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Stargazing was something Hughie always enjoyed in silence by himself. The only times he ever spent time stargazing with someone else was when he and his dad would sit out on the porch, looking up at the stars that were usually faint due to the light pollution.
But, out here, he could see them clearly. He was on a mission with a few others. Frenchie, Kimiko, and unfortunately, A-train, or now he prefers Reggie. Him and Annie were still going through a rough patch, so the group decided it’d be best if they don’t go on a mission like this together.
The mission was just a short patrol, just for a few days outside a supe club of some sort. They weren’t given much details, just assigned to come out here and tent. Kimiko and Frenchie were sharing a tent.
It’s awkward that anyone had to share a tent with Reggie, and Hughie didn’t feel like being an asshole and splitting Kimiko and Frenchie up. So, Hughie had to sleep in the same tent with him.
Hughie said they were good, but it’s like every other time he even glances in Reggie’s direction, his world is painted red, guts clinging to his face. It gives Hughie a shudder each time, and makes him stare at the speedster for far too long.
Their mission was located in an odd spot, to be fair. In the middle of the forest was a rather large, modern party building. There was a large clearing, and a small hill that hung just a good distance away from the building. You were able to see inside with a cheap pair of binoculars from there.
Hughie was sitting at the peak of the hill, legs out in front of himself, leaning back on his palms against the grass. He wasn’t looking or watching the building, he only focused on the stars.
It was true, that they were more clear out here, you could see every slight star, even the little ones. It was refreshing, compared to how the stars looked in the city. It’s like he actually had something to be interested in this time.
There wasn’t anything that could go wrong with stargazing, not the weight of him and Annie’s crumbling relationship, not butcher, not Frenchie or Kimiko, not A-train.
Well, maybe A-train. Reggie, actually. Maybe Reggie because Hughie felt the hairs on his neck stand up when he heard a familiar voice behind him. Though, it was definitely less intimidating than it had been years ago.
“Seen anything out there?”
Hughie turned around, his eyes starting from Reggie’s shoes up to his face. He shifted uncomfortably, shaking his head, “Uhm… No, no. I’m not really– paying attention to. that,” Hughie spewed out awkwardly, bringing his head back around to face forward, stealing a quick glance at the building.
Reggie chuckled, “Mmmyeah, I know.”
It was quiet for a bit, not a comfortable quiet, a weird, awkward, tense quiet. Yeah, stargazing can be ruined. And when it comes to Hughie’s life, apparently it’s very simple for stargazing to be ruined.
“I found it almost funny how you were out here looking at the stars, Campbell,” Reggie started, “But, shit, man, now that I really think about it, you are the type of bitch to stargaze.”
Hughie winced, furrowing his eyebrows before sitting up straight and turning around again to glare at Reggie, “...the fuck?” he silently mumbled.
Reggie looked down at him, cracking a grin, “Not that it’s a bad thing. Well, it could be.”
Hughie huffed angrily. Reggie just had to ruin more for him, huh?
“Where are you going with this, A-train? You came over here to fucking– I don’t know, shit on me?”
Reggie paused, tensing up, “It’s Reggie.”
“What?”
“Not A-train.”
Hughie groaned, “Okay– Fuck. Reggie, Reggie what are you doing?”
Reggie bit his bottom lip, sucking in some air before exhaling, “Things aren’t good between us, man.”
Hughie blinked, looking down at the grass.
“Shit, I know– I know you said they were, but it just doesn’t feel that way. Like, at all.”
Reggie was looking at the trees beyond the building, face forwards. Hughie looked up at the stars, like they’d tell him something.
“It’s just weird,” Hughie grumbled, “All of it. I– I forgive you, ‘nd everything but… Robin is still dead. Supersonic is dead– and– and it’s like everytime I look at you, there is blood on your hands, like literally. Like sometimes I can literally see the blood.”
A beat. A silence stretched out. Not the silence Hughie liked when looking at stars, a weird silence.
“...I don’t know how to change how you see me, Hughie,” Reggie muttered, “I don’t want to keep being seen as someone I’m trying so hard to run from.”
Hughie listened, hands resting in his laps, “Fuck– I don’t think anything will change how I see you, Reggie, or how I’ve seen you. It’s not something you or me can control, honestly.”
Hughie looked back over at Reggie, tilting his head, “But, you’ve already run from who you were. It’ll just take some for others to run from that version of you, too. We are good, Reggie. We’re good, for real.”
Reggie stared at Hughie for a good, solid minute before scoffing, shaking his head and sniffling quietly, “Yeah, okay. We’re good. Uhm– thanks.. Thanks, Hughie.”
Hughie smiled warmly, and for maybe the first time since Robin, he didn’t see blood on Reggie. He wasn’t grossed out by the supe’s presence. They were both just two guys who had a body count, and not in a sex way. Two guys who were trying to get away from the horrors they had done.
Take away Reggie’s speed and other supe shit, he’s just like any other human. Like Hughie.
“Wanna look at the stars with me?” Hughie grinned like an idiot.
Reggie quirked a brow before shrugging, “Okay, sure, man. Why not.”
Reggie stepped over to Hughie before lowering himself down next to him, one knee to his chest and the other stretched out in front of him.
The silence was comfortable now, like the tension in the air was whisked away by the cold winds of that night.
“Stargazing is still such a bitch thing to do,” Reggie chirped quickly.
“Oh, fuck off.”