#oblivious reggie my beloved

[innytoes]

AU headcanon thingy: Reggie, the king of playground weddings for Reggie/Everyone

-His first playground wedding wasn't even on a playground, but on the docks of the lake at Camp Palmyrawolf, a co-ed summer camp his parents send him to. The pretty girl has sparkling eyes and a loud laugh and he thinks she's the coolest thing since Star Wars. He gives her a ring-pop and she gives him a ring made out of braided dandelions.

-By the time he gets back from camp his parents are divorced and his mom tells him she's taking him to LA. All his stuff is already packed.

-Luckily, he's not the only new kid to start school that year. He and Luke become fast friends, and they get married by the slide. Their other best friend, Alex, is the priest, since he's the only one who's ever been to a real wedding before.

-Only Luke's already married to Bobby and Alex says you're not allowed to be married to two people and his parents say divorce is a sin. And Luke sees the way that makes Reggie's lip wobble so he says that Alex' parents are stupid and he kind of pauses and thinks about it and says: Yeah probably.

-Luke and Bobby get a playground divorce by the big tree. It's much nicer than Reggie's parents' divorce, and they have a divorce party instead. Except now Bobby is a little sad, so Reggie says he'll marry him and not divorce Luke. It's okay, he's seen it on TV. It's called sister wives.

-Alex points out that none of them are wives and Luke says he can be a wife if he wants to be and Bobby falls over giggling and chokes out BROTHERHUSBANDS and they all laugh so hard they have to wait until next recess to marry Bobby and Reggie, since Alex keeps choking up laughing before he can pronounce them brotherhusbands.

-Reggie marries Alex two weeks later. He had to wait until he could make an appropriate ring, because Alex thinks doing things Properly is important. It's made out of paper and it took forever to make gold with the old gel pen he found.

-They meet Julie in music class a few years later. Julie is like the best person ever ("for a girl" Bobby says and Luke punches his arm). They're all allowed over to her house for a play date, which turns into a music date, because Julie's mom has a big piano and all sorts of instruments. She teaches Luke some chords on the guitar while he and Julie play a duet on the piano, and Alex and Bobby waltz.

-That year, Luke gets a guitar for his birthday, and Alex gets a drum set for Christmas , and Reggie gives all his saved up pocket money and birthday money and Christmas money from MeeMaw and Pops to his Mom and asks if that's enough for the shiny red bass guitar he's seen at the thrift store. (It's not, but she gives him an advance on his allowance and haggles with the guy behind the counter until he can buy it anyway.)

-They hang out at the Molina house a lot after that, pretending to be a band, and then deciding they are a band, because they say so. Reggie gets to stay over for dinner when his mom works late, and it's just the best thing ever.

-One day he sighs and says he wishes he could be a Molina too. He loves his mom and all, but she's almost never around and when she is, she's tired and often cranky.

-Bobby is the one who rolls his eyes and is like: why don't you just marry her then? Bobby's always been the jealous one.

-They're too old for playground wedding at twelve, really, but the way Bobby says it, he turns up his nose and says: "Okay, I will". And he grabs an empty doritos bag and cuts and folds until he has a shiny ring, and dramatically proposes to Julie, who laughs and says yes just to annoy Bobby.

-Carlos is their priest of course.

-"Finally," Luke sighs. "We have a sister wife."

Julie is very confused and then very amused when they explain. She presses a kiss to Reggie's cheek and says she's okay with sharing him, as long as he does his spousal duties.

-He's not sure what spousal duties are, so he asks Alex, whispering a little too loud.

"I think she means taking out the trash," Alex whispers back. "That's what my dad does."

"And do the dishes," Julie said curtly. "My papi always does the dishes. And you have to say 'Honey I'm home!' when you get home."

"I can do that," Reggie agrees.

-Things are great, and their band gets better the better they actually get at playing music, and playing together. They still don't have a name, but there's no rush. Julie and her mom write a song for them, and Luke is so fascinated by it he asks if he can try. They kind of lose Luke and Julie for like two weeks that summer because they're so busy writing together, until Reggie tearfully reminds them that spousal duties also means sharing, and he misses them.

-Nobody is really surprised when he and Luke and Julie start dating for real. Nobody who matters has a problem with it, except Bobby, but that is quickly rectified when Reggie kisses Bobby on the lips and says a Brotherhusband is a brotherhusband.

-Three weeks later Alex shyly asks if that includes him too, and that's how he comes out. It's a little messy after that, because Alex does not want to date Julie, and Julie decides that's okay, and Luke and Alex try but they really really hate it, and Bobby's only ever been interested in dating Reggie even though he and Luke practice making out a LOT for two people who refuse to admit they're dating.

Everything gets really complicated until Julie's best friend Flynn makes a little chart with colour-coded lines. Reggie kind of wants to kiss her. So he asks. And she adds her name to the chart and draws a line between them in the colour for Dating.

-Flynn is like: I don't get playgroundmarried until at least the seventh date.

-Their seventh date is very romantic and then after dinner they take a walk and SURPRISE THERE'S ALL THEIR FRIENDS AT A LOCAL PLAYGROUND and Reggie gets down on one knee with a sour gummy worm ring like WILL YOU PLAYGROUND MARRY ME and they do.

-They're all happy together, and then Flynn brings over her new friend from the GSA club. And Willie is really cool but something about him is so familiar.

-And then one day Bobby says something dry and sarcastic and he laughs so loud and something in Reggie's head goes ping.

-He's smooth about it though and waits until he can talk to Willie one-on-one. And carefully asks him if he ever went to Camp Palmyrawolf.

-And Willie goes very still and it looks very wrong for someone who is usually so wriggly and Reggie is like: it's cool, I just... I think I gave you a ringpop once?

-And Willie asks him to please not tell anyone, and Reggie asks all hurt: "About our marriage?"

-And Willie just stares at him for a good long while until Reggie goes "OOOOOH wait no I won't tell anyone about that, you come out on your own time, but... it's you right? You taught me how to do a cartwheel and draw that weird S thing."

-And Willie nods and smiles and Reggie grabs his hand and pulls him back to the group and proudly announces he found his first, long-lost husband.

-And Willie is a little confused when everyone starts chanting 'brotherhusband' but also it's like really gender-confirming so he'll go with it.

-Reggie also whispers to Flynn that the way Alex and Willie keep looking at each other, she's gonna have to update the chart soon.

-Alex and Willie's playground wedding is at the same time as his and Willie's playground vow renewal (and promise to try this dating thing) and he couldn't be happier.

[jatp-incorrect-quotes]

Julie: I owe you one.

Luke: That’s ok. You can just date me and we’ll call it even.

[anthonyjlockwood]

17 OF THE 50 WAYS TO SAY I LOVE YOU FOR LALEXIE PLEASEEEE

em, my fellow luke angst lover, my lalexie brain rot-causer, my beloved <3

here is your prompt on ao3. tw for discussions of luke wanting to cross over. please read responsibly💜

Luke’s song book has been through a lot over the years.

It’s had tears soaked into its pages. It’s had crumbs stuck in between its binding. It’s had dozens of songs written on it in fast, messy handwriting, thousands of words based on Luke’s inner thoughts, feelings, hopes, and dreams.

It’s survived years worth of scribbles, cross-outs, rips and tears; even hugs and kisses, when Luke’s written something he’s sure will be a hit someday.

It’s survived death, some time in a dark room, and a tumbling trip back to Earth twenty five years in the future.

And now, the boy who’s been writing in it for all that time, whose soul is attached to it in ways most people wouldn’t even understand, is using its pages for something else.

Something no one would have ever expected.

A list.

Ways I Can Cross Over.

He thought that maybe, Unsaid Emily would’ve been it. There was a small part of him that had expected to just vanish into thin air the second Julie handed his parents that sheet of notebook paper.

His notebook is almost empty now. Luke thinks that that’s fitting; he’s spent most of his soul onto the pages. He’s a ghost. He’s got nothing more to give. Maybe it’s even a sign -- a sign that he’s not going to need to write music for much longer. The notebook is running out of space. It’s running out of time, just like he is.

He wonders if he could even use a new songbook. It wouldn’t be a part of him, the way his old one was. It would be empty; a blank slate for him to start a new journey in. A whole new marathon to run just as he’s crossing the finish line of the last one.

And… he doesn’t want to.

He’s tired of running. Running from his parents. Running from Caleb. From things that he broke, from things that were threatening to break him. From things that were hurting his friends.

Luke’s always been one for impulsive decisions.

So after he makes his list, he dog-ears the page and gives himself a time limit.

He has until the pages run out in his notebook to figure out what his unfinished business is… and finish it.

~

The problem is, Luke’s life on Earth wasn’t that long. He’s had seventeen years to start things, and practically no time at all to finish them. The possibilities of what his unfinished business actually is are endless. There was that music festival the guys had wanted to play at the end of summer ‘95. Countless world tours they wanted to go on. He wanted to sign an autograph for Dave Grohl, shake hands with Mick Jagger. He wanted to drink chocolate from the world’s largest chocolate waterfall in Alaska.

So few of these things he could actually do, now that he was dead.

Even fewer of them he could do without the guys. If his unfinished business really had to be just for him, maybe the band stuff wouldn’t be enough.

He never finished high school. He never learned how to play the bass -- he’s always wanted to; after all, Reggie could play the guitar, so Luke should know how to play his instrument, too.

And the only other thing he could think of that was absolutely, one hundred percent his business to finish… was his relationship with his mother.

Julie bringing “Unsaid Emily” over to his old house had been something. It filled the hole in his chest just enough that he could pretend it wasn’t there. Having his mom finally see how he felt about her, how much he regretted leaving, was like putting an ice pack on a burn. It eased the pain for the moment, had him thinking maybe that would be enough, that it would heal properly. But the ice pack’s melted, now; it’s gone back to room temperature, and his heart is still screaming.

Luke wonders what else he would have to do to get rid of the guilt.

He knows -- he hopes -- that the guilt won’t follow him to the afterlife. Because it’s really the only thing about this ghost-limbo that he wants to escape from. He doesn’t mind the invisibility, or the intangibility, because those things have never really prevented him from playing music. Music, though, he’ll miss, but Luke thinks it’s a small price to pay. After all, Alex and Reggie should’ve had their whole lives to play music. And even if Luke crosses over, they still can. He’s the one who caused their untimely deaths in the first place.

And he can never undo that, but… something he’s realized as all of them have adjusted to being ghosts is that he’s not really needed.

Sunset Curve could go on as a trio. Julie would still have her found family in Alex and Reggie and Willie. Reggie would have his friends that remained, as well as Ray and Carlos to fill in any gaps.

And Alex and Willie would have each other.

~

For Willie, the whole concept of “unfinished business” is just… not really on his radar. He’s pretty content in his afterlife. He is, as the kids say, vibing. He’s moving along, singing a song. He was never in any rush to figure out what his unfinished business was, and he was especially never in any rush to cross over, to fade out of existence entirely and into the unknown.

He also never really understood why other ghosts would want to do that. Until he met Alex and the others, and realized that sometimes, urgency forces your hand. Outside circumstances throw you out of your comfort zone, force you to do things you never would’ve considered before.

But also, since meeting Alex, the tiny part of his soul that’s always been curious about what his unfinished business was -- curious about crossing over, about what’s on the other side -- has pretty much shriveled away to nothing. Alex gives a whole new meaning to Willie’s life -- to his afterlife, really -- but the drummer makes him feel alive again in a way that he hasn’t felt in decades. Long before he’d forgotten the age-old saying, look both ways before you cross the street.

Willie wouldn’t call himself the most observant person on Earth. Sometimes, he can be a little oblivious. He can be blinded to the truth, only see what he wants to see -- he can deny what’s right in front of him. Give people the benefit of the doubt who don’t deserve it, like he’s done with Caleb so many times before.

He tries not to stress about things. Tries to just be. Live -- or do whatever he’s doing as a ghost, honestly -- with no regrets, no looking back. He doesn’t worry about consequences. But at the same time, he’s also scared of disappointing people. Scared of how he’s coming across to other people. He needs to make sure he’s not messing up too too badly, because he wants the people he loves to love him back -- he wants them to want him to stick around.

So he pays attention. He misses stuff sometimes, sure… but Willie’s mission in his afterlife is simple. Chill out, do whatever he wants to do -- it’s not like he can get caught; he’s invisible. Just don’t get on Caleb Covington’s bad side.

Love whoever he still can, and be loved back.

Willie loves Alex. He’s loved him since the museum. He’s needed him since he ran into him on the street with his skateboard. But lately, Willie’s started to realize that he might also love Luke. Not any more or less than he loves Alex, which is a confusing problem in itself. And not really in a different way than Alex, either. His heart does somersaults when he’s around Luke now, too.

He might need him in different ways than Alex, though. Alex calms him down, grounds him when his head’s in the clouds or he’s too distracted by other things. He brings him back, makes him aware of what’s most important in the moment. He makes him laugh. Makes him think. Makes him stop and appreciate everything around him, instead of just whipping through his afterlife with no concerns. Alex makes him care.

But Luke… With Luke, it feels like he’s stuck upside-down at the top of a roller coaster, but there’s no one else he’d rather be stuck with. He feels more dangerous with Luke, willing to do things that he’s too scared to drag Alex into. He feels like there’s no limits. In one of Luke’s songs, he wrote face first, full charge, and that’s the exact energy he brings when he’s around Willie -- when he’s around anyone, really. He’s passionate, and driven, and so unafraid. Willie doesn’t have to be as careful around Luke.

And they’re both super protective of Alex.

Willie needs Alex for the slow rollercoaster ride to the top of the hill, and he needs Luke for laughter, for thrill, for excitement. For the thrilling, twisty way back down.

Willie’s not sure that anything feels complete without Alex and Luke.

So, since they’re both a part of Willie in ways that he can’t even really explain, Willie watches. He pays attention to both of them, taking in everything about them in quiet, soft, subtle ways.

That’s how he starts to notice that something’s off with Luke.

~

A week goes by, the pages in Luke’s notebook are dwindling, and he still has no idea what his unfinished business is.

It’s frustrating, having to narrow his entire life down to one possible milestone he’s never gotten to achieve. There are far too many. And the nagging voice in the back of Luke’s head -- the one telling him that Alex and Reggie have just as many milestones -- isn’t helping matters at all.

Luke just wants all this to be over. He deserves it -- he’s not sure whether he deserves the questionable peace crossing over would bring; everyone always says death is peaceful, anyway. But he definitely deserves the “no longer existing” part. And Alex and Reggie do deserve it. They deserve everything that life -- or afterlife, really -- can still offer them. Luke’s tired of holding them back. It feels like nothing’s ever good enough -- like he’s wearing shoes made out of lead, or something, trying to walk across a desert, and he’s got a time limit to get there. And Alex and Reggie are chained to him -- stuck in the same predicament, because they just had to follow him to that hot dog stand. He’s tired of getting them into these messes. First death; and, as if that wasn’t bad enough, into the Hollywood Ghost Club with Caleb Covington, all because he just couldn’t let his grudge against Bobby -- Trevor Wilson -- die.

He’s still writing music, but his lyrics aren’t as powerful anymore. They’re not as confident, not as inspiring. And he writes with Julie, but he thinks Julie can tell that his spark has dimmed.

He hopes that she thinks he’s just going through writer’s block, or something. Something fixable.

He’s been working on his list for the past week, too. He thinks he’s got his unfinished business pretty much narrowed down; there’s three things on his list he wants to try. School. Bass. Emily.

He needs Reggie’s help with the bass one, so he’s been putting it off. And Emily…

Luke has tried to steer clear of his old house since Julie gave his parents the song. Because… the fact that it didn’t help, that it didn’t ease the ache in his heart in exactly the way Julie hoped that it would, made Luke feel guilty. And he doesn’t really want to see if the song made a difference for his parents. Because what if it didn’t?

What if they’re like Luke, just wishing for more? More interaction that they can never have -- an actual conversation about the regrets that he touched on in the song? A physical hug, the weight of their arms around each other, a look of real, actual understanding in their eyes that Luke’s never thought he would actually see.

And the thing is… if his parents are Luke’s unfinished business, what the hell is he supposed to do about it?

The prospect of being chained to the Earth forever because of something he’d screwed up beyond repair when he was alive has his stomach churning, almost as badly as it was when he’d eaten that hot dog.

The easiest one for Luke to focus on is school -- which, if someone had said to him twenty-five years ago that school would be at the top of his priority list, he’d have laughed in their face -- and the easiest way for him to do it is through Julie.

Julie’s sufficiently banned him from actually showing up at her school, but that doesn’t mean he can’t do other things. Like homework and studying. So Luke’s plan is this: he’ll study with Julie, maybe convince her to let him do a couple of her homework assignments. And if she aces her next math test because of the work they’ve done together, Luke’ll consider it a win.

It’s the best option he has. It’s not like he can sit in a classroom anymore, or take his own tests.

He sneaks up on her one afternoon as she’s sitting in her bedroom, chewing on a pencil, face scrunched in confusion.

“Hey, Jules. Whatcha doin?”

At the sound of his voice, Julie looks up at him and her confusion transforms into a smile. “Hey, Luke! Just homework.”

“Need any help?” He shuffles a little closer to the bed, mindful of Julie’s distaste for having the boys in her room.

Julie’s face flips back to confusion like a lightswitch. “You… want to help me with my homework?”

“Yeah!” Luke huffs out an awkward laugh, rubbing the back of his neck. “I just… was curious, I guess. About what you’re learning in school.”

“Why?”

“You know, I never finished high school!” Luke says. “I’ve kind of always wondered what it would’ve been like if I had. Y’know, walking across a stage in that dumb cap and gown. Um -- accomplishing something. Being able to finish something important!”

He’s saying too much -- he knows by the way Julie’s expression shifts, confusion into curiosity into concern.

“Hey, wait,” she says, placing her pencil down and closing her textbook. “Are you okay? Is there something you want to talk about, Luke?”

“What? No! I’m fine!”

He hates the way his voice comes out, rough and high-pitched and decidedly not fine. Julie looks like she’s about to argue, so he opens his dumb, not-fine, impulsive mouth once again. “Seriously, Jules. I’m good. Gotta go meet the boys now, see ya!”

He poofs away, but he can still see Julie’s worried stare still fixed on him behind his eyelids.

~

“Don’t you think he’s been acting kinda strange?”

Willie is sitting in the garage, Reggie on the couch to his right and Alex behind him, braiding his hair like he does when he gets nervous.

And he’s trying to console Alex, to tell him to relax, that they’ll make sure Luke is fine -- only the confidence that Willie’s normally so famous for is dwindling.

Alex is worried about Luke, and Willie would love to reassure him, except that Willie thinks that Alex has a point. Luke has been acting strange lately; way too over the top during rehearsals, more trips to see his mom than usual -- trips that he thinks they don’t know about -- plus, he’s been reading books.

Julie’s school books, which he takes out of her room sometimes and stashes up on top of the loft. Books that Alex found there earlier that day, when he was looking for his drumsticks. Books that Alex had asked Willie about… and they’d both determined that it was Luke who had brought them up there, because Reggie wouldn’t hide the fact that he was teaching himself Trigonometry, and Luke’s been acting really weird as it is.

“You said he’s doing math?” Reggie asks, eyes wide. Willie figures Reggie must know just as well as he does -- if not better -- what Luke doing math could mean: that he’s not acting like himself.

“Yes!” Willie flails, waving his arms wildly -- to make a point -- and knocking into his boyfriend, who flinches back, tugging on Willie’s hair in the process.

“Ow!”

“Well you didn’t have to jump like that!” Alex hisses back. “Stop moving. I’m trying to stress-braid.”

“Sorry, Alex,” Willie sighs, straightening himself on the sofa. Sometimes, Alex just needs to stress-braid his hair. It gives him something to do with his hands; it’s a way for him to occupy his mind -- to focus on things other than the anxiety. And Willie’s usually all too happy to provide that service (what feels better than having your hair braided, especially by a boy you love?)

“Do you think he’s okay?” Alex mumbles, fingers once again fumbling through Willie’s hair in his unpracticed, clumsy way.

“Why don’t you guys just talk to him?” Reggie asks. “D’you have any idea what could be wrong?”

“No,” Willie huffs. “He’s just been acting so weird. I know it’s something. He’s doing stuff that he’s never cared about before -- like math. But also just… the stuff he normally loves, music. He’s… acting like it’s gonna be taken away from him, or something. Haven’t you noticed how hard he’s pushing you guys in band practice?”

“He’s acting like… like we’re running out of time,” Alex realizes. “But why?”

Just then, the boy in question poofs into the garage -- like he was rushing to get there; his landing’s not clean, and he stumbles around for a moment before catching himself on one of the microphone stands. He straightens up and sees that he has an audience.

“Hey -- hey, guys,” he stammers. “What’s up? We gonna practice?”

His eyes fix on Reggie, then, and he perks up. “Oh! Reg! I’ve been meaning to ask you -- can you teach me how to play the bass?”

“Can I--” Reggie stops, stares at Luke for a moment, trying to piece everything together.

Alex, though, right in front of Willie behind the sofa, looks like he’s already figured it out. He blinks at Luke. “You want to learn how to play bass?”

“I always have,” Luke shrugs. Alex studies him, and Luke twitches under his gaze.

“I just thought it would be cool, ya know, to know all our instruments. So can you teach me, Reg?”

“Um -- I --” Reggie’s eyes dart between Alex, Willie, and Luke, probably trying to figure out what the right thing to say is. Willie doesn’t know, exactly, but he knows one thing for sure: there’s no way Luke’s sudden interest in learning the bass is a coincidence.

Alex seems to be on the same page, but unlike Willie, he’s more inclined to take charge, to do something about it. “Reg, can we talk to Luke alone for a minute?”

“Yes,” Reggie lets out a sigh of relief and poofs away, leaving Willie and Alex to deal with… whatever this is. Willie still isn’t totally sure.

He’s once again enormously grateful for Alex, and the fact that his boyfriend has a pretty good handle on what’s going on in the world seventy-five percent of the time. Because it shocks Willie just as much as it does Luke when Alex says, “Why are you trying to cross over?”

What?

Willie hasn’t put the pieces together nearly as well as Alex has -- in fact, he feels like they’ve been working on entirely different puzzles. Why would Luke be trying to cross over? Why would he want to leave all the guys, and Julie, behind forever?

He wouldn’t. It doesn’t make sense.

Except the second the words leave Alex’s mouth, Luke freezes, eyes wide like he’s been tossed into the path of an oncoming train, shoes welded to its tracks.

And Willie starts to think that maybe his boyfriend wasn’t so far off the mark, after all.

~

“There are people who love you, you know.”

Luke blinks up at Alex, still frozen, still thrown for a loop, still… not understanding how Alex figured him out.

“How do you think we’d feel if you crossed over?” Alex continues, his intense gaze still fixed on Luke, Luke squirming uncomfortably underneath it. “Without us? Is that… is that something you want?”

Alex’s voice finally cracks, betraying the emotion underneath it, and it’s almost too much for Luke to take. His wild eyes dart around the studio, looking for something -- anything -- to focus on, to take him out of the moment… and he finds the string lights, hung across the walls and the ceilings. He starts counting the bulbs, reciting the numbers in his head. He only makes it to seven before Willie’s voice breaks his concentration.

“Luke?”

“How… how did you know that’s what I was trying to do?” Luke mumbles.

“Well… the math’s what clued me in,” Willie lets out a half-hearted laugh as Alex takes slow steps around the sofa and sits down.

“Come here,” he calls out to Luke -- and although every bone in Luke’s body is screaming run, get out, get far, far away from this conversation… he finds himself joining them, sitting down in the spot on the couch they’ve made in between them.

“We just want you to know there are people who love you,” Willie says. “People -- people who need you, Luke. You can’t leave us, okay? You can’t cross over. Not without us.”

“But you -- you guys and Reggie and Julie -- you don’t need me.”

“What are you talking about?” Alex asks. “Of course we--”

“You and Reg would still be alive if it weren’t for me,” Luke growls. “So don’t say you need me. All I do is mess everything up. You guys, our careers, my parents…”

“Hang on, Luke,” Alex reaches a hand out, momentarily caught off guard. Luke doesn’t see why; it’s not like what he said was that complicated. He’s messed up. He breaks things. He ruined his parents’ lives by running away. He almost ruined Julie’s life, by getting involved with Caleb. And -- and Alex and Reggie…

“None of that’s your fault,” Alex says with conviction.

“Alex--”

“No!” Alex gets up, suddenly, and starts to pace around the room, fingers digging through his hair. “You have to know that. We don’t blame you for any of that!”

“Luke, Alex is right,” Willie reaches a hand out, cautiously, and takes one of Luke’s. When Luke doesn’t pull away, Willie pulls him even closer, into his chest, and starts gently running his fingers through Luke’s hair.

Luke sinks into Willie’s chest, eyes following Alex’s nervous pacing -- he’s biting his lip, and his hands are shaking slightly. Luke hadn’t realized that it might be hard on Alex, too, dealing with Luke’s current mental spiral.

He pulls away from Willie, ignoring the other boy’s whine of protest, and sits up to face Alex. “Hey, Alex,” he calls out quietly. “Come back and sit down. I’m-- I’m good. You don’t have to worry about me. Just… take deep breaths, okay?”

“Are you seriously trying to calm me down right now?” Alex snaps. A flash of hurt crosses Luke’s face -- one that he must not be quick enough to hide, because Alex’s own face softens at the sight of it.

“I’m sorry,” he says. “Luke… I--”

“Just come back here and hold me, please,” Luke croaks.

Luke… doesn’t cry much, if he can help it. He hates tears, both his own and other people’s, and generally tries to avoid them at all costs. But… the look on Alex’s face, the tone of his voice -- his scared, anxious, desperate voice as he snapped at Luke for trying to calm him down -- has the dam breaking, finally, and the tears are bursting out of Luke’s eyes and running down his face before he even knows what’s happening, running down and soaking into the collar of his flannel shirt.

At the sight of Luke’s tears, Alex startles, and makes a beeline for his side. Luke is thrown into a group hug, Alex and Willie on either side of him.

And he just lets himself cry.

~

It takes a while, but finally Luke calms down a bit.

He stays on the couch, sandwiched in between two of his favorite people on the planet. Willie’s hands are still running gently through his hair; Alex’s thumb is rubbing small circles on his wrist.

His tears have finally stopped, but there’s this annoying, puffy ache in his head and behind his eyes that feels like it’s going to linger for a while.

It’s quiet, and the quiet allows Luke to think about everything that’s happened that day -- after weeks of his stupid, ill-advised mission to complete his unfinished business, he’s been found out.

And he found out that people -- Alex and Willie, who are love and sunshine and light and everything beautiful about the world personified -- would actually miss him if he was gone. That people care, that they don’t blame him for the stuff that he’s been blaming himself for for months.

It’s… a lot to wrap his head around, and even though the tears have stopped, the uncertainty and anxiety and desire to not be a burden is still swirling around in his head, leaving him silent and still as he sits there in between Alex and Willie, his head now resting on Willie’s shoulder.

He knows that those feelings, like the ache he feels in his heart and his head, will probably be around a while.

“I’m sorry for making you worry ‘bout me,” he mumbles, burrowing his face even deeper into Willie’s loose-fitting sweatshirt. Willie’s arms wrap around him and hold him there, and Luke takes in a deep, slow breath, inhaling Willie’s musky scent, shutting his eyes in the first moment of contentment he’s felt in weeks.

“I meant what I said, you know,” Alex whispers. “None of it’s your fault. There are people who love you. We…”

He stops, and Luke turns his head as much as Willie’s grip will allow to try to see why. He’s able to just peek at Alex out of the corner of his eye, and he sees that the other boy’s frowning. Like he’s unsure of what he’s about to say. Like he’s nervous.

“Alex?” Luke struggles out of Willie’s grip, and reluctantly, the other boy lets him go. He shuffles to the other side of the sofa, closer to Alex, and the drummer opens his arms for Luke willingly.

Being in Alex’s arms is different than being in Willie’s, too. Alex is sturdier; less teddy-bear like than Willie is, but comforting and warm and inviting all the same. Alex’s arms feel like home just as much as Willie’s do, and Luke melts into the hug instantly, like an ice cream cone on the hot pavement in July. Alex’s hand runs up and down Luke’s back and Luke shivers, eyes threatening to slip closed despite his need to hear Alex’s answer.

“Willie and I love you, Luke,” Alex says softly. There’s no more uncertainty -- a hint of nervousness, but Luke doesn’t doubt what Alex is saying for a second. There’s a conviction in his tone -- a confidence -- that Alex only really uses when talking about people he loves. This… defensiveness, this love, this conviction.

“We don’t have to figure everything out now,” Alex continues -- probably realizing Luke’s been through enough that day. Luke appreciates that, actually. There’s only one answer he would ever give to Alex and Willie -- only one thing his heart’s ever wanted; Luke can see it now, now that the sound of his heartbeat is pulsing in his ears, now that he feels like he’s both standing on the edge of a mountain, about to take a leap of faith into the crisp winter air below -- and at the same time, on solid ground, in no danger of falling, of stumbling, of getting hurt. He feels safe and exhilarated all at the same time, and this feeling is both familiar and completely new, more amplified than it usually is. Not what he’s used to.

But Luke feels like he’s ready to take the leap now. He still feels guilty, still isn’t actually sure whether his friends -- his family -- would be better off without him. But Alex and Willie have never steered him wrong before.

When he’s sitting in between them, their arms around him and their warm, soft hands running through his hair… Luke feels like maybe he can get through anything.

[enby-pads]

“Siri please don’t be like that, I’m different you know I’m different” sobbed the young boy, chasing after his beloved older brother.

“Are you? Where’s the proof Regulus? You can’t simply say that you’re different your actions have to do that for you and I think we both know that that mark on your arm proves just how similar you all are” his words were dripping with anger and resentment. When he had heard the rumours, that little Reggie had become one of them, he couldn’t believe it, he wouldn’t. After all he knew that his brother was different. After seeing his arm branded, defiled, in the same way he had seen countless times in the paper, he couldn’t lie to himself anymore. His brother wasn’t who he thought he was, Sirius stood alone against his family.

“So what that’s it then? No more me no more mom no more dad? You’ve turned yourself into a brotherless orphan!”

“No, I haven’t. I have a family, one that doesn’t hurt me, that cares about me as much as I care about them! I have the Potters, I have my wonderful brothers James and Peter, I have my amazing boyfriend. I don’t need you and from the looks of it you don’t need me either. You’re dead to me Reg, I hope you’re happy with what you chose.”

“You too.” The brothers turned and walked in opposite directions, oblivious to the crowds that had formed around them in their hateful and saddened state. Deep down Regulus wished he could tell his brother everything. That it wasn’t his choice he had wanted to stay out of it, to help the opposition even. But he had learned that the best way to survive was by keeping your head down and doing what you’re told.

Not everyone has the Potters.

[catchyoulaterhotdog]

Country boy, I love you AU

What’s up, i’m back on my bullshit with this self indulgent country boy!Willie and city boy!Alex au. The new tag is country boy I love you au because I finally came up with a name. Since I don’t really write I wanted to write out some head canons for this au as I pump out more drawings. Put under the cut for anyone who doesn’t want to read all my ramblings.

Willie

Last name is Thomson, lives with his family on a big farm, has an older brother and a younger sister, plus his cousin Flynn lives with him!

Absolutely loves animals and getting up early. My boy is up crowing with the Roosters.

Can cook and bake like a god, predominantly works in the bakery in the back of his parent’s market. You have to try his homemade donuts, they’re to die for.

His parents are Renee and Allen, his sister is Fivel, his brother Matthew. Y’all already know Flynn

Absolutely loves horses!!! Had a horse boy phase, probably still in it.

His parents and trainer try to get him to do horse shows but he’d much rather go on trail rides all day

His formal trainer is Caleb Covington, who wishes he’d use his skills for much more than just running around the woods and pretending to be Merida from Brave.

Absolute best friends with Reggie and Julie, who he’s known all of his life. Reggie works as a stable keep and Julie works at the market with him.

Flynn and him are tight-knit, and tease each other about their respective crushes on some cute but definitely out of place people on the farm.

Friendly as hell but super energetic a lot of the time, can take some time to get use to him.

Carries around stim toys for him and Reggie in his bag, even sometimes puts them in saddle bags when they go out for rides.

Assigned to help out Alex, a new boy to town who just needed a job and didn’t expect this.

Alex

Lives with Carrie and Trevor Wilson, Carrie being his cousin, since coming out to his parents didn’t go so well

Trevor decides to move out to the countryside to find some new inspiration for his music and get out of the stuffy city life.

Trevor becomes friends with Ray (cough cough) and Alex is introduced to his daughter Julie

They hit it off and when Alex mentions needing a job, Julie recommends him to the Thomsons.

Shows up to his first day of work in a nice shirt plus his fanny pack, along with some nice jeans he had patched and painted with Carrie.

Willie is enamored but is like, what the hell are you wearing? As Willie stands there in beat up overalls and a very loose flannel button up. 

Alex is not amused, going through mud and hay and all this gunk to work with animals.

Low key terrified of the horses at first, the only animal he trusts is Willie’s beloved sheep dog, named Hot Dog for some reason???

Thinks Willie is hot way too energetic and kind of hates him at first.

Rants to Carrie, think Draco ranting about Harry to his dad, “You won’t believe what he made me do today!!! I almost slipped and ended up pig food! And He had the audacity to look so good in messy braids and overalls covered in filth!”

Low-key wishes he had a job in the market instead but is slowly coming around.

Does have one cow that he absolutely loves

Does absolutely 100% not have a crush on Willie shut the fuck up Carrie.

Julie

Absolute sweetheart and a half, we know this

Lives with her dad and brother in a nice house not too far from Willie’s, they grew up together and him and Flynn are her absolute best friends

Reggie she’s meant a few times but doesn’t really have a lot of time to check out the stables, he seems really nice though.

Works mostly in the bakery part with Willie, she can frost a cupcake like nobody’s business.

Absolutely adores music and she organizes a quarterly concert on the farm where anyone can sign up and help raise funds for cancer awareness (Started after her mom died)

One day a newcomer shows up and his name is Luke

She thinks he is absolutely obnoxious at first, wayyyy too flirty and wayyy too full of himself

Once he catches sight of her though he makes it his mission to go to the farmer’s market as much as possible without seeming to creepy

And maybe, maybe Julie’s starting to think he’s funny

No he’s not cute shut up Alex!!!

Reggie

Horse trainer and stable hand for the Thomsons

Willie loves going on long trail rides with him, they really get each other

Absolutely loves his job and the friends he’s made at the barn

Very common for him to stay with Willie when his parents are fighting

The first one to make friends with Alex on the farm (After Julie), they bond over a shared love of many 90s bands and he helps him come around to the horses

Thinks watching him and Willie in the beginning stages is absolutely hilarious

Takes Alex shopping for some actual appropriate clothing

Gets crushes really really easily, probably has had one on everybody on the farm at some point.

Absolutely loves Julie’s quarterly concerts and always plays the same song-Home is where my horse is

Sometimes on really busy days he’ll help out Willie and Julie in the market

Met Luke at the same concert Julie did and is now very happy to play matchmaker

He loves love!!!

Is trying to teach Luke horseback riding but it’s not going so well

May or may not be the reason the sheep dog is named Hot Dog

Luke

Lives with his friend, Nick, since he ran away from his parents. 

Has dedicated himself to music, and found out about a concert that a local farm did

There he meets Julie and Reggie and he loves them both

Makes it his mission to try and court the lovable but sassy Julie with Reggie as his wingman

Meets Alex and they bond over being into music and a little less country oriented than everyone else.

Though Alex will tell him off if he’s holding up business

Constantly gets snuck onto the farm by Reggie

First to notice the insane tension between Willie and Alex

Flynn

Lives with Willie since her parents travel a lot

Loves the farm but not as much as Willie, she’s not as big into the animals

Always performs with Julie at the concerts

Works in the market but in the produce section

Does hijack the speakers to play modern music

Meets Alex’s sister(?), she thinks Carrie is his sister at first.

Everyone thinks they hate each other but Willie, who realizes Flynn has a big crush on Carrie and tries to get her a job

Flynn will absolutely not admit her crush though 

Is very intrigued by whatever Luke and Julie have going on and teams up with Reggie to make it a thing

No one expects it but Reggie and her make a bomb ass team

They’re pretty close but they don’t hang out as often as they should

Carrie

Absolutely hates this move, even more than Alex

Goes to the farm with him a few times and almost cried when one of her dresses got ruined because a certain worker smashed into her with crates of produce

Though she couldn’t cry because the beautiful girl who smashed into her and was talking a mile a minute had absolutely enamored her.

Alex thinks it is hilarious since it’s finally reversed and she’s not teasing him about his crushes

Carrie is determined to get this girl to like her, but isn’t quite sure how. 

Finds an in when she becomes friends with Julie and Julie knows right away what’s going on between her two friends

Just a lot of oblivious gay pining

[chaoslaura]

Tchaikovsky or Led Zeppelin (or both?)

Ballet!Reggie Fluff with his friends

Warnings: None

Word count: 2,693

„Hand on the bar, chin up, shoulders down, stomach in, looking straight ahead. Don’t forget to straighten your inner leg at all times, most important before you go into relevé. Toni, leave you heel flat on the floor. What kind of arm movement is that supposed to display, Marcus?” Mrs. Petrow gave a few tututut noises while going around the room, inspecting every student, attentive for every minimalistic mistake.

‘The arm is not round enough, point the foot more, pay attention to where the little toe points, the gaze follows the arm.’ Every little detail was observed by Mrs. Petrow and nothing escaped her even with twenty students scattered around the room. She found something to complain about with everyone, like every lesson, every week, for years. You get the notion. When she reached Reggie, she merely put her index finger under his chin und lifted it up a bit, otherwise saying nothing and Reggie felt proud he didn’t make a mistake for once. Rare occurrence.

Clapping her hands once, the dance teacher signalled the end of the exercise “You all have to focus more, the performance must be perfect, but in the current state you’re all in I would never let you on stage.” Mrs. Petrow was as kind as always, never holding back with her dissatisfaction, Reggie sighed.

“Now to the grand battement jeté, hurry up. And one and two and three.” With every jeté she clapped her hands in sync with the piano music. Reggie loathed this exercise, his leg wouldn’t comply with going higher, no matter how often Reggie trained, and he knew his teacher wasn’t satisfied either.

After their exercises on the bar they would go over to routines in the middle of the room, alone or pairing up with the girls. Pirouettes were Reggie’s passion. He could spin and turn around the room and would never stop when his head wouldn’t complain at one point, getting dizzy and his vision turning with the room. But there was something so deeply connecting him with the music, how his body would sway with the rhythm, letting it fill his mind. He could follow the moves with his eyes closed, concentrating on every little muscle, the emotions flowing through him to the tips of his fingers.

But today they would train for their performance in pas de deux and Reggie looked out for his partner Toni. She came over with a smile on her lips, ready to gossip about their teacher when she wasn’t looking. It was their favourite activity to pass the time and a way to get rid of the stress. Mrs. Petrow would be lecturing them for their giggling in no time. Too much fun wasn’t allowed withing these walls. It was a tragic story and their faces had to portray that too, each little smile was out of place.

But with Toni he didn’t mind. She was as goofy as him outside of practice and they had gotten along really good since the beginning when he started dancing at age 7 and she was 8. Now he was 17 and still going.

For their teacher’s sake both of them pushed their jokes to the back of their minds and got to their start position. Reggie always loved how the men were playing an essential part as a supporting role for the women and weren’t in the spotlight for once unless they had a solo, but they could never reach the level of gracefulness female ballet dancers achieved.

So, he picked Toni up with his hands on her waist and lifted her up, her legs straight while she moved her arms around in a precise manner. Letting her down again he twirled her once before she got into an attitude. When she was on her point shoes, she protruded him just two inches, but she never stopped teasing him about it since he hit his last growth spurt and would never catch up with her again. (Him and Luke had gotten in enough fights over their heights he didn’t need another person teasing him about it.)

When they were finally allowed to leave, his white shirt clung to his skin, sweat running down his back. His muscles were tired and riding his bicycle seemed like an impossible task. His body was all mushy from the stretches but at least he had a pause for two days before the cycle began again.

Changing into his street clothes and packing his shirt, tights, and ballet slippers into his bag, he met with Toni at the entrance again, they were always waiting for each other for a quick chat.

“You feel like grabbing a bite? Training put a hole in my stomach, I was afraid Mrs. Petrow would hear it grumbling and scold me for it, for making the act unbelievable.” Toni asked him, her own bag slung over her shoulder.

Reggie shook his head, regretting his last minute made plans. “Well, I would love to, but I also have practice with the band in a minute. No time, sorry.”

Toni gave him a bewildered look. “Now? After training? Sometimes I wonder how you fit everything under your hat. Must be a pretty big one. No wonder you like cowboy hats.” As everyone else of his friends Toni picked up his passion for Country pretty early but never made fun of him because of that. Might be another reason why he liked her so much.

“There should really be a cowboy themed ballet. Imagine a magical story between a cowboy and his beloved horse, going on an adventure together, maybe meeting a woman along the way but in the end he realizes that his one true love is his freedom and his horse.”

Toni let out a loud laugh, holding her stomach and laid a hand on Reggie’s shoulder, squeezing it shortly. She was clearly amused. “You watched Brokeback Mountain one too many times I would say.”

Reggie gave a scandalized look. “I said freedom not men. Don’t read between the lines where there is nothing to be found.” He scoffed once again but he knew Toni was just making fun of him.

Taking her hand back from his shoulder, she instead pulled him into a hug as a goodbye. “Well then, have fun tonight, say hello to the boys and Julie for me, haven’t seen them in a while.”

Reggie put his arms around Toni’s waist and gave a last squeeze before letting loose. “I’ll bring them to the premier if they want to or not. They’re in debt after the accident at the pier and I will use this favour to drag them to the show.”

“Can’t wait. Bye Reg, I really have to go now or my stomach will eat itself.” As on cue a grumbling was heard, and Toni clutched at her tummy before continuing in a dramatic voice “See, it’s too late. I will die a horrible death, tell Alex that I always appreciated his advices, and Bobby’s dating tips, Julie is just amazing and has great style, and most importantly tell Luke he’s a dumbass.”

Reggie chuckled at the last comment. “Will do, but what’s with me? Don’t say I wasn’t important enough to get a last goodbye. I never let you fall when I held you, you should appreciate that” A pout decorated Reggie’s face and he was ready to sulk at such injustice.

“Oh thanks Reggie, really. Thank you for not harming me, the bare minimum. You won’t get a thanks for that and now go before your boys start searching for you.”

“Alright, kiss a meatball sub for me. “ With a last wave Reggie turned around and walked in the opposite direction, he wasn’t entirely sure if he locked his bike over there, or maybe around the corner? Oh thank god, there it was, he was in no condition to walk to their studio or how Alex would call it ‘a rundown garage at best’.

The wind that passed him as he paddled down the road, cooled down his flushed skin, and left him feeling more alive than half an hour ago. The lights at the garage were already on when Reggie turned into the driveway, leaning his bike against the wall and grabbing his bag. Luckily for him his bass had found a permanent residency at the studio, the thought of having to drag it around too, no thanks, his arm muscles were aching enough.

He opened the creaking door to reveal his four bandmates standing around the room, doing various things. Luke looked up from his notebook, what else would he be doing.

“Toni said I should tell you you’re a dumbass Luke.” Reggie said as a greeting and slumped down on the couch, feeling the soft material and sighed at how comfortable it was.

Luke sputtered and gave him a confused and questioning look, coming over and joining him on the couch, instantly crossing his arms and started pouting. “What did I do?”

Luke seemed really upset and Reggie felt sorry for saying it like that. “Luke, it was a joke! You know how Toni is, we were just joking around.”

Luke had gone from sad back to upbeat in a second and stood up again to retrieve his notebook, a pencil was still clamped behind his ear. “Oh good, and I thought I forgot something I did.”

“Wouldn’t be the first time.” Ales smiled sweetly at Luke from where he was already seated behind his drum kit, giving a snickering Julie a bro fist, who was always in to drag Luke. It was their little game. How everyone else but them could see how much it counted as flirting was astonishing, but well, what could they do besides follow the play?

“Back to Toni. How’s it going with her?” Bobby asked then, repeatingly raising his eyebrows in a seemingly suggesting manner, a lopsided grin plastered on his face.

“What do you mean?” Reggie was seriously confused at that question. “She’s fine if that is what you wanted to know.”

Alex groaned in the background. There was oblivious Reggie again, how they knew and loved him. Luke sprung in, helping Bobby out. “What Bobby wanted to know is if you finally made a move on Toni. You know, like asking her out on a date?”

Reggie’s mouth popped open. He had never been thinking about going on a date with Toni, not even considering it. That concept was weird, they were just really good friends. “Why would I ask her out? She’s just a friend.” He said so.

Julie put the mic she had been holding until now into the stand and turned to Reggie. “First of all, you know each other for 10 years. Second, you two have the same personality and interests, you two fit so good together. When she’s around, your happiness is bouncing off the balls, much like Luke after a gig. And to wrap it up, she looks gorgeous, you love her style, you said so yourself.” Great, now Julie had conspired against him too.

Reggie raised an eyebrow, was that it? “And? We all share interests, we’re in a band together, and Luke and I have known each other since we’re 10 and I can say with confidence that you all look good, but have I asked any of you out yet? No. So why would I do that with Toni?”

“I’m honoured for being called good-looking.” Alex said. “But Reggie, if you don’t want to you don’t have to ask Toni out. We just thought you two really liked each other, we thought it was obvious, sorry.” Reggie couldn’t stay mad long at Alex; he was just too sweet. He sighed, stood up from the couch and doubled over, stretching his knees. It was never a good idea to sit down after training.

“I will never get over how flexible you are.” Reggie looked up and saw Bobby staring at him with amazement.

Reggie grinned at the hidden compliment. “If you wouldn’t skip PE all the time, you might get there one day.”

Julie hollered, satisfied with where this was going. “Yes, call him out for what he is, a lazy pazy, abandoning us in gym hell.”

Luke meanwhile stopped scribbling in his book again and gave an annoyed expression. “Guys, we said no school talk during band time.” There was nothing new with Luke’s hate of school. For him it was just another distraction in his music career, another way to waste precious song writing time.

Reggie stretched his arms a last time, rolling his shoulder blades, and made a beeline for his bass. He loved practice time with his friends, but he was ready for this day to be over, but hoped it wasn’t too obvious. Not that his friends got the impression he didn’t like spending time with them. Luke picked up on his exhaustion though.

“Why you seem so tired today? You look like you’re done with the day and it’s only 8.”

Reggie wasn’t sure if that was a serious question and needed a second. “You can try giving your everything in ballet with Mrs. Petrow for two and a half hours and see how fresh you’re looking afterwards.”

Luke’s eyes got soft again. “Sorry, didn’t know you had practice beforehand.” He apologized and then as another thought crossed his mind “- Wait, didn’t you were at practice two days ago?”

“I have practice on Mondays, Wednesdays and Fridays. It has always been like this before a performance.” How could Luke had never catch up on that?

“What?? You’re training three days a week on top of schoolwork and band practice almost every day a week?” Bobby let out like it was implausible, showing the same baffled look as Luke.

Reggie was looking between the two. “Yeah?” He wasn’t sure what they wanted him to say.

All four seemed impressed at that and Alex sympathetic smile greeted him when Reggie looked his way. “When you’re tired, we can call it off for today and just watch a movie or something.” He proposed and everyone else agreed, even Luke, who pushed them the hardest.

Reggie was quick to jump on that opportunity and before someone else could chime in with ideas he picked up a DVD from his Star Wars collection, hearing a collective groaning behind him, but he didn’t care. It was his feel-good escape.

Bobby tousled his hair when he walked past him where the TV sat and laughed at Reggie’s disgruntled look. “You don’t look as threatening as you want, you’re just too cute.” Fantastic, just what he liked to hear. Pulling his hair back again that had fallen in his face from Bobby’s action, Alex called out to him.

“Hey Reg, do a pair of spins to the TV.”

Reggie didn’t need to be told twice before he started turning to where he wanted to go, fixating a point on the wall, his leg going into a passé on every turn. Landing in perfect position in front of the older telly, he gave his audience one bow and got applause in return, eliciting a smile from him.

When they were all seated on a pile of cushions and surrounded with blankets, a cuddling mess on the floor, Reggie remembered what he wanted to ask them. “Hey, would you like to come to the premier? It’s in two weeks. It’s okay if you have plans already, it’s not as important, I wouldn’t be mad, I just wan-“

Alex hand was placed on his arm, interrupting his nervous rambling. “Of course we’ll come Reg. Right guys?” The other three were quick to agree and Reggie beamed at them.

“I’ll sit front row and whistle every time you come on stage.” Luke added. Reggie was not keen on finding out if Luke was serious and made a mental note to place Luke in the back of the venue.

When the credits scrolled down on the screen later, Reggie was already fast asleep, laying between his friends, who just pulled the blanked higher on him and tried to be as silent as possible while chatting quietly.

[holdittighter]

@sidekicksdreams​ ;

Continues from here 

Reggie smiles at Luke, happy that he had helped him and also because it means a lot for him, and even has friends, it’s also important for Reggie that Luke appreciates his advice and feedback. That means a lot for him. Their muse is lucky, they must be someone awesome. Then Luke apologize for not telling him he likes guys. Alex did, so why didn’t Luke? Reggie doesn’t really care, but now he wonders why Luke acts like that. Anyway, he wasn’t better himself, he never told them about his own sexuality crisis.

“You didn’t have to do it if you didn’t feel like it.”

Then he guess it was about Alex and Luke starts laughing. He laughs so hard that Reggie can tell it wasn’t Alex at all. Reggie doesn’t move at all, just looking at Luke. Anyway, he’s still a lucky one and can’t say no to Luke. No one can. Luke came closer, and Reggie hearts skipped another beat. He was really close and looking directly at him, then he took his wristband, looking at the name. Reggie just stayed here, looking Luke in the eyes without moving. And then, Luke confesses to him. Reggie stops breathing and Luke was smiling, really happy. Reggie’s eyes brightened and his smile widened as tears were rolling down on his cheeks. It wasn’t sadness tears, but tears of happiness. He was breathing again and didn’t really realize he was crying.

“I…”

He doesn’t know what to say, he really wants to know that he loves him, even if Luke already knows, he’s not even sure of what’s happening. He stays here a few minutes, and it feels like so.  He finally can’t help himself, and quickly wraps his arms around Luke’s neck, hugging him tight, still crying, not really knowing what he was doing. He calms himself, burying his face in the crop of Luke’s neck, really happy about everything, but not sure of what’s happening.

“I love you too, Luke!”

He whispers only for Luke to hear, but he can’t smile more, he finally lets Luke go, just enough to look at his face, a bright smile, still tears in his eyes and his cheeks. He can’t really believe what was happening, he’s not even sure how to react and he just doesn’t want to be too awkward, but he was looking at Luke’s lips. He really wanted to kiss him, he might have dreamt of it before, but he never kissed anyone before, and he was really nervous. But also really happy. He’s the lucky one, probably the luckiest person in the world.

“So… That song… it’s for me?”

Luke smiles back, feeling better after receiving a smile from his friend. And at his words, it seems that Reggie’s not really angry. Just surprised or disappointed that he hasn’t said anything about it, which he understands very well. It wasn’t that he didn’t want to, just he wasn’t ready to tell him yet. He shook his head and then confessed, slowly.

“But I wanted and felt like to!” he sighs again. “I couldn’t because I didn’t know what was going on with me. Alex helped me to go through the in and out of my sexuality.” He confessed. 

He had done it; he confessed his love. Finally. Damn it. He had tried doing so a lot but he simply lost all courage during the last second and since his Mate was oblivious, he just couldn’t. But now, he decided to go with it. Maybe it was Alex’s words, or it was Reggie’s wristband and his behavior that had given him some hope that he was the right person for the green eyed cutie who was in front of him. Something had pushed him to act on his feelings. Expressing them flatly. He looked at Reggie’s face then smiled softly when he started crying. He was too, but there were no tears running down from his eyes. He slowly lifted his hand and wipes his tears.

“Don’t cry, Reg.” He whispered. “I prefer when you smile. And when you are with happy face.”

He doesn’t stop wiping the tears, whispering some few ‘I love you’ there and there. He was a bit surprised when Reggie hugged him but his shock only lasted two seconds before one of his arms wrapped itself around his waist and hold him tightly against him, while the second was around his neck, his hand caressing his hairs slowly. He hummed in contenement while he burry his face on his neck. It felt right. He thought that when he knew that Reggie was his Soulmate, he couldn’t be happier. Now, he is. He is feeling home, with Reggie against him, so close he can smell him. He loves his smell. It smells like home. Reggie is his home. And if he was a little more honest — he is but now he isn’t in the right mind to be honest or to think rationally either — he would’ve said that Reggie had always been home to him. He laughed against his skin, happy about hearing the words he had said earlier coming from his Mate’s mouth; declared with his sweet voice. He's in cloud nine and wishes for this moment to never end.

But this is a moment, it has to end. Because Reggie let go of him. However, he isn’t really ready to do it; his hand was on his forearm, not tightly holding it but still there to make sure he is close. It was unusual, he never was this sensitive about having him not close or not touching. He could have not seen him for three days it would’ve been okay. But this thought, now, makes him cringe and feel like he couldn’t breath. He should have followed the courses about soulbonds.

“I love you too.” He said again.

The fact is, it’s challenging to let go of the words the first time. Once you said it, it becomes easy to do so after. He noticed the look on his lips. He is usually the one who looks at Reggie’s lips for a long time. He laughed and nodded softly. Only Reginald could ask such things; asking if the song that handle soulmate is about him while it was his name that appears on his skin. Luke found him adorable. No, that was not the right word. For Luke, Reggie is Magnificent, beautiful. Heavenly. Angelic. Which is why he usually has to remember that he needs to breath when he just walks in a room or when the sunrays create a halo around him.

“Of course it is, you Dork!” he smiled big. “Half of my songs are about or for you. Maybe more. You know I nearly put ‘my dear dork dork’ in the place of ‘My beloved boy’ ? ”

He smiled and gets a little closer, again. He finally whispers, softly. Making it a lot more intimate, even if they are alone in there.

“Can I kiss you?” he asked, not wanting to force him and not wanting to do it without consent either.

[darling-i-fancy-you]

Colour Soulmate AU - Jughead X OC

[A/N: Finally I’m back! However not with the stuff you wanted or asked for, I am a terrible writer. This is a little rough around the edges but hey-ho! 

Okay so this is going to be an anthology series of different pairings (any and all pairings) finding their soulmates and I’m going to be using a multitude of different soulmate tropes! Starting with the soulmate AU, I apologise that this is really wordy but I had to get in all the different elements of what a soulmate consists of. I also plan on probably keeping each post as a one-shot which is maybe a little mean but I kind of like how I ended this one, let me know what you think! Also American readers please excuse my English-isms.]

Word Count: 1895

The sleepy town of Riverdale was illuminated with lights and colours, Pop’s Chok-Lit-Shoppe flashed a warm neon red, reflecting against the hoods of the cars that sat parked outside in the cold dark chill. The words Twilight Drive-In sat prettily against a dark blue backdrop held above the rusting letters ‘Closing Soon’, the abandoned sign creaked under the pressure of a strong wind that struck it heavily. The large Town Hall stood proudly painted in the freshest of lemon colours, the shadows of the night illuminated the deceitful corruption that lay hidden behind the closed doors.

A gang of teenagers occupied the space in one of booths at the diner, Archie Andrews with his flaming locks of auburn hair, Betty Cooper with her glistening emerald eyes, Veronica Lodge and her sultry red lipstick, Jughead Jones wearing his infinitely present grey beanie, and Erica Mars undoubtedly plain with her dull brown hair and eyes to match.

You were considered lucky if you could view the world with its full spectrum of colours, if you could notice the difference between the light pink that hummed with the rise of the sunset and the cold blue that descended upon the misty town of Riverdale as the sun set. Seeing the hues of the world meant one thing, that you had met your soulmate.

For some it was one look at a stranger, maybe from across the room, a quick glance or a longing stare and suddenly the greyscale that was at once omnipresent bled with colour. Sometimes it was with one blink and the harsh brightness of the golden sun would blind them. It had been recorded on a number of occasions that colours would begin to make themselves present one by one, over a number of months or years. One day the person in question looked at someone who had been there all along and noticed the flecks of greens that dotted their crystal blue eyes; finally the collection of colours now complete.  

The fateful night that brought Veronica Lodge into Pop’s Chok-Lit-Shoppe was also the very night that Betty Cooper saw the world in its rightful way. Cued by the chime of the bell above the door, Archie’s jaw hang slack, Betty whipped her head around to view the black swan that glided into the diner, donned in a long black cape, with the dress, shoes and bag to match. If it hadn’t been for the signature red lipstick that was deftly applied to Ronnie’s supple lips, the young blonde girl may not have realised that her life had just been monumentally altered. The red hue of Pop’s diner reflected in the whites of Betty’s eyes, her golden hair sitting atop of her head as though it was a halo.

‘Hi,’ Veronica smiled down at Betty with her deep and warm brown eyes.

Archie continued to converse with Veronica, oblivious as to what was transpiring between the two girls. Betty stared on at Ronnie in astonishment, any and all words caught on her tongue, that was until Pop returned with an order for Lodge and the raven-haired teen disappeared into the nightfall. From that moment, life as Betty Cooper had known it had changed, in a twist of fate she had the met the one person currently walking the earth that was made entirely for her.

Yes, you were lucky if you could see the world in colour, you were lucky if when you stared back into the eyes of your beloved you saw the world, you were the luckiest if they saw it reflected back into their own eyes, but what about when they didn’t?

-

Erica Mars was eight years old when she first saw the world in colour. Running through the playground of Riverdale Elementary, the whole class was involved in a mass game of ‘tag’ and a tall Reggie Mantle was close on the back of her heels. She ran as fast as she could, weaving through the crowds of kids until she felt his tough hard hands on her back, he had caught up with her and pushed her as hard as he could before shouting.

‘Tag you’re it!’

He laughed as he ran into the crowd, leaving Erica flat on the floor, her knees stinging with the fresh pain caused by concrete gazing the tender skin of her knees.

‘Are you okay?’ A soft voice from above asked.

Erica looked up at a young boy, if she could see in colour there wouldn’t have been much to admire, he was dressed from head to toe in array of blacks and greys, even his hair was a black as the night sky. Erica held back a sniffle, determined not to cry over a little cut, she nodded firmly and looked at the hand that boy had offered out to her.

‘Reggie’s a jerk.’ He muttered.

Erica let out a watery laugh and the boy above her smiled. She looked down to the graze on her knee and almost recoiled in shock, tiny beads of red liquid oozed from the stinging graze. Her gaze turned curiously back to the young boy standing in front of her, his hand still outstretched, tentatively she took it.

‘I’m Jughead Jones,’ he smiled, ‘the third.’

‘Erica – Erica Mars.’

She kept the little secret to herself, at the tender age of eight she wasn’t very sure what to do with the information, so she hid the fact that she could see both the bright and dull colours of the world. She hid it from her parents, her teachers, her friends and most definitely hid it from Jughead Jones.

In their youth Erica was uninterested in pursuing anything romantic with the boy the universe had decidedly marked as her soulmate, she couldn’t deny however that she felt inherently drawn to him. After their first real encounter at Riverdale Elementary the two children were as thick as thieves, Erica was happily welcomed into the small group that originally consisted of Jughead Jones, Archie Andrews and Betty Cooper, and it only expanded as the years went on.

As those years passed by however the pressure of finding your soulmate grew, Betty constantly gushed throughout middle school about the day when she would meet her soulmate and how finally the complicated ‘pieces of the puzzle that was life’ would fall into place. At one point she would admit that she had hoped it was Archie. She imagined one day waking up and staring across at him from her bedroom window, the wooden panels framing his bedroom window would appear a serene yellow, the trees on either side of their fences would blossom with vibrant green leaves and his rich dark red hair would messily fall in front of his eyes as he sent her a boyish smile. Each morning she woke however and was still presented with the same grey dilemma.

Despite her disheartenment at the prospect of never finding her true love she would still coo and romanticise over the notion. In response Erica would feign excitement at the possibilities of one day meeting her match, unwilling to let on that she could see how the sun reflected on the golden crown of Betty Cooper and how Archie Andrews’ hair held many shades of red depending on the time of day.

Jughead Jones would always say the same thing regarding his soulmate.

‘The day I see in colour is the day Pop makes a burger that is too big for me to eat.’

Together the group would laugh at his sarcastic humour, yet Erica couldn’t deny the first time he had spoken about soulmates along those lines she felt more then a little crushed.

‘He still saw in black and white.’ She thought to herself.

She had never really fooled herself into believing that she and Jughead could be anything more than the best of friends, but of course over time her personal feelings had shifted. She noticed more often how his icy blue eyes would light up at a particularly well-timed joked, she admired the way his dark hair would stick to his snow-like skin after a light shower of rain, and she couldn’t help how her gaze would meet his lips as he sat obliviously in the corner of the booth, invested in his own words. She had hoped one day, much like Betty, that Jughead would walk into Pop’s and suddenly he’d see the pale pink of the strawberry milkshake that sat waiting for him and just behind that he’d see his best friend, Erica Mars, in all the colours that the world had to offer.

Unfortunately, in some sorry yet not unheard of cases, people would meet their soulmates but by a cruel twist of fate they would find that their soulmate was not looking for them. There was someone else out there for them, someone better suited, someone who would bring them more happiness than the other possibly could. Heartbreaking stuff of course, yet all too true. This appeared to be the case for one Erica Mars, ever the optimist however, she revelled in the wholesome friendship that Jughead Jones gave to her so willingly, and silently she thanked him for opening her eyes to the beauty that world had to offer.

-

In the booth at Pop’s, Archie was questioning Betty and Ronnie about the hues and saturations of everything and anything, eagerly making notes in the notebook that was dedicated to his music. Erica took a quiet moment to reflect on the brooding boy that sat in the corner of the booth, as of lately he always appeared to be hunched over his laptop screen. The electronic blues and whites of the screen drained what little colour he had from his face and accentuated the newly ever present purple circles under his eyes. He bit on his pale pink lips, speckled with dried white flakes of skin from the constant chewing and chapped from the cold winds of Riverdale. A question from Archie drew Erica away from her intense and concerned studying.

‘What colour eyes does Erica have?’

Betty, who sat to her left, drew her hands underneath Erica’s chin, directing her face towards her and gazed studiously into her eyes.

‘Well,’ she began, ‘at first they look like they could just be brown,’ Betty smiled thoughtfully, ‘but then if you look a little closer you can see hints of gold flakes shimmering just underneath the surface.’

Erica smiled gently back at the face of Betty Cooper. Never had she considered her eyes as anything other than murky pools of brown water, boring and dull, unable to capture the attention of the one person that universe had marked as hers. To think of them as glistening with leaves of gold-  

‘You forgot the green.’

The sound of Jughead’s fingers hitting heavily against the keyboard was the only sound that could be heard through the deafening silence that followed. Archie and Veronica whipped their heads around to search for the owner of the voice.

‘What?’ Betty laughed incredulously.

‘How would you know?’ Veronica’s brow furrowed.

The typing ceased suddenly, the weight of his words lay heavily on his shoulders and his heart, his best kept secret had been revealed in an instant. His fingers locked, as did his jaw, his back teeth ground in self-disgust and tightly he closed his eyes.

‘Jughead, can you see in colour?’

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