Falling for a mistake | Jeverus

Part 23

Regulus is tapping his fingers against the table, looking out the window nervously. He has a small bag of clothes James has lent him or left lying around his house.

Some things he gifted too. He doesn't want to keep them now that they're broken up, doesn't want to see them around his house if today doesn't go well.

So he sits patiently, wondering why James is late.

He's disassociating out the window when he hears heels clicking against the marble floors.

" Black."

His name sounds rough on his tongue, makes him shiver as he looks up and sees Severus with a blank expression.

He's all tall and dark, like he's always been but he has the aura of someone who won. Of someone unmoved and careful. Someone who doesn't care about him.

" What are you doing here?"

" James sent me."

" Where is he?"

" None of your concern." Severus snaps back but his tone is calm, it's just in Regulus's head.

The hostility is a hoax he's trying to convince himself so he doesn't feel bad for being unnerved by his presence.

" I said i wanted to meet him not you."

" And he doesn't want to meet you so I'm here."

His quips come fast and witty, stings Regulus even though they shouldn't.

" Is that his stuff?" Severus gestures to the bag next to him.

He points to it through his pockets, a long black overcoat that falls halfway around his calves. Regulus went with him to get that coat, it was the first designer piece he bought for himself with his first paycheck as a doctor.

" Yeah."

" Great. Just give that to me and I can leave." Severus' face is completely blank through all this, not a single shred of emotion.

" I wanted to talk to James."

" Well tough shit. I don't have all day." He snaps as he raises his eyebrows, staring Regulus down.

" I'm not giving his stuff until he comes to talk to me himself."

" You are such a fucking-" Severus' sentence cuts short as he sighs.

" What could you possibly have to talk about?"

" Our situation."

" What situation? There is no situation." Severus talks low but Regulus can hear the words ringing in his ear.

" You are not in the picture anymore Black."

Regulus hasn't heard Severus call him by his surname since highschool. When Severus couldn't remember his first name for a few weeks after they met.

" I still want to talk to him." Regulus stays stubborn and Severus scoffs.

He raises his hands in defeat and moves to turn halfway.

" Fine. Keep his stuff, don't try to contact him again."

" Why couldn't you have just left it be?" Regulus asks, not looking at him.

He instead looks down at the floor, at his shoes because no matter how selfish he sounds he is also ashamed. Ashamed for how all of this turned out.

He's saying words before he can even stop them and he sees Severus turns around from his peripheral vision.