Blush - Jegulus - @jeggyverses-jegulus-microfic - word count: 356

Whenever Regulus did something even remotely affectionate, James looked at him like he hung the stars and the moon and everything else in between. A hug, a kiss, a flirty word whispered here and there—anything.

But he never blushed.

Regulus found that infuriating.

Every drop of the blood in his body seemed to flush to his cheeks every time James did anything. It was mortifying. Even more so when his nightmare of a brother was there to witness it. Even more so when it happened at the dinner table with James's parents present as well.

“He's incapable of it,” Regulus complained, then shut his book and threw it at Sirius's head. “Stop laughing, you mutt!”

Sirius dodged the book easily, snickering. He was lounging on the sofa opposite of Regulus's armchair. The Potters were out for a few hours, so it was just the two brothers in the house. “An impossible task, I'm afraid. This is hilarious.”

Regulus tossed a cushion at him. Just as infuriatingly as James's incapability to blush—no wonder the two were friends—Sirius dodged yet again.

As Regulus picked up a second cushion, Sirius raised his hands in surrender. “Before you decide to murder me with your weapons,” he said, “I'd like to offer advice.”

Regulus's ears perked at that. “Do tell.”

“Not for free.” Sirius smirked. “Ten galleons.”

“Seven,” Regulus said. “And your life.”

“Done.”

It was dinnertime. Sirius kept raising his eyebrow pointedly at Regulus throughout the main dish, and, by pudding, Regulus gave into the urge.

He leaned closer to James, then placed a subtle hand on his thigh. “Pass me the tarts?”

Before James could oblige, Regulus added in a whisper, “Jamie?”

Immediately, James's face flushed red, the colour deeper than his maroon jumper.

His brain and body seemed to malfunction for a moment, freezing in place for a moment. Then he shot to his feet, his limbs stiff and awkward.

“I have to—” His voice was a helpless whimper. “Go.”

With that, he hurried out of the room.

His exit was immediately followed by Sirius's roaring laughter and Regulus's indignant splutter: “That's all it takes?”

January Prompt 8 - Previous

@jeggyverses-jegulus-microfic CW : Very slightly NSFW - Word count : 312

Of the previous night, only sensations remain for James. A haze of memories, a succession of blurred images.

Raven curls, framing a pale face like a work of art. Two eyes, a bluish gray, like a stormy sky.

James remembers the softness of his skin beneath his fingers as they ventured under the thin fabric of his shirt.

He remembers an intoxicating scent, a mixture of bar alcohol, sweat, and something sweeter.

He remembers his voice, slightly cracked, a little broken, a whisper between kisses.

He remembers his taste, the warm breath on his lips, and the caress of his tongue.

But his name has vanished–impossible to recall.  

“Stop thinking about him,” Sirius says, walking beside him as if reading his mind. “With any luck, you’ll run into him at university.” 

James nods. His head aches and he feels nauseous. What a crazy idea to get drunk the night before classes start!

“Prongs, are you listening to me?” Sirius sighs, a long, exasperated, and slightly overdramatic sigh. Then he continues:

“I just said Reg’s starting university this year. He’s studying literature here, so if I see him, I—” He freezes, raising an eyebrow.

“Oh, perfect!” Sirius takes a breath and, with a broad smile, shouts:

“REGULUS ARCTURUS BLACK! Come here!” 

A few meters ahead, sitting on a low wall, a pair of pink headphones around his neck, stands a strikingly handsome young man. 

And his eyes... And his ebony hair...

In an instant, James is plunged back into his memories of last night's party.

“Jesus,” he muttered.

“You're Potter, right?” the man says, approaching.

It is impossible not to recognize his voice.

“I'm Regulus Black.”

When James reaches out to shake his hand, Sirius coughs and gives him a look that says, “Is that who I think it is? I'm going to kill you.”

Jan 6- young

✧･ﾟ: *✧･ﾟ:*✧･ﾟ: *✧･ﾟ:*✧･ﾟ: *✧･ﾟ:*✧･ﾟ: *✧･ﾟ:*

Jan 7- blush

✧･ﾟ: *✧･ﾟ:*✧･ﾟ: *✧･ﾟ:*✧･ﾟ: *✧･ﾟ:*✧･ﾟ: *✧･ﾟ:*

previous - jegulus - @jeggyverses-jegulus-microfic - word count: 273

“Hey, Reg. What’s your favorite color of ink to write with?”

James enjoyed watching Regulus’s face stretch into a look of incredulous confusion at the question, his heart skipping several beats as he examined the silvery-gray eyes of the Slytherin and resisted the urge to melt there. 

“I–Potter, why do you always do that?” Regulus spluttered, annoyed, shaking his head and sitting next to James at the table he was occupying in the library.

James just beamed brightly. He’d made it a habit to start greeting Regulus with a different random question every day, loving the way the younger boy’s expression turned startled and he always froze, caught off-guard. The questions were never that deep: previous ones included things like ‘Spring or Fall?’ and ‘D’you think McGonagall and Pomfrey are dating?’ and ‘Which painting is your favorite in the school?’ and ‘If you could be any species of dragon, what would you be?’ But Regulus’s reaction was always the same–flustered confusion, like he couldn’t believe James actually cared enough to ask him such things.

Of course the reality was, James cared so much. Much more than he dared say, if he wanted to keep this tenuous….whatever-this-was…friendship?...growing.

“I want to know,” he said simply, continuing to smile in the other boy’s direction. 

Regulus’s returning look was flat and suspicious, but he sighed and answered anyway. “Green, I suppose.”

“Brilliant. I like it,” he said simply, sending Regulus one more grin before returning to his work.

Regulus had no idea what to do when, the next morning, he received a package with a large bottle of expensive green ink, a note with -J attached.

previous (again!) - jegulus - @jeggyverses-jegulus-microfic - word count: 284

At first, James was half-convinced he’d dreamed the whole thing. That he had actually gone to bed early last night, and not wandered the halls in search of exhaustion and inspiration for slumber. That, as he did so, he had not come across Regulus Black, staring out an open window, and somehow ended up snogging him within an inch of his life in a shadowy alcove.

It would make sense. He and Regulus barely talked. Yes, they’d happened upon each other a few times recently, striking up conversation in the library and locker room. And yes, they had been paired together for Rounds last week, which had been much more interesting than James had anticipated, causing the gray-eyes Slytherin to take up permanent residence in James’s thoughts. But there were so many reasons why the memory in James’s head should have just been a dream. Starting, of course, with the fact that he didn’t even know if he liked boys.

But he couldn’t deny that as he somewhat-dazedly followed his friends into the Great Hall, his stomach flipped when he caught a glimpse of the Slytherin table, and suddenly all he could think about were those thin hands and those pink lips, and Merlin, that smirk.

But was it all just a dream?

As he half-tripped to his seat, he couldn’t help but look over again, only to feel the breath punched out of him when he locked eyes with Regulus across the room.

Those same perfect lips quirked upward in a small smile, Regulus looking to him for only a second before turning back towards Crouch and continuing his conversation.

James’s blood burned.

It wasn’t a dream.

He wanted it to happen again.

Young - Married + aged-up!Jegulus - @jeggyverses-jegulus-microfic - word count: 313

Their evening walks were a sacred tradition. Despite broken legs (James, multiple times throughout the years), long days at work (the Ministry was infamous for overworking its staff), or an argument that left both parties refusing to breathe the same air as each other (back to their teenage years, really), this tradition—this silent promise—was kept. Always.

This evening was no different. James and Regulus strolled around the park in comfortable silence. Their intertwined hands rested snugly inside James’s coat pocket, and their steps were in sync as they walked.

Then they passed a young pair of men, holding hands, laughing as they walked past; picture perfect with a cheery golden dog, arms stuck close to each other’s. They were radiant in the way only youths in love could be.

Regulus couldn’t help but glance back at them as they got further and further away, wondering if, years ago, he and James had looked like that, too.

He then turned to look up at his husband. James’s messy slop of hair was now streaked with grey. His joy and age had etched themselves onto his skin as wrinkles and smile lines. His youth had long since left him, but, somehow, he only became lovelier by the day.

James Potter, the Pensieve of his teenage years, his twenties, his thirties… and, hopefully, many more decades.

Regulus couldn’t help himself. He lifted their joined hands from James’s pocket and pressed a kiss to the man’s knuckles, right next to his wedding ring.

James gave a pleased hum. Regulus wasn’t one to show physical affection in public, so he knew to be grateful for moments like this. “Feeling affectionate today?”

“I’m always affectionate,” Regulus mumbled against the man’s skin, then looked up. “I love you, James.”

James gave him his smile—the one thing age and time could never change. “I love you, too, Regulus.”

Jan 5: total

✧･ﾟ: *✧･ﾟ:*✧･ﾟ: *✧･ﾟ:*✧･ﾟ: *✧･ﾟ:*✧･ﾟ: *✧･ﾟ:*

young - @jeggyverses-jegulus-microfic - word count: 269

“Mister Black, are you serious?”

It took everything in Regulus to bite his tongue. He then had to question if he was going mad. “Yes,” he answered, his voice quavering as he stared the Professor in the eye, fighting to keep his expression neutral. “Extremely. I also want to remind you that these…career guidance sessions are confidential, correct?”

Slughorn’s face turned bright-red. “Of…of course. But, you really want to deviate from your family’s traditions? To pursue a job in healing? My boy, you are so talented in so many things, the Ministry would love–”

“I have no doubt that the Ministry, and my parents, would love to have me in a place of power, yes,” he drawled, grimacing. “But…lately, someone’s helped me realize that it’s not about what others want. It’s about what I want.”

The Professor frowned. “But Mister Black, you’re awfully young to be making–”

“My parents were fifteen when they were betrothed to each other, were they not? Or do you agree that fifteen is a ridiculously young age to be engaged to your cousin?” Regulus demanded, emphasizing the last three words.

Again, Slughorn blushed. “I will write down the classes you have to take for a Healing apprenticeship,” he murmured, eyes lowered.

“Hm,” Regulus hummed in agreement.

Ten minutes later, he exited the office, only to find James Potter waiting one hall away.

“How’d it go, love?” the older boy asked, eyes wide and earnest, arms open in silent offering of comfort.

Regulus smirked as he allowed James to pull him into an embrace. “Very well, I think,” he murmured, chuckling into the Gryffindor’s chest.

blush - jegulus - @jeggyverses-jegulus-microfic - word count: 374

“...in fifth year. Then, of course, there was Lily,” James said softly, shrugging as he sat, cross-legged, facing Regulus, his eyes nervous and his teeth gnawing softly at his lip. “And…erm…I snogged Mary once, fourth year…I think that’s it,” he admitted, chuckling. “It’s a short list.”

Regulus had been nervous for this day: the day they brought up the topic of past crushes and exes. Originally, he’d been scared to hear about the vast number of conquests the great James Potter no doubt had. But now that he was learning the truth, he was scared for a very different reason. “Oh,” he mumbled, looking down at his hands.

“Oh? That’s not good,” the older boy chuckled, smiling wryly. 

“No! It’s just…I may have heard a couple more names…going around the school,” Regulus admitted, shrugging. “Not judging, of course, s’just…” he let his answer linger, and James’s lips curled upward.

“Reggie,” the Gryffindor faux-gasped, placing a hand to his chest. “Were you jealous?”

“Absolutely not,” he snapped immediately, blushing and making James laugh. “Not at all.”

“Alright, then who do I have to be worried about?” the older boy retorted, tilting his head to the side.

Regulus thought about that question for a long moment before answering slowly, his voice wavering with his fear of being so vulnerable. “I’ve kissed a lot of people,” he mumbled, staring down at his folded hands. “Did more with a handful.”

“Handful,” James repeated with a suggestive laugh, his tone not judgemental at all.

Regulus shot him a glare, then sighed, his heart hammering again. “Yes. Well. But I never….dated. Not really.”

He saw James’s eyes widen at that confession but the older boy pressed smoothly forward. “Crushes? C’mon, I’m sure you fancied someone,” he asked, eyebrows waggling. 

And that was exactly the problem. He felt his small blush turn into flames all over his body. “Just one person,” he murmured, looking down.

“Who? Barty?” James asked, looking genuinely interested.

Regulus just looked at the other boy helplessly until the information clicked.

“Oh,” the Gryffindor said, a smile spreading on his face.

“Oh.”

But before he could overthink it, his lips were being claimed by James, and all of his nervous thoughts were pushed firmly from his brain.

Choosing an outfit - a jegulus microfic

@jeggyverses-jegulus-microfic - January 5: Total - Words: 306

"No."

Regulus clutched a shirt to his bare chest and spun around to see Sirius in his door with a disapproving expression.

"Go away."

"Come on. I'm just trying to help." Sirius leaned against the doorframe with a stubborn pout. "It's clear you need some." He nodded at the clothes strewn all over Regulus' bed.

Regulus normally had little patience for his brother’s antics. But now, already more nervous than he cared to admit about Sirius' reaction to him dating in general, and this boy in particular, he had none.

"Get out of my room!" Regulus moved to shove Sirius, who bent backwards out of his reach, but very deliberately kept the toes of one foot inside.

"Technically it's my room, since it's in my apartment, that I own."

"I hate you!"

Sirius suddenly seemed to shrink, retracting his foot and wounding his arms tightly around himself, as if Regulus had said something truly insulting, and not something they both threw about without meaning it.

“Is that why you’re dating James?” Sirius said in a quiet, totally different tone.

“What?”

“Is it some kind of… I don’t know: proving you can get even my best friend to choose you over me? Or are you planning to hurt me through him?”

If Sirius hadn’t sounded so uneasy, maybe even scared, Regulus would have got furious at such an accusation.

“No! What?” With a big sigh, Regulus allowed himself some of the sincerity Sirius had just shown. “James is the best thing that has ever happened to me. Simple as that.”

Sirius stared at him. For a moment, Regulus thought he was going to cry, before he broke into a teasing grin and said lightly:

"Let me help you choose an outfit, then. We can't have you look like a total mess when he shows up, can we?"

Total - Jegulus - @jeggyverses-jegulus-microfic - word count: 411 words

“HOLY SHIT! BABY, COME QUICKLY!”

Regulus had stopped running when James screamed for him like this. It was never as serious as it sounded.

The first six months they had lived together, Regulus was treated to fairly regular heart attacks. James screaming for him like he was dying or something equally as horrific. He knew that one day it could come back to bite him in the arse. The whole boy who cried wolf fable, but for now, Regulus sighed, finished putting the rest of dinner on to cook and went into the living room.

James was sat on the floor surrounded by records. “Look!” He beamed, arms thrown out wide.

“James, where did all these come from?” Regulus asked as he moved around the many records spread out in front of his boyfriend.

“Dad brought them round with some other things Mum sent from the clear out.”

Regulus looked around at the rest of the boxes. Fucking great, Regulus thought to himself and sighed. He loved Effie with all his heart. But why did she have to clear out crap from her house to his?

“Very good darling,” he said to James as he shook his head.

James laughed. “I know that tone, baby and you can placate me all you want, but I am still super excited.”

James got to his feet, kissed Regulus on the tip of his nose and then ran off. Regulus assumed that James had gone to drag out the record player and so rolled his eyes and returned to the kitchen.

Not 5 minutes later, Regulus was lulled back into the living room as he heard the start of a song he actually knew and loved.

As he stood in the doorway, James turned to him, the TV remote in his hands a microphone and started singing along with Bonnie Tyler.

“Total Eclipse, really?” Regulus asked, trying not to smile.

James sauntered over to Regulus and dragged him into the living room and started dancing with him. James started singing again.

“Once upon a time I was falling in love, now I’m only falling apart, there’s nothing I can do, a total eclipse of the heart.”

James pulled Regulus into his arms, snaking his arms around Regulus’ waist, as Regulus’ arms went around James’ neck. They continued to sing and dance and laugh all around the living room as the song played on.

Maybe this particular box from Effie wasn’t so bad after all.

total - jegulus - @jeggyverses-jegulus-microfic - word count: 289

“Alright, team,” James said bracingly, standing in front of six defeated-looking Gryffindors and giving them a small smile. “It wasn’t a total loss, right? We had some good moments!”

“Like when?” Marlene asked sullenly, rolling her eyes and snorting.

“Like…” James cast his eyes around the room, trying to think of a good example. For only half a second, his gaze snagged on the small window in the door that separated this locker room from the other, locking on tendrils of dark hair, before he refocused. “Like…McKinnon, you nearly knocked Goyle off his broom at the beginning of the game, that was brilliant!”

“It was funny, too,” one of the others piped up, earning some laughter from everyone in the room.

“And…” but he was distracted again, this time by cool, silver eyes dancing with amusement that had locked into his own. “And…erm…”

Someone coughed.

“Right!” he blinked and forced himself to stay in the moment. “Stevens, that save, against Crabbe? When you flipped upside-down? That was killer, the whole crowd went mad!”

Stevens, the fourth-year Keeper who was new to the team, blushed. “Thanks.”

He looked around again, his gaze inevitably catching with Regulus’s again through the glass. This time, it only took him moments to get completely dazed, as Regulus slowly raised and eyebrow and smirked, biting over his lip and lighting a fire in James’s stomach. “Erm…” he murmured, quite forgetting where he was.

“My favorite part was when our captain was distracted by the opposing Seeker,” Sirius piped up with a smirk, arms crossed casually as he stared knowingly at James.

The entire team burst out laughing while James felt himself flush red. “Right, well…as McKinnon said…it wasn’t our best game,” he murmured, slinking away.

Top - Jegulus + Wolfstar - mild NSFW(?) - @jeggyverses-jegulus-microfic - 406 words

top - jegulus - slightly NSFW - @jeggyverses-jegulus-microfic - word count: 271

“Oi!” Sirius shouted, bounding out of the room he and James would be sharing for the week, beaming with excitement about their temporary living situation. It sounded silly, but he was excited to share with James again like when they were in school, while James’s room was getting renovations. Like one last celebration before he moved in with Remus to their own flat next month. “Top or bottom?” he called happily.

James, who was lounging in the sitting room with Regulus, looked up at him and gave him a very shocked look. “You’re asking me?” he demanded, eyes wide.

Sirius shrugged. “Yeah. We’re best friends.” It seemed only right that he would let James choose, he was the one displaced from his room.

Turning a little pink, James shrugged and murmured, “Erm. Top, usually. Not that I have a lot of experience, mind, but with Regulus…”

Sirius’s mouth dropped open in horror as Regulus burst out laughing. “No! Merlin and Morgana, no, James! I meant–Effie gots us bunk beds for the next few days. I was asking where you wanted to sleep, not your fucking preference in bed!”

The tallest man seemed to shrink as bright-red color burst over his cheeks. “Oh! Oh, right. That–erm, yeah, that makes a lot more sense than…yeah. If you’ll excuse me, I’m just going to…go…”

But as Regulus and Sirius both watched James stumble away, Sirius heard Regulus continue to snicker.

“What?” Sirius snarled, turning to his brother.

Regulus just gave him a smirk. “He’s lying. He’s a switch.”

Sirius had to take several long minutes to calm his nausea and not lose his lunch.

15-Dog.word count-437 @jeggyverses-jegulus-microfic

Regulus Black did not like dogs. And not just because his older brother, Sirius was one in his animagi form, also because… well, that was the main reason. But they were also stinky, wild, unpredictable and had extremely large teeth. And there was that one incident on the way back from Hogsmeade. 

It was late, and to get back to the dorms unnoticed would be a difficult task. Regulus decided it would be better now than later, he was tired anyways. He turned to say good bye to James, but the Gryffindor was busy conspiring with his friends. Regulus turned to leave, but James had noticed precisely at that moment that the younger boy was leaving, and had marched over. 

“I’ll walk you to the castle,” it was a statement, not a question.

“If you must.”

His brother whispered something to the remainder of the group and Peter burst out laughing. Regulus didn’t need to know. He was too tired and drunk on shots of firewhiskey to care at this point. 

The moment the door closed behind them, Regulus joined hands with James, and they began the march towards the castle. 

“You have a good time?” James asked, not liking the silence. 

“Yeah, sweetheart, cos you were there.” 

James was taken aback.

“Oh, um okay. Cool.”

“What’s wrong, swe-“ but before he could finish his sentence, a great black dog jumped out of the hedge, coming to tackle Regulus. And it would have. If James hadn’t jumped in the way. 

“Take the cloak and go!” James shouted, tossing the invisibility cloak at Regulus. 

Regulus had never noticed how nice James’ voice was. 

“You’ve got a nice voice, love,” he needed to let the older boy know. 

“I personally like yours better when you’re not about to get mauled to death by a giant dog! Go!”

“Oh this is Sirius. Haven’t you met him? He’s my brother. He’s an-“ he lowered his voice. “Illegal animagi!”

“Trust me, Reggie, this isn’t your brother,” James replied, frustrated in trying to get Regulus and the dog to leave. 

“Yes he is. I’ll prove it. Move,” he shoved James away and ran right up close to the dog. 

“Sirius. I know you wrote a love letter to Remus and I sent it.”

The dog responded with promptly biting his forearm. 

“AGH!! James get me out of here!”

“That’s what I’ve been saying!” The Gryffindor shouted in exasperation as he dragged Regulus under the invisibility cloak with him.  

Regulus awoke in the hospital wing, James in the bed next to him. He filled the Slytherin in about the last night. 

“I did WHAT?!”