Chapter Text
alex doesn’t know what to do. everything reminds him of willie, and he can’t escape it. so he gives in.
he walks past the orpheum, sits on the bench for a while. it’s painfully quiet.
alex pulls the sleeves of willie’s sweatshirt over his hands, and continues to walk.
against his better judgement, he decides to walk past where the hollywood ghost club was. caleb had disappeared, and it’s not like he could hurt alex any more.
what he sees is the opposite of his expectations.
instead of an empty club, or even nothing at all, there’s a space. like a store in a mall that hasn’t been moved in yet.
and in that empty space in the building, sits someone.
except it’s not just someone.
it’s a person he knows as well as he knows himself, maybe even better.
it’s willie.
they notice each other at the same time, willie runs to the door and presses himself against it, alex is leaning against the door in a way that can’t be sanitary but he can’t be bothered with that.
“will? what’s going on? why?-“
“alex, i don’t even, i was jolted out? and i thought i left you? but really caleb was calling me back to the club, and he was so mad, said he couldn’t destroy me with the jolts and had to do it himself, but he couldn’t?” willie starts.
“i guess i fought back, and he was already weak from whatever he’d been doing before, and now he’s gone, but i’ve been trapped in here since then.”
“could you teleport out?” alex asks.
“i’ve tried, but i can’t. it’s like you and the guys after julie did her thing, basically living again,” willie responds.
“okay,” alex says, “i’m going to go get julie and the guys, and we’re going to get you out of here.”
willie nods, and alex practically runs back to the molina house.
he’s not sure what he says to everyone, all alex knows is that he shows up in the studio, he paces as he relays the information from willie, and then ray is offering to drive them.
alex watches as julie opens the door, sees willie, actually sees them, and gives alex a look so full of love that he almost tears his gaze away.
almost.
julie places her focus on the door and opens her arms, then she glows like she did the day alex and his boys became tangible.
and the doors burst open.
willie crashes into him like he did the day they first met.
alex strokes willie’s hair, willie’s arms are tight around his waist. they’re both sobbing, and willie’s tears soak his sweatshirt, but alex doesn’t care.
it’s willie’s sweatshirt anyway.
julie, in a cautious voice says, “um, guys? we should probably get back to the house.”
they stand up, hesitantly, and willie clutches alex’s hand.
“willie, could i hug you?” julie asks, and they nod, lets go of alex’s hand, and leans in.
all of a sudden, willie glows like julie did.
“that should restore you to living undead? i’m not exactly sure how it works, but whatever caleb did, it’s gone now, i know that,” julie says.
willie grabs hold of alex’s hand again, and they get into ray’s car.
“glad to have you back, mijo,” ray says gently.
willie gives him a small smile, and they start the drive back to the molina house.
when they get back to the house, luke and reggie emerge from the studio.
“is it okay if we hug you?” reggie asks, and after willie nods, he’s surrounded, being squeezed by reggie and luke.
“we’re gonna have a movie night tonight,” luke says, “willie’s choice.”
“sounds good to me,” they reply, then reggie peels off of him, and luke follows.
“we’ll give you guys some space,” reggie says, “but don’t forget about movie night!”
they follow julie and ray into the house, and alex and willie walk hand in hand to the studio.
alex sits down on the couch, and willie sits next to him.
“i’m sorry ‘lex,” willie says.
“you’ve got nothing to be sorry for, will, we didn’t know what was going to happen.”
“i missed you so much,” willie continues, his voice wobbling, “i had no idea what was going to happen to me in there, and i’m so glad we found each other again.”
“remember when i told you i’d follow you? i guess my heart just, knows that.”
“i love you, alex,” willie says, and starts to cry again. he leans into alex, resting their head on alex’s shoulder.
“i love you too,” alex replies, “want to lay down?”
willie nods, and they shift. laying in the way they did the day before.
“i’m exhausted,” willie says.
“you can rest, i’ll hold you.”
they drift off, and alex wraps an arm around him.
“i’m so glad you’re back,” alex whispers, and kisses willie’s forehead.
willie is asleep, but alex’s comfort is enough for them to know it, without feeling it.