#//i am so sorry robin this took like 10 years!! | Explore Tumblr Posts and Blogs

steddieas-shegoes · 1 year

Note

So I have this one scene in my head, that won't go away unless someone writes it😅

So it's like 10 years after season 4. Everybody is "grown up" , moved away, married, have kids, etc. They have a reunion at the park in Hawkins/Indy Idk?

Eddie is watching the kids. Suddenly a woman comes up to him saying his kid hit/pushed her kid. Eddie who saw the whole thing, says his kid was just defending them self from her kids bullying. The woman asks Eddie, if the kids mother would agree to this behavior. Cue Eddie calling out Honey! And then introducing Steve as their kids mother🤣

Its not much to go on plot vice, but I'm hoping your amazing brain can fill in the blanks😅

I am a Steve secretly likes being called mom truther. Sorry to everyone who isn't. I full believe Eddie started it as a joke, but he noticed the blush on Steve's face and kept doing it, and then the kids just naturally picked up on it and refer to him as both mom and dad depending on the situation. Imagine the confusion on a teacher's face when their troublemaker tells the principal "my mom is gonna be so mad that someone pushed me" and in walks a raging Steve. It's giving comedic relief. I didn't really include a whole lot of everyone in this, just mentioned it was a reunion and had a few moments with the Party. Hope that's okay, it's just difficult to include EVERYONE in a short ficlet. - Mickala ❤️

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They came back to Hawkins as often as they could to visit Wayne, especially once they adopted Hannah. Shortly after Nancy offered to be a surrogate for them, they ended up adopting Hannah’s baby sister, Lucy. In case that wasn’t enough, they still decided to take Nancy up on her offer, and they ended up with twins (“can’t do anything halfway, can you?” was Robin’s reaction) Ben and Molly.

Everything happened so quickly, all within two years, that Steve and Eddie turned to Wayne often as their calming presence.

At six years old, Hannah was a spitfire. She had Eddie’s personality despite not being theirs until she was four: unapologetically herself, loud, dramatic, and so fucking smart it scared them both. Lucy, at two (and a half!), was already well on her way to being the same way.

But this visit to Hawkins was different.

Everyone was back.

All the kids, who were far from kids now, and their significant others and kids decided to have a reunion over Labor Day weekend.

Eddie just got off a tour a few weeks earlier, a tour that proved to be quite chaotic when he insisted his entire family join him for two months on the road. Steve argued that it wasn’t necessary, that they would be fine for two months as long as he called every day, but Eddie wasn’t having it.

They took up a whole tour bus by themselves, but the rest of his band loved the kids. They brought Hannah on stage for soundcheck, they even had special headphones made just for her to be able to watch and play the instruments.

Steve usually used soundcheck time to walk with Lucy, find a place where she can run around and let loose all that toddler energy. Most venues they stopped at had a large backstage parking area for the buses and equipment vans, so while Lucy would run around and find weird bugs and sticks, Steve would push Ben and Molly in the double stroller so they could get some fresh air.

Once the doors opened, Eddie brought Hannah back to him and they went back to the bus so Steve could make them all their dinner, give them their baths, and put them to bed. They’d converted the bottom bunk spaces of the bus to a crib space for the twins and Lucy, and made the top bunk more kid friendly for Hannah.

It worked, and it was fun, and it was an experience that they all were happy to have together, but it was exhausting for all of them.

Being back in Hawkins was almost like a vacation.

Compared to the rush, rush, rush environment of tour, Hawkins was sit back, relax, enjoy the breeze.

Especially because everyone wanted their turn holding and playing with the kids. There were some points in the day that Eddie didn’t even know which adult his kids were with, but he was fine with it because Steve was sitting in his lap, more relaxed than he’d been in close to a year.

“Love you, Stevie,” Eddie mumbled against his hair, smiling as Steve curled further into his chest.

“Love you, too, baby.”

“Well aren’t you two just adorable,” Wayne said as he took the seat next to them, Ben asleep in his arms.

“When did he fall asleep?” Steve asked, voice low so he wouldn’t startle Ben.

“About 20 minutes ago.”

“You can go set him in the pack and play.”

“Nah. I wanna get as much time with these kiddos as I can,” Wayne said as he smiled down at Ben.

“Is Molly sleeping anywhere?” Eddie asked.

“Last I saw, Max was trying to get her to crawl in the living room, but I don’t think Molly is very interested.” Wayne started rocking back and forth slightly, like he did anytime he held a baby, whether they were asleep or not. “I heard Hannah ask if she could go to the park. If you wanna take her and Luce, we can keep the babies here for a bit.”

Eddie patted Steve’s back, silently asking him to let him up.

“I can take them. Stevie, you can stay here and get some rest.”

“No, I’ll come. Lucy will want someone to push her on the swings the whole time and Hannah won’t want to even look at the swings. It takes two with them.”

They made their way into the house to collect Hannah and Lucy, smiling at the way Max and Will were trying to bribe Molly to crawl with toys.

There was only one actual park in Hawkins, and the playground had only been added about five years ago as more people started moving back into town. It wasn’t impressive, especially compared to their Chicago parks and playgrounds, but Hannah and Lucy weren’t picky.

As expected, Lucy ran straight to the swings, yelling “Ma! Push me on swings please!”

Steve rolled his eyes fondly, but followed her over to them, preparing himself for the next 30 minutes of pushing her back and forth.

Hannah, well, she was a wild child. Literally, Eddie has had to drag her out of a hole she dug in their backyard once because she thought it could be her new bedroom. She cried when she thought that the bugs would hate her for leaving them. She found fun in any outdoor environment, which was good because the playground didn’t have a whole lot to offer other than one slide, a small set of monkey bars, and one tube to run through.

There were only a few other kids playing, all the parents standing off to the side or sitting on the bench.

All moms who would probably not want to talk to Eddie, especially if they recognized him and had been living in Hawkins during the whole, well, thing.

He stood away from everyone, just keeping an eye on Hannah, but occasionally looking over to Steve and Lucy. Lucy was ecstatic, he could hear her yelling “High! Up! High!” and Steve smiling as he pushed her just a tiny bit higher.

It was during one of those moments that he heard a yell and then heard someone walking over to him.

He turned to see a woman, probably pretty close to his age, coming up to him with a stern look on her face.

Oh boy.

He sighed as she stopped in front of him, her arms crossing over her chest.

He glanced at Hannah, who was being shoved by a boy maybe a year or two older than her. Hannah just raised her brow and shoved him back.

He looked back at the mom in front of him, assuming she was the boy’s parent.

“May I help you?”

“You may. Your daughter just pushed my son!”

“Is your son the one I just watched shove her?”

“If he did, it was to defend himself.”

“Hm.” Eddie glanced back up to see the boy crying and Hannah walking towards him. “Maybe your son should keep his hands to himself if he doesn’t like being pushed.”

“Maybe your daughter should learn to move out of the way.”

Eddie smirked as Hannah came up next to him.

“Hannah, wanna tell me what just happened?”

“He told me that I was too fat to go on the slide so I told him I would show him that I wasn’t. And then he tried to pull me away and I didn’t let him so he said that he was going to push me off the top. He tried to, but I’m strong, so he couldn’t. I pushed him back.”

Eddie nodded.

It’s not that he thought his kids were perfect. Far from it.

He got calls frequently from Hannah’s school that she was being too rough with the kids, and he had to remind her that a lot of kids don’t play that way. She never had bad intentions, she just didn’t know how strong she was. Kind of like a large breed dog thinking he can still sit in your lap when he’s fully grown.

But he also knew that because she had never had bad intentions, there was no way she did anything that wasn’t in defense of herself.

“It sounds like your son was rude and put his hands on her first,” Eddie said to the woman, who was turning a violent shade of red.

“There is no way her mother would allow her to act like this. This is inappropriate for young girls.”

Even Hannah knew that was the wrong thing to say.

She covered her face and shook her head and Eddie couldn’t hold back a laugh.

“What is so funny?” the woman asked angrily.

“Her mother is the one who taught her how to defend herself, but if you’d like to talk…” Eddie turned to the swings, where Steve was focused on Lucy. “Sweetheart! Can you come here for a second?”

Steve looked over to him with a frown, grabbing Lucy from the swing and mumbling something to her when she looked disappointed that they were done.

“What’s going on?” Steve asked as he looked down at Hannah, who was patiently waiting to see what Steve was about to do to this woman.

Eddie absolutely loved his children equally, he really did. But Hannah was something else entirely. He felt connected to her in ways that he hadn’t expected when they first met her. If it were possible, he would think she was his biologically with how similar they were in personality, how they both had the same dark curls, brown eyes, loud laugh, and smirk.

The woman seemed surprised to see Steve come over, but quickly went back to the angered demeanor of a moment ago.

“Your daughter tried to hurt my son.”

This woman was not going to convince Steve of that even if she somehow managed to record it on camera.

“What did your son do?”

“I beg your pardon! He didn’t do anything except try to take a turn on the slide.”

“Right.” Steve looked at Eddie, who gave a small shake of his head, then down at Hannah who did the same. “My sources seem to remember things differently.”

“Ma, he said I was too fat and then tried to pull me away!” Hannah was getting more upset now, not because she was in trouble, but because it was interrupting her playtime.

“Which one is your son?” Steve asked.

Oh no. That was the bitchy tone.

Eddie loved where this was going.

“The one getting off the slide,” the woman pointed, but immediately tried to start arguing. “She had no right to push him no matter what he may or may not have said.”

“The kid who is currently pushing another girl out of his way?”

The woman looked over and gritted her teeth together.

“Daddy, Ma, he’s mean!” Lucy yelled as she held Hannah’s hand.

“Yes, baby, he is being mean. That’s why we taught you and your sister to stand up for yourselves when someone is bullying you,” Eddie said pointedly.

“Kids like that grow up to be mean adults who don’t have friends and raise their own kids to be mean,” Steve added with a glare at the mom.

“We all have to take turns on the slide,” Hannah nodded in agreement.

“Ma! Ma! Swing again!” Lucy suddenly yelled, totally over the way this conversation was taking away from her valuable swinging time.

“Sure, baby.” Steve turned to the seething woman in front of them. “Are we done here or do I have to go on about how your son is going to peak in high school just like you did?”

She stormed off without another word, no match for Steve when he was in Mama Bear Mode.

It was so fucking hot.

Steve sighed.

“I’m proud of you Hannah Banana. You okay?” Steve knelt down so he was eye level with her, and pulled her into a hug.

“Can we go to another park, Ma?”

“Sorry, baby, this is the only one here. We can go back to Papa Wayne’s house, though.”

“Can I swing with Lucy?” Hannah asked.

“Of course. How about we swing for another ten minutes and then we get some ice cream?”

Eddie perked up at that.

“Ice cream!”

“You’re worse than the children,” Steve smirked at Eddie.

“Ice cream!” Lucy yelled.

“Can I have strawberry?” Hannah asked excitedly.

“Sure,” Steve ruffled her hair. “Strawberry’s my favorite, too.”

“Brownie!” Lucy yelled, eyes wide.

“That’s my girl! We’ll get brownie ice cream,” Eddie said as he lifted her up into his arms and walked her over to the swings.

The rest of the afternoon was uneventful, which is exactly how they liked it.

#steddie #steve harrington #eddie munson #stranger things #the party #steve and eddie are parents #rock star eddie munson #bitchy steve comes out to play #mama bear mode activated

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starryeyedjanai · 1 year

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Steve Harrington, cat whisperer

steddie | rated: teen | 1.8k

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Steve is having the worst day of his life.

Okay. Maybe that’s a bit dramatic, but he woke up late for work and couldn’t stop to get coffee, so he was grumpy all morning.

And then when he took his break and finally did go to get coffee - because caffeine is a drug, kids, don’t do it - some maniac spilled hot coffee all over his white button down shirt as soon as he walked inside the coffee shop.

Seriously. Who is drinking hot coffee in August? And why was this guy walking around with a to go cup with no lid on it?

It’s boiling outside and Steve is still not used to the oppressive southern heat even after living here for years now. So he was already wiping sweat from his brow on his five minute walk to the coffee shop before he got doused in hot coffee and it’s just. Not a good day.

When he returns to work, he’s red in the face, not only from the heat, but from the embarrassment of having all his coworkers see him waltz in to the impromptu all-staff meeting with a tight, tight t-shirt with Ariana Grande’s face plastered on it (which he nabbed from his car on the way back to work - he took Robin to the Ariana Grande concert last month and she made him buy a $10 shirt from some sketchy guy in the parking lot who only had women’s size medium shirts.)

The all-staff meeting is a disaster. Corporate legal reps come sauntering in with their unsympathetic smiles as they tell a room of 100 employees that a third of them won’t have a job by the end of the week.

(“Some sacrifices have to be made.”

“We promise it’s not a reflection of your work.”

“Don’t let the door hit you on the way out!”

Okay, so maybe they didn’t actually say that last one, but that was definitely the vibe they gave off.)

He couldn’t concentrate after that. He had a deadline to meet, but he was plunged into a spiral of existential thoughts all afternoon.

How had he ended up here? He’s 29, stuck in a dead end job that has no chance of upward mobility that he only really got because his dad put in a good word for him and now he doesn’t even know if he’ll have a job next week. His thoughts keep circling back to having to ask his dad for help finding somewhere else to work and he does not want to do that. His slightly strained relationship with his parents has mellowed out over the years, but he doesn't want to rock the boat by asking his dad for a favor.

He simmers on it for the rest of the day. He doesn't get much work done, but in the end, he really can’t find it in himself to care. He doesn't do meaningful work. He works to help keep the rich CEO rich. It’s kind of hard to care about numbers in a spreadsheet when he might be screwed out a job at the end of the week.

He takes a walk after work. He has so much pent up energy and he can’t just go home and be left alone with his thoughts all night or he’s gonna do something stupid like try to cut his own bangs.

He immediately regrets his decision to take a walk in the park by his office because he forgot how hot it gets at 5pm. He’s contemplating just turning around and heading home to mope all night when he hears a shout from behind him.

He’s about to turn around to see what all the commotion is about when he’s assaulted by… some kind of creature? It climbs up the back of his pants leg and hooks its sharp, little claws into Steve’s shirt as it climbs up. Ow.

“Oh my god, I am so sorry! I can’t believe he just did that. Let me just-”

The weight of the animal is lifted from his back, but the claws remain and double down, poking through the shirt to grasp at his skin.

“Ow, fuck! What is happening back there?” he asks.

“I’m so sorry, he’s not normally like this. Ozzy, you have to let go. You cannot just attack people like that. Please let go?”

Steve’s shirt is tugged as the stranger attempts to wrestle his pet away from Steve. The claws aren’t digging into his skin anymore, but this little guy won’t let go of Steve’s shirt.

“Ozzy! I swear to god if you don’t let go-”

There’s a ripping sound and suddenly, Steve feels a breeze on his back.

“Oh no,” the stranger whispers.

Steve just closes his eyes and breathes out slowly for a minute. The universe has it out for him today.

He opens his eyes after a moment of silence for his Ariana Grande shirt and turns around to see-

“Are you okay? I mean, your shirt is kind of ruined, but are you okay? Did he hurt you at all? I am so sorry.”

It’s like all the air has been sucked out his lungs. Because this guy? This guy is gorgeous beyond belief. His curly, black hair is windswept and his face is flushed and he has a scar covering the lower half of one side of his face, little tendrils of texture that Steve wants to touch.

He looks like something from Steve’s dreams.

Of course the universe would have him meet this beautiful guy right now when he’s looking like a hot mess. What’s the opposite of meet-cute? A meet-ugly? A meet-ugly, where this guy’s gremlin of a cat destroyed Steve’s shirt after an already horrible day.

And- oh. It’s a cat. The thing that attacked him and wouldn’t let go is a cat. It’s a cute cat. A deceptively cute cat considering he just attacked someone.

Steve realizes he’s been staring when the guys concerned face grows even more worried at his silence.

He shakes himself out of it. He says, “I’m okay. It was just a shock. I didn’t know what was happening back there. That’s all.”

“He just slipped out of his collar and ran after you. He’s never done anything like that before.”

“Do you, like, normally walk your cat?” Steve asks, unable to keep the judgment out of his voice.

“Hey, he likes it. It started out as a joke,” he says, running his hand over his cat’s fur. Ozzy. He thinks he remembers him calling the cat that. “He really likes it though. He begs me to take him out, usually.”

Steve smiles at that. “That’s kind of cute.”

“I’m Eddie, by the way,” the guy says, stretching his hand out.

Steve takes it, shakes his hand, and says, “Steve.”

Ozzy starts struggling against Eddie’s chest where Eddie has him in his other arm, like he’s still trying to get at Steve.

“I don't know what he wants. He really seems like he wants you to hold him or something. Do you want to pet him or hold him maybe?”

Steve feels powerless to say anything other than, “Sure. Give him here.” He is so weak when it comes to pretty people.

He reaches out and Eddie places Ozzy in Steve’s hands and as Steve brings him into his chest to pet him, Ozzy starts climbing him again. Steve lets it play out this time without freaking out and Ozzy kind of awkwardly settles with his paws on Steve’s shoulders and his body pressed around Steve’s neck like a scarf.

“That’s um,” Eddie stammers. “That’s really cute. He used to curl up on my neck and kind of bury himself in my hair when he was a kitten. I haven’t seen him do that in a while. He’s usually not very social around strangers. I’ve never seen him climb someone just to curl up around their neck.”

Steve brings his hand up and strokes the fur of Eddie’s cat. He’s pretty docile now that Steve is petting him.

“I don’t know. I’m somewhat of a cat whisperer,” Steve says around a laugh. “My cat, Han Solo, was the neighborhood nuisance when I first moved here. Always getting into fights with people's dogs as they were walking them, always getting into my neighbor’s yards and destroying their flower beds, that kind of thing. He was scratching at my door one day and I opened it and he just walked inside like he lived there and just never left. So maybe your cat was just picking up on the vibe that I’m good with cats?”

Eddie perks up and says, “You have a cat named Han Solo? That is - it's cute. You don’t really seem the type to like Star Wars.”

He raises an eyebrow. “Isn’t everyone into Star Wars these days?” And then, at Eddie hum of approval, he says, “Han Solo was pretty much my bi awakening.”

Eddie brings his hair in front of his mouth, hiding his smile as he says, “I sincerely hope you’re not talking about your cat.”

The laugh that’s startled out of Steve's chest also startles the cat lounging across his shoulders. Ozzy stands up and tries crawling down the remnants of Steve's shirt, getting his claws stuck in the fabric once again.

Eddie steps closer and helps wrestle Ozzy away from his shirt a second time.

“Man, he really hates that shirt,” Eddie says, grinning at him. “I would offer to buy you a replacement considering he absolutely destroyed it, but I don’t know where I’d get such a masterpiece.”

Steve looks down and laughs. Ariana Grande’s face is still in tact, but with most of the back of the shirt hanging loosely at his waist, this shirt is hanging on by a thread.

“Yeah, I think I can live without it. My best friend kind of bullied me into buying it, anyway.”

He feels the lull of silence that washes over them in his bones. He wants to keep talking to Eddie, wants to suggest they go get dinner together, wants to ask him on a date, wants, wants, wants.

Because he’s had such an awful day and this interaction has made him smile more times than he can remember smiling in the last month.

He opens his mouth to say something, anything, when Eddie beats him to the punch.

“I know this is a little weird, but my apartment is, like, right up the block. I’d hate to send you off wearing the scraps of your best Ari gear. I could grab you a shirt, drop this little guy off, and we could get dinner? If that’s something you’d be interested in.” Eddie bites his lip, looking like he doesn't know that the answer is a resounding yes.

“We should dinner, yeah,” Steve says and cringes. We should dinner. Who talks like that?

“Yeah?” Eddie asks, smiling. When Steve nods, he says, “Okay, let’s get you a shirt, something a little more metal. And then, we should dinner.”

Steve knows he’s being made fun of a little, but if it’s by Eddie, he kind of doesn't care.

#steddie #stranger things #st ficlet #steddie fic #steve harrington x eddie munson #janai.doc #this is just a silly little thing i had rattling around in my brain

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otomefiend · 1 year

Text

Victor & William Rex

Story Event: Villains want to bother little 'Robin'

Chapter 2

Chapter 1

Okay, those loaded comments are so sus Victor. Tell us the truth. I'll be watching you even more intently now 👀

This is such a cosy sammich. ✨️

~~Part 1~~

I stepped outside, sandwiched between two men, to find a breathtaking view of the palace garden.

The infantry and cavalry lined up in regular formation like pieces on a chessboard, watching over the path Her Majesty was taking.

Victor: "Your Majesty. Today we are to ride this carriage around the city."

(Umm... I don't have to answer that, right?)

When I nodded, Victor smiled gently.

Victor: "I'm off to finalize the route we'll be taking during the parade. William, please escort Her Majesty."

William: "Yes... Your Majesty, may I have your hand?"

As I took William's hand and walked down the path to the carriage, everyone around me bowed their heads.

(...what a sight! I'm sorry but I'm so happy that I can't calm down...)

William, who was walking next to me, whispered in a voice undetectable to those around us.

William: "What's the matter, Your Majesty? You seem a little more tense than 'usual'."

Kate: ".... you definitely can't see me through the veil, can you?"

William: "Heh, my apologies."

Despite the circumstances, he had the usual smile on his lips.

(Hmm, as expected from the Crown's no.1 most memorable member)

William: "Before Your Majesty gets all jittery, let's think about easing that tension."

William: "Is there anything you'd like me to talk about?"

~~Part 2~~

(What would I like to hear? Well...)

Kate: "You and Victor have been together since the founding of the Crown, haven't you?"

William: "That's right. We've been friends for more than 10 years now?"

Kate: "I'd like to hear about the first time you've met."

William: "...Was it around the time I was arranging the funeral of my father I condemned with my own hands?"

William: "I was unexpectedly invited to the palace by Her Majesty, and there I had a chance encounter with Victor in the audience room."

William: "Neither I nor Victor said much."

William: "But we could immediately see we had something in common."

Kate: "And that something being...?"

William's long eyelashes fluttered like butterfly wings.

William: "The desire for freedom."

Kate: "........."

William: "So we joined our forces and became accomplices."

William: "-- this is how we came together."

Victor: "Oh! What in the name of evil are you chatting about?"

William: "Her Majesty wanted to hear something embarrassing about you."

Victor: "Gosh-darn. What secrets did you share? Is it about me hitting my little pinky the other day? Or..."

William: "Haha, are you curious? You'll have to ask Her Majesty for details."

Kate: "Where are you off to?"

He smiled and whispered in my ear.

William: "......Most people don't know how close I am to Her Majesty."

William: "To avoid strange misunderstandings, I will watch over you from a distance."

~~Part 3~~

The carriage with Victor and me on board set off towards the city.

Kate: "I overheard the guards say that it's unusual for you to accompany Her Majesty at times like these."

Victor: "Indeed, more often than not, I'm in charge of the whole thing. Today's special."

Victor: "I can't leave your cute and adorable self.

Kate: "Hehe, thank you, Victor."

Victor: "Oh, you should be able to see people soon. Shall we open the curtains?"

When Victor removed the curtains, outside the window --

Young man with black hair: "Hey, I see Her Majesty."

Freckled woman: "Congratulations to Her Majesty Queen Victoria!"

The townspeople standing in the streets were smiling and waving at us.

Something indescribably hot welled up in my heart at the sight of it.

(Oh, I see)

Kate: "... so this is what Her Majesty wants to protect?"

She reigned at the top of this prosperous country and thus continued to be loved by the people.

All the while, she led the Crown behind the scenes to conquer evil with evil.

No matter where you looked in the world,

you would never find a person who lived surrounded by light and shadow to such an extent.

Kate: "... It'd be impossible to rule this place without extraordinary resolve."

Victor: "Yes, it's very difficult to fulfil such a duty with the sensibility of an ordinary person. I've thought about it many times myself."

Victor: "......I have heard these words from people around me."

~~Part 4~~

Kate: "... It'd be impossible to rule this place without extraordinary resolve."

Victor: "Yes, it's very difficult to fulfil such a duty with the sensibility of an ordinary person. I've thought about it many times myself."

Victor: "......I have heard these words from people around me."

Victor: "`Her Majesty is not a human`."

Kate: "... not a human?"

Victor: "A pretty selfish thing to say, don't you agree? Kate, are you afraid of Her Majesty?"

I certainly felt something akin to awe.

-- though it seemed different to mere fear.

Kate: "No, quite the opposite."

Victor: "... the opposite?"

Kate: "There's not much I can do otherwise, but I want to support Her Majesty as a fellow woman myself."

Victor: "........."

Victor: "Thank you, Kate. I'm sure the Queen would be pleased to hear what you've just said."

Guard: "Your Majesty, Lord Victor. We managed to ensure the safety of the area, so feel free to go outside."

(Ah… if I remember correctly, I'm supposed to step out and wave to the citizens, right?)

Victor: "Take my hand. Shall we go, Your Majesty?"

~~~

Brown-haired worker: "The Queen is here! Congratulations, Your Majesty!"

As I got out of the carriage, the enthusiasm and cheers of the townspeople became even more intense.

(... this is amazing. I wish Her Majesty could hear this as well)

With that in mind, I frantically waved my hand, trying my best to fulfil my role --

Young man with black hair: "Hey... What's with the... carriage?"

Man in a top hat: "That horse is running out of control... Hey, isn't it dangerous!? It's coming this way...!"

Soldier #1: "Stop the carriage! Protect Her Majesty...!"

Soldier #2: "No, we'll never make it in time...!"

(......ahh)

Victor: "...Kate, come here."

As he pulled me towards him,

the horse ran out from among the cavalry.

(... William?)

Just as it was about to crash into us, William jumped in front of the carriage.

William: "...`Stop`."

~~Part 5~~

The runaway horse came to a halt at William's command.

It was as if the creature had forgotten its ego and was manipulated by someone else.

William: "Are you safe, Your Majesty?"

He smiled when I nodded.

(No one was hurt, right...?)

(...phew, what a relief)

Guard: "Arrest the carriage driver immediately! I will kill you for your impunity!"

(Oh no!)

Kate: "Please wait."

Guard: "... Your Majesty?"

(Ah! I shouldn't. My voice...!)

Victor: "... Kate, it's okay. Leave it to me."

Victor: "This situation was an accident, not a set-up. Her Majesty says to forgive this blunder."

Victor: "Is that so, Your Majesty?"

I gave a hasty nod and received the biggest cheer of the day from those around me.

Victor • William: "........."

The parade then continued and I returned to court where I finally took off Her Majesty's ceremonial dress.

~~~

Kate: "I'm sorry for being selfish."

Victor: "Why should you apologise? I think even Her Majesty would have made that decision."

William: "Indeed. You were just fulfilling the role you've been entrusted with."

William: "As it happens... we're proud of you for doing that."

Kate: "... Victor, William."

(If it wasn't for the two of you, this could have ended up in something serious)

Kate: "Thank you for protecting me."

Victor: "Still, it was great to see William gallantly step in."

Kate: "Very much so. Though I was surprised by your reflexes as well!"

Victor: "Oh? You excel at flattery."

While I was happily chatting with Victor I heard William's soft voice.

William: "...so, Kate."

William: "You look like you want to ask us something, am I right?"

(Ah......)

Victor: "Miss Kate."

Victor: "If that's what you want, we will answer in good faith. Don't hold back."

Blood-colored eyes and jewel-like eyes seemed to see right through me.

(In that case)

Kate: "There's something both of you are not telling me, is there?"

Chapter 3 Premium

#ikemen villains #ikevil #victor & william #victor #ikevil victor #william rex #ikevil william #ikevil story event #fan translation

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megaaceofspades · 1 year

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Drop the hcs please 🙏🙏🙏

ALRIGHT SORRY IT TOOK SO LONG

so imagine… a young duke thomas during no mans land… young as in 11 or 12. stuff isnt too bad for him, but thats HIS city. his PEOPLE. so he scrambles around, gathers a bunch of kids from the narrows, and form WE ARE ROBIN. because people trust robin right? he trusts robin.

now picture tim drake, dads in a coma, little 14 year old asshole. we know him, we love him.

1) yk how people are always like “jason was tims robin, tim loves him so so so much” which is not real to me yk what is real to me? tim being dukes robin. i want hero worship as far as it can go.

2) now, duke thomas meta powers may be light manipulation, but it’s also figuring people out. one of my favorite duke thomas lines is when he tells damian, after dami is like “ you think YOU know ME?” and instead of rising to the bait duke clears him with a “ kid, i don’t think YOU know YOU” i want him to bring that energy to tim drakes manipulator vibes. duke thomas can see through tim’s lies, he always can figure him out undercover, because that’s his robin.

3) that doesn’t mean duke thinks tim is flawless. tim may have friends who aren’t his family (dig on steph and jason as robins) and have pants (dig on dick and jason) and he might even ride a skateboard (SO cool) but he’s also a weirdo. i can see duke finding tim’s civ persona annoying as hell, and the white boy music? waterparks comes on while tim takes him somewhere and duke doesn’t talk to him for a whole day.

4) YOUR MOM JOKES. duke “cass, everyone thinks your mom is hot” thomas and timothy “whore” drake absolutely go too far on your mom jokes. ex. “ i’d do your mom with the joker venom tbh” “ TIM WTF”

5) duke gets tim’s skate stuff and his red bird when tim graduates from robin officially.

6) in my au, half the reason tim is so pissed damian is robin is because in his head duke deserved it and had earned it. duke wouldn’t have taken it, but the biggest misunderstanding they have is that tim believes in the concept and role of robin whereas duke just believes in heroes and thinks tim was a particularly good one.

7) back in no man’s land (which i am writing the fic for so not TOO many stephs- i mean spoilers) tim gives some throwaway “robin believes in you speech” to some kid that he doesn’t know is going to be his baby brother soon in a gang doing real good for gotham, and maybe shit is getting better, who knows- and duke memorizes it. i mean he lives his life by this, it’s fundamentally shaped him. he ends up giving this speech to damian and this is where tim’s like “fuck… baby brother has a baby brother. “

8) to tim, baby brother means duke and little brother means damian. because of this almost everyone mistakes duke for the youngest.

9) nicknames from tim to duke include “lightening bug” “ nightlight” “bug”

10) duke just calls him tim, or by any of his many aliases depending on how fond he is of tim at the moment. once tim goes too far on the “i’m making sure you’re okay” line of thinking and accidentally lowkey locks duke up and duke calls him drake.

this is all for now but i’m going to continue this vibe in the fic i’m writing

#batfamily #dc #tim drake #batman #dick grayson #jason todd #robin #comics #damian wayne #red robin #duke thomas #the signal #signal dc #batfam #batbros #batbrothers #batsiblings

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caputgeratlupinum · 5 months

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In which I (re) watch Robin of Sherwood

In the dim and distant past (of a few years ago) I started watching Robin of Sherwood. I dropped out after the end of season 2, when *events* happened (if you know, you know).

Anyway, this to say that I started watching it again, and I thought it would be fun to record my reactions to it. I remember it as being a good if slightly silly show, so... we'll see how it holds up.

EPISODE ONE - ROBIN HOOD AND THE SORCERER (PART 1)

We are starting off strong with the Ominous Bad Guy theme that sent me back to the last time I watched this with the force of a hammer (this show has about five soundtracks and they all come up like once an episode).

Our introduction to adult Robin is him running to the top of a... something, I'm not sure if it's a hill or a ledge or what. Anyway he runs there, stops, and screams 'MUCH!'. Which must be wildly confusing if you're not familiar with Robin Hood.

ITVX doesn't let me take screenshots (tragically) but I need you all to know that Guy of Gisborne looks about twelve and speaks like he went to fancy boarding school.

Hi Will Scarlet I have fond memories of you from last time! And I think this might be the first time he's 'scarlet' as in 'bloody' rather than named for his hair or clothes. Also the second Will tells them his name another man steps out of the shadows to introduce himself like he's desperate to get in on the action.

ROBERT! ROBERT! BY CHRIST ROBERT I WILL NOT LOSE MY FISHPOND! 10/10 introduction no notes. Genius move to give the Sheriff an annoying brother in the form of Abbot (??) Hugo.

Sheriff duties: keep on top of the poachers in the forest, and meet with the evil sorcerer baron and his... possessed slave? I'm vague on what position Little John holds here.

Sorry, Sir Evil Baron (yes I know his name is Simon de Bellame. I'm ignoring that), but I don't believe for a second that your wife taking her own life was nothing to do with you.

Did I mention Marian and Tuck are here? They are! I love them both very much.

I can't believe they that they just leave Rat Man and Arthur behind. I demand a spin-off about what happened to them.

'You're like a May morning.' *climbs out the window without another word* I mean to be fair to Robin if I tried that line I'd probably also flee immediately afterwards.

I really wish I could do screenshots because Herne the Hunter's vision of various events with Evil Baron's face over it all, slowly getter bigger and bigger, is truly a sight to behold. Robin honestly took that pretty well.

The classic bridge fight is very enjoyable but I am haunted by the knowledge of the blooper reel where Michael Praed gets hit in the balls. And Robin's dramatic scream as he falls off the bridge is sending me.

Last time I wasn't really sure how to feel about the Herne the Hunter stuff, and right now I'm in the same place. uhh... stag-man. With vague prophecies. I dunno... 'when the horned one possesses me' ok but who are you when he's not possessing you? How does one become possessed by the horned one in the first place (I know none of this is the point. I just have questions!)

If I were one of the merry men, I would find it easier to agree with Robin's Heroic Inspiring SpeechTM if it hadn't started with him explaining how he's been 'awakened' by a deer-headed man.

I feel like Will saying, 'You should have killed him. You'll have to someday.' is setting up for a conflict down the line where Robin has to make a Choice about Gisborne some day, but I don't remember any such plot.

aaand that's it! I didn't mention every single thing that happened, there's a lot happening in this episode. Genuinely had a good time though! Despite my poking fun at stuff, I do actually like this show.

#caput lupinum #robin hood #robin of sherwood

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jmojellybae · 2 years

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Waiting For A Girl Like You - Part 1

Pairing: Robin Buckley x Fem!Reader

Word count: 4.7k

Summary: Having to spend spring break in a new city as a stranger wasn’t going to be easy, but fate sometimes comes through when you need it the most. Or: It only took you one week to fall for the weirdest girl in Hawkins.

CW: Language. Robin being hard on herself. Period typical homophobia (I’m sorry, but it’s brief in this chapter and I promise it isn’t the main focus of this story) Reader has divorced parents. Reader has an asshole dad. Reader is from New York City.

A/N: This was requested but I wanted to turn it into a series. This story will be 7 parts. Each part will be equivalent to a day so the story will take place over a week! This first part is more like an introduction, but don’t worry, there will definitely be more Robin in the next parts.

Masterlist

🎶Enjoy my 80’s Robin playlist here🎶

Sunday, March 20th 1986 - 10:35 AM

“God, I can’t do this anymore.”

You cross your arms defiantly as you inspect the plethora of moving boxes that cluttered your semi-empty room. You’ve been unpacking for the last two days straight, but it’s like the damn things were never ending. For every box you emptied, two more seemed to have popped up from thin air and you're certain that you’re no closer to seeing the floor then when you started. Your mom wasn’t fairing much better either. Who knew two women could have so much shit between them?

You moved to Hawkins, Indiana a few days ago leaving your life in New York City behind after your parents had the world’s messiest divorce. Your dad was a grade A asshole and has been your entire life, so it wasn’t the hardest, or the most surprising decision that you chose to stay with your mom, but the move from a big, bustling city to a quaint and, to put it nicely, dull small town was an adjustment you weren’t quite prepared for. Having to leave your friends so far into the school year was the most difficult part of it all. You begged your mom to push the moving date till after spring break so you could at least spend the week with your friends as a final farewell, but it wasn’t feasible. You couldn’t really blame her though, she was miserable in that city, and she wanted to get as far away from your dad as she could as fast as she could, but now you’ll be spending spring break in Hawkins as a total stranger to everyone and everything. What the hell were you supposed to do for a whole week besides unpack boxes?

“Who knows, maybe you’ll grow to love it.” Your mom said to you on the first day you got here.

You remember smiling at her, trying to be optimistic. You didn’t want to break your mom's heart anymore than it already was. You could definitely handle this new life for a couple of months anyway. Hopefully the rest of the school year goes by in a flash and you’ll get into a college that is not anywhere near Indiana.

Ugh. School. It was hard enough making friends back in New York, how the hell were you going to make any here? This is the kind of town where everyone knows everyone since childhood. Did you even want to make friends if you plan on leaving this place as soon as you graduate? You ran your fingers through hair exasperated. You needed some fresh air. You needed to do something that wasn’t unpacking anymore damn boxes.

You rushed down the stairs of your new home, suddenly feeling suffocated by your unfamiliar environment. Your mom was humming away in the kitchen, carefully putting away plates and other various knick knacks. You explained to her that you were going out. “Sight seeing” you said amusingly. You aren’t sure if Hawkins even has a “downtown” worth exploring, hell, you knew next to nothing about this place, so maybe driving around wouldn’t be the worst idea ever. Your mom seemed happy with the thought of you wanting to get to know Hawkins better, so she excitedly tosses you the keys to her car.

“Do me a favor while you’re out and about and try to find a decent pizzeria.” You’re mom says as she ushers you out of the front door.

“Yea right mom, I doubt Hawkins, Indiana is known for their pizza.”

“Hey, you never know!”

You hop into the car and give your mom a sharp finger salute before backing out of the driveway, eager to see what you will discover in this seemingly unsuspecting town.

It was late morning on Sunday, so the roads were rather barren. It was unusual, unsettling even, how truly quiet this place was. There was no traffic, no constant honking or people screaming about nothing to one another. The whole town lacked the usual perpetual buzz of life you were used to hearing your entire life. You’re not going to lie to yourself though, a part of you is kind of enjoying the placid nature of Hawkins.

As expected, there wasn’t much to see. You managed to find the library, police department, your new high school (go Tigers?), and a few restaurants but nothing that immediately jumped out at you and unfortunately there wasn't a pizza place sight. You’d only been driving around for about 20 minutes or so and you’re certain that you just saw everything Hawkins had to offer. You were about to head back home, ready to suffer through more boxes until you spotted a shopping center that was painted orange and purple.

“Oh an arcade!”

You never thought something as mundane as an arcade would get you so excited, but it was probably the most interesting thing you’ve seen so far. You pull into the shabby parking lot that had a few cars scattered about and parked in a hurry. You get out of the car and walk up to the double doors attempting to open them but they were locked. You notice a small sign with times on the window and see that the arcade didn’t open till 3pm. You check your watch: 11:00am

“Of course.” You sigh, shoulders sagging with defeat

All the excitement drains out of you in an instant. You lean in close to the glass and cup your hands around your eyes determined to get a better view inside.

“This place is actually rad…” You mumble to yourself.

“Hey, the arcade isn’t open yet.”

You nearly jump out of your shoes at the voice behind you. You whip around harshly, making yourself dizzy with the motion.

“Whoa, I’m sorry. I didn’t mean to scare you!”

A boy, about your age stands behind you with outstretched hands and an apologetic look. He’s wearing a hideous green colored vest that says ‘Family Video’

“Sneaking up on people like that usually scares them!” You shout, voice shaky with fear and adrenaline. You put your hand over your chest to keep your heart from beating out of it. The nerve of this guy!

“Yea, yea you’re right. Totally my bad.” He eyes you curiously.

“Ok well. Thanks for the info. I’ll just be on my way.” You say, tiptoeing cautiously back to your car.

“Wait! I actually work at Family Video. It’s just down the end of this building.” He points. “We uh. We just opened up for the day.”

You briefly look into the direction of where he’s pointing, still wary of his presence. You shrug your shoulders and turn back waiting for him to continue.

“And?”

“And I feel bad for scaring you. How about you stop in and pick out a movie to rent? Free of charge of course.” He runs a hand through his voluminous hair, making it impossibly fuller, and puts on what you think might be a smoldering look. You can’t help but roll your eyes.

I’m sorry, I didn’t catch your name…?”

“Oh it’s Steve.” He puts his hand on his chest and stands up a little taller. “Steve Harringto—”

“Are you hitting on me, Steve?” You ask bluntly.

“Yes…?” He answers with a grimace, and you snort.

“Sorry, not interested, but I’ll definitely take you up on that free movie.”

Steve’s mouth hangs open for a bit before he shuts it with a resounding click and shakes his head laughing, clearly not offended at the rejection.

“You know what, that’s fair, I did offer.” He puts his hands in his pockets and scuffs the tip of his shoe against the concrete. “And what did you say your name was?”

“I didn’t.” You walk past him smirking.

A bell chimes above the glass door as you enter Family Video. It’s much bigger than your average movie rental store, which doesn’t surprise you to some degree. With not much to do in Hawkins, it’s only fitting that they have an above average place like this to cater to weekends and school breaks much like this week. Steve walks in just after you and shouts into an empty store.

“Yo Rob! Got someone you can help out!”

“Alright Dingus, no need to yell! Geez!” A disembodied voice calls out from somewhere.

“You’re not helping me?” You turn to Steve with a cheeky expression.

“Yea no. I’m taking my bruised ego and going to do inventory out of sight.”

You genuinely laugh, and so does he. Despite an awkward first encounter, he doesn’t seem so bad, at least he’s being a good sport about earlier. Steve leaves you standing in the middle of the store as he disappears behind a door in the back. You look around, taking in all of the movie titles packed on shelves and the fun posters plastered on the walls. You hear mumbling and rustling coming from behind the register. You walk over and lean on the counter only to see a young woman sitting crossed legged on the floor, sorting some empty VHS cases into stacks.

“Hello?” You say gently, careful not to startle the girl, unlike some people.

The girl looks up from her spot and you feel your breath catch in your throat the moment she locks eyes with you. Her eyes are a beautiful deep blue and her face is littered with the most adorable freckles you’ve ever seen. She smiles, crooked and toothy and you would have fallen over if you weren’t leaning your weight on the counter top.

“Oh hi!” Her voice is raspy, and it cracks slightly, making your ears twitch. She stands up and brushes off her vest. She’s wearing a loose fitting suit with the sleeves rolled up, complete with a tie and blazer. Even though her clothes seem to be oversized in every aspect, she still looks incredibly dashing. “Sorry, I kinda got lost in what I was doing. My coworker said you needed some help?”

You look at the lopsided name tag she has pinned on her vest.

Well, hello there Robin.

You slightly shake your head to clear your thoughts and remember you need to stop staring and say actual words like a normal human being.

“Y—yea. Your coworker graciously offered me a free rental on account of him walking up to me like a creep in the parking lot and scaring the hell out of me.”

Robin groans and runs a hand over her face. You immediately take notice of the pretty, silver rings she has on her fingers, particularly the ring with a small chain connected to her bracelet.

“Oh no. I apologize for whatever he did.” She says flatly.

“Nah. It’s fine. I know he didn’t mean to, but I think his attempt at flirting scared me even more.”

Robin laughs with a minor squeak at the end, and you swear you felt your heart do gymnastics against your sternum.

“Leave it to Steve to flirt with every pretty girl that crosses his path.” Robin sighs.

Your eyebrows quirk up when you hear the word ‘pretty’ and Robin seems to have caught on to what she said rather quickly. For a split second, you see a flash of panic in her eyes, but it disappears just as fast as it came. She clears her throat and tugs on the collar of her button up.

“Did uh—did you have a movie in mind?” She asks shakily.

You didn’t really have a whole lot of time dedicated to watching movies as of late, considering your parents divorce and all the time that took up from your life. You don’t even know what’s out or what’s good. You're so out of the loop of what’s popular right now.

“Ah, I don’t know. Maybe something funny? My family could definitely use a good laugh.” You try to smile, hoping your voice didn’t come off too sad.

“Y—yea, a good laugh never hurts.” Robin lets out a breath she was holding. “Our comedy section is over here. I’ll show you.”

Robin stumbles out from behind the counter, knocking over an organized stack of VHS’s she was compiling. She makes a frustrated sound and waves her hand dismissively at her now ruined work. You follow behind her, quietly admiring the full ensemble that is her suit.

“I like your suit.” You blurt out. So much for quietly admiring.

“Oh!” She spins on her heels to face you and walks slowly backward, rubbing the back of her neck meekly. “Thanks uh. Sometimes I get weird looks from customers.”

You scoff. “Well, those people obviously have no sense of style. You pull it off very well.”

Robin beams and shyly ducks her head, you definitely don’t miss the light pink blush colored on her cheeks, making her freckles stand out even more. She spins around again and almost trips on her untied shoelaces of her converse, but she tries to play it off like a skip. You giggle behind your hand and see the tips of her ears go adorably red.

“So um, here’s the comedy movies, and this shelf has the newer releases”

You examine the numerous titles on display, none really stand out to you immediately. Hell, renting a movie wasn’t even on your agenda today, so you go completely blank trying to choose.

“Have a recommendation?” You ask after a moment.

Robin hums and taps at her lips, pondering. You stare at her pursed mouth and at the way the tendons in her hand shift every time she moves her finger.

God, keep it together and stop being weird.

“I’m not like, the biggest comedy connoisseur, but—”

Robin reaches for a movie on the newer release shelf and holds it up with both hands framing it.

“Have you seen the first Vacation movie?” She asks.

“Oh I actually have! I enjoyed how stupid funny it was.”

“Well—” She hands you the case. “This is the sequel, European Vacation. I think most people like the first one better but that’s usually the case when it comes to sequels, right? The first one is always better, but this one is still good. A lot of hilarious moments. Of course, you don’t have to choose this one, you can choose something else—”

Robin is suddenly talking a mile a minute, gesturing wildly with her hands while doing so. You’re taken off guard with the sudden outpouring of words, but you keep up, hanging on to everything she says. You study her, totally fascinated with her scratchy voice and how animated her face is. You don’t ever want her to stop talking.

“—I’m not sure why I picked this one out, maybe it’s because I saw it with my dad last summer and it’s kinda the only comedy movie I know of right now. Or I—um.”

You smile softly and nod your head, letting her know that you were listening, but she frowns, internally scolding herself and she deflates.

“God, I’m so sorry. Didn’t mean to go on like that.” She runs a hand through her tousled honey hair and pulls at the roots in obvious frustration.

“Hey no, don’t apologize.” Your heart cracks at the sight of her looking so visibly upset with herself and you wonder if it happens often. “You sold me, I’ll get this one!“

“Oh, are you sure?” Robin looks unconvinced.

“Of course. I’ve always wanted to see this one anyway, I just haven’t had the time.” You smile trying to assure her.

Robin takes a deep breath through her nose, spinning the ring on her middle finger with her thumb.

“Cool, cool. I’ll get you rung up.”

You follow Robin back to the register. She quickly finds the tape in a drawer and puts it in the case snapping it shut. You open your bag pulling out your wallet, riffling through its contents for some cash. Robin tilts her head, looking at you quizzically.

“Hey, the movie is free, remember?”

“Oh I can pay for it. I know your coworker was just being silly, I really didn’t expect a free movie anyway.”

“Steve is always silly, but uh—what if—what if I insist?”

You freeze, and look up from your wallet. Robin is crimson red, and you feel like an arrow just penetrated your heart.

“Oh, you insist huh?” You tease.

You lean your elbows on the counter, cupping your face with both hands and boldly flutter your eyelashes. You think you might have laid it on a little too thick when Robin goes rigid where she stands, but then she starts choking on nothing and pulls at the collar of her shirt again.

“Yea. Yea I—I do.” She stutters and attempts to smile, voice cracking again. It’s an octave higher than what it has been this whole time and you feel your knees buckle again.

“Well I can’t argue with that.” You giggle as you put your wallet away.

Robin laughs nervously, clearly flustered, but you don’t want to think too much into it. You can’t, right?

“I still need to take down your information, you know, company policy and all.” Robin says with a wave of a hand as she boots up the computer behind the counter. “Name?”

You give her your name and Robin repeats it as she types it into the system. You know she’s just doing her job, but the way your name sounded falling from her lips sends your insides into a frenzy.

Chill out.

“Address?”

“Hmm? Oh, uh…”

You say your address after it took you a few seconds to remember it, and you watch hypnotized as Robin expertly types away on the keyboard, fingers dancing between each key, never missing a beat.

“Okay, you’re all set!” Robin chirps. She hands you the VHS and you grab it, fingers slightly brushing against hers. The contact was so light but it still made your stomach drop with how warm her skin was. Robin yanks her hand back quickly and you swear you hear her mutter an apology.

“Thanks for the help.” You clutch the VHS tight against your chest like it’s your most prized possession. “And thank Steve for me too, you know, for scaring me and offering a free movie as an apology.”

Robin shakes her head and laughs. “No problem. Uh, I’m Robin, by the way.” Robin points to her name tag and curses under her breath when she notices how crooked it is.

“Nice to meet you, Robin.” You smile.

And it really is. You feel fortunate that the first couple of people you meet in Hawkins seem to be decent. It’s like an enormous weight has been lifted off your shoulders. The weight of the unknown, the weight of your parents' divorce, the weight of moving over 800 miles to a strange, new place. You weren’t entirely sure what kind of people you were going to meet in this small town, but at least you know there could be some cool people out there. Maybe even people you could call friends in the future.

Robin’s expression softens, and she starts spinning her middle finger ring again, mouth opening and closing repeatedly like she’s searching for the right words.

“Hey, so are you new in town? Because I—”

She’s cut off by the bell chiming above the store door. A gaggle of kids, a few years younger than you, burst through the threshold chatting loudly at one another, penetrating the otherwise quiet store. A petite older girl with tight brown curls follows behind them, carrying a couple of coffees in her hands and looking completely miserable. Robin groans, and bonks her forehead a couple of times against the counter top softly.

“Okay so I’ve got a long list of movies we need for this week.”

“I don’t want to spend the entire spring break watching movies, Dustin!”

“I’m with Max on this one dude. We gotta do something actually fun.”

“Fun? Mike, talking to your girlfriend on the phone all day isn’t fun.”

“Shut up man!”

The group rushes up the counter, still talking over themselves, and Robin was having none of it.

“Nope, nope, nope! Go to Steve! He’s in the back room! I’m with a customer!” Robin says assertively, putting her hands out in front of her like a force field. Funny enough it seems to work, and the kids stop dead in their tracks.They quiet for a moment, blinking at one another, before they resume their bickering and storm off toward the back.

“Hey wait you can’t actually go back there—! Ah screw it. Steve’s problem.”

The brunette walks over with a sincere contrite look and slides a coffee on the counter top to Robin. Robin catches the sliding cup without looking, like they’ve rehearsed it a million times before.

“Sorry Robin, got you a coffee.”

“Thank you, Nance.” Robin says, devoid of any emotion.

She gives Robin one last apology before walking away toward the back, attempting to wrangle up the kids. You stare at Robin, the group, and then back to Robin, extremely intrigued.

“What was that?” You ask, giggling.

“Ugh, don’t ask.” Robin replies, gripping her coffee like a lifeline.

You shrug, still curious. “Well alright. What were you going to ask me?”

Robin tilts her head in confusion like a little puppy.

“You said something about me being new in town? Which I am by the way.”

“Oh!” Robin exclaims.

She’s suddenly very interested in a particular chipped edge of the counter, picking at it with her finger nail and trying her hardest to avoid eye contact with you.

“I was asking because, uh—you’re probably unfamiliar with our rental policy!” Robins snaps her fingers. “Yea, yea that was it. It’s um, 3 days.”

Disappointment hits you like a freight train, knocking all the wind out of your lungs. You’re not exactly sure what you wanted Robin to say, she barely knows you, and you barely know her, but the discontent you’re feeling is kind of surreal.

“Ah.” You say, trying very hard to mask the despondency in your voice. “Yea, I’ll be sure to remember.”

Robin doesn’t notice, at least you think, and maybe that’s a good thing. The welcoming bell chimes again as actual customers rush into the store, and you take that as que to leave before you make a fool of yourself.

“Well, I better get going.” You stuff the tape in your bag and take a deep breath. “Thanks again, Robin. I’ll see you around?”

“Y—yea. For sure.” Robin chews on her lip. “Have a good day.”

You give her a small smile and a half hearted wave before turning on your heels. You feel eyes burning a hole on your back as you leave the store, or maybe you’re just imagining it.

You look back over your shoulder, just as Robin seems to look away and take a sip of her coffee.

You drive straight back home.

You greet your mom, who’s still taking things out of boxes. Even though you weren’t gone for that long, you feel guilty for leaving her alone to deal with the moving mess. She’s surprised to see you back already. You insist that she take a break, and she fortunately relents after some convincing. You both sit on the singular couch in your living room, and you tell her about your brief adventure. You mention the places you found, (and places you didn’t find), how you scored a free movie, Steve, and Robin, but you end up talking about Robin more than anything else.

“Do they go to Hawkins High?” Your mom asks, elated that you met some people your age.

“I actually don’t know, maybe?”

You chat with your mom about anything and everything for a few minutes. It’s probably the most talkative you've been since you arrived at Hawkins and your mom is delighted to hear your voice sound happier than it has been for a while. She gives you the “I told you so” mom look, and you playfully swat at her arm, feeling a tad embarrassed, but having your mom laugh and smile with you completely unabashed makes your heart burst with familial love.

You clutch at your bag that's still wrapped around your front, and you feel the familiar shape of a VHS inside.

“Hey mom, feel like taking a longer break?”

You pull out European Vacation and wiggle it in your hand. Your mom sighs, but nods her head and grins ear to ear, knowing you both desperately need this reprieve, and spending quality time with each other wouldn’t hurt either. You’re grateful that one of the first things you and your mom did on move in day was set up the TV and VCR system, because god forbid your mom misses any episodes of General Hospital or All My Children. You hop off the couch and shove the tape inside, pressing the play button excitedly. Your mom pats the cushion next to her and you plop yourself back down, getting comfortable.

It doesn’t take long for your mind to start wandering during the movie. You’re enjoying it, and hearing your mom laugh so joyously and unrestrained when you haven't heard her sound like that in years almost makes you want to shed a tear, but you can’t help but think about Robin. Your stomach flutters every time her freckled face flashes through your mind. You find yourself smiling like an idiot, and it’s not because of the movie. Sure, you’ve only known her for a whopping 30 whole minutes, but it’s been a while since you were hit with a crush this hard so fast and you’re not quite sure how to handle it.

This isn’t New York. This place is completely different. You need to be careful.

You briefly glance at your mom, her attention fully glued to the TV screen and oblivious of your inner turmoil. You sigh softly. New York wasn't exactly the pinnacle of acceptance, but it’s without a doubt better than most places, and compared to a small town like Hawkins, it might as well be a sanctuary. You mentally scrub your mind, not wanting to overthink something as insignificant as a crush. Still, you have this inkling feeling that Robin might be, well, like you, or she could just be an extremely nervous person and it’s better not to deep dive and over analyze some of her reactions. Her nervous laughter, her blushed cheeks, the way she would spin that damn lovely ring on her finger over and over again–

“Honey, did you hear me?” Your mom’s soft voice makes you jump.

“What? S–sorry mom, what did you say?”

“I asked if you wanted some lunch after the movie is over.”

Oh yea, the movie. You refocus your eyes on the television and remember that you’re suppose to be watching. You only feel slightly bad that you’re not really paying attention, but you’re not going to let your mom know that.

“Yes please.” You smile and readjust your position on the couch to be more attentive.

You are already in so deep, there was no point in trying to snuff it out. A few days into your new life and your heart is already going to get you into trouble. It’s infuriating how badly you want to get to know Robin more. Can you be hung up on someone you just met? It doesn’t seem right, or maybe it’s perfectly right? You wonder if Robin is thinking the same things right now No, no, definitely not. There is one thing you know for sure…

It’s going to be an interesting week.

#robin buckley x female reader #robin buckley x reader #robin buckley x you #robin buckley imagine #robin buckley fanfiction #robin buckley fanfic #stranger things #stranger things fanfiction

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arzuera · 1 year

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If you’re okay sharing, how many chapters of Robin’s Egg are you planning? I lost interest in dpxdc for a few months and am just getting back into it and am delighted by the amount of chapters I came back to. Robin’s Egg was and still is one of my favorite fics that takes up a lot of brain space with the amount of love I have for it!

Hello! Also, I know you asked this a long time ago so I'm sorry that I'm just getting to this now.

First off, thank you! I'm glad you love my fic so much! It really means a lot to see that!

As for how many chapters... honestly, I have no idea. I've learned a long time ago that I'm bad at following my own outline. Take my first big fic The Call of a Mute Heart. The original plan for that one was supposed to be 30 chapters, give or take.

That MONSTER is 115 chapters long and took about 3 years to complete.

This isn't the only time this has happened but it is the most prominent one.

So I've learned to not try to keep it to a certain chapter amount because odds are I'm going to blow right past it. However, I will say that I have Robin's Egg planned in 3 stages.

Stage 1: Damian finds egg and he's flying by the seat of his pants in how to take care of Danny because he has no way of knowing if he's helping or harming

Stage 2: Danny is awake but still in egg form. He still needs to incubate a little longer. But Damian can now check in to make sure Danny is okay.

Stage 3: Danny has hatched and now he isn't just Damian's problem anymore

At this point in the story, we're really close to the beginning of stage 3 and from there the clock starts ticking closer and closer to the end. Which in all honesty? Makes me REALLY sad because I have had so much fun writing it and Robin's Egg marked my first attempt at coming back into the fanfiction scene after an almost 3 writing hiatus.

I wrote off and on in between the two for various things but nothing this long. So to see my first attempt in a new fandom be so well received is just... so amazing to me. You have no idea how touched I am about it. You all have been so supportive in everything I've done. Even on chapters that I straight-up hated. Remember Chapter 3? Where Damian safety proofs his room and has the heart-to-heart with Tim and Nightwing at the end? Hated it. Wanted to take it down and try again. Couldn't believe that I posted such garbage. But you all absolutely loved it. Your comments put a new perspective on the chapter that I didn't see before so when I reread it, I could see where you all were coming from and I actually grew to like it.

So, yeah... I can't tell you how many chapters it's going to be though I do try to aim for like 10 or 5 at the end. So if it's like... chapter 51 when the end is starting, it'll fully end on chapter 55, etc. That's just an example, not a timetable. But I also don't want it to end yet as I'm sure that all of you feel the same. So we still have a ways to go as far as I'm concerned.

#dpxdc #fanfiction #robin's egg #ask #arzuera

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p-artsypants · 10 months

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I really love your Teen Titans stuff, especially your one shot Wasteland. I don't have any ideas to offer for your blurbs but I'll straight up absorb any form of robstar you create.

Awww! Thank you so much!! You know, Wasteland is pretty old at this point, but I still think it holds up well! Who doesn't love a 'sharing body heat to keep warm' fic???

For you, Bestie, I offer a taste of the fic that will be #70!

Blurb #21

“Well Mike,” said Robin, “looks like I’m up next. Why don’t you relax for a moment while I get a proper suit on.”

“Do you have anything that’ll fit?” Cyborg asked.

Robin’s face darkened. “I have something for just this reason. I’ll have to take measurements to get larger suits made. Star, you should hydrate after your battle.”

“Alright, I shall go with you.” She nodded.

While Mike talked with the other Titans, Starfire waited patiently for what Robin had to say to her, since he wouldn’t recommend her to come inside unless he wanted to speak with her in private.

Once they were inside, he asked, “why didn’t either you or Mike use your starbolts? If it’s a fairness thing, that’s fine. I’m just curious.”

Starfire stopped walking, and Robin fumbled when he noticed. “Star?”

She swallowed thickly. “I am sorry.”

“Sorry? For what? You didn’t do anything wrong! I’m just wondering.”

Starfire held her fists to her sides and said, very low, “Tamaraneans do not usually possess the ability to shoot bolts as I do. My sister and I are the only ones.”

Robin stood up straighter at that revelation. “Really?”

“Yes. I…I do not know if Mike is aware of this ability. I am…apprehensive to share.”

“I can understand that. How did you and Blackfire get to be the only ones that can do this?”

That’s when Starfire broke down. She started crying, and after Robin recovered from his initial panic, he quickly pulled her into a hug for comfort.

“You don’t have to tell me,” he protested. “It's obviously a sore spot. Don’t worry about it.”

“No,” she sniffed and pulled away from him. “I apologized because I have wanted to tell you, but…it is hard.”

He took her hand. “Then, why don’t you tell me while I get the suit on. We can talk more about it later too. But if we’re gone for too long, Beast Boy and Cyborg will pester us about it.”

She nodded in understanding. Maybe she’d tell them one day as well, but right now, it was hard enough to share with Robin, who she trusted implicitly.

He led her up to his room, where he pulled a changing screen out from his closet and began to dress.

She sat on the bed, cross-legged.

“Whenever you’re ready,” he assured, the sound of fabric rustling behind the screen.

“My cousin mentioned that I went to train with the Warlords of Okaara. Blackfire and I did this together, as we are…of noble blood on Tamaran. Leading an army is our duty.”

Robin peaked around the screen. “How noble we talkin’?”

She shyly twisted a piece of her hair. “My father…is the Grand Ruler? And I am second in line to the throne after my brother?”

He gaped at her.

“I am sorry I did not mention it.”

“Uh…it’s okay. I guess. So you went to train…”

Her shyness was replaced with sadness. “Yes. As you have experienced now, first hand, we Tamaraneans absorb energy from UV rays from the sun. While away, another race of aliens were on Okaara and took interest in my sister and I. These were the Psions.” She bowed her head. “They…experimented on us. They pumped us full of UV rays for weeks, trying to see how much it would take before we—“ she swallowed harshly, not finishing the sentence. “In the end, I was able to expel that energy through my hands and escaped, and then rescued my sister.”

Robin peeked out again, staring wide eyed at her.

“It was only a few weeks after we returned home that I was taken captive by the Gordianians. I was with them for many years. That is why I know so little about Transformation.”

“…when did you say you started training?”

“I was eight. The experiments began when I was but 10.”

Robin finished dressing, and then walked around the screen.

“You look very handsome,” Starfire offered a smile.

Robin didn’t react to the compliment, only sat beside her, and touched her hair gently. It was like seeing her in an all new light.

That was why she was so naive. That was why she acted so childish. She had no childhood. She had been a prisoner. She had to relearn everything.

“Robin?”

“Sorry, I got caught up in my thoughts. Thank you for telling me. It means a lot. I certainly feel like I understand you better.”

“Yes?”

“Yeah. You…you’ve been through a lot, but you’re so positive all the time.”

“It is…I have spent many hours being sad and angry. I did not like it. In comparison, most things are not so bad. So I remain happy.”

She was right. What was an escaped criminal in comparison to being tortured? What was it like to wake up in a home, safe, and know that whatever the day brought you was better than where you started?

“No one is allowed to get mad at you for being cheerful when they’re in a bad mood anymore. I won’t allow it.”

“That is not necessary, Robin.”

“No, it is. You are allowed to enjoy your freedom.”

“When you or our friends get upset with me, it is paltry compared to the anger of the Gordianians. Truly, it does not bother me.”

He wrapped an arm around her shoulders. “You are far stronger than most humans, you know that?”

“Yes? Most humans can not lift a car.”

He shook his head slightly. “Emotionally strong, Star. Most people in a similar situation would come out bitter and hateful.”

“Like Blackfire,” Starfire supposed, “though, she was rather bitter before the Psions, so I don’t think that is an apt comparison.”

“At any rate, I like you the way you are. If you ever need to talk about this stuff, just let me know. I’m always here to listen.”

A pretty blush covered her cheeks. “Thank you, my dear friend. And now, I shall show an Earthen sign of gratitude.” She kissed his cheek. “Is that correct?”

His face also colored. “Yes, in this case, it’s correct. I wouldn’t go around kissing people for minor things.”

“Because it is too affectionate?”

“Right. In our country, it’s more romantic.”

“Oh, I see. Thank you for explaining that to me.” She smiled, and then kissed his cheek again.

He blushed harder.

“Are you prepared? Shall we go meet our friends?”

He stood, adjusting his cape. It was longer than he was used to. That might be a problem. “Ready as I’ll ever be.”

I'm going to try to share 70 blurbs from my WIPs and unfinished fics to celebrate reaching 70 posted fics! To help with this endeavor, please feel free to send me a word or a fandom you know I write for, and I'll share the blurb. IDK if I'll get 70 prompts, but let's try it! Send as many as you want!

#fanfiction #teen titans #tt animated #robin #starfire #robstar #dick grayson #koriand'r #this fic is called #Alien Puberty was Worse #Coming soon to a theater near you

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puddygeeks · 1 year

Text

Wᴀɴᴛᴇᴅ Dᴇᴀᴅ Oʀ Aʟɪᴠᴇ - Sᴛʀᴀɴɢᴇʀ Tʜɪɴɢs, Eᴅᴅɪᴇ Mᴜɴsᴏɴ/OC - Cʜᴀᴘᴛᴇʀ 5: Iᴍᴘᴜʟsᴇs

Masterlist

Episode: Pre season 4

Rating: Mature

Summary: Since she was five years old, Marcie Bell and Eddie Munson have been inseparable. There was never one without the other. That is, a near death experience with the Mind Flayer changed everything. Now, Marcie must navigate her newly realised feelings for Eddie, whilst facing down the Upside Down all over again. Whoever said love was easy?!

Fix it fic. There will be absolutely no Eddie Munson death here!

Fandom: Stranger Things

Pairing: Eddie Munson x OC

Status: Ongoing

My writing is entirely fueled by coffee! If you enjoy my work, feel free to donate toward my caffeine dependency: will work for coffee

Warnings: 𝑀𝑎𝑡𝑢𝑟𝑒 𝑐𝑜𝑛𝑡𝑒𝑛𝑡. 𝐷𝑟𝑢𝑔/𝑎𝑙𝑐𝑜ℎ𝑜𝑙 𝑢𝑠𝑒, 𝑔𝑒𝑛𝑒𝑟𝑎𝑙 𝑚𝑒𝑛𝑡𝑖𝑜𝑛𝑠 𝑜𝑓 𝑝𝑎𝑠𝑡 𝑎𝑠𝑠𝑎𝑢𝑙𝑡/𝑑𝑟𝑖𝑛𝑘𝑠 𝑏𝑒𝑖𝑛𝑔 𝑠𝑝𝑖𝑘𝑒𝑑, 𝑎𝑛𝑔𝑠𝑡, ℎ𝑢𝑟𝑡, 𝑠𝑙𝑜𝑤 𝑏𝑢𝑟𝑛, 𝑎𝑠𝑠𝑢𝑚𝑒𝑑 𝑢𝑛𝑟𝑒𝑞𝑢𝑖𝑡𝑒𝑑 𝑓𝑒𝑒𝑙𝑖𝑛𝑔𝑠, 𝑡𝑒𝑒𝑛 𝑑𝑟𝑎𝑚𝑎, ℎ𝑖𝑔ℎ 𝑠𝑐ℎ𝑜𝑜𝑙 𝑑𝑟𝑎𝑚𝑎, 𝑐ℎ𝑎𝑟𝑎𝑐𝑡𝑒𝑟 𝑑𝑒𝑎𝑡ℎ, 𝑏𝑢𝑙𝑙𝑦𝑖𝑛𝑔, 𝑔𝑒𝑛𝑒𝑟𝑎𝑙 𝑈𝑝𝑠𝑖𝑑𝑒 𝐷𝑜𝑤𝑛 𝑓𝑢𝑐𝑘𝑒𝑟𝑦.

Taglist: @toobsessedsstuff

A/N: I am so sorry for the massive delay in getting this published. It was a real struggle to make this chapter work and took many edits, but we got there in the end! As for my posting schedule, I actually just had my first baby a couple of weeks ago so life is complete chaos right now. I still absolutely plan to write when I can but I have no idea when that will be. Thanks for sticking with me anyway. Every kudos and comment means the world to me <3

♫ ♠ ♫

Chapter 5

Robin and Steve looked equally uneasy as they followed Marcie into the dive bar. Their feet stuck to the floors as they walked, residue of spilt drinks or other substances that didn’t bear thinking about now decorating the soles of their shoes. Though there was a gig planned, it was surprisingly quiet with only around 10 drunks hanging around by the bar. However, they could only shake their heads in bemusement at the way Marcie strolled in and waved at several of the audience as if she was in her element.

Marcie approached the bar with confidence, chuckling at how lost her friends looked behind her. Despite being underage, she knew all of the tricks to a good night out at this venue and simply ordered three colas, planning to top hers up from the flask that was hidden in the back of her jeans. She gestured for the other two to come take their glasses when she caught the eye of a familiar older customer who sat on a stool nearby.

“I was starting to wonder where you were.” Terry called as he wandered over to her side with a teasing smile. “Your boy’s playing tonight. He was looking nervous without you.”

“He’s not my boy, Terence.” Marcie scolded lightly, her words making as little impact on the clearly drunk man as usual.

“Sure he’s not and I’m stone cold sober.” He laughed, before turning to nod toward the others. “You bought friends? Almost enough to count as an actual audience here now. Let me know if any of you want a beer. My treat.”

“Thanks for the offer, but you know I always have my own supply. Besides, I think I’m the only alcoholic in my crew.” Marcie winked, breaking away from the well meaning bad influence to rejoin her friends who seemed utterly horrified by the interaction.

“You hang out with a lot of creepy old men who like to get teens drunk?” Steve questioned whilst she pulled out her flask to mix a drink.

“Yes, actually. This is the Corroded Coffin fan club. Welcome.” She teased, breaking into a laugh at the way that Steve’s brows shot up. “You should really learn not to judge a book by its cover, Harrington. Terry used to babysit my mom. He’s one of the good ones. He’s still pretty well known for keeping an eye on the youngsters here. I got spiked a couple years ago and he took care of me until he could hand me over to Eddie.”

“By buying underage kids alcohol?” He questioned, noticing that even Robin was slipping her the side eye for this.

“As if you never drank underage.” She scoffed, before rolling her eyes at his judgement. “Terry’s policy is simply that it’s better to allow people to break the rules in a safe way, by getting weak, unspiked drinks from someone who will ensure they don’t get wasted, than to leave them to get taken advantage of by trying to find their own way.”

Clearly not entirely convinced by this story, Steve simply shook his head and glanced at Robin, who made a concerted effort to disguise how uncomfortable she was. Marcie shrugged it off as she led them closer to the stage ready for the show. After years of hanging out with Robin, she’d got used to having to remind herself that not everyone grew up in the same white trash environment that she and Eddie did. Things that seemed mundane to them were shocking to others and she had learned that most times it was easier to agree to disagree.

“I do appreciate you guys coming with me tonight. I know this isn’t really your scene.” She remarked, flashing them both a smile that seemed to at least partially calm them. “This place gets a bad rep, but it’s really fine. Most of the sketchy people won’t arrive until much later. And if at any point it gets too weird for you, we’ll leave. Okay?”

“I’d still rather if either of you wanted a beer you asked me.” Steve pointed out, earning a sceptical look from both girls. “You’re right. I’ve been drinking for years, but not through creepy old guys. I have a fake ID.”

“Okay, Mom.” Robin groaned, easily earning a snigger from Marcie.

The unexpected comment eased the tension in the group, and in little time at all Robin and Steve had already engaged in one of their usual spats. Marcie was content to sip on her drink, only half listening to their conversation as she watched the empty stage.

There was a far stronger feeling of apprehension in her stomach tonight as she waited for the band to appear. As well as she had done until now, she was painfully aware that there was no time more challenging for keeping her attraction under control than when watching Eddie perform. No matter how badly she wanted to be here for him, there was something about him playing guitar that drove her absolutely wild every time.

A couple of drunken cheers echoed around the draughty space, announcing the arrival of the band and as her friends finally stopped bickering to position themselves on either side of her, Marcie steeled herself.

From the moment that Eddie stepped foot on the stage, he began scanning the area with a nervous expression. It only faded to a relieved smile when his gaze landed on her face. In an instant, she knew that she had made the correct decision by pushing herself to attend and couldn’t even bring herself to imagine how crushed he would’ve been if she’d missed it.

With his confidence restored, Eddie moved to the front of the stage to get the crowd hyped up. It wasn’t long before the usual band of drunks were cheering together to the songs and even Robin and Steve found a way to enjoy themselves, as he returned from the bar with beers for the two of them whilst he nursed another cola.

Marcie finished her drink rather quickly as a result of repeatedly catching Eddie’s eyes and being unable to withstand feeling as if he was singing directly to her. There was no denying that she would find the man attractive if he was wearing a garbage bag, but whilst dressed in his ripped jeans and shirt, his hair thrashing in the dim backlighting of the stage, she could have fallen in love with him all over again.

Eddie strutted the stage with a confidence befitting any rockstar, his husky voice blasting from the speakers and sending shivers down Marcie’s back. Just as she felt as if she could hardly keep her thoughts clean, he descended into an epic guitar solo that drew her attention to his hands. Watching the way that he worked the strings, the spotlights reflecting off his signature rings, she found herself biting her lip.

By half way through the set, she gave up on mixing drinks and instead took sips directly from the flask in an effort to suffocate the rising desire in her chest. Between songs, Robin bumped into her side and flashed her a concerned expression.

“I don’t want to kill your buzz, but you might want to slow down on the drinks, Marce.” She fretted, glancing to Steve for backup. “I know you can hold your liquor, but I’m starting to fear for your liver.”

“My liver has been well trained. Believe me, it can handle it.” Marcie insisted. “Besides, it’s all part of my tactic. I’m having a drink every time that I think of non-friendship thoughts. It’s helping me to bury them.”

“Actually, I think it might be bringing them out.” Steve argued and she turned to face him with confusion. “You’re totally giving him bedroom eyes.” He added, his accusation supported by Robin snorting with laughter.

“I am not!” Marcie gasped, whipping her head between the pair of them in horror.

“You kinda are.” Robin choked out between breaths. “You look like you want to climb up there and devour him. Why do you think he keeps looking at you?” She cackled as she necked the last of her drink and put the empty glass aside as if she didn’t ever want to touch alcohol again.

“It’s okay, Robin. We’re clearly imagining it.” Steve interrupted with an equally amused smile. “Just like the little bit of drool you’ve got right there.” He continued, pointing to the corner of Marcie’s lips.

“Where? Right here?” She crooned mockingly, before reaching out to punch him in the arm. “You two suck.”

♫ ♠ ♫

Eddie struggled to concentrate during the cleanup of their set. Though he’d been delighted to find that Marcie had attended tonight, he couldn’t deny the fact that her bringing Harrington along had gotten under his skin. Sure, it added to their usually sparse audience, but he couldn’t stand the thought that she might use one of their gigs as an opportunity for a date.

Then again, if that was the case then Harrington had absolutely failed to get her attention throughout the night. He held a smug satisfaction for the way that Marcie’s gaze had been glued to him during the entire set. Now that he thought about it, perhaps that had been the cause of his distraction. He felt somewhat strange for thinking it, but he could’ve sworn there was something different in her eyes tonight, something strangely resembling desire.

Eddie shook his head to dislodge the thought before it could settle, rushing to finish the job so that he could assess the dynamic between the pair for himself. It took longer than usual to pack up without his head in the game, but eventually they finished loading the van and he was able to re-enter the bar. He pushed through the crowd that had begun to gather for the next act looking for any sign of the trio, but was only able to find Marcie and Robin near the door.

Robin was standing protectively by Marcie, who was half sat, half leaned against a bar stool clutching her ankle. They both seemed in high spirits still, talking loudly and laughing together, but something seemed off about his friend that caused him to rush over to join them.

“Hey, Marce. Are you alright?” He blurted the moment that he reached them and Robin startled as if she hadn’t noticed him coming.

“Eddie!” Marcie breezed, turning to him with a familiar sense of delight that indicated she had been drinking rather heavily. “I’m totally fine. I might’ve just missed the step coming out of the restrooms and given my ankle a little roll. Fortunately, the whiskey has numbed all pain.”

“Unfortunately, she’s walking like a wounded animal.” Robin cut in, throwing her a long suffering look that hinted she had been the one to force her into a seat. “She’s sprained it, but apparently doesn’t think that should stop her from dancing. We’re gonna take her home before she really hurts herself.”

Eddie chuckled at her enthusiasm, especially when she stuck out her tongue at Robin. It was exactly the kind of behaviour he would expect from drunk Marcie. She was the kind of person who wouldn’t let anything ruin a great night, but judging from the heaviness of her blinks and the slight sway in her position, they were correct in deciding that the time had come to remove her.

“Getting high of your own supply again, Hells Bells?” He teased, a fond smile filling his lips.

“You know it.” She answered with a devious expression, opening her jacket to reveal the trusty flask he’d bought for her last Christmas. “You guys were great tonight. You really tapped into your rockstar performance. The way you handled that guitar-”

“-Had girls swooning. Other girls!” Robin interjected.

Eddie raised his brows in surprise at her flirtatious attitude, wondering exactly what she would’ve said if not interrupted. Robin made a conscious effort to catch her friend's attention, her eyes wide in warning as if silently instructing her to keep quiet. Marcie giggled to herself, amused by her antics.

Eddie opened his mouth to question how they were getting home, when the answer rushed through the door. Harrington seemed flustered as he jogged to Robin’s side, barely even noticing Eddie’s presence as he turned his concern to Marcie.

“I’ve moved the car out front, but security is only giving me a couple of minutes so we need to be quick.” He explained, looking sceptical of her speed when she stood and immediately winced. “Okay. You know what? Hold on.”

Without warning, he crouched to lift Marcie and threw her gracelessly over his shoulder.

“Steve!” She squealed in shock, before releasing a slurred laugh as she dangled over his back. Eddie felt his temper rising at how casually he handled her and when Robin moved to wave goodbye, he couldn’t prevent the words from escaping.

“Woah! Hold on a second.” He spat, grabbing Harrington’s arm to hold him in place. “What’s your plan here? You can’t take her home like that. Her mom will freak.”

Whilst Harrington focused on analysing him, Robin appeared as if she had only just considered this problem. Eddie held his rival’s gaze, struggling to contain the need to rip Marcie out of his grip as he willed himself to use his words instead. His hands clenched at his sides as he forced his attention away from the places that Harrington was gripping her.

“He’s right. Her mom is cool with most things, but she’ll be pissed that she got drunk enough to injure herself. She at least needs some time to sober up.” Robin conceded, drawing the attention of Harrington who observed her with confusion. “I could take her back to mine?”

“Yeah? Your parent’s cool with your friends getting too wasted to walk?” Eddie questioned, waiting a few moments for Robin to shake her head in a defeated manner.

“I’m fine!” Marcie slurred, attempting to fidget out of the tight hold. “And perfectly capable of my own choices, thank you. Put me down, Steve!”

“She can crash at mine.” Harrington suggested, ignoring the squirming of the girl on his shoulder despite Robin’s obvious disapproval. “I’ve got a spare room and my parents are away. I’ll drive her home in the morning. No harm, no foul.”

“Absolutely not!” Eddie growled, his voice filled with an intensity that caused both of the people before him to flinch. “Look, I’m the one who lives closest. I’ll drive her back to mine, she can put her foot on ice, hang until she’s sobered up and walk back when she’s ready.”

Marcie’s friends turned to face him with scepticism, as if they were aware of something that he was not. They didn’t answer this suggestion for a few moments, instead peering at each other in silent conversation, until Marcie gagged from being held on her stomach and Robin grew tired of watching Harrington hold her captive.

“Steve, put her down before she pukes all over you.” She warned, reaching out to assist him in lowering her to the ground delicately so that she wouldn’t fall. “I can tell my parents I’m staying at Marcie’s and come back with you. You’ve still got a few movies from the store to catch up on. We can make it into a sleepover. What do you think, Marce?”

There was something about the way that Robin pushed this idea on her friend, gripping her shoulders to focus her attention, that didn’t sit right with Eddie. Behind her, Harrington gave her a meaningful look too, as if they were both encouraging her toward the decision. Though he was sure that their intentions were good, he couldn’t deny the feeling that she wasn’t being given a choice and couldn’t understand why they would blatantly ignore his offer.

“Guys, as much as I love your company between work and school, I think I’ve seen quite enough of you lately.” Marcie answered, her words bleeding into each other from the effects of the whiskey. “I want to go with Eddie. He’ll take care of me.”

For a few moments, Eddie faltered as she turned her half lidded gaze to him with a dozy smile. His heart skipped a beat, hardly able to believe that she had so clearly chosen him and he couldn’t help returning her smile.

“If that’s what you want, then I’d be happy to have you.” He offered, relishing the way that her eyes lit up at his words. “She can take my bed if needed. It’s only a short walk home and Wayne’s working tonight so no one even has to know that she was there.”

“Oh, I’m sure her mom would love that.” Robin grumbled, her arms crossed over her chest as she seemed to struggle to decide whether she was more annoyed by his behaviour, or Marcie’s.

“Actually, she’s pretty cool about her staying out, as long as she’s kept updated. Just pass a message that she’s staying at yours. Her mom won’t even care.” He countered, noticing that Robin didn’t seem convinced. “She slept at mine when she got spiked, too. I know how to cover for her. It’ll just sound better coming from you.”

Harrington nudged her side, quirking his brow in silent question and Robin sighed in defeat as she noticed that her friend was still smiling at Eddie in delight.

“It’s her decision. She trusts him, she said she wants to go with him, so we should respect that.” Harrington muttered, barely loud enough for Eddie to hear as he leaned closer to check on Marcie.

“I parked at the back to load up the equipment. You gonna be okay to walk that far?” He asked in a hushed tone, and she rolled her eyes.

“I only sprained my ankle, Eddie.” She chuckled, shaking her head at his concern. “It might take me a bit longer than usual, but the fresh air will do me some good anyway.”

“If you say so. I just didn’t want anyone accusing me of not treating a lady in the way that I should.” He teased, winking at her and noticing that a rosy blush spread across her cheeks.

“You wouldn’t know what to do with a lady, even if you found one.” She retorted, issuing a challenge without even realising it.

“Fine. She’s all yours.” Robin announced, turning back from whispering with her conspirator and Eddie couldn’t prevent a smug smile from spreading across his face.

“Alright, my lady. Your chariot awaits!” He announced, dipping down to meet her before she could protest.

When he lifted her from the ground he made a point of demonstrating that his treatment of her was far more careful than Harrington’s had been. He balanced her in a bridal style carry, pausing for a moment to reestablish his balance from the additional weight before navigating only slightly clumsily out of the door.

“You’re a nutcase, Munson!” Marcie giggled in his embrace.

Her arms came to rest around his shoulders and her head nuzzled into his neck, as if she were hiding from the cold of the nighttime air. It was strangely nostalgic to have her this close to him, but he knew that he couldn’t show too much joy for this situation as he felt her two friends following closely behind.

When he reached the van, he lowered her into the passenger seat, taking extra care to ensure that he didn’t bump her injured foot and turned to find Robin lurking behind him as if she was waiting to check on her. In a bid to keep the peace, he stepped aside to allow them to catch up whilst Harrington seized the opportunity to grill him on everything he’d had to drink tonight to prove that he was safe to drive.

Stepping closer to the van, Robin leaned against the door to examine her clearly incapacitated friend. Although she knew that she had promised not to hold her responsible for the events of the evening, she couldn’t help feeling as if she had somehow let her down by allowing her to end up in Eddie’s care and for her own peace of mind, she needed to confirm one final time that this was the correct decision.

“Are you sure you’re good with this, Marcie?” She asked quietly, her brows knitting together in concern. “I thought you didn’t want to be alone with Eddie?” She questioned, noticing that in her current state Marcie seemed thoroughly confused at this suggestion.

“Eddie will look after me! Eddie always looks after me.” She stated in a tone of minor offence, but seeming to notice the worry in her friend’s face, she flashed her an understanding smile. “I’ll be fine, Robs. I promise. I’m just having a moment of weakness. This isn’t your fault. I’m not mad at you and I won’t be tomorrow. You can go home.”

Though reassured by her surprisingly clear consent, Robin hesitated for a few moments longer until she noticed Eddie making his way around to the driver's side. She quickly checked her friend's seatbelt, then faced her with a forced smile.

“Alright, Marce. You deserve a night off from your heartbreak.” She breathed, despite a tightening in her chest. “But if he does anything to upset you, I’m going to take a page from your book and come after him with a baseball bat. Capiche?”

“Capiche.” Marcie laughed. “Night, Robs.”

♫ ♠ ♫

Eddie had his hands literally full with attempting to coordinate unlocking the door to his trailer, whilst also keeping Marcie upright. With only one hand available to grip her, he wrapped an arm around her waist and clung to her hip as she sagged against him, mentally willing the door to give him a break.

Unfortunately for him, the fresh air had only caused the alcohol in her system to take further effect and she seemed significantly more drunk than she had at the bar. Now he had her complete lack of inhibitions to contend with alongside her injury.

Without warning, the door swung open and they practically fell inside, Eddie barely managing to catch Marcie before she face-planted the floor. He paused to prop her against a wall, instructing her not to move before turning back to lock up for the night.

He was so distracted with the task that he failed to even notice her moving around behind him. In fact, he was practically completely lost in his own thoughts on his next move as he seemed to only just have considered how strange this situation was after she had been avoiding him for weeks.

It occurred to him now that he might have scored the perfect opportunity to ply the truth from her, but a small, niggling part of him wondered if the truth was really something that he wanted to hear. Not fully present in the moment, Eddie turned slowly toward the living room and slid off his denim jacket, followed by his leather jacket, throwing them both onto the couch where he realised he would likely be sleeping tonight.

It was only when he spun back to where Marcie had been standing that it dawned on him something was wrong, something he never would have imagined in a million years would happen to him. He froze to the spot, his eyes widening to an extent that he was sure they hadn’t ever before.

In the time that she’d been unsupervised, Marcie had dropped her jeans to the ground and stepped out of them. Her t-shirt was already making its way over her head, thankfully giving way to a tight silk camisole that protected at least some of her modesty. However, the length of this garment failed to cover the very small pair of black lace panties that were currently on display to him, cutting over her perfect ass in a way that made his mouth fall open.

Eddie wanted to speak, to say anything to interrupt her, but the words seemed to fail him. He stuttered the syllables, desperate to prove to himself that he wasn’t a creep, but no sound emerged. Instead, he found himself staring as she threaded her hands under the delicate straps of her cami to fish out a bra that matched the panties, throwing it onto a dining chair in a mind blowing method that somehow kept her breasts covered the entire time.

Unable to allow this to continue any further, Eddie suddenly sprung into action as he leapt forward to grab her arms before she could remove anything else.

“Woah, woah!” He cried as he hurried into her space and she startled as if she had only just realised that he was present. “Christ, stop! What are you doing?”

“Eddie!” She gasped in surprise. “Don’t be a perv! Get out of my room.” She slurred her words, but the annoyance in her face cracked some of the tension between them.

“You’re in my trailer, Marce.” He chuckled, before his gaze was drawn downward by her attempting to cross her arms over herself despite her complete lack of coordination.

Through the thin fabric of the cami, Eddie caught sight of something he knew he absolutely should not have seen. The smallest sparkle of silver was visible on either side of her chest, its placement easily translating to Eddie who had spent more than his fair share of time staring at alternative models in magazines.

Eddie’s mouth rapidly became dry and he struggled to swallow the lump that had risen in his throat. He willed himself not to stare, already noticing that his pants seemed tighter and he shifted his grip on Marcie to hold her slightly further from him. He strained to think about anything other than the undeniable nipple piercings she had that were wreaking havoc on his mind, tearing his gaze from her altogether before he could say or do anything that he would later regret.

“Fuck me.” He cursed under his breath as he released her to search the room for anything that could remove the distraction.

At the bottom of a pile of old clothes, he managed to find a practically vintage trucker t-shirt of Wayne’s that was several sizes too big. Throwing it roughly over Marcie’s head, he was relieved to find that it covered both the piercings and her panties, the length coming down to her knees on her thin frame.

“Better.” He choked out in a voice that was obviously strained, but Marcie seemed entirely too inebriated to notice. “Come on. You need some sleep.”

“M’not tired.” She grumbled, rubbing at her eyes and spreading an exceptional amount of black eye shadow all over the back of her hand.

Despite already being stained with more substances than Eddie cared to name, he worried how his sheets would fare against this amount of dark makeup. Unsure what he would be able to supply to assist in properly removing it, he decided that it was better for her to discover tomorrow morning that he’d at least tried to meet her needs.

With a heavy sigh, he wrapped an arm around her waist to lead her toward the bathroom. Squeezing into the tight space, he leaned her against the counter and busied himself with searching for a clean washcloth. After soaking it under the tap, he returned his attention to her face as he attempted to push aside her unruly locks.

“You have so much hair.” He remarked, pushing as much as he could behind her ears to prevent drenching her.

“Rich coming from you.” She scoffed and he could only smile at this entirely fair retaliation.

“Alright. Sit still. I need to get some of this war paint off.”

Marcie attempted to argue with him, but was quickly silenced when he pushed the cloth to her face. Regardless of his best efforts to be delicate, he couldn’t help some degree of clumsiness in his movements. The more that he wiped at her skin, the more the makeup seemed to simply push around and when he rinsed the cloth under the water, he chuckled under his breath at the state of her.

Instead of revealing clean skin as he’d hoped, she now resembled a child who had been wearing face paint in the hot summer sun. Concentrating his energy on the black eyeshadow and dark lipstick that would undoubtedly get everywhere, he managed to remove a reasonable amount, but eventually had to accept that soap and water couldn’t hold up against the staining under her eyes.

When he finished, he rinsed the cloth again of the murky water, before he was distracted at the sight of the only hair tie that he owned. He spun Marcie around to face the mirror so that he could go to battle against her waist length locks.

“Eddie! What did you do?” She slurred, leaning closer to the mirror whilst he gently yanked her back by her hair. “I look like a panda!”

“Pandas are cute.” He chuckled, but the moment he removed his grip on her when he finished his task, she whipped around to flash him an annoyed pout. “Only so much I can do with soap and water. I don’t exactly have many lady visitors, Marce. You can’t say I didn’t try.”

Marcie moved to storm out of the bathroom, but lost her balance almost immediately and Eddie shook his head as he swooped her into his arms again.

“Easy, Sweetheart. Let’s get you to bed.”

It was a challenge to navigate the narrow halls of the trailer with her laid across his chest, but he stuck with it anyway, knowing that it would take far longer to herd her back toward the bedroom. He almost tripped over the mess of clothes on the floor, barging his way over to the bed where he lowered her down as if she was made of glass.

Finally tired enough to stop fighting him, Marcie sank into place as he lifted the covers over her in satisfaction. Her eyelids began to flutter closed from the moment that her head hit the pillow and he couldn’t resist hesitating for a moment, gently stroking the hair back from her face. However, when he turned to leave, she startled awake.

“Where are you going?” She gasped, gripping onto his wrist with as much strength as she could muster and he spun back around to face her with a fond smile.

“The couch.” He stated in a nonchalant manner. “You can have the bed, my lady.”

“No. I don’t want you to go.” She slurred, causing Eddie to freeze to the spot for the second time tonight.

Her brows were furrowed together with stubbornness, as if she hadn’t imagined for a second that he would leave her until now. By stark contrast, he had been deadly serious when he advised her friends of the sleeping arrangements. Sure, they had shared a bed before, but things were different nowadays. He hadn’t considered doing that again tonight at all and the very thought caused him to gulp.

“I’m not gonna be far, Marce. Just the other side of the trailer.” He chuckled awkwardly, but her expression was unmoved. “You’re really drunk and I’m trying to respect your space. I really don’t mind the couch.”

“But…I don’t want to be alone.” She admitted, her determination giving way to a vulnerability that caused his breath to catch in his throat. “Please stay with me, Eddie. Like old times.”

Eddie’s stomach flipped at her words, his mind struggling to decide what the moral thing was to do. It wasn’t as if he hadn’t been in this exact situation with her in the past. He’d slept at her side when she got spiked, despite being sober himself, but that was mostly because he was afraid she might choke to death during the night. Then there was the night when the power went out and she ran to his trailer in fear of the storm. She’d demonstrated that she was comfortable with this arrangement before, but since she’d been avoiding him, he was unsure whether she would regret it in the morning.

He fidgeted on the spot as he agonised over the decision, but when his eyes met hers again, he felt his resolve begin to crumble. There was a sadness in them that he hadn’t seen before, something deep and hidden that made it almost impossible to deny her. He glanced back toward the couch again, before a defeated sigh left his lips.

“Alright. You win.” He mumbled, watching as visible relief washed over her.

Eddie switched off the light then removed his jeans, leaving his T-shirt on. He nudged Marcie to move her over so that he could climb in beside her, and was careful to ensure that he left plenty of space between them. It felt strange to stay so far apart, when they had spent the night snuggled into each other for warmth one winter when they couldn’t afford to heat the trailers.

In the silence of the night, he stared at the ceiling unable to sleep. Where this would previously have been comfortable, he found himself feeling self conscious, worrying that he might have overstepped by bringing her to his home at all. The only sound to distract his wandering mind was Marcie’s breathing that grew steadily deeper and slower.

Eddie couldn’t be sure how long they had laid there, when she shuffled closer to his side. Delicately, she leaned her head against his shoulder, one of her hands wrapping around his upper arm in a reserved embrace. Without thinking, he leaned his head toward her too, his jaw coming to rest on the top of her head and allowing him to breathe in the sweet scent of her hair.

“I miss this.” She whispered, her voice barely even registering against the crushing silence of his bedroom.

“Me too.”

The confession escaped before he could stop himself, relieved when he felt her smile against him. Her breathing grew heavier still, indicating that she was battling against sleep and he debated whether it would be taking advantage of her condition to ask why she had been avoiding him.

“I wish it could be like this all the time.” She admitted in a slow, sleepy voice and Eddie couldn’t resist the opportunity that she had presented him with.

“It can.” He muttered. “I don’t know why it ever changed.”

“Because of the secret.” She slurred between deep sighs that almost sounded as if she was talking in her sleep.

“What?” He questioned, his stomach dropping with nerves. “What secret?”

After a few moments without a response, he lifted his head to glance down at her, only to find that she had finally succumbed to her alcohol driven exhaustion. Eddie cursed under his breath. If he had thought that he was going to struggle to sleep before, he had no idea how energised this teasing comment would make him.

He looked down at her dozing off, her face tucked into him as if it was the most comfortable place that she could be. It was the longest that he’d ever been able to stare at her, especially this close. Even with her hair messed up and eyeliner smeared down her face, he couldn’t help thinking how beautiful she was. It took a few more moments of admiring her before he acknowledged that a fleeting thought of kissing her at the back of his mind had grown to be all consuming.

Wait. Shit!

This was Marcie he was thinking about. The same girl who had given him wedgies when they were kids; the one who stuck chopsticks in her mouth and did walrus impressions; who almost got arrested with him one summer for a ridiculous firework prank and got sick on the waltzers at the last fair. She was his best friend, his partner in crime. He couldn’t ever risk doing anything to jeopardise what they had.

However, he couldn’t deny what he felt as he noticed how peaceful she looked sleeping on his shoulder. He wanted to kiss her.

Now that he considered it, it wasn’t the first time this thought had occurred to him. There had been numerous moments in the last few years where he had found himself wondering what it would be like to cross the boundary of friendship. Each time they had come close, it had been harder to pull himself back from the edge. The last time she slept over, he’d had to put himself through a cold shower after she left to try to clear his head.

As hard as he tried to deny that anything had changed between them, he supposed it wasn’t unreasonable for him to have doubts. She was arguably the only person who he had allowed to get close to him in his entire life. She knew his darkest secrets, and he knew hers. They had comforted each other during the worst times, celebrated together during the best. It was inevitable that she would become important to him and it was only natural that he might wonder at the nature of their bond. It didn’t have to mean that he wanted more.

Marcie shuffled closer in her sleep, her arm draping across his waist and he lifted his arm to allow her to snuggle into his chest. At this angle her head tilted slightly toward him, positioning her face exactly into the moonlight that streamed in through the window.

In the dim light of the room, Eddie found himself utterly fixated on her lips. He was consumed by the thought of kissing her, acutely aware of every part where their bodies touched. Delicately, he reached out to tuck her fuzzy hair behind her ear, lingering his touch for a few seconds on her jaw.

Her lips parted for a moment, a drunken mutter escaping that he couldn’t quite make out. His heart leapt into his throat as he replayed the sound in his mind and was almost able to convince himself that she had said his name. He watched as her lashes fluttered indicating that she was dreaming, only finding himself hoping that it was about him.

Regardless of what he might tell himself, one thing was clear to Eddie at that moment: he had already passed the boundary of friendship a long time ago.

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mklegends-smokescreen · 10 months

Text

Requiem Mirror; Chapter 7: Midnight stroll

10 p.m., Billie sits near the bar at the Black Dragon fight club, sipping a drink while still shaken up after the event that took place a week or so ago. Soon enough, Kano comes in to check on his daughter. He pulls up a folding chair and sits by the dragoness.

Kano: Hey, you good, girl? Still shaken up about what happened in that arena?

Billie: Huh? Oh uh, yeah, thanks. I'm fine, don't worry.

Kano: Ya know, I went through something simmilar in my day.

Billie: When did ya become a gandpa?

Kano: (chuckles) I'm serious though. But hey, there's a reason I gave you that knife for keepsakes.

Billie: Thanks for lookin' out, pop.

Kano: It's aight. Now go to sleep, you need to rest.

She heads to her room and waits for a couple hours for it to be completely silent. She looked at her phone to see a message by the caped crusader that reads „Meet me @ the bridge near that fast food when u can“ she responded with an „OMW“ and climbed out of her window and went to the place they're ment to meet up. Sometime around midnight, Nico is leaning on the side of the bridge and notices Billie walking down and waving him hi.

Nico: Maybe you could have came over before the police hour?

Billie: Maybe I would've made it sooner if I didn't have to get here from 2 miles away.

Robin: Alright, sorry, no need to get your green steamed.

Billie: So, why'dya called me here for?

Robin: I, don't really know. Guess I want to know the other side a bit better. Plus, you didn't tell me everything.

Billie: Sure.

They walked down the street, with the city lights glimmering bellow them. The two spitball questions like „how's it going?“ and such, and it was like this for the fifteen minutes, but then bird man started asking more in-depth things.

Robin: So, is there something you didn't tell me the first time we talked properly?

Billie: I'm not getting into this scar on my neck. Not in a thousand years, ya bird-fucker.

Robin: Alright, playing hard to get i see... Hey how 'bout this? I tell you my story that i've never told anyone ever, and in exchange, you can consider telling me about that scar. Deal?

Billie seemed anoyed, but intereseted where this could go. She shrugged and responded.

Billie: Sure, shoot.

Robin: I, never really had someone to rely on. As a kid, my folks and I lived as slaves under Shao Kahn's iron fist. I managed to escape, but when i came back with these blades (tugs his jacket, revealing his two daggers), I was too late. They were killed and, my spirit was broken, and I slain every living man in that outpost. I've got my revenge, but at what cost?

Billie's eyes grew wider, as she didn't know this tragic story of her new found friend.

Nico: I started hunting and killing one or two crimminals, like a hyper-violant web slinger that I almost completely am.

Billie: Jesus Christ... I'm, sorry I didn't...

Robin: Hey, don't worry about it. I let my almost childish nature take over, it dulls the stress. And helps me cope with how thing are currently.

Billie was shocked, as she didn't know someone like Robin could have such a dark past.

Billie: I... Never really gave much though to other's stories. I guess I've been blinded by my own demons that I didn't know how some people can be so scarred.

Robin: There's nothing wrong with not knowing those around you. It's wrong to judge by purely first impression. Or not asking without knowing someone in the first place. That was bassically our first meeting a year back.

Billie: Oh yeah, I forgot 'bout that whole fiasco. And uh, sorry I tried to kill you durring the whole other-world tournament thing.

Nico: Hey, i'm sorry you had to almost relive through the neck cutting thing, speaking of which...?

Nico said, as he gestured toward the scar on the dragonesses neck.

Billie: Alright... my pops, mum and I were on a mission, and during an intervention arc bullshit, was done by some Reiko bastard.

Robin: General Reiko? He's just a menace through and through, huh?

Billie: Don't worry about it. Decapitated him afterwards.

Robin: You?

Billie: Yep.

Robin: Killed Reiko?

Billie: Yeeep.

Robin: By decapitation.

Billie: With a spear I made up from blood magic.

Nico: I'm impressed. Even i didn't dare stand up to the likes of Shao and Reiko.

Billie: They really need to learn to stop jobbing.

Robin: Absolutely, they needed some new hobbies.

They lived and laughed as the snow started to fall down and the lights bellow shimmered. They even grabbed a coffee on the way back. Robin even explained Siris why Tremor and Kabal left the B.D.

Billie: so, what you're saying is: Tremor left because Smoke convinced him that he doesn't belong to me dad, and uncle Carlos dipped all those years back because he got fed up with doing crime and shit. Right?

Robin: Where theres Smoke, theres drama, and now they're both retired. Tremor went to find some place called „the Dream realm“ and Kabal has retired permanently. Who knows? Maybe be got married with the woman of his dreams and is living happily. But thats just a theory.

Billie: Kabal married? That's a mental image I never thought I needed.

Robin: May even sound dumber if he were married to a demon woman and got a puppy.

Billie: (laughing hysterically) I don't Know what's funnier, the fact you just said that, or the fact that i imagined him living in a highly weaponized mansion while monologuing...

The crusader laughed along, as he held onto the steel railing of the bridge. They exchange insults, as they deside to call it a night and say their goodbyes.

Billie: Hope to see ya again, ya red fuckwit!

Robin: You too, blood-bitch. Whoops, recycled jokes!

They wave goodbye and head back to their factions base's. Billie, not awakening anyone, heads back to bed. Robin, almost perfectly quietly sneaks back to the bedrooms through the lounge, but was eventually caught by Sonya.

Robin: (whispering) Do you ever go to sleep?

Sonya: (whispering back) Do you ever stop sneaking around? What were you doing out there?

Robin: (smirking) Just taking in the night air. You should try it sometime.

Sonya: (raising an eyebrow) You're up to something.

Robin: Just enjoying the peace and quiet. Now, if you'll excuse me, I've got beauty sleep to catch up on--

Sonya: You're terrible at lying.

Robin: What do you mean?

Sonya: I've known you long enough to see when you're hiding something.

Robin: I've worked here for less than 5 months, the fuck you mean?

Sonya: You've got that look, like there's more going on in that head of yours than you let on.

Robin: (giggling) Maybe I'm just a mysterious guy.

Sonya: (rolling her eyes) Mysterious, my ass. Don't get into any trouble, or you answer to me.

Robin: (jokingly) Kinda doing that right now, and I'm losing minutes of sleep because of it.

Sonya: (unimpressed) You're always finding a way to test my patience, aren't you?

Robin: Part of my charm, captain of zero f's.

Robin went back to his room. Johnny eventually wakes up to this commotion, holding his pre-heated mug of coffee, looking higher than a kite.

Johnny: (yawning) What's going on? Did I miss something?

Sonya: Oh, nothing much. Just your protégé sneaking back in past curfew. You know, the usual.

Johnny: Which one, Cassie, Takeda or Robin?

Sonya: The outworld one.

Johnny, taking a sip of his coffee, raises an eyebrow.

Johnny: Oh, the new kid? What he do?

Sonya: He keeps sneaking out without anyone's permission, like some teen in a phase...

Johnny: Hey, reelaaax, hun. I'll talk to him when I can, you just go to sleep.

Sonya seems sceptical, but does trust her husband. She goes to sleep and Johnny finishes his coffee, as he heads to Robin's room.

Johnny knocks on Robin's door.

Johnny: Hey, Red! Mind if I come in?

Nico: Yeah?

there was a small pause, followed by light chuckles.

Nico: Sure, Mr. A-list, come on in.

Johnny walks in, looks around a bit before setting his gaze on Red Robin.

Johnny: So, the mysterious night wanderer, huh? What's the deal? I thought Sonya was the only one pulling late-night stunts around here.

Nico: Yeah, about that...

Nico looked around, making sure Sonya wasn't around, closing the door.

Nico: Mr. Cage, you've got to promise me you won't tell this to anyone.

Johnny, at first confused but interested, nodded.

Johnny: Sure, wassup?

Nico: Well, I might've had a little rendezvous with someone from the Black Dragon. You know, just an informal chat on a bridge.

Johnny raises an eyebrow, intrigued.

Johnny: Black Dragon, huh? What were you doing chatting with the enemy?

Nico: Relax, relax, it's not what you think. We just had a casual exchange of stories. You know, the typical hero and villain bonding over a juice kind of thing.

Johnny: Hero and villain bonding? Never thought I'd hear that one.

Nico smirks.

Nico: Yeah, well, sometimes the lines between hero and villain get a bit blurry.

Johnny chuckles.

Johnny: You're telling me, kid. So, what's the story? Bonding with the enemy?

Nico starts sharing the details of his conversation with Billie, including the exchange of personal stories and the deal about revealing secrets. Johnny listens, nodding at times.

Johnny: Well, well, well. You're playing the diplomat, huh? Just don't let Sonya catch you fraternizing with the enemy. You know how she is about protocol.

Nico: Trust me, I'm already on thin ice with her. I don't need more reasons for her to chew me out.

Johnny laughs.

Johnny: Good luck with that, Nico. Just be careful, okay? Not everyone in the Black Dragon is as friendly as the one you met on that bridge.

Nico: Thanks, Mr. Cage. I'll keep that in mind.

Johnny pats Nico on the shoulder.

Johnny: Alright, now get some sleep. We've got a world to save or something like that, right?

Nico grins.

Nico: Right, Mr. Cage. World-saving duty calls.

Johnny leaves the room, shaking his head with a smile, while Nico gets ready for some well-deserved rest.

Johnny, walking back to his room, he passes by Hsu Hao's cell. (Hey, remember that guy!?)

Hsu Hao: Hey, Cage.

Johnny: Hey, Hao.

Hsu Hao: You know, it's been ages since anyone acknowledged my existence. What's the occasion?

Johnny: Just doing my nightly stroll, you know, keeping an eye on things. How's the cell treating you?

Hsu Hao: Oh, you know, the usual. Cold, lonely, and the view sucks.

Johnny: Can't say I feel sorry for you, considering the stuff you pulled back in the day.

Hsu Hao: Fair enough. So, what's the gossip around here?

Johnny: Well, we've got a mysterious artifact causing chaos, and we're teaming up with the Black Dragon to sort it out. You'd love the drama.

Hsu Hao: Teaming up with the Black Dragon? Now that's a plot twist. What's the catch?

Johnny: You sound like my wife. Anyway, long story short, our kids got dragged into some interdimensional mess, and we're all trying to clean it up.

Hsu Hao: Intergenerational drama, huh? Classic Cage.

Johnny: You know it. Anyway, don't get too comfortable in there. I'm sure Sonya will find some mission for you sooner or later.

Hsu Hao: Oh, joy. Can't wait for that.

The night continues, Johnny goes to bed, and Hsu Hao looks up at the ceiling, falling asleep.

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steddieas-shegoes · 1 year

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I just got round to finishing your little nugget series and I loved it sooo much, literally took me on a whole emotional rollercoaster!! So beautiful. No worries if not, but do you ever think about those 6 and what their life looks like now?? Are Eddie and Steve still trying to find tiny specs of time for each other in their thin walled house?

Thank you so much! I’m glad you liked it. That was my first nugget (I’m sorry I’m not funny)

I do think about them a lot! I haven’t completely ruled out making another part for that ‘verse that’s a look into the future with all the kids out of the house.

But to answer your main question: I firmly believe that they literally get a hotel room one night a month (robin or max or Joyce or someone babysits) and let it all out. Not to say they don’t any other time at home, but they definitely have to be verrrrry quiet 😂

I am also a firm believer that they believe in every age enjoying nap time. They’ll put a 10 year old in their room for a nap time if it means they can make out for 20 minutes.

I love questions about them. They’re still so special to me ❤️

#steddie #steve harrington #eddie munson #little nuggets series #ao3fic

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6m0on6 · 1 year

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Pairing : Steve Harrington x Eddie Munson. just eds and stevie talking (a lot, sorry i really like fics with lots of dialogues) after the event of season 4, and pining ˘͈ᵕ˘͈

i have a whole story on my mind about this fic, but I really don’t know if I’m gonna write it out… I really wanted to share this start tho so !! Hope you like it ♡

I apologize if there’s any mistakes! English is not my native language

≈950 words

♒︎ ♒︎ ♒︎ ♒︎ ♒︎ ♒︎ ♒︎ ♒︎ ♒︎ ♒︎ ♒︎ ♒︎ ♒︎ ♒︎ ♒︎ ♒︎ ♒︎ ♒︎ ♒︎ ♒︎ ♒︎ ♒︎ ♒︎ ♒︎ ♒︎ ♒︎ ♒︎ ♒︎ ♒︎ ♒︎

The door was closed. A crumpled paper hung on the glass between the white painted wood of it :”NO LONGER RECRUITING”.

Great, Eddie thought. Seems like the 15 minutes walk to the store and the 30 minutes argument with his uncle behind it was totally worth it.

Not that Wayne didn’t want his nephew to have a job- far from it- but only 2 weeks passed since Eddie’s name has been cleared by the police , and perhaps it wasn’t the brightest idea to work at Family Video, most recognized video store right in the middle of Hawkins.

The metalhead felt his leather and denim jacket combo growing heavy on his already sweated chest, and feeling the results of the 4 hours of sleep he managed to get the night before, he squatted down on his dirty white rebooks. He could feel the sun burning through the top of his exposed head, making it spins. He passed a hand over the warm curls there and sighed.

Maybe it’s for the best.

The stares and the whispers when he passed by was the most bearable, but the insults and attempted assaults weren’t his most cherished experiences.

He remembered that one time his uncle sent him to the grocery store - they were running out of milk - and some green jacket wearing dude he recognized was from the school’s basketball team started making a scene in front of everyone about how he “killed Chrissy” and “deserved to pay for it” before starting to swing, thankfully being stopped soon enough by the salesman who took no time in kicking him out. Not the best memory he has.

“Munson ?”

He hated them all, the people in here. So having to be all nice and polite with them all day working a last resort job ?

“Hey, Munson…”

Yeah no, it’s definitely for the best.

“Eddie !”

frowning in confusion and tiredness, he turned to the familiar voice pulling him out of his thoughts.

“What the hell are you doing down here ?”

“Harrington ?”

“It’s like, 10 in the morning dude”

Before Eddie could say anything, he saw steve pulling out keys from the back pocket of his light blue Levi’s and walked past him to unlock the door. Wait. Huh ?

“Huh ?”

- - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - -

“Wait so like… since when ?”

“I’ve been working here since before all the Vecna stuff happened man” Eddie listened attentively, legs crossed on one of the chairs in front of the counter where Steve was organizing his tapes. “Rob and me needed a new job after the starcourt mall burned last year. I mean couldn’t sell ice creams for the rest of our lives anyway”.

“Robin too?” The metalhead blinked. “Okay why am I always the uninformed one ?” He put his hand on his chest dramatically . “After everything we’ve been through together you can’t even take the time to tell me even the dumbest shit ?”

Steve sighed, repressing the smirk that started to form on his face. “You’ll recover, now what do you want ?” His hands went to his hips, making him look like a mom grounding her kid.

Eddie snorted at the sudden serious tone and glare. “As much I love to bother you Stevie, you’re not the one I was expecting to see first thing in the morning when I came here”

Stevie.

He rolled his eyes.

“Okay then why are you here ?” The younger man raised his eyebrows in question, bending with his elbows on the counter and his head between his hands. “As you can see, Rob isn’t here yet”

Eddie got up from the couch, making his way towards Steve.

“I’m looking for a job actually. Saw last week that y’all were recruiting but guess you don’t need me anymore” it was his turn to bend over on the counter, now inches away from Steve’s face, who felt uneasy at the proximity. But he didn’t move. He couldn’t.

a wide grin that screamed Eddie was slowly making his way to his face.

“Drugs don’t really pay off anymore huh ?” His voice was low, eyes squinting and eyebrows frowing in fake empathy.

Eddie couldn’t stop the chuckle that escaped his lips “yeah, as surprising as it seems, not many people want to buy from the freak, and now the killer, anymore” he said, pouting for the dramatic effect.

seconds passed. It felt like forever.

Steve found himself gazing over Eddie’s whole face, catching all the little details. Did he always have freckles ? It must be because of the sun.

“Ahem” Eddie coughed, catching Steve off guard, reminding him of where he was and what he was doing. His cheeks heated to form red up his cheekbones and he cringed at himself. Looking away, he said the first thing that came to his mind to break the awkward silence.

“You look tired” he simply said, referencing to the dark circles which hanged from Eddie’s big brown eyes. “You ‘kay ?”

The metalhead, who backed up from the counter and were now looking down at Steve, hesitated.

“nightmares.”

At his word, the younger man’s head snapped back at the older one.

He looked up at him with soft eyes, and Eddie felt the instant understanding trough it. If there was someone out here who would understand what he was going through, it would be Harrington.

Eddie’s eyes left Steve’s face, looking down. Almost ashamed of what he was saying. His voice was above a whisper. “Does it get better ?”

Steve put on his best reassuring smile.

“A little.” he said.

At that moment, the door swung open, Robin appearing at the front door.

When she spotted them together, she grinned instantly

“Hey weirdos” she closed the door behind her. “What are you doing here eds?”

“Sorry, I just couldn’t wait to see you my dear”

She laughed, a wide grin spreading across her face.

#eddie munson #stranger things #steddie #steve harrington #robin buckley #eddie munson x steve harrington #eddie my love #platonic stobin #st4v2 #fruity 4 #fruity four

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flslp87 · 2 years

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The Promise

A Captain Swan AU

Killian and Emma, two souls destined to be one. Come along on their journey of True Love, filled with romance, passion, and challenges as they fight for their Happy Beginning in The Promise.

Special thanks to @duathadun @hellomommanerd @linda8084 @juliakaze

Can be found on Tumblr (1) (2) (3) (4) (5) (6) (7) (8) (9) (10) (11) (12) (13) (14) (15) (16) (17) (18) (19) (20) (21) (22) (23) (24) (25) (26 ) (27) The Promise Compilation

Can be found on FF (Rating changed to M) Can be found on AO3 (Rating will remain T to T+)

~8500 words

Chapter 14

Monday, Third Week in May

Early Morning

Killian stood under the flower bedecked arbor in front of all their friends and gazed out at the group of people who had come to share the day with him and the woman he couldn't wait to make his wife. They were an eclectic group, their friends; from the faculty they had become close with here at Harvard to the group of ragtag children they had met through Henry. They were surrounded by people who were happy to share the day that he and Emma had been moving toward for nearly two years.

As the music swelled, a set of double doors opened and Emma appeared in the back of the group. She was a vision of white, wearing a long flowing dress fit for a princess and floating ethereally to him as if her feet were no longer touching the ground. When she reached him and put her hand in his, he held it firmly, giving it a gentle squeeze as they turned toward the clergyman who opened his book and began to speak.

Killian smiled down at Emma and heard, "Emma and Killian have come before us this day," before hearing BAM BAM, in rapid succession. He turned toward the back of the room where a set of double doors had been so forcefully pushed open that they hit the walls with a sound that reverberated throughout. When Killian saw what the cause of the commotion was, his eyes immediately went to his Nemo, who was sitting in the front row, and lifted his brows in question. The shock on Nemo’s face as Liam strode down the aisle was no less than the one on his own.

"Little brother," Liam bellowed, using the voice that he employed to get attention as a Captain in the Royal Navy. "Just what do you think you’re doing marrying this twit?"

Killian looked over at Robin and with an unspoken message, they moved in front of Emma, providing a protective shield. "Leave us, Liam. You made it clear you would not support our marriage and as much as it pains me to choose, I'll not let you tear us apart."

"Pah, what do you know of love? She's just like Lily. If you allow it, she will break your heart." Liam had reached the front of the aisle and made to push Killian aside to get to Emma when Emma's friend, Elsa, stepped into his path and gently laid her hand onto his shoulder. She hadn’t uttered a word, but with only her touch and Liam stopped, giving her his full attention.

Killian tried once again to reason with his brother because he really wanted them all to be a family. “Liam, she’s nothing like Lily. We are both sorry you are hurting, but just like our mother chose our father over her family, I choose Emma. I’ll not let you hurt her. If you know anything about me, you should know that, just as you do, I too will go to great lengths to protect those I love."

"Me… hurt her? Don’t you know that I would never hurt you intentionally? I am just trying to protect you, just as I have done for as long as I can remember. She will bring you pain. That’s what women like her do. She will crush your spirit and then she will crush your heart until you wake one day and feel that you are only a shell of yourself. That life has passed you by and that the only thing that is good and right in your life is your brother." His voice cracked and, quieting, he looked back at Elsa, but then it was as if another wave of anger took hold and he yelled again, "I will not allow it Killian, do you hear me? I will protect you if it's the last thing I ever do."

cs~cs~cs

Startling awake, Killian tossed off the blanket and sat up on the side of the bed, running his hands over his face and head before looking at the time. Only 3:00 a.m. but he knew there was no way he would get back to sleep with that nightmare running through his mind. Assuring himself Emma was still asleep, he padded into the small bathroom, shut the door and turned on the shower.

Killian stepped under the hot water and pressed both palms against the front tile, allowing the spray to stream down over his bent head and the back of his neck, hoping it would wash away some of the tension residing there. In here, alone with his thoughts, he could admit that the dream had scared the hell out of him. Liam, his own brother, taking extreme measures to ensure that he and Emma didn't get their happy ending. And now awake, he could think of several regrets that the dream brought to the front of his mind. In a way, he regretted taking the position with Nemo's company, because he was going to be forced to work closely with Liam, and if there was no changing Liam's mind, it would be difficult on all of them. He regretted even telling him about the wedding, because strife on their wedding day was not something that either of them wanted. But even with the difficulties that lie ahead of them, there was one thing that he could never regret and that was loving Emma Swan. He couldn't wait to make her his wife and was even more anxious to be her husband. Emma and Henry were his family and they were his priority. And after that nightmare he needed to decide what to do about the problem with Liam and to come up with a solution where all would be happy.

An overwhelming sadness came over him as the more he thought about it, the more he realized that with the things Liam had said and the steps he had taken to invade his and Emma's privacy meant there might be no going back. As the child who had followed his older brother around from a very young age, annoying him but always idolizing him, he ached with sadness. Liam’s experience with the woman he loved taking his heart and squeezing the very life from it was not something that any human should have to endure. That treatment alone would be enough to cause a person to become bitter and look at love as something that caused pain and not joy. And then adding to that the entire situation with the child, the agony one would feel was on an entirely different level. But as much as he hurt for Liam, that didn’t excuse the fact that it had been years, and not once had his brother come to him to explain where his pain was coming from. Not once had he turned to him for help, which was another big regret. Families were supposed to rely on one another in times of pain, much more so than in times of happiness.

Hearing the curtain slide back, he turned to see her standing there, the light highlighting the blonde hair that flowed around her head and down her back. She was gorgeous, his Emma, and he could have been strong, telling her he wasn’t fit for company now, but bloody hell, he needed her.

She stood there in all her naked glory, allowing him to look his fill at her slim toned legs; softly flaring hips, trim waist and breasts that fit perfectly in his hands, the look on her face not vulnerable, but determined, as if she were on a mission and there was no way she would allow him to resist her. He could have played this several ways, but he did the only thing his heart would allow.

He held out his hand and when she took it, dragged her toward him, burying his hands in the wild tangles of her hair and lowering his mouth to hers in a kiss that threatened to consume both of them, wrapping them in a haze so tightly that it was impossible to see where one ended and the other began. He backed her against the shower wall, skimmed his hands down her sides, around her waist and using his lips, teeth, tongue and body showed how much he loved her, telling her she was his everything.

She encouraged him with her throaty groans, her open-mouth kisses and her possessive hands that skated over his shoulders, down his back, then lower to his hips, where she squeezed and urged him along with the rock of her hips against his. Her slick body rocking against his brought him higher and higher until there was no holding back. Everything that he was feeling at that moment in time came pouring out and without stopping, he lifted her higher against the wall so that her softness fit against his hardness and with one more thrust of his hips, he buried himself inside the warm, wet heat that was only her. The comfort he had been needing since he had opened his eyes following the nightmare, he had found. Home, with her he was home.

When he came back to himself, he had his face buried in her neck and her body pinned against the cold hard tile wall and immediately felt nothing but shame at his behavior. She didn't deserve to be treated any way but with love and respect. As he stood there calling himself every name in the book and trying to think of how to apologize for his behavior, he realized she was trying to get his attention.

"Killian, don't." She must have seen something in his eyes because she immediately continued, "Not that, you, big ninny! Don't feel ashamed. If you can't get your head out of your ass long enough to see that I was just as much involved in our lovemaking as you were than we DO have a problem.

Her words sent his heart soaring and giving her a cocky grin, he pushed his hips back against her where, even though he had just loved her like there was no tomorrow, her words were waking him all over again. "You liked it?" He asked, hoping that his initial thoughts were completely wrong.

"Duh. What's not to like?" She gave him a sexy smile. “It was hot, and yes please, I want to do it again and maybe even again, but first," she released her legs from around his waist, "you need to talk to me. What brought that on?" Her gaze pleaded with him to open up and let her in.

When he finally met her eyes, he allowed her to see what he was feeling, which was one of the most difficult things he had ever done. "Fair enough. But not here." Keeping their hands to themselves, they quickly finished their shower and turning off the water, Killian reached for a towel and dried his hair before securing it around his waist.

"And now you." He pulled one of Emma's towels off the warmer and wrapped it turban style around her head. Taking another off the warmer, he rubbed it over her body paying extra attention to any crevices he encountered.

"Watch it there, big boy," she quipped, “unless,” her fingers roamed through his chest hair on their way to the tuck that was keeping his towel secure. “you have other things in mind.”

She had just given him a way out if he really wasn’t ready to talk, but a quick peek at his feelings made him realize that he wanted to tell her at least some of what he was feeling. Hanging up the towel, he wrapped her in her robe, tying the belt around her trim waist. "Maybe later, but now…” he left the thought hanging and, tossing the towel toward the shower rod, responded to her other comment. “I was just being thorough." She giggled and rolled her eyes at him as he opened the door to the bathroom, indicating she precede him. Before following, he picked up her wide tooth comb and after plumping the pillows against the headboard, tossed his towel onto the floor, settled on the bed and encouraged her to sit between his legs.

Once Emma was situated, Killian gently towel dried her hair, before tossing it on the floor and running the comb through her blonde locks. After the first pass through, she looked over her shoulder, giving him a look that spoke volumes. "Don't you think you've stalled long enough?"

He grinned at her, knowing it didn’t quite reach his eyes. "It's not pretty."

"Pain never is, my love. Talk to me."

She turned back and after a few more passes through her wet hair, he started talking. He told her about meeting with Liam and about Liam's Lily. He went on to explain that Lily had grown up in an orphanage in the United States and how after setting her sights on his brother, she had gotten her wish. She had married a man, who was both an officer and a gentleman, who had fallen in love and married her with the intentions of giving her the world. Sadly though, she’d had a different definition of forever, far from what the Jones brothers had grown up believing it to mean.

"She started life the same way that I did,” Emma responded solemnly. “Did you share with Liam about my youth?"

Killian knew he needed to tread carefully with what came out of his mouth from here on out because he had no desire to hurt her, yet he wanted to share as much of the story as possible. Setting the comb on the bedside table, he pulled her more firmly against his chest, and pressed his jaw against the side of her head. "I never told Liam you were an orphan, Swan. I told him you were beautiful. I told him you were kind and caring. I told him you were from Boston and that after one look into your green eyes, I knew you were the woman I wanted to marry."

Emma snorted out a laugh, "I'm sure that went over well."

"Well considering that I hadn't even met you when I told him that, I thought it went over as well as could be expected. "

"What else, Killian? There has to be more to the story. I can hear that you are holding something back from me."

He sighed, "Aye, love, there is." Killian went on to tell her about Liam catching his then wife with several men after he had received the letter that told him she was pregnant. His heart broke again for his brother when he had to explain that the paternity tests had shown that the child had not been his and then, after everything, the child had not lived to see the light of day. The death certificate had listed cause of death as stillborn, but really what did that mean? It meant that Lily had not been given a reason as to why the babe had been born dead and all that was left were the parents who would have loved it, and now were only left to mourn.

Emma squeezed his thighs. "You know, in a way I understand a little bit more about Liam and his state of mind. I even understand why he feels he needs to protect you from being hurt, but I guess I don’t understand why he wasn’t willing to meet me. Why he wasn’t willing to see us together and see how happy we are together before making up his mind?

Killian’s chin dropped onto her shoulder. “That’s very thoughtful of you, love. I’m not sure I could be so forgiving if it were one of your friends behaving in the manner as my brother. And as far as Liam jumping to conclusions before hearing the entire story, well,” he cleared his throat not sure if he really wanted to admit the rest of what he was thinking, “we Jones men are a stubborn lot.”

Emma hummed softly, “You may be stubborn, but I’ve never known you to be unreasonable. However,” She grabbed his head and kissed it, “you’ve never felt pain over losing a woman, either. I guess we never know exactly how we would behave until we truly walk in another person’s shoes.”

“No, we never do.” He mumbled.

“But Killian, even though I'm sorry to hear about all of this, I feel that it was something else that brought about that…" she waved her hand toward the bathroom.

"Aye, you're right.” He sighed, not wanting to upset her too much. “It was a nightmare that caused the fear that led to that behavior."

She turned in his arms. "A nightmare? About me or about Liam?"

He leaned his forehead against hers and sighed, "Both really."

She leaned back and looked up at him. "Tell me?"

He rubbed his knuckles up and down her cheek while trying to decide how much he wanted to share about his dream. Needing to settle himself a little, he leaned in for a kiss and before it got out of hand, took a deep breath and began, "It was our wedding day, Emma, and we were so happy. And you…you looked so beautiful you nearly took my breath away. We were standing in front of the clergyman and just as he was ready to marry us, there was a loud sound in the back of the room and Liam burst through these doors and started ranting like a madman."

"Keep going," she whispered.

"He was running toward us and shouting and saying I couldn't marry you because you would break my heart. He wouldn't shut up. He just kept saying the same things over and over again."

"What were you doing? Trying to stop him?"

He shook his head slowly before continuing on with his story, "Aye. I moved in front of you to shield you from his behavior and, as always, Robin had my back."

"And Liam, did he keep coming up to where we were standing?" She asked quietly.

"No, that's the odd thing. He was stopped before he reached the front of the aisle." His voice trailed off into nothingness as he thought once again about the exchange between Elsa and his brother, two people who had never met and most likely never would. Yet, in his dream there had been a connection.

Emma didn't respond for a few minutes, but he could tell she was contemplating what he had said. "What was holding Liam back?" She finally asked him.

Killian turned her, so he could look into her eyes. "It was Elsa. She stopped him just by laying her hand on his shoulder." He gathered what he wanted to say and then continued, "Every few minutes he would look at her and for a split second there was a connection there, almost as if he loved her, but then something happened and the bitter Liam that I've come to expect the last few years was once again inhabiting his body. It’s like he was a real-life Jekyll and Hyde."

~~~~~~~~~~

Listening to Killian tell her about Liam and his nightmare and hearing the pain in his voice made her heart hurt. She knew he was trying to watch what he said because he wanted to protect her, but that’s what she wanted to do for him. How could she help him? Holding his hand, a little tighter, she asked the question that she wasn’t sure she wanted to know the answer to. "What happened then?"

"I don't know, Emma," he whispered brokenly. "I woke up and couldn't catch my breath, it hurt so much inside. The pain from the nightmare and from feeling as though Liam had betrayed me, but mostly from the void I was feeling. I don’t know how to explain it, but when I woke up, I was convinced you were gone. Something or someone had taken you from me. I couldn't bear for that to happen."

Emma turned completely in his arms and pulled his face to hers. "Nothing can take me from you. I am yours and I will always be yours."

~~~~~~~~~

He kissed her tenderly, but didn't move far before whispering, "And I promise to always be where you need me and to never, ever say goodbye.” He closed his eyes, wanting to say more but not knowing exactly how to put his thoughts into words. Finally, the words coalesced in his head, “And Emma, just know that if we were ever separated, I would go to the ends of the earth for you." After kissing her again, Killian knew what he wanted…no…what he needed to do. "Emma, will you marry me?"

She frowned at him. "Killian, you already asked me to marry you and I said yes, did you forget?"

"I meant today. Let's get Robin and drive to Atlantic City. We can be there in six hours or so, spend a night or two, and be home before graduation. Will you? Will you be my bride today?" He tried to contain his anxiety but something inside was telling him that this was the answer. This was the way to make her his wife and keep her from any potential harm that his brother, or anyone else, might have in store for them. Once they were married, then they would find a way to bridge the divide with Liam, together.

She stared at him for so long, he wasn't sure what she would say, but when she smiled and said yes, he grabbed her in a hug that said he never intended letting her go and peppered her face with kisses. "Can we leave within the hour? I'll text Robin.”

Killian, it's 4:00 in the morning, and there's been a development in the Robin and Regina relationship that makes me wonder if he'll even want to go."

His eyebrows went up at hearing the news. "Oh? I knew he was taking her to dinner and wondered how it went. But,” he sent her a cheeky grin, “when I returned from my trip I had other things on my mind."

He got out of bed and, taking his phone from his jacket pocket, said confidently as he sent a text, "He'll want to be there. He knows I would do the same for him." Moving back to the bed where she still sat, he leaned over and kissed her leisurely and very thoroughly. "Maybe if we hurry we can drive by our new apartment in New York City. Get a move on, Mrs. Jones." He pulled her to her feet and palmed her behind as she sashayed off to get dressed and pack. Once she was out of sight, he continued his conversation with Robin and pulled up places to get married and stay in Atlantic City. If luck stayed on their side, they would be married by sundown and he could spend the night loving her as he had never loved her before.

cs~cs~cs

They had been lucky that Robin had been sleeping alone in the apartment he still shared with Killian, although Killian was rarely there. Once Killian had taken him aside and briefly told him what had gone down with Liam, Robin, behaving as a best mate should, had grabbed a bag, tossed in a few clothes and climbed in the back seat only complaining about needing caffeine this bloody early in the morning.

"Quit your grousing, we'll get you some caffeine. Maybe it will put you in a better frame of mind." Killian drove into a Starbucks, ordered and parked while he handed out the offerings. "Robin, here is your caffè mocha and blueberry scone and plenty of napkins.” And when he added, “Don't make a mess in my car." an eyeroll was his payment. Once he had handed Emma her hot chocolate with whipped cream and cinnamon and a cinnamon morning bun, and kept his caramel macchiato and cranberry orange scone, they were on their way.

Driving out of the parking lot, Killian pushed the button for the classic rock station on the satellite radio and took a sip of his drink, ending up with a caramel and whipped cream mustache.

"Let me." Emma reached over and wiped her thumb across his lip before licking her thumb clean.

Swallowing hard, Killian watched the little minx tease him, knowing he was in a situation where he couldn't give her a dose of her own medicine. With difficulty, he pulled his eyes away from her mouth and back to the road, winding his way through the city streets until they were able to move onto the I-90 heading toward New York City via the George Washington Bridge. Once in the city, his plan was to detour by their new neighborhood, so he could show his future wife where they would be living once they had moved. From there they could easily pick up the Garden State Parkway on their way toward Atlantic City.

After they had finished their pastries and caffeine, Robin started to sing along with Aerosmith's Sweet Emotion as it played on the radio. When that song was followed by Journey's Don't Stop Believin’, Killian took over and sang lead and Robin easily harmonized as if he had done it for years. As the singing continued with ZZ Top's Sharp Dressed Man, Emma laughed so hard at the way they competitively tried to outdo each other that she had tears running down her face. The next few songs didn’t make them feel like singing and just before they changed stations, the opening bars to Somebody to Love started and before it was over, all three were singing in harmony.

When the station once again played a few songs that had Emma rolling her eyes and both Killian and Robin groaning, Emma pushed scan and let the dial slide along until she found one that she liked and hit the button again, stopping it. She had only sung a few lines to Train’s Hey, Soul Sister when Killian changed the station.

“You have to be barmy to like that band, Swan. Their music is rubbish.” He stopped the music on another rock station and tapped his thumbs on the steering wheel along with the beat.

"Oh, I don’t know that it’s rubbish, Killian.” She ran her hand along his thigh. “I’m pretty sure if you were to sing one of their songs, you might get lucky.”

He cut his eyes to her. “And which song would that be?”

“Hmm, I can think of a couple.”

“Hey, I’m still here.” Robin groused from the back. “Give a man a break.”

“Sorry, Robin.” Emma covered her mouth as a yawn snuck up on her.

Giving her a little grin, Killian squeezed her hand. "Tired, love?"

"A bit. Somebody woke me up really early." She yawned again.

"Hey, you two, I don't need to be privy to all the gory details." Robin handed Emma one of Killian's jackets that seemed to always be in the back seat. "Here, this should cushion your head if you want to have a sleep."

Emma smiled her thanks and took the jacket. "Don't let me sleep longer than an hour, okay?"

Killian nodded and hoped that hour would remove the dark patches under her eyes. “If you say so."

As she leaned her head on the jacket, she was surrounded by Killian's smell, and when Eric Clapton started singing Wonderful Tonight and Killian and Robin sang softly along with him, she drifted peacefully to sleep.

~~~~~

After several more songs had played, Robin leaned forward from the back seat and whispered, "She asleep?"

"Aye, she seems to be," Killian answered just as quietly with a quick glance at his future wife.

"Good." Robin met Killian's eyes in the rearview mirror. "Now, tell me about your visit with Liam. Was it bad?"

Meeting Robin’s eyes, Killian tipped his chin slightly. "Aye, it was bad. Not only the real story about Lily, but what has happened to him since we last saw him." He winced as if retelling the story were physically painful. "Remember how Liam looked when he was in the Royal Navy?"

"All proper and polished?" laughed Robin.

"Precisely," Killian continued, "Now he's the exact opposite of proper and polished. He's as disheveled as a lorry after a hurricane."

This time it was Robin's turn to wince. "That’s bad.”

"Sadly. And the man he’s become," he shook his head, "he scares me Robin. To think my own brother had the woman I love investigated and someone followed us taking pictures," he grunted, "it makes me want to punch some sense into him."

Robin was quiet for a while before simply saying, "I've got your back."

"I know you do and I," he smiled over Emma's way, "we appreciate it."

"You two talking about me behind my back?" Emma stretched in the seat as best as she could. "Can we stop at the next place, babe? I need to stretch my legs."

Killian pulled off the Pike at the next turnoff and they spent a few minutes walking around and enjoying the beauty of the sun as it peered over the horizon. Disappearing into the lady’s room, Emma took the opportunity and splashed cold water on her face and brushed and braided her hair. Once she had tossed her brush in her purse, she smoothed lotion on her arms and hands and tossed the tube in her bag before walking out the door, right into the arms of her fiancé. "How did you know I would be the one walking out just now?" She squinted up at him.

"ESP?" He grinned before leaning in to take a sniff of her neck. "You smell good. Is that for my benefit?"

Humming in agreement, she leaned her head against his chest. "Maybe, but Killian,” she tapped her finger against his chest, “aren’t you going to allow Robin to drive for some of the trip?”

He gave her a pained look. "Emma, I love Robin like a brother, but he's not quite got the hang of driving on the wrong side of the road. I’d rather we get there in one piece."

“If you’re sure,” she finally said. “I just don’t want you driving if you’re too tired.”

“Relax, Swan.” He kissed her lightly and turned them back toward the parking lot. “I’ll be fine, as will you and our best man. Come, we have a wedding to get to.”

“And I can’t wait.” She took his hand as they walked the rest of the way to the car. "Robin, do you want to ride in front for a while? There's a little more leg room."

Killian gave her a long-suffering sigh. "He's not as nice to have in the front, Swan. I won't be able to hold your hand or put my hand on your leg if you're in the back."

She patted him on the chest. "You could let Robin drive and ride in the back with me."

"Hold up, you two." Robin pushed them apart. "I'm not playing the chauffeur while you two spend time doing who knows what in the back seat."

Emma grinned at him. "Missing Regina?" He blushed and smiled shyly, totally out of character for Robin. "I think it's about time you share the new development with us, don't you?"

"I swear, you two or worse than the couple of old biddies that lived next door to my mum and pop growing up," he groused at them. "Fine, get in and I'll talk."

As it turned out, Robin ended up in the back seat again, claiming he didn't need Killian mooning over Emma being so far away, so with him in the back he started his story.

"Well you know that I’ve been terribly patient waiting for an opportunity to be with her, right?" he asked, almost as if he were expecting a medal for his patience.

Emma looked over the seat at Robin. “Well, duh. I’m pretty sure every time I’ve seen you since January, you’ve made a comment or two or three or…"

"Exactly. But she wouldn’t give me the time of day.” He pretended to pout but his smile couldn’t be contained for too long, which had been a long time coming.

“I’m not sure I remember it exactly that way,” Emma told him, wryly expecting a witty response from the back seat.

When he was quiet for too long, she looked over her shoulder to see what he was doing and caught him staring at the screen on his phone with a decidedly smitten smile on his face. "Robin?" He glanced up but she wasn't sure if he saw her or not. "Go on."

Finally, he continued, "You know what I remember about that first day? She walked into class wearing a tight red dress and black heels and when she gazed out at the class with her dark eyes, I swear ever tiny head in the classroom stood up and took note except mine."

Emma snorted out a laugh, "TMI Robin. I don't need to know about your tiny head."

"Here here, mate. I don't think I care for the idea of Emma thinking about your tiny head either. But," he glanced over his shoulder, "I'm not believing yours didn't have some say in the matter."

"Well," Robin stammered, "maybe a little, but mainly my friend, it was like that night at The Burren all over again. You said one look was all it took for you to know Emma was the one and, well," he paused to take a deep breath, "one look and I knew she held my heart."

"But she handed it to you on a platter, didn't she?" taunted Killian.

"I wouldn't go that far," muttered Robin. "She was my instructor for a semester and once I realized there was no getting around that I backed off. But, bloody hell, it was hard." He hadn't paid close enough attention to his words until his last statement earned him a snicker from the front seat.

Emma kept the conversation flowing forward instead of allowing it to stay in the gutter, "The last time I saw you two, the barrier," she cleared her throat to keep from giggling, "appeared to have been removed."

He shrugged his shoulder and quirked one corner of his mouth causing his dimple to pop. "I took my exam and when I finished and put it on her desk, she handed me a note." His grin got even broader. "Said I should meet her in her office to discuss dinner."

Emma smiled over at Killian. " That was the day we drove up to Portland, wasn’t it?"

"Aye, love. And it was also the day you said you would marry me for the first time." Killian, who was holding her hand, picked it up, kissing her fingertips.

"Hey this is my story," Robin interrupted. “Shall I continue with my story or do you want to moon at each other some more?"

Killian met Robin's eyes in the mirror and smirked. "Carry on by all means."

"Why, thank you." He cleared his throat as if preparing to give a great speech and continued with his story.

They learned that when he had arrived at her office, she handed him both his paper and exam, asking if he were completely done with his obligations as a student. His response to her had been that he had just left his last professor’s meeting and that his responsibilities as a student were complete. Once Regina heard that, she had given him her killer smile and that was when the real fun started for them.

"I was standing there feeling like a complete arse, but also worried that I not sound like a blathering idiot when, finally, she got to the point." He hesitated for effect. "She said that if I asked her out for dinner, she would be more than happy to say yes. Needless to say, I got right to it and after I said my piece, we ended up eating in a small Italian place not far from The Burren, where we shared a bottle of wine, had a lovely dinner and talked quite freely."

"And the fact that I saw you two canoodling a couple days later with her wearing the same clothing that I had seen her leave in on Friday morning meant that you must have wooed her back to your apartment." Emma shook her head. "I do hope you had cleaned the place up."

"It was alright, as were we. But a gent never kisses and tells."

Killian glanced sideways at Emma. "Guess he didn't require our help after all."

"Question is, will he screw it up?" She answered back.

"Hey, I'm right here," Robin popped in with from the back, "and I don't intend to make a mess of this. It's the real deal for me."

Once they exited the Pike onto the 84, the traffic increased and the conversation in the car decreased so Killian could pay close attention to where they were going. As they neared the George Washington Bridge, traffic was stop and go and the use of horns became more prevalent, with every car jostling for position. "Why the bloody hell are they honking at me?" Killian groused.

Emma looked around at all the cars. "Is it always this crazy?" she whispered in awe.

"Probably.” Killian sighed as he slammed on the brakes when a car darted in front of him. “This traffic is bloody awful, which is my own damn fault because of the time, but I was in such a hurry…" he trailed off thinking about his dream and why he had been in such a rush.

Emma squeezed his thigh. "It's okay babe, I was anxious too.”

He gave her a small grin and turned his attention to the traffic moving haphazardly around them.

~~~~~~~~~

Driving into the city, Emma found her face plastered against the passenger's side window staring up at the buildings surrounding them. Growing up in Boston she was used to big cities, tall buildings and populated areas but nothing could have prepared her for sheer enormity of Manhattan. Buildings so tall they almost blocked the sun, streets so packed traffic was stop and go and so many people bustling around that if you weren't going in the correct direction, you were run over. Could she get used to it?

"This place is wild!" Emma grinned over at Killian. "You're moving here too, right Robin?"

He gnawed on his lower lip as he contemplated his answer, "That was the plan and I know my pops would love it, but there's Regina to consider."

"You know what they say, 'If it’s meant to be, it will be.' You should talk to her when we get home." They drove on in silence for a while longer. "Oh, I didn’t tell you," she looked at Killian, " guess who else is moving here later this summer?"

"Henry?" He grinned at her.

"Well, of course Henry, but no… Elsa! She takes the bar in July and hopes to be able to find a job quickly and move into the apartment that her parents kept for when they had business in the city. Isn’t that wonderful?"

Killian thought back to his dream and how in it Elsa was the one who seemed to have some effect on Liam's behavior. Was there more to his dream then he knew?

Driving through the city, he played tour guide and pointed out Marco's jewelry store, The Hidden Gems, showed Emma where their apartment was and drove by Central Park. Anxious to get on their way, he turned a corner and followed his GPS back to the turnpike, mentally crossing his fingers that the rest of the journey would be uneventful.

As soon as they left the city, it started raining, just enough to make the streets wet and make using the wipers a necessity, even if they were only on low. However, even with the streets becoming wetter and the visibility decreasing, it wasn’t enough to slow the speed of the traffic. As Killian drove, the dream still lingered in the back of his mind, but now that some distance had been put between himself and that initial feeling of fear, there was no doubt in his mind that as much as Liam might think that Emma was not the woman for his brother, there was no way he would ever physically harm her. Their mother had brought both of them up in the same manner and respecting women was something she stressed from the time they were lads. And if catching his wife in a compromising situation didn’t spur him to violence, then nothing would.

But as much as he believed that Liam would never resort to physical violence, that didn’t mean that he was ready to excuse his brother’s behavior. Killian’s goal and main concern was in making sure that Emma was protected, no matter what came their way throughout their lives together. With Emma as his wife, he could show her that being by her side, protecting her as his father had always protected their mother, was where he planned to be.

Seeing a sign indicating that the exit to the Garden State Parkway was still a few miles away, he couldn’t help but wish the bloody trucks would get out of his way. It seemed they were on the road in full force and between those, and the buses and the cars switching lanes so rapidly, the highway was one big accident waiting to happen. A quick glance at Emma assured him her seatbelt was snug across her chest, and wanting to move around the truck laden with utility poles in front of him, as it made visibility damn near impossible, he flipped his signal and moved into the left lane. As soon as he had rounded the rear of the truck, the realization of what it had prevented him from seeing caused his eyes grow large and his heartrate to go through the roof. "Oh shite," he grunted, tightening his hold on the steering wheel.

He was seeing what might have been the last view his parents had ever seen and what had become his very own nightmare for months after their deaths. Ahead of him and on the other side of the median, a semi-truck had jackknifed, gone into a skid and broken through the barrier that separated the highway. Because of its high speed, the wet road and the weight of the truck, it was still moving, and its momentum was carrying it into the traffic on his side of the highway. Within the blink of an eye, it had rammed into a large SUV, pinning it against the guardrail lining the road to Killian’s right. But while that stopped the cab of the large truck, it was no match for the size and speed of the rotating trailer as it circled around to plow into a large bus with enough force to flip it onto its side.

With the slick roads providing a smooth surface, the fallen bus was sent into a skid, careening directly into the path of his car as well as the truck he was passing. With only a heartbeat of time to think, Killian wrenched the wheel hard to the left. What he hadn't anticipated was that the utility truck’s driver would stomp on his brakes. Unfortunately, the slick streets provided no resistance for the weight of the trailer, and when the bus hit the truck broadside, it angled the truck just enough for its trailer to catch the back bumper of Killian's Subaru. Killian’s car spun, flipping over and coming to rest on its passenger side, facing in the opposite direction. His breath stopped as he saw a utility pole break free from its confinement, barreling directly toward his front windshield.

~~~~~

Emma had been angled toward the back seat talking with Robin when she heard Killian’s yell. Surprised by the fear in his voice, she whipped her head back toward the front just in time to see the jackknifed truck hit the bus, sending the bus flying toward them. As Killian wrenched the wheel to the left, Emma’s head was thrown back against the seat and bracing her arm against the dash, she prepared for impact from the front, but when it came from the back, throwing her forward, a scream was ripped from deep inside her soul.

She was violently tossed around as the car simultaneously flipped and spun 180 degrees, causing the airbags to deploy and knocking her hand and arm into the side glass window so hard, they immediately went numb. The view when she opened her eyes felt like that of death as a large utility pole was hurtling their direction with nothing to save them. As another scream was torn from her throat, she covered her face with both hands just as the impact ripped through the car. With the sound of breaking glass in her ears and hundreds of shards of glass raining down over her, her body was tossed around until the pain became so intense, she welcomed the blackness.

~~~

Robin’s thoughts had been of Regina and contacting her again when he heard Killian’s yell, sending a sliver of fear racing up his spine. His head came up and as the bus skidded toward their car, he dropped his phone and grabbed onto the back of the seats in front of him. It was too late to put his seatbelt back on and as Killian jerked the wheel to the left, his hold on the seats loosened so that when the trailer hit them from the rear, he wasn’t prepared. He bounced off the roof, jarring his head before sliding down behind the passenger seat and crumpling against the window. In the few seconds when the car settled on its side, he had just started to move when there was a horrible crunch and something flew through the car, pinning his legs in place and sending pain shooting throughout his body. With screams reverberating in his head, he was pulled into unconsciousness.

~~~

The force with which Killian’s airbag deployed knocked the wind out of him but kept him from being crushed by the steering wheel. His head, however, hadn’t had that luxury and it bounced between the window and the headrest, instantly suffused with throbbing pain, causing him to see stars. The finality came when the utility pole crashed through the car bringing with it a shower of glass…and then he only knew agony and screams ringing inside his head.

He wasn’t sure how long it took for his pain to recede, but when it did, Killian experienced a feeling of peace unlike anything he had ever known. His body felt weightless and free as if he were floating on a giant cloud or riding on a gentle wave. Unwilling to open his eyes, he allowed himself to be carried along and listened carefully to the sounds around him. Sounds that triggered some sense of fear deep inside, that he wasn’t yet ready to acknowledge.

Slowly, he opened his eyes to see that the world had changed so significantly that he had to blink several times to assure himself that his vision was true. The color was gone and it was as though each picture that appeared in his brain had become a part of a slide show. Except now as he viewed the slide show, it wasn’t with the vibrancy and color of life, but the negative of it. His world was no longer colorful, but shades of gray.

He was carried along on the cloud in his pain-free place, able to see the carnage around him, discovering that his view was from above. Over one truck a man hovered for a brief second before disappearing from sight. A woman had risen above the bus and appeared to be waiting for someone to tell her where to go until she smiled such a beautiful smile that Killian felt his eyes tear up and a chill run through his body when she floated toward a man who was waiting. When no one was waiting for him, he had an instant feeling of regret but when he realized that going with them meant leaving Emma behind. That was not something he could do…ever.

As the destruction around him became too much to bear, he closed his eyes and absorbed the chaos around him, hearing the sounds of grief and pain as they competed with those of joy and happiness. A cacophony of noise bombarding his very essence until he could no longer stand to listen to it and looked for someplace to go to get away from them. Rubbing his hands through his hair, he covered his ears, and tried to shut out the noises that reminded him of a bloody jackhammer, but it was useless. He was powerless to stop them.

The racket went on and on until he wanted to scream STOP, and little by little the pain snuck in, but every time it did, he shied away. He could see firemen and other emergency personnel surrounding his vehicle, working open the door of his car. His body could be seen suspended from where he had been tossed during the crash, now being held in place by the seatbelt. The large pole separated him from where Emma and Robin had been sitting, preventing them from bringing either to safety. He needed to help, but control of his own body no longer belonged to him.

When his body was removed from the destroyed vehicle, he could see blood on his face, head and legs, but feeling no pain, he couldn’t tell the extent of his injuries. He was placed on a stretcher, fitted with a brace around his neck and buckled securely on the bed preventing any movement, giving him some indication that his injuries were not as simple as those he’d had as a young lad many years ago.

As Killian watched them work, he didn’t know what happened but the pace with which they were working increased tenfold and suddenly one of the paramedics yelled to the others, "We're losing him…start CPR, NOW!” and then climbed on the gurney to rhythmically push on his chest. The other paramedic yelled, “Where’s the defibrillator?“ before he too stepped in to help.

As two of the men worked over his body, two others climbed down into the opening they had created, and with the help of several others outside the car, began to remove the large pole. Killian willed them to hurry, needing to see Emma and know that she was okay. As the pole slowly started to move he could see her slumped against her door. His normally exuberant Swan lay still…so still he couldn’t tell if she was alive or, god help him, already gone. They were moving too slowly and he needed to scream…………HURRY……………. until finally…they moved and when he looked in her direction, expecting to see her beautiful eyes and strong chin looking back at him, there was nothing but blood! Emma, he screamed over and over in his mind.

~fin

Read on and enjoy

#cs ff #captain swan ff #the promise #csau

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