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“Boys!” Regulus shouts from his spot in the garden. Harry and Eltanin freeze. It’s comical almost, the way Harry’s arm is still in the air, seconds away from hitting his brother. Their twin guilty looks amuse him greatly. The plight of parenthood is not letting on that he finds them so funny. “Do I need to get your dad?”
“No!” Eltanin shrieks and immediately turns to run inside.
Harry is slower moving. James peaks his head out from behind the tree. “Sorry!” Harry squeals and follows his brother.
Regulus sighs and joins his husband. James hasn’t gotten very far. The box isn’t even unpacked yet.
“What the hell is this?” he grumbles.
James grimaces and places his hands on his hips. “The treehouse.”
“No it isn’t.”
He smiles and raises the bottom of his shirt to wipe the sweat from his forehead. Regulus averts his gaze. “Yes it is,” he continues on as if Regulus isn’t throbbing now.
“... where is it?”
James laughs. “We put it together, love.”
He gapes, eyebrows high and eyes wide. “It was together online!”
His asshole husband just laughs again. “They can’t ship a full treehouse to us.”
“Why not?” Regulus demands. “They load mobile homes on the back of trailers. Why the hell can’t they ship us the house together?”
James sweeps up behind him and pulls them together, spinning Regulus a little in the process. Face to face, he gets a kiss for his trouble. Or so he can only assume. Not that Regulus is complaining. He loves kissing James.
“How would they get it in the tree?” James asks after leaving Regulus breathless.
“I–” he blinks to clear his mind and leans back, “I don’t know.”
“We put it together,” James declares again.
“I’d rather die,” Regulus answers very honestly.
He pouts. “You’re going to make me do it alone?”
Regulus hesitates. He bites his bottom lip in thought and glances over his shoulder at their house. He’s almost certain Harry and Eltanin are getting up to trouble inside. His sibling is entirely useless at punishment. He has no doubt Sirius is letting them do whatever they want.
He takes a deep breath. “Yes.” And then he books it back inside.
“Regulus!” James screeches after him, shocked.
Throwing open the backdoor, Regulus strides into the living room where Sirius and Remus are lounging on the couch. “Will one of you go help James build the treehouse?” he requests.
Eltanin and Harry are nowhere to be seen. Regulus feels like he might explode. He resents everyone who told him the twos are terrible. He’s certain four and three are worse.
Sirius and Remus exchange a look. “No,” Sirius declares quicker than Remus can.
Remus takes a deep breath and stands up. “Fine,” he replies slowly. “Sure, make the man with the cane do it.”
Predictably, that guilts Sirius enough that they rush to stand up. “No, no,” they insist quickly. “Sit down, I’ll help.”
Remus sucks his cheek in between his teeth in what is a valiant effort to keep from gloating. “Thanks, baby,” he says softly as Sirius leans down for a kiss.
Sirius sends Regulus a nasty glare on the way out. He ignores it.
“I thought they just delivered them put together,” Regulus reveals as he sits next to Remus on the couch.
The other man stares at him incredulously. “You’re such a spoiled brat.”
“I resent that,” he says smoothly. “It’s not my fault our parents are rich.”
Remus laughs and leans back comfortably. He stretches his legs out, seems to think better of it, and moves the left one back. “Your boys are nutcases.”
“I know,” he groans. “They’re at the age where they want so badly to be independent, but every time I let them, they get into trouble!”
“Alya was like that, too,” Remus says.
“I know,” he sighs. “I know. But she was much better behaved I think.”
“Only because she doesn’t have a little sibling to get in trouble with.”
“So it’s my fault, is it?” Regulus snaps.
Remus laughs because he’s far too used to this by now. “That is what I’m saying, yeah.”
“Oh fuck you, Lupin,” he grouses and stands up. “I’m going to check on the children.”
“Which ones?”
Regulus stops and looks back at him. “What?” He glances over his shoulder out the window. “Oh.” Regulus rolls his eyes. “Haha, very funny.”
An hour later, Regulus is missing James like a lost limb. He’s getting antsy, glancing at the door every few seconds. Remus is clearly over it.
“Will you just get up and go?” he snaps.
Regulus scowls. “I don’t want to.”
“Too bad. I don’t want to look at your pining anymore.”
“Fine!” he shoots to his feet and stomps back out the door.
It’s a good thing he goes out to check on them, he realizes, because they’re clearly lost. Sirius is holding the instructions upside down and James is staring at a screwdriver like it might grow teeth and bite him.
“Oh my god,” he crows. “You’re wasting time out here!”
James startles, a hand flying to his chest like he’s eighty years old. He smiles when he lays eyes on Regulus though. Regulus really hopes that never stops. He’s lucky enough to have had it for fifteen years now. “Hi sweetheart,” he greets happily.
“You try then!” Sirius shouts. They’re clearly overstimulated at this point.
It’s only been an hour, he thinks sourly. “Go away,” Regulus demands and grabs the instructions from their hand.
Sirius huffs, obviously annoyed, but they don’t argue.
“I thought you didn’t want to help,” James notes breezily as Regulus grabs the screwdriver too.
“You’re clearly hopeless,” he grumbles. “Read this to me!” He shakes the giant pamphlet in James’ direction.
“Anything for you,” he agrees instantly. He takes the paper gingerly and begins to read.
Thirty minutes later, James is attached to Regulus’ back like a barnacle. He’s got his arms around his waist and he’s practically glued his chest against Regulus’ bare skin. He got hot and stripped his shirt off probably five minutes ago. Since then, James hasn’t been able to detach.
“Get off,” Regulus tries again, nudging James with his elbow.
“Can’t,” James sighs like it’s a pain for him too.
“James,” he complains half-heartedly. “You’re making this way harder than it needs to be.”
“You’re making me way harder than I need to be.” He’s nothing if not predictable; Regulus can appreciate that. His arms tighten. “Put your shirt back on.”
“It’s hotter than hell out here, I’m not putting it back on!”
“Reggie,” James whines.
“No! This is the whole point of being a man!” Regulus elbows him again. “I get to take my shirt off when I'm hot.”
“Yes.” He feels the other man nod against his back. “And you get your husband’s undivided attention.”
“I don’t–” Regulus cuts off with a groan. He sighs and refocuses on the box of building materials in front of him. He doesn’t argue again.
Another thirty minutes later, James’ shirt is off and they’ve moved to making out behind the cover of the huge tree trunk. James’ fingers are teasing along the waistband of his shorts. His other hand is tangled in Regulus’ hair, tilting his head back.
James is the one against the bark and every minute or so Regulus remembers that. He worries his husband’s skin is getting irritated, but every time he tries to move away, James’ hold just tightens.
Finally Regulus manages to break away. “We’re never going to finish this way.”
“I disagree,” James quips and grinds forward, cock hard and ready.
“The treehouse, James.” He pulls away even further. It’s not much, James is gripping him stubbornly. “The one we bought for the boys. The one the boys are waiting for.”
“They’ll be fine for another hour,” James whispers and leans forward as if to kiss him again.
“No,” Regulus plants a hand on his chest. “We’ve got to finish this.”
“We will,” he whines. “Let me have this at least.”
“You have this every day, you incorrigible whore.”
James laughs loudly. He looks so lovely, happy and beautiful. “Alright,” he acquiesces and lets Regulus go. “Let’s get it done then.”
Over the next four hours (and who would’ve thought it’d take so long?) James and Regulus trade off who’s focusing and who’s distracting.
It becomes James’ turn first. He takes the instruction pamphlet from the ground and follows it very carefully. Regulus finds James focused and sweaty unbelievably sexy. He suddenly understands James’ inability to keep his hands to himself. They take a five minute kissing break not long after.
It alternates like this until Harry and Eltanin rush out to demand a progress update.
“Woah!” Harry yells when he lays eyes on the mostly-almost-finished treehouse.
“Yeah,” Eltanin says quickly. “Woah!”
“Does it look good?” James asks with a silly voice.
Eltanin laughs and Harry just nods emphatically.
“It’s perfect!” Harry declares.
“Yeah!” Eltanin agrees immediately.
“Tell your daddy thank you,” James instructs as he climbs down the ladder. He grabs Eltanin the moment his hands go up in a request to be held.
“Thank you, Daddy,” Harry cries. He attaches himself to Regulus’ leg the moment he joins them on the grass.
“Yeah, thank you!” Eltanin says from James’ arms. James grins at him.
Regulus ruffles Harry’s curls with one hand before cupping the back of his head and holding him close. “You’re welcome, my loves.”
“Is Paddy and Moony staying?” Harry asks as they all sit in the treehouse and watch James nail a sign to the front.
“Not tonight, baby,” Regulus answers as the boy starts fidgeting in his lap.
“Pleeeeease,” Eltanin begs from his spot right next to Harry.
Regulus puts his hand on Eltanin’s back to steady him. “They’re spending the weekend with us.”
They shout excitedly at the reminder. James and Regulus exchange a look of exasperated fondness over their heads.
A few moments later, James has finished and he leans back to admire it. “Should we have a look?” James asks as he glances at the boys.
They stand up eagerly, scrambling away from Regulus in their haste to join their dad. Regulus stands a little slower. The boys are hollering and jumping, pointing at it with giant smiles on their faces. As Regulus joins them, James wraps an arm around his waist and pulls them close together. Regulus rests a hand on Eltanin’s head. He sees James steadying Harry with a hand on his shoulder.
“It’s perfect.”
The Star Haven
Est. 2025