Work Text:
A Terrible No Good, Very Bad Day
| Forced To Beg | Hallucinations | Shoot The Hostage |
Caleb had stolen a month from his life, a whole fucking month. Nick was more pissed off at the fact the demon-seudo ghost didn’t seem it was relevant to keep up on his school work. His parents had tried to get him to talk, assuming his recent erratic behavior was some sort of mental break, but he refused to say anything about his time possessed. So, when Nick finally got control over his body again, regained control of his mind thanks to Julie and her apparent life-saving hugs... he found himself with three months of detention and kicked out of the music program he loved so much. “One hour,” the detention monitor said, writing the end time and the rules on the white board.
No music, no talking, no phones.
Nick sighed as he settled into the back of the classroom, away from the rest of the juvenile delinquents serving time. They jeered at him as he passed their little groups, hissing names like demon boy, and slut after him. He didn’t know everything Caleb did while using him as a meat suit, Nick left the studio before Julie could finish explaining it all. He tried to let the harsh words roll off his back, ignore them, shove the memories of what Caleb did under lock and key, never to be seen again… but it was hard. With a sigh, he dropped his bag on the ground and sagged into the desk chair. “So, when’s the next time you’re coming to practice?” A brush of cold air passed through his shoulder, a terrifying flash of purple filled Nick’s eyes for half a second, and he shuddered.
He glanced his eyes to his left, and saw a kid with pale skin, black hair, wearing a red flannel. Logically, Nick knew it was Reggie, Reggie who was the first person he hugged after Caleb left his body. Reggie who was the first feeling of warmth Nick felt in months… but that didn’t stop the worst case scenarios from filling his mind. Not again, not again, Nick thought, panic seizing in his chest. Don’t respond, if you don’t respond it isn’t real. Nick’s right hand wrapped tightly around the side of the desk, his knuckles turning white. There was another cold blast of wind, and Nick shuddered. Once again looking to his left he could see Reggie poofed away, leaving him alone in the back of the classroom.
Now that he was alone, the feeling of constant dread clung to his back like cold sweat. Nick shivered and wrapped his arms around his chest, trying to feel warm again. He looked at Reggie’s empty desk, and realized the bassist left his flannel behind, hanging on the back of the chair. Nick reached for it, wrapping his fingers around the soft fabric and pulled it on. “Oooh lover boy, that from your boyfriend?” One of the students teased, turning around in his seat. Nick narrowed his eyes and glared at him, suddenly feeling a lot more brave. The soft texture of Reggie’s flannel almost acted like a hug, almost .
“Wouldn’t you like to know?” Nick sneered, getting a mumbled whatever in response. The teacher announced the hour was up, and Nick grabbed his backpack from the floor.
“Nicholas!” The teacher called after him, Nick froze in place, memories washing over him. Caleb refused to refer to Nick as anything but his full name. He used his name against him, taking something he was proud of and warping it until it scarred the depths of Nick’s soul.
Nicholas, you know how much I hate it when you fight back.
Nicholas, don’t you see? When you try to deny me I have to take it out on your friends.
Tsk, Nicholas, you foolish boy, don’t you know no one’s going to ever love you again once I’m through with you?
Nick blinked, suddenly back in the classroom. He gripped the strap of his backpack tighter, fingernails digging into the palm of his hand, the pain grounding him to reality. “Yes Mr. Nottingham?” Nick asked, turning around. The history teacher sighed,
“I know these past few weeks haven’t been good. The results of your grades have reflected that.” The last few detention stragglers shoved past Nick to get through the classroom door. Nick nodded,
“I know sir. Uh - we - I…” he trailed off, then remembered the lines Julie told him to say if anyone asked about his change in behavior. The stress of being team captain was starting to get to you, Julie’s voice said, floating through his mind. “The stress from being captain was starting to catch up to me,” Nick said, shuffling his feet. You were acting out as a way to deal with it. Missing assignments since you spent all your time worrying about the team. “I got my priorities mixed up, I’m sorry sir. I’ve been trying to bring my grades up this week,” Nick said, surprised by how convincing he sounded. He hoped he didn’t have a terrified expression etched across his face. Luckily, Mr. Nottingham seemed to buy the bullshit story Julie and her band cooked up. Mr. Nottingham nodded as he snapped his briefcase shut.
The sound of Caleb’s cackle echoing in Nick’s mind.
The coldness Nick had felt, the growing fear of never being rescued again.
“I see that in your recent work ethic,” he said, walking Nick to the classroom door. “I understand how stressful being the captain can be, but don’t let it affect your grades again.” Nick nodded silently, he could feel his nails breaking skin.
“Yes sir,” Nick said before ducking out of the classroom, shivering as he walked down the hallway. Someone slammed a locker and Nick almost jumped out of his skin. He hated it, he hated feeling like a shell of who he once was. He hated that he was weak enough for Caleb to possess and take advantage of his friends, as if he was just a pawn in a much larger plan. Nick hated that he felt like he didn’t even know who he was half the time. “ Fuck ,” Nick swore as the searing pain of a headache grew in the back of his mind. He shoved past Carrie, who hung by her locker with Dirty Candi, choreographing a new number. He managed to find an unlocked empty classroom and ducked inside of it.
“Nicholas, your friends don’t even know where you are. They haven’t noticed you’re trapped in your own mind. Why would they? They don’t care about you, Julie didn’t even give you a second glance once Luke started playing with them,” Caleb said, the memory haunting Nick’s mind.
“Shut up,” Nick muttered as he collapsed to his knees. He reached his hands up and started pulling at his knotted, sweaty hair. His world warped around him, collapsing as memories flashed through his mind. Things Caleb did, things Caleb made him do. Things Nick never would have done if he was strong enough to fight Caleb’s control. “Shut up!” He roared, Caleb’s haunting laughter curling the dark shadows around him. The temperature in the room dropped and despite wearing Reggie’s thick layered flannel Nick started to shiver, pulling the soft fabric around him. It was familiar, safe… Nick noted that it smelled like two dollar cologne. To Nick’s horror his world flickered and suddenly he was back at the Hollywood Ghost Club, trapped in Caleb’s office, chained to the ground. Caleb couldn’t possess him constantly, something about using up all his energy. Nick hadn’t paid too much attention to the ghost’s rants, but now he couldn’t help but wonder if he should have.
Caleb poofed into the room and was instantly at Nick’s side. Nick flinched, backing away from Caleb. Backing away from the man who traumatized him, who used him like a puppet. He knew he wasn’t locked up in chains anymore, that he was free to move as he wished… but the way they weighed him down was hard to forget. A look of hurt crossed Caleb’s face, and Nick didn’t want to waste time wondering why he suddenly cared about him so much. “Get the hell away from me!” Nick yelled, scampering across the floor, cowering underneath one of the desks.
“Nick, what are you talking about?” Caleb asked - for a brief second his face flickered into Reggie’s - Nick couldn’t let himself get fooled again. “Nick, it’s me alright? It’s Reggie,” Caleb said, taking slow, unsure steps closer to him. Nick shook his head violently as he felt tears start to fill his eyes.
“No, not again. I’ll never let you use me like that again !” Nick hissed, gripping tightly to Reggie’s flannel. “Stop pretending you’re the people I love!” Caleb - Reggie (?) - stopped moving. Nick just wanted it to be over, for Caleb to stop torturing him with his mind tricks and the fake rescue schemes.
“Nick look at me, it’s me… ” the ghost pleaded, hesitantly reaching out to cup Nick’s face. Nick turned his head away from the hand. “You aren’t there anymore,” Reggie’s voice said, sounding closer than before. “Nick, whatever you’re seeing it’s not real . You’re safe, we saved you.” That sounded like something Reggie would say, and unlike Caleb… he called Nick well… Nick. Mustering up what little strength he had left, Nick managed to tilt his head to see Reggie’s worried face looking back at him.
“Reggie?” Nick asked, still unsure of what was real and what was a part of the fictional world Caleb built in his mind. Reggie nodded, eyes shining with worry and unshed tears. “Is this - you guys really got me out?” He asked, voice laced with doubt and false hope. Reggie nodded,
“I promise you Nick, this is real. Caleb’s gone, he won’t hurt you again. We won’t let him even if he tried,” Reggie said as Nick fell apart, crashing waves of tears shaking his body to the core. Reggie wrapped Nick up in his arms, Nick burying his head into the safety of Reggie’s chest.
“I’m sorry,” Nick apologized, tears staining Reggie’s shirt. Reggie just wrapped him up tighter, a grounding force, reminding him that this, that Reggie, was real . “Someone called me Nicholas and everything came rushing back, I didn’t mean to -” Reggie cut him off with a soft hush as he softly cupped Nick’s cheek. Nick relaxed into his touch, letting Reggie keep him safe.
“It’s okay,” Reggie assured him. Nick wanted to believe him, he wanted to, but after Caleb’s mind games it was harder for him to trust in people. Mostly trust in himself. “You’re here, we’re all alive, it’s all that matters.” Nick curled into Reggie, letting his warmth wash over him. They sat in silence for a few minutes, Nick’s hiccups the only sound in the classroom. Reggie’s soft singing filled the gaps in Nick’s mind, protecting him from his inner demons. It was a rock song, but Reggie sung it with a soft country twang in his voice and Nick loved it.
“You sing pretty,” Nick said and instantly wanted to kick himself for it. Reggie’s laugh filled the air and Nick wanted to do everything he possibly could to hear the sound again.
“Do I?” Reggie asked softly, running a hand through Nick’s hair. He poofed them both back to the studio, which was blissfully empty. It was a post-Caleb perk they discovered not too long after they defeated the ghost, Nick being able to poof with the boys. He nodded as Reggie settled them both into Luke’s couch, pulling a quilt over them.
“You should sing like that more,” Nick mumbled, relishing how good Reggie’s fingers through his hair felt. Reggie snuggled lower onto the couch, twisting so he was pressed against Nick’s back. It was real, Nick finally decided for himself. This was real, the studio, the flannels… Reggie. His recovery was definitely going to be one of the hardest things to do in his life, but if he was able to hear Reggie sing like that again, everything would be worth it.