Archive of Our Own ^beta

Chapter Text

He was a musician. Julie was pretty sure of it. Even if she never heard him do anything more than breathing (even though, in her head, his breathing was always forming melodies for some reason). She knew just like she knew the sky was blue and the water was wet. The calluses on his fingers were proof enough, even if they were smoothing out with time. He just had… this vibe about him. Julie knew a musician when she saw one. And Lucas T. Patterson was a musician.

Too bad she couldn't just talk to him. Too bad the only thing keeping him alive was a tube giving him oxygen and machines giving him nutrients and monitoring his (very low) vitals. 

Sometimes Julie wondered why she chose comatose patients as subjects for study. Surely she could do any other thing for her dissertation. It wouldn't be hard, even. But nooo, she wanted something challenging. Now it was breaking her heart.

Lucas was the last one to enter her study, a little over four months ago. A car accident, a drunk driver that had apparently left without a scratch, while Lucas, 22 and thriving in life, was left in a hospital bed with no promises of waking up. Julie was finishing choosing her subjects when he appeared and she chose him because she needed more young subjects and had only one until him. 

Julie blames his age. Too close to her own 21, he would always make her think about how things could have gone differently if she met him awake - at school maybe? A frat party? No, he didn't seem like a frat boy. Maybe a club. Definitely a club. He could even be playing. By himself or with a band. Because, you know, he was a musician. Julie was pretty sure. 

She knew, however, that this wasn't healthy. She was harboring a crush on a comatose guy who she didn't even know. All that was in her mind - she knew! - and yet, somehow, she just didn't seem to be able to leave the illusion. 

With a sigh, she sang her last note to him of the day. His vitals remained unchanged. She waited a few more minutes, making notes and writing his vitals on her chart. She realized the vitals never changed immediately, but next time she was there, the nurses would always tell her he had an uptick a few hours after she left. It never lasted, though, but it was something. She needed to remember to ask for his charts for the next 24 hours before she left this time. She was working on a new angle and this could be helpful. 

She had nothing else to do there, but still… she stayed. Lucas kept breathing with the aid of a machine. 

"Thanks for listening, Lucas. I hope you get better soon."

She always finished her sessions that way. Somehow, her words were the most true when she was speaking to him. Knowing he was the last of the day she left the room, asking what she needed at the nurses' station and leaving the hospital.

She really needed to stop getting so attached. It was breaking her heart.

~.~

"I'm not really in the mood, Flynn."

"You're never in the mood, Julie. That's why you have to come!"

Julie sighed. "You know I was at the hospital today, right? You know it drains my energy. I don’t have the energy to go to a party. And worse, a frat party."

Flynn sighed back.

"I know. And I know the whole study drains you and whatnot, but I also know you need something to cheer you up. It's awful those people are there, unconscious, but there's nothing we can do about that. And you can't stop your life for them, Jules. Live a little."

Julie wanted to say no. But Flynn was giving her the look she always gave her when she convinced her to do stuff in high school - like dance class, even though it wasn't her favorite class. She also knew Flynn was right. She wasn't really going out much lately. Between classes, studying for classes and making her study to write her dissertation and get her diploma, she was almost always busy, and that was tiring in itself. With a defeated sigh, she nodded.

"Okay. But I'm not staying till late. I have to work on my notes from the hospital tomorrow. Ms. Brandon wants something new on Monday, and I'll be spending Sunday with my parents, so…"

"Okay, okay. Just come and stay for at least an hour or two and you can come home and sleep. I won't bother you. Just come and relax a little. You deserve it, girl."

Julie gave her best friend a tired smile. Yeah, she hoped she could have some fun tonight. She desperately needed it.

~.~

Flynn helped Julie get ready for the party, for which Julie was incredibly grateful. She knew how to dress and look good, but she didn’t have the energy to work on her appearance today, so she appreciated the help. She ended up with her hair in a high ponytail with a few loose curls over her face and neck, a nice purple skirt that went to the middle of her thighs and a loose white blouse that made her shoulders appear. She drew a line on heels though, and decided a pair of white Converse were the way to go tonight. 

Flynn was dressed in a sparkly tight dark red dress and black heels, and she looked gorgeous with her braids dangling across her back. Once satisfied, Flynn called an Uber and they went to the lobby of their apartment building to wait.

They finally had moved from the dorms to their own place this year, after much consideration (and a few too many inconveniences at the dorms). Their parents were helping with rent, but between Flynn’s half-time job at a coffee shop and Julie’s half-time job at a music shop, plus a few tutoring gigs at the college, they managed to pay the bills just fine. 

When they arrived at the frat house, the party was already in full swing. Loud music was blasting from somewhere in the large living room, people were swaying in a make-shift dance floor close to the stereo, and of course, people would go in and out of rooms with beers and drinks in hand. There were quite a few people at the kitchen when they got there, and Flynn made sure to squeeze between people to grab a few drinks for them. There were snacks too, but Julie wasn’t particularly hungry yet.

“Are you sure all you want is a soda ? This is a party, Jules!” Flynn complained, even after she handed her the soda can.

“Yes, at least for now Flynn.”

“Well, promise me you’ll drink at least one cup of something with alcohol tonight.”

“Okay, okay. I’ll drink something later.”

Truth is, she didn’t like alcohol that much. It made her brain fuzzy and she would always get a killer headache the next day. That, and it usually made her do stupid things, and since she was a light-weight she avoided as best as she could. Flynn used to say that she needed to have at least one drink, though, to help her relax, so she usually allowed that. She just wasn’t in the mood now.

Flynn dragged her to the living room after getting the drinks, and they made rounds at the house talking to people they knew from college. Despite having different majors, she and Flynn knew a lot of people in common. She saw a few of her colleagues from her music classes, but didn’t really talk to them, just nodding at raising her soda can when she or they passed.

Eventually though, Flynn started talking to some friends from her PR class and she was left with nothing to say. Feeling left out. She wasn’t in the mood for that either, so she excused herself to get another drink. Before going, though, Flynn stopped her.

“Don’t leave without saying anything, ok? At least by text.” She was serious, and Julie knew.

“Don’t worry. I’ll just grab a drink and get some air in the gardens.”

“Okay, see you later.”

“See ya.”

She made her way through the people - it was much more crowded now - and got to the kitchen. She grabbed a red cup and poured a drink - with alcohol this time - and looked around when she heard her name.

“Hey Julie!”

Nick Evans was there, a colleague from high school who was at the same college they were, majoring in Business. 

“Nick, hi!”

“It feels like a lifetime since we saw each other!”

“Yeah, it sure does! How you’re doing?”

“I’m great, actually. And you? Didn’t expect to see you here, thought my eyes were deceiving me for a moment.”

Julie allowed herself to give him a shy smile. “Yeah, I don’t usually come, but Flynn insisted I needed to relax a little. My classes and dissertation have been draining me.”

“Right, I can certainly understand that. You’re still doing music?”

“Yeah… Composition and piano mostly. You still in Business?”

“Yeah, it’s been great. Next year when I graduate I’ll be able to help my dad with his company.”

“That’s great, Nick.”

Suddenly there were a lot of people there, and Julie started to get uncomfortable.

“Should we go out? It’s a little crowded here.” She suggested.

“Yeah, sure… Are you here with someone?”

“I came with Flynn. She’s talking with a few people about a project for class and I got bored and didn’t want to hear it.”

Nick laughed. “Sure. Come on, we can stay at the gardens by the front door. There’s less people there.”

And surely, there were. A few couples here and there and two groups of friends chatting and laughing.

It made her hyper-conscious of the fact that she was alone with Nick, the guy she had a crush on almost her entire high school, until they dated in her junior year and she decided they would be better off as friends. He was in the music program at their school too, mostly to refine his guitar skills, but it wasn’t his plan for life. They had a lot in common, but not enough to keep her interested. They dated for a couple months before she decided it would be better if they stayed friends. Luckily, he agreed and it was amicable. But still, sitting in the grass with him at a party in college, surrounded by couples, kinda made her go back in time a little.

“So, you said your dissertation is killing you. What are you doing for it?”

“Oh, not killing, but close.” He laughed at that and she smiled. “I’m doing research on the effects of music in comatose patients. I had a few classes of musical therapy last year and it gave me the idea. You know a few comatose people can actually hear you? And music is a great ally for the brain and it helps with healing.”

“That… is awesome!” He seemed really interested now. “And what exactly do you do?”

“Well, I’m doing an off-campus research, so I’m actually going to two hospitals here, and I sing or play a little for the patients, based on what their families say of them or things about their personalities when I have access to the families. Then I’m doing reports based on their vitals before and after I sing for them. I get data from when I’m not there too, so I can compare. It’s pretty amazing actually.”

“Wow. How many people do you have in your study?”

“Thirty. I have sixteen at one hospital and fourteen at another. Well, thirteen now. One of them died yesterday. I go to the Community Hospital on Tuesdays and Dignity Health on Fridays.”

“Oh, so you were at one of those today.” 

“Yeah. It’s why Flynn insisted for me to come to the party.”

“Makes sense. You still have to live a little.”

“Her words exactly.”

They laughed a little and talked a little more about her final project, and then his, which was basically a Business plan for a fictional company. They kept each other company and she found out that he was single and was a member of the frat that was hosting the party, which didn’t actually surprise her. He was a textbook frat boy. Well, apart from the rudeness, he was actually a sweetheart and she was happy to see he didn’t change in that aspect.

Eventually, when he offered to grab another drink for them, Julie declined. She stole a glance at her phone to check the time and figured she was safe from Flynn’s wrath if she decided to leave now.

“Sorry Nick, it’s been great to catch up with you, but I gotta go.”

“But it’s not even midnight yet!” 

“I know, but I have a bunch of stuff to do tomorrow and I don’t wanna get home late. I promised Flynn to come and drink and have fun, and I did. But I have stuff to do that can’t be postponed.”

Nick smiled. 

“Of course. Well, thank you for hanging out. It was great seeing you again, Julie.”

“I can say the same. You made this party less boring, actually. I did have fun, Nick, thanks.”

“You’re very welcome. Your number’s still the same?”

“Yeah, why?”

“Nothing, just thought we should keep in touch. I forgot how great it is to talk to you.”

She smiled. “Sure.”

He smiled back and she got up from the patch of grass they had occupied until now.

“I’m gonna go see if I can find Flynn and head out. I’ll see you later.”

“See you later, Julie.”

She said her goodbyes and got back in the house, looking for Flynn. She found her in another corner of the living room, with a different group of people, and said her goodbyes, since Flynn didn’t want to leave yet - apparently she was helping a friend from class score a cute guy. So she called an Uber and went to the front door to wait for it.

As soon as she got home, she changed into her pajamas, brushed her teeth, drank a glass of water and crashed into bed, sending a little text to Flynn before putting her head on the pillow.

Just got home. I had fun tonight, so thanks for dragging me. Be safe and call if you need anything. 

A few minutes later, almost asleep, she received a reply.

You are very welcome. Glad you had fun. Love you J.

Chapter Text

"Thanks for listening, Lucas. I hope you get better soon."

He always hated being called Lucas . Luke was so much better. But maybe she didn’t know that he prefered that. She didn’t seem to know anything about him, but she was so earnest when she sang that it was the highlight of his very tedious day. Her voice was like an angel and a wrecking ball at the same time and she had a passion in her eyes that didn’t fail to leave him speechless. Not that he was talking much these days, but still. He didn’t know why she was here, singing to him every Friday without fail, but he wasn’t complaining. It was the only thing that actually helped him get through this crazy in-between.

Luke had awoken outside of his body. He had no idea how that happened. All he could remember was getting out of his parents’ house, tears in his eyes. He wiped them and forced himself not to cry so he could drive back to the small cheap apartment he rented with the boys. 

It was a green light. He advanced. The guy from the red light did too, and he remembered loud noises from metal hitting metal and glass breaking and pain , so much pain , everywhere. He was aware enough when the sirens came, but he couldn’t open his eyes and he couldn’t speak. Eventually, darkness engulfed him, and when he came to, he wasn’t in his body anymore.

His body was in a hospital bed, with wires and tubes coming out of him. It made him panic, and he screamed at people in the room, in the hospital hallways and did everything he could think of to make himself heard . But he couldn’t. No one could hear him, no one could see him. He couldn’t grab anything, he phased through walls and machinery and people and furniture. He was a ghost, but he wasn’t dead. Not yet, anyways.

He saw Reggie and Alex visit him every day the first few weeks. They always had tears in their eyes and sad faces and it killed him every time. Alex insisted he couldn’t leave them, he had to get better and come back so they could finally sign that record deal, but after the first three weeks of coma, the doctors said to them that he was healing, but only from the physical bruises and breaks. His brain was numb. That’s why he wasn’t awake. It broke Alex and Reggie’s heart and despite still coming to visit, they came less and stayed less time.

What surprised him though, wasn’t Alex or Reggie coming every week. It was his parents . 

He left their house that day on bad terms. They weren’t happy with him, like usual, and Luke got out of their house with the firm belief that they would never support him like he needed them to. They would never be beside him or love him unconditionally as long as he kept choosing music as a career path. 

But on the same day that Luke awoke outside of his body - a day after the accident, he learned later - he saw his mom by his hospital bed. And his dad came right after, with the doctor who explained everything they did so far and everything that needed to be done to them - which helped fill the blanks for Luke, too.

His mom came to visit everyday. Without fail. His dad came once a week with her, usually on Sundays - when he wasn’t working. They would never say anything - at least not to him. His mom would bring a book or a knitting kit and stay there, reading or knitting for at least an hour before putting down her things, look at him with a sad look, cry a little and then go home. She would always come back the next day to do it all over again. 

His dad usually just read a book or would watch the tv on his hospital bedroom while they were at it, never speaking. Both of them cried on much more than one occasion when coming to visit, but words were absent and Luke knew they were sad, that they wanted him to wake up - he heard them speaking to the doctors - but they would never say anything to him. Why would they?

It drove him crazy. The stillness. The quiet. He could barely handle it.

Then she started coming every week. At first, Luke was confused. Who was this random girl and what was she doing in his hospital bedroom? She had a ‘Visitor’ badge on her, so she wasn’t a doctor or a nurse or a student. That first day, Luke was so confused he didn’t see her music theory books. She looked at him, really looked at him, and talked. The first person to talk to his comatose self in almost a month.

“Hey Lucas. I’m Julie.”

He cringed at the use of his given name, but she didn’t know him, so he couldn’t fault her for that. She kept talking, unaware of the ghost right in front of her, on the other side of the bed.

“I’m here to visit you, and I was hoping to cheer you up with a little music, if it’s okay.”

Music was always okay, but she didn’t know. She also didn’t expect an answer, and just sat down on the chair beside his bed, grabbing her phone and putting her stuff on the floor. She pressed play on something and a little piano started a melody he wasn’t familiar with - which was saying a lot. 

Then she started singing and it seemed like his entire world was rewritten. He had never heard such a beautiful voice in his entire life. It was sweet and strong, and he was pretty sure she could belt the notes like no one’s business, even though she probably wouldn’t do that in the hospital. He was mesmerized. It hooked him at the first listen. When she was finished, she looked at him with a sweet - but sad - smile and talked again.

“I hope you liked it. Thanks for listening. I hope you get better soon.”

Julie got up and grabbed her stuff and left, and Luke was left at his own bedside wondering what the hell just happened and who was she and why couldn’t he be awake so he could talk to her ?! It was frustrating as hell and left him feeling worse on that first day.

For some reason, he was stuck at the hospital. He tried going out, but everytime he put his feet outside the door of the hospital he was instantly back in his room, and he soon figured he couldn’t leave. He was stuck there, with his comatose body and a lot of people who were sick or were busy and no one could see him. Well, there were a few spirits of comatose people wandering around too, but that’s not the point.

So, being stuck, he soon found out a little bit about Julie, after overhearing a few nurses talking at the station. 

She was a music major from the same college he had graduated to just before the accident, and she was doing research about music in comatose patients. He was one of her subjects and it made him both flattered and annoyed. Flattered to be able to listen to that wrecking ball of talent, and annoyed because he still couldn’t talk to her. 

And now, after five months of coma, with no clue about why he was still there and what to do, it was even more frustrating. And she had finished singing a song from Queen to him. The girl had a wide repertoire and she sang different styles every time, and despite not liking a few of the songs, he loved her voice and could hear her sing forever. Unfortunately, she only stayed for ten minutes, at the most. 

He started following her after the third week, and she never did much after leaving his room. Usually she thanked the nurses, grabbed a few sheets and went home. He would follow her until she was out of the hospital and his spirit was pushed back to his room. He wanted to meet her so bad it hurt. 

In all this time though, she never encountered any of his friends or his parents, and he had no idea if they knew about her research or what she was doing in his room. Did his parents let her? Did they know? He had so many questions it wasn’t even funny anymore.

She had just left, and Luke was back in his room, ruminating his questions and frustrations, thinking about how it would be easier for everyone if he just… stopped breathing. His body, he means. This week was hard, especially today.

Alex and Reggie had come to visit today and left crying again. They hadn’t cried in his room in months, but they were talking about how they were going to record a few songs as backing for some new artist at the studio they were working on, and they broke. Reggie told Luke’s body it was never gonna be good because he wasn’t there to play with them and Alex just cried. They left after thirty minutes of visit leaving Luke feeling guilty and empty. His brothers were hurting and he couldn’t do anything. No one could. 

Then his mom appeared thirty minutes after his friends left, with a knitted grey beanie that she put on his head. Then she started crying. She took his hand, cried quietly for what felt like an eternity but was only half an hour, and then exhaled deeply before leaving a kiss on his forehead and leaving. 

Then Julie came in a couple hours after, and he thought it would be a nice change from all the crying he’d seen today, but she entered his room with red eyes and puffy nose. She had been crying, too. Probably not because of him, but just the sight made him want to cry too. 

She did something she had never done, though. She took his hand on hers, and Luke could swear he could actually feel her nice and smooth hands on his. She went through his thumbs, smiling at his almost-gone calluses and then smiled at him, even though she didn’t know he could see her.

“Hey, you.”

Her voice was so fond and sweet it made him melt. And then she started singing We Will Rock You , that Luke absolutely loved, never letting go of his hand. When she finished, she stayed for a long time. More than she had ever stayed. Holding his hand the entire time. Finally, she said her goodbyes and Luke was left confused, sad, guilty, empty, all at once.

To escape the constricting thoughts and guilty whispers his mind was trying to trap him with, he got out of the room, walking aimlessly through the halls and going up the stairs to the roof, where he knew he could go without being poofed back, but would probably be empty of people. He needed some air, even though he was pretty sure he didn’t need to breathe while like this.

Once at the roof, he looked at the streets and buildings and life that was happening outside the hospital, wondering out loud.

“Will I ever come back?”

That’s when a voice he never heard before talked, quieting his troubled thoughts.

“I can help you do that, if you’re willing.”

Chapter Text

“Carlos, finish that game and come eat!” Her mother said affectionately to her brother once they had everything they needed for lunch at the table.

Julie laughed at the pitiful whine her brother gave before saying “fine” in a very annoyed tone.

“He’s got a new game from your Tía for his birthday and he hasn’t stopped playing yet.” Her mom told her, fond.

“I bet.”

It was Sunday, and after the busy Saturday Julie had while studying, she was happy to be home with her parents for a nice and quiet time. They didn’t do this often anymore, since Julie was so busy with college and didn’t live with them, and Carlos had just started high school, but she always made sure she was free for a Family Sunday at least once a month. She needed her dose of the Molina family time to keep her going.

After everyone was settled at the table, meaning Julie, her dad, her brother and her mom, they said grace, and the conversation started while everyone was serving themselves.

“So, mija , how’s school?”

“It’s fine, papi . Classes are almost wrapping up, which means I have more essays and performances planned than I could possibly handle, but I’m good.”

“You sure?” Her mother asked.

“Yeah, mom. It’s a lot, but I’ve been able to keep the pace. I’m just tired and wanting it to end.”

“That’s good to hear. And your dissertation, how’s it going?”

“It’s fine. I’m getting good results out of it. It’s just hard. It’s a long process, and I really wish I could see some big benefits before I get my degree, but I also know it’s probably not what’s going to happen.”

“Well, you still have a little time, honey, have a little faith. You did say a few of the patients showed better brain activity after you started, right?”

“Yeah, and their families are really happy and I am too.”

“See, that’s good.”

“I know.” She smiled, and for some reason thought about Lucas. Lucas was one of the best results she had, his brain always picked up activity after she sang to him, while others only did sometimes. It wasn’t enough to wake up, but it was something.

She knew she was being naive. It wasn’t like she had a magic voice that could wake comatose people. She was just trying to give them a little out. Help them out a bit. Give their families hope. And it was helping a little, but she knew she couldn’t keep doing that after she graduated. And that was bothering her more than it should’ve.

They asked a little bit more about college - how was performance class, did any managers get in touch with her yet and why hadn’t they, were they deaf? - always happy to know about her and give her as much support as they could.

Then, conversation turned to Carlos and she enjoyed teasing her brother about his new crush and the highs and lows of high school. It was enough to take her mind away from Lucas and the other patients - whom she so desperately wanted to help, but knew she couldn’t.

~.~

Monday and Tuesday were uneventful, with the exception of the few times she talked with Nick on the phone. She woke up on Monday with a text from him.

Hey, Julie. It’s Nick.

Just wanted to confirm my number and wish you a great week.

It was bad. But Nick hadn’t been very good at texting back in high school either, so she ignored it.

Hey Nick. You too. Let’s pray this is not the week I’ll go crazy.

He replied with a laughing emoji and they left it at that. On Tuesday, he was way smoother.

So, I was hoping we could catch up some more this week, if you have any free time.

She didn’t want to think Nick was trying to flirt with her again , when he knew they didn’t work as a couple, so she gave him the benefit of the doubt.

I don’t know if I can make time for that this week. Maybe an hour for coffee on Thursday, but no promises.

He seemed excited about an hour with her though, so he quickly agreed and they made plans. She was busy, and while Flynn insisted she needed to ease up a little bit, she had her priorities, and Nick just wasn’t one of them.

Flynn was positively beaming with her outing with Nick, though.

“So who would've thought you and Nick would come back together?” she asked on that Thursday, while Julie was pulling her hair into a bun to go meet with him. The week was brutal for her hair, and she didn’t have the time to wash it and style it today, so a bun would have to do.

“Flynn, I’m not dating Nick again.” She said categorically.

“But he’s a sweetheart!”

“He is, but he’s not it not for me, okay? I’m only agreeing to this because we were good friends and I wouldn’t mind having a friend like him in my life again. But I don’t have this kind of interest in him anymore.”

“Well, be sure to tell him that, because from what you’ve told me, and what I’ve seen in your texts this week, he seems to think he has a chance of relighting that spark between you two.”

Julie rolled her eyes, but she couldn’t deny Flynn was probably right. Nick had been bolder after she agreed to meet him on Tuesday, so there was a good chance he wanted to try a romantic relationship with her again.

“Well, he was just a crush. Never a spark. So he won’t be able to relight anything.”

“I just wish you could find someone.”

“I’m fine by myself, Flynn.”

“I know, but then we could go on double dates…”

“With the boyfriend you never introduced to me?”

“Well, you’re busy and so is he.”

Julie lifted one eyebrow in defiance.

“Fine, I’ll talk to him and set something up. I promise.”

“You better.”

Julie left Flynn in the apartment after that, going straight to her favorite coffee shop which was just a few blocks away. Nick was already there when she arrived, five minutes early.

“Hey Julie!”

“Hey Nick! You’re early.”

“Yeah, I was around with a few of the guys and decided to come save us a seat in case it was too crowded.”

It wasn’t crowded, and Julie just smiled at him.

“Great, let me order something and we can sit.”

“Oh, I ordered for you.”

She lifted her eyebrows in surprise.

“Really?”

“Yeah… A chocolate mocha? I remember you liking them.”

She did like a chocolate mocha, it just wasn’t her favorite anymore.

“Sure. Thanks.”

They sat at the table and Nick signaled the barista to make their coffee since she had arrived, and they talked about amenities while waiting. The barista brought their coffees and a cinnamon bun to their table, and when he left, they continued their conversations about college and what they were going to do once they finished, normal stuff for small talks.

After half an hour and having said almost everything she was comfortable sharing with an old friend, Nick dropped the bomb she was expecting, but hoping it wouldn’t happen.

“So, I… actually wanted to ask you something.” He said, folding a napkin in front of him nervously.

“Sure, go ahead.” She sipped a little of her mocha, feigning nonchalance.

“I know you’re busy and I am too, but I was kinda hoping we could make some time, like we did today… for, uh, maybe dinner?”

She made an effort not to choke on her mocha.

“You mean like a date?” Better make things clear. She knew more than anyone to not let things in the air. 

“Yeah…” He seemed nervous, and that made her heart clench a little.

She didn’t want to get his hopes up, but she knew she didn’t see him like anything more than a friend. So she needed to be honest.

“Nick… You know we didn’t work together. We agreed on it.”

“That was in high school,” he tried, “when we were both young and naive, and inexperienced. I never really forgot you, Julie, and I figured we could try again?”

She gulped.

“I’m sorry, Nick. I just don’t think it would work. You’re great, but not for me. I don’t feel that way about you. I’m sorry.”

He didn’t seem to get the point.

“Just give us a chance, Julie. Just one more.”

“I’m sorry Nick. I can’t. It would just give you hope when I don’t have any intentions of pursuing a relationship with you. At least not a romantic one.”

He sighed, and she continued, trying to get her point across.

“I’m okay with being friends, because we’ve always been great friends, but that’s it. I can’t be more than that to you.”

He seemed dejected, and she felt a little bad, but she knew she couldn’t give in. She didn’t like him, and she wasn’t going to date him just so she had someone. She wasn’t like that.

“I… understand,” he finally said.

“I’m sorry.”

“It’s okay. I guess I just have been feeling a little lonely lately. And then I saw you at the party, and remembered how we had such good times together.”

“We had our moments,” she conceded, “but our best ones were when we were just friends.”

He smiled, a little sad, but still a smile.

“You’re right. Sorry to dump this on you like this.”

“It’s okay. I have a few friends, though, if you want I can introduce you to some of them.” 

“That would be great,” he laughed. “Just give me some time and a heads up so I can get over your rejection.”

“Hey, I was nice about it!”

“You were.”

They laughed a little, and Julie was happy to see Nick wasn’t too upset with her. After a little while, they left, each paying for their own stuff, and Julie went home.

~.~

On Friday, she woke up a little more excited. Well, excited maybe was a strong word. She was full for the day, but today she was going to see Lucas again. She hoped he had some progress this week, and honestly, just looking at him was enough. 

So she went through her day normally, taking notes on her morning classes and doing what she needed to. She had lunch with Flynn in a diner close to their place, and they talked about Nick and how she could probably set him up with Carrie, a friend from her performance class. 

“From what you’ve told me about her, Carrie will absolutely love him. Just call her and set them up already.” Flynn said.

She had one more class after lunch, and then finally, she went to the hospital. She got her badge from the reception and went to the floor with the ICU for the comatose people. She talked to the nurses and got their reports on the week for the patients she was seeing and finally went her way.

She was singing blues today, and she had a little recording on her phone of her on the piano to back her up. She talked and sang to all twelve of the patients before it was time to go to Lucas. 

She always left him last. She needed to get enough courage to sing to everyone, and he was always the hardest for some reason. Again, Julie blames his age and his ridiculously good-looking face. It just wasn’t fair.

“Hey Lucas. It’s me again.”

She really hoped he could hear her.

“I had a brutal week. So it’s nice to just stay and sing here for you for a while.”

He didn’t answer, obviously. She sighed and just started the recording on her phone before finally starting singing.

She watched his face while singing. Peaceful, calm, not a single twitch. He had a cannula on his nose to provide oxygen - at least it wasn’t a full tube on his throat, like when she had just started - and a few wires to monitor his heart and brain. Other than that, he seemed to sleep. Like usual.

When she finished, she made a point of grabbing his hand, like she had done the week before. It was neither warm nor cold, but something in between, and Julie didn’t want to linger on what that could mean. His calluses were even more smoother than last week, and her heart ached for a fellow musician who couldn’t play.

She sighed, letting go of his hand and taking her notes of his vitals before taking away her stuff and getting up to leave.

“Thanks for listening. I hope you get better soon.”

She took one last look at him before making her way to the door - pausing in shock when she saw two boys, watching her with awe.

"That was amazing.”

She refrained from screaming out of respect for the place, but it was a very close call.

Chapter Text

So, ghosts were a thing.

Caleb was a ghost. He had died years ago, Luke didn’t know how many, and he was trying to move on. Apparently, ghosts become ghosts because they had unfinished business to attend to. Caleb thought his unfinished business was to help the spirits of people in coma come back to their bodies - or leave the world, since he was the only ghost who could see spirits, according to him. Luke was skeptical at best.

He couldn’t leave the roof, though (which was weird), so it was the only place they could talk. And seeing as the weekend and the whole week left Luke with nothing to do, he found himself doing that a lot - talking to Caleb -, when he wasn’t in his room watching his mom or his dad doing nothing while pretending he was just asleep. His mother was more withdrawn this week, and his dad seemed more worried. He didn’t know if there was something else bothering them, and he was scared to find out.

He also spent some time with a couple of the other spirits roaming the hospital. There was a little girl, Lucy, who was just twelve and in an induced coma after a very heavy surgery that she didn’t know the details of. She was sweet and was scared, having just figured she was a spirit, so Luke tried to help her the best he could.

There was also Dave, the 49 year old guy who was in a coma for about as long as Luke had, after an aneurysm. He was an accountant, like his dad, he liked 80's rock and he was actually really cool. He was also very skeptical about Caleb, and that was what he was telling Luke.

“I just… It’s weird, that’s all. He made me the same offer a few months ago. Help me find peace or my body again, but I just never went back there. He seems fishy.”

“I don’t know… I’m just… So tired of seeing the people I love hurting because I’m in a coma.”

“I get it. Just… try to think rationally about this. Maybe ask him exactly what he means when he says he wants to help. Just… be sure before agreeing to anything. Ghosts don’t work in the same way we do… They’re… a little more dangerous.”

Because Luke liked him, and Dave hadn’t really said anything to make him doubt him - in fact, he helped a lot on the first days, when Luke was getting desperate because he didn’t know what to do - he decided to trust him. He would make Caleb tell him exactly what his help entailed, before agreeing to anything.

He spent the week trying to do that, but Caleb was fishy , and he didn’t share details. Luke always left after a little time talking because Caleb would just vanish without giving him answers.

But he was also getting a little desperate. His six months were fast approaching and he couldn’t handle the stillness anymore.

Then, finally, Friday came around. Luke decided not to go after Caleb that day, so he wouldn’t miss Julie coming. She always came around the same time every day, always the last visiting hour, but being a spirit tends to make you forget that time is a thing, so Luke was never sure how much time passed unless he had a watch to look at.

It was a weird day. He stayed in his room. The doctor came by once. Nurses came a few times to check his vitals and give him a bath and change his clothes and give him medicine. 

Lucy’s spirit came to visit and talk, saying she would probably leave soon, they were taking her drugs away to try and wake her. Dave came too, wanting to know what Caleb said, and he didn’t seem surprised about the answer.

“I would stay away from him if I were you, Luke. If he doesn’t want to give you a proper answer, it’s probably bad.”

He agreed. 

He was left alone for most of the time though, and he tried a few things to come back to his body - jumping on it, laying it down gently, everything and anything he could think of. Nothing worked. His vitals didn’t even change.

He sat down, dejected, in a corner of his room, waiting for his mom. She would usually come between two and three in the afternoon, the first visiting hours. She didn’t this time, and that made him anxious and worried. Did something happen? Had she decided to not come so much, like Reggie and Alex did? He understood their motives, but it didn’t mean it didn’t hurt. It was the only moment he could get even a glimpse of their lives without him, even a little bit of information about what was going on with them. If they decided to just stop coming… he would lose his mind.

The afternoon went by quicker than expected, his mind going a thousand miles a minute, and soon, Julie was there. Luke swallowed the hurt about his mom not showing up, hoping against hope that she would come back eventually, and focused on Julie.

She was kind as usual. Talking to him like he could hear her (he could, but she didn’t know). She talked about a brutal week and Luke had the familiar urge to hug her, to help her carry her burdens and ease her features. Then she smiled and started singing, a blues song this time.

He saw Alex and Reggie getting into his room before her. They froze in place, Alex closing the door quietly behind them while Julie kept singing. They kept quiet, listening to her, being awed by her like he was, every Friday. When she stopped, she didn’t notice she had company, and just held his hand, passing her fingers through his calluses and making his spirit shiver - he had no idea how, but it was the second time she held his hands and he was sure he could feel her . At least a little bit, like a feather light touch in his spirit-y hands. 

She thanked him for listening and turned to leave, her hand flying to her mouth to keep the scream at a minimum.

“That was amazing.” Reggie said.

“Really amazing.” Alex agreed.

“Oh my God, you almost gave me a heart attack!” She whisper-shouted at them.

“Sorry. We came while you were singing and didn’t want to interrupt.” Alex said. “I’m Alex, this is Reggie.”

“Nice to meet you.” She was still a little breathless from the surprise, but gave them a handshake and he was so jealous he couldn’t do that and really feel her.

“So, what are you doing here, stranger?” Reggie asked.

"Oh, I’m sorry. My name is Julie. I’m a music major and I’m doing research on music with coma patients. Lucas here is one of my subjects.” 

"Oh, right.” Alex said. “I guess you’re the one we have to thank for his brain kicking it up a notch every week, then.”

“You know about that? As a matter of fact, who are you guys?”

“Oh, sorry. We’re Luke’s brothers.” Reggie said, matter of factly, and it made Luke smile.

Julie seemed skeptical, so Alex elaborated.

“Not by blood. We've been best friends since elementary school, and… well, we’re brothers in any way that counts.” He finished.

Julie’s face morphed to a fond look, and she smiled.

“That’s sweet. And nice to know. I never saw anyone visiting him, so I always wondered about his family…”

“His mom actually comes everyday.” Alex said, making Luke surprised that he knew about that. “We come at least once a week, when our work lets us, but not usually on the same days. Whenever we can, though.”

“We used to come every day too,” says Reggie, looking at Luke’s body for a minute and swallowing hard. “It just became more difficult with time.”

“I can imagine. I’m really sorry.” Julie looked at him too. “He’s just so young.”

“Yeah. And you don’t know him, but seeing him like this is nerve wracking.” Alex continued. “It’s just… wrong . Luke can compete with the Energizer Bunny on any day, and now he’s just so…”

“Still.” Reggie completed, dejected.

It lurched something in Luke’s gut, seeing his brothers like that, and he wished, not for the first time, he could do something to make them know he was there.

Julie had a small smile on her face, but then she frowned. “Luke?”

“Oh, yeah. He doesn’t like being called Lucas.” Alex explained.

“Sometimes I even forget it’s his given name.” Reggie said.

She bit her lower lip and Luke could only stare at her while she looked at him (more like his body) one more time.

“Well, that’s good to know. I’ve been calling him Lucas this whole time.”

“Yeah, he wouldn’t like that.” Reggie assured her. 

“I’ll correct that immediately.” She smiled and turned to talk to his body. “Sorry, Luke . I promise I’ll remember to call you by your chosen name from now on.”

And Luke had no idea what it was about that girl that made him so out of his mind, but hearing her call him Luke instead of Lucas might be his new favorite sound. 

“Well, it was nice meeting you two, but I have to go.” Julie said, grabbing her stuff.

“Nice to meet you too, Julie.” They said. 

Before Julie could get out, though, the door was opened and his mom finally entered his room. The relief he felt was so big he almost didn’t notice the faint tear stains in her cheeks. 

She was shocked to see people inside, and stopped in the doorway for a minute. 

“Hey Mrs. Patterson!” Reggie broke down the weird two-second silence.

“Hey… Reggie, Alex.” His mom said, and he was just so happy to hear her. “And you are…?”

“Oh, I’m Julie! Julie Molina. I’m a music student doing research with comatose patients? I think it was you who signed the papers to allow Luke here to be part of my study.”

That seemed to make sense to his mom, and he was surprised with her warmth toward Julie now that she knew who Julie was. Also, she had allowed him to be in Julie’s study? That was news to him.

“Oh, sure. Nice to meet you, Julie. I’m Luke’s mom, Emily.” 

They shook hands too, and Julie seemed uncomfortable for some reason.

“Well, I just finished here, so I’m gonna…”

“Oh, you don’t have to leave.” His mom said. “I never could be here when you come, but today I had some issues to take care of and came a little later. It would be nice to get to know you, and how your research is doing.”

Alex and Reggie looked between each other and made a move to get out.

“We can come by later…” Alex started, but his mom stopped him too.

“Please boys, stay. It would be nice to catch up.”

His mother made all of them sit in the small sofa in front of his bed while she sat on the chair by his side where Julie was just a few minutes ago. Luke could only watch, mesmerized, while his mother made small talk and asked about the boys’ job in the recording studio, if they needed anything and things she hadn’t done for them in years. The boys seemed just as confused as he was, but answered everything politely and with a smile.

Then she turned to Julie, who was just sitting there, uncomfortable, watching the whole thing.

“The boys have been friends with Luke forever.” she explained to her.

“They told me,” Julie smiled. “It’s really sweet they’re so close.”

“It is. They graduated in Music, too, like you will.”

“Really?” Julie looked at the guys, who nodded.

“Luke too.” Alex provided. “We graduated two weeks before his accident.”

Something in Julie’s face changed, and Luke couldn’t pinpoint what it was, but she seemed distraught and awed at the same time.

“He always wanted to be a musician.” His mother started. “He wanted to make it big. Be a rockstar.” Her smile was sad, hurt. It hurt him to his core. “He believed with all his heart he could do it, and the only reason he even went to college was because we compromised that he go so he could get a degree and have a Plan B in case it didn’t work out. I admit his father and I didn’t treat his dream like we should, and I just… I wish I could say to him how sorry I am for that.”

Luke couldn’t stand still, and what Alex had said about the Energizer Bunny was kinda true, but now, after hearing the words he tried to hear so desperately for years , he couldn’t move. He couldn’t breathe. He couldn’t believe what he was hearing. It made him want to cry, it made him want to scream .

“You could try.” Julie said. 

His mom didn’t seem convinced.

“I know he’s been in a coma for a long time,” Julie insisted. “But there are a lot of scientific studies saying that comatose patients can hear what’s being said to them. On a subconscious level. It’s why I started my research in the first place. Music is a powerful catalyst, so I figured it could help the brain a little bit. You can say it to him. He’ll hear.”

She was so sure of that that Luke could see his mom wavering in her resolve.

“We never talk to him when we come,” she admitted. “His father and I. We never actually thought…”

“Just try it. At the very least, it will get out of your chest and give you some peace of mind.”

He could love her. Luke knew right then, if he managed to come back and meet this girl, he would absolutely love her.

His mom smiled at her, and something in her eyes shifted.

“We talk to him all the time.” Reggie said, a sad smile on his face. “I like the idea that he’s really listening.”

Julie smiled again, and got up.

“I should go. It was nice meeting you.” 

“Thank you Julie. For coming to see him and sing to him.” His mom said.

“Yeah,” Alex agreed. “And I’m sure, if he’s really hearing us, then he’s loving to hear you sing. You have a great voice.”

Alex knew him, and Luke was glad Julie would now know this. He really did love to hear her sing. ‘Great voice’ was too little for her though, but it would do for now.

“Thank you, Alex.” Julie smiled, and then appeared to have thought of something. “Actually, do you guys mind if I ask something?”

“Sure.” Alex said. 

“What kind of music does he like? Now that I know he has a Music degree, I might try to up my game a little.”

Up her game? Did she want to help him or kill him?

“He loves rock,” his mom answered with a smile. “Until the accident, he and the boys were trying to make it big with a rock band.”

“Really?”

“Sunset Curve,” Alex said with a proud smile.

Reggie completed, “Tell your friends!”

Julie chuckled a little, his mom too. 

“Did he happen to play guitar?”

“Yeah, how did you know?” Reggie had a curious expression on his face.

“The calluses on his hands. It’s a shame they are smoothing out.”

“It really is…” Alex sighed, heavily.

“Thank you for telling me more about him. I hope he wakes up soon.” Julie told them with a kind smile. 

The smiles that Alex, Reggie and his mom gave her back didn’t reach their eyes, but she was kind enough to not pick on that. After a few more words, she said goodbye.

He didn’t follow her this time, choosing to stay and watch his friends and his mother, all looking at his body with longing and a little hurt.

“You would love her, Luke.” Reggie broke the silence, like usual. “You would absolutely love her.”

And boy, was he right.

Chapter Text

Julie left Luke’s room feeling light and heavy at the same time. 

She had spent months singing to him but never really managing to meet his parents or anyone in his life, until today. Never really knowing he didn’t like being called Lucas, but Luke . Somehow it made sense with the picture she had of him.

His mother seemed nice, and really hurt and sad to see her son in a hospital bed, which was expected. Julie didn’t expect his friends, though.

His brothers . It was so clear in their eyes how much they cared about Luke. How much they wanted to believe the fact that he would get better, even if their hopes were being crushed day after day. 

Also, Julie knew. She had been right all along. 

She knew he was a musician. She always knew. And now she was more sad than ever because from what little she had heard about Luke from his mom and his friends, she knew she could probably fall for him in a heartbeat. 

It sucked. She was trying not to get attached. She was trying to finish her research and graduate from college and start trying to make it big in music - like Luke wanted to - and then his family comes with those things about him. 

It just made her want to know him more. And she knew she didn’t have any right.

So she steeled herself and got out of his room, stopping by the nurses’ station to get what she needed and sign off, before going home, desperately needing to put some distance between her and the boy who was unconsciously trying to get her heart. She couldn’t let him.

~.~

She resisted bravely, as much as she could, but on Tuesday, she caved and finally googled Sunset Curve. The results came with a few news about them on her University’s website - they had graduated from USC?! How had she not known him before? Apparently they were good, and Julie quickly learned Reggie played the bass at the band, while Alex was the drummer. They had a good following in social media, but the last post on the band’s Instagram was from months ago - a picture of a smiling Luke, with a brief explanation about his accident. There were thousands of comments of people offering their support. A few asked about him, months after the post. 

Which led Julie to another thing. Luke was absolutely gorgeous . She knew that, objectively. But seeing him smiling, his light blue-green eyes shining along with his perfect smile made her honestly weak in the knees. She wanted for him to wake so badly now. There was a link to a YouTube channel and soon Julie found herself drowning in the videos of Sunset Curve performances.

They were good. Like crazy good. Luke had an amazing voice and his skills on the guitar… were something else. Julie had no doubts they could’ve made it big soon if Luke hadn’t been hit by a drunk driver on his way home. He was so talented. All of them were. 

It all made her want to cry, and that’s what she did. She cried for the boy she knew but didn’t, she cried for their amazing career that maybe would never be a career at all, she cried because she was falling in love with a comatose boy whom she would probably never meet properly.

That’s how Flynn found her after her classes, coming home to a crying Julie in their living room. 

“Jules! What happened?”

Julie couldn’t say, and Flynn just held her tightly until she cried to her heart’s content. When she calmed down enough, Julie told Flynn everything. Her friend knew about some stuff, and she knew Julie was getting attached with the patients - especially Luke - so she always tried to be the voice of reason and help Julie move on. It was great and Julie really needed Flynn’s logic now.

When Julie calmed down enough, she told Flynn what happened and how her heart was breaking for a boy she didn’t really know. Flynn listened without judgment, and then she finally decided to talk.

“Look, Julie, I know this is heartbreaking, and one of the reasons I’m so proud of being your friend is because of how compassionate you are. Here you are, sobbing about a guy you don’t even know, because his life took a tragic turn. I love you for that, I really do.”

“Why do I sense there’s a ‘but’ in this sentence?”

Flynn gave her a little sad smile in response.

“ But . You knew what you were getting yourself into when you started this study, remember? We even had a conversation about it. You told me you were going to keep yourself as professional as you could.”

Julie pulled a shaky breath. “I know. And I think I am, it’s just… so sad.”

“I know, honey. But unfortunately, there’s nothing we can do. You singing to him, to them, is helping, right? That’s the best you can do, and it’s not and won’t ever be your fault if it doesn’t change their health.”

Julie dried her tears, despite knowing that she could probably cry more if she let herself think about it too hard.

“You’re right, I just… I need to vent sometimes.”

“And I’ll always be here for you.”

“Thank you, Flynn.”

“Anytime, Julie.”

They talked a little more, mostly about how Flynn’s classes were doing, how her dissertation was going. Julie didn’t offer any info about her own college duties, and Flynn knew enough not to bother her about it tonight. Eventually, they parted to their rooms, and Julie started sorting through some paperwork, trying to organize her things so it would be easier to find the next day - she didn’t have the mindspace to work on anything that night.

It was past nine and Julie was starting to think about what to make - or order - for dinner when Flynn came through her open door, an excited expression on her face.

“What.” 

“Don’t look at me like that.” Flynn defended herself. “I was talking to my boyfriend and he’s free tonight. I was wondering if you’d like to finally meet him.”

Julie’s eyebrows shot up.

“You sure?”

“Yeah. I really like him, Jules. And he’s funny and witty and I’m sure a night out with him will help you. I asked him already and he’s okay with that, too. He’s been wanting to meet you for a while.”

Julie smiled. “Sure, Flynn. Where are you guys going?”

“We’re having dinner at Noonie’s. And maybe a walk around the park after. Nothing fancy, I just wanted to see him and we don’t mind you tagging along for the ride. Even if it’s not a double date.”

“Sounds fun. Just promise me not to make me a third wheel or I’ll Uber the hell out of there.”

Flynn laughed. “I promise.”

~.~

Noonie’s was a nice three star restaurant a few streets away from their apartment, which was cool. Julie often ordered food from there when she didn’t want to cook. 

They were supposed to meet Flynn’s boyfriend there, and as soon as they entered the place, Flynn’s eyes lit up and she dashed off to the right side, ignoring the receptionist and Julie. 

“I’m sorry for her,” Julie told the girl in front of her, “We’re here to meet her boyfriend, so.”

The girl smiled. “Of course. I’ll send a waiter to your table in a few minutes.”

“Thanks.”

Julie made her way to Flynn, who was hugging a boy with black slick hair, a little taller than both of them. When she was there and the two of them finally split from the hug with a kiss, Julie let out an audible gasp.

“It’s you!”

Reggie was surprised too.

“Julie? You’re Flynn’s Julie?”

Flynn was confused.

“Wait, do you know each other?”

“We met last Friday,” Reggie told her, seeing as Julie was still in shock. “She sings to my best friend who’s in the hospital.”

Flynn suddenly put two and two together, because she was smart and awesome like that and looked at Julie with something close to regret.

“Oh! Then I’m assuming… You must be Luke’s friend...”

“Yeah.” Reggie said. Then he gave her a smile. “Hey Julie. It’s nice to see you again. And finally know who Flynn's bestie is.”

That was sweet and kind enough to take Julie out from her stupor.

“Hi, Reggie. Nice to see you, too. Flynn talks a lot about you but she never gave me a name.”

“Sorry Jules. I wanted to keep the mystery.”

Julie laughed. “It’s okay.”

Reggie made a point of hugging Julie before they took their seats. Julie sat across from Flynn, who sat on Reggie’s left side.

“Thanks for letting me crash your date today. I needed some air.” 

“No problem. I’ve been wanting to meet you for a while, but your friend here is kinda possessive and didn’t want me to.”

“Well…” Flynn started talking but a look from Julie made her stop. “Yeah, okay, I deserve that.”

“You totally do.” Julie smiled. 

They talked about nothing while the waiter came, and after they ordered, Flynn urged Julie to go with her to the bathroom - which could really only mean they needed to talk in private.

Reggie seemed to know that, because he just shook his head while giving both of them a smirk.

“Don’t take too long or I’ll eat everything.”

As soon as they were in the bathroom, Flynn turned to Julie with regret in her eyes.

“I’m so , so sorry. If I had given you his name, you would probably know he’s Luke’s friend by now. I wanted to give you a nice night out, but now he’s probably going to make you remember him, right? I’m so sorry!”

“Flynn, it’s okay. I’m mostly surprised.”

“I don’t want you to be sad.”

“I know. But Reggie is your boyfriend and I’ve been hearing about him for ages without meeting him, so I’m kinda curious. I’m not going to bring up Luke if he doesn’t, especially because it looks like that hurts him too, if what I saw on Friday was any indication. But I really want to meet him. Him, not Luke.”

Well, she wanted to meet Luke too, but she was mostly telling the truth.

Flynn seemed to believe her.

“Okay. Just promise me if it gets too much, you tell me and we’ll go home and eat ice cream.”

“I’ll be fine, Flynn. But I promise.”

Flynn hugged her and they came back to their table. Reggie was texting when they came back, but stopped and put his phone away when they arrived.

“That was fast.”

“You told us to be fast or you would eat everything. And I’m kinda hungry.” Flynn said.

He laughed, and somehow, Julie had the impression they were about to have a good night.

~.~

They didn’t mention Luke the entire dinner, and Julie was glad to know that Reggie actually was an amazing guy. He had graduated from USC with a Music Major and a Marketing Minor, which was impressive, and was now working for Destiny Records as an marketing assistant. 

He and Alex worked for Destiny, he said. They had managed to get an internship in their last months of college and ended up getting a job after graduation.

He mentioned the band, which didn’t seem like news for Flynn, and he said they had put pause on it for now. He didn’t need to say why for any of them.

“We still play, though. Alex and I share an apartment close to the studio, and they asked us to record as a backing band for a few new artists. It’s nice.”

She was happy for them and she told him. They were really good.

“I watched a few of your performances today. You guys are great.”

He smiled, but it didn’t reach his eyes, and she knew he was thinking the same thing as her: Luke was also great. But he just thanked her.

“I’m curious, though.” Julie said, somewhere in the middle of the meal after he told her about his job. “I saw you guys went to USC and had a decent following, but I’ve never heard about you guys at school. And I’m a senior now.”

“Yeah, I didn’t hear about Sunset Curve either, until I met you.” Flynn said.

“Well, that’s because we didn’t play in college parties or whatever. We used to stick to the club scene. You girls were probably not in the clubs we used to play. Some of them were pretty sketchy.”

And it suddenly made sense in Julie’s head.

“You played in clubs so you could have a better chance at finding managers that took you seriously.” She completed it.

“Exactly.” He smiled at her. “You know, these used to be Luke’s almost exact words, whenever we asked him why he insisted on playing just in clubs.”

Somehow it wasn’t a surprise to her that Luke would choose clubs to play at. He wanted to make it big, after all.

“Great minds think alike.” She said.

Reggie laughed, and Julie counted as a victory - talking about Luke without downing the mood.

The conversation turned to her, and then Flynn, and soon enough, they were leaving the restaurant and walking to a newby park, chatting all the time.

Flynn was right. Reggie was fun, witty, and had a lot of one-liners that made her roll her eyes in fondness exasperation. She could totally see herself befriending him, and she hoped he and Flynn worked, because a friendship with him was starting to be something she wanted. 

At the park, they bought ice creams and hotdogs (Reggie loved them) and talked more. Eventually, Flynn ran all the way to the coffee shop outside the park to use the bathroom and Reggie and Julie waited for her at a bench near the small river in the park.

That’s when Reggie felt comfortable enough to bring up Luke again.

“I just wanted to thank you, again, for singing to Luke.”

“Reggie…”

“Honestly. After you left that day, Alex, his mom and I just stood there, watching him, and then his vitals spiked. We called the nurse and she said they always do that after a session with you. Which, of course, your voice is amazing, of course he would like that.” His smile turned sour suddenly. “After a few minutes, though, they went down again. But, just those few minutes of a little more brain activity… It helps us. It gives us hope that Luke’s still in there somewhere. He just needs a little nudge to come back.”

Julie’s throat was tight, but she let him talk.

“His mom started talking to him, too. After his vitals went down again. She always said to us she didn’t want to say sorry while he was like that, because she wanted for him to actually hear her, but then… She was there, talking, saying how much she loved him and how sorry she was. It was a crying session for all of us.”

“I’m sorry.”

“You have absolutely nothing to be sorry for. Thanks to you, maybe his mom can finally start to heal. No matter what happens to him.”

His eyes were wet, and she hugged him without thinking. He hugged her back, letting out a breath so heavy that she was sure he could start crying at anytime.

“I wish you could meet him for real.” He whispered.

“Me too.” 

Flynn came back right after that, and after assuring her that nothing happened, he was just talking about Luke, but yes, they were okay Flynn, they resumed their walk in the park.

They didn’t bring up Luke again, but what Reggie said made the heaviness in her heart lift a little more. She was helping. It was little, it was small. But she was helping, and that alone was enough to lift her spirits.

It turns out Flynn had been right. A night out with Flynn and her boyfriend was just what Julie needed to pick herself up.

Chapter Text

It was a long weekend. Luke could probably write a song about it, but since the start of this whole ordeal, since he found he couldn’t touch anything, he had no way of actually writing to get the lyrics out of his head.

His vitals spiked not too long after Julie left on Friday, and he saw his mom and his friends calling for a nurse and getting the rundown that it was a normal occurrence whenever Julie sang to him. It didn’t look like it made them any less hopeful though.

After his vitals went back down and the nurse left, he found himself hearing his mother speak to him for the first time in a little over five months. She was unsure, and it looked like it was physically painful for her to speak, but she uttered the words he had wanted to hear from her for years , looking at his unconscious body and holding his hand. It didn’t go unnoticed by Luke that he couldn’t feel his mother’s hand like he could Julie’s and it only added to the mystery of the girl.

“Hey sweetheart,” she started, her voice breaking a little. “I really hope you can hear me.”

“I can, mom.” Luke said, but she didn’t hear him, of course.

“I was hoping you would be awake when I finally said this, but Julie’s right… I’ll never forgive myself if…” she sobbed a little, not finishing the sentence, and Luke found Alex and Reggie suspiciously drying their eyes. He had the urge to cry, too, but he couldn’t.

His mom seemed to recollect herself enough to keep going.

“I’m sorry. For everything. Now that I think back, I see all the fights we had, all the shouting matches… We were so stubborn, both of us. I didn’t want you in a rock band, you only wanted music in your life… Guess I have only myself to blame for your stubbornness, huh?” She let out a little laugh at that, and Luke just wanted to hug her. “I think back to all that and I can only see how stupid we both were. You went to college like I wanted and I still wasn’t happy, even if you were doing your part of the bargain and thinking about a plan B. And I never really listened to you, you know, singing. Playing. You’re so talented , honey…”

Luke couldn’t stand the hurt in his mom’s voice, but he couldn’t stop listening, either.

“I wish I had seen it before. It would completely erase my doubts. You are clearly made for music, baby, and I’m so, so sorry I never saw that. I’m so sorry I ever wanted you to deny a part of yourself just to please me, and your dad and our families. I love you so much , and I just want you to be happy, to be safe -” She stopped, trying to put the sobs under control again, and his eyes hurt with the need to cry. “-and honestly, I just want you to wake up again so I can say all that to you when I’m sure you can answer back.”

“Mom,” he sobbed without tears.

She didn’t talk again, but she was crying and holding his right hand firmly in both of hers. Then she looked at him and gasped, surprised. Luke looked and saw tears leaking from his closed eyes. He foolishly put his hand on his face but couldn’t feel anything. He felt like he was crying, like the hurt was coming out somehow, and there it was, tears leaking from his body.

“Luke? You can hear me?” His mom asked, and Luke tried with all his might to make some sort of sign, but nothing happened. Nothing but a new tear leaking.

“Oh honey…” She got up and hugged him, and it was only then Luke noticed Alex and Reggie weren’t in the room anymore. When had they left? He didn’t know, but he was sure they only wanted to give his mom a little privacy.

He couldn’t feel the hug, but his mom seemed to have enough proof that he was hearing, so she started talking again, while drying his tears with her fingers.

“Julie was right, huh? I needed to get this out of my chest, and now I’m sure you really can hear us.” She looked at him with a loving look that made Luke’s chest ache. “Come back to us, honey. Please. ”

She started talking about other stuff then. How the weather was beautiful, how she missed going to the beach, how his uncle was pretty sure he could win the lottery that weekend (he was always pretty sure, but it never happened). She talked about everything and nothing, and Luke was so happy she was talking to him he didn’t even notice when her time ended. She only got up to leave when one nurse came to the room and said the visiting hours were over, Reggie and Alex right behind her. She let them have five more minutes, and after the boys said their piece to Luke - just an update of their week, for which Luke was grateful - they left, leaving the room silent. 

Luke looked at his body again. There was a faint trail of tears on his cheeks, and he still had no idea how that happened, but if his body could cry when his spirit wanted to… what other things could he do? Did that mean he could find his way back?

He left the room in a hurry, hope arising in his chest.

~.~

Dave thought it had something to do with his spirit being in close proximity to the body.

“It happened to me before, too.” He said, pensive. “My daughter was talking to me and I felt like I was sobbing, the feeling was there, you know? But spirits can’t produce tears, and I didn’t cry. But I saw tears leaking from my body too, and so did my family.”

It gave Luke a little hope, but Dave was nothing if not practical.

“I do think it means we’re still connected to our bodies somehow, but I don’t know exactly how any of this works. Some other things happened, too, but never consistently enough and never when I want them to.”

He seemed apologetic.

“It’s okay,” Luke assured him, “it just never happened before, and I’ve had these feelings of wanting to cry and hold someone ever since I woke up like this, but that’s the first time my body actually did something related to my feelings.”

“I wish I had answers, man. I’m sorry I don’t.”

“It’s okay.”

It wasn’t, but Dave was on the same boat as him. Just because he had two months ahead didn’t mean he was an expert, and Luke knew that.

Still, he needed to find some answers. Or at least cook up a theory and try to do something so he could, maybe , come back. Because he needed to. He desperately needed to come back. He couldn’t handle this crazy in-between anymore.

He spent the weekend avoiding Caleb and asking a few other spirits what they knew. Everyone seemed to have had the same sort of experience he and Dave had, but none had any clue how it worked and how to actually come back. He didn’t blame them. They were all trapped. A lot of them for less time than he and Dave were, but still trapped with no answers. 

On Sunday, when his parents came together, he got to hear his dad talking to him. His mom talked too, but his dad took most of the conversation. Apparently, his mom had said what happened on Friday to him, and he was trying to compensate for the last five months of not talking with a very lengthy one-sided conversation about his life. 

His dad said sorry, too, and Luke cried again, and his body leaked tears again. It gave fuel for his dad to keep talking, and after they left, Luke was left alone in his hospital bedroom feeling raw from emotions. His heart ached and his mind was swirling with theories and ideas and an enormous want to come back and hug his parents. They needed to know that even though the last decade of his life they had been fighting, Luke still loved them. And he wanted to fix things, too.

On Monday, all his plans suddenly became more urgent. After his mom left, having come on her usual visiting time, the doctor on shift called her for a talk. It was only because Luke decided to follow her out that he got to hear the Talk.

The doctor sat her on a chair in the reception area of the floor, and thankfully, there was no one around to hear it.

“I’m sorry, Mrs. Patterson, but we have to talk about what you and your husband want to do when we reach the six month mark. We have two weeks for that, and as you know, Luke’s not making progress.”

“I know, but… The brain activity spiking? When that girl, Julie, sings? Isn’t that progress?”

The doctor looked at his mom with pity and Luke didn’t like it one bit.

“It’s very small. We don’t consider it a change big enough to say it’s progress. Proof is that, while he has a peak in activity, it never went farther than a few seconds, and it’s been four months and a half since she’s been doing it. It’s a great gesture, and it may even work on some people with more time. But, unfortunately, our clock is ticking.”

Luke wasn’t getting it. What were they talking about?

“The insurance.” His mother replied, dejected and looking a minute away from a trip to despair.

“Yes.” The doctor seemed sad. “Your insurance guaranteed the first six months of coma. We can ask for a stretch of that time, and pray they grant it, but it’s not likely. Without consistent and sure progress, most insurance companies don’t cover it. You can pay for more time on your own, too, but I have to say the bills are astronomical for a coma patient.”

His mother gulped.

“Or,” the doctor continued, his face somber, “we can wait, see what we can do for him to make him comfortable, and when the time the insurance covers ends, we can turn everything down and… let Luke rest.”

What ?

He looked at his mom. She seemed about to pass out. Luke’s mind was racing.

“Have this week to think about it and talk it out with your husband and tell me next week. We can talk more about your options if you want to know more. About any of them.”

His mother nodded, and soon said goodbye to the doctor, walking out of the hospital in a daze. Luke poofed back to his room in a state of numbness he never felt in his life. 

Looking at his body, his stupid, unresponsive body that was still alive because of the machines beeping around, he was hit with a desperation that seeped through his entire soul. Panicking, he ran through the hallways of the hospital, headed for the roof.

~.~

Caleb was fishy at best and evil at worst, but right now, Luke was desperate.

“So they’re thinking about shutting the machines off?” he asked again, a glint of something in his eyes.

Luke could barely talk, so he just nodded.

“And obviously, you don’t want that.”

“You said there’s a way for me to come back. I want to know how and I need to do it. Before my time ends and I can’t anymore.”

“Sure. We can do that. Definitely." 

Luke was still unsure as hell, but right now, Caleb was his only chance. So he listened to him.

Chapter Text

“Congratulations, Julie. You have solid work. It’s impressive.” Ms. Brandon, her teacher who was also helping Julie with her project, praised. “I think it’s enough, though. We don’t need more than that to support your initial theory, so you can stop going to the hospitals now.”

Julie thought about Luke immediately. Could she do it? Could she finally say goodbye to him?

“Sure,” she ended up saying. “I’ll just go this week. You know, to say my goodbyes. I think I owe them that.”

Her teacher smiled. “Sure. Of course. Now, we can talk about polishing your work and how you want to present it.”

Julie smiled back and they continued their conversation, but now Julie was distracted. It was going to be relatively easy to say goodbye to the other patients - she got attached and she felt for them, sure, but in a different way. Luke, though… She needed time to prepare. And despite not wanting to say goodbye to him, she knew she needed it. And not just because her research was done and she wouldn’t have a reason to go to the hospitals anymore. Mainly because she needed to move on. No matter how painful that would be.

~.~

Flynn was nothing if not supportive.

“Well, we all knew this day would come, Julie. You have to let him go. Who knows? Maybe he’ll get better and you’ll meet him eventually. He is one of Reggie’s best friends, so who knows.”

“Yeah.” Julie really hoped for this to happen, but she had overheard doctors and nurses talking about his case before. There was nothing they could do anymore, and despite the few brain upticks every week after she sang, there was no real, tangible progress. “I really hope so.”

Besides being busy, Flynn and Julie made sure to make a girls night at home with movies, popcorn and ice cream on Tuesday, after Julie said goodbye to the majority of the patients at the Community Hospital. It was nice and soothed Julie’s heart, but she was 100% sure that they would need more than that on Friday. 

She went through her week without thinking too much about it, but trying to stay positive and do her assignments and forget Luke. It didn’t really work, but she was able to complete her tasks and function somewhat normally. 

They met up with Reggie again on Thursday, for trivia and games at a bar the boys liked. Reggie wanted to introduce Flynn to Alex, his other best friend. Julie needed all the help she could get in getting distracted, so she agreed to go without complaints. That, and she wanted to strengthen her relationship with Reggie.

Like the dinner in the week before, when they arrived Reggie was already there. Him, Alex, and a guy with long hair and an easy smile that she didn’t know.

“Flynn! Julie! Hey!” Reggie’s smile was infectious and as soon as he saw them they smiled back. “So glad you could make it, Julie.”

“Thanks for the invite, Reggie. I kinda needed the distraction.” 

“Too much work?”

“Something like that.” She laughed.

“Well, it’s great to have you.”

“Will you introduce us or I’ll have to do it myself, Reg?” Alex said behind him, becoming impatient. Julie had noticed Alex looking at her with curious eyes when she approached.

“Oh, sorry! Flynn, babe, this is my best friend Alex and his friend Willie.” He introduced the other guy too, and something about the way Alex blushed told Julie that Willie was more than just a friend. “Julie, you know him already, but this is Alex, and Willie. Guys, this is Flynn, my awesome girlfriend - thank you, thank you - and this is her best friend Julie.”

Julie, Flynn, Alex and Willie all laughed at Reggie’s introduction, but shook hands and exchanged greetings anyway. Flynn turned to Julie to whisper in her ear.

“You already met Alex too?”

“Yeah, same day I met Reggie. At the hospital.”

Flynn understood and didn’t say anything else. Alex turned to Julie with kind eyes.

“Nice to see you again, Julie. Who knew, huh?”

“You too, Alex. Yeah, imagine my shock.”

He chuckled. “I certainly do.”

They sat and ordered some beers and fries to munch on while the games at the bar started. Julie was curious.

“So, what’s so great about this place?”

Reggie’s eyes lit up. “I love trivia night!”

“He makes me come with him every few weeks.” Alex rolled his eyes playfully. “It’s fun, actually, but I’m honestly terrible at it.”

“I needed more people for tonight, though, they are giving away a few prizes for the winners but the rules for tonight said they needed at least four people in each team, so… Thank you girls for coming.”

“I don’t promise anything, babe. I’m terrible at trivia.” Said Flynn with a grimace.

“It’s okay. I love it whether we win or lose. Julie?”

“I love trivia. But it’s been awhile since I played.”

Reggie’s eyes lit up again. “It’s okay, you’ll get your mojo back in no time.”

She laughed, and they talked a little more while the games started. As soon as it did, though, Julie and Reggie got into Trivia Mode ™ and Julie was happy to see the others were having fun by watching the two of them have fun.

Julie and Reggie made quite the team, and despite Alex, Flynn and Willie on the same team, they answered most of the questions. They won, eventually, and whined about the fact that the prizes were just some portions of fries and a few rounds of drinks.

“It’s all about the game, so I’m happy either way.” Reggie said. “We’ll have to pair up more times, though, Julie!”

She laughed and agreed. It had been a long time since she had that much fun. 

“I wish Luke was here,” said Alex, his eyes shining and a small smile on his lips, “he loved trivia, too, he and Reggie won every time.”

“Yeah,” Reggie smiled too. “But he actually cared about the prize.”

They chuckled, but the table became more quiet.

“Will it ever be normal again?” Alex asked, to no one in particular. 

Julie and Flynn looked at each other, not knowing what to do. Willie put an arm across Alex’s shoulder in a sort-of-hug. 

“Probably not, Lex. But we owe it to him to keep going.” Reggie said, a little sad but obviously trying to stay positive. “ Fight through the dark , remember?”

Alex gave a little chuckle and a smile to that. “Yeah. That bastard. It’s like he knew .”

“He’s not gone yet.” Flynn said, surprising everyone. “He can still wake up.”

Julie smiled at her. She knew Flynn was trying to lift the mood.

“Yeah, that’s what we hope, but…” Reggie locked eyes with her. “The doctors can’t do anything anymore. And he’s been in a coma for a really long time.”

Flynn didn’t know what to say to that, so she just hugged Reggie while Willie hugged Alex. Julie took a sip of her drink and wrung her hands together in an attempt to quell her anxiety.

“What’s that line you said to Alex?” Flynn asked. “About fighting the dark? I liked it.”

Reggie smiled and shared a glance with Alex. “ Fight through the dark. It’s from one of Luke’s lyrics. The last song he showed us before the accident. We didn’t have time to workshop it, but it’s great and those lyrics have been helping us cope with the whole situation.”

“It’s beautiful.” Willie said, and they all agreed.

“It’s my last day there tomorrow.” She blurted, surprising herself and the others.

“What do you mean?” Reggie asked.

“My research. I met with my teacher this week and she said I had solid results. Enough to support my initial theory and finish my work. So, I don’t need to go anymore. I have this week, because I asked her to say goodbye to the patients. I didn’t like the idea of just stopping.”

“So you’ll stop singing to him,” said Alex, looking sad.

“Yeah. I’m sorry.”

“You have nothing to apologize for, Julie.” He smiled. “Thank you. Even if he never wakes up, thank you for what you did for him.”

Reggie agreed, and despite the fact that she was dreading the minute she would have to walk away from him for the last time, she felt lighter. At least, she knew she had done all she could.

They changed the subject right after, and soon were having fun again. It was one of the best nights Julie had in a while, so they left after she exchanged numbers with the guys - even Willie - and promised to hang out more times and of course, more trivia nights with Reggie. 

Julie and Flynn still had classes and jobs to attend to the next day, so they said their goodbyes soon after midnight, and the guys insisted on taking them home.

“We have an early day tomorrow,” said Reggie while they paid for their bills and headed towards Alex’s car parked near the bar. “We didn’t plan to stay for long.”

So they all got into the car and the boys gave them a much needed ride. After waiting for Flynn and Reggie to say their goodbyes with kisses (and teasing them with Alex and Willie), Julie finally made her way through the elevator and got home, Flynn hot on her heels.

“So, are you really okay?”

“Yeah,” Julie said. “It was great tonight. The boys are amazing.”

“They are,” Flynn agreed. “And they’re so tight! Like brothers, really. Well, except for Willie, but since Reggie introduced him as Alex’s friend, I figure he’s a new addition.”

Julie laughed while taking off her heels and undoing the bun she made to control her hair. “Yeah, that's how they introduced themselves to me the first time. As brothers.”

“It’s cute.” She looked pensive. “I’m sorry they keep bringing Luke up, really. Guess he’s really important to them. I never knew how much.”

“It’s okay,” Julie insisted, and it was . “With Reggie in our lives, mentioning Luke it’s inevitable, and I have to learn how to deal with it and keep my emotions in check. He’ll probably never wake up, if the things I heard in the hospital are true, and if Reggie gets to be a permanent fixture in our lives, I’ll probably hear about him a lot. So… I just need to move on.” 

Flynn looked at her. She didn’t need to say anything.

“So, my plan is to go there tomorrow, sing to him, and say my goodbyes. And then, we’re finding a party or something for me to go and see other people.”

“It looks radical.”

“Maybe that’s what I need.”

Flynn smiled. “I know you can do it, Julie. Soon Luke will be just a memory.”

Julie smiled. “Yeah. I can do it.”

“But we’ll do a girls night tomorrow night anyway. You know, to allow yourself to feel it , and then let it go.”

“Absolutely.”

~.~

On Friday, Julie went to her classes, went to work, did her assignments, had lunch and bought groceries so she and Flynn could spend the night drowning her sorrows at home. She showered after putting the groceries away, made a nice hairdo and grabbed her stuff. 

She was in the hospital a short bus trip after. Got her ‘Visitor’ badge and checked in with the nurses, starting her routine for the last time. 

It was weird, knowing it was the last time. She took her time to talk to the patients. To say thanks, tell them she hoped they would wake and come back to their families, and she made extra sure her voice was clean and strong that day. While she sang the classic I Will Survive , she made sure her voice had a playful tilt and enough emotion to convey that she was going to miss this.

She wasn’t sure if she managed, but she hoped.

At last, it was Luke’s turn. She couldn’t believe it had been only a week since she met Reggie and Alex and his mother and things just made sense for her.

She was sure he was a musician. His mother and his friends told her he had just graduated in Music before the accident. He played in a band - lead guitarist and singer - and he was incredible . She knew he was passionate about music, he was driven and stubborn (Alex’s words), and that he wanted to make it big - be a real rockstar. After the performances she saw of them, she was sure he was going to make it. If only the accident never happened.

She got into his room and saw him as usual: on a hospital gown, a thin sheet covering him. An IV in his left arm, an oxygen cannula on his nose, a few wires to monitor his heartbeat, breathing and other stuff she had no idea. He had a light-blue knitted beanie on his head that day, and Julie smiled, imagining it was probably his mom who put it there (Reggie had mentioned the other day he loved beanies and his mother made him a lot of them while he was in a coma).

“Hey Luke.”

She sat beside him, and after a minute of hesitation, grabbed his right hand, closest to her. Neither cold nor warm, his calluses still there, but smoother. 

“I wish this was easier,” she breathed, gathering the courage she needed. Looking at him, sleeping peacefully. “Today is my last day singing to you. And I just want to say that it’s been a pleasure.”

It was basically the same words she had been saying to comatose people all afternoon, but she knew she had to say more. It was Luke . This strange, comatose boy whom she couldn’t shake off her head - or heart. The strange connection she felt towards him couldn’t be denied, but she needed to sever it for her own good. 

“I just hope you get better someday,” she started again, going out of the script for him. Again. “And then maybe we can meet each other. I would love to hear you sing and play live. I’ve seen how incredible you guys are, and I can only imagine how much better it is live instead of on a screen.”

She smiled, running her fingers through his with care. Her eyes started to water and she took another deep breath. 

“Thank you for listening to me all these months.” 

She didn’t know what else to say to him. It felt like she needed to say more, but in the end, she didn’t really know him. And the few bits and pieces she gathered while talking to Reggie, Alex and his mom on that first day weren’t enough for her to know him enough to say anything meaningful or special. So she resigned herself to do what she did best: sing.

“Okay, let’s do this, shall we? One last time.” She clasped her hand tighter on his, and couldn’t help a last look on his face before starting.

Of course, his demeanor didn’t change. He stayed as still as a statue, his breathing slow and his eyes closed. But suddenly Julie couldn’t sing I Will Survive anymore. Not to him.

Before she knew it, she started singing a completely different song.

I could stay awake just to hear you breathing

Watch you smile while you are sleeping

While you're far away and dreaming

I could spend my life in this sweet surrender

I could stay lost in this moment forever

Every moment spent with you is a moment I treasure

Don't want to close my eyes

I don't want to fall asleep

'Cause I'd miss you baby

And I don't want to miss a thing

'Cause even when I dream of you

The sweetest dream will never do

I'd still miss you baby

And I don't want to miss a thing

She sang with her heart. Gone was the logic and the reasoning behind her actions as she just let her heart take control. She needed this, she realized. She had it for him deeper than she wanted, and she needed to let it out.

She didn’t let go of his hand for a second, and after she was done, tears leaking from her eyes, she gave him a little peck in the back of his hand. She couldn’t speak yet, so she didn’t. Just watched him for a minute. Held his hand. Breathed the scent of his hospital bedroom and his sheets and moped about the fact that she would never actually know what his scent was like. She could bet he would smell good. 

“It was nice meeting you, Luke. I just wish we had met before.” She whispered to the sterile room.

She couldn’t help when her hand tightened against his again. But what surprised her was the pressure she could feel back . Eyes wide, she looked at him. The same expression in his features, but she could swear he had pressed against her hand in return. It was light enough, but it was there.

She pressed again. The pressure in return was weak, but now that she was actually looking for it, she could feel it .

"Oh, Luke. Please , wake up.” She couldn’t help but whisper. 

Then, knowing she had no right but couldn’t help herself either, she used her free hand to brush a few strands of hair that were getting out of his beanie away from his face. His hair was soft and his face was warm, and she smiled.

“ Please .” She said one more time, for good measure.

She didn’t get a response this time, but she made herself let go of his hand. With one last lingering look, she turned around, leaving his room.

And after telling the nurses he had pressed back, she said her goodbyes and went home, all the time hoping against hope that that pressure wasn’t just reflexes like the nurses told her, and instead, was an actual sign of progress.

Chapter Text

Since Luke didn’t know how to keep track of time unless he had a watch nearby, the week went by in a blur. He kept himself in his room in the visiting hours, watching his mom knit and talk to him, waiting for any sign that she and her dad made a decision - and desperate to know what it was. 

Unless it was visiting hours, though, Luke was outside of his room. Talking to Dave - hearing from him that it was a tough decision, but that Luke shouldn’t be surprised if his parents chose to shut down the machines - helped only a little, since the other spirit was apparently moving on.

“I don’t know man,” he said on Wednesday, talking slowly, like he was tired, “I don’t know why I stayed here all this time, but I can feel my energy ending. I think… I think I’m not staying around for long. Maybe you can move on, too.”

But Luke couldn’t. He just… couldn’t. He didn’t want to.

So he kept trying new and old ways to come back to his body, to no avail. He also kept thinking about Caleb’s plan, which he had revealed to him on Monday.

“You have to let me in, so I can help you.” He had said.

“What do you mean?”

“I was murdered by being shoved out of this roof.” He revealed. “And the person who did it, did… something, so I was bound here, with no way of going anywhere. I only see the spirits who come and go here, and a few other ghosts that pass by. It’s rare though. Point is, I can go inside if a spirit or a person invites me in .”

Luke just looked at him, skeptical, while he spoke.

“If you let me in, invite me over , I will be able to go, with you, to your room. There, we’ll perform an ancient spell that will open the doors, so to speak, to your body. And then, you can go in and reclaim your body.”

Luke was uncomfortable, but also desperate.

“And that’s it?”

“Yes.”

“Can’t you just tell me the spell so I can do it?”

“Do you speak ancient greek? Or latin?”

Luke scrunched his face. “No.”

“Then, I’m sorry, but no. If the words aren’t pronounced correctly, it won’t work.”

“And how, exactly, do you know all of this? Have you done this before?”

“I did, actually, once. Unfortunately the spirit I did with, he crossed over before I could finish chanting, and his body died. We couldn’t finish it.”

Luke sighed.

“And you’re sure it’s gonna work?”

There was a glint in Caleb’s eyes that Luke didn’t like, but didn’t really know what it meant.

“I’m sure.”

He left after Caleb told him they had to wait until his body was ‘prepared’. It would take at least a week to “prepare” him, so he invited Caleb over on Friday morning, before the time the nurses usually got in to take care of him, and Caleb sang a little tune in Latin in his bedroom. Nothing changed, but Caleb said that was a very important part of the process and left after that.

He just had to wait now. In a week, they would (probably) be able to perform the spell and hopefully Luke would come back to his body and wake up and everything would be normal again.

Of course, the thought of having to wait a whole week left him bored out of his mind. He talked to Dave after that, and despite the other spirit being skeptical about Caleb, he could understand where Luke was coming from.

“Just be careful, okay? Don’t let him trick you.” He said, tired.

They were in Dave’s room, which was the same as Luke’s, just a few doors away. He knew Julie also sang to him on Fridays, because he had asked. Dave also liked Julie, because how couldn’t he? 

Luke felt a pang in his heart seeing his tiredness and put a hand on the shoulder of his sort-of spirit friend.

“If you need to go, Dave, go. I’ll be fine.”

Dave looked at him through almost closed eyes. “You sure?”

“Yeah,” Luke smiled. “Rest, man. And thank you for everything.”

“It was my pleasure, Luke.”

He made a point of hugging the other spirit, and after a while, he left. He wasn’t far in the hallway when he heard alarms blaring in Dave's room, and nurses and doctors running there to see what happened.

His heart was heavy, but at least he knew now that Dave wasn’t going to suffer through his family’s visits or talks anymore. He could finally rest.

He kept the quiet pace to his room while ignoring the frantic shouts in his late friend’s room.

~.~

His mom came by a few hours after Dave passed away. They had already taken away his body, and his family had come to sign papers and grab personal stuff from his bedroom. He was feeling sad, but he knew Dave had been ready for it. He didn’t feel like coming back, he had accepted his destiny.

Luke hadn’t, which was why he was eager for the week to pass so he and Caleb could finally enact his plan. 

When his mom entered the room, though, Luke made his thoughts go away and concentrated on her. She said hi to him, brushing his bangs out of his eyes, making him smile. She sat down on the chair by his bed and pulled out her knitting kit. She was finishing a new beanie for him. He couldn’t count how many new beanies he had anymore. This was a light-blue one. 

She sat down knitting while talking nonsense to him, and the fact that she was talking to him made his heart soar in happiness. It was better than the silence from before, but it would be best when he could actually talk back .

Soon . He silently promised himself and her. He would make his way back. He had a plan. It would work. It had to work. Luke was nothing if not determined.

His mom ended his new beanie right before the end of her hour, and with a smile, she put it on his head and adjusted the few strands that came out of it lovingly.

“There. One more. I honestly lost count by this point, but God knows you love these things.” She laughed, wet tears in her eyes.

She gave him a little kiss on his forehead and said her goodbye, leaving his room and soon, the hospital. Since Monday, he would always follow her, listening to every word she exchanged with nurses and doctors, wanting to know if she and his dad had made a decision yet. Nothing gave him answers, and he was getting more anxious. 

Which was why his plan had to work. Well. Caleb’s plan.

He poofed back to his room, ready for a few more hours of wait until it was time for Julie. At least he still had that today. It would be great seeing Julie again.

She arrived at the same time as all Fridays, but her expression was guarded, pained. He didn’t like it.

“What is it, Julie?” He asked, even though she couldn’t hear him.

“Hey, Luke” she answered instead.

She sighed and sat on the chair by his bed, like his mom had. Leaving her bag on the floor like usual, she looked at him with… longing in her eyes. Biting her lip, unsure.

“What is it, Julie?” He asked again, ignoring the fact that she couldn’t hear him .

Why was she so hesitant?

Then she grabbed his right hand, closest to her. “I wish this was easier,” she whispered, so low he wasn’t sure if he was supposed to hear it. 

Then, almost unconsciously, she started running her thumbs through his hand, his fingers, his calluses. He felt goosebumps run all over him.

“Today is my last day singing to you. And I just want to say that it’s been a pleasure.” She said, a calm voice despite her eyes starting to water.

What ?! What did she mean by last day ?

Her hands on his were giving his spirit shivers, and he couldn’t for the life of him, figure out why, but he sat down on the edge of his own bed, across from her, to watch her closely. His whole spirit was tingling in her presence.

She was looking at him with such fond and warm eyes that he was completely frozen in place. She looked sad, but also resigned.

He wanted to see her smile.

“I just hope you get better someday,” she said, giving him a small smile that did nothing to quell his want. He wanted a real , happy smile.

“And then maybe we can meet each other.” Oh, definitely. “I would love to hear you sing and play live. I’ve seen how incredible you guys are, and I can only imagine how much better it is live instead of on a screen.”

She had seen the band playing? Luke saw when Reggie and Alex told her about Sunset Curve. If she was saying that… It had to mean she looked them up online, right? And she liked it? 

Why hadn’t he met her before ? 

“Thank you for listening to me all these months.”

“It was an honor, Julie. My pleasure entirely.” He answered back, already missing her and hoping with all his being his plan worked so he could meet her properly and tell her how amazing he actually thinks she is.

She stayed silent for at least one whole minute, looking at him like she was going to miss him too, and his chest ached . Then, she took a deep breath and gave him a little grin.

“Okay, let’s do this, shall we? One last time.” She pressed his hand tighter, and what Luke wouldn’t do to press it back…

Despite saying that, she took a few seconds to just look at him again, and her eyes seemed to make a decision. Then she opened her mouth and started singing.

I could stay awake just to hear you breathing

Watch you smile while you are sleeping

While you're far away and dreaming

I could spend my life in this sweet surrender

I could stay lost in this moment forever

Every moment spent with you is a moment I treasure

Don't want to close my eyes

I don't want to fall asleep

'Cause I'd miss you baby

And I don't want to miss a thing

'Cause even when I dream of you

The sweetest dream will never do

I'd still miss you baby

And I don't want to miss a thing

He wasn’t expecting that. At all. Her voice, that voice of an angel, singing to him basically about how she didn’t want to leave, how she wanted to keep them in this moment and how, basically, she wanted him in her life.

Luke was speechless. There was so much emotion in her voice that her eyes started to spill out tears and he had the uncontrollable urge to wipe the tears from her face. He tried, but his hand passed right through her and it made him angry and he just wanted to feel her. He resigned himself to hear her, every single word, and commit it to memory, so he could take it with him forever.

Eventually, the song ended, and Luke was again overcome with the need to give her some sort of sign. She pulled his hand, that she was still holding, to her lips, giving the back of it a small peck that made his entire being shiver like he was being stretched wide, and watched him for a minute before finally speaking again.

“It was nice meeting you, Luke. I just wish we had met before.” She whispered to the silent room, looking at his face the whole time.

“Me too, Julie,” he said to her, knowing she wouldn’t hear him. “I’ll wake up. I’ll find you. I promise.”

And he knew he would do anything in his power to keep that promise.

She pressed his hand with a little more force and Luke could feel it and he was desperate to give her something and he clenched his fists tight, wishing with all his might she could feel it. Then she stopped, looking at their joined hands. 

She frowned, confused, but her eyes held a hopeful glint, and Luke couldn’t breathe. It worked?

She looked at him, focused on his face, and pressed hard against his hand again. He concentrated and clenched his fists again, tighter, wishing she could feel it. 

It probably worked, because Julie had a smile on her lips while she got closer, looking at his face the whole time. 

“Oh, Luke. Please, wake up.” She whispered.

“I will… Not now, I don’t know how,” he said, desperate. “But I will, Julie.”

She brushed a few strands out of his face with her free hand, and he could’ve sobbed in joy with the feeling of her feather-light touch in his forehead. Who was this girl and why did he have such a visceral response to her?

“ Please. ” she said, one more time.

He didn’t answer this time, only watching as she let go of his hand - he missed her touch immediately - and grabbed her things, looking at him one last time before leaving his room.

He would come back. 

For her, he would do anything.

He didn’t know how or why and he didn’t care.

But he was in love with that girl already and he would be damned if he didn’t do anything in his power to wake up, recover, and tell her personally, how much in love with her he was.

Chapter Text

Julie sobbed in Flynn’s arms for almost an entire hour after Flynn finally got home that Friday night - she had already cried a lot on her own, but one look from her friend and she broke down again.

When she could finally talk without crying, she confessed to Flynn, a few stray tears running from her eyes.

“I love him. I don’t know how it happened or why, but I feel a connection with him that I don’t have with anyone and it doesn’t make any sense because we never exchanged even a word with each other, but…”

“I’m sorry, Jules. I really am.” 

“And he squeezed my hand today.” 

“Reflexes? I heard that’s common.”

“That’s what the nurses told me. I don’t know. I want to believe he really did it, you know? That he knew I was there, somehow. Even though he doesn’t know me.”

Flynn just hugged her again, and Julie thanked whoever was responsible for bringing her to Julie’s life and making them best friends, because honestly, Julie didn’t need logic right now and she knew she was being crazy, completely nuts, but she honestly just needed a hug and a crying session. Flynn knew that and gave her exactly what she needed and she couldn’t be more thankful for her best friend.

She would come back to her senses eventually and be fine. She hoped.

They soon changed into comfy pajamas and spread out on their couch in the living room and put some romantic comedies on, with plenty of ice cream, popcorn and chocolate to feed an army.

Julie needed to believe she would get over Luke. She had to.

~.~

The weekend was gone in a blur, while Julie made sure to get her last notes from the last visits on its proper places in her reports. She focused on her work and not on her feelings, and before she knew it, she was at her job at the music shop on Monday. Her work hours were kinda hectic, but she only worked four hours a day, four days a week, which was nice. It gave her enough time to study and do well with her classes - that were almost over.

After leaving work, she had classes to attend to, and a meeting with Ms. Brandon about her project. That, too, passes in a blur.

On Tuesday, she goes with Flynn to the mall and they run into Nick, who's there with friends. They talk for a bit and Julie tells him about Carrie, promising to set something for them that week. She calls Carrie first, who reluctantly agrees to a bowling date on Thursday night. Flynn checks with Reggie and invites him too, and they leave the mall with new clothes (Flynn) and a matchmaking plan in progress (Julie).

She thinks about Luke a few times. Keeps thinking about the feeling of his hand in hers and how that little pressure made her hope. She's quick to distract herself, though, because that needs to stop. It's not like she'll ever meet him.

Thursday finally comes and Reggie picks her and Flynn up in Alex's car.

"It's our car," Reggie says shrugging, even though they all know that's not exactly true. "Brothers share stuff like that."

That makes Julie and Flynn laugh, and Reggie drives with a pleased smile on his face.

They arrive at the place to see Nick is already there, typing on his phone.

"Hey Nick!" Julie greets him.

He looks up and pockets his phone. "Julie! I was just texting you."

"Waited for long?"

"No, just got here."

"Great. You remember Flynn," she points to her.

"How couldn't I? Hey Flynn."

"Hey Nicky-poo."

Julie groans while Nick laughs.

"You're never going to let that go, are you?"

"Never." Flynn says with a smile.

Julie rolls her eyes and points to Reggie. "Nick, this is Reggie. Reggie, Nick."

They exchange greetings and Reggie looks confused.

"What's that Nicky-poo thing about?"

Flynn laughs and explains to her boyfriend about the time Julie made a total fool of herself and started calling Nick in names like that, Nicky-poo being Flynn's favorite. Julie defends herself saying that high school were awkward times, and while they laugh at her expense, they go inside the place.

Carrie arrives as soon as they settle in a bowling lane, and Julie meets her at the front alone. Carrie, who had been looking at their group, doesn't waste time.

"Please tell me the blond one is the guy you wanted to introduce to me."

Julie smiles. "It is. Come with me."

Carrie changes her shoes and goes with Julie, who starts introductions.

“Everyone, this is Carrie Wilson. She’s a friend from my performance classes in college. Carrie, these are my friends, Flynn, Nick and Reggie, Flynn’s boyfriend.”

Carrie smiles warmly and shakes hands with everyone. 

“I’ve heard a lot about you, but we never seem to be at the same places with Julie.” Flynn said.

“Yeah, same. Good thing we finally made a day out then.” 

Flynn agrees, and soon they start the game. Julie and Flynn make sure that Carrie is always around Nick, and although it is obvious for everyone what they’re trying to do, Carrie and Nick don’t complain. 

Flynn, Reggie and Julie get way too much fun bowling, though, so eventually they leave the two alone so they can actually get to know each other.

“Okay, I think this is working.” Says Flynn half an hour later, when they take a little break and go pick some snacks for them, pointing to Carrie and Nick, who are getting closer by the second.

“I hope it does. Nick is a great guy and so is Carrie. But she never got the right guy you know? I just have this feeling they would be great for each other.”

“I think I’m starting to see that.” Flynn says, and then chuckles when they see Reggie trying to get Nick’s attention to the lane.

“Come on, let’s save my boyfriend from third-wheeling them.”

They cackle and grab their snacks and drinks, going back to their spot quickly.

“Thank God,” says Reggie, helping the girls set everything by their table. “I was starting to feel like a third wheel around here.”

They laugh, and resume playing. The night goes fast, and before they know it, they’re saying goodbye to Nick and Carrie - who apparently got along well, if exchanging numbers is any sign - and pile back in Alex’s car so Reggie can drive them back.

Julie makes sure not to third-wheel her friends and says goodbye to Reggie, getting inside the building and leaving the two to themselves. 

She can’t help but wonder, though, on her way to their apartment and then, her bedroom, how the night would’ve gone by if Luke had been there. Did he like bowling? Was he any good? She had so many questions about him, and what he liked, and she knew she would never get answers.

For now, though, she needed to be strong and keep going. Eventually, she would get over him.

(Maybe if she kept repeating that to herself, it would become true).

~.~

Friday was a busy day. Despite being the first Friday in five months that she didn’t have to go to a hospital to sing to comatose people, she had a lot of things to do. She attended classes in the morning, diligently taking notes and doing her best, like she usually did. Music was her passion, and it took her time to come back to it after her mother’s brush with death, but she was back and didn’t intend to let go anytime soon. 

She had lunch with her teacher, Ms Brandon, who worked with her on her last reports, and they worked for hours until Julie couldn’t see straight. Ms. Brandon was very pleased with her results and her work in general, and now Julie just had to write her final report to finish her project.

And she had to admit, having everything basically ready one month before it was actually due, was an accomplishment. She had time to polish everything and present a killer project, which, according to Ms. Brandon, would knock it out of the park.

Carrie sent her a text that afternoon, just as she was getting home after working with Ms. Brandon, that made her smile.

So, thank you for setting Nick and I to meet yesterday. I had a great time and he’s great. We texted for a long time after I got home and… I don’t know, it’s different and new, but I think he’s great and I wanted you to know I appreciate it.

She quickly tapped a response to her.

Of course. I’ve known Nick for a long time, and I always thought he was great. After meeting you, I knew you would be great for him too. I’m happy you guys liked each other. If you need anything, I’m here.

Thank you, Julie. We should go out and have a girls night out. I feel like we’re friends, but never really go out with each other.

I would love that. Tell me when.

They made plans to go to Eats and Beats, a bar they all liked because it was nice and had live music, on Saturday of the next week. Carrie would be busy tomorrow, so they made plans for the other week. Carrie made sure to invite Flynn too, which was nice, and something told Julie the three of them would be really good friends.

~.~

She wasn’t expecting the call on Friday night. 

Flynn and Julie made mac and cheese for dinner and ate while watching Friends reruns, talking about everything and nothing. Julie was a little more rested that week, and she knew it was because she didn’t have to interact with comatose people.

As much as she loved doing her study and doing something for them, it was hard. It was emotionally tiring and she was happy it was over. She had their names, though, and she made a mental note to check up on them after. She did get attached to all of them, in the end.

On that night, though, she was feeling relaxed and content for the first time in the week. So she just enjoyed her best friend’s company for the night. Both of them happy to have nowhere to go for once. Finals were fast approaching and she knew it was the calm before the storm, so they needed to get as much down time as possible before that.

Which was why Julie wasn’t prepared for the call. At all.

She and Reggie had become friends, and since trivia night, they exchanged memes and links and music and banter back and forth by text. It was harmless enough and it helped them cement a friendship. She didn’t consider him just Flynn’s boyfriend anymore. He was her friend.

But he never called her. He reserved calls and FaceTime for Flynn, which was fair and Julie wasn’t going to complain. But when her phone lightened on the coffee table, showing Reggie’s contact name on it, she frowned.

“Why is Reggie calling me?” She wondered out loud, not picking up yet.

Flynn was confused too, but for another reason. “He doesn’t call you?”

“No. We usually talk by text.”

“Huh. Well, it must be important,” Flynn took upon herself to answer. “Hey babe.”

She listened for the response and looked at Julie. “She’s right here, but she was confused why you were calling her and just looked at her phone. I didn’t have the patience to wait.”

Julie rolled her eyes while Flynn listened to Reggie’s response. Then she frowned and Julie was suddenly worried. 

“Yeah, sure babe,” Flynn put the phone out of her ear and gave it to Julie. “He wants to talk to you. It seems serious.”

Julie frowned but took the phone anyway. Putting on speaker so Flynn could hear, she answered. “Reggie?”

“ Julie! Hey, sorry to bother you at this hour, but… We need your help.”

“It’s okay… Who’s we? And what do you need my help for?”

“ We as in me, Alex, and Luke’s parents. And we need you to sing to Luke again. ”

“Reggie, I told you guys it was my last day last week. I’m finished. My teacher already signed the papers in the hospital finishing everything, so I can’t go in there anymore. I’m not family.”

“ We know, but Emily is willing to let you have permission to visit him if you agree with our plan.”

He sounded like he was getting desperate and Julie started to get really worried. There was more to that.

“Reggie, what’s happening? Why are you all so hell bent on me singing to Luke again? It doesn’t really work, you know this...”

She looked at Flynn, who looked as confused as she was. 

Reggie sighed, “ I’m sorry. I know it’s a crazy request and you don’t really know him at all, and he’s just a subject to you. But…”

His voice was breaking, and it was breaking Julie’s heart, but he took a second to recollect himself before talking again. Julie let him.

“ Luke’s health insurance won’t cover his expenses anymore and his parents put all the money they had to keep him breathing, but they can’t do that anymore. We don’t have any more options.”

Julie’s mind was reeling.

“ They’ll turn off the machines, Julie.”

Her heart stopped.

Chapter Text

Caleb was making Luke lose his goddamn mind. 

He had spent the entire week trying to get Caleb to tell him exactly how the so-called ‘spell’ would work, so he could be ready and not miss the only chance he’d have.

But, as established, Caleb was fishy. And very smart. 

He would only say generic things, like:

“You’ll know what to do at the moment.”

“The spell is really ancient, I can’t really teach you.”

“It’s going to work, you have nothing to fear.”

And honestly, stuff that didn’t help Luke in the slightest. He missed Dave, and having someone to talk to. Other spirits were moving on, too, their bodies giving up or machines being turned off and he was more alone than ever. 

His mother still came every day, without fail, for the whole week. She would knit or read to him, talk to him about everything and nothing, and just be there. 

She started spending more time, too.

And Luke noticed that everyday, she seemed to be more tired. More sad. More desperate.

That wasn’t good.

Finally, after an uneventful week, having no idea what his parents decided or how long he had, Friday came. He invited Caleb over to see if whatever he did to his body the week before had worked, if they were ready to go, and the answer he got wasn’t really good.

“We still need a couple more days, I’m afraid.” Caleb said, seemingly as disappointed about the fact as Luke was. 

“Why?!”

“Your body has been without a soul for a long time, Luke. It needs to accommodate the soul perfectly again, and for that we need to give it time.”

It was all bullshit to Luke, but Caleb didn’t let him argue.

“We’ll be ready in a couple more days, I’m sure. Just have a little more patience.” 

“I’m just afraid I don’t have a couple more days. What if we can’t make it in time?”

“We will. I’m not letting another body die on me again.” 

Something in Caleb’s eyes and sentence wasn’t particularly right, but Luke knew he didn’t really have any choices. He had tried coming back the whole week. It never worked.

After Caleb left, Luke caught himself thinking about Julie. Knowing he wouldn’t see her today was squeezing his heart in a painful manner. The doubts started creeping in. Would he ever see her again? He had to.

By five-thirty in the afternoon, he was surprised with a visit from Alex and Reggie. He knew they usually came in the later hours of the day or on the weekends, and he was happy to see them.

They talked about work, as usual. About recording for a new artist. About the riffs they had come up with that week. Anything and everything. Reggie told Luke about his girlfriend, Flynn, and blew him away with the knowledge that Flynn was actually Julie’s best friend and they had seen them yesterday.

His heart ached hearing about trivia night with Julie - and how much he wanted to team up with her and win all the prizes. 

Alex told him about a guy he was liking and how much he wanted to introduce him to Luke. He looked happy, and Luke was so glad to see the smile on Alex's face.

They talked a lot. Probably more than they ever had in the last three months or so. 

And then his parents arrived in his bedroom and Luke was surprised and kinda scared to see his father there too. His dad never visited on week days because he couldn’t get out of work. He also didn’t miss the fact that they were all there much after visiting hours, arriving just past seven p.m. This couldn’t be good. The hospital didn’t allow visitors after six unless something happened, and here they were, his parents and friends, still in his room.

“Boys! So good to see you.” His father greeted them.

“You too, Mr. Patterson.” Alex said first, Reggie right behind him.

They traded greetings and handshakes, and his mom ran her hands in his hair, looking at him with a pained look that Luke didn’t like one bit.

His friends stood there while his parents talked to him about the week and trivial things. Their voices had pain laced through it, and he couldn’t shake the feeling something really bad happened.

Alex and Reggie were getting ready to leave when the doctor that had talked to his mom the other week walked in, and his expression made them stall.

Luke was glued to his spot, right beside his bed, looking at his family with a heavy heart. 

“Oh, Mr. and Mrs. Patterson, so good to see you both here.”

“Nice to see you, Dr. Stone.” His dad said. “I believe you did call us both here today.”

Dr. Stone looked at the boys, and his mom was quick to assure him.

“They can stay. They’re Luke’s family too.”

He smiled, even if his whole being was dreading the conversation that was about to happen. His friends smiled too, happy to be included. 

Dr. Stone sighed and looked at his parents.

“As you wish. I’m sure you know what it is we need to discuss, so, please, take a seat.”

His mom was already sitting in the chair by his bed, and his dad kept standing beside her. The boys sat on the couch and the doctor grabbed a white plastic chair near the door to sit.

“As you two know,” he started, looking at his parents, “Luke’s insurance won’t cover for more than six months of coma. We asked for a stretch of that time this week, as you requested, Mr. Patterson, but unfortunately, it was denied. Luke didn’t have enough progress to be considered an improvement, and the insurance company understands he won’t wake up and the money they’re spending is useless.”

Alex and Reggie gasped, and Luke could hear the soft ‘what’ Alex uttered.

“We are very sorry about that. But the choice is ultimately yours. You can keep paying for everything, on your own, and until you want. Or…”

“Or what?” Reggie asked, panicking.

Dr. Stone sighed, heavy, and having heard that before didn’t soften the blow for Luke at all. 

“Or we can turn the machines off and let Luke rest.”

His parents looked at his body, twin expressions of hurt and longing and resignation. Alex and Reggie were outrageous.

“You can’t do that!” Alex cried.

“He’s still in there!” Reggie insisted. “He can wake up!”

“He can,” the doctor conceded. “But there’s no way of knowing when or if that would ever happen. And unfortunately, the hospital needs someone to pay the bills.”

Alex and Reggie tried talking, but his dad stopped them.

“Boys, we don’t want to turn the machines off either,” he started, his calm voice enough to calm his boys. “But we don’t have any more money. I tried for a loan, but I already did that to pay for the house a few months ago and a new one was denied. I tried a mortgage but that didn’t work either. I even tried my boss. I don’t have where to get the money from and neither does Emily.”

“We have no choice,” his mother sobbed, grabbing his hand with all her might and starting to cry.

“No, but…” 

“Unless you two can pay for it somehow, we don’t have another choice…” said his dad.

Alex and Reggie looked between them, and he knew already: there was no way they could pay for it, either. They didn’t even have health insurance because they couldn’t afford it. The only reason Luke had one was because his parents kept paying for it, even after he ran away.

“We can’t…” Reggie sighed, looking at Luke’s body with a desperate expression.

“So... I’m assuming we are turning off the machines.” Dr. Stone talked, looking at them.

His parents looked at each other and with a sob from his mother and a heavy sigh from his father, he watched as his dad told the doctor.

“Yes, doctor. Unfortunately, that’s it.”

Dr. Stone nodded, and he saw Alex and Reggie start crying. 

“Very well. His insurance covers the costs until next Monday. We’re keeping him until then. You can… say your goodbyes and get used to the idea. You can be here when we do it, or not. That’s your call. We’ll do it in the morning, probably. And we’ll tell you when it happens.”

His dad nodded, tears leaking from his eyes. 

“I’ll leave you to it. Please call me if you change your mind or need anything else.”

After that, he left the room, and Luke was left looking at his family while trying to process what he had witnessed. 

“We gotta have another option…” Reggie cried. “He can’t just…”

Alex hugged him and all four of them cried in silence for at least a whole minute before Reggie talked again.

“Julie!”

What?

“What?” Alex echoed him.

“Maybe Julie can sing to him again! Maybe that’ll help.”

“Reg, as much as I want it to work, she sang to him for, like, five months and nothing changed.” Alex reasoned.

“I know, but… His vitals always spike when she sings, and I know for a fact that he is the only patient who had these results every time she sang.”

“How do you know that?” His mom asked.

“Julie just so happens to be my girlfriend’s best friend. I talked to her a little about her project this week and she told me Luke is the best result she has in her study.”

They all looked at each other, still skeptical.

“Look, guys, I know it’s crazy, I know it might not work. But… We have to try something . Since none of us has enough money to keep him breathing anymore, we have to try to wake him .”

Alex caved. “I don’t wanna give up on him that easily.”

“Me neither.” Said his mom. “Do you think Julie would agree to it?”

“I can call her right now and ask.” Reggie said, grabbing his phone from his pocket.

They all looked at his dad, who sighed and nodded.

“We have this weekend to try. So we might as well try it.” He said, looking at Luke’s body with the same broken and sad expression his mom was using.

Reggie didn’t wait anymore and called Julie. It was almost nine, and he apologized for the hour and rambled on about Julie singing to him again, but it didn’t look like she would do it.

“Tell her I’ll put her on the visitors list.” Said his mom, and Reggie was quick to assure Julie of that.

A few more sentences and Reggie finally told Julie the real reason they wanted her to sing.

“Luke’s health insurance won’t cover his expenses anymore and his parents put all the money they had to keep him breathing, but they can’t do that anymore. We don’t have any more options.”

Luke was nervous about her answer, but he also knew that it didn’t matter if Julie sang to him or not. She didn’t have the power to bring him back.

“They’ll turn off the machines, Julie. ”

The room was silent for a few seconds too long.

“Julie?” Reggie tried. “Please say something.”

He listened for a while, and his expression became a little more hopeful.

“It has to be this weekend, that's all we have. Maybe we could meet you to talk about it and set a time that works for you?”

He nodded to whatever Julie said, and after a few ‘thank you’s, he hung up.

“She’ll do it.” He said, a little smile on his lips.

“Let’s just hope it works.” Alex completed, looking at Luke’s body.

They left the hospital a few minutes later, and Luke realized it was already past nine. They had stayed far beyond the visiting hours, and Luke suspected the staff let them because of what was about to happen in the next few days.

He fought back a shiver, and after he poofed back to his room after seeing his family leave the hospital, he ran to the roof, shouting for the ghost with a new urgency in his voice.

“Caleb?!”

The ghost materialized himself in front of him.

“Luke. I told you we’re not ready.”

“I know. But we have to be. They’re turning off my machines on Monday. We have to do it before then.”

Caleb looked distraught suddenly.

“Do you know the exact time?”

“The doctor told my parents Monday morning.”

Caleb hummed. “Then it’s probably best if we do it on Sunday. It will give enough time for the soul to get established in the body so it can have a response and get out of the comatose state. That happens, and they won’t turn off anything because the body won’t need it anymore.”

Luke nodded, understanding the plan.

“We still need at least two days, so, let’s try Sunday afternoon. It’s the closest we can do from your deadline, and the furthest we can go so the spell works and your body is ready.”

“Okay. I’ll come for you Sunday afternoon, after lunch time.”

Luke left Caleb after that, going back to his room, his mind reeling. 

He looked at his unresponsive body for a long time, trying and failing to feel some sort of connection to it that could tell him if Caleb’s sketchy plan was going to work. He couldn’t feel anything.

He missed feeling stuff.

He missed being able to talk back to the people he loved.

He missed playing music.

He missed singing.

He missed writing music.

He missed being alive . Really alive, on that side of the spectrum where people could see him, and talk to him, and touch him .

He also missed Julie, whom he didn’t really know, and somehow, her touch, that he never really got the chance to feel.

He wanted to feel her.

He needed that crazy plan to work. 

He didn’t have any other option.

~.~

Saturday passed in a blur, because Luke couldn’t let go of the words he heard the day before. They were turning the machines off and he didn’t have much time.

Staff came and went out of his room the whole day, making notes and adjustments, trying new drugs and new things to get something out of him, to no avail.

His parents didn’t visit him on Saturday. Neither Alex or Reggie, and that made his spiritual heart clench in agony. Where were they? Had they left him for his fate alone?

Sunday came, and he was jittery. He tried being cool about it and kept vigil of his own body while the hospital staff did the same things they did on Saturday to no new results, and finally , a little after one p.m, he went to the roof.

“Caleb?” He called as soon as he crossed the door.

“I’m here.” He came, a little smirk in his lips. “You ready?”

“Yes. Come with me to my room.”

And then he felt himself being poofed into his room with Caleb, like it always happened when he invited him.

“Who are they?” Caleb asked, surprised and seemingly annoyed about the fact that they weren’t alone in the room.

Luke was surprised too, but not in a bad way.

Julie was there.

With his parents, Alex, Reggie, and a girl with long braids that seemed to be Reggie’s girlfriend, if the way they were holding hands was anything to go by.

“We don’t have time to let them go, so I’ll just do it with them here.” Caleb said, and made a sign with his hands that Luke didn’t really pay any attention to, fixated as he was on Julie.

He should’ve really paid attention to Caleb, though.

Chapter Text

After Reggie’s call, Julie and Flynn talked at length about Julie agreeing to sing to Luke again. They agreed that she didn’t have magical powers. Julie couldn’t wake comatose people. That was ridiculous. 

The only reason Julie was going to do that at all was because he was Reggie’s friend. And Flynn really liked Reggie and Julie liked him too, and if Reggie and Luke’s family needed Julie to sing one more time to him, then she would do that. At the very least, she could provide some closure for them.

Flynn was also sad about the whole thing, because despite the fact that she didn’t know Luke and had told Julie multiple times that she couldn’t expect to change anything, she had heard about him from Reggie for the last three months they had been dating, and from Julie for the last five. And she wasn’t heartless.

So they ended their girls night early and went to sleep. Reggie told her he would talk to Luke’s parents and they were setting something up on the next day so they could come up with some sort of plan - Julie just wanted to sing, but Reggie was adamant it had to be the right song. 

Before they went to sleep, it was established that Julie and Flynn were having lunch with Reggie, Alex and the Pattersons, so they could all talk and choose the song. 

She became a little nervous. It was a lot of pressure. She just hoped they weren’t putting all their hopes in her. She wasn’t magical.

She slept very little on Friday, thinking about all the possible scenarios. On Saturday, Reggie and Alex came to pick her and Flynn, so they could go to the Pattersons.

“They said it was better to meet at their place, since it’s such a personal matter.” Said Alex, after Flynn asked why they weren’t having lunch at a restaurant or something.

It made sense. Despite the terrible news looming above them, Julie was sure it wasn’t really the Patterson's wish to turn off the machines that were keeping his son alive.

The conversation started almost as soon as they left the girls’ place.

“We haven’t been there in ages,” Alex said to them after answering Flynn's question. “Luke and his parents didn’t have the smoothest relationship, you know.”

“What? But they seem so…”

“Of course, they love him to pieces,” Alex said. “But his mom didn’t want Luke in a rock band and music is Luke’s entire soul , so they clashed a lot. He even ran away once, but eventually came back and they made a compromise. Thus, college.”

“They didn’t want him to pursue music?”

“No,” said Reggie in the passenger seat, “They always said how it wasn’t a stable career, that he might never make it and such. Which, fair, but no one has certainty of a career, even with a diploma. Luke was really hurt by that.”

“That’s why she was saying they didn’t treat his dream right that day.” Julie mused.

“Yeah,” Alex continued, “the worst part is that Luke had the accident right after he left his parents’ house, after trying to reconcile with them for the nth time, because after graduation he said he was going to focus on the band and they flipped, like we all knew they would.”

“They feel guilty,” Reggie said. “The hospital called Alex when it all happened, since he put us as his emergency contacts on his phone, but we didn’t know about Luke’s health insurance. We called his parents to tell them, and luckily, they kept paying his insurance even though they didn’t really get along most of the time. They were wrecked when they got to the hospital to see him. They told us Luke had left after another fight, on bad terms with them.”

“That’s terrible,” Flynn said, while Julie just absorbed the information. “They think it’s their fault he’s in a coma?”

“Yeah, even though the hospital and the paramedics told them multiple times that he was on the right and the drunk guy was the one to blame.” Alex finished. “They spent every penny they had and more with the insurance and the hospital to keep giving Luke a chance to heal. They’re not taking this lightly, just so you know.”

“I wasn’t thinking they were. If you guys hadn’t told me, I would never know Luke and his parents weren’t getting along.” Julie said.

“Yeah. We just hope he gets the chance to make up with them,” said Reggie.

They soon arrived at a nice house a few streets away from where Julie’s parents lived, and Alex sighed behind the wheel.

“Well, let’s do this.”

They got out of the car at the same time a man Julie presumed was Luke’s dad opened the door, ushering them inside.

“Boys, girls, right on time. Come on in,” he invited.

“Mr. Patterson, hi. These are Flynn, my girlfriend, and Julie.” Reggie introduced them.

“Nice to meet you two, I’m Mitch.” He said, shaking the girls’ hands. “Come inside.”

Julie steeled herself before walking in after the others. 

She could do this.

~.~

They didn’t really talk about the elephant in the room until after lunch. Emily and Mitch were trying to pretend everything was fine and were being very polite and welcoming towards them, but Julie could see the stiffness in Emily’s posture and Mitch’s gaze.

It was obvious, though. The table was full with the six of them, but somehow, it was obvious someone was missing from it.

Emily made small talk with the girls, about college, their careers, their families. She didn’t try to dissuade Julie from a music career, which knowing what she did now, made Julie think that Luke’s mom had maybe changed her mind about the subject.

Alex and Reggie talked about work and living together, and Julie was reminded time and time again of her relationship with Flynn by seeing theirs. It made her smile and at the same time, wonder how their dynamic would be with a third person. 

After everyone ate, Flynn and Julie helped Emily with the dishes before they all reconvened in the living room, where Reggie and Alex were talking with Mitch. There was an obvious tension in their shoulders that told Julie exactly what they were talking about.

They all took places in the living room to sit - Julie and Alex in the bigger couch, Emily at a comfy chair with Mitch seated on the arm of it at their right side and Flynn and Reggie in the smaller couch on their left side. Reggie broke the tension.

“So, guess it’s time to face the elephant in the room, huh,” he said, giving a small smile that was shared by all.

“First of all,” Mitch started, looking at Julie, “Thank you for agreeing with this, Julie.”

She shrugged. “It’s no problem. I’m happy to help.”

“We want you to know we appreciate it.” Emily said. “Even if it doesn’t work.”

“We are aware that you don’t have magical powers,” Mitch continued, “but I’ve seen Luke’s charts after you sing to him, and even showed it to a few doctor friends, and they agree it’s something . It may be our only option, even if it’s a crazy one.”

Julie steeled herself before talking.

“Look, it is a crazy thought, that I can somehow wake him up by singing. That’s mostly what I thought when Reggie called me last night. But if you think it’s going to help somehow, or even if you only wanted for him to hear music before… well. I’m happy to help in any way I can.”

Emily smiled at her. “Thank you.”

“So, when is this supposed to happen?” Asked Flynn.

“Tomorrow, if you can make it?” Mitch asked. “They’re turning everything off on Monday morning, after the time the insurance gave us ends. We were thinking of going there tomorrow afternoon after lunch, like we do every Sunday, and you could just sing to him.”

“You all can come too,” said Emily, looking at the boys and Flynn with tears in her eyes, “You come with us and we can get you all in.”

“That would be great,” said Alex, his eyes misty too. “Thank you.”

“Yeah, we really want to see him, too.” Reggie said.

Julie decided to ask, “Do you want me to sing anything specific for him? Or I can choose whatever?”

“Maybe you could sing a few of his favorites?” Reggie suggested. “Alex and I can give you a list.”

“Sure, that would be nice.” She agreed.

They quickly whipped up a plan, if Julie could call it that. The next day, after lunch, the boys would go pick Julie and Flynn and meet with the Pattersons at the hospital, where they would all go inside Luke’s room and sing to him. 

It was crazy, but Julie decided to think about it as a farewell, as much as it hurt her. They all kind of needed that closure, she reasoned, and Julie wouldn’t pretend she wasn’t a little bit happy at seeing Luke again, even if it was for the last time.

~.~

Julie talked to her mom about the whole thing after she got home on Saturday. She was feeling overwhelmed and nervous, and everything was reminding her of the time her mother spent fighting for her life at the hospital, not too long ago.

Of course, her mother had good advice.

"Don't go in there thinking you're going to change things. That's wishful thinking and it won't help anyone. They asked you to sing to him, because he likes music. Think about it like that. A last concert before he can rest. As sad as that is, it will help you cope with the task, mija ."

She thanked her and hung up soon after, going through the list of Luke's favorite songs. A few of them were also her favorites, and it made her smile despite herself. She knew more about him now than she did for the last five months, and she was more sure than ever that if she had met him in other circumstances, they would've become fast friends (maybe more).

She managed to sleep on Saturday, which was good. On Sunday, she had breakfast with Flynn and did a reading she needed for class that week. You know, just pretending she wouldn't sing for the last time to a comatose guy in a few hours who was hours away from dying. 

Julie took her shower and did two French braids in her hair, putting on comfortable but cute clothes while doing some vocal warm ups. She said no to a full lunch, eating only an apple, or she wouldn't be able to sing properly. 

Reggie and Alex picked them up, going with them to the hospital while chatting idly.. The Pattersons were there already, looking hopeful and tense. They passed by the reception with no problems, Emily adding the girls' names to the list of allowed visitors.

Sooner than Julie realized, they were closing the door to Luke's room behind them. He looked like always: like he was sleeping. Emily got close to him and gave him a kiss on the forehead, before pushing his bangs out of his face. 

"Hi baby. We brought Julie for a little musical Sunday."

Julie let herself smile. His mom was talking to him. Really talking, and that seemed to ease the burden on her shoulders.

His dad talked too, and Flynn, Julie, Alex and Reggie just stayed behind for a while, letting them have this moment.

Eventually, Alex and Reggie said their piece too, and it reminded Julie that it was very possible this was going to be the last time any of them could talk to Luke. The last time they would see him alive.

He might be dead tomorrow, her mind supplied. He will be.

It made her jittery and sad, but at the same time, it added fuel to her determination to sing. If it was his last day, she was gonna make it count.

A last concert before he can rest , as her mom had said. 

With that in mind, she took her place at the chair by the bed once everyone talked what they needed to, and just tried to ignore the other five people in the room, sitting on the couch or standing, while she talked to Luke again.

“Hey Luke. It’s nice to see you again.” She tried to memorize his face. His beautiful face. “Everyone here is saying you would probably like my voice, so we thought we’d give you a little concert today,” she giggled when Reggie snorted and the others chuckled. “I really hope they’re right and you don’t hate my voice.”

“That would be impossible.” Said Alex, but Julie ignored him.

Instead, she started singing softly. It was hard to sing Nirvana softly, but she gave her best. Rush came next, and then Rolling Stones and AC/DC and a couple others Reggie and Alex put together.

His parents and the boys chimed in occasionally too, which made the whole experience more fun, even if the reason they were doing it was so morbid.

An hour later, there were absolutely no signs of change in Luke’s body. The nurses always told Julie how it wasn’t long (at most half an hour) after she sang and he got the rise in brain activity. 

Nothing was happening now, though.

The others must’ve caught on to that, too, because after Julie finished the last song, everyone looked forlorn. Everyone just stayed quiet for a while, and Julie focused on Luke’s unchanging face for a couple minutes.

“I knew it was a long shot,” whispered Reggie, his voice wavering, “but I really hoped it would work.”

The others agreed and Julie heard Flynn trying to console him.

She just couldn’t stop looking at his face, wanting to do more.

Without really thinking about it, with a heavy heart and forgetting there were more people in the room, Julie took Luke’s right hand in hers. 

“I hope you liked it, Luke. The boys said those were your favorites. A few of them are my favorites too, and I wish we could’ve met to talk non-stop about them,” she smiled, running her fingers through his knuckles. 

“My mom was in the hospital once,” she continued, looking at him and only him. “She was diagnosed with lung cancer and it was a very hard time for us. Almost one year was spent in the hospital, mom between life and death. I almost stopped singing completely. She was my inspiration, you know? She taught me everything. Then she wrote me a song. She didn’t complete it, and said it was my job to do it. It helped me cope and believe I could do it, even if she was gone one day. She didn’t die, thankfully, but the feeling remained. Sometimes we just gotta embrace the pain , and use it , you know, because it’s part of us. It makes us who we are. And that makes life a little more beautiful.”

She was rambling, and she had no idea why she said all those things to a dying boy with five other people - four which she barely knew - in the room. But something told her it was right. Like she knew, in her very soul , that Luke would understand her . 

“I would like for you to hear that song. If you can still bear to listen to my voice,” she chuckled, a little lonely tear escaping from her eyes.

She didn’t think much before she started singing, putting all her emotions and hopes in her voice.

Here’s the one thing

I want you to know

You got someplace to go

Life's a test, yes

But you go toe-to-toe

You don't give up

No, you grow

She ran her fingers through his, holding it with care, urging him to make some sort of sign that would tell them he was there . Something that told her he was listening .

Wake up, wake up

If it’s all you do

Look out

Look inside of you

The words in the song weren’t supposed to mean an actual waking up, but Julie couldn’t help but want it to. Please Luke , she begged in her mind, wake up .

It was ironic and dramatic, but fuck it if Julie cared anymore.

She sang to a silent room, until Luke’s other hand visibly trembled in the bed and his heart accelerated in the monitor. She heard the silent gasps in the room, but his reaction had given her the push she needed for the bridge, so she ignored them.

So wake the spirit, spirit

I wanna hear it, hear it

No need to fear it, 

You’re not alone

You’re gonna find your way

Home

She wanted to belt the notes, like she did the first cathartic time she sang that song. But it was a hospital and they would kick them all out if she did, so she kept the notes smooth, urging him to wake so she could show him how exactly she could belt that bridge.

There was another spike right after that, while Julie restarted the chorus, and Alex and Reggie came to stand beside her, Emily and Mitch on Luke’s other side. Flynn stayed up on the foot of the bed, and they all saw Luke’s brain waves also coming up for a second.

She finished the song with the most sweet notes she could find in herself.

Relight that spark

Time to come out of the dark

Wake up

When she finished, they all held their breaths, looking at Luke. His face remained unchanged, and there was another little spike in his brain waves by the monitor before going back down. It took them a full minute to react.

“Here, Julie, can you sing this?” Reggie said, excited and breaking Julie’s gaze at Luke.

Without taking her hand from his, she looked at the paper he was holding.

“Which song is this?”

“Luke wrote it,” Alex explained, “for the band. We never got the chance to workshop it, but I remember Luke talking about how it should be on a higher key. I’m sure your range can do that.”

She looked again at the paper, then looked at Luke’s serene face, and his monitors, showing his heart rate and brain waves down again. They were so close.

“I think I can sing it.”

“We can back you up.” said Reggie, confidently.

She nodded and sang the melody in her head a little before going in, hoping she wouldn’t butcher Luke’s song by trying to sing it without knowing it beforehand.

Sometimes I think

I’m falling down

I wanna cry

I’m calling out

For one more try

To feel alive

She had one eye at the paper Reggie put on the bed for her and one eye on Luke. She sang slowly, working to get the melody right and not butcher the song. The great song that Luke had apparently written himself.

God, he was so talented. The song was good , too. Not some half-assed lyrics that didn’t make sense. It had heart , it had meaning .

And rise through the night

You and I

We will rise to shine together

Bright forever

It was catchy too. She soon found out she wanted to learn the song for real, and maybe perform it somewhere. People needed to see his talent. 

The boys joined her for the second chorus, and sang along with her, backing her up while she sang the bridge and they looked at Luke’s face. Serene, sleeping-like.

She loved him. Damn it. She loved him.

They finished the song together, Reggie, Alex and her. They sounded good together, Julie couldn’t help but notice.

And then, Luke’s eyes let out a tear. Emily gasp-sobbed, Reggie and Alex didn’t know what to do with themselves and Julie could feel her heart thundering in her chest.

Julie put her other hand above Luke’s hand, holding his hand with both of hers. She pressed firmly, knowing if that was the last time, she had made it memorable.

“Thank you for listening, Luke. We love you.”

Chapter Text

Luke had a problem and it was all his fault.

Caleb started his very long - according to him - spell to let Luke’s spirit come back to his body, while Luke was watching his family talk to him, like they were saying goodbye.

"Hi baby. We brought Julie for a little musical Sunday," said his mom, tears in her cheeks already.

It made Luke’s non-heart clench, ache with need to talk to them .

“This thing better work, Caleb,” he said while seeing and half listening to his parents, then Reggie and Alex. “I need to come back.”

Caleb didn’t answer him. Luke looked at where he was, by the window on the other side of the room, closed eyes and muttering something. It was weird as hell and Luke wasn’t going to ask.

Instead, Luke busied himself by trying to find a place to sit in his own bed. He wanted to have easy access to his body the second Caleb finished, so he could come back as fast as he could. 

Just as he sat in the corner of the bed, by his body’s left side, his mom and dad went to the couch in the room, as did Reggie and Alex, and what Luke assumed was Reggie’s girlfriend.

Julie sat at the chair by his bedside. 

“Hey Luke. It’s nice to see you again. Everyone here is saying you would probably like my voice, so we thought we’d give you a little concert today,” Reggie snorted at that, which made everyone chuckle, and Luke let himself smile. What a lucky bastard he was. “I really hope they’re right and you don’t hate my voice.”

“That would be impossible.” Yeah, Alex, you tell her, dude.

He could cry in joy knowing he was about to hear her again. And this time, she was going to sing exclusively to him. It made him giddy on the inside.

Soon she started singing, impossibly soft, a few of his favorite songs. He longed to sing with her. They would sound amazing together, he just knew.

He watched as Julie sang his favorite songs, Alex and Reggie chiming in occasionally, as did his parents. It made him so light and happy that it took him a while to realize what was happening behind him.

Caleb was still chanting, but now, in a more understandable way. It looked like Latin and Spanish and Portuguese all mixed together (Luke had taken Spanish in high school), and decidedly didn’t look like whatever he was doing was going to help Luke.

“What was that, Caleb?” he asked, starting to pay attention to the ghost.

He didn’t answer, instead, he opened his eyes and gave Luke a grin. The evil glint in his eyes couldn’t be denied.

“Y que este cuerpo sea mi vaso”*, he was saying. It looked like a prayer and the glint in Caleb’s eyes was starting to worry Luke.

And make him angry.

“Caleb, what the hell?!” He shouted at him. “You’re not making this so I can come back, are you?”

Caleb finally stopped talking-chanting, and gave him a ridiculously evil laugh.

“Finally realized, huh? Well, I’m almost done anyway.” He waved a hand and Luke suddenly couldn’t move anything but his head.

“What did you do to me?!”

“So, Luke, here’s the thing. I’ve been lying to you. Not about everything, though. I was a very powerful guy, until I was murdered in this very hospital. I didn’t lie about that. The guy who did it put a curse on me to confine me on the roof, and I couldn’t come in. But I could go to any roof I liked, and that gave me a lot of opportunities and ideas.”

Luke couldn’t move. He couldn’t move and Caleb had just betrayed him. He wasn’t there to help him.

“I figured how to come back. This ancient chant is part magic, part spirituality. And too boring to explain now. The important part is that I managed to learn how to put a spirit back inside a body without a spirit. Thing is, the body has to be alive, which yours is, and I need to come back to life. You can move on and cross over after I finish this.”

“But it’s going to be you in my body!” he shouted, still trying to move. “I’m not letting you live my life, Caleb.”

“And what exactly are you gonna do to stop me?” He said, mocking him.

That’s when he realized his room was silent, and he could move his head enough to see everyone looking at his body, sad and dejected.

“I knew it was a long shot,” Reggie whispered, his wavering voice breaking the deafening silence, “but I really hoped it would work.”

His girlfriend hugged him and Luke looked at Caleb again.

“You can’t do that Caleb. You can’t live in someone else’s body! You're already dead, face it!”

“Just watch, Luke. This whole thing is to make your body receptive to another soul who isn’t yours. That’s what I did last week so we could be ready for today. Your soul was always able to come back. You just didn’t find the right catalyst.”

Luke wanted to scream. He had been so stupid! Of course that sketchy-ass guy wouldn’t help him! He only wanted to help himself.

Suddenly, he felt a feather-light touch in his hand, and his head snapped to look.

Julie.

She was holding his hand.

Caleb noticed too, frowning upon looking at them.

“What was that? You felt that?”

He didn’t answer, his body immobile. He looked at Julie again, while she was saying those were her favorite songs and how she wished they could meet and talk about the songs. He wanted that so bad.

“My mom was in the hospital once,” she continued, looking at him. He vaguely registered how the others in the room looked briefly at her, like that part wasn’t on the script for today.

“She was diagnosed with lung cancer and it was a very hard time for us. Almost one year was spent in the hospital, mom between life and death. I almost stopped singing completely.”

That would’ve been a tragedy, Luke thought, reaching out to Julie, wanting to console her when she so clearly was talking about something painful to her. Distantly, he heard Caleb’s shocked words.

“It can’t be.”

“She was my inspiration, you know?” Julie was saying. “She taught me everything. Then she wrote me a song. She didn’t complete it, and said it was my job to do it. It helped me cope and believe I could do it, even if she was gone one day. She didn’t die, thankfully, but the feeling remained. Sometimes we just gotta embrace the pain , and use it , you know, because it’s part of us. It makes us who we are. And that makes life a little more beautiful.”

Julie, beautiful Julie. He had no idea she had that type of hurt in her. He wanted to hug her and make it all better, and the urge to go to her set him free.

Suddenly, he could move.

“That’s not possible!” Caleb shouted.

“I would like for you to hear that song. If you can still bear to listen to my voice,” she said, a tear leaking through her eyes and making him ache.

I’ll never get tired of hearing you, Julie , his mind supplied, when he was so obviously without words to say.

Caleb started chanting again, at the same time that Julie’s beautiful voice filled the room again, soft and yearning.

Here’s the one thing

I want you to know

You got someplace to go

She started running her fingers through his hand, and like it had before, gave his spirit-self chills. 

Caleb stopped for a second to mutter, unbelieving.

“She’s your soulmate,” he sighed.

“What?” 

“She’s your anchor to the world, the other half of your soul.” He laughed, no humor in his tone.

“Soulmates are real?” He asked, while Julie impressed everyone out with her voice - including the ghost that was trying to take his body. 

“They are. And if yours is here, this just got a lot more difficult. This stupid bitch is gonna ruin everything.”

Luke was livid, “Don’t you dare talk about her like that!”

Wake up, wake up

If it’s all you do

Look out

Look inside of you

He wanted to just listen to her, but he knew Caleb had to go first. And he still had a trick up his sleeve.

“You can’t stay here anymore,” Luke said, standing before his own body, shielding it from Caleb, while Julie sang behind him. Despite having to fight for his life, he couldn’t help but listen to the lyrics and feel this pull , his entire being trying to answer her.

“The hell I can’t.” 

Suddenly Luke was flown to the other side of the room. When he got up, Caleb was right beside his body, touching his left hand. He felt an intense cold take his spirit-self and listened while his heartbeat spiked in the monitor, making everyone in the room alert, so he launched himself at Caleb, pushing and knocking him away and making his heartbeat on the monitor give another jump.

“You’re not doing that. You can find another body to go to, because mine ain’t gonna be it.”

Caleb snarled like the freaking snake he was while Julie sang something that made him shiver from head to toe.

So wake the spirit, spirit

I wanna hear it, hear it

No need to fear it, 

You’re not alone

You’re gonna find your way

Home

Would he? He so desperately tried to find his way home that he was now fighting an evil ghost, trying to prevent him from possessing his body.

Caleb got up just as his heart spiked in the monitor again, and now Luke knew that this time, it was his body responding to him , to the way he was feeling. Like he was dying and coming alive at the same time.

Before Caleb could lunge at him again, Luke said the words he was saving in case things didn’t go well - like it didn’t, Dave was right, he should’ve never trusted Caleb.

“You’re not welcome here, Caleb Covington.”

Caleb’s eyes bulged and he started shouting before poofing out of the room completely.

Once, he had made the mistake of telling Luke that if the person who invited him said those words and his full name, he would vanish. Thankfully, his full name was easy enough to find out - and again, Luke had Dave to thank for that - and Luke was saving that small tidbit of information for a necessity, and boy, he had one. Caleb probably never even thought Luke remembered that, but he was glad he did.

Caleb vanished just in time for Luke to hear Julie finish her song, the most sweetest notes leaving her mouth.

Relight that spark

Time to come out of the dark

Wake up

Suddenly, he was so tired . 

He looked back to where his family was, all up by the foot of his bed, and Julie, sat by his chair, still holding his hand - he could still feel the faint tingle. 

Soulmate.

Julie was his soulmate? Luke never believed in those things. It seemed too random, or too predictable. But falling in love with Julie was easy, and he could totally see it happening.

He could see them meeting and befriending each other and soon developing a relationship meant to be. He wasn’t a romantic, but the thought made him ache with want.

Suddenly Reggie was beside Julie, shoving a piece of paper at her and asking her to sing. Luke didn’t care anymore.

He was dying. He knew that now.

Caleb was a son of a bitch who wanted to use him and he didn’t know how to come back. Caleb had said he always had the ability to do that, but how? He should’ve asked before sending him away. Not that he was going to answer.

Resigning himself to hear Julie sing for the last time, to see his parents and his friends for the last time, Luke came to stand beside Julie, looking at her the entire time and giving zero attention to what they were talking about.

Which is why he was so surprised when she started singing, nailing the melody first try and in the key he always thought would work best.

Sometimes I think

I’m falling down

I wanna cry

I’m calling out

For one more try

To feel alive

He wanted to hug her. He wanted to kiss her. He wanted to come back and stay with her for the rest of his life. He wanted to sing with her. Her voice, singing his lyrics , was making his heart ache so much , in a completely different way and it was good , but so bittersweet.

And rise through the night

You and I

We will rise to shine together

Bright forever

He could cry with how perfect Bright was for her voice. Like he wrote thinking about her, when he hadn’t ever known her.

He couldn’t deny the concept of Soulmates now. It was fucking meant to be. She really was the other half of his soul.

She looked at him while Reggie and Alex started singing with her, and he put his own voice there too, for the final chorus, proving to himself how amazing they all sounded together.

It made the fact of his own death weigh heavily on his shoulders again.

While they finished, he talked, the urge to cry strong. He didn’t want to go, but he felt like he didn’t really have any choice.

“Thank you Julie. I’m so sorry we never met.” 

His eyes let out the tear his spirit was needing, and he smiled a little at seeing his family, his friends and Julie looking at him with hope.

“I’m sorry to disappoint you, though.” He said, coming to put his spirit-y hand above Julie’s, who was still holding him.

He felt the shiver strongly now. Like a magnet, pulling him towards her.

“I think I could love you, Julie.” 

Nothing would ever be enough to say to Julie - even if she couldn’t hear him -, but if he needed to say one thing to her, it was that.

“Thank you.”

She put her other hand above his, holding his hand with both of hers and pressing it firmly. 

He didn’t hear what she said after, because Luke felt something deep inside his chest, tugging at him with such force that he had no strength left to resist. He just went with it and everything was suddenly surrounded in darkness.

Chapter Text

Julie and Flynn spent most of Sunday night at the Patterson's house. Emily and Mitch had insisted on treating the girls to dinner after the emotional-heavy day. 

They left the hospital an hour after singing Bright . Luke didn’t get any new spikes in heartbeat and that pretty much told them that was it. He wasn’t coming back.

She cried silently in the passenger seat of Alex’s car, while Flynn drove after the Patterson’s. Alex was crying loudly and Reggie was trying to comfort him, while crying too.

“It’s not fair!” Alex was sobbing. 

She didn’t know the full story, and wasn't that close to Alex, but she knew, from what little Reggie told her and Flynn, that Alex had been friends with Luke for even more time than Reggie. And Luke had been a safe harbor for Alex after he came out to his parents and got kicked out. They had a pretty strong friendship, and both boys were hurting.

They arrived at the house a little past six, and Mitch ordered pizza from Luke’s favorite place. They ate in silence for a full total of five seconds before Reggie started reminiscing.

“Remember when he made us eat Hawaiian pizza for his birthday last year?” 

Alex groaned. His eyes were puffy and red and he was picking at his food, but it looked like he understood what Reggie was doing.

“And the one with spinach. Who puts spinach on pizza?!”

“He was trying to get healthier,” Reggie explained to a confused Flynn and Julie and Luke’s amused parents, “he used to go to the gym, and he even ate well enough, but he was starting to get obsessed. We drew the line when he wanted to change the pizza .”

Julie giggled, “Thank God. You’re real friends.”

They chuckled.

“I wish the guys at Destiny could see him playing,” Alex said, a small smile dancing in his lips. “They would have signed us for sure.”

“They would.” Reggie agreed.

“I never saw him play,” said Emily, regretful. “Not until after the accident. My brother found a video online and sent it to me, two months after he went into a coma, and I almost didn’t watch it. Mitch sat with me and we watched together, and I…”

She couldn’t finish, so her husband did it for her. “We never knew how talented he was. Guilt never ate at us harder than in that moment.”

“He knew you loved him,” Alex assured them. “He loved you too. He just wanted you to listen to him.”

Emily just nodded, sniffing, and Flynn looked at Julie, just as lost as she was.

She felt like she shouldn’t be a part of that moment. Here they were, reminiscing about a guy she didn’t even know. She loved him, she was sure of that now, from the very little things she knew about him.

But she was still a stranger. Just a girl that decided to sing to comatose people and eventually fell in love with a comatose boy. One of her former subjects of study. So unprofessional, Julie.

Reggie tried to bring back the mood by talking more stuff about Luke to the girls. Letting them know him a little bit, while they reminisce about the good things his friend had experienced.

Like his single-minded focus about music took him to a fair amount of trouble in high school, but at the same time, got him his scholarship at the University and a shit ton of gigs they could have never scored without him. How he could talk for hours about music with anyone , but the second he had to talk to a girl he liked, he panicked (that made Julie snicker with fondness, and left her heart aching) and became a stuttering mess, scratching the hair at his neck in a nervous gesture. 

How he looked after Alex in those dark days after his parents kicked him out. Alex talked about this with the most heartbreaking expression Julie had ever seen. How, after a few weeks crashing out in an old friend’s house, Luke ate a bad hot dog that almost killed him.

“That’s a long way from tainted hotdogs to spinach on pizza,” Flynn commented, making everyone laugh.

The Pattersons talked too. How their son was a bright light in the world ever since he was born. How he begged for a guitar on his thirteenth birthday, even though he had no idea how to play. How he learned how to play it, alone and using his allowance to buy music books. How the fights they had after he was fifteen and started the band got nastier, how they couldn’t understand him and how much they wished to go back and try again.

They ended up crying again, all of them. Sunday was ending, and with it, Luke’s time. After leaving the hospital, Julie had seen the Pattersons talking with one of the doctors, and by their expressions, she was pretty sure it was about Luke. 

Eventually, they had to leave. 

“Thank you, again, Julie. You didn’t have to do any of that, but you did. I’ll be forever grateful,” said Emily, hugging her while the boys and Flynn said their goodbyes to Luke’s dad.

“You are very welcome, Emily.”

She wanted to say more, but she couldn’t voice any of it.

They parted and Julie said her goodbyes to Mitch, too, and soon, all four of them were back in Alex’s car coming back to the girls’ apartment.

Alex was in the back seat with Julie, while Reggie drived and Flynn went by his side. There was silence for the whole drive, all of them lost in thoughts.

Julie really didn’t know what to think. She was hurting, yes, but she knew that, deep down, she didn’t know Luke. The Luke she had in her mind was made of the things she heard and what she thought about him. It wasn’t him , not really. She would never actually meet him.

She sighed, thinking about ‘what ifs’. 

They stopped in front of the girls’ building, and Alex gave her a sad smile before any of them talked.

“Thank you for doing it, Julie. Really. It meant a lot to us.”

“You’re welcome.” She smiled, then confessed, “I know I didn’t really know him, but… I feel connected to him, somehow. I… Wish we had more time.”

“Me too.”

Alex and Julie left the car while Flynn gave Reggie a hug and a kiss. Flynn got out, and Alex took her place in the passenger seat, after giving both girls a hug.

“Text me when you guys are home,” said Flynn to Reggie through the open window.

They left, and Julie took the stairs to their place in a haze. Flynn wanted to talk, but Julie promised her to talk the next day. She was too emotionally drained for that right now. Luckily, her friend understood, and they parted to their rooms.

Julie took her time. Took a shower - crying in the process -, cleaned her face, did her skincare routine, made a new braid in her hair, put some comfy clothes to sleep in. She didn’t check her phone or her emails as she usually did on Sunday nights, before getting ready for the school week. She could do that tomorrow morning.

Exhausted as she was, as soon as her head hit the pillow, she fell asleep.

Of course, she dreamt with Luke.

~.~

On Monday, she didn’t want to think. She checked her weekly activities on her phone and email, she ate her breakfast, she went to class. 

Julie checked all the boxes on her to-do list on that day, not letting herself have a single idle moment in which she could think about what would happen that day in a certain hospital bedroom. 

It worked, mostly. She slipped a couple times, especially when her phone rang right after she had her lunch. It was Flynn, wanting to get something to eat with her, but she dismissed her friend, since she had already eaten. Flynn, of course, knew what she was doing (avoiding her and talking about everything), but she let her do it anyway.

Monday passed and Flynn eventually let Julie to her own devices. She was a functioning human, so there was no need to worry yet. Julie would talk when she was ready and Flynn knew. It’s not like she had much to talk about anyways.

By Wednesday, she ended up talking with Flynn, but not about her.

“Reggie hasn’t answered any of my texts since yesterday morning, Julie. I’m getting worried.”

“I’m sure he’s just… busy.” Julie told her, trying to calm her friend and herself, without success.

She texted Reggie and Alex that same day. No answer, just like Flynn. Reggie didn’t even get his message delivered, and Alex never read his. It was weird, and Julie tried to ignore her wounded heart and be patient.

On Thursday night, both girls were worried, but decided to give the boys time.

“They’re probably still dealing with the Luke situation,” said Flynn, convincing herself while looking at her phone, opened in her chat with Reggie - and a lot of undelivered messages. “They’ll talk when they're ready.”

Julie agreed, and the girls ended the week without any news. Julie was pretty sure they just didn’t call or text them because it was so new. Luke was important to them, and they needed to grieve. They needed time. Even if the boys liked them, they needed a little time to grasp the new reality that their friend had passed.

Thinking about that made Julie’s heart ache like it was breaking in half, but she had to be realistic. There couldn’t be another reason for the boys to ghost them, right?

As it turned out, there was.

Saturday afternoon, the girls were debating between going out with Carrie like they said they would, or rescheduling with her so they could go to the guys’ place and demand proof they were still alive, when the doorbell to their apartment chimed.

Flynn opened the door, to see Reggie and Alex on the other side. She launched herself to her boyfriend without any greeting.

“Oh my God, you guys! You made us worried sick!”

“Yeah!” Julie seconded, hugging Alex by the door, ignoring the fact that the threshold was obviously not made for four people.

“I’m sorry! I lost my phone on Tuesday and couldn’t replace it yet.” Reggie said.

“Well, that’s unfortunate, but you should have called me from somewhere!” Said Flynn, now getting mad at her boyfriend, who looked sheepish.

“Sorry, babe, I don’t have any numbers memorized.”

Flynn pouted, but Julie turned her attention to Alex. 

“What about you, Alex? We texted you too!” Julie asked, remembering that he also didn’t answer them.

They finally entered the apartment, and Alex answered while taking a seat on the couch, Reggie sitting beside him.

“Sorry, I did see your messages, but the week has been crazy and I kept postponing answering you, and just never did. Also, we didn’t want to tell you by phone.”

Julie’s heart lurched. “Tell us what?”

Both boys looked at each other, and Julie finally noticed their expressions. They weren’t broken and sad like she saw them last time, like she expected them to be now. No.

They looked happy .

Julie’s heart started racing, her brain trying to understand but coming up short.

Reggie broke the news, a huge grin in his face, his eyes shining.

“It’s Luke. He’s… He’s awake.”

Chapter Text

He could hear a beep. 

Echoing around him in an insistent rhythm. It got a little louder with time, like it was pulling his conscience awake through sheer stubbornness. 

He tried to open his eyes to find where the beep was coming from to turn it off and just go back to sleep because he was feeling awful , but his eyes didn't want any of that.

Even with his eyes closed though, he could practically feel the light. Bright, coming through the dark like the sun itself, and he groaned.

A voice hushed around him, and he could identify his name being called a few times. He pried his eyes open just a little bit, frowning against the light and groaning louder.

His eyes rebelled against him, and his brain provided the words: Nop. Too bright. Shutting off again.

He couldn't help but obey.

~.~

The next time he was a little more prepared. Or maybe not. His eyes opened slowly, frowning against the light, that was thankfully less intense this time. He could see a white ceiling above him, and could hear the insistent beeping noise from before. 

His limbs were made of lead. But he managed to gather enough force to turn his head in the direction of the noise. 

"Lucas?"

It's Luke , he wanted to say. But his throat was as dry as the desert. 

He blinked, trying to make his eyes focus. And then tried to talk. 

"Yeah?" His voice was hoarse, so much that it hurt. He didn’t know if the person heard him.

Someone appeared in his line of sight. A nurse.

“Hey! You’re… awake.” 

Well duh , he wanted to say. She seemed so surprised. Also, he felt like his throat was cracking from inside, so he didn’t talk. He just nodded, confirming her words.

“This is… incredible.” She was visibly shocked, but she shook herself out of it and smiled warmly at him. “My name is Linda. Do you know where you are?”

The most logical answer seemed to be the hospital, but Luke had no idea how he ended up there.

“The… hos...pi..tal?” he said, his voice cracking at every syllable.

“Yes,” she seemed happy with his answer, “You’re in the hospital. Your throat is hurting, sweetie?”

He nodded, gulping and groaning when even that hurt.

“Wait a minute. I’m gonna fetch you some water. Don’t sleep again, I still want to talk to you, ok?”

He nodded again and she vanished from the room. He forced his head to look around. He was in a private room, with a three seat couch in front of him, by the end of the bed. At his right, there was a comfy chair and the door. At his left, the window - with the blinds closed - and the machines he heard before. 

He noticed a few things once he got enough of his surroundings. There were wires coming from his chest, presumably to monitor his heart and stuff. There was also a little cannula on his nose, which he took off as soon as he was aware of it. He had an IV on his left arm and was dressed in a hospital gown, and his feet were cold. His limbs were heavy, and he moved them as if he was dragging himself through water.

His head hurt. His eyes were heavy and his throat felt like it was on fire. He couldn’t remember much, and he didn’t want to try right now.

Linda came back with a big glass of water with a straw on it, and a man in scrubs right after her. 

“Here, sweetie. Take it easy.” She pushed the straw to his lips and Luke took it on his mouth and slurped a few gulps of water.

It felt heavenly on his sore throat, but he couldn’t drink everything. He stopped after he drank half the cup, and tried to talk again.

“What happened? Why am I in a hospital?” He asked, his throat still dry and his voice still hoarse, but much better.

“Hi Luke,” said the doctor, and just the fact that he called him Luke made Luke like him already. “I’m Dr. Stone, I’ve been taking care of you for a while. What do you remember?”

Luke closed his eyes, trying to come up with the answer.

“I remember… fighting with my parents, like usual,” he sighed, his brain rushing to give him the answers he needed. “Then I left their place and…”

The green light in front of him. The light that came from his right, the car that didn’t stop in the red light and crashed right into him.

“I was in an accident.” Luke realized, opening his eyes. “The car from the red light didn’t stop.”

“That’s very good, Luke.” The doctor seemed impressed. “You were in an accident. The driver was drunk and didn’t stop, and going at full speed, he crashed into you and sent your car spinning and turning a few times. You were wearing your seatbelt, which helped and saved your life, but you broke a few bones and bruised a few ribs, and more importantly, you had a severe head trauma that put you into a coma.”

It was a lot, but suddenly the dry throat and the lead-limbs made sense.

“How much time?”

“Sorry?”

“How much time did I spend in a coma?”

Dr. Stone looked at Linda, the nurse, and answered quietly.

“It would be six months today.”

Luke couldn’t hide his shock, and looked at the doctor for more information. He couldn’t voice his thoughts, but the doctor knew enough to keep talking.

“We were able to treat your injuries easily enough. You had a couple surgeries to fix a few bones and treat a swelling in your brain, and we tried a lot of different methods and medication to help you, but we couldn’t get you out of the coma. After two months, we just let you heal on your own.”

Luke processed this, trying to understand the fact that he nearly died.

“Honestly, we all thought you weren’t going to wake up anymore. It seems like a miracle.”

He looked at him in awe, and Luke finally voiced something else.

“Do my parents know?”

“Yes. They’ve been paying for your insurance. They’re not here right now, I was about to call them when Linda here told me you were awake.”

He nodded, suddenly feeling so tired his eyes were starting to drop.

“Rest a little. You have a long way to go in the recovery lane. I’ll call your parents, and I’m sure the next time you wake up, they’ll be here.”

He nodded and asked, “Can I have more water?”

“Sure.”

Linda came with the glass again, and Luke downed the rest of the cup. Soon after, they told him to rest, that they would wake him if needed, and left his room. 

It wasn’t long before he fell asleep.

~.~

True to Dr. Stone’s words, when Luke woke up next, he could feel a pressure in his right hand. He looked, groggily, and saw his mother holding his hand while talking to his dad, hushed whispers and red faces. 

His dad was standing, looking at his mom, and suddenly looked at him, his eyes bulging and a smile spreading in his cheeks.

“Luke!” His mom was faster, and soon he saw himself with her hugging him with all her might, sobbing in his ear. “Oh my God, Luke!”

His dad came to the other side and held his left hand, and he pressed his dad’s hand back. He brought his right arm to hug his mom, and they stayed like that for a while, until his mother pulled back.

“Hi, mom,” he said, his vision blurring with unshed tears.

His mother was sobbing and laughing at the same time.

“Hi, sweetheart. It’s so good to see you awake, baby.” 

He managed a small smile, and his mother hugged him again. He just let her.

Objectively, Luke knew his parents loved him. He was seeing how relieved they were right now, seeing him awake. But the memories of the last time he had seen them was still fresh in his mind, even if, apparently, it was six months ago.

He tried not to linger on that, though. It seemed like water under the bridge, and as much as Luke wanted to clear things for his own sake, he allowed himself to have that heartfelt moment with his parents. It was something he hadn’t had in a very long time.

~.~

Luke came in and out of consciousness a few times the next couple of days. He would stay awake more each time, which made his parents happier each time, and the doctors too. 

He was taken to do a few tests outside of his room, which allowed him to see some different sterile walls. MRI’s, x-rays, the whole shebang, he did it. He was also poked a lot for blood samples for new blood tests, but he wasn’t complaining much.

Apparently, he had woken up the first time on Monday, with the first rays of dawn, when the nurse had come in to check his vitals like usual. She saw they were different - a good different - and tried to talk to him, but only succeeded like half an hour after that, when he woke for the second time and actually managed to talk with them.

The passing of time was still confusing to him, but he was pretty sure it was Wednesday now. And something was bugging him. He hadn’t seen Alex or Reggie yet.

So when his parents came to the hospital in the afternoon, like they had been doing ever since he woke up, he asked them.

“Where’s Alex and Reggie?” 

His voice was better, being awake for more time, so it was easier to talk. It was easier to move, too, but he hadn’t been able to walk on his own yet. He was still too weak, according to the doctors. A physical therapist was supposed to come in the next day and start helping him with that.

“We called them yesterday, to tell them you were awake,” his dad answered. “Their job doesn’t let them go out much, but they promised to come soon. They’re really happy to know you’re awake.”

He smiled a little, missing his boys. His two best friends, his brothers in all the ways that counted. He missed them a lot.

He used that afternoon to clear things with his parents, too. The doctors were poking and examining him all day, but they always let the few visiting hours in the afternoon free so Luke and his parents could talk. He was mustering the courage to restart the last conversation he had with them for two days now, and he felt like after those two days, he was ready.

“So,” he started, adjusting himself on the bed so he was more propped up. “I know it’s been six months, but for me it was like three days ago.”

Luckily, his parents knew exactly what he was talking about. They looked sad, all of a sudden, and torn.

“Sweetie,” his mother started, but he interrupted her.

“You need to know that I love you both. So much . But… For me, things weren’t that great when we last saw each other, and… I think we should talk about it.” 

“You’re right. We should talk about it.” His dad said. “And the first thing we need to say to you is that we’re sorry.”

“We never treated your dreams like we should have,” said his mom, tears in her eyes, “we never even gave you a chance to prove it.”

Luke didn’t know what to say to that, because it was true . They never gave him a chance to prove his dreams were worth it.

“I thought back a lot these past six months, honey, and I… All the fights, shouting matches… I didn’t want to admit that I was being just as stubborn as you were, and you probably got all that stubbornness from me, anyway.”

Luke couldn’t help the small chuckle. It was true. All his stubbornness he probably got from his mom. They were alike that way.

“I’m truly, truly sorry.” She said, after a few seconds, looking at him with such love and regret that Luke felt his eyes water. “You did your part, you went to college like I always wanted you to, and I still didn’t treat you right. I never even saw you perform, and I’m so sorry for that. If I had, I probably wouldn’t be so hell bent on you pursuing another career.”

That made him pause. “How are you so sure?”

“We saw a few videos of your performances a few months after you went into a coma,” his dad said, smiling a bit. “You’re incredible, Luke. And your mother and I will never be able to put into words how sorry we are that we didn't support you all those years.”

Luke wiped a tear that managed to slip. “I… Don’t know what to say.”

"You don’t have to say anything, sweetie.” His mom said. “You said everything in the past years since all this started. It just took us a long time to listen to you.”

Luke couldn’t help the tears now. 

“I’m so sorry we didn’t see that before, Luke,” his mother continued, “I’m sorry I ever wanted you to deny a part of yourself to please me or our families. It was stupid and it drove us apart. I only ever wanted you to be happy and safe, and I thought I knew what it was that made you happy. I didn’t, but I do now. And I hope you can forgive me, forgive us, and let us live your dreams with you from now on.”

He was full on crying now, his soul a hundred times lighter, and while he couldn’t speak, his mother understood - finally - what he wanted. So they hugged, and Luke clung to his parents - both of them - like his life depended on it, and he let himself cry everything out. 

Finally , it was all he could think. They were finally on the same page.

After he managed some semblance of control, they turned to smaller subjects, all three of them happy to discuss lighter things. His parents were still telling him everything he missed the last six months in the family - which wasn’t that much, but still. 

They spent the afternoon there. They talked, and his dad helped him go to the bathroom, and his mom got one of the beanies she knitted for him out, and Luke loved it immediately. It was a nice afternoon, and became better a little bit before five.

His dad was talking about how he would have to go back to work the next day - he had taken a few days since monday to be there for him - while his mom assured him that she would still be there every day, when the door to his room opened slowly and his brothers walked in.

Luke knew he looked like a mess - he had cried a lot today, so his face was probably red; he had just taken out the beanie, so his hair was probably going in all directions, and he still looked a little pale, being away from sunlight for so long.

But he couldn’t help the smile that took his features when he saw them.

Alex was the first to reach him, sobbing, “Luke!”

His mom was kind enough to get out of the way, and Alex launched himself to him, hugging him like his life depended on it. He hugged back, crying again and squeezing Alex as hard as he could. 

Reggie came on his other side, hugging him and Alex, crying and sobbing his name, too, and he was so relieved and happy to see them that he didn’t care they were three adult guys crying and hugging each other in front of his parents. 

Eventually, after what seemed like minutes, they calmed down enough to let go, and Alex was the first to speak.

“I swear to God, don’t ever do that again!”

Luke laughed along with everyone in the room. “It wasn’t my fault!”

“I know it wasn’t!” Alex smiled, “I missed you.”

“God, you have no idea…” Reggie whined on his other side. “Life without you is boring. Alex is right, you don’t get to do that again. Ever.”

He laughed again, “I won’t. I promise.” 

Unfortunately, Luke didn’t get much time to chat. After a quick conversation with his parents and Alex and Reggie telling him how it was work - they were working at the same label they were interns in at the last period of college, which was awesome - a nurse poked her head in the room, telling them visiting hours were over and they had to leave.

They all hugged and the boys promised to come back as soon as they could, and if he shed a few more tears when they left, no one said anything.

He was still tired, and he knew he had a long way to go before the doctors deemed him good enough to go home, but seeing his family by his side no matter what, happy he was back after so long, that soothed his worries and his soul, and he knew that soon, he would be back fully into his life. 

He couldn’t wait.

Chapter Text

Life didn’t change much after Reggie brought them the news that Luke was awake. Of course, since neither Julie or Flynn actually knew Luke. 

Julie was happy for him, though. Her heart fluttered every time Reggie sent them messages about Luke’s fast progress or she heard something from Flynn who had heard from Reggie. She started wondering if she would get the chance to actually meet him. It was starting to become a very real possibility.

Even so, she managed to function normally. She still had a degree to get, so she kept her studies and she finished her project, and she did her last finals and she nailed every single performance she had to make in that last month of college. 

Flynn spent less time with Reggie the first two weeks, since Reggie would go to the hospital every chance he had, and they understood. They still had a date night at the beginning of week two, right after the girls’ finals, and Flynn shared the news with Julie as soon as she got home.

"Apparently, he’s recovering very well. He will probably be discharged to go home very soon.” She said.

Julie, Flynn and Carrie were out on a girls night when Reggie sent them the message, a nice Friday two weeks after he woke up.

Luke got released from the hospital today. He’s home with his parents. 

They took a few shots to celebrate, and bless Carrie’s heart - the girl celebrated too, even though she had no idea what she was celebrating.

The girls kept living their lives. They went to trivia night the next week, all of them - Julie, Flynn, Carrie and Nick (apparently they were dating now), Alex, Willie and Reggie. Julie couldn’t help but ask about Luke then.

“He’s still adjusting. Still a little weak, so the doctors asked his parents to keep him in the house for at least another week before trying to get back to his life.” Reggie answered.

“He’s not liking it at all.” Alex snickered. “But he’s still very tired and at least he’s respecting the doctor’s orders. None of us want him in a hospital again any time soon.”

Julie agreed, even if that made her meeting Luke take a little longer. They played trivia without Luke, and Julie and Reggie won again, for their delight.

Julie presented her final project a week later and got more compliments than she could’ve asked for, and she hugged her mom in the end with tears in her eyes. 

“I’m so proud of you, mija .”

Her family was there to watch the presentation, as were Flynn, Carrie, Reggie and Alex - she had a friend in the two of them already, so she invited them to watch. They all went out to lunch to celebrate, and just bask in the feeling of accomplishment.

She was basically graduated at this point. No more finals, her project presented and approved with honors, the only thing they still had to do was the Final Showcase - which was really just a place for the students to perform and maybe find their future managers - and Graduation. 

The Final Showcase wasn’t mandatory, but Julie wanted to play. She signed up for it and rehearsed what she wanted to sing for two weeks, and she couldn’t help but think about Luke while she was rehearsing.

More than a month had passed. Luke was already going out of the house for small periods of time - never alone, but he was - and according to the boys, was already planning on a comeback for the band. Julie had been surprised the week before with a post from the Sunset Curve Instagram account with a recent picture of the boys in front of the Patterson’s house, and a caption that said about Luke’s awakening and that the band would be back soon. There were a thousand comments celebrating and with excited messages for them. Julie wasn’t shy to admit that one of the comments was hers.

She wished she could meet him, but so far, the opportunity hadn’t come. She was confident it would, though. It was only a matter of time.

~.~

Julie was nervous.

She didn’t think she had been this nervous about a performance in years. Sure, after she started singing again, there were a few jitters, but this was different.

She supposed it had something to do with the song, but wasn’t sure. Of course, the song was personal and she never sang it in front of a crowd that big, but still… The jitters were about something else. Julie just didn’t know what it was.

She had just talked to Flynn on the phone, the girl assuring her that they - Flynn and her family - were all in the audience and waiting to see her ‘knock everyone out with her talent’. Her words. 

Carrie had already performed a very electric choreography with her group, and so Julie was alone in the greenroom of the auditorium that was serving as backstage for the performances. 

The person who was before her was called, and Julie decided then and there that she wouldn’t let unexplained jitters take over her. While she waited for her cue, she sat on one of the chairs in the room and just closed her eyes, taking deep breaths and making small warm-ups to keep her mind occupied.

Sure enough, soon the guy acting like roadie came to get her, and Julie let her nervousness in the chair, going to the stage with confidence.

There were several instruments at the stage, but Julie only needed the one that was being pushed at the centre, for her performance. 

“Now, please welcome another of our graduates, Julie Molina.” One of her performance teachers, Mrs Harrison, introduced her.

A round of polite applause followed her, while she gave the full auditorium a wave and a smile, going to sit on the piano bench. She couldn’t see the faces of the people with the lights blinding her, and that actually made her more confident to sing what she needed to.

“Hi, everyone,” she greeted the audience, still not being able to see much beyond the first two rows of chairs, “I’m Julie Molina. I’m graduating in the Music Program in a week, and my focus is Piano and Composition.” She recited, as everyone performing was doing, as per request of the university.

“I’m singing an original song tonight. It’s a very special song to me, and I feel like I’m finally ready to share it with the world. I hope you guys like it. This is Wake Up .”

She didn’t think much after that. Putting her hands on the keys, she took a deep breath and started singing. 

Julie forgot about the audience in the first verse. Performing Wake Up to an audience always seemed too daunting, too much. But after singing it to Luke, she knew she had to, so she chose the song for her Final Showcase. It was a good choice too, because the song showed her range and her abilities at the piano, like the showcase needed her to. Also, the feeling of sharing this powerful song with an audience was amazing .

While she played and sang, she could feel the strong tug of the song, begging her for more. So she gave everything she had. Her voice, her skills. And unlike at the hospital, she didn’t soften her voice when she came to the bridge, belting out the notes freely.

So wake the spirit, spirit

I wanna hear it, hear it

No need to fear it, 

You’re not alone

You’re gonna find your way

Home

It was just as cathartic as the first time she sang the full song, and Julie only noticed she was standing at the end of the song, when the softer notes started coming back and she sat again. She finished with a soft voice and dexterous fingers, and for a second, there was absolute silence.

After a second, though, a thunderous round of applause and cheers took over the auditorium, and Julie got up her seat to see everyone clapping and cheering, standing. She smiled and bowed to her audience, and the cheers followed her backstage in the wings.

Carrie was there, like the others that performed before her, and she gave her a hug immediately.

“You were amazing, Julie!” 

She hugged back. “Thanks!”

“I was seriously tearing up right now, thank God for waterproof mascara.” 

Julie laughed with her, and they stayed together for two more performances before it was the end and Mrs Harrison called everyone back to the stage for a final round of applause. Name by name, she was calling people and Julie couldn’t help but notice another thunderous round of applause when her name was called. She also couldn’t help the big smile on her face. She probably looked ridiculous.

After that they were dismissed, and she got caught in a round of pictures with her classmates that took a while. It was the last time they would see each other before graduation, so everyone wanted to make sure they were going to keep seeing each other after college. Julie only wanted to keep the friendship with Carrie, but she didn’t mind the others, so she gladly took pictures with everyone.

Almost half an hour later, a lot of people had left the building, and she got to the part of the auditorium where she could see her family and the boys, waiting for her.

As soon as she got there, Reggie and Flynn hugged her.

“You were incredible, Jules!” Flynn praised, and the others agreed while she laughed.

“Thank you guys! I’m so glad you all made it!”

“We wouldn’t miss it,” said Alex, giving her a hug too. 

Then it was her family’s turn, and Julie was so happy she had everyone she loved there. 

“Come on, we gotta celebrate, Jules. Let’s treat you to dinner,” said Flynn, looking at the others for support.

“Yeah, come on!” Said Reggie.

“Sure, it sounds great.”

“I’m afraid we can’t go, mija. ” Said her mom, “We have an early day tomorrow, remember?”

Julie remembered. It was her tia ’s birthday, and her mom and dad had plans - early plans - for the celebration. Julie would be there, but she wasn’t needed that early.

“But that doesn’t mean you can’t go with your friends,” said her dad. “Go and have fun. We’ll have Graduation to celebrate together.”

She smiled and gave her dad, mom and brother a tight hug before they said their goodbyes. The boys and Flynn waved at them too and then turned to her.

“Where do you wanna go?” Said Flynn.

“Because after a performance like that, we’ll pay you dinner wherever you want.” Said Reggie, making her laugh.

“Seriously, Julie, I know I told you this already, but hearing you sing freely only proved it. You have a killer voice.” Said Alex.

An unfamiliar voice agreed enthusiastically behind her. “Like a freaking human wrecking ball !”

Julie freezed while her friends smiled at someone behind her. She turned, slowly, her heart beating so fast she was sure everyone could hear.

“Swear to God, never heard anything like it. You’re incredible, Julie!”

It was Luke . Smiling a shy smile at her, clear hazel eyes shining and sweet. It was Luke. Awake. Standing. Here . 

She couldn’t breathe.

“The boys told me about you but I didn’t believe them until today,” he admitted, scratching the hair at his neck. “I’m Luke, by the way. Nice to meet you.”

Chapter Text

Two weeks passed in a blur of tests and physiotherapy that Luke did diligently, hoping it would help him recover faster. It did. Two weeks after he woke up, the doctors decided he was good enough to go home.

Since the boys had to move out of their three-bedroom apartment after he stayed too much time in a coma, he moved in with his parents, who had picked all his stuff at the old apartment and put it in his old room. It was weird, being back in that place. But since the talk at the hospital, things with his parents were a lot better and he didn’t mind that much.

Besides, he still had to do physiotherapy two times a week and regain the weight and the strength he lost after six months of no movement, so being in his parents’ house ended up being a good thing.

His mom doted on him like never before. Cooking his favorite meals - he was eating better, but his stomach still couldn’t handle a lot of food, unfortunately - , and simply talking to him about anything he wanted (including music, the shock!), all the time. 

The boys came a couple times for dinner during his first week home, since he couldn’t leave the house yet (apparently he had to wait a little for his immunity to get better before venturing out into the world again. Whatever). 

That first week, he was too tired to play or do anything music-related. He would sleep the better part of the day, then do the physio exercises he could do at home like the doctors asked, eat, take a shower, talk to his mom, then sleep more. He was tired all the time, but Dr. Stone had told him it was expected.

By the second week, though, the lyrics started floating through his mind again. He was feeling more awake and strong, more like himself. He tried playing again but his fingers had lost a lot of the calluses and it was painful and he didn’t get it right. He huffed and left his guitar on its stand and went to the kitchen, where his mom was baking.

“Hey mom, what you’re making?”

“Hi sweetie,” she said with a big smile for him, like it usually happens these days. “I’m making chocolate brownies. And after that, I’ll do a lasagna. Reggie and Alex are coming to dinner, did they tell you?”

“Sweet! They might’ve, but I haven’t looked at my phone yet.”

He had lost his phone number after the accident, having spent too much time without using it, but his parents had just got him a new one a couple days ago. Luke didn’t like being so dependent on them again, but he had no other choices now, so he just endured it.

Sure enough, when Luke opened his Messages, there was a string of texts in the boys’ group chat (because of course they put him back to the chat as soon as he had a number again).

♫ Sunset Curve is BACK ♫

Alex: Luke, your mom called us to dinner

Alex: Hope you’re awake enough today

Reg: she’s making lasagna

Reg: was an easy yes

Luke couldn’t help the smile while he answered.

Luke: sorry guys, im awake but i was distracted 

Luke: so the lasagna is the only reason you’re coming huh

Luke: good to know :(

Alex: drama queen

Reg: NO LUKE WE LOVE YOU

Luke: :D

Reg: Oh, youre joking

Reg: got it

Alex: Okay…

It was easy enough to stay close to his mom now. They talked, and Luke even said how he wanted to start making music again soon.

Different from before, his mom only gave him a smile.

"Just take it slow, sweetie. Recover first, and then you can come back with all you've got."

He smiled. "Yeah. In the meantime, I can always write new songs."

"And I'm sure you'll write amazing songs."

It was a nice change.

Alex and Reggie thought so too.

“They felt really guilty after the accident because you guys were on bad terms.” Alex said later that day. “I’m just glad you were able to wake up and make up with them.”

“Me too.” Luke agreed. “But enough about that stuff. I’m sure there’s still plenty of things you guys haven't told me about.”

Alex and Reggie looked at each other and Luke knew he was right. Then, they blurted, together:

“Reggie is dating.”

“Alex has a crush.”

Luke arched an eyebrow and started laughing at them.

“Oh wow, hot news then.”

Alex blushed, and suddenly Luke was very interested.

“Okay, whoever makes you blush like that, Alex, I want to know about it. Come on, spill it!”

Alex rolled his eyes, but his smile told Luke a lot. 

“His name is Willie. He’s a skater and we met after he pancaked me at the hall of fame.”

“He pancaked you?” 

“To be fair, I was distracted. It was a bad day, and I was just, you know, walking around to clear my head, and I didn’t hear when he shouted ‘watch out!’, so. He ran me over and we both fell to the ground. And I dinged his board.”

“A true meet-cute, if you ask me.” Said Reggie.

“It seems like it,” Luke agreed, “but don’t think I forgot you have a girlfriend now, Reg. After Alex, it’s your turn.”

Reggie blushed too, and Alex continued telling Luke about Willie. He was an upcoming artist working at a museum, and a skateboarder with quite a few prizes. According to Reggie, they were very different, but Willie balanced Alex out like no one else ever did. The only problem was the pining. Apparently neither had made a move yet.

“We only met four months ago, Reg!” Alex insisted.

“Enough time to make a move, dude!” Luke agreed with Reggie. “Does he not like you?”

“Well, I think he does.”

“He definitely does.”

“Then ask him out already.” Luke said. “Worst case scenario, he says no, but at least you’ll know!”

It didn’t seem to calm Alex enough to make his mind, but Luke knew Alex needed time.

“At least think about it, Lex.” Luke asked.

Alex huffed. “Okay…”

“Good. Now, Reg… About that girlfriend.”

And it was Reggie’s turn to talk. Apparently, he and Flynn - his girlfriend - had met at the label. Flynn was a senior at college and was visiting the studio on an assignment with her PR class, and Reggie had been the designated person to show the class around. They hit it off because he liked Flynn’s style and Flynn liked his. They met again at a party two weeks later and talked, traded numbers and flirted. They were dating a month after.

"She's amazing. We’ve been together for three months. I’m sure you’ll get to meet her soon.” He said, a dreamy expression in his face.

“I’m glad to know you found someone, too, Reg.” Luke said, remembering all the times Reggie got home frustrated because one of his crushes didn’t pan out. It was good seeing his friend so happy.

“She’s got a friend who’s graduating in Music this month, too. I don’t think we’ve met her before, but you were more into the Music classes than us, so maybe you remember her?”

He shrugged.

“What’s her name?”

“Julie Molina.”

It wasn’t a weird name. Something told him he knew that name. Like he knew her, like he had to remember her. But he couldn’t remember a face or any time he had actually heard her name or met anyone named Julie.

“I don’t know. I don’t think I recognize it.”

Reggie shrugged. “It’s okay. Those two are practically glued. You’ll meet her too.”

“She’s a fantastic singer,” said Alex. “And we only heard her sing a couple times.”

Luke had no idea what to say to that, but the boys seemed awed by the girl.

“Ehhh, we’ll see.”

They chuckled, and Alex turned to him again.

“So. About the band.”

“You know I’ll want to go back as soon as we can.” 

“We were hoping you would say that.” Reggie agreed. “With work, we can’t rehearse all the time, but we’ve been making connections in the industry too, and that might help the band.”

“Awesome.” Luke said at the same time his mother called them to the table. They got up while Luke talked. “I’m still working on getting my mojo back. All this time without playing… It’s almost like having to learn again. But I’ll get there.”

“We’re sure you will, Lu.” Alex said. “And we’ll be ready when you are.”

He honestly couldn’t ask for better bandmates.

~.~

For the next weeks, Luke had medical appointments, and physio sessions, and he kept working on his music. Playing was better now, more than a month after going home, and he had a few lyrics tossed over his songbook to work with.

He was free to go out by the doctors, which helped, too. Without the need to stay home, since he was better each day, he got to catch up with his friends. They went to a few of his favorite places, they hung out at the boys’ place, and Luke was feeling like life was almost back to normal.

He now needed a job. He had one before the accident, at a music store, but had learned the store had replaced him after a while, and they didn’t have any spots open now. It was a shame, but Luke was willing to find other places. 

He was determined to start his life again. He had lost more than six months already, and despite having all the financial support from his parents now, he didn’t want to depend on them. He was almost 23 and he needed to live his life. He got a few interviews and they went well, but so far nothing concrete.

He went to trivia night with the boys - and of course, he and Reggie rocked it - and he finally met Willie.

“It’s good to finally meet you, Luke. The boys missed you a lot,” Willie was saying, after Reggie and Alex went to the bar to grab more drinks for them. 

“So they’ve told me,” he sighed. “It’s weird, you know. You close your eyes, and when you open them, it’s six months later. And the people you know and love are still there, but… they’re different, somehow.”

He hadn’t said that to anyone yet, but he found that talking to Willie was easy. And he noticed how Alex seemed more relaxed around him. They were definitely good for each other.

“I can only imagine.” he sympathized. “Are you all caught up?”

“I hope so,” he laughed while the boys came back. 

They got their drinks and while Luke wasn’t drinking that night, he drank his soda while they boys chatted.

“So you didn’t invite the girls?” Willie asked Reggie.

"Yeah, Reg, I thought I was going to finally meet Flynn!” Luke complained.

A month and a half and Luke didn’t know Reggie’s girlfriend yet. 

“I’m sorry! I did invite them, but they’re really busy. With finals and final projects, it’s a lot. Flynn’s finishing her last final tomorrow, so then we can set something up.”

“What about Julie? I thought she was your partner in trivia.” Willie said.

Luke frowned at that.

“She has the Final Showcase tomorrow night, she had to stay at home to rehearse.” Reggie looked at Luke and laughed. “Don’t worry, Luke, you’re still my number one partner in trivia. Julie’s just as good as us, you’ll love her. As soon as we can, she’ll come and the three of us will be unstoppable.”

Luke just hummed and kept drinking.

“By the way, she invited us for the Showcase, Alex. We’re going, right?”

“And watch her kill it with an actual audience? Of freaking course. You’re coming with us, too, Luke.”

“What? But I don’t know the girl.”

“It’s a good way to get to know her.” Reggie said. “And Flynn will be there too, so you’ll meet them both. Come on.”

Luke shrugged. He wasn’t going to say no to music. 

“If she doesn’t mind, sure.”

“She won’t.” Alex assured him. “We’ll pick you up at six.”

~.~

The next day, Luke dressed casually, but nice, as his mom insisted, her eyes shining in a different way that Luke didn’t get. He left the beanie he wanted behind, if only because it was too hot and his hair was too long. Which reminded him he had to cut his hair soon.

The boys picked him up at six, since Luke still had to get a job so he could buy a new car, and they drove to the University talking about the boys’ job and news about the music world. 

Alex parked close enough to the building that they didn’t need to walk much, and Luke let nostalgia grab him for a while. It hadn’t been that long since their own Final Showcase, where they had rocked the house singing Now or Never . Well, for him probably less than the boys.

“Alex, is Willie coming?” Luke asked, having remembered to ask since the skater wasn’t with them.

“No, he had work.” He seemed sad about it. “We’ll probably go out after this, so maybe I’ll call him to meet us.”

“Ok.”

They got inside the auditorium and Luke waited while Reggie and Alex looked at the audience getting settled in the chairs. Reggie suddenly brightened and made a bee-line to a row of chairs right in the middle of the audience.

“There’s Flynn, come on.” Alex said, pulling Luke by his hand.

Sure enough, Reggie was hugging and kissing a short girl with long braids, a big smile on her face. 

“Hey Flynn!” Alex said, breaking up whatever spell Reggie was on, which made Luke snicker.

“Hey Alex, good, you’re here too!” They hugged.

“I wouldn’t miss it.”

“Of course.” 

Then the girl saw him and lifted her eyebrows in surprise.

“We thought it would be a good idea for you guys to finally meet, so we brought him,” said Alex pointing at Luke. “Do you think Julie will mind?”

“I’m sure she won’t.” said the girl.

“Dude, you told me she wouldn’t!” Luke complained. “Are you telling me she doesn’t even know I’m here? She doesn’t know me!”

“Don’t worry, Luke, she’s cool.” Alex said, a smile Luke didn’t know the meaning of in his mouth.

“That being said, Flynn, babe, this is my other brother and best friend, Luke. Luke, this is my girl Flynn.” Reggie said.

Luke offered his hand to Flynn, with a polite smile.

“Nice to finally meet you Flynn. Reg hasn’t shut up about you.” 

Flynn laughed and pulled him to a hug. “I can say the same, Luke. Nice to meet you. I’m glad you’re awake.”

“Oh, so you…”

“Yeah, I know.” She smiled. “I’m really glad I got to meet you for real.”

Luke smiled. “Me too.”

“Hey boys, let me introduce you to some people.” She turned, and Luke noticed a couple and a kid looking at them with curious eyes. “These are the boys Julie and I were talking about the other day, Alex, Reggie and Luke. Boys, these are the Molinas, Julie’s parents, Ray and Rose, and Carlos, her little brother.”

For some reason, Rose’s eyes had sparkled a little when she heard Luke’s name, and while it made him confused, Luke wasn’t going to question it. They got up and greeted the boys, and they sat in the row and chatted idly while waiting for the Showcase to start, which didn’t take long.

Of course, a long list of performers was set to present today, and Luke listened to them curiously. They were from various styles and it was nice to watch. He clapped politely and cheered the ones he thought were good.

Finally, Mrs. Harrison, who had also been the boys’ teacher, called Julie’s name.

“Now, please welcome another of our graduates, Julie Molina.”

Her parents cheered loudly, and so did his boys and Flynn. Luke just clapped like the rest of the audience, ready to see what the fuss was all about. It wasn’t possible that girl was that good , was it?

The girl who walked into the stage was short, with wild curly hair and brown skin, and he could bet brown eyes too. She was wearing customized jeans with a cropped shirt and colorful sneakers. And she was absolutely gorgeous.

She sat down on the piano in the middle of the stage like she owned it, and adjusted the mic before looking at the audience with a smile. There were so many lights, he doubted she was seeing anything.

“Hi, everyone,” she greeted, “I’m Julie Molina. I’m graduating in the Music Program in a week, and my focus is Piano and Composition.”

Composition, huh? Did that mean she was going to do an original? Not many students did that, and Luke was instantly curious, adjusting himself in his seat to get a better view.

“I’m singing an original song tonight. It’s a very special song to me, and I feel like I’m finally ready to share it with the world. I hope you guys like it. This is Wake Up .”

An original, he knew it! He was curious to hear her, and he just hoped she didn’t suck because he would have to lie to his friends if she did and he couldn’t lie to them to save his life.

With a deep breath, Julie set her fingers on the piano keys and started playing. The melody was smooth, and Luke could feel all his attention on her. 

Here’s the one thing

I want you to know

You got someplace to go

He knew that voice. 

Life’s a test, yes

But you go toe-to-toe

You don’t give up

No, you grow

He knew that song.

And you use your pain

Cause it makes you, you

Though, I wish I 

Could hold you through it

He frowned, while Julie very clearly lost herself in her music. His brain was practically screaming at him that he knew that song, he had heard it and her voice before, but where ? She said it was an original, and he had never met her before. Had he?

He didn’t have to worry about lying to his friends, he realized. She was freaking amazing. Her voice hit all the low and high notes, and she had the power and the softness she needed to nail every single note with perfection. But he knew that already, didn’t he? 

But how did he know that?

His head was hurting and Luke was overwhelmed. Julie was like… she was incredible, he was glued to the edge of his seat, hopelessly watching while Julie knocked the wind out of him and made a mess in his brain.

She got so into it she got up, starting the bridge with a force in her voice that left everything in Luke’s entire being trembling. 

So wake the spirit, spirit

I wanna hear it, hear it

No need to fear it

You’re not alone

You’re gonna find your way

Home

He did find his way, didn’t he?

She belted the notes flawlessly, leaving Luke breathless and with goosebumps all over his body. He was literally shaking, like his very soul knew something he didn’t. He had incomprehensive flashes on his mind that made his head hurt and the absolute certainty that he knew her and that song in a way no one in that room did. 

Who was this girl and why did he have such a visceral response to her?

She came back down, softening her voice to match the end of the song, her dexterous fingers playing out the beautiful melody. She finished, and for a second there was absolutely silence.

Luke only remembered to breathe when the audience started the thunderous roll of applause for Julie. He got up his seat, clapping and shouting and cheering her on like her parents and his friends beside him. He was out of breath, while she smiled, almost shyly, to the audience and bowed, leaving the stage.

That girl… He knew her and he had no idea how or when that happened, but he knew that like he knew his own damn name.

They had a few more presentations after Julie, but Luke couldn’t get her out of his mind enough to pay attention to the others. He was still shaking. Alex, by his side, seemed to know what he was thinking.

“She’s amazing, right?”

Well, more or less what he was thinking. Luke didn’t have words, so he nodded, agreeing silently. 

When the Showcase was over, and all the students went to the stage for a new round of applause, he couldn’t get his eyes off of Julie. After that, they were dismissed and they stayed at the back of the auditorium waiting for Julie, chatting while they were at it.

Unfortunately, his headache had increased. Julie’s incredible voice and her song hadn’t left his mind yet, and he had a throb in his head he didn’t know the meaning of since then.

“Hey, I’m going to the bathroom real quick,” he said to Alex, after a while. Maybe he was just hot?

“You okay?” Alex asked, a worried frown on his face.

“Yeah, I just need to freshen up.”

“Ok, we’ll wait here.”

He nodded and excused himself, going to the bathroom right outside the auditorium. There weren't many people there, and Luke did what he needed and went to the sink to wash his hands. He threw some cool water in his face, hoping to get rid of the headache. He knew the boys wanted to treat Julie to dinner now, and he didn’t want to be a bummer and ruin their night. Also, he needed to talk to her. To try and figure out where he knew her from.

“Come on, Luke,” he murmured to himself. “She’s amazing, but it’s just a girl. You can handle it. Don’t go crazy.”

He threw more water in for good measure, noticing it helped soothe his headache a little, and then he dried his hands (and face) and came back to the auditorium.

First thing he noticed was that Julie was there. Her parents were nowhere to be found, and she was laughing and talking to Flynn, Reggie and Alex. Luke came close enough to hear what the boys were saying.

“After a performance like that, we’ll pay you dinner wherever you want.” Said Reggie, making her laugh.

“Seriously, Julie, I know I told you this already, but hearing you sing freely only proved it. You have a killer voice.” Alex said.

Luke had just got back and Julie didn’t know him, but he couldn’t help himself when talking about musical talent, so he agreed easily with Alex and threw his own compliment to her.

“Like a freaking human wrecking ball!” 

Wrecking ball was accurate. Luke was completely wrecked after her performance. He still hadn’t recovered and he didn’t know if he ever would.

His friends and Flynn smiled at him, while Julie turned to him slowly. He was suddenly excited, remembering the talent she had, so he kept talking, ignoring the fact that she probably didn’t know him.

“Swear to God, never heard anything like it. You’re incredible, Julie!”

Then he saw her eyes. Those beautiful brown, chocolate eyes. They looked startled, but also happy and they were shining with some unknown emotion. It made Luke giddy on the inside and he had no idea why. Suddenly his mouth was dry and he didn’t know why he started talking.

He smiled a little, suddenly shy, and scratched the hair at his neck nervously.

“The boys told me about you but I didn’t believe them until today,” he admitted, but she didn’t seem upset about that fact. “I’m Luke, by the way. Nice to meet you.”

Julie blinked a few times before talking.

“Oh… Hi! Well... thanks. The boys talked a lot about you, too, Luke. Nice to finally meet you.”

He smiled and offered his hand, which she took, and he could swear he felt something like static when they shook hands. He looked at Julie and she seemed normal, so maybe it was his imagination.

He was going crazy, that was the only explanation for this night.

Then she let go of his hand and turned to his friends. “You guys! You didn’t tell me you would bring Luke!”

“Surprise!” Reggie said with a smile, and Luke rolled his eyes.

“I’m sorry about them. In my defense, they told me you wouldn’t mind me tagging along, so that’s why I came.”

She chuckled, the sound like music to his ears. “Don’t worry, I really don’t mind.” 

Her smile seemed genuine and sweet, so Luke believed her and smiled back. 

The boys insisted on taking the girls to dinner, and since they were five, they all piled into Alex’s car and went their way. Luke was in the backseat with Flynn and Julie, and they talked and praised Julie all the way to the restaurant, to which she kindly thanked them for.

All the time they were close, though, Luke felt that static again. Something he never felt before, something that was almost like a pull… 

He didn’t know what it was about her that made him feel like this, but he was more than willing to find out.

Chapter Text

Julie wanted to pinch herself.

She spent so much time thinking this would never happen, that she was having a hard time believing it was .

Luke was here. Right beside her, in the middle of the backseat of Alex’s car, squeezed between her and Flynn - who Julie was pretty sure sat on his other side on purpose. He was talking excitedly about the performances at the Showcase - he was so energetic , she couldn’t help but stare at him.

After seeing him so still and unmoving for months, it was a relief to see him alive . It honestly made her want to cry, but she needed to hold herself together. Luke obviously didn’t know about her singing to him or meeting his comatose self, so she had to pretend she had just met him today, which sucked, but she could handle it for now.

“Honestly, though, Julie was the best act.” Luke finished his passionate rant about the performances, a shy smile in her direction.

“Obviously.” Flynn agreed. “My girl’s the best.”

"We told you she was incredible!" Said Alex.

"You did." He agreed. "Although… I know this is crazy, but I feel like I know the song you played. And I know that's not possible because you said it's an original, right?"

Julie almost choked.

“Y-yeah, it’s an original…” She said, seeing how her friends were also surprised with what Luke had said. “Maybe you mixed the melody with some other song you know?”

He shook his head. “I don’t mix up songs. And it’s not like I know something that sounds like your song. It’s like I’ve already heard your song before. The melody, the lyrics... I know, it’s weird. But I can’t shake the feeling for some reason.”

“Maybe you dreamt about it,” Reggie said, and Julie could see he was trying to get Luke to forget the subject.

“I don’t know.” Luke shrugged. “Either way, it’s an incredible song, Julie.”

“Thank you.” She smiled, happy because Luke had heard the song (while conscious) and liked it . 

And the fact that he thought he heard the song before made her giddy on the inside. Maybe he remembered, after all? At least, some part of him did, deep down.

Conversation turned to other topics until they reached the restaurant, a nice Mexican one that Julie loved. They entered and got a table for six, Alex saying he would invite Willie to come, if he was available, and Julie didn’t mind. 

Julie went to the bathroom with Flynn while the boys got the table for them, so of course the first words she heard from her best friend when they were finally alone were:

“GIRL! He’s here!”

“I know, Flynn,” Julie looked at herself in the mirror, trying to contain her excitement so Flynn wouldn’t freak out (more).

“I swear I had nothing to do with this. Reggie didn’t tell me they were bringing him.”

“It’s okay. I was bound to meet him eventually.” Julie said, putting on some lip gloss and trying to fix her wild hair a little.

“Aaand?” Flynn insisted.

Julie rolled her eyes. “And nothing Flynn. He obviously doesn’t know about me singing to him.”

“Reggie did tell me they didn’t tell him yet. They don’t know how he would react.”

“Yeah, I figured they didn’t tell him.” Julie sighed. “But that doesn’t mean I’m just sitting by.”

Flynn looked at her expectantly.

“I mean. I do think he’s amazing, but so far, everything I know about him is what I heard from other people. I’m actually very excited to get to know him for real now.”

Flynn smiled. “I know what you mean. So, ready to make him fall for you? I think he’s halfway there already, I saw his reaction to you singing.”

Julie felt her cheeks burn. “I’ll just be myself, Flynn.”

“That will be more than enough.”

They went back to the table, and Flynn sat beside Reggie on the round table the guys secured for them. Alex was right next to him and Luke after. Julie sat beside Luke, urging the butterflies in her stomach to calm down once he looked at her and smiled.

He had to have a perfect smile, didn’t he?

“Is Willie coming?” Julie asked once she was seated to distract herself from Luke’s perfect smile.

“He says he’ll be here in half an hour. We can order while he comes.” Alex said.

“It’s probably best if we leave a place for him, too.” Reggie said, looking at Luke with a conspiratory look. “Why don’t you guys skip a seat to leave room for Willie?”

Luke smiled back and urged Julie to sit beside Flynn, on the other chair. She did, and then Luke skipped another chair, leaving the seat next to Alex empty. It was fast enough for Alex to notice only when they finished, and then he blushed.

“Really, guys?”

“Come on, dude, we’re trying to help you!” Said Luke, an easy smile on his lips.

Alex rolled his eyes but didn’t argue, making Luke and Reggie laugh. The girls laughed a little too, amused with Alex’s clear discomfort. 

They got busy looking at the menus for a while, and Julie found herself looking at Luke a lot, trying to see what he wanted. He saw her looking and gave her a sheepish smile.

“I like mexican food but there’s a lot here I have no idea what’s about.”

Julie laughed and inclined to see his menu, explaining the dishes to him while they looked. 

She tried to ignore her friends while she helped Luke choose and just enjoyed the fact that he was here , and that she was talking to him and he was answering , for a change.

They soon picked their dishes and conversation turned to small talks around the table for a bit. Of course, Flynn turned to her boyfriend and left Julie to talk with Luke. Not that she minded, of course. 

“So,” Luke started, “you’re graduating on Music. Well, obviously, we just got out of the Showcase. That was a stupid thing to say.”

He frowned at himself, and Julie just chuckled, amused.

“Yeah,” she agreed, putting him out of his misery. “I heard you guys are musicians, too.”

“Yeah,” he seemed grateful she didn’t acknowledge his mistake. “We have a band. Sunset Curve.”

“Tell your friends!” Said Reggie by their side, making Alex laugh.

“I swear to God, it’s like he knows .” Alex said, making Julie and Luke laugh.

“Yeah, the boys told me about you guys. I saw some of your videos. You’re kinda good.” She admitted, downplaying a little bit.

“ Kinda ?” He seemed insulted. “Well, clearly you have to hear us live.”

“I clearly do.” 

Was she flirting? It felt like she was flirting. Oh my God, was Luke flirting too? His smile certainly was more playful than before. And what a perfect smile, indeed. Damn it, Julie, get it together.

“Anyway,” she continued, “I don’t know how I’ve never heard about you guys before.”

“We spent a little time off, with me in a coma,” he said, rolling his eyes and making her chuckle. “And before that, we used to play in clubs more than at the University. I also don’t remember seeing you before, in classes.”

“I don’t think we had any classes together.” She said, positively sure. She would’ve remembered him if they had classes together.

“Yeah,” he said, and then, so low that she almost didn’t hear, “I would’ve remembered you if we had.”

She almost freezed. It was practically what she had just thought. Her heart grew and so did her smile for him.

“Funny, I just thought the same thing about you.”

He looked at her surprised, and then his smile turned bigger. That boy was gonna kill her with that smile.

And they were definitely flirting. That escalated quickly.

Suddenly their bubble was popped, by Willie loudly joining them at the table.

“Julie! I wasn’t there, but Alex sent me a little video. Girl, you have pipes !” He complimented her, and she smiled politely at him.

“Thanks Willie.” 

He made a point at going at Julie and hugging her, which she accepted gratefully. 

“You missed it, dude!” said Luke, after greeting Willie with a hand shake. “She’s a freaking wrecking ball.”

“I still don’t know if that’s a compliment or not.” Said Julie, laughing at Luke’s enthusiasm.

“It totally is.” He assured her.

Alex blushed like crazy as Willie sat in the only available chair by his side, making Reggie and Luke snicker like ten-year-olds. They talked about the performance with Willie, Luke giving her so many praises that Julie was certain her cheeks were completely red.

Their food arrived, and they ate and chatted with everyone at the table. Julie was glad. Being beside Luke was making her butterflies crazy all the time, she didn’t know how she was going to handle dinner if she had to talk only to him all the time. Maybe next time, when she was more ready for the spark that seemed to fly whenever they were close enough.

God, she was going crazy. Sparks, Julie? Really? But yeah. She couldn’t deny there were sparks.

They finished their meals after a while, and Luke excused himself to the bathroom while they waited for dessert. And then, finally, Julie could get some answers. As soon as Luke was out of earshot, Julie looked at them.

“So. Anyone care to tell me why you didn’t tell him?”

They knew what she was talking about.

“We didn’t know how to.” Reggie started saying. “And we are still not sure how he’ll react to it.”

“Isn’t it worse to keep from him? He’ll find out eventually. And he remembers Julie’s song!” Flynn said.

“I’m still trying to wrap my head around that,” Said Alex, seeming awed. “He did listen to you, even while unconscious.”

Julie sighed, a little frustrated. Reggie tried to cheer her.

“Look, we decided to bring him, because we know Luke. And after meeting you…” he exchanged a look with Alex. “We’re pretty sure you two are soulmates.”

“Soulmates don’t exist.” Julie rolled her eyes, even though the butterflies did somersaults in her belly at the word.

“Real or not,” Alex conceded. “You guys are just… So much alike. We’re not trying to matchmake you or anything, but we seriously think you’d be amazing together. As friends or more. So we wanted to give Luke a chance to meet you without knowing about the hospital stuff. Like if he had met you before, so his reaction to you would be more natural, so to speak.”

“I can understand the logic,” Julie sighed again. “But I still don’t like lying to him.”

“We don’t have to lie. Get to know him, and then we’ll tell him.” Alex said. “I’m pretty sure he won’t mind that much.”

Julie hoped Alex was right.

“He’s coming back,” Willie warned, and they quickly changed the subject.

They talked more, about graduation and the girl’s plans for after that, while eating dessert. Luke seemed more withdrawn with the conversation, so Julie turned to him, tuning out the conversation for a bit.

“Everything okay, Luke?”

He looked at her like he was startled out of his thoughts. “Y-yeah. It’s just a headache.”

She frowned. “It’s that common?”

“It’s been worse today, but I’m fine. I think it was just the lights and loud sounds at the Showcase. I’ll be good.”

She didn’t like the sound of that. “If you were having a headache, you should’ve said something. You could go home earlier.”

He smiled at her. “It’s a small headache, Julie. I can handle it. I didn’t want to ruin your day. You deserve to be celebrated.”

She didn’t know what to say to that. “Still…”

He chuckled. “Thanks for the concern. But I’ll be fine. Promise.”

She nodded, trying to believe in him. 

Soon the conversation died and they left the restaurant, the boys being true to their words and paying Julie’s part. They piled back into Alex’s car and since the boys had work the next day, decided to end the night early (not so much, since it was almost midnight). 

They said goodbye to Willie at the door, since he had come in his uncle’s car, and Alex drove to the girl’s apartment.

Julie was squeezed in the middle this time, between Luke and Flynn. Luke’s leg was pressing hers, and sparks were flying. She didn’t know if he felt any of that, but his face betrayed nothing.

“So,” Luke said, while Flynn and Reggie were trying to convince Alex to change the radio station. “I know we talked about it at the restaurant, but you never gave us a real answer.”

“About what?” She asked.

“Your plans. After graduation. Anything in mind?”

Knowing Luke was a musician at heart, she knew he would probably be one of the few people to understand her.

“I really want to be an artist,” she said, her voice almost like a whisper. “Perform and sing, and write. I still don’t know how to get there. I’m trying not to think too much.”

He smiled. “I would honestly buy anything you release.”

She chuckled. “Thanks. I’m not sure how to do that yet.”

“I have a little experience,” he said, shrugging. “Maybe I can help you figure it out?”

Oh God. Her heart was on her mouth, but there was really only one answer she could give.

“I would really like that.”

He smiled, and then reached for his pocket. Pulling out his phone, he opened to a New Contact and gave it to her. She was absolutely sure everyone in the car was hearing her heartbeat, but she couldn’t bother to look.

“If you want, you can give me your number so we can keep in touch and maybe we can help each other. I want to come back to the scene with the boys soon, too.”

She smiled and put her contact info on his phone, handing it back to him. He shot her a quick text for her to save his number, and before they could do anything more, she felt the car stopping.

“There you go,” Alex said, bursting the bubble Julie and Luke were in. “Girls, as usual, a pleasure.”

Julie laughed. “Thank you for bringing us home, Alex.”

Flynn thanked too, and extended herself to give Reggie a kiss, while Julie, Luke and Alex made gagging noises to them, just to make fun of them. She said goodbye to the boys after, and the clear hazel of Luke’s eyes made things to her heart she didn’t even want to begin to unravel. 

She resisted the urge to look back at Luke while they entered the building, not wanting to look like a foolish girl in love, even though that was exactly what she was.

She had made herself believe her love for Luke was just in her head, made up by the things she heard about him. She thought he was hot (it was obvious) and after meeting him, she was pretty sure whatever would come in the real package would help her be more realistic towards him and maybe she would get over everything.

But boy, she was screwed. He was exactly like she imagined and more. If one night was making her like this, she didn’t want to know how she would be after more time with him.

But, she couldn’t wait to have more time with him. 

And now she had all the time in the world.

Chapter Text

Luke watched as Julie and Flynn entered the building, and as soon as they got out of sight, he turned to the boys - who were watching him with big and playful eyes.

“You guys could’ve warned me that Julie was a freaking goddess!”

He smacked them for good measure, but the boys just chuckled.

“A goddess?” Reggie laughed.

“Obviously. A musical goddess.” Luke corrected, blushing.

“Sure. Just musical.” Alex snickered, while starting the car again.

Luke ignored their teasing, his mind venturing back to Julie. 

The connection he felt with her, he never in his life felt with anyone. Luke had girlfriends in the past, but none of them ever made him feel like this. And he had just met Julie.

Although there was this feeling , this thing in his heart and his mind, telling him that Julie was no stranger. The same feeling of knowing her song, even if apparently, it was the first time Julie ever sang it to an audience. 

It frustrated him. He was missing something. 

“We really never met Julie before?” He asked, out of nowhere, interrupting whatever conversation Reggie and Alex were having in the front seats. “In one of our gigs, passing through her in college… Nothing like that?”

He saw the boys exchange a weird look between them. They probably thought he was going crazy.

“Not that I remember,” said Alex.

“I don’t remember meeting her before, either.” Reggie said.

“It’s just… So weird.” He muttered. “I never connected like this with anyone before.”

“She’s probably your soulmate.” Reggie mocked.

But Luke didn’t laugh. Soulmate . The word made his heart sing: “ Yes! She is!” and he had no idea why he was so sure of that.

“Maybe she is…” he answered, already tuning out whatever the boys were saying. 

Truth is, Luke was determined to get to know her. Everything there was to know about her, Luke wanted to know. He pulled his phone out of his pocket and sent another text to her.

Luke: just wanted to say i really liked meeting u, Julie

Luke: can’t wait to work together :)

Was it weird? Luke hoped not. She seemed to like him too, and when she accepted his help in finding out how to get her name on the music scene, his heart soared in happiness. He couldn’t wait to actually set something up with her so they could talk more. And alone, preferably.

“There you go, Lu.” Alex said, interrupting his thoughts, and he realized they were parked at the front of his parents’ house. 

“Right. Thanks for the night, boys.” He was about to leave, when Reggie stopped him.

“Hey, uh. We’re sorry for not telling Julie you were going,” He really looked sorry. “She doesn’t mind, as you could see, but I thought maybe you got uncomfortable with that.”

“It’s okay.” 

“We just really wanted you two to meet,” Alex said. “Ever since we met her, it’s all we could think about. How well you two would click. And we were right. You basically didn’t talk to anyone else tonight.”

He blushed.

“Maybe that’s why you have this feeling of having met her before,” he continued with a smile. “Because you two bonded so quickly.”

“Maybe.” He didn’t think it was because of that, but he didn’t know the answer either, so he let it go. “It’s okay. I can see why you thought we would get along. We did. She’s amazing.”

“Did you get her number? If not, I can send you.” Reggie asked, already pulling out his phone.

“No, I got it. She said she wants to work on getting her name in the business, and I offered to help.” 

They smiled at him, but somehow, Luke knew it wasn’t mocking this time. 

“Well, that’s great. Let us know if you need any help with that.” Alex said.

“Sure boys. Thanks again. I’ll see you this weekend?” 

“We’ll stop by.” Reggie promised, and they said their goodbyes, Luke getting out of the car and walking through the driveway. 

As soon as he got inside, the boys drove away, and Luke allowed himself a moment to breathe. It was an amazing night, but full of so much information and sounds that Luke’s head was pounding. He went straight to the kitchen to look for some painkillers. 

He found the cabinet his mom kept the first aid kit and meds, and pulled some pills into his hand. Getting some water, he swallowed the pills and took a deep breath. He really hoped that headache was just what he said to Julie, a result of the loud sounds and the busy night.

Before he could put everything away, his mom entered the kitchen, frowning when she saw the kit.

“Everything okay, dear?”

“Hey mom. Yeah, I just have a headache. Did I wake you?”

“No, I was waiting for you. A headache? Did you have it when you left?”

“No, it started after the Showcase. I think it was the lights and sounds. It got better during dinner, but it got worse when we left. I don’t know. I just took some painkillers and I’m going to bed. I’ll be better tomorrow.”

His mom seemed worried, but accepted his answer.

“Okay. Tell me if you need anything or if it gets worse, alright?”

“I will.” 

Giving her a hug and a kiss on the forehead, Luke went to put the kit away, but his mother shooed him out of the kitchen before he could do anything.

“I’ll put it back. You go to bed.”

He was going to argue, but his mom was already putting the kit away, sending him off with a glare. He said goodnight and went to his bedroom. 

He passed through the bathroom first, brushing his teeth and then taking a quick shower, changing to his pajamas and going to bed.

It was rare that he went to sleep so fast, usually his mind was filled to the brim with lyrics and chords and too much stuff for him to sleep right after getting down. But tonight, even though his mind was filled to the brim, it was filled with things Luke didn’t understand. And he was tired and the painkillers were starting to make an effect, because soon after he laid down, he fell asleep.

His dreams were all of Julie.

~.~

The next day Luke woke up without a headache, which was good and set to rest the fears his mother (and him, to be honest) had. He spent the weekend in his grandparent’s house, his family surrounding him and giving him the news he had missed. It was nice to be there, even though he wasn’t really that close with his family.

On Monday, he got a job at a new coffee shop close to Destiny’s studio, which meant the boys were there the next day on their lunch break to mock him and taste his coffee. He was actually pretty good at it, and despite not being the job of his dreams, it would have to do for now.

Soon it was a week after the Showcase, and Luke and Julie had been texting a lot for most of the week. He already knew a lot about her: like her favorite film, her favorite books, favorite color, the way she loved when she woke up with her mom singing, how she hated doing dishes but loved cleaning her room. They talked a lot and even made video calls, and he could safely say she was already a friend. Maybe more.

The connection he had with her just growed, and he knew she felt it too. She said so, last night after they ended a discussion of what was easier to play: piano or guitar. It was a tie so far.

“ So, I don’t know if this is weird to say, but I feel like I have to. ” she started, her face taking up his phone, that was propped up by a book in his bed. He was laying down, turned to the phone, and he knew she was probably seeing him sideways.

"What is it?”

“ Maybe it’s just me, but… It’s like we have this connection. I don’t know how to say it, but… We basically just met and it feels like we’ve known each other for ages. Am I crazy? Is this weird?”

He couldn’t help the smile. He adjusted himself in his bed, sitting and picking his phone so he could look at her properly.

“Actually, if it’s weird, we’re both weirdos,” he laughed with her. “I feel it too. It’s almost like I’ve known you before.”

“ Yeah…” she seemed relieved. “ I’m glad I’m not the only one who feels like this.”

“You’re definitely not.”

Now Luke was daydreaming about a girl he met a week before. In the middle of his shift in his new job. Get it together, Luke.

He gave the coffee he was making to his client and went to pick the next order, trying to take his mind off of Julie for the time being. Keyword: trying .

He managed to get through his shift without incidents, but Julie didn’t leave his mind.

~.~

He didn’t have any more headaches since the Showcase, but Luke was having a new medical appointment that he hoped was the last one, two months after waking up, and his mother thought it was a good idea to mention it to the doctor.

“Does it mean anything?” She was asking, after Luke answered the questions Dr. Stone made about his new routine.

“I don’t think so, Mrs. Patterson,” he said. “It was just one time?”

“Just on that day,” Luke said, “I took some painkillers and the next day I didn’t feel it anymore.”

“Then we have nothing to worry about. If it comes back for no reason you can tell, come back. For now, I think you’re safe to go back to your normal life. No more restrictions.”

“Finally!” Luke cheered, making his mother and doctor laugh. 

They left the hospital happier, and his mom treated him to lunch before Luke had to go to work. Now that he was finally cleared to come back, his mind was already forming plans to come back with the band. He needed to talk to the boys to set up rehearsals and see if any of the new songs he had were worth a shot, there was so much to do! 

He sent them a text to tell them the news and asked them to meet him at the coffee shop after they left work, so they could try to schedule some rehearsals, and after hesitating for two seconds, he sent one to Julie too. Two weeks, and the girl was already at the same place of importance as his best friends. It was crazy, but it felt so right that Luke honestly didn’t care.

The text he got back from her was enough to make him smile the whole drive to the shop.

Julie: !!!! So happy for you!!!! Let’s celebrate!!!!

They made plans for dinner at Julie’s parents’ house the next day, and she invited the boys and his parents, too. He couldn’t say no to that because he really wanted to see her again in person and that was a perfect opportunity. 

His shift passed in a blur, and soon the boys were there, grabbing coffees and waiting for him to get something for him and clock out, so they could discuss the band.

Things were starting to get better, but Luke couldn’t help the feeling that he was missing something. 

He was sure it would come to him eventually.

~.~

The next day, dinner with the Molinas was an easy affair. It was like they’ve known each other for years instead of weeks. He hadn’t seen Julie’s parents since the Showcase, but he was happy to see they were just as amazing as their daughter. Carlos, her little brother, was a little menace and him and Reggie got along immediately, pranksters as they were. Luke was just a little concerned with that.

They ate tortillas and some other dish Luke didn’t know the name of but liked immensely. Apparently Rose and her sister Victoria had made them. They talked the whole dinner, about Luke’s health, the boys’ jobs, everything they could think of. Luke learned that Rose had been in a rock band when she was younger, which only made her look even cooler in Luke’s eyes.

He was sitting between Julie and Reggie, and soon the subject turned to the band and what they were planning to do, since Luke was clear of restrictions.

“We talked about that yesterday,” Reggie started saying, looking at the boys briefly. “We need a place to practice and get used to playing together again, and then we’ll go after some gigs.”

“I have some new songs, too, so after we get used to each other again, we’ll work on them.”

“Where do you used to rehearse?” Julie asked, taking a bite of her food. 

“We rented a studio before. But I looked and it’s not available anymore. I’m trying to find another.” Alex said.

“I have a studio here,” Rose said, making the boys’ heads snap to her. “It’s full of stuff, but I’m sure we can spare some room for your gear.”

“Really?” Luke asked. “How much would you rent it for us?”

Rose gave him a chuckle and a very fond smile, that made him warm inside.

“I don’t want you boys paying me anything. Just hearing a new band thriving is enough of a payment for me.”

“You can’t be serious.” Alex said, ever the practical one. “You barely know us.”

“Well, Julie mentioned your band name, and I did some digging online. It will be my absolute pleasure to hear Sunset Curve rehearse here. Honestly, boys.”

Luke was in shock and didn’t know what to say to that. 

First, they did need a rehearsal space. Here was Julie’s mom offering them her studio and looking suspiciously at Julie while she was doing it. Second, she seemed so utterly honest when saying she would love to hear them play. And no matter how better things have been going with his parents, Luke still had second thoughts about parents being so supportive of his dreams.

And then, Rose continued.

“You don’t have to answer right now. You don’t even have to say yes. If you prefer to rent your own place and rehearse somewhere else, I won’t be mad. I’m just letting you know it’s an option.”

And what an option. First thing Luke noticed when they got to the Molinas place was how close it was to his parents’ house. It was perfect, really.

He looked at the boys and they seemed like they were thinking the same thing. Reggie, not one to let silences stretch, said tentatively:

“We can take a look, right? See if it would be a good fit.”

“Sure.” Rose answered easily, and then turned the subject to Julie, and they started talking through ideas for Julie to record a few songs and make an EP.

Later, they saw the studio and it was love at first sight. It was definitely big enough for their gear, even with the grand piano at the back and the multiple potted plants adorning the window. Rose guaranteed them they would have liberty to play whenever they wanted to, even if she still used the studio sometimes (Julie did too, but Luke was willing to share with her). 

In the end, the boys accepted Rose’s offer and agreed to take their stuff to the studio the next day. 

Luke was so excited about getting the band back on track he almost didn’t sleep that night. But he eventually did, and like it happened since the day he met her, he dreamt of Julie.

Only this dream was… weird. He was standing, looking at her, who was singing to his comatose body, in a hospital chair. She stopped singing and talked to him, holding his hand while he felt a feather-light touch in his ghostly hand, and gave it a little peck, saying goodbye and leaving the room.

He woke up with a start, all sweaty and the dream fresh in his mind. Only it didn’t feel like a dream. It was so vivid. So detailed. He could remember everything there was in the room, even his own body . But also, it couldn’t be a memory.

Could it?

Chapter Text

Julie was in love.

She thought she had been in love before, but nothing could compare to what she felt for Luke Patterson. 

The way her entire soul seemed to answer to him, to his smiles, to his frowns, to his enthusiasm and sheer passion for music. To his entire being. It was all consuming and powerful, and Julie felt ecstatic every time they were together.

Flynn insisted they were soulmates. Reggie too. Julie didn’t think soulmates could exist, but what she and Luke had… It could be very close.

The last two months had been pretty full of events. Flynn and Julie graduated and celebrated all together - families and friends, and the boys were there, too. Luke was so happy for her he couldn’t stop bouncing in place.

The boys had put their stuff and instruments at her mother’s studio, and were rehearsing their old songs every opportunity they had. They were really good. Her mom had given them a key to the garage doors, so they could have free reign and come and go as they pleased. Julie had a suspicion that Rose was doing this for her. She still remembered the conversation they had, right after the dinner where she made the offer.

“Why did you do it, mom?” Julie asked.

“The boys need a chance to shine, mija . I’m just making it easier.”

“It’s not just that,” She insisted. “You barely know them.”

With a very serious expression, Rose looked at her while she spoke next. “I don’t. But you do. And you like them, don’t you?”

Julie could only nod. “Of course, I can safely say they’re my friends.”

“Then it’s settled. Also, it will be great to have Luke here more frequently, right?”

Julie could only nod again, this time blushing, and her mom gave her a knowing smile.

So yeah. Julie was pretty sure her mom was trying to get her and Luke together somehow. She tried not to complain much.

She was still struggling to figure out what to do with herself, so she kept working - now full time - at the music shop and started writing her own music and thinking about ways she could put herself out there. Luke was helping, too, and together they were coming up with a few ideas to bring not only Julie, but Sunset Curve into the scene too.

Luke was also an amazing songwriter. Julie had a suspicion he was since she sang Bright at the hospital, but seeing it happening just cemented it for her. And writing with him was incredible . It's like he knew what she was trying to say, and she knew what he was trying to do with his lyrics. Their connection just gave them everything they needed and turned it into something great . 

They were working on some of Julie’s old songs so she could perform them at some mic nights, as well as the boys. Sunset Curve had already got a spot at an open mic at Eats and Beats, three days from now on Friday, and Julie was so happy for them she couldn’t wait for the day. It was going to be their comeback, and they were nervous, but so happy it was infectious.

Luke was acting a little weird, though, the last couple of weeks. Julie didn’t know what it was, and most of the time she couldn’t notice anything different. But there was this feeling she got sometimes, when talking to him, that she couldn’t shake.

She finally addressed it on Thursday, after the boys wrapped their last practice before the gig. They wouldn’t have time to practice on Friday, so they made the most of it tonight. It was almost midnight now as they were preparing to leave. Thank God the studio now had soundproof walls. 

“Hey Luke, can I talk to you real quick?” She asked, right before he picked up his bag to leave. 

“Sure, Julie, what’s up?”

The boys had already left the studio, and were probably waiting for him, but Julie couldn’t handle the feeling that something was wrong with him anymore, so she blurted the question.

“Are you feeling ok?”

He seemed confused. “Yeah, why?”

“I don’t know. It’s weird, but I have a feeling something’s not quite right? You seem… off sometimes. Like you’re not really here with us.”

Julie had caught him staring at Alex and Reggie more than once, like he was remembering something, and sometimes, she could swear she saw that same look directed at her, when he thought she wasn’t paying attention.

Luke scratched the hair at his neck, a sure sign he was uncomfortable or nervous. 

“Y-yeah, I mean. Nothing's wrong. It’s just…” He sighed, giving her a small smile. “I’m having some weird dreams lately. It’s very confusing, and I don’t really know why I’m having them.”

“Can I help? What are the dreams about?”

He shrugged and chuckled, scratching at his neck again. “I keep dreaming of myself. While I was in a coma. And I see all kinds of stuff, but… outside of my body. It’s so weird.”

She blanched at that. He kept talking.

“And I see the guys visiting me, and my parents, and doctors. And you, too. Which is the weirdest part.”

“Why?” She managed to say.

“Because it’s only you there, most of the time singing to me. And it’s nice, but I don’t really know what that means.”

He blushed, and Julie could tell he was getting uncomfortable with the talk. Before she could say anything else, he chuckled and looked at her, his hazel eyes pinning her in place.

“They’re just dreams, though. I’m sure I’m just projecting stuff. I’ll get over it eventually. You don’t have to worry.”

She forced herself to smile at him, and then he said goodbye and thanked her for worrying and she was left alone in the studio. 

She walked back to the house in a daze - she was staying at her old room seeing it was too late to come back to her apartment. Apparently, Luke had been dreaming about her.

Dreaming about her singing to him while he was in a coma.

Julie couldn’t help but think that Luke wasn’t projecting anything.

He was remembering .

~.~

She mentioned the conversation she had with Luke with the guys, on Friday, before Luke arrived at Eats and Beats, while she helped them set up.

She wasn’t singing that day, only them, and since she left work earlier than Luke, she offered to help set up. It was also an excuse to talk to the guys.

Alex was baffled. “He didn’t say anything to us!”

“Well, he thinks it’s just his mind playing games with him. Just him projecting or something. But guys, we know it’s not. We know that. The fact that when we met he said he knew my voice, my song? I mean. It’s just too much to be a coincidence!”

“I agree.” Reggie said. “It’s freaking insane, but what if he was there the whole time, as a spirit, or ghost or something? And that’s him really remembering it?”

They all stopped moving to think for a second.

“It’s insane,” Alex said. “But we can’t deny the fact that it might be true.”

Julie gulped. “I have to tell him, boys.”

They turned to her. 

“He needs to know he’s not going insane. It looks like he doesn’t want to believe it or thinks he’s going crazy, and that’s not true. I think…” She sighed. “I think I know him enough to warrant an explanation. He deserves to know I’m not just some girl who happens to be Reggie’s girlfriend’s best friend.”

They agreed. “You want us to be with you?”

She just nodded. She needed to tell him. And soon.

“Let’s just pass through your guys’ comeback first,” she smiled, feeling a little of the tension go away. “We can tell him later. Or tomorrow. Soon, though.”

They agreed and Julie helped them finish with their instruments.

When they finished, they found a place to be while people started getting in. It was almost seven and people were finally starting to fill the place. Julie sipped on her soda, nervous on behalf of the boys, and watched while some people with old Sunset Curve shirts appeared, looking excited.

She nudged Reggie when she saw a particular group of friends - boys and girls - all with matching shirts and excited expressions.

“Seems like you guys haven’t lost your fans.” 

Reggie looked at the direction she was pointing and his smile widened. “Oh my God, I haven’t seen that shirt in ages!”

Alex had just come back from the bathroom when Reggie nudged him to look, and both boys started looking excited at the fans - who hadn’t seen them yet. Julie was amused.

Flynn arrived right then, all bright with smiles in their direction. She hugged Julie and Alex and kissed Reggie, and they chatted animatedly about the set - Sunset Curve was playing three songs! - and how they were going to celebrate afterwards. Flynn already had access to the band’s Instagram page, and promised the boys to find a good spot to livestream the whole thing. They were excited. Carrie and Nick arrived right after her.

Luke arrived with his parents fifteen minutes after seven. The open mic night was about to begin, but the boys were going on last. They wanted to enjoy the night, though. He saw them all at a table in the middle of the room immediately, and went straight to them. 

Julie and the boys made sure to get them all a table that fit everyone very early, so they could all see Sunset Curve in all its glory. Her parents were coming, and Luke’s parents had been excited to come too. They said they weren’t going to miss it, and Julie could swear Luke had tried to wipe tears when they told him that.

He was all smiles as soon as he got to the table.

“Hey guys! Sorry I’m late!”

“You’re good, bro,” Reggie said easily. “We already set everything. Julie here is an excellent roadie.”

Julie snickered. “I basically just helped them with the cables.”

“Those cables were never that organized, Julie.” Alex assured her, making them all laugh.

“Thanks for helping out, Julie.” Luke said, his eyes sparkling and making her blush.

“Of course.”

They made small talk for a while, enjoying some of the performers of the night. The boys were practically shaking with excitement, and Julie was pretty much impressed none of their old school fans had approached them yet. She had seen a lot of them in the club and many ogling the group at their table. She respected the fans for giving the boys their time, and just hoped they rocked the house and got the recognition they deserved.

Her parents arrived right after eight-thirty, while some girl group was singing and dancing to a cover of Britney Spears. Some people were dancing, but most were just enjoying the ambience and company while having some drinks. 

Luke’s parents and Julie’s parents retreated to a table in the back, saying they wanted to see the boys, but didn’t want to get swarmed by the fans. They had noticed, as Julie had, that there were a lot of them there. 

The boys had gone to the side of the stage when the girl group was called, since they were next to end the night. Flynn was propping her phone up on a support so she could have a good view to start the livestream as soon as the girl group ended their performance.

Julie was at the edge of her seat, and the boys weren’t even on stage yet.

Soon, it was their turn. The group ended and polite clapping filled the room, the girls leaving after a bow and the guy who worked there came to the stage picking up a mic. Julie saw from the corner of her eye that Flynn had just started the livestream, people flooding in as soon as she did.

“Alright, thank you for coming tonight. We’re ending our open mic night with a band that has been here before, but had to go on a hiatus these past ten months. It’s a pleasure to have them back, so they’ll be singing more than one song for you. I can tell a lot of you came for them, so without further ado, please welcome Sunset Curve !”

There were cheers from the fans and their table, and Julie just looked while the boys entered the stage and went to their places. As soon as Luke got onto the stage, the fans’ cheers became louder, and he seemed a little surprised by that. Setting his guitar on his shoulder, he went to the mic, the people quieting down to hear him.

“What’s up Eats and Beats!” He smiled at the cheers. “It’s amazing to be back and thank you for the reception. Let’s start with a classic, shall we? This is Now or Never .”

Luke started with the guitar, making people get up and get closer, but thankfully, their seat was right at the front, so they didn’t lose any space and still had a good view. Soon, Alex’s drums, Reggie’s bass and Luke’s guitar filled the space, people dancing and jumping and their fans shouting the lyrics - Julie included.

They were incredible. And live? Breathtaking.

Don’t look down

‘Cause we’re still rising

Up right now

And even if we hit the ground

We’ll still fly

Keep dreaming like we’ll live forever

But live it like it’s now or never

Julie is not ashamed to say she screamed the lyrics together with the crowd. The fans were screaming in happiness to see the band was just as amazing as before, and Julie could see Luke’s face alight with happiness every note he sang that was sung back to him.

They were on fire. They worked so well together it was like they were one and the same, feeding off each other’s energy and the public’s. It was intoxicating, it was precious, it was freaking amazing.

And Luke’s voice? Julie was in love. More than she already was. God, he was so talented it made her want to scream .

Soon they finished and started another song from their old repertoire, and the crowd sang with them just as wildly. She could feel the boys’ happiness coming up in waves, and watched in awe as they became one with themselves and the music. She stole glances to Flynn’s phone, livestreaming the whole thing, and could see a lot of frantic comments and heart emojis coming up faster than she could read them. It just made her smile.

They were singing three songs, and soon it was the time for the final one. When Luke told everyone that, there was a collective “boo” and he chuckled.

“Sorry, guys! We promise to come back soon, but for now, we would like for you to bear with us for this new song. It means a lot to us, specially after this time, so we wanted to share it with you. This is Bright .”

The song Julie knew so well now started with the guitar, Luke smiling while he pushed his fingers through the chords. 

Sometimes I think

I’m falling down

I wanna cry

I’m calling out

For one more try

To feel alive

Julie couldn’t shout the lyrics now, since she would be the only one doing it, but she mouthed the lyrics along. Luke caught her doing it and smiled bigger, putting even more passion behind his voice. Soon, the crowd was cheering for the new song, even if they couldn’t sing it yet.

Hearing them sing Bright took Julie back to when she had sung it to Luke, lying in a hospital bed with no signs of waking up. And here he was, singing his song with so much passion, after nearly three months from that day. It seemed like a miracle, and it cemented on Julie’s heart the need to tell him everything.

She couldn’t let him go. She wanted to tell him how she felt towards him, but she couldn’t do that with something looming over them. She had to tell him about the hospital first. As soon as she could.

They finished with a high note, getting cheers and applause bigger than anyone that night. 

“Thank you, we’re Sunset Curve!” Said Luke, after the boys took their bow.

“Tell your friends!” Reggie added, and they left the stage, Flynn finishing the live.

“Oh my God, they’re incredible!” Carrie and Nick were saying, and Julie remembered they had never seen the boys perform before - not even online like she and Flynn did.

“They are!”

The boys were back, drenched in sweat and bigger smiles than she ever saw them. Luke went to her immediately, making her heart jump.

“So, what do you think?”

“You guys are amazing!” She said, launching into his arms, and he hugged her, and she just melted.

“You are!” She heard Carrie and Flynn saying, talking to the other boys.

Luke’s and Julie’s parents came back to their table, and Julie watched as Emily and Mitch hugged their soon tight, tears in their eyes. They praised him and the boys and Julie saw Luke wiping tears again, his smile the biggest she had ever seen. 

It was a good look on him. 

Their parents left and the fans approached the boys. Pics, hugs, everyone saying how they were amazing and how it was great to have them back. They spent the rest of the night like that, celebrating, and after eleven, they all said their goodbyes and went home, promising to see each other the next day.

Julie sent a text to the boys after, saying to bring Luke to the studio the next day so she could talk to him and they could tell about the hospital. They agreed. They couldn’t keep it from him any longer.

Despite the amazing night, the prospect of telling everything to Luke made Julie nervous. She had a fitful sleep, and Saturday seemed to drag on forever while she worked and waited so she could go to the studio.

When she arrived, they were already there, goofing off and teasing each other. Luke smiled at her and she smiled back, albeit nervously.

“Hey Julie! How was work?”

“It was good,” she said. 

“I wish I worked with music.” He sighed.

“I’m sure you will soon.” She assured him, sitting beside him on the couch, seeing Alex and Reggie in the chairs. “No one got in contact after yesterday?”

“No. Our socials are blowing up, but nothing beyond that.” Reggie shrugged. “It’s okay. At least people now know we’re back.”

“Yeah. It’s only a matter of time.” Luke smiled at her. And then he frowned. “What’s going on? You look nervous.”

She chuckled bitterly. Of course he would notice. They had become real close the past two months and she liked to think of him as one of her best friends already. And of course he noticed she was nervous.

“I… I need to talk to you.”

He looked at the boys, who made no move to get up. “Sure. Should we go inside or…?”

“No, the boys can stay.” 

She looked at them, and they smiled at her, encouraging her to go for it.

“Okay…” Luke clocked her looking at them and frowned. “What is it?”

“Remember this week when you told me you were having weird dreams of me singing to you in the hospital? While you were in a coma?”

“Yeah…” 

Julie sighed. There was no use in beating around the bush. She needed to tell him everything.

“Well. You know I graduated in Music. For my final project, I made a study about how music could help with coma patients. So, I got some permissions from relatives and I spent almost five months singing to comatose patients in two different hospitals.”

She chanced a look at him, and her heart started beating more desperately when she saw his blank expression. She took a deep breath before saying the rest. Luke kept looking at her and she forced herself to look him in the eyes while she said it.

“You were one of the patients, Luke. I sang to you in your hospital bedroom for almost five months, up until before you woke up. I met Reggie and Alex there, one day when they came to visit you, and your mom too.”

She took a moment to let him absorb the news and say something, but he was just staring at her.

“Your dreams may not be projections like you think. And I wanted to tell you sooner, but I also kinda wanted to meet you for real too.”

She knew she was blushing, and her words failed her. Reggie picked up.

“We didn’t tell you before because we didn’t know how you would react.” Luke looked at him, the same blank stare looking at his friends. “It seems insane that you would remember, but then Julie told us about your dreams and… Well. You deserved to know.”

“That’s why you remember my voice,” Julie added, while Luke just stared ahead of him, not really looking at either of them anymore. “And that’s why you remember Wake Up . I sang it for you.”

There was silence after that, and Luke passed a hand through his hair, taking it all in.

“I…” He looked at the boys, and then at Julie, something she couldn’t name in his eyes. “I-I need to go.”

Then he got out of the couch and faster than they expected, he was gone.

Julie felt like her heart was going with him.

Chapter Text

Luke was living off the adrenaline of Sunset Curve’s return.

He had spent the entire Saturday humming songs and bouncing from one place to the other while trying not to spill the drinks he was making at the coffee shop. On his more quiet minutes, he checked the band’s socials and his own, blown away by the support of old and new followers. 

Sunset Curve was back and now all they needed to do was keep pushing so more people could spread the word and maybe they would get noticed by someone important enough.

It lifted his spirits so much that not even the weird dreams he was having for the past months could ruin his mood.

Thinking about the band’s comeback also made him think about Julie. He couldn’t stop thinking about her.

He remembered the day before, while he went on stage, seeing the crowd cheering and singing with them, it was a rush he loved and lived for. But nothing could’ve prepared him to see Julie cheering for him (for them, but semantics), and sing-shout his lyrics together with the crowd.

It made him smile like a goof and he didn’t even care. He still refused to think about the L word, despite the boys teasing him about it. He had just met her two months ago, it couldn’t be possible, right?

Except his heart flutters every damn time he sees her, and he could swear his soul sings every time she smiles at him.

Of course, the boys had noticed that, and now, waiting for Julie to come to the studio after work, they were teasing him endlessly.

“I mean, we knew you would like her,” Alex was saying, “but your pining is becoming a little too much, dude.”

“I’m not pining !” Luke protested. “We’re still getting to know each other.”

“See how he didn’t deny it, Alex? I think he’s starting to see the light.”

“Could you stop it ?” Luke threw a pillow at Reggie, right when the door to the garage opened.

Julie walked in, and involuntarily, Luke felt his cheeks open in a smile for her. He couldn’t even look at the boys to see the surely teasing stare they were giving him.

“Hey Julie! How was work?” He started, not giving the boys any time to talk about his very obvious crush.

Okay, yeah, he could admit that much. He had a crush on Julie. 

She smiled back, but something was off about it. 

“It was good,” she said, dropping herself on the couch by his side. She was probably just tired.

“I wish I worked with music,” Luke sighed, thinking about all the possibilities of it.

“I’m sure you will soon,” she assured him, smiling. “No one got in contact after yesterday?”

Reggie took it upon himself to answer. “No. Our socials are blowing up, but nothing beyond that.” He shrugged. “It’s okay. At least people now know we’re back.”

“Yeah,” he agreed. “It’s only a matter of time.”

He was smiling at her, but she was still giving him the same weird smile from when she got in. Maybe it wasn’t just tiredness. If Luke had to guess, she looked almost… nervous?

“What’s going on? You look nervous.”

She chuckled bitterly, looking at him quickly before turning her eyes to the coffee table, closing her eyes for a second.

“I… I need to talk to you.”

That didn’t sound good.

He looked at the boys, unsure if it was a private conversation. They seemed nervous too, but made no move to get up.

“Sure. Should we go inside or…?”

“No. The boys can stay.” 

That was weird. But maybe it was something small? Somehow, looking at their somber faces, Luke knew it was not the case.

“Okay…” he watched as Julie looked at the boys, who gave her reassuring stares and nods, and frowned at it. What was going on? “What is it?”

“Remember this week when you told me you were having weird dreams of me singing to you in the hospital? While you were in a coma?”

That was a very specific thing, but…  “Yeah…” 

Julie sighed and then took a deep breath. Still not looking at him, she continued.

“Well. You know I graduated in Music. For my final project, I made a study about how music could help with coma patients. So, I got some permissions from relatives and I spent almost five months singing to comatose patients in two different hospitals.”

Suddenly his blood ran cold. His mind, half paying attention to the words that were coming from Julie’s mouth, started flooding with images Luke couldn’t possibly believe were true.

Roaming around hospital halls. Alone. Phasing through people and things.

No one could see him. No one could hear him.

Following Julie through said hospital halls. Julie smiling at him (his unresponsive body) and being the first person to talk to him after weeks.

Time. Endless time. No need for sleep and way too little to do.

“You were one of the patients, Luke. I sang to you in your hospital bedroom for almost five months, up until before you woke up. I met Reggie and Alex there, one day when they came to visit you, and your mom too.”

He remembered a fight. Fighting for his life, for his own body , in the middle of a room packed with people that couldn’t see him - or the other guy - at all. Feeling cold and warm and weak and strong, and so tired he couldn’t think straight.

“Your dreams may not be projections like you think. And I wanted to tell you sooner, but I also kinda wanted to meet you for real too.”

He had wanted to meet her so badly . He cried because of it, for God’s sake.

She’s your soulmate. Your anchor to this world.  

She was. He could feel it . And maybe…

“We didn’t tell you before because we didn’t know how you would react.” Reggie started talking, and Luke looked at him, the same half attention his mind had been giving Julie. “It seems insane that you would remember, but then Julie told us about your dreams and… Well. You deserved to know.”

“That’s why you remember my voice,” Julie added, and Luke wasn’t really seeing any of them anymore. 

Flashes of songs in Julie’s voice. Unilateral talks from the boys and Julie, and then from his parents.

“And that’s why you remember Wake Up . I sang it for you.”

You’re gonna find your way home . That line. That freaking line. 

He had.

He had found his way home.

He glanced at the boys, and then Julie, all looking at him with apprehension in their eyes, looking like he could snap at them any minute. Suddenly, the studio was too small and his mind was too full for him to think . He couldn’t breathe.

“I-I need to go.”

He was out of the studio faster than his brain could process it.

~.~

Alex: We are so sorry

Alex: We should’ve told you

Alex: Luke, please, answer us

Alex: Just yell or something, please

Reg: ur pissed arent u

Reg: were truly sorry man

Reg: for whats worth, we rly thought u and julie would be great together the second we heard her for the 1st time

Reg: dude pls just talk to us

Julie: I’m really truly sorry. I don’t even have any idea what you might’ve been feeling, but I just wanted to say that I respect whatever you want to do with all this information. 

Julie: Just, please, talk to us. Tell us you’re okay.

Julie: I really, really care about you Luke. An awful lot. 

Julie: Please just let me know what I can do to fix this.

Luke had just picked up his phone for the first time in three days, seeing all the messages and missed calls from Reggie, Alex and Julie. His mind was reeling from the talk on Saturday, and he just couldn’t even look at any type of screen for any amount of time without causing a massive headache.

He called in sick to work on Monday, and now it was Tuesday, and despite still feeling very much bad, he had to go to work. He was on a break when he finally had the courage to look at his messages.

His mom had talked to him on Sunday. He told her what Julie had said to him and she confirmed, seemingly kinda guilty for not telling him anything either.

But Luke got why they didn’t tell him before.

How the hell were they ever going to bring up the subject?

‘Oh and by the way, when you were in a coma there was a pretty girl singing to you every Friday and making your brain waves spike .’

He would’ve brushed it off like it wasn’t a big deal. Because it wasn’t.

Also, he remembered Julie had sung to him on Fridays. No one told him, but he was absolutely sure. He also remembered the small fact that his brain waves would go up every time Julie sang. His mother confirmed that.

He just had… A lot of new memories now, probably worth at least a few months, and they were all crazy . He didn’t tell his parents he was remembering stuff. They only knew about some of the dreams.

He didn’t tell them he had flashes of living like a spirit, roaming in a hospital for six months. It was too much. Luke wasn’t sure he could handle it yet, let alone share.

Now, looking at his messages, he knew he had to say something to Julie and the boys. So, typing just once, he sent the same message to all three.

Luke: i’m not mad. just have a lot on my mind. and im ok. promise to talk soon

He put the phone in his pocket and went back to work. He needed something to distract his mind for a while.

~.~

Luke spent an entire week of radio silence to his friends. His mind was so full of what he now knew were memories, that he was tired all the time and had headaches all the time. He went to work, did his best and came back to crash on his bed not long after.

He saw a few of the other messages Reggie, Alex and Julie sent him, asking about him, about rehearsals, but Luke was so out of it he couldn’t, for the life of him, convince himself to pick up the phone and answer them.

Of course, his mom noticed the amount of painkillers he was taking lately, and after confessing he was having headaches with the dreams, his mom was worried.

“Sweetheart, you should see the doctor.”

“Mom, the doctor will say I’m crazy. I’m sure the headache will go away soon, it’s just… a lot to process.”

His mom didn’t insist, wanting to stay in his good graces, so Luke didn’t tell her anything more either. 

He wasn’t mad at them, he really wasn’t. It was a hell of a lot of information, but if Luke had never started remembering, he probably would just shrug it off and move on.

Yeah, Julie sang to him for months while he was in a coma.

Yeah, they didn’t tell him that and led him to believe she was meeting him for the first time on the day of her Showcase.

But it wasn’t like they did it on purpose. They just became friends with Julie - Flynn being Reggie’s girlfriend bringing them all together in the end - and it so happened that Julie had a connection to Luke, so to speak.

He remembered the day Julie met Alex and Reggie.

He remembered watching them and being kinda envious that his boys were meeting her for real and he wasn’t.

He couldn’t fault them for becoming friends with Julie. She was amazing. 

He was actually happy they let him have a few months of bliss before telling him anything. That gave him an opportunity to meet her without any bias and fall in love with her all over again.

Yeah, he also remembered falling for her.

Feeling his chest ache with the need to meet her, be close to her, be seen by her. 

She was his soulmate, like Reggie teasingly said. But for real.

Her connection to him was what saved him from Caleb (that evil bitch) and brought him back to his own body, to his life. He was back because of her.

He couldn’t fault her for not saying anything either. 

Finally, on Friday, his headaches stopped. Luke went to work without the need to take any painkillers and focused on his work for the whole morning, his mind giving him a much needed break.

It was also the day the boys got tired of waiting for him to answer their texts. By lunchtime, Luke saw Alex and Reggie at the counter making their orders, looking at him by the coffee machines with twin expressions of worry and determination. 

He sighed and smiled a little bit for them, seeing their shoulders relax. He took their order and made their coffee and got the sandwiches they also asked for. Getting something for himself, he clocked for his lunch break and went straight to their table.

They didn’t say anything while he put their order on the table, but their eyes widened in surprise when Luke sat down on the other side of the booth, taking a long sip at his own coffee.

“So,” Luke started. “decided to ambush me?”

Alex looked chastised, and Reggie started apologizing.

“Sorry, man, we know you needed some time, but it’s been a week and we’re worried, and we miss you and…”

Reggie stopped talking when he noticed Luke was smiling at him.

“You’re not mad, are you?” He realized.

“No.” He assured them. “I was actually going to text you guys after lunch. And I’m sorry for not answering your texts. I had a very hard week.”

They looked ashamed.

“Not because of you guys,” Luke was quick to add. “I had migraines all week. Today is the first day I didn’t wake up wanting to curse the sun.”

Instantly, they went from guilty to worried.

“Are you okay? Is it something to worry about?” Alex asked.

“I’m fine. It was just… A lot of weird dreams coming at once, I guess.”

He didn’t say ‘memories’, but he was pretty sure all of the dreams and flashes were exactly that: memories. There couldn’t be any other reason. He was pretty sure he was all caught up with his months of coma now, at least with the important parts, and that’s why the headaches stopped.

“Dreams?” Reggie asked.

Luke smiled a little. “Yeah.”

He didn’t elaborate, and the boys seemed uncomfortable in asking for more, so he kept talking, saying what he knew they needed to hear now.

“The important thing is: I’m not mad at you. I… get it why you didn’t tell me earlier. I wouldn’t know how to bring it up either.”

Alex seemed relieved. “We had no idea how to say it.”

“Julie was really brave in saying everything, because we had no clue.” Reggie added.

He smiled, but didn’t comment. “Today I have a double shift, but you guys are up for some rehearsal tomorrow?”

They looked positively beaming with the possibility. “Yeah!”

“Great. Three?”

“Perfect.”

They spent the rest of their impromptu lunch talking about new songs, and Luke threw in the conversation how he wanted to experiment a little bit with Bright, making the boys eager for the next day. 

As soon as they left back to work, Luke took his phone, and ignoring all unread messages, shot Julie a text.

Luke: wanna come by the studio tomorrow? we r practicing at 3. 

Luke: i kinda need to talk and show u something

He was about to leave the table and take the trash he made with the boys when she answered.

Julie: Of course!

Julie: I’ll be there. ;) 

~.~

Luke didn’t tell anyone what he was planning, but his heart was hammering in his chest by the time he got to the garage. 

He had a very distinctive memory of his last day in a coma that didn’t leave his head no matter how hard he tried.

And he wanted to recreate that, see if it was really real or if his mind was playing tricks on him just because he figured out he was in love with Julie.

When he opened the garage doors, he was met with four pairs of eager eyes. Alex, Reggie, Flynn and Julie looked at him expectantly, and the girls seemed nervous, like Alex and Reggie had been the day before at the coffee shop.

He smiled at them, trying to show he was okay.

“Hi guys.”

“Hey Luke.” The boys answered, and he saw how Flynn kept glancing at Julie, who suddenly couldn’t look him in the eyes.

He had to fix that first. He went straight to the couch, sitting beside Julie and taking one of her hands in his. She looked at him startled at the contact, while Luke tried not to stutter with the feel (and the memory) of their hands together.

“I’m not mad at you, Julie.” 

“You’re… not?”

“Of course not. I was just… kinda overwhelmed and I needed time to sort through some things. But I’m not mad.”

She seemed more relaxed, but something was still holding her back.

“It’s not like it’s the easiest thing to say to someone. I get it. I’m not mad. I’m sorry for not answering your texts either. I’m not very good at that when I get overwhelmed.”

She chuckled, her laugh watery like she was holding back a sob. But, she looked a thousand times lighter and that was all Luke could ask now.

“Okay. I understand.”

“So, can we just move on from that weird week? Together?”

She smiled at him and nodded, and his heart fluttered and his soul sang. He smiled back, getting up and deciding he wasn’t going to wait until the end of rehearsals for this.

“Great! Ok so, I was actually thinking this week… And, there’s something about Bright. It’s missing something.”

“What are you talking about? Your fans loved it!” Flynn said, and he was grateful that she didn’t try to stay on the subject of him ghosting them for a week. “It’s all you guys are getting comments about. They want the new song recorded so they can add it to their playlists.”

“Well, it was pretty great,” he conceded. “But it’s still not perfect.”

“What do you suggest, then?” Alex asked.

He looked at Julie, who seemed a lot more at ease with him, but was also kinda guarded. He decided to just go for it.

“Actually, I always thought it should start with a higher key. Maybe the intro on the keyboard, too.”

Julie froze, like he knew she would.

The boys froze too, suddenly exchanging a few nervous glances.

Pretending not to notice their frozen stances, he went to his guitar and grabbed a piece of paper from his pocket.

“So I made a few small changes, and… Julie?”

She looked at him like a startled animal. He made an effort not to laugh. She was adorable, even spooked.

“Could you maybe sing it with us? I just wanna check something. And I know you know the lyrics because you heard us rehearsing it for the past month.”

I know you know the lyrics because you sang it to me , his mind completed, but he wasn’t going to say that just yet. 

They knew he had dreams he couldn’t understand. They didn’t know he had memories .

Still looking like she was in a trance, Julie got up and picked up the paper from Luke’s hand, trembling a little. Luke pretended not to notice while she went to the keyboard they had set up at the corner, and looked at the paper.

“Your handwriting is terrible, Luke.” She said, and he could see she was trying to pretend everything was normal and she wasn’t freaking out.

He pretended to be offended. “Hey!”

She chuckled and sighed, looking at him. “Ok, yeah, I think I can play it.”

“Sure you can. Come on. Alex, can you count us?”

“Sure.”

Alex clicked his drumsticks three times and Julie started with the keyboard, the melody even better than what Luke had been thinking the last two days, since he realized Julie was his soulmate and he really needed to hear her sing with him again to make sure they sounded as incredible together as his mind wanted to make him believe.

Her voice filled the garage and Luke’s heart ached. He made a sign for the boys, making them wait before starting playing. His heart beating fast and his mind providing the memories that he now knew were true.

At the chorus, the boys got in with their instruments, and Julie smiled at him, finally at ease, singing the notes with more certainty than she had at the hospital. 

He took the second verse, and in the second chorus, when their voices blended together, he could feel his heart and soul soaring .

And rise through the night

You and I

We will fight to shine

Together

Bright forever

The bridge put them in a back-and-forth that made Luke shake with excitement, and they finished it off with Julie belting the last note like she could have never done in a hospital bedroom.

The sound of the instruments stopped, and everyone just looked at each other. Luke could feel eyes on him and the excitement of knowing how amazing the song was. Even better than the first version, with just the guys.

He could feel all that, but honestly, his eyes couldn’t leave Julie.

He knew they would sound amazing together. And they did.

He knew music would never be the same if she wasn’t there with him. He could feel that truth in his bones .

And he knew he was so in love with her that he was going to burst if he didn’t do something about it right now .

So, without a word to anyone, Luke set his guitar on its stand, and went straight to Julie, ignoring the calls from the boys and answering the call his heart and soul were so desperately screaming at him since he saw her for the first time while awake.

He got close to her, took her face in his hands and, with just a second to give her a chance to say no, brought her lips to his.

He kissed her with all the longing and passion of months of waiting, because he couldn’t waste any more time.

He could feel his heart threatening to burst out of his chest and leave him for dead when she locked her hands on his neck and kissed him back.

Chapter Text

Julie didn’t know how she was supposed to react. 

One moment, she was reeling from the amazing feeling of singing with the boys, belting out notes and feeding off their energy. Amazed by how well her voice mixed with Luke’s, giddy with excitement.

Then the song ended, and she was suddenly nervous, looking at Luke who didn’t take his eyes away from her. His expression seemed unreadable, and then he put his guitar away and walked to her with firm steps, bringing her to him with a silent question in his eyes.

Julie’s whole mind stopped working, and her heart gave him the answer and suddenly, Luke’s warm lips were on hers. It took her a second to fully register what was happening, and then she just lost herself in it, hooking her arms around his neck and kissing him back, with all the longing and love she felt for him.

She could feel that he was feeling the same. And she didn’t know how to react to that.

She could’ve stayed in his arms forever, but eventually, they both had to breathe and Luke let it go. His eyes stayed closed for a few more seconds before Reggie broke the silence - reminding her they weren’t alone.

“My ship has sailed!” He squealed, making them all laugh.

Luke chuckled, opening his eyes to look at her and she almost lost her breath again. His hazel eyes were sparkling, so much emotion behind it that made the butterflies in her stomach crazy.

“It was you.” Luke whispered, but everyone could hear him.

She frowned. “Me?”

He smiled, going back a few to look at her properly. “You saved me. You brought me back.”

She blinked, confused, and the boys decided to ask for her.

“Luke, what are you talking about?” Alex asked.

Luke let her go, and she missed him instantly. Still looking at her, he gave them the answer Julie never expected to hear.

“It’s true what they say. Comatose people can hear the outside world.”

She felt herself freezing, and Luke laughed. He didn’t seem mad, but she was freaking out.

“And I distinctly remember Bright , being sung in a hospital bedroom, by a girl with a wrecking ball of a voice and my two best friends backing her up.”

There was silence for way too long before he became self-conscious and started scratching his neck.

“I don’t know exactly what is true or not of my dreams, but… I know this was. After hearing us all sing Bright again, I’m sure of it. And I know it was what finally brought me back.”

“They did sing Bright for you.” Flynn answered, seemingly the only one besides Luke who could form a sentence right now. “It was the last song of the day. They were trying to wake you up, because they were about to shut down your machines the next day.”

“Well,” Luke smiled, looking at the boys and her filled with gratitude in his eyes. “Thanks for not giving up. It worked.”

Reggie surprised everyone by lunging himself towards Luke to hug him, and Alex went right after him.

“We could have never given up on you, Lu.” Alex said, crying while hugging him. 

Luke was dwarfed between Alex and Reggie, but he didn’t seem to mind, clinging to the boys as fiercely as the boys were holding him.

“Never.” Reggie agreed, his voice cracking with emotion.

Julie only noticed she was crying too when Flynn came to hug her, and then they joined the group hug and they were all laughing at the Luke-sandwich they made.

Eventually they let it go, and decided to order some pizza. Before any of them could leave the garage, though, Luke talked again.

"There's one more thing we should talk about."

They looked at him confused, but Luke didn’t elaborate. He just looked at Alex and Reggie meaningfully, and then at Julie, and then both boys seemed to understand.

“You’re not gonna make me say it, are you?” Luke asked the boys. “It’s obvious.”

Alex laughed. “Yeah, it is. And I’m down for it.”

“Me too.” Reggie said, smiling. 

“What is happening?” Flynn asked, and Julie was happy Flynn was just as confused as she was. 

Luke looked at her, smiling so big it made Julie’s heart stutter. 

“Julie, would you join the band?”

And then her heart stopped altogether.

“What?” She managed to say.

Luke bounced to her, grabbing her hands tightly on his.

“You are incredible. You blow us away with your talent, and Sunset Curve will be legendary with you in it. Please Julie. Join us.”

Julie was speechless. She felt a nudge on her shoulder and looked to see Flynn with a big smile, nodding in approval.

Her heart basically couldn’t handle and had given up on her, and as she looked at the boys, she saw the same acceptance and excitement that she could see in Luke’s eyes.

Looking at him, still holding her hands, she couldn’t help but ask: “Are you sure?”

“Absolutely.” Said Alex.

“A 100 percent.” Reggie.

Luke just smiled. “Without a single doubt.”

Her heart started beating again, twice the speed, and she smiled at them, unable to hold back her happiness.

“Y-yeah. I’ll join you.”

Luke’s eyes could’ve lightened up the entire block with how they shined. Then he grabbed her in his arms and twirled her around, and Julie couldn’t help the laugh. When he put her down, she was met with the warm hugs of Reggie and Alex.

“Welcome to the band, Julie!” 

She hugged them back as hard as she could, at the same time she locked eyes with Luke, remembering the kiss they just shared.

They had jumped from one subject to the other, and she didn’t know what to make of the kiss. But something in Luke’s eyes told her that would be settled soon enough.

She couldn’t wait.

~.~

Luke cornered her after everyone was full of pizza. They hadn’t talked about the kiss or anything regarding the two of them, and Luke was glad. That was a conversation they needed to have in private.

“Hey, Julie, can we talk?” 

They were in the kitchen, cleaning up the mess they had taken from the living room of Julie’s parents’ place. Ray and Rose were on date night and Carlos was staying at a friend’s house for the night, so the band - and Flynn - had the place all to themselves.

“Yeah, sure.” She said, not looking at him while she put dishes in the sink. He stopped her hands with his, and she finally looked at him.

She hadn’t looked at him the whole night and he was foolishly missing her.

“I’m sorry.” He said.

She frowned, confused. “For what?”

Luke sighed.

“For the kiss. I thought I saw in your eyes that you wanted, but maybe I was projecting because you haven’t looked at me since we came in to eat and…”

She interrupted him. “No, no, Luke. That’s not it. I definitely wanted it.”

He dared to smile. “You did?”

She chuckled and smiled at him. “Yeah. I’ve been wanting it for a while. It’s just… It took me by surprise. And me joining the band… I don’t really know how to react to all of that at once.”

He relaxed. Knowing Julie was just overwhelmed was actually a relief. He was beginning to think he had ruined all his chances with an unwanted kiss and had been beating himself up the whole night.

“Well, I’m sorry either way. I didn’t mean to overwhelm you. I just…” Was he really gonna say it? Was it too soon? 

“You can say it, Luke. Whatever it is.” 

Julie’s warm brown eyes could very well have been staring deeply into his soul, and he almost lost his breath. It gave him the courage to confess, sort of.

“I have… feelings for you. For a few weeks, and I’ve been denying it to myself because it couldn’t possibly be true, for we only knew each other for a few months. I just… Kept dreaming about you, and today…” He ran his hand through his head and gave a weary sigh before continuing. “I can’t deny it any longer, Julie. After knowing how you sang to me during my coma and then my memories … I… I think I loved you before I met you, Julie.”

He could hear Julie’s gasp, but he didn’t dare look at her. He had said way too much for the first time. He wouldn’t hold it against her if she didn’t feel the same. 

“You… you love me?”

Her uncertainty in her words made him look at her. She saw her big brown eyes staring at him intently, desperate for answers. 

“I do.” 

Her eyes sparkled and she smiled, coming up to him and putting her hand on his cheek. He leaned into her, smiling back, his heart beating wildly in his chest.

“I love you too, Luke.” She said, making his damn heart fly. “I loved you before I met you, too.”

She initiated the kiss this time. Luke could sob with joy that it was as amazing as the first, and he could honestly die happy now. 

He was back to his life, he was back with the band, and now he had the most amazing girl he ever met kissing him with just as much passion as he gave her. Honestly, Luke’s life was becoming pretty great.

They separated with smiles on their lips, and Luke hugged her fiercely against him.

“Well, that’s a good start for your second act, isn’t it?” Julie giggled.

He frowned. “Second act?”

“You know,” she shrugged. “your second act in life. You have more to give to this world, and you had that ‘second act’ inside of you this whole time. Now it’s time for you to play it.”

He just looked at her, and she looked embarrassed. “Sorry. It’s a weird analogy. I just have been watching a lot of plays lately.”

we all got a second act inside of us

He smiled at her, the lyrics unfolding in his brain. “No. It makes total sense.”

She smiled back and Luke couldn’t help but kiss her again.

A very good start on his second act , indeed. And with how things were progressing, Luke had a feeling it was going to be great .

Chapter Text

Four Years Later

Running from the past

Tripping on the now

What is lost can be found

It’s obvious

Julie smiled while the screaming got louder. She was kinda used to it by now. Feeling the energy of the public, screaming their lyrics back at them, freaking out over the minimum things.

After joining Sunset Curve, Julie and the boys quickly found a newer, larger fanbase. Everyone who was already a Sunset Curve fan welcomed Julie with open arms, after Flynn posted a video of them singing Bright together, that fateful day when Luke told her she saved him.

It still amazed her how things changed. Luke never shared everything, and Julie had a feeling it was because maybe some things couldn’t be shared. But he told them how he remembered her singing, and how, on that last day, her voice and her touch had been what pulled him back to his own body.

It was crazy, but Julie was so, so glad it worked. Because after that, everything changed.

Sensing Sunset Curve wasn’t really their vibe or sound anymore, the band changed the name. Julie didn’t like having her name front and center, she felt like all of the boys needed their spotlight too, they were just as talented as her. But Julie and the Phantoms was an instant hit with the fans from Sunset Curve and it just grew from that.

They won a lot of new fans quickly. She and Luke wrote a lot of songs together, even if they still wrote alone sometimes. Like the song they were singing right now, that Luke had started on that first day that Julie joined them.

And like a rubber ball

We come bouncing back

We all got a second act

Inside of us

She always looked at him on that line. He was looking back at her, the same awed look he always got when they locked eyes then made her melt on the inside.

Luke’s second act was pretty impressive. It always warmed her heart to see how alive he looked now, and how gorgeous. Damn, that boy was gorgeous.

Of course he had started hitting the gym again, and of course it paid off tremendously. And the fact that he never played a show with sleeves always shook something inside of her.

She was so lucky he only had eyes for her.

The boys came with their instruments and Julie shook herself from pinning on her boyfriend. She threw herself in the music, feeding off the boys’ energy on stage and the audience, freaking out because they were singing one of their hits. She had a show to finish, so she concentrated to do her best, like usual.

I believe

I believe that we’re just one dream

Away from who we’re meant to be

That we standing on the edge of

Something big, something crazy

Our best days are yet unknown

That this moment is ours to own

‘Cause we’re standing

On the Edge of Great

Watching Julie on stage was electrifying. Luke was always a mixture of amazed and thrilled watching her. And sharing the stage with her? On a whole other level entirely. 

Listening while the crowd sang the chorus together with them always made him smile. That was the first full song he wrote after he woke up, after Julie joined the band. 

He remembered how the lyrics flowed from him, how the feeling of greatness was almost overwhelming, but so, so exciting. He couldn’t wait, then, to share every one of his dreams with Julie and Flynn and his boys.

They didn’t wait long. A year after, Julie and the Phantoms was found by Andi Parker, manager from Destiny Records, who offered them a record deal. It seemed too amazing to be true, but it was. They signed with Destiny and released their first album, Edge of Great , three months later. It was an instant hit and went up on the charts faster than any of them could expect.

They went on their first tour, and everything was a series of ups and downs after that. Luke and Julie’s relationship went through a few rough patches, like everyone’s. They always made up, though. They always found their way back to each other. 

Of course, Julie didn’t know they were soulmates. Luke did, but he sometimes forgot and went into a panic spiral, afraid Julie would figure it out she could do better than him and leave him.

Life didn’t make sense for him without her anymore. People seemed to know that about them, too, because their fans would always go crazy when the two of them sang together, shared mics or were just seen together and photographed by paparazzi.

Yeah, they were that famous. It still blew Luke’s mind away.

After the first tour, they launched their second album and so on. They were now on their third album, first worldwide tour, on their last show, finishing in LA to end home.

Luke knew his parents were in the audience, as were Julie’s and all their closest friends. Flynn was somewhere backstage, since she was part of their marketing team - and she was great at that.

We all make mistakes

But they’re just stepping stones

To take us where we wanna go

It’s never straight, no

Luke’s voice boomed over the sold out stadium, everyone singing back and making him smile like crazy. And like usual, he made a signal with his head to Julie, who took the cue and went to him, sharing her mic while they sang the next verse - and making everyone scream even louder, if that was even possible.

Sometimes we gotta lean

Lean on someone else

To get a little help

Until we find our way

I believe

I believe that we’re just one dream

Away from who we’re meant to be

That we standing on the edge of

Something big, something crazy

Our best days are yet unknown

That this moment is ours to own

‘Cause we’re standing

On the Edge of Great

Edge of Great had been Julie and the Phantoms’ first real hit, and Luke was attached to it in a way he wasn’t with other songs (maybe Perfect Harmony and Stand Tall , but those were different).

It always reminded him how his life had made a very big detour before finally settling in its course. It always made him feel grateful for the friends he had, for meeting the love of his life. It always made him feel alive and excited and full of hope for the future.

And seeing and hearing the crowd shout along with them? Priceless.

Shout, shout

C’mon and let it out, out

Don’t gotta hide it

Let your colors blind their eyes

Be who you are

No compromise

Shout, shout

C’mon and let it out, out

What doesn’t kill you

Makes you feel alive

And there was Luke’s favorite part. Julie being her amazing self, sweetly singing his words while he accompanies her with his famous guitar solo, getting close to her and making the crowd (especially the Juke fans) go wild.

I believe

I believe that we're just one dream

Away from who we're meant to be

That we're standing on the edge of great

Something big, something crazy

Our best days are yet unknown

That this moment is ours to own

Cause we’re standing 

On the edge of great

They finished it off with Luke and Julie’s duet on the last verse, the band quieting in favor of Julie’s piano, and Luke couldn’t help going to her side on the bench, singing close to her, sharing her mic.

Running from the past

Tripping on the now

What is lost, can be found

It’s obvious

There was a second of silence before the deafening screams were heard, but Luke didn’t mind them. He just kissed Julie, in front of everyone. It was a chaste and quick kiss, just because he could, and he definitely did it way too many times during the shows, but the public loved it, the label didn’t care (Flynn had said they actually liked it because it gave the band more prominence on socials), so he just seized the opportunities he had.

You can’t blame him. It was Julie . He couldn’t resist her.

After that they finished the show with Stand Tall , another from their first album that was a hit and a fan favorite, and the energy of the public on that song was even higher. He could see people wiping their eyes and crying-smiling, and that always made his heart happy.

All he wanted was to connect with people through his music. To make them feel like they weren’t alone. To be able to give voice to people who didn’t. And everytime he went on a stage and saw people that invested in their songs, he could feel the energy and the connection. It never failed to give him a sense of satisfaction he couldn’t feel anywhere else.

He was born for this and he knew it.

~.~

“Home, sweet home.” Julie said, after they finally passed through the door to the house they shared. 

Alex and Willie had started dating not long after Luke and Julie, and they lived together in a two bedroom apartment, close to them. Reggie and Flynn also lived together, in the same building as Alex and Willie. 

Julie and Luke had moved in together after two years of relationship, picking up a small house near Julie’s parents’. Julie wanted to stick close to her parents and Luke didn’t mind. They had a room they turned into a studio and the band always rehearsed and made new music there, before going to the studio to actually produce anything. 

It was incredible and Luke loved every minute. And it had been four months since they had been home, so he shared Julie’s feeling.

“Home, sweet home,” he agreed. “Are you hungry?”

“Not really. I just need a quick shower and our bed.” She yawned, tired of the day. Luke was too.

After the show, they were treated to dinner from the label, and got to catch up with their parents and friends for a while. It was past one a.m. now, and after four months touring around the world, they just needed a break.

“I hear you.” Luke said. “Why don’t I draw us a bath so we can both relax in the tub for a few minutes? Then we’ll go to bed.”

Julie loved her baths, so he knew he got her there.

“Okay, okay. While you do that, I guess I’ll just put our dirty clothes in the laundry room for tomorrow.”

“Sounds good.” He gave her a small kiss and a smile. “I’ll wait in the bathroom.”

They took their bath and kissed and played for a few minutes, before drying themselves and dressing comfortably in clean clothes. 

In their shared bed, turned to each other, Julie smiled at him, making his heart sing, like usual.

“The tour was incredible, right?”

“It was.” He agreed. “But sharing it with you guys was the best part.”

“I agree.” She smiled, giving him a little peck in the lips. “Now I just need to sleep.”

He chuckled and she just cuddled with him, laying her head on his shoulder. He automatically put his arm around her, kissing the crown of her head.

The words left his lips easily.

“Marry me.”

He froze at the same time Julie did. She moved her head to look at him.

“What did you say?”

“Shit.”

“That was not it.” She chuckled.

Luke sighed. “I know, but I had a plan ! A good one!”

Julie seemed amused, but confused. “A plan for what, Luke?”

Looking at her loving brown eyes, he sighed. Turning to his bedside table, he opened the drawer and picked up the ring he had been hiding for a long time now.

“I had this whole plan to propose to you in a couple weeks. It was supposed to be super romantic and stuff. I had the ring for a while, but the plans I made with Flynn’s help this tour. It’s a wonder you never caught us scheming.”

Julie seemed speechless, so Luke figured now was a good time as ever.

“I love you, Jules. You’re the one that makes music worth it, you make my freaking soul complete, you make my life make sense and I’ll never get over how amazing you are and how gorgeous and generous you are. I’ll never want anyone more. You’re my soulmate.” He smiled as she saw her eyes tearing up and a smile graced her features. “I want to make this official, so… Will you marry me?”

Julie wasn’t looking at the ring he just revealed. She was looking at him. Looking straight into his eyes, hers so bright and shining with unshed tears. She was smiling, too, so he knew they were tears of joy. It was the most agonizing two seconds of silence from her he ever got to experience, but when she answered, it was worth the wait.

“Yes! Oh my God, Luke, yes!”

She kissed him before he got to, and Luke wasn’t shy to admit he cried a little at her happiness and eagerness to do that. It seemed they were on the same page.

They went to sleep (eventually, after celebrating of course), and Luke had a great night of sleep with amazing dreams. Dreams with a girl who sang him back to life. 

The best part? That girl was right there with him, in real life. And she would be, hopefully forever.