You Signed Up For This

But Remus knew what he was doing with that tease. And Regulus will not accept any insinuation that James is anything but wonderfully hung. Or that Regulus can’t take him.

Sirius arms open before Regulus has reached him. They collide, stars crashing. An explosion. They’re hugging, and Sirius is holding on so tight Regulus feels all the broken pieces of himself sliding together.

"For good."

“It’s not like I lied to you,” Regulus hurries to explain. “I just… I’m afraid, James,” Regulus confesses. “I’m afraid of what you’ll discover if I’m around you all the time. If it’s not just a summer.”

To Regulus’ surprise, James doesn’t immediately dismiss this. He doesn’t tell him it’s nonsense. Doesn’t tell him he’s perfect. James draws back, cups Regulus’ face with his hand. “Everyone has things they don’t like about themselves. I already knew you had flaws, Reg. I don’t love you despite of them. I love you with them. Maybe even because of them.”

“I fucking miss you okay,” Barty says quickly into the phone the moment Evan picks up again. “And I’m never saying that again.”

“Where are you?” Evan asks. The bastard doesn’t even acknowledge it. Honestly, Barty has no idea what the fuck it is about Evan that has been eating him alive since he quit ten days ago.

“Doubt it, but thanks,” Barty says, mockingly. “Crazy like mine is in the bones. They can’t fix me. I’m not broken. I’m rotten. There’s a difference.”

It could be worse.

Worse than this would be to never have met him.

Worse than this would be to never have tasted him.

Worse than this would be to never have known the sound of his voice.

It’ll pass. James will get over it. It’ll take him a while because Regulus hit him harder than anyone ever has. Stupidly, James thought he might have been the one. Loving him was so easy. That's why it hurts now. But it'll pass, and in the meantime, James will cherish this pain. Because it’s better to have loved and lost than to have never loved at all.

Sirius’ phone is plugged in. James didn’t even have to ask. He knew. The current song suits the mood—gloomy. You’d think instead of driving to airport James is on his way to the gallows.

Sirius’ phone is plugged in. James didn’t even have to ask. He knew. The current song suits the mood—gloomy. You’d think instead of driving to airport James is on his way to the gallows.

He’s not sure if he’d say no right now.

Ask me to stay.

Don’t go.

Sunlight floods the room in earnest. Finds them still kissing, still touching. They haven’t moved to do anything else. Their bodies are pressed together as much as humanly possible. Not a sliver of space between them, not even to fuck. It’ll be like this. They need it like this.

The alarm goes off.

Regulus’ summer holiday is over.