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James is stirred from sleep by the sounds of movement breaking through his little cocoon, blanket wrapped around him and curtains around his bed drawn to keep in the warmth from a chilly December morning. He groans, mind still fuzzy as he rolls to his side to drape an arm over Regulus. They fell asleep tangled up in each other, but James runs hot while he sleeps and Regulus likes to be practically outside of the blankets in the cold, so they generally drift apart during the night. But when James groggily blinks his eyes open, his hand finds nothing but cold sheets and an empty space where Regulus was laid out just hours ago.
He frowns, looking around hopelessly for his boyfriend— can you believe it, they’re boyfriends now, just as of last night— but he isn’t here. James rises clumsily to his feet, pushing out through the curtains and into the dorm. Regulus isn’t there either. Where did he go?
Like an answer straight from the heavens, James hears the sound of the toilet flush, and then the sink going in the loo and he smiles softly to himself. There you are.
James is so patient as he waits for Regulus to leave the toilet, he could be clingy and throw open the door, wrap around him and drag him back to the warmth of his bed, but James can restrain himself. If he’s bouncing a little on the balls of his feet, that’s no one’s business.
It’s a torturous eternity before the door finally opens, Regulus sweeping out into the dorm— sadly not still in just his pants. That’s okay, James thinks, it’ll be fun to take his clothes off again. But Regulus doesn’t cross the room to meet him, instead going to the trunk in front of Sirius’ bed. It’s too far, James knows Regulus is playing hard to get, but right now he doesn’t want to coax and chase. He wants to get his arms around his boyfriend, kiss the perfect skin of his shoulders, pull him back to their cozy cocoon.
James saunters up behind Regulus, humming a little tune as he presses against his back, getting a thrill as Regulus stands up straight from where he was beginning to dig through the trunk when he feels James behind him.
“Come back to bed, baby,” James murmurs into Regulus’ ear, snaking an arm around his waist to tug him closer before turning him in his arms. Even this close, James can only make out blurry details of his face without his glasses— the sharp grey eyes he loves so much, high cheekbones and full lips. The curl of his dark hair, although it looks a little different this morning. Probably just slept on it weird, it’s flatter than usual, less volume. And was Regulus always this tall? Is he standing on his tiptoes or something, James can’t tell. He shakes the thought out of his head, his eyes landing back onto Regulus’ lips, slightly parted and so inviting, and he starts to drag them back over to his bed, step by slow step. “I want to try out that thing you were talking about last night, with your tongue and my—”
But before James can finish his fantastic idea, or lean in to press a kiss to Regulus’ mouth like he desperately wants to, the boy shoves him firmly, sending James stumbling back through his curtains and onto his bed with a gasp. Oh, that’s even better. A slow, devilish smile spreads across James’ face, he loves it when Regulus takes control.
“James, I don’t think you know who you’re talking to right now.”
James’ brain short-circuits. Genuinely, everything comes to a crashing halt as he’s stuck, frozen like a deer in headlights— heh, classic— because he recognises that voice. And it’s not Regulus’.
James scrambles to find his glasses on the bedside table, hand smacking the wood desperately until his fingers brush the side of them and he shoves them onto his face, almost taking an eye out in the process.
In front of him, through the part in the heavy drapes pulled closed around his bed, is a boy who looks a lot like his boyfriend. Same bone structure, same general features. Definitely related.
Not Regulus. Sirius.
James has never shot out of bed so fast before in his life.
“Shit, Sirius!” James runs a frantic hand through his hair, sending it sticking up in every direction. “I— no, you— I was just,” he splutters as he tries to think of something, anything he can play this off as. His mind settles on something— it’s stupid, but it might work. He crosses his arms, leaning as nonchalant as he can against one of the bedposts. “I was just joking! That was funny, right?”
He tries his best to laugh it off. It’s definitely a little strained. James is not a very good liar. Sirius obviously knows that, because he levels James with a look that makes it very clear he doesn’t buy that for a second.
“Prongs, we’ve been best friends since we were eleven, you think I don’t know your flirting voice?” Sirius teases, hands on his hips. James’ cheeks heat, does he have a ‘flirting voice’? “Not that I’m not flattered, but considering I’m sure we didn’t talk about tongues last night, you didn’t mean to whisper that in my ear.”
“I—” James honestly isn’t sure what he’s expecting to come out of his mouth when he starts talking. Something that will get him out of this. “Okay, you’re right,” he sighs, “I obviously didn’t have my glasses on and thought you were someone else.” As long as Sirius doesn’t know who James mistook him for, everything will be alright. But as soon as he thinks it, a pang of panic runs through him. If that wasn’t Regulus… then where is he? And if he comes back while Sirius is still here? “I thought you were staying the night in the hospital wing with Remus.”
It’s a little too hurried— James must look a little wild— because Sirius narrows his eyes, taking in James’ lack of clothes and very obvious love bites on his neck and chest. James can see the cogs spinning in his best friend’s head, trying to figure out who could have been with James last night. He can only hope that talk of Remus will distract him enough to not put it together. Who else looks enough like Regulus that James’ shite eyesight could mistake for him?
“Pompfrey came to check on him in the middle of the night and found me, gave me a good scolding for sneaking in and kicked me right out,” Sirius says, pouting about not being able to stay with his boyfriend. “But who—” James is frozen, unable to do anything as he watches Sirius’ eyes catch on the pile of rings on his bedside table, including the snake ring with emerald encrusted eyes that Regulus always has on and— devastatingly— the Black family signet ring. Sirius’ breath catches, a flicker of fire in his eyes that makes James’ throat go dry. Sirius speaks slowly, calm and completely placid, “James Fleamont Potter.”
That’s about ten times more terrifying than yelling. James is royally screwed.
“…Yes?”
“Are you shagging my little brother?”
The words can’t leave his mouth fast enough.
“Sirius, please, you have to understand that I never meant for any of this to happen— we’ve just been around each other more often recently, because the two of you got close again, and one thing lead to the next and—”
As James rambles, Sirius’ head drops into his hands, his whole body shaking. It’s violent, and James has the horrifying thought that Sirius is crying about this, and James can’t let that happen. He reaches out to lay a heavy hand on Sirius’ shoulder, voice dying in his throat when his best friend looks up at him, not with tear-stained eyes, but with a bright, vibrant smile.
Sirius’ shoulders continue to jerk with his cackling laughter, doubling over to rest his forehead on James’ collarbone.
James is absolutely astonished, gaping at Sirius with his mouth wide open. “Are you fucking laughing right now?”
Sirius is, indeed, laughing. Uproariously at this point, slapping his legs and nearly toppling James over, leaning all his weight into him. James, still stunned, waits him out, unable to make words come out of his mouth anyway. After a few ragged breaths, Sirius seems to calm, picking up his head again and sprawling on James’ bed, limbs spread out in all directions.
“I— whew, oh Merlin! I’m sorry, that’s just too fucking good. You and Regulus?” Sirius lifts his head up for just a second to look at James before flopping back down again, voice thin and breaths gasping from the laughing fit. “That’s brilliant, that is.”
Okay, so, James pictured Sirius finding out about the two of them a little differently. His mind spins, he’s trying to process all of this but he’s finding it hard. And Sirius is still just laughing.
“Pads, what is going on? I’m starting to get worried.”
“My best friend and my brother— oh Godric, you could be my brother-in-law!”
James can’t help it, a blush spreads across his face when he thinks about marrying Regulus.
“Oh, well— I think it’s a little too early for that, Sirius—”
But Sirius is still talking, barreling right on through. “Ah, maybe so. Just let me fantasise for a minute, would you?”
James doesn’t dare to hope. He’s been so stressed the past few weeks, sneaking around with Regulus and trying to keep anyone from finding out about them before he had the chance to tell Sirius about all of this. He and Regulus just started repairing their relationship a couple of months ago, they were still fragile. James didn’t want to ruin all their progress and fuck it up by sleeping with his best friend’s little brother, but Regulus was just too damn tempting, and pretty, and lovely. But Sirius is smiling at him, not scowling or screaming, and he just talked about marriage so… James is letting himself hope.
“Are you… happy about this?”
Sirius smiles big, punching his arm a little harder than James was prepared for as it sends him toppling right on his back on the bed.
“Of course I’m happy about it! Do I want to picture what the two of you were probably up to last night, two beds away from me?” Sirius’ face screws up in a grimace, and James is retroactively really glad he cast a silencing spell even though there wasn’t supposed to be anyone in the dorm last night. “Absolutely not. But I know you, James, you don’t do casual. So, you guys are probably pretty serious, eh?” The trust and warmth in Sirius’ gaze makes James feel infinitely better, he really is happy about this.
“No, you’re—”
Sirius rolls his eyes, hitting James’ arm again. “Don’t finish that, just answer the question.”
“Well,” James sighs dreamily, a wide smile spreading across his face. “I guess, yeah. I really like him, Pads.”
Sirius smiles bright. “Then I’m happy,” he says, throwing an arm around James to pull him in for a hug. “Really, I’m happy for you two.”
James is so elated he could explode. He hasn’t been this happy since— okay, well, it was pretty recent actually— Regulus agreed to be his boyfriend. And now Sirius is okay with the two of them seeing each other? James gives his best friend the tightest hug he can manage, Sirius wheezing and trying to wiggle free as James clings to him.
“You know what we have to do now, though, don’t you?” Sirius says into James’ shoulder, arms still wrapped around each other.
“No, what?”
***
The plan is simple, and now they both just have to wait for Regulus to come back to the dorm. James is pretty sure he must be coming back, he left all his stuff here. So they sit on the bed and pass the time giggling over their master prank. It takes another ten or so minutes, but the door leading into the corridor opens, and there he is.
Every time James sees him, he looks even more gorgeous than the last. He has to fight to keep the smile off his face, look sufficiently forlorn and scolded, but it’s extremely hard. All he wants to do is run to him and cover his face in kisses. Regulus is wearing one of his jumpers, sleeves too long and falling over his hands, and he wants to die with how cute it is.
He doesn’t notice them at first, levitating a tray of breakfast food in front of him and letting it place itself on James’ desk before he finally meets his eyes. And then looks between James and Sirius and freezes.
Sirius is a phenomenal actor, arms crossed over his chest and tapping his foot, looking every bit the protective and scolding older brother he both is and isn’t. “There you are. Was wondering if you’d ever make it back.”
Regulus’ eyes are still bouncing back and forth between the two of them, thinking hard if the crease between his brows is any indication.
“What’s… going on?” he drawls, raising an eyebrow at James.
James shakes his head, frowning. “He knows, Reg.”
“Oh.”
Sirius scoffs. “Oh? That’s all you have to say?” He throws his arms up exasperatedly, ever the drama queen. James thinks maybe he’s laying it on a little thick right out of the gate, but it’s all in good fun. “Oh?”
Regulus seems to have finally gotten control of himself, crossing his arms and rolling his eyes at his older brother. “If you’re going to give me a lecture, just get on with it.”
James really hopes this prank doesn’t go too far, but he’s also completely ready to jump in if it gets into tricky territory or the brothers start actually bickering. Right now, he’s having a good time watching Regulus straighten his shoulders, looking completely unbothered to have been caught like this. James is actually a little proud of him, he knows how hard it is for Regulus to assert himself with his brother.
“Oh, I’m going to give you a bloody lecture, because really, Reggie? My best friend?” Sirius says, waving his arms around frantically.
Regulus shocks James again, crossing over to him and grabbing his hand without a second thought, giving it a squeeze. Even though he doesn’t smile at him, James can feel the warmth in his boyfriend’s gaze. It makes him giddy. He can not smile— for the prank— but it’s really fucking hard.
“I don’t see how the fact that he’s your best friend makes any difference to our relationship.” Regulus raises his chin haughtily, and Merlin, James wants to kiss him.
Sirius just splutters, motioning to their entwined hands. “You didn’t think to tell me? How long were you planning on keeping this a secret?” He narrows his eyes at the two of them, and Sirius is such a good actor James is starting to forget that this isn’t real just a little. He even goes as far as to poke one of the love bites on James’ neck, making him wince and pull away.
Regulus laughs, but it’s cold and sharp. “You’re not entitled to my dating life or my sex life!”
Like Sirius can sense the vibe shifting into dangerous territory, he lets himself smile for the first time since Regulus entered the room and throws back onto the bed with a dramatic huff.
“You robbed me of precious time that I could have been using to plan your wedding!” Sirius whines, and Regulus goes stock still next to James— doesn’t move, doesn’t breathe, just waits for his brother to continue. “Do you have any idea how long I’ve been waiting for you two to finally realise you’re head over heels in love with each other?”
Wait, that’s news to James.
“Wait, what?” He asks, blinking a little rapidly.
“I’ve known you two have been sneaking around for weeks now, and I’ve known you had feelings for each other for years on top of that,” Sirius starts, and James’ brain begins to melt again. “You’re my two favourite people in the whole world, do you think I wasn’t able to tell how gone on each other you both were?”
James just keeps opening and closing his mouth, brain completely empty. “You’ve known?”
This is the moment that Regulus turns his glare onto James, still standing next to the bed with James’ hand in his, but he snatches it free and crosses his arms petulantly.
“Were you two having a laugh at me?” Something dances behind Regulus’ eyes, a little playful and not hurt, so James just smiles. Regulus takes that as confirmation, and starts to swat James’ arms with a huff.
James can’t help it, he belly laughs, shaking with it at the adorably peeved look on Regulus’ face. “Oi! It was his idea, don’t hit me!” James cries as Regulus hops onto the bed with the both of them, launching at Sirius.
The brothers start to tussle, Regulus smacking him upside the head as Sirius, speaking through barks of laughter, gasps, “Wo— Reg, would you— stop— stop it! This is familial abuse!”
Sirius tries to run from him, springing up from the bed to sprint across the room, but Regulus follows him, stopping to grab a pillow and launch it at his brother.
James would stop them if he thought this was hostile, but he sees the hint of a smile in the corner of Regulus’ mouth, so he’s content to just watch his two favorite people in the world laugh as they play fight with each other.
After they’re both suffienctly tired, Regulus comes back to sit on the edge of the bed again, legs dangling off the side as he looks at James with a lackluster scowl.
“I’m very upset with you.”
James can’t help it, he’s so ridiculously enamored by the boy sitting in front of him. He smiles big and warm, practically pulling Regulus into his lap as he coos, “Oh, come on, baby, don’t be cross. I didn’t know he knew before this morning.”
Regulus gives in, giving him a quick little peck. James can hear Sirius fake gagging from the other side of the room, but it only makes Regulus cradle James’ face in his hands and kiss him for real, long and sweet.
“Eugh, my poor eyes,” Sirius whines, and James just holds up a finger in his general direction while giving Regulus a series of kisses all around his face, just like he wanted to earlier.
Regulus sends a “shut it” over his shoulder to Sirius, which gets another bark of laughter from him.
“No, but really, you two can’t spend the nights here while I’m in anymore. As happy as I am that you’re together, if I ever hear you two— or Merlin forbid see you two, I will throw myself off the Astronomy tower,” Sirius says when James and Regulus untangle themselves from each other, “and that will have to be on your conscience.”
Regulus just rolls his eyes. “First, you weren’t even supposed to be here, and second— trust me, if you ever hear or see anything you shouldn’t I’ll save you the trouble and drown myself in the lake.” He leans down to kiss James’ cheek, patting it with one hand before he rises off his lap. “We’ll make a schedule.”
“A schedule, really Reg?” James just looks up at his boyfriend, raising an eyebrow at Regulus basically suggesting they plan out their nights together in advance.
Regulus just scoffs, a pretty blush staining his cheeks, and Merlin, James loves him.
Oh. James loves him. Sirius was right, that’s swell.
Regulus grabs his hand, playing with his fingers as he looks up through his lashes at James, making heat rise in his stomach. “Mon soliel, I want to be able to be as loud as possible when we—” Regulus drawls, but is cut off by a particularly loud screech from Sirius.
“And that’s enough of that,” he squeaks, rushing over to push between them, holding Regulus back when he tries to swat at him. “I take it back, I disapprove.”
“You’ve really known this whole time? That’s why you were so cool about it this morning,” James says, everything clicking into place. Of course Sirius didn’t freak out, he already knew. James doesn’t think he’s smiled as much as he has in the last 24 hours in his whole life.
Regulus has stopped trying to cause Sirius bodily harm, collapsing back on James’ bed to sit snuggled up next to him. He breathes out a sigh when James wraps his arms around him, Regulus pressing as close as he possibly can.
“By the way, how did Sirius find out in the first place?” Regulus asks, causing Sirius and James to exchange a look. They have a secret language of looks and eyebrow raises, the two of them, that they use now to communicate that they are absolutely not sharing that part of the story.
James brushes a strand of Regulus’ hair behind his ear, grimacing at him. “Ah, love, you don’t wanna know. Trust me.”