When We Fell In Love

Chapter 6: Confrontation

James immensely enjoyed the constant bickering between him and Regulus. That apparent malice actually hid, he was certain, a deep affection beneath the surface. They were sitting so close that James could distinctly catch the scent of Regulus' hair, a mix of lavender and talcum powder, and he could notice subtle green flecks in the grey of his eyes. Regulus' pale skin was smooth, and James fought the urge to touch it, like one would caress something fragile and precious. But Regulus was not fragile: his words were sharp, often cutting, yet with each exchange, he edged closer. James' heart skipped a beat, then another. His arm ended up on the backrest of the chair behind Regulus, the warmth of their bodies mixing, making them almost inseparable. He did not want to dwell too much on what that might mean. His body was reacting instinctively, in a way it had never done with anyone else, not even Lily.

"So, Regulus, I see you've got company," said James, his tone challenging.

"I don't see how that's any of your business, Potter," Regulus shot back, coldly.

"Reggie, Reggie, it's always my business when it comes to you." Regulus glared at him.

"Are you telling me you're jealous?" Regulus asked, dripping with sarcasm. But for a moment, James wondered if maybe he really was jealous.

"And if I were? Would that bother you?" James could feel Regulus' breath on his face, while Regulus' hands fidgeted nervously under the table. Without thinking too much, James took Regulus' hands in his own. "There's no need to be so nervous."

Regulus froze, paralyzed. James too found himself unable to breathe. Time seemed to stop, each second stretching longer and longer.

"Prongs! A word!" Sirius' voice shattered the moment. James had never heard his best friend speak in such a cold, angry tone. They both got up from the table, Sirius throwing fiery looks at Remus and Louis as they made their way toward the exit.

"What the fuck are you doing?" Sirius yelled, giving James a slight shove.

"What? I... What did I do, Padfoot?" James was confused. Sure, his reaction to Regulus' closeness was not exactly normal, but there was no way Sirius could know how he felt.

"You're flirting with my brother! I'm not even going to talk about the fact that he's my little brother, but you're flirting with... with a guy," Sirius hissed, lowering his voice as if it were a crime.

"First of all, I'm not doing anything wrong. I'm just teasing Regulus a little. And even if I were? Does it bother you that a guy might be into another guy?" The words slipped out of James' mouth before he even realised it. He had grown up in a pretty open-minded household, where his parents had always taught him not to judge anyone, and that people should live their lives as they see fit, as long as they were not hurting others. And James was sure that being... Well, being that way did not hurt anyone. Sirius' cheeks flushed crimson. "What's wrong, can't you speak anymore?" James was getting angry. He had never been this angry with Sirius. "Does it bother you, Sirius?" he pressed.

Sirius weakly shook his head, clearly shaken by James' sudden change in attitude. James took a deep breath, trying to calm himself. He could feel his blood boiling in his veins.

"And you, of all people? You just had a jealous fit over Remus. Don't think I didn't notice. It's been months—months—that you two act like you're going to jump each other any minute, and yet nothing ever happens. There's this weird tension constantly hanging between you."

"That's absolutely not true!" Sirius tried to protest, but he was not convincing.

"Cut the crap, you know I don't buy your bullshit." Sirius' eyes were pleading for mercy. "Okay, let's calm down for a moment. I overreacted, I'm sorry."