Chapter 23
The first time Regulus opens his eyes, a nurse is fussing over him. "Hello love..." Her voice is nice. Sing-songy. "Are you awake?" He hums in response, mind too fussy to form any words yet. "Perfect. It's over now. Lie back and relax, hmm?" Regulus does as she says.
The second time he opens his eyes, he's in a differenr room. His eyes land on a stranger that's seated in a chair next to his bed. He's handsome, Regulus can tell even when his mind isn't functioning properly. The man smiles at him, looking faintly amused.
"Hi." He says softly. "How're you feeling?" Regulus reaches up to inspect the ice packages around his face and hums. "Weird..."
The man nods and leans forward in his seat, taking his hand in his. Regulus allows him to. His touch is warm and gentle, and somewhat familiar, so he doesn't really mind. "I have a boyfriend..." He warns after closing his eyes once more. The man chuckles. "Do you?"
Regulus nods. "Yes. He's picking me up. I don't think he'll be happy to see us hold hands." The man hums understandingly. "He's quite possessive then, I assume?" Regulus all but snorts. "Possessive isn't the right word..." He mutters. "He's protective." He smiles a little, even though his cheeks are still numb due to the sedatives they gave him. "I love him..."
James watches his boyfriend with a lovesick gaze, holding his hand as he drifts off to sleep again. Maybe he won't remember this conversation with a so-called stranger when he wakes up, but James certainly will...