#make reggie a molina 2kalways

[innytoes]

Stop flirting with yourself in the mirror, Reggie + any (Flynn? Carrie? Anyone? I can't choose)

Reggie wasn't quite sure why he was invited to girls night when all the other guys - even Alex, who liked pink and pop music and dancing - were banned. Maybe because he had Serious Opinions in the Team Jess versus Team Dean versus Team Logan debate. Maybe because he was basically Julie's unofficial brother and Ray's favourite child and he was always over at the Molina house anyway. Maybe because he liked butterflies and glitter.

What started as sleepovers and movie nights as teenagers evolved into clubbing once they hit their twenties. (And then sleepovers and movies later. Romcoms were way better when you were three fruity cocktails in and had stopped to grab greasy take out on the way home.)

Also, he loved playing Fake Boyfriend for all the girls. It meant they could dance more freely, without guys bothering them, and sometimes it meant that people thought he had three girlfriends at once which was hilariously good for his ego. Even though Julie was like, kind of his sister, which, you know, gross.

"What do you think?" Julie asked, coming out of the bedroom where the girls were getting ready. She was wearing a pretty dress, all shiny sequins, and a pair of black sneakers with white doodles that would light up perfectly under the black light.

"I think Tía would have a heart attack if she saw you wear that," he said, shooting her some finger guns. "You look like a sparkly disco ball in the best way. Those sneakers are going to pop. "

Flynn was out next, and he gave an enthusiastic attempt at beatboxing so she could walk down the catwalk to show off her outfit, some tight faux-leather pants and an eye-popping neon crop top over a mesh body suit. He applauded at her flourish and pose at the end. "You look like a fashion model!" he said, and she grinned. "We're not going to even get to the club before you're swarmed by fashion bloggers! They're going to crown you their queen."

"You look..." she eyed him. "The same."

"Hey!" Reggie pouted. "I spent like forty-five minutes on my hair!" Okay, so he was just in his usual ripped jeans and black tank top, but like, the clubs got hot. He wanted to get his groove on with the girls, so the leather jacket was out. He was still debating if he should wrap his flannel around his waist or not. Even though chances were if he did, one of the girls would be wearing it home because he was a gentleman.

"And it looks perfect, babygirl," Flynn said, and he didn't care if there was a sarcastic undertone to it, he beamed. "But you are not Club Ready. Hold on, let me grab some eye-liner."

And it was only because of many, many Girls Nights that Reggie had perfected sitting perfectly still without flinching while people poked sharp things near his eyes.

But when Flynn was done, well, he looked Good. Like, good good. Like sexy brooding punk who had a secret soft side good. He completely missed Carrie's grand entrance, he was so busy making faces at himself in the mirror.

"Stop flirting with yourself in the mirror, Reginald," Carrie said, impatiently tapping her foot so he could turn around and give her her deserved accolades.

So he did, turning around and beaming. Carrie was, of course, in all pink, a tight dress and heels that Reggie had no idea how she could dance in, and the perfect amount of highlighter on her face. Her lips were all wet and shiny looking from her sparkly lipgloss, and Reggie tried not to think about how kissable they looked.

"You look really pretty," he blurted out, which wasn't anywhere close to his usual over the top cheer squad pep-talks.

Except Carrie didn't seem put out at all. Instead she was staring at his eyes, his eyeliner. "You do too."

Behind him, he heard Flynn and Julie high five, and he couldn't even be mad about it. Maybe if tonight went well, he wouldn't have to play fake boyfriend to Carrie anymore.

[invisibleraven]

Kiss roulette: 32 A kiss while someone watches fooooooooooor... let's say julie x carrie?

"Little dude, what are you doing?" Reggie asked, crossing his arms as he looked at Carlos, peering out of the blinds.

"Waiting for Julie to get home!" he replied. "She's on a date, and I wanna catch her kissing them goodnight so I can embarrass her."

Reggie sighed at that. "Not cool hermano, you know she'll kill you if you do that. Beside that's a gross invasion of privacy."

"But how am I gonna be a world class spy if I don't start young?" Carlos asked.

"I think real spies are trying to watch for international trading, plots for assasination, or theft, not trying to catch their sister kissing their date," Reggie retorted.

"I mean, I do it to you too," Carlos replied, as if that made it better. "You and Luke spent like an hour saying goodnight last weekend."

"We did not!" Reggie retorted, but felt the tips of his ears heating up. So maybe their goodbye had been a bit prolonged, but there was no way they had taken that long-Papi would have come out or at least flicked the porch lights after a bit if they had.

"Did so!"

"Even if we did-which we didn't-no more spying! It's creepy and weird."

"Or what?" Carlos retorted, the usual mature response of someone on the cusp of tweenhood.

"Or I'll tell Papi y Tia," Reggie replied. "And you'll probably end up grounded-for a week."

"No fair!" Carlos stated, sticking his tongue out at him. "Some big brother you are."

"Hey, I am saving you Julie's wrath and a ton of trouble, because if she caught you she definitely would have told," Reggie rationalized. "Now, how about we make popcorn and watch a movie instead?"

Carlos lit up at that, and soon enough they were cuddled together watching a Bond movie-Carlos' choice-with a tableful of snacks and the blinds firmly closed.

But as the movie drew to a close, Carlos was asleep against Reggie's side, and he heard a car pull up. He peered out of a slit in the blinds, grinning as he saw Julie get out, rounding the car and leaning in to kiss Carrie goodbye.

However this was no sweet peck, and Reggie shut the blinds once more as soon as he figured it out, because nobody wanted to see their sister making out through a car window.

"No spying Reggie," Carlos teased.

"You started it," Reggie retorted. "Besides, be glad I saved you the image, because sometimes watching other people kiss is just gross."

"So next time you and Luke are at it I can break out my water gun?" Carlos teased.

"Do it and die little man," Reggie stated.

"Hi family, I'm home!" Julie called as she entered the house.

"Good date?" Reggie called back.

"The best," Julie replied, leaning against the doorjamb. "Carrie took me to this cool symposium about astronomy at the planetarium, and then we did some stargazing. It was really romantic."

"Sounds boring to me," Carlos snorted.

"Well you're twelve," Julie replied. "I'm heading up to bed."

"Night Julie!" her brothers chorused.

"Oh, and boys?" Julie called as she got to the top of the stairs. "Next time you feel like spying, maybe make sure the lights are off in the living room-we totally saw you peeking."

[theamd426]

Reggie becomes a Molina in every single one of my fanfics. It's cannon at this point!

#Induct-Reggie-into-the-Molina-Family-2021

I just want them all to be able to see him and love him and have him in family photos is that too much to ask

[innytoes]

... "I may not be beautiful, but at least I know a lot of useless information."

reggie. please.

😩 okay i'll be done now

Reggie wasn't sure how he ever got an invite to tonight. Like sure, he knew Julie, she was practically his sister now, after her parents took him in (stole him, more like it) when they found out what was going on at home.

Reggie had been too young to entirely know the details, but from hearing tía Victoria shouting from downstairs about 'putting the cart before the horse' and 'your home study wasn't until next month', he was pretty sure it hadn't been done entirely by the book. But given the fact he'd passed out from neglect and DCF had been over to his house twice already and had done nothing, there was some leeway.

So yeah, he was basically a Molina now, even though the adoption was pending because the courts were backed up to the heavens. Which meant Julie was his sister.

And Julie knew Flynn. And Flynn was cool (and pretty). And Julie and Flynn knew Carrie. Who knew the Candis. Who were all also very pretty and very out of his league. And then the new guy at school showed up, the one with the killer cheekbones and the cute laugh and the pretty hair and...

And Reggie wasn't sure why he was here, except for the fact that Julie told him to bring his crochet stuff because they were 'having craft night'.

He loved craft night, okay? Julie and Flynn and him would turn on a crappy movie, and they'd each do their own thing. He'd crochet, Julie would draw, and Flynn would work on whatever project had caught her fancy this time. Sometimes it was making jewellery, sometimes it was diamond painting, sometimes it was gluing an insane number of googly eyes onto a phone case.

So he threw on his flannel, grabbed his bag with his current project (a baby yoda amigurumi), and followed Julie out the door, ready to head over to Flynn's.

Except there was a car waiting outside for them. Like, a fancy car. And when Julie pulled him in after her, he wasn't sure what to do except follow. Like, did he forget something? Flynn was already there, a giant tote on her lap.

It wasn't until they left the neighbourhood that Reggie spoke up. "So, um, where are we going?" And Flynn burst out laughing.

"You didn't tell him we're going to Carrie's place?" she asked, and Julie gave him an evil grin.

"I didn't want him to chicken out," she said sweetly. Because Julie knew that Carrie and her Candis intimidated the heck out of Reggie ever since he was smacked by the Puberty Stick and realised 'oh no, girls and boys are pretty'. So he'd been kind of avoiding them ever since Julie and Flynn made up with Carrie.

And thus, he was trapped in a car, going to Carrie Wilson's house, and now he was surrounded by beautiful people. And amazing snacks. And a TV three times the size of the one they had at home, playing a Gilmore Girls marathon on low volume.

(Every time Dean appeared on screen, two of the Candis boo'ed, while one other cheered, and the fourth took a shot of soda. He, again, was too afraid to ask.)

There were people knitting, drawing, making friendship bracelets, bedazzling a rather rad-looking jacket. Cute skateboard guy, who turned out to be named Willie, was attaching Worms On A String to one another to make long chains of them, explaining he wanted to make a curtain for his door. He seemed impressed by Reggie's Baby Yoda, and even more so when Julie whipped out her phone to show off some of the other things Reggie had made over the years.

It was entirely too much attention from entirely too many hot people, and he resisted the urge to talk. Because if he'd talk, he'd start spouting out stupid pick-up lines and he'd never be invited back. And also Julie would kill him. If Carrie didn't.

Eventually, he was saved by the Dean ("Booo!") and he could go back to counting stitches and eating fancy snacks and carefully, being so totally normal, complimenting bedazzling techniques.

Carrie Wilson smiled at him and it wasn't one of those smiles that made him worry she was going to stab him later, so that was cool.

Just when he thought he was safe from making a complete and utter buffoon of himself, a dark figure leapt over the back of the couch and plopped next to him, leaning over to grab one of the vegan spring rolls in one fluid movement.

Reggie looked up, a little bit startled, and then realised. Oh no.

Oh no, that was Bobby Shaw, his biggest crush. Bobby who was always cool and always wore black and red and always had a snarky comment in English class when Mrs Miller was picking on someone. Who swept his hair off his forehead during PE in a way that made Reggie wish he was better at sports. What was Bobby doing here?

"What are you doing here?" Carrie asked, but she asked it in a way that sounded a lot more annoyed than Reggie felt.

"There's snacks," Bobby pointed out, like that was reason enough.

"This is craft night," Carrie glared at him. "You have to be making something to join."

"I'm making you annoyed," Bobby said, popping another spring roll in his mouth before moving on to the cookies. "Oh fuck, is she still with Dean? Booo!"

Immediately, one of the Candis (the yellow one, maybe? He couldn't tell, out of costume they were not all as committed to the aesthetic as Carrie was) turned around and said: "Your cousin can stay." Then, she turned to Bobby. "Jess or Logan?"

"Paris." This got some shocked and awed looks, though Flynn and Purple Candi (he was pretty sure) cackled.

Oh. Cousin. Cool, cool, cool cool coolcoolcoolcool. That didn't make Bobby like ten times more intimidating to talk to. Nope, not at all.

Thankfully, the conversation carried on without anyone pointing out Reggie had recounted the stitches of this row eight times already because he kept getting distracted by how funny and cute Bobby was.

"And then," Probably Blue Candi said. "He asked me to knit him a sweater! Can you believe it?"

"What's wrong with knitting your boyfriend a sweater?" Willie asked, confused.

"It's the Sweater Curse," Reggie said. Willie blinked at him, so he went on. "If you knit your partner a sweater, you will break up with them."

"Because of a sweater?" Bobby asked, doubtful.

"Because you just spent hundreds of dollars on nice yarn, asking their opinions on colors and the material and size and shapes and finding a pattern and adjusting it to their size and then even more countless hours knitting it only for them to declare it's 'kind of itchy' and never wear it or they shrink it in the wash because they didn't listen to you and then shrug it off because it's 'just a sweater' and you realise you could have spent all that time and effort and money on making something for yourself instead of this asshole who never cared about your craft in the first place."

The room was silent when he stopped talking, and Reggie felt his face grow hot.

Okay, so maybe the nerdy crochet version of that was his last girlfriend who asked him to make a giant Snorlax, who got snippy when he wasn't done in two weeks, but the point still stood.

"Heck yeah!" Maybe Blue Candi said. "Reggie knows what I'm talking about."

"I may not be beautiful, but at least I know a lot of useless information," Reggie deflected.

"I dunno," Bobby said, and Reggie felt his heart sink. "You're pretty cute."

This time, it was Julie and Carrie doing the booing, but at the end of the evening he'd eaten a ton of snacks, finished Baby Yoda's body, and had Bobby's number in his phone.

He never made Bobby a sweater, but when he nervously gave Bobby the giant throw blanket for his bed on their three year anniversary, Bobby tackled him to the ground and gave him so many thank you kisses that Reggie knew no curse could take them out.

[invisibleraven]

"Stay with me, please!" for Reggie/anyone

Sleep had never been Ray's friend, not since Rose passed. He found the bed too big and empty, with no warm little body to cuddle into when he awoke in the middle of the night.

Maybe he should think about getting a dog...

Either way, he figured maybe a glass of water would help, so he crept down the stairs to fetch one, forever grateful for the little nightlights they kept on so he could maneuver around the hallway with ease.

However when he got downstairs, he had to pause by the family room, looking at the bodies sprawled out there. Julie's bandmates were crashing there after a gig-Ray didn't mind, he knew none of them had the best home lives, and he'd rather have them there under his roof than sneaking into the studio to sleep in the middle of the night.

Ray ached for these boys who had become like family to him in a short amount of time, and who had brought Julie back to herself more than any therapist recommended by Victoria ever could. There was music in the house once more, and if the least he could offer the guys was a warm place to sleep, he would do it.

He got his glass of water, sipping it slowly, wondering if he should go all out for breakfast tomorrow or just let everyone scavenge whatever they wanted at their own pace. His brood were early risers, but he knew that the guys were not. Maybe pancakes would incentivize them to get up before noon?

Suddenly Ray heard a whimpering and rustling from the living room, and he went out to investigate, stopping when he saw Julie was there-he was sure he had heard her go to bed in her own room. She was sitting with Reggie, running her fingers through his hair, looking at him so very softly.

"It's okay cariño," she whispered. "It's just a bad dream."

"Julie?" Reggie croaked, his eyes opening up, giving her a soft smile. "Did I wake you?"

She shook her head, the smile never leaving her face. "No, I was just getting back from the bathroom, you're fine. You wanna talk about it?"

Reggie nuzzled into her palm, grinning up at her, though even from his vantage point Ray could see it was strained. "I can think of better things we could do..."

"Reggie..." Julie sighed, rolling her eyes at him. "Talk to me, please. It doesn't help to keep it bottled up."

Reggie's face fell at that, finally sitting up, though Julie pulled him into her arms, playing with his hair once more, putting him at ease.

Ray strained to hear what he was saying, but could only catch snippets of whatever he was whispering into the mass of Julie's curls.

"Bad dream...dad...worthless...fire...broken..."

Julie held him all the tighter as the tears started, pressing kisses to the crown of his head. "It's over now, he can't hurt you."

"Not while I'm here, I know," Reggie said, then notice Julie's yawn. "I know you should go back upstairs but will you stay with me please? At least until I fall back to sleep?"

Julie cradled his face in her hands. "I'm not going anywhere."

Reggie beamed, then pulled her in for a tiny, sweet kiss that Julie returned with the utmost softness.

Ray bit back a coo at the adorable scene-though he was totally going to be giving Julie a talking to about her hiding her relationship from him and initiating bad checks the next time Reggie stayed over.

But he also wondered if he could renew his fostering licence and fix up the guest bedroom so that whatever parts of Reggie's dream that were close to the truth no longer became his reality.

He watched Reggie and Julie curl up together on the floor, hands intertwined as they drifted off to sleep, looking as devoted and besotted even in slumber that made Ray pang for those innocent days of teenage courtship. For when he and Rose were that young and in love.

He wondered what she would think of their daughter's new beau, but given Julie once claimed she felt like her mother had sent the guys to her, Ray figured she would approve.

He slowly made his way upstairs, back to his big lonely bed, but he found himself a lot more able to sleep now. He had a plan, and a lot of teasing to implement in the morning.

Because what went better with some good natured joking from your father than pancakes?

[innytoes]

For the generated AUs, I got Supernatural Is Known AU + Orphanage AU ^^

Okay but Caleb Covington's Home For Extraordinary Orphans. He's not exactly evil, but after 20-plus years of dealing with everything from mermaids to were-elephants, he is Grumpy.

The Molinas always wanted a big family. Most Werewolves do. Something about a big pack just makes them happy. Not all of them turn, Julie and Victoria don't, but Rose, Ray, and Carlos do. (There have been So Many Arguments in the past about Carlos chewing on Julie's shoes.)

Except Rose found out that after her cancer, she wouldn't be able to have any more kids. They'd been trying for some time but hadn't had any more after Carlos, and now there was no more chance to have any at all. They mourn for a year, before talking it over as a family and deciding that pack is pack and they don't need to be blood related to be family. When Julie is fourteen and Carlos is ten, they finally get approved to adopt.

Victoria goes with them, if only to make sure they don't 'bite off more than they can chew'.

They meet a lot of kids, and just like Victoria expected, they want to take home Everyone. She has to be the voice of reason that no, they do not have a big enough back yard to convert into a lake to adopt that mermaid girl. And adopting Willie, the raccoon shifter, was a terribly unsafe idea because Carlos still hadn't learned to control his chasing-prey instinct. Do they not remember the ordeal with the Henderson's cat?

Eventually, Carlos and Julie come running up to their parents, dragging just about the palest young boy Rose has ever seen.

"Mami, this is Reggie!" Carlos proudly proclaims. "He likes dogs and music and pizza so he has to be our big brother."

Reggie is a sixteen year old vampire who is just grateful he got turned after he was allowed to drive. It's better than being fourteen for the rest of his (after)life, that would be rough. Oh shoot sorry Julie. It gets better, he promises.

Ray and Rose are just so charmed by Reggie and the way he naturally fell into a big brother role for Julie and Carlos that they decide yes, they will adopt a sixteen year old vampire. No they do not care that he won't age. Once he actually matures mentally into adulthood (which vampires do, just a lot slower than than humans) they will help him get emancipated.

Victoria is not there to talk them out of it. Victoria, in fact, is in Caleb's office, getting the paperwork done to adopt Willie.

("What? I said it was dangerous for him to be around Carlos until he gets his prey instinct under control during the full moon. I don't turn, my prey instinct is fine! The only thing I hunt is a good bargain.")

So they take Reggie and Willie home, and things are great. Willie and Reggie were friends at the orphanage, they get together for Family Dinners every Friday except on Full Moons, everything is great. Reggie fits in really well and admits that even before he was turned ten years ago, he didn't have a great family, so having two parents that care about him is really nice.

Except sometimes Reggie acts in a way that can't be attributed to being a vampire, or adopted, or maybe a little traumatised from spending ten years in an orphanage run by a grumpy werepanther. He zones out, and sometimes he talks to himself, or laughs at nothing. Ray and Rose love Reggie, and are fully willing to support their new son and all his quirks (Ray immediately started learning about Star Wars when he realised Reggie was obsessed), but they also want to make sure this isn't anything mental illness related that will hurt him.

So they talk about getting Reggie evaluated, about asking Doctor Turner if she has any recommendations for therapists who specialise in vampirism... But Reggie overhears them.

And then Rose overhears Reggie. Talking to himself in his room again. Except this time it's not under his breath.

"No dude, don't worry about it. I'll just... I'll make something up. I mean, you've always said that I might be autistic, maybe we can just... Nobody's going to find out and send you back, I promise."

Which is of course when Rose pushed open the door before adopting a now Very Familiar Pose to Reggie. The Mom Pose. Hands on her hips, eyebrow raised.

The boy on Reggie's bed slowly started going invisible again, and Rose pointed at him. "Don't you dare!"

He stops fading out of view. He looks to be about Reggie's age.

"Can you just turn invisible, or are you a ghost?" Rose asks. "Because if I find out you've been letting someone go hungry under our roof, Reginald, you are grounded, mister."

"I'm a ghost," the boy in the bed said. "I'm so sorry, it's just that, you were taking Reggie, and your sister was taking Willie, and they're all I have and I just couldn't stay there and I'm so so sorry..."

The more he talks the more solid he looks and Rose is not sure if that's a good thing or not, so she just interrupts him. "Right, we need to call Caleb right now."

"No, don't send him back!" Reggie said. "Send me back instead, please, you'll love Alex, he's great, he's funny and cool and he likes music and pizza too. I mean he can't eat it anymore but-"

"We're not sending anyone back," Rose promises, wrapping Reggie in a hug and hovering a hand near Alex' shoulder. "But we do have to arrange some paperwork so Ray and I don't get brought up on any kidnapping charges, alright?"

[invisibleraven]

From @theamd426 Spending the night for the first time with Reggie and the Whole Molina family…

"You know if you don't want to stay you can call me anytime, right?" Paula asked as they pulled into the driveway.

"I know," Reggie replied, though his voice was whisper quiet and subdued.

"They're a nice family, and they have two children, so you won't be alone. I think the daughter is around your age and their son is a few years younger," Paula assured him as she helped him out of the car.

Reggie hummed in response, keeping his head low as they headed for the door, clutching the handles of his duffel bag tight to his chest. He didn't have much-all of it he got once he entered the group home, having left all of his own things behind when he ran away after his dad nearly broke his arm.

He knew he was better off in the foster system, away from his parents who hurt him in untold ways, and now going to a foster home. But he wished he had some of his own clothes, his books, anything of his own, but getting them had meant going back to his house, and even if they had promised his parents wouldn't be there when he went, he didn't want to set foot back in there just in case.

The Molinas seemed nice enough, welcoming and happy to have him. The food was different than what he was used to-a little spicier than normal, but Reggie had always liked a bit of heat. Plus it beat the instant oatmeal and bland food he was used to at the group home.

Carlos offered to show him his video games, and Reggie gave a weak smile-he had been pretty good at the arcade before everything, but he had never used any system that you got to use at home. But he figured he could give it a try, especially since Carlos promised to go easy on him.

Julie asked him about music, and was excited he knew how to play a few instruments, offering to show him the studio the next day. They didn't have a bass for him to use, but there was an acoustic guitar and a piano, which was more than he was used to. He did miss his bass though, that was his biggest regret that he left behind, missing the looks that Rose and Ray exchanged when he said as much.

They told him that Rose's sister, Victoria would be by tomorrow and she would be bringing him out to get a few things since they hadn't personalized his room any. Reggie tried to protest, but they insisted they didn't mind getting him a few posters and a set of sheets.

Ray promised to show him around the next afternoon, to show off the neighbourhood, and the school he'd be attending with Julie in a few weeks time. And Rose promised to let him contact his friends from his old school; Luke, Alex, and Bobby so they could hang out once more since he was finally settled. He'd seen them here and there since leaving home, but it had been a hot second since the four of them had hung out properly.

"You sure you don't mind?" he asked meekly.

"Of course not mijo," Ray assured him. "You're family now."

"Julie and Carlos' friends are always here," Rose told him. "So your friends are more than welcome."

Soon enough it was time for bed, and Reggie let himself be lead to his new room. It was plain, just as they said, but it was nice enough. A bed all to himself, with clean sheets and a new stuffed dog sitting on it. A shelf with a few books, with more than enough room for more. A dresser with a few staples, but he could put his things in it and have space for the things they had promised to buy him. He could see himself being happy enough here.

Sure it might be only a temporary situation, even though the Molinas had assured him if it worked out they would love to adopt him. Reggie kept his fingers crossed that it would work out-it meant no more uncertainty, and a rwal family again.

He snuggled into the bed, preening when Ray read him a story, and Rose kissed him goodnight. Maybe he was too old for that, but he loved the attention, and hoped they kept it up for quite some time yet.

It was hard falling asleep that night though. He was used to sleeping in a room with many other kids, adults bustling about, people coming and going. It was odd to be in a quiet room all to himself. But the bed was cozy, the dog tight in his grip, and eventually he fell asleep with hope for the future blossoming in his heart.

Maybe in the morning he'd find himself kicked out, or that they had changed their mind about letting him stay. But until then, he was going to enjoy his time here. And maybe... maybe one day he could be a Molina tood.

Which he was, in less than a year. And he found that suited him quite well.

[innytoes]

Apple orchard dates for Rulie?

For Reggie's birthday that summer, Julie had adopted an apple tree with him. Sure, it wasn't as exciting as her gift last year (adopting a dog together), but he still beamed when he read the certificate. Included was a trip to the orchard, where you could pick all the apples from your tree to take home. "I love apple pie!" he crowed. "Can we really go visit my tree in the fall?"

"Yep," she beamed, and he cheered, showing off the picture of 'his' tree to all his friend, proudly talking about how Strong and Productive their child was, look at all those apples. Julie tried not to laugh, or blush at the implications.

So before her visit, she called and orchard to make sure everything was ready for them, and on a beautiful sunny autumn day, they set off, Ellie happily panting in the back seat next to the picnic basket and blanket they'd brought. And Reggie's camera, of course. He loved being Ray's assistant, but he was gunning for taking over some clients on his own instead of always being second shooter.

So of course Julie agreed to 'wear something pretty' so he could practice his skills, though she insisted he did too, so they could take some couple portraits with the little remote as well. So Reggie had swapped his t-shirt for a nice button up, and Julie had made sure her dress matched his flannel, and even Ellie was wearing a cute red bowtie slipped on her collar.

They had a blast all day. The orchard also had some alpacas that Ellie was just fascinated by, and they worked together to get as many apples as they could carry back in the baskets they were given off of AppleToni ("Get it? Like appletini, but a name!").

They spread out their picnic under the tree and had lunch, and maybe a little nap together. She let Reggie have his little photo shoot, laughing when he kept flirting with her, saying things like how it was too easy to get good pictures with such a beautiful model. They took some pictures together, as well, and then, as golden hour was nearing its end, she pulled him close, into a kiss.

"I have a confession," she said, against his lips.

"You already tried one of the apples? I know, I saw you sneak a taste," Reggie said, smirking.

"There's another tree here for us," Julie said, taking his hand and leading him away. He followed, confused, looking back at his camera with a little nervous glance, but the place was deserted other than them. Julie had made sure of it.

A few rows later, they came to the biggest tree in the orchard, the one that had been there originally. The tree was lit up with fairy lights, making it look truly magical in the nearly set sun. And hanging from one of the branches was a wooden sign. Reggie blinked, going over to read it.

Reggie, I want to put down roots with you. Will you marry me?

He turned, gasping when he saw Julie on one knee behind him, with a little open ring box.

"Really?" he whispered, and she nodded.

"I love you more than anything," she said. "Will you marry me?"

"Yes!" Reggie said, all but dragging her up and into a kiss, as Ellie happily bounced around them, barking. Julie carefully took the ring out of the box, sliding it onto his trembling hand, and then kissed him again.

Reggie looked startled when he suddenly heard cheering, as their friends and family popped up from behind several other trees. Dad pulled Reggie into a hug, welcoming him into the family, and Luke and Alex were already popping open a bottle of non-alcoholic apple cider and filling glasses for everyone. Reggie just kept wiping at his eyes to catch the happy tears, staring at his ring finger in awe and delight.

And if in the spring, they got married at the same orchard, blossoms all around, it was just as perfect as their engagement had been.

[invisibleraven]

'' call me, even if it's the middle of the night. '' for Best Dad Ray Molina?

The first time Julie brings her band home, Ray is a little apprehensive. They look a little rough and tumble in their ripped clothes and leather jackets and avoidant eyes. But they're polite to him, worship Julie, and even he can admit their music is pretty darn good.

That still doesn't stop him from bringing snacks out-just to check up-at random intervals. The boys seem to appreciate it, gobbling them down like they hadn't eaten in days, but Ray supposes that's just how teenaged boys were.

They wave as they leave, and Ray tells Julie they can come back anytime. As long as homework gets done amongst all the hit making. She rolls her eyes good naturedly, with a whine of "Papiiiii..." but kisses his cheek and agrees.

As time passes though, Ray starts to wonder about those boys. Luke always has his big bag with him, and more than once he's seen clothes in there. Alex won't meet his eye and always avoids looking at the crosses in the house on the few occasions he ventures inside. And Reggie... Reggie flinches at sudden noises, ducks his head at raised voices on the television, and looks one good meal away from collapsing.

He tentatively asks Julie what she knows about their families, but she's pretty tight lipped. "None of them have great home lives," she finally admits. "That's all they'll let me say."

So Ray decides that if these three are going to be a permanent fixture in his daughter's life, he can be a positive one in theirs.

First he starts bringing out healthier snacks, since he's not sure when the last time any of them ate a vegetable was. But they devour those too, so Ray considers that a success. He starts inviting them for supper. More often than not they stay, though Alex still sits stiffly during the blessing-even after Ray told them they didn't have to participate in it.

He not so subtly slips a pamphlet for his very LBGTIAQ friendly church into Alex's fanny pack after that, and the wry smile he gets in return is worth it. He never joins in the blessing afterwards, but he looks less like he's going to crawl out of his skin after it, and when Victoria mentions seeing him and his very cute boyfriend there during a youth group meeting one weekend, Ray has to call that a win.

With Luke, Ray 'casually' mentions that the couch in the garage pulls out after he stays late working on an assignment. And as long as his parents were cool with it, he could stay out there any time. Luke looks relieved, and the next morning is the first one where he doesn't look like he'd been living rough. Pretends not to notice how often he sees Luke slip out of the garage in the mornings after that. But when he finds the Missing Persons poster, well, he suits Luke down and tells him he is welcome to stay, but he has to call his parents and let them know he's alive. No rent, minimal rules, but that one is set in stone.

Luke stays over less often after that, but he does get a grateful call from one Emily Patterson a few days later letting him know her son is home and it's thanks to him. Ray nearly cries at that, and the gorgeous knit blanket she sends back with Luke later the week, but Ray thinks it looks pretty good out on the worn leather couch, so no matter what, Luke has a piece of home with him.

It's reggie that worries him the worst though. Reggie who comes to band practice one day with a shiner and a cut lip he claims came from a schoolyard brawl that none of the band witnessed. Reggie who has angry looking bruises on his arms that he usually hides with flannel and leather. Reggie who falls asleep after dinner one night and shivers despite the LA heat in his too skinny body.

Ray takes Reggie's phone and puts his number into it. "Call me if you need me. Anytime. I don't care if it's the middle of the night, you call okay?"

Reggie nods though he looks close to tears and Ray pulls him into a hug at that, distressed at all the bones he can feel. And insists that Reggie stay for dinner-including thirds and dessert. Even offers up the spare room if he wants it. Reggie ends up staying over, but only when Ray insists.

It's a few weeks later when his phone wakes him. 1:20AM, and Reggie's number is blazing across the screen. Ray is groggy as he answers it but wide awake when Reggie's sniffles echo down the line. He's in the car in seconds flat, driving to Silver Lake where he can see cop cars and an ambulance, Reggie sitting in the back, a blanket around his skinny shoulders.

"Hey Ray," he says, giving a little wave, though he hisses when he does. The paramedic says he's going to need his arm set, among a host of other tests after getting thrown down some stairs.

"I'll follow you," he promises the boy.

And he does, making a slew of calls in the waiting room until Reggie can be released into his custody and stay there until he's 18 next year. It's a hard road from there, but every step is worth it to ensure Reggie never goes back to those people again.

And the next time he looks at Reggie's phone? His number is under the name Papi.

[innytoes]

Julie/Bobby, Angel/Demon AU

What was that, Good Omens AU? (I have not yet seen season 2 don't @ me)

"So what you're saying is," Bobby said slowly. "This whole time the kid we've been influencing is just a regular mortal?"

They both looked over to where 11-year-old Carrie Wilson was sneaking a taste of the frosting on the ginormous pink cake her rockstar father had bought. It had been so, so easy for Julie to get a job as her music teacher, while Bobby became her nanny. They'd tried so hard to make her into a perfectly balanced not-too-evil-not-going-to-do-the-will-of-god-and-destroy-the-sinning-world little human being.

"Yeeep," Julie said, popping the word obnoxiously.

Bobby was silent for a long while. "Then where the fuck is the real anti-christ?"

Somewhere in Los Feliz, little Reggie Peters was blowing out the candles of his very own birthday cake, while his new foster parents beamed proudly. His foster dad was taking so many pictures, and his foster mother, who had already said yes to the stray dog he'd found that morning, was amused, whispering to her sister that at least this saved them a trip to the pound tomorrow.

[innytoes]

Oooh sleepy prompts. 17, you still sleep with a stuffed animal? sweet tarts

When she came back to her bedroom, Reggie was on her bed, his feet hanging off the end, making what looked like snow angels on her fuzzy top blanket. He looked blissed out and happy.

"Ahem," she said, and he shot upright. At least he wasn't snooping. When Nick was her boyfriend, he'd lost 'can be left alone in the bedroom' privileges after he unearthed a picture of her mom and asked her about it. "Come here to get your snacks, because if you get crumbs on my bed they'll never find the body."

He followed her to the little seating area she had set up, flopping down on the beanbag, because of course he did. They ate their snacks in peace, before getting back to work. Carrie was determined to get and A+ on this history project no matter what, and she wasn't going to let Reginald Not-Peters-Anymore-But-Molina ruin it for her. Luckily he seemed very on board with following orders, going so far as to raise his hand when he had a suggestion.

Except his eyes kept drifting back to her bed. And finally, she rolled her eyes. "Seriously? You need a nap or something?"

"No!" Reggie pouted. "It's just that... your blanket is so soft... and comfy..."

"We still need to finish this project," she said sternly.

"You have a laptop," he said, blasting her with the full force of his puppy eyes.

"Fine, but if you start slacking, I'm taking this laptop downstairs and making you sit on the really uncomfortable designer chairs," she threatened. She wasn't sure why Dad even had those chairs, except that they looked expensive. Nobody ever sat on them.

Reggie cheered, yanking off his shoes before taking a flying leap onto the bed, burying his face in her fuzzy pink blanket for a second.

"Scoot over," she commanded, and he did, scooting up to the headboard and holding an arm out for her to snuggle under.

They did finish their first draft, even with Reggie running his hands over her blanket the whole time, the other one toying with her hair. Not that she was into that or anything. And the snuggling closer was just so he could see the screen better.

"I'm going to get more snacks because we deserve them," she said. She wanted something chocolate-y. "And if you promise not to wipe your hands on the bed, you can stay here."

"I would never defile the sanctity of the fuzzy blanket, Carebear," Reggie said, holding his hand over his heart and the other up in the air. She rolled her eyes at him, but pressed a kiss to his cheek before hurrying out of the room.

Only when she got back, she nearly dropped the giant bag of Maltesers. Because Reggie was still on the bed, but now, he was holding Mister Bun in his lap, gently stroking his ears. Mister Bun who she had hidden safely under her pillows to keep this exact thing from happening.

"You still sleep with a stuffed animal?" Reggie asked, and he sounded so excited about it. Like he thought it was funny. Was he going to make fun of her? Or tell everyone at school? Scary Carrie, still sleeping with her childhood plush bunny, haha, everyone laugh. "He's cute."

At the thunderous look on her face, Reggie blanched. "Or she," he corrected. "Or they. I respect your bunny's pronouns either way." He carefully set Mister Bun next to him on the bed, propped against the pillow.

When Carrie still didn't say anything, Reggie kept rambling. "I'm sorry I touched him, I wasn't snooping, I know you hate snooping. I was just rearranging the pillows for better snuggling and he - or she! - was under one of them and I'm not making fun of you I swear I think it's sweet I have one too."

He stopped, but only because he ran out of breath. Before he could continue, Carrie interrupted. "You have a stuffed bunny too?"

"Well, no," Reggie said. "I have a doggy. My Meemaw gave him to me before we moved. His name is Woof."

"I've never seen him in your room," Carrie said, before mentally cursing herself. Maybe he hadn't been able to take Woof with him when he moved in with the Molinas.

"I ah..." Reggie smiled shyly. "I hid him under my pillow because I was afraid you'd think I was uncool."

Finally, Carrie was able to move again. She moved to the bed, gently catching Reggie's face between her hands and kissing him. Of course he wouldn't judge her, or make fun of her, or spread rumours. Reggie was the sweetest guy she'd ever met.

"His name is Mister Bun," she said. "And I don't think you're uncool. I think you're amazing."

His beautiful smile said everything she needed to hear, and they spent the rest of the afternoon eating chocolate and snuggling while watching a show on her laptop. Mister Bun included.

[innytoes]

“Good morning, sleepy head.” for Ray/Rose!

Work had been chaotic, between three shoots that had all been rebooked on the same day, an editing emergency that had kept him up two nights in a row, and a potential client who could not make up their mind between A Professional and Cousin Kyle Who Will Do It For Free and wanted to 'compromise' by Ray doing thousands of dollars worth of work for a hundred bucks and would not take no for an answer.

So he was incredibly glad it was Sunday, and he got to sleep in. Rose had spoiled him a little last night, letting him take a long bath, even bringing him a glass of wine. She hadn't even made fun of him that he was in bed at nine, barely able to keep his eyes open long enough to kiss her goodnight before she went back downstairs.

He slept like a log. He hadn't woken up when Rose had come to bed, but he had in the early morning light of dawn, wrapped around her, nose buried in her curls. He'd sighed happily, reveling in the warmth, in how lucky he was that she was still there after all they'd been through. And then he'd dozed right back off to sleep.

The next time he woke, the clock read ten fifteen, which felt obscenely late even for a Sunday. He stretched out, reveling in how well-rested he felt, before getting up and using the bathroom, getting in a quick shave, and putting on some comfortable jeans and a Henley.

He was just about to head downstairs when Rose intercepted him at the top of the stairs, her arm catching his waist as she pressed a kiss to his lips. "Good morning, sleepy head," she said, teasing and warm and bright.

"Good morning," he said, all thoughts of coffee temporarily forgotten as she peppered kisses along his jaw. Well, there was a reason he'd shaved. He inhaled happily, wrapping his arms around his wife. "Thanks for letting me sleep in."

Then, he inhaled again. Deeply.

"Why do I smell pancakes?" he asked. "Who broke something?"

"Nothing broke!" Rose said, but she said it so quickly that it just confirmed his suspicions that these were Bribery Pancakes. Or at the very least Buttering Up pancakes.

"Rose..."

"So you know how we always talked about how we wanted a big family?" Rose started, which was not where Ray thought this was going. He thought they were softening him up for another crazy DIY project he was going to regret halfway through.

"I do," he said. Though they'd also had a long conversation when Carlos was one, about how two small children were kind of enough for both of them, but maybe they could foster or adopt when the kids were older.

There was commotion downstairs, and some very familiar voices hushing each other, and suddenly, everything clicked. "Which one?" he asked.

"Which one what?" Rose asked, trying to go for innocence and landing solidly in 'shifty' instead.

"Which one of Julie's friends did you adopt while I was sleeping?"

It wasn't like they hadn't talked about it before. How they wanted to be a safe place for Julie's band members to go to if things got bad at home. They'd both been worried about Reggie and the way he flinched at loud noises. Ray had sat him down once and told him he was always welcome to stay with them if he didn't feel safe at home.

Luke constantly fought with his mother about music, and had run away to the Molina's garage to spend the night and cool down more than once. And Alex... well, after he came out, they made sure to let him know that there were adults in his life that loved him for who he was, and would keep loving him no matter what.

Rose didn't say anything, just entwined their fingers together and pulled him down the stairs. The amount of bags in the hall were a bit concerning. Then, when they turned and came into the kitchen, he became even more concerned.

Reggie's black eye was the first thing that stood out. But Alex looked like he'd been crying for hours, his eyes red and puffy, his face blotchy. Luke sprang away from where he and Julie had been wrapped around each other. Which was usually funny, but now was a little heartbreaking, considering how upset he looked. He was even wearing sleeves, the big cozy flannel he wore when things got really bad.

"Hi Ray," Reggie whispered awkwardly, giving a little wave.

He strode into the kitchen, pulling all three boys into a hug. Reggie went willingly, plastering himself against Ray's side. Luke quickly followed, and Alex tensed up before sinking into the hug with a sniffle.

"Pancakes first," he said, after a long while, looking over their heads at his wife. "And then I want to know how you managed to pull all this off."

Rose shrugged. "I had help," she said, and oh, that was either a very good thing (Victoria) or a very illegal thing (the Petal Pushers), and maybe Ray didn't want to know after all. Oh well, he had spousal immunity, he wouldn't have to testify against his wife.

"And then," he said, looking down at the boys as he let go. Alex fidgeted, and Luke drifted back to Julie, but Reggie stayed close, so he kept an arm wrapped around his shoulder. "I think we need to go to Ikea and gets some bunk beds, or something."

Alex let out a great big sigh of relief. Luke sagged against Julie, while she grinned and hugged him. Carlos gave a little cheer, high-fiving Reggie.

And Rose? Rose just smiled at him, like she'd known all along that he didn't really need pancakes to butter him up. Because Rose knew him, knew how much he loved these boys. And knew that even if he did have misgivings, he'd follow her no matter what anyway.

Together, they'd get through anything.

[innytoes]

“You got me a stocking?” - “Of course, you’re family.” For either Reggie & Ray or an AU where the Molina family adopts Reggie, please!

For my fourth and final version of this prompt, I decided to go full sci-fi dystopian AU because of course I did.

"Reassignment assessment, Reginald Peters, written portion." The computer said as he sat down at the terminal. He'd just finished the physical scan, and from the way some of the squares had coloured orange, it wasn't going great. Probably his weight and blood work, if he had to guess.

"Um, I can't... I can't write," he told the terminal. "Or read." Immediately, the keyboard disappeared, and a little speaker appeared next to the questions, with a microphone icon replacing the keyboard. He took a deep breath, and started the questionnaire.

After his dad had been caught stealing, he'd pretty much flushed away any credits their family unit had down the drain. Mom had managed to save herself by taking a blood alcohol test, proving she hadn't partaken in any of the stolen goods (though Reggie was pretty sure that was just dumb luck). She had managed to stay in her job in the kitchens, reassigned to the bunks there, instead of being sent to the jail like Dad.

But the lack of credits did mean there was no way she could keep Reggie on. And Reggie had been going to work with Dad, cleaning, since he was seven, so he couldn't be reassigned to the Kitchen bunks.

But all the credits he earned were transferred straight into the family account to pay for food and rent, so it wasn't like he had any credits of his own to rent out a room somewhere. Carl had kept him on until he was transferred to Reassessment, let him take over Dad's route as well as his own, so he'd managed to earn enough to keep himself fed while he stayed in the Cleaning bunks.

But now he had to prove he was worth keeping on permanently. Or get lucky enough that one of the better paying departments would take on a scrawny thirteen year old who couldn't read or write and wasn't deemed bright enough to get a scholarship for school when he was little.

He spoke as clearly as he could, knowing the voice-to-text AI wasn't perfect. He laid out his work history, his references (which was really only Carl). There were some weird questions at the end as well. Like his favourite colour, and his favourite class. Probably because he was a minor. He tried to keep the bitter upset tone out of his voice in case it messed with the AI when he answered. "I don't know." And: "I don't go to school."

The last question, the one about what he wanted for his future, he wasn't exactly sure how to answer. "I hope to stay on and work my way up at the Cleaning Department, or perhaps get transferred to the Kitchens," he said.

Except when he let go of the mic button to submit his answer, a flashing yellow warning came on the screen. Apparently the facial recognition had flagged the answer as dishonest, would he like to try again?

He tried again. And again. Finally, frustrated, he said: "I want to earn enough credits to be able to afford my own rooms, in whatever Department that will take me, and maybe even get enough to be able to afford a dog, or a hamster." He'd never told anyone about that dream, but it was at least flagged as truthful, and before he could edit or resubmit his answer, the test declared he was finished, and to please move on to the next room to wait for reassignment.

It was the first time he'd been alone, had his own rooms, since his dad was caught. Reggie reveled in the quiet, taking the standard issue meal from the Fabricator at set times, and catching up on some much needed sleep. After a few days, though, he got a little antsy, so when he computer terminal finally beeped that he'd been reassigned, he was thrilled. He quickly washed his face, tidying the bed and getting dressed, stepping out ready to meet Carl, or maybe even the head of the Kitchens.

Except it wasn't Carl. It was a family. A mom, a dad, a girl about his age, and a little boy. They looked like the kind of family that had enough credits to send their kids to school without scholarship credits, wearing non-standard-issue clothes and cool shoes and even jewelry.

Before he could tell them they probably had the wrong room, and that the orphanage was down the hall, the woman said: "Reginald? It's so nice to meet you!"

So it wasn't a mistake. Reggie stayed quiet as they lead him away from the Reassignment wing, up to levels and past parks where he'd only dreamed of being promoted to clean, until they arrived at their unit. Inside was big, but it still looked cozy, like a real home. The walls all had non-standard colours, there was art displayed, the furniture was non-standard issue.

"Come on, let me show you your room," the little boy, Carlos said, dragging him along. "You still have to pick your own colours and stuff, it'll be fun!"

So he got his own room. That he got to decorate. And he got to pick out non-standard-issue clothes, and they enrolled him in school, and every day Reggie was waiting for the Molinas to realise they'd made a mistake, to send him back to Reassignment, but it never came. Not even when he bombed his first pop quiz for his Writing class (the p and q were hard, okay?), or when he accidentally burned dinner helping Rose cook.

Three weeks in and they still hadn't sent him back. When he came home from school, thrilled to report that he'd actually passed a test for once (math was way easier than letters), the apartment looked... different. There were twinkly lights all around, and the furniture had been rearranged to make room for a tree, and oh. Christmas.

"Hey, mijo," Rose said, smiling from where she was hanging a garland up below the screen of the TV. It was playing a video of a fireplace, which just made the whole room feel even cozier. "How was school?"

He shyly showed her his Pad, with the bright red 100% at the top of the page on his math test. "I got my math test back," he said. He glowed with pride and maybe something else when she caught him in a hug, telling him how proud she was. She even insisted on wasting using credits to print out a copy to hang on the fridge.

"Do you want to help me decorate a little before you start your homework?" she asked. He usually waited until Ray was home, because Ray always looked over his letters and helped him sound out the really long words for his reading. He was really nice about it, too, and never got frustrated when Reggie made a mistake.

"Okay," he agreed happily, helping de-tangle even more lights, and hang pretty baubles in the tree. Ray came home from his shift, smiling and jumping right into helping decorate.

Together, they finished up the tree, except for the star. That would be put on when Julie and Carlos got home. They were in school longer than Reggie, because Rose and Ray hadn't wanted to overwhelm him. He had Writing and Reading and Math, and because Rose insisted school should be fun as well, once a week he also got to go to Music. They’d let him pick whatever he wanted, from art to sports to flight school.

Finally, Ray made him stand back and decide how high the stockings would go. He could read the names on them now. Rose and Ray both had fuzzy-looking stockings with a faux fur trim on it. Julie's was purple, of course, and shimmered in the light. Carlos' had a fabric that changed colours when you ran your finger over it, so you could draw little doodles on it.

And then Rose handed Ray the last one. It was red (he had a favourite colour now), and it looked very soft. And on it, in shimmering letters, it read Reggie.

"You got me a stocking?" he asked, startled, eyes flitting over the name again and again, just in case he misread. R-E-G-G-I-E. Reggie.

"Of course," Ray said. "You're family."

Maybe it was time to stop waiting for the other shoe to drop, Reggie thought, even as his face crumbled. Rose pulled him into a hug, Ray wrapping both his arms around him. Maybe this could be home.

[innytoes]

Come on, you did not put in “You got me a stocking?” - “Of course, you’re family.” and NOT expect me to prompt it with Reggie & the Molinas right?

Four people sent me some version of this prompt and I think I made the Reggie Molina bait a liiiiittle too strong. #noregrets Set in the same universe as this fic

Christmas hadn’t been the same since they came to LA. Not that his parents had been great at Christmas before that, but his Meemaw and Pops usually picked up the slack. They made sure Reggie got presents he actually liked, and clothes that actually fit. They took him to the mall to see Santa when he was little, even though the nearest mall was over an hour away. And whenever his parents inevitably started to argue (not fight, not yet, they had only turned into full blown fights after the move), Pops would take him out to give the horses their Special Christmas Treat. Usually some apple peels or carrots.

Pops had also been the one to sit him down and tell him about the Magic of Christmas and the truth about Santa. Thankfully, because his first winter in LA, there were no presents from Santa under the tree. There’d barely been any presents at all, but he’d heard enough fights about money, late at night huddled in his bed, to know not to complain.

Christmas after they came to LA just got worse over time. The arguments turned into full blown fights. They stopped getting a real tree, then stopped setting up the fake tree, and finally, his mom just stopped helping Reggie decorate at all. (At least they still let him decorate.)

There was the year both his parents forgot to get him a present, after spending a lot on each other, which crashed them straight out of the honeymoon phase and back into another fight. He‘d gotten his bass guitar around New Year to make up for it, though.

These days, Reggie tried not to be home a lot around the holidays. They still did Christmas morning, kind of, Reggie making Meemaw’s apple pancakes and exchanging only-sometimes-heartfelt gifts. He did his best to get his parents something he’d thought they would like, and he kept a smile on his face, even when he unwrapped the Star Trek shirt. It was the thought that counted, right? At least the shirt fit.

Most years, he just wandered around town, pretending he was on his way to some awesome party, smiling and nodding at families in the street. Or he stole they key from under the flower pot at Luke’s house, crashing in his room even though Luke and his parents always visited his grandparents for Christmas. The Pattersons always had a pretty tree, and he liked to stare at it, even if he didn’t dare turn on the lights lest the neighbours call Mitch or Emily.

This year though, he had a place to go. Because Julie had invited him to Family Christmas Dinner. And then dragged him inside and made Ray invite him too, when he started talking about how that was like, family time and he didn’t want to intrude.

When he got to the Molina house and knocked, Carlos opened the door, shouting happily. “It’s Reggie!” He pulled Reggie inside, talking a mile a minute about the new videogame he’d gotten for Christmas and how they’d finally have enough people for multi-player mode with him and Julie.

God he loved the Molinas.

He gave Julie a hug, and passed Tía the tin of cookies. “I know you said I didn’t have to bring anything, but I made cookies,” he explained. And honestly he hadn’t felt like sharing them with his parents. He’d left them a few, but he’d made them for the people he really wanted to spend the holidays with. “It’s my Meemaw’s recipe.”

“Thank you, mijo, that’s very kind of you,” Ray said, catching him in a hug. Ray hugs were still kind of new, after Father’s Day, but they were also kind of the best.

Dinner was amazing, and he basked in the feel of sitting at a family dinner and not being worried about when the shouting would start. The food was delicious, the pre-video-game trash talk was g-rated but thus extra hilarious, and it was just everything Reggie had been missing at home for the past couple of years.

After dinner, while they waited for the ice cream to thaw enough to eat and munched on Reggie’s cookies (and man, did he glow under the praise from Victoria and Ray), Carlos jumped up. “Can we, dad? You said after dinner, it’s after dinner!”

“Fine,” Ray said, chuckling as Carlos raced out of the room. Reggie blinked, wondering if it was video game time, but then Carlos came back, carrying three brightly coloured stockings. He handed one to Julie, put one on his chair, and Reggie leaned back so he could give the last one to Ray, but it ended up in his lap instead.

He was about to pass it over, when he saw the name embroidered on the hem. “You got me a stocking?” he asked, shocked. He hadn’t gotten anyone presents. Julie had told him not to. They were already doing the Band Secret Santa when Luke came back, and she knew his pocket money was non-existent.

“Of course,” Ray said, like it was nothing. “You’re family.”

He did eventually get to his stocking, but not before hugging the daylights out of Ray, and then Julie, and Carlos, and Tía.

[innytoes]

I stole your sweater because it smells like you and it makes me feel safe for Rulie?

When Julie came home to see Reggie curled up on the sofa, wrapped up in her yellow smiley sweatshirt, she feared the worst. He usually only did that when he wasn’t feeling well, or he’d had a particularly bad day. His eyes were glued to his phone screen, his ear buds in. Probably watching puppy videos, Julie figured. Which meant today was a very bad day indeed.

She slipped off her shoes and jacket before padding over to the couch, ready to offer him a hug. But when she came into his line of sight, he jumped so high he fell off the couch, shrieking. She yelled too, flicking on the light, and when Reggie saw it was her, he yanked out his earbuds. “Julie!”

“Reggie!” she said, sinking to her knees next to him, pulling him into a hug. “You scared me half to death. Are you okay?”

“Whoof,” Reggie said, breathing out. Once he was over the shock, he gave Julie a blinding smile. “I’m okay. You just startled me.”

“Are you sure?” Julie asked, crawling in her Omega’s lap. Reggie immediately wrapped his arms around her, nuzzling at her hair. “You’re wearing my sweater. You usually only do that on bad days.”

“Oh,” Reggie blinked. “I steal it because it smells like you and makes me feel safe.” Julie stroked his hair, waiting for him to continue.

“Carlos asked me to take a look at his latest video for his YouTube channel before he makes the final edits,” Reggie explained. “I knew it would scare the pants off me, but it’s not like I’m going to say no to the little dude.” He shrugged, and Julie melted. Her family loved Reggie so much that she was pretty sure if they didn’t get married and Bond eventually, her dad would start googling Adult Adoption. Reggie was pack.

“So you put my sweater on to feel safer?” she asked, touched. He nodded. “Did it help?”

“It did, until I saw you out of the corner of my eye after 15 minutes of ghost busting,” he laughed.  

Julie laughed too, and together, they watched the end of the video, Julie holding Reggie’s phone for him and Reggie hiding his face against her shoulder whenever it got scary, breathing in her scent.

From then on, she made sure to wear the smiley sweater around the house a few days before Carlos’ videos went up, just to be sure.

[innytoes]

"girl help I already have so much headcanons for this au I'm never gonna write" .... show us the dystopian headcanons, Inny

Okay so this dystopia was percolating in my brain for a day or two before I could get it out. It's inspired by a lot of different sci-fi things, the biggest being Neal Stephenson's The Diamond Age and that lovely tumblr story about the 100 point children.

It's set on a big-ass space ship colony, and you need credits for everything. Like, your basic needs will technically be met (large dormitories in your assigned work department/orphanage, fabricated Nutritionally Perfect food but not very tasty food, standard issue clothing, etc.) but if you want more, it costs credits. Credits are earned by working and possibly citizenship points, like that creepy Black Mirror episode.

So having your own place costs credits, but so does having kids, like a child tax. Don't think about the horrifying implications of that if you're not able to pay, don't do it, it's a dystopia remember.

Reggie's parents were just barely keeping their head above water, possibly due to spending their credits unwisely, possibly due to it being a fucking dystopia and they need to keep a bunch of people in poverty for the system to run. You know... like capitalism.

It’s not like spaces are officially segregated and all, but if you try to go to a park in a richer area as a kid in the standard issue (free) gray uniform... you’re gonna get picked on. Reggie learns early on where he’s ‘allowed’ to be and where he isn’t. Besides, after he starts going to work with his dad it doesn’t matter much anyway. Sometimes he sneaks out to the parks in the evenings or mornings (when normal kids are at school or in bed and his dad’s shift hasn’t started yet) so he can play on the Good Swings and stuff.

Rose and Ray both have pretty well-paying jobs (Ray watches the radar for asteroids and stuff on the bridge, as well as being a photographer, and Rose reviews and translates station-wide communications as well as being a private music teacher). Their kids want for nothing, they have a nice house, they have enough credits in savings that they’re ready for pretty much anything.

So at the end of the month Rose browses the internal logs, looking for places to donate credits. Regular donations go to the orphaned kids, so they can go to school, and she’s been known to pay off bullshit fines (“a teenager played their music too loud in the park and now the parents are facing downsizing their unit size to pay for it? That’s bullshit!”)

She kind of stumbles on Reggie by accident, thinking someone messed up the age from 31 to 13 on Reassignment Job Board. (She’s a reviewer after all, she can send a quick message through Internal Comms and get it fixed before someone is reprimanded and loses credits for a typo.) Until she reads his profile and his answers and is horrified. She talks to Ray, and then to Julie and Carlos, and oops, guess they have a new son.

Carlos is stoked to have an older brother. Julie is kind of horrified to learn there are kids who don’t get to go to school at all because their parents don’t have the credits for it, so of course she says yes. 

-As soon as Rose and Ray have convinced Reggie that no, they did not take him in as some kind of live-in butler or cleaning service, but as a kid, they sit him down with a Pad and get him to pick out some stuff that costs actual credits for the fabricator to make. Reggie is very concerned, so he sorts from lowest-price and works his way up until he balks at the amount of credits. (Which is... pretty much anything that isn’t the standard issue uniform but in like a nice colour.)

When Rose catches on, she tells the Pad to hide the prices, take out the ‘sort by price’ option, and take out anything that doesn’t fit into ‘budget - kids’. Then she hands the Pad back to Reggie and tells him to try again. He can still sort by colour and style and stuff, but he can’t see prices. If he hits his budget, the things that cost too much turn red.

(He only figures that out because he adds something he knows is really expensive, like a hoverboard, to his basket, just to see where the limits of this ‘budget’ lie. And is then very flustered because hoverboards are very very expensive, so he’s allowed to pick out a hoverboard plus like, seven sets of pants worth of stuff?)

In the end, he picks out a lot of black. Because it hides stains, unless you’re cleaning with bleach, and also it’s what the pilots wear as their uniform and pilots are really cool. Black jeans (Ray and Carlos are wearing jeans.) Black shirts. Black shoes. But then he stumbles on a very soft looking red plaid shirt, and there’s an option to have the fabricator make a square inch of test fabric for free. And it’s so very, very soft. He rubs the fabric between his fingers while he selects that shirt, and follows the ‘more like this’ links to several more items. A hoodie. Some pairs of thick socks. A little black leather bracelet, which feels like the height of luxury.

His room already has a non-standard issue bed, desk, and dresser,  but Ray reassures him that he can pick something else and they can feed these to the fabricator to get back some of the credits if he doesn’t like them. (He does like them. They look like wood, and the mattress on the bed is so comfortable.) He picks out a thick blanket that’s fuzzy on the inside, and a lamp that looks like a floating moon, and then, because there’s still budget left, a little statue of a horse, just to have something to put on the dresser.

He picks out a nice soft green for his walls, with a picture of rolling plains with long grass and a forest to cover one wall. He and Carlos sit on his bed and watch as the nanobots convert the boring gray walls, and that’s pretty cool too.

-Yes he gets his own stocking and it’s full of fun things (Carlos is mad at his parents they got Reggie socks, but Reggie loves his new socks. They have little pizzas on them!). His favourite is the little cube that projects stars on his ceiling, though.

-Of course Rose and Ray get him a dog for Christmas. It’s been haunting Rose ever since she read his answer on the questionnaire. It’s the last present of the day, and when Reggie opens his eyes, he immediately starts crying.

Carlos is very worried that he picked the wrong puppy, but Reggie assures him these are good tears, even though he can’t stop crying. They end up in a family group hug for like an hour, the puppy crawling from lap to lap.

Reggie names him Cosmo and he’s all ready to get a part-time job to make sure he has enough credits to feed him until Rose says no, the dog is family too, you don’t need to worry about that, Reggie.

-Reggie gets to go to school and it’s kind of terrifying but also really interesting. His reading and writing classes are mostly with adults and older teens who are going through apprenticeships, so thankfully he’s not stuck with the four and five year olds like he was worried he’d be. His math classes are with other freshmen, since he’s needed numbers for his job and he already knows basic math.

He meets Luke and Alex and Bobby in math class, and Luke immediately grabs him to be their fourth on the little pod of tables, because he’s new and thus interesting and otherwise Nick might have asked to join their group.

-Reggie has no idea what’s supposed to be wrong with Nick. He seems nice. Later, Bobby whispers it’s because Luke is jealous of Nick because his crush likes Nick more than she likes Luke. Luke threatens to stab him with a stylus while Alex rolls his eyes and discusses the next question with Reggie.

-Reggie likes his new friends, even if he doesn’t always understand their references.

-Julie introduces Reggie to her friends as well. He and Flynn get along great, since she takes everything he knows and doesn’t know and says in stride. Flynn only sees Cool Opportunities to introduce him to stuff like ‘mixing 4 soda powders together before putting them in the hydrator’ and ‘hiphop’.

Carrie kind of scares him. She’s one of those people who has enough credits to shoot Reggie out of an airlock and still get away scot free, and sometimes she looks like she’s contemplating just that. She sometimes scoffs when he doesn’t know something or says something ignorant (or poor), but usually a glare for Julie or Flynn mellows her out. 

But she’s also the first to absolutely destroy some jerk who tries to make fun of Reggie for not knowing how to read. And when she learns that the clothes Reggie is wearing are his first non-free fabricator clothes, she drags him and Julie and Flynn to something called a ‘thrift store’. It has stuff that either wasn’t fabricated at all, but was brought here from colonies or even Earth. It had stuff that was limited edition and thus couldn’t be fed back into the fabricator. And stuff that was donated by people who either didn’t need to feed stuff back into the fabricator, or for some reason didn’t want to. Lots of designers apparently donated their collections to the Thrift Store.

And yeah, Rose and Ray gave Reggie an allowance but it wasn’t like he had a lot saved up. And what he did, some part of him still thought he should hold on to, even though he was pretty convinced Rose and Ray weren’t sending him back.

To which Carrie scoffed and was like ‘please my dad won’t even notice if I buy out this whole store, we are getting you a statement piece and that is final’.

They have a great time trying on all kinds of weird and wonderful and silly clothes, though. Flynn and Julie make him wear a fuzzy neon orange bucket hat and try to convince Carrie that This Is It This Is His Statement Piece, until she threatens to buy it for him and he scrambles to convince her he was just joking. The way she laughs at him doesn’t feel mean, and he lets himself laugh too.

He ends up falling in love with an actual, real, non-fabricator leather jacket that fits him like a glove. He even loves the smell of it, real and earthy. Carrie refuses to let him see the price as she scans the tag and pays for it, and he thanks her over and over. He even, in his best penmanship, writes her a thank you note (which he’s seen Carlos and Julie do to their grandparents on a colony when they sent Christmas presents) and gives it to her at school the next day.

He pretends not to see her tear up, and she pretends not to notice he spelled her name wrong.

-Reggie tries to contact his mom through the messaging system but all his messages get denied. He’s worried she’s maybe in trouble, so one day he puts on his old standard issue uniform and sneaks into the kitchens, only to find that his mom doesn’t work there anymore. She got a better job, one of her old coworkers says, and has a nice unit for herself now. Last time he saw her, she was eating out wearing some nice non-standard issue clothing, having cocktails with her new friends.

He doesn’t try and find her after that. He goes to his room and uses some of his pocket money to make the room soundproof and cries and cries until he can’t cry anymore. And then lies to Rose when she comes home and says he just had a frustrating homework assignment.

Ray sits with him that night and helps him sound out his reading, and doesn’t comment when Reggie maybe leans in a little. He even wraps his arm around him, giving him a little squeeze and a ‘proud of you, mijo’ when he finishes the chapter.

-Rose teaches him piano, and in his music class, he learns guitar. Luke is incredibly excited about that, and will let him practice on Luke’s guitar for hours, helping him adjust his fingers and showing him chords.

-Later he switches to bass, because Luke has talked about wanting to start a band, and they don’t have a bass player yet. He likes the deep tones, and Rose and Ray get him a bass guitar for his birthday.

-Birthdays! Who knew there was more to them than a little free cupcake from the fabricator? Not Reggie!