When the Sun and Stars Unite (Jegulus Oneshots)

whiplash effect.

Regulus Black had a quiet and seemingly normal life, working in his own bakery. Until one rainy night, the superhero Spider-Man ends up revealing himself to him as his brother's best friend, James Potter.

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It was one of the rainiest nights in New York that Friday. Regulus had sent all of his employees to their respective homes, and only he was left in the shop, which, in his opinion, was certainly calming.

A little ahead of time, but due to the fact that probably no one would enter that way in that rain, and there weren't any orders left to be picked up, Regulus reversed the sign from "open" to "closed", and turned off the main lights in front, going to the counter and lighting only the ones that were there.

Regulus loved the silence and calm that the rain and the store brought him, and that was one of those days in which he allowed himself to breathe deeply, facing a tranquility that he rarely found. The smell of the cakes that were left over from the day, as well as the ingredients he had been stirring in those last few hours, permeated every corner of the bakery, and Regulus couldn't be more at peace.

Until the shop door opened, and closed shortly afterwards, giving space for a gust of air to enter — Regulus had lowered himself on the counter, and in a jump, he stood up at the same time, a despair running through his veins, his thoughts taking him to the chances of being thieves and vandals. How could he have forgotten to lock the door? He never forgot to lock the door.

But, the figure with his back to Regulus, and standing in front of the door, did not appear to be a thief, nor even a vandal. Covered from head to toe, a striped red suit adorned the person's body, and greatly emphasized the curves. Regulus was about to open his mouth to ask who the hell it was, when the person's hand went to the top of his head and, in a quick pull, ripped off what looked like a mask. Then, the person turned back, and when his eyes met Regulus's, they widened in the same instant; and, in a jump, soon the person was... glued to the wall?

"What the hell?", Regulus exclaimed, and when he looked at the person's face again, all his doubts were cleared in the blink of an eye. James Potter, there in his bakery, his brother's best friend, and also the boy who had sent him some of the sweetest poems Regulus had ever read in high school. And he was dressed in a costume. In a suit known to be that of Spider-Man. New York's superhero. The one that Regulus knew was being rudely pursued by his parents.

And James wasn't wearing the costume just for fun, like half the people who lived in town were doing. No, it wasn't just for fun, because James was glued to the wall of Regulus' bakery, like he was a damn spider that could be brushed off with a broom handle. Which could only mean he wasn't a jerk in a costume. He was a superhero jerk.

"Eeeeiiii... Regulus!", James began, his voice shaky and slurred. His hazel eyes searched Regulus's frightened eyes, and the younger Black saw, even with all the darkness, when fear and apprehension passed like emotions through that boy's eyes so adorable.

He was expecting an expulsion. Or a scream. Or some surprise speech. Maybe a cake being thrown in his face. Regulus could see, by the way he held onto the wall so reluctantly, that James had no idea how he was going to react to this new discovery, and it was precisely the fact that he did not know that he seemed to be freaking out too much.

However, Regulus followed the way James' wet clothes were flooding his carpet and wall, and let out a heavy sigh, before calmly saying:

"Get down there. You're staining my wall."

Regulus, perhaps in a cowardly way, lowered his eyes to the counter, more specifically to the part where the cakes were. As he listened to a James Potter come down from his wall, with careful movements, Regulus took the last piece of key lime pie and placed it on the counter, finally looking up at James. Potter was no longer at the wall, but standing fearfully in front of the counter, far enough away that if he stretched out his arm, he wouldn't even be able to touch the stand.