You Look Terrible. (chocokitten on ao3)
The first thing James Potter learned about his coworker, Regulus Black, is that he hated small talk.
The second thing he learned was that Regulus looked devastatingly pretty when he was annoyed.
It was 8:30 in the morning, the cafe opened thirty minutes ago yet it was packed with exhausted college students and old women. Normal Friday.
James had just started steaming milk when a man in a grey suit snapped his fingers sharply at Regulus. “Hey. Black coffee. Now.”
Regulus, who had been quietly making a latte for one of their regular customers, looked up slowly.
The air in the cafe shifted to something more cold.
“No.” Regulus said flatly, unmoved.
The man blinked dumbly at him. “Excuse me?”
“You seem to be confused,” Regulus started, his eyes boring into the man’s. “The dog training facility is down the road, this is a coffee shop.”
James slapped a hand over his mouth in an attempt to cover his laughter, it didn’t work.
The man flushed, looking mortified. “I just—“
“And,” Regulus’s voice cut across him sharply. “If you ever treat anyone in this shop with the level of disrespect you just shown me, I’ll have to ask you to leave.”
James stares in awe. He knew Regulus was attractive before this, but hearing him stand up for himself so confidently? Something catastrophic happened to James’s heart in that moment.
The customer muttered something James didn’t hear and left.
Regulus looked over at James. “You’re burning the milk.”
James looked down, the milk had exploded onto his hand and the counter. “Oh, brilliant.”
Regulus sighed like James exhausted him. “Honestly, Potter. You’d loose a fight against a fly.”
And then, Regulus reached over, gently took James’s wrist and guided it under the cold tap. Every thought in James’s mind flew away in that moment.
“You need to start paying attention.” Regulus spoke quietly. “You’re going to hurt yourself.”
James just started at him in awe.
Regulus’s eyes met James’s and he immediately let go of his wrist.
And for the first time since James had known him, Regulus’s cheeks flushed pink.
James fell first. It became a problem almost instantly.
“Mate,” Sirius said one night, watching James walk into the wall because Regulus had come into the room, “it’s so obvious.”
And it was. It was obvious to everyone, everyone but Regulus.
“I’m being subtle!” James insisted with a scowl.
“Your phone password is his birthday.” Sirius argued back with an annoyingly smug smirk.
James groaned and buried his face in his hands. The problem with Regulus black was that he was difficult to read. He wasn’t cold, he was quiet. Sharp. Like he existed at a slight distance from the rest of the world.
Customers either adored him or were terrified of him, no in between.
Regulus worked the early morning shifts with him most days. He arrived exactly seven minutes before opening every single day, wearing a black coat over his work uniform.
James started bringing him drinks. Not obviously. He just “accidentally” made extra, every day.
Regulus drank americanos with one sugar.
James had that memorised in his first week of working at the cafe.
“Here” James said one rainy Tuesday morning, sliding the americano cross the table to him.
Regulus looked at James suspiciously, before inspecting the cup as well. “What did you do?” he asked cautiously.
Regulus took the cup. Their fingers brushed. James forgot to breathe.
Regulus paused as well, just for a second. Then he took the coffee and walked away without another word.
But James noticed his tiny smile behind the cup.
Regulus liked James long before he intended to.
That was the irritating part. He was never supposed to like James, but he started noticing every little thing.
James remembered every customer’s name. He danced awfully while mopping the floors. He gave free pastries out to stressed out college students because “They look like they fight demons in their sleep.”
Regulus was not good with warm people, people like James.
Warm people expected things. Warm people got close. Warm people left.
But James? James showed up, every single day. Steady and impossibly kind, with a smile that could blind someone.
It made Regulus feel weird, in his stomach. It was sort of like a fluttery feeling that got stronger every day. He didn’t like it.
“You like him.” Sirius announced one night while they were counting the tips from the jar that James labelled “Tip Jar! :)”
Regulus didn’t even look up. “You say that every week.” he said, counting the ten pound notes.
“Because every week you stare at him like he rewrote the sky for you.”
That made Regulus look up. Across the cafe, James was attempting to carry six empty milk containers while Remus watched with mild amusement.
James grinned brightly until the containers started slipping. “Fuck!”
Regulus sighed, trying not to smile. “I’m surrounded by idiots.” he mumbled under his breath.
Sirius smirked, eyes drifting between James and Regulus. “You’re smiling, though.”
“I’m not.” Regulus said, attempting to wipe the smile off his face with no avail.
“You absolutely are.” Regulus hated that his stupid older brother was right.
The thing about crushes is they make everything feel significant.
James started looking forward to every shift, just so he could see Regulus.
He learned Regulus’s habits. The way he fidgeted with his fingers, the way he read while on break, the way he secretly liked pop music.
James discovered the last one after catching him quietly singing along to a Britney Spears song while wiping down the coffee machine.
James had felt like he won the lottery. “Oh my god.” he gasped dramatically. “Regulus Black likes Britney Spears.”
Regulus froze before slowly turning around.
James barked out a laugh. “You know every word!” he argued while trying to contain his laughter.
“I’ll kill you, Potter.” Regulus said with a sharp glare.
“You even did the little dance—“
James was cut off by Regulus throwing a dirty tea towel at his face. James laughed so hard he nearly fell over.
And Regulus? He laughed too. Small and started, it was as if it accidentally slipped out.
James froze. Because there it was, the smile. Not the half hearted smile he gave customers because he had too, a real smile.
It was soft, beautiful enough that James felt it in his chest.
Regulus noticed him staring and his smile dropped. “What?” he asked, sounding uncharacteristically self-conscious.
“Nothing!” James said weakly.
Regulus’s eyes narrowed. “You’re doing that face.” he said suspiciously.
“The one where you look like you just saw a ghost.” Regulus said blankly.
James opened his mouth, then closed it. Then said helplessly, “You’ve got a nice smile.”
Regulus stared at him. The cafe felt silent. Even Sirius stopped pretending to clean nearby to listen.
Regulus looked away. “You’re ridiculous.” he muttered quietly, but his ears turned red.
James thought about that moment for three days straight.
The cafe windows fogged constantly due to the cold weather, fairy lights Sirius insisted on putting up were glowing gold, making the cafe look warm.
James loved closing shifts with Regulus. After hours, the cafe became softer somehow. Maybe it was because it was less packed, or maybe it was because Regulus was tired by that point in the day.
One wet evening, the power went out.
“Great.” Sirius groaned from the break room. “Absolutely brilliant, now I can’t see.”
The cafe was dim apart from the “EXIT” sign near the fire escape. Outside, rain fell loudly against the windows. Every few minutes there was a bang of thunder that Regulus pretended not to be scared of.
“Well,” Remus said calmly. “We can’t stay open, can we?”
The customers filtered out, grumbling about having to go out in the rain.
Sirius and Remus disappeared into the staff room arguing about whether cats or dogs were better.
James leaned against the counter next to Regulus. For once, neither of them spoke.
“You know,” James started eventually, “you’re less scary in bad lighting.”
Regulus snorted quietly. “Liar.”
“No, seriously. Usually you look like you’d stab me for breathing too loud or something.”
Regulus turned to look at James. “I still might.”
“But now it’s romantic.” James said, he couldn’t properly see Regulus but he knew he had definitely rolled his eyes.
They made eye contact and James’s heart was trying to jump out of his chest.
“You flirt with everyone like this?” Regulus asked, eyebrows raised.
James’s lips twitched upwards. “No. Only you.” he whispered so quietly Regulus nearly didn’t hear him.
Regulus went still. James swallowed. The cafe suddenly felt much smaller, like it was only the two of them.
“I mean,” James started carefully. “I only flirt with you.” he said, staring into Regulus’s eyes.
Regulus looked at him for a second too long. James could hear his own heartbeat.
The moment shattered by Sirius’s loud yell. “WE FIXED IT!” The lights flickered back on.
Regulus stepped back, as if suddenly realising how close they were.
Two weeks later, James got sick.
It was the worst cough he ever had in his life. The kind where even blinking required effort.
He called the cafe sounding miserable.
“Prongs?” Sirius spoke, horrified. “You sound like a chain smoker” he said with deep concern.
“Tell Regulus-“ James started, but was cut off by his own cough. “Tell Regulus that he’s going to have to make coffee without me.”
Sirius laughed. “I think he’ll be fine, Jamie.”
“Bye Pads.” James said abruptly before hanging up, he got back under his three blankets and went to sleep.
A few hours later, he woke up to his doorbell being rung. James dragged himself out of bed to go answer it.
Regulus stood there holding a bag, looking like he already regretted his choice about coming over. “You look disgusting.”
James blinked. “..Hello to you too?”
Regulus shoved the bag into his hands, inside there was soup and medicine. James looked up from the bag and stared at him.
“You brought me soup?” He said, a grin forming on his face despite being ill.
“Don’t overthink it, James.” Regulus replied, embarrassed.
James’s cheeks hurt from how wide his smile was. “That’s romantic.”
Regulus rolled his eyes, but he looked slightly uncomfortable.
James just stared, lost in thought. Regulus hated vulnerability. Not just his own, other people’s too. Caring openly made him nervous. So him coming here mattered.
James’s eyes softened. “You didn’t have to, Reg.” he said gently.
Regulus just shrugged. “You’re impossible to work with when healthy, I can’t imagine what you’d be like sick.”
James smiled slowly. Regulus avoided eye contact. “You care about me.” James said.
Regulus immediately looked offended, as if caring for James would ruin his life. “Don’t be dramatic.”
“So what? You’re ill, aren’t you?”
Regulus, for the first time in his life, was speechless. He just stared at James. Something in his expression shifted, he looked small. “You’re an idiot.” he said when he found his voice again.
James’s chest tightened. “Yeah. Probably.”
Silence stretched between them. Then, softly, Regulus spoke. “I do.” he admitted.
James forgot every thought other than Regulus. “Huh?”
Regulus looked very unhappy about having emotions. “I like you.” he muttered. “Unfortunately.”
“But if this becomes unbearable,” Regulus continued quickly. “or Sirius finds out and becomes insufferable, I’m blaming you. It will be entirely your fault.”
James laughed helplessly. He looked at Regulus properly, pink cheeks, wet coat, hair falling into his face. He was so pretty.
James stepped closer. “Can I kiss you?” he asked, the question came out breathlessly.
Regulus stared up at him through his eyelashes, like nobody had ever asked him that gently before. “..Yeah.” he answered quietly.
James leaned in and kissed him slowly. He tasted of warm tea.
Regulus made a soft startled sound against James’s mouth before he slowly started kissing him back. One hand gripping James’s hoodie tightly to ground himself.
When they pulled apart, Regulus looked dazed. James properly looked the same, if not worse. “Well,” James breathed.
Regulus stared at him for a moment before muttering, “You still look terrible, by the way.”
James burst out laughing.
And Regulus? Regulus smiled. Real and unguarded.
James decided there and then that he would spend the rest of his life trying to make Regulus smile like that.
