Depollute me, pretty baby
The weather was perfect and still, the book resting in his lap. He was overlooking the lake in the cool March weather, and was wearing a light sweater over his less formal clothing.
Suck the rot right out of my bloodstream
It was the weekend at Hogwarts and Regulus had successfully escaped Barty and Evan to sit by the tree at the lake. He had taken a book, worn and the pages yellow with small pencil notes scrawled into the margins. Now, the book lay forgotten on his legs with a thin piece of paper in between the pages, ensuring his place in the story.
Oh dilute me, gentle angel
The lake looked as it always did, and Regulus could hear the faint voices of the surrounding people talking or laughing about whatever came to mind. If he strained his hearing just enough, he could hear the shrill whistles and shouts of the Ravenclaw quidditch practice. At times like these, he was forever grateful that the Slytherin team practiced first thing in the morning. That way, Regulus could have the cloudy afternoons to himself.
Water down what I call being grateful
He watched the lake water ripple across the water, as the cold nipped at his skin. He was never one for the cold but he seemed to have forgotten a sweater when he had stepped out of the castle earlier. Then, it had been warmer, the sun peeking through the wisps of cloud. As the day faded, so did the warmth. If only he had taken the jumper laying on James’ bed the other day.
Oh you kissed me, just to kiss me
Regulus took a deep breath, steadying himself and his thoughts. It seemed like he only ever thought of James as of late. He'd had his fair share of romance, despite his young age. His family name often brought him to parties, and with parties there were drinks, and with drinks, there were quick kisses in the empty corners of the room. Maybe a shadowed corridor or a balcony taken by the light of the moon.
Not to take me home
James was so different than all the other he had met. He was sweet, caring, and in the beginning he may have been just a little bit of an asshole. But now, Regulus doesn't think he'd trade him for anything in the world. Odd, wasn’t it? The best friend of a brother that hated him so, yet that didn’t stop his mind running rampant whenever he caught a glimpse of James’ electric smile.
It was simple, it was sweetness, it was good to know
His smile was always so bright, and inviting. Simple but so, so sweet. Almost as if the curve of his mouth were candy, nothing like Sirius or his own. Sirius’ was always confident, cocky, teasing. Contradicting his older brother, Regulus’ was always small, ever so pretentious and sarcastic at times. Though James was in leagues far different from the Black Brothers.
You look perfect,
Regulus missed seeing it. It had been a few days since he had seen Potter, but it already seemed to be too long. Last he had seen him they had ended up star gazing at the top of the astronomy tower. Dulcet whispers into dark night, a kiss or two under the constellations. Regulus absolutely adored it. Being with James always helped calm his ever running nerves, though he always seemed to have exciting energy coursing through his veins when with the older boy.
you look different
Regulus pulled himself out of his love-sick thoughts and drifted his eyes back to the pages of his book. He had considered lending one of his books to James, perhaps he’d enjoy reading Regulus’ messy pencil marks. Every book he owned, whether new or old was always littered with small notes here and there. Writing the anecdotes brought him almost as much happiness as the book itself
I don’t wonder about your indifference
Although, it’s not like James had never read the scribbles of graphite. Whenever Regulus would have bad days, James would visit and read stories to Regulus. The boys would sneak out to the Room of Requirement and lay in the comfort of the magical room. Regulus would lay on James’ chest, both of them under the warm covers. Sunlight would filter through the artificial windows, and the room would stand still; the only noise coming from the bed as James’ voice carried throughout the room. His voice soft with admiration as he repeated the words from the worn pages.
If I said you could never touch me
As much as he tried to focus, his mind continued to stray. James really did own him and his mind.
Even after months, almost a year of knowing and loving James, he still had bad days. He yearned for his warm touch but every few touches brought back burning memories of his mother and father, the bruises and sharp backhands. James was ever patient, always taking his time. Bad days turned golden toward the end, nights with soft giggles and teasing remarks.
You’d come over and say,
As his mind drifted, his senses dulled as memories flooded his mind, and he became unaware of the approaching footsteps coming from behind him. He was caught mid memory, before registering who or what was behind him. He felt two hands coming to hover in front of his eyes while a face placed itself next to his ear, “You look lovely,”
I looked lovely
His relaxed face turned into a happy smile as his ears familiarized themselves with the sound of James’ voice. He could feel the front of his chest against his own back, and the contact made him feel warm despite the chill in the air. Regulus kept his eyes closed behind tan hands as he heard James give a small laugh at his facial expression, then settle next to his boyfriend. The two were pressed up against each other shoulder to shoulder, hands brushing in between. Reg reveled in the sweet scent of James, the faint scent of dull flowers and old parchment. Maybe the light odor of broom varnish.
Oh you kissed me,
As he took the time to appreciate the presence of James, he felt something soft and warm on his cheek, then on his forehead, in between his eyebrows. Gentle hands came to his cheeks, turning his head, and he opened his eyes to see James mere centimeters away from his face.
“Hi,” he said.
just to kiss me
“Hey,” Regulus smiled at James’ expression. Something soft, reserved for him and his eyes only. James smiled back and moved forward. Despite kissing James an average of more than fifteen times a day, Regulus would never tire of the feeling he got when James smiled into the kiss with a small sigh. Butterflies would float in his gut and colors seemed to burst behind his eyes.
Not to make me cry
After several seconds of what both the boys considered to be pure bliss, they pulled apart. James still had the stupid smile in his face, and Regulus was more than sure that his pale skin had adopted a pink tone. “What was that for?” he asked. James rolled his eyes, though never with ill intention. His smile still plastered on his face, and his hand drifting closer to Regulus’. “Can I not show my love and affection for my most wonderful boyfriend?”
it was simple, you are sweetness
Regulus mirrored the roll of his eyes just as the former had done before. He grabbed James’ hand in his own, threading his pale, lithe fingers between the contrasting tan and rough hands that belonged to James. He looked down at their hands and made a noise adjacent to a hum, acknowledging the tease.
“It’s beautiful out here isn’t it?” he looked up from their hands to see the expression of his boyfriend. His eyes softened and he smiled, "Let’s just sit a while."
The boys watched the lake as the sun went down, and the air chilled. At this point, both the boys had lost track of time, their focus only on each other. Regulus laughed as James complained about his workload. He was a very smart boy, but procrastination and prank wars often stole his attention, leaving his homework forgotten in his school bag. It didn’t help that he spent all his time with Regulus either.
As the time had gone by, Regulus moved from his original position next to James and against the tree, favoring laying his head in James’ lap while the other threaded fingers through his dark curls.
Depollute me, gentle angel
James droned on, and Regulus added his own comment here and there. But as his thoughts turned foggy and his heartbeat slowed, his eyes began to close as the voice of his lover lulled him to sleep. Reg never did sleep well, only ever being able to rest soundly and nightmare-free when in the presence of James. It was as if the mere being of the person Regulus cared so deeply for, could remove all the dark beings that lurked in his mind and sleep. Even now, the happiness that James brought him allowed him to breathe and exist easier than he could have ever hoped to.
And I’ll feel the sickness less and less
He awoke to a dark sky, stars bright in the dark blue of the night. He could faintly feel light coming from James’ wand, allowing some sight to his surroundings. They were still at the tree near the lake, but everyone else that had floated outside the castle had trickled away. The only thing Regulus could hear now, was the soft humming from James, and a buzz or two coming from the small creatures that inhabited the lake.
“Seems like the angel has arisen from his nap.”
Regulus turned his head up to see James with his wand in his mouth, no doubt riddled with bite marks.
Come and kiss me, pretty baby
He smiled and blinked sleep from his eyes as he stretched over James’ lap, giving a content sigh. When done, he sat up and laid his head on the others’ shoulder.
“That was a nice nap,”
“I bet it was, you were out for two hours,”
This should have shocked Regulus, but he savored these days with James, and if it took a couple hours out of his day, who was he to complain?
“Now that you’re up, how’s dinner sound?”
Regulus couldn’t see James--not with his head on his shoulder--but the way James had spoken, he could practically hear the giant smile. He turned his head to see the other boy better, never being able to get enough of the soft smile.
When he turned his head to see James, he was instead met with a kiss on his forehead. Then his nose, and lastly his mouth; sweet as always.
“Yeah, dinner sounds great,” he responded, just after he separated from James.
Like we’ll never have sex.