Sun and the Stars
Pandora's lab was nothing like he thought it would be. Vials, machines, and people littered the building - it made Regulus uneasy.
And yet, here he was sitting in a chair listening to the plan that was to decide the rest of his life and his future as a whole. It was sickening. Everybody in this room was so casual, so unbothered about the biggest life-or-death decision.
He leaned back into his seat. Even his friends were unbothered - how he yearned to have that level of unbotherdness and obliviousness.
Or perhaps it was a fault of unawareness.
He thought to himself as the meeting dragged on, how he yearned to be anywhere but there - the family house in France, perhaps. Its ivy-covered walls, the old piano in the lounge, his cousin's laughter filling the empty halls and swirling around him as a blanket of comfort. But yet, here he was. In a laboratory which left him feeling cold and empty despite being filled with some of the people he cared for the most. His heart ached to be loved again, for the void in it to be rid of the darkness and filled with something else - it ached for light. To no longer be restricted and bound behind the bars of his own creation. It longed to be anyone but himself, to be someone with a happy loving family - a child who was worth loving.
His mother and father's son, not his mother and father's failure. His own person, not his brother's replacement. Anything but the spare.
“Alright then!” Pandora's cheery voice called out, the happiness plaguing it contrasting the coldness of the room “Regulus, you're with me!” she had the biggest grin on her voice - it made Regulus sick just to look at it. How? How can anyone be happy in a place like this? How can anyone be happy with who they are and who they've become? He stood nevertheless and walked with confidence to the other room where he was pushed into a seat.
“Right” Pandora clasped her hands “Seeing as you are going to be our eyes and ears, going into the building to scope it out, get a job etcetera, you need to look less like….” she gestured to him “You!” her eyes widened as she realized what she said “not like i don't like you like this! We just need to make sure that you don't get recognized!” Regulus’ eyes narrowed “What's wrong with how I am now? Also a job? Why the fuck do I need to get a job there?” a grimace found its way onto his face.
Pandora laughed “that's the art of surprise Reggie” she rolled over in her wheelie chair and began to touch up his curls “You need them to trust you. Trust is what makes them weak. Get them to trust you and they'll reveal things to you” Regulus sat quietly as she spoke “And over time, they'll trust you with more information, more secrets” she smiled at Regulus “see what im getting at?” Regulus nodded “Good, now get changed into this” She shoved clothes at him which he turned his nose up at,
“These are disgusting” he grimanced as he picked up the individual items of clothing “This is not stylish in any retrospect” Pandora rolled her eyes at him before ushering him out of the seat and towards the changing cubicle “The point” she interrupted his complaining “is to blend in ” she reminded.
Regulus picked up the fake glasses and held them up “these don't feel necessary” he began but the door was slammed shut in front of him before he could make his point.
He let out a loud groan and began to peel off his clothing before pulling on the clothes that Pandora had handed to him. Plain black trousers and shirt paired with a itchy black and green wool sweater. It wasn't bad , but it certainly wasn't to his usual taste. He folded up his other clothes and walked out of the cubicle before thrusting his old clothes at Pandora who wore a wide grin on her face.
She beckoned him to follow her and they walked down the hallway together - he had never felt like so many people were watching him. The weight of everybody's eyes bore down on him and it was hard to maintain the facade of stone. The grey of the hallway walls tightened and constricted him. It was as if his mother's presence never truly left him.
Pandora took a left and opened a door that led outside - a brief breath of freedom that he yearned for. A vehicle was parked on the pavement and Pandora opened the door for him as he climbed inside.
“Don't forget, you one of them now,” She said softly before leaning in and planting a small kiss on his cheek “You got this, ill call you later”
And with that, the door was shut and the vehicle began to move. He felt sick. The thought of being surrounded by people who wanted to hunt down him, his friends, and his family put him on edge. He stared out of the window, watching the cars pass him by, the city buildings flowing past him before the car pulled up in front of the biggest building.
Regulus opened the door and left the vehicle, heading straight for the big double doors that greeted you to the building which ominously loomed over everything. He pushed through them and was greeted with a bustling interior. So many heroes, so many hunters.
He looked around before spotting a large desk which he could only presume was the reception. He strode towards it confidently only to be knocked straight to the floor.
“Fucks sake” Regulus hissed to himself, pushing the fake glasses up his nose. “I'm so sorry” he glared upwards to be met with a hand which he promptly slapped away - He certainly did not want pity from anyone in this godforsaken building. Regulus stood up and brushed himself off “Watch where you're going next time.” he hissed before looking up at his assaulter. Regulus got a good look at him, his long brown curls, brown eyes, and round glasses which looked stupid on his face. Regulus half expected a fight to break out due to his words but he never expected this bufoon to smile.
Shit.
There had to be something in that smile, the way that his heart called to this idiot he had never met just by a smile that beamed at a brightness that challenged the sun itself. Regulus felt like a planet that had only just found the star it had been searching for the entirety of its creation. There was this inexplicable pull of gravity that called him to this boy, like every bit of pain he had ever experienced in his life was all worth it as long as he could be in this moment with this boy forever.
Definitely something in that smile.
The boy rubbed his neck nervously as he apologized again. Regulus raised his chin up proudly and opened his mouth to make another snide remark when he was cut off by a loudmouth calling to this boy.
Regulus felt greedy over a boy whom he knew nothing about. How pathetic.
“I'm, uh, James, by the way,” James. Regulus thought a stupid name for a stupid person. He crossed his arms and watched as James extended a hand. Finally, some manners in this hell hole.
He took his hand and shook it before realising that he was staring at him expectantly - Shit.
Regulus hadn't prepared for this “Leo” he spat out, silently cursing himself “Im… Leo”
“Like the star?” James asked him. Huh. perhaps he was not as incompetent as he presumed “It's a constellation” he huffed and watched as a grin overtook James' face. “It's a pretty cool name” James shrugged.
Jesus, why couldn't he stop thinking about him?
His friend called out to him again, a group of them stood expectantly for him one stood further away from the others. Regulus couldn't make him out properly, but his stance put him on edge and caused him to tense up; It positively reeked of darkness
. Perhaps, he was not the only one plagued by darkness in the building.
Regulus stood, unable to hear anything as he stared at this figure and watched James bound off towards them. He watched as he felt his heart push forwards towards its sun but his brain tightened the bars on its cage. There was no room here for weakness. He did not sacrifice so much of his life to go and throw it all away now. His eyebrows furrowed as he walked over to the front desk but his mind raced.
Why did that figure seem so familiar?
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