CANNONBALL ⇒ jegulus

TWENTY EIGHT

Marlene tries. She tries her upmost best to engage in a conversation with Regulus while on the train but fails miserably as he stares out the window, the scenery of dim, green fields passing them in a blur.

Marlene sighs, removing one of her headphones from her ears before, "Reg, do you...do you want to talk about it?" She inquires in an utter.

Regulus shakes his head glumly. "No, I'm fine," He insists sternly but yet so softly, his voice scratchy and quiet.

"Regulus," Marlene starts. "It's going to be okay, love, you and the baby are fine. You did nothing wrong,"

Regulus figures he could disagree. He has done a lot wrong. Excluding the baby, of course. He did a lot wrong with James.

They didn't do a lot of things right.

"I know that," Regulus replies quietly. "I know that, Marls," He repeats.

Marlene rubs his shoulder. "You said you and James don't see eye to eye often? Is this," She gestures to his glum expression. "A result of that?" She asks gently, not wanting to upset Regulus. "You're upset? Is it about the baby or the baby daddy, sweetie?"

In truth, Regulus can not exactly pinpoint what the heavy feeling in his heart is about but he leans more towards James being the reason rsthr than their baby boy.

Regulus shrugs before, "I think I'd like some sleep, Marls. Erm, would you mind if I just closed my eyes?"

Marlene sighs but she nods, opening a magazine she had swiped from Lily at the beginning of the journey. "You're a stubborn one, honey,"

But Regulus already knows that.

It's dark out but Regulus and Lily walk towards Lily's flat, suitcases in hand and a small, pitiful smile plastered across the red head's face as she tells him that she did in fact manage to get Dan's number and that he has promised to give her a call, maybe even come to London for a bit. Regulus can't keep track of the entire story. He's too tired, too sullen.

"You can stay for tea, if you'd like to, Reg," Lily tells him sweetly.

Regulus shakes his head. "I'm okay, Lil, I think I'd really just like to get home as soon as I can, y'know, to be in my own bed," He replies. He watches as Lily unlocks her front door and drops her abundance of bags inside.

Lily seems to sigh at this. "Alright, if you're sure, lovey," She whistles as she removes her pale pink coat and stashes it on a nearby coat rack. "You can stay and chat, y'know? I'm always here, always a shoulder to cry on if you need to, Regulus,"

Regulus wants to sigh and tell her that he is absolutely fine but he is so juxtaposed from being fine. He is so, completely, utterly and entirely not okay. Hence the heavy feeling in his chest as he whispers tearfully, "We had a fight last night...."

His voice is breathy and soft and raspy and Regulus can feel tears starting to well and sting within his eyes as Lily steps towards him, reaching out to steady him, her small hands on his shivering shoulders as she blinks up at him, inquiringly.

"Who?" Lily blinks. "Who did you have a fight with?" She whispers softly, her voice sweet and drizzled with kindness.

"Who do you think I had a fight with?" Regulus utters in response. He doesn't feel like spelling it out for her, he can barely spell it out for himself.

"James," Lily mumbles knowingly. She states his name, rather than raising it to a questioning stance. "Oh, love, was it bad?"

Regulus wants to shake his head and tell Lily that it wasn't bad at all but that would be more than untrue so instead he nods. "Lily...it was....it was awful," Regulus crumples. He can't help it.