#yeah i think this is prongsfoot

[theresthesnitch]

okay but no, hear me out:

Sirius leaving home for the Potters house, but make it Romeo and Juliet with Monty making the poision to get him out of it (and obviously it goes better because Monty is the shit)

[scorpiusmalfoylovesoscarwilde]

I quite simply do not trust people who dislike friends to lovers

[padfootastic]

hey hey hey since we’re popping in just for hot takes, here’s another one:

platonic. prongsfoot. isn’t. a. thing.

how many fucking times does this have to be said.

should i start tagging every remus and sirius interaction as platonic wolfstar??? clog up the whole goddamned tag for u????

honestly what is so hard to understand that a ship name denotes…A FUCKING SHIP

and in case it bears repeating: a ship is inherently non-platonic thank u very much. a ‘platonic ship’ is…wait for it…a friendship. there u have it. shocker i know.

[grossdyke]

you know, sometimes i feel like prongsfoot just works better than jegulus, like hold on i’m thinking about it

well. yeah

[whisperingn1ghts]

Partners in crime?

[my-castles-crumbling]

essay - april 16 - black brothers - jegulus - platonic prongsfoot - @black-brothers-microfic - word count: 266

“Hey, Prongsie? Can I copy your Potions essay?” Sirius asked casually, leaning back in his desk chair and sending his best puppy dog eyes to James.

Ignoring Remus’s tut of disapproval, James nodded distractedly, looking up from a letter he was writing. “Yeah, it’s in my bag.”

Relieved he didn’t actually have to think, Sirius eagerly sifted through the bag and found the essay titled: Polyjuice Potion: How to Brew it and How it Can Go Wrong. Satisfied, he sat back down at his desk before he looked closer. It was only then that he realized something suspicious. “James…there’s notes here that aren’t in your handwriting,” he said slowly, eyes glued to the parchment.

Actually focusing now, James looked up. “Erm, yeah. I…had a friend look it over.”

“A friend?” Sirius asked, knowing full well that thought James was friendly with everyone, his only close friends were in this room. 

He also knew the small, neat, slanted handwriting on the paper. He’d known the writer since they were mere infants after all.

“Is your friend named Regulus, perhaps?” he asked lightly, pursing his lips and waiting for the fallout.

James’s pale, nervous face said it all. “Erm…maybe?”

Sirius then remembered the love bit James had had on his neck last week. The one he’d refused to say where it came from. “Prongs…” he said softly, dreading the answer. 

“Sirius’s he’s just so pretty!” James yelled loudly, face breaking into an apologetic grimace, eyes wide with sincerity. “If it helps, it wasn’t just a one-time thing!”

And really, truly, he couldn’t decide if that helped or not.

[hollowed-theory-hall]

hi! Who do you think was the most special person for Sirius? I love your analysis

James. No question.

Okay, now more seriously: Hi, thank you so much!

But yeah, it was James and later Harry, but Harry was never James in Sirius' eyes. I think I talked about it a bit in various posts in the past but I low-key think one-sided Prongsfoot (as in Sirius was in love with James) is canon. There isn't like, much textual evidence, it's mostly a vibe thing, so I consider it a canon-based headcanon more than a proper theory, but I think there's something there if you want to read into it.

I kind of wanted to make a post about it for a while, so this ask is as good an excuse as any:

So, I want to start by saying James and Sirius are not normal about each other. Their friendship is kind of insane and it's mutual. There's a reason in PoA whenever someone talks about them they forget Remus and Peter and just talk about James and Sirius and how inseparable they are:

“You say you remember him at Hogwarts, Rosmerta,” murmured Professor McGonagall. “Do you remember who his best friend was?” “Naturally,” said Madam Rosmerta, with a small laugh. “Never saw one without the other, did you? The number of times I had them in here — ooh, they used to make me laugh. Quite the double act, Sirius Black and James Potter!”

(PoA)

Their names are on the same breath for all their teachers & Rosmerta. So much so, that they had to place them in separate detentions. Not that it helped because these two found a way to not be separate for even a second:

This is a two-way mirror. I’ve got the other. If you need to speak to me, just say my name into it; you’ll appear in my mirror and I’ll be able to talk in yours. James and I used to use them when we were in separate detentions.

(OotP)

They literally couldn't spend an hour apart from each other when in school. I completely understand why you "never saw one without the other".

Every photo they took, they took so they were flush next to each other at the center of the Mauraders:

With a leap of pleasure, Harry recognized his father; his untidy black hair stuck up at the back like Harry’s, and he too wore glasses. Beside him was Sirius, carelessly handsome, his slightly arrogant face so much younger and happier than Harry had ever seen it alive. To Sirius’s right stood Pettigrew, more than a head shorter, plump and watery-eyed, flushed with pleasure at his inclusion in this coolest of gangs, with the much-admired rebels that James and Sirius had been. On James’s left was Lupin

(DH)

He was the best man in James and Lily's wedding, right there next to James the whole wedding:

He stopped on a picture of his parents’ wedding day. There was his father waving up at him, beaming, the untidy black hair Harry had inherited standing up in all directions. There was his mother, alight with happiness, arm in arm with his dad. And there ... that must be him. Their best man ... Harry had never given him a thought before.

(PoA)

Sirius was Harry's godfather and as I mentioned here, it appears Sirius lived with James and Lily when they were married before they went into hiding. JKR stated Sirius & Lily were living on James' inheritance — not Remus who couldn't get a job, not Peter who didn't get an inheritance from Uncle Alphard — Sirius.

When Sirius had enough of his family at 16, he went to James. It's always James for him. He probably felt he was able to leave his family because he knew he could go to James.

Sirius' plan with the Secret Keeper switch was that everyone would think he was the Secret Keeper so they'd torture and kill him and he wouldn't be able to tell them anything. His plan was to die for James, Lily, and Harry. Sirius didn't think he'd survive the first war if Voldemort really wanted to get to the Potters and it was worth it for him. Because James, Lily, and Harry would be safe, and he expects everyone else to do so too:

“You don’t understand!” whined Pettigrew. “He would have killed me, Sirius!” “THEN YOU SHOULD HAVE DIED!” roared Black. “DIED RATHER THAN BETRAY YOUR FRIENDS, AS WE WOULD HAVE DONE FOR YOU!”

(PoA)

Lily was well aware of how codependent James and Sirius were:

James is getting a bit frustrated shut up here, he tries not to show it but I can tell—also Dumbledore’s still got his Invisibility Cloak, so no chance of little excursions. If you could visit, it would cheer him up so much.

(DH)

She knows that Sirius can talk James into things she can't. She knows how inseparable these two are and how important it is to Sirius to be on Harry's birthday, as she comforts him about it in her letter. I think Lily was more consciously aware of the insanity that was James and Sirius than either James or Sirius. I mean, it speaks volumes that Lily feels the need to write Sirius to talk sense into her husband becouse she knows it would work and that Sirius would do it. Because I'm sure the moment Sirius saw this letter he made the time to come over because it was for James. And Sirius would die for James in a heartbeat, without a second thought. Becouse, yes, it is how his loyalty works, but there aren't many people Sirius Black is loyal to to that degree. Even though he says he'd die for Peter, I don't think he'd do it as quickly and as readily as he would for James or Harry (after all, he makes fun of Peter in SWM in a way he'd never dare to when it comes to James).

When Sirius talks about James in the books, there is so much reverence. The same reverence Snape has for Lily and more. James is on a pedestal on which he can do no wrong in Sirius' mind — and it might've been that way when James was alive too, if perhaps to a lesser degree.

“He kept messing up his hair,” said Harry in a pained voice. Sirius and Lupin laughed. “I’d forgotten he used to do that,” said Sirius affectionately.

(OotP)

When talking to Harry about James' negative traits and behavior with in OotP, Sirius is incapable of seeing James in a negative light. While Lily disliked James' cruelty (I think she was fine with the arrogance somewhat, contrary to what she says), Sirius loved James' cruelty becouse it was James. (Sirius is probably also a crueler person than Lily, but that's a different matter). But Sirius isn't willing to see any faults in James' behavior or traits. James is a good person and his best friend and he knows, objectively, that James did bad things, but he would rather call it being an "idiot teenager" than what it was. Like, this fandom talks a lot about Snape putting Lily on a pedestal, but what about Sirius with James?

James could murder someone in cold blood in front of Sirius for no reason and Sirius would start making excuses for him on why he was actually right to do so. ("no auror, see, this was actually completely justified and the right thing to do!")

“Look, Harry,” said Sirius placatingly, “James and Snape hated each other from the moment they set eyes on each other, it was just one of those things, you can understand that, can’t you? I think James was everything Snape wanted to be — he was popular, he was good at Quidditch, good at pretty much everything.

(OotP)

(I love that while excusing the bullying he sings James' praises, I can just hear the 'good-looking' he isn't saying out loud)

And even when he confesses they were berks for what they did, he spreads the blame on all of them:

“I’m not proud of it,” said Sirius quickly. [...] “If we were sometimes arrogant little berks, you mean,” said Sirius. [...] “Well . . . I thought he was a bit of an idiot.” [Harry] “Of course he was a bit of an idiot!” said Sirius bracingly. “We were all idiots! Well — not Moony so much,” he said fairly, looking at Lupin, but Lupin shook his head.

(OotP)

Sirius doesn't blame James without blaming all of them. And, he continued to justify James as he said it. (I'll add Remus is doing just as much to defend James and excuse all of his behavior, so it's not just Sirius)

“She didn’t know too much about it, to tell you the truth,” said Sirius. “I mean, James didn’t take Snape on dates with her and jinx him in front of her, did he?”

(OotP)

I wanted to note this above quote because it's interesting to me. Yes, it's Sirius not minding James' behavior again, but I find it interesting that James didn't reform completely and hides it from Lily, but not from Sirius — never from Sirius. Kind of goes with how in the letter Lily mentions how James is trying to act strong in front of her, but he probably wouldn't in front of Sirius. Their friendship was just the most important connection to both of them. James keeps secrets from Lily, the love of his life, but not from his best mate Sirius who lives with them.

(Also the "took Snape on dates with Lily" made me think James had Sirius hide nearby on at least one date with Lily to help him out and Lily, obviously, caught them. Either as Padfoot for moral support or sitting in the bushes with the two-way mirror as James holds his under the table at Madam Puddifoot's)

Sirius outright says himself James was the most important person to him:

Sirius frowned at Harry, who was still looking unconvinced. “Look,” he said, “your father was the best friend I ever had, and he was a good person. A lot of people are idiots at the age of fifteen. He grew out of it.”

(OotP)

I also think Sirius had zero experience pre-Azkaban, contrary to some fanon. I mean:

With another shock of excitement, Harry saw Sirius give James the thumbs-up. Sirius was lounging in his chair at his ease, tilting it back on two legs. He was very good-looking; his dark hair fell into his eyes with a sort of casual elegance neither James’s nor Harry’s could ever have achieved, and a girl sitting behind him was eyeing him hopefully, though he didn’t seem to have noticed. 

(OotP)

Harry instantly notes how hot Sirius is and how he is getting girls' attention, and yet, Sirius only has eyes for James. He doesn't notice the girl (or any other) because he's looking at James. This is practically text at this point (mostly joking, but also, not really).

And Sirius' fixation on James started from day one, from the moment these two met:

“Who wants to be in Slytherin? I think I’d leave, wouldn’t you?” James asked the boy lounging on the seats opposite him, and with a jolt, Harry realized that it was Sirius. Sirius did not smile. “My whole family have been in Slytherin,” he said. “Blimey,” said James, “and I thought you seemed all right!” Sirius grinned. “Maybe I’ll break the tradition. Where are you heading, if you’ve got the choice?”

(DH)

Sirius and James just met, the train barely even moved out of the station, and Sirius was upset at the possibility James wouldn't like him now because of his family history in Slytherin. It's the opposite reaction Harry had to Draco about the "wrong sort of wizard" where Harry would rather be disliked by an arrogant berk, Sirius wanted James to like him. Sirius wants James to like him so much that when James says he thought Sirius was "all right", Sirius jumps at the opportunity to prove why James should like him because he won't be a Slytherin like the rest of his family.

I low-key think this conversation affected Sirius' sorting. I think that, loath as he is to admit it, Sirius has some Slytherin characteristics, he has the cunning, the arrogance, and try as he might, he is still, so clearly, a rich pureblood from the House of Black. And he acts it. I think he was a borderline sorting and the hat took his preference. I can see young Sirius going "not Slytheirn" the same way Harry did (I like the mirroring). I think he considered that before, I think Sirius' started drifting from his family before, but I think James' words really cemented it to him.

and, just look how Sirius is with Harry. Listen, I'm the first person to jump to Sirius' defense when anyone claims he sees Harry as a James replacement — he doesn't. But Sirius' devotion to Harry (which is insane, I mean, he lived in a cave and ate rats for months, he returned to his family home which he both loathes and misses becouse it'll help the Order keep Harry safe) is an extension of his devotion to James. Sirius would do anything for Harry becouse he'll do anything for James. He sees Harry as his own person, I don't think he treats him the way he treated James at all, but his love for Harry and loyalty to him is tied to his love for James. James is the initial connecting tissue.

This post was a bit more of a rambly one than a proper essay, but I think the point comes across.

[rosestarkill]

nerve · @prongsfoot-microfic · bad idea · @taylorswiftmicrofic · prongsfoot · wc: 600 · explicit NSFW

It is said to be a bad idea to fuck your best friend because the boundaries between friendship and something else would be blurred. One may develop feelings for the other, which would make things awkward between the two. No one wants unrequited love, do they?

Sirius, however, was willing to take the risk. It was hard to resist when James was trembling and moaning so beautifully beneath him as his index finger kept appearing and disappearing inside him. His eyes were closed and his hands clutched at the bed sheets as if his life depended on it, as if he was about to fall into the void and that grip was his only means of salvation. His breathing was erratic and the sounds coming from his throat were increasingly ragged and loud as he sought his orgasm. The tight white tank top he was wearing was clinging to his sweaty body, revealing the abdominals and pectorals of a dedicated athlete. Sirius had complained about the hours James spent in the gym, claiming he spent more time there than he did with him. From that day onwards he was certain he would never complain again.

“Sirius,” he groaned as he rocked his hips against Sirius' finger, seeking as much friction as possible. His glasses were askew on his face due to his careless movements. “Fuck...”

Sirius shallowed hard. He wouldn't have imagined that hearing James moan his name would arouse him that much.

“Yeah?”

“It feels so good.”

Sirius grinned. He still remembered the conversation they'd had a few months ago, when James had admitted he had never thought of fingering himself. Of course, Sirius hadn't been surprised. It was frowned upon among cishet men to have anal intercourse. Probably, his friend had unconsciously taken on the same prejudice.

How the tables had turned.

“I told you, mate. You were missing out on a marvel.” He felt James tense momentarily under his touch as he let out a high moan. “Oh? There?”

He brushed the same nerve again and James squirmed sharply in response. He just nodded his head and bit his lower lip in order to stifle the string of noises escaping his mouth. His neck and face were stained a reddish colour. Cute.

Perhaps he shouldn't be thinking about how gorgeous he found his friend under such circumstances, nor how badly he was looking forward to repeating even if they hadn't finished yet, nor how addicted he knew he'd become if that encounter became a regular occurrence. It hardly mattered to him at the moment though, for James had always been his priority, and it seemed his priority right now was for Sirius to fuck him properly.

Sirius brought his free hand to James' length and stroked it skillfully, settling into the quick pace of the finger in his ass. All that could be heard in the room was Mick Jagger's voice from the record player, James' muffled whines and the obscene rubbing sounds of his hands stimulating James' body. Could it get any better?

“Sirius.”

Yes, it could. Fuck. He watched James come immediately in his hand with his name on his lips as he writhed inevitably on the mattress, the sheets crumpling under him. Sirius fingered him through the edge waves until his cock went limp and he figured any contact would be too much stimulation for his sensitivity.

When James opened his eyes, Sirius smirked and raised his chin in a haughty expression.

“Ten out of ten?”

James snorted.

“Two out of ten.”

James' glasses flew to the floor when Sirius threw a cushion in his face.

[ecstarry]

"One Day" situationship prongsfoot // @del-stars @star4daisy @v7lgar

“I think I’m lost,” James said, frustrated.

They had been going in circles for an hour, saying the same fucking thing but never quite understanding each other’s points.

“It’s not like you can have the 'Talk' while you’re still figuring things out—”

James opened his mouth to argue, but Sirius immediately pointed a scolding finger at him. Mockingly, James zipped his lips and nodded for him to continue, which only pissed Sirius off more.

“I know this might be hard for James Loverboy Potter to understand, but there is such a thing as too soon.” Sirius shot him a pointed look. “So, in the meantime, it’s a situationship.”

“Can I talk now?”

Sirius leaned in closer, retracing the path James had just followed to unzip his lips. “Yeah, go ahead.”

The smugness on James’ face washed away immediately. “Just because you’re figuring things out doesn’t mean you’re in a situationship.”

James didn’t pull back, and neither did Sirius. James shifted on the couch, trying to shake off the weird energy—or whatever it was that kept happening when they got too close.

Sirius carried on as if nothing had changed. “I don’t know. Sometimes you just aren’t sure what you want yet.”

“Then why not say that? That way, both people are on the same page about where they stand.”

They both leaned back, their heads resting against the couch, staring at the ceiling.

“Just because it doesn’t work for you doesn’t mean it won’t work for other people,” Sirius insisted.

James bumped his elbow against Sirius’ in silent demand for an example.

“Barty and Evan are—”

“No.” James quickly interrupted, sitting up straighter. Sirius followed. “Whatever they have going on should never be used as an example when talking about relationships.”

“Fair.”

“You can just say you’re seeing someone.”

“That’s so fucking vague,” Sirius argued.

“And situationship isn’t?” James countered.

“A situationship doesn’t have to be romantic—it can just be about sex.”

“Oh.”

He didn’t say more, afraid his voice would break.

James hated it. He told himself he just hated disagreeing with Pads—that it had nothing to do with the other night. Or with what happened during summer break. Or winter break.

Or with how badly he wanted it to keep happening. Again and again.

“What?” Sirius asked.

“I just didn’t know you saw it that way.” James closed his eyes tightly, trying to hold back tears.

He felt Sirius move closer—he knew even before Sirius’ hand reached his, before the fabric of his clothes made a single sound. He knew. James always knew when Sirius was near.

“Jamie.”

“Mhm?” Barely a sound left James’ lips.

“What are we talking about?”

“I don’t know,” James mumbled, finally opening his eyes, knowing he would find Sirius’ gaze already fixed on him.

“What ar—?”

Sirius gently took his hand and squeezed it. “Can we not talk about it anymore?”

“Yeah.”

Maybe one day, they could.

[greyeyedmonster-18]

(this has been in my drafts since the SuperBowl, after being...inspired by the eagles vs. chiefs game, and the red and the green and...you know.

a slytherin!sirius prongsfoot au. james loses a quidditch game. it's not smut, but its not...not smut-like)

-

Hot water poured over James’s shoulders, forehead resting against the wall. He had lost track of the time, staring at the greying tile grout, blinking water out of his eyes. Or tears. He couldn't tell anymore.

It was just a game. 

Except when it wasn’t

And James hated to admit how much of his own self-worth was tied up in a game of Quidditch. If he wasn’t a star chaser, who was he, really? 

His teammates had clapped him on the back, assuring him they had put up one hell of a fight against Slytherin. They just happened to be better and the wind was blowing in their direction and, and, and, and every excuse to try to make James feel better about the loss of the season. Of his seventh year, no less.

The year he had told himself would be undefeated if he worked hard enough. Just tried a little bit more.

But no.

James vaguely heard the door of the changing rooms open and shut, thinking it as one of his teammates coming to grab something they had forgotten, or at the very least, perhaps Madame Hooch would come to check-up on James to make sure he hadn’t decided to drown himself entirely. 

“Are you footing the water bill for Hogwarts this month?”

Not a teammate.

“Piss off, Black.”

“Not happy to see me?”

“No. Piss off,” James repeated, biting back the urge to say that he couldn’t see Black at all.

He could hear Black sigh though, and in his mind could very clearly see him looking up at the ceiling the way he did when he was annoyed during Prefect meetings, or when a classmate offered an answer in class that was wrong. James knew that sigh. And now he was on the receiving end of it. 

“You’re here alone?”

“What’s it look like.”

“Your mates just left you? That’s a bit shit.”

“I didn’t exactly expect them to hop in here with me, Black,” James rolled his eyes.

“You played a--”

“No.”

“--good game, it was difficult to--”

“Just stop,” James cut him off, picking his head off the shower wall, “Not now. I don’t need any of that, especially not from you.”

“Especially me?

“Yeah, so, again. Piss. Off.”

“Even though of all the people in your life who will tell you exactly what you--”

“I don’t want to--”

“--want to hear, just to preserve your ego--”

“I don’t have an ego and I really don’t--”

“--I’m the one person you can--”

“--want to have a conversation with you!” James said, finally spinning around in the shower to face the entryway. His eyes widened as he saw Sirius standing there, with his arms folded over his chest, leaning against the wall just before it transformed into tile. Just out of reach of the spray, but definitely close enough to see every inch of James’s body. “And not while I’m bloody naked! For Merlin’s sake, Black, can you please just listen? I’m not in the mood for whatever gobshite you have to say.” James told him. As much as James usually enjoyed the back and forth and the tossing and turning that usually came after, now wasn’t the time. When James was far from confident. Far from cocky. Far from wanting to show off for Sirius the way he usually did when they were together, desperate to prove to Sirius--for whatever reason--that he was as great as he was made out to be. 

Sirius pushed himself off the wall, as James stood, spitting water out of his mouth, water continuing to run down his back. 

“Alright,” Sirius said simply. 

“Sorry,” James said, though he didn’t quite know why. Suddenly embarrassed to have shouted at his part-time lover and full-time pain in the arse, and all too aware he was fully exposed. Emotionally. Physically. “Can you--” but James stopped himself as he watched Sirius pull his dark green sweater over his head, shaking out the sleeves evenly before folding it against his chest. “What are you doing?”

“It’s cashmere, I’m not going to throw it on the floor,” Sirius responded, placing the folded sweater on a bench just outside the showers, still within James’s eyeline. 

He pulled off his white long sleeve underneath the sweater next, and repeated the folds. 

Putting on a show.

A private one.

Unwrapping inches of olive skin.

Sirius arched an eyebrow as he pulled at the strap of his belt to undo his trousers, eyes remaining on James as he did so until he was just standing in his briefs at the entryway of the showers.

“What…are you doing?” James asked again, voice nearly caught in his throat.

“You said you didn’t want to have a conversation while you were naked, so I’m…leveling out the playing field,” he responded, tilting his head to the side. Sirius had gotten a haircut recently. Not that James really noticed. Only that curls were still neatly in place when Sirius moved his head, and before, James would occasionally become very distracted when curls would fall. Tumble down.

“That's what you thought I meant?” Sirius shrugged in response, cheeky smirk pulling at his lips, “It’s not. This,” James gestured between them, “is not.”

“I see,” Sirius nodded slowly, “So…I should put my trousers back on then?” Sirius asked, stepping one foot into the shower. 

“I--”

“I should just…leave, right?” Sirius asked, stepping another foot in. James unconsciously took a step backward, luke-warm water further blurring his vision. If he stepped back far enough, Sirius wouldn’t be there at all. He wouldn’t see a thing, and he wouldn’t have to lie and explain what he had been doing or with whom or pretend or…

“The waters not very hot anymore,” James said stupidly. As if the premise of cold water would deter Sirius. Feeling low enough that perhaps it would. 

“Oh…well…” Sirius nodded, as if considering the implications.

“You’re still in your pants.”

“And what are you going to do about that, Potter?” 

James closed his eyes, as he often did when he was near Sirius Black. It seemed easier that way. Less overwhelming. Less consuming. Because looking at Sirius Black--all six foot something something of him, and the dark trail of hair peeking out from over the top of the waistband of his briefs, and his stupid long eyelashes-- was too much sometimes. And it was far easier to grab hold of him, when he wasn’t looking.

Clumsy as it might have been. As it was. James hands reaching forward, Sirius laughing softly when James stumbled around for a moment, hands feeling, literally, blindly until they collided with soft skin. Then with warm cotton.

James kept his eyes closed as he hooked his thumbs into elastic and pulled downward, instinctively falling to his knees as he did so. 

James was soaking wet.

Sirius was dry. 

James could fix that.

He opened his eyes to look up at Sirius, the two of them close enough together that James could make out facial features, as Sirius stared down at him.

One of Sirius’s hands moved to run his fingers through James’s hair, pushing soaked tendrils off his forehead, and he made a soft hum in the back of his throat.

“What?” James asked.

“I like you down there.”

“I can tell.”

“You may not have been happy to see me, but I have to admit,” Sirius said slowly, pulling the curls at the back of James’s head gently, forcing James to look up further, “I had quite the view…have quite the view.”

“I didn’t mean--”

“Shut up,” Sirius told him, and James’s eyebrows knitted together for only a brief moment. 

“Gladly, and I’ll have you do the same.”

“What are--” 

James sat up on his haunches, straightening himself out to get more leverage, while his hands reached up to grab Sirius’s arse cheeks, hard. Music as Sirius moaned in response. Ha. James watched as Sirius’s head reclined backward in anticipation of what was to come. 

James’s mouth.

Warm tongue.

Sirius whispering his name over and over again, gripping the back of his head to control the rhythm.

Slow down

Never.

Legs shaking.

Hands, hands, hands.

Maybe James couldn’t win a Quidditch game.

But he certainly could give this gorgeous boy a blowjob, and for the next several minutes that was enough. He could certainly silence Sirius Black, or at least limit his speech to only James, James, James.

Sirius wasn’t dry anymore, and his briefs were collecting water on the shower floor. James would have bruises on his knees, and was hoping he could pass them off as a Quidditch Injury. The fingernail indentations on his shoulders would be harder to explain. Just as all the other marks Sirius had left behind before, which led James to suddenly start changing behind closed doors and not in the middle of his dormitory. 

His friends asked questions.

James never answered. Just relished the moments in private, when he would see the purple bruises left on his collar bones from Sirius, before putting on his uniform shirt in the morning.

Sirius put two fingers underneath James’s chin to tilt his head upward, and this time James stood up, the two of them sharing the shower spray. 

Sirius leaned forward to kiss him. And again. Down James’s neck, biting softly.

Yes.

“You played a good game,” Sirius mumbled softly.

“No, don’t ruin it, come on, I’ll go back down, just--” James started, feeling as Sirius smiled against his skin. “We didn’t anyway…we were in the bin by the half.”

“I didn’t say that,” Sirius responded, between kisses, “I said you played a good game. Your team was awful.”

“Is that supposed to make me feel better?”

“Yes,” Sirius said simply. “You are very good.”

“I am supposed to be leading my team. That's not exactly a compliment, Black,” James told him, and he could feel Sirius smile again, this time accompanied by a laugh. 

“Best I could do really.”

“Try harder.”

Sirius' hand came to the side of James’s face, fingers fitting neatly underneath his jaw like they were made to be there. Puzzle pieces. “What would you like me to say, darling?”

“Tell me….tell me I’m good. Just once more.”

“I thought that wasn’t a compliment.”

“I changed my mind.”

“You’re very good at blowjobs.”

“No. Tell me I’m good at Quidditch.”

“It was bad form of your teammates to just leave you be.”

“Sirius,” James said, drawing out the last syllable.

“What? You were clearly distraught.”

“Dramatic." James had been told that a few times in his life.

“Means you care.”

“Too much.”

Sirius shrugged, and if James wasn’t standing mere inches from his face, maybe he wouldn’t have noticed Sirius shake his head. James knew that head shake, just as he knew the sigh. 

And James realized it wasn’t at him, or about him at all. 

“Tell me. Once more, and I’ll never make you say it again.”

“Until you lose again.”

“We won’t.”

“You,” he emphasized, “are very good at Quidditch.” 

A final kiss. And James thought he could stay in the shower forever with Sirius. Wanted to rest his head, and curl up into the warmth of Sirius. It could be wonderful.

But Sirius turned the water off, a rush of cool air hitting the both of them. He watched as Sirius bent over to grab his soaked briefs off the tile floor, wringing them out, water hitting the ground with a splash. And he waited. Gesturing out into the locker room with one hand, for James to step out first. 

And he did.

Sirius’s clothes were in a neat pile on a bench. Socks tucked into one another. 

James’s were shoved into his cubby in the locker room. 

And Sirius waited for James to start getting dressed before he reached for his own shirt. James pulled his Gryffindor sweatshirt over his head, though he wasn’t as nearly as full of pride as he was this morning when he put it on. 

Perhaps he was a bit of a sore loser. 

Perhaps he took it too seriously. Or got too caught up. It was just a game, after all.

Or maybe he just cared.

“You think I care too much?” James asked, turning his head to catch Sirius pulling on his trousers, with nothing underneath.

Merlin. 

“No,” Sirius told him, redoing the clasp of his belt. Socks. Dragonhide boots, which looked offensively out of place in a Quidditch changing room. Alongside the dark green sweater. Though Sirius Black naked seemed to blend right in. “Anyway, I’m off to enjoy a victory party in the common room. I would invite you but…I think you’d be a bit of a wet blanket at the moment.”

James rolled his eyes, “Piss off, Black.”

“This time I will,” Sirius told him, turning on his heel and walking out of the changing rooms. Briefs left behind on the bench.

[siriuslystarbucks]

Longing

Written for @prongsfoot-microfic prompt January 27, 2024: Longing

James has known Sirius for years now, and it doesn't really feel like any part of him has changed how he thinks about him... but he used to not think about kissing Sirius and now he does. So technically that means James is thinking of Sirius differently. It just doesn't feel like it. 

He looks at Sirius and he wants more of him. His full attention, all of his time, to be in more of his thoughts than he already is. He tries to explain it to Sirius, but something gets lost between his thoughts and his words. Sirius usually ends up looking at him with this bemused expression and saying, "Yeah, Prongs, I love you too."

James will figure out some way to tell him.

Or maybe he'll just grab him and kiss him one day. That would be difficult to misinterpret, right?

But in the meantime, he looks at Sirius and wants.

[forestdeath1]

Prongsfoot microfic. Hope.

WC ≈ 1700. TW: swearing, internalised homophobia, underage drinking

"I love you, Sirius," James, looking rather sloshed, mumbles as he tries to wrap his arms around Sirius's neck. "Do you… love me?" His ability to talk properly is definitely falling apart.

"Of course I do. Everyone does" Sirius answers calmly, trying to keep James from falling to the floor.

Gryffindor had a Quidditch victory party after beating the shit out of Slytherin. At some point at the height of merriment, James and Peter decided to see who could drink more firewhiskey straight from the bottle. It was a pretty bad idea, Sirius knew that, but he didn't stop any of them from their teenage urge to explore all facets of bad decisions.

When the party came to an end and all their friends scattered to the dorms, James asked Sirius to stay with him for a little longer to have one more dram of whiskey, just making idle chitchat. Sirius shrugged uncertainly, thinking about the ability of James to drink more, but he looked sober (not really) enough, and… well, one more round of whiskey never killed anybody, did it?

That was a mistake, because James wanted one more. Then he asked Sirius for a drag – for the first time in his life – and then felt bad, and then poured himself another glass of whiskey justifying it with a need to rinse the awful taste of a fag from his mouth. Until Sirius finally took the last bottle away, and with a distinct sternness in his voice, said James had had enough. James didn't even try to argue, he just looked at Sirius and said:

"I love you, Sirius. Do you… love me?"

"Of course I do. Everyone does"

James chuckles and tightens his grip around Sirius's neck more.

"Come on, James, let's get you to bed. You need sleep. Trust me, mate, otherwise, tomorrow, I'm afraid you'll curse all of us out of pure hatred toward any form of life"

James apparently has nothing more to say, he just stares at Sirius with that deer look on his face and smiles – either gently or absentmindedly, hard to tell.

As soon as they're in their dorm, Sirius gets James into his bed. After a quick freshening up in the bathroom, Sirius climbs into his own, enjoying the cool sheets after this bloody long day with no extraneous thoughts. Not even about James confessing his love. Nothing strange about it, really, it happens every time James gets drunk. So Sirius is used to it. He knows there's nothing to overthink – it's just James's usual pissed charming self.

James has told Remus he loves him many times in this sloshed state. He's said it to Peter too. And everyone in this bloody castle knows that James is hopelessly in love with Lily. Unreciprocated, but still.

So there is definitely nothing to think about.

Nothing at all.

Sirius is about to fall asleep as he feels someone opening his bed curtains and trying to crawl in.

"James?"

"Mhm. It's boring there. Do you mind if I…"

"Fuck, James, we're not 15 anymore, and there is no space–"

"Thanks," James interrupts without any hesitation and comfortably nestles in beside Sirius.

"The pleasure is all mine", Sirius mutters, a hint of accepting fate and sarcasm in his voice.

"Couldn't sleep."

"Can't say the same for me."

James props himself up on his elbows and looks at Sirius, a mild grin on his face. Sirius arches an eyebrow, waiting for James to say something, but he just keeps staring at him in that strange way. Sirius feels his chest tighten at that closeness of his best friend.

He should be used to this by now, the same way he's used to James's drunken nonsense talking. But he hasn't manage. And Sirius is afraid he never will.

"You know what, Padfoot?" murmurs James in a soft voice

"Enlighten me."

"You didn't answer my question"

"Sorry?"

"I asked you if you love me"

"And I said–"

"Yeah, yeah, I remember. I'm drunk, not a mindless idiot. But that wasn't an answer. That was bullshit"

"Well, James, if you don't like my answers, you can peacefully fuck off"

James grins, but even in the dark Sirius can see the softness in his eyes. James reaches out to brush a lock of hair from Sirius's face. A tingling sensation spread through Sirius's body.

Fuck. Why is it always like this?

"I just wanna know if you love me the way I love you"

Silence falls between them.

James probably has no fucking idea how painful this is for Sirius – the endless love confessions, even if they're just friendly. The way he's always around, too close, too suffocating. The way he so damn casually demands answers from Sirius, completely oblivious to how much it all actually matters to him. Sirius is abso-fucking-lutely sure James has no clue just how important it really is.

James asks Sirius to say something he simply can't say. He can't. And he doesn't want to. Because there is no point in that. Because it's terrifying. Even dangerous. There's love that's fated to die inside of you, and that's the bitter poetry of life that Sirius accepted from the very first moment he realised his feelings for his best friend.

But when James is this close – when Sirius can smell moss, whiskey, and sweat, when James touches him, presses against him, so easily, so gently – for a brief moment it feels like there's something more. Something deeply mutual. Something beyond friendship.

Damn, what a load of sappy rubbish. Sirius shouldn't think like that. Just shouldn't.

"Sirius. Do you love me the way I love you?" James insists. The smug grin has faded from his face giving way to a drowsy, drunken, but stubborn stare.

James won't remember a damn thing anyway. Not after all that alcohol.

And Sirius? He could never lie to James.

(Or is this just a wretched attempt to absolve himself of the sin of a reckless confession?)

"I love you more than you can imagine, James" Sirius mutters as if ashamed of saying it aloud.

Fuck, that sounded pathetic.

But James just flashes that stupid, broad grin again. Of course he does. This drunk animal got exactly what he wanted — validation — without the faintest clue what Sirius’s words really meant.

It's for the best though. This is how it should be – James shouldn't have a single doubt about…

Sirius barely registers when James's lips find his. He doesn’t know how he ends up kissing him back, how his body just reacts on instinct. He doesn't realise when James's fingers tangle into his hair.

How long does it last? 5 seconds? Ten?

Sirius gently pushes James away. Soft but firm.

"James, no"

"Why?"

Why?

Because Sirius knows it's better not to let drunk people make important decisions – and kissing your best friend, who, by some cruel joke of fate, happens to be a guy, is definitely and important decision. One James might seriously regret.

Because James is completely wasted. Because he just wants to kiss anybody.

Because it's not about Sirius at all – he's just convenient for James's drunken lust.

Because if Sirius really succumbs to this temptation, if he lets this happen, and James remembers, it will ruin everything.

Not to mention Sirius thinks it's completely unfair to kiss someone who can't fully comprehend what the fuck they're doing.

And what then? Awkward pauses. Stolen glances. And a friendship that crumbles.

Sirius can't sacrifice James-the-friend-for-life just to get James-the-lover-for-a-minute, no matter how badly he wants to.

Because it's not right. It's not fair. It shouldn't be this way. And it never will be.

"Because I don't want to," Sirius lies. He has to. It's the only thing that will stop James now – a clear rejection.

"You don't believe me, do you?" A barely concealed disappointment in James's voice. "That I love you – you don't believe me"

"James, stop it"

"I love you"

Fuck, that hurts. Sirius thought he was used to James's confessions, but after everything that just happened, it stings all over again. Once more, that ugly miserable hope claws its way back into his chest – the hope that James actually means it. Not that Sirius doesn't cherish James's love as a friend. He does, more than anything. But a longing heart always wants more. And he thought he'd put all that behind him. He really did.

Merlin, his mother was right – Sirius really is pathetic.

He really fucking is.

"Say that when you're sober, ok?"

"And will you let me kiss you then?"James smirks, leaning in closer.

"Fuck off, James. For Merlin's sake," Sirius snaps, shoving him away. He turns away, forcing himself not to break. Maybe he just should to move to James's bed since James is so fucking glued to his.

An awkward ringing silence stretches between them.

"I'm sorry, Sirius," James mutters, a slight guilt lacing his voice. "I really am. I didn't think you'd react like this… I thought it'd be fun"

"Nothing to apologise for"

"Still, I am sorry. And…" James pauses as if he's trying to find the right words. "Look, don't think that I'm… you know… like that…"

This hits straight to the chest.

"Like what?" Sirius immediately turns around to face James again. He stares at him, arching a brow – waiting, maybe even daring.

"I'm not gay," James blurts embarrassed. If not for the darkness, Sirius could swear that James was red to the tips of his ears.

"You think that's the problem? That I might think you're gay?" Sirius asks, his voice laced with dry amusement, just enough bite to be cruel.

"Uhm.. yeah? That's why you're pissed, right? You thought I was hitting on you, and–"

"Holy fuck, James. You're such a fucking idiot" Sirius cuts him off. "Get the fuck off my bed. Right now."

"Pads–"

"Now, James. Or I'll throw you off myself. And trust me, that will fucking hurt."

"Alright, alright"James raises his hands in surrender and slides off the bed. "Listen, mate, I swear, I didn't mean–"

"Sleep it off, and we'll talk tomorrow." Sirius doesn't let James finish his stupid justifications. "If you even remember anything," and then he yanks the curtains shut just in James's stupid, drunk face.

[silent-storms-posts]

I don’t understand why Wolfstar is the bigger ship than Prongsfoot.

There are three reasons I feel like Prongsfoot have a way stronger codependent relationship that could be romantic than Wolfstar.

‘Not a day goes by where I don’t miss your father’. Sirius after spending 12 years in Azkaban where dementors were feasting on happy memories still fondly and constantly remembers (pines for?) James. We see him as the parent figure for Harry but in almost every interaction he seeks James in Harry, and almost feel irritated when Harry doesn’t respond like James.

And it’s not just Sirius. In SWM the whole incidence starts because Sirius is bored. Yeah we can assume that James might still be a dick even if Sirius wasn’t bored but in this context Sirius says that he was bored, and James goes ‘oh I think I see something wrong hat can make you feel not bored’. James basically humiliated a guy for Sirius and this isn’t the first time because we see a tamer rendition of this in Snape’s memories when they meet each other in the train for first year.

Thirdly everything that we see and read about Sirius and Remus seems like they tolerated each other for James. Sirius does not take Remus lycanthropy (which is a very critical aspect of him) seriously. He is willing to use it as a form of entertainment or as a weapon. When they see each other in the shack Sirius is single-minded focused on avenging James.

Don’t get me wrong Wolfstar is cool (I’m not the biggest fan) but I’m just confused as to how they became the more popular ship and not prongsfoot. Was it because James and Sirius don’t have any alive interactions for us to see? Is it because their codependency would be kinda toxic if it was romantic but tragic is platonic?

But yeah like always pls leave your thought in a respectful manner :) always open to differing opinions.

[lqtraintracks]

Writing Interview

Thanks so much for the tag @starquestingfordrarry! <333

how many works do you have on ao3? 337

what's your total ao3 word count? 1,454,047

your top 5 stories by kudos

Right Hand Red (with freakin’ 40,662; sorry, I just noticed that it had ticked over the 40k mark and I’m flabbergasted and so grateful as well <3 )

Hung Like a Horntail

Slip Into My Lover’s Hands

Weeds or Wildflowers written with sdk / @unmistakablyoatmeal

check this hand ‘cause I’m marvelous

do you respond to comments? Er… yes?? Like, very. verrrrry. slowly. But I’ll admit that some will never get answered because I lose steam and then when I start trying again, I start with the newest ones. This might sound horn-tooty, which is not how I intend it, but with the number of stories I’ve written, I get a lot of comments. I’ve found it impossible to keep up, but I do my best, even if my best is sometimes a bit crappy. I do read and appreciate every comment I get though!

what's the fic you've written with the angstiest ending? I don’t really do angsty endings often. When I do, it’s usually a Prongsfoot or something. Of the Drarry fics I’ve written, I have one open ending but it’s still pretty hopeful, and that’s Burning the Ground. 

what's the fic you've written with the happiest ending? All of them. :D My goal in life is to get readers (and myself) to cry with joy at the end of my stories. Some standouts just from memory are Heart Like Neon, Bolts, Take You Home, Jasmine in Bloom, Right Hand Red, Blood and Fire, and The Most Splendid Thing. 

do you write crossovers? Maybe one or two over the last 25 years. So, statistically, not so much. 

have you ever received hate on a fic? LOL of course. :D But I don’t linger on those comments. They’re quite few honestly. 

do you write smut? No, never. 

have you ever had a fic stolen? Yes. 

have you ever had a fic translated? Yes. Quite a few have been. Not even sure how many languages, but I know there are several in Russian, Chinese, and I think both Spanish and Portuguese. 

have you ever co-written a fic? Yes! With the incredibly talented sdk, @the-starryknight, and @nv-md! (And one round robin with like 552 people lol.)

what's your all-time favorite ship? Drarry, my beloved. <3

what's a WIP that you want to finish but don't think you ever will? I don’t really have wips. I’m a chronic finisher. I did start something last year for a friend’s birthday and then pooped out. I ended up writing her a completely different pairing months later. And then I took some of the vibes and ideas from that unfinished fic and wrote them into other fics that I *did* finish, so… Cannibalism. Yeah. 

what are your writing strengths? LOL finishing things! :D Also: smut, for sure. Humor. Sort of achy, hot romances? My trademark is writing tenderness and filth simultaneously. I’ve gotten good at pacing things well, so that beats and arcs feel well-rounded and satisfying, I think. 

what are your writing weaknesses? Ugh, plot!!! Specifically non-romance-or-pairing-based plotlines are difficult for me. Heavy angst. Also stakes. I struggle to up the stakes for my characters enough to give a big payoff. I struggle to make my characters change enough or to effectively write that change in a satisfying way. (This applies more to my original writing than to fic, I think.)

what are your thoughts on writing dialogue in other languages in a fic? I’m not sure what the hot take here is and if there is one I’m missing it. My original novel has a Spanish speaker and he will sometimes slip into Spanish during conversation. I wanted to get that right, so I had a native Spanish speaker (hi @capipuff!) read it to correct my bad Google-translated Spanish. So I guess my thoughts on writing dialogue in other languages in fic is, do your best to get it right?

what's a fandom/ship you haven't written for yet but want to?  If I want to write something, I write it. :D 

what's your favorite thing you've ever written? Oof. Wow. I want to say my original novel, even though it’s also more flawed than my fic tends to be. It’s certainly one of the things I’m most proud to have written. <3 Usually my favorite fic is the last thing I’ve written and that’s true right now as well. I love The Most Splendid Thing. But before that, my favorite was probably Jasmine in Bloom, and before that it was Take You Home. Bolts is for sure in the running. Heart Like Neon is way up there as well. As is My Name in Your Mouth, because I love that Teddy Lupin with all my horny heart. 

Okay I'm going to tag some of you fine folks now: Ali, you're it! Also, @writcraft @shiftylinguini @phoebe-delia @wholahoop @saintgarbanzo @academicdisasterfic @citrusses @corvuscrowned @lettersbyelise and @magpiefngrl

[imaginejamesandsirius]

Hiii I really love your writing! Thank you for keeping Prongsfoot alive <3 I was hoping you could do one where James temporarily loses his memories and falls in love with Sirius (who is already his boyfriend but he doesn’t remember) all over again. Cute fluffy stuff pls hehehe

James can hear the doctor in the hall, saying something about how 'they' need to take it easy and not excite the patient too much. James can't help but perk up. He has visitors! It's about time. Yeah, yeah, they needed to get him out of the danger zone first, but he's been bored, being trapped in this hospital room with only staff to see-- and it's not like they really talk to him.

He's lost his memories (temporarily, they assure him), but he gets the feeling he's a person that talks a lot.

He's practically vibrating in his skin when the door finally opens. Then his eyes widen. Wow, he must be popular, because people come flooding in. He guessed he was a people person, but when four people come in, he thinks that's going to be the end of it. People keep walking in, filling the hospital room until there's not a single spare foot of floor to be found. His gaze automatically latches onto the first person that made it in-- an absolutely gorgeous man with piercing grey eyes and a wide smile-- who comes straight to his side and makes an aborted gesture to touch his shoulder. The man in question is the first one to speak, something that must have been prearranged, because of how many people there are.

"Hey, James. We know you don't recognise anyone right now, but I thought it might make you feel better to see everyone."

"Yeah, and we need you to get back to work, you're making us look bad," someone joked.

"Can't make the quotas without him, huh Gideon?"

"Shove off," he replies, but it's with good humour.

Everyone seems to be in high spirits. James likes that.

Sirius-- the one James can't stop staring at, the first one in the room, the one who keeps almost touching him and then stopping himself-- introduces everyone. He tells James as he does it, that he doesn't expect him to remember, he just wants to make him feel less like he's surrounded by strangers.

People are talking, about nothing in particular, just talking to keep him company, and James appreciates it. He wants to pay attention to all these people that care about him, but his eyes keep getting drawn back to Sirius. He does his best not to make it obvious, but he gets caught.

"Come on, everyone, time to get lost," Fabian says. "We should give him and Sirius some time alone. Even without his memories he knows who's most important."

Everyone laughs companionably and James blushes, but people file out of the room like it's no big deal, bidding him well and promising to come back if he's there much longer.

When the door closes, leaving the two of them alone, James clears his throat uncomfortably. "I didn't mean to stare."

"I don't mind," Sirius says with a smirk.

"Is it true?"

"Is what true?"

"That you're... most important to me."

"Yeah," Sirius says easily. He laughs at James's expression. "We've been best mates for ages. We were in the same dormitory at school, and when we graduated, we moved in together. Never separated since. Everyone knows I'm the most important person to you. People we don't even know, know that about us."

James tries to form an opinion about that, but before he gets the chance, Sirius is walking towards the door.

"I'm going to talk to your doctor, see when you get to leave. I know you don't like being cooped up."

James nods dumbly, and then Sirius is gone with a wink. 'Most important person'. And everyone knows it. What sort of person is James, when he has all his memories? Does he wear his heart on his sleeve? Or is he more reserved but nice to everyone? And he has to be nice to people, if he has so many friends. Maybe he has a lot of friends, but Sirius is the only one he's close to.

He's eaten up with questions about his past. The doctors claim his memories will come back soon, but when he asked when 'soon' is, they said it could be a matter of hours or a week. What sort of person is he? What sort of person is Sirius? When everyone was visiting, they mentioned him going back to work-- what is his work? Is he dating anyone? Where does he even live? He has no idea where home is, much less what it looks like.

If he is dating someone, they didn't make themselves known while visiting.

James groans, slipping off his glasses and pressing his palms against his eyes. It sort of aches, and he wonders why the hell he did it, if it hurts. Muscle memory, that's what the doctor called it. He's not sure he likes this muscle memory. He puts his glasses back on and waits for Sirius to return.

*

Sirius, James learns, is fucking adorable. When James gets upset about not having his memories back yet, Sirius makes him breakfast in bed. When that fails to cheer him up, he takes him flying. When James refuses to get on the broom because, "I don't have my memories, I'm going to get hurt," he takes him on his motorbike instead. For some reason, the prospect doesn't scare him like the broom did, and he thinks it's because Sirius is the one in charge of the bike. Sirius, at least, has all his memories and knows what he's doing. James isn't going to count on muscle memory saving him all on his own-- Sirius laughed when he said this, and said that he'd have to remember it as the only time in James's life where he didn't want to be on a broom; instead of being upset at the difference between James without his memories and James with his memories, he's just amused. James likes that it doesn't upset him. He likes it when Sirius is happy.

He likes just about everything about Sirius. He likes his laugh and how he cooks and the way he winks at James all the time, and he likes most of all that even though Sirius must miss the James he is when he has his memories, he doesn't treat James like a stranger.

"Am I much like myself?" James asks, after two days home from the hospital. He's counting down the days until his memories have to return-- the week long mark is a beacon to him. He was in the hospital for one day, home for two, only four more until he can be himself again. But he feels like himself now, even without his memories. Is it even possible to not feel like himself? But he wants to know what Sirius thinks. He always wants to know what Sirius thinks; he wonders if that's a holdover from his memories that couldn't be erased, or if Sirius really is that fascinating. His guess, of course, is that it's just the wonder that is Sirius Black.

"Aside from not wanting to fly, I'd say you're exactly yourself," Sirius laughs.

"Don't joke, I want to know," James says, even though he enjoys hearing that laugh.

Sirius shrugs, easy as anything. He looks so comfortable in his own skin. "You're unsure of yourself. You hesitate now where normally you wouldn't. You don't remember certain details. That's pretty much it. You're still you, James. Your heart's the same as it's always been. You're still curious about what you don't know."

"I thought that was because I lost my memories."

"Nah, the world is a mystery and you like it that way; it means there's something new around every corner."

Huh. James... likes that. He looks at Sirius, focuses on the way his smile curves and plumps his cheek, the sparkle in his eyes, the sweep of hair across his forehead, and wonders if he's been in love with him for very long, or if it's something new he's feeling. Either way, he likes it. Loving Sirius feels easy.

*

James wakes up, giggles to himself, and crawls out of bed to go join Sirius.

Sirius half-wakes when the bed shifts. "Wha's goin' on?"

"Got my memories back," James whispers. He pecks Sirius's cheek. "Go back to sleep."

"Mmph."

*

"So, memories back?" Sirius says the next morning.

"Yep. You want to know what's funny?" James asks, a grin splitting his face.

"What?"

"Before I got my memories back, I was already falling in love with you again."

"Aw, you love me."

"Sure do," James says, pulling him in for a kiss.

[my-castles-crumbling]

Dorm room - Jegulus, Black brothers, wolfstar, platonic prongsfoot - TTPD Server Micropromt Challenge - word count: 497

“Reg, I need to talk to you,” Sirius said, sitting on a bench next to his brother and frowning. “I don’t know what to do.

Instantly worried by Sirius’s sincere demeanor, Regulus placed his homework to the side and turned. “What is it?”

“I think James is gay. Or not straight, anyway.”

Regulus could have listed ten things, a hundred things, a million things that he thought Sirius was worried about, and he still wouldn’t have come up with this. It took all of his self-control not to gasp or choke or laugh. “Why d-do you think that?” he asked, stifling all of his emotions.

Clearly not picking up on Regulus’s struggle, Sirius shrugged, staring into the distance. “Well, he’s definitely meeting up with someone. He comes back to the dorm room late and he’s been happy lately. Even happier than usual. He’s fucking floating on air most of the time, if I’m honest.”

Trying not to flush with pride at the fact that he was the one making James so happy, Regulus gave a noncommittal grunt, his own fear of being outed outweighing his happiness. “Why would that mean he’s meeting a boy, though?”

“Why would he hide a girl?” Sirius questioned softly, frowning. “Plus, he’s been asking me questions. First he kept asking about how I knew I was queer. How did I figure out I liked blokes, what it was like to be with a bloke, things like that. But now it’s about how I knew I loved Moony, how I knew he was the one for me…seems like whoever it is, it’s serious, you know?”

Hardly daring to breathe, Regulus nodded. His emotions were a swirling storm. Panic at someone finding out. Fear at his parents’ reaction. Overwhelming joy at what Sirius had said. He and James hadn’t said those words yet, but he’d been feeling them for a while. It was mind-blowing to hear that James might feel the same.

“Hey Reg?”

Still distracted by this revelation, he hummed, brain half half paying attention while he pictured James’s smile in his mind’s eye.

“Can you…can you tell James…whenever he’s ready to tell me about…whoever it is. Can you tell him I’m just happy that he’s so happy?” Sirius asked, eyes wide and mouth in a worried frown. 

He froze, stomach sinking to his toes. “Wh-why would I-?” he began, trying and failing to sound casual. Fuck. Fuck, did Sirius know? How did anyone find out? Oh Gods, what would happen now? What–?

“Just…” Sirius said thoughtfully, a small smile on his face, “I get that it can be scary. To be open about stuff like that. So…if you see him around or whatever, and he’s with whoever he’s seeing. Tell them both I’m happy for them, and I’m there for them. Whatever they need. Alright?”

Desperately biting his lip to hold back tears, Regulus nodded. “Yeah,” he said gruffly, avoiding Sirius’s gaze. “I will. If I see them, that is.”

“Thanks, Reg.”