#//i might have misread this but i hope not? whoops

[mechahero]

@outofthiisworld asked-🤔 THINKING FACE — what are some of your oc's quirks/mannerisms? oc details (accepting!)

Physically? It's stuff like tilting his head, fiddling with whatever he can get his hands on to keep them occupied, his eyes also move around the place a lot too because he usually can't stay entirely focused on one place and he's kind of used to doing that? He also kind of zones out a lot. It's not unusual to see him sitting, staring off into space. (He's usually fine though, don't worry.) His speech pattern is kind of odd, as well. At least, compared to "normal" people. So what sounds like a completely normal statement to him might sound unstructured and a bit longwinded to most people.

Additionally, if he eats a certain type of cookie and only this certain kind of cookie, he eats it with his pinkie out. He's not sure why. He's kind of always done that. And sometimes, very rarely in fact, he'll shudder. Just shudder. It's never because he's cold or internally, it's just something that happens to him. Again, he's not sure why because it's something that's always happened to him.

Internally, it's a little weird. He has to choose the soda bottle with the most bubbles he goes out of his way to avoid touching things that he thinks might feel gross and has to try not to hurl when he ends up thinking of the perceived sensation he thinks it might have anyway.

He likes the idea of filing his nails but hates the noise that comes with it, as its enough to have him shudder in disgust. Listening to music or videos does not help in the slightest, as he claims to be able to hear the nail file over them. He also sorts his pens by colors he likes and their importance, with glitter pens being sorted near the top and reserved for what he sees as very important documents or things to write. Stuff like that.

[cosmicjoke]

Heya again! What do you think the relationship between Levi and Annie would be post-war, realistically. The popular narrative seems to be that Levi wouldn't forgive Annie, and I can kind of understand that sentiment (AKA, Levi glaring at her while the rest of the 104th wave goodbye before going to stop the rumbling asjkdfjksdjf).

The thing is Levi will kill if necessary, but he won't enjoy it. It's just the way things are in his line of work. Because Levi thinks that all life is precious and important, he will try to conserve the most lives possible, especially those of the innocent. Meanwhile, Annie, by her own admission, didn't care for anyone's life, her own included, particularly because of the way she was raised. She also says that if she would do it all over again, she would if it meant seeing her father again (which means that she does see that life is important, or at least she noticed it was after her father begged her to come home, which suddenly gave her something to fight for, rather than just doing whatever someone told her to do for the sake of it but that's another topic).

Thinking to their first meeting, after Annie had slammed, crushed and otherwise thrown around Levi's comrades like yoyo's, of how Levi was standing on Annie's head, asking her if she had 'enjoyed it' when she was rampaging through the Scouts. I might be completely misremembering what he said, but I think the gist of it was trying to see if she had enjoyed killing other people for the sake of killing them (again, YOYO) or if there was some shred of humanity existed somewhere. I remember you said a bit back that he was even trying to find the humanity in Zeke in season 4, so maybe he was doing the same here.

Rocky introduction aside, it does seem that Annie, unlike Zeke, does change. The Annie of season 1 was bored and at the very least acted like she didn't care about anyone. That might have been part of why she had been so violent with the scouts. She might have been trying to turn it into a game and dehumanize them so that she'd stop seeing them as allies. It was already hard enough for her to kill Armin, so hard that she ultimately didn't. In season 4 on the other hand, she just breaks down, exclaiming that she doesn't want to fight them anymore and that she's so tired of them killing each other.

Haha, this started out as a "would Levi and Annie be friends" and ended up being an Annie deep dive, whoops. Anyway, circling back to the original point; with this attitude change in mind, I don't think it would be impossible for Levi and Annie to at the very least be civil, not that Levi wouldn't be civil around his ahemfavorite brat's girlfriend skjdfksdjfk, but if Annie changed her mindset, I think it would be easier for him to forgive her.

Not to mention he would no doubt keep in mind that they were two soldiers from separate sides doing what they thought was right. ALso Annie was a literal brainwashed child soldier, so that might make him more understanding. Unlike Zeke, who although also has a tragic backstory, stubbornly did not change his mind or attitude about life and it's sanctity.

Come to think of it, it's very interesting that Annie and Zeke had very similar if not the same ideologies about life, but Annie's perspective changed while Zeke just stayed stuck in his cage of nihlisim.

This went a little bit all over the place, and I'm not even sure it makes sense, skjdfksdfk. But anyway, do you think that Annie and Levi would come to a middle ground? Like I don't think they would be close but would they at least be civil around each other?

Hope you are having a beautiful day and God bless!

The thing people don't understand about Levi is that he's not a vengeful person. He never takes any action in the name of revenge. People make this mistake with him because of the situation with Zeke, and thinking Levi wanted to kill Zeke to "avenge" his comrades or to "avenge" Erwin, but that's a complete misreading of the actual motive behind Levi's desire to kill Zeke. Levi wanted to kill Zeke because it was the only way he could give meaning to the deaths of every soldier that died that day in Shinganshina, because they literally gave their lives so that Levi could take Zeke's.

If people would just understand this simple, objective truth about Levi, they could then apply it to Levi's attitude toward Annie, and understand why Levi didn't seek to hurt or kill Annie, despite what she'd done to his squad and all the other Scouts that day.

The other thing people don't get about Levi's character is that he'll often engage in idle threats. He's constantly threatening to do things that he has no, real intention of following through on. When he threatens to break Erwin's legs, for example, or when he threatens Pastor Nick with a gun, or when he threatens to get Zeke's grandparents killed for Zeke's betrayal of Marley, or the implied threat against Gabi and Falco if Zeke doesn't cooperate. Levi doesn't mean any of it. He's not a sadistic or cruel person on any level. And so, with that understanding in mind, one also will understand that the threats he made against Annie during the Female Titan arc were idle threats. It wasn't even because he was angry at her that he was threatening those things (though of course I'm certain he WAS very pissed and beyond disgusted at her cruelty), but what Levi was trying to do was prevent more casualties. He wanted Annie to come out of her Titan and surrender so that no more lives would be put in danger. Again, this is something people have to understand about Levi and the way he operates. Everything he does, other than attempting to support and realize the goals of the Survey Corps, is done with the intent of saving and protecting lives. Levi's threats unfortunately had the opposite effect of what he intended, because he didn't realize Annie had the power to call pure Titans to her, so the whole thing backfired and she escaped.

Anyway, all this is to say that I highly doubt Levi will have held any, true hatred for Annie, despite everything. He would have understood why she did what she did. Remember, Levi also was the only one to see Annie shed tears while in her Titan form. So he knew from that that she wasn't some remorseless, sociopathic killer. The reason Levi hates Zeke so much is because Zeke really is remorseless, and even tries to frame his cruelty and murderous actions as a "mercy" he's enacting upon others. But Annie never spouted those kinds of delusions or excuses for her behavior. Levi keeps questioning Zeke because he wants to find out if he really took pleasure in and felt no guilt over the things he'd done, because then he would know at least that Zeke had some humanity in him. But Zeke just kept lying to him and refused to engage with Levi in any, meaningful way, which told Levi that Zeke really didn't give a shit about the people he'd hurt and killed. Annie, I think, always knew that what she was doing was wrong, and she felt intense guilt over it, despite claiming not to care. It's why, in the end, she's able to do the right thing and join the alliance in the final battle. She wanted to make amends. The same as Reiner.

So, basically, while I don't think Levi and Annie would likely ever be friends, just because they're very different, with Levi being such a selfless and kind person, and Annie definitely leaning toward a more selfish and detached personality, (than again, Levi has been friends with plenty of people who were very different from himself, so maybe he would) I don't think Levi holds any resentment or hatred toward her, either. I think he understands her and forgives her. And that's the other thing about Levi that people really don't seem to get, is that he's the least judgmental character in "AoT". He never tries to dictate to anyone, or tell them what's wrong or right. He lets them choose that for themselves, just like he lets people choose for themselves what course they'll take. Levi isn't interested in moralizing to others, or controlling them in any way. He isn't interested in making them feel bad or guilty about things, especially when they're things done for understandable, human reasons, like having an emotional attachment of some kind. So while he certainly wouldn't relate to Annie's willingness to do it all over again just to see her Dad, he would still understand it from a human perspective. That's what comes of being the most empathetic and really most emotionally intelligent character in the series, too. Levi will always understand you, as long as you're willing to be honest with him about it and as long as you don't demonstrate genuinely sadistic tendencies, i.e. taking actual pleasure in the suffering of others.

[slightlyconceited]

@pandaameii

After their date to the Halloween masquerade ball, Slightly had become more sure than ever that how much he liked Mei outweighed any fear he had of rejection. Of course the fear was still there, the ever-present anxiety thrumming through his veins of what if I’m not enough and what if she doesn’t want me, but the chance that Mei might return his feelings was well worth the risk that she didn’t. And if she didn’t, if he made a huge miscalculation and poured his heart out for her without reciprocation, at least he would still have her as a friend. Even if it would be awkward, for a while, to know he had a massive crush on her when she didn’t feel the same, he was confident Mei wouldn’t let it ruin their friendship in the long run—if there was anything he knew about her in the time they’d gotten close, it was how much she valued her friends. Still, he hoped for the outcome that would make them more than friends. He really, really hoped he hadn’t misread things.

Slightly had spent the past few months testing the waters and trying to figure out if Mei was feeling the same spark he was, and their date to the dance had him almost certain, but he knew there was always room to be proven wrong. He just had to take the chance anyway. He would have confessed and asked her out that very night, but after her biggest secret being revealed unintentionally, he was trying not to say or do anything that would disturb her calm for the rest of the night. Plus, he wanted to finish the song he’d been inspired to write for her that night—with the assistance of one fellow blonde musician. Said musician was a surprise guest for his show tonight, being planned to come on and perform with him at the end of the set, when he introduced a couple of new, unreleased songs to the audience. He spoke to the crowd, but his eyes were on a redhead in the wings.

“So there’s this girl…” He paused for the burst of whoops and hollers to die down, a smile spreading on his face. “She was singing one of my songs when we met, dancing in public and everything. She was so embarrassed that I saw her—she had no idea how cute it was. How cute she is! She’s the most adorable person I’ve ever met, I mean in every way. Everything about her…She's sweet and funny, too, and so smart. You know, the only problem is that I think she’s an even bigger fan of this one boy-band than my music? Well, I just can’t live with that. So this one isn’t my usual style, but I tried to write her a new favorite song...” The musical intro started up as he finished talking. “And it’s about her. Here’s the New Classic.”

The crowd screamed again for the obvious connection to his hit song Classic, and he began to sing. They went wild again as Bubbles of The Powerpuff Girls joined him onstage to perform the duet, but he made it clear after acknowledging her presence with a friendly nod and smile that his own performance was entirely dedicated to the girl backstage. Bubbles could entertain the audience while he pointed at Mei and sang You’re the new classic, and while he ran into the wings as soon as the number ended. He stopped in front of Mei, almost vibrating in anticipation as he blurted, “Mei, I really like you! I wanna date you. You don’t have to answer me if you don’t feel that way, but I just wanted to show you in the best way I know how, 'cause you really do inspire me—not just musically, but in other ways too. And I just wanted you to know, if you didn’t already, how special you are.”

[i-am-nickelbolt]

The Brothers' War Bronze to Mythic, draft #5!

Whenever I do poorly in a draft on Arena, I always get this thought like, "Whelp, that's it for me, I'm never going to win a game again and all my gold and gems will disappear." And I know that's silly, I have a 64% win rating in limited since I started using 17lands a few years back. I am a good drafter and I will win again.

Pack 1, pick 1 Phyrexian Dragon Engine. The wheel for this pack is going to be bad. Pick 2 Hajar, Loyal Bodyguard over Corrupt, Blanchwood Prowler, and Wing Commando. Double R on the dragon unearth put me off Corrupt, but maybe that was just wrong. It seems like I've always been able to get an Elsewhere Flask. Pick 3 Scatter Ray over Hulking Metamorph, Wing Commando, and Deadly Riposte. Pick 4 Combat Courier over Yotian Tactician, Overwhelming Remorse, and Prison Sentence. I ran out of time on this pick. Pick 5 Giant Cindermaw, which felt like a signal that red might be open but there just weren't any good red cards. Pick 6 Scrapwork Mutt over Scatter Ray. Pick 7 Scrapwork Rager over Elsewhere Flask, which was a last second choice. Pick 8 Gaea's Gift over nothing. Pick 9 Branchwood Prowler wheeled, which I did not expect. Also got a Giant Growth and an Argothian Sprite, which kind of pulled me back towards green-red.

Pack 2 all of the green cards wheeled, but other than the Skyfisher Spider, it was a pretty mediocre pack overall. Pack 3 went really well, with multiple burn spells, the Arbalest Engineers... I did punt on a Blitz Automaton, which i didn't see in the pack, but I would have liked the option of a nice 7 drop, and with all my combat tricks, a hasty 3/2 would have been fine too.

I originally thought my deck was great, but the more I looked at it, the more I felt like it was just a bunch of mediocre creatures, especially at 3 and 4. I also just thought Fallaji Chaindancer had double strike naturally. Whoops.

My first loss was to Urza, Prince of Kroog. I couldn't for the life of me draw a removal spell. That said, I was really not impressed with what else was going on in their deck, it was just they had uncontested Urza and I couldn't break through.

My second loss was to GW. Their draw lined up pretty well against mine. I think I might be underrating Warlord's Elite. It seemed more like filler and I think it's maybe a C+? At least it seems like it's always been good against me. I guess I don't see the games where it rots in their hand when they can't cast it early. Anyway, I think I messed up a block late in the game and they topdecked me when we were at parity. I was 2-2 at this point and really feeling the mediocre creatures.

I should also point out that I misread Phyrexian Dragon Engine. I forgot entirely about the Unearth trigger. I was trying to go for a Giant Growth shot for 10, but the game didn't let me respond to it's etb. So I had to decline and they had a removal spell. Disaster! I still won that game though.

My other loss was to a "mirror," where we traded off all game, except they had Ironclaw Crusher, which notably has 6 toughness, with Audacity, and I only had 5 power with which to block. I died with two Unleash Shells in my hand that I couldn't even cast because I drew the maindeck Swamp I played instead of the Mountain it would have been had I not splashed.

5-3 was okay with this deck. I seemed to be in the "Bant colors" bracket, and I was really hoping the Argothian Sprites would be unblockable more often. I saw zero black cards in 8 games, and the red cards I saw out of the two blue-red decks I played were not impressive.

[raven-at-the-writing-desk]

This headcanon request is for the Pyroxene Trio and the Leech Twins caring for an S/O who is weak to cold weather 🌨 I hope you are handling the chilly season well Raven ❄️

My feathers are freezing...

HAHA WHOOPS I MISREAD PYROXENE AS POMEFIORE... Y-You can read the Jack headcanons for this prompt here. Cater’s can be found here! I apologize for the mix-up!

Curiouser and Curiouser...

First thing’s first, Vil will make sure you’re all bundled up! He has a keen eye for fashion, so he’ll help you find something that suits your tastes and keeps you warm (without adding so many layers that it gives the illusion that you’re all puffed up like a marshmallow).

Vil’s all for accessories; adding a scarf and earmuffs to your ensemble ties your outfit together while covering up spots that would otherwise be exposed to the cold. He actually wears a scarf and earmuffs just like yours--so you match!

When you’re visiting Vil in Pomefiore, you often find yourself still shivering--which leads to him lending you spare sweaters and jackets. You tend to accidentally leave while still wearing his clothes (they’re just so cozy!), but hey! That just means you have another excuse to meet up with your boyfriend again soon, right?

He doesn’t want your poor skin getting dry, cracking, and bleeding from harsh windchill, so he brews up custom-made lotion and lip balm for you to use. How will he know you’ve been consistently applying them? Simple--he’ll hold your hands and kiss you himself to see how soft they are~

Rook suggests exercising to work up a sweat and to chase off the cold! He’ll even join you for your winter activity of choice! How about a snowball fight, ice skating, or snow shoeing? Just be careful to not run, or you might trip and fall (though he’d be more than happy to help you back up)!

If your fingers are frozen, leave it to Rook to warm them up for you! He’ll lovingly grasp your hands in his and bring them to his lips to thaw them with gentle kisses and puffs of his breath.

He’s not a master chef by any means, but he tries to whip up simple comforting campfire recipes for you, be it a rich stew of wild game and winter roots or ooey gooey s’mores! Rook watches you eat with a dream look on his face, chuckling when you get strings of marshmallow or traces of chocolate on your fingers.

Rook finds every excuse under the sun to cuddle with you! He’s a big proponent of keeping warm by sharing body warmth, so he’s pretty much always hugging or snuggling you! It’s strange, but it seems like even his lips are hot--you swear that you skin singes when he peppers kisses all over your face.

Epel has lots of blankets, and he’d be more than happy to share. Each of them has a story to tell (this quilt was hand stitched by his ma, this one was passed down from his grandparents, and this one is a frost blanket for apple trees!). He points to each one in turn and fondly recalls memories attached to each.

You’ll nestle under the comforters together and whisper to each other all about the various holiday traditions and mishaps you’ve had. You have his undivided attention--and, seeing him up close like this, you can really appreciate just how pretty he is. His large eyes sparkle and his cheeks flush with fondness as he listens to you recount a tale.

He’ll prepare a mug of hot apple cider for you, spiced to perfection with some cinnamon and nutmeg. It feels nice going down, and warms you up from the inside out.

Once your mug is drained, your eyelids start to feel heavy--and so do Epel’s. He murmurs sweet nothings to you as you both slowly drift off to sleep, heads resting against one another.

Jade’s quite resilient to the cold, so if he notices that you’re having a hard time enduring the weather, he has no qualms with offering you his blazer. If you’re in a private setting, he doesn’t mind lending you his other articles of clothing either--why, you just look so cute in his oversized jacket, fufufu.

He’ll also keep an arm around your shoulder and keep you close to him at all times! Not only does it keep you warm, but he gets to view your flustered expression all the while.

It’s in Jade’s nature to constantly tease you, but when winter rolls around, you’re almost thankful that for his playful flirtations. Your face just heats up whenever he leans into your ear to whisper something, or he teases you about how darling you look--and that pretty much keeps you warm for a good few hours.

What would you care to drink? Tea, coffee, hot chocolate, soup... Jade can prepare the warm beverage of your choice, and exactly to your tastes. If you’d like, he can serve it with a plate of freshly made cookies as well, each one iced and festive.

Like his twin, Floyd’s not all that bothered by the cold weather. He just strolls with you to class without so much as a light coat on. Of course, he takes notice of your small, shivering figure right away and asks you what’s wrong. (The first few times this happened, Floyd tried to help by draping himself on you--and while that did keep you warm, it also just made it hard to walk!)

Since then, he has cycled through a variety of different methods, including grabbing you and sprinting toward the nearest school building as fast as he can, and stripping off his blazer and setting it on fire. Rarely do these ever work, but they certainly get your adrenaline pumping and your cheeks flushed from laughter.

He’ll make you something nice to keep you warm! ... And by “something nice”, I mean Floyd will hand you a cup of warm milk and ask you to guess what weird syrup flavors he mixed into it! Some days, you get lucky with standard strawberry or chocolate, but other times he’ll stuff mint, butterscotch, raspberry, and licorice in all at once!

Of course, Floyd will give you lots and lots of hugs, both in public and in private, to keep you warm! He doesn’t really care who sees (better that the other fish understand what’s his now rather than later)--in fact, if other people are staring, it makes him just wanna cuddle you harder and nuzzle his cheek against yours!

[nat-stimmy]

whats an mspec gay/sesbian?

someone who is both mspec (bi/pan/ply/omni/etc) and gay / lesbian! the specifics are different for everyone who identifies with the label, but here's a few reasons i've seen note - i use bi as a stand-in for mspec because i misread this ask at first (i misread 'mspec' as 'bi', whoops) , but just replace 'bi' with any mspec identity and it's the same deal (bc pan people Can and sometimes Do have gender preferences) - they use the Split Attraction Model and are bisexual homoromantic, or biromantic homosexual - they're bi with a strong preference to the same gender, and as a result identify with both 'bi' and 'gay/lesbian' - they're objectumspec / ficto (or another similar orientation) and attracted to objects / fictional characters that identify outside of the scope that they're attracted to in humans, (worded another way, they are both bi (for objects / fictional characters) and gay / lesbian (for real tangible humans) if you're having trouble understanding this (i dont. explain things well and im tired so i Understand), think of it like another version of the Split Attraction Model, where one orientation is for objects / fictional characters, and another is for real-life people. - they are attracted to both binary men and nonbinary people (bi gay) or they are attracted to both binary women and nonbinary people (bi lesbian) of course there's most likely other reasons someone might identify as a bi gay / bi lesbian person, identity is a very personal thing and so i couldn't possibly list Every Reason, but i hope this clears some things up!

[deathonyourtongue]

Resurrection | 10

Summary: A ragtag team of Spec-Ops operators are brought out of retirement for all the wrong reasons. When the dust settles, only the best will be left standing. Pairing: Pablo Schreiber x OFC, Henry Cavill x OFC (listen, she gets with the whole team, okay? Don’t lie, you would too.) Word Count: 2.6K Warnings: Nothing much really. A/N: The one you’ve all been waiting for! 😈

As the unofficial dad of the team, none of us are surprised when Rick floats the tab not only for dinner, but for the strip club afterwards. 

“You gonna give us money for working girls too, pops?” Dom jokes as he shuffles past, collecting the money Rick’s doling out and patting his shoulder gratefully as he does so. It’s the same with the rest of the team, each of us getting enough money for two lap dances if we choose to, although I have a feeling we’ll end up pooling our funds towards the end of the night for a group dance. 

We’re good and liquored up by the time we make it through the doors of Prowler, the bass of the music reverberating through our chest as we file into the VIP area, two bottles of champagne there to greet us. Sitting between Max and Jake, it’s not long before I have a glass in my hand, raising it to toast a reunion none of us imagined possible. 

“To the walking dead. If you two fuckers ever go off on your own again, I’ll personally drag you back and kill you both. Love you guys.” Rick grins as our glasses clink, all of us nodding our agreement.

Before long, I feel a head slump on my shoulder, and looking down, find Jake, eyes at half mast. The realization that this is the first time he’s probably been able to relax since everything happened is a sobering thought, and in that moment, I want nothing more than to drag both he and Benji back to our safehouse and curl up with them until they both get as much sleep as they deserve. Logically, I know this is the only respite we’ll get until Wallace is in the ground, but it doesn’t stop me from wishing for more. 

“You should get up there and show Lil’ Miss Daddy Issues how it’s really done,” Jake grins, giving me a wink to make sure I know he’s kidding.

“As tempting as that is, I feel like my time’s come and gone,” I laugh, shaking my head and earning a raised eyebrow from Max. 

“I’m sorry, I thought I heard you disparage yourself, love,” Max comments during a lull between songs, one hand scratching at his short hair before he gently strokes a lock of mine behind my ear.

“It’s the truth. I’m not built the same way I used to be. And I’m definitely not as flexible.” Giving him an appreciative smile, I stroke his cheek in much the same way I had Jake’s, though Max nuzzles into my touch far more. 

“Bet Max is dying to find out just how flexible you are.” Jake smirks, earning a light swat from me just as one of the girls comes around, offering herself up for a lap dance. 

“If he wants to, it’s his,” I grin at Jake as I hold up my night’s allowance, figuring if I can’t beat ‘em, I may as well join ‘em. 

Both Jake and Max’s eyebrows go up as I shift in my seat, making room for the dancer to grind in my lap. As the music thumps through the nearby speakers, the redhead slowly takes off her top, giving all the boys a front row seat. 

Discreetly watching their reactions, it’s easy for me to spot the fact that out of all the boys, Max is the only one who seems ill at ease with the situation. It confuses me, because a few weeks prior, he was in the same position I’m in, and was only bothered when I took the girl away in favor of dragging him along on this mission. Although I’ll be the first to admit that his behavior’s changed in the last little while, this feels like another level, even for Max; like a breaking point.

Before I can even determine what to do, Jake flashes a $100 at the dancer and pats his lap, giveing me a kid-in-the-candy-store grin. Shaking my head, I’m about to say something, when I feel a tug on my hand. Looking to my left, I find Max standing and motioning his chin towards the exit, looking for all the world like this is the last place he wants to be. 

I shoot a quick look back to the rest of the team, doing my best not to laugh as I find them entranced by three different girls, all of them vying for the attention of men who aren’t over 60 and actually know how to dress. Satisfied that they’re all occupied, I let Max pull me under his arm as we step outside, the comparative silence of London at night one that makes me instinctively shake my head to clear it. 

“Where we going?” I smirk, my voice a little sing-songy as Max looks both ways before jaywalking us towards the direction of the safehouse.

“Home,” he smiles, tucking me back in. Although the stroll through the more historic part of town is a nice change of scenery, there’s no missing the fact that both Max and I are keeping our heads on a swivel, both of us keenly aware of everything that’s led us here. 

Scanning our thumbs to get into the safehouse, I only manage to get my heels off before I feel Max pull me close, our lips colliding gently. 

“Hey,” I murmur once we both pull back for air, my hands cupping his bearded face and forcing his gaze to lock with mine. “Are you sure? Or did I misread and you’re just planning another movie night?” I ask softly, not wanting Max to go any further than he feels comfortable with.

“If yesterday taught me anything, it’s that we don’t often get second chances, and that I may very well have been wasting what could be my only shot. That, and well...I love you, Carmen.”

I must recoil a bit, because a look of disappointment crosses Max’s face. 

“Max,” I start, holding onto his face with just a bit more firmness, not wanting him to assume the worst. “In our line of work--”

“I know all about the superstitions and the old wives’ tales, Carmen. I just...After this I’m out, and I hope you are too. I want to enjoy what’s left of our lives, you know? Don’t want to keep looking over my shoulder forever.” 

“I was out until this happened, so I understand, but Max..Me? Really?”

The tension leaves his face in lieu of a relieved and joy-filled smile, Max pulling me close and kissing me deeply. I sink into his arms, his mouth moving against mine without hurry as he walks us back towards my room. 

I kick the door closed, hearing the woosh of the automatic lock behind us at the same time that Max’s calves hit the bed frame. Smirking, I push him back, enjoying the confusion on his face.

“I’m not exactly Mrs. Robinson, but I just might be trying to seduce you,” I joke, lifting one leg onto the chair across from the bed and slowly pushing down one of the thigh highs I’m wearing while simultaneously putting on some music, hellbent on making his first time as memorable as possible.

I watch Max sit up, his eyes roving over my body as he leans back on his elbows. Never has a man looked at me with more hunger and more love, and I know that tonight will either end quickly, or cause us both to walk into tomorrow’s meeting a little sleep-deprived; I’m hoping for the second option. 

Though I have as many questions as I’m sure all the guys do when it comes to Max and his situation, I put them aside, focusing instead on being present and reading his body language for any sign of anxiety. Swaying my hips in time with the music, I come close enough for him to reach, only to pull away just before he can, sticking my tongue out teasingly as I slowly strip for him. 

I make sure to face him when I drop my bra, not missing the tent in his slacks or the adoring look in his eyes. Max sits up further when I straddle his thighs, his hand slipping up my back as his lips find my breasts on instinct. I let my eyes close as he takes his fill, grinding against him without shame, learning how his body responds to mine. 

Blindly, I push Max’s jacket off his broad shoulders, my fingers finding the buttons on his shirt soon after, a soft inhale escaping me when I feel his teeth gently nip in just the right spot. Raking my hand through his curls, I pull back just enough to admire a body I know he’s worked hard for. 

Max uses my distractedness to his advantage, flipping us around so that my back is against the mattress. I let out a whoop of surprise, laughing softly as I watch him practically tear his clothes off, leaving only his black boxer briefs on, the thin fabric leaving little to the imagination. If the bulge is any indication, he’s big, and I’ve got my work cut out for me. 

I motion for him to come back to me with both hands, and he obliges with a big grin, kissing his way up my body even as he pulls off what’s left of my clothes, leaving only my g-string intact. Neither of us hesitate as we eachother’s lips once more, Max cupping my breasts while I let my hand slip over his bulge, feeling a tingle go through me when he responds with a shiver and a thrust closer. 

Pushing him back so that he’s sitting on his heels, I let my gaze flit between the waist of his briefs and his own blue orbs as I slowly pull down the material. His cock springs out, hard as marble and my eyes go wide, having expected the length, but not the girth that comes with it.

“Suddenly, your call sign makes so much more sense,” I shake my head with a smirk, waiting for Max to tug his briefs the rest of the way off before I take hold of his hips. Eyes meeting his again, I kiss through the thick thatch of hair that leads from his belly button to his base, feeling the jolt of anticipation go through him.

Max cards a hand through my hair as I lick my way up to his tip, a soft sound of enjoyment leaving my lips as I collect the precum drooling from his slit. I can’t help my smile when Max inhales sharply, the reaction making it clear that he’s been honest about never being with anyone. 

Holding onto his muscular thigh with one hand, my other gently cups his sac, rolling gently as my lips seal around his shaft. Max’s breathing increases as every lick and suck brings a new feeling he’s never experienced before. 

“Oh fuck!” He pants out, gripping my hair a little tighter as I take him all the way down, swallowing around his head before pulling back with a gasp of my own. I can’t help but moan as I lick down his shaft once more, popping his balls in my mouth to further tease him. 

I can feel Max get close as his muscles contract, and with one last lick to his tip, I lay back, waiting to see what he’ll do. Max doesn’t hesitate, nearly diving between my legs, eyes wide with need. His enthusiasm earns a giggle from me, one that’s quickly silenced as he kisses over the sheer material of my g-string. Sitting up, I stroke my fingers through his curls, appreciating how good his mouth feels against my most sensitive area. 

A soft moan escapes me when Max pulls the thin fabric aside and lets his tongue slip through my folds, the feeling reminding me of our deeper kisses and causing the same weightless sensation he’s so good at making me feel when we’re cuddled in bed. I lay back, putty in his hands as he lifts my legs over his shoulders, taking off my final piece of clothing as he does. 

“Darling?” Max’s voice is hoarse but gentle, the question in his tone equal parts uncertain and hopeful. 

“Bare, babe. Want to feel nothing but you inside me,” I answer, having already felt the swollen head of his cock brushing against my entrance; it’s one of the most arousing sensations I’ve experienced in a long time. 

With a kiss to my calf, Max pushes his hips forward, groaning softly when he slides in with ease. I can’t help but reach up and cup his face, smiling as I experience the moment with him. Knowing how long he’s waited, I don’t take it lightly, honored to be his first. 

“Feels so good inside you,” he whispers, eyes still wide, as though any minute he’ll wake from his dream. 

Biting my lower lip, I can’t help but roll my hips, grinning ear to ear when my movement elicits a choked noise and a look of utter bliss. The growl Max gives me sobers any laughter, and before I can even open my mouth to squeal, his body is covering mine and his hips are rutting. 

My mouth falls open in utter shock as Max cocoons my body in his arms, his lips searing every inch of skin he can find, while his thrusts push me up the bed an inch at a time. I can almost see stars at the crown of Max’s head as he brings me up so that I’m nearly seated on his thighs, his cock going even deeper and making the breath catch in my throat. 

His lips find mine for a torrid kiss, Max’s pace picking up as he shifts the angle once more, making me moan loudly as his hips grind into my clit while his cock sweeps my g-spot relentlessly. There’s no doubt that Max’s need is primal, born from years of waiting for this very moment. Our gazes meet and I can’t stop myself from cupping his face, seeing beyond the lust to the depth of his feelings beneath and knowing that after tonight, nothing will be the same. 

Max comes with a cry of my name, and I follow suit, gasping and jolting my hips, having never experienced an orgasm as intense as the one he’s given me. By the time he rolls us to our sides, our bodies still connected, tears are streaming down my face. 

Everyone’s heard about the elusive orgasm so good it makes you cry, but I never thought it was true; until now.

“What’s wrong, love? Did I hurt you?” Max’s voice holds a razor’s edge of panic, and though I manage to shake my head and smile, the tears won’t stop.

“I j-just...I’ve never...Y-you love me?” I stammer out nonsensically, burying my face in Max’s chest as I feel his arms tighten around me.

“Yes, darling, I love you. I’ve loved you for a very, very long time. I’ve just been too chicken shit to do anything about it until recently. I love you with all my heart and I’m not sure I’ll be able to spend another day without you.”

I look up as Max brushes my hair off my face, finding his gaze filled with the same tenderness, love and devotion that I’ve seen in his blue orbs time and time again over the years. My face finds his chest as the sobs come once more, Max chuckling softly as he holds me close.

[fotiathymos]

do you have trans hcs for any other characters in promare? :0

I do! under cut cause im a TALKER whoops.

uhhh trigger warning that i do talk a bit about transphobia and unsupportive family.

I realize in my last post I didn’t mention it but Gueira and Meis aren’t cis! 

Gueira was born intersex and doesn’t agree to calling himself cis or trans. He is proud to be intersex. (do know this is a fictional character and not all real life people who are intersex agree or disagree with calling themselves cis or trans.)

Gueira uses he/him pronouns but doesn’t strictly dress masculine. Really just a comfy clothes wearer. 

Meis is trans genderfluid. Mostly uses they/them pronouns and has girl days or boy days sometimes where they can be more okay with she/her or he/him. Just leans into a mix usually. Actually doesn’t like being called Gueira’s boyfriend and rather ‘partner’. Gueira says it like a cowboy usually to make Meis giggle.

I do enjoy Ignis being an trans elder. (He is like 55 in my mind not 40 as i think canon states?) Ignis knew Galo was trans upon entering the job but of course did not out Galo to everyone. Galo isn’t secretive about being trans though. When Galo finds out Ignis is trans he cries happy tears and hugs him, making Ignis just a lil uncomfortable but not rejecting the hug.. hes got a reputation Galo.

I always had it in my head that Galo joined Burning Rescue and challenged all their thoughts on gender and etc. Considering they all grew up in a strict propaganda filled city some of them mightve just heard of terms but not thought about it too hard for..reasons. But then Galo comes into the work place being the ‘queer kid’ and wouldn’t take any bullshit. He grew up mostly by themself, discovered things on his own and does still feel that outward pressure to conform (esp with Kray, Galo is the most ‘passing as cis’ as he can be around Kray most times). So I thought mostly about everyone in BR were cis, not all of them straight but cis...bbuuutttt

Galo makes everyone question their thoughts on gender cause Galo is so open about his own and loves helping others. Galo does ‘mask’ themself sometimes and at first joining didn’t go full blown open. But one day Lucia needs a tampon and Galo had one in his bag and Lucia is like ‘um what?’ Galo goes casual and just ‘oh yeah.. i don’t need them anymore but its become habit to carry it around yaknow and you never know when it could come in handy!’

Lucia is the first to question if its okay to be non-binary lesbian, like maybe shes not entirely strictly ‘girl’. She’s loud and proud about being gay, lesbian flag above her desk, talks bout going to lesbian bars and wanting to just hold a girls hand. So she’s the first to feel okay enough to question herself gender wise.

Varys is that guy you might know in life who is just chill about everything. Galo comes out to Varys casually one day and Varys doesn’t linger on it at all. “Trans? Hell yeah! We still going out for bbq? Double hell yeah!” But he’s also a guy you never know whats going on in their head. He just remembers weirdly specific things you say sometimes and comes back at you with them later. Galo mentioned briefly that sunflowers remind him of his mother. Varys mails Galo sunflowers when Galo takes the day off on his mothers bday. Varys also randomly texts Galo ‘hey you know how youre trans, can i be like not always a man?’ 

Remi............................reMI UH. Remi is weird in my head. I feel hes that guy who just makes everything into a TMI or sex joke or just awkwardly flirts with everyone he becomes friendly with. Like just pushes the boundaries cause he thinks were friends now i can do this, without realizing hes over stepped them. That guy who thinks just cause your his friend now we can talk about sex casually. Hes quick to apologize when told off but still. I’m horrible I feel like Remi is that guy who’d consider him getting pegged by his girlfriend means he’s in with the lgbt crowd. He’s cis and comfortable with that and is confused by non-binary identities but won’t insult his coworkers and respect them. Eventually he’ll learn that just cause you are over 18 now, not everything in the world is related to sex. Idk if that made sense or if I threw him under the die-cis-scum buss too hard.

AND THEN THERE IS AINA.

Who... I adore. And even my head canons for her contrast and complement Galo like her story/character in the movie. So....shes trans.

We don’t get info about her family life but I’m assuming her sister raised her by herself and the parents weren’t in the picture. Aina came out to her sister right out of high school. Heris was starting college and working to provide for her and Aina. She flipped out on her and her words were ‘i dont care if youre a girl or a boy but those hormones can be pricey we dont have insurance you cant get surgery your too young, etc etc’ Unsupported in misreading the situation as an inconvenience to money and life and not the actuality of Aina just being herself and wanting to be honest about it. 

Aina gets ignored as her sisters career and life revolves around a sudden job with the Foundation. But Heris has money now. And is “supportive” in giving Aina money. Pays for her HRT, doctor visits, therapy, and then eventually training to be in Burning Rescue. And Heris is adamant that Aina never, EVER tells anyone she’s trans. Sweeps up any possible info about that under the rug. Doesn’t want to be looked at with a bad eye from Foresight. What Heris feels is a safety measure for her family is what Aina sees as shame. Kinda reflecting how Heris in the movie sees that shes doing ‘all this for you, Aina’ only for it to be cruel and harmful directly to Aina.

Aina doesn’t know what drew her to Galo. He’s cute and nice and friendly. Maybe it’s a crush? He understands me and no one ever did. He respects me for me. “Youre you Aina and theres nothing wrong with that.” (I forget the exact quote) The words play in her head for the longest time. She never came out to Burning Rescue for fear, cause Heris said not to, cause its ‘inconvenient’. And suddenly Galo is loud and proud about being trans??? Should she be too?? 

Eventually she confides in Galo. Probably after the Parnassus events. She realizes she doesn’t have a crush and was just not use to someone being nice to her and accepting her. She eventually tells the rest of Burning Rescue. Finds out Ignis knew all along due to paperwork but just once again, Captain isn’t gonna out his team member. 

And then finally during a late night movie sleepover. Galo’s like ‘you know we should hang the trans and non binary flag on the front of the station.’ Lucia goes ‘YEAH a big FUCK YOU to the Foundations normies!!!!’ Aina says ‘we should really run that past Captain first...’ Finally Ignis walks in, tilts down his sunglasses and says ‘I planned for this’ and unveils a flag that just says ‘fight the cis-tem’ and Galo and Lucia SCREAM. Only Galo knew Ignis was trans til that point..

I made a STORY damn.

I hope that wasn’t... too much... thank for reading.... ;u;/

[bi-lesbian]

(on whether you're rude) I'm not the same anon but I do know that some people interpret emphasis on words as being condescending or angry, like circling a sentence instead of letting someone read through. Using italics or Capitalizing Certain Words might have been interpreted as that by the other anon. That's not to say that it's bad to do this, however - it's just something that certain people see differently. You were not in the wrong.

oh ! i forgot to respond to this earlier whoops-

and yeah i was thinking "maybe there was some miscommunication" (i misword what i meant, or they misread my words, etc) at first, but with How hostile they were i. dont really figure thatd be the case jksjf

though i didnt know doing that could come across condescending/angry/rude to some :Oo i just have like. Really Particular Ways of saying things in my head sometimes, and i like to try to enunciate exactly how im thinking it to really get down how im wanting to say things. and also i myself tend to find text that has like, Sometimes Different Things In The Text to make it like ~fancy~ or stand out more just generally kinda easier to read? it feels like it gives more variance to my inner voice to make it sound more like how someone talks instead of like a flat reading tone. or something. idk ! im not sure how to really explain it that well but its just Generally why i tend to do that kinda stuff sometimes. hope that makes sense !

[bigskydreaming]

Thank you again and still for all the help and support! I really truly can not imagine making it through the past couple days without it, considering I spent most of it awake and in the bathroom puking from the constant migraines that come with your head not being happy about its bones not being in the right place. Stress aggravates them, or at least my awareness of them, and because of how little work there is currently and how expensive being broke and disabled in LA is, let’s just say, there’s been stress, lol.

I’m feeling a bit better today, or at least I’m making myself pretend that and act like that since I’ve got another appointment at that clinic where I get my juicy and tasty IV bags of nutrients pumped into me since I barely even CAN eat, physically, which combined with the lack of sleep and the nausea, like, also not a great combination.

So, I mean it when I say your donations and support have absolutely been invaluable, everything from a couple dollars to an anonymous message, like, its all amazing and appreciated and invaluable. Yeah. I already said that, whoops, anyway, BUT I DIGRESS.

That’s about all of an update I have there, lol, so in other news, I should be around more today since like I said, I’m feeling a bit better and have possibly plateau-ed on this latest pain level. (My super-annoying superpower....ever since I was a kid I’ve been able to adapt to increases in pain like a pro. As in, being able to manage/function despite it. Course, I still feel it, but give me a day or two to adjust to a new norm in how much my body hates me currently, and then I can power through).

So, like I said, I should be around more today, and I’ll probably be random as hell. Like I’ve mentioned before, my blog is where I spew literally everything from inane thoughts to fandom feels, since its like.....my only social outlet these past couple years and the only way I get to interact with people who aren’t doctors. Expect no pattern in topics until I find whatever sticks and keeps me focused on it enough to serve as a distraction from, y’know, the broke body and broke bank account.

SO! Absolutely feel free to hit me up about anything and everything. ESPECIALLY if you’ve made a donation or sent me something. Like, I know some people who have sent money don’t even follow me or know me at all and are just generous spirits who saw my post somewhere, but for any of you who have sent any kind of support just cuz you like, like me and my rambles, lol, totally feel free to drop into my messages even on anon and say what kind of posts or content from me you really engage with and would love to see more of. I can’t make any promises or guarantees, unfortunately, given I didn’t expect or plan on crashing so hard these last couple days, bleh, and just....literally, like, writing more of the kind of stuff or posts people who have helped me stay alive is pretty much the only way I have of kinda giving at least something back, so I mean, I am happy to pounce on anything in that direction. 

Again, just can’t make any guarantees given how unpredictable my life is and depending on how many people send requests or prompts or messages, etc, but I don’t delete anything of that nature and I usually get back around to stuff EVENTUALLY. For instance, I’m REALLY hoping to finish up two one-shots today, one that’s focused on Duke, Dick and Cass from that prompt you sent me a couple weeks ago, @zee-gee, and the other uh.....that umm, TW/X-Men fusion you commissioned way longer ago than my pride will allow me to admit in public @camelotpark, lol. And like, those posts you see me making to @russianspacegeckosexparty about the changelings project I talk about a lot, like.....Adam basically just sends me random thoughts and prompts about it all the time, and its like a running thread that’s easy for me to pick back up and sink into whenever I see a new one in my inbox and I’ve got enough spoons at the moment to dig in.

Also have a couple other things I want to respond to today while I have the energy and a destined-to-be-longer-than-it-needs-to-be meta about Dick’s positioning in narratives with various other characters and WHY I think it so usually works out that way, and I’m aiming to keep that more like....musing-esque than rant-errific, but uh, let’s see how that actually goes, lmfao.

Anyway, that’s what I have in mind for today, aside from my going to get my IV buffet at ten and emailing and calling people from listings about rooms to rent, but tbh, I might just end up being even more random and sporadic than usual, if I can’t focus on any of those long enough to stay sufficiently distracted today. (Like, my other annoying superpower as long-time followers have heard before, is my ridiculously fast metabolism. I know, “oh no, I’m so skinny, poor me,” but like....its never been about weight gain or loss for me, its about how fast my body processes various medications, meaning pretty much every painkiller I’ve ever tried is largely useless to me, or at most wears off in a couple hours.....whereas my ADHD meds actually provide me MORE relief from the pain than any of them. Basically, they let me actually focus on something OTHER than pain and not get interrupted/distracted by the occasional pain spike that likes to remind me its there and wants my attention......so I mean, I still feel everything that comes with my head being physically out of whack, but for the hours vyvanse is working for me, coupled with some heavy duty pain meds, I can like.....just sorta....not care about it for awhile. Like, it hasn’t gone away but its more shoved to the back of my mind at least. And all of that, I’m happy to stuff in a closet whenever I can, lol).

And that’s enough rambles for this post, I think. LOLOLOL, as if I have a quota. But yeah. Just wanted to express how much your support has meant and continues to mean, and like.....I’m still here and alive and crossing fingers that I’ll hear about an actual surgery date soon, but in the meanwhile like......I’m kinda stuck in a perpetual Limbo, one that’s largely confined to whatever is in hobbling distance from my bed of the day, and as much as donations help me physically, in remaining able to at least stay that way, just, any and all interactions on here help by keeping me engaged with the world on at least some level, and make it so I have stuff to think or talk about beyond my own situation and how I’m not a super huge fan of that.

(Okay, I shouldn’t say any and ALL interactions are appreciated, since I have my fun little runs of anon hate in my inbox, but I mean, all of the above is why they’re not really a big deal to me and never have been. Its like, dude, my own body has been trying to take me out for the past three years, and you think a few insults from an anonymous stranger are gonna do the trick? LOLOL, please. Tbh, the only real negative effect anon hate has on me is that it makes me a bit more snappish and quick to assume the worst than I’d like, when people @ me in a way that I misread as aggressive or in bad faith. I’m aware that my day-to-day temperment is a lot more irritable and open to fights than I usually like to be, as self-control is kinda a big deal to me, and my situation and stress and other shit kinda keep me constantly operating at a level best described as itchy, and none of that is an excuse for any times I read an interaction wrong and go for the throat. I just mean like.....I’m a very blunt and straight-forward person, and I do appreciate when people take a similar approach to me as it really helps keep those misreads to a minimum. Any time someone wants to engage with me in some way, I promise I am SO much easier to talk to if you just....put it out there, whatever it is. Its the games people play online (and in real life) that just frustrate the hell out of me and...yeah. Again, I’m not saying any of that as an excuse or a request for a free pass any time I fuck up an interaction or cross a line, I’m just saying, if anyone’s held back on interacting with me because they think I might snap at them or mistake it for them trying to start a fight, like......just be direct with me. Honestly, thats just....always gonna be more productive when it comes to me.)

But yeah. So that’s the current state of me and all that jazz. Again, I so appreciate everything everyone’s done to support me, not just these past couple days but over the course of these past three years as well. I notice and remember all of it, and its why even though I rant and complain and am critical about so much in society and fandoms and all that.....I really truly am a believer in the idea that there’s more good in people and the world than bad, and the bad just tends to be louder is all. It was especially loud for me the last couple days, the volume got way jacked up, but the goodwill from you guys has been more than enough to drown it out and give me some reprieve.

Alright, shutting up now. All done. The end.

[written-on-the-trees]

He's Right Next To You - Oh Yes He Is - Yungblud Fan Fiction

Prompt: Pantomime

Warnings: None

Word Count: 1300 words

Summary: Eve loves her family tradition of going to see a pantomime with each other every December. And she likes it even more when she finds out the stranger has a personality as cute as his looks.

The James Family Panto trip was usually…an experience.

 Eve meant that in the best way, because even though she was twenty-one now, she still loved going to the Hackney Empire every year, but there was no denying that getting almost twenty people anywhere was always something of a challenge - especially when ten of those people where under ten. That didn’t matter though, because by the time they got off the train at Hackney Central, walking to the theatre, and finding their seats, all the difficulties was forgotten in the excitement of seeing the pantomime.

 And they weren’t the only ones.

 There were a group of three guys and a girl next to her, and they were all just as excited as Eve and her family. They were a little loud - but Eve couldn’t really judge, considering that there were ten children sitting in front of them, and Eve was technically meant to be keeping an eye on them and trying to get them to keep the volume down. She was totally failing at that, so she couldn’t complain about him and his friends laughing boisterously.

 Besides, he was pretty cute: with bright red hair, big hazel eyes, and an adorable up-turned nose. If Eve was going to talk to him, it wasn’t going to be to tell him to shut up.

 Honestly, she wasn’t going to speak to him at all; Eve was no shrinking violet, but she also didn’t think family outing was the best time to start potentially flirting with a stranger, because picking someone up while her grandparents were sitting a few seats down from her…that was just weird. But the red head must’ve seen her looking over at him out of the corner of his eye, and he turned to her with an apologetic expression:

   “Sorry, I didn’t mean to be loud.” the man blushed.

 Eve just laughed: “You? I’m here with about ten children under ten, if anything I should be apologising to you. They’re not going to be quiet to sit behind.”

 The man brightened considerably, his face splitting into a wide grin: “Ah, they’re kids ain’t they? They’re supposed to be loud at this kind of thing.”

 “I’m glad you're the one who said it.” Eve laughed: “Last year we sat behind this middle-aged couple, and they spent the whole second half turning round to glare at them for being too loud.”

 “What twa- its. Twits.” he rolled his eyes: “I hope I’m not like that when I get old - also, I’m Dom.”

 “Eve,” Eve held out her hand, smiling and trying to ignore the small fluttering sensation she got in her stomach at the feel of his slightly calloused fingers closing around hers.

   Dom looked like he was about to say something else, but all of a sudden the house lights went down, and the band started playing. Eve saw his face absolutely light up with excitement, before both of them turned all their attention to the stage.

 Eve was instantly sucked into the world of Ha-Ka-Ney, watching as Aladdin interacted with his mum, and the police men, Jafar, and the Genie as the story unfolded before the interval. She laughed at the Dame, and at the scenes where she bickered with the policemen, telling them she’d been married sixteen times: “four richer, four poorer, four better, and four worse”. She heard Dom cracking up next to her, and when she looked over, she saw his face lit up with laughter, before she was pulled back into the slapstick going on on stage.

 Cute as he was - and that was very cute, if Eve was being honest - Eve didn’t actually pay any more thought to Dom until the interval came around, and the houselights came back up.

 He lightly tapped her on the shoulder while she was talking to her cousins about the panto, pulling her attention back to him so he could ask her if she wanted an ice-cream.

   “Ice-cream?” Joanie, Eve’s youngest cousin, twisted round in her seat to face Eve and Dom: “Are we getting ice-cream, Evie?”

 Eve winced - the little pots of ice-cream they sold on theatres were about five pounds each, way more than her family could afford for all of them: “Dom is, sweetie, but we’re not. We’re going to have some when we get home, remember?”

 Joanie looked disappointed, but nodded and turned back round in her seat, leaving Eve to deal with a shame-faced Dom: “Sorry, I didn’t mean to make it awkward.”

 “It’s cool,” she reassured, getting the feeling Dom genuinely hadn’t meant his offer as anything as something kind: “It’s just a bit much to buy ice-cream for all of them, you know? There’s ten of them, so it racks up.”

 “I mean…” Dom looked a little awkward, carefully checking that Joanie wasn’t going to overhear him again, before slowly offering: “…I don’t mind paying?”

 “I’d take advantage of the offer, love.” one of his mates leant forward: “He’s loaded.”

 “Shut up!” Dom smacked his friend, glaring at him over his shoulder, before he turned back to Eve with an embarrassed look: “I, um…could pay though. But, you know, only if you don’t mind. I don't want to be creepy.”

   Eve was torn; she didn’t want to take advantage of a stranger’s kindness (especially because it might not turn out to be kindness for kindness’s sake) but Dom seemed genuine…and she could see Joanie’s eyes trying to look anywhere else as she was turned to talk to her brother, obviously eavesdropping on Eve and Dom's conversation, and she knew she couldn’t disappoint her cousin. Or Dom: who was looking so eager to do something nice, Eve didn’t want to deny him either.

 She just had to agree.

 Joanie whooped as soon as she did, confirming that she’d been listening the whole time, and making Eve and Dom laugh.

 Eve took her cousin’s orders, explaining to her aunts and uncles that her new friend had it covered when they looked confused. Dom smiled politely, but was a lot shyer than he had been with just Eve.

 It was cute…cute enough that she couldn’t resist the urge to accompany him to go and buy everyone’s ice-cream.

 How else was she going to get to talk to him without her family listening in? And Eve really wanted to get the chance to talk to Dom. He’d been cute to begin with, but after offering to treat all her cousins to ice-cream?

 He might just be the most attractive man she’d ever come across.

   “Thank you for this.” she told him when they were in the queue: “It means a lot to them - and me.”

 “It’s really nothing.” Dom responded: “I like making people happy. Don’t know what else I’m going to do with my time and energy.”

 Eve bit her lip…and then went for it: “Maybe going for a drink some time? With me. And without my whole family present?”

   Dom stared at her, his jaw slack from surprise, for long enough that Eve was starting to get worried that maybe she’d misread the situation - only for Dom to see her embarrassed expression and reach out to grab her hand.

   “I’d really like that.” he grinned: “I can’t wait. I mean, I know I’m with you now, but I can’t wait to meet you again and - I…um…I don’t know where I was going with that. But I’m excited!”

 Eve beamed back at him, butterflies fluttering in her stomach at how adorably awkward he was being: “Same.”

   Dom’s responding smile was the brightest thing she’d ever seen.

 It was beautiful.

[ashfountainfanfics]

“Mr. Harrington?” the nurse at the doctor’s office asks.

Steve startles and drops the old magazine he’d been pretending to look at. Billy is at his eight week check up and there’s no telling if he’s going to come out with a cast or not. Steve’s spent God knows how long in the lobby weighing both outcomes. If the cast stays on then that objectively sucks and if it comes off then great! Right?

But they had developed a routine in the past few weeks and that routine has been running through Steve’s mind.They’d wake up and Billy would try to bark out instructions to Steve on how to make a proper breakfast. Steve knows how to fry an egg now but he still burns the bacon. Billy gives him shit for it every time but sometimes he mutters a compliment on the eggs. 

Billy then naps while Robin comes over for pool time. Billy fixes up lunch and leaves Steve’s out on the coffee table while Steve showers. Billy then showers while Steve eats. Steve and Billy play a game of cards; sometimes poker. It depends on whether Dustin’s over for dinner or not and, surprise, Dustin’s amazing at poker.

Then Billy and Steve settle in on the couch. They watch TV and talk. Sometimes they talk about their childhoods. Sometimes it’s about their pasts. Sometimes it’s just giving each other shit but in a good way. Other times they just let the TV do the talking for them. It ends the same, they both fall asleep on that same couch. They don’t talk about that part though because Billy’s always waiting in the kitchen by the time Steve wakes up.

“Mr. Harrington,” the nurse repeats, “Your friend asked me to give you his discharge paperwork.”

“Discharge? Is he-”

“Read the paper, Mr. Harrington,” the Nurse replies.

Steve does just that but his eyes are manic as they haphazardly search for an answer.

Ibuprofen as needed.

Follow up in two weeks.

Low level activity.

...low level activity!

The door opens and Billy’s standing on the other side, cast free. Billy smiles brightly at Steve and slowly makes his way across the lobby. He has a limp and he’s carrying both cruthces in one hand.

“Doc says he’s never seen someone recover so well,” he smiles, “and my teachers always said I’d amount to shit.”

“Mr. Hargrove,” the nurse warns with an even temper, “language please.”

Billy’s previously injured leg looks so pale and it’s leaner than the other. It’s not a dramatic difference and maybe it’s just Steve’s brain overcompensating for the bulky cast. Billy’s wearing both of his boots now and it looks hilarious paired with his shorts.

“You need jeans,” Steve laughs.

“Ya think?” Billy bites back.

The biting and snapping is so different now than it was before. Before it felt like handling the violent outbursts of a wild animal. Now it’s harmless, playful even. It reminds Steve of how puppies play with each other. Not that he would dare tell Billy that he makes Steve think of puppies. Teasing aside there’s still boundaries.

Steve keeps an eye on Billy and matches his pace. He can’t help it.  He’s gotten accustomed to going Billy’s speed. They get to the car.

“Keys,” Billy demands, “I’m driving.”

Steve doesn’t question it and tosses them over. They load up and Steve has butterflies in his stomach. Billy adjusts the radio and then peels out from the parking lot.

Steve’s chest feels heavy because he isn’t sure where they’re going.

He doubts that Billy is going back to his dad’s place. For a while, Steve thought he might go back for Max but he doesn’t need to. Billy understood that since she was willing to stand up to him she is definitely prepared to stand up to her father too. But even then, if that excuse for a father figure ever lays a finger on Max, Billy’s going to do something about it.

‘I’m not afraid of shit anymore’ Steve remembers him saying one night. Steve made him promise not to do anything that would send him to prison. Billy found a compromise; he wouldn’t do anything that would get him life in prison. That was the best Steve could hope for.

Steve feels his breath hitch whenever they come to a turn but so far they’re following the same route back. There’s a little thrill as the car curves around the corner the way he hoped it would.

“You okay?” Billy asks before taking a drag of his cigarette.

“Yeah.”

“Then why do you have your head out the window like a dog?”

Steve brings himself back to an appropriate position.

“I’m trying to not to throw up,” he covers, “You drive like a maniac.”

Billy laughs and speeds up. They come up to a light and it turns yellow but Billy doesn’t slow down.

“Billy...” Steve warns.

The light turns red and Billy floors it.

“BILLY!”

Billy whoops in excitement as they get through the light unscathed. A series of angry car horns sing behind them. Steve unfolds his arms and legs from the ball he’d formed on instinct.

“You’re insane!”

“Nah, I’m free, baby!”

So much for being harmless, Steve thinks as his heart rate goes back to normal.

Billy pulls up to the Harrington residence. He shuts off the car and the radio cuts off leaving a silence between them. Neither of them gets out of the car right away. Billy squeezes the steering wheel and Steve taps his fingers on his knees.

“So you’re better now,” Steve tests the waters.

“Yup.”

“You’ve got both legs.”

Billy nods but his eyebrow is raised in suspicion. Steve can tell he’s irritating him but he can’t stop.

“You can go anywhere and do whatever.”

“Is there a point here?” Billy says with a tight jaw.

“So stay.”

It comes out quick and painfully on the nose. Steve catches a quick glance at Billy and the wide eyes looking back make him want to curl back into a ball. He could be setting himself up for a different kind of collision and unlike Billy there’s no sense of high in it.

“If you want,” Steve tries to tone it down, “You don’t have to but- you staying would be, uh, good.”

I used to be smooth once, Steve laments internally, I used to be cool.

“I’m not sleeping on the couch anymore,” Billy says after a moment passes.

“Yeah. Yeah sure.”

Steve’s chest is no longer heavy but instead has the curious sensation of being split right down the middle. Billy’s refusing the couch which must mean he’s not staying. It was stupid to think he would. Did Steve honestly think they were... well, at minimum, friends? He must have misread something along the way. Maybe all their routine came down to was tolerance. Now there’s no reason to tolerate anything anymore. Billy’s free to be wherever he wants to be.

“You can’t make up the bed tight either,” Billy complains, “That shit looked like military quarters on one side. If I wanted to sleep in some rigid crap like that I’d have joined the army.”

“...what?”

“I’m not spelling it out for you,” Billy gets out the car and slams the door shut behind him.

God knows Billy never does. Steve does understand what he’s saying though. He’s gotten good at decoding the way Billy expresses things. Everything comes out in sharp edges but if it’s filtered right Steve can hear some amazing and unexpected things; sympathy, kindness, affection… vulnerability. At the moment, it sounds like Billy is wanting to stay and not like he was staying before.

Steve knows what the bed reference is towards. The night that Billy was high and he needed a different bed Steve absolutely stayed in that bed with him. It may have seemed like a weird impulse given the kiss that preceded it but Steve was worried. It didn’t seem right to leave Billy alone. He slept on top of the covers though. He didn’t want them touching then. He didn’t trust it.

Steve fumbles over his seatbelt and manages to meet up with Billy. He’s leaning against the front door and already smoking a second cigarette. He puffs away at it anxiously but the expression on his face is stern. Steve gets closer than he’s dared to before, maybe an inch away. He’s close enough to touch him and he finds it infuriating that he wants to.

“Look,” Steve says, trying to wear Billy down with a serious gaze, “I know that you’re not good at saying what you mean and normally I get it anyway. And I think I get what you’re saying now but I need to know because if I do this, if we do this, it has to be for sure.”

“Know what?” Billy say before taking another drag.

Steve’s been dancing around his own feelings for two months, constantly in and out of what can only be described as a gay panic. It had been exhausting. Ultimately, he settled on acknowledging what Billy makes him feel but not acting on it unless Billy initiates it again. It felt less complicated that way. Now that initial move has been made… probably. Steve needs the clarity and for the first time in their new rapport he’s demanding it.

“Did you just ask to sleep in my bed? With me?”

Billy puts on his best ‘fuck you’ grin before blowing out a slow, steady stream of smoke into Steve’s face.

“Okay,” Steve rolls his eyes and starts to turn away.

It could have been easy to stop right there. They could let all of this go and write it off as a bad joke. Steve could go back into that house and dance around hidden signals and off remarks for God knows how many more months. Or maybe that was the clarity he needed. Billy doesn’t reciprocate and his cryptic shit really isn’t so cryptic.

Fuck that, Steve decides.

He literally grabs the cigarette out of Billy’s mouth and before Billy can be pissed about it he pins him to the door with his forearm. The cigarette lands in the dirt and Steve can’t tell why his blood is boiling. Is it because he’s mad? Or because he’s finally touching Billy? Or both?

“Tell me what you want,” Steve growls, “or get the fuck out of my house.”

Billy looks furious but Steve stands his ground. Even if Billy decides to kick his ass and take off with his car at least Steve will know where they stand. He’s done playing games.

“Kiss me,” Billy says through bared teeth.

Steve does a mental double take. He brings his arm down so Billy isn’t trapped against the door anymore.

“Really?”

“Am I speaking goddamn Spanish!?” Billy shouts, “Fucking do it alre-”

Billy doesn’t get to finish because Steve’s lips are on his mouth and it feels good. It feels better than the last time and different. Billy isn’t playing casanova. In fact, the something almost shy about him.

Steve stick a leg in between Billy’s as he plants his hands on either side of his head. Billy moans into the movement and Steve swears that he’s melting like butter under him. Billy hooks a hand into the front of Steve’s jeans and pulls him even closer.

This is happening. In broad daylight. With everyone sober. Steve’s whole body wants to crash into Billy’s. It’s a hunger and an inevitable gravity.

Steve detours his kisses along Billy’s jaw and lands on his neck. He gets to work on leaving a mark because Steve can’t stand the idea of not marking him. That primal part of his mind goads him into it. He’s gentle at first but builds into a hard bite. The animal in him pushes further and he starts rutting against Billy.

“Fuck,” Billy murmurs pleasantly.

God yes, Steve thinks as Billy’s sounds curl up into him and caresses his every nerve.

“Fuck,” Billy groans again before his tone shifts, “Wait. Fuck! No, hey!”

Billy pushes Steve away hard. It feels like being cut off in the middle of a current. He doesn’t understand at first. He tries to think why Billy would stop. What in God’s name could have stopped that?

Did...did someone see us? Is someone else here!?

Steve panics. He knows what it means to have a certain kind of hate. He knows how violent that hate can get. He looks around frantically and steps back.

“I am NOT your bitch, Harrington!” Billy screams out, “You touch me like that again and I’ll fucking kill you!”

Dumbstruck, Steve tries to cultivate a response. This wasn’t even in the realm of possible reasons to stop what they were doing but here it is anyway. No danger. Just insecurity.

“I didn’t- I wasn’t-”

“Fuck you!”

The heartbreak settles in now. He wasn’t trying to treat Billy in any kind of way except well. What did he do wrong? Was he too aggressive? Too dominant? The last thing he wanted to do was give Billy a reason to push him away and then he literally pushes him away. Billy’s back to biting and clawing and not in the good way. He’s feral again and Steve desperately wants to go back just a handful of seconds. Billy was so close to being okay with all of this.

“Billy... I’m sorry,” Steve says quietly, “We can do this different. Or not at all if you’re not okay. I don’t- I never ever want to make you feel shitty, okay? Never.”

Billy takes this in and lights up another cigarette. He sits down on the front steps leading up to the door and blows a puff of smoke out the side of his mouth. Steve cautiously sits down next to him. The concrete is hot under him and he imagines that it’s not very comfortable for Billy either. But Billy doesn’t let on.

“What do you wanna do?” Steve asks.

Billy straightens out his formerly injured leg. He very slowly and purposefully moves the toe of his shoe out and back. Another long drag and Steve’s wondering if Billy’s ever going to talk again.

“-ry,” Billy whispers so quietly that only the last syllable is audible.

“What?”

“I’m sorry.”

It’s an apology. Steve was expecting another argument, another round of silence. He’s not sure how to respond yet.

“I’m new to this gay shit,” Billy continues.

“Me too,” Steve chimes in quickly.

Billy drops his cigarette down and grinds it out with his boot. He turns toward Steve and attempts eye contact. He then immediately drops it and turns back.

“I’ve never-” he looks like talking is both embarrassing and painful, “I don’t get involved with people. Y’know, with feelings and shit. I think it’s fucking stupid.”

This isn’t helping Steve’s heartache at all.

“But you’re not stupid.”

Billy offers his hand palm up, fingers spread. He doesn’t look at Steve but his hand stays open and waiting. They could have more of a conversation but this feels pretty clear.

Steve mimics Billy’s eye line. They both stare off into the distance with cool expressions. Steve then crosses his wrist on top of Billy’s and laces their fingers together.

—-

“I have a job!”

Steve shouts his news as he enters his parent’s house. He races to the living room and manages to hop over the back of the couch. He lands with a flop next to Billy who’s got his nose in a newspaper.

“I have a job,” Steve repeats with a smile, “and my only uniform is a vest.”

“Don’t phrase shit like that. Sounds like you’re only wearing a vest. Like no pants or something.”

“I didn’t think of it like that but not wearing pants would sweeten the deal.”

“You don’t have the balls to go out naked in public,” Billy mutters as circles one of the ads in the paper.

Steve laughs.

“I used to,” he points out, “but streaking lost its high in junior year.”

Steve moves in closer to Billy. The spaces between them always feel so heavy and there’s only ever room between them for conversation or kissing. 

Last night they slept together in Steve’s bed and before they drifted off they had made out for hours. They didn’t speak a word to each other though and that was for the better. Talking about it muddled things by bringing attention to details Steve wasn’t sure they could handle. Or more accurately details that Billy can’t handle. Steve feels like he’s adjusting fairly well to the whole liking another guy thing.

Nonetheless, Steve can recall the heat and sweat of last night in quick flashes. Billy still smells the same, a sweet sort of musk. Steve wants so badly to press his lips into where Billy’s shoulder meets neck but he has to be cautious. Now isn’t the right time.

“You find some leads?” Steve distracts himself with the task at hand.

A few spots have been circled on the wanted page: box boy for the local grocery store, assistant to a mechanic, and-

“Police officer?” Steve asks incredulously.

Billy snaps the newspaper back to himself. He wasn’t expecting Steve to read over his shoulder. He hadn’t been expecting him to be so close really.

“You don’t think I could be a cop?”

“I didn’t know you wanted-“

“Who fucking says I want to?”

There are days where it feels like it’s never going to get easier with him. In fact, Steve catches himself wondering briefly if they ever really move forward at all. Any time he thinks he’s getting close enough toward- well whatever it is they’re gravitating toward - they slip back a bit. It’s always Billy too. Steve tries but it’s like Billy gets skittish… in a loud and yelling sort of way.

“I think it might be helpful. To be a cop. That’s all.”

“How?”

“You’re a real dumbass sometimes,” Billy narrows his eyes but settles down:

“Then enlighten me, oh wise one,” Steve bites back with just the right amount of sarcasm.

It works and Billy relaxes.

“Shit happens here. A lot. The only cop any of you know is dead so-“

“You want to replace Hop?”

“I want to be useful,” he says it quietly and stares at the floor intently.

“I’ve been on the other end of your right hook. You’re more than useful.”

Billy mumbles something but Steve can’t catch it under the gravel of the other boy’s natural tone. He leans into Billy’s space to hear him better.

“What?”

“You heard me,” Billy notes quickly while keeping still.

“I really didn’t.”

“Fucking hell! I said-“

Billy turns to face Steve and he’s suddenly very close. So often he moves in wild and unpredictable ways but the speed with which he moves and the suddenness he’s stopped could give a man whiplash. His nose is just an inch from Steve’s. When he meets his eyes they become soft, almost bashful.

“- I’m sorry…for hitting you back then. I’m sorry”

Steve doesn’t dare to break their shared gaze. It has that hot and thick feeling to it. It’s both intoxicating and important. He swears there’s a cheesy love song playing distantly in the background but he waves it off as just being in his mind.

This is the second apology Steve’s gotten. Something about Billy saying sorry knocks the air out of Steve. Even now he’s trying to steady himself in the wake of it and the sudden tension.

“Make it up to me,” Steve finds the perfect tone between a demand and a request.

Billy responds to it by cupping a hand to Steve’s face. His fingers feel warm against Steve’s cheek and he wants more.

“You got my eye pretty bad,” he elaborates.

Billy guides the back of Steve’s head into a slight tilt down. He gives a gentle kiss over his left brow.

“And the mouth. You drew blood.”

Billy moves gracefully to the corner of Steve’s mouth. He leaves a kiss there before moving to the middle and kissing Steve softly and languidly.

“And my ribs,” Steve complains between kisses.

“I know.”

It’s a tender concession. Steve is enthralled by this version of Billy: the side of him that is sweet, compliant even, and wanting.

Billy presses his body weight into Steve and Steve adjusts so he’s lying on his back. Billy’s on top of him. Steve allows it as Billy follows the map Steve’s given him. He lifts Steve’s shirt and wordlessly leaves his apologies on his rib cage. He then starts moves to his abs and Steve can’t deny the growing arousal and how Billy is purposeful getting closer to it.

Steve’s head is swimming. He can only hope for what he thinks is coming to him but he doesn’t dare interrupt or confirm. He’s letting Billy set the pace. Billy has the power here and Steve’s okay with that. Steve doesn’t need power like Billy does.

If Steve had been paying more attention he would have known that the music he heard earlier was not in his head. In fact it had been playing in the other room. If he wasn’t letting his thoughts wander into less PG territory he would have heard that music shut off or he would have heard a door open and maybe he would have heard footsteps. But he didn’t. The only thing Steve and Billy hear is the very loud outburst from Max as El stands next to her watching the two of them with a confused expression.

“OH MY GOD!” Max keeps yelling, “OH MY GOD! OH GOD!”

So much for third base.

—-

Steve can hear Billy and Max having it out downstairs. Steve thought the girl’s massive freak out would make it difficult to pull her best friend away but it didn’t. El seems to understand that the siblings needed to talk- or yell technically.

Now El is sitting at Steve’s lifelong neglected study desk with the chair spun out so she can see him leaning against the wall by the door. Neither of them can make out words from the noises downstairs but the emotions are certainly audible.

“So,” Steve begins, “You and Max hanging out here now?”

“Not enough room at Joyce’s house,” El notes, “And Max’s house is too empty. She says it is like a ghost house.”

Steve feels a sharp pain at the idea of Max being lonely. He knows that Billy wasn’t great company but he was company nonetheless.

“Billy said it is okay. Is it okay?”

Steve doesn’t mind any of his gaggle of children hanging around. In fact, he feels better with them here instead of getting into trouble. He wasn’t expecting Billy to offer their place up to Max and El as a retreat though.

“Of course you can hang out here. Our casa es su casa.”

A confusing wave of feelings smack into Steve has he realizes that he just self referred to his home as belonging to both himself and Billy.

El brings her legs up to sit crisscross in the chair. She’s got a scraped knee on her left side. She’s that age. The age where you can have a boyfriend and a scraped knee. Steve is awkwardly aware of how little she may know about what she saw. Or worse, how much she does know.

“So, Billy and I-“

“Is Max okay?”

“She will be. She’s just surprised.”

“Bad surprise?”

“Well,” Steve attempts to explain, “Not bad. Maybe bad for her? But it’s not bad. I don’t think.”

Steve realizes how hard it is to explain something when the person explaining isn’t even sure about the explanation.

Steve sighs and slides down to sitting on the floor. El has a calculating look on her face. Steve wishes that her weird intuition would fill in the blanks for him. When she starts to speak, Steve puts hope in that silly wish.

“Max did not know that you and Billy want to get married?”

Steve manages to choke on air.

“What!?”

El explains that Chief Hopper once sat down with her and explained that sometimes adults who aren’t married sometimes date. That dating sometimes leads to living together. Usually when that happens the adults want to get married and sometimes do.

“...and then sometimes they do something only adults do and there is a baby,” El concludes.

Steve holds his head up with a hand covering his mouth. He’s nodding like El is making perfect sense but internally he’s screaming.

“You are Billy are adults-“

God that sounds weird out loud to Steve but she’s right. Billy and Steve are both eighteen. A few more months and Steve will actually be nineteen. Steve doesn’t necessarily feel like an adult though. He’s had sex and worked a job. Neither of those things feel exclusive to adulthood. How do you know you’re a real adult?

“-and you live together,” El continues.

It occurs to Steve that maybe Hopper never used the words ‘man and woman’ in his talk. He must have leaned on the word ‘adult’ in the hopes of El taking home the message that only grown ups do these things and she’s a child therefore she can’t do them. Not the best or most informed sex talk but that had to have been the intent.

“Ah! Yes okay,” Steve decides to define it more, “So, yes we live together-“

“And you were kissing.”

“Billy and I can’t get married,” Steve says quickly to gloss over El’s interjection.

This gives the girl pause. She sits up a bit straighter and fixes Steve with a concerned look. 

“Can’t?”

“Well… no. It’s against the law.”

El looks completely lost. He brow is knit. Steve is starting to sweat and he wants so badly to leave this conversation. El doesn’t see the problem with Billy and Steve kissing and living together. Hell, she thinks they might get married. Steve wishes more people were like her. He wishes he was like her.

“Most people,” his voice wavers a little, “are used to only boys and girls, men and women, kissing. That’s what they call normal.”

Steve doesn’t want to talk about this. He doesn’t want to face that reality. He wants it to stay quarantined in his bedroom. It’s safe there and the world outside is so… not safe.

“They don’t understand when boys like other boys or girls like girls or a man with a man or- you get it?”

El nods.

“So if they see that or they hear about it or they even think it, they get really angry.”

This is my life now. This is what can happen if we stay together.

Steve’s throat is closing up and he struggles hard to keep going. El gets up from her chair and sits in front of Steve.

“Sometimes they get so angry that they hurt people. People like…me. And they get really angry, like kill someone angry. I know because I used to be angry too.”

Steve wants a time machine. He wants to take back every single utterance of the words “queer” and “fag.” God, what if they actually were gay? He made them feel like this. Like nothing feels safe. Like wanting to die.

Steve feels tears crawling up through the limited space in his throat. He holds them there. He doesn’t like to cry. He won’t do it.

“It’s called being gay,” he forces himself to breathe, “and people call you bad words for it. Fag. Queer.”

Steve drops his chin to his chest. He grabs fistfuls if his hair. He wants to scream. He wants to beat the shit out of himself. Because he’s been the asshole throwing punches and calling names. And now he’ll be on the other end.

“I’m such a piece of shit” he finally laments.

“No.”

Steve looks up. His nose is congested and his ears feel hot and tired. On reflex he eases the grip on his hair.

“No?” he asks.

“You are not shit.”

It’s hilarious really; how she can say that with such a serious face. It’s even funnier how the phrase give Steve permission to breathe again.

“They are shit. They are bullies. You are not a bully. You are nice. You are my friend. You protect my friends and give us snacks. Bullies don’t share snacks.”

If it were possible Steve would adopt this child. He can see what Hopper saw in her. She’s complicated and naive but she’s kind. She’s just a good kid. One that any parent would be proud of.

“You’re right,” Steve laughs mostly to himself, “bullies don’t share snacks.”

El laughs with him and she does it legitimately. She’s right about the other stuff too. Steve isn’t a bully, at least not anymore. Even before Billy, he managed to put his old shit aside and accept Robin. His old self would have been enraged that he’d been rejected. He absolutely would have passive aggressively slipped that information to someone shittier than him. There would have been a mob in a matter of days, torches and all. The old Steve would have let her burn and acted like he hadn’t handed them the matches to do it.

That’s not who he is now.

“You can’t tell anyone,” Steve says, “Billy and I are a secret.”

“Friends don’t lie,” El says, looking almost hurt by the assumption that she’s being asked to.

“It’s not lying. If too many people know it can put us in danger. It’s like-“

His eyes light up.

“Your super powers! Those had to be a secret right? So you’d be safe. It’s like that.”

El understands this perfectly.

“I will keep you and Billy safe,” she says with a mild determination, “I promise.”

Steve realizes that the fighting has stopped downstairs. He wonders if that’s a good thing or not. He stands up and offers a hand to help El up.

“We should check on them,” Steve notes as El pulls on his arm.

As Steve prepares himself for whatever scene awaits him downstairs, he makes it a point to stay in front of El. Her powers had made her strong but with or without them Steve is going to protect this kid. Even if it’s just keeping her safe from little bull shit things.

Speaking of bull shit, he’s going to have to figure out a way to let Joyce know that El needs an actual sex talk but that’s a problem for another day.

[callboxkat]

(Un)Broken - part 3

Author’s note: I’m back! It’ll be at least a week before you guys get another part, but have this one for now. :)

Warnings: self deprecation, headache mention, doctor mention, injury mention, food mention

Word count: 1579

Masterpost in the notes!

...

Patton walked into his apartment and quietly shut the door behind him. He slid the lock into place, then leaned back against the door with a soft sigh. He didn’t know why he was upset. He should be happy, shouldn’t he? He’d spent the evening bowling with his friends, after all.

He just kept remembering that moment, when he’d cheered about Logan knocking down those two pins—because Logan had been having a really hard time, and it was the first time they’d hung out together having fun like they had before his injury, and Patton had just been so excited to see him finally hit some pins! Logan, though, had clearly not been nearly as excited. Patton had seen how he rolled his eyes. Probably thinking that Patton was making fun of him. But Patton would never do that—Logan was one of his favorite people in the world!

Patton traipsed over to his sofa and threw himself onto it heavily, facedown on the cushions.

He knew that it was dumb. It was just one little thing, one little eye roll. It just hurt him to think that Logan might have thought poorly of him, even for a second.

He was distracted from his wallowing when his phone chimed its text tone at him. Patton reluctantly rolled partway over, just enough to grab his phone from his pocket and bring it up to his face.

Oh! It was Logan! Patton quickly swiped to open the message. It was a group text, sent out to all of them.

Logan: I greatly enjoyed our excursion to the bowling alley this afternoon. I hope that everyone else had as pleasant of a time as I did.

A second message popped up a minute later.

Logan: My apologies if I somehow lessened anyone’s enjoyment of the evening. I understand that especially while I am still in recovery, I am not the most ‘fun’ person to be around. Thank you for inviting me along.

Patton started furiously typing, but a series of other messages were already flooding in from Joan, Virgil, and Roman, all telling Logan that they’d had fun too, and yelling at him for implying that he’d somehow made the evening any less fun. Patton sent off his own message anyway, and as soon as he did, the notification that Talyn was typing their own response came up. Good. Logan didn’t get to talk bad about himself! Not on their watch!

Several long minutes went by, and then Logan responded.

Logan: Perhaps I misread the situation. Thank you for your assurances. It will not be necessary to ‘march over to my house’, ‘physically fite’ me, or hug me so tight that you ‘wring out the nerdiness’

Logan: Additionally, Virgil, I feel the need to remind you that Patton may decide to physically fight you if you continue to insist that gloominess is your area of expertise.

Patton paused, then scrolled up. He must have missed that message in the barrage of notifications. He found it—Virgil didn’t get to be self-deprecating either!—then scrolled back down to reply.

Patton: I will! I’ll fite both of you if I have to!!!

Virgil: Ok Pat chill, no fighting necessary

Patton: Good!

Roman: We should go bowling again. You all only got a glimpse of my skills.

Roman: (Virgils dont interact)

Virgil’s and Logan’s replies came through simultaneously.

Logan: I do think I would enjoy another such outing.

Virgil: You can’t stop me

The chat devolved into banter after that, mostly between Virgil and Roman. Patton just read the messages as they came through, not replying, until the others had to leave.

…

Monday rolled around all too quickly for Patton’s taste. He didn’t particularly want to get up early today, to go to class—one of them was math, after all—but he supposed there were bright sides. He did also have an art class today, and he would get to see his friends at lunch! He just preferred Tuesdays and Thursdays to the other three days of the school week because he had his actual classes with his friends.

Patton struggled through his morning class, which felt like it was moving at a glacial pace. He felt like he’d been there for so long. But finally, the bell rang; and with immense relief, he traipsed down to the cafeteria to meet his friends.

“I don’t blame you,” Roman said when Patton had finished sharing today’s math class woes. They and Virgil were sitting together, eating lunch in the cafeteria. “When are you ever going to need to know how to calculate a third derivative?”

“Exactly,” Patton sighed, putting his head down on the cafeteria table. “But it’s required, for my major….”

“You—you could always ask Logan for help,” Virgil suggested after a moment. “He’s pretty good at math.”

“Uh, yeah, I sure hope he is,” Roman said, his tone of voice mimicking that of a certain well-known six-second-video. “He’s a math major.”

Patton shook his head, but he did so without lifting it off the table, so it was more like he just rolled it morosely from side to side. “I don’t wanna bother him. He’s still got his concussion thingy to deal with.”

“C’mon, Pat, it couldn’t hurt to ask,” Roman said. “Besides, he could do derivatives in his sleep. Concussion or not.”

Patton just let out a soft, extended whine. If he hadn’t still had his head down on the wooden table, he would have seen Virgil and Roman glance at each other.

He felt a gentle poke on the top of his head. “What’s up?” Virgil asked.

“He’s gonna think I’m dumb,” Patton mumbled.

“Why would he think that?” Roman sounded genuinely confused. Patton could hear Virgil’s chair creaking as he shifted.

“Because he already does,” he heard himself whine. He knew he should just stop talking, but�� whoops.

“Don’t be ridiculous,” Virgil argued.

At the same time, Roman said, “That’s preposterous!” He normally had a habit of pronouncing it like ‘perpostrous’, which annoyed Logan to no end. He was pretty sure Roman did it on purpose at this point, evidenced by the fact that he said it correctly this time, when Logan wasn’t there.

“Logan knows you’re not dumb,” Virgil continued. “And it’s not like he hasn’t helped you before. What’s up?”

Patton sighed, gathered his willpower, and lifted his head from the table, sitting up. “I… I guess you’re right,” he sighed. He forced his features into a meek smile. “Sorry, kiddos. I’m just tired.”

“That’s okay.” Roman said.

“I mean… I get it,” Virgil said quietly. “Logan’s got stuff to worry about already. But he’s getting better, isn’t he? He’s allowed to drive and use phones and everything again. And it’s—it’s like Ro said, the stuff you’re working on is easy for him. I’m not—I’m not saying it is easy,” he amended quickly, even though Patton hadn’t been offended. “Logan’s just….”

“A huge nerd?” Roman suggested.

“A huge nerd. In a good way. Not being like him doesn’t make someone dumb. And you—” he fixed Patton with such an intense stare that the sophomore actually shrank backwards a bit. “You. Are. Not. Dumb. Nobody thinks you are. Not me, not Roman, not Talyn or Joan… and Logan sure as heck doesn’t think you’re dumb either.”

“But….”

Virgil was clearly running out of steam (that still happened sometimes when he talked a lot, though he was getting better) so Roman jumped in.

“If we’re not allowed to talk bad about ourselves, neither are you.”

Patton looked at them both for a second. Virgil was chewing the corner of his bottom lip and Roman had half a piece of Crofter’s-covered toast forgotten in one hand, but both were looking at him intently.

“O-o-okay. You’re right. I just got a bit silly, I suppose. I don’t like not understanding things.”

“We know,” Roman said. “You could always get someone else to tutor you, but I’m sure Logan’ll help if you ask…. Where is he, anyway?” He frowned slightly, leaning away from the table to look around.

Patton searched the room for a moment too, then glanced at the Mickey Mouse watch on his wrist. Logan should definitely have been here by now, if he were coming.

Virgil briefly chewed his lip a bit more intensely than before, then stopped and opened his mouth. “He—could he be sick?”

Roman sighed. “Probably… I hope he’s okay. Logan never misses class.”

That was true. The first time any of them remembered Logan missing class had been when he’d gone to the hospital after his accident. Logan valued class attendance too highly, and he was religious about hygiene, so he rarely so much as caught a mild cold. Recently, though, things were different.

“Could be another doctor’s appointment,” Patton mused noncommittally.

“I thought he had one on Friday, though,” Virgil pointed out with a frown.

Roman shrugged. “He’s probably fine.” He set down the toast that he seemed to finally remember was in his hand. “I for one am just glad he’s taking care of himself.”

Virgil nodded in agreement. Patton took a sip from his drink and didn’t respond.

“Hey…uh, you’ve got an art class today, right?” Virgil asked, changing the subject.

Patton nodded, brightening. “I sure do!”

“What are you working on?”

Patton turned to grab a little sketchbook from his backpack and opened it up, showing Virgil a few sketches as he talked about his current project. He knew Virgil was trying to distract him. He let him do it.

...

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[tinyarmedtrex]

Stanlon #19

Stanlon & parents meeting when they take their kids to class 

“Avery! Come back here!” Mike called, trying to catch up his son before he ran into the room. It was the first day of school and he was supposed to bring his son to class but, unsurprisingly, Avery had decided that he knew the way and had sprinted ahead. Mike was so focused on his son that he didn’t see the other parent step in front of him. The two collided and the kids backpacks they were holding went flying, the contents sprawling, as the men hit the ground.

“Shit!” Mike said, sitting up and looking at the damage he had caused. Then he cringed as he remembered that he was at a school. “Whoops.” He looked at the other man who was trying to pick things up off the floor, his butt towards Mike. He paused to admire it then realized this wasn’t the right time, even if it was a great ass.

“Dad?” Avery had appeared, finally finding his way back to him.

“Come here bud, help me with your stuff.” Avery nodded and grabbed his bag, shoving things into it.

The other man turned to him and Mike decided that this was an even better view. “Sorry about that.” He said. The other man barely glanced at him before a flurry of purple was flying at him.

“Dad! I need my paperwork!” The little girl said, clinging to her dad’s neck and looking at him with big eyes. “They said they had to have it immediately.” She was very solemn and intense. Mike liked her. 

“It’s around here somewhere.” The man said, glancing around again. Mike stopped it when he did and both reached for it, hands touching. Now, finally the collision man looked at him.

“Sorry.” Mike repeated. But the man was watching him, mouth falling open but he snapped it shut as he said, “It’s alright.”  

Mike noticed the faint blush that appeared on cheeks before he started shoving the rest of the stuff into his daughter’s bag and handing it to her. Avery finished at the same time and Mike watched as they ran into the same door. He stood, offering a hand to the stranger. He looked from Mike’s face to his hand, seeming to consider then put his in Mike’s, letting Mike pull him up. Mike may let his hand linger for a second but no one else had to know. 

“Looks like our kids are in the same class.” Mike commented. “We might be spending a lot of time together.”

The man looked from the door to Mike, smiling. “Looks like.”

“I also might owe you coffee for the knock down?” Mike asked, hoping he wasn’t misreading the situation.

The man nodded. “I agree.” He held out a hand, “I’m Stan.”

“Mike.” He said, accepting it.

[thenickelportrust]

@silverj0 said: “Sorry if I’m wrong but I think op was asking how the LI would react if the villain captured the MC and hurt them. Sorry to bother you and hope you have a good day.” (this was on the last post as a reply and I know there’s a way to reply to replies but my knowledge of how to actually use technology is essentially equivalent to banging my hands against the keyboard and hoping something useful happens so I’m just replying to it this way, aha.)

Oh shoot! You are absolutely right and I misread it, whoops! (And it’s not a bother at all! Thank you very much for pointing it out!) I’ll leave the question up for others since I still think it’s an interesting inquiry but I’ll also answer in terms of the RO here! Thank you again! Hope you have a lovely day as well!

(for reference the original ask was: What if a villain has the LI in their clutches and begins to gloat how they also captured the MC and how badly they hurt them? "They kept calling for you" kind of gloating)

Finley: If Finley lets themself be goaded into doing something stupid then they’ll never get themself- and the MC- free. They hold onto the hope that the villain is lying to get a rise out of them and focus on getting out instead. Whatever comes afterwards... they’ll have to deal with that when they come to it.

Raf: This is exactly what Raf has always been terrified of happening, it doesn’t matter if the villain is lying- just the thought of this happening is usually enough to terrify Raf, the fact that it really happened... The MC has to be ok. They have to be. He doesn’t know what’s going to happen if they’re not.

Jacob: Jacob gets angry- he gets absolutely furious. He got caught? Fine. He’s been trained for this kind of scenario and he knows he can get out. But when someone goes after the people he cares about then that’s a fair few steps too far.

Lucy: If Lucy was at all holding back before, you can absolutely bet she’s not going to hold back now. There’s only one thing that matters to her now, and that’s making sure the MC gets out of there safe.

Yolanda: Yolanda acts cool and collected, she’d act like she doesn’t care, like it was no big deal. She’s testing the waters, seeing what it is that makes this villain tic. If they’re gloating to her then they probably enjoy anger, they enjoy the show of it and the reactions from an engaged audience- fear, anger, pain, helplessness- so she won’t show any of it. She’ll find exactly how to turn this situation around in her favor by manipulating the villain based on how they react.

Eileen: Eileen is probably already in the middle of a breakdown because she doesn’t know what to do if she’s been caught. Now the MC’s in danger too? She doesn’t know what to do. She hasn’t been in this kind of situation before. She doesn’t- she can’t do anything. And she hates being helpless.

Informant: The Informant isn’t listening- he knows that a villain would say whatever will get the biggest reaction from him. So he’s not listening- he’s strategizing how to get out.

Ricky:  Usually when a villain kidnaps Ricky (and, yes, he’s been blackmailed and kidnapped before, c’est la vie of a Nickelport politician) it’s because they want something- and, even more usually- that thing is money. Though he’s annoyed at having his precautions to prevent this kind of thing having failed, he’s also been through these kind of rounds before, and he knows that the villain is, most likely, lying- or exaggerating the truth to make him bend to their demands. Though he’d normally spit in their face and try to keep them from getting what they want- the possibility that they might still have the MC is enough to make him give them what it is they want and bribe his way, and their way, out of this alive. He can’t take that risk.

V: Good goddamn luck.

V is perfectly happy to reciprocate the favor with whatever or whoever it is the villain holds dear, tenfold.

[crepusculum-rattus]

Misread your post whoops, hope you still appreciate the questions though, I'm just gonna send you my own ideas:

I really like your idea that ender tried to wipe out the dragons, maybe that's why after his death the dragons eventually returned with a vengeance and if they are disturbed, they'll just try to go back there and wreak havoc.

Also, I think the way canon hc phil got his wings is after he killed a dragon and had a near death experience trying to leave the end. mayhaps he met a certain someone in that void...

And lastly, this is a really silly little idea but I have decreed that the spawn island/nether crystal "love story" is actually a children's tale that's told in the villages as a sort of "love against all obstacles" cute fairytale :)

nah nah it was all good :] it gave me something else to think abt which was the Goal

but yeah!! i honestly might be making this up (if i can find the clip i’ll share it) but phil is the one who said it! i don’t know what brought it up or Why,, but it was just like.. very briefly mentioned that ender attempted to wipe out all dragons.. but again. i might be wrong abt that….. im like 87% sure phil has said it once LMAO

wait omggg yeahhhhh… kristin <3333 that would be a sick way for him to earn his wings. having an encounter with kristin bc he’s dying falling into the void … and she Saves him by giving him wings so that he can fly back to safety bc there’s not much else she can do… mmm a very good idea yesyes!!

and awww, that’s actually very cute <3