"You're both... hard working and you have a unique sense of style." Translation: you work shitty jobs and you have terrible clothes. So there was that. "You're more handsome. In my opinion because, you know, you're not my brother. It'd be weird if I found him attractive. Well. Actually. Not entirely if my family history is to be believed. It's possible me and Sirius were the weird ones."
But enough about their families potential incest issues. Moving swiftly on, Regulus sat up properly and smiled at his boyfriend. "You're definitely more handsome. And you have better hair."
"Better hair than Sirius Black? My. I should put that on my business cards." That was a high compliment. Barty ran a hand through his hair now, then threw a shirt at Regulus. It was just plain black, but whatever. His boyfriend would look so goth, he was entertained by that. "And thank you for not being attracted to your brother."
He made his way back over to the bed, sitting down next to Regulus. "You know, Regulus, you don't have to let him know. If you are uncomfortable with it, we can be just friends. I'll just have to be subtly about undressing you with my eyes."
"No, I want him to know. I'd tell everyone if I could but... you know it's not easy." He didn't want to be disowned but he also didn't want to leave Barty so he was sort of stuck in limbo and kind of hoping that somehow it'd all work out. Perhaps mother and father would die in a tragic yet timely accident and allow him to be with his boyfriend and become the heir.
"Sirius will approve so that makes it easier. And besides, he always jokes about my lack of dating or social life." And he'd love to rub it in his face that he had a boyfriend. He had a great social life.
"Oh, I know." Barty watched Regulus, smiling at the thoughts that were going through his mind. That he assumed were, anyway. "I'm glad you can stick it to your big brother. You have a rich social life, between dating me and all your friends from school."
Which, yes, technically were his friends too, but he didn't exactly have the time or, frankly, the patience to spend much time around them. "I'm not expecting you to come out to your parents, Regulus. I know that isn't done in our circles."
Barty shrugged. "It is what it is. We will see what happens."
"I'll live with you for as long as I can. Happily. Me, you and Kreacher."
One can't forget his beloved dog, of course. Even if people wanted to. All dressed now, Regulus stood up and have Barty a bright smile. "I'm still hoping that dog has many years left in him. He's a fighter." Sadly. Unfortunately. He was not a nice dog but Regulus seemed to think so. "It's enough to me. What we have now. I don't want to change it."
"Of course you don't want to." He wouldn't live like that forever, but there was no need to bring that up right now, Barty didn't want to upset Regulus. He was already nervous enough about this. "Your brother plays the guitar and sings, right? Do you know if he's any good?"
He got up, holding a hand out to Regulus. They were ready, no more stalling. Time to leave. "All I know is how much we have in common."
"He sings, he plays guitar, he's rather good from what I hear. I don't know, I can judge that noise." He'd rather go home and listen to good music. Like BTS. Not that he'd inform Barty of that but he was just saying. "I'd rather listen to Liszt, personally."
Taking Barty's hand, he smiled and exhaled, nervous but trying to ignore that. "It'll be fine. He won't tell anyone and -- and it'll be fine." Yeah, he was totally chill about this.
"I know. You are all about the Liszt." Barty gave Regulus' hand a squeeze, then headed out the door with him. He let go of his hand to lock the door and didn't bother taking Regulus' hand again. Seemed safer that way, one never knew with modern phones. Someone could recognise Regulus and take pictures. He knew how to be discreet, not that he liked it.
"Not far from here. You live in the right neighbourhood for it." Well, it was that kind of area, after all. Though he didn't say that. He walked close to Barty, checking the location on his phone and doing a quick search. "Seven minutes. May as well walk it."
With his phone back in his pocket, joined by his hand next, Regulus kept some distance so it didn't look too obvious and all. "We just missed happy hour. Tragic."
"I have a posh friend footing my bill. Every hour is happy hour for me." Barty smirked at Regulus, then he laughed, shaking his head. "It's funny, your brother making fun of your social life. What would he have to say about mine? I don't believe he even had one."
All he had was an official friend who was unofficially his boyfriend.
"He thinks I don't get out enough. To men like Sirius, it's more being out then being personable. No idea why. I would see my friends more but by God, they're idiots." And he didn't fancy actually spending more time than he had to with that crowd. As a boy, he didn't notice how bad they were. As an adult with a boyfriend who was experiencing hard times, he kind of hated those rude, evil little fuckers.
"I often think I could use new friends but the idea of making more seems exhausting."
"People can be useful. Think about it that way." That was Barty's approach, by and large. Is how he got people to do stuff for him at work. Or in his studies, for that matter, it just helped to know the right people to team up with for group work. He frowned. "Your brother is still friends with James Potter, right? The one who married the working class girl."
Quite the scandal, in a way, although the Potter family themselves never seemed to have an issue with it.
"Oh yeah. Don't remind me of him. I can't stand Potter. He's such an obnoxious twit. He had a baby with that girl recently, I hear. Caused yet another scandal. Apparently Potter's parents are thrilled." Regulus hated that and hated him. Why did his parents love him? He always supported and loved, no matter how much he fucked up. Once Regulus wore the wrong colour tie and his mother chewed him out for four hours and used the belt on him.
How is that fair? "Everyone cares about the Potters but the Potters, it seems. Every scandal is ignored."
"Well. People like babies. I suppose." Barty was rather ambivalent on them, but he knew the general sentiment. "And of course people care about it. He's good-looking, so is she, and it's that poor girl becoming a princess story, isn't it? Not that her family is even all that poor."
It was fascinating what the tabloids liked to linger on. He supposed some things just sold well, hard to blame them. "It's like you and your brother will always be on covers, simply because of being rich and beautiful. Whatever scandal they can dig up or fabricate. Like they did with me."
"Yeah, people just love drama, I suppose. Hence why we won't give them any. And if they try to, we can deny it. No one believes that shit anyway." At least, not in the circle they ran in. And that was where it counted. Regulus sighed, wishing things could be easier for them but he supposed people found their lives far too fun to give up like that.
"My mother always used those kind of magazines for kindling." Only if she found them in the possession of the maids but even so, said everything about what she thought of them.
"Really? I like the ones that rank you as an eligible bachelor. You rank higher than Sirius these days, because he's been cut off." On the other hand, the musician thing probably kept him higher up. It was kind of fun to pay some attention to these things, Barty even listened to people at work talk about it. "You are my number one, of course."
And that was what Regulus would be, until whatever happened next happened. Barty wondered whether Regulus actually thought about it. Was he planning on getting a wife eventually? Probably barely thinking ahead at all.
"I'm number one? Interesting." He didn't think he'd ever see the day he'd beat his brother but, to be fair, he was disowned so that kind of made it easier. He supposed he would plummet if they knew he was taken. Taken by a man, none the less. He turned to Barty and smiled faintly. "You'll always be my number one."
He knew that for a fact. Even if fate went against them, he knew he'd never get over Barty. "I don't want anyone else."
"I know." Barty didn't really live a life very caught up in confidence issues. He had plenty of other issues to occupy him. "I've made you mine. Forever." Maybe there was no reason to drop his voice to say that, but Barty did anyway, looking at Regulus from the side. Then he stopped, gesturing at the door. Some people were standing outside, but he could faintly here some music.
"Looks like it." He tilted his head back to read the neon sign and then sneered as he followed Barty in, making him go first. They got in pretty swiftly, they guy barely checked their IDs and that said everything for him. Regulus headed inside and looked about, unsure how he felt.
"Smells like smoke in here." Just seemed worth noting. He peered about, trying to find the bar or the stage. "I don't know where we're expected to be so let's just find the bar."
Barty nodded, taking a hold of Regulus' arm and pulling him along towards the bar, since his boyfriend seemed very overwhelmed. He couldn't blame him, he doubted he had ever been to a place like this before. He leaned close, enough to be able to whisper against his ear. "Just relax, darling."
And just then, a voice came from what was kind of the stage, even if it wasn't much elevated from the ground. "Reg!"
Sirius sounded enthusiastic, abandoning the guitar he'd been tuning and instead coming running to his brother, immediately pulling him into a hug. "You made it! Isn't it brill here?"
"Yeah, I did. Ow, get off!" He was hugging too hard and also it was weird to be hugged like this by his brother. He had never gotten used to family affection. The only person he was good at affection with was Barty and he couldn't even show that off. Pushing Sirius gently off him, he smiled and nodded his head in greeting. "Yeah, the place sure is ... dark." He could barely see anything in here.
Turning his head, he gestured to Barty, trying to work out how to introduce him. In the end, he kept it simple. "This is Barty. He came with me."
Sirius kept an arm around Regulus insistently, but he looked over at Barty, nodding his head. "Crouch, right?" He was pretty sure he recognised the guy. "How's it going, mate?"
"Brill," Barty replied curtly. He didn't like being addressed by his last name, but then, it wasn't as if he was that fond of his first name either. Nothing to be done about it. "Regulus told me you're talented."
"Yeah? Aw, that's nice." Sirius ruffled Regulus' hair, laughing. "Though how would be know? I'm not singing Korean."
Regulus stomped on Sirius' foot and gave him a look. "Shut up." He was not being teased by this arsehole all night. He was going to stand up for himself. "And Barty prefers his first name. Actually, none of his names but call him Barty." He knew that Crouch was a sorespot so he wanted to try and help his boyfriend out.
He took a deep breath, hoping he could do this. Hoping he could just say it all casual love. "Barty is my --"
He found it harder to get out than he meant. "Friend." Fuck. No. He couldn't chicken out. He knew that Barty was expecting him too and he refused to. "Of love. I-- wait, no." That was bad. "Like. In the love."
"In the where?" Sirius was confused, frowning as he looked at Regulus, then Barty. "Where are you from? Lowe?"
But before that could get cleared up, though, honestly, Barty had just been standing there, mildly amused, anticipating the mess Regulus would make of it, Sirius spotted someone. Or thought he did, anyway.
"Be right back, okay? I gotta meet my friend. See you later, Lowe boy." He gave Barty a nod, Regulus' should a squeeze and then rushed off, leaving the two of them standing there. One of them, at least, entertained.
That was so embarrassing and he completely fucked it up AND Sirius just outed his love of Kpop. Great. Regulus put his head in his hands, slumped across the bar and tried to just breathe out his anger but he literally decked someone. "I'll get it right next time."
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hogwrites2019-12-07 11:32 am
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But enough about their families potential incest issues. Moving swiftly on, Regulus sat up properly and smiled at his boyfriend. "You're definitely more handsome. And you have better hair."
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He made his way back over to the bed, sitting down next to Regulus. "You know, Regulus, you don't have to let him know. If you are uncomfortable with it, we can be just friends. I'll just have to be subtly about undressing you with my eyes."
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"Sirius will approve so that makes it easier. And besides, he always jokes about my lack of dating or social life." And he'd love to rub it in his face that he had a boyfriend. He had a great social life.
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Which, yes, technically were his friends too, but he didn't exactly have the time or, frankly, the patience to spend much time around them. "I'm not expecting you to come out to your parents, Regulus. I know that isn't done in our circles."
Barty shrugged. "It is what it is. We will see what happens."
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One can't forget his beloved dog, of course. Even if people wanted to. All dressed now, Regulus stood up and have Barty a bright smile. "I'm still hoping that dog has many years left in him. He's a fighter." Sadly. Unfortunately. He was not a nice dog but Regulus seemed to think so. "It's enough to me. What we have now. I don't want to change it."
Or lose it. Or anything like that.
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He got up, holding a hand out to Regulus. They were ready, no more stalling. Time to leave. "All I know is how much we have in common."
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Taking Barty's hand, he smiled and exhaled, nervous but trying to ignore that. "It'll be fine. He won't tell anyone and -- and it'll be fine." Yeah, he was totally chill about this.
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"How far away is it? Are we walking, driving?"
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With his phone back in his pocket, joined by his hand next, Regulus kept some distance so it didn't look too obvious and all. "We just missed happy hour. Tragic."
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All he had was an official friend who was unofficially his boyfriend.
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"I often think I could use new friends but the idea of making more seems exhausting."
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Quite the scandal, in a way, although the Potter family themselves never seemed to have an issue with it.
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How is that fair? "Everyone cares about the Potters but the Potters, it seems. Every scandal is ignored."
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It was fascinating what the tabloids liked to linger on. He supposed some things just sold well, hard to blame them. "It's like you and your brother will always be on covers, simply because of being rich and beautiful. Whatever scandal they can dig up or fabricate. Like they did with me."
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"My mother always used those kind of magazines for kindling." Only if she found them in the possession of the maids but even so, said everything about what she thought of them.
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And that was what Regulus would be, until whatever happened next happened. Barty wondered whether Regulus actually thought about it. Was he planning on getting a wife eventually? Probably barely thinking ahead at all.
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He knew that for a fact. Even if fate went against them, he knew he'd never get over Barty. "I don't want anyone else."
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"Is that it?"
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"Smells like smoke in here." Just seemed worth noting. He peered about, trying to find the bar or the stage. "I don't know where we're expected to be so let's just find the bar."
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And just then, a voice came from what was kind of the stage, even if it wasn't much elevated from the ground. "Reg!"
Sirius sounded enthusiastic, abandoning the guitar he'd been tuning and instead coming running to his brother, immediately pulling him into a hug. "You made it! Isn't it brill here?"
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Turning his head, he gestured to Barty, trying to work out how to introduce him. In the end, he kept it simple. "This is Barty. He came with me."
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"Brill," Barty replied curtly. He didn't like being addressed by his last name, but then, it wasn't as if he was that fond of his first name either. Nothing to be done about it. "Regulus told me you're talented."
"Yeah? Aw, that's nice." Sirius ruffled Regulus' hair, laughing. "Though how would be know? I'm not singing Korean."
"...what?" That was confusing.
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He took a deep breath, hoping he could do this. Hoping he could just say it all casual love. "Barty is my --"
He found it harder to get out than he meant. "Friend." Fuck. No. He couldn't chicken out. He knew that Barty was expecting him too and he refused to. "Of love. I-- wait, no." That was bad. "Like. In the love."
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But before that could get cleared up, though, honestly, Barty had just been standing there, mildly amused, anticipating the mess Regulus would make of it, Sirius spotted someone. Or thought he did, anyway.
"Be right back, okay? I gotta meet my friend. See you later, Lowe boy." He gave Barty a nod, Regulus' should a squeeze and then rushed off, leaving the two of them standing there. One of them, at least, entertained.
"So. Korean?"
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That was so embarrassing and he completely fucked it up AND Sirius just outed his love of Kpop. Great. Regulus put his head in his hands, slumped across the bar and tried to just breathe out his anger but he literally decked someone. "I'll get it right next time."
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