#he practiced in a few places . most frequently the drummer's garage

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I’m absolutely in love with your writing! And was wondering if you could do #17- ‘Tugging on the bottom of someone’s shirt’, from the Physical Affection Promts. (I imagine that this gesture is their way of silently asking for kisses/cuddles when they don’t feel good, but maybe that’s just me).

I’d love to see you try your hand at 90’s Ot4 (Alex x Bobby x Luke x Reggie), cause young Bobby is a sweetheart in my mind. But if not it would also be cute with Alex x Luke x Reggie.

Ahhhhh I loved writing for Bobby, thank you for this request and for the compliments 🥺🥺🥺 Although this certainly didn’t end up taking place in the 90s, so this is like a modern AU I guess? So we’ll pretend Trevor is Bobby’s like dad or uncle or something, and the boys all know Julie!! 

I also went with the autistic Luke headcanon here and then added in Bobby with depression and Reggie with nightmares (and ADHD), although the nightmares aren’t explicitly talked about. 

As always found on AO3 here or below the cut <3

It was no secret that the four boys of Sunset Curve shared casual touches as a love language—although few people outside of their immediate friend group knew that these touches were not as platonic as they may seem. 

The four boys themselves had come up with a system, for days where words were too hard, everything was too loud, or simply not wanting to ruin a moment with speaking, they could signal to the others what they needed. One gentle pull for cuddles, two gentle pulls for kisses and one sharp pull meaning just a little space. 

-

Luke, personally, tends to favor the sharp tug. Days where everything was just a bit too much but he still wanted to soak in the reassuring presence of his boyfriends, he’d give a sharp tug on Bobby’s shirt, the boy would quietly nod before silently gaining the other boys’ attention, everyone congregating within the “living room” of their garage. 

Hushed conversations were swapped, occasionally, but generally the boys all fell into their own silent activities. Alex draped across the couch, reading from whatever book he’d picked up that morning. Reggie haphazardly sat in a way none of the boys could, usually focused on the sudoku book that Julie had gifted him. Bobby was usually the one closest to Luke, scribbling into his own personal songwriting journal, the boy had mastered writing without making any noise. He pretended it wasn’t because of the one time Luke had nearly had a meltdown when his pencil kept making a skritch skritch skritch on a day much like this, but they all knew that was exactly why. 

After some time, Luke took a deep, shuddering breath and extended his limbs out, stretching and popping from being stuck in one position for so long and inched his way over to Bobby, hooking his chin over the boy's shoulder. 

“Thanks, Bobert.” The guitarist murmured, pressing a soft kiss to his boyfriends jawline. 

“Never a problem, Lulu.” 

-

Alex, undeniably, used the one gentle tug the most out of all of them. Although the system had been designed with Alex’s panic attacks and Luke’s overload days specifically in mind, Alex had begun to use the system more liberally. 

During band movie nights, or nights when he’d gently shake the others awake, or just random times throughout the day. Cuddles slowly began to include hugs as well, or just vaguely touching in some manner. 

Alex never said anything, but the others knew that their weight and pressure eased the drummer’s nerves. They’d notice how much quicker he’d wind down if one of them even had just a hand rested on his shoulder, or a pinkie threaded through his. 

It was a Sunday when Alex had stomped in, his duffle bag being thrown to the side the second his body was through the door, and he collapsed against Reggie’s chest and gave a gentle tug to the bassist’s leather sleeve. 

“Bad time at church, love?” Reggie hummed, carding his fingers through the short blonde hair, other hand drawing patterns onto the taller ones back, sharing a look with Bobby and Luke. 

“Don’t wanna talk about it.” Alex muttered, burying his nose further into Reggie’s neck and winding his arms around his waist. Within minutes the blonde was asleep, but Reggie didn’t mind, he just tightened his hold on the boy and promptly followed suit, their two other boyfriends laughing lightly as they continued about their business.  

-

Bobby was a frequent user of that gentle double tug, using it to gain short, loving kisses whenever he needed. Before a show, after, during rehearsals, passing by then in the hallways (when they chose to attend school that is), or even just going about their normal domestic activities. He never said it, but his boyfriends knew him well enough by now that they knew it was usually when his depression decided to kick in, making him doubt them, doubt their love, and so they tried to make him feel as loved as possible when these times struck. 

A few days after Alex’s bad day, Bobby was coming up behind Alex while he was standing by the microwave, reheating one of the many leftovers they had, when Bobby gave the two soft tugs to the hem of Alex’s shirt, his arms wrapping around his waist. 

The blonde spun around in his arms, pulling the rhythm guitarist all the more closer and slotting their lips together sweetly. They stood there, hands wandering and lips locking until the microwave went off, breaking the two boys apart. 

“You know I love you, right babe?” Alex hummed, pressing another kiss to Bobby’s lips. 

“Yeah, I know. I love you too.” Bobby smiled back. 

“Do you wanna watch Tangled?” The blonde brought his hands up to brush stray hairs behind Bobby’s ears as he gave a small nod. “Alright, let’s go get the other two dorks.” 

-

Reggie, much to the other three’s shock, used the system the least out of all of them. They weren’t sure if it was because he had the strangest talent of being able to practically sense when one of the others needed affection, or something else, but on days where he did use the system, they made sure to make that whole day about him. 

When it happens next, it’s not even quite daytime. They’re all quickly woken up by Reggie, although not by any intention by the boy. He woke up thrashing, a short scream ripping through the air before he gasps deeply and struggles to catch his breath. His boys are on him in an instant, cooing to him softly, pressing into him to calm him down and mumbling soft words of reassurance. 

He calms down enough to find the hem of Luke’s muscle tank, giving it two sharp tugs. The brunettes brows crease in confusion, hand reaching to entangle itself with Reggie’s. 

“What’s two sharp tugs mean?” He murmured, not completely awake yet but also not quite sure if he just missed the memo.

“Talk. Please. Too quiet.” Reggie choked out, eyes beginning to glaze over as they nervously searched the three faces crowding his vision. The boys all share quick glances before they all start murmuring, their voices overlapping in a spoken symphony, full of love and warmth, harmonies intertwining as they went on. 

Reggie quickly drifted off to sleep, the others continuing to mumble until they drifted off themselves, pressed even closer together than before, limbs crossed and tucked wildly so they were each somehow touching all three others. 

Two sharp tugs, Luke thinks to himself as he begins to drift off, admiring the softness of the features of the three boys surrounding him, fill the silence. Got it.