#((i keep putting em in new outfits))

[britneyshakespeare]

without doubt one of the worst things about bratz dolls is that you cannot display them without shoes bc they look weird as fuck. stumpy ass bitches

[good-beanswrites]

Woo hello 🎬!! I kept all of your ask here -- I put it like this for my own easy scrolling, but no way am I cutting any of this, it's so perfect AH

Oughhhhgh Haruka getting more confident from hanging out with everyone and getting such positive feedback… I’d imagine the back to back innocent verdict and night of compliments would do wonders for his psyche ;-; And same for Muu and Amane! Minus the inno verdict, but the sudden influx of explicit compliments and acknowledgement of “hey, that was fucked up what they did to you, okay?” I wonder if there’s any awkwardness since After Pain directly follows Bring it On, but I like to imagine Fuuta and Muu have a deeper talk about things in private (and maybe Muu hesitantly mentions her involvement with Rei in preparation for INMF…)

Damn, who’s going to give the sex talk to the kids after Yuno’s vide-- Shidou. Sidou does. Without hesitation. They have to stop him because no one wants to hear it and everyone there already understands the basics.I love the idea of she, Mahiru, Muu, and designer Mikoto chatting about everyone’s fashion sense (I can imagine them poking fun at Fuuta’s tracksuit and Shidou’s patterned shirts.) And planning shopping trips that include everyone!!! Amane and Kotoko are given no choice in the matter, and a lot of the guys are genuinely interested in coming along.

Awww, I love the thought of Haruka getting into a “boy” interest with Fuuta and Mikoto -- he never knew what it was like to have brothers but he’s really enjoying it <3 (Also I’m cracking up over Fuuta trying desperately to convince them “it’s not cringe!!!”)

ASDFSDF Mappi just straight up sobbing and Mikoto handing her tissues 😂 But yes, she also gets choked up during Magic and Amane can’t figure out why. This begins the adults’ efforts to get her out of whatever situation she’s currently in (which Jackalope was already half-working on, but is definitely spurred on by several angry almost-murderers demanding he get it done now.)

I do like that idea of Red more comfortable with showing skin than Blue. (I know people are very emotional about the stalker theory, but I personally never took it in a harmful way. I always enjoyed how it was a symbol of stripping away everything else until you’re left with your true, whole self.) So I like to think that Blue feels too exposed, but Red/Green are the ones who pitched it in a symbolic sense! 

I’m losing my mind at Kotoko/Kazui/Red talking about sparring. Everyone else is like “hell yeah, let’s see it!” and Shidou just sitting there like “you all are going to be the death of me. You are NOT fighting.” Because I really want to think about it happening, I’ll say they manage to sneak away at least once and nearly break a prop in the process, to which even Jackalope shuts them down.

I think they all manage to get pretty serious again by the time T2 rolls around, but the hiatus is filled with a lot of sweet moments and healing conversations between everyone. Also, making so many plans for the future helps keep them sane when some of the project immersion gets a bit too real. Whenever they start realizing they might be condemned for their actions and worried that they’re too broken/they’re life is ruined, they come back to those plans and relax a bit.

Absolutely no pressure, but I would love to hear your T2 thoughts! 👀👀👀 I’m so incredibly grateful you’ve taken the time to share your ideas -- from the very beginning this au has been a big collaboration, so it’s super fun bouncing ideas around :D

[hello-universe-lovers]

Based on this. You had no idea how hard it was to narrow my comfort character to just TWO!!

[deadghosy]

THANKS TO @gaylorvader FOR THIS IDEA💗💗🦆✨ lol this could be a series guys-

HAZBIN HOTEL CREW X PENGUIN! READER

prompt: after waking up, you find yourself in hell again with your friends.

Warning: light yandere feelings🔥

As Lucifer takes your small form in his, he gives you a small kiss on your head writing the letter he promised as it says. “Don’t steal what’s not yours ass face.” And left chuckling to himself closing the portal to heaven as he enters the hotel holding you up as if you were simba(💀)

“Guess who I got back~ that’s right the big boss got em back!” Lucifer says happily as Charlie looks up from her restless state as stars are in her eyes at your cute sleeping sight.

“READEERR!” Charlie exclaims making you wake up to be met with the faces of the crew as Charlie hugs you. You quack happily rubbing your chubby cheek on Charlie’s on face.

“DONT. Ever….leave the hotel during extermination.” You heard Lucifer said as you quack shocked to see Lucifer have glowing red eyes at you. He seemed to be pissed at how Adam snatch you, even if Heaven made a mistake to send you to hell. You belong in hell with them.

You nodded not wanting to see him far the king of hell himself go. Lucifer’s mood switched so quick as if he didn’t almost go full demon mode. “Good.” He says softly sitting you down to the ground as fat nuggets ran up to you happily with an oink as Angel dust was just happy to see you and fat nuggets being gossip animals again.

Even Alastor patted your small fluffy head as he smiled truly seeing you safe and sound here in the hotel again.

“I’m happy to see you my adorable fellow” alastor says as you quack happily at his face. You hugged his legs making him smirk at this. “I am pleased you missed me too..” Alastor says.

Husk immediately snatches you from Alastor as husk walks over to the bar with you. “Listen kid, I got your favorite milkshake ready. I uh..learnt it while you was gone.” Husk says a little flustered admitting he actually learnt something for you as you smiled with a blush. Just happy to drink your fav milkshake.

Angel teases husk for him learning to make your favorite drink as you drink the milkshake as Lucifer and Charlie talk to each other. Vaggie was beside her girlfriend and nodded along with the Morningstars who were staring at you.

“Aww is the big bad cat having a soft spot for the penguinnnn?” Angel says teasing husk as husk turned away from Angel onto for the said person to pull husk’s chin to Angel’s face. “Get out of my face.” Husk says.

You quacked with laughter seeing husk push Angel away from him. Husk huffed cleaning a beer glass as Angel just rolled his eyes with a smile.

As you felt at home, you felt tired having husk’s attention as he chuckles with his usual grin and poke your chubby fuzzy cheek. “Guess this one is tired from their trip” husk says gaining Lucifer’s attention from his daughter as Lucifer picked you up chuckling seeing you fall asleep instantly in his arms.

You woke up as the morning hellish sun hits your face. Lucifer snores loudly having one of his pair wings hug you. They were very soft as you quack notifying Lucifer that you were awake now and ready for a new day.

Lucifer lets you go as he mumbles getting up seeing his precious bird up and ready to be seen…..he just wanted to keep you here as he was glad he got you back. Lucifer had explained that last night Charlie and him declared your presence was back in hell and every one was excited

So excited they declared for a celebration of your return as Lucifer brought in a clone of himself holding up clothes your size. (A/n: Thanks to Velvette anyways💗)

The king of hell helped you get dressed as he put a pin on your shirt saying, “I’m back, and better than ever” it was a little corny, but you appreciated the pin Lucifer gave you.

You go downstairs seeing your friends in your new outfit as Lucifer was behind you having his usual smile. Niffty waves excited to see you again as you watched and went to go towards her with a smile.

You and niffty hugged, happy to see each other like a short duo as Charlie was telling the other staff what’s going to go down for this party.

Angel was already texting Cherri about harmless fireworks as Cherri bomb was on the go with fireworks.

A bunch of knocks hit the door of the entrance of the hotel interrupts the planning. Everyone looks at it nervously until a small voice was called out. “I’m here for the party?! Is this the right address?” The person yelled out making Charlie excited that a party was gonna happen. Charlie rushes to the door as vaggie puts on a party hat for you and for her.

“Let the party begin!!” Charlie yell as as she opens to the front doors of the hotel as your eyes shine excited to have a party.

Hour later, the party was amazing as sinners actually came in the hotel to see you again and giving you baskets of your favorite food and flowers which made you quack happily.

Music blasting, laughter in the air, and everyone was just happy in hell like it was happy day In hell indeed. Charlie and vaggie made a lot of fun party games like “pin the tail on the donkey”

Husk was giving out drink as he gave you a non-alcoholic drink of course, he can’t have you looking dumb on a party about you.

Alastor played jams, of course old jams making sir Pentious wanting to change the dial but scared to even do that.

Lucifer danced happily with you as you quacked getting lifted into the air as Lucifer felt happiness in his heart, warmth like the sun seeing your smile and penguin self.

The clocked strikes 10:30 pm as its almost curfew for the hotel staff to go to bed.

As everyone was getting ready to leave, they all waved goodbye to you as you quacked happily to see the sinners you gave mail to on the weekdays and weekends. You always left love everywhere you go.

At night everything went quite as a light shined in Lucifer’s room who had you on his bed while you play with this duck toy that moves when you clap. Lucifer made it incase the “rescue” mission succeed. Which it did as Lucifer smiles at your happy nature. Lucifer turns off the light, taking away the toy as you tiredly quack. “Yes yes…it’s time for bed my little bird.. sweet dream.” He said lastly giving you a forehead kiss.

You sleep peacefully by Lucifer who had you in a cute duck gown as you coo softly in your sleep feeling warm by the king of hell.

MEANWHILE IN HEAVEN

The angels were sad, some weeping at the loss of their cute new angel delivery boy..who would give them fresh cookies and mail….as the angels weren’t taking the news lightly that you were missing. Someone had it worse.

Lute was pissed…no..not pissed. She was feral and livid at the fact her sunshine, her sweet baby was kidnapped from a god’s creation gone wrong.

Lute started to flip tables screaming about going down there and kill Lucifer herself. Throwing things off table and literally throwing a chair. Barely missing Adam’s head.

Sera sighs rubbing her hand over her head as Emily looks uncomfortable seeing lute freak out this way. They never seen Lute look this angry before.

“Lute please calm down. This isn’t the holy way to act when upset…” sera says looking at lute. Sera and Emily had came to check up on Lute as angels had heard crashing noises in lutes’s place after news got out you were missing. More like “kidnapped” as Adam’s woke up to see the note and rush over to tell sera this news.

“YOU THINK I WANNA CALM DOWN AFTER A PERFECTLY, GOOD, KIND SOUL ANGEL GOT KIDNAPPED AT THE HANDS OF THAT DISGRACE?!” Lute yells angrily as Adam flies down to her. He also didn’t look impressed as he just stood there.

Sera gave a stern glare to lute, “Adam. Control your lieutenant.” Sera says not taking the yelling towards her lightly as Emily looks away with embarrassment at this high tense moment.

Adam could tell that lute wasn’t calming down. Adam also wanted to spill out his mind but oddly he was being more quiet then spilling out his bullshit thoughts.

“Chill the fuck out lute…” Adam says putting his hand on lute’s shoulder. “This isn’t over at all…We still got time to snatch that cute lil shit from those worthless bitches.” Adam says smirking as his mask glitches thinking about you being locked up in heaven with him.

TO BE CONTINUED….OR NOT DUN DUN DUNNNNN!!!

[honeybunhottie]

Oo headcanons for Chris or Josh crushing bad on Alt!reader? maybe like a gothic or metalhead style?

feel like both would be absolutely geeked about some scary looking women!!!

- 🦐

Omg I love this idea! Sorry in advance if this is totally off, I'm not super knowledgeable about the styles or culture but I tried my best! Please keep sending requests!!

Chris and Josh with an Alt! Reader

We’ll do this before the events of the game because I feel like they’d have too much going on otherwise.

Chris

This man LOVES alt baddies and I can say this for a fact

My source? I’ve never known a nerdy man who didn’t like an alt baddie

He and Josh are jokesters through and through. And also lowkey pervs

I can just imagine one day Josh is teasing him about never getting any

And then here walks by you, dressed head to toe in an outfit that’d probably make his mother scream

And he can’t take his eyes off of you.

Immediately his friends catch onto his (frankly, not subtle stare) and start teasing him

Eventually they have some pity and tell him your name at least.

This man makes it his mission to have an interaction with you

Spends at least a month stalking observing you in the hallways

What outfits you wear, what your friends wear, your fav eyeliner brand, how much you hate your lab partner, your plans after school, all of it

One time you bumped into each other and dropped your notebook

Papers flying everywhere and all

He helps you collect them all, and when your fingertips brush his hand feels like it’s evaporated. He didn’t know it was possible for appendages to feel like sparkling water, but here it was happening

When you say a simple “Thanks, Chris” he swears his heart stops

He kicks himself for the gaping stare he gave in response as he stuttered out something unintelligible. Like it seriously keeps him awake at night 

He knows he’s bordering on the weird line of things, but there’s literally no chance you guys would cross paths otherwise (in his mind at least)

Because little does he know, the was also a fact about alt baddies

I’ve never met one who didn’t VICERALLY NEED a nerdy man

Yep, you have noticed this blond nerd always around

Yes, you did think he was cute

And yes, your friends absolutely do notice

Eventually, they get tired of your mutual pining because it’s more than obvious that neither of you has enough balls to ask each other out. 

They set up a plan with the other squad to set you up, because everyone is tired of these two dorks fumbling around each other

They decide to pull the “make group plans but nobody shows up” card for the new movie coming out

Chris is chilling in the hallway on his phone,anxiously glancing at the door every other minute because why the hell aren’t they here yet?

He freaks out when he sees you walk in, dressed even cooler than usual, all by your lonesome. 

You seem lost, looking for something before checking your phone. You sport a flustered look afterwards.

At the same time, Chris feels his phone buzz with a text too

‘Have fun man!’

‘Good luck!!’

‘Take ‘em to the bone zone buddy!’

He rolls his eyes at the last one before realizing what they’re referring to

He looks up from his phone only to get jumpscared by you standing right next to him

“Looks like we’ve been set up”

He immediately starts apologizing before you put a finger to his lips to shush him’

“I’m kinda looking forward to this”

Lord help him

He’s still singing Josh’s praises years later though, so something worked out right!

Josh

I loveeeee Josh

And nothing about this man screams subtle to me

Will he immediately tell you to your face how hot he thinks you are?

Probably not

Will he find every opportunity to hang out and find things in common with you?

Yes, 100%

This man is around every corner, every turn with that bewitching stare and stupid laugh

I feel like he would love your alt style. I mean he’s super into horror movies and the darker side of things, I feel like he’d enjoy someone different.

Flirty jokes galore, he loves making them, he’s kinda weird like that

He loves it if you match his energy too

He’s always asking about what music you’re into, have you seen that new movie? There’s this new haunted house coming soon.

He loves quality time, and he wants to become friends before he makes a move or anything.

Once you guys are FRIENDS, then he starts making moves

This man is playing chess while we are playing checkers

I have a feeling that it’s not too noticeable at first

Lots of jokes still

Lots of “jk jk, unless…”

Nahhhh

Unless…

He’s always getting you the new album for your fav band, or buying you cool stuff when he gets dragged to the mall with his sisters.

Is a firm believer that it’ll happen if it happens

And is very content to just ride along with you.

Overall, 10/10 we love them both

[katsukikitten]

Handing Katsuki father's day cards that are for his own dad or yours and he needs to "read and sign it" but as he's reading it his brow starts to furrows.

"Sweetheart, ya got the wrong cards." He's reading it for the third time now.

"I got the right ones." You're trying not to giggle before he's rolling his eyes and reading the card aloud.

"You're not just an amazing father," he flips it open, "You're going to be an amazing grandfather too."

"Yea baby that's the right card." You hum, stepping into the kitchen to get the final card and present.

"Baby, it isn't. We don't have kids. Unless ya mean our cats but then they've been grandparents." He tosses the card down, rising to help you find the backups he's assuming you're looking for. This wasn't the first year you'd accidently gotten the wrong card or one that was just slightly off, he thinks nothing of the message.

Barely had any caffeine as the two of you rose early to get ready to host his parents and yours.

"Katsuki, it is the right card." You say, pressing another card into his hands, no envelope or anything. Just thick white card stock with black letters and an image of white new balance shoes.

"It's almost time for these bad boys." He scoffs, looking at what the world has deemed the official dad shoe, he looks up to see a box in your hands, "Sweetheart, what the fuck? I hate these ugly ass shoes. Ya know that."

He's got this smile to his face the one where he thinks you're being too playful and silly, every now and again you two get each other gag gifts. You're surprised he hadn't caught on yet especially since you always joked that the second you knew, you'd be getting him "those ugly ass dad shoes."

"I know." You both share a laugh, you pressing the shoe box into hands, "Just open it. They'll be fun to wear today, goes with the theme."

"What's the fuckin theme? Dads?" He opens the box and sees the shoes but something is taped to the top of the box. A grainy picture in black and white, a blob in the circle and when he lets his eyes focus as best they can without his glasses perched on his nose, he thinks he sees a very specific shape.

He rips it from the box, bringing the film closer and yes he can see a nose and his face morphs into complete surprise. You giggle as you watch him figure it out, which you swore you wouldn't be able to get this far without him figuring out why you'd been feeling so sick lately.

"No fuckin way." It's low and for a split second you think he isn't excited, then he locks eyes with you and he gives you that look. The one where he's smiling but his brows furrow up and his eyes aglow with unshed tears like you are his world, like you're giving him the world, and he's putting the shoes down to gently pick you up and twirl you around.

"A baby. We're having a fucking baby." He's pressing kisses to your cheeks when he sets you on your feet, if you thought you were spoiled before you'd be rotten by the time this pregnancy was done.

"A baby." You repeat back to him, your own excited tears clinging to your lashes, ones Katsuki gently kisses away.

"How long?"

"Three months. It was really hard to keep a secret but I really wanted to do that shoe thing I teased you about. I've got the receipt so we can return them I'll-"

"Nah I've got the perfect idea for 'em."

An hour later after a shared shower and rapid fire questions, Bakugou is coming down the stairs, he's got some ugly ass jean jorts you gifted him as a gag for his birthday two years ago before giving him his real gift and one of his dad's old white tees he tucked into the waist band of the shorts and of course his new white new balance shoes.

"You look ridiculous." You giggle in your sundress, somehow he made the outfit a little hot. You were sure Bakugou could make anything look hot and here was living proof.

"Better get used to it Sweetheart, this is how I'm gonna look when I put another one in ya." He puffs his chest out, smoothing his big palms over his shirt as you roll your eyes.

"I've made a monster." The door bell rings, when you go to rise, Katsuki gently presses you back into the couch by your shoulder as he gets the door for his parents. He opens the door with a sense of pride that comes with being the cocky pro hero, looking much larger than life.

His mother is unphased.

"Oi, I brought that stuff you- Why are you dressed like a fuckin dad from the 90s?" Mitsuki makes a face before she processes what he's wearing, "Oh my fucking GOD OH MY FUCKING GOD MASARU! WE'RE GONNA BE GRANDPARENTS. YER GONNA BE A GRANDPA! RIGHT RIGHT?"

She pushes past her son, a quick squeeze to his forearm before she's honing in on the daughter in law she already adored and now even more.

Masaru quirks his brow and Katsuki nods.

"I'm so happy for you son." He hugs Katsuki the way men do, a quick tight squeeze before a clap on the back, Masaru tries not to let the tears slip past his eyes as Katsuki's life plays on fast forward in Masaru's mind. He remembers how Mitsuki told him they were expecting, remembers holding him for the first time and thought his whole world view shattered and changed. Remembers his first words and steps. Remembers his first mishap with his quirk and how Katsuki had blown the coffee table sky high. He remembers him growing taller and taller, going to UA, figuring out how to be a better person as he grew in size. How Katsuki called him and his ma in the middle of the night the first time he hit the top ten rankings. And again when he was number one.

How he took his dad out to lunch, wiping his palms on his pants like he did when he was nervous to ask his dad how he asked Mitsuki to marry him. He smiles, tears slip past anyway as he stares at his broad shouldered son adding one final comment that makes Katsuki's throat close up in the best way.

"I can't wait to watch them grow up to be as great as their parents and more."

[mackeydoodledoo]

A Taste of your Heart: Chapter 1

Pairing: Bridget x (Fem!)Reader: Ashlynn Hood

Chapter Summary: Being the daughter of Robin Hood is not the most easiest thing to live down. Even when you try to not steal, you always find yourself doing. But, never out of selfish needs. The only selfish steal you want to embark on is Bridget's heart.

Chapter Warnings: School Bullying

Chapter Key: Italics = Thoughts, +*+ = Time Skip, Bold/Italic = Singing

Chapter Theme: Color - Finish Ticket

A/n: AU where Red doesn't change Bridget's history, but someone else does.

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

*Bridget's POV* You walk to Honors Alchemy, carrying your cupcakes. It was your specialty. You loved baking and sharing it with everyone.

As you look up, you see her...

"A-Ashlynn!" You call out to her

"Oh... Hey..." She says, uninterested, "You're.... Bridget right? From Wonderland?"

You happily nod, "That's me."

You look down at your tray and begin scrambling to remove the tray cover. However, just when you were about to present one to her, she was gone...

+*+

"Bridget, Ella, we have two new transfers, would you two split up and help them out please?" Merlin asks

One sits next to you whilst the other sits next to Ella.

"Are you okay?" You ask them

"First day jitters...." They explain

"Ahh, I know the perfect remedy," You say, "Try my fabulous Pink Flamingo Feather Cupcakes."

"Flamingo Feathers?" They ask

"Mhm," You say

They reluctantly take one however savor the first bite.

"I only recommend one since ingesting more would cause... Side effects," You say

+*+

After class, you begin passing cupcakes out to everyone.

The sun shines a little more brightly When you take things a little more lightly It's all gonna turn out nicely With just a taste of your heart It's likely you'll fall into something spicy Just mix it up, you'll keep finding That life is sweeter when you are

"So, you're friends with everyone?" The new transfer asks

"Oh, heavens no," You chuckle it off, "My only friend is Ella."

Another person takes a cupcake from your tray.

"But, with time, and enough treats, they will be," You say, your eyes drifting up the tower

A girl sitting on the windowsill; her eyes drift down to you, but then adverts to another direction.

"Even the loners..." You sigh, "That's Ashlynn Hood, Robin Hood's daughter."

"Her crush," Ella whispers to the transfers

"Hey! No!" You blush, "I just want to make sure she's included as well."

You take a single cupcake from the tray and hide it away.

"You seem to really have a soft spot for Ashlynn," The second transfer teases you

"She's the only one that has yet to be given anything from me," you explain, "So, I'm going to make sure she gets something today."

You all hear maniacal laughter and many different footsteps coming into the courtyard.

Hook for a hand, find the golden hook Captain of the seas, I got 'em all shook

Son of Morgana, Serpentine Morgie's the name Better run and hide

Oh no...

The VKs.... Merlin Academy's bullies....

No matter...

The sun shines a little more brightly The dark is a little enticing It's all gonna turn out nicely With just a taste of your heart

It's likely, we'll make it all much more frightening Just mix it up, you'll keep finding That life is sweeter when you are Seeing things brightly When you take things a little more lightly Just mix it up, you'll keep finding That life is sweeter when you are

Uliana takes a cupcake...

"Thank you," She says

"Uh, sure.. Anything for-"

"For all... Of them," Her tentacle snatches the plate and holds it high in the air, "They're supposed to be... Really rare right?"

"Hey!" Ella yells, "Give those back!"

"Oh... I don't speak peasant girl," She mocks, "I love your outfit... It's so... Put together."

You listen to a ripping noise...

The VKs begin to laugh at Ella's not ripped clothing...

"My name is Bridget, and I bribe people with treats to be my friend because I'm such a loner!" Uliana mocks you

"Hey!" A voice yells, echoing throughout the courtyard

All of you watch as the person climbs and then leaps from the balcony, going into a roll before effortlessly standing to her feet. You watch as she walks up to you. She swings her arm over your shoulder.

"I thought, we all agreed that the 'Loner' title, belongs to me," She says, smirking, "Even with a single friend... Doesn't count as being a loner. Now give those back... Or I'll rip those tentacles right off your back."

"Please, I only wanted the feathers," She says, "You! Can have the rest."

Her tentacle drops the plate... Ruining the remaining cupcakes you had...

"Now-Now hold your tentacle-"

"Hold on lass," Hook walks up to Ashlynn, "Why don't we take this after school?"

"We did," She says, "Want to relay to everyone what happened then?"

His smile drops and frantically looks around to wondering eyes. He backs off.

"That's what I thought..." She says

"W-wait!" You try to stop Uliana

She looks at you.

"That's... Too many!" You try to reason with her

She only chuckles and ingests every feather that was left.

"You're just jealous of my fabulosity," She says

"What fabulosity is there to be jealous of exactly?" Ashlynn asks her

A handful of classmates; both good and bad, 'ooh' at her comment. Uliana walks up to the both of you, Ashlynn brushing you behind her.

"Listen here, Loner, I don't know where your mouth runs, but-"

She backs into you as Uliana squawks....

All of you watch as Uliana turns into a Flamingo...

"Bridget... Did... Warn you..." Ashlynn points out, trying not to burst out laughing

But that doesn't satisfy her... She charges at the both of you.

"Come on Pinky Pie!" She grabs your hand

The both of you run...

"I'm sorry Uliana, I tried to warn you!" Bridget continues trying to reason with her

*Ashlynn's POV* "Bridget just run!" You continue pulling her to run

You run into the courtyard her dorm building.

"Almost there!" You yell

However, Maleficent and Hook appear in the doorway. You lose your grip on Bridget's hand and she continues to run.

"Hello darling," Hook greets you, "I just want to have little chat with your little girlfriend."

You turn to see her cornered at the fountain...

"Bridget!" You yelp, pulling her into you, watching Uliana fall into a fountain, "I know a place we can go. Come on..."

You push the VK lackeys out of the way as you take Bridget to your perch.

+*+

"Did you really have to bring us up here?" Bridget asks, trying to adjust herself to feel comfortable

"Mmmm," You lowly growl, "Did you want me to take you somewhere where they'll find you easily?"

She doesn't answer...

"Didn't think so," You scoff, "I don't understand how you're being nice to them... They don't deserve your kindness..."

"Everyone is deserving of kindness," Bridget says, "No matter how mean, cruel, or evil they are.... They deserve to have kindness..."

"Sometimes I don't understand how you can harbor so much kindness," You scoff

"Ashlynn..." Bridget starts

"Ash... For short," You clarify

You watch as she reaches somewhere and pulls out one of her cupcakes.

"You never come around so... I saved one for you," She says

"Just for me?" You ask, slightly smiling

You take the cupcake and bite the feather. As soon as you ingested the feather, you felt lighter... Happier.

"Apparently I've been stuck in my nest too long," You chuckle, "Sorry I didn't come see you sooner. You just... You make me nervous."

"Me?" She asks, "Make you nervous?"

She gasps and your arm reaches out and wraps itself around her hip. As she steadies herself, her gaze travels up to yours.

"Why do you spend so much time alone?" She asks

"It's... Hard to figure out where I fit in more," You answer, "I steal... So that would make me a 'villain'. But, I do it for good reason.... So that would make me a 'hero'.... But, I hate trying to decide. I go to either or, and it's like I get so many..."

"Many negative looks?" She asks

"Yeah... Exactly," You say

"I got those when I arrived here on my first day," She explains, "That's why I bake... I bake so they could one day see me as a good person and want to be my friend."

The both of you finally settle into the space comfortably...

"Well, you have your baking," You slightly smile, "I only have my Archery skills."

"Which that makes you Captain of the Archery Team!" Bridget points out, "Who brought us to victory three years straight!"

"Means nothing to everyone apparently," You sigh

Your eyes travel out to the courtyard, then beyond...

"I come up here to be away from eyes that see me as both a villain or hero," You explain, "To be in my own little world... You know?.... Kind of like how baking is for you... Right?"

"Yeah," She says, "I'm sorry that you don't feel like you have a place here...."

"It's nothing that you can change," You sigh, "That's the reality of being an anti-hero..."

"For what it's worth... You don't seem like the anti-hero to me," She says

She puts her hand on your shoulder. She gives you a slight smile before retracting her hand. You finish the last bit of the cupcake.

"Oh... Ash... You got a little..." She tries to point out

"What?...." You try to find it

"Here, let me," She says

Her hand touches your cheek gently, and she uses her thumb to wipe off frosting from the corner of your lip.

"Thanks... Bridget," You clear your throat

"So... Why up here?" She asks, "I thought this would be exclusive to... You."

"It was the only place that came to mind in the moment," You say, "Well, it's not a spot solely for me now."

Bridget's eyes light up, "Are we going to have picnic dates here?"

You nod. She practically jumps into your arms as she gives you the biggest hug ever. As she straightens herself out, your eyes travel to her lips, then back to her eyes.

"Uhh... Come on," You clear your throat, "Ella might be missing you right now..."

Chapter 2

[clairdelunelove]

hahahah definitely not biting my fist from the thought of boyfriend!ghost taking you to a scare park for the night

doesn’t grasp why people would wish to be scared by a bunch of underpaid workers in costumes and dramatic makeup. hell, people even pay for this. actual money dropped on a couple minutes of entertainment. he’d rather spend his money on gifting you something pretty like a dainty necklace that’d look stunning adorning your neck. maybe fit his initials on there as well. I digress. sure, visiting the scare park was just for the occasion but hell, he’d gladly give people a run for their money- free of charge. a massive man clad in a skeletal mask was bound to gain such a startling reaction. and honestly, ghost’s assumption is true as he fits right in with the spooky decor. flocks of people parted a way for him to pass through when the two of you ambled into the scare park. not to mention the obvious stares that were directed to you two when ghost pulled up into the parking lot on a sleek motorcycle. dark fumes and a resounding engine. the epitome of bad news but tempting promises that normal men wouldn’t dream of competing with. 

boyfriend!ghost who doesn’t care for the attention or scrutiny. no, he’s much more focused on the pretty little thing that dangles by his side. ghost isn’t sure how but you manage to appear even more radiant in the cheap fluorescent lights that litter the entryway of the scare park. you’re excited, he notes, as your fingers eagerly thrum against his forearm where he has your hand tucked in the crook of his arm. attempting to keep you warm in the breezy autumn evening. it’s dusk; when the sky morphs into a splattering of crimson and orange. the corners of your lips lift before exclaiming, “this way!” he allows you to tug him around, an absurd sight to witness such a menacing man being heaved away, and the two of you end up in line. it’s the fast lane, of course. ghost couldn’t help but spend a little more to lessen the wait-time so you wouldn’t stand for so long. can’t have his sweetheart doing that on such a chilly night. 

boyfriend!ghost who lets you ramble on and on while the two of you are standing in line. appreciates how you can both share silence but also revels in your ability to prattle about whatever’s on your mind. could be anything, honestly. pointing out which decorations you found the most sinister, how you had to change your outfit several times beforehand (he worshiped you in everything you put on and took off), or how the night grew colder with each passing moment. thinks highly of your voice and enthusiasm since they’re such particular traits that belong to you. adds in the occasional quip to demonstrate that he’s listening. but he always is. very cognizant of how your voice lifts at the end of your sentences, the stutter in some words, or the pace of your breathing. but goodness forbid if anyone else in line was talking. leans real close to you and murmurs, “bloke’s as loud as a fuckin’ fire alarm. whole city can hear ‘em.” he’s enamored by the giggle that leaves your mouth and ghost is no stranger to being pompous, especially if someone else interrupts you. raises his brash voice and snarls, “bloody loud so do me a favor and shut up, yeah?” 

boyfriend!ghost who gives you his jacket. shrugs it off and drapes it over your shoulders. forever the gentleman. the bulk of his physique is fully on display and it’s taking you all of your willpower to not ogle at him. all breadth and muscle. the jacket smells distinctly of him too. gunpowder, cigarette smoke, and musk– your favorite. you pull the leather jacket closer to your face to discreetly take a whiff of the intoxicating scent and ghost knowingly shakes his head while ruffling your hair. lightly chastises by mentioning, “don’t needa do all that, pup.” when he pulls his hand away he intertwines yours with his. the small intimacy was significant to him. you can feel his cold rings against your fingers and it has you inwardly swooning. absentmindedly twirling the pieces of jewelry on his fingers until the two of you are finally ushered into the building. 

boyfriend!ghost who wouldn’t necessarily claim that he’s protective of you but he does have a firm hand on the small of your back while traversing in the dark space. he’s so good at moving and tracking in the dark that it’s impressive. figuratively has night vision. he prefers the two of you to be side by side rather than letting you lead in front. wants to be the first one to encounter the scare actors/animatronics so he’s aware of what to expect. he's your own personal guard in the scary place. huffs in amusement whenever you’re spooked by the jumpscares but always checks up on you. mutters, “let me know if it’s too much, pretty thing. can always exit out the back,” and his voice is considerably softer to show that he’s serious. your comfort is his comfort. 

boyfriend!ghost who’s the type to lock eyes with the scare actors and will keep staring at them until they’re the one to avert their gaze. uses his big, sharp eyes to intimidate. it’s a sign of dominance and he wins every time. to be honest, the scare actors recognize that he’s just here for you because no matter what– he doesn’t get scared. not even startled. doesn’t even pretend to be ‘macho’ because that’s just how he is. he literally slow blinks at them when they shriek in his face. mans has been on the battlefield for a majority of his life, a little fake blood and screaming isn’t alarming to him. the only reaction they receive is if they accidentally get too close in your personal space. he’ll place a heavy hand on their chest to smoothly ease them away as he remarks, “gettin’ too cheeky there, mate.” 

boyfriend!ghost who supposes that scare parks weren’t entirely a waste of time. not if it’s a function where he can flaunt you off. a big, gruff man like him granted the pleasure of spending time with you. you’re in high spirits once the two of you leave the building. all smiles while swinging your intertwined hands around and expressing, “it wasn’t as bad as I thought.” loves you like this; basically a melted puddle of bliss and he’s debating on spending more money on additional tickets just to see you so satisfied. “what did you think about it, si?” you ask him with a cute tilt of your head, “did you like it too?” he steers you clear of a crowd of people before answering, “‘ts was alright. thought you’d piss your pants from how much screamin’ you did.” a chuckle escapes his lips when you lightly jab at him for the comment. although he’s attuned with your conversation, his hooded eyes drift entirely somewhere else. specifically to a couple of people that sleazily drag their eyes to you and his blood boils at the audacity. 

boyfriend!ghost who tenderly grabs your neck while leaning into a kiss. he’s not one for outward public affection so it catches you by surprise yet you part your glossy lips with such ease that he groans in delight. you look up at him through your lashes as the feeling of his calloused fingers encircling your neck do little to quell the swirling desire within you. “si,” you gingerly whine and attempt to press yourself closer to him, “everyone’s looking.” you peek at the throes of people that are steadily lined up to go into the building. and in ghost’s case, that’s exactly what he wants. doesn’t bother throwing a glance over his shoulder. just gazes at you with that dark, hungry glint in his eyes before murmuring, “let ‘em,” and pulls you in for another slow kiss. his voice is wrecked. the kiss is messy– greedy in the way he knows how to be with you only. a soft mewl passes from your lips and he’s gone. you devastate him. needs to usher you home and sink his teeth into your soft, pretty skin. litter you with love that others can immediately comprehend that yes, you’re well taken care of by him. the ruthless man that does everything (and anything) to plead for your adoration. he drinks up your heady noises and pulls away with a hot huff near the shell of your ear. his praise is like music to your ears, “did so good for me, y’know that sweetheart?”

[prncessjaeger]

every girl gets her wish ˚ ༘♡ ⋆｡˚

ღsyponosis: eren’s pink obsessed spoiled!gf goes to the mall!

ღan: idk this is kind of a selfship then again idk, anyways song inspo for title: every man gets his wish

ღcw: suggestive ending but that’s it.

“baby, you think this top is cute?” you held up a pink longsleeved shirt and showed it off to eren, who was currently on the phone with his co-workers talking about boring business bullshit, “hm yeah but it’s pink…again-” “so?” your lips formed a pout, knowing he might not even buy the shirt (mainly cause you already have like 3 similar ones in your closet but who’s counting?) and that saddened you deeply. “soo you should pick the grey one, goes well with those pink patricia pants right?”

“they’re called priscilla pants and i mean yeah they do, but i wanna do pink on pink though…” your pout was evident and eren knew this tactic from a mile away…but he couldn’t just keep you sad all day, so! he sighed and grabbed the shirt, adding it to the pile with all the other clothes you’ve chosen. “so i can get it?!” “just keep looking for things you want, i’ll be at the front waiting.” he walked away, clothes in hand and you smirked to yourself, knowing you got your way once again. 

once he paid for your items, you took him inside of this cute daiso like shop, and eren internally sighed before walking in, “oh my god eren! look at these cute headbands, wanna get em?” “no-.” “yes? okay, get that white basket and hold it please?” he snatched (playfully) the basket up and let you sit both headbands in there. you both browsed around the shop, grabbing anything, whether it was perfume sets, stationary sets, and other miscellaneous items. “i’m finished-and the basket’s not even that full this time, baby!” “right…” he looked down and saw the basket (which was full) and just agreed with you, wanting to keep you happy! “your total is $137.20! cash or card?” “card.” eren grabbed his card and you smirked once he tapped it against the green. “thank you for shopping here, girl! your outfit is too cute!” “thank you! yours as well!” you both left the store and immediately you grabbed the bag with the headbands in,

“eren-” “no.” whining, you ignored him trying to move his head away from you  and put the headband on him anyways,

“aww you look adorable! now, let’s go get smoothies!” he finished up his call and smiled softly at you, grabbing you hand and instead of going to the smoothie section, he took you straight into victoria’s secret. 

“oooh they have pink bralette sets and the teddy to match, grab those yoga pants eren with the pink lettering- oh my god! they have pink and grey sets!” eren picked up a few things and walked back to where you were, checking out the new scents for fall, “go try these on.”

“okay, you coming in?” he nodded, “yeah, give me a minute though.” you grinned and walked into the dressing room the worker, kira, opened for you and you checked out the cute set he picked out for you, and hastily tried it on. “eren!” “yes, my love?” “it’s on.” you could hear the scuffles from his shoes rushing to the dressing room, “lemme see it baby,” opening the door you pulled him in, not wanting anyone around you to see you in such little clothing, “soooo…?” “you look…beautiful baby, do a spin for me?” he took your hand and raised it up, twirling you around twice, “yeah, this is real nice…can’t wait to fuck you in it too-”

“eren! people can hear?!”

“so? now c’mere,” grabbing your waist, his lips connected to yours in a soft kiss, moving one hand cupping the fat of your ass cheek as he deepened the kiss, “mmh- eren, c’mon let’s buy it already?” he saw that certain glint in your pretty doe eyes and poked his tongue in his cheek,

“yeah, come one, we’re ending this mall trip a bit early today.”

ღan: boring, yawning, sloppy….lazy.

[fict1onallyobsessed]

hi, may i request a rhea ripley x fem! reader in which rhea's clothes keep disappearing from her wardrobe and she wonders who it could be until she caughts y/n wearing her hoodie? 🥺

Missing Attire

Rhea Ripley x Reader

“Babe, have you seen the black and white hoodie I bought not long ago?”

Rhea’s voice was muffled through the bathroom door but your heart sank a little as you stood silently, thinking about what you could possibly say this time as an excuse.

“…in the wash.”

“In the wash? It was brand new.”

You unlocked the bathroom door, walked out and shrugged as you watched her shuffle for something else she could wear apart from that. Still, you knew you wouldn’t be getting away with this for much longer. Stealing her clothes when she was away was a habit you took up a while ago, but now it has gently faded into a more common thing even when she was home.

The fact she hadn’t realised yet was a miracle in itself.

“Heard you’re meant to wash new clothes, you know, good for the skin…or something.” Lies spewed through your teeth, white lies of course, but nevertheless sinful. You were out of her normal hoodies so you had to settle on a new one she wore once while you washed the others.

She stared at you with a questioning look in her eyes, a small smirk on her face as a gentle “uh-huh” left her lips. You watched as she looked through every draw possible to find a hoodie that matched her outfit, the muscles on her back barely covered by the black bra she was wearing.

“What about the sweats I just washed? They were clean, how come they’re in the wash again today?”

She didn’t actually seemed bothered, instead asking nonchalantly as she finally started to put on the clothes she found, turning towards you as she did so.

You tried not to laugh and you managed to reduce it to a huff, hands coming up to run through your hair to mask your smirk. You shrugged again, laying back down into your shared bed as you stared at the ceiling.

“Just found ‘em laying somewhere probably, dunno, don’t remember.”

“Uh-huh.” She repeated, walking closer to the bed you were laying in and stared down at you. She signed as she climbed onto the bed, laying her whole body weight on yours as she laid her head on your chest. “If you say so.”

The time she actually caught you wearing her hoodie was after she came back from the gym one day. She left before you woke up, leaving you alone in the bed with nothing but Barry and Luna to cuddle with. However, you recently couldn’t sleep without her around, and the next best thing you had was the scent on her clothes.

So, when she came back, you’d changed your attire, one of her hoodies on your body as you snored away hugging Luna as she slept beside you. Barry was half awake head butting Rhea’s leg as she looked down at the sight in front of her.

You honestly thought you’d be awake before she came back, but clearly you’d managed to over sleep every natural alarm clock in your body and proceeded to sleep later than usual.

She’s showered at the gym, so she couldn’t possibly pass up the opportunity to get back into bed with you. She barely managed to get in before you stirred awake, hand coming up to rub some of the tiredness out of you eyes.

“If you wanted to take my clothes you could have just said, I wouldn’t have minded.” Her voice was really soft, a small sign escaping her lips once she was situated and cuddles close to you.

You froze a bit before accepting your fate, it didn’t even process quick enough that she was indeed back and indeed laying on top of you again before she spoke up again.

“I knew it was you.”

You giggled a bit, playing with the ends of her short hair, running your hands through it.

“Well it wouldn’t have been Barry, would it?”

She laughed and the both of you watched Barry jump onto the bed after hearing his name. Both of the dogs cuddling clothes to the two of you, a cosy and mellow atmosphere falling in the room.

THE END

[roanofarcc]

THE FIRST DATE

pairing: pete martino x fem!reader

summary: pete hadn’t planned a first date in a long time, but he wanted everything to be perfect. unfortunately, nothing could seem to go as planned for pete. but fortunately, you never minded a bit of chaos. 

warnings: dead!reader, first date mishaps, children 

word count. 1.7k | masterlist

“I had to die in tall socks, didn’t I?” Pete sighed, peering down at his outfit with a self-conscious itch. He’d never paid much mind to the death outfit that he was stuck in, even when his fellow ghosts made their jabs. He liked being a troop leader, and even though that brought him his untimely death, he liked that his outfit reflected his passion. That was, until he was trying to freshen up for his first date as a ghost only to realize how ridiculous he looked. 

From the other side of the room, Trevor scoffed. “At least you have pants, man.” 

That was fair. But Pete still felt grossly under-prepared to be going on a date. From his outfit to his overall rustiness in the dating game, he was riddled with doubt. It must’ve been obvious because Sass approached him with a somewhat sympathetic look. 

“You’ve got to relax, buddy,” he said. 

“I know,” Pete sighed once more, hanging his head. “I just want this to go well because if it doesn’t, it’s not like it’s easy to avoid each other.” That was the thing about fraternizing with your fellow ghosts, whether things went wonderful or were a disaster, you all were stuck there with each other. However, if Pete made a big enough fool of himself, maybe retreat to the basement and spend the rest of eternity with the ghosts down there. 

Trevor joined Sass, both of them standing in front of Pete with any tone of friendly mocking gone and replaced with a brotherly kind of support. Pete had friends growing up, fellow nerds that he got along with enough to survive high school with. But Trevor and Sass, if they’d all been alive at the same time probably wouldn’t have spared each other a second glance. Yet, there they all were an odd but nice collection of friends. Pete was forever thankful for that. 

“Everything will be fine. But if you freak out, you’ll freak her out,” Trevor said. 

“You’re right,” Pete said. He rolled his shoulders back and tried to smooth out the wrinkles forever pressed into the fabric of his shirt. “I think I’m ready.” 

“Yeah you are!” Trevor smiled, clapping him on the shoulder. “Go get, ‘em tiger.” 

Pete tried to keep his composer as relaxed as he as could as he walked out of the room and into the hall. He bee-lined for your room. It wasn’t like he could pick you up in a car, so a simple walk from upstairs to downstairs was the best he could do. He also couldn’t bring you flowers or, well, anything, but Sam had bought some and put them in a vase on the table that she and Jay had set up. 

Pete was almost to your room when a gaggle of children came sprinting up the stairs. Confused, Pete didn’t even have time to move out of the way before the kids ran right through him. He doubled over in the strange pain that flooded the ghosts’ bodies when livings passed through them. The kids were quickly followed by a flustered Sam not far behind. She huffed, slightly out of breath as she stopped in front of Pete. 

“Oh, Pete, I’m sorry,” she rushed out. “New guests. And they brought their kids who are, apparently, the devil incarnate.” Just as she spoke, the sound of glass shattering startled both of them. A vase lay on the ground at the feet of laughing kids, probably no older than eight or nine. 

From your room, Hetty, Alberta, and Flower emerged, with you with them. “What in the world is going on out here?” Hetty asked. 

“New guests and their kids,” Pete answered, watching as Sam quickly tried to pick up the pieces of glass off the floor before taking off after the kids again. 

A look of disgust fell across Hetty’s face. “This is no establishment for children. Could they not have left them at home or at work?” 

You smiled gently with a shake of your head. “People don’t usually leave their kids alone anymore, Hetty. And they don’t have jobs.” 

Hetty scoffed. “Ridiculous. How will they learn discipline?” 

“Clearly they don’t have any if they’re runnin’ around like this,” Alberta said. 

“Shall we?” you said to Pete, trying to ignore the chaos the children were causing. 

Pete nodded quickly and offered his arm. You laughed lightly as you took it. You felt nerves twist around in your stomach, but it was outweighed by the excitement bubbling up. You had been secretly pining after Pete for as long as you could remember but never acted on it since he was still loyal to his wife, even in death. But once he mentioned he would be interested in dipping his toe in the ghost dating pool, you tried to subtly hint that you were interested in him. It took a little while for him to get the hint, but once he did, your first date was set in motion thanks to the help of your fell ghost mates. 

You’d been waiting all week for your date, excited to have a first date after years of ghost hood. It had been ages since you went on a date, but with Pete, it didn’t feel as nerve-wracking because you two were already good friends. 

As you made your way down the stairs, you heard echoes of loud chatter from the dining room, where your date was supposed to take place. At the bottom of the stairs, you two shared a confused look. Heavy footsteps sounded from behind you, and you quickly shoved Pete to the side as the kids raced down the stairs. Sam followed, breathing heavily and face flushed with frustration. 

“Geez,” she wheezed out, approaching you and Pete. “I didn’t know owning a B&B would mean becoming a temporary babysitter.” 

“Um, Sam,” Pete started, gesturing to the dining room. 

She let out a huff and took off toward the dining room, you two quick on her heels. Pete’s heart sank when he saw two people seated at the dining table, enjoying a meal he had picked out for your date, wine glasses filled, and the bouquet of flowers picked apart by the eager kids plucking their petals off with giggles. 

“Oh, Sam, isn’t it?” a woman said, waving around her wine glass carelessly. “This meal is fantastic! Not our usual choice for dinner, but we have been saying we’ve been wanting to step out of our box, right sweetheart?” 

The man across from her swatted one of his kids’ hands away from his plate before he made a big show of wiping the food from his chin. “Yeah, everything’s great.” 

“Tiffany, darling, don’t eat that,” the woman said to her daughter, who had a flower shoved in her mouth. “You don’t mind throwing on a movie for them or something, do you? Mark and I would love a little longer to ourselves.” 

Sam got that look on her face she often did when a guest was being ridiculous, but she couldn’t say no for fear of losing the business they desperately needed. It was a tight-lipped smile and hands clasped in front of her. “No problem,” she said stiffly. “Just give me one second.” She hurried into the kitchen, prompting you and Pete to follow. 

Jay was standing at the stove, tapping his foot against the ground. “Are they here?” Sam nodded. “Ah, man. I’m sorry guys. That meal was supposed to be for you! I mean, I know you can’t eat it but…you know. These people just showed up, no reservations or anything.” 

“It’s okay,” you said. It wasn’t like they could turn down business and Jay had a point; you and Pete couldn’t eat the meal he made. 

Sam glanced at Pete, frowning. “We can reschedule?” 

He looked conflicted, a series of emotions flashing across his slightly scrunched face. “Yeah, I guess,” Pete said, disappointed. You looped your arm with his once more, an idea flickering to life inside your head. 

“Maybe we don’t have to.” 

Pete furrowed his brows. “There’s no dinner, no flowers, no-” 

“I don’t need any of those things,” you interjected, pulling him closer to your side. “I just want to hang out with you.” 

“Aw,” Sam cooed from a couple feet away, but she quickly quieted herself and gestured for you two to keep talking. 

“Wait, what’s happening?” Jay asked. 

“Come on, I’ll fill you in.” Sam and Jay left. 

Pete still looked unsure. “We hang out every day. I wanted tonight to be different like a real date. But I should have known something would go wrong. First, I’m stuck in this stupid outfit-” 

You cut him off once again, unhooking your arm before placing both hands on his shoulders and looking him right in the eyes. “Hey,” you said quickly. “I happen to like your outfit. Tall socks and all.” That earned a small smile from him. “And I think I know a way we can still have a real date.” 

“How?” 

With a wide smile, you laced your fingers with his and tugged him out the back door and into the backyard. It was still under renovation, but Sam and Jay had restored a little corner just off the back door where guests could sit when the weather was nice. You enjoyed the small corner, but the other ghosts didn’t visit it as much as you did. 

You led him to the bench and pulled him down to sit beside you, your legs pressed against one another. “It may not be a ‘normal’ date, but we're not exactly normal, Pete.” 

He seemed to relinquish some of his disappointment and leaned back into the bench, still holding onto your hand. “Yeah, but we could’ve pretended for one night.” 

“That’s no fun,” you replied. “I like this.” 

Pete was quiet for a moment, a comfortable stretch that allowed you to take a breath of fresh air and admire the scenery between the feeling of Pete’s cold hands clasped in yours. 

“I like you,” he finally said, his voice quiet in the still evening air. 

You turned your head to face him, your smile stretching wider. “I hope so.” He matched your grin and playfully rolled his eyes. “I like you too.” 

“I hope so.”

[aclowntiny]

Ateez When They Accidentally Walk In On You Changing

Requested by @jacobbaeluvr hope you have as much fun reading this as I did writing it bb 😘 tried to mix em up a little & keep em funny 😌Warnings: slightly suggestive just due to the nature of the scenario 😆

Hongjoong

“Seonghwa, did you close the door to our- AH!”

Hongjoong had just busted in on you changing into your swimsuit, your shorts tossed aside and your shirt on its way off, too, falling onto the bed as he screamed in fact. Hongjoong apologized profusely as he disappeared back through the door, twirling so his back was to you as soon as he physically could get it to be.

Heart thumping, you finished changing, emerging from the borrowed bedroom slash changing room to more apologies from Hongjoong.

“I’m so sorry, (y/n), that I saw that when I wasn’t supposed to. I didn’t know. I’ll delete it from my brain, I promise!”

“Yeah, if it was so bad,” you joked, “go for it.”

“You misunderstand me- it wasn’t bad at all.”

Seonghwa

You jumped the moment the restroom door opened, apologizing immediately. “Oh, I’m so sorry, I didn’t know you were in there, Hongjoong just said I could pull aside and change in here so-”

“It’s ok, (y/n), you didn’t know. I obviously had no idea, either.”

You smiled even as you hurriedly pulled your new shirt on, shaking your head slightly in amusement. You guys had basically just had a miniature conversation while you stood there shirtless, clad at either skin- or bra-level, and his eyes had never left yours.

“You’re being such a gentleman, Seonghwa.”

“It’s what you deserve. I wouldn’t look unless you told me to. Well, wait, that is, I mean-”

Yunho

“Oh no! Oh no, (y/n)-”

You heard Yunho before you saw him, having been bent over to pick up the shorts that had fallen off the bed in the room the guys had lent you to change. Giving your intruder a very good view of your rear.

You flushed. “It’s ok, Yunho, just get out!”

“I already am!” Slam.

The door was shut once more and quite forcefully, letting you restore your modesty and make your way back out in your new clothes. The rest of Ateez smiled at the sight of you, but Yunho wouldn’t meet your eyes.

“Hey, it’s ok, it was an accident,” you comfort him, putting a hand on his shoulder.

“Would I make it more or less awkward,” he asked, gaze darting between your eyes and the floor, “if I said it looked nice?”

You removed your hand to swat him playfully, but you already knew what you were going to say to that.

Yeosang

There you were, reaching over in your underwear for the casual clothes you’d brought to relieve yourself of what you wore to work, as the door opened. You yelped and scrambled, ending up pulling and weakly holding your discarded shirt over what of your figure you could as Yeosang squeaked his own apology. When you finished and left the room, he was quick to apologize again.

“Ah, I’m so sorry (y/n)!”

“It’s ok,” you reply, “you weren’t trying to peep, you just saw by accident.”

“Yeah, I guess that’s true.” His gaze got sort of faraway. “Huh, not the color underwear I pictured you wearing.”

“Wait, what?”

San

Lucky for you, you weren’t naked, but you had started by taking your pants off, so when the door swung open you still shouted in surprise at whoever saw you in your underwear. You turned. It was San. For some ungodly reason he sort of just stood there, gaze fixed forward with furrowed brows, and gave a nervous ‘heh’ until you asked what on earth he was doing, restoring motion back to his body as he turned and scurried out the door. You finished changing in relative peace, though what just happened wouldn’t stop running through your mind, and emerged from the room with your original outfit in hand, eyes glancing to San and back off of him. Why was he smiling like that?

“You have really nice legs, you know,” he says, rubbing the back of his neck shyly.

Mingi

The sound of door hinges had just begun to register as you peeled off your shirt, your back to the entry point of the room you were changing in. Practically before your heels could turn a scream echoed through the room, prompting you to really swivel. There stood Mingi, whose unceasing scream mingled with yours, though his was much louder as he barreled back out of the room to whence he came.

When you finished, walking back out to where he’d gone, Mingi ran up to you, bowing in apology and taking your hands, telling you he had no idea, the others hadn’t told him while he was gone.

“I swear I’m not a pervert!”

“It’s ok, Mingi.”

You’d noticed his eyes going up and down even though he freaked out, but there was no need to tease him any worse about it.

Wooyoung

“Oh, are we changing in here?” A voice rings out from behind you.

Emerging from behind the curtain as you tugged at your shirt’s hem, you’re met with the sight of Wooyoung standing there mirroring you, only he’d already thrown his top all the way off.

“Wooyoung?”

“(y/n)?”

You guys both exclaimed each other’s name at the same time, him pointing like the spider-man meme. You’d tugged your shirt back down and onto your body, but your pants were long-forgotten in the chaos, prompting Wooyoung’s eyes to travel down your legs.

“I thought you were Jongho!” He bursts out.

“No,” you reply, bending your knees to disappear behind the bed in his line of vision, “he said I could go in here and change! Get out!”

“I already started th-”

Reaching around the curtain, you grabbed a pair of socks and chucked them at him.

“Ok, ok, I’m going!”

Jongho

It felt so good to change out of your sweaty clothes. You hadn’t even been working out or anything, just spending some time outside, but the guys were sympathetic to your plight, offering a dorm room for you to pull into and remove some layers as well as a clean t-shirt that none of them were using. You’d almost gotten your shirt all the way unbuttoned, working them loose with a small smile, your eyes fluttering shut as air from the room’s electric fan hit your chest.

“Oh, (y/n), oh my God, I’m so sorry.” There was a hint of surprise, but that even voice could only belong to one person.

As your eyes shot open-and open wide, too- sure enough, you were met with Jongho groping blindly for the door handle as your hands fell to your sides.

“It’s ok, I’m not that undressed yet, that could’ve been worse. Sorry you had to see that.”

“Don’t be,” he says as he exits, closing the bedroom door behind him.

[sewinrat]

If you are/replace Sebastian includes;

*Reader is female mentioned but I could care less, you just have to be human. Have I done something like this before can't remember...

Oh you poor soul. You don't even know how you got in this mess. You were one day suddenly locked up in a plastic cage and this strange man bought you for an even stranger boy. Now you're stuck with them forever.

The closest you act to in terms of 'first meet' is close to Pomni. And yes you have went into the UNKNOWN and Luther had to pull you back but in this case, the unknown is much more dangerous.

And now you're trying your best to hide and run away from all of them in their weird crazy house of nonsense. Unfortunately you can't even hide well because Randal's dolls will always find you. Luther is another thing. You can't act out in front of around him or else you'll be a 'bad pet' and "that's not how girls supposed to act." His words not mine. Even if you've been put in the ridiculous jester outfit. You'd prefer if they put you in those discipline outfit forever if it means to leave you alone. It doesn't matter if you lose your body.

You got a high chance into being part of the family because Luther might want a little sister but let's not go there. This time.

The other two 'people' in the house, Nyen and Nyon, you thought you could trust but apparently not. You try to avoid them both, mostly Nyen because of the times he threatened you. Although Nyon doesn't do much, it's best to not engage in any way. Why am I describing things like this is your diary?

Actually you might have a diary. But hide them well or else everyone and I mean EVERYONE will read it if you misplaced it anywhere. Randal loves to snoop especially around you. Luther says it's to get to know you better but like a parent, he's a liar because if he reads anything he doesn't like, he'll punish you accordingly. Nyen can use it to manipulate you and make fun of you but Nyon reads it... And that's it. He doesn't do much about it but he's bold so he will gave it back to you even if it's open and in the middle of reading it.

After maybe weeks or even months if time manages to slip later because if you cannot make sense of time, how can you even know the time - you're getting use to it. Not comfortable of course but it's to the point where you aren't actively scared to even look behind you.

You know what, you should be just a little bit grateful that you are Randal's 'friend' while also being under him by being a pet because if you remember in Lucid 14, it shows that Randal likes to keep parts of his 'friends' as the bible recruiter dudes were leaving(But it could also imply that it's his first time doing it while alive or smth). So yeah that's one way to lose skin.

Ranfren Characters thoughts on You(ooc);

Randal: "Oh you met my friend?? Did she escaped again if you knew em... Eh impossible but since you know her, I KNOW YOU~!! A friend to my pet is a friend to mee now come here and let's have some funn." How did you get in touch with her- actually doesn't matter to Randal, more friends the merrier.

Luther: "Hm. Troublesome at first but oh well she's just getting use to her new home that's all so I won't blame them for that. Getting docile but still needs precautions." Somehow he treats you more of an experiment than a pet. Maybe you're those last options regularly people would consider to.

Nyen: He exited the interview because a reaction of the 'new' pet of the house from him is a waste of time to him. You're not worth his trouble. But he did said something about how fun watching you struggle when him and or his master catch you escaping.

Nyon: We couldn't find him to get an interview so we came to the conclusion that he has nothing to say about you. Maybe a little pity. That's all.

Bonus? Tsukada Satoru: "Ah she's quite cute but should keep a certain distance away from Randal. Hm? Jealous? In what way or to who exactly? Randal? Oh I could never. Randal is my best friend, I'm just protecting him away from her." Maybe if you play his heart well, he'll take more of a fancy to you.

[thesupreme316]

How aew men react to someone disrespecting their gfs

nick wayne x female reader, darius martin x female reader, hook x female reader, action andretti x female reader, dante martin x female reader, Eddie kingston x female reader, ricky starks x female reader

AEW BOYS React to: You Being Disrespected/Them Protecting You

Word Count: 1K

Supreme Speaks: hey sorry for being late. but thanks for being patient. you and another anon had the same request so i hope they also see this. i hope you guys enjoy this. Please remember that you are loved and appreciated.

Warning: GIFS AINT MINE, mentions of explicit language, slightly suggestive language

Taglist: @hooks-martin @sheinthatfandom @triscillal @cassie0sstuff @eddie-kingstons-wifey @hookerforhook @batzy-watzy @wwenhlimagines

Nick Wayne:

Okay, in my mind NICK IS A BABY

HE JUST WANTS PEACE

So he’ll ask for an apology from the person and but they refuse…In fact, they double down

And he just gets to fighting; lunging and tackling the person

But I think he’ll blackout fight

Like he didn’t even know he threw a punch until you pulled him off the other dude/person

Nick would be in shock at his actions, he’s shocked that he was that angry

He doesn’t like physical confrontation HES JUST A BABY

Would definitely buy you anything after that to make it up to you

But if he sees them again, it’s on and poppin

Darius Martin

Okay, tbh yall can go back (light years away) to find when I wrote Darius defending the reader against Sammy Guevara (ew)

But I believe that Darius is very diplomatic

Like he’ll fight with words first

He be like trying to create distance between you and the person

Constantly getting in their face and telling em to back up

Hates when you feel uncomfortable and tries to keep his anger at bay so that way you don’t get frightened

HOWEVER

I do think that Darius would wait for your approval to punch the person or lay hands on them

Him: looks back for approval

You: sighs yea

He doesn’t care who is around, he wants to send a message that you should never be disrespected

Ricky Starks

Okay like I always say…Ricky is a sassy and bold man

So I see him verbally assaulting the person before any punches are thrown

“You have the nerve to talk like that to my girl? In that outfit? Your parents must be so disappointed”

Ricky would just tell you to pay no mind to the person but they kept pushing his buttons

So he did what any gentleman would do

He calmly placed you at the side, turned to the disrespectful person, and calmly whispered in their ear

The person would then make a disgusted face and quickly walk away; mumbling an apology to you

Ricky wouldn’t tell you what he did, all he said was “Let’s go back to having a gorgeous day, beautiful.”

It was like you saw a switch go off…

But he then tells you the only disrespectful thing you’re gonna take is THAT PIPE IN YO-

Dante Martin (okay, idk why but Dante has been on the front of my mind recently….SO MY BABY)

If you have seen various tag matches with him and Darius, Dante is more of a hot-head/impulsive person

I also think because of him putting on weight (HAVE YALL SEEN HIS BACK?? OMG I JUST WANNA-)

He has found new confidence in protecting you, a task he doesn’t take lightly

So I think he will punch first, ask questions later

But it’s so bad that Darius or any of The Lads would have to hold him back

Yeah, after that he’s quiet as a mouse

He’ll only be thinking about how he can better protect you

If someone tries you again, I think he would try to use his words

…

But that doesn’t work so he’ll just go back to punching people left and right

Hook

Mr. Nice Guy

JUST KIDDING

He’s a silent killer, we all knew that

So if anything he’s choking out bitches left and right

Without hesitation like it happens so fast and you didn’t even know how he managed to it

Like are you dating the cold-heart handsome devil or Sonic the Hedgehog

But what makes it funnier is that he’s choking out a person with a straight ass face

Like no struggling or strain on his face

AND THEN

He gets up and continues the conversation that you two were previously having

Like he didn’t wasn’t your shining knight

“So yeah I like Cool Ranch more than Nacho Cheese”

Action Andretti

Andretti is a sweetheart and I think at first glance he doesn’t look that intimidating

So I think some people be underestimating him

But once he heard you get uncomfortable and disrespected, he quietly moved you aside before yelling in the other person’s face

You never saw him this angry so you kind of were in shock

And then you saw Andretti’s fist curl up so you were trying to pull him away but he stayed firm

“No, this bastard will apologize to you first. Then we can leave”

Although you were in shock by your boyfriend’s behavior, you can’t lie

It did turn you on

As soon as the dude left, you complimented your boyfriend and thanked him

He was trying to say you’re welcome but he saw that glint in your eyes and knew immediately how to show that you had the best boyfriend around

SO HE LAID THE WOOD-

Eddie Kingston:

MANS WILL NOT TAKE IT

Remember how he threw that TV at JAS? Yeah, he’s throwing everything in sight

I think everyone needs to understand that Eddie motherfucking Kingston is a ride-and-die friend

He will scorch the earth to ensure that you are defended

Any and all DMX songs are playing in his head while he’s doing so

He doesn’t tolerate disrespect at any time

So he and his friends will actively look for the person who disrespected you

Once he finds them, he pulls them aside

“Listen partna, you disrespected my girlfriend back there…don’t you think you outta apologize?” (Holds fork up to the person’s eye)

Would come back with a chunk of the person’s hair as a trophy and peace offering to you

To this day, Eddie would not tell you how he managed to get such a big chunk of the dude’s hair

[operation-cursed-sweet-tooth]

Part 1 collab with @penguinpartypalooza ✨

T-this is ridiculous…!

Two missing penguins and it hasn’t even been a full week…!

Hmm?

*growl* there must be something we’re missing…

We caught the culprit from the previous case… why is stuff like this still happening?! Let alone missing penguin cases-!

GHAA! This is hopeless!!

Whoa- G! What’s the matter??

*groan* Too much is the matter…I can’t even think straight- I haven’t even had my coffee for the day- my brain is all scrambled…. We’ve had multiple reports within the past couple days of missing penguins and even more puffles and no sign of what’s actually causing it…

Sure we caught the previous culprit…but even PH says that they only eat fish….that poor penguin…we don’t even know what actually killed them-

We’ve traced the samples off the body from that reindeer puffle and all traces still led to those wolves…! We must be missing something…o-or we caught the wrong puffle- or-

G- calm down and breathe-

What’re you even talking about for one- what culprit?? And what penguin?? What do you mean reindeer puffle…? It’s nowhere near the Holiday Party-

That…thing- that puffle there is the supposed culprit for a reindeer puffle’s death…which would have to be a penguin due to how reindeer puffles are even found to begin with….or so we thought… it was from a few days ago….

Wait huh??

And it turns out that this one hadn’t even done anything…! There’s no traces of reindeer anywhere…! It was all just fish and berries..! We don’t even know who this penguin was..! They’re permanently stuck as a puffle and are now dead-!

Now we have to start from square one on this case to figure out what could’ve actually harmed them…cause there’s no way it could’ve been Herbert… e-even then…

Hold that thought-

We found a new species of puffle!? And nobody told me!!?

Wha-

Dot…please focus on anything but that…this is serious-

Right, right sorry- you were saying??

*sigh* well…. To sum it up before you get distracted yet again… we came across a dead puffle…we then caught this puffle, only to find it wasn’t even what caused the incident of killing a penguin turned puffle in the first place….now we have to start over-

Not to mention…more penguins have been seemingly going missing since then…and it’s not getting any better…

Missing penguins..?! That’s awful…has anyone found a lead for any of them?? Like anything at all?

Only thing we kept coming across was the same thing…wolf fur- and that just kept leading us back to these puffles… since there’s no other source it could’ve come from…

Hmmm…that seems a bit suspicious to me- what if something or someone is trying to make us think it was these puffles?? I mean cmon- aren’t these fellas supposed to be all sweet and cuddly??

About that- this one here just about ripped open JPG’s arm…and PH could barely approach without it growling and snapping at her face…plus even I couldn’t approach it for even a moment to get a good look at it before it snagged a couple feathers off me… therefore they’ve been put in this cage for the time being… so no, they’re far from friendly…quite the opposite actually- like any other wild creatures I’d assume….

Awwww but can we still keep em?? Maybe they can become a guard dog!! I mean Herbert hates puffles right? What if we used these guys to scare him off??

Dot no- we’re not-

We could tame em and teach em cute dog tricks- oh! Do they come in other colors?? Maybe I can even make little outfits for them all~

Dot-

*CLICK*

Hmmm??

*sickly groan*

[moonchildreads]

small town

Chapter 26 - The Heart of Rock & Roll

IN THIS CHAPTER: Odd meetings, sudden realizations, and Dottie goes metal [14.1k]

WARNINGS: toxic friendships (not related to the Corroded Coffin boys, they are the best), technically underaged drinking, angst w/comfort, one (1) queer panic moment, author talking shit about Anthrax (the band, not the disease)

A/N: next chapter will start getting more into the mysteries of hawkins so enjoy our final beach episode type of chapter <3 also please let me know if you wanna added to the taglist! HUGE shoutout to my beloved @gutterratt who helped me put together the setlist - i love you always, and i wish i was drinking chocolate milk with you while talking shit about college.

masterlist - prev - next | main playlist - chapter playlist

They say the heart of rock and roll is still beating And from what I’ve seen I believe ‘em

Friday, June 27th - 1986

“Hey rockstar, come on in!”

Eddie Munson was pretty sure he was never going to be a rockstar. He had discussed this recently with his best friends after an intense practice session and all four of them agreed that this had been fun while it lasted, but it wasn’t something they could realistically pursue long term. Jeff was getting ready to leave for college in West Virginia, Gareth was trading in his plaid sleeveless vest for a suit and jazz music sheets, and Donny was much more interested in perfecting his family tiramisù recipe than to keep shredding his fingers by learning new bass arrangements on a monthly basis. Eddie had had a long time to think about his priorities and hopes for the future, but the proud look on Wayne’s face upon seeing his nephew’s first weekly paycheck stuck to the fridge by an old magnet was enough to cement his decision.

No, Eddie Munson was never going to be a rockstar, but that didn’t mean Corroded Coffin had to hang up their towels just yet. They were still squarely in the middle of Summer when the long awaited muggy and rainy Friday that was poised to be their biggest show to date, if not perhaps the biggest show they’d ever play, finally arrived. All in all, the members of Hawkins’ most misunderstood and badass band felt like they’d gotten their cake and were about to eat it too.

“Nice outfit,” James said, a heavy hand coming to pat Eddie’s back while he closed the door behind him. “Was expecting leather pants to be honest, but this looks great.”

“It’s too hot for leather, sir,” Eddie laughed as he hoisted his bursting backpack up his shoulder. “Maybe next time.”

“I’ll hold you to it,” the older man craned his head towards the stairs. “Honey? Eddie’s here!”

“I know!” came Dottie’s faint voice from the upper floor. “Tell him to come up, I’m not finished yet!”

“She’s already done her makeup three times,” James confided in the younger man. “Maybe you can convince her to stop messing with it.”

“I’ll try my best,” he said, saluting him before climbing up the stairs towards his girlfriend’s bedroom two steps at a time.

Eddie slowly pushed the door open to find Dottie at her desk, still wearing her cotton pajamas with a cute duck print and curlers in her hair while she put the finishing touches on the sickest makeup look he had ever seen on her. As if entranced, he leaned on the door frame while he watched her expertly apply a thick coat of mascara to her eyelashes; she smiled at him through her round vanity mirror and he swore he could feel himself melt against the wood.

“Hey darling,” he said, voice all soft and gooey.

“Hey superstar,” she replied with a flirty tone. “Are you gonna come in so I can give you a kiss before I do my lipstick or nah?”

“If I ever say no to that, shoot me because I’ve been possessed,” he kicked the door shut behind him and hurried to wrap his arms around her middle. “You look gorgeous.”

“This isn’t my final look, I’m not even dressed yet.”

“Dunno, baby, the duckies are pretty metal,” he joked while placing little pecks on her lips. She laughed and swatted at his chest lightly, making the backpack that was perched on his shoulder slide down his arm towards the floor. “Here - I brought you a bunch of shirts, thought you’d like to have options.”

“Thank you! I’ll try them on when I’m done with my makeup.”

“Can I watch while you play dress up?” Eddie wiggled his eyebrows.

“No, perv, my Dad’s downstairs!” Dottie laughed with no malice. “But… you can let me do your makeup now and then you’re free to go get a snack while I take all this stuff out of my hair.”

“Aw, are you gonna make me look pretty, babe?” he batted his eyelashes dramatically.

“No,” she said with a wicked grin. “I’m gonna make you look metal.”

Eddie was dying of anticipation as he sat at the Burke’s kitchen island, distracting himself by eating cheese crackers and talking to James. Dottie was being awfully secretive about her chosen look for the night, and he’d tried to look around her room in search of clues while she was painting his nails with her favorite black lacquer but quickly gave up when she grabbed her eyeliner pencil from her desk. Standing between his legs with her left hand gently placed on the side of his face to keep him still as she worked, he decided to let her do her thing in silence - he’d had too many run-ins with the thick pencil himself and did not want to risk an accident by pulling her focus away from her task.

For a brief moment, Eddie got to enjoy the feeling of his hands on her hips, keeping her close as she swiped the pigment on his waterline, but it was over all too soon for his taste. Once Dottie deemed his makeup perfect, she swiftly pushed him out of the room and locked the door behind him before he couldn’t even think of protesting about it. Defeated, Eddie went downstairs to commiserate with his girlfriend’s father (who was still unaware of the change in the teens’ relationship status) and James kept him busy with genuine interest and a few well placed questions about their plans for the upcoming show.

The young Munson boy was in the middle of listing the songs they’d chosen for the first half of their set when James lifted his eyes from his chopping board and looked at something over Eddie’s shoulder with a very surprised expression on his face. Confused, Eddie turned around and was suddenly met with his usually soft and adorable girlfriend looking like she’d come straight out of one of the magazines he kept hidden underneath his bed.

In the doorway between the kitchen and the living room stood an extremely nervous Dorothy Burke sporting dark eyeliner and deep red lipstick, her wilder than normal curls looking both frizzy and bouncy while she fidgeted as she waited for their opinions. She sparkled with bold silver jewelry that had been borrowed from her friends - a few of Gareth’s smallest rings, Jeff’s studded belt, and Donny’s chain bracelets -, and she was grateful to them for being so willing to help her put together a suitable look for the occasion. Two pieces from her own wardrobe were the only things she felt fully confident about wearing; the black suspender skirt and boots she’d worn for her birthday paired with new fishnets made her feel less strange in her own skin.

It was, however, what she was wearing on the upper part of her body that made Eddie feel like all the air inside his lungs had suddenly rushed out of his body. When he shoved a bunch of his t-shirts into his bag earlier, he hadn’t noticed that particular garment had sneaked into the mix, mainly because it had been a couple of years since he had last worn it. It was a simple top really, a white cotton baseball tee with black short sleeves just like Hellfire’s shirt, but  with his band’s logo printed in black at the front instead. The stylized letters spelling out Corroded Coffin now sat perfectly snug against Dottie’s chest, who was looking more and more apprehensive as silence stretched in the kitchen.

“Woah, honey, you look…,” James began, startled.

“Unreal,” Eddie completed, mouth suddenly dry.

“Shit,” Dottie shook her head. “I knew it, I knew was too much, I- I’ll go change really quick-”

“NO! No, no, are you crazy? This is- wow,” Eddie said, a huge grin spreading on his face. “You look amazing, like a- you look like you’re a Princess of Metal or something. Are you sure you’re not getting on stage with us?”

“I think I’ll leave that to the pros,” she said with a shy smile as her hands fiddled with the bottom of her skirt. “But are you sure this is okay? I have other options-”

“Honey, you look great,” James said, putting down his knife and walking around the counter so he could comfort her with a hug. “It’s just, y’know, different from your usual so we were surprised. But you look very pretty, I promise. You don’t like it?”

“No, I do, it’s just… I don’t know, it feels like I’m a poser,” she looked down at herself. 

“You’re not a poser,” Eddie scoffed. “You know the setlist front to back and you were the one who got us this gig. You’re literally our biggest fan.”

“I thought I was your manager,” Dottie joked. “Also don’t let Lee hear you say that, he’ll get upset and he loves you guys.”

“I can fight him for you, you deserve the top spot,” he said, making her snort. “He’s like 70 and is missing a leg, what’s he gonna do?”

“He’s a war vet! Have some respect for the man!” she gasped.

“I bet you could push him over if you wanted.”

“Eddie!”

“Alright, kids, no fighting veterans in this house, okay?” James said while taking off his apron. “I’ll go get the camera before you two head off - behave while I’m gone, please.”

Once he was back and with a new roll film in place, James motioned for them to pose for his impromptu photoshoot. Eddie was quick to hop back onto his stool, bringing Dottie closer to him with his arms around her waist. With him sitting down and her standing between his legs, their heights finally somewhat matched for once and the eldest Burke snapped photo after photo of the dolled up teens - first with big smiles, another one with their tongues out, a third one with the devil horns up, and the last one slightly out of focus as Eddie planted a big wet noisy kiss on Dottie’s cheek making her squeal as she tried to leap out of his embrace. James’ only comment was to offer copies for Wayne, and Dottie instantly knew by his lack of teasing that there was a potentially very embarrassing conversation in her near future.

“We good to go?” Eddie asked. “Gotta head to Gareth’s first to load the drums.”

“Yeah, I’ll go get your backpack and we can leave. Meet me outside?” she replied, disappearing into the living room.

“Come on, I’ll walk you out,” James said, guiding Eddie towards the front door. It didn’t come as a surprise to the younger man when he lowered his voice for a man to man talk. “You kids drive safe, okay? Call me if you need anything, don’t bother your Uncle while he’s at work.”

“Yes, sir,” Eddie said, uncharacteristically serious. “Donny’s gonna take over for me if I’m too tired to drive back, we have it under control.”

“Okay, good. I trust you, Ed. You go have fun, yeah? Have a great show.”

“Thank you, sir. We’ll be safe, I promise.”

None of them were exactly unaware of the deeper meaning of their conversation, especially since it hadn’t been the first one of its kind they’d ever had. Eddie felt equal parts grateful that James trusted him so much and ashamed that he was actively lying to his face every single time he saw him. He was so used to Wayne knowing that sometimes he forgot no one else did, and while he was on the same page as Dottie and they both agreed that they didn’t want to make things awkward with their friends just yet, he hoped they could tell James sooner rather than later. He’d hate to disappoint the one person who had so warmly opened the doors of his house to him before he even knew who he was and without an ounce of judgment.

Dottie finally joined them at the door and after a few quick goodbyes and loving hugs, the pair got into the van and drove off towards the first stop of their most anticipated adventure of the summer. Take that, Hawkins, Eddie thought. Corroded Coffin was officially a touring band, and he was confident nothing in the world could derail the night ahead of them.

Indianapolis was not too far away from Hawkins, located only around 42 miles to the Southwest of the much smaller town. Corroded Coffin (plus Dottie, who was by then considered as much part of the band as the rest of them) had piled into Eddie’s van with their instruments and amps as they excitedly made their way towards their biggest gig ever. After a short argument that Eddie quickly silenced, Dottie secured her place as his co-pilot due to her knack for map reading, leaving the other three boys to sit in the back with Jeff acting as the official DJ for the ride.

Entering the city felt like a dream come true. As Gareth drummed on the window with his sticks, perfectly in tune to the songs coming out of the van’s speakers, Donny leaned forward to follow Dottie’s map over her shoulder, nervously watching as their destination grew closer and closer to her moving finger. It felt momentous as they saw the bar’s neon sign calling to them like a beacon, all five sets of eyes wide with anticipation as Eddie pulled into the parking lot behind the building. They sat in silence for a few seconds once he cut the engine and the radio was turned off, everyone’s heads reared towards the direction of the bar with elation and perhaps also a little bit of apprehension.

The Hideout was safe, a known place with familiar faces that cheered for them and supported their dreams even if no one else in their godforsaken town did. Here there would be no Dave with cold beers waiting behind the bar, no B.B. and Rudy telling stories, no Shonda’s cheek pinching once they were done, no Lee asking for a Judas Priest song before they packed their gear back into the van. Turning in his seat to look at his fellow band members, Eddie’s mouth split into a contagious grin in an effort to muster some collective courage.

“Well, boys. We made it,” he said, cringing at the sound of his own uncertain voice tone.

“So, what now?” Donny asked. “Do we start unpacking or…”

“Um, I think…,” Dottie said, chewing on her lower lip. “I think I’ll go in and see if Jessie is around? I talked to her last week and she said she would be here. She’ll tell us what to do.”

“I’ll go with you,” Gareth offered, quickly jumping out of his seat.

“Okay, we’ll, uh, we’ll get ready to start unloading then,” Eddie said, motioning for everyone to get out of the van.

“God, I need a fuckin’ smoke,” Donny muttered nervously as Dottie linked arms with Gareth and headed towards the sidewalk.

Moore House was a quaint corner pub a few blocks away from the main IUPUI buildings in Downtown Indianapolis, and even though rain had been announced for later on in the night, the outside tables were beginning to fill up with tired and stressed college aged kids trying to let loose for the weekend. The new semester wasn’t scheduled to start for a few more weeks, but that didn’t mean activities at Indiana and Purdue had been reduced completely to zero; there were summer lessons to be taken for extra credits, early graduations to be celebrated, part-time and student jobs to be worked, and sport camps and clinics to be attended, and Moore House always made sure to offer a safe, fun, cheap destination for visitors and locals alike.

Gareth stared around the pub in wonder, absorbing the atmosphere while Dottie stood on her tiptoes searching for someone. There was a long bar counter in the middle of the room with wooden stools and a cash register at each end, a sizable number of booths and tables with people milling about and enjoying cold beers and various pub foods, and a low stage at the back on the right side of the building. The curly haired boy gazed at the flags and banners that decorated the room: cream and crimson for Indiana University, old gold and black for Purdue, and Hoosier pride everywhere you looked.

“Are we sure this isn’t a sports bar?” Gareth asked, eyes stuck to a table with a group of guys who looked like they would have been best friends with the Hawkins Tigers.

“It’s just a college bar, their campus is like 10 blocks away,” Dottie said, balancing on her toes. “Also there’s like a million bars around here, they need to attract people somehow and school pride always sells. Oh, there she is!”

Jessie the Night Shift Manager was standing right outside the kitchen door talking to another employee, her bold makeup and crimped hair instantly making Gareth’s eyes widen. Dottie grabbed his hand and led him straight to her, a warm smile spreading on Jessie’s lips as soon as she recognized the younger girl approaching her.

“Goddamn, teach! That’s a hell of a look,” Jessie said, pulling Dottie into a one armed hug. She was holding a clipboard on her other hand, a clearly borrowed bright pink scrunchie she hadn’t had the time to use yet secured around her left wrist.

“Wanted to look the part for the show,” Dottie shrugged. “This is Gareth, he’s Corroded Coffin’s drummer.”

“H-hi, how’s it going?” he said, a little bit dazed upon seeing Jessie’s snake tattoo wrapping around her upper arm.

“Hey, nice to meet you, dude!” she replied, putting her hand forward to shake his before she turned back to Dottie. “I know I told you last week over the phone, but congrats on your graduation!”

“You too! Any news about the job thing?”

“I’m still waiting to hear back from the lab but fingers crossed! If I have to spend another summer managing this kitchen, I think I’ll off myself,” Jessie joked. “Where’s the rest of the band?”

“Oh, they’re in the parking lot! Should we start unloading the van now?”

“Hell yeah! We’ve got a great crowd tonight, should be fun. A lot of people touring campus this week,” she said while leading them towards an employee-only backdoor. “You guys can come from the parking lot straight through here, I know your equipment is probably heavy.”

“For sure, thanks-” Dottie was saying before Gareth cut her off.

“Not a problem, I can carry heavy loads,” he grinned.

“Good for you, kid,” Jessie said, an amused smile gracing her lips. “Well, just let me know if you need anything. Come find me when you’re done, teach, I’ll get you set up at a table!”

“Seriously?” Dottie raised an eyebrow at Gareth as soon as they were alone again. “You can carry heavy loads?”

“Don’t,” he groaned. “I panicked. You didn’t say she was hot.”

“Who’s hot?” Donny asked, leaning against Eddie’s van with a cigarette between his lips.

“Jessie, the manager. She’s too old for you anyways,” Dottie said at large before going to help Eddie and Jeff at the back of the van.

“Says who?” Gareth argued.

“She called you kid,” she replied, not even looking at him.

“Shit, man,” Donny laughed. “It’s lost.”

“Ugh, shut up.”

Between all five of them, the members of Corroded Coffin plus Dottie made quick work carrying the heavy equipment inside, their constant back and forth through the backdoor making the bar’s patrons notice the commotion. A live show was always something to look forward to for the college aged students who frequented Moore House, particularly if they had a bottle of beer in their hands. College was a moment where people got to figure themselves out, and there was no greater feeling than discovering a piece of yourself you didn’t know was there before through the rush of a good (and free) show.

Eddie and Gareth began putting the drum kit back together while Jeff and Donny went back to the van to get the last few bits and bobs they’d need for the show; Dottie, on her last task before being dismissed as their roadie for the night, headed towards the bar to grab a few water bottles for her friends as she knew they’d be asking for a drink two songs into their setlist. Corroded Coffin might not have known what it was like to shed blood and tears on a stage, but they certainly could sweat for an entire crowd if necessary.

Because of the jitters currently racing through her body, Dottie did not notice there were two people staring straight at her from the other side of the bar, directly opposite from where she was waiting for Jessie to come back from the kitchen. A boy and a girl about her age were inching closer and closer to her, muttering amongst themselves curiously and trying not to startle her.

“It’s her, I know it is,” the girl said when she was within hearing distance.

“No, it’s not, just look at her,” the boy was saying, and Dottie would have turned towards them if not for the fact that Jessie had finally appeared, a pile of cold water bottles balanced on her forearms.

“Ooookay, here you go,” she said, tilting the pyramid into Dottie’s waiting hands. “If you need more, ask Pearl or Frankie, I’ve caught them up to speed now.”

“Thanks, I will!”

“Oh, also I set up two tables for you guys over there,” Jessie leaned over the countertop to point to two square tables pushed together near the stage. “Just, y’know, tell them not to aim the amps directly to that side or your ears will start bleeding two minutes in.”

“I think I’m immune to it by now, but thank you for worrying about my hearing,” Dottie laughed.

“Holy shit, it is her!”

Nothing could have prepared Dottie for the whiplash of turning around and discovering the gossiping couple were none other than Benji and Tracey, two of her old friends from when she lived back in New York. She was suddenly grateful she had her arms busy, because her first instinct had been to reach out for a hug before her brain caught up to her limbs and she remembered why she didn’t consider these people her friends anymore.

“Dorothy?!” Benji asked, confusion all over his face as his eyes raked over her image.

“H-hey guys, what are you doing here? I- I mean, how are you doing?” Dottie managed to get out, trying to school her expression into what she hoped was a pleasant face.

“I got into Purdue! We’re touring the campus,” Tracey said, proudly. “Oh my god, are you going to Purdue too? Or Indy? Do you live around here?”

“No, no, I’m… I’m here with some friends, we live in a different town. We’re just here for the show.”

“Well, you look like you’re ready for it!” Benji said with a dumbfounded tone. “What happened to your hair? It was so long before, we almost didn’t recognize you!”

I cut it myself with a pair of kiddie scissors at a gas station halfway through Pennsylvania, was what Dottie thought, but she wasn’t about to tell them that, lest they knew how brokenhearted she’d been when she’d left everything she’d ever known behind to move to Hawkins. There was an old wound opening itself in the middle of her chest, and she’d fight tooth and nail before they ever saw her bleed again.

“Just needed a change! You know how it is - new year, new me,” she laughed and the fakeness of the sound went unnoticed by the pair but not to her. “So, you’re both going to Purdue then?”

“Oh, no, just Trace,” Benji waved his hand as he spoke. “I got into UTA. Gonna do Civil Engineering actually, so you can thank your Dad for that one.”

“No way!” Dottie smiled, and this time it felt less fake. “That’s awesome, congrats. And you’re still doing Psych?”

“Yup!” Tracey beamed at the fact she remembered. “I’m so excited! I’m gonna move in with Howie so we’re looking to rent an apartment somewhere around here.”

“Oh, wow, you and Howie? Didn’t see that one coming.”

“No, ew, not like that,” she shuddered. “He’s going to Indy U. We’re just gonna live together, you know, try not to kill each other. Fun stuff.”

“Is- is Howie here too then?” Dottie asked, dread settling at the base of her stomach.

“Yeah, Jeanette and him are trying to find a place to park, they’ll be here in a sec.”

“Jeannie is here?”

“We don’t call her like that anymore,” Benji said, his tone playful but revealing of the fact that he thought it was stupid.

“Where are your friends?” Tracey asked, not aware that Dottie’s knees were flaking on her. “We can all sit together and catch up!”

“I- Sure, it- it’s that table over there,” Dottie managed to get out, pointing to it with a lone finger. “I need to do something first but you guys go sit and I’ll find you later!”

Without waiting for confirmation, Dottie launched into a sprint towards the backdoor, not stopping until she saw the parked van on the other end. She found Donny with half his body shoved inside the back, searching for something on the floor while Jeff peered over his friend’s shoulder on his tiptoes, arms heavy with carefully looped cable cords.

“He always does this!” Donny complained, voice a little muffled.

“We should get him a stick bag for his birthday.”

“He has a brown leather bag, he just never uses it because it doesn’t look cool but if he keeps losing these goddamn sticks and making me find them, I swear-”

“Woah, what’s the rush?” Jeff asked when he spotted Dottie bounding towards them.

“My friends are here,” she wheezed out, dropping the water bottles she was still holding onto the van’s carpeted floor.

“What?”

“My shitty friends from New York,” Dottie explained. “I just ran into them, they want to sit with me and catch up and I think I’m gonna pass out.”

“Okay, okay, come here,” Jeff pulled her into a tight hug. “Who are these people again?”

“Remember when I told you about my best friend Jeannie who kinda stole my boyfriend but not really?”

“That bitch!” Donny said, abandoning the search for Gareth’s second set of drumsticks.

“Yeah, so, her and three more people. Trace and Ben are being super nice to me which is odd as hell because they spent all semester not talking to me before I moved away, and apparently Howie is here too and he’s always been kind of a douchebag but I never cared for him that much and I doubt he cares about me either.”

“I know I’ve said this before but they sound like they suck,” Jeff said.

“They do, yeah,” she rested her head on his shoulder, arms wound around his waist. “What do I do? They already know I’m here, I can’t just disappear and miss the show.”

“Hey, look at it this way,” Donny proposed. “You won’t be able to talk that much when we start the set and as soon as we’re done, we’ll be there for backup.”

“Yeah! You just gotta survive like ten more minutes on your own.”

“That does not make me feel any better.”

“We’re playing Mötley,” Jeff said, looking down at her.

“What? There’s no way Eddie allowed that.”

“Oh, Ed was in no position to argue,” the two boys snickered over her head.

“What does that mean?”

“You’ll find out,” Donny said mysteriously before turning back to the van. “By the way, have you seen Gareth’s extra drumsticks?”

“Yeah, I put them in my door pocket ‘cause they kept rolling around the back,” Dottie said, unlatching herself from Jeff’s front and going to get them. “Here.”

“You hold onto them, he didn’t bring the holder.”

“I told him we were forgetting something!”

Feeling more confident after their pep talk, the trio made their way inside where they exchanged a final group hug. For good luck, Jeff said, and while no one knew if he meant it for the band or Dottie, the question went unasked. He was the first one to walk into the bigger room to take the rest of the cables to their friends setting up on stage while the water bottles changed hands once more, this time settling on Donny’s arms.

“Hey,” he said, before they finally had to face the music. “You’ll be okay. You have us now.”

“I know. Thanks, Don,” she smiled, leaning to kiss his cheek and leaving a bright red print on his skin. “Oh, no, I forgot I had lipstick on!”

“Leave it,” he laughed, walking backwards and pushing the doors open with his shoulder. “It looks badass!”

Dottie felt a little bit like a lamb walking towards the slaughterhouse as she approached her table, now occupied by friends from what felt like a previous lifetime. Tracey and Benji were sitting next to each other, each of them holding a beer bottle and doing what one could only assume was gossiping as they looked around the place and the people mingling around. Next to them sat Jeannie, hand wrapped around a tall cocktail with a practiced air of nonchalance undercut by the tiniest bit of hardness in her stare. Rounding the group was Howie, already wearing an Indiana University shirt and cap he’d probably gotten during his tour earlier on in the day.

“Hey everyone,” Dottie said, smiling at them when she approached.

“Dorothy?” Howie said, getting to his feet to pull her into a hug. “Wow, what happened to your hair?”

“Oh, I just… I chopped it off! Do you like it?”

“Love it!” Tracey was saying but a voice rose above hers, cutting her short.

“You look like you’re wearing a costume,” Jeannie sneered before also getting up and hugging her former friend.

Being friends with Jeannie had never been an easy task for anyone who had been brave enough to try. She could be lovely if she liked you, could even be considered caring on occasion, but she could also tear you apart just as effortlessly with a few well-chosen words. Jeanette Sanders was the undisputed leader of their friend group, and she carried that title with pride, not allowing anyone to challenge her or her authority if they wished to remain in her graces. Tracey, on the other hand, had always been known as the genuinely kind one of the bunch, if a bit of a pushover. Whenever Jeannie lashed out, Tracey was always there to patch up the wounds she left behind in her wrath, never complaining about it but, most importantly, never defying her.

Howie, however, was a different story. In true Golden Retriever fashion, he had been deemed too dumb to be Jeannie’s second in command but too useful to cut by the time they’d entered high school. He had the most money, the biggest house, and as soon as they reached the age to own a license, the only one who had unlimited access to a car thanks to a very generous gift from his wealthy Criminal Attorney father. That is not to say that the only reason they were friends with him was what he could purchase or what he owned; after all, they’d known each other since they were six, but it was a well-known fact that they put up with his consistent silly frat-boy behavior because he just made plans go so much smoother if he was included in them.

What Howie had going on with his dumb rich kid lifestyle, Benji matched with his stereotypical still-in-the-closet theater kid attitude. Benji was smart, calculating and quick-witted, he was unrivaled in the Fine Art of a Comeback, and had secured his place as Jeannie’s right hand man a long time ago by sheer virtue of knowing who everyone was, and most valuably, what everyone wanted. He could be incredibly manipulative and two-faced, but he was also the one who was the most honest with Jeannie, constantly calling her out and keeping her in check whenever he thought she went too far.

Regardless of this, Dottie had to admit that if you had asked her what she thought of them a mere year earlier, she would have never described any of her former friends with such harsh words. Instead, she would have told you that Tracey was loyal to a fault, tender and compassionate with everyone around her, and that Howie was funny in a boyish sort of way, clumsy, hardworking, and entirely too selfless regarding his material possessions. She would have labeled Benji as self-assured and opinionated, never shying away from being in the spotlight and most likely to be destined for stardom, and Jeannie… Jeannie would have simply been called her Best Friend.

“It’s nice to see everyone,” Dottie said, swallowing her pride and sitting at the table, her back turned to the stage. “Are you excited for college? Tracey was telling me you two are moving in together.”

“Oh, yeah!” Howie said, leaning back on his chair. “We haven’t found a good place yet, but I’m hopeful. Do you live around here?”

“No, no, I’m just here for the show,” she shrugged. “I live in a different town, we’re like 30 or 40 minutes away I think.”

“Where do you live?” Jeannie asked.

“It’s called Hawkins, it’s to the Northeast? It’s really small, you probably haven’t heard of it.”

“But it’s here in Indiana?”

“Yeah, still Indiana!”

“At least you’re close to Indianapolis,” she said, like she would have dropped dead if she had to move anywhere that wasn’t a major city.

The sudden feedback of a microphone cut through the noise in the pub, and Jessie, busy stationed at the till, motioned to a coworker to lower the lights and cut off the ambient music. On the stage, the boys cringed at the shrill sound, Donny immediately lowering the volume of an amp at his side. Jeff looked sheepishly at the crowd, one hand on the neck of his guitar, the other resting on top of the mic casually.

“Hi,” he simply said, his easygoing tone making people turn towards them with curiosity. “Our name is Corroded Coffin, we’re from Hawkins, Indiana, and we’d like to play a few songs for you tonight if you guys don’t mind.”

Dottie turned around in her seat, completely ignoring everyone else at the table and feeling all her frayed nerves turn into joyous pride as she saw her friends on stage like they were always meant to be. Jeff stood confidently in the middle, wearing a white Metallica t-shirt he’d cut into a muscle tank, ripped jeans and a plaid red shirt tied at his hips. His chains glinted as he turned to look at his band members and Eddie nodded once, giving him the go ahead so he could start playing the intro to Dio’s The Last in Line.

Even if Dottie knew the setlist front to back and had seen them play each song repeatedly throughout the last few months, she found she was still happily stunned at the talent her friends displayed every time they got to play rockstars for a while. We’re a ship without a storm, cold without the warm, light inside the darkness that it needs, yeah, Jeff sang, and if the silence in the room was anything to go by, Corroded Coffin knew they had everyone’s attention on the palm of their hands.

“Huh,” Benji said, surprised. “Was not expecting that from how they look.”

We’re a laugh without a tear, the hope without the fear, we are coming…

“What were you expecting?” Dottie asked with a knowing smile.

Benji had no time to answer as Jeff strongly yelled the word home, the rest of the band following his lead and diving into the rest of the song with purpose and childlike joy. A couple of excited hollers were heard through the bar as Jeff launched into the second verse with the usual intensity he always performed with; Eddie joined him once he reached the chorus, happy to be the background vocals to his much more operatic-inclined friend.

They took no breaks at the end of the song, launching straight into Iron Maiden’s Flight of Icarus to a similar reception from the crowd, much to their surprise. Dottie sang along without a care in the world, entirely too delighted to care about the people around her when her boyfriend and her best friends in the whole world were finally living their shared dream and gifting everyone one of the best performances they’d ever done. Moore House was no Madison Square Garden, but to Corroded Coffin it might as well have been anyway.

Once they reached the last two songs in the first half of their set, Dottie anxiously leaned forward in her seat knowing this would be Gareth’s make or break moment. Perched behind his drum set, his next task ahead was to ace Metallica’s Motorbreath and Mötorhead’s Overkill back to back, and while he felt more than capable of rising to the occasion, there was still the nagging feeling that something might go wrong at the worst possible moment. He breezed through Motorbreath with ease, having played it several times to great success at The Hideout, but to go straight into Overkill with no time to shake off the tension in his arms had him all strung-out, and he had expressed as much in the van during their trip to Indy.

“Get it, G!” Dottie yelled in an effort to be supportive, and he absolutely heard her in the lull between the two songs, letting out a crazed laugh as he launched into Overkill’s intro.

Eddie wasted no time to jump in and the rest of the boys followed, giving it their all to get the crowd hyped up before they took a small water break. Maybe it was the manifestation of Gareth’s worst fears, maybe it was the fact that he’d gone all out for the last two songs and wore the wood out, or maybe it was simply an unlucky coincidence, but right at the last second, during his last hit, one of his drumsticks fractured into two pieces with a loud crack that made even Howie wince. Donny hurried to Gareth’s side and they shared a quick talk before the drummer stood up and started power walking towards the exit, most likely headed to the van in search of a new pair of drumsticks.

“We’re gonna take a short break, let you guys get a breather and more drinks, take a piss if you need it,” Eddie said into his mic with a cheeky smirk. “We’ll be back in a sec with more songs, thank you for the great vibes so far.”

“This is fun,” Howie said, polishing off the rest of his beer as Jeannie scoffed next to him.

“Where the fuck is he going,” Dottie muttered to herself distractedly as she watched Gareth bolt past her. “G! G! Jesus Christ- Gareth!”

“I’ll be right back-” he was yelling back to her when he saw her bend down and take his extra drumsticks out of the side of her boot. “Oh, thank God!”

For the first time that night, Gareth realized Dottie wasn’t alone at their table and after shooting the strangers a quick hello, he awkwardly turned towards his friend, feeling very much observed by them and not in a particularly welcoming way. He raised his eyebrows in a silent question; she simply pressed the sticks into his hand and mouthed the words “Ask Jeff”. He was about to say something when Jessie the Night Manager appeared suddenly, shoving more water bottles into his arms.

“You’ve got great taste, teach!” she said to Dottie before turning to Gareth. “Band sounds really good!”

“Thanks!” he said, eyes widening and eyebrows disappearing behind the floppy curls on his forehead.

“Better get back on stage, hot stuff, break’s about to end,” Jessie winked and quickly disappeared behind the bar again.

“Wow,” Dottie said, teasing him. “Didn’t think you’d actually start drooling.”

“I’m gonna need you to be quiet while I restart my brain,” he breathed out, entirely too flustered to come up with any defensive statement. “You said you talked to her last week, can I have her number?”

“No. Go up there and keep being charming until she gives it to you herself! You got this,” she pushed him towards the stage; he twisted in her hold and grabbed the back of her head with one hand to plant a wet, noisy kiss to her forehead.

“I love you, thank you for these!” he said, jogging back towards his bandmates.

“Love you too! Don’t break them, that’s your only extra pair!” Dottie yelled after him and he waved the drumsticks over his shoulder to let her know he’d heard her.

“Well,” Jeannie said with a dangerous glint in her eyes and her arms crossed. “Looks like Little Miss Dorothy isn’t so little anymore. Didn’t take you for a groupie.”

“I’m not their groupie,” she frowned. “Those are my friends, I’m just being supportive.”

“Really? How did you meet them?” Tracey asked, curiously.

“We went to school together. I had Political Science and Chemistry with Gareth, we were lab partners for a few months.”

“You’re not dating that guy, are you?” Benji laughed. “He seems nice but it looks like he’s in love with that waitress.”

“Ew, no, he’s my best friend,” Dottie said, a fond smile on her face. “They all, actually.”

“Best friends, huh?” Jeannie said pointedly. “In six months? You moved on fast.”

“Guess I learned that from you,” she shrugged, turning around once more to watch the rest of the show leaving Jeannie to fume in silence.

“Alright, everyone, who’s ready for some more?” Jeff said into the mic, capturing the bar’s attention once more. “You good to go, Gare?”

Instead of answering, Gareth simply launched into an intro Dottie was very familiar with, but she was confident it hadn’t been included in the setlist she’d seen in the van. They were supposed to open the second half of their show with a Megadeth song, she’d heard Donny argue for it, so what did Eddie think he was doing joining his drummer and plucking along to Van Halen’s Hot for Teacher? It was even more surprising when he approached the mic as Jeff took over guitar duties; the eldest member of Corroded Coffin scanned the crowd with a mischievous smirk until his eyes found his girlfriend before he leaned into the mic.

“Oh, man, wait a second,” he began, turning towards Donny and hamming it up for the performance. “What do you think the teacher’s gonna look like this year?”

Dottie let out a loud laugh disconcerting everyone at the table, but when she locked eyes with Eddie and he winked at her, she knew that Gareth had, as she’d suggested, asked Jeff about the uncomfortable situation going on offstage and had been thoroughly briefed on the issue at hand. It was so like them to change their setlist to make her feel better, and yet so unexpected that it left her a little teary. With a simple gesture, something no one else would have noticed except her, they’d managed to remind her that she had their support no matter what happened or how far they were from her.

As the show went on and the boys played a very funky rendition of Whitesnake’s Saints an’ Sinners, one of Gareth’s favorites, Benji and Tracey began getting more into it, cheering along with Dottie, swaying and headbanging in all appropriate places. Howie looked like he was honestly enjoying himself during Helter Skelter, even going so far as to sing along, elated that there was at least one song with lyrics he actually knew in the setlist. The band took a few seconds to let Jeff drink some water before they played Van Halen’s Little Dreamer, showcasing the boy’s best asset: his lovely crooner voice, full of body and emotion.

By the time Corroded Coffin reached their last song, Moore House was packed with the patrons that had been sitting outside when they’d first arrived at the bar. A light irregular shower had forced people to either go home or seek refuge inside, and many had gladly chosen to stay for the rest of the show and were now being treated to a high energy rendition of Quiet Riot’s Cum on Feel the Noize to close out the evening. During the song, there was a moment where Donny and Eddie, who were goofing off with each other, turned to look at Jeff and Gareth who were also playing along to their antics from the other side of the stage.

Miles away from home, in front of a crowd that had only just met them but seemed nonetheless enthusiastic - or at least not disgusted by their presence - the quartet had never felt more at ease when performing. Even if Moore House wasn’t The Hideout, they knew they could get used to it just as easily if given the chance.

“So,” Eddie said, once the applause at the end of the song had quieted down. “Normally that would have been our last song, but today’s a special day for us. You see, Moore House, today’s the very first time we’ve played outside of our hometown. Little Hawkins has had quite the monopoly on us for the last few years,” he joked, making a few people chuckle along with him. “The truth is, we wouldn’t be here without a very special someone in the audience. You might have heard her screaming her ass off like a banshee all night - that was pretty metal of you, princess.”

It felt like all the air had been sucked out of the room, leaving her floating between the tables as Dottie realized Eddie was talking about her. Charmed like a snake, she sat a little bit taller, eyes glued to the tender smile her boyfriend was not so secretly affording her. It didn’t matter if anyone else saw the hearts floating above his head - he was so in love with the short haired girl sitting a few feet away from him that he was willing to bear all the jokes their friends had been making at his expense for the past week every time they practiced the surprise they had planned. Just the look on her face was worth all of it, and so much more. Donny motioned for her to stand up and she did so, one hand wrapped around the back of her chair for support.

“That’s our banshee!” Gareth said, gleefully.

“Actually, that’s our manager,” Jeff chuckled into his mic without missing a beat. “And she’s the one that got us this gig so you’ve been enjoying the show, please give it up for her.”

Jessie finger-whistled loudly from behind the till, leading the amused applause that broke out while Dottie marveled at the audience happily following Jeff’s commands. It was undeniable that Corroded Coffin had always been charming, but seeing how strongly a crowd of college aged strangers reacted to them had her feeling incredibly bittersweet at the fact that their path to glory was being cut short so early by themselves of all people. Maybe she could convince them to see their college adventures as a hiatus rather than a permanent break. Four years would pass by quickly, wouldn’t they?

“To show our gratitude to our most Darling Dottie, our friend and manager, let’s end this on a high note, shall we?” Eddie redirected everyone’s attention back to the stage. “This has been Corroded Coffin, from Hawkins, Indiana, and we have one final question for you, guys-”

No fucking way, Dottie thought when she heard Jeff start playing their surprise song. There’s no way. They’d never do this outside of Gareth’s garage, I must be totally hallucinating-

“Whatever happened to Saturday night?” Eddie sang into the mic, exchanging positions with Jeff and taking the lead singer spot in the middle of the stage. “When you dressed up sharp and you felt alright?”

“Oh, I love this song!” Benji said, in true theater kid fashion.

“You used to love Rocky Horror, didn’t you?” Tracey said, remembering an old theater ticket Dottie used to keep around as a bookmark.

“I still do, yeah,” she breathed out, a dazed smile etched onto her face.

Eddie wasn’t the best singer in Corroded Coffin. He knew this very well and didn’t have any issues admitting to it, especially when what he lacked in the voice department, he knew he more than made up for with his guitar skills. When he’d brought up the idea of closing the show with Hot Patootie/Bless My Soul as a thank you to Dottie, everyone else had quickly agreed that while the gesture was lovely, the song did not fit in with the rest of their planned set. The boys had then begun suggesting different songs they knew she liked, but Eddie had remained undeterred. In the end, the only reason he’d managed to crack them was because he’d arranged the sax break into a new guitar solo that had really excited Donny upon hearing it, and so the rest of the band followed suit in changing their opinion.

“Go, girl!” Benji pushed Dottie towards the stage when the solo started and Eddie kneeled near the edge looking right at her as he played. “He’s waiting for you!”

With red cheeks and embarrassed giggles, Dottie let herself be guided towards the stage by both Benji and Tracey, turning back to look at them dancing with one another when she felt their hands leave her back. Shifting her focus back on Eddie and only Eddie, Dottie let herself imagine a future where they got to do this all the time, and instead of having to play covers of well known bands, Corroded Coffin would be allowed to play their own songs - the ones she knew were written into notebooks stashed in Eddie’s closet and Donny’s old toy chest (now turned into a junk trunk after donating all his action figures to his little sister Giulietta to marry off to her Barbies).

With your arms around your girl you’d try to sing along, it felt pretty good, woo, really had a good time, Eddie belted before he moved away and sang the chorus along with Jeff at this mic, eyes never leaving his girlfriend’s beaming figure at the bottom of the stage. He had never felt so in the zone performing before: he had a cheering audience that consisted of more than five drunks, his girl was dancing and singing along with the crowd, and his best friends were killing it even after Gareth’s little drumstick mishap. At the start of the night Eddie Munson had been sure he would never be a rockstar, but at that moment he couldn’t deny he certainly felt like one already.

“Good night, everyone!” Jeff said while they played themselves out. “You were fuckin’ awesome!”

Most people cheerfully clapped for them before going back to their chosen alcoholic beverages for the night, the speakers sparking back to life with classic rock to mask the chattering and gossiping. Eddie took his guitar off his shoulder and hurried off the stage, wrapping his sweaty arms around Dottie who squealed in delight when he lifted her up and shook her around excitedly.

“Okay, okay, calm down!” she laughed, hands coming to hold onto his shoulders for dear life.

“Thank you, darling, holy shit, thank you,” he said, his voice full of emotion as he squeezed her sides. “That was the best moment of my life, I’m so fucking thankful.”

“You guys were so good! That was your best show ever, I’m so proud of you, babe.”

“Yeah?” he grinned at her, finally moving his face off her neck. “You have no idea how much I wanna kiss the shit out of you right now but the guys are totally gonna notice.”

“We can sneak down to the lake after we drop everyone off,” she whispered, mischief in her eyes.

“Fuck, I’m so in love with you,” he groaned, eyes closed and face tilted towards the ceiling. “I’ll- I’m gonna take my shit back to the van and I’ll be right back or else I’m gonna do something stupid and get us kicked out of the bar.”

“I’ll go get us drinks!” she announced, loud enough so that the rest of the boys could hear her. “Beers for everyone okay?”

“I’ll go with you!” Gareth said, springing up from where he was squatting while he unplugged a pedal. “Leave the kit here, guys, I’ll come get it when my arms aren’t about to fall off.”

He offered his hand to Dottie who happily took it, and together they went to order beers for everyone as a prize for a job well done. Corroded Coffin’s Big Show had been perfect and a celebration was in order, even if their table had been co-opted by a bunch of teens none of them really felt like partying with. Sense of danger lulled by the excitement of the evening and the fact that she was now flanked on both sides by her best friends, Dottie relaxed and finally let her guard down, content on enjoying the festivities and listening to the chatter around her as she often did when hanging out with the boys.

In retrospect, she should have known better. Hawkins had changed her, softened her, made her more trusting, more vulnerable. She was easy prey now, and as much as she tried to hide the gaping hole in her chest every time she looked at her former best friend, Jeannie had always been an expert in sniffing out blood in the water. Dottie really should have known better.

The Corroded Coffin boys might not have been stellar students during their time at Hawkins High, but their social status as the school’s freaks had taught them a very valuable skill: all four of them could spot a lion dressed like a lamb from miles away. Introductions had barely been made before they recognized Jeannie for who she truly was, all fake smiles hiding a look of contempt she just couldn’t - or wouldn’t - mask in its entirety. It was almost laughable how easy it was to pinpoint how important she thought she was, and also just how much it bothered her that none of them seemed to fall at her feet no matter how much she flicked her long hair over her shoulders.

Jeannie sat silently at the table, becoming more and more upset as the minutes ticked by and no one so much as turned to look at her. As Tracey talked to Donny sitting next to her, gushing about the show and his performance, Eddie stretched and then dropped his arm on Dottie’s chair, pulling her closer to him without the rest of the group noticing. She looked up at him for a brief second before she leaned forward with the excuse of grabbing a napkin, letting their thighs touch as she sat back down. They both turned towards Tracey with bashful smiles, and upon hearing her friend praising the lamest band she’d ever heard, Jeannie felt a ball of anger grow and lodge itself in her throat. Time to hunt.

“How would you even know if they’re good or not? You only listen to Hall & Oates, Trace,” she laughed dismissively, finger tracing the rim of her glass with a practiced smug expression.

“You do?” Donny asked Tracey who had suddenly gone mute. “My sisters like them too, I think we have all the albums at home. Do you have a favorite?”

“Um, I don’t know, they’re all good…,” Tracey said, squirming uncomfortably under the sharp sight of her friend.

“Oh, come on, you love H2O,” Dottie said, matter-of-factly. “You used to listen to Maneater constantly.”

“Oh, oh, here she comes, watch out, boy, she’ll chew you up,” Jeff sang softly, making Tracey’s mouth lift up in a thankful smile.

“Show off,” Benji said, but it was clear to everyone he meant it as a harmless joke.

“You guys listen to Hall & Oates?” Howie asked, surprised.

“Yeah, why wouldn’t we?” Eddie shrugged. “We all love metal the most, but we’ll listen to almost anything once. How do you think we got this one into our music?”

“Actually, Donny was the one to corrupt me with that Helter Skelter cover, so if you want a teacher, that’s your guy,” Dottie smiled, remembering old conversations with the gentle boy who helped her navigate her first D&D session.

“Why does only he get the credit for corrupting you?” Gareth complained, shoving her lightly.

“Because he lets me borrow all his mixtapes whenever I want them.”

“And I don’t? I’ve offered you my tapes a million times but you never take any.”

“That’s because you’re obsessed with making me listen to Anthrax and I’ve told you like ten times that it’s fucking noise.”

“Woah, woah, woah,” Eddie said, raising a hand to stop her. “That’s sacrilegious, princess, you can’t say that.”

“Can’t I have my own opinions?”

“Yes, but if they’re wrong, we’re legally obligated call you out on them,” Jeff said, bottle of beer halfway up to his mouth.

“Et tu, Jeffrey?” Dottie asked, hand to her chest dramatically making Eddie snicker next to her.

“You’re fun,” Benji declared. “I like this new Dorothy.”

“Me too!” Howie agreed.

“New?” Gareth frowned, baffled. “What do you mean new? She’s always been like this.”

It had been a long time since any of the boys had had questions about Dorothy Burke’s past. As months went on and their friendships got stronger, they’d gotten to learn about her extensively and she about them in return. The five of them were a well-oiled machine by then; banter flowed easily, diner and takeout favorites had been memorized to perfection, and comfort was given before it could even be asked.

It was strange for them to think of a moment in their lives before they knew Dottie, because it truly felt like they had known her forever. She’d opened up to them about why she was the way she was sometimes, her past experiences and her fears shaping her into the fiercely loyal yet deeply afraid of being lonely girl they had come to love and appreciate. No one could imagine her being something other than who she had always been - that shy tenderhearted teen looking for connection with a bag full of snacks and a set of borrowed dice - so hearing that Dottie hadn’t always been their Dot was a little shocking, to say the least.

“It’s not that she was very different,” Tracey tried to explain. “It’s just that she used to be more… reserved I guess?”

“She was a loser.”

“Jeanette!” Benji scolded her. “That’s rude!”

“What? You know I’m right!” Jeannie defended herself. “She never wanted to go to any parties or bars, never misbehaved, never drank. I’m surprised she even had a boyfriend while she was such a prude.��

“I- I was just busy-” Dottie muttered, embarrassed in front of her friends and feeling her hidden wounds rip open once more.

“Yeah, busy being a loser! You never wanted to go anywhere with us, the only time we could get you to break a curfew was on Tyler’s birthday.”

“If all that makes her a loser I guess we are losers too, aren’t we boys?” Eddie said, dropping his hand from the back of Dottie’s chair to her shoulder protectively. “I mean, shit, I had to do my senior year three times.”

“I had a panic attack the first time I smoked weed and I’ve never touched that thing since,” Jeff added.

“I still go to church every Sunday morning with my Nonna,” Donny raised his glass as if he was toasting.

“The only party we went to during senior year was the one Dot made us go to, and we had to leave because she got into a fight,” Gareth said, laughing at the memory.

“Actually, Eddie got into a fight,” she clarified, feeling brave with her friends by her side. “I just finished it.”

“Well, you did blackmail the guy, so I think 50% of that fight was on you,” Donny reminded her.

“Fuckin’ Andy, man,” Eddie shook his head. “I had a bruise on my ass for days.”

“She almost broke his nose so I’d say you guys are even now,” Jeff finished, turning to the four people staring at Dottie like she had grown two heads. “You should have seen her, it was awesome.”

“You did all that?” Howie asked, almost with reverence.

“Are they gifting fucking lobotomies in that shitty town of yours or did you suddenly grow a personality so you could lie to get new friends?”

“That’s so mean, Jeane-” Tracey said, but Dottie interrupted her.

“You know what, Jeannie? You’re right. I was a loser,” she said in an even tone, aware that she was bleeding out around a shark. “I’ve always been a loser, and that didn’t change when I moved to Hawkins just because I went to a party once. I’ll always be a loser, I know that, but at least I’m not trying to pretend like I’m cool when I’m actually fucking miserable all the time.”

“Holy shit,” Benji muttered, but no one paid any attention to him.

“Don’t act all high and mighty with me, Dorothy. You may have new friends now that don’t know the real you, but I do. Let’s not lie to ourselves here, you’ll always be that know-it-all nerd who used to hide under my wing for protection.”

“Protection from what?” Dottie scoffed. “I was always Jeannie’s boring little friend from preschool. No one gave a shit about me, you made sure of it.”

“Don’t say that,” Tracey said, frowning.

“Save it, Trace. You were all pretty clear about where you stood when Jeannie started dating Tyler,” she reminded them, and at least Benji and Tracey had the decency to look ashamed. “But thank you, really, because if it hadn’t been for you guys ignoring me, I would have never spent all my lunch periods alone in the library with Mrs. Randall, and I would have definitely never gotten into Michigan without her help.”

“You got into Michigan?” Tracey asked after a beat, eyes shifting over towards where Jeannie was sitting.

“Princess got a full ride and everything,” Eddie said, proudly.

“Well, shit,” Benji said, grinning. “Can’t really say I’m surprised, but congrats! If anyone was going to get in, it was you for sure.”

“You’re such a fake bitch, Benji,” Jeannie turned to him, seething.

“Hey, not my fault your GPA sucked.”

“Okay, guys, come on, we’re losing the plot here,” Howie tried to cool down the room to unsuccessful results.

“You applied to Michigan too?” Dottie asked Jeannie, gears slowly turning in her head.

“Thought it’d be fun,” she shrugged. “Doesn’t matter, I’m going to CSI anyways.”

“Crime Stoppers?” Donny said, confused.

“What?”

“CSI, that’s Crime Stoppers International, right?”

“No, dumbass, Staten Island,” Jeannie said through her teeth, humiliated and furious.

“Isn’t that… sorry, I’m not trying to be mean here but they don’t even ask for your SAT scores to get in there,” Jeff frowned, quickly realizing that had been the wrong thing to mention.

“Once I’m a registered nurse no one will give a shit about my SAT scores. And I get to live with my boyfriend in the city if I go to CSI, so that’s a plus. I’d be stupid to ever leave NYC.”

“You’re still dating Tyler?” Dottie wondered curiously.

“Of course I am. He’s so in love with me it’s actually pathetic.”

“Wow. Does he know you talk about him like that?” she cringed.

“Why do you care?” Jeannie said, smug. “It’s not like he’s still your boyfriend.”

“You’re right, he’s not,” Dottie stood up, brushing Eddie’s shoulder with her hand and feeling very thankful for the path her life had taken. “Excuse me, I need to go to the bathroom.”

As she walked towards the door marked with a “Women” sign, she could hear Benji and Jeannie at each other’s throats, Howie still trying to calm them down to no avail. The heavy metallic door closed behind her back and, for the first time since they’d arrived, Dottie felt like she could breathe normally. She approached the sink furthest away from the entrance and began washing her hands with cold water, staring at the suds disappearing down the drain like she was cleaning up her own blood after a fight.

When she’d joined the Hellfire Club and met Eddie, Gareth, Donny, and Jeff, she knew things would be different. She was still fearful at the time, of course; a lifetime of disappointment doesn’t vanish just because you’ve found a few good friends, but even if she’d realized a long time ago how truly lucky she’d been to find her people in the Middle of Nowhere, Indiana, she’d never actually compared her new friend group to her older one. At least, not until now. Four friends with four clear positions, and her as an addendum. Eddie and Jeannie as the leaders, Gareth and Howie as the class clowns, Donny and Benji as the seconds in command, and Jeff and Tracey as the sensible ones.

And Dottie. Always just Dottie, loser, shy, boring Dottie, attaching herself to a group and tagging along to adventures she hadn’t planned or dreams that had never been her own in the first place. Except… well, that wasn’t the case anymore, was it? She’d gotten them the gig in Indianapolis, that had been her creating the adventure. She’d convinced them to go to that fateful party at Jason’s house, they’d gone to prom as a group because she mentioned she wanted to go, they’d gone swimming in the lake in their undies because she’d agreed to it. And that’s not to mention the countless times they’d gone out for ice cream because she’d suggested it, or the movies they had rented because she wanted to see them.

In return, she’d seen The Exorcist because Gareth had wanted to, she had accepted the job Donny had offered because he wanted to work with her all summer, she’d actually jumped into the lake in her underwear because Jeff had encouraged her to do it. With the boys she wasn’t tagging along. They always made sure of it. She was wearing Eddie’s shirt, Jeff’s belt, Gareth’s rings, Donny’s bracelets. They constantly and consistently included her, not just by inviting her to things, but by actually making the effort to make her feel part of them. And she really was. With them, she had always been, from day one and without having to ask any questions.

“Don’t talk to me, I just want to pee,” a voice broke her train of thought, and Dottie only managed to see Jeannie’s long hair swinging before she went into a stall.

Dottie considered leaving the bathroom, going back to her table and sitting down with her friends, maybe even ordering a basket of fries to share and pretend like nothing had happened, but something inside stopped her. As much as she hated to admit it, there was a part of her that still cared for Jeannie and if this was going to be the last time they’d ever speak, she didn’t want to leave things like this. Jeannie had been her best friend a lifetime ago. It wasn’t right to pretend like that shared history had never existed.

She moved to the side to dry her hands as Jeannie came out of her stall and went to wash up, biding her time until she figured out what she wanted to say. Jeannie was visibly furious, the little vein in her neck straining against her skin as she chewed on the same kind of anger she’d been carrying inside since they were kids. Jeannie used to be so furious all the time. She’d break all the toys in her vicinity, whether they were hers or borrowed, she’d bite and pull on people’s hair, and she had to be constantly put on timeout as a child so the teachers could get her to settle down for a few minutes.

Their pre-school teacher had been at her wits end the day she sat Dottie next to Jeannie, hoping that the much quieter and well-behaved little girl would be able to influence the terror that disrupted every single one of her classes. The two kids had gotten along just fine during drawing time, but when they were let out to the playground for a break, Jeannie pushed Dottie off the slide, making her fall knees first onto the gravel below. Dottie had then cried and cried, her tender knees oozing blood down her legs and staining her white socks, and Jeannie, upon seeing their teacher approach, also began crying uncontrollably.

What happened next surprised everyone, mainly because Jeannie wasn’t used to being kind to other kids, but the tiny five-year-old sat eerily still in the nurse’s office next to a sniffling Dottie, holding her hand while Nurse Olivier cleaned and bandaged the hurt child. Afterwards and unlike herself, Jeannie said she was sorry, and Dottie, much like herself, forgave her because “that’s what friends do”. Jeannie had spent the rest of their lives pushing Dottie and holding her hand afterwards. Why would she do that if she wasn’t utterly terrified her oldest friend would eventually leave her, constantly testing the strength of their friendship much like a child who can’t quite understand their own emotions just yet?

“Sorry, can I ask you something?” Dottie said, looking at her former friend through the mirror. Upon receiving nothing but silence, she continued. “Why nursing?”

“What?”

“It’s just… You wanted to do Civil Engineering. You talked about it with Benji all the time, you wanted to apply to colleges together. You even asked my Dad about it.”

“Yeah, well… I changed my mind,” Jeannie said, bitterly.

“But why?”

“Because Engineering is not a girl’s career.”

“Says who?”

Jeannie didn’t look at Dottie as she closed the tap and shook her hands to get rid of the excess water, the latter moving out of the way to let her access the paper dispenser. Her silver bracelet shook as she dabbed at her hands with the rough material and Dottie was suddenly struck with a memory so old that for a second she thought she had made it up as an eight-year-old.

They’d been waiting to be picked up after a long day of school on a Thursday, which meant that it wasn’t James the one Dottie was waiting for - it was Uncle Johnny, coming to take her to her swimming lessons at the community center near his home while her Dad was stuck working extra hours. Jeannie’s mom arrived earlier than him that day, bringing her daughter a present: a small Tiffany’s bag with two matching bracelets inside to commemorate the day she had finally divorced Jeannie’s dad. Dottie had been much too young to understand the intricacies of adult relationships and how they affected her friend at the time, so she’d only cooed and awed at the gorgeous piece of jewelry while hiding a pang of quiet jealousy at the fact that she would never be able to match anything with her own mom.

Two days later during her monthly Saturday Crafting Afternoon with Aunt Mary Elizabeth, she told her what had happened with an innocence that tugged her Aunt’s heartstrings before she tore her craft bins apart searching for supplies to make her niece feel better. Between small breaks that consisted of chocolate milk, homemade cookies, and endless hugs, the two of them worked on a ton of bead bracelets, one for each member of their little makeshift family. James’ bracelet was a gaudy little thing with the word DADDY spelled with a 4 instead of an A because they had run out of the correct letters and Mary Elizabeth was nothing if not incredibly creative. Dottie was confident that if she decided to snoop through his bedside table’s first drawer, she’d find the plastic accessory still rattling around with the rest of his junk.

“Don’t- don’t fucking do that,” Jeannie said tiredly, finally turning around and facing her. “You always do that and it pisses me off.”

“Do what?”

“Don’t act like you understand anything about my life!”

“I-I’m sorry, I wasn’t trying to,” she said with genuine remorse in her tone. “I just wanted to know why, I didn’t mean to-”

“Didn’t mean to what? To rub in my face that you got into a good school and I didn’t? I’m so fucking sick of you, Dorothy,” Jeannie said in calm anger and Dottie wished she’d just yell at her. “Just when I finally thought I’d gotten rid of you, you show up to embarrass me like you’ve always done. Stop pretending like you’ve ever cared about me or my life, because you haven’t. You’re a goddamn liar and you know it.”

“I’ve never lied to you in my entire life, Jeannie,” Dottie said, trying not to bleed out in her attempt to find peace.

“God, do you ever shut up about how good you are? About how nice you are? You were always the Golden fucking Child, and I’ve always been trash compared to you. Oh, Dorothy is gonna do something great with her life, you should be more like her! She’s so kind, so polite, so goddamn quiet,” she said, voice mocking before it switched back to scathing. “Fuck you.”

“What are you talking about? I’ve never said anything like that to you! Actually, you were the one who was always treating me like trash!”

“Oh, give me a break,” she laughed. “You didn’t need to say it, everyone else did it for you. You were the teacher’s pet who always got away with murder, and I was the stupid fuck-up who was too much like her Dad and couldn’t get into your fancy college. I might be a bitch, but at least I’m honest.”

“Jeannie, are you even listening to what you’re saying?” she argued desperately. “I’ve never thought of you like that, I swear! I literally spent my entire life wanting to be more like you - you had a pretty house, and all the toys you wanted. And you had a mom! Everyone wanted to be your friend, and I never understood why you picked me instead of anyone else-”

“I knew it, I fucking knew it, I always knew you were a jealous bitch-”

“God fucking damnit, I loved you!” Dottie admitted, clenching her fists in frustration. “I loved you so much, and I wanted to be like you because I thought if I was, it would make you love me back! You treated me like shit all the time, and I still loved you. You were my best friend, Jeannie.”

Jeannie might have looked like she had just been slapped but Dottie knew she didn’t understand the meaning behind her words, not when she had only figured them out after they’d tumbled out of her own mouth. Feeling strangely lighter, she watched as her oldest friend’s eyes changed from furious to scared, as if she was that five-year-old holding her hand while Nurse Olivier bandaged her bloody knees again. Dottie understood then that it had never been about her or their friendship, but she’d just served a shark her corpse on a platter and she needed to get some closure before she left the sanctity of the girls’ bathroom or else she’d always wonder what could have been.

“Why did you apply to Michigan?” Dottie asked, eyes full of unshed tears.

“...Because you were there,” Jeannie muttered, defeated. She crossed her arms before she continued. “After you left I asked Mrs. Randall about you and she told me you were early admission. I was just so mad at you, I- I don’t know. I never told anyone else you had already gotten in when I decided to apply.”

“Why did you switch to Nursing? You could have picked literally anything else.”

“Tyler’s pre-med at Cornell. You know how his family is, and I obviously couldn’t get in with him, so this was my only choice.”

Tyler’s family, while perfectly nice, supportive and polite, had always stressed to their sons the importance of getting into the family business. Not all of them were doctors, but everyone who had gone to college in the last three generations had gotten a degree somewhere in the Health field, and most importantly, they had also married a medical professional. Tyler’s dad was a generalist, his mother was a psychiatrist, his uncle was a surgeon who had married his assistant nurse.

They never made Dottie feel like she had to change her career path to be with Tyler while she was dating him, and yet there had always been a silent expectation put upon their son to “get serious” further down the line. Jeannie knew what this meant for her own relationship once they went off to college, so she decided to make two households very happy by trading in her Civil Engineering dreams for a future that included a shiny RN badge and a nuclear family who lived in a friendly cul-de-sac.

“They talk about you sometimes, you know?” Jeannie said, surprising the other girl. “They say you were always nice, ask me if I’ve heard from you. I think Flynn misses you the most.”

“He’s a good guy,” Dottie said, smiling. “You should ask him for advice on college stuff, he helped me out a ton.”

“Yeah. Maybe I will.”

“I, um… I should get back to my friends,” the short haired girl said pointing at the door with her thumb. “We have a long way home, so…”

“Yeah, no, I get it,” she smiled, a little wistful. “That guy with the long hair, uh…”

“Eddie. His name is Eddie.”

“Is he good?”

“He’s the best,” Dottie’s smile grew bigger at the thought of her boyfriend. “They all are.”

“They seem nice,” she said, falling quiet afterwards.

“Goodbye, Jeanette.”

“Goodbye, Dottie.”

Jeannie stayed in the bathroom needing some space to process their final goodbye, surrounded by New York Dottie’s remains while Hawkins Dottie walked back to the table. Eddie, as usual, was the first one to notice his girlfriend’s turbulent expression, instinctively putting out a hand to touch her as soon as she was in range for him to do so. He pulled her into the space between their chairs, fingers splayed against the low of her back protectively.

“You okay?” he muttered quietly, but everyone’s eyes were on them regardless.

“Not really,” her lips curved into a small pout. “Is it okay if we go?”

“Yeah, yeah, of course,” Eddie downed the last of his beer and sprung out of his seat. “We just gotta, uh-”

“We’re on it,” Jeff said, also getting up. “You two go get the van closer to the door so we can load the drums, it’s supposed to start raining soon.”

“I have to talk to Jessie about your payment, she told me-,” Dottie said, but the sound of more chairs shuffling cut her off.

“I’ve got it!” Donny said, putting on his battle vest while heading towards the till.

“I’ll go get my stuff,” Gareth announced, unceremoniously jogging towards the stage to disassemble his drum kit.

“Okay then, uh,” Dottie turned towards her former friends to find them already standing up and heading towards her.

“I’m so sorry,” Tracey said, throwing her arms around her for a comforting hug. Neither of them knew who needed it more. “I’m sorry about everything. It was really lovely to see you again.”

“You’re glowing, girl,” Benji said when it was his turn to get a hug. “Whatever you’re doing, keep it up.”

“Show was great, guys,” Howie said to Eddie and Jeff, giving them both a boyish pat on their shoulders.

“Thanks, man. See you around.”

Dottie wrapped her arms around herself while Eddie led her towards the van, never letting go of her hand while he guided the vehicle closer to the double doors that led to the backside of the building. The smell of an incoming storm filled the air as he lowered his window and lit up a cigarette before turning to her with a knowing look on his face.

“D’you wanna talk about it?” he asked, only the rumble of the van’s motor filling the quiet of the night.

“I… I think I used to have a crush on her,” Dottie said, coming to terms with something that deep down she had always known but had never dared to think about.

“Uh-oh. Should I be worried?” Eddie pouted, succeeding in his goal to make her giggle.

“You’re silly,” she moved closer to him, ready to put their argument behind and Eddie obliged, throwing an arm around her. “The show was so good. I’m so proud of you.”

“Yeah? You liked our surprise?”

“Are you kidding? I loved it. You’re so talented,” she leaned up to kiss him but couldn’t reach his lips, giving him a peck on his jaw instead. “We have to come back, see if we can get you booked again.”

“I love you,” he said, staring down at her completely and truly lovesick. “You’re amazing. Best manager in the fuckin’ world.”

“I love you too, Ed. Thank you.”

“The hell you thanking me for, darling?”

The van’s back doors opened with a loud noise startling them apart as Gareth and Jeff pushed the rest of their equipment onto the carpeted floor, quickly securing it and climbing into the backseat. Donny rushed out of the building with an unlit cigarette in his hand and an envelope in the other, waving it in the air proudly. The first thunder of the night mixed in with their cheers as he got in and Eddie pulled out of the parking lot.

“Hey, guys,” Donny said, watching Jeff count their earnings. “You wanna go to McDonald’s?”

“Oh, fuck yes,” Eddie said, turning the corner and heading towards the Golden Arches glowing in the distance. “We need fries, don’t we, princess?”

“Yes, please,” Dottie agreed. “And milkshakes.”

“Dot, your old friends sucked ass,” Gareth said, tone conversational but still a little upset on her behalf as he leaned over her seat to throw his arms around her shoulders.

“I don’t know. They weren’t always that bad,” she mused, hands coming to hold his forearms crossing over her collarbones. “You guys are much better though.”

“Hell yeah we are!” Donny said, smug.

“Hey, Gare… I think you might wanna look at this,” Jeff said, barely contained mirth staining his serious tone.

On his hand was a napkin with girly writing scribbled with a blue pen on it, right underneath the Moore House logo. It read: hey hot stuff, sorry to disappoint. I would have totally given you my number if you were older, but sadly you’re not. Keep drumming like that and make me regret having morals when your band becomes huge. XO, Jessie.

“Turn back!” Gareth yelled dramatically, pulling at Eddie’s shoulder. “In the name of love, turn back!”

“Sit down, Bono, she’s four years older than you. She’s not interested,” Donny cackled, forcing him back into his seat.

“Yeah, man, she just wanted to let you down gently,” Eddie said, joining in on the teasing.

“That’s my future wife you’re talking about, you assholes,” Gareth said, knowing full well he didn’t have a chance with Jessie the Night Manager but having fun pretending he did.

As the rain kept falling and their good natured ribbing continued while heading to McDonald’s, Dottie quietly basked in the knowledge that she was safe swimming on open waters with her best friends. She swore right there and then that she was willing to die for each and every one of them, because she knew they were much more likely to be on the surfboard next to her, fighting for their lives together instead of being the ones attacking her.

Previous chapter of her life finally closed, she peacefully leaned against her seat as Eddie pulled into the McDonald’s drive thru. NYC Dottie is dead, long live Hawkins Dottie, she thought, unabashedly staring at her boyfriend as he ordered enough fries and milkshakes to last them the whole trip back home.

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