Sweet innocence ~ Jegulus

22.

Regulus watched as Enzo shuffled his weight from foot to foot, eyes darting around the empty hallway nervously. He sighed, leaning on the wall behind him, waiting for Enzo to say something... anything.

"Are you going to speak or what?" Regulus asked, he hadn't meant for his voice to come out so harsh, but quite frankly he was annoyed with the other boy's squirming. "Yeah, I'm just thinking." Enzo muttered, eyes still not meeting Regulus's.

"Care to elaborate? I'm not a bloody mind reader." Regulus watched as Enzo tensed for a moment before his shoulders dropped in defeat. "I haven't come out yet. To anyone." Enzo mumbled so quietly that Regulus almost didn't hear him. "Okay... I'm confused about where this conversation is heading." Regulus replied, watching Enzo pace the hall in front of him.

"I like you, Reg. I do, really. And I'm sorry about what I said about your brother and how I've been acting lately, but I'm scared." Enzo blurted, doing everything in his power not to look at Regulus as he spoke. "Of me?" Regulus asked, clearly confused by Enzo's current little freak out. "No, not of you. Of this." Enzo gestured at the air between them.

Oh.

"This? I'm sorry, what does this have to do with Sirius?" Regulus sounded exasperated. He was tired of them fighting, but mostly just tired of Enzo beating around the bush. "It doesn't have anything to do with him. I just- I was nervous about these feelings and fuck I took it out on him and you and I- I'm sorry. I will apologize to him to show you that I really am sorry and I just I can't-" Enzo cut himself off, running a hand over his face.

"Can't what?" Regulus asked, watching Enzo carefully. Just say it already, he thought. Just tell me that you're not ready.

"I can't do this." Enzo finally whispered.

"I still don't understand what Sirius had to do with any of this. What was the fight even about?" Regulus was angry now, he had no time to do this back and forth with Enzo. Not while James was lying drunk waiting on him. "Don't waste my time, just tell me." Regulus demanded.

"He asked me to stay away from you." Enzo whispered, eyes finally meeting Regulus's. "Okay?" Regulus didn't see what was wrong with that. In his eyes that just meant that Sirius was looking out for him. Like when they were younger.

"I knew that he was right. That I'm no good for you." Enzo added, his voice slightly cracking. "I was upset that he'd figured it out too. Saw that I wasn't good enough." Enzo was sitting on the floor with his knees up to his chest now. "I said something. Something I knew would hurt him." Enzo looked away from Regulus and stared at the floor. "I knew it would hurt him because I know that it hurts you."

"So this is done then?" Regulus asked, knowing the answer ,but needing confirmation. "We never really started anything did we?" Enzo chuckled without any humour, Regulus looked at him blankly. "I've been waiting for you. It's been over a year." Regulus muttered, shaking his head in disappointment. "I know. I'm sorry." Enzo replied and Regulus could see that he really was sorry. "It's just- doing this, being like this it causes problems." Enzo added after a pause.

"Problems?" Regulus repeated incredulously. "What problems do I cause you?" Regulus was starting to get angry. "Not you specifically. Just this." Enzo sighed dramatically. "You know how it is with pureblood families, Reg." Enzo said, looking at him warily. "You know how it is to be a heir."