Part Quinze

A/N & Warning: There are mentions of being sick and throwing up in this one, just FYI.

Actually mostly fluffy, aside from that.

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The next day was Wednesday, and Ray went to Bobby's as soon as Julie and Carlos had gone to school. Luke got up to say good morning, he hugged Julie and wished her a good day before grabbing some Pop-Tarts and juice for breakfast, then going back to the studio to sleep for a couple more hours. All the guys were crashing out there now, Ray had gotten them some inflatable mattresses and sleeping bags, but Luke still stayed on the couch. He ate, and then lay back down, pulling his blanket around himself.

It was about an hour and a half later when Willie heard something and woke up, he was barely able to believe he could sleep again. He could hear Reggie snoring from his spot up in the loft, but the noise that had awoken him was coming from the small bathroom in the back of the studio. He got up quietly and stepped around Alex on his mattress, noticing that the couch was empty, just a crumpled blanket that looked like it had been thrown off in haste.

The bathroom door was slightly cracked open, and he carefully pushed it open a little more to peer in. "Luke? You okay dude?"

A cough, and Luke mumbled from his seat on the floor, "No. I don't know what's wrong." He gasped, clutching his stomach, then shuddered and dry heaved over the toilet. "I feel awful, I'm so nauseated, but nothing comes up." He lay his head on his arm, "I know we've started to need the bathroom and whatever, now that we're eating, but I HATE being sick." He heaved again, and coughed, before slumping to the floor and pressing his forehead to the tile.

Willie had moved inside, grabbing a washcloth and turning on the sink to cold. "I'm sorry. Being sick is something I really haven't missed as a ghost." He wrung out the washcloth a little, and knelt down to put it on the back of Luke's neck. "Any idea what it could be? Do you think you could have actually gotten the flu or something?"

Luke just groaned, lurching back up to dry heave again. Willie tried to help brace him, and patted his back a little.

"What's going on?" Alex and Reggie were both at the door, rubbing sleep from their eyes.

"Luke is sick, not sure why." Willie spoke for him, since he was curled over his arms on the toilet, and not in any shape to reply himself.

Alex started fidgeting, "Could it be Caleb again? I know you said it was over, but..."

"Gaahhh, no. This is not that. It kinda feels familiar, in the worst way. God, I hate being..." Luke trailed off as his stomach turned over again, just trying to breathe through it.

Reggie was staring at the whole scene, Luke was right, it DID feel kinda familiar...

-FLASHBACK-

It was the summer after 6th grade and he, Alex, and Luke had been hanging out at the beach all day. On the way home they stopped at the new smoothie stand and each got one to have as they walked home. They were having a sleepover at Luke's house that night, it was before the band had even really been an idea, so Luke's house was their favorite place to hang out. They hadn't even met Bobby yet, that would happen the first day of 7th grade, right after this summer, when they went to middle school.

To Reggie, Luke's house was the best place to be. Alex's house was okay, but there was just a vague tension, his parents were always on him about his interests, he hadn't come out to them yet, but it was like they suspected something. And his own house, well, even then his parents were starting to fight. It wasn't bad yet, but Reggie still preferred not to be there if he could help it.

So the boys spent most of their time at Luke's, playing video games and watching movies. They had all started music lessons, and they jammed together once in awhile, too, they weren't that good yet, but they had fun.

Now, on this particular day, they had gotten home late, and Luke's mom gave them the LOOK when they stumbled through the door, laughing loudly at some joke or another. They quieted down immediately, and she sent them to clean up and get to bed, since they had to be up early for the first day of soccer camp the next day. None of them were very good, but it was something to keep them busy in the summer, their parents had decided.

They went to bed, but about two hours later, Reggie woke up to Luke stumbling over him in the dark as he ran for the bathroom. He had gotten up and gone quickly to get Emily, Luke was almost never sick and he was a little worried.

She sat with Luke on the floor in the bathroom, rubbing his back, while Reggie hovered in the doorway. He was obviously sick, but he wasn't throwing anything up, just dry-heaving. Suddenly, Emily looked up at Reggie and asked him, "Did you boys eat anything different today?"

"Um, yeah, I guess, we got fruit smoothies at that new place on the way home from the beach."

Her expression cycled through a few different emotions, she looked enlightened, exasperated, then slightly amused, before settling into sympathetic.

"Baby, you forgot to ask if they put pineapple in them didn't you?" She questioned Luke, smoothing his hair out of his face.

He looked confused for a second, before groaning and burying his face in his arms.

"What does pineapple have to do with anything?" Reggie asked Emily.

"He's allergic, or at least sensitive to it. It upsets his stomach like this, so he knows he's supposed to be careful." She stared down at the back of Luke's head, with a rather pointed tone to her voice.

"'Mm sorry Mom. I got the strawberry flavor, I didn't even think about them putting pineapple juice in it."

She sighed, "It's okay baby. Reggie, why don't you head back to bed, I got this."

She smiled at Reggie and waved a hand, shooing him out of the bathroom.

-PRESENT-

"Luke. Did you drink the juice Ray has in the fridge?"

"Aaahhh, yes? I had some with my Pop-tarts when I said goodbye to Julie before she left for school?"

Reggie shook his head. He totally understood how Emily felt that night, exasperated, amused, and sympathetic.

"Luke, that stuff is a juice blend. So there's pineapple juice in it, you doofus."

Luke dry heaved again, then "Are you FREAKING KIDDING ME?!"

Reggie couldn't help but laugh, Alex joining in, he had heard the story the next morning back then, and they had all been super careful for months after that. Luke had only had a few reactions in the years since then, and then they were dead, so it wasn't a complete surprise that they had somewhat forgotten about it.

Willie smiled at the obvious affection between the guys, he was happy they had easily admitted him in their group, even if they still didn't know each other very well yet.

"Reggie, you guys have got to tell me this story. Pineapple juice bringing Luke to his knees? I thought only Julie could do that?" He smirked playfully.

"Nice, Willie!" Reggie leaned over for a high five, and Alex clutched the door frame as he doubled over in laughter.

Luke just moaned, and slumped over to press his forehead to the floor again. He HATED being sick.

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Luke was lucky he had only had a small glass of the juice. By the time Julie and Carlos got home from school and she came out to the studio for band practice, he was out of the bathroom and back on the couch. He had water and an assortment of dry toast and plain crackers in front of him, courtesy of the guys, and they were all gathered around him as he napped, watching a movie quietly on Julie's laptop.

"What are you guys doing? Usually you're already practicing when I get home."

"Shhh." Alex presses his finger to his lips, and gestured at Luke, laying curled up with his head right up next to Alex's leg where he sat on the couch, Luke's eyes closed and breathing deep and slow as he slept. Reggie was at the other end of the couch, at Luke's feet, making sure he didn't kick his blanket off, and Willie was sitting on the floor in front, obviously in charge of the water and food, in case Luke wanted anything.

Julie blinked and her expression changed to concern, "Is he okay? What happened?"

Reggie stood up carefully, Alex and Willie following his lead. They gathered around Julie by the studio door and explained about Luke's pineapple thing. She looked horrified and told the guys to go throw out the rest of the juice so it wouldn't happen again. They chuckled at her protective reaction, and told her they would take care of it.

"We'll switch our movie to the TV in the living room, we officially turn over his care until dinner to you." Alex gave her a cheeky salute, and the guys popped to the kitchen, leaving Julie alone with Luke.

She smiled affectionately, walking over and taking Alex's seat near his head. Unable to stop herself, she ran her hand through his hair gently. He looked so young, and innocent, and adorable when he was asleep.

"Mmhmm, Jules..." He mumbled, eyes heavy as he blinked up at her, before cuddling closer to her and lifting his head to set it in her lap. "That feels nice. I was sick today." He pouted, and she had to fight back a giggle.

"I heard. Are you starting to feel better though?"

"Mumph, I dunno." He went full-out puppy eyes on her and she caught her breath. 'I thought it before and I stand by it, those eyes are absolutely criminal.'

"I missed you while you were at school."

Her heart melted even more, and she bent to kiss his cheek, "I'm here now. I'm going to put a new movie on, and you should go back to sleep, okay?"

"M'Kay Jules." He gave her a beaming, sleepy smile, and she couldn't help but lean down again, this time softly kissing his lips for a moment, before grabbing the laptop, and going back to running her one hand through his hair, to help him fall back asleep.

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A/N: Poor Luke. I gave him my allergy/sensitivity, and I had this exact thing happen to me. I got a strawberry lemonade slushy drink thing, it was like 48 ounces and I drank it ALL. I thought I was being careful, but as I learned later, the place I got it tends to use pineapple juice to help with texture- keeping the slushiness slushy or something. I was sick for three days, on vacation. It was the worst.