He just needs a Minute (1/1) (jegulus)
James is falling apart. It's everything in him to hold himself together right now, here, in front of all his friends. All the people that need him to his happy, bubbly self. But he can't. He just... it's too much. He takes a deep breath, trying to steady himself, but instead it gets caught in his chest and then someone asks him, "hey James, you alright?" And of course he isn't, and that question, right now, breaks him.
The tears are spilling out of his eyes before he can do anything about them. His breathing is fast and shallow, and he can feel every muscle in his body tensing as he begins to tremble.
He looks around the room, everyone is looking at him. Sirius has dropped whatever he was doing and started moving towards him. It must have been Peter who spoke to him because he is closest. Remus is one step ahead of Sirius, and Lily, Mary, and Marlene have gotten up to rush over to him all together. But James can't take it. Not all of them. All week they have been telling him to cheer up. But he can't. He's been letting them down all week and especially now.
He moves his hands with too much effort to cover his face and as he turns to hide, he spies Regulus watching curiously. He is standing next to Evan and Pandora, and it looks like he just stopped talking mid-sentence. And James, oh James just wants him. Before he can think, because he cannot think, he is moving toward Regulus.
He nearly collides into him, except Regulus receives him with open arms. A softening really, as Regulus catches him. Regulus is surprised that James came to him since all of his friends are right there, and it takes him a moment to realize he needs to be comforting. Once it clicks, once Regulus wraps his arms around James, begins to stroke his back slowly and calmly whisper, "it's okay. Let it out. I've got you," James just sinks further into him and his tears become sobs. The weight Regulus wasn't ready for, but he would protect James with his life. And as everyone looks at him, he glared daggers at anyone who would dare say or doing anything more to take the focus off of James.
Sirius does try, in his effort to help. "Ja-" he starts but Regulus says pointedly, "just give him a minute," and then quickly changes his tone to comforting and soothing, in James ear, "take all the time you need. It's okay, I've got you." And James hugged him tighter, as the tension eased out of him.
And just like that, Regulus learned that he comforted James just as much as James comforted him.
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