When Regulus appeared in the room, Barty was upon him in a second. Hands on his shoulder, eyes looking him up and down, concern open on his face the way emotions rarely were. And then, once he realised that Regulus seemed to be unharmed, that he even looked to be well, his eyes met Regulus' and he held his gaze, voice dangerously quiet. "Where were you?"
"Out. Had to see something for myself." Regulus knew that look meant nothing good but he stood his ground. No use being cowed down, he didn't fancy giving in today either. Barty should have told him so many things and he didn't, he was so hurt and angry over Sirius that he just wanted to explode. "I'm not your prisoner, I'm allowed to leave."
"Not my prisoner?" Barty repeated the words slowly and then he moved suddenly, his hand snatching Regulus' hair, a strong grip forcing his head back. He resisted the urge to reach for his wand, but his eyes stayed on Regulus and there was force in that too. "You don't even know what it means to be prisoner, darling. I'd never imprison you. I have given you a second chance and you? You want to throw it all away? What's next, it's none of my business where you go? When I've tied my entire existence to yours? When I've given up everything for you?"
"You never told me he went to Azkaban!" Regulus yelled as he tried to get out of Barty's grip, his anger building up in him. "You told me nothing about them! I needed to see what was left and it was -- there is nothing left." That wasn't Sirius. It wasn't his brother, not really. Sirius who smiled, who played jokes and teased him. And when he looked sad, he always looked like a kicked puppy.
He didn't look like that. Defeated. Dead inside. It hurt to see. "Get off me."
"I watch you every night. I'm next to you, I see you dream. You are barely coping, Regulus, and I still told you. I'd have told you about him too. Do you want to know more now? Do you want to know what it was like to hear his screams? Hear the silence? My father was the one who locked him up without a trial." And of course Sirius wasn't on their side, but he was Regulus' brother. And, Barty could admit it, he was brave. Loyal too, only to his own cause. He'd never thought he deserved Azkaban. "I'm not keeping anything from you out of any other reason than to let your mind adjust. Do you want to be broken down like your brother? I told you, I'm keeping you safe."
"I had to see him." And now he regretted it because he couldn't get it out of his head. He couldn't stand the way this world was - it had never been good but he thought when he was older, it'd be better. They'd all be away from home and it wouldn't be as horrible as this. He never quite understood how serious the war could be. It was a novelty, it was horrendous. "I know now, I don't want to know any more. Don't tell me any more."
He didn't want to think of his screams or what happened to him? He didn't want to hear it. He looked at Barty, the pain far too obvious. "I didn't know why."
It was difficult to keep to his rage when he saw the pain in Regulus' eyes. Maybe he was weak. Weak for Regulus, if nothing else. His stance relaxed, the tension gradually leaving him, and he leaned their foreheads together. His arms wrapped around Regulus and he sighed, his eyes closing. "I'm sorry you had to see him like that. I would have told you if I'd known you'd seek him out like that. He's spent a decade in Azkaban. I'm afraid that takes a toll on anyone. He wouldn't be the brother you knew anymore."
"I noticed." He rested his chin on Barty's shoulder, feeling sick and tired, his body exhausted. All he wanted to do was block out the world and all he'd learned because nothing good came from it. He wished he'd stayed dead. "It feels so wrong. Everything in this world, it's wrong." Barty shouldn't have suffered as he did, he shouldn't have the nightmares he does and God, to see Sirius like that. Betrayed by a friend? He hated it.
"I don't want to say that you'll get used to it. I want to change how things are for you." He was already on his way to do so, but there were more questions than answers and the Dark Lord rose in power every day. "Listen, Regulus. I don't know your brother, not the way I know you. I don't know his life now either. But I know that you have made my life worthwhile. You have given me joy again. I can laugh with you. I can let loose around you. Maybe your brother has that too. Not everything in the world is wrong. Please, darling. Believe me."
"If I'm going to believe anyone, it'd be you." Closing his eyes, he leaned forward and put his face into Barty's face and settled against him, just wanting to be held because today was a lot and he needed him. "I said I'd never do it again and I won't. I can't risk us. I want to leave with you and I want us to have a chance. A good life. Anything we can have that isn't misery." He needed something good in his life and that was Barty. He was all he had so he clung onto him.
"I'm yours, Regulus." Barty kissed the corner of his lips, then his cheek. "I love you and I am yours. Entirely."
Of course, that still meant controlling Regulus in order to protect him, but he didn't have to expand on that thought. Instead he went down on his knees, his hands trailing Regulus' side as he did so, before he finally looked up. And he smiled. "Come on. Let me make you think of better things."
"But of course you'd go there." He didn't complain though, he smirked a little as he reached his hand down and stroked Barty's hair, feeling a lot better now he'd vented. He just had to try and get through it all. All the suffering and all the pain - it'd just lead to something better. Being away and together. Safe and alone.
He just had to keep thinking of it. "You always make me think of better things."
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He didn't look like that. Defeated. Dead inside. It hurt to see. "Get off me."
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He didn't want to think of his screams or what happened to him? He didn't want to hear it. He looked at Barty, the pain far too obvious. "I didn't know why."
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"I love you."
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Of course, that still meant controlling Regulus in order to protect him, but he didn't have to expand on that thought. Instead he went down on his knees, his hands trailing Regulus' side as he did so, before he finally looked up. And he smiled. "Come on. Let me make you think of better things."
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He just had to keep thinking of it. "You always make me think of better things."