#sweeterelease

[sweeterelease]

i think people brush past the fact that regulus was quite literally a man in sports. very much into quidditch, yes he likes books, yes he’s a strategist, a silent killer, but also. jock! i feel like jock is always james’ persona bc he’s a chaser but, regulus! he might not be the unit™ but a certain physique comes with the athletics. i offer you jock regulus who’s prideful and competitive and snarky and pissed off? just absolutely locked in the game?? jock regulus i mourn your loss everyday, i shall bring you back.

edit: he's literally a slytherin?? hello????

[sweeterelease]

smug, confident, flirty james rendered useless the second regulus actually flirts back, even the tiniest bit.

[sweeterelease]

regulus who gets silly when sleepy. regulus who's sleep deprived and finds himself slipping off his facade when tired. regulus who's mostly serious and deadpan and never really lets himself smile freely but once he starts drifting off is sweet and giggly and easygoing. regulus who gets sleepy and laughs a lot, chuckles, giggles, and even snorts. regulus whose cheeks stretch out so hard his face hurts and his eyes water. regulus whose head drops and eyebrows soften, whose lips pout before bursting into laughter again. james who stumbles into a sleepy regulus once at the top of the astronomy tower and keeps coming back night after night. james who insists on talking regulus' ears off just to keep him up, tire him out, because he notices regulus doesn't hate him as much when his eyelids are heavy. james who one night says something dumb and stupid because honestly that's how he feels around regulus lately. regulus who just laughs and laughs and laughs, eyes shut and cheeks red. regulus who takes a deep breath after the giggling fit, turns his head, looks right into james' eyes and oh, oh that's regulus.

regulus who gets silly when sleepy. and well, james who will give anything to be the reason of his smile.

[sweeterelease]

james likes kissing. no, he doesn't go around kissing random people without their consent, in fact he doesn't actually kiss at all, not really. james pecks, he likes planting little smooches on his friends cheeks, his mom's forehead, his dad's knuckles. james enjoys kissing but that doesn't mean he does it without purpose, he kisses for admiration, care, love. sometimes james stims with giddiness that can't seem to stay within his own body, the need to do something. james kisses because he likes the feel of warm skin under his lips, the brief touch of intimacy with someone he cherishes.

james gets into a kissy fit and delivers tiny nibbles on remus' face, sirius', peter's, is that regulus? fuck it, regulus' and— regulus is not letting go. regulus' hands mirror his own, cool fingers hold his face in place just like warm ones nestle into dark curls. regulus' eyes search for him, burning into james' like a candle melts into wax puddles. he's nervous, james notes, but whatever he's looking for regulus seems to find. james stands there, staring into gray eyes, rendered stupid but intrigued. he wants to laugh, now nervous too, but james doesn't get to because there's a sharp breath —he can't tell from who— before regulus surges forward.

james kisses, but nothing compares to the first time he's been kissed.

[sweeterelease]

regulus only has tattoos or piercings in places they don't show. growing up with parents like his, it just comes with the job. his friends keep reminding him he's out of there for good, that he doesn't need to hide them anymore, but strangely, regulus likes the mystery of it all. people's faces when they find out about the septum barty did in 6th year or the pure shock when he takes his shirt off and bares the full back, it's always entertaining.

it's of course fun with partners too, most of the time they don't expect it. james is no different. although regulus can admit he thought this moment would've come in a completely different setting. they haven't done much past kissing, not for lack of trying on regulus part, but sneaking around the castle has proven to be actually difficult when magic is such a time consuming art. he also supposes james is waiting, he'd said he wanted to take things slowly and regulus is not about to oppose to that, so they both wait. until now, apparently.

evan and pandora are about halfway through fusing about him and how to take care of his latest arm piece when james comes in looking for him. regulus —who had his back to the door— turns and goes to greet his boyfriend but just finds him staring at him rooted in place. barty laughs, picking up his things and gesturing for the other pair to go on a walk with me. regulus shifts, hyperconscious of the way his arm looks, raw and red and slightly swollen from the fresh ink. he wraps his arms around himself protectively, suddenly aware of the fact that he hasn't really talked about this with james before. so um, you like? brown eyes blink rapidly, coming up from where they'd widened on his belly button jewelry.

his boyfriend drops whatever was held in his hands, scoffs, dives forward and— oh, james likes.

[sweeterelease]

boy next door james potter who finds a best friend in his long haired energetic neighbor, someone that keeps up with his energy and even indulges him further. james potter who notices this guy’s family scene isn’t ideal, so he does everything in his hands to shield him from the cruelty of it all.

james succeeds in letting sirius know he’s arrived fairly quickly, it only takes a couple rocks into the window for a hand to come through and unlock it for him. james climbs up swiftly, too busy going on about how they're sneaking out tonight to notice the furniture arrangement isn't the one he remembers, did sirius always have a whole library in his room? james stops and looks around, seeking out long hair framing a grin but instead he's meet with gray eyes and freckles. He startles, frozen in place as he stares into the boy's calculating gaze.

"wrong room, you're his friend aren't you?" the boy asks, head resting on his knees where they curl up in front of him.

james feels strangely restless, his hand twitch and he can't quite find his voice, "is sirius home?"

the calculating gaze softens, barely, "yes, he's expecting you."

faintly, james can begin to hear rock music coming from outside, no doubt his best friend getting ready for a night out.

"i'm sorry, where am i?"

the boy tilts his head in question, like he doesn't think james is asking completely substantial questions. a line creases between his eyebrows, james fights the urge to flatten it with his thumbs.

"his brother's room, don't fret he's just across the hall" he nods towards the door, gesturing for him to move along.

"right—" james pads across the room, still looking at black curls, much like the ones he knows but shorter. james somehow thinks these look softer.

"well then?" gray eyes look around, waiting for james to leave or trying to figure out what else he needs.

james blinks, "just— what's your name?" he can't help himself.

pale hands reach for the book he'd put aside and bring it back to his lap. gray eyes finally drop, james' surprised to notice he misses their gaze.

"regulus."

[sweeterelease]

regulus needs someone to kiss. pandora got him into this stupid muggle romance novel and while he can admit it's good writing, all the kissing going on inevitable makes him remember his past experiences, experience. he can't get his brain to stop comparing every affectionate scene with the three-way incident he had with barty and evan in third year. it wasn't even a kiss for merlin's sake, just awkward lips and cheeks pressing against each other, honestly, what were they thinking?

anyway, now he can't help the memory coming back whenever the male lead grabs his partner's face in his hands, it's actually a problem. so he'll listen to dorcas' just kiss someone else, that way those bastards won't be your only reference. dorcas is always right, maybe it could work. the issue now is where in earth does he get someone to kiss him?

he'll figure it out tomorrow. now, dinner is ready and he'll do pretty much anything to get his mind off the book’s happenings for a bit. regulus came in later than usual, the great hall is filled and it's kind of hard to walk through the sea of people, so he bumps into someone's back. shit, a gryffindo— oh hi reg, are you looking for sirius?

regulus stares into james potters' eyes, the boyish grin, he ponders. do the cons outdo the pros in this situation? would the consequences be worth it? hmm. james calls his name a second time and waits patiently, after a couple of seconds without response his eyes wander around nervously.

would you like to kiss me? he finds himself asking, in the middle of a crowded room, with his friends waiting for him at his house's table and his older brother looking at him curiously from across the hall.

james blinks once, twice, three and four times. he clears his throat and sorry, don't think i caught that right? it sounds out of breath, regulus can't tell if it's a good or bad sign.

regulus repeats himself, not sure what's so difficult about a yes or no answer. he continues with i need, um— experience, regulus feels a growing blush at that, definitely not a good sign.

experience. james calls, it's then when regulus catches the deep crimson around the older's cheeks, nose, neck? merlin, it's everywhere. is it really that embarrassing to be asked for a kiss by regulus? well then.

right. i apologize for asking that was— hands wrap around regulus' neck to pull him up. he can't do much but melt into james' embrace and take his kiss.

regulus blinks, he expected james to kiss like he does pretty much anything else, big, loud, unapologetic, and without holding back. but this kiss is tender, a tentative brush of the lips, almost fragile, and he holds regulus like he's made out of glass, like he's sad it has to end. frankly, it's sweet.

james pulls back and stares into regulus eyes, searching. he's shaking, regulus notices, and it takes until his feet meet the ground again to recover from whatever spell this man has put him through, actually— he's not sure it's over quite yet.

was that 'experience' enough? james rasps, brown eyes now glued to regulus' lips. he snakes both hands up the taller's back to mirror the ones still holding his jaw, relishing in the shivers he feels erupting. regulus stares into james potters' eyes again, the slightly bruised lips, he ponders.

no.

[sweeterelease]

just saw james potter wearing a shirt saying “don’t hate me it turns me on”