[ he wants to do it again, to make it mean more, but he refrains because he's afraid alfred will push him away for it, citing propriety. regulus honestly doesn't care much about propriety, but he knows alfred does, and that he should respect it. so he tries to.

he sighs, dropping his head to alfred's shoulder and closing his eyes. it's clear alfred is really beating himself up about this, though he doesn't need to--

--he feels the way the hug shifts, and it makes him smile faintly. ]

Mistakes are just that, mistakes. Generally speaking, they can be remedied or fixed. If I can make up for the horrible things I've done by being good now, why not the same for other mistakes? Besides, you broke your own rule, not one of the ones I set. I'd be more concerned about one of those, but I still wouldn't leave. It'd take--a lot. Do you understand that? You're stuck with me, for lack of a better way to put it.