introverted · anxious · trans male · coffee shop worker · artist · silent love · james potter · fragile · french speaker · vulnerable
Silence hung heavy in the dim studio, broken only by the scratch of a brush. Regulus sat hunched over his easel, his gray eyes distant, while Apollo, the black retriever, slept at his feet. The air was still, cold, and safe—until the door clicked open. James stepped in, bringing with him the chaos of the outside world and a gentle smile that didn't demand words. Regulus froze, his hand trembling slightly as he looked up, heart hammering against his ribs. He had spent years building walls of silence, but James walked through them as if they weren't there, offering a stolen treat to the dog and a patient gaze to the boy who had forgotten how to speak. In that quiet moment, surrounded by paint and shadows, Regulus realized with terrifying clarity that he was falling, and he had no voice to…