doorstep - april 8 - jegulus - @taylorswiftmicrofic - word count: 284

He’d spent the last month in an ill-concealed panic. Ever since Sirius had shown up on James’s doorstep, broken, bloody, and alone, James had been a wreck.

Of course, he tried to hide it. To pretend it was only concern for Sirius and his recovery. And, obviously, he was worried. He’d spent every moment of the first few days by Sirius’s bedside, comforting him and nursing him back to health, refusing to leave even when his mother offered to take a shift. But even as he cracked weak jokes just to see the other boy smile, his brain was occupied. Full of terror. Because one of the Black brothers, one of the most important people in his life, wasn’t here with him.

Sirius didn’t seem to suspect. He was still putting himself together, he had no ability to pay attention to James’s struggles, and for that, James was thankful. He didn’t want to put more on someone who had been through so much.

But as the days went by, the taller boy grew more and more restless. He contemplated grabbing his broom and flying to London himself.

Until one evening, there was a knock at the door.

“Regulus?” Effie’s voice wrenched James from his daydreaming and yanked him to his feet, which propelled him without a single thought. 

He ran past a stunned-looking Sirius, bounded past a confused-looking Monty, and pushed past an oddly not shocked Effie, not stopping until he scooped the younger boy into his arms. “Reg,” he murmured into black curls, hugging him so tight he might have been nervous to hurt the Slytherin if he’d been thinking straight.

But he wasn’t. All he could think was ‘thank Merlin, he’s safe.’