"always Never"

"always never"

word count: 96

“Let me take you out for coffee.”

“No.”

“We can see a film?”

“No.”

“Stargazing?”

“Promising, but still no.”

James groaned. This was probably the millionth time Regulus had turned him down. 

“Just let me take you on a date, Reg,” James pleaded. “I’d always be good to you.”

He scanned the face of the younger boy who scoffed, “I’ll never go out with you, Potter.”

“I don’t believe in never,” James said simply, lips curling up. 

“I don’t believe in always,” Regulus countered.

“Well, opposites attract.”

“Never.” He raised an eyebrow.

“Always,” James finished, smirking.

July 23: attitude | @jegulus-microfic | word count: 178

“Moony, he rejected me again!”

“That’s a shame.”

James spun around in his chair to pout at Remus. “I’m serious, I think I might be single forever!” James sputtered. 

Remus looked up from his book and raised an eyebrow at James. “With that attitude, I agree.” He hummed and returned to his book, absentmindedly continuing the conversation with, “Just keep trying, yeah?”

James sighed, leaning back. “Yeah, okay.” James thought on that for a minute before bursting out, “Wait, you agree I’ll be single forever?”

Remus glared up at James from his book. 

“You’re his friend, Moony, what do you think I should do?” James pleaded, giving Remus puppy dog eyes.

His friend closed his book. “Regulus is quiet and isn’t fond of excess attention so I suggest you stop declaring your love in the Great Hall,” Remus told James with a smirk.

“So, I can still declare my love, I just have to do it quietly?” James asked, waggling his eyebrows at Remus.

Remus rolled his eyes and picked his book back up. “You do you, Prongs.”

august 11: home | @jegulus-microfic | word count: 289

“James, I am not letting you ruin our home!”

“Baby—“

“Not another word,” Regulus hissed at his husband, “we are not painting the walls of this house red.” 

Regulus glared at James who was  giving him puppy dog eyes and clasping his hands together.

Regulus raised an eyebrow at him.

“James, I don’t understand what you find so… cool about a bright red wall,” Regulus sighed as James came over to him and hugged his waist tightly. He instinctively brought his arms up to hug James’ neck.

James pressed a gentle, lingering kiss to Regulus and mumbled into his mouth, “I never said bright red, love.”

Regulus shook his head softly. “Red is such a…” Regulus looked at his husband’s eyes instead of his mouth and decided to bite back his retort. “Red is a very… bold color,” he said.

Regulus moved to kiss James again but his husband pulled back. 

James instead went to peppering little, tiny kisses all over Regulus’ neck. 

“Just one wall, love.” 

“I—“

“It can be in my office so people don’t see it.”

Regulus thought about it for a moment while James continued kissing.  He couldn’t see a good enough reason why not.

Regulus pulled James’ head away from his neck and brought it down so their foreheads were touching. He cradled James’ cheek with one of his hands.

“Okay.”

James immediately pulled back and did a leap in the air with a shout of “YES!”

Regulus put a hand on his husband’s shoulder and pointed a threatening finger at him.

“But only in your office, mon soleil.” Regulus fixed him with a glare. When James tried to lean in for another kiss, Regulus pulled away. “I mean it, James, just your office.”

July 29: ignore | @jegulus-microfic | word count: 342

— 

Thanksgiving 1977

“Reg, love, you can’t keep ignoring me,” James pleaded with his boyfriend, who was pointedly looking anywhere but in his direction. He stood on the opposite side of the empty classroom they were in with his arms adamantly crossed. 

Regulus stayed silent, merely raising an eyebrow, giving James the go-ahead to speak. 

“Regulus…” James took a step closer to him, tucking a loose curl behind his ear, “I don’t want you to stay in that house. Please. My parents have already said they’d be more than happy to have you stay at ours. And Sirius wants you to escape before…”

“Before they inevitably force me to take the Mark.” Regulus snapped his head to glare at James as he talked. His eyes swirled with a thousand emotions that James couldn’t really put names to. “I know, James.” 

James pulled him closer to hug him. Regulus turned away from him but didn’t pull away from the embrace. 

“I-I know they’re awful, but James,” Regulus finally turned to look at him, eyes shining with tears, “they’re my parents.” He choked on a sob before continuing, “But, I know I have to leave soon.”

James rubbed his back comfortingly and whispered soft consolations as his boyfriend sobbed into his chest.

Regulus sniffed and shifted his gaze to meet James’ again. This time, James saw nothing but resolve and determination set into his eyes “This Christmas break. I’ll apparate. I’ll do it on the day before Christmas Eve. I promise.”

—

New Years' Day 1978

James frantically searched the train platform for signs of his boyfriend. 

He hadn’t come on the day before Christmas Eve. 

James had been worried out of his mind. Regulus hadn’t even sent a letter to explain why he didn’t show up. 

Then, James saw a glimpse of Regulus’ black curls. He left behind his bags and sprinted to where Regulus sat on a bench, eyes trained on the ground. 

“Reg.”

Regulus lifted his head. The second he saw Regulus’ eyes, he knew.

“I’m so sorry, Jamie,” Regulus whispered.

august 7: stimulate | @jegulus-microfic | word count: 332

prompts are from the august 2023 collection from the lovely jegulus microfic mod

Regulus and James had been going out for a week, but they still pulled each other into broom closets between every other class. 

Regulus wasn’t complaining though. He quite enjoyed it even though his attendance record was taking a but of a hit. They tended to get carried away together. 

So when James grabbed his wrist and pulled him into an empty classroom, Regulus followed eagerly with a smirk blooming on his lips. 

As soon as James closed the door, Regulus spun them around and pressed James into it. He linked his hands behind James’ neck and snogged him. Regulus heard James make a tiny noise in the back of his throat when he pulled away. 

“I need some more stimulation before I go to Charms,” James whined, cupping Regulus’ cheek.

Regulus moved his hands to rest gently on James’ hips. “And I need to not be late to Potions again,” Regulus barely got his last word out before James leaned in to snog him relentlessly.

All thoughts about school quickly faded from both of their minds as they continued. 

Just as James had picked up Regulus and placed him on a desk, a loud gong sounded through the room.

The late bell. 

Shitfuckshit.

Regulus pulled back and swatted James over the head. He glared at him but his anger melted when James gave him a sheepish grin and mumbled an apology.

James helped Regulus off the desk as Regulus grumbled to him about how Professor Slughorn would have his head for being late again. 

Everything he had said, though, seemed to have gone straight through James because when he was about to step out, James pulled him in again for a quick peck on the cheek.

“See ya later, Reggie!” James waved goodbye before proceeding to skip to his next class.

Regulus shook his head affectionately as he took the stairs down to the dungeon.

He didn’t care about his attendance record if it meant he’d have more time with James.

July 24: dealer | @jegulus-microfic | word count: 595

Game nights were James’ favorite.

Every Saturday evening, James would host a small game night at his flat with all of his friends. They’d have a few drinks, maybe order in some food, and play card games for hours. James looked forward to it every week.

But this Saturday was going to be extra special.

Sirius, James’ best friend, was bringing his little brother, Regulus, with him to James’ game night. James had never met Regulus and was thrilled to finally meet Sirius’ brother. 

Sirius had told James that sometimes Regulus was fairly mean and not to expect much out of him. James mulled over that and thought about a million exchanges that might go down between him and Regulus that Saturday. 

However, James hadn’t foreseen that Sirius’ brother would be the most beautiful man he’d ever seen. 

Regulus was the first person to arrive and he came alone. 

When James opened the door his jaw dropped just slightly at the sight of the man in front of him. “Um, hi,” James stammered, “I’m James.” He held out a hand for Regulus to shake. 

“I’m Regulus. Sirius’ brother. I’m sure he’s said something about me,” the other man responded in a cool voice, taking James’ hand. 

He dropped his hand from the shake and led Regulus inside. “You’re the first to arrive, so it’ll be a bit boring before other people show up with the drinks and cards,” James explained, showing Regulus to his living room and gesturing him to sit on the couch with him. 

Regulus nodded and sat down next to James leaving a small gap between them. 

They sat like that, in awkward silence, for a few minutes before James couldn’t bear it anymore and asked, “Um, Sirius said you’re still finishing up in uni?”

Regulus nodded again and turned his piercing grey eyes on James. “Yeah, I’m about done with my last year.”

James muttered something that sounded vaguely like “That’s cool” before blurting again with, “So have you ever played cards before?”

Regulus raised an eyebrow at him. “I wasn’t raised under a rock, of course I’ve played before. What are we playing?” Regulus assured James.

James grinned and answered, “Blackjack.”

The other man’s cheeks went pink, which James found insanely adorable. “Oh.” Regulus looked sheepish all of a sudden. “I’ve actually… never played blackjack before. Our family only ever played poker.”

“Oh,” James said a quick prayer in his head before risking putting his arm around Regulus’ shoulders. “I can teach you the basics right now, if you’d like!” He grinned at the man.

Regulus rolled his eyes good-naturedly and huffed, “I guess.”

“Great!” James exclaimed. “So, in blackjack all the players are trying to get closer to 21 than the dealer, but they can’t hold over 21. If you go over, you bust and get nothing. Each hand is played separate and the end goal is to have a higher hand value than the dealer.”

Regulus’ brows furrowed while he took in the information. When James finished his explanation, Regulus remained quiet.

“So, did you understand any of that?” James asked with an airy chuckle.

The corners of Regulus’ lips tipped up in a small smile that lit up his eyes. “Er, no,” he confessed, laughing a little too.

James waved his hand, dismissing the problem. “Lily’ll explain it better anyway.”

James and Regulus made eye contact and burst out laughing together. 

“PRONGS?”

Their heads snapped to the living room entrance where Sirius stood, bewildered expression on his face and a pack of 6 drinks in his hand.