ROCKSTAR ⇒ jegulus

THIRTY NINE

James can hardly sleep. His skin is hot to touch, and it certainly isn't because of any ailment.

He tosses a little, rolling over in his bed, the sheets yanked down past his ankles. This heat is sweltering. His skin feels sticky, itching from the heat he feels.

James flicks on his bedside lamp, grimacing as he reaches for it. He looks down towards himself as soon as the lights are on; his pyjamas bottoms are hiked up to his knees from his tossing and turning, and there is an obvious sign of sexual frustration tenting itself from his pants.

James sighs, rolling his eyes at himself. He glances towards the clock that sits on his bedside table; 4:38am. The letters stare back at him in their familiar glowing red font.

"Oh, Jesus Christ," James mumbles flustered, throwing his head back against his pillowcase.

Slowly, he hauls himself into a sitting position again, throwing his legs over the edge of the bed. He flickers on the bathroom light, a strange sound in the dead of night, at this late hour.

Leaning against the cool countertops of his bathroom, James weighs his options. He could have a cold shower, but at almost five in the morning? Surely that would alarm Regulus, who is merely sleeping down the hall from him.

He mildly considers actually relieving himself, but the faint thought of Regulus catching him is far too embarrassing. James fears that he just may never recover from such an encounter.

James is sure that Regulus is a light sleeper. He would have to be, wouldn't he? He lives with a pride of cats, for fuck sake. Regulus probably sleeps like a big cat; aware and mostly conscious.

He rocks his head back, groaning silently. He swallows back that groan like his life depends on it. He is sweaty, despite the cold atmosphere outside. His skin is hot to touch, clammy.

James rests a hand to his bump, steadying himself on his feet. He gently adjusts his pyjamas bottoms, ensuring that now reach his ankles again.

It is too much; the heat of his body is swallowing him; suffocating him.

Reaching for the shower dial, James takes the plunge and turns on the shower to a low pressure, hoping that it is quiet enough to save him from the embarrassment of Regulus catching him.

The heat radiating from him is enough to momentarily forget that there is still the chance that Regulus will become curious and investigate why he is showering at almost five in the morning.

James begins to remove his pyjamas, starting with his pyjamas bottoms first. He discards his clothes to the cold tiles beneath him.

Slowly, cautiously, James steps into the shower; allowing the cold water to swallow him, wash over him and drip down the drain, taking away all of his sins with it.

He shudders beneath the water, running a hand through his hair while his other hand rests on the side of his bump. Stella kicks inside of him, and in that moment; it truly is just the two of them.

It is he and his daughter against the world right now; while her father sleeps down the hallway.

James takes his time slowly washing himself over with a citrus scented body wash, inhaling that sweet, slightly sharp, scent.

He takes a moment to just breath. He allows himself to take the water in, simply feel Stella's little thumps; and know that this time it's okay.

She is there, inside of him moving, growing, existing. She is inside of him, waiting.

She nestles inside of him, waiting to make her entrance, waiting to meet them; he and Regulus.