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The day had stretched on, unkind in its length and the exhaustion it left in its wake. However, a spontaneous decision to hook up with Regulus Arcturus Black, the fucking prince of the school, had injected a surprising cheerfulness into her mood. There was something inherently uplifting about finding herself cuddled up with Regulus under the blankets in his dormitory. His hair, tousled in a boyish manner, framed his face, and his eyes sparkled with warmth that seemed to radiate from within. They squinted slightly, as if gazing at the sun, but in reality, his focus was solely on her.
Regulus cradled her close to his broad chest, his thumb circling her abdomen in a serene, comforting rhythm. Silvery scars, almost completely healed, adorned his chest and mirrored ones that marked his back.
Earlier on, in the quiet intimacy of the room, he had shared with her the origin of those scars — the result of a harrowing encounter with raging inferi that nearly drowned him to his death.
"Stop moving so much. Is it really that difficult to stay still while I smother you in affection?" Regulus huffed, a playful mix of amusement and mock-indignation in his tone. He sealed his words with a gentle kiss planted on the crown of her head.
"Affection? Is that what we are calling squeezing to death now?" She teased as she looked up at him once she was full turned around in his arms.
"If I wanted to squeeze the life out of you," Regulus replied, the corners of his lip curling upwards, "I would've done so already." His grip around her tightened, but with far more gentleness now. "In fact, I'd never thought I'd see the day you'd stop wriggling about for a moment. You're quite wiggly today."
"And I never thought I'd see the day where you are actually allowing me to say for long." She spoke, her voice teasing.
"That's because you've become my exception." He spoke, his tone laced with amusement and a hint of warmth. "You see, for many years I've lived my life with one single principle: never let someone close enough to touch me, let alone see me without my mask. But then I met you." He lifted a hand to trail his fingertips along her cheek.
"Is that your way of calling me special?" She beamed as she stared at him with a hint of affection. It was true; what was supposed to be a one night stand turned into more, and the more times they connected, the longer he let her stay afterwards.
"In the most literal sense of the word, you are special." He declared firmly. "And that is not an easy title to be awarded. But I see in you something unique — a quality that surpasses mere beauty." He brushed one of her curls away from her face with her thumb. "You are cleaver, witty, and yet also genuine and sincere. I have searched for a very long time in the hopes of finding someone who could match the intensity of my feelings, and, for what feels like the first time in my life, I feel content."
A blush crept on to her features. She never once saw him, let alone hear him speak about his feelings before. "Am I hearing you correctly? Are you admitting something?"
"I am." Despite his cold demeanor, Regulus felt a shiver run down his spine as he uttered those words, and he felt his stomach do a somersault as his heart quickened. This was the first time that he'd truly felt vulnerable in front of someone else.
"Admitting a lot of things, in fact." He continued, leaning in to place a gentle kiss on her neck. "But the most important thing is this: you're not just my lover, but you're my partner."
My. Oh, how much that little word did to her. She felt her heart swell in her chest as butterflies erupted in her stomach. She was left speechless, but in the best of ways.
He saw the reaction that his voice of words had ignited within her, and his lips curved into a small, self-satisfied smile. He was never one to do cute, but this... this felt right. After a few moments of savoring the feeling, he spoke again.
"I want you to know that you have brought more joy into my life than anyone before you. To think that one simple hookup would lead to this? Honestly, it amazes me." He brushed a lock of her hair away from her face again.
"I feel blessed to have the honor of being yours." She breathed out softly as she ran her hands softly over his face, up to his hair, brushing the strands softly out of his forehead.
His breath hitched as her fingers brushed over his skin, stirring him in a way he'd hoped she'd never grow to realize. But then again, why should he hide how much he adored every single inch of her body?
"Merlin, look at you." He mumbled as his hand cupped her chin and tilted her head upwards. He gazed into her eyes. "You're beautiful. And I'm so lucky that you're mine. All mine."
