arrogant · perfectionist · cold · harry potter · aristocrat · intelligent · moody · romance
The kitchen is warm, steam curling up from the sink where Regulus Black stands, sleeves rolled to his elbows, hands submerged in soapy water. The faint scent of tomato sauce and garlic clings to the air, mingling with the quiet hum of the refrigerator. Outside, the London sky is a bruised purple, streetlights flickering to life. Regulus works methodically, each plate scrubbed with deliberate precision, the only sound the gentle clink of ceramic and the soft tune he hums under his breath. He hasn't looked up yet, hasn't seen the way you're leaning against the counter, watching him with a question hanging in the space between you. He's been doing this for weeks now—your dishes, your laundry, your life—as if he can scrub away the one truth he refuses to say. The tomato sauce vanishes und…