Chapter 1
Chapter one
Waves. Seagulls circling overhead. The stars above. A faint strangled gasp. Silence.
As he packed Regulus knew he’d have a terrible summer. All he wanted to do at the moment was grab his phone and call, cancelling his commitment to the plans. But he knew that wasn’t a possibility. The plane ticket was booked, a teenager hired to cat-sit and he’d rsvped months ago. He grabbed a dark green swimsuit from his drawer and folded it, humming to himself before placing it onto his neatly organized suitcase. He closed it, and sunk down onto his bed. Before he could get much into his brooding his phone buzzed beside him.
He sighed and turned his phone off annoyed. His mother had texted again on the stupid family group chat asking for the fourth time if he and Sirius would be there in time for the barbecue. Regulus hadn’t seen his family for four years. The only person he kept in contact with previous to the invite was Sirius. And he and Sirius’s relationship consisted of calling every few months to shit talk their parents.
Regulus had grown so much since his parents had last known him. Since the day of his 17th birthday when he and Sirius ran away, he’d gone to college, gotten a job at a fast food place, then later at a small plant shop all while pursuing his love of ballet, he rented a apartment, gotten his heartbroken and finally realized through years of therapy his parents abusive behaviors and the neglect and manipulation he and Sirius had faced.
And his parents didn’t reach out for four long years. And then came the text. One sentance.
“Family vacation at our home on the California coast, all welcome.”
The text had gone to the whole black family. Regulus at first had thought maybe she didn’t mean to include him or Sirius? So for a week he’d ignored the message. Then the second message arrived.
“Regulus, Sirius, Narcissa and Bella will stay with me and Orion at the main house. The rest of the family can stay in the guest house and pool home.”
Sirius and Regulus were shocked. They’d immediately called each other and Regulus remembered walking around the Louvre gardens in a panic talking animatedly to Sirius for hours. At the end of the conversation they’d come to the conclusion that their curiosity out-weighed their fear.