Chapter 6
The day was long, hot and mostly quiet. James didn’t mind. Regulus was acting strangely and he didn’t really have the energy to even hear why that was. He was skittish, not relaxed, but he supposes being chased by killers probably wasn’t a very relaxing experience.
But James was relaxed. He text mum, told her a story about a friend emergency, he was out of town and wouldn’t be back for a little and not to visit, lest she somehow becomes entangled in this whole ridiculous situation.
They were in the ‘living room’, which was an extremely generous word for the room, it had a wooden table and a dusty sofa, a fireplace and a portrait of a garden. Regulus was staring at his neck, James was staring down at the book he was still pretending to read. He was on chapter 6 now, and he hasn’t even read a word.
The sleeping situation was dire, he knew Regulus didn’t come to bed last night, he doubted he had slept in days with the way he was manically cleaning when they had come back from the lake earlier.
”Shall we have dinner?” James suggests quietly, looking up at his piercing eyes still glued to his neck.
Regulus licks his lips, nodding a yes, going to stand before James is stopping him.
“I’ll cook.”
”No, I’ll cook-“
”Regulus, I’ll cook.” He insists, pushing him back down, his face creasing into a forced smile.
”Fine.”
James busies himself with the remaining food, trying to figure out what on earth he could make with zero seasoning and very little options to work with.
He decides to just work with it, noticing Regulus staring at him from opposite the room, his pale hands clenched around his glass of untouched water.
It dawns on him, pretty strangely, that he hasn’t seen him eat anything, ever. His tea was always untouched when James would make it post coital. He didn’t even use the toilet.
Maybe he had an eating disorder. That was tricky. He didn’t want to pry, or make him feel bad about it, but it certainly was worrying James as he plated up the food.
He places the plate before him, sitting down and looking at him momentarily staring at the food before he starts to eat. Regulus just stares.
“You alright?” James asks carefully.
“I’m not really hungry.” He replies, pushing the plate away from him, with a sour look on his face.
Right.
“Alright.”
No use in prying. He had to eat at some point, James wasn’t his baby sitter, quite the opposite, he had been taken against his will (sort of) and he had bigger pressing issues, like killers chasing them, so he just ate his own food in silence.
Regulus’ grey eyes were darker than usual, he looked pretty terrible, which was hard to imagine, considering he was out of this world beautiful, he had a sickly look to him, malnourished almost, it was strange as in the morning he seemed fine.
He cared about him. It made James want to lay him in bed and mother him, to hold him and feed him soup. But it was stupid. He was a grown man and he certainly wasn’t the type of person who accepted help very gallantly.
”Shall we head to bed?” James asks him later, sat by the fire, exchanging nothing but awkward glances at one and other.
Regulus looks up at him, his bottom lip between his teeth. “You go ahead.”
”I’d like you to join me.” James whispers. He pauses. “Please.”
Being his friend was torture.
And it was as simple as that, he was following him into the room, stripping down beside each other to their boxers, pulling the sheets back.
James reaches for him, tugging his stiff body to his, wrapping his arms around his waist, looking down into his tired eyes.
”Stop acting weird… this is going to be an awful experience for us both if you act like we’re strangers.”
Regulus exhales and nods, his dark hair falling in front of his eyes. “I’m just going through some mental stuff.”
”Yeah? I’d like to talk about it. See if I can offer any help?”
”I’m not sure you could, James.”
“Try me.”
Regulus frustratedly huffs. “Well it’s different now… you and me, whatever we were before. I have no idea how to be anything to you other than a lover between your sheets.”
It was different. But it wasn’t difficult. He obviously didn’t have any friends, so yes, he wasn’t acting normal, because he had no idea what that looked like. James wants him, of course he does, he’s not stopped being attracted to him. He aches for him. His body aches for him. Everything is always aching around him.
But faced with nothing but silence in the day it’s hard to feel like they have much of a connection aside from that, not that he could figure it out, he gave him nothing to work with.
”I like you, Regulus, a lot. I’m not withholding myself from you, but that’s what you seem to be doing to me.” He whispers, stroking the fallen hair back behind his ear.
Regulus closes his eyes, a pained expression crossing his face. “You won’t like the real me.”
”Well until I do, you don’t have much of a right to say that. I’m a good person, known for my understanding nature,” James muses, “I’m pretty nice as people go.”
He smiles slightly, nodding with a small laugh. “You’re lovely.”
”I know.”
“I promise I’ll try a bit harder. I just didn’t exactly expect to be here with you… Not that I’d want to be here with,” He exhales and opens his eyes, “anyone else.”
James licks his lips, staring down at him, feeling every bit of himself begging to touch him, to get every inch of himself inside of him, to see a look on his face that isn’t drenched in uncomfortable pain.
Regulus must notice, he’s gripping the sheets below them with such strength his knuckles are white.
“Please,” James practically begs. “Let’s just-“
”Forget it.” Regulus whispers, opening his mouth.
He presses his lips to his, the first ounce of normality he’s felt in days, he melts into him, into his tongue and taste, the way he’s so docile for him, letting James run his hands anywhere they can reach, his tongue on his neck, sucking his skin until it puckers pink.
It was so easy to do this with him. It was all that he wanted.
Regulus hums gently, his eyes closed, finally looking at peace as James works his fingers into him, curling and speeding to match his coming moans, he hadn’t forgotten how much he loved this.
Sex with him was unreal. Something almost illusory. A painting that James somehow has the strokes for.
James pins his wrist above his head, pushing himself in and tipping his head back, letting out a deep groan at the feeling of his warmth tightly wrapped around him.
”James.” He cries, his lips reddened and parted.
He’s losing himself, it’s easy to, when someone looks like him, feels like him, making noises like an angel, his nails scratching down his back, James can only thrust and feel the euphoria rising up his spine.
He offers him his wrist, still bruised from their previous encounter. He doesn’t understand the kink, but it’s the least he can offer him. Even if it does hurt terribly.
And god did he seem to enjoy to enjoy that, James was dazed, staring down as his lips wrapped their best around his wrist, his eyes rolling back, some colour finally catching on his cheeks.
It hurt. But it was worth it. James was forgetting the pain as soon as his orgasm came and each thrust became unbearable as he tried to hold it off, he collapsed with his wrist still glued to Regulus’ mouth.
Regulus’ flushed face pulls off, his mouth covered in his blood, he smiles darkly and James swears his teeth looked terribly frightening, almost sharp, they were so long and… almost like they were made of porcelain. But as quickly as he thought he saw them, his mouth was closing and he was kissing James so firmly the thought subsided.
”Thank you,” He almost wept, his eyes bright grey, full of his usual expression of life. “You… are incredible.”
”It’s okay… we probably needed the release. James smiles, kissing at the side of his dazed eyes. “Shall we sleep now?”
”Yes.” Regulus whispers, still licking the blood from his lips, as if it was honey.
It troubled James, as he tucks down into the duvet with Regulus under his arm, his eyes closed, looking angelic as ever. His entire mood and body had changed the moment they had sex. Was he a sex addict? That might be it.
He certainly only came to James for sex originally, he didn’t ever stay past it. But looking at him now, his cheeks blushed and his lips curled into a smile whilst he slept, he can barely believe this is the same person who was soullessly staring at him earlier in silence.
He was a mystery.