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#jegulus microfic
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camp - @jegulus-microfic - word count: 348
When Regulus had agreed to go camping with Sirius and his mates, he had not realized what he would be signing up for.
He had anticipated idiocy and ridiculousness and liberal amounts of alcohol. He'd even thought ahead enough to realize that Sirius and Remus would be sharing a tent, which might lead to some very awkward situations. What was more, he'd even taken the time to process how torturous it would be to see James Potter shirtless, swimming at the lake by their camp site. He knew he would have to resist moaning out loud when he saw the way rivulets of water cascade over caramel skin when James dove in to cool himself off.
He was prepared for that.
But he was not prepared when Sirius announced: "Alright, guys! I'm sharing with Remus, Marlene and Dorcas, Lily and Pandora, James and Reggie!"
The announcement made him choke on his own spit. But he should have known- what with Pettigrew coming down with Dragon Pox last-minute, it made sense to put Lily and Pandora in one tent and himself and James in another (rather than the original plan of Lily sharing with Marlene and Dorcas while he shared with Pandora and James and Pettigrew bunked).
But the surprise of the announcement was nothing compared to the surprise Regulus felt when he and James actually retired for the evening.
Even though Regulus (very valiantly, he thought) behaved himself inside the tight space, keeping a foot between his sleeping bag and James's and ignoring the (he assumed) one-sided sexual tension he was feeling by squeezing his eyes shut, James did not seem to get the memo.
Because after a moment, fingertips traced so slowly over Regulus's side he might have thought he was imagining it, if not for the nervous breathing behind him. He gasped and froze, praying that this was real, and James, who seemed to be fighting against his nerves, whispered into the very thick air with a hoarse voice, "Reg? I-"
But Regulus just gathered his courage and rolled over, slotting their bodies and lips together.
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soreddieforit · 10 hours
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@jegulus-microfic | april 26: aimless | 1,276 words | trans! regulus
james does regulus' tape binding aftercare <3
James lingers in the doorway, quietly observing Regulus in their softly lit bathroom.
He's perched on the ledge of the bathtub, seemingly lost in thought, his head bowed and fingers idle and aimless where they trace the rim of it. He's shirtless, clad in only boxers and socks. His bare thighs press against the cool porcelain, causing goosebumps to rise there. Soft, late evening light leaks from the window, casting gentle shadows against his frame. 
Outside, the rhythmic passing of cars punctuates the stillness, their headlights casting golden beams that dance across the wet asphalt. The nearby stoplight's red glow mingles with them, creating a surreal mix of colors on the shimmering pavement.
There's a soft rustle of movement as James enters the room behind Regulus, moving to the sink. He sifts through the contents of their vanity, hands passing over their shared face wash and the cup holding their toothbrushes to retrieve the items needed for Regulus' tape aftercare. Deft hands gather oil, washcloths, cotton swabs, and salve before placing them on the bathtub ledge. He approaches Regulus with a tenderness reserved only for moments like these, for him. 
"Ready, love?" James' voice breaks the silence with a mellow murmur. He settles his weight behind him. 
Regulus turns his head, giving a small nod against his own shoulder. "Yeah," he says, voice crackling from disuse. 
James leans in to press a kiss between Regulus' shoulder blades. He lingers there for a moment. This close, he can see the faint dusting of freckles that mark his back. They're spattered across the skin like spray from a wave on sand. Speckles in shades of russet, sepia, and chocolate dance across his pale skin, shifting as Regulus shivers lightly. As James' lips leave his back, the muscles beneath those pretty dots tremble.
James reaches for the oil, uncaps it, and warms it between his hands. He presses both his palms to Regulus, carefully smoothing the oil over the edges of the tape. His touch follows the span of the tape from Regulus' back, under his arms, to the front of his chest. His movements are slow and practiced, designed as much to reassure as to treat. The oil glistens slightly on Regulus' skin, catching the dim light as it begins to soften the adhesive.
As they wait for the tape to loosen, a comfortable silence settles over them, punctuated only by the distant sounds of the city and their own quiet breathing. James doesn't stop his ministrations; his fingers continue to trace gentle paths along Regulus' shoulders, the back of his neck, following the delicate contours of his shoulder blades. These moments are so special to him; he wants Regulus to feel loved through his actions, to experience the same palpable surge of affection with each pass of his hands that James feels. There is so much trust that Reg offers him in these moments—it's intimate. James is the only person Regulus allows to see the most vulnerable parts of himself, and that knowledge alone makes James' heart swell with fondness and love. He has never loved someone as he does Regulus.
Regulus, Regulus, Regulus. 
Sometimes, James thinks Regulus was crafted specifically for him; as if the cosmos themselves conspired to mold him to perfectly complement the contours of James' own body, his own soul. Looking back, it's almost silly to him now—he thought he knew what love was like before him. His heart was already overflowing with it for Sirius, his mum, his dad, his friends. He's always had big emotions, brimming with affection and fierce protectiveness for the people around him. He's always cared deeply and felt profoundly, but nothing could have prepared him for the depth of feeling that Regulus brought into his life.
James knows nothing, nobody else could ever make him feel like this.
He settles his hands on the edges of the tape on Regulus' left side. "Gonna take it off now, okay?"
"Yeah, okay James. Go ahead"
James pulls at the tape gently, easing it from the skin. He's careful not to pull too hard or move too fast, patient as he works. He grabs Regulus' bicep, thumb pressing into the underside, fingers curling over. "Lift your arm up, Reg," he instructs softly.
Regulus raises his arm, holding it aloft as James' hand moves back down to steady the skin being separated from the tape. He can't resist pausing to press a kiss to the underside of his bicep before continuing to peel off the tape there. When he encounters a tough spot, where the tape still clings to his skin, James reaches for more oil. He warms it between his fingers once again before lightly holding the piece back, rubbing it into the seam between Regulus' skin and the tape until it loosens enough for him to continue. He carefully removes the first piece, then works at a second, a third, before repeating the process on Regulus' right side.
There's still a faint trace of leftover adhesive where the edges of the tape once were. So, James takes a cotton swab, dips it in oil, and meticulously traces the outlines left by the pieces. He moves slowly, with deliberate delicacy, mindful of the soreness of his skin.
Once he's satisfied, James fetches the washcloth. He soaks it in warm, soapy water and carefully cleans the area, wiping away excess oil and any lingering traces of the day. Then he reaches for the salve—the last physical part of their routine, though James knows the comfort it brings goes beyond just the skin. Two of his fingers dip into the container, scooping up the soothing balm. James is so careful with him, his fingers so gentle as they spread the salve, taking extra care with the tender skin under his arms and over his ribs. He traces the rungs of them, then the dip of his chest, making sure no skin is left uncared for.
James then grabs what's technically his own shirt—a worn, soft thing that Regulus has claimed as his own, his favorite pajama top—from the ledge of the sink. He helps Regulus slip it over his head, taking advantage of every second he allows him to be so close, to take care of him.
"Feeling okay?" James asks once Regulus is settled.
He trails his hand at the hem of his shirt, slipping it underneath to rest gently on his stomach, careful not to brush the newly cared-for skin or his chest. 
Regulus hums an affirmative, "mhmm." Eyes closing and head tipping back as he nods.
"I'm not just asking about your skin, love," James whispers. It's tough for Regulus sometimes, taking the tape off, sitting with his chest. It's a necessity though, for his well-being, despite the discomfort it brings. And James always does everything within his power to make it easier for him. He knows he can't fix everything, but he'd be damned if he didn't at least try to.
Regulus reaches back, his palm sliding from James' elbow to his hand beneath his shirt, their fingers intertwining at his stomach. Their faces are so close that Regulus' cheek drags against James' as he turns his head, planting a soft kiss on James' cheek. "I do, I feel okay. I promise," he murmurs, giving James a warm smile.
Leaning back into James' frame, Regulus lets his weight settle comfortably against him. "You make it easier," he breathes out, words floating into the space between them. Another kiss, "Thank you. I love you."
James holds him a moment, feeling the steady rise and fall of his breath, heart swelling just a little bit more. "I love you too."
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isabel-lillah · 1 day
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april 21 - prompt: run - @jegulus-microfic - word count: 307
Okay, so Regulus might be hiding from his friends right now. But it's for a good reason.
Pandora keeps insisting he's overworking himself with studying for their exams, while Regulus keeps insisting he is not. The rest of their friend group has similar mentality as Regulus (meaning exhaustion doesn't matter as long as you pass the exams), but not all of them can avoid Pandora for the entire afternoon, so Regulus left on his own.
Barty is going to kill him for this once he comes back.
In Regulus's defence, leaving the castle, and Pandora's fussing, was integral to his sanity. He also left a note saying he's taking a walk, so his friends wouldn't have to worry. He figured it was a good enough idea.
What might not have been the best idea, though, was to take the walk in the Forbidden forest. Especially not when he's this exhausted.
Because there's no explanation other than complete exhaustion for staring eye to eye with a stag.
They've run into each other over two minutes ago and have been staring at each other the entire time.
"Pandora's right, I need to go to sleep," Regulus mutters, shaking himself out of the trance, before slowly turning around and tripping.
Before he can hit the ground, a strong body supports him.
"Thanks, deer," Regulus whispers, not knowing whether to find his own joke funny or not. Either way, the stag seems amused, so he decides to count it as a win and never tell a soul he actually said this.
As a stag and an overworked, tired teen started their way out of the forest, Regulus mustered enough energy for one last statement: "You know, deer, you feel weirdly like James. You guys have the same aura."
And if Regulus wasn't so exhausted, he would swear he saw the stag blush.
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bellaxisworld · 1 day
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april 26 @jegulus-microfic prompt: aimless. word count: 248.
Regulus Black is not a person who ever feels misguided. At this point in his life, he feels strength in his purpose, and he’s confident in his decisions, his opinions. He follows a clear path, he’s organized—and it brings him joy to be so put-together. He doesn’t often feel lost. 
That is—he’s never felt as aimless as he does now, standing before the most stunning man he’s ever met, mouth dropped open in awe as he stares wordlessly. The man grins at him, and his heart flutters. He is pure fucking gold under Regulus' gaze, glistening and warm under the sunlight, and Regulus knows he has never understood true want until this moment. 
He’s been standing silently for far too long now, and he realizes he forgot the question the man asked entirely. Shit. 
He stammers through half a phrase before the man’s chuckle interrupts him.
“I’m James,” he says, eyes full of honeybrown sugar as he looks down at Regulus. He’s tall. Regulus is weak in the knees. 
Remembering his manners, Regulus breathes and extends a hand, “I’m Regulus.” 
James’ smile widens, and he says, “That’s a lovely name, Regulus.” Their hands meet in the middle. Between them, Regulus feels the entire universe hone into the contact—he feels the universe pause and right itself completely at this moment, because nothing has ever felt as perfect as them. Regulus looks up at James, and he thinks, absurdly, in every life, my heart will find yours. 
⭐️ find more of my microfics posted on ao3, here.
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ecstarry · 20 hours
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@jegulus-microfic / resist / 290 words / @fromagony
It was just ice cream. The weather was unbearable, and James had assured Regulus that some refreshment would ease them. So, Regulus simply obliged. They were at the Potter’s beach house, and Sirius and Remus had gone for a swim. However, James insisted he would much rather go for a drive and a treat.
So here they were, James wearing a simple white shirt—a dangerous choice for someone whose favorite flavor was chocolate—under a heat that was sure to melt his ice cream entirely in minutes. Regulus ordered a lemon popsicle, but he could barely pay attention to his own treat as a luscious scene started unfolding in front of him.
James’ tongue was stained with chocolate, the ice cream melting faster than he could eat it. Brown smudges adorned the corners of his lips, making them look even more inviting. Regulus cleared his throat as he watched James's tongue spread across the flat surface of the cone. James looked up once he heard the sound. 
James fucking stared at him as he tilted his head to catch some drops of ice cream with his tongue, preventing them from making a mess.
Resist. Resist. Resist. 
“You okay? Is the heat getting to you? You look a bit flushed Reggie,” James said with a smirk. 
“Fine. Have you finished making a spectacle of yourself or can we go back to a place with an air conditioner?” 
“Always such a princess,” James teased, almost as if he was daring Regulus. 
Regulus took the bait. He leaned in, close enough to see drips of sweat on James’ neck, licked his thumb, and wiped the corner of James’ lip with it.
“You got kind of messy there,” he remarked, playing the game right back.
more microfics here
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sweetmoonlight7 · 1 day
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26: Aimless
@jegulus-microfic | april 26: aimless | word count: 311
There were many things that James was uncertain about.
Just as there were many things that he was certain about.
James was certain that if he ever had any problem he could count on Sirius to back him up.
He knew without a doubt that every time he almost fell from his broom Remus did a spell so that he would not hurt himself.
He knew that every single time any of them complained about being tired after a full moon somehow classes would be canceled and for some reason that same day Peter would get detention for an “undisclosed” reason.
So yeah James was certain about many things.
This was also why he knew without a doubt that loving Regulus Black was an aimless thing.
For starters, he was Sirius's little brother.
…his best friend's little brother.
Second, he and Regulus only interacted a little.
Sure they saw each other quite a bit but they did not talk.
It didn’t matter too much to James.
He knew enough.
From the few interactions they had. From the way the other boy has been ever since he and Sirius
Last, (and perhaps the most important) Regulus appeared to have a strong, unreasonable dislike towards him.
Even if the other boy seemed to look at him a lot. Sparing glances at him in the halls, during dinners, in the field… he was everywhere.
It didn’t matter that he had turned around on multiple occasions and found Regulus with his friends around him smiling and looking at him.
Or that Regulus seemed to light up whenever he asked if they could study together.
And maybe just maybe James wasn’t certain about things not working out, but that wasn’t something he was looking at right now, not when he was too busy being mesmerized by Regulus Black.
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lulublack90 · 3 days
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Prompt 24 - Camp
@jegulus-microfic April 24, Word count 583
Previous part First part
Regulus leaned his forehead against the lower bar of the Astronomy Towers railing. It was pretty superfluous as there was some sort of air charm that gently lifted whatever had fallen over the edge of the tower back up. He supposed it was there for the more nervous astronomers. 
His thoughts were still swirling with what had happened earlier. He’d had to escape up here when Evan and Barty banged their way into the dorm, disrupting his spiralling thoughts. 
He banged his head against the bar. 
“Stupid, stupid, stupid. It just had to be him, didn’t it? Like he hasn’t ruined enough of my life, now he has to poke his nose into my love life as well!” It wasn’t that Regulus didn’t find James attractive. He was there was no denying that, but Sirius had picked him over Regulus. The second Sirius had gotten onto that train and been separated from Regulus, James Potter had snapped him up, and they’d been lost to each other. 
His head whipped around when he caught the sound of a stumbled step. There was nothing there. He raised his wand. “Who’s there?” He asked the darkness. Silence. “If you don’t leave now, you will regret it!” He hissed. 
James Potter stepped impossibly out of the shadows. There was nowhere he could have been hidden, but yet he’d been there. “What are you doing here?” He snarled. He wasn’t prepared for this. He hadn’t had time to school his emotions. 
“Same as you probably. Sometimes I come here to think.” James replied, shrugging. 
“More likely you’re waiting on some poor foolish girl to meet you up here for a snog.” He scoffed. James actually laughed at him. He reached up and rubbed the back of his neck, grinning goofily at Regulus.
“Contrary to popular belief, I’ve never snuck up here to kiss people. In fact,” James’s expression changed. His face flushed with embarrassment. “I’ve never kissed anyone before.” Regulus felt his jaw drop. 
“Not anyone?!” Why was he asking?! Pull yourself together, Regulus Arcturus Black! James gave a half-shrug.
“Nope. I was saving myself for someone, but I think I’m going to give up on her. No point waiting for something that’s never going to happen.”
“That almost sounded smart,” Regulus smirked at him. This had to be the most they’d ever spoken to each other. He’d, however, had plenty to say about James behind his back. 
“Gee, thanks.” James chuckled merrily. “Room for one more?” He continued, pointing at the lengthy space beside Regulus. 
“No, there is not.” Regulus scowled and turned away. 
He breathed in sharply through his nose when he heard James’s footsteps growing nearer and caught the movement out of the corner of his eye of him sitting down a few feet away and facing out into the night air. 
“So why have you set up camp here then?” James asked the stars. 
“That is absolutely none of your business.” He took James's lead and spoke out to the starlit sky. 
The wind picked up, rustling James’s hair before it made its way to Regulus, bringing with it that tantalising scent of cedar, summer days and bergamot. He couldn’t help it. He inhaled greedily. Something in James’s eyes flickered, but it was gone so fast Regulus couldn’t make it out. 
James didn’t speak again after that. They sat quietly, staring up at the twinkling stars, silently letting that breeze tease them over and over again until they turned together and their eyes met.  
Do we want another part? Let me know.
Next part
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fromagony · 19 hours
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@jegulus-microfic | aimless - april 26 | 698 words part 1, part 2
James knew the day he married his wife wasn't the end of the thing he had with Regulus. He knew from the moment he caught a glimpse of him. The voice in his head whispered the whole time while he was making his vow to Lily.
It's not the end yet.
He tried to not think much it much, he tried to ignore it. Because how could he even consider that possibility? He was getting married for fucks sake. He got married, he didn't change his mind. But still, ever since then that voice didn't shut up. It was always there, at the back of his mind.
Regulus was at the back of his mind.
The first year went smoothly, everything was perfect. Lily was a considerate woman. He liked to make her laugh, he liked her. He loved her.
But there was still Regulus.
He saw him a couple of times after his wedding day, he was at Christmas and sometimes at the parties they hosted as a Potter family. Regulus was there, but at the same time, he wasn't. He was like a ghost, haunting James in the middle of the day and deep in his dreams.
The time passed slowly, it was as if he was counting every day. He didn't know why he was counting, he just did.
Maybe the reason he couldn't get him out of his mind was his memories with him that left a scar in his heart. They were always there, he was always there. At the back of his mind, at the pit of his stomach, under his skin.
He sometimes caught himself staring at Lily and thinking about Regulus.
It wasn't fair, yes. It wasn't fair to Lily, hell, it wasn't fair to Regulus either.
But it's just, he couldn't help it.
He told himself multiple times that it was just thoughts, he wasn't going to do something about his yearning for his ex. It didn't do anyone any harm, it was just silly thoughts.
Or so he thought.
The breaking point for him happened in the second year of his marriage.
It was the first time he considered getting a divorce with Lily. It was funny when you think about it, they didn't even argue, yet here he was, considering a divorce.
The more Regulus invaded his mind, the more he became obsessed with it.
Maybe it counted as emotional cheating, maybe it was cheating.
But even the mention of his name made his heart ache under his ribs, he had to take a few minutes to recover himself. He didn't know if Sirius ever caught him on it, if he noticed he was thinking about his brother still. He wondered if Lily suspected the same thing too, she was his wife after all. It led to him feeling guilty almost every moment. He couldn't even drink whiskey on rocks because of the night he met with Regulus he was having that.
As if every road pointed his way, he became obsessed with the idea of him and their memories together.
Here he was, sitting on the balcony on the first floor, drunk as fuck and thinking about Regulus’ soft laugh.
He craved him. He was burning for him.
Maybe it was an aimless effort, but he did the last thing he shouldn't be doing.
He called Regulus.
He never deleted his number from his phone, he wondered if Regulus did. He wondered if Regulus was thinking about him too, from time to time. Did he still have their photos together? Did he delete them already? Maybe he deleted it on his wedding day, maybe it was the day they broke up.
As he waited for Regulus to pick up, he clutched the whiskey bottle in his hand. Praying for him to pick up. It was now or never. He didn't think he could be this brave again. It was wrong, it wasn't fair, yet it felt like he should've done this before.
“Hello?”
James couldn't speak for a moment, it felt like forever.
“Regulus,” he breathed, and he heard something crashing at the other end of the line.
“James.”
Something swelled under his chest. He didn't even think for a second.
“You are unavoidable.”
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t1oui · 2 days
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@jegulus-microfic | april 25th | headlights | 1,222 words | cw: mentions of a car accident, hospitals, mentions of smoking (nothing graphic)
Regulus tries so hard to think that Sirius is an idiot. That bloody thing'll kill you, he remembers saying. Sirius had only laughed. No one's laughing now.
It was just a Friday night. Regulus got home from work late and was looking forward to doing nothing until Monday morning. Was looking forward to being alone, sitting around with popcorn and staring at the telly until he fell asleep. Now, the idea of a simple night in feels light years away.
He never gets what he wants.
Sitting on a stiff white chair outside Sirius's room at St. Mungo's, Regulus's leg bounces up and down at a frantic pace, mind racing. Didn't he see the headlights? Didn't he try and stop? It wasn't his fault, they said. Regulus's older brother is in a hospital bed and he wants to strangle the idiot who put him there.
Remus is sitting across from him, eyes red-rimmed and body curled in around himself. He arrived before Regulus. Pettigrew was pacing until Remus yelled at him and he mumbled something about getting a coffee.
It feels like hours before Potter arrives. Regulus and Remus are only taking up two of maybe eight seats crowded into the hallway, but James sits right next to him. He's crying, too busy looking at his phone to pay Regulus any mind beside him.
"Why are you here?" Regulus grumbles. He sounds like shit. The corridor is far too bright for someone who wants to crawl into a hole and never come out. James glances up at him, looking confused and distressed and tired. God, Regulus is so fucking tired.
"My best friend is... he's...." James gestures helplessly to the room behind them. They're not whispering, but their voices are hoarse. Remus isn't paying attention anyway - he's been staring into space for hours now. "He's in there."
"No," Regulus says, shaking his head in frustration. He hates when people don't understand him. "Why are you... here. There's so many seats."
James stares at him for a moment. He still holds his phone in his lap - if Regulus looks closely, he can see the name Lily written across the top of the screen with a pink flower beside it. James opens his mouth to speak, but Regulus interrupts him, pointing to the phone.
"That's a hibiscus flower, you know."
"What?" James doesn't sound like he's actually processing anything Regulus is saying. Regulus presses his finger next to Lily's contact name. He remembers her from school. He never liked her much.
"The flower here," he says. "It's not a lily. It's a hibiscus."
James sniffles, shrugging helplessly. "There's no lily emoji," he says. "This one's good enough."
Regulus doesn't say that he thinks that's sort of stupid. He's too tired to, and he knows James doesn't really care. Who does?
"I don't want to be lonely," James tells him. Regulus stares at his ear.
"What?"
"You asked," James says, shrugging again. He shrugs a lot. "Why I sat next to you."
Regulus looks up, glances over to Remus. He's managed to gather all of his limbs up onto the small hospital chair and is staring into space, eyes glazed over, arms wrapped around his knees. "Why didn't you sit next to him?"
James's answer comes so quiet that he has to lean closer to hear. "I'd still be alone."
Regulus stares at him. "Oh." He wonders where Pettigrew's gotten off to. Wonders if Lily will come to take James home, will gather Remus into the car too. Wonders who will take him home now that the motorcycle he hates so much is nothing more than a pile of scraps, its owner not much more.
"D'you wanna see a picture of my cat?" James asks. Regulus looks back at him. James is tilting his phone towards Regulus, even though he never answered, and Regulus finds himself leaning closer again to look. His cheek brushes James's shoulder, and he expects James to tense up - they barely know each other. James is probably humoring him, but his best friend's weird little brother leaning his head on his shoulder is probably the last straw. James is just being nice because he's sad. Last Regulus heard, he has a pretty girl and a son waiting for him at home.
But James leans into the touch. Regulus is too tired to pull away. (Part of him doesn't want to pull away. He tells this part to be quiet.)
"Her name's Leo," James says, holding up his phone to reveal a small gray tabby. The smile is evident in his voice, which is soft and close to Regulus's ear. It sounds like a lullaby. "Harry named her."
"Leo," Regulus says softly. James's curls are tickling his cheek. It's not an unpleasant feeling - it reminds him of walking barefoot over grass on a sunny day.
"Like the constellation," James explains. "It's Haz's favorite. 'Course, he is a Leo, so he's a bit biased there...."
Regulus glances down and notices his fingers loosely intertwined with James's. He doesn't remember doing that.
"Leo's the constellation -" he begins.
"Your star," James replies. He sighs softly, content but a little shaky. "Yeah."
They're both silent for a while. It's weirdly comfortable, even in the buzzing hospital, even with Remus sitting numb across from them and Sirius laying unconscious behind them and Peter knocking around, probably smoking the pack of cigarettes Regulus saw him slip out of Remus's pocket before he disappeared.
"Is Lily going to pick you up?" Regulus asks.
"She has Harry tonight," James says instead of answering. It only leaves Regulus with more questions.
"I thought..." Regulus begins, but he doesn't know what he thinks, not really. James seems to, though.
"We broke up," he says simply. He shrugs a little, only one shoulder, trying not to jostle Regulus's head. "Few years ago."
Regulus is quiet for a while. He remembers school, seeing James's golden-brown arm wrapped around Lily's pale shoulders. He remembers a pang of pain at the sight, feels it now, a dull ache located deep within his chest. "I'm sorry to hear that," he says, but he doesn't sound sincere.
"Don't be," James says. He's turned his head, and his lips brush just barely against Regulus's forehead. He should pull away, but instead, he just closes his eyes. "She's my best friend."
Regulus squeezes James's hand. "I'm glad you're here," he whispers.
James squeezes back. "I'm glad you're here, too," he replies.
He sets his phone down on his lap, reaching into his pocket and pulling out a jumbled ball of headphones. He tries for a minute or so to untangle them one-handed before finally sighing and pulling his fingers out from between Regulus's, pulling the earbuds into his phone. He hands one to Regulus.
"Put it in," he says, watching Regulus do nothing.
"Why?" Regulus asks.
"It's too... something in here."
Regulus gives him a small smile as he puts the earbud in. It fits weird, but not uncomfortable weird like he remembers. Just different. As he settles his head back onto James's shoulder, a soft melody begins to play into his ear. James sets the phone down on his knee before taking Regulus's hand again, resting his head against Regulus's curls. Regulus takes a deep breath, closing his eyes.
Maybe this night won't be as long as he thought.
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c0mbatchameleon · 2 days
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@jegulus-microfic April 25, prompt: headlights, words: 458
He’s been sitting out on the curb down the street from his house for maybe 10 minutes when headlights and the thrum of an engine cut through the still, 3am darkness. Bag in his lap, burning in his throat; as the truck pulls up to a stop in front of him, Regulus is acutely aware of what it means once he steps inside.
It’s an ending, he thinks. It’s thick layers of dust lining the shelves in his bedroom—how quickly a room can become a relic. Can become ruins. Stale and rotting, a place where life only exists in past tense. In other words, a haunting.
To be fair, the haunting long precedes this—this crux, this threshold. To be fair, it was always more rot than anything else. To be fair, he can’t recall the last time the dark green walls enclosed something truly alive and breathing and not soured by the state decay. After all, it’s only been him for years now.
But Regulus thinks he remembers a time, just one time, when the room was much bigger than him, was everything; a time when a woman who, much the same, was much bigger than him floated into the room like an angel or an apparition, and, having heard his cry in the middle of the night, brushed his hair back behind his forehead with her ever-sharp nails and a whispered promise that everything was okay. He thinks he remembers believing it, then. He thinks it might have been a dream. He had never known his mother to be gentle.
And now, to open the door and cross the threshold is to relent, to find finality in the fact that he never will. He’ll never find out if something soft underlay all that ice-hot flame and sharpened teeth and barbed wire. And he’ll never know if it was a dream. And he’ll never know her, or him, or the home and the ghosts that haunt it, in the way he so desperately tried to.
His lifelong fight. And surrender is only a couple steps away.
Before he can take them, the driver’s side door opens with a click that pierces through the oppressive quiet this street has always known. And there he is, backlit by the single dim yellow streetlight like something holy, something divine, circling around the front and stopping at Regulus’ feet with an outstretched hand.
A hand. An offering. An end. A beginning.
When Regulus takes it, lets James pull him to his feet, let’s him take his bag and the weight on his shoulders to store in the backseat, he thinks that some endings might not be so bad. That maybe, some fights are worth giving up.
He thinks he wants to live.
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my-star-and-sun · 3 days
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April 24th - Camp
@jegulus-microfic - 461 words
“James! Come on you’re late.”
James was still packing the rest of his stuff for their camping trip to Cornwall. It was the summer after all the Marauders left school and part of their friend group still had a year ahead of them so it was some kind of Goodbye.
Everyone finished packing the evening before except James of course being the chaotic brain he was. How Regulus could keep up with him no one knew. He was the polar opposite, having finished packing three days ago.
When they arrived at the camping site they all decided to go swimming first and building their tents after. Theoretically Sirius had forbidden James and Regulus to camp together but Remus protested. That boy really was a saint.
Sirius made gagging noises when James and Regulus kissed after finishing putting up their tent but all in all he was pretty chill about the whole thing.
They all talked long in the evening and into the night, too much fire whiskey flowing. But all of them wanted to cherish the moment as much as possible since they all knew it would be the last time in a while that they would be together like this.
When everyone slowly started getting ready for sleeping and retreated into their tents, Regulus and James did the same.
They laid down, James holding Regulus like every night. They had already said good night and turned off the light when Regulus asked:
“How am I going to survive this year without seeing you at all?”
“Hey, it’s not a whole year you know there will be holidays, right?”
“Yeah but that’s months and I’ll miss you so fucking much.”, Regulus sounded so devastated.
“My love I will miss you too. I also have the ability to apparate to Hogsmeade anytime you want me to.”
“You would do that for me?”
“Of course I would. I love you and I would do anything for you. You know what will keep me sane? That after this year we have our whole life ahead of us. We’ll move together and then grow old together.”
“But what if you find someone better than me and forget about me?”
James now turned on the lights to look Regulus in the eyes so that he would see how serious he was when saying:
“How could I ever find someone better than you my love? I love you with all I have, please believe me.”
“Yeah but…”
“There’s no but. I have loved you for over 1 year now. I still love you and I will love you even more in ten.”
There was not much Regulus could do now except to kiss his boyfriend senseless and mumble an “I love you too, baby” in between kisses.
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headlights - @jegulus-microfic - word count: 263
"Sirius, it's simple, they just-"
"No, Moony! You're pushing your...cute romanticism onto everyone! Prongs and my baby brother are not together!" Sirius argued, rolling his eyes. Really, it was adorable how Remus could find romance in any scenario, but the thought was ridiculous.
Remus scoffed. "He's not exactly subtle about it, Sirius! He literally waxes poetic about Regulus's fingers every time he gets a chance!"
"Friends! They're friends!" Sirius retorted, wrinkling his nose.
"Fine," the other boy shrugged. "If you really think nothing's going in, go check on them in the dungeons."
"Aright, I will!" Sirius said, sticking his tongue out. James and Regulus were currently working on a Potions project in the dungeons.
But as he and Remus walked to the room ten minutes later, Sirius started to worry. What if they were dating? Oh, Merlin, they would be disgusting. People thought he and Remus were bad, James was the most obnoxiously over-the-top romantic there was.
But he decided to be brave, and just ask.
So he pushed open the wooden door of the Potions classroom with a squeak, only to be greeted by a loud yell.
"Sirius! What the fuck!"
And there was Regulus, climbing off of James's lap, while James wore an expression akin to a deer in headlights. "Er, hi Padfoot," he murmured, one had still out from where it had been grabbing at Regulus's hair only seconds ago. "Hi, Moony."
Remus just snickered from behind him.
"Don't you start," Sirius snapped towards him, knowing he was going to be treated to an 'I told you so' later.
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starchaserwrites · 1 month
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@jegulus-microfic / march 17: body / word count: 291
Regulus is a liar.
Ever since he began his relationship with James a few months ago he has been lying to him almost daily. 
Every morning James is the one who wakes up first, stretching his limbs, wrinkling his nose, rubbing his eyes as they adjust to the light filtering through the window and reaching for Regulus on the other side of the bed. Sometimes James merely caresses his head or outlines each of his facial features with his thumb as he contemplates him for long moments. At other times he comes close to hug him, burying his face in his neck and peppering him with kisses. But what never changes is the tremendous warmth in his voice every time he says, "Mi vida, it's time to get up." 
The thing is, in all the time they've been together, James has never once woken up before Regulus. Growing up, punctuality was never optional in the Black family. If you were late for breakfast, you had to face the consequences. So waking up early is a habit that Regulus will doubtfully escape one day, even though it is no longer necessary. But ever since he spent his first night with James, and in a moment of panic pretended to be asleep when he saw the body next to him stirring as a sign that he was waking up, Regulus could never stop pretending after experiencing all the attention his boyfriend gives him in the mornings.
Regulus is a liar, but he doesn't feel an ounce of remorse for it.
James knows Regulus is a liar, but he makes a point of reminding him how precious he is and how much he loves him every morning while the other pretends to be asleep.
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isabel-lillah · 2 days
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april 20 - prompt: green - @jegulus-microfic - word count: 204
"What's your favourite colour?" James and Regulus were, as usual, sitting at the top of the astronomy tower when Regulus asked.
James laughed at the randomness of the question: "What? Why do you ask?"
Regulus stopped looking out the window in favour of turning to James. The older boy smiled at the ease with which the Slytherin was there, at the moment. He used to be so tense and short worded, James worried he would never manage to get behind the carefully built walls Regulus normally hides behind. And yet here they are, just a few months later, talking about colours.
"We always talk about the depressing stuff, I don't know the random details about you. Come on, what's your favourite colour?"
He's right, of course. Them talking started with James trying to crack through the mask of Regulus Black and continued with Reg trying to crack through James's walls.
They just skipped the stage of talking about stuff like favourite colours.
"Green. The deep forest kind, you know what I mean?"
Regulus turned his head back towards the Forbidden forest: "Yeah, I do. It's soothing. The same way dark blue is. The deep ocean blue kind."
"Your favourite?"
The younger teen smiled: "Yeah."
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yourgalgremlin · 2 months
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Trans Regulus who has always had a raspy voice, even as a child, that becomes more prominent when he starts T at Hogwarts.
His voice always takes people by surprise because he’s so painfully quiet. The reason why he barely speaks is a tightly held secret between the Black brothers until James earns his trust & he tells him how (even now) Walburga would try to punish his “boyish voice out of him.”
A few days later Regulus receives a frantic owl about his mother’s mysterious “sudden illness” that has taken her voice entirely; leaving her irreversibly mute.
His eyes snap to the Gryffindor table to find James Potter, looking down at his breakfast with an impossibly smug smile.
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darkcademiasss · 2 months
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I need a fic where Regulus roams around hogwarts as a black cat and james always feeds him and cuddles with him and he doesnt realise its regulus till the end.
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