volumetwo | (no subject)

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James Potter is completely aware of the fact that he's never exactly been the poster child for emotional openness or maturity. It's taken him a little while to come into his own - maybe a little longer than most - but he feels better about his place in life lately. He's finally reconciled that he can still be himself and a Potter, that the only standards that he has to live up to are his own.

That his family will love him, no matter who he chooses to be - or be with.

Can you stop by later? he'll text Scorpius. It's late on a Sunday afternoon, right in the middle of summer - Scorpius has been out of Hogwarts for a few weeks now, which is strange and strangely thrilling all at the same time. Not that he can admit that part out loud. We need to talk.

It's a good thing, really. James just never seems to realize that 'We need to talk' is the most fear-inducing thing a person can possibly say to someone else.

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Scorpius sighs. He stares at his phone and just siiiighs. James Potter can be such a dolt. And it's unfortunate, because Scorpius has missed him so much and would like nothing more than to snog for hours now that he's out of school.

But the first thing James says is 'we need to talk'???

And now he doesn't seem even remotely concerned about it except to think Scorpius is mad at him? James is so confusing.

I'm not FUSSING about anything. Just tell me what you want already.

Look, this texting thing is hard: there are only a few people that he actually does it with, and he hasn't quite figured out the nuance of text-based etiquette here. He shifts around, his head and shoulders hanging from the couch, legs thrown up over the back of it. James Potter is the picture of a restless child in this moment.

I want you to come over so i can talk to you in person. Scor come on dont be a brat :(

And the best way to get me to do as you like is to call me a brat?

No thanks.

Scorpius won't make this easy on him. If James is breaking up with him, he'll make the idiot squirm.

And he is indeed squirming.

are you hanging out with someone else?

.....That is very dangerous territory. But well, James is the one who started all this, so if he's breaking up with him, Scorpius may as well ensure it's painful on both sides.

Define: 'hanging out'.

Here comes the surge of unexpected jealous. Unbidden, he's telling himself; that's stupid, he and Scorpius had said that they'd be exclusive. It was stupid to think that Scorpius would move on the moment he was finished with school. Right?

are you in the general vicinity of another human being right now....

Scorpius glances up. His mother is just down the hall and his father is in the study. That certainly counts as 'general vicinity', now doesn't it?

Yes.

He will not be the jealous boyfriend.

He will not be the jealous boyfriend.

who

Goddammit.

Jealousy is not a good look on you, James.

So, what is it you wanted again?

And called out immediately. He winces. do i have a reason to be jealous

I don't know, do you?

Scorpius rubs his face. He doesn't enjoy this shit, but James started it! And Scorpius is sure as Merlin not going to back down.

James's biggest crime: being incredibly obtuse sometimes.

He's flustered and floundering here, caught between really strange feeling of jealousy and hurt and frustration and an embarrassing sort of possessiveness.

fine then dont come over. I don't care. why should it matter to me how you spend your time thats ABSURD. I didnt even want to see you today anyway.

-- and he's going to shove his phone under one of the couch cushions. He'll relent and check to see if Scorpius has answered him in an hour or so, but for now he's going to go aggressively sulk at a comic book.

James will come back to a barrage of texts.

Wow. Punctuate much?

Did you know you're insufferable?

And now you're ignoring me, because that's the adult thing to do.

Guess I'll go back to hanging out with someone else then.

The intention was to cool down, to distract himself, but it didn't really work. Knowing that things were possibly Not Okay between the two of them has him uncomfortable and tense, and he's already scowling in anticipation as he pulls his phone out from under the cushion.

well maybe i found someone who doesn't think Im insufferable to come over. excuse me for being too busy to text

Now it's Scorpius' turn to freak out. He stares down at the text, his mind racing. Had James met someone at work? There were no shortages of interested parties, he's sure of that. But James asked for exclusivity. Why would he do this to Scorpius?

Scorpius ground his teeth tightly, eyes beginning to burn. Suddenly, he doesn't much feel like toying with James anymore.

Did you? Find someone else?

And he thinks about it - thinks about pretending, about trying to make Scorpius just as jealous, too, but that doesn't really sound fun. Not when he's feeling vaguely nauseated.

tell me who u are with first and then I'll tell you

Scorpius types out a variety of things, both mean and cautious, before deleting them all and trying new ones until he realises he can't send anything. He can't text James. He's too afraid of the answer, of the reality that James finally realised Scorpius isn't good enough for him and found someone better.

Without hesitating, Scorpius gathers himself and Apparates - directly to James' place. He's so strung out and hurting that he manages to splinch a bit of his forearm off in the process, so when he arrives, he's howling in pain and sinking to his knees.

The anger and frustration evaporate the moment that the confusion lifts enough for James to realize that Scorpius is in actual pain. He goes white, wavers for just a split second, before he grabs the throw off of the back of the couch and drops down hard in front of the other boy.

"Scorpius, shh, shh, it's okay, let me see-"

There's a firm calmness in his voice that he absolutely doesn't feel.

"How bad is it? Let me see. You're okay. You're alright."

"Don't touch me!" Scorpius hisses. The cut isn't very bad, but the amount of blood looks worrying. Scorpius had always been a bit of a bleeder, making any injury look about a thousand times worse than it actually was. He was just lucky he hadn't splinched his entire arm off.

Frantically, Scorpius looks around...the empty apartment. He glares at James steadily.

"I thought you said you were with someone."

"Don't be daft, of course I'm not with anyone, I've been cleaning all day so you could come over--"

But all of this is said distractedly, as if he doesn't care anymore. He has no idea that the wound is mostly superficial; all he can see is how bad it looks, and his blood is running cold. "Stay here, don't move, I'm getting my wand, hold this to your arm-"

James is pushing the throw blanket at him. It's a nice one, but he doesn't really care right now.

"Don't be---!"

Scorpius gapes, pressing the blanket against the wound despite how badly it stings. He watches James rush off for his wand, and Scorpius just... He can't understand it all. Looking around the room, there's no reason to suspect James is lying and hiding someone. The place looks cleaner than he's ever seen it, frankly, and suddenly he's thinking of that first text in a whole new light.

Maybe it wasn't 'we NEED to talk' but just 'let's talk' or 'i want to see you' and Scorpius bites his tongue at his own stupidity. At James's stupidity!

In James's opinion, need was very much the right word. Because he has a question for him, an important one - a very much time-sensitive one. Need seemed like the right word in the circumstance.

He's back in just a few moments, armed with his wand and some bandages. There's fear on his face, real and serious worry, but he's doing a pretty decent job at masking it.

"C'mon, Scor. Let's staunch the bleeding, then we'll get you to a healer right away. Alright? Look at me, okay?" There's just so much blood.

Scorpius doesn't look up. He stays put on his knees with the blanket pressed hard to the wound, his eyes stinging more than anything else.

"I'm fine, you dolt," he says stiffly. "I bleed a lot. It's fine. Look, I only took a little off. It'll heal." He removes the blanket long enough to show James that it's not as bad as he thought, despite all the blood, and then sulks. "Tell me something straight, James: are you planning to break up with me?"

"--what?" James sounds first aghast, then has the audacity to sound a little offended. He hasn't quite stopped fussing over the injury yet, though, trying to gently take Scorpius's arm in his hand, to get a better look at it. Merlin, he hates blood, but this is more important than that. "Why the hell would you think that? Of course not!"

"Why the hell would I--"

Scorpius can't even finish. He doesn't know how to come back from this. A whole stupid fight and an injury just because he took a text the wrong way. What the hell was wrong with him??

Bowing his head, he gave his arm over for inspection.