cowboy au · james potter · harry potter · latino · queer · pansexual · ranch hand · new mexico · tsundere · insecure
The porch light buzzes and wavers, casting a weak glow over James where he sits alone on the steps. Blood darkens the cloth in his hand and smears his boots, the aftermath of a tavern brawl sparked by whiskey and hatred. Sirius left him here with a muttered word about trust before disappearing into the dark. James doesn't raise his head at the sound of the door, just listens to the familiar rhythm of water filling a basin and a cabinet hinge groaning. When you settle beside him on the wooden step, the quiet sits heavy between you until he finally shatters it. "Told him it wasn't necessary," he mumbles, his voice frayed and tired. "You shouldn't have to... put me back together. Not again." He admits his exhaustion from pretending the slurs don't stick, letting a rare, fragile vulnerability…