forgiveness - jegulus - @taylorswiftmicrofic - word count: 338 - this was a request, but I deleted the request in my inbox before I wrote down the person's name to tag, I'm sorry! I hope you see this!
Regulus Black did not ask for forgiveness. Asking for anything was being vulnerable, something he quite despised. Plus, that meant admitting he was wrong, which he never was.
But lately, he’d found himself doing a lot of things he’d sworn to himself he would never do.
Walking to the Quidditch Pitch, he wasn’t surprised to see James there speeding through drills like he was facing a professional team the next morning, though his next school game wasn’t for weeks. Face red and–to Regulus’s shock–streaked with tears–the boy was absolutely focused, but every time he tried to pull off a difficult move, he failed more than the time before. Cursing, heaving in breaths, he just doubled back to try again.
“Potter!” Regulus called again, a little bit more desperately.
So, voice breaking on the word, he yelled out, “James!”
The Gryffindor turned and, upon seeing him, slowly flew to the ground, his expression a mixture of a million emotions. Swiping at the moisture on his skin, he grumbled, “What?”
Regulus’s heart cracked in two. “James, I…”
Annoyance flashed on the older boy’s face. “Reg, what? I’m…I’m practicing, what is it?”
It killed Regulus to see James like this. So gruff and grumpy, so unlike his usual self. Maybe that was why he had the courage to utter the words: “Gods, James, I’m sorry!”
Shock flickered across James’s features, but he didn’t speak.
Regulus heaved in a breath. “I was…stupid, and being an arsehole, and you…you just…I don’t get how you can just do this! Without being scared all the time!” He chuckled wryly. “Like, what if I’m not worth it, you know? Isn’t it just easier, to not even try? To want something else?”
But now, James was staring at him like he was utterly mad. “Reg,” he mumbled, shaking his head slowly, “You can’t change how I feel, love. I’ve already decided I want you. You just have to let me.”
Those words struck Regulus right in the chest, leaving him gasping.