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Some people like to say that the eyes are the windows to the soul.
Nick couldn’t help but hope those people were fucking wrong.
Ever since Kyle or Carl or whoever the ghost - Caleb Covington at your service, the man’s voice hissed in the back of his mind - who possessed him had gotten bored of using him against Julie Nick’s eyes were tired. In the reflection of the mirror they were darker than before. Caleb twisted something inside of him, something he could see in the glass plane hanging on his bathroom wall. Nick’s hands tightened on the bathroom counter - his knuckles turning whiter and whiter as his muscles tensed. He could see his face clenched in the mirror, his eyes clouding with angry purple fog.
He was tense all the time now, jumpy, his dads noticed the change in his behavior and tried to sign him up for therapy but how does Nick talk about being possessed by a ghost without feeling like he’s going insane? With an angered shout he drew his fist back and punched the reflection of his head in the mirror, shattering the glass and cutting his hand. In the cracked glass he could still see his eyes - his dark soulless horrible eyes. Nick blinked and his eye color returned to their normal shade. “Nick, you okay?” His pops asked through the door, trying the doorknob to get in the room. Thank god Nick had enough sense to lock it after he went inside.
“Yeah Chad I’m good!” Nick called out as he frantically tried to throw out the broken mirror pieces. Chad and Ryan - they weren’t his real parents. That was sort of biologically impossible all things considering… they were as good as though; adopted him when he was twelve and ever since then Nick had been inducted into the Wildcat family. He wrapped his hand in a towel and cringed when he saw some of his own blood seep through the fabric. At least it’s not one of dad’s towels imported from Turkey, Nick thought as he shoved his injured hand against his back.
“Nick - bud did something break?” Chad asked, still standing annoyingly close to the bathroom door. Glancing at the window Nick considered jumping out of it but considering the bathroom he was in was on the second floor he’d rather not risk death anytime soon.
“Yeah! Yeah, just the mirror dad. It’s fine though!” Nick called back, tripping backwards and falling into the tub as he tried to find another escape route. Something inside of him was telling him to get out , something twisting around in his mind sending him into a further panic when his pops knocked on the door again.
“The mirror?! Nick are you hurt? I’m getting the spare key - hang on!” Chad shouted before his running footsteps retreated down the hallway. Nick sat in the tub - defeated. He was fully clothed, the shower curtain crushed beneath him and his knees hooked on the edge of the tub. His hand didn’t look much better to be honest but for some reason he just had a feeling like… like he couldn’t be caught. That if he was caught like this he’d get into huge trouble.
“Fuck -” Nick complained with a moan, his head hitting the shower wall. Then suddenly - just as he heard Chad come back and insert the key into the lock - there was a tug in his gut. Something powerful , something that was tugging at his soul but… but it wasn’t Caleb. It wasn’t dark or awful or cold it… it was warm . And it was kind and there was a voice singing… country? Nick didn’t know what was happening but anything was better than getting caught in a destroyed bathroom with a bloodied hand so he let the mystery pull tug at his stomach and the tingles and the world warps around him and suddenly he’s standing in the middle of the Molina’s studio.
“Woah hey - dude how’d you do that?” Someone asked from the loft. Nick looked up to see Reggie from Julie’s band. “Dude,” Reggie said, disappearing from the loft only to reappear directly in front of him. Nick tripped backwards to get away from him, landing on his bad hand with a yelp of pain. “You’re that guy right?” He asked, his eyes suddenly narrowing suspiciously and oh no how did Caleb use him against the cute bassist? Nick wondered when Reggie scrunched his face in concentration. “Julie said you’re mean now and that you’re a jerk.” Nick winced at his harsh words - Caleb only left yesterday so he hadn’t had any time to recount everything Caleb did using his body. Not that he could remember much in the first place anyway.
“It wasn’t me!” Nick exclaims, holding up his right hand - his injured hand - in a defensive position when Reggie took a step forward. Reggie’s eyebrows furrowed then he looked at the towel wrapped around his hand. He hesitated, maybe Reggie was going to yell at him for hurting Julie - even if it wasn’t really his fault. Instead though Reggie just looked concern as he spoke, his voice soft and low so he didn’t spook Nick further.
“You hurt yourself?” Reggie asked, suddenly a lot more concerned with Nick’s physical well being than before. “Let me see…” He said, reaching out to gently unwrap Nick’s hand. The injuries weren’t as bad as he originally thought - a few larger pieces of glass were still stuck in his skin but he didn’t hit a vein… which was good for obvious reasons. Reggie watched Nick’s hand in fascination - guitar calloused fingers tracing the palm of his hand.
“What is it?” Nick asked, still very much confused about how Reggie seemed to have the same powers he did. Reggie blinked like he finally remembered Nick’s hand was attached to a body. His eyes looked at Nick in wonder, like he was trying to figure out why they could touch each other which… didn’t make a lot of sense unless Reggie was a ghost and well if he was… Nick had pretty strong opinions on the matter of ghosts now. He was never going ghost hunting with Carlos again.
“Give me one second, Ray keeps a fully stocked first aid kit in the bathroom. I’ll go get it.” Reggie said as he disappeared in a burst of color, leaving Nick alone in the studio. Nick looked around the room, remembering times when he’d hang out with Julie when they were kids; playing music and writing silly songs about clouds. He had a lot of good memories in this room and then… and then one day Chad signed him up for basketball and he just got too busy to hang out with Julie anymore. It’s a lame excuse but it’s at least the truth.
“Geeze!” Nick exclaimed with a jump when he turned around to see Reggie already opening the first aid kit on the piano, sorting through the supplies. “I don’t think we need all of that - just one of the big band-aids and I’ll be fine,” he insisted, trying to put the gauze and the tape and the tweezers back inside the kit. Reggie tsked and pushed his shoulder down, shoving him so he sat on the piano bench in a huff.
“Dr. Reggie is in the house, and you’re my patient.” Reggie said with an excited grin. Something about seeing him so happy made Nick’s heart soar - like it’s… like it’s the only thing that matters to him in the world. “Now, let’s start with the shards and then the gauze and maybe tape to wrap it up?” Reggie asked Nick, pulling everything back out of the box. Nick just sighed - there was no getting out of this one. It sort of reminded him of the way his little sister played make-believe. “So… why’d you act differently this week?” Reggie asked when he was cleaning the cuts, the ointment made Nick’s hand sting but it wasn’t too bad. Nick snorted, if he couldn’t talk to a shrink without sounding crazy then this dude was definitely going to think he belongs in the loony bin.
“You wouldn’t believe me,” Nick answered, sighing in relief when Reggie put the ointment away. Reggie hummed in response then pulled out the small gauze wrap. He still couldn’t believe it himself, he didn’t want to believe it himself. Being possessed really did a number on his sense of reality.
“I believe in a lot of things,” he said softly, gently starting to pluck the shards of glass out of his hand. “Trust me - Nick right? - you'd be surprised if I told you everything I knew," Reggie said ominously. Nick felt the temperature in the room drop and he shivered slightly. Reggie shrugged off his leather jacket and handed it to him.
"Here, it'll keep you warm. It's always cold in the studio. At least that's what Julie says," Reggie added as an afterthought. Almost as if he wasn't able to feel the temperature like a normal person. But then Nick looked in Reggie's eyes and he saw it.
He saw the pain and the hurt and the darkness - the same darkness he sees in himself when he looks in the mirror… but unlike him Reggie's eyes are also full of warmth, and light and childlike wonder. They sparkled like diamonds against his darkness and Nick had to peel his eyes away from him otherwise he’d get lost in them for forever. "Were you playing country?" Nick blurts out suddenly - Reggie's cheeks turn slightly pink in response and Nick couldn’t help but think he looked cute blushing. Wait what ?
"Yeah… maybe… why do you ask?" Reggie wondered, gently tucking the gauze into itself to tie off them bandage. Nick could already feel his hand start to heal as they talked more… which he would've questioned if he hadn't spent the past month being possessed by an evil ghost.
"I heard it - it helped me come here after I uh… punched a mirror," Nick admitted in embarrassment. Reggie's eyes shined in concern as he started to pack up the first aid kit.
"Why?" Reggie asks, his voice low and whispery like Nick punching a mirror was a secret. Nick shrugged in response, not really wanting to get into his now-constant sense of self deprecation and lack of self worth. The shadows left behind by the demon who took an entire month away from him, a month he’s never going to be able to get back.
"Don't really know," he said knowing that it wasn't exactly a real answer. "Just didn't like what I saw." Nick said softly, letting Reggie gently hold his injured hand. When Reggie held it it didn't hurt as much - like it was healing faster for some reason.
"Yeah?" Reggie asked, scooting forward so their noses were almost touching. "What did you see?" Nick took a deep breath.
"You're going to think I'm insane," Nick warned, eyeing Reggie carefully for any sign of judgement. There wasn’t any. "I think I was possessed by a ghost named Caleb Covington," Nick says, watching as a mix of horror and recognition crossed Reggie's face. He didn't say anything to interrupt him though, so Nick continued. "This… Caleb guy... he used me like a puppet. I - I was trapped in my own head watching as he tore my life to shreds. He flunked my tests, ditched class… I lost my lacrosse scholarship because I was possessed…" Reggie's eyes looked like the were shattered - like he was concerned, and sad, and (in love ?!) all rolled into one. "And now whenever I look at myself - really look at myself I mean… I just see the shell he left behind." Nick took a breath, wondering why it was so easy to talk to this guy he barely knew. Reggie squeezed his uninjured hand lightly, listening attentively as he told his ghost stories. “I don’t remember much though, it’s like it’s a fever dream. I think there was a room in a club? He’d keep me there if he wasn’t using me to get to Julie or you guys. If I - if I hurt you… I’m sorry,” Nick apologized, unable to help the tears from rolling down his cheeks.
“It wasn’t your fault,” Reggie promised, reaching up with one of his hands to brush away the tears. “Thank you for telling me this. For what it’s worth… I’m sorry this happened to you. If Julie knew -” Nick cut him off with a curt headshake, his hair flopping in front of his eyes.
“No!” He exclaimed, the idea of Julie knowing how weak he really is wasn’t something he wanted to entertain. Reggie just tightened his hold on Nick’s uninjured hand - keeping him in place. Whatever power that got him here… it didn’t seem like it was going to let him leave just yet for some reason.
“Okay, okay we - I won’t tell Julie,” Reggie promised. Nick watched him carefully and realized how much he really did meet this boy. The boy from Julie’s band with the floppy black hair and hot leather jacket who could kill it on the bass.
“Okay,” Nick said as he settled back onto the piano bench facing Nick. “Hey, you - you know any songs on the banjo?” He asked suddenly, humming the tune of the song he heard Reggie playing before he appeared in the studio. Reggie’s eyes lit up and the instrument in question appeared in his hands.
“Do I ever. Do you have any requests?” Reggie asked as he strummed the banjo a few times to check on it’s tuning. Nick had no idea how a banjo worked but Reggie looked so happy at the prospect of playing it for someone he couldn’t back out now.
“The song - the one from earlier… it sounded pretty,” Nick said feeling his cheeks heat up with blush. Luckily Reggie was too busy fiddling with his tuning to notice.
“Oh yeah, it was from a movie Carlos made me watch with him. The Muppets I think it was called, we have so many movies to catch up on,” Reggie explained as he started to play the intro to the song. The familiar tune sounded throughout the room and Nick let the feeling of warmth wash over him; Reggie’s voice chasing away the cold and the shadows that haunted his mind.
“Catch up on?” Nick asked when he realized Reggie’s wording sounded weird. The guys in Julie’s band were weird for sure. Especially back when she was still doing the hologram bit but lately they seemed to be more… solid was a good word for it. They seemed more solid. Reggie nodded,
“Yup! So, Rainbow Connection?” He asked, playing the first few chords on a loop. Nick nodded again and fell silent, letting Reggie carry on with the song as he relaxed for the first time in literal ages. “ Why are there so many songs about rainbows, and what’s on the other side?” When Reggie sang with his banjo his eyes lit up, slipping more of a country twang in his voice. Nick hated the fact it only made him blush harder. “Rainbows are visions, but only delusions and rainbows have nothing to hide,” Reggie hesitated, like he just remembered Nick was there listening to him. Nick placed a comforting hand on his knee.
“It’s beautiful Reg,” Nick said, hoping the bassist believed him. “Keep going?” He asked, letting himself smile despite himself. Reg nodded back and picked up where he left off. His voice washed over Nick again and Nick let it wrap around him, flush out shadows and shine through the cracks of his shattered soul.
“ So we’ve been told and some choose to believe it, I know they’re wrong, wait and see… Someday we’ll find it, the rainbow connection. The lovers, the dreamers and me.” The familiarity of the tune itched at Nick’s mind - like he knew it even though he’s never heard it before. “Who said that every wish would be heard and answered, when wished on the morning star? Somebody thought of that, and someone believed it… look what it’s done so far.” Reggie shifted, moving closer so that their knees were barely touching each other. Nick was suddenly aware of how close they were. The world was starting to make sense - his gravity, his center shifting, focusing in on Reggie singing on his banjo. Unable to help himself any longer Nick joined in on singing.
“Somebody thought of that and someone believed it. Look what it’s done so far, ” Nick watched as Reggie’s eyes lit up in delight when he started singing with him. Everything - everything - in Nick’s life was now going to be centered on Reggie… and honestly? He wasn’t mad about it. Nick continued to take the second verse, “what’s so amazing that keeps us stargazing, and what do we think we might see? Someday we’ll find it, the rainbow connection. The lovers, the dreamers and me…” Nick sang, unable to keep the country twang from rubbing off on him. Besides, Reggie’s smile was infectious. When they got to the bridge Reggie joined back in, the both of them singing it together.
“ All of us under its spell we know it’s probably magic…” Magic… that’s the only reason for why Nick feels the way he does right now. For seeing the light in Reggie’s eyes overshadow the hidden shadows and fear. Magic for the way Caleb was able to possess him, but without Caleb he would have never met Reggie like this. “Have you been half asleep, and have you heard voices? I’ve heard them calling my name. Is this the sweet sound that calls the young sailors? That voice might be one and the same. ” Caleb’s voice, haunting his mind as he drifts off to sleep… Caleb’s voice is overcome by the warmth of Reggie’s softness and warmth and love. “I’ve heard it too many times to ignore it, it’s something I'm supposed to be…” Nick raises his uninjured hand, gently cupping Reggie’s cheek to brush away a tear that was rolling down it.
“Someday we’ll find it, the rainbow connection. The lovers… the dreamers… and me…” Reggie sings, trailing off as they stared into each other’s eyes. “Wow,” Reggie said, breaking the silence between them. “You - you’re beautiful Nick…” Taking the plunge Nick surged forward and pressed his lips against Reggie’s, fireworks exploding in his mind when their lips touched.
“My hand,” Nick says when he pulls away and realizes there wasn’t any pain left. He unwrapped the gauze wrapped gently around it to reveal unblemished skin - zero evidence anything even happened to it. “What - that doesn’t make any sense -” Nick said before getting interrupted by Reggie kissing him again. Nick’s heart leapt and beat a little faster as Reggie instigated the kiss deeper - more meaningfully. Their noses brushed together when Reggie finally let them come up for air. Nick’s brain short circuited but Reggie didn’t seem to mind, he just pulled Nick in for a tight hug and hooked his chin over his shoulder.
“Power of music,” Reggie said jokingly. When he let Nick pull away Nick shook his head and gently kissed Reggie’s forehead. Nick couldn’t help but smile into Reggie’s hair, tugging at his shoulders lightly.
“Power of love,” Nick corrected, this time trapping Reggie in his hug.
Nick caught his reflection in the piano, the black surface shining back at him. His face wasn’t as twisted as before - as haunted. His eyes looked lighter, more warm too though not as warm as Reggie’s were. He wasn’t better yet, he wasn’t good at all but… but he would be. With Reggie at his side - his sparkling diamond eyes and his sexy country singing voice - Nick knew he would be one day.