#because he thinks he's Not Enough without them! He doesn't wanna be Reggie; he wants to be A-Train! And that's ohhhh so juicy

[bougiebutchbitch]

Love seeing my little guy (Reggie) making mistake after mistake and ruining his own life and getting the people he loves hurt and alienating himself from his family :3 it's really enriching for meeeee

......but if he and Nate don't hug at least once in S5 I will want personal words with Kripke

[issaxcharlie]

Someone To You

Pairing: Alive! Luke Patterson x Fem Reader

Summary: Y/N and Luke have been friends for most of their lives and have already spent some time in love, but not knowing how to jump from friends to lovers, they have been stranded in that rare transition for much longer than they should, something that does not go unnoticed neither for them nor for the members of the rock band.

A lot of Luke and Y/N fluff, and a lot of friendship between Y/N and the Sunset Curve boys💖 (oh and my usual nonsense)

Word count: +3k

Songs used: Kiss me by Ed Sheeran and Follow You by Echosmith

Two in the morning and Y/N has been lying on her bed for twenty minutes trying to go back to sleep without any success. She is about to give up and go to get her journal when an unmistakable knock on the window echoes through the room.

She gets up and turns on the lamp before going to open the lock, her best friend entering the room seconds later and closing the window again before turning to her. The second they are face to face, Y/N lunges at him, entwining her legs tightly across his waist, her face buried completely in his neck, letting the familiarity of his body and scent wash over her.

“Oh god, I missed you.” He whispers in a husky voice, putting his hands on her hips and carefully kicking off his vans with his feet, then moving to her bed, dropping her gently on her usual side.

That's when he can see the girl's face with attention, her features slightly illuminated by the night lamp and making clear that she had been awake before he arrived.

“Difficult night eh?” He asks just before pushing his body forward to jump to the other side of the bed, and she lets out a sweet wholehearted laugh when he stumbles at the last second and ends up falling on his belly on her hips. “This was supposed to be way cooler and smoother.”

“I know Lu, maybe try to just walk next time?”

“Y/N, darlin’. Rockstars don’t just walk, we have to do everything with style.” He gets up and lightly kisses her on the cheek before stepping carefully around her to lie down on his side.

“My mistake, Lucas.” She teases with a smirk and he frowns before playfully sticking his tongue out at her. “Now, what happened? Whenever you appear at the window out of nowhere, it’s because you feel overwhelmed."

He analyzes what she said silently. All the times that he has entered through that window passing through his head, as well as all the hugs and cuddles received. All the years, and feelings and memories making him feel blessed to love her. "I guess you are right, you are my safe place." Y/N's face lights up, and she confidently moves closer to give him a soft kiss on the nose. “And you are mine. Now, spill, handsome.”

He smiles at the compliment, and makes an exaggerated wink that makes her snort. “My mom made me leave the house almost impossible, I was minutes away to miss the gig. I don't understand why it's so hard for her to understand that this is what I was born to do. If I want to be someone in this life, I have to continue on this path, no matter what. I don't want to die and just vanish, I want to leave a mark. We all want our lives to be great and to be remembered." Luke drops his head against the pillow and covers his eyes with his hands, letting his annoyance out.

“I get you, and you know I will always support you.”

“But…”

“But I just want you to know this. You are someone, Luke. To me, to Reggie, Alex, Bobby, and no matter how much you guys argue, you are someone to your parents. You don't need to connect with everyone to make an impact, just with the people who matter to you.”

He moves his hands behind his head and stares in silence at the ceiling for a few seconds, and then turns to see her with the most charming smile in his repertoire. “Will you come to the Orpheum after we nail the audition?” Anyone would be disconcerted by his attitude, but for Y/N it is a typical Luke Patterson defense mechanism. Whenever he feels like the conversation is getting too heavy or when he just doesn't want to respond, he drastically changes the subject with his best smile to try and distract her.

“Of course I will, It’ll be one of the most important days of your life, I would never miss it. And I would not change you singing in my ear for anything, but there is something so special when you are on stage, it is like being in front of the microphone sets your soul on fire.” She replies with a delighted smile.

"I totally get what you mean. So, you like me to sing you to sleep, huh? C’mere beautiful." He requests before trapping her against him, his calloused fingers quickly finding her hair, stroking it gently as he sings in her ear.

“Settle down with me, cover me up, cuddle me in. Lie down with me, and hold me in your arms” He stops for a second to meet her eyes again and give her a light kiss on the forehead, before confidently singing the chorus. “Kiss me like you wanna be loved, you wanna be loved, you wanna be loved. This feels like falling in love, falling in love, falling in love.”

Y/N smiles against his neck before finally falling asleep, the peace Luke always gives her completely invading her and melting her in his arms.

In the morning Y/N snaps her eyes open when she raises her arm to wrap her best friend’s waist and finds the space empty. She sits down and finds a note on her nightstand, Luke's unmistakable handwriting peeking out due to a poorly folded sheet.

“Good morning darlin’, sorry for leaving without saying goodbye, I had to go to the last rehearsal before the auditions. After that we will pick you up to go celebrate <3

PS: you look so hot while you drool my shoulder and the pillows."

-Luke

The girl can't help but blush, and furiously examines the pillow to see if she actually did it, only to find another little note below it.

“Gotcha.” She rolls her eyes and a little laugh escapes her lips.

Today is a ridiculously important day in the lives of the boys, if they manage to be among the 10 chosen for the second part of the contest, they will compete in the legendary Orpheum for the opportunity to land a record deal.

The four of them have been working like crazy even though the situation with their families has been getting worse in recent weeks, none of them have even thought about giving up. Without much to do during her day off, Y/N allows herself to remember the feeling of being in Luke's arms, the conversation she had with Alex and Bobby just a few days before in the back of her head.

“Why are we doing this again?” Alex asks clearly annoyed while Bobby and Y/N laugh, turning to see Luke and Reggie jamming some songs across the sidewalk, in front of one of the hottest clubs in LA.

“Something about making the band better known before auditions.” she reports, as she closes the buttons on Luke's bleached jean jacket she's wearing.

“I understand that, but couldn’t he wait til tomorrow? We practiced all day, I’m tired as fuck.” The blond replies, getting irritated from exhaustion.

Bobby yawns, his eyes getting heavier as he rests his head in Y/N’s shoulder. “Muffin, I swear, your man has infinite energy.”

“He is not my man, Bobs.” She answers as she rests her head on his, ruffling his hair gently.

"Well maybe you should let him know, because he refers to you as his girl all the time." Bobby informs her, raising his head to see her reaction.

“He does?” Even in the dark both boys can see how red her cheeks are, and how the smile on her face grows with each passing second. Bobby decides to take a chance and keep teasing her.

“My girl is so insanely talented, that’s my sweet girl, my girl said this and I thought it was so freaking awesome because I’m hopelessly in love with her.”

“Man, that was so accurate. 10/10.” Alex replies while laughing, they lean in to highfive above her head, and she can't help but blush even more at her friend's words.

“You guys are the worst.” She wrinkled her nose and they both turned to see each other, agreeing silently that now is the moment to ask one of the questions they had wanted to ask her for months.

“Since we met you are in this strange relationship, in which you are both aware that you are in love with each other, but neither of you does anything. What are you waiting for?" Bobby asks, indicating Alex to support him with his eyes.

“Yeah bro after 3 years, it gets kind of old.” He adds, trying to sound cool.

“I guess, we just think it is not the right time. Since you started the band he has worked tirelessly on his career as a musician and that is what I want him to focus on. We both know what is in our hearts and for now that is more than enough.” She blurts out, trying to get her thoughts in order.

“That was so cheesy I want to die.” Alex answers in reflex, and his eyes go wide when he realizes what he said.

“Oh my God, Alex. Go away! I will never open my soul to you again.”

The girl blushes again, a small smile at the corner of her lips as she remembers how after that her friends continued to tease her with Luke and called her Mrs Patterson for the rest of the night, both she and Luke totally embarrassed when they continued to tease them in the truck on the way home. She decides to get out her notebook and try to write a song, which she hadn't done since Luke formed Sunset Curve, and by the time she finished she had just some minutes before the boys arrived.

She managed to get ready in time, but what she found when she opened the door was not what she expected. The face that greeted her was Reggie's and not Luke's as always, and the sad little smile on the bassist's face wasn't normal either.

She instantly hugs him, making soft circles with her fingertips on his iconic leather jacket.

“Don’t worry about me, sunshine, I’m fine. But he needs you.” He takes her hand and walks toward Bobby's old truck, and Y/N is even more confused when she meets his beaming smile as they climb into the back of the vehicle. Alex is smiling too, but he looks clearly anxious, and Luke is nowhere to be found.

"Can someone explain to me what happened? Where is Luke?"

“We did it, muffin!” He embraces her excitedly, his clear happiness reassuring the stressed girl.

“Congrats guys! I’m so proud of you!” He released her and she hugs Reggie with her left arm and with her free one takes Alex's hand, who takes it in his and fondly kisses her knuckles.

“Thank you Y/N, but going back to Luke, we need your help. Things didn't go as smoothly as we expected and how to put it nicely… he lost it.” The blond informs her while anxiously playing with his necklace.

“You are the one who always shows him the way.” Reggie says with a bigger smile this time.

“Okay, start the truck Bobs, my man needs me.” Alex snorts a laugh and Bobby fulfills her request after smiling teasingly at her.

“You told Bobby he wasn’t your man.” Alex remarked with a smirk, turning his head toward the back seat to look into her eyes.

“And you told the boy at the club that you didn't know Reggie so you wouldn't have to give him his number. What's your point?” She answered swiftly with a mirrored smirk.

The drummer tries to counter attack but fails miserably, instead whispers a “...Well played.” and looks back to the front of the road.

“Was he cute?” Reg asks with genuine curiosity, and they all debate whether the boy was Reggie’s type or not on the way to where Luke is.

The boys leave her in the big park where the girl already imagined her best friend was, and she walks directly to the place where they sat millions of times throughout her childhood and adolescence, in their little corner of paradise. It doesn't take her long to find a disgruntled Luke sitting against their tree with his guitar three feet away, lying on the grass.

“You look so hot when you are frustrated.” Luke looks up and calms down when he meets her eyes. “I think you are the one who needs a song to relax now.” She adds, pointing out at the guitar. He nods and she picks it up, sitting between Luke's legs, her back leaning against his chest.

She blushes as she begins to play the song she finished composing just an hour ago, grateful that he can't see her face because of the position they are in. “I thank God for you all the time. Someone who knows my faults, but loves me despite them all. And you, I'll follow you just like that. Doesn't matter how far, If I have you, I have it all.”

She feels him kissing her hair, his heart beating just as fast as her own. “I think I found my soulmate, yes I do. I think I found the one who knows me. I don't wanna think about what it'd be like without you. Anywhere, I’ll follow you anywhere.”

When the song ends she freezes for a few seconds and Luke takes the opportunity to take the guitar and move it to the side, so that he can hug her closer to him, his arms around her waist while his chin rests on her shoulder.

“Your voice always shows me the way home.” Luke whispers sweetly in her ear, and Y/N instantly remembers Reggie said something similar in the truck, which means Luke had probably already expressed that thought to his friends, causing her to melt in his arms. She guesses it’s her turn to apply the famous Luke Patterson defense mechanism.

“What happened? I know you guys did pass, Bobby was so happy he wanted to cry.”

“We passed literally with the last ticket. They said they couldn’t see Sunset Curve, just another wannabe garage band, definitely not material for the big leagues.”

“Wow, that’s rough. And how did you react?”

"Reggie and Bobby held me by the arms and Alex by the back to stop me from going berserker." She smiles softly, imagining the scene clearly, and stretches her neck to see the guitarist's face.

“Lu, what else is bothering you?” He looks deep in thought, like he's forming multiple ideas in his head.

“I don't approve of everything they said, but I think maybe they have a point. I spent so much time trying to get the band to be material for a discography that I neglected our essence."

“Okay, then what’s the next move?”

“I have an idea, but I can’t do it without you.” He admits, staring deeply at her with his beautiful hazel eyes.

“Good thing you don’t have to. Luke, remember when we first met?” She asks, trying to distract him from his problems at least for today.

“Yeah, we were six. I told you I wanted to be a rockstar, and you said Lucas wasn’t a rockstar name, that I had to change it immediately.” He recalls with a soft smile.

“After that day you got angry every time someone dared to call you by your name.” She remembers the scene with a laugh.

“You have to admit, little Y/N was wise, you wouldn't have a band if you were still a Lucas.” He chuckles, caressing her hair lovingly., and she leans at the touch.”

“From that day I knew that I always wanted to be by your side. All my life I have tried to be someone, someone for my parents, for my friends, for the public, but I have never had to try with you.

I've always been someone for you... and that's more than enough. You've always known who I am, even when I'm not sure myself. You have always been patient and have loved me unconditionally, and I want you to know that you can always expect the same from me. god, I know since I was a kid I would do anything for you. I need you, I’m tired to wait for the correct moment, because every moment with you feels right.”

“Lu… is this a love confession?”

“I- yeah. But it’s so hard, I feel so many emotions right now and I really want to kiss the hell out of yo-” Y/N pulls him towards her connecting their lips hungrily, both melting into each other's mouths. He bites her lower lip slightly and separates a few seconds to admire her face, her eyes shining with love and lust.

“Darlin’, you can admit now your thing for rockstars. That’s exactly how you see me when I’m on stage.”

“I’ll admit it as soon as you admit you pretended to drown in the pool last year so I could give you mouth-to-mouth.”

“I would never do something like that… again.” They both laugh adoringly and Luke kisses her hard, determined to make up for all the lost time.

“Hey lovebirds, it’s time to go, Alex is minutes ago to snap at Reg and I don't want to end in the middle again, Reggie bit me last time.” They part abruptly, looking up at Bobby with daggers in their eyes.

“You can’t be all annoying all the time about our relationship and then ruin a moment like that.” she says clearly frustrated.

“Wow, eager much, muffin? someone is already whipped huh?” He jokes, causing Luke to put his finger in his mouth and then in his friend's ear.

“Bobby If you don’t shut up I swear-” She starts to fight, but he interrupts her.

“Are you guys dating now?” They both turn to see each other and smile, Luke wipes his hand on Bobby's shirt as they start to walk to the truck and entwine it with Y/N’s.

“Yeah, yes we are.” He declares with a majestic smile.

“Dammit I lost the bet to Alex. He said this was finally the year and I bet on another five.”

“Five? Really?” The girl asks, unable to believe what she hears.

“What? You have been in this strange relationship for about 12 years, five more years would be easy peasy. Reggie bet that you would make your lives with someone else and meet in 20 years to realize that it was always you." He informs them as they reach the vehicle, she looks in shock for a moment but then recovers and feings anger.

“Yeah, that’s it we are walking.” She decides, pulling Luke onto the sidewalk.

“You're just looking for an excuse to make out with your new boyfriend, you never get mad at us, not even the time Reggie stuck gum in your hair.” Bobby calls her out, and Reggie rolls the window down to emphasize that it was an accident.

“Okay yeah, I want to make out with my boyfriend and stick my tongue down his throat because as you mentioned, I've been waiting for many years to be able do it. So get lost or admire the show.” Reggie quickly closes the window again, and Bobby makes a disgusted face before almost running to the driver's seat.

“I’m so in love with you.” He admits with loving eyes, and she stands on tiptoe to fill him with light kisses on the forehead, nose, cheeks and lips. “I’m so in love with you, Lu.”

“Hey darlin’, I know you said the tongue in the throat thing to scare them away but…” He tries to explain himself, but she stops him knowing exactly what he wants to say.

“Oh, don’t worry. I’m kissing the hell out of you as soon as we get home.” She reassures, caressing his hand.

He lets out a big sigh of relief. “Good.” A big smile on his face while pressing her hand a little harder to make sure this is actually happening.

Thanks for reading ✨

Taglist: @writerinlearning, @strangerthanfanfiction713 @thebloodthirstyvampress, @kinda-really-lost, @kcd15, @magnet-girl, @aliandthephantoms, @stxrkspidey, @pinkrockstar19, @s0uz4s, @shycupcakealissa @cookiebuba, @fangirlangioma, @sageellsworth05, @twist3dtinkerbell, @sunsetcurvenotsunsetswerve, @caitsymichelle13, @ifilwtmfc @bibliophilewednesday @totomoshi, @siennanoelle01, @lunashadow6955, @bookfrog247, @morganayennefertyrell, @kiss-themoongoodbye, @rachelle3musicals, @imsydneywalker, @really-dont-forget-it @agentstarkid @talksoprettyjjx @kaitieskidmore1 @lukeys-giggle @katie-navarro @crybabyddl @cocopuffs0211 @marvel-ousnesss @tuttigunner @dpaccione @justalittleweirdoo

[invisibleraven]

okay friday #2

i wish you would write a fluffy flynn fic! she doesn't get enough love, and i want her to get love from reggie <3

"Bleeeeeeeeh," Flynn groaned as she flopped back onto the couch. "Reggie it is too fucking hot."

"Yup," Reggie replied, not looking up from his book. "What do you want me to do about it dear? Fan you with a palm frond and feed you grapes?"

"I mean, I wouldn't complain," Flynn replied, giggling when Reggie lowered his book to glare at her. "Baring that you could find a fan until the shitty landlord gets around to fixing the AC."

"Man, fuck that dude," Reggie groaned as he eased himself out of his chair, grimacing as his skin stuck to the fabric. "We've been complaining about stuff that needs to get fixed for months."

"Well our lease is up in the fall, we can find a new place then. Maybe we can go in and get a bigger place with Julie and Luke?" Flynn suggested.

"And put up with their constant make outs and night long jam sessions? Hard pass. I know they are our best friends, but I would like them to stay that way. I'd probably end up killing Luke if we lived together," Reggie said, lugging the ancient rotating fan out of the closet, setting it up so it pushed the mostly tepid air around. "Anything else my queen?"

"Well if I'm not gonna get my grapes," Flynn started.

"You are not."

"Then I wouldn't say no to a glass of water. Maybe the last pint of Hoof Prints if we didn't finish it off last movie night," Flynn asked, turning her eyes big and begging, grinning as Reggie rolled his eyes and leaned down to kiss her.

"Spoiled rotten you are."

"You love me!"

Reggie's smile softened at that, filling a large glass with ice and lemon slices. "Yeah, yeah I do."

He returned, two spoons and the ice cream in one hand, her water in the other. Slumping down on the couch beside her, the two of them flicking on some mindless television as they devoured the cool treat. The fan had finally cooled the air, and Flynn let out a tiny moan as it hit her. "Oooh that's nice."

"Remind me to never bring you to visit MeeMaw in the summer, you'd never survive Georgia if you can't handle this," Reggie commented, swiping the last spoonful of ice cream.

"I think MeeMaw would rather come here anyways," Flynn replied, snatching the spoon right from his hands and swallowing the ice cream before Reggie could even register a protest.

"So lucky I love you," Reggie commented, snatching a bottle of nail polish from the table to freshen up her pedicure.

Flynn grinned as Reggie dutifully painted her toes without having to be asked, sipping at her water and relaxed back into the couch. Yeah, she really was lucky. She had the best guy, who pampered her and treated her like a queen.

"I love you too, you know," Flynn said quietly. Reggie's face broke out in a grin, blowing her a kiss before going back to her pedicure. "You wanna get pizza for supper?"

"When do I not want pizza?" Reggie asked. "No olives this time please."

"They're delicious!"

Reggie face screwed up at that. "No. No olives. Pineapple is fine, but I draw the line at olives."

Flynn sighed. "Fine, since you are doing my nails for me. You want me to do yours after I place the order?"

"Nah, gonna wait and do them before the gig Friday, thanks though," Reggie said, blowing lightly over the polish to dry it, smirking when she twitched, complaining it tickled.

It was a quiet night in, and it was still too damn hot, but as Flynn curled into Reggie's arms that night, the fan blowing cool air over them both, she couldn't complain. Reggie always ran cool, and with the distinct lack of clothing they were both sporting it helped a little... well until Reggie waggled his eyebrows at her and lifted her face for a passionate kiss. But Flynn gave back as good as she got. Because this kind of heat? She could handle.

[bidoldaccount]

Luke Patterson // Miscommunication

"Where are you going?" You ask as you watch Alex fix his hair.

"Me, Julie, Reggie, and Layla are going to the movies," he said distractedly.

"Oh, that sounds fun. Can I come?" You asked with a small, hopeful smile. He had asked you to come over and help him with his math homework but an hour in, halfway through the worksheet he had gotten a text and dropped his pencil.

"Oh, Layla already bought our tickets," he said, sliding his hands through his hair once more.

"I can buy my own ticket," you laugh breathily.

"Well we're going to get dinner after and Layla made the reservations," he said, not looking up from the laces of his shoes.

"Okay, do you want to hang out later?" You asked.

"Maybe tomorrow. I'll text you, okay?" He ruffled your hair before he was leaving the room, leaving you alone in his space. You felt almost like a little sibling, too young to hang out with the older kids. You swallowed it down, assuring yourself that you were just reading too much into previously made plans. You shake it off as you pack up your stuff.

-

To Julie: you wanna hang out?

From Julie: I kinda already have plans :/

To Julie: okay, maybe another time? :)

Read

To Reggie: you busy?

From Reggie: yeah, got plans.

To Reggie: oh okay :)

Read

To Alex: you wanna do something?

From Alex: sorry babes, plans.

To Alex: wyd?

Read

You throw your phone down and link your fingers on your stomach, staring up at the ceiling as you process. All of your friends are together right now and none of them invited you.

Except Luke.

-

"Babe?" You whispered to yourself. Reggie never called you babe. He called you 'sport' and 'kid' to be a dick because you're the youngest. You shake your head, trying to force the entire text conversation out of your head as you grab your book from your locker.

"Yo," you flinch when someone appears beside you, and your cheeks flare up when Luke comes into your vision. The butterflies in your stomach are very quickly squashed when you remember Reggie's words. "You wanna hang out later?" Luke asked, poking your cheek.

"Um, I can't, my mom needs me to pick up my brother from school," you said, staring into your locker to avoid his eyes.

"I can drive you there," he offered, ducking his head to try and catch your eyes.

"I um, I have a lot on my mind so I'm just going to walk, but thanks Luke," you give him a halfhearted smile, slam your locker shut, and turn to walk away. Luke calls your name but he doesn't try and chase after you.

-

"Where have you been, I feel like I haven't seen you in years," Alex said as he climbed onto your bed and draped his entire body over your back. You grunted, hiding your face under the covers as he took it upon himself to cuddle you.

"I saw you at school today," you muttered into your blankets.

"No, I saw you, I said hi, and you ran away," Alex corrected.

"I didn't run away," you mumbled. Alex tugged the blankets down to reveal your face and he smiled softly at you.

"Whats going on?" He whispered. You sighed, rolling over until you were on your back and he was beside you. He brushed your hair away from your forehead and waited patiently as you worked up the courage to say what you were thinking.

"I feel silly," you covered your face with your hands as you groaned.

"For what?" Alex pushed.

"Cause I feel left out," you whispered.

"What? All you have to do is text me and I'd be here within the minute. You're like my favorite person ever, Y/n," Alex chuckled.

"Alex," you uncover your face to look at him. "I've texted you every day this week and you keep telling me you're busy," you said.

"What?" Alex furrowed his eyebrows. "No, I've been texting you nonstop, you haven't answered." Alex struggled to lift his hips and pull out his phone, then he showed you messages of your name and a long two of texts from him. You click on the contact with your name and your forehead creased.

"Alex, this isn't even my number!" You said.

"What?" He took his phone back. You pulled your phone out and showed him your message thread, with all of your messages. Alex grabbed your phone and tried to call his phone.

His phone didn't ring.

"Okay, this is weird," Alex mumbled.

"Wait," you looked down at your phone, eyebrows furrowed. "Look at these texts from Reggie. I thought it was really weird that he called me 'babe' because he's never done that," you showed Alex the thread and he furrowed his eyebrows. Alex looked up at you with a slack face of realization.

"Layla calls everyone 'babe'," he said.

"Layla? Why would she text me as Reggie?" You asked.

"She likes Luke!" Alex exclaimed, making you flinch. "She likes Luke, you like Luke, and Luke obviously likes you, it makes so much sense," he smacked his forehead.

"Luke doesn't even like me though," you deflected.

"Now's not the time for denial, we have a bitch to bust," he jumped up from your bed and dragged you out of it.

"Don't say anything like that ever again," you laughed as he tried to pull you out of your room. "Alex! Wait, i need clothes!"

-

"Y/n!" Julie cheered as Alex tugged you into Layla living room.

"Hey guys," you wave a bit shyly, which is off character at this point.

"Please tell me you're staying," Reggie pouted.

"Actually, we're here for a bit of an interrogation," Alex said, crossing his arms as he looked over at Layla. She raised her eyebrows with a look of innocence.

"Raise your hand if you've texted Y/n at all this week," Alex said. Only Luke raised his hand.

"I've tried, but she hasn't answered," Julie said.

"Yeah, same here," Reggie nodded.

"Yeah, I thought it was weird that she hasn't been around so I went over to her house. We made some pretty shocking discoveries too," Alex took your phone from your hand and opened up the messages that Reggie had supposedly sent you. "Do you remember sending these messages, Reggie?" Alex asked, handing him the phone. Reggie read them over and his face twisted up.

"What the hell? No, I didn't send any of these," he said.

"Let me see," Luke reached for the phone.

"No, Luke, wait," you tried to grab it but it was already in his hand and he was already reading them. You muttered a curse as you tried to hide behind your hand, stepping a bit behind Alex.

"Oh," he whispered. "I never said that!" He assured, pointing to the phone.

"I don't think any of us have been talking for ourself. Layla, anything to say?" Alex turned to her with an icy expression.

"Why would I have anything to do with this?" She said, raising her hands and softening her eyes.

"Because you've been trying to throw yourself at Luke since we met you and you knew they liked each other," Julie said, standing up and walking to your side, crossing her arms as Alex was.

"I wouldn't do anything this manipulative or sneaky, that's not who I am! I genuinely like you guys, I wouldn't do anything to betray your trust! Why-" she was cut off as her phone started to ring. Alex smirked, turning Y/n's towards her, Reggies name flashing on the contact.

"You changed our numbers so our messages would go to your phone and had Y/n believing that we were icing her out. As far as I'm concerned, you're a jealous, manipulative bitch," Alex smiled like he'd just complimented her shoes.

"Let's go," Julie demanded, ushering everyone out of the house.

"Whatever! You're all lame anyways!" Layla screamed, her face red.

"Everyone to Y/n's house, we have some serious bonding to do," Reggie said, ruffling Y/n's hair. Luke grabbed Y/n's wrist before she could walk to Alex's car, and tugged her back. He cupped her jaw and held her waist and leaned in to press his lips to hers. She melted into it instantly, trusting that her knees wouldn't buckle and if they did, trusting he would catch her.

"Okay, maybe not that much bonding," Reggie laughed.

"Eh, let them have their moment, they've been pining long enough," Julie said, waving them away.

You wrapped your arms around Luke's shoulders and pressed you chest against his, kissing him harder.

Im sorry if you read this without the visuals, I didn’t realize I didn’t upload them :)

[astorytotellyourfriends]

Prompt request. Fluff, #50. “Stay.” for Luke/Reggie [PeterPatter] with Reggie being the one to say it. Timeline ('90s or present dead) and anything else is whatever your muse likes. Please and thank you! :D

omg i’m so sorry this took me so long to get to, i hope you enjoy it! (also is peterpatter the ship name????? if so that’s ADORABLE OMG)

-x-

There's no single moment where Reggie decides this is the day. As far as he's concerned, this is something he's going to keep to himself until the day he dies, and even then some. Deep down he knows (or really, he hopes) that he could tell Alex about this and he'd be cool with it, but Reggie doesn't.

So it really doesn't make sense when, after band practice is over one day, he asks Luke to stay behind while Alex and Bobby make their way out of the garage. Bobby, thankfully, doesn't seem to find it weird and heads out without another word. Alex gives them both a strange look, hesitating by the door.

"What?" Luke asks, thinking maybe he'd misheard Reggie.

"Uhh…" Reggie's mind goes blank. "Could you… stay? Just for a minute."

"Yeah, dude." Luke turns to look at Alex, waving goodbye even as Alex continues staring at them.

"Are you--" Alex pauses when Reggie gives him a pleading look behind Luke's back, and Alex raises his eyebrows. "Okay. Uhh, bye."

It's Luke's turn to give Alex a weird look, and it's still on his face when he turns back around to look at Reggie. It does absolutely nothing for Reggie's nerves, and he's cursing himself for creating this situation he can't get out of.

"Are you like, planning something?" Luke asks, the curiosity sparking in his eyes as he steps towards Reggie. "Like a prank? Are we gonna do something to Alex's drums?"

"What?" Reggie blinks wildly. "No!"

"Oh." Luke slumps a little, actually looking disappointed. "What is it?"

"I…" Reggie's mouth goes dry. "I-I just…"

Luke looks at him expectantly, but Reggie can't get the words out. He has a thousand things that he wants to say to Luke but now that he's got the chance, he can't manage a single one.

"Are you okay?" Luke asks, sounding a little worried. "You look like your brain's gonna bust."

"I just--" Reggie takes a deep breath, trying to calm himself down enough that he can gather his thoughts.

"You're not gonna have a panic attack, are you? Because Alex knows way more about that than I do, but I can try--"

"No! I'm just trying to tell you that I like you!" Reggie suddenly blurts out. The words come out in a jumble, so fast that Reggie's not sure if any of them actually made sense. But now that the dam's opened, even more just comes flooding out. "I just think about kissing you all the time and I know I shouldn't because we're best friends and you probably don't think about me like that and this would be so much easier if I liked Alex but I like you and--"

Reggie's cut off suddenly, and he opens his eyes to find Luke pressing their mouths together. He hadn't even noticed Luke moving closer in the midst of his rant, and he awkwardly stands perfectly still as Luke kisses him. He doesn't even have the wherewithal to realize he should be kissing back until Luke pulls away and gives him a sheepish smile.

"You're cute when you ramble," he whispers as he drags his thumb across Reggie's bottom lip.

"I--" Reggie's cheeks turn bright red and Luke laughs.

"Can I kiss you again?" he asks, "or do you wanna ramble some more?"

Reggie clears his throat. "N-No, kissing is good. Let's do that."

"Good," Luke says, smiling as he eagerly leans in again.

prompt lists | filled prompts

[doyelikehaggis]

Rowing the Rarepair Rowboat: Luke Patterson x Willie (Julie and the Phantoms)

Requested by @phoenixfidelity

Luke can't help but be distracted every so often. He can tell that it's starting to get on the rest of the bands nerves every time he misses a chord or he accidentally glances away from the lyrics so he misses a word and then the whole thing is forced to an abrupt halt. He's really trying to stay focused.

Usually it's a piece of cake! He loves the band and he loves playing, because he gets so lost in the music that he forgets the rest of the world exists half the time.

He catches sight of Willie out of the corner of his eye again as they're building up to the chorus of the new song they've been working on. Luke resists the urge to look away from the notebook in front of him.

His fingers keep moving determinedly... while his eyes dart off to the side. It's just a split second, then they're right back on the page, and he hasn't missed anything!

But his mind is quickly taken over by the brief glimpse of Willie that he got. He's just sitting cross-legged on the studio floor, hair tied up in a messy bun, nodding along to their music while he paints. While wearing one of Luke's hoodies. He found it lying on the back of the couch when they came in and he said he was cold, and so he asked if he could borrow it, and Luke wasn't going to say no, was he? That would be rude!

Besides, the orange actually really suits him. It matches the streaks of yellow paint on his cheeks--

Luke quickly glances back over. Sure enough, there is actually paint smeared across Willie's face. And a paintbrush in his mouth while he carefully paints with a different one. He's so focused, his eyebrows scrunched, his foot tapping to the beat on his knee--

Luke catches the mess up in his chords but not before he can stop it. He abruptly stops playing, the rest of the band once again halting along with him.

"Sorry! Sorry, I didn't mean to--" He takes a deep breath and looks determinedly down at his guitar. "Let's just go again, yeah? I'll get it this time, I promise."

"Yeah, I don't think you will," Julie says, and Luke's surprised to find her smiling rather than being mad about it. She and the rest of the band share a look.

"Probably better if we take a break for now," Reggie agrees, clearly trying to suppress a smile of his own and failing miserably as he lifts his bass strap over his head.

"I'm... getting kinda hungry anyway," Alex lies, nodding way too eagerly.

Willie looks up for the first time since their last brief pause. "Are you guys done?"

Another look is shared. Luke shakes his head vigorously, staring at them all in disbelief.

"No! No, we're not! Come on, we still have to practice this song or else we're not gonna have it ready for tomorrow!"

"You'll be fine!" Flynn assures him, hooking an arm around Julie's shoulders. "You guys sounded great! Well... most of the time."

"Yeah, you were really good," Willie agrees, beaming at them with such sincerity that Luke's heart melts under the rays of sunshine he radiates when he turns it on him.

He barely notices Reggie muttering, "And that's our cue..." and the four of them scattering around the studio, and practically leaving the two of them alone.

Luke doesn't know why they're acting like this. So, yeah, he keeps getting distracted from the music. But he's trying to stay focused! It's not exactly going to help if the rest of them just decide to give up!

He sighs and decides he may as well put his own guitar aside for the moment.

"You okay?" Willie asks with a slight laugh, but his eyes are concerned when Luke glances up at him.

His stomach flips over like a pancake. It's weird but it's been doing that a lot lately and he can't seem to figure out why. Maybe he's coming down with something? That would be super inconvenient timing considering they have a gig tomorrow!

"Yeah, yeah, I'm fine," Luke says, but even he feels like he's somehow lying even as he tries for a grin.

Willie isn't buying it either. He takes a moment to think, his eyebrows only creasing the tiniest bit this time as his thumb rubs a circle into the crease of his elbow. Luke finds the movement strangely calming to watch.

Then it stops, and Willie lights up. "Well, since you guys are... taking a break for the time being, do you wanna help me with this?"

Luke finally tries to take a proper look at what he has actually been doing this entire time as Willie moves over to sit beside him on the couch.

There's a poster -- multiple, actually, as well as what Luke swears is a pile of what were once his guitar picks. He doesn't really play his acoustic too much anymore because it never sounds right with any of their songs, and his fingers just got used to the feel of the strings on his electric, so there wasn't ever really a use for them anymore.

Willie notices him picking up one of the plectrums and turns sheepish. "I found them lying about in here and thought they could use a little... sprucing up." He shrugs. "I didn't think anyone would really mind."

Luke shakes his head and grins as he picks up another in amazement. Each one is painted, and not just a solid colour, but a whole piece of art is painted onto each one. Scenes of bridges with the sunset behind them, fields full of vibrant plants, a starry night sky, a gh--

Luke raises his eyebrows at him. "Is this meant to be me?"

Willie peers at the one he's holding up which features a ghost silhouette wearing an orange beanie with a guitar strapped around its translucent little body.

"Yep," Willie confirms, then breaks out into another sheepish laugh. "I got a little bored of the fancy designs, and I thought that it would be funny, seeing as how you're, you know, Julie and the Phantoms."

"So," Luke glances at the pile of plectrums, "did you do one for all of us?"

"I haven't gotten around to it yet. I wanted to start with you 'cause I figured you'd make the cutest ghost. With the beanie and all."

Luke's stomach does the thing again. And he swears his face is burning up. He better not be getting a fever, because the thought of getting sick right before a gig is giving him a little too much deja vu.

"Does that mean you don't think I'm a cute ghost when I'm not wearing the beanie?" Luke teases, mock serious.

Willie laughs, caught in surprise by the question. But he shakes his head, gazing at Luke with creases around his eyes and a soft smile.

"No way. It's, like, totally impossible for you to not be cute."

Luke laughs as well now and gives him a gentle push, his hand lingering on Willie's arm. "Shut up."

"I got you smiling, at least," Willie points out.

"Yeah, well." Luke doesn't really have anything else to say because he's right.

He looks at him for a second as Willie shifts his attention back down to the posters and plectrums. Luke doesn't mean to stare, but there's something about watching his fingers move that feels... comforting, even when they're just moving a stray bit of hair behind his ear.

"Have you ever played guitar?" Luke blurts out without thinking.

Willie looks back up in surprise but shakes his head. "No. I like listening to music and sometimes performing with Caleb was fun but that was only ever singing. I've never really gotten the hang of an instrument. Takes too long to figure it all out."

"What if I helped?" Luke asks, not fully sure why he's offering. "I'm not saying perform with us. I'm just saying it could be a fun hobby, if you had someone helping you figure it all out."

Willie considers it then shrugs, beaming at him again. Luke's beginning to think he needs sunglasses just to be around him because he finds himself grinning back before Willie's even answered.

"Yeah, okay. Let's do it! But I will warn you, I'm not the most patient person."

"Good thing I am then," Luke says.

"No he's not!" Reggie shouts over to them from the other couch in the corner.

Luke glares at him but Reggie just raises his hands with a confused expression as if to say, what did I do?!

Rolling his eyes as Willie laughs, Luke says, "Don't listen to him. We can practice later and use my old acoustic, that way it'll be a bit easier and you can use one of your awesome designer picks."

He gestures to the pile and Willie scans over them, looking for one to use. Then he picks up the one with the ghost version of Luke on it.

"A great choice, if I do say so myself," Luke says, grinning. "Now, what are we painting?"

Willie hands him a paintbrush and one of the posters. He explains the design and they both start working on them. At some point in between Luke finishing one and Willie just adding a few last touches to his own, Luke tries experimenting on one of the blank picks himself.

When he shows it to Willie, his eyebrows raise and he almost doesn't seem to know what to say for a second. Then his face splits into a smile of pure joy and Luke doesn't think he's ever felt so pleased with himself as he does watching Willie gush over the little ghost hovering over a skateboard like it's the best thing he's seen.

[fiveisnumber1]

So after reading yesterday's oneshot I coincidentally came across a song I love that fit the H8 during the final minutes of the apocalypse. I know Five wasn't technically a part of them at the time but essentially it fits all of the younger group and their final thoughts and feelings. Also Five and Reader are together at the end and the rest of the group are together at the end so none of them are alone and I figured it felt flitting for how each would see the end based on their experiences. The song is Forever Young by Boy in Space: https://youtu.be/PpL0P_s6Fe8 and I just had to do a lyric analysis too cuz of course! It just fit so perfectly.

The H7:

"Let's dance in style, let's dance for a while. Heaven can wait, we're only watchin' the skies. Hopin' for the best, but expectin' the worst. Are you gonna drop the bomb or not? Ah"

This is obviously all of them together, trying to ignore the impending apocalypse. Dancing away the fear but they're also watching the skies and wondering if whatever is causing the apocalypse is gonna cause it or not. I feel like these lyrics paint the picture of them simultaneously trying to ignore the apocalypse while also waiting for it to happen so well!

Five:

"Let us die young or let us live forever. We don't have the power, but we never say never. Sittin' in a sandpit, life is a short trip. The music's for the sad man, ah"

Five literally experienced life in a sandpit of the world's ruins but even after getting back he didn't have enough time to live or even accomplish what he set out to do so hence his life being a "short trip". He knows he has very little power to stop the apocalypse and the commision has a lot but he keeps fighting for a better world anyway. And he wishes the commission would have let him die early in the apocalypse because technically he's lived a lot by seeing how it played out. If he dies then he'll have died young but also really old and despite how much he had fought, he feels his life is short anyway cuz he never had enough time to accomplish his goal which was to save his family and the Reader. Also the last line makes me think of Five seeing his favorite sibling on stage and Vanya's playing music which would always make him happy in their miserable home as a child but she's bringing the apocalypse with it this time and I feel like the line is a very good way to describe how the music is for a "sad man" cuz he was that sad man who had to live alone for decades.

Reader:

"Can you imagine when this race is won? Turn our golden faces into the sun. Praising our leaders, we're gettin' in tune. The music's played by the, the mad man"

This stanza for the Reader because she keeps hoping that they can win somehow. She wants to believe she has more time with the H7 and the UA and her beloved Five. And she wants to believe they can pat each other on the back for a job well done and she wants to believe she can be proud of the UA for getting their shit together to solve the apocalypse but then she also knows that they're damaged by the madman AKA Reggie who played their strings to a point where they will never be able to work together and they won't get in tune together in time to save the world.

Reader:

"Some are like water, some are like the heat. Some are the melody and some are the beat. Sooner or later, they all will be gone. Why don't they stay young? Ah"

I feel like this is Reader describing the Hargreeves personalities (Klaus and Ben are water, Luther and Diego are Heat, Vanya is a melancholy melody, Allison is a beat). She's wondering why the Hargreeves had to grow up and leave and why she had to time-travel and find them gone. She wonders why everything happened the way it did. Maybe if they never left the mansion and worked it out after she came to their time then things would have been different?

Five:

"It's so hard to get old without a cause. I don't want to perish like a fadin' horse. Youth's like diamonds in the sun. And diamonds are forever"

Five wanting to die in the apocalypse. To perish like everyone else but also not wanting to die without reason or meaning. He gives himself a cause to grow old and fight for cuz otherwise he has no reason to. And his youth and love and intelligence is like a diamond cuz even tho he travels back in time, he looks the same and his intelligence is the same and his love for his family is the same. It's forever. He doesn't want to fade away into oblivion without at least trying to do something to save the ones he loves.

The H7:

"So many adventures given up today. So many songs we forgot to play. So many dreams swingin' out of the blue. Oh let it come true"

The moment the H7 give up their normal lives to start fighting crime they give up their free time and energy willingly to fight and their ability to be normal children but at the end they have dreams they still wish they could fulfill. Being a younger UA was their dream and they fulfilled that. It came true. But the rest of their dreams coming true becomes difficult cuz of the apocalypse so they're wishing they all had more time.

All:

"Forever young. I wanna be forever young. Do you really wanna live forever? Forever and ever. Forever young. I wanna be forever young. Do you really wanna live forever? Forever young"

This part is the chorus and I feel is just for all of them. They're all so young in different ways. They don't want to live forever but they don't want to die so soon either without getting a chance to really live the life they each wanted. And also since they've all experienced so much in so little time, especially Five and Reader, I feel like it's also a way of saying they wish they were all mentally young as well. Even the H7 grew up faster to fight crime. So they all just want to enjoy youth without responsibility but will never get to. Five will never get to experience normal life the way he should have and Reader will never get to spend the rest of her youth with Five and her friends either.

It's just a tragedy all around as they all wish they could have had more time before it all ends cuz they are still young and have so much left to live for. And in a way they'd be eternally young then even after death cuz they never got to grow old.

Anyway, I'm really excited to hear your thoughts on this! I just loved how the song fit perfectly. I didn't even realize it myself at first but when I did I knew I had to share it because it just has this ethereal melancholy to it that I can see the H8 all feeling, individually and grouped together, as the apocalypse happens.

First of all I just want to say that I love the song forever young ever since I heard one direction sing and I haven’t grown out of my love for that song because of them. (Unrelated but I bet you can’t guess which one direction member is my favorite)

Anyway, I love your interpretation and I can definitely see all of this based on the side story I posted and just the story in general!

For the one line of “Sooner or later, they all will be gone. Why don’t they stay young?” I think it could also be applied to Reader’s thoughts about the H7, especially when they’re struggling to stop Vanya from causing the apocalypse. She didn’t know if they would stop Vanya and if she would see her friends again. She didn’t even know back at the bowling alley if that would be the last time she was with them. Reader knows that someday they’ll be gone but is coming to terms with the fact that it’s probably sooner than later due to Vanya’s apocalypse. And the question of why don’t they stay young is less so of pain like losing the UA but more so trying to comfort herself in the case the apocalypse does happen. They’re young and together and so why not be young?

Also I like to think of the lyrics “Let's dance in style, Let's dance for a while, Heaven can wait, we're only watching the skies, Hoping for the best but expecting the worst” in terms of Five and Reader as well. As a common theme throughout the story the two of them enjoy dancing together as it distracts them from the reality of what is going on. I like to think of these lines as Five coping with the impending 2019 apocalypse. He’s trying to enjoy being back in reader’s life again and distracting himself with her presence but he knows what happens after the world ends. Time is ticking towards doomsday and although he’s hoping he can stop it the closer it gets the more he expects the worse.

Anyway those are some of my thoughts but I love all that you presented and of course I love you too♥️

[invisibleraven]

One liner prompt! Romantic rukebox, "however many years we have left, I want to spend them all with you"

After their Orpheum performance and afterlife saving hug, Julie isn't sure what could cause her Phantoms to cross over, so she treasures every moment with them. She doesn't want them to go, so every new achievement and record broken fills her with dread. Will this be the thing that causes her boys to go? Will they leave her just as they achieve greatness?

She asks her dad what he would do if he had known they would have so little time with Rose. His face turns a bit melancholy at that, and he hums before he gives her an answer. "I don't think I would have done much different mija. Your mom and I, we always lived life to the fullest because we never really know how much time we have. Better to not live with regrets. I'm happy with the time we had, even if I wish it had been longer. So hold tight to the people you care for, for as long as you can. Don't let fear hold you back from living Julie."

Julie dives in to hug her dad at that, feeling his lips touch her temple and ignoring the subtle wetness to his eyes. She knows it's time to start her own love story, with her father's own veiled message. She and Luke had been brimming over and bubbling with feeling for ages now, but she had always hesitated, unsure that this would be the thing to make her lose him.

Plus there was the Reggie of it all...

Look, Julie is a tad oblivious at times, but she's not blind, she can see how Reggie looks at Luke, the way Luke looks back, then at her, conflict written on his features. Not that Julie has ever looked at Reggie the same way, no sir. He doesn't set her heart pitter-pattering at all, doesn't fascinate Julie the way she thought only Luke could do. So maybe its time Julie took the reigns into her hands and get this all resolved, even if she's left alone afterwards, she can't stand living one more second without these boys knowing how she feels.

So she traipses off to the studio, finding her guys sitting around Luke's notebook, Alex conspicuously absent, which makes this slightly easier. Though she is soon going to have to bully him into introducing her to this Willie guy...

Luke notices her first, giving her that devastating smirk of his, slinging his arm over Reggie's shoulder and nodding in Julie's direction so she gets treated to his subtle blush and crooked grin. Unconventional nature or not, at least Julie can say she falls for good looking ghosts. "Hey Jules," Luke drawls. "we're just working on our latest hit, you wanna join?"

And Julie is tempted, but shakes her head, instead sitting on the coffee table in front of them, gathering their hands into her own. "I wanted to say something. " The boys nod, rapt with attention, and Julie sucks in a breath before barreling onwards. "Look, I love you both, and even though it's scary, and everything is uncertain, I know I want us to be together, all three of us. I don't know how long we'll have, hopefully decades. But even if it's just hours or days or years... However many years we have left, I want to spend them all with you."

The smile splits Luke's face, his grip tightening, heart eyes out in full force. "I want that too boss. You, me, and Reg, that's the dream team there, for now until eternity, no matter if we're here or not." He presses a quick kiss to her knuckles, then another to Reggie's, sounding so sure of himself, of them making Julie grin all the harder.

Reggie looks poleaxed, like he never thought they would pick up on his feelings, let alone reciprocate them. He looks at them both, their reassuring smiles, and sucks in a shuddering breath. "I... I never hoped I would get even one second with you, with either of you. But I'll take however long fate will give us. Hopefully forever." He's a bit bolder, leaning in to peck Luke's cheek, then Julie's, almost catching the corner of her mouth.

And well, almost isn't enough for Julie anymore, taking a hold of his chin, capturing his mouth with her own, and melting into the kiss he shares with her. Blinking as he pulls back, catching him wink as he turns and almost devours Luke's mouth. Luke is equally surprised, but returns the smooch with equal fervor before they break apart. Luke then turns to Julie, and leans in to give her the softest, sweetest kiss, all light and playful, surprising her by how gentle it is.

Julie hopes she gets a lifetime of being surprised by these two as they smile at one another, and then pulls out Luke's notebook from beside her. "So about this new hit song you guys claim to be writing..."

[doyelikehaggis]

Rowing the Rarepair Rowboat: Reggie Peters x Luke Patterson (Julie and the Phantoms)

Requested by @trinadega-icetea

"Okay, nearly done, nearly done," Reggie mutters under his breath. He narrows his eyes, staring at the striped candles.

Somewhere behind him is Julie, Alex, and Flynn. Their whispers about his sanity aren't as quiet as they think. Or seem to care.

Taking a step back, Reggie takes in the state of situation. The cake is ready, baked, slathered with frosting and sprinkles, and has eighteen candles sticking out of it. Wait.

He steps forward again, quickly counting the candles. It takes two attempts because he keeps forgetting which ones he's already counted, and he ends up deciding to add one more purple one because there seems to be an uneven amount that is not adding up to eighteen.

"Okay, I'm asking," Flynn finally says, her voice rising to a normal volume. "Why exactly is Reggie attempting to bake? Is he quitting the band?"

"It's Luke's birthday," Alex informs her.

"Yeah, but won't he be at his parents' house?" Julie asks. "Like last year?"

"It's different now," Alex starts to explain. "See, before we died--"

But he's cut off by the sound of the garage door opening. Reggie's eyes widen. He does a quick once-over of the cake again, but it's too late to make any further adjustments, and honestly, he's not sure anything could make it look better at this point anyway.

"Hey, guys!" Luke greets, already shrugging his denim jacket off, not looking at them. "Being alive is tiring. I actually miss being able to just poof wherever I wanna go without having to, you know, walk."

Reggie picks up the plate with the cake on it and walks over to Luke. He waits for him to turn around, which he does, then stops.

Luke's quiet. He sees the cake. Reggie can tell he sees the cake, because it's right in his direct line of sight, and he's just kinda staring at it.

"I, uh . . ." Procuring a gas lighter from his back pocket, Reggie fidgets with it, rolling up onto the balls of his feet and back onto his heels. "I just kinda figured now that we're alive again, and can actually eat real food, that . . . Well."

Luke's still very quiet, and usually Alex is the anxious one of them all, but right now Reggie's really feeling some of that energy. Maybe he overstepped. Too soon.

But then Luke's face breaks out into a wide smile. The cake is lopsided, slathered with a store bought buttercream frosting and sprinkles. And Reggie is willing to admit that it looks terrible, even by his standards.

But Luke is staring at it now like it's the best cake he's ever seen. He lifts his eyes to him, and the look of pure joy and fondness doesn't disappear.

"You remember?" Reggie prompts with a soft chuckle.

Luke joins him, laughing as he nods. "Of course I do. I just . . . I wasn't expecting . . . Wow. Um."

Reggie smiles, so much his face hurts, and gives the lighter a little wave. "Want me to light them?"

"Yeah, go ahead," Luke says. He's biting his bottom lip, just staring at the cake with this little furrow in his eyebrows and that smile.

As Reggie lights all eighteen (thank god he added that extra one) candles, Alex answers Julie's and Flynn's confused expressions.

"Luke's first birthday after he ran away from home, we wanted to try and cheer him up," Alex says quietly, leaning closer to them, his eyes and smile on Reggie and Luke. "We didn't have much money, but Reggie figured we had enough to get some stuff to make a birthday cake for him. He made the whole thing, said he remembered some recipe. It tasted disgusting, but . . . "

All the candles lit, Reggie holds the cake out to Luke expectantly. "Make a wish," he jokes.

Luke smiles back at him, and takes a moment before he blows out the candles.

"What did you wish for?" Reggie asks sarcastically, giving a waggle of his eyebrows. "Teleportation skills?"

"He can't tell you, then it won't come true!" Flynn protests.

Luke's smile just widens. He glances over at the three of them before his gaze drifts back to Reggie, and he shakes his head.

"I didn't need to wish for anything," he says, and Reggie's heart flips, and he knows he's grinning unbearably as Luke continues to repeat the same words from twenty-six years ago. "I've already got everything."

"Except for teleportation skills," Reggie says.

Luke laughs, shaking his head again, hair flopping slightly, and he steps forward, ignoring the cake between them as he reaches out to wrap a hand gently around the back of Reggie's neck and pull him in to meet him in the middle for a kiss.

Smiling, Alex shrugs, softly saying, "It didn't matter to him, because he knew how hard Reggie was trying to make it perfect, for him."

"Guess some things don't change," Julie murmurs as Flynn does her best to stifle her squeal, linking arms with Julie in her effort to suppress herself.

Luke pulls back, looking at Reggie. "I love you." He then peers over Reggie's shoulder with a smirk, and adds, "I love you guys, too!"

They all finally join, exchanging actual happy birthday's with Luke, flopping onto the couch and slicing the cake up. In Reggie's humble opinion, it has improved since the last one. Not everyone agrees, but the cake (and the bickering over whether or not Reggie put enough sugar in) keeps a smile on Luke's face, and has him leaning into his side to press his laughter into his shoulder, and that was always the goal.

So, yeah, the cake's bad, but it did exactly what it was meant to do, just like the first one. Just give Luke a little moment of happiness. And that moment stretches out for hours, and the cake's nearly all gone, and Luke truly looks more alive than Reggie's ever seen him on his birthday since that one twenty-six years ago.

[fiveisnumber1]

It occurred to me as part of a power swap, the Hidden Seven don't actually know the terror of having powers. So I'm imagining that as excited as they would be, they'd quickly realize it's not all fun and games. Ofc they'd never truly understand what Reggie put the Umbrellas and partially Y/ N through but maybe they'd understand why the Umbrellas grew up the way they did?

Kenny suddenly has harmless house ghosts screaming at him that Klaus has learned to drown out cuz they're harmless unlike the mausoleum ghosts but Kenny is not used to them and he's significantly paler and more terrified for the ordeal. Viktoria can't touch her viola for a week and she starts to shake every time she feels a strong emotion cuz she doesn't wanna hurt anyone. Addison feels intense guilt cuz she sort of ended up with a similar regret to Allison by using the rumor too much. It was for petty things like free ice cream and clothes at the mall but she feels like an imposter for having stole stuff and can't look at herself in the mirror for a while. Idk how Bren would experience Ben's powers but the feelings of the horror underneath his skin, writhing in his stomach with minds of their own that want to damage everything, including his family, when he has always been pretty chill unless he's been harmed directly is something that keeps him up at night.

Im not sure what regrets Dean and Lucas might have. But I think it would have the Umbrellas and Hidden Seven would become much closer after walking a mile in each other's shoes especially for the Hidden Seven to realize their idols grew up with a lot of trauma that they're still processing.

I read this and the first thing I thought of was that Kenny is an EMT. KENNY IS AN EMT. Like imagine he’s going to work to try and get his mind off of the ghosts at home and someone dies in the back of the ambulance, or at a scene, or he brings an injured person to the hospital but there are people dying there. He would be haunted wherever he goes.

And Addison would definitely feel like an imposter. Even if it is just small stuff that she did, she would feel like she didn’t earn it and would regret using the power. And Viktoria would be so torn because she wants to play her viola but the last time she hit a wrong note it ended up hurting people in the house. Not seriously but enough to make it nerve-wracking to even look at the instrument.

Bren would be frightened by Ben’s powers. Kenny would just be his annoying self at one point and Bren would throw his arms up in frustration accidentally exposing his midsection and releasing the tentacle horror from inside him. Kenny managed to jump out of the way with the help of Ben pulling him to the side but Bren would be horrified to even raise his arms slightly. He’d wear extra layers of clothes to make sure nothing could be seen. He’d also lock the door to the bathroom when he showered or would do so at odd times so no one would be around.

Lucas would not understand the strength he has and probably accidentally hurt someone doing something that used to be harmless. Like maybe he hugs Addison a bit too tight and now he’s scared to even hold her hand. Or he goes to football practice at their college and hurts one of his teammates during drills.

As for Dean, he’d probably get a bit too power-hungry and use the power uncontrollably and without reason or he’d just become a jerk. There’s less of a downside to Dean using Diego’s powers themself but there is an element of regret in terms of how those powers got used.

But on the opposite end of the coin how would the Hargreeves feel being fully “normal” for once. Obviously, Vanya would probably adjust fine but for the others (excluding Five since he has a whole different issue in the power swap) it would be interesting having a big part of their life and identity taken away.