Regulus was simple. His life, however, was not. Growing up gay in a traditional, pure-blooded family was not simple. So, he hid, he hid himself, his personality. He refused to let anyone in, terrified of anyone finding it out. No one cared about the spare, the younger one. No one cared to ask if he was ok. Not like they cared about Sirius, when he ran away, everyone immediately wondered if he was ok, or if he was doing ok mentally. No one cared if he was doing ok
Regulus didn’t bother anyone, and he did not talk to Sirius, he wouldn’t. He knew why Sirius ran away, and he would never blame him for that, but why didn’t he bring him? He knew they had grown apart, and they would most likely never have that relationship again
Something that he would never admit to himself or Sirius is that he missed him, of course, he did but was not allowed to show it. Mostly because he would be cursed within an inch of his life, but also because he hated it. Sirius left him, with reason, but he still left him.
At least he had Pandora, that’s all he had. Pandora would not leave, he knew that.
Pandora was a seer, she had been working since she was thirteen, and she had known Regulus longer. The Rosiers had been close with the Blacks for years, they were practically cousins if you wanted the details. Regulus, Evan, and Pandora had been close since they were eight. Regulus was a shy child, he didn’t like talking to people as much as Sirius did, the only friend he had at the time was Sirius. But when Evan approached him at a pureblood event the Blacks were hosting, Evan got him to open up almost immediately, Pandora was not far away.
When they met Barty in their second year, that's when they thought their group was complete. Barty forced himself into Regulus’s life, romantically for a bit, but that didn’t work out, they were better as friends. Barty and Evan started dating a bit later, Regulus wasn’t surprised, he had seen it coming. Dorcas had been later, Dorcas had been there for Regulus when Pandora couldn’t, and for that, Regulus considered her his best friend.
Sirius hated that he left Regulus, he refused to hate that he left though. Regulus had been avoiding him and he knew it. He swore to himself that he’d go back for his little brother. It hadn’t always been this way in between them, they used to be so close, Regulus used to follow after him wherever he went. No matter what Sirius vowed to never let their parents drive a wedge between them. He missed his little brother. He wanted him back. He was furious at his parents for driving them apart. He vowed to himself that he’d always protect Regulus. He knew that Regulus probably got cursed after Sirius left, it had always been like that. If they couldn’t get through to Sirius, They went and beat Regulus a bit. To ‘teach him a lesson’. That's why Sirius let him control him for so long, to protect his little brother.