Chapter Text
“Why is it dark?” Jake asks confused, straining his eyes to try and see anything in the blackness they've landed themselves in.
“Felix? Felix?” Sam calls out, panicked, reaching his hands out to feel for the boy he knows will have the answers.
“It's probably night-time” Andy speculates, trying to keep logic above sheer distress.
“Guys. Shut up. I'm trying to listen” Felix snaps. They shut up. Felix tilts his head to the side and listens carefully.
SNAP.
“What was that?” Sam questions. Felix rubs his fingers to his eyes in annoyance.
“I don't know okay” he replies.
“Are we home?” Jake asks.
“I don't know that either” Felix growls, just as there's a flash of light. The boys have to blink a few times to adjust to the new found brightness before Felix says “Well we're in a forest”
“Yeah but which forest?” Andy inquires, voicing everyone's thoughts.
“Well at least we aren't being chased by demons” Jake says.
“I'm starving, can we go find food while we figure out if we succeeded or not?” Sam asks. Felix can't help but roll his eyes but he throws his arm around his friend anyway, steering him towards the general direction of the town.
That's when it happens.
Felix's hand lands on the back of Sam's neck and it feels warm, like standing next to a fire on a cold winters day, like hands wrapped around a mug of hot chocolate, or like the times Ellen and him used to curl up under a pile of blankets and tell ghost stories. He takes his hand off and it burns, painful and hot like he's just put his hand in that same fire and his skin is peeling off.
“I can't breath” Sam whimpers, barely getting the words out. His skin looks tinged blue. Felix instinctively puts his hand back and Sam calms down almost instantly.
“Are you okay?” Jake asks concerned. Sam gives a slight nod.
“What happened?” Andy pushes.
“I felt good, it felt like I was out bike riding with my brothers, the wind rushing past or like...like when I'm skating and I make a really big jump and it's just before I land and I know I'm going to land it perfectly or like being really little and chasing bubbles through the air in the summer” Sam says, the words tumbling out. Jake and Felix both snort a little in amusement.
“Shut up” Sam grumbles, shrinking away.
“Sorry, Sorry” Jake says, trying to sound sincere. He is of course, but he certainly doesn't look it.
“Then what happened?” Felix asks.
“Then it felt like everything in my lungs was getting sucked out” Sam explains.
“Weird, do you think it was demons?” Andy asks, directing the question to Felix.
“Maybe, or magic at least.” he answers. “Come on” he says pushing Sam forward.
“You know you can let him go Felix, I don't think he's going to die” Jake jokes.
“Don't” Sam says softly, so Felix doesn't, he does move his hand down so that he can hold Sam's hand instead. The others don't say anything, either because they don't know what comment is suitable or because they don't care.
It takes them a decent hour's hike to reach the edge of town.
“Do you think we could go to Andy's family restaurant? I love the food there” Sam announces happily.
“Sure, I guess it'll be as good an indication as any, seeing what Nai-Nai calls me” Andy says.
“Uh, why?” Jake asks.
“Well if she calls me ghost boy, we're still in bizarro universe” Andy explains.
“I want to drop by Phoebe’s on the way” Felix says, “It's another way to check and I want to see if I can pick something up anyway” he says with a shrug.
“Try not to send us somewhere we don't exist this time” Sam laughs light-heartedly, but he's more serious than he's letting on.
“I'll try” Felix jokes back. “I am sorry” he says more seriously.
“We know” Andy replies.
“It was shitty of you, but we do get it” Jake says.
“You do?” Felix asks surprised.
“Yeah if something happened to one of my brother's and I had the chance to fix it, I would” Sam answers.
“Even if you ended up getting nearly killed by demons?” Felix questions.
“Well the demon was hardly intentional” Andy points out.
“Just you know, warn us next time” Jake tells him. The conversation comes to an end just as the reach Phoebe’s shop. Felix frowns at the sign painted on the front of it.
“Bond Shop” Jake reads out loud.
“Is that some kind of weird sex thing?” Sam asks.
“No” Felix scoffs.
“Hey” Andy calls out and the others turn to see who he's greeting and spot Ellen and Mia walking up the street.
“Uh hey” Ellen calls back, sounding a little sarcastic.
“Be nice” Mia whispers loudly, flashing a winning smile.
“What are you guys up to?” Sam asks.
“Why do you care skater boy” Mia retorts and Sam frowns, Mia has never been nasty to him, not in either universe.
“Did you guys bond?” Ellen asks wide-eyed, staring at where Sam and Felix's hands are still clasped together. “But you hate each other” she continues.
“I don't hate Sam” Felix bites out, squeezing Sam's hand tighter.
“Oh so the 'Sam is a stupid airhead that will never amount to anything besides being skater trash who still hangs around with teenagers when he's forty' mentality you've had for three years is what? A joke?” Mia asks.
“What?” Sam asks, sounding small. Felix can feel Sam's hand slipping out of his and he really doesn't want it to. When the contact is lost this time it's more bearable than before, but it still hurts a lot.
“Well Sam is a bit of an Airhead” Jake teases without thinking.
“I don't think your stupid Sam” Felix says softly.
“Hey, uh....” Andy starts with a frown. “What's did you mean by did you guys bond?” he asks.
“Well you know, they were holding hands. People don't do that unless they've gone through bonding” Ellen says, like it's something they should know.
“Is bonding something new?” Andy queries.
“Not unless you've being living under a rock for the past five hundred years” Mia replies.
“Felix, I don't think we're home” Jake hisses.
“I'm figuring that out thanks” Felix replies, irritated. “So say we had been living under a rock, where would we go to find out about bonding” he asks the girls.
“Right there” Ellen replies, pointing a finger at Phoebe’s shop.
“Cool, thanks” Jake tells them.
“Well you wanted to see Phoebe anyway” Sam says, sounding like he did the day he smashed the amulet and him, Jake and Andy disappear into the shop.
“Sam” Felix calls out, reaching an arm out into empty space as though it'll bring the other boy back to him.
“I can't believe you bonded to Sam Conte of all people” Mia says. Felix shots her a look.
“I can” he replies coldly. “I'll see you around” he says, less harshly. Before slipping into the shop himself. The bells chime above him. He grabs Sam's hand again and the pain coursing through his body subsides.
“Thanks” Sam mutters like he's trying to sound more sarcastic than grateful.
“Phoebe’s bond shop, for all your bonding needs” A voice drones from the front.
“There wasn't a bell before” Andy stage whispers as the approach the counter.
“Let me guess. Newly bonded” Phoebe says, peering at them.
“How'd you know?” Felix asks.
“Well the bell chimed, so someone is and you look like you're about as sure as a kangaroo caught in the headlights” Phoebe replies.
“Don't you mean a deer caught in the headlights” Andy corrects.
“You ever seen a deer?” Phoebe questions.
“No” Sam answers.
“But you've seen a kangaroo?” Phoebe asks.
“Well yeah” Jake says.
“Well there you have it. Now tell me about the bonding” she says, sounding not all that interested. No one speaks up. “Don't tell me I have to give the 'just because you've bonded to a person of the same sex doesn't mean you're gay speech” she sighs.
“uh, no, no of course not” Felix stammers, finally finding his voice.
“I do like girls though” Sam says, unnecessarily. The obsession with Mia was kind of a dead give away.
“And do you like...” Phoebe pauses waiting for a name.
“Felix” Felix supplies.
“Do you like Felix? bonding non-withstanding” Phoebe asks.
“I don't get it” Sam declares.
“Would you like him without the bond” Andy states.
“Yeah, yeah of course Felix is cool and nice, well like most of the time anyway” Sam babbles.
“And you like him” Phoebe smirks, gesturing between Felix and Sam.
“He grows on you” Felix says.
“So no issues there, how new is the bond?” Phoebe questions.
“A bit over an hour, maybe two” Jake replies.
“I was asking the bonded” Phoebe remarks.
“yeah, that sound right. We were together when it happened” Felix tells her.
“Oh so you want something for the pain” Phoebe concludes.
“Wait you guys are in pain?” Jake asks concerned.
“Why didn't you say something” Andy wonders out loud.
“I dunno I didn't know how to explain it” Felix shrugs.
“I take it you don't think your parents would approve of the bond rituals” Phoebe queries.
“I don't know, it's not something we ever discussed” Sam panics.
“You've never discussed bond rituals, next you'll be telling me your parents haven't had the sex talk with you” Phoebe tells them.
“Oh god do I have to have sex with Felix?” Sam asks wide-eyed.
“Not if you don't want to, consent is a thing for the bonded as well. Don't let anyone tell you other wise” Phoebe says fiercely.
“I don't want to do anything Sam doesn't want to do” Felix says reassuringly.
“Look clearly you lot have some gaps in your education in basic human biology so I'm going to give you some praedimiculum cream and some painkillers, do either of you have issues with breathing due to the bond?” Phoebe rambles, looking at them both expectantly. Sam raises his spare hand. “Panadol it is then, if you want anything strong you'll have to talk to a doctor” she tells them handing the pharmaceuticals over.
“Cool thanks” Felix says accepting them cautiously.
“Rub the cream on areas where the bond took place” Phoebe explains sounding fed up, “Now get out, and go talk to your parents” she says with a shooing gesture. So the boys rush out of her as quick as they can.
“Well that was weird” Jake says when they're back in daylight.
“You know what I've been thinking” Andy states, not waiting for an answer “If Mia and Ellen knew who we were does that mean that there are doppelgangers of us in this universe?” he questions.
“Maybe, I don't know” Felix groans, doing that thing where he kind of tilts his head from side to side in annoyance.
“I don't care I'm starving and I was promised Andy's family's food” Sam complains.
“You weren't actually promised anything” Andy huffs.
“Worth going to check it out” Jake says with a shrug and marches off in that direction. Sam tugs at Felix's hand until they chase after him with Andy trailing behind. They all catch up to each other just as they reach where Lily Lau's Chinese take away should be.
“A dry cleaners!” Andy exclaims in surprise.
“Andy is that you?” Andy's mum asks, poking her head through the door. “Oh hi Jake” she greets.
“Um hi Mrs. Lau” Jake replies.
“How are your mum and dad?” she questions.
“I'm not sure, good I guess” Jake says.
“Kids these days, never talk to your parents do you” she says with her hands on her hips.
“Not really, no” Jake jokes.
“Are you coming over for dinner?” she asks.
“Food!” Sam says perking up.
“Andy who are your friends?” Mrs. Lau asks, as though she's just noticed that Felix and Sam are there.
“Mum, this is Felix and Sam” Andy says.
“Newly bonded” she guess. “You can help Nai-Nai with the cooking, but yes it's fine” she adds, smiling at them before returning into the shop.
“Bizarre” Andy says, shaking his head.
“Mia hates me, I can't stand being away from Felix, the Chinese restaurant is a dry cleaners...What next” Sam grumbles.
“Next we eat and try to figure this out rationally” Felix says.
“Even I don't think this can be solved rationally” Andy points out as they head off in the direction of his house. It doesn't take them long to get there.
“Should we knock?” Jake speculates.
“Why would I knock, I live here” Andy says.
“Not really though, what if this universes Andy is in there?” Sam asks.
“How would me knocking on the door help?” Andy retorts.
“What if one of us knocks on the door and asks if Andy is in while you hide?” Felix suggests.
“That sounds stupid” Jake says.
“Do you have any better suggestions?” Felix asks.
“No, but we haven't run into ourselves so maybe there aren't an doppelgangers” Jake replies.
“There has to be, otherwise people wouldn't recognise us” Felix points out.
“What if our existence here has temporarily paused the existence of the us of this universe” Andy ponders.
“What? Like this world us are dead?” Sam questions.
“No more like, hibernating or like their matter has dispersed into microscopic atoms while we're here.”
“But shouldn't the us that is meant to be here overpower the us that isn't?” Jake asks.
“I think it would be more like a virus” Andy says.
“Gross” Felix replies, twitching his nose.
“Why are you guys just standing around the front door?” Viv asks.
“No reason” Andy tells her.
“Move out of the way then. I have to go get ready for a date” Viv says pushing past them.
“Can we just make food and only worry if something goes wrong for once?” Sam asks.
“Something always goes wrong” Jake points out darkly.
-
“These really aren't that bad” Sam says with a mouthful of chicken feet.
“I still think they're disgusting” Jake tells him, reaching for another pork dumpling at the same time that Andy does, causing their knuckles to brush against each other.
It feels like playing the first game of football of the season with his mum cheering him on, it feels like the time his dad didn't flake out and took him camping for a whole long weekend, it feels like the beach at Christmas when the sand gets stuck between his toes. The feeling is only momentary before he feels like he's being bitten by a thousand bull ants as he walks barefoot along dry, itchy grass.
“Jake, touch him again” Felix screams. Jake looks over and Andy is spitting out excessive amounts water that he's clearly choking on. Jake practically dives across the table to touch him again and the water stops.
“Thanks” Andy whispers gratefully.
“I'd say you guys just went through bonding” Sam says.
“Want some of our cream?” Felix asks, they'd put some on while helping Nai-Nai and it had really helped, so now they feel a bit more comfortable without physical contact, they're still practically on top of each other though.
“Sure” Jake says, holding a hand out.
“The first part was awesome. The second part not so much” Andy says.
“Yeah.” Felix agrees.
“I think we probably do need to ask someone about this” Jake says.
“Later though, I want to pretend like this isn't the weirdest thing that's ever happened to me for a while longer” Sam states, reaching for more food.