sometimes it's easier to be invisible

Slug Club

James wakes with a searing headache, his mouth dry. There's warmth on all sides of him and he blearily opens his eyes, not remembering where he is. He finds Regulus curled around him from behind, his legs caging James to the ground and his arms hugging James gently.

His heart warms at the sight. James may be the clinger when he's awake, but Regulus is a cuddler when he sleeps, and it makes James so inexplicably happy.

With a drop to his stomach, he remembers their conversation about just being friends. But, to his defense, they were asleep. And he won't very well shove Regulus off of him, that would just be rude.

He knows he's making excuses for himself but what the fuck else was he supposed to do? The boy he fancies is fucking spooning him and looking like an absolute angel.

He looks around to see all his friends slumped in different spots in the room, all of them in a big pile on the ground. He remembers their game last night but not the details. He lays his head back down, enjoying the feeling of Regulus holding onto him.

Regulus snores very quietly when he sleeps and subconsciously buries his face in James's neck. James gently turns around to face Regulus, tracing his face with his fingers. He's so fucking beautiful with his relaxed face and slightly open mouth. James just wants to kiss it for eternity.

Friends, friends, friends, we're just friends. He reminds himself, pulling his hand away from Regulus's adorable face.

Regulus starts to stir, and James wishes he'd sleep just a little longer. He knew as soon as Regulus was conscious, he'd push James away. It makes him pull Reggie a little bit tighter as he hears a soft yawn cone out of Regulus.

James looks down and meets the hazy green eyes that he's so fond of. James smiles, brushing hair out of Regulus's face. Regulus leans into it, obviously still half-asleep. He nuzzles James's hand for a few seconds before fully opening his eyes and looking around. The mask falls over his expression as he looks at James and their proximity.

"Morning, Reg."

"Morning." Regulus rasps.

He pulls away from James, sitting up and scrubbing at his face. James mourns the loss of his warmth and resists the fierce instinct to pull Regulus back down to his chest.

Some of the others start to stir and James takes that as a sign to get up. He walks over to his bed and settles down on it, beckoning Reggie to sit beside him. With wary eyes, Regulus obliges and settles a few inches apart from him, his guard back up.

"I don't remember much of last night," James admits.

"Me neither. We played that drinking game but it's all a blur." Regulus says, holding his head in pain.

James and Regulus keep trying to fill in the gaps in their memory as slowly, one by one, everyone wakes up. Pandora immediately shuffles over to Regulus and plops her head on his shoulder, and Sirius, funnily enough, does the same to James.

"Wanna get breakfast?" James asks the group when he notices the last person to get up, Evan, is awake.

Everyone agrees with quiet mumbles, and they walk together to the Great Hall. James stays close to Regulus the whole walk and when Regulus tries to beeline for the Slytherin table, James grabs his elbow and pulls him to Gryffindor. All the others follow suit, and they sit together at the end of the Gryffindor table.

"I feel like I'm going to be sick but that I could also eat this entire table's worth of food," Regulus says, looking pale.

"Start small," James informs him, piling small amounts of food on a plate and handing it to him.