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Harry whimpers softly from his perch in Regulus’s arms. His wild dark hair is sweat damp against his forehead and he’s sleep-warm in a pair of cotton footsie pyjamas.
Regulus leans his head down, brushing his lips against Harry’s head. Brown curls mix with his baby’s hair. Harry whimpers again and he twists his face into the curve of the man’s neck.
James is cuddled close to Reglus. His chin is tucked over his boyfriend’s shoulder, watching over Harry. His face softens impossibly when Harry presses his face further into Regulus. Reaching down he smooths the hair on the back of his son’s head down: “shhh, love. Shhh. Oh I know it hurts.”
In turn Regulus runs his large thin hands up and down Harry’s back over and over again in slow circular motions.
James leans back from Regulus, untucking his chin. He slips his hand into the fold of Regulu’s elbow, holding on to his arm. Regulus smiles.
“He’s so small.” James says softly.
Regulus is silent for a moment, soothing Harry through another series of pained whimpers. Then he turns to James and there’s nothing but pure love cradled in the soft grey of his eyes. James blushes. He dips his head down. And how is it that they’re still both so gone for eachother?
Shifting himself and Harry, Regulus leans back into James who takes both of his boys into his arms willingly. He tips his head back carefully and presses a kiss to the warm brown piece skin he can reach and says, “and he’s ours,” like he can’t quite believe it.
James hands come up around Regulus’s and he’s holding Regulus holding Harry. A lump suddenly swells in Regulus’s throat because there was a time when he was quite certain he would never have had this–that he wasn’t worthy of it.
Harry cries out again and this time his breath hitches. He’s moving too much for him to still be asleep.
Big dark eyes blink up at Regulus and he holds his breath.
My baby, that’s my baby. My baby
James reaches out to cup Harry’s face gently. The little boy’s lip wobbles and he lets out a wet sob that shakes his whole body.
“Oh darling,” Regulus says softly. “I’m so sorry you’re in pain.”
Harry continues to sob and Regulus runs his fingers through Harry’s hair.
James disentangles himself carefully from them. “I’m going to grab his teether, love.”
He returns with it from the freezer (leans down to press a lingering kiss to his baby’s forehead). Harry reaches out with grabby hands for the toy and James helps him bring it to his mouth.
Harry continues to cry a little more, his chest hitching in a way that cracks Regulus open from the inside out.
For a while nothing but sucking sounds fill the room. The crying eases and Harry lays his warm little head down on Reguus’s chest again. James is still standing and Regulus uses the hand that isn’t occupied with their baby to pull his boyfriend down on the sofa with him. James manages to wrap his arms around them again, his thighs cradling Regulus’s.
“ ‘eggie,” Harry mumbles forlornly inbetween chewing.
“Yes darling?”
“Hurts.” One of Harry’s babyish hands squeezes Reglus’s arm.
Regulus for his part can’t speak. He feels James tighten his hold on him. Because while it may seem to the outside world that Regulus is the one who would break last, it’s not true. Harry is hurting and there’s very little to actually be done about it. He swallows the lump in his throat again and opens his mouth to try to say something reassuring.
James makes a low comforting sound in the back of his throat. And bloody hell it’s hard to tell if it’s meant for Harry or for him. Possibly both.
Jame runs one hand down Harry’s back and the other down Regulus’s arm. He murmurs. “It’ll be better soon, baby. Soon.”
Regulus allows himself to sink back a bit more into James, relieved that James always knows what to say.
Regulus presses his cheek to Harry’s head again. “It won’t be like this always, my love.”
“No, it won’t.” James adds softly, his hands brushing through Harry’s mop of curls.
There’s mucus on Harry’s face from crying. James shimmies his sleeve down and wipes it off tenderly while Harry makes a face.
“Better?” James swipes his finger up and down Harry’s nose in a movement that has comforted him since he was born.
A warm feeling flowers behind Regulus’s ribs at both the gesture and the question. God but he’s so good with him.
Harry sighs wetly and his breath trembles around his teething ring. He closes his eyes, nuzzling into Regulus’s chest.
There are soft lips on the back of Regulus’s head. James’s. They’ll move later. Put Harry down in his crib. Not yet though. They’ve got to hold on to this moment just a little longer.
“He adores you, you know.” James murmurs, his lips still lingering on Regulus’s scalp. He says it like he knows…Like he knows how unsure Regulus feels sometimes about everything.
Regulus’s neck warms. His cheeks pink and James, damn him,laughs softly because he can feel Regulus’s scalp heating. They’ve known eachother too long and dated for too long as well for him not to realize Regulus is blushing. That warm feeling is swirling again beneath his chest and its blooming up his throat and he needs to say it because sometimes he’s terrified that he doesn’t say it enough–that James doesn’t get it. And he always wants James to get it.
“I love him,” He says into the quiet dark, “I love you.”
James is silent for a moment and then Regulus hears a sniffle and he laughs. James pokes him in the rib.
“You’re not crying, love are you?”
James buries his head in Regulus’s shoulder. “Don’t tease me.” He whines.
“Shhh. You’ll wake up Harry.” Regulus’s body shakes with a silent laugh again.
“This is bullying, yeah.”
“Alright. Alright.” Regulus soothes and he slips his hand into James’s, thumb stroking his hand.
“You are so loved.” James says and his voice is a bit shaky and Regulus chooses not to tease him this time. He pulls James’s arms closer around him and Harry babbles softly into his chest.