“ Yes, I am incredibly lucky that you aren’t smart enough to kill me. If you were you would have the podcast all to yourself and would never have to worry about me being annoying, but you aren’t smart enough for that.” He chuckled.
Regulus was aware they both were smiling too much, that they were too happy for people that basically fought everyday at work. “ A few? Please tell me what are these oh so redeemable qualities?” He asked leaning over the table. He was going to ignore how weird this all was, and just go with it, not overthink. He scoffed drinking more. “ I am a lot more of an ass than you think, but I don’t hate you,Edgar.”
“We both know the podcast would fall to pieces if you weren’t there,” he said, “If you were gone, who’d provide contrast to my amazing commentary and shining personality?”
Ed rolled his eyes, shaking his head. He was impressed, and maybe a bit perplexed, that Reg hadn’t tried to insult him once this entire time, which felt like a new record for him. “Well, I was going to say your unflinching modesty, but I take it back,” he said, “Fine. You’re... decently good at what you do, and almost easy to be around, despite how much you try to be otherwise. And, I guess your face is... passable, so. You’re welcome.” Ed feigned a look of shock, sitting up in his seat. “You don’t hate me? Merlin, Regulus, you’re making me blush.”
“Well, in retrospect, planting Amelia here would’ve been a good idea,” he said, “She’s always been so much better with the whole murdering thing, and she’d never be suspected. Consider yourself lucky I wasn’t smart enough to think ahead.”
“Don’t worry,” he said, smiling perhaps more than he meant to, “You don’t disappoint me entirely. There are... at least a few redeemable qualities keeping me here.” This wasn’t the sort of thing he ever imagined telling Regulus, especially not while he was both sober and sane. At a certain point, Ed had stopped pestering him to annoy him, and had started doing it just because it was... well, it was what they did. “You know, you’re either a lot less of an ass than I thought or you don’t actually hate me as much as I thought. Tell me which is right.”
“I...” Edgar felt helpless. He’d always been so much better at acting on how he felt than talking about it, so this was decidedly not his preferred method of dealing with things. He was conflicted: it was impossible not to still care for Hestia, but he was still hurt, and once his trust was lost it was hard to regain. “I haven’t been clear, I know, and it’s because I’m not - I mean, I wasn’t - sure what I wanted, but... I want to be your friend, if you’d let me. If not that, I’m sick of fighting with you every time we see each other.”
“That’s so not true! The barista’s right over there, she’ll protect you,” he said, laughing. Our next date. That implied that this was a date, which meant... Ed wasn’t sure what it meant, but oddly, he was sure that he wasn’t upset about it. He hadn’t gone on a first date in years, not since the first time he’d taken Hestia out back at Hogwarts.
“Oh, Regulus, you disappoint me,” he said, collecting himself and feeling distinctly like he could say that name many more times and not tire of it, “You say that like I won’t be fed up enough by the end of this date that we end up in the forest anyway. It’ll be quick and painless, don’t worry.”
Merlin’s beard, Regulus Black was laughing. Ed hadn’t been entirely sure it was possible, and for a split second he thought maybe this wasn’t real, but a quick pinch to his arm confirmed it was real, and his ears weren’t deceiving him. He knew he shouldn’t have noticed - this wasn’t the sort of thing ever thought about - but he told himself it was simply out of shock that Reg wasn’t being as actively mean as he normally was.
“Oh, no, if I wanted to murder you I would’ve taken you somewhere far less public,” he said, grinning. “Trust me, you haven’t gotten me to dislike enough to kill you - not yet, at least. Seriously, try it. It’ll change your life. That is, unless it ends it.”
In retrospect, that probably hadn’t been the best thing to say for several reasons. One, this had nothing to do with their jobs; two, it did no good pretending Ed didn’t, on some level or another, want to go back to how things had been before it all went to shit. “Sorry, I didn’t - Merlin, I’ve been a royal ass,” he said, “I... don’t just want to see you for our jobs. I miss you, Hestia, I really do, despite my many attempts to convince myself otherwise.”
It hit Edgar that this was the first time they’d done anything that wasn’t, in some way, work related. Even most of their conversations up to this point had been either bickering or somehow tied to the podcast, and now... well, that was the whole thing: and now. He hadn’t felt this jittery in ages, especially for something as simple as coffee, and he couldn’t put his finger on why.
The coffee shop was a little hole in the wall - it was cozy, and poorly lit in the way most coffee shops are, and so it had become Ed’s go-to spot. He insisted on both picking the booth (one that was shoved over in the corner) and the drinks (chai lattes for the both of them, because despite Reg’s consistency with the whole black coffee thing, he felt sure he could convert him), and when their drinks came, he looked up at Regulus. “Go ahead, drink that and try to tell me it’s not leagues better than Starbucks.”
“Listen, you can say whatever you want, but...” but what? Ed knew, deep down, that this was half a matter of his own pride. He didn’t like to admit that there was even a slight chance he’d been wrong, or that he’d been too quick to pass judgement - his ego was far too strong to admit to any slight in character. “...I know this has been hard on you, Hes, just like it has me, and I don’t like fighting with you. You’re - you were the love of my life, you know, and... well, what I’m trying to say is, yes, let’s put it past us. For our professional lives if nothing else.”
If I Think They Are: Ugly || Plain || Alright || Cute || Freaking Adorable || Pretty || Beautiful || Hot || Stunning
If I Would Go On A Date With Them: Not even if we were the last two one earth || No || Maybe || Eh….Sure || Yes || WILL YOU MARRY ME
If I Trust Them: Not At All || Not Really || Kind of || Yes || With My Life
If I Care About Them: Not At All || Not Really || Kind of || Yes || Deeply
If I Would Sleep With Them: Not Enough Alcohol in the World || No || Maybe if I were wasted || Maybe || Eh…Sure || Yes || TAKE YOUR CLOTHES OFF NOW! (again... he’d never admit to this)
My Comfort Level With Your Muse: Keep a Distance || Okay You Can Stand There, But Don’t Touch Me || Let’s Get Coffee and Talk || Let’s Cuddle || I Can Change In Front of You || Let’s Take a Bath Together
If I See You As: A Stranger || An Acquaintance || A Friend || A Close Friend || My Best Friend || A Crush || The Love of My Life
If I Think They Are: Ugly || Plain || Alright || Cute || Freaking Adorable || Pretty || Beautiful || Hot || Stunning (he’d die before saying this out loud)
If I Would Go On A Date With Them: Not even if we were the last two one earth || No || Maybe || Eh….Sure || Yes || WILL YOU MARRY ME
If I Trust Them: Not At All || Not Really || Kind of || Yes || With My Life
If I Care About Them: Not At All || Not Really || Kind of || Yes || Deeply
If I Would Sleep With Them: Not Enough Alcohol in the World || No || Maybe if I were wasted || Maybe || Eh…Sure || Yes || TAKE YOUR CLOTHES OFF NOW! (again... he’d never admit to this)
My Comfort Level With Your Muse: Keep a Distance || Okay You Can Stand There, But Don’t Touch Me || Let’s Get Coffee and Talk || Let’s Cuddle || I Can Change In Front of You || Let’s Take a Bath Together
If I See You As: A Stranger || An Acquaintance || A Friend || A Close Friend || My Best Friend || A Crush || The Love of My Life
If I Think They Are: Ugly || Plain || Alright || Cute || Freaking Adorable || Pretty || Beautiful || Hot || Stunning
If I Would Go On A Date With Them: Not even if we were the last two one earth || No || Maybe || Eh….Sure || Yes || WILL YOU MARRY ME
If I Trust Them: Not At All || Not Really || Kind of || Yes || With My Life
If I Care About Them: Not At All || Not Really || Kind of || Yes || Deeply
If I Would Sleep With Them: Not Enough Alcohol in the World || No || Maybe if I were wasted || Maybe || Eh…Sure || Yes || TAKE YOUR CLOTHES OFF NOW!
My Comfort Level With Your Muse: Keep a Distance || Okay You Can Stand There, But Don’t Touch Me || Let’s Get Coffee and Talk || Let’s Cuddle || I Can Change In Front of You || Let’s Take a Bath Together
If I See You As: A Stranger || An Acquaintance || A Friend || A Close Friend || My Best Friend || A Crush || The Love of My Life
She really didn’t want their issues to to affect their work, she dreamed of being a Quidditch player and she knew how hard he worked for his job, she was happy for him when she heard about his promotion.
“ Look, it’s no secret that you broke my heart for no reason. I loved you, I still love you, but you didn’t trust me and it pisses me off to see you sometimes, but I understand that you made your choice and I need to accept that, but you need to know I didn’t cheat on you. I’m not that type of person.”
“Merlin, Hestia, really?” he said, trying to keep his voice as hushed as possible. This wasn’t the sort of thing he wanted to cause a scene about, especially not during his very professional meeting, but for no reason? Ed tried to keep his anger under wraps, but that’d never been his strong suit, and that particular aspect of his personality wasn’t about to change. “Right, okay, what do you want me to say? Even if you didn’t cheat on me - which, you know, whatever you say, sure - I think it’s very clear we’ve become different people than we were when we were in love.” He hesitated, just short of telling her he’d moved on. It didn’t seem like the right time.
“ You should take a few weeks off and get that checked out, it’s a nuisance, and I’m sure I can run things perfectly without you.” Regulus was positive he could run things without Edgar, but he did like having him there to bounce ideas off of. He liked coffee, and he had coffee with a friend, but it still was an odd request from Edgar. “ I hope it’s bad, so I can say Starbuck is the best, and get a food dinner out of it.”
“Right, and then who would get on your nerves? We can’t upset the balance, Regulus,” he said, finally turning his attention to his laptop. They had a podcast to work on.
Later, Ed spoke up. “It’s five,” he said, looking up. “And I feel like we’ve made some good progress, so - coffee?” He was trying to play this off, like he hadn’t debated with himself over the last few hours whether or not he’d prefer that Reg liked the coffee or that he’d prefer that Reg hated the coffee and they got dinner. His budget hoped for the former, but to his own surprise, he didn’t find himself upset at the thought of the latter.
Who asks the other on dates: At first, this was mostly Edgar, and for a very long while he didn’t call them dates. It was always, “Hey, after work today, the Weird Sisters are playing this show,” or, “I have an extra ticket to see this quidditch match and while you’re the last person I’d ever want to go with, everyone else I know is busy,” or something along those lines. Regulus was the first to actually ask the other out on a real date, though, and since then they’ve shared the task almost equally.
Who is the bigger cuddler: Edgar’s a very casually physical person, and so when they’re together in one of their homes he’s usually all over Regulus.
Who initiates holding hands more often: In public, neither of them, though Edgar tries to be subtle and brush his hand against Reg’s on occasion.
Who remembers anniversaries: Regulus, absolutely. Ed tries his best, but always forgets until the day of. Thankfully, they aren’t too serious about anniversaries, especially since they keep their relationship so private.
Who is more possessive: Edgar would never own up to it, but he doesn’t like the idea of Regulus involved with anyone else, especially given the secrecy of their relationship. He knows that, given this, their time together is bound to be limited, so he gets more possessive than he’d like to admit.
Who gets more jealous: Regulus does, but like Edgar, he doesn’t talk about it much. They much prefer to let their concerns sit and stew until they bubble over, at which point they fight until all the anger is dried out.
Who is more protective: Both of them, especially with how the war is going. Edgar is more fussy about it, and constantly reminds Regulus, “Listen, I don’t give a damn who you work for or who your family works for, if you get hurt someone’s going to pay for it,” or something along those lines.
Who is more likely to cheat: Ed. Intimacy comes so easily to him that it’s not uncommon for him to flirt with someone without it even registering that he’s being unfaithful, and the possibility of this leading to worse is definitely there.
Who initiates sexy times the most: It depends on how both of them are feeling, for this one. Ed isn’t good with subtlety, nor is he as capable of being as smooth as Regulus is, but he isn’t aware he’s not being smooth.
Who dislikes PDA the most: Neither of them particularly dislike PDA, but PDA isn’t really something they allow themselves - if anyone found out they were together, it would be a disaster for both of them. Edgar isn’t quite as apt at pretending that nothing’s going on between them as Reg is, though,
Who kills the spider: Regulus is always left to deal with spiders (or any other sort of bug that happens to come anywhere near them), since Ed freezes up at the sight of them.
Who asks the the other to marry them: One night, after perhaps one too many shots and too filled with courage to hold himself back, Edgar caves and asks Regulus if, “...we could just, you know, go to - I dunno, Reg, maybe we could go to Switzerland, or Florida, or wherever, and we wouldn’t have to deal with the war and - ah, forget it. It’s stupid,” which is the closest they ever get to a proposal.
Who buys the other flowers or gifts: When Regulus and Edgar get each other gifts, it’s often little things, but they both do it with relative consistency.
Who would bring up possibly having kids: This isn’t something either of them do, especially during the war. It’s the last thing on their minds, and since they can’t be together in any public way, it wouldn’t be an easy thing for any child to live with.
Who is more nervous to meet the parents: This is something that isn’t really in the picture for them. Edgar wouldn’t be entirely opposed to Regulus meeting his parents, but he knows with everything going on it’s impossible, and the idea of meeting the Blacks is... intimidating, to say the least.
Who sleeps on the couch when the other is angry: Edgar does, but not out of consideration. It’s usually at the end of a particularly passive aggressive argument, when Ed says, “You know what, I don’t care. It’s fine. I’ll just go sleep somewhere else.”
Who tries to make up first after arguments: Surprisingly, Regulus does. Edgar’s stubborn, and holds out on arguments for a very long time, and Reg is slightly less keen to do so. This isn’t to say that they make up quickly by any means - the two make a sport out of fighting, and spend nearly as much time in some form of argument as they do in agreement.
Who tells the other they love them more often: In most settings, Edgar tells his loved ones how much he cares for them often, but it’s always so exaggerated that he’s not used to saying it simply and sincerely. Regulus says it first, and Ed is so flustered that he stares at him for far too long before saying it back. From then on, it’s a matter of understanding: neither of them say it too frequently (though Reg does more than Edgar), and they prefer to show small actions of love rather than verbalize it.
modern day
guinevere’s shop, muggle london
@itsedgrbones
Another boring day at work had Guinevere miserable and forcing herself to do paperwork. Though the shop was fairly new, business was steady. But lapses still occurred and the young witch suffered through them rather dramatically. Sighing heavily, she ducked under the counter to pick up a stray sprig of lavender and when she sprung up, much to her surprise, Edgar Bones was right in front of her. She shrieked loudly whilst her best friend roared with laughter.
“I told you, Edgar!” Guinevere exclaimed with a huff. “Stop sneaking up on me at work.” Despite the scolding tone, a smile peaked through her lips. Somehow he always knew the perfect times to come and bother her.
Technically, Ed wasn’t supposed to be here right now - not in theory, at least. He was on the clock, and, as he had told his boss, “polling the public on their thoughts on the latest update in bludger regulations.” In a way, he was doing that. Guin was a member of the public, and surely he’d ask her about her thoughts on the whole bludger-regulation-whatever. Eventually.
“I told you, Guin!” he said, “You’re not gonna get rid of me, not in this lifetime. What’re you working on, then, that you can’t spare a moment to speak with your dearest, most loving friend? I’ll give you a sickle for your time.”
Regulus was looking at his laptop, but still rolled his eyes at the way he was sitting. “ Are you incapable of sitting like an adult, or are you just trying to bug me?” He asked as he looked over their list of guest for the coming week. He only looked away to fully give his attention to Edgar, narrowing his eyes. “ Are you asking me to get coffee with you, like we are friends?” He asked, they weren’t friends, at least he didn’t think they were, he was mean to Edgar, yet it never seemed to bother him anyone and it bother Regulus that it didn’t. “ If the coffee is bad, you owe me dinner.” He said after some silence going back to his laptop.
“Yes, actually, it’s a serious problem,” he said, grinning and making no move to change the way he was sitting. He wasn’t sure he was capable of getting actual work done if he was sitting as upright and rigidly as Reg tended to. “Well, yes, if you were asking me to describe it, getting coffee like we’re friends is almost exactly what I’d say.” He was ready to get turned down, but Reg gave him half an answer that felt like the closest he’d get to a yes, and he tried not to look too chuffed about it. Focus on your job, Ed. “Right, well, let’s hope the coffee’s good then.”
