#popstar!regulus

One shot fic | Jegulus (hint of Jily + Jegulily?). Regulus is on tour for his second album. He’s got everything he’s wanted … or so he’s thought? Paranoia fucks with a person.

There was chunky, glittery silver eye shadow smudged on Regulus' lids. Dark, kohl liner placed intricately in his waterline. He blamed both for the tears in his eyes. 

"Fuck," He cleared his throat. "Yeah, no. I'm fine." He forces out of his throat. His voice raspy and hoarse, he'd blame that on the singing. Forcing a smile he looks into his reflection. 

Lifeless green eyes staring back at himself. Looking as if all the color has drained from the world, even though everyone runs about him in a mess of rainbow chaos confetti. 

A cigarette is passed to him and he takes it gingerly between his knuckles. Snapping himself out of his trance. 

"You look like you got the shit fucked out of you," Barty says casually in such polite phrasing. Fingers free from any blunts. Passing a drumming stick between his fingers in a mindless, constant rotation. 

"Depends," Regulus winces. Looking to his friend for guidance towards opinion. Inhaling a shaky break. "In a good way or in a bad way?" Exhaling a cloud of smoke through his nose.

A smirk carves up the drummer's features in such a wicked, humored way. "A good way because you're so damn good looking," Reaching a hand forward and reassuringly messing up the Black boy's dark curls. "You could make anything look devilishly handsome."

"Almost ready?" A new voice chimes in. Barty's hand snapping away at the tone of it. "Two minutes for-." Evan sing songs as he skips over to the trio. His smile fading just as quickly as he appeared as he takes in Regulus persona. "What the bloody hell happened to you?" 

"He's fine," Barty says quickly.

"I'm fine." Regulus says. Smile and all.

It's a lie, they all know it. Evan begins to search the singer's eyes for a story to tell but they say nothing. Not a single detail. Not a single scrap. The blonde male doesn't have one ounce of an idea to what made him such a torn apart tragedy in just a break's time. But it's Barty's eyes who give it away. Barty's eyes who say it all.

A quick flicker, a if-you-blinked-you-missed-it glance, towards the opposite side of the closed curtains. Before he looks back. Quickly clocking his mistake and giving a warning glance to the guitarist.

Evan's eyes follow the movement and it clicks into place. Not all, but most. James Potter, Regulus' boyfriend and heart throb actor, and his ex girlfriend Lily Evans. They all knew her, they all loved her, they all trusted her. She had a personal invite and all to this, the Madison Square Garden performance. 

A personal invite their dear hearted singer was just now beginning to regret.

They stood so close to each-other. So, so close yet not touching. His hands were in his pockets, hers were on her hips. Whispering to each-other so intently a joke no one understands but them. It made Regulus' insecurities grow. Manifest themselves worser into existence. Dark and cruel.

If Regulus cut himself open he was half sure his blood would be green. Envy itself. Spilling onto the floor.

The entire first half of the show Regulus dance and twirled and screamed and sang. Every eye on him. Beside the pair of eyes he wanted most. The ones he always had on him, with love and adoration. Finishing the first set he was lowered beneath the stage but this time ... his boyfriend was there waiting.

A quick water break and costume change later he left his private bus to see it. Them. Drinking coffees on their way back. Their hips so close they should've practically been holding hands.

Paranoia. Paranoia. Regulus had to stop. It was all in his brain. 

Lily and James hadn't seen each-other in person for months. Simply old friends reconnecting on lost time. It was all in his head. It was all in-

A brush of red. It all became a blur.

The next moment James saw Regulus he stopped talking to Lily he ran over, and picked him up. Bringing him close. James smelled of flowers, perfume, and not the artists cologne or his very own. The moments replaying in Regulus' head. 

The pull away moment from the hug. The brief second. Half there, hardly. The small smudge of red lipstick on James' white shirt collar, just near his open throat. Eyes securing onto it before just the slightest movement of him rearranged it unknowingly into concealed perfection.

Had he hallucinated it? James didn't look freshly kissed. But his skin was flushed ... perhaps it was the alcohol.

Regulus stared at Lily than, for clues, for anything. But she only smiled back. Thanked him. Perfectly confused.

Did he? Did she? Did they? Or was he-

Panic had sunk deep into his bones. Regulus quickly dismissed himself for stage. A passing of 'enjoy the rest of the show!' before he stood brainless in front of the makeup crew. Them, stamping on shadow and powder. Putting a microphone in his hand as the fans roared on outside.

Eight minutes, the longest break in the show for Regulus, has turn into the worst eight minutes of his life. He felt like he was gonna vomit glitter. Spew his guts all over the stage but all it would be was plastic jewels and purple star confetti.

What time was it-

"Oh," Evan frowns. "You don't look to well-"

"Rosier, it's your turn to enter in—" Their manager, Mr. Riddle, suddenly enters the scene. Shooing Evan away to the right. "Then Regulus I want you- how'd you get fucked in five minutes?" He stops as he looks at the pale performer. "Or at you sick? I can't tell."

"It's intentional." Barty informs. Giving a 'cut it own' movement across the throat when Reggie isn't looking his way.

"I got glitter in my eye." Regulus repeats like its lyrics. Like it's words he knows so well, "I'm so fine."

But it falls on deaf ears. 

"Perfect! You're up. Barty to the left-" The crowd nearly drowns him out because Evan finally got on cue. The drummer follows. Regulus stands alone.

Feeling the beat of the count down drumming in his ears. 

A final glance to Lily and James is all it takes. 

He's moving towards them, away from his entrance.

"Oh!" James tears his eyes away from Lily, finally. Finally! Yes, stop looking at her- "It's time already." He's lost track of time again. He's lost track of Regulus. He's not his center clock anymore. "Love, you look-" Words fall short as he takes in his boyfriend's appearance.

"Go find your seat," The pop star smiles out so perfectly, such a chipper tone. He's so good at faking smiles. "I'll find you after," A solid nod. Forty seconds. He's unphased.

James goes in for a kiss, Regulus turns his head last minute. A brush of warm lips awkwardly meeting cold skin.

He pulls away. Confusion etched in his eyes but Regulus smiles, and he smiles some more. 'Go on,' he seems to say without saying anything at all.

'I'll look into that after,' James thinks. Trying not to be concerned. Maybe Regulus was ... no best not to think of such dark things now. No time. He'll figure it out later. After. Now there was a show.

"Come 'n, Lils." James nods, walking away from the stage towards his seat. Twenty five seconds.

The ginger girl follows. Giving two thumbs up of encouragement towards Reggie but his smile drops at her from the action.

He's staring at her red lips. That damn, stupid lipstick. Whatever the shade was, was ruining his mental health.

He doesn't even think to do it. Infact, he doesn't think at all.

Grabbing her chin with his ringed hand he pulls her towards him. Wanting a stain of his own. His mouth on hers, her mouth on his. Perhaps just to test how easily it wipes away. Perhaps just to send a message.

Once, twice. They kiss.

Lily nearly reciprocates it but Regulus is too quick, too chaotic. Removing his touch from her all together. Quick and sudden. Walking away with seven seconds to spare. 

Anger pumping through his veins. White knuckling the microphone. 

- 

James Potters stands at his seat front row. Wondering why his boyfriend has a smudge of lipstick on his lips in the enlarged motion-following video on the right of his stage. Features so clear he could practically see his pores. 

He wonders why Lily won't meet his eyes. What happened? It couldn't? They were alone for two seconds? Why would Reggie-

"I have a new song," Regulus says into his microphone as he adjusts his ear piece. The audience goes wild and in return he smiles. A cheeky, people pleasing bastard. "That's never been played in public,"

He's walking on the stage as he talks. Green Doc Martens, a white tank top with a bedazzled "Fuck You" on the center of his chest, acid wash jeans to match, and a shiny reflective jacket that makes him look slightly more mirrorball than human. It's a simple outfit. But he looks hot, he looks so fucking hot. 

Barty's in a leather jacket, Evan wears a denim one. They both wear an equally startled expression.

"My label hasn't let me officially release it yet but," He holds up a finger. More fans scream. An exclusive song performance. This never happens. Regulus always does what he's told! It must be a marketing tactic. "I think today's the day! Hm?"

He begins to sing.