The morning sun filtered through the studio, casting golden light across the instruments scattered around. Luke, Alex, and Reggie huddled in the kitchen, whispering while Roxy slept soundly on the couch.
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“We need to get her some essentials,” Luke said, running a hand through his hair. “Clothes, shoes, toiletries, and, uh… other stuff.”
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“Other stuff?” Reggie asked, blinking in confusion.
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Alex sighed. “You know—girl stuff. Period products, skincare, whatever else.” He glanced nervously at Luke. “Do we even know where to start with that?”
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Luke shrugged. “We’ll figure it out. But first, clothes. She can’t keep wearing our old band shirts.”
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Reggie scratched his head. “Okay, but how do we know her size? Like... for real?”
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Luke leaned back, looking almost smug. “I checked her clothes last night when she left them folded on the chair. Tops are small, jeans are size 26.”
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Alex blinked. “You just… checked her tags? That’s kind of weird, man.”
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“Not weird,” Luke countered. “Smart. Otherwise, we’d have no idea.”
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Reggie tilted his head. “Yeah, but what about underwear? That has a size too, right?”
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Luke hesitated, his cheeks flushing slightly. “I might’ve, uh, noticed her laundry in the basket by the couch.”
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Alex stared at him, half-amused, half-shocked. “You are way too observant sometimes, dude.”
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“It’s not like I was snooping!” Luke defended. “I just want to make sure we get the right stuff for her. She deserves that.”
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Reggie nodded slowly. “Okay, yeah, fair. Let’s just hope we don’t totally mess this up.”
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---
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At the thrift store, Luke quickly gravitated to the racks of Y2K-inspired clothing. He grabbed a cherry-print crop top and a pair of flared jeans, holding them up proudly.
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“Think she’ll like these?”
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Alex nodded, pulling out a metallic silver jacket. “Definitely her style. What about shoes?”
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Luke grabbed a pair of platform sneakers from the display. “Size six. I checked.”
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“You’re on fire today,” Alex muttered.
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Reggie wandered over, distracted by a rack of hats. “What about this one? It’s got flames on it!”
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Luke sighed, dragging Reggie back to focus. “Stay with me, man. We’ve got a list to finish.”
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---
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Their next stop was a department store. The boys shuffled awkwardly through the aisles of toiletries and feminine hygiene products, earning more than a few curious glances from shoppers.
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“Okay,” Alex said, picking up a pack of pads. “These seem… normal? Right?”
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Luke held up a box of tampons. “What if she uses these? We should get both.”
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Reggie blinked at the overwhelming number of options. “Why are there so many kinds? Like, wings? No wings? Heavy flow? What does any of this mean?”
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“Just grab one of each,” Alex muttered, tossing items into the cart.
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They moved on to toiletries, adding shampoo, conditioner, deodorant, and body wash. Luke grabbed a pack of hair ties and a cherry-print makeup bag for good measure.
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When they reached the lingerie section, Luke quickly picked out a pack of underwear in Roxy’s size, his face turning red. Alex added socks and sports bras to the cart, while Reggie stood frozen, looking like he wanted the floor to swallow him.
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Luke hesitated in front of the bras, frowning. “She told me once she struggles to find bras that fit right. Something about being between sizes—32B or 34B, depending on the brand.”
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Alex stared at him. “When did she tell you that?”
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“Last week,” Luke said, adjusting the straps on one of the bras he picked up. “She was complaining about the straps being too loose or too tight. Figured I’d better remember.”
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“You’re adjusting the straps now?” Alex asked, half-laughing.
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Luke shot him a look. “I want to make sure it works, okay? And we should get a strapless one too, just in case she ever needs it.”
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Reggie, holding up a strapless bra, grinned. “Already ahead of you. But I’m never coming back to this section.”
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Back at the studio, Roxy was sitting on the couch, strumming Luke’s guitar absently. She looked up as they walked in, her eyes widening at the sight of all the bags.
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“What… what is all this?” she asked, standing up.
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“Your new stuff,” Luke said, setting the bags down with a grin. “Clothes, shoes, toiletries, and, uh… other things you might need.”
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Roxy blinked, her face flushing. “Other things?”
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Alex coughed, his ears red. “You know… girl stuff. We grabbed everything we thought you might need.”
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Reggie nodded. “Yeah, pads, tampons, all that. It was… an experience.”
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Roxy laughed softly, her eyes glistening. “You guys didn’t have to do all this...”
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“We wanted to,” Luke said, his tone gentle. “You deserve to have your own stuff. And don’t worry—we checked your sizes. Hope we got them right.”
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Roxy’s brows furrowed. “My sizes? How did you...?”
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Luke shrugged. “I noticed your clothes tags last night. And I remembered you mentioned your bra struggles, so we grabbed both sizes you said might work.”
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Her face softened. “Thanks, Luke. That was... thoughtful.”
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As she unpacked, Luke cleared his throat. “Hey, Roxy,” he said carefully. “About the knife…”
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Roxy froze, her face clouding over.
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“I still have it,” Luke admitted, reaching into his back pocket. “I’ll give it back to you later. When things feel a bit more settled. I just want to make sure you’re okay first, alright?”
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She nodded slowly, her voice quiet. “Okay. Thanks.”
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Reggie, who had been rummaging through the bags, glanced at Luke’s pocket. “Knife? What knife?”
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Luke straightened, his tone casual. “Nothing important.”
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Alex gave Luke a knowing look, covering smoothly. “Oh. Right. Got it.”
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Reggie blinked, confused. “Wait, didn’t I see you grab something red yesterday?”
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Luke shrugged. “Probably just my bandana. You know I always have one lying around.”
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Reggie grinned, his confusion fading. “Oh, yeah! That makes sense. You’re always messing with those.”
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Alex smirked. “Classic Reggie. Can’t keep track of anything for more than five seconds.”
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Reggie laughed, scratching the back of his neck. “Hey, I’ve got a lot on my mind, okay?”
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Luke smiled subtly, relieved the topic had passed.
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As Roxy held up the metallic silver jacket, her face lit up. “This is amazing. You guys really didn’t have to go all out like this.”
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“You’re part of the band now,” Luke said warmly. “Part of the family. And family takes care of each other.”
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