@jeggyverses-jegulus-microfic May 29, Word count 955
“Thanks, Mum,” James gushed as he took the three-layered sponge from her hands and put it in the fridge, so the cream didn’t spoil.
“Not a problem, my darling,” Effie said, opening her arms for a hug. James immediately walked into her arms, loving every second of her warm hug. She didn’t stay long; far too many errands to run, and left James to his cooking.
His alarm went off when it was time for him to go down to the car park. He stood beside Reg’s parking space and waited, and waited. Reg was late, but James kept holding out. Just as he was about to give up and go back upstairs, Reg’s black car came peeling into the parking area, nearly knocking James off his feet. The car squealed to a halt, inches from him.
“Shit! Sorry, sorry!” Reg gasped, getting out of the car to check James was alright.
“It’s fine,” James reassured him. Reg was shaking, his face even paler than usual. James unlocked his car and led Reg over to the passenger seat. “Wait here, and I’ll park your car.”
James folded himself into Reg’s low sports car and, after shoving the seat all the way back, turned the car and backed into Reg’s space. He turned the engine off and got out. He locked the car and went to retrieve Reg. “Come on, dinner’s ready,” he said, holding out his hand. Reg took it, and James led him to the lift.
He was gentle with him. Clearly, something had happened. “Would you rather go home than come to mine?” James asked as the lift began to rise. “It’s fine if you do. I can bring you a plate round, and Mum made cake.”
“No!” Reg almost shouted. “No,” he said in a much calmer voice, though it was still notably strained. “No, I don’t want to be alone right now.”
“Okay,” James said gently and tucked him under his arm as they walked along the hallway and into his flat.
James busied himself with the final touches as Reg sat on the sofa, holding a glass of water as though his life depended on it.
“Here you go,” James said, holding out the tray with Reg’s dinner on it. “Sorry, I haven’t got a table yet. It’s next on my list.” He grabbed his own food and sat down beside Reg, though making sure to leave as much room as possible between them.
They ate in silence, and for once James didn’t feel the need to fill it.
“I saw my brother as I was leaving work,” Reg finally said as they made their way through high slices of Effie’s cake.
“Oh,” James said, not knowing if that was a good or a bad thing.
“I’ve not seen him in years,” Reg went on. "I thought… I thought perhaps enough time had passed, but he said some horrid things to me,” his bottom lip quivered, and before James knew what he was doing, he put his plate on the coffee table, took Reg’s from his shaking hands and pulled the man into a hug that could rival his mother’s. Reg broke, his fingers gripping James’s shirt, wrinkling the material, not that James cared; it was only a shirt.
Reg cried himself out, and then they sat there, quietly, James stroking his back and letting Reg lean on him.
“Sorry,” Reg said thickly, trying to wipe the tears from his face.
“Not a problem at all,” James reassured him, and was rewarded with Reg’s head dropping against his shoulder. He kept stroking Reg’s back as they sat there. Reg shifted in his arms, enough to reach out and grab his cake. James smiled fondly down at the top of his head as Reg continued to eat his cake as though he wasn’t curled up in James’s arms.
“Would you like some more?” James asked once Reg’s plate was clean.
“No, thank you. I might take some with me if you don’t mind?”
This was a new side to Reg that James had never seen. He knew the prickly exterior that Reg kept up at all times was just a mask over the vulnerable inside. Sirius was exactly the same.
“Of course, she made loads knowing how much you like her baking.”
“You told her about me?” Reg asked, turning his head in shock.
“Of course,” James said truthfully. “I tell her everything. She can’t wait to meet you, says you sound delightful.”
Reg snorted at James’s words.
“Me? Delightful? You’re having a laugh?!” He snorted again, pushing against James’s chest and sitting back up. “Thank you for everything,” Reg said, all traces of mirth gone. “You didn’t have to be so kind.”
“Yes, I did,” James said, seriously. Reg didn’t say anything back, just offered James a shy smile, but that was enough to draw out James’s 1000-watt smile.
Reg got up, ready to leave, and James busied himself in the kitchen, tubbing up some of the chilli and wrapping half of what was left of the cake up for Reg to take with him.
“Thanks,” Reg said, trying to take the food from James’s hands.
“Oh, no, I’m walking you home,” James insisted.
“James, I literally live next door.”
“I am a gentleman and a gentleman walks his date home.”
Reg blushed, and James couldn’t stop looking.
“Well, goodnight,” Reg said once he’d put his key in his lock.
“Goodnight,” James said and swooped in, placing a barely there kiss on Reg’s cheek. Reg blinked up at him, his eyes full of wonder as James retreated back into his own flat, feeling that the date had gone far better than he’d expected it to.
