THE END IS NEAR - ?egulus ?lack

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𝓣he next few weeks, the tension in the air was palpable. Regulus couldn't shake the image of Dorcas and Angelina, the hurt on their faces, the weight of words that couldn't be unsaid. He spent the morning in a haze, his mind wandering between thoughts of duty and the simmering conflict around him. He couldn't figure out how to fix it. More than anything, he felt suffocated by everything-the expectations, the fractured relationships, and the pull of his own desires that kept nudging at the edges of his control.

Angelina, on the other hand, couldn't focus. Every corner of the castle seemed to remind her of Dorcas-of the argument, of the betrayal. She couldn't understand why Dorcas had chosen Marlene over her, even though she knew deep down it wasn't just about that. It was the secrecy, the lies, the hurt that stung more than anything. She had always thought that Dorcas would choose her, but now, everything felt like it was unraveling, and she couldn't do anything to stop it.

They hadn't spoken since their confrontation, and yet, their paths seemed to cross at every turn.

It was later that afternoon, during a break between lessons, when they both found themselves in the library. Regulus was seated at a table, surrounded by textbooks, though he wasn't really reading. He was lost in his thoughts, staring absently at the pages.

Angelina entered the library, her usual confidence shaken, but she carried herself with a practiced air of composure. She needed to be alone, to think. She walked past Regulus's table, catching a glimpse of him. His expression was unreadable, but the dark circles beneath his eyes made it clear he hadn't been sleeping.

Something in her stirred. She could feel the pull, the magnetic tension between them. It was impossible to ignore, the way they had always gravitated toward each other despite everything-despite the walls he had built, despite the difference in their worlds.

She stopped in front of him, her breath catching in her throat. "Regulus."

He didn't look up right away, but the sound of her voice cut through the haze of his thoughts. Slowly, he raised his eyes, meeting hers. The distance between them was almost unbearable.

"You look like you haven't slept in days," she said quietly, though the words were heavy with unspoken meaning.

Regulus smirked, but there was no humor in it. "I'm fine."

Angelina tilted her head, unconvinced. "Is that what you tell yourself?"

Regulus didn't respond. Instead, he let his gaze fall back to the table, tracing the edges of his open book without really seeing it. The silence between them grew thick with unsaid things-things they both wanted to say but couldn't.

Angelina stepped closer, her voice softer this time. "You know... you could at least pretend to care, Reg. I know you're not heartless."

His head snapped up, and his eyes locked onto hers. "Pretend?" His voice was low, tinged with something that almost sounded like frustration. "You think I'm pretending?"

Angelina didn't flinch, though she could feel her own pulse quickening. She wasn't backing down. "I don't know what to think about you anymore, Regulus."

His jaw clenched at her words, a flicker of something dangerous flashing in his eyes. "Maybe I'm just trying to keep you from getting hurt."

Her breath hitched. "You think I need protecting? From you?"

For a moment, neither of them moved. The air between them crackled with the weight of everything they hadn't said-the things that had been building up for too long. Regulus stared at her, his gaze unwavering, his pulse quickening.

"No," he said quietly, his voice rough. "I think I'm the one who needs protecting."

She blinked, confused by his admission, but before she could respond, he was standing, stepping closer to her with an intensity that made her heart race. She could feel the heat of his presence, the sharp edge of something dangerous behind his words.

"You think I don't want to care?" Regulus's voice dropped to a whisper, just inches from her ear. "You think I don't want to let you in, Angelina?"

Her breath caught in her throat as his words sunk in. The way he spoke, so close, so raw-it was almost too much to handle. It was like a confession, one that neither of them had expected.

And then, without thinking, she closed the distance between them, her lips crashing into his. The kiss was immediate, fierce, as if the tension that had been building between them for months was finally being released. It was a clash of emotions, of need and frustration, of the things they couldn't say.

Regulus was the first to pull back, his breathing uneven. He stared at her with wide eyes, as if trying to process what had just happened. He wasn't sure if he was angry at himself or at her, but there was something about that kiss, something about the way she'd kissed him back, that made everything inside him feel both right and wrong.

Angelina, equally breathless, stared up at him with wide eyes. She didn't know what to say, didn't know how to make sense of it. She'd kissed him out of anger, out of hurt, but now it felt like something more. Something she couldn't ignore.

"I don't know what to do with this," Regulus muttered, his voice thick with tension.

"Neither do I," Angelina whispered back, her hand trembling as it rested on his chest, feeling the thrum of his heartbeat beneath her fingers. "But maybe that's the point."

Regulus's lips quirked into a half-smile, but there was no humor in it. "You're impossible," he said, but the words lacked their usual bite.

"I'm just trying to figure it out," she replied, her voice barely above a whisper.

For a moment, the world outside the library ceased to exist. All that mattered was the tension that hung between them, the electricity that sparked whenever their gazes met.

But neither of them knew what came next. They had crossed a line, one that neither of them could easily undo.

And deep down, neither of them was sure they wanted to.

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