Chapter 7
Saturday arrived quickly, Julie and Flynn insisted on helping Reggie get ready. They were feeling more masculine, and worried how Nick would react to that, but Julie assured them that it would be okay. Flynn had pulled out the pan pride fish nets, paired with a very torn up pair of black skinny jeans. Julie helped Reggie choose their own shirt, a vintage Pink Floyd t-shirt under their flannel. Julie convinced Reggie to wear a bit of eyeliner, too, saying it made their eyes pop. Reggie had just finished tying their converse when there was a knock on the door. Reggie froze, following Julie’s urging to open the door. Nick stood on the other side, holding a half dozen sunflowers. “Hey.” He smiled softly. “These are, uh, for you.” He held the flowers out, and Reggie took them carefully, a small smile blooming on their face.
“Thank you.”
Julie nudged Reggie’s elbow, “How about I put those in a vase in your room, so you two can head out?” She smiled softly, encouragingly.
“Oh, uh, yeah. Thanks, Jules.” Reggie inhaled the flowers once before passing them to their sister. They glanced at Nick, “Uh, I’m ready if you are.”
Nick beamed, “Let’s go. I have some ideas.” Nick offered his hand, and Reggie took it cautiously, afraid at any point they were gonna screw it up. Nick led them to his car, even opening the door for Reggie. Nick climbed into the drivers seat next, grinning at his date before pulling the car into the road. Reggie attempted to make small talk in the car, but both of them felt the awkward energy. They opted for music, allowing them to relax as the car whisked them to the location Nick chose. The two of them sang along to the radio with smiles as Nick pulled into a parking spot. Reggie looked out at the colorful banners and balloons.
“We’re going to a carnival?” They asked excitedly.
“Yeah, Julie told me how much you liked the one she took you to before you moved. She used to tell us about you all the time. Nothing huge, just fun stories about what you guys would do when you hung out. She used to miss you constantly, ya know?” Nick continued after he bought tickets, taking Reggie’s hand and smiling, “She’s been a lot happier since you’ve been with her. It’s nice. I think she was always worried before.” Reggie was biting their lip, and Nick noticed. “I’m sorry, Reg. I didn’t mean to upset you. How about we start with your favorite?” Nick gestured at the Haunted House.
Reggie laughed, brightening at the suggestion, “You know my favorite?”
“Of course.” The blonde grinned, giving their hand a gentle squeeze, “What do you say?”
“Yeah.” Reggie grinned, pulling Nick toward the building. The two of them got in line, making their way in. Nick didn’t handle the jump scares as well he thought he would, but Reggie kept hold of him, teasing they would protect him from the monsters. When they got to the exit, Reggie asked where they were going next, bouncing on the balls of their feet. Nick laughed, pulling Reggie to a ride called the Ring of Fire. They both screamed as they went upside down, sharing smiles when they couldn’t hold hands. They went on more and more rides, stopping at a photo booth to get pictures together. They smiled for the first one, making silly faces for the others, until Reggie pressed a kiss to Nick’s cheek in the last one. He was shocked, but he smiled before the camera shuttered. The machine printed two strips of photos, and Nick stuck them in wallet for safe keeping until he would take Reggie home. They played games, and in typical cliche fashion, Nick won Reggie a stuffed animal. The last ride they went on was a small Ferris wheel. The people on the ground still looked like ants when they got to the top. “Whoa.” Reggie breathed out, looking out at the ocean nearby. “This is beautiful.”
”I couldn’t agree more.” Reggie glanced at Nick, but Nick was staring right back at them. Reggie flushed, looking back at the water. Nick was still holding their hand, but he let go, slowly wrapping his arm around their shoulders. “Is this okay?”
Reggie nodded, smiling shyly, “Yeah.” They answered, leaning into Nick’s chest as they watched the view. The wheel turned, lowering them back to the ground. They walked a few feet away, watching the sun set on the horizon. “This was really fun, Nick.” Reggie fidgeted with the sleeves to their flannel, Nick waited. He could tell there was something on their mind. “Would it- Would you mind if-“ Reggie took a deep breath, “I’d really like to kiss you right now.” Nick grinned softly, leaning in just a little bit, letting Reggie close the rest of the gap. Just as Reggie leaned in, Nick heard two people calling what could have been Reggie’s full name. Reggie pulled back, and Nick recognized the scared look in their eye. “Oh god, they found me.”
”Who?” Nick asked quietly, gentle guiding Reggie into the corner of a booth. Reggie was holding the teddy bear in a white knuckle grip.
”We-we gotta get out of here.” They answered instead, Nick didn’t hesitate. He wrapped his arm around them, hurrying them to his car. He didn’t take Reggie home, they wanted to drive until they felt safe again. So that’s what Nick did.