CANNONBALL ⇒ jegulus

TWENTY FIVE

Regulus had been sleeping.

But that was before James had stormed into the room and abruptly awoken him from his dreamless slumber, one of his slender hands had been wrapped around his belly subconsciously during his nap and besides, Regulus hadn't particularly wanted James to see it, so perhaps it was for the best he had been woken up, even if he is rather groggy now.

But something isn't right.

James is angry.

Regulus can sense it the second the messy haired boy enters the hotel room. Regulus yawns, sitting up from his duvets and resting his slightly sore back against the headboard. "Oi, what's up with you then?" Regulus inquires with another soft yawn.

James shakes his head at him. "Aren't you the exact one who would ask?" Regulus squints at him as James snaps.

Regulus rolls his eyes and stares. "Right then, don't answer me," He huffs in response. He hasn't got the faintest idea of what exactly has twisted James today, and he might not be finding out anytime soon, regardless.

James just paces the floor, possibly even denting the carpet with how abruptly he seems to be moving. His body language is stiff and tense. Regulus doesn't like it at all. He is about to say something but James turns his head to him quickly with an accusing glare.

"Why would you even think to tell Lily I was going out with Dan? She chewed me out about it, she fucking lectured me on how you're having my baby and it isn't right and-"

Regulus simply gapes at him, his mouth hanging open as the words seem to fall from James' mouth. He stammers before, "I didn't tell Lily to do any of that. I did accidentally let it slip that he had asked you out for a drink but I didn't tell her it wasn't right, she decided that-"

James almost growls. "She yelled at me!" He curses. "She fuckin' lost it with me! I've never seen her so angry-"

"Is that what's got you so fucking standoffish then? You've just come from being screamed at by Lily Evans and have somehow decided I'm going to have to be lectured by you to compensate?" Regulus snarls.

They're interrupting one another frequently, they can never seem to make it through an argument without doing so, it is almost a tradition of theirs by now.

"Well, somebody has to be lectured!"

"Well, you already have been!" Regulus retorts sharply. He clambers out of his bed to stand before James, something in him needing to be at an equal stance with James.

James stares at him for a very long time before gritting out lowly,
"You're jealous..." He trails, as though the pieces had all fallen together right then and there. "That's why you're so fucking moody and teary lately because you're angry with me because you're being a jealous brat about this," He snaps harshly.

"A brat?" Regulus scoffs. "Oh, please! You wrote the brat handbook, I'm pretty sure when I read it...y'know, so I could have all of my information on how best to push your buttons, it had your signature on the front page!" He presses.

"Admit it! Just admit you're jealous and this can all be over and done with and you can just go back to fucking sleep-"

"Me? Jealous?" Regulus grits. "Why would I need jealous?"

"Well you're angry about something! Don't think I beloved you the other day! You weren't crying over the baby, Regulus," James states firmly. "You weren't bloody crying over the sprog, God, you know, I hate to fucking see you cry. I bloody hate it!"