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writerinlearning · 2 days ago

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what if i screamed into my pillow at 12:20am on christmas day?? what then, uh??? henry hart you will always have a special place in my heart

Six Minutes [prequel] (Henry Hart x Fem!Reader)

summary: Six minutes is what it took to change her life, and six months is what it took to end theirs before it began.

contains: swearing, reader gets stabbed, blood, minimal use of Y/n, breakup, no comfort

notes: figured i’d make a lil prequel to Six Minutes that told that story in greater detail

wc: 2,612

She never imagined that signing up to be Captain Man's sidekick would lead her to the love of her life. The day they'd met was etched in her memory like it had happened yesterday. She had stepped into the elevator, nerves twisting in her stomach, only to find herself standing next to a blond-haired boy who looked just as unsure as she felt.

When the elevator dropped at an alarming speed, they instinctively grabbed onto each other, clutching hands and screaming in terror as they hurtled down to the Man Cave. That was the day Ray Manchester had hired them, dubbing them Kid Danger and Bone, the perfect duo to help protect Swellview.

They had been partners first, thrown into missions that tested their courage and trust. Somewhere in the chaos of fighting crime and saving the day, their partnership turned into something more. It wasn't clear when exactly it happened, but by the time they were fourteen, they'd become inseparable.

Their first kiss had been after a particularly difficult mission, sitting on the roof of the Man Cave under the stars. The city lights twinkled below, but Henry only had eyes for her. "You make this all feel worth it," he'd confessed softly, and she'd leaned in before she even realized it.

At fifteen, they had perfected the art of sneaking in movie nights at his house. Curled up on his couch with a bowl of popcorn, the world outside melted away. One night, as the credits rolled and Henry's steady heartbeat lulled her to sleep, he whispered into her hair, "Y'know, I'm convinced you're an actual angel."

She smiled in her half-asleep state, burying her face in his shoulder. For her, home wasn't a place. It was a person. It was Henry Hart.

Their friends and even Ray loved to tease them about being inseparable. Schwoz would make sly comments about their stolen glances in the Man Cave, and Charlotte and Jasper never let them live down their adorably obvious affection for one another. Even Ray, who pretended to be exasperated by their relationship, secretly rooted for them. Everyone could see it—they were soulmates, plain and simple. They balanced each other perfectly, their love as natural as breathing.

But love couldn't protect them from the dangers that came with their double lives. One night, everything changed.

An alarm blared through the Man Cave, and they suited up in record time. It was a high-level emergency—a dangerous criminal had been terrorizing the city, stronger and smarter than most they'd faced before. They arrived at the scene with Captain Man, ready as ever.

As always, they fought like a well-oiled machine. She moved left, Henry moved right, their actions in perfect sync. Every punch, every dodge, every strategic move showed how deeply connected they were. They had each other's backs, no matter what.

But the criminal was unlike any average scumbag they'd encountered. He was ruthless and powerful, and even Captain Man was struggling to hold his ground. The villain's strength was unnatural, his hits landing like thunderclaps.

Then it happened. One wrong step, one split-second miscalculation. The criminal lunged at her, and Henry, acting purely on instinct, pushed her out of the way, taking the full force of the blow meant for her.

"KD!" She screamed, watching in horror as he was thrown across the room, crashing into a concrete wall.

Everything blurred—the sounds of Captain Man shouting, the criminal's taunts echoing, her heart pounding in her ears. She hadn't realized she'd been stabbed until she'd already fallen to the ground.

She could admit that he was a formidable opponent. Someone unafraid to stain their hands with blood if need be—and he had.

His hands were now red, glistening crimson as he escaped the trio; Kid Danger was on his knees, screaming for Captain Man as he cradled her in his arms. She was slipping away, the knife protruding from her side giving them a nasty view. Her mask was cracked, eye beginning to bruise from a nasty high-kick the man had delivered.

"Ray!" Henry's voice was raw, panicked. Her blood was seeping into his suit, but he didn't care. "Ray!"

Captain Man rushed over, eyes blown with panic as he took in the sight; Bone was laying there, blood seeping from her side, eyelids fighting to stay open. She was dying—this sixteen year old girl was dying on his watch.

"Kid," he stated, voice a harsh whisper as he crouched down beside her. "Kid, look at me. Stay awake. Keep your eyes open, Y/n."

She went to respond, but was cut off by a nasty cough; blood sprayed from her lips, and neither of them cared if it had splattered onto their skin.

"Y/n, please." Henry cried, cupping her cheek and turning her to look at him. "Please, try to stay awake. We'll get you back to the Man Cave."

As he was reassuring her, talking to keep her mind from drifting into silence, Ray called for Schwoz to bring the ManCopter. They wouldn't make it in time if they went by car, there was no way. There was medical equipment in the copter, just in case something like this were to happen to either sidekick. They could stabilize her.

Her eyes glossed over with boiling tears, her ducts unable to contain them in the face of death. Is this how she was going to die? At the hands of some low-life, trying to protect her boyfriend and her boss? She didn't want to go, she still had so much to do.

Her vision faded in and out, the world around her growing muffled to her ears; three words were stuck in her throat, and she didn't know if she'd gotten them out before everything fell into darkness.

...

When they returned to the Man Cave, it was chaos. Henry carried her limp body in his arms, blood staining her suit and his hands trembling as he begged her to stay with him. "Don't do this," he whispered, his voice breaking. "Please."

Ray was shouting orders at Schwoz, his usual goofy demeanor replaced with pure panic. "Fix her! Schwoz, you have to fix her!"

Schwoz was already scrambling, setting up machines and muttering calculations under his breath, his hands uncharacteristically steady despite the weight of the situation. The rest of the team—Charlotte, Jasper, even Ray—stood frozen, tears streaming down their faces as they watched him work.

The moment she flatlined, the world seemed to stop.

The deafening sound of the heart monitor's flat tone pierced the air, sending a chill down everyone's spines. Henry froze, his grip on her hand tightening as if sheer will could bring her back. "No," he whispered, shaking his head in denial. "No, no, no!"

Ray turned to Schwoz, desperation etched across his face. "Do something! Now!"

The genius didn't respond with his usual quips or reassurances. His face was pale, and his hands worked furiously to prepare the defibrillator. "I'm trying! Just give me a second!"

"A second? She doesn't have a second!" Henry yelled, his voice breaking. He dropped his forehead to hers, tears streaming freely. "Please," he whispered. "You can't leave me. You can't."

The team stood helplessly, their hearts shattered as they watched him crumble. Ray had his hands on his head, pacing and muttering under his breath. Charlotte clung to Jasper, her tears soaking his shirt, while Jasper's usually joyful demeanor was nowhere to be seen.

"Clear!" Schwoz shouted, his voice cutting through the chaos. He pressed the paddles to her chest, sending a jolt through her body. Nothing.

"Again!" Ray barked, his voice trembling.

"Clear!" Another jolt. Still nothing.

Henry's sobs filled the room as he rocked back and forth, her hand still clasped in his. "Come back," he whispered. "Please come back. I can't do this without you."

The seconds stretched into an eternity, and for the first time, it seemed like hope was slipping away. Schwoz hesitated, his hands shaking. "I don't know if—"

"Don't you dare stop!" The blond screamed, his voice raw. "You fix her!"

Taking a deep breath, Schwoz steeled himself. "One more time. Clear!"

The jolt seemed to ripple through the room, and for a moment, nothing happened. Then, the monitor beeped. Once, then again, and again. Her chest rose with a shallow gasp, and her eyelids fluttered open.

The relief hit like a tidal wave. Henry's broken sob turned into a laugh as he cupped her face, his tears falling onto her cheeks. "You're back," he whispered, his voice trembling with disbelief. "You're really back."

She looked up at him, her voice barely audible. "Didn't think it'd be that easy, did ya?"

The team erupted into laughter and sobs, the tension in the room breaking all at once. Ray let out a strangled noise and threw his arms around Schwoz, lifting him off the ground. "You did it! You actually did it!"

The genius didn't even try to pull away. He simply patted Ray's back, his own eyes glassy.

Henry pressed his forehead to hers, his voice soft. "You scared me so bad," he murmured.

"I'm sorry," she whispered, her own tears beginning to fall.

Even Ray wiped at his eyes, muttering something about allergies before pulling Schwoz into a bone-crushing hug. "You did it, you little genius!"

Everyone crowded around her, their tears mixing with relieved laughter. In that moment, they weren't just a team. They were a family. And though the scars of the night would remain, they had her back—and she had theirs. Forever.

Six minutes.

It shouldn't have been humanely possible, but they'd done it.

The brain is active for seven minutes after death, and they'd managed to save her in six.

The sound of the monitor flatlining, with her hand in his, would haunt Henry for the rest of his life.

...

It had been months since the incident, and Henry hadn't been the same. He was always by her side, watching her every move, as if she might break if he looked away. The love and concern were obvious, but it had started to feel suffocating. Every time an alert went off, he would beg her not to come on missions, his voice filled with panic.

"Please," he'd say, clutching her hands. "I can handle it. You don't need to put yourself in danger again."

But she wasn't going to sit on the sidelines. She wasn't just his girlfriend—she was his partner, and she was determined to remind him of that.

They found themselves in Swellview Park that evening, the crisp air doing little to cool the tension between them. They were supposed to be enjoying a rare moment of peace, but the argument from earlier still lingered in the air.

"You can't keep treating me like I'm made of glass, Henry," she said, her voice firm but tired.

"I'm not—" he started, but she shot him a look, and he stopped.

"Yes, you are," she continued. "You flinch every time I even step near a puddle. I know you're scared, but I'm fine now. You have to trust me."

Before he could respond, her foot caught on an uneven patch of ground, and she stumbled. It wasn't anything serious—barely more than a trip—but Henry was at her side in an instant, his hands gripping her arms as if she'd nearly fallen off a cliff.

"Are you okay? Did you twist your ankle? Let me see," he said frantically, already crouching to inspect her.

She yanked her arm away, her patience finally snapping. "Henry, stop! I tripped!"

His eyes widened, startled by the sharpness of her tone, but she wasn't finished.

"I'm sick of this!" She snapped, swinging around to face her boyfriend. "Stop treating me like I'm fragile!"

"I'm not!"

"You barely let me walk to class on my own!"

"That's not—"

"You stood in the hallway while I was using the bathroom because you were scared something was going to happen!"

"I—"

"Why're you being so fucking protective?!"

"Because I lost you, Y/n!" He yelled back, his volume catching them both off guard. The girl before him froze, jaw locked and eyes glossy. He took a deep breath, "I lost you—for six minutes. You were dead."

"But I'm okay now."

Henry sighed, running a hand through his hair. "You don't get it."

"Make me get it."

"I thought we weren't gonna be able to bring you back." He admitted, "I felt your heart stop."

"But I'm okay now," she repeated, her tone soft. "It's been months, Hen. I'm still here."

He shook his head, "What if I lose you again? What if something happens and I'm not there? Or we can't bring you back a second time?"

She sighed, a frown overtaking her lips. "I get it, trust me. You think I don't have nightmares about it? Think I don't look over my shoulder, ready to fight for my life in case that prick breaks out? It's always gonna be a fear, but you can't keep acting like I'm gonna disappear any second. It's overbearing."

Henry drew his lips into a tight line, his gaze locked onto his shoes. They were the same ones he'd worn that night—the night she had nearly slipped away from him forever. The memory was burned into his mind, an endless loop of fear and desperation.

"Y/n..." he started, his voice barely above a whisper. "I don't think I can stop."

Her breath hitched, but she stood her ground. "Then I don't think I can stay."

His head shot up, panic flickering in his eyes. "What?"

She looked at him, her eyes glistening with unshed tears. "Henry, I love you. More than anything. But I can't keep living like this—trapped under the weight of your fear. It's not fair to either of us."

His face crumpled, and he reached for her, his hands shaking. "Y/n, please. Don't say that. I'm just... I'm trying to protect you. I can't lose you again."

"You didn't lose me," she said softly, her voice breaking. "I came back. I fought my way back to you, Henry. But ever since then, it's like you're so scared of the 'what ifs' that you've stopped seeing past the incident. I'm not just someone you need to save. I’m your girlfriend—I'm your partner. And if you can't trust me to be that anymore..."

She trailed off, her heart aching as his eyes filled with tears.

"I do trust you," he said, his voice trembling. "But I trust myself more to keep you safe."

Her lips pressed into a sad smile. "That's the problem. You're holding on so tight, Hen, that you're losing me anyway. Not because I want to leave—but because I don't have a choice if this doesn't change."

He was silent, his chest heaving with ragged breaths as he tried to form words. "I don't know how to do this without you," he finally admitted.

She reached out, brushing her fingers lightly against his cheek. "You won't have to," she whispered. "But you have to meet me halfway. You have to give me some freedom. Because if you can't..." Her voice cracked, and she pulled back, wiping at her eyes. "Then I can't stay."

The weight of her words hung between them, suffocating in its finality. For the first time in months, Henry didn't know what to say. All he could do was watch as the girl who meant everything to him walked away, leaving him alone in the park with nothing but his memories and his regrets.

#writerinlearning recommends #emy recommends #henry danger

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writerinlearning · 3 days ago

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my mum has finished watching avatar the way of water for the first time, and i rewatched it again with her. safe to say that after two years, im still not over neteyam’s death and i might just have to write a fix-it fic to make up for it

#writerinlearning #emy rants #avatar the way of water

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writerinlearning · 6 days ago

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not gonna lie, the few pics i’ve seen and the trailer already gave me a few ideas 🫢

imagine the fanfics that will be written once the movie is out

#writerinlearning #henry danger the movie #henry danger #emy rants

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writerinlearning · 7 days ago

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#henry danger #henry hart #writerinlearning #henry danger the movie

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writerinlearning · 9 days ago

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Men can be slutty too.

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writerinlearning · 9 days ago

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i can’t believe we might be seeing the blimp explosion from the series finale

this movie is about to heal my whole childhood. i just know little me would be thrilled

#writerinlearning #emy rambles #emy rants #henry danger the movie #henry danger

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writerinlearning · 9 days ago

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i legit cannot wait for the movie omg

LOOK AT HIM!!! (he looks so good omg)

I HAVE NO ONE TO TALK ABOUT THIS

i'm so excited for the movie i can't even wait

#henry danger #jace norman #kid danger #henry hart #henry danger the movie #writerinlearning #emy rants

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writerinlearning · 11 days ago

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Six Minutes (Henry Hart x Fem!Reader)

summary: When the Danger Force lose a ‘Best Sidekick’ competition, Captain Man’s reaction strikes a nerve in one of his former sidekicks.

contains: swearing, exes to friends to lovers, angst, ray being ray, mentions of near-death experiences, stabbing, mentions of dying and getting resuscitated, fluff, minimal use of Y/n, readers sidekick name was Bone.

notes: let’s be real, danger force sucks, and ray saying they’re the best sidekicks IN FRONT OF HENRY was fucked up.

wc: 2,642

divider by @strangergraphics

Words hurt.

That's one fact that, in all her years of knowing Ray Manchester, he'd never seemed to understand. Or, maybe he did. Maybe he used hurtful words to deflect his own insecurities. Maybe it became instinct, and maybe that's why he never seemed to realize when he'd say something hurtful.

She didn't know why she was shocked at his words, claiming to the audience that the Danger Force were the best sidekicks ever—it hurt. More than it probably should have, considering the world was under the impression that Bone and Kid Danger had died on that blimp.

But, she had a long history of calling Ray out on his behavior when no one else would—why would she break her streak now?

After the kids went home, she, Henry, and Ray were left to their own devices in the current Man Cave—she didn't know which number this was, recalling her former boss' statement, years ago, that there were a multitude of Man Caves because of his impulsiveness and magnetic pull to self destruct buttons.

She didn't want to blow up in front of the kids, she wasn't that type of person; they were already bummed that they'd lost, so her calling out Ray for stating that they were the best—when they simply weren't—wouldn't help. They were still kids, after all.

"You've got that look on your face." The man stated, "I don't like that look."

Henry perked up from his spot nearby, watching the exchange; when he'd taken a glance at her, he knew exactly what look Ray was referring to. This was gonna be interesting.

"What look?"

"The 'Ray acted like a dickhead so I'm gonna tell him off' look."

Henry smiled humorously, "I've always liked that look."

She stood, crossing her arms as she approached the indestructible brunette. "Danger Force is the best, huh?"

"What're you—"

"At the competition, when you guys lost." She reminded, tone airy, "You said Danger Force is the best."

Ray stayed silent, not entirely understanding where this was going. Henry, though—Henry understood.

"You said it while we were standing right there." She continued, tapping her foot impatiently; it was easy to forget how dense this man could be in their time apart. "Was kinda fucked you did that."

"Hey—"

"Are they the best because they have powers?" She interrupted, "Are they the best because they haven't needed to save your ass from literal death, yet?"

"Hey—" Henry tried, but backed down when she shot him a glare. What Ray had said definitely stung, but the blond understood—he remembered how insecure he'd gotten when he discovered that he wasn't Captain Man's first sidekick. The reassurance is needed when you're placed in such a dangerous position at such a young age.

She knew that. But she wasn't going to stand down, they both knew her better than that.

"Kid," Ray sighed, but his words drifted. He didn't know what to say. Any of the kids could walk in at any moment, he didn't want to risk them hearing this argument. For once, he backed down. "I just—"

"Oh, I know." She shrugged, "But don't forget who saved your life more times than they can count before the age of eighteen, who nearly died just as much in the same amount of time, who threw away everything to help you. We didn't even get to graduate, Ray. We threw our lives away, for you. And now, you're disrespecting the memory of Bone and Kid Danger for a bunch of kids that let all the same criminals we risked our lives to fight escape."

Henry stayed silent. He didn't know what to say, because he agreed. As much as he cared about those kids, he agreed.

"I died." She reminded them both, forcing the memory to the front of their minds. They shivered.

He was a formidable opponent. Someone unafraid to stain their hands with blood if need be—and he had.

"Ray!" His voice was raw, panicked. Her blood was seeping into his suit, but he didn't care. "Ray!"

"Kid," he stated, voice a harsh whisper as he crouched down beside her. "Kid, look at me. Stay awake. Keep your eyes open, Y/n."

She went to respond, but was cut off by a nasty cough; blood sprayed from her lips, and neither of them cared if it had splattered onto their skin.

"Y/n, please." Henry cried, cupping her cheek and turning her to look at him. "Please, try to stay awake. We'll get you back to the Man Cave."

As he was reassuring her, talking to keep her mind from drifting into silence, Ray called for Schwoz to bring the Mancopter. They wouldn't make it in time if they went by car, there was no way. There was medical equipment in the copter, just in case something like this were to happen to either sidekick. They could stabilize her.

Her vision faded in and out, the world around her growing muffled to her ears; three words were stuck in her throat, and she didn't know if she'd gotten them out before everything fell into darkness.

Six minutes.

It shouldn't have been humanely possible, but they'd done it.

The brain is active for seven minutes after death, and they'd managed to save her in six.

The sound of the monitor flatlining, with her hand in his, would haunt Henry for the rest of his life.

"I didn't tell you to get stabbed!"

"You didn't have to!" She screamed, her resolve finally shattering under the weight of what she'd gone through—of what they'd gone through—at the hands of Ray Manchester. "I was doing my job!"

Ray stood abruptly, towering over her, guilt and anger swirling through his eyes. "And then you left!"

"Two years later—after nearly dying again—because I wanted to live!" She retorted, her cold tone matching his own. "I didn't want to rot in the isolated life you chose for yourself! I didn't want to keep dying for you!"

"What do you want from me?"

"AN APOLOGY." She screamed, her voice ricocheting off the walls and forcing goosebumps along Ray and Henry's bodies. "You took my childhood—our childhoods—and you're blaming me for leaving."

Ray stayed silent, frozen in place as he stared at her.

Henry hadn't seen her like this in years. Not since the first time he'd almost died while working alongside the superhero. She'd lost it then.

He needed to step in, her fingers were twitching too close to the switchblade in her pocket—they both knew it wouldn't do shit to Ray, but a one-on-one fight is not what they needed right now.

He gently grabbed her wrist, pulling her from the man and leading her away from the Man Cave. She didn't fight his hold, chest heaving as she tried to calm down.

When their former boss was way out of sight, they stood in silence. They'd ended up in Swellview Park, a place that held so many memories—both good and bad.

This was where they broke up.

This was where they both lost the ability to move on.

"I'm sick of this!" She snapped, swinging around to face her boyfriend. "Stop treating me like I'm fragile!"

"I'm not!"

"You barely let me walk to class on my own!"

"That's not—"

"You stood in the hallway while I was using the bathroom because you were scared something was going to happen!"

"I—"

"Why're you being so fucking protective?!"

"But I'm okay now."

Henry sighed, running a hand through his hair. "You don't get it."

"Make me get it."

"I thought we weren't gonna be able to bring you back." He admitted, "I felt your heart stop."

"But I'm okay now," she repeated, her tone soft. "It's been months, Hen. I'm still here."

He shook his head, "What if I lose you again? What if something happens and I'm not there? Or we can't bring you back a second time?"

Henry drew his lips into a tight line, eyes locked onto his shoes. He wore them that night.

"Y/n... I don't think I can stop."

"Then I don't think I can stay."

"What?"

"I love you, Henry. But..."

They sat in silence, the memory seemingly playing in both of their minds. He could see the scar on her side, due to her cropped hoodie; he wondered if she ever moved on. If she still loved him the way he still loved her.

Despite his long history of being a player, he couldn't bring himself to start over with someone new. Yeah, he'd flirt with pretty strangers, but he never let it move past that. He'd gone as far as giving a fake number and never returning to that bar.

"I like the buzzcut." She said, her voice tired as she stared ahead. "The brown would look like shit with your old haircut."

Henry chuckled, fiddling with his thumbs. "Thanks."

"What, no return compliment?" She joked, eyebrow raised. "Wow. You've changed, Henry Hart."

He shrugged, glancing to her briefly as he cleared his throat. "Not a compliment out there I haven't already given you."

A smile danced across her lips, eyes crinkling at the corners. "There he is."

"How've you been?"

She sighed, "Drunk, mostly. You?"

"Eh," he shrugged. "Alive."

They fell into effortless conversation, becoming a mirror image of their younger selves. A mirror image of a time when death didn't creep around in the shadows every day, when their only break wasn't catching Jeff once a week.

A time when love didn't feel like a memory.

For nearly two hours, they talked like no time had passed, their banter as easy as it had been in their younger days. The tension of old wounds lingered beneath the surface, but they danced around it, choosing lighter topics instead—until she stretched, glanced at the time, and mentioned heading back to her hotel.

Henry offered to walk her there, a gesture she accepted with a small, tired smile. She refused to stay at the Man Cave for the night—too much weight, too strong of a grudge against Ray.

As they strolled through the quiet streets, their conversation dipped into deeper waters.

"It was good to see you again," she admitted softly, looking up at the dark sky. "I didn't realize how much I missed you."

Henry glanced at her, his hands shoved into his jacket pockets. "Yeah. Same here." He hesitated, then added, "Do you ever wonder... how things would've turned out? If we stayed together?"

Her steps faltered for half a beat, and the weight of the question settled between them. "Yeah. All the time."

He stopped walking, turning to face her. "Me too."

The air grew tense, filled with the unspoken truths they'd avoided for so long. She folded her arms, her gaze dropping to the pavement.

"I couldn't move on," she admitted, her voice barely above a whisper. "I flirted to get free drinks, but... never went past that."

Henry exhaled, the weight of her words both comforting and crushing. "Same. I mean, you know me—I flirted. Tried to act like I was fine. But... I couldn't do it either. You're the only person I ever—" He stopped himself, swallowing hard.

She looked up at him, her eyes glossy under the dim streetlights. "I regret leaving," she confessed. "Every day. I thought it was the right thing to do, but... I hated being without you. I hated myself for walking away."

"I don't blame you," he said quickly, shaking his head with a soft chuckle. "You were right. I was being paranoid. I didn't realize how much I was smothering you, and... God, I hated myself for it."

The honesty between them hung heavy in the night air, but there was something sweet about it too—something healing.

Henry smiled faintly, his eyes searching hers. "Do you think we'd ever... try again? You know, now that we're older?"

Her answer came almost too quickly, her voice trembling with certainty. "Yes."

He blinked, caught off guard by her quick response, but then his face softened into a grin. "Yeah?"

"Yeah," she said, smiling nervously. "If you still want to, I mean."

He didn't reply—not with words, anyway. Instead, Henry closed the small space between them, his movements tentative at first, as if testing the waters of a fragile moment. His hands reached up to gently cradle her face, his fingers brushing against her cheeks with a reverence that made her breath hitch. He looked at her for a lingering second, searching her eyes for any hesitation, but found none. Then, slowly, he leaned in.

The kiss was soft, almost cautious at first, but the moment their lips touched, the floodgates opened. His grip on her face tightened just slightly, as though anchoring himself to the reality of her presence, afraid that if he let go, she might walk away again. There was desperation in the way he kissed her, but also relief—years of longing, regret, and love pouring into the tender connection.

She melted into him, her arms sliding up and wrapping around his neck, pulling him closer as if to reassure him—and herself—that this was real. The tension of years apart dissolved, replaced by the warmth of rediscovery. The world around them seemed to fade, the cool night air and distant hum of the city blurring into background noise.

Her fingers rested on the buzzed hairs at the nape of his neck, and she sighed softly against his lips. His other hand drifted to her waist, steadying her as though afraid she might slip through his fingers. In that moment, it was just the two of them—no scars, no regrets, no distance—only the weight of everything they still felt for each other and the unspoken promise of a new beginning.

When they finally broke apart, her smile returned, this time with a mischievous edge. "You want to come up?"

"To your room?" He asked, raising an eyebrow.

"To make up for lost time," she clarified, her grin widening.

Henry chuckled, nodding as he slipped an arm around her waist. "Lead the way."

Together, they disappeared into the hotel, two souls finally finding their way back to each other after years of longing and regret.

#emy recommends #writerinlearning recommends

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writerinlearning · 13 days ago

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to anyone missing my writing please know i am also missing my writing

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writerinlearning · 14 days ago

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henry danger used to be one of my favourite shows when it was airing on tv and i’ve just recently rewatched it again and since then i’ve been trying to find good fics. i wasn’t disappointed with this one, it’s amazing! 🥹

Catch You if I Can (Henry Hart x Fem!Criminal!Reader)

summary: He thought he was past his phase of falling for criminals… until he met her — a ghost, hiding in the shadows, thirsty for revenge.

contains: swearing, angst, fluff, blood, violence, stabbing, hostage situation, human experimentation, death, vengeance, kisses

notes: look if a fic of mine doesn’t contain swearing than i need to be sent on a grippy sock vacation again

wc: 7,046

Henry Hart thought he'd outgrown the thrill of dangerous attraction. After all, he wasn't the same wide-eyed sidekick who'd once been easily charmed by a pretty face. He was Kid Danger—older, wiser, and less prone to falling for the wrong type of girl. Or so he thought.

Until her.

She wasn't like the criminals he and Captain Man usually dealt with—the bumbling low lives or eccentric masterminds with predictable monologues. No, she was sharp, cold, and calculated, with a precision that made her stand out. Their first encounter was etched in his memory.

The alarm at the bioengineering lab had blared through the Man Cave. It seemed routine at first—someone breaking in, probably another hack job from someone after expensive tech. But when they arrived, he’d been caught off guard.

She moved like a shadow, her figure slipping effortlessly through the lab's security measures. Dressed in black from head to toe, her face was hidden behind a sleek mask that revealed only her piercing eyes. Eyes that locked onto his the moment he entered the room.

"You're late," she teased, her voice smooth and unhurried. "I was beginning to think Swellview's finest wouldn't show."

He didn't have time to reply before she launched herself at him, her moves as fluid as water and twice as deadly. Henry was skilled, sure, but she was something else entirely—every block he threw met with a counter that left him scrambling to keep up.

Captain Man joined the fray, but even with the two of them, she didn't seem fazed. She dodged Ray's punches with ease, her focus occasionally drifting back to Henry.

"You're cute," she said mid-spin-kick, her voice teasing but calm. "For a sidekick."

Henry bristled at the comment but couldn't stop the flush that crept up his neck. Her tone wasn't mocking; it was playful, almost... curious.

"Not interested in compliments from criminals," he shot back, trying to keep his voice steady.

Her laugh was soft, almost musical, and it threw him off just long enough for her to pin him. She held his laser for a moment, inspecting it like it was a toy.

"Maybe not," she said, tossing it back to him with an obvious smirk beneath her mask. "But I'll see you around, Kid Danger."

And just like that, she was gone, leaving nothing but a trail of overturned equipment and Henry's racing heartbeat.

He hated how she got under his skin. He hated how her eyes stayed with him long after she disappeared. Most of all, he hated how part of him couldn't wait to see her again.

...

Henry didn't like being baited. He especially didn't like being baited away from Captain Man. But when the strange message pinged his phone—coordinates and a taunting "Come alone, Kid Danger"— his curiosity outweighed his better judgment.

The location was an old warehouse on the edge of town, its interior cloaked in shadows and eerie silence. Henry crept cautiously through the maze of crates and broken machinery, his instincts screaming that he shouldn't be there.

And then she appeared.

"You came," her voice echoed, smooth and teasing. She stepped out of the darkness with an infuriatingly confident smirk.

"Not exactly subtle with the invite," Henry retorted, squaring his stance. "What do you want?"

She tilted her head, her eyes sparkling behind the mask. "Straight to the point. I like that." She took a step closer, her movements slow, deliberate. "Not that it’s any of your business, but I want the Man Cave’s computer."

Henry's stomach tightened. "In your dreams."

She chuckled, the sound sending an unwelcome shiver down his spine. "I wasn’t asking."

Before he could respond, she lunged.

Their fight was intense—faster, harder than the last time. Henry gave it everything he had, but she was relentless, her strikes calculated, her agility unmatched. Every move he made, she countered with ease, her smirk never wavering.

"You're good," she admitted as he grabbed onto her approaching fist. "Better than last time."

"Yeah, well, I’m not exactly okay with the thought of you kicking my ass again," Henry snapped, his breath coming in short bursts.

"Aw, did I bruise your ego?" She teased, dodging a high kick and slipping behind him.

He spun, his fist aiming for her side, but she ducked and caught his wrist, twisting it just enough to make him falter. Before he could recover, she leaned in close, her masked face inches from his.

"You're kinda cute when you're angry," she whispered.

And then, before he could process what was happening, she lowered her mask and her lips brushed against his in a quick, electrifying kiss.

Henry froze, his mind reeling. It was so fast, so unexpected, that it took him a second to realize what had just happened.

That second was all she needed.

Pain shot through his thigh, hot and searing, and he stumbled back with a sharp gasp. He looked down to see blood seeping through his suit, a small, wicked blade now in her hand.

"Sorry, sidekick," she shrugged, slipping the knife back into her belt. "Nothing personal."

Henry dropped to one knee, clutching his leg as she backed into the shadows, her eyes meeting his one last time.

"Until next time," she called, her voice echoing in the empty space. And then she was gone.

Henry gritted his teeth, his frustration outweighing the pain. She'd lured him out, kissed him, stabbed him, and vanished—and he had to walk back to the Man Cave with an injured leg.

...

Henry stumbled out of the elevator, clutching his thigh and gritting his teeth against the pain. Charlotte was the first to notice him, her eyes widening as she took in the blood seeping through his suit.

"Oh my gosh, Henry!" she exclaimed, rushing to his side. "What the hell happened?"

"I'm fine," he muttered, lowering himself onto the couch. "Just—get the first aid kit, please."

Charlotte didn't waste any time, grabbing the kit and kneeling in front of him. She carefully peeled back the ripped fabric of his suit to reveal the gash on his thigh. "Fine? This doesn't look fine, Henry!"

"It's not as bad as it looks," he shrugged, trying to downplay it.

Ray looked up from his lounge chair, lazily blowing a gum bubble. "What the hell happened, Kid? You trip over your own feet again?"

Henry shot him a glare. "No. It was her. The girl from the lab the other night."

That got his boss’ attention. He sat up, his brow furrowing. "Her? What was she doing? And why were you out there alone?"

"She lured me out," he explained, his voice tight. "Sent some cryptic message, told me to come alone. I didn't think—"

"Clearly," Charlotte muttered under her breath, dabbing at the wound with antiseptic.

Henry winced but pressed on, rolling his eyes at his friends unwanted input. "She said she wanted the Man Cave’s computer. I told her no, we fought, and... well, she stabbed me."

Ray narrowed his eyes. "That's it? Nothing else?"

"That's it," He said quickly, avoiding eye contact.

Charlotte paused, tilting her head. Her eyes narrowed as she studied him. "Wait a second..."

Ray leaned forward, squinting. "Is it just me, or do his lips look... sparkly?"

Henry stiffened. "What?"

Charlotte's eyes widened in realization. "Oh my gosh. She kissed you, didn't she?"

"No!" He blurted, too loudly and too quickly.

His boss groaned, leaning back in exasperation. "Kid, not again! Another criminal? Really?"

"It's not like that!" Henry snapped, his face burning. "She kissed me to distract me so she could stab me!"

Charlotte raised an eyebrow. "And you didn't think that was important enough to mention?"

"I was going to—eventually!" He exclaimed defensively.

Ray stood up, blowing a gum bubble and changing into his suit. "Unbelievable. You've got some kind of magnetic pull for the bad ones, Kid."

"Where are you going?" The blonde asked, his frustration increasing.

"To find her," the man said. "You clearly can't handle this one on your own."

"Hey!" Henry protested, but Captain Man was already stepping into his tube.

"Stay here, rest your leg, and maybe try not to let criminals kiss you next time," Ray called over his shoulder as the tube lowered. He hit his belt, “Up the tube!”

Charlotte stood after finishing wrapping her friend’s thigh, grabbing her bag. "I've gotta head home. My mom's waiting on me."

"Seriously? You're just fucking leaving me here?" He asked, irritated. “I just got stabbed!”

"And you kind of deserved it," she shrugged, slinging the bag over her shoulder. "Don't do anything stupid, okay?"

Henry sighed, slumping back on the couch as she left. The Man Cave was eerily silent now, save for the faint, almost imperceptible beeping noise coming from his thigh. Blissfully unaware, Henry leaned his head back, replaying the night's events and trying not to think about the strange, electric feeling her kiss had left behind.

...

The dim hum of the Man Cave's machinery was the only sound as he slept, sprawled across the round couch, exhaustion weighing heavy on him. He stirred slightly, caught in a restless dream, until the faint ding of the elevator jolted him awake.

His eyes snapped open, and he sat up groggily, blinking at the darkened room. "Ray?" He mumbled, but no answer came.

The sudden, sharp pull of ropes around his wrists and ankles yanked him fully awake. He struggled, realizing he'd been restrained, but it was too late.

"Aw, did I wake you?" A familiar, teasing voice cooed from the shadows.

Henry froze, his stomach sinking. "You."

She stepped into the faint light, her sleek figure illuminated just enough to make out her confident stance. "You were sleeping so peacefully," she teased, her tone dripping with mock sympathy. "But I figured this was a conversation better had with your undivided attention."

Henry glared, tugging at the ropes binding him to the chair. "You've got to be kidding me," he muttered, his voice laced with frustration. "What is this, round two of the 'ruin Kid Danger’s night' tour?"

The lights flicked on, and Henry's heart sank even further as he remembered he wasn't wearing his suit—just a t-shirt and sweatpants. Vulnerable. Exposed.

She tilted her head, her eyes gleaming above her mask as she took in his appearance. Then, she let out a low, impressed whistle. "I've gotta say, sidekick," she purred, "you're a lot cuter out of the suit."

He rolled his eyes, doing his best to ignore the heat creeping up his neck. "Great. Thanks for the compliment. Now untie me."

She ignored him, circling him slowly, her movements deliberate and almost predatory. "You know," she mused, her tone light, "it's almost a shame I've been kicking your ass so much. You've got this whole boy-next-door thing going on. It's cute."

"How’d you even find me?" He snapped, desperate to shift the conversation.

She stopped behind him, leaning down close enough that he could feel her breath against his ear. "The tracker," she whispered, tapping his thigh lightly where the wound throbbed beneath the bandage.

Henry's stomach twisted. "You've got to be fucking kidding me," he swore.

"Nope," she said, her voice laced with amusement. Straightening, she moved toward the control panel. "And now that I'm here, I’m gonna make myself at home."

"What?" The blonde asked, his frustration blending with confusion.

She turned away from him, her gloved hands working swiftly at the console. The room's monitors flickered as a hard drive clicked into place. "The Man Cave, dumbass. It's mine now. All locked down. No one in, no one out. Captain Man's going to be so disappointed... For, like, an hour. Then I’m dipping."

Henry's heart raced as he yanked harder at the ropes. "What do you even want?"

"I’d be stupid to tell you now." She replied, tilting her head with a smirk.

Then, with a deliberate motion, she reached for her mask. His breath caught as she pulled it off, revealing her face for the first time.

She was stunning. Ethereal in a way that didn't seem real. Her glowing complexion and piercing eyes held a magnetic pull that left him speechless. For a moment, he forgot where he was, what was happening.

His jaw dropped.

She laughed, a soft, melodic sound that sent shivers down his spine. "Careful, sidekick," she teased, stepping closer and ruffling his messy hair. "Keep looking at me like that, and I might think you like me."

He snapped his mouth shut, glaring up at her. "You're actually insane."

"Maybe," she said with a shrug, turning back to the computer. The progress bar on her hard drive ticked upward as she downloaded everything stored in the Man Cave's systems. "Or maybe I'm just better at this whole vigilante shit than you are."

Henry tugged uselessly at the ropes. "You know you won't get away with this," he said through gritted teeth.

She glanced over her shoulder, smirking. "If you ever catch me, it’s because I let you. But don't worry, sidekick," she said, her voice dropping to a softer, almost intimate tone. "This won’t be goodbye. I'm not done with you yet."

He could only watch helplessly as she turned back to the console, humming softly as the data continued to transfer. He wasn't sure what scared him more—how easily she'd taken control of everything, or how hard it was to look away from her.

...

An hour of tension filled the Man Cave, crackling in the air like static. She moved effortlessly between the computers, her sharp focus interrupted only by the occasional glance in her hostage’s direction every time he spoke.

"You know," she said at one point, turning toward him with a sly smile, "I didn't think you'd be this talkative. Most people in your position would've been shitting themselves by now."

Henry leaned back against the chair, ignoring the ache in his leg. "Sorry to disappoint," he smirked, his voice dry. "You're not as scary as you think."

She let out a soft laugh, crossing her arms as she studied him. "Oh, I don't need to be scary," she waved her hand in dismissal. "I just need to be smarter than you. Which, let's be honest, isn't that hard."

"Wow, great insult," he shot back, refusing to let her get the upper hand. "What's next? A joke about my hair?"

She smirked, walking closer. "I wasn't going to, but now that you mention it…"

Despite himself, Henry felt a grin tug at his lips. He bit it back quickly. Stay focused, he told himself. Her beauty, her charm—it was all part of her game, and he wasn't about to fall for another criminal. Not again.

But as the minutes dragged on, their banter took on a different tone. Her remarks grew less cutting, his responses less sharp. Before long, he found himself leaning into it, tossing flirtatious comments her way under the guise of manipulation.

"So, what's your big plan here?" He asked at one point, his voice casual. "Steal all of our data and... what? Sell it to the highest bidder? Or are you just doing this for fun?"

She tilted her head, pretending to think. "A little bit of both," she admitted. "But mostly, I'm just curious. You and your team... you're interesting."

"Interesting enough to untie me?" He tried, flashing her his most charming smile.

She laughed, shaking her head. "Nice try, sidekick. You're staying right where you are."

Before Henry could respond, a loud clang echoed through the cave. Both of them turned toward the round metal door, which suddenly burst open with a deafening crash.

Captain Man stepped through, his hands on his hips and a triumphant grin on his face. "Alright, girl," he declared. "Time's up."

She laughed, almost delighted by his arrival. "Well, if it isn't the man of the hour," she said, dropping into a fighting stance. "You still as pathetic as last time?"

Ray didn't waste time with pleasantries. He charged forward, throwing a punch that she easily dodged. The fight that followed was fast and intense, filled with the kind of banter that seemed to be second nature for both of them.

"You know," she chuckled as she ducked one of his swings, "you're a lot slower than I remember."

"And you're a lot mouthier than I rememer," Ray shot back, narrowly avoiding her counterattack.

Henry watched from the chair, clenching his fists against the ropes. His frustration mounted as he saw his boss faltering, his movements slowing just enough for her to gain the upper hand. Then, in a sudden twist, Ray was on the ground behind him.

"Hang tight, kid," he said, pulling his small laser from his belt. In one quick motion, he burned through the ropes binding Henry's wrists and ankles.

The blonde stood, his leg throbbing in protest but his adrenaline carrying him forward. "Guess it's my turn," he muttered, stepping into the fight.

The next few minutes were chaotic. Henry and Ray worked in tandem, trading blows with her as she moved with almost effortless grace. Despite his injury, Henry held his own, his frustration fueling his every move.

But then, a soft chime echoed through the cave.

"Ah," she smirked, glancing at the screen. "That's my cue."

Captain Man lunged for her, but she moved faster. Grabbing the hard drive from the console, she dodged his attack with a swift flip and darted toward the exit.

"Catch you later, boys," she called over her shoulder, pausing just long enough to blow the blonde a kiss.

Before either of them could stop her, she was gone, leaving nothing but the faint hum of the technology in her wake.

Henry stood there, his chest heaving as he glared at the now-empty space.

"Well," Ray said after a moment, brushing dust off his suit. "That could've gone better."

He didn't respond. His mind was too busy replaying the way her lips curved into that infuriating smirk—the same one he hated as much as he couldn't forget.

...

The quiet hum of Swellview filled his room as he lay in bed, staring blankly at the ceiling. The moonlight filtered through his curtains, casting faint patterns on the walls. Sleep evaded him—again.

Months. It had been months since she'd disappeared. No sign of her, no trace of the stolen data being sold or leaked. It was as if she had vanished into thin air, leaving behind only the maddening echo of her voice and the lingering memory of her smirk.

He'd tried to move on, to forget the way her eyes seemed to pierce right through him, the way she'd laughed in the face of danger like it was all a game. But his mind wouldn't let him. It was like she'd taken a piece of him with her that night in the Man Cave.

And then he heard it—a faint sound, barely noticeable over the quiet of the night. His window slid open with a soft shhhk.

Henry bolted upright, his heart racing as he instinctively reached for the laser hidden in his watch.

"Relax, sidekick," her voice came from the shadows.

He froze, his breath catching in his throat as she stepped into the moonlight. She wasn't in her usual sleek black suit; instead, she wore simple civilian clothes—a hoodie and jeans. Her mask was gone, her hair falling loosely around her shoulders.

She looked different. There was no teasing glint in her eyes, no sly smirk tugging at her lips. She seemed... serious.

Henry's index finger twitched above the button on his watch as he scrambled out of bed. "What the hell are you doing here?" He demanded, his voice low and sharp. "You think you can just—"

"I'm not here to fight," she interrupted, her tone softer than he'd ever heard it.

He narrowed his eyes, his body tense. "Yeah, right. Because sneaking into my room in the middle of the night totally screams 'peaceful visit.'"

She rolled her eyes, moving to sit on the loft couch with a casualness that made his blood boil. "You're so dramatic," she muttered, placing a thick file on the cushion beside her.

His gaze flicked to the file, then back to her. "What's that?"

"Answers," she said simply, leaning back and crossing her arms.

"Answers to what?"

She raised an eyebrow, her lips twitching upward for just a second. "Answers I needed, Henry. Your search was pointless, so I figured I’d drop by.”

Henry's jaw tightened. "We've been looking for you because you stole our data. We thought you'd sell it. Leak it. Do... something with it. Like you said. You just fucking vanished—"

She tilted her head, a faint smirk finally creeping onto her lips. "Aww," she cooed. "Missed me?"

He glared at her, ignoring the warmth creeping up his neck. "Don't flatter yourself," he shot back. "Why are you here? What do you want?"

Her smirk faded, replaced by an expression he couldn't quite place. She looked... hesitant. "I'm here to give you something," she said, gesturing toward the file.

Henry eyed her warily, crossing his arms. "Why the hell should I trust you?"

"You probably shouldn't," she admitted with a shrug. "But you will."

"Bold assumption," he muttered, stepping closer.

She watched him carefully as he approached, her posture tense but not threatening. When he was close enough to grab the file, she didn't stop him.

Henry opened it cautiously, his eyes scanning the pages. His heart sank as he realized what he was looking at—logs, schematics, and plans for something big. Something dangerous.

"What the hell?" He asked, his voice low.

"It’s something I thought you should know about," she replied. "It's why I took your data in the first place. I needed to confirm some things."

"You’re telling me that you stabbed me and tracked me to get this?” Henry snapped, looking up at her as he lifted the file in emphasis. “You didn’t even want the rest of it?”

Her jaw tightened, and for the first time, she looked almost... ashamed. "Yeah," she admitted. "I did. I didn't need the rest of it—just enough to figure out who was behind this."

"And now you're just... giving this to me?" He asked, his voice dripping with skepticism. “Why?”

She stood, shoving her hands into the pockets of her hoodie. "Believe it or not, Henry, I don't want to see this city burn. That's not my game."

Henry stared at her, searching her face for any sign of deception. She met his gaze steadily, her expression uncharacteristically open.

"Why should I believe a single fucking word you're saying?" He snapped.

She sighed, brushing a strand of hair out of her face. "You don't have to," she shrugged. "Just... do what you want with the file. But trust me when I say this: you'll want to stop this."

Before he could respond, she moved toward the window, her movements as quiet and graceful as ever.

"Wait," he called after her.

She paused, glancing over her shoulder.

"Why now?" He asked. "Why not just leave it on our doorstep or something? You’ve avoided us for months.”

Her lips curved into a faint smile. "Because I wanted to see you."

And with that, she was gone, slipping out the window and disappearing into the night, leaving Henry standing there with more questions than answers—and a sinking feeling that this was far from over.

...

The sound of the file hitting the round table echoed through the Man Cave, jolting everyone's attention toward him. Charlotte and Jasper immediately leaned forward to inspect it, their curiosity piqued.

"What's this?" Ray asked, lounging back on the round couch with a confused expression.

Henry crossed his arms, his jaw tight. "Something we need to deal with."

His friends were already flipping through the pages, their faces shifting from confusion to alarm as they processed the contents.

His boss sat up straighter, his brows furrowing. "Okay, seriously, what the hell am I looking at here? And where did it come from?"

Henry hesitated for a moment, glancing between his teammates. "Ghost gave it to me," he admitted, the nickname they’d branded her with tumbling past his lips.

Charlotte looked up sharply. "Wait—what? The girl who stabbed you? The one we've been trying to catch for months?"

He nodded, his expression grim.

Ray raised an eyebrow. "And you're just taking her word for it? What's her angle this time? Gonna kiss you and stab you again?"

Henry shot him a glare. "I don't know why she gave it to me. But I know what's in here is gonna be a fucking problem."

"How are you so sure?" Jasper asked, still poring over the file.

"Because I looked through it last night," the blonde said, his voice firm. "That bioengineering lab? The one she broke into a few months back? They're playing God—making super soldiers, planning on mass-producing them. Experimenting on people. They've had fatalities."

Charlotte's eyes widened. "Fatalities? Like... people have died because of this?"

Henry nodded. "Yeah. I think..." He trailed off, his mind flashing back to the look on her face the night before—the hesitation, the seriousness that was so unlike her usual demeanor. "I think she lost someone to the experiments. Maybe that’s why she’s doing all this shit."

Ray leaned forward, his expression hardening. "Super soldiers, huh? Sounds like something we need to shut down."

Charlotte and Jasper exchanged a glance before the curly haired girl spoke up. "We'll stay here and monitor things from the computer. Let you know what we find."

"Thanks," Henry nodded, blowing a gum bubble before joining his boss under the tubes.

As the two of them got vacuumed up their tubes, Henry felt a rush of determination mixed with something else—something he didn't want to admit. He was hoping she'd be there.

Ray looked at him as they stepped out. "You've got that look on your face," he noted.

"What look?" He asked, feigning ignorance.

"The 'I hope I run into my maybe-girlfriend-but-definitely-a-criminal' look," his boss said with a smirk.

Henry rolled his eyes, running a hand through his hair. "Let's just focus on stopping the lab, okay?"

Ray chuckled, but the teasing stopped as they launched into action. The blonde’s mind raced as they sped toward their destination, the weight of the file's revelations pressing heavily on his shoulders.

And though he wouldn't admit it—not to Ray, not even to himself—part of him couldn't help but hope she'd be waiting for them at the lab.

...

The building was eerily quiet as Captain Man and Kid Danger approached the head scientist. As they burst into the room, the man was waiting for them, flanked by four imposing figures—super soldiers who stood at attention, their eyes blank and cold.

"Ah, Captain Man and Kid Danger," the scientist sneered, his voice dripping with malice. "Welcome to my lab. But unfortunately, you're far too late. My project is nearly complete."

The scientist began his monologue, detailing his experiments with genetically engineered soldiers—men and women enhanced beyond the limits of human potential. "You see, the true tragedy here isn't what we've created," he said with a cold chuckle. "The real tragedy is that the daughter of one of our earlier test subjects has hindered production because of some petty grudge."

Henry's heart skipped a beat. He finally understood. Ghost, the girl who had outwitted him, who had kissed him, stabbed him and then vanished... she was the daughter of one of the lab's victims. No wonder she'd been so driven. It wasn't just about stopping the lab—it was about revenge.

It was why he’d met her in this very lab, months prior, when she’d kicked his ass for the first time.

Before he could process the full weight of the revelation, a familiar figure stepped out from the shadows. The moonlight from the windows cast a faint glow over her, making her appear almost ethereal.

There she was.

Her lips curled into that signature smirk of hers, the one that had haunted Henry's thoughts for months. But now, her mask was gone, her face fully exposed. She didn't need it anymore, not after everything she'd done. She was nearly done with this, and she was ready to shrug the weight of grief from her shoulders.

His heart gave an involuntary lurch in his chest at the sight of her. Despite the chaos around them, despite the danger, his mind was momentarily consumed by her presence. He had promised himself he wouldn't fall for another criminal—but it was impossible to ignore the pull she had on him.

The scientist's eyes widened in panic. "No, no—how’d you get in here?! Take them out!" He screamed, turning to his super soldiers.

Without hesitation, the four super soldiers advanced, their enhanced speed and strength making them formidable opponents. A brutal battle ensued, filled with the sounds of clashing fists, grunts, and the crackle of electric energy. The trio fought back with everything they had, but the soldiers were relentless.

Through the chaos, Henry's eyes remained locked on her. She had positioned herself strategically, swirling through the fight with a precision that showed just how skilled she was. After the soldiers had been knocked out, the two of them managed to corner the scientist, her hand reaching for her blade.

For a moment, it felt like time had frozen.

The blade was to his throat—she was going to end him.

But then, Henry stepped forward. "Don't," he said, his voice unwavering despite the tension. "Let him rot in prison. Let him live with the shit he's done. That's a way worse punishment than anything you could do to him now."

She paused, her gaze flickering to him. There was a brief moment of hesitation in her eyes, a crack in her resolve. She looked down at the scientist—at the man who had caused so much suffering—and then back to the blonde.

With a deep sigh, she dropped the blade. "Fine," she muttered, before knocking the scientist out cold.

Turning to Henry and Ray, she gave them a small, almost reluctant nod. "Thanks for the help."

Before they could respond, she made her way toward the exit, her footsteps quiet but purposeful.

As she made her way toward the exit, Henry's heart thundered in his chest. He couldn't let her slip away like this, not without at least trying to understand where they stood. She had done so much—stabbed him, broken into the Man Cave, stolen from the lab, told them about the scientist and his plans—but in the end, she was still a criminal. Still dangerous. Still untouchable.

Yet, he couldn't shake the pull he felt toward her, the way she made everything feel uncertain, complicated... impossible. He needed answers. He needed to know what she was thinking. And maybe, just maybe, he needed one more taste of her presence.

Before she could take another step, Henry moved quickly, his hand gently wrapping around her wrist, his grip firm but not forceful. She stopped, her body still but her gaze sharp.

"Wait," he breathed, his voice more urgent than he intended.

She turned toward him, her eyes unreadable beneath the weight of their complicated dynamic that had formed the past few months.

"What is it, Henry?" She asked, her voice softer than before, but still carrying a hint of defiance. "You know what happens next. If I stay, the cops show and I’m right there next to that prick in a cop car.”

"I can't just let you disappear again," he breathed, his heart thumping in his chest. The words tumbled out, his mind racing faster than he could process them. "I... I don't even know what to say."

Her lips twitched into a half-smile, but it wasn't her usual teasing grin. "You don't have to say anything, really. It's over now. I’m getting out of your hair.”

She started to pull away, but he didn't let go, his hand finding her other wrist. His breath quickened, a combination of frustration and something else that he couldn't quite place. Maybe it was that longing that had been building inside him since their first meeting, or just the undeniable tension that always crackled when she was near.

"Don't," he whispered, his fingers lightly brushing against her skin as he stepped closer. He wasn't sure what he was asking for—her to stay, to talk, to fight—but he couldn't let her vanish, not again.

Her eyes flickered to his lips, and for a moment, the world felt like it had narrowed down to just the two of them. Her breathing slowed, the tension thickening between them.

Then, before he could second-guess himself, Henry leaned in.

He kissed her.

It wasn't gentle, nor was it rushed. It was desperate, a release of everything that had been building between them in the tense dynamic they’d formed, in the long months of frustration and unanswered questions. His lips pressed against hers with an urgency that made his head spin, his heart pounding so loudly he wondered if she could hear it.

At first, she hesitated, but only for a moment. Then, she responded—softly, tentatively, as if she too had been waiting for this moment. Her lips parted slightly, and his hand moved to cup her cheek, his thumb grazing the softness of her skin as the kiss deepened.

The kiss was wild—frantic, hungry for something they hadn't yet found. There was no right or wrong in it, only the feeling of their lips colliding and the way his chest swelled at the warmth of her touch. The world outside of them ceased to exist, fading into the background as the sensation of her consumed him entirely.

He could taste her—her breath, her warmth, the hint of something dangerous and sweet all at once. Something that resembled the bittersweet taste of Tequila Rose. It was intoxicating, and he didn't want it to end.

Her hand found its way to the back of his neck, her fingers threading through his hair, pulling him closer as if she needed him just as much. He could feel the way her body pressed against his, the heat between them palpable. His mind raced—what were they doing?—but his body didn't seem to care.

Time stretched, and he lost track of everything—of why he was even here, of who they were, of what they were supposed to be. All that mattered was her, her warmth, the feel of her lips against his.

But eventually, they broke apart, breathless, their foreheads resting against each other. For a moment, they simply stayed like that, eyes closed, hearts pounding in sync.

She opened her eyes first, her gaze softer than he'd ever seen it. "You're still gonna chase me, aren't you?" She whispered, a hint of something unreadable in her voice.

Henry swallowed hard, his chest tightening. "I don't know if I'll ever stop." His voice was quiet, steady despite the chaos of emotions swirling inside him. "But I'll catch you if I can."

She smiled, the expression bittersweet. Then, without another word, she pulled away, her wrist slipping from his grasp as she turned toward the door. Henry's heart ached at the sudden emptiness, but he knew he couldn't stop her now.

"Goodbye, Henry," she said over her shoulder, her voice quiet but final.

"Not goodbye," he called after her, though he knew deep down that the possibility was there. "Just... see you later."

She didn't turn back. She didn't need to. But he stood there, watching her disappear into the night, his mind still racing and his heart tangled in the threads of a kiss that would linger long after she was gone.

...

The artificial light of the Man Cave flickered softly in the quiet stillness of the night, the soft hum of machinery filling the air. It had been a long time—an entire year, to be exact—since Henry had seen her. And now, here she was, battered and broken, on the screen in front of him in a way he never expected. She collapsed through the door of Junk N' Stuff, a shadow of the confident, dangerous girl he had remembered.

The blood dripping from the wound in her side immediately caught his attention. Panic surged through him as he rushed up from the Man Cave, rushing through the elevator door to see her crumpled on the ground. Without a second thought, he scooped her into his arms, careful of her injuries, his heart racing.

He didn't have time to think, didn't have time to question. She needed him, and that was all that mattered. He hurried into the elevator, his thoughts a jumbled mess as he carefully brought her down into the Man Cave, his mind racing. The familiar surroundings of the place couldn't dull the anxious thrumming in his chest. He needed to get her to safety.

Once he laid her down on the couch, the quiet, efficient chaos of tending to her wounds began. He wasn't sure if she was aware of everything happening around her, but he couldn't take his eyes off her, even as Charlotte worked to clean the blood from her side and stop the bleeding. His hands were trembling with nerves. Was she okay?

When she finally stirred, her eyes fluttered open, and her gaze locked with his. He was still kneeling beside her, his hands gentle on her skin as he checked her wound one last time.

"Hey," she whispered, her voice hoarse but undeniably warm, and the faintest hint of a smile tugged at the corners of her lips. She was trying to sound casual, but Henry could hear the exhaustion in her voice. It had been a long time, but the way her voice made his heart flutter had never changed.

He didn't think. He simply pulled her into a hug, one that was both tentative and desperate. "What happened?" He asked, his voice quieter than usual, but still thick with worry.

She shrugged slightly, wincing at the movement. "Criminals," she shrugged, as if that was an answer that could explain all of this. Henry was about to press her further when she added, "I needed to see you."

The words hit him harder than he expected. She came to him. Not because she had nowhere else to go, but because—well, that didn't matter right now. She was here. She was alive.

A silence settled between them, and it wasn't an uncomfortable one. It was just... there. They both knew it had been a long time, and so much had changed. But there was an unspoken understanding that filled the space, and for a while, they just sat together, catching up in their own way. Laughter came naturally, especially when she managed to tease him in the same way she used to. Every time she smiled, Henry's chest swelled, and for the first time in what felt like forever, everything felt right.

Hours passed, and the day began to bleed into the early hours of the morning. The quiet of the Man Cave was only broken by the occasional soft murmur between them, the moments when their eyes would meet and words would fail.

Eventually, Ray appeared in the doorway, his eyes lingering on them with an almost knowing expression. "Alright, Henry. Help her to the guest room. It's clear neither of you have slept." He wasn't wrong. Henry's eyes were heavy, and his body felt the exhaustion he'd been ignoring. But none of that mattered now.

The blonde nodded, taking her hand gently as he helped her up. She was steady on her feet, but he could still feel the subtle tremble in her movements, the ache in her body from everything she'd endured.

As they walked down the hallway toward the guest room, Henry couldn't help but smile at her, a soft, almost embarrassed grin. "I really fucking missed you," he admitted quietly, and there was an honesty in his voice that made his chest tighten.

Her eyes softened at the words, a hint of something unspoken flickering between them. "I really fucking missed you too," she replied just as softly, her voice as warm and sincere as the smile on her lips.

The door clicked open, and they stepped inside, the room filled with a peaceful quiet that they hadn't shared in so long.

Then, before either of them could second-guess it, Henry leaned in. His hand cupped her face gently, his thumb brushing over her cheek. She leaned into his touch, and without another word, their lips met in a kiss that was long overdue.

It was slow at first—almost as if they were both afraid the other would vanish—but then it deepened, an all-consuming rush of heat, emotion, and longing that neither of them could fight. Henry's hands found their way into her hair, tugging her closer, while her fingers ran lightly across his chest, feeling the warmth of his skin beneath his shirt.

The kiss tasted like time lost—like a lifetime of missed opportunities, of unspoken words, and what-ifs. It was everything they had been holding back, everything they had missed, and all the feelings they had never let go of.

When they finally pulled away, breathless, Henry whispered, his voice thick with emotion as his lips grazed against hers, "Caught ya." His mouth curled into a grin, and she couldn't help but laugh. It felt so natural—so right.

They both collapsed onto the guest bed, the room now filled with the sound of their quiet laughter. He pulled her close, mindful of her injuries, and wrapped an arm around her waist.

In the soft warmth of the bed, they finally allowed themselves to rest. The chase, the tension, the year of longing—none of it mattered anymore. They had found each other, and that was enough.

And as they fell asleep, their bodies pressed together in a tangled mess of limbs, the world outside felt impossibly far away.

#emy recommends #writerinlearning recommends

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writerinlearning · 18 days ago

Text

𝐂𝗼𝐥𝗼𝐮𝐫𝐬 | Soulmates AU. Part. Two.

plot: part two of the luke soulmates AU, or in which you do not only see colours when meeting your soulmate but feel their pain as well.

pairing: luke patterson x mercer!fem!reader | sunset curve x mercer!fem!reader | alex mercer x sister!reader | julie molina x mercer!fem!reader

show: julie and the phantoms

warnings: like one or two swear words, maybe?

word count: 6,0k

author’s notes: english is not my first language, apologies for the possible mistakes. this is the second version of this fic. first version has been unpublished. let’s just roll with the fact that julie can see other ghosts for the sake of this story. and also that carlos can see the sunset curve boys after julie saves them from caleb’s stamp, but he cannot see neither reader nor willie.

luke patterson masterlist || part. one. || main masterlist

Los Angeles, 2020

Finding your soulmate again in the afterlife should come with a handbook. Yes, the colours had come back to Y/N, but every day they seemed to flicker away from her sight. Whenever that happens, when the world around her turns black and white for an hour or so, she’d sit in a corner of her room, where she’s been locked up for the past few days, and she’d pull her legs against her chest to bury her head between her knees as silent tears roll down her cheeks. She has no idea why this is happening; maybe because both Luke and her were dead, and being dead and soulmates isn’t the same thing as being alive and soulmates. Or something is happening to Luke, and she has every right to be worried; she’d just gotten him back, after twenty-five years. If something happened to him, or to her brother and Reggie because of her, she’d never forgive herself for it. And on top of the colours fading and coming back, jolts of electricity keep coursing through her body, sending her flying backwards into the wall or the couch in her dressing-room, the pain spreading to her chest as the little purple sparks on her wrist fade. It doesn’t happen often, but when it does, boy does it hurt like a bitch.

Tonight is no exception. Like usual since she’d found her boys again, Caleb orders her to stay inside her room, as a punishment for the last time she went up against him; which coincidentally was when Willie introduced her to the boys. Every day she wonders what they’re doing, only having occasional information from William when he sneaks into her dressing-room to let her know how the boys are doing whenever he goes to see them. What she doesn’t know is why Willie goes to see them that often, but she knows he’s got his own reasons. Willie, on the other hand, well… He simply can’t find it in him to tell her the truth. He wants to protect her, he’d promised Alex as soon as she’d disappeared that night and did not show up for Caleb’s little show. He couldn’t tell her that Caleb had managed to put his stamp on her brother and his friends, leaving them no choice but to work for him. He doesn’t tell her that they’re planning on crossing over, to be free of Caleb’s stamp, nor does he tell her that he’s helping them do it. He knows she’d been waiting so long to see them again, and he couldn’t tell her she’d never see them again, no matter the outcome of everything. So, he’d decided to keep her in the dark about everything, for a whole week.

Y/N can faintly hear the musical number beginning downstairs when she returns to her senses, but she’s too preoccupied by the pain spreading from her chest and down to her body. It feels like dying again, the floor being swept off from under her feet as she crumbles to the ground, clutching her stomach. Tears prickle the corner of her E/C eyes, threatening to spill down her face and ruining the make-up she isn’t able to take off. Talk about Caleb’s magic. She despises the place, now more than ever knowing there isn’t even the slightest chance she’d see her boys again. She’s trapped in the Hollywood Ghost Club, ever since she’d agreed to that deal. Y/N knows she’ll forever regret that mistake.

Her body is taken with a slight startle when Willie suddenly appears in the middle of her room. Her eyes go round, mouth hanging open in surprise. She hadn’t seen him in two days, and he seemed rather panicked.

“I’m so– so sorry, Y/N.” William mumbles, kneeling beside her. “I’m so sorry this is happening to you…”

Y/N’s lips, covered in red lipstick, curve into a thin-lipped smile, a trembling breath leaving her chest, and she shifts in her spot to raise a hand against Willie’s cheek. How long do they stay in the comforting silence of her room, they don’t know, but Willie snaps out of it when he hears the faint screams from below them. Y/N then notices that the music's over, and her pulled brows create a frown on her forehead as another jolt of electricity shoots through her body. She doubles over in pain, a groan leaving her lips as she rests her forehead against William’s chest. Her eyes go shut, the prominent lines under them a visible sign of her lack of rest. Sure, ghosts don’t need sleep, but it’s always nice to take a nap once in a while. And Y/N is the female version of her twin brother, a very anxious person. She’s never liked being stuck in a room, alone. This past week has been the worst she’s experienced so far. Well… apart from the year she was alive after the boys’ deaths.

Willie shakes his head solemnly when he sees her state, a sigh leaving past his lips as he scoops the girl in his arms, the coldness of her skin spreading through his. She’s heavy breathing, clinging around his neck as another jolt shocks her, sending her in a coughing fit. The skater knows he won’t be able to poof them both out of the Club and back to Julie’s garage, especially in Y/N’s state. He can only go as far as the street opposite to where the Club is, but they’ll have to walk the rest of the way. He closes his eyes, taking a deep breath as he focuses on the location, before he poofs himself out, still holding onto Y/N.

When the cold air hits her face, Y/N opens her eyes and looks at her surroundings.

“W– why are we here?” She asks, voice wavering. “I– I can’t be out here, I–”

“I need to take you somewhere safer than this place.” Willie interrupts her, his eyes darting to her weak frame. “I won’t let Caleb hurt another one of you.”

At first, she doesn’t understand that he’s speaking about Alex, but it doesn’t take her long to put two and two together as a frown creases her forehead, scrunching up her nose as she overanalyzes Willie’s words, biting on the inside of her cheek. She can tell he’s filled with remorse, and she wonders what has happened while she was locked inside her room. Many thoughts fill her mind and, as much as she doesn’t want to admit it to herself, she knows Caleb had had his ways with the boys that night. Everything suddenly makes sense; the colours fading at the same time as she feels the jolts of electricity, and the colours coming back to her eyesight an hour or two later, the excruciating pain spreading from her chest and down to her body whenever that happens. Caleb had put his stamp on the boys and, because Luke is her soulmate, she can feel his pain. Yeah, soulmates in the afterlife definitely should have come with a handbook or something.

—

“I think the band’s back.” Luke whispers, smiling at Julie.

A golden aura radiates from his body, his thumb softly brushing against his wrist where the purple stamp had just vanished in a cloud of purple smoke.

“Do you think we could try that hug thing one more time?” Alex asks, his voice soft.

Julike chuckles, nodding her head as she wraps her arms around Alex’s and Reggie’s shoulders, their own arms going around her waist and over Luke’s shoulders, the four of them jumping up and down as they celebrate playing the Orpheum stage. However, their happiness doesn’t last long when Luke breaks away from the embrace, backing away until he falls flat on his butt to the ground as he doubles over in pain. His hands clutch onto his stomach, and he lifts his head up to see the concerned looks of his bandmates.

“Are you okay, Luke?” Julie asks him, voice trembling.

The golden aura around him has faded away, a bright flash of purple appearing on his chest instead. Another groan leaves his lips as he throws his head back against the grand piano behind him. The pain is worse than anything he’s experienced so far; even dying from bad hot dogs seemed sweeter than whatever this is. The colours flicker from his sight and suddenly, Alex’s pink tuxedo blazer becomes a light grey, Reggie’s red vest turns a dark grey, and the blue shirt Julie’s wearing turns darker.

“I– I think something’s wrong with Y/N…” Luke manages to say, a breathy sigh following his words.

“Wh– what do you mean something’s wrong with Y/N?” Alex asks, visibly worried. “Luke, what’s going on?”

Julie watches as Alex walks up to his friend. She knows who the girl is, from the moment she’d met the boys. The blond drummer had told her about his twin sister, admitting that he’d often wondered what Y/N had become since he’d died. Well, that is until he found her at the Hollywood Ghost Club a week ago. But Julie remembers offering her help to look for Y/N with the help of the internet, and she apologized when she couldn’t find anything. She’d found out from Reggie that they’d found her at the Hollywood Ghost Club the night they’d ditched her school dance, but he’d waited until she knew about Caleb to tell her.

Julie also knows Y/N had been Luke’s soulmate when they were alive, and that she still is even in the afterlife. And, as much as it hurts her because she’s had a crush on the lead guitarist since she’d met him, she knows it’s better as such because she’s aware of who her soulmate is, and it isn’t Luke.

Julie shakes her head, worriedly glancing towards Reggie before her eyes land back on her two bandmates by the grand piano.

“Th– the colours…” Luke breathes out as another jolt of electricity courses through his body. “They’re fading… again.”

“Wh– wh– what do you mean they’re fading again?” Alex speaks fast, his anxiety rising. “That only happens when your soulmate dies, and you’re both already dead!”

“I don’t– I don’t know Alex, okay? They’re just– all I see is black and white, alright?”

Tears prickle the corner of Luke’s already swallowed and bloodshot eyes as another jolt reaches his chest. He groans in pain, clutching his stomach and biting down on his lower lip, throwing his head back again to stop the tears from rolling down his cheeks. Alex stands up from his kneeled-down position, and he begins to pace back and forth in the studio, tugging at his blond hair in frustration. Reggie takes it upon himself to stand by Luke’s side then, rubbing a hand up and down his bandmate’s back in hopes to ease his pain away

Julie wants to help, too, but she knows nothing about having a ghost soulmate, nor why Luke keeps having the jolts from Caleb’s stamp when she’d witnessed the purple mark vanish from his wrist. She wants to do something, she really does. She hates to see her bandmates, her friends, in pain but she feels utterly helpless in the moment.

“Hey Julie!”

The teenage girl turns around at the sound of her name, and she sees her little brother standing by the garage doors with a smile on his face. It soon falters, however, when he seems to notice the two ghosts by the grand piano, and the third one pacing back and forth in the middle of the room.

“What’s wrong with your ghost bandmates?” Carlos asks, pointing to the three boys.

Julie widens her eyes in surprise, spinning on her heels to see the boys’ reactions. Alex stops in his tracks, standing frozen in his spot with his eyes wide open in shock as he looks up to Carlos. Reggie seems equally stunned, lips parted and mouth agape. And Luke… Well, Luke would probably have had the same reaction as his two bandmates, if he wasn’t so focused on the pain in his chest.

“Y– you can see them?” Julie asks her brother, dumbfounded.

“Well, yeah. Now I can.” Carlos smiles.

This is all too confusing for Julie; first she manages to touch them. Then, somehow, hugging them and saying she loves them (which is entirely true, she’d tell you) made the stamp on their wrist vanish. And now, it seems that Carlos can see them too. But she doesn’t have time to ponder her questions, because Alex’s voice cuts through her train of thoughts.

“Willie?”

Julie lifts her head to look at the drummer, watching as his face falls from shock into concern as he looks past Carlos’ head.

“Oh, my god! What happened?” Alex asks as he rushes outside the studio.

Julie’s eyes follow him, landing on a boy with long brown hair and holding a girl in his arms. She instantly knows who they are, as Alex takes the H/C-haired girl from the boy’s arms, taking her back inside the studio and carefully laying her down on the black-leathered couch. His hand brushes against her cheek to push away the hair stuck to her face. Her eyes are screwed shut, a frown on her forehead whilst her lips are turned upside down into a pout, hands clutching on her stomach. Her body shakes with another jolt, purple sparks erupting from her chest, and Julie watches as Luke’s body does the same thing, sending him backwards into the grand piano.

“I– I think Luke and Y/N are connected in more ways than just the colours.” Julie mumbles, getting all the boys’ attention.

Even Carlos seems suddenly interested, though he can neither see Willie nor Y/N. All he sees is a body print onto the couch, and Alex leaning against the void, his arm wrapped around nothingness. The situation would have been funny, if his sister did not have that worried look on her face.

“I think,” Julie says, getting closer to Luke, “that, since Luke and Y/N are soulmates, they can feel each other’s pain in the afterlife.”

“So…” Reggie trails out, trying to understand where she is going with her explanation. “Luke isn’t freed from Caleb?”

“It’s Y/N who isn’t.” Alex answers for Julie, his voice wavering. “And the colours vanishing from Luke’s sight means that she’s dying. Again.”

“But– if I was able to save you guys because we’re somehow connected, doesn’t that mean Luke is able to save her?” Julie wonders. “Since they’re soulmates, and all.”

Another jolt causes Luke to bring his knees to his chest, Y/N’s body jerking up onto the couch. She does, however, manage to open her eyes, eyelids half-open over her retinas, but still. She can see the lights around her, something different than when she passed out from the pain in Willie’s arms. She can also no longer feel Willie’s arms, but rather a soft material under her back. Faint and muffled voices reach her ears, but a groan stumbling past her lips makes them stop talking. Y/N tries to sit, pushing herself up with her arms, but she fails and falls back into the couch. She begins to cough, her throat itching as another jolt sends a wave of pain in her chest. She hears someone’s footsteps coming closer and, through half-opened lids, she extends her hand for them to take.

“Hey Y/N.”

Alex’s soft voice reaches her ear, a thin-lipped smile growing on her lips.

“Can you hear me?” He asks, brushing the hair away from her face with his free hand.

Y/N nods her head, letting out a small sob as the pain spreads through her body. With the little strength she has left, she squeezes her twin’s hand, her head falling onto the armrest of the couch.

“It’s okay Y/N. You’re safe here. And– we’re going to find something, alright?”

Alex doesn’t know if he’s trying to reassure himself or his sister, but he isn’t certain it’s working for either of them. Still, he smiles when she slowly nods her head, letting him know she’d heard him.

“L– Luke?” Y/N croaks out, coughing. “Wh– where’s Luke?”

At the mention of his name, the lead guitarist from Julie and the Phantoms lifts his head up, glancing at Alex and who stands by the couch. The blond drummer nods his head softly, and both Julie and Reggie help Luke as he tries to stand up, making his way to the couch.

“Hey you.” Luke chuckles, kneeling down next to the couch. “Where have you been for the past week?”

He can guess where she’s been, but he just felt the need to ask her. He’s not certain she’s able to answer, but when he sees her lips turn upwards in a broken smile, he knows she’s heard him. He holds her hand when he catches a glimpse of her trying to reach for his, and he uses his free one to run it through her hair, knowing how much she loves it when he does so. Another chuckle leaves his lips, tears silently rolling down his cheeks as she laughs a little, and he leans down to press a gentle kiss onto her forehead.

“Does it–” Y/N tries to speak, her voice hoarse from the pain. “Does it hurt you– as much as it hurts me?”

Luke nods his head, closing his eyes when he leans his forehead against hers, and he feels her try to weakly squeeze his hand.

“I love you, Y/N.” Luke whispers through tears.

It’s not the first time that he says those words, but it’s the first time in twenty-five years that Y/N hears them again. And she knows that, if she still had a heart, it would be beating out of her chest while butterflies swarm the pit of her stomach, just like when they were alive. She can still remember the feelings, even when on her deathbed. Again.

“I love you more.” Y/N whispers back, somehow managing to press her free hand against his cheek.

The pain subsides inside Luke’s chest, his body quickly recovering from all the jolts of electricity he’s endured. He’s surprised, at first, and it takes a minute for his brain to process what’s happening. He sees Y/N’s hand fall limp at her side, the loss of her touch against his cheek sending shivers down his spine, and he watches as her eyelids drop shut at the same time his vision turns black and white. He backs away from the couch with a jump at the sudden change in his eyesight, almost knocking Julie off her feet as his back collides with her front, but in the same minute he’s kneeling back in front of the couch; his teary eyes roaming across Y/N’s peaceful features as he cradles her face in his hands.

“Luke?” Julie calls him, brows furrowing together. No answer.

“Y/N?” It’s Alex who calls out his twin next, letting go of Willie’s hand as he gets closer to the couch. “Y/N?”

No answer. Alex turns his head to look at Willie, eyes wide and filled with worry and fear. But William can only shake his head as his shoulders rise in a little shrug. He doesn’t know what’s happening either. He’s seen what happens to ghosts gone rogue, however, and to his knowledge they cease to exist after they’ve been stamped by Caleb. He’s seen how it goes, and he knows that the jolts should have killed Y/N, making her disappear from the face of the Earth. Even if she went against Caleb only once.

“What’s happening, Julie?” Carlos asks his sister.

He still cannot see neither Y/N nor Willie, so seeing everyone getting agitated and teary-eyed is all the more confusing to him. Julie has almost forgotten that her brother could see the boys now, and she’d certainly forgotten that he’s still in the garage, with everything that’s been happening in the last hour or so. She wants to answer him, but she sees Reggie standing besides her brother, and she shakes her head when he jumps slightly the moment Reggie’s hand finds his shoulder. Reggie is even surprised that his hand doesn’t go through the boy, like it normally should have. He doesn’t complain though, nor does he say anything. He only pulls the younger boy in his arms, engulfing him in a hug. Julie and Carlos only leave the garage when they’re forced to go; Alex pleading with them to at least have a couple hours of sleep, and telling the siblings they’d still be here in the morning.

When morning comes, Reggie goes to join the Molinas for breakfast, although he still cannot eat anything. He just enjoys their company. Alex stays by his sister’s side, brushing his hand through her hair gently. She looks the same as he had last seen her, with the same slightly red cheeks, her lashes perfectly hitting her cheekbones when her eyes are closed. He spends his time watching her, afraid that if he’d look away, she’d disappear from his sight. He remembers all the childhood memories they shared, tears silently rolling down his cheeks. The only difference now between them is the fact that she’s a year older than him, dying when she turned eighteen while he passed away a while after their seventeenth birthday. But in his eyes, she’d always be his little sister, younger by twenty minutes.

And then, there’s Luke. Luke handles it the way you’d handle losing your soulmate. One day, he sees the colours again, and a week later his world suddenly goes black and white. And while you’re supposed to experience this only once in your life, he’s experienced it twice. And he hates every part of it. He knows now what Y/N had to go through, when he died back in 1995, and it’s way worse than what he’d imagined. Having the colours snatched from you, knowing you wouldn’t be able to see them again, it’s heart wrenching.

Luke sits in a chair facing the couch, with a song book in his lap. He holds a pen in his right hand as he angrily scribbles down words and words on a blank page, crossing those who do not fit into the lyrics he’s trying to put together. It keeps his mind busy, allows him to think about something other than Y/N’s body laying on the couch. But his swollen eyes betray him, letting everyone know just how much he’s been crying since Willie showed up with her the night before. And Alex can hear his soft crying from where he sits; it’s the only sound in the studio. From time to time though, Luke does lift his head up to glance at the couch, as a way of making sure she’s still here; that she hasn’t vanished. Willie did tell them that Y/N should have ceased to exist when the jolts stopped, and that her still being here must mean something. It’s that little spark of hope that Luke holds onto, as he goes back to writing more words onto the pages in front of him.

Eventually, Alex leaves his sister’s side when Willie shows up to the garage. He knows how close to his sister his friend is, and if there’s a way to save her, they’d find it together. Even if it means getting caught by Caleb. Again. His sister is worth taking the risk. And if Willie is willing to risk his afterlife for Y/N, then so is Alex; for the both of them.

It’s only when Willie and Alex poof out of the garage that Luke gives up on writing lyrics. Instead, he finds himself wandering to the couch, sitting himself on the floor as he takes one of Y/N’s hands in his. His calloused fingers draw small circles against the back of her hand, his tired eyes never once leaving her peaceful features. He leans his forehead against hers, his free hand running through her hair and gently grazing at her scalp, tears escaping the corner of his eyes.

“I love you.” Luke whispers, his lips brushing against the shell of her ear. “I’m so sorry. For everything.”

He doesn’t know why he’s apologizing. Maybe because he feels guilty; guilty that she’d suffered the jolts because she only tried to protect him from Caleb. Or maybe it’s because he knows what she had to go through after he died, and he doesn’t understand how she went on with her life for a year, knowing she’d never see colours again.

He lifts his head up when he hears the garage door creak open, and he looks over his shoulder to see both Julie and Reggie standing in the doorframe, with sadness in their eyes. Luke sighs, removing his hand from Y/N’s hair to wipe away the tears on his cheeks.

“Are you okay, Luke?” Julie asks him, her voice filled with concern.

The guitarist doesn’t say anything, his voice getting caught up in his throat. But Julie knows he isn’t fine, from his bloodshot eyes and the tear stains on his cheeks. Just as he’s about to stand up, he stops dead in his tracks when he feels a weak squeeze on his hand. He stops all movement, holding his breath (as if he needed to breathe) as he whips his head around, eyes wide open in shock as he watches his soulmate’s eyelids flutter open slowly. His mouth hangs agape, and he drops back to the floor on his knees. His free hand finds its way back into her hair, caressing it softly, his own eyes teary as hers open slowly.

It’s as if the world stops, when he can finally see her E/C irises; now bright and colourful in his sight. Shades of black and white fade around him, slowly being replaced with the many colours he’d come to love so much when he could see them. He lets out a relieved sigh, closing his eyes for a brief second, before he looks at her again. His hands cradle her face, and he brushes his thumbs across her cheekbones, afraid that if he’d let go, she’d disappear.

“L– Luke?” Y/N calls out his name, her voice hoarse, but he knows it’s real. She’s here. “Wh– what happened?” She asks him. “Wh– why are we in the studio?”

Although it had changed a lot since the last time she’d been there, she’d recognize the walls and the ceiling anywhere. And besides, the boys’ instruments are still there so it’s an easy guess for her.

“Willie brought you here last night.” Luke tells her, a smile on his lips. “You were feeling the jolts I felt and– and it nearly killed you. Again…”

His brows crease a frown on his forehead. He hasn’t seen the mark vanish from her wrist, or at least, he doesn’t recall it disappearing. He remembers she told him she’d been stamped; she’d made a deal with Caleb after she died. He does the first thing that comes to mind, picking up her arm and inspecting her wrist. He’s surprised to find black ink on her skin, instead of a purple stamp, but most of all he’s relieved he cannot find Caleb’s mark on her anywhere. It means she’s free.

“Well, that’s new.” Luke comments, chuckling as he points at her wrist.

“Yeah…” Y/N breathes out. “I got it two months after you guys died. You were the closest I had to a family. Well, Alex really was my family.”

“I love it.”

“Me too.”

Y/N, with Luke’s help, pushes herself up so that she’s now sitting on the couch. Her eyes on her wrist, she admires the back ink in the shape of a sun setting down behind the horizon, the ocean waves forming a curve under it. It’s simple, but Y/N loves that tattoo more than anything. Alive, it’d been a reminder that the boys would always be by her side, no matter what happens. Seeing it again after twenty-four years is a relief. She’d known it was there all along, but Caleb’s stamp had been a constant reminder of the freedom she had given up over his fake promises. But now, she’s not tied to Caleb anymore, and she isn’t quite sure of what to do with this newfound freedom. She’d probably do something stupid with the boys, like they’d always do back in 1995.

Smiling softly, Y/N lifts her eyes from the ink on her skin, hearing the sound of footsteps coming closer. She glances up at the garage doors, now noticing her brother, her best friend, Willie, and a girl she doesn’t know.

“Y– Y/N?” Alex stutters, his voice going an octave higher in surprise.

“Hey Alex.” Y/N greets her twin brother, waving her hand. “Hi Reggie.”

“Please don’t scare us like that again!” The bassist exclaims, sighing in relief.

Y/N giggles, her body falling back a little under the weight of two seventeen-year-olds engulfing her in a bear hug. She wraps her arms around the both of them, glancing over Reggie’s shoulders with pleading eyes to Luke. He only smiles, shaking his head a little in disbelief.

“I don’t know how or why this is happening.” Alex begins, waving his hands in the air once he pulls away from his twin. “But I am so glad you’re back, shortie!”

“Hey!” Y/N pouts, hearing that nickname. “Do I need to remind you I’m actually a year older than you now?”

“Yeah, well… you’re still short in height.”

“I hate you.”

“No you don’t.”

“Y/N?” Luke calls her, taking her hand in his.

He helps her stand up from the couch, leading her to the garage doors where Willie and Julie still stand, observing the scene. Y/N glances at Willie, letting go of Luke’s hand to wrap her arms around the skater’s shoulders, going onto her tiptoes to whisper in his ear.

“Thanks Will.”

Willie smiles; she’s the only one allowed to call him that.

“I’d do anything for you, Y/N.” Willie states, tightening his embrace around her. “You’re like a sister to me.”

A small smile curves Alex’s lips; he’s glad they’re getting along, because he’s yet to tell his sister that he’s finally found his soulmate in Willie.

“Y/N.” Luke calls out for her once again, his hands over Julie’s shoulders. “This is Julie. She’s a Lifer, and she can see us. They guys and I are also in a band with her, and when we sing together, she can make us visible to other Lifers.”

“Y– you can see me?” Y/N asks when her eyes land on the teenage girl.

“Yeah.” Julie chuckles. “You’d think I’d be used to it with these three,” she says, pointing at the three boys. “But I’m not. It’s nice to meet you, and to finally be able to put a face on a name.”

Y/N tilts her head in confusion, brows pulled together and creasing a frown on her forehead.

“When I found out about the Hollywood Ghost Club and Caleb,” Julie begins to explain. “The boys also told me they’d seen you. And they haven’t stopped talking about you since. Especially Luke.”

Y/N chuckles. “I’m sorry you had to deal with them alone.”

A chorus of ‘heys!’ and grumblings reach her ears, which only fuels her laughter, especially when her eyes meet with Luke’s angry puppy face. Oh, how she had missed her boys.

Y/N and Julie spend the rest of the morning getting to know each other, until Luke comes and claims to ‘steal Y/N for the rest of the day’ as he puts it to his bandmate. And here they are now, walking hand in hand by the seashore, bare feet into the sand. Kids’ laughter is all around them, the waves crashing near their feet producing a peaceful sound. Luke soon finds a quiet spot, where no one but them is, and he spins on his heels to face Y/N. He lifts a hand up to cup her cheek against his palm, his thumb brushing over the soft but cold skin of her cheekbone as he delicately wipes away a lash that had fallen on her face. His touch is light against her skin, like a feather, and it results in a thin-lipped smile to grow on her lips.

Y/N blinks twice, tilting her head against the palm of his hand resting on her face. Her E/C eyes are locked onto his hazel ones, glistening with the adoration and love she has for the seventeen-year-old boy before her. He’s heavenly looking; his mop of brown hair falling in strands on his forehead, covered by that orange beanie he loves so much, his hazel green eyes gazing back into hers with love and tenderness, and the gentle smile that graces his features. Just the sight of him could have made her heart flutter, if she still had one, and the butterflies to erupt at the bottom of her stomach.

The world around them seems to have vanished, the kids’ laughter now a distant memory and the waves crashing down the shore a distant sound. The warm Los Angeles wind is blowing, caressing their faces in soft breezes. The birds chirp their joyful melody in the distance, harmonizing together as the sun shines bright into the clear blue sky. Y/N’s bare feet dig into the cold sand, and she lets her gaze fall from Luke’s face, turning around to look at the vast blue ocean before them, settling her back against his chest.

Luke’s arms find their way around her waist, pulling her closer to him, and he rests his chin atop the crown of her head. His smile grows wider when she begins to play with the rings around his fingers, balancing their bodies back and forth.

“I think blue’s my favourite colour.” Y/N says after a while. “Any shade of blue, actually.”

“Why’s that?” Luke mumbles against her temple after pressing a soft kiss there.

“Sometimes, the ocean reminds me of your eyes. They were the first colour I ever saw, dead or alive. And I’ve noticed, over the years, how their colour would change. Sometimes they’re green, or hazel. But there are these occasional times where your eyes turn blue, the same shade as the ocean. I could– I could drown in your eyes if I wanted to.”

Y/N turns in his arms to look at him, her hands on each side of his face. Luke’s hands stay on her waist, his eyes boring into hers.

“Which colour are they now?” He asks, a love-struck smile on his lips.

“As blue as the ocean.” She whispers, smiling, before she kisses his cheek.

Luke chuckles, inching his face closer to her again, his lips brushing against hers. Y/N giggles, shaking her head in disbelief as her hands find their way at the back of his neck, her fingers tangled into his hair, and her lips crashing against his. His grip on her waist tightens, pulling her even closer if that were possible, an euphoric feeling fogging both their minds. Y/N stands on her tiptoes, deepening the kiss, and Luke uses this as his opportunity to bite down on her lower lip, eliciting a surprised moan from her. He smiles victoriously against her lips before he takes her bottom one between his teeth, and he pulls at it slightly before watching it fall back into a pout on her face. His right hand moves up from her waist, pulling a strand of hair away from her face before resting on her cheek. He gazes into her eyes, love and adoration in his, whilst his lips carve a gentle smile on his face.

“I’ve missed you, baby.” Luke whispers against her lips.

“I’ve missed you more, rockstar.” Y/N smiles. “Don’t ever leave me again.”

“I’d never dream of it. I love you too much to let you go.”

“Good. Because I love you, too. And I’m not planning on letting you go either.” Y/N states, pulling Luke in for yet another kiss.

#jatp #julie and the phantoms #julie and the phantoms imagines #luke patterson x reader

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writerinlearning · 18 days ago

Text

𝐂𝗼𝐥𝗼𝐮𝐫𝐬 | Soulmates AU. Part. One.

plot: based on a writing prompt i found on pinterest: AU where everything is black and white until you meet your soulmate but the world turns back to black and white when your soulmate dies. plot twist, you can see colours again in the afterlife.

pairing: luke patterson x mercer!fem!reader | alex mercer x sister!reader | sunset curve x mercer!fem!reader

show: julie and the phantoms

warnings: light mentions of death.

word count: 4,4k

author’s notes: english is not my first language, apologies for possible mistakes. this is the second version of this fic. first version has been unpublished. this AU is somewhat based on episode five of julie and the phantoms aka the other side of hollywood. this is a two-part AU.

luke patterson masterlist || part. two. || main masterlist

Los Angeles, 2020

The sun sets down behind the horizon, the golden glow reflecting onto the crystal blue water of the pier. A warm breeze blows through her hair, loose strands falling on each side of her face, perfectly framing the gentle nostalgic smile across her lips. She tentatively dips her feet into the cold water from the ocean, the waves crashing onto the shore but the sound brings a sense of calmness to her mind. She closes her eyes, inhaling slowly.

Twenty-five years. It has been twenty-five years since Y/N had last come up to the pier, the memories of her friends too numerous and too painful to handle at the same time. But the pier was their spot, and she can still vividly imagine Luke with his acoustic guitar, or Alex tapping his thighs to make a beat while Reggie and Bobby sang together. She remembers always sitting with her feet buried in the sand, watching as her brother messed around with his three best friends.

She remembers the day she first met them through Alex, her twin brother older by only twenty-minutes. And she remembers when her eyes landed on Luke, and suddenly colours started to flood her vision, highlighting her world. She chuckles at the memory; Alex had been mad for a couple of weeks after finding out, wondering why on Earth his twin sister and one of his best friends had to be soulmates, but he got around it after a long conversation with Luke and Y/N. Besides, it’s not like they dated right away. They wanted to get to know each other better first, and when they both turned sixteen, Luke asked out on an official date.

A single tear falls down her cheek. She was fifteen, when she discovered that Luke was her soulmate. And she was seventeen when she lost him.

—

Los Angeles, 1995

Y/N is in the studio, looking at herself through the bathroom mirror. She’s wearing a white Sunset Curve shirt tucked inside a pair of black ripped jeans. White Converses are on her feet, and she wears a black denim jacket over her shoulders, just in case she gets cold. Tonight is supposed to be her brother’s showcase with Sunset Curve at the Orpheum; they’d been anticipating this day for months now, and she was really looking forward to it. And she knows the boys, they wouldn’t miss an opportunity to celebrate the occasion once the show’s over, and she was not about to ask her boyfriend for one of his jackets, again.

It’s when she wants to reach for her handbag that it happens. She trips over her feet, and her vision turns black for a short minute. Her ears begin to ring, her head pounding as she falls on her butt in a soft thud. She takes her head in her hands as tears begin to roll down her cheeks like a waterfall. She doesn’t dare to open her eyes, but finds herself forced to do so when the phone near the garage doors begins to ring. It’s a shrilling sound, one that makes the pounding in her head grow stronger. Reluctantly, she wills herself to get up, opening her eyes to realize the truth of what had just happened, something she’d feared for two years. It’s the little details she notices first, like how Luke’s usually electric blue guitar is now a dark shade of grey, or how the lights hanging from the ceiling are now a blinding white colour when she looks up. It’s how Reggie’s red flannels he’d left on the couch are now black-coloured ones, and it’s how one of her brother’s pink hoodies that she often steals turns a light grey when she looks at it. She chokes back on a sob as she reaches the phone to answer the call, dreading the news she’d get on the other side. She knows; of course she knows. She can feel it deep within her bones, and her stomach keeps churning and twisting in anticipation. Because hearing it out loud makes it real, and she doesn’t want it to be real.

Y/N never was stupid, and she knows what the loss of colours in her eyesight means. She barely hears the words spoken on the other line as she breaks down in tears, hiccups stumbling past her lips as her headache grows stronger. What was supposed to be the best night of their life had just turned into the worst. Last she’d seen them, they were buzzing with excitement and energy over playing at the Orpheum. Rehearsals had been a blast, and it’s the most fun they’d had in a while. Barely an hour later, she’s faced with the reality; she’d just lost her twin brother, her best friend, and her boyfriend.

She tries to reach out to Bobby that night, but he seems to have vanished from the surface of the Earth. Is she angry? Yes, because he’s the only person who knows the boys as well as she does. She can’t go to her parents, even if she wants to. They’d kicked her out of the house the same night they did Alex when he came out as gay to them. Maybe she could go to Emily and Mitch, but she isn’t sure she’d be strong enough to face them, not when she’d been there when Luke ran out on them on Christmas Eve night of 1994.

She does see them, however, during Luke’s funeral. It’s gut-wrenching, and she barely has the strength to face them. Emily sees her first, and the woman practically runs into Y/N’s arms to hold her close, and the young girl can’t stop herself from clinging onto Mrs. Patterson as Mitch wraps his arms around the both of them. She does see her parents for the first time in a year when they show up to Alex's funeral, one she’d organized from A to Z. She tries her best not to be mad at them, but when her mother comes up to her with a fake smile, Y/N loses it completely. Never had she been this angry in her life, and perhaps it was the grief, but that day she told everything she’s ever wanted to say to her parents, and she stormed out of the service, leaving them shamefaced in the middle of the alley way. She goes to Reggie’s funeral last, and she sees his parents from afar. She’s never spoken to them in the time she knew Reggie, but she knows his little brother and when he sees her, she allows him to give her a tight hug. It doesn’t last long, but it’s enough to give both of them a sense of comfort; that someone shares their grief.

But going to three funerals in a week takes its toll on Y/N. She barely eats, barely speaks, and she spends most of her time locked up in the garage, the owners being kind enough to let her live there until she can find her own place, and she spends every minute despising the beautiful black dress she’d worn one too many times in a short span of days. She lays awake at night, looking up at the ceiling whilst tears fall from the corner of her eyes, low sniffles being the only sound in the quiet studio. Polaroid pictures are scattered on the floor, each with a date written underneath. Y/N had torn them from the walls, leaving them untouched on the ground. She doesn’t have the courage to pick them up and store them in a box, the pain from the memories too unbearable to even look at the pictures. After the funerals, she can’t find the strength to go back to Los Feliz High either, deciding instead to get home-schooled and graduate at home.

On her eighteenth birthday, in the year 1996, Y/N visits the boys’ graves, like she’d do every week for the past year, and she always leaves a bouquet of white lilies on each of their graves. She sits down in front of Alex’s headstone, and she tells him about her day, before she tells Reggie and Luke about their respective families. But Y/N never speaks about her parents whenever she visits, never getting any news from them after Alex’s death.

—

Los Angeles, 2020

Tears roll down her cheeks as Y/N reminisces on the events that followed that fateful night, on her eighteenth birthday. She’d been on her way back to the apartment she was sharing with a friend of hers for a couple months, when her vehicle got caught in an accident. She could still remember the blue and red sirens echoing in the street as she was pulled onto a stretcher and into the ambulance. She still remembers staying in that dark room for an hour before someone came to get her. And as her fingers brush against the purple mark on her right wrist, regrets overwhelm her mind.

Caleb Covington had made promises to her, and she had naively agreed on his deal, with the persuasion that every ghost end up at his club somehow and that maybe, by a miracle, she would find her brother, her soulmate, and her best friend at the Hollywood Ghost Club. But it’s been twenty-four years since she died, and still no sign of them anywhere. Perhaps they had crossed over, after all.

That night, she walks back to the club when the mark begins to burn her skin. Caleb is calling for her, and Y/N knows she can’t mess up her act during the night’s show. With a snap of her fingers, she lands on the scene in the Hollywood Ghost Club, quickly disappearing behind the curtains to go to her dressing-room, where Caleb is probably already waiting for her.

“Ah! There you are, my little dove.”

Caleb’s voice wants itself to be comforting, but after twenty-four years Y/N has learned not to trust his sweet words. She only smiles when she sees him, sitting herself in front of the mirror as she reapplies her red lipstick, dabbing it with her pointer finger. She doesn’t need to look up to know that Caleb is leaning over her, his cold hands on her naked shoulders as he looks at her through the mirror.

“I need you tonight, my little dove.” The magician says, tightening his grip on her shoulders. “See, our dear William has found three new ghosts here in our city of Angels…”

At those words, her curiosity is instantly picked. She lifts her eyes from the dressing table, looking at the man through the mirror, her head tilting to the right.

“Ah, yes. I knew you would be interested, dear.” He smiles smarmily. “I need them working for me. They’re too powerful to be on their own.”

“How so?” Y/N asks, her curiosity getting the best of her.

“They don’t need my help to be visible to Lifers.”

At that, Y/N smirks, noticing the man’s gritted teeth and the frown creasing his forehead. Caleb is all about power; power over the ghosts that cannot cross over, and power over the Living, who are so interested in anything paranormal. She wants to smirk and flip him off, but she decides against it when he squeezes her shoulders between his fingers.

“I need you–” He says, pointing at her through the mirror. “–to convince those boys to work for me. Use your wits, your charms, anything. I want these boys to work for me.”

“And if I can’t?” She asks, her voice slightly wavering.

“You know what happens…”

Caleb slightly waves his fingers, and Y/N’s wrist begins to tingle with a burning sensation. She hisses, glaring at him through the looking-glass before she reluctantly nods her head, watching him disappear into his own dressing-room before the big show. She sighs, taking her head in her hands. She’s gotten used to seeing her surroundings in black and white, and she learned over the years to discern the different shades of black and white, associating them with the colours she used to see. Sometimes, she still longs for the days when she was alive; when the boys, her boys, were alive. A single tear rolls down her cheek, memories of the plans she’d made with Luke rushing back in her mind. Fortunately for her, she doesn’t have time to think much of it when Willie barges into her dressing-room, dressed in black shorts and a tuxedo vest over a black button-up shirt, a pair of black Vans on his feet. Y/N gives her friend a soft smile before a sigh leaves her lips.

“So…” She trails, looking at him. “I’ve heard you found three lost ghosts today.”

“They’re not exactly lost.” Willie tells her. “They have this old band mate of theirs, who stole their songs, and they want revenge, I– I guess? I don’t really know, but I figured Caleb could help them.”

“Are they already here?”

Y/N’s heart, if she still had one beating in her chest, sinks down as her friend nods yes. She has this weird feeling bubbling in the pit of her stomach, just like the one she had the night the boys were supposed to play the Orpheum stage. Her vanishing emotions don’t go unnoticed by William, who sits on the edge of her dressing table, his eyes landing on her.

“Something wrong, Y/N?” He asks her, worry hidden in his voice.

“I have a bad feeling about this, Willie.” She tells him truthfully. “Caleb asked me to–”

She stops herself mid-sentence; can she tell Willie what Caleb asked her to do, knowing the consequences? She doesn’t want to put Willie at risk; he’s her only friend, but everything in her body screams at her to let him know, just in case something happens to her, or to those boys.

“What did Caleb ask you?” William asks her again.

“He asked me to convince the new ghosts to work for him.” She blurts out, immediately covering her mouth with both hands. “Oh god, I shouldn’t have said it.”

“He threatened you, didn’t he?”

Y/N nods, quickly wiping the tears that begin to fall from her eyes with the palm of her hand, sniffling. Willie wraps his arms around her, and she buries her head in the crook of his neck as he holds her close. In their years spent together at the Hollywood Ghost Club, he’s come to consider the girl his sister; someone he could trust, no matter what.

“I know what will cheer you up.” He says after a while, and she looks up to him.

“What?” She asks him, raising a brow.

“Well… I was about to offer you some food, but I remembered you don’t eat before a performance so… how about I take you to meet the boys instead?”

“Why do I feel like you need something from me?”

“I need you to entertain them while I go see Caleb. Please.”

“Are you going to try and convince him not to own the boys’ souls? You know that won’t work…”

“I can still try. If it means you and them are safe in the end.”

Y/N’s lips curve into a thin-lipped smile, holding Willie in her arms for a brief moment before they both walk out of her dressing-room. Arm in arm, they head for the main stairs of the Hollywood Ghost Club.

Y/N freezes when she spots the three boys at the top of the stairs, her eyes going round with shock, lips parted and mouth hanging open. Could it be? Y/N shakes her head; no, it can’t be. It’s been twenty-five years since they passed away, why would they show up just now? They don’t seem to notice her yet, even when William lets go of her arm to poof up the stairs next to them. Her feet are glued to the ground, too afraid to move an inch, but she watches as Willie leans over the handrail and exchanges a few words with the brunet boy wearing a long denim jacket. She watches in anticipation when the boy slightly turns his head, and his eyes land on her at the bottom of the stairs.

His breath gets caught up in his throat when his eyes lock with hers. He knows he doesn’t technically breathe, because he doesn’t need it, but the feeling is just the same. What is she doing here, he has no idea. She was supposed to have gone on with her life, created a family without him. She was supposed to have done everything they had planned together before he died. How is she here, not looking a day older than the last time he’d seen her when he was alive?

She looks as beautiful as he remembers her to be, dressed in a long evening dress with an open slit on the right side, spaghetti straps over her shoulders. Her H/C hair cascades over her shoulders in curls, and her hands are covered by black silk gloves that go up to her elbows and match the colour of her dress. She’s a sight from Heaven, if there were such a thing as Heaven, and if he still had a heartbeat, Luke is certain everyone would hear it beat out of his chest. He isn’t paying attention to either his bandmates or Willie anymore, too enraptured by the sight of her at the bottom of the stairs. She’s the only thing on his mind, and not even the beauty of the Ghost Club would take her away from his thoughts. He watches as she shakes her head, and his eyes finally meet hers as she begins to climb up the stairs.

Gold is the first colour that comes to his eyesight. It’s everywhere; on the walls, on the floors, even on the stairs. Everything in the Hollywood Ghost Club is gold. He sees the red next, like the lipstick on her lips, or the diamond encrusted in her necklace. And blue, like the curtains behind the stage at the centre of the room below him, or the evening dresses some of the women are wearing tonight. One by one, the colours come back to his eyesight, leaving him breathless when she reaches his side, standing by Willie as she links her arm with his.

“Y– Y/N?”

It’s Alex’s voice that pulls Luke out of his trance, blinking and shaking his head as he gathers his thoughts. She’s smiling, that same smile he fell in love with all those years ago, and he sees her E/C lit up with happiness when she finally looks at her twin brother. But she doesn’t move from William’s side, as if she were afraid of something. She only waves her hand in their direction.

“Hey guys.” She smiles. “Long time no see, uh?”

“Y– you guys know each other?” Willie asks, looking between her and Alex.

“Come on, Willie.” She teases him. “You don’t see the resemblance?” A pause. “Alex is my twin brother.” Her brows furrow as she looks back at her twin. “Why?!” She then shouts, letting go of Willie’s arm to slap Alex’s chest repeatedly. “Why did you have to eat those stupid hot dogs?! I– I told you they were bad! Why didn’t you guys listen to me?!”

Willie is the one to pry Y/N away from her twin brother, afraid it might get Caleb’s attention. And the last thing Willie wants, if for Caleb to find out Y/N actually knows them from the time they were all alive. When she composes herself, Alex smiles at her, sheepishly rubbing the back of his neck. He almost loses his balance when she rushes into him, wrapping her arms around his midsection and hugging him tight. He chuckles softly, wrapping his own arms around her shoulders as he rests his chin atop her head.

“You were stupid, Alex.” She mumbles into his chest, a soft sob escaping her lips.

“I’ve missed you too, sis.” He says, dismissing her comment.

“You guys are idiots.” She sighs when she pulls away, wiping the tears under her eyes. “Why didn’t you listen to me? You were supposed to become legends that night!”

“To be fair–” Reggie joins the conversation. “–we didn’t know they were bad.”

“Uh, I did say it was a new flavour.” Alex corrects him. “And you said, I quote, ‘chill man, street dogs haven’t killed us yet’. And guess what? We died!”

“It doesn't matter, guys.” Y/N chuckles, leaning against her twin. “We’re all together now.”

“What happened to you, by the way?”

Alex wonders, looking down at her. When he came back on Earth as a ghost after twenty-five years and met Julie, he figured his twin sister had gone on with her life when he couldn’t find anything from her in the garage where they used to practice. And since she could see him, and he could very much see and touch her, he figured something must have happened to her to come back on Earth as a ghost.

“I got in a car accident.” Y/N admits, sighing. “On our eighteenth birthday. Talk about luck.”

Y/N runs a hand through her hair, her eyes finally landing on Luke who’d stayed quiet the whole time. Green is the first colour she sees when her eyes meet his; it’s the colour of his irises, and it’s just like the first time they’d met. His hazel eyes seem to be the first thing she’s able to put colours on, alive or dead. The tears brim the edge of her eyes as the colours slowly come back to her, and soon she can see the world as she used to before he died.

“Hey Luke.” She smiles, head tilting to the side.

“I– I can’t believe it.” Luke breathes out, stuttering. “Y– you’re here. You’re actually here.”

She nods, a soft giggle leaving her lips as he engulfs her in a bear hug. He buries his face in the crook of her neck as she wraps her arms around his back, tightening her embrace around him. Y/ relishes in the moment, the feeling of his body pressed against her own as she can feel the ghost of his lips against her skin on her neck. His hands are warm against her back, and she can smell the faint scent of his cologne when she buries her face in his chest. Right now, it’s only them, everything else around them disappearing as they enjoy the moment. Luke only parts away with her when Reggie clears his throat behind them.

“H– how long have you been here?” Luke asks her, reaching for her hand.

“Twenty-four years.” She answers. “A man came for me in that dark room; he said he could help me.”

Her wrist begins to burn at the mention of the man, and she has to hide the wince on her face to not worry the boys. She’d just found them, there’s no way she’d let anything happen to them. But Alex does notice; he knows his sister. And Luke does too. She knows because he squeezes her hand softly, and when she looks at him, she can see the concern in his eyes.

“Are you alright, Y/N?” Alex wonders, worry laced in his voice.

“Y– yeah, I am.” Y/N breathes out, wincing again. “I– I’m sorry, I– I have to go.”

She smiles apologetically at the boys, worriedly glancing at Willie before she poofs herself out of the place, reappearing in Caleb’s dressing-room. The dead magician is leaning against the edge of his dressing table, a glass of wine to his lips whilst his piercing blue eyes are focused on her. She sits on the small couch, awkwardly shifting around under his stare.

“I believe William has introduced you to our new friends, right little dove?” He asks in a sweet tone.

“I won’t do it, Caleb.” She says, her voice a bit more confident than earlier. “I can’t do it to them.”

“And why is that, dove?”

Y/N shakes her head, her eyes sending daggers to the man standing before her. She won’t tell him; there is no way she’d let him get close to the boys, to her boys. Who knows what he might do to them if he knew who they are to her. The only thing she’s certain of, is that he’d use her as leverage against the boys if he knew the real relationship between her and them. She wouldn’t let him own their souls like he does hers, not over fake promises.

“You know what happens, little dove, if you don’t talk.” He threatens her, but there is something else in his voice.

He moves closer to her as she stays quiet, but Y/N can see it in the way he struts over, how he rests the palm of his hands against her naked shoulders and how his lips brush against her earlobe. He already knows.

“I already know who they are, Y/N.” He whispers in her ear. “But I thought your loyalty laid toward me, little dove. I have to say, I am a bit disappointed in you. I had such great plans for all of us. I guess I’ll have to do everything myself then.”

She holds her breath. She cannot let him know that she’s afraid, and that she worries about her brother, and her friends. She barely even has time to comprehend what happens next, as a purple cloud of smoke surrounds her, and she finds herself in her own dressing-room. She hears the lock click but, by the time she returns to her senses, she’s already locked inside the room, with no way of getting out to warn her boys. Tears roll down her face as she faintly hears Caleb’s musical number begin. Y/N knows how the night is going to end; Caleb will get what he wants, and she will suffer the consequences of her actions. But she knows her boys, and she’s persuaded they won’t comply with Caleb's demands. She hopes they won’t. And besides, as long as she can see the colours around her, she knows they are doing fine. Because, if Luke is alright, Alex and Reggie are too.That night, she promises herself to do anything in her power to get back to them, to Luke, and to finally free herself from Caleb.

#jatp #julie and the phantoms #julie and the phantoms imagines #luke patterson x reader

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writerinlearning · 19 days ago

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𝐇𝐞𝐚𝐫𝐭 𝐋𝐢𝐤𝐞 𝐘𝗼𝐮𝐫𝐬 | Part. Two.

plot: when reader wakes up from a one-month coma, she’s surprised to see luke there, believing he had crossed over after playing the Orpheum stage. when she’s discharged from the hospital, luke and reader engage in a conversation with an outcome neither of them expected.

pairing: ghost!luke patterson x molina!fem!reader

show: julie and the phantoms

warnings: none that i can think of

word count: 3,0k

author’s notes: english isn’t my first language, apologies for the possible mistakes. this is the second version of this story, an updated one if you will, and i have to say i like it a bit more than i did the first time. i hope you like it too.

luke patterson masterlist || part. one. || main masterlist

Los Angeles, 2020

Luke spins around on his heels, almost dropping his guitar case to the floor, eyes wide open in surprise and mouth hanging low with shock at the sound of the voice he believed he’d never hear again just mere seconds ago. Y/N’s eyes are open now, her nose scrunching up and showing the discomfort of the tube going down her throat. How had she managed to call out his name, Luke has no idea, but he is glad that she did, because she’s finally awake, and he couldn’t believe it.

She coughs again, tears of pain escaping the corner of her eyes. Instinctively, Luke rushes to her side, putting his guitar case at the foot of the hospital bed as he takes her hand in his. His body hovers above her as he looks for the small remote he’s seen Ray hold onto whenever he visits his niece, and he pushes down the red button, hoping for a nurse to come and check on Y/N. He’s still a ghost; there isn’t much else he can do to help her, except to stay by her side. He doesn’t notice the way she looks at him, with wide confused eyes as she glances back and forth between his face and her hand in his.

Y/N doesn’t understand how or why Luke is able to hold onto her hand, a firm grip that is, instead of her hand falling through his. She doesn’t understand how he is still here, even after performing on the Orpheum stage; this is the one thing he needed to do, to cross to the other side. So why is he still here? She can’t say anything to him, her body spasming with another coughing fit from the tube down her throat. It hurts her with every breath she takes, the plastic rubbing against her esophagus.

The door creaks open, and Luke whips his head around, letting out a relieved sigh when he sees Y/N’s regular nurse rush inside the room, her eyes wide open and mouth hanging agape in shock. Y/N coughs, her nose scrunching up in discomfort as the breathing tube down her throat almost chokes her. But the nurse is quick to notice her discomfort, and she quickly goes over her shock to help the poor girl. She checks on the different machines and IVs, taking several of Y/N’s vitals as the doctor makes his appearance inside the room.

Luke takes a step back, his hand dropping Y/N’s, but his eyes never leave her body frame as he leans back against the white wall, his arms crossed over his chest. They’re only left alone after an hour or so, but not before the nurse tells Y/N that she would inform her family about her current state. Y/N is finally free of the breathing machine when she attempts a glance towards Luke, and she wants to say something, but her throat is sore, and she fears it might hurt if she speaks up. Instead she gives him a head nod, motioning for him to sit by the edge of her bed.

Luke doesn’t know if he should, afraid he might hurt her by sitting so close to her, but when she doesn’t move her gaze from him, he takes his seat next to her, and he tentatively reaches out for her hand again. Y/N eyes him carefully, scrutinizing his every movement until the coldness of his palm rests against her own warm one. Her brows pull together in a frown, confusion written all over her face as he intertwines their fingers, resting their locked hands in his lap. Y/N shakes her head slowly, sniffling when she feels the tears running down her cheeks, and she winces at the small pounding in the back of her mind. She wanted to sit up, to move around but her nurse and the doctor had been strict: she had to wait until the next day. If only time could move faster.

“Hey Y/N.” Luke greets her softly. “How are you feeling?”

Y/N swallows the lump in her throat, coughing afterwards and she glances at the glass of water placed on the bedside table, hoping Luke would get the hint. She knows he is a ghost, and therefore cannot hold or grab things, but he’s been holding her hand longer than he’s ever done, and she wonders what else he can do. She doesn’t know how long she’s been there exactly, but from what she gathered from the doctor’s exchange with the nurse, it has at least been several weeks. She lets out a short breath when he does get the hint, carefully putting the glass at her lips to help her drink half of its content before he places it back on the bedside table. He watches as she closes her eyes for a brief moment, his hand finding hers again. He doesn’t want to let her go, now that she’s finally awake.

“It hurts.” Y/N finally says, her voice hoarse. “A lot.”

Luke finds it adorable, the way she speaks and the way she looks up to him, a mix of confusion, fear and happiness.

“Wh– why are you here?” She asks him then, slightly turning her head to get a better look at him. “I– I thought… I thought you crossed over…”

“Yeah,” Luke breathes out. “Playing the Orpheum stage wasn’t our unfinished business after all.”

“But… Julie said, if you didn’t join Caleb’s club, y– you’d cease to exist…”

“After we played at the Orpheum and we vanished from the stage, we went straight to Julie’s garage.” Luke explains to her, running his free hand through her hair. “We believed you and Julie wouldn’t come there until the next morning, and you’d believed we crossed over. But she came over to the garage when she got back from the Orpheum, and she found us.” He pauses, taking a breath. “She begged us to go join Caleb’s club, but I told her that no music was worth making, if we weren’t doing it with her. Next thing I knew, she was hugging me, and she asked Alex and Reg to join us. After that, Caleb’s stamp vanished and now… Julie can touch us. Or we can touch the Lifers now.”

Y/N nods her head, chuckling at his choice of words to describe a living person. She tries to process the information he’d just dumped on her, still unsure of how she ended up at the hospital. Clearly, a lot has happened since her cousin performed with her ghost band at the Orpheum, opening for Panic!At the Disco, but all Y/N can remember from that night is driving back home from there, tears in her eyes as she believed the boys had crossed over. Luke notices her confused expression and smiles, leaning over a little to press his lips against her temple.

“I could get used to this, you know.” Y/N tells him, chuckling.

“What’s that?”

“This. You, holding my hand and kissing my cheek. It’s weird, because you’re a ghost and I’m alive, but I could get used to this.”

“Yeah, it’s still weird for me, too. Alex is constantly freaking out over this, and Reggie is rather chill about it. We’re still trying to figure out what it means.”

“Either way, I’m not complaining.”

“Neither am I.”

—

Three weeks later and Y/N is able to go home. She mostly has to rest, however, and besides, her father wouldn’t have her do anything around the house until he is a hundred percent certain she has completely healed from the accident. And since her father’s at work most of the time, Y/N finds herself spending most of her days at her cousin’s house, not that she complains. It meant she could see a certain someone everyday.

She loves to spend time in the garage, watching Julie rehearse with the guys, but she’s completely oblivious to the side glances Luke gives her whenever he sings, which had the power to annoy Julie and Alex the most. They used this though, as an opportunity to tease the lead guitarist whenever Y/N wasn’t around.

Today would have been the same, if Julie hadn’t gone out with Flynn and Nick, or if Reggie and Alex had stayed in the garage after rehearsals. But the drummer was on a date with Willie, and Reggie went to spend some time with Carlos. He loves to hang around the younger Molina, especially since he found out he could make himself visible to Julie’s younger brother if he focused hard enough, and the two have since been bonding like two brothers. Which left Luke alone in the studio with Y/N, because he did not want to leave her alone.

Y/N sits on the couch when Luke poofs back from the kitchen, two bags of chips stuck under his arms. He pouts when he notices she hasn’t spared him a glance, too focused by the laptop in her lap. He knows she’s working on a school paper, having so much to catch up upon, after missing classes for a month. He knows she needs to get back on track, but the more he looks at her, the more he wants to be an annoying little shit and disrupt her concentrated state. He fights against it though, and instead he joins her on the couch, handing her a bag of chips he’d previously opened for her. He lays his head on her shoulder, his eyes going over the words written on her screen. He still couldn’t understand how such a small contraption could hold so much information, but he was getting the hang of it.

“I still don’t know how your computer works.” He says as he pouts, pushing her laptop aside so that he can rest his head in her lap instead.

Y/N chuckles. “Technology. You’ll learn.” She says coyly.

Luke hums in response, half-ignoring her comment as he plays with the rings around his fingers. Y/N shakes her head at his lack of attention, leaning further into the couch as she begins to run a hand through the boy’s hair, her nails softly grazing at his scalp. Luke leans into her touch, craving the feeling of security and comfort it gives him. His eyes flutter shut as he enjoys the moment, to the point he almost forgets he’s dead.

“I heard you, you know.” Y/N blurts out, breaking the comfortable silence in the room.

Luke sits up, her hand falling from his hair and back in her lap, and he watches as she sits properly, his eyes wide as he processes her words. She’s never said anything up until now, so he’s always believed she didn’t hear him everytime he spoke to her back when she was in a comatose state. Oh, how wrong he was.

Y/N sighs, her hand coming up to pinch the bridge of her nose as she closes her eyes to gather her thoughts. Then, taking a deep breath, she turns her head to Luke and smiles softly, reaching for his hand.

“At the hospital,” she begins to explain. “I heard your song.”

“Y– you did?” Luke stutters, his voice going an octave higher in surprise. “I didn’t… I didn’t think you would.”

“I did, yeah. I could hear everyone that came and went in that room, and it’s hard. It’s hard to hear the people you love beg you to wake up while crying, and you’re unable to say anything back to them because all your body wants to do is to give up. I heard my dad, my uncle, Julie and Carlos. I heard Alex, Reggie, and you. I– I heard everyone, every single one of you, you know…”

Luke listens, noticing the tears brimming in Y/N’s eyes, but he says nothing. This is probably something she needs to talk about, to get out of her chest, and he lets her, squeezing her hand to let her know she isn’t alone; that he’s here for her, should she ever need him.

“Wh– when you sang your song to me, I…” Y/N breathes out, looking down at their locked hands. “I– I think… something clicked in my mind, and I had to wake up. I– I had to tell my body that I couldn’t give up, not now, because I wanted to live a life for the both of us. I– I was trapped in my own mind, but suddenly, I felt like breaking through this invisible wall, with your voice pulling me forward. I saw you when I opened my eyes, y– you were walking out. I knew I had to call out for you.”

Y/N releases a breath she doesn’t know she was holding, and she lifts her head up only to find Luke staring at her with a shit-eating grin plastered on his face. His hazel eyes sparkle with something she’s never seen on him before; he’s beaming with happiness, she can easily tell, but there is something else hidden behind his irises, something she cannot quite put her finger upon.

Luke brings their intertwined hands up to press a chaste kiss to the back of her hand, smirking as a blush creeps onto her cheeks. He doesn’t care that she didn’t say anything back at the hospital after she woke up; she was telling him now and it’s all that mattered to him.

“You know,” Luke says after a while. “You scared me quite a few times when you were there.”

“What do you mean?” Y/N asks him, tilting her head to the side.

“Your heart… it stopped twice in a month Y/N. I– I don’t know if your dad or Julie ever told you that. I– I was there both times, and I thought I’d lose you, you know? I wasn’t even sure you would come back as a ghost, if you did die, because I’m pretty sure you haven’t left anything unfinished and I–”

Luke’s rambling stops, his eyes widening when a pair of lips meet his, but he melts into the kiss right after, closing his eyes and moving his hands up to hold Y/N’s face in the palm of his hands. When she pulls away for air, her cheeks are a bright tomato red and her eyes dart to the floor in embarrassment. She scratches the back of her head, awkwardly clearing her throat.

“I’m sorry.” She whispers sheepishly.

“Don’t be.” Luke smiles, index finger under her chin so that she looks back at him. “You have no idea how long I’ve wanted you to do that.”

“It’s just… you were rambling, and you were so cute, but with the accident it kind of my made head ache and I had to make you stop rambling, and I don’t know…” She shrugs. “I just thought kissing you would do the trick because, you know… I like you, like a lot. And I get it if you don’t feel the same way, but I just–”

It’s Y/N’s turn to be cut off by a pair of lips on hers, and she melts into the kiss, tangling her fingers in Luke’s hair, gently grazing at his scalp with her fingernails and eliciting a soft moan from him at her touch. He leans further into the kiss, craving the taste of her lips on his; craving her touch. Y/N giggles against his lips before she pulls away, to catch her breath. He might be dead and doesn’t need air to breathe, but she’s very much alive and she does need air to survive. They’ll have to work on that, if they want to make this work.

“I love you, Y/N.” Luke says, placing a strand of hair behind her ear. “Like a lot.”

“I love you more.” She confesses, bringing him in for another kiss.

Luke moves his hand from her face down to her hips, lifting her up so that she’s sitting in his lap, and he deepens the kiss when one of his hands returns to the back of her neck. Her own hands find his hair again, and he moans softly against her lips when she begins to tug on it, tangling strands of hair between her fingers.

Neither of them notice when the garage doors open, nor do they see their friends standing in the door frames. At least, not until Alex awkwardly clears his throat to make his presence known to the two lovers.

Luke and Y/N pull away from each other, both madly blushing from being caught red-handed by their friends, and Y/N scrambles away from Luke’s lap, clearing her throat.

“As much as we appreciate you two finally acting on your feelings towards one another,” Alex begins, rolling his eyes.

“Please, don’t make out on the couch.” Julie finishes, giggling.

Y/N glares at her cousin before she looks at her lover when he lets out an annoyed groan, throwing his head back. She leans her head onto his shoulder, her index finger gently tracing the edges of his jawline as she looks up to him through her lashes, and she feels him shiver under her touch. Yeah, she definitely could get used to this, she thinks.

“I would have come back, you know.” She whispers so that only he can hear her. “If I’d died, back then. I’d have come back as a ghost.”

“Why?” Luke asks her, wrapping an arm around her shoulders.

“You’re my unfinished business, Luke.”

She admits out loud, and Luke cannot stop the growing smile on his face. He hugs her closer to him, if that even were possible, and she uses this as an opportunity to kiss down his jaw and onto the exposed skin of his collarbone. He looks down on her when the warmth of her lips leave his skin, and he presses a gentle kiss onto her forehead.

“I love you.” Luke whispers into her ear before standing up.

“Feeling’s mutual, Patterson.” Y/N smirks, pushing him towards his bandmates with a laugh.

Boy, was she whipped for the guitarist. And how was she glad Julie had introduced the boys to her when she did.

#jatp #julie and the phantoms #luke patterson x reader #julie and the phantoms imagines

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writerinlearning · 19 days ago

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𝐇𝐞𝐚𝐫𝐭 𝐋𝐢𝐤𝐞 𝐘𝗼𝐮𝐫𝐬 | Part. One.

plot: after playing on the Orpheum stage and being saved by Julie from Caleb’s curse, Luke looks for reader, determined to tell her how he feels, but he wasn’t expecting to find her in a hospital bed, fighting for her life.

pairing: ghost!luke patterson x molina!fem!reader | julie molina x cousin!fem!reader

show: julie and the phantoms

warnings: mentions of car accident, drunk driving (please, never drive while intoxicated), blood, hospital

word count: 4,5k

author’s notes: english is not my first language, apologies for any mistakes. this is the second version of this fic. first version has been unpublished. reader is julie’s cousin on her father’s side, and she can see the boys too. i used the song heart like yours from the if i stay movie. this fic is also sorta based on said movie. there’s a second part planned for this fic.

luke patterson masterlist || part. two. || main masterlist

Los Angeles, 2020

Playing the Orpheum was everything Luke expected. Except for what came after. As soon as he got off the stage, Luke went to find Julie, Alex, and Reggie, to celebrate, but most importantly, he wanted Y/N to celebrate with them. Imagine his surprise when he got told that she wasn’t backstage after the show, nor was she home when they returned to Julie’s place. They looked for her all night, to no avail, and Luke kept on looking for her in the morning, until Julie showed up to the studio with the bad news.

Luke never thought he’d hear those words in his life, but as soon as the words leave Julie’s mouth, his entire world comes crumbling down. Y/n had gotten in an accident on her way back home from the Orpheum after Julie and the Phantoms’ performance last night. Her car had been hit by a drunk driver speeding down the opposite lane, his vehicle diverting onto Y/n’s lane before the collision. It had sent Y/n flying in the driver’s seat, hitting her head badly against the dashboard whilst the windshield shattered when her car rolled over on the hood, sending shards of glass everywhere. And when the medics got to the accident scene, Y/n was already fighting to stay alive. She was barely breathing as they extracted her from the broken vehicle and carefully placed her onto a stretcher, putting an oxygen mask over her nose and mouth. Blood was dripping from the large cut that began on her forehead and went down to her left cheekbone, pieces of the windshield stuck into her collarbones and arms. The medics had hauled her into the ambulance and, as soon as the back doors had been closed, the vehicle sped down to the Los Angeles Community Hospital, the closest from the accident scene.

When Julie woke up that morning, after playing the Orpheum, she hadn’t expected to see her father with his head in his hands, and his cell phone unlocked in front of him. Her brother, Carlos, wasn’t around, and she found it strange that he was nowhere to be seen. Sunday was usually family breakfast, and it was important to them since her mother passed away.

She then spotted Reggie, who had a habit of joining the Molina family for breakfast, even though he couldn’t eat anything and was only seen by Julie and Y/n. He loved being in their presence, and when he noticed Julie standing in the room, his face fell; he was anticipating Julie’s reaction to the news her father would soon break to her. And he had every right too, for as soon as Ray noticed his daughter and the words fell past his lips, Julie fell to her knees on the wooden floor of the kitchen, taking her head in her hands while letting out soft sobs. Her shoulders were shaking, and Reggie wanted nothing more than to hug her, the one he had come to consider his sister, but decided against it since he knew it’d look weird to Ray, if his daughter were to hug the air. Hopeless, Reggie watched as Ray stood from the chair he was sitting on and crouched down beside Julie, holding her tightly in his arms, Carlos erupting from the living-room to join the rest of his family.

Julie only finds the courage to go into the studio after midday, the memories of playing and singing with both her mom and Y/n being too painful. She doesn’t know what happens next, but Luke has the right to know. And yet, to Julie it felt like the story was repeating itself, except this time, an accident would take her cousin away from her, and not an illness. She doesn’t want to put Luke through the same pain she’s had to go through, after losing her mom, but someone has to tell Luke about Y/n, about what happened to her.

Julie knows the lead guitarist has a thing for her cousin, but as far as she is concerned, he’s never acted on his feelings because he is a ghost and Y/n, well, she is very much alive. Luke thought it would never work, so he kept his feelings for himself, but it never stopped Julie, Alex or Reggie to tease poor Luke whenever Y/n entered the garage with a bright smile on her lips, ready to watch them rehearse.

When Julie breaks down the news about her cousin to him, Luke is frozen in place, the sole of his feet glued to the ground and his face void of all emotions as he tries to process the heart-wrenching truth. Y/n, his Y/n, had been in a car accident and is now fighting for her life that was hanging on a thread. His hands begin to shake, and he has to turn them into fists to control himself. A single tear rolls down his cheek, escaping the corner of his eye, and although he’s a ghost, he could swear his heart was frantically beating under his ribcage. He wants to scream, to turn back time and let Y/n know how he feels about her, that he would find a way to break away from Caleb’s curse before it’s too late. Somehow, he did find a way last night, but he couldn’t tell Y/N. He couldn’t tell her because a stupid drunk driver had run into her car and she was now fighting for her life. Luke lets out a shaky exhale, his feet moving of their own accord towards Julie.

“Where is she?” He asks the girl, voice trembling and barely above a whisper.

“She’s been transferred to the Los Angeles Community Hospital.” Julie answers, swallowing the growing lump in her throat. “Tío Antonío called dad… said she is stable for now… but she is in a comatose state, and they don’t know when or if she’ll wake up…”

Luke slowly nods his head, the world surrounding him falling apart as Julie’s words echoes in his mind. Last night had probably been his last chance to tell her how he felt, but he was so preoccupied about fighting Caleb’s curse and playing the Orpheum to cross over, that he didn’t even get the opportunity to talk to her. It was his only regret from last night, not being able to speak with her.

Julie tries to reach out for his hand, hoping to bring him comfort, but Luke poofs away right in front of her, leaving her standing in the middle of the studio. A sigh stumbles past her lips, and she wipes away the tears that have involuntarily fallen down her cheeks. She knows where Luke is headed, but she cannot find the strength in her to go and visit her cousin as well. And who could blame her, when the Los Angeles Community Hospital was the same one in which her mother passed away only a year ago.

“You okay Jules?”

Julie lifts her head up, her eyes locking with Alex’s, who’s standing in front of her with his brows pulled together in concern. She exhales a long and slow breath, closing her eyes for a brief instant as she pinches the bridge of her nose to gather her thoughts. Alex doesn’t know about Y/N yet; no one has told him.

“Y/N’s in the hospital…” Julie tells Alex, nervously playing with her fingers. “I just told Luke… He’s gone to see her, I think. Some drunk driver crashed into her car last night, when she was on her way home from the Orpheum–”

“Y/N’s in the hospital?” Alex asks her as if he’s misunderstood her. “Is she okay? Oh my god! Are you okay, Julie? Shit, I– I’m sorry, oh my god! I’m–”

Alex’s words come to a stop when he feels a pair of arms around his torso, and when he looks down, he sees that Julie has wrapped her arms around him for comfort. He can only understand her pain; but he can never know how it truly feels to be afraid to lose your cousin, barely a year after losing your mom. He was the one to die first in his family, so he had no idea what it was to lose a family member.

Julie lifts her head when she feels Alex’s arms around her shoulders, and she gives him a broken smile as the two stay surrounded by the silence in the studio, grieving out their emotions..

—

Luke paces inside the hospital’s hallway, eyes glancing back and forth between the floor and the little window on the door numbered 316. The whiteness of the walls, the scent of the morphine and all sorts of medicine make his stomach churn, nose scrunching up in disgust. Had he been alive, he knows he’d have thrown up on the floor right here and there.

He watches as nurses travel back and forth between patients’ rooms, some being in a hurry while others take their time, but his gaze always comes back to the two nurses in Y/N’s room. He can see them through the round window on the door; they’re chatting together before they begin to explain to Julie’s father the state Y/N is in, as her own father is away on a work trip and still trying to find a flight back home to be with his daughter. Ray Molina is the only relative Y/N has right now, thus making him her legal guardian until her father comes back to Los Angeles.

Gnawing on his lower lip, Luke glances at the clock hung on the wall at the floor’s entrance, and he lets out an exasperated sigh. All he wants is to be by Y/n’s side, hold her hand and tell her everything that has happened after playing the Orpheum. He wants to tell her how he feels about her; he wants to see her smile and kiss those pink lips of hers. Now that he is able to touch Julie, he firmly believes he’ll be able to touch Y/n as well. And he couldn’t wait to tell her all about it; to hold her in his arms and run his hands through her hair as she rests her head in his lap. Even if she’s the only person able to see him, aside from Julie, they could have a perfectly normal relationship. Well, not quite normal, but they could do what any living couple could.

Luke is quickly pulled out of his reverie when the sound of three voices and a door creaking open reaches his ears. He lifts his head to see Ray greeting the two nurses with a wave of his hand before he lets out a long and heavy sigh. Luke waits for what seems to be hours, before Ray retreats to the elevators, probably to get himself something from the cafeteria. The guitarist takes it as his opportunity to enter Y/N’s room without anyone noticing the door opening and closing on its own.

With his feet deeply anchored to the ground, he is met with the beeping sound from the heart monitor connected to the girl lying unconscious on the bed, covered in bandages and stitches. Y/N is hooked to a breathing machine, thinner tube into the breathing tube going down her throat. A cannula is wrapped around her head; the two little tubes sticking into her nostrils to help her breathe. She has a feeding tube linked to the crook of her arm, through which Luke guesses she’s receiving liquids and nutrients to keep her hydrated and healthy until she wakes up from her coma. If she wakes up. Luke can see that other IVs and wires are connected to her body, but he has no idea what they are for; he just knows they’re here to keep her alive for as long as she has the strength to fight for her life.

He finally finds the strength to move from his spot after what seems like hours, and he pulls a chair closer to her bed before he sits down on it. His hazel green eyes fall onto the bruises scattered across her paper pale skin; on her collarbones and upper-chest, as well as on her arms where the IVs and wires are stuck into her skin. He notices the stitches on her face, from her forehead and down to her left cheekbone, dried blood sticking at her hairline. A large bandage has been wrapped around her head, and Luke recalls one of the nurses telling Julie’s father that Y/N had hit her head pretty hard against the dashboard of her car upon impact with the drunk driver’s vehicle.

Luke swallows the lump in his throat, the tears brimming his eyes now rolling down his cheeks to end their course on his thighs. He leans over the mattress, gently grabbing Y/N’s left hand in his right one, feeling the coldness of her skin against his own. His hand not falling through makes his heart flutter, that is if he still had a heart beating, but he isn’t in the right mindset to enjoy the little change. Instead he finds himself rubbing his calloused thumb against her knuckles, feeling the cuts on her skin under his touch, while he brushes his left hand through her hair in a gentle way. He begins to softly hum the melody of a song he’s been working on for the past week. He still hasn’t told anyone about it; he wants it to be a surprise to the person he’s writing it for. It isn’t finished yet, but it brings him a sense of comfort as he watches Y/N’s chest heave up and down with the help of the breathing machine. He wants to speak to her, let her know he’s right beside her, but his voice gets caught up in his throat as he lets out a shaky sob, removing his hand from her hair to put it over his mouth.

She looks so peaceful, lying there and tucked under the bedsheets, but he knows she isn’t asleep; the IVs, drips and wires are a clear sign for it. But he tries to convince himself as she’s indeed sleeping, and that she’s about to wake up to give him her most beautiful smile, the same one which had him fall deep down the rabbit hole the first time she had ever smiled at him. But then again, things do not go the way Luke wants them to go. The heart monitor’s steady beeping sounds increase in a more erratic one, Y/N’s body beginning to shake and spasm uncontrollably. His eyes widen in panic, body jerking back at the sudden change in the room, and he frantically looks around for anything.

Just then, the door opens and Ray rushes forwards. Julie is there too now, and Luke can see how she doesn’t dare to step past the door frame. She stays in the hallway, hopelessly watching her dad pushing on a red button on the remote by the bed. Luke stands still, his mind blank and empty of any thought. He’s only pulled out from his stoic state when Alex poofs right beside him and tugs at his arm to take him out of the room, just as nurses rush inside to care for Y/N.

The minute he’s out of room 316, Luke falls to his knees and takes his head in his hands. He can still feel Reggie and Alex beside him, but he doesn’t have the heart to ask them to leave him alone. He needs his friends, and as much as he wants to be left alone, he knows he needs them to stay here; to keep him grounded.

—

A month goes by, and still no improvements to Y/N’s state. Her father has managed to come back from his working trip, and he’s spent as much time as he could by his daughter’s side; Ray only taking his brother’s place when Antonío had to deal with urgent matters at work. Sometimes, when they aren’t at school, Julie and Carlos would join their father at Y/n’s side, and they would tell their cousin about their day. Julie also speaks about the band, and how they managed to get a record deal a week after playing the Orpheum.

Luke, however, spends each of his days at the hospital. He tries not to ditch rehearsals with the band, but Julie, Alex, and Reggie know what he’s going through, and they always understand when sometimes he doesn’t show up. During the month he spends at the hospital, Luke witnesses Y/N’s heart stop twice, and the fear of losing her grows stronger whenever he steps past the door frame. He always brings his song book and guitar with him, working on his song to change his mind. Today is no exception.

Luke carries his guitar case in one hand, opening the door numbered 316 before stepping inside the room and closing the door behind him. He knows Julie is still in high school, and that Carlos has a baseball practice with his dad and Reggie, probably. Alex is probably off somewhere with Willie, having found him again on Hollywood boulevard two weeks after playing the Orpheum, and now they’re seeing each other in secret, hoping that Caleb never finds out about it. Luke also knows Y/N’s father wouldn’t be here today, having been held off at work for something important. So, besides the nurses that drop by once in a while to check on Y/N’s vitals, he’s completely alone with her.

He sits down in his usual spot, on the chair pulled by the hospital bed, and he places the leathered guitar case as his feet, opening the latches to take out his praised instrument. He begins to tune it, remembering the day he had heard one nurse telling Ray that Y/N could still hear people talk next to her, which had, for a short moment, brought a smile to Luke’s lips. He shakes his head at the thought, leaning down to grab his song book and opening it to a page at the end. His messy handwriting litter the paper, but in big letters at the top are written the words “HEART LIKE YOURS”.

It’s the song he’s been working on, without his friends’ knowledge of the song ever existing. It’s the song he’d planned to reveal to everyone by singing it to his special someone; his Y/N. He doesn’t know when or if she’ll wake up, nor does he know if he’ll ever have the chance to tell her the song is for her, but he’s finally finished writing and composing it the previous night, and he wants her to hear it at least once. Luke gently plucks the strings of his instrument, a soft sound echoing inside the room. He knows he won’t be visible to anyone who might come inside upon hearing the music, since Julie isn’t singing with him, but he doesn’t care in the slightest. He has to tell Y/N how he feels about her, even if she may never wake up, and the best way for him to express his feelings is through music.

“Breathe deep, breathe clear,” Luke begins to sing softly, silent tears rolling down his cheeks. “Know that I’m here. Know that I’m here, waitin’.”

His voice waver a little, and he closes his eyes for a moment, inhaling deeply to once again focus on his song. His fingers keep on delicately strumming the strings of his instrument, the sound of his voice soft and echoing around the room; the sound of the heart monitor muffled by the melody he’s producing.

“How could a heart like yours–” Luke sings the chorus, his hazel green eyes now focused on Y/N, “–ever love a heart like mine? How could I live before? How could I have been so blind? You opened up my eyes. You opened up my eyes…”

Luke pours his feelings into the song, meaning every word he sings to her as more tears cascade down his cheeks, but never once does he begin to sob. If Y/N is even able to hear him, even in a coma, he’d go through with his song, wanting her to know exactly how he feels; how he feels about her.

“Sleep sound, sleep tight–” Luke begins the second verse, eyes glancing down at his song book for a second. “–here in my mind. Here in my mind, waitin’. Come close my dear, you don’t have to fear. You don’t have to fear, waitin’.” He swallows the lump in his throat, keeping on strumming the strings softly while he takes a deep breath. “I’ll see you soon.”

He whisper-sings the pre-chorus and stops his strumming. He lifts himself from the chair and hovers over Y/N, his tears hitting the pillow under her head while he swings his guitar behind his back. Luke closes his eyes, leaning down to press his lips against her forehead as more tears roll down his cheeks to end their course on Y/N’s cold skin. When he sits back on the chair, he begins to pluck the strings of his instrument again, picking up the song where he stopped it, and his wavering voice joins the melody to sing the chorus, his eyes never leaving Y/N.

“Hold fast, hope.” He reaches the bridge, sniffling. “All your love is all I’ve ever known.”

And yes, her love might only have been platonic towards him, but it’s all he’s ever known, alive or dead. Back in the 90s, he wasn’t much into the dating thing, and he’d rather focus on the band. Though he did have a fling with Alex, it didn’t last long and the two remained friends from that time onwards, and Sunset Curve had never been better. Well, until him, Reggie and Alex died from bad hot dogs in 1995. So yes, Y/N’s love for him, however platonic it is, it’s all he’s ever known, and he’s afraid to lose her. He’s afraid he’s been too late to admit his feelings.

“How could a heart like yours,” he sings the last chorus, thinking back to all the memories he has of her. “–ever love a heart like mine? How could I live before? How could I have been so blind? You opened up my eyes… you opened up my eyes…”

Luke’s fingers keep strumming on the strings as he sings the outro, inhaling sharply as he ends the song with one final melody. He wipes the tears on his cheeks with the sleeves of the plaid jacket he’s decided to wear today, putting his cherished instrument back into its case, followed by his song book before he closes it. He glides the chair against the tiled floor, making a terrible sound as he pulls it closer to Y/N’s bed. The guitarist takes her left hand in his right one, and he begins rubbing his sore thumb against her knuckles in circles. Luke then leans his forehead against hers, closing his eyes as he lets out a shaky breath.

“I love you, Y/N.” There. He finally said it, though he wishes it was under other circumstances. “I’ve always loved you…” His voice wavers. “The way you smile, and crinkles appear at the corner of your eyes. Or the way you’d jump around, listening to the Sunset Curve demo after it brought me, Reggie and Alex back to the studio… I remember when you got mad at us for ditching Julie on the night of the dance, and I had never felt so mad in my life, or afterlife–” Luke chuckles. “ –before. You stayed mad at us for three whole days, until Julie pleaded with you to forgive us like she did. We even had to sing a song to convince you.”

He pauses, leaning back into the chair to take a look at her peaceful state. Her hair lays around her head like a halo on the pearly white pillow case, her body carefully tucked under the bed sheets as her hands rest on her stomach. Luke can see her breathing pattern with the up and down movement of her chest, and the steady beeping of the monitor to his right lets him know that her heart is still beating. There’s a ray of the sun that peaks through the half-opened curtains in the room, casting its light on her serene frame, and she looks even more like an angel.

“I, I–” He stutters, his voice breaking. “I know you’ve been fighting so hard to stay, and as much as– as much as I want you to keep fighting for your family, for us, I–” A pause, followed by a deep breath. “I’ll understand if you want to let go. I promise to keep an eye on your cousins, for as long as I shall walk this Earth as a ghost…” A sob rips from his chest, but he’s the only one who can hear it. He reaches for her hand one last time, and then– “You can let go now…”

Luke says as his voice wavers, breaking down completely. He lets go of her hand to bury his head between his knees after pulling up his legs against his chest, finding himself in some kind of fetal position on the chair he’s been occupying for the last month. He can’t bring himself to look at her again, not when the beeping from the monitor grows louder and faster. His breath gets caught up in his throat, and he feels like drowning whenever a hiccup rips from his chest. His grief grows heavier, but he cannot find the strength to leave the room knowing it’ll be the last time he’ll ever see her. He knows there’s a slim possibility for her to become a ghost after she passes away, but he doubts she has any unfinished business to keep her on Earth.

He doesn’t know how long he stays there, crying and unable to move from his chair, but the sun has settled down behind the horizon when he finally looks up. His ears catch on to the steady sound of the monitor, and his brows furrowed in confusion. Didn’t it grow faster just a few minutes ago? He glances at the clock above the hospital bed. 08:15 pm. He’s stayed here too long, he needs to get back to Julie’s garage; let his bandmates know where he’s been the whole day, even if they already guessed it.

Reluctantly, he motivates himself to rise from his chair, picking up the leathered guitar case at his feet in the process. Slowly, he makes his way towards the door, and when his hand reaches for the metallic doorknob, he looks over his shoulder one last time.

“I love you, Y/N.”

His words come out as a whisper hanging around in the pristine white room. His mind becomes overwhelmed with memories of Y/N, of her smile, her laughter, and of the sound of her voice, so much that he fails to notice the monitor picking up, and the muffled coughs that come from the bed.

“Lu– Luke?”

The guitarist stops dead in his walk, halfway through the door frame, as a hoarse voice reaches his ears; a voice, however muffled it was, he thought he would never hear again.

#jatp #julie and the phantoms #luke patterson x reader #julie and the phantoms imagines

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