Archive of Our Own ^beta

Chapter Text

Regulus Black stood in front of the camera, fully intent on making history in his small town. There was a bright smile on his face, the kind of smile that Regulus wasn’t sure he could muster anymore. 

Regulus stood next to Barty Crouch. Regulus used to call him ‘Bee’ because he knew it annoyed Barty. The slight twitch from Barty’s lips at the nickname always made Regulus smile. Regulus knew that somewhere in an old scrapbook there were probably sticky notes with hearts and kisses that they passed back and forth during lecture hall as if they were juvenile highschoolers instead of undergrad students. Regulus had never claimed to be a romantic, and as a kid he swore that love was disgusting and that he would never marry. But that was all long before he met his Bee. The gentle touches and the late night phone calls turned Regulus into a far mushier version of the stubborn jackass that most people thought of when they heard Regulus’ name. Barty traced hearts and stars on nearly every piece of paper Regulus used. Regulus had found it annoying, but once it stopped he found that he thought his paper was eerily empty. After the accident Regulus got that heart tattooed on his hip, in Barty’s writing. He thought it would help, to be reminded of Barty, but each time Regulus looked at it in the mirror he felt like shit for surviving. 

Evan Rosier was on the other side of Regulus, proudly holding sensors that he’d coded himself. From the outside they just looked like small balls of metal. Not even nice metal, they looked completely janky and crooked. But they were invaluable to the mission. When Pandora and Evan used to argue, she would threaten to throw the sensors at the wall, purely to rile her brother up.  

Dorcas was off to the side in the picture, she had sworn that they didn’t have the time to stop and have a photoshoot. She wanted them to keep moving. Regulus could practically hear her yelling through the photograph, “The storm is going to hit a mile south in roughly half an hour guys, let’s move!” She called, tracking the clouds on her crappy laptop. 

Pandora was the one taking the picture, there were roughly a dozen selfies taken next to it on the disposable camera. But she was insistent that everyone stand close and smile to remember the moment. The only trace of her in the group photo was the corner of her thumb covering the lens, blocking off the top of the satellite. 

Regulus was determined to track the tornado, lower the destruction in it’s path. If his calculations were correct, with the amount of absorbancy in his polymers, they could stop the tornado before it even had a chance to really form. 

“Come on guys, we’ve got to go!” Dorcas called for the dozenth time and they still weren’t listening to her. Regulus saw the clouds rolling though, it was an almost imperceptible shift in the air. 

“She’s right!” Regulus sighed, “We should roll out!”

They got in the van. It was Evan’s mom’s white mini-van with a trailer poorly attached to it. The plan was simple in theory, to go and dispose of the trailer in the eye of the tornado. It should cause the tornado to take in the polymer and then die out before it could cause any damage.

Regulus took the passenger seat of the van, Barty drove. He always insisted on driving, while the rest of them tracked storm conditions on their various computers and machines. 

Pandora was staying put, watching and monitoring the drones and things from a distance. She stayed on the line over a system of various headsets. The system was crackly at best with a constant sort of static running across the line. “The clouds are moving, do you guys have eyes on the storm?”

Regulus kept his eyes trained on the sky as Barty drove. The road was dirt and to say it was bumpy would be an understatement. The road seemed to rattle the car as it drove across it. Regulus held onto the handle on the roof of the car to try and steady himself. “God, Barty.” Regulus sighs. 

“I didn’t make the road.” Barty huffs out in his own defense. 

The clouds were beginning to swirl, as they made their way closer to the spot where the  storm was supposed to form. “Are we sure we’re close enough? It’s only a category one.” Dorcas asked, ever the skeptic. 

“We’re right in it’s path.” Regulus insisted. “It’ll take in the polymers and disperse before it’s even a real tornado.”

“If it goes according to plan.” Evan mumbled. 

Regulus bit his lip at that, it had to go according to plan. “It will.” He swore, “It will all go according to plan.”

They hopped out of the car as they pulled to a stop. Evan hurriedly laid out his sensors. Regulus and Dorcas uncapped the barrels full of the absorbent polymers. That’s when the air shifted. Dorcas unhitched the trailer from the van as fast as she could. 

“In the van! Everyone in the van!” Evan called and they started running, the air was swirling around. The clouds seemed almost violent as the dust on the ground started to kick up with the wind. 

Regulus pulled himself in the van and before he could even shut the door, Barty started to drive. The drive was rougher than the last as Barty sped away as fast as he could. But they were right in the storm’s path. Regulus looked out the rearview window. 

For a moment, he had hope, he was excited. The clouds formed in the familiar circular formation, intent on sucking up the polymer. The white powder lifted in the air, swirling with the clouds. The sensors followed with it. 

But then nothing happened. 

“It didn’t work.” Regulus mumbled. He was horrified. “It didn’t work, it should have worked.”

Barty slowed for a second to look back, and that was the first mistake. “We’re in the path, aren’t we?” 

“Drive!” Evan yelled. 

Over the slight static of the radio, Pandora could be heard, trying to understand the situation, but they were all so much more focused on the tornado approaching the van at rapid speeds. 

The car started to rattle again, but this time it wasn’t from the road, it was from the wind. The wind was threatening to knock the car on it’s side. If they weren’t lucky, the tornado would sweep them up entirely. “That’s not a category one.” Regulus tried to remember how to breathe, but some part of him knew that he was probably going to die. He was struggling not to hyperventilate. 

The back of the car began lifting off the ground, and Barty footed the breaks, trying to outrun it. 

It was hopeless though, there was no outrunning this storm. Not like this. 

Regulus opened his window, deciding to take his chances. He jumped out of the vehicle and started running. He was looking for somewhere to hide. He was looking for something low to the ground. Anything. He kept running. The mud was slippery, and it splashed across his legs. He had to dodge pieces of metal and trash as they flew through the air with enough force to kill him if it hit his head.

Eventually his friends werre running on foot not far behind him. Regulus knew the car had been lost to the storm. Barty had caught up to him in seconds, but Regulus couldn’t afford to look behind. Not even when he could hear Dorcas scream. 

The screams went silent and Regulus knew she was dead. 

Regulus struggled not to freeze, but he had to keep going. Regulus did not plan to die. He kept going, running as fast as he physically could manage towards the bridge. He was pushing himself as far as he could. Regulus thought that if he wasn’t caught into the storm that perhaps his own exhaustion might kill him. 

“Keep going, Reg. Keep going.” Barty called to him, and that gave Regulus enough energy to push a little harder. He ran a little faster. 

They were at the bridge. It was a little safer, the wind died a little in the tunnel like structure. But they could still feel it, and it was inching closer. 

There was a metal beam, a small cranny where someone could fit. Where someone could survive the storm. But the slope towards it was slippery and steep. Regulus tried to climb up to it, he slipped. He cut himself on a jagged piece of metal, he let out a hissing sound at the pain. Regulus couldn’t tell if it was mud or blood that was trickling down his leg. 

Barty saw the same spot as Regulus, he managed to climb up to it. It was easier with how much taller Barty was. Barty reached for Regulus, offering out his hand. Regulus kept trying to reach it, missing it by inches. 

Evan was beside Regulus, panting. Hardly recognizable with the mud on his face and the large cuts across his arm. 

If Regulus was a better person, he would have helped Evan get up, before getting up himself. Perhaps offered to boost him upwards. But Regulus didn’t. Instead, Regulus kept climbing the treacherous slope until he grabbed Barty’s hand and was able to pull himself up into the alcove. 

Barty held on tight to Regulus, as they watched Evan be pulled away. There was no doubt in Regulus mind that Evan was dead now. Evan wouldn’t be able to survive the injuries he’d already suffered, much less whatever he was facing in the storm. Regulus hoped Evan’s death would be quick and painless. 

Regulus curled up, hugging onto the steal beam of the bridge as he felt the storm try and pull him. Barty was acting as a blanket of sorts, sheltering Regulus from the worst of it. 

It was loud under the bridge. Scrap metal seemed to ricochet off of the walls like small bullets as they were sucked towards the storm. Regulus had to pray he wasn’t cut too badly. He had to hope nothing would catch on Barty’s skin or hit in a too sensitive spot. Regulus was being shielded by Barty, he had to hope they’d both survive. 

That was the moment that Regulus understood how much Barty truly loved him. Barty was willing to risk his life for Regulus in the most literal way. 

“Thank you, Barty.” Regulus panted as he struggled not to cry. In the stillness his emotions were finally present. He could feel them. He could understand the deaths that he had caused and that there really was no one else to blame. 

Barty didn’t answer. 

“Bee?” Regulus asked. 

But there was no response. 

That’s when Regulus realized that Barty had stopped breathing. 

Regulus could feel the limp body, as it was pulled off of him and into the storm. Regulus sobbed. He let himself cry. He could do nothing more but wait for the storm to pass. 

…

Regulus didn’t remember much between then and when the storm had finally ended. He could barely recall himself sliding out from under Barty’s body and walking through the torn up field. 

He aimlessly searched for something, for someone. Regulus felt somewhat lost, and he wandered around like a zombie more than a human. He didn’t recognize the paramedic that came and picked him up, Regulus wasn’t even sure when he had collapsed on the ground. 

When he tried to remember the trip to the hospital, it was all a blur. Regulus woke up to the fluorescent lights and tried to blink his way into consciousness. Something about trauma, or blood loss. Regulus didn’t quite comprehend what the doctors were trying to say to him. 

Regulus just laid on the bed, entirely unresponsive. It was days before he so much as made a sound. It was long before Regulus could comprehend what happened as anything more than an awful nightmare. 

Chapter Text

Regulus had never dreamt of being a weather man on the local news station, and if he knew that’s what his life would amount to then he probably would have done something differently. He probably never would have decided to settle in upstate Massachusetts.  But instead, he stood in front of the camera rattling off facts and statistics about the barometric pressure when he knew people only wanted to know the forecast for the afternoon. 

Regulus was far too smart for the job. His multiple degrees in meteorology proved that. So really it was funny, in a way, that he ended up where he did. Smiling to the camera and pretending to enjoy his life.

Regulus’ segment of the day wrapped and he grabbed his bag, throwing the old leather sack over his shoulder. “Regulus, you hear about the storm coming? Tornados hitting Oklahoma, you’re from there right?”

Tornados. The word always made Regulus pause. He has to pretend the word didn’t do anything to him. As if it didn’t bring back horrific memories of the night his whole life went to shit. “Yeah, I’m from Oklahoma.” Regulus mumbled back, he walked out that door, trying to push away the thoughts. He pulled out his phone and opened his contacts, staring at the awful picture he had taken of his brother, Sirius. 

Regulus had to remind himself why he didn’t call anymore. It wasn’t like Sirius would want him to call anyhow. Regulus walked to his car, he drove home in silence. He was never too fond of the slight crackle from the radio. 

He went back to his apartment building. Regulus took a moment to fiddle with his keys before he managed to let himself into his place. He wasn’t expecting the text, Pandora’s name in big bold letters and just a simple, ‘ I’m in town. ” attached to it. 

Regulus almost didn’t respond. He didn’t like to think about Pandora, he didn’t want to think about his experiences in graduate school. He thought he had finally managed to put all of that behind him. Regulus had been to therapy, he had done everything he was supposed to do to be able to forget this and move on. 

He changed out of his work clothes and the small heart on his hip caught his attention. It was days like this when he wished he’d never immortalized his love affair with Barty in such a way. Barty seemed to taunt him now, show him something that could have been. 

Regulus stilled for a moment, trying to shake the thought from his head. Barty was dead. People died everyday, and he had to remind himself of that. The idea that it was his fault creeped onto him again, like it did sometimes. He didn’t want to respond to Pandora, but he did. Pandora hadn’t done anything wrong. Regulus found himself agreeing to meet for coffee the next day at the cafe down the block.

…

The coffee shop was surprisingly empty for a Saturday afternoon. Regulus had never been in there before. He had always found small town coffee shops to be overpriced and tacky. The shockingly neon decor seemed to what was detracting customers from entering. Regulus didn’t bother ordering anything, he just took a seat at a table. He mindlessly scrolled through his phone until a headline caught his eye. Category 4 Tornado Expected To Hit Oklahoma. 

“Shit.” Regulus mumbled to himself staring at the article. Tornado season was always bad, but it didn’t take Regulus’ degree in meteorology to know that this one would be worse than normal. 

The door chimed as Pandora walked into the coffee shop. Regulus almost didn’t recognize her. Her wild hair had been tamed into sleek curls, she wore thick glasses and her eyes didn’t have the same sparkle that they did before the incident. 

Regulus had always blamed himself for that, for taking Pandora’s friends from her. That was probably why he had been so willing to come and see her again, was because of the overwhelming sense of guilt that he felt whenever he laid eyes on her. The guilt that Regulus was sorry he had let himself forget for so long. But it all came back when he looked at Pandora for the first time in nearly a decade. 

Pandora went to get a coffee at the counter, and Regulus let his eyes follow her. He stayed completely enraptured by her presence as if he had seen a ghost. It was a few minutes before she came and sat across from Regulus, but Regulus would swear that he had forgotten how to blink. 

Pandora’s voice was easy and sweet as she smiled. “Long time no see.”

Regulus nodded, unsure how to interact with her now. “Yeah, it has been.”

“How’s your family?” She asked, the small talk felt unnatural from her.

“I haven’t seen them. I wouldn’t know.” Regulus mumbled. 

Pandora nodded, “You haven’t been back?” 

Regulus shook his head. He hadn’t stepped foot in Oklahoma since he graduated college. He didn’t intend to see it again. “No.”

“There’s storms coming.” Pandora offered. “Tornado clusters. Big ones.”

Regulus perked up slightly at that, an old impulse he had never quite managed to kick. “I don’t- I don’t think about Tornados much anymore. If I can help it.” Regulus breathed out, he was biting his lip, trying to stop himself from volunteering for something he knew she was leading up to. 

Pandora smirked at that though, as if she had caught Regulus in a trap. “Your brother, have you seen him?”

That had caught Regulus off guard, “No, I haven’t.” He said, but it came out sounding more like a question as he dared Pandora to continue on. Unsure why she had bothered to mention Sirius in the first place. 

“He’s a tornado chaser.” Pandora sighed, pulling up a video on her phone as proof. 

Surely enough, there he was. Sirius Black in all his arrogant glory besides some other cocky brute as they tried to drive straight into the eye of the storm. It made Regulus’ flinch, and it made him angry. How could Sirius risk his life like that when he knew what those storms had done to Regulus. Regulus couldn’t comprehend how Sirius could be so reckless, could be so insensitive to him. Regulus white-knuckled the table, in an attempt to keep from saying something he shouldn’t. 

“He’s an idiot.” Regulus muttered through his teeth in complete anger and disbelief. “He’s a fucking idiot.”

“So you don’t want to do it?” Pandora asked.

Regulus looked up from the video and at Pandora, meeting her wide eyes that seemed nearly crazed at the idea. “What?”

“I’m with a company, we’re trying to make more substantive models of the tornados. Placing cameras and sensors to capture them from three angles. It would give a three dimensional model of a tornado in almost complete accuracy.” Pandora smirks. 

Regulus couldn’t hide his immediate intrigue at the prospect. “And you want me to help?”

“You’ve always had the best eye for these things.” Pandora shrugs. “It’s your sixth sense.”

Regulus shook his head, trying to talk himself out of it. It would be easier had anyone else asked. But this was Pandora. After all, he owed her. Regulus had cost her so much, this was the least he could do. But then again, Regulus wasn’t sure he could be that close to a tornado. “Pandora, I-”

“We could save lives, Regulus.” Pandora interrupted, anticipating the rejection. “We could do what you always wanted to. Change the world.”

That got Regulus. He felt the breath deep in his chest, and before he could stop himself he found himself agreeing to do it. “Yes. Okay, I’ll help.”

Pandora began rattling off details like a memorized grocery list but Regulus couldn’t hear a word she was saying, too focused on trying not to have a panic attack in the middle of the far too overstimulating cafe. 

…

When Regulus went back to his apartment and silently cursed at himself for agreeing to such a fools errand. He couldn’t stop himself from pulling up the youtube channel his brother was on. Storm Chasers . That’s what they called themselves. As if they couldn’t even try to come up with something more clever. 

Sirius was there, talking about the storms with as casual of a tone that one would use to talk about an elementary school science project. It made Regulus want to punch him, and the fact that he already absolutely detested his older brother, certainly didn’t help that fact. 

Standing beside Sirius in all the videos was some asshole named James Potter. Regulus had decided that James must be the douchiest man alive by the way he spoke. It was the kind of voice a frat bro would use when telling people the party was over. Regulus was entirely unamused by James. 

He was even more loathe to admit that a small part of him saw the appeal in the youtube channel. It was entertaining. It was thrilling, and everyone knew what they were doing was dangerous. The way the red truck drove into the storm with reckless abandon as cameras rolled, was exhilarating to watch, and Regulus could hardly fathom being in the vehicle as they did it. 

Regulus couldn’t seem to stop watching. He tried to put the computer down and peel his eyes away from the screen, but it was like he was an addict of sorts. Addicted to watching the thrill he had once chased in his youth. Except this time it was different. These guys weren’t doing it for science, or to help people. No, they were doing it for a cheap thrill and a quick buck off of people who were tricked into watching it. That was the reminder Regulus needed to shut off his laptop. 

Regulus had lost people to these storms, and he envied the fact that his brother hadn’t lost anyone in the same manner. He envied the fact that Sirius had never had to give up the thrill of following around the tornados as if they were nothing more than fascinating. He loathed the fact that each time he considered going back, he felt the pang of guilt in his chest that reminded him that Barty would never have the same chance. More than anything, Regulus hated that he had let himself be talked into returning to Oklahoma. But either way, he still packed a bag that night. 

…

Pandora showed up in the parking garage next to his apartment the next morning. It was hard to ignore the big white van with the antenna sticking out the top. There was a giant logo on the side of the van. It was a vibrant blue lettering that was somewhat slanted and read ‘Storm Haven Enterprises’. Regulus wasn’t familiar with the company but he assumed that was who Pandora was working for, and more than likely the owner of the van. 

“You came.” She smiled brightly. 

Regulus shrugged, “I said I would.”

“I had my doubts. Can you blame me?” She laughed, as if it was some joke. But Regulus almost didn’t come, so he supposed he should be doubted. 

“I guess not.” He mumbled back as he threw his bag in the car. “We’re driving straight there?”

“We can stop overnight. I’ve got some trailmix and a killer playlist though. It’ll be like we’re back in college.” Pandora sighed, as if those memories were good things for her. 

Regulus struggled not to make a face at that, “Just like college, huh?”

“Evan and I would ride back to school in his pick up truck from winter break. It was a ten hour drive. I always let Evan drive, and he always insisted that we had to drive it straight through.” Pandora talked about him so casually. Regulus wasn’t sure how she had managed that. Regulus could barely say Evan’s name without crying, and Evan wasn’t Regulus’ brother. 

Regulus nodded, like it didn’t hurt him to hear that, as if every bone in Regulus’ body didn’t strain at the memory of Evan’s gruesome death. “That sounds nice.”

“It was.” She sighed as she hopped into the driver's seat. 

Regulus followed suit and sat in the passenger’s seat next to her. A girl’s name was written on the dashboard in front of him, but had seen multiple attempts to be scrubbed off. It left a murky and barely visible stain of the name ‘Lily’. Regulus wanted to ask who it was, but decided not to. Afterall, he barely knew Pandora. At least not the Pandora in front of him, the almost thirty year old with a career. She was put together, and functioning without weed. It was a stark contrast to the girl he had known in college. 

“You seem tense.” She joked as she turned up the music. It was some weird country music. Not the typical kind that he would hear on the radio, but the odd kind that had actual banjo in it and the singer sounded like they smoked a pack a day. Regulus struggled not to cringe at it, but it helped to remind him that Pandora was the same girl he’d known back in undergrad. 

Regulus shrugged as he answered, “I haven’t been back.” 

“You haven’t been back home?”

Regulus shook his head, “I don’t know that I would call home.”

“Okay, fine. You haven’t been back to Oklahoma?” Pandora corrects. 

“No, I haven’t.” Regulus confirmed, “Not since I left.”

Pandora nodded, “I heard about your mother, I’m sorry.”

“Don’t be.” Regulus insisted. “It’s better that she’s dead. It’s not like she was a particularly good person.”

“It still sucks. She was still your mom.” Pandora insisted, seemingly intent on offering sympathies. 

“Pandora, it’s fine. She wasn’t much of a mother anyhow.” Regulus mumbled, wanting the conversation to end. “How’s your family?” 

Pandora gave a breathy laugh at that, “They’re fine.”

“Who’s Lily?” Regulus asked. 

Pandora tensed at that for just a second before relaxing again. “She’s a girl I knew.”

“Her name is on your dash.”

“It is.” 

Regulus shook his head, “That sounds like more than just some girl you knew.”

Pandora bit her lip, “Right. Well as nice as catching up is, I didn’t ask you here to talk. I just need your help Regulus, so if you could mind your business that would be great.”

Regulus didn’t know whether to feel guilty or extremely annoyed by that remark. It was quiet between them for a while, the tension was only heightened by the rather obnoxious country music that was blaring. “Sorry.” Regulus muttered eventually, willing to do anything to make the tension dissipate, including apologize, which wasn’t something he did very often.

Pandora sighed, “No, it’s my bad. I shouldn’t be so short with you.”

Regulus nodded, he didn’t want to press any further. He stayed quiet, but relaxed slightly.

They drove in near silence, listening to the god awful music for another fifteen minutes before Pandora spoke again. “Lily was my girlfriend.”

“Oh.” Regulus furrowed his brow, he was a bit shocked, but didn’t mind that Pandora had dated a girl. It would have been hypocritical of him to. “I take it you’re no longer together?”

“We’re not.” Pandora muttered, gritting her teeth as she spoke. “Moved away from Oklahoma for a while. She couldn’t take the distance.”

Regulus nodded, “You let her write her name on a company car?”

“I let her do a lot of shit.” Pandora sighed, “That was the thing about her. I would let her do anything if it made her smile. Still would. It’s why she’s so dangerous, she’s like a drug to me.”

Regulus nodded, “Some woman.”

“Trust me. You don’t know the half of it.”

Chapter Text

Regulus was just trying to pee at the rest stop, he wanted to get in and out. So Regulus was less than thrilled when the bright red truck adorned with equipment came rolling into the same stop. It was blaring music as someone smoked out the window. They were loud and raucous and Regulus immediately disliked them, before he even managed to recognize them. 

It didn’t take long though, for Regulus to recognize them, he watched Sirius hop out of the truck, and then Regulus was running to beat his brother to the bathroom as if they were children again. Regulus wouldn’t deny that it was an extremely petty move, but he couldn’t help it.

Walking out of the restroom was when he actually came face to face with Sirius. Sirius looked more shocked than anything, he stood there with his mouth agape. Regulus smiled somewhat triumphantly as if he had won a prize of some sort. “Oh, that’s shallow.” Sirius muttered under his breath as he pushed past Regulus. 

Regulus shrugged as he walked and grumbled, “Runs in the family.”

…

A few hours later they stopped again, this time at a rest stop in Oklahoma, having finally reached their destination, or rather, close enough to their desired destination. There were supposed to be three tornados forming according to all the sensors they had put up, one to the east, and two to the southwest. 

Evidently, they weren’t the only ones who were storm chasing. There were vans full of people. For the most part it was all people who would be content to watch from a distance. They would lie and say they got some sort of thrill, and insist that they were closer to the storm than they were. But Regulus could never quite understand the longing to just watch from a distance. He had to fight the urge to call them names, but the one that always came to his mind was the word ‘coward’. 

Regulus climbed out of the van, trying to feel the air. He hated being locked up in that stuffy car. It felt like a punishment, and Regulus felt that if anything he should be rewarded for helping Pandora like he was right now. 

Regulus tried to focus on the wind on his face. It helped calm him. It eased the slight nausea that had been forming from the long car ride. For a moment it brought him back to happier times. Regulus had never been a particularly happy person, but he used to live for moments like this. Moments where everything melted away but him and the earth beneath him as he felt the wind and took in the sight of the swirling clouds overhead. 

Back in college, Barty would interrupt Regulus when he did this. Barty used to approach Regulus from behind and wrap his arms around him gently. Regulus never flinched away, Barty was the only one who could manage to touch Regulus without him flinching. 

Regulus was getting teary eyed at the memory, but the heartfelt moment left as quickly as it came. It was replaced by the sound of screeching tires and blaring music as a large red truck pulled in the parking lot. 

Regulus couldn’t help but roll his eyes at the appearance of Sirius and his posse. They were obnoxious just by nature of them existing. They had a crowd of fans that seemed to follow their every move. T-shirts were sold with pictures of their faces and their truck on them. Regulus rolled his eyes, he had half a mind to go over there and rip his brother a new asshole. But Regulus never was the confrontational type, as much as he pretended to be. So instead Regulus glared from across the lot, trying to will them to disappear. 

Pandora came up beside him, settling herself as she leaned on the van. “I hate those fuckers.” She mumbled. 

Regulus tried to regain his temporary serenity, but it eluded him. Regulus stared at the sky, trying to read the storm. He was trying to chase it, he had to focus. He was doing this for Pandora. Whenever Regulus tried to remember his reason for doing this he was hit with an overwhelming wave of guilt that made his stomach churn. Regulus swore he felt the bile rise in his throat. 

That was the unfortunate moment that James Potter came strolling over. Regulus promptly vomited on him. For a moment Regulus just stared at the mess of his stomach contents that had managed to end up all over James’ shoes and felt mortified.

“Well, that’s one means of an introduction.” James mumbled. 

Regulus blushed and sprinted to the restroom. James removed his leather cowboy boots before following behind to wash off the mess. 

Regulus continued vomiting in the stall as he listened to the rushing water of the sink. Regulus came out a few minutes later, heaving slightly. Regulus didn’t say a words as he went to leave. 

James raised an eyebrow, “Not even going to apologize?”

Regulus stopped in his tracks and sighed, “Sorry.”

“It’s fine.” James shrugged, “Carsick?”

“Yeah.” Regulus mumbled, feeling a bit too awkward to try and leave. Regulus didn’t get carsick, he knew it was the nerves. But he didn’t feel particularly compelled to share that with the relative stranger that was stuck scrubbing his sick off. “I am sorry.”

James shook his head, “It’s really alright. Promise. These things happen.”

Regulus tried not to cringe. He thought James would be an ass about this. He hoped James would be an ass, then he might not feel so guilty. Regulus didn’t want to touch it though, so he didn’t offer to help. 

“You’re just going to stand there and watch me?” James asked, he was cocky, he managed to seem arragant even as he washed off vomit. 

Regulus just shrugged, he didn’t have an answer for that. He changed the topic, he wanted to ask the question that he had been dying to know the answer to. “Do you know who I am?” It was a genuine question, yet the words still seemed pompous.

James chuckled a little bit, “Should I?” 

Regulus paled at that. Sirius hadn’t mentioned him. Regulus tried to shrug it off. He did his best to manage the stilland  unbothered expression that he had perfected in his youth.  But Regulus had lost his edge over the years and he knew the hurt was plain on his face. Regulus left the restroom, slamming the door behind him. 

Regulus made his way back to the clearing, feeling the air on his face as he tried to determine which tornado would last, the ones to the southwest could combine. They could hit one another and swarm together to easily create a category five. But Regulus didn’t believe that, he shook his head too deep in thought. The tornados would more likely squash each other out, dissolving entirely back into the clouds they had first formed out of. 

Pandora came towards him, “How long do we have?”

Regulus shrugged, “About twenty minutes.”

Pandora nodded in response, she trusted Regulus’ judgement with these things. Regulus was rarely wrong when it came to the storms. “East or West?” Pandora asked. 

Regulus sighed, “I say we go East, but don’t leave, not until Sirius’ crew does.”

Pandora raised an eyebrow, “You want to throw them off.”

“I want those idiots as far from us as possible.” Regulus sighed. 

Pandora laughed, “I’ll tell my colleagues.” 

Regulus relaxed slightly and nodded. His face gave away too much. He had hoped that his shame had washed away, but apparently it hadn’t, because Pandora gave him a look. 

“What happened?” She asked quietly.

Regulus looked around, debating whether or not to admit what he did. He wondered if this should be one of those secrets that he took to the grave. But instead he stilled and sighed once he realized they were alone. Regulus whispered, “I puked on his boots.” 

Pandora tried to stifle her giggles. 

Regulus did not find this funny in the slightest and was trying not to say something. He just rolled his eyes. 

It didn’t take James long to swagger his way over and join them. “You never told me your name.” James smiled, holding out his hand. 

Regulus didn’t take his hand, but Pandora took his hand eagerly and shook it. “Good to see you again, James.”

James raised an eyebrow, “Have we met before?”

James and Pandora held a firm grip between them as they maintained eye contact. It was as if a silent conversation was taking place. All that Pandora muttered was a quiet, “You know that we have.”

James nodded, “Well Ms. Rosier, care to introduce me to your associate?”

Pandora shrugged, “He’s more than capable to introducing himself.” She quipped, “Now, if you’ll excuse me. I have business to attend to.” She insisted before sauntering off back to the van, leaving Regulus and James alone once more. 

James smirked, “Are you going to introduce yourself?”

Regulus shrugged, “Didn’t plan on it?”

“You threw up on me, and you won’t even give me your name?” James chuckled.

“You’re going to hold that over me forever, aren’t you?” 

“Are you planning to know me forever?” James quipped back, evidently finding himself to be charming, when Regulus just found him to be annoying. “The least you could do is give me your name.”

“Regulus Black.” Regulus answered, his tone short. He only said it to shut James up, but the look on James’ face was priceless. 

James went pale as he nodded, “You’re Sirius’ brother.”

“I used to be.” Regulus shrugged, “Not like he’d consider me family anymore.”

James didn’t know how to answer that. His lips pressed into a thin line as he tried to come up for some defense on Sirius’ behalf. But James couldn’t because he didn’t know anything about Regulus’ and Sirius’ relationship. James shook his head and decided to change the topic. “There’s three storms on the radar.”

“There are.” Regulus said dryly, it was a fact. 

“Which one are you going after?”

“It should be obvious,” Regulus shrugged, purposely misleading him. “One has two tornados. Twice the risk, twice the reward.”

“It’s obvious now, is it?” James chuckled, “How’d you figure it out?”

“Why would I tell you that?” Regulus asked, there was no reason he would want this Potter asshole to follow him, much less get a better shot at the eye of the storm. 

James shrugged, “Well, you do owe me one.”

“I don’t owe you shit.” Regulus spat. “I apologzied, and that makes us even because I don’t do apologies.”

“You can’t just ‘not do apologies’.” James insisted.

Regulus shrugged, “There’s not many things I’m sorry for.”

James raised an eyebrow, “Not many? What are you sorry for?”

Regulus stilled, the memories came flooding back and hit him like a truck. Regulus walked away, back to the van, ignoring James as he called after him. “Come on. We’re going.” Regulus mumbled, despite not being in charge at all. 

Pandora shook her head, “We’ve still got five minutes.”

Regulus bit his tongue, “Wind is picking up. We should go now.” Regulus wasn’t exactly lying, the wind was picking up and they should go sooner than later. But the timing wasn’t as urgent as Regulus was trying to make it sound, and it was clear that Pandora knew it as he looked into her eyes. 

Regulus got in the van, nearly slamming the door and they started driving East. 

They pulled up to the spot where the tornado was forming. They needed the sensor to land just left of the storm, as close at they could get without being in mortal danger was the wording that Pandora had used. She had some people on her team getting the storm from other angles, but Regulus wasn’t particularly interested in the assholes that Pandora had met in the corporate world. 

Regulus hadn’t been close to a tornado since the accident, since the day he watched his best friends be torn apart by the vicious winds. That thought creeped into his mind as he waited for the storm to form and watched the clouds gather overhead, swirling precariously. 

Regulus tried to keep his pulse from racing, but he knew that it was somewhat in vain. His breathing, though he tried to keep it even, was growing more and more labored by the second, he swore that the air was thicker, and based on the weather it probably was. He couldn’t catch his breath. “We can’t do this.” He mumbled, as he watched the tornado start to form. 

“Regulus, what?” Pandora asked, confused. He had been fine a moment ago. 

“I can’t do this!” Regulus screamed, it ripped through his lungs before he could stop it. “We have to leave.”

Pandora shook her head, “It will be fine. Trust me.” She insisted, her voice more firm than Regulus had ever heard it before. 

Regulus couldn’t stop himself though before he knew what he was doing, he was grabbing the steering wheel and driving them away from the storm. As he drove away he watched a bright red truck rush by straight into the tornado. He made eye contact with James Potter, and Regulus grimaced as he swore he saw James Potter wink.

Chapter Text

“What the fuck Regulus?” Pandora screamed, slamming the door closed as they watched the tornado from afar. “You ruined the shot!”

Regulus was shaking slightly, he didn’t know what had come over him in that moment, he didn’t know how to explain it. “I- I’m sorry.” He muttered, he started walking away from the tornado, back to the gas station. He wanted to go back to New York, even though there was nothing for him there. 

“Regulus, get back in the car.” Pandora insisted, but Regulus ignored her. 

There was a deafening noise from the tornado as Potter’s red truck shot fireworks straight into the storm. Regulus felt his heart drop in his chest as he watched the lights fizz and blur in the kicked up dust and strong wind. 

But the storm was gone as quick as it had come, they had missed their chance. 

The look on Pandora’s face made it abundantly clear that she was not happy with the predicament. “Are you trying to sabotage me Regulus?” She asked, raising an eyebrow as she looked at him. Regulus just stood there, blank-faced and pale, staring at the air where tornado had been seconds prior. “You just cost us a day of work and a perfectly good twister.”

Regulus rolled his eyes, “Then send me home.” 

Pandora groaned, “You know I need you.”

“Then stop bitching.” Regulus huffed, he knew he was probably being unfair. But every bone in his body was tense and it ached as if it was on the verge of collapse. Regulus knew he shouldn’t be here. But he was. 

“Even if I wanted you to go, we’re a hundred miles from the airport and flights will be down from the wind.” Pandora muttered.

Regulus tried to tune it out, he just wanted to get as much distance as he could. Despite being outside, Regulus swore that he needed fresh air. He needed space. 

Regulus thought he might puke again, he closed his eyes. 

“You doing okay?” 

Regulus nearly jumped at the voice, his eyes shot open and he gasped as he turned to see Sirius. “Leave me alone.” 

“I was trying to be nice.” Sirius mumbles to himself more than to Regulus. “Brotherly and all.” 

“Since when do you think of me as your brother?” Regulus spat and he started to walk away. Afterall, Sirius had been the one to leave all those years ago. Sirius had been unreachable when Regulus was in the hospital swearing he would die at any second. 

Sirius kept following him, “Reg, let me make it up to you!” 

Regulus didn’t answer, he just kept walking. 

…

It was a few hours before Regulus was willing to get back in the car with Pandora and even then, the very first thing he said was, “Take me to a hotel.” 

“Regulus, come on.” Pandora pleaded. “A few days, and then never again. This will help a lot of people.” 

“If we survive.” Regulus muttered through gritted teeth. Maybe he was paranoid, maybe it was his PTSD, or even worse, perhaps it was an omen. But Regulus wanted to be as far from the tornados as possible. 

Pandora shook her head, “Fine, Regulus. Fine.” 

The drive to the nearest two-star motel is entirely silent. As they pull into the parking lot the neon sign is only half-lit, causing the words ‘PARADISE INN’ to read ‘PRADE NN’ instead. Regulus ignored the fact that this was entirely not up to his standards as he hauled himself out of the truck. 

The parking lot was far from empty though, camped out in the red truck was James Potter, Sirius Black, and the crew that seemed to follow them. “Are you fucking me?” Pandora muttered to herself, it was enough to break the silence between them.

“Just ignore them.” Regulus mumbled, but he knew that he would have his own struggle ignoring the lot of them. 

There was some shitty country song blasting over the radio, it seemed like Pandora’s type of music. They had a makeshift bonfire going that seemed like it should be against fire code. The whole thing made Regulus cringe. 

“That’s her.” Pandora breathed.

Regulus raised an eyebrow, “Who?” 

Pandora shook her head, but Regulus let his eyes wander to the group. There was only one girl with them, some redhead. She was laughing and pushing around some lanky guy. 

Pandora got out of the van and Regulus followed suit. James whistled over at them, “Regulus, want a s’more?”

Regulus rolled his eye and didn’t answer them. He watched just for a second to see the redhead glaring at Pandora. “Who’s she?”

“Lily.” Pandora gritted and went to check him in, begrudgingly. 

Regulus’ ears perked at the name, “That’s Lily?”

“Yeah, that’s her.” Pandora sighed, giving into to Regulus’ curiosity. 

Regulus wanted to make some snide remark about Pandora sleeping with the enemy. But he decided to swallow the comment, figuring that he had already caused enough trouble. Yet, Regulus’ curiosity was still not satisfied, so he asked, “How did you meet?”

“Grad school.” Pandora mumbled. 

Regulus shook his head, it didn’t seem right that someone that went to graduate school would join Sirius and James’ crew of misfit stormchasers. “She went to grad school?”

“UCLA.” Pandora shrugged, “Why?”

“Just surprised.” Regulus muttered, keeping his head down as they walked inside the motel.

Regulus did not appreciate the receptionist he was met with when him and Pandora walked inside. Her voice was shrill and the place was overpriced. But they got their keys and continued to their rooms up the stairs.

Pandora spoke again, seemingly needing to defend herself. “It was a mistake.” 

“Was it now?” 

“Yes.” Pandora insisted, but Regulus noticed that she was blushing. There was silence then a quiet, “I’m still mad at you for messing me up today.” 

Regulus rolled his eyes, “Yeah, whatever. I’m not going back out there.” He swore, despite it being exactly what he had come here to do in the first place. Regulus didn’t think he could chase these storms afterall. 

…

Regulus assumed the knock on his door would be Pandora. So he couldn’t help but roll his eyes when he saw James Potter standing there, arrogant in even the way he stood. 

“Storm is about to start, you should be out there with us.” James smirked.

Regulus went to shut the door again, but James stuck his foot in the way. If it weren’t for the obnoxious cowboy boots James was wearing then Regulus might have crushed his foot in the door. 

James evidently decided to turn on whatever country charm his mother told him he possessed, his southern accent dripping through as he said, “Come on, sweetheart-“ 

Regulus opened the door and promptly slapped James across the face, overly annoyed now. “I am not your ‘sweetheart’. You don’t know me. Leave me the fuck alone!” 

James nodded, “Right.” He responded, the smirk disappearing from his face in an instant. 

Regulus didn’t shut the door, he just stood there, trying to ignore the fact that his hand stung slightly. He hadn’t slapped anyone since maybe high school. Regulus didn’t think he should feel guilty, afterall, James deserved it, and Regulus wanted to be left alone. But something about the way James looked a bit like a kicked puppy, stopped Regulus from closing the door again. 

Regulus went and sat on his bed and didn’t say anything when James moved inside the room. 

“Sorry.” James mumbled. 

“You have a storm to chase.” Regulus sighed, “Go do that.” 

James shook his head, “We both know this one won’t be much of anything anyhow.” 

Regulus nodded, it was why Regulus wasn’t even bothering to talk to Pandora yet. The storm wouldn’t last long enough for the imaging to be good, the conditions weren’t right. Though, the storms weren’t entirely predictable, there was very little chance the storm would be newsworthy, if it even formed at all.

“Sirius told me, what happened to you.” James said. 

Regulus wasn’t sure how that was supposed to make him feel better. If anything, it made Regulus mad. “Did he tell you that he never came? That I called him and he never came?” 

James didn’t answer that. He swallowed hard, leaving the question hanging. But Regulys thought that was enough of an answer. 

“You don’t know me, James. Neither does Sirius.” Regulus insisted, “So drop it. Go back to your stupid videos and thrill seeking.” 

James opened his mouth, he was going to say something, but he didn’t. “I know that you need someone right now, and so I’ll stay.”

Regulus rolled his eyes, but felt a pang in his stomach. He hated that James was right. “I have Pandora.”

“Pandora isn’t here though, is she?” James dared. 

Regulus shook his head, folding his arms around himself. Part of him thought that James Potter was probably the world’s biggest asshole. But the other part of Regulus really didn’t want James to leave. He didn’t want to be alone. 

Regulus didn’t notice the exact moment that James wrapped his arm around him, but he wished he did. The embrace was warm and familiar, even though Regulus couldn’t actually recall the last time he was held by anyone. 

Regulus didn’t have a reason to start crying uncontrollably, but he did. He sobbed, and let it wrack his body, until he all but collapsed into James. The weight of everything he had been through finally felt like far too much at that moment. Regulus fell asleep in James’ arms.

But when Regulus woke up the next morning, he was entirely alone. Regulus had to wonder if James actually arrived that night or if it was all some dream. 

…

Pandora called. Regulus knew she would, they might be fighting, but Pandora still wouldn’t just leave him stranded in some sketchy Oklahoma motel. Regulus picked up the phone and heard Pandora’s voice. It was cheery, as if yesterday hadn’t really happened. “Come on out, we’ve got a storm out west in thirty.”

Regulus sighed, he knew she was right. Not to mention that he had agreed to help, afterall, Regulus never could shake that small voice in the back of his mind that told him that he owed Pandora for the accident. So Regulus laced up his shoes and went out to the front of the motel to meet Pandora’s van. 

Out of the corner of his eye he saw a red truck speed away, that was the only sign he had that James had truly been there the night prior. It made Regulus’ stomach twist and he couldn’t tell whether it was a good or bad thing, whether the feeling was butterflies or knots. 

“Regulus, over here!” Pandora called him over, and Regulus follows, instantly climbing into the passenger seat. His eyes fell on the smudged name again of ‘Lily’.

Regulus smirked slightly, it was a good reminder for him that Pandora had moved on from the tragedy they faced. “I saw James yesterday, James Potter.”

“Stay away from him.” Pandora sighed, as if she was just giving friendly advice. “He’s nothing but trouble.”

Regulus nodded, “I don’t plan to fall in love in Oklahoma.”

“That’s what you said about Barty.” Pandora smiled with a soft chuckle. 

Regulus tensed slightly, he didn’t understand how Pandora could mention him so casually. Even the happy memories Regulus had, each time he tried to close his eyes and see Barty, remember how they kissed and loved, it would only end with Regulus recalling how things ended. It only caused Regulus to feel extremely guilty. 

Pandora looked over for just a second and saw the distressed look on Regulus’ face. “You can’t even hear his name??

Regulus bit his lip, “I loved him, Pandora.”

“But?”

“But he’s gone. I killed him.” Regulus felt like he was about to cry. “I would’ve married him.”

Pandora shakes her head, “You didn’t kill him.”

“He died saving my life. His corpse laid on top of me for hours as he bled out.” Regulus muttered, “You weren’t there. You don’t get it. It is my fault they’re dead. Barty, Dorcas, Evan, all of them. Because of me.”

“We knew the risks-”

“Did you? Because I didn’t.” Regulus pants, verging on a panic attack, “I didn’t realize we could die out there!”

Pandora didn’t answer as Regulus struggled to catch his breath and stop his emotions from getting the best of you. Regulus shook his head, feeling like shit, “Sorry. Let’s just go.” He mumbled. 

“Regulus, it’s okay-”

“Let’s just get the stupid images.”

…

The drive was quiet. Just the soft hum of the engine and an unnervingly soft ballad playing over the sound system. The clouds were already swirling. “You’re going to want to move left, that’s where it’s headed.” 

“How do you know?”

“Just trust me.” Regulus insisted. He didn’t know how to describe it, he just knew. 

Pandora called to the other cars over the radio, and they moved left, watching as the clouds drifted towards them. Pandora and Regulus ran out for just a moment to set up the radars that would capture the imaging of the tornado. 

Regulus worked quickly, staking the radar into the ground as deep and fast as he could, he tried not to think about the risks. He tried not to feel the wind on his skin, it was cold, and yet it seemed to burn him at the touch, though he was sure that was just the memories that came with it. 

Regulus scrambled back into the van as they drove off again, back to safety. Regulus was completely still and silent as they waited in the parking lot. Pandora had her computer open. She was tracking the imaging and the sensors. She stared at the 3D model being rendered, but it stopped short. “Shit.” She mumbled, pressing buttons and typing furiously, but she had captured Regulus’ attention already. 

Regulus looked over at the computer, “What just happened?”

“We lost a sensor.” Pandora shook her head, “I can track it, we’ll have to try and find it, hope it isn’t damaged.”

“And if it is?”

“Then I’m fucked.”

…

Regulus and Pandora were forced to wait out the storm so they could retrieve the rogue radar. Pandora had the ‘brilliant’ idea to watch Potter’s live stream and see if it was visible at all. Regulus tried his best not to gawk or seem to interested. But something about James’ energetic voice and the pure serotonin that radiated off of him, Regulus couldn’t help that it made him smile, even just a little. The smile disappeared quickly when the camera moved over to Sirius though, then Regulus was annoyed again. Pandora shut the stream off when she caught a glimpse of Lily.

They proceeded to sit there and wait out the storm as they listening to the crackling radio. 

“Where is it?” Regulus asked, once the storm had finally ended. 

“Three miles from here, near the town.” 

Regulus froze, “It went through a town?”

Pandora sighed, “These things happen, Regulus. We couldn’t have stopped it. It’s a natural disaster.”

Regulus nodded, he should know better than anyone that the tornados were completely and utterly unstoppable. Afterall, he had tried and failed repeatedly. He had let people die for the cause that ultimately meant nothing. “Do you think we could have done it?” Regulus asked before he knew what he was saying. 

Pandora raised an eyebrow, “Done what?”

“Stop the storms.” Regulus clarified. “If we kept working on it?”

Pandora paused for a moment, she was clearly thinking about it, as if wondering if there was a proper way to crush Regulus’ dreams. “I don’t think you’d be content with either answer.”

“That’s not fair.” Regulus huffed, “Tell me what you really think, we’ve known each other long enough.”

“No.” Pandora muttered back, “I don’t think we would have fixed things. I think we wasted our time.”

Regulus nodded. It stung. It stung more than he was willing to admit, but he had asked for it afterall. He felt tears prick at his eyes and he wanted to curl up in a ball and die. “Let’s go get your stupid radar.”

…

They entered the town, and Regulus was nearly awestruck by the by the amount of destruction that he was surrounded by. “It’s all wrecked.” Regulus mumbled before he could even make himself exit the van. “Pandora, the whole town is gone.”

Pandora nodded, “Regulus, this happens.”

Regulus shakes his head, “Well, it’s still fucked.”

“Let’s just look for the radar.” Pandora got out of the van and started walking into the town. 

Regulus took a moment to still himself and tried in vain to take a deep breath. He gotout of the van and made fleeting eye contact with none other than James Potter who was handing out sandwiches to people as they tried to clean up the wreckage. 

“James?” Regulus asked, before he could stop himself. 

James smiled, holding out a sandwich, “Are you helping with the cleanup?”

Regulus felt bad saying no, so he nodded. “Yeah, I’ll help.” Regulus mumbled, “How do I help?”

James shrugged, “Everyone should be rescued, so now we’re looking for anything that can be salvaged really, heirlooms mostly.”

Regulus nods, and walks with James as they navigate the difficult terrain, searching aimlessly for anything. “I didn’t know you did this sort of thing.”

James raised an eyebrow, “All the money Sirius and I make goes to the people affected.”

Regulus felt a little bit dumbstruck, cause he had thought of James like an inconsiderate asshole this entire time, and he didn’t do particularly well with being wrong. “You do this often?”

“Every storm. At least every storm that goes through somewhere.” James informs, as if it should be common knowledge. “This is one of the worse ones though, normally more people manage to flee.”

Regulus paused, he hadn’t even thought of the people caught in the tornado, “People died.” Regulus mumbled out the realization, completely panged with guilt. 

James nodded sadly, “I’m trying to stop it, or at least make itless awful.”

“What?” Regulus asked, he didn’t understand what James was saying. 

“I went to college, I researched the twisters for years and came up empty handed.” James sighed, “This is the only thing I could come up with to be any help.” James muttered, seemingly apologetic for it.

Regulus shook his head, “It’s more than I could ever do.”

Regulus heard Pandora in the distance, talking to someone, he looked up and froze. He didn’t recognize the man she was talking to. Regulus abandoned his task to go up to Pandora and the mysterious man. 

He only caught the tail end of their conversation, something about property values, and Regulus got a twisting knot in his stomach at that. He watched them shake hands and then the man left. “Pandora, who was that?”

Pandora shrugged off the question, “I found the radar, some of the boys are going to get it back on the van and in working order.”

Regulus didn’t say anything, he held Pandora’s gaze and waited for her to answer his original question. 

“It doesn’t matter who he was, Regulus. It’s fine.”

Regulus sighed, “Pandora, who was that.”

“My boss.” Pandora huffed, as if she was put out by answering the question.

Regulus shook his head, “Fine, let’s get this radar back on the van.”

Chapter Text

Regulus laid on the bed at the motel once more. He had barely just closed his eyes when there was someone knocking on his door. Regulus tried to ignore it, but then he heard Sirius’ irritating voice from the other side of the door. “Reg? Regulus, are you awake?”

Regulus sighed dramatically as he stood up and crossed the room to open the door. “What do you want, Sirius?”

Sirius bit his lip, before he muttered out, “I didn’t think you were one of them.” The way Sirius said the words made it sound like he thought he had been betrayed. Regulus couldn’t help but find it slightly ironic. 

“What are you talking about?” Regulus raised an eyebrow, Sirius never came to see him, Sirius didn’t really care about Regulus and so Regulus tried to just shake it off.

Sirius shook his head, “Your boss. Riddle.”

Regulus had never heard the name before, “Riddle? Riddle you what?”

“Tom Riddle, the man you work for.” Sirius corrected, “Don’t you know what he does?”

Regulus didn’t understand in the slightest, “I don’t get what you’re trying to say. I don’t even know who you’re talking about.”

Sirius was clearly fighting the urge to call his little brother a name of some sort. “Storm Haven Enterprises. Did you even look up what the company does before signing up with them?”

Regulus shook his head, “I’m just helping out Pandora.” 

“No, Regulus. You’re not.” Sirius crossed his arms. 

Regulus furrowed his brow, he was growing more furious by the second. “Sirius, why the fuck do you care?” 

“Because I know you wouldn’t stand for it.” 

“You don’t know a thing about me.” Regulus gritted out. He could feel his blood pressure rise. 

Sirius bit his lip, “Regulus, I’m your brother.”

“Only when it suits you.” Regulus bit back, his voice was filled with venom. “You left me! My goddam boyfriend died and you left me!” 

That shut Sirius up really fast. 

Neither of them dared moved a muscle, Sirius didn’t even dare to breathe. 

The silence lasted for longer than it should have. “Say something!” Regulus shouted, he wanted to fight, he had been longing for a fight.

“I couldn’t help you, Regulus.” Sirius said, his voice was small, barely above a whisper. “You were broken, when I saw you- you would look through me. It was like talking to a ghost. I couldn’t do it. I wasn’t strong enough to be there for you. Alright? Is that better? I’m sorry. I’m sorry every goddam day.”

Regulus was crying now. He wiped at his eyes desperately. “You never called.” 

“I felt guilty. I was ashamed. Because you’re right, I should have been there. But I wasn’t.” Sirius mumbled. 

“But-“ Regulus didn’t want to believe it. He wanted to hate Sirius. He wanted Sirius to hate him back. It would have been easier, than to try and act like he hadn’t lost out on years with the only family that had ever cared for him. 

Sirius swallowed, “I do this, the storm chasing, I do it to try and fix things. I don’t want families destroyed like ours.” 

Regulus nodded, but he didn’t quite understand. “I need a minute.” Regulus mumbled, he needed to process everything he just heard. It didn’t matter that it was good things to hear. It didn’t make it any easier. Regulus still hadn’t seen his brother, and despite the excuse, Sirius hadn’t been there. It had still been years, and that would never change.

…

Regulus took out his computer, searching up the company he was working for. Storm Haven. The name had seemed normal enough. Afterall, it was some sort of company helping to ease natural disasters. 

But the second he typed in the company name all he could see was red. It was a land buying company. Property brokers and real estate agents. All the type of people who would love to take advantage of the victims' bad luck, buying land off of people who had just lost everything else, and buying it for far less than it was worth. 

Regulus shut his computer, and he called Pandora before anyone else. Regulus was disgusted with himself for helping in this matter unknowingly, but he was furious with Pandora for aiding in this endeavor when she knew better. She knew what they had been doing and no amount of guilt over her dead brother would make this okay in Regulus’ mind. She had betrayed everything they had worked towards in college. 

“Hello?” Pandora’s voice rang out, cheery as ever. 

“Please, tell me you didn’t know.” Regulus mumbled, his voice barely audible. 

There was a pause, for just a second. Just long enough for Regulus to know that she debated lying for a moment. “It’s good. These people are losing everything. We’re helping.”

“You’re taking advantage of them.” Regulus insisted, he wanted to yell, but he just didn’t have the energy. 

Pandora sighed, “You don’t understand. I need funding for my research. Sometimes the end justifies the means.”

“Sometimes the means aren’t justifiable.” Regulus quipped back. 

There was silence for a moment. “You think I’m that horrible?”

“I think you’ve changed.” Regulus mumbled. “You’ve changed into someone way different than you were in college.”

“You’ve stayed exactly the same.” Pandora insisted, “I think that’s worse.”

Regulus felt the words like a punch to the gut. Regulus hung up. 

…

Regulus sulked quietly in his bed. He would’ve slept but it was mid-day and he was in a far more dramatic and brooding mood. Regulus ordered a pizza, something he rarely did despite living in New York. He always found the food far too greasy and somewhat childish. 

But there was a knock on his motel door, and Regulus thinking it was the delivery man, decided to open the door. Unfortunately for him, it was not the delivery man. It was James Potter. Who seemed somewhat incapable of leaving Regulus alone for more than thirty minutes at a time. 

“James, what could you possibly want?” Regulus asked, his voice was quiet, exhausted and more gravely than it had been prior.

James instantly turns paler. He looked somewhat guilty for just a second, then he cracked a smile, “Have you ever been to a rodeo?”

Regulus rolled his eyes, unamused, “No.”

“You grew up in Oklahoma, and you never went to a rodeo?”

Regulus couldn’t hold back a scoff, “You clearly don’t understand a thing about my family.”

James frowned, “Sirius won’t talk about it.”

“Then for once my brother and I are on the same page,” Regulus mumbled.

James came in the room and sat down, entirely uninvited. “So that’s a no on the rodeo?” 

“I ordered a pizza.” Regulus shrugged, unsure whether it was an invitation to James to stay, or an excuse for why he couldn’t go. 

James chuckled, “I like pizza.” 

Regulus tried to stop himself from smiling, but something about James’ unabashed joy at the simplest things made him grin like a schoolboy. “You’re an idiot.”

James smirked, “Graduated valedictorian.”

Regulus scoffed, trying to hide that fact that he was impressed, “You’re a show off now?” 

“Wanted you to know that the love of your life is educated.”

“You did not just say that.” Regulus rolled his eyes, though the blush on his cheeks made his feelings evident. “You’re so arrogant.”

“I’m confident.” James corrected, “Arrogance implies that I can’t back it up. But I can. You’re going to marry me one day, Regulus Black. Mark my words.”

Regulus laughed at how confident James was, but he was fairly certain that day would never come.

There was a knock on the door and Regulus stood up, going to get his pizza. It was plain, just crust, tomato, cheese, and far more grease than was healthy. James raised an eyebrow to ask if he should go. But Regulus opened up the box and wordlessly offered him a slice. It was a silent invitation to stay a while. 

“Did Sirius tell you?” Regulus asked.

“You’ll have to be more specific than that.” 

“Did Sirius tell you that Pandora lied to me?” Regulus clarified.

James shook his head, “He didn’t have to. I could tell.” 

“You could tell?”

“Yeah, you’re not the sort to sell property. You’re the sort to fix it. You want to solve the problem at the root. You’re like me.” James insisted.

“Don’t compare us.” Regulus rolled his eyes.

“I’m calling you a good person, Regulus. It makes us alike.” James smiled at that.

A blush spread to Regulus’ cheeks as he took a bite of the pizza. He got a bit of tomato sauce on his cheek.

James didn’t ask permission before leaning forward and using his thumb to wipe the sauce away from the corner of Regulus’ lip.

…

Regulus wasn’t quite sure how James had convinced him to go to the rodeo. One moment he had been ranting and raving about Pandora’s deceit, and the next he had been dragged out of his motel room.

 It smelled vaguely like manure and the whole thing felt far less civilized than anything Regulus had been allowed growing up. So it was no surprise to Regulus when James made some remark about frequenting the rodeo with Sirius.

James knew his way around. There were dozens of people who James waved to or gave a small hello, and Regulus wasn’t sure if James knew them, or if they were just fans of James and James was incredibly friendly. Regulus held tightly onto James’ hand so he wouldn’t get lost in the crowd. All at once, Regulus felt far too intimate with James, and yet incredibly comfortable. 

James grabbed a heaping of junk food from some concession stand, before leading them to a free spot amongst the wooden bleachers. 

James and Regulus sat in the stands, side by side. They were packed like canned sardines, and Regulus had no choice but to be shoulder to shoulder with James, The dusty wind ruffled their hair, and the sound of a distant trumpet signaled the beginning of a round.

“I don’t get it,” Regulus said, arms folded across his chest.

James grinned at him, leaning forward on his elbows, his eyes wide with the excitement of the scene  below.  Regulus was somewhat endeared by his joy, but it still seemed like men chasing cows around. 

“It’s about the skill, the precision. The adrenaline. It’s not much different than a storm.” James swore.

“Storms are nothing like this.” Regulus muttered, somewhat defensively.

James smiled, “When I was a kid, my parents would take me to the rodeo. It’s like the circus, but cooler.” 

Regulus rolled his eyes, still not convinced, but his gaze lingered on the arena. A cowboy, wiry and bronzed, had just mounted a bull, the crowd erupting into cheers as the animal bucked fiercely beneath him. Regulus found himself following the movement, the way the cowboy’s body was in perfect sync with the wild creature beneath him, steering it with nothing but sheer will and practiced movement. There was something mesmerizing about it, even if he wouldn’t admit it aloud.

James sat up straighter, the gleam in his eye only growing. “It’s the unpredictability. Everything is moving too fast, and you can’t control it, but you have to. It’s like life. You either get thrown off, or you keep holding on.”

For a moment, Regulus was quiet. He stared at the cowboy now on the ground, dust rising in the wake of his fall, but the man was already back on his feet, brushing off his jeans with a grin, ready to face the next challenge. “You sound like you’re speaking from experience,” Regulus murmured, though he wasn’t entirely sure if he was talking about rodeo or something deeper.

James chuckled, “I used to ride. Got thrown off, dislocated my shoulder bad and my mother made me swear never to scare her like that again.” 

Regulus snorted. Regulus couldn’t quite suppress the faint smile that tugged at his lips. Despite himself, he was starting to get the appeal of it. The raw energy of the arena. The thrill of the unknown.

A loud cheer erupted from the crowd as another cowboy successfully wrangled a calf. James turned to Regulus, his grin infectious. “Come on, Reg. Don’t tell me you’re not curious about trying it?”

Regulus rolled his eyes. “I’d rather not risk my neck on a bull just for your amusement.” But there was a hint of something in his eyes, something daring, even if he would never voice it.

“But what about a storm?”

“What about a storm?” Regulus raised an eyebrow.

“Would you drive into the heart of a storm with me, Regulus?” James asked, and there wasn’t a hint of sarcasm in his tone. James was serious. 

Regulus didn’t look at James, he didn’t want to answer and he could feel the blush rising to his cheeks. 

The wind picked up at first like a soft whisper, a warning that only James Potter could dismiss with a laugh. But the air was turning colder, darker, and the sounds of the rodeo; laughter, shouting, the roar of the crowd, began to fade as a low, unnatural hum filled the air.

“James…” Regulus said, his voice tight with something that wasn’t quite panic but was certainly not comfort. He was looking at the horizon, his expression darkening. 

The dust swirled up around the arena, the wind picking up. It was picking up far too much. The realization hit Regulus only a few seconds before the sirens went off. They were about to be stuck in a storm. 

“It’s coming. We need to go.” Regulus mumbled, nearly breathless.

James frowned and followed his gaze. That’s when he saw the tornado.

The massive funnel cloud, black as night, was twisting its way down from the sky with terrifying speed. The earth seemed to groan under its weight, and the wind began to pick up. The tornado’s roar was deafening, growing louder by the second, drowning out everything else.

“I think we’re already too late,” James said, heart pounding, his voice rising above the increasing noise. "We need to—"

Before he could finish, the wind howled louder, tearing through the stands, ripping banners from their posts. People were screaming now, running in every direction, but there was nowhere to hide. The tornado was moving too fast, too close.

“James!” Regulus shouted, his hand gripping James’s arm with a strength that was almost surprising. “We need to move. Now!”

But James’s feet were glued to the ground. Panic surged in his chest, a primal instinct taking over. It was too close, too fast. 

Then, a sickening crack echoed across the arena.

The bleachers, once filled with spectators, began to twist and bend under the force of the wind. The sound of metal snapping, of wood splintering, filled the air. A massive chunk of the bleacher stands was ripped free, flying straight toward them.

James snapped to attention, pulling Regulus hard against him, throwing them both to the ground behind a concrete barrier. The wind whipped against them like a hundred sharp blades, and James could barely breathe. The dust was choking, blinding, and the tornado was a constant, grinding roar above them.

“Stay down!” James yelled, covering Regulus with his body. Regulus’s breath was hot against the side of his neck, his chest rising and falling in panicked breaths, and for a moment, everything was chaos. The earth trembled beneath them, and the barrier they were behind groaned as if it might be torn away any second.

The tornado’s fury tore into the stands with unrelenting speed, sending metal and debris into the air like missiles. One of the sharp edges of the bleacher’s metal frame—jagged and twisted—was ripped loose and sent spiraling toward them. James barely saw it coming, only hearing the shrill sound of the metal cutting through the air.

Regulus was frozen, staring at the oncoming metal shard, and before James could react, it was too close.

“Regulus!” James shouted, his voice hoarse. Without thinking, he grabbed Regulus by the arm and shoved him with all his strength.

Regulus stumbled, the sharp edge of the metal grazing his side as he was thrown to the ground, the momentum taking him in a wild roll that James couldn’t stop. 

James lunged, reaching out just in time to grab Regulus’s wrist before he could be carried any further by the force of the wind. The tornado’s pull was everything. It was tearing at them, pulling them apart, and Regulus’s body felt light, as if gravity itself was betraying them.

With a desperate, gut-wrenching scream, James yanked on Regulus’s arm, pulling him back into the shelter of the concrete barrier.

The metal shard crashed into the barrier with a sickening clang, inches from where they had just been. It ricocheted off, scraping across the stone and whizzing through the air, missing them by an inch.

For a split second, everything seemed to freeze, like time had decided to give them a moment to breathe.

Regulus was gasping, his hand clutching his side where the metal had scraped him. Blood was already staining his shirt, but he didn’t seem to notice. His eyes were wide, frantic, scanning the chaos around them.

"James..." Regulus gasped, his voice breaking.

James didn’t answer immediately. He was still clutching Regulus’s wrist, his own chest heaving with exertion and fear. The world around them was disintegrating, pieces of the arena flying past them like fragments of a nightmare. The tornado was growing louder, angrier, spinning with a force that threatened to rip the very sky apart.

“We have to—” James began, but he didn’t finish. He couldn’t. There was no time.

Regulus, his eyes wide with terror, didn’t wait. He struggled to his feet, barely able to stand. "We—"

Before he could finish, a new wave of wind hit them. It was violent, a direct strike from the heart of the storm, and James was thrown backward, slamming into the ground hard enough to knock the breath out of him.

Regulus was knocked off balance as well, and James watched in horror as he lost his footing, his body propelled toward the edge of the barrier. There was nothing between Regulus and the raw force of the tornado now.

“Regulus!” James screamed, but Regulus was slipping, his body caught in the wind, his feet scrambling for purchase.

It felt like time slowed as James surged forward, his heart in his throat, as he reached out for him, his hand desperate.

Regulus’s eyes locked onto his just as the wind tore at him again. He was going to be sucked into the storm. James’s fingers barely brushed Regulus’s wrist.

In a moment of sheer instinct, James’s fingers curled around his arm, and with everything in him, he pulled harder than he ever had before, his grip desperate, unyielding. 

For a breathless moment, the force of the tornado pushed back, but with a final, gut-wrenching heave, James yanked Regulus back toward him.

Regulus slammed into his chest, his breath ragged and sharp, and for a heartbeat, James didn’t care about the destruction around them. Regulus was in his arms. He had him. 

The world was spinning, chaos all around them, but James held on tighter, pressing Regulus against him.

The tornado screamed, its fury refusing to relent, but James didn’t let go. Not now. Not when he had just saved him. James pulled Regulus to the ground, covering him entirely,  trying to hide behind the cement barrier in a feeble hope that it would work.  They were lying there in the stands. James’ body covering him as Regulus sobbed. Regulus let the sobs wrack his body as he relived it all. He didn’t think James was alive still, he had convinced himself the body lying on top of him, protecting him, was Barty’s limp and lifeless. 

Chapter Text

“Barty, Barty please.” Regulus breathed out, he couldn’t stop himself. He was thrown back into the first storm. 

The air had died down, the storm had passed. James was talking to Regulus and Regulus didn’t seem to be hearing a single word that he said. Regulus was muttering desperate pleas as he shook, his knuckles white as he tried helplessly to grip onto the concrete ground. 

“Regulus, Regulus, you’re okay. I’ve got you.” James tried to get through to him. 

Regulus’ breathing began to slowly even out, especially once the air died down and the only noise left was James’ voice. 

“James?” Regulus croaked out, he felt somewhat broken. 

“Yeah, Regulus, I’m right here, I’m right here.” James panted, clearly somewhat panicked himself. 

James got up, trying to pull himself from Regulus, but Regulus clung to James, trying to pull him back down. Their eyes met for a moment and in any other circumstance this might have been suggestive of something more. But for now it was a moment of pure terror and desperation in the aftermath of the storm. 

Regulus came back to himself, he realized what he was doing, he slowly stood, clutching his side where he had been struck by metal during the storm. 

“Shit, you’re still bleeding.” James breathed. 

Regulus bit his lip as he pulled his hand back and looked at the blood on it. “I am.” Regulus sounded detatched from it all. 

James reached out his hand, Regulus just stared at it for a moment. “Let me take you to the truck, I can patch you up.”

Regulus nodded hesitantly and grabbed James’ hand. He allowed James to walk them back to the truck. The motel was in shambles, but Regulus tried not to think about the large hole in the roof from where the shingles were ripped off less than an hour ago. 

James led Regulus towards his truck, grabbing a first aid kit. James lifted Regulus’ shirt and Regulus shuddered at the brush of James’ hand across his skin. It turned to a slight burning sensation as he placed the alcohol swab against the wound. Regulus let out a hissing sound which made James apologize instantly. 

Regulus shook his head, “Keep going.”

James nodded and kept cleaning the cut, trying to be as gentle as possible. He placed the gauze on the spot, and Regulus breathed a bit easier after that. 

“Sorry.” Regulus mumbled, a bit embarrassed over his outburst. 

James nearly scoffed at that, finding the apology ridiculous, “Don’t be sorry. You went through something horrible. Never apologize for that, Reg.”

Regulus paused for a moment, trying to judge if James was being honest or not. Regulus couldn’t find any hint of sarcasm though, so he gave a small nod. 

It was quiet between them for a moment, just the soft whistling of the wind that never failed to send a shiver through Regulus’ spine. “It was my fault, you know.” Regulus insisted, his voice small. 

“No.” James shook his head, he didn’t need to hear the story to know that. 

“They went out in that tornado for me. For my research.” Regulus muttered, he wrapped his arms around himself, it was an involuntary response. 

“They went out in that storm because they wanted to. You didn’t make them.” James swore. 

“Sirius told you.” Regulus realized at that insistence. “Sirius told you all about me, didn’t he?”

James nodded, “I wanted to know.”

“I didn’t realize he even talked about me anymore.” Regulus looked down at his hands. He didn’t know what to do, he couldn’t stay in this motel. He had steered the conversation somewhere he hadn’t wanted to. Regulus bit his lip, “I um- I want to go home.”

“You’re going back to New York? The planes are probably delayed cause of the wind.”

Regulus shook his head, “Can you drive me to Black Manor?”

James raised an eyebrow, “I thought- I thought you hated that place.”

Regulus shrugged, he didn’t know what to say to that, because he did hate that place. The home held every memory and nightmare that kept him up until three in the morning and breaking out in cold sweats after waking from the terrors. “I do.”

“But you want to go back?” James checked once more. 

“I don’t.” Regulus mumbled, he didn’t want to go back ‘home’. Regulus needed to though, and he didn’t know how to describe why. He just needed to. He just needed to feel some form of closure. “I need to go back, James.” Regulus’ voice was breathy, and pure desperation. But Regulus didn’t have it in him to be ashamed of it anymore. “There’s just- there’s something there. I can feel it.” Regulus swore. The preliminary feeling in his gut, that was the only thing he truly had to go off of. 

James must have trusted Regulus more than was sensible, because James nodded and let out a quiet, “Okay.” 

…

Regulus hadn’t been to his childhood home since his parents died. He was nervous that the door might have rusted shut, so he was surprised to see the door push open with a creak once it was unlocked. James had wanted to call Sirius. Regulus didn’t let him. 

Regulus walked into his old home and there was practically a cloud of smoke that billowed around him. Regulus stilled for a second and he took it all in. He had forgotten how the place smelled, vaguely of burning wood and parchment. That’s the smell he associated with everything, the memories came flooding back and suddenly the tornados didn’t seem so bad. 

“Regulus?” James’ voice cut through his thoughts and reminded Regulus that he was still standing there. 

Regulus turned to look at James. Regulus felt like a ghost, that was the only way to describe the way he swore he could see his younger self flinch when a floorboard creeked too loud. “God, I hate this place.” Regulus mumbled. He had forgotten how much he hated it there. Regulus sighed and watched the stairs for a second as if his parents might come down them. But there was no one home anymore, there probably never would be again.

Regulus walked up the stairs to his old bedroom. The sign on the door read ‘Regulus’ room’ in bronze lettering with a piece of looseleaf under it where Regulus had written, ‘Sirius keep out!’ in the fanciest calligraphy that his middle school self could muster. It made Regulus smile just slightly as he looked at it and thought of the times when Sirius would barge in unannounced. 

Regulus’ room smelled different than the rest of the house, at least Regulus thought so. It smelled like the cheap cologne he wore during undergrad. It had been a gift from Barty and Regulus swore it was the most enchanting scent in the world, even though it smelled similar to salt water wafting off an old bay.

There was something strange about the fact that when he turned his head just slightly, he could see James standing there in the doorway. “You can come in.” Regulus mumbled as he picked up the half empty cologne bottle and turned it over in his hand. 

James came in, he was being overly cautious. Regulus nearly laughed at how foolish James looked, as if he was scared to stir up the dust. James’ eyes fell on a poster that Regulus had made back in high school, “Tornado models?” James asks, looking at the various pictures and infographics scattered around the the posterboard. 

Regulus scoffed, “Yeah, tried to find a way to stop the twisters.”

“Tried?”

“There’s still tornados, aren’t there?” Regulus muttered. 

James smirked, “You’ve still got the models?”

Regulus nodded, “Yeah, they’re in the garage. Came back to them a few times at university.”

James hummed, “You should show me.”

“You want to see my high school science fair project?” Regulus raised an eyebrow. 

James shrugged, “You came back to it in your undergrad and are trying to tell me it’s not any good?”

“It is award winning.” Regulus joked, pointing to the bright blue ribbon that hung beside the project. 

Regulus' eyes flickered to the poster again, lingering on the models he'd crafted in high school. His breath hitched at the memories that rushed back: the late nights in his room, scribbling equations and theories in a feverish obsession, the longing to prove himself. He hadn't been a child for a long time, but in that moment, it felt like nothing had changed. He could still feel the weight of those same expectations pressing down on him.

James took a tentative step closer, studying Regulus’ face. "You know," he began carefully, "I thought the whole point of those models was to figure out a way to help. Not just to prove something, but to actually do something, right?"

Regulus stiffened, his fingers absently twisting the cap of the cologne bottle. He didn't know how to answer that. He'd spent so many years chasing something that always felt just out of reach, always believing he could make a difference, only to be reminded again and again how powerless he was in the face of nature's fury. 

"That was the idea," Regulus muttered, his voice distant. "But nothing’s changed. The storms are still there. People still die. And all I have are these stupid models."

James didn't respond immediately. He seemed to consider his next words carefully, before speaking quietly. "Maybe it's not the models that were the problem, Regulus. Maybe it’s just that... sometimes we can’t control everything. And that doesn't make the effort any less important."

Regulus blinked, his chest tight, the air between them thick with things unsaid. He didn’t look at James, still staring at the poster. 

“I could have done more," Regulus said, his voice breaking just slightly. “I should have kept going, but-” Regulus stopped for a moment, pausing, because he’d never truly admitted it. He had claimed himself as a failure for the accident. But he hadn’t even tried to recover, not truly. So he swallowed hard before saying, “I gave up. After everything, it just didn’t seem, you know, worth it anymore. I left it behind.”

James took another step closer, his voice soft but insistent. “You didn’t give up. You... you’re still here. You’re still trying to figure it out. But it's okay to not have all the answers, Regulus. It's okay to let some things go."

The words felt like an unexpected weight on Regulus' chest, like a permission he hadn’t asked for, but maybe, just maybe, needed. 

"I don’t know how to stop thinking about it,” Regulus admitted, his words falling heavier than he’d meant them to. “I don’t know how to just ‘let go’.” There was a little bit of bite to his statement, anger, maybe resentment. But they both knew it wasn’t truly directed at James. 

James watched him closely, his gaze steady and understanding. He placed a hand gently on Regulus' arm, grounding him in that small, simple touch. "You don’t have to let go of everything," James said softly. “But you can stop carrying the weight of what happened all those years ago. Their deaths weren’t your fault. You don’t have to carry that part with you anymore.”

Regulus looked at James, eyes wide, almost searching for some kind of hidden meaning behind those words, but there was none. James was simply being honest, offering what little comfort he could in the storm of emotions that Regulus was caught in. For the first time, Regulus felt like there was someone who wasn’t just observing. Someone who cared.

“Promise me you won’t shut me out,” James said after a moment, his voice low. 

Regulus swallowed thickly, feeling the quiet pulse of something long dormant stirring within him. "I won’t."

He felt something like relief in his chest, fragile but real. For the first time in a long while, he didn’t feel entirely alone in the silence of his thoughts.

As the weight of everything began to ease, James gave him a small, approving nod. "You don't have to go through it alone, Reg. I’m here."

Regulus just nodded, his mind still reeling, but the first real sense of peace he'd had in hours slowly starting to take root.

He looked back at the old poster, the remnants of his past, and for the first time, he wasn’t sure if it was the storm he was running from, or the pieces of himself he’d buried too deep to face. Maybe it didn’t matter right now.

“I want to show you those models,” Regulus said suddenly, his voice a little steadier, though still rough around the edges. “The ones in the garage... if you really want to see them.”

James smiled, relieved by the shift. "I'd like that," he said, his tone light. 

…

Regulus led James down the narrow hallway, past old family portraits that seemed to watch them in silent judgment. The house creaked and groaned under the weight of its own history as they reached the door to the garage. Regulus hesitated for a second before unlocking it, the familiar smell of dust and old equipment filling his nose as he pushed the door open. Regulus pulled open the garage door, the squeaking of the slightly rusted hinges was practically deafening. 

“God, Reg.” James chuckled, “You really don’t visit often.”

Regulus shook his head, “Last time I was in Oklahoma was my dad’s funeral.”

James looked like he was going to apologize but Regulus smiled as if he had won a game. 

Inside, the garage was cluttered with half-finished projects, boxes of old papers, and a large wooden table where Regulus had spent countless nights scribbling equations. Amidst the mess were the tornado models—several large, detailed ones, each showcasing a different aspect of tornado formation and prediction. Some were made of cardboard, others out of metal and plastic. The effort that went into them was clear, but time and neglect had made them seem almost fragile.

James stepped inside, his eyes wide at the sheer amount of work Regulus had put into these models. “This is... impressive,” he said, running his fingers lightly over one of the models, a detailed representation of a tornado funnel, the swirling design looking almost lifelike in its complexity.

Regulus gave a slight shrug, crossing his arms as he took in the sight of his old work. “I spent hours perfecting them. I thought if I could understand the physics of tornadoes better, maybe I could find a way to stop them, or at least protect people from them.” His voice was quieter now, almost wistful. "But after the storm... I don't know. I lost faith in it all."

James moved to another model, this one illustrating wind patterns and pressure systems. “Well, you were onto something,” he said thoughtfully, tapping the base of the model where the air currents had been intricately mapped out. “These things are beautiful, Regulus. It's clear you knew exactly what you were doing."

Regulus couldn’t help but shake his head, the familiar sinking feeling taking root in his stomach. “No, because if that were true, then they would still be alive. It should have worked. If my calculations were correct then it should have worked. I was obsessed,” he muttered, more to himself than James. “I thought I could stop the storms, you know? Some crazy idea about absorbing their energy. That was the last project, the one it all ended on.” 

James stepped closer, trying to understand the madness behind it. “Absorbing their energy? How would that even work?”

Regulus paused, a small frown tugging at his lips. “I never finished it, but... I was working on a polymer compound. Something that could absorb the energy from the winds—neutralize it somehow. I theorized that if I could create a polymer that could absorb the kinetic energy from the wind and then convert it into heat or electrical energy thenI could stop the tornadoes before they even formed.”

James’ brow furrowed in confusion as he glanced at the complex models and equations scattered across the table. “Absorption-based polymers?” He repeated the term as though testing it. 

Regulus nodded, finally looking up at James. “Yeah. I thought if I could make a material absorbent enough to hold the water from the air and dissipate it, it would prevent the winds from gathering in the ideal conditions. Like a buffer, you know? Keep the storm from becoming destructive.”

James stepped closer, wanting to see what Regulus saw. “I mean, it sounds like it could work, in theory.”

“In theory,” Regulus repeated with a bitter smile, almost mocking himself. “I had prototypes, but- it didn’t work. When it came down to it, it didn’t work.”

Regulus dug through his papers on the workbench, revealing a model much larger than the others sitting in the corner. It was a rough representation of a tornado, with various sensors and mechanical parts attached to it. James moved closer, inspecting the design.

 James was reaching out to touch it. “What is it?”

Regulus walked over to the model, running his fingers across the surface. “It was the last one I worked on. I was trying to make it scalable. Something that could actually be deployed, something that could withstand the power of the wind. It’s the model that we used when-“ Regulus couldn’t say it. “When it all happened.” 

James studied the model closely, eyes narrowing. “Wait, this looks like a containment unit of sorts. You were trying to build something that could be dropped into the storm?”

Regulus nodded, his gaze distant. “Yeah. The idea was that I could deploy these devices, each filled with the polymer. The polymer would absorb the wind’s energy, dissipating it gradually so it couldn’t grow into a full-fledged twister. The idea was to deploy them just ahead of the storm’s formation. But I never had the resources to test it. The models weren’t strong enough, and I couldn’t get the polymer’s energy absorption rate high enough to make a difference in a real storm.”

James stepped back, crossing his arms. He surveyed the models again, taking in the complexity of them. He could see the dedication behind it all, the years Regulus had poured into this idea, even if it had never come to fruition. “This could work,” James said, voice thoughtful, almost to himself.

Regulus shook his head, a bitter laugh escaping his lips. “No, it couldn’t.”

For a long moment, Regulus just stared at him, before lowering his gaze to the models once more. The quiet hum of the garage filled the space between them, but this time, it wasn’t filled with bitterness. It was different, it had been years since Regulus stared at these models.

“What about the air moisture?” James asked.

Regulus paused, “What?” 

“You ran the experiment in a vacuum. If you add in the natural moisture of the air and compensate for it, it should work.” James mumbled, a bit unsure of himself as he poked around the model.

Regulus didn’t know whether he wanted to smack James or kiss him. It seemed to hit Regulus like a truck. “I missed a variable.” He mumbled and instantly started reworking the equations in an old notebook. 

James nodded, “It would work.” 

Regulus smiled as he looked up and met James’ gaze, “We’re going to need more polymers.” 

…

Regulus and James stayed in the garage for hours. It was hot and humid as they worked out models and adjusted equations, trying to match everything to the conditions of the upcoming storm. 

Eventually, James’ phone rang, and he answered. James was pulled away for a moment, and Regulus was loathe to admit that it pained him how he knew that it was Sirius on the other end of the line. 

James hung up not much later, “Sirius is coming over.” He sighed, and then he practically braced as if he was expecting to be hit for the announcement. 

Regulus just shrugged. “Okay.” He mumbled. He felt almost numb to the presence of his brother. Regulus no longer felt the hate or anger that he had a few days prior, but now he felt almost apathetic. He didn’t blame Sirius, not as much as he had. But he didn’t know Sirius, and there was something painful about the fact that he really wanted to know Sirius. He wanted to know his older brother, and he was nothing more than a stranger with the same DNA. 

James raised an eyebrow, surprised by the lack of response and outburst, “You’re not mad?” Hames checked, still tense. 

Regulus just shrugged. 

James softened, “Talk to me.” The words came out like a soft plea, a cry for connection. 

“Sirius hates this place.”

“You hate this place.” James offered, as if that notion was supposed to help. 

“Not as much as Sirius does.” Regulus sighed, it was different for Sirius. Regulus had tolerated his parents, he had been able to stay with them for years, he had come back in undergrad. Sirius though- Sirius ran away. Sirius ran away, and went no contact, including with Regulus. So the sudden thrust of Sirius back into his life over the past week was a lot. In all honesty, Regulus was tired. He wanted to go back to new York. 

James raised his hand to Regulus’ cheek. He cupped it gently, as if James was cradling a feather. James touched Regulus as if Regulus was something precious, something to be cherisheed. It made Regulus nearly melt into his hold. Regulus wasn’t planning to kiss James, so he was taken off guard when his body seemed to more on his own and their lips collided. 

James pulled back gently, “Regulus, are you okay?”

Regulus pulled away, escaping James’ embrace as if his touch was poisonous. They stood there staring at each other, when Sirius walked in the door. The only alert he was there was the creak of the hinges. 

“Hello?” Sirius called throughout the house, wandering his way into the kitchen where James and Regulus were separated only by the tension filled air. “Are you guys okay?”

Regulus rolled his eyes, “What do you care?”

Sirius sighed, “I want to fix us.”

Reuglus tried to remain stoic, he wanted to hate Sirius still, it would make this all much easier. “We’re working on a solution.” Regulus mumbled, wanting to change the topic, he wanted out of the kitchen, and he wanted more distance between him and James. 

Sirius raised an eyebrow, “What? A solution to what?”

“Tornados.” Regulus answers. 

Sirius shook his head, he knew what Regulus was implying. “You remember what happened last time?” Sirius asked, his voice was just a little condescending in the classic way that only an older brother’s could be. 

Regulus nearly snapped at him, “Of course I know.”

“You shouldn’t put yourself through that again.” Sirius mumbled, his voice was softer now, he wanted to protect Regulus, at leastin that moment. “Think about this.”

James sighed, “I think it’s a good idea.”

“Don’t encourage this! You weren’t there!” Sirius practically growled at his friend. He turned back to Regulus, noticably softer. “You’ll be careful, won’t you?”

Regulus nodded in a way that was barely even perceptible. 

Regulus went to the garage to work on his models and the other two followed. 

…

James frowned, tinkering with the pieces over and over, changing the conditions of the storm. Regulus was adjusting the calculations, hunched over a work table, and constantly scratching his writing back out after second of staring at it and coming up blank. Sirius was on the computer, trying to find the conditions they were about to face and when the next tornado might begin to form. 

“Look at this.” Sirius insisted, practically shoving the computer in front of Regulus. 

Regulus paused for only a moment, to understand what he was looking at. The numbers were higher than Regulus had ever seen. These were optimal conditions for a storm. Regulus gawked at the screen, “That’s going to be huge.”

James nodded, “Unless we can stop it.”

“Unless we can stop it.” Regulus echoed back. 

James and Regulus looked at each other for a moment, and if Sirius wasn’t standing there and looking at them, then they probably would have kissed again. 

“I’ll call Remus.” Sirius said, breaking the silence, he left the garage to go call him.

It left James and Regulus alone again for a moment. James looked into Regulus’ eyes, and the air was suddenly thicker. James reached out his hand, and Regulus took it. The touch seemed to light Regulus’ skin ablaze. 

But Sirius came back and they were forced to part, the sensation disappeared as fast as it had came. They had to get to work.

Chapter Text

Regulus stood there, leaning against the side of the house as Remus and James attempted to rig the canisters of polymer to the truck. Sirius came strolling towards him, leaning beside him as if this were some normal interaction.

“You think it will work?” Sirius asked.

Regulus shrugged, “Honestly? I’m not sure.” 

“James thinks it will.” 

Regulus rolled his eyes, “He’s an optimist.” 

Sirius chuckled, “You should try it sometime.”

Regulus smirked at the teasing, it felt easy. But Regulus couldn’t take his eyes off James. “Is he- is he always like this?” 

“James?” Sirius clarified and Regulus nodded. “He’s always optimistic, he’s not normally this motivated though. Never seen him take interest in someone like this.” 

“It’s cause I’m your brother.” Regulus insisted. 

Sirius paused, “We both know that’s not why.” 

Regulus didn’t dare respond to that remark with anything more than the blush on his cheeks. “The storm is headed West. It’s going to his the town, right by the school house.” 

Sirius shook his head, “Course it’s a fucking school house.” 

Regulus smiled at that, laughing just a little. “It’s going to work this time.” 

“Changed your mind that fast?” 

Regulus nodded, he had no doubt that it would work as he looked at James, “It just feels right.”

…

The plan they made was quick, sloppy at best, and flawed. They all knew it, but they were running on borrowed time as it were. The polymers and the riggin had taken longer than expected and the storm was on it’s way, they could all feel it. It was probably the rushing, the energy, and the fact that a category five storm was about to hit any second that forced Regulus to face his worst fear. 

The clouds started swirling, and James yelled at Regulus to get in the truck with him. Regulus followed the instructions as they sped off, another truck and a van following behind them. But this truck only had James and Regulus, Regulus didn’t know whether to be fearful or grateful for that fact.

They pulled off, and kept driving forward, towards the storm. It started raining, and Regulus’ hope disappeared in the same instant that it had came. “We didn’t account for rain.” 

“It will be fine.” James nodded, but his voice was shaking slightly. 

James kept his eyes fixed on the road, his jaw set, but Regulus could see the tension in his shoulders, the slight tremor in his hands as they gripped the steering wheel. They’d been driving for miles, but with each passing minute, the storm seemed to grow more insistent, more aggressive. The clouds above them had darkened to an impossible black, and the distant rumble of thunder rumbled like a warning.

“This was a mistake,” Regulus muttered under his breath, his voice barely audible over the howl of the wind and the engine. His hand was pressed against the window, feeling the pulse of the storm outside, as if the very atmosphere itself was holding its breath.

James didn’t respond immediately, but Regulus could feel his gaze flicker to the rearview mirror, where the van that had been tailing them was now nowhere to be seen. The others had fallen off, unable or unwilling to follow them any farther.

The rain began in a sudden downpour, drenching the truck in an instant, and the windshield wipers struggled to keep up. Regulus couldn’t tear his eyes away from the swirling clouds in front of them. The plan had seemed so simple in theory—drive to the storm, launch the polymer, survive. But now, it felt like they were careening straight toward an apocalypse. And he couldn’t help but feel like they’d miscalculated somewhere.

The storm was closing in fast, its energy crackling like it was alive, and Regulus could feel a sharp coldness creeping into his bones. The truck’s tires hydroplaned on the slick road for a moment, and the sound of the engine strained under the pressure, sending a jolt of panic through Regulus' chest.

“We didn’t account for rain,” he repeated desperately, his voice tight, though he knew it was too late to back out now.

James glanced at him briefly, his lips pressed into a thin line. “It’ll be fine.” But there was something in his voice, a slight hitch in the words that Regulus had never heard before. 

“Yeah, sure,” Regulus said, half to himself, his breath shallow. He tried to push the fear down, but it crept up with every passing second. The wind howled louder now, the trees along the side of the road bending under its force, and the truck seemed to shudder with every gust. The faintest flicker of doubt threatened to take hold.

For a moment, Regulus looked out the side window, seeing only sheets of rain. But then the clouds seemed to part just enough to reveal the shape of it. The tornado. It wasn’t visible yet, but Regulus could feel its presence in the way the air was growing thicker, heavier with tension.

“This is insane,” Regulus muttered under his breath. His voice was small, drowned out by the pounding rain and the deafening roar of the wind. “We’re driving straight into it.”

James didn’t answer. Instead, his jaw clenched, and he pressed harder on the gas. The truck surged forward, accelerating toward the storm, the dark funnel growing larger with every passing second. Regulus could barely breathe now, the pressure in the air becoming suffocating, and he wasn’t sure if it was the storm or the fear weighing him down.

His hand was still gripped tightly to the dashboard, nails digging into the plastic. Regulus closed his eyes for just a moment, trying to center himself, trying to calm the fear that was rising in his throat. But when he opened his eyes again, the world had changed.

The air around them was a crackling force, so thick with tension it felt like the sky was about to split apart. The wind screamed in their ears, and the truck shook as though it was just as terrified as he was.

Regulus’ breath hitched. The storm was no longer just a thing to be observed. It was alive, a beast tearing through the world, and they were heading straight for its eye.

Before he could say anything, the truck lurched, and the road beneath them buckled slightly as they hit a patch of debris. The windshield wipers struggled to clear the rain as the truck fishtailed for a moment.

“We’re not turning back now,” James said, more to himself than to Regulus, his voice strained.

But Regulus wasn’t sure. His heart was pounding so hard that it was a wonder James couldn’t hear it. His palms were slick with sweat, his muscles stiff and unyielding.

“We’re not ready for this,” Regulus whispered, more in a moment of panic than clarity. “We—”

“Don’t say that,” James cut him off, his voice sharp, snapping through the chaos. “We’ve been ready for this.”

Regulus didn’t believe him. Not anymore.

But before he could protest, they were upon it. The clouds seemed to collapse in on themselves, and the tornado finally revealed itself in its full, terrifying shape.

The world around them seemed to distort, the wind howling so loud it threatened to rip the truck apart. The force of it was so intense that Regulus thought for a moment they might be swallowed whole.

James grabbed the remote to control the canisters tightly, “It’s going to be fine. It’s going to work.” James mumbled like his life was dependent on his faith. But the wind was picking up, the loud whistling noise was almost deafening against the truck. James tried to drill into the ground, but the ground was wet from the rain, the truck struggled to take solid hold in the ground as the storm worsened. 

Regulus' hands were slick with sweat as they clung to the dashboard, the truck shaking violently under the pressure. The windshield wipers could barely keep up with the rain, but it didn’t matter. Nothing mattered except the tornado barreling down on them.

“Regulus, you’ve got this!” James shouted, his voice barely audible over the deafening wind. He kept one hand on the steering wheel and the other gripping the remote for the canisters of polymer they were about to launch into the storm.

Regulus couldn’t respond. He couldn’t even think. The fear had taken root deep in his chest, twisting and turning, and it was all he could do to breathe. His mind felt fuzzy, detached from everything around him as they hurtled straight toward the eye of the storm. He wasn’t ready for this. He’d never been ready for this. 

“This is insane,” Regulus muttered, his voice barely a whisper. “We’re going to die.”

James turned to look at him, a quick flash of concern crossing his face. But before Regulus could see more than that, James' eyes were back on the swirling vortex ahead. His jaw clenched. “No. We’re not dying today.”

The truck jolted again as they hit a bump in the road, and Regulus gripped the seatbelt harder, his heart hammering in his chest. His palms were slick against the dashboard, his knuckles white. His thoughts were a mess of doubt and fear. They had planned this. They’d spent weeks perfecting the polymer, testing it, tweaking it until it was ready. And yet, here they were, speeding toward an unstoppable force of nature, trying to play God. Trying to stop the storm that no one had been able to stop before.

“This is madness,” Regulus repeated, but his words were lost in the wind.

James didn’t respond. He didn’t need to. They both knew the stakes. They both knew the consequences. They’d come this far. They couldn’t stop now.

Regulus glanced at the canister of polymers in the truck bed, the final piece of their plan. The polymer that was supposed to disrupt the tornado's energy, absorb the force, and break it apart. They had spent years developing it, analyzing the data, creating the perfect composition. It was supposed to work.

But it hadn’t worked on anything this big. No test had been this real. No storm had been this powerful. The last time Regulus had tried to do this test- Regulus shook his head, he couldn’t think about Barty right now. This wasn’t some model anymore, this was their lives. 

“I can’t do it,” Regulus muttered to himself, his voice shaking. He turned away from the polymer, staring instead at the storm, which was now much too close. His pulse was deafening in his ears. He wasn’t sure if he was shaking from fear or the sheer adrenaline coursing through his body.

“Regulus, focus,” James said, his voice low but firm. “You can do this. We’re so close. Just aim the canister and release. We stop this thing. We stop it right goddam now.”

Regulus swallowed hard, turning back to the canister, his fingers hovering above it. He was too scared. They were too close. The storm was swallowing everything in its path, devouring trees, buildings, anything that dared to be in its way.

“I can’t—” Regulus began, but James’ eyes were locked onto him now, intense and unwavering.

“Yes, you can,” James said, his voice still calm, but there was something unshakable in it. “We’re in this together. It’s our only chance.”

Regulus didn’t know if he could believe that. The canister felt like a ticking time bomb in his hands, and every second he delayed was one step closer to disaster. But he had no choice. He couldn’t let this storm destroy everything. He had to try. He had to believe that it would work.

He aimed the canister at the storm, his hand shaking uncontrollably. He could feel the pressure building in the air, the weight of it pressing down on him. He could feel the tornado's pull, like a magnet pulling at his very soul.

“This is it,” Regulus muttered to himself. “Come on, come on...”

He pulled the trigger.

They expected the canister to shoot in the sky, but there was nothing. It must have been rigged wrong. They’d have to leave the truck to fix it, but leaving the truck in the storm would spell near certain death. 

Regulus stared at the sky in horror. “No! No!”

The storm didn’t slow. It didn’t even hesitate. It only grew angrier, pulling in more debris, more power, more destruction. The wind howled louder than ever, drowning out everything else. The tornado was coming for them, and there was nothing they could do.

James slammed his hand on the wheel, a curse escaping his lips. “Shit! We need to get out of here.”

But Regulus couldn’t breathe. The realization hit him like a ton of bricks. The polymer hadn’t worked. They were too late. The tornado was too big. And they were too small to stop it.

Regulus got out of the passenger seat, moving towards the truck bed. “Regulus! Get back in the car!” James yelled, but Regulus kept moving towards 

James looked at him, eyes wild with urgency. “Regulus, we need to go. Now!”

He didn’t know what to say. He couldn’t find the words. Regulus just moved, going to unlatch the polymer manually. It forced James out of the car as he tried to get Regulus back in. Regulus had barely touched the canister. 

 That’s when Regulus saw it, the van, tumbling past him, mere yards away. A van with a radar on top. Pandora’s van. 

No anger his friend could keep away the pain and fear of her being hurt. He cried out for her, he didn’t know if she was dead or alive. If she was driving the van or if it had been in a parking lot somewhere. He had no way of knowing. 

Regulus didn’t move. He was frozen, locked in place. His mind was still reeling from the failure. The storm was too much. It always had been. He had spent his entire life studying them, trying to understand them, and for what? To watch them destroy everything in their path? To watch them tear apart the people he loved?

“Regulus!” James’s voice was sharp now, demanding. “We need to move, or we’re going to get sucked in!”

Regulus snapped out of his stupor, his heart racing. He looked at the storm. It was coming. The truck was no match for the power of the tornado, and they had no way of outrunning it. James grabbed Regulus’ arm, nearly forcing him back inside the truck, before James clamored back into the drivers seat. 

“James, we-” Regulus started, but his words died in his throat as the tornado’s pull intensified. The truck was already swerving uncontrollably. The wind outside howled as the world tilted sideways.

“Hold on!” James screamed.

Regulus gripped the seatbelt tighter as the truck was suddenly yanked off course, spinning violently in the air. It was like the storm was playing with them, toying with their fragile, pathetic existence.

The truck flew into the air with a sickening jolt, tumbling end over end like a toy in the hands of a child. Regulus’s stomach twisted, his heart racing, the ground no longer beneath him as the world spun around them.

James’s face was nothing but desperation, but his grip on the wheel never wavered. “Hold on!” he screamed again, but Regulus barely heard him. All that mattered was the storm.

The world was spinning. The sky was a chaotic swirl of black clouds and swirling winds. Regulus felt himself losing control, the truck tossed like a leaf in the storm's grip. Every jolt, every sharp turn sent his heart into his throat, and he could feel the heat of panic rushing through him. His chest tightened with each breath, his head spinning from the force of the storm pressing in on him from all sides.

He didn’t know how much longer he could keep his eyes open.

“James!” Regulus shouted, his voice hoarse, almost lost to the wind. “James, we have to get out of here!”

But James’s eyes were wild, his knuckles white against the wheel, and Regulus knew—James was already pushing the truck to its limit. There was nowhere to run. The tornado was right on top of them, and they were going to get sucked in no matter how fast they tried to go.

“Hold on!” James shouted over the deafening roar of the wind.

Regulus felt the truck lift off the ground with a sickening lurch, as if the tornado had claimed them. For a moment, everything went weightless. His stomach dropped, and his vision blurred into a vortex of gray and black.

No. No, this wasn’t how it was supposed to end.

He reached for the canister of polymer again, his hands shaking violently as he tried to steady himself. His fingers slid over the smooth surface of the canister, and for a split second, he thought about using it again, trying something, anything, to stop the storm, to stop the inevitable. He knew the odds were impossible. He knew it wasn’t going to work. But it was the only thing he had left, the only thing he could hold onto.

“Regulus!” James’s voice broke through the haze, his face frantic. He was trying to hold onto the wheel, to steer them away from the vortex closing in around them, but it was futile. The wind was too strong. The tornado’s pull too great. “Regulus, let go of it!”

But Regulus couldn’t. Not now.

He had to stop it. He had to.

“James… I can’t…” Regulus muttered, his voice cracking. His fingers were numb, the canister slipping from his grasp. The storm was louder now, drowning out his thoughts. His heart was a drum in his chest, thudding in time with the beat of the wind. “I have to stop it.”

James turned, his eyes wide with disbelief and terror. “No, Regulus—stop! It’s over!”

But Regulus’s breath was coming faster now, panicked, erratic. “I… I can’t—” he gasped, his body jerking as the truck spun wildly. The canister slipped from his hands and rolled away. It felt like everything was slipping away.

Then, in a horrible, deafening moment of realization, Regulus saw it—the wall of debris and fury that was the tornado's edge. He could feel it pulling at him, as if it were alive, dragging him toward it. It was faster than him. Stronger than him. 

“We’re not going to make it,” Regulus whispered, his heart sinking, the words escaping before he could stop them. The breath in his lungs was becoming harder to come by, his body bracing for impact, for the storm that was inevitable.

James’s hand shot out, grabbing his arm. “We are. We are, Regulus.”

Regulus looked at him, and for a moment, everything went still.

He could see the desperation in James's eyes. The same determination that had kept him going when everything else had fallen apart. And then, maybe for the first time, Regulus realized how much James truly believed they could make it out of this alive. He saw that tiny, flickering thread of hope, even when all Regulus could see was the oncoming storm.

But it wasn’t enough. The storm was too much. The hope wasn’t enough.

With the loudest, sickening crack, the truck was lifted off the ground, the wind ripping it apart piece by piece. Regulus’s body was thrown back against the seat, his head slamming against the window with a sickening thud. He could feel the world spinning around him, every bone in his body aching as the truck careened through the air. 

“James…” Regulus managed to croak, but the words were swallowed by the deafening sound of the tornado.

He watched as he felt himself thrown around as if he was nothing more than a ragdoll. But he swore that he saw the canister outside of the window, and it hit itself on a metal pipe, splitting in half, releasing the polymer. 

And then everything went black.

…

When Regulus regained consciousness, the world was spinning. The truck was no longer in one piece. It had been ripped apart, debris scattered across the landscape like confetti. He gasped for air, his chest tight, and he could feel the blood rushing to his head as he slowly pushed himself up. His vision blurred, but when it cleared, he saw James. 

James, lying unconscious on the ground beside him. Blood trickling from his forehead.

“James!” Regulus shouted, crawling over to him. His hands shook as he touched his friend's shoulder. “James! Please...”

James groaned, his eyes flickering open. “You’re still alive...” he muttered weakly.

“We’re alive,” Regulus said, his voice thick with relief. “We made it. We’re alive.”

James’s lips curled into a weak, pained smile. “Told you we’d get out.”

Regulus felt something like laughter bubbling in his chest, but it was bitter and strained. Regulus was certain that he should be dead by now. They had made it work. Regulus didn’t know how- maybe it was luck, or maybe they had finally cracked the code. The twisting, spiraling winds had slowed , weakening as the absorption-based polymer had taken effect. The massive funnel cloud had shattered, breaking apart like glass as it hit the layer of polymer they’d sprayed into its path. It wasn’t perfect—nothing was ever perfect—but it had bought them time.

Time they’d needed to escape.

“We actually did it,” Regulus said, a laugh bubbling up through the fog of exhaustion and relief. It was a short, breathless sound, as if he couldn’t believe it. They had faced the storm, had pushed everything to its breaking point and they had survived . And it wasn’t just survival. They had stopped it. They had done what no one else could do.

His heart thundered in his chest as the adrenaline from the storm began to wear off. The weight of everything. The risk, the fear, the moments of near-death settled in. Regulus closed his eyes for a brief moment, feeling the full impact of what they had just pulled off.

But James was there, as always, pulling him back from the edge. Regulus opened his eyes again, meeting James’s gaze. The smile on James’s face was small but real, the one he reserved for when things felt just a little too perfect to be true.

“We did it,” Regulus repeated, his voice quieter this time, as if testing the words, as if unsure whether the relief could be real.

James’s expression softened. “We did . And we’re not done yet. The polymer still needs work, but we have something now. We’ve got proof that it can work. It can stop the storms.”

Regulus looked around, the world finally feeling like it was coming back into focus. The winds had died down, the air was thick with dust, and the tornado’s wreckage lay scattered across the land. But the most important thing was that the storm had passed, and they had survived .

And with that survival came a terrifying new understanding: they had broken through a barrier.

Regulus swallowed, his mouth dry as he nodded. “Yeah… yeah, we have something now. We can make this work. We can… stop the storms.”

It felt almost too big to grasp, too monumental to process in a single breath. He had spent years chasing the impossible. The tornadoes had been a constant force of nature, something to study, to measure, to understand . But never, in his wildest dreams, had he thought they could stop them.

And yet, here they were. Standing in the aftermath of a storm they had survived—and, somehow, halted .

Regulus could hear the sound of sirens. Ambulances were coming, or help at the very least. They weren’t dead. Not yet at least. Regulus was exhausted though, and he could tell James was feeling similarly. 

The sirens pulled closer and they were separated once more as they were hauled off into the ambulances on stretchers. 

Regulus almost immediately passed out as the adrenaline wore off and the pain hit him all at once.

…

When Regulus woke again he was immediately feeling fuzzy. The pain meds made him feel like he was dreaming, and when he opened his eyes to the bright white lights of the hospital he was worried that he had died. 

There were three people in his room, though it took a second to make them out, as they hovered obnoxiously close. 

Pandora was the first one to hug him, and her wild hair tickled in face in an unpleasant manner that he ignored due only to the fact that he appreciated the hug. “You’re okay.” Pandora smiled.

It took Regulus a second to realize. Pandora was here. That made his worry of heaven stronger for a moment, perhaps he had truly died in the storm. Regulus tried to speak, but his voice was hoarse and raspy. He was handed a glass of water by someone, he didn’t even care who, he was too thirsty to bother being considerate. He drank it and let the cool feeling soothe his aching throat. “I saw your van.” Regulus breathed out. 

Pandora frowns slightly, “It got ripped from the parking lot.” The explanation was short and Regulus waited for her to elaborate but instead she launched into what sounded like a predetermined speech. “Listen Regulus, you were right, I shouldn’t have helped to scam those people, I thought it was for a good cause in the long run, but- those are real people now. People who might not get to see the long run, who need money, vulnerable people. And it took watching Lily’s home get destroyed to realize that.” Pandora let everything out. Lily was one of the visitors, she was slightly blurry where she was standing, but Regulus smiled, glad they worked things out. 

Regulus, with his currently limited speech, nodded and managed to say, “It’s okay, I forgive you. I’m just happy you’re safe.” Though he wasn’t sure how much of that was coherent cause of his very raspy and hoarse voice, he was met with a hug once more, which let him know they were okay.

Sirius was the other blob that slowly came to focus as he walked closer. Sirius didn’t say much, they were reconciling, thought perhaps it would take more time to truly become brothers again. Sirius nodded and smiled softly, “I’m glad you’re okay, Reggie.”

Regulus smiled back, though he didn’t say anything, he took another sip of water, and there was a moment of unspoken connection between them. Regulus knew they would be okay, Regulus was glad Sirius was okay. Then, he remembered James. 

Regulus shot up from his bed like a rocket, “Where’s James?” He rasped.

Sirius chuckled, “James is fine, he’s in the room across the hall.”

Regulus stood, his body stiff but still moving with purpose. He only made it to his door, before he saw James across, standing there about to go find Regulus. James always had the perfect timing. They walked closer together, till they were at an arm's length. 

Regulus blushed, he felt shy now. He didn’t want to talk, his voice was embarrassing and he didn’t know what to say. 

James chuckled, in a way that made Regulus forget everything he was worried about, “We survived, sweetheart.” He reached out a hand to Regulus, his grin now wider, his eyes alive with that spark of determination.

Regulus hesitated for just a second, a strange, unnameable feeling stirring in his chest. But then he grasped James’s hand, allowing James to guide him closer. It was easy, almost too easy, to allow himself to be pulled in by James’s steady strength. 

And when he stood there in the hallway on shaky legs, looking at what they had become with hands intertwined and looking into each others eyes. Regulus knew something had to happen. So in a moment of bravery, and with nothing to lose. He raised to his tip-toes and planted a soft, gentle kiss to James lips. The kind that lasted a second but the impression would last a lifetime.

They had done it.  They had stopped the storm. They made it out. 

Regulus didn’t know where they would go from here. But for the first time in a long time, Regulus felt a flicker of hope. The kind of hope that he swore only James Potter could inspire.

Chapter Text

It was over. It was all over now, Regulus was supposed to go home. He was supposed to return to his boring life in Massachussets where he was a weather man and nothing else. 

James was driving him to the airport, and the car ride had been mostly quiet, but a comfortable quiet, and James didn’t let go of Regulus’ hand the whole drive. They didn’t want to talk about the future, or at least Regulus didn’t and James seemed to oblige him. 

They pulled up to the airport. Regulus felt like this was the end of something, the end of something that he did not want to end. 

Regulus looked at James. He wanted James to stop him from leaving. He wanted James to tell him not to go. “I’m going to miss you.” Regulus mumbled, his voice barely above a whisper. 

James nodded, frowning slightly, “I’ll miss you too.” 

It was not the response Regulus had wanted. 

After all they had been through these past weeks, Regulus couldn’t believe it was coming to an end, he didn’t want it to end like this. “Okay.” Regulus swallowed, “I guess this is goodbye.”

“More like a see you later?” James proposed, and Regulus couldn’t help but smile at the stupidly cheesy line. 

“A see you later, then.” Regulus agreed as he got out of the car, and James was forced to let go of his hand. 

Regulus grabbed his luggage, and walked towards the doors. He looked back at James for a moment, trying to read him. But James just had a slightly sadder version of his typical smile on his face, and Regulus didn’t understand whether James wanted him to leave or not.

Regulus sighed, and decided that maybe this was just in his own head. He walked into the airport, and slowly dragged himself towards the TSA line when he heard someone shouting, “Regulus! Wait! Don’t go!”

Regulus turned around, he dropped his luggage where he stood and he ran over to James Potter. They embraced and James lifted Regulus off the ground in a way that Regulus thought only happened in cheesy romantic comedies. They kissed, a real kiss. A passionate, long, slow kiss. The kind that made Regulus’ toes curl, especially because he almost let this moment get away from him. He almost left. 

James set Regulus down, and they both panted for a moment. “Took you long enough to come after me.” Regulus teased.

James smiled back, laughing, “I made it just in time.”

James took Regulus’ hand, and picked up Regulus’ suitcase. They walked back out of the airport arm in arm. 

They went to go back to the car. 

Only for James to groan loudly, “My car was towed. I was in there for less than a minute!”

Regulus laughed at that, finding James’ anguish amusing. 

“Regulus! That was a rental!” James insisted that this was a serious matter, but Regulus’ laughter had him grinning ear to ear.