The stars were our safe place (a jegulus fanfic)

Part 3

James's POV

"Um, are you ok?" James asked quietly, as to not to startle him.

Regulus looked up immediately, his hair wild and ragged, his face red and puffy and soaked in tears.

"I'm fine, Potter." He said in a cold "I don't need you" tone that did not match his exterior.

"Are you sure?" James asked in a skeptical voice. This time Regulus did not seem to have to energy to answer. He simply sighed and put his head back down. Undefeated, James grabbed Reggie's hand, pulling him up and leading him down the hall. The younger boy protested, but only for a minute. james's mind scrambled trying to think of a place to go. Then he had it! The astronomy tower. It was only ever used as a hookup up spot and only someone with half a brain would try to skip first period for a hookup on the first day. He dragged Regulus all the way there, occasionally checking he didn't look too miserable. When they got there James stopped and held the door open for him.

When he looked at James his eyes seemed blank, so different from how they looked just yesterday. Instead of the swirling storm of different colors and shades James saw in his dream, these were a plain grey like the walls of a retirement home. It was terrifying. He didn't know he cared so much about the shades of someones eyes. Lily's always looked perfect, like the shine of an emerald. But why was James even comparing Regulus's eyes to Lily's? One, the love of his life and the other, well he'd never spoken to before this.

James looked up and Regulus had already slumped next to a wall in the corner. His head back in his arms. Only this time he was looking at something. He was looking up.

"What ya looking at?" James asked tentatively.

"Wow you can't even get your grammar right in a normal sentence, can you?" He scoffed, back to his usual snark.

"I'm incapable of it," James responded. "But actually, what are you looking at?"

"Stars," Regulus said simply.

"What stars?" he laughed. "It's day time, silly!"

"I know. But there are certain stars that you can see even when it's not dark out."

"Which ones?" James asked.

"Well, there's only one." He answered. (I made this next part up lol) "Um its's the uh, Regulus star."

"Oh." James said softly.

"For once you're speechless Potter," He teased.

"Yeah," he hesitated and then continued, "Um, are you okay? Like actually. It's fine if you're not."

"It's nothing," he lied.

"Reg," James coaxed.

"Don't call me that, Potter. We're not friends."

"I'm serious Reggie" he said, the urge to call Regulus that growing even stronger.

"I know," he said dejectedly. And then it fell silent. And it stayed that way for a long time. I'm At some point though James heard something. Sniffling. And then soft crying and then sobs. Loud, broken sobs. They wracked through the shorter boys body, an earthquake rolling through an unsuspecting town. James had never seen Regulus look so small. But there he sat. A pathetic mess of a person. A person who needed caring for, loving, and tending. A person who needed help but didn't know how to ask for it.

James was overwhelmed with the feeling of helplessness and found himself hugging Regulus's curled up body. Regulus tensed up, but then slowly relaxed into the touch, letting himself be comforted. James had the urge to fiddle with Reggie's hair but thought that would be weird. So instead they just sat like that. His tears rolling onto James's shoulder and drying. Then the loud sobs turned to quiet tears. Two kinda strangers sitting in peace under that one star.

The Regulus star.