#Casey has NO CHILL | Explore Tumblr posts and blogs

iscdisc · 13 days ago

Text

A 2012 Casey appreciation post, basically- Lmao

I originally was going to rant about something not so positive, because that's just in my nature to do and 2012 as a whole just makes me incredibly angry- But that's how you can tell it's my favorite show on the planet, so like- LMAO

That's not to say that there won't be some moments of anger in this tangent from me, but for the most part I just want to kind of "gush" (so to speak) about 2012 Casey Jones and why these incompetent writers could never get me to hate him. 🫶✨

This might be kind of contradicting from me, since a lot of 2012 April's writing is what causes me to strongly dislike her as a character canonically- But I think I've come to realize that it's not that I necessarily hate April, it's just that I hate how she was handled and all the opportunities that the show gives her simply for just existing / a lot of what April gets tied to or what she accrued throughout the series are things that I feel the writers simply hand to her rather than explaining why she deserves them (Like her Kunoichi certification after the Space Arc- 💀 / I still don't understand why, "City at War" couldn't have been the first April solo mission episode instead to further show why she should be awarded this accomplishment, but okay- Lmao). And that's why she's frustrating to me. LMAO

Just think about how much better April's character would have been if the show writers actually gave a shit about her and weren't (probably) misogynistic because her character feels like a stereotype of a teenage girl / the "mandatory girl character" a majority of the time. 🙃👍

Casey, on the other hand, is a different situation. Because not only does this show not give him jack shit half the time, but they do him no favors the way they do April a lot of favors (in my opinion) and it feels as though practically a majority of the cast despises his existence-?? Another thing that cannot be said of April (in my opinion). LMAO

I also feel like a lot of the negative traits that we see from Casey throughout the series feel intentional?? In the sense that it feels as though the writers want us as the audience to think that Casey is the most insufferable person on the planet- Similar to how the writers embellish Mikey's negative traits so that we'll also think he's "unreliable" and "annoying" like his brothers do. The writers practically have Casey become "Mikey 2.0" in a lot of instances, and I don't say that like an insult because it honestly shouldn't be?? But it feels like sabotage from the writers, I gotta be honest. 💀

Maybe I'm the only one who feels this way, but 2012 Casey in his first three introductory episodes (Which yes, I refer to them as three introductory episodes because he wasn't officially introduced into the narrative until, "The Good, the Bad, and Casey Jones" / S2 EP 8 / but he technically was a big part of two episodes prior to that one and more literally introduced as a character in, "Mutagen Man Unleashed" / S2 EP 4 /. So-! 👍✨) has an incredibly different feel to him than the Casey that we see in, "Fungus Humongous" / S2 EP 10 /-?? Before, at least in my opinion, Casey felt like a chill dude who had occasional aggressive / hyperactive moments. But after, "The Good, the Bad, and Casey Jones", he felt more like an aggressive / hyperactive dude with occasional relaxed moments- Does that make sense? This is when I feel like he was really shifting into "Mikey 2.0" by the writers. He's a lot more brash, openly obnoxious and boisterous, saying things that he doesn't necessarily need to say so that everyone will look at him with glares (I wonder what other character that happens to- 🙄), having an unserious nature that the others disapprove of (Again, who else does that sound like-), a lot clumsier in battle than he used to be, the others don't take him seriously (Do I even need to say it again-), etc.

But does any of this deter me from loving him as a character? Absolutely not and it never will. LMAO

This isn't to say that I think Casey is perfect, because clearly he has his flaws, and given how the writers handled his character throughout the series, I completely understand why some people think less of him or would say that he's their least favorite character in 2012,, I really do get it.

BUT, despite all those things, I still feel like there were a lot of redeemable traits from him that don't get talked about a lot? Also a lot of things that I feel backfired in regards to the image that the writers "wanted" (Since maybe they didn't intend for this?? But it felt that way to me-) us as the audience to have of his character- Like him actually being one of kindest members of the team??

It's definitely not a conventional kindness, but it is a kindness nonetheless.

I honestly don't know a good place to start with this, so I'm just going to start rambling about whatever comes to mind and hope that that works out for me- LMAO

One of the first things that comes to mind for me is him during, "Of Rats and Men" / S2 EP 12 /. Despite having a crippling musophobia (Fear of mice and rats-) in the same way that Raph has a crippling entomophobia (Fear of insects-), Casey's still did his best to contribute to that problem and was probably enduring one of the most traumatic events of his life for his friends?? Like hello?? He's only known them for like maybe a few weeks or so at this point (Logically speaking-) too??

I know Raph technically has some growth with it in 2012 (Only saying technically because I really didn't like how the show constantly harped on Raph's entomophobia, as if there aren't many other aspects of his character that could have been talked about instead- Lmao), but when he was in his first situation revolving around his phobia ("The Cockroach Terminator" / S1 EP 18 / ) he was not very helpful for a majority of that situation (Which I totally get-) nor did he volunteer to put himself in the "eye of the storm" of that situation in the same way Casey did here. That was an incredibly kind / selfless thing for Casey to do??

Without questioning anything, he defends April against Timothy (Who they didn't know was Timothy at the time, besides I don't think that would be relevant cause April didn't really meet Timothy-?) during the episode, "Mutagen Man Unleashed" / S2 EP 4 / and rides away on his bike with her to escape Timothy, having just met April for the first time. He's pretty much kind towards April in general, but what I mean is a different type of kindness than the more general one that most characters give her- He truly allows April to be herself around him / doesn't treat her differently as person (When I say this, I mean moments like when Casey had no problem kicking April in her shoulder to wake her up during, "Within the Woods" / S3 EP 1 /- Lmao), and I feel like that is the biggest act of kindness he could ever give her. Like??

Maybe this isn't something that is necessarily considered "kind", but I thought it was incredibly sweet and understanding of Casey sit through the drive all the way up to the O'Neil's Farmhouse immediately after the Kraang invasion + immediately after he had failed to find his Father and little Sister in the chaos,, I'm sure he felt like he had to because of everything going on, but it would have been just as understandable for him to need breaks on the road or to vent during the drive- Instead it felt like he just focused on getting everybody else to safety, you know what I mean??

The way he whispers to Raph about taking it easy on Leo during their sparring match since he's been having a hard time since he woke up from his coma during, "Eyes of the Chimera" / S3 EP 7 / ? 😭 || I don't know how much this counts for kindness either, but the way he was so excited to tell Raph about what he had accomplished in regards to Shredder and his little recon mission during, "Casey Jones vs. The Underworld" / S3 EP 14 / always makes me cry- Like he was so happy,,

Also speaking of Casey being incredibly understanding?? 2012 Casey has to be one of the most understanding characters I've ever seen, because the amount of shit that he gets dealt by everyone else and decides to just let's go / move past it is wild to me.

• When Casey's reminiscing to April about his ex best friend Nick in "Target: April O'Neil" / S2 EP 6 / and how there was this complete accident during last year's playoffs and he genuinely accepted that his best friend since second grade decided to never talk to him again?? The maturity that Casey exudes from the scene alone- Not to mention his understanding of her leaving him with a bunch of Foot Soldiers (Not that I'm saying she did anything bad there, I understand why she left and I'm sure he did too-).

• Casey not thinking twice about helping the Turtles and Splinter not get exposed to the Foot Clan during, "The Good, the Bad, and Casey Jones" / S2 EP 8 / despite having known them for a brief amount of time and being at odds with Raph prior- Giving Casey honestly the slimmest of reasons to do this + before this point he actively talked about how he didn't like mutants.

• During, "Newtralized!" / S2 EP 17 /, how despite Raph giving him the hardest time ever (Which felt so hypocritical because I've never seen Raph treat April this way, and she messes up quite a lot imo- 🙃) and blatantly disrespecting him to the point of genuinely pushing him away, Casey STILL CAME BACK AND SAVED THE DAY- Not even getting upset that he didn't get an apology from Raph. At all.

• I don't know if this necessarily falls into what I mean here, but I feel like he often gets misread when he's trying to be genuine? The moment he had with April during, "Within the Woods" / S3 EP 1 / feels like one of these instances to me. I truly don't think Casey meant anything by it when he was asking April if everything was okay between them (Implying the April's been distant towards him lately or probably just acting different-), and even after she kind of blew up on him, he didn't say anything about it and just let it go?? 😭

• Casey being quite literally understanding during, "Buried Secrets" / S3 EP 3 / when April was venting about the situation with her Mother and basically reassuring her that it was okay for April to leave with her if that was the decision that she wanted to make-

• It honestly boils my blood to see how little faith the others had in Casey during, "The Weird World Of Wyrm" / S4 EP 3 / (At least it came across that way to me-), because how could they truly believe that he would turn on them like that? On one hand, I get it was to make the whole thing more believable so that Wyrm wouldn't suspect Casey was trying to do something underhanded, but if I were Casey I would have felt genuinely hurt that they really thought that of me?? April didn't even try to be like, "This isn't you at all! :( " like she normally does, she just fully believed that this is who he was now- 🙃 || But I also understand that a lot of the events of this episode get retconned on purpose, so. 🙄

• Casey basically let go of Raph quite literally ditching him because of his entomophobia during, "The Insecta Trifecta" / S4 EP 17 /, but I also acknowledge that Casey was not helping but all his descriptions during the fight,, LMAO || But I don't know, I feel like Casey was genuinely taking Raph's word for it when he said that he was "over the bug stuff" in the beginning of the episode-

• I don't really want to count this one, but I guess I can bring up how everyone forgave April so quickly after the events of, "The Power Inside Her" / S4 EP 22 / even though I feel like that was incredibly unrealistic-

But all of these hurtful moments?? Casey never brings them up again, he doesn't hold anything over anyone's head- Like- 😭

There's also the fact that he's incredibly selfless?? The most well known example of this being when he saved Raph's life during, "Requiem" / S4 EP 25 / and almost lost his own in the process,,

I feel like the entire concept of his vigilante-ing is an act of selflessness on its own, since you have to want to help people who can't help themselves to accomplish something like that-

Casey almost risked his life protecting April from the mutagen vat Stockman was trying to fly into during, "The Lonely Mutation of Baxter Stockman" / S2 EP 16 /, and the reason I say that he was risking his life is because if that had gone the wrong way, he could have gone into the vat with Stockman himself or could've simply fell in somehow- He literally risked the entire world after Donatello stopped breathing (Presumably his Brothers would follow suit shortly after-) during, "In Dreams" / S2 EP 5 /, since he didn't know for sure that the Dream Beavers wouldn't be world ending entities (Which, this is completely derailing right now, but there was just really sweet 2012 Jonatello fanfiction that used this situation in it- Where Casey openly acknowledges that he risked the entire world for Donatello even if it would have been only for a few minutes because they would have parish shortly afterwards- Like?? I'll try to find it later- 😭💜🖤).

I know this could just be a writing thing and another glaringly obvious way the writers clearly didn't care enough about him as a character, but I feel like his lack of bringing up his personal issues or his family feels selfless-? Like, he doesn't want to weigh anybody down with his problems, so he'd rather focus on what he can control than what he can't- You know? From a canonical writing standpoint, I found this really annoying, but ignoring the writing for a second- I wouldn't be surprised if Casey felt like the guys already struggle with emotionally supporting April and her constantly absent Father enough as it was, that maybe that's why he felt like he didn't want to add on to it or something by talking about his-? 😭 (But knowing these writers, I wouldn't be surprised that they had the Turtles be complete assholes to him about it- Because "boys will be boys" or some shit. 🙃 Lmao)

I also want to talk about how Casey felt like such a fantastic friend?? I know we only have that one moment with Leo during "A Foot Too Big" / S3 EP 2 /, but even that felt like a really great moment from Casey to me? Not to mention the fact that Casey's demonstrated multiple times that he's incredibly loyal, so whenever Leo asked him to be there, he was there- Something we see in episodes like, "The Lonely Mutation of Baxter Stockman" / S2 EP 16 / (Though, maybe this kind of feels like a straw grab-? Casey and Leo don't get a lot of interactions, so I don't know what else to say- 😭)

The only reason why I say what I'm about to say is because I feel like the writers handled Casey and Raph's friendship extremely poorly, but even though Raph treats Casey like shit 9 times out of 10 during the show, Casey still views him as his best friend and still has his back constantly?? This is demonstrated throughout the entire series honestly- (This is it to say that I don't like 2012 Raph and Casey or I don't value their friendship as such a staple in the series, because it's the exact opposite-! Which is why I was so disappointed in how 2012 handled their friendship,, 💀)

Casey and Mikey's dynamic is one of the most organic friendships to come out of the 2012 series in my opinion- They were genuinely the most fun on screen and it made me want them to interact a lot more. Like have you watched the episodes, "Meet Mondo Gecko" / S3 EP 17 / and "Bat in the Belfry" / S4 EP 19 / ? 🙄✨

Even though Donnie views Casey as "his rival" or some kind of "threat" between himself and April, I still feel like Casey had a lot of moments where he treated Donnie with respect and as an ally / friend, despite how Donnie feels towards him being glaringly obvious- As much as I would love to give you a plethora of examples of this happening, it feels like there's too many because it's kind of a in the background / nuanced thing-?? (See the picture I put for this part-) Like, if you focus on them during episodes, I feel like you could see what I mean- LMAO

Which has always led me to have this theory that Casey never actually hated Donnie to begin with and was just reciprocating the energy that Donnie was giving him, because why wouldn't he?

But I think a dynamic that is one of my favorites with Casey in the 2012 series is his dynamic with April-

April feels like a genuine person / fleshed out character when she's interacting with Casey as opposed to when she's interacting with any of the brothers. I don't know how else to explain it- A lot of the solo scenes that April and Casey get feel so different for April specifically, and I genuinely enjoy them ! Moments like when they're riding "Kirby Bat" during, "The Lonely Mutation of Baxter Stockman" / S2 EP 16 / or that Kraathatragon / " Giant Kraang Worm" during, "The Manhattan Project / Wormquake!" / S2 EP 13-14 / or when April finally breaks the wood in half with Casey at the end of, "Vision Quest" / S3 EP 8 /, or when April and Casey are walking home from the movie theater in, "The Deadly Venom" / S3 EP 18 /- It also makes me sad at the same time though, because I feel like if the show just dropped the stupid "Will they? Won't they?" romance bullshit subplot between them, they would have just been the best of friends and that would have been the best thing ever- Like. 😭

I almost forgot to mention the amount of times that Casey was actually able to swallow his pride for his friends despite the show giving us the impression that he's an incredibly prideful and egotistical person?? The fact that he has gone to the guys for help on more than one occasion (i.e. "Fungus Humongous" / S2 EP 10 /, "The Wrath of Tiger Claw" / S2 EP 19 / though this was just him sending them an alert from his phone, "A Chinatown Ghost Story" / S2 EP 23 /, "Casey Jones vs. The Underworld" / S3 EP 14 /-) despite claiming that he's a "Lone Wolf" and doesn't need anybody's permission to act. He even calls and waits for them before acting in, "The Power Inside Her" / S4 EP 20 /. He apologized to Donnie during, "Race With the Demon" / S3 EP 6 /, something I'm sure he never thought he would do in a million years at that point- He also had a lot of technical apologies?? Like telling Raph he's "not bad for an amphibian" during, "The Good, the Bad. And Casey Jones" / S2 EP 8 /, telling Donnie he "takes back everything he ever said about him" during "The Manhattan Project (Part 2) / Wormquake!" / S2 EP 14 /. I don't know if this one necessarily counts as an "apology" per se, but the way he was so quick to claim fault and say it was his bad after he triggered the traps during, "Riddle of the Ancient Aeons"- 😭 || I also want to tie in how a lot of the episodes were Casey was the problem or the issue of the episode revolved around Casey, Casey was genuinely the one to resolve said issue- We love him for taking responsibility ! ✨

Casey is also a lot smarter than I feel the other characters and the writers give him credit for / care to acknowledge. This dude literally made his own weapons. Excuse me?? Not to mention his shoes that have hockey blades that retract?? His decked out bike?? Like bro- His entire vigilante get up is incredibly unique and innovative ! During the episode, "Newtralized!", Casey was able to deduce where to exactly shoot his hockey puck explosive into the Kraang contraption (I don't remember what that thing was called,,)- During high action / high speed (??) scenes, you can tell Casey is very quick on his feet and has some pretty natural reflexes of his own (I think a great example of this is his "fight" with TigerClaw during, "The Wrath of Tiger Claw" / S2 EP 19 /-). He was the one that came up with the idea to use pizza to distract and subdue Leo / Raph / and Mikey during, "A Chinatown Ghost Story" / S2 EP 23 /. He clearly has some mechanical experience + possible engineering prowess, given he was constantly trying to work on that busted up truck in the O'Neil Barn and is clearly capable of not only helping Donnie but keeping up with him mechanically during, "Race with the Demon" / S3 EP 6 /. THE ENTIRE EPISODE OF, "Casey Jones vs. The Underworld"?? HELLO?? The way that he did all of that on his own and nobody gave him his flowers is criminal- /hj LMAO

You have no idea how much it upset me when everybody was acting like it was "so wild" that Casey had a good idea / his input was valuable during, "Tokka vs. The World" dude- 💀

All this is to say that 2012 Casey Jones is one of the most charming characters in an animated TV series for me. He's silly, he's stupid, he's loyal- He's just the biggest lovable goofball to me, you know?? 😭🫶

2012 Jonatello side tangent- 💜🖤

Because I genuinely cannot resist putting this at the end, I love talking about Casey's "contradictions" (so to speak) as a character and how he's presented in the show because this genuinely just feeds my Jonatello obsession. Like how I was talking about Casey treating Donnie like a friend despite Donnie clearly not liking him very much for a majority of the show?? How one of Casey's only on screen apologies (If I'm not mistaken??) is towards Donnie? How 2012 has Casey and Donnie conveniently standing next to each other or being in the same vicinity as each other despite "hating each other" more than not? How if you really break down their characters, they're kind of similar? Both physically (Tall, gaps in their teeth, brown eyes-) and characteristically (i.e. Mechanics and inventions, their weapons of choice / fighting styles, they both can get pretty morbid at times but Casey's just being Casey in this instance while Donnie's trying to be "scientifically accurate", as he says, etc.-).

How during, "Monkey Brains", if you look really closely at Donnie's plan to, "Get April to hang out with him", he has hockey on that plan? (Images courtesy of me by the way, since I happened to have the official 2012 art book !) How Donnie's helmet of choice (Specifically during Season 1 but did make an appearance in Season 2-) was a hockey helmet that had the number 16 on it? You know who else has the number 16 on their gear?? CASEY. IMPLYING THAT THIS IS LITERALLY CASEY'S HELMET.

But also the things that make them different attribute to these to being a perfect match to me ! Like their love languages ! Donnie's love language is definitely more verbal / words of affirmation (Since all he does is say things that he shouldn't say about April because she's not his girlfriend and call her things that he shouldn't call her because she's not his girlfriend- Lmao) and gift-giving / acts of service (Pretty much everything Donnie has ever done for April ever falls into one of these two-). While Casey's is also verbal / words of affirmation but in a different way (Since he's definitely more flirtatious / playful-) and physical touch (Since he's always getting into April's space and being very physically close with her-). This makes sense to me, but maybe it might not make sense to other people- I just can't help but feel that everything that Donnie became infatuated with about April and Casey with April is quite literally just each other?? To Donnie, I genuinely feel like he was more attracted to the fact that she was a "firecracker" (so to speak) and did what she wanted / didn't let others tell her what to do. Something we actively see in episodes like, "Panic in the Sewers" when April actively lies to a man to get through an apartment building and Donnie responds with, "She's so cool-". With Casey, it feels like the opposite, where he was only interested in April because in his eyes she was kind of stuck up and a nerd (In his eyes-). I feel like this is enforced by their early on interacts during Season 2, specifically, "Mutagen Man Unleashed", when Casey asks April if "studying is all she does" and April points out that he likes to push buttons-

Which?? This solidifies that (canonically) Casey's method of flirting is pushing buttons, and whose buttons does he push more than DONATELLO'S?? HELLO- 😭💜🖤

I completely derailed by talking about 2012 Jonatello, I'm sorry. This was meant to just be a 2012 Casey appreciation post only- My bad,, 🥲👍 LMAO

#casey #casey jones #tmnt #tmnt 2012 #teenage mutant ninja turtles #teenage mutant ninja turtles 2012

141 notes · View notes

oozedninjas · 1 year ago

Note

This is more on the fluffy end, but could easily turn naughty if you choose. (￣▽￣)b

Normally shy crush randomly sitting on bayboys lap? They want attention and are determined to get it, flustered and all!

Also, hello! I love your posts. Thank you. (* ´ ▽ ` *)ﾉ

Reader sits on their lap to get their attention!!

2007 / NSFWish / Suggestive/boys are 25 and love to see you squirming for them

Leo is cleaning his katana when he feels your hands sliding over his shoulders. Immediately recognizing the touch, he glances at you.

"Hi, love. I thought our date was in another hour," he notes, a glimpse of a playful taunt in his tone.

"I got impatient," you say, sitting on his lap in one motion. "I want you now."

Your bravado stuns him for half a heartbeat before dissolving into a smirk. He places the sword on the side to pull you further onto his lap. His voice is a hot whisper near your lips. "Show me how much."

Raphael is fixing Turtle Movil's muffler when he hears your steps approaching over the smooth asphalt of the garage.

"I'll be with ya in a sec, doll!" he voices from under the van.

You humm, stepping on the edge of Mikey's skateboard, currently serving as support for Rafael to slide under the car. You roll him out.

"Hey! he whines sitting up, just half a second before you sit on his lap.

His breath hitches as you straddle him, shell pressed to the van's side.

"Sorry Raph, I don't feel like waiting," you breathe, trapping his mouth.

Donatello is so invested in talking about this new substance that he doesn't notice you stripping. When you press your bare chest to his shell and drag your hands over his plastron, his words trail off as he tenses.

"Hmm, darling?"

"Yeah?"

"W-what are you doing?"

You smile, turning his swivel chair to you, wasting no time sitting down on his lap.

"I'm listening," you mutter into his ear. "You're so hot when you talk about deadly substances. But I'd love to hear something a bit sweeter."

"Yeah? Like what?" he manages, heart racing.

You lick a stripe over his pulse line, eliciting a whimper from him.

"Like that."

Mikey was chilling, sitting on the worn-out couch, waiting for the TV to load what looked like a video. You placed your hands over his eyes.

"Guess who it is?"

"My Sugar bun?!" he says, turning back excitedly. "Hi! You're just in time, I'm about to start a new game! Let me show you," Mikey reaches for the Xbox controller, turning his back to you.

"Sure! Is the Brotherhood joining soon?"

He giggles at the nickname. "Nah, they're out."

You frown. "Out? All of them?"

"Yeah. Leo's training with his new partner, Raph's out with Casey… and Don's helping April cover some tech issues or something. Oh, and dad's sleeping," Mikey explained idly, choosing the abilities for the playable character.

"Wait, we'll be alone here for… a while?" you venture.

"Yup! So, you want to play with me?"

You smirk, climbing onto his lap. "Love to!"

He dodges you, his eyes glued to the TV. After a moment of contemplation, you break into a mischievous grin.

"But how about we make it more interesting? The loser has to take off an article of clothing for each game over."

You tug at his orange hood, and his eyes dart to you, a mischievous smile growing on his face. "Aw baby, you know you won't beat me, right?"

"I'll take the risk," you say, kissing his snout.

894 notes · View notes

shy-sapphic-ace · 1 year ago

Text

List of queer books I read, loved & recommend!

(There isn't any particular order, I wrote these as I remembered them)

Master Of One - Jaida Jones & Dani Bennett (mlm, fantasy, very cool worldbuilding and magic system, funny, cool characters)

Legends & Lattes - Travis Baldree (wlw, fantasy, very soft & chill vibes)

The Priory of the Orange Tree - Samantha Shannon (wlw, high fantasy, cool worldbuilding, kinda reminds me of LOTR but with more dragons and feminism and lesbians)

Even Though I Knew The End - C.L. Polk (wlw, supernatural noir, cool 1930s detective story with angels & demons, I loved this one!)

The Love Interest - Cale Dietrich (mlm, science fiction, very cool concept)

The Darkest Part Of The Forest - Holly Black (side mlm, fantasy, cool fae lore)

The Weight Of The Stars - K. Ancrum (wlw, not quite science fiction but space stuff is involved, lovely and complex characters)

Aristotle and Dante Discover the Secrets of the Universe - Benjamin Alire Sáenz (mlm, fiction, very nice in general, there is also a sequel)

The Gentleman's Guide to Vice and Virtue - Mackenzi Lee (mlm, historical and vaguely fantasy, nice story but I preferred the sequel honestly)

The Lady's Guide to Petticoats and Piracy - Mackenzi Lee (wlw, the sequel to the one before, more fantasy elements than the first, asexual main character!!)

Gallant - V.E. Schwab (no romance, but in the background one of the characters(?) uses they/them pronouns, very cool dark fantasy vibe)

Stranger Than Fanfiction - Chris Colfer (gay main character, trans main character, coming-of-age, nice book)

Simon vs. the Homo Sapiens Agenda (yes it's the Love, Simon book, mlm, fiction, pretty nice)

They Both Die At The End - Adam Silvera (mlm, sci-fi ish but mostly fiction, cool ideas, but the ending is sad! Very amazing book though, I haven't read the prequel yet)

The Seven Husbands of Evelyn Hugo - Taylor Jenkins Reid (wlw, bi main character, historical fiction, cool story, just a neat book in general)

This Is How You Lose The Time War - Amal El-Mohtar & Max Gladstone (wlw, sci-fi, very cool time travel stuff!! and very beautiful, it felt like reading poetry most of the time)

One Last Stop - Casey McQuinston (wlw, background trans & pan & queer characters, sci-fi or fantasy idk, but time travel, I loooved this book, great)

The House In The Cerulean Sea - TJ Klune (mlm, fantasy, THIS BOOK oh my gosh you should read it!!, just cute and lovely and good)

Under The Whispering Door - TJ Klune (mlm, fantasy, this book is also sooo amazing, great character development and awesome relationships and stuff, it's been a while since I read it but it was so good)

In the Lives of Puppets - TJ Klune (mlm, ace main character!!, sci-fi, now THIS is found family, oughh feelings. argh, tj klune you’ve done it again, a human and his family of funky robots… I love them)

And They Lived... - Steven Salvatore (nblm, fiction, about gender identity and learning to love yourself, read it a while ago but it was very nice)

I Wish You All The Best - Mason Deaver (nblm, fiction, about finding your identity and people who care about you, very cute and sweet)

The Song Of Achilles - Madeleine Miller (mlm, historical, very good in general)

Carry On - Rainbow Rowell (mlm, background wlw in the third book, fantasy, it's a trilogy, basically Harry Potter if it was gay and also better)

Silver In The Wood - Emily Tesh (mlm, fantasy, very pretty, lots of fae stuff and lovely descriptions, it has a really good sequel too)

Pretty much anything by Alice Oseman (all cute and lovely and great, though I've only read Radio Silence so far I hear only good things, Solitaire is on my to-read list)

I Kissed Shara Wheeler - Casey McQuinston (wlw, fiction, it's been a while but I liked this book)

The Falling In Love Montage - Ciara Smyth (wlw, fiction, this book was so cute and funny and deeply emotional it made me Feel way too many things, I'd definitely recommend it)

What Big Teeth - Rose Szabo (a bit of queerness all around, fantasy, werewolves and monsters, this one was pretty cool!, lots of original ideas for the world/character building)

His Quiet Agent - Ada Maria Soto (mlm, asexual, fiction, about like spies but this book was so gentle and sweet I wanted to cry in the best way possible)

Some By Virtue Fall - Alexandra Rowland (wlw, historical fiction(?), theatre drama!! rival romance!! duels!!, a very good read in general)

Don’t Want You Like a Best Friend - Emma R. Alban (wlw, historical fiction, I’m not usually one for regency romances, but I really liked this!!, very cute and lots of drama, and there’s a sequel coming out soon!)

880 notes · View notes

the-blind-assassin-12 · 1 month ago

Text

Unbirthday

A/N: Although I am now two entire weeks late (I am the actual worst) this was written as a birthday gift for @something-tofightfor, because she is the fucking best and I love her guts. Rachael, I hope you enjoy this silly little story. Since Frankie Morales is apparently a "fictional character" and isn't "real" I couldn't wrap him up and send him to you, so this was the best I could do. Sorry it became an unbirthday gift - but it sort of works with the story that way. Anywho, here's hoping that this trip around the sun is a GOOD one!

And if it's your unbirthday today, happy unbirthday to you, too!

Word Count: 6.2k

Warnings: alcohol, and Frankie's shoulders and back making a shirt work very hard.

Summary: Spending your birthday in a brand new city goes from zero to sixty thanks to a co-worker who is determined to become a friend... and thanks to the breathtakingly handsome guy she introduces you to.

You had only been at your new job for a few weeks when your birthday rolled around, so when you walked into your office and flicked the lights on that morning, you were shocked to find a balloon tied to your chair and a white bakery box holding an assortment of cupcakes atop your desk.

What? Who did th-

“Surprise!”

You spun around to see a handful of your co-workers gathered in the doorway behind you, bright smiles on their faces as they wished you a happy birthday.

“Oh, shit!” You let out a laugh as your hand came up to cover your mouth, prompting more laughs from the others.

This is so nice, I wasn’t... Despite the fact that on your very first day at the firm, the office had been celebrating someone else’s birthday, you hadn’t expected anything for yours. Because I’m still brand new here, they hardly know me. You got along well almost immediately with the people you worked with, which was fantastic. Still, the fact that they embraced you quickly enough that they would want to do something for your birthday came as a genuine surprise that gave you a small rush of warmth.

Not that you needed it. January in Tampa was certainly not January in the midwest. You hadn’t felt a chill since you took the transfer, a fact that you made sure to text your shivering friends back home every few days. But even though it was a balmy 68°F and you were wearing short sleeves under your light sweater, the added warmth of your colleagues’ kindness was more than welcome.

Dropping your hand, you beamed at the group which had grown by two more associates from the interior architecture department down the hall, Mel and Casey. “Thank you all so much! You guys really didn’t have to do anything at all. I-”

“Oh, stuff it, of course we did!” Gloria, whose office shared a glass partition with yours and with whom you traded exaggerated expressions while on client calls, stepped forward and threw her arms around you. “You’re the best transfer this office has ever had, we lucked out when we got you! Of course we’re going to celebrate your birthday.”

You chuckled, giving her a quick, loose hug in return. “Gloria, did you do this? Also, weren’t you a transfer from the New York office?”

“I was. Like I said,” she released you and stepped back, grinning. “You’re the best transfer we’ve had. Happy birthday, Ohio.”

The rest of the group called out individual well-wishes before filing back to their own offices and cubicles, leaving just you and Gloria.

“Thank you,” you said again, reaching out to quickly squeeze her arm. “It really means a lot to me.” You sighed, finally putting down your bag and shrugging off your sweater. “I’ve been loving living down here, but the past few days, I don’t know, I guess I’ve been a little homesick. I don’t usually do a ton for my birthday, but this is the first one where I won’t see any of my family or my friends from back home so…” You gestured to the bakery box sitting next to your keyboard. “This was just really nice of you.”

“You’re welcome.” She scrunched her nose. “Thanks for being ten thousand times better to work with than that dipshit you replaced, Kevin.”

You snorted. Though you’d never had the displeasure of meeting the notorious Kevin, you’d heard enough about him to know that his presence in the office was definitely not missed. “No problem, though from what I understand it’s a very low bar.”

“Which you leap over with the ease and grace of a…” She circled her hand through the air. “A… Oh, I don’t know, whatever the hell leaps gracefully. I’m a landscape architect, not a poet.”

That made you laugh again. “Speaking of which,” you pointed at your computer screen. “Are you ready for that conference call with the city planner? J.R. approved our designs, so-”

“Yeah, yeah,” she cut you off, nodding. “All set. Designs for the new park. Not looking forward to dealing with Sweetheart McGee, but-” You rolled your eyes as she used the nickname you’d given to one of the men you’d been working with from the city planner’s office who called the to of you “sweetheart” every time you’d spoken to him. “But it should be a smooth call. More importantly, though-”

You had a sneaking suspicion that whatever was coming next wasn’t, in fact, more important than the biggest project that the landscape department had in house at the moment. Gloria had a tendency to use the phrase “More importantly, though…” to segue into a conversation about whether or not you wanted to get coffee delivered or which shoes you thought she should wear to her cousin’s wedding or if you thought Greg from IT was cute or not because she could totally set you up with him if you did.

And you were proven right as she finished her sentence.

“Do you have plans tonight?”

Shrugging, you shook your head. “Nah. I’ll probably just order in and finally finish unpacking the last of my stuff from the move. There’s a sushi place around the corner from me that I’ve been meaning to try, so… Why are you looking at me like that?”

The way she was looking at you was a mix of the way you might look at the last puppy in the window at the pet store, combined with the confusion one might display while trying to solve an extremely advanced math equation.

“Because you cannot just go home and eat sushi by yourself on your birthday.” She held up her hand then, face returning to a neutral expression. “Unless that’s actually what you want to do. And if it is, I won’t judge.” But? “Buuuuut.” She pressed her lips together. “If you want to get out and do something fun?

You cocked your head to the side. Maybe. There was no harm in seeing what she had in mind. If it wasn’t your speed you still had your backup plan. And I should really get that shit unpacked, but… It doesn’t have to be tonight. “What are you suggesting?”

Gloria’s eyes lit up as you asked, her smile widening. “Well, Benny’s… You met my boyfriend, Benny, last week when he picked me up, remember?” You did, so you nodded. “It’s actually one of his and his brother’s friends’ birthday today, too, or, it was yesterday, but they’re going out tonight because one of them was working last night I think? I don’t know. My point is, it’s just going to be a casual thing down at Duffy’s, and if you want to join, you absolutely should.”

You were about to decline when you asked yourself why you shouldn’t go.

First of all, you seemed to be on the fast track for an out of office friendship with Gloria. The two of you clicked right away, and though you’d only spent time with her out of work once, you could easily see it happening more and more. And I want that. You had solid friendships back home and scattered far and wide, and those people meant the world to you. But you would be lying to yourself if you said you didn’t want to form a few friendships in your new home, too.

There was also the fact that the bar she’d mentioned, Duffy’s, was only a few miles from your place. It was actually where you and your sister went for drinks after she helped you move the last of your things into your condo. She’d driven down with you to keep you company on the trip, then taken a flight back home. But before she did, the two of you spent a day exploring your new neighborhood and ended up at Duffy’s. Though you were excited about your new job and the new start in a new place, you were still a little unsure if you’d made the right decision. But when you walked into the well-loved and weathered beach bar that night, something told you that everything was going to work out just as it should.

And if for some reason that harmonious feeling you got upon entering Duffy’s was a one time thing, you could leave and be home in under eight minutes. And tomorrow’s Saturday, so… Fuck it.

“You know what?” You nodded, a grin curving up your cheek. “That sounds great, Gloria.”

She let out a small gasp and clapped her palms together once. “You’ll come?”

“Yeah.” You nodded again, your grin growing into a full blown smile. “What time?”

“Ah! I’m so happy!” She genuinely was, and it made you feel good to know that she was looking forward to getting to know you outside of work. “I think Benny said nine, but I’ll ask him to be sure and then get back to you.” She clapped her hands together again and sucked in a breath as though something just occurred to her. “Oh! And you’ll get to meet Yovanna! I told you about her I think? Anyway, she’s dating Santi, one of the guys in the group. She’s great, you’ll like her.” Gloria chuckled. “And she’ll like you, too.”

“I hope so!” And if not or if it’s awkward because they’re friends and I’m new… I can just go.

“No, she will, trust me.” Gloria furrowed her brow and nodded. “You two are actually pretty similar.” She smirked. “You don’t take shit and neither does she.” The slightest hint of mischief sparkled in her eyes as another thing dawned on her. “Wait, two of the guys are very single right now and one of them-” You were trying to stop her right there because you weren’t looking for a setup, but she didn’t let you, simply speaking just a touch louder so all you could do was laugh. “One of them is Benny’s brother, and the other is-”

You finally got her to stop by waving your arms and forming them into an X shape, still laughing. “Gloria. Stop. I’ll come out because it sounds fun. But I’m not looking for a matchmaker.”

She held up her hands in surrender, a sheepish smile in place. “Fine. I’m just trying to give you all the information ahead of time.” She winked. “Just in case.”

“Okay.” You winked back, giving her a thumbs up. “Consider me briefed.”

Before Gloria could say anything else, Mel’s voice came through the speaker on your desk phone, saying your name. You pressed the button that let you respond. “What’s up, Mel?”

“Brandon Grant from the city planner’s office is on line one for the conference call with you and Gloria.” From across the room you heard Gloria groan, then looked up to watch her mouth “Sweetheart McGee already?” with a sickly frown on her face, and you had to close your eyes and cover your mouth so you wouldn’t snort into the speaker. “Can I put him through?”

You cleared your throat and shot Gloria a look. “Can you just give me one minute before you put him on? Tell him I’m on the other line, just so I can log in and get the project files open and get situated.”

“No problem,” Mel answered. “He’s early, anyway. Just buzz me back when you’re ready.”

Thanking Mel, you clicked the button to end the call and then let your hands fall against your lap as you faced Gloria. “Alright, you ready to get this over with?”

“We are really going to deserve those drinks after dealing with this guy.” She sighed, then headed for the door, only to appear a second later on the other side of the glass wall. She sat at her desk and started up her computer, then looked over at you and nodded once.

You buzzed Mel back and then you were on the line with Brandon Grant, the man stepping right into his nickname upon greeting.

“Good morning, sweetheart, how you doing today?”

You cringed, forcing a smile into your voice as you answered. “Oh, you know! Another day in paradise! Are you ready to go over the landscape designs for the new park?”

For the next hour you and Gloria took Brandon through the possible layouts, explaining why certain plants and elements were chosen, and answering all of his questions while simultaneously keeping a count of how many times he referred to either of you as “sweetheart”. By the time you hung up, the count had reached twelve and he’d thrown in a “hun” as a bonus.

We definitely deserve those drinks tonight.

But even though he was a pain in the ass to deal with, Sweetheart McGee has chosen one of the three designs you’d proposed, and as long as it was approved by the city council, it would be your first project to move into construction since switching locations. Which is pretty cool.

You sighed, leaning back in your desk chair as you peeled the paper off of one of the cupcakes from the box your co-workers had left you, reading over your calendar to see what was next on your schedule. Taking a bite, you hummed in satisfaction. Damn, that’s good.

It was only ten in the morning, but it was already proving to be a better birthday than you hoped for. As much as you tried to focus on work for the rest of the day, you couldn’t help but feel excitement about the prospect of going out later that night.

Because… It means I could really have a life here. Not just a job. Friends and good times and… You really didn’t want Gloria to try to set you up with anyone. But if it happened naturally?

Well, if that were the case, you’d be open to anything.

Sometime after your lunch break, Gloria heard back from Benny and confirmed the time with you, the woman insisting that you let them pick you up despite your protests about how close the bar was to your place.

“You really don’t have to do that,” You tried one last time. “I don’t mind driving myself, and I don’t want to intrude on your date night or anything.”

Gloria waved you off and clicked her tongue. “It’s not date night, it’s birthday drinks with friends. I promise you Benny doesn’t mind, and I definitely don’t.”

Oh, what the hell? It was clear that Gloria was trying to make sure that you felt included, even though you wouldn’t know anyone there aside from her and her boyfriend, whom you’d only exchanged a few words with. You appreciated how welcoming and inviting she was, and knew that she meant well, having been new to the area herself only a year earlier. I can still call an Uber if I have to leave early, and that way I don’t have to worry about having more than two drinks.

“Okay,” you said, finally giving in with a sigh full of faux exasperation that turned into a laugh. “You win!” You told her that you would text her your address, and then Mel was calling you through the intercom, letting you know that another of your clients was waiting on line one.

“And I have Annie Fulton from Florida Polytechnic on line two for Gloria,” Mel added. “So if you could tell her to leave you alone and get back to her own desk that would be swell.”

Snorting out a laugh, you looked over at the co-worker who was quickly becoming a friend, only to find that she was laughing, too. “Well,” you said, “You heard Mel. Get out of here.”

“Alright, alright, I’m going.” She backed out the door, calling out one last thing before she was visible on the other side of the glass wall again. “Can’t wait for later!”

As you prepped the files for your next call, you realized that you couldn’t wait for later, either.

– – –

Pope and Yovanna were just getting out of their car when Frankie turned into the lot at Duffy’s, his truck’s headlights sweeping across the other parked cars to reveal that both Millers, as well as a few guys he worked with down at the airfield, were already inside.

Gang’s all here, I guess.

He pulled into the spot next to Pope, the other man waving at him through the windshield, his free arm wrapped around Yovanna’s waist. She waved, too, giving him a smile that brightened her whole face. Turning off the ignition, he waved in return, then glanced at his reflection in the rearview mirror, removing his hat and smoothing his hair down before yanking it back down over his curls.

Good enough. Not trying to impress anyone anyway.

As soon as he opened his door, he was greeted by Pope’s voice. “Ahí está el viejo!”

Before Frankie could respond, Yovanna smacked Santi on the arm. “And who are you calling old, hmm? Estás pisándole sus talones.” Frankie laughed at that, reaching past Pope to give Yovanna a hug first. “Happy Birthday, Francisco,” she said, kissing him on the cheek and giving him a squeeze.

“Thank you,” he replied, grinning at her as they separated. He turned to face his friend then, giving him a nod. “And she’s right, pendejo. You’re catching up. If I’m old, what does that make you?”

“Still younger than you,” Pope responded with a chuckle, slapping Frankie’s back before slinging an arm around him.

“Yeah, yeah, alright,” Frankie rolled his eyes. “C’mon, let’s get inside before Benjamin comes looking for us.”

The night out was happening at Benny’s insistence. Up until two days earlier, Frankie had no birthday plans and he had been just fine with that. Forty three wasn’t exactly a major milestone. And with the way things had only just started to really settle following their return from South America - the reinstatement of his pilot’s license, the finalization of his divorce, getting shared custody of his daughter - he hadn’t had time to think about smaller, more trivial things. Least of all, celebrating his own forty third birthday.

But Benny claimed that a new beginning at the end of the shitstorm was the perfect time to celebrate.

Which Frankie thought sounded a little like one of Will’s speeches blended with Benny’s optimism and garnished with a twist of Pope’s persuasiveness, but at the same time, he kind of saw the point that his friend was trying to make.

It’s less about my birthday and more about… He swallowed, flexing his right hand and then loosening it and letting it fall to his side. More about everything that comes after.

The after. That was something that Frankie could readily celebrate. The fact that he, that all four of them, had survived the biggest mistake that any of them had ever made and could still fill their lives with good things, big and small. That was something he could drink to.

Besides, it’s not actually my birthday today. It was yesterday.

That didn’t stop Benny from letting the whole bar think otherwise.

“Hey! Happy Birthday, Fish!” The younger of the Miller brothers exclaimed as Frankie, Pope and Yovanna stepped inside. He raised both arms, a full pitcher in one hand and a stack of empty glasses in the other. Behind him, Frankie saw Will stand from a table where he had been sitting with Gloria before making his way over to say hello as Yovanna made her way over to take Will’s place at the table. But who is that other woman?

You turned then, laughing at something that Gloria had said. And even though he could only see half of your face from the angle of where you were sitting, he felt an instant attraction at the way that laugh brightened your eyes. I don’t know who she is, but I want to.

“There he is,” Will said, clapping him on the shoulder with a grin. “Happy birthday, Morales. What are you now, sixty? Sixty five?”

“Cool it, Ironhead, I’m only three years older than you.” Frankie responded, feigning offense and shrugging Will’s hand away.

“Yeah, yeah,” Will laughed as Benny passed a full beer to Frankie. “We’re all on our way to the old folks home.”

“Speak for yourselves,” the younger man interjected, filling and passing a glass to Pope, too. “Gloria and I are still thriving in our thirties, so-”

“So that means you’re paying for drinks?” Pope chimed in through a smirk as he gripped his glass. “Wow. How generous of you, Benny.”

Benny rolled his eyes. “Ha, ha.” Setting the pitcher down, he raised his own glass and the other three followed suit. “To Frankie. Cheers to being another year wiser than these wiseasses.” He cocked his head in Will and Pope’s direction.

“Now hold on a minute, Ben, I-”

But Frankie didn’t let Pope get the rest of his protest out before clinking his glass to the three that were waiting. “No, I think that was a perfect toast. Thanks, Benny.” He took a swig of his drink, and even though he hadn’t really wanted to come out, he was already glad that he had. Nights out with the guys weren’t rare occasions, not by a long shot. But he was still grateful that he got to have them. And tonight’s just getting started.

Yuri and Ed from the airfield filed over then to wish Frankie a happy birthday, followed by a few other friends and acquaintances that Benny and Will had spread the word to. After about an hour of mingling, he finally made his way over to the table where the rest of the group was sitting, dropping into a seat next to Gloria.

“Happy birthday, Frankie!” She spoke over the music and chatter as she leaned over to give him a loose hug.

“Thank you, Glo.” He smiled at her as he pulled back. “It’s nice to see you, thanks for coming out.”

She waved a hand as she reached for the handle of the pitcher, Benny scooching it towards her without breaking from the conversation he was having with Will and Pope. “Of course! Wouldn’t miss it.” She poured herself a half glass of beer, then wordlessly asked if he wanted a refill, too.

Nodding, he held his glass in place. “Thanks,” he murmured, looking over his shoulder as she topped him off. “Hey who did I see you talking to before?” And where is she now?

A mischievous grin stretched across her lips as she looked up at him and set the pitcher on the table. What is that look for? “A friend from work,” she responded, telling him your name. “A single friend,” she added.

Frankie huffed out a short laugh. “I’m not- I didn’t-”

“I know you didn’t.” Gloria winked at him. “I just want you to have all the information,” she added, knocking the rim of her glass to his.

“Well…” He raised his glass to his lips, smiling behind it. Well… That’s good to know. “Okay.”

“Oh! And it’s her birthday, too, so I invited her out.”

What? And she didn’t have other plans? “Oh. Well, I’m glad you did,” he said, setting his drink on a cardboard coaster and letting his fingers slide down the chilled glass. “The more the merrier.”

He looked up and in the direction of the restrooms just as you and Yovanna came through the hallway that led to them, and when he did, he locked eyes with you. Fuck, she’s beautiful. He felt his smile grow again at the sight of you, especially when he noticed your slight intake of breath as your eyes met his. He watched Yovanna say something into your ear that made you cover your face and laugh, and then she raised her hand to wave at him.

I wonder what she said to her. He raised one eyebrow along with his hand as you dropped yours from your face. The remnants of your laughter were still written all over your cheeks and again he felt an undeniable pull, a desire to get to know you. Because I want to see that smile again. And I want to put it there.

His thoughts were interrupted by Pope tapping the table in front of him. “Hey, ground control to Catfish.” Frankie blinked, turning his attention back to his friends. “You’re not going deaf on us, are you? I asked if you’re in.”

Picking up an unused coaster, he flung it like a frisbee at Pope, who batted it down in one smooth motion. “Just selectively.”

“Ha, ha.” Pope rolled his eyes. “So does that mean you don’t want to go to the Lightning game on Wednesday?”

“The Lightning?” Frankie took a sip of his beer, eyebrows drawn together. “Since when are you a hockey fan? Do you even know anything about hockey?”

“Oh, believe me, he does not.” Yovanna laughed as she dropped into the booth bench next to Pope, her arm going around his shoulders so that her fingers could card through the hair that curled behind his ear. He turned to face her, both of them wearing ear to ear grins. “We watched the game last night and he had no clue what was going on the whole time.”

“I didn’t,” he admitted, garnering snickers and snorts from both Miller brothers. “But I’m learning.” He shrugged. “The tickets are from work. We just signed a contract with Amalie Arena so I’ll get tickets a few times a year. So I figured why not broaden my horizons?”

“It’s not the easiest game to understand right away, but if you give it a few games and actually pay attention, you’ll catch on.” Another voice joined the conversation then, and everyone turned towards where you stood at the edge of the table. “I have a friend who’s a big fan so I’ve watched a few games with her.” Giving a small shake of your head, you laughed. “I still don’t know all the rules. It’s a wild sport, but it’s fun.”

“See?” Pope gestured at you with one hand. “I don’t have to know the rules to have fun.”

“Oh, good.” Frankie placed his palm flat on the table. “So your short attention span should be just fine then.” His friend’s response was to flip him the bird, the rest of the table laughing before falling back into conversation as Frankie stood and faced you. “Hi, sorry I didn’t get to introduce myself yet. I’m Francisco.” He shook his head. “Frankie. Let me grab you a chair.”

– – –

You hadn’t even finished your first drink yet, so you knew the rush of warmth you felt in that moment had nothing to do with the alcohol and everything to do with Frankie’s slightly lopsided smile.

Fuck, he’s handsome. He pulled a chair away from an empty table and plopped it next to his. And chivalrous.

“Thank you.” You sat, returning his smile with one of your own, and telling him your name as Gloria slid your glass across the table from where you were sitting before to your new seat between Frankie and Yovanna. “And happy birthday.” You lifted your drink in his direction before taking a sip. “Thanks for letting me crash your plans.”

“Thank you.” His grin spread wider, lifting his cheeks into his eyes. “Happy birthday to you, too.’ He tipped his drink so that he could clink the rim of his glass to yours. “And you’re welcome. I’m glad Gloria invited you.”

Your eyes darted over just in time to see Gloria shoot you a wink over Frankie’s shoulder. “Yeah,” you said, still smiling, your heart beating just a blip faster. “Me too.”

Over the next hour and a half that became even more true as you fell easily into conversation with the group. Gloria had been right about you and Yovanna clicking, and the guys were just as easy to get along with. Since there were other people there for Frankie’s birthday than just the seven seated at the table, he got up a few times to go spend some time with them, too, but each time he came back he returned his focus to you, either commenting on something that you were telling the others, or asking you questions if you weren’t part of the larger conversation happening.

You told him about your job at the architecture firm, and about the transfer that brought you down to Tampa in the first place. Will and Benny chimed in when you talked about how different winter was where you were from, the Indiana born brothers claiming that they’d love to see Frankie or Santi shovel their way out of a Midwest blizzard.

“Why?” Frankie grimaced. “That just sounds like it hurts.”

You’d laughed at that, nodding. “It does. I love the snow and I don’t really mind shoveling but…” You sighed. “I won’t miss the whole body aches after doing it.”

“Facts,” Gloria agreed, nodding sagely. “Shoveling snow is not fun or easy.”

“You lived in a co-op building in Queens, Glo,” Benny responded, tightening the arm he had around her and giving her a skeptical side eye. “You didn’t have to shovel anything.”

“I did not,” she confirmed. “But I watched the snow removal guys and they definitely did not look like they were enjoying themselves.”

Everyone laughed at that, and then the conversation branched in a different direction. But Frankie didn’t follow it, turning to you and circling back to your recent move. “So aside from the weather, are you liking it down here?”

Smiling, you nodded. “I am. I’m still getting my feet under me. Learning where things are and which take out spots are good and all that.”

Frankie hummed, crossing his arms over his chest. “Try Tino’s on Gateway Boulevard if you like burritos,” he suggested. “And if you like sushi you should try Ginkaku on-”

“-North Evans?” You asked the location at the same time that he said it, your eyes widening. What are the odds? “Yeah, I’ve been meaning to try there.” You chuckled under your breath. “I was actually going to stop there tonight on my way home from work, but then Gloria told me I couldn’t spend my birthday eating sushi alone, so…”

You trailed off as someone near the bar called over to Frankie, telling him that they had to get going. He twisted in his seat to respond, saying that he’d be over in a second, and you found yourself staring at the way the movement made the fabric of his shirt stretch over his broad back. Damn. Out of the corner of your eye you noticed Gloria and Yovanna giving each other looks that you were fairly certain had to do with the way you were looking at Frankie, but you didn’t care because when he turned around again, his deep brown eyes locked with yours and nearly knocked you sideways.

“Sorry, I just have to go say goodbye to a buddy of mine from work, and-”

“No, don’t apologize! Of course.” You cocked your head towards the bar. “Go ahead, Frankie, I’ll be here when you get back.”

He took a breath, then swallowed and nodded, eyes still on you as he stood from his seat. “Okay. I’ll be right back.” With that, he turned and headed over to the bar, and you were met with a view of his back again.

Tearing your eyes away in an attempt to be more subtle about your attraction to a man you had met less than two hours ago, you cleared your throat and finished your drink.

Your attempt was for naught, though, because even though Gloria was engaged in an intense conversation with Benny, Will and Santi, Yovanna was looking at you with a smirk. “I told you,” she said, one eyebrow raised as she lifted her drink to her lips. “I saw the way he looked at you before. He’s definitely interested.”

I hope she’s right. Heat flooded your cheeks as the thought crossed your mind, and you knew you likely looked flustered, but you shook your head and let out a scoff. “I- He… Yovanna, I’m sure it’s just-” You shrugged. “A birthday hookup or-”

Her head moved side to side then, her dark curls swinging from her ponytail. “No. That’s not Francisco.” She glanced over at Santi, the man throwing his head back in laughter and clapping Will on the shoulder, a warm smile that softened her sharp eyes on her face when she turned back to you. “The two of them are very much alike. They don’t waste their time on things that they don’t think will be around tomorrow.”

As though on cue, Santiago leaned over to press a kiss to Yovanna’s cheek. “You good?” He murmured the words against her skin before pulling away. She turned to nod, scrunching her nose. “We’ll get going soon, yeah?” She nodded again, the man dropping another kiss to the opposite cheek. “Okay.”

He turned back to the others then, but you noticed that his hand stayed on her thigh as she returned her focus to you, saying your name. “I know that you just met me tonight, too, but you can trust me on this. Besides-” She tapped her phone and you looked down at the time on the screen. “Tonight is not really his birthday, and it’s almost not yours anymore, either. So it can’t just be a birthday hookup.” She widened her eyes and pressed her lips together, reaching for the pitcher in the middle of the table. “I’m going to have one more drink. Do you want one?”

Before you could respond, you felt the weight of Frankie’s grip on the back of your chair as he lowered himself back into his own seat. But it was the trail of his fingertips across your shoulder as he withdrew his hand that made you suck in a breath and wonder if Yovanna was right. Realizing that you hadn’t answered her question, you blinked and nodded. “Um, sure. Just half a glass, though.”

Because if she’s right? I definitely want to stay clear headed for whatever might happen.

You thanked her as she poured for you, and then turned to Frankie, licking your lips as you smiled. “Did you catch your friend before they left?”

“I did.” He said it with a nod, then tilted his head to the side. What? Narrowing his eyes, he opened his mouth to say something, then hesitated, taking a breath instead of speaking. What is he- But then he straightened his head again and you saw - and felt - his eyes flick to your lips and then back up. Oh, shit, he- “So you said that you were originally planning on checking out that sushi place tonight but Gloria said you couldn’t spend your birthday eating sushi alone, right?”

You pulled your lower lip between your teeth and nodded. “Yeah.” And I’m glad I listened to her.

He sighed then and you got the feeling that he was working himself up to say something. “Well,” he let out a sheepish laugh and reached up to grip the back of his neck, thick fingers nudging the edge of his hat. “That place is open ‘til 2 on the weekends. If you’re hungry, we could go grab a bite.” Wait, is he… Is he asking me out? He shrugged, dropping his hand and giving you the same lopsided grin he gave you when he introduced himself to you. “That way you won’t be going by yourself and-”

You poked your tongue into the side of your cheek. “And technically by the time we get there it won’t even be my birthday anymore, so-”

Frankie nodded, grin spreading. “So Gloria won’t have a leg to stand on.”

A thousand tiny butterflies swarmed through your stomach at the thought of spending more time with Frankie one on one. Oh, I am so fucked. Taking a breath, you looked at him and what you saw only confirmed that thought. Frankie was the most attractive man you’d ever been this close to. And he’s asking me out. There was only one answer, as far as you were concerned.

“That sounds great, Frankie.” You held up a finger. “On one condition.” He lifted an eyebrow in question, so you went on. “We take it back to my place to go, because I have a bunch of birthday cupcakes leftover from the office this morning, and-”

He laughed, leaning in to rest his elbow on the table, getting close enough to say something that no one else would hear. “So you’re saying if I play my cards right, I might get to kiss frosting off your lips?”

Oh, holy fucking shit, Frankie.

You gasped then, Frankie pulling back to see the reaction on your face, the expression he was wearing one that you would remember for a long time. Finally, you cleared your throat and answered. “That is exactly what I’m saying, Francisco.”

His eyes flashed when you used his full name, and with his next breath, though he was still looking at you, he addressed the rest of the table. “Hey guys, this has been fun, but I think it’s time to call it a night.”

Within a few minutes the tab had been paid - Will, Benny and Santi insisting on splitting it between themselves - and goodbyes were said. But despite what Frankie had just said, you knew that your night was just getting started.

Thank you for reading! If you would like to be added to or removed from the taglist, please feel free to let me know by sending a message or filling out the form on my masterlist! :)

tags: @something-tofightfor @cannedsoupsuckssoupsucks @dihra-vesa @disgruntledspacedad @littlemisspascal

@alraedesigns @mishasminion360 @stevie75 @nyctophiliiiiaaa @practicalghost

@tanzthompson @amb11 @harriedandharassed @woodlandmouth @thescarletfang @trickstersp8

@imtryingmybeskar @wildmoonflower @mswarriorbabe80 @theredwritingwitch @silverstarsandsuns

@competentpotato @pedro-pedrito-pascalito @jedi-in-crocs @hannahkatharine @anoverwhelmingdin

@chiyo13 @myloveistoolittle @noisynightmarepoetry @Severin-proud

@Vickie5446 @jessthebaker

#HAPPY BIRTHDAY RACHAEL!!!#and happy unbirthday too #frankie morales x f!reader #frankie morales x you #frankie morales x reader #frankie catfish morales #francisco morales #triple frontier fic #frankie morales fic

89 notes · View notes

fujosh1dreamer · 19 days ago

Text

I'm doing a review of my favorite episode from the second half of season 2 of mgadd. I know it's out of order but I'm in a bad mood and this episode brings me joy.

Episode 20 Crushed.

The episode centers around Eduardos crush on Lunella. It starts with them in class getting assigned as partners in a project.

Ed doesn't want to be on a team with Lunella because he likes her, but Lu assumes it because he doesn't like her. Later as moongirl casey sets up a hotline for people to call, and that's when Ed calls and confesses he has a crush on someone in class.

After finding out Eduardo has a crush on her Lu spends the whole day at school trying to avoid him, because he's trying to confess. When he finally talks to her he gives her some candy as a gift. Things go down hill from there because when Ed attempts to confess, Lu interrupts him and lies and says she has a boyfriend.

So then Eduardo tells her he's throwing an 80s themed party and invited her and her "boyfriend".

So.... lunella invents a fake boyfriend for the party to avoid telling Ed she's not interested.

While at the party Eduardo is super chill and nice, and super excited to meet Lunellas boyfriend, but things take a turn when (I'm calling him blorb) blorb glitches out and turns super toxic and weird.

Love Eduardo being like you can't just call someone yours that not how people work. He's so chill. Which leads to blorb trying to fight Ed outside, and poor Ed is just confused.

After Lu shows up and fails to deescalate blorb, we get what I consider to be the funniest just in the show. Why does your boyfriend have parental controls? Crazy. Then Lunella has to come clean of course and explain to Ed that's she's not interested. Then we get the scene that took Ed from being one of my favorite characters, to being my #1.

Eduardo and Lunella come to an understanding and we have a kickbutt dance off.

Ed confesses that he has a crush on moongirl now, and that's the end.

This episode is a 10/10 for me. Loved Ed's character in this episode and I loved the lesson. They could've have easily made Eduardo toxic and in the wrong, but instead they made him mature. I appreciate that Lu was the one who needed to learn a lesson in this episode.

#mgadd #moongirl #moongirl dd #marvel moon girl #moon girl lunella #moon girl #moon girl magic #moon girl and devil dinosaur #mg and devil #mgadd eduardo #mgadd casey #lunella lafayette #mgadd lunella #disney #review #marvel

46 notes · View notes

httpvomitello · 3 months ago

Note

Hello (˶ᵔ ᵕ ᵔ˶) I was wondering if I could request Raphael from the 2012 series with a female reader who goes to school with April and Casey and has a similar personality to Momo Ayase from Dandadan (if you've seen it! If not, please feel free to skip this request - thank you 🙏❤️)

Hello, hello! Aaandd where i go again having to do a little research on who this character is. I hope it turned out the way you wanted it to! ♡♡♡♡

Maybe More Than Friends Someday *⁠.⁠✧

It was during one of those nights when April and Casey convinced him and his brothers to hang out somewhere above ground. You had tagged along with April, your best friend, and the first thing Raph noticed was the energy radiating off you.

You were loud but not in an obnoxious way. You had this fiery confidence, and the way you spoke—it was like you had no filter. It reminded him of himself, though he’d never admit it out loud. You didn’t hesitate to tease April or challenge Casey, and when Mikey tried his usual goofy charm on you, you shut him down so fast Raph had to stifle a laugh.

But the thing that really caught his attention was how unbothered you were by the turtles. Most people freaked out a little when they saw them for the first time, but you? You just raised a brow, muttered something about how they weren’t the weirdest thing you’d seen, and moved on.

Raph decided then and there that he liked you.

Over the next few weeks, you became a frequent visitor to the lair. April dragged you along to study sessions, movie nights, and the occasional chaotic training session with the guys. You fit in surprisingly well, and your no-nonsense attitude kept everyone on their toes—especially Raph.

You had this way of saying things that got under his skin, not because you were mean, but because you were bold. You didn’t back down from him, even when he tried to intimidate you.

"Careful, Raph," you teased one day, watching him spar with Casey. "You’re starting to look a little slow out there."

Raph whipped around to glare at you, his face flushed. "Slow? You serious right now?"

You grinned, leaning casually against the wall. "I call it like I see it."

He muttered something under his breath and went back to sparring, but the extra energy in his hits was obvious. You didn’t miss the way his brothers snickered behind their hands.

What Raph didn’t know was that you had taken a liking to him, too. Sure, he was brash and hot-headed, but there was a sweetness to him that you found endearing. He was protective of his brothers, fiercely loyal to his friends, and, though he’d never admit it, he had a soft side that peeked through when he thought no one was watching.

The more time you spent with him, the more you found yourself looking forward to his company.

One night, April invited you to the lair for a small get-together. It was supposed to be a chill evening—pizza, video games, and hanging out. But when you arrived, you noticed Raph was unusually quiet.

"Hey, big guy," you said, plopping down on the couch next to him. "What’s with the brooding? Lose an arm-wrestling match or something?"

Raph shot you a look. "I ain’t brooding."

"You totally are."

He grumbled something under his breath, crossing his arms.

You tilted your head, studying him. "Come on, what’s up? Did Casey say something stupid again?"

"No," he said, his voice softer this time. "It’s nothin’. Forget it."

"Raph," you said, your tone firm but gentle. "I’m not gonna forget it. Spill."

He hesitated, clearly debating whether or not to open up. Finally, he let out a sigh.

"It’s just... I’m not good at this stuff, okay? Hanging out, being around people... I dunno. Sometimes I feel like I don’t fit in."

You blinked, caught off guard by his honesty.

"Raph," you said, leaning forward, "you’re one of the coolest people I know. And I don’t say that lightly."

He snorted. "Yeah, right."

"I’m serious!" you said, lightly punching his arm. "You’re strong, loyal, and you actually care about people, even if you pretend not to. That’s rare, you know?"

Raph glanced at you, his expression softening. "You really think that?"

"I wouldn’t say it if I didn’t," you said with a smile. "Besides, you’re my favorite turtle."

His eyes widened slightly, and you could see the faintest hint of a blush on his cheeks. "Your favorite, huh?"

"Yep," you said, leaning back with a grin. "Don’t let it go to your head, though."

He chuckled, the tension in his shoulders easing. "Too late."

#reader #x reader #y/n #tmnt #f!reader #tmnt x reader #tmnt 2012 x reader #tmnt raph 2012 #tmnt leo 2012 #tmnt mikey 2012 #tmnt donnie 2012

99 notes · View notes

rosecabenson · 5 months ago

Text

What I think some of the ADAs do while waiting for a jury verdict:

Rafael: he’s either A, fighting off a headache and practically downing ibuprofen- or he’s squabbling with Liv- heavy in the last one-

Alex: Skimming though law Text books for absolute funsies (also because she’s over thinking the court cases she mentioned during indictment and she has to double check or Liz will never hear the end of it-) that or she would go chat it up with Cragen over some drinks (only Alex is drinking, cragens AA boys would have his ass if he drank-)

Sonny: Oh my boy is stressing. He’s pacing, biting his nails, loosening his tie because suddenly it’s a million degrees in that room- then he panics even more and the second someone asks if he’s okay, especially Rollins- the nausea hit him-

Casey: To be honest she’s probably just chilling in her office, and this is for simpler cases, I feel like she will just sit in her mess of an office (Seriously it looks like a mad scientist lives in there-) and mess with her soft ball things, that or going to bat with Elliot, that usually ends in her having to book it back to the court house quick enough to get the verdict-

#casey novak #elliot stabler #law and order svu #alex cabot #donald cragen #olivia benson #rafael barba #sonny carisi #elizabeth donnelly #amanda rollins #law and order: svu #We love our chaotic ADA’s #but I stand by my Sonny Hc #he is a ball of nerves after trial- 3 hairs away from a mental breakdown-

90 notes · View notes

kennahjune · 1 year ago

Text

Teen Dad AU

Part 4!!!!

Tag List: @cam-cat-writer @irregular-child @grimmfitzz @fantrash @bookworm0690 @fiddledeedee85 @hunterbow04 @strangeforest @just-a-tiny-void @jaimeweasley13 @thelittleclare @rebellatio-03 @sirsnacksalot @geekyfifi @sapphireoceansoc @salty-h0e @mentallyundone @dragonmama76 @lingeringmirth @moomkin77 @nextflixisacopingstrategymom @jaytriesstuff @finntheehumaneater @jackiemonroe5512 @goodolefashionedloverboi @hellfirebaby-86 @blackpanzy @blu3stars @strawberryyyenthusiast @lololol-1234 @thestarslittleking @silenzioperso @forest-fogg @bebopbabyy @lawrencebshoggoth @stevesbipanic @dauntlessdiva @live0rdive @y4r3luv @jonesn4coffee @sofadofax @sensationalsunburst @scarlet-malfoy @l393ndjean @asspirin-s @fandomz-brainrot @mugloversonly @virginlemontea @littlebluejane @paintsplatteredandimperfect @astrid-nomically-steddie @maferisa-7 @phantomrose17 @thoughtfulbreadpolice @fandomnerd103 @atemisiscursed @croatoan-like-its-hot @myownworstenemyyy

AAHHHH IM SO SORRY FOR ANYONE WHO WASN’T ABLE TO BE TAGGED!! The list is unfortunately officially full, I’m so sorry :( everyone who has been tagged here will be tagged in all future parts!!! (I’m also terribly sorry, some of them won’t tag properly).

Without further ado:

Monday nights were now spent with Noah, Casey, and Miss. Bottomette (“Just Margaret is fine, dear”).

They’d come over to Steve’s trailer or he and Louie would go over to theirs and they’d gather around the tables to have dinner and talk.

Steve’s never had a dinner with others where he wasn’t expected to act a certain way. Where he wasn’t expected to be mature and serious.

With Miss. Bottomette and the kids, he goofs off and isn’t reprimanded for it. He puts his elbows on the table while talking to Noah and isn’t slapped upside the head for it.

It’s a very welcomed change.

It’s on one of these Monday nights that Steve officially gets his new babysitter.

He’d had to call off on the dinner. It was last minute and unexpected but they’d all been incredibly understanding and Steve appreciated the hell out of it. He was pulling his shoes on while on the phone with Miss. Bottomette when he’d let it slip.

“I’m so sorry again, Miss. Bottomette. I know this is really last minute and we were supposed to eat at mine tonight but Mason’s got a fever and they need me in the kitchen for the dinner rush—“

“Steve, sweetie, it’s alright. Me and the twins will be quite fine on our own for one Monday, I assure you. You just focus on making sure you don’t overwork yourself to death tonight, yeah?”

Steve chuckled at that, pulling the laces on his sneakers tighter and crafting the phone between his shoulder and ear. “Rodger that. I’ve gotta get going though, need to get Louie situated before I head out.”

“That’s quite alright, dear. Is that Nancy of yours coming to watch him? Or are you taking him there?”

Steve huffed a slightly pathetic chuckle that was more air than anything. “Nah, Nancy’s got her own dinners on Monday nights. Louie usually comes in with me and waits it out.”

Steve was standing straight now— well, with one hip cocked to the side and his hand resting on it. But his shoes were firmly on and Louie was watching him with bright eyes. Steve smiled at the baby and made a face that had Little Louie giggling and covering his mouth with chunky little hands.

On the other line, Miss. Bottomette hummed.

“Well that just won’t do, huh? I could take him for the night, Steve.”

Steve startled and put both hands on the phone.

“Oh! No no no— that’s alright, Miss. Bottomette. My manager, George, is really chill about letting me turn his office into a daycare for Louie while I’m at work. And I’ve got people to check on him there while I’m busy so I’m not leaving him alone the whole time—“

“I hear that, hon, but maybe it’s time you let someone take him off your hands for a bit, yeah? The twins will want to see him at some point anyway.”

Steve pursed his lips and twirled the phone cord around his fingers.

“I seriously can’t ask you to do that, Miss. Bottomette. I’ll be on shift until at least 10 tonight and then I have to help with closing so there’s no guarantee I’ll be back before 11.”

“And that’s quite fine. I’m fully capable of watching your boy until then, dear.”

“Are you sure?” Steve’s voice was so small, so unsure. It made something break a little in Miss. Bottomette’s chest.

“Yes, absolutely.”

Steve sighed into the receiver. “Ok.” He whispered and relented.

“That’s what I thought.” Miss. Bottomette chuckled. “Now, should I come over there or are you ok with bringing him over here?”

Work was a doozy.

Between coming in at 6:30 and working until just past 11, Steve was asked constantly about the lack of Louie in the diner.

It was fun and comforting in a way to have so many people care enough to ask about the missing baby. But Steve just wanted to get through his shift quickly to get back to said baby.

He could feel the nerves eating away at him. Steve kept watch on the time all shift, watching the clock tick slower every time.

He’d never left Louie home like this before. Never with anyone other than Nancy. The anxiety was absolutely agonizing but he pushed through until his break, where he called Miss. Bottomette from the phone outside.

“Hello?”

“Hi, Miss. Bottomette, it’s Steve.”

“I know who it is, ain’t no one else call me ‘Miss’ who know me like you do, son.”

Steve managed a slight laugh. It was true. For months now, Steve has been practically apart of their little family. And yet he still referred to her so formally. It was simply something that was beaten into him from a young age.

“You’re right, sorry. I was just calling to check on you guys and Louie?”

“Everyones alright over here, Steve. Noah and Casey are just about passed out on the couch and Louie’s fast asleep in bed.”

Steve breathed a sigh of relief.

“Thank you so much, Miss. Bottomette.”

“You’ve got it dear. Now go get back to work, and tell Gwen and Allya I said hi.”

Steve could hear the smile in her voice.

“Will do, thanks again.”

He hung up after their goodbyes. God, he really needed a cigarette.

He ran inside real quick to grab his pack out of his bag, lighting up the moment he set foot back through the door to the alley by the diner.

Steve hadn’t been able to smoke too much lately with Louie and the twins. Miss. Bottomette also smoked, but she had explained how she’d dialed it down astronomically with how much the twins were over.

Steve was just halfway done with his cigarette, lost in his thoughts and staring off into space when a pair of boots stopped in front of where he was sitting on the curb.

He spared a glance up to the sudden intruder, giving a second glance when he saw Eddie Munson.

Steve blew the smoke out of his lungs. “Um, hi?”

“Harrington.” Was the only response he got.

Steve ground his cigarette out on the sidewalk and stood, tucking the now put out cigarette behind his ear. He took half a step back so he wasn’t quite chest to chest with Eddie.

“Hey, man. Uh— I’m not really looking to buy anything at the moment.” Steve stumbled his way through a sentence. Eddie Munson was a looming presence that Steve couldn’t figure out, not since he’d fist saw him when he started high school.

Eddie was only a year ahead of Steve despite being nearly 2 years older than him. When Steve had started his freshman year, he’d been immediately pulled into Munson’s orbit of lunchtime rants and class skipping.

Until he was pulled by Cairo Rickson, the then-basketball captain. Eddie had kinda left Steve in the dust after he joined the basketball team.

Now Eddie Munson was redoing his senior year a second time— they even shared some classes. But they’d never spoken outside of school or Steve’s old house parties.

Eddie was staring at him with an odd flicker in his gaze. Something that threw Steve almost completely off. Something that almost looked like interest.

Steve swallowed. It was then that he actually took in Eddie’s face— not just his eyes. (Eyes that were so big and dark Steve thought they were black. He��d later realize they were actually a dark brown.) Eddie’s mouth was pressed in a line, his cheeks flushed from the cold breeze, and his eyes narrowed slightly.

He looked almost stressed.

“You alright, dude? C’mon, Eddie talk to me here. You’re kinda freakin’ me out.”

Steve felt his natural worry starting to kick in. That urge to press and figure out what was wrong.

Eddie opened and closed his mouth a few times before sighing aggressively and rubbing a harsh hand down his face. He wore a ton of rings that glinted in the streetlight they stood under.

“Listen—“ Steve was cut off.

“Do you have a lighter? Mine is fucking me over and I just really need to smoke.”

Well, ok then.

Steve blinked owlishly for a moment before spurring into motion.

“Um, Uh! Yeah! Yeah, I’ve got a lighter. Hang on—“

Steve handed over his lighter without a second thought, watching Eddie pull an already-rolled joint out of his pocket and immediately light up. Steve payed extra attention to his lips— pink and bitten-raw— when he blew out the smoke.

“Thanks, man.” Steve’s eyes snapped back to Eddie’s looming ones. They were wide and earnest, no longer narrowed and suspicious.

“Yeah, no problem.” He accepted the offered lighter, ignoring the tingle from their brushing pinkies.

“Alrighty then, Steve-o. Catch you later.” Eddie gave him a two-finger salute and promptly walked away. Steve watched him go, following him with his eyes until he was out of sight and leaving a chorus of “what the fuck” replaying in Steve’s mind.

He tucked his unfinished cigarette back into the box and went to finish his shift.

True to his word, Steve wasn’t home until just before 11 that night.

Miss. Bottomette was up and waiting for him, the lamp in the living room on a low setting because there for some reason were never living room lights in trailers. The twins were spread out on the floor, lying on top of each other with Casey’s head on Noah’s legs while she practically kicked him in the face.

Steve snickered quietly to himself, dropping his bag quietly on the couch and closing the door as silently as possible.

Miss. Bottomette barely glanced up from her book to greet Steve. The familiarity gave him butterflies.

“Hey, sweetie.” She bookmarked her page and took off her glasses.

Steve smiled sweetly at her. “Hi, Miss. Bottomette. Louie alright?” He’d noticed the absence of his baby bug the moment he walked in the door.

“He’s quite alright, dear. Sleeping in your room, yes with the pillows.”

Steve deflated slightly, his worries seeping out slowly while Miss. Bottomette reassured him.

“That’s good. Great, yeah. Thanks so much. You need help taking these two back?” He nodded his head to the twins sleeping on his carpet.

“No it’s fine, hon. I’ll just wake ‘em up and let ‘em complain themselves tired again.” She grinned mischievously. Steve giggled.

“I can carry them over,” he offered instead.

“Are you sure, dear? You have to be exhausted after your shift, they can deal with a little bit of walking.”

Steve shook his head and smiled. Yeah, he was tired to the bone, his muscles sore and his legs on fire from standing and serving, but he’d be fine for this last thing. Then he could crash.

He stooped down and took Casey first since she was practically on top of Noah. She woke up briefly, just to smile at Steve and wrap her arms around his neck. He ran her outside and to their trailer just one place over. Setting her down was difficult as she didn’t want to let go of him to lay her bed, but he pried her off eventually.

Noah had shifted to curl around a couch pillow on the floor while he was gone. While Miss. Bottomette shuffled around grabbing all of her stuff, Steve picked up Noah and chuckled when he stayed completely dead to the world.

Noah was slightly heavier than Casey, but Steve made do and walked him carefully to the trailer and into his room. Noah was still out like a light, despite the slightly harsh landing because Steve’s arms gave out.

The twins shared a room, it being split down the middle by a curtain. Steve made sure they were both tucked in and sleeping before turning the lamp on on Noah’s side (he was scared of the dark) and pulling the curtain closed.

Miss. Bottomette was waiting for him again when he got home, her bag over her shoulder and the twins’ shoes in her hands. She smiled at him.

“Thank you so much, hon. Those two are going to wake up tomorrow thinking they teleported.” They both chuckled.

“It was no problem, seriously. Thanks again for watching Louie all night.”

Miss. Bottomette waved him off and gave him a big hug instead.

“Enough with that ‘Miss. Bottomette’ nonsense, kiddo. You can call me Margaret, or even Gran. I promise you there’s nothing wrong with dropping the title.”

Steve swallowed and wrapped his arms around her in return, blinking an onslaught of tears from his eyes. “Thanks,” he whispered into her hair.

“Alright.” She pulled back. “You go ahead and crash. I’ll see you when I see you tomorrow, though you have both school and work, huh?”

Steve chuckled and nodded.

Miss— Gran left then, closing the door as gently as she could (but the door was a piece of shit and had to be slammed in order to fully close). Steve sighed and finally toed his shoes off.

He glanced at himself in the bathroom mirror after a nice, hot shower. His hair was getting longer, curling around his ears and reaching the back of his neck. Steve smiled a little. He liked the length.

Slipping on a shirt that was two sizes too big and his Hawkins swim shorts, Steve didn’t waste another moment before getting into bed right next to Louie.

He turned off the lamp and let the night light shine bright instead. Louie already had a death grip on Steve’s pointer finger. He smiled at his baby and let himself fall asleep.

#stranger things #steve harrington #eddie munson #teen dad steve harringon #steve harrington is a damn good dad #not tagging a lot today cause I really just wanna take a nap #not proofread #plz don’t judge

193 notes · View notes