, 5 times a week, every single week. He wasn’t sure how he was going to survive this.
He drove with Sirius snoring in the passenger seat as he often did before early morning sessions dreading the thought of seeing Regulus. James would have been fine if it was just sexual attraction, but it was so much more than that. He loved Regulus’ laugh, his glare, the way his he shook the hair out of his face so much that eventually got hair clips (James nearly had a heart attack at how cute that was) to the way Regulus would make little sounds and facial expressions when he was reading a particularly interesting book or fan fiction. James could never quite figure out what he was reading when he had a straight face though. James was so gone for this man, the same man who ignored him every time he saw him. He was so screwed.
James pulled into the parking lot nudging Sirius lightly to wake him up before getting out of the car.
“I’m up, I’m up” Sirius said groggily as he got out of the car.
He’s dressed in a pair of black track pants and a stormy grey t-shirt which he says ‘brings out his eyes’. James noticed that he’s dressed up a little better than he usually does, it’s probably because he’s going to see Remus. Sirius is somehow still completely oblivious about his feelings for Remus, and by feelings James means he is completely gone for the man. It’s honestly starting to bother James that Sirius can’t how much he wants to bone that man, he talks about him constantly, he always smiles when he’s talking about him, and he always flirts with him when he’s around. Even James noticed it. And you know it’s bad if James notices.
James pulled Sirius up in front if him and gave him a once over before turning him around to check his back. James was a bit like Sirius’ mother -not his real mother of course, she’s a bitch- he always made sure Sirius looked presentable when the went out (when he says presentable, he means not covered in something disgusting as Sirius has a penchant for going out half naked) and threatens to hit him with a chappal if he did anything stupid. So essentially, he was like Effie.
After checking Sirius, they both headed inside to find Remus already waiting for them inside. Remus was almost always early, even when hungover, which was concerning since practice starts at five and coaches have to get there fifteen minutes early. Remus is usually there 10 minutes before they arrive and seeing as he lives 20 minutes away and needs at least 15 minutes to get ready he needed to wake up at at least 4 am. There is no way that he’s getting enough sleep, but he seems to be awake enough, so James ignores it.
“Hey Moony” Sirius says sheepishly (the nickname was a long story but let’s just say that’s Remus emptied a bottle of scotch and that night there were two moons in the sky)
No way I’m going through this bullshit again James thinks as he watches Sirius get slightly more and more flustered as he converses with Remus
“I’m going to head in guys” he says to the other two who barely take notice other than an absent minded nod from Sirius.
Ah to be young and in love.
Wait, James was young and in love!
For some inexplicable reason James had the bright idea to pull his phone out of his pocket and text the number which Regulus had (begrudgingly) given him.
James: hey Reg I’m James typed that and then immediately put his phone on the chair next to him and started screaming internally (y’know, as we all do).
A ping from his phone interrupted his crashing train of thought and he brought the phone up to read the text.
Regulus: What do you want Potter?
James: I’m just at the pool with Sirius and wanted someone to talk to because he’s talking to Remus
Play it cool James, play it cool
Regulus: You attend training? Aren’t you the physical therapist?
James: I am but Pads and I attend the morning training sessions together, is that a problem? Did he not tell you?
Did Regulus really hate James that much that he didn’t even want to see him at training?
Regulus: No, no that’s fine. I’m just surprised that’s all.
James: why? Pads is my platonic soulmate, my life, my everything, why wouldn’t I attend practices with him?
Regulus: Still the same old Potter I see.
James: is that a bad thing?
Regulus: No.
James glanced up at the clock to see it was already 4:55
James: are you coming any time soon
“Already here” James heard velvety voice say from the entrance.
Regulus was there, eyes glistening as he eyed the pools, a hint of a smile playing on his lips as though he’d just been laughing. And then he looked up at James and his expression turned to one of practiced boredom, conveying no emotion.
James’ eyes followed him as he watched the boy walk in. He was wearing a pair of perfectly fitted leggings and a faded band t-shirt that was likely three sizes to big for him, leaving his collar bones out on display. James wanted to bite them.
He mentally reprimanded himself, reminding himself that if Sirius found out about how much he wanted to fuck Regulus, the brother he had just reconciled with, he would kill him. And James can’t fuck if he’s dead.
Regulus marched up to him, bag slung over his shoulder and cap and goggles clutched in his hand and James briefly wondered if he was going to get yelled at.
“Where are the change rooms?” Regulus asked instead “I would have asked Sirius but he’s too busy making ‘fuck me’ eyes at Lupin to notice”
James eyes widened slightly at the comment “You noticed?”
“Yeah, I mean it’s pretty hard to miss” Regulus saw the slightly scared look on James’ face and quickly added “You can relax, I’m not homophobic.I mean that would hypocritical as fuck” Regulus added coolly
“Y-you’re gay?”
James actually had a chance with Regulus! Even if Regulus did hate him.
“Took you long enough to figure out” he scoffed turning his bag so James had a clear view of the pride pin attached to it “it’s the reason I left home. That, among other things” he said so quietly that James almost didn’t hear.
Sensing Regulus’a clear discomfort James pointed toward to other end of the pool and said, “Change rooms are there if you want to go now?”
“Thanks” Regulus ended and stared walking toward them
Regulus had actually talked to James
This was going to be an interesting day.