KNOWING ME KNOWING YOU ⇒ jegulus one shots

A SOFT SPOT FOR REGULUS BLACK

James' heart is racing horribly, his mind overflowing with thoughts. Reg. I need to get in contact with Reg.

The funny thing about this entire thing is that Regulus, for the foreseeable week and a half, is exceptionally un-contactable. Having worked his way up the chain of Aurors, Regulus is extracted from London and sent around the world on missions for the ministry.

James usually went on his missions of his very own, but since falling pregnant almost six months ago, he has placed himself on maternity leave; well, his ever loving, every considerate and ever doting husband has placed him on maternity leave. By some grace, or some miracle, Regulus had managed to be present at every single baby appointment. However, Regulus unfortunately left for Italy two nights ago and will be back by the weekend. James just has to make it four more nights without him.

Usually, this would be fine. James isn't dependent on his husband. They aren't attached at the hip, of course James could make it a week without Regulus, if he wanted to. But this is different. He's sitting outside his healer's office, after just being told that they will be inducing his labor within two days, at merely twenty five weeks pregnant.

James swallows stiffly as he allows this information to set in. The healer had blurted something about the placenta. Something is wrong with the placenta. Something very, very wrong. Something is very, very, really wrong with his tiny little baby.

Healer Hopkins exits her office, weary eyes sunken into her delicate skin. "James, honey," She takes a seat next to him. "I think you should go stay with a relative, for now, try and get in contact with your husband. You're going to want him to be here for this, dear,"

James nods. His next order of business is storming into the ministry and demanding they give him his Regulus back in all his sullen, high cheek boned and sarcastic glory.

"What do you mean no?" James snaps tiredly. He is in no mood nor state to negotiate with his supervisor at the moment. He regards Bronson as his temporarily ex supervisor, given his maternity leave, so James cares little for causing too much of a scene right now.

"I mean that it would be extremely dangerous to contact Auror Black now. This mission is important, James-" Auror Bronson, Regulus' boss and James' former boss, says. Using James' given name, rather than the alternative of Auror Potter presents the tone of this conversation and James feels sick. He knows he is already fighting a losing battle.

Bronson aleas did have a soft, sweetened spot for Regulus, though. Ergo, James admittedly did have high hopes for this. "I like the boy. He's got moxie. He isn't afraid of people not liking him," Bronson had said that about a twenty year old Regulus and James had not forgotten it because he did not actually like Regulus at the time and he certainly did not like that Regulus was not afraid of that fact.

James used to think that Bronson having a tender spot for Regulus is the only way an ex death eater, such as Regulus, could have achieved ministry worker status. James is glad he no longer rivals his husband at work, their only arguments now consist of who has to do the dishes. 

"And our child isn't?" James all but shrieks. He can feel his throat tighten. His baby might die and not only will Regulus not have any inkling about it until the following weekend, but he will not be there to hold James as it happens to him. He will not be there to witness their baby's first few and only hours. If their little one even gets so lucky, with James' astronomically and notoriously awful luck; he fears his poor little angel won't even be given that much.