He wasn’t exactly showered with loving words as a child. Gifts? Absolutely. Praise of his accomplishments? When warranted. The words ‘I love you?’ Suspiciously missing from his upbringing. Even saying the word ‘love’ when it came to trivial things like food items or classes made him blink in confusion. He was always especially confused when the word came up between friends in such casual conversation. Maybe he was old fashioned, but he imagined that when he said it, it would be to the person he fell in love with, not just a passing comment to a friend as they said bye for the day of classes.
However, saying the word and feeling it are two completely different things.
He wouldn’t call it love (even though it is), but he’s always felt this warmth in his chest when his best friend was around. Ever since they were little, spending time with Orion was always the highlight of his day. But it was completely normal, and not anything out of the ordinary for best friends. Sure, the Ravenclaw’s smile made his heart do a little backflip. And maybe Lucius’ favorite song was Orion’s laugh. But it wasn’t love. Lucius Malfoy wasn’t in love with a guy. He just wasn’t.