…
Regulus smirked down at James Potter from his perch on his broom. Even though it was the middle of the night, and he was frozen right through to his bones from the relentless rain that had pounded the Quidditch pitch all evening, seeing James sulking and throwing his broom to the ground gave Regulus a different kind of warmth.
He couldn't help but be filled with glee. The Slytherin-versus-Gryffindor final had been going on for hours, and Regulus had only just managed to finish the match by securing the Golden Snitch. It was still fluttering desperately inside his clenched fist, and Regulus only held onto it tighter. He loved the thrill that came with winning a Quidditch match—especially when it was won against James.
The rest of the two teams were soaring back down to the ground, not paying much attention to the commentary now that the winner had been announced. Everyone wanted to get out of the wind and the rain. A lot of students had already left the stands earlier in the night when it looked like the match was never going to end, leaving only Gryffindor and Slytherin supporters. They were milling away from the stands quickly, desperate to get back to the warmth of the castle.
But Regulus wasn't ready to go back yet. He was still high on the victory. His fingers were practically frozen to the handle of his broom and the end of his nose felt as cold as ice, but he was elated. He did a few victory loop-the-loops on his broom, uncaring that there was no one else in the air with him, or even on the pitch.
When he finally drifted back down to the ground, he released the Golden Snitch, watching it flutter in the direction of the castle, probably to Madam Hooch's office and back to its home in the box of Quidditch balls. The storm really was bad—normally Madam Hooch would be the last one on the pitch, but she'd scarpered off pretty quickly.
"You absolute arsehole, Regulus Black," hissed James, his voice coming out of nowhere. Regulus hadn't seen him since he'd come back down to the ground, and he'd assumed he'd fled back to the castle to lick his wounds with the rest of Gryffindor. "That was my last match for Hogwarts, ever!" He lunged at Regulus as though to shove him, but Regulus dodged out of the way. James flipped around, his face seething with anger.
"For Merlin's sake, Potter. It's just a game. You need anger management," Regulus sniggered, folding his arms across his sodden chest.
"You need to stop pissing me off!" yelled James. "You could have caught the snitch at any point during that match. Even I saw it at least once—but you dragged the game on all night to make sure I scored as many goals so that I might win, and then you caught the fucking Snitch! You did it just to wind me up!"
James was completely right, of course. Regulus had seen the Snitch about ten minutes into the game, then another hour in, and then around three hours in. But where would have been the fun in that? He knew the Gryffindor Seeker was so utterly useless that he wouldn't have been able to spot it in the midst of the storm, so he was able to play the game to his full advantage.
But he wasn't going to tell James that, obviously.
"I don't know what you're talking about," Regulus replied innocently. "It was hard to see up there once it got dark. The moon wasn't even visible through the storm. There was hardly any light."
"You couldn't stop playing your games," James continued, still simmering with anger. "For one game. For my last game."
"Why does it matter?" Regulus sneered. "It's not like you had anyone to show off for. I noticed that Lily didn't come and cheer you on for your precious final match."
"Not that it's any of your business," James snarled. "But Lily and I broke up."
Regulus hadn't expected that. He raised an eyebrow and opened his mouth to retort, but no sound came out. The rain pitter-pattered around them, plastering Regulus's hair to his face and speckling James's glasses while they stared at each other.
"Regulus Black, the boy who never knows when to shut up," James muttered. "Rendered speechless by the knowledge of my breakup. Who knew that's all it would take to make you be quiet?"
"I suppose it explains your theatrical response to losing the match," Regulus finally murmured. "You're clearly feeling a little…" he paused, pondering for the right word. "Sensitive."
James clenched his jaw so quickly that Regulus was sure he heard his teeth gnash together. "I'm not feeling sensitive!" he hissed, but Regulus saw the way his cheeks flushed, and he saw another opening.
"Poor little sweetheart," Regulus goaded, and he stepped closer to James. "Left alone by the girl you've lusted after for all these years. She doesn't even come to see your most important match of the year—of all your years at Hogwarts?" He stalked around James in a circle like a predator, uncaring about the rain that still hammered down on both of them. James's chest was rising and falling rapidly, and that only spurred Regulus on.
After all, James was ridiculously sexy when he was angry. It was the only reason that Regulus aimed to annoy him so much, even if it was just for a tiny little moment of an angry James. For a split second, he was reminded of the first time Regulus caught the Snitch for Slytherin against Gryffindor, and James had been so, so angry. It was euphoric to watch the person who was normally so carefree and full of jokes be completely ripped apart at the seams.
That memory had stuck in Regulus's mind and had been the subject of many of his private moments in the middle of the night.
Regulus stopped behind James, looking up at his broad shoulders which were almost shaking in his wet maroon Quidditch robe. He moved closer, standing slightly on his tiptoes so he could put his mouth near James's ear. "I really thought you and Lily were endgame."
James whipped around and shoved Regulus back roughly. Regulus wasn't expecting it this time, and he staggered back, almost falling to the floor. Luckily they were in front of the Slytherin stands, and he grabbed onto the green tarp material to steady himself from slipping in the mud, then stood up straight.
"Are you quite finished?" snapped James.
"Not particularly," Regulus replied with a smirk. "I can do this all day."
"Why do you always have to be like this?" James demanded to know. "What have I ever done to you for you to always have to wind me up so much? Is it because of Sirius?"
Regulus furrowed his brow. "What?"
"Is it because you're angry with me because Sirius left home and moved into my house?" James asked, folding his arms and trying to rub some warmth into his arms. "Though, that doesn't explain why you started being such a dickhead to me in your fourth year. Sirius only left your house last year."
"It's nothing to do with Sirius—"
"Well, what is it then?" James spat. "Because I'm tired and I'm sick of it! The only other thing is if you're getting some kind of kick out of me being pissed off with you, or it turns you on or something."
Regulus swallowed and felt a sudden heat rise up the back of his neck. He looked away from James, unsure of how to deal with the onslaught of embarrassment. "W-whatever," he mumbled, and turned away. "I'm going back to the castle."
"Wait a minute," James said, and he grabbed Regulus's shoulder before he could flee the grounds. "Is that what it is?"
"No," snarled Regulus defensively, trying to rip his shoulder out of James's grip. This wasn't how things were supposed to happen. He was supposed to stay in control, to enjoy James's anger and then go back to the Slytherin dormitory, pleased with whatever new memories of an incensed James he'd managed to store away for a later date.
In no way was James meant to work out Regulus's reason for getting him angry. He was never meant to find out. He was never meant to get the upper hand.
"It is, isn't it?" James moved his hand down Regulus's arm and held his wrist, refusing to let him pull away. A smirk was spreading on his face, and Regulus wasn't sure how that made him feel. "The great and gobby Regulus Black, so unachievable by all those vapid Slytherin girls, turned on by his brother's best mate getting mad at him."
Regulus wrenched his arm out of James's grip. His face was so hot he was sure that every drop of rain was evaporating when it landed on him. "That's not—I don't—"
"There's no need to get all embarrassed, Reg." It was James's turn to advance on Regulus now, and start circling him like a predatory animal.
"I'm not embarrassed!"
James shoved Regulus back again, harder this time, and he fell into one of the thick wooden posts that held up the Slytherin stand. Before Regulus could even catch his breath, James grasped the scruff of Regulus's neck and pinned him against the post. "Is this what you want?" he asked in a low voice. "You want me to get angry? You want me to be mad?"
Regulus tried to formulate a response, but he was suddenly very aware of how close James was to him, and how much raw energy was practically spilling out of his pores. It was exhilarating.
"What's the matter? Cat got your tongue?"
"J...James…"
"What, no 'Potter'? Merlin, Reg…" James pushed his entire body against Regulus's suddenly, and Regulus resisted the urge to whimper. "You really are turned on by this, aren't you?"
Regulus pressed his lips together and tried to look away from the burning look in James's hazel eyes. He'd never seen those eyes so close before.
"Come on, don't be stubborn," James murmured, moving closer to Regulus's ear. "Admit it."
"James—"
"Admit it!" roared James suddenly, so loud that Regulus flinched.
"Yes!" he yelled. "Yes, okay? Are you happy now?"
"Very," James replied, and he crashed his lips into Regulus before either of them could say another thing.
Regulus was frozen in time for a moment as James kissed him roughly. This isn't real, he thought. This can't be real. This kind of scenario was the sort of thing that Regulus daydreamed about when he was bored in Transfiguration, or looking for something to think about when he was under the shower. James bit his lip, and the sharp sting brought Regulus back to the present. He pulled his face away, pressing his hands to James's chest.
Even though he'd always dreamed about this kind of thing happening with an impassioned James Potter, he knew that it had to remain just that—a dream. "Stop," he mumbled, trying to dodge James's advancing mouth. "Stop."
"You're the one who wanted this," James muttered.
"No," Regulus rolled his head back against the post. He instantly regretted doing that, as James used that moment to attack his exposed neck with kisses. He groaned at the sharp jolts of pleasure it sent through his body. "You just…" he gasped. "Broke up...with...Lily…"
"What do you care?" growled James, sucking on a particularly sensitive spot of Regulus's skin. "I think I'm in need of a rebound, anyway."
Regulus felt his body relaxing in James's hands, as he kissed his jaw, his earlobes, then his mouth again. Regulus kissed him back this time, and placed his arms tentatively around James's neck.
"Inside," James murmured, grabbing a handful of the tarp behind Regulus. "Under the stands. I need you, Regulus."
Regulus's breath caught in his throat, and suddenly, he realised that he didn't care if it was a dream or not. His name sounded absolutely delicious in James Potter's mouth.
He was going to see just how many more times he could convince him to say it.
Written For:
- Assignment #11/Contemporary Circus Performance Task #2: Write about someone thinking another character is sexy.
- Race to the Top of Mount Potter/Checkpoint 27: (object) Quidditch Ball
- Writing Club/Gotta Catch Them All: 15. (trait) Defensive
- Writing Club/Written in the Stars: 9. (color) maroon
- Writing Club/Film Festival: 19. (word) rebound
- Writing Club/Elizabeth's Empire: 3. (emotion) regret
- Writing Club/Hobby Hole: 2. (word) theatrical
- Writing Club/Artist Appreciation: 17. (word) endgame
- Writing Club/Buttons: Actions 5. Goading
- Writing Club/Sophie's Smut Bucket: 13. (dialogue) "I need you."
- Autumn Seasonal/Days of the Year: 16th October - Sweetest Day: (nickname) Sweetheart/Sweetie
- Autumn Seasonal/Sarcastic Month: 14. (dialogue) "You need anger management." / "You need to stop pissing me off."
- Autumn Seasonal/Jewellery Month: 38. (word) Moon
- Autumn Seasonal/Comic Book Day: 13. (dialogue) "I can do this all day."
- Autumn Seasonal/World Farm Animals Day: 5. (trait) Stubborn
- Fortnightly/Jukebox Day: 1. (dialogue) "I'm tired and I'm sick of it."
- November Monthly Insert Title: 16. (word) notice
- Moony's Neon Cafe/Food: 3. (weather) wind
- Sandwich Time/Cheeses: 17. (action) flying
Word Count: 2,034