Work Text:
Regulus enters the eerie quiet penthouse with suspicious steps. As he sets his keys down in the panda-shaped bowl next to the door, he checks his watch; it's still far too early for Harry to be asleep, except the house is far too quiet for Harry to be around at all.
When Sirius had run away from Regulus and the Black family, Regulus had made a deal with himself. A deal where he promised to resent his brother for the rest of his existence on this planet.
Things changed after Walburga and Orion’s death, Sirius had sought Regulus out to try and mend their broken relationship.
When Sirius had asked if he wanted them to be brothers again, Regulus had agreed. But for this whole "let's be brothers again!" business to work, Regulus had to suffer hanging around Sirius' annoying friends.
Remus wasn't so bad. He liked books just like Regulus himself. Peter was quiet and left him alone. He surprisingly got along well with most of Sirius' friends, all except James Potter.
James was insufferable, loud, and bright, and Regulus had hated him. Hated how he was a much better brother to Sirius than Regulus ever could be. He had hated him and his sunny personality, his warm grin, and his happy-go-lucky attitude. He hated him.
However, slowly, he began to understand why Sirius loved James so much. He began to understand that James wasn't just an arrogant, smug asshole with a hero complex. Slowly, he began to love the older man's company. He came to appreciate his light humor and caring heart.
Eventually, when they got over their obliviousness, they started dating. Regulus had thought it would be awkward, considering James' ex-wife and the woman who had his child was one of Sirius' friends and someone Regulus had grown to find comfort in ever since he started getting to know Sirius again.
Except Lily had been more than supportive. Regulus was more than relieved, as he was not planning on losing her as a friend.
Lily had found Mary later on. Now, toddler Harry alternates his time between his mom and her girlfriend's house and his dad and Regulus' penthouse.
Regulus loved Harry the moment he laid eyes on the toddler. Back then, when Regulus first met him, he was just a little baby. He swore to protect him against everything and anything right then and there. Even though at the time he and James weren't even dating at all. But still, Regulus loved Harry to bits. Back then, he would have never admitted that out loud. Now, he always makes sure to remind Harry every single time the toddler leaves his sight.
Back to the present, he makes his way to the kitchen, finding no one there. Harry's room, empty. Harry's playroom. Nothing there either.
When he nears his and James' bedroom, he stops in his tracks.
The bedroom is fairly large with a large king bed in your direct line of sight if you’re standing at the door. Regulus makes out a shape of something curled under the duvet.
James is the CEO of Sleekeazy, a hair care brand James had inherited from his dad. James isn't supposed to be here tonight, though. He is supposed to be attending a big business party.
Regulus, being a widely known supermodel, sometimes gets caught up in a shoot and often forgets to check his phone. Still standing in the doorway, he fishes out his phone and checks it. And sure enough, there is a message from James.
Skipped the dinner cause I have a cold Dropped Harry off at Mar and Lils for tonight and asked if she would take him all morning tomorrow too When r u coming home?
Regulus sighs and pads his way back to the kitchen.
After he started dating James, he met Effie and Monty, James' parents and the sweetest, most considerate people alive. He knows now, thanks to them, that Walburga and Orion were nothing more than a cruel excuse for parents.
He sends a mental thank you to Effie, who insisted on them keeping some over-the-counter medications around the penthouse. He opens the cabinet where he knows James keeps them and picks up a pack of Panadol. Regulus doesn't really know much about... medicine and health and stuff. He should really call Lily; she's the doctor friend. Or maybe Pandora since she's surprisingly good at this stuff.
Since the Black brothers' reunion —as Barty calls it— both the friend groups —Sirius' and Regulus'— have merged together, hanging out at bars and clubs together at least once or twice every month. If it were up to Sirius, they would hang out every single weekend, but alas, being adults comes with responsibilities.
Dorcas started getting to know Marlene and went on to date her later thanks to these hangouts. Marlene is James and Peter's childhood best friend and someone Regulus realized shares an annoying number of reckless traits with his brother. Barty and Evan had also taken a liking to her in a short time, claiming that "she's the second coolest between those idiots after Remus."
Back in uni, he had treated Evan and Barty's cuts and bruises all the time. It's because the two idiots love to get in street fights. Fighting and causing trouble is kind of Barty and Evan's thing at this point. Regulus stopped asking "how did you even get hurt that badly?" after the umpteenth time he had to patch them up.
Regulus is almost certain his best friends are wanted in five different US states. At least. One of those is definitely Vegas where they spent the year after Uni together. Running down the streets like two crazy teenage boys, smoking and drinking instead of two fully grown adults.
He can heal bruises and cuts, wrap them up and dress the bigger wounds, but how the fuck do you cure a cold? Sleep? He should seriously call Lily.
Huffing out a breath, he picks up his phone, finding Lily's contact quite easily.
"Hey, quick question. How do you treat a cold?"
"This is about James, isn't it?" she asks in that stern yet comforting voice of hers.
"Yes, he texted me, I'm home right now, says he has a cold."
Lily makes a vague humming noise, "Make sure he rests and is well hydrated. Does he have a fever?"
Regulus doesn’t actually know, so he speed-walks to the bedroom. James is still curled up in bed, and Regulus slowly creeps inside, avoiding turning on the light. He leans over his boyfriend’s body and slowly puts a hand on his neck.
Regulus' hands are always cold; James usually hisses playfully whenever the younger boy touches him, except now he doesn’t really react. His nose is blocked if his breathing is anything to go by.
"Hotter than a boiling kettle," he whispers to Lily as he quietly tiptoes out of the room, closing the door behind him.
Making his way back to the kitchen, he listens to Lily as she tells him all he needs to do: make sure the older man rests, get him some kind of medicine stronger than paracetamol if things get worse, and not for the first time, he thanks God for Lily Evans.
Less than an hour later, Regulus has changed into a pair of comfy shorts and one of James' too-big old football sweaters that say '28' and 'Potter' on the back in red and yellow.
Carrying the tray into the room carefully, he sets it on the bedside table. He reheated that Egyptian soup Effie and James like so much. Something called Lesan Asfour Regulus has no idea how to cook, only that James had made some earlier yesterday and Regulus only reheated it.
He also made some warm lemonade. The tray is also holding a glass of water and two small white tablets.
"Jamie," he gently shakes James' shoulder awake. The older man groans lowly but doesn't even move an inch.
★★★★★
James has been awake for a while. Whether he was going to attend the business party or not, Harry was going to spend the night with his mommy and Auntie Mary anyways.
He had called Lily earlier and informed her that he didn't want Harry anywhere near him until maybe tomorrow morning. She probably suspected he wouldn't be at his work party because if he was, he would have picked up Harry on the way back home instead of asking Lily to keep him. Not that the redhead minds.
He felt Regulus come back home a while ago; he's not sure how long. His sense of time has been tampered with by this stupid cold, so he's been drifting in and out of sleep for the past maybe two hours.
But he's certain he felt Regulus enter their room carefully and feel James' neck. Probably to check his temperature, but then he left. He's not sure if the sound coming from the closet room was also Regulus or a figment of his imagination.
"Jamie," he feels a hand shake his shoulder gently. He's far too tired to roll over or even speak.
He feels the bed sink under Regulus' weight, and his boyfriend moves to sit directly next to James' tired, barely breathing form. He feels exhausted, and his muscles ache everywhere. This is not a normal cold, and if it was, then this may or may not be the worst cold he's had in his life.
"Jamie," fingers drag through his never-tamed curls, and he feels himself relax ever so slightly. Regulus' soothing touch travels from his hair to his neck as the younger man kisses his cheek comfortingly. James finally has the energy to crack open his eyes. They feel drier than the Sahara desert, and he was just about to close them when he caught a glimpse of Regulus' beautiful but worried face.
"Reggie?" His throat is scratchy, and immediately, once the words leave his mouth, a coughing fit takes over. Regulus comfortingly rubs his back as he turns around and sits up. His muscles ache in protest, and his head spins wildly, but thankfully his Regulus is here to save the day as he pushes James back into the bed.
"You need rest. Even Lily said so."
James groans and accepts his fate.
"Here," Regulus presents him with two mysterious white pills and a glass of water. James greedily accepts the water and swallows the mysterious pills without even asking what they are.
"I reheated that soup you made yesterday."
Yesterday, he felt like he wanted to cook something all of a sudden, so obviously, he made the easiest thing he could think of. He had been dancing around the kitchen with Harry as he listened to Effie's instructions over the phone. Oh, how he misses those days, the days when his nose functioned like a normal human being’s and his muscles didn't feel like jelly. And to think that was only yesterday!
"Thanks," he accepts the bowl with a barely there smile.
James has always been the caretaker of the friend group, always making sure he was a pillar for everyone to lean on. But when Regulus barged into his life, determined to never accept anybody's help, James was curious. He wanted to teach Regulus that yes, there are people here he could lean on and he doesn't need to carry the heavy weight on his shoulders alone, but instead of him teaching Regulus, Regulus ended up teaching him.
He still struggles to accept help from others sometimes, but over the years, Regulus has proven to be a solid rock James can lean on sometimes without Regulus ever thinking of him as weak. And in turn, Regulus has started relying on James too.
He slowly starts eating; the soup actually warms him, and he feels his throat slightly better as Regulus watches him carefully.
Regulus has fully settled next to him; the older man slowly rests his head on his lover's shoulder as he continues eating, except now he's trying not to spill anything over himself or Regulus. He doesn't really eat much. It's probably the medicine. James’ appetite is usually pretty big and he eats whatever. But not today, though.
"Baby, I think you should rest." Regulus brings a hand over James' shoulder, his hand travels and he ends up slowly massaging a tense muscle in James' neck.
James sighs, content. He nuzzles into Regulus' side as the shorter man moves his hand, over his neck, into his hair, lightly grazing his jaw.
James doesn't know when he drifted off, only that one minute he's sleeping almost on Regulus' chest and the next he wakes up completely between Regulus' thighs as his head rests on his boyfriend's stomach. He lifts his head and looks up at Reg only to find him staring right back.
"Morning, lovely," Regulus says.
Morning??!
James looks to his right, the window is indeed filtering in the golden sunlight that makes his head hurt. Too bright.
"Did you sleep at all?" He asks Regulus, who replies softly, "Yes, I did. No need to worry about me."
James moves his body up, resting his face in the crook of Regulus' neck. Regulus kisses the corner of his mouth, his eyes, his still blocked nose, then finally he presses a soft, sweet kiss to James' lips. The pressure is gone as soon as it came, and James whines.
"Morning breath," Regulus mutters.
"I don't care," James huffs, and Regulus rolls his eyes fondly before fully kissing him.
"We should tell Lily you're alright. She sent me a text asking about you."
"Mhmm," but James isn't really focused. Content to settle in this little bubble of happiness as he buries his face in Regulus' shoulder. The man only huffs out a laugh as he slowly extracts his arm from underneath James' body and moves to grab his phone, which is sitting on the bedside table. James' nose chooses this as the perfect time to sneeze loudly. He sniffles as Regulus shoots him a concerned look.
James drifts into a state of half-sleep as he listens to Regulus update Lily. If it were up to James to take care of himself without Regulus or Lily helping him, he would have just winged it. He’d probably take a painkiller and sleep it off. Except Regulus is determined to make him hate his existence as he shakes James awake, saying, "I'll help you take a bath. It'll help with your temperature."
James moans and groans all the way to the bathroom as Regulus drags him out of bed.
"I can just… sleep," he mutters bitterly as Regulus helps him take off the soft grey hoodie he's wearing. Admittedly, his entire body aches so he appreciates Regulus helping him undress. The sight of Regulus on his knees taking off his joggers is sweet enough to ease his pain. By the time James is completely naked, he's shivering, and the cold tile under his bare feet isn't really helping.
"In you go." Regulus nudges his shoulder towards the jacuzzi.
When they started dating, Regulus had insisted on making some changes in the penthouse that was originally James'. Regulus' main place of residence at the time was a beautiful penthouse in Paris, and he only owned Grimmauld Place here in London. When Regulus moved in with James, abandoning Grimmauld Place for Andromeda to live in with her husband and daughter — much to Bellatrix’s chagrin, Regulus was the heir now, and he could do whatever the fuck he wanted with the house — he didn't really sell the penthouse in Paris either. They actually spend their vacations there whenever they go to France now.
The first couple of weeks Regulus moved in with James here, Regulus almost had five different heart attacks.
"James! What do you mean you have a jacuzzi but never use it??!!"
"What kind of heathen has an entire fucking library but the only people who use it just so happen to be his mother, who rarely comes over, and one of his friends??!"
"James… please don't tell me you have an entire fucking barbecue setup out on the balcony and you don't even try to cook on it??"
"Just like you, I owned an entire fucking library back in Paris and you know what I did with it? I actually used it!"
"No, James, the cinema room can't be the only room you actually give any attention in this entire place!"
"Oh yes, of course, buy a piano and leave it to rot in your living room for decorating purposes! Definitely a reasonable thing to do!"
When Sirius heard of this, he just cackled out laughing. James’ penthouse is less of a penthouse and more of a luxury mansion, but he can't help it. He sees something cool, he buys it. Doesn't mean he actually has to use it.
Remus had called him once, "A spoiled fucking twat who grew up swimming in money," and James sometimes fears it's true.
Snapping himself out of his thoughts, he looks up to find Regulus undressed as well. Admiring the smooth, milky skin of Regulus’s back as the shorter man takes off his boxers, he stares at the small freckles and dimples on his lover’s lower back.
“Why aren't you in the fucking jacuzzi yet?” Regulus sneers as he stands completely naked and forcefully pushes James inside. Following not long after, Regulus climbs in and settles opposite James.
They stay like this for a moment before Regulus reaches over for the body wash, shampoo, and conditioner and starts washing James up. James offers him a quiet “thanks,” which Regulus smiles softly at before he lathers James’s back with the body wash, gently massaging it into his skin, and James feels his muscles relax at the gesture. He lets Regulus work his magic and tunes his brain out from the rest of the world.
For a while, Regulus works in silence. James lets Regulus massage his scalp as he washes his hair and lets Regulus use his fancy French conditioner on him too. Despite owning a hair care brand, James is actually bad at taking care of his own hair, so Regulus takes it upon himself this time to try and define his curls for once.
After Regulus finishes his extensive hair care routine on James, he settles back, letting James burrow into his side as he floats in a blissful state of haziness. If it weren't for his pounding head and his blocked nose, maybe he could have enjoyed it a bit more.
One minute, James is in the jacuzzi, and the next, Regulus is drying him off and dressing him in clean joggers and a comfy sweater that may or may not be Remus'.
Regulus tugs his hand all the way back to the bedroom. James doesn't waste time as he nestles himself underneath the heaps of blankets to fight off the chill. Regulus wraps his arms around James's back and kisses the back of his neck softly before whispering in his ear, “Sleep, sweetheart; you'll be better in the morning.”
James lets sleep dig its claws into him as he drifts off, surrounded by love, warmth, and comfort.