Chapter Text
“What ….?” Reggie gasped as Nick stood, hand held out as he pinned the phantom to the wall.
“What do you mean?” Nick smirked lecherously, “I’m merely making good on my promise” The blond boy advanced slowly, eyes raking over Reggie’s body.
Reggie wriggled against the wall, trying anything to get free from the wall but it was to no avail. “How…” he stammered “how are you doing this?”
Nick was in his space now, and he could feel his breath ghost across his face, something that shouldn’t be possible. The smile had never faltered. “You didn’t think that that stamp was my only trick now did you?”
Reggie’s breath caught in his throat. “No… you … you can’t -”
Nick's hand came up to caress his cheek and Reggie flinched back as he made contact with his skin. “Oh, but I am Reggie baby.” The hand that wasn’t on his cheek had come to rest on his waist. Reggie had longed to be able to touch to feel a lifer ever since the night with Julie, but …this this was wrong. Caleb’s touch made his skin crawl. He wanted to move needed to move but he could only stare in horror at the club owner.
“What – what do you want?” the hand on his check was stroking him gently almost soothingly but Reggie felt anything but soothed.
Caleb smiled with Nick’s mouth and leaned in to whisper in Reggie’s ear. “I want you. All of you.” Reggie shivered against the other. Caleb continued, hand traveling up to nestle in Reggie’s hair “But you Reginald,” Reggie felt sick as the name rolled off his lips. “I want you the most.” The grip on his hair tightened as Caleb took Reggie’s earlobe into his mouth, nipping and sucking on the soft tissue. Reggie let out a dry sob as he struggled against Caleb’s hold, but it was no use.
“Oh, excited, are we?” Caleb mumble letting go of Reggie’s ear to attach his mouth to the phantom's neck. The hand that was on his hip snaked up underneath his shirt. “Don’t worry baby, I’ll take good care of you”
Tears were slipping from Reggie’s eyes and he let out soft sobs. He didn’t he didn’t want this he---
“Please” he whined “Please I don’t --- Stop!”
The mouth on his neck was gone and he was looking into blue sinister eyes. “Don’t stop? I wasn’t planning to.”
The grip on his hair tightened “No… I” The hand up his shirt retracted and for a moment Reggie thought it was over until the hand slipped pasted the waistband of his jeans and he screamed.
His hair was yanked with such force that he choked “Now now Reggie baby, I don’t want to have to hurt you” Caleb crooned. “Be a good boy for me.” So, when the hand gripped him Reggie could only sob. Caleb licked the tears that streaked his face. “Such a good boy baby.”
“Please….” Reggie begged. This wasn’t happening this wasn’t happening he --- the hand moved around behind him. Nononononono. His sobs increased and he panicked, thrashing uselessly against Caleb. But the grip on his hair and Caleb’s magic kept him still.
Caleb sighed in disappointment “I told you to be a good boy.” Suddenly fingers were inside him; probing invading, burning. His scream was cut off by the hand around his throat.
“Don’t worry baby, it’ll feel good I promise” Suddenly a jolt of pleasure shot through him. He gasped. This was wrong, he didn’t want this, he couldn’t enjoy it he didn’t enjoy – he felt it again and he let out a moan.
Caleb was moving his hand faster, hand still wrapped around Reggie’s throat. “That’s its baby, give it to me.” Reggie screamed as he finished, body racked with tremors. Caleb removed his hand and brought it back up to his waist while the one from his throat smoothed back his hair.
Reggie wasn’t crying, he merely stared back at Caleb with blank broken eyes.
“Such a good boy baby.” Caleb stepped back. “Now run along.” He went to exit the night club office. “See you soon Reginald.”
Reggie felt the invisible bonds drop away and he sank down the wall to the floor, shaking. He stared blankly at the opposite wall.
He didn’t want he hadn’t wanted--- so why had he?
He stood and tried to quell the shaking in his hands as he jumped to the studio.
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Reggie was late. Luke was annoyed but it was justifiable. They needed to work on the changes while Julie was at school. The song was new, and they needed all the practice they could get.
“Where is he?"Luke whined to Alex, who sat on the leather sofa absently drumming on his legs.
Alex shot him a glare “I have the same answer as the last time you asked which is I. Don’t. Know”
Luke huffed; yeah sure Reggie was scatterbrained, but he wasn’t bad enough to forget band practice, was he?
Alex rose from the couch and announced that he would check the house one more time to see if Reggie had shown. Waving him off Luke hunched over his lyric journal and read over the chords again. The noise of someone in the studio, made him look up. “Alex did you – “he stopped short. Instead of the blond, Reggie was there, and he looked, he looked freaked. Reggie hurried past him to the loft.
“Dude where have you been?” Luke questioned trying and failing to keep the annoyance out of his tone.
“I –” Reggie stuttered, “just out, I’m gonna change real quick ok.” With that, the brunette hastily climbed the ladder.
By the time he came down Alex had returned.
Alex raised an eyebrow “Where have you been.”
Reggie laughed but it sounded forced. “You know exploring, must have lost track of time.”
“Okay,” Alex said skeptically. “Well I guess we can start now”
Practice was awkward, to say the least, he and Reggie always shared a mic. Always. It was their thing, but Reggie didn’t come within 3 feet of him. They did well, he guessed, awkward but well. Alex got up from the drum set and moved behind Reggie. “ Welp I’m going to head out, good job guys” he muttered giving Reggie a pat on the back.
Three things happened at once. Reggie flinched away from Alex’s hand so hard that he stumbled into the drum set with a crash. Alex let out a yelp of surprise and Luke dropped his notebook. He stepped forward; hand outstretched to help his friend, but Reggie merely scrambled backward further.
“Reggie?” Alex’s worried voice filtered in from Luke’s right, but he only had eyes for the boy in front of him.
“Reggie?” he said softly, holding up his hands in a show of surrender. “Hey, it’s okay” Reggie’s eyes seemed to clear, and he leaped from the ground, heading for the studio doors.
Luke jumped up and chased after him. “Reggie, wait!” he grabbed at his shoulder. Reggie flinched again, spinning around and gripping Luke’s wrist tightly.
“Don’t touch me!” he snapped stepping back and dropping Luke’s wrist. Alex came up beside Luke and Luke saw concern etched into every feature of his face.
“Reggie…. where were you?” Alex spoke softly “Talk to us Reg. What happened?”
Luke looked back at Reggie. He was shaking, fear reflected in his green gaze and there was another emotion. Luke’s gut twisted when he recognized it…. Shame.
“I- I –” A tear rolled down Reggie’s face and Luke felt his heart seize.
“Reg.” Luke took a small step forward “Please.”
Reggie gulped. “Caleb, he -- he possessed Nick and he—we were in the club and---” Luke felt his blood run cold. “ I couldn’t move, he said he said he wanted ---- but I –I didn’t I didn’t – and he he…” Reggie cut himself off with a broken sob as Luke felt his heart shatter.
“Oh god,” Alex gasped, stepping forward slowly as Reggie dissolved into gasps and cries. He had his arms wrapped around himself protectively as he choked on his sobs. Eventually, he collapsed to his knees against the wall, drawing in panicked breaths. Alex had reached him by then and kneeled next to Reggie. “Reg. Reg, hey!” He pleaded, “look at me ok? You need to breathe.”
Luke watched frozen as Reggie continued to hyperventilate, “I can’t – I can’t!”
Wincing at the flinch, Alex rested his hand on Reggie’s arm softly “Yes you can.” When his eyes met Reggie’s, he gave a small sad smile, “Breath with me Reg. please.” Reggie shuddered twice before drawing in a shaking breath and then another and another. Tears rolled down his face as he matched Alex’s breathing.
“It’s ok Reg. You’re ok.” Alex whispered. He glanced up at Luke, motioning for him to sit on Reggie’s right. He stepped forward shakily and lowered himself next to his best friend.
Reggie’s head whipped to Luke and Luke almost reeled back at the pain in his eyes. He reached out a hand tentatively “Can I?” Reggie’s response was jerky nod. So as gently as he could, Luke rested his hand on Reggie’s upper back and Reggie’s resolve shattered. He buried his face in Luke’s chest, gripped the front of his shirt with both hands, and wailed. Luke felt the tears that had been threatening to fall slide down his face as Reggie sobbed in earnest, shaking violently against him. He rubbed small circles on his back and noticed Alex doing the same on his arm. Alex’s other hand was clenched by his side, and when Luke met his gaze, he could see the sadness and rage as tears flowed down his cheeks as well.
“I didn’t – I said --- “Reggie sobbed. Luke looked up at the ceiling and closed his eyes in despair.
“I know.” He gasped out.
“I’m sorry”
Luke felt his already shattered heart break more. “Don’t be sorry Reg.” Alex choked out, leaning his head on Reggie’s shoulder.
“But I – I—"
Luke tightened his grip on the boy slightly. “It wasn’t your fault; it wasn’t your fault Reg.”
Reggie didn’t speak again, merely continued to cry, and Luke and Alex merely sat there, tears streaming down their faces as they held him.
Footsteps outside brought Luke’s attention away from Reggie. He looked down at his friend as he heard Julie’s voice through the studio doors. He met Alex’s gaze, panicked. “We can’t—”
Alex was already getting to his feet, “I know, I got it”. He removed his hand from Reggie’s forearm and the bassist whimpered in response. “It’s ok” Alex soothed, “ I’ll be right back” and then he vanished. Reggie curled further into him and Luke shifted them, so Reggie was situated between his bent legs and properly hugged the boy to his chest. Reggie tensed but adjusted to the new position. His sobs had quieted but his body still racked itself with tremors. Luke ignored the voices outside the studio and closed his eyes as he rested his head in Reggie’s hair, holding his best friend for all he was worth.
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Something was wrong. Julie heard the heart-wrenching sobs as soon as she made her way down the steps. Panic flooded her. What if Caleb had returned, what if the boys were hurt, what if they were …. She broke out into a sprint ready to fling the studio doors open when the sudden appearance of Alex made her pull up short. The drummer looked heartbroken. She could make out tear tracks on his face and his red-rimmed eyes still watered. “Julie” he breathed, voice exhausted and upset.
She looked past him to the studio feeling her breathing quicken. “What--?”
“Julie” he cut her off. “You have to cancel the gig tonight. “
Julie felt her stomach drop in fear. “Why? What’s happening? Are you guys ok?”
Alex let out a breathy sob as a tear slid down his face “No.”
Her heart seized and she opened her mouth to speak but Alex just inclined his head towards the door. Gently, Julie pulled it open. She saw the drum set in disarray and mic stands tipped over haphazardly. She swiveled her head to Alex in question and found him staring elsewhere. She followed his gaze to where her friends sat against the wall and felt her heart break. Luke had Reggie wrapped in his arms, head nestled in his hair as he rubbed soothing circles on the bassists back.
Julie’s eyes brimmed with tears “Reggie?”
The sound of her small voice made Luke look up to meet her eyes. He had tears rolling down his cheeks and was taking shuttering breaths to calm himself.
“Hey”
Alex made his way over to the two as Julie stood frozen. What was happening? Why was Reggie in Luke’s arms? Why were Luke and Alex crying? She bit her lip to keep the tears from spilling over.
“Is he asleep?” Alex asked softly.
“Yeah. A couple of minutes now”
Alex let out a relieved sigh “Okay” he breathed “Okay.” He ran a hand through his hair as Luke dipped his head down once more. He sat down on the floor next to Luke and put his head in his hands.
Julie felt her tears flow freely as she watched the scene, and she felt worry coil in her gut as she pondered the cause. She sat next to Alex and pulled out her phone, shakily typing out a text to Flynn to cancel the gig. She wished she could do anything to comfort the boys, but she could only sit silently as they suffered.