To Mars and back

The cozy warmth of James Potter's home enveloped Regulus Black like a comforting embrace as they stumbled through the threshold, their laughter echoing in the quiet corridors. Firewhiskey had blurred the edges of their reality, casting aside inhibitions and fostering a camaraderie born of shared understanding.

James guided Regulus through the familiar halls of his family's ancestral home, his steps steady despite the haze of intoxication. In the dim light of the hallway, Regulus leaned against James for support, their shared laughter punctuated by the occasional stumble.

As they reached the threshold of James's room, a sense of familiarity washed over Regulus—a feeling of belonging in a space that felt oddly intimate yet welcoming. With a flick of his wand, James conjured a warm fire in the hearth, casting flickering shadows across the room.

"Welcome to my humble abode," James announced with a flourish, a mischievous glint in his eyes.

Regulus chuckled, his movements languid with the weight of exhaustion and alcohol. "Humble indeed," he remarked, his words slurring slightly.

Regulus sank into the chair with a contented sigh, the firelight casting dancing shadows across his features. "Thank you, James," he murmured, his voice tinged with an uncharacteristic vulnerability.

James offered him a warm smile. "Anytime, Regulus. Now, how about a bit of sobering tea before we retire?"

Regulus shook his head, his gaze fixed on the flickering flames. "Tea can wait, James. We have unfinished business," he declared with a mischievous glint in his eyes.

James raised an eyebrow, his curiosity piqued. "Oh? And what might that be?"

Regulus leaned forward, his expression earnest yet unguarded. "Feelings," he confessed, his voice slightly slurred but earnest.

A soft chuckle escaped James as he settled into an adjacent chair, his gaze fixed on Regulus with quiet amusement. "Feelings, huh? Quite the topic for a late-night conversation."

Regulus nodded, his eyes searching James's face for any sign of reluctance. "We're already knee-deep in firewhiskey, James. Might as well dive in," he reasoned with a lopsided grin.

James's amusement softened into a gentle smile, outstretching his arm to make contact with his friend. "Fair point. So, what are we diving into, exactly?"

Emboldened by the warmth of James's touch and the intoxicating haze of firewhiskey, Regulus found himself teetering on the edge of revelation. "James," he began, his voice barely above a whisper, "I think I've fallen..."

James's gaze locked with Regulus's, a silent plea for him to continue. The air between them crackled with unspoken tension.

Regulus swallowed hard, his heart pounding in his chest like a war drum. "I think I've fallen... in love."

James's brow furrowed with confusion, a flicker of concern crossing his features. "With... your cousin?" he ventured cautiously, a hint of disbelief in his voice.

Regulus recoiled as if struck, a wave of nausea threatening to overwhelm him. He shook his head vehemently, his expression a mix of anguish and frustration. "No, no, Merlin, no," he muttered, his voice laced with desperation.

James's eyes widened in realization, his own heart racing with a torrent of emotions. "Then... with who?"

Regulus closed his eyes briefly, summoning the courage to speak the truth that had tormented him for far too long. "With you," he confessed, the words tasting bitter yet freeing on his tongue. “I have seemingly fallen in love… with you.”

James's eyes widened in disbelief, his mind struggling to comprehend the enormity of Regulus's revelation. "Me?" he echoed, his voice barely a whisper, as if afraid to give voice to the hope blooming within him.

Regulus nodded, his gaze unwavering in its intensity. "Yes, you," he affirmed, each syllable laden with a longing he could no longer contain.

A tumultuous whirlwind of conflicting emotions churned within James as he grappled with the implications of Regulus's confession. "But... why me?" he whispered, his voice tinged with both disbelief and yearning.

As Regulus poured out his heart, his words flowed in a torrent of emotion, fueled by the intoxicating blend of firewhiskey and unspoken longing. "James," he began, his voice trembling with raw vulnerability, "I love you because... because you see me."

James's brow furrowed in gentle confusion, urging Regulus to continue.

Regulus forged ahead, his words tumbling forth in a desperate bid to convey the depth of his feelings. "You see past the facade I wear for the world," he confessed, his voice thick with unshed tears. "You see the person I am beneath the weight of expectations and obligations. You... you value me, James. And that's something I've never experienced before."

James's eyes softened with a mixture of awe and tenderness, his heart swelling with a newfound reverence for the man before him.

Regulus pressed on, his words spilling forth in an unfiltered stream of consciousness. "And your curls," he exclaimed with a lopsided grin, the warmth of his affection evident in every syllable. "Merlin, I love your curls. They're like... like a chaotic dance of darkness and light, framing your face in a way that makes my heart ache."

A soft chuckle escaped James as he reached up to tousle his unruly locks, a bashful smile playing at the corners of his lips.

Regulus's gaze lingered on James's face, tracing the contours of his features with a reverence bordering on reverence. "And your smile," he continued, his voice barely above a whisper, "it's like... like the sun breaking through storm clouds. It lights up the darkest corners of my soul, filling me with a warmth I never knew I craved."

James's smile widened, his eyes shining with unshed tears as he listened to Regulus's heartfelt confession.

"And your freckles," Regulus added with a soft sigh, his voice tinged with wistful longing. "They're like... like constellations scattered across your skin, mapping out the universe in a way that's... that's utterly mesmerizing."

James's hand reached out, his fingers grazing Regulus's cheek with a tenderness that spoke volumes of unspoken longing. "Regulus," he murmured, his voice thick with emotion, "I... I don't know what to say."

Regulus shook his head, a bittersweet smile gracing his lips. "You don't have to say anything, James," he whispered, his voice filled with a quiet resignation. "Just... just know that I love you. With every fiber of my being, I love you."

And in that fleeting moment, beneath the flickering glow of the fire and the weight of their unspoken desires, Regulus laid bare his heart before the only person who had ever truly seen him. And in James's eyes, he found the acceptance and understanding he had longed for his entire life.

James's lips curved into a soft smile, his gaze unwavering. "Again, Regulus. Please."

Confusion tugged at Regulus's brow. "Again? Which part?."

"That you love me," James interjected gently. "It's just... nice to hear."

Regulus's chest tightened with a swell of tenderness. "I love you," he murmured again, the words carrying a weight of unspoken longing.

James's smile widened, his eyes shining with unshed tears. "Once more, Regulus."

Regulus's voice trembled with emotion. "I love you," he confessed, the words a prayer whispered into the silence.

James leaned forward, his hand reaching out to gently cradle Regulus's cheek. "Again," he urged softly.

Regulus's breath caught in his throat, his heart pounding against his ribs. "I love you," he repeated, the weight of his confession lifting the burdens that had weighed him down for so long.

James's touch was gentle, a silent reassurance of whatever it was that had bound them together. "Keep saying it," he whispered, his voice filled with a tenderness that spoke of unspoken promises.

And so, beneath the flickering glow of the fire, Regulus poured out his heart in a symphony of whispered confessions, each declaration a testament to the depth of his love for the man who had captured his soul. With every repetition, the weight of doubt and uncertainty melted away, leaving behind a sense of peace and belonging that surpassed any words could convey.

In that sacred space, beneath the veil of intoxication and unspoken yearning, Regulus found solace in the simple act of saying those three words—words that bound them together in a dance of vulnerability and acceptance.

"I love you," Regulus whispered once more, his voice a quiet refrain that echoed in the hush of the night.

James's eyes shimmered with unshed tears, his own voice trembling as he echoed those cherished words. "I love you too, Regulus."

As the night died down, the firewhiskey remained with the both of them. The warm feeling pleasantly lingering in the boys’ chest and fingertips.

Regulus stirred slightly, his voice a tender whisper in the silence. "James," he mumbled, his words slurred with sleep and affection.

James shifted beside him, a soft smile playing on his lips. "Yes, Regulus?"

"I love you," Regulus declared, his voice carrying a weight of devotion that transcended the confines of their reality.

A quiet chuckle escaped James, his eyes glinting with mischief. "I love you too, Regulus."

Regulus's brow furrowed in earnest, a determination to express the depth of his feelings. "No, James," he insisted, his voice rising with playful insistence. "I love you to the moon and back."

James blinked in amusement, his lips quirking into a grin. "To the moon and back, eh? Well, Regulus," he countered, his tone teasing, "I love you to Mars and back."

Regulus's eyes widened with incredulity, a burst of laughter bubbling forth. "Mars? But that's... that's further!"

James's smile softened into a tender expression. "Exactly, Regulus. That's how much I love you."