CARDIGAN, jegulus spider-man! au

"i'm fine. just um...i'm very naked right now."

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y-you're breaking up with me?

regulus...

no. no you- you can't do this again.

i have to.

you can't do this with me everytime you get scared. i can't do it, james.

reg-

i'm breaking up with you. me. i'm ending it.

i'm sorry, reg-

don't, james.

i love you.

if you loved me, you wouldn't hurt me like this.

i'm ending it because i love you, he thinks. everything i do is because of you.

he doesn't say it, though.

he never says it.

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james knocks on the door, and is very relieved when he sees it's sirius that answered.

that relief files away all at once when sirius mutters no and goes to close the door. james' hand shoots out to stop it, and sirius huffs.

it's been over a week since james and regulus broke up, and sirius has very adamantly not been speaking to him. james knows he has to make things right with sirius before he can even begin thinking about how to make them right with regulus.

"sirius, please just let me explain-,"

"james-,"

"please," james begs, eyes wide and pleading behind his glasses. if sirius shuts the door in his face, he's gonna start crying. sirius stares at him for a second, gaze hard, before slumping and gesturing him inside with a flick of his head.

"you are so lucky my mom and regulus are out," he says, closing the door behind james. he leads them both upstairs to his room, and doesn't give james anytime to get comfortable before he's grilling him.

"explain," he demands, arms crossed over his chest. james breathes deeply.

"well- um' i-," james stops, pausing to figure out how to start. he closed his eyes and rushes out, "he told me he loved me."

"okay," sirius says blankly, "you very obviously love him back, so what's the problem?"

"me. i'm the problem. having these powers... i can't be with him."

"can't or won't?"

"i-,"

"if you broke up with him because you think he cares about you being spider-man-,"

"i broke up with him because i don't know what i would do if he died from me being spider-man!"

silence.

james breathes heavily, his confession hanging heavy in the air. sirius seems to soften all at once, mean demeanor disappearing as he steps closer to james.

"james...,"

"he's- he's everything to me, sirius. i've loved him since we were 15 and i saw him for the first time. he's the first thing i think about everytime i go out as spider-man. if... if being who i am could get him hurt then...," james trails off, voice dropping to a whisper, "i love him enough to keep him safe, even if he hates me for it."