Chapter Text
Something woke Reggie up.
He and Luke were still sharing the pull-out couch on the floor of the studio, while Alex and Willie slept together in the loft. The studio was a huge space; easily large enough for two cars to be parked end-to-end. Which was exactly why it had been a garage when Bobby’s family owned it and Sunset Curve practiced there. Since then, Julie’s family had cleaned it up, turned it into a music studio, and added a greenhouse to one end. It meant the studio was never totally dark anymore. Light from the house, the streetlamps and the stars came through the windows, giving the space a semi-darkness that was more comforting than threatening.
Except for tonight.
Reggie sat up quietly, doing his best to not disturb Luke who was snoring softly beside him. He looked into the dark of the studio, wondering what it was that had woken him. There was no noise except for the quiet sound of his friends’ breathing and nothing seemed out of place. He had that unsettled, disquieted feeling that usually accompanied a nightmare, only he couldn’t remember dreaming anything.
His eyes searched the familiar space, taking in the shape of their instruments set up for practising, the pile of clean clothes in the laundry basket on the floor, the grand piano near the plants at the far end.
There was the shadowed shape of a man standing by the piano, silhouetted against the light of the greenhouse.
Reggie’s stomach clenched. “Luke,” he whispered frantically, shaking him roughly by the shoulder without taking his eyes off the shadow. “Luke!”
Luke woke up. “What the fuck, Reggie?”
“There’s a man, standing by the piano!”
Luke rubbed his eyes and squinted into the dark. “No, there’s not.”
“Yes, there is!” Reggie hissed, “he’s right—" The shape was gone.
“There’s no one there, Reggie.” Luke clumsily patted his arm. “You musta been dreaming.”
“Maybe?” Reggie hadn’t felt like he’d been asleep, but there was no one there.
“Go sleep,” Luke muttered, already halfway there himself. “We’re gonna talk to Bobby tomorrow.”
“Okay.” Reggie slid back under the covers, pulling them up to his ears. His stomach was painfully tight. A reminder his body didn’t think he’d been dreaming, either.
“S’okay,” Luke mumbled, practically asleep. “You’re safe here.” He threw his arm around Reggie’s waist and tucked Reggie's back against his chest. His breathing immediately changed to the deep sounds of sleep.
I’m safe here, Reggie thought to himself. He was being cuddled by his best friend and his father was twenty-five years in the past. He’d never have to be near him again. He closed his eyes.
“Reginald.”
Reggie’s eyes snapped open. He’d heard his name. He’d heard his father’s voice say his name!
There was no one there.
“You nervous?”
Reggie startled at the sudden question. He’d teleported them to Bobby’s house just moments before, and had been staring at the huge front door without actually seeing it. “What?”
Luke laughed at his obvious distraction. “I’ll take that as a yes.”
“I’m not nervous,” Reggie lied. He was nervous, but not about seeing Bobby. He couldn't shake how unsettled he still felt from his bad dream the night before. He hadn’t eaten much breakfast because of it.
“Aren’t you nervous?” Alex demanded of Luke, “I mean, the last time we saw Bobby it was kind of a shit show.” The fingers of his left hand drummed over his thigh, a sure tell of his building anxiety.
“But this time he’ll be expecting us,” Luke said confidently.
“It’ll be fine,” Reggie said, because Alex looked like he was about to have an anxiety attack. “It’s Bobby.”
“Yeah, it’s Bobby.” Alex’s lips lifted in a smile.
Luke grinned at them and rang the bell, bouncing on his toes as he waited for the door to open.
It slid open and Bobby was standing there, still larger and broader and older than Reggie was expecting. It was so strange to see their friend like this, with hair long enough to be in a ponytail and a neatly-groomed goatee. But his dark eyes looked exactly the same.
“Come in!” he said grandly, no trace of the broken, crying man they’d met the first time they’d come. The boys followed him into the spacious house, and once again Reggie admired the high ceilings and the wide staircase. The walls were a pristine white, so pure they almost glowed.
Luke went right over to the wall of framed albums and stood in front of it, head craned back as he took them all in. “Bobby,” he said wonderingly, “these are amazing.”
“You like that?” Bobby said proudly.
“Oh, yeah.” Luke nodded without taking his eyes off the wall. “Julie helped us look up the bands you worked with. They’re totally rad!”
Bobby chuckled. “Glad to see the years haven’t dimmed your enthusiasm.”
Alex and Reggie looked at each other. “We, um, didn’t really get those years?” Alex said with a small wince.
“That’s right,” Bobby said with a grimace of his own. “You guys somehow teleported…into the future?”
Luke turned to Bobby. “Reggie did it,” he said, like it was something to be proud of. “Saved all our asses from the Orpheum fire!”
Reggie dropped his gaze to the floor. He wished Luke wouldn’t talk about it like that. It wasn't like what he’d done was so great. He’d practically killed them, just like the fire would’ve. If it hadn’t been for Julie, they’d still be ghosts.
“I still can’t believe your Gift kicked in like that,” Bobby said. “And that you’re all still alive. It feels like a miracle.” When he looked at them again, his eyes were shiny.
“I’m sorry. For what happened the first time we came over,” Reggie said. He really didn’t want to see him break down again.
“Not your fault,” Bobby said. “Carrie should have told me—told us—what was going on. And I’m sorry I got so upset. I was just really…well, 'shocked' is the best word, I suppose.”
“It’s okay,” Alex said with a grin. “At least we know your temper’s the same!”
Bobby laughed with a shake of his head. “I was a bit of a scrapper back then, wasn’t I?”
“A bit?” Luke smirked. “Dude, you’d fight anybody who looked at you wrong!”
“Ah, the good old days,” Bobby said wistfully. He sat down on one of the chairs opposite the couch. “So, tell me. How are you finding the future?”
“The future’s great!” Luke exclaimed. He threw himself backwards onto the plush sofa. “The internet nowadays is way better than what we had. And the music! Hey, do you know about Spotify?”
“Of course he knows about Spotify.” Alex rolled his eyes. He sat down beside Luke but with much more grace. “He probably invented it.”
That made Bobby laugh. “I have no real idea how Spotify works. But I can tell you my whole discography is on it.”
“Whole discography…” Luke sat forward, face glowing. “How many albums do you have?”
“Five,” Bobby said. “Well, six, if you count the one of Sunset Curve songs.”
“They sound great!” Luke said happily. “Like, I never thought about doing them acoustic, but wow. So good!”
“I’m glad you like them. It actually means a lot.” Bobby’s smile was a little sad.
“Carrie told us why you recorded them, and that you gave all the money to an LGBTQ charity. That’s really cool.” Alex said.
“You guys were worth it,” Bobby said with a shrug, but it was clear he was trying not to cry.
That's my fault too, Reggie realized with dawning horror. Not only had he practically killed Luke and Alex, he’d ruined Bobby’s life as well. Bobby might’ve had the trappings of success, but Reggie knew, thanks to Carrie’s screaming about it, that Bobby had been devastated for twenty-five years because of their presumed deaths. Reggie had done that to him.
“Tell us about winning a Grammy!” Alex’s eyes were sparkling with excitement. “What did you wear?”
That brightened Bobby’s mood. “I can show you pictures!” He got up and picked up what looked like a photo frame from the low shelf, and then sat down again between Alex and Luke on the couch. “Ray took some of these before we left the hotel. It was the first time I’d been in New York. Check it out.” The photos changed in the frame like a slideshow, and the boys gasped in delighted surprise.
“Who designed your suit? It’s fucking gorgeous!” Alex said reverentially.
Luke stared at him. “Since when do you care about fashion?”
“I’ve always cared about fashion. Why do you think I don’t let you buy clothing on your own?”
“It’s from Armani,” Bobby said before Luke could react. “My manager chose it for me.”
“You looked great,” Alex said.
Luke pointed at another picture. “Hey, is that Rose?”
“Sure is. She was my date to the Grammys. My album, Ruins of the Fire, was also nominated for album of the year, and since she was backing vocals on a few of the songs, and helped me co-write a couple, she got a ticket, too.” Bobby smiled warmly at the memory.
“Holy shit!” Luke exclaimed. “Julie’s mom was nominated for a Grammy?”
“What did she wear?” Alex asked.
Reggie let their conversation wash over him as they laughed and joked like they hadn’t been apart for the last twenty-five years. It was nice, to see them like this. But it should’ve always been like this. The Grammy Bobby won should’ve been for a Sunset Curve song, not one he’d written after their deaths.
“Reginald.”
Reggie whipped his head around, heart slamming painfully in his chest. His mouth dried with fear.
He’d heard his father’s voice. Only now he was awake.
“I need a drink,” Reggie said as he stumbled to his feet. His friends didn’t notice as he left; too engrossed in their conversation about Bobby’s latest projects and their plans for Julie and the Phantoms.
Reggie didn’t go to the kitchen. Instead, he slipped outside the doors that led to the pool and the helicopter landing pad. He sat heavily on one of the lounge chairs, head in his hands.
He didn’t know how long he sat there, sun warming the back of his neck, before a gentle hand nudged his shoulder.
He jumped with a small cry. “Bobby?”
“The boys are having a drink and a snack inside,” Bobby said, “did you want to join them?”
“You have total dad vibes,” Reggie said, then blushed. “Sorry.”
Bobby laughed. “And you sound like a total Gen Zee. And you bet your ass I have dad vibes. I am a dad.” He sat down on the lounge chair beside him with a small groan. “Protect your knees, Reg. Things don’t heal well after you turn forty.”
Reggie smirked, but then his face fell. “I’m sorry,” he blurted. “I’m so sorry we left you behind.”
“Left me behind—Do you mean when you died?”
Reggie studied the water in the pool, watching the way the breeze caused the surface to ripple and splash against the sides in tiny waves. “Yeah.”
“Well, Reg, to be really fucking honest, I was, too. It was fucking awful when you died.”
“I’m sorry,” Reggie said again. “It was my fault we left you. I’m really sorry.”
“I don’t think you understand what I’m saying,” Bobby said. “I thought you’d died, Reg. I didn’t have the first clue you’d…teleported into the future, or whatever the fuck it was. When I said I was sorry you left me behind, I meant I was sorry you left me alive.”
Reggie’s head snapped up. “You wanted to die?”
“Of course!” Bobby said, like it was obvious. “My three best friends were dead! There wasn’t a hell of a lot to live for.”
“Oh, Bobby,” Reggie breathed. He wanted to be shocked, but he wasn’t. He knew if he’d been the one left behind, he’d have felt exactly the same way. “I’m sorry,” he said again. “I fucked up. I just wanted to get out of the fire, but I didn’t know I was Gifted and I teleported us out of phase and we couldn’t get back until Julie helped us. I fucked up so badly, and you were alone and it’s all my fault!” He swiped angrily at his eyes, hating himself for crying when it was Bobby who’d had a lifetime of pain.
“Reg,” Bobby said, “Reggie, look at me.”
Reggie’s eyes met Bobby’s dark gaze. “Reg, you blaming yourself for what happened to me, is like me blaming myself for what happened to you. Can you see that?”
“But the fire wasn’t your fault,” Reggie said. “The pyrotechnics malfunctioned and—”
“But when the fire started, I jumped off the stage,” Bobby said. “And I never went back to try to save you guys. Instead, I kept Rose from running into the fire and I watched you burn.”
“We weren’t there by then,” Reggie said. “I’d teleported us away. If you’d gone back into the fire you would’ve died.”
“And if you hadn’t teleported when you did, you guys would’ve died, too,” Bobby said softly. “And I think if I had to choose, I’d pick exactly what happened all over again. If it meant you guys would live.”
Reggie nodded. He heard Bobby’s words, but he wasn’t sure he believed them. Bobby was being kind because he was a dad now, and some dads were kind. Like Ray.
Bobby stood. “Why don’t you come inside and have something to eat? I remember always being hungry at your age.”
“Sounds good.” Reggie forced his voice to sound happy, but his stomach was still twisted with guilt. He stood and followed Bobby towards the patio doors.
“Reginald.”
It was his father’s voice. Again. Reggie hurried back into the house.
“Hey baby,” Flynn greeted Reggie. She stood on her tiptoes to kiss him.
It was their ritual: Flynn walked the three houses between her house to Julie’s to meet her best friend, her best friend’s boyfriend Luke, her best friend’s best friend, Willie, and her best friend’s best friend’s boyfriend, Alex, as well as her own boyfriend, Reggie, so they could all head to school together.
“Hey beautiful.” He smiled at her and she was immediately concerned. There were dark rings under his eyes and the usual brilliance of their incredible green seemed duller.
“How was your visit with Bobby yesterday?” she asked, wondering if it had gone as badly as the first time.
“It was good,” he said without any of his usual enthusiasm. “I’m glad we went.”
“That’s great!” She beamed at him. “What did you guys talk about?”
Reggie shrugged. “Music?”
This was not like him, and Flynn couldn’t help her concern. “Are you sick?”
“What?” he rubbed the back of his neck. “No, I just didn’t sleep well.”
“He woke up around two a.m. from a bad dream. Again,” Luke said, looking somewhat less tired but more miffed. “Made sure I was awake for this one, too.”
“You’re having bad dreams?” Flynn asked Reggie. Her Gift had sensed as soon as Luke had spoken. Something bad was going on, she just didn’t know what.
“I guess?” he muttered. “Anyway, we should get going.”
“You should just teleport us there, Reggie,” Willie said with a grin. “Save us all a ride on the bus.”
“No, he shouldn’t.” Flynn scowled at Willie, who only grinned wider in response. “I don’t need to scrape him off the floor when he faints from hypoglycemia.”
Julie tugged her boyfriend’s hand. “Speaking of which…Luke, did you remember to grab an extra pack of glucose tablets from the kitchen?”
He rolled his eyes. “Yes, I did. But I won’t need them.”
“We’re performing today, of course you’ll need them,” Alex said from where he was walking with Willie. “Because otherwise we’ll have to scrape you off the floor, right Reggie?" He grinned and reached out to nudge Reggie with a couple fingers.
“Sure,” Reggie said, like he hadn’t really been listening.
Flynn glanced at him, concerned. It also wasn’t like Reggie to not join in with his friends’ joking. Something was definitely wrong. “Hold up,” she said, pretending to fix her laces and allowing everyone else to get to the bus stop before them.
Reggie waited for her, as she knew he would. He was a total gentleman like that, kind and caring. She still had to pinch herself sometimes, to remember he was real and alive, and this wasn’t actually a dream.
She stood as soon as Alex passed by her, ankle boot immediately forgotten. “Reggie, what’s wrong?”
“Nothing.” His gaze didn’t meet hers. “I’m just tired, I promise.”
“Okay,” she said, skeptical but needing to believe him. “But you’d tell me if there was something, right?”
“Yeah.” He nodded.
“Promise?” she asked, squeezing his hand.
“I promise,” he said. “Flynn, I’m okay. I swear.”
Her Gift was telling her otherwise, but she didn’t want to argue. “I love you,” she said instead.
“I love you.” He leaned forward so that their foreheads were touching, hands intertwined. There was a rumbling behind them. “Shit, the bus!” he shouted, and she looked up just in time to see the bus coming to a stop half a block ahead and Julie gesturing frantically for them to run to catch it.
“We’re going to have to run for it.” Too bad she was wearing her cute boots instead of her practical ones.
“I have a better idea.” Reggie pulled her to him. “hold on!”
She laughed out loud as they disappeared in a brilliant flash of golden light.