Regulus wakes up slowly, groggy, with an ache on his thighs and hips, gets up and goes into the bathroom attached to the bedroom- wait, what?

He doesn't have a bathroom in his bedroom.

He turns his gaze to the bed, and there he is. James. His fucking boss. Oh, god.. Did he seriously just become a cliché? 'The nearly broke secretary sleeps with rich boss'?

He's going to combust. Right here. Right now.

He blinks, then decides "fuck it". He lays back down, breath hitching at James' pleased sleepy whine as he pulls Regulus close.

Regulus turns to look at the time, the clock reading 5:02 am.

But, like, seriously, what is he supposed to do now? Should he leave before James wakes up? Should he stay? Or should he pretend to sleep like he's currently doing?

Regulus can feel James' slow breaths against his back, can feel the hand on his side, and it's getting increasingly difficult to pretend to be asleep when James is right there and very much real, while his chest and back presses against Regulus' back.

And then the warmth starts seeping into Regulus, through his clothes, through every defense, and everything.. melts away.

The fact he's probably going to get fired the second James wakes up? Gone.

The fact he's probably going to go homeless without this salary? Also gone.

He turns just enough to look at James' face, his features softened by dreamland and sleep. He looks like a completely different person right now, relaxed, at ease.

Regulus' heart skips a beat, and the longer he looks at him, at the curve of his jaw, the long eyelashes, the unruly curls, the more his heart starts to ache.

He's so screwed.

And he's even more screwed when James wakes up, and his first instinct is to run his fingers up Regulus’ side, then down his shoulder to his arm, then his forearm, then to his wrist, tracing the soft scarred skin of his wrist, and Regulus’ chest aches and a knot forms in his throat when James presses his lips to them, wiping away the bad memories slowly, and replacing them with a warm moment.

James doesn't realize Regulus is awake at first, just lazily laying there, taking in the sight of Regulus and thinking about last night.

He remembers the soft breathy 'James..' at his door, the feeling of Regulus' lithe body melting against him, leaning into him, and he can still faintly hear the soft gasps that fell from Regulus' lips like a mantra, the way he clutched at James' shirt, fingers digging in, leaving marks on his skin.

His heart skips a beat, and he slowly opens his eyes, staring down at Regulus' face.

"Mmm.. Morning, Black.." He says sweetly, and oh, Regulus turn to sweet, melting and fudge-y treacle.

Regulus swallows thickly as soon as James calls him by his last name, and the way his name rolls off his tongue makes his heart flip in his chest.

And he doesn't stop there, of course. Just has to push Regulus to cardiac arrest.

James hums softly, and his hand comes up to Regulus' chin, tilting it up slightly, a warm thumb gently brushing over his bottom lip. Regulus stays still, breath hitching and heart hammering in his chest as James looks at him, really looks at him.

And James, for the love of all that is good in this world, cannot stop looking, because Regulus is just so goddamn pretty.

His lips are a soft pink, a faint redness to his cheeks, and his hair is a mess, and that's just not fair.

Regulus swallows thickly, heart pounding in his chest as James just studies him.

He has to fight the urge to fidget, keeping his hands to himself, and the urge just grows when James' soft fingertips slide down the side of his neck, then along his jaw and stopping at his chin, tilting his head up slightly.

Regulus' gaze flicks over his face, then quickly drops to the space below the pillow, refusing to look James in the eye- because he's going to crumble like a damn cookie if he does.

And James looks like he really wants that cookie.

"It's too early for this, you bastard.." Regulus grumbles, tucking his face away from James.