Prompt 14 - Attraction
@jegulus-microfic June 14, Word count 676
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Regulus received a beautifully written email from Effie the following morning apologising for her idiotic son and for upsetting him when she invited Sirius and Remus to dinner. ‘Monty enjoyed their company when we were at dinner in the hotel and thought it would be nice to recreate it. If I had known James hadn’t asked you already, I would have invited you first. I hope you can find it in your heart to forgive us.’ And she’d signed it ‘Love Effie.’
Regulus had read it, again and again, breaking down each part and beginning to form a response. It was harder than he’d thought it would be. He’d never written to anyone’s mother before, let alone the most wonderful mother he’d ever met. No wonder James was so good and kind with parents like Effie and Monty.
‘To Effie
Dear Effie,
Thank you for your lovely email. Of course, I forgive you, it was entirely my own misunderstanding. It could have happened to anyone. James is a total dolt! Thank you for the invitation. I am looking forward to dinner. Is there anything I can bring?
Yours,
From,
Love,
Regulus’
It was short, but he couldn’t think what else to put without embarrassing himself. He closed his eyes and hit send and relaxed back on the bed next to a snoring James.
He was brushing his hand through his boyfriend’s scruffy hair when his phone pinged. He opened his emails and there was a reply from Effie.
‘Dearest Regulus,
From the bottom of my heart, thank you. You are a sweet boy, and I am so glad James tried to bury you in snow.
No darling, all we ask is for your company, we have everything for you all. See you at 6.
All my love,
Effie xxx’
James stirred next to him.
“What are you laughing at?” He raised his head trying to catch a glimpse of Regulus’s phone screen.
“Something your mum said,” He answered, twisting his phone out of James’s eyesight.
“My mum? Oh gods, what have I forgotten now?” James sighed into Regulus’s chest.
“Nothing,” Regulus had to chuckle, which made James scrape his stubble over Regulus’s sensitive skin. Regulus’s chuckle turned into a squeal, he didn’t see James’s hand flick out and grab his phone. He scrolled through their messages before Regulus even realised what he was doing.
“Muuuummmmmm!” James groaned. “She’s such a pest. Sorry,” He added as he handed Regulus his phone back, and Regulus wasn’t sure if he was apologising for reading the messages or for his mum. Either way, Regulus wasn’t that bothered. Barty had done far worse.
They were going to head over to James’s parents earlier than they’d planned because Monty had called Regulus’s number and, after ordering him to put him on speakerphone, so the others could hear, told them about the fun fair that had set up last night and would be opening in a few hours. Sirius and James had whooped with joy and started to excitedly discuss which attraction they would be going on first.
“I’m just excited about the candy floss,” Remus had confessed to Regulus.
“Same,” Regulus agreed, “And the waltzers. I’m a sucker for the waltzers,” Remus turned to stare at him.
“Me too. Why don’t we let those two bugger off and ride all the big rides, and we go and have some actual fun,” Remus suggested, pointing a finger at James and Sirius. Regulus watched his brother and his boyfriend messing around. Sirius jumped on James’s back while James spun around as fast as he could, until he tripped and launched Sirius into the air. Luckily, the sofa was waiting for him. Sirius sat up looking a bit dazed before he cheered.
“Do it again!” And jumped back onto James’s back. Regulus rolled his eyes at them.
“It’s a date,” He said to Remus, deciding James and Sirius could put themselves in danger and he'd eat sweets with Remus instead.
“Perfect,” Remus winked at him before he went to try and separate Sirius from James.
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#123
“You’ve made it far,” a grating voice rings from across the dim garage. “I must give you credit for getting here at all.”
The hero whips back to meet the villain, the other all confident smirks and easy nonchalance. Nothing the hero hasn’t seen before.
“If you think I wasn’t going to get here,” the hero says smoothly, “you underestimated me.”
It’s all a song and dance. Her hands are itching for a fight.
The villain is out of range, lurking with that knowing grin on the edges of the hero’s circle. “Show me why you’re here, then.”
The hero needs no telling. She steps into a swing that the villain predictably dodges back from. The villain reciprocates with a jab, the hero slipping under her arm and past her. The villain whirls before the hero can think of her next move—she grabs the hero by the collar and wrenches her into a grip that promises death. Her arm wraps around the hero’s neck, carefully holding her up.
It's a familiar hold, one the hero's had used on her in countless practises. Why does the villain know how to do it?
“I must say, [Hero], it hurts to know you think so low of me,” she whispers mockingly. “Though it surprises me that the person who did underestimate you ever underestimated you at all.”
That’s too many words and not enough oxygen in the hero’s brain to comprehend the meaning of them. “What—”
“Shh.” The villain’s fingers card, once, through the hero’s hair. “Look.”
The hero looks. She can’t not. A new figure enters the garage, familiarly broad and tall and walking with that stupid gait that looks half like a limp. If the hero couldn’t make out words before, she definitely thinks she’s hallucinating now.
The superhero doesn’t say anything. “Considering he knows so much about you, he clearly expected you to be stupider,” the villain says.
“She was last time I checked,” the superhero says plainly.
The villain barks a laugh. “I hate to intervene on your little detective mission, [Hero],” she says with fake pity, “but you’ve been getting a little too close to some industry secrets we’d prefer you don’t know.”
“We?” The hero can’t be bothered with the villain. Her attention is on her superior in front of her, the one who always led the way, the one who’s morals know no limits, the one that was— “You’re not part of ‘we’, are you?”
The superhero shrugs, as if this kind of question isn’t worthy of anything more. “I’ve been part of ‘we’ for a long time, [Hero]. If you’d gotten your nose out of mine and [Villain]’s business you probably would’ve noticed.”
Oh, the irony. The hero doesn’t know whether she wants to beg for him to reconsider or tear him to shreds for the audacity. “Why— Why would you join her?”
The villain huffs. “Ouch.”
The superhero shrugs again, indifferent. Where’s his righteousness, his morality, his goddamn emotions? “The agency is chasing a dream built on nothing but the abstract idea of perfectionism. She—and the rest of villainy—is built on reason. Logic.”
Indignation flares. “You’ve abandoned everything for this? Why the hell would you—”
“Alright, this isn’t an interview,” the villain cuts in sharply. She hauls the hero upright without a thought for her windpipe. “You know enough already.”
The villain kicks the hero into motion across the garage. The superhero trails behind.
The hero tries and fails to swallow the lump in her throat. “Where’re—“
“Oh, you know the drill,” the villain interrupts. “You know too much, we put you down.”
The hero tries to break the villain’s hold on her, but she’s goddamn strong. “You can’t do—”
“Oh yes we can.” The villain smirks again. The hero can hear it in her voice. “But don’t worry, we’ll tell you everything first. It’s better if you die with the secrets, y’know?”
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