#BOUNCERATE

[channeltechnologies]

If you want to keep your online traffic happy and coming back for more, you've got to ditch these practices:

Keyword Stuffing:

Are you cramming your website with irrelevant keywords? It might be hurting your traffic! Search engines penalize keyword stuffing, leading to lower visibility and decreased traffic.

Poor Mobile Optimization:

Are you neglecting mobile users? As mobile devices account for 61.21% of all website traffic, a poorly optimised mobile experience can drive away valuable traffic.

Broken Links and Error Pages:

If a user clicks on a page on your site but is instead shown a 404, they are much more likely to exit your site which increases the bounce rate and can lead to lower search rankings.

AI-generated Content:

Sure, it's quick and easy but Google wants stuff that's original and actually helpful.

[helloabhius]

What is a Good Bounce Rate for an e-commerce Website?

Determining a "good" bounce rate for an e-commerce website isn't a straightforward answer, as it depends on several factors:

Industry: Different industries have varying norms. For example, fashion e-commerce might see higher bounce rates (around 45-55%) due to browsing behavior, while travel websites with specific goals could have lower rates (30-40%).

Page type: Landing pages designed for specific products or promotions might have lower bounce rates than informational blog posts.

Traffic source: Visitors coming from targeted ads or organic searches are more likely to engage than those from random referrals.

Overall user experience: A well-designed website with clear navigation, fast loading speeds, and relevant product information will naturally keep visitors engaged and reduce bounces.

However, here are some general benchmarks to consider:

Average e-commerce bounce rate: 43%

Good benchmark range: 20% - 45%

Below 20%: This might indicate inaccurate tracking or very specific traffic sources.

Above 60%: Likely signifies issues with the website or user experience that need addressing.

Bringing down the bounce rate is not rocket science and you can achieve that for your website with a few simple steps. While focusing solely on bounce rate may shed light on one aspect of website performance, other metrics like conversion rates, average session duration, and pages per session help to get a holistic view of user engagement. 

Here are some tips for improving your e-commerce bounce rate:

Optimize website speed and performance.

Ensure clear and concise product information with high-quality images.

Simplify navigation and make it easy to find desired products.

Use strong calls to action to guide users towards conversions.

Run A/B tests to identify areas for improvement.

By understanding your specific industry, target audience, and website goals, you can set realistic bounce rate targets and focus on strategies that optimize the user experience and drive conversions.

[janetjacksondigital]

Users who "bounce" are those that visited a page on your website (SEO) or a landing page but did not interact with it further. In the end, the site conversion rates suffered because they did not view additional pages or click on links. There are numerous ways to make your pages better so that visitors remain longer.  The word "bounce rate" may have come up in your research on best practices while starting an internet business.  This makes sense. It's crucial to consider bounce rates. If you know what to look for, your website's bounce rate can reveal a lot about your company and be a great tool for testing both new and old pages. What is bounce rate? The amount of visitors to your website that leave without clicking on any other pages save the one they initially landed on is known as your bounce rate. Stated differently, people "bounce" off your website practically right away. Google defines bounce rate as follows, taken from its Analytics page: "A session that results in only one request being made to the Analytics server, like when a user visits one page on your website and leaves without making any more requests to the Analytics server during that session, is specifically calculated as a bounce in Analytics." Exit rate vs bounce rate Your exit rate and bounce rates are not the same thing. The percentage of users that leave your website after viewing a certain page is known as your exit rate, and a high exit rate isn't always reason for concern. For example, a high exit rate might be expected from a "thank you" page that appears after a consumer completes a transaction. A high bounce rate on that page would indicate that visitors were arriving there without going to any other pages on your website or making any purchases. 15 Simple Ways to Reduce Your Bounce Rate- Group Buy Seo Tools Why is bounce rate important? Your bounce rate is something you should be worried about. A high bounce rate is probably a sign of a dissatisfied user base and decreased revenue from visitors who leave your website without accomplishing anything. Optimizing your website's conversion rate requires a thorough understanding of bounce rate. Websites should be, to use marketing speak, "sticky," meaning that new leads should want to stay on your site whether they find it through another source or on their own.. When determining who visits your page, Google takes into account your bounce rate. A visitor that takes the time to browse through several pages on your website is likely interested in and finding value in your material. What is Bounce Rate? How to fix it? https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=IyAtsgDuFWs How harmful is a high bounce rate? The type of content you present will determine the response. If you wish visitors to browse through all of the pages on your website, a high bounce rate indicates a problem. Perhaps a link in the navigation menu is broken, or visitors aren't waiting around for your page to load quickly enough. Perhaps your site's visitors aren't interested in your material. Conversely, a high bounce rate could be entirely reasonable if your website simply requires visitors to view one page. It makes sense for customers to click away from your website after completing an action, such as leaving a product review or sending you a message, if that is the main reason they visit it. What, then, constitutes a favorable bounce rate? It varies. Depending on how each page is supposed to be used, individual pages will have varied bounce rates. For this reason, examining your site's overall bounce rate might not be the most accurate representation of your situation. You might need to delve more to discover the truth. How to calculate the bounce rate It can be advisable to divide up your measures into different areas so you can see where and how visitors are interacting with your website. For instance, calculating the bounce rate of your blog and landing page alone will get a more precise percentage than ranking them together. On a blog page, a high bounce rate wouldn't be out of the ordinary. However, the purpose of your landing page is to direct visitors to other sections of your website, thus it should have a lower conversion rate. One useful metric for A/B testing new page designs is the bounce rate of a single page. You'll know which landing page design to choose with more confidently if you launch two versions and one of them has a noticeably greater bounce rate than the other. Differences, Benefits, and Drawbacks of PPC vs. SEO in 2024 What factors affect the rate at which you bounce back? Decide the section of your website you want to examine before you start tracking your bounce rate. Is this the page that lands? pages of products? Subscribe to the newsletter? After you've identified the area that needs to be looked at, you may set a target % for your bounce rate and compare it to that number. There are several elements that can impact your website's or page's bounce rate, such as: Your sector Whereabouts Which device users are using to access your website? Absence of CTA 404 Not Found inadequate user experience slow loading speeds False metadata Determining the desired bounce rate Using Google Analytics, you may calculate the typical bounce rate for your industry. To enable benchmarking, simply navigate to your account settings and select the relevant check box. Google will provide an estimate specific to your sector. After determining the average, you can review your website to determine if it is performing on, above, or below par. Simply navigate to the Behavior section of Analytics, pick "Landing Pages" under the Site Content title, then drill down into the bounce rates for various portions of your website. This is where your site-wide bounce rate appears. To obtain more information, you can click on each area or select the "Advanced Features" option located in the menu's upper right corner. Furthermore, you can compare industry averages by vertical and time period to go even deeper. You may determine which groups are visiting your site for the longest by segmenting your site data based on factors like age, gender, and geography. By examining the data in this manner, you can determine whether your website caters to a specific gender or age group, and you can modify your pages accordingly. How to raise the rate at which pages load There are no strict guidelines for lowering your bounce rate. On the other hand, by using a few common strategies on your own website and in your digital marketing initiatives, you can raise your bounce rate. Address technical problems Web development problems are usually technical in nature. If a software issue—such as a slow website with an abnormally long load time—is the primary cause of your high bounce rate, you can address it fairly quickly and simply with a technical fix. For example, you can hire a developer to optimize your website's navigation and other areas, or you can buy more server space. Make mobile-friendly adjustments Since more people than ever browse the web on their phones, your website should be simple to use and navigate from mobile devices. On mobile devices, for instance, lengthy films can occasionally take a while to load. You may avoid the kind of slowness that causes users to leave a page by including shorter videos on your mobile version of the website. Your website's mobile version should be clear and simple, providing users with the information they require in a quick and easy manner. Pay attention to user intent and entry points. It's critical to monitor the sources from which visitors arrive at your website. Do they arrive via your newsletter via email? natural search? Social media advertisements that cost money? These components include things like your ad copy, meta description, and title tag. People are likely to leave your page if your Facebook advertisement fails to prepare them for what they will see when they arrive. Boost the user experience To improve user experience, try your best to remove everything from your website that could irritate or distract visitors, including the ease of use of the navigation. Someone will undoubtedly flee if they see a chatbot, a full-screen pop-up advertisement for your newsletter, and then a pop-up coupon offer all at once. When using popups and advertisements, consider their placement and make sure they blend in with your website rather than drawing attention to them. Make sure to optimize on-page SEO and look at the keywords on your website and how they rank. Are you attracting the right individuals at the right times by employing the appropriate keywords for your industry?If you are offering marketing automation software, you want visitors to your website who are already familiar with it and can more easily comprehend the advantages that your product provides. You don't want to draw in someone who is just now learning about the concept. That visitor may become overwhelmed and leave your site extremely fast if they find you and click through, which will lower the total bounce rate of your website. To put it succinctly, ensure that the keywords that appear on your website correspond to its content. Try classifying the pages on your website according to subjects to see what categories they fall under, then make sure they're drawing the appropriate Group Buy Seo Tools: Boost Your Website’s Rankings Observe your data As with most other facets of digital marketing, you must monitor your data in this situation, which calls for putting policies in place that enable efficient data collection and analysis. You are unable to maximize your bounce rate if you do not possess access to all the required data. Upon considering all of this data, trends will surface that can assist you in resolving the issue of excessive bounce rates in inappropriate locations. These trends will be easier to spot the more experienced you get at examining your measurements and interacting with the data. lowering the bounce rate of your website When assessing how well your website and its various pages are performing, you should keep an eye on the bounce rate. Although it's common for some sites to have bounce rates that are higher than others, you still need to think about your marketing funnel. If you observe that users are leaving sales pages quickly, you need to identify the issue. Resolving technical problems, making your website mobile-friendly, considering user experience, and reviewing your data can assist you in devising the most effective strategies for retaining clients. After customers convert, you can next begin creating methods for keeping them as clients. With a variety of marketing tools at your disposal, such as landing page builders and website builders, Janet Jackson Digital can help you enhance your sales process. An analytics dashboard makes it simple to access your most important asset by storing all of the data collected from your Janet Jackson Seo Tools Provider site. FAQs

[marketing-technology]

Why a High Website Bounce Rate is Detrimental and How to Reduce It in 4 Easy Steps

Studies show that the average human attention span is less than 10 seconds. For businesses and product sellers, those 10 seconds are critical. If your website doesn't immediately meet visitors' needs, they'll leave quickly.

This phenomenon is known as the bounce rate. Various factors can contribute to a high bounce rate, and multiple strategies can address it. One significant factor is page load time; a delay of just one second can increase the likelihood of a bounce by 90%. This article explores the reasons behind high bounce rates and provides actionable steps to reduce them.

What is Bounce Rate?

Bounce rate is the percentage of visitors who leave your website after viewing only one page. They do not interact with the page, such as by filling out a form or clicking on links. According to GoRocketFuel.com, the average website bounce rate ranges from 41% to 51%.

Why Does Bounce Rate Matter?

There are three primary reasons why bounce rate is crucial:

Conversion Impact: Visitors who leave your site without interacting don't convert, negatively affecting your conversion rates and, ultimately, your business.

SEO Considerations: Bounce rate is a potential ranking factor for Google. Studies have shown a strong correlation between bounce rate and first-page search engine rankings.

User Experience Insight: A high bounce rate can indicate issues with your website's content, user experience, layout, or copywriting.

How to Reduce Your Bounce Rate in 4 Simple Steps

1. Ensure Your Website is Mobile-Friendly

With mobile users accounting for about half of global web traffic, providing a mobile-ready experience is essential. A responsive site should be user-friendly and interactive. Engaging content like videos can enhance the experience, but ensure they are concise to avoid slowing down load times. Evaluate and improve the mobile experience for all content types.

2. Analyze Your Bounce Rate by Traffic Source

Use tools like the HubSpot Web Analytics Dashboard to assess bounce rates based on traffic sources. If direct traffic shows a high bounce rate, check for issues like 404 errors or an uninviting homepage. Clear headlines that confirm visitors are in the right place can help meet expectations and reduce bounce rates.

3. Avoid Disruptive User Experience Elements

Ensure a good user experience across all platforms. Full-screen pop-ups can be irritating and lead to search penalties. While some pop-ups are beneficial, avoid those that significantly disrupt the user experience and cause visitors to leave.

4. Align Keywords with User Intent

Make sure your content matches the intent of the keywords it ranks for. For instance, someone searching for "marketing automation software solutions" likely wants software to nurture leads, while a search for "What is marketing automation?" indicates a need for informative content. Aligning keywords with content helps meet visitor expectations and attract the right traffic.

What is a Good Bounce Rate?

A "good" bounce rate varies depending on the type of website, industry, and target audience. Generally:

A bounce rate around 40% or lower is considered good.

A bounce rate of 50% or higher suggests a need to evaluate and improve content and engagement.

Different websites and industries have varying average bounce rates. For example, blogs may have higher bounce rates (around 70%), while eCommerce stores aim for lower rates (40%-60%).

How to Calculate Bounce Rate

Bounce rate is calculated by dividing the number of unengaged sessions by the total number of sessions:

Bounce Rate=Unengaged SessionsTotal Sessions\text{Bounce Rate} = \frac{\text{Unengaged Sessions}}{\text{Total Sessions}}Bounce Rate=Total SessionsUnengaged Sessions​

An engagement rate is the opposite of the bounce rate. For instance, if your engagement rate is 70%, your bounce rate will be 30%.

Common Causes of High Bounce Rates

Irrelevant or Poorly Targeted Traffic: Attracting the wrong audience or failing to meet visitor expectations can lead to high bounce rates.

Poor User Experience: Slow loading times, confusing navigation, or cluttered layouts can cause visitors to leave quickly.

Lack of Engaging Content: Uninteresting or irrelevant content can fail to capture visitor attention.

Technical Issues: Broken links, error messages, or non-mobile-friendly designs can frustrate visitors.

Misleading or Inaccurate Search Results: Visitors may leave if search results don't accurately reflect your page content.

Single-Page Interactions: Some pages are designed for single interactions, which can result in high bounce rates without indicating a problem.

Conclusion

A high bounce rate can be detrimental to your business, especially if it affects key pages like your homepage or product pages. However, it may be acceptable for single-page content where quick exits are expected. The goal is to reduce bounce rates and increase visitor engagement. Follow the steps outlined in this article to keep users on your website longer and improve your overall performance.

[techerudite]

Fast loading site leads to a lower bounce rate... Your website take much time to load? 🤔 Get proper solution dm us or visit us at: https://bit.ly/32j9hbk

[superhoeva]

bouncer!logan using his break to fuck you silly in the bar bathroom after you come a visit him at work. such a sweet thing, driving down here just to see him and bring him something other than bar food.

he couldn't care less that you're dressed in a t-shirt, sweatpants, and shoes that should've been chucked out ages ago. you're here for him. running around town and bringing food for him.

a hand settles over your mouth to muffle your loud moans and his chest presses hard against your back at he plunges inside you. you're leaking a mess, and logan finds it's a fucking sight whenever he pulls back enough to see how well his dick is splitting you open.

the man is certain he won't be able to hold it long, thinking of you. how good you are to him. the way you kissed his chin at the door. he's trying. really, he is. rutting and gnawing a sore into his bottom lip, groaning every time his hips snap against your ass.

huffs of hot air pants out against the shell of your ear, and logan is damn near drooling as he whispers rather loudly at how infuckingcredible you are for squeezing around him like you are.

"who told you you could feel this good, huh? and who told you to be so sweet to me, hm? " he grunts, smirking at the pitiful response you whimper out in return. tears are welling in your eyes as he shifts his hips, the new angle punching the head of his cock right into your spot. you both share a broken groan that echoes against the cool walls of the bathroom. "shit, there it is. right there. right there, yeah? s'at it?"

you jerk with heavy gasps into logan's palm. the world blurs, and a rush of heat floods over you at a suffocating rate. your peak only drags logan's along, the man smashing himself against you in a noisy, shaky hover.

logan doesn't want you to leave after. the soft hand and long kiss that rubs against your cheek after he pulls up your sweats tells you that much.

so instead of you driving back home with shaky legs and a hazy head, logan settles you in a booth near the very back of the bar. right in his eye line and content in the quieter space with however many drinks and snacks you want.

his attention is split for the rest of the shift–dutifully scanning his sharp gaze over the entire room while keeping himself where he can see and get to you quick if he needs. he ends up chuckling to himself when he's allowed to go home for the night, only to find you slumped next to an empty basket that used to hold the house fries he ordered you in a light sleep.

head tilted and eyes soft as you snore quietly, logan just watches you for a moment. grinning a little at how easy you are to tire out.

soon enough, he's coaxing you from the booth with soft coos and shushes whenever you whine about not wanting to move.

he cuddles you with strong arms into his side the entire way to his truck, promising to come back and get your car in the morning. it's the least he can do...

more bouncer!logan | send in bouncer!logan ideas

© 𝐬𝐮𝐩𝐞𝐫𝐡𝐨𝐞𝐯𝐚

[flamingpudding]

Danny, the 'twig' Bouncer

The job was just a temporary solution. It was a means to an end. To help him handle his obsession until things were better. Until it was safe to be out again. Until he could roam around freely without fear. Until he no longer needed to lay low or be on the run. Until he could return to being Phantom.

This job helped keep his obsession somewhat sedated. Sure, it was a shady bar, but it beat working out in the open in some other way or becoming a non-ghost vigilante and risking his human persona too.

Besides people tented to underestimate him because he was a 'twig' in their eyes. The bar owner nearly didn't hire him until he easily flipped a human truck over his shoulder and threw the guy out the back door on his interview day.

But again this was just meant to be temporary. He got to fight the trouble makers and protect customers from the rowdy crowd.

At some point, the people even started cheering whenever Danny was on the clock, his coworkers even leaving the heavy hitters to him. It was kind of fun always seeing the sound looks of the big guys that didn't think Danny could throw them out the door with one hand. The owner had said something about getting more customers ever since Danny started working for him.

Danny even recognized regulars now. Tho there was this one guy with a red helmet that gave him a weird feeling. But the guy wasn't making trouble so Danny left him alone.

Besides the Bar Owner always pet his shoulder after he threw someone out. That meant he did a good job right?

Though Danny did wonder how long this temporary job would last.

.

.

.

Yea his Fenton luck struck again. Danny didn't know faces. The bar was a shady place but neutral zone according to the owner but there was the golden rule of not messing with Joker. Danny had agreed even tho he didn't know who that guy was.

Soo the day came a clown made trouble in the bar and no one else appeared to want to do something. So what did Danny do? His job. He punched the guy, knocked him out and threw him right out the door a little too hard into a brick wall. He might have broken a couple of that clown guys bones. Hello trauma, Freakshow greets you.

The bar was dead silent right after, everyone staring at him like he had just signed a death sentence. The owner had then pushed him out the door and muttered something about sending Danny on vacation and to return in a month if he was still alive by then.

Did that mean he was fired or got a weird kind of promotion?

Why was that guy in a furry suit staring him down now?

Also why was the red helmet regular suddenly trying to hire him for his gang?

Really Danny just wanted a simple job that sedated his obsession, this was not what he expected to happen for a job well done.

[starrletnight]

new speedrun strat unlocked: kiss the bouncer

[wolfssixshadows]

Friendly reminder that Kaz goes to stare at the Emerald Palace everytime he feels low on rage. Just one good look at the eyesore and he's back and ready to take on the world.

[royalthorned]

i need evan to be a bouncer at a club and for a drugged, drunken barty to mistake him as an angel

[moongreenlight]

Ghost as a club bouncer. My brain is doing a hard reboot.

Him in one of those tight-fitted black tees. Big shoulders completely blocking the entrance?

Him standing with his arms crossed over his big barrel chest glowering down at people trying to get in with fake IDs or without paying the cover?

That stupid trope of him questioning your ID? What’s your address? What’s your birthday? What’s your sign? You trying to buy me a drink? And then he grudgingly waves you inside?!!

The idea of him being the one person in the club you shouldn’t be talking to, and especially not sassing that draws you to him all night???

Him standing in front of VIP and you trying to get through but there’s a big crowd but he’s so big and tall that he can see you so he just reaches out and drags you forward by the wrist with those big huge giant tattooed arms of his?!!!!!!!!!

Trying to flirt with him all night and him being stone cold until you finally decide to give it up because there’s some drunk guy looking to actually pay you some mind and when you go to the bathroom and come back out you see Ghost throwing the guy out??

AND THEN YOU GET ALL HUFFY AND TRY AND ARGUE WITH HIM AND HE JUST ROLLS HIS EYES AND TAKES YOU BY THE ARM AGAIN??!!!!!!

LEADS YOU THROUGH THE EMPLOYEE EXIT TO HIS CAR SAYING HE’LL TAKE YOU HOME. AND THEN ON THE DRIVE HOME WHEN YOU’RE BICKERING HE SAYS SOMETHING ABOUT

“Don’t know how to behave. Been humpin’ my leg all night. Have to sort out that needy cunt of yours see if you can’t stay out of trouble then.”

[hauntingjasper]

Allianced so hard you gotta take them trick or treating

[citricjoy]

can somebody get this 14 year old out of the club

[bangaveragewhitewine]

snowed in⋆⁺₊❅

Eddie Munson x Reader (from Happy Hours, but can be read as a standalone)

Word Count: 1.4K

Summary: My first contribution to @littlexdeaths The Twelve Days of Promptmas revisits Bouncer!Eddie and Bartender!Reader as they brave a blizzard together. 

Content: Cosy and domestic overall. Mentions of sex (oral m & f recieving, penetrative sex). Spit / spit kink mention. Vomit mention if you squint. Hints to anxiety.

December 1993

Silhouetted by the brilliant white sky, he looks like spilled ink framed by the wooden window frame. Accidentally beautiful or intentionally dark and mysterious, a Rorschach print filled with meaning, you want to mount him on the wall and admire him from every angle. 

Eddie gazes out at the falling snow, the way it blankets the city streets below. He watches the flakes float and fall, fat and frosty from the fit-to-burst clouds above, and twists the red phone cord around his fingers as he listens to Wayne on the other end. 

You can’t see his face from your spot on the couch, curled up beneath a blanket with fuzzy socks and your hands wrapped around a warm cup of tea, but you would bet all of your earthly possessions that he’s wearing his worry beneath his bangs, pinched between two dark brows. You would also wager that Wayne is insisting he is fine and dandy, teasing him for fretting like an old woman (but secretly feeling heart-warm that his boy cares so much). 

Your tea is cool enough now to sip without scalding your lips (which Eddie would gladly kiss better if such a tragedy would occur). You smile into the cup when he laughs low and throaty, warming you inside out. 

“We’re good, Wayne. Yeah, the bar’s closed tonight, we’re staying put.” Eddie twists slightly to look over his shoulder and winks at you, “Yeah, I’ll tell her.” In socked feet, he shuffles back from the icy-cold glass and turns his back on the blizzard beyond. “You too, old man. Tell Laurel hi from us… Call me tomorrow, okay? Bye, Wayne. Bye.”

You watch him place the phone and its cradle back on the sideboard once his fingers have been untangled from the cord. “How’s Hawkins?” you ask.

“Pretty bad. They closed the Plant, that never happens.” 

He picks up his coffee cup, drains the dregs, and comes to join you on the couch. Eddie is grateful when you lift the fuzzy blanket for him and lays himself on his front with his head against your heart. Going quiet, he sighs and soaks in your warmth before continuing - you can feel the tension wash away now that he has spoke to his Uncle.

“And Wayne? He sounded in good spirits.”

“Mmhm. He’s good. Staying with Laurel, her heating is less-shitty. They’re stocked up on groceries for a few days, so it’s fine.” His voice is muffled against your sweater, but you can feel his relief that Wayne and his girlfriend have each other and don’t have to brave the blizzard alone. Just like you and Eddie. Being snowed in alone would royally suck.

You had enjoyed the light dusting of snow that came at the start of the week, braved the sub-zero temperatures to keep the patrons of Jackie’s happy and drunk, and endured a busy Walmart with Eddie to stock up the fridge and cupboards ‘just in case’. It was fun at first, writing your initials in the snow and pegging snowballs at Eddie, laughing until your ribs ached when you tried and failed to dodge his retribution and cold hands. But winter in Chicago was no joke and overnight, a dump of powdery white perfection and a frigid wind had frozen the midwest. Luckily, the bar closed early last night so everyone could get home safe and sound. The phone call from Frank this morning woke you both up and alerted you to the city at a standstill; there was no need to open the bar tonight and maybe tomorrow. With nowhere to be and nowhere to go, you both curled up again to sleep the day away.

A few hours later, Eddie stood by his sleepy promise to keep you warm by burrowing beneath the blankets and making himself at home between your thighs until you were both sweaty and satisfied and the bedroom windows had fogged up behind the thick curtains. 

You started cooking a lasagne as Eddie called around to make sure your group of friends were safe and sound and fully stocked up for the next few days. He cancelled guitar lessons planned for the next few days, bidding farewell to the extra cash that makes the Holidays a little more extravagant for you two. When Eddie joined you in the kitchen to help chop and taste-test, he brought loose plans to meet in the park and build a snowman tomorrow if the blizzard permitted. He watched the clock, giving  Wayne time to sleep after his night shift; intrusive thoughts of black ice and snow drifts and his Uncle frozen to the bone tightened the tension in his shoulders and made him restless. Finally, he was able to relax once he knew everyone was coping, and once he knew Wayne was safe and warm a two-hundred-odd miles away.

You watch a few episodes of Twin Peaks with the lights low and Eddie falls asleep for a while, looking younger and so peaceful. An unplanned day off is exactly what he needed, wrung out from extra shifts at the bar and guitar lessons and odd jobs he picks up along the way - a day here or there working a sound desk for community theatre, slotting in as a session musician, and learning the ropes at a local radio station (sometimes you even get to hear his voice on the air, though that’s usually when he forgets to mute himself, or his laughter breaches the booth). His ability to try his hand at anything, watching him persist and flourish, makes your heart ache with how much you adore him. Though you do wish he would not spread himself so thinly some weeks, especially now when the days feel so short, when the bar is getting busier as the Holidays tick closer and the days off are fewer and fewer. This snow day, you think, is some sort of divine intervention and you let him sleep on for a little longer than he might like - there’s nowhere to be, nowhere to rush to.

Now the apartment you share smells like the rich and warming lasagne you made together and cheesy garlic bread. Outside, the snow is settling and you sit together at the little dining table with candles and two beers in lieu of wine or something fancy. Eddie’s cheeks are rosy warm and one dimple is stained with a speck of tomato sauce that you will wipe away so gently and call him your ‘mucky pup’. Taking the opportunity to make this an impromptu date night, he attempted to serenade you in butchered Italian until you had to cover his mouth with your hand. 

“Baby, I love you so so much, but we’re going to get another noise compla- Ew! Did you lick me?!” 

You wiped your spit-damp hand on his face as he cackled and threatened to not give him an edge piece of the lasagne - as if you would ever deny him his share of that crispy cheese topping, as if licking your hand was any worse than living with his boyish burps and flatulence, as if you haven’t nursed him through food poisoning, as if your eyes don’t roll into your skull when he spits in your mouth while your legs are up on his shoulders.

Two empty plates sit in front of you as you share memories of snow days passed and agree that this might just be the best one both of you have ever had. Better than the giant snowman Wayne helped him build when he was eight, better than the big hill you went sledging on when you were ten, better than every cup of cocoa with marshmallows that warmed your cold hands after snowball fights. 

Soon you will stand side by side in the kitchen, washing and drying the dishes as you agree on a movie to watch and and wondering aloud if the snow will settle enough for a snowball fight fuelled with hipflasks of warming whiskey with your friends tomorrow. Eddie will call Wayne one more time before bed, and you will talk in the darkness of your bedroom as you fall asleep curled together under too many blankets.

Neither of you is sure what tomorrow will be like, but you both know that you won’t have to spend it alone.

Thank you for reading - I hope you enjoyed! Reblogs, comments and likes are loved, cherished and adored!

[misseligon]

wait what do you mean i'm 13 days late to Halloween? I'm totally nooooooooooooooot

[luxmoogle]

So I did the math