He walked to the clinic. "Regulus Black, please. They said he'd be ready noon," Severus told the woman at the front desk.
"Of course. Mr. Black is in room 203. Dr. Mancusi will be there to sign him out."
Severus walked to the room and Regulus was lying in a bed looking small and pale.
"Regulus?"
Regulus' eyes fluttered open. "Hey, man. How's it hanging?"
"It's all right. And you?"
"Never fuckin' better. They gave me some patch last night and that was great. But today I'm flying solo."
"Good. Very good." Severus sat on the edge of the bed and took Regulus' hand in his own. There was a strange sort of comfort in it.
"I can't wait to get back home," Regulus said, "I had a dream last night about you and me. Back at my old flat. I hated that place. Half the shit in those boxes weren't even mine, you know. But in the dream, we were at the flat, and, uh, we were smoking a joint and you told me you didn't want to be with me anymore. And I woke up scared. It must have been the lack of drugs or something, because I'm never scared. I don't want you to leave me, Sev. I'll do anything. I know you hate the drugs, so I'll stop. I quit. No one else would have ever taken care of me this long."
"Regulus, you don't know how happy I am to hear that," Severus said. He leaned down and gave Regulus a kiss.
"Sorry to interrupt," Dr. Mancusi said, walking into the room. He was smiling. "Regulus, are you ready to go home?"
"Yeah," Regulus said.
"I just need to check your stats and you'll be ready."
Severus waited in the hall until Dr. Mancusi was finished. "How is he?" Severus asked when the doctor stepped out of the room.
"Not one hundred percent, but good enough to go home. You have all the drugs gone, right, Severus?"
"Yessir."
"As long as he doesn't get them from an outside source, Regulus should be fine. Take him home."
Twenty minutes later, Severus and Regulus were walking hand in hand down the hill.
"I had a visitor this morning," Severus said.
"Oh?"
"Remus Lupin. You remember him, don't you?"
Regulus was quiet for a moment. "Your university mate. That one that dates Sirius. Did he come around looking for a shag?"
"No, but if he was, he wouldn't have gotten it. You know that, right?"
"Of course. He still there? Give him a lay up for a night?"
"Yeah, he's still there. He's in bad shape. I just thought... help an old friend."
"That's not like you."
Severus sighed. "No, I guess not. I should try and call Bella. I couldn't get a hold of her. To let her know what's happening."
"Bella..." Regulus seemed to be a thousand miles away now.
He didn't reply. Severus knew that a sober Regulus was going to be different. He wasn't going to be the same man. Hopefully, it would be for the better. Things really couldn't have gotten much worse.
They went upstairs and saw that there was no need to call Bella.
"Oh fuck you, Regulus!" she screamed, giving him a hug. "How the fuck could you have gotten yourself in the clinic and not told me? That's your fault, isn't it, Severus? I had to hear it from wolf boy over here."
"Couldn't have gotten dressed up for my arrivial, could you, Bella?" Regulus quipped.
Bella shook her head. She was in another slip dress and her long coat and heels. Her hair was a matted mess, not brushed from a long night with a married man. "Now if it had been my boy Severus laid up in hospital, you know I'd be in my diamonds and pearls."
"Of course," Severus muttered, closing the door.
Bella pulled out a pack of cigarettes. She held them out. "Anyone? Or are we too clean for nicotine?"
Regulus and Severus both accepted.
"Where is Remus?" Regulus asked. "I'd like to see him."
"You'd like to get a good look to see if he shagged your man," Bella said. "Back in the loo. He's a scruffy sort of guy. Scary, limp and wolf all in one. And fucked around with Sirius? Am I the only one in the world who hasn't done Sirius? Really, am I?"
"Probably," Severus said. He was getting an itchy sort of feeling in the back of neck. He didn't like all these people here. He wished they'd all leave so he could be with Regulus alone.
"I'm leaving," Bella said, obviously taking notice of Severus. She rested a hand on his shoulder. "Remember what I said, 'kay, boy?"
Severus nodded and Bella left after kissing Regulus on the cheek.
Regulus turned and faced Severus, staring up in his eyes. His fingers traced along Severus' cheek, down into the corner of his mouth. "You know, you're even more beautiful without the haze."
For the first time, in what felt like years, Severus smiled. He pushed the hair from Regulus' face. "Thank you."
There was a cough from the hall.
Regulus turned and studied Remus for a moment, before, apparently, approving. "Hello, Remus, isn't it? I don't think we've met."
"We have," Remus said, shaking Regulus' hand anyhow. "Once."
"I was probably past the kites," Regulus replied. He jabbed his head to Severus. "I can see what you saw in him. You have such good taste."
Remus chuckled appreciatively while Severus felt a strange senstion of jealousy and anger in his stomach. He didn't like Regulus being attracted to Remus, though he, himself, still felt a sort of attraction to his old friend.
"I don't know what to do," Regulus said. "I feel like I should light a joint, but I know that there's nothing here. Is there, Sev?"
Severus shook his head. "There's no drugs. And there won't be."
"I made some lunch for you, Regulus," Remus said. "There was enough for two more sandwiches, if you're hungry."
"Starved," Regulus replied. He went into the kitchen and sat the table. However, he didn't eat. He only picked at the food while Severus and Remus talked.
"Seen anyone from the old crowd lately?" Remus asked casually.
"No, not unless you count... you wouldn't," Severus said. He wished to forget that James and Lily Potter ever stepped foot into this apartment. "Just Bella, but you never knew her, did you?"
"Not really. Just what I knew of her from you and from Sirius."
"How is Sirius?" Regulus asked. "I haven't seen him since I moved in here."
Remus sighed. "His usual self. Probably shacked up with another idiot like myself."
"You're not an idiot," Severus snapped. "What happened to graduating from university with honors?"
"They mean nothing now. Nothing now that I've gone and screwed myself up. I thought we were over this."
"You can always start over," Regulus said, his voice faint. He picked at the crusts of his bread. "I think I've finally figured that one out."
Severus tucked a lock of hair behind Regulus' ear. "Are you tired?"
He nodded. "I'll be in bed."
Regulus left the room. Severus watched him until he was gone. He turned back to Remus, who was smiling.
I was right. "You truly do love him."
Severus raised his eyebrows and put away the remains of the sandwiches. "I just can't imagine what it would be like without him."
Remus relaxed in his chair. "I should go."
"Regulus likes you," Severus replied. He mindlessly washed the plate.
"I suppose."
"He doesn't take to just anyone. And he knows we were together."
"Does he know that there are parts of me that still love you?"
Severus looked over his shoulder. "I'm not sure."
"He hasn't anything to worry about. I'm not fast enough to run from him if something happened," Remus said with a flippant laugh. "I know you wouldn't give anything in return anyhow."
"I didn't ask you to stay for us to discuss this. I certainly not when you really should be staying here with us. And not going back out into the world. Remus, why don't you stay? We could make up the couch... after we buy a couch. It would mean so much. You could get back on your feet."
"Severus," Remus said, "it's a kind offer, but it wouldn't work."
"I'll talk to Regulus about it. If he doesn't mind."
"I'll mind."
"He won't," Severus said. "Please, Remus. I can look at you and see that you need a hand. You know this is killing me. You know I hate charity work. So stop fighting me before I curse you into staying."
"Talk to Regulus. Then we'll see."
Severus smiled. "You can bet I will."
