#reg�� jean page

[bauhaus-bae]

TIKTOK WATTPAD

Please leave requests on this page<3!

REG! MASTERLIST!

ANIME X READER MASTER LIST

ALL:

MY HERO ACADEMIA:

Mha boys x reader dom/sub MDNI

Run that mouth: Kirishima

Pro!Hero red riot x super strength fiancé

Mha boys x reader dom/sub part 2 MDNI

DEMON SLAYER:

JUJUTSU KAISEN:

ATTACK ON TITAN:

After the war: Reiner

Tiktok trends: Armin, Reiner, Jean

HUNTER x HUNTER:

NARUTO:

[if-you-fan-a-fire]

"WOMAN IS CHARGED WITH SHOOTING MAN," Kingston Whig-Standard. June 14, 1933. Page 10. ---- Arrested at Palmerston Over Wounding of Hotel Proprietor ---- PALMERSTON, June 13 - Miss Jean Norton, believed to be from Moorefield, Ont., is under arrest here charged with the shooting of Sylvester Dopser, proprietor of a local hotel.

The woman allegedly called at the hotel and asked for a room, registering under the name of Jean Abbott, Reg. N. She then "began to talk funny" in the room, and Dopser notified provincial police. With the local police, two doctors and Dopser, the local provincial policeman tried to get into the room and the woman allegedly fired two shots, one striking Dopser and seriously wounding him in the chest.

[storiesforallfandoms]

may the best artist win ~ eminem

word count: 1754

request?: yes!

@thatonegirlthatlikesthings “Helllloooo I’ve been all in your page recently and I absolutely love your eminem stories I was wondering if I could request one with him and reader where she’s also a singer and they’re up for the same award and they make a bet between them where whoever wins gets to do whatever to other a little smut

I love you and your writing HAPPY HOLIDAYS 🤟🏽😭😭❤️❤️”

description: in which they both get nominated for the same award and decide to make it a game between them

pairing: eminem x female!reader

warnings: swearing, smut (oral, fem receiving, a little degrading but only like one mention)

masterlist (one, two)

Marshall had made it very clear throughout his career what his thoughts on the Grammy’s were. He vowed he would never return to the Grammy’s ceremony, even if he was nominated.

But then you were nominated for Song of the Year at the same time that he was. It was your first time being nominated for a big award show like that, so obviously you were excited. It excited you even more because Marshall was nominated for the same award and you liked the idea of potentially beating him after being nominated for the first time.

“There’s eight other nominees, honey, there’s no guarantee either of us will win,” he reminded you.

“You’re ruining the fun of my fantasy,” you teased. “I want to win my first Grammy after being nominated against my boyfriend. It would bring me so much satisfaction.”

Marshall raised an eyebrow at you. “Oh yeah? Want to place a bet on that?”

His question sparked your interest. “What kind of bet are we talking here?”

“If I win, you blow me in the car ride home.”

You were used to Marshall being very forward about anything sex wise, but it still took you by surprise sometimes. This was one of those times. For some reason, you didn’t expect his terms to the bet to be so outright sexual.

You crossed your arms and raised an eyebrow. “And what do I get if I win?”

“That’s up to you to decide.”

You took a moment to consider it. If Marshall was going dirty with his, then you wanted to go dirty with yours too. And you wanted it to be just as naughty as him wanting road head on the way home from the award show.

“Okay,” you said. “If I win, you go down on me in the bathroom at the arena.”

He seemed impressed with your decision. “Really? That one is a bit dangerous to try. Are you sure it’s what you want?”

“What, are you scared to do it because you know I’ll win?”

He took hold of your hand and gave it a shake. “You have a deal.”

The night of the Grammy’s came quicker than you expected. As usual, Marshall was wearing a pair of jeans, a t-shirt, a jacket and, of course, his signature Kangol hat. You decided to dress up a little, with a somewhat casual dress that came just to your knees. You weren’t concerned over dressing up too much since the two of you were skipping the red carpet anyways.

The worst part about shows like this was that the more important awards, like your Song of the Year, were left until the end of the show, meaning you had to sit through endless speeches and attempts at jokes from the hosts and presenters. If it weren’t for this bet, you’d probably ditch the rest of the show.

At least the performances were good.

When the presenters for Song of the Year came on stage, all thoughts of the bet left your mind and instead you were full of nerves. What if neither of your names were called? Or worse, what if they called your name and you embarrassed yourself while accepting the award? On live television, where everyone in the entire world would see it and it would live on the Internet for the rest of your life.

Noticing your nervousness, Marshall reached over and took your hand. You looked over at him and your nerves almost completely melted away.

You almost missed the announcer calling your name if it wasn’t for your song loudly playing from the speakers and everyone around you looking at you with joy and excitement. It took a minute for the news to register before the excitement set in. You stood from your seat and planted a kiss on Marshall’s lips before making your way to the stage. You were glad now you hadn’t wore a long dress and risked tripping on the way to the stage.

You accepted the award and managed to give a speech that actually sounded coherent through the combination of excitement and nerves you were feeling. You were sure the camera could pick up how much your hands were shaking, but you deserved it given the circumstances. You smiled one more time for the audience and the cameras as the music played you off the stage. You followed the presenters to the backstage area where other artists and producers were conversing. They cheered as you walked in, congratulating you on your win.

You were shocked when Marshall walked up to you, not even noticing that he had left your seats to come back stage. He immediately put a hand on the back of your head and pulled you into another, more passionate congratulatory kiss.

“Why aren’t you in your seat?” you asked, a little dumbly but you were too dazed by excitement and by the sudden kiss.

“I believe we had a bet,” he said. “One that you just won.”

From the minute the presentation for the award started, you had totally forgotten about the bet. You didn’t even have time to gloat to Marshall about you winning over him, nor did think to do so anyways.

But he was right. You did win the bet.

You politely excused yourselves and left the backstage area to find the nearest bathroom. You went in first to make sure no one else was there, and when the coast was clear you opened the door for Marshall to join you. The minute he stepped inside, his lips were on yours again. They were rough and full of lust and passion. Despite having lost the bet, it was like he was just as excited for this outcome as you were.

With your lips still pressed together, Marshall backed you towards the counter. He put his hands on your hips and hoisted you onto the counter, breaking the kiss for just a split second before attacking your lips again. His tongue pressed against your mouth and you opened to let him in. His tongue swirled around your mouth, connecting with yours a few times, before pulling away. You almost grabbed him and pulled him to come back, but stopped when he got down onto his knees in front of you.

You were very glad you wore a short dress.

He didn’t have to push your dress up much since it was already bunched up around your thighs. You had wore a small thong just in case you had won and this was the outcome, which was proving to be a very smart decision on your part.

You gasped as you felt two of his fingers run through your folds, already dripping from the make out session alone.

“You’re already so wet,” he noted. “Just from the idea of me going down on you? You dirty slut.”

You whimpered at the degrading name.

You watched as the bottom part of his face disappeared between your thighs. He eyes were looking up at you as he licked one like stripe from your entrance to your clit. You gasped and reached down to grip his hair. Realizing he still had his hat on, you knocked it to the floor so you could really get a good grip on him.

His hands gripped your thighs, no doubt leaving marks on the sensitive skin. His tongue made quick work of licking at your clit; quick, short strokes mixed with long, slower ones every now and then just to feel you quiver against him. Everyone knew that Marshall was good with his tongue, but you knew just how good he could really be with it.

The brushing of his beard against your inner thighs and your pussy caused a whole new wave of pleasure the run through you. You wanted to watch him while he worked - he looked so concentrated as he devoured your pussy - but your head kept lulling backwards as moans tumbled from your mouth. You knew you should be more quiet since anyone could walk past and hear you, but you weren’t really in the right mind to think about that right now. All you could think about was Marshall’s wet tongue against your swollen clit, and the coil that was beginning to tighten in your stomach.

You tried to push Marshall away. As much as you were enjoying this, you wanted him to fuck you so you could cum on his dick instead. But he resisted your attempts to move away and continued his work.

“M-Marshall, I-I’m gonna...I’m so close,” you stuttered out. “I want you t-to fuck me.”

He looked up at you again and you could tell from the look in his eyes that he wasn’t about to stop any time soon. He was determined to make you cum this way, and that determination was hot enough to set you over the edge. You threw your head back again and let out a cry in pleasure as you felt your orgasm wash over you. You held Marshall’s head in place as he continued to lick over your clit, lapping up your juices.

You rested your head against the mirror behind you and tried to catch your breath. You almost whined when Marshall finally pulled away from your sensitive core, but felt yourself becoming turned on again at the sight of him. His lips were glistening and his beard had some leftovers of your juices on it. He turned on the sink next to you and wet a paper towel in order to wipe his mouth and chin clean.

“I’m surprised you didn’t take up the opportunity to bend me over and fuck me in front of the mirror,” you commented. “I thought it would’ve been really hot to do that. I wanted to feel you inside of me when I came.”

“This was your prize for winning the bet,” he said. “I wanted you to benefit from it.”

You smiled and reached for him. He stood between your legs and gave you a more gentle kiss than the ones you had gotten earlier. You could still taste yourself on his lips, which just helped to turn you on even more once again.

“Well, now that my prize for the bet is over, why don’t you take me home and use me to your relief?” you suggested, looking up at him with the most seductive look you could manage while still coming down from your high.

Marshall smirked at you. “I like the way you think.”

[messers-moony]

He’s Safe With Me | R.B

Paring: Regulus Black X Fem!Half-Blood!Reader

Summary: A little boy brightens Regulus’ days after his brother leaves him.

Inspiration: Click & Click

Growing up always left a bittersweet taste in people's mouths. While it was nice to gain freedom and more privileges that growing up included, the new responsibilities made it bitter. It was the leaving, the stress, and the idea of putting your childhood behind you that brought the sour taste to people's tongues. 

Regulus never thought that he’d have to grow up so fast. 

The summer months were always Regulus’ favorite. They were the months that, despite everything, Sirius would come home to Number Twelve Grimmauld Place and be a resident there for the two months of holiday. Maybe during Hogwarts, they would sneer at each other and argue with one another, but at home, it wasn’t like that. 

Sirius was sixteen, and Regulus was fifteen, but that didn’t stop Sirius from taking the hits meant for Regulus. It didn’t stop him from taking the blame, so Regulus was safe. Afterward, Regulus would hear Sirius whimpering in his bedroom and silent cries. Sometimes, he’d even fall asleep outside his door, or if he were brave enough, he’d go inside and lay beside him. 

They were boys, but from the moment they were born, they had to be adults. Their childhood was stripped from them, and responsibilities piled on top of another. From the minute they were born, they had to sit straight, use proper manners, try to court girls, be charming, study, and be mature, but they were boys. They were bound to be a ruckus. 

Regulus could remember running around Uncle Alphard with Sirius when he was three. Uncle Alphard had a vast plot of land with a big house on the corner. He had cherry blossom trees planted all around the manor, and it gave the boys an area to run. When Regulus caught up to him, eventually, he’d jump on his brother's back, and Sirius always caught him when he fell. 

So why couldn’t Sirius catch him now?

He heard the window open from Sirius’ room and already had a feeling he knew what was happening. Earlier that day, he heard the shuffling of clothes and items in the room beside his own. Regulus swallowed the growing lump in his throat and opened Sirius’ door to find exactly what he suspected. Sirius had a trunk packed and head out of the window. When the door opened, he hit his head on the bottom of the window. 

“God damn it.” Sirius muttered in pain as he retracted from halfway out the window. 

“Sirius…?” Regulus hated how small his voice sounded. 

Sirius turned to face his little brother fiddling with a Gryffindor tie, tears in his eyes, “Regulus….”

“Please, wait.” Regulus pleaded softly, and Sirius wanted to, but he couldn’t, “Reg, I- I can’t. I can’t stay here anymore.” Sirius stuttered as tears filled his vision. 

Why couldn’t Sirius stay? He felt like a little boy again begging and pleading for Sirius to hold him during the thunderstorms that used to take cover of the skies. Mother always dragged him out of the bedroom, and Regulus would be left wailing begging for Sirius. Regulus would sit on his bed crisscrossed, holding a blanket close to his heart, praying, “Please, Siri, please.”

He could remember when Sirius and Regulus were forced to become enemies. Remembering when Sirius came home from his first year, he was shut in his room with multiple locks. Regulus would weep beg for him to save him from their mother and father. When the first Cruciatus Curse hit, he screamed Sirius’ name. 

“Please, Siri, you- you can’t leave.”

“Regulus,” Sirius stepped forward to cup his brother's cheek who reached just beneath his chin, “I’m sorry.”

Regulus leaned into his brother's touch, knowing it would probably be the last time, “I wanna be home….” 

“You are home, Regulus.” Sirius replied, confused but still soft and Regulus looked up at him with tears streaming down his face, “Home is wherever I’m with you….”

Sirius had tears trickling down his pale cheeks as he placed his chin on top of Regulus’ head, embracing him tightly, “Please don’t go….”

“Please. I’m begging you.” Regulus was whimpering, keening, wailing, “Siri, please.”

“It’s safer with me gone.” Sirius confessed, “You’ll be safer here. They won’t use the crucio curse on you, not with you being the only one left.”

Regulus was fisting the back of his shirt, the Gryffindor tie still in his hand, “They know that if they hurt one of us, the other one hurts more. With me gone, that leverage disappears.”

“I don’t care.” Regulus cried, “I just want you.”

Sirius kissed the top of his head and parted from his brother's tight embrace, “I love you, Regulus.”

“But-“ Regulus swallowed, “You love James more.”

Sirius didn’t answer, and Regulus let his head fall, staring at the wooden floor, fiddling with the silk tie. He felt guilty. He felt like it was all his fault. Maybe if Regulus had taken more curses, perhaps if he had been a better brother. Maybe if Regulus were strong enough to disobey his parents as Sirius did, then Sirius wouldn’t be leaving right now. 

“Perhaps not in this lifetime, but perhaps in another, I’d be able to stay.” Sirius replied solemnly, leaving Regulus’ heart to shatter like a ripped piece of paper. 

Regulus sniffled, “I guess… this is goodbye.”

“I suppose it is,” Sirius said as he approached the window again. 

This time Regulus didn’t stop him. He knew he had nothing on James. Regulus would always be second to James no matter how hard he tried. Sirius threw the trunk onto the outside ground and sat on the edge of the window, looking beneath him. He turned around one more time before leaping onto the soft grass. 

Maybe the summer months weren’t Regulus’ favorite months anymore. 

The start of fifth year was dreadful. Regulus didn’t feel anything when he approached the Hogwarts Express. It felt like half of his heart had gone and disappeared. All the compartments were full, and Regulus would have to share with someone, which worsened the experience.

He saw the Marauders compartment. It was filled with the usual four boys, but inside was a girl. She was stunning with her soft appearing hair and sharp features. She was the epitome of beauty, and she made the entire compartment laugh with a quick wit she seemed to have made. 

Regulus passed it until he found a compartment with Lucius Malfoy and Evan Rosier. He slid the door open and took place beside Evan. Both boys welcomed him in with a smile. He couldn’t help but think back to the girl in the Marauders compartment. He had seen her before, but he couldn’t place it where. 

She hadn’t changed into her robes, so it was impossible to know what house she was in, but she still looked stunning in Muggle clothing. He noticed her style was comparative to Sirius’. The black ripped jeans, the doc martens on her feet, and a tee-shirt he couldn’t make out due to the jacket she wore over it. 

They entered Hogwarts and went into the Great Hall, where everyone sat at their respected tables. Regulus couldn’t help himself but try and search for her. He was shocked when she entered the Great Hall with green and silver robes. 

It didn’t make sense. Why did she get to be included? The Marauders hated Slytherins, yet she seemed to be so close with them. Regulus was a Slytherin, and he was related to one of the Marauders, yet he still wasn’t included. His heart swelled with a sense of jealousy and envy. 

Nonetheless, she took her seat beside Leia, a pureblood with long brown hair and blue eyes. They were talking until the sorting ceremony began. The sorting ceremony was long and drawled out, but the girl looked strangely intrigued. She watched intently as a little boy with shaggy brown hair and green eyes who was introduced as Romeo L/n sat onto the stool where McGonagall placed the hat onto his head.

It pondered for a while, a maximum of two minutes, but the hat finally exclaimed, “Slytherin!” The boy smiled brightly and approached the girl. He was bouncing over to her with a gleeful smile on his face. The little boy had dimples and straight teeth. He hugged her tightly, and she kissed his cheek. 

“Congratulations, Romeo.” 

“I’m just like you, sis!” Romeo grinned. 

She smiled, “You’re just like me, love.”

“Congratulations, Ro!” Leia exclaimed, “So happy for you.”

He hugged the other girl, “Thanks, Leia.”

“C’mere, Rom,” Y/n patted the seat beside her, “Sit.”

The little boy sat beside his sister and allowed her to put her arms around his neck, holding him close to her chest, “Love you, Romeo.”

“I love you too, Y/n.”

Regulus grimaced. So she had a little brother, and her name was Y/n. Regulus looked back at the stool where first years were sitting. He glanced slightly at Sirius from across the room, who was smiling brightly as James placed an arm around his shoulders. Regulus would always be second best. 

The first few weeks of fifth-year weren’t that bad. It went smoothly, and people didn’t talk to Regulus. He was cold and snappy. It turned people away, which he was thankful for. He didn’t want people to talk to him. He felt numb and unresponsive, like he was the shell of who he uses to be. 

He was in the library with a Transfiguration book in front of him. The pages were dull, and he couldn’t retain anything he was reading. He missed Sirius’ brilliance in Transfiguration. He missed Sirius tutoring him in hidden places of the library so their mother wouldn’t curse him for low marks. 

A hand had gently tugged at his robe, and he went to snap when he saw familiar green eyes, “Um, excuse me, you’re Regulus, right?”

“Yeah, Regulus Black.” Regulus replied, hoping the last name would deter him, but the boy only smiled, “I’m Romeo L/n. Professor Slughorn said that you could tutor me in Potions.”

Romeo sat across from Regulus and plopped down his supplies, “I’m absolutely rubbish at Potions, but my marks in Herbology and Charms are pretty okay. Mum says they need work, but I’m trying the best I can.”

Regulus tilted his head, “What are your marks in Herbology and Charms?”

“I have an Exceeds Expectations in both.” Romeo muttered, “Mum says that I can do better, though.”

“Exceeds Expectations is good. That’s remarkable for a first year. You’re starting out with no knowledge. For just starting, I’d say you’re doing great.” Regulus replied. 

He didn’t know why he felt the need to comfort this boy. Maybe because he saw himself in the boy in front of him, he could hear his own mother scolding him for his Acceptable in Transfiguration in his first year. 

“Will you tutor me, please?”

Regulus hesitated, “I guess I’m not great at Potions either.”

“Y/n says your fantastic!” Romeo replied, “She talks about you quite a bit.”

“She does?”

“Mhm!” He hummed, “Used to send me letters at home talking about you.”

Regulus’ face flushed, and he gave a tiny smile, “I didn’t even know who she was.”

“She does that on purpose. She knew you wouldn’t like her because of her relationship with Sirius. They’re close friends.” 

“Have you spoken to any of them?”

“Yeah.” Romeo's smile was bright, “Sirius was the one who told me to talk to you. He said that you were nice.” 

“Sirius did?”

“Yeah, and Y/n, of course.” 

Regulus smiled; maybe Sirius wasn’t completely gone, “I’ll tutor you.”

“You will?”

“Yeah. Why not.” 

Without a second thought, Romeo had jumped up and embraced the older boy. Regulus stiffened, and Romeo pulled away with wide green eyes, “I’m- I’m sorry. I should’ve asked.”

Regulus embraced the boy again, and Romeo leaned into his touch. He felt safe in the Black boy's arms, almost the same feeling he got when Y/n wrapped her arms around him. Regulus’ embrace was soft, comforting, and sweet. Romeo could smell the broom polish from being the Slytherin Seeker, cinnamon, and a hint of sandalwood. 

Romeo gave Regulus a smile before sitting back down, and they began studying together. Later that evening, Romeo had entered the Great Hall for dinner with him. The first year smiled at him before approaching his sister at the Gryffindor table, where he took his spot beside her. 

“Hey, Rom.” Y/n greeted, “Hey, sis.” 

“Did you talk to Regulus?” Y/n asked, “Is he gonna tutor you?”

Romeo nodded, “Yeah! He’s really nice!” 

Sirius gave a subtle smile, “That’s brilliant, Romeo.”

Romeo and Regulus became quick friends despite Regulus’ reluctance. Romeo thought of Regulus like an older brother, and Regulus protected him like one. He was a target for many older Gryffindors, and Regulus would always take the hits or duel them for him. 

These actions didn’t come without consequences. Regulus’ home life got worse, and letters often came about his friendship with the other Slytherin boy. They didn’t enjoy the fact that they were half-bloods and didn’t believe in pureblood supremacy. Regulus would sit in the Astronomy tower with the letter reading it with a dry face looking at the stars. 

The door to the tower opened, and Regulus didn’t move. Their footsteps were light and patted across the concrete until they saw him. She sat beside him with her legs crossed while Regulus dangled. She saw the parchment in his hand and took it from them. He allowed it. There was nothing terrible in it other than his mother threatening to throw him out if he didn’t stop talking to that half-blood. 

She read it while Regulus stared at the night sky. Y/n placed it back down on the concrete pavement without a word. She fiddled with her hands and put them back in her lap. Regulus was so silent and so peaceful. But she had to break the silence.

“I really appreciate you doing what you do for Romeo.” Y/n said quietly, “He thinks of you like an older brother.”

Regulus chuckled softly, “He’s energetic, that one.”

“Yeah. He’s got a lot of energy.” Y/n replied, “He hates sitting still. But he really appreciates that you can work with that.” 

“He gets irritating sometimes, but I try to keep him intrigued.”

“It works.”

“I’m glad.”

It was silent again, “I’m sure he’s told you plenty. He’s not very good at keeping secrets.”

Regulus smirked, and for a moment, he looked like Sirius, “You wrote letters about me?”

“I like you, Regulus.” Y/n confessed, “More than I should.”

He intertwined his hand with hers, “I like you too.”

Y/n smiled at squeezed his hand. Regulus leaned his head on her shoulder and began to tell her about the stars. He went into extreme depth of every constellation, planet, and star. Y/n noticed that he skipped Canis Major but didn’t say anything. She knew of Sirius’ departure the previous summer and how badly Regulus had been hurt thanks to Sirius’ description. It wasn’t good to rub salt in a still-open wound. 

When Regulus got the mark months later, they didn’t separate. She stood by his side and helped him through it. They didn’t tell anyone about it, not even Romeo. It wasn’t until the war was over that they decided to let everyone know. Y/n had allowed a sigh of relief when she found out that Peter was in Azkaban and her friends were still alive. 

Regulus was sleeping when she grabbed a bit of parchment to write to Sirius. Y/n dipped the quill in black ink and began writing smoothly. The ink embedded the paper like old friends, and when it dried, she handed it to her owl, Astoria. The following afternoon when Remus and Sirius were still entangled together from the previous night, the owl tapped on the window. 

Sirius groaned and stood up from the bed. He grabbed the parchment as the owl flew off. The writing was perfect calligraphy, and Sirius smiled at the note written on the parchment. His heart slowed its beat with relief. 

“He’s safe with me.”

[specialbrewbutterbeer]

Brother (Regulus Black x Pureblood!Reader/ Regulus & Sirius)

Word Count: 3638

TW: Very breif mention of getting beaten near the end

A/N If you like this, please do consider requesting something (visit my requests page to see my list of characters ect) I love to do them, even if I get busy and they can take a little while :)

Requests page HERE

MASTERLIST

Regulus adjusted the cuffs of his shirt sleeves and pulled on a jacket. He was sat on the edge of the bed, a little nervous. More nervous than he thought he'd be.

His wife poked her head around the door, and smiled.

"Reg, she wants you to help her get her things ready." He nodded as she disappeared again. He stood and made his way to the hall. He caught a glimpse of his wife's dress as she disappeared into their son's room.

He gently knocked on the door at the end of the hall.

"Diane?" He called softly.

The door burst open quite suddenly, and there stood his little girl. She wasn't so small now though of course. She grabbed his hand and dragged him along.

"Dad! Can you help me get my new textbooks in my suitcase please?" She asked, nearly squealing with excitement.

"Of course I can darling." He smiled, towering over the girl. She sat restlessly on the edge of her bed and watched as her father carefully placed her books in her case.

"Is that everything?" He asked and she just nodded and hummed in response.

Regulus clasped the case shut and handed it to his daughter.

"Thank you!" She grinned and rushed to the hall and downstairs with the case.

Meanwhile, (Y/N) dressed the baby of the household, their son, Leo. He was 5, and very bright, but not nearly as loud and bubbly as his older sister. He was much more like his father.

He squirmed as his mother tried to put a jumper over his head.

Not long afterwards, the family was stood on the station platform in Kings Cross. Reg held his son's hand as (Y/n) and Diane walked ahead, toward the train.

Diane was so excited to go away to school, she was clever and had been talking about it nonstop since she had received her acceptance letter.

She was far more confident about this than he had ever been. He remembered being nervous as all hell on his first journey to school. In fact she reminded him a lot of his own brother. He was excited to leave home and adventure.

Regulus hugged Diane as she got on the train, and handed her her case. He lifted Leo up and held him in his arms so that he could see into the window and wave her goodbye.

(Y/n) was saying her own goodbyes through the glass as Reg stepped back. With Leo still in his arms he looked up and down the platform.

For a moment the thought he'd caught a glimpse of something familiar, but brushed it off.

After a few minutes, the train departed, leaving parents stood on the platform to wave off their children.

(Y/n) stood a few feet away from Regulus and Leo as they, among a throng of other families, watched the train disappear away from the platform.

"Regulus?" He was startled by someone calling his name. He turned and found a familiar face, dressed in worn jeans, boots and a leather jacket, his hair long and tied back and with a bit of stubble.

He said nothing. He wasn't sure if he was glad to see him or not, but there his older brother was- standing there, eye to eye.

He just shuffled and looked anywhere but at Sirius. Instinctively he held his young son just a little bit closer, protective, though he didn't know why.

"Reggie-" Sirius took a step forward, and Regulus had to stop himself from flinching away. All of a sudden he felt like a kid again. All these years later and he had reverted to being timid and wary. Sirius understood that, they hadn't seen eachother since Sirius had left school, and even before that they hadn't spoken for two years, not since he'd run away, but even so, this was still his baby brother, and there were some things that wouldn't ever change.

"You have kids?" Sirius asked carefully, trying not to spook his brother.

"Two." Reg spoke up, finally. "Diane and Leo." He stated, not coldly, but unsure of the situation.

"The older one just off to school then?" Sirius asked, watching every movement his little brother made, realising now how much he'd missed of his life that he'd never expected to.

"For the first time." Reg said.

There was a pause as the brothers considered eachother, and Reg decided it was his turn.

"And you? Why are you here? Children?" He asked, putting Leo down as he became restless in his father's arms. Immediately Leo took his father's hand and hid, shy just behind his legs, though he watched this stranger quite intently.

"No- no!" Sirius laughed, with his hands in his pockets. "Not for me." He smiled. "I'm here with James and Lily, their son Harry just went off to school for the first time too." Sirius gestured to somewhere behind him and grinned at the topic.

"Oh-" Reg replied, not entirely sure what to say.

Sirius already had his next inquiry lined up-

"So who's the lady then-" He started, but didn't need to finish, as (Y/n) emerged from the crowd, taking her husbands arm.

"Reg, we should probably get going-" She also started to say as she looked up at him, her eyes a little teary from saying goodbye to her daughter, but quickly saw that his attention was fixed elsewhere. She turned and caught her breath.

"Ah- I see." Sirius recognised her immediately and whether he meant it to ir not, his smile dropped.

"(Y/n) is right, I'm sorry, we have to go." Reg said, just trying to escape the situation.

"Of course." Sirus said, looking down at his nephew, smiling and giving him a little wave.

"Bye Reg." He said, solemnly as his little brother ushered his family away, disappearing into the crowd.

Sirius turned and eventually found James and Lily again. James had red streaks down his cheeks and a grin on his face, proud of his little boy and horrified at how fast he'd grown up. Lily was latched on to his arm, comforting his husband.

They both noticed Sirius' strange but thoughtful demeanor as he walked toward them.

"Sirus are you alright?" Lily asked.

"What?" Sirius snapped out of it. "Yeah! Yeah- um-" He thought for a moment. "I've just seen my brother." He trailed off.

"Oh?" James asked. "How did that go?"

"He's got two kids, a little boy and a girl Harry's age, and he's married." He said bluntly.

"Who is she?" Lily asked.

"(Y/n)" Sirius replied, and his friends had the same dulled and knowing reaction. He paused for a moment before putting a smile back on and hugging the couple.

"Anyway, don't mind me! How are you two doing now my godson's growing up eh?" He beamed and moved the topic on, not bearing to think about it any longer.

"So... Sirius?" (Y/n) asked Reg as they both got ready for bed. She'd been putting off the topic all day, but Reg had been so subdued since that she knew he needed to talk about it.

"Yeah." He nodded, throwing his shirt into the laundry basket. "I never thought that they'd be there, or that they'd bring him." He sighed and lay back on the bed.

"How was it? Talking to him?" (Y/n) asked, sitting beside her husband and stroking his hair.

"We didn't really talk. He asked about the kids, and then you..." Reg paused. "And then I just- I don't know but it ended there."

(Y/n) listened, running her fingers through his hair softly "He didn't seem pleased to see me. I'm sorry if I spoilt it." She spoke gently.

"No! Of course you didn't." He sat up and turned to his wife "It wasn't ever going to be some charmed reunion, I've gotten on just fine without him all these years..." He looked down at his hands. "We're not really much like brothers anymore..."

After then, Reg didn't think too much about it. He just wanted his quite life with his family, and that's what he had. By contrast, Sirius was much more frantic about it.

It had triggered something in him, he'd not been there for his brother, he'd always known that but now- he'd missed his wedding, he hadn't even known about his nice and nephew. All the big moments he supposed.

He didn't know if Regulus was still apart of the circles he once had been, or if his wife was either. He'd never liked her. A girl their mother had precured one-day, a little pretty pureblood thing. Regulus liked her immediately, she wasn't particularly loud, nor did she speak down to him, she was clever and generally quite kind.

Sirius did not, she was too much of what his mother wanted and she was too much of what Regulus was becoming. To know that his brother had stuck by her, fallen in love with her, given her children even, was hard for him.

James and Lily tried to keep him distracted but it seemed to be all he could think about.

It took until the October half term for Sirius to make up his mind. He was sat in James and Lilys living room, watching James and his son napping on the sofa on a lazy sunday afternoon, as Lily read in the window, when he decided he didn't want to miss Regulus anymore.

He ended up on his doorstep, apprehensive to knock on the door. He'd run away from this house so long ago, he'd never expected to see it again.

Inside, Reg was tiredly pawing over paperwork in his study, what had been his father's study, wearing an old green wool jumper and jeans, mismatched socks and his hair, with it's slight curl, in his face. Diane was in the living room, trying to teach herself some card games to play with her dormmates when they went back to school. (Y/n) was in the garden with Leo, who was running around through the grass and playing.

Tentatively Sirius knocked. For a moment there was no reply, but soon the door was opened and there stood a little girl.

"Hello!" She beamed at him, though she didn't know who she was addressing.

"Hello." Sirius smiled gently "You must be Diane?" He asked.

"Yes- she is." A voice came from further down the hall. (Y/n) stood there, staring at him. "Hello Sirius." She approached and Sirius held his tongue, lowering his head a little.

(Y/n) placed her hands on her daughter's shoulders.

"Mum?" Di questioned and looked up at her.

"Di, this is your uncle, Sirius. Your father's brother- you understand?" She told her daughter.

Diane smiled and held out her hand.

"Very nice to meet you uncle Sirius" She was chirpy. Sirius smiled back, and shook her hand. "It's lovely to meet you too little lady." Diane laughed.

"You want to see Regulus, I presume." (Y/n) stated more than asked. Sirius nodded. "You'd best come in then." She spoke, more coldly than she supposed she meant.

She lead her daughter and Sirius into the kitchen.

Sirius was unusually fidgety, standing, looking around what had once been his childhood home.

"Please, sit down Sirius, Regulus will be down in a minute." (Y/n) spoke, turning away to the kettle.

Sirius did as told.

"Di, go and tell your father that his brother is here please darling." (Y/n) asked of her daughter, who nodded and stopped staring at her uncle, as she had been doing with an element of wonder in her eyes for a while, and took off along the hall and upstairs.

"Tea?" She asked.

"Please" Sirius replied. The back and forth blunt and short now. Neither knew how to handle the other.

Sirius watched Leo play, through the panes of the glass back door. He never thought he'd ever see a kid play so happily in this house. It had been such a dark place for himself, and for his brother.

He'd left his brother all alone here, never even came back when their mother and father had died. Their father hadn't lived to see any of his grandchildren, his mother only long enough to dote on Diane, though by then she had become a withered and tired crone of a woman, even more so than she always had been. She was dilapidated and yet Sirius knew all too well the hold she still would have had over his brother.

As (Y/n) placed a cup down in front of her brother in law, and held her own in her hands, cradling it close to her, closing herself off and stepping back toward the counter. She leant back on it and watched Sirius.

She was nervous, and so was he. They were strangers. There was, though, a mutual dislike, despite an equally mutual extension of politeness.

(Y/n) hadn't taken her eyes off of her brother in law since he walked in, she watched him with caution, suspicion even. Sirius though hadn't looked back at her. He was fascinated at what the house had become. He stood and approached what he had always known as the china cabinet, but what was now filled with photographs.

There were many of Diane and Leo, ranging from birth to the present, and one or two of Reggie and (Y/n)'s wedding day. It looked simple, a plain, floor length, slinky satin gown for her, and black suit for him. No bridesmaids or best man, no confetti or throwing rice, but they looked happy he supposed. There was one small photograph of Reg and Sirius, with their mother and father. Sirius remembered it being taken, not long before he'd left. It had been torn up, that was obvious, but a simple charm had partially repaired it.

Soon Diane came back through the doorway, her father not far behind her. Reg stood in the doorway and sighed.

"Sirius-" he started, softly, as (Y/n) rounded up her children, opening the backdoor and ushering Leo over, picking him up and taking him and Diane out of the room, instead upstairs to the nursery, all in haste.

Sirius turned watching the children leave and then looked at him baby brother. Now more than ever, more than when he first saw him with Leo in his arms, Reg looked like a grown up to his brother.

Sirius never knew him like that, as an adult. In his mind he'd stayed the kid he'd known him as.

"What are you doing here?" Reg asked, hands in his pockets.

"I just wanted to see you." Sirius answered, cautiously. "I missed everything, didn't I?"

Reg nodded slowly.

"Alright." He sighed and sat down at the table, inviting Sirius to do the same.

When Sirius did, an odd though occured to him. He'd spent so many evenings sat at the kitchen table here, avoiding the rest of his family who wouldn't often come to this part of the house, and now he was sat here, meeting his family all over again, trying to be close with them.

"What do you want to know?" Reg asked, calmly.

"I don't know." Sirius replied, telling the truth. "I- I just want to know-" Sirius paused. "Let me start again." He leant forward. "How are you?" He tried for a smile, but he was maybe too nervous, maybe too nostalgic and unsure to conjure one up.

"Alright. Surviving." Reg replied, too tired to indulge too much emotion into it.

"That's good." Sirius was genuinely glad of it. "And the family? Well?"

"All well." Reg continued to answer in broad but short terms

"And Diane? She seems a bright one." Sirius pressed

"Yeah. She was sorted into Gryffindor." Replied Reg.

"So I suppose I'm not the odd one out anymore." Sirius gave a little smile. "Not in terms of that at least."

"No." Reggie's face didn't shift. "I suppose not." He couldn't shift how like his brother his daughter was, but maybe he was more like Sirius than he'd like to admit.

"(Y/n)?" Sirius continued.

"What about her?" Reg immediately became more animated. "You're not here for some sort of character assassination are you? Because I won't have it. You haven't got any right to come in here and play the big brother role, so don't try it." Regulus raised his voice and leant forward.

"What?" Sirius was almost taken back.

"You never liked her, I know you didn't."

"What- I-" Sirius' mood soured. "No I don't, I never said I did, what's that got to do with anything?"

"Why are you here?" Reg clenched his teeth.

"I want to know my brother again!" Sirius raised his voice to match Regulus'.

Reg sat back in his chair and said nothing for a moment.

"Brother" He scoffed under his breath, as Sirius watched him. He didn't remember Reg with this much confidence, he had never been so bold- but, though he came off on the wrong side of it, he was glad of it.

"Yes!" Sirius stood up and shouted.

"You left me here, what? 16 years ago? What kind of brother would do that?"

"You wanted me to stay? Get beaten and screeched at and tortured?"

"I wanted you to take me with you!"

"I couldn't do that! You know I couldn't!"

"But you never even tried!"

"Aren't you forgetting what you're branded with Regulus?!"

Regulus stared back at him with resentment.

"Neither of us believe in that anymore." He gritted his teeth and answered coldly.

"Not even her? Even with all the things she used to say- the both of you used to say?" Sirius twitched

"No." Reg said bluntly, at a more normal volume.

"I can't believe you married her, Reg." Sirius sat back down and sighed.

"I know." Reg stayed standing, but shoved his hands back in his pockets and looked down at his feet.

"Of all people," Sirius grimaced.

"I love her." Reg looked up at his brother.

"The girl our mother picked out." Sirius still refused to look at him "From the right family, pureblood, ready to get that mark just like you were." By now his tone was quiet and he'd slowed his pace

"Sirius." Reg said louder, his brother finally looked at him. "I love her." He reiterated.

"I know." Sirius said quietly

"You wish I didn't." At that, Sirius nodded.

"I wanted to be there for everything. I wanted to see you get married, see my nieces and nephews as babies. I wanted to look after you and I'm sorry I didn't. I didn't want to miss anything."

"You still did though."

"I know!" Sirius shouted again and looked up at his little brother, who wasn't so little anymore, who had a family and a wife. Sirius never knew if that had ever been something he wanted, but he always wanted the kind of family James had, he wanted to be a proper brother too.

"Can you let me try? Please Reg?" Sirius asked, quietly and Reggie sighed.

He took a moment, looking down at the table and then stepped toward Sirius.

Sirius nearly flinched but soon realised that Reg had put his arms around him and was squeezing him tight. He reciprocated, giving Reg a bear hug like he hadn't since they were small.

"None of us are the same people we were when we were teenagers Sirius." Reg told him and pulled away. "You've got to believe me."

Sirius looked back at him, not entirely certain but not willing to loose him again.

"Just meet her-"

"You promise me, all that-" Sirius interrupted him, turned over his arm and pulled up his sleeve, pointing at his dark mark. "- is over?"

Regulus looked back at him and calmly pulled his sleeve back down.

"Yes, Sirius." He said sternly. "Come with me."

He turned and left the room, pulling his arm away.

Sirius followed Reg up the stairs and to the nursery. Reg pushed the door open, finding (Y/n) crouched on the floor with Leo, playing with little figures of a hippogriff and swedish short snout dragon, charmed ones that flapped their wings and gave out little calls. Diane sat nearby with her pack of cards, still trying to learn new games.

(Y/n) looked up, worried, though still talking to the chattering 5 year old.

"(Y/n)." Reg asked calmly and put his hand out, beckoning his wife over.

Confusedly she stood up, and approached her husband, stood with Sirius in the doorway.

"Look." Regulus instructed his brother and took his wife's hand, lifting her sleeve to show where her own mark should be.

There was nothing.

"I was the only one who got it Sirius." Reg told him in a hushed voice, so the children wouldn't overhear. "Don't think she lead me on a path I wasn't already going down."

"Reggie-" (Y/n) piped up. "What's going on?"

"Just- I'll explain later darling." Reg reassured her, though she was still suspicious of Sirius.

Next, he called his daughter over.

"Di?" He crouched in front of the girl and smiled, then whispered in her ear. She perked up immediately, and grabbed Sirius' hand, pulling him along the hall.

Sirius recognised the way, and found suddenly standing in his old bedroom, though now it had pinker wallpaper and

"Dad said these used to be yours!" She grinned and pointed to a shelf that held three models of motorbikes, which Sirius also recognised.

He smiled at his niece.

"Yes, they did." He nodded and watched as she picked up one.

"Can you tell me more about them?" She asked, putting on puppy eyes and holding it out to her Uncle. "Please?"

He nodded and sat down with her as her parents still stood in the doorway of the nursery.

"Reg?" (Y/n) asked, now concerned. Regulus slipped an arm around her waist.

"I missed him." Reg smiled and said quietly.

[otrtbs]

did you have a fancast in mind when making this? because I definitely do and I want to see if I’m close:

Reg: Lil Timmy Tim (because…obviously)

Siri: Benny Boy Barnes

James: Dev Patel

Remus: Matt Hitt and Andrew Garfield

Dorcas: Odley Jean (aka a queen)

Marlene: Odessa A’zion (another queen)

Mary: Sofia Bryant

Lily: Abigail Cowen

Barty: Maxence Danet Fauvel

Evan (my bby) : Will Tudor

so aside from regulus being timothee chalamet i didn’t have any specific fancasts in mind when writing!!

but OH MY GOD ODLEY JEAN AS DORCAS

COME ON!!! this is the dorcas chapter three james was freaking out about !!!! when he was like “she’s too cool to be on this private plane rn ohmygod”

also in my head l always imagine lily as shannon purser OR MORE RECENTLY IM OBSESSED W NORA MAC (@ idiotgingerlesbian on tiktok or @ thenoramac on instagram) one of her videos came up on my fyp page once and i was like THATS LILY

but i really didn’t have anyone particular in mind when writing and i think your fancasts are great!! i’m so so bad at physical descriptors in art heist so u can cast whoever hahaha <3333

[themarvelmarauder]

It was Christmas time. Bloody Christmas. Regulus hated Christmas because of his bloody family. This year he made a good decision to stay at Hogwarts with his brother. That meant staying with Sirius' friends. He only really tolerated Remus as they were the most similar. Peter was eh. But James bloody Potter got on his nerves. It's always Lily Evans this and Lily Evans that. But deep down Regulus knew he was just jealous that James liked her and not him.

Christmas Eve. The night Regulus was going to see his brother and his brother's friends for a party in the Gryffindor common room. He did not want to go. James had been harrassing him non stop these past few days. He sort of liked having him around but of course he never showed it. He was now putting on ripped black jeans, a green sweater and his boots. His hair was already styled from earlier that day. He quickly checked the time, 9:26pm, he had to be there in 14 minutes. He quickly put on his rings and left.

"Reggie your finally here!" James shouted.

"Don't call me t-" Regulus began until he saw James. James had a pair of light blue jeans and a dark red shirt that had half the buttons undone on. "Merlin" Regulus whispered. James rushed over to him and gave him a bone crushing hug.

"It's good to see you" James said and Regulus just nodded in actknowledgement while looking down at him.

"Well come get a drink we're playing truth or dare, your brother's there" James said while pulling him over to a group of people all sat in a circle.

"Hi Reg!" Sirius yelled.

"Hi Sirius" Regulus answered while sitting next to him with James next to himself and Remus next to Sirius.

"Ok let's start on truth or dare," Marlene said while pulling her girlfriend, Dorcas in her lap.

"I'll go, truth or dare Lily" Sirius started.

"Truth"

"Ugh boringgg! Who's your crush?" Sirius asked.

"Mary..." Lily mumbled while blushing. Mary smirked and gave her a kiss on the check causing Lily's face to turn the colour of her hair. Regulus look at James expecting him to be heartbroken but instead he looked happy. Regulus was really confused.

"James, truth or dare" Lily asked, still red.

"Dare I guess" he answered getting a lot of oooo's from most people.

"I dare you to sit on Regulus' lap for the rest of the game" Lily said while grinning and Regulus eyes went wide.

"W-what?" James stuttered.

"C'mon James you'll be fine, Regulus doesn't bite" Peter said while drinking.

James looked at Regulus for approval and when he nodded he awkwardly sat in his lap. Regulus had butterflies in his stomach and almost on instinct wrapped his arms around James' waist and rested his head on top of his, happy that he was two inches taller. James moved slightly at the contact but adjusted himself in his lap by wriggling around a bit. Lily had the biggest smirk on her face Regulus had ever seen.

"Hey Evans what's this about, you know James still likes you, even though you like Mary" Sirius whispered loudly and Regulus heart broke. Yes he knew it was true but he had a tiny bit of hope it wasn't.

"I'm just going to get some air see you guys later." Regulus said as he tapped James slightly on the hip and James understood and moved off slowly. James went to say something but Regulus had already left.

"What was that about?" Sirius asked.

"God your an idiot Sirius" Remus said.

"What did I do?" Sirius questioned, being really confused.

Remus ignored him and turned to James, "Go follow him"

James nodded and left. When he got out of the portrait hole he saw Regulus sitting on the floor up the hall.

"Hey" James said awkwardly while sitting next to him.

"Hey" Regulus said back.

"What happened back there" James asked while scooting closer.

"Nothing it's stupid"

"Ok" James said while turning to face him, "You know we still need to do that dare"

"What?" Regulus wondered.

"You know your dare," James answered while hooking a leg the other side of Regulus and straddling him while Regulus stared at him, "The game never finished so technically I still have to sit on you." Regulus just nodded.

"Regulus look up" James whispered after a minute of silence. When Regulus look up seeing mistletoe, knowing that they couldn't leave until they kissed.

"James we shouldn't, you like Lil-" Regulus started but got interrupted by James' lips on his. James pulled back for a moment, "Is this alright?" And when Regulus nodded he continued. Their lips became locked with Regulus hands James' hips, rings getting caught on a loose bit a string and James' on his face holding him close. Their lips move like they have done it before and not even stopping to breathe because nothing has felt so right. After a few minutes the pull away.

"I like you" they both say at the same time while facing down. After they hear that their on the same page they are kissing again but the mistletoe is long gone.

"What about Lily?"

"I haven't liked her since forth year so two years ago" James answered, "She's been helping me with my crush on you and I helped with her crush on Mary."

Regulus nodded and pulled him into his chest then kissing his head hoping they never would have to move.

My first time writing about people kissing so sorry it's so short and awkward I'll try and get better so I can write more of these :)

[nuclearr-wessels]

.☆ — STAR TREK FANCAST: Crew Of The Enterprise-D — ☆*

my thoughts on each reboot role under the cut ♡

.

My favourite bald man™ Stanley Tucci would be Picard. Kind eyes, very organic acting. I’d totally buy him being an archeology nerd. And a captain, of course. His chemistry with Colin Firth in “Supernova” was so amazing I’d cast Firth as Q. The man always puts 110% into everything he’s in… Just think of Mamma Mia. He’d be such a fun Q

I’ve gushed about Jason Momoa and Regé-Jean Page as Worf and Riker before. You can read more about them in this older post of mine (including artwork by @punkbxt!!)

My girlfriend Pom Klementieff has experience playing an elegant empathic alien with beautiful black eyes so hey. Piece of cake. Also a great opportunity to have another variation of Troi’s accent AND some more physical action for her. Let her be the badass she can be!

Isla Fisher as Doctor Crusher because she’d make for an incredibly cute Beverly, while also pulling off the necessary assertiveness of the role. Maybe even let her keep her Aussie accent please? And yes, she’s very short, but my Geordi isn’t, so let’s have her as the ship’s tiny™

Geordi La Forge was a tough one bc he’s one of my ultimate comfort characters. (As a child I went around repeating his name just because of its beautiful sound. I had no idea about Trek yet at all lol) Anyway Michael B. Jordan usually gets cast in ‘tough guy’ roles but you know what? Everything is right here. Charming smile, husky voice, the range. Give him the VISOR, put him in a soft uniform and boom. Friend-shaped engineer of my dreams.

Data’s cast is similarly self-indulgent. You might know Felicity Jones from “Rogue One” or “Northanger Abbey”, where she plays naïve (and kinda stupid) dreamer Catherine Morland – she’d be a perfect Data. Could also be an especially crazy Lore and a whimsical Doctor Soong. Everything fits. Data’s quasi-romantic friendship with Geordi would be very cute to watch with her and Michael B. Jordan imo ♡

Moving on with Kristen Stewart as Tasha Yar, security chief of my dreams. Her Tasha would be more along the lines of her character in “Charlie’s Angels” I feel. A bit more chaotic energy than OG Tasha was ever allowed in her one season.

And, last but not least, Dev Patel as Reg Barclay because I Like It. Favourite actor for a favourite role. Dev plays amazing nervous wrecks and is just overall a joy to watch. He clearly should’ve been Khan in the AOS movies but hey. If no one wants him he’ll be my Broccoli and they’ll have to deal with it.

(Whoopi Goldberg will return as Guinan because as if I’d recast her lmao)

[creativeashproductions]

Lost Time II // Luke Patterson

Summary: Weeks after discovering his greatest joy Luke visits his former girlfriend to make up for the lost time. Unable to do it alone his band gives their support to find her and stand by his side as he faces his greatest regret.

Warning: Talk of death, allusion to homophobic parents, teen pregnancy and angst

Words: 3.1k

The book Midnight Club by Christopher Pike came out in 1994 but to fit this fic the book came out in 1993. Also, Alex’s last name will be Mitchell in this.

*For the sake of the story the time frame has been altered, it takes place in the mid-2000s. Also! I tried to make the reader as generalized as I could to make sure that everyone can relate. The reader is Alex’s sister, for inclusion that can be biological, adopted, half or stepsiblings. I want to make sure all people can be the reader.

A/N: Jesus I love Ben with my entire heart and I am a cruel person to have ripped Luke and Ben from each other before they had a chance. Enjoy!

Part One

Masterlist

Los Angeles, 1993

A sunny summer day spent outside reading a new book that had come out recently nestled in your hands under the large tree. The tree that had many tire swings before your parents caved to get a swing set. Now the tree was a companion on lovely days providing shade under the hot sun.

Alex was at band practice with the rest of Sunset Curve in the garage, or studio as Luke deemed it. More often than not, you would be in the studio watching them rehearse, but things changed, things had gotten more serious with Luke in the past six or so months. Plus, Bobby seriously was someone you wanted the least amount of time spent with.

“Hey.” Luke sighed, dropped on the faded blanket you had settled on. Raising one finger, you finished the page before placing the bookmark in.

“Hi.” You grinned leaning in as he pressed a kiss to your soft lips, “Used my Chapstick again?”

Luke hid his face in the crook of your neck, “I’m addicted to it, or it’s just your lips.”

He snuck another kiss before nudging you to adjust lay against his chest between his legs, a familiar position. One where you could read a book, and he could wrap his one arm around you while he wrote in his songbook with the other. God, you loved the boy with your entire heart.

“How’s the book?”

“It’s okay.”

“What’s it about?” Luke asked, wrapping his arms around your midsection.

“Five terminally ill teens living in a hospice tell scary stories every night. They all made a pact together that whoever died first would have to try to contact the others.” You sighed, dropping the book beside you to rest your arms on his.

“Sounds depressing.” Luke hummed, pressing a kiss to your neck, “I can think of more exciting things to do.”

“Over my dead body.” Alex snickered walking passed the young couple on his walk to the house. Reggie following after him with a laugh of his own; it was still odd to see Luke so loved up.

“I was talking about going to a concert!” Luke called out as his friends entered the Mitchell house, leaving the couple alone.

“You totally were not.” You spoke already knowing the answer as Luke nodded his head, “It’s a shock he lets us be alone.”

Turning to face Luke, you couldn’t help the blush that grew from the soft look in his eyes that you had only noticed after he asked you out. The boy had had a crush for a long time even if it was awkward given the previous thing he had with Alex.

“He’ll have to get used to it.”

“So, have you gotten a gig at The Orpheum yet?” You asked, shifting again to nestle against his side content to spend the time there in the backyard.

“Nah, we booked some smaller venues, but we’ll get there. I know it.” Luke was completely confident that one day he would be playing in the most popular venues. The other thing he was confident was his relationship.

“Where will I be?” You spoke looking at the recently turned sixteen-year-old boy who had quickly become the most important thing in your life. Never expected to fall in love with Alex’s ex-fling.

“Cheering us on. Have to have my number one supporter and wife because she’s been there since the dream began. The dream just expanded?”

 “Wife?” You breathed.

“I’m not dating you just to date. I’m dating you because when I dream of my future, you are right there next to me.” Luke admitted caressing your cheek the pad of his thumb, “Wherever in the world, we find ourselves I want you there.”

“What about kids?”

“We’ll have as many as you want. Or however many we are lucky to have.” Luke breathed growing more excited as he finally revealed his ideas and firm belief, “Of course I want to be married first. After The Orpheum I want the next thing to focus one hundred percent on is a wedding that you deserve and-“

“Ask me.”

“What?”

“Ask me.” You raised to your knees cradling his face in your hands, “That’s what I dream of too. Having a career but something that lets me travel with the love of my life and my chosen family.”

“It’s not how I want…I want it to be special and romantic because you deserve it.” Luke adamantly spoke, pressing his hands on yours still resting on his face.

“Luke. I love you. Just sitting here like we are is special and romantic.”

“Will you marry me?” Luke whispered, leaning to press his forehead on yours. The orange beanie tickling your skin.

“Yes. As soon as I turn eighteen.” You didn’t care if you had two more years to wait. As long as Luke was by your side, you didn’t care about how you got married just as long as you married him.

Los Angeles, 2004

There are times that Reggie knows that the last thing people need is his goofy personality and jokes. When Luke returned from wherever he had gone, it was evident that something had drastically changed since the last time they had seen him.

“Luke?” Reggie gently spoke hesitantly moving to the boy curled on the couch, sobbing into his hands. Reggie had never seen Luke like this before, not even when it cemented that they had died and Luke���s future with Y/N shattered in a moment.

“Reg-“ Alex poofed in next going stock still at the distraught teenager. His eyes widened as he quickly made his way to Luke, “What’s wrong?”

“I-I saw Y/N.” Luke choked out, shaking his head, “I knew it would hurt, but it felt like I died again. Like I literally watched my hopes and dream just shatter before me.”

 Alex was quiet taking in that Luke had seen Y/N. Alex missed his sister with everything in him, but Luke had plans.

“How is she?” Alex whispered, grabbing the hands of one of his best friends in the entire world. The one guy he had wholly trusted with his sister’s heart.

“She looks so good. God, it’s been nine years for her but only a few weeks for me. She’s more beautiful than I remember.” Luke breathed, raising teary eyes to meet Alex and Reggie’s concerned expressions, “I also saw Ben.”

“She got married?” Alex questioned surprised, “Please tell me it isn’t Bobby. I don’t think I could stomach that.”

“His name isn’t Ben and he probably tried after deciding on a respectable time for it to be okay-“

“Reggie.” Alex hissed motioning him to stop talking while Luke knew that Bobby had had feelings for you, he didn’t think he would try anything.

“I don’t think she’s married, but Ben is definitely a big part of what I missed out on.” Luke sighed, picking at a loose thread on his jeans, “I’m sure you know that in the three years, I was actually alive and with her that things happened.”

“Things like…?” Alex trailed off having a feeling he wouldn’t want to know about whatever Luke was hesitant to announce.

“Um…well we were, I am in love.” Luke grimaced at how odd it was to word his feelings for a girl he had died while planning a future, “in relationships you show affection in particular-“

“Okay as you struggle to finish that I will.” Reggie spoke, turning to Alex, “Luke and Y/N as a couple were having sex.”

Alex’s eyes went wide at the blunt statement that he never wanted to hear again in his life because you were his sister! He didn’t need to even think of anything to do other than the kissing he sometimes walked in on. He knew already but didn’t want to know either.

“I died, leaving Y/N pregnant! Which I didn’t know about.” Luke shouted poofing to the other side of the garage when he saw Alex’s fist start to clench. He poofed to the loft when Alex appeared to his last place, “C’mon man!”

“You knocked my sister up!”

Reggie’s mouth dropped at the physical aggression that Alex was showing because Alex was more peaceful and non-violent.

“I didn’t know! He’s eight!” Luke yelped when Alex grabbed him in a headlock, “Dude! I didn’t know! We were gonna get married when she turned eighteen! I love her, man!”

Reggie pulled Alex away from the lead guitarist before a fight happened, and even though part of Reggie wanted to see Alex fight…he wanted Luke here as well.

Alex was quiet, “What does he look like?”

Despite the agony of not being there for his son Luke launched into a description of the little boy.

With a white lie out of Julie’s mouth, she had gotten the address from Emily and Mitch for Luke and Alex. The address led to a small house with pretty flowers and a bike in the front yard; the place where Luke’s son had been growing up in since he was two years old.

Julie’s fist raised, knocking on the white door listening as footsteps sounded on the other side of the door. The door opened, revealing a little boy with startling green eyes that he inherited from his father.

“Benjamin Lucas!” You huffed turning the corner with a frown, “You may be eight, but you are still not allowed to open the door alone!”

The little boy slouched at the greeting before his eyes met three boys behind the Peurto Rican pretty girl.

“Oh my god. He looks just like you!” Alex hissed to Luke unable to remove his gaze from his…his nephew. His attention pulled to the woman his sister had grown to be.

“Julie, right?” You spoke gently tugging Ben closer to you, “Can I help you?”

“Yeah.” Julie nodded, mumbled a thank you as you welcomed the girl into the small home you had made. It was small but perfect, “Did he get stitches?”

“Oh yeah! I guess you were there when he got hurt.” You nodded, moving a book from the couch for Julie to sit down. Your attention was on Ben as he went to the corner to play with toys, “He did. He’s kinda like my brother and his dad in that way.”

 “Oh, god.” The overly familiar voice snapped your attention.

Sitting on either side of Julie were exact replicas of three boys that tragically died back in 1995, everyone froze. Even Ben looked up from the tension.

“Mama?” Ben asked, furrowing his brow.

“It’s okay Ben. Can you go to your room?” You asked, staring pale at the two people that you hadn’t noticed before. They hadn’t been visible to you at the time until they sat beside Julie. The scampering of feet and the gentle closing a door left you alone with four people.

“She can see us.”

Mutely you nodded at Alex’s statement slouching into the couch in shock, “What is happening?”

“I found a CD in my garage, and I played it. Out of nowhere, Luke, Reggie and Alex literally appeared in the room. They’re ghosts.” Julie spoke softly, “I’m not sure how I can see them, but I can.”

“Wow.” You breathed leaning back into the couch, unable to tear your gaze from the three boys, “Let me guess. Your first order of business was haunting the hell out of Bobby?”

Bobby, Trevor as the world knew, had lived up to your predictions of him being a lowlife rat boy. If you didn’t have Ben, you would have gone after him, but you couldn’t risk what little you had at the time.

“He stole our songs,” Luke grumbled crossing his arms so like you remember from years ago. He was still the passionate, caring musician you fell in love with so quickly.

 “I know. I tried everything but with Ben…it was too hard, but hey he’s gotten little success from his new stuff. Guess he didn’t think of how stealing songs wouldn’t pan out.” You shrugged, twisting a ring on your finger that Luke gave you a few weeks after the spontaneous proposal.

“So Ben?” Alex questioned, leaning forward to rest his arms on his knees with great interest in the new topic.

The tsunami of happiness broke through the heavy fog of sadness when your favourite subject came around. Talking about Ben could go on for years you swore with the amount of love for him.

“His name is Benjamin Lucas Patterson. He’s eight years old and obsessed with music, they say playing classical music helps with mental intelligence. Still, he wouldn’t settle unless I played rock.” You laughed glancing over your shoulder at the closed door, “He adores Bear in the Big Blue House and Dragon Tales. Not fond of Barney or Sesame Street but he’ll still watch it.”

The guys ate it up listening to every detail of a little boy they missed even if they only recently learnt about him. Reggie was silent listening to your stories of the young boy.

“His prized possession…come with me.” You gestured turning to head to the bedroom, “I didn’t ask for a lot of baby stuff, just the essentials and anything someone could make. Sunset Curve. You guys were significant to us, so I wanted Ben to have that.”

Ben was settled playing with the cars by his toy chest barely glancing as four people came together. Julie decided to stay in the living room. With a hand, you grabbed the blanket Ben absolutely always needed. It was a homemade blanket made entirely out of clothing—one of Reggie’s flannels, a few shirts from concerts with Luke and clothing that Alex loved.

“Y/N,” Alex spoke, brushing his fingers over the worn material touched at the action of doing something so little yet powerful.

 “I’m going, to be frank. After you died and I went to your fun-“ the word choked you as if you were back in 1995 sitting beside your mother wearing that black dress; a dress you burnt in the bathroom tub, “Mom found the test in my room. Rookie mistake. They weren’t thrilled about the baby and who the father was.”

“They kicked you out?”

“And Luke’s parents immediately welcomed me into their home. I owe them a lot, and Emily made this for Ben, she may not have approved of the band, but she knew it was important, so she wanted Ben to have a piece of his father’s greatest joy.”

“Mama? Can we have burgers tonight?” Ben asked quietly from his toys, “Can they stay for supper?”

Ben was shy with new people, but once he got to know someone, he was just like Luke with his bubbly and passionate personality. He was the spitting image of Luke with his hair and eye colour, but he got your nose and skin colour.

“If they want to.” You smiled, reaching over to pull the eight-year-old into your arms only wanting him to never grow up.

Alex, needing a break from the grief, wandered to a picture hanging on the wall that was a shadow box with his very first drum sticks. Underneath was Reggie’s old necklace that had to be replaced. Lastly underneath was the very first pick Luke used for the first song the band had performed.

“I’m Ben.” The boy spoke, meeting the eyes of the newcomers, “You’re the band that passed away, right?”

“Yeah. This may be confusing but Ben this is Alex, Reggie and Luke.” You replied, brushing his bangs away from his eyes. Ben returned to his quiet nature before looking at your eyes.

“That’s my family, right?”

In perfect sync, Alex and Luke started silently crying at the little boy’s words wishing that that night had never happened. It seemed at the time the right way to start the new chapter with one last street dog.

 “Yeah, baby.” You cleared your throat nodding along to the innocent words your son spoke before he was wandering out of the room, “One hour of cartoons young man.”

“I’m gonna go.” Reggie spoke gesturing after the boy, “I wanna watch Cartoons.”

Reggie poofed out of the room following the little boy out of the room, leaving three sad people. The room was heavy in loss, so sad it could choke a person.

“Does Mom and Dad have anything to do with him?” Alex asked as the boys covered their grief by wandering around the bedroom. Taking in the pictures of Ben from throughout the eight years, some with you or with his paternal grandparents. Few had Alex and your parents.

“They moved a few months after you died.” You admitted, “After the way they reacted to Ben I didn’t want him in that environment. We get Christmas cards and calls on his birthday, but I don’t have the time to travel.”

Alex nodded vividly remembering the way they reacted after he had told his parents that he didn’t like girls. It was challenging since Dad was always excited for the family name to be passed down, he didn’t see that the name could continue no matter who Alex loved. Mom was more open but stepped in line with her husband instead of her hurting son.

“I’m sorry.” Luke blurted stepping closer to you, allowing you to see the ocean of tears and pain swimming in his tortured gaze, “I shouldn’t have gotten that street dog. I should have stayed with you, you weren’t feeling good.”

“Things happen for a reason, Luke.” You sadly reminded the boy, “I wish it didn’t happen, but it did, and I’ve learned to live with that. Ben has a wonderful family and a good life.”

“He knows about us too,” Luke spoke, thinking back to barely half an hour ago when Ben acted as if he knew Luke all his life. God, Luke wished he could have seen everything.

“I have videos of Ben if you want to see them.” You offered the boy, “There’s a television in the den where Ben has his baby book, and the home videos if you want. You can stay in there all you want.”

Luke nodded, playing with his fingers, “I’d love that.”

“If you want to be alone, I can take Ben for ice cream. You can have the whole house to watch alone.” You graciously offered the boy you would always love and believed before that you would see him in decades after your own death.

Luke silently nodded following as you took him to the den where it had a child-sized guitar and floor to ceiling bookshelves. A television was tucked in the corner with a video camera stored on a shelf with a VHS player. In a sealed container, the home videos were kept safe along with the baby books.

“I’ll be back in a few hours. It’s nice to see you, Luke. Really.” You told the now younger boy keeping his eyes on the opened bucket. A bucket that held all the firsts he had missed out on a little boy he had loved since first seeing him in his family home weeks ago.

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[parkerslatte]

Not Impossible

MASTERLIST

Reggie Peters x Fem!Reader

Warnings: None

Word Count: 1.7k+

Summary: (Y/N) has been best friends with Julie since they were young. When Julie asks her to stay the night at her house, (Y/N) meets three ghosts - one of which she become extremely close with.

*****

I clutched my phone in my hand as I hastily messaged my mother that I was staying the night at Julie’s. She had phoned me earlier asking and I agreed - only forgetting to message my mother about it until now. I knew Julie would be in her garage so I immediately made my way there. My hunch was correct once I saw all of the lights on.

As I got closer to the garage, I heard Julie talking. I thought nothing of it, she was probably just on the phone. However, once I heard three other voices clear as day, I knew that she wasn’t alone in there.

“Hey, Julie. I’m here.” I call out before I open the door to the garage.

“Oh, hey (Y/N), come in.” Julie called back.

I opened the door to the garage and was greeted to the sight of Julie. And as I guessed, she wasn’t alone. There were three boys I had never seen before standing just behind her. I furrowed my eyebrows in confusion.

“Julie, are you gonna introduce me to your friends?” I ask, looking between the three boys.

Julie’s eyes widened at my question as the boys all looked between each other with a surprised look on their faces.

“Wait, wait, wait, you can see us?” The blonde boy asked.

“Um, yeah,” I say obviously, while placing my bag down on the floor, “Julie, why are your friends being weird?”

I walked over to the couch and slumped down on it. I looked up when Julie didn’t answer my question and found everyone staring at me. I sat up straighter on the couch, beginning to feel uncomfortable with the staring.

“Okay, why are you acting weird now? And what’s with all the staring?” I ask, “You’re all freaking me out.” 

Julie and the boys all looked at each other for a second, communicating with just their eyes. I sat there tapping my fingers on my knees, feeling uncomfortable.

“Okay, (Y/N), promise me you won’t freak out.” Julie says after a moment of silence.

“Okay…” I say slowly.

“They’re ghosts.” Julie states.

I sat there in silence for a moment before I began to laugh quietly, “Yeah, good joke Julie. Ghosts aren’t real.”

“It’s true.” The boy in the leather jacket piped up.

I looked at him for a second, “Prove it then.”

The boy took one look at the others before they all disappeared out of sight. I look around confused before the boys stepped through the door back into the garage. 

“What- how did you do that?” I ask, feeling freaked out, yet curious at the same time.

Julie stepped next to me, “I told you, they’re ghosts.”

“I’m Luke, by the way.” The brunette boy spoke up.

“Alex.” The blonde boy said.

“I’m Reggie.” The boy in the leather jacket said with a smile.

“Well, I’m (Y/N).” I formally introduce myself.

It had been a couple of weeks since I had met the boys and it was safe to say that I had become close to all of them - but I had become very close to Reggie in particular. Every time I had any free time, I would spend it with Reggie. The two of us would just sit around a talk about anything and everything. I sometimes wished that he wasn’t a ghost so I could actually touch him. Julie had said that I could come into the garage even if she wasn’t there so I practically spent all of my free time there now.

Currently, I was sitting with Julie on her bed as we both studied for a test we had coming up. We sat in silence before Julie decided to break it.

“When are you gonna tell him?” Julie asked.

I looked up from my notebook, “Excuse me?”

“Reggie, when are you gonna tell him you like him?” 

“What? No, I don’t like Reggie. Well, I like him as a friend, but not romantically…” I trail off.

Julie folded her arms across her chest, “Come on (Y/N), you two spend almost all your time together. And when you’re not with him, you talk about him all the time. So when are you going to tell him?”

I sighed, “Never. Julie, there’s no point. Nothing would be possible between us, he’s a ghost and I can’t even touch him and all I want to do is hold him and never let go.”

I look down at my notebook and fiddle with the corner of the page. I wanted a relationship with Reggie, but I knew that it could never work.

Julie reached forward and took my hand into hers, “You should go and tell him how you feel, get all these thoughts off your chest.” 

“Julie, you know I can’t-”

I was cut off by Julie reaching forward and taking my notebook away from me.

“Hey, I need that!” I exclaim.

“I won’t give it back until you tell Reggie how you feel.” Julie insisted.

“But we have a test tomorrow,” I try to reach for it, but all she does is hold it further away from me. I stop trying to reach for it and sigh, “Fine, I’ll tell him.”

“He should be in the garage.” 

I got up off the bed and walked out of the room, not before sending a glare back Julie’s way. I fiddled with the hem of my shirt as I walked down to the garage. I had no clue what I would say to Reggie, I was tempted to just walk home and not come back. I knew a relationship would never work out between us, it wasn’t possible. 

Before I knew it, I found myself pushing open the doors to the garage. My heart was practically beating out of my chest and my palms were sweating. 

“Reggie?” I call out. 

“(Y/N)!” Reggie called back with a wide smile on his face, “I thought you were studying?”

I discreetly wiped  my palms on my jeans before answering, “Um, I was but I left my…” I looked around the room and saw my jacket draped over one of the chairs, “jacket in here.”

“Oh, okay.” Reggie said, looking a bit disappointed. 

Reggie picked up my jacket before walking over and handing it to me. As he handed me the jacket, all I wanted was to take his hand in mine. But I didn’t, all I would gain from it would be disappointment.

“Thanks,” I say before looking up to meet his eyes. I never expected to fall for a ghost, but here we are, “Um, Reggie, there’s something I need to tell you.” 

“What?” He asked, suddenly looking nervous.

“I don’t know how to say this,” I mumble to myself before looking up at him, “I like you. As in, like, like you.”

“(Y/N)-” Reggie tried to speak before I cut him off.

“All I wanna do is talk to you and all I want more than anything is to hold your hand and hug you but I know that isn’t possible,” I look for some kind of reaction from Reggie but I don’t see anything. I cough awkwardly, “I’ll just go.”

I turn my back on Reggie with my jacket clenched tightly in my hands. I cursed myself and Julie for how stupid of an idea this was. All I wanted now was to go home and curl up in my bed, maybe with some ice cream. I was spiraling through my thoughts that I hadn’t noticed Reggie trying to get my attention. Until he did one thing that got it.

I felt a hand wrap around my forearm keeping me from going anywhere. I didn’t think anything of it at first until I realised who’s hand it was. I looked down at it before slowly turning around to find Reggie looking at my arm confused. 

“How- how are you doing that?” I ask.

“I- I don’t know.” Reggie answered.

He took his hand away from my arm and I missed the feeling of it. He stepped back looking confused. Even though I was fumbling over my words only minutes ago, I suddenly gained some confidence. I stepped closer to Reggie so there was only the smallest gap between our bodies. He watched me intently, a look in his eyes I couldn’t describe.

I slowly brought my hands up near his face, my fingertips brushing his cheeks before I placed my hands fully on them. A smile appeared over my features. Reggie looked down at me with fascination and the look I couldn’t describe before a smile appeared on his face as well. 

He brought his hand up and held my face just as I was holding his before pulling me towards him and holding me tightly in his arms. My arms wrapped around his neck as I buried my head into his neck. 

“How is this possible?” I mumble.

“I have no idea,” Reggie replied as the two began to sway on their feet, “But I’m glad it is.”

“Me too,” I responded before pulling away from the hug so I could look at him in the eyes, “And about what I said earlier, just pretend I didn’t say it.”

Reggie furrowed his eyebrows, “Why would I do that? I was trying to tell you when you were leaving that I wanted that as well.”

“You do?” I ask, suddenly feeling elated.

“Of course I do, I’ve been dropping hints for the past couple of weeks,” Reggie said, “I just thought you didn’t feel the same so I stopped.”

“Of course I feel the same Reg,” I say, “I mean why wouldn’t I? You’re funny, sweet, handsome-”

“You think I’m handsome?” Reggie smirked.

I blushed, “Whatever.”

“You’re blushing now.” Reggie teased.

“No I’m not! I’m just-” I was cut off.

Reggie’s lips were on mine. My eyes widened in shock before I closed them, enjoying the feeling. I pressed myself closer to him and ran my hands through his hair. All of my thoughts went out of my head and my mind only focused on Reggie. The boy I had fallen for.

I pulled away and rested my forehead against him, a wide smile on my face. I opened my eyes and was met with his.

“You’re still blushing.” Reggie mumbled.

“Shut up.” I said and pulled him in for another kiss.

[incorrect-julie-and-the-phantoms]

Fanfic trope! Alex/reggie, alex kiss reggie after he says something kinda dumb but very very sweet? Thks!

Thank you for the prompt! I know this isn’t exactly what you were thinking but this little idea popped up into mind and nagged me until it was written. I hope you enjoy!

Hot Dog Engine, Alex/Reggie

Tags: Fluff, College AU, blink and you miss it angst, some pining

Alex’s problem was all Luke’s fault. 

Not that he had done it intentionally. But ever since Luke and Jullie started dating he had been absent from their hangouts, leaving Alex and Reggie to hang out. Alone. 

At first it had been awkward, both of them not sure how to act with each other outside the usual dynamic of their group, but that soon passed. Overall, it wasn’t that different than when it was the three of them. 

Without Luke there to distract both of them, Alex was paying complete attention to Reggie and noticing things that he would have otherwise missed. Like how Reggie had a habit of eating his skittles in color order, and that he had a habit of bouncing a little when he was really excited about something. How his eyes scrunched and his voice got a little higher pitched when he was being defensive. 

At some point Alex realized that he noticed these because he was staring. Staring at Reggie’s fingers, at his mouth while he ate. Staring over at Reggie whenever they were practicing or looking to him first whenever anybody had good news. Staring as he started another argument with him just so he could see his eyes scrunch that way again.

Didn’t take a genius to figure out what that meant.

He wasn’t sure when it had happened, but one second he was just a guy hanging out with one of his best friends and the next he was a guy who was hopelessly crushing on a sweet, oblivious idiot. Alex tried to ignore the part of him that was completely unsurprised.

It wouldn’t have been a problem, but Reggie was everywhere. At some point, Reggie had decided that bothering Alex was his favorite pastime and since then had started seeking out Alex whenever he was bored, always having something he was excited to talk to somebody about. So Alex had to just sit there with his best friend and pretend that he didn’t want to kiss him all the time. It got really hard  That Reggie flirting with every single girl who looked at him didn’t bother him. That it didn’t especially bother him when Reggie flirted with Flynn right in front of him at a party one Friday night.

That it was definitely not the reason he was sulking in the studio, trying to finish the reading assignment that was due Monday.

“Hey Alex,” a voice called out from the other side of the room. Alex glanced up to see Reggie lounging in the doorway. His signature leather jacket must have been too hot for the weather because he was just wearing a pair of slightly baggy jeans and a slightly too small t-shirt with his usual flannel around his waist. 

Alex looked back down at his book without replying, ignoring the way his heart skipped a beat at Reggie’s lazy smile. 

“Aleeeeex,” Reggie whined when he realized Alex wasn’t gonna answer him. “Entertain me I’m bored.” 

Alex chose not to acknowledge him again, turning the page instead. He heard Reggie huff in annoyance at being ignored and Alex repressed a grin of amusement. He was sulking for a reason dammit! He was so distracted with not paying attention to Reggie that he didn’t notice the sound of him walking over until it was too late.

“Oof!” Alex let out a quiet noise of surprise at the sudden weight in his lap. He looked down to see Reggie smiling up at him with an impish grin. 

“Hey,” Reggie winked.

“Can I help you?” Alex asked in mock annoyance.

“Yeah, hang out with me. I’m bored.” 

Alex rolled his eyes and looked back down at his book. “Go bother Luke.” 

“Luke’s with Julie for their six months,” Reggie waved his hand dismissively. 

“How disappointing for you,” Alex said dryly.

“I wanna hang out with you more anyways,” Reggie’s impish smile turned bashful at that. How he managed to look bashful while draped across Alex like a cat was beyond him. 

Even though Reggie had said it many times before, a warm feeling blossomed in Alex’s chest and he couldn’t help the small smile he felt stretch across his face. He hid his face in his book as he felt the warmth spread to his cheeks. Reggie shifted so only his head was in Alex’s lap instead of his whole body. They sat in silence for a moment, Alex pretending to read and that he didn’t notice Reggie’s expectant gaze.

Alex finally broke the silence. “Even if I wanted to hang out, I gotta finish this book by tonight so I have time for practice later.” He hoped that would be enough of an excuse to get Reggie to go away. “I have an exam tomorrow, and I’m not about to give Professor Covington a reason to fail me.”

“His obsession with failing you is kinda weird, huh?” Reggie mused. “Maybe he’s trying to fail cause he wants you to stay with him another year.” Reggie nudged Alex to look at him, eyebrows waggling. “Maybe Professor Covington has a crush on you.”

Alex shuddered and the other boy started shaking with laughter at his own joke. “Please no.”

“If you don’t want to do it you could always drop out and start a company with me.”

“Don’t you think that would be impractical?” Alex replied in a teasing tone. 

Reggie scoffed.  “Course not. I got the whole thing planned out”

“Okay,” Alex laughed, lowering his book, “then what does our company do?”

“Uh…” Reggie reached a hand up to scratch his nose pensively.

“Let me get this straight,” Alex said. He restrained himself from adding ‘which I am not.’ “You want me, a broke college student, to drop out of college with you, another broke college student, to start a company which you have no plan for?”

“Hold on,” Reggie said defensively, sitting up so he and Alex were face to face. “I totally have a plan.” 

Alex’s mouth went dry as Reggie put his face so close to his own, his field of vision narrowing to dark green eyes and lips stretched into a crooked grin. All he would have to do to close the gap would be to lean forward just a couple inches—

“Prove it,” Alex teased, mentally chasing the thoughts from his head as he gently pushed Reggie further away. He had gotten good at ignoring those kinds of thoughts the past couple months.

Reggie stood with exaggerated showmanship. “Well, I am so glad that you asked.” He grabbed the flannel from his waist, tied it around his neck like a really crappy cape, and struck a dramatic pose. “Are you ready for this awesome?” He asked with mock seriousness.

Dork, Alex thought to himself. “By all means Reginald. Blow me away.” Reggie opened his mouth and Alex just knew he was going to hear the biggest load of bullshit ever.

“Well, my slightly taller friend, have you ever been walking down the street and realized that if you didn’t get a hotdog in the next ten minutes you would die?’”

“No.” 

“Have you been looking for an easy way to get meals while on a long car trip that doesn't involve stopping at a restaurant?”

“Still no.”

“Have you ever wondered if you were getting the most out of your vehicle?”

“I don’t have a car Reg,” Alex reminded him. Where was he going with this?

“Well,” Reggie drove forward undeterred, “have I got news for you. Now introducing…” Reggie paused his theatrics to look over at Alex expectantly, “little help?” Alex rolled his eyes and began to give a drumroll with his feet. “Now introducing… the hot dog engine!” 

Alex snorted. “The what?”

“The hot dog engine!” Reggie said excitedly. “On the outside, a regular car. But when you pop open the hood, BAM!” Reggie loudly clapped his hands together, “a hot dog cooker right next to your engine, powered by the same battery!”

Alex started laughing at that. “Reggie, that is so dangerous. You could get oil or battery acid on the hot dogs which would kill you.”

Reggie gasped in offense, “where is your sense of adventure?”

“Must have lost it when I lived past the ripe old age of 18,” Alex said back dryly.

Reggie huffed before readapting his dramatic businessman persona. “Well not to worry, I have plenty more where that came from.”

“Oh goodness please no,” Alex said in mock horror.

“Leashes for fish,” Reggie shot out.

“Useless”

“Crocs that smell like pumpkin spice.”

“Who’s purposely gonna smell them?”

“Pet rocks.”

“Already done.”

“Umbrellas for your shoes,”

“What’s with you and feet?”

Reggie choked on a laugh and stared at him for a moment. Alex was definitely amused by this whole conversation, but if Reggie kept staring at him and saying stupid things that made him laugh they were gonna have a problem. He needed to shut Reggie up somehow.

His friend opened his mouth to suggest his next ridiculous idea, “what about an air cannon that blows out candles for you—hmph!”

The tiny ‘hmph’ of surprise was because Alex had figured how to shut him up, by launching himself across the room and pressing their lips together.

Oh god, Alex thought to himself the moment he realized he was kissing him. He pulled away, stepping back to look at Reggie who was staring at him wide-eyed, frozen in shock. Oh crap, oh god. What did I do? He’s gonna freak out he's gonna hate me he’s gonna—

“Well that just gave me a great idea,” Reggie cut through Alex’s train of thoughts.

“R-Reggie I’m so sorry,” Alex quickly stammered out his apology. 

“Alex—” Reggie tried to speak.

“I shouldn’t have just kissed you like that. I know you and Flynn just started having a thing and that you don’t like me that way—”

“ALEX,” Reggie said more forcefully. Alex stopped his rambling and stared up at his friend anxiously. Reggie took a deep breath, “my idea was that you could just bring your boyfriend to lecture to show Professor Covington you aren’t interested in him.”

That didn’t make sense, “who’s my boyfriend?”

“Well me, if you stop freaking out long enough to kiss me again.” Reggie’s face turned bright red as he processed what he said. “I-I mean if you want to. You don’t gotta um…” 

Alex felt the wide smile on his own face as he processed what Reggie was saying. He reached out and interlocked their fingers together. “Can I kiss you again Reggie?”

“Yeah, that’d be nice.”

The second kiss was so much better than the first. The soft press of Reggie’s lips against his own made the butterflies he had been trying to digest for months fly around his chest for free. The hand that wasn’t holding Reggie’s moved up to cup the back of his head.

Eventually, Reggie pulled away, his breath was a little quicker than before and his cheeks were flushed. Alex felt like his heart was going to beat out of his chest with anxiety and excitement. 

“I should probably tell you that I’ve been wanting to do that for a while,” Reggie laughed.

“Oh,” Alex felt the tips of his ears burn. “Yeah. Uh, yeah. I mean, me too.” 

The answering smile from the boy in front of him was blinding. “Oh nice, does that mean I can be your boyfriend and make Professor Covington jealous?”

“You do know professor Covington just hates me cause he hates everyone right?”

“Alex,” Reggie huffed in annoyance, “you’re ruining the moment.”

Alex rolled his eyes. “Yes, you can be my boyfriend.”

Leaning in for their third kiss was Reggie’s response to that statement, and it was even better than the second.

Then the fourth which was better than the third. Then the fifth that was better than the sixth and so on until they both eventually lost count.

[aro-of-artemis]

It's what you do with the things you love!

3 times the boys give Julie kisses and 1 time they have a cuddle pile.

AKA an excessive number of hugs, kisses and I love yous because they're all touch starved and they deserve it.

ao3: https://archiveofourown.org/works/29331480

{1} Alex

 Somewhere in the back of her mind, Julie knows she's dreaming. But that knowledge doesn't make her feel any better. She can feel the staccato thrum in her chest even as she sleeps, her lungs filling and deflating too quickly, making her feel hollowed out like a wind tunnel. Dreams, some nonsensical, others entirely too real, blur and warp in her head. She sees her mother's casket being covered in dirt, hears the pulsing, beeping heartbeat seemingly echoing from the very walls of a hospital. She sees the boys, her boys, laying in a haphazard pile, tear stained and rumpled and slowly disintegrating, turning to bone and then ash and then dust, blown away by a source-less wind. She sees-

 "Julie."

 Her frantic twisting and turning in bed is disturbed by a voice laced with concern. She can still feel her heartbeat in her ears. The rise and fall of her chest does not slow down but she is mercifully rescued from her dreams. She begins to cry. Big, loud sobs that judder and heave like a ship on a stormy sea.

 "Hey, hey, hey," the voice says, gently. She turns her face to see Alex crouched by the side of her bed, resting his hands on the edge like he wants to reach out and touch her but he's not sure if he's allowed. He turns one palm up in silent question. Julie nods desperately, sobs never ceasing.

 Alex moves slowly, sliding in next to Julie, half sitting up. He wraps his arm around her shoulders and she gratefully buries her face in his chest, body still shuddering. His other arm comes around to encircle her completely. He doesn't say much - there's not much he can say that would actually help - so he just holds her to his chest and runs his hands over her hair and down her back in long, soothing strokes.

 He slides down a bit more so that her head is fitted under his chin, her damp breaths against the collar of his hoodie. The tears have quietened a bit, beat out by sheer exhaustion. When she speaks, her voice is raw.

 "Thank you, Alex."

 "Of course, Jules. I love you."

 "Love you, too," she murmurs into his chest.

 He tucks his chin, pressing a soft kiss against the crown of her head, her curls tickling at his nose. She lets out a deep sigh, her tense muscles relaxing in small increments.

 "Will you stay with me?" Her voice is small, uncertain.

 "As long as you need."

Her breathing grows deep and slow, a slight rasp around the edges that approaches a snore. Alex lets his eyes pull shut and slips off into sleep.

 ~~~

 Sometimes Ray wakes in the middle of the night, filled with a sudden dread and the urgent need to check on his kids. Tonight, he has a distinct sense that something is wrong with Julie.

 Quietly, he swings his legs out of bed and makes his way down the hall, feet scuffing against the floor in a hushed whisper. Her door stands slightly ajar and he nudges it further open, eyes searching out his daughter.

 He is momentarily startled to see not one but two bodies in her bed but the sun rises in his chest at the sight before him, dispelling the menacing shadows of night. A pink-clad torso curls protectively around Julie, shielding her from any and all threats within and without. Alex's soft gold hair falls in every which direction and his normally anxious face is eased with sleep. Ray smiles and pulls the door shut.

  {2} Reggie

 Julie's noticed something. Reggie always wears the same clothes. It's always some combination of his black skinny jeans, a tank top, his leather jacket and his flannel. Luke and Alex seem to mix it up more, so it's not a ghost thing. Maybe he's just committed to the aesthetic, Julie thinks, but she's not so sure. It nags at the back of her mind for days.

 She brings it up to Luke. He looks at her with his big, sad puppy dog eyes. "Yeah, I guess he does. His parents weren't - they didn't really…" Care. He trails off but Julie fills in the blanks. She feels something in her chest harden in anger and yet also soften with tender affection. The result of some strange oxymoron of love.

 Luke doesn't offer any more information and Julie doesn't press but plans are already forming in her head.

 She has a hushed conversation with her father which ends with a credit card pressed into her hand and the encouragement to "go nuts - within reason". She tells the boys the next day that she's hanging with Flynn and that they should under no circumstances interrupt her. It's not a lie - Flynn's eye for clothes and talent for thrifting is an invaluable part of this mission.

 They spend the next day rifling through thrift stores and shopping centres, collecting flannels and t-shirts and jeans that match Reggie's style. (And perhaps they purchase socks and undies for all of the boys because honestly. And maybe Flynn stumbles upon a band shirt that would be just perfect for Luke and Julie finds a fanny pack that was made for Alex).

 Tote bags full-to-bursting perched on her shoulders, Julie makes her way down the garden path and pushes her way into the studio. She finds the boys lounging on the couch, Luke and Reggie idly plucking at their guitar strings and Alex hanging upside down off it.

 "Julie!" they chorus as she enters.

 A small laugh enters her voice. "What are you guys doing?" It turns into a full-belly laugh as Alex tries to extricate himself from his precarious position and ends up landing on his head.

 Reggie notices the bags on her shoulders. "Whatcha got, Jules?" His enthusiasm is infections.

 "Well…," she says, drawing it out. She sets the bags down on the piano and starts unloading them, making a small pile off to the side for Alex and Luke. Once she's finished, she steps back with a satisfied nod and a flourish. "It's for you, Reg."

 His smile drops. "For me?"

 She nods, biting her lip nervously. Now that she's here, she isn't sure how he'll react. Would he be mad that she'd overstepped? Embarrassed? She watches his face carefully for a reaction. Her heart drops to her shoes when tears start spilling down his cheeks.

 "Oh! Reggie, I'm so sorry. I shouldn't have assumed, I should have asked before I -" She's abruptly cut off when warm arms pull her into his chest and she lets out a soft oof. But she revels in the embrace, letting Reggie hold her as long as he needs.

 When he pulls back a bit, his eyes are red and puffy but he's smiling once more. "Don't apologise, Julie. I - It's just that no one's ever - no one's done this before. Thank you."

 Julie can feel a stinging sensation at the back of her eyes and a boulder forming in her throat but she manages to croak out, "Of course, Reggie. I love you." She tugs on his necklace affectionately.

 Fresh tears spill down his face. He leans forward, ducking his head down to press a gentle kiss into the softness of her cheek and pulls her back into an embrace.

 "Love you, too, Jules."

 ~~~

 "You bought us underwear?"

 "Yes."

 "I dunno how to feel about that, Jules."

A sigh. "Just say thank you and move on."

"Thank you, " is said in a three-part chorus.

 {3} Luke

 Julie lays on her bed, stomach pressed against the soft duvet and heels kicking in the air behind her. But her eyebrows are furrowing in tense concentration and her fingers are tight around her pen. Spread haphazardly before her are various textbooks and notebooks, her laptop open off to one side. An irritated sigh drives its way out of her throat when disorderly curls fall into her face again.

 As if summoned, Luke poofs into her room. She doesn't look up.

 "Hey! Jules. You nearly finished with your school work?"

"No." She says it flat and terse, eyes fixed on the page before her.

 "Oh." His face momentarily creases but he shrugs and makes himself comfortable at the end of her bed, leaning his side up against it. His chin rests just on the edge. "I'll just wait here until you're done then."

 Julie doesn't respond.

 Time passes. An hour perhaps, but Luke's never had the best sense of time. His brain always seems to warp and shift it. He stays admirably quiet, considering, if he does say so himself. He paces around the room, fiddling with knick knacks and keepsakes, admiring (from a distance) pictures of Julie and her mom. He gives the dream box a wide berth (even if his eyes keep being drawn to it. Especially so).

 Eventually, he sits himself back down in his original position, eyes glancing around the room. Absentmindedly, his hand reaches out to tug at a curl that had fallen forward over Julie's face.

 "Would you STOP that?" she snaps.

 His hand jerks back as if scalded. "Julie - what - I - I'm sorry, I didn't mean to - ". His eyes are wide, eyebrows practically disappearing into his hairline.

 Julie's breath leaves her chest all in a rush, as if trying to beat the traffic at the end of a concert. Her face drops into her hands. Luke looks at her in consternation, unsure where he went wrong until he sees her back begin to shake with awful, desperate sounds.

 "Julie - I - are you okay?"

 She doesn't answer but continues to tremble.

 "Julie. Jules. Talk to me. Or - or do you want me to leave. I can go if you want. I didn't -" He begins to rise, backing up.

 He's stopped in his tracks, half crouched, by a garbled sound that he thinks was no.

 "Okay," he says. He sits back down. Thinking. His eyes never leave Julie. "If, if you don't wanna talk about it, would you like a hug instead? I'm told I give pretty good hugs."

The hiccupy almost-sobs are interrupted by a wet chuckle. Her head nods minutely. Luke's not sure he would have noticed except for how close he's watching her.

 His muscles bring him to standing and he opens his arms wide. "C'mere," he says. Just quietly. She swings herself over the side of her bed and just about flings herself at his chest. He wraps his arms around her, as tight as they go, matching her grip, and just holds her for a while, rocking back and forth slowly.

 ~~~

 Luke's hugging her so tight. She feels so safe and so warm. His small shushing sounds cease when he presses his warm, dry lips against her forehead. He keeps them there and strokes her hair gently, careful not to snag any curls. Julie feels her shoulders drop, finally, some of the tension unspooling from her spine. She breathes in, 2, 3, 4 and out, 2, 3, 4 and in and out for a while longer.

 Once her heart has calmed from a jackhammer to the mere ticking of a clock, she pulls back to look at him. His eyes are like an ocean at storm, a wild mess of greygreenblue.

 "Luke, I'm sorry, I - "

 "You don't need to apologise." One of his hands comes up to cup her jaw, dragging a thumb under the corner of her eye where tears still linger. She feels her heart grow a couple of sizes.

 "I want to," she insists, looking down bashfully.  "I'm sorry for snapping at you. I've just been really overwhelmed by my school work and it was feeling like too much. But I, um, I think I just needed a really good cry 'cause I haven't in a while and I - " Her words stumble when she looks back up because there's a bittersweet crinkle around the corners of his eyes and his eyebrows are so earnest that she has to just reach up and touch one, grazing her thumb along it.

 He laughs a little. Just softly.

 "And thank you. For the hug," she says. "You really are excellent at hugs. 10 out of 10. Would hug again"

 His eyes crinkle again but this time with mirth. "Of course, Julie. Anytime. Day or night."

 Her thumb is still on the tail of his eyebrow and the rest of her hand is cupping his cheek. He may be a ghost but she can feel the warmth of his skin against her palm, the rushing of blood beneath the surface, the faint freckles that wander across his nose.

 And his eyes. She could write entire songs about his eyes - whole albums - and still not know what colour they were or how to capture how they shift with his mood like a flag in the wind.

 Her gaze drops to his lips without her permission. As they lift into a tentative smile, her thumb drags over the crease of skin where his smile lines form and tugs at the edge where his mouth curls up, making him smile wider.

 Julie looks back up to his eyes after eons to find him staring back just as intently. His lips part slightly, as if in awe, unsure what to say. Finally, they resolve into the soft sounds of her name.

 "Julie. Can I - ?"

 "Please." Her voice is barely a whisper.

 Slowly, as if encased in glass, he lowers his face to meet hers. Their lips brush, mere millimetres away from each other. The air crackles. And then breaks.

 Julie pushes her lips up to meet his. They're warm (still). And soft. Her whole face, her whole body, is alight, lines of warmth spreading from every place skin meets skin. She presses into him harder and he presses back. The hand still on his face hooks around his ear, bringing him closer. One of his arms curls around the small of her back, pulling her in and his thumb rubs small circles on the sharp of her cheekbone, his calluses catching against her skin. She never wants this to end but she has to breathe, even if he - technically - doesn't.

 She pulls back but doesn't go far, resting her forehead against his. She can practically feel the curlicue of his mouth against hers, his breath tickling her face.

 "You're amazing, Julie." His expression is thunderstruck, disbelieving, electrified.

 "So are you." She is filled with awe at the idea that she gets to have this. Him. Luke Patterson, the boy she. She - she loves.

 Oh.

 Oh.

 "I love you," she says in wonderment. "So much."

 He laughs, incredulous. She feels unstoppable. "So do I. I - I - I love you so much I don't know what to do with it all."

 Julie laughs back. Delirious. Just this side of hysterical. "Me neither. I wrote an entire song in my head because I had nowhere else to put it."

 Luke snorts. "Me too."

 "Yeah?"

 "Yeah."

 Their smiles could blind astronauts all the way in space.

 {+1}

 Julie turns over in her bed again. She tries to resettle her sheets but her feet get tangled up in the knotted blanket. She lets out a deep sigh and can feel irritation clawing its way up her arms and legs, tugging at her nerve endings, making her want to scream. She turns her head to read the time off her phone and another heartfelt sigh is pulled from her chest as she watches the numbers tick over to 1:13 am.

 She lays there a moment longer, staring up at the ceiling like she's a character in The Office looking at the camera. Hoping - praying - that some semblance of sleepiness would overtake her. But no, that would be far too easy. It's just that something's wrong. She can't put her finger on it but she feels as though the air around her is ill-at-ease with the objects in its path and something in her chest twinges uncomfortably.

 She rolls over and tumbles out of bed, half stumbling to her feet, and makes her way downstairs, outside along the garden path and into the studio. The sight that greets her when she enters is … unnerving.

 Reggie lays in the middle of the floor, arms and legs spread wide, just staring fixedly at nothing. Over on the couch, Luke sits, picking a melancholy tune out on his acoustic. On the floor next to Luke's legs, Alex sits with his knees pulled up to his chest, his chin pressed harshly into them and arms wrapped around his calves. He too looks off into the middle distance.

 "Uh. Hey, guys."

 At the sound of her voice, Luke's fingers falter and the other two's eyes seem to snap back into this reality but none of them move.

 "What's…going on?" she says uncertainly. She feels the weight of three sets of eyes on her, burdened by some incurable sadness. Luke has stopped playing but he still holds his guitar in his lap, clutching it to his chest.

 "Nothing," he says like a lying liar who lies. "We're fine. What're you doing up?"

 Julie narrows her eyes at him, looks to Alex, then Reggie. "Don't change the subject." Her eyes soften though. A few steps across the garage and she settles herself down by Reggie who has yet to move except to bring his hands together over his stomach and begin tugging at his fingers. Gently, she lifts his head up and settles it in her lap. He lets her without argument and she begins to comb her fingers through his soft hair.

 "Clearly something's going on. So spill." Her words are direct but her tone is mild.

 Alex's chin lifts from his knees. "We - I, I was just thinking about my, um, my parents?"

 Julie nods encouragingly at him even as she continues to play with Reggie's hair.

 He continues. "I don't know what happened to my parent since I died. I - I don't know if I wanna know what happened to them. They weren't - they didn't, after I came out -"

 Julie just nods reassuringly. She feels so lucky that her dad was understanding when she told him about her sexuality, even if he didn't understand all of the terminology entirely.

 "But my sister. I think I want to know what happened to her. How she's doing."

 "You have a sister?" Julie's not sure why she's so shocked to find this out.

 "Yeah, a younger sister." He smiles a little, crookedly.

 Julie furrows her eyebrows a bit, considering. "We could find her? If you wanted. I'm sure Dad would be happy to help track her down."

"You'd do that?" His blue eyes shine with something like hope.

 "Of course, Alex." She watches him as he scrubs a hand across his mouth and sniffles. She elects not to say anything but just opens one of her arms. He crawls over and slumps into her warm embrace, breathing shakily.

 Reggie speaks now. "I don't think I want to find my parents. It would be - " He shakes his head and a tear rolls down the side of his face and drops noiselessly onto the floor.

 "That's okay, Reggie."

 "Thanks, Julie. I just sometimes wonder - it doesn't matter though." His watery eyes brighten a touch. "You guys are my family, now."

 Julie feels a warm tear leak out the corner of her eye and make its way down her face, hanging off her chin.

 She turns her face to Luke who hasn't spoken since the beginning. He chuckles softly, shaking his head. His face is dry but his eyes are brighter than normal. "You know my story, Julie. And I'm so …," he tips his head back as if searching for the right words, "… grateful to you for giving my parents closure but I still miss them, y'know?"

 Julie does know. "Luke Patterson, you'd better get your butt over here."

 He smirks a little at that, placing his guitar off to the side finally. As he does so, Julie wiggles herself down so that she's lying across the rug, carefully positioning Reggie's head on her stomach. Alex presses his face into her shoulder on the opposite side to Reggie, throwing his arm over her upper torso. She curls her arm protectively around his shoulders, her thumb stroking against the place where it rests. Luke plops himself down beside her and wedges a cushion under her head. She smiles at him gratefully. He positions himself at her other shoulder, cushioning his head on her outstretched arm so that he lies parallel to Reggie. He loops his arm over Reggie, pulling him to his chest.

 As if they'd planned it, they all released a breath simultaneously. A damp giggle erupts from their pile on the floor.

 After a few minutes of just existing together, Julie clears her throat.

 "I love you guys," she says quietly. "You're my family and I'll do anything I can for you. You've already done so much for me. So if you want to see your families, or if you don't, I'll be here to help you. Just say the word."

 "Thank you, Julie," Alex answers for all of them.

 Time passes and she can feel Luke's breath begin to deepen against her neck and the rise and fall of Reggie's stomach slow. Alex burrows further into her shoulder. Her own eyes feel as though they're being pulled down like the shutters of a shop at the end of the day. She lets herself fall into a deep, restful sleep.

 When morning comes, she lays a kiss on each of their cheeks before she makes her way inside. Because, after all, that's what you do with the things you love.

[phantom-sunset]

Thank yo so much to @screwunsaidemily​ for putting this gift exchange together.

This one is for @penguin-writes-books and is inspired by the above song

Titled: Polaroid

Rated: T

Ship: Willex

Alex has been distant recently, It wasn’t anything they had done. It was his family. His parents, to be more specific. He had finally come out to them and well...it didn’t go well. They’d stopped speaking to him completely and when he was home, pretended he wasn’t even there. His mother looked through him and his father never stayed in the same room if he was there. Alex could feel it was only a matter of time until they kicked him out completely.

Julie hadn’t joined in the anxiety party Luke and Reggie were throwing for Alex but instead patiently waited. She had an idea, she always knew when one of her boys wasn’t okay. She never pushed though, and instead waited for them to be ready to come to her.

Ray was waiting as well. Both he and Julie, and maybe Carlos too, had an idea of what was going on. Ray had already gotten their second guest room ready for Alex, for when he was ready to open up to them. When he was ready to live his life completely out in the open. Ray had hung a rainbow flag off of the porch, just a little outward sign that Alex was safe and welcome in his home, that all of them were.

Reggie had come to move in with them when he had come over with cuts and bruises littering his body. That time Julie did not wait. She went to Ray and together they went to Reggie’s house, packed his things and brought him back to his new home. That was four years ago, when Reg was only thirteen.

Luke was a different story all together. When he began to get quiet and his energy seemed to diminish, they all noticed. Reggie and Alex had bothered him until he spilled everything. Julie had waited instead. She sat next to him quietly, worked on music to distract him. Held his hand when he cried on her shoulder. Played big spoon to his little when all he wanted was to feel loved and safe.

When Luke had finally let her in, she walked right up to his parents house the next day after school and refused to leave until they sat down and watched the entire video history of Julie and the Phantoms YouTube page. She sat there for hours until they admitted that their son was full of talent and that instead of forcing him into an engineering degree that would absolutely destroy his spirit, they should support his music major.

They had agreed when Julie sat quietly on their couch and simply stared at them expectantly without blinking. She might only be seventeen but she was scary when she needed to be, Rose had made sure of it. 

                                       ___________________________

Alex really wants to stay home tonight. He’s not really in the mood to see anyone but none of his friends would allow it. He was pretty sure that the moment he came home today, his parents would kick him out. It was getting pretty blatant. If they didn’t do it, he was going to at least.

Julie hadn’t joined in the anxiety surrounding Alex like the boys had. Instead she convinced him that one night out wouldn’t kill him, adding on that if he got too anxious they’d leave straight away. 

Julie knew that Alex definitely wasn’t ok but she knew it was a matter of time before he spilled his soul to her. It’s just how they’d always been, since they were kids.

Carrie is having her annual Valentines Day party tonight. Flynn’s cousin is in town touring UCLA for the week. He’s planning on starting in September. He is super cute and extremely Alex’s type.

So Julie is planning a secret set up. Alex has no idea but she’d let Flynn, Reggie, and Luke in on the plan. She was still shocked no one had told him about it but counted it as a win. One fourth of her best friends deserved a distraction and boy was Willie the perfect one.

“Are you guys ready?” Julie said as she walked into the studio that had somehow unofficially become the boys home. Even though Ray had made sure they all had their own space in his house.

Reggie was pulling a bright red shirt over his head, his black ripped jeans and combat boots already on, his leather jacket hanging lovingly over the back of a chair.

Luke was pulling on a white tee with “My Bloody Valentine” printed across it, a butcher knife dripping blood cut through the print. “Cute” she says to him as she takes in the shirt. She isn’t just talking about the shirt and he knows it but he smirks at her and winks. She rolls her eyes and turns to Alex.

He’s wearing a baby pink t-shirt and light colored blue jeans. His black and pink air maxes complete the look.

“No. But I doubt you’ll let me sit this one out.” Alex answers her question.

“You’re right. Let’s go, the Uber's here.” Julie puts her arm through his, pulls him towards Reggie where she loops her other arm and waits for Reggie to thread his arm through Luke’s. They skip down the driveway, Luke’s humming ‘We’re off to see the Wizard’ as they go.

When they pull up to Carrie’s it’s jam packed. Parents dropping their kids off, Uber’s dropping off their riders, and a lone skateboarder, weaving between bodies like he’s made of air. Julie smiles because she’d recognize that long brown hair anywhere. The guy hasn’t cut his hair since elementary school.

As they walk in, there’s staff dressed in red and white handing out brand new polaroid cameras to each guest as they come in. “To save the memories being made here.” He says to them. 

“Obnoxious, isn’t it? All that money and we get outdated cameras” Flynn says from Alex’s side. He jumps up, startled at her sudden appearance.

“Fucking hell, Flynn. Stop doing that!” Alex hisses. 

“Why? It’s so much more fun when you react like that.” She answers. Julie, Luke and Reggie snicker from behind him.

“Anyway. This is my cousin Willie. Willie This is Luke, Reggie, and Alex. You already know Julie.” She says, pointing them out individually.

“Nice to meet you.” Luke says as he holds his hand out. Reggie echoes him and Julie smiles and goes in for a hug.

Alex hasn’t moved yet. He’s just standing there, eyes wide and cheeks flushed as he takes in Willie. He’s cute as hell and taller than Alex which was saying something. His cheekbones reach for the sky, and a jawline that should be illegal. He’s smiling at Alex, holding out his hand to shake and oh god, this was embarrassing. How long has he been waiting for Alex to move? How long has Alex been staring at him like a deer in headlights?

“The malfunctioning one is Alex. Give him a minute, he’ll be right with you.” Reggie said as he tears open his Poloroid camera. He turns to Luke who has his arm around Julie and is busy whispering her ear and snaps a picture.

“Shut up, Reg.” Alex clears his throat and offers up his hand, finally. He’s willing the blush on his cheeks to retreat, it doesn’t.

“So, I’m thirsty. Let’s go get some drinks?” Flynn says, grabbing Reggie’s hand and pulling him. He grabs on to Luke’s shirt who grabs onto Julie’s arm and their little chain disappears into the crowd at the speed of light.

“So, they’re not nearly as sneaky as they think they are.” Willie says. A wide smile stretching over his face. 

God, he’s teeth are so nice. White and straight. He probably never even needed braces. Alex shakes his head to clear his thoughts and realises Willie is speaking to him.

“Huh?” God, he probably sounds like an idiot. Way to make an impression.

“Your friends, my cousin. They’re setting us up.” Alex chokes on his own spit. Were they?

He turns towards the bar where his friends are standing. All four of them are watching him and he narrows his eyes. Reggie salutes him. Luke gives him a bouncy thumbs up. Julie and Flynn are batting their eyes and drawing little hearts in the air in front of them, their lips puckered in exaggerated kisses.

Alex rolls his eyes and turns back to Willie who had followed his line of sight and promptly burst out laughing.

“Wanna head outside? It’s super noisy in here and something tells me they won’t come back until we’ve gotten to know each other properly.” Willie suggests and Alex nods his agreement.

They end up spending an hour together. Alex lets Willie go first and everything he learns makes him like Willie more. He’s about to start college, UCLA is his first choice and he’s already been accepted. He’s going to be moving in with his uncle Robert (Flynn’s dad). The tour was an excuse to come to LA in order to see his family.

He’s from San Francisco, and is majoring in art. He’s sold his work in different galleries since he was fifteen. His mom calls him a prodigy but he just thinks he sees the beauty in things others don’t. He paints, sculpts, and does photography mostly but otherwise dabbles in everything.

Alex tells him about himself. He’s in a band. All four of them have also applied to UCLA for music majors. They’re going on tour over the summer, down the pacific coast. He tells Willie about the time Reggie and Luke convinced him to eat engine hotdogs and they all ended up in the hospital with food poisoning. Willie found that story hysterical.

It’s as Willie searches up the Julie and the Phantoms YouTube page to watch clips of their performances that he notices something and interrupts Alex’s story about how annoying Julie and Luke are in their mutual stupidity when it comes to their feelings for each other.

“Hey, do you mind if I take a picture of you?” Willie asks as he pulls the camera up to his eye.

“Only if I can take one of you.” Alex answers. It came out faster than his brain could process. Braver and flirtier than he intended but he let the question hang.

“Sure, hotdog! As many as you want.” He winks and smiles at Alex and snaps the picture. 

The little rectangle comes out of the side of the camera and Willie is shaking it and still smiling at Alex as he snaps his picture. They're both shaking the film to let it develop and laughing at the thought of people only ever having to do this for their pictures.

“God, how did people survive in the 90s?” Willie asks.

“Right? Like they had to carry around separate things for everything. Music, cameras, phones, planners. The bags must have been huge!” Alex answers and they laugh again.

Willie reaches into his pocket and pulls out a sharpie, he grabs the picture of him from Alex’s hand and writes something on the white border. When he hands it back, Alex’s face turns red yet again.

                                        Willie C. - 2.14.2021 🖤

Alex decides to do the same and grabs his own picture from Willie's hand, writing his own down too before handing it back.

                                        Alex M. - 2.14.2021 🖤

They end up staying outside and completely missing Dirty Candi’s performance along with the rest of the party. Neither one is sure exactly how long it's been but Willie’s phone chimes and he looks down at it, startled.

“It’s Flynn. Wow, it’s midnight already? Looks like we gotta go. This was perfect, thanks for hanging out with me all night.” Willie says and Alex smiles at him.

“Yeah, I had a great time.” Alex answers as they both stand up. Willie turns to walk away but only makes it a few steps before he turns back to Alex.

“Can I kiss you?” Willie asks when he’s in front of Alex again. Alex freezes in response. He can’t do anything but nod because Fuck, he’s wanted to kiss him all night.

Willie laughs softly and puts both of his hands on Alex’s face and pulls him forward. It’s soft and sweet. Willie’s lips feel like cashmere and he smells like pine trees and coconut. The scent makes Alex light headed but he refuses to pull away until Willie makes the move to. Unfortunately it’s way too soon when he does.

“Thanks.” Willie turns and starts walking away again, leaving Alex to try and stop his brain leaking out of his ears since it’s now turned to mush.

���Wait! Can I have your number?” Alex shouts to him as he leaves. Willie turns, walking backwards as he shakes his head. The wide smile is still plastered on his face.

“Nah. It’s more fun this way, hotdog.” Willie answers, holding up the picture he’d taken of Alex. 

“I hate that name! It’s how I almost died!” Alex shouts to him. Willie’s loud laugh lingers in the air around Alex long after he’s gone.

“Well well well, if it isn’t Alex C. Mercer. The boy who hasn’t been seen all night.” Reggie says as he throws himself down in the lounger next to him.

“Well, as setups go, I’d call this one a success.” Luke says from his other side.

“I definitely saw some flirting there.” Julie says as she sits down between Luke’s legs.

“How would you know? It’s not like either of you knows what flirting is.” Alex smirks at the two of them. 

Reggie’s snickers come from behind Alex and makes it difficult to keep a straight face. Luke rolls his eyes and leans his head back, pulling Julie back with him so that her back rests against his chest. Julie punches Alex in the shoulder and sticks her tongue out at him.

                                   _________________________________

It’s a week before classes start at UCLA and Julie, Luke Alex, and Reggie are enjoying being back. In their own homes, in their own beds (Alex’s happens to be at Julie’s house now). They decide to go to the beach and invite Flynn along. 

Alex hasn’t mentioned Willie since valentines day and no ones brought it up. After all, he’s six hours away and had never given Alex his phone number. Sure, Alex had gone full FBI and found his Instagram page but it was private and Alex had never worked up the nerve to request him.

He thinks about him a lot though. Looks at the picture in his wallet more than he’d ever admit. He doesn’t have to come out and say it to anyone though because they’ve all caught him with it. Julie just smiled sweetly and left it alone. Unfortunately, Luke and Reggie are assholes so they bring it up all the time.

So here they are, spread out on the beach and Alex is getting thirsty. They’ve been here for a few hours and whatever supplies they’ve brought have been depleted.

“Hey, I’m gonna go grab some drinks. If you freeloaders want anything you’re going to have to come with.” Alex says as he stands up and slips his flip flops on.

“Rude.” Reggie says and stands up to go with him. Julie goes too and the three of them make it to the cement. Luke stays behind with Flynn to discuss album art concepts.

They stop to make sure someone actually had the money and when Reggie pulls out a soggy twenty that he had accidentally went swimming with, Julie laughs at him. Alex pulls out his own thankfully dry wallet.

“Watch out!” The voice comes from behind Alex but he doesn’t have time to move out of the way before something solid and strong slams into his back sending him sprawling face first into the sand.

“What the fuck?!” He yells as he spits sand out of his mouth and brushes it off of his body where it stuck painfully.

“Oh man, You dinged my board.” The voice comes from behind him again and he turns, fury burning in his veins.

“I dinged your board? You almost killed me!” Alex yells back. He doesn’t look up, examining his skinned knee.

“Yeah, I did pancake you, huh?” he’s laughing now and Alex stands up to give this guy a piece of his mind but his thoughts are cut off abruptly.

He can see Julie and Reggie out of the corner of his eye, smiling widely and snickering to each other. God, he hates them so much.

“Hotdog! Wow, long time.” He says. Alex’s brain has shut off though because wow he looks better than he did on valentines day.

His skin is sunkissed, his hair lightened by the sun, and he’s wearing a crop top that shows off his toned stomach. Alex traces the V as it disappears under his waistband. Someone pinches his elbow and he snaps out of it. Thank you, Julie. 

“Willie, hi! How have you been?” When had his voice gotten so squeaky?

“I’ve been good! Starting school next week. Just finished moving in yesterday. How about you?” He answers. Julie and Reggie have walked away to the beach bar.

“Just got back from touring last night. Now we’re here. Relaxing before school starts.” Alex waves his hand out, encompassing the beach and the general area where Flynn and Luke are bent over her phone.

“You know, I haven’t stopped thinking about you since that party. Kind of the best kiss I’ve had.” Willie chuckles and bumps his shoulder against Alex’s.

“Tell me about it.” Alex pulls his wallet out as he speaks. Pulling out the picture from his wallet and showing it to Willie.

“No way!” That smile that Alex hasn’t stopped staring at is back as he pulls out his own wallet and shows Alex the picture. The ink is faded, as if he’d been running his fingers over the signed name. The corners are crinkled and Alex beams because his looks just as well loved.

“Wanna join us?” Alex asks and Willie nods and smiles in response.

“Hell yeah!” He takes off his helmet and picks up his skateboard, following Alex back to their spot. The thirst that had been drying his throat moments before is completely forgotten when Willie laces his fingers with Alex’s.

[darkskinkaeyasupremacy]

Welcome, stranger! I write for Genshin Impact, preferably for those who crave the representation that they normal would not find among the greater fandom, but I’ll write for anyone. I’m new at this so bear with me as I navigate how to make my blog accessible and aesthetically pleasing.

Just a few things before we get started:

All of my story titles will be drawn from songs that I have on my iPod. Mostly because I’m lazy, but also because I think it’ll be a fun little exercise. I listen to all kinds of music so I have a lot to draw from.

I abuse the fuck out of commas. It’s just my personal writing style. I hope it doesn’t become distracting, but if it does, just let me know.

I’m open prompts/requests about this giant money-sink of a game that we’re all stuck playing, especially anything relating to world-building, political-intrigue, and also romance. I’m not against writing smut but be warned that I try to take the erotica approach, i.e. less explicit acts and more emotional framing of the scene so if this isn’t your cup of tea, try someone else. After all, porn is a dime a dozen.

I’ll write about anyone, but for best results, ask me about:

Kaeya

Diluc

Zhongli

Xiao

Xinyan

Childe/Tartaglia

Venti

Jean

Amber

Ningguang

Xiangling

Fischl

Barbara

Noelle

I’m also way too invested in the personal lives of the NPCs of Teyvat so if you want something special, be bold and ask for one!

Please refer to my Rules & Regs page in my sidebar before making any requests. Happy wishing!

[templeofgeek]

This Week in Geek: April 6th Weekly News Roundup

This Week in Geek: April 5th Weekly News Roundup #thisweekingeek

Geek culture gives updates and news on any given day. This week, we have a lot of news from some of our favorite streaming services. Let’s take a look at what happened this week in geek, April 6th. This week in geek – April 6th BRIDGERTON REGƒ-JEAN PAGE as SIMON BASSET in episode 101 of BRIDGERTON Cr. LIAM DANIEL/NETFLIX © 2020 Netflix announced that breakout star Regé-Jean Page, who played the…

[sunflower-swan]

Wolfstar Chapter 8

A/N: Here’s what you need to know: I created this story for Writer’s Month 2020. Every day is a new prompt, and therefore a new chapter. This is an AU Wolfstar where Remus is a tattoo artist next door to Sirius who manages a flower shop. James and Lily are alive in this universe and own a coffee shop across the street. And to make parts of the story work with the prompts, Remus is about 10 years older than Sirius. It also takes place more or less in present time, minus Covid-19.

This is chapter 8 of a multi-chapter work. If you’d like to start from the beginning, here is chapter 1.

Disclaimer: I don’t own these characters. I just like to play with them.

Day 8 Prompt: Eight

Rating: Teen and Up

Word Count: 1917

Tags: angst, language, humor, friendship

Chapter 8

Remus

Dropkick Murphys, “Rose Tattoo”

A rose that shines down from above

I signed and sealed these words in blood

I heard them once, sung in a song

It played again and we sang along

Remus stood and set his cup down on the coffee table. “Wait here. I’ll get it ready for you.” He walked toward the bathroom. Before he entered, he turned to cast a wary eye upon his friend.

Sirius had returned to laying in the fetal position on the couch. He had a pillow over his head, and his shoulders were trembling.

With an internal sigh, Remus entered the bathroom. He turned the tap to fill the tub with water, and then dropped in his last Lavender Vanilla scented bath bomb. It was his favorite to use when he felt stress, anxiety, and pain. But Sirius needed it more than him right now, and he made a mental note to pick up more next time he did the shopping.

Then he grabbed a towel from the linen closet and set it on the sink. He looked in the mirror over the sink at his reflection. The wisps of grey at his temples and the beginnings of lines forming at the corners of his eyes mocked him. They hinted at a man aged, through complicated circumstances, beyond his actual years.

He remembered being on his own during his own grief, and how the darkness had consumed him. Sirius didn’t know it, but his friendship had helped Remus finally find his way out. Whatever he could do to return the favor, he would do it. Remus closed his eyes and took a deep breath. The lavender vanilla scent was already percolating through the air, and it helped to calm him. 

James, Lily, and Remus had decided it was probably best if Sirius didn’t stay alone at his own flat tonight. So Remus found his largest pair of athletic shorts, which had never fit him but would hopefully fit Sirius well enough, and a clean undershirt. He set these next to the towel, and went back to the living room to fetch Sirius.

He was right where Remus had left him. Sirius had shifted positions on the couch, and was now laying on his back. His eyes were staring blankly at the ceiling, one arm draped across his stomach, and his other rested on his forehead.

Damn. And I thought I was broken, he thought as he looked at Sirius.  “Come on, mate.” Remus helped Sirius to his feet and led him to the bathroom.

Sirius took a long deep breath, and let it out. “Smells nice.”

“Yeah. It’s my favorite.” Remus cleared his throat. Sirius didn’t need to know how often he needed to be calmed or comforted, or that it was often enough to keep a stock of bath bombs handy. “Uh, anyway. Towel and clean clothes are here.” He patted the pile on the sink. “And you take all the time you need. I’ll be out there.” He gestured with his thumb over his shoulder.

Suddenly Sirius threw his arms around Remus. “Thank you,” he whispered into Remus’ shoulder.

“You’re welcome.” Remus melted into his embrace, and silently vowed again to help hold the broken man together. 

Sirius released him, and he took the opportunity to leave, closing the door behind him. He let out a heavy sigh and went back to his favorite chair, grabbing a sketchbook and pencil on the way. Flipping open to a blank page he began to draw. Mainly for something to keep his hands and mind busy, and not thinking about the naked Sirius in his tub.

Forty minutes later, he had sketched a beautiful rose. Lots of detailed petals spiraling into the middle, and a few spiked leaves sticking out from underneath. The rose itself seemed to embody the sorrow he knew Sirius was feeling. At that moment, he heard the lever flip to drain the tub, and the sound of Sirius getting out of the bath. Setting the sketchbook on the coffee table, he went into the kitchen to make more tea. 

“Did you draw this?” Came a voice from the living room.

Remus poked his head out and saw Sirius holding the sketchbook.

“Uh, yeah. Did that while you were in the bath.”

“This is it.”

“What do you mean?” Remus asked, entering the living room with two fresh cups of tea.

“This is what I want.” He fixed Remus with a pointed stare. “Will you tattoo this on me?”

“Erm...yeah.” Remus handed him a cup. “We can do it in the morning, yeah?”

“Now.”

“Now?” Remus worried Sirius was feeling a little reckless and not thinking this decision through. “Why don’t we sit and have some tea and talk about it a bit first.” Sirius was undoubtedly feeling emotional, and Remus didn’t want him to let that control his decisions.

Sirius rolled his eyes in a huff and accepted the cup offered to him. “Fine.”

The two men sat, Sirius back on the couch and Remus back in his favorite chair. Remus sipped his tea and studied Sirius over the cup.

He was still staring intently at the drawing. There was an intense fire consumed in his flitting eyes. Remus sensed a recklessness disguised as adrenaline in Sirius.

“I decided...in the bath I decided I wanted to get a tattoo in remembrance of Silas. And when I saw this,” he was still holding and looking at the rose, “I knew this was it. I want it right here.” He placed his right hand over his left chest and shoulder and looked at Remus through misty eyes.

He continued to study Sirius for a long second. If this is what he needs to begin to heal, then I can do it. Remus' heart ached for himself and for Sirius when he finally said, “Ok.”

Sirius gave him a sad smile and closed his eyes. “Thank you, Remus.”

~~~~~

Sirius stayed on Remus' couch that night. James had popped by in the evening to see how he was getting along, and brought him a change of clothes. He also managed to convince Sirius to not be alone at his flat for the night. He was worried about what Sirius might get up to if left to his own devices right now, a concern he shared with Remus. Although Remus never had company. And sort of forgot come morning, that he had a guest on the couch.

Remus’ alarm went off, and he slammed his hand on the button on top. With a tired groan, he hauled himself out of bed. Bleary eyed and wearing only his boxers, he stumbled to the kitchen. He poured himself a glass of water from the tap, paid the Daily Prophet owl, and wandered back through the living room. It was at this moment he noticed the human shaped lump on his couch.

What the...he wondered, squinting at the mass.

One of the eyes of the mass opened. “Remus, the dragon boxers are very flattering, but put on some trousers, mate.”

Remus jumped as the recollection of the prior evening ricocheted around his brain -- Silas death, Sirius bath, James stopped by, Sirius stayed the night -- and he remembered what and why and who was on his couch. Of course, this jump also caused him to spill most of the contents of his water glass all over himself. “Sweet Merlin and Godric damn-it anyway!” He covered the front of his boxers with the newspaper, and side-stepped into the bathroom.

A few minutes later he emerged from the bathroom, thoroughly embarrassed but fully clothed and dry. Which was more than he could say for his overnight guest. Remus stopped in his tracks. Sirius was lounging on his couch wearing only jeans, his feet propped up and ankles crossed...reading a book.

A Wrinkle in Time, Remus read on the cover. One of his favorites, despite it being considered a children’s novel. He found inspiration in it’s ideas of friendship, individuality, courage, and nonconformity.

Finding Sirius relaxing on his couch, and reading his books, however. Well, that made his insides squirm in a way that was not appropriate given the situation and circumstances.

“I see you’ve made yourself at home,” Remus remarked. Casual. Be casual.

Sirius turned a page. “Well, I figured if you’re going to do my tattoo this morning, then there was no point in putting on a shirt.” He looked at Remus with a wide, toothless smirk.

Oh, yeah. While Remus was covered almost head to toe in tattoos to cover his scars, he noticed Sirius had a few specially placed so you’d never know they were there if you never saw him with his shirt off. The one that stood out to him most was on the inside of his left forearm.

“Canis Major,” Remus said.

Sirius moved his hand from holding up his head and held his arm out to examine it. “The star Sirius is right there.” He pointed with a smile. “The Dog Star.”

“How many tattoos do you have?” Remus asked, sitting in his favorite chair. 

“Seven. Today’s will be eight.” Sirius swung his legs down to the floor. “The constellation dog was my first. Then I got this one.” He held up and pointed to the inside of his right bicep. “For my brother, Regulus.” It was the Leo constellation within a lion.

“Then, when Reg died, I got this tribal band.” It was two lines encompassing a band of triangles with every other one flipped.

“The day after James proposed to Lily, I got this one.” He showed the outside of his right bicep, with an intimidating stag surrounded by colorful orange lilies. 

“Then I also got this motorcycle.” He leaned back and showed off the left side of his abs. “I think motorcycles are a brilliant Muggle contraption.”

“And this Gibson guitar head.” It was on the outside of his left bicep. “Shortly after I started learning how to play guitar, and I realized it was going to become a big part of my life.”

“What about the one on your sternum?” Remus was most interested in this one. It was very familiar to him, despite having never seen it on Sirius’ body.

Sirius looked down and touched this tattoo with a chuckle. “Oh. Got this one shortly after leaving Hogwarts.”

“The rest of your tattoos have special meaning though.” This one looked like a weird letter Y with lines through the bottom. He recognized the sign. “What does this one mean?” Does it mean to you what it means to me?

“Ok. So, I’ll tell you, but you have to promise not to freak out.”

“Ok…”

“It’s an amalgamation symbol. It kinda means like...a merger or a mixture.”

Remus could only stare and blink. “Ok…”

Sirius scratched his head with a grin. “Erm...James and I figured out how to become animagi while we were in school. That’s why his tattoo is a stag, because that’s his animagus form.”

What the hell? Remus had been on the edge of his seat throughout this explanation, and at this revelation he fell back. “What?”

“I’m an animagus.”

“And so is James?”

“Yes.”

“No.”

In the time it took Remus to blink, there was a big black dog sitting on his couch where Sirius had been moments before. He jumped. “What the hell?!”

The dog hopped off the couch and padded over to where Remus sat, and looked up at him with great puppy dog eyes. Then in another blink of the eye, Sirius crouched in front of him.

“Let’s go do that tattoo now.” Sirius said with a grin and a slap to Remus' leg.

Next Chapter: Chapter 9