Chapter Text
Regulus always hated Logan Airport. It was loud and chaotic, which was expected in an international airport, but it was also terrible to maneuver around. He was thankful that Sirius had offered to come pick him up so he wouldn't have to rent a car or attempt to navigate the hellscape that was Boston public transportation. On the other hand, it also meant being stuck in the car with his brother who he hadn't seen in years during rush hour traffic. He wasn't sure which option was worse.
[Sirius]: hey, i'm circling around because they won't let me wait when i park, so just let me know when you're here
He rolled his eyes at Sirius' text, knowing that he definitely sent it while he was driving in circles on and off the ramps that lead to the terminals. At least he knew that he couldn't have been going very fast. He watched as his suitcase approached him on the conveyor belt and texted his brother back.
[Regulus]: i just got my luggage, i'll be at the terminal in five minutes
He tugged his luggage behind him, weaving through people leisurely strolling through the airport and silently cursing them for not being in a hurry. As soon as he stepped outside, he regretted packing his winter jacket instead of wearing it on the flight. He hadn't wanted to deal with wearing the bulky jacket or figuring out where to put it during the long flight, but Boston was a hell of a lot colder in December than Arizona. He had been away from home for so long that he had forgotten how the sea breeze could cut right through you, even in the warmest months. His thin sweatshirt did nothing to keep him warm and his bad knee ached worse than it had in a while. He stood at the edge of the sidewalk and waited, cupping his hands in front of his face and exhaling to keep them warm. Finally, after what felt like an eternity, a car pulled up beside him and threw on its hazards. He saw the trunk pop open as he approached and then his brother stepped out of the driver's side with an anxious smile plastered on his face.
"Hey, Reggie," Sirius said, walking towards him but unsure of what to do with himself.
"Hey, Sirius," Regulus replied. He wheeled his luggage in between them, stretching out his arms to offer Sirius the luggage instead of allowing anything resembling a hug to happen. "I'm cold, I hope you have heated seats." Regulus left his suitcase where it sat between them and turned on his heel towards the passenger's side door.
"Nice to see you too," Sirius said under his breath as he grabbed the luggage. Regulus plopped himself into the passenger seat, his backpack nestled between his knees, and began to fiddle with the controls in the car in a desperate attempt to warm himself up. He heard Sirius drop the suitcase in the back and slam the trunk closed, probably with more force than necessary, and then his brother was in the car next to him.
"So, how was—"
"I don't want to talk yet," Regulus snapped. "Let's just get to your house first."
"Okay," Sirius drew out the vowels, his voice laced with sarcasm and mock appeasement.
He pulled out into the traffic with an aggression that, if Regulus hadn't been born and raised here, he would have assumed was anger at him, but he knew better. Being assertive and cutting other drivers off was the only way to get anywhere at 5:30 PM on a weekday in Boston. What he didn't expect was for Sirius to get on the highway and stay there. He had assumed when Sirius had mentioned that he had been playing for the Bruins for a couple of years now that he lived in the city. After all, why commute in and out of Boston when he could afford housing between their inheritance and what he assumed was a healthy paycheck?
His questioning about where they were headed grew more incessant the longer they sat in the car. It had been so long, nearly 45 minutes at this point, and Regulus was sure that they were getting further and further away from the city rather than into one of the boroughs that he assumed they were heading towards initially. Eventually, his curiosity outweighed his need to stick to his request of no talking until we get to your house when they passed into Rhode Island.
"Where exactly are we going?" Regulus asked, breaking the tense silence between them.
"To my house?" Sirius said with a lilt like it was a question.
"Right," Regulus said. "Where do you live now? I figured you'd live in the city or at least in Quincy or something. You commute this far for work every day?"
"I don't work in Boston, Reg."
"You said you play for the Bruins. I know I've checked out from that world for a long time, but it's hard to forget that the Bruins are from Boston."
"You never once tuned into a Bruins game to see me?"
"You know I— No, I haven't watched hockey since the last time I went to one of your games. I figured you had more than enough fans anyway." He hadn't been able to look at an ice rink since his accident, let alone watch an entire hockey game, and while a part of him felt guilty for not supporting his brother, his brother hadn't tried to understand him when he needed him most. Their relationship had been… strenuous at best since Regulus injured himself beyond repair.
Sirius' cheeks flushed with embarrassment. "I do technically play for the Bruins. But not The Bruins— I play for the Providence Bruins."
"Providence Bruins?" Regulus asked in disbelief. He had never heard of the Providence Bruins and despite moving to Arizona after his injury, he had grown up here and been involved in Sirius' hockey career since they were children.
"Yeah, we're in the AHL… the next step down from the NHL. Like if they need a new player, they'll look to our team first." Sirius rambled. "It's still professional, I get paid to play and everything, but they don't really put our games on TV or anything."
Regulus raised a brow in judgment that his brother couldn't see in the dark car. "So you don't live in Boston?"
"No, I live in Providence." Sirius finally admitted.
"And you didn't think that was important information to tell me when I booked my flight?" He couldn't believe that Sirius hadn't corrected him when he was confirming his flight information with his brother last week. "There's literally an airport in Providence."
Sirius paused, the silence growing heavy between them again for a few long moments. "Well, it wasn't a big deal, I mean it's only an hour and a half away and you had already booked the flight."
"Sirius, what the fuck?" Regulus couldn't stop the anger from filtering into his voice.
"What?" Sirius asked incredulously. "I didn't want you to cancel the flight and then change your mind. It really wasn't a big deal for me to drive out here to get you."
"I fucking hate Logan, you should have said something. Providence would have been easier for both of us." It would have been worth it to eat the entire cost of the flights to and from Boston if it meant that he could fly in and out of Providence. He would have to see if he could change his flight home.
"Right, but then you might not have come." Sirius said triumphantly. "Admit it, the glory of seeing your brother in an NHL game was appealing."
"It really wasn't," Regulus deadpanned.
"Liar."
"Asshole."
"Whatever. I need to stop by the rink anyway, I forgot to grab something." The fact that Sirius didn't specify what he forgot to grab made Regulus' hackles rise. It felt like a Sirius Black Plot and he wanted nothing to do with it.
"I'll wait in the car."
"Oh, come on. It's late, no one will be there. You can even go on the ice if you want, I should be able to dig up some spare skates."
And there it was, the plot.
"No."
"Reggie," Sirius whined.
"I said no. I'll come inside if it'll make you shut up, but I'm not going on the ice. We're in and out, that's it."
Sirius smiled like he had won and maybe he had. Regulus hadn't stepped foot in an ice rink since his accident five years ago. He figured while he was here, he'd have to endure at least one game though, and so going inside while no one was around was a better option in case he felt a panic attack rising inside of him.
"I'm really glad you're here, Reggie. I have so many things planned for us, we need to pack the last five years worth of Christmases into the next twenty five days. I got Remus on board too. I even reached out to Pete, I don't think you ever met him actually. Anyway, he said he'd meet up with us one day. He plays for the actual Bruins. Got scouted a couple years ago. Goalie. Always knew he had it in him." Sirius continued to prattle on about his hockey friends, but Regulus stopped listening. Eventually, Sirius stopped talking in favor of playing music. He supposed it didn't matter how much time had passed, Sirius knew when Regulus' social battery had worn out without needing to be told.
When Sirius parked the car, Regulus looked around to see a handful of other cars in the parking lot. "I thought you said no one would be here."
"You had to know that was an exaggeration. Come on, you haven't been out of this world for so long that you honestly believed me when I said no one would be here, did you?"
"I'll wait."
"Come on," Sirius complained as he cut the engine. The bitter cold outside began to seep into the car immediately. "You already said you'd come in and I know you don't wanna sit in the cold. You've become delicate in the desert."
"Fine," Regulus rolled his eyes and pulled his hood up before getting out of the car. He followed Sirius to the door and huffed as his brother fumbled with the keys. When the door was unlocked, Sirius waved his hand dramatically to let Regulus inside first.
"I still don't know what we needed to come here for," Regulus complained as they walked down the hallway towards the ice. He shoved his hands into the pockets of his sweatshirt and did his best to ignore the overwhelming nostalgia that the sharp scent of the ice brought him.
"Pain cream," Sirius said plainly. "I forgot it in my locker and Coach has me applying it four times a day during the season."
"Okay, well hurry up. I'm gonna go sit in the stands while I wait."
They parted ways, Sirius heading down toward the locker rooms while Regulus found his way to the rink. He sat in the stands and allowed himself to close his eyes for a few minutes as he acclimated his senses to being in the arena. He couldn't help but feel watched and when he opened his eyes, it was like he was magnetically drawn to one of the few people still on the ice. The man was herding a group of children off the ice towards their families, but his eyes didn't leave Regulus for a single moment. Regulus couldn't help but notice how comfortable he was on the ice, despite being surrounded by small children, and had to guess that he was one of Sirius' teammates. He also couldn't help but notice how unbelievably attractive the man was with his dark hair and golden skin, and despite being bundled in clothing, Regulus could tell that he was fit.
The man flashed a pearly white smile at the families as they collected their things and left. It had to be illegal to be that attractive, right? Just as the man drifted off the ice and Regulus began to consider saying hello, Sirius appeared beside him.
"Oh, James must have just finished teaching class. Come say hello."
"Excuse me?" Regulus asked in disbelief.
"James. He's one of my teammates. His family is back in California, so he's gonna be around a lot for the holidays. Let me introduce you."
Suddenly, Regulus wanted nothing to do with the beautiful man he had just been contemplating introducing himself to.
"I'm tired, can we leave? I'll do my brotherly duties of meeting your idiot teammates another day." Regulus hoped that his tone came across as loathsome rather than how he was actually feeling—pathetic. He was tired, but really he wanted to avoid meeting this new guy—James—with his brother analyzing every move he made. He and Stephan had just broken up and while Sirius didn't know the entire story, Regulus knew that his brother would pick up on Regulus' interest in James immediately. He wanted to avoid any commentary about moving on that he could. Sirius had never been the understanding type and he had never gone through a breakup, having set his sights on Remus when they were in high school and never once losing interest. It made Regulus feel inadequate.
"Reggie, he already saw us. Don't be rude." Sirius tugged at his upper arm and as much as Regulus wanted to resist, Sirius was stronger than him.
He followed his brother down towards where James sat unlacing his skates. Being around his brother had always made him feel small, but something about the way he was tugged around and followed Sirius like a lost puppy made him feel like a kid again. Perhaps a part of it was how long it had been since the two of them had seen each other, but regardless he didn't like it. He thought he had grown and changed a lot in the last five years in Arizona with Stephan, but maybe Stephan had been right. He really hadn't changed— he was still the immature, self-absorbed asshole he had always been.
"Prongs," Sirius said excitedly when they were closer to James. "This is my baby brother I was telling you about, Regulus."
James looked up with a smile and a glint in his eyes that Regulus couldn't quite place. "When you told me your baby brother was visiting, I expected a child," James said to Sirius with mock offense. "Hi, Regulus, I'm James." He held out his hand to Regulus to shake and when Regulus took it, his entire hand was enveloped. James' hand was strong, callused from years of hard work, and entirely too large for Regulus to comprehend.
He had always been on the smaller side, his body had never been built for hockey like his brother. Much to his parents' chagrin, it was like he had been created for figure skating. Their father had always dreamed of both of his sons following in his footsteps by playing professional hockey. They'd grown up skating and if Regulus had to guess, they probably skated before they could walk. Sirius was a natural at hockey, always ready for a fight, but Regulus had always been more cautious. He had watched the girls during free skate with yearning for years until he had finally seen another boy jump and glide with practiced ease and elegance. It was in that moment that his entire life changed. He tried for weeks to mimic the boy's routine in his hockey skates, falling every time he attempted to jump, until Sirius had finally caught him practicing on the frozen pond behind their home.
"What are you doing?" Sirius asked in horror after Regulus fell once again.
"None of your business," Regulus said as he lifted himself from the frozen surface.
"Is this some kind of weird agility exercise?" Of course Sirius wouldn't drop it. He had never been deterred in his life. Stubborn and Sirius Black were practically synonymous with each other.
"I'm trying to do a toe loop," Regulus finally admitted.
"You're never gonna do one of those in hockey skates." Sirius stated plainly.
"Well it's not like I can go and ask father for figure skates, he'll just call me queer."
"So what?"
Regulus froze. They had both grown used to the casual abuse that their parents had inflicted upon them. He had always been surprised that Sirius went along with playing hockey at all, always one to fight back against their parents instead of taking his punishments with ease as Regulus had. Regulus supposed it was simply because Sirius loved the sport in spite of their parents, not because he was expected to.
"I-I don't want to upset father. You know what he expects of me— of us."
"Right, but you're not any good at hockey—no offense—so maybe he'll accept you at least being involved in an ice sport. I mean, from what I saw it seems like you're a natural."
From that day forward, Regulus had worked himself tirelessly, building his muscles in a new way that hadn't been expected when he was playing hockey like his brother. As he grew, his body became lithe and slender as opposed to Sirius' bulk and brute strength. Even five years out of the sport, he was still… small. Especially in comparison to the hockey players that Sirius was surrounded by.
Regulus suddenly realized that he hadn't said anything—or even removed his hand from James'—and pulled his hand away abruptly. "Nice to meet you. Why did they give you that stupid nickname?"
James laughed and the sound was like music to Regulus' ears. Bright and carefree, like he had never had a bad day in his life. "God, you cut right to it, huh? Nearly stabbed a guy once with the end of my stick, not my proudest moment and I swear it was an accident, but never lived it down anyway."
Regulus hummed in mock contemplation. "Too bad it wasn't on purpose."
"Huh?" Sirius and James said in unison.
"It would have shown you have ambition. But instead you're just clumsy and you'll never live it down if that's what your entire team calls you. One day, if you're good enough, you'll get drafted and every fan of yours will call you by a nickname you earned by making a mistake. How embarrassing."
"Reggie—"
"You're right," James said, his voice thick with humor. "I should have stabbed the guy and ruined my entire career and life. My mistake, it won't happen again."
Regulus' mouth quirked up in a dark smile. Stephan had never wanted to play these games with him. Perhaps James was more than he appeared after all. "Glad to hear it, I look forward to the next game." Regulus turned on his heel and strode towards the exit, making a conscious effort not to limp. He didn't bother to wait for Sirius to follow him; he knew his brother wouldn't let him get too far ahead without chasing after him.
As expected, Sirius caught up to him before he had even made it to the exit. "Did you have to do that?"
"Do what?" Regulus asked even though he knew what Sirius was getting at.
"Be rude to my friend? He's going to be joining us for all of our holiday activities you know."
"Who says I was being rude? He seemed to find it amusing. It's not my fault you don't have a sense of humor."
Sirius groaned and tipped his head back in frustration. "Ew, do you like him?"
"What? No."
Lie. James was gorgeous and Regulus had always had a hard time resisting beautiful things.
"You can look, but don't hit on my best friend. Please. I don't want him to feel weird at Christmas."
"Whatever."
They rode back to Sirius' house in palpable silence, the two of them equally exhausted by their day together. If this was how the first day back in New England with his brother went, Regulus was nervous to see how the rest of the month would go.