no homo // scorbus texting au

fourteen

Albus (3:21am): ALIENS ARE REAL

Albus (3:23am): SCOrPIUS THEYRE REAL

Albus (3:23am): I KNOW THEYRE REAL I CAN FEEL THEM IN MY HEART

James (3:25am): You're texting me, not your boyfriend, you dumbass.

James (3:26am): Go to sleep.

Albus (3:27am): jamie!!!

James (3:28am): No. Go to sleep.

Albus (3:29am): jamie :(

James (3:30am): Why are you awake anyway?

Albus (3:30am): why are yOU AWAKE huh why do you get to ask all the questions

James (3:31am): I'm doing homework. Why are you up?

Albus (3:32am): ...

James (3:33am): Did you have a bad dream?

Albus (3:33am): ...

James (3:34am): ...I'm on my way.

- - -
"Did you really come all the way to the Slytherin dorms just because I had a nightmare?" Albus asks, pushing the door open to see James in the hall, invisibility cloak on his shoulders.

"Yes. Budge over, it's cold out here," James huffs, and Albus steps aside so that James can make his way in.

"You didn't have to do that," Albus says, somewhat shyly. "I'm sorry."

James rolls his eyes and ruffles Albus' hair in the way that he knows his little brother hates. "Nothing to be sorry for. How long have you been up?"

"So what do you think about aliens?" Albus asks quickly, trying to change the subject.

"Albus."

Albus sighs. "I slept for an hour around eleven. I've been up since midnight, I guess."

"Merlin's beard," James mutters, but he unrolls his sleeping bag on the floor and curls up into it. "Go on, Al, lay down. I'm right here, I won't let anything hurt you."

Albus has tears in his eyes, not that he'd ever admit it. "Thank you, Jamie."

They lay in silence for a couple of minutes, both wide awake, until James asks, "Would Scorpius have replied to that text?"

"Huh?"

"The aliens text. Would he have replied?"

Albus' whole chest goes warm from thinking about his boyfriend. "Yeah. He has do not disturb on for everyone except me and his dad. So he always responds to my texts, even my dumb 3am ones. He would've been mad at me for being awake, though."

"Mad at you?"

"Well, not mad really. Mad like you were, you know? Mad out of love. I'm glad I didn't wake him up, though. I feel bad for doing so whenever I do. I really love him, Jamie. He's so cute and so soft, and sometimes when I hug him he'll snuggle his face into my neck and his nose is always cold. I love him. I love him! I miss him. I should text him."

"Oh, gross, you really are in love," James laughs from the floor, but the sound is fond.

"I am really in love. I really think you'd like him, Jamie. I know you guys don't talk so much what with you being a high and mighty Gryffindor —"

"Oh, shut up —"

" — but I think you two would get along. Really."

James is trying not to smile. "Oh, fine. If it's so important to you, I'll get to know him better."

"You're so nice, Jamie."

James snorts. "Go to sleep, Albus."

"Okay." A silence follows, and Albus closes his eyes. "I miss Scorpius."

"Albus, if you say another word about your boyfriend, I'm going back to the Gryffindor tower."

"Fiiiiine." Albus rolls over. "I really can feel aliens in my heart, though. They're out there."

"The truth is out there," James says back, and Albus beams. He reaches a hand down to find his brother's and ends up grabbing James' entire face. "What the actual hell are you doing?" James questions, trying to keep Albus from poking him in the eye while also trying not to laugh.

"Showing you affection."

"Why don't you give hugs like normal people instead of trying to gouge my bloody eyes out?"

"If I gave you a hug, we'd both have to get up. Too much work." Albus pats his brother's face twice, and then curls up in the bed. "Okay, g'night, Jamie. Love you."

James can't help but laugh now. "I love you, too, you fuckin' weirdo."

"Hey!"

"You know it's true."

"...Yeah."

- - -
"Hi," Scorpius says shyly to James. He's sitting in an armchair meant for one person, but he and Albus both smushed themselves into it, Scorpius sitting on Albus' lap. Albus' chin is resting on Scorpius' shoulder and he's flipping through a book about aliens.

"Hey, Scorpius. Seriously, Albus, you're still on the aliens thing?" James asks, setting his bag down and taking one of the free armchairs across from Albus and Scorpius. "Scorp, do you want this seat?"

"No. He's good," Albus answers for him, using the arm that's wrapped around Scorpius' middle to hold him tighter for a second. "So. Go on, then. Bond or whatever."

Scorpius rolls his eyes. "Al, you can't just tell us to bond. Your brother is an idiot," he adds to James.

James nods gravely. "I know. He texted me at 3am about aliens."

"Oh, you got one of those? Yeah, I know the feeling. I mean, it's usually not aliens, but I'm sure we've all gotten a 3am text from Albus."

"It's how you know I really love you," Albus comments without looking up from his book. Scorpius' face goes soft at his words, and he turns his head to kiss Albus' cheek, and then grins when Albus blushes.

"You really love him, huh?" James smiles. "3am alien texts and all?"

"I really do," Scorpius assures him, and James can tell by the look on his face that it's true. So, even though Scorpius is a Malfoy, James is pretty sure he's a good guy after all.

"Well, good, because if you didn't, I'd probably have to fight you."

"Jamie! Stop threatening my tiny boyfriend with violence!" Albus shouts, still without looking up from his book.

"I'm not tiny," Scorpius frowns. "And I bet I could beat you in a fistfight."

"No. Not happening," Albus interrupts. "James, shut up. I know you're competitive enough to agree with it."

"But he offered —" James tries.

"Nope! Never mind, you two aren't bonding anymore," Albus announces, and he stands up to leave, arm wrapped around Scorpius protectively.

"I'll text you about the fight then," James adds, just to irritate Albus further.

"How do you have his number!?"

"You texted us both once about how cute fennec foxes are, don't you remember?" James questions.

"No," Albus answers honestly, "but that does sound like me. Right, well, remind me to keep you two as far away from each other as possible for the rest of time. Bye, Jamie."

"Bye," James chuckles as they leave the library. He decides right then that he likes Scorpius Malfoy a lot, and that he is definitely going to fistfight him.