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James was so screwed. And not in a good way. Or well, not completely in a good way he guessed. He was knee deep in such a mess that he didn’t know how to save himself - or if he wanted to save himself in the first place.
It was just the second day of the Christmas holidays of his seventh year. Sirius, Remus and him were all at his place, enjoying each other’s company in the back garden when he heard his mom basically yell from the living room. In the middle of a war, the only reasonable thing to do was run inside with their wands ready to save her of course.
This time it wasn’t necessary though. They found themselves face to face with a very bruised Regulus Black seeking a safe place to be.
From then on, the following two weeks were pure chaos on so many levels it wasn’t even funny. They went through rough law stuff to keep Regulus with them, planned some pranks with the younger Black’s reluctant help in an attempt to cheer him up and almost gave his old parents a heart attack in the process.
But even with all the drama and fear and chaos they tried to make it a pleasant and good time as life allowed it to be. Even if a little awkward for James through…
You see, he used to be a douchebag some years ago, but since the terrible incident in fifth year, he started to see life in a new light and changed everything. James found out he was a very emphatic person while helping Sirius settle up after running away from home too and he also found a new passion in helping their younger classmates - especially the muggleborn ones - to adapt in their world.
So, of course it leaned on James the duty of backing everyone off when Regulus clearly needed some alone time. Or to make him company in the silent kitchen when he heard Regulus not being able to sleep because of the nightmares. Or to do silly stuff so the boy could laugh and forget for a few moments of the shitty life he left behind.
And it was vastly known that James didn’t do anything by halves. No no, he was beyond that. He put his whole being at anything he found worthed.
The whole school could attest to that with the way he made himself like a carpet to Lily Evans walk on for the last years. Or with how intensely he jumped to defend his friends and the younger kids.
So he shouldn’t be surprised when it happened, though he truly was. It was only after a day with Regulus at his house that Sirius pushed him aside from Regulus and Remus to give him a very firm order.
“James. I love you like a brother and I love my own brother. But I know the two of you too and I can see what it’s going to happen, so consider this a gentle warning.” Sirius had said with that weird look in his face “Don’t fucking fall in love with my brother, you hear me?”
“What?!” James replied genuinely surprised. “I wouldn’t dare. And if it happened I wouldn’t make a move on him, he doesn’t need that type of love right now anyway. Who do you think I am?” By the time he finished talking, James was really sad and mad at Sirius for assuming he would hint on Regulus like that.
“Good. I’m glad we’re on the same page here mate.”
“Of course” James answered, they hugged and went back to torment the other two.
What James didn’t predict - and yes he knows he is stupid to not have noticed before, no need to throw it in his face, thank you - was that he indeed fell in love with Regulus. Quite easily too.
Once they were back in Hogwarts, Regulus was set aside for most of his “friends” since he was no longer the heir of the Black family and apparently he refused to take the dark mark too as a bonus to his offenses. He was not completely alone, of course. There were some friends from other houses and even some shy ones from slytherin that stayed at his side and now he also had an occasional marauder’s invitation to hang out too.
Though with school and being their last year, Sirius easily forgot to check on his brother and when he would notice it'd been days or a whole week that they didn’t have some bonding time. Remus would study with the boy almost daily, but had his own duties to fulfill too. Peter was acting distant and weird by the day, so James slowly started to not even count on him anymore.
And there was James himself. He developed a habit of being at this tree by the lake where it was calm and quiet and he could just study Regulus' face for hours while Regulus read some book by his side. They would always discuss whatever it was Regulus saw in his book, or happened in his classes and James couldn’t resist.
Regulus was not the fragile young boy he had thought at first. No, he was so much more. He was sarcastic, witty, smart, passionate and so so kind to the ones no one else cared about.
When it started to get warm, people also started to get out. The surrounding of the castle now was just too full to be peaceful and in a bold and stupid movement, James invited Regulus to keep their reading in his room. It would be empty with the other boys in classes for the rest of the afternoon and James knew for a fact that his three roommates would take the friday night to go on dates anyway.
“I think I can keep you company if you teach me that damned Patrono spell” Regulus answered slowly, eying James as if measuring him.
“We sure can! It’s my favorite spell.” James smiled brightly at him.
“I should know you have a favorite spell” Regulus laughed, but it sounded fondly and not mean as it used to.
That was the point where everything changed again. They started to meet at his room frequently. And of course it was just a coincidence that Regulus happened to come around whenever the others were busy.
James wasn’t stupid either, not that stupid at least.
He knew the coincidence was not that much a destiny’s affair and he knew what the long looks Regulus was sending his way more and more each day meant. He was confident enough to admit he was gorgeous and hot and he had at least some good traits to be attractive to other people. The looks he gave Regulus were not behind either, even if he was trying to sustain his promise to Sirius that he would not fall for his brother.
Promise that went flying out the window the exact same moment Regulus kissed him just before he went back to his own dorm.
Regulus' lips were thin but so smooth and warm that it made James tingle all over. It was an innocent kiss too, just their lips touching for a couple of seconds.
“Good night, James” Regulus whispered against his mouth, a smile on his lips that James could taste.
He was not fast enough to answer before Regulus left with a satisfied face.
“You’ll be the death of me” James whispered to the empty room before laying down and repassing all that interaction over and over. He had to close his curtains at some point despite not being able to sleep because he didn’t want to tell Sirius about it and ruin his fairy tale when it felt like it was just beginning.
It was not easy to avoid Sirius for the next few days or to dodge his questions on why James seemed so happy all of a sudden. But apparently it was incredibly easy for Regulus to avoid James. It took almost a week, the map and his invisibility cloak to get Regulus alone and in a broom cupboard with him.
“What the hell, James!” Regulus shouted as soon as James got out of the cloak.
“I’m sorry” James was sure he had a very red blush on his face. “Why are you avoiding me?”
“I’m not avoiding you.” Regulus replied with a pout and his arms crossed.
“You are.”
“I’m not.”
“You are!”
“You pushed me to this dusty cupboard to tell me I’m avoiding you?” Regulus put one eyebrow up.
“No.” James bit his own lips. “I did because I miss you, dummy.”
If James knew it was all he needed to say, he would have started with that because it did the trick. Regulus tried and failed to hide his smile and the next second he had James pressed against the wall - and a broom, but who cared - and their lips touching again. This time, the kiss was way more passionate and longer than the first one days ago.
“I thought you hated me and wanted to save you the pain of saying nasty things on my face. We both know you’re way too nice to break someone’s heart.” Regulus whispered with his forehead touching James' chin while they both took a needed breath.
“What?” James pulled him away slightly to look in his eyes. “You and your lips were all I’ve been able to think about! And not just since you kissed me, but since you showed up at my house I think.”
“Oh you” Regulus said before resuming the more pleasurable activities.
Despite being right before breakfast when they got in the cupboard, it was way after curfew when James led Regulus to the boy’s commun room. They were so close by in the invisibility cloak that Regulus could feel everything from James chest to his thighs and the only thought in his head was that he probably died and this was some sort of weird hellish punishment. A sweet sweet torture.
From that day on they met in secret almost everyday and it was so handy that James knew all the best hiding spots at the castle with the plus of knowing his friends routine so they wouldn’t be caught by any marauder either.
They didn’t do many things. They mostly kissed and kept their habit of reading and commenting on Regulus' books, but now James could distract him with featherlike kisses on his neck whenever the boy started to let his mind go too far.
As good teenagers that they were, of course that hands liked to explore too, but James never let it go too far. He was older than Regulus and didn’t want to make the other boy feel pressured, despite them both being quite eager in their explorations, sometimes.
What James didn’t know was that Regulus was very sure of what he wanted and he was not the type to let other people make decisions for him anymore. So one of the days they were lazing around at James’ room, Regulus decided to take matters in his own hands.
They were reading when they started to kiss, as usual. The hands were everywhere too until James felt like it was getting to the point where he would not be able to stop anymore and he took several steps back going to sit on Sirius bed and leaving Regulus flushed on his own.
“Wow.” James tried to speak through his dizzy head and the heat in his own face. “Let’s take a breath, babe. Isn’t it too hot in here? I think it is hot.”
“Not hot enough.” Regulus replied looking at James as if he’s a meal and Regulus is starving.
The younger boy got up from James bed with the grace that was beaten in him since a kid. He put one knee at each side of James' hips on the bed and pushed him forcing him to lay down, already leaving kisses and love bites on his boyfriend’s neck.
“Uh” James tried to hold back the moan “What are you doing Reg?”
“Trying to kiss you so be a darling and just enjoy it.” Regulus answered sucking harder where the neck met the shoulder and… bingo! There is the reaction he wanted.
That seemed to do the trick and get James into action again completely with clothes flying and lots of skin to skin contact as Regulus had been wanting for so long. Not that he had access to material or much information about sex, but he was a slytherin and he was nothing but resourceful so he knew exactly what to expect and to do.
Of course that nothing could have prepared him for the experience of having James inside him for the first time or how intense the pleasure could be. Much less for all the emotion and devotion he could see on James' eyes and face while they made love to each other - and as cliche as that could sound, he knew that it was the right term for it.
They took their time to go to the bathroom and clean up, James asking all the time how he was feeling, if he was ok. It was sweet but of course Regulus couldn't let his facade fall completely so he used his recently discovered skills to show in the most slytherin way exactly how well he was and how much he enjoyed James finally giving in to what they both wanted.
Hours later they were laying back on James bed, room clean and clothes changed for them to sleep. Despite Regulus putting a brave front, James knew that the other didn’t want to go back to his own room and be alone after all they did together, so he put it as him being clingy to convince Regulus to stay.
Neither one of them paid attention to when they actually fell asleep or heard the other boys coming to the room. The curtains very well closed around the bed gave them the privacy to have a full night sleep, no disturbing.
But James should know that fate loved to laugh at his face and too soon morning came and with it the activity around the room.
At first he didn’t understand why there was a warm weight on his hip and chest but then he smelled his own shampoo coming from Regulus' hair and smiled brightly. The boy was in the process of waking up too, wrinkling his nose and forehead in an adorable way until he blinked his gorgeous eyes awake to slowly meet James’ ones and smile.
“Morning” James whispered to Regulus, already leaning to kiss him.
“Morning Prongs! You snoring monster!” Came from out of the curtains.
James widened his eyes, noticing that they didn’t put a silence spell around the bed the previous night. Regulus widened his eyes too but mouthed for James to answer.
“Uh, I don’t snore,” James answered.
“Yeah, you didn’t use to” Remus answered “But tonight you were a machine, mate.”
They all laughed while James looked at Regulus that was already mouthing a “I do not snore” at him.
“Guess I was too tired.” James tried.
“Sure, sure. Will you not get up, Prongs?” Sirius asked way too close to the curtains. “I thought you would already be on the pitch with the team…”
“As I said, too tired, think I’ll skip practice today.” James answered thinking that this way they would go out for breakfast and leave him there to sneak Regulus out of the room unnoticed but it was too late when he noticed Regulus face palming and reading himself for what was to come.
“You what?!” The three marauders asked while Sirius threw the curtains wide open around James’ bed.
“Regulus?” Peter asked, confused.
There was a little silence in the room while the tension took place.
“Morning guys.” Regulus waved at everyone while sitting up. It showed that he was shirtless as James was too.
“Morning.” Remus and Peter waved back still in shock but traces of smiles forming on their faces.
“Regulus, what are you doing here?” Sirius asked way too calm for James’ nerves.
“I fell asleep here, brother.” Regulus answered, apparently calm.
“And why did you fall asleep here?”
“Sirius…” Remus tried to intervene but got cut by his boyfriend.
“I lost track of time, got tired and slept.”
“You could have laid on my bed.” Sirius pointed.
“Indeed, but why would I do so if I could be right here with my boyfriend?” Regulus asked with an eyebrow up.
“Boyfriend?” he turned to James. “James?”
“Yes, Padfoot?” James put on his best innocent face.
“Do you remember what I told you to do?”
“Uh… Not fall in love with your brother?” James answered in a question and discreetly pressed his hand to Regulus' leg sensing the other could be mad at Sirius for ‘trying to control his life’ and that was not the moment for this discussion.
“And what did you do?” Sirius gave him a fake kind smile.
“Fell in love with him and fucked him on your bed?” James was so spooked by the look on his friends face and concentrated in sending his silent messages to Regulus that he just spilled he words quickly and didn’t even register the reactions around him.
“Exac… You what?!” Sirius interrupted himself to scream at James.
“He said he fell in love with Regulus and fucked him on your bed.” Peter repeated to Sirius as if whispering in his ear but in a way everyone could hear.
“Run.” Was the last thing Sirius said before taking his wand out of his pocket and started to run after James that was already in the common room only in his briefs.
“Will you not go after them?” Peter asked Remus and Regulus while listening to James yell for forgiveness while Sirius used some coloured words to describe him.
Remus looked at the red face of Regulus and at the door before answering “Nah, they will not listen anyway. Wanna change and grab some breakfast with us in the meantime?” He directed the question to Regulus.
Regulus too looked at the door where his stupid brother made the scene known to the whole school about his love life and back to Peter and Remus. “Why not.”
They calmly went down just to see people already whispering about James and Sirius in the corridors.
According to them, it was quite a scene to watch and even months later people would still comment on how Sirius managed to curse the term “brotherfucker” into James forehead and made it stay there for a whole month before accepting that no one would be better for his precious little brother than the best friend he trusted his life on.