Archive of Our Own

Reggie and Alex were day and night. Reggie wore leather jackets and ripped jeans. Alex wore pink hoodies and fanny packs. Reggie was impulsive and rarely thought before he did or said anything. Alex wished he didn’t overthink his every move, questioning everything he said and forced to wonder if he’s doing this whole ‘being a normal person’ thing right. They balanced each other out and Alex had always loved Reggie for his goof weirdness and would do anything to protect him from losing that.

Which might have been where they’re biggest and most surprising difference came from. Reggie was more than just his fun loving nature, the stereotype of a bad boy with slick back hair and bass guitar, but also does his best to fall in line of authority and is a people pleaser. He fidgeted when yelled at and didn’t talk back. Meanwhile semi active church goer Alex, who every grownup found to be entirely trustworthy, had a great distain for adults in general and spoke up when they were treating his friends unfairly. Which was often and quickly Alex had become Reggie’s protector while growing up and well into their teen years.

When Reggie got bullied in middle school Alex got into his first fight, he lost with only a bloody nose and bruised ribs to show for it, but Reggie bought him cookies for a week so it was worth it. It was even more worth it when he saw that wide smile on Reggie’s face when the bullies didn’t bother him as much anymore.

Reggie would return the favor in the tenth grade when Alex had been picked on by boys in the football team, and while the bassist wasn’t much of a fighter his bruised knuckles and busted lip made Alex’s heart skip a beat. 

And despite Reggie’s scatterbrain he was always careful and considerate of Alex’s anxiety. The first time Alex had a panic attack in public Reggie was the one to bring him back to ground zero, (Luke nearly started crying himself, too spooked to figure out what to do), and Alex had been more than grateful for the support. They understood each other in ways the others didn’t. Alex could be snarky to Reggie and he knew not to take it to heart and if Alex got defensive about being touched Reggie didn’t mind giving him space. On the flip side, Alex made sure Reggie felt included and understood, and if Reggie needed extra help or affection Alex offered it without thinking twice. They would defend each other at all times, no ifs buts or ands about it.

They’re always been each other’s heroes. A constant in their lives and Alex appreciated that to no end. Even when they teased and made fun of one another most of the time, but when push came to shove they would always have each other’s back. Same with the others in the band but Alex felt his bond to Reggie to be different. Deeper in ways it wasn’t with Luke or Bobby, those two were like Alex’s brothers but Reggie? 

Well, Alex isn’t sure how to explain what he feels for Reggie besides pure unfiltered puppy love and he never wanted to lose that with him. 

But when Alex first came out he assumed that Reggie would be, at the very least, more distant and uncomfortable towards him. At worse grossed out and afraid that he would be coming onto him, but it seemed nothing changed and it was a relief. Alex did not take change well and it had been comforting to know Reggie and his other friends still loved him all the same.

But there was one thing that was different and Alex hadn’t expected it at all; Reggie seemingly became more touchy, if that was even possible.  

It seemed entirely normal at first. Reggie always enjoyed being physically close to his friends; sitting too close on the couch where their bodies were pressed up entirely, slinging an arm around one of their shoulders pulling them together, sharing mics with faces so close that they were just inches apart. 

Just always staying in arms reach. Reggie thrived off breaking personal space and granted Luke could be just as bad if not worse with not having any form of boundaries, but it felt like Reggie had directed all that touchiness towards Alex almost exclusively. 

Honestly Alex didn’t actually mind all that much. Not with the way he liked Reggie which was both a blessing and a curse. They’re totally comfortable with each other, obviously, but sometimes it felt like torture to have Reggie so close knowing Alex could never actually hold him in a meaningful way, in a way that signaled they mutually agreed it meant something more . 

Maybe that was selfish and crushing on his friend felt like he was just feeding into stereotypes, and he had already decided from the moment he realized he was crushing that it was best to just say nothing. Save everyone the trouble and heartbreak that way.

There had been times where Alex believed that things could lead to something more between them, but he never did like to get his hopes up and refused to dwell on the possibility.

At least Alex had the band to distract him from any feelings because at the end of the day, he and Reggie were best friends and bandmates. Besides, his love for music was the only thing he should worry about.

Well, at the moment Alex was more worried about keeping Luke and Bobby from ripping each other’s heads off. 

They kept yelling at each other over pointless mistakes and it’s starting to get gritting on Alex’s nerves. 

Reggie pucks his bass with tense fingers as he waits for them to finish their current argument, something about Bobby wanting to do lead vocals on a song that Luke isn’t too keen on giving up, and Alex is repeatedly tapping the rim of his drums with his patience growing thin. 

“Why can't I get this one song, Luke?” Bobby all but shouts it. “You act like you don’t lead on everything else on the setlist!”

“And you’re acting like it’s impossible to just choose a different song, literally anything else!” Luke shot back, pointedly. “Don’t be so selfish.”

Bobby laughs but it’s bitter and humorless, mouth a gasp at how unbelievable he thought Luke was being. Alex wouldn’t pick sides, they were both being unreasonable, but he thinks they’re starting to get a little too personal and it's not going to end well. 

“Ha! Look who’s talking! Why don’t you stop being so childish, huh, Patterson?”

“Oh, you’re such an ass-”

“ Hey! ” Alex interrupts, but neither boy turns to look at him, opting to stare each other down with clenched jaws and tight fists. 

Reggie’s nerves steadily become more uneasy and he’s starting to sweat looking between them, worried they would turn this into a physical fight. His eyes dart around for places to hide under or exits to bolt through, a habit he’s picked up over the years. 

“Ladies, ladies, you’re both very beautiful but can you hurry this along? Before I start to regret coming here instead of studying.” Alex tried to defuse the high tension but his sarcastic nature got the better of him.

“Oh, put a can in it, Mercer,” Bobby sneered, swinging his guitar onto the back of his shoulder by the strap. “Nobody wants to hear your smartass right now.”

Luke shoves Bobby and it makes Reggie flinch, stepping back slightly and Alex starts to notice just how uncomfortable Reggie looks. 

“You don’t get to talk to him like that!” Luke barked. 

Usually band arguments didn’t last longer than practice time and rarely this heated, but it seemed it wasn’t going to light up anytime soon. 

“And what are you going to do about it, Patterson?” Bobby said through gritted teeth, stepping into Luke’s personal space; never breaking eye contact and it comes off as a challenge. Reggie leans away and fidgets with his rings, tentatively watching them argue from the sidelines as Alex tries to figure out how to defuse the rising heat.

“Guys-” Alex tries to butt-in again but gets cut off.

“Stay out of it, Lex.” Luke nearly says it as an order and Alex is counting his breaths, nervously trapping his drumsticks rapidly, and trying to figure out how to make them stop before they fight on the floor and break something. Rarely did they get at each other’s throats like this, but the pressure was really on Luke to prove to his parents that the band was worth the effort and the stress was getting to him.

“Well?” Bobby said, daring Luke to do something that everyone will regret. 

Luke balls up his fists and it feels like the entire room went heavy with tension, honestly Alex was a little scared Luke was going to throw a punch. 

Now, Alex knows Luke. Knows he wasn’t the fighting type and that he’s just stressed and angry, but never violent. 

Bobby was a slightly different story, not that he was much of a fighter either but Bobby knew how to get under a person’s skin. It didn’t help that Luke and Bobby fighting was just how they blew off steam, they’d be fine afterwards like always but right now they’re stressing out the rest of the band.

“Are you going to let me do lead vocals for the song?” Bobby pushes Luke. “Or are you going to keep being a bratty kid about it?”

It only gets more heated from there, Luke shouts back and Bobby curses himself red in the face. There’s something that tightens in Reggie’s chest when he sees his friends’ eyes glossed over in rage, he’s seen that similar look many times before from his father, and Reggie’s body moves before he can process what he’s doing. 

In rare moments Reggie tries to take over Alex’s role and play peacemaker by putting himself in the middle of fights, despite knowing how well it goes (not very) but does it anyway thinking it’ll help. It won’t but a wave of protectiveness hits Reggie strong and it’s hard to stop from putting himself in the crossfires. Alex stands up to stop him but can’t get around his drum set in time. 

“Bros, come on. Cut it out, please,” Reggie starts to say, pleading for them to just drop this pointless screaming match and actually talk to each other like normal people; but it goes awry because of course it does. 

Reggie places himself in front of Luke in the same moment that Bobby is already gearing up for a punch and without meaning to the hit lands squarely against Reggie’s lower stomach. 

It was meant for Luke and Bobby hadn’t realized in time to stop himself, the room suddenly goes dead silent as Reggie double overs in pain. He inhales sharply, arms wrapped around his abdomen and Alex rushes from his spot behind the drums to help out his friend. Luke stares for a second before processing that Reggie was hurt, but his brain is still in the blind heat of rage and turns on his heels to look at Bobby who seems completely bewildered; guilt softening his face.

“Look what you did now, jackass!” Luke yells at him and it makes Reggie’s stomach clench, the pain growing as he gets more nervous.

Alex knew that the two of them getting more angry at each other wasn’t going to help anything. Reggie dealt with enough arguing at home and Alex is sure that the deja vu of the situation makes Reggie’s head cloud over in an irritated fog, not that he would ever show it. They’re doing the exact same damn thing his parents did.

Bobby blinks. “What?” The air was heavy and it made Reggie’s blood run cold in his veins. “Are you fucking stupid? Is that it? It’s your fault that he-”

“ Shut. Up! ” Reggie said suddenly, voice forceful and agitated. It shocks everyone to hear, even Alex who was still holding him by the shoulders and trying to get him to straighten out his stance. His stomach is tight in pain and this was getting to be too much. 

Bobby speaks softly, regret written all over his face. “Reg, I- I didn’t mean for you to-”

“Just,” Reggie’s voice is sharp, and doesn’t sound like himself. Far too forceful and lost of all it’s usual up-beat tone that Reggie was known for.  It’s almost scary to hear him so serious, but just as quickly as the anger came it faded away. “I’m okay. Don’t sweat it.” Reggie said, pretending to be unbothered and putting out a smile.

Alex gives his shoulders a reassuring squeeze as an uncomfortable tightness fills his lower chest and stares at the two boys whose expressions are stricken with shame. 

“I think I’ll just go home. Rest up before the gig tomorrow.” Reggie says, masking his feelings with a smile that’s too slanted to be convincing and wiggles out of Alex’s grip. “I’m okay, promise.”

It was a lie. Alex knew he wasn’t going home only to deal with this all over again, it was late enough for both his parents to be home and likely arguing already. Sometimes it felt like the boys had nowhere to go.

“I’ll walk you,” Alex offers quickly, rushing to put his drumsticks down and keep up with Reggie’s fast pace.

“Reggie, we’re sorry, dude!” Luke calls out but doesn’t go after him thinking it would only make things worse. Besides, he wouldn’t know what to do if Reggie started crying despite knowing it was unlikely. Reggie wasn’t much of a crier. 

Bobby shouts something that Reggie imagines is his own sorry words but doesn’t pay it any mind. Alex can tell that Reggie is tired and trying to conceal his annoyance as they walk next to each other. The drummer’s face knitted up in concern but wasn’t sure if he should say anything yet. 

They continued silently, shoulders nearly touching and hands gracing by as they walked together. Alex tried not to think about it too hard. Instead he forces his brain to consider something to say, Reggie’s face is tight and twisted into a frown completely unlike him and it’s starting to kick start Alex’s anxieties. 

Bobby and Luke were entirely in the wrong for getting so heated over something so pointless, but that wasn’t totally new for them either. They could be pretty stubborn but they were way out of line this time and Alex knew it was starting to get gritting on Reggie’s nerves too. Not that the bassist would ever say it. Reggie was usually the last person to get easily fed up with anyone let alone bandmates and even if it bothered him, he wouldn’t mention it.

Lost in thought Alex almost didn’t realize that they had walked all the way to Reggie’s house in silence. By then the bassist didn’t seem as bothered as before, but the way he was staring at his house made it obvious he didn’t actually want to go home just yet either.

The sun was beginning to set behind them, clouds reflecting soft shades of pinks and oranges and purples. Alex clears his throat, dry air making his voice sound slightly cracked.

“Is it…. Is it getting bad in there?” Alex asked, gently not wanting to hit a nerve.

Reggie shoves his hands deep into his leather jacket pockets and shrugs, turning to face him with a grin that’s a little too wide and a little too forced. “Nah,” Reggie shakes his head trying to seem unbothered. “It’s just early and I don’t want to waste a nice afternoon inside because the others can’t sort themselves out.”

Alex nods, glancing back at the Peters’ household and noticing that the lights flickered on. “Fair. Maybe- Maybe we could do something together? It’s been a while since we’ve hung out- just us two.”

It had been Alex’s fault for that. He was careful not to be left alone with Reggie for too long. He wouldn’t be able to focus if it was just them. Nothing to distract from the way Reggie brushed against him constantly, nearly sitting in his lap during movies because Alex was more comfortable to cuddle with than pillows (in Reggie’s words) or how Reggie took great care to make sure that Alex saw all his most suggestive moves on stage during gigs, keeping eye contact half of the time. Which never failed to make Alex nearly drop his drumsticks in the middle of the show. Reggie loved to tease, but he had always been like that; even when he shared a mic with Luke it had high chemistry (although that was just as much Luke’s doing too).

Despite that, Alex makes himself blush thinking about all the times Reggie had pressed close to him, knowing it’s hard to ignore how he felt in those moments. 

Reggie links their arms together and guides Alex away from the house and the drummer’s stomach knots up in silent enjoyment feeling like a proper couple for a belief moment. 

“Yeah, I’d like that. Just us two,” Reggie agreed fondly and the faint sound of voices raging at each other in the distance furthers Alex’s suspicion that things back home had been getting more tense. “Let’s go. The night is still young!”

There’s a breeze that was beginning to settle in as the sun fades away and Alex’s cheeks warm to a soft pink, thankful for the coming darkness that would hide the blush. Reggie’s arms wrapped firmly around Alex’s as they set off to who knows where. 

“Where are we heading, Reg?” Alex asked, tripping over his own feet and having to rebalance himself against Reggie’s hold, butterflies fluttering around in his stomach as they pressed together. 

“Oh, you’ll see!” Reggie laughs lightly, the sound of sneakers and heavy boots hitting the pavement in uneven giddy steps as they clumsily run alongside one another. Reggie never lets go of Alex’s arm as he guides them towards the beach front in a fit of giggles.

It’s nice to see Reggie be more himself and Alex allows him to tug them along to seemingly somewhere near the pier. The sky clouded over in a dark inky purple of night with a half moon peeking through white fog that lights up their path, street lamps beginning to turn on and the arid night air makes Alex’s throat dry as he pants and laughs following Reggie onto the sandy beach. 

It’s hard to run with the way Reggie won’t lighten up on his hold on Alex’s arm and they nearly fall over as they slide down a sand hill and underneath the boardwalk, thick wood creaking as people walk over them. Mostly couples that pull Alex out of the idea that this meant something more than friends not wanting to go home and deal with bad parents. 

Suddenly Reggie let’s go of Alex’s arm and there’s an immediate chill from the lack of extra body heat. Still Alex watches fondly as Reggie runs to take off his boots, rolling up the cuffs of his jeans and stepping into the ocean water that had darken to a murky black in the night. Despite missing Reggie’s body heat Alex can’t help but stare in amusement as Reggie splashes his feet in the chilling salt water. 

“Lex, come on! It’s not even that cold,” Reggie calls over and jumps around a few times. It’s good to see the bassist back to his smiley self, but Alex is firmly in place not wanting to get closer to the water. Fists shoved into his short cord pants and shoulders raised awkwardly as he kicked sand around.

“No thanks. I’m good here,” Alex replied cheekily. 

Reggie raises his eyebrows in a devilish grin, going over to attempt to pull Alex towards the water. 

“Trust me, the water feels amazing . You’ll love it.” He tugs on Alex’s arm but the size difference is enough that it does nothing to budge the drummer who’s pretending to look more annoyed than he actually is, cheeks warm and enjoying the playfulness.

“It’s not going to feel that great when you step on broken glass. Isn’t there trash everywhere?” Despite his tone Alex was still looking at Reggie like he could do no wrong and knew he would end up going along with it anyways. When had he ever said no to Reggie? 

Reggie pouted, bottom lip pointed out and big eyes going wide with a joking overly begging look. Alex couldn’t help but note how cute the face was. 

“Com on, Alex. You need to get out of your own head and enjoy stuff without thinking so much.” Reggie pleaded, pulling onto Alex’s hoodie lightly. 

“If I could stop overthinking I would, Reg. This just doesn’t seem all that safe.” Alex chewed on his lip, glancing between the pitch black water and Reggie’s puppy dog eyes. 

“Please, Lex?” Reggie’s grip tightened onto Alex’s sleeve and his voice seemed so sweet and craving nothing more than Alex to enjoy this small pleasure together.

The drummer caved, shoulders slouching as he sighed but smiled widely at Reggie whose face was already lit up knowing that Alex was giving into him. “Yeah, okay. Fine, but no splashing.”

“Sure, whatever you want,” Reggie bit back a mischievous grin and watched as Alex took off his shoes to join in the water. There’s a quick shiver that runs through the blonde, but the chilling water did feel nice. 

Reggie drags his feet around, clouds of sand swimming to the surface as he kicks his feet up and Alex slowly moves through the water to be careful not to touch anything sharp or slimy. Silently jumping in small moments of panic whenever seaweed brushed up against his leg, thankful that Reggie hadn’t noticed as to be able to avoid the teasing. Honestly the bassist seemed more focused on kicking up sand clouds in the water and looking for shells to collect, seemingly disappointed to not have found any.

“I bought Luke here once.” Reggie said after a few moments of comfortable silence. “He liked it. Took his mind off his parents for a little bit.”

“So you’re telling me you bring all the boys here? And to think I was special,” Alex jokes and slashes a fit of cold water towards Reggie. They’re grinning at each other and it makes Alex’s heart beat fast in his chest.

Reggie laughs, loud and freely. “Hey now, I only bring the cutest boys in L.A. here. If anything you should be flattered.” He winks and it hits Alex like he was going to fall over, cheeks going a little redder. 

“In that case I’m honored,” Alex snorts a laugh and kicks away a slimy lump of seaweed.

“As you should be!” Reggie splashed around and Alex can’t even be mad that his shorts are rimmed with salt water.

He couldn’t help but stare at how perfect the moment felt. Reggie standing in the water with moonlight shining down on him and creating a glow like he was made to be here, to smile widely and enjoy the water with a bashful look in his eyes. There’s a few misplaced hairs that half curl onto his forehead and frame his face like a 50s movie star and Alex thinks how lucky he is to have a smile as comforting and soft as Reggie’s be directed towards him. Like the way Reggie was looking at him was meant for Alex and Alex alone, if he stopped thinking for a moment then maybe Alex could pretend that it was. Even if just for a second.

They both go silent, the only sound of the hush whispers between couples enjoying each other’s company above them on the boardwalk and the faint noise of waves crashing onto the sand in a melancholic rhythm that puts Alex’s nerves to ease. It’s calming to take in everything and Alex closes his eyes to really feel the moment, focusing on the sand between his toes and the cold tides that lap onto his exposed legs. 

A moment later Alex can hear a stir of water that’s going against the current and realizes that Reggie is walking around again, movements breaking against the waves. When he does finally open his eyes he’s greeted with Reggie being a few inches away from him now, noses nearly touching, and it startled Alex enough that he jumps back and slips on the loose sand underneath his feet. 

Alex let out a yelp and was ready to land back first into the cold water, already dreading having to walk home dripping wet and freezing, instead Reggie grabs a hold of him before he finishes falling. 

Reggie had caught him. An arm wrapped tightly around him and a hand placed at the small of his back. They’re positioned like they just finished an elaborate dance, Alex half dripped down and one leg slightly off the ground. They stare at each with wide eyes and the rise and fall of their chests notes that the near fall gave them both a small scare. Reggie’s lips curl into a smile and let out a breathy laugh, pulling Alex back to his feet but keeping his hands on the drummer’s shoulders.

“Someone’s jumpy tonight,” Reggie said lightheartedly.

“Try every night.” Alex throws back but he’s smiling now. “Sorry about the scare. I didn’t mean to worry you for a second.”

Reggie shakes him by the shoulders. 

“How are you the sorry one? I scared you !” He keeps a firm hold on Alex’s hoodie and biting back a grin when their eyes meet and it’s starting to drive Alex a little crazy that he can’t just lean in already and close those last few inches between them. “You can’t always overthink about everything, Lex. Especially when it’s me.”

“Yeah, well, overthinking is sort of my thing, Reg. Especially when it's you,” Alex said, bashful and entirely caught up in the way Reggie is looking at him like he’s the only person that could make him smile. Then the meaning of his own words hit and Alex realizes exactly what he said, going red and stuttering out various things that make little sense and shoulders going tension under Reggie’s touch. “Wait- not like- I didn’t mean for- I just meant that-” 

Reggie is staring at him with eyes so dilated they look near completely black; his face totally unreadable for a few too many seconds that make Alex’s heart beat out of his chest in racing anxiety. The bassist's lips quirk into a smug smile that does nothing to ease Alex’s overheating brain. 

“Alexander?” Reggie says in a surprisingly teasing tone. Alex swallows thickly.

“Reginald.” Alex mirrors back and it’s enough for the drummer to know that Reggie hadn’t taken his words in offense. 

Their own strange way of reminding each other that everything is okay, they’re together in the moment and they both start to laugh at how silly they suddenly feel. Reggie rests his forehead on Alex’s shoulder, grinning to himself. 

“I think about you a lot.” He said in a hushed voice, only meant for Alex and Alex alone to hear despite the fact no one else was around anyways.

Alex relaxed against Reggie’s touch, basking in the moonlight that peaked through the wood of the pier and there’s a chilling breeze that flows past causing them to shiver slightly. Reggie looks up, hands tangled in Alex’s hoodie and pulling them closer (as if they wouldn’t already only inches apart) and cools a soft smile while glancing between Alex’s lips and eyes. 

A shared look of longing that had to mean something more . Alex can’t take the tension anymore and leans in, nerves be damned, and crashes his lips against Reggie’s who seemed to have a similar craving as the drummer swears he leaned in just as quick and sudden. A strangled noise coming from the bassist that makes Alex nearly lose his goddamn mind.

Despite that it only lasts a few moments, gentle and shy, Alex melts into Reggie’s lips moving against his in-feverish rhythm with the taste of sea salt and bittersweet smoke hot on their tongues. Alex can feel the way Reggie is smiling into the kiss and eyelashes fluttering close, gracing his cheek lightly while Reggie continues to cling onto his pink hoodie, fists balled up tightly in the fabric to stop him from pulling away too soon (as if Alex ever would).

Just as a show that Alex was not going to pull away first, he ran his long fingers through Reggie’s thick black hair and his palm rested on the back of the bassist's neck in a comforting hold. Being this close let’s Alex note the way Reggie smells of leather and something overly sweet like candy that Alex can’t totally recall, but enjoys the faded scent all the same. Silently he’s thankful Reggie hadn’t recently smoked a cigarette beforehand, but even the distaste for it wouldn’t have ruined this moment. Alex can barely process that this was happening, yet is still somehow able to make out that it was everything he could want.

Eventually they need air, need to acknowledge what they have done, and slowly pull their lips away. But Reggie makes a whine in the back of his throat, softly biting Alex’s bottom lip as they pull away and Alex can’t help but feel his heart squeeze tight in his chest. God , he prays this isn’t a one time thing- that this leads to more. It’d be the first time he’d prayed in a while and it’s about wanting to kiss Reggie again. For once Alex doesn’t worry what his parents might think of that fact.

He searches for any regret or shame on Reggie’s face but is relieved to find none. They keep their foreheads pressed together grinning like complete fools, Reggie biting back a growing smile and Alex’s mind going into a blissful blank, and they’re looking so deeply into each other’s eyes that they nearly forgot where they were. 

The fact they were in public, under an old pier at night with their shoes off in the water and not meant to be there at all had totally slipped their minds and the reality of the situation crashed on them harder than the raising tides that were beginning to slash freezing water onto their exposed legs and damping the lower half of their pants, the roaring sound of waves hitting the shoreline wistfully placed in the background. 

“Alex, I-” Reggie starts to say looking away a little bashfully and clears his throat. “I think I really lik-”

They freeze to a complete stand still. There’s a sudden light flashing onto them from the side that’s coming from the front of the pier, blindingly white and pointed at their faces causing them to snap their heads towards a voice that accompanies the painfully bright light.

It’s hard to see who’s caught them but it’s obvious that there’s two people there, faces blacked out by shadows as Alex has to squint from the glaring flashlight directly aimed at them. Alex prays, twice in one night, that isn’t some cops there to bust them thinking they were loitering around. 

Maybe they kind of are but they’re also sort of in the middle of something, and remembering what that something exactly was jolts Alex out of his startled daze and shoots his brain into panic mode. 

“Hey! There you two are!” Luke’s unmistakable voice calls out from behind the bright light. 

Just as quick as the dread raised through Alex’s chest it deflates into relief (and a little annoyance). It was just Luke and Bobby.

Reggie’s fists unclench from Alex’s hoodie, hands sliding down to interlock their pinkies and pull them back to the shore. 

“You were looking for us?” Reggie asked, not sounding as mad at them anymore.

“Of course, dude. We felt awful about what happened and you left before we could fix it.” Bobby explained, hands shoved into his jean pockets from the cold and his eyes glanced towards Reggie and Alex’s intertwined fingers. He doesn’t mention it and Alex was then thankful. He really didn’t want to explain anything before he could talk to Reggie about what any of it meant first.

“Yeah, we wanted to make sure you were okay, dude.” Luke added with a nod and doesn’t seem to catch on to what Bobby had. Reggie tugs Alex’s hand a little closer, small and subtle, it’s enough to say everything Alex needs to know. There was still more to look forward to, they weren’t finished yet.

“Oh, well,” Reggie grinned and stared happily at Alex, cheeks pink and warm. “We’re okay. Right, Lex?”

“Mhm, totally. We’re great.” Alex confirmed with his own growing grin, heart full and intertwined the rest of their fingers to hold hands. For once Alex isn’t worried about the change that was coming, not when he had Reggie by his side.