Chapter Text
It wasn't that hard to spot a sick human. They got paler, slower, and sadder. If there were no other signs, there was a signature sickly sweet scent that the really sick ones carried with them, reserved for people that death already had a grip on. Regulus smelt it on the elderly, mostly, but every once in awhile he would smell it on some of the particularly doomed young humans.
He smells his bartender before he sees him, and immediately thought that this human must be fucking geriatric. The smell of sickness flooded his nose and left him as close to nausea as he had been since being changed.
He schools his expression before looking up and laying eyes on James Potter for the first time.
Definitely not geriatric. Young, maybe 25 or so. Hispanic. Untamed dark curls. Simple black glasses. A dress shirt that was just tight enough around the shoulders—
"What can I get for you, mate?"
British?
Regulus clears this throat. Was he just staring at this man's shoulders? Why on Earth would he do that?
"You're English." Regulus states in an accent of his own, a bit more posh than his bartender's. It's not exactly a revolutionary discovery, but a bit odd for a sleazy bar in New York City.
The man grins and leans his elbows against the bar top. "So are you."
Regulus scoffs and looks away briefly.
"What's your name? I think I would have noticed a fellow Englishman if you were a regular here."
Regulus hesitates. God knows why. He can converse with humans, he doesn't know why this particular one has him second guessing himself.
"My name is Regulus," he finally answers.
"Like the star?"
Regulus purses his lips.
"Yes, like the star."
James' grin widens a bit more.
"I'm James, Reg. Can I call you Reg?"
Absolutely not.
"Sure."
"What are you drinking, Reg? A gin martini? With olives?"
Regulus has his mouth halfway open to give the man his drink order but instead snaps his mouth shut and gives James a disgruntled look.
James just shrugs. "You seem like the type of guy to order a gin martini at a bar."
With that, James straightens up from his leaning position and backs up a few steps before going through the motions of making Regulus' drink.
"Enjoy the martini, Reg. On the house." James sets down the drink and walks down to the other side of the bar.
Regulus stares at the glass in front of him and tries to process everything that had just happened.
First of all, James was sick. Really sick. No one who smelt that strongly of sickness was going to make it longer than a year, and that's pushing it.
Secondly the little asshole read Regulus like a book. Was that flirting? Is that how humans flirted now? Or is that just how he earned his tips?
Thirdly, he smelt... odd. It wasn't just the sickly sweet smell that followed him or his natural human musk; there was something else there, something that made Regulus want to ignore the nausea inducing sickly smell, press his nose to the man's neck, and inhale until he was satiated.
He grabbed his martini glass by the stem and took a long sip.
The second time Regulus ran into James Potter, he was at a Mexican grocery store, debating between two brands of tortillas. The overwhelming smell of sickness and home hit him all at once. He sharply turned his head, momentarily staring at the milk before James turned the corner, walking into view. The man looked a bit startled at Regulus' intense and sudden eye contact.
Regulus blinks twice and looks back at the tortillas.
"The tortillas aren't going to speak to you if that's what you're waiting for."
Regulus turns his head again. James is next to him now. He's paler than he was last week. The scent of death is a bit stronger. This guy doesn't have much time left.
"Just contemplating nutritional value," Regulus says before grabbing a bag off the shelf and tossing it in his basket without taking his eyes off James.
"Oh, of course. My bad."
Regulus' eyes follow James' hand as he grabs his own bag of tortillas.
"When are you coming back?" James asks while cocking his head to the side.
Regulus blinks again.
"What?"
"To the bar. I thought you would be my new favorite regular."
"...Yeah, I'll have to stop by again sometime."
James grins.
"See you then, Reg," James murmurs quietly, like it's a secret between the two of them, before walking further down the aisle.