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“No, no. You keep coming on late,” Luke corrected Bobby for what felt like the hundredth time now, sweat dripping down his forehead and face twisted in annoyance.
Bobby rolled his eyes, matching Luke’s bothered tone. “Or maybe Reggie keeps coming in early. I’m following Alex’s count.” The drummer mentioned doesn’t say anything, looking the other way and not wanting to be involved.
Typically when the two of them fought they left the others out of it, but sometimes Bobby got too hot headed to bite his tongue. Luke pushed at his shoulder. “Hey. Reg is playing fine. Don’t blame him when you mess up.”
Reggie clears his throat and the boys look at him. “I think he’s right. I’ve been kind of eager to play today. It's my fault.” Reggie shrinks into himself and it breaks the tension into something more remorseful.
Bobby’s jaw clenches, giving up with the argument and feeling guilty now. “Whatever.” He pushed past Luke and propped up his guitar against the wall. “I’m going for a smoke.”
Alex scrunches up his face before getting up to keep Luke from going after him. “I think a break would be a good idea. Reggie?”
The band member in question glanced at the drummer, having stared at where Bobby had stormed away. “Uh? Oh, yeah. I’m on it.” He half smiled and put his bass down to chase after the other boy.
The band didn’t get into fights often but when they did it felt like Reggie was leaving one house of arguing to join another. He couldn’t stand arguing, it made him too on edge and ruins the flow of things. He ignores the thought, his friends loved each other but there were moments where they couldn’t help get a little short at one another. It happens.
“I thought you said you’d quit.'' Reggie says walking out of the studio and catches Bobby with a cigarette between his lips. “You promised you’d stop.”
“Yeah, yeah." Bobby flicks some ashes to the ground. "Luke is getting on my nerves again,” He admits it with a long drag. He's leaning against the wall and wearing Reggie's leather jacket. If he wasn’t upset that Bobby broke his promise then Reggie would’ve taken the time to admire how pretty his friend looked in the afternoon sun.
“You know he doesn’t mean anything by it. He’s just frustrated that our gigs keep getting canceled this week.” Reggie stands next to Bobby, close enough that their shoulders are touching and he can see out of the corner of his eye that Bobby is smiling at him.
Another puff of smoke and Bobby lets out a bitter laugh that’s equal parts attractive and irritated. “Yeah, of course you’re taking his side, same way he always takes yours because you can do no wrong.”
Reggie recoils physically and the hurt look on his face makes Bobby mentally kick himself immediately regretting his words.
"I'm sorry." Reggie sounds so small and it breaks Bobby's heart that he caused it.
“Reg,” his animosity dissolves into affection for the other boy. “I didn’t mean that. I’m just fed up with Patterson right now. Besides, between your skills and good-looks it’s obvious why you’re his favorite.”
It's Reggie's turn to force a laugh, nudging his friend’s shoulder and hiding any left over discomfort. “Am I? I thought that was Alex. But if I didn’t know any better I’d say you’re jealous.” He teased knowing it’d get a rise out of the other boy.
“In your dreams, Peters.” He rolled his eyes. “And you don’t know any better because I could out play you and pretty boy over there any day of the week,” Bobby says, the cigarette hanging between his lips and Reggie can’t help but stare in awe for a moment, his face becoming a flushed pink. Their grinning at each other and they know their band mates are going to be annoyed with how long they're away from practice.
He didn’t care. Reggie doesn’t get to be alone with Bobby often and maybe it's selfish to want that, but he can’t bring himself to care when the other boy looks at him like he’s the most special person on Earth.
“Ha! You wish.” Reggie knocks their shoulders together before snatching the cigarette out of Bobby’s mouth and taking a drag, blowing a smoke ring.
Bobby fakes a dramatic gasp but can’t stop himself from smiling. “Reginald Peters! Are you smoking a cigarette? And here I thought you were straight edge. I guess no part of you is straight.”
Reggie laughs and there’s a soft hum in the back of his throat, his voice starchy from the smoke and he knows they’re going to get an ear full from Luke about it. “You’re one to talk.”
Bobby tugs on the front of Reggie's shirt, stealing a kiss and at the same time he steals back his cigarette. He can feel the way Reggie is smiling against his lips and he can taste the candy they were snacking on before mixed with bitter smoke. “You’re right,” Bobby says, kissing the corner of Reggie's lips.
“Luke is going to be even more pissed,” Reggie isn’t worried about it. Right now he’s too busy running his fingers through Bobby's hair and missing his lips while he plants kisses on Reggie's neck. A shiver runs up his spin when Bobby pulls him down enough to leave kisses behind his ear.
“He can wait a little longer.” Bobby whispers and pulled on Reggie's shirt some more wanting them to be closer, thankful there was a fence hiding them from prying eyes. “He is always on you during practice, is it a crime that I want you for a little bit?”
“You really are jealous of him.” It comes out more matter-of-fact than Reggie meant it and Bobby frowns for a second but plays it off. Reggie's hair stands on end with the way Bobby is putting a hand under his shirt, his other hand holding onto the back of his neck, cigarette firmly between his fingers.
“Always.” Bobby admits it like it’s a secret and he sounds resentful, but his tone shifts when looking up at Reggie with brown eyes that have a devilish, hungry glint behind them. “But I’m not worried about him right now. I just want you, Reg.” It sends a jolt up the guitarist’s spin and he laughs nervously, Bobby catches his lips in another kiss and Reggie’s eyes flutter close wanting to enjoy this for a little longer.
Reggie presses the shorter boy against the garage, pulling on the leather jacket and mouth parting open to deepen the kiss and they start moving in rhythm, hands searching and wondering. One of the good things about fooling around with bandmates is that it was always easy to get in sync. The cigarette abandoned between Bobby’s fingers, loosely dangling while he played with Reggie’s hair.
They pull away, lips swollen and foreheads pressed together. “Think you can stay the night?”
“I don’t know.” Reggie glances away, biting his lip.
“Please?” Bobby begs.
The question comes out soft which is rare from Bobby who was always sharp, made of rough edges and smart remarks. Him and Luke were similar when it came to smart remarks but Luke felt more like an electric shock or a bright flame with sparks always coming off him. Sometimes Reggie was scared he’d get burned if he got too close to Luke and he’d get cut if too close to Bobby. Always careful dancing on that fine line between them.
It almost feels unfair; like Bobby and Luke were playing tug-o-war with him and he couldn’t pick sides without hurting someone. Guilt rises up and burns Reggie's throat.
“Yeah,” he chokes out, licking his lips nervously. “Okay.”
Bobby steals another kiss and Reggie chases his lips when he pulls away too soon to take the last drag of the cigarette before flicking it to the ground. “Let’s go back inside before pretty boy gets even more pissy. I'm sure he’s going to get on Alex’s nerves too.”
Reggie stomps out the lit cigarette with the heel of his foot and follows his band mate back into the studio. “Yeah, you’re probably right. Hey, think you teach me that riff you did earlier?”
Bobby grins, holding Reggie's hand and giving it a reassuring squeeze. “Only if you show me those cords you were working on, babe.”
“Sure we got all night.” Reggie shrugged.
“Actually I was hoping we could do something a little different when the others leave,” Bobby bits his bottom lip.
Reggie raises an eyebrow, a reserved smile tugging at his lips. “Yeah. Like what?”
“Don’t act dumb, Peters.” Bobby says, opening the side door into the studio and rolling his eyes.
“Who said I was acting?” Reggie laughed, sometimes it feels like he lives to tease Bobby.
They walk in and it doesn’t take long before Luke goes off about them being gone too long and how bad smoking was for their voices but it falls on deaf ears. Reggie and Bobby are too busy grinning and playfully nudging each other like idiots. It makes Luke a little jealous and he takes every chance he has to share a mic with Reggie for the rest of practice.
Sometimes being pulled back and forth between both boys was a little stressful, but there were moments where Reggie couldn’t help but feel a little special with all the attention he got from them. So he guesses it wasn’t all bad.