#At least Max had someone concerned for him about it <3 Not that he could do anything about it but even just the validation of seeing it!

[sysig]

Bad time of it, all things considered (Patreon)

[fangirl-dot-com]

Alex Albon ft. Lily - Karma

Aaahhhhh, welcome to part 5 of this series! Now this one takes place farther into the season. But, I wanted to publish this series as one, instead of doing separate chapters for when they happened after races. This one is going to take place leading up to the Silverstone Grand Prix! So the July 3-ish (Austria is July 2 and Silverstone is July 9, so the week in between). As of this chapter, reader now has three different couples who would absolutely do ANTYHING for her. 

Like always, comments, questions, concerns, likes, and reblogs are always appreciated! Love you all <;3 

[TAG LIST IS CLOSED]

“Are you for real?” you muttered to yourself as you looked at your mismatched luggage. You really needed to ask Lando if he could get you some new suitcases with that fancy company he has a partnership with. And someone had tried to get into your suitcase, because you noticed the latch had a few scratches on it. You’d definitely be calling the airline later. Max was right, you should have just flown in with him on Air-Max. 

Definitely next time. 

At least you had all of your luggage. You were still standing next to the carousel when another small bag caught your eye. For some reason, the tag also had your name on in. You carefully grabbed the bag with mesh windows and looked at it. This was definitely not yours. You stepped away from the area and took a seat on a bench. You placed the bag on your lap and unzipped it. Your eyes widened at the sight. 

Inside was a large, fluffy cat. Big eyes stared up at you as you stared back. Your head leaned to the side, and it’s head followed you. Your hand bolted to your phone in your pocket. You needed to call the number one cat-dad. 

The phone rang for a few before, and before Max had an opportunity to answer, you voice flooded the air. 

“Max, I have a cat and I don’t know what to do with it!” 

Max paused for a bit on the line. 

“Hello?” 

“I heard you kid. Aren’t you supposed to be at the airport?” 

You huffed. “I am. But when I was getting my bags, this carrier-thing had a tag with my name on it. I opened it and there’s a cat inside! I’m too young to be a mother.” 

“Y/n,” you could image him pinching his brow. 

“I had a goldfish once and he died three days later.” You were starting to freak out. 

“Take a deep breath.” You did as instructed. “Ok, here’s what you’re going to do. First, does the cat have any identification on it?” 

You reached in and carefully parted the cat’s fur. On his neck was a little collar with a pendent that had a figure of a horse. Other than that though, there was nothing. 

You spoke into the phone, “No. It doesn’t.” 

Max sighed on the other line. “When I fly in, I will meet you at your flat and we’ll see what we can do. Are you being picked up at the airport?” 

“No. I have to go get my car. Someone brought it last night so I could drive to my flat by myself for a few days before the race.” 

“That’s nice kid. When I get in, I’ll call and come over. Kelly has been wanting to see your flat for a while. Something about her promising you that she’ll help you decorate the rest of it? Can’t believe you didn’t ask me.” 

You deadpanned, even if he couldn’t see it. “Max, you display your championship trophy on your Red Bull mini fridge. You have no interior design instincts.”

He sputtered over the phone, before he was interrupted on the other side. “Ok kid. I’ll see you when I get there. Houd van je geitje.” (Translation : Love you kid) 

“Love you too. Have a safe flight.” You hung up and looked back down at the cat, who seemed to be more wide awake. “Hi bud.” Your hand reached under its face and scratched lightly. The cat started to purr lightly. 

You stood up after you re-zipped the carrier. Luckily, it had a shoulder strap so that your two hands could be free to get your suitcase and keys. “Ok cat, let’s get going.” 

You started to make your way to the pickup car line. Thankfully, there weren’t too many people there. You walked right up to the counter. You gave the nice lady your name and ID so that she could get your keys for you. 

As you waited, your mind drifted to your semi-new vehicle. You had finally decided what car you actually wanted, so Christian, Vito, and Max had decided to come with you for the purchase. You, of course, had matching cars. One for Monaco and one for London. Lando had begged you to get a Jolly like he had, but you wanted something a little more classy. 

Your dark green Porsches were your children. 

Unlike Max, you didn’t want to necessarily buy a car that “supported” a rival team. You were tempted with one of the new Audi models, but the two Porsches just screamed at you. It had taken a while to get approved, but they had finally become yours about two months ago. The one you kept in Monaco was an older, classier model. The one you had in London was a bit more flashy with its convertible top. 

As you were daydreaming about driving your beloved car once again, two people had come into the room. And one of them did not sound happy. 

“What do you mean our hotel has been canceled. Yes I know we still have the nights for the two days closer, but not for the next two! Where are we supposed to stay? Also, has there been any news on Horsey?” The man sighed, and sounded like he was choking back a sob. “Ok, please keep me updated.” 

Your curiosity got the better of you. Turning your head, your eyes landed on one British-Thai Williams driver and his amazing golfer-girlfriend. You decided to be friendly, and a bit nosey. 

“Hi Alex,” you almost whispered. 

His and Lily’s head whipped up at your voice. He was able to shoot you a small smile. 

“Uh, is everything ok?” you prodded. 

Alex’s mouth opened and closed, trying to find words. When he couldn’t, Lily spoke up for the two of them. 

“Well, our hotel was canceled and we really can’t find a place go figure. And the airline somehow lost Horsey.” 

You cocked your head. “How does an airline lose a whole horse?” The two of them giggled. 

Alex finally spoke up, “Logan thought that Horsey was an actual horse the first time as well. Horsey is actually my cat.” 

Your eyes bulged. You were about to speak when the nice lady returned with your keys. You quickly thanked her before walking closer to the couple. You gestured for them to follow you. Once the three of you were outside, you parked you suitcase before pulling the carrier closer. 

“So, I’m thinking that he’s actually yours then.” You handed the carrier over. You had never seen Alex act as quickly as he did. He gently placed the small bag on the floor and unzipped the top. Horsey’s head popped out and he meowed loudly at the sight of his owner. Alex scooped him up and brought him close to his face. 

You continued, “Somehow, he had one of my name tags on his bag. I’m glad that Max now doesn’t have to help me find where he’s supposed to go.” You offered a small smile as your hand now rested on the top of your suitcase handle. 

Alex now had a bright smile. “Thank you so much. I was devastated when I couldn’t find him. The airline swore that he was on the flight. I guess he just got a bit misplaced.” He turned to Lily. “Now what are we going to do about the hotel situation.” 

Lily got out her phone and started to scroll; Alex’s head was leaned over, trying to see the screen. An idea popped into your head. 

You spoke up, “Well, my flat has a guest bedroom and my car is big enough to hold the luggage.” You shrugged as you pointed in what you hoped was the direction of your Porsche. 

Lily shook her head, “We don’t want to intrude.” 

Your hands waved in front of you. “Nonsense. I invited first. And besides, a friend of Logan’s is a friend of mine.” 

Alex looked shy as he smiled, “Well if you don’t mind. It would only be for a night or two!” He quickly added that last bit. Redness flushed his embarrassed face. 

“Perfectly fine. I think Max and Kelly are coming over tomorrow if that’s ok,” you asked as you made your way to the car, Alex and Lily followed. 

“Y/n. It’s your flat, we don’t care.” You popped the trunk and struggled to get your suitcase in. Stupid clothes. Alex quickly shoved the fur ball into your arms and took yours and Lily’s suitcases. The two of you smiled at each other as you also watched Alex struggle. 

“What did you both pack in here?” 

“Clothes,” your voices sounded at the same time. A smirk was shared as the trunk finally was able to be closed. You handed the cat back to Alex as you opened your door. Lily climbed into the passenger seat, while Alex took up the back row with Horsey. 

You carefully turned your car on, and it rumbled to life. You slowly backed out of the parking space, turned, and headed to the exit. As you stopped at the stop sign, your finger pressed the button for the top to fold back. As soon as your car was outside the garage, the sun seemed to fill up the extra space around your group. 

As you drove to your flat, you mentioned, “Lily, you can play some music if you’d like to.” 

She swiped up on her phone and connected it to the Bluetooth. “Any song you want to listen to?” 

You thought for a moment. What song could you choose and not be embarrassed to death. Lily seemed like a T-Swizzle woman. 

“Uh, how about Karma by Taylor Swift?” You thought that Lily would be the excited one, but a gasp from Alex had your eye brows raised. 

Lily rolled her eyes, “Alex is such a swiftie.” 

It was your turn to gasp, “I say when we’re all together, us, Daniel, and Lando need to go to a concert together.”

“Lando is Swiftie?” 

“A closeted one, but a swiftie none-the-less. I think Charles is one too.” 

Alex also added, “George is one as well.” 

“Shut up. I love that. Go Carmen.” Lily finally took this opportunity to sing. You rolled the dial for the volume and turned it up. As the car flew down the street, the three of you screamed at the top of your lungs. 

“Karma is a cat!” Alex held Horsey up in the middle. 

“Purring in my lap cause he loves me,” Lily say along. You had been able to put your sunglasses on. You felt cool. Look at you, hanging out with adults. If Max could see you now. 

The drive to your flat wasn’t a long one and you got there quickly. As the car came to a stop under the covered walkway, your doorman came out to meet you. 

“Hi Richard,” you sweetly said to the older man. He wasn’t like grandpa old, more like Christian-old. 

“Welcome back ma’am. I see you’ve brought visitors?” He gazed at the driver and golfer. 

“Yes sir. They’re staying for a couple of days. Something went wrong with their hotel.” By now, Lily had been given Horsey and Alex was working on getting the luggage out. 

“Glad to see that you’ve taken Mr. Verstappen’s advice.” Richard smiled at you. 

You scoffed. “Max just thinks that I have no friends.” 

Richard replied, “Ma’am, I’m sorry, but you really don’t.” You heard Alex laugh behind you. Your eyes squinted at the Thai. 

“I will leave you down here.” Alex looked worried for a bit before Richard started to laugh. “Richard I don’t pay you enough to laugh at me.” 

“Y/n, you don’t pay me.” 

“I know. All right folks, let’s go upstairs.” You took your suitcase from Alex and hauled it behind you. Richard always so kindly parked your car for you. Something about how he didn’t want you to have to walk from the parking area to the door. 

The elevator was filled with a comfortable silence. You quickly sent a text to Max to explain the situation. He and Kelly were already planning to stay at a hotel nearby. Your flat was open to them if they didn’t want to sit in the room. 

The elevator doors opened and you led the pair to your door. You looked over fondly at Logan’s door as you unlocked your own. You would have invited him over as well, but he wasn’t getting in until later. 

Once the lock had clicked, you opened the door and was met with the scent that was undeniably you. The warm hints of vanilla and cinnamon wafted around the space. You were so glad that the automatic air freshener had kept working while you were gone. Your apartment in Nice never smelled the best, and it was so depressing to come back to. 

“Welcome to mi casa, that’s French for front door.” You channeled you inner George Russell and held your hands out wide, showing off your living room. The pair just looked at you a bit strangely. You put your hands back down. “That’s actually not French, uh, Arthur and Charles would have my head.” 

Maybe this wasn’t the best idea, but it’s too late to change anything. “Uh, I can show you the room? It’s not decorated the best, but there’s a pretty big bed and closet space.” You turned around to start walking down the hallway. They followed you closely. 

Once you opened the room, the two gasped. You winced, thinking that it was a bad one. 

“Y/n this is so lovely,” Lily told you, putting her hand on your shoulder. 

You beamed at the praise. 

“Thank you,” you shyly muttered. Alex still had a look of shock and awe as he stepped into the room. You think that the big window helped bring the room in a lot. 

“You need to tell me how you decorated this,” Lily spoke as she looked around the room. You rubbed the back of your neck. 

“Well, Kelly helped me a lot. And I spent a questionable amount of time on Pinterest. The rest of the house still needs some help, but the bedrooms were the easiest to get done.” 

“It looks great,” Alex finally found his voice. 

“Thank you. You two are welcome to look around. I’m going to go unpack and take a shower. Did you two want to go to dinner? Or we can stay in and I can make something?” 

The girlfriend and boyfriend looked at each other, silently communicating. Finally Lily broke eye contact and looked at you. 

“If you don’t mind, and if it’s no trouble, we’d like to stay in.” 

“You two both agreed with that by looking into each other’s eyes?” They nodded. “Fair enough. I’ll go to the store after.” 

Lily offered to go with you and you happily accepted. The minute you got to your room, you allowed yourself to breathe. You shot a quick text to the group chat with you, Max, and Kelly. 

Little Racer: 

Hey, so we made it and I’m making dinner tonight  Do you two want to join? 

Big Racer: 

Sure kid. We land in a few hours.  Just let us know when you want us to come over! 

The Better Half:   

Hi sweetie, sounds good.  Are we still on to go out tomorrow? 

Little Racer: 

Max you still need to learn how to not type with punctuation Yep I’m all good! Also, Lily and Alex are staying with me for a bit, could I invite her as well?? Max and Alex can do something manly 

Big Racer: 

eXcUsE mE? Interior design is manly enough 

Little Racer: 

*Blink* sure 

The Better Half: 

Max, I love you, but your apartment is terrible  We’ll talk more about it at dinner  See you then Y/n <;3 

Little Racer: 

Bye Kellyyyyy &lt;3 Bye Max

Big Racer: 

Why does SHE get a heart and not me :( See you soon kid 

You placed your phone down on your charger and got clothes for after your shower. You didn’t want to take long, as there were guests that you needed to entertain. You just stuck to the basics to get the stale airplane air off of your skin. You’d feel better once you smelled like yourself. You changed right after, not caring about your wet hair. 

You were pleased to see the two on your couch. You worried that they might have felt as though they needed to wait for your instruction. You grabbed your cross body bag and your sneakers. 

“Lily will you be ready to go in the next few? Also, Max and Kelly might come back while we’re gone, so Alex could you let them in?” Alex gave you a nod and Lily let you know that she was ready whenever you were. You slipped your shoes on and headed for the door, Lily was right behind you.

You had texted Richard beforehand that you were coming down soon. It was nice to see your car waiting for you. Richard held the keys on his finger that you took as you passed. You have him a quick thanks and tipped him well. He had told you time and time again that he was paid more than enough, but you never listened. You weren’t stingy with the people who were good to you. 

The trip to the store was uneventful. You were thankful that Lily was with you so that she could buy some adult drinks that your ID would not be enough for. The plan for the meal was simple enough. Something that could cater to your, Max’s, and Alex’s diets without any one of your trainers getting onto you. 

When you got back, you noticed an unfamiliar car in the front. You shrugged at the sight, knowing it was probably Max and Kelly’s rental for the first few days. As you opened the door, you could hear Alex and Max talking wildly. You rolled your eyes. 

“Wow, thanks guys for the offer to help with the groceries. Real nice.” The two immediately shot up and you laughed. Alex took Lily’s bags while Max took yours. Kelly stood up to give you a hug. 

“Hi Y/n,” she said, bringing you into her arms. You squeezed tight. It had been a while since you’ve seen her outside of “work.” 

After you let go, Kelly reached over to give Lily a hug as well. Seeing the two women in conversation, you made your way to the kitchen. 

“Kid, your lack of Red Bull in your fridge is disturbing,” Max said once he saw you. 

“Was that a Star Wars quote?” you asked, giving him a hug. 

“Possibly.” He shot you a sneaky smile. By your legs, Horsey had started to rub up against you. You leaned down to pet him. 

“I think he likes you,” Alex said in a sing-song voice. You just scoffed as you pet him.

“Everyone likes me.” Now that earned you a scoff from Max. You looked up at him and raised your eyebrow. “Name one person who doesn’t.” 

“Marko?” Max questioned with a wince.

“False. He texted me early and said that we need to get brunch this weekend. You’re losing your spot as Red Bull’s golden child.” Max only responded with an eye roll. 

Alex thought hard as well. “Uh, there’s that one journalist who seems to hate you. What’s his name again?” 

You rolled your eyes at the mention, “Louise Tynker. Mans has made it his mission to get me to say the wrong things. Like last week he asked if I thought Daniel should have taken Checo’s seat instead of me.” 

Max smirked, “And what did you tell him?” He took a sip from his drink. 

“I told him that Daniel is a great driver, but Christian made a decision to put me in the seat instead. Sorry that I didn’t know I was in the running for even being considered to take the seat.” 

“And what did you say after that?” Oh. 

You exhaled a laugh, “I told him that his microphone might get more juicy answers if he got it out of his ass.” 

“That’s my kid.” Max raised a hand and you hit it. Alex’s eyes were wide at the confession of the story before he started to laugh as well. You quickly got the dinner ready, and before you knew it everyone was enjoying themselves at your table. 

As you picked at your food, you decided to ask, “So do you two want to come with us to look at decorations or do you want to just stay here?” 

Lily groaned, “Alex has no design skills.” Alex gawked at her. 

Kelly spoke up too, “Same with Max. Y/n are you sure you wanted to invited them?” All eyes were on you and you shrank back into your chair. 

“Uh. He can’t be worse than Max?” 

Max squawked in his seat, trying to come up with an argument. 

Lily cut into her dish, “Trust me, he is. He put all of his trophies in the laundry room.” 

You looked over at him, “Alex, you know trophies are supposed to be displayed on mini fridges, not washers and dryers.” 

“Hey! Leave my championship trophy and mini fridge alone. You can’t talk cause you don’t have one.” 

You quickly pointed to your F2 championship trophy in the beautiful display case that was the centerpiece in your living room. You raised an eye brow. “Wanna try again?” 

“Trophies don’t belong on mini fridges.” 

You looked at Alex. 

“And not on washers and dryers.” 

You, Lily, and Kelly all hummed in agreement before getting back to the conversation. Tomorrow would be hectic, but you’d have fun. 

Hopefully.

Tag List : @awekbachira @lightdragonrayne @leilanixx @angsthology @topguncultleader @landosgirlxoxo @gods-menace @itsjustkhaos @thefandomswhre @alwaysboredsworld @vellicora @bintuabbas @sam-is-lost @empress-kimiko @assholeinatrenchcoat @kagatinkita @glitterquadricorn @zyonsay @tsukishimawhore @ashy-kit @agent-curt-mega @julesbabey @lydialawrence @stopeatread @claudia5912 @nichmeddar @blueberry64857959 @laura-naruto-fan1998 @leptitlu @alessioayla @badassturtle13 @kaaale @wcnorris @cool-ultra-nerd @hockeyboysarehot @agent-curt-mega @myxticmoon @cmleitora @sam-is-lost @misartymis @boiohboii @alexander-hamilhoe @jayda12 @indesicivelyconfuzzled @fangirl125reader @itscrzy @xcharlottemikaelsonx @fionaschicken @torchbearerkyle @ineedafictionalman @loaksmuntxa @classiclitfreak @sarcasm-ismy-onlydefense @luisie @jayda12 @comfortzonequeen @taylor-will-be-the-death-of-me @inejghafawifesblog @treehouse-mouse

[navnae]

Steddie Soulmate Au Part 3

Part 1 || Part 2

Prompt: a clock counts down until you meet your soulmate

Prompt from @phantypurple !!! ❤️ (let me know if you don’t want to be constantly tagged and I’ll stop)

Read on AO3

Additional tags: @im-sam-fucking-winchester @thelittleclare @gregre369 @fruitandbubbles

-

Steve was panicking the entire night as he thought about his clock stopping after finding Eddie. He twisted and turned in his bed letting the images of him being pressed up against the wall replay in his head. The fear in his eyes mixed with anger didn’t indicate that there was a possibility of any future relationship with him. With the world going to shit how was Steve supposed to make Eddie fall in love with him, finding a soulmate was probably the last thing on Eddie’s mind and honestly it should’ve been the last thing on Steve’s mind too. Steve stayed up all night thinking of how the universe had to be playing tricks on him, why couldn’t his soulmate be someone who wasn’t wanted for murder, why couldn’t it be someone that Dustin wasn’t so close to, why couldn’t it be a person that he could actually bind with. He had all these thoughts in his head but one just kept eating him up.

Why did it have to be a guy?

Then the next question, why did it have to be Eddie Munson?

It’s never crossed Steve’s mind that a guy could be his soulmate because that’s not the image he had in his mind when it came to the idea of someone loving him endlessly. Steve imagined a beautiful blonde, Eddie’s hair was dark and curly, soft hands that would comfort him, Eddie’s were probably rough, he wanted to cuddle with a woman that had curves and smelled sweet, not a man that smelled like cigarettes. Steve knew he was being harsh but that’s what he thought of when he saw himself with his soulmate. He let out a frustrated sigh as he pulled at his hair, he walked around his house in the middle of night cursing to himself about how shitty everything was. That wasn’t even half of Steve’s worries, he just remembered that Dustin told the group that they would meet back up in the morning and they will officially get started with their plan to save Hawkins. Which meant Eddie would be a apart of that plan, Steve felt like his world was falling apart. All those years of him being eager to find the love of his life just for it to be a guy he barely knew or acknowledged in school. Steve didn’t realize that the sun started to rise as he was losing his mind and soon enough he’d have to come face to face with the one guy he desperately wanted to avoid.

“Fuck my life.” Steve mumbled to himself before heading upstairs to his room and picked out some clothes for him to wear for the day. He tried to push those thoughts to the furthest part of his head, he had bigger things to worry about then his confusing love life.

Later on in the day Steve met up with Robin, Dustin, and Max. Dustin spent most of his day talking to Eddie on the walkie talkie that he brought with him and the sound of Eddie’s voice just made him want to scream. Steve couldn’t focus on the road because Eddie’s laughter through the small speakers kept interrupting his thoughts, everything he did was stupid in Steve’s eyes. Robin glanced over at him with concern on her face as she saw her friend’s face turn red while swerving a little bit off the road. It clicked to her in seconds what was bothering Steve and she couldn’t help but frown. She couldn’t tell him how to feel about who his soulmate was but she hoped that Steve would at least try to make it work, fate had spoken apparently. Steve looked over making their eyes meet and he raised a brow.

“What?” Steve asked, it came out a little bit louder than he expected and everyone in the car looked at him. A light pink shade of blush came across his cheeks before he quickly turned towards the road.

“We need to talk about it.” Robin said bluntly. She didn’t try to beat around the bush because what was the point in that. Steve rolled his eyes already knowing what the conversation was about and the last thing he wanted to do was talk about it.

“You know Robin, I think it’ll be a good idea not to talk about it actually. There’s no point in bringing it up because nothing is going to happen and we should just forget it!” Steve raised his voice towards the end earning a harsh ‘shhh’ from Dustin.

Robin and Max laughed silently at Steve’s wide eyed expression. He completely forgot that Dustin was still talking to Eddie on the walkie talkie and he could hear him. Sure the thing was old and Eddie probably wouldn’t have heard much except for the sound of static combined with Dustin’s voice, it was the idea that Steve could’ve slipped up and said something about the clock that freaked him out. Steve wondered if Eddie even knew about the clock or has he checked his. Knowing him that was probably unlikely, Steve snickered to himself for giving Eddie that much credit. Even when his mind was filled with negative things about Eddie all Steve kept thinking about was what he’s reaction would’ve been to finding out that they were soulmates. For some reason the image of Eddie smiling and being excited about finding that out kept making an appearance in Steve’s thoughts then his mind would cut to the image of Eddie’s fingers with his rings glistening from a dim light and suddenly they were on the side of Steve’s face, cupping his cheek gently before pulling him towards Eddie. Steve jumped in his seat with a gasp escaping his lips. It took him a few seconds to gather himself as he looked around to see he was still in the car and everyone was more than concerned about him now.

“Alright now we’re definitely talking about it.” Robin threw her hands in the air when she saw Steve immediately shaking his head.

“Things will only get worse if you keep avoiding it.” Max chimed in. Robin nodded her head in agreement to what she was saying.

“Maybe you guys should talk about it.” Dustin added casually as if this was a normal thing to talk about. Steve looked at him through the review mirror with squinted eyes.

“Out of all people why are you advocating for this, don’t you think this entire situation is weird?” Steve felt like he was losing his mind. Why was everyone on board with who his soulmate was except him.

“No. Why would I?” Dustin asked genuinely confused. Steve pursed his lips together when he tried to come up with something. He knew that Dustin could care less but it would’ve been nice for a little bit of turmoil.

“Because… I’m your friend and he’s your friend. Wouldn’t that be weird if hypothetically we started dating which we won’t but wouldn’t that gross you out if we did?” Steve sounded like he needed a reason to hate everything that was happening, in some ways that was true. He wanted to find some kind of out but there wasn’t anything wrong. Steve had to let that sink in.

“Nope, I actually think it’s pretty cool to be honest.” Dustin said with a wide smile on his face showing all of his teeth. Steve laughed lightly when he saw him in the mirror.

“On a serious note, Dustin’s right. What could go wrong with you talking to him? It would be big step in forming this new relationship between you two. Just take things slow and get to know him, there’s no harm in that.” Robin suggested. Steve wouldn’t say he was planning on taking her advice but he couldn’t deny that she was technically right.

The car ride lasted for a few more minutes before they arrived to a nearby grocery store. They went inside to get some snacks and drinks for Eddie. Steve found himself asking to no one in particular if Eddie would like a certain candy or if he would go for a certain kind of drink. He kept doing and he hated that it wasn’t stopping any time soon, Steve just gave up trying to fight his thoughts and rushed to get the first thing he saw on the shelf despite if Eddie would even like it. All of them got the items that they needed and headed back towards the car ready to see Eddie. Steve held his breath for majority of the ride as he felt his heart beating hard in his chest, he didn’t expect to see Eddie so soon and he wished he would’ve taken his time in the store instead of hurrying to get whatever. The car pulled up in front of the boathouse, it looked exactly like how they saw it last night. With a bag in each one of their hands that made their way towards the boathouse expecting a warm smile from Eddie or maybe some excitement. They were greeted with him screaming and flailing that same broken beer bottle around just waiting to hurt some one, his face softened once he realized that it was just them. Eddie ate the snacks that were given to him like he was starving and rightfully so. Steve watched him from a distance, when he really took a step back to see Eddie clearly he didn’t seem so bad after all. It could’ve been the way his eyes would get wide when he scared by something or the way his lips would kind of quiver after he received information that was new to him.

No! That wasn’t important right now.

Steve scolded himself for not focusing on the reality of the situation. Eddie was wanted for murder and he’s terrified out of his mind, he needed to focus. It seemed like everyone wasn’t on the same page because as soon as they were done explaining the details of what Eddie needed to know their eyes started to focus on Steve. Robin nodded her head towards Eddie while he was distracted with his snacks, Max widened her eyes as she motioned towards Eddie too, Dustin nudged Steve slightly making him blow out air in annoyance.

“Eddie,” Steve said with his voice cracking a little. Eddie snapped his head towards him with furrowed brows. “Can we talk?”

“I’m actually glad you asked because I needed to talk to you too.” Eddie admitted before sounding up and to a different of the boathouse. Steve was taken aback by Eddie being that straightforward, he also noticed Robin winking at him when he glanced her way. One day he was going to get her back for all the teasing she did.

Steve and Eddie walked over to an empty area that was private enough for them. They stood there with their hand sing their pockets and sweaty fingers running through their hair, Steve has never experienced this level of awkwardness before. Both of them were avoiding eye contact like their lives depended on it and they wondered who was going to be the first person to make the effort to speak up. The silence didn’t last long before Eddie started speaking.

Of course he would.

“Okay, look. I know we’re not friends and I’m aware that neither of us like each other,” Eddie said coldly. Steve was surprised by that too, today was just full of surprises wasn’t it. “But I figured that we could possibly get some where if we were civil towards each other.”

“I couldn’t agree more.” Steve said as he tried matching Eddie’s nonchalant tone. He was on the verge of asking him about the clock but he didn’t want to seem to eager about it.

“That’s why I wanted to talk you about last night and what happened to my clock.” Eddie whispered as he looked at the group over in the corner not paying them any mind. Steve took a deep breath, he felt relieved that Eddie brought up the clock first.

“I’ve been wanting to talk to you about that too. I know it seems weird and stuff but maybe something good can come out of all this.” Steve didn’t know what he was saying at the moment. Half of it was him blindly accepting the fact that him Eddie would be a thing and he was freaking out in his head.

“You’re right. That’s why I wanted to ask,”

Here it is

“Would you mind…”

It’s actually happening

“Hooking me and Robin up?”

Oh

Steve paused for a long time as he processed what Eddie had just said to him. If anything Steve wanted to yell at him for being so fucking stupid, how could he not realize that he talked to Steve prior before talking to Robin. The other half of him couldn’t be mad because it actually made sense that Eddie would look past him especially when it came to anything that involved romance. Then Steve had to piece together that not everyone knew that Robin was dating Vickie and it was better for them to keep it a secret at least for the mean time. A few hours ago if you would’ve played this exact same moment to Steve he would be delighted and filled with joy that Eddie didn’t like him in that way or at all for that matter but right now, when he’s standing in this moment taking everything in it felt like a huge slap in the face. He felt sick and his stomach started to hurt. Steve stumbled back a little bit feeling dizzy, quickly Eddie grabbed him by his arm to help him balance. Steve met his concerned gaze and once again his heart started to beat fast.

“Are you alright?” Eddie asked. His voice was sweet, Steve hated it. He hated how close Eddie was standing next to him, he hated how Eddie actually smelled really good. Steve wanted to run away and never return, this was so embarrassing.

“Yeah I’m good.” Steve managed to say after letting his thoughts get the best of him. Eddie half smiled before letting go of Steve’s arm and putting his hand in his pocket.

“So… what do you say?” Eddie asked again. It killed Steve that Eddie looked excited but it wasn’t because of him, all of that was for Robin. Steve shouldn’t even care and this probably happened for a reason. Now he could start looking for the gurl of his dreams that he’s always imagined.

Steve kept that in mind as he smiled widely showing all of his pearly whites and geared up the happiest voice he could find.

“Sure!”

He wanted to die

-

Part 4

So… yeah. I hope y’all aren’t mad at me for this but I love a good plot twist. This kind of following the canon plot but not really, let me head some feedback if somethings off or doesn’t make sense. Anyways I hope y’all enjoyed. 🥰

[neshabeingchildish]

We'll Raise Him Right

Tagged: Charlotte Page, Max Thunderman, Mika Macklin

Notes: Don't mind me. Just clearing my mind of a little bit of Charlotte x Max lore from my notes.

Plot: Charlotte Page and Max Thunderman's firstborn child gets his superpowers and Charlotte is not sure what she thinks of it all. Potentially Zenryverse, but no mention of Zenryverse characters.

Most superpowers come haphazardly. Charlotte could remember Max claiming that the Incredibles had it easy when Jack Jack was cycling through his in that movie. She had heard all about the fiasco of Chloe going through hers. She even watched footage and read every available article from the Metroburg Library on the subject. Alas, nothing can really fully prepare a typical human woman for the power manifestation of a supe infant.

Max wanted her to stay elsewhere until Baby Maximillian settled on a superpower, but there was no way that she was leaving her baby for some undetermined amount of time. So, when he cycled through storm powers, superstrength, shapeshifting and telepathy; Charlotte was present, nearby, trying to avoid demise as Max caught and comforted Mini Max. He would often do so by singing him lullabies and rocking him gently. That always seemed to be soothing for the baby in those trying times.

Eventually, Baby Maximillian began singing. He was 2 years old with the most beautiful singing voice Charlotte had ever heard. It was haunting, even. She was about to make note of that fact when suddenly, a violent scream tore through the sky and through her thoughts. An oncoming car swerved and missed hitting her by mere inches and she panicked as she realized that she was in the middle of the street. Horns honked at her, but she was more concerned about where her child was. She had been with him, and next thing she knew, she was in the street! What if someone had hit him? Tears welled in her eyes, but she heard crying and turned to see him, standing on the sidewalk, crying miserably.

The crying sounded excruciating. It was tearing her heart as she rushed to him. All she wanted was for it to stop. She pushed through the dread and gathered him to her heart. “Oh, Baby! Mommy’s so sorry! I don’t know what happened.” She was crying now, too. She felt filled with fear and guilt, but having him alive in her arms and knowing he was safe ended that and she rushed home to get him to Max. Max would be able to console him. “What the butt happened?” She asked herself.

Max answered, after she gave him the rundown, “I would say the siren’s song, from the first part, but then the sonic scream would be what broke the trance and probably knocked the car out of the way, but then again… his crying repelled you. That’s at least 3 different things that usually don’t happen from the same supe.” Baby Maximillian was asleep in his father’s arms and had been from the moment Max chilled him out with lullabies. Charlotte reached over to stroke his little head.

“Is there something that can do all of that? Like maybe a general vocal superpower?”

Max thought for a moment then cheered, “That’s it! Voice Manipulation! Usually, there’s only one or two applications per supe, hence why I said that those other things were what I said they were. Typically, supes don’t have those combined. For instance, some have the ability to mimic any sound, and some can mimic any voice, those two might be powers that one has, or they could only be ble to do one of those. Typically, voice manipulation, even though there are many types, the supe only has a slice or two. But if one has voice manipulation and is still cycling through potential powers, it's possible that he was maybe cycling through various voice manipulations and that’s why such differing applications all came out of him while he was panicked.”

Charlotte frowned, eyeing her computer, “Well, according to the database, a voice manipulator has the potential to hone several abilities if they began manifesting them before their age of acquisition. So.. because he cycled through those, he could very possibly wind up with all of that. In other words, those with only one voice manipulation power prior to settling on a voice manipulation power will only have that one, but somebody who cycles through multiple ones and wind up with that power might have others, if they wind up with voice manipulation.”

Max finally put their son into his crib and took a breath, “Well then, I guess our current mystery is whether he has landed on that superpower and if so, what applications has he already cycled through.”

.

Mika was smiling brightly, and full of all of the fervor and excitement that she always had for things. “ I am SO GLAD that you called me about this! Of course, as someone with a voice manipulation superpower, I have life experience with the subject. I have read and studied every superpower in the database, but voice manipulation is my area of expertise! I wrote the, now, most studied article in the world on the subject of the Song Manipulation Curse of Swellview from when we were kids to get into the Secret Academy of Superpower Studies, and my sonic scream journals that I kept for my own powers have been introduced into curriculum in Hero University, for training. I created a signature special pitch that can be used by manipulators of both sonic scream and siren song, so I even have expertise in that!” She clapped her hands once and rubbed them together, “I can hardly wait to get a look at Maximillian’s vocal system!” She squealed happily and reached for the toddler. 

He looked at her, looked at his mother, then back to Mika, then to Charlotte again. “It’s okay, Maxi. She’s Mommy and Daddy’s friend,” Charlotte told him. He looked back and forth once more then went to Mika’s outstretched arms. Charlotte kissed him on the forehead and strummed his cheek, then looked at Mika with a warning glance.

“Charlotte, I will take care of him like he is my most important project.”

“He isn’t a project. He’s my only child.” Charlotte said. “And if something happened to him, I will take care of you.”

“Unnecessary, but noted.”

Charlotte had always been good at school, but she didn’t necessarily love doing school work. Mika, on the other hand lived for it. One thing that they definitely both had in common was loving science experiments and studies. Charlotte was just as excited about the tests that Mika would be performing as Mika was, if not a bit more apprehensive because the tests were on her son. 

“According to the information that you gave in your statements, the scans, and tests, these are the observations that I’ve made so far. Firstly, there is an emotional component to the sounds that he makes. There appears to be some type of impassioned voice activated hypnosis. You were both privy to this and unfortunately almost fell prey to it. We know that it wasn’t his intention to harm you or scare you. You were likely in a state of bliss and absentmindedness. Some use this to begin a series of behaviors for the intended. Some call it siren song, as Max did, because it tends to be presented in song form in most lore. Fun fact - hypnotic voice, as I like to refer to it, doesn’t have to sung to affect. It can be operated in words, usually with a certain prompt, for example “I heard a rumor.” Hypnotic voice can also be operated in other vocal functions, such as laughter and..”

“Crying.”

“He’s not old enough or trained enough to control it, so whenever he sang earlier, being happy, you must have been in the hypnotic state that led you into the middle of the street. Do you remember what you felt? Was it mindless, carefree, or something else? Was he determined to get somewhere? Like, a cookie shop across the street or something?”

“I don’t know. I don’t remember him seeming to want something… I don’t really remember anything from the singing until the screaming.”

Mika nodded, empathetically. Then, she immediately cheered back up, “Look.” She showed Charlotte the brain scans. “It makes sense that you can’t remember what was happening during this, because his memory hasn’t fully formed. If Maximillian had a more developed hippocampus, I think that you would have most likely have felt either whatever he was feeling in the moments of the hypnosis, or, if he truly gets to hone this ability; you would feel whatever he would want you to feel.”

Charlotte looked horrified.

Max smiled, “Villain era me would’ve LOVED to help hone a power like that!”

“It can be used for good!” Mika insisted, “It isn’t mind control. He wouldn’t be able to force someone to follow specific orders, but he very well could possibly get others to feel like they want to do something.”

“That worries me,” Charlotte admitted.

“Nonsupes HONESTLY have got to stop demonizing powers, and supes are no better when it comes to siren song. Just because someone has a hypnotic nature doesn’t mean that they will try to use it against others,” Mika complained. “Note to self, commission a directive to work against hypnotic voice prejudice.”

Max rolled his eyes and sorted through Mika’s findings himself. “Good news!” Mika changed the subject, slightly. “Hypnotic voice doesn’t seem to be the supreme voice manipulation power that he holds. It belongs under the umbrella of the most potently used one that he has. Sonic Scream!” She didn’t hide her excitement at all. “He must’ve realized that you were in danger and his fear made him activate the power that he needed in order to help you.”

“So… he’s a noise maker,” Max said matter of factly.

“He is a soundwaves specialist!” Mika defended. “Or, he will be, if we raise him right.” She giggled gleefully.

Charlotte and Max exchanged looks. His was hopeful. Hers was worried. Her child was already half nonsupe, and now he had this demonized superpower in the supes community… Max gave her a nudge with his forehead, “We’ll raise him right, Charlight.” She nodded and relaxed a little.

[stevespookington]

different places (different fates?)

role reversal au part 3! (part 1) (part 2) (tag) (ao3)

Eddie drummed his fingers against the steering wheel. Of course he had gotten involved with a murder investigation. At least he wasn’t the suspect… for now anyways. No, he had instead been recruited to rescue someone from a murder investigation. He was always down for some interference and meddling, but shit…

All he had wanted was a normal spring break to kick off the rest of a normal year. 

Just one normal year where he could graduate and get the hell out of Hawkins.

But nope! A fucking murder investigation.

He shot a glance over at Robin, she seemed pretty calm about this whole thing. Eddie squinted, at least mostly calm about it, she kept fiddling with her rings. It made sense that she would be anxious, she was pretty close to Harrington. Although Eddie still couldn’t figure out why.

Henderson was obsessed with him, there must be a reason why. That butthead took no shit. But it was a mystery to Eddie. Although, it was starting to seem like it was related to all of the weird shit that was going on in Hawkins. Though he still wasn’t sure what weird shit that was.

He glanced in the rearview mirror, Dustin and Max were muttering quietly to each other. That probably wasn’t good, but before it could spark too much concern, Eddie remembered something else. They had said that it was very likely that he would end up being a suspect too. Which made sense, once a freak, always a freak. But… that didn’t mean he had to be unprepared and just hole up with no supplies. Of fucking course this all went down while his go bag was spread across the floor of his room to be restocked. 

Eyes back on the road, Eddie hummed in consideration. “So… you said that I am going to be a suspect too, right?”

Robin shrugged awkwardly in her seat. ��Well, most likely. I mean, they might not go for that angle, but…” She trailed off with a wince.

“Okay, okay.” Eddie nodded to himself. This wasn’t the best, but he had worked with less. He had gotten to Hawkins with less. “So, we are going to make a quick detour so I can pick up some clothes and tell my uncle. He should be off work right now…” Eddie tapped his fingers idly, trying to remember Wayne’s work schedule. 

“What!?” Dustin shouted from the backseat.

Eddie jerked the steering wheel a little in surprise and glared over his shoulder. “Geez! Don’t do that! Fucking idiot.”

Dustin sighed and started again in a quieter voice, with even more exasperation in his tone. “They are currently looking for Steve. In a murder investigation. And you want to make a stop for clothes?”

“Look you little butthead, yes. I don’t know what spooky shit you guys have dealt with in the past, but yes. We want clothes because Steve’s were messed up from crawling through who knows what.” Eddie paused to make a turn before continuing. “And if what you were saying about this Code Red is true. And I’m saying if because I am just saying fuck it because yeah, why not. Then we are going to want to get my first aid kit before the shit goes down and not after.”

“But, but-” Dustin spluttered.

Robin twisted in her seat to look at Dustin. “Dustin! It’s alright! Grabbing some supplies is a good plan. You know as well as I do that shit can get messy quick and think how much easier that stuff last summer would’ve been if we had some more things ready.” 

Eddie shot another look over at Robin in confusion. What the hell had happened last summer. There was the mall fire? Was that related to this whole mess? Out of the corner of his eye, Eddie saw Dustin cross his arms with a grumble. He looked back towards the road and continued towards the trailer park.

Max chimed in, “Besides, this means I can grab my walkie, Eddie’s place is right next to mine.”

“Fine! Fine, okay. Sorry for wanting to get to Steve as fast as possible. Steve, who’s one of my closest friends and is currently the number one suspect for murder.”

Eddie rolled his eyes. “Yeah, yeah. And the number two suspect here would like to prepare before any shit happens, alright?”

[f1uckinghell]

a few weeks back i blacked out and when i came to, i had reread all of virtues. so i apologize if this is long and rambling, but i have A Lot Of Feelings about vv!max (and riley)

tw for mentions of weight, body image, and disordered eating

keep in mind that they first time i read virtues, i ended up accidentally reading it in chronological order because b,w was the first work in the series i came across. so i didn't know that while maxiel was the ultimate goal, there was also some lestappen endgame in the later parts.

case in point: the very first chapter of b,w i was mortally wounded and dealt 10 psychic damage when i realized (the second time around) that charles purposefully ordered more food than he knew he could eat just so he could offer the rest to max. just...charles still caring for max and being able to clock what was going on despite them not being real "friends" at that point--i think i would take it less personally if you just came to my house and murdered me irl next time.

i also remember reading an old ask a while back asking about each of the pack member's favorite foods. and i believe (iirc) you had said that max's was mashed potatoes. and it makes the one dinner scene in b,w so much more, like, devastating when max is going to give himself another helping but is then told that he's had enough.

and it makes me think that those times where he'd go have dinner at charles' house with his family, it would raise a few eyebrows. because charles' parents know max. they remember him. and here he is minimally filling his plate and politely declining when they ask if he'd like any more. so after he leaves to go home, they're concerned and asking charles like, "what's going on? he eats like a bird." and charles wants to tell them, but feels it's not his place to go behind max's back like that.

and even after the events of b,w and after max moves in with daniel and michael, it...takes him awhile to let his relationship with food begin to heal. and while the pack is more body positive, i feel like max sits more firmly in the camp of body neutrality. he no longer feels bad about how he looks, per se, but he rarely outright says he looks good either. and he believes that no one ever has to look good. his body is what it is. it's useful in a lot of ways--gets him where he needs to go, allows him to care for his pack and his pups--and he chooses to just not think about it if he doesn't have to.

however, as a parent (and even before he was a parent but quickly deemed the primary cook of the pack), a facet of his love manifests as him asking the pups and the others, "did you get enough to eat?" being met with soft sighs but genuine smiles and answers of "yes, max/yes, mama." and he's always at the ready refill plates and send guests home with plenty of leftovers.

so then during the stressful period where he and daniel are in the midst of the triplets being diagnosed, you had mentioned that the strife felt within the pack is a catalyst for riley developing his own disordered eating habits. and it makes max absolutely sick with worry and guilt, the ideas of "it's my fault," and "i'm turning into the parent i always swore i'd never become." it being yet another thing that keeps him awake at night during that time, until daniel (or charles, really) pulls him aside like "you need to tell me what's going through your head. or else we're never going to find a way to go about approaching this issue."

do you mind if i just-- :(((((((

Everytime someone tells me they absolutely binged the VV series, it adds at least 1 month to my lifespan. <3 thank you for your amazing ask!!!!!

tw: disordered eating, food and weight in general

Where to even begin! You picked up on so much here.

In his teens, Max has a very difficult relationship with food, but luckily he has at least some emotional ressources/resilience to saves him from completely spiraling into a full eating disorder.

Charles family definitely notice, and I think Charles' parents bring them snacks much more often when Max is around, offer him more food etc. Charles also tells them that Max has to do all the cooking at home, so Pascale always cooks big dinners when Max stays over.

I love what you said about body neutrality, because to reach that would be such a huge step for Max. His body is good because it carries him, it carries his pups, it carries his pack. It doesn't always have to be absolute self-love, sometimes self-acceptance is a step forward.

Food is definitely a love language for Max. He always makes sure everyone is fed, especially his kids. He never forbids them from getting snacks, and even candy and baked goods are always openly available. Which is why Riley having issues with food would just hit him even harder, because it would feel like he failed him and make him absolutely sick with worry.

With all of the storylines around the pups, one of my biggest intentions is to show that even good parents make mistakes, or that sometimes things out of their control happen which fuck up the child in some ways. But if they're good parents, they will be there for their kid and be supportive. And Max (and Daniel, and Charles, and all of them) is supportive of Riley, gets him to a doctor, a psychologist, makes sure to educate himself and support Riley however he can. Daniel shows up, picks him up from school, sometimes just drives by to let him eat in the car when he feels too anxious, and they all just work together to help him, which in turn heals Max's inner child a bit as well.

[unsleepingtales]

Ok I did not have a chance to watch the ep last night and I’m mildly hungover today but woo! FHJY party time!

17’s not bad!

A goddess with one cleric, one follower, and a shrimp allergy

KrisFIG Applebees

Oh Cassandra is in literal physical shards? Great. Fantastic.

Everyone here... makes steel. And I think that's wonderful. (Still one of the best moments I've ever seen)

You're doing a better job 😭

She LOST money

Very fucked up white russian

This is what they drink in the jungle!

They're so silly I love them so much

'I don't do this to you' zac started playing it out and beardsley immediately felt so guilty

Oooh love a full moon dice cleanse!

Ohh he's the church guy

It's filled with water 😡

KRISTEN

I'm glad at least one of them also feels weird about tricking someone who really doesn't want to drink into drinking.

"You gotta go right to their house and tell the Applebees house and tell them that their daughter's good"

"He must have repented an-" "Oh nooooo"

You should go to hell sometime! It's really fun!!

It must actually be so lovely for Kristen to hear her friends talk about her with so much love <3

Hellhound!Hangman!!!! <3<3<3 So cute I love him

I love the idea that instead of advisories or anything the yearbooks are grouped by party

Really idiosyncratic high fives. Incredible.

A Gardener's Dozen!!

What is this guy's vibe. I can't clock the vibe.

This blue dragonborn is hot I haven't even seen art

OH THERE'S THE ART yep he's hot.

The energy, the conjuration glyph tattoos.......

Hi Skrank!

Riiiiight dragonborn. Hoards. Etc

Tragic

I love Siobhan's collar pins so much. I need more collar pins.

That's SO cool.

Adaine. Fig's not infectious Oisin is distracted by you.

EY???

That 'I'm so tired' came from Brennan's soul

What the FUCK are you two TALKING about

ohhh I've been bested :|

y'all Kalina is currently discorporated

Watching Brennan's physicality change through that speech was great

ok but guys. Ragh taking a cleric level would not be the worst thing

AWWWWW 🥰🥰🥰🥰🥰🥰

I love them SO much

I love friends that steal each other's clothes it is true and real

The High 5 Heroes! Ok!

Ok what happened to Lucy Frostblade

We're not in the library you can't rip pages out!

Are they still in the party? They weren't wearing pins right? Are they so intense because they already had to go pass/fail for a year when some of them left the party??

THERE'S A FACE BEHIND EVERY PIECE OF STEEL THAT YOU USE IN YOUR DAY TO DAY LIFE.

Kristen I love you to the ends of the earth. But why do you love the steelworkers plant so much.

What are you DOING

Ohoho spreading the message. For a second I was convinced they were gonna say spreading the gospel. And that would have been weird.

Isn't Max a senior?

Concerning!

Girl what if she's DEAD????

Someone tagged his house :((

He has to live here tomorrow :((

Babe are you sure you want to be the party house?

One last time?? What are you gonna do to the page?

So glad I'm not the only one who had the what if she's dead thought

'I am compartmentalizing in a way that makes me think I will be doing this the rest of my life' OUCH. You can't just say that man c'mon.

Fabian had a signed copy of catcher in the rye????

Reliable Talent is so neat

ALLY

Yeah it's a utopia

You could make a really campy entrance oh my GOD

Awww

That's the ice muffets drunk adaine you have my heart

Fuck yeah Fig

Eeeesh

Mazey is so cool.

With tears in her eyessss

Mazey is a cig figs fan!!! Love that for her!

I love some exploration of bardic power. It's so delightful. Art resonates with the universe!!

Love Gorgug running some interference

Ok so just bc they're not wearing the pins doesn't mean they're not still in the party.

AND FOR WHAT

Oh god what did they do

Put it in the hangvan make it a plane

Are we not allowed to take drugs?? We murder people!

Adaine is actually sleeping!!! Oh I just read a great fic about elves and sleeping vs trancing.

Gertie Bladeshield is so pretty

That is ADORABLE. IT'S AN APPLE BEE. I LOVE HER.

Hell yeah Gertie

oh SHIT

If we get the bees on our side we'll be unstoppable 😭

Trackerrrrr

AUGH.

Oh shit she can't cast right now?? I mean yeah that makes sense but oh god.

Jawbone is her UNCLE. BABE.

Oh GOD.

GIRLIE. KRISTEN.

Oh noooooo

of COURSE

Adaine Abernant I love you so much <3

HAVE A GREAT LIFE?????? You live in the same HOUSE

Aelwyn what are you up to

Oh damn ok so it might not be a pass/fail issue

Is it?? is it perfectly put??

A real dark night of the soul :(

Oooooooof

Emily with her legs curled up at the table she's just like me fr

Ohhhh no ok

Oh fun have downtime rules changed?

oh GOD the red gems are back

fun episode gang :)

[jdgo51]

God Will Help You Get Through Grief

Today's inspiration comes from:

God Will Help You

by Max Lucado

"'We don’t discuss graveyards to brighten our day. Cemeteries aren’t typically known for their inspiration. But an exception was found in a graveyard near Bethany. And that one exception is exceptional.

A man named Lazarus was sick. He lived in Bethany with his sisters, Mary and Martha. This is the Mary who later poured the expensive perfume on the Lord’s feet and wiped them with her hair. Her brother, Lazarus, was sick. So the two sisters sent a message to Jesus telling Him,

Lord, your dear friend is very sick. — John 11:1-3 NLT

John weighted the opening words of the chapter with reality: “A man named Lazarus was sick.” Your journal might reveal a comparable statement. “A woman named Judy was tired.” “A father named Tom was confused.” “A youngster named Sophia was sad.”

Lazarus was a real person with a real problem. He was sick; his body ached; his fever raged; his stomach churned. But he had something going for him. Or, better stated, he had Someone going for him. He had a friend named Jesus, the water-to-wine, stormy-sea-to-calm-waters, picnic-basket-to-buffet Jesus. Others were fans of Christ. Lazarus was friends with Him.

So the sisters of Lazarus sent Jesus a not-too-subtle message: “Lord, Your dear friend is very sick.”

They appealed to the love of Jesus and stated their problem. They did not tell Him how to respond. No presumption. No overreaching or underreacting. They simply wrapped their concern in a sentence and left it with Jesus. A lesson for us perhaps?

Christ responded to the crisis of health with a promise of help.

But when Jesus heard about it He said, ‘Lazarus’s sickness will not end in death. No, it happened for the glory of God so that the Son of God will receive glory from this’. — John 11:4 NLT

It would have been easy to misunderstand this promise. The listener could be forgiven for hearing “Lazarus will not face death or endure death.” But Jesus made a different promise: “This sickness will not end in death.” Lazarus, we learn, would find himself in the valley of death, but he would not stay there.

The messenger surely hurried back to Bethany and told the family to take heart and have hope.

Yet

He [Jesus] stayed where He was for the next two days. — John 11:6 NLT

The crisis of health was exacerbated by the crisis of delay. How many times did Lazarus ask his sisters, “Is Jesus here yet?” How many times did they mop his fevered brow and then look for Jesus’ coming? Did they not assure one another, “Any minute now Jesus will arrive”? But days came and went. No Jesus. Lazarus began to fade. No Jesus. Lazarus died. No Jesus.

When Jesus arrived at Bethany, He was told that Lazarus had already been in his grave for four days. — John 11:17 NLT

“Israel’s rabbinic faith taught that for three days a soul lingered about a body, but on the fourth day it left permanently.”1 Jesus was a day late, or so it seemed.

The sisters thought he was.

When Martha got word that Jesus was coming, she went to meet Him. But Mary stayed in the house. Martha said to Jesus, ‘Lord, if only You had been here, my brother would not have died’. — John 11:20-21 NLT

Jesus meets us in the cemeteries of life.

She was disappointed in Jesus. “If only You had been here.” Christ did not meet her expectations. By the time Jesus arrived, Lazarus had been dead for the better part of a week. In our day his body would have been embalmed or cremated, the obituary would have been printed, the burial plot purchased, and the funeral at least planned, if not completed.

I know this to be true because I’ve planned many funerals. And in more memorials than I can count, I’ve told the Lazarus story. I’ve even dared to stand near the casket, look into the faces of modern-day Marthas, Marys, Matthews, and Michaels and say, “Maybe you, like Martha, are disappointed. You told Jesus about the sickness. You waited at the hospital bed. You kept vigil in the convalescent room. You told Him that the one He loved was sick, sicker, dying. And now death has come. And some of you find yourselves, like Mary, too bereaved to speak. Others, like Martha, too bewildered to be silent. Would you be willing to imitate the faith of Martha?”

Look again at her words:

Lord, if only You had been here, my brother would not have died. But even now I know that God will give You whatever You ask. — John 11:21-22 NLT, emphasis mine

How much time do you suppose passed between the “if only” of verse 21 and the “even now I know” of verse 22? What caused the change in her tone? Did she see something in the expression of Christ? Did she remember a promise from the past? Did His hand brush away her tear? Did His confidence calm her fear? Something moved Martha from complaint to confession.

Jesus responded with a death-defying promise:

Jesus told her, ‘Your brother will rise again.’ ‘Yes,’ Martha said, ‘he will rise when everyone else rises, at the last day.’ Jesus told her, ‘I am the resurrection and the life. Anyone who believes in Me will live, even after dying… Do you believe this?’ — John 11:23-26 NLT

The moment drips with drama.

Look to whom Jesus asked this question: a bereaved, heartbroken sister. Look at where Jesus stood as He asked this question: within the vicinity, perhaps in the center, of a cemetery. Look at when Jesus asked this question: four days too late. Lazarus, His friend, was four days dead, four days gone, four days buried.

Martha has had plenty of time to give up on Jesus. Yet now this Jesus has the audacity to pull rank over death and ask, “Do you believe this, Martha? Do you believe that I am Lord of all, even of the cemetery?” Maybe she answered with a lilt in her voice, with the conviction of a triumphant angel, fists pumping the air and face radiant with hope. Give her reply a dozen exclamation marks if you want, but I don’t. I hear a pause, a swallow. I hear a meek

Yes, Lord,… I have always believed You are the Messiah, the Son of God, the One who has come into the world from God. — John 11:27 NLT

Martha wasn’t ready to say Jesus could raise the dead. Even so, she gave Him a triple tribute: “the Messiah,” “the Son of God,” and “the One who has come into the world.” She mustered a mustard-seed confession. That was enough for Jesus.

Martha fetched her sister. Mary saw Christ and wept. And

when Jesus saw her weeping and saw the other people wailing with her, a deep anger welled up within Him, and He was deeply troubled. ‘Where have you put him?’ He asked them. They told Him, ‘Lord, come and see.’ Then Jesus wept. — John 11:33-35 NLT

What caused Jesus to weep? Did He cry at the death of His friend? Or the impact death had on His friends? Did He weep out of sorrow? Or anger? Was it the fact of the grave or its control over people that broke His heart?

It must have been the latter because a determined, not despondent, Jesus took charge. Jesus told them to roll the stone away. Martha hesitated. Who wouldn’t? He insisted. She complied. Then came the command, no doubt the only command ever made to a cadaver. Jesus, prone as He was to thank God for impossible situations, offered a prayer of gratitude, and then Jesus shouted, ‘Lazarus, come out!’ And the dead man came out, his hands and feet bound in grave-clothes, his face wrapped in a headcloth. Jesus told them, ‘Unwrap him and let him go!’ — John 11:43-44 NLT

“Don’t miss the message of this miracle,” I love to say at funerals, although careful not to get too animated, because, after all, it is a memorial service. Still, I indulge in some excitement. “You are never alone. Jesus meets us in the cemeteries of life. Whether we are there to say goodbye or there to be buried, we can count on the presence of God.”

He is

Lord both of the dead and of the living. — Romans 14:9 ESV

An encore is scheduled. Lazarus was but a warm-up. Jesus will someday shout, and the ingathering of saints will begin. Graveyards, ocean depths, battlefields, burned buildings, and every other resting place of the deceased will give up the dead in whatever condition they might be found. They will be recomposed, resurrected, and re-presented in the presence of Christ. Salvation of the saints is not merely the redemption of souls but also the recollection of souls and bodies.

When we are in Christ, we grieve, but we grieve with hope. Lazarus is proof of this. His death proved that our Savior grieves death with us. Jesus cares and understands and feels the weight of death just like we do. But as the conqueror of death, Jesus knows death is not the end. It is simply the beginning of a life we cannot imagine during our lives on earth. So grieve here, today. Receive the comfort of Christ in your sorrow, but hold fast to the promise that the sorrow you feel in the night makes way for joy in the morning.

Father, I know You are my comforter. I know You are strong when I am weak. I know You are hope when I am hopeless. I need all these from You today — comfort, strength, and hope — because I cannot muster them on my own. When I am deep in grief, all I see is darkness, and all I feel is hopeless. But You empathize with this pain. You know it well. Remind me of Your love during this time. Remind me that I can share my thoughts and struggles with You. You are not afraid of negative feelings. Hold me as I walk through this season of grief. Don’t let me run away from it, but also don’t let me fall into despair. Guide me toward the hope and light I have in Christ. In His name, amen.

Bruner, Gospel of John, 664."'

Excerpted with permission from God Will Help You by Max Lucado, copyright Max Lucado.

[endofthelinexx]

mad woman. | 1

Pairing: Female!Driver!Reader x Daniel Ricciardo

TW: language, alcohol, dash of sexism which you can thank christian and max for

Rating: Mature, 18+

AN: i’m going to start by saying that the pairing isn’t going to be set throughout the whole series, it follows a womans journey through formula 1. so I’m focusing a lot about what its like being friends with the boys, facing backlash, and being a formula 1 driver. obviously its not going to be insanely accurate because I am not a formula 1 driver or have met any of them lol. in short, there will probably be multiple pairings and i’m living for it <3 comment to join the tag list!

Word count: 4.0k

Mini Summary: Laken Partridge grew up just one hour away from Talladega, so it made sense she grew up infatuated with race cars. The second she was old enough her parents invested in karting, even if they had to work their butts off. She was ready for everything, at least that’s what she thought before she was confronted with the real deal.

playlist here!

*No permission is given for reposting my work, copying it or parts of it, and claiming it as your own.  

| chapter 1 |

You remembered the day you got your first kart, you had been racing for 2 years on a rental because that was all your family could afford. Your father had been working his ass off every day since they took you to your first Grand Prix out in Miami. From the day you were born, everyone knew you’d be a racecar driver, but they always thought it would be for NASCAR, the thought of formula 1 never crossed their mind. You didn’t blame them for that, it made sense, how in the world would a woman raised by a middle-class family in Alabama ever step foot on a Formula 1 track? Growing up that’s all you heard as you went from karting to Formula 3, then 2, and now 1.

Now you sat in a conference room in Silverstone as the engineers went over the new car for this season. When you were announced to race beside Sebastian Vettel for Aston Martin in 2022 there was a lot of commotion, you never have been able to comprehend the amount of support you had, of course, that was hard when the people who had something bad to say spoke the loudest. Most of the drivers were thrilled, they had raced against you in the European circuit, I mean you practically lived with George’s family most summers after meeting his family at the first Grand Prix in Austin. But some people had a lot to say, and by some people, you meant Christian Horner and Max Verstappen. The first thing you heard was from Christian himself speaking in an interview about how you would barely survive in this climate.

In his own words, he said, “you know I hate to say it, but the only reason a woman should be on the paddock is if she’s an engineer or someone that works for social media.” 

And Max was quick to agree saying, “at least right now the biggest threat to my championship is a man, I’ve seen a lot of articles and things saying I have a new obstacle to overcome next year. I’m sure she’s a great driver, but maybe she should go race for NASCAR?”

Of course, they both had a smile on their face and a joking tone of voice, but you knew that was all for show, you knew they meant what they said and they weren’t joking about it. You took their dismissive behavior as fear, what Max had seen was right. There were hundreds of articles from people who had watched your pre-formula 1 race days, seen your trophies, your achievements, and your improvements through the years. You are a threat and no one was going to tell you differently, especially not a man.

 But here you were, the doubts running through your mind while the engineers went very in-depth about aerodynamics. The only thing that brought you back to your senses was Sebastian, shooting you a concerned look. When he realized he had gotten your attention he mouthed the words, ‘are you okay?’ to which you responded by giving him a nod and a smile before turning your attention back to the presentation. You were sitting there probably for another hour before the presentation was over, you stood and collected your things as Sebastian walked over to you.

Glancing over at him as he approached, you spoke, “I must’ve had a worried look on my face or something, you looked concerned.”

“I could tell you were in your head, I just wanted to check on you.”

“That’s nice of you, just had a moment of doubt, that’s all,” you gave him another smile.

He nodded in understanding, “I don’t blame you, when I was starting out I felt like I needed to prove myself to everyone too and I wasn’t even a minority in the sport.”

“Wow, thanks, that makes me feel better,” you laughed and started to walk out of the conference room.

He followed you, “I wasn’t done. Anyway, I was going to tell you that once you sit in that car and you’re locked in you’re driving for you. Of course, you’re driving for the team and fans and everything else, but if you win no one is going to be happier than you. If you aren’t in the points, no one is going to be more disappointed than you, so try not to stress about the pressure.”

You looked over at him, “wow, you should be a motivational speaker.”

“I try my best,” he smiled, “anyway, what are your plans for the rest of the day?”

“Well I wanted to go home and rest, but Lando found out about some cool bar he hadn’t heard of and now he and George won’t leave me be about going,” you rolled your eyes.

“That sounds fun, don’t party too hard.”

“Something tells me I’m going to be the designated driver, but George’s meetings wrapped up an hour ago and he won’t stop bothering me to pick him up so we can meet Lando in London, so sadly I’ve got to rush out of here. See you on Monday for test drives!” And with one last smile, you rushed out of the building and to your car.

You had planned on staying with the boys for the weekend since Lando lived in Surrey so you had already packed a bag and thrown it in your car. You drove to George’s home in Milton Keynes and after about 25 minutes you were there. Of course, even though he was trying to rush you he wasn’t even ready yet. You sat on his bed, drinking some wine you had found in the fridge while he dug through his closet.

He walked out and held up some lowkey ugly shirt, “what about this one?”

You raised an eyebrow, “well I tell you what, you aren’t going to get laid in that.”

He rolled his eyes, “I’m not trying to get laid.”

“Oh right, the girlfriend, forgot about her.”

“You did not, but I’ll pick something else.”

He was right, you didn’t forget, but that didn’t change the fact you didn’t like her. She was sweet of course, on the outside, but she constantly treated you like an enemy. You tried your best to be nice to her, but every now and then she’d make a backhanded comment and Lando would give you the look that meant ‘keep your mouth shut.’ You knew he didn’t like her either, she was always there and it “severely interrupted the bromance” according to Lando.

George came back out, “what about this one?” He held up a different shirt and you nodded.

“Yeah that’s good, can we go now?”

“You’re being impatient,” he huffed

You dramatically gasped, “says you, you’ve been bitching all day for me to hurry up, and you’re not even ready.”

“Just give me a sec,” he went into the bathroom to pack up the rest of his stuff.

After a few minutes he walked back out with a duffle bag, you looked at him, “you ready?”

He nodded and you set your glass down, he stopped in his tracks, “you’re taking that to the kitchen and putting it in the sink.”

“Fine, fine,” you laughed and picked it back up, following him into the kitchen to put your glass in the sink.

You both walked out and he put his bag in the trunk while you started the car. When he got in you began to drive, it was about an hour and a half of talking and blasting music. The second you parked your car George was out of it, going up to Lando’s house.

You watched the two of them hug when Lando opened the door, you got out of the car and smiled, “they’re so dumb.”

“Hey mate!” You heard a new, yet familiar voice, and when you looked up you saw the one and only Danny Ric.

You walked to the back of the car to open the trunk. You hadn’t truly met Daniel, it was your first season and you never got any offers from McClaren of course so you never were in their garage last year. 

Going to grab your bags, you were quickly interrupted, “let me get those.”

You looked over to see Daniel’s smile, “oh, yeah if you want, the big one is a little heavy.”

“It’s fine, I don’t think we’ve formally met,” he spoke as he grabbed your bags.

You laughed a little, “no, we haven’t, I’m Laken.”

He looked over and smiled, “Daniel.”

“Hey, Danny, why don’t you grab my stuff too.”

“You can get your shit yourself George,” he laughed and walked to the house.

You followed him in, the two other boys giving you a look, you flipped them off before walking through the front door.

“I think Lando said you’re staying back here,” Daniel spoke while he walked down a hall and into a room.

“Perfect, you can just put my bags on my bed, thank you,” you smiled as he set them down.

He shrugged, “it’s nothing, a lady shouldn’t have to carry her bags if she can avoid it.”

“Completely agree,” you laughed, “so, you want a tip?”

“Maybe next time, I’ll let you unpack.” He gave you a smile before walking out.

You sat on the bed, letting out a sigh. It would’ve been nice to know he was here, of course the boys never knew you thought Daniel was cute. You’d be crazy to because they would never drop it, and you were sure Danny would’ve found within the hour. You didn’t look bad, so you had that going for you, but you didn’t bring any of your cute lounge clothes for the weekend, just your baggy sweatpants and sweatshirts. You could work with it though you were sure, at least you had a hot outfit for him to see that night. 

You quickly shook the thought from your head, mumbling as you moved to unpack your clothes, “idiot he’s 32, he doesn’t want some 20 year old.”

George walked in and you looked up, “you talking to someone?”

“No, just mumbling some bullshit to myself.”

“I believe that,” he sat down next to you, “Lando decided that were going to go out tomorrow night since we both drove today.”

“We both drove? I remember driving while you sang one direction songs,” you had a smug look on your face.

“Would you shut up, that information stays in the car.”

You shrugged as you got up to hang up some of your clothes, “I’ll think about it.”

He watched as you pulled out your outfits, “damn, you’re wearing that to the club?”

You nodded, “I borrowed it from Emily.”

“And what does she wear that to? Bed?”

You shot him a look, “no, she wears it to the frats.”

“Laken, that's literally lingerie.”

“Yeah, I know,” you hung up the body suit in the closet.

He laughed, “I think I should call Emily.”

“She’d probably tell you to shut the hell up,” you laughed as Lando walked in.

“What’s funny?” He looked at the both of you, although George wasn’t laughing.

“Laken is dressing like a victoria secret model to the club tomorrow.”

“I am not!” You defended yourself while they both looked at you like you were crazy.

“Show him then.”

You rolled your eyes and pulled it back out of the closet and held it up. Lando looked at it for a second, “You’re being dramatic George.”

“I am not. We’re going to have to keep her away from creeps all night.”

“George it’s not even black or red, its brown.”

“Exactly Lando, thank you. And I’m wearing a matching satin button up over it,” you pulled the top out of your suitcase.

“This is bullshit, I say we ask Daniel his opinion.”

“How about no,” you moved to hang it back up while the boys called for Daniel. Daniel walked in and you sighed, “guys its not that big of a deal.”

“What?” Danny looked at the three of you and then at the top you were holding, “who’s that for?”

“It’s for the club,” George huffed, crossing his arms.

“You’re acting like her father George,” Lando pointed out while Daniel continued to look at the top.

George huffed, “Daniel literally asked who she was going to wear that for and you’re saying I’m being dramatic.”

“I think she should wear it.”

“You’re supposed to agree with me Danny,” the tall overly protective man sighed.

“Well if she wants to wear it she should, if we have to keep creeps away then that’s what we’ll do.”

“Thank you, now can I finish unpacking without the audience please?” You gave a half smile and began to shoo them out, closing the door when they were finally out.

George was practically your older brother so you weren't too shocked by his reaction. In fact, half the reason you took the shirt from Emily was just to annoy him, and clearly you were successful. You continued to unpack, humming as you hung up your clothes. It was crazy to believe this was your life, you raced million dollar cars for million dollar companies, you were on tv at least once everyday for half of the week. The girls you grew up with were back at home, going to school at Bama, joining sororities, going to parties, and taking exams. You knew you would never be able to do that, sit in a lecture hall as someone goes on and on about chemistry. That was your hell, and you weren’t going to live it. That’s why you put as much work in as you could, you wanted to get in the top 20 before Arthur, Logan, or any of those other boys. And you couldn’t believe it, you were living your dream.

When you finished you walked out of your room and into the living. The boys all sat on the couch, they must’ve ordered a pizza because one was sitting on the coffee table. You walked over, grabbing a blanket from some decorative basket and squeezing your way in between Daniel and George. The boys were playing some video game you could care less about, arguing with each other about some random shit.

You wrapped yourself up and let out a yawn, “I’m going to let you 3 play whatever the hell this is, and I’m going to take a nap. When I wake up I expect there to still be pizza.”

“You shouldn’t, if you want some eat it now,” Lando spoke, not looking away from the tv.

“Save me a piece George,” you grumbled and wrapped yourself up in the blanket, letting your head fall to rest on George’s shoulder. He was warm like always, and his familiar scent filled your nostrils. He smells like Bourbon and Vanilla, a strange combination, but very comforting. You closed your eyes, listening to their mumbling about their game as you slowly drifted off.

After what you assumed was awhile, you were awoken to a familiar female voice. You were surrounded by a lot more warmth you realized and the previous scent that had lulled you to sleep was different, the smell now was more like cedarwood and honey. When you finally opened your eyes, you saw Lando across the room in a chair asleep, his head laid all the way back, his hand twitching. George was also in his own chair on the other side of the room, holding your phone in his hands, the voice that you heard was your mothers. You sat up immediatly, opening your mouth to say something when you felt someone move under you. When you looked down you saw Daniel, who was wrapped up in the blanket with you while he snored quietly. You felt your face get pink, you were unsure how you ended up there but you sure as hell weren’t getting up.

As you laid back down, resting your head on Daniel’s chest, you spoke quietly to George, “can I speak to my mother please?”

He looked over at you as you reached out for your phone, “yeah.” George got up and walked over to you, handing you your phone, before walking out of the room.

You looked at your phone, your mother on facetime, “hi mom!” You whispered with excitement, your mother smiling back at you.

“Hey! Where are you?”

“On Lando’s couch with danny,” you held the phone up to show you and the snoring Australian, you quickly brought it back to just so your face, whispering extra quietly so only your mom could hear, “isn’t he so cute?” Your comment was met by a nod and a thumbs up from your mother.

She changed the topic since she knew the boys were there, “how was your first day?”

“Oh it was amazing, I’m sure you would’ve found it boring though. We talked about aerodynamics and stuff, Luca talked to me personally about how to get the most out of this car.”

She nodded, “who’s Luca again?”

“Head of engineering,” you informed her.

“Oh yeah, and how’s Seb?”

“He’s great, I really got lucky to get chosen to be his teammate, I think he’ll make me a lot better.”

Your mom smiled, “well I already think you’re amazing.”

“Thanks, mom, but I can definitely improve a lot.”

“I’m sure you can. Anyway, I have someone here who really wants to talk to you.” She spoke before handing the phone off to none other than Emily.

“Oh my god, hi!” You grinned as she waved at you.

“How are you doing? I miss you so much already.”

“I’m doing great, I miss you too, you need to come up and visit me soon.”

She laughed, “Or you could come down here miss moneybags, bring the boys with you.”

“Absolutely not, you’re going to try and steal their love from me, well all except George,” you laughed and she raised an eyebrow.

“How come?”

“He’s mad about the top you let me borrow.” You laughed and she was quick to laugh with you as George walked back into the room.

“Is that Emily?” He asked and before you could answer he grabbed your phone out of your hand and handed you a slice of heated-up pizza on a plate.

“Hey! I was trying to talk to her.” You practically yelled causing Daniel to stir underneath you, you looked down and whispered, “sorry.”

George’s lecture began, “I understand you let Laken borrow lingerie that you consider appropriate for public outings.”

“George, come on,” you sat back up as Daniel opened his eyes.

You heard Emily laugh, “George come on, it's cute, I know it's cute, you know it’s cute, we all know it's cute.”

“I don’t think it's cute,” George pointed out.

“Yeah mate, 'cause it’s hot,” Lando said out of nowhere, shocking the lot of you cause he was just snoring. 

Daniel started laughing and you smiled, “thanks lando”

“Anytime,” he gave you a thumbs up. George had no words, just a frown on his face, you got off Daniel and walked over to him, taking your phone and messing up his hair.

“I’m going to go talk to Emily in my room.” You walked out, listening to the boys continue to tease George. After talking to Emily you ended up falling asleep pretty early, you had a busy day and the bed was wayyy too comfy.

The next morning you awoke to the sun filling the room since you were too lazy to close the curtains the night before. You let out a yawn, stretching before you even had the chance to let your eyes get used to the light George climbed into bed with you.

“Um.. good morning?”

“Carmen and I got in a fight last night, I haven’t been able to sleep,” he sighed as he laid his head back.

“George, you could’ve come to wake me up,” you looked over at him and he shook his head.

“No, you would’ve been annoyed and not have gone back to sleep.”

“Well, what did you fight about?”

“You.”

You sat up, “me? Why me?”

“She didn’t want me to go to the club in the first place and now she knows you’re here with me she wants me to come home.”

“Oh please, thats just bull shit.” You rolled your eyes and he nodded.

“Yeah I know, i’ve stayed up wondering if I should go or not.”

You immediately shook your head, “you’re not going anywhere, we were invited and I’m not driving you back.”

“I figured,” he sighed and closed his eyes.

“You didn’t say anything about the top I’m wearing tomorrow did you?”

“Briefly, why?” He looked at you, confused.

You put your hand to your forehead, “you’re an idiot.”

“How am I an idiot?” He sat up, looking a little worried.

“Well, now she thinks you care about how I look in front of other guys,” you pointed out, wondering how he could be so stupid.

“I do,” he furrowed his brow.

You nodded, “I’m aware, but you do it to keep me safe, she thinks you’re doing it so you can keep me for yourself.”

“Oh… well that’s fucking stupid.”

“Don’t tell her that, now go call her.” You shooed him away and he grabbed his phone and walked out of the room.

That woman drove you crazy, she was so insecure for no reason, they’ve been together for two years and she was gorgeous. He wasn’t going anywhere and she needed to figure that out. Now, of course, you knew she wouldn’t, she’d been like this for two years and she wasn’t changing anytime soon. 

You looked up to see Lando peeking into your room, he was quick to ask, “what are you all worked up about?”

“I miss Seychelle, she was so much better than Carmen.”

“Ugh, yeah me too, I tell Nyck every time I see him,” Lando immediately agreed with you.

You raised your eyebrow, “you see him pretty frequently, that’s a little creepy.”

“I was being dramatic, but yeah she was better than Carmen.”

“Where’s Daniel?” You looked at him.

“Why?”

“Well, he’s the only one who hasn’t barged in here.”

“I think he’s working out or something.” Lando shrugged and you nodded.

You all had a really lazy day, george and carmen had made up, but you knew he was still going to get shitfaced because of it. Daniel was already there though, he had started drinking around 4. It was now 8 and you were doing your makeup while Daniel laid on your bed, his bourbon on your bedside table. He wore a party shirt and some jeans, poorly singing some song you’ve never heard at the top of his lungs. You couldn’t help but laugh as you put your lashes on.

He looked over at you and laughed as well, “what’s so funny?”

You turned to look at him, “you’re the one laughing so you tell me.”

“Laken, hurry up!” You heard George yell from down the hall, followed by Lando’s laugh.

“Close your eyes, Daniel, I have to change,” you looked at him.

“You’re going to have to make me,” he laughed and you grabbed your hoodie off the seat and threw it on his face, quickly changing into your jeans and top. He took the hoodie off of his face as you put the satin shirt over the bodysuit. He sat up when you sat down next to him to put your shoes on.

You looked over at him, “don’t let any weird men come near me please.”

“Of course, George and I can scare them away.”

“What about Lando,” you looked at him.

He laughed, “Lando is too short to be threatening.”

“Guys! Let’s go!”

“We’re coming!” You yelled back, tonight was going to be interesting.

next chapter >>

tag list:

@penwieldingdreamer @pint-size-k @idkiwantchocolatee​ @thybulleric​

@controsnes @inchidentwithmax​ @scotlynaurora

[chervbs]

hold on tight — s. harrington

pairings: platonic!steve harrington x gn!reader

word count: 1.7k

synopsis: steve finds out that you’ve been asked out on a date and you realize he’s the big brother you never had, but always needed.

warnings: overprotective big brother steve aka nothing romantic in this one! reader wears makeup but their gender is never specified, reader also has a romantic interest whose gender is not specified (no explicitly stated sexuality), reader was a hawkins lab experiment like el, mostly just platonic fluff <3

a/n: I love love love platonic fics and there’s very little i’ve found for ST so if you know of any send them my way! I also adore big brother/parent steve and I hope I did him at least a little bit of justice. gif isn’t mine.

“You’re going on a what?”

You made eye contact with both Eleven and Max, the three of you simultaneously rolling your eyes.

The gang had all gathered at Steve’s for one last hurrah before the summer ended. Robin, Nancy and Eddie had finally graduated, a feat thought near impossible after the defeat of Vecna. But everyone had survived and had been relishing in the last three months of summer.

While the kids were preparing to start their sophomore year, you were prepping for your senior year.

You had escaped Hawkins Lab by Elevens side back in 1983, and had helped defeat the monsters of the Upside Down with your friends. Being a few years older than the kids had put you at a disadvantage when it came to the friendships that started as alliances, but your powers were much more developed than your younger sister.

“A date, Steve.” You replied calmly, somewhat expecting this type of reaction from him.

The man in question sputtered like you’d said the most atrocious sentence he’d ever heard. “With who? Who asked you on a date?”

The way he asks puts an emphasis on the wrong side of the question. This catches Max’s attention, the red head answering before you could. “And why do you say it like that, Steve? You think it’s so impossible that someone would wanna go on a date with our lovely friend?”

You know, and you know Max knows, that he didn’t mean it like that. But the red that tints his cheeks and the panic that sets into his eyes is just too funny.

“W-what? Of course not, I just meant-“ His eyes find her mischievous smirk and they narrow at her, focusing his attention solely on you. “I didn’t mean it like that. Now–who asked you out?”

His stern expression and the hands on his hips remind you of Hopper. The man you considered your father had yet to find out about this date, but you can imagine he’ll have a similar, albeit slightly more violent, reaction.

You roll your eyes again. Steve snaps his fingers, index finger pointing angrily at your face. “Hey, don’t roll your eyes at me. I just need to know who it is. For safety reasons.” He gives a one shouldered shrug, as if that would help in getting you to believe him.

A sigh escapes your lips. “If you must know, it’s a kid that was in my chemistry class last year and they work at the record store on main.”

“Lighten up, dingus!” Another voice calls. Robin emerges from the pool, taking the towel held out by Nancy and joining you by the pool chairs. “Y/N hasn’t shut up about this kid for weeks. Let ‘em have some fun.”

Ignoring your now flustered state at the girls words, Steve’s glare turns to the blonde. “You knew about this?”

You can’t help the groan that leaves your lips, head falling back in exasperation. “Steve!” You whine. “What is your problem?”

His arms maneuver to fold across his chest and he stares at you like you’ve offended him. “Well, excuse me for being concerned about you.” His tone is all sass, and if you were growing increasingly annoyed, you probably would’ve laughed. “How do we know his kid is trustworthy, huh? I don’t know if it’s slipped your mind, but we’ve literally been to hell, and I don’t know about you but I’m not willing to take any risks.”

“And I don’t know if it slipped your mind, but I have some very special abilities.” You remind him, mentally reveling in the way he’s pouting. “Even if his intentions weren’t good, I would know.”

You possessed a few telekinetic related powers just like El, but your main ability was foresight. You didn’t have visions and you couldn’t see years into the future, but you were able to know what would happen in the next minute. It allowed you to have impossibly fast reflexes and you usually knew what people were going to say before they did.

Steve struggled to come up with a rebuttal, and you sent him a knowing look. “Steve. I��ll be fine. I’ve known them for over a year now, and I really like them.”

When El had left with the Byers’ to California, you’d been able to stay in Hawkins and were residing in the Harrington household. Steve’s parents were gone ninety-nine percent of the time, and anytime they did pop back into town, you’d have a sleepover with Robin or Nancy.

Over the years, the former jock had become something of a brother to you. Like Dustin, you’d gravitated towards Steve, desperate to bond with an older role model that didn’t feel like a parent. He understood you better than Hopper but cared just as much. And after spending so much time taking care of Eleven and helping her grow into herself, it was nice to have someone be that person for you.

You could practically see the thoughts running through his head, and for a moment you feel almost bad about bringing up the topic around your friends rather than telling him in private.

It was a well known fact that he also saw you and the little sister he never got. Even after Hopper came back and the Byers moved back to Hawkins to live as one, big, happy family, you stayed with Steve. Of course you had a room there, but you assured hopper and Joyce that you were perfecting content with your living situation.

Hopper had been a little suspicious at the start that your “brother/sister” relationship with Steve was some kind of cover up. But he was quick to learn that that wasn’t the case.

You knew Steve was just being over protective. The two of you shared a bond that was different than even the one he had with Dustin. He wanted to keep you safe at all costs, and you couldn’t fault him for it.

Finally, under the pressuring stares of all of your friends, Steve sighed in defeat. “Fine. I guess, you can go on your date. But be careful. Please.”

A triumphant grin with a hint of fondness grew on your face. “I wasn’t looking for your permission, Stevie. But I’m glad I have your support.”

The smug grin was quickly wiped off your face, a squeal escaping your lips when he lunged for you, your body flying through the air and into the pool before you could blink.

-

“And…all done.” Nancy smiled in satisfaction, swiping the last little bit of lip gloss across your bottom lip. You looked over at the Max, El, and Robin nervously.

“How do I look?” All you received were bright smiles and gestures to look towards the mirror.

You braced yourself before twisting at the waist. The person staring back at you was almost unrecognizable. The makeup, the hair, the clothes were all foreign concepts to you, which is why you had the girls here to help you get ready. Without them you would have had no idea where to start, and you really wanted to impress your date.

When as much as expressed to your friends, they were quick to assure your that you’d look amazing wearing a trash bag, and if your date didn’t think so then they weren’t the one for you.

But they knew, and you knew that deep down, it was also partially for you. For the little kid that never got to experience these kinds of things growing up and who for once in your crazy life, just wanted to feel normal. Steve also knew this, he had to have, or else your not sure how he’s been able to behave this entire time.

You could hear him pacing downstairs and you almost rolled your eyes at his dramatics. He was just worried, you knew that, so you let him be.

Until the doorbell rang, and your abilities informed you of what could happen next. “Don’t your open that door, Steven!” You shot up from the vanity and launched yourself out of the bedroom, the girls hot on your heels as you ran downstairs.

Steve was inches from the door before an invisible force stopped him in his tracks. You looked back and found El with her hand outstretched and holding back a grin.

Sending her a silent thank you, you looked back at Steve, who was glaring back at the group of you. “Real funny.”

“Sorry, Harrington, we can’t have you scaring off the poor kid before the first date.” Max remarked, leaning against Eleven’s shoulder.

Nancy spun you by your shoulders, smoothing out and wrinkles in your clothes and any flyaway hairs that escaped in your haste to beat Steve to the door. “Okay, you’re all set.” She beamed. “Don’t be nervous, you’ll be fine.“ She assured, seeing the hesitance in your eyes.

You took a deep breath, facing the door and Steve, still stuck in his spot. “At ease, El.” You joked. She got the hint and freed Steve from his confinement, the man stumbling slightly.

Steve didn’t reach for the door again, only stared at you with a mixture of concern and acceptance. Without a word, he pulled you into him, embracing you with the hope that it expressed everything he wasn’t able to say. “Be careful, okay?” He mumbled.

You squeezed your arms around his torso. “I will.”

Robin handed you your purse that the girls had packed with all your essentials. A compact mirror, a travel sized makeup kit for touch ups, tissues and some pepper stray, just for safety. Not that you’d need it, but it helped put everyone’s mind at ease.

The group watched you pause in front of the door before you pulled it open. They only caught a glimpse of your date before it closed behind you. As soon as it shut, they were all pressed up against the window. You were already beaming at your date, tucking a hair shyly behind your ear when they opened the passenger side door for you.

Robin rested her head on Steve’s shoulder. “They grow up so fast, don’t they?”

She was joking, but Steve nodded. “Yeah. They do.”

And if Steve saw the quick kiss you shared while waiting for you to get home safely, he’d wait till the morning to tease you about it.

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[brunchable]

The Hollow Vows: The Haughty Prince || Royalty!Stephen x Royalty!Reader

Word count: 7K

Genre: Period Drama, Angst, Royalty AU.

Warning: Mild Violence.

A/N: Story has no set/final plot, I'm just going with the flow. Thank you to all the read my stories. I love reading your thoughts so let me know what you want to see next.

PS. NOT PROOF READ <3

Stephen stormed out of your study in an enraged state and gave the maids instructions to clean up the mess he had made. He didn't know what he was meant to do at this point. Where can he even begin with explaining this to his father? The fact that you were carrying his kid prior to your marriage would infuriate his parents, and this would be exacerbated after he’d been caught committing a serious transgression. He had no choice but to keep this information to himself for the time being, at least until he figured out what to do.

He isn't looking forward to the punishments his father may come up with this time. Revoking him of the crown? What does that even mean? He was the only heir to the throne apart from the child you are secretly carrying. Getting lost in thought about this makes him want to throw objects around again.

“Your Highness!” Before quickly rushing up the stairs to tell Stephen something, Asha yelled down to Stephen from the landing of the stairs to get his attention. She then said, “Pardon me for being in your way but the Princess is gone.”

"If the Princess does not want to be found then let her." 

"But, your highness, she is destined to be your bride! Have you not the slightest bit of concern?"As she pleaded with Stephen, Asha advanced a few more feet up the stairs. She was aware that you were carrying his heir, but she was unaware that he was also aware of this fact.

"She wants nothing more than to erase my image from her memory because she is repulsed by me. I will not impose my presence on her if she doesn't want it." 

Asha wrinkled her brows since she found his statements to be incredibly comical, and the fact that he could be so harsh made her feel quite frustrated. "Does Lady Christine have your exception, sire?" 

"Watch what comes out of your mouth, woman!" Stephen inched closer to Asha, but the lady did not give any indication that she was frightened of him. It is plain to see that she has picked up on the attitude that you exude, Stephen thought.

“I don't wish to offend you, your highness, but as the First Lady of the Bedchambers, it is my responsibility to take care of the Princess. Neglecting to carry out my responsibilities would amount to disobeying royal orders.” She runs the possibility of being suspended for speaking to the Crown Prince in such a manner; yet, ensuring your safety was her first concern, therefore she did not budge from her position.

Stephen’s eyes furrowed, “Find my men and have them report to me at the stables—and you will not inform my father, do you understand?” He sternly emphasised that his father was to be kept in the dark and Asha nodded, “Go.” 

Stephen sprinted into the stables, finding his childhood friend and Commander, already in the stables. 

"My Prince, the Princess ran away with Max." Commander Ben Barnes reported to Stephen as he skidded inside.

In an instant he knew that you had ventured out into the woods again—you did it every time he had upset you or wanted to get away from the Palace and you have given him a great deal of pain for having skills that most women in this Kingdom didn’t have the privilege of. You had a strong will and presented a challenge for someone who wants to be in control of everything, much like him. It was a facet of you that he had not yet come to terms with, and he despises the fact that his father believes Eltham needs a future Queen much like you. To Stephen, it simply meant that his father had little trust in him and was eager to relinquish control of the Kingdom to your father's Empire; this was how the historical events usually turned out, based on the books.

Stephen did not waste any time and sped out of the stables with his white steed, his commander screaming out to him for leaving them behind and ordering the knights to get aboard their horses so that they could pursue the Prince. Stephen glanced behind him to see the royal knights closing in.

“Split up into two groups of three, one going east and the other west. Scour the forest for the Princess! Return to the palace before sun down. Commander, you’re with me.” Stephen instructed his men and with their horses they went in the direction appointed to them. 

Both of the men rode their horses into the forest up until the point when they reached the boundary between Eivengard and Eltham, but they could not find any indication of you. Stephen was able to hear his heart thumping in his chest as the sky gave indications that sunset was getting closer. If they didn't turn around soon, they wouldn't have any other option but to go back without you.

"Princess (Y/N)!" Commander Benjamin Barnes yelled deep into the forest, and the sound of his voice reverberated off the trees.

"I was under the impression that we had very tight security; it baffles me how she was able to flee with my horse." Stephen gave his cousin a careful examination of his face before asking, "Were you distracted by Lady Asha?"

"Let's concentrate on locating the Princess," Ben sidestepped addressing Stephen's question by galloping ahead of Stephen on his horse and said, "The sun is about to set soon—"

"Shh. Do you hear that?" After Stephen lowered his voice, it was easier to make out the voices of others who were conversing in the background. Both of the men exchanged glances with one another before dismounting their horses and proceeding on foot to conduct an investigation on foot.

They planned their movements carefully, taking care that not even the sound of a branch breaking under their feet could be heard. Ben was yanked by Stephen and forced to take cover behind a tree before Stephen looked at what seemed to be a camp just over the relatively small cliff.

Ben felt a two, three taps on the side of his arm from Stephen, who then said, "Do you by any chance have binoculars?" 

"No, we left in a hurry, need I remind you?"

Stephen scrunched up his eyes as if doing so would enable him to have a better view of the unusual gathering of individuals near the border. Tom exited his tent as men in uniforms knelt before him in preparation to address him. Stpehen observed as they did this. Stephen wrinkled his brow and believed the guy was of great rank; nonetheless, he could not understand why they were camped so near to another kingdom without first announcing their presence.

Tom glanced about while waving his hand in the air to manipulate the environment to give the illusion of concealment around the camp, and before Stephen's eyes, the camp disappeared, leaving him perplexed and doubting himself.

"What is it?" Ben whispered, "I don't see anything." 

"What do you mean? They were right over the—"

"What the hell are you two up to?" You came to Stephen and the Commander resting against a tree and staring intently at something that was outside the scope of your vision. Both of them jumped and drew their swords, but as soon as they spotted you, a wave of relief came over them.

"Your Highness," Ben bowed to you, "We were searching for you, we're glad you're safe." 

You glanced at Stephen who was looking unimpressed, as usual, "Well, didn't you both fail successfully." 

Ben chuckled and nodded in agreement.

"Commander, tell the Princess that she needs to come back with us to the palace, now." Stephen demanded as he walked past you towards his horse. 

"I–" Ben paused and looked at you, "His Royal Highness asks if you could follow us back to the palace, it's getting dark." 

Your gaze follows Stephen with a petty glare, "Sir Barnes, tell him that I said, only because you," You pointed at the Commander, "asked me nicely."

Ben mounted his horse and turned to Stephen, "The Princess says that she will be joining us only because I asked nicely."

Stephen scoffed and then the three of you started your trek back, with Ben being caught in the centre of the three of you. You encouraged Max to move a bit faster, and at that moment, Stephen made another attempt to speak.

"Commander Barnes, tell the Princess that we will be riding slowly so as to not endanger something precious she is carrying." 

"Princess, the Prince demands that we ride our horses slowly." Ben relayed the message with a flat tone. Although Stephen was correct, you rolled your eyes as you yanked on Max's reins to get him to slow down.

"Also tell her that what she did was dangerous and impulsive and that she needs to stop thinking selfishly." Stephen continued after you gave no response.

You guffawed while simultaneously throwing your head back. He isn't very good at knowing when to throw in the towel, does he? You've warned him to keep away from you, which is why you're giving him the silent treatment, yet he still talks to you.

“Princess, he said that you have gotten him extremely worried to the point he was sick to his stomach.” Ben changed Stephen’s words with a bit of exaggeration. 

“That is not what I said—”

“Same thing.” Ben snapped at Stephen before secretly smirking to himself. 

“Commander, tell him, I don’t want to hear anything from him, I don’t want to see him, and I don’t want anything to do with him.”

“She says she wants you to leave her alone.” Ben passed on and you nodded. 

“Tell her—”

“No!” Ben snapped again, “I’m done playing messenger, if you want to say something to each other, talk like normal people.” 

You, along with the other two, fell into an unpleasant silence, which the Commander had to suffer through until you arrived at the secure location of the Kingdom. Ben was aware of the events that had occurred over the previous few days, and he felt horrible for both you and Stephen at the same time. Stephen had eyes on Christine ever since the King appointed one of his loyal knights, her father, as Duke of Dremoor—he promised her marriage when he turned twenty-one but then he got betrothed to you.

You have finally returned to the stable, where Asha has been patiently waiting on your arrival. After seeing the comfort on her face brought on by the realisation that you were with the Prince and the Commander, you began to feel bad about slipping away from under her nose.

Ben got down from his horse and extended his hand to you in a friendly gesture "May I? Your Majesty?"

You turned to gaze at Asha before taking Ben's hand and allowing him to lower you to the ground by grabbing you around the waist and placing you gently before saying, "Thank you."

While the royal ostlers were putting the horses back in their respective places, Stephen rolled his eyes in a covert manner.

"Thank you Commander Barnes, Your Highness." Asha says as she approaches you. 

"It is my privilege." Ben greeted the girl with a kind grin. It must be lovely to have such a kind and compassionate partner like Commander Barnes, judging by the way their eyes light up when they gaze at each other.

"I dismiss you for tonight, Asha. Truly, I am fine, Keiko and Arcel shall take care of me," you insisted and the lady opened her mouth to say something but you cut her off, "That is an order by your Princess. I'll head back to my room." You glanced at both of them with a knowing smile before leaving the stables without a word to Stephen. 

The man's head followed you as you passed past and sneered at the fact that you were giving him the cold shoulder. The one thing that irritated him more than anything else was being ignored, so he did what he does best, which was defying your demand that he give you some space and not bother you anymore. Stephen screamed out your name many times, and as soon as you sensed his presence behind you, you sped up the pace immediately.

“(Y/N)! Surely after sneaking into the woods, your head would have cooled off by now.” also picking his pace, Stephen called after you. 

You had to press your nails into your palms to force yourself not to engage. Where exactly does he fail to grasp the concept that you just want to be left alone by him? How is it that he was only moments before refusing to communicate with you directly and is now pursuing you?

As he closed the distance between you two and grabbed hold of your wrist, he yelled after you in an even more vehement tone, "What do you want me to do?!!" 

When you turned back, you could see the desperation written all over his face. After being held back for such a long period of time, it was unnerving to see him break free, and there was something in the look in his eyes that made you question if he was scared as well. "I was unable to provide you with what you need. I have concealed secrets from you. Even if you had no idea what was wrong, you would have been able to sense that there wasn't enough of me.  I wish I could say I was sorry, that I wanted to be honest the whole time, but I didn’t. I never wanted to be honest. Is that what you want to hear?” 

"Oh what do you care!?" You barked, and he responded by tightening his hold on your wrists to the point where you felt as if your bones would break under any further strain.

"What do I care?" he exhaled, fury distorting the lines of his face. "What do I care?" But before he could go on, his head snapped to the door, then back to your face and then his lips were crushing into yours. His tongue pried your mouth open, forcing himself into you. You pushed and trashed, but he held firm and he stood his ground, laying claim to you by running his tongue over the roof of your mouth and up against your teeth. You were on the verge of giving in to him, but then a memory from yesterday came flooding back to you about that night.

“You cannot give me your heart, Stephen. I cannot have it in my conscience.” 

“Christine, please—”

“I wanted to meet you because I wanted to tell you that I have fallen in love with someone else, I’m sorry. I will no longer distract you from your purpose. If you must give away your heart, give it to the Princess. It is your obligation as future King. Please, please, forget me.”

“I could never forget you.”

You managed to get away from him this time by giving him a push that was sufficiently forceful and getting free of his grasp. A loud crack echoes as Stephen’s neck jerks to the side after you had slapped him across the cheek in the heat of the moment, the pins and needles lingering on your palm after delivering the passion of your pain through your hand. 

Stephen grabbed his cheek as he stared at your features, dumbfounded by the fact that he did not feel angry even though the area of his face on where you placed the slap went crimson. He was conscious of the fact that he had earned it.

“What I want is for you to give me space.” You said in a hushed voice before turning your back on him to go back to your bedroom.

▪︎ ▪︎ ▪︎

Two years ago

After indirectly putting out a threat upon his genitals, Stephen finally pushed you away from him. He stood up and straightened himself, “You’ve got some nerve to think I would ever touch you—even worse—sleep with you? I'd rather throw myself down a never-ending staircase.”

You scoffed as he gave you a demeaning look, you did not feel the slightest offended—it made you want to get under his skin, the little voice in your head commanding you to piss him off some more, “My, my. Your head is so far up your own ass, you could wear it as a hat.”

Don’t rise, you need to remain calm. He thought to himself his jaw clenched outwardly. “You will not disrespect me.”

You could not help but smile as you raised your head to have a better look at him. Then—incredibly—you rose to your toes and flicked him square on the nose. He staggered back, startled. His face flushed. You gave him an even bigger smile before walking backwards to sit on his bed, “I will do what I please, Prince.”

“You’re to be my wife.” Walking forward to you in two strides, he reached out to grab your arm, but stopped short of touching you. “That means you’ll obey me.”

“Does it?” You raised her brows, still grinning. “I take it that this implies you’ll honour and protect me, then? If we’re strictly adhering to the stale, outdated roles of your patriarchy?” 

“Yes.”

You clapped your hands together. “Excellent. At least you can provide me entertainment. I have many enemies.”

He couldn’t help it. He glanced at the lightened scar above your eyebrow. Another across your throat. It still peeked below the black ribbon, despite your attempt to hide it. Then Christine’s face rose into his mind. Unblemished and pure. He huffed through his nose, “Imagine that.”

“I wouldn’t, if I were you.” your tone was conversational. Light. As if you were discussing the weather with him, “You’ll have nightmares for weeks.”

Upon seeing the mental image of Christine, the truth of the situation dawned on him like a tonne of bricks and slammed into him like a freight train. In all honesty, he had his sights set on marrying her. It was clear that you were not Christine. You were the most antithetical to Christine that God could ever have conceived of creating. Christine has a kind demeanour and was polite to a fault. She would never have done anything to shame him, and she would never have put herself on display like that.

"In the orders of my Father, you are not to leave the walls of this palace until you have learnt how to act like an Eltham Princess." Stephen declared, manipulating the words that came out of his Father’s mouth.

You snapped. “You can’t keep me locked in this trou de merde.”

If you weren't so upset, you probably would have laughed at the look of shock and horror on his face, “Watch your mouth.” His own mouth tightened, and his nostrils flared. “You’re to be my wife—”

“Yes, you’ve mentioned that! Your wife. Not your slave, nor your property. I signed that stupid piece of paper to uphold my duty—”

“You cannot be trusted!” His voice rose over yours. “You’re audacious. You’re impulsive. God forbid you even open your mouth outside this room—”

“Shit! Bitch! Fu—”

“Stop it!” Blood rose up his throat, and his chest rose and fell heavily as he struggled to control his breathing, “God, woman! How can you speak so? Have you no shame?”

“You can’t keep me inside this place!” you seethed.

“You’ll do as you’re told.” The words were flat—final.

Like hell. You opened your mouth to tell him just that, but by that time he had rushed out of the room, slamming the door behind him with enough force to rattle your teeth.

You slid from the Prince's bed and searched his chambers for weapons. Blackmail. Something that can be used as a weapon. Anything. You opened the desk drawer and rummaged through the contents with all the respect your husband deserved. There wasn’t much to inspect: a couple of quills, a pot of ink, a faded old Bible, and . . . a thick leather book. When you picked it up, flicking eagerly through the pages covered with a foreign alphabet, Sanskrit. Can he read ancient texts? Several sheets fell to the floor with a flutter. Letters. You leant forwards, a grin growing slowly over your face.

Love letters.

▪︎ ▪︎ ▪︎ 

You were awakened by a swarm of ladies the next morning as they entered your bedroom and threw open the curtains. You blinked your tired eyes open and saw the ladies lined up at the foot of the bed, the daylight making you wince.

"Good morning, Princess. Allow me to introduce myself, I am Lady Alcina Lazarescu, I have been appointed by the King as your Mistress of the Robes," She curtsied before continuing, "You have met Lady Asha, she will be you First Lady in waiting, and our your junior Ladies in waiting, Keiko and Arcel."

It was clear that Lady Lazarescu was a member of the aristocracy since she wore a garment that was crafted from the most luxurious, heavy winter fabrics in rich and bright jewel tones of sapphire blues and emerald greens decorated with strong, shining gold ornaments. You received the impression that you were going to get on her nerves since she had the same aura that Stephen did.

"Pleasure to meet all of you… what time is it?" You asked while propping yourself up with your elbow.

"Six o'clock, your highness. We shall prepare you for the day, I will be teaching you the ways of Eltham, it is with great honour to be serving you." Lady Lazarescu and the three younger women bowed before you. You felt awkward, Xareanite Culture also curtsied but not to this extent, how many times do they need to show respect? 

"You may come back in one hour, I wish to sleep more." You laid back and pulled the blankets over your head. The ladies looked at each other in shock, apart from Asha who already knows a few things about you.

Lady Lazarescu chuckled softly, "Your Highness, I believe that isn't possible, breakfast is served in thirty minutes, we shall not make the King wait." 

You exhaled a long suffering sigh underneath the sheets and removed the blankets over your body as you slid out of bed releasing a big yawn without covering your mouth. Your laissez-faire demeanour causes Lady Lazarescu to bat an eyelid in disbelief, "Alright, undress and bathe me then."

The dress Lady Lazarescu picked for you was littered with a kaleidoscope of alluring metallic tints of deep coppers, shimmering silvers and hypnotic golds. The dress had a sewn cape, long-sleeved tulle wings with a slim-lined, flowy silhouette; it screamed restrained elegance. They braid your long hair in two sections before assembling it in a tight chignon bun.

"Ouch!" You seethed as Lady Lazarescu gouged your head with another hairpin.

"Do not touch!" she commanded, slapping your hands away as you reached to soothe the place she'd jabbed.

"Then don't stab me!"

Lady Lazarescu placed her hands on her hips and huffed, looking very much unimpressed, "A Princess should always maintain poise and learn to be patient. You must look perfect because you too, now represent the image of this Kingdom. Beauty is pain."

"Have you seen my scars? I am not perfect." You snapped back, you never cared for them before but ever since their stupid Prince pointed it out, you couldn't help but feel concious about them now. 

Alcina grabbed a hand mirror and gave it to you, you looked inside it, and so did she, "What scars?"

You looked closer into the mirror in shock when you couldn't see them anymore, "What have you done to them?" 

"I have concealed it with a cosmetic liquid, you’re welcome." She smiled proudly. Maybe she wasn’t so bad after-all?

▪︎ ▪︎ ▪︎

After breakfast, Lady Lazarescu would immediately start instructing you in the "Eltham ways," and then she would show you about the palace. She wouldn't allow you a chance to escape or even get out of her sight at this time. She would question you on the knowledge that she had just dumped on you, and you could fairly claim that you were beginning to get on her nerves every time you provided the incorrect answer on purpose because you were distracted or forgot.

“Dukes and viscounts sit nearest the king... unless there is a marquis present.” She said this as you were attempting to commit the seating arrangement to memory as you were seated on the side of the banquet hall.

“Wouldn't it be nice if people could just sit wherever they like?” You questioned with a shrug, because in Xareanite tradition, there was no such thing. However, the Queen, her sons and daughters, and anybody else who was related to the King sat closest to him.

“No. You must never seat a duke above a marquis or below a baron.” Lady Lazarescu answered as-a-matter-of-factly.

“Then where do I sit?” You questioned further.

“Beside your fiance of course! You must stay with him at all times during the banquet for he will be the one introducing you to everyone.” 

You grimaced at the thought.

“Princess (Y/N), you must also learn to control your facial expressions, especially at the dinner table.”

Ugh.

▪︎ ▪︎ ▪︎

“At the very least, one must learn to dance with poise and grace.” While you were moving about with two books on top of your head, Lady Lazarescu made a statement. Since Asha was the only one who was familiar with all of the dance steps, they had her take the lead throughout the dance.

“I'm trying,” You growled slowly, of all the activities she had you doing today, this was by far your least favourite, “I just need more practice.” 

“It must be perfect. It is the king's favourite dance—” She shook her folded fan as you whirled too quickly for her liking, “No, no, no, Your Highness. It must be slower and more formal. You must know how to do this dance with your eyes closed on the day of the banquet and announcement of your engagement.” 

“And how long do I have?” You asked, feeling quite frustrated that the beautiful older woman was rushing you to learn things.

“You have three days.” 

“Three days?!” the book fell from your head and you caught it with your fast reflexes, “I don’t think you see the problem here, Lady Lazarescu. Dancing isn’t my forte, it’s so boring! I was trained to be a fighter.”

Lady Lazarescu inhaled and slowly approached you, “You are a fish out of water, my dear. You’re going to have to evolve or else you won’t survive here.” 

“Well so will your Kingdom if I don’t marry your Prince—Excuse me.” You shoved the book against her chest and stormed out of the room. Asha made an attempt to follow you but the Lady stopped her.

“Let her. She’s going to come around sooner or later.”

You exhaled heavily as you made your way across the expansive grounds that were a part of the castle.

"How dare she? She can try going to Xarean, let's see if she survives." You angrily muttered to yourself, kicking a pebble that was in the path.

A big building made of glass was stretched out over a landscape with undulating hills. You'd never experienced anything even somewhat like it; even your previous holiday manor couldn't compare in any way to it. It was veiled in roses and ivy, with patios and balconies and staircases sprouting from its alabaster sides. 

The grounds were surrounded by trees, but the distance between them was so great that it was difficult to make out the far boundary of the forest. There was such a vibrant array of colours, as well as sunshine, motion, and different textures for your eyes to take in all at once. Painting it would be pointless and never do justice to the subject matter. It's possible that your astonishment tamed some of the bad feelings you were experiencing, upon seeing the dazzling display of purple irises, light snowdrops, and butter-yellow daffodils that swayed in the gentle air.

“Wow.” You decided to go for a little stroll, just to give your eyes more time to admire the gardens. Your mother would’ve loved it here. I need some painting equipment and paint this landscape for mother, maybe I can ask Asha later on. You thought.

After such a long day, the King had been kind enough to allow you permission to have your own quarters, and he made sure that you stayed in a chamber that provided you with both your own study and bathroom. The maids have relocated your stuff and organised them in a tidy manner for you. You were so relieved to get some time to yourself that you ran to the bed and leapt on it with a sigh of contentment. You then became aware of the telescope on your balcony, at which point you gave a little gasp to yourself and felt pressure behind both of your eyes. You weren't aware that Jamie had packed his telescope for you to bring with you, then you noticed that there was a tag that had a letter that was handwritten on it.

‘When you’re feeling lonely, just remember that we are under the same skies, I will be watching the moon and stars with you. – Your stupidly handsome older brother, James.’

You let out a laugh before wiping away the tears that had begun to collect in your eyes. You aimed the telescope towards the nighttime sky in order to see the moon. Jamie used to tell you that cheese originated from the moon when you were younger, and ever since then, you have avoided eating cheese out of fear that the moon would vanish if you don’t stop eating cheese. Jamie is the one who sparked your interest in astronomy; he has always wanted to be able to have a better look at the stars, and he is certain that humanity will one day be able to accomplish this goal in the really distant future.

You were fascinated by the idea of looking around the palace through the telescope, so out of curiosity you moved it around, and that's when you saw that your chamber was exactly across from Stephen's. You shift your attention swiftly to his bedroom. Thank the gods, it was empty. It's not like you normally sneak around and watch all of your neighbours. Just for a quick look. 

As the door to his room opens and shuts, a shadow attracts your attention and draws your attention to it. The entrance of Stephen may now be seen. You watch as he turns on each of the lights in his room one at a time. Then he sits on the edge of his bed and begins unlacing his boots. That was supposed to be your cue to bail. Only, you don’t. You watch him take off both boots and chuck them in the middle of his floor. Then he tugs up his top, untucking it from his trousers before unbuttoning it and shrugs it off. Now he’s bare-chested, wearing only black trousers.

You need to avert your gaze immediately lest you get a glimpse of something that you are not meant to. But holy mother of God, you didn’t expect him to have . . . build? It is in no way comparable to Henry's body, or anything. He looked too lean to be buff. But he flops on his bed, lying on his back, with his arms spread, and stares at the ceiling while you keep staring at him. And staring . . . as you were marvelling at the muscles that he covered from view beneath his uniform, you most certainly did not anticipate that his chest would be far broader. If only he didn’t have a rotten personality, he would’ve been perfect. When you sharpen the focus, you home in on a stack of muscles rippling down his stomach as he sits up again. 

And— you pan the telescope to his face. He’s looking towards your direction. Not in your general location, but RIGHT AT YOU.

Heart racing, you suddenly recoil from the telescope and lurch to the floor. Smooth move. Like he didn’t see you do that. If you had just kept a level head and shifted the telescope to the sky, you could have played it nonchalantly and pretended you weren't really spying on him. But now? Your shame runs deep and encompasses every aspect of your being. You lie on the floor, dying. You find yourself wishing you could rewind the previous few minutes.  Now that big head of his is going to think you’re into him—which you can’t have or could even deal with.

▪︎ ▪︎ ▪︎

The next morning, you were awoken by your ladies-in-waiting; they bathed you, dressed you and prepared you for the day. You requested that you wear something much more simple, something that felt light and after a few backchats with Lady Lazarescu, she finally obliged and she dressed you in a black dress, rendered dazzling by their mix of pleating and layering. Lady Lazarescu offered that you wear another necklace but you insisted on wearing the one that your mother gave you.

“The King has organised that you and the Prince spend time together during tea in the gardens, get to know each other, and then afterwards both of you will have your engagement portrait painted.” Lady Lazarescu informed you as she fixed your hair. 

You winced, “Will you please take it easy on the hair? One day I’ll wake up with a bald patch and you’ll be to blame.” 

“Oh stop whinging, Princess. I’m almost finished.” 

“Can I get a portrait painted one with the prince and one without him?” You asked, “I can pay for it.”

“Nonsense! The artist has been paid for and of course you can, a self-portrait of you will be a wonderful addiction in these walls—there done. You look beautiful. You’ll snatch the Prince’s heart in no time.” 

You snorted and Lady Lazarescu frowned, “What? He hates my guts because I’m not what the woman he expected.” 

“Time will tell.” 

▪︎ ▪︎ ▪︎

Asha and the girls escorted you in the garden where a high-tea has been prepared. Stephen wasn’t there yet and you were hoping he wouldn’t turn up. Not after he caught you with your telescope last night. You shove all of that into the back of your mind and slip on your polite dealing-with-the-palace people face. But the smile you were conjuring quickly faded when you saw who’s walking toward the tea table to join you. The Lord of Haughtiness himself, Stephen Strange of Eltham. Your first thoughts were, ‘What the hell? Doesn’t he have anything better to do? Like writing love letters to that Christine girl?’ Your second thoughts were, ‘OH GREAT HEAVENS, HE CAUGHT ME SPYING ON HIM IN HIS BEDROOM.’

“If there is a God up there, I beg you to give me the ability to travel through time so that I can turn back the hands of the clock and fully escape this nightmare of a situation.” You clasped your hands together and quietly prayed to yourself. YYou blink your eyes slowly in the vain hope that Stephen would be gone when you open them again, but no. He and his too-tall body— don’t you dare think about his bare chest—pulled out the chair and sat opposite of the tea table.

 “Hello,” he says. This nearly poses a question. You consider doing the same thing he did to you the other day—raising your chin without uttering a word—but then you immediately reassure yourself that you are much too classier for such a move.

“Good morning,” You say formally. No smile. He’s not worth the effort. His eyes dropped as he sat down. As though at a loss for words, he clenches his palm into a fist and taps the surface of the table a few times while taking a deep breath through his teeth. Or he does, but he really doesn’t want to say it.

“So . . . ,” he finally says. 

“So,” You also say. Is he avoiding my eyes? It feels as if he might throw his sword from where he sat and then leave you bleeding. Now you understand why people say you can cut tension with a knife.

Does he have nothing more to say? Does he intend to confront me? What should I do?!  “I wasn’t spying on you,” you blurt out defensively. 

“I was just making adjustments to my telescope. I didn’t know my brother packed it for me. So, I was checking it.” The expression on his face is starting to take on a more horrified tone. Or shock. Or he may consider you to be an idiot. What gives you such trouble reading him? And why is he being silent at this point?

“I didn’t even see much,” you insist. He nods slowly. “Anything, really,” you amend. “I was testing my telescope.” 

“You mentioned that,” he says, while staring at you through strained eyes. 

“Sorry. I mean, I don’t have anything to be sorry about, because I didn’t do anything.” 

“Right.” 

“It was an accident.” 

“Got it.” Your eyes flick to his arms. His sleeves were neatly rolled up, so now you’re staring at muscle. Look away! Look away! Too late. He caught you. Again. WHAT IS WRONG WITH ME? You screamed internally.

“So anyway,” he says, “I heard that you liked painting?” Stephen asks, setting down a box containing paint and brushes on the table as if nothing is amiss, “Consider it as a gift for our engagement.”

You swallowed thickly, the decent chats were making you uncomfortable because they felt forced and fake, “Thank you.” You shift the box towards you and try to recover what little pride you have left, “How did you know I like to paint?”

“Asha.” 

“Oh… okay.” 

Silence. . .

“Did you look through my desk the first night you arrived here?” He asked and your head snapped back up.

“Yeah. I was bored, you told me I can’t go anywhere—too bad I know some of your secrets now.” You cleared your throat, “Oh Christine, the moment I saw you, a part of me walked out of my body and wrapped itself around you. And there it still remains. I feel that it is only with you that I can do anything at all—”

Stephen bit his bottom lip, his ears turning red out of embarrassment, “That’s what you’re good at right? Prying over people’s business? Spymaster general.”

You took a deep inhale to calm yourself, “I already told you, that was a mistake.”

Stephen leaned forward, his eyes centimetres away from yours, “Was it?”

“Huge.”

“If you say so.”

“Enormous.”

“I’m flattered.” 

“I—” You scowled at him when he pulled a slow, cocky smile. You suddenly felt your ears burning up as well,and you quickly adjusted your hair in an effort to conceal the telltale redness. You wished for it to go away before the blood started to surge through your cheeks, “I shall take my leave. I lost my appetite.” 

“We still have a portrait to attend to you know, if father sees us entering separately he won’t be too happy.” Stephen leaned back to his chair and crossed his arms, feeling smug that he was the one that got under your skin this time.

“And I’m supposed to believe what you say? Your face looks very untrustworthy.” 

“He expects us to act like a couple in front of outsiders, so sit back down because there are a lot of people watching.” He conjured a fake smile while you gave him a dirty look and forced yourself to sit back down. Ugh this is going to be a long week.

▪︎ ▪︎ ▪︎

Eivengard Present Day

People who were left in Eivengard were gathered by the Yelenite army and surrounded them with weapons such as swords and arrows prepared to be drawn at any given common by their King, Baron.

“I did not make myself King, the Gods did.” He began, pointing up at the sky with his tinted black fingers, “King by divine right, now I have gathered all of you here today to let all of you know that your Monarchy has abandoned you.”

The people of Eivengard began talking amongst themselves after the Yelenite King broke the news, “Cardonia was once a continent in harmony and ever since the Xarean People discovered these lands a millenia ago, division came upon us, spilling unnecessary blood of Sorcerers, banning magic until we have forgotten what we truly are. . . The time has come, to take back what is ours, this is our land! Our Empire!” Baron’s voice grew harsher as at the end of his speech.

“Eltham, the home of our Eldritch magic users have betrayed us and made alliance with the enemy—”

“Magic? Why don’t you show us a party trick then?” An arrogant man in the crowd shouted out to Baron and the crowd laughed, causing the King to chuckle.

“I was once in your place, blinded from the truth, but of course. I’ll show you a party trick.” Baron created a ball of chaos energy with his hands and hurled it towards the man, disintegrating him in an instant. The audience fell quiet at the sight of the man turned into ashes before their eyes.

Baron elicited a deep wicked laugh that came from the diaphragm, he found it sincerely funny. He eased out of his cruel laughter and his smile dropped in an instant, “Does anyone else want to see a party trick?” He tilted his head and his eyes panned the courtyard filled with frightened people, “No? I didn’t think so.”

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[cicimunson]

Dungeons and Darlings Part 2

Chapter Summary: The next day, you learn that someone was murdered in Forest Hills Trailer Park. You're relieved when you discover Eddie is alive, but his explanation about what happened is hard to believe...

Characters: Eddie Munson x Female Reader, OC aunt of reader, Nancy Wheeler, Mike Wheeler, Dustin Henderson, Steve Harrington, Robin Buckley, Max Mayfield

Warnings: Depictions of violence and death

Part 1 3 4

The next day, you oversleep and don't roll out of bed until noon. You're slumped over the kitchen table sipping juice when your aunt sprints into the kitchen, looking worried.

"You couldn't answer the fucking phone, Y/N?"

You blink at her. "Huh? Were you expecting a call?'

She huffs impatiently. "No, you little dummy. I was the one calling. I got worried when you didn't pick up and came home on my lunch break to check on you."

"What? Why?" She's never checked in before. Hell, I could be dead in my room and it'd take her days to notice, and it would only be because of the smell.

"You haven't heard what's going on?"

"I just woke up, Auntie." You reply with faux sweetness.

"Y/N." She sits down beside you, clicking her long manicured fingers on the table, something she did when she was nervous. "I’m just gonna come out and say it. Sweetie, a kid from your school is dead. They were found in the Forest Hills Trailer Park."

Oh God no. It can't be.

"Do we know who it was?" You will yourself to stay calm.

"No, but you know Gabby, my receptionist? She lives over there. She said it was Wayne Munson's trailer where they found the body."

Blood rushes to your head and the room starts to spin. This is not happening. It's not. I'm dreaming or something.

"Y/N? Honey, I didn't mean to upset you. But Gabby said the police were saying this is a murder and I just got to thinking about you being home alone, and you know how worked up I get…" She continues blabbing while you struggle to hear her over the pounding in your ears.

I can't have another friend fucking die on me. I can't do it. Oh God, what the fuck happened, Eddie? What happened? Please, please be okay.

"Y/N, did you hear me? I said I want you to come to the salon with me. You shouldn't be by yourself today." Your aunt continues, taking a large gulp of your juice. You stare at her for a few moments, still trying to understand what she's saying.

Eddie. I gotta make sure it's not Eddie. "I gotta- I gotta go." You stand up quickly, almost knocking your chair over. "I'll call you."

Your aunt rises to her feet as well. "Where are you going? I just told you a killer could be on the loose!" You're already halfway out of the kitchen, heading for the front door. You fish your keys out of the bowl on the coffee table and slip on a pair of sandals, not bothering to change out of your pajamas.

"Y/N!" Your aunt calls from the stoop as you sprint down the front walk. "At least tell me where you're going!"

You act as if you don't hear her as you hurriedly start your car and speed out of the driveway, not bothering with a seatbelt. You make the fifteen minute drive to Forest Hills in half the time. The police are blocking the entrance but you slam the gear shift up into park and sprint from your car, running towards the small crowd standing in front of the trailer. An officer starts to approach you but someone waves them off.

"Y/N!" Nancy Wheeler calls out to you. "Are you okay?"

"Was it Eddie?" You stop in front of her and bend over, resting your palms on your thighs as you gasp for breath. "The dead kid, is it him?"

She shakes her head. "No, it's not Eddie. The police are looking for him though. Have you seen him?"

Not Eddie. She said it's not Eddie. Oh, thank God.

"Y/N?" Nancy touches your shoulder, a concerned look on her face. "I know you were at Hellfire last night, have you seen Eddie since then?"

Why is she talking like that? Her tone is almost accusing.

"If I had seen him, would I have run my ass off to get here and make sure he wasn't dead? Come on Wheeler, I thought you wanted to be a detective or investigator or something."

She bristles and scowls at you. "Investigative journalist."

"Well, Madam journalist, I haven't seen him. If I do, I'll let him know you wanna schedule an interview." She doesn't respond as you turn on your heel and head back to your car, mockingly saluting the cop you had managed to run past. "Officer."

"This is a closed off crime scene, miss. Let's not be causing any trouble. Return to your vehicle."

"Yup." Once you're in your car, you sit silently for a few seconds, then let out a sob of relief. He's not dead. Your friend didn't die. You're not cursed. You dash away the tears on your cheeks and drive towards town, searching every ditch and driveway for Eddie's van. If it wasn't Eddie in the trailer, who was it? And where the fuck is he? You're trying to come up with a game plan when you spy two of the kids from Hellfire rushing into the video store. You pull into a spot and park, hurrying in after them.

"HI, welcome to-"

"Where's Eddie?" You cut off the tall guy behind the counter who's staring you up and down, as you become painfully aware that you're dressed in only a tank top with no bra and a pair of low cut shorts that could almost be described as boxers.

"Cute jammies, Y/N. You here to rent The Last Unicorn?" You recognize Robin from your aunt's salon.

"Can it, Buckley. I'm here to talk to these two." You gesture to the kids standing behind the counter. "Do either of you know where Eddie is?"

They glance at each other, clearly having a mental debate over whether or not to confide in you.  We don't know where he is." The taller one answers, looking uncertain.

You lean over the counter, staring him down. "You're Nancy's brother, right?"

"Yeah, Mike. We met last night." He swallows hard, looking nervous.

"You wouldn't be lying to me, now, would you, Mike?"

He shakes his head.

You sure?"

"Stop harassing the kids, they just said they don't know." The tall man steps in front of them.

You smirk ."Who are you, their mommy?"

"Y/N, they really don't know where he is. That's why they're here. They wanna get phone numbers of his friends from our rental list to see if anyone's heard from him." Robin explains. "So chill out."

You pause, surprised. "Wow, that's actually really clever." You half-smile at the shorter boy who's offering you a big grin, looking pleased with himself. "You came up with that idea?"

"Yeah. I'm Dustin, by the way. We met last night too."

"So you're gonna track him down, hmm? Need some help?"

He nods but Mike shakes his head. "Dustin, we don't know if we can trust her."

"She's Eddie's friend, we can totally trust her."

"Right, right. Trust the drug dealer's friend, that's a great plan." The older guy chimes in.

You scowl. "And who are you, other than annoying?"

He smirks at you. "I'm Steve. Harrington. You've probably heard of me."

"Nope." You turn away from him and back to Dustin. "You got a list of names?"

"Working on it now."

__________

"Whoa, whoa, Eddie, chill out!" You plead. "Come on, put it down!"

"Eddie, it's me! It's Dustin. Come on man, we're on your side." Eddie stares at Dustin, wide-eyed and frightened. He's not himself. Something is really wrong. You slip forward slightly so that if he does attack any of you, the kids have a chance to run. He barely registers you, his eyes scanning the room before landing back on Dustin.

"Eddie, they're friends. They wanna help. Please, let Steve go." He pleads. "You're okay. Everything's gonna be okay."

Eddie hesitates, but Dustin nods encouragingly and he slowly releases Steve, who audibly sighs with relief. "Eddie, talk to us. We wanna know what happened. We'll believe you, no matter what. I promise." Dustin reassures him.

Eddie seems to relax slightly, but his hands shake as he leans against the wall and pushes his hair out of his face. "I don't- I don't know where to start, man. I don't know what fucking happened."

"Just start at the beginning. Take your time. We’ll listen."

Eddie walks you through all the details. You're shocked, disbelief clear to read on your face. Your eyes move back and forth to the faces of the others, but none of them seem to be having the same reaction as you. Was he super high and hallucinating? There's no way he killed anyone, but does he maybe not remember what he actually saw?

Eddie's eyes meet yours, pleading with you to believe him. Pleading with everyone to believe him.

"I know you're telling the truth. We've had, um, well-" Dustin struggles to find the right words.

"We believe you." Max interjects. "We've had, well, similar experiences."

Huh? What does she mean, similar experiences?

"Yeah, just know that we understand. We know you're being honest, and we understand." Robin chimes in.

His eyes flicker to you once more. Is everyone here high? Did a gas line bust in town? I mean, what the literal fuck- Robin nudges you. Eddie is still staring at you, and you realize you're the only person who hasn't often any words of comfort.

"Uh, yeah, Eddie. If you say that's what happened, it's what happened." They all continue talking and you slip to the back of the room, zoning out once more. Maybe I'm still asleep. Maybe this is a crazy freak nightmare. Oh! Maybe-

"It's real." You're jolted from your train of thought. Steve is standing in front of you, a hand on your shoulder. "I know it sounds crazy, and really scary. I was in your shoes not that long ago. But the quicker you accept it, the quicker you come to terms with it and it's not as scary anymore."

Easier said than done, dude.

He continues: "I know, it's a lot. But we've dealt with worse than this and we come out on top every time. We're the winning team, Y/N. We're the good guys."

"Steve, we gotta go." Dustin urges.

The others start to head out, but you're basically frozen in place, glued to the spot. Eddie is still a shaking mess. He's dirty and tired and your heart aches when you look at him.

"Y/N, you coming?" Robin calls back to you.

Eddie glances up at you, and the look on his face makes the decision for you.

"You guys go. I'm gonna stay with Eddie.'

[midgardianweasley]

I beg you with my life, PLEEAAAASE can we have a Natasha x female reader where Reader comes back from a one month mission and sneaks into the compound to surprise Natasha who’s sitting in the living room with Tony. He sees reader sneaking up on her and all he says is “Natasha, do me a favor and don’t move.” As she’s very confused, reader jumps from behind her and wraps her arms around her red head. JUST FLUFF FOR DAYS!! (I will forever be in debt with you if you do this request!)😭🙏🥺🥰

of course! I hope it's okay love. I also thought this request would be the perfect way to apologise for my angst earlier lmaoo<33

I’m back!

Natasha Romanoff x fem!reader

Summary: Y/N returns from a month-long mission, eager to see her girlfriend. Though her girlfriend literally doesn’t see her coming.

Word Count: 1.3k

Warnings: Pureeee fluff

Message/ask if you’d like to be added to the taglist!

Requests are open <3

“God, I can’t wait to get back and shower. I feel disgusting.” Clint announced to the other team members in the quinjet. Everyone tiredly nodding their heads in agreement.

Steve, Sam, Wanda, and Clint, alongside you, had spent the last month trying to infiltrate one of the HYDRA bases in Siberia. The sole intent being to take back stolen records and information about some military weapons that they were planning on using to invade other countries. It was supposed to be a simple ‘in and out’ job, a week, max. However, when you all saw that the base was more heavily guarded than expected, you all knew immediately that it wouldn’t be the case.

“Well, I’m pretty sure Y/N here is gonna be making a beeline for her girlfriend.” Sam nudged you with his elbow, a smirk plastered on his face. A blush crept up to your cheeks, reddening in slight embarrassment.

As it turns out, a month away from Natasha hadn’t done wonders for you. She wasn’t able to come on this mission, having to stay and hunt through files with some of the SHIELD agents at headquarters. Of course you were fully capable of being away from each other, but it had been at least 4 weeks now, 3 more than expected. You had missed her. To be honest, hearing the news that you’d be heading home today filled you with more happiness than knowing you’d retrieved the stolen files.

“Uh huh, don’t make me cut off those wings, Falcon.” You narrowed your eyes playfully towards him as you gave him the completely empty threat, still, he raised his hands in surrender, making the rest of the team snigger at your antics.

With hearing the quiet hum of the quinjet and murmurs of small talk coming from your team, you sat with a content smile, feeling your eyelids beginning to flutter shut, finally able to relax knowing that in no time at all, you’d be back in Natasha’s arms.

__________________________

“Hey, Y/N, wake up”

Groaning slightly, your eyes slowly opened once again, squinting as they adjusted back to the bright lights. Once they’d focused a bit more, you took in the fact that Wanda was standing in front of you, her hand resting on your shoulder as she held a relaxed smile.

“We’re back.” She tilted her head as she encouraged you to look to your left, seeing the familiar building only a small walk away. The sight instantly filled you with energy, nothing except excitement now running through your veins.

With a quick smile sent in Wanda’s direction, you jumped from your seat and started to rush off, leaving the team in the dust as they laughed among themselves.

“She’s like a puppy.”

“She’s in loveee” Clint responded to Steve’s comment

“Leave her be, at least she’s happy.” Wanda piped in after catching up with the others, watching you run up to the doors of the compound, with absolutely no care in the world.

They enjoyed seeing you so full of life. It was nice to witness, especially after missions like the one they’d just gone on, where everyone is left exhausted and burnt out. You were tired too, of course, but you’d always tried to keep spirits high and moods lifted. It was something the team admired about you, Nat especially. She always loved coming home after a mission or just a day out and knowing that you’d be there to welcome her back.

It was almost routine that after an intense mission, you’d both take the evening off to spend time together and let the stress of the day roll off your backs. The two of you would often take a long shower together, just to feel close to one another and take the time to wash each other’s hair, engaging in the occasional stolen kiss and wrap up in towels afterwards.

You’d both stand in front of your bathroom mirror, brushing your teeth and making silly faces at the other and the sink was always guaranteed to be covered in toothpaste afterwards. It was a treasured time together. Time that you and Natasha had missed dearly in your absence. Not for much longer though.

________________________

Walking up the last set of stairs, you peeked round each doorway, hoping to catch a glimpse of some short red hair belonging to your girlfriend, not a middle aged SHIELD agent who was getting himself coffee. Ooops.

It wasn’t long before you heard some muffled chatter coming from the main seating room in the building, where most people went to hang out when they had nothing else to do, or have their movie nights. You hadn’t paid much attention, until you heard a familiar voice, laced with a slight russian accent speak close by, causing your stomach to fill with the same butterflies you felt on the day you met her.

You stepped forward, careful to not make too much of a sound in the hopes to surprise her, not entirely certain about how it would go down considering she’s a trained spy. However, hope was ignited when you saw Tony Stark talking to her, knowing he’d go along with your plan.

It wasn’t long before he noticed you in the doorway, quick to see that you’d raised a finger to your lips, silently telling him to not reveal that you were there. He didn’t even need to say a word as he turned back to Natasha with an overly concerned look on his face, taking note of how close you were getting.

“And then Fury was saying that we’d been looking through the wrong-”

“Yeah, yeah, that sounds great.” You had to cover your mouth at his interruption so you wouldn’t burst into laughter and blow your cover, fully able to picture the look on Nat’s face right now. “I need you to do something for me.”

“Okay?”

“Don’t move a muscle.” She listened, but you could see her back noticeably tense up at the request, instantly defensive at what was behind her. Oh boy.

Taking this as your que, you hurried the last few steps, coming up right behind her and threw your arms around her neck, burying your face into her neck in the process as you let out giggles you’d been holding for minutes previous.

It took her a minute to process, almost jumping out of her skin at the contact, but she soon relaxed when she realised who it was, her hand coming up to run through your hair that was all over the place.

“Hi baby.” She smiled.

“Hi. I’m back.”

“I see this. Gotta say, this is one of my favourite surprises.” You both leaned in for a kiss, only a breath away when you heard someone purposely clear their throat.

“Hi, hello, one, you’re welcome for the surprise Romanoff, I’d like some artistic credit, thank you.” Nat rolled her eyes. “Second, it’s great to have you back, but respectfully, please get a room.”

With one last exaggerated sigh, the pair of you walked out the room, Natasha tugging her hand into yours and holding on tightly, fully appreciating having you back home with her. She turned to face you, emerald eyes sparkling as they met yours, whispering a question that’s plagued her mind since you walked in.

“So, shower?”

Taglist: @natashas-favourite-knives @wandaromanova

[averagewriter-inthedark]

Spider Studded Reunion 💔 | T.M No Way Home Miniseries P.2

Contains major spoilers for Spider-Man NWH

My Marvel Masterlist | Read Part 1 here | Part 3 here | Part 4(final) here

Characters & Pairings: Tobey!Peter Parker x Black Cat!reader (past romance), Andrew!Peter Parker (platonic/flirtatious), Tom!Peter Parker (platonic), Otto Octavius, Norman Osborn, Max Dillion, Curt Connors, Flint Marko, May Parker MJ Watson, Ned Leeds, Doctor Strange.

Content warnings: angst, mentions of violence, blood, and fighting. Slight references to SA trauma. descriptions of character death. Profanity | Female reader (she/her) | roughly 4K words i would say (it’s pretty long).

Black Cat PS4 theme.

Premise: After the surprise return of the woman called Black Cat, six villains of Spider-Man from other worlds are together in one room. It’s quite a one in a million sight for everyone involved. For young Peter Parker, conflict ensues when its revealed at least four would die if they return home—which only causes him trouble with a certain Master of Mystic Arts.

Song that inspired the chapter: ‘Ocean Eyes’ by Billie Eillish & ‘Old Money,’ by Lana Del Rey

Note: this is NOT in association with my Tobey!Spiderman x black cat!reader series. This is separate in which Y/n and Peter did not have the life they did in my series & instead she stayed a villain of his becoming the sixth member of the NWH Sinister Six. I also use the whole ‘sinister’ line again from my one series, just cause i like it a lot and it fits here too

—————————

The words were still echoing in Y/ns ear, “Your neck was snapped and thrown off the building by Eddie as the symbiote”

It was like all emotion left her—leaving her as an empty void. There was not telling how one could react in that way after finding out they were killed protecting someone they had wanted to hurt. Y/n was angry with Peter. She wanted to hurt him which is why she agreed to help Eddie and Flint.

She’s the one who told Eddie where he’d find Mary Jane.

Now Flint was telling her at the last second she changed her mind. Going so far as to fight Eddie in the form of the symbiote to protect Peter. And the creature was strong—strong enough to overpower Y/n and kill her.

The last memory she could recall was leaving her home to go scout areas before meeting the two at the construction site. She had made past 2nd Avenue and was cutting through an alley when suddenly a weird sensation filled her. It lasted about ten seconds before Y/n looked around and gave a shrug—thinking she imagined it.

Then she saw a figure in a black suit and thought it was Eddie. What she didn’t expect was it to be Spider-Man—and not her Spider-man nonetheless. And Y/n thought back to the conversation she had with the young Peter. How he said it was the year 2023 and not 2007.

She was pulled into another universe the day she was supposed to die. That’s when the anxiety had started to kick in, but Y/n tried to keep it at bay. The last thing she needed was to have a panic attack in front of all these people—some old acquaintances and the rest strangers.

It was too much for Y/n to process. Not only was she dead in her world, but she was currently lost in another.

The young alternate version of Peter was looking at her with slight concern. He was not liking the feeling he got knowing three of the four from the same universe died—while fighting Spider-Man. Even though from what it sounds like the deaths were accidental and not planned on behalf of his alternate counterpart, it still happened with his involvement.

Otto was having enough of it. He still refused to believe he drowned with the machine, “Spider-Man was trying to stop my fusion reactor,” he insisted when the conversation of Y/n ended. “—so I stopped him. I had him—,” his hand makes a gripping motion, expression full of anger, “—by the throat. And then I—.”

The scientist had paused, words disappearing from his lips. The anger slowly left his face as the realization settled in. There wasn’t anything left to say because the next thing Otto knew was fighting the version of Peter in front of him. “And then I was here.”

“Oh please,” Max said in a condescending tone, making the attention turn to him. No one saw the anxious look Peter had. “Let me tell you something—I was whooping Spider-Man ass. He’ll tell you. And then he caused an overload,” Max made a gesture with his hands, “—I was stuck in the grid, absorbing data. I was about to turn into pure energy and then—,” suddenly he also was unable to recall what happened next.

His hands were waving, trying to find the right words. “And then uh—a-and—oh shit. I was about to die.”

“Max, do you know, do I die?” Connors asks from the side.

Now that made four of the six in the room dying in their world while fighting Spider-Man. It was safe to assume Flint survived considering he was from the same year of the current universe. But he had no idea if Connors perished because before Max could answer the question there was a sound followed by an orange glow in the corner of the room.

Ned and Mj had taken place behind Peter, all three looking to find Strange had appeared hovering off the ground in a cross legged position. Strange made eye contact with both Y/n and Norman in that moment. “Oh great you caught two more.”

Peter realized what he was about to do, shouting out, “No-no-no! Wait, Strange, they’re not—.” His pleads were ignored, Strange flicking his hands once and two orange rings enveloped the two and they were transported to the last two cubicles next to Max. Y/n gasped, pushing against the barrier while frantically looking around.

The anxiety and spider-senses Peter was feeling was making his heart race. “It’s okay—um,” he gulped, feeling swear pool at the crown of his hairline. He gave the two an apologetic look before looking at Strange, brows raising at the sight of a weird looking box. “What is that?”

It was cube-shaped with spirals around each side. It looked old and glowed the familiar orange glow of the Mystic Arts.

“It’s an ancient relic,” Strange explained before saying it’s complicated name, “I trapped your corrupted spell inside and once I finish the proper ritual, it will reverse the spell. And send these guys back to their universe.”

“And then what?” Octavius shouted, “we perish?” He had every right to be mad. After all, if he goes back to his universe he will die. Most of them will.

“Yeah no thanks—I pass on that,” Max rejected Strange.

Now Norman was becoming frightened, “Let me out of here! Peter?!” Peter heard the distress in Normans voice, the sound sending a chill up his spine. Peter had been all for sending them back home—letting their version of himself deal with them. But knowing he would be responsible for their death because he led them to it was not a feeling he wanted on his conscious.

Mays words from earlier had reappeared in his mind, ‘This is what we do, we help people.”

“Strange,” he shakes his head, “We can’t send them back—not yet.”

Now this was not what the sorcerer expected to here, “Why?” Peter thought it was obvious and looked around the room, his eyes falling to Y/ns shaken state last.

“Well some of these guys are gonna die.”

“Parker, it’s their fate.”

Peter was taken aback slightly, “C’mon, Strange, have a heart.”

But the sorcerer wasn’t having it. He knew what it meant keeping them in their universe and it would doom them all if they stayed. They were too dangerous and their deaths were supposed to happen if it was the case. “In the grand calculus of the multiverse, their sacrifice means infinitely more than their lives.”

Y/n did not like the sound of that, banging loudly on the barrier while cursing at the team. “That’s bullshit! Our lives are not some toy for you or whatever the hell you’re talking about, Harry Potter!” Had the situation not have been so serious, the teenagers in the room would’ve laughed at the nickname bestowed to Strange.

But this was no laughing matter.

She was met with no response, Strange keeping his attention on Peter—although the boy did glance at her briefly. Strange gave him a sympathetic look, “I’m sorry, kid. If they die, they die.”

Without another word, Strange focused on the relic. Both hands on either side while the curves on the spirals started to move. Peter glanced at his friends, not knowing what to do and they also appeared at a loss.

The spirals were enclosing, starting to cover the bright orange orb of the botched spell Strange had performed the prior day. The villains were becoming anxious—especially the ones who were aware of their impending demise. Y/n even had tears brimming in her eyes.

“Peter!!” Norman shouted again, looking out the barrier for the teen. Peter was running out of time. The relic was almost completed and Strange would waste no time sending them home.

He couldn’t let that happen.

When the cube was fully closed and Stranges hand hovered over a triangle shaped button, a web instinctively shot from Peter—closing around the side. Strange stilled before warned, “Don’t—!” The man was spun around when Peter flung the box to him and used the device on his arm to send Strange into the cubicle housing Flint.

Peter was frozen—not believing he actually did it until Ned and Mj were shouting at him. “Dude what are you doing!” “Go—go!” Mj was pulling him to her so he could make his escape. She then took a defensive stance like she was ready to fight Strange, but the man just sighed in disappointment.

“This is why I never had kids.”

Strange passed through the barrier easily. But when Flint tried he grunted by the impact—sand falling around him. The sorcerer was gone in a instant, causing everyone to fall into silence. The six were still contained—much to their displeasure with no way of knowing what they’d be met with when Peter and Strange returned.

It honestly shocked them all Peter had taken the relic. The boy was determined for them to do home when he had a change of heart. Now they had no idea if he would succeed in keeping them there.

“Where the hell did they go?” Y/n said after a minute, attention on the two teens. “And who are you two anyway?”

Neither of the teens expected to be put on the spot, both looking at each other who should speak first. Eventually Ned stepped forward after seeing Y/ns tilt her head like she was becoming impatient. “I’m Ned. Ned Leeds and Peters best friend,” he lifts his hand to the girl beside him. “This is Mj, his girlfriend.”

Y/n wan’t expecting that—but then again she never though she’d meet another Peter Parker in her life. “You’re Mj,” the tone in her voice shifted a bit, looking the girl up and down. Mj had mixed feelings by the reaction, raising her brow suspiciously at the older woman.

“I take it you know an Mj or something?”

Y/n gives a unimpressed scoff, “You could say that. She and I aren’t exactly what you would call ‘besties.’ In fact she and I would rather tear off each other’s face than have a civilized conversation. Girl doesn’t learn that when you mess with the cat,” she lifts a gloved hand and with a flick sharp points extract, “You get the claws.”

Max whistles under his breath, “Damn.”

Y/n sends him a wink, before turning back to the stunned teenagers, “Honestly I’m surprised you’re the Mj of this universe. I’m so used to hearing her scream at everything I would’ve never have guessed you’d be her alternate version.” Mj didn’t know how to react to that. It was somewhat like a backhanded complement.

“Don’t worry thought, kid,” Y/n then says, eyes full of mischief, “I won’t discriminate. I don’t know you so I have no reason to hate you—I just hate your counterpart.”

“Good to know,” there was a nervous laugh from Mj before she looked at Ned for help.

Before anyone could say anything else, a familiar orange glow swarmed in the middle of the room. All eyes went to it when they heard a voice say, “I’m sorry, sir, but—,” then Peters masked figure was tumbling out of the portal before looking back, “—I have to try.” The glowing circle closed, making who they assumed was Strange on the other side stranded God knows where.

“Dude what happened?” Ned ran up to him, Mj following. Peter proceeds to ramble about how he fought Doctor Strange, trapped him in the mirror dimension and stole his sling ring. Ned takes the ring and put it on his fingers.

“You could’ve left us here to die? But you didn’t. Why?” Otto asks in somewhat disbelief.

“Because that’s not who he is,” Mj defends, and Y/n felt a smirk curl on her lips. The girl was right, and it wasn’t just her version of Peter who was like that.

The next step was to figure out what they would do. Peter now had six multiversal beings as his responsibility and hoped he could fix them before Strange figured out how to get back. They didn’t have much time, and really Peter was looking to get things done as soon as possible.

Y/n gave a little scoff, “You think you could really change our fate, little spider? Personally I don’t think you fixing my little bad luck problem will do me much good in my situation.” She felt a little bad by being harsh when she saw his shoulders deflate, but Y/n was always blunt when it came to telling things the way they are.

Of course there would need to be convincing. Norman was fully on board when Peter talked about how their world had advanced technology saying, “I can help you. You know, I’m something of a scientist myself.”

Y/n rolls her eyes when she hears that, “I’ve heard that one before.”

Otto was one to oppose the idea—claiming he didn’t need fixing like a dog. Connors warned Peter, saying there may be consequences with that he’s doing. Peter only responded by saying he was willing to take those chances.

A giggle from Y/n has everyone fall silent. It was a manic laugh, the woman leaning her head back against the wall of the cubicle. They all kinda just stood frozen. Unsure of how to react to her constant laughter.

Max is the one to say something, “I’m sorry, what exactly is so funny Miss Kitty?”

Y/n gives another laugh, before biting him lip. “I was just thinking, about how funny this kinda is.” She lets her head fall to the side so she was facing them all. “I mean, c’mon. Six of Spider-Mans villains all in one place? Sounds a little sinister to me.”

Peter called May and soon she was pulling up to the Sanctum driving the F.E.A.S.T truck. They piled the villains in—them having to squeeze together in the tight space—before heading to the only place they had the tech they needed. Happys apartment.

Unlocking the door, Peter pushes it open to allow them into the apartment. Normas first, followed by Otto, Y/n, Max, and Flint. “Wheres’s Connors?’ He asked May when he saw no sign of the large lizard man.

“He told me he wants to stay in the truck.”

“Okay.” Peter closes the door just as the robotic voice announces, ‘alarm system deactivated,’ and locks it up. They stand in the entrance of the place, watching the six get comfortable as they can. “Hey, May?”

“Yeah?”

“I feel kinda bad using Happys place like this.”

May gives a shrug, “He-He’ll get over it.” In the living area, Max waves a hand which turns the tv on and Flint takes on a seat on the couch. Still in his sand form, all it does is make grains fall off his limps and onto the cushions.

“Oh sorry,” he apologizes, sweeping it off so it lands on the floor. In the corner leaning against the wall, Y/n laughs at the sight—finding the whole thing amusing.

“So this is your plan, Peter?” Otto is unimpressed—also because he was still tangled up in his mechanical arms under the nanotechnology. “No lab, no facilities—just performing miracles in a condominium hmm? What you’re gonna cook us some cures and some frozen burritos in a microwave?”

“I could go for a burrito?” Norman interrupted, looking away from Dum-E that he was inspecting. Y/n just rolled her eyes at the older man, turning her head to see out the window. She was still not sure how she felt about everything, but the Black Cat was just glad Norman was in his right mind at the moment.

She did not want to think about if the Goblin came out.

Otto was also not humored by the scientist, “he’s gonna kill us all.”

“Well let’s hope not,” Peter steps away from May, giving her a nervous look before patting Otto on the shoulder, “You’re up first, doc.”

“What?” The man said surprised, “Hey I told you I don’t need fixing.” The teenager opened the door to the back room containing the Stark tech Happy had placed back there. He uncovered the container with the arc reactor all while Otto continued to voice his objections. “I don’t need fixing! Especially by a teenager using scraps from a bachelors junk drawer.”

Max, sensing something within the walls of the room, starts to approach the door, “No, no no,” he says to Otto, making the doctor turn to him. “He’s got something back there. I can feel it—like weird energy.” At the sound of this, Y/n pushes off the wall and follows after Max—wanting to see what he was talking about.

The mat covering the compartment was pulled away, revealing a emblem reading, ‘Stark Cases.’ “What the hell is that?” Norman asks just ask the two along with May enter the tiny room.

“It’s a fabricator,” the vigilante explained as he pressed buttons to open the box, “It can analyze, design, construct basically anything.”

May was a little taken aback at the very large contraption emerging. “I thought that was the tanning bed Happy broke.” A small giggle fell from Y/ns lips, the woman bringing her hand up to cover her mouth.

“Look at that,” her eyes went to Max at his voice, seeing his attention on a circular glowing object in the fabricator. She noticed his eyes flash a brilliant yellow, and suddenly there was a chill in her spine. He looked very intrigued by it.

That couldn’t be good.

They all jumped back a bit when the fabricator fully extended into the wall behind it. Cracks formed and it was sure sign the machine penetrated the dry wall into the kitchen.

The suspicion was confirmed by Ottos defeated tone, “He’s gonna kill us all.”

Minutes turned into hours with Peter and Norman getting to work. They were in the back room while remaining four stayed in the living area with May. Y/n paced around occasionally, even going on the balcony to look out to the city. At one point she heard May in the kitchen and turned her head to see the older woman walking up to Otto.

May tapped on the mans shoulder, making him blink out of his thoughts. “Thirsty?” She lifted her glass containing water with a smile, before pointing to sink with the water filter.

Relaxing the defensive stance he had, turning his body fully to face her. “Well yes, I am thirsty.” It had been awhile they were there and Otto was still tangled in arms unable to really move.

“Fresh water or salt?”

The question was enough to have Y/n nearly rolling—immediately getting the jab May was doing. Otto didn’t understand and just looked at the woman perplexed. May continued, “You know, because you’re an octopus.”

Otto thought May had lost her mind, “W-what?”

It took May a moment to react, but she just gave a nervous smile. “Fresh water it is.” Another giggle left Y/n, the antihero shaking her head by what she had witnessed. She was now on the couch—which was now free of sand, and drew her attention to Max when he started to speak.

“Look at this place,” he was peering out the blinds. It was now dark outside compared to the daylight they had when they arrived. Y/n didn’t know how much longer it would take before they could go home, and if she was being truthful she wasn’t really sure if she was ready to.

What difference would it make if she went home? She doubted Peter could create a cure for the bad luck she does to others. And even if he did it wouldn’t be enough to clean her slate. The only thing giving Y/n hope was she knew from Flint about her change of heart. And judging from what he said earlier, Peter was heartbroken by her death.

Maybe something could change after all.

“And all the possibilities.” Max’s words pulled her from the battle happening in her head.

“What?” Flint asked, looking away from the picture in his hand. “This condo?”

“Yeah—yeah the condo. I love the whole open floor plan—nah,” Max gives Flint a ‘are you serious look’ making the sandman put down the picture. “Nah man, I’m talking about the world. Kinda like who I am here,” he strokes the side of his face smiling. Max then turns serious when he glances at the back room across the apartment, “And all that power back there, I could be so much more.”

There’s a silent moment before Max looks back at Flint, “so why’d you come along?”

“I have a daughter, and I want to see her. But he’s not gonna send anyone home until he’s finished his little science project back there.”

“If any version of Peter has one thing in common,” Y/n says suddenly, making them turn their heads to her, “it’s they’re incredibly smart. I figure it won’t take him long.”

“You trust him?” Max asks the two, not looking convinced.

Y/n stays silent on the question while Flint crosses his arms, “I don’t trust anyone. How’d you end up like that anyway?”

“Oh,” there was a flicker of emotion from Max. The memory replayed in his head as he recalled, “The place where I worked at, they were experimenting with electricity created by living organisms. And then uh—I feel into a veil of electric eels.”

“You’re kidding,” Flint says surprised, “I feel into a supercollider.”

“Damn,” Max shakes his head at the confession, “gotta be careful where you fall.” His eyes draw to Y/n, “What about you Miss. Kitty? Fall anywhere that gave you your bad luck charm?”

The chuckle she gave was low and hostile, her eyes closing briefly before she finally spoke. “No, no I didn’t fall anywhere like you boys did. Nah I got into some trouble with a pretty ruthless crime boss. Owed him some debt and he had me do a few tests on something he was cooking up,” they couldn’t see it, but her fist had clenched against the cushion. “Next thing I know anytime I was under stress weird things happened to people around me.”

“That’s crazy.”

The woman gives a shrug, “Came in handy from time to time.” There was a smirk on Y/ns face as she thought back to the early days of when she first got the bad luck effect. It was right before she met Spider-Man and at her prime when it came to breaking and entering. It was shortly later the Black Cat became aquatinted with the spider of New York.

Then life seemed to change after that.

The mood shifts for Y/n and she stands from the couch back to the balcony. There was a cool breeze, the wind blowing through her white hair and Y/n let her eyes close as the sadness filled her once more.

She really did love her Peter—so much it hurt. There was just so much going on between them that when things were left they were she let the anger cloud over. It’s why she agreed to help Eddie and Flint. The pain and hurt she was feeling was something she wanted Peter to have.

Regret was the only thing she could feel now. That and shame.

What the hell was she thinking? Maybe it was the fact Y/n knew what her fate was that brought this sudden change of heart. But Y/n ended up having one anyway at the last second. The only difference now was the circumstances.

The question Y/n couldn’t help but wonder about what if she would return home at the exact moment she was pulled. If that was the case then she would stay as far away from the construction sight. Y/n wouldn’t go help and bail on Eddie—then he couldn’t kill her. It was unsure if Eddie would be the type to track her down, but to take precautions Y/n would get the hell our of New York the second she stepped foot in her world.

Maybe that would truly change the outcome of it all.

Her inner battle was again interrupted when feeling of someone behind her was felt, and Y/n spun quickly to see May was standing with two mugs in her hands. The sudden turn from the woman had May flinch, “Sorry! Didn’t mean to scare you.”

Y/ns eyes followed May as she came to stand beside her. One of the hands holding a mug was extended out to her, “Thought you could use a cup of coffee,” Mays smile was warm and inviting—as it always was from what Y/n had remembered. “You looked a little lonely—hope you don’t mind me joining you for bit. All those guys, you know.” Y/n laughed softly when May made a face, gesturing to the apartment full of men.

“Thank you,” She took the mug from May with a smile, “You’re very kind. Then again I’m not surprised every version of you is.” May raised her brow at Y/ns words.

“I take it you’re close with your Peter? Or was—,” she corrects when Y/ns smile falls, replaced with a frown. “My Peter in there mentioned you this morning. Kind of implied—.”

“It’s complicated,” Y/n tightens her mouth. “We’ve—we were close, closer than friends from what you can assume.” May nodded, eyes a little sympathetic while Y/n continued. “It was on and off. I-I—,” She pauses, biting her lip as she looks away, “I’ve had a rough life—and there were things that happened which led me to do the things I do.”

“What happened?” May asked softly, “If you don’t mind me asking.”

Y/n takes a sip of the coffee, contemplating whether or not to answer before eventually sighing. “My mom wasn’t really in the picture and my dad..my dad was a cat-bulgur—a good one at that before he got caught. He went to prison and I was left on my own. I did good for myself, but then I got involved with this guy in college,” Y/n let her free hand clench around the balcony railing—something May took notice in. “Thought I’d finally get happiness—it was what I’ve always wanted. But I was young, naive, and didn’t think he’d do what he did. Tried to fight him but.....” she pauses, stopping herself when she saw the look from May. “What he did to me made me not wanna be a victim so I swore revenge. I trained and I trained for months to kill him, but the bastard went and got himself killed in a car accident.

“I was angry as you could’ve guessed, but I wasn’t going to let the new skills I taught myself go to waste so I followed in my fathers footsteps. Breaking and entering came naturally. I was able to provide for myself—even though it wasn’t mine. That’s how I got under Spider-Man’s radar,’ Y/n chuckled, bringing the mug up to take another sip. “I didn’t know Peter at the time—even though I was friends with his best friend, Normans son, Harry. I only knew him as Spider-Man in the beginning. Then he exposed his identity when things got serious between our alter egos and well, Peter was a charmer and I swapped sides for a time. Our relationship is—or was very complicated.”

Y/n paused again, looking away from May to glance at the city that was now full of light in the night sky. “I guess looking back, I realize it looks more like I loved Spider-man more so than Peter Parker. I met him as Spider-Man, so when he revealed his identity to me and how he loved his civilian life more, something shifted. I wasn’t ready to give up the thrill and excitement having an alter ego gave me and we both wanted different things. We’d take breaks, some longer than others and it didn’t help that Mary Jane was always in the background. This last break up—,” her voice wavers slightly, “I-It was the worse yet.”

Y/n then goes quiet and May could see moisture pooling in the corners of her eyes. The older woman placed a comforting hand on her shoulder, noticing how she flinched slightly but then relaxed. “I said things, Peter said things. I-I threw stuff at him and he kicked me out. We were both angry—I w-won’t get into detail on what happened, but I knew that was it for us. There was no going back.” Y/n bit her lip, letting her one hand fall to her side as she gave a sound of defeat.

“N-now I don’t know what the hell I’m going to do when I get home,” she sniffed, “If I were there right now I wouldn’t be alive to see the sun rise. I’d already be d-dead by now.” Y/n turned away, wiping the tear that had fallen away. She didn’t want to let her emotions out in front of May. The feelings were becoming overwhelming, but Y/n was determined to keep them at bay.

She couldn’t let it get to her right now.

May gently gave Y/n shoulder a rub, face filled with sympathy. The woman didn’t say anything during the entire time Y/n spoke. Part of May didn’t know what to say, but also she felt Y/n needed to get whatever was off her chest.

“There is one thing you can do,” May eventually said with a soft tone. Y/n lifted her head to her, waiting for her to continue. “Now that you know what lies ahead for you, it’s up to you to change it. You can either take the first step into making amends with your Peter—or you can continue to hold whatever grudges you have. It’s the decisions we make that determine our future.”

Y/n couldn’t help but scoff at the last statement, “I don’t know about that. The wizard was adamant about time and date. Who’s to say I still don’t die the moment I return home. Or that Peter will even listen to me if I see him.”

“Maybe it does,” May shrugs before adding, “But maybe it doesn’t. You weren’t suppose to end up here but look what happened. Are you going to let this opportunity to fix things go to waste?”

Mays words sunk into Y/n. It was enough to make her silent to allow her mind to wonder about the possibilities that could lie ahead. There really was an opportunity here for Y/n. It was now her choice on if she would take it.

With one last comforting pat to the woman, May went back inside the apartment. Y/n finished the coffee in her mug before following May, placing the mug in the sink just as young Peter had skidded into the hallway.

He was practically bouncing on his feet, “I got it! I did it—I did it, uh can you send him up?”

“Yeah, here we go,” May pressed the button on the nanotech projection on the table. The mechanical arms untangled around Otto and started to lift him off the ground while Peter raced up the stairs in a hurry. “Sorry, hold on, doc!”

“Aw will these humiliations never seize?!” the scientist complained as he was lifted against his will. “You! Keep your science fair project away from me!” Peter was fumbling with the color of Ottos clothing, trying to locate the top of the spinal contraption.

Everyone had gathered in the hall of the apartment, watching the scene unfold. “Hey it will work. Have faith,” Norman said to Otto which only made him angrier.

“Says the reckless fool who turned himself into a monster.”

Norman looked offended by the insult and Y/n scoffed, “You’re one to talk, Octopus.”

“Please stop,” Peter pleaded, “Hold still.”

“Don’t you dare!” Otto continued to move, making it difficult for Peter to replace the fried chip with the new one. Everyone held their breath, waiting to see if the kid had really been able to do it. “I swear—,” Otto hissed, “when I get out of this we’re gonna rip you in—.” The mans words were cut off when he suddenly went unconscious.

The A.I itself seemed to go offline, and Ottos body had dropped an inch. Peter stepped away, both in shock and slight panic at the lifeless scientist. “Doc?”

The apartment was so quiet his voice echoed. Y/n brought a hand to her mouth, eyes going wide as dread filled at the thought the boy had maybe actually killed Otto. The other villains in the room didn’t look to hopeful either.

“Doc?” Peter looked scared. He was sure he fixed what was needed to give Otto control over the A.I, but his heart was racing to the point he could feel it wanting to burst through his chest. “Doc?” He said again with no answer. “Doctor Octavius—.” Peter jumped back with Otto gasped, his head lifting and breath fawning at a rapid pace.

There was a instant change, Y/n could see it behind in his eyes behind the glasses. “It’s so quiet,” he whispered in awe, “those voices, inside my head—I had almost forgotten.”

“Otto,” Norman felt a smile form on his lips. He wasn’t the only one, Y/n looked happy seeing the scientist free from the chaos in his mind. And she was happy Peter was successful.

“Yes, Norman.” Ottos face was relaxed and happy, May hitting the button to let him down and he soon felt his feet touch the ground. There were no voices in his head. Nothing telling him what he had to do. It was finally quiet and it gave him peace. “It’s me.”

Peter jumped off the second story, landing in front of Otto with a beaming grin. He did it. He really did it.

“Would you look at that,” Flint commented from the side.

Y/n also gave word of approval, ‘Well done, little spider.”

Peter gave her a look of thanks, taking his finger to disconnect the wireless Bluetooth of the arms. One of the arms reached out to Peter, pressing into his chest to allow the nanotechnology to pass back to him. The suit that took over was different from the iron spider. It was more of a hybrid with his Stark suit and had a large gold spider in the center.

Everyone looked at the two, stunned at how Otto had a complete shift in personality. Although the one who knew him before, Norman, wasn’t surprised. Otto was always a kind man when they worked together, and of course Norman didn’t know what happened to him to cause this change.

“I’m grateful, dear boy. Truly,” Otto extends his hand for Peter.

The two shake hands, Peter smiling at the doctor, “Yeah, you’re welcome.”

“How can I help?”

One down, five to go.

[itsatoyboat]

i finished true colors and i’m having a lot of thoughts that i NEED to talk about.

(if this is gonna be long idk, i apologize for your eyeballs)

1. i honestly didn’t like alex at all when i saw the trailer, i was thinking “hmm idk about this one” but as soon as i started to play the game i fell so in love with her, she is so freaking smart and funny, she genuinely cares about the people around her and her story it’s very different from the other characters from LIS anthology. i truly enjoyed seeing alex’s development throughout the game especially her realizing that her powers can actually help the people around her and not harm anyone, the way she controls it after her conversation with gabe was such an awesome upgrade from the alex who was so ashamed of her power to alex superwoman. i liked how the game explored her emotions and her mind about the past, the mine part where alex was struggling to feel everything she felt in those days and then embracing everything was one of my favorite parts. it shows a lot of growth.

2. this game has AMAZING CHARACTERS, every single one of the characters was well written, they had life, they had problems, they had their own emotions with private stuff that was going on in their lives and you could actually talk to them and meet their “layers”. mac for an example was an asshole but i couldn’t pretend i didn’t felt his concern and fear around typhon, the way he was terrified about everyone hating him, he was scared for his life and being very paranoid, i was concerned about him and the game giving you the choice to speak to him or leaving him was a tricking decision cause you could leave him alone suffering or try to help him out, maybe saving his life and this is a lot but he’s alive. the game makes him real and that’s what makes me INSANE about the characters. i know, i’m talking about a game where you’re supposed to feel the characters’ feelings but that could possibly go wrong as well if the characters were shallow and poorly explored and that’s not the case with true colors. they had purpose.

3. alex’s power it’s probably my favorite power. the choices in this game was way harder than the first two games, the craziest thing is you can choose if you want to take someone else’s feeling so they can stop feeling that way, saving them from themselves making alex suffer instead and that's selfish. don’t get me wrong, i’m not calling alex a selfish person but taking someone else’s feeling doesn’t make anything better, you’re taking their right to heal, to be alive and that is so fucking awesome. you have this power to help someone, to “take their pain away” and you will learn that people need to feel what they are supposed to feel so they can move forward cause if we don’t, we are never going to learn. we see that charlotte is pretty angry about gabe’s death, she blames everyone but mostly ethan, she is miserable. alex can choose between taking charlotte’s anger or leave her. if alex takes charlotte’s anger, charlotte is left completely empty, she doesn’t feel anything and when i say anything it’s anything. she is left emotionless and bitter, she doesn’t pass through her way of mourning for gabe and she doesn’t have alex’s back when alex confronts jed. if alex leave charlotte to her anger we have a nice moment between them on the festival, talking about what happened and charlotte gets alex’s back on the black lantern and that’s what i mean from being selfish, if we take someone else’s feelings we are being unfair to them, we are choosing for them and people are supposed to feel, heal in their own time or overcome. by taking charlotte’s anger we deprived her from healing, we are not helping her, we are just making an natural process even more difficult and slower. alex being able to hear what someone is thinking and enter that person’s world from what they are feeling at that moment it’s the best detail for me, everything changes, we get to see the world through that person’s eyes, we can understand them but we decide what to do with that, we can be selfish or actually help. of course, we can take pike’s situation for an example also, if we take his fear we can help him overcome typhon and we get to expose jed but pike’s fear was necessary to take and charlotte was not necessary, pike at least had the pendrive with the recorded calls on it so we had a chance for things to get better.

4. chapter 5 was an amazing ending. finding out the truth about typhon, jed was never a hero, alex confronting her past, the confrontation and seeing who was going to be on your side, alex’s final conversation with gabe and the end, it was better than i thought it could be. i truly loved seeing alex’s past, even with everything that went down she turned to be a good person who wanted to be loved (her passion for music being the thing that helped her connected to me in a lot of levels, that creep cover though i screamed so hard when she started to sing). the mine part was absolutely insane not just alex surviving that fall discovering that gabe was looking for his dad for so long, jed knowing it and all of this time his dad actually died because of jed, alex finding the truth by taking her mom’s necklace back from what was left of that accident it’s so heartbreaking, the confrontation was crazy, i thought no one was going to believe alex because jed was so loved by everyone there it would be so easy to doubt alex and just be on jed’s side which was what ryan did but it’s understandable, jed was his dad, his hero. alex’s speech on jed exposing him after everything was one of the best monologues on that game and man this game had AMAZING dialogues and monologues, everything felt so real and beautiful, the best part of it it’s to forgive jed that’s where alex break him, he regrets everything even more cause when we find out the truth. we find out why jed never enjoyed talking about being the hero of haven springs. at the end jed wasn’t entirely a bad person cause when we forgive him he gives back alex her dad’s jacket talking about how he wanted to give it to gabe but couldn’t, that’s something that made me love even more the characters even jed that was the “villain”, which i don’t think he is. what he did was terrible and he knew that, he tried to pretend nothing happened when alex started to talk but at the end he broke, that always haunted him and that’s the difference between him and jefferson who was actually the villain in life is strange he wasn’t forced to do those things, he killed rachel, he killed chloe, he manipulated nathan, he was going to kill max and if max didn't stopped him on the arcadia bay ending he would kill even more students at blackwell.

5. alex and steph relationship was the purest thing on this game, it was smooth, it was organic, it wasn’t something out of the blue, steph liked alex since the beginning. the plan to pick someone to flirt with diane and get her pendrive i chose ryan and afterwards steph started to feel something, she was so upset that alex used to think ryan was “hotter than her” (i only chose ryan cause i didn’t want to see steph flirting with diane but i saw the scene where we pick steph and omg i should’ve chosen steph cause that scene it’s hilarious), steph was happier around alex, every time she had an opportunity to flirt with alex she took it. seeing their love grow through the chapters was beautiful, i know we can choose ryan over steph but i don’t believe ryan liked alex the way steph did, you can literally see that no matter what alex did steph was going to support her and look at her with so much love and respect and that’s why i think alex and steph’s relationship it’s so pure and right. also they looked so good playing together it’s so cute that they have the same passion for music and THAT LARP SCENE FOR GOD’S SAKE MY HEART MELTED!

6. this part is exclusively to talk about LARP and the fight scenes, it reminded me so much of final fantasy it was so COOL, well thought and so fun. it was awesome to see everyone taking care of ethan and doing their best to make him happy.

7. talking about ethan, this game opened a conversation in my head about charlotte and ethan, i started to think a lot about what charlotte said about ethan how she felt happier when gabe was around and now she was stuck with only ethan again, it made me think that maybe charlotte didn’t want to have a child or if she didn’t had ethan she could have gabe again. that could open a conversation about women who didn’t want to become a mom but it doesn’t mean that charlotte would hurt ethan which makes total sense to decide to leave her alone and not take her anger, she would never hurt ethan. it was again another tricking decision cause we get concerned about ethan when charlotte starts to talk but we know deep down she cares so much about her son, she does everything for him.

life is strange true colors became my favorite life is strange, the story it’s different and great, it’s literally finding the truth about everything, when we understand people’s feelings we discover the truth about them and situations, we understand everything. this game actually made me cry harder and think so much even more than the first one and boy i love the first one so badly. it talks a lot about empathy and how we react to people’s emotions, your choices in this game are way harder than messing with time or moving things with your mind, it’s choices about things that could happen in real life eventually and that is what makes this game so important to me, it’s real.

and also it's the first life is strange to have happy endings like.. ok big steps for my non depression finally

[lovelyladyabsinthewrites]

MASTER

Pairing(s): Eddie Munson x Reader

Warnings: none really, more so self indulgent, this is my first time writing for Eddie so I hope I did him justice

Words: 2411

Summary: like many of you I was very upset at what they did to Eddie. So I'm changing the script to the fate he deserved

Thunder crackled through the Upside Down’s dark sky, streaks of red lightening broke through the dancing particles that filed the air.

Anxiety racked its claws against the inside of your stomach knowing that this could possibly be the place where you meet your maker. You’d thought about your own death before, but never imagined such a hell to be your final resting place. Truth be told, you wanted to run, desert your friends and climb back through the portal in Eddie’s trailer.

Fingers sweat profusely around the megaphone’s handle. You wouldn’t abandon them. Not when Dustin and Eddie wait behind you. Eddie’s beloved guitar had transcended realms and was idly being tuned. Your trio hadn’t received the signal to move onto Phase 3. Was Max okay? She must have been more terrified than anyone. The only one to escape Vecna’s grasp, undoubtedly the monster would not want to let her live. He wouldn't’ accept any survivors so Max offered herself up as bait. Truly for someone so young she was even braver than you. So you’d stand your ground alongside your fellow Hellfire members.

Your free hand, having been gripping the hem of your filthy DND shirt was coaxed free by a ringed one. Startled, you relax when you meet Eddie’s dark, sweet eyes regarding you with concern.

Gulping back the lump in your throat, you offer him a strained smile. “This place should be the cover of a metal band.”

“Maybe if we survive this it can be Corroded Coffin’s first album cover.” Eddie’s tone, always jovial, was tight with stress. Finished tuning his guitar, it was now strung on his back until further notice.

Greatly appreciating his attempt to lighten the mood, you were happy that even though you were up against the nightmare creatures of the Upside Down, at least you had Eddie. Sweet, goofy Eddie who always made you laugh. Someone who filled your equally dreary days living at the same trailer park with headbanging music and good times. Since his uncle often worked night shifts and your own parents fucked off to god knows where, you kept one another company. Watching movies way into the night and plenty of weed when you really wanted to party. The two of you would order pizza, consuming copious amounts of junk food all through the night.

And you may have been young, but you were pretty sure he was the goddamn love of your life. Every time he smiled made you melt. Feeling akin to being breathless even. 

“What song are you going to play?” You ask while still watching the crackling of the sky. 

“Oh, (y/n), you know me better than that. I like to surprise you.” Now his face brightened a little as did your own. Eddie’s surprises were the best.

“Well, Mr. Munson, I’m sure it will be your best concert yet.” Chuckling, you’re now able to turn your face away from above and to Eddie. “And I’m happy to be here as your biggest fan.”

Not many could make Eddie utterly speechless. He was always quick with snarky quips but not this time. His eyes widen and mouth goes slack before he shyly smiles, his inner softness gleaming. For a moment, silence lulls between you staring at each other. 

“You know how much I love you, right?”

Your face burned and a silly, adoration filled grin breaks out across your lips. Oh how he had your heart irrevocably. You wanted to kiss him. “I know.”

“Since the first day you moved in.” Eddie doesn’t glance away from you at this admission. 

“Really? My face was covered in zits. I couldn’t have been cute.” You chuckle, remembering the day vaguely. Had it really been that long ago?

“See, that’s where we disagree. I thought you were the most stunning creature in the entire world.” 

Okay, you were definitely going to kiss him now with the gloomy sky as an epic backdrop. You even stood closer to him, your hand on his chest as he looked down at you.

“Guys!” Dustin snaps you out of the moment, reality sneaking back to your senses. “They’re initiating Phase 3. We’re up!”

There was no time for kisses.

Taking a deep breath to move you forward, the three of you scramble on top of Eddie’s trailer where large speakers were affixed to the roof. 

Like the loyal fan you were, you lift your arm with the megaphone to introduce Eddie Fucking Munson Live from the Upside Down. Your voice shot through the forlorn trailer park with the help of the audio projector in your hand. The demobats were in for a treat as immediately after the first few bars to Metallica’s ‘Master of Puppets’ came blasting from Eddie’s prized guitar.

You and Dustin stood back to let the true star take center stage. A dire situation it may have been, Dustin smiled and nodded his head forward in a small headbanging manner.

As much as you enjoyed the show he put on, you were silently praying that Nancy, Steve and Robin got to Vecna in time. There was no telling how many demobats there would be this time. What would you do if there were just too many crashing down on you all at once? You had seen what they did to Steve.

With his trailer fortified, you pondered if that would be enough to stop them. 

‘C’mon you guys. Now’s your chance to end this.’

You lean over to pick up your crudely made makeshift weapons and spiked shield.

In the distance, the red streaks offering up the silhouette of a thick cloud of hundreds of beating wings. They were coming and fast. You tried your best not to let panic freeze you completely. Like Eddie and Dustin, you wanted to be brave. None of you looked like heroes, that was too aspirational. Not with your worn out chucks or chipped, black nail polish.

But you would try your damn hardest to keep those demonic monstrosities distracted until Nancy or whoever destroyed Vecna.

Eddie continued to shred on his axe, fingers most likely bleeding from the intensity of the chords. If you survived, you would have to commend him for how quickly he mastered such a beast of a song. Two weeks since the release of it; that’s how long it had been and how long Eddie had been painstakingly practicing those brutal riffs. Slow in the beginning, you had watched in admiration as he diligently kept at it without giving up or being discouraged. 

Who knew it would be used for something like this with such an epic background.

Gauging their distance through his binoculars, Dustin loudly informs “We gotta lockdown in T-minus thirty seconds!”

Thirty seconds.

You gripped your spear and shield close to you now, legs prepared for action, If your weapons failed, you had one last thing waiting in your backpack for only when things went tits up on this plan. 

Eddie picked up speed as the count down came to twenty seconds, then ten seconds until those demon bats descended upon you. Ungodly screeches now assaulted your eardrums more than his guitar did.

When they appeared above, ready to descend, that’s when you, Eddie and Dustin hurried off the trailer’s roof and inside.

The three of you stare at the front door, anxiously awaiting for any attempt of infiltration. Soon loud bangs and the screech of sharp nails against metal rocked the trailer. Out of instinct you draw yourself closer to Eddie who puts a protective arm in front of you, the same way he did when he was forced to brake too hard in his van. Knowing it wouldn’t do much in an actual accident, but it was the thought that counted. He instinctively tried to protect you.

You involuntarily shudder as demobats threw themselves against the trailer. The window panes vibrate violently and you fear those would break in no time. 

It’s above you that should have concerned you more.From an open vent on the roof, a demobat comes crashing through. You and Dustin shriek, viciously stabbing at the creature with your spears until it moved no more. But now there was an opening that had to be barricaded quickly. Eddie moves the two of you aside since he was the tallest and could easily cover the vent using his garbage can lid shield.

Only a mere band-aid, you hear the demobats move along the vents to where Eddie’s room was located. You scramble over, catching sight of leathery wings before slamming his bedroom door shut. 

More time. They need more time but our’s is running out. 

Helplessly you gaze at young Dustin who was eyeing the rope that would save you, sending you back to your usual Hawkins. He’s prepared to bolt and you didn’t blame him. In fact you hoped he would climb up there. He was too young to be constantly facing death and too sweet. 

Forgetting about the importance of keeping the demobats distracted, Dustin indeed starts to worm his way up the rope made by bed sheets. There was no way you could stay in the trailer. Those demons would break in within minutes.

Your own hand grips the rope momentarily, staring up at the whole where Dustin was urging you to come up. 

“Hurry up (y/n)!” Eddie yells at you when he finds you paused. 

“Our mission isn’t done yet.” You whisper, it almost went unheard from the banging going on in the vents and at the windows. Turning to Eddie, your fear was gone. Dustin was safe at least. “Our mission isn’t done yet!”

His expression was frantic but he registers what you mean. 

“And before you even try to argue with me, I’m staying here to follow through.” 

 The lines on his face smooth over as he takes his place beside you, his knife already in hand. “No running?”

Neither of you were heroes. You felt it intensely when Eddie’s dark eyes widen with unrestrained fear. Even so, Eddie holds up his weapons, prepared to run out alongside you. 

“No running.”

Despite Dustin’s screams to stop, Eddie cuts the rope that would prevent your safe escape while you push the mattress you used as a soft landing away. Taking a quick breath, you and Eddie charge out of the trailer; shouldering your way out the front door before hopping onto his bike.  

You turn around slightly enough to watch the thick swarm realize you and Eddie were on the run. It hadn’t taken them long and they made fast work to catch up.

Putting enough distance between a safe Dustin and Vecna’s guard bats, both of you ditch Eddie’s bike; hoofing it to a small open field that the local kids sometimes used as a kickball area. Backs to each other and shields raised, your spears jutted out. You felt Eddie bump into your backpack in a way to tighten what defense you had.

Eardrums were pierced when the unholy screeching arrived. A barrage of them flitting by, the storm of wings recongregated and finally descended upon you and Eddie. You start stabbing anytime you see a black smudge. Vision was blotted by snapping teeth and grotesque features, all the shrieking made you deaf.

Too many. 

Way too many to the point you and Eddie are forced onto your knees when they pelted down on you ruthlessly. You felt their claws break through every so often, cutting up your face and arms.

There was no better time to use your secret weapon. With great effort while keeping your shield up, your hand drops your spear as it struggles to move your backpack from your back and to your front. Frenzied fingers slip on the zipper tag before you rip it open.

Now you had to discard your shield as well.

“What are you doing?!!” You hear Eddie scream from among the horde of demonic bats.

You didn’t have to tell him anything. One hand on a can of hairspray and the other wielding a lighter, your grimy thumb holds down the nozzle of the hairspray while the other rolls the spark wheel down into the ignition button inside the lighter.

Bright flames of orange, yellow and red ignite and swallow the demobats closest to you. Their death shrieks was music to your ears as you saw the others flutter furiously before trying to take on the flame itself. It was futile. You had them now. Growing bolder, you stand on your feet and scream obscenities at the; taking great joy in seeing their wings disintegrate from the flames. You would thank Nancy later. It was Nancy who had let slip a very important fact about the creatures of the Upside Down; that their greatest weakness was fire. Why your group hadn’t purchased flame throwers or anything similar was beyond you. But you made do with what resources you had. And that was your trusty lighter and Steve’s hairspray which you had pilfered when he wasn’t looking. 

Even Eddie was able to stand to his full height and watch in awe. “You couldn’t have told me you had something up your sleeve?”

You must have been smiling like a madman. “Then it wouldn’t be a surprise.”

The two of you stood there until the swarm above was eradicated. Smoked remains of your winged enemies dropped like flies onto the earth until finally there was silence and calm.

Weary, you drop both hairspray can and lighter and fall into Eddie’s waiting arms. He kisses the top of your head, thumb smoothing a cut on your cheek. “I can’t believe it. . . We’re actually alive. . .”

“Eh, I knew we would survive.” Faux smugness enters your voice. “We had to so I could kiss you. No kisses for the dead.”

Eddie laughs and as your reward he does indeed bestow you with his lips, although their dry and cracked it was the best kiss of your life.

In the distance you hear Dustin’s shouting.

You pull out of Eddie’s arms and squint. “Is that. . . Dustin? I thought we cut the rope!”

“Damnit Dustin!” Eddie shouts. 

From his stumbling figure that got closer, you deduced he must have injured his leg from the fall back to the Upside Down. 

You roll your eyes and follow Eddie.

“Y-You’re alive! Oh thank god!!” Dustin cries both in pain and relief.

“This is why we left you there! So you wouldn’t get hurt. Now look at you!” Halfheartedly you scold him but it touched you that Dustin was willing to hurt himself to make sure you and Eddie were okay.

Eddie helps Dustin back to the trailer but you lingered behind. Looking back to where you almost did die. Past the trees that surrounded the haunted trailer park, you knew Steve, Nancy and Robin were proceeding to their own mission. 

“Give him hell, you guys.”