#regallie

“You’re kinda crushing my book, there, butterfly,” Willie says after a while.

“Oh.” Reggie immediately sits up on his knees, scrubbing both hands over his face. “Sorry.”

Willie frowns, putting his book aside. “You sure you’re all right? What are you doing here, anyway? I thought you were having dinner at Julie’s.”

“I was ,” Reggie bemoans, shifting so that he can drop his head on Willie’s shoulder, “but we were having Chinese food, which is usually my favorite, except Luke kept eating my wantons and Alex kept making fun of me, and Julie offered to get me a fork, which was really nice but it’s just not the same.”

Willie’s not quite sure he’s following. They decide to focus on one thing at a time. “Alex made fun of you?”

“Not in a mean way. And he gave me a nice forehead kiss to say sorry. I just don’t like that I keep trying and I still can’t get it, you know?”

“No, not really. What can’t you get?”

Reggie looks up at them, his eyebrows knit together, like he’s utterly unsure where Willie’s confusion lies. “How to use chopsticks.”

“Oh.” Willie blinks. “Wait, that’s what this is all about?”

Reggie slumps back onto Willie’s shoulder, nuzzling in close until Willie gets the hint and puts their arm around him. “I’ve tried so many times,” Reggie mumbles into his shirt. “And I still can’t get it! Julie can do it. Alex can do it—drummer hands, you know? Even Luke can do it! And he rubs it in my face by using them to eat Cheetos and stuff, and by taking all the good food while I’m trying to just hold the chopsticks, and… it’s just very frustrating and it made me sad, so I would like some cuddles please.”

Before Willie has time to process, much less respond, Reggie flops down into their lap again, and Willie gets temporarily distracted by the very important task of cuddling Reggie to his satisfaction.

Once Reggie’s feeling better, though, and Willie’s legs are starting to grow a little numb, he gently pushes Reggie’s shoulders until he’s sitting up, and says, “Can I try to help?”

***

Alex comes home to find his boyfriends in the middle of a very intense Chopstick Training Session. He arrives just in time to see Reggie successfully pick up a piece of broccoli and shout, “I DID IT!”

Alex grins. This, right here, is what makes him the happiest former ghost to ever get something approaching a life back. “Having fun?” he calls, coming over to kiss Willie on the lips and Reggie on the head.

“I’m gonna use these for everything now!” Reggie cheers around a mouthful of broccoli, and Willie and Alex smile at him with all the love and pride in the world.

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