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funsizearsonist · 3 years

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Bleeding Ink (Luke angst)

Summary: Luke’s songwriting takes a hit when he gets hurt. He thought emotions made a song better, but he got the proportions wrong. or “Maybe have a little song with those feelings”

Category: Angst

Fandom: Julie and the Phantoms

Paring: N/A

Word Count: 1,559

Warnings/Includes: Like 1 swear, some mentions of an argument, and some descriptions of ~sadness~

A/N: I hope you like this! I'm still very new at writing fanfiction so as always, constructive criticism and any feedback in general are much appreciated!! Hope you like it!!

Mandatory Thanking of the Betas: Thank u for supporting me on this @theolivekiddo!! I probably wouldn’t have posted it if not for you because I have no confidence and I thought it was ~bad~ :P I’m still not so sure it’s good but u convinced me to post it so that’s something I guess

AO3 link here

Please don’t repost my work without my permission, in part or whole. My work can also be found on AO3 under the same username. Thank you!

Jatp taglist: @n0wornever, @calamitykaty, @unsaidmegan, @morganayennefertyrell, @link-102, @crybabyddl, @willex-owns-my-heart (I’m hoping it’s ok to tag y’all bc u said in a post here that you’d like to be added to taglists but I can take you off anytime, just send me an ask :))

Taglist for everything <3: @theolivekiddo

Bleeding Ink

Luke wouldn’t ever admit it to anyone, but he’s not quite the carefree troublemaker people think. The band knew, of course. He never had to tell them, they just knew. Probably because they were his family, they knew pretty much everything about each other. And now Julie knows, too. That’s about everyone he can come up with, besides Willie and maybe Flynn, that he actually knows now, so it looks like his secret is safe. The issue is the carefree part. Because Luke may be a hell of a troublemaker but he cares a lot.

He cares about his family, even through their ups and downs. He cares about his friends, his band; they’re pretty much a family to him too. And he cares, so so much, about music. Music has been there his whole life. Mostly rock, his favorite, but he can appreciate pretty much any kind of music. He’s listened to music throughout his whole life. It made him feel better when he was sad, widened his grins when he was happy, and kept all the in-betweens interesting.

He only loved music more when he started writing it. Luke started writing music late in middle school, but he would probably kill you if you knew. He always thought it was good he started early to get it all out of the way. It wasn’t really music yet, just putting down words without having anything to say. He still thinks they were less of lyrics and more like pages of word vomit. The old notebooks from that first year or so are probably still lying around somewhere, but Luke would rather look forward than back at all of that. He puts meaning into his music now, and Luke thinks it’s only ever gotten better, especially working with Julie. Except for a short period in the middle where it definitely got worse.

The thing is, Luke puts emotion into every one of his songs. He thinks you can’t have truly good music without putting at least a little bit of heart in it; and Luke cares so much about all of his music he can’t honestly help it. Writing music has helped him understand his feelings, and it’s his biggest way of expressing them. Usually though, he doesn’t really need music as an outlet or anything. He loves playing the songs he’s worked on, all the emotions that go with them. The electric energy in Now or Never, the reassurance and connection in Bright, the determination and fearlessness in Stand Tall, all of his songs had pieces of himself in them. But he writes them because he wants to, not because he needs to get anything out. Most of the time, at least.

There was only really one instance in Luke’s life where that wasn’t the case. Where he was so overwhelmed with emotion that he had to get it out onto a page before he could move on. Dying and coming back as ghosts, making friends with the girl who brought you back and being able to play music again, only to find your only surviving bandmate stole your old songs, and the whole Caleb thing probably should have done it. The thing is, Luke (and Alex and Reggie) got put through that rollercoaster so fast that he could barely make out emotions from the jumbled blur, much less put them into music. Before he could even say “What the hell is going on here?!” Luke was writing new songs. For their new band with Julie, no less. And he had pretty much gotten past all that drama already, somehow. It probably had something to do with Julie. After all, “No music is worth making, Julie, if we’re not making it with you.”

The time that really got to Luke, was actually part of how he ended up playing up music anyhow. It all started when his mother got him a guitar for his birthday, happy to support his interest in music. Perhaps she didn’t understand quite how deep the interest ran, because she might never have gotten it if she had. He was immediately captivated by it, and within a week Luke had the basics pretty much down already. It didn’t take him long to get even better, and to decide to form a band with some friends. He went home that night, blood pumping fast with excitement, and told his mom the news. It didn’t go over quite as well as he thought.

His mother had already become a bit apprehensive about how much Luke had come to like the guitar, but she had decided not to say anything as she thought it was just a harmless hobby. But then Luke came home and told her he was in a band, and all the fears rushed to surface and spilled over. She never should have had that much of a reaction or been so harsh, but it was all because she cares about Luke. She is his mother after all. And he had already been falling a bit behind on schoolwork, spending all his free time working out new songs with his guitar. That would only get worse if he joined a band, not even considering his future and the bandmates he wanted to play with, and where they wanted to play music, and all sorts of other concerns that came out when Luke told her about the new band.

It really hit Luke hard that his mother was instantly full of criticisms. Couldn’t she just be happy for him? He came home all excited and she instantly twisted it into hurt and anger, which turned their discussion into more of a fight, or at least certainly didn’t help matters. He’s not quite sure anymore exactly what was said that night, but he got the memo- “You can’t ditch everything for a band when you live in this household” - so he lashed back with some venom of his own, and left. It didn’t even take a whole night for him to regret it.

Biking away with basically only his guitar, the thing that mattered most to him but his mother hated most. Luke only took a good few minutes of furious pedaling to realize that he had no idea where he was going, and he was exhausted. All the fight drained out of him, all the adrenaline faded away, he was just hurt. No more energy to be angry, all the white noise of yelling in the argument cleared from his head, and he couldn’t believe his mother said all that to him. He was so excited to come home and tell his family about his new band, just earlier that evening. It already seemed like so long ago. He felt a little bad about the things he said back to his mom already too, but it was still very clear to him that they were in retaliation. If his mother hadn’t exploded at him for chasing his passion, it never would have happened. He ends up deciding to crash at the Molina’s place. After all Rose did say they could use the garage whenever they wanted. Luke was already almost drowning in this dread about everything that happened, and he was still too tired to really realize it. He just decided to knock out.

It hit him full force in the morning. Luke woke up in an unfamiliar room, confused for about half a second, before getting hit by a tidal wave of “oh, shit.”

Fighting with his family is what really managed to upset him. Nothing in Luke’s life had ever hit him that hard before. That’s when his songwriting really hit a low point for a bit. He wrote Unsaid Emily once he had gotten himself together as a way to conclude his feelings on the matter, and a way to say “I’m sorry” to his mom without actually saying it right to her. He wrote the song to summarize everything he had to say about what happened, but he tried to leave most of the emotion out of it. He learned his lesson about not putting his feelings about it all into song.

In the few weeks before that, his writing was closer to the state they were in middle school. Except this time instead of having nothing to say, he had too much he needed to get out, and he didn’t know how to make it into proper lyrics. He poured too much emotion into them. Instead of being a wave of energy over a crowd, they’d be more like a tsunami, too overpowering. Luke was just writing them for himself at that point, even the band wouldn’t see those songs, much less a stage.

The one thing he could come up with to say on it, looking back, is that’s the thing about being hurt. You have too much to hold inside of you so you bleed your soul out onto paper in ink, but instead of making it beautiful, it just makes the pages dark. All the feelings are just as ugly when you put them down on paper, and once they’re no longer caught in your chest, you don’t want to have anything to do with them. But their ink still stains your hands, and you know they may be gone but you can never forget them.

End A/N: I wrote this all at like 3 AM so I wasn't really focused on the quality of the writing and more so the narrative, hope u don't mind that. It doesn't really?? Have a point?? I don't think I was going somewhere with it I just wanted to express my thought on how Luke would be doing. Let me know what you thought! If this wasn't written in the dead of night how could it have been better? What parts did you like about it? If you don’t want to give feedback, that’s fine. Just please reblog or maybe comment if you enjoyed it, don’t just leave a like. Thanks for reading!

#julie and the phantoms #julie and the phantoms fics #jatp fanfic #jatp fic #luke-centric jatp fic #jatp luke angst #luke fic #jatp luke fic #luke patterson #luke patterson jatp #funsizefics

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bluefirewrites · 3 years

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Walk A Mile In My Doodled Shoes by Bluefire510

(click image for better quality)

A.K.A The one where the boys use their newfound possession abilities to help Julie out of jams.

Summary:

"I want to help, Julie… but only if you let me,”

She nodded. She was ready this time.

The bassist wore a tentative smile, to keep her at ease during this extremely personal process.

“Reggie to the rescue!”

Then he came charging at her with great speed, his form colliding into hers, and for a split second, Julie felt nothing. Then everything. And then nothing again.

The next time she blinked open her eyes, she realized that was all she could do- watch. Watch as her hands move of their own accord...

Or were they?

Read here on AO3

#julie and the phantoms #jatp #jatp fic #jatp ao3 #julie molina #luke patterson #alex mercer #reggie peters #possession!fic #blue draws stuff #blue writes stuff #juke #juke-centric

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a-tomb-with-a-view · 3 years

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iv read all your alex fics and i miss my boy so much. Do you have any to rec?

Aha big mood, lemme think

Anything by @on-irratia is always p damn good, specifically their Shining Bright series is an all time fav, but everything is really good

Fears (Don’t Get Me Started) by @pawprinterfanfic is a lot of fun

@alexthedrummerboy’s social media au is brilliant, and I liked her fic I Can Get By The Days Just Fine (But The Nights)

@the-anxious-gay-drummer has some really fantastic stuff

I really loved Breathe These City Lights and Lying Is The Most Fun by @sunsetsandcurves

The Screaming Adventures Of Crop Top Death Drop by @kybee1497 is really funny

Alex And His Rose Bush Boys and Sometimes Two Are Better Than One by @sunsetcurveofficial and (You Know) The Rest By Heart by (Idk the author’s tumblr) are really good if you like polyam fics

When You Came Around, My World Felt New by @astorytotellyourfriends is Willie-centric but really great

You Showed Me Faith Is Not Blind (Miracles Happen) by @sunsetcurbed is very long and absolutely fantastic

These are all I can think of/find atm but anyone is welcome to add on, I know there’s a lot really smashing stuff out there that I haven’t seen

#jatp #julie and the fat ones #julie and the himbos #julie and the phantoms #luke patterson #julie molina #alex jatp #reggie jatp #willie jatp #willex #Alex mercer #Alex-centric fic rec list #Alex fic #fic recs #fic rec list #jatp fic rec #meg gives recs

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melsartisticventures · 3 years

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TW: homophobic language and assault/physical abuse

Willex-Angst-Alex Centric

Crossposted on AO3

A Birthday to Remember : Happy Birthday

Alex knew his parents wouldn’t take his sexuality kindly. He knew this, that’s why he decided to wait until he can get a place of his own. It was his 17th birthday so, as per family tradition, he must have a family dinner, because of this he had to miss today’s band practice. Things are going great for his band Julie and the Phantoms. His parents never cared for his music, but they preferred it over dance.

Alex knew his parents weren’t the accepting kind when it came to the LGBTQ+ world. He knew this, that’s why he was very careful to keep his parents in the dark. Somehow, someway, however, his parents found out.

Alex’s parents knew he’s gay and on his 17th birthday no less. He doesn’t know how long they have known but they decided to confront…. confirm this knowledge during mandatory birthday dinner. Alex was stuck. Alex was scared. Alex was panicking.

“Well?” Alex’s father asked. Alex’s mother had been silent through the confrontation. She refused to look at Alex. His father was one answer away from exploding.

“WELL?!” his father yelled, hitting the table. Alex flinched in his chair.

“Y-yes…” Alex stuttered

“Don’t mummer boy!” His father stands.

“YES!” Alex yelled while curling into his chair.

“Yes, what?!”

“Yes, I’m Gay!” Alex was crying and shaking now. His mother let out a horrid sob at Alex’s words. His father let out a shout of rage.

“ABSOLUTELY NOT! I REFUSE TO HAVE A FAG AS A SON!” His father roars. His father speeds around the table and yanks Alex out of his chair by his blonde hair and grabs Alex’s chin with his unoccupied hand.

“You got two choices boy, get the fuck out or go to conversion therapy with Paster Jackson” Alex’s father spits into his face. Alex’s father is squeezing his face so hard he can’t respond.

“ANSWER ME” He yells as he throws Alex into the nearby wall. Alex’s head collides with the wall hard enough to put a hole in the drywall. Alex’s head starts to bleed. Struggling to stand, Alex’s anxiety shuts down. Alex’s mind goes numb. He manages to stand just as his father throws a glass at the wall by Alex’s face, it shatters. Squaring his shoulders and raising his gaze to his father he answers.

“Fuck you” Alex then turns and heads to the door. His father lets out an animalistic roar and throws a chair at Alex’s fleeing form. It connects and knocks him to the ground. It doesn’t stop him though; it just encourages him to go. Go. GO!

He doesn’t remember the journey to the studio garage in the Molina's back yard but when he gets there it’s as if he wakes up. He can see, sort of, the blood is still there, and what he sees breaks him. His family, his true family, forgot about him. Julie, Luke, Reggie, Carlos, Flynn, and Ray are piling into Ray’s van excitedly talking about the traveling fair, their destination. They forgot and He breaks. He runs.

Alex finds an empty bench on the boulevard, and he sits. Now that he has stopped moving his anxiety is starting to catch up. Alex makes a list:

1. My name is Alex Mercer

2. Today is my 17th birthday

3. My parents found out I am Gay

4. My father gave me a choice: leave or conversion therapy

5. I left

6. My band. My family forgot me

7. I’m alone

I’m alone, I’m alone, I’m alo- He starts to hyperventilate. He’s crying, he’s hurt and he’s alone. His body is shaking. He lays down on the bench and he cries, and shakes, and cries. _______________________________________________

He doesn’t remember falling asleep. He wakes on the bench to someone shaking his shoulder.

“Hey, dude, wake up. Come on bud, you got to wake up” A voice says. It’s soothing, shockingly. He blinks his eyes and groans.

“Hey man, welcome back,” the voice says, noticing Alex’s awakening. Alex’s eyes finally focus and they focus on THE most beautiful man Alex has ever seen. Alex tries to sit up only to collapse back down onto the bench.

“Whoa,” the guy says reaching forward to help Alex sit up, “I got ya,” he says with a soft kind smile.

“H-hi” Alex says, voice raw and painful.

“Hi, I’m Willie,” Willie says, soft smile still in place.

“Al-Alex” Alex manages to reply. “Wh-where a-am I?” his hands are starting to shake again.

“Hi Alex, you’re on the Boulevard. I found you sleeping on the bench and noticed you have a head injury. Wanted to make sure you were okay.” Willie says softly.

“O-oh...thank you” his hands are shaking harder and his breathing is starting to get difficult.

“Hey, hey look at me, it’s okay, I got you. I know this is scary and that I’m a stranger but I got you. I’m not going to leave you.” Willie picks up on his anxiety and, just as Willie said, this is scary and despite Willie being a stranger, Alex feels oddly calmed by Willie’s words.

“Is there someone I can call for you?” Willie askes pulling Alex out of his zoned panic at the calmness he feels from Willie’s words.

“Ye-...no...I’m alone” He starts to say yes but then got hit with the memory of yesterday and corrects himself. Willie’s perfect eyebrows furrow as he frowns at Alex’s answer.

“Not anymore, I won’t leave you” Willie states and Alex believes him, somehow.

“Let’s get you out of here” Willie continues with a soft smile. Alex nods his head in confirmation. Willie stands and helps Alex stand with gentle hands.

The journey to Willie’s home is long, Alex’s body is stiff and hurt. Willie didn’t ask what happened, he didn’t push. The walk is mostly filled with Willie telling Alex about his skateboarding adventures. It grounds Alex.

Willie and Alex make it to Willie’s apartment and Willie guides Alex to rest on his couch.

“I’ll be right back, try to get comfy” Willie rushes down the hall leaving Alex to situate himself on the couch. Alex collapses into Willie’s surprisingly comfy couch. Willie comes back with a pillow..or five, a blanket, a bottle of water, and a first aid kit.

“Let’s get you patched up, yeah?” Willie sets the things down. He first arranges the five pillows behind and around Alex to his comfort, He places the blanket over Alex’s legs, hands Alex the bottle of water, and then opens the first aid kit with a snap.

“Okay let’s get this done” Willie waits for consent from Alex to start cleaning his head. Alex is scared but feels safe with Willie. As Willie cleans his wounds Alex’s mind and body start to catch up with the events that have happened. He doesn’t notice that he has started crying. Willie pauses his first aid care,

“Hey, it’s okay, you’re gonna be okay” Willie whispers while gently wiping Alex’s tears. Something in Alex breaks and he tells Willie what happened. From start to finish. From morning to night.

Willie holds him. Willie doesn’t say anything and just holds him. Don’t get him wrong, Willie is livid, he would do anything for the precious blonde angel he found. Not sure why seeing as they literally just met but the feeling is there all the same. Alex cries himself to sleep in Willie’s arms.

Willie lays Alex down and tucks him in. He then goes to get his pillow and blanket and settles down on the floor next to the couch. Willie said he wouldn’t leave, and he’s not. Whether Alex likes it or not, he’s stuck with Willie now. Willie won’t leave, no matter how bad he wants to find every person who hurt Alex and make them pay… He will stay.

#julie and the phantoms #jatp #willex fic #angst #alex mercer #Alex Mercer centric #fanfic #jatp fanfic #willie jatp #luke patterson #reggie peters #julie molina

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hunny-flower · 3 years

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you’re all i ever wanted

Summary: The first time Alex Mercer had ever kissed a boy was in the ninth grade, and at Bobby Wilson’s birthday no less.

Paring: Alex/Everyone (minus the girls)

Warnings: implied/referenced abuse when you get to Reggie’s section, but nothing detailed. Homophobia/homophobic language. Luke’s bad kissing.

Words: 1435

The first time Alex Mercer had ever kissed a boy was in the ninth grade, and at Bobby Wilson’s birthday no less. It was a game of truth-or-dare, and Alex was only just figuring out his sexuality. Girls were okay, he thought, but he wouldn’t mind boys either (there was a little voice in his head saying this was wrong and it was only enforced when he went to church with his parents and they talked about sin and homosexuality). He didn’t remember the boy's name (though he thought he should, a first kiss was something important, wasn’t it?), but he remembers the rumours spread about the two of them afterwards.

He lied to his father about the kiss, obviously, he wouldn’t accept his fag of a son. Alex pinned the blame on the other boy, something about how it was really him who kissed Alex, who forced himself on Alex against his will and caused him to sin.

And his father believed it, though it was probably more of not wanting to accept the possibility that Alex might be gay, rather than truly believing anything Alex had to say. He’d already gotten a lecture about associating with people like that (he said it with such a tone that Alex knew even if he was gay, he wouldn’t be coming out any time soon).

He prayed a little longer that night.

The second time Alex Mercer had ever kissed a boy was a little over a year later, halfway through sophomore year. This time, he remembers the boy. It was an accident, really, he didn’t mean to kiss Luke Patterson, and it wasn’t really his fault anyway. It was just-- Luke was nice. He didn’t quite understand Alex’s anxiety, but he didn’t treat him differently despite it. That left a warm feeling in Alex’s chest.

Luke had soft hair and a lovely voice and a vendetta against sleeves (not that Alex didn’t enjoy it- though he’d never admit that). Luke had been his best friend since forever, there was nothing the two didn’t do together. When Luke got his guitar, Alex begged his parents for a drum set. When Luke got his first kiss, a real kiss, Alex followed. When Alex opened up about his sexuality, Luke wanted to ‘try it out’ too.

“Try it out” was a bit of an understatement. Alex had come out, mentioned kissing that boy at Bobby’s party, and Luke pulled him into a kiss. It was chaste and honestly rather bad, and what followed was a strew of apologies from Luke and “it’s okay”s on Alex’s part, but it was still Luke.

All in all, it wasn’t technically a kiss, and Luke’s lips were too chapped to make the experience enjoyable. Band would go on like normal after that, Luke never brought it up again and Alex didn’t bother pestering him about ‘what was that for?’ When Bobby and Reggie entered the garage, Alex came out to them too. There were a lot of tears that night, and Alex could have sworn he’d seen Luke wink at him over Reggie’s shoulder.

The third time Alex Mercer had ever kissed a boy was only a year before his death. He’d just come out to his parents, and Luke had ran away only a few days (weeks?) prior. Bobby’s family was on vacation for the summer, so Alex had taken refuge in the garage. What he didn’t expect was a crying Reggie Peters to be laying on the couch. They were both a mess, Alex with his bags thrown over his shoulder (he didn’t bring much, when his parents sent him up to his room during dinner he’d packed his bags and left through the window in under ten minutes) and Reggie with dried tears on his face and a bruise on his cheek.

It was a sore sight, Alex was glad that Luke and Bobby weren’t home (home, that’s where they were!) yet. The only coherent thought he’d had at the moment was to scoop his friend up and hug him like the world depended on it. Alex thought that it just might.

The room echoed with muffled sobs as Reggie cried into his shoulder, but Alex wouldn’t have it any other way. He’d gotten little butterflies in his stomach, shoving his face into Reggie’s hair (soft, so soft) in an attempt to comfort the boy.

They were both a little messed up.

So that’s why Alex thought it would be okay to kiss him. He’d brought Reggie’s face up and cupped it with his hands, tracing a thumb over his cheek and rubbing away the tears. His hands carefully avoided the bruise, kissing it gently before moving in for his lips.

Their foreheads knocked together and Reggie giggled, so Alex took it as a good sign. You’d think by now he’d have gotten a handle on the whole kissing thing (he hadn’t). It was better than his kiss with Luke, but that wasn’t saying much. Reggie’s skin was soft, his lips just the same, and his hands were entangled with Alex’s. It was fun, exhilarating even.

Until the door to the garage opened and Luke and Bobby walked in with snacks, only to drop them at the sight of the two (very red and tear-stained) boys.

“Do you kiss all your friends?” Luke had said, and that got Reggie to erupt into giggles despite his tears.

“Only the pretty ones,” Alex replied.

The fourth time Alex kissed a boy was only a few minutes after that with Reggie.

“Am I not pretty enough for you, Mercer?” Bobby said, throwing a pack of doritos at Reggie and sitting down next to Luke.

Alex rolled his eyes, “Is this your way of saying you’d like to kiss me, Wilson?”

“I don’t know about that, Mercer, I thought I wasn’t pretty enough,” Bobby scooted closer to him, hands inches from Alex’s own, “you’d be willing to change that though, right?” Luke and Reggie stayed quiet during the whole exchange, sending each other quick glances and smiles as the two bantered affectionately.

Alex rolled his eyes again, moving his hands up to Bobby’s face and pulling him in for a kiss. There was more effort put into this one, it was much more deliberate. Bobby’s hands trailed up his arms and ended up either in his hair or on his chest.

“Hey,” Alex murmured, brushing a piece of hair from Bobby’s face.

“Hey yourself,” Bobby replied, moving in to kiss him again.

Alex laughed into Bobby’s mouth, which led the other to laugh too, and eventually the two of them ended up lying on top of one another unable to speak without giggling like school girls.

“That was kinda hot,” Luke said once things had calmed down, only to be cut off by Reggie’s sharp laugh and a shout of “Luke!” from Alex. Bobby just smirked at him, too tired for a response.

The fifth time Alex Mercer ever kissed a boy was a few months after his death, when he met Willie. It wasn’t until after they’d figured out, and stopped, Caleb’s plan. That the two took their relationship somewhere else.

Willie was good to Alex, made sure he was comfortable and okay with everything he did. He’d ask Alex if he could hold his hand in public, even though they couldn’t be seen. He’d ask if he could play with Alex’s hair, always a yes, or if he could borrow his hoodie.

So when the skater asked Alex if he could kiss him, Alex had to say yes. Willie grabbed his wrist and pulled him in gently, so unlike his kiss with Bobby (it left a sour taste in his mouth to know how Bobby- Trevor, had grown), and left little kisses on the sides of his smile before meeting Alex in the middle.

This kiss was a lot slower than his older ones, and lasted only up until Alex had to gather his air again. He was sure his face was going to be stained red judging by the heat on his cheeks, but Willie didn’t comment on it, instead resorting to leaving a kiss on his neck and smiling into Alex’s shoulder.

They fit together so well, too well, and Alex was surprised he’d never noticed it sooner. He fit right in with AlexReggieLuke that soon enough it became AlexReggieLukeWillie.

He was warm in all the right ways, understood when nobody else could, and was as perfect as one could really get as a ghost.

When Willie joined the picture, kisses like that became a lot more frequent.

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gaystreetsmarts · 3 years

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a little unsteady

Link to AO3. (Heed the tags, please!)

Summary: Tonight was one of those nights, and he took the bottom edges of his flannel and clenched his fists around them so they would stop shaking. He blasted Green Day, trying to ignore the vibrations of shouts and slamming doors through the wall. He closed his eyes, imagining he was somewhere else - practicing with his friends, playing a real concert venue, going on tour and performing with Billie Joe Armstrong.

Anywhere but here.

(Or: Slowly but surely, the other members of Sunset Curve piece together what exactly Reggie's home life looks like. It isn't pretty.)

Word count: 12,468

#jatp #julie and the phantoms #another reggie-centric one folks #can you tell he's my comfort character #reggie peters #luke patterson #alex mercer #bobby wilson #my fic #my writing

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thephantomchronicles · 3 years

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Fic title: I Use the Pain 'Cause It's Part of Me

Series: The Phantom Chronicles

Part 20 (Wow, we reached part 20!)

Summary: (Pretty please make sure to read the tags/notes first!)

"We need to get back to the Institute," Julie said urgently, turning back to look at Carrie and Flynn who - despite the rune - were still pushing furniture in front of the door.

"We can’t get out there, they’re gonna kill us all," Carrie said.

"We can’t stay in here, we need something more than runes!" Alex turned to them just as exasperated.

"What we need is the rest of the Institute," Flynn said, walking closer to Julie who was trying to make sure Luke still had a pulse.

"They should be on their way, Luke made the call," Reggie said.

"We don’t know how long-" Julie started to say when her head snapped back to Luke. Her fingers were against the side of his neck, right above his pulse point. Only she couldn’t feel anything anymore. She looked at his chest, unmoving. "He’s not breathing," she choked out.

"Shit," Flynn said as she came up on his other side right next to Alex who threw the overly bloodied towel on the floor and grabbed the other one, applying the same pressure.

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cloudshapedpatch · 3 years

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Attic Secrets

Carrie Wilson finds an old box in her attic filled with Sunset Curve memorabilia.

General Audiences ; No Warnings

2,306 words

Carrie had a reputation. She liked to believe it was a solid, good, one, but she would be lying if she said she didn’t know some of the things people said about her. She was charming, beautiful, the epitome of a dancing queen, 17. She got her nails done every two weeks and got pedicures with Kayla every month. Who would she be if she was caught with nasty cuticles?

Leave it to Pinterest to plant a seed of obsession in her. Armed with a Pin Board of aesthetic inspiration, Carrie decided she was going to make herself an attic space. Why an attic space? Have you seen the cute spaces people made for themselves? Comfy mini chairs, bookshelves and record players, colorful area rugs and little paintings. Light shining through tiny windows, and fairy lights to make up for the rest of lighting.

Stepping into their attic, however, was a nightmare. An explosion of dust flooded to Carrie and Kayla through the trap door they had just busted open. Coughing and sputtering, they took in the sight before them.

Her father was clearly a hoarder. Cardboard boxes were stacked against the walls, shelves covered with dusty relics. There was one small circular window, and most of the light coming in was blocked by the sheer amount of dust floating in the air.

But if Carrie did any hard labor, it had either be totally worth it, or purely for the aesthetic. This was both. Some things were worth ruined nails.

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pinkydec · 3 years

Text

Parum Stella

Summary: The three times the stars in Reggie's eyes went out and the one time they came back forever.

Pairing: So there’s referenced Willie/Alex and Julie/Luke but nothing set in stone

Warning; Angst, mentioned child abuse, depression, suicidal thoughts, there is some fluff tho, canon character death, death of grandparents

AN/ parum stella translates to little star! (i’m not fluent in latin so this maybe incorrect.

Words: 6140.

The stars had always been his and his grandad’s thing. His grandad used to tell the story of when he was first born, the stars twinkled like no other as his mum and dad took him home from the hospital. It was like a new star had been born and that the stars were twinkling in celebration. Every summer from the first year he was born till just after his twelfth birthday he would spend with his grandparents on their ranch.

It wasn’t that his mum and dad weren’t unfit to be parents at that point, they just worked so much that he would always have babysitters round and when his grandparents found out they made a deal with his parents that he would spend every summer and spring break with them. His first summer he was only a few months old when he first went to the ranch, his grandmother told him a few years later that he clocked on to one of the horses and cried when they tried moving him away.

Summers were fun on the ranch, a lot more fun than it was being stuck at home in his bedroom trying to hide away from his parent’s arguments. He would spend all day helping his grandad with the animals, making sure that all of them were clean, fed and had plenty of water down. He taught him to horse ride, starting him off with an American Shetland Pony which he nicknamed Boo, when he was younger because he couldn’t pronounce the ponies full first name.

He named every single animal on the ranch, making sure to do a drawing of each individual animal on the farm, noting the differences that only he could tell on the drawings. After working on the farm all day, his grandad would bring him outside, wrapped up in his blanket with a cup of hot cocoa his grandmother had made as a reward for his hard work through the day.

They’d sit on the steps of the ranch, him curled into his grandads’ side, seeking the warmth as the coldness of the night began to sit down. His grandad, an ex-astronaut who had to retire after an injury training while he was training for Apollo 11, would point out all of the stars, passing his knowledge of the constellations and facts about the solar system and Reggie’s young mind soaked it all in.

His grandad was his best friend. He loved his grandmother to pieces, but, growing up each summer he followed his grandad around like a lost puppy. He hung of every single word that came out his older relatives’ mouth and unlike his parents who would’ve yelled at him to shut up and go away, his grandad loved it. He took him around everywhere, teaching him how to milk the cows and brush the horses correctly.

Every single time his grandad had to go to town he took Reggie with him. He was right there with his side, which helped his grandad when he was trying to sell products from the farm, because everyone loved this puppy eyed little boy that would chew your ear off if you gave him the chance to. Everyone knew him as the little assistant who arrived each summer and seemed to gleam with brightness whenever he spoke to someone, the glittering of his eyes almost matching the glittering of the stars he loved so much.

Most children his age would hate being away from their friends and their parents for that long, but Reggie thrived off it. He’d arrive back home a few days before the school term started, the brightness in his eyes seeming to be turned up to another level, full of stories ready to be told and those first few weeks he was back he was riding on a high.

Leaving the ranch was always hard though, he was so attached both to his grandparents and the animals of the ranch. He made sure in his last few days to go around saying goodbye to each and every one of them and giving them a treat. The first day he was home would be one of the saddest days of the year and both Alex and Luke, his best friends since they were in pre-school knew not to bother him on that day, he was grieving the happy atmosphere he got at his grandparents ranch and trying to prepare himself ready for his parents arguing all the time.

His biggest helpers in cheering him up from the next day were both Luke and Alex. The three of them were inseparable, having not seen each other as a three for a full summer. They spent their last remaining days before school started again with each other. They played on the beach together, they went for bike rides and traded stories of their summer, the laughter and happiness bright in their eyes.

The summer of their eighth year, they all made a pact that they’d start learning an instrument, so they could join the elementary school music programme. Reggie swapped between piano and banjo, something both his grandparents had taught him, his grandmother would play piano most of the evenings he was there and she was soon teaching him and his grandad had been playing banjo on off for years, Luke had started with piano himself, the two of them comparing notes they had from the summer together when they were reunited. Alex had started with a basic drum set, but he was killing it.

They kept developing their skills further and further as they went up to middle school, and then just two weeks before he was due to go to his grandparents for the summer between the sixth and seventh grade, his grandparents were killed in a fire at the ranch, destroying majority of the property and for the first time in his life, the stars in Reggie’s eyes died.

By the time Reggie was 17, the stars were back. They were brighter than ever before. His grandparents passing hit him hard and it took a while for him to be able to look at the stars again, whenever night-time hit in the summer he would shrink into himself and go quiet. He also refused to touch either piano or banjo for two years. The memories were so tightly wound inside of him, the music flowing as he sat next to his nana on the piano, giggles flowing out of the youngest of the three as his grandfather danced around the piano, strumming the banjo.

He wouldn’t be who is now without them. It took time, but from help from Luke and Alex and their new friend Bobby, he regained his strength and was able to look at the stars once again. Stars which once again brought him comfort and a warmth in his chest, rather than the agony and heartache which blossomed across his chest for the first year after they died.

About six months after his grandparents passed away, his music teacher sat him down and spoke to him about what he wanted to, because as much as Alex and Luke had been trying to get him to play piano or play the banjo, it just wasn’t happening. He just couldn’t do it without seeing his grandparents. So, his music teacher suggested he started a new instrument. Which he did. He started learning bass guitar and he fell in love with music again.

They met Bobby when he moved schools at the start of high school. He’d been expelled from his last school for trying to protect his friend, so he joined the school not knowing anyone. The three of them ended up talking to him when they were in music and he ended up joining the friendship group. They carried on playing and decided to start writing and playing music together, even though they could only currently afford to play at school, Alex had persuaded his parents to buy him a set of drums for his birthday and they were held in Bobby’s garage and Bobby had his own guitar but neither Luke or Reggie had their own guitars, Luke’s parents refused to buy him one as they believed he should be concentrating on his school work and the one time Reggie asked his parents if he could get one, he ended up in hospital getting stitches from a glass being chucked his way.

Reggie soon managed to pick up a weekend job, babysitting Alex’s younger siblings twice a week. Only it wasn’t really a job to him, he loved hanging out with the kids, and Alex to an extent. He fell back in love with stars one October night when he was babysitting them. Alex’s younger sister Alice was fast asleep upstairs, when Alex’s younger brother Adam snuck downstairs and joined both of them sat on the porch, watching the stars, cuddled in between them both.

Adam started pointing out the different stars, which for once were visible and as Reggie began explaining all of them, he fell back in love. He pictured not that long ago when it was him and his grandad sat there, in the exact same position and It was that moment he knew, as long as he kept his love for the stars up, his grandparents memories would always be with him.

Little did he see his best friends fond gaze as his eyes lit up with happiness explaining to the youngest boy about the different constellations. Alex knew his best friend had struggled coming to terms with his grandparents passing and that he lost part of himself when they died, but as his best friend explained it all to his little brother, the passion and the part of him that he’d been lost since that horrible summer day fell back into place.

Nothing could ever bring Reggie’s grandparents back, but they could keep their memories alive. He was hooked again, and it showed. The happiness bled into his music as well and their practices became more vibrant and blooming with colour, them ignoring the fact that Reggie’s parents were arguing more than ever, that Alex’s wouldn’t speak to him unless Reggie was round babysitting, Luke’s were constantly on his back about college and Bobby’s were constantly at work.

It also got better when they surprised Luke with an acoustic guitar for his 17th birthday, Reggie had been getting more and more babysitting jobs thanks to Alex’s parents spreading the word and between him, Alex and Bobby they were able to cough up the money for it. Reggie was also able to buy his own bass guitar and they were able to start rehearsing in Bobby’s garage and attending gigs.

The happiness was flowing out of Reggie and into the other boys, expanding further when they got the call to say they were playing the Orpheum, it was hard to keep them calm in the weeks leading up to it. They just vibrated through life, it was like nothing else mattered besides that, it was the first step to the rest of their lives.

The night before they were due to play the Orpheum, the four of them clambered into Bobby’s van, the oldest of the group had got his licence first and drove them all to a field. It was late at night, but it was the best spot to see the stars. They’d organised a band night under the stars. A sense of normality before their lives changed for good.

It was rare at times to see the stars, the light pollution often hiding them from view. They’d come to this exact same spot the day Bobby got the van, the day they could really start going to gigs. Everything was going to change then, and everything was going to change now. It was everything they’d ever wanted, and it was within arms-reach.

They were laying side by side, Alex and Luke on the outside, Bobby, and Reggie on the inside, staring straight up at the stars. The soft breeze washing over them as the stars twinkled up above them and for a band who was usually so loud, it was silent. It was a peaceful silent though, the sort where you’re just enjoying one another’s company without having to start a conversation.

Reggie’s eyes were trailed on one particular star, not taking his eyes off it. “My grandad always swore we’d end up playing a gig one day.” He muttered, his eyes twinkling fondly. He could feel the others turning to look at him for a second, before turning back to the sky. “It’s like everything he ever taught me is coming down to tomorrow, I wouldn’t be who I am without him.”

The three boys around him, cuddled in closer to him, their arms tangling around each other, huddling in for the comfort they all knew. They’d been working their asses off to get to this point. Luke’s arm reaching over Bobby’s shoulder to run his hand through Reggie’s hair, from where he was cuddled into Bobby’s side. “They’d be proud of you, Reg.” Alex whispered, his hand curling around the other boys, trying to get as close as possible.

The band had always been affectionate, whether it was simple arm brushes or hair ruffling or side hugs, but it wasn’t often they got as affectionate as this. It was usually when one of them wasn’t feeling great or something had happened at home.

Luke half propped himself up on one elbow, turning to look at the three of them with fond eyes, his eyes tearing up slightly, as he looked at every single one of them. “Tomorrow. Tomorrow we’re going to play the biggest gig of career and it’s going to change everything for us, and I couldn’t imagine doing it without you guys. You’re my best friends. Each one of you is a part of my soul, my boys.”

The stars in Reggie’s eyes twinkled as tears built up in the corner of his eyes, trying to wrap his arms around his boys, trying to bring them in even closer. “I couldn’t imagine doing this with anyone else, you’re my family, the people I rely on the most, the people I’d go through hell and back for.” Reggie burrowed his head in Bobby’s chest, as Alex tucked his head in Reggie’s neck, Luke crowding them in even closer, so they were essentially just a pile of limbs tangled together.

Bobby leant down to press a soft kiss to each of their foreheads, he ignored the gut feeling in his stomach that something was going to happen, just not what they expected it to be. They stayed like that until it was the moment to go, curled up as one under the stars. It was only when Reggie, who was usually the one who got cold the quickest, started shivering that they detangled from one another.

Alex detangled himself from Reggie first, holding his hand out to the younger boy after he was stood up. Reggie grabbed hold of the offered hand, pushing himself up, Luke and Bobby doing the exact same on the other side. The three older boys started heading towards the car, but Reggie lagged back, calling their names softly as he stood looking at the stars still.

“Come dance with me!” He called, holding his hands out to the others with a bright grin and who were the others to deny that grin. That dopy, crooked grin that brought them so much happiness of the years. As soon as the three others were back in touching distance, he threw his head back and began to sing, a grin appearing across his face.

Home, what is it really?

Sometimes it’s a someone and not a place,

It’s that feeling of being safe,

It’s about who you’re with at the end of the day…

He began spinning the others round, throwing his arms around them as they danced under the stars, not caring that they were getting mud everywhere. His eyes shone happily as they danced around, pumping the three others up whether he knew it or not, his happiness was infectious. When Reggie was seriously happy like he was here, it showed, and it was hard to be down in the dumps around him.

He gathered the three boys close as he grew closer to the end of the song, tugging them all in for a giant hug, their heads pressed together in the middle as pants slipped through their lips, as Reggie sung the last lyric, changing it from before. “and it’s you. You’re home.” He sung softly, grinning brightly at the three others, his arms wrapped around both Luke and Bobby, his fingertips grazing Alex’s shoulder.

The four of them stood there for a few minutes, just embracing each other, and embracing their family. Before the heavens opened and drenched them. They raced back to the van, shoving each other over to try and get in the van first, before breaking out in peals of laughter, shaking the rain off them as Bobby started the van back up.

The stars shone in their eyes that night, but little did they know less than 24 hours later, a mere few hours before they were supposed to play the biggest gig of their life, their lives would change and not for the reason they were all expecting. and Reggie, whose stars had disappeared once before thought it was quite ironic, as he strained his neck trying to see the stars one last time from where he was laid on the floor, Alex and Luke who both had blood dripping from their mouths and nose, begging him to hold on, that the ambulance was on it’s way.

But Reggie knew. He knew they wouldn’t get there in time, he knew that it was more than likely his best friends would die as well. It was a shame. He couldn’t see the stars from here, and as his eyes glazed over for one last time, and the stars in his eyes died for a second time, a single thought popped in his head.

Little stars coming home grandad.

If dying was weird, then being a ghost was a hundred times weirder. He died first, he knew that one for sure, but he ended up waking back up in an ambulance a few minutes after, where he was joined by Luke and then Alex a few moments after. Poor Alex had to watch them both die by the time he finally died.

After Alex died, they were transported to the black room, where he could hear Alex crying but couldn’t get to him, it was strange. Alex sounded like he was an arms width away, but Reggie physically couldn’t get to him, his arms and legs just wouldn’t move. It smelt weird in the room, it didn’t smell of death like he expected it to, but it smelt like sadness and sorrow.

Luke was on the other side of him, he could tell that much for sure, he could smell his aftershave amongst the weird smell within the room and it’s the only thing that kept him from crying his eyes out. He physically couldn’t reach Luke either. Reggie tilted his head back against the black wall, closing his eyes as he wished that Bobby was okay.

As much as their oldest member of the band tried acting like he was strong and never cried, he was one of the softest people you’d ever meet and he loved his boys more than anything else in the world and losing them had probably broke Bobby more than anything else in the world. In some ways, he was glad that Bobby didn’t come with them to get hot dogs, so that he could live a happy and healthy life, get married, become famous and do everything they ever wanted to do in life.

Being a ghost was weird. That one was for sure, being a ghost in a band where people could only see you if you were performing? Well that was just even weirder. He wouldn’t change it for the world though, he loved Julie and he loved performing. Alex was finding happiness with Willie and everyone could see that Luke was pining heavily over Julie.

Reggie, well, Reggie was just happy being at least semi-alive, sure his family home had been destroyed and replaced and he had no clue whether anyone from his family was even alive anymore. But his friends were happy and that meant he was happy, right? The truth is he had no clue, he ended up poofing around the city a lot, trying to find the best places to stargaze.

He didn’t have anyone, his best friends were busy and of course he was happy for them, but he missed them. He missed Bobby, who apparently now went by Trevor and was old(er) and had a daughter and stole Luke’s music. Sometimes, he’d just go to Bobby’s, he wouldn’t tell the others instead he’d just tell them he’s searching for his family, but he’d go sit in with Bobby. Luke wouldn’t understand, he was still too angry over everything and Alex probably wouldn’t understand properly.

He kept a smile on his face, something he’d mastered back when he was alive, if the others had focused long enough, they would’ve noticed it had become fake and that the stars in his eyes had diminished. They were just busy. They were always busy. Just like his mum and dad were at first.

One of the good things about being a ghost was that he could poof wherever he wanted to. He saw a video of the northern lights in Iceland and within two minutes of him wishing he was there he was physically there. He could lay down and watch them for hours without getting cold or needing to go inside to use the toilet or to eat.

It was at those moments when he felt the most peace, he felt free. He had nothing restricting him, he wasn’t under pressure to rehearse with the band or put up a smile when all he want to do was cry, he just got to breathe and be at peace with the same stars which had brought him so much happiness over the years.

He ran away at one point. It was not long after they first met Caleb, when they had the first shock. Alex was out with Willie, trying to understand what had happened and Luke was writing songs with Julie in the garage and Reggie just poofed on top of Mauna Kea. He couldn’t take being there anymore, there was too much sadness and too much pain and he couldn’t take it.

When he eventually went back, he’d near enough got his ass kicked by the others. He only thought he’d been gone for a few hours at max, when in fact he’d been gone for three days. Three days and his best friends had gone mental with worry, thinking either Caleb’s shocks had got him for good, or that he’d completed his unfinished business and they hadn’t got a chance to say goodbye.

His boys meant the world to him, they always had. They were his family, through thick and thin. They’d died together, just mere minutes apart and honestly, Reggie thought they were going to cross over together as well. But then they played the Orpheum and honestly, it felt like a fever dream, the one thing they’d always wanted to do, ever since they were kids messing about making music.

But everything changed. They didn’t crossover and Reggie had never been more confused. He could touch Julie now; Ray and Carlos could see him at times. (That one was a fun one to explain to Ray at least, Carlos was just happy that he could see them). Willie and Alex spent more and more time together, the drummer coming back late at night, and besides band practice, it was likely he never saw them anymore. Luke and Julie swapped between writing songs in the garage and spending time together when they weren’t practicing. It was like everyone else in the band was cracking on with their lives and Reggie, well Reggie felt like he was left in the dust.

He didn’t know anyone else and he didn’t want to bug Ray by spending all his time with him, so he went exploring. He went everywhere he could, he went to volcanos and let himself go diving in the lava, just to see what it felt like, it’s not like it would actually kill him. And after treating the lava like his own personal swimming pool because why the fuck not, he’d lay on the edge of the crater and just lay there, one hand behind his head and look up at the stars.

He didn’t see the concerned glances behind his head, after he bailed out on another plan the band had tried to organise. He didn’t see the frown on Luke’s face as they did their usual mic share and the lights didn’t shine like they did. He didn’t see the group meetings they called, getting everyone together; Luke, Alex, the Molina’s, Flynn, Willie, near enough everyone in their group. They even went as far as checking in with Bobby.

Nobody knew what was wrong with him, it’s like he’d hidden away all his thoughts and feelings, to the point where he was a shell of himself. The others were constantly concerned, concerned that he’d cross over on his own or that he’d go and join Caleb, that they’d never see him again or know what happened to him.

So, they set a plan in place. The stars in his eyes had faded again and it was their job to get them back. No matter what.

+1)

Reggie was completely oblivious to the plan his friends were putting in place. He spent most of his days wondering different sections of the Earth. He’d been swimming with penguins, he’d been to the biggest library in the world, he went to different planetariums around the world, trying his hardest to find happiness or find his way to crossover.

The thought of crossing over alone didn’t scare him anymore. Why would being alone scare him when he’d always been alone? He followed random people on his journeys, watching their lives, how their eyes twinkled when they were with the people, they cherished the most. He wanted that, more than anything else in the world.

For once in his life he just wanted to be wanted. For someone to hold his hand and tell him everything’s going to be okay. He’d always had someone else, ever since he was younger. He didn’t have his parents, but he had his grandparents and then after they died, he had the band. Only now he didn’t, and it broke his heart.

He didn’t even know what day it was at this point, the days just blended together, all into one. He’d spend a day in one country, pop home to check on the Molina’s and his boys, do band practice and then pop to another country. It was a cycle he couldn’t get out of. He didn’t want to see the pity in their eyes for Reggie, the left over one.

He popped back one Thursday evening, he only knew what day it was because his most recent follow, was an English university student, who only had lectures on a Thursday and a Tuesday. She was a fun one to follow, purely because they were in similar states, she was far away from home at university and was often pushed aside. Even though she couldn’t see him, he’d taken a soft spot for her.

The lights were all off in the garage for once, which was strange on a good day. Even if they didn’t have practice that day, the lights were usually on as at least once person was usually in the garage. But this time there was complete and utter silence and he didn’t like it one bit. He flicked the light on, blinking as his bandmates appeared in front of the piano, almost like they’d been waiting for him to come back.

“Guys?” He questioned, looking back between Luke and Alex with a slight frown on his face. “What’s going on?” Alex’s face relaxed slightly, storming towards the shorter boy, before pulling him into his arms. “You were late for the check in time.” Was the only answer the taller boy gave, shoving his face into the younger’s hair, taking a deep breathe in to confirm that he was there.

Reggie felt another pair on arms join in on the hug, a somehow warm body pressing himself into his side. The three of them just standing there in the middle of the garage, not wanting to release from the hug. Alex was the first to step back, wiping his face roughly, to rid himself of the few tears that had dripped down his face.

Luke didn’t let go of Reggie that easily, he broke the hug only to wrap his arm around the slightly younger boys’ shoulder, bringing him to sit down on the couch, between Alex and himself. The tension between the three of them was almost unbearable, both Alex and Luke turning slightly towards Reggie, both of them having a mental battle about who would start the conversation first.

In the end, Luke just went for it, grabbing onto one of the younger boys’ hands and linking it with his own. He gave it a tight squeeze as he began to speak. “I don’t know what’s been going through your head recently, Bug, but you need to let us in.” Alex took his right hand in his own and repeated Luke’s actions, while still giving him space, not wanting to overwhelm him.

“We know you’ve been travelling, Reg, but we miss you.” Alex whispered, like if he spoke too loudly it would disturb the peace within the garage. “It feels like we haven’t seen you in weeks and every time we try and speak to you, you pull away a bit further.”

Reggie just continued looking at his feet, knowing that the moment he looked at the two boys surrounding him, he’d open his mouth and let everything he felt slip straight out of his mouth. Unluckily, he didn’t have that option, Luke used two fingers to lift the others chin up, looking him straight in the eye. Those wide hazel eyes, which could have him spilling his secrets in minutes.

“You’re not okay. Don’t try and tell us you are, because we know you’re not and we want to help, Reg.” They were pushing, but not pushing enough to overwhelm him and it was at that moment that Reggie realised just how well his best friends knew him. They always had known him better than he knew himself.

Reggie took a shuddering breathe in, not that he actually needed to be able to breathe, but more to prepare himself for the fact once he started talking, he’d never stop. His emotions were so tightly wound inside of him and as Alex used to say, he wore his heart on his sleeve. He tore his eyes down to his lap again and Luke let him, instead waiting for the younger boy to start.

“I just, I feel so along at times.” He whimpered softly, bringing his knees up to his chest, resting his chin on his knees, as he felt his best friends shift a little bit, to squish him between them. “Alex has Willie and you have Jules and I just, I missed my best friends. I love Julie and Willie, I really do and I’m glad they make you happy, because that’s all I’ve ever wanted in life, for you two to be happy and to find peace in your lives.”

The tears which had been brimming in his eyes for the past few minutes had started to drip down his face and into the material of his jeans. “I just, I got so used to being the person that nobody wanted, my parents didn’t want me, you guys didn’t want me and that you guys were happier without me.” He took a shuddering breath in, refusing to look at either as he uttered the last words, tears dripping down his face even heavier.

“I thought you’d be better with me gone.”

The two sudden intakes of breathe would haunt Reggie for the next few weeks, the shock and horror behind them, as both the others tightened their grips on his hands, before Alex knelt down Infront of him, the blondes eyes tracing across his face, before pulling him into a tight hug, pressing Reggie’s head into his neck.

“Don’t you ever, ever fucking say that.” He whispered harshly, tears dripping down his own face. The horror was visible across Luke’s face as he stared at the two of them in disbelief. “Our lives wouldn’t be worth living if you were gone. We’ve been in this together from the start, us three against the world, way before Bobby, way before poisonous hot dogs and ghosts and crushes.”

Luke who had remained quiet since the admission, tangled his arms around them both. “You’re never alone, Bug. You’ve always got us, you’ve always had us, and you always will, even after we’ve crossed over, we’ll always be together, even if we’re apart.” The three of them were crying, the emotions they’d all had bundled up since they died coming loose and open.

“I love you guys.” Reggie whispered, his eyes twinkling, even with tears streaming down his face, the stars were back, still a bit faded, but they were back. Just like they liked.

“We love you too, more than you would ever know.” Luke nuzzled Reggie’s head, pressing a soft kiss to the younger boy’s forehead, before Alex repeated the action to both of them. The three of them stayed there wrapped up in each other, taking comfort in them all just being there, being with one another.

One by one they fell asleep, still tangled together. For that night nothing could disturb them. Julie woke them up after she got home from school, running and diving on them, wrapping her arms around as much of the three ghosts as she could manage. She’d been worried sick the night before, but both Alex and Luke had sent her to bed just before midnight when she could barely contain the yawns escaping her.

It was at that moment that Reggie knew he was home. He always thought the stars were his home, after all, they’d brought him so much comfort and joy over the years, but, at that exact moment, he knew they were his home. Julie who helped bring music back into their lives, to achieve their goals. Willie who made Alex the happiest that Reggie had ever seen, who helped him accept his own sexuality as well. Flynn, who would constantly keep them happy and entertained when they were down. Carlos who Reggie adored like a little brother, that he’d do anything to keep the smile on the young boy’s face. Ray, who he loved like a dad, who loved his little brother and sister like his world depended on it.

Luke, joyful, precious, happy Luke. His best friend, the boy that would protect him from anything if he had the option. Luke would walk through fire if it meant that the people, he loved were happy. Alex who would constantly crack them up laughing with his sarcastic comments, but loved with his whole entire heart, that took care of them when they were sad or feeling down, who had plasters and bandages in his bag, ready to take care of them if their dumbasses got injured again. Bobby, who even though he stole the bands songs, was one of the kindest people you’d ever meet, he lost everything the day the three of them died and still carried on living, when most others would have given up.

He loved them.

And they loved him, more than he would ever know.

So, it was no surprise when Reggie crossed over a few weeks later, the stars in his eyes glittering brightly, as he hugged his best friends, told Willie and Julie to take care of his boys, waved at Flynn, Carlos, Ray and Bobby. He went covered in his best friend’s love, he could feel Alex’s arms around his waist, Luke’s around his shoulders. He went knowing he was loved that he’d never be alone, no matter what. It was that moment, Reggie Peters found peace.

Little star went home for one last time.

#reggie peters #julie and the phantoms #luke patterson #bobby wilson #trevor wilson #alex mercer #julie molina #jatp fanfic #reggie centric #ally's fic #trigger warning!!

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wisdomofme · 4 years

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Julie and the Phantoms Fic Recs

The JatP Fandom has gone above and beyond when it comes to good fics! I wanted to share with you guys a handful of my favourite ones that I think you might all enjoy (I won’t lie, most of them are Juke)

Don’t forget to comment and let the authors know exactly how much you love their amazing work!!

(all of these fics are on Ao3) ** most recently added

OneShots

a holy thing (to love what death has touched) by heartofwinterfell ** (Juke) (Soulmate AU) - Julie Molina’s words have been grey since the day she was born // I know we all love a good soulmate AU so here’s one that made me smile all the way through it!!

and i know i’ve kissed you before, but i didn’t do it right (can i try again?) by Ephemeral_Joy (Juke) (Modern AU) - Luke and Julie break up, but if feels more like growing up // Look, LOOK. I know it’s hard to get past the angst of the break up but you gotta. Do it for me, do it for this 19k longshot, do it for YOURSELF. This is a masterpiece and you all better read it.

close my eyes and jump by HomebodyNobody (Juke) (Post Season 1) - Julie and Luke talk and bask in the fact that handholding is now a possibility // Ultra fluffy cute! Immediately post season 1 Juke just loving the fact they can touch each other now.

favorite t-shirt by jellie_bean ** (Juke) (Post Season 1) - Luke drives Julie to distraction after their first real date // Luke writes Julie a song but it’s cute instead of sad for once and I loVE IT!!

Hallucinations by jatpfan ** (Family) (Post Season 1) - Ray starts seeing hallucinations of Julie’s band around the house. It’s weird // I loved this fic so much! I have a real soft spot for Ray so it was nice to see a fic in his perspective.

Here in Front of Me (Shining So Much Brighter than I Have Ever Seen) by 8ucky8arnes (Juke) (Post Season 1) - Luke flirts with Julie while in class. It’s… distracting // I giggled my way through this entire fic! I could totally see this happening in the show if they really decided to pursue the Juke relationship. I mean, I can hope!!

i once believed love would be burnin’ red (but it’s golden, babe) by Ephemeral_Joy (Juke) (Post Season 1) - The boys try to figure out what their unfinished business is. It has consequences // A very soft fic that made me feel all the butterflies, if you like this one definitely check out the rest of Ephemeral_Joy’s fics!

I’m Scared of My Piano by emullz (Juke) (Missing Scene) - Luke and Julie writing music together (between episodes 3 & 4) // Very adorable and made me WISH we had gotten this in the show! Absolutely adorable

Is it cool that I said all that? by smol_fangirl (Juke) (Post Season 1) - Julie can’t sleep but Luke helps // A super sweet fic that feels like being wrapped in the orbit of these two characters. Just a lot of small soft moments that kept making me smile.

i’ve had the time of my life by dearhappy (Friendship) (AU) - The ‘New Girl’ AU you didn’t know you needed but definitely DO! // If you know anything about New Girl then you know that the boys work perfectly as well… the boys. So funny and got me thinking of all my fave New Girl moments with the JatP crew.

Struck a Chord by Anonymous (Friendship) (Missing Scene/ Post Season 1) - Luke and Alex get into a fight. Reggie freaks out (Julie makes everything better) // A really bittersweet Reggie centric fic. Reading this made me hope for some amazing season 2 development for him.

try to change the ending (peter losing wendy). by lukesjulie (Juke) (Future Fic) - Julie falls in love with Luke but life moves on // OW! Like, real sad hours here guys. So, SO, worth the read but be ready for the rain before the rainbow.

unsaid julie by unsaidjulie (juggyjones) (Juke) (Post Season 1) - Luke writes Julie a song about his feelings. It’s a process // Look, I won’t lie, this fic hurt me a little in ways I didn’t expect. But it was SO worth it. Pining Luke? Yes PLEASE!

we all got a second act inside of us by keep_swinging, rainstorm97 (Juke) (Post Season 1) - Luke’s curse doesn’t break // Seeing Luke in pain hurts but not as much as watching him try to cover it up. An amazing fic that I highly recommend.

MultiChap

A Lesson in Chemistry by Slytherin_Princess_Nysa ** (Juke) (Soulmate AU, Alive in 2020 AU) (Incomplete) - The first words Luke’s soulmate says to him are etched along his ribcage. He’s not too worried about finding out who they belong to // In this house WE STAN SOULMATE AU’s!! Get ready for some mutual pining here kids.

A Familiar Picture by captainkippen (Juke) (Alive in 2020 AU) (Complete) - a 5 + 1 of Julie realizing she loves Luke (and the 1 time she realized he loved her back) // I am such a SUCKER for these fics but REGGIE IS ALSO JULIE’S STEPBROTHER IN THIS?!?! Perfection. Literal Perfection.

Family Matters by morganoconner (Family) (Post Season 1) (Complete) - Ray accidently adopts a few ghost kids // Okay, to start off with, Ray NEEDS more love and this fic GIVES IT. The best Ray focused fic I’ve seen (also technically has Willex and Juke but they aren’t the focus. Family is <3)

Feels like I’ve opened my eyes again by ICanSpellConfusionWithAK (Juke) (Season 2 Speculation Fic) (Incomplete) - After everything that’s happened with Julie and her band, she’s tired. She doesn’t stop being tired // This fic is crazy good and has an INSANE update schedule (I have theories on where this may go and I hope they’re right!)

Give me something that’ll haunt me when you’re not around by smol_fangirl (Juke) (Missing Scene) (Complete) - Luke writes Julie an Unsaid Emily // This is one of the sweetest, saddest fics you will find. It takes place before the Orpheum and the FEELINGS that Luke has. This made me wish I could hug fictional characters. Now with a SECOND CHAPTER that RUINED ME even more!!!

Linger by apocalyvse, keep_swinging & rainstorm97 (Juke, Willex) (Season 2 Speculation Fic) (Incomplete) - Caleb vs Julie in (not) Ghost wars // The plot is so amazingly intriguing, every update gets me so excited!! (Julie with powers? JULIE WITH POWERS!)

Love Drunk by captainkippen ** (Juke) (Alive in 2020 AU) (Incomplete) - After a show (and a big night) in Las Vegas Luke and Julie accidently get hitched // Accidental marriage AU- ACCIDENTAL MARRIAGE AU! It’s here guys and it’s FILLED with funny/ sweet moments!

sweet dreams are made of this (who am i to disagree?) by juliemolina (nnegan13) (Juke) (Season 2 Speculation Fic) (Incomplete) - Julie and Luke share a dream after the events of season 1. It doesn’t bode well for Julie // The pure EMOTION in this fic gets me every time. Also, protective Luke is not something I knew I needed till I had it.

The Cheerleader Effect by Bluefire510 (Juke) (Post Season 1) (Incomplete) - Julie wears Luke’s clothes and it breaks his brain // This is like the quintessential Juke fic. Do you want fluff? Second hand embarrassment as Luke blue screens? Read it.

Unfinished Business by captainkippen (Juke, Willex) (Alive in 2020 AU) (Incomplete) - Julie moves to a new school and meets ‘the boys’ // This fic has so much promise already and I can just FEEL how good it’s gonna get. I am DYING to watch the pining in real time.

Series

Julie the Vampire Slayer by pearlcaddy ** (Juke, Willex) (Buffy the Vampire Slayer AU) (Ongoing) - The adventure of Julie the Vampire Slayer, her ghost Watcher Luke and their Scooby Gang // This may be one of the best AU’s I have ever read. I didn’t think it could work but pearlcaddy does SO MUCH to bring it to life! You won’t regret reading this!

I have definitely missed a ton of amazing fics but I’ll do my best to update this list as I find more!

#julie and the phantoms #jatp #fic recs #masterpost #juke #willex

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