tolerate - @jeggyverses-jegulus-microfic - June 1 - 296 words
From the day Regulus met James Potter, he knew that he was in love with him. He may not have known then, because it took Regulus a very long time to tolerate him and even longer to come to terms with his "crush", but here he is in James Potter's arms.
"What are you thinking so hard about love?" James said in that voice, that voice that Regulus loved so much.
"Just how much I love you and how long I've been in love with you, without knowing it." Regulus replied
"Interesting, I could probably tell you the exact moment I fell in love with." This sparked Regulus' curiosity.
"When"
"About four minutes after you slammed a book into my face in year 9"
Regulus doesn't remember that day well, but he's very sure he gave James a concussion. The look on his face confirms his confusion, because James just says "yes."
Regulus gives James a face that tells him to explain.
And then James says, "It wasn't the concussion, no, that hurt, but the moment after, you started to cry because you hit me too hard, and while you were crying, you helped me to the nurse's office and I had let you, I've had concussions before and I knew what to do, but you looked like you needed it more, and stayed with me until my mum came to pick me up."
That's when pieces of the puzzle fell into place for Regulus, and he remembered that day because he truly thought James was hurt, but the whole time James was taking care of Regulus when Regulus hurt James.
So Regulus answered his own question; he fell in love with James when James put himself before Regulus, because back then it didn't happen often.
