Children born of one emotion.
Regulus literally doesn't know what to do with himself. He doesn't start work for another few days and he doesn't know anyone here.
He wouldn't go out to 'hang' anyways.
He bought a bed and green silk sheets. Call him what you will but he actually does care about his skin and hair state.
A bed of which he is rotting in. He feels useless. There are many things that need doing around the apartment but he can't find the motivation to actually do it.
Then his mother's shrill voice rings in his head and he immediately sits up, abandoning his previous activity of staring into the wall.
He gets out of bed and heads towards the bathroom. Takes one look at himself in the mirror and grimaces. His hairs a state, curls now fluffy and looser without gel.
What would his mother think. It's strange not having her criticise his every move anymore.
He doesn't know what to do anymore.
He gets ready, brushes his teeth sorts his hair out and walks out of his en-suite into the rest of his apartment.
It's not huge, just comfortable.
Two bedrooms, two bathrooms and a kitchen island spreading out into a living room.
It looks empty. He'll fix that later.
He pulls out his laptop and clicks on the previous tabs on there, sitting on the stools in the kitchen and resting the laptop on the counter.
Maybe he's being a bit obsessive, but who's going to know.
He knows exactly who will be on his team and everything the internet has to show.
Which isn't a lot surprisingly, most likely thanks to their tech support. Peter Pettigrew,
a podgy little man with a bright smile.
He gets regulus an odd feeling he can't shake, but if he's trusted by siri- the fbi he can't be that bad. No one's perfect.
Sirius is actually the media liaison, but is still included in all cases. Regulus has seen the footage and an odd feeling of pride bubbled its way into his chest.
He huffs when there's no new updates, closing the laptop and leaning back on the stool. Drumming his fingers on the counter in thoughts of something, anything, to do.
Sirius is most likely sleeping, having gotten a spontaneous call at 4am making sure he is still alive. He got those a lot when sirius started working at the bau. They died down after a while but every now and then when there's a particularly nasty case he'll get one.
So it is to be assumed sirius is still asleep, regulus wouldn't bother him anyways.
He blinks and he's roaming the streets of London, hands digging deep into the pockets of his long coat. The crisp autumn air biting at his skin. His eye catches on an appealing cafe, the smell of rich beans and fresh baked goods luring him in.
Regulus scans over the place, mostly college students or business men and women hunched over laptops or textbooks, sipping at their coffees.
He's brought back when asked for his order, getting a latte and going for a croissant.
He sits at the last empty booth once he's served, looking outside at the golden brown leaves being trodden on by perfectly shiny oxfords.
One precious sip of his coffee is taken before he's interrupted, looking up at who dared to speak to him.
A woman with such fierce red hair she could rival the sun. She had the greenest eyes and freckles dotted all across her pale skin.
She wore a sage green long sleeved dress, despite it being autumn, and the most peculiar jewellery.
She was so incredibly different that Regulus almost forgot to be annoyed at being disrupted.
"So sorry" The woman says, welsh accent thick and standing out among all the other blue blooded tongues, "Everywhere else was taken and i was wondering if you'd mind me accompanying you?" She asks, voice so sweet that regulus finds himself nodding for her to sit.
She sits opposite him on the booth, placing down a blueberry muffin and a sweet smelling tea. Green eyes meet his once again, a small smile playing at her lips.
"Lily evans, pleasure to meet you" She, Lily, greets.
Regulus swallows, looking at her cautiously before responding.
"Regulus, Regulus Black."
She tips her head, a long ginger wave falling into her face. Her smile turns soft, eyes knowing in a way that somehow soothes regulus while simultaneously setting him on edge.
"Just moved here?" She asks and he can't ignore the slight shock that erupts in his mind. Choosing to nod in reply.
Lily hums, unwrapping her muffin and placing a napkin beneath it to catch crumbs.
"Assumed so, you don't seem to have been swept away by the london madness yet" She teases and regulus laughs. It's a quiet and held back sound that seems to surprise him.
He hasn't laughed because of anyone, that wasn't sirius but even that was rare, in a long time.
Lily seems to sense that because she laughs along. It dies down and they sit in a comfortable silence before Lily stands. Necklace swinging and glistening in the light as she does. Regulus notices she finished her tea and wrapped her muffin up to place in her tote and is now looking down at him.
"I better be off if i don't want to be late to work." She starts, "It was a pleasure meeting you Regulus and here,"
She slides a thin card across the table with a number written in neat handwriting.
"if you ever need a friend" Lily finishes with a knowing smile before turning and heading to the entrance.
Regulus feels a little lighter after their interaction, it's a strange feeling but not an unwelcomed one.
He pockets the card, after placing the number in his phone, and stand himself. Downing the rest of the coffee and leaving the cafe in a far better mood he entered in.
Sirius just enters places when he wants apparently because Regulus has absolutely no idea how he got into the apartment, but when he gets back he's greeted with a smiling sirius sat on his sofa.
Regulus sighs, closing the door and locking it, he needs to get a new lock, before walking a few steps closer to where sirius is sat.
Well, he's more like thrown across the sofa. Legs hanging off the arm and hair surrounding him like a halo.
"How did you get in?" Regulus asks,
"wow, what happened to hi? hello? how are you?" is what he gets and what he got wasn't good enough.
"How did you get in?" He repeats, voice a bit more tighter this time.
Sirius gives him an apologetic smile then holds up an identical key to the one on regulus is currently holding.
That little shit.
He places a hand on his head, smoothing out the crease in his brows and just ignores sirius in favour of walking to the kitchen.
"So," Sirius starts, shifting so he's laying on his stomach and his heads cradled in his hands. Kicking his legs like a child. "Excited for your first day at work soon?"
In all honesty, regulus has stressed over it so much he's surprised he hasn't gotten an aneurism by now. It keeps picking at him, chipping away at his carefully built walls and eating at the soft anxious flesh beneath.
"Wish it would get here faster"
Regulus reckons he said something right because something in sirius shifts, grin somehow growing even wider.
"I can make that happen. We have a quite taxing case and we could use help, reggie"
The thought of working on a case again sets off a feeling of excitement somewhere deep within regulus, him taking a step closer.
"Go on"
"Homicide , unsub abducts victims from outside of clubs. Drugs them in the car and sexually assaults them at a second location then dumps their body in the dumpster of the club they were previously taken from" Sirius exclaims, smile lost by the time he is finished.
Regulus nods and walks towards the armchair near the sofa, sitting down and crossing his legs over one and other. He observes sirius' body language, the tense in his shoulders the way his movements seem forced.
"No known suspects then and no witnesses, im guessing" He mumbles, clogs turning in his head with the information he has.
"Correct. So, will you help with the case? Remus said you can start tomorrow if you'd like." Regulus can feel the anticipation, can see the way sirius is praying he'll say yes.
He sighs, acting as if he wasn't going to die of boredom if he had to stay here for another day.
"I accept the case, i will be in tomorrow. forward me all information you have on this case, please sirius" He says, standing.
Sirius practically beams, standing as well
"Oh gods, we're going to be able to work a case together. Black and Black, me and my baby brother" He coos, stepping closer and pinching at regulus' cheeck until he gets whacked away.
It takes a lot to get sirius to leave but regulus is successful because, let's be honest, when is he not?
He stands at the now closed door for a few seconds, feeling the excitement at the tips of his fingers and making himself push it down.
Yes murder is awful, yes the entire case is absolutely revolting.
But it's a case and if regulus can do something it's work a case.
And he can't fucking wait.