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thetriumphantpanda · 11 months ago

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i don't really wanna fight, 'cause nobody's gonna win | javier peña

Take The Weight Off His Shoulders - Chapter Eight

Chapter Summary | A little slice of domesticity wasn't ever going to be enough to cover the stress of the story unfolding on your desk, but it was worth a shot right?

Chapter Warnings | Mentions of drugs and the drug trade, work frustrations, explicit smut, fingering, unprotected PiV smut, creampie, dirty talk, we ride this man like our LIFE depends on it and some ANGST (I'm sorry, it had to happen sometime.)

Pairing | dbf!Javier Peña x F!Reader

Word Count | 3.2k

Authors Note | OOOOOF okay we're back with these two. Real life has been kicking my ass so I'm sorry this took so long - but we're moving into the tail end of this now so prepare yourselves for even more drama! Thank you for being so patient with me and waiting for this - I hope you enjoy it. If you are enjoying this then reblogs and comments really do help and if you’d like to support me further, please consider a donation to my Ko-Fi.

I no longer use taglists. Please follow @thetriumphantpandanotifs to be notified of new updates.

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The words on the deed to the drug den in town are all forming into one - you’re not actually sure they’re in the English language anymore. You’ve been staring at the pages for what feels like a full week, even if you’d only spread them out for reading on your desk this morning. You don’t know what to do. There is, of course, the obvious option, of walking right up to their front door and asking what the hell is going on, but the more you dig, the more you think there’s something bigger going on here.

You pour over your notes, trying to make sense of it all. It was nothing to do with Tyler Johnson, but it had something to do with his family, that was for sure. There’s no way that this whole thing would have been brushed under the rug and dealt with by the police saying ‘oh well, we don’t know’ if there wasn’t something incriminating behind it all. You tried not to think about that possibly meaning your dad was implicated somewhere along the line.

Instead of sitting around and feeling useless, considering the words on the page weren’t leading you anywhere at all, you tidy up your desk, stick your head around your managers door to tell her you were heading out for the story, and you get in your car and drive.

They lead such dull lives, is all you can really think at this point. The sun is setting and it’s finally starting to cool a little. The thought process had been simple, if you weren’t going to catch them in the act on paper, you would have to catch them in the act for real - whatever that act might be.

You’d started with Tyler’s dad, following behind him as he went about mayoral business, driving from his office to some meeting in town and then back again. You’d waited an hour in the parking lot to see if he moved again, but gave up after a while. Deciding on following Tyler’s brother instead - but he’d been more of the same. You’d found him getting into his car at work once the day was done, driving to the grocery store and then going home. That was it. Nothing out of the ordinary.

Thinking about it, what would you even do if you did find them doing something? Tyler’s brother getting a package handed to him down a dark alley - there’s no way to get any proof, you don’t have a camera, and no-one’s going to believe you against them. The more you sit there, the more you think maybe you should have taken the story at face value, published it and moved on.

You suppose that these kinds of operations take time and patience - two things you were running seriously low on by now. You’re thinking of all the time’s Javi must have needed to do this - sitting around in a car waiting to catch someone doing something and wondered how he’d lasted so long. You weren’t made for this kind of work.

Sighing to yourself, you turn the key in the ignition and head home, trying not to let the frustration bubble over. You just had to wait. Bide your time. Surely somewhere along the line you’d catch someone doing something.

“You look stressed.”

You look at Javi through your eyelashes, taking a sip from the glass of wine in front of you on the counter. Your parents were taking their two week annual vacation - some place near the coast in Florida. You remember going when you were little, playing in the sand and swimming. They’d invited you this year but now you were older, it didn’t hold quite the same amount of charm as it used to, so you’d opted to stay at home.

The upside to not getting to lounge in the sun for two weeks was definitely this though. Javier Peña, hunched over the hob, sleeves of his shirt rolled up, cooking dinner for you. It was dangerous to think about how domestic it was, but you couldn’t deny how nice it felt. There was no-one to lie to about why you were late home from work for now, no need to rush through whatever it was that the two of you were doing.

“I’m sorry.”

“Don’t need to be sorry,” He smiles at you, picking up his beer bottle to drink from, “You want to talk about it?”

You shake your head, “It’s alright, just stuff at work.”

“In all my years of working with journalists,” He speaks, stirring the pot of sauce in front of him, “I don’t think any of them were ever as stressed as you.”

“I just care about my work.”

“So did they,” He counters, picking a strand of spaghetti from the pot to test to see if it’s cooked, “Just trying to say there isn’t a story out there worth getting this worked up over.”

“I appreciate it,” You mumble, “But can we not talk about work?”

He holds his hands up in surrender, focusing his attention on dishing up the food - spaghetti with tomato sauce. It’s simple and you know it’s probably the limit of his cooking ability outside of being able to grill meat on fire, but it’s the thought that counts. You sit at the dining table and eat together, talking about nothing really, just enough to fill the silence. Even though he cooked, he insists on clearing up and packaging the leftovers for you to eat tomorrow.

You sit and watch TV on the couch and when it gets late enough and your head starts to rest on his shoulder, Javi asks if you want to go to bed.

“I do,” You answer, “But not to sleep.”

So he slowly leads you up the stairs and into your room, softly closing the door behind him. You settle yourself under your sheets, pushing them back on the other side for him as he takes off everything he’s wearing apart from his underwear and gets into bed with you. He shuffles you around so your back in pressed to his front, his big hands wandering from your hips up to your chest, where he gently cups one of your tits in his hands over the shirt you’re wearing.

You can feel his mouth trailing kissing up your shoulder until he reaches the delicate skin behind your ear, the tickle of his facial hair there making goosebumps rise on your skin, regardless of how warm it is under your sheets.

“What do you want?” He whispers softly, snaking his free arm under your neck so the side of your face is pillowed against it.

You don’t answer, you just take hold of his wrist, dragging his hand from your chest to the waistband of your shorts. You let his hand go then, feeling his big palm cup you through the material, “Like this?” He asks, teeth nipping at your ear lobe.

“No,” You shake your head, “Under.”

That big hand drags up just a little, fingers finding the waistband again, dipping below this time. He tuts into your ear when he finds you bare, having not bothered with underwear when you’d changed out of your work clothes.

His hand is warm against your skin as it envelops you again, fingers dipping ever so slightly between the folds of your pussy to find you already wet, it doesn’t take much at all when he’s around.

Fingers dragging through the slick, up to circle your clit, he speaks again, “Like this?” He asks, feather-light touches of his fingers making you gasp.

“Y-yeah,” You choke out, “Just like that.”

So that’s what he does - let’s you rest your head against his arm, lazily rolling his finger across that bundle of nerves like he has all the time in the world for making you feel good. It’s slow, the only punctuation to his fingers are the moans he lets out into your ear whenever he pushes his hips against the plush of your ass, his bulge prominent against the clothes that are separating you.

“I want you to come for me,” He whispers gently a little while later, teeth biting gently into the skin of your shoulder, “Can you be a good girl and do that for me?”

You nod your head, unable to speak through the short, sharp gasps that the friction between your legs is drawing out from you. He speeds up a little, lets his finger add more pressure there. He lets you roll your hips, chasing at the high that is just there, coiling in your tummy. Your body starts to shake, thighs clamping down on his hands as he brings you over the edge.

“Fuck yeah,” He rasps into your ear, “So fucking pretty when you come for me, mi querida.”

Through the haze of pleasure, you can feel him rolling you over, pressing your back into the sheets. He’s settling between your thighs, pulling your shorts off altogether, but you don’t want it like this, so you press a palm to his warm chest to stop him.

“I want…” You trail off, “I think I want to be on top.”

You watch his eyebrows raise a little but he doesn’t protest, because of course he doesn’t, he simply lies himself back down on his side of the bed and waits for you. You let yourself straddle his thighs, marvelling just a little at the bulge of his underwear, before you’re hooking your fingers into the waistband to drag them just far enough down his thighs to let his cock spring free, resting on his lower stomach.

Shuffling up his thighs a little, you lower yourself, letting your soaked folds drag across his length whilst your mouth moves up to suckle at the skin of his neck. You can feel his hands on the globes of your ass, helping to drag you up and down his cock.

“Feels good, doesn’t it?” He asks as you moan when the head of his cock brushes against your still-sensitive clit.

You don’t have any words, so you press yourself up, palms against his chest as you lift your hips just enough for him to reach between you, base of his cock fisted in his hand, to nudge at the weeping hole of your cunt. He holds it there for you as you slowly start to sink down onto him, moaning with your head thrown back at the stretch of taking him inside. When you reach the bottom, feeling him sucked right into the depths of you, you stay still, rolling your hips a little, feeling him so deep inside you.

Javi brings his hands to your hips, looking up at you as he guides your movements, slow forwards movements matched with even slower movements backwards, until the two of you are panting together.

You push yourself back, letting your arms fall behind you onto his knees, which have come up to rest against your backside, slowly starting to lift off him until he’s almost all the way out of the tight heat of your cunt, then you slide back down onto him, finding a rhythm of bouncing up and down on his cock.

Javi moves one of his hands from your hips, letting the flat palm run up your stomach, through the valley of your tits to lightly grip at the base of your neck. He doesn’t add any pressure, just holds his hand there, but you can feel the effect it has on you, pussy clenching around his length as you continue to bounce up and down on him.

“Look so fucking pretty like this,” He manages to choke out between moans, “Like you were made to be right here bouncing on my cock.”

“I-I think I’m g-gonna come again.” You hiss, feeling that familiar tightening in your tummy.

“Yeah?” He goads, but not unkindly, “You gonna come around my cock for me?”

To help you get there, Javi starts to thrust up into you, hand still at the base of your neck, hitting into your perfectly on your downward motion to fill you right to your depths, making your orgasm hit you head on. You feel yourself tighten around him, body collapsing forward to rest against his chest as he fucks you through the aftershocks of your climax, gripping onto your ass to keep you spread so he can find his own high, thrusting a handful of times before he’s stilling inside you, spilling himself inside with moans right into your ear.

He slips out of you as he softens, shifting you so you’re led down, both catching your breath.

“Sorry, I should have asked about that.” He mumbles, and it takes you a minute to realise he’s talking about coming inside you.

“It’s okay,” You say, turning your head to smile at him, “Although it does mean I have to go to the bathroom now.”

You drag yourself up onto all fours onto your bed, dragging yourself to the door to cover yourself in your robe before you leave Javi in your room to head to the bathroom.

He doesn’t know why he does it. In hindsight, it was out of order, but when you close the door behind you, he can’t help himself. He stands up, pulls his underwear back up and puts the rest of his clothes back on. Then he sits down on your edge of the bed and gingerly opens the top drawer of your bedside table.

There’s nothing much of note in there, a few lip balms and an old notebook, but that’s it. He opens the bottom one next, which is much more full, mainly with notebooks and sheets of paper. He knows he shouldn’t, but he reaches in and picks the first up, flicking it open to a random page somewhere in the middle, running his thumb across a loose sheet of paper before his eyes circle in on what the paper actually is.

It’s a newspaper article, reporting on Escobar’s death. When Javi looks underneath the paper there are notes written in your handwriting, detailing parts of the story that are interesting. He flicks to another page, another article about Escobar dying, with more of your handwritten notes. He can feel the panic rising in his chest, threatening to take hold of his throat.

He puts that notebook on the bed, reaches in and picks another up, flicking through to find more of the same - articles about the entire Escobar case, more handwritten notes - some written in red ink that only ever say his name with a question mark, like you’re asking yourself if he was responsible for the ill-reported heroics. Javi is too caught up in flicking through that he forgets about your return, letting you catch him red-handed when you come back through the door.

“What are you doing?” You ask, making him look up.

Your eyes are wide, like you’re shocked to find him with your notebooks in his lap.

“What’s all this?” He asks, instead of answering your question.

You surge forward, grabbing the notebook from his lap, slapping it shut, picking up the other one and then shoving them back in the drawer, “Did you go through my things?” He can tell from your tone that you’re worked up.

“Why do you have all of that?” Javi asks, standing up from the bed to take some steps away from you.

“It’s not what you think.”

“Well then tell me what it is.” He’s getting more annoyed as the moments go past.

“It was for my degree,” You say, shifting from foot-to-foot, “I don’t understand what the problem is?”

“The problem is, it’s all fucking lies!” He runs a hand over his face, more annoyed at himself for shouting at you than anything else, “It’s all fucking lies and you believe it.”

He watches as your face drops, he can see the glassing over of your eyes, “I-” You try to speak, “I’m sorry?” It’s more of an offering, like you don’t know what else to do.

“All of that shit?” He asks, pointing to the now closed drawer, “Fucking propaganda for this country to seem like it had control, when all it fucking did was make everything worse.”

“Javi, please,” You beg now, taking a step towards him with your hands open in surrender, “Why don’t you sit down and take a breath?”

He can feel himself shaking his head, stepping backwards until he can feel the handle of your door, twisting it to open. He thinks he’s saying sorry, telling you that he’s sorry, but he doesn’t know. All he knows is that he has to get out of there and away from you, almost running from the house and into his truck.

It’s not until he’s halfway to home that he can feel that panic take over, pulling over on the side of the road, knuckles turning white as he grips the steering wheel. He takes some deep breaths, trying to understand why his brain has gone from 0-100 so quickly, and all he can think of is that you’re just like everyone else in this damn town, thinking that he was a hero, that he’d played his part properly, correctly, in bringing that bastard down. I’d the wondering about what you’d think of him if you knew what he’d really done, the amount of blood actually on his hands, the fact he wasn’t here there when Murphy shot the bastard.

It’s that feeling of inadequacy that haunt him in bed that night, led against the pillows, other side cold and empty when all he wishes is that he’d stayed, let you curl into him so that he could get at least a few hours of rest. Even though he never stays the night, always leaving you with a press of lips to your head, the small hours of the morning where you’re sleeping against him are the most peaceful he thinks he’s ever had.

So, staring at his ceiling, red numbers from his clock staring him down as the hours pass, all he can think about it what the fuck he’s going to do, how he’s going to explain that this has nothing to do with you and what it had to do with your degree, and everything to do with the way he thinks if you knew exactly what had happened, outside of what the American press has told you, you’d probably hate him.

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zeroseuniverse · 4 months ago

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The Future is Going to be Okay

pairing: Seok Matthew X Fem reader word count: 720 summary: soft mornings with Mathew warning: talks of children

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Matthew was surprisingly usually an early riser so when the man was still sleeping when she woke up, she smiled. She had been hoping for a moment like this, the sun beaming around his head like a halo, a soft smile resting on his face. She reached her hand out, softly grazing her fingers across his beautiful features, it always amazed her how she ended up with him. His sweet and considerate nature makes it impossible to not love him, and he’s the first person to ever treat her as if she’s the most fragile treasure in the world.

She carefully moved out of his grasp, his smile falling into a frown at the missing warmth, so she placed her pillow in his arms, her scent and warmth flowing back into his body. After sparing him one last smile she quietly snuck out of the room, towards the kitchen, to start putting together a nice breakfast for once. Usually, he was rushing off in the mornings, panicking he’d be late, but since it was the weekend she was hoping the two could have a calm weekend.

Matthew opened his eyes, groggily processing the smell of food flowing into his nose. He moved his eyes to look at his lover, only to see the side of the bed empty and cold, his lips pulled into a pout, eyebrows furrowing in confusion, he sat up swiftly moving to put some sweatpants on before making his way to the kitchen, following the scent of food.

She had just flipped the last egg onto the plate when arms wrapped around her waist and a face nestled into the side of her neck, “Good morning sleeping beauty” she hummed, setting down the spatula and placing her own hands on top of his.

“You know… I had this amazing dream last night,” he spoke, his voice muffled as he dragged his lips slowly across her skin.

“Oh? Is that what kept you sleeping so long?” She wondered, leaning her head back against her boyfriend, feeling his hum in agreement against her back.

“Mhmm, and I woke up wanting to tell you about it but guess who wasn’t there?” He used his arms to turn his beautiful woman around to face him, leaning down to connect their foreheads.

“Well I thought I could make you some breakfast, you never sleep in.”

“Hmmm all I want in the morning is to wake up to your face, every,” he placed a peck on her cheek, “Single,” He placed a peck on her other cheek, “Morning.” He finished planting the last kiss on her lips before grabbing the two plates to her side, turning to carry them to the table leaving his lover baffled.

She joined his side at the table taking her spot, ready to eat only for Matthew to grab her hand and stop her, she looked up at him in shock, only to be met by his adoring smile. It was…different, he always admired her but he never looked so dopey, it made her grin in return, he looked so lovesick.

“What is it?”

“I love you.” He expressed, tightening his grip on her hand, she just looked so ethereal at that moment.

“Okay, what was this dream that has you acting so dopey?” She giggled, rubbing her thumb over the back of his hand.

“I’m going to marry you.” He said, yet again baffling his lover, though he didn’t waver and continued, “I am going to marry you, and we’re going to start a family, and our children are going to have the best uncles in the world, with the most supportive parents. I’m going to work less, and learn to cook rather than brew experiments.” He giggled, making her giggle as well, tears welling up in both of their eyes.

“What are you on about my love?”

“I had a dream, we were parents, and happily married. We’d have Sunday dinners with the guys and we’d both cook the food together, we’d be a unit, nobody doing more than the other in any aspect. You are the only one I could ever see my future with. You are my future, my forever.” He confessed, keeping his eyes locked on her own. “Would you marry me?” he asked, plucking a flower from their centerpiece with a corny smile.

“I’d marry you any day at any time.” She cooed, watching as her now fiancé delicately maneuvered the flower stem to make it into a ring. The scene was so soft she started crying softly, happy that maybe her happiness would never end.

#zb1 matthew x reader #zb1 x reader #zb1 imagines #zb1 matthew #zb1 #zerobaseone x reader #zerose #zerobaseone #seok matthew x reader #seok matthew #matthew x reader

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benedictscanvas · 2 years ago

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Nobody on the BAU team believes Jack Hotchner when he says his father’s new girlfriend is rich and famous. Then they meet her.

A theoretical opening to an Aaron Hotchner x f1 reader if you’re interested, but also no pressure if you don’t vibe with it. I don’t want anything too specific, just happy chosen family shenanigans. Sending all the love to you 💛💛

cute cute cute. as i'm writing this i'm pretty sure i've seen this type of thing before but i cannot remember for the life of me who wrote it! so pls let me know if anyone knows and i'll tag them. sending you all the love back anon <3 || 1.5k words, fem!reader

"Jack, come on man! Has your dad put you up to this?"

"No!" the boy insists, then lowers his voice again, "Dad told me not to tell you, but I couldn't help it."

Derek feels his chest swell with pride until he remembers what Jack's trying to convince him. He narrows his eyes at him again.

"Dave then? Trying to pull one over on me? Just because I switched out his-"

"Derek! I'm telling you the truth. I even have proof," Jack said, eyebrows raised, waiting for Derek to take the bait. His proof was poor at best, but he needed to talk to someone about this.

"Go ahead, kiddo."

Jack pulled out his phone, tapping furiously. Derek waited impatiently, even though he was an inch more intrigued than he had been 30 seconds ago.

When Jack showed him the blurriest photo in existence, that hope was snuffed out immediately.

"Okay, I'm leaving."

Jack grabbed at Derek's arm to make him stay, let him explain and it was enough to catch the attention of the rest of the BAU at their desks. Hotch was in his office, oblivious to the scene, one he would have put a stop to before it started.

"What's Morgan done this time?" JJ asked, making her way over with a smirk. Spence and Emily were listening from their desks too and before Jack could answer, Derek was already speaking.

"No no no, you're not blaming this one on me. Jack's claiming our very own Hotch is dating the Y/N Y/L/N. You know, she's an actress?"

Emily gasped.

"She's not just an actress, she's the actress, thank you Derek. I worship that woman."

"She's pretty amazing," Spencer added.

"Derek," Jack practically whined, "Dad's gonna kill me. I told you in secret!"

"Okay, but you're not serious Jack."

"You can't be."

"I am! So serious. So so serious that you all have to swear you're not gonna tell my dad about this conversation," Jack said, and upon seeing the amused looks of the people that were practically family, he glared at them, "Swear!"

"I swear, Jack," Spencer took pity on him first, but soon JJ and Emily did too, seeing the flush that had travelled up the young boy's neck. He may have grown a lot in his first few years of being a teenager but he kept the same tells that they could all read. Even Derek.

"Alright, alright, I swear too. But when I find out what you're trying to pull, I'm gonna pull something right back. You'll never see it coming, kid."

"Sounds like fighting talk, Jack, you need me to handle this for you?" came a teasing voice, silky smooth, from behind the group. Jack was the only one facing your way, and his face lit up at the sight of you. He went to stand at your side as the rest of them turned to see you in all your glory, smiling at them with that grin that they'd all seen so many times before.

On red carpets. Or movie theatre screens. Never in their office.

"Nah, you're alright Y/N," Jack said, greeting you with a brief but intricate handshake the others couldn't catch in time, "This is Derek, you've heard so much about, and he doesn't believe you're dating my dad."

"Ah, Derek Morgan," you said, enjoying the shock on his face as you said his full name, "You're right to be skeptical, you know. This one ate the last of my cereal this morning, though he swears it wasn't him."

Jack retorts instantly and just like that, the two of you have entered easy banter that the others can't help but sit and stare at. The conversation stops short when Jack bursts out in raucous laughter and you're grinning again, but you quickly turn back to the others.

"I'm so sorry," you say, and it's genuine now without the playful edge, "To show up like this, unannounced, and not even introduce myself. When I practiced this in my head, just know I blew you all away with my first impression."

They all rewarded you with a chuckle and it was enough to put you more at ease.

"I don't think you really need to introduce-"

"Y/N?"

Emily was cut off by another voice behind the group, this time one they knew well from their day to day lives. When they turned, comically in time with one another, they found Hotch at the top of the stairs, brow furrowed as he took the steps downward and walked towards them all.

Or, more accurately, towards you.

"I thought we were meeting you there?" he asked, voice low once he reached you and getting lower still as he murmured, "You don't have to do this, you know."

"I know. I want to," you assure him, eyes all sparkle as you look at him and reach out to briefly squeeze his arm, "Promise."

He nods once, like he's made up his mind. When he turns to the others, he's almost smiling. Spencer finds it a little eerie.

"Everyone, this is Y/N Y/L/N. My-" he stops short, and doesn't realise the entirety of his team is revelling in him being so flustered, "We're seeing each other."

"I'm his girlfriend," you supply, shaking your head at Hotch but you can't keep the smile from your face, "He just hates saying it."

"No," he grinds out, looking at you with nothing but fondness despite his warning tone, "It just doesn't cut it. It's not enough."

"What would you prefer?" Derek butts in, "Your significant other? Life partner? Lover?"

"Enough. She's important to me, let's leave it at that, shall we?"

Derek's suggestions had made you chuckle but Hotch's assertion had made you positively beam. JJ could read it all over her face. She'd moved past being starstruck and into being incredibly happy for Hotch.

"Jack I think we all owe you an apology man," Derek began, then winced and corrected himself when Emily elbowed him right in the ribs, "And especially me. I really thought you were kidding me."

"Jack, you told them?"

Hotch's voice is still stern, but this time directed towards his son. Derek winces again, knowing he's put his foot in his mouth as Jack's shoulders slump. Still glowing, you come to his rescue.

"Oh, Aaron, he's just happy for you," you say placatingly, a hand at his back, a reassurance, before you turn to the team, "It was me who wanted to keep this quiet, not Aaron. I was trying to protect him from my life, but I think I kept it up a little too long. That's why I'm here."

Spencer thinks Hotch might be glowing too. You, you're all ethereal anyway, and there's the essence of something angelic about you, but you seem to have pulled Hotch into your orbit. He's definitely smiling now, just a little. Spencer is trying not to frown at the difference of it all.

"You don't mind that I told them?"

"Not even a bit, Jackaroo," you chuckle when he rolls his eyes fondly at the nickname, "Been wanting to show your dad off for an awful long time, really."

It's cloying, really, the way you hang onto his forearm as you say it, but he's drinking up every drop you send his way. He even goes as far as to rest a hand on your own arm in return, and keeps you close.

"Other way round, sweetheart," he mutters, in some vain hope only you will hear him. He doesn't get his wish. As soon as somebody sighs wistfully, he's stiff again, back straight, "But I think we've shown off enough for one day. Lunch?"

Jack nods enthusiastically, still seeming relieved that you've helped him avoid any scolding, not that Hotch is very good at that, surprisingly. You nod too, sending a last sweet smile to the whole team and insisting that now they've met you, they won't be able to get rid of you. Another round of chuckles.

Emily insists they won't want to get rid of you and she's a little too eager. A little too superfan. If you notice, you don't show it, only saying goodbye to her with an extra warm hug that she can't shake off.

The three of you head off, you still hanging off Hotch's arm, your cheek now smushed against his shoulder. But he's silent, and you're blabbering away with Jack again, more laughter. When they get into the elevator and Derek cranes his head, he can see the real smile on Hotch's face and he gets a little choked up.

"Well shit," he says to the others, coughing it away, "That's me not getting any real work done today."

"You can say that again," somebody says, and soon they've devolved into sitting on desks and gossiping right into the afternoon.

When Dave and Penelope trudge back in after their early lunch to the commotion of everyone's reactions after you'd left, Dave simply asks them how they didn't know sooner. They're not surprised.

And if Penelope cries a little at the thought of just missing you, you'll never know. She has the others sworn to secrecy.

(hotch doesn't return at all)

if you'd like to request something, please do so here! i'd love to hear from you sunflower <3

#aaron hotchner x reader #aaron hotchner #hotch x reader #aaron hotchner fanfiction #aaron hotchner fluff #aaron hotchner oneshot #hotch #hotch fluff #hotch oneshot #hotch imagine #aaron hotchner imagine #criminal minds x reader #criminal minds imagine #criminal minds fanfiction #criminal minds fluff #criminal minds oneshot

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theemporium · 1 year ago

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this is just a wee blurb heavily based of that scene from 'the score' by elle kennedy and a prompt lula picked for me from this list! enjoy!!!🫶🏽

After the last conversation you shared with Trent, you doubted you would have ever heard from him again.

The relationship didn’t end on good terms, though there was no real love lost—at least not on your side. Whatever feelings you had for the boy were long gone by the last few months of your relationship. The mere fact that nobody in your family or close circle liked him should have been an eye opener, but unfortunately it took a shitty night out and wandering hands for you to see the boy for what he truly was.

You had been broken up for the better part of a year—having not spoken to him since that same day—when he showed up at your apartment complex.

Jack hadn’t given you much of a choice before dragging you and Luke out of the house that morning. With both his younger siblings now fully situated in Jersey, he felt like it was his big brother obligation to show you his favourite spots. Today was no different, despite your insistence that you had work to do, and you allowed yourself a carefree day to hangout with your brothers on the odd day they had no game or practice.

However, you weren’t expecting to show up at your apartment with your brothers walking behind you to see your ex-boyfriend intoxicated and on some sort of verbal rampage.

You stopped listening at some point when the blood was roaring in your ears and the tears welled up in your lash line started to blur the sight of him in front of you. You vaguely felt hands on your shoulders, trying to guide you inside the building and away from the mess—but the damage had been done.

Your chest felt tighter with each breath, your whole body felt like it was shaking and you still couldn’t really see beyond the layer of tears. You felt like you had been teleported back to last year, on that very night where you found Trent standing in the middle of the buzzing crowd in a club with his hands on another girl and his tongue down her throat after he told you to ‘get over it and leave him to his business’. You hated that you felt that way.

You could hear your brothers’ voices, though you couldn’t make out what they were trying to say. You could only guess the words leaving their mouths. Maybe they were asking if you were okay or if you needed anything. Maybe they were calling Quinn for help. Maybe they were reassuring you that he was gone.

But that wasn’t what you needed.

“Call Nico.”

Jack blinked, staring at you with a look of confusion. “What?”

“Call Nico,” you gasped out between heaving breaths. “Please.”

“Nico Hischier?” Luke questioned, his brows furrowed together. “Like, our captain?”

“Please call him,” you had managed to croak out, and there must have been a look of desperation on your face because both boys ended up doing just that.

It felt like hours before Nico arrived, when in reality it had been less than ten minutes. Jack had gone down to open the door for him and bring him. He had tried to explain what had happened, a rushed summarised version before they reached your apartment door. But he had stopped listening to whatever Jack had been saying the second his eyes landed on you.

“Schatz,” he whispered in a soft voice, and it broke you all over again.

Jack stood there dumbfounded as Nico rushed towards you, engulfing you in a hug that had you squished between his arms and chest. Luke, equally as confused, seemed to catch on quicker than his older brother as he grabbed his arm.

“Hey, we have to go get that—thing!” Luke muttered, attempting to pull Jack a few steps back.

Jack frowned. “Huh?”

Luke shot him a look. “That thing. Remember?”

Jack shook his head. “No?”

“Oh for fuck’s sake, dude,” Luke groaned as he placed both hands on his older brother’s shoulders and practically manhandled him towards the door. “Give them some time alone.”

You didn’t lift your head as the sound of your bickering brothers disappeared behind the closed doors. You didn’t dare shift a muscle as you buried yourself further into Nico’s arms, letting the feel of his body and the smell of his cologne completely overwhelm you.

“I’m going to kill him,” Nico murmured eventually, his arms tightening around you. “I am going to shove my hockey stick so far up his ass, it will come out the other end.”

You huffed out a laugh. “That’s graphic.”

“I meant every single word,” he replied, his lips brushing against your forehead as he pressed a chaste kiss to your skin. “How are you feeling?”

“Drained.”

“I’m sorry, baby,” Nico murmured before he pulled back, guiding your face to look up at him with a gentle nudge of his knuckles under your chin. “I’m glad you called me.”

You raised your brows. “Yeah?”

“Yeah, it means you feel safe around me,” he answered with his lips twitching upwards.

“I always feel safe around you,” you admitted, feeling your cheeks flush as you spoke. “You’re like a bear.”

He paused. “What?”

“You’re like a bear,” you told him, attempting to bite back your smile when you watched his confusion grow. “Like a teddy bear. Soft and cuddly and comforting.”

“A teddy bear,” Nico repeated, like he couldn’t quite believe that is what you said.

“My favourite teddy bear,” you added, leaning forward to press a quick kiss to his lips. “I wouldn’t want anyone else with me right now.”

His face softened at your words as he tugged you back towards his chest. “Then I’ll be your teddy bear, baby.”

#nico hischier #nhl #new jersey devils #nico hischer x reader #nico hischier x you #nico hischier x y/n #nico hischier fic #nico hischier one shot #nhl x reader #nhl x you #nhl x y/n #nhl fic #nhl one shot

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tinyfishtits · 8 months ago

Note

Ooh, an opportunity for more Micah-fic! Might I request a bit of TLC for our favorite roguish rat? (Maybe he's been roughed up a bit, or is feeling a little under the weather but doesn't want to let anyone know.)

Love your work!

YES OF COURSE you can request my literal favorite genre of Micah fic Zana, you beautiful human you.

I got a little carried away with this one, I hope you like it !! I loved writing it 🥹❣️

TW: Graphic depictions of blood/gore/wound mending

I pushed the stew around my bowl as Mary Beth went on about the new book she was reading, though I heard none of it. Micah had been gone from camp for four days and nobody could even tell me why he’d left in the first place. Some bullshit lead on a job he thought he could tackle on his own no doubt, the cocky bastard. Nobody even noticed he was gone until I brought it up.

“That explains why it's been so damn pleasant around here lately.” Arthur had said when I asked him about it. I knew what they all thought of him, hell my opinion wasn’t much different… Maybe I'd deluded myself into thinking we’d become friends over the past few months, that him talking to me was anything more than just tolerating my company.

I’d be lying though, if I said I didn’t care. We’d come to spend most nights together since his return from Strawberry, tipsy and tired by the fire. I looked forward to it. Micah often talked about his father, of his adolescence spent robbing and killing out west. He was an entertaining storyteller to say the least, emphasizing every word with big, grandiose hand movements and even getting up to act certain things out.

Occasionally I’d talk about my life before the gang as well. Though my stories weren’t nearly as colorful, he always listened. Indulging me with questions about my family, the hobbies I once had that there was no longer time or resources for. He’d folded over with laughter when I told him I used to love needlepoint. Saying, “By the looks of your mending, sweetheart, I’d wager that was time wasted!”

The last time I saw him we had barely talked at all. I’d been uncharacteristically exhausted after spending the day helping Pearson when Sadie refused to. And ended up drifting off against the log he sat upon, cleaning his gun. Though I’d woken sometime later to him having moved to the ground beside me, my head on his shoulder as he carved aimlessly at a scrap of wood. When I woke again in the morning, he was gone.

“Isn’t that just so romantic?” Mary Beth crooned, her attention on me.

“Sorry, what?” I asked, pushing my stew away. My stomach was too knotted up to eat, I knew I was probably being stupid and irrational, if Micah were here to see how I was acting he would say as much. But I couldn’t shake the feeling that something was wrong.

Mary Beth looked me over more closely, “Are you alright? You look…”

“Fine. I- I’m fine, Mary Beth. I’m gonna go on a walk, don’t wait up okay?” I said, rising from the table.

“Oh, Okay!” She called out to me as I walked toward the path out of camp. It was probably a stupid idea. No, it definitely was. Walking around at sunset, alone, without a single weapon on me… I just needed to move, to feel like I was doing something other than waiting. A pathetic part of me hoped I would find him out here somehow, just stumble upon him trotting back toward camp completely fine.

I walked along the cliff edge toward Caliban’s Seat, making it halfway before dusk was upon me. Reluctantly, I turned back for camp, not at all looking forward to the restless night that awaited me there. That was when I spotted him.

“Baylock?” I called out to the black horse who was galloping up the hillside, his saddle empty. My stomach dropped at the sight. Even in the darkness, I knew it was him. He whinnied and reared up on his back legs as I neared. “Shh boy, you’re okay.” I hushed, holding a hand out to the wild eyed horse. He huffed and snorted at my hand, but let me approach. Giving him some comforting pats I looked around for any sign of him being robbed, a struggle, blood, anything to give a reason as to why he was alone. But there was nothing. He had just… run off.

“Where’s Micah?” I whispered to the horse. He had to be close, surely. With Baylock calmed, at least enough to mount, I jumped on the saddle and led him back down the hill where he’d come.

The full moon rising in the sky aided in my search, illuminating the surrounding forest enough that I wasn’t completely blind. Though Baylock did most of the navigating for me. He brought me through the section of forest that had been badly burned in an old brush fire, the ground still black, no life having braved the area just yet. I’d noticed it on our journey in from Colter. He was taking me to the base of Caliban’s Seat.

“Micah?” I called out to the darkness. Baylock whinnied in response, stomping his feet as we came to the tree line. He refused to go any further. “Micah?” I called again, and this time I got a faint groan in response. Jumping from the saddle I ran toward the sound some fifty yards ahead in the clearing.

“ FUCK!” I yelled, jumping back and falling on my ass, the bright yellow eyes of a cougar staring back at me through the tall grass. It took a moment to catch my breath and realize the beast was dead. Though its eyes still shone ominously in the darkness.

“What the hell are you doing out here?” Micah moaned. I jumped again, not having noticed him so close. He sat on the ground beside me, his back against a tree. He seemed… fine.

“What… Happened?” I finally managed to say.

“It got me. I got it.” He said simply, gesturing to the cougar with a lazy wave of the revolver still clutched in his hand.

Getting up from the dirt I crawled the few feet over to where he sat, my hands hovering over him hesitantly as I tried to pinpoint where exactly it had got him. Sensing the silent question he turned his back to me with a pained groan. I gasped.

His shirt was hanging on by threads. Three deep claw marks had torn through it from the shoulder all the way down to the hem of his pants. Blood oozed from the slashes, tar black in the darkness.

“ Shit.” I whispered, “You need a doctor. We need to get you back to camp!”

“No” He groaned.

“But… Micah you can't see it, its-”

“ No.” He said firmly, leaning back against the tree with a wince. “I’ve got supplies in the saddlebags, enough to make camp here and patch up.”

I just stared at him, speechless at his nonchalance toward the whole thing. Fully expecting me to just go along with his plan, he started unbuttoning his shirt.

“What are you doing?” I asked.

“ You are going to stitch me up, sweetheart.”

“No…” Sickness twisted in my stomach at the prospect, “ No! Micah… I- I can’t.”

The bastard didn’t listen. He just kept working to undo his shirt as I sat there completely frozen at his side. Leaning heavily on the tree for stability, he rose to his feet and whistled for Baylock. The horse came obediently to him, nuzzling his nose into Micah’s neck with a huff.

“Hey boy…” Micah whispered to him, stretching with a groan to pull a peach from the saddle bag, “Sorry about that…” Lovingly stroking the horse's nose, Micah sighed, resting his forehead against the animal. I’d never seen Baylock calmer in my life.

Rifling through the saddlebags I found some half drunken tonics, a bottle of whiskey and a crude wound dressing kit with - much to my horror - a needle and thread. I knew it had to be done… If not sewn up by me tonight, the cuts would almost certainly fester into something much worse by morning. My many failed attempts at cross stitching and cloth mending flashed behind my eyes, the nausea growing as I pictured my messy, uneven stitches threading through skin.

I took a swig of the whiskey before handing it over to Micah, who raised a brow at me. “You’re gonna need it��” I said, my voice shakily betraying the anxiety coursing through me. He chugged a good quarter of the bottle before chucking it aside.

“And this.” I held out a tonic for him, hoping if all else failed, it might keep infection at bay at the very least. He chugged that too, his eyelids heavy when he met my gaze again. “Just sit down, I’ll start a fire… Are you hungry?” I about gagged just saying the word. The thought of eating churning my stomach even more.

I don't know if it was my own reaction or if he too was an anxious wreck at the prospect of me stitching him up, but he mercifully declined the offer of food. I made quick work of a fire, setting our camp up a ways away from the wild cat corpse that was already starting to attract flies.

Micah sat beside the fire, his shirt now fully discarded. The image of him lit by the warm, flickering firelight sent a strange sense of calm through me, as if this was just any other night. A sparkling sheen of sweat already coated his torso. He glanced sidelong at me and I averted my gaze... hoping my lingering stare could be attributed to his wound and not his half naked form. Blush burning at my cheeks I asked, "How did it happen?"

"Wrong place..." He grunted, running a hand through his hair. "Wrong time."

Whiskey in hand, I kneeled at his back. "I didn't think cougars even came this far east..." I said, placing a gentle hand on his shoulder I guided him to turn so his back was to the fire, he did so with another pained groan that made my heart ache. It was about to get so much worse, I was about to make it so much worse.

"They don't." He grumbled, snatching the whiskey from my hand for one last sip before returning it to my grasp.

“This is gonna hurt…” I warned. He and I both took a deep breath and when he exhaled I poured the alcohol over his wound. His breathing halted as he held back a cry of pain, only deep growling groans escaping him as his breath came back in stuttering bursts before calming once more.

“Sorry…” I whispered, finally exhaling my own breath.

“Don’t start that…” He said, a bit breathless. Reaching a hand back to me he squeezed my knee in a small but comforting gesture. “I don't need you apologizing every time you stick me with a needle neither, doll.”

Grabbing the whiskey bottle, he took another generous chug. “Okay… Do it.” He sighed.

Opening the little tin of needle and thread… I hesitated. The needle was so small. Stitching up the wounds would take an hour, probably more. Dousing my hands with alcohol I reached out to touch the edge of one of the slashes, testing the sensitivity. He inhaled sharply at the gentle touch. Seemingly sensing his pain, Baylock huffed and lowered himself to the ground beside us, his large black head resting on Micahs lap.

“Micah…” I whispered. I didn’t know if I could stomach the pain I would be putting him through. He didn’t say anything, but squeezed my knee once more. Gently moving his long hair over his shoulder and out of the way, I brought the needle to the largest slash and with a deep breath, inserted it into the skin.

He didn’t flinch or cry out in pain, only tightening his grip on my knee as I drove the needle through the fatty skin visible in the crevice of the wound. In, through, in and out again. Were the only thoughts in my head as I concentrated, tying each suture closed with several knots before moving on to the next.

Once I got into the rhythm of it my anxiety eased, the nausea in my stomach subsiding along with it. The gore of his back becoming just another piece of ripped fabric that needed mending. It helped that Micah stayed impressively still during the whole process, only occasionally wincing when my needle drifted too deep into the wound.

When I finished the first of three slashes I turned to look him over. His face had gone pale and his eyes clamped shut. He never did release his grip on my leg.

“Two more cuts to go…” I said, mostly to myself but Micah’s head perked up, a small groan escaping his lips. I had no idea how much time had passed from when I’d started stitching, but the moon was high overhead by the time I finished. It must have been at least two in the morning.

Knotting off the last stitch I sat back, looking over my work. It wasn’t pretty by any means, the slashes red and jagged. But it was done.

“Well, you’ll have an impressive scar at least.” I said, pouring the last of the whiskey over my work for good measure. He didn’t even flinch this time, his back probably so numb with pain already from the hours of tedious work it barely registered anymore.

“Micah?” I whispered, his hand tightened on my knee in response but he made no sound. Leaning into his shoulder, I pressed a gentle kiss to the unmarred skin there. A low moan escaped him.

“What was that for?” He mumbled.

“A kiss to make it better…” I whispered against his skin, peppering two more kisses up his shoulder, one for each wound. “Mmm…” He hummed, his hand slowly snaking up my thigh. The contact shot electricity into my core, the pit of my stomach churning with a kind of anxious anticipation. I took his wandering hand in mine and kissed that too.

“Are you hungry?” I asked in an attempt to change the subject. Leaning in to meet his gaze, his pupils were blown wide, his eyes almost completely black as he looked at me. A smile spread over his lips.

“That a trick question?” He slurred, wrapping an arm around my waist. He practically fell into me, his hot, whiskey tinged breath on my neck as he pulled me in closer.

“You're drunk.” I said matter-of-factly, but made no effort to push him away. I didn’t want him drunkenly falling back on his fresh stitches, but mostly I just… didn’t want him to let go.

“Mmhmm...” He hummed, “And hungry.” his lips just barely grazed my skin as he spoke.

His flirty retort was an empty threat. Slowly, his body relaxed into mine, going heavier and heavier until he was completely slack in my arms. With a sigh, I sat back, carefully resting against Baylock who had stayed loyally by Micah’s side through the entire ordeal.

Micah’s face nuzzled sleepily into the crook of my neck, his arms wrapped around my waist as snuggled into me like I was his own personal pillow. He was completely splayed out on top of me, effectively pinning me in place between him and the horse. Unable and unwilling to move, I just held him against me, a hand softly stroking at his hair while the other traced lazily at the unwounded skin of his bare back.

He let out a long, content sigh and mumbled something into my neck.

“What?” I whispered. He turned his head away from my skin just enough to speak more clearly.

“I’m glad it was you.” He said, his strong hands pressing into my back as he spoke, as if he was making sure I was real, that I was there with him. “That you were the one… that you found me.” His voice trailed off sleepily.

Something about his admission brought a wetness to my eyes that threatened to break through my resolve. I hadn’t truly allowed myself to absorb the scene I’d stumbled upon tonight. How much worse it could have been… Holding him closer I breathed, “ Me too…” my voice barely even a whisper.

Exhaustion soon came to consume us both. With a final soft kiss to his temple, all three of us drifted off to sleep under the stars.

If you liked this, check out my other Micah works!

★ My Masterlist ★

#sigh #I just want to hug him #you just know he would have been furious if “death by cat” was the way he went out too #micah bell fic #red dead redemption 2 #micah bell x reader #fish reqs

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stragefields · 1 year ago

Text

Genshin impact characters reacting when you tell them you‘re pregnant + how they would be during the pregnancy

characters: ayato,childe

T/W: pregnancy, fluff enjoy!

not proofread!

Ayato

he would await it one day that you‘d come into his office and tell him that you‘re awaiting. it would definitely happen some day sooner or later, i mean this man has clearly no other choice, he is the head of the clan and that requires that he would get an heir some day. of course he is over the moon when you told him. not only because he‘s relieved that it finally happened even with some problems at the way. on the other hand he feels a sort of relieve because he isn‘t the only one without a child on the way anymore.

but of course he is also happy for the both of you to finally get the family you wanted.

to the dismay with many other high society people the baby turns out to be a girl but you two honestly doesn’t care about the gender and nobody says that that would be the last one, aren‘t they?

he would move his whole working space into your private chambers so he can be with you in an emergency. he has experienced the pregnancy of his mother with his younger sister and he wouldn’t forgive himself if he would let you go through this.

if you would fight with nausea he would personally take the best care of you. if he‘d find you bent over the toilet he will gently take your hair back and pat your back until it‘s over. then he would carry you to your marital bed, lay down with you and massage your back until you‘re feeling better and can rest. also he would ask thoma to prepare a stomach-friendly tea and get you anything you want (i mean this man is one of the richest people in teyvat so what would be better to spend the money than his own family?).

Childe

after he came home from a 3-month mission you‘d suprised him with a tiny yellow box with a blue little sweater and a positive pregnancy test in there. he just looks at you completely confused but as he opens the box, revealing a little blue wool pullover and a positive pregnancy test. his eyes turn wide as he looks with a small smile at you.

„you are? how far are you lovely?“ he asks you. „well yes it happened on our ‚goodbye-fuck‘ and after i felt nauseous and tired i went to the doctor and he only confirmed my suspension.“

after hearing the confirmation he broke down in tears and hugged you. now everything was okay. he was with you in his homeland, you and his family were safe, and now you, you the love of his life, the person he always wanted children with, were pregnant. so this evening, in the small illuminated corridor, he let his guard down.

with your pregnancy he becomes at least 10 times more overprotective than he already is. poor man he just want you and his unborn child be safe, but you still the stubborn woman he fell in love with, you want to continue your work at the adventures guild. after a long and loud discussion with some yelling by you, caused by your pregnancy hormones, he finally obliged to continue your work but still till the 6th month and only paperwork. you were literally so upset with him after his decision so you slept on the couch. in the morning he came to you begging to you that he can‘t sleep another night without you.

he will spend much more time with you, writing the tsaritsa a letter, explaining the situation and he got the half-time of his work off. you will spend this time often with his family sitting in the warm living room playing games and looking at photos when ajax was only a baby (i want to see this pictures so bad) and his mother will knit a sweater for the baby when the name is decided. like the weasley christmas sweater thing (ofc you and the others already have one)

~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~

other charcters will follow soon…

btw my commissions are open so write me :>

#kamisato ayato #genshin ayato #ayato fluff #ayato x you #pregnancy #childe x fem!reader #childe tartaglia ajax #childe #ajax x reader #ajax #genshin ajax #tartaglia x fem!reader #tartaglia x reader #tartagalia genshin impact #tartaglia #genshin impact #strangefieldsisinthehouse #reader insert

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notmorbid · 11 months ago

Text

even as we breathe.

dialogue prompts from even as we breathe: a novel by annette saunooke clapsaddle.

my plan didn't quite work the way i thought it would.

you sure have a way with words.

should i be afraid?

empathy is fossilized in our bones.

if you keep your mouth shut and your ears open, you might just learn a thing or two.

there's rumors about this place, you know.

sometimes i poke fun when i'm on edge.

i want to be respected, not respectable.

just ignore me. heck, everyone else does.

have you ever felt like everybody was staring at you?

your demeanor is distinctly unwelcoming.

humility has its place.

don't do anything to get yourself fired.

nothing scary about nothingness. it's the something you should be afraid of.

you didn't play games going up?

i never feel like people are telling me the whole truth.

everyone has their own take, their own theory.

biblical references aren't exactly my forte.

but how will i know when i'm done?

you don't need to lie to make me feel better.

it's just how i was raised.

tell me about your family.

i'm surprised you don't already know all my business. everybody else sure does.

you speak of the dead so easily.

thought i might have to wake you for dinner.

is this your hiding place?

i'm not scared. i'm mad.

you make odysseus look like a joyrider.

not all love is made of equal parts.

what's wrong with you today?

everything okay back home?

it's not forever. just try to remember that.

just trying to stay out of trouble.

you can't prepare yourself for things like this.

you knew and you didn't tell me.

it's too early in the morning for ghost stories.

you were always my soft place to land.

i need you to see me.

i thought i was protecting you.

i do care about you. you're my best friend.

something about war buddies ties people together forever.

there's always at least an ounce of truth in storytelling.

sometimes i think you've seen more than you've told me.

i can't imagine leaving without you.

you truly can be such a raincloud.

i got used to it. i didn't know anything else.

i don't mean to lay a bunch of heavy stuff on you.

sometimes the answers are not the ones you want to hear.

sometimes you have to decide if you want truth or peace.

i can't believe we're having a conversation about this.

what's happening to me?

i'm not sure i'd be able to teach you, but i can try.

i don't mind listening. listening is easy.

i'm sure you'll find the right home, in the end.

sometimes not knowing your own story is the most damaging thing of all.

i once had to be quiet to survive.

i thought i told you i didn't want to see you again.

you sure can't catch a break, can you?

i never knew how to ask.

you're too mean to let anything keep you down for too long.

nobody deserves to die alone.

you've used me up.

do you think i love ____ more than i love you?

i do love you. i always will. but we have to accept the hands we're dealt.

when i was young, i wanted nothing more than to get as far away from here as i could get.

#rp meme #ask memes #ask meme #rp memes #inbox memes #sentence starters #rp prompt #inbox meme #rp prompts #historical meme

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hailey-murdock · 2 years ago

Note

Hey sweetie got a Matt / Reader request. Reader is traveling and leaves Matt dirty ASMR, which he likes to listen to and enjoy it 😏🍆

Lust

Paring: Matt Murdock x Fem!reader

Warnings: 18+ mdni, smut, masturbation, orgams denial, pain kink, praising, teasing, degradation, dry humping

Other characters: (mention of:) Foggy Nelson

WC: 2.1k

A/N: This ask got me feral. Holy fuck this is hot. Matty has me in a chokehold. Hope you enjoy <3 (Reblogs, comment and likes are appreciated)

In the most unexpected moments of life, passion has a way of attracting the center stage and rewriting our stories in ways we never imagined possible. For Matt and you, this was certainly the case.

Matt hated when you had to go and leave him even if it was just a few days. Sometime last week you had received a call that your sister needed someone to take care of her, after an accident she had.

Matt wanted to go help out but after taking down Fisk the firm was much more recognized. Which meant taking on more clients and more cases.

It helped so much that it helped to pay the bills but he couldn’t just leave Foggy on his own to deal with all the work they had on their plates. So Matt stayed while you went away.

But as you embarked on your trip to visit family, little did Matt know that a surprise awaited him in the form that was unexpected for him.

You both called when you had an opportunity to do so. Never in the time you've been with Matt have you been away from each this long. You missed his touch on your body. The way Matt could leave you breathless, seeing stars within seconds.

For Matt it was worse, waking up each morning with a cold and empty spot next to him in his bed. Your scent lingering in the apartment. He missed coming back home after a long day at work and not finding you in the kitchen like his perfect housewife.

The night before you left you bid each other one form of goodbye and that was, sex. God, how the scent of your arousal, and the smell of sex lingered around drove Matt mad. After dropping you off at the airport, he came back home and the smell hit his nostrils and made him lightheaded, a rush of heat ran down to his pants. It hadn't even been an hour and he already craved you.

However, Matt called you on his lunch break exhausted. He was stressed with a case he had taken on with Foggy and he was getting frustrated at the lack of touch from you. The passing of each ring over the phone made him grow more irritated by the second, but until you answered your phone that faded away.

"Hi baby, how are you?", you said with a slight grunt as you got up from the couch to walk to your room to have some privacy. But that didn't help Matt, it only made him think how it was a similar sound you would make while underneath him.

Matt felt his throat go dry but somehow he managed to get words out his mouth. "H-hey sweetheart, I'm great. What about you hun?"

As you told him how you were doing and how you told him about your sister he lost track of what you were saying. Focused on the sweetest sound he ever heard, your voice. His hands roam down to his thick thighs to his lap, so close to where he most wanted it.

"Matt? Are you okay?", you grew a bit worried as you heard his heavy breathing and lack of communicating with you. The first thought that came to mind was that maybe he was hurt and he needed help.

"Huh? Oh, uh yeah. I'm fine sweetheart. Keep talking, I like listening to your voice, I'm listening". Matt tried his best to play it off and act like he wasn't palming himself as he listens to you talk over the phone.

"Well, um actually sweetheart I need your help with something". He thought he was being selfish for asking something for his own pleasure. But Matt desperately needed something, anything.

"Tell me Matty".

Oh, that's when Matt fell apart. He liked it, no he loved it when you called him "Matty". He was starting to feel embarrassed, but he was glad that there wasn't absolutely nobody in the office to hear his next words.

"I need you sweetheart. Need to feel you. P-please. Anything, j-just give me something", if your panties weren't wet earlier than for sure they are, right now. It was rare when you would have Matt begging or asking for something, even if you told him that he didn't need to ask. Damn him and his catholic guilt. These were the moments you treasured more.

"My sweet boy feels so lonely, doesn't he? Misses my sweet, wet and tight cunt, isn't that right baby"? A smirk creeps onto your face loving to tease him just like Matt would do to you. Call it getting even.

"Y-yes. Miss you so m-much sweetheart", Matt would get nervous in times like these. Nobody had made him feel this way before.

"I bet you're touching yourself right now like a whore" you toyed with your clit, doing your best to maintain your position.

"F-fuck. Mhm yeah baby I am. Fucking wish it was your hands instead of mine" Matt threw his head back, the pleasure and desire clouding his mind.

"Who told you, you could touch yourself?" You loved taking charge of Matt in the bedroom at times. Even if you weren't there with him, you knew to make Matt fall apart for you.

"N-no one", he moves his hand away. A groan escaping his throat, his cock throbbed, it was a mixture of pain and pleasure.

"Exactly, now this is the deal. Since you decided to play with yourself without my permission I won't help you with cumming right now".

"Sweetheart but-", Matt thought he could try to change your mind but he was absolutely wrong.

"No, I don't want to hear it. Keep whining and I won't help for the rest of the week".

"Yes ma'am", Matt said breathlessly. Even being submissive Matt knew how to choose wisely his choice of words

"Good boy. Like I was saying before, you're gonna touch yourself for the rest of the day until I say so. If you're able to do so, I might reward you later. I have to go now Matty. I love you baby". The plan in your head was vile but yet so wickedly good.

"O-okay. I love you too sweetheart", after you hung up. You weren't busy or needed to go, you just wanted to give Matt a piece of your mind. The torture you felt from his teasing was something now he was starting to understand.

Nobody was at home, you were all alone. Your mom had taken your sister to the doctor, so you didn't need to worry about the sinful noises that were gonna fill your room.

You pulled off your shorts and grabbed your phone to record what you were about to do, recording yourself while touching yourself until you orgasmed.

Matt spent the rest of the day tense, his mind wandering to you, your moans, your body, and your taste. Foggy had even noticed how Matt looked like he was about to lose his shit. The man was flustered, his knuckles white from how hard he made a fist. So Foggy decided to send him home, thinking that maybe his best friend was sick.

On the way back to the apartment Matt had his briefcase covering his erection. Once he arrived at the apartment he took off all of his clothes except his boxers. He laid on his bed rutting his hips against the bed to gain friction, he thought that his actions didn't consider him touching himself. Which he wasn't so he wasn’t being entirely bad.

Too caught up in his trance, in the back of his head he heard his phone call out your name. It took so much willpower to pull himself away, he was so close. Matt grabbed his phone and it automatically read your text message "for your ears only".

Matt pressed play for the audio and when he heard your sweet groan his cock twitched underneath his boxers.

Leaving no detail to the imagination, the audio captured your sultry voice teasing and tempting, igniting a fire within Matt that consumed his every thought and desire. With each word and moan, you painted vivid images in Matt's mind, arousing his senses like never before. As the audio played, Matt's heart raced with a mixture of exhilaration and anticipation.

The sound of your voice, a perfect blend of vulnerability and seduction, commanded Matt's attention wholly, as if you were in the same room, your bodies entangled in a passionate embrace.

Unable to resist the intoxicating allure of your smutty audio, Matt surrendered himself fully to the experience. His mind became a playground of desire, as he closed his eyes and pulled down his boxers just enough to free his cock. His cock hit his lower abdomen causing him to groan. His rough hands immediately went straight to his cock, rubbing the precum around as lube. Matt let the waves of pleasure wash over him.

Every breath, every sigh, every carefully chosen word in the audio became a symphony of passion that resonated deep within Matt's core.

As the smutty audio played on, Matt found himself captivated by the way you expertly described the things you were thinking about.

"F-fuck, love your c-cock Matty".

Engrossed in the imagery painted by your words, Matt felt himself being transported to a realm where your bodies transcended physical limitations and merged into a shared realm of passion and intimacy.

"Touch yourself baby, wa-want you to f-feel good"

Matt's other hand instinctively traveled across his body, mapping out the imaginary contours of your silken skin. His fingertips traced the path of your words, dancing along his own flesh as he envisioned your touch. The audio had awakened a primal hunger within Matt, one that could only be sated by your presence.

With each word spoken in the audio, Matt's imagination ran wild as he could almost feel you right there with him.

Matt could practically taste the desire in the air and feel your presence beside him, his body reacting with uncontrollable longing.

The room was filled with groans, grunts and whimpers as Matt pulled away his hand each time when he was about to cum. His eyes rolled to the back of his head, wanting to make this moment last longer.

As Matt immersed himself in the audio, he couldn't help but marvel at how sensory cues were able to elicit such a powerful response within him.

The sensory immersion provided by your audio allowed Matt to experience a heightened state of arousal and desire.

With his senses engaged solely through the auditory stimulation, Matt's focus was intensified as he shut off other distractions and allowed himself to be completely immersed in the seductive world created by your voice.

Matt felt like he couldn't hold himself back anymore longer. He needed to cum badly, now.

"Cum Matty, cum for me baby. Let go, let the people who you are a whore for. Scream my name".

And with that Matt came with his hand wrapped around his cock. Squeezing it tightly imaging that it was your sweet cunt swallowing him whole. Your name leaving his mouth loudly, the neighbors could most likely hear him, but he didn't care.

The combination of auditory stimulation and Matt's active imagination created a truly immersive experience, blurring the lines between reality and fantasy.

Matt laid on the bed, his hand reaching for you. But there was a lack of your warmth and body. Sadly you weren't there to take care of him after that earth crashing orgams. His hand found his phone and he called you.

You answered with a smirk on your face, "Hello".

"T-thank yo-you", Matt was out of breath, his voice rough and heavy. His breathing was heavy, his entire body covered in sweat. Happy with the release he desperately needed.

"Of course baby. I'm happy you enjoyed it".

"I fucking loved it sweetheart", Matt smiled sweetly over the phone, his eyes shutting, growing tired.

"That's good, when I get back it'll be even better but get rest now hun, you need it big boy", you as well were tired, already in bed with the covers covering your body.

Matt hummed, not even a minute later he was already sleeping, his soft snores were the last thing you heard before ending the call.

The next morning Matt woke up better than ever. He knew last night wasn't the last time he was gonna hear that audio you sent him.

As Matt eagerly awaited your return from your family visit, Matt couldn't help but feel a deep longing to recreate the electrifying sensations that your audio had sparked within him.

#matt murdock #matt murdock smut #daredevil #daredevil smut #matt murdock x you #matthew murdock smut

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allthesmutl0vers · 5 months ago

Text

Managing Mischief: Weasley Twins x F! Reader (Part Five)

TW: Mentions of ED, lots of fluff 💖Use of Y/N (I know, I know. I'm trying to break the habit)

Paring: Fred Weasley x F!Reader x George Weasley

Requests Open 🫡

Chapter Five

Y/n

The next couple of days seemed to fly by. I got letters from my dad updating me on his and my mom’s progress, probably to keep me from visiting out of worry. My mom isn’t awake yet, but the healers are giving her everything they can to heal her. Everyone has been keeping me busy. Yesterday, we all had a family lake day. We spent all day swimming, which is great for all of the calories I’ve had to consume to keep people from finding out about my eating disorder, but I think Fred and George have started to catch on, even though they haven’t said anything.

But today, I’m excited because I finally get to see my Mum and Dad. I practically leap out of bed, getting dressed in a pair of ripped skinny jeans and a cropped band t-shirt. I jump on Ginny’s bed, waking up her and Hermione.

“What the bloody Hell, y/n?!” Ginny groans and smashes her face into the pillow. Hermione rolls her eyes and dozes back off, so I fall on top of them, giving them both a start.

“Merlin’s beard!” Hermione shrieks as she sits up, making me laugh.

“Oh, fuck off, y/n,” Ginny groans tiredly as she hits me with a pillow. “What’s up your ass so early?”

I laugh and toss Ginny’s pillow aside. “Today is the day I get to visit my Mum and Dad, Ginny!” I say excitedly. But this time, instead of rolling over to fall back asleep, they jump up excitedly, too.

“Merlin! Is that today?!” Ginny asks excitedly as she jumps out of bed, knocking me back and making me laugh.

“Oo! That means tomorrow we go back to school!” Hermione shrieks and claps excitedly.

I laugh and roll my eyes. “Only you would be excited to go back to school, Hermione.” We talk excitedly and laugh as they get dressed and put on their shoes.

Ginny’s door swings open, revealing a very tired-looking Ron and Harry in the doorway. “Oi, what’s with all of the damn ruckus?” Ron says, annoyed.

“Yeah, seriously, guys, it's seven in the morning,” Harry adds with an eye roll.

Hermione giggles and kisses Ron on the cheek, which seems to perk him up a bit. “Today is the day that y/n can see her parents,” she explains.

“Yeah, so we’re excited. You guys should be, too,” Ginny says, kissing Harry and crossing her arms.

“Blimey, sorry mate, I forgot,” Ron says, rubbing his eyes.

“Shit, well, we’re happy for you, y/n,” Harry says as they both come into the room and give me a big hug.

I laugh and hug them back. “It’s alright. I suppose I can forgive two of my best mates,” I laugh.

“Hope nobody is trying to steal our girl,” Fred jokes from the doorway with George as Harry and Ron pull away and roll their eyes.

“Yeah, hug your own girlfriends, you numpties,” George adds with a smirk.

“Down, boys,” I tease them with a smile, which they return with a wink as they step into Ginny’s room.

Hermione laughs and leans back on Ron’s chest. “We’re all just excited because y/n gets to see her parents today,” she explains.

I run up and jump into Fred’s arms, and he catches me with his hands under my thighs as my arms drape around his neck. I give him a deep kiss, making him hum into my lips. “Well, good morning to you too, little one,” he says softly.

George clears his throat and smirks at me when I look at him. “Forget me already, did you?” He teases. I giggle as Fred places me back on my feet and George swoops me into my arms bridal style and kisses me deeply. “Mm, that’s more like it,” he says against my lips with a soft chuckle.

“Okay, okay! Don’t shag in my room, please!” Ginny groans, making me and the twins chuckle.

“Wouldn’t dream of it, little sister,” Fred remarks as George places me back down on my feet between him and Fred, and they each wrap an arm around my waist.

“Yeah, no need for a room with one bed when ours has two,” George says with a wink. I gasp and slap them both on the arm, feeling myself start to blush.

“Ugh, too much information,” Ron groans.

“Oh my God,” Harry laughs, wrapping an arm around Ginny’s shoulders as she and Hermione try not to laugh.

We all walk downstairs together, laughing and talking about nothing in particular, excited to see my Mum and Dad. They’ve never really talked to my Mum or Dad, really only in passing at a birthday party or when we’re getting on the train for school. They’ve always been so busy with patients at the hospital by our house. My parents are world renowned doctors, my Mum in Cardio, and my Dad in Oncology.

“Morning, everyone,” Molly greets us with a smile as we all pile around the table.

“Good morning,” we all respond as we fill our coffee mugs.

The door opens, and Arthur comes in with a smile. “Good morning!” He says cheerfully as he kisses Molly, sets down his briefcase, and takes a seat. We all tell him good morning as he pours his cup of coffee and turns to me as Molly begins to put food on the table. “Well, everyone seems to be wide awake,” he chuckles. “Are you excited to see your parents today, y/n?”

I nod and smile. “So excited. I feel like it’s been forever.”

“No kidding. Woke up the whole house with their giggling this morning, these three,” Harry jokes, pointing to me, Ginny, and Hermione.

“Yeah, and I was having a really good dream, too,” Ron says, nudging Hermione and making her blush.

“Well, she has every right to be excited,” Molly smiles as she sits down next to Arthur. “Now, dig in. We’re heading out shortly after breakfast.”

Everyone starts making their plates and I’m biting my lip, silently counting all of the calories and trying to find a way to at the least amount. George leans in close to my ear, talking so only he and Fred can hear. “Eat something, love.”

I shake my head and smile. “I’m alright, I’m not hungry,” I lie, but my stomach, being the traitorous bitch she is, betray me and growls.

“Seems like you are, darling. Just eat a little something,” Fred says on my other side. They’ve made little comments, nothing mean, that I should eat a little more or offer me an extra sweet from their stash. I know they’re catching on, but I’m scared to get ‘better’ and gain all of the weight back.

George places a hand lovingly on the small of my back. “Just try a little, baby. How about a few pieces of fruit and some eggs?” He offers. His gesture is sweet, and he’s not trying to shove it down my throat, so I agree with a simple nod. “That’s our girl,” he smiles and places a few strawberries and some scrambled eggs on a plate for me.

I take a breath and take a bite out of a strawberry, and Ron starts to speak to me. “Oi, y/n, how come you don’t eat much?” He asks. It’s an innocent question, but it still makes me tense up.

“I’m just nervous to see my parents, is all,” I answer him. I hate lying, but sometimes you gotta do what you gotta do.

“Yeah, but you’ve hardly eaten the entire time you’ve been here,” he continues. “Sometimes, you don’t eat meals at all,” I clench my jaw. Merlin, shut UP, Ron. Hermione elbows him, but he doesn’t get the hint. “Oi, I’m just curious. You’re not, like, starving yourself, are you?”

My legs start to shake with nerves under the table as I scramble for an answer. Fred and George each place a hand lovingly on my knees. “Shut it down, mate,” George warns him.

“Yeah, leave her be. She’s had a rough go at it lately. And frankly, it’s none of your damn business,” Fred snaps.

“That’s enough, Ronald,” Molly scolds him. “Despite the foul language, Fred is right. What a woman eats is none of your concern.”

Harry nudges Ron’s side. “Yeah, mate. It’s not like you’re one to talk about eating habits,” Harry jokes, trying to diffuse the tension. Ron just rolls his eyes and digs into his massive plate. I wish I could eat without concern like that.

I eat the berries and eggs on my plate as everyone talks about different things around the table, nobody paying me any mind. I set down my fork at the table and sigh softly. “Good job, love,” Fred praises me with a smile and a kiss on my cheek. I smile softly, trying to ignore the guilt I’m feeling as I wrap my arms around my stomach.

George kisses the top of my head. “Very well done, indeed, darling,” George praises me next.

“Thank you, guys. It means a lot,” I say sincerely.

“Anytime,” they say in sync.

*****

St. Mungo’s is so different from any hospital I’ve ever been to. The biggest difference is that it doesn’t have that weird hospital smell. Instead, it smells like flowers and brewing herbs. No doubt from the potion makers they have on site. Molly and Arthur go to the front desk to get directions, and we all stand back together. I tried to convince everyone that they didn’t all have to come, but being the friends they are, they insisted.

“Nervous, baby?” George asks with a hand around my waist as I stand between him and Fred. I nod slightly, and he and Fred move to stand in front of me.

“Don’t be nervous, little one,” Fred says softly, using the nickname I love so much with a smile as he tips my chin up to look at them. “Your Dad said in his last letter that everything is going good. There’s no reason to worry.”

“All that’s left is for your Mum to wake up, and I’m sure she will any day now,” George adds, kissing the tip of my nose.

I smile softly and chuckle. “Hopefully, she doesn’t have a heart attack when she finds out I’m with the two of you,” I joke with a smile, feeling a little better. They always know just how to make me feel better, even when I don’t want to.

The three of us chuckle as they pull me into their chests, hugging me and smooshing me between them, but I don’t mind. It’s my safe space. When Molly and Arthur come back, they tell us that my parents are on the next floor, on ‘Creature Induced Injuries.’ Makes sense, given that I don’t think of the man who almost killed my parents as anything else but a monster.

We climb the stairs together, and when we get to my parent's room, Molly stops and turns to me. “Now, you go in first, dearie. And if you two are up for visitors, the rest of us can come in and join you. But no rush,” she smiles.

I nod and smile as I let go of Fred and Georges’ hands. “We’ll be right out here, darling,” George says with a smile.

“Whenever you’re ready,” Fred adds with a smile as well.

I open the door and see my dad seated by my mom’s bedside. He looks completely healed, no bruises, not even a scratch on him. I smile as I walk up to him. “Hi, Daddy,” I greet him, wanting to run into his arms.

My dad smiles and looks up. “Hey there, honeybee. Come on in,” he waves me over and stands. “No need to worry. Your old man is all healed up.”

I run into his arms and hug him tightly as he lifts me and sets me back down on my feet. “How’s Mum?” I ask him. “Any news?”

Dad strokes my head and smiles sadly. “They don’t know why she hasn’t woken up yet. The brain bleed is healed. But the doctors here tell me all we’re waiting on is for her to wake up on her own. You know your mother can’t be rushed,” he jokes light-heartedly.

I nod and lean over my Mum, hugging her as she lies unconscious. “But she will wake up, right?” I ask.

Dad smiles and nods. “Yes, honeybee. It’s just a waiting game on when.”

I look through the window at Fred and George peaking through the window like puppies waiting to be let inside. I giggle softly, and my dad notices and shakes his head with a laugh. “I suppose we should let them in, huh?” He jokes.

I shrug and smile. “Probably, everyone was just as excited as I am to come today,” my dad smiles and waves for them to come in at Molly as she peaks through the window, too.

Everyone piles into the room, and Arthur greets my dad. “Phil! It’s so nice to see you up and walking, mate. How do you feel?” He asks as he shakes my dad's hand.

My dad smiles and shes his hand. “Like a brand new engine. Thank you, Arthur, for having us moved.”

Arthur swats his hand and laughs. “As I said, anything for family, Phil.”

The twins and our friends move to stand by me as Molly hugs my dad. “So glad to see you’re feeling better. How is Sheila?”

My dad smiles and hugs her back. “All better, thanks to you guys,” my dad says, and Molly and Arthur beam. “Just waiting for her to wake up. But you know to never rush a woman,” my dad jokes to Arthur, who laughs heartily.

“Good man,” Arthur and Molly laugh and begin to talk with my dad amongst themselves.

Fred and George move to my sides, careful to keep their hands to themselves in front of my father. My friends move closer to me, too, congratulating me on my Dad’s recovery. And after a few minutes, my Dad walks over to us with Molly and Arthur behind him. “Hello, boys,” he greets Fred and George. “Thank you both so much for taking care of my little honeybee,” he smiles.

“Our pleasure, sir,” George says, shaking his hand.

“Absolutely, sir,” Fred says with a smile, shaking his hand next.

My dad laughs and waves his hand. “Please, boys, call me Phil,” he says before looking at my friends. “Thank you all for looking out for her. She is very lucky to have friends like all of you,” he beams. They all respond with a smile and some variation of ‘no problem.’ His eyes land on Hermione and Harry, and he speaks to them. “Forgive an old man,” he chuckles. “But remind me of your names again?” He asks kindly.

Hermione steps up first and smiles, shaking his hand. “Granger, sir. Hermione Granger.”

My dad smiles and nods. “That’s right, I remember. All the same, it is a pleasure to meet you, Hermione. And please, call me Phil,” he smiles and turns to Harry, reaching out his hand.

“I’m Harry, Harry Potter,” Harry introduces himself and shakes my dad’s hand.

“Of course, it’s nice to see you again, Harry,” my dad says kindly. I don’t miss the wave of relief that washes over Harry that my dad isn’t drooling over meeting ‘the boy who lived,’ my dad knows the story, but he also knows how much Harry hates people bringing it up. “Ron, Ginny, nice to see you two again.”

“Good to see you too, Phil,” Ron smiles.

“Nice to see you back with the land of the living,” Ginny jokes, making my dad and everyone else laugh.

“Good to be back,” my dad responds and turns to all of us but looks at me. “So, I have some exciting news!” He says cheerfully. “The doctors here have agreed to let me stay here with your Mum until she wakes up. Since muggles can’t enter without a wand,” my dad chuckles. “But they are allowing me to leave tomorrow, and Arthur offered to get me to the platform to see you off on the train and come back afterward.”

“Really?!” I ask excitedly and hug him tight. “That’s amazing, Dad!”

“Yes, it’s very kind of him, indeed. Your mother would have my neck if I didn’t get a picture of you and your friends by the train for that scrapbook of hers,” my dad chuckles.

I release my dad and hug Arthur next. “Thank you so much, Arthur.”

He hugs me back and pulls back. “Of course, y/n. But it was really Molly’s idea,” he chuckles with a smile.

I smile and Hug Molly next. “Thank you,” I say in her neck.

Molly pats my back and pulls back with a smile. “Of course, dearie. We were going to tell you at breakfast, but I thought it best to come from your Dad. I’ll escort you all through the floo network, and we’ll meet them there.”

We all talk for a few hours, and Fred and George tell him all about quidditch and invite him to one of the games since Harry, Ron, and Ginny play on the team, too. My dad tells them he’d love to come and watch and hopes that it falls on ‘parent’s day,’ his favorite day of the year, Mum’s too. They love walking around the castle, and especially the feast. After lunch, it’s time to head back to the burrow and pack for the train tomorrow. We say our goodbyes before we head out.

*****

It’s mayhem at the burrow as everyone is packing their trunks and bags. Me, Harry, and Hermione had already packed before we came, so instead, we helped everyone else until Molly calls us down for dinner.

We take our seats at the table, and Molly puts a pot of beef stew, rolls, and rhubarb and pumpkin pies down in the center of the table. Her send-off feast every year. Everyone digs in, and I allow myself a roll and two smaller scoops of stew. Ron looks at me like he wants to say something, but when Fred and George stare at him, he seems to think better of it.

About halfway through dinner, an owl lands on the kitchen windowsill, and I recognize it as Bucky, Blaise’s owl with a letter in his beak. I stand up and take the letter from him, giving him a few owl treats before he flies off again.

“Who’s it from, dear?” Molly asks as I sit back down between Fred and George.

“Blaise,” I answer and open the letter, reading it aloud.

“Dear, y/n,

I’m sorry I haven’t been in touch. I got ahold of Draco, and he said he sent you a letter. Did you receive it? He explained to me what he wrote, and I wanted you to know that I’m sorry. Believe me, I reamed him for it. You deserve better than a letter.

I can’t believe that he and Pansy would betray you like that. He told me nothing happened between them, but… Pansy confided in me, and she told me that they had slept together just before school ended last year. I know that it’s an awful thing to hear, but I couldn’t keep it from you. Believe me, I’m very angry with both of them. Nobody deserves that, especially one of my best mates.

However, Draco and Pansy have been my friends since the day we were born, and our families are closely knit. And as pissed at them as I may be, I can’t cut them off completely. They’re Slytherins, my family. I’m sure you can understand, given your close friendship with the Weasleys, Harry, Hermione, and everyone else in your house.

I understand If you can’t, or don’t want, to be friends with me anymore, given what happened. But I do hope that one day, we can all put this behind us and be friends again. I’ll give you some space to think about it, and you can come to me when you’re ready.

Draco asked about you in his last letter to me. I know he feels awful about hurting you, and he doesn’t expect a reply, but he do wishes you’d write. I told him that I hadn’t talked to you yet and that if he wanted to hear from you, he should reach out himself, but it was probably best not to.

Also, I meant to ask you at the party, but I forgot. This is awkward, but is there something going on with you, Fred, and George? I know you guys are best friends, but I saw you guys sitting and talking against the tree, and you looked…closer than normal. I won’t pry or judge you if there is. But I just think that it is unfair to be so angry with Draco and Pansy for fooling around behind your back if you’re doing it behind his, too. Just something to think about.

Again, I hope one day we can put all of this behind us. I hope you’re doing okay, and give my regards to everyone. See you around the halls, maybe.

Sincerely,

Blaise Zambini”

“What a snake,” Fred says, shaking his head after a few moments.

“How can he accuse you of going behind Malfoy’s back, then turn around and defend him for the same thing?” George asks angrily.

“He did say he was pissed,” Hermione says softly.

“More like he said a load of crap,” Ginny says, shaking her head. “Forget them, y/n.”

“If he loves them so much, he should just leave, too. Let the snakes live together,” Harry adds.

“Such a load of crap. That’s that ‘pure-blood’ family bullshit,” Ron rolls his eyes. “Pathetic.”

“Alright, that’s enough,” Arthur says firmly, without raising his voice.

Molly looks over at me, noticing I haven’t spoken yet. “Y/n, dearie, are you alright?” She asks calmly.

I look down at the letter in my hands and sigh. “I had a feeling that something might have happened. But reading it…” I shake my head. “How could you do that to someone you claimed to love?” I ask without looking up as my stomach winds itself in knots.

Molly sighs. “Honey, people don’t do that to those they love. I know it’s hard to hear, but it just goes to show who he is.”

I stand up from the table. “Excuse me, please. I need a minute.”

“Y/n,” Fred and George reach for me and say my name at the same time as I walk to the back door.

“Leave her be. You heard her. She needs a minute,” Arthur tells them as I step outside and close the door behind me.

I sit on the steps of the porch, not knowing exactly how to feel. We’re already broken up, but I’ve never been cheated on before. Draco was my first boyfriend. Even though I started dating him in order to get over Fred and George, I truly cared deeply for him. I loved him, and I thought he loved me, even after I got his letter. But I guess the joke is on me.

I sit on the porch for a long time, watching the sunset. I think of every time that they were alone together, wondering if there were more times that even Blaise didn’t know about. More than either of them were willing to admit. The back door creaks open, and Fred and George sit down next to me. George hands me a cup of tea, and Fred drapes a throw blanket over my shoulders. Neither of them speaks. They just sit with me until I’m ready to talk.

“I can’t help but wonder why he didn’t just end it before they slept together,” I say softly, looking out at the sunset.

I feel them both let out a heavy sigh. “He probably didn’t know how to say it to your face like a real man would. Except the difference is that a real man would never cheat in the first place,” Fred answers me softly.

“Instead, he hid. He pushed you away, probably hoping you would end things first so he could feel guilt-free,” George adds.

I let a couple of tears fall from my eyes, which are quickly wiped away by their sleeves. “I’m sorry that I’m crying. I don’t have feelings for him anymore. I just feel so betrayed.”

“Shh,” Fred shushes me soothingly as they lay their heads on my shoulders. “We know, love. Just know that neither of us will ever hurt you like that, or ever.”

“Don’t apologize for crying, darling. You’re hurt, it’s understandable. What that git did is unforgivable. And I agree with Fred. We will never do that to you,” George says, kissing the side of my head softly.

I nod, thanking Merlin for sending me these two, who always know just what to say and who I know I can trust inexplicably. “I know you guys wouldn’t. I trust you two with my life and my heart,” I sigh. “But I don’t think I’m ready to talk to Blaise yet. I know it’s not his fault, but I just need a break from all Slytherins.”

“Of course, darling. We understand,” George says softly.

“Would you like us to write him for you? Let him know you’re not ready yet?” Fred offers.

I nod and look up at him. “If it’s not too much to ask, yeah. That would help a lot.”

They move to squat in front of me, taking my hands in theirs. “Nothing you could ask would ever be too much. Do you understand me?” George says.

“There is nothing on this Earth that we wouldn’t do for you, little one,” Fred says, kissing the back of my hand as George wipes away the last of my tears, and I nod.

“Use your words, baby,” George instructs me.

I take a deep, shuddering breath and look at them both. “I understand, thank you. I don’t know what I did to deserve you guys.”

They smile and stand up, pulling me with them and hugging me between them, my safe space. “Always,” George says softly, kissing the top of my head.

“We don’t know what we did to deserve you either, little one. But whatever it was, we’re thankful for it every day,” Fred says, tipping my head up to look at them, and they each kiss me softly on my lips.

We walk back inside, and everyone has already gone to bed except for Molly and Arthur, who are sitting in the living room when we walk in. Molly stands up and walks over to me, giving me a big hug. “Feeling better, dear?” She asks softly.

I nod as she pulls back and smiles. “Loads, these two always know how to make me feel better.”

“Yeah, they may be trouble makers but they always know how to make someone smile,” Arthur jokes as he hugs me too.

“Hey, we’re good for other stuff, too,” Fred says defensively.

“Yes, yes, we know,” Molly chuckles. “Now, off to bed, you three. We have to be up early in the morning to meet Phil.”

“We just have a quick letter to write, and then we’re going to bed,” George tells her.

Molly points a finger at both of them. “Well, make it quick. I don’t want to have to drag you two out of bed. I’ll set the ghoul on you instead.”

We say goodnight and the twins walk me upstairs to Ginny’s room like they do every night. “Goodnight, little one,” Fred says, pulling me to his chest and kissing me. “Sleep tight.”

“Goodnight, Freddie. You too,” I say against his lips before George steals me away and hugs me tightly.

“Goodnight, baby. Sweet dreams,” he tells me after he kisses me.

“Good night, Georgie. Sweet dreams,” I say softly as I pull back and watch them walk up the stairs to their room before I walk into Ginny’s, where she and Hermione are, apparently still awake.

“You good?” Ginny asks as I close the door.

I nod and smile at her. “All better now.”

“Oo, I bet you are,” Hermione giggles with a wink.

I roll my eyes and sit on Ginny’s bed. “Not like that, ‘Mione.”

“Have you guys… you know… yet?” Hermione asks with a smirk.

Ginny scoffs and hits her with a pillow. “Ew, I don’t want to know.”

I shake my head. “No, not yet.”

“Have you had sex before?” Ginny asks curiously.

I nod. “Yeah. With one person who shall never be named again.”

“Let’s call him ‘he who shall not be named,’” Hermione suggests with a giggle.

Ginny’s face twists with disgust. “Ugh, no. That name reminds me of that dark wizard our parents fought.”

I giggle and think for a moment. “How about ‘shitty dick’?” I suggest with a smirk.

Hermione and Ginny gasp. “No. Fucking. Way,” Hermione giggles.

I nod and smirk. “No wonder he’s such a dick. He doesn’t know how to use his!” Ginny laughs, and we all laugh loudly with her.

We’re laughing so hard we don’t hear footsteps coming up the stairs until Molly barges in. “Girls! Bed, Now! Whatever is so funny, I’m sure, can wait until morning. I don’t want you three up all hours of the night.” We all apologize and Molly shakes her head before closing the door again, and we all look at each other and snicker quietly, deciding to all sleep in Ginny’s bed tonight.

Part Six

#fred weasley x reader #george weasley x reader #fred weasley smut #george weasley smut #weasley twins fanfiction #weasley twins #fred weasley #george weasley

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cheerscoops · 8 days ago

Text

Wherever You Point To I’ll Find ~ Steve Harrington x Chrissy Cunningham

Nobody expected a budding romance between Steve and Chrissy when they were invited on this graduation road trip. But, as the two spend more and more time together away from the pressures their families, they just might find that they’re the perfect match.

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Tags: modern au, road trip, mutual pining, fluff, angst, discussion of mental health and body issues, eventual smut, adult themes and swearing throughout

Word Count: 14.3k

A/N: It's been a minute since I last shared a chapter, but I think I'm finally back in the swing of things and ready to share this chapter that I've been working on for months.

***

When Chrissy woke up the next morning, Steve was still fast asleep. He was laying flat on his back, and she had draped herself around him with her head resting on his shoulder and her arm slung across his chest. She almost couldn’t believe that this was real. That she liked him and he liked her back. That she got to fall asleep in his arms and wake up still snuggled up to him. It felt like a dream.

She kissed his jaw before settling back in and hugging him a little bit tighter. As she was debating about how much longer she should let him sleep before waking him up to get ready for breakfast, he stirred beside her.

“G’morning,” he mumbled before kissing the top of her head. “You been up long?”

She moved to prop herself up on his chest so she could look at him and shook her head.

“Only a couple minutes,” she told him.

“Did you sleep okay?” he asked, his hand moving to rub up and down the small of her back. “Any bad dreams?”

“No bad dreams that I can remember. Why do you ask?”

“I got up to go to the bathroom in the middle of the night, and when I came back, you were whimpering in your sleep. The second I was back in bed, you were reaching out for me, and you clung to me pretty tightly after you found me.”

“Oh.”

And just like that she’d managed to ruin everything. She had no memory of that happening, but it did sound like something she would do. She was always invading people’s space and putting herself where she wasn’t wanted. How many times had Jason told her that her constantly hanging off of him was annoying if he wasn’t allowed to touch her? How many times had he pushed her away because she wanted to feel just the tiniest bit of affection without him trying to force her into something she wasn’t ready for? She’d lost track after the fourth or fifth time it happened, and now the cycle was going to start again with Steve. This was just his gentle way of telling her that she made him uncomfortable and he needed his space because he didn’t want to hurt her feelings by outright telling her to move over.

Chrissy moved off of him without another thought and tried to put at least a few inches between them as she sat up in bed.

“I’m sorry,” she told him. “I can ask Nancy to always make sure our room has two beds so you can have your space. Or, I’ll just pick up an air mattress while we’re out today because that's probably easier for everyone.”

“Why would you want to do that?”

“I know I can be clingy.” She avoided looking at him as she spoke, choosing to stare at where she was now picking at the bedspread instead. “Most people find it annoying and don’t like it when I get too close. I’m pretty good at keeping my distance and asking for permission before cuddling up to someone, but I can’t help it when I’m asleep. I don’t want to make you uncomfortable, so it’s probably for the best if we sleep in separate beds. You deserve your space, so I’ll do whatever I have to do to keep that from happening again.”

“Wait. Do you think I told you that because it bothered me?”

“Well, yeah. Didn't it?”

“Absolutely not. Get back over here.”

Steve gently pulled her over to lay back down with him. She was cautious at first, but she relaxed enough to rest her head on his shoulder again and let him hold her a little.

“Okay, so first of all, I didn’t tell you that for any of the reasons that are probably running through your head right now,” he started. “I told you because I was worried about you, and I wanted to make sure that you were okay. I don’t want you to think you have to keep your distance from me because that’s the last thing I’d want.”

“So, I didn’t make you uncomfortable?”

“Not even a little bit. The opposite of uncomfortable actually. It made me feel good about myself that you feel safe enough around me to seek me out for comfort even in your sleep. I thought it was cute. You were like a little koala.”

She was finally able to fully relax beside him after he said that, and she moved to cling to him again as he held her in his arms.

“So no wasting your money on an air mattress or asking Nancy for a room with two beds. As long as you’re okay sharing a bed with me, you don’t have to worry about reaching for me in your sleep. Okay?”

He punctuated his point by holding her just a little bit tighter, and she felt herself melting into his embrace.

“Okay.”

He wanted to ask her if this had anything to do with why she ran away from him when he hinted at his feelings for her the other morning, but he didn’t want to force her to talk about that. She had to bring that up on her own. He couldn’t shake the feeling that the two instances were connected though, and there was another part of him that was sure that this all had to do with her last relationship.

“In case you haven't noticed, I can be pretty clingy, too,” he told her. “Or did you forget that I was dead set on keeping you trapped in my arms the other two times we’ve shared a bed together?”

He kept his tone teasing and light. It was clear that this was something she struggled with - whether it was an extension of her uneasiness with PDA or not - and he didn't want her to think he was making fun of her when he was only trying to poke fun at himself.

“It must have slipped my mind,” she told him. “My memory is a little fuzzy. Maybe you could remind me?”

“It would be my pleasure.”

Steve made quick work of rolling them over so Chrissy was the one laying flat on her back, and he rested his head on her chest as he snaked his arms around her waist.

“Now, I know we're supposed to go get breakfast, but I'd like to request at least ten minutes of morning Chrissy cuddles before that happens. And, if you'd like to give me head scratches while those cuddles are happening, I wouldn't be opposed to that.”

“I think that could be arranged,” she said as she threaded a hand through his hair.

And really, it was the least she could do for him after he silenced yet another one of her bad thoughts. It amazed her how he always knew just what to say to calm her down and keep her from going into a full blown hate spiral. Part of her wanted to assume that it was because of how much experience he had with other girls, but there was another part of her that was certain that wasn't the case. This wasn't some rehearsed speech that he gave to just anyone. He made her feel seen in ways she'd never felt before, and because he could see her for who she really was, he could be her calm in the storm of her self-loathing. That fact both terrified and excited her, and she couldn't tell which feeling was stronger.

She didn't want to dwell on that though. She just wanted to enjoy this moment that she got to share with him, so she relaxed into his hold relishing in the little sigh of contentment he let out as she started to massage his scalp. And, because she was feeling especially nice, she gave him fifteen minutes of cuddle time instead of his requested ten.

***

After their breakfast date where Steve stayed true to his word from the day before and let Chrissy treat him, they made their way back to the hotel to meet up with Eddie and Nancy. The plan was to load up the car and get on the road to Philadelphia soon enough that they'd be there early enough to get lunch and do some exploring before dinner. And since it was only a little over three hours drive there, that was definitely doable. So, after Chrissy took the time to exchange contact information with Fred and Ethel with the intention of writing to each other once she was back home, the group set off for their next destination.

The drive itself passed mostly without incident. This time, Chrissy used her aux cord privileges to play one of Steve’s personal playlists when she realized that she’d only been catering to everyone else’s preferences, and it wasn’t fair that they hadn’t listened to any of his music yet. And maybe it was a little bit because he rewarded her with kisses whenever one of his favorite songs came on and he could safely manage it - even if Eddie complained about them being disgusting from the backseat.

It was only when they were stuck in traffic to get into the city that things got chaotic. They were in a complete standstill when someone drove past them on the shoulder, and Steve had a breakdown.

“There’s no - there’s no road there,” he said, staring out Chrissy’s window at where the car had just been. “How did - why would he - there’s no road there.”

“I think that guy broke Steve,” Eddie said from his spot in the backseat.

“Why would someone do that? And there’s those ridges on the edge. He’s just gonna go -” Steve started to click his tongue and make a thunking noise as he rotated his wrist the way the car wheels would go.

“How’s he gonna go?” Chrissy asked when he stopped.

Steve did the same thing again.

“Sorry, I didn’t quite catch that,” she told him. “One more time?”

Steve repeated the sound and motion again for only a second before he looked over and saw her attempting to look like the picture of innocence and failing to hide her shit-eating grin.

“I’m so sorry,” she said as she finally let out a laugh. “I had to. It was just so funny.”

“You think my mental anguish is funny?” he asked, punctuating his question with a poke to her side. “Me losing my mind over the insanity of other drivers is funny?”

“Maybe a little bit?” she told him. “Just the part where you imitated the way his car would sound.”

Steve gasped in mock offense and moved to repeatedly squeeze at Chrissy’s thigh directly above her knee. She squeaked before dissolving into a fit of giggles and gripping his hand to pull it away.

“No fair. You can't tickle me when I can't get you back,” she told him.

“So you're saying it's always okay to tickle you as long as I give you an opportunity to fight back?” He quirked an eyebrow and offered up a mischievous smirk.

“That's not what I meant, and you’re supposed to be paying attention to the road.”

“We’re in standstill traffic. I can multitask.”

“If you’re multitasking, you could kiss me instead.”

“And you think you’re deserving of kisses after making fun of me?”

“I’m always deserving of kisses actually.”

“But does that mean I deserve to vomit in the back of this car?” Eddie asked. “Get a room if you’re gonna be that sickeningly sweet.”

“But we can’t get a room,” Chrissy pouted. “We’re in standstill traffic. Don’t you want us to be happy?”

“Yeah, Eddie,” Steve teased. “Why can’t you just let us be happy?”

He leaned over and made a show of planting a sloppy kiss on Chrissy’s cheek that left her giggling at the spectacle.

“I’m going to throw myself in front of the fastest car I see the second we’re moving again,” Eddie told them. “When I was rooting for you two to kiss, I didn’t think I was going to be forced into so many nauseating situations.”

“You say that as if you weren’t even more nauseating than that when we first got together,” Nancy told him. “Cut them some slack.”

“Never. I need to run very far away from this. And not just because I’m being forced to watch my honorary sister get slobbered all over. I’ve spent way too much time trapped in the car already today. I need to break free.”

“Maybe we stop at Franklin Square Park first then?” Nancy suggested. “We can pick up lunch and head there to eat. Give you some time to run around and get out the zoomies?”

“I’m not a dog, Nancy. I don’t get the zoomies,” he pouted.

“Do you want to run around a little or not?”

“Yes. Please.”

When they’d finally made it through the traffic jam and into the city, they found a place that served cheesesteaks and then made their way over to Franklin Square Park to eat after buying their lunches. The group spread out in a grassy area to enjoy their food, and Eddie practically inhaled his the second they sat down. As soon as he finished, he turned to Chrissy.

“Airplanes?” he asked.

She gave a quick nod before wrapping up the half of her sandwich that was leftover.

“Airplanes.”

Eddie got to his feet and pulled Chrissy to get up with him. The two took off running through the playground area with their arms spread out at their sides like the wings of a plane. Steve watched them from where he was sitting, trying to ignore the slight pang of jealousy he was feeling.

“It gets easier,” Nancy told him. “Watching them interact like that, I mean.”

“I don’t know what you’re talking about.”

“You forget how well I know you. I know what you look like when you’re jealous.”

“I’m not jealous. At least, I don’t want to be.” And he didn’t. He had no right to try to claim all of Chrissy’s attention just because she was letting him kiss her. He shouldn’t be jealous of the bond she had with her best friend, and yet here he was wishing that he was the one she’d asked to hang upside down on the jungle gym with her.

“I was jealous, too. For the first couple months, I felt like an outsider looking in on their friendship whenever the three of us hung out. I figured it was because I thought they were dating the first time I saw them together, and for the longest time, I thought Chrissy didn't like me. I didn't realize it was because she's the shyest person I've ever met, and Eddie is maybe the only person she's ever been able to fully be her true authentic self with. And I think that's why he's so fiercely protective of her. To the extent she'll allow it, at least.”

“Yeah, he mentioned something about having to promise to stop fucking up his life on her behalf?”

“That's because he pretty much failed his first attempt at senior year for her.”

“He did what?”

“This fully stays between you and me. You can't tell either of them that I told you any of this, but Eddie told me about the heart to heart you had on the beach with Chrissy, so I know you know that her mom is just about the worst woman in the world.”

“Yeah, Mrs. Cunningham has quickly found a place in the top five of my shit list.”

“Well, until Chrissy started dating Jason, she was number one on Eddie's. I don't know the full story since Eddie and I didn't start dating until much later, but he told me he didn't want to leave her to deal with her mom alone. His grades already weren't that great, so he just stopped trying. He said that she was maybe the maddest she's ever been at him when he told her, and that's when she made him promise that while it was okay for him to worry about her, he wasn't allowed to do things that would put his life on hold for her. And that included confronting her mom or Jason about the way they treated her.

“And before you ask - because I know you, and I know you will - I don't know what Jason did to her. Even though he shares everything with me, he won't share Chrissy's secrets. That loyalty is one of the things that I love the most about him, but it still frustrates the hell out of me sometimes. She's his Robin though. They have their own little language, and if her mom would have let her get a job, I’m sure she would’ve dragged Eddie all over town to find one they could do together. Don’t get me wrong - I love that he has that with her. It’s just hard to look at them and know you’re not a part of it. Now that Chrissy and I are finally starting to become friends, that feeling is almost gone, but it really sucked at the beginning, so I get why you would be jealous.”

Steve glanced over at where Eddie and Chrissy were still doing acrobatics on the jungle gym before turning back to Nancy.

“So it gets easier?”

“Infinitely so. Stick with me, Steve. I’m a seasoned professional when it comes to dating into their friendship.”

Steve huffed out a laugh.

“Any other tips you wanna share?”

“You don't need any tips. From what I've seen, you're doing just fine on your own.”

“I just wish I knew what she was thinking the way he does. Every time she gets quiet on me, I'm afraid that I did something wrong until she lets something slip about the ways she's been hurt in the past. I've spent more time thinking about how much Jason Carver sucks in the past week than I did when I saw the guy every day.”

“You should talk to Eddie about that one. I know he won't tell you what happened between them, but he's well-versed in the art of suppressing the urge to punch Jason in the face. I think that might be partially why he's being so openly disgusted about you two kissing in front of him. He wants you both to be happy, and he knows that being all lovey dovey with each other is doing that, but he's also the one that put the pieces back together after Jason broke her. He'll never admit it out loud, but I know he's afraid of seeing her like that again, and that fear doesn't go away easily - even when he's friends with the new guy who's clearly already found a place in her heart.”

“I wouldn't hurt her. That's the last thing I'd ever want to do.”

“I know. I'm pretty sure he knows, too. You just gotta give him some time to get used to you kissing his sister.”

She leaned over to nudge him and knocked their shoulders together.

“You're a good guy, Steve. Chrissy's lucky to have you.”

“I’m pretty sure I'm the lucky one.”

Nancy didn't have time to respond before Eddie and Chrissy were running back over to them.

“Nance, there's a dragon seat on the carousel,” Eddie said as he approached them. “I need to ride it. Care to join me?”

“I'd love to.”

Nancy let Eddie pull her up and drag her off towards the carousel.

“Do you wanna ride it, too?” Steve asked Chrissy as he got to his feet.

“I'm not really a carousel kind of girl,” she told him. “But I noticed they have mini golf here, and I was thinking maybe that could be kind of fun if you'd want to go do that with me?”

“I don't know,” he said as he took her hand in his. “I'm kind of a pro when it comes to mini golf, and I wouldn't want you to feel bad when I absolutely decimate you.”

“Oh, I wouldn't mind. Maybe you could give me some pointers? Teach me how to play on the first hole so I might have a fighting chance?”

“As you wish.”

Chrissy led Steve over to the mini golf entrance, and after they’d paid for their tickets and equipment, they headed over to the first hole.

“Watch me do it first, and then I’ll help you with your stance, okay?” he said as he took his spot. He easily got the ball in on his second stroke before making his way back over to Chrissy.

“It’s a piece of cake,” he told her.

“I don’t know. Maybe you should show me how to stand?”

She was the picture of innocence, but he knew what she was really asking. This was just an excuse for him to wrap his arms around her for a moment without her having to be clingy like she feared she was that morning. He was more than happy to play along with whatever charade he needed to if it meant getting to hold her close.

He went to stand behind her before wrapping his arms around her to correct her grip on the putter. He ducked his head to press a soft kiss against her neck before resting his chin on her shoulder.

“Since when is kissing a part of mini golf?” she asked.

“It’s the most important part actually,” he told her as he kissed her neck again. “You've gotta relax to be good at this, and what better way to relax than with a few kisses?”

“You're crazy if you think kissing me like that is going to help me relax. I can't focus when you're doing that.”

“Mini golf first and then kisses?”

Chrissy nodded.

“As many kisses as you want.”

“Then I'll be kissing you forever.”

He noticed her starting to turn pink, so he kissed her blushing cheek one last time before actually helping her. He showed her how to line up her shot, and after a few practice swings, he backed up to let her play. She seemed a little uncertain on the first hole, and it took her four putts to get the ball in, but she was excited all the same.

“Wanna make this a little more fun?” she asked as they moved to the second hole.

“What did you have in mind?”

“How about a friendly wager? Loser has to buy the winner ice cream?”

“If you want to buy me ice cream, you can do it without making it a competition.”

“I wouldn't get too cocky,” she told him. “I could surprise you and win. C’mon. It'll be fun.”

“Okay, it's a bet.”

Steve got another hole in two on the second hole, and Chrissy surprised him by getting a hole in one. Part of him thought it had to be beginner’s luck, but he also thought it could be because he was an excellent teacher when he wasn't distracting her with kisses.

But then she got two more holes in one in a row, and beat him on the next hole after that. He must have looked just as confused as he felt because Chrissy giggled when she saw the look on his face.

“Did I forget to mention that my little brother absolutely loves mini golf, so I've taken him to the Hawkins Putt Putt almost every month for the last three years?”

“Yeah, I think you left that part out.”

“Must have slipped my mind,” she said with another giggle.

Steve took a couple steps to close the gap between them and wrapped his arms around her.

“Did you just hustle me?”

“Is it really hustling when I would've done much better on that first hole if you hadn't gotten me all worked up by saying you wanted to kiss me forever?”

“So that's the trick to beating you?” he asked. “Because I told you I don't like losing, and I will happily tell you everything I’d like to do with you later. Want a preview?”

He moved one hand to cradle her head, and the other pressed against the small of her back as he pulled her in for a kiss. Of course, they’d kissed before, but there was something different about this one. Something more desperate and needy as he deepened the kiss and held her closer. It left her weak in the knees and grabbing at him for support, and when he started to pull away, she was chasing his lips for more.

It was only when the fog cleared and she remembered that they were in public that she felt herself heating up with embarrassment. She buried her face in his chest to hide her beet red cheeks and willed herself to calm down.

“Steve,” she whined. “There are kids here.”

Steve glanced around the area still holding Chrissy trapped in his arms.

“I don’t see any kids. Besides, it's not like any kid’s just never seen a little kissing before. There’s a kiss at the end of every single one of those Disney movies.”

“They aren’t kissing like that in Tangled, Steven.”

He tried to peek around to see her face, but she turned her head to keep it hidden from him.

“No. I don't look cute when I'm embarrassed, so I don't want you to look at me.”

“I thought we'd already established that I think you're beautiful no matter how much you're blushing?”

Chrissy finally turned to look at him and pouted.

“That was mean,” she told him. “You can't get me all worked up like that in public. I don't like feeling so out of control in regards to my appearance when other people can see me. It makes me worry about what my mom would say if she could see me, and that's not fun for me even if the activities leading up to that feeling were more than enjoyable.”

It scared her to be so open about her insecurities with him, but she knew that she had to tell him this. If she didn't establish her boundaries now, all she'd be doing was setting the two of them up for failure later on. She braced herself for the anger and disappointment that she was sure he was going to express, but it never came.

“I’m sorry,” he told her. “I thought that we were just messing around and being playfully competitive, so I didn’t stop to think about how I was crossing your boundaries about PDA and making you uncomfortable. I promise not to do that again unless I have your permission first, okay?”

“Okay.” She wrapped her arms around him a little tighter. “Thank you.”

He kissed the top of her head before releasing her from his embrace.

“You know, you calling me Steven again reminded me that I haven’t tested out any new nicknames on you yet.” He took her hand in his and started to lead the way towards the next hole. “Is Chrissy short for anything?”

“Christine. But I don’t particularly like that either,” she admitted. “I’ve always just been Chrissy. My parents only ever use my full name when I’m in trouble or they want me to sound more mature in front of someone they’re trying to impress. It’s never felt like my name.”

“How about Teeny? It’s like the second half of your name, and it fits with how tiny and cute you are.”

Chrissy scrunched up her nose and shook her head.

“It’s not as bad as Chris, but it’s still not me.”

“I’ll keep thinking then. I’m gonna find the perfect nickname for you. Just you wait.”

For the rest of the game, Steve threw out increasingly ridiculous nickname options. Some of them sounded like they could have been derived from her name, and others were just random names that he threw out to make her laugh. At one point, he suggested calling her Esteban which had her doubled over and clinging to his arm for support as she told him that was just a Spanish version of his name.

Despite the distraction from all his silly nicknames and her laughter, Chrissy still managed to beat Steve by two strokes at the end of their game.

“I think I’m in the mood for strawberry,” she said as she bounded over to him.

“Whatever you want,” he replied. “I still can’t believe you hustled me.”

She wrapped her arms around his neck and stood on her tiptoes to give him a quick kiss.

“You say that as if you wouldn’t have bought me ice cream anyway.”

“You’ve got me there.”

“Now, about that kiss from earlier.” She twisted her fingers in the ends of his hair, lightly scratching at the back of his neck. “Maybe keep that energy in mind when we’re alone in our room tonight?”

“As you wish.”

***

When they met back up with Eddie and Nancy, it was finally late enough that they could check into their hotel and come up with a plan for the rest of their evening.

“I’m thinking we drop our stuff off in our rooms, and then we can go grab takeout somewhere and have a movie night back here,” Nancy said as they stepped into their hotel’s elevator.

“Sounds good to me,” Eddie said before looking at the ground and pausing. “Well, that’s not suspicious at all.”

The group all glanced down at where he was looking and noticed the very out of place smear of what could have potentially been blood.

“Remind me not to take this elevator for the rest of our stay,” Steve said as he pulled Chrissy a little closer to him and farther away from the stain.

Their room was only on the second floor, so they didn’t have to be in the weird elevator long. Once they were on their floor, they separated to drop off their things. Chrissy was just about ready to leave their room again when Steve tackled her onto one of the beds.

“What are you doing?” she asked through her giggles as he pinned her to the mattress. “We’re supposed to be back in the hallway in five minutes.”

“A lot of kissing can happen in five minutes,” he told her before leaning down to capture her lips with his own. This kiss wasn’t as intense as the one from earlier, but she could tell it was on its way to getting there.

“Later,” she told him when they broke apart. “We both know that five minutes isn’t enough time for all the kissing you wanna do. Besides, right now I’m a little more concerned with the fact that I think someone was stabbed in the elevator.”

“You’ve got nothing to worry about. I’ll protect you.”

“My hero. Now, let me up so we can go get dinner.”

Instead of climbing off of her, Steve went limp and laid across her.

“She hates me. She says she hates me.”

“I didn't say that. I said we had to get dinner.”

“Same difference.”

“Would a kiss help convince you that I don't hate you?”

“Maybe.”

Steve lifted his head and waited for a quick peck, but the mischievous smile on Chrissy’s face said she had other plans. Before he knew what was happening, she was using all her strength to roll him off of her. She moved to straddle his waist and easily pinned his wrists to the mattress beneath them. He was still in shock when she leaned down to give him the most intense kiss that she'd initiated so far.

It was over almost as quickly as it started though, and soon she was climbing off of him to head towards the door to their room. Steve made no moves to get up and follow her though.

“Aren't you coming?” she asked.

“Give me a minute. That was maybe the hottest thing a girl has ever done to me, and I need a moment to recover.”

Chrissy giggled as she moved back over to him. She grabbed his wrists and pulled him up into a sitting position.

“C’mon. It wasn't that hot.”

“Oh yeah? Well, we'll see how you feel about that when I've got you in the same position later.”

“I’ll eagerly await it then.”

***

The group ended up getting Chinese takeout and heading back to Steve and Chrissy’s room to watch a movie. It wasn't that he was trying to rush their friends out of their room, but Steve was faking a yawn as soon as the movie was over. He just wanted a little alone time with Chrissy, and he wanted it sooner rather than later.

“So, what should we do now?” he asked her as soon as Eddie and Nancy were out the door.

“Well, why don't we get ready for bed, and we just go from there?” she suggested. “You can take the bathroom first since I'm pretty sure my nighttime routine takes longer than yours.”

Steve took almost no time in the bathroom and waited for Chrissy by lounging on their bed and catching up on the texts he'd been neglecting. Dustin, El, and Robin had all been blowing up his phone with questions about how he was enjoying his trip and news about what they were doing in his absence, and he'd been too focused on being in the moment with Chrissy to respond with the frequency he normally would have.

When she was finally done in the bathroom and reentered their room, Steve threw back the blankets on Chrissy's side of the bed and opened his arms for her. He was still thinking about what she'd said that morning about being afraid that she was too clingy, and he was going to do everything in his power to prove to her that he'd always be more than happy to hold her in his arms and cuddle her to her heart’s content. She had the biggest smile on her face as she climbed into bed and snuggled up to him, so he was taking that as another win in his crusade to make her feel better about herself.

“Give me five minutes to finish up this conversation with Robin, and then I'm all yours, okay?”

She nodded and kissed his jaw before settling in with her own phone. Soon, she was laughing at whatever she was looking at, and he was peeking over at her screen.

“What's so funny?” he asked.

“Oh, it's nothing,” she said as she angled her phone towards him. “Just this picture of my friend April from her private stories.”

Steve took in the photo which consisted of a group of people that he recognized as mostly members of the basketball team and cheerleading squad. Chrissy’s friend April was front and center with Jason basically hanging off of her. He would've thought this might have upset her, but April had added “it's giving desperation” with a vomiting emoji over the picture.

“I think he's been trying to make his way through the entire squad since he dumped me, and April is the only hold out. Even if she wasn't the only one who's stayed my friend through all of that, he wouldn't have a chance with her. He'll never be her type if you know what I mean.”

Chrissy immediately clapped a hand over her mouth.

“I shouldn't have said that. Pretend I didn't say that.”

“Oh, so she’s-”

“Yes, but you have to promise you won't say anything about it to anyone. I'm pretty sure I'm the only person who knows outside of her family.”

“I knew about Robin for ages before she came out at graduation, and I never told anyone, so her secret’s safe with me.”

But the wheels were already turning in Steve's head with ideas of him getting to go on double dates with his best friend. His conversation with Robin was close to wrapping up anyway, so he just had to slip in the framework for this idea before he gave Chrissy his full attention.

Steve: chrissy and I are probably gonna go to bed soon so I should wrap this up

Steve: but I need you to keep the rest of your summer free for me once I'm back

Robin: I mean you're my entire social calendar until college so

Robin: does this have anything to do with the girl that's currently in your bed?

Steve: maybe

Steve: just prepare to be sick of hanging out with me by the time you leave

Robin: impossible

Robin: love you or whatever dingus

Steve: love you or whatever too

Steve set his phone aside and turned his attention back towards Chrissy. As soon as he'd set his phone down, she was moving to set hers down on the nightstand, too.

“So, what did you have in mind for us tonight?” he asked her.

“I don't know. It just occurred to me that my parents would lose their minds if they knew that I’ve been sharing a bed with a boy.”

“Oh, really?” He moved to hold her a little closer. “What if they found out you were cuddling with that boy?”

“They'd be positively scandalized,” she said with a knowing smirk.

“You don't say,” he said with a smirk of his own and a raised eyebrow. “And if you were kissing that boy?”

“Oh, they'd never recover. They'd have to flee the country in shame because their darling disappointment of a daughter was such a common whore.”

They were both holding back laughter as Steve finally leaned in to kiss her. This was different from any other kiss they'd shared. He'd been trying to be so respectful of the boundaries that Chrissy had put in place that they hadn't really made out like this before. It had all been quick kisses and cuddling up until now, but she'd told him to hang on to that desperate energy from earlier, so that was exactly what he planned on doing.

At first, it was all wandering hands and trying to figure out exactly how they fit together until she wrapped one arm around his neck and tangled the fingers from her other hand in his hair. He gripped her hips and held her flush against him as he replicated that kiss from earlier. The only difference was that she was just as greedy as he was this time around, tugging at his lower lip and chasing him for more when he pulled away slightly.

“And what if that boy kissed you right here?” he asked before moving to nip at her neck, his teeth grazing against her pulse point.

She couldn't find the words to respond. All she could manage was a gasp as her grip tightened and she tugged on his hair. He groaned against her neck, and he felt the way she shuddered against him.

“Maybe we take your parents out of the equation now?”

She nodded vigorously.

“Please,” she uttered before pulling him in to kiss her again.

He would never tire of hearing her say please before a kiss. To hear that she not only welcomed his advances but was just as desperate to be touched by him as he was to touch her - it was almost too much for him to handle.

As their kissing intensified, he felt her rocking her hips against his own, and she moaned into his mouth from the pleasure of that friction. He moved to fiddle with the hem of her shirt, but the second he touched the bare skin of her stomach, she froze on him. She wasn't kissing him back anymore. She was barely moving. She only stayed like that for a moment before she was grabbing at his wrist and struggling against him.

“No,” she said as she pushed his hand away from her body. “Don't.”

Steve pulled away immediately and moved to sit up next to her. That last thing he wanted to do was keep touching her when she clearly didn't want that, but her reaction stung more than he wanted to admit.

“What did I do?” he asked, his voice barely above a whisper.

Chrissy moved to sit up next to him, and he could see the tears welling up in her eyes.

“Shit. I'm sorry.” He wanted to do something to try to comfort her, but he was afraid that she'd push him away if he tried to touch her again. “I don't know what happened, but whatever I did, I'm so sorry.”

“Too much,” she whispered. “Too fast.”

“Do you want some space? I can go to the other bed.”

He started to climb off their bed, but she grabbed his hand to stop him.

“Don't. Please stay.”

She was quiet for a couple minutes almost as if she was willing herself not to fully cry in front of him, and every minute felt like an eternity for Steve as he waited for her to tell him exactly how he'd messed up.

“I'm sorry,” she said when she finally spoke up. “You touched me, and I panicked, but that was fully a me issue.”

“Can you please explain it to me then? I want to understand, so I don't make the same mistake again.”

“That's the thing though. You didn't make any mistakes. If I was any other girl, that wouldn't have happened.”

She wiped at her eyes with the back of her free hand.

“Maybe I should have talked to you about this before we started,” she told him. “But I didn't realize I would react that way. I thought it would be different with you.”

She took a deep breath and squeezed his hand.

“I know there were rumors about me in high school, and I'm sure you heard some of them just like I heard rumors about Steve ‘The Hair’ Harrington. Rumors about just how far I was willing to go with Jason and all of the things I let him do to me.”

Steve would be lying if he said that wasn't true. Jason wasn't exactly quiet when he bragged to the guys in the locker room. He'd always thought that Jason was exaggerating a little bit, but he'd also figured there was at least some truth to what he'd overheard.

“But I need you to know none of that was true,” she continued. “Jason and I . . . We never . . . I mean, we didn't . . . I never let him get past second base, and even then, his hands always stayed on the outside of my clothes. It never felt right with him. Like it was an obligation that I was required to fill as his girlfriend, but it was never something that I felt ready for, so it never happened. I always assumed that I would be ready eventually, so I let him say whatever he needed to say to the guys to placate him. Those rumors were probably all true in a sense. I’m sure he really was doing all the things that he claimed he was doing. He just wasn’t doing them with me.

“I don't want to talk about that though. I just needed you to know that I'm not as experienced as you might have thought I was, so that was a part of why I reacted that way. So, I'll understand if you don't want to share a bed with me tonight or be anywhere near me for awhile really. You'll probably want your space. That's how it always goes, so I'm used to being pushed away by now. I won’t be upset if that’s what you want. Honest.”

Steve's anger at Jason had moved past just wanting to be an annoyance in his life. He was starting to wonder if Hopper would let him get away with running the guy over with his car.

“Permission to hug you?” he asked as he opened his arms a little.

Chrissy nodded before moving to wrap her arms around him with her head tucked into the crook of his neck. He wrapped his arms around her and held her close being careful to keep his hands on her back. She never pulled away from him when he touched her there, so he figured that was a safe place for them.

“Thank you for opening up to me,” he started. “That didn't seem easy for you to say, and I want you to know that I appreciate you doing that for me. I realize we're doing this whole dating thing in a weird order. I mean, we shared a bed before either of us were even able to admit we liked each other. That's definitely not the norm. But that doesn't mean you have to rush into something you're not ready for.”

“It doesn't?”

“It doesn't. I really like you, and I don't want you to ever feel like I'm pressuring you into something that you don't want to do. You get to set the pace here.”

“And you won't be mad at me?”

“Why would I be mad at you?”

“I don't know. Just because.”

“Well, I'm not mad at you. I'll never get mad at you over your boundaries. Just let me know what I did wrong, and I won't do it again.”

She stayed quiet again as she struggled to find the right way to tell him why she reacted the way she did.

“My stomach,” she finally whispered. “You touched my stomach.”

She held him a little tighter, and he started to rub her back doing what little he could do to provide some comfort as she explained herself.

“There are parts of me that I'm self-conscious about,” she admitted. “I don't want to feel that way, but I do. So, when you touched one of those spots without my clothing as a protective shield, I panicked. I just don't think I'm ready for that kind of skin contact. I thought I was, but I’m not. Not tonight at least. And I'm sorry if my reaction hurt you. It was involuntary, but I need you to know that I want to be with you. It just might take me a minute to be ready.”

“I want to be with you, too,” he told her before kissing the top of her head. “I'm happy to slow things down if that's what you need. And I think you're perfect, you know? I know that I don't get everything that’s going on in your head, but I think you're beautiful inside and out.”

“Really?”

“You think I’d lie to you about something like that? There isn’t a single part of you that I would change.”

“Thank you. And, for the record, I feel the same way about you. Don’t let it go to your head or anything.”

“Too late. I can already feel my ego inflating.”

Chrissy snort-laughed and hugged Steve a little tighter.

“I'm sorry I killed the mood.”

“Don't be. If you're not comfortable, we're not doing anything. Simple as that. Do you wanna watch a movie or something until we fall asleep instead?”

“Can we watch Fraggle Rock? That always makes me feel better.”

“Whatever you want.”

Chrissy pulled away from Steve to grab her iPad from her bag. She took a moment to set it up with an episode of her comfort show and propped it up on the nightstand before moving to lay down. Steve laid down with her and draped an arm over her waist to pull her back against his chest.

As he tucked his chin around her shoulder and moved to kiss her cheek, Chrissy felt herself holding back tears again. She established a boundary about how far she was willing to go, and Steve had respected that boundary immediately. And even then, he still wanted to be close to her in the ways she was comfortable with. If this had been Jason, he would’ve kicked her out of the bed and spent the rest of the evening doing his best to make her feel small for disappointing him. Never in a million years would he have let her cuddle up to him and choose what they got to watch. It was so refreshing to know that her feelings mattered, too, and that alone helped to melt away some of her insecurities about physical intimacy.

As she started to drift off in the middle of their second episode, it occurred to her that this is what a healthy relationship felt like. And maybe - just maybe - that was the kind of relationship she deserved to be in.

***

When Chrissy woke up the next morning, she felt cold. She and Steve had rolled away from each other in the middle of night, and she missed the comfort of his embrace. His back was to her, so she wormed her arm between his and his side and pressed herself up against his back so she could be the big spoon.

Steve stirred as she clung to him and took her hand in his to give it a little squeeze.

“G’morning,” he mumbled as he rolled over to face her.

“Good morning. You sleep okay?”

He nodded. “Kiss?”

She leaned in and gave him a quick kiss before snuggling deeper into his arms.

“Thank you again for being so understanding last night,” she told him. “I really appreciated it.”

“Don't mention it. You deserve to be comfortable with whatever we're doing.”

“Yeah, but you went above and beyond to make sure I was okay. It was really very sweet of you.”

“Stopping immediately and making sure you were okay is the bare minimum here. I'm just the first decent guy you've ever been with, so it feels like I did more.”

“Well, I can't argue with you there.”

She kissed him again and moved to trail her fingers up and down his spine.

“Can I ask you a question?” she asked.

He nodded.

“Remember that morning when you and Eddie overslept, and Nancy and I had to come wake you up?”

He nodded again.

“Well, I noticed that you weren't wearing a shirt when you got up, and you didn't wear a shirt to bed the first night that we all shared that motel room together. But I also noticed that you've worn a shirt every time that we've shared a bed, and I was kind of wondering why that is?”

“Well, that first night, I just didn't think you'd be comfortable if I didn't have one on especially because I was worried you were already uncomfortable about sharing with me and just pretending you were okay with it to be nice.”

“You thought I was just being nice?”

“Until you started torturing me, yeah,” he teased. “But after that, I just didn't want to push your boundaries, and you never said anything about it until now, so I figured I was doing the right thing.”

“Well, you've cared so much about me being comfortable, and I want you to know that I care about your comfort, too. So, if you're more comfortable sleeping without a shirt, I'd be fine with you doing that.”

“Oh, you'd be fine with that, huh?” he asked with a teasing smirk. “And it has everything to do with my comfort and nothing to do with you wanting to see me shirtless? I'm onto you, Chrissy. I know what games you're playing here.”

She moved to tickle his side, and he flinched and barked out a laugh before rolling them over so he could pin her to the bed beneath him. He leaned in to kiss her, and it was only when he felt her smile against his lips that he struck, tickling up and down her sides and relishing in the way she squirmed beneath him and giggled into their kiss.

This only lasted for a moment, and soon he was moving to lay back down with her, holding her hands in his own to keep her from trying to get him back while he talked to her.

“So, I know it's my turn to buy you breakfast, and I still intend on doing that, but I need to know if I can have another half an hour of sleepy cuddles first?”

“Not a morning person?” Chrissy asked.

“Not even a little bit. When Dustin inevitably invents something that allows him to become supreme ruler of the world, my only request is going to be that he makes it illegal for anyone to wake me up before ten at the earliest.”

“So what I'm hearing is that I'm going to be sent to jail immediately if that happens.”

“I think I'd let them make an exception for you. Only if you promise to stay in bed with me as late as I want.”

“And what if I want breakfast before you're ready to get up?”

“Obviously, Dustin will also assign me my own personal butler as a thank you for driving him around all the time, so he can bring you breakfast in bed.”

“Well, you've just got everything figured out then, I guess.” Chrissy took a quick glance at the clock on the nightstand. “My alarm actually isn't supposed to go off for another forty-five minutes, so if you wanted, we could go back to sleep until then. But you'll have to let me get up to shower as soon as the alarm goes off if we want to have enough time for our breakfast date.”

“Have I mentioned that you're my favorite?” he asked. “Because you are.”

“I don't think you have, but it's lovely to hear.”

“Then I'll say it again.” He leaned in and gave her a kiss, lingering just a moment longer than he normally would in an attempt to convey everything he felt for her in that moment. That he wanted to be with her, and he knew whatever was starting between them was something real even if it was brand new and scary. “You're my favorite.”

Steve rolled over to lay on his back so she could rest her head on his chest and snuggle closer to him as they fell back asleep.

“You're my favorite, too,” she whispered.

***

Going to a major league baseball game was one of the few things that Steve had put on his list for the trip. Since there were no Indiana teams at that level, it wasn't something he got to do very often, and he thought it could be a fun excursion for everyone. And, since he was willing to buy everyone’s tickets to the game, even Eddie couldn’t complain about going to a sporting event. That might have been because he was having what appeared to be an allergic reaction to his room, and he was thankful for any reason to get out of the hotel. And the fact that the murder elevator was out of service that morning didn't help either.

“I don't understand it,” he said as they took their seats in the ballpark. “I'm fine literally everywhere else in the hotel, but I feel like I'm dying when I'm in our room.”

“We can stop and pick up some allergy medicine for you on the way back to the hotel,” Nancy told him. “And most of tomorrow is our drive to Salem, so you can get some more sleep then if you have another rough night.”

“We can swap rooms with you tonight if you think it'll help,” Chrissy offered.

“I'll be fine,” Eddie said. “It's only one more night, and if whatever I'm allergic to is something like the fabric softener or whatever, switching rooms won't make a difference.”

“Okay, but the offer is still on the table if you change your mind.”

“So which team are we rooting for?” Eddie asked. “Or does it matter?”

“The home team.” Steve gestured to the well-loved Phillies cap on his head.

“Cool. Now I know who not to heckle.”

“Do you even understand baseball?” Chrissy asked.

“Barely. I just like to be loud.”

And loud Eddie was. He spent the majority of the first two innings yelling whenever it seemed like the rest of the crowd was reacting to what was happening on the field, and while he wasn’t really following the game, he had the spirit.

But, what surprised Steve even more was the fact that Chrissy was just as invested in the game as he was. She was cheering along with every run or incredible save that the Phillies made and grumbling under her breath about how the ref was clearly blind when he made calls in favor of the other team. If he wasn’t already smitten with her, seeing her like that would have sealed the deal.

“I didn’t know you were such a big Phillies fan,” he mentioned during a break between innings.

“Oh, I’m not loyal to any one team in particular,” she admitted. “But I’ve always enjoyed watching the games no matter who’s playing, and if you say we’re rooting for the Phillies, the cheerleader in me is going to understand the assignment. I’d be willing to pledge my undying loyalty to them if it’s important to you though.”

Steve laughed and took Chrissy's hand in his.

“That's not necessary, right now,” he told her as he gave her hand a little squeeze. “Maybe in the future, but I just like that you're enjoying this, too.”

They shared a look, but their moment was interrupted by Eddie swatting at Chrissy's arm.

“Take a look at the screen, lovebirds.”

The two turned their attention towards the scoreboard where they saw that their faces were blown up and displayed surrounded by a Kiss Cam frame.

“I didn't realize they still did that at games,” Steve said. He was frozen in place and unable to decide what to do. On one hand, he had absolutely no issue with kissing her and would happily do that if it was what she wanted. On the other hand, this was a pretty large amount of PDA, and he didn't want to do anything that crossed her boundaries and made her uncomfortable.

He was about to offer to lean over her and kiss Eddie just to make her laugh and take the attention off of her when she surprised him by leaning in and kissing him first. It wasn't an intense kiss by any means necessary, but it was definitely more public than anything she'd been comfortable with before. As soon as she pulled away, she took the cap off of his head and placed it on her head, lowering the brim to hide her blushing cheeks from the camera. He leaned in to kiss her cheek and wrapped an arm around her shoulders as soon as a different couple was on the screen.

“Wanna go get some ice cream?” he asked.

“Won't we miss part of the game if we get up?”

“We'll still be able to hear the announcers, and I'm sure we won't be gone that long.”

“Can we find one of those places that serves soft serve in one of those tiny plastic souvenir hats?”

“That’s the only acceptable way to eat ice cream at a baseball game, so absolutely we can.”

The two got up from their seats and ventured into the stadium to find a concession stand that was selling what they wanted.

“So, have you always been a Phillies fan?” Chrissy asked once they were in the proper line. “Most of the guys I know follow one of the Chicago teams or even Cincinnati since they're all so much closer to where we live.”

“They were my grandpa’s favorite team. He grew up out here and moved to Hawkins for work after college. Baseball was always one of his favorite things, and he hated that he ended up in a state that didn't have their own team. I think he would've moved back here if he hadn't met my nana. He loved her enough to live two hours away from the closest major league stadium.”

“That's really sweet.”

“It is. My parents don't exactly have a great marriage, and my dad's parents were about as involved in my life as he was, so I think I can count on one hand the number of times I actually saw them. But my mom's parents were the real deal.”

“Were?”

“They were a lot older than my other grandparents because they had my mom a little later in life. I probably got to spend as much time with them as I did because my grandpa was already retired by the time I was born. Whenever I wasn't with a nanny, I was with my grandparents. Why spend money on childcare when you have perfectly good parents to dump your kid on, right? But my nana passed away from cancer when I was in middle school, and grandpa passed right before Nancy and I started dating.”

“I'm sorry. That really sucks.”

“Don't be. I miss them, but I'm not overwhelmingly sad about it anymore. All of that information was just to say that my grandpa was the one who got me into baseball. When I was seven, he took me to my first ever major league game in Cincinnati when the Phillies were playing the Reds. We had the best seats right behind the Phillies dugout, and he let me eat more hot dogs than any child should ever consume. It was maybe the best day I ever spent with him. He actually bought me that hat as we were leaving the game as a memory of the day we had together. I never got to see his favorite team play their home field with him, so bringing the hat here was like having a little part of him with me today.”

Chrissy pulled the hat off of her head and tried to hand it back to him.

“I wouldn't have taken it if I'd known how much it meant to you.”

“It looks cute on you,” he told her as he took the hat out of her hands to place it back on her head. “I'm gonna want it back at the end of the day, but you can keep wearing it for now.”

Chrissy stood on her tiptoes to kiss Steve's cheek, and when it was their turn to order, she insisted on paying.

“You paid for all of us to come here, so the least I could do is get you a mid-game treat.”

“But I was the one who suggested we go get ice cream in the first place, so it was implied that it was gonna be my treat.”

“Absolutely not. Sometimes I get to treat you, too, Stephen.”

“Whatever you say, Chrysanthemum,” he teased, throwing out another one of his jokey nicknames.

“I think that one is really pretty actually,” she told him after considering the name for a moment. “I wouldn't mind being called a flower when you're teasing me.”

“Then that's what I'll call you. You'll be my flower. My Chrysanthemum.”

“Oh, so I'm yours now?” she asked, quirking an eyebrow.

“Well, yeah. You're mine, and I'm yours. I figured we'd established that already.”

Chrissy couldn't stop her smile from spreading across her face. She really liked the sound of that.

***

After the Phillies absolutely decimated the other team, the group went out for dinner. When Eddie noticed the wall decorated with colored kids menus, he spoke to the hostess for the group.

“We'd like four of your finest kids menus and the best crayons you can find,” he told her.

“Aren't you guys a little too old for the kids menu?”

“You're never too old for reasonably priced chicken tenders and coloring pages.”

The hostess just shrugged and grabbed the menus and crayons Eddie requested before leading them to a booth.

“I'd like to make a wager,” Eddie announced to the table. “Specifically with Steve, but you lovely ladies are welcome to join in if you want. Whoever colors the picture on the back of their menu the best wins. Loser buys everyone ice cream after dinner.”

“And who's going to be the judge of this contest?” Steve asked.

“Chrissy and Nancy, obviously.”

“And if it ends in a tie?”

“Then we'll ask the waitress for a tie breaker, but I doubt we'll need one when everyone sees how much better my picture is than yours.”

“Okay. You're on.”

As the boys worked on their coloring pages, Nancy tried to hold a conversation with Chrissy, but she noticed that her friend seemed to be overly distracted by the competition happening next to them. She watched as the girl’s focus seemed to be entirely on Steve and what his hands were doing, and she had to stifle a laugh when she noticed Chrissy sneaking a picture of him.

“Your heart eyes are showing,” she said as she nudged Chrissy's foot with her own under the table.

That snapped Chrissy out of her focus, and she set her phone face down on the table in front of her as she tried to ignore the blush growing on her cheeks.

“Sorry. I was distracted.”

“I could tell. It's cute though. I like seeing how happy you two make each other. And, yes, I'm saying this while he's in earshot just to embarrass you a little bit.”

Steve lifted his head from his work and turned to kiss Chrissy’s cheek.

“So, you're happy?” he asked her.

“Very much so.”

“Good. I'm happy, too. And I'll be even happier once I've won us that free ice cream.”

He gave her another quick kiss, and then he was back to his coloring.

The girls started playing hangman on the backs of their menus, and soon enough, the guys were ready for them to judge. And, as Steve had anticipated, their contest ended in a tie.

“Judas,” Eddie said when Chrissy voted for Steve over him.

“Look at the shading on his picture though,” she replied. “How could I not vote for him?”

Steve draped an arm around her shoulders, and she tucked herself into his side.

“She likes me best,” Steve grinned.

“What did I tell you about letting my affection go to your head?” she asked.

“It's too late. I can feel my ego inflating as we speak.”

“So does that mean your hair is going to get even bigger?” Eddie asked.

Steve wadded up his straw wrapper and flicked it at Eddie’s head.

It was then that their waitress appeared with their orders.

“Is there anything else I can get you guys while I'm here?” she asked after she'd distributed their food.

“Actually, could you do us a favor?” Eddie asked. He pulled Steve’s picture towards himself and then held up the two pages for the waitress.

“Settle a wager for us. Which one of these is the better coloring job?”

She considered their work for a moment before pointing at Steve's.

“I think I've gotta go with this one,” she told them. “I mean, he wrote ‘by: Steve, age 19 ½’ it the corner. It's kind of iconic. Do you care if I hang it up on the wall with the others?”

“Go right ahead.”

The waitress took his picture, and Chrissy and Nancy burst out laughing as soon as she was away from the table.

“The party is going to lose it when they hear about your ‘iconic’ work,” Nancy said between giggles.

“Absolutely not,” Steve replied. “None of them can ever hear about this. They make fun of me enough already. I just wanted the free ice cream. Promise none of you will ever say anything about this to them.”

“You think I'm gonna tell ‘em?” Eddie asked. “The only thing more embarrassing than winning a coloring contest is losing one.”

“I make no such promises,” Nancy decided. “But I'll accept bribes.”

“You won't tell them, will you?” Steve asked Chrissy.

“Me? Never.”

“I knew you were my favorite for a reason.”

As they ate their meals, Chrissy couldn't help but think that it was a little silly of Steve to think he needed to ask that of her. She didn't even know the party, so why would he need her to make that promise? It was unnecessary unless he intended on introducing her to them once they were back in Hawkins. It warmed her heart to think that he already wanted to share such an important part of his life with her, and she never wanted to forget that feeling.

So, before they left the restaurant, she made a point to go over and take a picture of Steve's artwork on the wall. She wasn't going to share that picture with anyone. She just wanted it as a reminder of this moment.

***

“I'm stealing your pajama top,” Chrissy said as she pulled the t-shirt that Steve normally slept in out of his suitcase. He'd already changed into what he was wearing for bed that night, and he'd left his shirt off like she'd told him he could that morning. “It's so much softer than mine, and I might as well wear it if you're not going to.”

She was about to gather her things off of the dresser and head into the bathroom to get ready for bed when Steve spoke up and stopped her in her tracks.

“You know, you don't have to go into the bathroom to change if you don't want to,” he told her. “I mean, I just change out here, and it's not like I've never seen boobs before.”

She wished it was that easy. That he could say that and she'd magically feel comfortable taking her clothes off while he was in the room. Of course, she wouldn't need to get completely naked in front of him, and he'd already seen her in a swimsuit, but this was different. Her underwear didn't cover nearly as much as her bikini did, and that was already a struggle for her. She wanted nothing more than to be able to be that vulnerable with him, but she was frozen in her spot.

Maybe he noticed how shaky she seemed at that moment or maybe it was because she had gripped the hem of her shirt and started tugging it down so tightly that her knuckles were stark white, but Steve immediately backtracked his statement.

“I don't want to make you feel like you have to do anything you're uncomfortable with,” he told her. “I was just saying that you don't have to put that extra effort into getting changed if you didn't want to.”

He never reacted badly when she told him about one of her insecurities, so maybe she could share this with him, too. She took a deep breath and calmed herself down a little bit before speaking.

“It's not that I don't want to change in front of you,” she told him. “It's that I physically can't bring myself to do it.”

“You can't, but maybe I can?”

“What?”

Steve got up from his place on the bed and crossed over to where Chrissy was standing. He took her hands - which were still gripping the hem of her shirt - in his and rubbed gentle circles into their backs with his thumbs until she relaxed her grip.

“Let me help you,” he told her. “Just say the word, and I'll stop, but let me help you so it feels less scary.”

He dropped her hands and moved to the hem of her shirt. She moved to rest her hand on one of his wrists, and he paused.

“It's just you and me,” he said, looking into her eyes. “Just us. The only thing that matters right now is what you want.”

She took another deep breath.

“It's just us,” she repeated. “I want you to do it.”

“As you wish.”

She dropped her hand away from his, and he slowly lifted the hem of her shirt, pulling it up and off of her body. The only time he broke eye contact with her was when her shirt was blocking her face, and he couldn't fully see her. His eyes never wandered towards the parts of her that she was so desperate to keep hidden, and that helped her to relax.

“Tell me what to do,” he told her. “Whatever you want.”

“My shorts. You can - you can get rid of those, too.”

He nodded, and once again, he kept his eyes on her face as he worked on removing her clothes. And, when his knuckles brushed against her stomach as he unbuttoned her shorts, she didn't flinch or try to push him away like she had the night before. Maybe it was because they weren't in bed this time, but she had a feeling that wasn't the case. This felt so much more intimate than that, and she didn't want to shrink away from him anymore. She didn't want to deny herself because of the horrible things people had said to her in the past.

It was just the two of them. Nothing else mattered.

Soon, her shorts were falling to the floor, and Steve held her hands to steady her as she stepped out of them. She'd never felt so exposed in front of another person before, but she wasn't scared. Not of Steve and not of what he thought about her. He didn't expect her to be some flawless little plaything. He accepted her flaws and all, and that helped her more than she knew how to express in words.

He didn't make any moves to try to remove her undergarments after that. Just kept holding her hands and looking at her like he was trying to read the emotions on her face. And that was exactly what she needed. She didn't think she was ready to be fully bare in front of him. She wasn't ready for what that would lead to. But, she was ready for this. She could do this little bit, and maybe tomorrow she could change in front of him without his help. She was willing to try. He made her want to try. But for tonight, that was maybe enough.

“I think I'm ready to cover up now,” she told him.

“Whatever you want.”

He dropped her hands and handed her his shirt that she'd left on the dresser. She pulled it on over her head and gathered up the rest of her things.

“I'm going to go finish getting ready for bed.”

And with that, she scurried off into the safety of the bathroom to go through her nightly routine. It was only when she really looked at herself in the mirror as she wiped away the toothpaste that had dribbled onto her chin that the realization hit her.

Steve hadn't pawed at her. He hadn't asked her for more than what she was willing to do, and he hadn't ogled her even though he had every opportunity to do so. He respected her and let her be in control of the situation even though he could have touched her in whatever ways he wanted with the position she’d allowed herself to be put into.

Oh.

She didn't need to hide from him like she'd needed to hide herself in the past. He wasn't going to take advantage of her. Of course, deep down she'd already known that. It just hadn't fully clicked into place until now.

When she exited the bathroom, Steve was sitting up in bed and playing with his phone, but he set it aside as soon as he saw her. Wordlessly, she moved to climb into the bed, but instead of sitting next to him, she straddled his waist and sat back on his thighs. She cupped his face in her hands and kissed him soft and slow. His hands moved to grip her hips, and soon he was chasing her lips for more as she pulled away.

“What was that for?” he asked.

“You see me,” she whispered. “I don't have to pretend with you the way I've been pretending with nearly everyone else in my life for who knows how long. And I want to show you how much I appreciate the way you push me to open up while still respecting my boundaries.”

Her hands fell away from his face and moved to start lifting up the hem of her shirt, but it was Steve’s turn to grip her wrist and stop her.

“You don't have to do this if you don't want to,” he told her. “I'm not expecting this from you. We don't have to do anything tonight, or even for the rest of this trip. I'm not going to pressure you for more, and I don't want you to feel obligated into doing anything.”

“Has no one ever told you that respecting a girl’s boundaries is the biggest turn on?” she asked. “That's not why I'm doing this though. I know I'm not ready for that, so that's not happening tonight. But I still want to show you something more. Let me be brave.”

He nodded and let go of her wrist allowing her to take off her top and set it next to them on the bed. She'd taken off her bra in the bathroom, so, with the exception of her pajama shorts, she was bare before him.

“I'm not ready for everything,” she told him as she leaned in to whisper in his ear. “But I’m ready for a little more. If you can see skin right now, that's where you're allowed to touch me when things start to heat up again. I want you to touch me.”

She kissed his jaw and then moved back to let him really look at her. She'd taken down her ponytail, so the ends of her hair curled around her shoulders. She nervously bit her lower lip, and as she looked at him waiting for a response, he was rendered speechless by how beautiful she was. How any girl who looked like her could have any insecurities was a mystery to him. She was perfect.

She placed a hand under his chin to close his mouth, and it was only then that he realized his jaw had dropped at seeing her like that.

“Whatcha starin’ at?” she asked with a slight laugh. “I thought you said you'd seen boobs before?”

“None as perfect as yours.”

She started to blush, and he watched as it spread to her neck and collarbones. It made him wonder just how far he could make that blush go and how much teasing it would take to make that happen.

“I think I've exposed myself enough for one night,” she said as she pulled the t-shirt back towards her and started to redress. She didn't sound uncomfortable though. She was content, and she didn't want to push herself too far in one go.

Once she was covered, she leaned in to kiss him again.

“I'm not used to accepting compliments,” she said as she pulled away.

“I'm more than happy to help you practice.”

He moved to tuck her hair back behind her ear and press a kiss against the stretch of her neck that he'd just exposed.

“You're beautiful, Chrissy, and your vulnerability is a gift that I'm so thankful you were willing to share with me. I'll do whatever it takes to make sure you never regret that.”

“I won't regret it. Not with you.”

He wrapped an arm around her waist and pulled her closer to flip them around so she was the one leaning against the pillows and he was holding himself up over her.

“Tell me what you want from me.”

“I want you to show me what you would have done to me last night if I hadn't stopped you.”

“And you'll stop me again when I've hit your boundary?”

She nodded. “I trust you.”

That was all the confirmation he needed before crashing their lips together. Maybe she was right about respect being the biggest turn on because she was just as greedy with her kisses as he was. When she started to grind her hips against his, he pulled away slightly, and she whimpered beneath him.

“You wanted to know what I would've done last night, right?” he asked as he kept her from pulling him back in. “Let me show you just how much I want you. Let me focus on you for a minute because I know that no one has ever appreciated you in this way before.”

He pulled the neckline of her shirt aside so he could pepper her neck and collarbones with kisses being careful not to bruise her since he wasn't sure how she'd feel about hickeys. He didn't need to mark her to know that she was his just as much as he knew that he was hers and hers alone for as long as she was willing to have him.

When he scraped along her pulse point like he had the night before, she whimpered again and gripped his hips in an attempt to guide him closer to her and create some friction to satisfy the ache that was growing between her legs.

“Not yet,” he said, resisting her pull.

“Mean.”

“I'm mean?” he asked before leaning in to kiss her neck again. “You think this is mean?”

“Mean,” she repeated as she tried to pull him closer again.

“I could be worse,” he told her as he played with the hem of her shirt. He slipped his hand underneath, and this time, she didn't pull away as his palm glided up the expanse of her stomach. She arched her back into his touch, but he pushed her back into the pillows again as he explored her body. When he made it to her breasts, he moved to kiss her lips again, and he felt her breath catch in her throat as his thumb brushed against her nipple.

“It won't be for your first time.” As he spoke, he broke up his sentences with more kisses and lingering touches as he catalogued the way she reacted to each little touch. “If I'm lucky enough to be the first person who you give yourself to - God, I'd worship you. Do whatever it takes to make sure that it's enjoyable for you and only care about your pleasure. Prove to you that you deserve to put yourself and your needs first.

“But I can be mean, too. Once you know what it means to feel that good, I'll bring you right to the brink only to stop what I'm doing without ever letting you feel that release. I'll use my hands and my mouth to take you there again and again and again, and only when you can't take it anymore and you're begging me to finish will I finally let you tip over the edge.”

He punctuated his last statement by pinching her nipple, and it took everything in him not to come apart himself when she moaned into his mouth. He gave her what she wanted after that and moved his thigh between her legs to offer her that friction she so desperately desired, and she rewarded him by pulling him even closer for another kiss where she was tugging on his hair and biting at his lower lip.

She had never wanted someone so badly before. Not even when she was alone in her bedroom at night, certain that everyone else in the house was asleep and letting her hands wander did she ever think being with another person could feel this good. This satisfying. It would have been so easy for her to tell him to keep going and lose herself completely, but she just wasn't ready for that yet.

So, when it got to the point where what they were doing wasn't enough anymore, she gave him one last kiss before pulling away. He stopped what he was doing, but he didn't let go of her. He just held her in his arms as she pressed her forehead against his and tried to catch her breath.

“Are you okay?” he asked.

She nodded.

“I think I need to be done now though.”

“Whatever you need.”

She hadn't noticed it in the heat of things, but now that she was coming down from that high, she was painfully aware of Steve's erection pressing up against her thigh.

“If you need to go take care of that, you can,” she told him.

“Are you sure?”

“As much as I enjoy you holding me like this, I'll never be able to calm down with you this close to me, and we'll both be a lot more comfortable when you come back.”

Steve kissed her one last time before detangling his body from hers and going to lock himself in the bathroom. As soon as she was alone, she grabbed her phone and opened her camera in selfie mode so she could examine herself. Her hair was mussed and splayed out on the pillows beneath her, and her lips were a little swollen from all the kissing. She looked positively blissed out, and anyone who saw her could probably guess what she'd been up to. In any other situation, she would have been sent into a panic at the idea of looking like that on camera, but she didn't feel that way now. She almost thought that she looked beautiful, so she took a selfie as a reminder to hold onto that feeling. And, as she looked at that picture, she thought that maybe Steve would like to see it, too. She texted it to him before she could talk herself out of it. Bravery looked good on her.

#cheerscoops #harringham #stissy #steve x chrissy #chrissy x steve #steve harrington x chrissy cunningham #chrissy cunningham x steve harrington #my writing #wyptif #steve harrington #chrissy cunningham

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