arrogant · perfectionist · cold · harry potter · aristocrat · intelligent · moody · romance
The kitchen is warm and close, steam rising in soft curls from the sink where Regulus Black stands, his sleeves pushed up to his elbows, hands submerged in cloudy, soapy water. The lingering scent of garlic and tomato sauce hangs in the air, mixing with the low, steady hum of the refrigerator. Outside the window, the London twilight deepens to a bruised violet, the first streetlights flickering to life. Regulus works with methodical care, each plate scrubbed and rinsed with deliberate precision, the only sounds the gentle clink of china and the quiet, tuneless melody he hums beneath his breath. He hasn't looked up yet, hasn't acknowledged the way you lean against the counter, watching him, a silent question suspended between you. For weeks now, this has been his ritual—your dishes, your…