The Boggart
James covers his ears, grimacing against the booming voice. He’s early to Defense Against the Dark Arts- it’s only him in here. For a minute he thinks it's a drill, just another practice. His stomach sinks when he realizes it’s not. He considers going back to find Regulus or Remus but decides he’d rather not get stuck out in the hall for who knows how long.
On the last repetition of the message, the door to the classroom bangs open. Sirius bursts in, flustered and wild. Immediately they lock eyes and James frantically waves his hand. “Get in here. Now.”
It ends up not mattering because the tiles shove him through before James can finish his sentence. Sirius stumbles over the threshold, steadying himself on the wall. They stare at each other for a moment.
“Why is it just you?” James looks around. “Where's the rest of the class?”
Sirius grins. “You’re early, mate. I heard the announcement and took off. I saw you go in and just started running. I think five different people tried to pull me into their classrooms.”
“Do you reckon he means it? About Koldovstoretz getting attacked?”
Sirius slides into the desk next to him. “He must, right? He wouldn’t lie.” He frowns. “I wonder why Voldemort’s going after those icy bastards.”
“They’re close to Durmstrang, right?” James sends a rueful glance at the door. “I wish we could help.” He’s really starting to resent being locked in rooms.
“It’s in Russia.”
James sighs. “Still.”
“I get what you mean, though. If they ever came here… I don’t know if I’d stay locked up.”
“That’s exactly what Moony said.”
Sirius smiles. “Yeah. I’m sure it is. I’d use his spell, too. To get out. I would wanna fight, for sure.”
James remembers a conversation over breakfast, not too long ago. “On the other hand, Pete said the exact opposite.”
Sirius looks down. “It would be interesting to see how many of the students would wanna fight and how many wouldn’t.”
“I’m not sure I’d blame him. I mean don’t get me wrong, of course I’d fight, but it would be dangerous. Extremely.”
Sirius scoffs. “I suppose.”
“You’d do it no matter what, though, right?”
“”Course.”
James nods, determined. “Me too.”
Sirius holds his gaze for a moment before getting up and crossing to the other side of the room. “What do you think we were going to do today?”
James joins him after a moment. He nods towards the large wooden chest in the front of the class. “I’m guessing that.”
Sirius regards the chest with disdain. “What are the chances that thing isn’t a boggart?”
“Slim, I’d say.” James tilts his head, eyeing the box.
“What if…” Sirius’s fingers twitch at his side and James snaps his head to look at him.
“Padfoot, no. You don’t wanna do that.”
Sirius grins, but there’s something shaky hiding behind it. “Stop worrying. They were gonna show us anyway, right?”
James stares at him. “Yeah, but we don’t have to now.”
“Still. I’m curious. Aren’t you?” Sirius moves forward and James reaches out, grabbing his shoulder.
“Sirius-”
But it’s too late and Sirius is pushing past him. He throws open the chest and James instinctively squeezes his eyes shut, putting up a hand against whatever comes out.
There’s a large thump and then everything goes quiet. James takes a breath, heart pounding. When he opens his eyes, Sirius is crouched over something on the floor. He’s silent, staring.
James tentatively takes a step forward. He swallows against the sight, freezing in place.
He’s staring, more or less, at himself. A different James Potter lies lifeless and rotting on the floor, eyes open and unseeing. The real James, the alive one, lets out a choked sound at the sight. But there’s more, and the longer James looks the worse it gets. Remus’s body lies half covering James’, bloody wounds infested with molding maggots. The sight of his friend's corpse sends James’s stomach curling, nauseous and sick.
But someone else's hand is poking out from the pile of death, pale and thin. And James takes a step back, because he knows that hand. Knows those fingers. He's pictured them dead and bloated more than enough. He moves around to the other side of the boggart, one arm covering his mouth. From this angle he can see him clearly, dark curls matted with blood and eyes utterly lifeless.
Regulus’s cheeks are sallow and hollowed, his skin slightly gray. His lips are parted and blue, not a single whisper of air escaping. James chokes on his own breath, stumbling away. For a moment he questions if this is Sirius’s boggart or his own, because he can’t think of anything more horrifying than the sight in front of him. Then he loses all semblance of rational thought because that’s Regulus’s hand, and that’s Regulus’s corpse, and that's Regulus’s face cold and still. All James can do is stare and resist the urge to go find the real one, just to make sure he’s still breathing. Just to make sure he’s still warm.
Something small and devilish whispers in his ear, hiding behind the part of his brain that houses common sense. This is what he’ll look like , the voice whispers. If you don’t save him. He’ll be rotting, just like this, and it’ll be your fault for not getting him out.
Sirius isn’t saying anything, staring intently at Remus. He reaches a hand out- unshaking, James notes- and touches Remus’s hair lightly.
“S-Sirius-”
“It’s interesting,” Sirius says, voice soft. “How it changes. I wanted to see if it was different from two years ago.” He runs a hand down Remus’s bloody cheek. “It is.”
“Sirius.”
“It used to just be Reg.” At the words both of them look down at Regulus' corpse and James resists the urge to be sick. “Then it changed to just you, and now it’s both of you and Moony. It’s interesting,” he says again, “how it changes.”
“Sirius, I can’t-”
“Maman used to punish us when it was anything but our own corpses. Which,” he laughs, “it never was. But Moony… fuck.”
Sirius hangs his head, and James takes that moment to notice Peter isn’t in the pile. It’s difficult, though, because he literally can not tear his gaze away from Regulus’s corpse. “Sirius, please, can we stop?”
“I think she must’ve known though, on some level, that we would never fear our own death as much as we feared each other’s. Still, it does get easier. Seeing your loved one’s bodies, you get used to it, after a while.”
“Sirius, please,” and there must be something in James’s voice, because for the first time Sirius looks up. “I can’t look at this any longer. And I can’t… fuck. I can’t look away. Please. Can we get rid of it?”
Sirius’s eyes widen and he nods, standing quickly. “Shit. Yeah. You’re right.” He pulls out his wand, vanishing the boggart back to its case. He’s better than James is; he’s able to dissolve the boggart without cursing it to look like something else. Practice, James thinks.
“I didn’t think about how you would react. Maybe I should’ve asked. Sorry.” Sirius looks down, rubbing the back of his head. “I just… I just wanted to see if it changed.”
“Hey, it’s fine.” James offers a shaky smile, trying to pretend like Regulus’s lifeless eyes aren't burned into the back of his head. “It’s like you said, yeah? We’d have to see it anyway. Better now than in front of the whole class.”
“I’m guessing you don’t want to take a look, right? Not curious about your darkest fear?”
James chuckles. “I think I’m good, mate.” He’s worried, of course, that it’ll be the same thing. That he’ll open that chest and Regulus and Remus and Sirius’s bodies will fall out and he’ll have to contend with Sirius’s face.
“Fair enough.” Sirius sits back down. “Well. We got our entertainment over and done with in the first fifteen minutes. What next?”
“I have no idea.” James slides into the seat next to him, still staring at the chest. “I feel like they shouldn’t be allowed to show us that.”
“Awful or not, it’s good mental training.” Sirius examines his fingernails. “We might… I mean. We might have to face our worst fears one day. It helps, I guess, to be at least a little prepared.”
“I don’t think I could ever get used to that. I don’t know how you did.”
“Desensitized, I suppose. You see your little brother and best friend’s body often enough, eventually you realize it’s not real.”
James considers that. “I wonder if that’s why we were gonna do boggarts again today in class. We did them third year, remember? It’s interesting they brought them back out.”
“Smart, probably.” Sirius looks away. “I’m fairly certain Voldemort uses boggarts when trying to get information out of muggles. They don’t know what’s real and what’s not.”
James grimaces. “Do you think… do you think we’re safe? Like not in general, but right now. Are we safe right now?”
“Hm.” Sirius considers, pausing. “The hope, obviously, is that this lockdown is just a safety precaution. I mean… Koldovstoretz is all the way in Russia. That’s on the other side of the continent. Apparition across that much space is nearly impossible, right? So I don’t know if they could get here in time.”
James cocks his head, confused. “In time?”
“I mean before Dumbledore and the other teachers put up shields. If they thought we were going to be attacked, they’d be setting up reinforcements or evacuating the students.”
“Or locking us in classrooms,” James mutters bitterly.
Sirius nods. “Or locking us in classrooms.”
James sighs, looking out the window. The sun, despite the mood of the day, is still shining. Across the grounds, the lake glitters. “Did Regulus ever get used to it?”
He doesn’t know why he asked, but it’s too late to rescind the question. Sirius blinks at him. “...What?”
James bites his lip. “You said you got used to seeing your loved one’s bodies. Did Regulus?”
“Why the sudden switch?”
James shrugs, trying to act casual. He’s a good liar, except for when it comes to Reg. He’s always been able to break James down, exposing his very core. Even in conversation, Regulus leaves him raw. “Just curious.”
Sirius eyes him suspiciously. “I don’t think so,” He says eventually. “No. But I was exposed to them more than he was. She cared about me the most, back then. I doubt she still forces him to go through that exercise now. Unless…” he makes a face. James leans forward.
“Unless what?”
“Unless it’s changed. Unless his boggart really is his own body. She’d be happy, then.”
“You think it is?”
Sirius laughs. “No. Reggie always ended in tears after those days. He hated seeing my corpse. Hated it so much more than when it was my turn and he had to look at his own. He’d nearly always cry.”
“You could talk to him, you know.” James knows he’s approaching dangerous territory. He knows he’s not supposed to care. But it’s worth a shot, he decides, if it makes things a little better for either brother. “He’d probably listen.”
“Nah.” Sirius shakes his head. “I don’t think so. I- we tried that. A while back. Not gonna happen.”
“But-”
“I don’t want to talk about him. Can we move on to something else?” Sirius still doesn’t look at him, gaze fixed firmly ahead.
“Yeah.” James lets out a breath. “Ok. What about Remus?”
“Wow. Really just going for my throat today, aren't you?”
James smiles. “We have the time.”
“Fine.” Sirius runs a hand through his hair, holding a strand up and studying it closely. “What do you wanna know?”
“How are things going with that?”
Sirius drops the hair, sighing. “Complicated. He’s trying, I think, to be normal. Not doing a bang-up job of it, if I’m being honest. But I… you know. I can’t blame him.”
James nods. “I mean he’s talking to you, so that’s a start.”
“I guess. I’m worried… nevermind.”
“No, what’s up?”
“I’m worried he won’t want me there during the next full moon.”
James sighs, considering. He could sugarcoat it, or… “Yeah. That might be a valid fear. I’m not entirely sure what he’ll do. It’d be weird, though, without you.”
“Especially since whatever’s going on with his wolf thing isn’t getting any better.”
“Oh.” James looks up, surprised. “I forgot to tell you. Moony has a potion for that now. Wolfsbane.”
Sirius’s head snaps up. “What?”
“Yeah. It’s supposed to help with the symptoms of whatever he’s going through.”
“How… who…”
James grimaces. “Yeah. So. About that. Snape made it, technically.”
Sirius freezes. “Snape?”
“Yeah. He brewed it for himself, actually. Self-protection or whatever bullshit he was talking about. Anyway, Slughorn noticed the missing equipment and notified Dumbledore, who forced Snape to give it to Remus. I think it might work. Although-” James scrunches up his face. “We won’t know until the next moon, I guess.”
“Well he’s not gonna take it, is he?” Sirius suddenly looks very concerned.
“I think he will, yeah.”
Sirius’ frown deepens. “What if it was poisoned or some shit?”
James shrugs. “Apparently Slughorn ensured its safety.”
Sirius furrows his brow, gripping the sides of his desk. “I don’t… That doesn’t feel right. I don’t think he should take it.”
James winces apologetically. “I’m not sure he wants your input on that matter, mate. I’m sorry.”
Sirius sighs, plunking his forehead down on the wood. “Probably smart not to bring it up, yeah.”
“Probably.”
“LOCKDOWN IS OVER. CLASSES ARE CANCELED FOR THE REST OF THE DAY. PLEASE RETURN TO YOUR DORMS.” As the booming message starts to repeat, Sirius and James stand up.
“That was short.” Sirius looks about as confused as James feels.
“I know. I was just settling in.” James moves to the door, prying it open. Immediately, shouts ring out.
“My Da said someone died! Two kids were killed!”
“My Mum says three!”
James freezes in the doorway, Sirius coming up behind him. Kids file out of classrooms, waving letters or bits of parchment. “Killed?” James whispers.
“Shit.” Sirius ducks under his arm, taking a step out. He grabs a second year’s shoulder, stopping her. “How do they know? How’d they get letters so fast?”
“The attack was this morning. It was so fast Hogwarts just now got the news, that's why the lockdown was so short. Owls from parents just came in.”
Sirius nods, letting her go. A fourth year, angry and large, shoves past them. “I bet the fucking Slytherin’s are happy.” He pushes a boy, skinny and far younger than him, against the wall. “Yeah? Did your lot know?”
James takes a step forward. “Mate, he obviously had no idea. Let him go.”
“Now you’re defending them, eh?” The boy rounds on him, dropping the skinny kid to the ground. “You think these death-eater shits would warn us if Hogwarts was going to get attacked? I don’t think so.”
There were murmurs of agreement from the crowd, and as James watches a few Slytherins sink back. They look terrified. “We can’t villanize everyone. That’s ridiculous.”
“What’s ridiculous is the fact that these pieces of scum are allowed at our school. They’re gonna get us all killed.”
More people agree, some starting to shout out names or turn on the Slytherin students nearby.
Sirius narrows his eyes. “Everyone, just go to your dorms! The teachers have this under control. They wouldn’t let anyone unsafe in. Go.”
James turns to him, eyes wide. “Two kids- at least- are dead, Sirius. This is really fucking bad.”
Sirius nods, firm and determined. “That applies to us too, James. We have to get back to the dorm. Lets find anyone we can, ok?”
“Yeah. Shit, yeah.”
They start off, pushing against the mass of bodies moving in the other direction. Here and there Slytherings seem to be targeted, ducking away from angry shouts and accusations.
They find Peter first, waiting against a pillar. James raises his hand above the crowd. “Hey! Pete!”
Peter’s face breaks out into a relieved smile and he starts towards them. “Did you guys hear? They said kids died.”
James nods, grim. The ever present fear coiled in his gut is starting to rear its ugly head. “Yeah. We need to find the girls. Or Remus. We need to get back to the dorms.”
“Everyone’s blaming the Slytherins,” Peter says softly, eyes locked on a boy slinking back against the wall. He looks like he’s trying to disappear into the stone, and James can’t blame him.
“Ok. Come on.”
They keep pushing through the crowd. They find Mary next. More accurately, she finds them. Running up, she bats some of her hair away from her face. “Sirius,” She gasps, as if she’s been moving quickly. “You should come with me.”
“Mary?”
But Sirius goes, following her immediately. She turns her face over her shoulder, still talking. “Remus is up here. And- shit. People are really fucking angry.”
They see Remus’s head, just a little taller than everyone else, and the four of them find him quickly. He’s standing, arms hanging uncertainly by his side, staring at a cluster of people. He turns to them, eyes widening in relief. “I don’t know what to do,” he says helplessly, nodding towards the tight group.
“Fuck off! You really wanna know what happened?” They can hear a voice carry above the shouts, and James’s blood goes cold. Crouch. Which means…
He and Sirius push through immediately, breaking into the first ring. Crouch is standing gin the center of the small opening, wand in hand. He’s grinning maniacally and gesturing. Evan stands on his other side, glaring. Regulus leans against the wall behind them, eyes narrowed.
“Crouch.” James hisses, taking a step forward. “You’re making this worse.”
“Oi! Potter’s here!” Crouch sneers at him. “Gryfindor’s golden boy, here to join the fray.”
Remus and Mary finally break through behind them, panting. “We need to get back to the dorms.”
“Everyone leave it,” Sirius commands, staring at Barty. “None of this is worth it.”
A 5th year turns to him, eyes wide. “But-”
“Whatever happened happened. You heard the teachers. Get back to your rooms.”
“We don’t need your help, Black.” Crouch steps forward and James uses the time to send Regulus a pleading glance. Reg holds his eyes a moment before nodding softly.
“Barty-”
“No, Reg. Not this time. I want them to fucking see. I want them to know.”
For a moment, something resembling fear flashes across Regulus’s face and he shakes his head. “No. Don't.”
“If they’re scared of the Dark Lord, good. That’s how it should be.”
“People fucking died,” the 5th year hisses, and if James wasn’t so scared he would’ve agreed. “You’re defending a child murderer.”
Barty grins, splitting and sharp. “Yeah, but how many of those children deserved it?”
The 5th year lets out an angry cry and raises his wand. And James wouldn’t blame him, except for the fact that Barty has shifted. So the kid’s no longer aiming at him, at all. Now it’s Regulus that's on the other end of the wand, and James can’t move. Cold and useless, he hesitates.
Sirius doesn’t.
Skidding in front of his brother, Sirius hisses a spell and the 5th year’s curse deflects. “Don’t fucking think about it,” Sirius growls, one arm aiming his wand and the other stretched out protectively in front of Regulus.
“What-” The 5th year starts, but Sirius doesn’t lower his wand. There’s something burning in his eyes, dark and angry. James snaps himself into action.
He moves between Sirius and the kid, turning to address the crowd. “Okay! We’re done. Everyone leave. Now. I will call the teachers. Remus here is a prefect, so he’ll be taking class points the longer you stay.” He levels the kid in front of him with a stern look. “Just because I’m stopping you doesn’t mean I don’t agree with you. But here? Now? This is not the place or time to settle this. Figure that out later, on your own. For now, go back to your dorm.”
Bringing up Remus seems to do the trick, and slowly kids start to turn and file out.
Mary lets out a breath. “Ok. Well.”
Sirius turns, eyes locking with Regulus behind him. Regulus frowns, brows pinching. The brothers hold each other's gaze for a long moment. Something unreadable and unspoken passes between them, and then they both turn away at the same time. Sirius looks down. “Let's go.”
Remus nods, following him, and James moves forward too. He makes sure to brush shoulders with Regulus on his way, grabbing his arm and squeezing lightly. He can feel the other boy shudder and lean into the touch before pulling away again.
“Does anyone know where Lily is?” Mary steps up.
“Hopefully back at the dorm.”
“I need to find her.”
James looks down at her. “Why?”
Her expression is tight and painful. “Don’t be so dense, Potter. We’re muggleborns. This isn’t- this isn’t easy.”
“Oh. Oh, shit, Mary, I’m sorry. I wasn’t thinking.” James grimaces. “Yeah. We’ll find Lily.”
They do, eventually. She’s waiting in the common room, curled up on the couch. Mary hugs her and Lily buries her face in her shoulder. When they seperate, Lily takes a shaky breath. “Dumbledore said he’s gonna tell us more over dinner. Maybe… maybe school will end a week early.”
Remus’s head snaps up. “They can’t do that! We still have to get our OWL results.”
“They could mail them to us, Moony.” James sets a hand on his shoulder.
Remus frowns. “Still. I don't- does anyone here really want to go home right now?”
"No," Mary and Lily say at the same time. Sirius and James just look at each other.
"Right. This is the safest place to be."
"For now," Sirius says, and their eyes meet. Remus presses his lips together.
James clears his throat. "Is- are you guys okay?"
"I'm fine," Lily says carefully. "Just. Yeah."
Mary nods next to her, for once staying silent. Marlene comes up behind them and sits down next them both. “What did you guys do during the lockdown?”
Remus sighs. “Closet. Again.” He and Sirius share another glance that James can’t even begin to interpret.
“Uh… Defense Against the Dark Arts classroom. Me and Prongs.”
“Charms.” Lily looks down, fidgeting with her rings. James stares at her hands.
“How long till dinner?” Marlene asks, leaning back against the couch.
Sirius looks up to check the clock. “About an hour.”
“Cards, anyone?”
---
The dorm is quiet- quieter than normal. Regulus curls himself into an overstuffed armchair, head resting on his knees. He can hear whispers around him, hisses of ‘but we didn’t do anything!’ and ‘serves them right.’ The entirety of Slytherin house is in a bad mood; and Barty’s no exception.
“Fucking Black.” He spits, laying fully flat on the ground in front of the couch. Evan peers down at him. Barty flops an arm over his face. “If he hadn’t interrupted we could’ve really started something there.”
“Maybe- and hear me out here- maybe Potter was right.” Evan winces when Barty shoots him a look. “I’m just saying! There’s a time and a place to push your agenda. That might not have been it. Rotten timing, mate.”
“I thought you were on our side.”
“I am!”
Regulus closes his eyes. Barty notices. “And you, Reg, don’t think I’m letting you off the hook either. What was that? You were gonna stop me, again? It’s like the second Black shows up you suddenly don’t wanna fight. It’s like you switch sides.”
Regulus squeezes his eyes shut tighter. “He’s my brother.”
“What the fuck is that supposed to mean? And today- you were just gonna let him take the hit for you? That was embarrassing. Made us look weak, he did.”
“Oh well.”
“What-”
“Barty. Drop it.” Evan’s voice is firm, and to Regulus’s surprise, Barty listens.
“Come on, boys.” Dorcas touches Regulus’s shoulder gently. “Lets go to dinner. We can talk later.”
Regulus pulls himself out of the chair, standing up slowly. Dorcas gives him a look. He returns it, cool as ever. “What?”
“Nothing.”
He knows what that means. He knows she’s worried about him. Hell, he’s worried about her. But they’re Slytherins. The emotional repression runs deep. Neither of them say anything.
The Great Hall is nearly full when they enter, ignoring the glares and stoney looks shot their way. Sliding into his seat, Regulus glances over to find James already staring at him. He looks away.
“Students. Faculty. Today, as you all know, there was a devastating attack on Koldovstoretz School of Witchcraft and Wizardry. As of right now, two children have been pronounced dead.” Dumbledore’s magically amplified voice drifts over the Great Hall, ringing in the silence. “We went into a lockdown to protect your safety. When the threat was assessed and cleared, you were released. However, many parents and guardians are extremely concerned. We have received multiple requests to end the semester early and send you home tomorrow.”
Regulus’s heart plummets. If they go home tomorrow, then tonight will be his last night at school. Which would mean his last night with the Basilisk. And since he hasn’t yet thought of a solution or a way out of his predicament, that would mean he’d have to…
“However, the 7th years still need to take their NEWTS. So, to placate everyone, we will be having a long weekend at home. You will return to your houses tomorrow, and come back Monday. Teachers are available for any questions you have. The train leaves at 8 tomorrow. We strongly suggest you pack tonight.” After a few more notes Dumbledore steps back and the food appears.
Regulus doesn’t eat.
---
After dinner, Regulus makes an excuse and disappears down to see the Basilisk. I’m going home tomorrow. He’s tucked himself on Slytherins old bed, ignoring the dust in search of comfort.
I thought you had a week left.
I do. I’ll be back Monday night. Regulus traces circles on the pillow. The Dark Lord killed children from a different school.
There are other schools?
Yeah, quite a few. There are a lot of continents in the world.
You’ll see your Dark Lord when you go home then, yes?
Regulus turns, burying his face in the pillow. Probably, yeah.
This is good.
How is this good?
You can convince Tom to change his plans.
Regulus’s voice comes out muffled. Oh, don’t call him that.
Why not?
His name is Voldemort now.
The Basilisk goes quiet for a bit. He was always Tom to me.
Always?
Till the day he left.
Regulus, despite his affinity for healthy sanitation, bites down hard on the pillow under him. It’s that or scream, and one of those options would scare the Basilisk significantly less.
So, try and change Tom’s mind , the Basilisk continues, as she never said anything worth a mini meltdown. He might listen.
Yeah, Regulus says, because anything’s worth a shot. The more he’s thought about it, the more he’s determined to find a way out of this. He’s starting to understand James. Hope is dangerous, but god does it feel good. I’ll try.
---
Regulus hears the footsteps before he sees him. He’s walking back to the dorm, the night quiet and gentle despite the calamity of the day.
He rounds the corner and stops, listening. Step, step, step. And he smiles, soft, because he’d know James Potter anywhere. He knows the rhythm of his breath. He knows the sound of his footfalls. He knows the hum of his magic. It’s seared into him, a fucking second skin.
“James?”
The cloak slides off and James appears, the map in one hand and a wrapped handkerchief in the other. He drops the cloak and the map on the floor, crossing to Regulus slowly. He takes his free hand and wraps it around Regulus’s waist, pulling him in softly. He says nothing, kissing him deeply. The first brush of lips is light, the second much more determined. Regulus makes up for the fact that James only has one hand free by bringing his own up to tangle in his hair. When James pulls back, Regulus goes slightly unwillingly. They rest their foreheads together, breathing quietly. Regulus swallows, throat tight.
“James, what-”
“I’ll see you Monday, Reg. I love you. Be safe.” Then James deposits the handkerchief- full of, as Regulus assumed, bread pudding- into his hands, and turns away. He grabs the cloak and the map, walking off without a single look back.
He leaves Regulus standing shocked and open-mouthed, his heart burning a hole through his chest.
What-
Did he just-
Was that intentional?
Did James even know he said it?
There’s no one around to hear his words when they finally come, choking and gargled from his throat. More snake than human. The night remains the only witness, silent and unforgiving.
I love you too.