#Downtown Suzie

[allthedesiredusernamesaretaken]

Happy Birthday to the legendary bassist of the Rolling Stones - from 1962 until 1993 - Bill Wyman. Born William George Perks this day in 1936 in Lewisham, London.

[rollingstonesdata]

CANCIONES DE LOS ROLLING STONES: ‘DOWNTOWN SUZIE’ (1968)

Canciones de The Rolling Stones: Downtown Suzie*VER MÁS CANCIONES*Click for English versionOh Lucy looked sweet just a-strollin’ down Newport Street/ Talkin’ ’bout Lu, what ya gonna do… Escrita por: WymanGrabada: Olympic Sound Studios, Londres, Inglaterra, 13-18 de mayo de 1968 Del libro Rolling Stones – La Historia Detrás de sus 365 Canciones:“Downtown Suzie” es la segunda canción de los…

[kookslastbutton]

Loverboy ༓ kth (m)

✑ Summary: After a startling conversation with your coworkers, you start feeling insecure about your sexual prowess. You don't initiate as much, you haven't worn lingerie yet, and you're still timid about doing much seducing with your body–are you giving your boyfriend boring sex? Taehyung reassures you that you are perfect and have nothing to worry about.

Pairing: taehyung x reader

AU/Genre: fluff, smut, angst, established relationship

Word Count: 7,177

Warnings: feat. Jimin and Tannie, body insecurity (including some self-deprecation but nothing toooo bad), sexual insecurity, a hint of marriage insecurity, catty coworkers (one who wants your bf! 😠), swearing, social drinking, and explicit sexual content

Sexual warnings: oh where do I start? dom!taehyung, sub!reader, two smut scenes, praise kink, asking for consent, lingerie, foggy glasses, reader is on pill, f*ngering in the kitchen, oral (f.), d*rty talk, making out, tiny bit of breastplay, m*ssonary (legs over shoulders and then around waist), hand holding while c*ming bc I'm a sap, slight begging kink, back kisses, cuddling, taehyung calls oc sl*t once but all other times he is calling her beautiful, baby, etc., lots of neck kisses, oc does her best to initiate, if I have overlooked some my apologies....these are the main ones though.

Now Playing: UP by J. Valentine (thanks to tae's live 😳)

A/N: I've been have crazy tae fever 😅 once again my pwp's turn into fluffy one-shots hahah with smut ofc. Anyway please enjoy 🥰 fyi oc isn't a virgin nor shy generally speaking, but she's nervous about her sexual abilities.

The last ten minutes of work on Fridays are possibly the best moments of your life.

And it’s all thanks to an unspeakably gorgeous man with ruffled ebony hair, perfectly plump cherry lips, and a seductive tiger-like gaze. The faint mole on his nose is wicked cute too and when he puts his reading glasses on–oh fuck.

Of course, you’re referring to your boyfriend, Taehyung. You accidentally bumped into him while he was taking his Pomeranian for a walk four months ago; leading to the messiest (yet cute) first date ever. Now, he and Tannie come over to your apartment every weekend for snuggles under your cozy fleece blankets.

TGIF right?

But while Friday nights typically consist of snuggling with two goofs, it means getting hammered at the bar downtown to your coworkers. You don’t typically take up their invites to join but tonight you were guilt-tripped into it. Something about chumming with the gossipy group rather than being on their blacklist for the seventh rejection in a row was more appealing—they can be a vicious bunch.

Taehyung wasn't off work for another hour or two anyway, leaving you with a decent amount of time to kill. So why not appease the peanut gallery for a few?

“It’s my two-year anniversary with Eun-woo,” one of your coworkers, Ji-won, pipes up after taking a sip of her Cosmopolitan. She swirls the glass in her hand before setting it down on the table. Ji-won works in the finance department and is absolutely gorgeous. Her skin is clear, has honey-colored eyes, and possibly the best body proportions a woman can have. Her personality is no joke either and her laugh? Infectious. Everyone who comes across her either wants to marry her or be her best friend.

The cynical part of you wants to dislike her but it’s impossible–that’s how charismatic she is.

“Oh my god, congratulations babe!” Another coworker of yours reaches over and pulls the woman into a tight squeeze, giggling at the news. Suzy also works in the finance department and the pair are the best of friends. “I can’t believe how well it’s been going between you and Eun-woo! What are you doing to celebrate? You have to tell me!” She grabs her friend's shoulders and shakes her.

Unlike Ji-won, Suzy is much more energetic and eager to know the details of everyone’s lives. Nosy in other words. But despite her invasiveness, she manages to attract a great number of suitors as well; taking nearly half of them home with her every night. Suzy has beautiful bone structure and to get to the point, she’s naturally very sexy.

You don’t feel the same way towards her as you do with Ji-won; you dislike her quite a bit. The main reason is that she has an insane crush on your boyfriend and shamelessly flirts with him whenever he’s around. She’s told you many times before that if anything happened between you two, to let her know. She masks it as a joke to lighten the blow but god, you don’t like calling people a bitch but if the shoe fits.

“We’re taking a short weekend trip to Jeju Island,” you hear Ji-won’s silky voice reply, cheeks growing rosier with each word. “I think he might propose to me but I’m so nervous.” Her fingers move to grip her Cosmopolitan; raising it to her ruby-red lips to take another sip.

“That’s so wonderful,” you start, downing a shot yourself. The burn of the alcohol rolling down the back of your throat serves as an excellent distraction from your personal worries about marriage. You love the idea but would anyone stay with you for life?

Your relationship with Taehyung has been going swimmingly well, with the occasional fight here and there, but you haven’t been together nearly long enough for a proposal to come into the picture. Maybe someday but you can’t afford to jump ahead of yourself.

“Jeju Island will be perfect for you both. You’re like a couple straight from the Hallmark movies,” you continue with an encouraging smile. “You be sure to tell us if he really does propose though. What hint did he give to cause your suspicions?”

Ji-won chuckles and tucks some of her hair behind an ear. “We were packing for the trip last night and I saw him sneak a small jewelry box into his bag. I didn’t say anything because I thought maybe I was seeing things but when I thought about it later, I don’t think I was wrong.”

Once again, Suzy grips the poor woman’s arm to tug it out of excitement. “Please tell me I get to plan the bachelorette party! I’ll hire only the best strippers for you babe, as long as you want them of course. Oh, I’m just so crazy about this! Weddings are my heart and soul!”

After watching the scene unfold in front of you a grimace spreads on your lips. “Weddings are your heart and soul?” you repeat as a question, trying to withhold your judgment. “Last I knew you weren’t the fondest of happily ever afters.”

“That’s a good point!” A fist suddenly pounds on the table. You all look toward the source; your third coworker Mina who’s already borderline drunk. Mina is your IT specialist and after so much HTML and Python, her brain is utterly fried. Similar to you, she started dating someone about six months back except he’s been on an overseas business trip for the past week.

“Suzy,” she points at the woman whose eyes widen at the stark gesture. “You sleep around, right? So __’s right that you don’t actually like fairytale weddings.” Her words slur a bit due to her drunken state.

Across the table, Suzy rolls her eyes and shrugs. “For myself yeah, but not for other people. I’m not against weddings entirely.” She leans towards Ji-won with hopeful eyes. “By the way, if you need help picking out what underwear to bring with you on your trip, just say the word.”

Ji-won’s previous blush returns fourfold at the offer. “Thanks but I have that under control.”

“Oh good,” she praises, waving her margarita around in her hand. “It’d be an atrocity if you didn’t. Lingerie is the cherry on top for keeping your sex life spicy, and if you didn’t have any I’d drag all of us to the store right now. __ agrees with me.” She winks. “Her and Taehyung must have gone through tons of sets by now.”

What. The. Fuck.

When did Ji-won’s potential engagement turn into a poke into your sex life?

You choose to ignore the comment entirely.

Not that she needs to know but you and Taehyung have recently started becoming very active in the bedroom; you're never in the same position twice. Even began getting down and dirty in the back seat of his car (...if he isn’t the biggest experimentalist you’ve dated then you don’t even know your own name).

But while it's been wild in the bedroom, lingerie isn’t an area you’ve explored yet.

You know, it sounds crazy. Surely a couple that's open to a whole list of kinks and positions would dabble in something as basic as lacy underwear.

It's not the case here.

Truth is you're timid of the whole idea; of purposefully seducing someone with your body. Would you be so bold? No, even if you are interested to try it out, you'd shy away within the first ten seconds.

Yes, you've recently become sexually active with your boyfriend but 90% of the time it's him who's doing the initiating. The subtle hand on your thigh or kiss on your neck while you're trying to wash the dishes—he's truly evil with that one.

Not to mention that Taehyung has your clothes ripped off before you can blink so what's the point of buying expensive, itchy lingerie?

Atrocity or not, you have your reasons.

"Well?" The sound of Suzy's nagging tone brings you out of your daze. She stares you down with piercing eyes, demanding a reply.

You merely shrug and take another shot.

Sorry, but you're not really into the whole swapping sex stories with the woman who wants to sleep with your boyfriend.

Suzy gives a small huff when she realizes you aren't talking. "So anyway..." she turns to the other two. "Sex is boring without a proper lace set. Or silk if that's more your thing. I have at least twenty in my draw." She takes the lime from the rim of her glass and plops it into her margarita proudly.

You're mid-eye roll when you hear Mina shouting in agreement. "Hell yeah, it's boring! I just got a new set the other day for a video call I'm having with my boyfriend tomorrow night." A round of oohs is given before she continues. You on the other hand listen intently. "Ever since he's been away in England at his conferences, it's been like a heaven sent to keeping our sex life alive."

Ji-won nods. "I wasn't sure how it would go the first time I wore lace for Eun-woo. Once I did, we never went back. It gave me a sense of power to take the lead too, which most men find really hot. It gets tiring when they have to do all the work all the time."

The girls chuckle together while your mind reels. Taehyung's never had a problem with you being in a simple t-shirt and sweatpants before fucking you silly. But then again, it's not like you've ever asked him.

Your face flushes at the thought—you've never actually asked if he wanted more.

Is he actually happy with the sex?

Should you be doing more for him like wearing lacy underwear or a maid outfit (or whatever's in these days)?

Maybe he isn't satisfied at all but tolerates it because he loves you. Sex isn't the only part that matters in a relationship you know.

Still.

It's an important one.

And if a few pieces of lace are seemingly such a necessity as your coworkers attest...then you're fucked.

Ji-woo places a gentle hand on your shoulder and furrows her eyebrows in concern. "You feeling okay? This is the second time you've zoned out in twenty minutes."

"Oh my god," Suzy gasps, hand covering her mouth. "It makes sense now. You haven't had sex with Taehyung yet have you?!" Her eyes smile at you devilishly as she bites down a grin. This woman seriously needs to get a hobby other than obsessing over your boyfriend.

"Actually," you drawl, scooting your chair backward until you're able to get up. "We have multiple times and we don't plan on stopping. He's coming to my place in an hour or so where he'll gladly fuck me wherever we please. I gotta head out for that now but see you all Monday."

You hurry away from the group as quick as you can, fully aware of their eyes burning holes in the back of your neck and jaws dropping in shock. Why did you say that __? Fuck it.

You feel unwell.

For the next hour and a half, you're restless; pacing around the house in search of meaningless tasks to do. Cleaning usually helps in these situations, though it's proving quite useless this time.

Are you a good sex partner?

Does he secretly wish you'd take the riegns more?

You fluff the living room pillow and toss it on the couch. Stupid. It's all stupid but you can't shake it.

When your boyfriend finally arrives at your place, you take a deep breath before throwing the front door open.

"Hi baby, how was your d—"

As soon as Taehyung strolls inside and sets Tannie down on your apartment floor, you grab the collar of his shirt and press your lips firmly on his. He's surprised at your boldness yet not the slightest disappointed given the hands that smoothly settle around your hips.

"I missed you," you say desperately, walking him back into your kitchen island. Taehyung grunts when the small of his back hits the edge.

"I missed you more."

He shoves his tongue into your mouth, drawing out a sweet moan from your lips. His favorite is when you gasp, hips bucking into his. So with subtle fingers, he untucks your blouse from your pants to trace up the expanse of your back. His cool fingers cause you to shiver as he does this; not because you're chilly but because of the growing anticipation inside you.

As Taehyung runs his large palms up and down your bare back, you card through his soft, fluffy hair. He knows how messed up you enjoy making it. That and it's typically a sign that you're extremely turned on; yearning for him.

He'll gladly take either.

"Oh!" You yelp when he spins you around until it's your back against the counter. An unexpected giggle comes out of you upon seeing his glasses foggy from your mid-make-out session. You do the honors of removing them from his face and carefully set them on the counter. "Hi handsome," you say, wrapping your arms around his neck to pull him closer.

Taehyung lowers his head to nuzzle his nose in the crook of your neck, placing several feather-like kisses along the ridge. "Beautiful," he returns your greeting, smokey eyes lifting back up to meet yours. "Wasn't prepared to be kissed like that."

"Did you like it?" You bite your lip which most definitely does nothing to tame the growing erection in his trousers. Taehyung brings a thumb up to your lower lip and swipes across it lightly before pushing it into your mouth.

"I liked it a little too much." His voice drops a few octaves as he watches you suck on the digit. He'd rather have it be his big cock but it's all about the build-up. "I was trying to be a good boyfriend and ask about your day but all you seem to want is to get dicked down on your kitchen counter. Is that all that's on your mind tonight baby? To spread your legs like a dirty girl?"

You whine and rub your thighs together but he prys them apart with his knee. He then moves to unbutton your pants, watching for a nod in consent.

"Please Tae," you say once he retracts his thumb from your mouth, giving a brief nod. "Been waiting all week for you to touch me."

"Shit." Taehyung makes quick work of your pant button and unfastens the zip. He then dips his fingers into your underwear to glide across your folds. "You want me to touch you here baby? Stick my fingers in you and make you come around them?" He teases, obvious that you're wetter than the Pacific Ocean; you could probably take him all right here and now if he desired.

"Yes, put them in," you beg, bucking your hips into his hand. "Please, can't wait much longer."

He smirks at your neediness and begins to sink two of his fingers into your wet pussy, just the tips. "How's this? Can you come like this? You're so wet I bet you can."

You shake your head, inches from snarling at him. "More. Need your whole finger in me to come. Baby—"

As soon as you drop the 'B' word Taehyung pushes his fingers into you, all the way to the knuckle. The loud gasp you let out reminds him of how far his fingers can actually reach; sometimes he forgets how long and slender they are.

His pace is steady from the start, fingers pumping in and out of you as he watches your head fall back further and further in pleasure.

"Fuck," he swears and quickens his speed, curling his fingers to properly stimulate your sweet spot. "I can feel your pussy clenching and throbbing already. Come whenever you want okay?"

"Uh," you answer in a pant, sweat lining across your forehead as your body jerks back and forth.

"Mm that's it," he coos. "Can't even talk can you? That's okay, focus on how my fingers are making you feel. Good right?" He continues thrusting inside of you, loving how you've started riding his fingers in an attempt to make yourself come faster.

"F-feels amazing Tae!" You moan as the peak of your high inches closer and closer. To help get you off, Taehyung circles his thumb over your clit and latches his lips to the side of your neck.

"You wanna come?" He taunts between kisses and you reply with a breathy 'yes'. Taehyung smirks and nibbles on your ear, licking the shell of it a little until finally, you come all over his fingers.

"Such a dirty slut," he says, slipping his fingers out of you and cleaning them off. He kisses you afterward while his hands work to remove your blouse. Once he has the material pushed off your shoulders he kisses a hot trail down to your collarbone.

Taehyung reaches behind your back to unclasp your bra next but then, he feels your body suddenly tense up. It's not a good tense-up either, it's stiff and uncomfortable.

"You okay beautiful?" He stops all movements and puts his hands on either side of you, caging you between him and the counter. "Did I go too far? Shit I'm sorry if I did, you can tell me."

You shake your head fervently, rejecting the idea. "No, you didn't do anything." You then glance down at yourself in your plain black underwear; nothing fancy. All at once the conversation with your coworkers floods your thoughts again and you feel silly for letting it consume you but it does, it bothers you.

"Taehyung I—" you choke on your words as you watch your boyfriend's previously playful face turn into one of worry. You glance down at your hands and chuckle, feeling bad that you just ruined the mood. "I really need your dick in me, let's just get back to it." You move to kiss him but he doesn't let you.

"Hold on a second. I know that laugh," he says, looking deep into your eyes. "Something's bothering you."

"Oh no, I was just thinking that you must be really hard right now so—" You wave your hands about but he grasps them into his, softly.

"Stop. My dick can wait. What's going on?"

You sigh and allow your shoulders to slump a little. "Its nothing, Tae."

"Which means it's absolutely something." He takes the initiative to lift you on the counter; into a seated position and you know, you're not getting out of this until you tell him what's up.

A good 30 seconds of silence pass with him patiently waiting for you to say something, anything. Taehyung's about to prod a little more until you blurt it out all at once.

"Am I sexy? I mean, we have sex but are you...satisfied? Are there fantasies you haven't told me yet? And what about lingerie? You know I haven't worn any of that so...am I boring? Is it boring to have sex with me? Because I can wear that stuff if you want...if you like it I mean."

Taehyung's mouth gapes open at you, baffled by what he's just heard. It takes him a few moments to gather his thoughts; the last thing he wants is to be an idiot and reply dumbly.

"I'm sorry," he starts and rubs soothing circles on your hands. "I don't know where to start. Of course, you're sexy, you're my angel. And boring? This coming from the woman who makes me hard just by looking at her?"

"Tae I know that–"

"I love you," he continues. "And I love all the things your pussy does to me. There's nothing you need to do, wear, or say for those to be true. Now who gave you the idea that you're boring? Was it me? Shit, it was me wasn't it?"

"No! It wasn't." Your fingers tighten in his hold, eyebrows raising in slight alarm. "I was out with some girls from work and they said that lingerie is the cherry on top for keeping sex spicy. They also said that sex is boring without it and that a woman should take charge in the bedroom so her partner isn't doing all the work."

"Well, that's bullshit."

"Taehyung! You're not taking this seriously."

"I am baby. I promise I am. But since when did fabric define a healthy, thriving sex life? We fuck all the time without lingerie and last I checked we both come. And you know why? Because we're made for each other and we have really great sex. I'm not one to blab about our sex life to others but if I did, everyone would be jealous. Especially of me, because I'm with a literal angel. So not to belittle your coworkers but they're a little narrow-minded."

The faintest smirk pulls at the corner of your boyfriend's lips as he slowly dances his fingers along your waist. "By the way, I would happily do all the work. I aim to please as you know. And taking charge isn't a problem for you seeing as you practically jumped me two seconds from walking into the door. Poor Tannie is scarred for life now. I think he ran into your bedroom."

"Stop," you allow a chuckle, feeling the tension lighten from his joke. "Tannie's seen a lot worse, I'm sure. He just likes my fluffy comforter. Little dog has high standards just like his daddy."

"It's true, I spoiled him too early." Taehyung's grin spreads like oil across his face and you smile as well, not as wide as his but enough that the mood picks back up. "Back to what we were talking about though. I don't want you to think that you're not giving me enough okay? Maybe for your coworkers, sex is different for them and fair enough, they have their own relationships to maintain. But, as long as you're alright with how we're doing, both in and out of the bedroom, then we're perfectly fine."

"So..." You pause to take in the drastic difference in opinion. "You don't want me to wear a sexy lace set or something? What about a ribboned bodysuit? I've seen those becoming more and more popular because they show–"

"Yes, I–I'm aware of the variety out there." He wets his lips, thumbs pressing into your delicate skin harder. "I won't lie in saying I wouldn't love seeing you in a set or two, but I think it's up to you. Because the only thing I need is for you to be comfortable, whether it's in an oversized t-shirt and baggy sweats or naked on this countertop. You're stunnimg to me either way because it's you in front of me and no one else."

"I love you Tae," you sigh and lean into his chest, arms wrapping around his waist to bring him near. Naturally, his crotch brushes against yours as he inches to stand between your parted legs. "Wow, you're still hard?" You snort, feeling his very obvious bulge.

Taehyung kisses the top of your head. "Yes, you'll be surprised at how long I can last with a boner."

A week after your conversation with Taehyung and getting possibly the best fuck of your life on your kitchen island, you find yourself at the mall with your favorite pink-haired boy; Park Jimin. You and Jimin have been close since college and when you say there are no secrets between you, you mean it.

Jimin is also a fashion mogul which is why he's insisted he tag along with you on your search for new clothes. Due to the coolness of the season, you're in need of some warm fall clothing. He prefers you look for something from Dior or Chanel but you put a stop to that; your bank account doesn't have the funds to support that joy ride just yet.

"My grandma's sweater looks better." You hear your best friend sass for the twentieth time behind you. "Put it back __."

"No." You throw the hanger with the baby blue cardigan over your arm and continue browsing through the sale rack. "I happen to like this one, you snob."

The man instantly slaps a hand over his heart as if mimicking being shot. "So rude when I'm just trying to save you from a fashion disaster. If my assistance isn't needed then I might as well go over to the men's section and take a look at the new cufflinks I saw on the way in."

You give your eyes a roll and if you did it once more, they'd get stuck up there. "Fine by me, you've been gawking at them the entire time we've been here. I thought you didn't dwell with the commoners Mr. Only-Buys-Designer-Staight-From-The-Runway-Itself."

"Well, what can I say," Jimin snaps and heads for the other side of the store. "We all have faults. It just so happens that my new partner prefers these kinds of cheap renditions over classic Prada cufflinks."

"Aww poor Chim," you holler after him. "Maybe gift him a pair for Christmas to help break him in?"

"Tried that for his birthday and it was a major fail __. But it's all good because I'm saving that gift for someone else."

You freeze at the questionable choice of words. "And who's that?" you ask. Jimin whips his head over a shoulder and smiles sweetly.

"Your boyfriend. Did you forget he also loves designer?"

"Oh yeah, right. Thanks, Jimin." You hold out the baby blue cardigan, observing it once more. Maybe you shouldn't get this? Not that it matters to Taehyung what you wear either but....maybe it does look old ladyish.

"Hey," your best friend strides over to you again with a softened expression. "Everything alright between you two?"

"Everything's great, you just got me thinking of something is all. I recently had a small talk with him last night about, you know, our bedroom situation."

Though your voice is lowered Jimin understands you clearly. You confide in him a lot so of course he knows about all your personal challenges; the ins and outs of you. He's known about your hesitations towards lingerie and intimacy long before Taehyung came into the picture.

"Oh shit," he swears under his breath. "What did he say?"

You proceed to retell him the highlights of last week's conversation; how sensitive Taehyung was to you and how he told you it's up to you if you want to bring lingerie into the mix. Jimin nods along.

"So what about you then? Do you want to explore the endless realm of lacy bodysuits, transparent bras and panty sets, garters, and aisles of naughty roleplay outfits to fulfill your sexual fantasies or no?"

"Damn, no wonder that lingerie store you worked at straight out of college didn't want you to leave. Anyway, I was thinking about giving it a try but I'm still unsure. It's not that I don't want to or that Taehyung's pressuring me–I still just feel really nervous."

"Here's a thought then." Jimin hums aloud. "What if we went to an underwear store and you tried on a few things? You don't have to buy any of it or take any home to show off. It'll be an experiment of sorts."

You ponder the idea and it doesn't sound half bad. Low commitment right?

"Okay. I think there's a Victoria's Secret on the second floor."

"Oh no no," the man shakes his head as if amused by your cuteness. "We're going somewhere a little more special than that."

"Jimin! Help please!" You holler from inside the dressing room of one the poshest boutiques you've been in. Turns out the place you've been dragged to is a high-end underwear store called Delilah's. You were beyond skeptical of the price on your way in but it wasn't horrible.

"Oh my god," Jimin rushes into the stall with you as soon as you call for him. "You look so sexy in this __. Like a Christmas present waiting to be unwrapped."

"The tiny silk bows on this thing barely cover my nipples." And you're not exaggerating. The set you've opted to try on first is Jimin's pick; a strappy red two-piece with matching garters, silk choker, and bows over both breasts. He says it's supposed to be like a sexy Mrs. Clause but while it's sexy for sure, it's way more revealing than how you'd prefer (at least the first time trying this kind of thing out).

"Turn around," he commands. "You're straps are a little loose."

"I don't think this one fits me Chim. This is obviously meant for a specific body type and it's not mine." You have a hard time staring at yourself in the mirror so you stare down towards the floor instead.

Jimin takes a small breath and turns your shoulders back around so you're facing him again. "This is for anyone who wants to wear it, love. Your body is beautiful and this set looks smashing on you. If it's not your style, no problem, but I won't have you getting down on yourself."

"You're starting to sound like Taehyung now." You give a nervous chuckle and rub your arm.

"If it means you listen to him then good. I'm your best friend and your biggest supporter __ so you know I'll always be honest with you. Now do we not like this because it's not to your taste or is it because you're not good enough for it?"

"Not...my taste," you slowly draw out the words. "Thanks Chim."

"You really mean that?" He straight into your eyes, knowing you have a habit of telling him only what he wants to hear sometimes. You nod.

"Yes, and I was thinking maybe we can keep the color the same but go for something a little tamer?"

"Anything for you, love."

Well, he convinced you to buy the third set you tried on at the boutique. It's a similar shade of red as the first set; the ones with the bows on it, but covers a bit more. Both the bra and panties are strappy and made of sheer, but also have the occasional lace detailing to cover the important parts. A matching red robe made of silk was included in the purchase too.

When you got home, you shoved the set into the back of your drawer, not thinking you'd take it out any time soon.

But alas, you did.

You're now twisting in front of your bedroom mirror with it on, along with the robe which loosely hangs off your shoulder.

"Is this cute?" You ask yourself. "I look kinda different with it on. Maybe I should return it," you continue to talk to yourself in mutters until your bedroom door squeaks open. You jump at the sudden intrusion.

There, sauntering into the bedroom is your boyfriend's dog. Being Friday again, Taehyung and Tannie came over to spend the weekend with you. But while your boyfriend is busy showering in your bathroom, Tannie has decided he wants to make himself cozy on your bed.

"Hi Tan." You crouch down on your knees in front of the pup and give him a few good pat. He yips at you but doesn't move away. "Have you still not made up your mind about me yet? I know I took your daddy away from you so now you don't have him all to yourself anymore but didn't I give you extra treats this morning?"

Tannie's big eyes look up at you and then towards your bed. He then trots over to the edge where his doggie stairs are and uses them to climb up atop the bed. You stand up from your kneeled position and place your hands on your hips.

"Well, I guess you made this place your home huh?" You watch as the little dog spins three times in a circle before plopping down. "Alright, you're too cute to be fake mad at. Since you're here though, maybe you can help me."

You feel utterly stupid for what you're about to do next, yet that feeling doesn't stop you. "What do you think about this new set I got? It's my first one so I'm excited but it looks weird right?"

Tan huffs and stares at you.

"Yeah? It does, doesn't it? You know when I got this I was thinking maybe I could get into it...this whole lingerie thing. And it's sexy, no denying that, but as I told my friend Jimin. It's not meant for my bod–"

Your sentence is abruptly cut off when a pair of hands make their way around your hips. They stay atop your robe yet the burn of your boyfriend's fingers is still fiery hot.

When did he get out of the shower?

Taehyung stands behind you in a pair of silk pajama bottoms and nothing else. His bare chest presses lightly against your back and his wet hair falls messily around his face with a few strands covering his eyes. "Hi," he breathes in a husky tone, right next to your ear. It sends a whole trail of shivers up your spine. "What's not meant for your body, baby?"

In a ball of nervous energy, you move to tug the robe as closed as you can, forcing his fingers to loosen around your body. "Tae! I didn't hear you get out of the shower. I was just talking to Tannie and I-I'm gonna go get changed, now that the bathroom's free."

You'd make a beeline out your bedroom door if it weren't for the arm that snakes around your waist, pulling you back into his chest. "Do you have to change? Because I really, really don't want you to. As always I'll let you make your own decisions though..." Evilly, he sweeps your hair all to one side to expose the nape of your neck. He then places a kiss on the sensitive area; too soft, his lips are too soft.

You bite your moan back however, don't meet his question with a response. The thought of opening your robe and showing him the number underneath makes you crazy with arousal. You just wish you didn't have the pesky whisper that tells you that there's nothing to go crazy for after you do.

You're really not trying to be so hard on yourself but can you actually do this? The set is hot, sure, but maybe it was a mistake to g– "Oh Tae, fuck." You gasp when your boyfriend latches his mouth on the side of your neck, sucking on it lewdly. It never fails to send your head backward into his firm chest. Your eyes fall shut to bask in the pleasure. "You're way too good at this," you coo.

Taehyung slowly traces down the fabric of your robe, near the opening. It's a struggle for him not to pull the thin material open. "Can I see?" It's a plead.

You wet your lips and fiddle with the material yourself. "I-I don't know."

"Let me rephrase that." He folds his palms over your fingers and spins you both around so you're able to see each other's reflection in your full-length mirror. "Do you want me to see?" His deep, lusty eyes lock with yours in the glass. Taehyung brings his chin down to your shoulder, resting it there calmly while his grip tightens around you.

He gives you as long as you need to reply.

"...yes," you finally decide, dragging your robe down and off your shoulders. Taehyung groans and kisses your bare shoulder as you cautiously show yourself to him.

"Tan." His voice calls out, more gruff than when he was speaking with you moments ago. "Living room." The little dog's ears perk up and he flees off the bed and out the room.

"Did he really have to go?"

"He's our baby. He can't witness all the nasty things I'm about to do to you. He'll make himself comfy on the couch, don't worry." Your boyfriend runs his hands up your thighs before helping you remove your robe completely. "I haven't said it yet so I'm going to do it now. You look fucking hot in this, like a lucid dream. I don't deserve this, fuck."

"Really?"

His fingers sensually trace your curves, then the thin band of your lace panties. "Yeah, really," he hums and cups your mound. "This color on you is making me insane. I can't decide if I want to take it off or savor it on your body a little longer."

"Tae—mfph!" He doesn't let you finish, preferring to turn you around so he can press his lips on yours. He moves with passion, nipping your bottom lip to sneak his tongue inside. Your moans only grow louder when his grinds his hips into you.

With a gentle pull, Taehyung leads you to the edge of your bed. "Lay down for me, on your stomach."

You do as he says and slide onto your mattress, face down. All your senses tingle at once when you feel his body hovering over you. His legs straddle you from behind as his hands cling to the sheets on either side of you.

"Tae what are you doing?" Your senses heighten, your heart thumping at the inability to see him.

"This," he answers and brings his warm lips to the small of your back. The tiny jolt of surprise doesn't stop him from continuing to kiss up your spine and all the way up between your shoulder blades. He's never kissed you like this before. Your body arches off the bed from the newness and arousal pools between your thighs.

"This feels ni-nice." The broken moan spurs your boyfriend on. He kisses you the same way again, faster. Clearly, wherever your boyfriend's lips touch you, you like it tenfold.

Once he gets back to your shoulder blades Taehyung lifts his head up and unclasps your bra. He then flips you over, gives you a quick peck, and rips the now pesky material off your body.

"I love seeing this on you and I wanted to wait it out some more but I can't do it." He cups the swell of your breasts, squeezing them together while his thumbs fondle your perky nipples. "You look so, so beautiful and I need to make love to you now or I'm going to come in my pants like a teenager." He releases your breasts and mouths at the supple flesh, tongue licking across the peaks.

"Fuck," you moan and sink your fingers into his hair. "I need you too. Please."

Your panties are off before you know it, the cool air hitting your warm pussy. Taehyung spreads your thighs wide open and tells you to keep them there until he gets his own pants and underwear off. He's seconds from putting himself into you when he pauses.

"Can't skip over this can we?" He circles your clit with the pad of his thumb and lowers his head down to your center. "Not that you really need it seeing as you're soaked down here, but I'm a creature of habit." He proceeds to lick up your folds, teasing your clit at the same time.

"Oh, oh my god Tae!" You claw his hair harder and reflexively buck your hips into his mouth, drawing a deep groan from him.

"Shit!" He raises his face from between your thighs with lips already glistening with your arousal. "Maybe I can finish eating you out after I fuck you into the mattress."

You nod your head. "Okay, yeah sure, fuck me. I'm still on the pill."

Taehyung lifts both of your legs over his shoulders and rubs the tip of his cock up and down your entrance. You clench at the teasing. "You are literally going to be the end of me, baby." He thrusts himself all the way into you, bottoming out much quicker than other times.

"Fuuck," you both moan at the stretch. Taehyung's hips snap forward with vigor, his thick length being squeezed by your velvet walls with each push and pull.

"Goddamn, this pussy is too good for me. So hot and tight, shit! You're so beautiful you know that? Everything you are. That's why—it's why it hurt me so much when you asked if I thought you were sexy or boring last week."

Your nails dig into the sheets as you watch the veins protrude from his neck. His eyes, on the other hand, are laser-focused on you.

"Hurt....you?"

"Yes," he affirms, fucking into you faster with hard, controlled thrusts. "Hurt me so much because you're mine and I–fuck I'm gonna come soon!"

I never want you to question how I feel about you. And when you asked me those things, it made my head spin. Our relationship is not all about sex and I thought maybe I was making it seem like that. And now, seeing you in sexy red set gives me such a mindfuck but I don't want you to feel like it's just because of the lace."

"No, no not at all. I don't think any of that because you're perfect to me too Tae. Going out with my coworkers and having that conversation just triggered me. This is all still new to me....us."

"I know." Taehyung unexpectedly stops his movement to lower your legs from his shoulders. He then brings them around his mid-section which you gladly wrap around. "It's new to me too but we're just starting right?" Your hands are intertwined with his when he resumes his previous brutal pace.

"Right," you breathe, fingers gripping his firmer against the mattress "I'm-I'm gonna come baby. It's so close."

"Me too."

You both have your release at the same time, panting like crazy from the post-orgasmic bliss. Taehyung rides both your highs out, then pulls out of you slowly.

"Holy fuck." You're the first to speak. "That damn lingerie really did make our sex better."

"Better?" Taehyung squeaks out. "What do you mean better? Was it not as good before?"

"I'm kidding, however, I do think you were a lot more eager this time. What happened to the whole being able to last with a boner for eternity if you have to speech?"

He breaks out into a cute grin. "I guess I was bullshitting then, lesson learned. Also, even though the lingerie is hot we don't have to keep doing it...I mean if you want to–"

You shut him up with a kiss and snuggle into him. "Maybe we'll try it again. It was kinda fun. Either way, you're right, we don't need it because I love you."

"I love you more. Now how about I fulfill that promise earlier about eating you out?" He jerks back to look at you with a quirked brow.

"Taehyung....we were having a moment."

"Oh shit, sorry. We can keep snuggling, come here beautiful." He pulls you back into himself with a smile.

a/n: Hoping you enjoyed ☺ LMK your thoughts 💞

masterlist

no reposting, copying, or translating my work– © kookslastbutton

[stevie-petey]

episode one: suzie, do you copy?

Steve sighs. “Those kids are manipulating your power over me to get what they want.” “You call it manipulation, I call it bonding.”  Another sigh escapes Steve. “You’re going to be the death of me.” “And yet you stay.” You tease. “And yet I stay.”

Summary: you help nancy sneak through jonathans window, the party uses you for your "in" with steve, and you sorta become the reason dustin almost blinds lucas. meanwhile, steve tries, and fails, to make you his girlfriend (this will happen all summer), but have no fear ! dustin intercepts a russian code and makes everything even harder for everyone. what a sweet brother <3

Rating: general, swearing

Warnings: allusions to violence, swearing, fem!reader, use of y/n

Words: 9.6k

Before you swing in: shes here !!! season 3 of come home <333 im so excited for yall to read what i have planned, and thank you so much for being so patient as i planned the season out and started the chapters :) season 3 is pure chaos and i hope yall love what ive created, im proud of the changes i made <3333 we get some more insight into bug this season, which i also hope yall love !

-

June 27th, 1985.

A summer breeze gently creeps into Jonathan’s room, bringing the scent of dandelions and your childhood with it. It’s early evening and Jonathan hums to himself quietly, laying in his bed as he lazily skims through a comic he stole from you last week. You’re next to him as you carefully cut pieces of construction paper to glue onto the posterboard. Dustin comes home from camp in a few days and you want his welcome home banner to be perfect.

In the other room you hear the floorboards creak, followed by the sound of Joyce and Will laughing at whatever movie they’ve put on in the living room. Hearing their laughs makes you smile; it’s been so long since you’ve heard them laugh.

The tune that Jonathan hums now becomes a familiar one, and absent mindedly you begin to hum along with him. The cool summer night’s air encases the two of you, as if it senses that you want to freeze this moment forever. You’re in the Byers home, pressed against Jonathan’s side as you hum together an old song from when you were both fourteen and thought you had the world all figured out,

It’s nice, having this moment all to yourself with him. Moments alone with him have become few and far between, and it saddens you to think about.

There’s a new mall in town, Starcourt, and within a few months of it opening, Bookstrordinary has slowly been edging out of business. The entire town of Hawkins quickly fell in love with the mall, but with this love came the abandonment of downtown Hawkins.

Mrs. Waters can barely afford to have you work more than a few hours a day, so you’ve been spending your days visiting Nancy and Jonathan at their internship at the Hawkins Post or hanging at Scoops Ahoy to see Steve and Robin. While your friends have been lovely, you can’t swallow down the fear that you’ll lose your job by the end of summer.

As if somehow reading your thoughts, Jonathan puts down his comic and pokes your cheek. “Hey, I’ve been meaning to ask if you and Nance thought of anything else to try and save Bookstrordinary.”

You glue down a letter and try to distract yourself with the miniscule task. Nancy has been brainstorming a million ideas to try and help Mrs. Water, and while you appreciate her effort, it’s no use. Swallowing down even more dread, you shake your head at Jonathan. “No, nothing. Nancy offered to help organize a book drive to get more customers, but…”

“It wouldn’t be enough.” Jonathan finishes for you.

“Not nearly enough,” you sigh, desperately wanting to change the topic now. “But besides me possibly losing my job soon, how has yours been at the Hawkins Post?”

Now it’s Jonathan’s turn to sigh. “It’s… okay? I guess. I–I mean, definitely not what I expected it to be. The hours suck and the men are awful, but…” he shifts uncomfortably and looks away from you, embarrassed. “A job is a job.”

You rub his arm, understanding what he means. The Byers have always struggled with money, but ever since Will went missing two years ago and Jonathan lost his last job at the Hawk movie theater, it’s only gotten worse. They’ve tried hiding it, but last week you sneakily paid for Will’s ice cream at Scoops Ahoy while no one else was looking.

“I get it, bee.” You reassure him, hating that he even feels embarrassed in the first place.

Jonathan smiles and leans into your touch, appreciative of the fact that you know his family well enough by now to understand all he’s too ashamed to say. The two of you sit quietly for a few moments before he tries to lighten the mood with something else. “You excited for your birthday, bug?”

“Ugh,” you shake your head in disgust, which Jonathan laughs at. He knows you’ve never really liked your birthday. “Don’t remind me.”

“It’s in a few days, so you gotta suck it up.” Jonathan flicks your forehead and you swat your hand at him. “Besides, I bet $5 that Steve has some grand proposal planned for your birthday this year. He’s spent the entire summer drooling over you.”

His words make you blush furiously. “He has not–”

“He definitely has,” Jonathan tries to flick you again but you dodge, giggling. “I’m surprised he hasn’t publicly declared your love for you yet. I think there’s a betting pool going around the party.”

You gasp. “You’re lying!”

“Nope. Lucas and Max both lost last week, they bet mid June. Now it’s only me, Nancy, Will, and Dustin in the running.”

“What about Mike and El?”

“Mike didn’t want to encourage you dating Steve and the party agreed it felt unfair to have El gamble seeing as how she’s, ya know, still getting used to being in society.”

Despite yourself, you laugh. The idea is so bizarre and lovely, knowing how invested everyone is in your alleged love life, and it makes the worry you’ve been feeling fade away. “Can I join the pool? If I actually lose my job, I’ll need the money.”

Jonathan scoffs at you. “That goes against every gambling rule–”

“Please? I could be poor soon!”

“No, it’s not going to happen–”

“But–”

A knock on the window cuts you off. The two of you look up at the sound and find Nancy standing outside, waving and smiling. You hurry over to let her in, happy as always to see her. She’s been spending more and more nights at Jonathan’s, always sneaking in through the window.

It’s disgusting, and you couldn’t be happier for them.

Jonathan helps the girl climb through the window and greets her with a kiss to the forehead. “Hey, Nance.”

She smiles up at him with a shine in her eyes, and you know it’s time to leave. It’s getting late, anyways. You start to gather your banner supplies as you greet Nancy yourself. “Welcome back, Wheeler.”

“Hello to you too, Henderson.”

You wink at the girl and quickly ruffle Jonathan’s hair. “I’m going home, bee. My mom wants me to help prep Dustin’s room and I wanna have his banner done by tomorrow.”

“Bike home safe, please.” He says with a stern finger pointed at you.

Rolling your eyes, you give a mocking salute to Nancy and Jonathan. “Use protection, kids. I’m too young to be an aunt.”

Nancy gasps while Jonathan practically trips over his own two feet at your words, and you laugh. You leave them alone to compose themselves, closing the door to Jonathan shouting, “That wasn’t funny!”

You’re still giggling to yourself when you walk into the living room and see Joyce and Will sprawled on the couch. Their movie has just finished, the credits are rolling as you stand next to the TV and wave goodbye to them.

“You leaving so soon?” Joyce asks, surprised to even see you leave Jonathan’s room in the first place.

“Yeah, gotta finish up Dustin’s welcome home banner,” you hold up your supplies. Then, through the house’s thin walls, you all hear Nancy’s soft giggle. At the sound, you lean in close to Joyce and Will and dramatically whisper, “Plus, between the three of us, company came, so…”

Will’s eyes widen. “Yuck!”

Joyce chuckles, remembering how in love she was at Jonathan’s age back then. “Would I be a bad parent if I told Nancy she could just use the front door?”

“I don’t think so, but it’s fun watching them think they’re getting away with it.” You steal a piece of candy from the bowl Will had been eating out of, and he holds it up higher so that you can grab more. “Thanks, little bee.”

“You think it’s fun teasing Nancy and Jonathan now, Y/N, but when you’re the one sneaking in through a boy’s window one day…” Joyce shrugs, a twinkle in her eye. “You’ll understand.”

Will looks up at you with his own evil glint in his eyes, and before you can stop him, he turns to his mom and says, “I wonder how high Steve Harrington’s window is.”

You pretend to attack Will and he giggles as he flees his seat and runs to the other side of the living room. “Will Byers I will spit in your cookies–”

Joyce covers her mouth and gasps. “Y/N, are you hiding a boyfriend from me?”

Quickly you stop chasing after Will, terrified of the idea of the woman thinking you’d hide anything from her. “What? No! I’m not dating Steve–”

“Yet!” Will exclaims from across the room, but his retaliation is followed by a shriek as you chase after the kid again.

“If you keep this up, I’m telling Steve to stop letting y’all sneak into the movies!” You threaten as you chase the boy around the room.

Joyce watches in amusement, she’s never been able to take her eyes off of you when you’re with her boys. Will dodges a grab and you stumble, giving him just enough time to hide behind his mom’s armchair.

He pokes his head out at your threat, his eyes now uncertain. “You wouldn’t really tell Steve that, right?”

Catching your breath, you collapse onto the couch and shake your head at him. “No, little bee. I wouldn’t.”

You’d never do that to Will. He’s been so keen on spending as much time as possible with the party this summer, spending each and every moment planning DnD campaigns and biking all over Hawkins to spend mere seconds together. Will has spent all summer trying as hard as possible to be a kid again because so much of his childhood was stolen by Upside Down.

Will slowly gets up from behind the armchair and sits next to you, relieved. “Okay, good. We wanna see a movie tomorrow night and I already promised everyone you’d get Steve to let us in. That would’ve sucked.”

You and Joyce laugh at the boy’s response, and it feels so good to have this moment with the two of them. You allow it to wash over you for a second, the Byers home has always had such a comforting effect on you, before getting up and gathering your things once more. “I really should go, though. My mom is waiting.”

Joyce and Will say goodbye and tell you to be safe on your way home, and it warms something within you. As you bike down their driveway home, you inhale the summer night’s air and wonder, days before you turn seventeen, how much longer you have left of just this: being a little kid going home after a long day.

–

When you get home, Tews greets you with an angry meow.

The cat had been a Christmas gift for your mom from you and Dustin, seeing as how you accidentally killed Mews. Your mom had cried seeing the little kitten, and had cried even harder when your brother suggested the stupid name “Tews.”

But it stuck, and now Tews glares at you as you take your time feeding her.

In Dustin’s room you can hear your mom rustling around, frantically cleaning the place as if it currently isn’t the cleanest it’s ever been since the kid has been gone all month. After you feed Tews, you make your way over to your brother’s room to help with cleaning.

A few hours later, you’re laying in bed, exhausted from your long day. Dustin’s banner sits on your desk, right next to the phone that resides in the corner. Yawning, you glance at the clock, but when you see the time, you smile.

The phone rings.

“Right on time, honey.”

“Aren’t I always, angel?” Steve’s voice soothes your aching bones, his words like honey, the very thing you’ve come to associate with him.

Phone calls have become more and more common between you and Steve. You’re not sure when this tradition formed, but when you aren’t at Scoops and he isn’t at your house infiltrating your family, you’re on the phone with one another.

Hearing Steve’s voice puts you at ease, and it wasn’t long before you started calling each other before bed every night.

“How was your day?” You ask him, spinning the phone’s cable around your finger as you lay in bed.

Steve lets out a dramatic groan. “I swear, after you left today, Robin intentionally amped up her taunts. It’s like you’re her buffer or something. The second you leave,” you hear him snap his fingers, “she turns against me!”

“Robin would never do that.” Your voice is monotone as you say this, which only makes Steve groan dramatically once more. Robin would most definitely do that; you both know this.

“You two are the worst together.”

“Yeah, well,” you pull your blankets up to your chin and readjust into a comfier position. Your eyes feel heavy and Steve’s voice settles over your body. “Prepare for more pain tomorrow night. Will and the party have grand plans to sneak into yet another movie.”

Steve sighs. “Those kids are manipulating your power over me to get what they want.”

“You call it manipulation, I call it bonding.”

Another sigh escapes Steve. “You’re going to be the death of me.”

“And yet you stay.” You tease.

“And yet I stay.”

You bite back a smile; you can almost perfectly envision Steve laying in his own bed, phone pressed to his ear with his hair messy and eyes half lidded as he talks to you. You wish, more than anything, that you could be there with him right now; instead, you fall asleep to the sound of Steve’s voice, slightly raspy from his own exhaustion.

–

The next day you wake up to an empty house. Your mom has been spending her summer at Hawkin’s pool, like all the moms in town now do, to admire Billy at his new job.

It grosses you out to no end, and when your mom comes home some days swearing that Billy winked at her, you have to swallow down the phantom pain of his fingers wrapping around your windpipe.

By the time you get to work, Downtown Hawkins, as always, is a ghost town.

It’s been this way ever since Starcourt opened, and as you park your bike and lock it up, you can’t help but be unnerved by how quiet everything is. It was only a few years ago that you had to scream at a crowd of onlookers when Jonathan and Joyce had had that fight when they had found Will’s body in the quarry.

Now, walking slowly towards the front doors of Bookstrordinary, all you hear is silence in the once lively area. There are posters scattered throughout the old town, but they’re worn from the sunlight and torn from the weather. It’s a depressing sight.

Mrs. Waters greets you kindly when you walk in. “Hello, dear.”

“Hi, Mrs. Waters.” You give her a quick peck on the cheek as you quickly swipe your card to clock in. The bookstore is empty. “Any new shipments today?”

The old woman shakes her head forelonly. “Afraid not. We still haven’t sold last month’s shipment.”

You duck your head down and curse. This is the second shipment you weren’t able to sell. “I’m sorry, Mrs. Waters.”

“Oh, don’t be!” She walks over to you, her wrist shakes as she uses her cane. She has aged so much these last few years. “I’ve owned this store for thirty years, dear. I’m just happy that I can give you and Alex a job before you kids go off to college. Besides, it’s given me something to do these last few years without my husband…”

The woman’s eyes glaze over, something that has started to happen more and more now, and you grab her arm gently and give her a little shake. “Hey, Mrs. Waters. You still with me?”

She blinks, looks around in a confused daze, before breaking into her old smile once more. “Of course I am! Now, sort some books while I ward off those debt collectors with this cane.”

Despite the gravity of the situation, you can’t help but laugh at Mrs. Waters as she waves her cane around madly and gives you a wink. She hobbles back to her office and leaves you alone with the books and the ghost of Downtown Hawkins.

Only two customers come in during your four hour shift, and by midday Mrs. Waters releases you so that she can give Alex a few hours of work as well. She’s trying her best to keep you both hired for as long as she can, so she splits your hours. What she doesn’t know is that Alex now has a job at Hawkins’ pool and only comes into work because he just can’t bear to quit, and neither can you.

You bike to the mall, sad and needing a pick me up. Jonathan’s teasing from last night echoes in your head. How could you possibly think about your birthday when your boss is slowly losing both her mind and her business?

At the mall, your feet unconsciously take you to Scoops as they always do. This has become your favorite part of your dreary days: going to Scoops after work. The smell of ice cream greets you as you walk into the shop.

Robin sees you first and waves excitedly from the register. “Y/N!”

“It’s me!” You run up to the counter and lean over it to squeeze the girl into a tight hug.

There’s a loud crash from the backroom and just as you’ve pulled away from Robin, Steve bursts through the doors and leaps over the counter to join in on the hug. “Thank God you’re here, Robin was about to make me clean the tables.”

You giggle while Robin scoffs, pulling away. “It’s your turn, dingus.”

Steve, still hugging you from behind, hums. He begins to rock you back and forth in his arms, which only makes you giggle more, while he pretends to think about what the girl has said. “Nope, don’t remember it being my turn.”

Robin gives you a pleading look to back her up, and you reluctantly slide your arms over Steve’s and release his grip. He groans in complaint at the loss of your touch, and you roll your eyes at him as you turn around to now face him. “C’mon, let’s go wipe the tables so dear Robin can man the register in peace.”

Steve groans even louder now as Robin cheers, and you snatch the rag from his pocket and begin to wipe down the tables. He follows eventually, moaning and groaning as he cleans next to you, and you hit your hip against his. “Hey, at least you’re getting paid for this.”

“I give you free ice cream!” He argues, pieces of his hair falling out of his adorably dorky sailor’s hat that he has to wear for this job. It’s incredibly endearing, and as he hunches over to scrub at a particularly dirty table, his thighs strain against his probably too short shorts and you can’t help but stare at them. As you admire this spectacular show, Steve catches you and flicks your nose. “Quit ogling me and get back to your free labor, angel.”

“I wasn’t ogling, I was simply admiring.”

Robin gags from behind the register. “I can hear you guys, you know!”

You and Steve both stick your tongues out at her before going back to work.

The hours pass by quickly after that. The midday rush of tweens and teens alike infiltrate Scoops, so Steve helps Robin fling ice cream while you get comfortable in your designated booth in the corner. You’ve hidden a supply of comics underneath one of the booth’s cushions and you spend your time catching up on the latest Spider-Man arc.

You’re so engrossed in what you’re reading that you don’t notice a body slide into the booth next to you until the person speaks.

“Spider-Man, huh? Heard he’s a pretty cool guy.”

Startled by the stranger’s voice, you almost drop your comic in alarm. When you see that it’s just Jason Carver sitting next to you, you place a hand to your chest and inhale quickly, trying to settle your rapid heartbeat. “Christ, you scared me.”

“Sorry!” He genuinely looks apologetic, so you wearily set down your comic and straighten up.

You’ve never spoken to Jason before, even though you’ve been in the same classes ever since eighth grade. He’s always ran with the popular crowd, being a jock and all, and you’ve always ran with Jonathan. However, despite being on the basketball team, Jason has never been mean to either of you, so you figure it’s safe to offer him your attention.

“Can I ask why you’re here?” You cock your head at him, feeling your hair fall over your shoulders.

Jason smiles at you, in a sort of cute and charming way. “Stopped by to get my little sister some ice cream,” he points to a little girl next to him, who waves at you, and you wave back. “Then I saw you sitting here all alone reading one of my favorite comics, so I figured it wouldn’t hurt to say hi to such a pretty girl.”

You blush at his bold words. You’ve never received such attention from anyone before, at least not anyone normal thanks to Billy, and you’re not really sure why Jason seems to be paying attention to you now. He’s had years to do this.

Jason sees your sudden shyness and chuckles. He stands up and offers you his hand. “Why don’t I buy you some ice cream, maybe you could help me show my sister around the mall–” Steve’s shoulder collides roughly into the teen’s, causing him to stumble into his sister’s ice cream cone and get chocolate ice cream all over the front of his pants. Jason looks up at Steve and balls his fists in anger. “What the fuck, Harrington?”

You quickly cover the little girl’s ears, though she giggles.

Steve shrugs as he looks at Jason. “Sorry, man. Didn’t see you there.” Then, he turns to you, and offers his own hand. “Anyways, I think it’s time for your daily free ice cream, angel.”

Jason’s eyes narrow as you accept Steve’s hand and spare him an apologetic glance. Before you leave, you dig some cash out of your overalls and hand them to him. “For your sister’s new ice cream cone.”

He sighs and accepts the money. Jason knows that Steve is still holding your hand as he stands behind you, but he has nothing else to lose at this point. He takes a deep breath and shakes his head. “I didn’t stand a chance, did I?”

Steve twirls you with your interlocked hands, causing you to giggle, and guides you to the ice cream counter. As he leaves, shouts behind him, “Not at all, buddy!”

You know you should feel bad, but Steve twirls you again and all you can do is giggle breathlessly as Jason Carver walks out of Scoops with his sister in tow.

–

Later that night the mall is busier than ever, and as you’re gossiping with Robin about Steve ruining Jason’s pants, you’re interrupted by Mike’s grubby little hand repeatedly hitting the bell.

Seems it’s time for their movie.

You flick the kid’s head, which Lucas, Max, and Will snicker at. “Enough!”

“Ow, Y/N!”

“Thanks,” Robin sends you an appreciative smile before she calls towards the backroom, “Dingus, your children are here!”

Within seconds, Steve opens the sliding windows and sighs when he sees Mike and the party. “Again? Seriously?”

“I warned you.” You say, shrugging at his annoyance. “Let the kids have some fun.”

Mike rings the bell again. “Do what Y/N says.”

Steve sighs in defeat and motions for the kids to follow him behind the counter. “Fine, but only because I’m nice, not because Y/N said so.”

“Right.” Everyone says, not at all believing him, which Steve chooses to ignore.

You all follow him through the back entrance of the mall. Checking to make sure the coast is clear, Steve waves the kids inside. “I swear, if anybody hears about this–”

“We’re dead.” The kids all respond, voices monotone with annoyance after hearing this threat a million times.

However, before they all leave, Will gently tugs at your hand to get your attention. “Are you coming with?”

You want to say yes, but then you catch Steve’s eyes and he silently pleads with you to stay, and you know you can’t tell him no. Squeezing Will’s hand, you shake your head. “Sorry, little bee. I promise I will next time, though.”

Mike scoffs in disgust, disappointed in you. Your relationship with Steve has always confused him, and you’ve only gotten closer to the teen since Dustin left for camp. He pities what the boy will think when he comes back to his sister all lovey-dovey with an idiot like Steve Harrington.

Once the kids leave, you go back into Scoops with Steve and settle into your booth once more. Grabbing your comic, you flip to where you left off before looking up at the teen and saying, “you have me for another hour. I can’t be out late tonight, Dustin comes home tomorrow and I promised Mike I’d be up at like seven to let everyone in.”

Steve salutes you and hops back behind his counter to help Robin with some customers. You smile at his antics and go back to reading. A few minutes pass, Spider-Man has just kissed MJ, before the lights above you start to flicker and then go out completely.

Everyone in the mall gasps and murmurs in a slight panic as they’re thrown into darkness. The hair on your arms stands up; you no longer trust lights that flicker. Robin catches your eye and gives you an odd look when she sees the fear on your face.

“Scared of the dark, Y/N?” She teases, not understanding what you really fear: what lies below Hawkins.

“That’s weird,” Steve mumbles to himself as he goes over to the light switch. He starts to flip the switch repeatedly, and you roll your eyes at him. He’s an idiot sometimes.

“That isn’t gonna work, dingus.” Robin says, looking over at you once more as if to silently ask, why are you attracted to him?

You shake your head at her as Steve continues to flip the switch, now only quickening his movements. He stares Robin down as if to challenge her. “Oh, really?”

Nothing happens, because contrary to what Steve may believe, he can’t fix what is likely (and what you hope) is simply a blackout from the summer heat. He flicks the lightswitch a few more times before the generators kick back on and Scoops Ahoy is once again lit up.

Steve raises his eyebrows at Robin and smirks at her, pleased. “See? Let there be light.”

You drop your head to the table, now also questioning why you’re attracted to the guy.

However, when it’s time to head home and Steve walks with you to your bike outside, he kisses your cheek and wishes you a good night; you know that this is the reason you’ve fallen for him: his kindness. With his kiss lingering on your cheek, you bike home.

–

When Steve gets back from saying goodbye to you, he’s met with a nosey Robin.

She stands against the counter with her arms crossed. There aren’t any more customers in the shop, they closed about ten minutes ago, and Steve was really looking forward to driving home and taking off his stupid uniform.

Robin, however, clearly has other plans.

“What did I do now?” He asks her, not daring to take any step closer.

“Why haven’t you asked Y/N out yet?” Steve’s eyes widen at the question and Robin knows she’s got him cornered. “I’ve spent hours with you guys, and it’s driving me insane that you haven’t manned up!”

“‘Manned up’?” Steve sputters out, completely offended.

Robin throws her arms out in front of her. “Yes! I mean, it’s so obvious that you’re in love with her and that she’s in love with you. Just… Just get it over with!”

Blushing, Steve slumps against the wall and closes his eyes. As much as it pains him to admit it, he knows that Robin is right. “It’s… complicated.”

“Well, go on.” The girl now hops on the counter and sits on it. “Explain it to me, then.”

“Y/N used to be in love with…” Steve stops, unsure if you’d want him to be telling Robin this. “Someone.”

She rolls her eyes. “Everyone knows she was in love with that Byers kid.”

“Right.” He clears his throat, uncomfortable with the reminder that at one point, everyone in Hawkins truly believed you were destined for Jonathan. “Well as I’m sure you know… He got with Nancy, who–uh, I had been with.”

“Okay, so what?”

“I–” Steve isn’t sure what Robin doesn’t understand. “I needed… time?”

Robin frowns. “After Nancy dumped you?”

“Technically I dumped her–”

“What does this have to do with Y/N?” Robin presses.

Steve groans and rubs at his eyes. He’s tired and wants to go home to call you and go to bed with your soft voice in his head. “Y/N understood that the breakup with Nancy hurt, and–well. She told me she’d wait for me. I guess. While I figured my shit out.”

Robin thinks this over for a minute. “Okay, I think I can understand that, but–wait, when did this all happen again?”

“... December.” He closes his eyes, bracing himself for the girl’s inevitable anger.

“Harrington!”

There it is.

“I know, okay?” Steve tugs at his hair in frustration. “I’m over Nancy, I’ve been over her since at least April, but… But what–what if Y/N has lost interest in me now? What if–maybe I made her wait too long, or–or what if she thinks she’s just Nancy’s replacement?”

Steve is rambling now, months of his anxious and insecure thoughts now spilling out. “I mean, it’d kill me if–if I ever made her feel second to anyone! She’s… She’s incredible and–God, I don’t even know why she likes me and I’ve spent this entire summer trying to–I don’t know… Figure out how to confess my feelings to her in a way that matters, ya know? Like, a grand proposal to show her that I’m crazy about her.”

Robin is silent for several minutes after Steve’s frantic spiel, he’s panting by the time he’s done. Then, finally, she says, “Dude… You’re way overthinking this.”

Steve winces. “I mean, her birthday is in a few days. I can… I can ask her to be my girlfriend then. That’s romantic, right?”

“You’re hopeless.”

–

“Dusty comes home today!” Your mom’s shrill voice wakes you up as she prances around the house getting ready. You roll over in bed and stretch, tired but excited to see your brother again after a month of being apart.

You get out of bed and press a kiss to your mother’s cheek before telling her to drive safe. Glancing at the clock, you see that you have just enough time to shower before the party arrives. The entire thing had been Mike’s plan and you were more than happy to help arrange everything.

After you’ve gotten ready, you hear three swift knocks on your front door and you answer it. “Right on time, Wheeler.”

Mike salutes you as he and the others walk in. El gives you a hug and Max high fives you as the boys start setting up the robots. The six of you get started on the plan: place all the robots in Dustin’s room, all hidden in various corners, and then use El’s powers to control them and guide him to the living room so that you all can surprise him.

It’s a brilliant plan, one only a Wheeler could think of.

It takes you, Lucas, Mike, and Will to successfully hang up Dustin’s banner that took you all week to make. There’s cursing, yelling, a few trips, and multiple snickers from El and Max while the four of you struggle to hang the thing, but eventually you manage to secure the banner into place in the living room.

Just as you’ve finished hanging it up, you hear your mom’s car pull into the driveway and you quickly shove the kids into a closet. “Quick! That’s my mom’s car, hide!”

Lucas yelps and Max punches his shoulder to shut him up, but thankfully you manage to close the closet door just in time before Dustin walks in. You hide behind the couch, quiet so as not to be seen by him, and carefully listen for his footsteps to retreat down the hall and into his room.

Once he’s gone, you scramble towards the closet and open the door. “Okay, he’s in his room, time for step two.”

“Did we all really have to hide in the closet?” Will asks, rubbing at his shoulder that had been shoved into a hanger.

“Yes, now shush and hide behind the wall so he doesn’t see you.” You order, and the kids all listen. Once you’re all pressed against the wall, you nod at El. “Ready?”

“Ready.” She responds, closing her eyes. Static fills the air and you hear one of the robots turn on in Dustin’s room. Then the other one turns on, then the monkey, and soon all the toys have been activated by El’s powers.

Mike pokes his head around the corner. “Okay, now start leading the robots here.”

Blood slowly begins to drip from El’s nose and you feel bad that she’s doing this, but the kids all look excited, and you’d be lying if you said you weren’t a little giddy yourself. The noise from the robots grows louder as El draws them out from the room and towards you guys.

You hear Dustin’s uncertain voice following behind them. “It’s just a dream… You’re dreaming.”

Then Mike whispers to El, “Now!”

The robots all die in the center of your living room and slowly everyone starts to creep out from behind the wall. Lucas is holding his own poster he made and you hand everyone party noisemakers. Dustin is investigating the robots and doesn’t hear you stalk up behind him. Max silently counts to three, and on her signal, you all blow your party noisemakers and surprise him.

Dustin screams and immediately holds up his Farrah Fawcett spray, blinding Lucas as he continuously sprays it. The poor boy screams as well and the rest of the kids back away, out of the line of fire. However, as soon as your momentary shock wears off, you manage to snatch the hairspray out of your brother’s hand and save Lucas.

“Why is Farrah Fawcett your weapon of choice?” You exclaim, shoving a still screaming Lucas towards your kitchen so that you flush the spray out of his eyes. Max joins, rubbing soothing circles into the boy’s back.

“Why would you scare me like that after the hell we went through this year?” Dustin shouts back at you, clutching at his chest.

Dustin’s words make you stop for a moment and think. Huh. He has a point. “Yeah, we should’ve thought about that, honestly.”

“A little help here?” Lucas brings the attention back to him and you apologize, helping him once more to flush his eyes out. As you and Max tend to him, Dustin tells the others to follow him to his room so he can show them what he built at camp.

Max splashes some more water in Lucas’ eyes. “Better?”

The boy stands up and wipes his face, though he’s careful not to touch his eyes. “Still stings.”

“I feel like I should call someone…” You mumble, Your first aid knowledge doesn’t include Farrah Fawcett in the eyes.

Lucas blinks a few times and looks around. He leans in closer to Max’s face and for a moment you’re scared he’ll kiss her, but instead he chooses to be an idiot. “Is that a new zit?”

You wince and Max’s eyes widen in disbelief. She looks at you and you both seem to come to the same agreement: grabbing the back of Lucas’ neck, the two of you shove his face back into the water. “What is wrong with you?”

Lucas screams again and you leave Max to deal with him, laughing to yourself as you go see whatever creation your brother has brought home. You love Lucas, you do, but you have no idea how Max puts up with his boyish antics.

Inside Dustin’s room, you find him and the others hunched over a collection of wires and metal pieces. You walk in and join them.

“I would like you to meet Cerebro.” Dustin presents his creation, but you honestly have no idea what it’s supposed to be.

You squint at it. “It’s… Pretty?”

“What exactly are we looking at here?” Mike asks, unimpressed.

“An unassembled, one-of-a-kind, battery powered radio tower!” Dustin explains with a proud smile on his face.

A beat of silence passes before Will carefully asks, “So… It’s a ham radio?”

Dustin’s excitement only grows. “The Cadillac of radios.”

“Still not understanding, buddy.” You now voice, usually always lost when it comes to the more AV stuff the party likes.

“This baby carries a crystal-clear connection over vast differences.” Your brother clarifies for you, and you nod along. “I’m talking North Pole to South. I can talk to my girlfriend whenever and wherever I choose.”

You, Mike, El, and Will all look at each other in shock at the word that has just left Dustin’s mouth. “Girlfriend?”

Your brother nods, looking all smug, and you immediately berate him with a million questions. “What’s her name, where is she from, how long have you been dating. Tell me everything, now!”

“Relax, dear sister. Her name is Suzie, and I’ll explain in a second. We can even talk to her if you guys help me set Cerebro up on Weathertop hill.”

You’re the first to start grabbing all the supplies, giddy and eager to hear more about your baby brother’s girlfriend. It’s almost too good to be true. Mike, Will, and El follow along and soon you’re all holding materials for Cerebro as you follow Dustin out of the house.

As you all leave, Mike starts asking questions again. “Wait, so her name is Suzie?”

Dustin nods. “Suzie, with a ‘z’. She’s from Utah.”

“People from Utah actually exist?” You ask, which the others laugh at.

“Girls go to science camp?” Will asks.

You give him a stern look. “Anyone can go to science camp, Will.”

“What Y/N said,” Dustin continues explaining his girlfriend. “And Suzie does, she’s a genius.”

“Is she cute?” Mike can’t believe what he’s hearing.

“Think Phoebe Cates, only better.”

You re-adjust one of the poles for Cerebro in your arms. “Can we focus on her being smart instead? I think she sounds lovely.”

From the kitchen, Max sees the four of you open the front door as she helps Lucas with his eyes. “What’s going on?”

“We’re going to talk to Dustin’s girlfriend.” Will informs them.

Lucas whips his head up from the sink as he and Max exclaim, “Girlfriend?”

“I know, right?” You say, motioning them to follow.

–

“Alrighty, one scoop of chocolate. That’s a buck twenty-five.” Steve hands the ice cream cone to the girl he’s currently serving. She’s pretty enough, and when he notices her Purdue shirt, he can’t help but say something about it. “Ooh, Purdue! Fancy.”

The girl smiles and hands Steve her change. “Yeah, I’m excited.”

“Yeah, you know… I–I considered it. Purdue.” He types the code into the register and places the change inside. “But then I was like, you know what? I really think I need some real life experience, you know, before I hit college. See what it’s like.”

The girl and the friend she’s with exchange weird glances, and Steve knows he’s rambling like an idiot. “Uh, what I mean is… You’re girls, right? How would the two of you like to be asked out by a guy?”

“I’m sorry?” Purdue girl asks, looking at her friend, creeped out.

The cash register begins to beep at him and Steve hits it a few times to shut it up. “Sorry, uh… Anyways, say you’ve seen this guy every day for like, months, and feelings are shared, you know, as they are. Then time passes and the guy never makes the move because he’s, well, he’s an idiot–”

“Yeah, totally.” Purdue girl interrupts him and her friend giggles.

“Exactly, so… This was, like, so fun. This little chat. Anyways, what do you think? How would you want the guy to ask you out?” Steve puts on his most charming smile, hoping that the girls will say that maybe he isn’t crazy for waiting so long to ask you out. As he hands them their change, he drops part of it. “Oh, sorry about that. Uh…”

“Yeah, we wouldn’t wanna be asked out.” Purdue girl says as her friend snorts.

“Sure, but I mean, it’s complicated, you know? And–”

Purdue girl interrupts him once more. “No, I’m sorry, but it sounds like you missed your chance and you’re like, really weird.”

“But the guy isn’t me!” Steve shouts as the two girls leave, only embarrassing himself even more. He sighs, closes his eyes, and wonders how he got here.

“And another one bites the dust.” Robin announces from behind him. He turns around and watches as she marks another tally underneath the you suck column of her whiteboard. Next to it is the column you rule, which currently has zero marks. “You are oh-for-six, Popeye.”

Steve crosses his arms. “Yeah, I can count.”

“You know that means you suck and that Y/N isn’t the problem here, you are, right?”

“Yup, I can read, too.” Steve swallows down his annoyance, he knows he’s only done this to himself.

“Since when?”

“It’s this stupid hat,” Steve complains, as if this is the only appropriate answer. “I’m telling you, it’s making everyone think I’m some pathetic guy who can’t ask a girl out.”

Robin leans against the window. “Yeah, company policy is the reason that you’re an idiot for not asking out Y/N.” She thinks for a moment and tries to offer the teen some advice. “Ya know, it’s a crazy idea, but have you considered telling the truth?”

“What? That I’m hopelessly in love with her? Sure, I’m such a catch who couldn’t even get into Tech and whose douchebag dad is trying to teach a lesson, now making three bucks an hour with no future.” Steve laughs at himself. “A catch who, by the way, could’ve been hers back in December had he not been a complete moron? What a great truth.”

Robin frowns, now feeling bad for making him feel this way. While she doesn’t understand everything, she gets that Steve has had a difficult few months. Taking pity on him, she points out some girls approaching and tries to lighten his mood. “Hey, twelve o’clock! Maybe they’ll see your side of things.”

Steve turns around and sees the girls as well. “Shit, okay. Okay, I can do this! I’m going in.” He quickly snatches the sailor hat from his head and tosses it to Robin. “Screw company policy, I’m getting advice about Y/N one way or another.”

For a second, Robin has hope for him, but then he opens his Scoops Ahoy greeting way too loud and then immediately starts to ramble about you, and she sighs in defeat and marks another tally underneath the you suck column.

–

Hiking up a giant, grassy hill in ninety degree heat while hauling heavy equipment for a giant radio that your brother built to talk to his alleged long distance girlfriend definitely wasn’t what you had in mind today. In fact, you mourn the fact that you aren’t working today.

You’re only here to hear about Dustin’s girlfriend, honestly.

“Aren’t we high enough?” Lucas pants, voicing what everyone else is thinking.

Dustin shakes his head. “Cerebro works best at a hundred meters.”

“You know, I’m pretty sure people in Utah have telephones.” Max quips.

You wipe sweat from your brow and cringe, you feel disgusting. “Max, you’ve always been so wise.”

“Suzie’s Mormon.” Says Dustin, and you almost trip over a rock.

“You’re dating a Mormon?”

Lucas talks over you. “Oh, shit. She doesn’t have electricity?”

“Oh, that’s the Amish.” Max corrects him, and you get flashbacks to when you had to correct Steve about Nazis and Germans.

Will frowns at you. “What are Mormons?”

“Scary people–”

Dustin interrupts you. “Super religious white people. They have electricity and cars and stuff, but… Since I’m not Mormon, her parents would never approve.”

“Please don’t become Mormon,” you beg, dripping even more sweat. “I need someone sane in our family.”

“I won’t,” Dustin reassures you, though he has a far off look in his eyes. “But it’s all a bit Shakespearean, don’t you think?”

“Shakespearean?” Max laughs and you also can’t help but giggle.

Dustin doesn’t let your teasing deter him from reminiscing, though. “Yeah, like Romeo and Juliet.”

“They both die, Dustin.” It’s important to you that he knows this.

“But they were also star crossed lovers.”

“Who killed themselves.”

Below, Mike shouts to the rest of you, “Hey, guys!”

You all turn and you frown when you see just how far he and El are, both of them empty handed and dry as a daisy in the summer heat. When Mike sees that he has all of your attention, he taps at his watch. “This is fun and all, but, uh…”

“I have to go home.” El announces, her arm intertwined through Mike’s.

Dustin points towards the top of the hill no less than a few yards away. “We’re almost there.”

“Sorry, man. Curfew.” Mike shrugs, he isn’t really sorry and you all know it. He then grabs El’s hand and they descend down the hill, giggling and enamored with one another.

With a gleeful laugh, El says goodbye. “Good luck!”

Dustin looks down at his watch. “Curfew at four?”

You’re startled by the time, having assumed it was at least closer to six. Hopper may be an overprotective grump of a man, but not even he is crazy enough to enact a curfew for El at four in the afternoon. “That… Doesn’t sound real.”

“They’re lying.” Lucas explains, frustrated.

“It’s been like this all summer.” Will says bitterly, something that you take note of.

Max nudges you with her shoulder. “I think it’s romantic.”

“It’s gross!” Will voices again.

You bite your lip. “I don’t know, it’s your guys’ last summer before high school and…”

“It’s bullshit.” Dustin finishes for you, hurt in his voice. “I just got home.”

You flick him. “Language! But… I agree.”

Dustin watches with annoyance as Mike and El walk down the hill hand in hand. While he’s incredibly hurt that they’ve ditched him after being gone for a month, he remembers what Steve has taught him. People can suck, but there’s nothing he can do about it. “Well, their loss, right? Onwards and upwards, Suzie awaits!”

Max and Lucas groan at the idea of continuing the hike while you admire your brother’s perseverance. You’re proud of him for not letting Mike and El ruin his plans with the others. He’s excited to be home, and you’re more than happy to go along with whatever schemes he has planned.

You’re about to follow the others up the hill when you realize that Will hasn’t joined. You turn around and see that he has his hand around the back of his neck as he stands there, frozen. Then, he turns and faces Hawkins, stumbling back a bit as he does so, and you watch with a frown on your face.

“Hey, little bee, are you okay?” You gently place a hand on his shoulder, which seems to break him of whatever spell he’d been under.

“I’m fine,” he lies, and you don’t at all believe him. Will looks uneasy, as if he’s just seen a ghost. A part of you begins to worry, but you don’t push him. For all you know, it could be about Mike and his growing distance from the others.

“Well, c’mon, then.” You grab Will’s hand and together you ascend the rest of the hill.

At the top, Dustin drops his bag and sighs. “Made it!”

“Yeah, only took five hours,” Max pants out, stumbling the final few steps up the hill.

You collapse onto the ground and fight to catch your breath. “I run almost every morning. I think I lost a lung back there.”

“Why couldn’t we just play DnD?” Will collapses next to you.

Lucas grabs the flask of water, and as you struggle to get air into your lungs, you watch as he chugs the remaining water without a care in the world. Max watches as well, annoyed, and once again you pity Lucas. He’s such a boy.

Building the radio takes longer than expected. After your short five minute break, Dusin puts you all to work. There’s a million pieces to the thing and your fingers ache from screwing bolts into slots and extending poles. The sun has begun to set when you finally push the giant radio into an upright position. It’s easily fifteen feet high, and it’s an impressive sight that you can’t deny.

“Not bad, Dustin.” You admit, walking around Cerebro in awe.

“Ready to meet my love?” He asks everyone, and you all sit down next to him and eagerly await. Dustin switches the radio on. “Suzie, this is Dustin. Do you copy? Over.”

No one answers. All you hear is radio feedback.

Dustin scratches his nose nervously. “One sec. She’s probably… She’s still there.” Again, no one answers, and he ducks his head down in embarrassment. “Suzie… This is Dustin, do you copy? Over.”

More radio static follows in the absence of Suzie’s response.

You wince, despite trying to appear supportive. You can’t help it, this is embarrassing for your brother. While you don’t doubt that he has a girlfriend, you admit that this doesn’t look good for him. A long distance girlfriend who is hot and smart and magically needs a radio to communicate with? Unlikely.

“I’m sure she’s there,” Dustin tries to explain to you guys, now even more embarrassed. “It’s dinner time, and she’s busy…”

“Yeah, sure.” Lucas tries to be supportive and play along, which you appreciate him immensely for. Max nods as well, but Will just stands there silent.

“Maybe try again?” You encourage, trying to be nice.

Dustin nods and tries once more to contact Suzie, and it goes on like this for a while. He radios, no one answers, and eventually you and everyone else lay down in the grass as you wait for nothing.

Almost an hour passes and the crickets begin to chirp as the sun goes down and the moon comes up. Dustin is still trying to reach Suzie, but Max finally has enough. “Dustin, come on! She’s not there.”

“She’s there, alright? She’ll pick up.”

“Dustin…” You sigh, unsure how to tell him that you also want to leave. You had plans with Steve tonight, he invited you over to watch a movie and you should’ve left ten minutes ago.

Will lifts his head up from the grass. “Maybe Cerebro doesn’t work.”

“Or maybe Suzie doesn’t exist.” Lucas argues.

Dustin gasps. “She exists!”

“She’s a genius and she’s hotter than Phoebe Cates? No girl is that perfect.”

You pinch the bridge of your nose at Lucas’ words and wait for Max’s inevitable offense. He truly, deeply, is such a boy. As predicted, Max sits up and looks down at him with annoyance. “Is that so?”

Lucas shuffles up in panic, now realizing too late what he’s said. “I mean–you’re perfect! I mean, like, perfect–in your own way, in your own, uh, special way!”

“Lucas,” you hit his shoulder. “Stop talking, dude.”

Max laughs, pleased with herself. “Relax, I was teasing. I’m obviously perfect and Dustin is obviously lying.”

“Okay, no,” you now sit up. “He isn’t lying, it’s just a very unfortunate circumstance.”

Max doesn’t listen and instead offers Lucas her hand to help him up so that they can leave. “Come on, Don Juan.”

“Where are you going?” Dustin follows, not understanding yet what’s happening.

“Home,” Max huffs, before remembering that you’re there, too. “Bye, Y/N!”

“Bye,” you wave at them weakly, knowing that this will only upset your brother further as she and Lucas slowly head home.

Dustin stands next to you now. “Well, guess it’s just us and Byers, Y/N,”

Will now stands up and awkwardly avoids your brother’s gaze. “Um… It’s late. Sorry. Maybe tomorrow we can play DnD, or something fun, like we used to?”

Dustin clenches his jaw. You know he’s close to tears, and it breaks your heart to watch. You stand up and rest your arm around him as he responds to Will. “Yeah, sure.”

“Welcome home,” Will says sadly before he starts to walk down the hill as well.

You anxiously watch as he leaves. “Be careful, please!”

“I will!” He reassures you, knowing that you’re still terrified of losing him again.

As you watch Will, Dustin whispers to himself, “Yeah, welcome home.”

His words break your heart even more. Forgetting about your anxiety over Will, you wrap both arms around your brother and hug him. He had been so excited earlier to be home and see all his friends after a month of being away. You understand that the kids are all growing up, but you had always hoped that they’d grow together, not apart.

“You still have all of July and August,” you try to comfort Dustin, desperately hoping that you aren’t lying to both him and yourself. “I’m sure they’ll come around.”

Suddenly the radio attached to Cerebro switches on and Dustin pushes you off of him so that he can get to the radio in time. He stumbles over his feet and trips, and you watch with amusement and curiosity.

He manages to finally untangle himself from the radio and answers. “Suzie, Suzie, is that you?”

You sit down next to Dustin and lean in close to the radio, excited to finally meet your brother’s girlfriend. Instead, you hear what sounds like a foreign language. It’s distinct, slightly muffled, but you know what it is. “Is that…”

“Russian.” Dustin whispers.

Everything changes, then.

–

You force Dustin to go home immediately. He wants to stay, see if he can find any more hidden messages, but you refuse. He’s elated, talking a mile a minute as you bike home, theorizing every possible answer as to why you heard Russian in Hawkins, Indiana.

“Dustin!” You yell at him, terrified that someone could be listening. “Not here, okay?”

He deflates, but pedals home alongside you.

You’re terrified as you bike home, a million thoughts are running through your head. You don’t at all like what any of this could mean; you’ve had enough sketchy government facilities and secret government agencies to last you a fucking lifetime.

When you get home, you order Dustin to go to bed.

“But Y/N, we’ve got to tell someone about this–”

“Tomorrow, okay? Just, please, Dustin.” You’re exhausted and confused and overwhelmed.

Your brother senses that you’re at your limit and reluctantly backs down. “Fine, but can we at least tell Steve tomorrow?”

Hearing Steve’s name puts something at ease within you. Tomorrow, you’ll go to Scoops with Dustin and ask Steve what he thinks about all of this. Comforted by the fact that you now have a plan forming, you begin to calm down. “I promise we’ll tell him tomorrow, okay?”

Dustin nods and heads to his room, wishing you a good night. When you hear his door click shut, you slowly head to your own room. You’re terrified, and there’s only one thing you want to do to lessen the fear that scratches at your throat. After crawling into bed, you call Steve.

He answers immediately. “Y/N? Is everything okay?”

“I’m fine,” you breathe out, his voice like an exhale of a summer’s day. “I… I’m sorry I missed our movie night.”

Steve laughs softly. “Angel, I’m just happy you’re okay. I was getting worried there.”

You close your eyes. “It’s been a weird day.”

“Did something happen?” Steve senses that there’s something you aren’t telling him, which worries him.

“Dustin… He may have found something, but I just–I don’t want to talk about it just yet. I… I don’t want to jinx it,” you squeeze your eyes tight and will away the fear you feel. “I–I’m just, I’m so exhausted, you know?”

“Y/N, are you in danger–”

“No,” you dispel any fear that Steve may feel. “I promise I’m okay, I just really need to hear your voice right now, okay? Can you just talk to me, please?”

“Of course I can.” Steve agrees without any questions asked, and you love how he trusts you enough to do this.

Exhaling the remaining fear, you allow the warmth from Steve to hold you through the night. “Thank you, honey.”

“Anytime, angel. You know that.”

And you do.

Steve begins telling you a story from today, how he dropped an ice cream cone on a toddler and enraged the mom, and you fall asleep that night to the sound of his voice over the phone.

-

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[stiles-o-dylan24]

King of My Heart Chapter 17 - Suzie, Do You Copy?

Author: @stiles-o-dylan24​ Pairing: Steve x Summer Byers (eventually) Word Count: 4.8k Warnings: mentions of previous fight, language SERIES SPOTIFY PLAYLIST

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It officially takes two months since Starcourt was built for them to open and shut down almost every store that used to be thriving downtown.

Melvald's is one of the few that is left that hasn’t closed or moved to a new location inside the mall so mom still has a job… she however spends her days marking items down to an even lower clearance price because it’s just a matter of time before the store also closes for good.

Mr. B at the movie theater I had been working at stayed open for as long as he could until the movie theater in the mall opened and he had a week straight of no customers coming in to watch a movie.

It wasn’t long after that he had to let the few of us still employed go and I’ve had to desperately look for another job so I can keep saving up money for the art school program at Columbia… that I was put on the waitlist for. Which is fine if I actually think about it since we don’t really have a way to pay for me to go right now.

I was able to find a job as a lifeguard at the community pool a few days after I graduated from high school. It’s been going great the last three weeks after I finished all my training and certifications to actually be in charge of saving people from drowning.

Well it was going great until today when four new lifeguards finished their training and were officially hired on.

I’m just getting done with the morning shift when I see the new group walking around and getting the welcome tour of where everything is.

I cross my arms over my chest, not even able to help my glare when I see exactly who is a part of this new group. It’s been about eight months since I watched him pick on Lucas and start a fight with Steve for absolutely no reason other than he’s insane and other than graduation I have stayed as far away from him as I could.

Billy stops right in front of me, smirking with those evil eyes of his “Well hello again, Byers.”

“Don’t call me that” I keep my glare fixed on him and he chuckles, jerking his head back “You don’t want me to call you by your name? Did I say it wrong?”

I narrow my eyes towards him even more “No, it may be my name but you’re not allowed to call me by it– not like that anyways” I grumble and he raises his brows “So what should I call you then?”

I roll my eyes and move to step past him while I answer “Do me a favor and just don’t talk to me, you know, like ever.”

       ⋇・.・゜゜・.・゜゜・.・゜゜・.・゜゜・.・⋇

I walk into the front entrance of Starcourt and head towards the escalators, stepping onto the steps that go down to the next level. I head to my right after I get to the bottom of the escalator and I walk around a group of people before I walk through the entrance of Scoops.

Steve looks up from the ice cream bins he’s restocking and throws his arms up and out to his sides, smiling wide “The mermaid is finally here!”

The few people sitting at the tables and booths inside look over towards me and I throw him a sarcastic look as I walk up to the front counter “I don’t swim all day so I’m hardly a mermaid.”

“Well there’s always tomorrow” he shrugs and drops his arms back down to his sides. I chuckle, though I my face drops when I see movement in the back room “Who’s back there?”

“Oh, new girl– just started today” Steve answers and, new girl herself walks out of the back room. She startles and stops walking when she sees me and I narrow my eyes ever so slightly in thought as I try to place where I’ve seen her before.

Steve makes a noise and moves his arm to indicate both of us “Oh okay hey, Summer this is Robin– Robin this is–

“Summer, yeah hi–” Robin smiles, nervously looking between us before she directs her words towards me “Um, we actually had a class together last year–”

“Buckley” I snap my fingers and point towards her “Robin Buckley– we had Click’s morning history class together” I finish, quietly sighing in my relief that I figured it out because that would have driven me nuts all day, and she smiles “We did–” she shakes her head quickly, stammering “I ca– I can’t believe you actually remember me.”

“Wait we did?” Steve asks, also having been in the class, and we look over at him, noticing his confused face. He raises his brows at the look I throw him, looking between us and raising his hands up to his sides “Sorry, guess I wasn’t paying attention in that class.”

“You weren’t, you were always late” I mumble and Robin snorts, agreeing and elaborating “Walking in late and coming into class with bagel crumbs on your shirt.”

Steve glares at both of us while we laugh and shakes his head “Well I’ve blissfully forgotten that part.”

“Convenient since the memory doesn’t show you at your best” I jab and he laughs sarcastically towards me “Very funny.”

Customers walk in and Steve makes sure Robin has it sorted before he walks back over towards me “New girl is a quick learner”

“Robin” I say and he nods, repeating slowly “Yeah– Robin is a quick learner.”

I frown at him “She has a name and it’s not new girl” and Steve rolls his eyes “Oh my god, yeah I know her name– I was just– never mind…” he crosses his arms over his chest and leans back against the counter.

“Anyways, how was work today? You’re here earlier than usual” Steve remarks and I groan, walking back a few steps and falling back into the empty booth behind me “Yeah my shifts are going to be shorter because they hired even more lifeguards” I cover my face with my hands and grumble behind them “I think I have to quit.”

“Quit?” Steve repeats and moves forward so he can sit down next to me “But you said you have the best shift in the morning with all the older people before the families all get there.”

I drop my arms down and cross them in front of me on the table “Yeah but they’re switching me out and putting me on the afternoon shift and I won’t be alone…”

“Ooh ominous” Steve jokes when I trail off and I throw him a look, sharing the somber news responsible for my mood “Hargrove also just got hired on as a lifeguard at the pool– finished his certifications yesterday.”

Steve’s face falls and he scoots closer towards me in the booth, dropping his voice a little “What is that douchebag doing getting a job as a lifeguard with you?”

“So he can hit on anything in a bikini?” I offer and Steve’s face lets me know he was being serious and I shrug in response “He’ll do anything to not have to wear a shirt and I’m being serious, he was eating up all the attention he was getting and he was only there for five minutes before I left.”

Steve is silent with that and just glares at a spot over my shoulder. I sigh and lean back in the seat “I don’t know what to do– I need a job but I don’t think I can work with him, especially after what he did last year.”

“Yeah” Steve mumbles, running his hand up through his hair which I’ve noticed he’s doing more and more lately and I soften my face towards the side of his. Steve clears his throat and looks at me, causing me to quickly look away– even though it was pretty obvious I was staring at him and I inwardly grimace at being caught.

“Why don’t you get a job here?” Steve offers and I quickly look over at him, scrunching my face up like he’s crazy for saying that’s what I should do “Because this stupid flashy mall opening and shutting down everything downtown is the reason I had to even get a stupid new job to begin with.”

Steve rubs his hand over his mouth, nodding a few times before he lays his arm across the back of the booth “Right I know that but the hours here are pretty good and the pay is a dollar fifty more than what you’re making at the pool.”

“Of course it is” I grumble lowly and cross my arms over my chest to be one step away from pouting.

Steve laughs quietly to himself, however I can see his shoulders shake and I switch to glaring at him “What’s so funny?”

“You know you want to work here, I mean–” he laughs once, moving his hands down his navy shirt with a red tie outfit “Just look at this uniform” he stops moving his arms and flicks his hands up, winking at me “So sexy– I know you agree, plus” he reaches up and takes his white ahoy hat off and reaches over to set it on top of my head “This is the real winner of the ensemble– brings out those green eyes of yours.”

Steve lifts his hands up in a shrug, silently saying he rests his case before he sets his hands on the table.

Even with the mood I’m in, I can’t help but laugh. I chuckle, softly shaking my head at him succeeding in lifting my mood a little “Even if I wanted to attempt to be okay with working at this stupid flashy mall– Robin was just hired…”

Steve doesn’t waste a second to scoff at my reasoning, lifting his hand off the table slightly “Owner wants to hire another person because we’re so swamped during the day and because I’m such a phenomenal employee–”

“You’ve worked here for a month” I interrupt and Steve keeps talking over me like I didn’t say anything, “He told me to scout for potential applicants and recruit if I found someone who was seriously looking for a job.”

I look at him like it’s too good to be true, however, he just smiles “Job’s yours if you want it.”

       ⋇⋆⋇⋆✦⋆⋇⋆⋇⋆✦⋆⋇⋆⋇⋆✦⋆⋇⋆⋇⋆✦⋆⋇⋆⋇

It’s been almost a week since I got the job at Scoops and hung up my lifeguard swimsuit and whistle. While I was boycotting giving the mall a chance because they killed our downtown, I’m annoyed to say it’s actually been a lot of fun– probably because of who I get to work with… so the fun being had is not really because of the mall per-se.

Another bonus to this stupid flashy mall is that because it is ridiculously busy our work day flies by. Slinging ice cream to the masses is exhausting if I’m honest, however, I’ve already made more working here in a week than the three I was working at the pool, since I didn’t get paid to get certified that first week.

We’re just over an hour away from being able to lock the doors and start our closing routine for the parlor and I’m manning the front counter with Robin while Steve takes his last break.

I hand over a mint chip cone to a couple that has come in and Robin rings them up while I grab a cleaning rag. I walk around to the front of the counter and wipe a table down, looking up just in time to see Lucas, Max, Will and Mike walk into the ice cream parlor.

Robin sets her hands on the counter and shakes her head “Is that your little brother and his friends again?”

I walk back to the front of the counter and lean back against it, chuckling and crossing my arms over my navy blue sailor’s shirt while I answer her “Yup that’s them– bet they’re here because Day of the Dead is premiering tonight.”

The group walk towards the front counter and when they stop in front of it Mike reaches over and hits the bell, which the purpose of is to get our attention when we’re not at the counter, incessantly.

Robin rolls her eyes and says loud enough for her voice to reach the back room “Hey, dingus, your guys’ children are here.”

I scoff towards her and point at Will who’s standing in front of me “He’s my brother not my child” and Robin just lifts her hand up “You guys take care of them more than any adult I’ve seen since I’ve known you so my assessment still stands.”

Max walks over and since she’s gotten a little taller she’s now my height and is able to set her arm across my shoulder, smiling brightly “Can you please help us get into Day of the Dead?”

I throw a look over my shoulder at Robin, silently telling her I told you so when Steve opens the window that’s across the back counter. When he notices the group looking expectantly at him he flops his arm onto the counter, throwing an incredulous look back at them “Again? Seriously?”

Steve swings his eyes towards me and points at the group “Did you tell them this was okay to be a regular occurrence?”

“No” I jerk my head back, countering back instantly “Don’t blame me– you were the one that first said it was okay to do.”

“I rest my case” Robin sighs knowingly and Max snorts, causing me to look at her and see her clear her face of any previous humor, shaking her head a little “I just sneezed.”

I narrow my eyes towards her, watching as she just smiles innocently– however my attention is brought back to Mike who obnoxiously rings the front counter bell again.

Throwing him a look, I make a noise and reach over to take the bell away from his reach “This is to get our attention when we’re not out here, Michael, not when we’re standing right in front of you.”

He rolls his eyes and looks between Steve and I, offering “If we say we won’t do it again will you let us go this one last time? We’re gonna be late.”

I laugh once and argue “Your poor planning to come here and ask us for this favor with plenty of time to make your movie needs to be our problem why?”

“Please, Summie?” Will pleads with those damn puppy dog eyes and I point over towards him “Not fair, William–” I look at Max, who’s looking at me with the same puppy dog eyes and I huff, setting the bell back on the counter. I turn around and head towards the back room door, lifting my arm up to indicate they should follow “Come on, let’s go gang.”

Hearing their whispers of celebration behind me, that they get to see this movie for free now, I lead the group through the door into the back room. Steve has his arms crossed over his chest and rolls his eyes dramatically when we walk past him, which I respond by sticking my tongue out at him.

We walk over to the back door that leads into the service hallways all the stores in the mall use for their inventory deliveries and how we take our trash down to the back dumpsters. I open the door and step out into the hallway, holding it open with my foot and saying “Make sure the coast is clear and have fun!”

With excited smiles on their faces Lucas, Max, Mike and Will walk through the doorway and quickly make their way down the hallway towards the door that will lead them into one of the hallways in the movie theater.

Steve pushes into my side so he can threaten towards their retreating backs “I swear, if anybody hears about this…”

“We're dead!” the four of them answer back in unison and I move my lips between my teeth so I don’t laugh.

Steve huffs, throwing me a look like he cannot believe they just interrupted him like that and I can’t hold it back– I laugh, bumping my shoulder into him so he’ll move and I can shut the door.

“They didn’t even say thank you” Steve grumbles and I chuckle again, lifting my shoulder up in a shrug as we head through the door towards the front counter

“Will probably will in the morning when he tells me all about the movie and I’ll pass it along if he does.”

Steve nods once “Good– thank you, I’d appreciate it.”

I snort and we grab scoopers out of the clean water to get the orders that Robin is getting from the customer at the counter.

About ten minutes later the lights shut off with a click and we can hear the very audible noise the entire mall makes as the power shuts down out of nowhere. I stand up from my lean into one of the ice cream bins and look up at the dark ceiling, Steve, Robin and our two customers in the store doing the same.

“That’s weird” Steve says and walks over to where the light switch is, clicking it up and down a few times.

In between his clicking of the switch Robin sighs from beside me and looks over at him “That isn't gonna work, dingus.”

“Oh really?” comes Steve’s smartass reply before he obnoxiously flips the switch up and down over and over again, increasing how fast he’s moving his hand.

I throw him a look that screams stop it as I reply “Yeah really, the power to the whole mall just shut off but you flipping the switch to our light is definitely going to bring it back”

Just to make me look like a fool the lights come back on right as he flips the switch to the on position. My face drops and I share a look with Robin, who’s looking at me the exact same way, before we look over at Steve and see the smug look that transforms his face. He lifts his hand up and half smiles that I should never have doubted his magical electrician abilities “Let there be light.”

       ⋇⋆⋇⋆✦⋆⋇⋆⋇⋆✦⋆⋇⋆⋇⋆✦⋆⋇⋆⋇⋆✦⋆⋇⋆⋇

The next morning I’m sitting at the table with mom and Will while we eat breakfast and I try to wake up more before I have to ride my bike to the mall.

I’m just starting to cut up my pancakes when Jonathan comes rushing out of his room and walks down the hallway. Will and I look over at him as mom gets up from the table and walks towards him “Hey, hey, hey– wait up.”

Jonathan finishes buttoning up the top buttons on his shirt and stops to face her “Oh, no, I'll eat at work– I’m late.”

“No” mom mutters and reaches up to wipe of the very obvious mark from a lipstick kiss on his cheek “Your cheek”

Will grimaces and looks at me like he wants to gag and I can’t help the snort that follows. I drop my head down as I finish cutting up my pancakes, hiding my smile by taking a bite.

“All right, all right” Jonathan embarrassingly steps away from her, lightly laughing and offering “I gotta run– see you later” before he turns and heads towards the door.

Mom lifts her arms up in a surrender and turns around, smiling and saying “All right” as she walks back towards the table to sit down again with Will and I.

Will scoffs, muttering “Ugh, gross” as he reaches for the syrup that I hand over to him.

Mom and I share a knowing chuckle and she smiles towards him “Well, I don't think you're gonna think it's gross when you fall in love.”

“I’m not gonna fall in love” Will argues gently, pouring the syrup over his own pancakes and mom nods, conceding gently “Okay”

I finish taking a drink of my orange juice and make a noise as I set my cup back down “You never know, little man– sometimes love just comes out of nowhere and hits you in the face”

“Yeah?” he asks in what I thought was a genuine tone, however, when I mumble my agreement around another bite and look over at him, I see the cheeky little smirk on his face “Hmm, so is that the real reason you stopped being a lifeguard and got a job that allowed you to work with Steve everyday?”

My face drops into a playful frown and I shake my head at him “I have no idea what you’re talking about”

“So we’re just going to ignore what happened at the Snow Ball?” Will continues and I drop my mouth open in shock “I didn’t tell you about that for you to torture me with it”

Will rolls his eyes dramatically, teasing “Oh no you got to dance with the guy you’re in love with, how torturous for you.”

“I’m not in love with him” I argue with as much conviction as I can and he laughs, raising his brows at me while he takes a bite of his food “Sure, Summie.”

I glare at him and mom tries to hide just how funny she’s finding my torment by turning her head away from us.

“Hey” she gains my attention when she gets up and walks towards the fridge “What happened here?”

Seeing the magnets on the ground along with the papers they were holding up, I shrug while Will actually answers her “I don’t know.”

Mom kneels and picks up the magnets, hanging up the coupons again before she picks up Will’s drawing of superhero Bob and stands up. She hangs the drawing back to the top of the front of the fridge and taps it sadly before she walks over to the table and sits down again.

Mom clears her throat and tries to fight off a smile while she asks “So speaking of Scoops–”

I drop my arm down onto the table and throw her a look like she better not start with me too.

Will snorts under his breath and focuses even more on his food while mom lifts her hands up like she comes in peace “How did training go last night?”

I narrow my eyes thoughtfully at her, answering through barely clenched teeth “It was fine– last day of training is today.”

She makes a quiet hmm noise and nods towards her food “That’s good, I know you’ll do great on your last training day.”

“Who gets to train you today?” Will questions, smirking towards his plate and I glare playfully at him while I answer “Robin is training me.”

He looks up at me knowingly and I throw him a look like see you were wrong, you butthead. I grab my plate and head towards the sink, rinsing it off before I walk back to the table and kiss mom’s cheek in a goodbye. I walk by Will and tousle his hair as I rush out “And Harrington” while I run towards the door and grab my bag, just hearing their laughs as I shut the front door behind me.

       ⋇・.・゜゜・.・゜゜・.・゜゜・.・゜゜・.・⋇

Once I set my bag down in the back, I clock in and make sure my uniform tie is in place before I grab my hat. I get the white ahoy hat positioned on my head when I barely see a whiteboard with some writing on it sticking out from the side of the back inventory shelves.

I furrow my brows in confusion, pointing over towards it and asking Robin who is in the back room with me “What’s that?”

“Hmm?” Robin mumbles, turning to look at where I’m pointing and from the other side of the open window along the back counter Steve widens his eyes, announcing “Nothing” before Robin joins in with “Oh it’s just a kind of running tally joke I started.”

“Started about what?” I ask and Steve shakes his head “Nothing really” however, Robin chuckles and excitedly runs over to grab it. She turns around and proudly shows me what’s written on the board.

There’s two columns, one named ‘You Rule’ with no tally marks under it and the other is ‘You Suck’ with six tally marks under it.

I read the columns out loud and look expectantly between the two, Robin smiling brightly “Dingus over there said that he could ‘up the tips’ we earn by attempting to charm the ladies that came in.”

“All right” Steve sighs out like he’s embarrassed and I move my humor filled eyes between the two, watching as Robin can barely get through her explanation without laughing “So far Popeye over there is oh for six– the sixth one happening just before you got here.”

“Wow” I breathe out, trying to keep a straight face as I look at Steve “According to the stats that means your charm… kinda sucks, Harrington”

“Yeah I can read, Byers” Steve grumbles and Robin jerks her head back “Since when?”

Steve glares at her and leans his elbows on the back counter “It's this stupid hat. I am telling you, it is totally blowing my best feature.”

“Yeah, company policy is a real drag” Robin sympathizes sarcastically and I sigh, shaking my head in mock pity “The audacity Scoops has hiding those luscious locks of yours under a sailor’s hat”

Robin snorts, laughing into her shoulder while he moves his glaring eyes between us, throwing his hands out to indicate both of us “Easy for you two to say– the hat doesn’t look ridiculous on either of you.”

“You’re trying too hard, Harrington–” I offer, nodding my head towards him “You don’t need to up the charm, just tell the truth when you see a girl you want to ask out.”

“Sum, the only truth I have to share is that I couldn’t even get into Tech and my douchebag dad is trying to teach me a lesson. I’m trying to save up money to go to a college I didn’t get into, even though I only make three bucks an hour, and I basically have no future– so using my charm to get someone to overlook all that is all I have right now.”

“That’s not all you have, Steve” I tell him quietly and he looks at me, softening his eyes and moving to respond when Robin interrupts “Hey, twelve o'clock.”

Steve looks back over his shoulder and we see a group of girls walk into the parlor. “Oh, shit, oh, shit– okay... uh… I'm going in. Okay? And you know what?” he takes his ahoy hat off and throws it through the window into the back room with us “Screw company policy.”

“Oh, my god, you're a whole new man” Robin boasts and I lift my hand up to offer him a thumbs up “Let those luscious locks be free– Farrah says so.”

Steve makes a face like I need to be quiet and I try not to laugh as he ignores me “Right? Ooh,” he mocks, moving his shoulders in a sarcastic little dance move.

In the next second though he clears his face and spins around quickly to face the group of girls that just walked in “Ahoy, ladies!”

They all flinch back startled and gasping as the one girl in the middle widens her eyes with his loud greeting and Steve continues “Didn't see you there– would you guys like to set sail on this ocean of flavor with me? I'll be your captain–” he pauses, nodding his head a little “I'm Steve Harrington.”

The chick in the middle continues to look at him with her startled wide eye look, casually chewing her gum before she looks away and visibly sighs like the threat has passed.

Through their giggling and whispers Steve continues “Can I get you guys a little taste of the Cherries Jubilee? No? Anybody?”

Robin and I share a look while Steve continues to list off options towards the group “Banana Boat? Four people, four spoons? Share it in the booth? Anybody? It's hot out there.”

I scrunch my nose up in a grimace and Robin makes a disgusted face, looking from Steve and back towards me. She picks up a whiteboard marker and draws another tally mark in the ‘You Suck’ column, causing me to laugh with the squeak the marker makes when she draws the line with force.

Steve throws a damp cleaning towel through the window towards us and it hits Robin in the side of face, causing us both to laugh even louder as we fall back against the counter.

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A/N: Thanks so much for reading! As always let me know what you thought– comments & reblogs give me life!

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Please do not copy and paste my writing anywhere without my consent. This work is property of @stiles-o-dylan24​ on here and wattpad and stilesodylan24 on AO3.   Stranger Things and its characters aren’t mine, however, Summer and this fanfcition is. These works contain material protected under International and Federal Copyright Laws and Treaties. Any unauthorized reprint or use of this material is prohibited.     No part of these works may be reproduced in any form or by any means, electronic or mechanical, including photocopying, recording, or by any information storage and retrieval system without express written permission from the author/publisher.

Posted: 12 Aug 2023

[betterbesttvshowbracket]

current shows in each bracket so far (no particular order yet):

ask box and submissions open! all categories are up for debate. If you can make the case for moving a sitcom to cult classic or a misc. show to prestige, I'm open to hearing everyone out!

When each category has 32 shows locked in, I will seed them based on an average between viewership and ratings and open up the polls <3

CULT CATEGORY

Buffy the Vampire Slayer

X- Files

Columbo

MASH

Twin Peaks

Supernatural

Riverdale

Pushing Daisies

Firefly

Freaks and Geeks

Doctor Who (both)

Star Trek (original series)

Avatar the Last Airbender

Over the Garden Wall

Futurama

House MD

Sherlock

Dark Shadows

Hannibal

Fringe

Lost

Gilmore Girls

Roswell (og)

Skins UK

Midnight Gospel

Adventure Time

Angel

Eastbound and Down

Merlin

Twilight Zone

Dark

Charmed

Battlestar Galactica

"PRESTIGE" CATEGORY

Dirk Gently's

The Getdown

Succession

The Bear

Breaking Bad

Better Call Saul

Chernobyl

Game of Thrones

Boardwalk Empire

Atlanta

The Wire

Black Mirror

The Great

Big Little Lies

Justified

Mad Men

Yellowjackets

Interview with the Vampire

Black Sails

Fleabag

Yellowstone

Westworld

The Handmaid's Tale

Marvelous Mrs. Maisel

Foundation

The Borgias

West Wing

True Detective

Deadwood

Mr. Robot

Band of Brothers

Fargo

Sopranos

Bojack

Boondocks

Downtown Abbey

Mind Hunter

I Hate Suzie

The Last of Us

Barry

White Lotus

Watchmen

Orange is the New Black

The Crown

Ozark

Narcos

Maniac

Undone

The Missing

Leverage

Six Feet Under

SITCOM CATEGORY

Seinfeld

Girlfriends

Bob's Burgers

Archer

The Good Place

Arrested Development

The Simpsons

The Office

Parks and Rec

30 Rock

Sex in the City

New Girl

Psych

Elementary

Abott Elementary

Community

Letterkenny

Modern Family

Scrubs

It's Always Sunny in Philadelphia

Derry Girls

Blackish

Our Flag Means Death

Miracle Workers

What We Do in the Shadows

King of the Hill

Man Seeking Woman

Full House

Trailer Park Boys

Friends

Ted Lasso

Wilfred

That 70s Show

Girls

Broad City

Veep

Curb your Enthusiasm

Flight of the Concords

IT Crowd

Monk

Shameless

Documentary Now

Better Off Ted

Weeds

OTHER CATEGORY

The Vampire Diaries

Pretty Little Liars

Grey's Anatomy

Stranger Things

Smallville

One Tree Hill

You

Criminal Minds

Gotham

The Flash

Legends of Tomorrow

The Mandalorian

Daredevil

The Umbrella Academy

Legion

The Chilling Adventures of Sabrina

Blacklist

The 100

Midnight Mass

Haunting of Bly Manor

How to Get Away with Murder

Gossip Girl (og)

The OC

Young Pope

Haunting of Hill House

Euphoria

Walking Dead

Peaky Blinders

Vikings

Supergirl

Dawson's Creek

Bunheads

The Society

Prison Break

True Blood

Normal People

American Horror Story

Squid Games

Dexter

The Boys

Queen's Gambit

The OA

ER

Spinning Out

[brightlightsloudnoises]

home

insurance saleswomen look down from giant billboards and up from bus benches; the windows of taco houses are painted with cartoon shrimp; a train barrels by and my heart feels smaller… people still smoke cigarettes here and they have pinhole eyes from inside Matt’s Place, Suzie’s Place, Dominicks’s. the downtown department stores are closed the doors are rotted but still locked. I am looking for you, they say you don’t come down here anymore, but I don’t believe them, I don’t believe anybody. I stop for food greek food and coffee… and nothing happens at all, but the world, yes, it moves.

[y0itsbri]

oh dear oh my! tagged by so many lovely stars for macy's Tag Game Tuesday: The MySpace Survey ⭐️ thank u thank u @celestialmickey @creepkinginc @mishervellous @energievie @whatwouldmickeydo @mmmichyyy @suzy-queued @rereadanon @heymrspatel ⭐️

what’s your name? bri

your sun sign: leo the lion!

the last song you listened to: grinding halt - the cure

what are you wearing right now? green and black tie dyed pajama pants, a grey stranger things oversized t shirt, and bare feet 🐻🦶

how tall are you? 5’ 6”

piercings? i've had 5 in my ears but i'm p sure they're all closed

tattoos? zip

glasses? contacts? glasses ever since i turned 16 😔

last drink: half a berry hibiscus seltzer i split w my mom

last thing you ate: sun chips as a snack! enchilada as a meal!

favorite color: *grips the rainbow tight to my chest* all of them

any pets? beautiful long hair calico kitty and an old man hermit crab

do you have a crush on anyone? does the sun rise each day?

favorite fictional character: villanelle 🔪

a movie you think everyone should watch: twilight

a book you think everyone should read: the 'all for the game' series! suddenly i care about a fictional sport?? and some ragtag traumatized college kids?? and somehow the mafia??? also gay??

the last place you traveled: girl i have no idea. i went to a concert the other night and even though that was just like. downtown. it felt like an Event

something you’re looking forward to: someday i am going to buy a nintendo switch and finally get to play animal crossing 😤

tagging @pinkmatter-mp3 @grumpymickmilk @vintagelacerosette @ian-galagher mwuah

[sheytune]

So yesterday was an event I organized for older Girl Guides (12+). It was a city wide bus scavenger hunt, starting in the east end at our national cemetery and ending with supper at a community centre in the west end. 78 people signed up.

We gave them bus passes and a list of 30 things to get. Along the way, they visited many sites downtown, got a donut at Suzy Q, and made buttons at the library.

It sounds like they had a good time! (And my feet hurt, even though I didn’t do the scavenger hunt!)

[outergalaxiesoutergalaxies]

ALL WIRED UP - a playlist

assimilate this! (exquisite technological mix)

WELL WELL WELL. I haven’t put together a playlist for a month or so, and it’s time. Also haven’t shared many of them here, I don’t think. We will be welcoming Virgo season in with a focus on robot rock, Borg perfection, wired up to the max, a playlist for all you machines and machine-lovers out there.

The Man Machine - Live

Kraftwerk

I was fortunate enough to see Kraftwerk twice in 2014; it was a religious experience. I saw them perform this album, 1978’s The Man Machine in its full entirety. Despite being a huge fan, I wasn’t expecting much. “How cool could it possibly be?” I, a fool, asked myself as I walked into Walt Disney Concert Hall in downtown LA. I knew they were going to be standing in front of their trademark podiums pressing buttons. What I didn’t know was how that was going to make me feel. I love the crowd coming in at 0:26 when the beat starts, and again at 0:59, which is when I must assume that the curtain fell to reveal The Robots. If you don’t know this entire album, you haven’t yet lived. Please listen to all of it.

Electricity

Midnight Star

“You got my head all wired up”

This was the start of this mix; it was the root my working Data/Geordi fan mix for forever, aka the “DaForge” mix to those of us with excellent taste. You may recognize Midnight Star from “No Parking On The Dance Floor,” their entire catalog is full of funky computer hits.

Human Being

Jane Inc.

“Accentuate my structure”

A quite hard synth and light drums anchor this track, which came across as a lovely surprise in some of my explorations for this playlist.

Get A Little

Patrick Cowley

Yes, this song has been on a few of my past mixes, including last month’s. To that I say, mind your business and get your ass on the dance floor. Patrick Cowley may be most known for his production work with San Francisco dance legend Sylvester (You Make Me Feel, etc.), but his solo work stands on its own as manual/physical synth excellence. Cowley died of AIDS in 1982, another bright light stolen from us.

Faster Than The Speed Of Love

Georgio Moroder

No synth-heavy mix is complete without the Italian stallion of synth, the techno-grandfather himself. Sorry about the poor transition but this entire album is a flow worth experiencing in full.

Desire

Future World Orchestra

If you’ve ever wanted to see a 1980’s track suit dripped out cartoon-looking white guy from the Netherlands playing about $70,000 worth of synthesizers, look this video up on YouTube. Big thanks to the Pop Overbite TikTok account for helping me discover this duo.

10 Out Of 10 (feat. Kylie Minogue)

Oliver Heldens, Kylie Minogue

Continuum music lovers and long time Kylie fans rejoice; we have less than a month before we get an entire new record. Biting my hands waiting for TENSION, which is out on September 22nd. Love the timeless-yet-90’s feel of this soon to be classic.

Get On Up And Do It Again

Suzy Q

No clue the story of this band (I believe they’re Canadian?) but this one’s been on my “get it going” playlist for a while

Lovelife

Phoenix

Always been a fan of Phoenix, especially when they get back to their synth roots. I don’t think this album (Ti Amo) had a major hit off it, certainly nothing like 2009’s ‘Wolfgang Amadeus Phoenix,’ which is unfortunate as there are some fantastic sounds on here.

I’ve Got Your Image

Cameo

This was sampled by Queen Latifah’s 2003 ‘Better Than The Rest.’ The titular line made me think of Seven’s eidetic memory, and it was time for a slow jam.

She Blinded Me With Science

Thomas Dolby

No relation to Dolby sound systems, but there may as well be with this 1982 classic that remains unlike anything else. Check out the video if you’re not familiar.

Data

Shook

I’m not terribly familiar with this artist, who’s based in the Netherlands, but the way he handles a synth works for me.

The Robots - 2009 Remaster

Kraftwerk

Again, I will point out that this album was released in 1978. The live version of this song also hits hard, if you’re so inclined to check out any of Kraftwerk’s live work.

You Are In My System

The System

Smooth techno robot funk, just the way I like it. No recollection of how I came across this hit other than the algorithm recognizing my exquisite taste.

Phantom

Justice

If Daft Punk is the robot rock dressed up on the dance floor, Justice is what you get at 3am after everyone is either wasted or high out of their mind, finding a way (any way!) to keep the party going. Never before or since have I encountered a record that scratched this particular sonic itch for dirtied up, fuzzed out synths continuing to deliver danceable, on the beat hits. If Daft Punk’s “Discovery” plugged us in, 2007’s “Justice” stripped our wires and started sparking them together. Ugh. I could go on about how much I love this record for a very long time.

Work Out Tonight

Ultraflex

I don’t have much to say about this Norwegian/Icelandic duo, other than keep party rocking, y’all.

Gettin’ To The Good Part

Herbie Hancock

What do you say about a legend whose work spans multiple genres, executed flawlessly? Not much, but 1980’s Herbie Hancock showcases his ability to seamlessly fit in with any and all new trends. You know more of his work than you think you do through samples and film, but you can always get to know him better.

Start Computer

Shook

It’s not very often that I hear a song that takes me back to the ebullient joy I felt in 2001 upon hearing Daft Punk’s ‘Discovery’ in full for the first time, but this song touches the vocoder-loving places within me.

Luminescent

Poppy Baskcomb

Baskcomb hails from the UK and I look forward to digging more into her work. Always a fan when a pop song chooses to anchor itself around an uncommon word.

Night Cruiser

Deodato

There seem to be a few different Deodatos but I’m assuming this is the Brazilian musical artist, as I hear those influences present here. Unsurprisingly, a great tune to jam around in your car at night, pretending you’re in a cyberpunk movie.

Master Rocker

Bernard Wright

This album is an instant classic, funky in all the right ways, with a touch of technological that anchors it firmly in time and place.

Sometimes

Les Rythmes Digitales

Don’t have much information about this 1999 album, but I would believe if you told me it was either from much earlier or much later. Always been a fan of music that is both faithful enough and innovative enough to be placed in any time period.

One More Time / Aerodynamic (live)

Daft Punk

My robot boys. If they ever return from retirement, bet that I will be spending my life savings and then some to see Daft Punk live. I have been a Daft Punk fan since 2001, and I am so grateful to exist at the same time as this duo. Listening to Discovery when it came out is an experience in time that I will never forget. I had tried to listen to this album when it came out, but I wasn’t yet advanced enough in my music appreciation to enjoy them live. The first time I heard the transition between songs, every hair on my body stood on end. I want few things more than a Daft Punk reunion tour, but this and bootlegs will have to suffice for now.

Messages From The Stars - Sped Up

The Rah Band

First encountered this song in a twitter exchange about DaForge; it’s not often that a song sounds just as good sped up as it does in the original speed.

Nobody But You

The Apples In Stereo

The first time I heard this song, I was working at Nordstrom, where you could call the operator (even as an employee) and ask for them to tell you the song. The swooping ‘you’s’ at the end are what spurred me into action. I wrote down the name of this song on a pastry bag, and this album has not left me since. It is a warm hug from outer space.

Translight

Breakbot

Eagerly awaiting a new album from Breakbot like any day now. The instrumentals remain undefeated.

Chaos - Laura van Dam Remix

Andrew Bayer, Run Rivers, Laura van Dam

I’m not terribly familiar with anyone here, but this song is a great way to draw me in to a lovely, sonically spacious and danceable remix.

Spotlight

Kylie Minogue

Heartbroken that there isn’t an extended mix of this yet (the DISCO extended mixes are still worth checking out), as it remains one of my favorite tracks from 2020’s incredible DISCO. Only the queen of pop could record an album like this in quarantine. Legends only!!!!

You Put A Charge In My Life

Brainstorm

Whoever makes me a fan vid of Geordi and Data being ‘very close friends’ to this is gonna eventually get a giant hug and possibly (okay, definitely) dinner. No clue what’s happening on the cover, but who doesn’t want to love an alien? Please be for real.

One Hot Love - 2018 Remaster

Makoto Matsushita

I knew nothing of Japanese City Pop until my Spotify started feeding it to me, and I’ve become obsessed with these oh-so-smooth tracks that remain danceable and sharp. A true mood, a vibe, a way to turn around any bad day.

Messages From The Stars

The Rah Band

And to close out the mix, enjoy the song in all its 1980s synthed out, original speed glory, still grooving and moving, a hit in either tempo.

That’s the mix, enjoy! Keep robot rocking and technological trancing🤖

[merrock]

CHARACTER INFORMATION

face claim: Victoria Pedretti

full name: Cassidy Miller

nickname(s) / goes by: Cass, Cassidy

pronouns & gender: she/her, cis woman

sexuality: asexual

birth date: april, 24th, 1995

birth place: Merrock

arrival to merrock: local

housing: flat in the historical downtown

occupation: veterinarian

work place: Emergency Animal Services

family: lives out of state, moved out after Cass' brother passed away

relationship status: single

PERSONALITY

Cassidy is a pretty friendly person – a people pleaser, you could say. Always tries to make everyone like her, and enjoy being around her and if something happens otherwise – she struggles, blames herself and overthinks. Deeply, she'd go a really long way to make all of that come true, which later shows how naive and easily manipulated she could be. However, she is still a good person and wouldn't hurt a fly. She is pretty kind, very empathetic and would always help friends in need. However, she can't help herself and always want to do everything on her own. It's difficult for her to let it go when she can't reach her goals. She doesn't give up, which sometimes comes as toxic, especially while declining any help from others.

WRITTEN BY: Mags (she/her), bst.

BACKGROUND / BIO

Triggering content: teenaged pregnancy, cancer, illness, death, sibling death, child death tw.

Cass grew up on a farm in Merrock with her family. Both parents – Castor and Suzie had a family-run farm with vegetable and flower gardens, a small forest, animals, and a petting zoo. They mostly earned money from produce that later they sold in town, or the petting zoo, which attracted people from bigger towns nearby. The income allowed them to have a humble, yet quite comfortable life.

However, everything changed when Cassi got pregnant when she was still a teenager. Situation at that time wasn't easy anyway, because Cassidy got pregnant with a boy she met from outside the town. Never told her parents anything about that person, yet she still decided to keep the child and raise her as a single mother. She was a teenager, and it put a massive strain on the family budget.

Soon after that, her younger brother, Jake, got pretty ill. Doctors couldn't go much and soon after his passing, it left the family with crippling medical debt. They sold the farm and moved away from Merrock for a better job in the city. They struggled to be around here anyway, as everything seemed to remind them about their late son.

Cass, together with her daughter Lily decided to stay, renting an apartment in town. She managed to find a job in a local veterinary office as an apprentice, however later after learning the craft, she became a real veterinarian. The office paid for her education that she did on the side while also working, therefore granting her all necessary knowledge and qualifications.

Currently, she is trying to hustle whenever she can, trying to save up enough money to buy her family farm back. It seems like a massive long shot, however, it's her life dream.

[oldsalempost-blog]

The Old Salem Post

                   Our  Local Tamassee-Salem SC Area News each Monday except holidays                                          Contact: theoldsalempost@gmail.com                              Distributed to local businesses, town hall, library.                            Volume 7 Issue 35                                                                     Week of August 19,  2024                https://www.tumblr.com/settings/blog/oldsalempost-blog                                                         Lynne Martin Publishing EDITOR:   You might notice the paper is a little late this week.  My husband and I ran off for a few days to have time together from the everyday race.  We enjoy the small things more and more, like small towns, mom and pop businesses run by people who care, old buildings, town squares and historic courthouses.  It is those quaint places where you meet people who make up the town.  Although we took in the “big city” I honestly wonder why anyone wants to be in crowds like herds of cattle.  Traffic was ridiculous where people did not even know how to get out of the way for emergency vehicles.  And the clothing, or lack of clothing I should say was heartbreaking to think that mothers had not taught their daughters better to have some modesty.  Let me just say,  Dorothy enjoyed her trip down the yellow brick road, but she sure is glad to be home.  LMartin, AKA Dorothy                                                                        

TOWN of SALEM: 5 Park Avenue  Monday-Friday 8AM-5PM. Closed 12-1 for lunch.  * Visit the Downtown Market every Sat, 8am-12pm.  There will be a community cookout in partnership with the Oconee Sheriff’s office and the Town at the Salem Community Center Sept 17th at 4PM.  FREE Hamburger or hot dog plates will begin at 4PM.  A new neighborhood watch which is part of  Mission Oconee, sponsored by a Isaiah  40:31 foundation will be discussed.  

Jottings from Miz Jeannie  by Jeannie Barnwell     Nature or Nurture ?                                        A mother of two adopted daughters felt compelled to write a scholarly, well-researched book on NATURE OR NUTURE. Both girls had been adopted as infants into a loving and comfortable home. "Suzie" developed as a cheerful, creative child. "Alice," on the other hand, suffered from sleepless nights and violent temper tantrums.. The mother spent 12 years collecting data and interviewing child psychologists and other parents.  Her firmly held conclusion stated unequivocally that when a baby enters the world, the baby's heredity predicts the future for that child.  Of course, severe poverty, neglect, and other setbacks influence the child's future, but for the most part according to the author, NATURE trumps NURTURE.  She gave this advice: 1) Raise your child in the nicest neighborhood you can afford .2) If your child is ugly, consult a plastic surgeon.  WHAT DO YOU THINK ? Lots of Love, Miz Jeannie

ASHTON RECALLS by Ashton Hester   GOAT ENJOYS EXPENSIVE MEAL AT FARMER'S EXPENSE - (The following story was in the August 10, 1944 Keowee Courier). . .While feeding his stock last Thursday, J.N. Barnett, farmer of the Flat Shoals community, found three one dollar bills, that had apparently been chewed, on the ground. . .Immediately he reached for his billfold and, to his surprise and sorrow, found that it was missing from his pocket. . .Then he thought of his goat, and right he was, as the animal was making a fine meal of the billfold and the greenbacks it had contained. . .The goat had eaten between $50 and $60 in currency. Only the three chewed-on one dollar bills remained. . .(Footnote: An internet search reveals that $50 in 1944 would be the equivalent of $892.54 today.)

JOCASSEE VALLEY BREWING COMPANY,(JVBC) & COFFEE SHOP* 13412 N Hwy 11 Opening on Tuesdays 12pm-7pm during the summer season. Wed–Sat 9am-9pm and Sunday 12pm-7pm.                                    Events this week: Wed:  FOOD TRUCK: BLUE RIDGE GRILL  4PM   BLUE  GRASS JAM  7PM   Thursday: Food Truck:  BLUE RIDGE GRILL 4PM  OLD TIME JAM  6:30PM  Fri: Music: ADAM HOPKINS 6:30PM   Food:  Pa CHUYs   Sat– Food: BLUE RIDGE GRILL  ( seafood special)  Music:  FAYSSOUX MCLEAN at 6:30PM   Sun: 12pm-7pm Food: BLUE RIDGE GRILL ( seafood special ) 1PM  Music:  WATER KICKERS 4PM.    

FRIENDS OF JOCASSSEE  FALL EVENT– Sept 14th 9AM-NOON  VIP DAY   Volunteer, Improve, and Protect.  This is the clean and sweep of areas.  We welcome divers, boaters, kayakers and more to help!  Come be a part of protecting and preserving this beautiful lake we all love and enjoy.   See friendsof jocassee.org for more information.  

WANTED:  Someone looking for a home site, home, or fixer-upper with 8-12 Acres in the Tamassee-Salem. Contact theoldsalempost@gmail.com for contact information.                                                                                                              

Making It Grow is a delightful and educational program on gardening, plants, and more on Channel 29, SCETV  offered by the Clemson Extension and hosted by Amanda McNulty Tuesdays at 7PM and Saturdays at 8AM.                                

.EAGLES NEST ART CENTER

2024 UPCOMING EVENTS     Treasure Store open every Sat morning 9AM-12PM.  For donations  call 864-557-2462.   

August 24th, 7PM  Make Reservations for Dinner and a Show with Luke Riley Smith– Enjoy  the tunes of the Big Band Era, Swing and more! Fried Chicken, 2 sides, roll, dessert, tea or coffee. Tickets $25 Call 864-280-1258. Tickets for sale and available also at the Town of Salem. 

YOUNG APPALACHIAN MUSICIANS– Sign up for YAMs for an evening class each week on Tuesdays at 5:30PM. Cost is $50 each month.  3rd grade through adult.   Call 864-280-1258                                                                                                                      September 21, 7PM  Oconee Mountain Opry– Hometown variety show of local and regional talent including Jenifer Gregory-from Upstate SC a-singer/songwriter and pop rock, Chris Wayne from NC -Rockabilly, and the Brown Mountain Lightning Bugs from Winston-Salem singing a variety of American you will absolutely enjoy!    Tickets $10 at the door or Ticketleap on the eaglesnestartcenter.org website.                                                                                                                          

CHURCH NEWS                                         1 John 4:7-8 ... 7 Dear friends, let us love one another, for love comes from God.                                                                                                                                Bethel Presbyterian Church (PCUSA),  580 Bethel Church Rd Walhalla, 29691. Worship at 10:30 a.m.  Come Visit Us!  Message by Mel Davis 8/25 & 9/1 Bethel PC USA.                                                                                                                               Boones Creek Baptist Church, 264 Boones Creek Road, Salem invites you to join us for regular worship service on Sunday morning with Sunday School at 10am and followed by worship at 11am.                                                                                                                                Salem Seventh-Day Adventist Church, located 240 W Main St , Salem,  cordially invites you to join us every Saturday at 9:30am

Salem Methodist Church, 520 Church Street, Down town Salem.  Salem Methodist is an independent church.       Sunday Breakfast at 9AM with Sunday School at 9:15AM and Worship Service at 10:30AM.   Holy Communion the first Sunday each month.  All welcome! Tune in to our live service on Facebook or view it later on our website.                                   ICE CREAM SOCIAL at the Salem Methodist Church:  Sunday afternoon August 25th at 5PM.  Everyone welcome!                                     Women’s Community Bible Study each Monday morning at 10AM led by Sherrill Carothers                                                                  NEW PRAYER GROUP: Began August 8th at 7 PM at the Salem Methodist Church. Will meet every second and fourth Thursday each month.

HELP MAKE JUMPROPES from old TShirts– Come learn and participate in making jump ropes for the Samaritan’s Shoe Box Ministry Sept 14th at 10AM.  

BOY SCOUTS and CUB SCOUTS to return to Salem?  Salem Methodist Church has been a host site for Scouts in the past. The number of scouts and leaders decreased so much the troops they stopped meeting.  There seems to be a growing interest in the community to bring the scouts back to Salem. Email theoldsalempost@gmail.com for information  

FOR YOUR HEALTH—Fight Depression!  Did you know you have a whole pharmacy in your own brain just waiting to be released when you exercise?  Endorphins are your own feel good pharmacy waiting to be released when you exercise. 

MOBILE PRIMARY CARE in SALEM thru Clemson Rural Health Mobile Unit:  August dates are Aug 13th and Aug 29th Time: 9AM-3PM Location: gravel parking lot across from the Salem Fire Department.  They will offer comprehensive primary care that includes chronic disease management and acute care.  The website: https://www.clemson.edu/cbshs/clemson-rural-health/patients.html    September dates are Sept 10 and 26.                                                                                                                          Love to you! LRM

[katrina407]

"When is the World going to get back to normal"

This is just a draft, as it seems to me , that welll i am not thinking of Kat me, my own mortilty..or in other words "dying" but seeing as well personal, STAFF are obcessed with , COVID FEAR>

I did,nt get to know this women ,Suzy said about the "Ash" experiment. Like How far, before the human , "Snap" under presure.. I have seen people go English(Londoners) Mad, ..Canadian terms "Crazy" throw chairs, break walls ...Etc I do not do those things,Yes i have a temper, but i can cool it, Gee Whiz if you get 20 minutes alone time kindly Nice Year of our Lord 2024 May 28th Tuesday

So sorry i am typing this out , but to be picked on seeing as alot of other folks have said i am "Nice" well yeah, but..

Well she stood up to the Staff members on this really bad Shelter, more like well as close to He,, You get the picture, she was Gone on a Tuesday, never saw her again.. Some of the people from this Shelter , Have been in this Building Shelter (downtown too ) But they seem to come and go , as i have said the going to & from expensive to me...

Then this older lady , well they attack her abused her , even when she hit her head in the public bathroom...She finally got her own place, well it is still expensive ,,my wee own Town APT $1850 thats a 2 bedroom..Does,nt everyone have trouble , staying put??

Even if you pay your Rent on time once on the news,they (due to repairs not fixed..)Evicted...These are folks that lived maybe 20 years too!!

[lifewithoutmeds]

October 3, 2023

Haven't written in a while. Positive sign? Who knows.

Recap:

Wednesday, September 20: In office, but Dana wasn't able to make it out to lunch. Some combination of an AABS case going long (WFH) as well as a newly scheduled 2pm meeting meant she wouldn't be coming downtown. Salvaged the day by texting GY who was able to meet me at a local cafe for lunch. It was a breakfast sandwich that wasn't very tasty and was in wild need of hot sauce, but it was good to see her. Thursday, September 21: Coworked with Danielle. pet the doggy, went on walks, talked, probably cried a little, then walked over to get happy hours food and drinks and the vibe and service were terrible but then they forgot to add our last order of drinks so we just said nothing and giggled afterward. Friday, September 22: Had a doctor's appointment that i took off an hour for. kinda told him about what was going on. he had me get an impromptu blood test since i was on a new medication now and i wished i hadn't drunk so much the night before. Oops. later on my mom came by. i don't remember what we did. probably what we always do. eat something. she probably cleaned and washed my dishes and then she would make me watch some random korean show on youtube and i'd make her watch The Office on DVD and we'd both humor each other but not have any fun.

Saturday, September 23: Caroline's baby shower, hosted by her sister. Not particularly memorable. there were alcoholic beverages, which were nice, and then afterward gy and i went to eagle rock for some beers and caught up some. i went home for a quick nap then ubered to west hollywood for Hot Flash, where i met up with kim, her friend steph, and a handful of steph's friend. it was different and interesting, being in a group and not just circulating by myself. i wished i had done a bit more circulating, but it also felt nice to belong. got pizza with them then ubered home, close to 2.

Sunday, September 24: met up my mom for a few local open houses, then i think lunch. maybe ... fish king?

Monday, September 25: Yom Kippur, which normally would have no effect on me but Suzy had it off and we met for lunch in downtown, and i took an extra hour off. we caught up and i cried a little and she hugged me and we said we loved each other and my heart felt full and sad but also mixed with gratitude.

Tuesday, September 26: uncharacteristic in-office day, as the next Tuesday would be Halloween, so i guess ... somehow this would fix things? Don't really recall what happened this day.

Wednesday, September 27: ?

Thursday, September 28: Worked from home, then LT very nicely brought me lunch: my request of In N Out plus my favorite ice cream cake from Baskin Robbins: mint chip. it was really nice to see her. after work i sped off to sawtelle where i met 3/5 of my venice group: kendy, matt, and alex, and we ate at Tsujita Noodles, they brought me cards, and then we had some ice cream next door. We had deep/meaningful conversations, and then i headed home.

Friday, September 29: Amy cancelled on me for a morning hike as her kid had some stomach bug, so i think i just laid around all day until 5ish when Lana and Mirna scooped me up to go to sushi gen. gy met us there, and we ate around 7 some of the best sushi i had in a while, and then we drove over to verdugo bar, where we were met by grace k, her husband steve, amy l, and her pal jenny shin. they all bought me drinks and grace brought a beautiful homemade lemon tart thing and they sang for me and my heart felt full. it was only 8 people including me, but they were some of my favorite people. grace hung out a bit longer and we went to another bar across the street before ubering to our respective homes, where i got home around 2 again.

Saturday, September 30: Woke up at 8:58 and pulled on the clothing off the floor i had worn the night before in time to open the door for my mom who arrived at 9:01 a.m. so we could go to geoffrey's in malibu. without brushing my teeth or washing my face, i ran out and drove us to malibu. it was grey and a little drizzly, but we enjoyed a really nice view, ambiance, and service (but mediocre eggs benedict) before heading back home.

Sunday, October 1: my mom wanted to go to church to express her "gratitude" to God, so we went to lake avenue. i had wanted to go to this progressive, LGBTQ-inclusive church in glendale, but in looking at the photos, the demographic looked very young and i didn't want my mom to feel out of place so we went to Lake instead. it was a solid service, and we went to Sierra Madre for some highly recommended chinese food at a place called: Colette, but it was just okay, and there was this soup that was so bland my mom had to ask for salt and pepper. i probably just laid around the rest of the day.

Monday, October 2: what did i do? worked, i guess? did some dishes. threw out trash. chores. oh, i think i walked to the bank and deposited my mom's very generous birthday gift to me. i had a slight miscommunication with my mom regarding when she'd be coming by (she said wednesday, i thought monday), so she came by today anyway, and brought some rice, and we had dinner of kimchi jigae. she just put an offer on a very nearby condo so we talked about what needed to be done (moving, getting rid of things, etc.) and what it would be like for her to live so close by. oh i also went to the market for the first time in a while.

Tuesday, October 3: today was a pretty productive work day, intermixed with more chores. emails, RAS routing slips, commencement notices, dishes, laundry, floor sweeping, a shower, etc. after work i met caroline and patrick at sanamluang and we chatted and ate for about an hour and a half (their treat.)

this is the longest i've gone without crying. we are at: SEVEN DAYS. also i realized this is the first day in maybe the last month that i didn't text amir or danielle. i have been texting them daily, hourly at times, asking how they are, what they're doing, just desperate for human contact, to feel connected, etc. i've been falling asleep to youtube i think just to hear another voice. i'm sleeping later and later as my eyes dry out and glaze over, obsessively looking for an article that interests me, somewhere i might volunteer at, something i might want to buy, somewhere i might want to go, just desperately reaching, searching, for something to settle on, land on. i'm remembering pre-jadai kristal, and that's ... a lot of unsettledness, a lot of boredom, a lot of trying to figure my way out, to find a reason for being. it feels like two steps forward and three steps back.

oh well. at least i'm not crying, not journaling obsessively, not texting desperately. i guess this is progress.

the week ahead: 10/4/2023: in office day (wednesday) plus the postponed dim sum lunch with dana. 10/5/2023: wfh, but need to clear out my balcony for an inspection. 10/6/2023: taking the day off to take my mom to and from an endoscopy appointment. later that day i will go to costco to get my tires rotated. 10/7/2023: facetime therapy with kelda, then tam o'shanter dinner with Tracy and Ash. 10/8/2023: possibly try out that new church, then host kbbq at my place for lorena and reyna.

i've also been cleaning/tidying bit by bit some more. finally moved my icebox to the garage. finally removed my bbq stuff and camp chair from my car (to the garage.) lugged my rug out of the closet so there'll be room for the camp box to go in once i organize/inventory it. the place feels a tiny bit neater, freeer, cleaner. i'm hoping to get the place in tip-top shape in time for sunday's dinner hosting.

feeling ok today. better than i have in some time. hoping it just goes up from here.

[esoutherngolf]

Golf Nation’s ’Three Courses’ Series

We Love Golf Nation’s ’Three Courses’ Series Hannah Leiner had a blast filming in Phoenix, San Diego and Atlanta.  So did Gabi Powel. Who are they? Household names if you’re in tune with today’s hottest golf media personalities and social media consiglieres. Adding to their burgeoning stardom is, well, starring roles in Golf Nation’s new series, “Three Courses.”  Episode 1 premiered on July 13, while ensuing episodes rolled out weekly on golfnation.com and its Android app. Presented by Club Wyndham, season 1, episode 1 takes us to Phoenix where close friends, blonde Gabi and brunette Hannah, both 24 and happy as the happiest clams, do what golfers love to do – play, eat, and drink.  The venues: 18 holes at Club Wyndham Legacy Golf Resort, chow at The Larder + The Delta, and adult beverages at Pigtails Downtown. “Golf is an experience as much off the course as on the course,” says Hannah as Gabi nods in complete agreement.  “Combining the mental strength to perform with the golf lifestyle the rest of your waking hours represents a great life.” Presented by Club Wyndham, Three Courses features hosts Gabi Powel and Hannah Leiner needling each other during entertaining rounds of golf before highlighting local bites to eat and cocktails to drink – the three requisite ingredients for memorable getaways. The next two “Three Courses” episodes feature the sights and sounds of San Diego and Atlanta golf destinations.  Talk about perfect for frat-like buddies on the road and, in the case of Gabi and Hannah, girl’s trips. The former Florida International University golf stars hit it off at the first meet-up.  That fellowship glows in “Three Courses” as the duo roots for one another.  Notwithstanding, audiences easily surmise Gabi wants Hannah to lip out … and, naturally, vice versa.  The competitive fire is there, but, in the end, camaraderie wins every time. Gabi wields her driver with a swing speed of, proverbially, the speed of light, her greatest bomb stretching 367 yards. While Hannah can’t top that, she claims, “I never missed a fairway and never will.” The “Three Sisters” travelogue captures what these golf-obsessed millennials (as do older generations) want out of the sport and lifestyle – be the best version of yourself on the course, smile throughout rounds and create lasting memories.  The blend of serious and not-so-serious is what golf offers above almost every sport. Hannah appeared on “Holey Moley” on ABC-TV alongside Steph Curry, while Gabi is brazenly focused on growing her already enormous social following. “We loved filming 12- and 13-hour days with the awesome Golf Nation crew,” says Gabi.  Her counterpart retorts: “I only wish there were behind-the-scenes cameras during our road trip from southern California to Phoenix – we laughed so hard … golf brings out the best in people. The golf getaway is only one entertaining topic covered by the golf-lifestyle entertainment network.  Other original, popular Golf Nation shows include “Ambush with David Feherty” and his hidden-camera hijinks; “Golf Unseen” that, this season, journeys in South Africa; “Tee Shots” where celebrity guests chat, sip and take swings with famous mixologist Bill Binder; and “Watch Buy Play” highlighting the planet’s hottest golf products. To top it off, Golf Nation President and former PGA of America President Suzy Whaley hosts the comedic “Don’t I Know You?” modeled after the “Newlywed Game.” Golf Nation debuted in December 2022 and is en fuego.  Its patented technology allows viewers to engage with and instantly learn about and purchase products and other offerings featured in shows by clicking on a “buy bar” while never leaving the streaming experience. Like Club Wyndham, brands exclusively in and others adjacent to golf sponsoring shows and selling products in the video. Boasting a marketing degree, Gabi notes: “Video commerce is genius.  Golf is indeed fun and games, but it’s also a thriving business. In upcoming months, shows will be available on the Golf Nation iOS app, Apple TV, Fire TV, Roku, and connected (smart) TVs.  The company plans to announce a landmark partnership whereby Golf Nation will be pre-loaded on over 100 million devices globally. Read the full article

[ofwrxth]

BASICS

Name: Cala "Callie" Cortez 

Age & Birthday: 30 & November 5, 1992

Gender/Pronouns: cis woman / she & her 

Birthplace: Atlanta, GA

Time in Atlanta: 27 years

Neighborhood: Center Hill 

Association: Reapers

Occupation: All Star Diner 

Positive traits: Brave, Emotional, Passionate, Persuasive

Negative traits: Entitled, Single-Minded, Jealous, Manipulative, Mercurial

Faceclaim: Shay Mitchell 

ABOUT

Callie didn’t have a lot of time with her parents. All she was told was they were in the wrong place at the wrong time and, just like that, she was three years old and an orphan. Her uncle took her half brother in, claiming her as his own and Cala was never told more than that until she got older. She learned that even outside of Atlanta and Center Hill, people knew of The Reapers. Her parents, who had left Atlanta, were dead as a result of a long-held grudge against her father. Because of this, her uncle was convinced that if they’d move back to Atlanta, with the gang around them, it never would’ve happened. And just like that, Cala’s life in Atlanta Georgia began.

Growing up, she was a precocious child, fearless and single-minded in everything she did. Life was too short and she was determined to live it all. Of course, this caused a headache for her uncle-turned-father (it took about a year before they called him dad) but he never tried to squash that wild side. She was half-feral but it didn’t matter. If she was prepared to scratch a boy’s eyes out for pulling her hair at school, he wasn’t going to stop her. 

For Cala, motivation only kicked into gear when she saw something she wanted and thought should be hers. She’s not one to share and is easily jealous when she thinks someone has something she wants. Maybe Suzie Abrams should’ve gotten a better bike lock before taking it to school (her dad made her return it but only when it started to snow). And sure, she got onto the cheer team, but she wanted to be captain so what if Amy Sheffield got locked in the janitor’s closet and missed captain tryouts? Watch your surroundings, bitch. And so what if she made fresh-out-of-college-Mr. Greenberg cry in Spanish class by talking too fast when he asked her a question the first day of school? He didn’t give her a homework assignment the entire semester. Worth it.

Callie is used to getting what she wants, not because anyone hands it to her (though, sometimes they do) but because she takes life by the horns. It doesn’t matter to her if she gets bruised or bloody in the process as long as she achieved her goals in the end. However, if life happens to give her a boon, she’s not going to turn it away. Like how a lottery ticket purchased on a whim two years ago led to her living a life of luxury for the first time ever. She gave some money to her duncle (dad + uncle) and to her brother but kept the majority share (because…she bought the ticket, right!) and went on to leave Center Hill in the dust. However, karma works fast and she lived a life that was too big even for her wallet. Numerous bad investments, poor spending habits and scam gone wrong left Callie returning to Center Hill with her tail between her legs. 

Evicted from her luxury condo downtown, her bright pink Porsche repossessed by the bank and all but booted from her downtown life, Callie struggled with her readjustment to Center Hill. She’s gotten herself a job as a new recruit for the Reapers, dealing, and a job at the grody All Star Diner but still holds onto what could’ve been. She’ll be spotted wearing designer clothes from her two-year stint living it up (which she refuses to sell despite the money they’d bring) and has reclaimed her room in the trailer she and her brother shared once they were old enough to move out of their funcles (father + uncle)’s house. 

It’s been several months and while she feels like everyone should be happy she’s back in town, she senses that some people took offense to her leaving them in the dust. Callie thinks everyone should just get over it because it's not her fault she got lucky, just like it’s certainly not her fault she lost everything either. 

EXTRA

She speaks English, Spanish and Hindi 

She has a TikTok account where she posts rants about her day and also fit checks

She has a black cat named Cindy who she takes on walks around Center Hill with a leash, even though she lets her roam around freely sometimes too. Don’t ask about the logic in that – there is none.

She’s a bit of a klepto but likes to think she’s a philanthropist, taking random shit when she can, keeping what she wants and giving the leftovers away to friends.

She’s an excellent cook (surprisingly) in that everything she makes always tastes amazing but she’s been known to set the kitchen on fire every now and then (small fires!)