Disclaimer - I own nothing you recognise.
Challenges listed at the bottom.
Word Count: 4055
like the sun on a snowy day
Regulus let his royal blue dressing down slip open a little, the heat from the fireplace nice against his bare skin. He hadn't bothered to put pyjamas on after his shower; Rabastan was due soon, and they'd only end up on the floor within minutes anyway.
On his lap sat an open book that he'd been unable to focus on. It wasn't that the story was uninteresting, but his focus was very much on the door across the room. The anticipation of Rabastan's return was enough to leave Regulus restless and unable to settle to anything.
The mug of hot chocolate he'd made over an hour earlier sat on the mahogany table beside him, still half full and likely stone cold, but he didn't particularly care about that either.
He could hear footsteps in the hall outside, and he smiled to himself when he felt the wards ripple around him, letting him know that his boyfriend was home.
Except, when Rabastan opened the door, it wasn't with his usual smile, or a salacious comment. It wasn't with sparkling eyes, or lust already present in his expression.
Instead, he was shaking slightly, and there were cuts and bruises littering his face and hands. Regulus was sure that, should he strip Rabastan's robes away, his body would be in much the same shape.
"You need to leave," Rabastan whispered, his voice travelling in the otherwise silent room.
Regulus blinked at him. Of everything he'd been expecting upon Rabastan's return, that wasn't one of them.
"Leave? Why would I—"
"He knows you're here. He sent me to fetch you, but I can't do that, Reg. I won't hand you over to him, but when I don't… he's going to send someone else, or come for you himself."
Fear filled Regulus instantly. As far as he knew, the Dark Lord assumed he was dead, along with everyone else who wasn't Rabastan.
"How does he—"
"I don't know but he does," Rabastan interrupted, closing the door behind him. "Reg, you can't just keep sitting there, c'mon, move. You can't be here!"
"Where am I supposed to go?" Regulus demanded, pushing himself to his feet. The heat from the fireplace didn't seem to be touching him anymore, despite it still crackling merrily, and he shivered violently.
Rabastan just shook his head. "I don't know. But you can't be here. I'll help you get a bag together; go get dressed, and dress warm, it's cold out and there's only so much that warming charms can help with."
"Rabastan," Regulus murmured, the name a plea for comfort, a demand for an explanation, a question of why.
Rabastan stopped moving for a moment and just stared back at Regulus, and Regulus could see the heartbreak he was feeling mirrored in dark eyes.
"Get dressed."
…
Dying would have been preferable to this.
Regulus hid in an abandoned house, huddled into the corner of an empty upstairs room. He didn't dare use too much magic, the fear of it being traced enough to make him stow his wand for the most part. He'd conjured a magical, smokeless fire, but it was small and certainly not strong enough to warm the house, or even the room.
He'd spent almost a week outside in the snow, but he wasn't an idiot, and when hypothermia started to set in, he'd given in and broken into a Muggle house. He'd lost all hope of being warm, but the fire had made him shiver, which was better than nothing.
He was weary, and he wondered how long he was supposed to live like this. Rabastan had told him to go and make a life for himself, but Regulus didn't know how. He couldn't live among the Muggles; he'd give himself away in mere hours, if only because he didn't know enough about the Muggle world to not.
Fleeing seemed more romantic in the books.
If he was a character in a book, Rabastan would have come with him, and they'd have spent every night huddling together for warmth, the two of them against the world. They'd have fought everything that came their way and emerged victorious.
Unfortunately, he wasn't a character in a book, and he was stuck on his own with little money—and only magical at that, and even he wasn't dumb enough to think he could go anywhere in the Wizarding world undetected—little food, and nowhere to go.
Regulus laughed humourlessly to himself, the sound echoing in the empty room. It was likely pointless for him to have run away at all. Voldemort would be getting his wish soon enough.
Regulus didn't know how to survive like this.
…
He was already unconscious when the gentle hands lifted him, cursing softly over his body as they hurried to save him. He remained unconscious as he was laid out on a soft bed, blankets draped over his body as a healer fussed over him, whispering healing spells and magically placing potions in his system.
He slept through whispered conversations, hushed thanks, and muttered prayers.
For days, almost a week, he slept, as his saviours left only to shower or use the toilet, even going so far as to sleep in conjured armchairs in the corners of the room, just in case he woke up, so he wouldn't be alone.
…
He hadn't expected to wake up.
Regulus shifted beneath warm sheets as he realised he hadn't felt this good in weeks. Had he died and actually made it to heaven?
Blinking his eyes open, Regulus looked around the room. It was dark, lit only by the soft glow of candles. It was a homely room, and there was something oddly familiar about it, though Regulus was almost certain he'd never seen it before.
That was explained when he caught sight of a slumped figure sitting in an armchair in the corner of the room, fast asleep, his breathing steady. It was strange, seeing his big brother again. Regulus had long accepted that he'd never see Sirius again, and while it had hurt, he supposed it was a consequence of his own bad decisions.
Regulus wanted to know how he'd gotten there, but despite his current slumber, there were dark bags beneath Sirius' eyes, and he looked exhausted. Regulus was reluctant to disturb what little sleep his brother seemed to be getting.
Tiredness enveloped him again, and he shifted onto his side into a more comfortable position, and pulled the blankets up under his chin, curling around the excess until it almost felt like a hug. He could almost pretend that he wasn't alone in the bed, and that the last… however long it had been… was naught but a bad dream.
He could almost pretend that Rabastan was with him, pressed up against his back.
Almost.
…
"How did you even know I was alive?" Regulus asked, when Sirius explained how he and James Potter had found him in the hovel he'd been dying in, how they'd brought him home to James', how they'd gotten Marlene to heal him.
"We were informed by a… concerned party," Sirius muttered, his expression dark as he scowled.
Regulus blinked. "Rabastan told you, didn't he?"
Sirius glared at nothing for a long moment. "He let you go out into the world with nothing," he snarled, eventually. "And then when the guilt finally ate him too much, he came to James and asked him to find you and make sure you were okay. The state we found you in, Reggie… should have killed him when we had the chance."
"It's not his fault," Regulus replied automatically. "The Dark Lord—"
"Lestrange could have brought you to me immediately instead of sending you out into the Muggle world on your own with no protection! That isn't love, Reggie!"
"He does love me," Regulus replied. He did, didn't he? He hadn't given Regulus over to the Dark Lord, and he'd undoubtedly been punished for that. In all honesty, Regulus was a little surprised that Rabastan was still alive, but then, he could have easily said that Regulus had already run by the time Rabastan returned. He was a slippery sod sometimes.
"That isn't love!" Sirius shouted, running a hand through his hair. "Regulus, if he'd loved you, he'd have stayed with you. He'd have run with you to keep you safe. There's nothing I wouldn't do, nowhere I wouldn't go, to keep Remus safe, and I know he feels the same way about me."
"If he'd come with me, we'd both have been killed," Regulus murmured, pressing back into the pillows a little. "I… I…"
The door to the bedroom opened, and both Regulus and Sirius looked over to see James Potter standing in the doorway, a tray levitating just in front of him.
"I can hear you shouting downstairs, mate," he said to Sirius. "Maybe we don't shout at the recovering patient, hmm?"
He glanced at Regulus, and the look in his eyes made Regulus' hackles rise. "I don't need your sympathy," Regulus sneered, looking away.
"No," James agreed, as he stepped into the room and closed the door behind him. "Sympathy never did much for anyone, did it? You do need soup and tea though, which I've also brought."
The tray floated down to the bed, and set down on the undisturbed sheets at the bottom. James handed a steaming mug to Sirius, who thanked him quietly, and then levitated a bowl and a second mug from the tray to the bedside table.
"Eat as much as you can, but try not to make yourself sick," James instructed softly. "It'll be a few days at least before you can manage much of anything."
Regulus stared at the soup bowl for a long moment and then looked back at James. "Thanks."
James nodded, picking up the last remaining mug from the tray. The scent of it was permeating the room, and Regulus frowned.
"Why do I have tea and you both have coffee? That's plain rude."
Sirius rolled his eyes, and James snorted a laugh. "Marlene said not to let you have caffeine for a few days after you woke up. You need to rest."
"I can rest just as well with coffee," Regulus muttered. He picked up the bowl of soup and held it by his nose for a few seconds, until the sudden wave of nausea passed. Gingerly, he scooped some up with the spoon and tipped it into his mouth.
It was nice, though perhaps a little bland. He supposed that was also because his stomach would likely be in a rather delicate way, but he couldn't help but wish for salt and pepper anyway.
"You can add seasonings tomorrow if you manage to keep the bland stuff down today," Sirius told him, clearly reading his wishes straight off his face. He'd always been able to do that, and no matter how hard Regulus occluded, it had never stopped him.
"I'll… leave you to it," James said, smiling slightly at Regulus before he turned to Sirius. "Remember what I said about not shouting at the patient. Also, Remus said to tell you he'll be here tomorrow morning."
"He sent a letter?" Sirius asked, perking up.
"Floo called," James replied softly. "I did come up to get you but you were sleeping, and Remus would have cursed me if I'd woken you up. Merlin knows you need sleep."
Sirius grumbled under his breath but nodded, and James left the room, closing the door behind him once more with a quiet snick.
…
"So why am I here?" Regulus asked, a couple of days later, when he'd finally been able to leave the bedroom for the comfortable sofa in the living room. Despite the roaring fire in the grate, he still had a blanket draped over him; he'd been struggling to feel warm, even when it was clearly roasting.
James sat across from him with shirt sleeves rolled up. "As opposed to leaving you out in the snow?"
Regulus rolled his eyes. "Here, specifically, I mean. Why your place?"
"I had the spare room," James replied with a shrug. "Besides, this place is as much Sirius' and Remus' home as their own place is. They probably spend more time here. It just made sense. At least here, you can have some semblance of privacy."
"Sirius still has the one bed apartment?"
James nodded. "They thought about moving into a house, but the apartment is already warded up, and it's safer for them there."
"This house is—"
"Warded to the hilt," James confirmed softly. "Nobody that I don't want here will get anywhere near."
Regulus nodded, pulling the blanket a little tighter around him. "How long—"
"You can stay as long as you need too."
"Did Sirius teach you how to do that?" Regulus demanded. "I don't know how you just seem to know what I'm about to say, but it's irritating!"
James smiled sadly. "I guess it's what I'd want to know, if I was in your situation."
…
They fell into a strange kind of routine. James had been right that Sirius and Remus were around a lot, but there was also a lot of time when it was just the two of them pottering around the house. It was… nice. Almost domestic, a lot of the time, and Regulus cautiously allowed himself to start enjoying the luxury of a comfortable bed, and available food again.
He was a little worried that eventually, the rug would be pulled from under his feet again, but he'd enjoy this while he could.
He'd also learned that he was still allowed to voice his opinions, though that discovery had come only after a shouting match with Sirius. Remus and James had watched on as they vollied insults and accusations back and forth, brought on by Sirius' announcement that he'd registered Regulus as alive with Gringotts and the Ministry, as well as that he'd told Dumbledore.
"It wasn't your place to do that!" Regulus had shouted, fear lacing his words as he thought about the world being aware of his continued existence.
"I'm your big brother!" Sirius had countered, full of righteous fury. "It's my job to look after you!"
"You did a great job of that when you abandoned me!" Regulus had returned, and it had only devolved from there.
When Sirius had stormed from the house, Remus following behind, calling his name, James had simply offered Regulus a cup of tea.
"Sorry, I know I shouldn't shout in your house," Regulus had murmured, when James handed him the tea.
James had simply chuckled. "Anyone that doesn't shout at Sirius at least once a month should be sainted."
…
"What happened between you and uh… Evans?" Regulus asked one night, when they were relaxing by the fire. Spring was approaching, but Regulus was still really feeling the cold, and James seemed happy enough to let the fire burn if it helped him.
He remembered James in school, always chasing after the red-headed girl, making a fool of himself left, right and center in an effort to gain her attention.
James laughed, and shook his head. "Lily is a wonderful human, and a really great friend, but we were… so incompatible. She likes a quiet life for the most part, though of course, she's invested in helping with the fight against… him. But yeah… we're just not compatible in a romantic way."
"You spent years—"
"Making an arse of myself, I know," James agreed, still grinning. "But I guess I got to know myself a little better as I got older, and well, Lily always knew that I wasn't what she was looking for in a husband. It just took me a little while to catch up."
"You're not dating anyone now?" Regulus asked, and immediately wished he could take the question back. Why did he even care if James was dating? It was none of his business. And the flush he could feel on his cheeks could sod off as well.
Shaking his head, James replied, "Not dating, no. I guess… I guess I feel like when I'm meant to fall in love, I will. And until then, I'm happy with my life as it is."
Regulus nodded slowly.
…
"Are you okay?"
Regulus stood in the doorway of the kitchen. He'd made sure his footsteps could be heard, but he still saw James jump, from where he was hunched over the sink.
"Fine," James replied. "Just, uh. Yeah, I'm fine. I'll be fine."
Regulus arched his eyebrow, but slowly approached James. When the man turned to look at him, Regulus winced at the injuries that came into view.
"I'm not that ugly, am I?" James quipped, as he lifted the cloth he'd been dampening to his face. He conjured a mirror with a lazy wave of his wand and then grimaced at the amount of blood staining his face.
"Okay, so crimson isn't really my colour, is it?" he muttered, before he began the tedious job of getting rid of the blood so he could actually see his injuries.
Regulus rolled his eyes. "Come and sit down," he muttered, motioning to the table and chairs backed onto the wall on the other side of the kitchen. "I'll clean you up and heal what I can."
"You don't have—"
"James."
They stared at one another for a long moment and then James nodded, picking up the first aid kit Regulus hadn't noticed from the kitchen counter. He slumped down into one of the chairs, and Regulus brightened the lights in the room with a spell, so he could properly see what he was doing.
With steady hands, Regulus cleaned James' face, taking care not to be rough near any of the cuts and scrapes.
"So what happened?" he asked, tilting James' face up with gentle fingers.
"A little scrap, that's all," James replied. "I'm fine, really."
"You're definitely not. Are you injured anywhere else?"
James arched his eyebrow. "You're just trying to get my clothes off, aren't you? Come on, Reg, you can admit it. I'd want me to." He winced when Regulus pressed a little harder against one of the cuts. "Yeah okay, no jokes when you're patching up my wounds."
…
Regulus shivered on the sofa, the memory of the cold chilling him all over. He was alone in the house, and though the doors and windows were all shut, and the fire was flickering happily only feet away, Regulus was freezing.
It had been getting better over the past few weeks, but a nightmare had plunged him right back into the cold, and he couldn't help but wonder if he'd ever feel fully warm ever again.
The door opened, and James walked in. It took him only a moment to realise the situation, and then he was beside Regulus on the sofa, shrugging his jacket off.
"C'mere," he murmured, opening his arms up. "I'll warm you up."
"James…"
"Regulus. Come here," James repeated, a little firmer this time. Regulus still hesitated, but eventually, he shifted over the sofa to lean into James' embrace. The warmth was immediate, almost like James was the sun, and Regulus basked in it for a little while, letting the heat sink into his bones.
He didn't realise he'd almost drifted off until James shifted slightly.
"Sorry, I'll move," Regulus said, trying to force himself upright again. James tightened his grip so he couldn't move.
"I was just getting comfortable," James murmured softly. "Go to sleep. The cold won't get you while I'm here."
"Is this where you make a joke about being too hot?" Regulus asked, as he put his head back on James' chest.
James chuckled. "You're the one that said it, not me."
…
"What are you up to with my little brother?"
Regulus paused at the door, listening to Sirius and James in the living room. Sirius seemed to be accusing James of something, though Regulus wasn't sure what.
"I'm taking care of him," James replied, and Regulus was glad to hear that he sounded at ease.
"Taking care of him or taking care of him?" Sirius demanded, and there was absolutely no doubting what he was actually asking. Regulus was about to burst through the door and demand Sirius stop being an asshole when James replied.
"I won't lie to you and pretend I don't want him, mate. But… nothing is happening, okay? And if it does… it'll be none of your business, but I'm not about to try anything on with him. He's had a rough time and he's only just healing now. I'm not a complete arsehole."
"If you deflower—" Sirius was cut off by James' laughter, though he pressed on almost immediately. "—If you deflower my little brother, I'll skin you alive, it's my brotherly duty. But. I… Reg could do worse."
"Thanks for that resounding approval, mate," James replied, and Regulus knew him well enough to know he was rolling his eyes.
"I trust you with him," Sirius said after a moment. "But I expect him to stay a virgin until you put a ring on it."
"Wedding ring or cock ring?"
Regulus shook his head with a huff and walked back upstairs as the sounds of a struggle started up from the living room.
James liked him… huh. He tried to ignore the warmth that it filled him with.
…
"Reg…"
Regulus blinked at the man in front of him. He hadn't realised he'd gone as far out into the back garden as to step outside the wards, but he edged backwards until he felt the tingle of James' magic welcoming him.
"I'm not going to hurt you," Rabastan said. He looked hurt, and for a brief moment, Regulus wanted to reach out and comfort him. He didn't though.
"Why are you here?"
"I… I miss you," Rabastan said. "I've regretted letting you leave every single day, Reg."
"Letting me?" Regulus asked, frowning. "Rabastan, you forced me to go!"
"I had no choice!"
"You could have… you could have come with me," Regulus replied. "You didn't have to make me face it on my own. I nearly died."
"I know, I know, I should have come. I was wrong. That's… that's why I'm here. Come with me, Reg. We'll leave the country, start a new life in America, or Australia. Just the two of us."
If Rabastan had said this to begin with, back when he told Regulus he had to run and hide, Regulus would have been so happy. Now though…
"I can't," Regulus said, shaking his head. "I can't, Rabastan. You told me… you told me to go and live my life, and it almost killed me, but I'm better now. I'm better, and I'm… I'm warm. I found someone who makes me warm."
Rabastan frowned. "Warm? I don't understand, Reg. I thought—"
"That's the problem," Regulus said softly. "You don't understand. Goodbye, Rabastan."
He stepped back into the embrace of the wards, only to find real arms wrapping around him.
"You okay?" James asked, resting his chin on Regulus' shoulder.
"I'm okay. You heard?"
"Some of it."
"You would have let me go?"
"If that was what you wanted," James replied simply.
Regulus smiled and leant back against James' chest, because that made all the difference.
…
"Potter, I swear to Merlin, get back here!"
"Aren't you going to save your boyfriend?" Remus asked, as he and Regulus sat on the decking, watching Sirius chase James around the garden.
"I'm kinda hoping it helps James get rid of some of his pent up energy to be honest," Regulus admitted. "I'm younger than him, and I can barely keep up."
Remus' cheeks glowed pink, but he laughed. "Don't let Sirius hear you say that."
"I said I wanted to get rid of some of James' energy, not that I wanted him dead."
Eventually, Sirius gave up chasing James, and the two rejoined Regulus and Remus on the decking. James pressed a relatively chaste kiss against Regulus' lips and then dropped down to sit by his feet.
Regulus used the tips of his fingers to play with the strands of James' messy hair and he smiled. The day had been amazing so far, and he knew that every day would get better now.
And best of all… he was warm.
Written for:
Gotta Catch The All: 4. Shivering
Written in the stars: 9. Royal Blue
This or That: 4. JamesRegulus
Showtime: 3. Snowy
Film Festival: 20. Running away
Elizabeth's Empire: 9. Fireplace
Sophie's Smut Bucket: 5. Strip
Lyric Alley: 7. I've got warm and tender love
Throwback: 18. JamesRegulus
Artist Appreciation: 7. Whispering
Buttons: A2. Laughing
Decorate the Tree: Tree Topper: 8. Crown - Pure-blood
Snowman Dressing: Mouth: 10. Marbles: "I was wrong."
Postal Panic: 8. Regulus Black / 14. Sweets: Showing someone kindness.
Hot Chocolate Station: Section 4: 6. Weary
Shoebox to Charity: 10. Shirt: Warm
12 days of Shipmas: Day 8: Hot chocolate
Magical Mistletoe: JamesRegulus / 2. Gryffindor Common Room: Fireplace
365: 86. Mirror