This is a Jegulus birthday one-shot dedicated to the lovely, sweet, kind, talented, and most perfect @kat-m-toast. Happy birthday 🖤
TW: implied explicit content
James Potter loves birthdays.
James Potter has never had a surprise party because he is so excited for his birthday every year that he always helps his friends plan him an elaborate party.
Regulus Black hates birthdays and elaborate parties.
Regulus Black loves James Potter.
It’s the fourth one that is the current cause of Regulus’ migraine. Presently, Regulus is sitting in the dark, crouched down in the Gryffindor Common Room on a Saturday night surrounded by rowdy lions, who he just cannot get to shut the fuck up.
“Do they truly have no sense of decorum? They are going to ruin the surprise,” Regulus thinks with an irritated huff.
You see, James’ birthday fell on a Wednesday this year. Which was a problem because he had quidditch practice at 5:30 am (the maniac) and what is there to do on a Wednesday? The Marauders, as usual, caused a giant commotion over breakfast, how they made every fork and spoon say happy birthday prongsie when touched Regulus will never know. They then partook in riotous revelry throughout the day, so you know, the same as any other Wednesday.
Regulus, the HBIC (head boyfriend in charge) planned a candlelight picnic on the astronomy tower. It was sentimental, cute, quaint even, their relationship did start on that very tower, after all. But, Regulus knows his boyfriend and his love of grand gestures, birthdays, and, sadly, elaborate parties.
This brings us back to number four, Regulus Black fucking loves James Potter. This means Regulus knows that, although James was grateful for their candlelit birthday picnic, he was also disappointed that his Wednesday birthday meant he couldn’t have a party.
Or, so he thought. Regulus isn’t the HBIC for nothing. So, he’s spent months meeting in secret with the Gryffindors (vomit), sourcing firewhiskey (surprisingly easy), writing Effie to get her to send James’ favorite cake so he can blow out candles (this muggle custom confuses and disgusts Regulus, but James loves it and it’s not like Regulus is a stranger to James’ spit), convincing Peter to “accidentally” lose the map (yes, Regulus knows about the map, no, they aren’t that discrete), convincing Remus to steal the invisibility cloak (yes, Regulus knows about the invisibility cloak, no they aren’t that discrete, like at all) and then sneaking everything up to the Gryffindor Common Room while Sirius distracts James (again, surprisingly easy).
But everything, every argument with his brother, every secret meeting with the lions, thank Salazar for Lily Evans, every trek through dirty passageways that Regulus sacrificed more than one pair of shoes to, hell, even the four nights of Regulus sleeping in the Slytherin Common Room that he traded with Barty in order to get the expensive firewhiskey (apparently there’s this thing Barty wants to try against the window and the floor that required him and Evan have complete privacy) was all worth it when he saw the look on his boyfriend’s face when the confetti flew into the air and everyone jumped up and yelled surprise.
Regulus has never seen James cry, embodiment of sunshine and all that, but even from where Regulus now stands by the stairs he can see the tears shining in James’ eyes.
When James finally spots Regulus, that’s when the tears fall.
“This was all you, wasn’t it, love?” James asks as he gets closer to Regulus, slipping an arm around his waist.
“Happy birthday, Jamie. I hope your surprise party was worth the wait.” Regulus replies, his lips against James’ cheek.
So yes, Regulus Black loves James Potter, and, if the show of gratitude he got in the Room of Requirement that night is anything to go off of, Regulus Black may be persuaded to like elaborate parties as well.
