#also he knows both Alex and Luke have been kind of pining for Reggie
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innytoes · 1 year ago
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Omg imagine a bdsm au or an a/b/o au where everyone has to have a registered alpha/dominant/whatever once they turn sixteen. And Reggie's family sucks so Luke or Alex volunteer to be it for him. Cue the moments at school of them signing his permission slips, calming down a panic attack, and defending him to the principal 😍
Okay but like I have so many feels about this. Like, the boys know Reggie is super scared about this, because if you don't HAVE someone to register to, you get ASSIGNED and even though there are probably like 50 million books and teen movies about meet cutes that way in reality it is a HORROR SHOW. Like in some states at least you get paired with someone your age but you know there's creepy ones out there being like 'of course pairing this sixteen year old to a thirty year old will work out totally fine'.
So of course they reassure him that they got him, don't even worry about it. But Reggie doesn't really want to see them either rock-paper-scissorsing over who has to be his Register, or seeing them half-heartedly thumb wrestling over who 'gets' to be it but both not really wanting to win.
But on the day of, Luke challenges Alex to a goddamn sword fight for Reggie's hand, and Alex is just like, doing Alpha Posturing like: you think you can take me?
And they're causing a ruckus, duelling with Alex' drum sticks, and Reggie is nearly falling over laughing because his friends are idiots who would make a fool of themselves in public to cheer him up. But also they're both really trying to win which makes him feel a lot better.
And Bobby just sidles up like: you seriously want to be registered to either of those idiots? I can sign, too.
And Reggie nearly falls over like: wtf Bobby, we all thought you were a Beta. But shrugs and is like: yeah actually that makes sense, let's go sign up.
The shouts of betrayal when Bobby waves the little paper at the other two is eventually what gets them all detention.
So he ends up signed under Bobby until a few years later when he happily starts dating Luke and Alex. And they're able to start a relationship without the pressure of being someone's Register, and Bobby happily signs over the paperwork when Reggie feels like he's ready AND THEY ALL LIVE HAPPILY EVER AFTER.
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invisibleraven · 1 year ago
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Love Letter for the rarepair of your choice?
Dear Julie,
I like you, do you like me?
Yes No Maybe
Julie looked up as the words on the note registered in her mind. She had never gotten a note like this before, and briefly wondered if it were a joke. Or maybe intended for Julie Whitmore, even if her desk was on the opposite side of the room.
She glanced around, but didn't see anyone looking at her, waiting for her reply, or reaction even. Why had the person not signed the note?
She sighed and shoved the note into her bag, determined to forget it. Only yo pull it out and study it. The handwriting was unfamiliar, written in generic blue ink, so that ruled out half the girls i the room, since they mostly prefered glittery gel pens in every hue of the rainbow. It also ruled out all the people using black pens or pencils, and Julie did a quick scan of the room.
There was David K, who was a major bully and had called her mean names, so shuddered at the thought of him harbouring a crush on her. There was Marianna W, who was super cute with her bouncy ginger ringlets and bright gray eyes, but she was also dating one of the basketball players, so Julie doubted the note was from her.
That left Luke and Reggie, and Julie scoffed at the idea of either of them writing her a love note. They were her best friends, and terrible at hiding who they liked, so if they had a crush on her, either one, she would know about it. Plus their mutual best friend Alex would have told her already, since he quote 'couldn't stand heterosexual pining'.
But then again, they had all teased Alex about his giant pining crush on Willie back before they started dating, so she didn't think he had room to talk.
Plus she knew Luke's writing, given they song wrote together almost every day, and Reggie's from helping her with math homework, so that discounted them both. She crumbled the note back up and put it in her bag once more, determined to pay attention in class.
Only it was like an itch she couldn't quite reach, the need to know who could possibly be crushing on her.
But then she caught sight of someone she hadn't even considered tapping a blue pen against his chin-Nick Danforth Evans. AKA the cutest, sweetest boy in school. Also totally unobtainable, since he and Carrie had been dating since middle school. Even if they broke up every other month, they always managed to get back together. Julie didn't stand a chance with him.
Okay, so maybe she did like Nick, but it was a fantasy kind of crush-like the one you would have on a celebrity, a passing fancy more than real feelings. But if the note was from him, well he deserved an answer at least. She circled Yes nd tossed it on his desk, then hid her face in her hands.
Peering through her fingers she watched as Nick unfolded the note, and the confused little smile that he gave when he saw it.
Which is exactly when the bell chose to ring.
And Nick got up, sauntering over to her desk. "Hi Julie."
"Hi Nickalicious. Nicky poo. The Nickster!" Julie cringed, why was her mouth being so stupid?
"I appreciate the note," Nick said, thankfully not calling attention to how weird she was being. "But I didn't write it to you."
"Oh," Julie said, then gave a fake laugh. "Of course you didn't! I wasn't sure who did, and well, you had a blue pen and..."
"Oh, I borrowed the pen from Kayla," Nick said. "Mine died half way through, and she has so many, it wasn't a problem."
Julie's eyes flew wide open and then danced around the room looking for Kayla.
Gorgeous, talented Kayla who was always nice to everyone. Who came to every Phantoms gig, even if it earned her Carrie's ire. Who loaned Julie history notes when she caught mono earlier the year, and even stayed to help her study for the make up exam. Kayla who Julie had harboured a little bit of feelings for ever since, but didn't want to presume too much. Kayla who was looking at Julie with hopeful eyes right now.
She was standing there, oh so slowly packing up her bag, trying to make it look like she wasn't watching Nick and Julie...and blushing faintly. "I think I need that note back," she said quietly.
Nick chuckled. "Here you go, go get 'er tiger."
Julie smoothed out her clothes, shoved her things into her bag and walked over to Kayla. "I think this is yours," she said, casually handing over the note.
"I saw you toss it at Nick," Kayla said shyly. "I get it if the answer is different when you know I wrote it."
Julie hummed. "No, I think my answer is the same."
Kayla picked up the note and beamed. "Really?"
"Yeah," Julie said, extending her hand. "Maybe we could go get some milkshakes? Talk about it some more?"
"I'm lactose intolerant," Kayla replied apologetically.
"I know a place that does dairy free, we go there a lot because Alex is too."
"Well then, lead the way Molina," Kayla said, taking her hand.
And that night, with Kayla's lipgloss still faint on Julie's mouth, she put the little note in her dream box, and over the years, she had to get a whole separate one for all the little notes Kayla wrote her-right up to the one she used to propose.
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nicknellie · 3 years ago
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Anonymous requested: roommates Alex and Willie share a bed on the night of a storm and it becomes a habit, resulting with a confession and a kiss. (This was edited/simplified just to make it shorter.)
Sorry this has taken me so long to get round to! I absolutely loved the request and it was a joy to write, especially since I’m so stuck in my JatP feels for the anniversary. I’m always a sucker for a one bed trope too! I really hope you like it, thanks for the request!
Raging Storms and Lovesick Hearts
There were times that Alex wasn’t sure if moving in with Willie was the best decision he’d ever made or the worst. In many ways, it was a decision he would never go back on – living with Luke and Reggie had been fun during the day, but apparently neither of them had ever heard of sleep and decided to make that Alex’s problem, so now that he lived with Willie it was nice to finally know what it felt like to be well-rested. It was also great because he got to spend much more time with Willie, something he’d craved for as long as he’d known him.
But that was also sort of the worst thing about it all.
Being around Willie all the time was beginning to drive Alex a little bit insane. Not in a bad way, it wasn’t like he felt stifled or had grown bored or frustrated by Willie’s near-constant presence in his life. If anything, it was the opposite. Nowadays, he got to see every version of Willie, not just the smiley, put-together version he saw when they met up on odd weekends. Now he got to see tired Willie, just rolled out of bed, still unsteady on his feet from sleep; he saw even more of the kind, generous, fair Willie who offered to do the dishes whenever Alex cooked dinner; he saw the childishly exhausted Willie who crashed on the couch and slept for three hours every time he got back from the skatepark; he saw adorably sleepy Willie at night when it was nearing midnight and he was reluctantly going to bed, eyes already drooping closed; he saw paint-splattered Willie, brushes tucked behind his ears and shoved into his hair, headphones in, working tirelessly on some big piece that Alex admired every stage of; sometimes, he saw a version of Willie that made his heart ache, a broken version of Willie with tears running down his cheeks as he wiped furiously at his eyes as Alex did everything in his power to console him. He saw every version of Willie and he wanted them all so badly, but he couldn’t have any of them.
And sure, he’d brought this upon himself. When the guy he’d been pining over for exactly one year had asked if he wanted to move in, he could have guessed that it would ruin him, and he could have said no. It would’ve been easy.
But Alex had seen the smile on Willie’s face, the excited glint in his eye about the prospect of living together, and his affirmative answer had been out of his mouth before he’d given it a second thought. He was paying the price for his thoughtlessness now, condemned to watch Willie be anything but his for as long as they lived together. Frankly the whole thing was exhausting – he had to wonder if that was adding to him getting a good night’s sleep every night.
There was another reason he preferred nights now, not just because he could rest easily. Night was the only time he didn’t see Willie, the only time he could get a little respite from his aching heart, lie alone in the dark and pretend he was the only person on Earth. Maybe it was a little lonely and more than a little sad to think of things that way, but it was a change from his usual pining at the very least. He thought that having that time to escape his feelings was definitely doing him some good.
Until the night of the storm.
There had been warnings about it all week. Alerts popping up on Alex’s phone, breaking news plastered on every TV he saw, articles about finding shelter and stocking up on food just in case the storm was worse than they thought. It was only supposed to be a passing thing, been and gone overnight, but it was better to be safe than sorry.
It had been raining all day, a dismal drizzle, the kind of rain that was so fine you didn’t realise you were soaked until you felt your clothes sticking to your skin. But around midnight, everything kicked off. Alex lay in bed, toying with a fraying thread on the duvet cover, listening to the rain hammering against the windows hard enough to rattle their frames, the wind whistling as it bled through the streets outside, the claps of thunder loud enough to deafen as they came just seconds after bursts of lightning illuminated his entire room. He would be lying if he said he wasn’t a little bit frightened, but he curled up tighter in his bed, pulling the covers close, and tried to force sleep.
A knocking sound made his eyes snap open. At first, he wondered if he’d imagined it, or if it was the sound of something hitting his window, but then it came again. And yes, it was definitely a knock. A knock at his bedroom door. A knock on his bedroom door at half-midnight in the middle of a storm. And there was only one person it could be.
Alex stretched as he swung his long legs out of the bed and flicked his bedside lamp on. He pulled open the bedroom door, squinting in the sudden burst of light from the hallway, and was met by a timid-looking Willie with his hair braided back, wearing his pyjamas, fist still sheepishly raised as if to knock on the door again.
“Hey,” Alex said, voice low with fatigue. He tried to stifle a yawn as he scrunched his eyes, forcing the tiredness out of them. “Is everything okay?”
He must have not hidden his exhaustion as well as he’d tried because Willie winced before saying, “Sorry. Did I wake you up?”
“No, no,” Alex assured him, “I couldn’t sleep anyway. The storm is too loud.” Willie nodded awkwardly, casting his gaze around, seemingly trying to look anywhere but at Alex. It was strange – Willie wasn’t the type to avoid talking to someone, especially if it was Alex, who was suddenly left feeling very concerned. “Is it… Is that why you’re awake too?”
“Kind of,” Willie replied, a half-smile on his face that quickly flickered out of existence. He shook his head, taking a few steps back. “It’s silly. Don’t worry about it actually. I’ll go back to my room. I shouldn’t have bothered you.”
“Hey, no,” Alex protested, clutching Willie’s wrist as he tried to turn and walk away, stopping him in his tracks. Willie didn’t turn to face him, but did stop trying to leave, so Alex took that as a victory. “You could never bother me. And whatever it is, I’m sure it’s not silly.”
Slowly, Willie turned back around to face him, some mixture of hope and nervousness dancing in his eyes. When Willie looked down again, Alex followed his line of sight and saw that he still had a hold of Willie’s wrist. He dropped it suddenly, instantly aware that he’d been holding on too long and if he wasn’t careful Willie might take that to mean something that Alex definitely couldn’t have him knowing which would introduce a whole different kind of storm. (But before he let go, he could have sworn he felt Willie’s pulse racing; maybe it was his nerves, but maybe it was something else… something Alex didn’t want to get his hopes up about.)
“It’s just… I’m not really great with storms,” Willie admitted softly, meeting Alex’s eyes again. “They freak me out. I was just going to ask if I could… if I could, you know, sleep in here with you tonight? If it’s totally out of line you can say no, I get it, man, I won’t be up–”
Alex shook his head, not wanting to let him spiral, knowing that never ended up well for anyone. There was a pretty major part of him panicking over the fact that Willie was going to spend the night in his room, but that part was outweighed by the even bigger part of him that was worried and concerned for Willie, the part of him that wanted to protect Willie at all costs.
“No, no, it’s alright,” he said, interrupting Willie before he got too lost in his own head. “Come on, you can sleep in here. I don’t mind.”
It was only as the two of them backed into the room and Alex shut the door, blocking out all the light from the hallway and leaving them dimly lit by just his bedside lamp, that Alex remembered that his room was very small and ill-equipped for impromptu sleepovers. Which was to say, there was only one bed.
His internal panicking doubled in an instant. Because there weren’t many options here. He could make Willie sleep on the floor, which seemed incredibly harsh and unfair considering the state he’d just come to Alex in. He could sleep on the floor himself, which he really didn’t want to do because it would be cold down there and he didn’t like the idea of being able to see underneath his bed. They could relocate to Willie room down the hall where there was a small sofa that one of them (probably Alex) could sleep on, and they’d still be in the same room, but he knew they were both tired and switching rooms sounded like a lot of effort. Which just left sharing the bed, and truth be told, Alex was utterly terrified by the idea.
He was about to say something, ask Willie what he thought the best course of action was, but the words died in his mouth as he saw that Willie was already climbing into the bed. He already seemed much more at ease, the worry lines around his face softening as he closed his eyes. After yet another brief panic, Alex got into the bed again and laid down beside him.
He could hardly hear the raging storm over the incessant beating of his own lovesick heart.
The whole thing felt so intimate even though there was nothing overtly intimate about it. Really it was just one friend helping another, Alex being there for Willie when he was frightened, lending him a bed and a comforting presence. But they were so close, touching all along one side of Alex’s body, their breathing synced, the world around them slowly fading into nothingness until it was just the two of them.
After some time, it was impossible to tell exactly how long, Willie said, “Thank you, Alex.”
Alex sighed quietly, letting his eyes fall closed. He shuffled ever so slightly closer to Willie on the bed and as his tiredness overtook him he lost a little control over his inhibitions. Before he knew it, he’d thrown an arm around Willie’s waist, holding him close, their bodies curled together. When he registered what he’d done, he almost pulled away, but Willie relaxed into him so he let his arm stay where it was.
“Don’t mention it,” Alex whispered to the darkness around them. “I’m always going to be here whenever you need me.”
In moments, they were both asleep, the storm still raging outside.
*
When Alex woke up the next morning, the storm had all but died. He could still hear the gentle pitter-patter of rain drumming on the windows and roof, but the wind had long since ceased, as had the thunder and lightning that had lit up the night. He exhaled contentedly, relaxing against the warmth on the left side of his body, and nearly drifted off to sleep.
But then he realised what – or rather who – that warmth was.
The events from the night before came flooding back to his with all the ferocity of the storm itself. Willie coming to him in the middle of the night, how frightened he had seemed, how Alex had offered up his room, and how they’d fallen asleep tangled together. Now they had woken up in the exact same way, and Alex had no idea what to do about it.
If he moved, he risked waking Willie and that was a conversation he would rather avoid. But if he stayed still, Willie would eventually wake up and he’d still have to have that awkward ‘remember last night’ conversation. There was really no winning here. Even in a situation where he was cuddling the love of his life, he couldn’t come out unscathed.
So, he went for the slightly immature third option and opted to feign sleep, letting the whole thing be Willie’s problem whenever he woke up.
And eventually he did, not long after Alex. When Alex felt him stir and stretch, he tried to slow his breathing, keep his eyes closed only gently, and even let out a few fake little snores to try and sell the piece. His eyes were closed, so he had no idea if Willie even looked at him, but moments later Willie slipping out from his grasp and Alex heard the tell-tale creak of his bedroom door. Only when he heard it click shut did he breathe a long sigh of relief.
Honestly, he had thought that would be it. One night together and then Alex could get back to his nights of peaceful sleep. Only there were two things in the way of that:
One – suddenly, without Willie sleeping in his bed, Alex found that sleep was much harder to come by.
Two – after that night, Willie slept in Alex’s bed more often than not.
Alex really had no idea how it became so routine, but it did. About a week after the storm, Willie knocked on his door again and told Alex he’d had a nightmare, asking to sleep in his bed again. And who was Alex to refuse? So they’d slept in the same bed again, they’d woken up a tangle of limbs, and Willie had crept out while Alex pretended to sleep.
Then just two nights later, Alex’s resolve had broken and something had possessed him to go to Willie’s room and invite him back to his own. He had made up some flimsy excuse, something about his heater having broken and him needing warmth, but Willie hadn’t questioned it. They’d slept in the same bed again, they’d woken up a tangle of limbs, and Willie had crept out while Alex pretended to sleep.
And the very next night, they hadn’t even discussed it before the two of them just went straight to Alex’s room and climbed into bed together. They’d slept in the same bed again, woken up a tangle of limbs, and Willie had crept out while Alex pretended to sleep.
For something so focused on sleep, it was ridiculously tiring.
After it had gone on for a few weeks, Alex had to wonder if maybe this whole thing meant something. If maybe he wasn’t alone in his feelings. If maybe Willie felt the same, but had similar hang-ups to Alex – he didn’t want to ruin their friendship, didn’t want to embarrass himself by admitting to unrequited love, didn’t even know how to bring it up. Maybe sleeping by each other’s side had become something of a safety net for them, a teetering middle ground on the border of friendship and something else entirely.
And as Alex lay awake, head rested on Willie’s chest, listening to his heartbeat, he knew suddenly that he had to push it. No matter how much that frightened him, he had to take that leap and push them into the uncertain territory that was something other than friendship.
When he sensed Willie waking up, he did not pretend to be asleep.
He eased his head off Willie’s chest and rolled over to lay on his front, watching Willie as he blinked awake endearingly. Alex’s heart was practically beating out of his chest, but he knew he had to do it. He had to take that leap.
“Good morning,” he said quietly.
Willie smiled gently, rubbing at his tired eyes and pushing his hair out of his face. “Good morning, hotdog.”
“I think we need to talk,” Alex said without preamble. It wasn’t the most natural segue into the matter at hand, but that hardly seemed to matter right then.
Willie blinked, clearly a little surprised, but then he nodded. Alex took a deep breath, steeling himself, and let it out.
“I really like you, Willie,” he said, maintaining eye contact even though it was the most petrifying thing he’d ever done. “Like, a lot. So much that it’s been kind of driving me crazy for a year now. I’ve wanted to tell you how I feel for about a year now, but every time I tried all this doubt and anxiety just told me it wasn’t worth it and that you could never like me the way I like you. And I believed it. I never said anything, and I fooled myself into thinking I’d be alright if we were just friends. But after all this, sharing a bed almost every night and then pretending it never happened… it’s proved to me how much I need you. I can’t sleep without you next to me, Willie. I want you by my side all the time. All of you. So, if I’m not reading this whole thing dramatically wrong, then I want to finally ask you to… to be my boyfriend.”
For a long moment, Willie said nothing. He held eye contact, like he was searching Alex’s eyes for the truth, whatever it might have been. But Alex had said the whole truth. He’d let it all out, he’d told Willie he needed him. All he could do was hope that Willie needed him too.
The moment ended abruptly when Willie breathed out and almost silent, “Yes,” and then surged forward to kiss Alex.
He was kissing him.
This was a possibility that Alex had never allowed himself to entertain, a thought he’d never followed up, a scenario he’d never imagined. He had known that once he thought about kissing Willie, he would be ruined if it never happened. But the real thing was better than anything Alex could have thought up in his wildest dreams anyway. It was like a muffled explosion – both harsh and soft, near and far, dangerous and safe.
When they separated, Alex rested his forehead against Willie’s trying to get his breath back and his heartrate under control.
“I’d been wondering if I should say something,” Willie chuckled, stroking his fingers through Alex’s hair. “You beat me to it.”
Alex smiled and pressed another soft kiss to Willie’s lips. “Doesn’t matter. We got there eventually.”
The next morning when they both woke up in Alex’s bed, Alex didn’t need to feign sleep. He pressed a kiss to his boyfriend’s cheek and pulled him tighter. He thought that after months of missed opportunities, they definitely deserved a lazy morning in bed together.
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malecacidd · 4 years ago
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yesss poly jatp fic recs pls :D
I have SO many so I'm gonna do a mix of different ships
Luke/Alex/Willie
I've only recently gotten into this ship but I love it with my entire heart,,, it's just,,, them,,,
The Storm Before The Rainbow by @random-nerd-3
Luke has been harboring crushes for Willie since he met the guy six months ago, and he's been in love with Alex since they broke up in high school. When he runs away from them during a storm he goes to Reggie, Bobby and Nick for advice, and then like always Luke returns home to his lighthouse, guiding him home whenever he's adrift in the sea.
Reggie/Luke/Bobby
As well all know, my personal favorite KFKXKDKDK I love these boys sO much and I'm about to rec pretty much every fic in their tag get ready
i guess we belong to each other by @sunsetcurvecuddles
“Shut up,” Bobby grumbles, and dumps the whole pile of blankets on top of Reggie. “You guys are stupid. You're both out here, in the freezing cold, and neither of you come wake me up?”
“We didn't want—” Luke starts, at the same time as Reggie insists, “You were sleeping—!”
Or, Luke and Reggie huddle in the cold studio until Bobby comes to (grouchily) warm them up.
The Inherent Intimacy of Writing a Country Song by @oldsmobile-hotdogs
Bobby and Luke hadn't really known what to expect when they finally gave in to Reggie's begging and pleading for them to learn a country song, just the three of them.
what a blessing (to feel your love) by wildflower (on ao3)
luke has two approaches to his crushes:
- nice and soft, joke with him not about him, be sweet because he's sweet (reggie)
- put shaving cream under his pillow. put a note in his locker that says "get out of my band loser". call him a nice petname, like, scum of the earth. (bobby)
or:
reggie Knows bobby and luke like each other. but it also turns very confusing and just something doesn't add up, ever. until it does.
Anddddd shameless self promo here is a link to all of my rebuke fics on ao3
Alex/Reggie/Luke/Bobby
Polycurve,,,, my beloved,,,
Red Cast by InvisibleAce (on ao3)
Reggie overhears something he shouldn't. Upset, he goes home and has to deal with his drunken mom.
In the mists of helping her, he falls down the stairs and breaks his wrist. He'd call the guys if they weren't the reason for his current heartbreak.
All This Feeling Second Best, It’s Got Me by the Throat by @aroacethetic-shitpost
Bobby Reynolds didn't know much, but he did know three things.
One: His band — Alex, Luke, and Reggie — were his best friends.
Two: The three of them were inseparable. Soulmates, even, as cheesy as that sounded.
Three: He was never going to be a part of that.
-
classic bobby pining angst with a side of touch starved, coming right up!
A Tomb With a View by InvisibleAce (on ao3)
It seemed to happen in slow motion. The man on stage looked up, flicking his hair out of his face with the quick motion of his head. Luke’s eyes went wide, anxiety and hope bloomed in his chest as he took in Bobby.
Or
The boys find a familiar face when visiting the Hollywood Ghost Club
Alex/Luke/Reggie
Not my absolute favorite, but I have a few recs for the boysss
Hearts on Fire by @aroacethetic-shitpost
Alex gets dared to kiss someone.
He freezes. He and Luke had just broken up, and while he wouldn’t mind getting to kiss him again, it seems like that would just cause more problems. So he picks Reggie. They’re friends, right? What’s a little kissing between friends?
He didn’t expect Reggie to be so… good at it.
-
sunset curve ot3 ftw babey! here's some boys pining and angsting and getting together and kissing
We are here, together. by What_point (on ao3)
Is this okay?" asked Alex, his face so close Reggie could feel his breath against his cheek.
"Yeah,"— Reggie cleared his throat when it comes out high pitched —"Yeah, this is okay."
"Just okay?" Luke's voice was muffled. Reggie could feel his lips move through his shirt while he talked.
"No, yeah, more than okay, it's great." His voice cracked, shooting up at the end.
Julie/Luke/Reggie
THEM!!!!! THEM THEM THEM!!!!! I LOVE THEM MORE THAN ANYTHING!!!
love like a storm by thessalonike (on ao3)
“He’s afraid, isn’t he?” she asks Reggie later. “Of thunder?”
Reggie winces, caught in the lie of omission... but at least he knows better than to play dumb about it. “Yeah,” he sighs, running a hand through his hair. “Kind of? It’s more... the storms themselves, really. Since he was a kid, they’ve always freaked Luke out. He used to hide in his bedroom closet during the worst ones... it made him feel safe. I think he still goes there now, even though his parents don’t know he’s around.”
Julie’s heart breaks for him all over again — Luke, frightened and lonely, beyond even the comfort of his parents, riding out the storm surge on his own.
They can’t allow that. There’s got to be something they can do.
Not a Burn of Jealousy by snowflake97 (on ao3)
Flynn didn’t know what she was expecting when she rushed to Julie’s house following the latest 9-1-1 text, but it wasn’t that she would find her best friend on YouTube, watching videos of her own band performing.
“I think Luke’s in love with Reggie.” Julie moaned as she spotted her friend, paused the video, and then flopped back onto her bed.
-
Julie has a revelation that there might be something going on between Luke and Reggie, which is a shame, because she knows she's got a crush on Luke. But she soon realises that things aren't even as simple as that, when she discovers that she also has feelings for Reggie.
thinking out loud by thessalonike (on ao3)
Julie never knows what she's going to walk in on, nowadays. Two ghosts bustling around her kitchen, trying to figure out how to make pasta, is just the latest in a long string of surprises.
“If anyone could burn pasta, it’d be you guys,” she muses.
Luke grins at her. “We come with a lotta talents.”
And Julie is impossibly fond of them both.
--
These aren't all the ones I have but they are my favorites!! Please talk to me about them if you do read them I love them so much jdkzkdkzk
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Two Best Friends Going to the Thrift Store!! (They Don’t Kiss)
AO3 link is here
Summary: Bobby and Flynn decide that watching people get their nails painted isn't fun, so they figure that shopping is the only answer.
Warnings: swearing and a sickening amount of platonic friendship
Words: 1,472
taglist, just ask to be added or removed: @barrel-of-cat-mituna @completekeefitztrash @tiergan-andrin-alenefar @lemontarto @hershis-kotlc @genesiscaveat @everything-else-and-mars @juline-dizznee @chaotic-basics @an-absolute-travesty @classyfunnyquotesmuffin7 @iamstealingyourgenderaswespeak @itstiger720 @introvertedscarecrow @sunset-telepath @an-idiot-in-a-trenchcoat @cowboypossume @anaccidentwaitingtohappen @sofia-not-sophie @fire-sapphics @dr-alan-grant-blog-blog @real-smooth @juline-dizznee @it-tastes-like-lizard
Flynn groaned from where she lay sprawled out on Julie's bed.
"I'm bored," They complained, idly picking at the covers, "I'm too gay and adhd for this."
Bobby agreed from his spot on a beanbag. "Don't get me wrong, I love the vibes, and if anyone can pull off red nail polish, it's Reg, but watching nails get done? Not my version of a hot girl summer."
Julie rolled her eyes at them and continued painstakingly painting Reggie's thumbnail, making sure it was completely even before responding.
"First of all Flynn, don't pick at the blankets, your nails are still drying, second of all, Bobbin, you are literally nonbinary. You don't get a hot girl summer."
Bobby clutched dramatically at their  chest, purposefully deepening his voice and pouting.
"Jules! The pain- who knew you were the gatekeeping girlboss of the Molina family? That's so transphobic." They paused, clearly waiting for someone to stand up for him. No one did.
"Fine, I see how it is. It's because I'm amab, isn't it? If Luke and Alex were here, they would let me have a hot girl summer."
Reggie piped up, "They probably wouldn't. Luke would be on Julie's side, and Alex would either agree with Willie, or if they weren't here, say something sarcastic about how you haven't earned a hot girl summer."
Bobby huffed, flipping over on the bean bag so he was basically upside down, and made a face at Reggie, who only smiled and shrugged, his cheeks lightly pink.
Flynn laughed but didn't disagree, and Bobby glared at them before flipping them off and haughtily crossing their arms. She only cackled more and he gave up, scoffing under his breath.
Julie hummed quietly under her breath as she worked, and Flynn made various noises to stim in an effort to not ruin her nails, but otherwise the small group fell quiet.
Finally Bobby couldn't handle the silence and pushed themself up, stretching and ruffling Reggie's hair before grabbing Flynn around the waist and lifting them up onto his shoulder, ignoring her protests about being careful of her nails, and heading for the door.
"Flynn and I will be back, we've got hot he/they and she/they shit to do." Flynn grumbled from where they were thrown over his shoulder, complaining about how they treated her like a rag doll, but didn't put up a fight to leaving. After all, she had been bored too.
"Alright half-pint, where to?" Bobby gingerly set her down once they made it outside, this time noticeably more careful about their nails, and she gave a nod of thanks.
"I'd pinch you for calling me that, but my nails are still drying," She glared disapprovingly at him, but they only gave a cheeky smile and started walking, leaving her to follow. 
"I think there's a new thrift store we could check out; I've been meaning to get some nice platform shoes."
Bobby nodded in understanding and plucked at their black shirt, which they had cropped himself "I've been wanting a new crop top or two," They replied.
Flynn checked out their outfit and raised her eyebrows approvingly. Bobby was sporting his black crop top, a pair of red high-waisted cut-off shorts, and black combat boots with rainbow laces. Their hair was loose, and he had black winged eyeliner to finish off the look.
"You can't really go wrong with a crop top," She agreed, and he grinned in response.
"Thanks half-pint." They went to rub his knuckles on her head, but laughed and pulled away when they threatened him with being called a CisHet™.
"Hey hey!" He gestured placatingly as he laughed, "No need to be harsh!"
She rolled their eyes, but gave a soft smile and bumped their shoulders together.
They slung their arm over her shoulder and started walking again.
~~
The thrift shop was mostly empty of people when the friends got there, but the selection was good and they both enjoyed searching the racks and showing off the random treasures they found tucked away, like a pair of boots that would have been a near perfect match of the combat boots Bobby was wearing, except for the fact that they were a beautiful floral pattern, and an adorable button up with sunflowers and bees that Flynn found between an atrocious neon orange jean jacket, and cute quarter-zip jacket with handmade embroidery on it.
Bobby paused their search for the Perfect Crop Top to hold a teal dress against his chest, and raised an eyebrow at Flynn.
"Well, what do you think? Figure this would convince Julie that I deserve my very own hot girl summer?"
Flynn snorted and shook her head, grabbing a garish purple dress with more frills than square inches, and handed it to him.
"Try this," They smirked, "You'd have the hottest girl summer of us all. Might even catch yourself a man in that outfit."
He stopped as if considering, and then regretfully shook their head, "I couldn't. There's only one person I'd want to catch, and I wouldn't want to make anyone feel bad by being the hottest in the group." He winked and bit his lip to make the fuck-boy face, to which Flynn responded by slugging them in the arm.
"Never, and I mean never, do that at me again, and also? I literally exist. I'm the hottest of the friend group. We all know this." She posed for a second and then turned back to the dresses, eyeing them up and down and smiled to themself.
"'Only one person'," They teased, partially pulling out a sequined pink dress and wrinkling their nose before glancing back at Bobby, "Please, you are head over HEELS for him. I'm surprised you haven't made a move yet honestly."
She grabbed a lavender sundress and held it up for his approval.
"Cute, I like it for you. And it's not "surprising" that I haven't made a move. I'm just... being patient. Besides little miss disaster lesbian, you haven't stopped pining over Carrie in years, and you haven't even asked her out once!! at least I've done more than that."
Flynn spun on him, "What?! You didn't tell me?!?!?"
"Wait wait wait, it wasn't anything big!" Bobby held up their hands and took a step back, "We were all up until like, four in the morning, and high on lack of sleep and all that, and I said we should all go on a double date. Luke pouted because he didn't want to go without Julie, and Alex was already asleep, so it was just me and Reggie.
"I guess now that I think about it, it was kind of a date? But like, a platonic one." They shrugged and turned back to searching the racks of clothes, but Flynn wouldn't let go of it so easily.
"So you're telling me you went on a date, with your crush, alone, and you think he doesn't like you back?! Are you fucking kidding me?? Oooh, pretty!"
They paused their rant momentarily when a cute pair of pants caught her eye, and she held them up to see how they looked. Flynn put them back and shook her head.
"Anyways, he's as much in love with you as you are with him. And. I'm getting these sunglasses because fuck you, that's why." 
Bobby rolled his eyes, "I wasn't going to tell you not to, but aight. And he might like me back. It's not like-" They waved their hands vaguely, "- like Luke and Jules." 
They were practically made for each other, and it was never a question about whether or not they liked each other back. They just. Did. 
"With Reggie it's different. He's been through a lot Flynn, and I'd die alone a thousand times before hurting him. I just don't know if he feels the same about me."
They were both quiet for a bit, flipping through hangers and assorted shoes. It wasn't an awkward silence, just a thoughtful one, and Bobby was grateful that Flynn was able to tease and annoy, but ultimately listen and offer advice too. They were a good friend, and Bobby wouldn't trade it for the world.
After a while they went to check out, the cashier offering them a smile and polite goodbye when Flynn pushed open the door, warm air flowing around them as they began the walk back to Julie's house. 
"Hey Bobbers?"
"Yeah half-pint?"
"I don't think the boys, or you, would ever let you come close to hurting Reggie. And by the way? He tooootally likes you back."
"Yeah?" He gave a grateful smile.
"Yeah."
"Thanks half-pint." They laughed when she flicked them, and pulled her into a hug before linking their arms and singing a song under his breath.
It was a good day to have friends like his.
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chickwiththepurpleguitar · 4 years ago
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For the prompts and because now I need it: Willex + Kangaroo 💕
- sunsetsandcurves
Okay! So, I know your official prompt was Willex, but I decided to do Reggie Outsider POV cause I don’t write him enough, and then it... got away from me... And I accidentally wrote Julie/Luke/Reggie again (and apparently I’m only capable of writing in Reggie’s POV if he’s pining...) but I also wrote he/they Willie on purpose this time! Anyway, hopefully you like this, but if it’s not satisfactory just drop another ask in my box and I’ll write a part two that actually has more Alex and Willie in it.
Also I kind of inadvertently referenced your last Willex flower ficlet in this lol. Anyway, enjoy :)
--
“Hey, Hotdog. Kangaroo.”
Reggie’s head snaps up from where he’s been peering suspiciously at a wagon of precariously-stacked apples, trying to see if he can knock them over with his mind (so far, he’s been unsuccessful). Across the aisle, Willie has just plucked a bundle of radishes (bushel of radishes? Reggie’s not well-versed in the collective nouns of vegetables) off a table and hands them to Alex, trailing obediently along behind them. Alex rolls his eyes, stuffs the radishes in his fanny pack, and leaves a couple dollars on the table. 
They’re all at a Farmers’ Market by Julie’s school. She had to go to do research for an Economics project, and she graciously let her ghosts boys (and Willie) tag along. They’re having one of their “visibility to lifers is hard” days, so (as Willie has continuously reminded them) they could probably steal whatever produce they want and get away with it. But Julie gave them each a stern talk and twenty dollars at the entrance, so Alex has put it upon himself to pay for everything Willie tries to convince him to smuggle away in his fanny pack.
Alex and Willie move on to a station selling flowers, and Reggie abandons his apple staring contest to bound along behind them. He hopes Willie will say again what Reggie thinks he just said, because Reggie might have just imagined it but he doesn’t know how to ask.
Luckily, he doesn’t have to wait long. Willie plucks a pretty purple flower out of a pile and tucks it behind Alex’s ear (Alex wrinkles his nose out of instinct, but it’s not like he still has hayfever as a ghost). Then, Willie grabs a handful of seed packets, stuffs them in Alex’s hands, and says, “Kangaroo.”
Reggie’s mouth drops open. So they did say it! He scans his surroundings, craning his neck to see all the way to the entrance of the Farmers’ Market, but there’s no sign of an Australian marsupial anywhere. Not that Reggie had really been expecting to see one in the middle of Los Angeles, California, but why else would Willie be talking about them unless he’d seen one?
Reggie spins in a full circle until he catches sight of Luke and Julie over by the baked goods. He spares one last glance back at Alex and Willie (who seem to be bickering over the ethics of stealing flower petals out of the trash now) and then poofs across the market, appearing next to Luke and Julie by a stand selling bread and cookies.
“Hey, Reg,” Luke says without looking up. He’s got a chocolate chip cookie in one hand and a frosted sugar cookie in the other, and he’s looking back and forth between them like they’re the players of an extremely entertaining tennis match.
Reggie shoots Julie a questioning look. She rolls her eyes fondly and explains, “I told him he can only have one cookie. He’s been trying to decide for the last twenty minutes.”
“I’m narrowing it down,” Luke insists.
Julie laughs, and the sound sends a burst of fluttery happiness through Reggie’s chest. He grins, and almost forgets what he came over here to say in the first place, until Julie says, “Anyway. What have you been getting yourself up to, Reggie?”
He rocks back and forth on his heels. “Not too much. Bought some kiwis. Had an altercation with an apple cart. Mostly just third-wheeled Alex and Willie.”
He tries not to sound too bitter about it, but he’s not sure it works. He loves his friends, so much, and of course he wants them to be happy, but he can’t deny he feels a little left out sometimes, when they all pair off for date night, or hold hands on the sidewalk, and Reggie’s just… there.
(Part of him wants to find someone for himself, so that they can be three couples instead of two. Another, much more repressed, part of him wants there to still only be two couples, just… one of them has three people in it. He doesn’t know if that’s something he’s allowed to want, though, or even something that’s okay to think about, so he tries not to, and he doesn’t say a word about it to anyone, especially not Luke or Julie.)
“Aw, Reg,” Julie says, drawing him back to the present. She puts a hand on his arm, and Reggie beams, hoping he’s not blushing too visibly. “Well, I don’t know if third-wheeling us is any better, but you’re welcome to hang out!”
Reggie deflates. Right. Still third-wheeling. Because they’re still LukeAndJulie. And Reggie’s just there.
He pastes on a grin and deftly changes the subject. “Anyway, I wanted to ask you guys—you haven’t seen a kangaroo around here anywhere, have you?”
Luke finally looks up from his cookies to give Reggie one of his patented Hey, Reg, you’re a dumbass looks (they used to be insulting, but considering Reggie’s been on the receiving end of them since literally 1978, he’s used to them by now).
Julie, ever the angel, just settles for a politely confused frown and repeats, “Kangaroo?”
“Yeah,” Reggie says. “Willie kept saying stuff to Alex about a kangaroo, but I didn’t know if they meant, like, a real kangaroo or a stuffed one or something, but I didn’t see either, so I figured I’d ask you guys.”
Luke frowns thoughtfully. “Are you sure it’s not a gay thing? Maybe it’s a gay thing.”
Julie whacks him with her purse. “It is not a—who are you?” While Luke rubs his arm with a pout, she asks Reggie, “What was the context for this?”
“There wasn’t any!” Reggie insists. “He just kept handing Alex stuff to put in his fanny pack and saying, ‘Kangaroo.’”
Julie pulls her phone out of her back pocket, muttering, ��Hold up. Maybe…” She types for a second, Luke attempting to slip both cookies in her purse while she’s distracted (she swats his hand away without looking up), and then exclaims, “Here we go!” and holds her phone out for Reggie to see. “In some countries, that belt bag Alex wears is referred to as a kangaroo! Cause it’s a pouch, I guess.”
“Definitely a better name than fanny pack,” Luke muses, guiding Julie by the wrist to turn the phone around for him. They bend their heads together, giggling over whatever article Julie found, and Reggie’s enthusiasm fades into a hardened pit in his stomach.
He mutters an awkward goodbye and poofs back across the market, not bothering to wait for Luke and Julie to notice.
An hour later, Reggie returns to the bakery stand and buys the last chocolate chip cookie (since Luke eventually chose the frosted one). When he catches up with his friends at the exit, he sidles up between Alex and Willie, holds the cookie out, and says, “Hey, Alex! Can you please put this in your…” He pauses dramatically and winks at Willie. “Kangaroo?”
“Oh, my god,” Alex sighs, dropping his head into his hands.
“Eyyy!” Willie cheers, giving Reggie an enthusiastic fist bump. “I knew it’d catch on!”
Reggie grins. He’s okay being the third wheel on good days like this. He just loves his friends so much.
--
Taglist: @whenweremarried @sunsethimb0s @pink-flame @penguin0613 @fighttoshine @sunsetcurvecuddles @nickalicious @reggiescrookedteeth @brightattheorpheum @queenmolina @spidergirl0325 @jandthephantoms @lexilucacia @sapphossidechick @acnhaddict @cest-la-vie-de-la-lee @sunset-bobby @lenacarstairspotterstewart @conversationaltreestump @burntchromas @sunsetsandcurves 
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join-the-joywrite · 4 years ago
Text
We play pretend
Based off an idea from @lydias--stiles list of alternate universes in which Julie and Luke meet
@jatp-week day 2: write an AU
Julie Molina loved her school. She loved her friends. She loved being in the music program and the drama club. She loved performing on stage, be it in a musical, a dance recital or simply singing her heart out with her best friend. Julie Molina loved a lot of things.
But boy, did she hate Luke Patterson. It started in their first year of drama club together. Luke was just so arrogant about how he knew he was going to get the lead role. Furious, Julie fought for the lead role. Both of them were so engrossed in being such a good performer that they were the one picked, neither of them stopped to think about the fact that they were auditioning for Romeo and Juliet -- a play with two lead roles.
They were cast opposite each other and it infuriated both of them to no end.
They were going at it for five years now and their hatred only grew stronger. Julie's best friend, Flynn, and Luke's best friend, Reggie, clicked as soon as they met and they had a bet going on whether or not Julie and Luke would graduate still hating each other or not. They added five dollars to the bet each year. Julie's other best friend, Carrie, and Luke's other best friend, Alex, were best friends and while both were in the music program, neither was in the drama club, and so they always made sure to get front row seats together so they could make fun of their friends and try to get them to break character on stage.
Julie had been furious to discover Flynn and Carrie's friendships with Luke's friends, and vice versa. It only made everything funnier to everyone but Julie and Luke.
Simply watching Julie and Luke interact was more entertainment than the actual school plays they starred in. They dominated Carrie's live posts and Flynn's fame had actually bounced off the fame Julie and Luke's rivalry had. As for Reggie and Alex, well, they were just thrilled to meet someone who fried Luke's brain the way he fried theirs.
Julie knew for a fact that she hated Luke Patterson. He was loud and arrogant and rowdy and abrupt and all sorts of things.
Luke Patterson knew without a doubt that he hated Julie Molina. She was bossy and childish and nasty and cheeky and all sorts of things.
And yet, they were always cast opposite each other. Ms Darbus said it was because they simply had a fire for the scene that no other acting duo could even hope to compare to. Ms Harison, who made the mistake of partnering them on a music assignment exactly once, vehemently agreed despite having never put them in the same group again.
Julie and Luke often fought for other parts. Julie tried to play Tree #3 once. Ms Darbus had only laughed and said even her tree audition was too good for a background and persuadedJulie to submit an audition for the lead role. Luke had once simply not signed up. It seemed like it was working until he forgot to hand in an assignment and was told he'd get it waived if, and only if, he auditioned for the play -- he knew it was a trap, but he needed the marks.
Needless to say, Julie and Luke were absolutely fed up with each other and the school musical. Both wanted out but neither were willing to give up drama -- especially not for the sake of the other.
So when their senior year rolled around and the sign up sheet was pinned to the board, they both put their names down and again, crossing their fingers and hoping for a complex part.
And complex, did they receive. But they were still cast opposite each other. (Flynn has a video of Julie threatening to burn, bury, rip up, throw from a moving car and even eat her script if it meant not performing with Luke).
Their final play together was a lovely tale called The Ghost of Isobel. Julie loved the story. She thought it was the most romantic story in the world. She had tried and tried and tried to fight for one of the secondary roles -- perhaps Ludovica, the lead role's best friend. Luke had knelt in front of Ms Darbus and nearly cried as he begged for anything but the lead role. But alas, Julie was set to play the enchanting reborn princess, Bella Morte, and Luke was casted as the charming ghostly prince, Romeo Leannán.
Julie was just glad she wouldn't have to pretend to enjoy being in Luke's arms for the three nights they would perform the play and for the several months they would spend rehearsing, seeing as his character was a very intangible ghost.
For the first two months, rehearsals were the absolute best.
Bella wasn't at all comfortable around Romeo and Romeo, despite being a huge flirt, didn't trust a single thing Bella said. It was perfect for Julie and Luke. They barely even acted. Julie enjoyed yelling at Luke and throwing strategically placed 'random' objects at him. Luke enjoyed every opportunity to mess with Julie, either by -- lightly -- pulling her hair or 'tripping' her up. They were lost in the euphoria of finally playing characters that simply did not want to be around one another.
But then Bella began to yearn for the feel of Romeo's arms and Julie had to emulate those feelings. It would have been easy, given thag she didn't have to say Luke's name. She could easily picture anyone else being the person she wanted but for some unholy reason, she couldn't get Luke's face out of her head. Bella lamented to Dove about wanting nothing more than to hold Romeo's hand, just once, but beneath it all, Julie was trying to wrap her head around his natural it felt to think about Luke and deliver her lines.
It wasn't as if Luke was doing any better than Julie. It was the first time in five years that their rehearsals did not call for them to be in any kind of contact -- in fact, it was the first time in five years that the script said to make sure the lack of contact was explicit. He'd been thrilled about it. He'd excitedly yelled about it to Reggie and Alex. For him too, rehearsals started off great. But then Romeo was falling in love with Bella again and Luke was incredibly disturbed by the ease with which he could think about Julie and deliver all Romeo's poetic lines to empty rooms and to the letters he wrote that Julie -- no, that Bella would never see.
Still, their shared scenes were much easier to rehearse when their characters wanted as much distance as possible. Well, they used to be much easier.
The distance was beginning to weigh on them both. For all their burning hatred and loud rivalry, they had found a strange sense of comfort in sharing the stage and the same spotlight. It was almost tradition. It was unnerving, to say the least, to be far enough from each other that there wasn't a single chance any contact at all would be made.
As the year crawled by, they nailed their scenes and moved further to the end of the play. Bella and Romeo shared an unspoken relationship. He followed her wherever she went. She was the only person in the world who could see and hear him but he would follow her even if she lost those abilities. He was too in love with her to leave.
By this point, Julie and Luke also shared an unspoken relationship. They sat too close when they read their lines to each other. They paused a moment when passing things to one another. They walked together to and from the hall, close enough that they would very likely trip over each other's feet. When they memorised the lines correctly, they cheered and shared a high five. The high fives became secret handshakes. The secret handshakes became lingering touches. They'd started sharing the same script. No one said anything of the closeness, least of all them.
For every moment Bella and Romeo forced them to stand on opposite ends of the stage, Julie and Luke would spend equal time offstage in close proximity.
Julie couldn't remember a time when she was on stage and unable to feel Luke in some way or another. Luke couldn't remember ever being on stage without holding on to Julie, be it her wrist, her hand, her waist or her face.
Even standing right in front of each other, the distance between them was far too much. Bella yearned to be able to touch Romeo just once, but Julie ached for Luke's arms around her. Romeo pined away the knowledge that he would never be able to hold Bella, but Luke's fingers itched to feel Julie's skin beneath his fingertips.
Being on stage had turned into their own personal hell and still, neither of then picked up on what their friends had known for ages. During an unofficial rehearsal between the two, Luke had mistakenly delivered a line with "Julie, my love" instead of Bella's name and the lack of a correction had stunned two stage hands nearby that they nearly fried the sound system.
And then they were rehearsing the final scenes. For the first time, they read the end of the script.
Bella hesitates at first, then doesn't think. She simply reaches out and trusts that she will fall into Romeo's arms.
Julie and Luke stare at the words for what feels like hours. It bounces around in their heads for a while. Bella hugs Romeo. Bella hugs Romeo. Bella hugs Romeo.
Julie doesn't have to think about it. Without waiting a single moment more after Luke delivers his lines, she flies from her stage marker and into Luke's waiting arms. Luke doesn't have to think about it either. He wraps both arms around Julie as tight as he can without hurting her. He hides his face in her shoulder and realizes he doesn't want to be anywhere else. Julie's fingers find Luke's hair and as she sighs in the most blissful feeling of contentment, it strikes her with incredible force just how much she wants to stay like this forever.
Ms Darbus almost forgets to yell cut.
The first night is easy. It's just a school play. The distance is okay because they know at the end of it all, they'll end up sharing the spotlight.
The second night is tedious. They've spent too long apart and the final scenes can't come early enough. If they both weren't so good at what they did, they would have broken character halfway through.
The third night is torture. In between scenes, they refuse to be apart, to the point where Julie had to be dragged into the small dressing room to switch costumes. Luke almost missed his cue once because he was sitting with Julie, using the excuse that he was going over his lines with her.
Bella and Romeo dramatically and poetically pined away for the arms of their lovers and truthfully, both Julie and Luke were only slightly concerned that they weren't acting at all.
"I don't care," Luke said, "let this be my last moments on earth and I shall never know peace. But should they be spent in your arms, then I shall know nothing but."
The script said Bella hesitated for a second but Julie couldn't. Luke nearly broke character when Julie crashed into him with enough force to make him stumble back a few steps.
To the audience, it was the sweetest display of affection and their portrayal of the characters stabbed knives into the hearts of anyone who already knew what was coming next.
As it had done the previous two nights, the spotlights flashed hard, white light on the stage.
Julie didn't want to let go of Luke. Perhaps she couldn't. But the show must go on and before the lights readjusted, Luke vanished off the stage.
The audience watched a lonely Bella on stage wrap her arms around herself, head bowed, before slowly sinking to the floor.
Luke watched from the wings as Julie made this her most painful performance yet, displaying Bella's grief at having lost Romeo in a way that tore at his heart. When the curtains shut on Julie still seated on the floor, Luke didn't hesitate for a second and he was there by her side within an instant.
The night had gone on too long and being able to hold Julie again gave him a rush he couldn't hope to describe. Julie mutely eased into his embrace. She always liked to become her characters. It made them more fun to play.
But oh, how she hated becoming Bella. Because Bella lost her love and Julie never wanted to lose Luke. No matter how arrogant and obnoxious and rowdy and cocky he was, he belonged to her and she wouldn't have it any other way. They were still sitting together in the dark when 'Dove' stepped through to the front and delivered the final lines to the play.
Something about how, when time had passed and Bella had lived a full life, she was eventually reunited with her Romeo, where they would spend eternity together as they were meant to in the time of Bella's first life, when Romeo had been a prince and he had accidentally married his best friend.
And when it was time for the curtain call, Ms Darbus was only mildly surprised to discover that Julie and Luke were still on the floor together. The audience was none the wiser, taking the sight as proof that Bella did eventually reunite with Romeo.
In truth, Julie was afraid that if she let go of Luke, he was going to vanish for good and she absolutely could not have that.
All through the after party, Julie and Luke would stick by each other, absolutely refusing to be separated by anything other than a trip to the bathroom.
Flynn was not happy about having to give Reggie twenty-five dollars, while Carrie was just happy Alex graciously carried extra film for her camera in his fanny pack -- she was on a roll with it.
When everything had calmed and they were mostly alone, Julie turned to Luke. "I've been thinking, UCLA isn't a bad idea."
Luke's eyebrows lifted slightly. "You said you were applying out of state because I was going there."
"I know. But maybe sticking around isn't going to be that bad."
"I see."
Julie Molina hated very few things in life, most of them small, annoying, trivial things. She hated the smell of gas. She hated missing classes. She hated it when her brother ate the leftovers she'd saved for herself. Julie Molina hated a few things.
But oh, how she loved Luke Patterson.
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blush-and-books · 4 years ago
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high school au, pining, confession, car
i got two requests for this!!! so i hope it’s up to the hype. i always get carried away with hs aus. thank you anon!! ps. the song mentioned is chasing fire by lauv. a banger indeed. 
It was Luke’s automatic duty -- like breathing, or walking -- to drive Julie home after a gig. 
She was a new driver who was still uneasy about driving at night, and Alex would always end the night with Willie while Reggie and Flynn were always eager to delay their exit and have some more fun for a couple more hours. So when Luke got tired, and Julie and him found themselves hugging the walls of the venue or breathing heavily from a tiring set; it was customary for her to curl into the passenger seat while he pulled out of the alleyway or driveway.
It was also an excuse to spend 20 minutes alone with the beautiful girl, even if she would be half asleep sometimes when they drove home together. 
Once in awhile, she would sneak him inside and let him stay over. (But they weren’t dating or anything, obviously, because dating within the band was terrifying.)
((Only because Luke knew that Julie held his love for music in her hands. And he didn’t know what would happen if he gave her the rest of him, too.))
Tonight, they had just played a party thrown by Julie’s friend Carrie Wilson, who happened to be the cousin of their ex-rhythm guitarist -- but a gig was a gig, and a lot of their classmates were going to be there, so it was a deal they were quick to take. 
Following a six-song set and a lot of dancing, Luke felt a yawn crawling up his throat. Julie was standing off to his side, with her arm wrapped around his as if she were worried he was going to suddenly join the party and abandon her against the wall. 
But he would never. In fact, he only moved closer to her and leaned his head on top of hers that was resting against his shoulder. When she offers her bottle of water, he gladly wraps his hand around her wrist to lift the bottle to his lips and hydrate. 
“You wanna head out, Rockstar?”
Without even trying to yell over the music, she nods against his shoulder. 
Warmth filling his chest, he winds his arm around her shoulders and leads her into the entryway where the coat closet lies. Slipping on both of their coats, he is sure to wave at Reggie and Alex as he slips open the front door and holds it open for Julie; signalling their exit. 
Luke ignores the knowing grins he receives from his beloved bandmates, and slips his jean jacket over Julie’s thin sweatshirt after catching her hands rapidly rubbing up and down her arms to generate heat. 
“No, Luke, keep your jacket. It’s freezing out here.”
“I’m hot-blooded. You’re right, it’s cold, so you definitely need this.”
Pouting, she tightens the wrap of the jacket around her. “You should just let me suffer the consequences of my mistakes.”
Jumping in front of her, he opens the passenger door as if it is a ritual between the two of them. “That won’t happen if I can help it.”
Julie just rolls her eyes -- she truly, painfully, has no idea how honest he is being. 
Luke can tell she’s tired, so he does what he normally does and waits for her to start any conversation because he doesn’t want to push her. Soft music, Chasing Fire, plays through the speakers off of Julie’s playlist, and the lyrics seriously make Luke grip the steering wheel tight. 
I was driving you home in the middle of the night, but I couldn’t bring myself to say goodbye
What if he did that tonight? What if he just… Sat in the car, and told her he loved her, and waited to see how she would react?
It would be so stupid. But luckily, stupid is Luke’s middle name. 
“I love these drives,” Julie hums into the cold air, contrasting with Lauv’s voice. Her words fog up the window that she is resting her head against. “It’s so nice. Quiet, and dark, and just the two of us.”
Wow, she’s definitely exhausted. Sometimes Julie gets a little loopy and sentimental when she’s tired, but shit -- Luke’s heart pumps against his ribcage with a ferocity that can only be caused by Julie Molina. 
So, since it’s late, he’ll play her game. 
“Why do you think I always jump at the chance to drive you home?” Beat. “I just like spending time with you.”
“Really?”
God, does she really not know? Does she really not see it? 
Has he been letting her feel unloved all this time?
“I thought it was obvious, Jules,” he tries to smirk but it really just is a wince. “You’re like my favorite person.”
The girl in the passenger seat stays quiet, knees tucked into her chest despite the seatbelt because the seat has practically molded to her body at this point. She belongs there, next to him. 
“You’re mine,” he hears her sigh. It’s so quiet and is almost completely muffled by the sound of a passing semi truck, but he listens and he hears it. 
It shouldn’t be what puts him over the edge. 
But it is.
“You know I love you, right?” 
Finally, her head lulls to her left so that she can face him. If he was able to look at her longer, he would see her eyes shining as if she was about to cry -- but he has to keep his eyes on the road. “I love you too, Luke. You know that.”
“No, it’s-” His knuckles bleach around the wheel. “I’m in love with you.”
Again, more silence. Luke doesn’t chance glancing at her through his peripherals because he doesn’t want to see her disgust. 
He wishes so desperately that he could be looking at her, as focused on her as he is when they are on stage or at school or not in a car where their lives are in his hands. The quiet sinks into his stomach like a lead balloon, and he has just convinced himself that he’s ruined everything as he rounds the corner into her neighborhood, when-
“You’re in love with me? Actually?”
Luke scoffs. What kind of question is that? “It’s kind of hard not to be, Julie.”
The car rolls up in front of her house. He parks and turns the key in the ignition to turn it off, wondering if Julie is going to take the chance to run. 
She doesn’t. 
The second that he shifts to face her, he catches her face practically glowing -- she’s teary-eyed, but she’s smiling, and suddenly she is leaning across the center console and pressing her lips agsainst his with her soft hands on either side of his face. 
“I love you, too. But like, the way you mean it.”
It’s his turn to be shocked. “Really?”
God, her smile makes him want to kiss her senseless; but she beats him to the punch. He wants to push for more, but the chaste kiss she gives him before responding will have to do-
“It’s kind of hard not to, Patterson.”
Alex, Reggie, and probably even his parents would beg to differ. 
But none of them matter, because Julie is in front of him, and she loves him like he loves her. 
When she invites to sneak him inside as she has done many nights in the past, she holds his hand this time around -- and he eventually does get to fulfill his wish as soon as they reach her bedroom.
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chickwiththepurpleguitar · 4 years ago
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reggie &or/ alex stargazing?
Okay I’m ngl I’m not sure how I feel about this one... it definitely got away from me lol. But hopefully you like it. Julie/Luke/Reggie, technically a part two to this, though you can read this as a standalone just fine. The movie they watch is supposed to be Professor Marston and the Wonder Women, about the polyamorous creator of Wonder Woman! Enjoy, friend!
--
It was hard enough to see the stars above L.A. in the 80s and 90s. In 2020, it’s damn near impossible. But Reggie’s trying anyway, lying on his back on the roof of the studio and gazing at the cloudy summer sky, because the only other option was third-wheeling Luke and Julie’s movie night.
Reggie’s come to realize a few things about himself recently, about what he wants and whom he loves. Some days are easier than others, when Luke’s arm around his shoulders or Julie’s fondly amused smile are enough, and he can just bask in the warmth of their (platonic) affection, and the fluttering they set off in his heart makes him feel like he’s floating. Other days, all he can see is how they look at each other with so much love in their eyes, and Luke’s touch feels reluctant, and Julie’s smile feels pitying, and Reggie pines so stupidly hard that he hates himself a little bit for it.
Tonight’s one of the second kind. Luke and Julie invited him to watch some superhero movie with them, even saved a space on the couch for him, but when Reggie poofed into the studio and saw them all cuddled up together, Luke’s arm around Julie’s shoulders and Julie giggling into Luke’s chest, Reggie had just felt so sad that he could never be a part of that—not envious, really, he’s happy for them, of course he is, but just… lonely—that it made his heart hurt, so he mumbled some excuse and poofed out again.
So now he’s up on the roof, stargazing even though he can’t see the stars, while Luke and Julie get their cuddle on inside, and he’s trying to be happy for them, and he’s trying not to hate himself, but it’s hard to focus on the good things in life when he can’t even see the stars.
Next to him, there’s the little displacement of air that signifies a ghost poofing in, and Reggie tenses, mind racing to come up with a lie if Luke asks him what he’s doing up here. But it’s not Luke. It’s Alex, and the second he appears, he lies down next to Reggie with his arms folded behind his head, staring up at the night sky.
Reggie slowly relaxes, settling back down into his comfortable position. He doesn’t say anything, and neither does Alex, and usually Reggie’s not a huge fan of silence, but right now he kind of appreciates just having his friend there next to him, not trying to push him to talk about anything but just letting Reggie know he’s not alone.
It’s been a while since they’ve had a chance to hang out, just him and Alex. It’s nice. It eases some of the tightness in Reggie’s chest.
The silence only lasts a few minutes, though, before Alex says, “So.”
Reggie tenses again. “So…” he echoes cautiously, and then barrels on before Alex has a chance to, “How’s Willie?”
Alex glances at him, eyebrow raised, but allows, “They’re good.”
“And you? How—how are you doing?”
“I’m good…” Alex frowns at him. “What about you, Reg?”
“Me?” Reggie’s aware his voice is too high-pitched, unconvincing, but he can’t help it. “I’m—I’m great, dude. Awesome, even! Why, uh, wh-why do you—why do you ask?” He winces. That’s sure likely to throw Alex off his scent. God, could he be any worse at this?
Alex sits up, pressing his hands into his lap, his expression soft, unthreatening, but undeniably concerned (it makes Reggie cringe). “Reggie… You’ve been acting weird since the Farmers’ Market. Even Willie’s noticed, and he doesn’t even know you that well. Plus…” Alex looks down, trailing a hand against the roof like he wants to reach through the tile into the studio below. When he looks back up, his eyes are hooded, hesitant, worried and sad. “Reg, Luke and Julie think you’re mad at them.”
“What?” Reggie goes cold all over and sits up, too, and something painful tugs in his chest, like the rollercoaster-drop feeling he gets right before he poofs, but he doesn’t let himself follow it, he digs his fingers into his thighs and forces himself to stay right where he is. “No, I didn’t—I’m not—why would they think that?”
“Because you’re avoiding them?” Alex points out. “They wanted to hang out with you but instead you’re hiding up here.”
“I’m not hiding,” Reggie starts to say, but Alex gives him a Look and his words trail off because yeah, okay, no, he’s definitely hiding. He swallows, fiddles with his hands in his lap, mumbles, “I didn’t want to interrupt their date.”
He feels more than sees Alex roll his eyes. “It’s not a date if they wanted you to be there.”
Reggie just shakes his head, still staring down at his lap. His throat feels tight, and his eyes start to well up with tears. “I love them, Alex.” His voice sounds thick and distant to his own ears. “I just love them so much, and I want them to be happy, but I don’t want them to pity me because I’m the only one of us who doesn’t have someone, but I also don’t want to sit there and watch them be together because it hurts and I just—I just want—”
“You want to be with them,” Alex finishes, and Reggie nods, tears spilling down his cheeks before he can stop them. “Aw, Reg. Come here.”
Reggie doesn’t even wait for Alex to open his arms all the way before he throws himself into them, crying and shaking and knotting his fingers desperately into the soft, reassuring fabric of Alex’s hoodie. For a few long minutes, Alex just holds him while Reggie cries, rubbing soothing circles into his back and gently hushing him until his sobs finally quiet.
“Hey, Reg?” Alex murmurs once Reggie’s no longer really crying but just sniffling into Alex’s shirt. Alex strokes Reggie’s hair out of his face, guiding Reggie’s head back to look up at him. “Do you remember, way back in like, 1993, when I was dumb and repressed and had a crush on Luke of all people but was too terrified to say anything to him about it, do you remember what you said to me?”
Reggie frowns, trying to think back all those years as he sits back out of Alex’s grip and scrubs at his face. “Um… ‘You’re not special. Everyone has a crush on Luke’?”
“Okay, not that.” Alex rolls his eyes, and just the casual familiarity of the gesture makes Reggie smile before Alex’s expression turns serious again. “You said that even if Luke rejected me, nothing could possibly hurt worse than keeping such a huge secret from him did. You said I’d feel better if at least he knew. And eventually, you were right. Do you remember that?”
“Yeah, maybe.”
Alex taps the roof meaningfully. “They’re waiting for you, Reg. Go talk to them. You’ll feel better once they know.”
When Reggie poofs into the studio, all his fears and worries (and the speech he’s been mentally throwing together) instantly fly out of his head because Julie’s wrapped in Luke’s arms and she’s crying.
“Jules?” Reggie rushes over to the sofa and drops into a crouch, bracing one hand on Luke’s knee and reaching up the other to cup Julie’s tear-stained cheek. “Jules, I’m so sorry, I didn’t—Alex said—I’m not mad at you. Please don’t cry.”
Julie and Luke both grab for him, pulling him into a tight group hug, and Reggie can’t help a little oof of surprise from escaping his mouth. Once the initial shock fades, though, Reggie lets himself relax into his best friends’ holds, his own earlier tears now completely forgotten in favor of soothing Julie’s.
“We’re so sorry, Reg,” Luke murmurs, pressing his lips to the top of Reggie’s head. “We never meant to—to scare you away, or—or make you think we didn’t want you right here with us all the time, okay?”
“Stay with us, please,” Julie says, still sort of teary but no longer actively crying. “Be with us, Reggie. We want you.”
Reggie pulls back just enough to be able to look up at both of them, staring back at him with a little hesitance, maybe, a little nervousness, but no hint of insincerity, nothing to so much as suggest that they’re lying or making fun of him.
“Seriously?” he asks anyway, still just needing to make sure. “You mean, like, with you, with you, right? As… as more than friends?”
Luke smiles at him, ruffles his hair. “Yeah, Reg. That’s what we mean.”
Five minutes later, Reggie’s snuggled up on the couch between Luke and Julie, feeling more loved and happy than he has his whole life. They watch a movie about three people in a relationship (“It was gonna be how we told you, before you ran out on us, you dork,” Luke teases) and it’s so much better than sitting alone (or with Alex) on the roof, watching the stars.   
--
Taglist: @whenweremarried @sunsethimb0s @pink-flame @penguin0613 @fighttoshine @sunsetcurvecuddles @nickalicious @reggiescrookedteeth @brightattheorpheum @queenmolina @spidergirl0325 @jandthephantoms @lexilucacia @sapphossidechick @acnhaddict @cest-la-vie-de-la-lee @sunset-bobby @lenacarstairspotterstewart @moreflowersthanweeds @conversationaltreestump @burntchromas @shellydominique 
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blush-and-books · 4 years ago
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Congrats!! That’s so amazing and your content is amazing!!
Coffee shop AU, pining,meeting,mixup
(Can’t decide between pining and fluff however I wish you luck with all of these requests and I hope you have a fantastic day!!) (or technically night when you do this?)
i got two coffee shop au requests from anons -- the other one was “coffee shop, fluff, strangers, writing” -- so i combined them!!!!! one of my longest ones for this project. thank you for the request!
Coffee shops where your food and drinks would be brought to you at your table were few and far between. But at Rose’s, the mom-and-pop coffee shop tucked in a quaint brick structure, Julie found a warm home with welcoming employees. 
It even became her favorite place to write music, even if it was a little more money out of her pocket every week, and the songs weren’t going anywhere except for her dream box. 
She was in there all the time, and today was just another one of those days with her and her journal when Flynn, the waitress who Julie has become close with, drops a mug of coffee next to her. 
“Thanks Flynn,” Julie greets the girl, taking a grateful sip of the steaming liquid -- and then wincing. 
“What’s wrong?”
The songwriter shakes her head. “This isn’t a vanilla cappuccino. This is just a sugarless latte.”
“Oh my God, I’m so sorry, let me-”
“Hey, did you just say sugarless latte?” Suddenly, an energetic guy with bright green eyes and expressive eyebrows is running up besides Julie’s table and casually pointing to the latte. His other hand is occupied by a filled mug whose contents are dangerously splashing around. Flynn and Julie exchange a confused look before returning their gaze to the brunette boy next to them. 
“Um… Yeah?”
“Okay, did you have a vanilla… Thing?” He gestures to the mug in his hand. 
“Yeah! A cappuccino.”
The stranger gives her an almost overwhelming grin as he focuses on her instead of the cup of coffee in front of her. His sweet smile lingers as he silently takes her in, and she can’t help but find herself smiling back at such a kind stranger. 
She wants to give him back his coffee, but if her lipstick stain is any reminder, she’s already drunk some of it. And by the way he’s guiltily looking at her cappuccino, she can tell he did too. 
It’s kind of endearing how they have an “I’m sorry I drank your coffee” conversation with their eyes, as if they are close friends who know each other like the back of their hands. 
God, this is a meet-cute if Julie’s ever seen one. 
“I’ll go get you guys new coffees,” Flynn interrupts their silent conversation, looking between them as if she’s missed something. Without another word, she retrieves both mugs and slips away, leaving Julie and the stranger awkwardly grinning at each other. 
The stranger doesn’t make a move to leave, and Julie -- in a ridiculous way -- is tempted to invite him to sit across from her and share the table. She wants to know his name, seeing as how he is painfully cute and looking at her in a way that she has never been looked at by a guy before. It doesn’t make her feel uneasy as much as it does raise hesitant excitement in her stomach.
Suddenly, their weird moment is interrupted by the incoming of two other guys around their age who almost tackle the cute stranger from behind. 
“Dude, there’s no seats left!” The raven-haired one says with a pout. 
Stranger looks disappointed. “For real?” “Yeah, man,” the blonde speaks up, “we looked all over. We just ordered, so maybe we can get our coffees to go?” Scanning the cute stranger up and down, he grows clearly confused. “Where’s your coffee? You got here like 10 minutes before we did.”
While the cute guy answers his friend’s question, gesturing to her somewhere in that response, Julie glances at the space remaining at her table. There isn’t much -- it’s a small table -- but she’ll probably be packing up soon anyways, and it’s good karma. 
She doesn’t know if she’s interrupting one of them, but she doesn’t care. “Here, you guys can take my table. I’m heading out anyways.”
But as she stands and grabs her bag, coffee guy is putting his hands up and urging her to sit back down; almost touching her shoulders. “No, please, it’s cool. We don’t need to sit down. Stay.”
“It’s really no trouble-”
“You were here first-”
“I’m almost done-”
“Seriously, it’s no big-”
“Oh my God!” His two friends exclaim. The blonde rubs his hands over his face in exhaustion. “Just accept her offer, dude. It’s a place to sit.”
“Only if she stays.”
The three of them look at him curiously, as if they didn’t hear him correctly. They couldn’t have, because it sounded like he wanted a complete stranger to stay and sit with him and his friends. 
“What?” Julie asks, because she needs to hear it again to be positive that this guy is slightly out of his mind. 
“You stay in your seat, and we’ll just pull up some chairs. Seriously, I don’t wanna interrupt your-” He gestures to the journal laying wide open on the table. 
“Writing,” Julie finishes for him. Something tells her that this was the wrong thing to say, because while the cute guy lights up, his friends take turns groaning. 
“No, I’m not doing this,” the tall blonde guy says. He tugs on the leather jacket of the guy with the darker hair. “We’re getting our drinks to go and leaving.”
Cute guy, offended, turns to his friends as they are already walking away. “Wait! Guys, what do you mean we’re leaving?”
The frustrated one points a stern finger at his friend. “I mean me and Reggie are leaving, and you can stay and flirt with coffee girl.” Realizing what he just said, he turns to Julie. “Sorry! I don’t know your name. Forgive my friend here, he’s an idiot who clearly likes you and is painfully bad at flirting. Luke, get her name and her number and find us when you’re done.”
Luke. Cute Stranger’s name is Luke. It’s fitting in a way Julie can’t explain.
She would normally nitpick at the fact that the blonde assumed that she would be comfortable having Luke hit on her and giving him her number, but then recalls that he just observed a flustered argument between them over a stupid little table in a coffee shop, and probably could tell by the way her eyes kept flickering to his bare arms that she was very much interested. 
As Luke looks after his retreating friends, Julie gestures to the chair across from her. “Since you’re here, you may as well wait for your coffee. I wouldn’t mind the company.”
“What’s your name?”
The question flies out of his mouth as he anxiously squeezes the chain on his jeans like he’s been dying to ask for a while. Julie holds out her hand. 
“I’m Julie.”
He gladly accepts the offer. “Julie,” he repeats, feeling the name on his tongue. “Julie, and you like vanilla cappuccinos, and you’re a writer.”
“Luke, and you like making your tastebuds suffer, and you’re…” She rolls her lips together, trying to judge whether her assessment from earlier was correct. “... Also a writer.”
The comment was like handing him a golden ticket, because he’s all of the sudden sliding into the chair across from her, and launching into asking her about what she writes and what she does with the writing. 
They are so swept up in their animated conversation that they don’t even notice the correct coffees being slipped in front of them by a smiling Flynn. 
The two of them go through three more cups before parting -- and yes, Luke later reports to Alex, he did get Julie’s number.
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