I took a few creative liberties but this was SO MUCH FUN!
“This is impossible,” Regulus murmured, very tempted to slam his head against a nearby wall.
“James will like whatever you get him,” Sirius complained, throwing his hands up. “Remus is impossible! He only likes sweaters and books and he has a million of both!”
“Remus saves every single tissue you blow into. He’ll treasure whatever you wrap up. James has more money than he knows what to do with. What am I supposed to get him that he doesn’t already have?” Regulus shot back.
They both stood in the Muggle street, back-to-back, staring around the stores.
“Why the fuck did we go to a Muggle shopping area?” Regulus griped after a moment of silence.
Sirius shrugged helplessly. “It was supposed to be cute,” he murmured. “Like…original, or something.”
Regulus scoffed. “Let’s go,” he ordered decisively, and started dragging Sirius away.
But Sirius froze and pointed towards a small, brightly-decorated shop that looked like the advertising was aimed towards five-year-olds. “Reg, look!”
“C’mon, Reggie! It’s cute! Festive!”
“If you don’t come with me, I’ll tell James about that sweater you have stashed under your bed. You know, the one you stole from him and now you cuddle with every-” Sirius threatened, a devilish grin on his face.
“Fine!” Regulus agreed, trying not to turn pale. Asshole.
Two identical packages lay under the tree Christmas morning. One addressed to Remus and the other addressed to James.
Regulus tried not to stare at them.
“Alright, these are for you two!” Sirius said happily, gesturing to the two boxes and then to Remus and James.
Regulus tried not to hit him.
Paper was torn. Boxes opened. And inside…
Regulus could see Remus’s lips quiver as he tried not to smile at his mug.
“We painted them, Moony!” Sirius exclaimed, with the air of a child finally able to discuss a very thrilling secret.
It was true. Sirius had blackmailed Regulus into painting mugs together in a small pottery painting shop. The experience had been rather tortuous for Regulus- to curb Sirius’s energy was difficult in a normal setting, let alone a place with so many breakable items. Indeed, Sirius was still washing paint out of his hair.
“It’s beautiful, Padfoot,” Remus grinned, looking over his mug.
Sirius immediately glowed and began pointing out all of the things he had crammed onto the mug- pictures of wolves and dogs and stars and moons and books and chocolate and so much more, all looking as though a toddler had fingerpainted it.
Remus, of course, looked no less than thrilled, nodding along and asking appropriate questions as Sirius prattled on.
James, however, was examining his mug with a very different expression.
Regulus had gone for a somewhat different approach. He’d painted the mug a deep black and painstakingly plotted out each of the stars on the Leo constellation, then taken hours to illustrate the constellation with the smallest brush he could find. The only star that was not white was Regulus- the heart of Leo.
“It’s you…and me…” Regulus explained softly to James, feeling very self-conscious. James stayed silent, turning the mug over and over in his hand, still staring. Regulus felt pressured to continue. “I know you don’t drink a lot of tea or coffee but Sirius insisted that this was original and I thought maybe this was an okay idea because, you know, you’re like the lion…because of Gryffindor…and I’m, you know…Regulus. Heart…of the lion…”
But then James looked up at him, tears in his eyes, and he trailed off, his stomach like lead. Did James hate it that much? Had he fucked up that bad? Oh, gods, was James going to break up with him? Fuck, fuck, fuck-
“It’s perfect,” James whispered reverently.
And damn, he looked amazed. He looked at Regulus like he was…in love.
And before he knew it, Regulus felt himself pulled into a kiss.
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