#I ENJOY WRITING THESE THINGS
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he won
bonus:
#oi oi donât steal my tags i see u đ«”#svsss#mdzs#moshang#hualian#bingqiu#sqq u spoilt brat#binghe is def the best cook out of the three gongs iâm not saying this lightly#we know lwj can cook from the extras and i can only assume hc can cook bc the only thing he CANT do is write BUT:#xl enjoys cooking so ofc hc is gonna let him express himself culinarily#and wwx is a spice fanatic weirdo who wants to go live his m!lf dreams into the sunset#lwj will not get in the way of that#sqq however is perfectly content having bingmei cook his meals forever and never stepping into a kitchen#scum villian self saving system#scum villain#mo dao zu shi#tgcf#heaven official's blessing#wangxian#mine#luo binghe#shen qingqiu#wei wuxian#lan wangji#xie lian#hua cheng#shang qinghua#mobei jun
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Do you ever want to badly write a fic but youâre too self conscious about your writing so it stays a forever idea ?? HahahaâŠ
Anyway, iâve had thought about Voxâs obsession with Alastor bringing the ruin of the VeesâŠ. Many many ideas, and what happens and âŠ. Augh
#hazbin hotel#hazbin vox#hazbin valentino#hazbin velvette#the vees#my art#staticmoth#I have an entire thing in my head#and I want to write so bad but#Augh the anxiety#anyway enjoy some angst#After the tower fell AU
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edit (10/23/2024) now that the poll is over: Original version, with 10 questions, from April 2023 here
And, given that the original is from April 2023, that means I can very easily say:
No, this was not an ISAT reference!
Just because I use parentheses and 2nd person pov and love the same concepts of what a time loop can do to a person doesn't mean it's ISAT
(Yes, I like ISAT, the original poll is why I was recommended the game! But if you look at the original, you can see all the origins of the options to choose from, including what spurred me on with the moss option from the replies)
If I were going to make something for ISAT, I would never be so vague, you can simply look at my ao3 for proof of that
#egg speaks#writing#polls#my writing#egg writes#my polls#poetry#time loops#listen I want to run this again#time loop poll#<- check that tag on my blog for the original 10 option version lmao#unreality#you know I didn't think I'd get fed up with people making isat jokes about this#I thought it'd be like oh hey neat same hat#we both like the same game#but people keep going âoh this is JUST an ISAT referenceâ#as if it's not a genuine work of creativity I did myself. it feels a bit devaluing#âop you played isatâ yes but that came after the original!!!!!#I KNOW it's not meant like that but I want people to engage in my work as its own thing. you can make jokes about similar media!!!#but this is it's own thing!!!!#I want people to like it for what it is. I want people to enjoy it outside of other media. I want it to stand on its own#I'm flattered someone said it was good enough that they think it could be narration from the game and read just as well!!!!#but like. idk. all the other medias popping up (pmmm. orv. higurashi. etc) aren't people calling it a /reference/#if I wanted it to be an ISAT reference I would have tagged it originally. I would have targeted it toward ISAT fans more intentionally.#I love fanworks but this was an ode to time loops alone. I wanted people to think. to have to CHOOSE. I wanted PARTICIPATION#time loops as a narrative and as horror and as a group activity via polls on tumblr. also s/o to the person who said 40 hr work week so tru
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Not beating the allegations.
[First] Prev <â-> Next
#poorly drawn mdzs#mdzs#wei wuxian#lan wangji#jiang cheng#su she#lan qiren#(I oscillated between writing a funny or a serious final comic for season 2 so hard I did both. Enjoy the funny bonus!)#Woah hey! Two characters we have not seen in a long time!#Su She hasn't been seen in 100 comics! Unfortunately LWJ has a taste for his blood. He has only moments left to live.#I honestly thought LQR died (adaption memory blur) and I did *not* expect him to show up here.#That said it does act as a way more personal blow to LWJ's reputation for LQR to be there.#By staying on WWX's side he's not only throwing his reputation to the wind but also facing familial judgment.#It hits so much harder when the choice isn't an easy one to make.#Choosing to stand at someone's side when they *have* actually messed up - when they do have faults and flaws - that's love.#Love is hard work! Love is not low maintenance and good days every day.#Love is being able to say 'I am choosing to bear your weight when things are heavy.' Love is doing that reciprocally.#Which is 100% a real life lesson I am passing on#And also a plea for why it is so important we give credit to WWX's atrocities.#He *did* do some of that shit. He isn't fully innocent and it gives LWJ's choice so much more weight.
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Midnight Rendezvous - Sylus x Female!Reader
Summary: An unmistakable tension has always existed between you and Sylus, and despite trying, youâve never been able to make much sense of it. Heâs haughty, arrogant, and too attractive for his own good. After he intervenes and saves you from a questionable situation during a girlâs night out, he whisks you away to his house despite your protests. You want to hate himâ you want to be mad at himâ but itâs increasingly difficult to fight against your desires, and before long⊠you stop trying.Â
Alternatively summarized as you and Sylus having steamy, passionate sex for the first time.Â
Word Count: 13.9k
Warnings: 18+, explicit sexual content, rough sex, size difference
Full fic can be found here on Ao3 (with more diverse tags)
The Midnight Bar was, for all intents and purposes, an eclectic melting pot for all of Linkonâs denizens. With its colorful strobe lights and intense, pounding music that poured from the open doorway, it beckoned to any and all passersby, tempting them to set foot past the threshold and lose themselves in the sea of bodies that congregated on the dance floor. More often than not, you dismissed your repetitive, fleeting inclinations to come here for a night of fun. It was easier to justify your homebody tendencies with countless excuses that all pertained to work. But not tonight.Â
No, tonight you wanted to let loose. You wanted to cast aside your worries and obligations for a few hours, to have a few fruity cocktails that you knew would have you on your ass tomorrow. You wanted to dance until your feet throbbed, until your back ached, until your ears rang and drowned out the never ending cacophony of concerns that plagued your mind.
Life was⊠complicated. You wanted to forget about it all for once. You wanted to be selfish.Â
Tara had mercifully agreed to accompany you to the club. Phrasing it as a âgirlâs night outâ had certainly helped matters, and her light-hearted aura would do wonders for your fluctuating emotions. It was easy to stay level headed when she was around, and you found yourself wondering if the data analyst was even aware of her influence.Â
From your rooted position on the dance floor, you could see Tara at the bar waiting dutifully for the drinks sheâd offered to buy, chatting with the burly bartender all the while. You knew you had no business drinking anymoreâ youâd had three of those strawberry whateverâs alreadyâ but the night called for it, and your clammy palms craved the chilled feeling of the thick, cocktail glass more than was probably healthy. The steady ebb and flow of the music had you moving in sync with the crowd around you flawlessly; your hips swayed, your arms languidly rose above your head, and your eyes fluttered shut as you rolled your head back to toss a few strands of hair out of your face.Â
Nothing else existed to you in that moment, and you were more than willing to ride the brainless high for a while longer. Wanderers, Grandma and Caleb, The Hunterâs Association, your heart condition⊠all of it was inconsequential. Every thought that entered your mind dissipated into nothing just as quickly as it appeared, and the last thing you planned to do was squander a second of the reprieve.Â
That is, until a warm, broad hand appeared on your waist.Â
Your eyes flew open at the same time you looked over your shoulder, and your field of view was instantly obscured by a familiar chest clad in a black and red button-up shirt. A smokey, almost spicy cologne flooded your senses, and you recognized the scent even before you craned your neck back to meet Sylusâ imposing gaze. He looked the same as always; annoyingly attractive. His pale hair was effortlessly combed off his forehead to showcase those ruby-red eyes that had once imbued you with a healthy dose of fear. Now though, the sight of them only stoked the flames of rebellion within you.Â
What the hell was he doing in Linkon City? Why was he here of all places?Â
âAll this time and I only ever had you pegged as an indoor cat,â his sultry voice reverberated against you as he bent down to speak directly against your ear, and much to your dismay, you shivered involuntarily. âYou never fail to surprise me, kitten.âÂ
On shaky legs, you managed to step out of Sylusâ reach, his fingers trailing across your hip until you were far enough away that his hand fell back to his side. His expression was the usual smug variant you typically saw plastered to his face, and he cocked his head to the side as he took in your disheveled appearance. For whatever reason, your confidence from earlier seemed to vanish completely, and you found yourself feeling incredibly self-conscious having him see you like this. There wasnât a doubt in your mind that you looked⊠messy. The thin sheen of sweat on your face had your hair clinging to your cheeks for dear life, and the thrum of liquor in your veins warmed you so thoroughly that you were confident you were flushed from head to toe.Â
Out of everyone that could have possibly crossed your path tonight, why did it have to be him? You would have preferred that Zayne walked in to chastise you for your poor life choices rather than the puffed up, Adonis-incarnate before you now. Stupid Sylus with his stupid, attractive smile and his stupid perfect body.Â
Having stared at him for long enough, you mercifully didnât slur your words when you bit out, âWhat are you doing here?âÂ
âI think Iâm the one who should be asking you that, Miss Hunter.â He easily closed the minuscule distance between the two of you with half a step, gingerly putting the back of his hand against your forehead to gauge your temperature. You swatted the appendage away and scowled, your irritation rising when he smirked in response to the motion. âWhat will people say when they hear that Linkonâs valiant defender is drunk in the club on a Thursday night? Have you finally tossed away your self-imposed restrictions to join the rest of society in debauchery?âÂ
âIâm not drunk,â you retorted, and the dry look Sylus shot you conveyed just how willing he was to believe you. âIâm not! Iâm just having a bit of fun. I donât work tomorrow, so Tara and I decided to have a girlâs night out. Which means you canât be here.âÂ
âCanât I? Or will you run to the nearest police officer and tell them that the leader of Onychinus showed face at the Midnight Bar? I didnât think you had it in you, sweetie.âÂ
To hear him even suggest such a thing made your stomach sink into the floor, and you stood up straight as you nervously glanced around the room to make sure no one had heard him so boldly announcing his title. âQuiet down! I swear itâs like you want to be caught. I wouldnât do that, I justâ why are you even here? Shouldnât you be at home?âÂ
At home clearly meant the N109 Zone, but Sylus picked up on your shrouded speech well enough. He fluidly shifted to allow a cluster of younger girls to dart past him through the crowd, but his eyes never wavered from yours. âWhy else would I deign to grace Linkon City with my presence? Iâm here on business. Itâs since concluded, but I wanted to grab a drink. I wasnât expecting to find you in the middle of the dance floor all by yourself.âÂ
Your tipsy brain was slow to process all of his information, the most prudent of which had to do with who he was discussing business with in this part of the city. You didnât even bother to ask, though. Sylus could avoid your questions like he was born to do it, and you were painfully aware of how much he loved to goad you. Better to let the matter rest⊠for now.Â
You crossed your arms over your chestâ suddenly acutely aware of the plunging neckline of your dressâ and did your best to sound firm. âWell, donât stop on my account. Go get your drink so I can go back to what I was doing.âÂ
Those eyes of his were predatory in every sense of the word. You may as well have been naked with how vulnerable you felt on the receiving end of his unrelenting stare. âAnd leave you all alone here? Perish the thought.âÂ
Right on cue, you spotted Taraâs familiar head of hair bobbing and weaving through the crowd, both of her arms raised to protect the integrity of the two cocktails she held from the ever shifting sea of bodies. You instantly relaxed at the sight of her, and if Sylusâs raised brow was anything to go by, he noticed your change in demeanor almost immediately. He glanced over his shoulder in time to spot Tara emerging from the throng of bodies, one of the drinks in her hands already outstretched towards you.Â
âThe wait was crazy, but the bartender was really nice!â She had to shout over the roar of the music, an easygoing smile already playing on her lips. You took the offered beverage from her while she continued, âHe gave me his employee discount for both of the drinks. I think he likedââ
You knew the exact moment Tara noticed the six foot two giant towering over you, her brown eyes becoming comically wide as she shifted her weight to look up at Sylus. Recognition flashed across her face, and for a brief moment you felt a genuine surge of panic. But then her expression smoothed out, and she gently patted Sylusâ shoulder in a friendly greeting.Â
âYouâre Skye, right? Itâs been forever! What are you doing here?âÂ
Skye? You were confused for all of two seconds until you remembered the one and only time Tara had ever met Sylus; at the hotel all those weeks ago during your team building exercise. You thought he had been pretending to be a fruit vendor, up until he let you know that he would order more of the watermelon served there that you loved so much, cluing you in on the fact that he had some kind of dealings with the establishment. The enigma of a man seemed to have his fingers in damn near every pie in Linkon and the N109 Zone.Â
Was nowhere safe from his influence? HonestlyâŠÂ
The conversation between your two acquaintances had continued in the midst of your reminiscing, and Sylus pinned you with a knowing look, which brought yet another scowl to your face. âIâm just passing through. I happened to see Miss Hunter over here looking incredibly lonely, so I decided Iâd come and say hello.â
Liar. âI already told you I was here for a girlâs night out. As you can see, the girls are back together and in the middle of something.â
Taraâs glassy eyes lit up as the worst idea imaginable came to mind. âI donât mind if you want to hang out with us, Skye. You can be one of the girls for the night if youâd like.âÂ
The giggle that slipped out of Tara spoke volumes of her inebriated state, and you opted to blame all the alcohol for giving her enough courage to invite a borderline stranger into your circle. If she knew the truth about the man standing mere inches away from her, you knew her tone would change in an instant. Thankfully though, Sylus interjected before you got the chance to, seemingly on the same page as you for once.Â
âThank you for the invite, but I canât linger tonight. You two have your fun, Iâll be at the bar for a bit before I need to head out. The fruit business never sleeps, Iâm afraid.â
The ease with which he lied out of his ass was something that needed to be studied by professionals, you were certain. Still, you were grateful that he was taking pity on you and excusing himself, though you had to admit you were⊠surprised by it. The Sylus you knew wouldnât turn his nose up at a chance to taunt you and keep you on your toes. Even though he had revealed sides of himself to you that you hadnât expected, at the end of the day, Sylus was an instigator at his core.Â
Red eyes glittering with mirth met yours for the briefest of moments before the Onychinus leader turned on his heel to head for the bar, and the crowd of people that surrounded the three of you seemed to part for him effortlessly. Countless heads turned to watch Sylus as he went, women and men alike staring after him with varying degrees of attraction and envy written across their faces. You could hardly blame them.Â
Men more than likely wanted to be him, and women no doubt wanted to be with him. He seemed to have that effect on everyone he crossed paths with.Â
âIs there something going on between you two?âÂ
Your head swiveled back towards Tara so fast, the movement practically gave you whiplash. âI have no idea what youâre talking about.âÂ
She playfully shoved your shoulder, which only succeeded in pushing herself away from you as she stumbled back a step. No more drinks for her, you thought to yourself. âOh come on,â she drawled. âThe tension between you and him is thick enough to cut with a knife. Plus the way he stares at you? I would melt if I was on the receiving end of those eyes.â
Thoroughly fed up with the conversation already, you simply shook your head and brought your drink to your lips, your eyes unconsciously seeking Sylus out. He was exactly where he said he would be; at the bar with a glass already pinched between his long, lithe fingers. How he had gotten a drink so fast, you didnât know, and you furrowed your brows in confusion at the same time his gaze zeroed in on you from across the room. He raised his beverage to you and tipped his head forward in a leisurely manner, but you only gave him a nonplussed blink in response before looking away.Â
âExhibit A,â Tara tactfully pointed out when you returned to paying attention to her. âWhat would be the harm? Heâs handsome, heâs got to be smart with all the business deals heâs involved in, heâs polite. He could be good for you if you gave him a chance.âÂ
âTara, you have no idea what youâre talking about. Heâsââ you cut yourself off, trying and failing to come up with a justification that didnât out him as the head of a massive crime organization. In the end you settled for, âHeâs a complicated guy. Can we just forget about it? Please?âÂ
âFine, fine,â she waved off your pleading and took a hearty sip of her drink, motioning for you to do the same. âIâll let it slide this once, but donât think for one second that Iâm dropping the subject forever. Anyways, do you think the DJ is taking requests?âÂ
Thankfully it didnât take you long to fall back into your previously upbeat mood. The steady supply of alcohol and the rancorous thrum of your heartbeat in your ears certainly helped matters, and when the song Tara had requested finally came on over the pounding speakers, you shed the remainder of your inhibitions and downed the rest of your drink to free up your hands and dance wildly. It took a herculean effort not to glance back to the bar to see if Sylus was still perched on the stool in the corner, but your willpower won out in the end as you swayed your hips to the tempo of the dark, seductive music.Â
Lost in the sea of bodies around you, your senses were overwhelmed with all the different sights, sounds, and smells that surrounded you. The tang of everyoneâs sweat mixed together wasnât altogether unpleasant, and the sickly sweet taste of the lingering cocktail on your lips had you wetting them as red strobe lights darted overhead. Heat from everyone packed in tight next to one another had sweat dripping down your brow, your chest, your backâ so you dexterously gathered your hair in one hand to lift off of your neck to offer some reprieve.Â
Tara was a blur in the corner of your eye, but you still knew she was somewhere in front of you. That was how you knew the hand on the nape of your neck wasnât hers, and the absence of Sylusâ trademark scent told you that it wasnât him, either.Â
Ambushed by an errant hand for the second time in one night, you were quick to spin around and shove the stranger away. It was a manâ an unfamiliar one at thatâ who looked all too put out to have been so harshly rejected within the first five seconds of trying. His hair was so black that underneath the clubâs technicolored lights, it looked blue. Pale green eyes were narrowed in confusion at you, though you noticed how he immediately attempted to school his expression once youâd turned around.Â
âHey,â he called over the thrumming base of the music. âWant to dance?â
Suddenly bashful at having been so harsh, you did your best to ease up your defensive stance and allowed for a polite smile to play on your lips while you shook your head. âThank you, but no thanks. Iâm here with my friend.âÂ
Apparently being nice wasnât going to work, because the stranger stepped close enough to sling his arms across your and Taraâs shoulders, and with the brief look the two of you shared, you could tell neither one of you was particularly thrilled about it. âThe more the merrier! Why donât you two come over to my booth in the corner? Iâm sure my friends would love to meet you.â
Calmly but firmly, you grabbed for the manâs hand to unsling it from around your neck, taking a small step away from him as you reached for Tara. âNo thank you, weâre goodââ
His hand shot out quickly, and you blamed the alcohol in your system for nullifying your reaction time, because the bastard succeeded in grabbing your forearm to pull you closer once again. His nails dug into your flesh hard enough that you winced, and when you tried pulling back, you felt the telltale sting of skin breaking. âOh come on,â he crooned, giving you an undiluted nose-full of the stale beer on his breath. âDonât be such a buzzkill. A couple of beautiful women such as yourselves deserve a night of fun, wouldnât you say?âÂ
Tara interjected this time, looking more uncomfortable than youâd ever seen her before. âWeâre really fine, please let goââ
A shadow crossed your vision for a moment; large, imposing, and radiating an aura that you could only describe as murderous. Smokey cologne filled your nostrils as Sylus wrenched the manâs hand away from your arm, then picked him up by the scruff of his shirt to glare menacingly into his eyes. Over the blaring music, you had no idea what the green-eyed stranger was saying, but you could make out the sound of him stammering as he clawed at the arm that held him inches off the ground.Â
For a minute, you really thought Sylus was going to end the manâs life. Even in the midst of hoisting an adult male off the floor by the fabric of his shirt, he didnât move a muscle. It didnât even look like he was struggling. He was eerily still, and when you moved to catch a glimpse of his side profile, there was no missing the white hot stare he had glued to his prey.Â
Tentatively, you placed your hand on his shoulder, squeezing softly to get his attention. âSylus, weâre fineâ just put him down, please.âÂ
Aside from a muscle in his jaw ticking minutely, he gave no indication that he had heard you. You tried again, âSylus please. People are staring, youâre causing a scene.âÂ
Truthfully you couldnât care less about the people in the club watching everything unfold, but you were worried about police being called in and discovering who exactly Sylus was. The thought of him being taken away unnerved you, and even though you knew he could more than likely escape beforehand, you feared for the people that would inevitably be caught in the crossfire.Â
Beneath your palm, you felt Sylusâ bicep flex before he roughly dropped the man from his ironclad grip. The stranger, wide-eyed with terror, stumbled when his feet hit the floor, but he didnât waste any time disappearing into the crowd and vanishing from sight. You sighed with relief, grateful that things hadnât ended badly, then looked back to the silver haired man. His red eyes were fixed on your arm where the stranger had scratched you; four stark, crescent shaped wounds were etched into your skin. Sylus gently took your hand in his to bring your forearm closer for him to inspect, lightly running his fingers over the wounds, and despite the severity of the situation, you felt your face flushing from the intimacy of the gesture.Â
âCome on,â Sylus practically growled, his grip on your hand tightening. âWeâre leaving.âÂ
âIâ wait, what?â You tried wrenching your arm free from the imposing manâs vice grip, but it was like pulling at Protocore infused shackles. âSylus, let me go! What about Tara? I canât leave her here alone.âÂ
âLuke and Kieran are already on their way. Theyâll take her home.â He didnât look at you as he half-pulled, half-dragged you through the crowd towards the front doors of the club. It took everything in you not to stumble in your heels and sprawl out on the sticky, tile floor, but something told you that even if you did, Sylus would just haul you up and toss you over his shoulder before you made contact with the ground. When the two of you made it outside, the cool air was like a sobering slap to the face, and you blinked rapidly as Sylus released your hand long enough to open the passenger side door of a sleek, black car parked in the front. He gestured stiffly to the seat, âGet in.âÂ
The flame of rebellion reserved especially for Sylus and his insufferable brand of arrogance roared to life in a split second. Any gratitude you might have felt towards him dissipated into the air like smoke. Your eyes sharpened into something lethal, and your hands curled into fists at your sides as you stood your ground on the sidewalkâ silently daring him to physically move you into the car, because you would sooner go head to head with a den of Wanderers before you let yourself be ordered around by him.Â
âNo.â Â
âWhat if I asked nicely?âÂ
âNo,â you doubled down firmly, your nails biting into the skin of your palms as you beat back the urge to smack him.Â
âKitten,â Sylusâ voice was a low rumble, but the nickname came out as anything but calm. It held a dangerous edge to it, like something akin to thunder sounding before lightning struck. âNow really isnât the time to show me your claws. Please, get in the car.âÂ
âScrew you, Sylus. I already said no. Iâll walkââÂ
The familiar, cold tendrils of his Evol snaked around your torso, lashing out too fast for you to track or dodge. There was an almost imperceivable tug against your midsection, and the next thing you knew, you were being haphazardly thrown into the car. Any whiplash the motion would have caused was prevented by the red mist that cradled your head. By the time you realized what had happened, Sylus was shutting the door on you and striding around to the driverâs side, ignoring the wary stares from the people outside waiting to be let into the club.Â
âAre you out of your mind?â You snapped as soon as he climbed in, and your blood boiled when he wouldnât even do you the service of looking at you while you raged. âYouâre completely out of line! You donât get to just decide to kidnap me when Iâm out with my friends. Do you have any idea how embarrassing this is?âÂ
âYouâll get over it,â he muttered, throwing the gear in drive before peeling away from the curb. He spun the car around so quickly that you found yourself leaning uncomfortably against the door, and as he evened out the steering wheel and took off down the street, the erratic motions had you bouncing between the window and the center console. âYou might want to buckle up, sweetie.âÂ
He shot you a sidelong look when you jerked on the seatbelt hard enough for it to lock in place, then snickered when you were forced to be gentler to draw the strap across your lap. âKeep laughing like that and youâll have to sleep with one eye open tonight,â you muttered, clicking the buckle into place.Â
Sylus chuckled softly under his breath, his knuckles blanching white against the steering wheel for a brief moment before he said, âIâm counting on it, kitten.âÂ
â
Insufferable. Demanding. Egotistical. Infuriatingly charming. Too suave for his own good. All of those terms could be used to describe Sylus, but even then it wasnât enough. No dictionary in the world had enough words to characterize the manâs personality, and you were positive that if you tried finding one, you would be on the hunt for the rest of your life.Â
After arriving at his house in the N109 Zone, youâd bitten his head off for not taking you home. When he had countered with the claim that heâd never specified where he was taking you to begin with, you had thrown your hands in the air and stomped away into the living room, at your wits end for the nth time tonight. He had given you a modicum of space to let you cool off shortly thereafter, until he had reappeared to let you know that Luke and Kieran had dropped Tara off at her house safe and sound.Â
That had⊠helped your mood a little. While Sylus was an exasperating person as a whole, you knew that you could trust him to have your friend delivered home unharmed. Luke and Kieran were reliable tooâ at least, they were when they werenât conspiring to get you and their boss into compromising situations.
You had never really forgiven them for setting you up that night you were searching for Sylusâ brooch. If Sylus was the ringmaster of Onychinus, Luke and Kieran were the acrobats bending over backwards to please him.Â
âThereâs a change of clothes by the bathroom,â Sylusâ gravelly voice sounded from somewhere behind you, but you didnât bother looking away from the massive bay windows to acknowledge him. âYou can go shower if you want. If youâre still adamant about going home afterwards, then Iâll take you.âÂ
You barked out a humorless laugh, and you saw Sylus narrow his eyes at you in the reflection of the window. âWhy so hospitable all of a sudden? You didnât care about what I wanted when you were hauling me out of the club like a petulant child.âÂ
âIâm sorry, are we forgetting the part where I got rid of the human scum that was yanking you around like a dog on a leash?âÂ
You dumbly shook your head, baffled and bewildered that he had justifications ready to dish out after behaving so boorishly. âWhile I appreciate that you intervened, I had it under control.â
One second he was across the room glaring at the back of your head. The next, he was inches away from you, peering down at you like an ominous shadow with predatory intent plastered all over his face. Sylus swiftly captured your hand in his to reveal the tiny row of scratches on your forearm, his gentle ministrations so at odds with his stormy demeanor. He cocked a brow at you and condescendingly said, âYou and I have very different definitions of what âunder controlâ means, kitten.âÂ
âWhatever,â you muttered, easily withdrawing your arm back to your side. âItâs not like he could have done anything serious. We had people all around us, and security would have come over eventuallyââ
âFor future reference, donât rely on drunk patrons to protect you. I expected better from a Linkon Hunter. You have no idea what that man wanted with you and your friend.âÂ
âOh, and you do?â
âYes.â
That one word from Sylus made you pause, your mouth opening and closing like a fish out of water, and your face crinkled in confusion as you processed the meaning behind his declaration. âYou⊠Did you use your Evol?â
Not the least bit ashamed at having been caught, Sylus turned away from you to look out the floor to ceiling window. âHe may as well have been screaming his desires with how loud his thoughts were. What he wanted was vile,â he stated roughly, âand he would have gotten it whether you were a willing participant or not.âÂ
The silence that filled the living room was deafening, and you nervously looked down to the floor as you shifted your weight between your feet. To hear the real reason why Sylus had felt the need to intervene⊠it explained the cold-blooded expression youâd seen on his face. Moreover, you were glad that he hadnât left like he had said he would.Â
Should you apologize? It felt wrong to just ignore the fact that Sylus could very well have saved your life tonight, and Taraâs by extension. He was as stubborn and headstrong as they came, but he wasnât a monster. He had protected you countless times before now, and despite your brainâs unwillingness to fully agree, you had a sneaking suspicion that the crime lord had a soft spot for you. Youâd come to terms with that fact a long time ago. At the very least, you felt like you owed him a sincere apology for being such a brat in the face of his kindness.Â
If it could even be called that.Â
Your mouth opened so those two little words could slip free and ease the weight that had settled on your shoulders, but Sylusâ finger stopped you. The slender digit pressed against your lips and prevented you from saying anything, and you looked up at him through your lashes as you blinked slowly in confusion.Â
âGo clean up. We can talk more after, if youâd like.âÂ
The softness of his voice coupled with the tenderness of his gaze compelled you to listen. No retorts, no witty one-liners, no arguments formed on your tongue. For the first time since knowing him, you werenât in the mood to butt heads or deny him.Â
So you listened.Â
â
He was waiting for you when you finished in the bathroom.Â
Maybe it was more appropriate to say that heâd simply retired to his room after waiting for nearly an hour. After all, you were technically using his shower. The gray cotton pajamas that had been left for you on the bathroom counter were soft, thin, and fit like a glove. You had taken a good minute to relish in the comfortable feeling of them before slipping out of the steam filled chamber.Â
Sylus was thumbing over the collection of records on the shelf when you emerged, his broad back to you as he thoughtfully debated on which one to play. He made no move to acknowledge your presence, but you already knew he had heard you walk out of the bathroom. He was too perceptive to overlook anyone sneaking up on him.Â
Padding over to the bed, you sat down on the edge of the mattress and mulled over the countless different things you could say to him. âIâm sorryâ was seemingly the most prudent. There was also the âthank youâ route, which wasnât a bad option considering he had made sure Tara made it home safely in addition to coming to your aide. Part of you even wanted to ask why he cared to go so far out of his way for you when you were merely⊠well, you. Sure, your paths had intertwined some time ago, and he had helped you out in choppy situations a few times before. But at the end of the day, the two of you couldnât be more different, and it wasnât like youâd made it easy for him to get to know you.Â
Why did he care to help you?Â
You could already hear his possible responses playing in your mind. He would probably say something like âI protect my investments,â or âYou have a habit of looking so pitiful, I canât help myselfâ. Something that would affirm that you were important to him while still keeping you at armâs length. This cat and mouse game you had going with him was maddening, and you were starting to lose your grip on what was real and what was a facade.Â
âIf you think any harder, youâre going to hurt yourself, kitten.âÂ
Sylusâ voice drew you back into the present moment, and you glanced towards him in time to watch him slide a vinyl case off the shelf before carefully thumbing the packaging open. His captivating red eyes landed on you as he deposited the disk onto the record player, effortlessly dropping the needle down without so much as blinking. An almost bewitching melody filled the room, and then Sylus was setting down the case to walk towards you, his stride slow and purposeful. Stopping a few inches away from you, he delicately picked up a strand of your damp hair to coil around his finger as he raked his eyes over your body.Â
The pajamas heâd chosen were definitely meant for hot nights, that was for sure. The soft, gossamer shorts left nearly all of your legs on display. Nevermind the racy neckline of the matching, lace-lined tank top. All in all, you were wearing more skin than you were clothes.Â
âI was thinking,â you started to say, tilting your chin up to meet his unyielding stare. âI owe you an apology.âÂ
One perfectly groomed brow quirked up in response. âOh?â
âI know I can be stubborn sometimesââÂ
âThe understatement of the century,â he mused thoughtfully.Â
âShush, I need to say this.â You sighed before pressing on undaunted, your tone hardening, âThat being said, Iâd be ungrateful if I didnât acknowledge that I was out of my element tonight. I honestly donât know if things would have gone the way you said they would, but even so I can see now that I wasnât in a state of mind to properly protect myself or Tara. Your methods were⊠unorthodox, but you being there was appreciated, and Iâm sorry that I snapped at you.âÂ
Sylus was quiet for a few seconds, taking in your words with an almost serene expression on his face. His thumb traced over the strand of your hair around his finger, then let it slip away to caress the side of your cheek with his knuckles. Your breathing hitchedâ startled by the gestureâ but you made no move to pull away or stop him. It was rare for you to be able to perceive him so⊠openly.Â
His voice was low, barely a whisper as he murmured, âYou never have to thank me for the things I do. Especially not for tonight.âÂ
The way he grazed your cheekbone with his fingertips before tracing the outline of your jaw had your mouth firmly sealed. If you tried to speak, you already knew your voice would come out pitifully small. It had nothing to do with feeling small, however. The utter longing in Sylusâ gaze coupled with the almost reverent way he touched your face made you feel⊠important. He was looking at you like you were the only thing he cared about within the four walls, which was saying something when you stopped to consider all the valuables and collectables he kept hidden away in his bedroom.Â
But you didnât stop to think. Not really. Your brain was mercifully silent as you studied his eyes, his posture, his lips. Something had shifted between the two of you, and you didnât know if you were eager or scared to discover what that meant. Sylusâ thumb slid over your lips, his touch featherlight as well as chill-inducing. The hunger in his eyes was unmistakable as the corner of his mouth twitched up into a half smirk.Â
âLet tonight be a lesson to you, kitten; never let your guard down around anyone,â his gaze flickered from your face to your chest, then lazily swept down the rest of your seated form. âEspecially not when youâre out for a night on the town looking like the human embodiment of temptation.âÂ
âTemptation?â You echoed dumbly, and Sylus shook his head to himself as he laughed softly.Â
âDonât tell me you were completely oblivious to how you looked in the middle of the club earlier. Iâll admit, the amount of eyes you had on you made me⊠twitchy. I should burn that dress to cinders, but then Iâd never get to see you in it again.âÂ
You blinked in surprise, a tingling warmth spreading from your chest all the way down your torso before settling between your legs. âIâ you liked it?âÂ
It should have made you laugh the way Sylus had to bend down so much to put his eyes at the same level as yours, but humor had flown right out the fucking window the second he started caressing your face. His blatant desire burned you, his touch leaving a trail of fire in its wake. Red eyes bored into yours, and his face was close enough that you could see the darker shade of red that rimmed his irises. Being so up close and personal with his lips also made thinking difficult, but the one thought you managed to cling onto was how soft they looked, and how much you wanted to feel them against yours.Â
This man was quickly becoming your undoing, and you truly didnât think you had it in you to fight against your baser urges.Â
âI liked the dress,â Sylus said huskily, his fingers leaving your face to ghost down the side of your neck. âI liked your heels, and I definitely liked your dancing.â His fingers moved to curl around the back of your neck, pulling you ever so slightly closer to him so that his breath fanned across your cheeks as his eyes eagerly fell to your lips. âWould you be offended if I said I like you?âÂ
The shallow breath you drew into your lungs was like music to Sylusâ ears, and you felt his hand stiffen against the nape of your neck as he awaited your response. Formulating words was a bit of a challenge, however, seeing as all you could focus on was the unrepentant fantasies that were currently bombarding your brain. You wanted him bad, and the wet heat ravaging your lower body was a testament to that fact.Â
âIâm going to need an answer, sweetie,â Sylus purred, all too pleased with the way you seemed to unconsciously move your face closer to his. âOr am I meant to read your mind to find out for myself?â
âIâm not offended,â your response was airyâ barely a whisperâ but Sylus heard you loud and clear, and he grinned wickedly as his grip on your neck tightened. âI think I like you too.âÂ
âItâs about time.âÂ
Those three little words came out roughly, but you hardly got the chance to dwell on the gravelly timbre to Sylusâ voice. His lips were on yours in the next second, stealing your breath and igniting a fire in your veins that threatened to burn you from the inside out. Every one of your senses was overcome with Sylus; his smokey scent, the throaty moan he let slip, the feeling of his fingers burying themselves in your still damp hair. You heard him kick off his shoes without breaking away, and then you felt the mattress dip under his weight as he supported himself over you with one of his knees. Looming above you, you were entirely at his mercy as he used the newfound angle to his advantage, sweeping his tongue along the roof of your mouth as he devoured the minuscule sounds that emanated from you. You cautiously wrapped your significantly smaller hand around his thick wrist, drawing him close enough into your space that you had to lean back on the bed to accommodate his larger frame.Â
âThe things you do to me,â Sylus rumbled, leaning his head to the side to trail hot, open mouthed kisses down your neck, flicking his tongue against your pulse with a low hum. âSo unbelievably perfect. You have no idea what I want to do to you.âÂ
Emboldened by his praise, you let your hands rest on his narrow waist so your nails could dig into the silky fabric of his dress shirt. âShow me, then,â you replied, turning your head so you could stare up at him as your teeth began to bite at your swollen bottom lip.Â
In a flash, Sylus had moved off of you to wedge his arms under your armpits, effortlessly hoisting you off the edge of the bed so he could better toss you towards the mountain of pillows near the headboard. A surprised yelp sounded from you as your ass made contact with the smooth, satin sheets, and you watched blearily as Sylus deftly began undoing the top buttons of his shirt with one hand as his eyes raked over you. âYou donât have any idea what kind of effect you have on me, do you? You drive me crazy and youâre none the wiser to it. Ignorance really is bliss, huh?â
âIââ you didnât know what to say or where to look, especially once the muscled expanse of his chest started to show itself. âIâm sorry?âÂ
Chuckling darkly, Sylus finished off the remaining clasps on his shirt and shrugged the attire off, tossing it somewhere near the record player before making his way to the side of the bed. âActions speak louder than words, kitten. Why donât you show me just how sorry you are?â His hands gestured towards his belt in an unspoken question, and while it took you a second to figure out what it was that he wanted, you were quick to shuffle towards him to get started once your brain caught up. âSo eager to please⊠Iâm impressed.âÂ
You ignored his teasing to the best of your ability. Cold feet wouldnât serve you well nowâ not when every fiber of your being was heated with blatant arousal. The urge to please him, to pleasure him, to drive him to further madness, was overwhelming. Nimble as a cat, you undid his belt and let the metal buckle fall away with a resounding clink. The catch of his pants went next, and you made sure to glance up at him through your lashes as you slowly dragged the zipper down, reveling in the lust-filled gaze he fixed you with.Â
Sylus let you do the majority of the work, only deigning to lend you a hand when you struggled to pull his pants down over the swell of his rear. A throaty laugh sounded from above you when your eyes nearly bugged out of your head at the sight of his briefs. The unmistakable outline of his girth was apparent through the dark fabric, and fuckâ was he big.Â
How the hell was that supposed to fit anywhere inside you?Â
âDonât tell me youâre nervous,â Sylus taunted, his index finger and thumb coming to grip your chin and tilt your head up at him. âJust take it slow. Iâll talk you through it.âÂ
All his promise did was give you butterflies. You swallowed thickly, nodding as he released you so you could turn back to the task at hand. Almost hesitantly you slipped your fingers under the waistband of his dark undergarments, taking care to let your hands graze the delectable âVâ of his lower stomach before you pulled them down and revealed inch after inch of his insane member. You couldnât help it that your mouth fell open at the sight.Â
Sylusâ cock wasnât just big, it was thick. The sheer weight of it fought against its erect nature and had it drooping menacingly before your parted lips. The shiny, red tip was already oozing pre-cum, causing it to glimmer as it reflected the dim overhead lighting. A sparse collection of darker, neatly trimmed hair surrounded his shaft, and you unconsciously found your nails scraping gently through it before you took him in your hands. Even with both of the appendages working together to grip him, there was still ample space left untouched and exposed, and you licked your lips before glancing up at the silver haired man with expectant eyes.Â
Sylus still looked surprisingly put together despite the circumstances, but the way his chest rose and fell quicker than normal spoke volumes of his excitement. His red eyes glittered with anticipation, and one of his large hands carded through your hair before gripping the strands firmly enough to maneuver your cheek directly against his throbbing manhood. He sighed as soon as your skin made contact with it, gently moving you around by your tresses until his tip bumped against your lips.Â
âOpen,â came his sultry command.Â
With nowhere else to go you heeded his instruction and stuck your tongue out, ready and willing for whatever he had planned for you. He let you guide his cock into the warm, inviting prison that was your mouth, and without any further pointers from him, you took him as far as you could before you felt the head bumping the back of your throat. The urge to gag came and went quickly as you hollowed your cheeks around your mouthful, and the ragged sound Sylus let slip conveyed his approval well enough.Â
It was a tad difficult to crane your neck back to sneak a glance at him, but from what you could see, he was breathing heavily and looking down at you with wonder. âYouâre quite the little minx, arenât you?âÂ
You hummed your confirmation, the vibrations from the action making the hand in your hair squeeze tighter around the strands, and the soft curse that emanated from him was like music to your ears.Â
âFuckâ slowly now, keep your tongue out and mind your teeth. Tap my leg if you need to stop, alright kitten?âÂ
Stopping was the absolute last thing you wanted to do, but you dipped your head just enough to let him know you were in agreement. Sylus cupped the underside of your jaw with his free hand while the other stayed firmly rooted in your hairâ fully in control of your head from that moment forwardâ and you allowed for your hands to slip away from the base of his cock so you could brace your palms on his toned thighs. His first few thrusts were meant to test your resolve, seeing as they were shallow and relatively wary. Your jaw stayed slack throughout all of it though, and you even took it upon yourself to tense and untense your tongue as he plunged in and out.Â
âDamn,â Sylus groaned as his eyes fell shut, the euphoric sensations prompting him to increase his pace ever so slightly. Your nails scraped against the skin of his thighs as you curled your hands into loose fists, the sordid, wet sounds of your mouth making your face flush with barely there embarrassment. âThatâs it, darling. Youâre doing great.âÂ
With his fingers wrapped under your jaw, the placement of his digits allowed you to become acutely aware of the bulge in your throat. Sylusâ cock edged deeper and deeper into your mouth with every pump of his hips, and when a strangled, choking sound finally broke free from your stuffed mouth, Sylus laughed darkly before opening his eyes to turn his attention back to you.Â
âI wish you could see yourself right now.â Sylus emphasized the statement with a harsher buck of his hips, the head of his cock sliding past the back of your throat and reaching far enough that you felt it near the top of your esophagus. Your eyes pinched shut as tears welled up within them, then flew open as the man above you withdrew his shaft nearly all the way to give you the chance to breathe. Greedy gulps of air were sucked down immediately, followed by a harsh cough that forced the pooling tears in your eyes to cascade down your cheeks. âYou make one hell of a pretty picture, sweetie. Iâll have to keep a camera on hand next time.âÂ
âC-Can I try?â You rasped out the question as you worked to catch your breath, and the amusement that lit up Sylusâ features was enough to harden your determination.Â
He released the underside of your jaw and affectionately brushed a few strands of hair out of your face before dropping his hands entirely. âBy all means. Show me what tricks youâve got up your sleeve, Miss Hunter.âÂ
You werenât inexperienced by any means, but the impressive size of Sylus had you reevaluating everything youâd ever learned. A blow job was a blow job, however, and you were certain that your enthusiasm would help cover any blind spots that would no doubt appear.Â
Sylus watched with anticipation as you took him back in your hands and smiled up at him, resting the heavy head of his cock between your lips before you pursed them to press a warm, messy kiss to the sensitive tip. The tiny, evil glint in your tear-stained eyes clued him in on just how badly you yearned to make him crumble, and for probably the first time in his life, Sylus couldnât wait to see someone try to knock him down a peg or two.Â
With your eyes still glued to him, you slipped your tongue out and ran it slowly over the slit before curling the muscle around the swollen head with a soft sigh, gently stroking him once, then twice. You twisted your wrist slightly as you opened your mouth again to suck wetly at the pre-cum beading before your eyes, laving your tongue over the head hard enough for Sylusâ eyes to narrow for the briefest of moments. His hands clenched at his side, the insatiable urge to fuck into your mouth again taking over him, but he refrained from interrupting your show through sheer force of will alone.Â
You smiled coyly up at him, entirely aware of the larger manâs internal struggle, and slowly slid his cock back into your mouth so your lips sealed right over the head as you sucked. It was wet and messy and noisy, and Sylus couldnât help the way he twitched forward for more as a string of broken curses fell from his lips.Â
Your eyes fluttered shut as you tilted your head to the side to mouth down Sylusâ length, sucking gently and soothing your tongue over the warm flesh as you went, and if the feeling and the sight of you wasnât enough to leave Sylus a panting, eager mess, the slick sounds of your mouth would fucking do it for him. He kept his hands off but groaned loudly, trying his best to indicate that you should absolutely keep doing exactly that.Â
His head fell back between his tense shoulders as he let out a low, rumbling moan, shivering when you curled your tongue around the underside of his cock and breathed a soft chuckle against him. You worked to stroke the parts of him that your lips werenât worshiping, and the smooth, even touches were made even smoother by the copious amounts of saliva and pre-cum that already soaked his shaft. Sylusâ leg twitched minutely, his knee banging against the side of the bed frame, but all he could feel was your soft lips at the base of his cock followed by an agile twist around the slick head, smearing all the combined moisture around blindingly. He didnât think it could get any better than that, but once you dipped your head low enough to take the skin of his balls into your mouth and suck delicately, Sylus was fighting to keep his head out of the clouds, because the sensation was absolutely otherworldly.Â
âFuck,â came Sylusâ garbled, gritted voice, his stomach tensing as his hands finally returned to your mussed hair. âAlright, youâve proven your point, kitten.â
Hardly, you thought. You ignored the high strung edge to his voice and continued your ministrations, wrapping your lips around the head and taking him as deep as you could before you swallowed, and when Sylus choked on a rough gasp in response, you withdrew slowly, using the tip of your tongue to press along the underside of his cock. Sylus desperately wanted to stop you, because the last thing he had anticipated was cutting all the fun short by finishing in your mouth of all placesâ but then your tongue swirled around the tip again while you stroked every wet, exposed inchâ and his fingers tightened around your strands of hair as he fought the urge to shove his cock back into the welcoming embrace of your mouth.Â
He didnât think it was possible for such a tiny thing to have such a dexterous tongue. There was simply no way anything born of this Earth could possibly be this versatile.Â
âEnough,â Sylus growled abruptly, willing his brain to supersede his baser urges as he promptly pulled you off of him by your hair. The sting from the motion made you gasp, but the pleasure that came with being so easily manhandled quickly overshadowed the pain, and your hooded eyes drank in the sight of Sylus as you breathed in deeply.Â
Red eyes hazy and unfocused, chest rising and falling rapidly, and a pretty flush youâd never seen before sneaking up his neck and spreading across his cheeks and ears. Oh yeah, you thought, he was definitely getting close.Â
âDonât look so smug,â Sylus rumbled, the slight strain in his voice barely noticeable. But you were a Linkon City Hunter, and being perceptive was technically a job requirement, so you absolutely took note of it. You couldnât help but grinâ awfully proud of yourself for riling him up this wayâ and let go of his cock to brace yourself on your arms as you leaned back.Â
âSorry, I just really liked the face you were making.âÂ
His eyes narrowed in an unspoken challenge, and before you could so much as blink, his larger body was covering the bulk of yours as he hoisted you back up the mattress so you were leaning against the throne of pillows once again. Red tendrils of his Evol aided him in the removal of your shirt, the lacy attire vanishing from view as he crawled backwards just enough so he could slip his fingers under the waistband of your pajama shorts before he said, âI hope it was worth it, because now itâs my turn to see what kinds of faces youâll make, sweetie.âÂ
The effect his words had on you could have honestly been deemed concerning, and the pure bolt of arousal that shot through you when he started to drag your pants off without breaking eye contact was like nothing you had ever felt before. As soon as he had tossed your bottoms to the floor to join his own pile of clothing, he wasted little time in settling between your outstretched legs, wrapping one of his thick forearms over your waist to hold you in place as a devious expression spread across his face.Â
âTry to hold still for me,â he breathed out softly. You opened your mouth to reply, but your words got cut off the second one of his fingers slid along your slit and pressed against your clit, wringing a strangled gasp from you as you inadvertently bucked your hips up into his touch. He tutted disapprovingly, âThatâs the exact opposite of holding still.âÂ
âIââ another gasp filled the room as Sylus took to drawing languid circles around the bundle of nerves between your legs, the accumulated moisture there making the action effortless and positively heavenly. It took an insane amount of restraint to keep your hips still despite the blissful torment, your breathing becoming increasingly erratic as Sylus played with you, testing your reactions and pushing your limits as though your body was a new toy he was trying out. Your nails dug into your palms in an attempt to ground yourself, your bottom lip throbbing as you savaged it with your teeth.Â
As soon as Sylusâ mouth appeared against your entrance, there was no stopping the unconscious jerk of your hips against his face. His muffled laughter against you didnât help matters, and you wheezed shakily as you grabbed for a fistful of the sheets with one hand while slapping the other over your mouth. Keening, desperate little moans slipped through your fingers, Sylusâ tongue reducing you to a brainless pile of limbs faster than you could process. The tense muscle probed and swept inside of you while his thumb rubbed maddeningly over your clit, the dual stimulation borderline torturous, and your stifled groan drew Sylusâ attention as he increased the tempo of his tongue.Â
The arm draped across your waist extended in the next second, and you felt as the silver haired man grabbed for the hand covering your mouth. You let him pull your arm down to your side, his palm tracing down your heated skin until it reached your own, and then he was intertwining your fingers together to hold the limb there. His lips left your core for the briefest of moments, just long enough for him to murmur breathlessly, âDonât hide those pretty sounds from me, kitten. I want to hear all of it.âÂ
It should have been anatomically impossible, but you somehow managed to flush even deeper than before. Sylus kept his eyes on you as he returned to licking and sucking at your soaked center, his pupils blown wide and completely dilated as he worked to tear the most sinful, desperate noises from your scratchy throat. He truly looked like some kind of irresistible sex demonâ risen from the depths of Hell to torment you and reduce you to a brainless, twitching mess of a humanâ and God was he succeeding. You were torn between wanting it all to end with your release and simultaneously wanting it to continue forever.Â
The idea of staying here for the rest of eternity was not an unpleasant one. Not in the slightest.Â
Sylusâ thumb vanished from your swollen nub, replaced almost immediately by his mouth as he sucked the tender bit of flesh between his lips, and the cry that ripped from your chest was unlike any sound you had ever heard yourself make. Your spine arched clean off the mattress, your hips pressing against Sylusâ face so forcefully that you were certain you had to be suffocating him, but as you tried to writhe away from the overwhelming ecstasy, Sylus clenched your hand tight in his and held you firmly where you were.Â
âFuckâ Sylus, please, please,â you babbled mindlessly, the tight, hot feeling in your lower stomach roaring to life as he teased his tongue over the small bit of flesh held firm between his soft lips. âIâIâm gonna come, fuck, Iâm gonna comeââÂ
The euphoric rush within your body was more powerful than any Aether Core. It was dazzling. Your muscles tensed, your mouth fell open, your eyes squeezed shut, and your hips bucked harshly against Sylusâ unrelenting mouth as an orgasm unlike any you had ever experienced washed over you. The sound of your hoarse voice dimly registered in your ears as you came, and you faintly realized that you were screamingâ but there was nothing in the world that could interrupt the extraterrestrial experience you were currently living throughâ so your voice reverberated off the walls of the room until you were wholly and truly out of breath.Â
When you finally sagged back into the mattress, Sylus had eased up the intensity of his ministrations, much to his credit. His tongue made one final plunge into your wet walls to lap up the evidence of your pleasure before he pulled away entirely, and all you could do was tremble beneath him as he pushed himself up onto his knees.Â
He made no move to release your hand as he crawled over you, instead lifting and pinning the joined appendages beside your head before he dipped down to passionately kiss you. Sylus growled savagely as he swallowed up your pitiful mewling, every tiny sound you made fueling something deep inside of him. Trapped under him with nowhere to go, you were entirely at his mercy as his free hand came to slip under your neck in an attempt to deepen the kiss impossibly further. Sylus forced more of his tongue into your mouth and imbued you with the taste of yourself, humming thoughtfully when he felt your nails dig into the back of his hand, at which point he pulled back to stare down at you.
âI should count myself lucky that I have no neighbors this deep in the N109 Zone. I wouldnât be surprised if you scared Mephisto off with that scream.âÂ
âScrew,â you panted harshly in-between the words, âthat bird.âÂ
His hand clenched around the nape of your neck as a wicked smile stretched across his face. âYouâre actually screwing me, in case youâve forgotten. Or is your head still somewhere above the clouds?âÂ
Leave it to Sylus and his smartassery bring you back down to Earth. âOne of these days someone is going to cut out your mocking tongue,â you grumbled under your breath, though there was no genuine animosity in the statement.Â
Sylus only laughed, his red eyes twinkling with amusement and pure male satisfaction. âIf that someone is you, I think I can rest easy. You seem to like my tongue far too much for that to be a viable threat.âÂ
ââŠTouchĂ©.âÂ
His lips resumed their relaxed exploration of yours, bestowing a few quick pecks to the corners of your mouth before he peppered a trail of kisses along your jaw, bumping your head to the side with his own as he went. His warm breath fanned across your sweat-slick skin as he sanguinely said, âI think youâll like the other parts of me, too.âÂ
On cue, you felt the hard length of him settle against your thigh as he continued to press his lips against your thundering pulse, your hand coming to grip his firm bicep as arousal buzzed through you. Not a shred of doubt existed within you as you hummed your approval, angling your head to the side to give Sylus more room to lick a broad stripe down the column of your neck. You wanted more, and you were well past the point of pretending you werenât keenly interested in experiencing everything the leader of Onychinus had to offer.Â
In an act of complete and utter depravity, Sylus began rocking his hips against your thigh to rub his cock against your heated skin as he unabashedly groaned into the crook of your neck. You felt his sharp teeth clamp down on the skin above your clavicle before he sucked lightly, laving his tongue over the little bit of flesh he managed to latch on to. The barely there sting was more pleasant than anything, and you sighed contentedly when you felt him move higher to repeat the motion on another patch of unmarred skin.Â
A small, needy sound came from deep within your chest when Sylus abandoned his hold on the back of your neck to feel his way down your prone body, your eyes falling shut as you relished in his gentle fondling. You felt his fingers graze over your collarbone, then over the hardened peaks of your breasts, before settling between your legs once again. His touch against your clit was slow and testing, prompting you to lean your head back with a quiet gasp as you rocked your hips into Sylusâ hand. The movement played into Sylusâ steady rocking nicelyâ your pelvis elevating and sliding against his cock easilyâ and the low-pitched groan of approval he met you with had you smiling softly to yourself.
When Sylus pushed his finger into you again, you bit your lip at the same time he pulled his mouth off of your neck. You opened your bleary eyes to peer up at him, only to find that he was watching you with a tender sort of reverence. You flushed brightly under his flustering gaze, suddenly incredibly bashful at having him watch you so closely even though his mouth had just been ravaging your most intimate areaâ but despite that fact, you found yourself angling your face to the side in an attempt to hide your reactions.Â
âOh no,â Sylus uttered, a lone tendril of his Evol snaking out to turn your face back to him. âNo hiding, kitten. I donât intend on missing a single one of the pretty expressions you make.â
As though to punctuate the statement, Sylus curled his finger inside of you upâ just enough that he found the spot heâd been searching forâ and his efforts pulled a strangled moan from you at the same time your hips jolted against his palm. âSylus, Iâ hngââÂ
Your pleading was cut short by Sylus adding a second finger before he repeated the motion, taking care to slowly rub the pads of his fingers across that same spot over and over again, evidently drawing immense satisfaction in watching you wriggle and twitch under him. That damnable smirk of his showed itself once more as he pressed into the spot more insistently, his eyes devouring every inch of you as your stomach tensed and your toes curled, a telling warmth bleeding through your chest and coiling its way down between your legs.Â
It seemed impossible for any one person to be so good at this. Then again, this was Sylus, and you were fairly positive finding peopleâs weak points was something of a speciality of his.Â
The fact that your weak point was buried knuckle deep inside of you was irrelevant.Â
As Sylus continued to rub little circles over your sweet spot, he lowered his head once more to work yet another dark bruise into your skin, silently filing away the mental image of your body tensing and arching beneath him for later. The sight of you alone was enough to leave him breathless, but as nice as the imagery was, what really got to him were the sweet, gorgeous sounds of your voice. Your lips parted around quivering moans, tiny gasps slipping through every now and then, and your stammering pleas filled the quiet air around him and imbued him with a newfound sense of urgency.Â
Sylus had always loved the sound of your voice, but hearing what it was like when it was hitched and raspy, repeating his name like a mantra⊠he knew then that there was no better sound in the world. It would be all too easy for him to become addicted to itâ to you.Â
As your whines became more urgent, your hips practically riding his fingers as he brought you close to the edge for a second time, Sylus couldnât help but feel a sense of male pride. He was the one pulling those noises from you. He was the one you were calling out for, the one you were trusting to take you higher, to hold you and kiss you and make you feel good. He was the one making a noisy little wreck of you and branding you like he was born to do it.Â
He needed more. Sylus needed to feel you from the inside out, and the way his cock twitched in response to the thought was all the motivation he needed to withdraw his fingers from your soaked heat.Â
You were positively wrecked alreadyâ gorgeously soâ with your eyes glazed and unfocused, your lips parted freely around beautiful moans and brainless praises, breathless whines of Sylusâ name escaping you alongside the rattling breaths you sucked down. He almost hated that he was interrupting when he murmured, âWhat do you think, sweetie? Think youâre ready for me?âÂ
Your eyelids fluttered as your brain returned to the present moment, having completely spaced in lieu of Sylusâ never ending finger torture. Scrubbing a hand down your face, you rasped out, âF-Fuck, yeah, Iâve been ready. Youâre the masochist drawing this out.âÂ
Sylus laughedâ the sound deep and richâ before pushing himself up and sitting back on his heels, the heavy head of his cock dragging over your impossibly wet entrance as he got settled. He finally let go of your hand to maneuver you exactly where he wanted you, your knees resting on either side of him as he gripped your waist with fiendish strength.Â
âItâs not masochism, sweetie,â he purred, sliding his rock hard member up and down your slit to further tease you. âIâm being attentive. Thereâs a difference.âÂ
Sylusâ idea of being âattentiveâ bordered dangerously close to persecution, because you were hanging on by a sliver of a thread after all his prep work. You swallowed thickly and wriggled your hips against his solid manhood, aiming to drive him into action before you lost your mind entirely. âIâve been spoiled more than enough. If youâre any more attentive, the sun will start peeking through the blinds.âÂ
âWould that be so bad?â Sylus pressed the blunt head of his cock against your hole, not pressing in yet, but applying enough pressure that your heart rate quickened in your chest. âIf I have any say in the matter, weâll be seeing the sunrise regardless.âÂ
In one quick, fluid motion, Sylus effortlessly rolled his hips forward and pressed into your fluttering walls, a throaty growl reverberating within his chest as he was overcome with your unbelievable heat. The abrupt intrusion was far from unpleasant, but it was sudden enough that your mouth fell open around loud, stuttering moans, your eyes rolling back in your head as Sylus gingerly worked more of himself into you. Your hands scrambled for purchase against the silky sheets in an effort to compose yourself, and by the time he was sheathed nearly all the way within your core, your patience had evaporated.Â
The size of him was insane. You could feel every inch of him, every vein that lined his incredible length, and the way he pulsed against your walls reignited the flame of desire that burned in your blood.Â
âSylusâ Godâ Sylus,â you wheezed, tilting your head back as you forced yourself to relax your muscles. Rocking your hips up in search of stimulation wasnât enough, not by a long shot. You needed to get fucked through the bed. You needed Sylus to plow you like the fucking world was ending, and the visceral want that coursed through you was so strong that you wanted to cry.Â
Sylus groaned your name, the combined effect of you calling for him and the feeling of your absolutely drenched cunt sucking him in deeper making his goddamn head spin. He wanted to be gentleâ to let you get acclimated before he went any furtherâ because it wasnât egotistical for him to acknowledge that he was big compared to you. But when he felt the heel of your foot press against his lower back, silently urging him to move, his reservations dissipated into the night like vapor. He knew what you wanted, and being the thoughtful, quick learner that he was, there was nothing holding him back from giving it to you.Â
âNo God here, kitten.â Sylus rewarded you with a deep, grinding thrust that left you frantic with hunger. âItâs just me, and youâre being so good for me.â
Before you even had time flush with embarrassment, Sylus gripped your thigh with one of his hands and braced himself over you with the other, then pulled out nearly all the way before ramming his cock back into you.Â
Your shrill voice echoed off the walls of the bedroom, and your spine rounded clear off the mattress as you half whined, half screamed in ecstasy.Â
Every slam of Sylusâ hips knocked the breath out of your lungs, his powerful, cervix kissing thrusts leaving you winded as you blindly gathered a fistful of satin sheets in your trembling hands. His brutal rhythm never faltered as he pounded into you with inhuman stamina, breathing loud moans of your name while a mix of concentration and pure bliss settled over his stunning features. Lost in the throes of rapture, you could barely find the brainpower to appreciate the sight of him above you, but you sure as hell tried.Â
Sylusâ muscles rippled with power as he held himself over you and pumped his hips; his abdomen undulated, his shoulders tensed, and his lower half moved in a way you could only describe as wave-like. It was too much, and yet you couldnât get enough of it. Every time he would withdraw his cock and leave you nearly empty, another toe curling thrust would follow, the force of his hips connecting against your ass jolting you up the bed until you were bracing your hands on the headboard, pushing back against him desperately.Â
Entranced by your attempts, Sylus let you move back against him for a few beatsâ just enough to appreciate how your ass bounced against his pale hipsâ until the urge to take you over again completely filled him. He groaned, low and savage, and released his hold on your thigh to slide his hand under the curve of your spine, pressing you against him hard enough that you could barely move at all. Your whimpered protest fell on deaf ears, and Sylus hauled you back down the bed to pin you under him with his upper body in an act of complete possession, and you were almost tempted to pray when you heard his animalistic growl against your ear.Â
Sylus leaned his weight onto the hand braced against the mattress before fucking into you harder, faster, his long thrusts switching to deep, hammering ruts that drove the swollen head of his cock against your sweet spot so fast and so precisely that it damn near knocked you out. If you could use words at all anymore, you would have warned Sylus that you were about to come. There was no fucking way you couldnâtâ not when you were so full of his cock, your throat raw from sucking him off earlier and from screaming. You were being held down and fucked like you were Sylusâ personal toy, his nails scratching at your back as his hand curled into a fist in his efforts to hold you closer to him.Â
âYou feelââ Sylus gritted through his teeth, the deep tenor of his voice making you clench around him impossibly further, ââso fucking incredible.âÂ
All you could manage was a broken stammer, âS-Sylus, Iâmâ IâmââÂ
The soft strands of his hair brushed across your cheek as Sylusâ face loomed directly over yours, and when you blinked up at him with glassy, unfocused eyes, his one command threatened to bring tears to your eyes.Â
âDonât even think about coming.âÂ
Your noisy, incoherent pleas were ignored as Sylus continued to dominate you. Somehow in the midst of railing you through the bed, he moved his hand away from your back to dexterously maneuver your bent legs up, hooking them over his shoulders before bracing his weight on his forearm, and the result was catastrophic in the best possible way. Every inch of your body was vibrating, the pleasure mounting in your lower stomach driving you to abandon your hold on the sheets so you could rake your nails down Sylusâ shoulders. Fighting against the urge to finish was nigh impossible, your focus shifting to the feeling of his muscles working to fuck you as well as the enticing sound of skin slapping against skin.Â
Your vision was blurring. Your legs were quaking so violently that you were surprised Sylus wasnât shaking along with them. He laughed wickedly as he took in the sight of you beneath him, dragging his free hand down to feel around your body for something. Through the haze of it all, you didnât realize what he was searching for until you felt his fingers on your clit, and the sound that left your mouth wasnât one that youâd ever thought you could make.Â
He wasnât just a masochist, he was a fucking sadist.Â
Your head snapped back against the bed as you wailed desolately, your begging and pleading reduced to shaky iterations of âPleasepleasepleaseâ as the pain from being on edge for so long drove you to madness. Overwhelmed tears streaked down your temples, frustration and desperation and too much fucking pleasure twining together with the sharp ache of holding back. Every one of the sensations that wracked your body pooled into an immense rush of stimulation that had you moaning out a string of incomprehensible curses, until finally Sylus decided to have mercy on you.Â
âEyes on me, kitten. Show me what you look like coming on my cock.âÂ
He didnât have to tell you twice.Â
Sylusâ finger flicked over your now tender bundle of nerves once, twice, and then the world went white around you. You could dimly register Sylusâ gravely moans as he watched you crumble, his brows pinched with focus as he drank in the sight of your lips parting around a rattling gasp, his rough thrusting never letting up. It was so goodâ better than anything you had ever imaginedâ and your body trembled violently as Sylusâ movements became more erratic, but all you could pay any attention to was the blistering heat that flowed through your veins.Â
Amidst the exultation of your release, you felt Sylusâ hand return to yours, your fingers interlacing in a contrasting act of tenderness as his thrusts became shallower, his breathing turning heavier. He committed the expression on your face to memory instantly, and it took everything in him to savor every second of your fluttering walls sucking him in deeper before he was coming tooâ one last powerful thrust finding its mark. Thick, hot release filled you, the added sensation bringing you higher than you thought possible, and Sylus groaned appreciatively as he ground his hips against your ass to milk every last drop into you. Â
You were still catching your breath when Sylus finally stilled his movements, his haggard panting reaching you through the distant buzzing that rang in your ears. There was no way for you to know how long the two of you laid there joined from the waist down, but you knew that it took a good chunk of time before either one of you could think clearly enough to form words. Eventually, his soft hands gripped your calves to guide your legs off his shoulders and towards the mattress, the trembling limbs settling there like dead weight.Â
Sylus brushed his fingers against your neck to rouse you from your post-coital state, and when you cracked open your heavy lids to peer up at him, his expression was one of relative amusement. âYou alright, sweetie?âÂ
âMhm.â You hummed your response, and even though your tongue felt like lead in your mouth, you managed to mumble, âI canât feel my legs.âÂ
The sudden bark of laughter that burst from Sylus was something youâd never heard before, and you watched as he shook his head to himself before slowly pulling out of you. Part of you missed the feeling of him stretching you the second he was gone, but a bone deep fatigue that was much stronger than your meager feelings was winning the war of what you deemed important. Your eyelids started to slide shut of their own accord, every muscle in your body going lax as you melted into the bed.Â
Sylus watched you with a measure of worship, utterly transfixed by everything about you. He gently skimmed his fingers over your stomach as he moved to settle against the pillows, taking exceptional care not to jostle you too much while he got comfortable. You didnât seem to think similarly, however, because as soon as you felt his weight ease into the mattress, you were throwing your arm over his broad chest and hitching one of your legs over his, effectively straddling him sideways as if he were your own personal body pillow.Â
He laughed softly, moving to cradle you close with one arm while his other moved to lovingly brush your hair out of your eyes. Sighing contentedly, you fixed your eyes on the record player across the room, suddenly overcome with a strange sense of fondness for the Onychinus leader. âYou know,â you murmured, your voice slightly muffled against his firm chest. âYouâre not what I expected, Sylus.âÂ
âHm? What exactly were you expecting?âÂ
The cautious edge to his voice told you that he was prepared to hear the worst, but you surprised him by rolling your head to the side to plant a chaste kiss right above his heart. âIt doesnât matter. I just know that I wish more people were like you.âÂ
Sylus smiled, letting his head tip back against the headboard while he used his Evol to turn off the lights, plunging the room into comfortable darkness. âCareful, kitten. Keep up the flattery and I wonât take you home in the morning.âÂ
Your hand traced lazy shapes against his torso, and the corner of your mouth quirked up as you glanced up at him through your lashes. âI donât work tomorrow⊠besides, I seem to remember you saying youâd keep me awake long enough to see the sunrise. Or were those just empty words?âÂ
A devilish grin stretched across his face as he took your hand in his, pulling you to the side until you were made to roll entirely on top of him so you were straddling his hips. His lower half began to rouse back to life as you settled into place in his lap, and Sylus gripped your chin between his thumb and forefinger as his lustful gaze bored into your very soul. âI was going to be nice and let you sleep, but if this is the game you want to play, then Iâll hold true to my word. Any objections?âÂ
Your fingers wrapped around his thick wrist as you brought your face closer to his, your eyes greedily falling to his lips. It should have worried you how addicted to him you already appeared to be, but you couldnât find it in you to care. Sylusâ cock twitched against you as your gaze rose to meet his, a silent challenge twinkling behind your irises.Â
âNone at all.âÂ
âThen itâs a deal.âÂ
As the night droned on, you came to realize that these were the sorts of promises that you didnât mind making with him, especially when the sunlight streaming through the curtains hours later conveyed that Sylus had made good on his promise. The break of day didnât stop him thoughâ not in the slightest. His stamina and vigor remained intact as he dutifully ravished you all through the early hours of the morning, and as you fell apart beneath him once more, the only thing you knew for certain was that it was going to be a long, long weekend.
#love and deepspace#love and deepspace sylus#sylus x reader#sylus x you#sylus x mc#lads sylus#love and deepspace fanfiction#lads fanfic#love and deepspace fanfic#lads fanfiction#sylus smut#love and deepspace oneshot#my writing#this shit is LONG#already wanting to write shower smut or something because of misty invasion releasing this week#anyways I can't proof read this thing anymore I was up until 2am making revisions so ENJOY
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ok someone please correct me if i'm wrong but am i weird for thinking those 'audiobooks don't count as reading' posts are ableist as fuck????
#ramble#my first thought was like: how is this even a debate what about blind people. not every book comes in braille but MOST have an audiobook#or dyslexic people#you still enjoyed the book!! you still absorbed it!!! you got EXACTLY the same thing as people who read the words!!!#how does it not count????#i guess you miss out on the 'learning new vocab' you get through seeing the words but also#i don't really do audiobooks but i do a lot of podcasts esp fiction podcasts#and i have ABSOLUTELY picked up new stuff from there that helps with my writing#someone please explain how this is even an argument of COURSE it counts????#idk in my opinion finishing a book means 'i put the words in my brain and i thought about them and i enjoyed a story'#not 'i held a stack of paper in my hands for a bit'#i'm v lucky that i do have time to sit and read. and whenever i commute anywhere it's public transport so i CAN bring a book with me#but if i didn't have the free time or had to drive for hours everywhere i would be STOKED to still get to enjoy books#it's been REALLY bothering me lmao idk why i feel so strongly#for some reason it's giving the same energy as like. being told you can't take a comic or manga from the library bc it's not a 'real' book#of course it's a real book it's a story somebody wrote down#i can see this spiralling into 'if you have a kindle you aren't reading'. you have to sniff the paper. feel the papercuts
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OKAY OH MY GOD THIS FIC IS GREAT I HAVE ONLY READ THREE AND A HALF CHAPTERS AND IM ALREADY IN LOVE
I originally wanted to make both of these pieces in color but Iâm gonna be honest I have no fucking idea how to draw RicochetâŠhe is described as black and red andâŠmmhhmmm does he have canonical (canonical for this fic I mean) design? Do I need to design him myself? Idk Iâll figure this out later
#here we go again#fic fanart#maccadam#transformers#Prowl#Jazz#JazzProwl#tf Prowl#tf Jazz#This fic is written so fucking well I#kdkfjfnngjgjg#âCrime in crystalsâ Prowl had âŠlike⊠a little more goofyness in him?#Mistakes on mistakes Prowl feels more serious but not in a boring way#ALSO#Itâs so nice to see him actually actively using his battle computer#calculating all the risks and chances and possible outcomes#âŠâŠ.I actually think itâs the first time I see Prowls battle computer being a genuinely useful tool instead of it being just#a background thing#I appreciate the amount of effort itâs must be taking to actually write all thise calculations instead of leaving it to#âhis computer started to do the thingâ#Also Jazz#IâŠ.sighâŠ..wtf is he doingâŠ.I have no ideaâŠbut letâs go I gues ahahahaha#Heâs funny sly and charismatic so I just enjoy him being him hehe#momu fanart
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There are worms in my head
#gideon coal#kremy lecroux#once upon a witchlight#coalecroux#ouaw#my art#pls I need to do schoolwork I begging and pleading I need to think about things other than ouaw#I have papers to write!!!#one thing about me is I cannot enjoy something a normal amount#anyways#they do a dancey dance because itâs sosososososo important to me#also kremys shadow is here idk how obvious it is#itâs all wrapped around Gideon#I think the idea of it having a bit of its own will is fun#I like making art as invisible pngs because I do not want to do backgrounds AND you can put them wherever you want#superimpose them onto any image#itâs funny to me
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it can't be too hard right?
it's easy not to think about things, he tells me i don't think all the time! wait...
â
a scene from a fic that i have no clue if ill finish, let alone post, but look i made fanart of my own thing that doesnt even exist :D
#I DID IT! took longer than i was planning for it to take but shorter than most art#WHICH IS A WIN MY BOOK!!#anyways this is in reference to a scene right after laios calls chilchuck 'chil' for the first time#and he responds to it with no hesitation :]#id say more but i do actually want to challenge myself to write this thing#ahhh i loved working on this. did you know how happy i was. i got to make laios pine AND draw chilchuk 50 times its a win#anyways. laios pining content..... please.... maybe even... jealous laios content.....#chilaios#uhhhm hm. should i tag them individually. sure im proud enough of this#chilchuck#chilchuck tims#i wrote his last name as times again damnit#laios#laios touden#aaaand thats it#ENJOY YOUR FOOD#EAT UP CHILAIOS NATION#also. i linked a youtube video from a third party cause i couldnt find any official spotify links so just deal with that
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Tiny skk Thunderstorm Megacomic: part 1 (here â) - part 2
(continued under the cut)
part 2
#watch nawy draw what should have been a 5k one-shot because nawy doesn't write!!!!!#this is the single most self-indulgent thing i have ever done#please enjoy đđ#bsd#bungo stray dogs#bungou stray dogs#bsd fanart#tiny skk adventures#bsd dazai#bsd dazai osamu#bsd chuuya#bsd nakahara chuuya#skk#soukoku#nawy's comics#there's no way this will load and show on the dash but come on tumblr i believe in u
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Dead on Main AU
Masterpost
Guys, I'm so sorry. But here's this!
~~~~
Danny blinks and he is somewhere else. Heâs sitting at a dining room table, surrounded. There are so many people here. Theyâre all talking over each other, some yelling, some laughing. This scene comes as a great surprise to him, who -one blink ago- was trying and failing to do his homework at home in his room. Danny shoots up, his chair making a horrible noise as he pushes it away so fast it tumbles over. Everyone in the room turns to look over at him like heâs insane.Â
âOh my god, who are you people?â Danny did not mean to say this out loud, but at the sound of his voice he startles. Danny takes a moment to assess, and then, âOh my god who am I?â Â He is tall, and big, and this is certainly not his body, what is he wearing.
The boy sitting to the right of Danny, a little shorter than he is, with black hair and blue eyes (though now that heâs paying attention that does describe most people in the room), starts chuckling lightly. âUh, Jason? Are you good?âÂ
Danny turns to stare him right in the eyes. âWhat day is it?â
And he can tell the concern around the table is just ratcheting up every time he opens his stupid mouth.
âDid you hit your head on patrol?â The voice comes from the only blond and one of the only girls in the room, who's to the left of the person across from him. The person across from him is another boy with black hair and blue eyes who is studying Danny in a way that makes him uncomfortable, that under-a-microscope look that makes you feel like youâre failing at something.
âI have no idea if Jason hit his head.â Danny says. âI was just trying to remember if it was my birthday.â
And if he thought the room was busy when he first arrived here it is absolute pandemonium now. Everyone starts shouting and asking questions that he canât even hear over the shouting. Someone with white hair in a suit just came through a door he didnât even see earlier to stand by the only person not shouting, who -Danny would guess- is the only other adult in this room, witting at the head of the table. He also has black hair and blue eyes, and where almost everyone elseâs reaction was panic, he froze instead. The person across from Danny also isnât shouting, but the person next to Danny on his right has now fully stood up and looks like he might actually jump across the table to win the argument he ended up in.Â
âAre you Jasonâs soulmate?â is the main gist of the shouting that Danny can interpret but heâs more concerned with actual Jason at the moment. If they switched bodies... Then Jason might be in troubleâŠ
âHey, I forget, how long is this body swap supposed to last again?â Danny asks.
âUntil you and Jason have physical contact. You have to actually meet.â The boy sitting across from him explains. He seems like one of the only ones that heard Danny talk, everyone else was still shouting.Â
âOh, that just seems terrible. What if weâre in different countries or something?â Danny complained. âEveryone in the world is just supposed to be able to drop everything and afford to fly across the world. The universe is really trying to screw people over now. Honestly, am I in a different country? Where even are we right now?â
âYouâre in Gotham.â This voice was new, coming from the head of the table to Dannyâs right.Â
âOh no. Nope.â Danny started backing away from the table, almost tripping on his overturned chair. âAbsolutely not, no, how do I get out of here?â He starts earnestly looking for a door to get out of this place, but there are three doors he can see and he has no idea where any of them go, and doesnât this room have any windows? What kind of a room doesnât have any windows? Do they like to eat in a basement?
âJason- not Jason. Uh, you need to calm down, everything will be fine alright, Weâll get you and Jason introduced no problem.â Danny swivels to track the voice and itâs the one who was sitting next to him, heâs walking towards him with his hands up and out in front of him.Â
âI have to get home.â Danny breathes.Â
âWe can get you there, promise. Now, Iâm Dick, can you tell me your name?â
âYour name is Dick? Who named you Dick?â Danny is so confused heâs stopped panicking. âHow old are you for you to go by the name Dick?â
âOkay, rude.â Dick sounds like a petulant child so Dannyâs estimations for his age are continuously dropping. âIâm 24.â
Danny snorts. âOkay.â The blond girl starts laughing over at the table. âIâm uh, Iâm Danny.â
âNice to meet you. Sort of. Iâm Tim.â The guy from across from him had made it over to stand next to Dick. âThereâs a lot of us here today so the one laughing like a hyena is Steph. That one there is Duke.â African-American, still with black hair but he has brown eyes and waves once introduced. âDamian is the short one next to him, and Cass was sitting across from Dick earlier. Our dad, Jasonâs dad-âÂ
âNot my dad!â Steph interrupted. Tim waves her off.
âEveryone but Steph's dad, is over there, Bruce. Alfred, our butler is the one next to him.â Alfred gives a slight nod to his head. Bruce is just staring at him.
âSo, names out of the way. You said you wanted to go home, where do you live?â
âAmity Park.â
#dcxdp#dpxdc#batman#danny phantom#dead on main#soulmate au#my writing#fanfiction#red hood#danny fenton#jason todd#I'm so sorry for starting another one#this is just a one-shot right now#but the ideas have hit me so I may write more later#trying not to get distracted from my other fics#but also trying not to let focus on my other fics hinder writing in general#cause sometimes if I try too hard to focus on one thing I just get super stuck and upset and end up not being able to work on it at all#oh well#writing is writing#hope you enjoy#whatever this was
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for you i'd wait forever
pairing: bradley "rooster" bradshaw x reader
summary: bradley breaks things off with you before a deployment because he doesn't want you to worry about him (4.2k)
warnings: some swearing, bradley's commitment issues, happy ending i promise!
a/n: okay so from what i gathered from my googling is that tapping out is typically for new military graduates (i think?) but this idea was so cute so pls forgive the inaccuracies i have no idea what i'm doing at all <3 and also pls forgive me for the utter lack of writing since the beginning of the year, these last few months have been brutal (creatively and otherwise) but i am hopefully back!!! xx
Bradley thought he knew the tolls of being in the Navy. It was tough on not only him, but the people in his life. For the most part, heâd always put his career first. His life had always been on a set track, and although there were plenty of setbacks, he forged ahead until he got where he was today.Â
And then he met you. Fell in love with you. Finally knew what it meant to have someone in his corner who was just his. Who knew him for him only, not as Gooseâs kid, or Mavâs protege.
For the first time in his life, he could actually see himself spending the rest of it with you. Marriage, house, kids, grandkidsâthe whole shebang.
That was his first mistake. The more he thought about what life could look like with you, the more he thought about what your life could look like without him. What would happen if something happened to him and he didnât make it back from this next mission coming up in a few weeks.Â
He thought about his mom and how she lost his dadâher husband. The man she thought sheâd be spending the rest of her life with.Â
Bradleyâs thoughts grew quite grim after that. Countless what ifâs and thinking about every possible outcome and he eventually made up his mind. He had to break up with you.Â
He didnât want to. Not by a long shot. You were probably the best thing that ever happened to him in his thirty plus years of life. But deep down, he knew that it was the right thing to do. He was about to leave for six, seven months, with little to no contact with anyone who wasnât Navy. That would definitely take a toll on your relationship. Youâd never been through something like this before, and there really was no way to prepare you for what it would be like.Â
You would worry about him every single hour of every single day, he knew that for a fact. Bradley barely remembered what it was like when his dad was away because he was so young, but he did remember how worried his mom was all the time.
Looking back, he understood now. He didnât want that for you. The worry would hold you back from other things you wanted to do in life, things that brought you joy and gave you purpose.Â
With the mission creeping up on him faster than he wouldâve liked, he knew he had to do it sooner rather than later.Â
That was how Bradley found himself on your doorstep right now, pushing down his guilt by telling himself over and over that breaking up with you was in your best interest. He hadnât called beforehand to tell you he was coming by, so when you answered the door and beamed brighter than the stars when your eyes landed on him, he almost wanted to chicken out.Â
âHi!â You exclaimed, immediately pulling him into a warm hug. His arms closed around you out of instinct, thumb rubbing over the sliver of exposed skin at your waist, nose nudging its way against your neck the way he always did when you embraced him.Â
He inhaled the scent of the lotion you loved to use, that flowery one that sometimes made him sneeze. You always said youâd buy a different one the next time you went to the store, but you always forgot. He didnât mind it at all though. A small bout of allergies was nothing compared to the inevitable smattering of apology kisses you pressed to his face when you realized youâd forgotten.Â
Fuck, this was going to be way harder than he thought.Â
Your hands made their way up his biceps to cup his cheeks, eyes darting around his face. âWhatâre you doing here? Oh my god, did we have something planned? Iâm soââÂ
âNo.â He gave his head a shake, offering you a smile. âNo, we didnât have anything planned. I justâŠwanted to see you. To talk to you.âÂ
âCome in, come in, I was just about to start dinner,â You hummed, escaping his embrace with an arm hooked through his to tug him over the threshold. âTrying a new recipe I found the other day, not sure if itâll turn out good or end up being a shitshow, butâwell, you can help me be the judge of that, I guess!âÂ
âIs it okay if we talk first?âÂ
If you were confused, you didnât show it, just changed direction seamlessly, making your way to the couch instead of the kitchen. You sat down, patting the cushion next to you for him to settle on and he did, rubbing his clammy palms against his thighs.Â
âIs everything okay?âÂ
Everything was far from okay, he wanted to say. Instead he inhaled a deep breath before his next words.Â
âI wanted to tell you Iâm shipping out in a few weeks.âÂ
Your face fell a little, but you nodded thoughtfully. âOkay. What do we do? Is there anything you can tell me? Like, whatâs the best way to get in touch with you, whenâs the best time, that kind of stuff? Or is sending letters better? Sorry, I feel like Iâm asking a lot of questions. I donâtâIâve never really done anything like this before, soââÂ
âI think we should break up.â He blurted.Â
You hesitated before answering, blinking at him like youâd somehow heard him wrong. âWhat?âÂ
âItâs hard having someone overseas for a long time, even more so when itâs a partner. It was really hard on my mom, and hard for me having to watch her worry like that for months, and IâI donât want that for you.â He said quietly, not daring to meet your eyes until he gave his poor excuse for an explanation on why he was doing the one thing he swore he wouldnât do to you.Â
The moment heâd realized heâd fallen in love with you, heâd promised himself he would never abandon you, never break your heart or your trust, and here he was, doing that exact thing. It was tearing him apart inside.Â
âI donât want you to have to go through all that, so itâs just better if weâthat we break up now. Before I go.âÂ
âWhat are you doing?âÂ
âIâm sorry. Itâs for the best.âÂ
âWhy are you doing this?â Your voice broke just after the last word, swallowed up by a hitched inhale of a breath that had his resolve wavering just the slightest bit. He could barely look you in the eyes the whole time, and nowâŠhe didnât think he could stand the sadness and hurt flooding every single one of your beautiful features.Â
âAll the worrying and the uncertainty of not knowing whatâs happening, I donâtâit wouldnât be fair to you. I care about you too much to put you through all of that.âÂ
You were silent for the longest time, eyes glued to the floor as you processed the information. He thought you were about to start crying with the way your brow creased, but when you finally looked back up at him, your gaze had hardened. âDid these last six months mean nothing to you? Youâre just gonna throw everything away because whatâyou donât think I can handle it?âÂ
They meant everything to me, he wanted to say. You mean everything to me.Â
If he was really being honest with himself, it was him who couldnât handle it. Still, he forged on, thinking it best to just rip off the bandaid. He could live with being the asshole if it meant sparing you from the terrible experience of him being god knows how many miles away for months.Â
âIâm sorry. I wish you nothing but happiness, Y/N. You deserve better than anything I could ever give you.âÂ
âYou wish me nothing but happiness?â You chuckled humorlessly, shaking your head. Bradleyâs eyes tracked you across the room as you paced back and forth, guilt ridden expression on full display. All he wanted to do was take all of it back; to kiss you senseless and tell you everything was going to work out, but he couldnât. Heâd burned the bridge, cut the rope. Broke your heart. He felt like the biggest asshole in the world. He probably was. âScrew you, Bradley. I mean it.â
âIâm sorry.â He repeated, for what seemed like the hundredth time. It was all he could say.Â
âGet the fuck out of my house.âÂ
âY/N, IââÂ
You rushed at him, pushing, shoving, sending him stumbling step by step towards the front door until he almost crashed into it had he not managed to pull it open a split second before you shoved him outside. Heâd never forget the look of betrayal in your eyes right before you slammed the door in his face.Â
Bradley forced his feet to take him back to his car, then to drive away before he could have a chance to even try and make things better. Heâd most likely end up making things much, much worse. Though he didnât think it could get any worse with the way he was feeling about himself right now. You were angry at him, and you had every right to be.Â
But had he lingered at your door only moments after, he wouldâve heard the thump against the wood that was you sliding down to the floor and the sob that escaped your mouth.Â
All because of him.Â
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Bradley was happy to finally be coming back home after ages away, but then he realized itâhe didnât have anyone to tap him out this time. His mind jumped to you first, but there was no chance in hell youâd be there for him. Youâd probably moved on months ago. Forgotten about him. And with Mav away on another deployment, he really had no one.Â
His chest ached the longer he stood at attention, jaw clenched tighter than he meant it to be as he watched the rest of his squad get tapped out by their loved ones. Coyoteâs parents, Fanboyâs sisters, Hangmanâs nieces and nephews, Phoenixâs girlfriend. They were all emotional reunions, and Bradley was happy for them, he really was. But it sucked being the one with nobody there for him.Â
He wasnât expecting the soft tap on his arm when it came. He thought it was a mistake at first; someone elseâs family bumping into him accidentally, so he didnât move. But when the hand didnât leave its place wrapped loosely around his bicep, Bradley knew it really was for him. He turned around, squinting against the blinding sunlight to see whoâd come for him.Â
âHi.â You said softly, hand dropping back down to your side. He couldnât help but let himself take you in, eyes drinking in every single achingly familiar detail of you until you shifted nervously under his intense gaze. You looked so beautiful he almost felt dizzy, just like he remembered but at the same time somehow even better.Â
âYou came.â He said, disbelieving. He could still hardly believe you were actually here.Â
âI promised you I would.âÂ
âBut thatâthat was beforeâŠeverything happened. Why are youâwhatâre you doing here?â The last thing he wanted to sound like was ungrateful, because he was quite literally the opposite, but his mind just couldnât wrap around the fact that despite him breaking your heart seven months ago, you still remembered what youâd promised him in the very beginning of your relationship.Â
âWhat does it mean to tap someone out?â You asked quietly, tracing a finger along the planes of Bradleyâs bare chest. Your legs were tangled under the covers, both of you still basking in the aftermath of getting reacquainted with each other again after Bradley had been out of town attending a weeklong training exercise.Â
His skin was still damp with sweat, but you didnât mind one bit, too busy exploring the expanse of muscle shifting under his bronzed skin again. âIn military terms, I mean.âÂ
He chuckled, hiding a content smile into the hair at the crown of your head. âThatâs a weird question.âÂ
âHumor me, Bradshaw.âÂ
âYes maâam.â Bradley stroked a rough palm down the smooth skin of your arm, taking a few beats to come up with an answer that would make sense. âTapping out is a super long standing tradition in pretty much all military units, I think. It comes at the end of a mission, when weâve come back to base.âÂ
His arm repositioned itself under your head as he scooted closer to the warmth radiating from your body, nose nuzzling deeper against you just so he could engrain the smell of your lingering fruity scented shampoo into his memory forever.Â
How you still smelled so good even after yourâŠphysical activities just before this was beyond him, but he loved it.Â
âAn aviatorâs loved ones are usually the ones to do it. Friends, family, those kinds of people. When you tap out your aviator, literally youâre releasing them from formation. But I guess itâs kind of a gesture that meansâŠyouâre home.âÂ
Your wandering fingers stilled against his skin, lingering right above his heart. âCan I ask you something?âÂ
âGo for it.âÂ
âWho usually taps you out?âÂ
Bradley remained silent. It was an innocent question, he knew that. Heâd told you a little bit about his parents, and you were just curious. Still, it sent a pang of sadness through his chest whenever he thought about what it wouldâve been like if they were still around today.Â
He cleared his throat, sniffing once. âUsually Mav. Or sometimes one of my squadâs family. If no one can, I just gotta wait til everyone else is done.âÂ
âI wanna do it.â
âWhat?âÂ
âIâm gonna be there next time you come back from a mission. To tap you out.âÂ
âI appreciate it, honey, I do. But you donât need to.âÂ
âI want to.â You said firmly, pulling away from him to prop yourself up on your elbow and look him in the eye. You looked damn serious too. He raised a quizzical brow. âYou said that to tap someone out means to tell them theyâre home. I want to be the one to tell you youâre home. Here. With me.âÂ
Bradley opened his mouth like he was going to say something, then snapped shut when no words came out. He really was at a loss for words. No one had ever done that before. Sure, Mavâs offer was always a good one to fall back on, but Bradley had never had someone he cared about as much as he did about you telling him they were going to be there for him.Â
The next best thing he could think of instead of saying anything at all was to kiss you. So he did.Â
He pushed himself up towards you, sliding a hand around the nape of your neck and pressing his lips against yours. Not bruisingly hard, but enough to let you know he was all in. The other hand curled around your shoulder, splaying across your back to bring you back in closer to him, until your chests were flush and you could feel his heartbeat thundering under your palm.
He was home. You were his home.Â
âI told you Iâd be here to tap you out, and I meant it.â You said simply, holding his gaze. âI keep my promises, Bradshaw. Even after the way you left things.âÂ
Red hot guilt crept its way through his chest like vines, bringing all the memories of the last time you saw each other right back up to the surface, even after how hard heâd tried to shove them all down. If there was one thing he regretted in life, it was how he left you that night. He didnât think heâd ever forgive himself for that one.Â
âI donât even know what to say, Y/N, IââÂ
âThen let me say something.â You blurted, wringing your hands. Bradley nodded instantly, still too dumbfounded to reply. âIâve been thinking about what I wanted to say to you today for months. I donât even know if I should.âÂ
âYou should.â He encouraged, nodding quickly. Heâd always wanted you to be able to speak your mind with him. âDonât hold back. Let me hear it.âÂ
âOkay. Okay, well first of all, youâre an asshole, Bradley.âÂ
He nodded again. He deserved at least that much. âI am. Absolute asshole, I know.âÂ
âBut I never stopped loving you. Even though I was angry and sad and confused as fuck as to why you would do that to me, I still loved you. And eventually, I realized that it wasnât anything I did wrong. You were scared. Of losing me, of me losing you. So you decided it was your responsibility to pull the ripcord before you crashed and burned.â Bradley winced slightly at the comparison and you grimaced at your own poor choice in words. âIâsorry, I didnât mean it like that.âÂ
âItâs okay. Youâre right. You didnât deserve that.âÂ
âYou said you didnât want me to worry while you were gone, well, I did that anyways.â You chuckled, like you were remembering a fond memory instead of the constant state of anxiety youâd been in. âBut instead of worrying that the man I love might not make it home, I was terrified that if you didnât come home, Iâd spend my whole life replaying our last conversation in my head. Wondering if there was something I couldâve said or done so you wouldnât have given up on us so easily.âÂ
âYou think that was easy for me? Sweetheart, walking away from you was one of the hardest things Iâve had to do in my whole life.âÂ
âSure seemed pretty easy.â You scoffed lightly, only a tad spiteful. A low blow, you realized, when Bradley stiffened for a split second, but you held steady.Â
âIt wasnât.â His reply was immediate and firm as could be, but somehow, that didnât make you feel any better. âYou have to understand, breaking things off was the last thing I wanted to do. But I couldnâtâI thought that if I didnât, youâd wait for me.âÂ
âI wouldâve waited, Bradley! I did wait for you! For you, I'd wait forever because I love you, but you didnât even give me that choice. You made the decision on your own instead of talking to me about it. That was what hurt the most.â Â
âIâm sorry.â Bradley said quietly, reaching out to take your hand. His fingers laced through yours almost tentatively, feeling so familiar but so foreign at the same time. There was a point in your life where you never thought that concept would apply to Bradley. âI never shouldâve left like that, I wish I could take it all back.âÂ
âI think I understand now why you did it. I understand that fear that comes with the experience of losing a loved one like that. But Bradley, youâre not responsible for my feelings. And I donât care how scared you get, Iâm not going anywhere. From now on, we work things out together, no matter what you think is best.âÂ
âFrom now on? Does that meanâŠ?âÂ
âYouâre my home, Bradley Bradshaw.â
Bradley took your face in his hands and he kissed you, long and hard, pouring every ounce of pent up feelings heâd been bottling up for the past seven months into it. Pain, fear, love, hopeâall of it. You were never one to believe in such emotion being able to convey itself through a simple physical action, but now you could honestly say you understood it.Â
Your hands spread across the broadness of his back, fingers pressing into the crisp starch of his uniform like you were afraid of letting him go , even though he was home and everything was okay now. Losing him the first time made you angry. You didnât even want to imagine possibly losing him a second time.Â
He drew back, only far enough to press his lips to your forehead, hands still holding you close as could be. âThank you for coming.â
âI donât make a habit of breaking my promises.âÂ
âCâmon, I wanna introduce you to the squad.â He said softly, lacing his fingers through yours. The way he all but bounded over to the group of aviators a little ways away was almost boyish, as was the excitement in his voice when he approached them. âHey everyone, thereâs someone I want you to meet.â Bradley announced, sliding a hand around to the small of your back.Â
Everyoneâs eyes turned on you, conversations petering to a gradual stop as they looked between you and Bradley. You shifted nervously, suddenly feeling unsure with all the attention on you, but Bradleyâs thumb rubbed along your skin, soothing you just a bit. âThis is Y/N. My girlfriend.âÂ
The tall blond reacted the quickest, snapping loudly before aiming a finger in your direction, along with a shiny smile. âWait, I know you! Youâre the one in that photo Rooster keeps tucked in his helmet. Lemme tell you, he looked at that picture every damn day, it was likeââÂ
Bradley let out a very forced laugh, aiming a not-so-subtle daggered glare at the other man. âOkay, Hangman! Thatâs okay, I really donât thinkââÂ
âYouâre a real saint, taking this one back. If I ever pulled the shit he did, my car wouldâve been keyed to all hell when I came home.â Hangman chuckled, giving his head a shake.Â
âHangman. Shut. Up.âÂ
âDonât tell me to shut up, you shut up!âÂ
âYouâre the only one talking!âÂ
âAlright, alright, youâre both grown men here,â The dark haired woman sighed, turning towards you. âAt least, I hope so.âÂ
You chuckled at that, casting a glance over at Bradley to find him already looking back at you, the back and forth with Hangman already long forgotten given the way he was smiling at you, like you were the force that made the world go round. Taking you in under his arm, he dotted a kiss to your hairline as your fingers came up to intertwine with his again, watching you interact with his squad like youâd known them for years.Â
It was everything he ever wanted. And now that he had it, heâd never be dumb enough to let it go again.Â
His mind drifted back to his parentsâ fateâ how they never got to live out their life together. How there was no guarantee about anything when it came to Bradleyâs own fate with you.
And sure, it was scary to be so uncertain about the future, but youâd both climb that hill together when the time came. For now, Bradley could let himself be content. This second chance at a life with you wasnât one he was planning on taking lightly, not by a long shot.Â
âLetâs get off this damn carrier and hit the town! Drinks at the Hard Deck, last one there buys the first round!â Hangmanâs drawling voice drew Bradley out of his thoughts, just in time to let the words sink in.
You, on the other hand, stifled a giggle at the sight of seeing a group of full grown adults scatter as fast as Bradleyâs friends did. Watching Hangman nearly shove Coyote to the ground upon seeing their cars were parked next to each other was something youâd never not get a kick out of.Â
But Bradley, he didnât seem as worried about it all. In fact, he walked leisurely with your hand firmly in his, swinging both of them between the two of you as you made your way to your own car.Â
âArenât you worried youâll be the last one there?âÂ
âIâll buy the round, I donât care.â He shrugged. âI wanna spend some time with my girl.âÂ
âYour girl.â You hummed, giving his hand a squeeze. âGotta say, Iâve missed hearing that.âÂ
âIâve missed saying it. Weâve got a lot to catch up on, honey. Starting with, do you or do you not have a voodoo doll made in my image that you stabbed with pins when I was away because I broke your heart?âÂ
You scoffed, letting out a not so attractive snort. âBradley, I mean this in the most respectful way possibleâwhat the hell are you talking about? Where would you even get that idea?â
âIâuh, I had a dream about it? A few weeks into deployment.â He admitted sheepishly, cheeks burning red in embarrassment. You pressed your lips together, trying not to laugh. âYou donât, right?âÂ
âDonât be ridiculous.â You replied, giving his chest a firm pat. You didnât have a voodoo doll of him, of course, but playing along was worth it just to see Bradley squirm.Â
âWait, wait, wait, but you didnât say no.âÂ
âI didnât.âÂ
âSo you do?âÂ
âI didnât say that either. But if youâre not sure, Iâd watch yourself the next couple weeks.âÂ
His brows furrowed in confusion and a bit of fear as he watched you walk away from him with some bounce to your step. âIâŠreally donât like the sound of that. Hang on, get back here. Explain, please!âÂ
follow @katsu-library to be notified when i post new fics :)
#bradley bradshaw#bradley bradshaw x reader#rooster bradshaw x reader#bradley rooster bradshaw x reader#rooster bradshaw#bradley bradshaw x you#rooster bradshaw x you#bradley bradshaw fic#bradley bradshaw x y/n#rooster bradshaw x y/n#bradley bradshaw angst#bradley bradshaw fluff#first fic in forever WHO CHEERED#it's me i cheered#when i tell you it was a relief to know i can still write things#ok shut up kait#ENJOY <3
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NILLE BLAST
aaaa worked on these a while ago but!! iâve got a pĂ©tronille design finally!! and it was nowhere near as daunting as i expected to be!!!! this was really fun to work on actually. donât look at that leftmost doodle btw. itâs. Not Great (by my standards for myself at least).
aaaanyways. design notes and greyscale versions below!! most of this isnât. super set in stone or anything? just Night Ramblings
in terms of colors sheâs mostly just a Slightly Edited version of bonnieâs palette. the only noteworthy addition here is the blue (or. well. more like grey actually) i added to her shirt, hat, and waist wrap. no real reason here, i just thought itâd contrast well with her colors!!
i also kept her outfit pretty similar to bonnieâs! bonnieâs official ref mentions that their shirt is too big for them so! i think itâd be cute for all of their clothes to be hand-me-downs from nilleđ©¶. i imagine she cares more about practicality than fashion, so her outfitâs pretty simple! breathable clothes she can move around in, a bag to hold her stuff, and a hat to keep the sun out her eyes.
generally went for more. blocky??? shapes here? i wanted to set her apart from bonnie! idk. not much to say here!
this didnât affect her design That Much outside of the bandages on her hands, but sheâs rock type here! it just Made Sense with her hammer. in hindsight i wonder if that influenced her design being more SquareâŠ
aaa you can probably tell iâm writing these while tired. sorry if these are even more disjointed than usual (somehow). hereâs the greyscale versions!! thanks for reading and stuff!!
#marshdoodles#isat#in stars and time#isat spoilers#<- because. nille.#also yes. her hat and the bg really are the exact same value somehow#also didnât mention this in the notes but. i Had to give her a braid#i just Had To. thereâs not a design reason for that#also!! gave her sandals instead of boots like bonnie#since bonnie specifically points out how they wear massive boots. so i feel like itâs a thing they got themself#iiiâve got more thoughts but it is. 12:30 in the morning as of writing this#and this posts in like 30 minutes so i am! prolly gonna add more when i wake up tomorrow#please enjoy my nille ramblings heart emoji
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sunday loves it when you cradle his head close to your chest; the warmth that surrounds him, as well as the sound of your heartbeat, give him a sense of comfort.
he also loves it when you litter his face with kisses; the way your lips touch every surface of his skin, the way giggles accompany every kiss you plant, as well as the way you get 'cuteness agression' and eventually start squishing his cheeks give him the slice of life he's been craving.
it makes him wonder if he truly deserves your love.
he gets a kiss and a sulky you whenever he questions himself.
anyways, did i also mention he loves it when you touch his wings? yeah, he really does. he gets all shy and flustered every time he allows you to touch them. (he loves it though).
sunday also loves it when you wake him up. there's just something so domestic about it that makes him want to marry you right then and there.
are there more things sunday loves about you? hmmm well,
he loves how youre the center of his universe. everywhere he goes, everything he sees, and everything he hears remind him of you.
he also loves how youre in every dream he's been into. whether it'd be venturing the land of penacony or even the most random dreams like that one time where he dreamt of aventurine and the trailblazer break dancing, you were always there, alive and well.
(sunday would never admit it out loud, but he really enjoyed the display of foolery from the two)
everytime you smile at him, the world seems to light up.
everytime you stay up with him while he does his neverending paperwork, makes him question if he truly deserves your love.
he gets more kisses but a much sulkier you after that
everytime you remind him that you chose him, it makes him feel like the luckiest guy in the whole entire world.
every word, every action, everything you do for him is accompanied by your assurance and warmth.
yet, as he kneels down in front of a sea of flowers, your portrait in the middle of it, he wonders if he really did deserve you.
he waits for your kiss this time.
#đââŹïž.notepad#đȘœ.sunday#hsr#honkai star rail#hsr x reader#honkai star rail x reader#sunday#sunday hsr#hsr sunday#hsr sunday x reader#sunday x reader#i hope this was sad#but like tbh#its kinda goofy#LMAOAOAOAOAOA#IDK HOW TO WRITE SAD#EVERH SAD THING I WRITE BECOMES GOOFY AND CRI GE#^my point above applies to every piece ive written#sad or not#theyre alw goofy and cringe#enjoy tho#đ§ââïžđ§ââïžđ§ââïžđ§ââïž
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my stages of watching columbo
1: hahah hes just a silly detective ;)
2: columbo is actually a cunning manipulative liar that hides his true persona behind the facade of a slow and clumsy middle class detective
3: hahah hes just a silly detective ;)
#columbo#when i was watching for the first time I used to analyze these things a lot#and columbos character always struck me like an unsolved puzzle#cause you cant never say what goes on in his head#but as the show kept going you notice that hes not ill intentioned at all#and he does enjoy befriending his suspects and knowing them#although i do think he lies a lot he doesn't do it to âtrickâ them#but to create intimacy and get to know them better#he actually thinks they deserved to be treated with respect and considers it fun#its kinda rare to a character writing be this consistent#the moments i felt âthis doesnt sound like him at all...â were almost nonexistent#well im just babbling around now
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episode seven: the bite
âYeah, we ended up trapped in their secret base underneath Hawkins.â Dustin further explains, to which everyoneâs eyes widen at. âIt was fun. Spent my birthday in mortal danger.â At the same time the kids all wish you a belated birthday, which you salute them for. âThanks, guys. Iâm just happy I wasnât gravely injured this time.â âAnd that Steve finally kissed you.â Dustin unhelpfully adds before Steve is covering his mouth to shut him up. His face reddens, embarrassed and nervous. Jonathan is standing too close to him for comfort right now.
Summary: steve and robin are your nightmare blunt rotation, you manage to escape a russian lair: mario cart style, you learn that therapy sessions are fun in public bathrooms, steve places your brother on the russian fbi most wanted list, el probably just killed a bunch of people (deserved), and reunions with jonathan are always special when one of you is gravely injured
Rating: general, cursing
Warnings: fem!reader, use of y/n, mentions of blood, graphic depictions of blood and gore, cursing
Words: 10.1k
Before you swing in: HI IM ALIVE !!! my laptop isnt ,,,, but im trying to ignore that. sincerely apologize for the wait. my laptop shits down randomly every ten minutes and my new one is backordered so ive been fighting demons to write this. i also had a hard time with the bathroom scene with robin. i wanted to get that scene just right. it took a lot of rewriting, but i think im happy with how it ended up <3 pls enjoy this child of mine. she cost me blood, sweat, and tears lmao
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âBoop!â Steveâs finger pokes your nose and he lets out a delirious giggle. âI booped you!â
At first it was adorable, endearing even, when he booped your nose. However, heâs done this five times now in the last minute alone. That, and youâve been trying to give Dustin directions back to the elevator while dodging Steveâs surprisingly aggressive nose boops. All while the threat of armed Russians running after the cart looms over you. âTurn left hereâwould you stop it?â
âWanna boop that pretty little nose,â Steveâs glossy eyes struggle to find yours, his motor skills delayed and concerning. His left eye has all but swollen shut and youâre still not sure if his unusual behavior is due to head trauma or something else. âCâmere, angel.â
He tries to boop you again, and before you can dodge the attack, Robinâs hand grabs his finger and she lets out a pathetic scoff. âYouâre hogging the boops, dingus!â
âNuh uh!â
âYeah huh!â
Steveâs arm reaches over you and he bats at Robin. They start to hit one another, though their movements are slow and weak. They giggle as they fight, and youâre stuck in the middle of it. You try to push them off of you, but the two teens are too busy pinching each other and cackling to pay you any attention. Itâs miserable.Â
Erica, from the passenger seat of the cart, turns and winces at your predicament. âWhat is wrong with them?â
âI donât know!â Dustin keeps his eyes in front of him as he drives, though heâs equally as confused and unnerved. Secretly, heâs glad heâs the one driving. Otherwise heâd be in the middle of a Steve and Robin giggle sandwich like you are.
âWhose hand is that?â You twist around. Thereâs a foreign body part thatâs currently resting on your ass. Steve snickers and Robin puffs out her cheeks and giggles, neither one of them confessing. Youâre about to start kicking shins when the cart comes to a screeching halt. The force of it throws you and the two teens back with a painful thud. âChrist!â
âYou guys alright back there?âÂ
Somehow you wind up with Steveâs elbow in your ribcage and Robinâs head smacking into yours. Hissing in pain, you throw the two off of you and glare at your brother. You seriously fear the day he gets his license. âI want to die.â
Dustin turns back around in his seat and gulps. Steveâs and Robinâs own groans of pain can be heard from behind him. âTheyâre fine.â
Sneakers squeak against the tile floor and the doors to the back of the cart fly open. Youâre greeted with Erica and Dustin, eyes wide as they take in the scene before them. Youâre squished underneath the teens. You try shoving them off of you again, but theyâre dead weight on you.Â
âWanna kiss again, Y/N? I really liked it,â Steve smacks his lips as his head rests against your stomach. âWanted to do that for so long.â
Your cheeks burn at his words and your stomach flutters. You havenât forgotten about the kiss earlier. God, you havenât. It leaves you breathless every time you remember how it felt to have him so close, to smell him and taste him. A part of you wants to ask how long heâs thought about kissing you, but you know that the back of a cart while fleeing from Russians isnât the most appropriate setting.Â
Robin squirms next to you, her head also somehow on your stomach, pinning you down. âCan I get a kiss too?â
âIf either one of you kisses me right now, my knives will be the last things you see.â The two teens make despaired noises, which you groan at. Meanwhile, Dustin and Erica continue to stand at the end of the cart, unmoving. You clench your teeth. âA little help here?âÂ
Dustin mumbles a sheepish apology and yanks Steveâs arm while Erica yanks at Robin, freeing you. As soon as youâre able to, you jump out of the cart and start clapping your hands to speed everyone along. âWe gotta go!â
âWeâre trying, Y/N!â Erica groans, struggling to get Robin up from the ground.Â
You start to help, though you nearly fall when Dustin throws Steve against you. A complaint lingers on your lips, but when you see that your brother is now at the elevator doors with a keycard in his hand, you swallow it down.
Steve, however, is full of complaints. âThis sucks.â
You blow hair out of your face and donât bother responding to him. Instead, you watch anxiously as your brother swipes the key card he mustâve stolen earlier. When the scannerâs light flashes green and opens the elevator door, you exhale with relief. At least something has gone right today.Â
After practically throwing Steve and Robin into the elevator with Ericaâs help, Dustin hits a button and closes the door. As soon as it shuts, the room starts to move. You brace yourself, now familiar with how fast the damn thing can go.
The elevator ascends at a nauseating speed and thereâs a crash behind you. Turning around, you find Robin holding a dolly in place as Steve gets on. He holds his hands out and starts to cheer as his friend snickers. They look like goddamn toddlers at daycare.
âHey, no!â You feel like a parent, yanking at Steveâs arm to get him down from the dangerous position. The elevator is moving too fast to be messing around on. âThis isnât playtimeââ
âHe looks like heâs surfing, Y/N!â Robin squeals with excitement, rolling the dolly to the left.
Steveâs body twists and he steadies himself with a laugh. âIâm surfing!â
âStop fucking surfing!â
You fight with the teens. Steve refuses to get down and Robin keeps rolling the dolly away from you. As you yell at them, Dustin and Erica exchange concerned looks. You overhear the girl mention how they seem drunk, and youâre about to tell her that she might be right, when Robin pulls the dolly from underneath Steve and sends him crashing into the ground.Â
âWipeout!â
Youâre checking Steve for injuries as soon as he lands. Dustin kneels next to you and feels his forehead and winces. âHeâs burning up.âÂ
Not liking the sound of that, you check Steveâs pupils. The roomâs lighting is dim, but itâs obvious that his brown eyes are almost entirely taken over by the blacks of his pupils. âHoly shit, theyâre scarily dilated.âÂ
âOw. Thought you liked my eyes,â Steve swats at your hands sadly. He whines, trying to get you to let go of him. âSaid you liked brown.â
âI do like brown, but I also like when you donât act like a three year old.â You soothe him before turning to Dustin. âAny idea what it could mean?â
âMaybe heâs drugged?â Erica suggests.
You frown. âCould explain why he keeps trying toââ Steve reaches up and boops Dustinâs nose. He giggles and your brother looks annoyed. Sighing, you finish what you had been trying to say. âBoop people. Why he keeps trying to boop people.â
âYour turn, angel!â
Dustin intercepts Steveâs finger, which youâre grateful for. He gently smacks the teenâs face to get his attention. âSteve, are you drugged?â
âHow many times, dad?â His voice drips with sarcasm and he rolls his eyes. âI donât do drugs. Itâs only marijuana.â
âSince when do you smoke?âÂ
âY/N, focus.â Dustin dodges another incoming boop and swats Steveâs hand away. âThis isnât funny, okay? We need to know what they did to you.â
âCâmon, honey.â Your fingers run through Steveâs hair. Parts of it have dried blood. Something more than a beating happened to him and Robin, you just donât know what. If theyâre really drugged, you have no way of knowing if theyâll be okay, and a part of you is terrified. âWork with us, please. What did they give you?â
âAre you gonna die on us?â Dustin asks, concerned as well.
âIâll tell you!â Robin shouts from the corner sheâs slouched in, eager to please you. She twirls her hair around her finger and gives you an unsettling smile. âWe all die, my strange little child friend. Itâs just a matter of how⊠and when.â
Neither you nor Dustin say anything for a few moments. Both of you blink, trying to process what exactly the teen has just said. Afraid to look away from her in case she tries to possess you or something, you slowly nod. âOkay, thank you for sharing, Robin.â
She flashes you a thumbs up and proudly smiles. âHappy to help!âÂ
âTheyâre gonna be looking for us up there,â your brother redirects the attention back to the fact that youâre all still very much in danger. He starts to interrogate Steve, trying to come up with a plan. âSo I need you to tell me where you parked your car.â
âOh, can we make a pit stop at the food court?â Steveâs eyes glaze over and you know youâve lost him again.Â
Robin leans forward and starts playing with your hair. âI would kill for a hot dog on a stick!â
You snap your fingers at the two of them. Theyâre impossible to level with, youâre not even sure why youâre still trying. âGuys, we need to focus.â
âNo! No hot dog on a stick,â Steve suddenly lifts himself up and glares at Robin. âThe guy at the counter said that Y/N she has pretty eyes. Heâs an asshole.â
âYou mean Dave? When the hell did he say that?â
Steve scoffs at you. âLast week. Ruined my whole day.â
âFine! Weâll get you and Robin something else to eat.â Dustin says, which Robin cheers at, though he ignores her. âBut only if you tell me where your car is parked.â
Suddenly Steveâs hazy eyes fill with remorse. âUh-oh.â
âUh-oh? I donât like uh-oh, can we not uh-oh?â Dustin nudges you with his shoulder to shut you up and let Steve explain. You mumble an apology. âOkay, why the uh-oh?â
âThey took the keys.â Steve shoves his hands into his pockets and reveals that thereâs nothing in them. âThe Russians, they took the keys. Like forever ago.â For some reason this is hilarious to Robin, who starts to laugh hysterically in the corner. He joins her, amused by the whole thing. âThatâs a bummer, right?â
You drop your head in your hands as Dustin sighs. With no keys and no way out of the mall, youâre not sure what else you can do. The only other option would be the bus that takes commuters home, but it comes every few hours and you have no idea what time it even is right now.Â
Which means youâd be left with having to hide a very drugged up Steve and Robin in a giant mall swarming with Russian undercover guards for an unforeseen amount of time.
Not ideal.Â
âWeâre doomed.â You sigh into your hands.
Dustin nods beside you. âYeah. Weâre doomed.â
âÂ
When the five of you finally reach the mall, you guide everyone through the back hallway and fling the doors open. Fresh air hits your face and you take a moment to inhale. Itâs only then that you notice that itâs dark outside. The air is warm, crickets chirp faintly from far away. What day is it? How long could you have possibly been down in the lair?Â
As you have a minor breakdown trying to get your bearings, Steve and Robin walk behind you. Their mouths are wide open as they greet the fresh air with glee. âOh my God, that tastes so good! Steve, can you taste the air?â
They stick their tongues out and marvel at the world around them. âI taste it!â
You watch them with your arms crossed. If you had any suspicion before that they were drugged, seeing them try to eat the air only confirms it.Â
âShit!â Dustin screams out of nowhere and grabs your hand. He tugs at you to start running. You look up and see two Russians men now running straight towards you.Â
âCome on!â You grab Ericaâs hand and shove her in front of you to run alongside your brother. Then you grab Steve and Robin by their shoulders and all but throw them against the mallâs door. âGo!â
âWhy are we running?â Steve mopes, tired from all the physical activity heâs been forced to endure these last few minutes.Â
You donât bother answering him and instead shove him inside the second Dustin gets the mallâs doors opened. Everyone runs, though youâre not sure if anyone has an actual plan. The guardâs footsteps can be heard behind you, and all you know is that you guys need to hide until you can figure something else out.Â
âAny chance you guys know any hiding spots?â You shout behind you to the kids, nearly tripping over your feet as you do so.
âNo, this mall is one giant public swamp.â Dustin responds, huffing.Â
Steve stumbles next to you, still obviously drugged up, yet giggling as always. âIt feels like weâre running from movie villains!âÂ
Turning a corner, what Steve has said floats through your mind. Running from movie villains⊠What are the odds the Russians know about American movie theaters? Theyâre dark and usually crowded with people for night showings. It could be the only safe place to hide.Â
âDustin, start heading towards the theater!â Erica and your brother start asking you questions, but you donât have time to explain. âJust trust me.â
Somehow you all make it to the theaterâs doors without being detected. Poking your head through, you make sure there isnât anyone nearby. When youâre sure itâs safe, you open the door wider and motion for everyone to follow. âLetâs go.â
Dustin guides, dragging Robin behind him while Erica follows. You stay with Steve and start walking once the others have gone ahead.Â
âAwesome, movie date!â Steve exclaims with a dopey smile. Heâs about to say something else when his eyes find something. Completely forgetting that youâre holding his hand, he runs towards a nearby trash can. He pulls out a bag of popcorn that had been on top of the trash pile and quickly starts shoving the food into his mouth.Â
âIf you ever wanna kiss me again, stop eating trash popcorn.â You snatch the bag out of his hands with a disgusted face. âI cannot believe I have to tell you that.â
âBut Iâm hungry.â Steve pouts, staring down at his now empty hands with despair.Â
You ignore his pathetic pouting and follow Dustin, who has now flung open the curtains to the theaterâs seats. He scopes the area and starts heading right. When he stops at two open seats, he points his finger at Steve and Robin. âYou two, sit.â
âBut these seats are too close!â Robin complains, and Steve voices his own qualms about the seating arrangements.Â
However, you have other things to worry about. Shoving the teens into their seats, you wipe away crumbs on the ground with your shoe. âIâll sit on the floor next to them. No way Iâm leaving them alone when theyâre high off their asses.â
Dustin looks at you, skeptical. He doesnât want to leave you alone with them, afraid theyâll somehow get you into trouble. âYou sure?â
âPositive. Iâll take care of them.â you squeeze his arm. While you understand his concern, you canât bring yourself to abandon Steve and Robin again. Not when Steveâs face still bleeds slightly and Robinâs cheek swells with a bruise. They got hurt because of you; the least you can do is stay with them now. âFind other seats, weâll be fine here. Just⊠be careful, alright?â
A man behind you shushes you rudely, reminding you where you are. If the kids donât leave now, they run the risk of drawing more attention. You push your brother back up the aisle of seats, and he seems to understand what youâre doing. âFine, but whatever you guys do: Donât. Go. Anywhere.âÂ
âFine, dad.â Steve glares at the kid, which you sigh at. Itâs going to be a long night.Â
Dustin leaves after youâve saluted him, and Erica follows. Once theyâre gone, you do your best to keep Steve and Robin quiet. As you shush them, you look up and see Dustin standing near the exit. You tilt your head, hoping he sees your questioning, and thankfully he does. He holds his radio up and mimes making a phone call.Â
Heâs calling for help.
You nod at Dustin, indicating that you understand, and he leaves. After youâve checked to make sure Erica is still in her own seat at the other end of the row, you turn back towards Steve and Robin; theyâre enamored with the movie playing. They whisper to themselves, not understanding whatâs happening, but at least theyâre quiet and out of danger. Slowly, you start to relax.Â
All you have to do is stay in this movie theater until Dustin can contact the party for help. Should be simple enough. Except you make the fatal mistake of absentmindedly mentioning that youâre thirsty. âGod, I need water right now.â
âWater.â Robin exhales as if itâs a prayer. Her entire face twists into longing and she hits Steveâs shoulder. âWater. Now.â
âOn it!â He nods earnestly and suddenly the two of them are scrambling out of their seats. You snap your fingers at them, hiss whispered threats, but they donât listen. They climb over you as if youâre an inconvenient bug on the ground.Â
Before you can even stand up, theyâre already halfway up the aisle of seats. You barely have time to get up before theyâve left the theater itself. âIâm so over them being drugged.â You huff, running after them. There isnât time to tell Erica where youâre going, too afraid youâll lose them if you donât hurry.Â
Those fuckers better save you some water.
âÂ
Steve makes you hold the button on the water fountain because he âcanât do it himselfâ.
âIs my help really necessary?â You complain, arms crossed as you watch Steve messily gulp water down. His neck is bent at an awkward angle and for a brief moment you truly question whether or not you find him attractive. Water drips down his chin and his gulps are obscenely loud.Â
âYes,â Steve responds in between slurps. The cold water washes over him and heâs never felt closer to God than in this moment. âThatâs amazing.â
Robin stands next to you, patiently waiting her turn. âSo like, I wasnât totally focused in there or anything, but Iâm pretty sure that mom was trying to bang her son.â
âIn the movie?â You hadnât been paying much attention in the theater. Your view from the ground was shitty and you were too busy making sure the idiots didnât somehow kill themselves. However, despite your lack of attention, you doubt thatâs what the movieâs premise had been about.Â
âWait, the hot chick was Alex P. Keatonâs mom?â Your hip knocks against Steveâs, causing him to choke on the water heâd been drinking. Coughing, he clutches at his chest. âI couldâve died, Y/N!â
âSorry,â you smile sympathetically at him, feigning pity. He lost the privilege of calling other women hot after getting you locked in a Russian elevator for twelve hours. âMy hip slipped.â
âArenât you two going to question how the guy was able to go back in time?â Robin is still focused on the whole son being in love with his mom plotline.Â
Steve inhales even more water. âThen why is it called Back to the Future?â
Robin begins explaining the complexities of the movie, but you tune her out. While you appreciate that sheâs trying to make conversation, youâre uneasy about being out in the open like this. Thereâs no one around, but you can never be too careful. Itâs only when she shoves Steve away from the water fountain that you focus again.Â
âWait, I was supposed to go after himââ Your protesting falls on deaf ears as Robin steals your turn for water. Reluctantly, you step away. She can hold her own damn water fountain button.Â
You notice that Steve has wandered off a few feet away. He still stumbles as he walks, though his footsteps arenât as unsteady as they were earlier. He stops in the middle of the walkway and you join him.Â
âWow,â he breathes out, looking up. Heâs mesmerized by what heâs seeing. Curious, you look up as well, though you only see the skylights above. Itâs night, no natural light flows through the panels. Yet Steve stands transfixed next to you. âThe stars.â
âThe stars?â Youâre not sure what he means. You canât see the stars from where you stand. Then again, you suppose he could be seeing things, given that heâs heavily drugged up.Â
âThe stars are pretty like you, angel.â Steve says, eyes still on the sky, yet his hand somehow finds yours. He intertwines your fingers together and is able to pull you closer, albeit weakly. âYouâve always been so beautiful⊠scared me when we were younger.â
Your breath catches and you look at him. Heâs looking up, seemingly unaware of the effect his words have on you. An overwhelming warmth fills your chest. You want to say something, tell him you love him and that his beauty last July had terrified you.Â
But you donât say anything. Steve is still high, he wouldnât remember what youâve said, and you want your confessions to sit within his chest the way his sit in yours. Instead, you find yourself admiring him. You study the length of his neck. The mole that rests just below his jaw and the others that litter his pretty face. His nose, the dip of his chin. The hair tucked behind his ears. His eyes. Â
Steve Harrington is beautiful. Scars and all.Â
Then he starts to gag and quickly the moment is ruined.Â
âOh, God.â You quickly grab his shoulders and frantically look for the nearest bathroom. In your haste, Robin reacts to Steveâs sudden sickness by gagging as well, and youâre very afraid of whatâs about to unfold. âOkay, bathroom time! For the love of God, we need to find a bathroom.â
Theyâre useless as you twist and turn them around as you search for a bathroom. When you see a nearby sign, you drag them behind you and pray that they make it the next fifteen feet. As soon as you barrel through the bathroom door, Steve and Robin run out from behind you and just barely make it to the toilets before spilling their guts.Â
You stand near the doorway, cringing. Itâs not a pretty sight.Â
They puke, spit out the excess, and flush the toilet to clear it before the next round of vomiting begins. Then they do it all over again. It goes on like this for a while, and all you can do is linger in the doorway and offer halfhearted comfort from across the room. Youâve never really gotten over your slight fear of vomit, if youâre being honest.Â
Eventually Steve and Robin seem to throw everything up. When theyâve flushed the last of their sickness down, you hesitantly walk towards them and stand in between the stalls. âWe feeling any better?â
âThe room stopped spinning for me.â Robin says, her feet propped against the stallâs wall. You have no idea how sheâs laying down the bathroomâs ground so casually. âSteve, is it still spinning for you?â
He looks up for a moment, testing what will happen. When he feels perfectly fine, he exhales with relief. âHoly shit. No.â
âYou probably flushed the drugs out of your system when you puked.â You observe, leaning against the stallâs divider. âWhat were you guys on?â
âAllegedly a truth serum.â Robin says from the floor. âAsk me something, test if itâs really all gone.â Then, because sheâs trying to get you to laugh, she lowers her voice and impersonates one of the Russians. âInterrogate me.â
Though you smile at her, your stomach twists. Not only were they beaten for information, they were also injected with a goddamn truth serum. Treated like lab rats. And you left them behind, all alone; youâll never forgive yourself for that.Â
But theyâre here with you now, you remind yourself. They came out the other side. So youâll do whatever you can to make it up to them and show them that youâre here for them. Even if that means asking bizarre questions to make sure theyâre no longer being controlled by truth serums. âWhen was the last time you peed your pants?â
âToday.â
Steve looks at you to make sure youâve also just heard Robinâs response. âWhat?â
You shrug. âI canât really judge. I peed my bed a few years ago. Watched a scary movie with Dustin and had a nightmare. Wasnât my proudest moment.â
âWhat?â Steve canât believe what heâs hearing.
âSee!â Robin lifts her head up from the ground to look at you. âI was also scared. When the Russian doctor pulled out a bone saw, it was only a little bit, but holy shit.â
She starts to laugh and you join her, despite the image of the bone saw you saw burning your mind. You had seen it in the room when you were saving them. It had terrified you. Yet Robin laughs about it now, so you allow yourself to as well.Â
Steve shakes his head at you both. âYeah, itâs definitely still in her system.â
âAnd itâs not in yours, Harrington?â
His eyes shine when he looks at you. Heâs coming back to himself, you can feel it. The knowing smirk is back. âClean as a whistle, Henderson.â
Robin clears her throat, now uncomfortable. âAright, my turn. I want to ask him a question.â When Steve gives her the okay, she takes a deep breath. She looks at you, a resigned look on her face. Something seems to have struck her, something that terrifies her. Her laughter is gone. âHave you⊠ever been in love?â
Steve doesnât expect the question. He looks startled by it and tilts his head up at you. Your eyes meet, and you nod, giving him the permission he doesnât truly need. You talked about it once, last year. The two of you in your room late one night, whispering confessions about love and the pain it brought. It was never a secret.Â
âYep. Nancy Wheeler. First semester, senior year.â Steve mimes a gunshot to his heart, trying to lessen the unease. He will never really feel comfortable talking about that time of his life.Â
âOh, my God.â Robin rolls her eyes. âSheâs such a priss.â
You walk over to her stall and nudge her leg with your shoe. âHey, sheâs my friend, ya know.â Ignoring how dirty the bathroom floor inevitably is, you sit next to Robin. âSheâs not a priss.â
âAt least, not really.â Steve adds, nostalgia in his voice.Â
Robin seems to hear it, too. She sits up, eyes not meeting yours. âAre you still in love with Nancy?â
Without meaning to, you hold your breath. You know Steve no longer loves her, but itâs July and somehow he still isnât yours. Thereâs still trust between you, but your body tenses and your heart stutters.Â
And yet Steve doesnât hesitate. Itâs immediate. He doesnât even have to think about it. Heâs known since April, though his body has known since he offered you his hand the day you almost hit his car with your bike. âNo.â
âWhy not?â Robin doesnât know why sheâs pushing this. Youâre next to her, your thigh presses against hers. She knows that Steve is in love with you. He confessed it to her when she was teasing him about it just a few days ago. She devoted an entire whiteboard to tallying all the times he failed to ask you out.Â
Steve is yours, and youâre his, but Robin canât help but pick at scabs and expose old wounds.Â
Thereâs a few moments of silence. Steve takes his time responding. He can almost feel your hand ghosting over his, even though youâre separated by a stall. âI think itâs because I found someone whoâs a little bit better for me.â
Youâre quiet. Robin is as well.Â
âYou know, itâs crazy.â Maybe itâs the truth serum still coursing through Steveâs veins or maybe itâs because heâs almost died a million times tonight. All he knows is that heâs tired of running. You deserve to know how he feels about you. âEver since Dustin got home, heâs been badgering me about asking this girl out. That I need to âfind my Suzieâ. A girl he met at camp who somehow became his girlfriend, who Iâm not even sure is actually real.â
Heâs rambling. He knows he is, but you and Robin remain silent and patiently wait for him to keep going. Steve inhales, holds the breath for a few seconds, and exhales. All summer heâs been agonizing over this very moment. Heâs spent countless sleepless nights terrified that heâd somehow ruin it. In the end, his own cowardice only hurt you; he still remembers the way your body shook in his arms while he held you as you cried last night. Steve remembers the fear on your face when you realized you couldnât save him. That the Russians were going to take him away from you.Â
It was then, seeing the terror in your eyes and hearing the desperation in your voice, that Steve Harrington finally realized you would give all of yourself to him; that is what love is.Â
To love someone is to know that they deserve your love.Â
And for some reason you love Steve. You see something in him that deserves your love. Heâs no longer terrified that his love isnât enough for you. He realizes now that itâs enough. His love is enough because it is his.Â
You deserve love, and Steve is more than happy to give all of his to you.Â
âThe point is,â Steve runs a hand through his hair. He can feel you listening, waiting. âThis girl, you know, the one that I love, itâs somebody that I didnât even talk to in school⊠and I donât even know why.â
A small laugh cuts through the barrier between you and Steve. The two of you spent years together in school, and not once did he ever talk to you. There was one time, early sophomore year, when he collided with you in the hallway while running to the bathroom to meet Nancy. He had apologized to you, but he continued running and hadnât looked back.
It was two years ago, but you had only been kids, then.
Hearing your laugh emboldens Steve. He clears his throat, lifts his head. He wishes you were in the stall with him. âI think⊠I think I was scared. I had always watched her from afar. I mean, here was this girl who would offer help to anyone who needed it. Didnât matter who they were, sheâd help them. I just, I didnât understand. I couldnât understand why someone would go out of their way to help others without expecting anything in return.â
âI mean, there I was, worrying about being prom king while this girl was tutoring kids for free in the school library.â Steve scoffs at himself. He will never forgive himself for wasting all those years with you. He couldâve been your friend sooner had he not been such an asshole. âItâs stupid. I mean, Dustinâs right, itâs all just a bunch of bullshit anyways. Because when I think about it, I shouldâve been friends with this girl the whole time.â
You rest your head against the wall, buzzed with warmth. âYou shouldâve,â you find yourself saying softly. Though you know yourself. Steve came into your life when you needed him the most, at the right time, for the right reasons. The timing had never been right before. âBut Iâm sure the girl is glad you ended up how you did.â
âMe, too.â Warm honey laces Steveâs voice. He can almost feel your body on his. He can see the lines and strings above him, materializing into something more solid with every word he says. âStill shouldâve happened sooner, though. I mean, this girl weâre talking about is incredible. She makes me laugh more than anyone Iâve ever met. Sheâs witty, she always knows what to say and sheâs so goddamn smart. I donât think she knows this, but she has this way with peopleâŠâ
His voice trails off. Itâs what he loves the most about you. The effect you have on everyone you meet. The impact you make within a personâs life simply by smiling at them. âShe has a way of making someone into a better person without even realizing it, just by being a part of their life. She⊠she made me a better person. Taught me to be softer, more vulnerable.â
Steve hadnât known gentleness until he met you.Â
To your left, Robin starts to close in on herself with every word he Steve says. She slouches down, drops her head into her knees almost as if in despair.
âShe saw this good in me that no one else had before. For some reason, instead of using it against me like others have, she believed that I could be someone different. That I could change⊠It didnât matter how long it would take me, she would wait. And Iâm so goddamn lucky to be in love with someone as selfless as her.â
Guilt eats away at Robin. Sheâs harbored a resentment towards Steve all summer, even though she tried to swallow the feeling down. The love between you and Steve had always been obvious from the first day she met you. She watched the two of you dance around each other every day, basking in the sickly sweet young love you shared with one another.Â
Itâs not that Robin resented your relationship with Steve. No, she was happy for you, truly. The bitter taste in her mouth whenever she watched you gently stroke his cheek with your fingertips was remorse intermingling with resentment because she will never be able to do that. She will never be able to love someone so openly. To have someone hold her hand and call her tender names.Â
Youâre a beautiful girl with a boy who could adore you freely. Robin can only ever watch you from the shadows, scared to be caught.
You notice Robinâs shift in demeanor and press your body closer to hers. Youâve never seen her look so small before, so unsure of herself, and it worries you. âHey, is everything okay?â
She shakes her head, too afraid that if she talks sheâll start to cry. The kindness that you offer her stings. She doesnât deserve it. Not when she believes you outshine the sun. Before she can make up some excuse, Steve knocks on the stall. âRobin? Y/N? Did someone just OD over there?â
âNo,â Robinâs breath is shaky, which worries you even more. âWeâre still alive.â
You try to meet her eye, but she wonât look up at you. Youâre not sure whatâs happened, but sheâs closed herself off from you; you feel like an intruder. Placing an arm on her shoulder, youâre about to offer her some more water when Steveâs body slides into the stall.
He settles himself across from you, shy with his movements. Your heart lurches when you see him, too. He confessed his love for you only moments prior, and you want nothing more than to wrap your arms around him and call him yours, but Robin looks pale. Sheâs scared. You just donât know why.
âThe floorâs disgusting,â she says to Steve, hoping to get the attention off of her.Â
âYeah, well, I already got a bunch of blood and puke on my shirt, soâŠâ He looks down, cringes slightly. You remain silent, and Robinâs eyes are still downcast. Seeing this, Steve tries to lighten the mood and asks Robin a teasing question. âSo, what do you think?â
âAbout?â
âThis girl,â he turns to you, then. He looks at you with such fondness and knows that both you and Robin know he had been talking about you the entire time. Heâs trying to get you to laugh, bring a smile back to your faces.
Robin tries to play along, swallowing down the remaining bitterness. Youâre sitting next to her, your hand is still on her arm. âShe sounds awesome.âÂ
âShe is awesome.â Steve winks at you, hoping itâll get you to blush the pretty pink he loves so much. When it works, he smiles. âAnd what about the guy?â
âI think heâs as sweet as honey in July.â You say, giving into Steveâs charm. Itâs worked on you ever since the day you crashed into that ditch, even if back then you refused to admit it.
âYeah? Well, I think heâs on drugs, and that heâs not thinking straight. That he doesnât realize how lucky he is.â Robin interjects. She doesnât look at you, her eyes remain on Steve. You raise your eyebrows at what sheâs said. You hadnât expected such a pessimistic response from her.
Off put by her sudden dejection, Steve becomes defensive. He doesnât understand what Robin is doing. She was the one who kept encouraging Steve to ask you out all summer. âReally? âCause I think heâs thinking a lot more clearly than usual. He knows what luck is.â
âDoes he? What if thereâs this other girl, one he hasnât seen yet. I mean, really seen.â Robin swallows. Her fingers twist together nervously. âWhat if he one day sees her and realizes just how unlucky she is. I donât think the guy would ever want to be her friend after that.â
âNo, thatâs not true. No way is that true.â Steve shifts closer to the two of you now, confused as to why Robin is saying all of this. Of course sheâs his friend. âI mean, apart from the girl heâs in love with, this other girl is the guyâs only friend.â
âListen to me, Steve.â Robin still doesnât look at you, but you listen silently and allow her the space she seems to need. âItâs shocked me to my core, but I like you. I really like you, but Iâm not lucky like you are. I think⊠I think you should use that luck. Go for the girl.â
Steve tilts his head, not quite following. âWhat does luck have to do with any of it?â
Robin sighs and you sit next to her, quiet. She seems to be trying to figure out what she wants to say, and somehow you think you know what she means by luck. Itâs always fascinated you, luck and love. Two sides of the same coin. But it never occurred to you that there could be an undercurrent that cuts through the luck. A double meaning behind it.Â
âDo you remember what I said about Clickâs class? About me being jealous and, like, obsessed?â
âYeah,â
Robin closes her eyes and sighs. When she opens them, thereâs a resolved look in them. âIt⊠It isnât because I had a crush on you. Itâs because she wouldnât stop staring at you.â
At first, youâre confused. You had missed their conversation about Mrs. Clickâs class. They mustâve had it when they were being held captive, but the phrasing of what Robin has just said feels heavier than it should. Her words land on you with a force you hadnât seen coming.Â
If Robin had for some reason talked about being obsessed with Steve in a class they once shared, but not because she had a crush on him, but because a girl wouldnât stop staring at himâŠÂ
âMrs. Click?â
Even though youâve done well remaining silent this entire time, you canât help but snort at Steveâs response. Heâs trying, you know he is. Robin must know this too, because she laughs softly at him as well. âNo, Steve.â Her smile dims, however. âThat wouldâve made things easier for me, though.â
Easier. Luckier.Â
And then it all clicks.Â
Robinâs insistence on always pleasing you. The subtle touches. The way her eyes would darken sometimes when you looked at Steve. How, only an hour ago, she had asked you for a kiss when she was still under the influence of the truth serum.Â
You draw your hand towards hers and slowly thread your fingers together. Robinâs head spins, she finally allows herself to look at you. She finds your eyes staring into hers. Theyâre kind, understanding. Youâre looking right through her in this very moment, and Robin Buckley has never been more afraid.Â
âHow long have you known?â You ask her, voice gentle.
Robinâs voice shakes. âSince Tammy ThompsonâŠâ She has to look away from you. She canât do this with you looking at her. âShe was in Mrs. Clickâs class with me and Steve. IâI wanted her to look at me, but.. She couldnât pull her eyes away from him and his stupid hair.â
She pauses, tries to compose herself, and you squeeze her hand three times. Once to tell her that youâre there, another to give her the reassurance to go on, and the final time to communicate that you understand. There isnât a reason to be scared. Somehow, Robin knows what the gesture means. Breathing in, she looks at Steve and continues.Â
âAnd I didnât understand, because you would get bagel crumbs all over the floor and you asked dumb questions and you were a douchebag. Andâand you didnât even like her and Iââ Her voice breaks. âI would go home⊠and just scream into my pillow.â
Steve looks between the two of you. Itâs obvious heâs the only one not aware of the underlying layers. âBut Tammy Thompsonâs a girl.â
âSteve,â Robin breathes out, pleading. She doesnât want to say it out loud. She canât say it out loud. He needs to understand what sheâs trying to say. Why sheâs been giving him hell all summer. Why she feels guilty when she looks at you.
âYeah?â But he doesnât understand.
Robin canât say anything. She looks at him, can feel the tears in her eyes; sheâs begging now. Steveâs eyes find yours, silently begging you as well to explain this to him. He doesnât understand what heâs doing wrong. He doesnât want to be doing something that could hurt Robin like this.Â
Your shoes squeak against the tile floors as you draw your knees into your chest. Youâre not sure what else you can do. Robin has laid everything out for Steve. Your hand still holds hers and you try to quell the fear within you that maybe heâs being intentionally naive. Maybe he doesnât want to believe it.Â
âOh.âÂ
Itâs one word, one exhale of breath from a mouth that once used to say cruel things. Steveâs face softens, his jaw unclenches and his shoulders relax. He surprises you, showing nothing but empathy. Heâs kind, heâs always been kind.
âHoly shit,â Steve doesnât want to mess this up, but heâs never been good with words.Â
Robin laughs. âYeah, holy shit.â
He sighs and leans against the stall wall. Itâs quiet between the three of you. No one really knows what to say now. Steve is still processing, Robinâs heartbeat still hasnât quite settled, and youâre trying to figure out how to tell her that you understand more than she may know. Sheâs braver than you, trusted you with this secret, and itâs only fair that you offer her a part of yourself as well.Â
Plus, itâs a wonderful ice breaker.Â
âYou have terrible taste in women, Robin.â You nudge her with your shoulder, teasing. âI mean, Iâve heard Tammy Thompson during choir rehearsal. You can totally do better.â
âShe wants to be a singer, she has dreams!â Robin defends the girl, the change in conversation bizarre but welcomed.Â
Steve, sensing that youâre trying to lessen the tension, gratefully plays along. âSo what she has dreams? She canât even carry a tune. But, more importantly, what do you know about taste in women, Y/N?â
âI see things,â you jut your head out, defiant. âProbably wouldâve fallen in love with Nancy Wheeler had I known her instead of Jonathan.â
Their reactions are expected.
âYou wouldâve loved Nancy?â Steve exclaims at the same time as Robin guffaws, âYou loved Byers?âÂ
You laugh. Itâs a full, whole body laugh. One you havenât felt in so long. âYes,â you wheeze out, the look on their faces killing you. Steve looks unnerved while Robin looks disgusted. âAt least Jonathan doesnât sound like a muppet when he sings.â
âTammy does not!â Robin is laughing alongside you now. Itâs been a long time since sheâs laughed this hard, too.
Steve rolls his eyes, his own smile overtaking his face. âShe sounds like a muppet giving birth, Robin.â
âThatâs what she reminds me of!â You snap your fingers and point at him. âYouâre right!â
Robin clutches her stomach as she laughs. She leans into your side as you lean into her. Steve starts doing a terrible impersonation of Tammyâs awful singing, which only gets the two of you to laugh even harder. Steve gets you to sing along. He grabs the hand that isnât holding Robinâs and swings it around as the two of you sing. Robin joins, laughing more than singing. Itâs lovely. Absolutely lovely.Â
And this is how Dustin finds the three of you.
He slams the bathroom door open, Erica right behind him, and stands in front of you.
âOkay,â he glares at you specifically. âWhat the hell, Y/N?â
You giggle at his disappointed dad stance. âI told you Iâd take care of them.â
Dustin isnât amused, which only makes your giggles turn to laughter again. The other two teens arenât far behind you, descending into yet another fit of laughter. Hunched together, the three of you giggle breathlessly as your brother and Erica watch in disbelief.Â
But you ignore their questioning stares.
With both Steve and Robin holding your hands, laughter warming your belly, you feel like a kid again.
âÂ
 The bus becomes your only option.
âI managed to contact the party.â Dustin had informed you after your laughter died down.
Relief washed over you. âThank Godââ
âBut then my walkie died.â
âYeah,â you had sighed and dropped your head down in defeat. âYeah, of course it did. Why wouldnât it die when we need it?â
Which leads you to now: peering out the bathroom door with Steve breathing down your neck and Dustin in front of you, checking to make sure itâs safe. A crowd of people flood the once empty hallway. The movie mustâve just finished. Everyone is talking excitedly, having no idea that five teenagers are currently hiding in the bathroom from Russians.Â
You envy them.Â
âWhen I say âblendâ, we go. Okay?â Dustin asks the group, eyes still on the mass of people exiting the theater.Â
âBecause Steve dripping blood definitely will blend in.â You retort. Itâll be hard not to draw attention to yourselves with the way his face still oozes. Itâs a long walk down to the bus station and youâre getting worried now. The mall closes in ten minutes, soon there wonât be any crowds to hide behind.Â
Dustin doesnât bother justifying your remark. Instead he studies the flow of traffic before giving his signal. âBlend.â
The five of you swiftly exit the bathroom and align your pace with everyone around you. Dustin guides in front with Erica while you stay back with Steve and Robin. Your eyes move constantly, scanning every face you pass. Thankfully, the people close to you seem innocent enough.
Erica looks around, impressed. âWell, shit. That worked.â
âOf course it worked.â Dustin is smug, which makes you wince. Heâs always had a bad habit of jinxing things. You really wish he had gotten more of your momâs humility and less of your dadâs ego. âNow we just have to get on the bus with the rest of these plebes, and home sweet home, here we come.â
You shove your brother. âCan we not taunt our inevitable bad luck?â
âWeâre in the clear now, Y/N. Trust me, in just twenty minutes weâll be back home, where our dear mother awaits with her frantic arms wide openââ
âUh, Dustin?â Steve eyes him nervously. Already you dread whatever heâs about to say. You guys only lasted thirty seconds without any bad luck. Itâs a new record, honestly.
âWhat?â
âYeah, we might not wanna go to your house.â
âWhy?â
âWell,â Steve winces with regret. He knows heâs about to piss both Hendersons off. âI mightâve told them your full name.â
Dustin turns to look at him, bewildered. âWhat is wrong with you?â
âDude, I was drugged.â Steve argues, which. Yeah. Thatâs fair.
Not liking that he apparently sold your brother out to Russians, yet understanding that Steve hadnât been the most clear headed when it happened, you grab his hand. Thereâs more important matters to deal with, like whether or not he sold you out as well. âDid you tell them my full name?â
âNo, I kept you safe.â He says, with an air of obviousness that you smirk at.Â
âAw, thanks honey.â You kiss his cheek, not caring that Dustin is fuming in front of you.Â
âOh, so you can resist for your girlfriend but not for her brother?â Dustin struggles to keep his voice low. He has never wanted to shove Steve down a flight of stairs more. âYou were supposed to tough it out. Like a man!â
You flick the kidâs hat. âHey, he was very manly defending my honor.â
âI hate you bothââ
Robin suddenly freezes, her eyes catching on something. âGuysâŠâ
Everyone stops, alarmed by the tone in her voice, before you see them. There, standing right in front of the exit of the mall, are the two Russian men from the alley. Theyâre stopping people, checking their faces, looking for you.Â
âAbort.â Dustin says, before one of the men makes direct eye contact with him. His face pales and you already have one hand on his shoulder, pulling at him to run. âAbort!â
Steve grabs Ericaâs hand and motions for you and Dustin to run ahead as Robin guides. She pushes through the crowd of people and towards the escalators. However, when you get there, theyâre roped off and blocked by plexiglass.Â
You kick at the glass, frustrated. The Russians are close now. Robin, quick as ever, steps past you and places herself in the middle of the two escalators. Youâre confused at first, but then you realize thereâs just enough space for your bodies to fit through. Sitting down, Robin is able to use the gap as a makeshift slide.
âLetâs go,â Steve places Erica to slide down next, then Dustin. When itâs your turn, he nods at you. âReady?â
âIâm so tired of running from these shitheads.â You say before launching yourself down the escalators.Â
Robin waits for everyone at the bottom. When youâre all there, she waves for you to follow as you run again. None of you have any idea where to even hide now that the mall has emptied. Thereâs no one to hide behind, no corner to run into. And the goddamn Russians are fast, never trailing more than fifty feet behind you.Â
Somehow you end up in the food court. It isnât much, but thereâs at least vendorâs stalls and restaurant counters nearby. Panting, you point towards the nearest counter. âThere! Everyone jump over!â
No one argues, doing as theyâre told. You make it there first and help Erica over while Steve and Robin help Dustin. Kneeling down, you motion for everyone to sit with a finger to your lips. The men have to be nearby, you can practically feel their presence close. Facing your friends, you grip your knives and strain your ears for any sounds.Â
Itâs tense. Dustin pants, heâs scared and overwhelmed and you wish you could offer him better protection. Steve glances at you, silently asking you what the next move is, and you shake your head helplessly. Youâre cornered, thereâs no way out of this one.Â
The sound of boots falling against the mallâs ground approaches. It grows louder and louder at a maddeningly slow pace. Your knuckles are white from how tightly they grip around the hilt of your switchblade. With one flick of your wrist, you know you could at least disarm one of the men long enough to cause a distraction. Youâd never kill anyone, but you know from experience that a cut to the shoulder is sufficient enough.Â
Youâre pulled away from your thoughts when a car alarm suddenly goes off. Its loud noise echoes within the empty mall. Everyone jumps at the unexpected sound, shuffling closer together. Deciding itâs worth the risk, you poke your head up to see what the hell is going on.Â
The guards are standing around a red convertible. It shakes, vibrates almost, and they look at one another in confusion. The car continues to shriek its alarm, and while the men stand in fear, you smile. Thereâs static in the air.
Looking up you see El, with an arm outstretched, on the second floor. Her face is strained, her fingers clench in mid air. The look on her face is terrifying, and youâve never been happier to see blood drip down from her nose. She twists her arm and sends the car flying into the men. You duck as it crushes them, rolls over the tables and chairs in the center, before spiraling into the counter next to you. âShit!â
The alarm stops ringing. Everything falls silent. Slowly, you and everyone else stand up to inspect the damage. A tire rim rolls past, the Russians guards are sprawled on the ground, unmoving. Thereâs smoke from where the car has landed, and you let out a low whistle. âNice one, El.â
âEl?â Dustin turns around, wondering if heâs heard you right.
âSheâs up there,â you point to where she had been standing, but when you see Jonathan now standing next to her with Nancy, your heart stops. âJonathan.â
Youâre the first to start running, and when he sees that itâs you, Jonathan wastes no time running either. Heâs down the escalator in seconds. Your whole body buzzes as you run, adrenaline and longing coursing through you. The moment heâs close enough, you practically leap into his arms.
âBug,â he holds onto you tightly. He buries his face in your hair and you breathe him in. Itâs a familiar scent, a familiar warmth. You had been so focused on escaping the Russian base that you hadnât even considered that he and everyone else in the party couldâve been involved. âAre you okay?â
âIâm okay,â you tighten your arms around him, but when he makes a pained noise, you immediately pull away. Itâs then that you notice the swelling in his head. The dried blood. Pressing your fingers softly to his face, you fill with concern. âWhat happened, are you hurt?â
Jonathan tries to shrug it off. He doesnât care about what heâs been through. All he wants to focus on is that youâre okay, for once not covered in blood and bruises like he is. Wherever youâve been these last few days, at least he knows you werenât in any pain. âIâm fine, Iâll tell you everything laterââ
âYou flung that thing like a Hot Wheel!â Dustin exclaims to El, now joining you and Jonathan as the others gather around.Â
You donât leave Jonathanâs side as everyone starts talking at once. Lucas asks why Erica is involved, to which you wince at. âI tried stopping them.â
âItâs their fault.â Erica points at Steve and Robin, clearing your name in the process, which you appreciate her for.Â
Steve stands next to you now and puts his hands on his hips. He doesnât even try to deny that heâs the reason a ten year old girl ended up locked inside an underground Russian facility. âYeah, true. Totally true. Itâs absolutely our fault.âÂ
Robin asks what happened to the car and Dustin and Steve explain El to her. They quickly catch her up to speed about the girlâs power, and you feel bad for the teen. Itâs a lot of information to take in at once. Erica joins, having remembered her conversation with Dustin from earlier in the vents when he had explained the Upside Down to her.Â
Meanwhile, Nancy is focused on Robin. âIâm sorry, who are you?â
âThatâs Robin. Sheâs a friend.â You step between them. When Nancy sees that itâs you, she quickly looks away. She fidgets with her fingers, overwhelmed with shame and regret. She hasnât forgotten the cruelty she showed you a few days ago. You havenât forgotten either, but youâve never been one to hold anger towards others. Extending a kind smile, you nod at her. âHey, Nance.â
Nancy looks up, surprised, but smiles at you as well and itâs enough. Maybe one day youâll sort through the tension that never seems to leave you and the girl alone. Untangle the lines and threads that haunt both of you. For now, there are other things to worry about.Â
Steve has started explaining the Russians now, and quickly it becomes clear that youâve all been dealing with vastly different situations.Â
âRussians, what Russians?â Jonathan asks you with alarm.Â
âSee those guys laying over there?â Everyone looks at where youâre pointing, the men still knocked out on the ground. âRussians. We enjoyed twenty-four wonderful hours with them.â
âYeah, we ended up trapped in their secret base underneath Hawkins.â Dustin further explains, to which everyoneâs eyes widen at.Â
âIt was fun. Spent my birthday in mortal danger.â At the same time the kids all wish you a belated birthday, which you salute them for. âThanks, guys. Iâm just happy I wasnât gravely injured this time.â
âAnd that Steve finally kissed you.â Dustin unhelpfully adds before Steve is covering his mouth to shut him up. His face reddens, embarrassed and nervous. Jonathan is standing too close to him for comfort right now.
Nancy looks uncomfortable with this new information, Mike makes a disgusted sound, Max high fives you, Lucas cheers, Will gasps and looks nervously towards his brother, and Jonathan chokes on his own spit. Itâs truly a very wide array of reactions, all of which are expected to certain extents.Â
That doesnât stop you from hitting the back of Dustinâs head, though. âCan we focus on the Russians infiltrating Hawkins?â Dustin hits your shoulder in retaliation, but he knows youâre right. He turns to Mike, upset that he hadnât come sooner. âDidnât you get our code red?â
âYeah, but I couldnât understand half of what you were saying.â
The kids all start to argue and Steve joins in, making a remark about how heâs always bugging Dustin to watch for a low battery. More arguing follows. Lucas and the others demand to hear more about the Russians. As you try your best to explain everything, you notice from the corner of your eye El walking away from the group.
Her shoulders are drawn into her body, her breathing seems to be labored. You nudge Jonathan, pulling his attention away from the kids arguing, and point towards El. âWhat happened to her tonight?â
Jonathan is about to explain what theyâve been dealing with, but when El collapses onto the ground, you leave his side in a heartbeat to join her. Kneeling beside her, youâre cold with panic. Sheâs covered in sweat, her face is flushed. âEl? Sweetheart, whatâs happening?â
Mike and Jonathan are beside you now. Mike is in his own fit of panic, nearly ramming into you in his hurry to get to the girl. He turns her over onto her back, his face twisted with worry and fear. âEl! Whatâs wrong?â
The rest of the group stands around El now, staring down at her. She manages to open her eyes, but you can tell that it pains her to do so. âMy leg.â She rasps out, voice thick with tears.Â
âHer leg, okay.â Jonathan takes action, swiftly unraveling a bandage on her leg. You hadnât noticed it before. Thereâs a deep wound underneath the gauze, its blood has soaked through it. Nancy helps Jonathan with the bandage, and when they finally get it off, you almost throw up at the sight.Â
The flesh is raised, angry and swollen. Thereâs a giant gash in Elâs leg, deep and to the bone. The veins in her legs are dark and begin to constrict when something starts to move inside the wound; something is crawling inside her leg. Itâs a nauseating sight.
Mike starts to freak out even more. He doesnât understand whatâs happening. Heâs scared for the girl, his eyes fill with panic. Instinctively you pull him into your arms, tightening your hold as he fights against it.Â
Thatâs when El begins to scream.
-
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#steve harrington x henderson!reader#steve harrington x reader#steve harrington x you#stranger things#steve harrington fanfic#stranger things rewrite#slowburn#angst#nya#m's writing#if u squint i made the second header image bigger than the first to fit everyone#the bathroom scene haunts me now#wrote it SO MANY TIMES#anyways enjoy
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