The first time it happened James felt weak on his knees. Glassy grey eyes, pouty cherry lips trembling violenty. Deep frown sitting on that pretty, pretty face.
It was all wrong. James wanted to vanish it.
"Please, James," Regulus whispered softly. His eyes were swimming with tears.
"Love," James sighed, "We already have four cats."
"But, look at her," Reg begged, "She's lovely. And lonely. Poor little thing. I even named her. Rosie."
"Love--" James opened his mouth but shut it pretty quickly. Because tears were running down on Reg's cheeks now. Fuck, it was painful to look. James' heart shattered.
"Okay. Alright," James said too quickly. "Anything. We are keeping her. Please don't cry love."
Regulus blinked slowly clutching the tiny black kitten into his chest tightly. Rosie just sat there without a worry of the world. Quite cozy in his dad's hands. Seemed like she already loved Regulus. God, she even has grey eyes..
"Can we really keep her?"
"Yes, we can love."
Regulus smiled triumphly. With a cheeky grin he wipped away his tears and smirked lightly.
"Love!" James stepped forward, mouth wide open. "Oh my god, you can't do that."
"I didn't do anything." Regulus answered kissing the little cat.
"You fake cried." James complained with a pout.
Regulus laughed. It was like music for James' ears. God, his husband's beautiful. He might need to marry him again.
"Not my fault you fall for it every time."
And that's how the Black-Potter household end up with tiny kittens every time.
@jegulus-microfic / february 16: tear / word count: 724 cw: needles
Bets are James' speciality, so it comes as a big surprise when the Stars don't win the Stanley Cup Final. The thing is, now Remus and Sirius have to decide where on his body James will have to get his first piercing ever, and to say he's nervous is an understatement. That's how the three of them end up in the waiting room of a tattoo and piercing shop with an appointment for him to get his belly button pierced.
James is a generally daring and risk-taking person, not that he's terrified of needles but he does feel a little uneasy knowing that in a couple of minutes one will be piercing his skin. Despite having informed himself about the risks and having taken all the precautions beforehand (cleaning the area well, making sure he has the right anatomy for the jewel and wearing a cropped shirt to avoid friction afterwards), he still can't help the thin layer of cold sweat that is building up on his neck.
"Relax, Prongs, you're in good hands," Remus says, patting him on the back. Oh, and the other detail that makes him the least bit uncomfortable is that his ex is the one doing the piercing, isn't that funny? James knows Regulus will do a phenomenal job, he's been doing this for almost eight years so it should be effortless.
They were a couple when they were 16 and 17 respectively, and it's not that they had a bad break-up or completely lost touch, it was just the right person at the wrong time given their respective family circumstances. So if James is nervous about being at the younger man's mercy six years after they broke up, no one can blame him.
"James, you can come in," Pandora tells him from the reception desk.
The thing about Regulus is that every time James sees him, he looks more beautiful than the last. This time the new snake tattoo circling his entire left forearm in red ink is messing with his mind exquisitely, and when he finally turns around subtly smiling James is gone.
"Look who we have here, James Potter. To be honest, I never thought I'd see you here," he says in the soft, slow voice he reserves for him. "So, belly button piercing, Sirius told me about the challenge. Poor you."
All James can do is nod and chuckle slightly, shocked by the sparkle on his ex's tongue when he speaks. Everything that happens after Regulus asks him to select a piece of jewellery he likes and to lie down on the stretcher happens in slow motion. Regulus putting on a new pair of latex gloves, Regulus sanitising the area where he's going to pierce, Regulus marking where the piercing will be, Regulus tearing off the envelope that holds the sterile needle... James doesn't know much about the world of piercings, but he doesn't think Regulus should be straddling his legs during the process.
Of course he won't be making any complaints.
The light on Regulus's tongue appears again as he says something he can't quite process.
"... understood? Oh, no, James tell me you're not about to faint," he says with a hint of concern.
"No, I'm fine, I swear!" he hurries to say. "But can I hold on to your thigh while you do it?"
"Sure you can," he replies with a smirk.
That's how James doesn't even notice the moment the jewel is installed in his navel, concentrating on the way the tattooed man frowns in concentration.
"You're all set." is all the piercer says but there's no sign that he'll be getting off him any time soon.
The new piercing being forgotten and in a moment of courage, James intertwines both index fingers in the silver eyed man's trouser belt.
"Got something to do after work?" and the question is all it takes for Regulus to lean in and kiss him deeply but slowly. A tongue piercing shouldn't make him feel this good.
"I've got the whole afternoon available if it means continuing to see you in that crop top." he murmurs against his lips then bites down slightly on the bottom one.
In short, he lost a bet, won the scolding of his best friends for taking so long and got his right person back at the right time this time.