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wholoveseggs · 4 months ago

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Kinktober - {Day Thirteen} {<- kinktober masterlist}

18+ ---- {Masterlist} {Tag-List} {Kinktober}

{Klaus Mikaelson x F!Reader} Request {@hiddledede-heddlededo}: I have this idea for kinktober about Klaus teaching the inexperienced reader all the ways she can pleasure her self how to do a BJ, ridding, alllll the lessons an the reader is so overwhelmed by the feelings and good sex that she squirts and is so embarrassed but Klaus is pleased with what he managed he starts laughing because he didn’t know she had it in her. She gets very insecure but he assured her he loved it by doing it all over again.

♡♡♡ This idea??? HOT. {Just like the man himself} ♡♡♡

2.6k words - Kinks: Klaus bring sweet, art studio flirting, inexperience, teaching && squirtinggg....

Your boyfriend's art studio was your favorite place in his house. It felt the most like him, a place where you could see his personality on every wall. The best times were when he allowed you to watch him work. You loved listening to him hum under his breath while he sketched, the soft sound of his pencil moving on the paper, and his concentrated frown as he worked.

He encouraged you to try and create something yourself, but you were nervous about ruining his nice canvases and paints.

You had sketched out a simple landscape with a pencil, and were using paint to fill it in, trying your best to match the colors of the sky and trees.

It was going terribly, and you had been working at it for hours. You groaned and put down your paintbrush, leaning back to stretch your sore muscles.

He could see your frustration, a feeling he knew all too well. He came up to you and wrapped his arms around your waist, taking your hand and guiding the paintbrush back to the canvas.

"Just go slow, love," he murmured into your ear. "Take your time."

You nodded and leaned back into him, letting him control your hand.

"The trick is to go from the outside in," he told you. "You have to let the color blend into each other, don't force the brush. Don't worry about the details yet, just get the base layer down."

His lips trailed down your neck and he sucked lightly on the sensitive spot just below your ear. You giggled and the brush slipped out of your fingers, splattering paint across the canvas.

"Shit," you muttered. "I don't think I'm very good at this."

"It takes practice," he said, pressing another kiss to the back of your neck. "You'll get better with time. I have faith in you."

He took the paintbrush and placed it in the jar of water next to your palette. He turned you around in his arms and cupped your cheek, his blue eyes warm and full of love.

"Maybe we should take a break," you said, giving him a shy smile. "I'm not really in the mood to paint anymore."

"What did you have in mind?"

"Well," you bit your lip and looked up at him through your lashes. "I... you know how we haven't? done it ... yet?"

His lips twitched and he ran his thumb across your bottom lip. "You want to have sex?"

You nodded and glanced away. You were blushing hard, feeling a little embarrassed at having to ask.

He chuckled at your shyness, so sweet and innocent. He had been waiting patiently for you to be ready. He had taken things slow, wanting to make sure you were comfortable before taking the next step.

"We can have sex if you're sure," he said.

"I am," you replied quickly, a little too eager. "I mean, only if you want to."

He let out a hearty laugh, then lifted you up, causing you to squeal. You wrapped your legs around his waist and threw your arms around his neck.

"What do you think, love?" he asked. "Here, on my desk, or should I carry you upstairs?"

"Your bed," you replied, leaning forward and brushing your lips against his. "Please."

He carried you out of his studio, not breaking the kiss. He kept his hands under your thighs to support you. His lips were soft and his tongue was warm as it met yours. You were a little embarrassed by how much noise you were making, moans and whimpers spilling from your lips. You didn't know if that was something he liked or not.

When you reached his room, he tossed you onto the bed, sending you into a fit of giggles. You watched as he removed his shirt, tossing it on the floor, followed by his pants, leaving him in just his boxers. You blushed, not used to seeing him so exposed.

You nervously reached for the buttons on your dress and began undoing them, slowly revealing the lace lingerie underneath. He grinned as he saw the white babydoll top, his eyes trailing down your body, taking in the sight of you.

"Oh, so you planned this, didn't you?" He asked, pointing to your white panties. "You came here today hoping we'd end up like this."

"I may have had something like this in mind," you admitted, giving him a small smile. "Do you like it?"

"I love it," he said, pulling you towards him.

You squealed as your body was pulled under his, his weight a pleasurable warmth against you. You let him take control as he kissed you deeply, his lips never leaving yours. He shifted so he was lying next to you, his hand resting on your lower belly.

"Wait," you murmured against his lips, pulling away. Everything was moving so fast and you needed a moment to breathe. "I... I don't know what I'm doing."

"I'll teach you," he said, his finger tracing the straps of your top. "If you'd like."

"Yes, please," you nodded and he leaned forward to give you another kiss.

He took your hand and guided it toward the band of his boxers. You grasped the elastic, looked him in the eye, then began pulling down. Your fingers fumbled, trying to figure out what you were doing, and you let out a nervous laugh.

He stared down at you, watching you struggle with a slight smile on his face. He was amused by how unsure you were. He enjoyed that you needed his guidance.

He guided your hand into his underwear and brought you to his hardening cock. Your eyes widened as you felt it for the first time, the thickness of him, his silky skin.

"Have you ever been touched before?" He whispered, eyes half closed as your hand explored.

"Just by myself," you admitted, face heating up from the admission.

His mouth curved up into a smirk and his eyes sparkled. "Show me," he told you. "I want to see the way you do it."

You nodded, letting his cock go and moving your hand into your panties, keeping your eyes on him. You liked how he was looking at you, it gave you confidence.

You started off with gentle movements, finding your clit easily. You had never managed to bring yourself over the edge, not even close, but with him watching everything was more intense. You lifted your hips and let out a moan, feeling your pussy getting wetter. You could hear the soft squelch as your fingers began to slide faster, your clit starting to swell from the attention.

He took your other hand and placed it back on his cock, encouraging you to keep stroking him. He enjoyed your little moans, watching as you worked yourself up.

Your moans became louder, and your pace quickened. You arched up and grinded against your hand, the sensation so much more intense than before, but you couldn't reach that peak, no matter how close you got.

You finally broke, panting and pulling your fingers away from your clit, face bright red in frustration.

"I-I can't," you told him, and looked away. "I've tried so many times before and I just can't."

He tilted your chin, making you look back at him. His thumb stroked your cheek and he gave you a reassuring smile.

"May I?" He asked, his fingers trailing over the lace of your panties.

You nodded, too nervous to even speak.

He pulled the lace aside, humming at the wetness he found. He pressed one finger inside, and you gasped, surprised by the intrusion.

"Nik," you moaned, reaching for him, gripping his shoulders.

He kissed your neck and moved his finger deeper, slowly fucking you. Your eyes were closed, head thrown back, and he could see how flushed your face was.

"Sometimes, just touching your clit isn't enough," he told you, sliding a second finger inside. "Some people need a little bit more. Like this."

He curled his fingers and hit a spot inside of you that made your whole body jolt. You cried out, nails digging into his shoulder.

"Ahh," you whimpered. "Klaus, what...?"

"There we are," he smirked and continued rubbing that same spot, over and over. "Does that feel good?"

"Y-Yes," you nodded, gasping and clinging to him.

You were panting now, the pressure inside of you building and building. Your hips were bucking against his hand and you felt tears prickling the corner of your eyes.

"That's it," he praised, watching you. "Fuck, you look beautiful like this. Cum for me, love."

You didn't have time to reply before your orgasm slammed into you, your whole body tensing and trembling. You squeezed around his fingers and you felt your pussy pulsing, clenching and releasing. It was an incredible sensation, unlike anything you had experienced before.

You were gasping for air, trying to catch your breath. You had no idea orgasms could be that intense, you had never felt anything like it.

"See? All you needed was a little guidance," he said, smiling at your wide-eyed expression. "Now, are you ready for the main event?"

"Um," you hesitated, suddenly feeling anxious.

"If you're not ready, we can wait," he assured you.

"No, I want to," you nodded. "But... can I try something first?"

"Of course," he sat back on the bed and waited for you to tell him what to do.

You blushed, and took a deep breath, kneeling in front of him.

"Can I..." You licked your lips. "Can I taste you?"

His cock twitched at the suggestion, and he nodded. "You don't have to ask, love."

You gave him a shy smile and leaned forward, gently pulling his cock from his underwear. You looked up at him, unsure of exactly what to do, then placed a kiss on the tip.

"Go slow," he told you. "There's no rush."

You wrapped your lips around the head and began sucking. His breath hitched and his hand came to rest on your head, but he didn't push you further.

You moved further down his cock, using your tongue to taste him, to get a feel for him. The weight of him on your tongue was new, and not entirely unpleasant.

You used your hands to stroke what you couldn't fit into your mouth and he seemed to like that. You continued sucking, listening to the sounds he made. They were low grunts and sighs, and you liked that you were the cause of them.

"Good girl," he praised, his fingers tangled in your hair. "Go a little slower, use your tongue more. Yes, just like that. So good, darling."

The praise made you moan, and you wanted to do everything in your power to keep hearing those words. You bobbed your head faster, and you heard him mutter something under his breath. You felt him twitch and then his hand was on your shoulder, pulling you off his cock.

You looked up at him, wondering if you did something wrong.

"I'm sorry, I-,"

"You're perfect," he said, cutting you off. "But if you keep going I won't be able to last."

"Oh," you smiled, happy with the compliment.

He leaned forward and kissed you. You let him maneuver you until your back was flat on the bed, his body over yours.

He tugged your panties down your legs, tossing them behind him.

"Are you ready?" He asked.

"I think so," you nodded.

"Just tell me if it hurts," he told you.

You gave him another nod and he placed himself at your entrance. He pushed inside, the head popping past the ring of muscles.

"Breathe, sweetheart," he said, seeing how tense you were.

You took a deep breath and he pushed forward, sliding in the rest of the way. It felt a little strange, and uncomfortable.

"Are you okay?" He asked.

"I'm fine," you said.

He slowly pulled out and thrust back in. You felt a spark of pleasure, and he smirked when he saw your reaction. He kept his thrusts slow and gentle, and after a few minutes the discomfort had faded and was replaced with pleasure.

"How's that?" He asked.

"Feels good," you replied, and he picked up his pace.

You gasped, your fingers gripping the sheets beneath you. You were a little overwhelmed. He was bigger than you expected, and you were feeling so many things. It was amazing, but also a lot.

"Nik," you panted, moaning as he hit a particularly sensitive spot.

He reached down, grabbing your waist and lifting you into his lap. The angle was different, and it felt even better. You could feel yourself clenching around him, the heat in your belly beginning to burn hotter.

"Move your hips for me darling, like this," he murmured, showing you how to grind against him.

You rolled your hips, moaning as he hit deeper than before. Your arms wrapped around his neck, holding onto him as you tried to keep the same pace he had set.

"There, use your knees and bounce on my cock," he told you. "That's it, sweetheart. Just like that."

He gripped your hips, helping you stay steady as you moved. Your nails scratched his shoulders and the sting only made him want you more. Another orgasm was quickly approaching, but it felt different, somehow. Bigger.

"N-Nik, I'm-," you panted, unable to finish the sentence.

"Me too, love," he told you, his breath heavy and uneven.

You bounced harder and faster, and then he hit something inside you, sending a jolt through your entire body. It was like an explosion, and you felt every nerve in your body light up. Wetness gushed out from between your legs, soaking his thighs and the sheets below you. You couldn't stop shaking, it felt like there was an earthquake happening inside your body.

You felt him still and tense beneath you, his arms wrapping tightly around your waist and pulling you closer. He buried his face into your neck and groaned, filling you with his cum.

The two of you stayed still, holding each other and trying to catch your breaths. It was quiet, and neither of you spoke, your cheeks were burning hot with embarrassment. Had you just lost control of your bladder? You wanted to crawl into a hole and die, you couldn't even look him in the eye.

"Did I hurt you?" He asked, voice filled with concern.

"No," you shook your head, eyes focused on the bedsheets. "I just... I-I didn't know that could happen."

"Neither did I," he said, giving you a grin.

"Oh God, I'm so embarrassed," you hid your face in his neck, hoping the world would just swallow you up.

"Why? That was amazing, love."

"But it was... It was all over the place, I'm sorry."

"I'm not," he kissed your neck and pulled back so he could look at you.

You were sure your face couldn't get any warmer. You felt a little better, knowing he was impressed and not disgusted, but you were still mortified.

"It's not... not normal, right?" You asked.

He shook his head and laughed, pushing you back onto the bed and hovering above you. He pressed his lips against yours, kissing you slowly.

"It's normal," he assured you. "And it's very, very hot," he whispered in your ear, sending a shiver down your spine. "I hope you're not too tired because I want to make you do that again."

You bit your lip, nodding at him, eager for him to continue.

"And again, and again, and again..."

{<- kinktober masterlist}

#kinktober #kinktober 2024 #lissaskinktober24 #klaus mikaelson #the originals #the vampire diaries #vampire diaries #tvdu #klaus mikaelson smut #klaus mikaelson x reader #klaus mikaelson imagine #tvd #the vampire diaries x you #the vampire diaries x reader #the vampire diares imagine #the vampire diaries imagine #the originals imagine

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seivsite · 2 years ago

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includes: toge inumaki x fem!reader x yuta okkotsu. changes from 2nd & 3rd person, kinda messy, lowkey rushed, established poly relationship, not proofread — wc: 341

No thoughts, Inumaki x Reader x Yuta.

(Name) and Toge were already dating when Yuta came along, and both of them developed strong feelings for him.

Toge definitely fell in love with Yuta first, possibly due to the time they spent together on missions and Yuta’s attentive nature. Yuta even learned Toge's onigiri language to communicate better with him.

(Name) only realised her feelings for Yuta after he saved her multiple times during their missions together. She always noticed how he prioritised her safety, even if he ended up getting injured. Additionally, she saw how Rika had always protected her, which further endeared Yuta to her. Despite Rika being a cursed spirit, (Name) prefers not to refer to Rika as such and Rika appreciates her kindness.

Surprisingly, Yuta is probably the first one who had the guts to initiate the first kiss. (Name) is the second, while Toge is last because he always has his mouth covered by something.

Yuta’s love language is definitely words of affirmation and physical touch. He’s the type to cuddle with you in bed or hold onto a piece of your uniform whenever the two of you are walking. Whenever you need reassurance, he always seems to know what to say to make you feel better, and he constantly compliments you on your achievements.

Toge’s love language is physical touch and acts of service, with a hint of quality time. Since he can’t really talk, he’s always attached to either one of you whenever time allows it. He enjoys those moments where the two of you sit in silence, each engrossed in your own activities. He’s always attentive to your preferences, whether it’s serving your food without a particular ingredient or remembering how many sugars or cream you need in your hot chocolate.

When it comes to cuddling in bed, the positions depend on the mood. However, I always stand by (Name) being in the middle because the two men are protective.

Okay, I am out of brain juice, so that’s the end of this, bye!

NOTES. gasps my jujutsu kaisen debut, not sure if i’m gonna consistently write for them, haven’t rly caught up much to the manga saurr yea this has been kn my head for over a year now.

LIKES AND REBLOGS ARE APPRECIATED! ‹3

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iliveforyouilongforyouvesuvia · 6 months ago

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heyo bro, it's been a bit since i requested anything, so, first off:

how are you? hope you're doing well ^^

secondly, could i possibly request a drabble about julian and mc getting arrested for something and portia (and/or mazelinka) having to come bail them out?

have a good day, my bro :D

~ @dumbfxck00 no idea if this is the direction you wanted this to go in, friend, but I hope you like it! ~

"She's going to kill us, isn't she."

It's phrased like a question, but the doleful words coming from the lanky redhead shackled next to you in the stone cell sound a lot more like a factual statement. A very depressed, slightly melodramatic, decently self-pitying statement. You draw your knees up with a slight shiver in the damp air as you weigh your options.

"I could always try calling Asra -"

"God, no -"

"You're right."

"At least Pasha could forgive me. She's a good sister, after all," He lets out a long-suffering groan and hangs his head, "and what a failure of an older brother I've been."

"Hey," You scoot in closer with another shiver, mainly in an effort to comfort him but also in the hopes of getting a little more warmth.

Julian lifts his head at your movement. You watch all the confidence and charisma rush back into his bearing as he notices your plight, reaching his not-chained hand up to whip his coat around your shoulders as he scoots closer to you. You end up glued to his side with his legs over yours, face pressed to his chest, as he wraps you up in the heavy black cloth and tucks you in tight.

"Rather chilly in here, isn't it?" He gazes down at you fondly, his warm grey eyes only a few inches from your face. "This is morbidly romantic ... seeking each other's warmth in a prison cell ... brought closer by our love than the shackles that bind us ... despite the crimes I've hardened my heart with ..." His expression falls. "and here you are, an innocent ... suffering alongside me, a murderer ..."

You huff against his shirt. "You're not a murderer, Julian. And your heart is still plenty warm."

He perks up again. "You can feel it, can you?" He leans in closer, his mood lifting once again as he leans in for a kiss. "Can you feel how it beats for you, even chained as the criminal I am now?"

"ILYA I SWEAR TO ALL THAT IS GOOD AND HOLY -"

Julian winces and jumps. You snuggle smugly into the coat as Portia comes storming down the corridor with a concerned looking Nadia behind her. Portia slams her hands against the iron bars, rattling them with a ferocity that, really, you can't blame her for at all.

"WHY ARE YOU IN HERE?! TELL ME TO MY FACE!!"

Your lover cowers, grief-stricken. "Your brother's a murderer, Pasha, I've taken a life -"

Portia turns her gaze on you and you give a deadpan response, ready to leave the cell and not willing to risk her wrath. "He accidentally dropped a kid's new goldfish into a canal when they asked him to hold it, and an eel ate it before he could jump in."

Julian winces, his voice coming out much smaller as Portia turns her unimpressed stare back at him. "I failed them ... I'm supposed to save lives, not lose them -"

Portia groans. "And how did that lead to you and MC in a cell?"

"A mistake!" His melodramatics kick up again, the chain rattling as he springs to his feet. "They're innocent, I swear! Do with me as a murderer deserves, but don't let them suffer on my behalf!"

You snuggle further into the coat and idly wonder if there's any way she'd invite you to dinner at the cottage if you cooperated sweetly enough. "He felt so bad he turned himself in to the nearest guards on a murder confession and asked to be arrested."

Portia's eyes go dull. "And you?"

Now you start to feel a little silly. "And I didn't want him to go alone."

Behind her, the Countess is quietly laughing into her hand. Portia reaches her hand out for the keys to the cell and opens it with a loud squeal before storming in and yanking for the chains attached to the wall.

"I can't believe you two. You're really perfect for each other, you know that? Two idiots competing to see who's smarter and tieing for third place." She reaches a hand out to help you to your feet, ignoring her brother's feeble protest as he's left to follow on his own. You give her and Nadia a grateful smile.

"Thanks for getting us out."

"I knew when I was informed that a certain 'Dr Devorak and company' were arrested that there must have been some mistake," Nadia hums, "I'm grateful to Portia for responding so promptly, or I would have been forced to contact your honorary grandmother."

Julian audibly gulps behind you. You make your best effort at looking penitent, but your stomach betrays you with a loud growl. Portia bursts into snorting giggles and turns away before you can apologize.

"I'm going to get dinner started. It's your choice if you stay behind."

#ask arcana brainrot #the arcana #the arcana game #the arcana drabble #the arcana imagine #the arcana fanfic #julian devorak #julian the arcana

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beatboxingprodigy · 25 days ago

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Uhm. Last legacy main4 like...modern au playlists, I genuinely apologize for rambling sm

putting these on here because J sent them in thw discors and I could litwrally heaaarrr thw crickets😞

anisa!! I have used the description thing on spotify but like who'll read it off spotify? I kept it soft, I feel like she likes winding down with friends or MC instead of alone, so she'd just listen to whatevers kn. But if she did have a choice, she'd keep it soft like this stuff. Also I see her as a hopeless romantic so I put lots of laufey, also I kept it short because on her own I think she'd be more picky with her music, as well as the fact that I think she's rlly like too busy to listen to music on her own much so she's just kinda like 'well I have all my favorites why make it any longer'. I also think she would enjoy her friends more alternative tastes, so she thinks abt makinf a playlist but just ends up savinf the others playlists cuz she procrastinates it too much.... I think she listens to that pther stuff if she's in more of a 'screaming into her pillow' mood rather than a 'god give me time to rest PLEASE'

Felix!!!! I feel like when I see Felix playlists they're like never goth? I put some romanticy/sexual songs because he's both a hopeless romantic and a freak. I can also see him having like a thousand playlists and listening to just generally alternative music(cant see him being basic at all because he just isnt) I can also see him listening to like moodier classical music I just am not abt to makw a classical music playlist. I might make more for him, I can see him listening to musicals(any dracula, jeckyl and hyde if thats hpw u spell it idk, stuff like tgat) and more theatrical stuff, like I DONT KNOW HOW BUT THEY FOUND ME and likeeee bearghost, sunday driver, aurelio voltaire, and things of that nature

Sage!!!! I imagins him listwning to like rocker dad music and nu metal(so thats what pretty much the whole playlist is..) I also see him listening to rap and like hip-hop and like general club or party music. Though I think he'd have maybe a couple other playlists of that stuff, and idk if this is me projecting but I think he'd start a playlist with a certain idea but like be too lazy to search songs so he just uses the reccomended stuff...so by the end of the playlist making its four hours long and he's jusr kinda like 'well shit I dont know half these songs' and the original point has been lost so its just all the music he likes(kinda what I did for this but I know all of the bands, jusf dont listen to them much or dont like the skng much+taking into account what he'd like) also I see modern au sage as like a bit of a punk. I also think he listens to like gross nasty metal. Not often but soemtimes. Always with band names like 'stinky shit cum rotten whore forest'

Rime!! Plus the last playlist. A lot of the time playlists for him seem kinda just like whatever freaky music the person knows? Which isnt bad I just dont rlly see him listening to only that, I also cant see him listening to music made by men very odten idk why...I also think that he likes to match the chaos of whayever going on in his head with the music, so irs all pretty loud(and unintentional but lots of riot girl). I think he'd also have maybe not as many as felix but a few more playlists as well. I think he'd also listen to general alternative music and somw more popular stuff depending on how quick it is(he also for sure has anisas playlist saved if he wants a quick little shameful crying session idk...I see it in my head...) I think he'd also listen to like spooky creepy girl music (Lalleshwari, Liar flower, and I can also see Felix enjoying that stuff but Rime more becahse I think he love love loves horror that isnt so gorey or in ur face but more weird and offputting)

if u read this all the way through I love you so much, and I apologize for the bad grammar and spelling mstakes. I type too fast and its too late at night for me to care abt this axtually making any sense at all)

#last legacy #last legacy fictif #fictif #felix iskandar escellun #rime solano varela #music #sage lesath #anisa anka #modern au #music taste #dorian era #Dorian wronged us #yapping #rambles #Last legacy #LL #sage fictif #Last legacy fictif #Spotify

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lewkwoodnco · 1 year ago

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I take you like you do your tea, with lemon and with honey - Lockwood x Reader/ Locklyle

And then you’re gone, along with half my hyper heart, leaving me alone with half-formed images of soil, rich and dark, burying what’s left of me. Oh darling, I wanted to write, I fear it is the future I hear calling, and I fear that it is from no further than our garden.

a/n: it's been a while since I've been inspired to write a fic impromptu and GOD have I missed it!! this was very cathartic to write and is one of my fav pieces of writing yet :) I decided to try something new by writing it in first person, from Lockwood's perspective, to the reader/Lucy (so it could technically also be considered a lockyle fic) there's not exactly a linear storyline heheh and i hope u enjoy!

warnings/tropes: first/second person writing, love??? fluff at least, sickeningly romantic, but also a dash of angst

word count: 720

TAGLIST | MASTERLIST

I watched you make your first cup of tea on a blustery January morning. The kitchen was too bright, and with the pounding in my head, it hurt my eyes to look. But I watched you add a drizzle of honey and a squeeze of lemon.

What's the point, I asked, of adding both honey and lemon? One sweet, the other sour, only tasting whichever’s sharper in the moment. You smiled at me. You held your cup like it was home. Outside, the curtains were singing and sighing. A new day had begun, just like any other, except now I knew how you took your tea.

You are a thousand different flavours that riddle my tongue blunt all the time. How to handle the scrapbook of memories that you are, I wonder. One moment you’re pressing a flare into my hand, making me promise not to blow up in a fit of recklessness, and the next you're resting your head on my chest, and I am too terrified to breathe.

When I'm in a mood and when you're rough with your words, I burn my tongue on you. A part of me eggs me on, pushes me to be something violent and unforgiving. Another part of me is crippled, and won't move on from the deathly quiet you left behind all those months ago. Tell me how I am supposed to love you when I don't have the capacity to do anything but, I wanted to demand. I was tired. Exhausted. You exhausted me. But still I thought, oh, love is stored in the tea leaves you wrung the very life out of.

What's the point, you say, if we are dizzy with grief as we spiral all the way down to ground zero, again? Then you look at me strange, and I realise no one's spoken. What’s the point, I ask, if we’re only running this into the ground. What’s this, you ask. I leave the door ajar.

On the morning of your trip, we’re having breakfast when George looks out the window and says the garden needs seeing to. He’s right - the grass needs cutting, the weeds need weeding but for a moment I watch the dandelions toss their heads in the wind. And then you’re gone, along with half my hyper heart, leaving me alone with half-formed images of soil, rich and dark, burying what’s left of me. Oh darling, I wanted to write, I fear it is the future I hear calling, and I fear that it is from no further than our garden. That night, I forget to sleep. I sit at the kitchen table just like I did in the morning, and continue watching their ghostly heads sway in a nonexistent breeze. I dream of you, miles away from me, and I humour myself by thinking you can feel the disease rotting away at my heart. It is some dream that you float back home, back to me, on a cloud of hope and contentment. It is some dream that I can make you happy.

I hold you close to my chest when my throat is raw, clutching you desperately like a promise for salvation. You tell me I'm hallucinating, and press a cold pack to my head, and I'm too weak to explain myself. I’m terrible and you don’t know half of it. You yell at me, wrap up my scrapes, and make my tea something bitter awful, and you still don’t know. You sit there at the corner of the table with your pencils, colouring something happy, and you don’t know that you make me half decent.

Every day, I hold you like water in my hands. You are forever slipping away and there is nothing I can do about it. I am no anchor, but rather the rough seas which capsize any hope for freedom from calamity.

There is the sweet, and there is the sour. There is the good, and there is the bad. I take them both. I take it with your palm slotted against mine, grimacing, like a bitter vitamin. I take it all. Just keep your fingers laced with mine.

Maybe love is the brew you use to irrigate my system when you get too sick of my cough. Or, maybe, love is you, and not your tea.

TAGLIST: @dangelnleif @elenianag080 @snoopyluver20 @ell0ra-br3kk3r @avdiobliss @mitskiswift99 @ahead-fullofdreams @mischivana @houseoftwistedspirits

#lockwood and co #lockwood & co #lockwood and co netflix #anthony lockwood #fanfiction #lucy carlyle #fanfic #anthony lockwood x reader #anthony lockwood imagine #anthony lockwood x you #locklyle

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loveandpeaceanddoughnuts · 5 months ago

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October 31, 2018 - 7:30pm

cw: angst, established relationship, hurt/no comfort [ao3]

“How many times are we going to have this conversation, Kento?”

Her husband put his head in his hands. “I’m sorry, my love. I am. This was never what I wanted for us.”

“Then why don’t you change it? Why are you still working yourself to death?”

Nanami dragged his hands down his face. “There are people that rely on me. Children. You know I wanted out before it ever got to this point, but I can’t abandon them now.”

Her face twisted. “What about our children, Kento? How much longer are we going to wait?”

He slumped, and guilt flared in her stomach. It was a low blow and they both knew it. Nanami and his wife, Lina had wanted children for years, but it was never the right time. Nanami’s job was always too demanding. In his darker moods he considered it a lapse of judgement that he had allowed Lina to shoulder the burden of loving him, let alone bringing children into it. He had told himself for years that he would marry and settle down when he was out of the sorcery game for good. He never wanted his spouse to lie awake wondering if he’d be coming home alive.

Unfortunately for Nanami’s virtuous plans, he had fallen hard and fast for Lina. The moment they met, wide, earnest eyes locking over the pastry case in his favorite bakery, he knew that she was a woman he would break his rules for.

Lina had always known that loving Kento would come with sacrifices. He had always been honest with her about the realities of his life, and she had never regretted the trade. Recently, though, the late nights had been piling up. Nanami would stagger through the door at two or three in the morning, his handsome face bloodied and bruised. He never wanted to talk about what had happened on those nights, and she would patch him up and comfort him as best as she could. But even when he was lying beside her in their bed, her husband felt like he was a million miles away.

The work-life boundaries he had been so careful to maintain were crumbling, and Lina was terrified of what would happen when they were completely gone. It was that fear that she was hiding with her anger now.

“Do you even care about me any more? Maybe it would be easier if you could come home to an empty apartment. No one to worry about whether you’re alive or dead.”

Nanami recoiled like he’d been slapped. “Is that how you think I feel?”

“I don’t know!” Lina cried. “That’s the problem, Kento, I never know! You’re always so stoic, so goddamn self-sacrificial, I never know what’s going on in your head. I don’t need you to protect me!”

He stepped closer, reaching for her hands. “I know. I know. But you don’t understand…” Nanami cut himself off with a curse, knowing it was the wrong thing to say.

Lina jerked her hands away from his. “You won’t give me the chance to!” They stared at each other for a long moment, breathing hard. Nanami clenched his fists at his sides, aching to reach out to her but unwilling to try again after she pulled away. Nanami’s phone rang out in the silence, startling them both.

“You have to take that, right?” Lina rolled her eyes.

“No. I don’t. Nothing is more important than this.” Nanami looked pained, but resolutely ignored the call. That is, the first time. As soon as the ringtone cut off, it started back up again. Whoever was on the other line wasn’t giving up. “Please, love, talk to me. I’m listening.” Nanami switched off the ringer and made a show of placing the phone on the coffee table.

Where it promptly started vibrating so hard that it fell to the floor, face-up. Call from: Gojo Satoru.

Lina bit her lip and looked away. “You really do have to take it.”

“I don’t care, okay? Fuck that. I’m clocked out. I want to fix this, Lina, please.”

She bit her lip, tears welling in her eyes. “I feel so selfish.”

“Don’t say that-”

“No, I am. I’m selfish because I know how strong you are, and how much they need you, and I still want to keep you here with me.” Lina’s voice broke. “I know that other people would be hurt if I asked you to give it all up, and I still-” She swallowed a sob and closed the distance between them, pressing her face into his chest. “Kento, I’m still asking.”

Nanami felt the world shudder on its axis. He knew she would never ask that of him if she didn’t mean it, if they hadn’t reached a breaking point. “Lina…”

His phone buzzed again from the floor. This time a contact photo flashed on the screen, a grinning boy with pink hair. In a few seconds Nanami registered the call, how late at night it was, how rarely the kid contacted him directly. Something was wrong. Lina sensed it too, and her face fell as she stepped aside. “Take it.”

“Itadori, what’s wrong?” Nanami pressed the phone to his ear, trying to calm his breathing while keeping his eyes on his wife, who had curled into herself on the couch. “Why are you calling at this time?”

The boy sounded frantic. “Nanamin, Gojo Sensei said he hasn’t been able to reach you! There’s something happening in Shibuya, a curtain-” static crackled over his words, “civilians- need help-”

“Itadori? Itadori I can’t hear you, what’s going on? A curtain was cast in Shibuya?”

Lina’s head snapped up, watching her husband nervously. The call dropped with a dismal beep, and Nanami turned to her. “Lina, you heard everything.” He looked helpless. “Itadori is a child. I have a duty…”

She shook her head, eyes fixed on the floor. “I know, Kento. I know how you feel about those kids, and I love you for it. But I can’t take back what I said.”

He nodded gravely, and crossed the room in two steps to kneel by the couch. He reached for her hands, and this time, she didn’t pull away. “I love you, Lina. I want to give you the life you deserve. I want to give our family that life.”

He brushed away her tears with the back of his hand. “I’m needed in Shibuya. But after that, my love,” his voice shook, the closest he could get to tears in front of her. “My wife. I’ll be all yours. I swear it.”

“I want to believe you,” she whispered. “But there’s always going to be another mission.”

Nanami shook his head firmly. “Not after this. I promise you.” She watched him wordlessly as he strapped on his blunt blade and pressed his glasses to his nose. “Itadori is growing so quickly. He hardly needs me anymore, Lina. Really.” He shrugged on his blazer and she rose to tighten his speckled tie and smooth his lapels like she always did.

“I love you, Kento.”

“I love you too, Lina. More than anything.” She had already turned away when he looked back, halfway out the door.

#nanami kento #fanfic #jjk nanami #ao3 fanfic #jjk angst #nanami angst

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so-long-soldier-writes · 2 years ago

Text

Commitments

elijah mikaelson x fem!reader x kai parker | requested

summary: an argument breaks out when kai learns about elijah’s plan to propose to you. he had been making these plans himself, he just hadn’t expected the other man to do it without letting him know first. luckily, you intervene mid-fight and are able to settle it between them, proposing an agreement that suits you all

tags: poly relationship, arguments, talks of marriage, happy ending, fluff

word count: 1.3k

a/n: i hate the title, but not being able to title it was the only thing stopping me from publishing the request, which i didn’t want to do, so it’s kind of a bad title and i’m sorry about that. but, i hope you like it!

The minute you leave to go to your lunch date with Rebekah, Kai confronts the other man in your life about a small box he found in his nightstand.

“What do you plan on doing with it?” He tries to square up the original after hearing it is, in fact, a ring.

“I know you spent a lot of your life locked away, but I think you know why one would usually buy a ring.”

“Don’t play dumb with me. Are you going to propose to her?”

“If you must know, yes, I was planning on it.”

“You can’t do that,” he starts, only to be interrupted.

“And why not?”

“Because I was going to.”

“You must be joking. You don’t have the devotion for marriage, Malachai.”

“Maybe I do. How would you know?”

“Because I know you. We have been in this relationship for two years. We know each other just as much as we know her.”

“That’s where you’re wrong, Elijah. I am devoted. Devoted to her.”

“I know you are. But what about marriage? It’s something else entirely.”

“Are you suggesting I’m not capable of it?”

“I’m merely suggesting that you are not able to handle something so binding. Marriage is a commitment.”

“I’ve been committed to your dumbass all these years.”

“You have, for her.”

“So what’s the problem then?”

Elijah sighs, “let’s not make this an argument.”

“Me? You’re the one starting shit!”

“Malachai, I-”

“And don’t fucking call me that, you know I hate it. Why do you think you get to propose to the girl we’re both dating? She can’t ride off into the sunset with you and leave me behind, and how do you know she even wants to marry you?”

“So now you’re telling her what she can and cannot do. That’s never a good sign of a healthy relationship, Mal-”

“Shut up! Stop calling me that! And I’m not telling her what to do, I’m only saying that there’s three of us in this relationship, and you can’t just break it up like that.”

“Of course we would work out the details later, but it is imperative that I-”

“No! We work out the details before we ask the life-changing decisions! And funnily enough, I was actually going to ask you about similar details when I found your little box - which, by the way, you should hide better - because I have been wanting to go out and buy my own little box for her, because I do love her, and I am willing to make that commitment!”

“It’s not a little box, Mal… Kai, it’s a ring.”

“I know that.”

“And did you just say you wanted to propose too?”

“Yes, I did. But unlike you, I care about her feelings towards you, so I wanted to ask you before I made any rash decisions.”

“I care about how she feels for you, Kai, I just planned to ask those questions pertaining to you after I asked the question.”

“Why after? Why not before? Why so secretive?”

“Kai, I’m not in the mood for doing this with you-”

“Actually, it makes so much sense. You’ve been really standoff-ish lately, and I’m guessing this is why. But why the attitude, huh? Guilt, maybe? Pity?”

“You’re taking this too far. I have not been meaning to come off a certain way. You are projecting your own fears onto me.”

“I cannot deal with your thousand year old pretentious vampire talk right now, Elijah, I-”

“Well I cannot deal with your sensitive, baby vampire feelings. So may I suggest we both end this before we drive ourselves crazy?!”

“I am not sensitive! You don’t know what I’ve been through.”

“I do, actually, quite know. And I know that you hate to admit it, but you are being sensitive, because you love Y/N so much and the thought of not having her kills you.”

“So then why are you taking her from me?! Why did you go and buy that-”

“What’s going on?!” You shout into the room, effectively shutting up the two men. You could hear their muffled yelling from outside, tension settling in your bones at the noise.

They both stop and stare at you.

“Y/N,” Elijah coughs, “I thought you were meeting with my sister.”

“Something came up so we rescheduled. Why are you two arguing?”

It’s dead silent.

“You better tell me right now. I thought we got over the two of you fighting.”

Kai wants nothing more than to spit out the truth, but the original would crucify him. Thankfully, Elijah sighs, “we are having a minor disagreement.”

“About what?”

“About you,” Kai says quietly.

“Yeah, I got that. Would someone like to expand?”

“I wanted to propose to you, Y/N,” Elijah finally admits. “But I hadn’t told Kai about this plan yet, so when he found the ring, he became upset.”

Your stomach flips, “propose? Elijah…”

“I love you, Y/N. You are the woman I want to spend my eternity with. But as it turns out, Malachai feels the same, he just hadn’t taken the same steps yet.”

“The steps?”

“I didn’t buy a ring because I wanted to make sure it was okay with him if I asked. But Elijah over here decided he’d just ask me after asking you,” Kai supplies.

“You both?”

They nod.

“Oh my god.” You sit down in the nearest chair to think. “God… I love you both, so much.”

“Would you?” Elijah starts, then continues when you look up at him, “marry one of us?”

“‘Lijah… I love you. I do want to live forever with you. But Kai, I love you, too. I can’t choose between you guys.”

“What are you saying, Y/N?”

“I’m saying I can’t marry either of you. I can’t break your hearts; I can’t commit to one; I can’t make that decision. I won’t.”

“But… you still want to be with us, right?” Kai stutters out, afraid your rejecting words are a break up.

You turn to him immediately, “of course, Kai. That’s what’s stopping me from marrying either of you. I need you both in my life. If marriage is going to divide us, I don’t want it.”

“But Y/N, it’s the opposite. It’s what brings people together.”

“‘Lijah… marriage is a binding process sanctioned by the government. We can live and love without a piece of paper telling us to do that. We can be happy just being us.”

Kai visibly softens at your words. His shoulders relax and jaw untenses. “I am just happy to be with you, Y/N. Elijah, please say you agree.”

The more traditional man takes longer to give into the idea.

“I love our relationship just the way it is,” you tell him. “And, since you already bought the ring, I will still wear it, if you want. Kai, you too. I can wear them both. As a symbol of our love, without going through all the yucky legal stuff to have it.”

Elijah sighs before smiling and agreeing. “An anti-proposal proposal. I’m for it.”

A huge smile takes over your face and you rush to hug them both. They return the favor with the same enthusiasm.

“Now, if we may, I was going to give Bex my whole afternoon, but now I have nothing to do! Might my favorite boys join me on the bed with a movie?”

Kai springs up at the word ‘movie,’ and immediately fetches popcorn and snacks. You give Elijah one more kiss, thank him for agreeing to your wishes, and then send him off to find a movie.

For the rest of the day, you lie cuddled in between your boys, sharing candy and kisses, until exhaustion settles in your bones.

“Sleep, Y/N,” Elijah mutters, “we’ve got you.”

“We love you,” Kai mumbles, half asleep himself.

You kiss both their hands, then start to drift off into a deep sleep. “I love you both, too.”

#kai parker x reader #elijah mikaelson x reader #elijah x reader x kai #elijah mikaelson x reader x kai parker #poly relationship #requested

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m3r1m4r5u333 · 10 months ago

Text

Btw I've been so shaken by the last episode that I don't think I've even remembered to say how grateful and emotional I am for the bi representation. Because I am. I am. I so am.

Umm. So. To tell a little real life story to explain why this bi representation matters to me...

I'm bi. Hi.

Took me ages to really wrap my head around it. Ages. Years. Even now, well into my adult age (yeah I know I sound like I'm 14 but no I'm not)...

I'm still not out to my family. And it's not that they're the most queer-phobic people in the world. They're actually pretty great.

The thing is... Bi erasure is real. It really is. Even today, bisexuality is not taken seriously.

The amount of times I've witnessed people dismissing bisexuals and bisexuality... Lost count.

Often the idea never even enters someone brain. They don't consider it to be possible. They miss every possible clue because to them, we are practically mythological creatures. Sometimes it feels like people expect to meet a bisexual about as much as they expect to meet an unicorn. Why look for one, they're not real, you know!

"Oh, they're not really bisexual, they're just trying to be trendy, to get attention! Everyone is "bi" nowadays!"

So many times I've heard people dismiss bi people who are out.

Some act like every out-of-the-closet bi/pan person is actually just pretending, that secretly they are 100% into the same sex and just say they're bi because they think that's more accepted.

Some will express that to your face. "Hey, you know that it's okay to come out, right? Just making sure! I'm fine with gays!"

And the amount of times I've witnessed people thinking that bisexuality is like a light switch...

If you're a woman and start dating a woman - you're NOW a lesbian! If you end the relationship and start dating a man - Did you hear? She's straight now! Or alternatively... She's dating a man now? Oh what a headcase, she went back into the closet! How sad!

How and when are we bi, then? Only in polyamorous relationships?

So... Let's just say that this repeated dismissive environment, this persistent refusal to take bisexuals seriously messed with my head.

For years, it kept me in the closet even to my super lovely and queer friends.

I just kept doubting my own feelings and reactions. Surely, I could not be bi, that's not a REAL sexuality! No, I must be just confused. This is what I told MYSELF. Even though I had actual out and proud bi people in my life, whose identity I never doubted.

And also... The representation.

Do you people even realise how widespread the utter ignorance still is?

Imagine trying to come out as bi... after you realise that the person you consider coming out to... May not even REGOGNIZE the word "bi"!!! Yes, SERIOUSLY!!

You know... Because this was a real life event for me. Fun times!

I was playing scrabble with elderly relatives. Realised I had the letters B and I, realised I could score very nicely if I played them.

I felt daring, and had a hunger for winning, so I played them.

Guess what the reaction was?

Confusion.

..."What's "BI"?"

Yes, really.

My elderly uncle did not even KNOW the word. I was so taken back and shaky when I realised this that I could not even manage to come up with a reply. Thankfully SOMEONE knew because man was the mood awkward.

And guess what. It made zero sense that they did not know.

This person who went "What's BI?" was not a person who lived out of touch with the modern world. Nope.

I'm from a nordic country!

My country is supposedly one of the "progressed" ones!

The laws are pretty inclusive,

the media has freedom of speech,

and I know for a FACT that my godparents watch the news EVERY DAY, and even not just watch the news...

They read newspapers. They watch tv. Including silly fictional series with silly queer characters!!

But he still freaking didn't know what "bi" means!!

So that's why representation MATTERS. These dumb fictional queer characters and stories make the real queer people understandable. Visible. Known.

And hopefully some day we won't have to worry if the person we're trying to open up to can accept or comprehend what we're talking about.

So yeah. I'm so grateful for the representation. THANK YOU FOR DOING THIS, darlings ❤️❤️❤️ I love you.

#911 on abc #bi!buck #911 #bisexual erasure #bi representation #oliver stark #evan buck buckley #bisexuality #queer representation #lgbtqiia+#911 spoilers #lou ferrigno jr.

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deceptive-daydreams · 2 years ago

Text

The Under-Ground (18+ ONLY)

Chapter Two - Baggage

Ch. 1 | Ch. 2 | Ch. 3 | Ch. 4 | Ch. 5 | Ch. 6 | Ch. 7 |

Modern!Barista!Eddie AU - As you continue to train Eddie, words are exchanged. Your life is in shambles and he only adds to it.

Enemies to Lovers, Modern!Barista!Eddie AU, Eddie x Fem Reader

12.1K Words

Warnings - Eddie is an asshole, eventual smut, mentions of drugs and drinking, I don't think there's anything else but please let me know if I missed anything

Author's Note: This story has been lingering in my mind and it took me so long to write this chapter because I want to do it right and I had the worst writer's block but now I am flooded with inspiration. Pls let me know how you feel about it so far

Masterlist

Prev | Next

The biting cold of the morning nipped at your skin, little pins and needles feeling like they were burying themselves there. The streets were glimmering with puddles, the rain from the night before leaving them behind and the moody clouds still lingering in the sky. No matter how long you’d lived in Hawkins the changing of the seasons would always sneak up on you like an unwelcome visitor. Gone were the days of walking around downtown with an iced coffee on your day off, the summer sun beaming down and flowers in full bloom while the trees were leafy and lush. No more lounging around on a bench outside of the college to complete a few assignments under the shade of a large oak tree in desperate need of a change of scenery in comparison to your shitty apartment. At least not until next Spring.

Hawkins Community College was a historical building that used to serve as the town hall but has since evolved into the college after the council elected to have the town hall relocated to a more practical location. The building was settled just south of downtown and was deemed ‘too out of the way’. Its bricks were a faded brown, weathered down over the years and not a high enough priority to keep maintained, though the sidewalks were freshly paved and the grass was as green as ever, the morning dew blanketing over it like a fresh coat of paint. The campus wasn’t very large seeing as Hawkins’ population wasn’t very impressive and the majority of its residents would travel elsewhere for college.

The front steps of the building were scuffed and scattered with various footprints from students and teachers who walked with purpose to their destination. On the very top step, front and center sat a disoriented Dustin Henderson, face scrunched up in perplexity. Though he was still attending Hawkins High as a current sophomore, he enlisted himself in one of the programs offered where students could take classes at Hawkins Community for college credits. Fingers desperately ruffling through the several papers in his dense binder, he argued with his mother while his phone was clutched in the other hand on speaker. Something about “I swear it was on the kitchen counter!” followed by the word ‘mom’ being shouted into the phone repeatedly as if it would solve his dilemma. When she apologetically let him know that there was no such mystery item, he only cursed as he facepalmed, ending the call with a defeated “Okay, love you. Bye.”

A heavy sigh escaped the boy as he slapped the binder onto the step beside him, fingers pinching the bridge of his nose, agitated. Dustin was ironically your only college friend, not a best friend but you knew him well enough to gather that he’d definitely left his assignment at home and that this was going to dictate his mood for the entire day. His eyes resembled emeralds as his focus shifted from his dirty sneakers up to you, a hint of excitement swimming in the deep green of his irises.

“Rough morning?” You suggest with a sympathetic smile. He bites his lip in frustration as if he’s holding back every distressed thought racing through his head.

“Mhmm.” He squeaks, still refraining from word vomiting all over your peaceful morning, hands now resting on his denim covered knees.

“You forgot your essay, didn’t you?” You know you’ve poked the bear but you could feel how anxious he was to blow up about everything that went wrong that morning leading up to this moment and who were you to deny him? Henderson had a special place nestled in the corner of your heart, always loud and boisterous but also kind and delightful to be around.

He sucked in a breath before releasing every word that was prodding his brain. “All because my mom had to clean the goddamn house! She was all ‘Dusty, this is why we don’t leave our things around!’” He mocks his mothers voice with a high pitch, face twisting in dramatics. “I left it right on the counter where I could grab it on my way out but apparently, a ten page essay WITH MY NAME ON IT IN BIG BOLD LETTERS was thrown in the garbage. On its way to a landfill. Gone.” His shoulders tensed and all you could offer was a supportive hand to his shoulder.

“I’m sorry, Dustin.” You say carefully, the kid was a ticking time bomb sometimes. He waved you off, his way of saying ‘don’t worry about it’.

“And THEN, fucking Will made the dumbest move last night at our campaign. Completely tanked the whole thing.” His hands were thrown up in misery as he recalled the memory. “Eddie had the whole thing set up perfectly, we’ve been playing this campaign for weeks!” Dustin’s eyes shifted back and forth erratically as the whole thing played out in his mind, your eyes rolled at the mention of the metalhead. “Oh he was so pissed. You shoulda seen him, he was throwing dice, screaming at Will, screaming at Mike, screaming at ME! I finally talked him off the ledge but shit, he was revved up.”

Eddie hosted their DND club a majority of the time per Dustin and from what he tells you about those nights, Eddie is always a sadistic maniac. Dustin also swears that he’s like his big brother, next in line to King Steve although Steve took on more of a dad role. There was no way to imagine Eddie embodying the role of a big brother let alone displaying any kind of pleasant behavior. You cringed at the mere idea of him, knowing you’d have to endure him at work this evening.

Dustin continued his rant passionately. “And I’m sorry, I know you hate when I bring up Eddie for whatever reason but dude was not having it. My special edition dice are now lost in the abyss underneath his couch.” You shake your head in disapproval. “I told him I’d let it slide though cause he said he’d let me go with him to a concert.” He concludes with a shrug.

At this you nudge the boy’s shoulder, disappointed. “Dustin! He can’t bribe his way out of losing your dice after chucking them when he has a temper tantrum! If those dice are important to you then you need to stand your ground.” You instruct him.

He lets out a long sigh before responding. “Socks, respectfully, this is how our friendship with Eddie works. We piss each other off and then we move on. Like a few weeks ago, he kept making sexual sounds while I was on the phone with my mom so I hid his shoes from him after he got really stoned.” At this you can’t help but release a laugh.

“Good on you, Henderson.” You praise. “I guess I won’t need to step in when I see him at work later then. Sounds like you can handle yourself.” You begin pulling your binder from your bag in preparation for class.

Dustin shakes his head in confusion, waving his arms in front of him like he’s missing a piece of the puzzle. “Hold up, Eddie’s a barista now?” His tone is humorous, on the brink of cackling.

“Uh huh.” You answer nonchalantly while opening your binder and shuffling through a few papers, making a note in your planner for some homework you just remembered off the top of your head. “And our dear Stevie knew about it before me and just decided it’d be a good idea to see my reaction when he walked in the door for his first shift yesterday.” You chew on your pen as you attempt to remember any other assignments you may have forgotten to write down.

“Eddie? Eddie Munson? Metalhead, former drug dealer, thought it would be funny to piss in Steve’s beer, Eddie Munson? That Eddie?” Dustin gapes at you in disbelief to which you nod. “I’m sorry but–there’s no fucking way! A barista? He doesn’t even drink coffee, he hates trendy little cafes, and there’s no goddamn way he would apply for a job where both you AND Steve work. Sounds like his own personal hell.” The boy is laughing, clutching his stomach.

You hang your head and giggle along with him. As awful as the situation was, it did sound ridiculous enough to laugh. “I thought the same thing, Dusty. The universe just has it out for us.” You refer to you and Steve. As much as you had a rivalry with Eddie, Steve had his own beef with the guy. This posed as an issue seeing as Steve practically mothered Lucas, Mike, Will, Dustin, Max, and El ever since he was in high school when he dated Nancy Wheeler. The way Eddie and Steve fought resembled a divorced couple exchanging their kids in a Walmart parking lot. And to Steve’s disadvantage, Eddie always ended up at the notorious parties he threw since one of the kids always ended up blabbing after he distinctly told them not to. It always put a damper on your night when he showed up, giving you flashbacks to that one party years ago that you swore you’d forget about but it still lingered in the back of your mind.

“I hope you know this means that everyone’s going to be placing bets on who ends up dead first.” Dustin raises a brow at you, throwing his arm over your shoulder, shaking it playfully.

Standing up as classes were about to start, you shot him a glare. “I can definitely take him.” You state, holding your hand out to help him up. He takes it and shrugs, a grin on his face that tells you ‘I don’t know about that’. “Dustin. Please don’t tell me you think Eddie is going to get to me.” You scoff as he opens the heavy metal door leading into the building, the hinges creaking.

His face indicates that he’s bouncing a thought around before answering. “Well…” he begins. “You don’t know what he’s capable of. The guy is a menace. He can play games for as long as he needs to.” He further explains.

“Okay, you know what? I’m done talking about some asshole who doesn’t even matter to me.” You decide, the mostly vacant hallways echoing your footsteps as you step into the heated building.

“Ugh, it’s like having three parents who don’t get along. I know Eddie is a lot but maybe if you, I dunno, hung out with him you’d realize he’s actually also really cool.” Dustin has the audacity to suggest.

Huffing out a breath and holding your binder to your chest, you give him your final piece of mind. “Munson is never going to even get the time of day out of me let alone a besties hangout sesh.” You snap bitterly. Dustin’s hands raise in surrender, you’re done with this conversation and he knows better than to try and change your mind.

“Anyway…” he sighs, dropping his shoulders while you both make your way through the beige halls. “Max and Lucas are back together again.” He nudges your shoulder with his, causing you to sway as you walk. The couple were always on again, off again. One week Lucas would do something dumb like stand her up by accident to go to the mall with Mike and another Max would invalidate his feelings. It was something they claimed they were working out but after every breakup, everyone always reacted with an eye roll, knowing full well that the routine would repeat itself. You truly did root for them but if they were going to keep hurting each other, there was no reason for them to continue the relationship.

Glancing at Dustin, your face tells him that you’re not amused. “Tell me something new, Henderson.” You deadpan. He nods, exhaling as he racks his brain.

“Holy shit!” He sounds as if he’d just had a revelation. “I can’t believe I forgot to tell you!” His feet stomp on the linoleum floors in excitement, sneakers squeaking against the surface. “But you have to PROMISE not to tell anyone.” A finger is pointed at you in warning as you nod for him to continue. Dustin was very bad at keeping secrets. “Steve has a girlfriend.” He chirps.

Stopping dead in your tracks, shoes screeching against the floor, your eyes widen. Steve told you everything so if Dustin’s accusations were true you were going to have some words for him for not telling you. “Who?!” You inquire, full attention on the curly headed boy. “You’re lying, Steve would’ve told me!” You whine like a child.

“That’s the thing, he hasn’t told anyone. I saw some girl getting out of his car the other night in the mall parking lot. I didn’t get a good look at who it was cause it happened so fast.” He explains.

Your excitement drops at his words. “Dustin, that doesn’t mean he has a girlfriend, that means he’s messing around, he does it all the time.” You remind him of his reputation as King Steve.

“Well pardon me for being an optimist.” He sasses you, the two of you approaching the class.

“You’re really bad at gossiping.” You finish before stepping into the room, leaving him offended in the hallway.

–

Class was as bland as ever, your professor, Mr. Randall lectured about marketing the whole two and a half hours and you nearly fell asleep six times, Dustin jabbing the eraser end of his pencil into your side each time you started slouching as he caught up on his calculus homework. The closer to the evening it got, the more on edge you grew knowing you wouldn’t get to work the peaceful closing shift you were once used to but instead suffer a stress-inducing nightmare while training the local terror of Hawkins. Life sucked all the way around at the moment.

Bidding Dustin a ‘see you later’ while you were walking in sync just outside the building where you always parted, he flashed you a grin before begging you to snap him a photo of Eddie at work to send it to him later. More than likely for blackmail reasons for the next time they were pissing each other off. Their relationship was something you couldn’t quite get a grasp on however you didn’t attempt to even understand it past the fact that for some reason Dustin admired the man child as well as despised him sometimes in that brotherly way.

“Dustin, fuck off.” You tell him with a playful tone.

“What!? You don’t even like the guy. I’d venture to even say that this would be benefiting you in the long run.” He clasps his hands together in front of him in a pleading motion but you don’t seem to budge which his face falls at.

“I don’t need to be involved in your little war, I have my own!” A dramatic wave of your arms is enough to stop him from prodding.

With that you departed from the campus and headed straight to downtown a few hours shy of your shift to lounge around and chat with Robin. It was either that or go back to your shitty apartment and sit in the freezing stale air, at least this way you could revel in the warmth of the shop and sip on a hot chocolate which happened to be your favorite and the only hot drink you would ever order. Every other option had to be iced or it was a no go.

It was around two in the afternoon so there was time to be killed until five. You figured you’d grab your hot chocolate, gossip with Robin and Steve for a little, maybe work on some assignments, and then take a little walk through the park at the center of the square, a solid plan. The morning chill was long gone and it was now a tad warmer with the sun sitting high in the sky. The sidewalks were vacant since everyone was either at work or still in school which was a plus in your book, you liked to keep to yourself and found it especially annoying when you had to stop to interact with random patrons and were expected to indulge in stupid small talk that was lost on you the second you walked away.

A thirty minute walk later and you’d finally reached The Under-Ground, the smell of espresso already invading your nose before you even stepped into the building. As you reached for the metal handle, the door had already swung open with the bell chiming above it, a rushed Joyce Byers stumbling out with two full cup holders of hot coffees nearly flying out of her hands, eyes panicked and a startled gasp escaping her.

She mumbles your name with a nervous grin, her nose tinted pink from the fall air. “So sorry! I didn’t mean to run you over–I just–I was in such a hurry. I forgot to get the coffee for a staff meeting.” She further explains apologetically as she gestures with a tilt of her head to Melvald’s.

Your expression softens, Joyce was always the sweetest person you’d ever met and she was a regular at the shop. She was one person you didn’t mind engaging in small talk with because she was genuinely interested in your answers and took the initiative to further the conversation, asking how things were and telling you to let her know if you ever needed anything. You never took her up on the offer, there was no reason to bother her. Joyce was somewhat of a mother figure but in a quiet manner and you were so grateful whenever she graced you with her presence. Her boys were well mannered too, she’d done an amazing job raising them as a single mom. Obviously you’d hung out with Will since Steve was the designated neighborhood mom and that granted you rights to the movie nights, pool parties, and just about anything that Steve hosted which meant all the kids were there too. Will was a sweet kid, he was shy at first but an absolute menace once he was comfortable enough.

For some reason you had a connection with him as well as Joyce, they were like family just not by blood. Will had always comforted you if things ever felt off. If no one else in the group noticed your shift in mood, Will did and he would approach it graciously, silently nodding at you to ask if you were okay. From there you would communicate through your eyes and he’d gather what you were feeling from that alone. It was like having telepathy and somehow you would both silently step out from whatever scene you were in the middle of. If it was at Steve’s, the two of you would perch yourselves on the front steps and you would just let him know you weren’t feeling that great mentally. The conversation really wouldn’t go further than that but it didn’t need to, he was just there for you and you for him. It worked both ways, if Will looked particularly lonely you would nod your head toward the door and you’d both meet outside. Sometimes he’d hint that he found it annoying how clingy El and Mike were but you knew it meant that he was sick to his stomach that his best friend and his crush were basically making out on top of him. Jonathan had always made it a point to bring you to the side and thank you for providing that support to his brother and that it meant a lot to him. You’d always offer a small smile in return. The Byers held a special place in your heart, they were so effortlessly nice just because. They had no ulterior motive, just the intention to be good people.

Taking in Joyce’s disoriented demeanor, you shake your head and help her to steady a leaning coffee that almost escaped the cup holder. “That’s okay, I almost crashed into you.” You tell her.

“No, that was my fault! I really wanna catch up with you but I have to go!” She says rather quickly, worried as she begins to scurry back to Melvald’s. Telling her you’ll have to catch up soon over coffee and that she knows where to find you, she agrees and hurries into the store. You can’t help letting out a small giggle at her antics.

Finally sauntering into The Under-Ground, the warmth wraps around you like a cozy cocoon, something that was all too unfamiliar at this stage in your life given the circumstances of your apartment where you were meant to spend most of your time but did everything in your power to stay away from. You welcomed the hot air like a big hug, eyes shutting in content with a deep sigh. The tables are empty save for one in the very corner where a businessman sipped on a latte while putting together a powerpoint on his laptop. Steve leaned against the counter scrolling away until he felt your gaze on him, raising his brows in expectancy.

“You’re here early…” He points out.

Irritably, you set your bag on one of the tables before making your way over to the register. “So what you’re saying is, you’re not happy to see me, Stevie?” You ask with mock hurt.

Steve scoffs as he stands on the opposite side of the register as if to ring you up. “You know that’s not what I mean.” He explains. “I mean, you seem to be coming in earlier and earlier. Can’t get enough of me?” A wink is offered your way.

You gag at this, painting disgust on your features. “No offense but you’re not my type and I think you know that by now.” You joke. The chances of you and Steve getting together were as great as the chances of him and Robin getting together, zero. And it was mutual but you had this ongoing joke. “Now can you please make me a hot chocolate?” You request with a pout. “Pleeeeease.” You add, swaying back and forth like a child asking their mother for candy.

All you receive in return is an eye roll as he begrudgingly obliges and spins on his heels to prepare the drink. “Thank you, thank you, thank you!” You tell him in an annoyingly high pitched voice.

“Whatever, SOCKS.” He pronounces the nickname loudly, the businessman in the corner momentarily looking up at him in displeasure. You give Steve a glare while taking a seat at your chosen table in the book corner, mouthing his words, mocking him with a dramatic facial expression.

Shortly after taking a seat, Robin emerges from the back and claims the chair next to you silently, her hair thrown up in a messy ponytail on top of her head, face indicating business. “You see, Steve was given one job and that was to ask you how last night went with Munson but clearly he was incapable of even the smallest task.” She rants. “So here I am. Asking. How did it go? Is he still alive?” She pushes, crossing her arms while awaiting an answer.

Raising a brow at her, you continue pulling out your laptop as planned. “I’m only gonna say this once.” You affirm. Steve’s ears perk up as he rushes over while struggling to fit the lid onto your hot chocolate, face twisted in concentration as he approaches the table. “He’s the actual spawn of the devil and I have contemplated quitting–” Robin goes to interrupt you before you hold up a finger, finishing your thoughts. “But I will not give him that power and I’m going to keep working and will only talk to him when absolutely necessary. I’m also going to forever hold a grudge against Steve for even letting Munson hear the nickname ‘Socks’. My tranquil closing time has become my own private hell, thanks Steve.” You ramble. “Also, yes. He’s still very much alive, unfortunately.” You say in monotone.

Steve looks taken back, a hand flying up over his heart in surprise, temporarily giving up on securing the lid of your drink. “Thanks, Steve??? I didn’t personally hire him! I admit I slipped up on the name but give me a break here.” He whines.

You reach for the hot chocolate, making grabby hands as you frown at a distraught Steve, hoping he’ll at least nudge the cup toward your reach. He throws his hands up in the air with a scoff. “Socks, I didn’t mean to rile you up by not telling you he got hired, okay?! I made a dumb decision thinking it would be better for you and it bit me in the ass. I’m sorry.” In usual Steve fashion he stares at you with giant pleading eyes, his long lashes blinking at you while his lips pout, all pretty and pink as if he were a Barbie doll.

“Really, Steve?” Robin mocks, a smirk pulling at her lips.

You finally pipe up, still reaching for the drink across the table. “Steve, I’ll forgive you if you hand me my drink.” You bargain, tongue darting out in concentration as you inch your fingers toward the chocolatey goodness hidden in a paper cup. Steve snatches it up and pushes it into your hands, the warmth of the beverage consuming your palms. The lid is still barely sitting on top, you gently pull it off to allow it to cool down.

Triumphantly, Steve strolls back behind the counter. “So we’re good? I’m free of my mistake?” He shouts to you. You and Robin share a look, her attempting to take a sip of your hot chocolate only to burn her tongue, a series of huffing noises leaving her as he waves her hands up and down in front of her mouth.

“Hoth, hoth, hoth.” She lisps.

You offer Steve a thumbs up from across the room while shaking your head at Robin. “All good, Stevie. Until the next time you cross me.” You half joke. “Robin, it’s hot chocolate. Hot.” You remind her as she pinches her tongue with her fingers, her brows knit together. She whines in response, rushing away to relieve her scalded tongue with some water. It turns out, you didn’t get that gossip session with Robin seeing as she was too occupied with soothing her tongue along with a sudden wave of customers. Next time, you suppose. You’ll have another chance to rant and rave to each other soon enough.

–

The espresso machine whirs and creates a hum as you craft a macchiato for the customer standing idly by the to go counter. It’s 5:15. And you work the shop alone. Not that you would usually complain, the evening rush was nothing you couldn’t handle on your own but training a new hire wasn’t something you could bypass so either way it would need to get done and the sooner your new terror of a coworker could do things independently, the better. And yet, he was fifteen minutes late, nowhere in sight, not even the roar of his stupid motorcycle in the distance.

Robin and Steve had taken off at five on the dot, Steve complaining that he was responsible for hauling everyone to Lucas’ basketball game and you grateful for having the night shift. Sports were a complete snoozefest and although you’d love to support Lucas it just wasn’t your scene. Of course you’d go when you were free but there was that sliver of relief when you weren’t required to subject yourself to the highschool gym full of sweaty kids and squeaking shoes.

With a polite smile, the drink is gingerly handed to the customer and you are offered a half assed thank you before they exit, no eye contact while they stare down at their phone. You shrug it off, glancing around at the few people that are lounging around at the tables either working on their laptops or reading. Everyone seems satisfied and no tables are in need of tidying or wiping down so you return to the hot chocolate you had been nursing, now chocolate milk if anything but still delicious. Leaning against the counter as you sip, you allow yourself a moment of meditation, breathing in–and out–in—and out, the cocoa taste lingering on your tongue in between sips.

As if god himself had it out for you, your brief moment of silence and tranquility is rudely interrupted by the blaring engine of a certain someone’s dumbass motorcycle, whipping around the corner and into a spot dead center in front of the shop. You note that you’ll have to have a conversation with him about parking in the back so customers can actually use those spots provided–he won’t listen but at least Ronnie won’t be able to put the blame on you. Rolling your eyes at the delinquent, he makes his way into the building, pulling his helmet off and shaking his shaggy mane around like a dog.

Knowing that you can’t reprimand him the way you so desire in front of customers, you shoot him daggers from where you lean, gripping the paper cup tight enough to leave crescents from your nails. If he doesn’t even have the decency to show up for work on time, why should you have to endure closing with him every night? Why is it that you’re seemingly being punished by the universe? Haven’t you had enough already? My apartment sucks, I sleep on a lumpy mattress in the corner on the hard ass floor, my heater doesn’t work even though it's getting cold, hell, even some of my lights don’t work, rent is being raised next month, classes are kicking my ass, and now that actual spawn of satan gets to unleash his wrath on me every day. The thoughts consume you momentarily until Eddie spins around from clocking in on the computer, delivering a smirk with an amused expression underlying his features. And you’re having none of it, it’s only his second day and he’s pulling this shit? Absolutely not.

Your brows furrow in rage but your voice comes out in a hushed but cruel whisper. “Were you out rolling with the raccoons again?” You refer to the time he crashed one of Steve’s parties, maybe it was New Years; he got so wasted that he began befriending some raccoons out near the pool. He laid on the ground for at least two hours and nearly cried when they ran off, crushing whatever dream he had of either taking them home or whatever he was planning in his drunken state of mind. In any case, it was something everyone held over him, especially you on the rare occasion that you had to associate with him–so if he wanted to dick around at work and make your life hell (as if he hadn’t already done that) then you would throw anything you could at him to cause him grief. There was no playing nice.

The slightest hue of pink makes its way across his cheeks before he straightens his posture in a means to intimidate you. “Calm down there, Socks. Don’t get your panties in a twist over lil ol’ me.” His brow raises as if to challenge you. Your comment got to him–flustered him. He’s trying to hide it but you can detect the embarrassment seeping out of his pores, the hatred he has for the fact that he let his vulnerability slip out in his drunken haze that night and the look on your face indicating that you have the upperhand here.

Taking the lid off of your remaining hot chocolate gone cold, you slurp up the contents of the cup, a layer of the melty whip cream decorating your top lip as you give him a cocky glare. “Trust me, nobodies getting their panties in a twist over you, Munson.” You reply, checking around him to make sure no customers are listening in on the exchange.

His notorious grin takes over his features, dimples on full display and you could just kick him in his stupid teeth. Leaning in ever so slightly, his breath fans over your face, tobacco evident. One hand rests next to you on the counter, the other gripping his helmet. “Nice stache.” He whispers, tapping the counter twice before heading toward the back.

Nice stache? What kind of come back–oh. You gently bring your fingers up to your top lip, feeling the obvious whip cream sitting comfortably there and you feel your blood run hot in embarrassment as well as rage. What makes it worse is that he had nothing to do with it, it just happened and that gave him the upperhand in return. The universe or some higher power really it out for you and clearly wasn’t rooting for you in this war.

Tossing the cup angrily into the trash and wiping off your lip, a quiet groan escapes you, Eddie sauntering in actually wearing an apron today. Except it's littered in several pins and patches, some room in between to add more later on. “Do you even care that you’re–” You check the clock. “Twenty minutes late?!” You finish, still attempting to stay quiet enough that the remaining customer’s wouldn’t hear. “And–and your apron. Do you think you can do whatever you want?” You whisper yell furiously. A stupid question, you realize as it tumbles out of your mouth.

“Yes, actually. I’m a free man in a free country. What a foreign concept.” He says tying his hair back into a low bun, a few select pieces framing his face. “Why don’t you worry about yourself.” He snaps. “Also…” He begins with a point of his finger. “Who the hell drinks hot chocolate as someone who works in a coffee shop?” He mocks. You can’t help but glance at the glint that catches at his earlobe, a little silver hoop reflecting off the lights, something you otherwise wouldn’t notice if not for his hair being pulled back. You would dare to even call it cute if he wasn’t such a menace, an absolute barbarian that you vowed to never give the time of day to again and yet here you are, giving several hours of your life.

A scoff is earned from you while you cross your arms, leaning on one hip with sass. The attitude is there but you have no response to counter him. He stares at you expectantly and you come up with nothing but a mumble under your breath. “Caffeine makes me anxious.” He barely catches it, humming for you to repeat it again. “Hot chocolate doesn’t have caffeine in it, I try to limit my caffeine okay!?” You snap, still quiet enough to not draw attention.

Rolling his eyes, he seems to ignore your answer and strolls over to the front counter, reaching over and snatching up a ham and cheese sandwich without a care in the world, immediately tearing into it. You resist the urge to grab it right out of his hand and launch it across the room, instead opting to massage your temples with your fingers, taking deep breaths. It was either that or you’d have a homicide charge on your hands. Sure you also snuck sandwiches from the cooler however you were discrete and no one ever noticed. If Eddie kept it up, you’d get in trouble for his misbehavior.

“Do you want this job or not?” You sigh, trying to reason. He chews disgustingly on the sandwich, crumbs rolling down his chest. He shrugs. A scream is awaiting in your lungs, an unreleased scream of pent up rage for the immature boy towering over you. It doesn’t escape but it so desperately wants to. “Munson.” You grit your teeth, fists forming at your sides.

“Hmm?” He hums carelessly, scarfing down the remaining bites and tossing the wrapper into the trash.

Another deep breath, you try to clear your energy. “If we don’t at least cooperate here, I am out of a job and I cannot afford to be out of a job.” You plead with him, eyes becoming the slightest bit watery much to your distaste. It’s not on purpose, things are really just that bad.

“What? Did your trust fund run out?” He bites, and it hurts. Though it's not the most vile thing someone could say it pinches you and leaves behind a nagging pain. Trust fund? Who did he think you were?

“Excuse me?” You breathe out, stepping slightly closer to him, still on alert for any customers who might listen in but you’re still in the clear.

“Yeah, did mommy and daddy cut you off? Welcome to the real world.” His words are like knives cutting into your skin. They shouldn’t be, you know that. His words are meaningless to you–are they though? Where did he even come up with the idea that you came from any sort of wealth? Sure in high school you were stable enough but nowhere near Harrington wealthy. Was he referring to you living comfortably? If that's the case he would be elated to know that you had close to nothing these days. But you can’t give him that satisfaction.

Brushing off the interaction as if nothing was said, you grab the clipboard from one of the drawers to find where you left off in training last night and what boxes remained to be checked off. “So yesterday we learned cleaning procedures and counting the register. Today we pick up learning drink recipes.” You suck it up and push through. His words are nothing, he is nothing. A certain emotion flashes in his eyes when you glance up to scold him for not paying attention. You can’t put your finger on what it is but it must be some type of regret for taking this job, there’s something sadder to it though. He is nothing to me but a warning from the universe on what to stay away from.

–

“Okay so five pumps of caramel.” Eddie confirms with you, eyes drooping in boredom. The shop is now devoid of customers, the evening rush long gone as it was now 7:30 and you only expected to see maybe five more customers at most before closing, giving you ample time to stuff Eddie’s dumb brain with all the drink recipes possible so he could eventually do everything by himself and you’d no longer have to convene with him.

An exhale leaves your lungs while you rest your head in your hands on the counter, shaking your head. “No. Four. Four pumps of caramel. Four.” You reiterate, patience wearing thin. At least he wasn’t arguing with every word that left your mouth. “Let’s take a break from that one and try this one instead.” You advise, pushing a new recipe card in front of him. This one was for a simple iced mocha. “So for this one you start off with three pumps of chocolate and then two shots of espresso.” You instruct, eyes tired and the bags underneath them giving it away.

Eddie reaches for one of the syrups and before you can stop him, he’s pumping three pumps of hazelnut into the cup, your hand smacking your face in frustration. “Eddie, do you just not read the labels?” You question.

He fakes a laugh, shoving the syrup back into its place. “Do you just not read the labels?” He mocks in a high voice. Your patience is wavering but you know you just need to get through this. The sooner he finishes training, the sooner you will have peace and quiet.

“Try again.” You tell him, holding back all of the anger rattling in your bones. He rolls his eyes and grabs the correct syrup this time. Except as he pumps it into the cup, you find that his pumps are way too big, not like you taught him earlier. He’s pushing down too far. “Too far! You’re pumping too far, it’s too much!” You tell him as the bottom of the cup becomes filled too high with chocolate, practically taking up where the espresso should go.

“Okay, you are like the worst teacher ever.” He states while sloshing around the flavored syrup in the clear cup, coating it around the sides as it maneuvers in his hand.

A hand drags down your face and you swear you’ve lost years of your life just in the past two nights. “Train yourself then.” You slap your hand on the counter, making your way over to the book corner and taking a seat in your favorite spot near the window to gaze at the streetlights.

His face contorts in confusion as if he had no idea why you were giving up on him. “Fine.” He mutters, taking a look at the little card that had the instructions for an iced vanilla coffee concoction. He can’t stop himself from glancing over to you in the corner, the warm glow of the street lights embracing you like a blanket. And he can’t shy away from the pang of guilt in his chest. Yet he continues to find himself at your throat every time, and you at his rightfully so. At least you have reason to be, he’s just a pathetic excuse of emotions buried under skin that dug himself so deep into a hole over the years there was no way out and all he could do was what he did best–shove people away and just play the part that had always been assigned to him since birth.

The sudden wail of the blender has you jolting and looking over behind the counter only to find Eddie manning the machine. You were too beyond exhausted to care anymore. If he wanted to start making milkshakes in spite of you then so be it. Your sight continued to set on the glow of the streetlights over the sidewalk. It didn’t rain today or tonight thankfully since you’d have to walk home. As you close your eyes, you imagine the warmth of the lights engulfing you and bask in the heat of the shop, silently cursing your landlord for not being attentive to your broken heater, leaving you with chattering teeth every night. If you could sleep in the back room you would, however that would be an awkward conversation with Ronnie and the openers, Max and El who took on the earliest shift from 4:30AM to 8:30AM, when Robin and Steve would relieve them of their duties. It was funny how your whole group seemed to now run The Under-Ground but you couldn’t come up with a better team if you tried. Save for Eddie, you could definitely find someone a hundred times better and then you would have the perfect team.

You continued to wander around in your imagination, the blender coming to a halt but you were too lost to even open an eye. The sound of cups scattering on the counter had you wincing but not once leaving your mind, not yet. It was rare that you were able to just sit and not think about the stressors in your life. That relaxation is shattered when a cup is slammed down in front of you, the noise causing you to jump back in your seat, eyes flashing open only to be meant with a perfectly curated blended iced mocha, down to the whip cream and chocolate drizzle on top. Behind it stands Eddie with his arms crossed in front of his chest, eyes stuck on the drink and not your reaction. All you offer is a nod, hand wrapping around the cup as you push it back toward him across the dark wood. What did he want? An applause? He did his job, congratulations.

“Good?” He asks for approval, much to your surprise.

“Mhm.” You nod again, standing up and making your way back behind the counter, leaving him to stare at his creation. There was no way you would give him any type of praise even if he did make the drink without any flaws.

“You didn’t even taste it.” He continues to stare down at the beverage on the table, his voice monotone.

As you start to mark a few things off for inventory, pen gliding across the paper, you hold out your other hand, paying him no mind in any other manner. Reluctantly, he scoops up the drink and strides over, shoving it in your hand like a pissed off child. You take a sip and are impressed that it actually tastes good but rather than give him any kind of compliment, you offer another nod. He’s starting to hate that response and if he receives another nod from you he may pull his hair out. The cold condensation stings your palm so you set the drink down, again pushing it toward him without so much as a glance.

“Just admit it, Socks.” He starts, grabbing the mocha and licking the whip cream from the top. “I did good and you hate it. Oh but if King Steve or Robin made it you’d be falling at their feet.” His tone is low and his gaze is intense as he burns into your side profile.

Continuing to ignore him, you jot down a few notes on the inventory sheet for some things that Ronnie may need to order more of on the next shipment. He scoffs, beginning to walk away from you when you decide to speak up. “Steve and Robin didn’t make me hate myself.” You remind him. It’s as if time slowed down the moment you spoke, the way you let the words roll off your tongue so truthfully, as if those words were in the bible. Eddie wasn’t religious by any means but that’s how disastrous your words felt. Yet he still finds comfort in playing his part.

“I made you hate yourself?” He seethes. “I made you hate yourself.” He repeats gritting his teeth. He knows he shouldn’t let himself go any further, it's a bad idea and it's simply not true what he’s about to say. But he can’t stop himself from assuming his role, he doesn’t know any different. He shouldn’t venture into territory where he knows he can never return from. “Babe.” The name is far from its endearing meaning, its dripping in hostility, soaked in venom. “I never made you hate yourself, you did that just fine all on your own.” The moment the words pierce the air he knows he shouldn’t have said them because there wasn’t even the slightest hint of honesty. The ugliest parts of him jumped out and now he has to suffer the damages.

A swell of tears stings the backs of your eyes and you desperately suck them back, refusing to let him have this. Your fists clench as you drop the pen from your grasp, your side profile still facing him, him standing in your peripheral. Suddenly you're gripping the counter with white knuckles, slowly shifting your gaze to the cowardly man a few feet away. His mouth opens and closes as if trying to take back what he said but he’s coming to realize it isn’t an option. In all honesty, the way you look right now frightens him. There’s suddenly no emotion behind your gaze. And then you fire right back at him.

“I hope you hate yourself just as much as I hate myself. I hate you more than I hate myself.” It stings like a deep scrape after you’ve fallen off your bike as a child, the dirt wedging itself into the skin. Again, his mouth opens and closes but there’s nothing to respond with. This may be his last shift since you’re probably going to tell Ronnie that he did some kind of fucked up thing just to get him fired and Ronnie will believe you over him–of course he will. He deserves it. But it would also mean he’s back right where he started, no one wanting to hire him. The Munson name really carried its burdens. He already had a secure job during the day at the auto shop, Jax & Sons but he needed the extra income. The only reason Ronnie hired him at The Under-Ground was because the owner, Beth’s husband Sam, owned The Hideout and Eddie was at least welcome there with the other rejects most of the time. While The Hideout wasn’t hiring, Sam referred him to The Under-Ground and assured him he would put in a good word with his wife. They were too good to him and he was starting to regret their kindness toward him, he deserved to be run over and have the shit kicked out of him.

No further words were spoken the rest of the night. Eddie was handed the clip board with the checklist for training, a silent demand that he train himself the rest of the shift while you occupied yourself with finishing some inventory, cleaning, and serving the few customers that came in. He quietly figured things out, familiarizing himself with the ingredients and learning quicker than he thought. Whenever he had a question, he refrained and decided he’d either ask you at a later time or eventually sort it out on his own. He should quit but there weren’t any other options if he wanted to keep himself fed and continue saving up to get out of Hawkins. Nowhere else was going to hire him, especially for the night shift. He was lucky they even trusted him to close with a girl though Sam seemed to put the rumors about him to rest if his wife and Ronnie had anything to hold against him and he would forever be grateful although now he didn’t feel he deserved that grace even if he was an innocent man that never amounted to the things his dad did.

–

Night after night for the remainder of the week, the evening shift was filled with tension and bruised feelings. If you had to so much as speak to Eddie it would be short and to the point, no sugarcoating. Each time you instructed him to clean something or do a task he would roll his eyes but oblige. He was the least of your problems and you were going to make sure it stayed that way. His training was almost complete and he was starting to pick up on a rhythm which meant you wouldn’t have to engage with him nearly as much. By Friday you’d fallen into a routine and while not in the best of circumstances, it was fine since not a whole lot of arguing happened since the previous incident.

You would attend to the customers with a friendly smile and a higher than your normal octave voice as usual and he would be his sarcastic self while also seeming to charm people with his damn dimples. Ronnie didn’t appear to be phased by all the pins and patches that adorned Eddie’s apron when he made an appearance randomly yesterday, to your dissatisfaction. You guess as long as none of them had anything offensive then he left him alone. Why did you care anyway? You didn’t.

The evening swarm of coffee addicts had arrived and you churned out drinks left and right, earning tips with the help of your perky attitude that you’d learn to put on over time. It aggravated you that Eddie had no issue charming his way into bigger tips, it’s like he was a professional. Some patrons would give him nasty looks while others, particularly the older moms who you’d definitely seen with a husband at some point, would pay him extra attention and drop larger bills into the tip jar while flipping their hair and lingering around longer than necessary. It made your stomach churn. Regardless, you continued to put on a smile and work through the rush, hoping by the end of the night the tips split up would give you a little bit of extra rent money to save for next month. It wasn’t like you were in a position to save money, living paycheck to paycheck but something had to give and you needed that cushion so you actually had a place to live.

As the night winded down and people were heading home, neglecting the coffee shop until early in the morning, you took a rag to the tables to clean and straighten up while Eddie obnoxiously banged on the espresso machine that had been giving everyone a hard time all week, periodically getting stuck and then spewing espresso everywhere. “Fuckin’ piece of shit machine.” He mutters, trying to pry off the panel to get a look inside at the machinery.

Not wanting to be responsible for a five hundred dollar machine broken by none other than your jackass coworker, you decide to step in, shouting over to him. “Would you knock it off? We have someone who comes in to fix the machines and I’m not going to be responsible–” A loud clank of metal stops you as Eddie jiggles a screwdriver you weren’t even sure how he found in the machine. He pries the screwdriver into the machine as if trying to loosen something stuck in the gears, succeeding when a few coffee beans fly out and fall to the floor, a shit eating grin on his face.

“Fixed it.” He confirms, shutting the panel and running the machine with a test shot of espresso, the liquid coming out smoothly rather than spraying him in the face. You shake your head, choosing to keep your mouth shut. If anything bad happens with the machine you didn’t see it and it wasn’t your fault. You were not an accomplice if it malfunctioned on his watch.

Eddie glances over at you now sweeping up under one of the tables, somewhat disappointed that you won’t revel in his victory over the machine but also remembering the atmosphere he created from the very beginning, never deserving your positive attention in the first place. It was 8:00PM, only an hour away from closing and the college students who had occupied the tables earlier were no longer around, the only sounds being the upbeat jazz music playing from the speakers. He sparked an idea.

Jogging to the back room where his eye caught the music system the very first day, he starts messing around with it, fingers searching in the back where his eyes can’t see behind the wall for a wire. Biting his lip in concentration, he locates it with a triumphant hum.

Too overcome with sweeping the floors clean, you only notice Eddie is no longer in the room when a shrieking guitar blares through the shop’s speakers, leaving you covering your ears and dropping the broom with a smack to the ground. It’s some kind of metal song that you’ve possibly heard before but wouldn’t be able to recall the name. Before you can map out your next moves, Eddie appears in the doorway to the back, grinning ear to ear genuinely. “I hacked the stereo, how sick is that?” He goes back to his spot behind the counter, head banging away.

“Shut it off!” You yell over the noise. Either he pretends not to hear you or he really can’t hear you over how loud it is. Now you’re afraid that some of the neighboring businesses will call the cops or something and it’s on your dime. “Eddie!” You shout once again with no reaction from him. You take the initiative and scurry into the back, finding the stereo system with a wire coming out of it and Eddie’s phone plugged in. You scowl and unplug it, killing all sound, an offended “what the fuck!” heard from the front of the shop as you soothe your ear drums in the quiet.

He starts to make his way toward the back only to be stopped by you nearly running him over as you walk with a purpose back out to finish cleaning. “Um, excuse you?” He gestures your way as if you’d stepped on his ego.

The broom is picked back up from its spot on the floor and you finish off by sweeping the remaining dirt into the dust pan, not responding. When you look up again, he’s not there and you know he’s definitely gone to the back to plug his phone back in. Your suspicions are confirmed when the riff is taking over the speakers once again, drums pounding through the sound system. A groan emerges from deep within you as you empty the dust pan into the trash. There was no winning with him, he always pushed back and you had no energy to keep up. As he emerges from the back again, he doesn’t even look in your direction.

“Can you at least turn it down!?” You yell over the music, hoping he would find some kind of humility within himself so you didn’t go home with a headache. It wasn’t just that it was too loud, it was overwhelming, your anxiety was spiking and no matter how much you breathed and told yourself to calm down, the volume of the song playing had your heart rate beating faster than you felt it could even keep up with. Eddie continues ignoring you, and you know damn well that he heard your request since you were close enough, standing just a few feet away. You swallowed hard as you attempted to keep your cool, keep your nervous system in check. I’m okay, I’m okay, nothing is going to happen.

And there was no reason to believe anything bad would happen but your brain was screaming at you that the escalation of the metal riff playing was a warning signal and you couldn’t talk yourself off the ledge. As much as you tried to contain your breathing and keep it steady, it became erratic as you stumbled over to one of the tables and thankfully made it into a chair. Your elbows rested on the table top while you covered your ears in an attempt to muffle the suddenly overwhelming sound that wouldn’t otherwise bother you had it not taken you by surprise earlier and had the volume not been set the highest the speakers allowed.

The world around you blurred out while you seemed to fall apart because of a stupid issue you had with loud sounds that caught you off guard. You couldn’t think straight, you couldn’t even think to just run to the back and unplug it again. You didn’t even register that there were hands waving in front of you and a pair of big brown eyes worriedly looking at you. His lips were moving but there was no way to understand what was being said in this state. And then he was gone from your vision as you choked on a breath caught in your throat. You were about to make a run for the door just to get your bearings back when the room went silent and suddenly things started to slowly become clear again. When you turn your body in your seat toward the back, Eddie stands there with a shocked expression painted on his face, mouth dropped open.

“I—I didn’t—I’m—I—“ For probably the first time ever Eddie Munson is speechless. No quirky comments, no stupid jokes, just stuttering. Your breathing, while a lot better now, is still heavy as you recover from the sudden panic. “I didn’t know—I wouldn’t have—“ Before he can continue rambling you save him the energy.

“Just—leave it.” You demand, putting a hand up to signal him to stop. A warning to never mention it again. He owed you that much.

Then he goes on to do something you’d never expect. He makes his way to the table you’ve sat yourself at and pulls out a chair, sitting across from you. “Are you okay?” He asks, eyes wide and concerned, hands clasped together on top of the table as he fidgets with his clunky rings. What the fuck did he care? He’d jump at any chance to see you upset, why was right now any different?

All you can do is look at him in distress, displaying how you felt on your face and in your body language. “Oka—does it look like I’m okay?!” You respond, throwing your arms up before they fall back into your lap. Your outburst quickly dwindles, a shyer demeanor taking over as you both linger in the quiet, in the aftermath of what he believes may have been an anxiety attack. “I’m—I'm fine.” You finally decide, standing and acting as if nothing just happened, taking your place behind the counter. Eddie looks dumbfounded, unsure of any of his next moves so as to keep the peace for once in his fucking life. He’d experienced lots of trauma before but never had to come face to face with the kind of terror that took over your face, never experienced being on the other end of the turmoil. While he’s sure he’s gone through what you just had except with other triggers, there was not one idea in his head about how to approach the situation, how he would dare to even console you if that’s all you really needed. In a sense, he’s a tad grateful that you seemed to snap out of it on your own but that also makes him feel like the most terrible person on planet earth. What kind of man was he if not some duplicate of his dad like everyone says and like he feels he’s doomed to be? He had been in your shoes before, experienced the true fear you held in your body and no one was there for him. So when he was there fully capable of providing some kind of comfort, he did nothing and suddenly he was his dad. In his mind he was his dad, doing nothing, helping no one but himself.

Suddenly he felt like he was 12 years old again, sinking in on himself but before he could be pulled any deeper he shot up and rapidly blinked his eyes. And you were there perfectly normal, trying to sneakily set aside a sandwich for yourself but it didn’t go unnoticed, it’s not like he cared though. Had he become this big of a fuck up without realizing it? He was no better than the man that abandoned him at 12, he genuinely believed he was on the same path as the man that single handedly tore his son’s life apart, who raised him in a crack house until things got too complicated and left only to be arrested 48 hours later. Eddie had to stop thinking, he was pulling himself down again, an anchor might as well be tied to his ankle.

“I—I need a break.” He exhales, not listening if you had any protests which you didn’t, you just tuned him out as the bell on the door jingled and he stopped outside for a cigarette. Who smokes cigarettes anymore? You wonder. Well you answer your own question when you remember the hick town you live in, many people still smoked cigarettes out here but most of them were older. It was now around 8:45PM, almost time to go home to try and knock out in the chill stale air of your room. The bell above the door rings again and you glance up but don’t find Eddie and instead meet the vibrant blue eyes of Jason Carver. While not a close friend, you’d known each other throughout high school and had a few mutual friends and even found yourselves in some of the same study groups during finals.

“Hey!” He greets you like an old friend, a smile on his face, his bright white teeth glimmering in the light.

“Jason! I thought you were away for college in Boston.” You say, remembering that he was able to escape this small town and move onto bigger things. Of course he was, his family had everything lined up for him. He stuck to his plan and it seemed to be going well for him. Something you wish you could say for yourself but you never even had a plan if you’re honest.

“Yeah, I’m just in town for the week. I flew in earlier today. My grandmas sick so you know…” He doesn’t finish the sentence and doesn’t have to for you to understand.

“Oh, I’m so sorry.” You sympathize with him.

“No, it’s okay. This has happened a few times, it just seems like this might be it.” He tells you with a sad nod of his head. “Anyway, is that Eddie Munson outside?” He asks, changing the subject. You almost roll your eyes at his name but quickly remember how many fights the two had been in previously, usually Eddie walking away with no more than a black eye or a busted lip and Jason always looking worse. You don’t want to encourage another here tonight so you just nod, shyly avoiding Jason’s gaze. “Hey, is that freak bothering you while you work? Is he harassing you?” He starts to sound like he’s getting worked up, the opposite of your intention. Jason was always super forward especially when he was agitated which is why you always gravitated away from him. He’d always put on a sweet front but then come out with pure anger the moment he heard something he didn’t like.

“No!” You blurt out, unsure of why you’re even protecting Eddie in any way. Maybe it’s the fact that while you do hate Eddie with every nerve ending in your body, Jason only hates him for being everything he’s not. For not being popular, not engaging in sports, not going to church. None of those are why you hated Eddie but Jason had this bottled up rage toward him and you had the smallest inkling that he was envious in some weird way of the metalhead. “No, he’s not bothering me. He just works here and he’s on break. He doesn’t even talk to me.” You try to talk him down. Jason looks at you with suspicion, not fully believing you. Why you were even explaining yourself to him was beyond you.

Reluctantly, he drops it and continues on with the small talk which you find yourself growing bored of. Jason was turning out to be someone that reminded you of your parents, fairly conservative and tightly wound up. In high school he was a bit more laid back but it seems that whatever college he goes to has morphed him into another stereotypical white guy. The conversation couldn’t end soon enough for you as he started getting into a story about his frat house. You tried to hide your distaste but the air just felt sour. Not once did he even ask what you’d been up to, immediately going off about himself. As if he could read your mind, the bell above the door is heard and Eddie slowly walks back in, his face twisted in a scowl.

Jason looks toward him at the sound of the bell, freezing to stare him down as if it would intimidate him. Did he forget the several times Eddie handed his ass to him? If this was going to happen again right now, it was guaranteed that with Eddie being a man now, he’d have no problem taking him down. Jason was a man now too and while he had muscle from what you could see peeking out from under the sleeve of his polo, Eddie had grit and there was no way to go against that.

“Munson.” Jason greets with a nod of his head, a fake smile on his face. Eddie offers no greeting in return, only a glare as he makes his way back behind the counter.

“Anyway, it was great catching up with you.” Jason directs his attention back to you. “We should hang out while I’m in town. Here’s my number.” He says cockily, using a nearby pen to scribble on one of the shop’s business cards, placing it in your hand.

“Oh, okay. Yeah, um. Okay.” You respond with uncertainty. The number would be tossed aside the moment he stepped out the door but you appeased him the best you could while he stood in front of you. As he backs up toward the door, he shoots you a wink. While he thinks butterflies are fluttering within you right now, you’re actually internally cringing. And with that, he was gone, finally. You piece together that he hadn’t even purchased a coffee. The more you think about it, he may as well have pissed on you in an attempt to assert dominance over Eddie. Men were stupid creatures.

Eddie huffs out a laugh as he doodles on his hand, nothing left to do besides leave and lock up. You pay him no mind while you begin to quickly count the drawer so you’d be able to leave on time. “Fuckin’ tool.” Eddie mumbles to himself.

While you agree, you don’t want to give him any satisfaction so you continue counting the money. Finding that everything is accounted for, you lock up the drawer and grab your bag from the back while Eddie silently does the same. You meet at the door in some unspoken agreement, him holding the door as you step out into the chill air, turning to shut the door and lock it while he puts his motorcycle helmet on and walks over, straddling his bike. As you shove the keys back into your bag and start your journey home, he clears his throat. “Watch out for Carver. He’s not all sparkles and sunshine.” He says revving his bike. Who was he to tell you what to do? Though you had no interest in Jason whatsoever, you weren’t going to let Eddie tell you what to do, he was the last person on earth you would listen to.

“Oh, I’m sorry? I could say the same about you. You don’t get to tell me who to watch out for.” You step closer toward the bike, a hand on your hip while the nagging cold pinches at your skin. If your jaw was tightened it was both out of anger and due to the cold.

“Listen, Socks–”

“Don’t call me that.” You snap.

“I’m serious, Carver–” His voice is muffled under the helmet.

“You’ve got a lot of fucking nerve trying to tell me what I can and can’t do, Munson.” You’re trying to get in his face somewhat but it's hard and a little humiliating when you can only see a reflection of yourself in his visor.

“When something happens you can’t say I didn’t warn you.” He points a finger at you sternly.

“Oh! My hero!” You say with sarcasm laced in the words. “I don’t need some drop out lecturing me about what I do or who I associate with in my free time.” The insult shouldn’t affect him, he’s been called every name in the book. But it does, for some reason it does.

“Do whatever the hell you want.” You can’t see his face under the helmet but if you could you knew he’d be clenching his teeth and flexing his jaw by the way he said it. In seconds he speeds away, bike screeching annoyingly down the street.

It had been a long day. A long week even. The only silver lining was that tomorrow was your Friday and after that you’d have at least one day to not think about work and Eddie Munson’s stupid attitude. The shop was closed on Sundays and though it wasn’t very enticing to think about sitting in your room catching up on homework, it was far better than having to argue with the equivalent of a stubborn six year old in a man’s body.

Eddie on the other hand was feeling things he’d never experienced before. There was this persistent worry in the back of his mind that he didn’t know what to do with. His emotions had been gathered up and thrown into the wind so suddenly and he was struggling to grasp every single one so he could tuck it away again. And you only angered him beyond comprehension, even if he deserved every venomous word thrown his way, he couldn’t deny that you provoked him in ways no other human has. The way you had no issue with telling him off but let Jason talk over you made his blood boil. It was none of his business, genuinely. That’s what he told himself but deep down he knew it was his business the second Jason flashed that fake smile at him that said everything.

~end~

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tags - @mmunson86 @haylaansmi @batkin028 @obscureenigmatic

#eddie munson #eddie munson x reader #eddie munson fluff #eddie munson fic #eddie x reader #eddie munson smut #eddie munson x fem reader #eddie munson x female reader #eddie munson imagine #eddie munson series

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miss-tc-nova · 1 year ago

Text

All Not Lost - Percy de Rolo x Reader

Ventured into Vox Machina and now I'm in love with a nerd. ᕕ( ᐛ )ᕗ

Premise: After years under a mind control spell, someone finds it hard to return to a broken home

Words: 2,688

Music Inspiration: The Magic Music Box - Orchestral Music by Jojo Comps

~~~~~

Getting used to the loss of five years was never going to be easy. I lived an eternity in endless pain, but at the same time, in the blink of an eye, I lost everything. It wasn’t just the final years of my teens but also my whole world. My parents, my siblings, the friends I had, the people I loved—all of them in my life one moment and gone the next. Now I’m here, in this new world and trying to figure out how to take another step when I’m so afraid of walking.

A voice pierces my mourning. Lifting my gaze from the text I’d long since lost track of, I find Percival de Rolo. It was Percy and his friends that tore me from Delilah Briarwood’s hypnotic spell, dragging me through time to a world I’m not sure I want to be part of.

There’s something concerned on his straight features. It easily beckons a smile to my lips, a deceit I had much practice with lately.

“Sorry, were you talking to me?” I ask a bit tongue in cheek.

“I was, in fact.” Arms fold as green eyes peer at my tome from behind spectacles. “Though you seem far more engrossed in…the destruction of existence as we know it.”

“Huh?!”

A gloved finger points at the page, underlining the text that speaks of poorly performed magic that could unravel the fabric of reality.

“Not planning to doom us all, are you?”

“N-No! Nooo.” The book snaps shut, leaving the immediately vicinity via its flight over my shoulder.

One of those dark brows quirk. “Really?”

“Yeah. I was actually looking at teleportation spells but I guess I just…got lost in my own thoughts.”

“I see.” Percy retrieves the tossed tome and returns it to the table. “Well no need to take it out on a perfectly good book. Though maybe we should reconsider its return if it contains the secrets to destroying the world.”

I laugh. “I’m sure not a soul in existence has the power to pull that off. Besides, this is mine.”

“So I should confiscate it.”

“Only if you’d like to continue walking everywhere.”

“We have Keyleth for that.”

My expression falls deadpan. “What was it you needed me for?”

He eyerolls my abrupt change of subject. “We’re going out for a drink and there were questions as to whether or not you’d care to join us.”

“Oh…”

I can understand that—a festive drink in celebration of another day survived. That’s the way Vox Machina enjoyed life and I could never deny them that. But I don’t feel like I survived, nor am I in the mood for said merriment.

“I think I’ll pass but I appreciate the invitation.”

Standing, I collect my text and start for the hall of borrowed rooms. Before I disappear, however, I pause.

I lost it all beneath the Briarwood’s rule, and that included Percy. Yes, he stands before me now, but I can no longer claim him to be the boy I served for all those years—the boy I befriended. Somehow, this truth hurts me more than if his life had also been claimed by those monsters. And I find myself utterly disgusted for thinking such terrible things.

Again, there’s worry across his face that I can only smile at.

“Are you certain?” The soft, low gravel in his voice grates at my resolve.

“I’ll be fine. Enjoy your night, Percy.”

In the instant my back turns, the smile slips away. With every step, my heart cries to go running back and spill my every misery to him. Had I not come to terms with the fact that he is not the person I once knew, I have no doubt that I would be on my knees, wailing and begging him not to leave me.

The door to my room closes and the silence is deafening.

Because I’m a fucking coward.

~~~~~

Groaning, I pry my face from my pillow. The pain of spilt tears stings at my eyes, but I force them open all the same. Darkness rules the room, the lantern on my bedside table has long since flickered out. Silver moonlight filters through the curtains to give some semblance of bearings.

Again, the knocking rattles my tranquility, though this time, a voice follows.

I should let him go—let him think me asleep and wander away for I know I’m at my weakest and Percy deserves so much better than for me to drag us into the past.

But I’m at my weakest.

The worn blanket clears my face before I stand. In my stride to the door, I straighten out my appearance. Though rationale yells at me to stop, emotions pull open the door.

There he stands, surprised, perhaps thinking I wouldn’t answer.

“What’s wrong?” I hate how broken I sound.

“I’m sorry, did I wake you?”

“I wouldn’t really call it sleep. Did you need something?”

The well-dressed man straightens up, as if he’s rehearsed this a dozen times over.

“Yes actually. I need you to come with me.”

“Isn’t it late?”

A smile cracks his lips, cracking at my fractured resilience. “We don’t have bedtimes anymore, do we?”

My gaze adverts. “I suppose not…”

“Just trust me.”

A glove extends to me in offering and I somewhat retreat into my room.

“Please.”

Following that arm, my eyes find his face again and, for a moment, I see the boy from my past and there’s nothing I can do to keep from taking his hand. Percy hesitates not even a second in pulling me towards the front door, the warmth of his palm lulling me into acquiescence. My bare feet skim the stone floor, muted by the soft click of his boots. The utter silence of the building cautions the slumber or absence of other callers. Only we—as we creep through the dormant shadows—stir in this silent night.

Even as my guide draws open the door, I follow without question. No, I only think twice when he steps towards the black steed harnessed to a small carriage. Even so, all I find in my glance is an encouraging smile.

Gesturing to the uncovered cart, Percy lures me towards the steps. I don’t even have the words to respond, my hypnosis convincing my feet to climb the steps instead. Once I’m comfortably seated, Percival climbs into the driver’s seat and sets out.

Whitestone, in all its destruction and desecration, rolls by as the carriage wheels creek through deserted streets. Seeing the present whilst remembering the past only brings back the ache I earlier tried to escape. My once proud and thriving home is naught more than a pile of rubble with its citizens scrounging on the edge of starvation. Each passing corner draws me closer to tears. Yet I somehow remain composed, trusting in the man that brought me here.

There’s not much else he could take from me anyway.

The excursion eventually leaves that battered city behind, climbing the gentle slopes that used to bring a bustle of travelers from across the realm. Nearing the top of said slope is where the horse’s hooves begin to slow, pulling the cart to the side of the road. The carriage driver dismounts his seat, strolling to the side where he, yet again, offers his assistance.

“We’re here.”

Cool grass rustles beneath my toes, soft against unprotected skin. A whisper of a breeze moves the air, careful not to cause unease in this comfortable atmosphere.

“Where’s ‘here’?” I ask, my voice barely able to break the quiet.

Percy waves away from the carriage. “Why don’t you see for yourself.”

It takes my weary soul a moment to sum up the energy to take those few small steps. As I do, the grand ruins of Whitestone revel in the valley below. At its heart, the damage took its toll, but gazing down upon its corpse, the city breaks me. Knees give, bringing to me to the ground, trembling hands trying to contain the grief from pouring out.

Through the mounting misery, a gentle hand meets my back. “It’s alright.”

“How can you call this alright?!” My words come out louder, but I can by no means call them strong. “Our home is in ruins! We lost everything!”

“So that’s what you see.”

Breath still quivering in my chest, I peer up at Percy. His expression is that of contemplation.

“I suppose I should have expected as much. When I first returned, that’s all I saw too. Nearly everyone I knew is dead and my home is in shambles. I’d given up hope that Whitestone could ever be prosperous again.” That smile returns ere long. “But the Briarwoods are gone. Those that are still here choose to rebuild and the people are in good hands. From what remains there’s potential. Whitestone can be great again—maybe even better. There’s an entire city down there just waiting to grow anew.”

Looking back to my home, I consider his words. I can’t say that I’m entirely convinced, though I can no longer see just doomed remains. Some of those sentiments sooth the pain enough for me to clear my eyes.

“Besides, I wouldn’t say we lost everything.”

From my back, his hand slips beneath my fingers. His thumb softly strokes against my skin. I’m now unsure whether the hiccup in my chest came from my ebbing sorrow or my heart.

“We’re here, aren’t we?”

Percy waits patiently as I gather my words to respond. From his touch, my hand retreat as the rest of me tries its best to hide from him.

“So much has changed from what I remember. To say that the people we were survived would be inaccurate.”

“I agree that people change over time, but surely there’s still part of us that always remembers who we were, don't you think?"

From the corner of my eye, I see Percy reach into his coat. Curiosity gets the better of me. In his palm sits a small ornate box. Silver embellishments flourish across ebony paint, a small silver latch securing the lid. Into my hands, he pushes the trinket. I warily turn the box in my fingers, noting the detail and craftmanship of the item. It appears to be not new but in good condition and not quite perfect. Barely noticeable, a hole in the side blends into the design. Easily, the box opens to show me its secrets. A bundle of mechanical parts is wound together inside yet I understand not its purpose. The metal cylinder is riddled with bumps sitting beside a comb with narrowly spaced teeth while a spring runs the length of the small container.

Before I can ask, Percy extends his hand again. A silver chain tumbles across his palm, twisting and turning in on itself. At its heart lies a small, silver key. The peculiar charm has no teeth, but a hole at its end and, as I pick it up, I understand.

Inserting the key into the side of the box, I’m met with some minor resistance. It clicks with each turn until, after a few turns, it moves no further.

The moment I release the key is the moment the world stops spinning.

The cylinder turns, those bumps brushing against the metal teeth of the comb with a chime. Each sound on its own is simply senseless noise, but as it continues to turn, it recreates a melody etched deep into my heart. A bright room adorned with golden decorations and luxurious drapes gleams beneath an elegant chandelier. The finest dresses and shoes skim the polished floor in tempo to the orchestra’s magic. People weave together before pushing apart, only to retwine themselves in elegant dance.

Most importantly, he stands before me. Trauma has yet marred his face, pure innocence left behind that bashful smile. Naivety leads our steps yet allows us to indulge in our blissful youth. We had no fear for we knew none. Our lives were whole. And we were happy.

“You remembered,” I whisper.

Percy’s expression holds softer as he too remembers that simple dream. “It was your favorite song. How could I forget?” His gaze wanders the stars above. “You would go about your chores humming that song every day since that dance at my sister’s eighteenth birthday. It was as if you never wanted me to forget.”

I stare back down at the singing box. “Because I never wanted to forget.”

“See.” He snares my attention again. “You may not be who you were, but there’s still some semblance of the person I knew in there.”

Percy stands, pulling me up beside him. Carefully, he takes the box and winds it once again before replacing it in my hand. This time, however, his fingers carefully cradle mine as the box sings its little tune.

Wistfully, he says, “I can only hope that part of who you saw back then still exists in me.”

Without warning, Percy pushes me back. I stumble, but the arm at my back keeps me balanced. It occurs to me what he’s doing and the second movement is far smoother. Into memories he leads me, through our childhood and into our teenage years. We spent so much time in each other’s company—in casual conversation, in fervent discussion, sometimes even in silence. It was Percy’s presence that always brought me peace, even now in this new broken existence. And I would dance with him until my last breath if the world would only let me.

The notes teeter out, the music wheel eventually coming to a stop. Slowly, our feet also cease to move, our reminiscence at an end. Percy’s arms drop and I hold the music box close to my chest.

“Thank you, Percy. I needed this.”

It’s hard to see in only the moonlight, but a tint of pink dusts his nose. “Think nothing of it.” He reaches forward, carefully draping the silver chain around my neck. “After all, it only took me five years to finally give it to you.”

“You got this for me?” A flutter in my chest begins to smolder.

“Technically, I made it for you.”

“You made this?”

“Of course.” At the simple gesture of brushing the hair from my face, Percy ignites those embers. “Because I never wanted you to forget.”

His touch is careful and soft, as though I might break. However, I need only the smallest sign to lean into his caress. Even the press of his lips to my forehead speaks of his caution, but I see the longing burning in his eyes. For us, it’s been far too long and yet no time at all. Percy is a different person and yet he’s still the same. I suppose not everything has been lost to me.

Fingers curl around Percy’s coat, my head tilting back. My consent is clear and his head dips a second time. It’s like being blessed with new life, filling my chest with hope I dared not have before this moment. It’s soft and deliberate, meant to relay all we’ve weathered and all we will weather. But this one thing between us will stand through it all.

Just as it began, it ends though the significance of it all hangs in the air. In his embrace, I soak in his presence. While I have his warmth, however, the night has grown ever late and from my mouth escapes a yawn.

His voice is reluctant to break our serenity. “We’d best get you back to bed.”

Rather than answer, I press tighter against him. In response, Percy slips his arms beneath me and whisks me back to the carriage. Sleep nearly takes me in the time it takes to return to our temporary residence. Again, it’s Percy’s strength that returns me to my bed, but it’s mine that keeps him there. I’m not ready for him to leave me again, no matter how short the night may be. He grants me that plea and it’s in his arms that I finally find the shattered pieces of my heart in peace.

~~~~~

Nova’s Other Masterlist

#percy de rolo #percival de rolo #gender neutral reader #percy x reader #percival de rolo x reader #percy de rolo x reader #he stole the horse btw

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