“Hello?”
“Siri-.” Sirius immediately puts the phone down. He knows that voice. He’d know that voice anywhere. The phone rings again.
“Sirius don't hang up, just two minutes, please,” Regulus pleaded. He sounded desperate, and Sirius assumed that he may be in trouble. Sirius had vowed to never talk to his brother after he revealed that he was a Death Eater but his big brother instincts took over.
“Just two minutes,” Sirius said sharply.
“I’m sorry,” Regulus says. Out of all the times Sirius had imagined how this conversation would go, not once did he consider Regulus’ first words to be ‘I’m sorry.’
“It’s too late for that, Regulus,” Sirius replies flatly.
“I know, but I need you to know that I’m sorry for everything.” Regulus sounds like he’s about to break down.
“I don’t forgive you,” is all Sirius can say. And maybe he will forgive Regulus one day, maybe this apology means that he’s going to try. But Sirius genuinely can’t forgive him right now, not after what he did.
“I know.” Well, now he definitely sounds like he’s going to cry. “I love you.”
Sirius feels this like a punch to the stomach. Regulus has never once said that to Sirius, not even when they were kids.
“I can’t.” Sirius’s voice is shaky when he replies. But maybe with more time, they can try.
“Goodbye Sirius,” Regulus sniffles. And Sirius wonders why he said it like that was the last thing he was ever going to say.
The phone disconnects and months go by. Regulus never calls again. Another week passes and Sirius finds out that Regulus is dead.
He’s dead and most likely has been for months.
Sirius never told him he loved him back.