CANNONBALL ⇒ jegulus

THIRTY SIX

Roaming through the shopping center, James sighs as he runs a hand through his hair. "I'm not so sure he'll like this, y'know? We all know he isn't one for gifts-"

"Oh, put a sock in it,Prongs, you've already given him more than a gift. So it's only fitting we all rack something up," Sirius answers.

"But-"

"No but's," Remus laughs softly. "Sirius is right, a rarity, but he is" He snorts. "You should mail this back to Reg, something for the sprog, I'm sure he'll like it, the element of surprise and all."

"I saw him last week, surely it won't be a surprise-"

"It will if you bloody mail it," Peter smirks as his hand skins through the rack of small baby clothing. He plucks a small pale green baby grow from the range of tiny items of clothing. "Ooh, I quite like this one, I think your son will too," He adds.

James takes in the tiny baby grow, so tiny it could bring a tear to his deep brown eyes at the mere idea that he's going to have such a tiny baby, for only a tiny baby could fit in such a tiny piece of material. "Oh," He reaches out to brush his fingers against the fabric. "This ones teeny," He comments.

"Baby's are teeny, Prongs," Remus reminds him, something gleaming in his eyes.

"So they tend to be," Sirius adds. Something shifts in his expression but changes back just as quickly as his tone of voice alternates. "You should get this one," He glances around, reaching for a tiny pair of socks, small ducks embroidered on them. "These too," He adds.

James simply adds them all to the large shopping cart his friends have forced him to drag around for the last few passing hours. But he does so without complaint. This is all for his son, how could he complain? He watches patiently as Sirius swipes at some more small baby clothes, dropping them carefully into the shopping cart.

James hums softly, looking down at the growing pile. "Should we get nursery stuff? Reg and I haven't really talked in great detail about the nursery, I know what room the nursery's going to be in, but that's about it," He says. He shakes his head. "Maybe we shouldn't....what if he has a theme decided or a color scheme and I fuck it up-"

Remus shakes his head with a laugh. "Fuck, you're very soft all of a sudden, eh?" He pretends to gag before breaking out into a wild grin.

Sirius hooks an arm around Remus' neck, smirking as he presses a tender kiss to the younger of the pair's cheek. "Maybe poor Prongs has been subjected to us for far too long, mmh, m'love?" He teases.

Remus scoffs before turning his head and allowing his lips to brush against Sirius'. "Git," He murmurs softly.

"Oh, don't you dare get me started and in the mood right here and now in a shopping center, Remus Lupin-"

Peter cuts them off, just as James was considering either cutting them off or cutting his ears off; he isn't exactly sure which would have sufficed. "You two are fucking unbelievable," He smiles faintly. "You silly love birds," He adds with a tut.

"He started it! He called me a git!" Sirius argues.

"That should offend you, Padfoot, not excite you," James rolls his eyes as his mind wanders fondly to the idea of Regulus calling him a git as he nibbles at the younger man's neck.

A persistent and seemingly unending knock at his door finds Regulus stumbling towards the door.

With a loud sigh, Regulus yanks open his front door. "Why, in the name of God, are people always pounding at this fucking door?" He swears at the sight of his brother on his doorstep.