#I spent all this time on Ed and then for the background I was like hahaha cor

[batsarebetterthanpeople]

I promised to draw divorce AU Ed's sluttiest look, so here he is. Unfortunately his sluttiest look does not appear until chapter 9 so yall have to wait until March 17th to find out why he looks like that. But in the mean time you can read about his other slutty slutty mistakes here.

[jamminvroomvroom]

everything.

ln x fem!reader

in which you’re his best friend until you’re something more

hi! here you go lmao. probs the fluffiest thing i’ve ever written and i am obsessed with the concept! thank you for being here and baring with me - i loved writing this one and i’d love to hear what you think! huge shoutout to my girlies @mcmuppet and @lavenderlando ily both!

songs that set the mood: pink and white by frank ocean, daylight by harry styles, angel by finneas, enchanted by taylor swift, hate to be lame by lizzy mcalpine

warnings: 18+!! minors dni!! smut, language, friends to lovers brain rot, slight corruption kink, readers first time, qatar angst

6.4k words

“do you wanna talk about it?” you whispered softly, your hand resting on lando’s sagged shoulder.

your eyes were fixed on the third place plaque on his table in front of you, his very much fixed on the floor.

“no.” his reply was short and sweet, his tone conveying exactly how deflated he was.

you’d only flown in to qatar this morning, the october sun hitting you hard as you walked into the paddock, drastically different to the london climate you’d grown accustomed to. lando had all but begged you to come, your evening before spent on the phone, and you knew that he needed a friend, otherwise he never would have asked you to fly halfway around the world.

friends. that’s what you were.

you’d hugged him tight and told him that the weekend had to get better, and then his teammate put it on pole and got his first win. so, yeah, maybe it wasn’t going to get better and not even the podium could cheer him up.

his radio messages had hurt your heart, your chest aching as he self deprecated in the cockpit. he owned his mistakes, sure, but he’d taken it a step too far and you knew you had a job to do. you’d do anything, quite literally anything, to cheer him up.

you’d always found a way to be there for eachother, your friendship spanning five long years after you’d knocked a coffee over a guy you quickly recognised as the new mclaren driver. both nineteen and awkward as hell, you’d um-ed and er-ed and danced around one another in the busy pret in central london, chucking tissues at him, attempting to mop up the frothy mess all over his white sweatshirt.

eventually you’d just burst into laughter, lando immediately following suit. your cheeks were hurting from smiling at the curly haired stranger, intrigued by the very way his faced moved when he laughed, and he’d looked at you like you hung the stars in the sky, not like someone that had just destroyed a brand new hoodie.

and just like that, a connection was born.

you’d gotten used to having a friend for only half the year, but he never let you feel the distance. paddock passes often fell through your letter box and you could usually be located in the background of his streams when he was home long enough to do them, the amount of times you’d been wrongfully accused of being his girlfriend a list as long as your arm. even in those moments of awkwardness, friendship prevailed and you both managed to crack up together about the conspiracy that you were more than friends.

and what an intriguing conspiracy it was.

“we should get you back to the hotel, you need to get some rest.” you told him, standing from the sofa and offering him your hand.

lando grabbed it, squeezing, his own special way of telling you he was grateful for your presence, and let you pull him up. as he tried to walk towards the door, you stopped him, hands on his shoulders. you wanted to shake him, tell him how fucking great he was. you didn’t think he’d appreciate that after an intense session in the car.

“hey, look at me. you got this, okay?” you smiled reassuringly, managing to get the smallest crack back from him, his lips upturning ever so slightly. something in his eyes told you that you’d succeeded, a small glimmer of an emotion that you didn’t know how to unpack.

friends.

that’s what you were.

-

you tried to ignore how touchy lando was being. you figured he just needed some comfort, physical touch not out of bounds in your friendship, but a new level had been reached.

on the entire walk through the paddock to his car, his hand sat comfortably on the small of your back, despite the endless amount of cameras pointed at you. his hand skimmed your thigh in the car, accidentally, you told yourself, and you had to avert your eyes when his hand graced your headrest as he reversed out of the parking space. knowing that he needed you in qatar so desperately that he’d flown you out was one thing, the way he was treating you once you got there was something else.

he’d opened your door when you pulled up at the hotel valet, helping you out of the car, his hand tucked in yours for a second longer than necessary. once again, his hand seemed to be glued to your lower back the whole way to the elevator.

the ding of the lift had you both shuffling out onto your floor, trailing towards your rooms in a heavy silence, something more left unsaid in the air.

you reached your door first, coming to a stop and shuffling around in your bag for your keycard.

“um, i need to be at the track early tomorrow. breakfast?” lando asked.

you turned to look at him, nodding your head profusely.

“of course, just drop me a message and i’ll come down and meet you.” you affirmed, your fingers finally grasping the piece of plastic that had, of course, fallen to the very bottom of your tardis of a tote bag.

you expected him to leave, but he lingered, as if there was something else on his mind.

“you okay?” you raised an eyebrow, unlocking your door. lando seemed to snap out of it then, awkwardly running a hand through his curls that had taken a brutal hit from the humidity. you liked the look on him, nonetheless.

“yeah, i- yeah, i think i just need some sleep.”

“okay, well, goodnight. let me know if you need anything.” you disappeared through the door then, the tension getting the better of you. you slumped against the shut door, wondering what he so clearly wanted to say.

-

the clock read 1:32am on your bedside.

a faint tapping had woken you up, and you groggily scanned the room, trying to find the source of the noise. you deduced that it was coming from your door, letting out a groan as you threw the cosy comforter off and trudged towards the disturbance.

you cracked it open, peeking through the gap and coming face to face with your best friend.

“lando?” you croaked, opening the door further.

“i’m sorry, can’t sleep. can i come in? it’s okay if not, i just didn’t know what to do.” he sounded so shy, something you didn’t recognise in the man stood before you, and you quickly swung the door open, ushering him inside.

“come, sit.” you waved for him to follow you across the room to the foot of your bed. he sat down beside you, the mattress dipping.

you patted your lap and he instantly knew what to do, laying down with his head in your lap. it’s something he did quite frequently when you were sprawled on his sofa at home, watching a shitty movie that neither of you were really paying attention to. you’d often be looking at him, praying he didn’t notice, and he’d be playing with your fingers, tracing the palm of your hand.

you couldn’t help yourself, running your hand through his curls. you didn’t mean to, stomach instantly twisting with embarrassment, but it was quickly twisting with something else. his eyes fluttered shut, a low groan falling from the back of his throat. it made your thighs clench, and he must have noticed, the tiniest smirk on his face.

“you okay?” lando asked, his eyes still shut, a look of relaxation finally on his face.

you coughed awkwardly.

“yeah, sorry. are you comfy?” you said teasingly, trying to cut the growing tension in the room.

“i am now, could fall asleep here.”

“you can, you know.” you whispered. his eyes flew open. your heart was hammering in your chest. this was new territory and you were worried you’d fucked up. sleepovers were also a norm, but one of you usually retired to a guest room, not the other side of eachothers beds.

“you want me to stay?” his voice rose in surprise.

“well, i mean, you can if you want, like, there’s space and-“ you rambled.

“do you want me to stay?” he repeated.

“is it gonna help?” you questioned cautiously.

“yes.” the confidence in which he replied did something to you.

“then stay.”

you crawled up the mattress, falling back into the place you’d so comfortably occupied just minutes before. you laid so still, watching with quiet curiosity as he slipped his hoodie off. his shirt came with it ever so slightly, riding up over his back, and you had to pry your eyes away, the ache between your thighs still ever present.

what on earth were you doing, allowing your best friend to crawl into bed with you? emotions were running so high, but it felt like a switch had been flipped ever since you hit the tarmac in qatar. every look, every touch was fuelled by something different to what it had been before and you weren’t sure if it was a good thing or not.

lando turned towards you, making his way back over to the bed. he looked apprehensive, as if he was thinking the same thoughts as you, wondering if there was any logic in what was about to happen. he seemed to come to the conclusion that this was, in fact, happening, crawling into bed beside you.

“is this okay?” lando breathed into the darkness of the room, his hand brushing yours. you were both as still as planks, mere centimetres separating you, the only light coming from the lamp beside the bed.

“yeah,” you took a deep breath, preparing for the words that were about to come tumbling out. “i’ve just never done this before.” you spoke quickly, sucking in another breath as you finished.

“you’ve never…”

“i’ve never shared a bed… like this.”

“like what?”

“with a… a guy?” your anxiety riddled words came out more like a question than an answer.

“oh. oh.” it seemed to dawn on lando then. “so, you’ve never… oh. i mean i can go if you’re uncomfortable.”

“lando, no, i just wanted you to know. i’m always comfortable with you.” you said, quietly baring your soul to him.

you weren’t sure why you’d basically told him you were a virgin. it held no relevance, he was just here to sleep, for some friendly comfort. he was not here for any other reason. and yet here you were, spilling the beans, all over the bed you found yourself sharing.

“i didn’t come here to, you know. i just needed you.”

you tried to ignore the pang in your chest and the annoying, minuscule butterfly springing to life in your belly.

“god, yeah i know! i didn’t think that you wanted to, well i mean not with me because why would you want me like that anyway, i get why you’re here, lando.” you rambled into the empty air. you heard yourself, groaning in embarrassment and dragging the cover over your face. lando laughed, pulling it back so he could see you again.

he was leaning over you, perched on his side, resting on his elbow.

“trust me, i’m more than happy with any part of yourself that you wanna give me.”

“don’t tease me, lando.” you scoffed. he was joking, right? right?

“i’m not! i promise, this is the one place i want to be.”

“why? why with me? i mean you could’ve called max. all he does is stream when you’re not home, think he misses you.” you were half joking, half deadly serious.

“come on, it’s you. it’s just… its been so hard this year, being away from you so much more. and then you came all the way here…” lando trailed off, averting eye contact.

you turned on your side to face him, placing your hand over his affectionately.

“you needed me.”

“exactly. i needed you. you.”

he gave you a look, one that you didn’t recognise, but you understood what it meant. it said more than anything had done since this confusingly beautiful interaction began. you got it, then, why you were here.

“lando-“

“i know that i shouldn’t tell you this and i can’t just spring this on you in the middle of the night, but i-“

“lando!”

“what?”

“kiss me.”

and god, he kissed you. the air was sucked out of your lungs, dragged out of you by the way he put his hands on your body, so urgent.

you sunk back into the mattress, his body over yours, a hand cupping your cheek while the other rested on your waist, stroking the skin there, exposed from your ridden up top. your hands were in his curls, and you revelled in the way that you could shamelessly touch them now.

he paused for a second, nose brushing yours, breathless and grinning down at you, a knowing smile that was so beautiful that it rendered you speechless.

“you have no idea how long i’ve waited for this.” lando breathed, scanning your face as if he was trying to take it all in. you, panting beneath him, coy smile, cheeks flushed. you’d never looked so gorgeous to him.

you leaned in to kiss him again, slower this time, relishing in the moment. you were lost in him, thinking back to the very first time you’d locked eyes and how you never thought it would come to this. this, the way he was holding you, was the best surprise.

lando pulled away, peppering your flushed cheeks with kisses, a dazed giggle passing your swollen lips.

he flopped onto his side, grinning at the ceiling mindlessly. you hadn’t seen him smile that big all weekend.

“are you tired?” you whispered, lips brushing his cheek, his light stubble rough against you. you wondered how it would feel elsewhere, scratching over your bare skin.

“no.”

“then why did you stop?” you asked, the words falling off your tongue slowly, sinking all over him like honey. you felt the way he tensed up, the suggestion that laced the seemingly innocent question making you tingle.

“i didn’t come here for that.” he reiterated.

“and i didn’t let you in for that. but here we are.” you weren’t ashamed of what you were asking, the moment was right, the one, and you knew it.

“it’s too soon.” lando was apprehensive. he was always overly protective of you, previously as his friend, but this, god, this was an entirely different ball park and he was proceeding with caution, against every natural instinct in his body screaming at him.

“says who?”

“it’s your first. it needs to be special.”

“everything about this is better than i could have ever imagined.”

“are you sure you want it to be me?” there it was again, those unrecognisable nerves that made everything inside of you flutter.

“lando, there is no one else i could ever want to do this with more than i want to do it with you. i want it to be you.”

“but… now? are you sure? i don’t want you to regret this.”

“the only thing i regret is that this didn’t happen sooner.”

“one last time. i just need to hear it one last time.”

“i want you, lando.”

and with that, the air changed, charged with a different kind of tension. lando pulled you on top of him, hands firm on your body, the action itself gentle. you steadied yourself, hands on his shoulders, his resting on your waist.

“can i take this off?” he tugged at the hem of your shirt. you nodded profusely. “words, sweetheart. i need you to use your words.” lando cupped your jaw as he said it, squeezing ever so slightly, enough to turn you into putty in his hands.

“please. yes.” you said shakily.

he smiled softly, slowly peeling the material off of your body, up over your head and tossed carelessly onto the floor. he kept his eyes on yours, despite the fact you were now left bare, aside from the white cotton panties that separated you both. he pawed at your sides, kneading gently at your soft hips.

“we’re gonna start slow, okay? gonna take my time with you.” he muttered, eyes on yours before they trailed slowly down, across your face, neck, collarbone, further and further until he was taking all of you in. he began to stroke the underside of your breast with his thumb, watching the way your body tensed under his feather-like touch.

“okay.” you choked out, head tipping back as he placed a kiss to the base of your throat.

his kiss trailed further down your body, peppered in the valley of your breasts, and then you stopped breathing, the air caught in your throat because he was looking at you, really, truly looking at you, as his tongue found your nipple. you couldn’t take your eyes off of him, not when he was looking at you like that, not when he was making you feel this good already.

lando pulled away, just for a second, just so that he could shift you from his lap onto his thigh. he was still fully clothed beneath you, totally in control, and you craved him in a way you didn’t know was humanly possible, so much so that you didn’t need the encouragement he was giving you to start rolling your hips, pussy grinding down on his covered thighs, the friction of your underwear driving you insane.

“oh, baby. you want me so badly, don’t you? should’ve asked me sooner. m’gonna make you feel so good.” his hands were on your hips, guiding you backwards and forwards on him.

“it feels so- oh, god.” you whimpered, fingers tangling in his curls, back arching further into him as your thighs clenched around his. he licked over your collarbone oh so slowly, a shiver running down your taut spine.

and then he was kissing you again, tongue slow over yours, his fingertips surely leaving marks where he was controlling your pace. the kiss was filthy, untameable, and you found yourself dragging against him slower, harder.

“i need you.” you panted, forehead falling on his shoulder as you pulled away from his lips, goosebumps pricking your sweat slicked skin. you were so close to an orgasm, desperate to feel him everywhere.

“i want you to come for me like this first, okay? can you do that for me, baby?” he cooed, bouncing his leg ever so slightly. “look at me.” and you did, somehow mustering the strength to pull yourself back up and find his darkened eyes.

you were a mess of curses when you let go, your body convulsing, collapsing into him as you came. you were throbbing on his thigh, one glance down at where you were grinding against him displaying your slick. his arms went around your body, flipping you onto your back so that you were resting against the mattress.

“you did so well, baby.” lando crooned, resting over you on his forearms. you stared up at him in awe, blinking away the haze. “do you want more?”

“i want everything.” you breathed, pulling him against you. you smoothed your hands over his shirt until you reached the hem, dragging it up over his back. he helped you take it off, and then it was lost to the room. you grabbed at his shoulder blades, smooth, muscular planes of bronzed skin so warm under your touch. you felt insatiable, like nothing was enough, totally intoxicated by him and everything he was managing to make you feel.

lando’s hand slid down your body, searching for the band of your underwear. when he reached his destination, he toyed with the lacy edges, letting them snap against the pudge of your belly, teasing you. you bucked your hips, frustrated, and he used the opportunity to cup your pussy, feeling where you’d soaked through the cotton. the groan he let out was carnal, animalistic, almost needy. he could feel all of you, how you ached and dripped, how you needed the everything that you’d requested.

“you’re so fucking good for me, god.” lando almost slurred his words, voice lower than you’d ever heard it. you keened at the sound, pushing your hips further into him.

lando didn’t give you much time to dwell on it, mouth latching onto your underwear where it met the crease of your thigh. he was so close, so tantalising close to where you were aching for him and you were just about levitating off the bed when his teeth grazed your inner thigh. you couldn’t see him looking at you, losing it, inhibitions out the window. your eyes were already squeezed shut when he began mouthing over your cloth-covered pussy, spit further ruining the sodden material.

“take them off.” you cried out, tugging hard at his curls that you hadn’t even realised you were clutching for dear life. and lando was a good listener, because he complied immediately, tearing the lace down your legs like a starved man.

his tongue was on you then, everywhere all at once, running through your folds and over your clit. you didn’t know if you were dead or alive, a different kind of pleasure than anything you’d ever experienced coursing hot through your veins. lando switched between long, slow licks, his tongue flat against you, and rapid kitten licks, burying his face in your cunt.

everything was moving in slow motion, your hands grasping frantically at anything you could reach; his curls, the sheets, his shoulders. you could barely make out what he was saying, his words muffled, lost to the soft flesh between your legs. it seemed to echo, every lick, stroke, word. you snapped out of it, finally, when he pulled away.

“more? you want my fingers, baby? gonna get you nice and ready for me.” you just nodded, voice lost to the air of the room.

one arm locked around your thigh, pinning you still, and the other snaked up your leg until he reached the mess between your thighs. he took a moment to take it in, how wet you were, how fucked out you looked, knowing full well he must have looked the same, unhinged as he gave into your shared desire that he’d tried his best to keep hidden. he’d never felt more stupid in his life for holding back, as he took in the ethereal delight sprawled under his touch.

when lando slid the first finger in, your stomach twisted deliciously. he watched you carefully, searching for discomfort but all he could find was sheer bliss, written all over your face as clear as daylight. he worked the digit in and out, nice and slow, curling against your walls. he could feel how tight you were, clamping around just one finger and he thought his head was gonna explode. he added another finger, watching the way you took him in, twisting his fingers.

“are you gonna let go for me again, sweetheart?” lando punctuated his words by putting his mouth back on you, teeth grazing your clit as he sucked.

you were thrashing, a silent scream building from the fire in your belly. you could just about make out the way he was spurring you on, his mouth running as you spilled over the edge, covering his fingers. you saw white, maybe god, ears ringing, and when you finally mustered the energy to look at him, you could have come for a third time. lando looked feral, lips red and coated in everything you had to offer him. his eyes were glazed over, a hazy grey that sent a jolt through your body, the aftershocks of the orgasm setting in.

“christ.” was all you could sigh out. a lazy smile painted your face, your eyes blown out, everything a little blurry. everything except him.

you could feel him scaling up your body, crawling over you until he was level with your face. he placed a kiss to your throat, your jaw and finally your lips; when he pulled away all that was left was shared giddy smile, both of you suddenly shy. you couldn’t stop the roaming of your hands, exploring all the parts of him that you could reach. when you found the waist band of his joggers, your hand grazing his abs as you did, he sucked all of the air out of the room, a sharp inhalation making him tense up.

“you still want all of me?” he breathed, his shaky breath fanning your face. lando was obsessed with hearing you say it, obsessed with how you wanted him as much as he needed you.

“all of you. lando, this is… you’re perfect.” you admitted, lips brushing his. your hands pushed the material down his hips, nails raking over him as you did. he couldn’t seem to wait any longer, kicking them off the rest of the way, his boxers quickly following suit.

you couldn’t help but stare, all of him bare against all of you. your nipples brushed his chest, his hands holding you close, your hands threaded through his curls. it was like you were sussing each other out, eyes watching lips and hands getting lost. you stayed like that for a moment, pressed together, closer and closer, until he was slotted between your legs like he was coming home. lando searched your face one last time, hunting for a smidge of discomfort.

“are you ready for me?” he whispered.

“yes.”

the initial stretch burned, but he slid into you smoothly, his cock slipping through your folds with ease. he felt you clamp down on him, his head thrown back as far as it could go, thick neck exposed to you. you bit down on his shoulder, where it met the base of his throat, trying to mask the gasp of pleasure that sent your eyes rolling back in your head. he grunted at the sensation, enjoying the sting.

“oh, fuck.” he was shuddering, trying to keep himself in check.

“don’t, oh god,” you started, meeting the roll of his hips. “don’t hold back.”

“we gotta go easy.”

“i don’t want easy.” you tightened around him then, and he saw stars.

“you’re so fucking good.” lando groaned, an edge of excitement in his voice, and then he unleashed everything that he’d held back. how much he wanted you, and a bittersweet weekend of frustration versus success came crashing down and he couldn’t do anything except give himself to you exactly how you wanted.

lando was a delicious weight on top of you, the drag of his hips slow, meeting yours hard. the pressure made you lightheaded, his body moving against yours like the thick drip of honey, smooth and sweet. you couldn’t make sense of it, of how fucking good he felt, grinding deeper and deeper into you like he’d found buried treasure. the overstimulation had your third orgasm building nice and quick, waves of pleasure making you dizzy.

“you like it like this? like when i fuck you nice and hard?” yes you did. “don’t think i can go without this now, you know that? such a good fucking girl.” you couldn’t breathe, couldn’t think, just let his words wash over you. “so beautiful, taking me so well.”

you couldn’t process that this was your best friend lando. this was a different person, it had to be. yet, somehow, it made sense that the man you knew, the one who spoke his mind, mischievous and troublesome, would be like this, a god above you as he fucked deeper into you with every thrust. he was filthy and gentle, brutal and sweet. it didn’t make sense, but it also just did.

“are you gonna come for me? one more time, baby. need to feel that perfect fucking pussy.” well, his wish was your command, because then you were gushing. the one thing you could feel was him, none of your other senses worked, you couldn’t see past the tears that fell, couldn’t get any words past your lips. maybe you screamed, you weren’t exactly sure.

lando was kissing you everywhere. each hip bone was met with his lips, your stomach, over your ribs, breasts, clavicle, neck. your face was covered in kisses next, your cheeks, forehead, a dainty peck to your nose.

“can you look at me?”

your eyes cracked open slowly, the exhaustion hitting as you came back to reality.

“was that okay?” there he was again, this shy version of lando that you couldn’t get used to.

“okay? lando that was…” you shook your head in awe. “that meant everything to me.”

he smiled then, that gorgeous, gorgeous smile, the one with the crinkles by his eyes and his teeth on full display. you melted.

“me too. you’re fucking beautiful. so, so fucking beautiful. should’ve told you sooner.” he murmured.

his words made you think, way too hard for your current state. what happened next? lando had said some things, some pretty big things that you didn’t know how to comprehend. it was crazy, how scared you were to bring it back up to him, considering he’d just been inside of you.

“sooner?” you whispered, hardly audible. lando was midway through tucking you both into bed, pulling your flushed, naked body into his own under the duvet.

“yes. a lot sooner.” he replied, not a trace of doubt in his voice.

‘how much sooner?’ you thought to yourself, unable to stay awake any longer to agonise over it, your dreams haunted by the way he touched you so well. it was magnificent to fall asleep in his arms, and you couldn’t help yourself from wondering when it would happen again.

-

you woke up tangled with him, fingers stroking your cheek, smoothing your hair out of your eyes.

lando was always so warm, but now his tanned skin radiated sunshine, a beacon of light in your bed. you smiled, eyes still shut, shielding yourself from the streaks of light casting over the room from the crack in the curtains.

“what time is it?” you croaked, bringing a hand to your eyes to rub away the sleep.

“gone eleven. i need to go, baby.”

baby.

you hadn’t gotten a chance to take my notice of the things he’d called you last night, too caught up in the way he played with your body. now that you heard it, in the calm after the storm, it made you swoon.

“already?” you tried to hide your disappointment, not quite ready to detangle yourself from him.

“need to get to the track. i think i’m already late. i just wanted to be here when you woke up.” lando sounded so soft, not as groggy as you, and you wondered how long he’d been awake, watching the soft rise and fall of your chest.

“thank you.” you knew that you’d have spiralled waking up alone, and you were immensely grateful that he’d stayed.

lando began to get up, wincing at your whine of protest.

“i’m sorry. i’ll have someone pick you up later, okay? i’ll see you soon, i promise.”

you knew he had to work hard today, knew how much analysis he needed to do before the race. he was starting further back than anyone would have liked, and he had something to prove as well, oscar starting too close to the front for lando’s liking. there were places to make up and hard work to be done to get back to the front.

“don’t apologise. i hope it goes smoothly today.” you smiled at him, watching him collect his long forgotten clothes. you were entranced by the way his body moved, the lines and shapes that tensed and rippled as he dressed himself.

“i’ll message you.” he promised, creeping back over to the bed. you weren’t sure what to expect, but the soft kiss to your lips, almost apprehensive on his part, could have killed you off, your heart pounding.

your grinned like a fool when the door shut behind him.

-

the shower was burning hot, loosening up your muscles. you cleaned yourself slowly, examining your body, the same one that you’d given to lando. he’d taken you apart, piece by piece, and put you back together, the traces of him that he’d left behind delectably apparent.

you followed the trail of marks he’d left, starting with the love bite below your right breast that you couldn’t even remember him leaving, making your way to the litter of fingerprints that were tattooed into your hips. your fingertips ghosted over your swollen lips, the kiss that he’d left at the junction between your neck and your shoulder, reminiscing the evening. you seemed to ache everywhere, the dull pain setting into your bones so nicely.

you prayed it would happen again. you felt like it would, everything between you had changed now, changed from any possible return to the norm. you wanted it to change, you couldn’t fathom the idea of staying friends when the lines had blurred like this, when he’d kissed you so deeply, touched you so intimately.

the shower was much needed, refreshing your body that was now tainted by him in the best way. you tried to keep a clear head while you got yourself ready, taking your time to make yourself presentable to the paddock. the time of your departure was looming, the pink and white sunset outside your window indicating that the race was only a few hours away. the air had cooled slightly, and you knew you needed to make your way to the lobby.

your phone dinged in your hand as you were packing your essentials into your bag. you glanced down at the device, unruly smile gracing your face.

see you soon, the text read, an orange love heart punctuating the short but sweet text. it was safe to say that the butterflies in your belly were well and truly alive.

-

the screen beeped as you scanned your paddock pass, and you slipped through the gate, making your way into the paddock. it was beautiful in qatar, they’d outdone themselves with this structure, the glass ceilings and jungle of greenery an expression of wealth and elegance.

you made a beeline for the mclaren garage, greeting lando’s pr officer who smiled warmly at you. you recognised oscar smirking as you appeared in the garage, and as you got closer you realised why.

“nice to see you. looking for lando?” his monotonous voice held an amused twang.

“hey oscar, great job last night!” you said, waiting for the other shoe to drop. “yeah, is he around here somewhere?”

“yeah he’s just doing press i think. extra spring in his step today.” oscar gave you a knowing look, one that made you blush.

“what do you know?” you deadpanned, fighting back laughter.

“i know that this was a long time coming.” he smiled, and then he was gone, lost to the bustle of the garage.

you stood there, probably in the way, lost in thought about what oscar had just said. he was right, this was a long time coming.

you jumped a bit when a hand landed on your waist, relaxing instantly into lando’s body when he pressed himself against you, head on your shoulder.

“i’m so glad you’re here.” he whispered, pressing a secret kiss under your ear, and then he, too, was gone, before you could even react.

your nerves were shot, ushered to the back of the garage where you found a headset. you chewed your nails, anxious about it all. the race, the changes that you were surely coming. you wanted it, wanted everything from him that he’d give you, willing to commit to all of it, to him. the distance, borrowed time, chaos of his world. last night had changed everything and you couldn’t have asked for more.

eventually the lights went out and the fight was underway. you found your hands clasped together, sweating in the dry heat and the anxiety. you clapped every time he made an overtake, storming through the field. when he made it into p3, picking the pace up on oscar, the nerves resurged and you prayed for a clean end to this race.

lando’s radio messages flooded your ears, and your leg bounced uncontrollably, your shoe slapping against the floor.

“be sensible, lando.” you muttered under your breath, resting your chin on your tightly clasped hands. he would be on the podium, but you knew it wasn’t enough for him, it never was. would you be enough for him?

eventually he agreed to hold position, thank fuck, and you could breathe again. he’d driven a beautiful recovery drive, bringing the car onto the podium, and you rushed out with the team to congratulate him. you lingered at the back of the pack behind the metal barriers, watching in quiet admiration as he jumped out of the car. he slapped oscar on the back, hugging his younger teammate before bounding towards the team. his head was darting around as if he was looking for something, but you couldn’t make it out with his helmet still on. and then the helmet came off and it became clear.

he was looking for you.

lando pulled away from a hug with a mechanic, leaning over the barrier right in front of you. you gravitated towards him, somehow moving through the swarm of team members until you were pressed against the metal too. he was beaming, eyes brighter than they had been all working weekend, and then his hands were on you. the hug he pulled you into was tight and you clung to one another for a moment, unbothered by his damp race suit, or the tickle of his sweat slicked curls.

the kiss he pressed to your cheek was far less secret than the one in the garage, so was the one he pressed to your forehead, but the one he pressed to your lips, as quick as it may have been, was the one that really took the cake. you were blushing when he pulled back, a mischievous grin on his face. you shook your head in disbelief at his boldness, unable to tame your bewildered smile.

“what are you doing for dinner, baby?” he called out to you as he walked away. the podium high had clearly set in.

nothing, you mouthed back, not quite confident enough to shout across parc ferme.

“good, we’re going on a date.” lando winked and then he was gone, pulled into the chaos of post race duties.

tears pricked your eyes when he stood on the podium, a much happier man than the one you found when you’d arrived. you couldn’t put it into words, how one night had changed everything, giving you everything you didn’t realise you wanted.

then again, lando was always good at beating expectations.

-

hehe the end

-

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[theflashjaygarrick]

People have spent so much time fleshing out random background male characters and so for feminism I am going to give one of DC's under appreciated female characters this treatment . I am absolutely fascinated by Joan Garrick as a character. DC is not. But who am I to let that stop me.

So what are some things we know about Joan Garrick (née Williams). One is that she met Jay Garrick when they were both students at college. More potential context was given by Millar and Morrison in the iconic Jay focused Flash (vol 2) #134. Here we learn that at the present time she is teaching microbiology and based on the fact that in my experience a specific microbiology subject is more common in university and she's heading in for specific classes not the school day I can infer she is a lecturer/professor. These few facts paint a picture of an awesome and boundary breaking woman in her own right.

We can assume she was in college in the 1930s. This makes sense. After all the 30s was the first generation where (almost entirely white and middle class) women attended colleges in greater numbers and with more social acceptance then before. They became symbols of newfound female independence and education. But at the same time they faced a lot of obstacles , particularly in co-ed institutions like Midwestern University. She still had to navigate her way through a very male dominated institution that did not take her seriously if they wanted her to be there at all. Along with the change in female education came cultural backlash both within and outside the academy. Misogynistic (and racist) detractors viewed female higher education as frivolous, unsuitable for women's 'fragile physiology' and even saw it as the 'suicide' of the middle-class white American family. Yeah these people were the fucking worst. Anyway, being a female student at a university in that era meant dealing with and overcoming all kinds of bullshit from exclusion to outright harassment (even more than it does now).

And then there is the fact that she apparently studied biology (or microbiology more specially) in a time where most women pursued degrees in teaching or nursing (if they planned to use it vocationally) or liberal arts (if they did not). Women were actively discouraged from taking science courses and Joan would have been trying to enter an even more hostile boys club whilst fighting against even greater social pressure. But despite it all she seemingly did succeed and presumably help break barriers for women in science which is awesome.

And we can see this refusal to back down in her personality. Joan's kindness is matched by her tenacity and her 'do first, ask for permission later' personality, which whether forged through her experiences in academic or before-hand helped her persevere overcome the many obstacles she would have faced. She's an absolute badass.

Now this is not strictly relevant but she also knew Jay was the flash the whole time which is really sweet. I personally like to think she figured it out because he kept asking her really specific questions about human metabolism and the like (biology seemingly is Jay's scientific blindspot) and she put two and two together. Also he just innately trusts her with his secret which is cute considering how much secret identity drama silver age couples went through.

[leighbaye]

— BEN’S BUNKER

written by mina leigh 𝜗᭪ , losers club 𝔁 f! reader | wc 2300

summary. spending time the your bestest friends in the world, in ben’s surprise hideout for the losers club. a stronger bond flourishing inside!

labels. feminine reader, happy go lucky girl, shy cute girly girl reader, no definite description of reader, she/her pronouns used, reader is closer to richie toizer & eddie kaspbrak.

‧₊˚ ୨୧ mina speaks. hey everyone! i was rewatching it 2019 and me being the self indulgent person i am, i started fantasizing about us (readers) being with the losers! lots of love.

summer days in derry had a special kind of magic, one that was even stronger when you spent them with the losers club. today, ben had promised a surprise, and you couldn’t wait to see what he had in store. the air was thick with excitement as you all made your way through the woods, your heart fluttering with anticipation.

❝ are we there yet? ❞ richie’s voice rang out, filled with mock impatience. you were walking beside him, as usual, and his playful energy was contagious. you couldn’t help but smile.

❝ yeah, ben, how much further? ❞ eddie added, swatting away a mosquito with a grimace. you could tell eddie was getting antsy, but his curiosity kept him moving forward. you gave him a reassuring smile, hoping to ease his nerves. richie noticed and nudged you with his elbow, his grin wide.

❝ you know, eds, (y/n) here could probably carry you if you get too tired, ❞ richie teased, earning a light smack on the arm from eddie.

❝ shut up, richie, ❞ eddie muttered, but you could see the corners of his mouth twitching as he tried to hide a smile. you laughed softly, loving the way they always managed to make you feel at ease, even when they were bickering.

finally, ben stopped in front of a large thicket, and your curiosity peaked. he pushed aside some branches, revealing a hidden entrance. ❝ here it is, ❞ your eyes widened as you stepped through the opening. inside was a large, cozy space, bigger than you’d expected. there were shelves full of books, soft blankets, and a huge hammock strung up in one corner, large enough for several people. the place felt like a secret clubhouse, one that was just for you and your friends.

❝ ben, this is amazing! ❞ you exclaimed, your voice filled with awe. you turned to look at him, and he blushed slightly, clearly pleased with your reaction.

❝ yeah, ben, this is awesome, ❞ mike added, already exploring the different corners of the hideout. ❝ you really outdid yourself. ❞

❝ i thought it would be nice to have a place just for us, ❞ ben said, his voice warm with affection. ❝ a place where we can hang out and just be ourselves. ❞

richie immediately made a beeline for the hammock, his eyes lighting up with excitement. ❝ dibs on the hammock! ❞ he shouted, flopping down onto it with a dramatic sigh of contentment. you laughed and followed him over, sitting down on the edge of the hammock.

❝ you’re such an ass, ❞ eddie grumbled, but he couldn’t resist joining you both. he climbed onto the hammock, settling in beside you with a huff. you found yourself sandwiched between richie and eddie, feeling the gentle sway of the hammock as they playfully jostled each other.

❝ careful, you’re gonna tip us over, ❞ you warned, your voice filled with laughter. richie just grinned at you, his arm draping casually around your shoulders.

❝ don’t worry, (y/n), i’ve got you, ❞ he said, his tone teasing but affectionate. you leaned into him, feeling the warmth of his body against yours. on your other side, eddie was muttering under his breath about how richie was being annoying, but you could tell he was just as happy to be there.

as you lay there, the three of you fell into a comfortable rhythm. richie and eddie kept up their usual banter, tossing playful insults back and forth while you relaxed between them. their voices became a soothing background noise, and you found your eyelids growing heavy as the hammock rocked gently beneath you.

❝ hey, richie, do you ever shut up? ❞ eddie grumbled, though there was no real bite to his words. he was more focused on making sure you were comfortable, adjusting a blanket around you with a careful hand.

❝ only when i’m asleep, eds, ❞ richie shot back, his grin widening as he caught your eye. ❝ and even then, i’m sure i’m the most entertaining sleeper around. ❞

❝ if you say so, ❞ eddie muttered, but you could see the fondness in his eyes as he looked at you. ❝ (y/n), how do you put up with him? ❞ with an exaggerated sigh.

you just smiled, feeling the warmth of their friendship surrounding you like a protective shield. ❝ i guess i’m just lucky, ❞ you replied softly, your voice filled with contentment.

eventually, the steady rhythm of their voices and the gentle sway of the hammock lulled you into a peaceful nap. richie’s arm was still draped over your shoulders, and eddie’s presence beside you was a comforting anchor. as you drifted off to sleep, you felt completely safe, knowing that your best friends were right there with you.

when you woke up, the sun had shifted, casting a warm, golden light through the small windows of the hideout. you blinked sleepily, realizing that richie and eddie had fallen asleep too, their heads resting against yours. the hammock was still gently swaying, and for a moment, you just enjoyed the quiet peace of the moment.

after a while, you carefully extricated yourself from the hammock, trying not to wake richie and eddie. they both stirred slightly but didn’t wake up, so you quietly tiptoed away, leaving them to their nap. as you looked around the hideout, you noticed bill, stan, and mike sitting together on a pile of blankets, engrossed in their books.

❝ h-hey, (y/n), want to j-j-join us? ❞ bill asked, glancing up from his book with a welcoming smile. you nodded, making your way over to them. you sat down beside stan, who gave you a small, shy smile as he handed you one of the books from the shelf.

❝ thank you, stan, ❞ you said softly, returning his smile. he nodded, his eyes already back on his book.

you opened the book and quickly became absorbed in the story, losing yourself in the world of words. the four of you read in companionable silence, the only sounds being the rustle of pages turning and the occasional soft murmur as one of you reacted to something in the story.

after a while, you felt a gentle tap on your shoulder. looking up, you saw beverly smiling down at you. ❝ hey, (y/n), can i steal you for a bit? ❞ she asked, her voice warm.

❝ okay, ❞ you replied, closing your book and setting it aside. you stood up and followed bev over to where ben was working on some project with a hammer and nails.

❝ we could use some extra hands, ❞ bev said, handing you a hammer. ❝ ben’s been teaching me how to build stuff, and i thought you might want to join in. ❞

you smiled, feeling a surge of gratitude for beverly’s thoughtfulness. ❝ i’d love to help, ❞ you said, taking the hammer and kneeling down beside ben.

❝ thanks, (y/n), ❞ ben said, giving you a grateful smile. ❝ we’re just reinforcing some of the shelves and adding a few more. it’s a lot of work, but it’s worth it. ❞

❝ definitely, ❞ you agreed, already feeling a sense of accomplishment as you began hammering nails into place. as you worked, bev chatted with you about all sorts of things—clothes, movies, and boys. it was nice to have some girl time, and you found yourself opening up to her in a way you hadn’t before.

❝ you know, (y/n), ❞ bev said, her voice turning a bit more serious, ❝ i’m really glad you’re part of the losers club. you bring something special to the group, and i just want you to know that you’re really important to all of us. ❞

you felt your cheeks flush with warmth at her words, and you looked down at the hammer in your hands, suddenly feeling a bit shy. ❝ thanks, beverly, you said softly. ❝ that means a lot. ❞

she smiled at you, her eyes filled with kindness. ❝ it’s true. don’t ever doubt it, okay? ❞

you nodded, feeling a swell of affection for your friend. as the two of you continued working, you couldn’t help but feel grateful for the bond you shared with the losers club. they were more than just friends—they were family, and you knew that no matter what, you’d always have each other’s backs.

after finishing up with the shelves, you and bev stepped back to admire your work. ❝ not bad, ❞ ben said, clearly pleased with the results. ❝ this place is really coming together. ❞

❝ it really is, ❞ you agreed, feeling a sense of pride in what you’d accomplished. ❝ i’m glad i could help. ❞

❝ you did great, ❞ bev said, giving you a friendly nudge. ❝ now, how about we take a break? i think we’ve earned it. ❞

you nodded, feeling a bit tired but happy. as you made your way back to the main area of the hideout, you noticed that richie and eddie had finally woken up and were now bickering playfully as usual.

❝ hey, sleepyheads, ❞ you called out, giggling as you approached them. ❝ have a nice nap? ❞

❝ the best, ❞ richie replied with a wink, stretching his arms above his head. ❝ but we missed you, (y/n). it’s not the same without our favorite girl around. ❞

❝ yeah, we woke up and you were gone, ❞ eddie added, his voice mock-petulant. ❝ don’t do that again. ❞

you laughed, feeling the warmth of their affection wrap around you like a cozy blanket. ❝ don’t worry, i’m not going anywhere. ❞

the rest of the day passed in a blur of laughter, stories, and moments that you knew you’d treasure forever. by the time the sun began to set, casting a warm golden light over the hideout, you felt completely at peace.

as you all gathered together in the hideout, huddled close on the blankets and bean bags, you couldn’t help but marvel at how lucky you were. the losers club wasn’t just a group of friends—they were your home, your family, your safe haven in a world that could be so full of darkness.

and as you sat there, surrounded by the people who meant the most to you, you knew that no matter what the future held, you’d always stick by their side as much as they stuck to yours.

© MINA LEIGH 2023 - 2024

[munson-blurbs]

Single Dad!Eddie x Fem!ReaderSeries

1 | 2 | 3 | 4

Summary: Eddie's guard is back up after overhearing people gossiping about a secret that only you would know about. When he lets his animosity take over, the damage may be too great to repair.

Warnings: angst, Eddie is really mean to Reader, mentions of CPS, Reader's grandma has Alzheimer's, slowburn, strangers to enemies to lovers, angst, Eddie is 30, Reader is 28, no use of y/n

WC: 3.7k

Chapter 4/20

Scruffy!Eddie edit credit to @eddiemunsons-missingnipple Divider credit to @saradika

Eddie is still fuming when he pulls into the music store’s parking lot. He’s opening today, and his hands tremble as he fumbles with the keys. All of those parents are going to know that he’s a failure of a father.  The Munson reputation clung to him like a bloodsucking leech, regardless of his numerous attempts to shed it. He’s destined to be an outcast at best and a monster at worst. 

Finally managing to unlock the door, Eddie flicks on the lights, blanketing the shop in a hazy glow. The silence is deafening, and he swears that his brain will implode if he doesn’t get some background noise. He walks to the section labeled ‘METAL’ as if on autopilot, grabbing Metallica’s Master of Puppets and shoving the cassette into the player. Ash insists that they play classic rock over the crummy little sound system; something about it being ‘palatable’ for the customers, but she’s not here to scold him. 

He thinks back to when this album was released, towards the end of his third senior year. The good ol’ days, when I only worried about passing O’Donnell’s class and planning Hellfire campaigns, he thinks wryly. But, no; that isn’t quite true. He’d had to worry about the trailer getting repo’d, or whether he and Wayne could stretch their food stamp budget enough to feed two grown men. Concerns that his uncle had tried to hide from him until he no longer could. 

“Ed, you’re eighteen now,” Wayne had said, just one month after Eddie’s birthday, “and I’m gonna need you to start payin’ some bills around here.”

At the time, Eddie thought he was just being a bastard. It wasn’t until a few days later when he’d spotted the envelope marked PAST DUE in bold, red letters that he realized it wasn’t a punishment, but a necessity. 

He’d been selling for Rick ever since. Well, until now. 

“Battery” fades out to “Master of Puppets,” and Eddie flips the CLOSED sign to read OPEN. He glances at the calluses on his hands and smiles sadly, thinking of all the hours he spent learning the chords in his room. After weeks of non-stop practicing—Hetfield’s solo was a bitch—he’d raced down to Gareth’s garage and played all eight minutes straight through. Watched as his friends’ jaws dropped in awe. Gave him a standing ovation. Told him he was a fucking rockstar. 

“You’re a rockstar, all right,” Eddie sarcastically grumbles now, clanging a roll of pennies against the counter before dumping them into the till. “Getting ready to drop your new hit single: Do you want a receipt with that?”

His morning has been nothing short of monotonous: help the customer find what they want, ring them up and make small talk, and then organize (or, in his case, pretend to organize) the store when it’s not busy. 

There’s too much down time for him to be left alone with his thoughts. As soon as he has a moment to himself, he’s ruminating on his regrets of the past. He turns up the music volume in a half-hearted attempt to drown them out, but they manage to worm their way into every nook and cranny of his brain. 

Eight years ago, a twenty-two year old Eddie Munson left his podunk town of Hawkins, Indiana to pursue rock stardom. He’d driven to Chicago with only the pocket change he’d saved up and his guitar on his back. A big city for a man with even bigger dreams. 

It didn’t take him long to realize that being Eddie Munson meant next to nothing in a place that was bursting with musicians desperate for the chance to become famous. He appreciated the anonymity at first; he could blend in without being chased by taunts of Freak or Loser. But after nearly a full year of auditions where he was just another guitarist who could carry a tune, he’d started to lose hope. Prepared to return to Hawkins with his tail between his legs, he’d stopped at the nearby bar for one last drink. 

“We can’t go on without a lead singer and guitarist!”

A frantic voice captured his attention, drawing his gaze from the pint of beer in front of him. 

“Well, Sam bailed. Again,” another man points out, tone heavy with irritation. “So either we go on without him, or we don’t go on at all.”

Eddie finds himself standing up and walking into a conversation where he was never invited. “I, um, play guitar. And sing?” He winces as it comes out like a question. “I can show you, if you want.” What was he doing? He couldn’t line up a gig to save his life, and now he’s offering to play for some band he doesn’t even know?

The two guys, both about his age, exchange a dubious look. “All right,” says one with shaggy dark hair. “Let’s hear what you got, Guitar Boy.” He hands him his own guitar, and Eddie adjusts the strap before diving headfirst into the chorus of the first song that comes to mind:

If you think I'll sit around as the world goes by You're thinkin' like a fool 'cause it's a case of do or die Out there is a fortune waitin' to be had You think I'll let it go you're mad You've got another thing comin'

The other guy cocks his head, a delighted smirk spreading across his face. “Judas Priest. Solid choice.” He paces a bit, twirling a drumstick between his fingers. You got a name, Guitar Boy?” he asks.

Eddie nods. “Eddie Munson.” He sticks out his hand, silently willing it to stop trembling, and shakes theirs.

“I’m Marcus,” the shaggy-haired man says. “This is Bryan. I play backup guitar; he’s on drums. Our bassist should be here soon; his name’s Pete.”

“And Sam was our lead guitarist and singer, but he’s a fucking asshole,” Bryan quips, and Eddie chortles at his brazen attitude. “Anyway, we mostly do covers…check out the setlist and see what you know.” He hands Eddie a crumpled piece of paper, filled with familiar songs and artists.

“I can do any of these,” Eddie says, a satisfied warmth filling his chest as he watches the guys grin even wider.  

“Tell ya what,” Bryan says, plopping behind a drum set plastered with a logo reading Hard Knox. “If you don’t suck tonight, you can play with us permanently.”

“Yeah,” Marcus agrees. “We’re gonna be big, man. We just need someone to help us get there.”

“Let me run back to my place and grab my ax,” Eddie tells them, adrenaline propelling him to his apartment. This was it. This was the break he needed. Just as he was about to give up, God or fate or destiny or whoever was finally giving him a chance to prove himself.

The show went off without a hitch; Eddie’s guitar skills bringing a normally quiet audience to their feet. Bryan clapped him on the back as he looked at Pete and Marcus; the three nodding at each other. “Welcome to Hard Knox!” he announced.

“Sam leaving was the best thing to happen to us,” Pete laughs in agreement. A bartender in a tight skirt and fishnet stockings brings over a round of shots, and the four men clink glasses.

“Fuck Sam!” Eddie shouts before taking the drink. The tequila burns as it coats his throat, but he doesn’t dare reach for the lime. No, he has something to prove.

“Fuck Sam!” the rest of the band echoes enthusiastically. Their choral response reminds Eddie of the way Corroded Coffin used to be before he’d left: when he’d say something, Jeff, Gareth, and Danny would listen. He was born to be a leader.

Things started to fall into place. His one night endeavor with Hard Knox turned into a biweekly gig at the bar, which eventually turned into shows almost every night at various venues across the city. He’d even convinced the guys to play some original work of his, reminding them that cover bands don’t get record deals. 

He had a steady income. A group of friends who appreciated him and his music. Beautiful women who eagerly threw themselves at him at the end of the show. And then it would repeat the following night in a new place. Everything was perfect.

Until it wasn’t.

Last night’s chaos has you all disheveled; it wasn’t until you got to work this morning that you realized you hadn’t even packed your lunch. You try to convince yourself that you can wait until you get home to eat, but about fifteen minutes before your break, your stomach lets out an embarrassingly loud growl.

“I’m gonna run to the deli and grab something,” you tell Will, throwing your jacket over your shoulders and digging out your car keys. “Want me to pick up anything for you?”

“Uh, Tylenol?” he grimaces, rubbing his temples. The kids had music class today, and the sounds of ten preschoolers singing off-key combined with their clashing tambourines served as a recipe for a pounding headache. “And maybe a bag of sour cream and onion chips?”

“You got it.” You shoot him a thumbs-up as you make your way to the parking lot as quickly as possible, determined to get your food before the lunch rush starts.

You manage to just beat out the crowd of hungry nine-to-fivers, grabbing a veggie wrap to-go. Crunching on a cucumber slice as you take a big bite, you start back towards your car, but the music store next door catches your eye.

A check of your watch confirms that you have a few minutes to peruse, maybe grab a copy of the new Toni Braxton cassette you’d been wanting. If there was ever a day to treat yourself to a little gift, it’s today. Your mind is foggy and your body feels like it’s dragging sandbags as you make your way over. You knew that taking care of an ailing relative would be physically demanding, but you weren’t prepared for the emotional toll it would take. Seeing your grandma helplessly laying on the bathroom floor scared drew all of the oxygen from your lungs, filling your body with worry. And just a few hours later, she was furiously swearing at you, claiming to hate you. She’s an ever-swinging pendulum, and you’re downright exhausted.

A small glob of hummus lands on your lower lip, and your tongue licks it off haphazardly as you push open the door to the music store. The jingle of the bell is meant to alert the employees that a customer has entered, but when you look around, there’s no one there to help you.

You walk towards the aisle labeled R&B, starting by thumbing through the “B” section–nothing. Perplexed, you make your way to the “T” section, still with no luck. Was Toni Braxton so popular amongst Hawkins residents that they’d bought out every copy of Secrets?

“You can’t eat in here,” a terse voice calls out. You’re so startled, you nearly drop your sandwich. A piece of tomato flies out of the tortilla when you jump, hitting the linoleum flooring, and the irritated person sighs. “Aaand this is why.”

You pick up the fallen vegetable and turn around to see Eddie Munson standing before you. “You scared me!” you say, but your body visibly relaxes. Twenty-four hours ago, you never would have guessed that he would have a calming effect on you. How quickly things can change, you muse silently. “Can you help me find the new Toni Braxton? The Secrets cassette?”

Eddie scoffs, crossing his arms over his chest. “Can you follow simple instructions? No. Eating. In. The. Store.” He rolls his eyes. “Just because you teach preschoolers doesn’t mean you get to act like one.”

The smile that briefly danced across your lips slips into a frown. What the hell happened in the few hours since he’d dropped Harris off at school? Did you imagine that you two had gotten along?

“Are you okay?” you ask, brows furrowed in confusion. “I-I can put the wrap in my car, just give me a sec…”

He shakes his head. “No, actually, I’m not okay,” he sneers. “But I bet you knew that already.” He shifts his posture so he’s standing a bit taller. “Y’know, you have some fuckin’ nerve, coming in here after what you did.”

“Did I miss something?” Your voice gets smaller with the gnawing feeling of brewing confrontation acting as a brick on your chest. “I thought–”

“Tell me what you thought,” he interrupts, leaning on a box of tapes. “Wait, no; let me guess. You thought that because I rejected you, you could go around blabbing my personal business around the school.” He scrunches up his face, biting his lip as he looks at you. “Did I get it right?”

“Your personal business?” 

“Mhm,” he answers pointedly, spinning a skull ring around his finger. “Is that not it? Was it because you were embarrassed that I heard your grandma say that she hates you? I don’t blame her, by the way.”

Your force your gaze to remain trained on him, staring into his brown eyes that have hardened with fury. “She doesn’t hate me,” you breathe out, “she just can’t remember me anymore. When she knew who I was, she loved me. A lot.”

“Yeah, whatever you say,” Eddie rolls his eyes. “That doesn’t take away from the fact that everyone and their goddamn dog knows about the CPS report.” 

“What CPS report?” you ask, a sinking feeling settling in your stomach. “Is Harris okay?”

He takes one look at your puzzled expression and barks out a harsh, incredulous laugh. “Seriously? You can drop the innocent act.”

“I seriously have no idea what you’re talking about!” you snap, frustrated at his unwillingness to hear you out and your own lack of understanding. “All I know is that this morning, you didn’t hate me–or maybe just hated me a little less–and now you’re back to being the worst human being I’ve ever met.”

Eddie scratches at the shadow of a beard that’s formed on his jawline; an itchy reminder that he didn’t get to shave last night. “You should consider yourself lucky if I’m the worst person you’ve ever met. Tell me, what have I done? Thrown some insults your way?” He claps his palm to his chest exaggeratedly. “How ever did you survive?”

“Mock me and my teaching skills, pretend like you’re going to call when you knew damn well that you weren’t, call me a bitch, and your latest and greatest,” you counter, ticking off the instances on your fingers, “accuse me of something I didn’t do.”

He considers this for a moment, taking a deep breath before speaking again. “So you’re trying to tell me,” he starts, gritting his teeth, “that we were in the same wing of the same hospital at the same time, but you weren’t the one who told people about the CPS case they opened on me?”

“That’s exactly what I’m saying,” you hiss. 

“Then how the fuck did Carol Perkins find out about it?!” His volume raises to a roar, and you wince at the sting it leaves echoing in your eardrums. “Because I fucking heard her talking about it with Steve Harrington! So if you, the person who was there, didn’t open your mouth and tell her, who did? The CPS fairy?”

“I don’t fucking know!” you shout, swallowing thickly in a meager attempt to bide time before the tears inevitably leak from your eyes. “I don’t know, but it wasn’t me.”

Eddie rakes a hand through his frizzy curls, smacking the other on top of the nearby box. “Just…just get out,” he mutters. “I can’t listen to any more of your bullshit.” He starts back towards a door marked EMPLOYEES ONLY before turning back around, eyes narrowed. 

“Y’know, I wouldn’t have hooked up with you that night if I knew that this is how you handle a one-night stand,” he says, pursing his lips as he steps closer to you. “And I never should’ve let Harris step foot in your classroom. I would drive him to a school in goddamn Timbuktu if it meant having you out of my life.” He pauses, scraping his teeth across his lower lip and exhaling a terse laugh. “It’s too bad I can’t forget about you like your grandma did.”

The words knock the wind out of your lungs. Your knees buckle slightly, and you have to steady yourself on the closest shelf. Tears blur your vision as your legs carry you out of the store; you feel yourself walking, but it’s like an external force has control of your body. The words fuck you sit on the tip of your tongue, or maybe you say them—it’s too hazy to tell. The world is covered in a shiny layer of cellophane; you can see everything, but you can’t touch. 

You’re crying too hard to drive, so you sit behind the wheel, seatbelt clicked in place, letting out sobs that leave your whole body shuddering. It’s all too much, and though you logically know that Grandma didn’t want to forget you, his comment hit a raw nerve.

It wasn’t a straight path; Alzheimer’s never is. A few months ago, she could remember you in the morning but forgot you by the afternoon. She would call you by name at 9 AM but ask who you were at 2 PM. One day you were her granddaughter; the next, you were a total stranger. You thought it couldn’t hurt more than it already did, but the repeated reminders that she no longer recognizes you at all is a constant knife through the heart.

You’ll be late if you don’t start driving back to work now, so you turn the key in the ignition and adjust the gear shift to reverse. As you look up to glance in the rearview mirror, you catch sight of him. He’s dumbfounded, and you could laugh at how ridiculous it is that it took him seeing you bawling in your car to realize that he went too far this time.

Unable to stomach the thought of further confrontation, you take a deep breath and drive away, leaving him to mull over what just happened.

He’d assumed you’d left already when he’d walked outside for a smoke break, placing a cigarette between trembling fingers before he’d even left the store. He almost drops the lighter on his scuffed sneaker when he sees you hunched over, resting your arms on the wheel as your body heaves. He’s not sure how long he’s been staring when you lift your head, exposing tear-streaked cheeks and red-rimmed eyes. Your gazes lock for just a millisecond, but it tells him everything he needs to know. 

It wasn’t you.

When Eddie arrives at the school for pick-up, he scours the crowd of impatient parents for Carol. He finds her talking with another mom; no doubt spreading more gossip about him. Maybe he shouldn’t have pretended that their Satanic cult rumors didn’t bother him when they were back in high school. Maybe if they knew, they would understand that he’s just a goddamn person trying his best, just like everyone else.

“Hey,” he starts, pushing the fear from his voice and willing his strength to remain unwavering. “Who told you about the CPS stuff?”

Carol plasters an obviously fake smile on her face as she responds. “I don’t know what you mean,” she says simply. Her carefree tone pushes Eddie to his limit. 

“Cut the bullshit,” Eddie growls, quickly losing his temper. “I heard you talking to Steve Harrington about it. So either you tell me now, or I’ll make sure your husband knows about that guy I saw you with at the Hideout a couple of months ago.”

Her face blanches, color draining from her cheeks. “It was Jason Carver,” she mumbles, biting her thumbnail. “His wife, Chrissy, is a nurse at the hospital and saw the report. She told him, and he’s been telling, well, everyone else.”

Eddie swears that steam is billowing out of his ears. Everything is coated in a red haze, and he finds himself unconsciously clenching and unclenching his fists. “Where is that sonofabitch? I’m gonna punch him in his smug little–”

“Mr. Munson?” you cut through his rant. His head snaps in your direction. You’ve fixed your makeup; if Eddie hadn’t seen you crying earlier, he would’ve been none the wiser. “Can I speak to you for a moment?”

“Y-Yeah,” he stammers, shifting his weight to the balls of his feet. “Actually, I needed to tell you someth–”

“I think you’ve said enough today,” you say, voice calm but firm. “I just wanted to give this to you before Harris comes out.” You hand him a pink piece of paper. “It’s a transfer slip. Starting next week, Harris will be in Ms. Marion’s class. I didn’t tell him anything about it, so you can say whatever you want. I don’t care anymore.” That’s not quite true; the idea of Eddie feeding Harris lies about you makes your stomach curdle, but there’s only so much you can control. 

Eddie’s, usually quick with a retort, is uncharacteristically quiet. “I, um, I thought…the secretary told me that all of the classes were full.” It’s a cop-out, but he can’t push himself to tell you what he knows now. Not when you’re already bruised. 

“They made an exception because I was the one who requested it this time,” you explain, clenching your jaw. “Looks like you got your wish. You can forget about me now.”

He takes the paper and shoves it in his back pocket. The confession is on the tip of his tongue, an apology not far behind. Say it, he berates himself. Just fucking say it. You might be able to fix this if you just—

“I’ll go get Harris,” you tell him, breaking into his thoughts. “Good-bye, Mr. Munson.”

--

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[oh-koenig-my-koenig]

on the phone with 👑

(cw: mentions of ego-shooter video games; age gap 25/41, nsfw, masturbation, dirty talk, praise, MDNI)

part before: painting his nails

I'm tossing and turning.

In my own bed.

Cursing the notion I had, that I couldn't possibly stay for longer at his place.

On Monday morning, I packed up my stuff and hurried to work, after he made me another latte.

Being a good girl, not getting him to fuck me again, even though I would have rather taken him to bed than myself to work.

Texting König about every single minute thing that came to my mind. And him doing the same.

I sent him a pic while I was out getting lunch with a colleague. And he sent me a pic while he was working out. I almost died right there and then.

Firstly, I never would have thought he would do a mirror selfie.

Secondly...

His hair put up in a haphazard way. Damp strands of it hanging down.

The tank top was a tight fit especially for him, showing off his arms. Sweat staining the front of it, the sheen of wetness on his skin...

The shorts. The sight of his burly thighs had me gripping my desk, trying to get a grip.

Thirdly, that goddamned smile. Oh, he knew exactly what he was doing.

When I had calmed down, my fingers typed out a message in response.

Me: excuse me??? sir??? 🫠 👑: you are excused

He's gonna pay for that one.

When I came home from work, I thought it was eerily quiet in my apartment. Nobody else being here. I mean, I live alone and Mimi greeted me as always. But it seemed like was something off. Missing.

I thought back to when we got my stuff and König just waited patiently for me while I packed some clothes and other necessities. Petting Mimi, his whole attention on the little cat. His tall stature dwarfed my living room, and I was actually surprised he didn’t hit his head on the ceiling. The Morbid Angel logo on his shirt was hidden by the black furball purring against him. Mimi sitting on his chest, not a care in the world, meowing when she saw me.

But there was no 6'10'' giant waiting for me in the living room then.

I willed myself - even though my fingers itched - to not send him message about asking for him to pick me up or stay over at my place. I wanted to give him some space after I had his place under siege for what feel like an eternity, but realistically was just three days. And I managed fine yesterday, his goodbye kisses still lingering. Today, even with all of the messages we sent back and forth...

Can you miss somebody like that after knowing them for such a short time?

I knew that he most likely spent the whole evening at home. Alone. Because he likes being alone. Probably reading or listening to the new Trivium vinyl he bought that came in the mail yesterday. Or both.

I stayed home as well, playing games on my computer – I actually started up Counterstrike and tried to play some matches –, but my mind always wandered back to him. Mimi came running, pushing her head against my legs, demanding attention. I lifted her off the floor to set her onto my lap and didn't see the enemy which got me eliminated. The irony was not lost on me, as I thought back to our conversation. How worried he seemed with how I would perceive him when he talked about his work. And now I was sitting here, playing a shooter game to try and relax after work.

I shook my head, at the absurdity of it, and snapped a quick pic in between matches to send to him.

My phone ding-ed while I was in a match, and I tried to ignore it.

As soon as I got the chance though, I opened the message and he sent a picture back. From the waist down, a book on his lap, a beer on the table beside him. The wall of books in the background. The whole room dimly lit except for the opened pages.

God damn it, I just want to sit right next to him on that couch.

me: looking comfy, old man 👑: thank you, i am indeed very comfy 👑: brat

I chuckled to myself and played a few more rounds before I went to bed.

And now I'm here, tossing and turning in my bed, without the big guy right beside me.

I pull the chat up again. Looking at the pictures he sent me today.

me: u still awake? 👑: yes, everything okay? me: can't sleep 👑: me neither

While I'm still contemplating my next message, the crown lights up my phone as a caller ID. Surprise spreads through me for just a moment before I pick up.

Hi?

Hi. Uh, I hope it's okay that I just called.

Sure, I can't sleep anyways.

I ignore the little flutter in my stomach.

What is it? Something on your mind?

‘Yeah, you.’ is what I want to say.

No, just restless.

He sighs.

I feel that.

A little silence falls over us, just for a moment.

What was that game you played before?

Oh, uh- Counterstrike. I'm no good at it though.

He laughs.

Why do you play it then?

It's still fun, I guess. Even if I curse at the monitor like a goddamn sailor.

Oh, I couldn't imagine your sweet mouth doing something as filthy as that.

Yeah, yeah. We both know what kind of filthy things you're imagining with my mouth.

Maybe.

I can hear the grin on his face which makes me grin in return.

Have you ever played?

I never played, no. Don't want to spend my free time with...

He pauses.

Work.

Oh right, I understand, sorry. This must be weird then.

No, don't worry. I know that people play those games for fun.

Yeah, I know, still.

You gotta show me some time.

Really?

Yeah, why not.

Okay, then, I'll show you my shitty gameplay with pleasure.

Which makes us both laugh.

I gotta confess something.

What do you have to confess?

I already had my car keys in my hand.

You did?

Mhm. But then I remembered what you said yesterday morning, about needing to go home and you couldn't possibly stay any longer… and I understand if you need some space. So, I wasn't sure if you'd even open the door for me, if I knocked.

A moment of silence.

Can I confess something as well?

Sure.

I have been thinking all evening how fucking stupid that was of me. And I would've opened the door for you in an instant.

Another silence, this one a little heavier.

But a little smile stalks on my face, an idea of what to say next.

What would you do if you were here?

He chuckles.

Kiss that filthy mouth of yours. And then the top of your head because that's closest to your dirty mind.

What dirty mind?

Yeah, yeah, I see right through you, Fräulein.

I don't know what you're talking about.

No? So, you aren't thinking about me fucking you from behind right now? Or maybe about you spreading your legs and me eating you out, your delicious pussy right in my face? Or about my dick pushing into your mouth until you gag around it, hm?

I clear my throat.

Well, now I am for sure.

Good. Because I'm thinking about it as well.

König?

Yes, Liebes?

I- There's something that always helps me sleep better.

His voice deepens.

And what's that?

Oh, you already know.

I need to hear you say it. What do you want?

I hesitate, feeling a little shy now.

I want to come.

He groans.

Fuck, can't deny you if you ask so prettily.

The tone of his voice sends a little shiver down my spine, but I'm unsure what to say now, the words on the tip of my tongue.

What- what should I do?

I can tell you what I would do if I was there, and you can tell me how it feels, okay?

Okay.

Put the phone next to you and put me on speaker. You're gonna need both of those hands.

I do exactly as he tells me, lying back into my sheets.

You're on speaker.

Good. What are you wearing, sweetcheeks?

I giggle a little.

A shirt and panties.

Hmm, my favorite. I would get rid of your underwear in an instant though.

I laugh and follow his suggestion. I already noticed his disdain for underwear, on himself as well.

Then I would slowly push my hand up your shirt, feeling your soft skin.

Until I reach your breasts, squeezing them.

I do as he says, but it doesn't quite feel the same with my hands, compared to his bigger ones.

I would graze my thumb over your nipples, feeling them harden from my touch.

I'd like to lick them, bite them just lightly, until you squirm under me.

I pinch them, his words mixing with the sensations of my touch, until I softly sigh.

Feeling good?

Mhm.

The sound is more a moan than anything else.

My hand would slowly wander down, until I'm there, just were you want me.

I whimper when my fingers reach my clit, swollen and sensitive.

That bad, huh?

Well, somebody sent a picture of them all sweaty and hot after working out. And I still can't think straight, just thinking about that.

He laughs.

You say such nice things, Liebes.

What would you do next?

I know that I sound desperate. But I need more.

I’d move my hand just a little further down. Not pushing into you just yet. Just teasing. Softly stroking over your wet pussy.

I whine, needy, but I don't dare to stray from his order, getting myself worked up with the teasing touches.

Just feeling how fucking wet you are for me, before pushing my finger into you.

I push one of my fingers inside me, the one digit not nearly being enough.

Miss your fingers, they're bigger.

He hums. A soft erotic sound.

I suppose they are.

I’d add a second one, slowly moving inside you, just how you like it. Hitting that spot inside you that makes you moan and roll your eyes back. Just how I like it.

His voice is getting deeper, his breaths a little more labored, as he keeps talking which sends a shiver down my spine. Knowing that guiding me through it like that, hearing me sigh in response, does it for him as well lets a little smile form on my face.

I do as he says, but I also get a little frustrated, because my fingers can't quite reach like his, my hips squirming, desperate for more friction.

Need more.

I whine.

Okay, then. Brat.

I would flip you on your front, so I could look at your ass.

I can't help the little eyeroll, while a grin stalks onto my face.

But you aren't here, and you can't actually see my butt.

Pssscht, I'm imagining it just fine. Come on, turn around, do as I tell you.

And I do, the rustling of my sheets telling him as far.

Good.

Just this word alone, from his lips, does things to me.

Now, lift up your hips just a little and push your fingers in from behind.

I follow his instructions, lifting my ass, so I can reach a little better, two of my fingers slipping into my pussy. I groan a little bit.

How's that? A little deeper?

Yes.

I sigh.

Good. Now, put your other fingers on your clit.

I push my arm under my body, placing the hand, right between my legs. My fingertips are digging into the sensitive nub and I rub against them needily. I know now why he wanted me to reposition myself.

Oh fuck.

The sounds I’m making are telling him what he wants to know.

Just like that.

Move your hips, fuck yourself on your fingers.

And I do as he tells me, the touches getting me worked up fast, the pressure on my clit changing with every pass, while my fingers are pushing into my pussy.

Hmm, feeling good?

Yeah, just wish it was you inside me.

That little confession dropped out of me before I could think too hard about it.

Fuck, me too. I would bury my dick deep inside you. Fuck you from behind. Hard, just how you like it.

Remember how I fucked you into that bar counter?

How could I forget?

We need to do that again sometime... You took me so fucking perfectly.

I bite my lip, stifling the moans that get louder and louder, the images of us fucking spurring me on, while I finger-fuck myself.

I wanna hear you. Please.

My head turns in the direction of the phone again, making sure he gets to hear all the sounds that are dropping from my lips.

Good girl.

His praise washes over me and I almost choke up when the pull inside gets too much.

Close, so clo-

Fuck, yes. Come. That's what you wanted, isn't it?

The growl in his voice tips me over the edge, moving my hips frantically in search for more friction, when my orgasm crashes down over me.

My moans fill my bedroom, and surely find their way into the phone.

I can hear him groan as well, the sounds from the speaker sounding a lot like a slick hand moving up and down quickly.

Fuck, he’s jerking off too. That thought registers in my brain, before my fingers hit that spot inside me again. The zap of pleasure makes me shake, the waves of arousal washing over me, while my fingers strum over my clit.

Fuuuck…

A low breathy curse that escapes his lips as he comes as well.

Panting, mine and his from the speaker, is all I hear for the next moments.

I untangle myself, my fingers slipping out of me, turning onto my back again. Feeling my own wetness on my hands. I clean myself haphazardly before I grab the phone again.

That was… something else.

Yeah… you drive me crazy, you know that?

I’m still just breathing, trying to calm myself down. My god, I don’t think I ever came that hard with just my fingers inside me. The images he put in my mind… his deep soft voice alone. It does stuff to me. Hearing him say that... how I drive him crazy as well, it makes me all giddy inside.

I feel the familiar fuzzy feeling sweep over me, and I wish I could snuggle into him right now, after he made me come, and my hazy mind is still looking for the right thing to say now.

Feeling better now?

Yes, much better.

Sleepy, too?

Yes, that too. I always get a little sleepy afterwards.

I've noticed.

Like on cue, I yawn.

Thank you.

He chuckles again. And I don't think I'll ever get enough of that sound.

No need to thank me. I'll make you come any day of the week.

I- meant for calling, but that works too.

The grin on my face probably mirrors his, staring off into the distance with our phones pressed to the ear. And he's still not here next to me.

Gotta get myself under the shower, because I made a mess of myself again and I got nobody here to clean me up.

That makes me laugh, the joke and the filthy thought cutting through the sleepiness, when I'm yawning again.

You do that, can't have you all messy like that.

No, we can't.

I can hear the little filthy grin in his voice, and I can imagine how he must look like right now. Sitting on the couch or his bed. His dick still out, all messy and sticky with his cum. His hair hanging over the side of his face, as he relaxes into the cushions. And that god damn smirk of his.

Silence, just two little moments, before I ask what I wanted to ask.

Can you come over tomorrow?

Sure, Kleine, whatever you want.

Okay, good. Good night, König.

Good night, sleep well.

That's the last thing I hear before I drift off to sleep, still gripping my phone tight with my fingers.

next part: gaming with him or more stuff in the Masterlist ~

[readychilledwine]

Kissed by Fire pt 1

Summary - Amelia Archeron, the oldest of the made sisters, sacrificed more than her sisters would ever understand, and more than she would ever allow them to know. Now, they want her to sacrifice her one chance at happiness, too.

Warnings - rhysand is kind of a dick, signs of depression and PTSD, trauma, implied EDs, kind of poisoning

An - and we begin 💜

Part 2

Rhysand tapped his fingers on the desk next to Amelia, his eyes narrowed as the oldest sister stared out the window.

She had been the last to wake up. She was withdrawn from them, constantly sat in the cushioned window ledge and wiping tears from her face.

He had expected more from Amelia. She was supposed to be a rock, a strong influence, yet here she was, mind lost in her grief, in her confusion, her longing for their father. “You need to get up,” he commanded. “You need to stand on your feet and be strong for your sisters. They need you.”

Amelia sighed deeply, that familiar weight of being the oldest pressing down on her shoulders once again.

It felt like carrying the weight of the world. It felt like being forced to sacrifice her own health and happiness for her sisters again.

It reminded her of nights spent in a brothel laid beneath some man she had no interest in for a small amount of coin. It reminded her of hiding the coins with Feyre's earnings so no one would ask questions or ask if she was okay.

“If my adult sisters are making the choice to hide in a room and refuse to eat, how exactly would me going and demanding that of them make a difference?”

Rhysand rolled his eyes, scoffing at the question. “You never cared for them while you all were starving in that cabin,” Amelia flinched at the accusation. “The least you could do is pretend to care now.” She looked away from him as the first night spent in the whorehouse, handing her virginity away to a complete stranger twice her age came forward.

She didn't see Rhysand's face fall, his eyes becoming sympathy as you stood. “Right. I forgot about Feyre's pretty story of how she kept our family afloat.” The true sentence should have been, “I forgot she didn't know,” yet Amelia stuck to her self defense. “I will try. Do not expect me to join you, though.”

Nesta, Elain, and Amelia ate in silence in Amelia's room. If you could call what the three of them did eating.

Nesta pushed the food around. Elain stared out the window. Amelia sat there, shivering despite being the closest to the fire and in heavy wool socks and a sweater provided by the House.

She could feel a chill deep inside of her. Like the Cauldron had left a reminder deep inside of her of what happened. “Have you two been cold since-” she couldnt even finish the sentence, but she didn't need to.

Elain shook her head softly. “No, just. Lost.”

Nesta also shook her head before smiling sadly. “Have you tried to bathe yet?” Amelia paled at the idea. She had several times. Hoping the hot water would melt the ice settling in her veins and bones. “I had the same reaction,” Nesta sad softly.

Elain also nodded, tears streaming down her face, “It's like bathing takes me right back there. I cam feel it burning my skin all over again from how cold it was, I feel myself struggling to breathe, i-” Amelia silenced her younger sister with a hand on hers.

“Don't, little tulip. Don't talk about it unless you're ready to.” Elain leaned into her, closing her eyes as Amelia ran her fingers through her soft hair. “I'm sorry I can't fix this.”

Nesta smiled for the first time in a week. “You aren't a miracle worker, Lia. We don't expect you to fix it.”

Amelia's dreams that night had her transporting to a cabin. It was warm with a soft fire crackling in the background as she looked around. She could hear the voices of two males in another room. One was deep and smooth, although somewhat sarcastic as he spoke to a deep familiar voice. Shadows trailed through Amelia's fingers and the voices stopped. A door opening and footsteps coming towards her.

Amelia shot awake, her eyes adjusting to the darkness to a figure sitting on her bed. Rhysand had his hands holding his nose, his eyes glazed over slightly. “Do you know where you just were?” She shook her head, take a few deep breaths and then the tea he offered her. “I need you to drink that. You followed Azriel on a mission. In your sleep.”

He looked up sighing heavily. “You didn't fully transport your body there. Just your soul and mind. I need you to drink that so you don't do it again.”

Amelia sniffed it, eyes watering at how bitter it smelled. “What is it?”

Rhys looked at her, eyes cold as he distanced himself from what he was asking her to do. “It's faebane. It'll put whatever the fuck the Cauldron did to you to sleep.”

Rhys laid Amelia down, having watched her finish the cup and fall into a drug induced sleep. He sensed Azriel landing at the house and waited.

The Spymaster pushed Amelia's balcony doors open, looking between her and Rhysand. “How? That cabin is heavily warded to protect-”

Rhys held a hand up. “Amren is looking into it. Until we have an answer, we keep her on a low dose faebane to keep her powers locked down and quiet.”

Azriel looked at him, slightly shocked. “So poison her instead of helping her control it? Rhys, we know better than this. Her powers will eat her alive.”

“We will figure it out before than, Azriel.” Rhys looked at Amelia, watching as she shivered. “Did he have any ideas for helping her stay warm?”

Azriel nodded, pulling out a heavy sweater in a cream and another in burgundy, and then a soft fluffy pumpkin colored blanket. They reeked of cinnamon and apples, the fabric was unnaturally warm after having been enchanted. “He says we owe him.”

Rhys rolled his eyes. “Of course we do. The snake doesn't do a single thing unless it benefits him.” he took the blanket, thanking Azriel softly before tucking Amelia in and listening as she released a soft content sigh. She snuggled deeply into her new blanket, shivering stopping almost immediately. “Did he say what he wants?” Rhys moved her hair out of her face. Guilt eating him alive as he saw how peaceful she looked in this forced state.

“He'll call us when he's ready.”

Taglist : @justdreamstars @coralseacourt @kemillyfreitas @impossibelle

[yawarakaizai]

pm!dazai taking reader on a date after school, but it’s somehow awkward! tried to get you a stuffie from a claw machine but failed miserably, so he shot the glass out of frustration.. something like that hehe ☆〜（ゝ。∂）

ⵌ HANGIN' OUT THE PASSENGER SIDE OF HIS BEST FRIEND'S RIDE

SENDER Reader (Fem) RECIPITENT PM Dazai Osamu (BSD) CONTENTS You were a horrible pair. You two were unlikely and the path ahead of you could have never predicted such thing to happen. You aren't sure why or how, but you found yourself the centre of Osamu Dazai's attraction. NOTE fluff, reader and dazai are 16/17, brief chuuya, jealousy, young love COMPANY No Scrubs

A/N wrote th is thro ughou t th e sch ool d ay ;3; forgi ve any mist a kes or rush ed writ ing !!! eeeeeeE EEEE i lov requ ests ٩(๑❛ᴗ❛๑)۶

It was embarrassing at this point.

You disliked bringing any sort of unwanted attention to yourself more than anything else. And yet, you owe it to the brunette by your side who attracted stares like a magnet.

" Owwh, fuck! " His drawn out swear accompanied by the stomping of his shoe against the carpeted floor. It's biometric, vibrant patterns splattered across a dark black background sickened you to stare for too long.

" I told you, these are a scam ", you attempted to protest against his insistence that he was sure to win this time, no take-backs. " Why not buy a ticket to the bowling alley instead of wasting it on these? " You remained temperate in opposition to his rowdy and indecent behaviour. You adopted the traits of an older sister, or a mother.

" No way! I spent too much to give up now. " Your head ached. " Look, if I keep inching it closer to the drop, I'll be sure to get it. "

And so, the poor joystick would continue to be abused, 200 yen being inserted into the comparator with every miss, Dazai's agitation growing with each failure.

It had been a sultry evening after school. Gathering your belongings and preparing to take the daily commute home, the pitter-patter of heavy footsteps ran behind you to reveal none other than Dazai Osamu.

He was somewhat of an enigma to everyone who knew him, even those that never exchanged a word with him knew of his name.

Dazai had a horrible track-record and even worse attendance. With a mysterious bandage over his right eye.

Despite his lack of punctuality and participation in classes, he not once has ever failed an exam. Many rumours circulated that he'd cheat - though no evidence of such was ever received. Others thought he must've slept his way to good grades.

Or, he was just inhumanely intelligent.

" Y/N! Y/N! " His ecstatic voice beckoned you to stop walking as he had finally caught up to you, bending over to catch his breath. " Let's visit the arcade together! "

You didn't know what possessed you to accept.

" Oy! Leave 'er alone, moron. Some people actually have work to get to after school. "

And there was his companion, Chuuya. Underestimating him is like a death wish. He was short. Horribly, unfortunately short. Sometimes, you'd feel bashful for the fact he'd have to look up at you sometimes.

Unlike Dazai, Chuuya's absence from school wasn't intentional.

No, not at all. Chuuya never missed a day of school on his own accord. His record full of missed days were from suspensions.

Often getting into fights with anyone, he has never lost a fight.

The duo had a dynamic you couldn't quite grasp.

And then there was you in the middle of it all.

Dazai had lured you into the friend-group about two years ago, when you were all put in the same base class and Dazai, in his extroverted glory, made attempts to suck up to all in class.

You listened to how the girls would swoon and whisper amongst themselves about the legend that was Dazai Osamu, and once he reached you, you couldn't be less impressed than what he had to offer.

" Oh, c'mon Y/N! It won't take too long, we never hang out anymore! "

His sad attempt at desperate puppy eyes lightened your day a little, so you thought you should humour him, just this once.

You didn't know much about Dazai and Chuuya's private life and you didn't pry into the territory either.

All you knew was that they were filthy rich and had a connection to the principal, Ogai Mori. Otherwise, they would've been expelled a long time ago.

" Let it go, Dazai. It's not worth it. " You put your hand on his shoulder as he leaned forward, nose barely touching the glass of the claw machine as he tried to focus on getting just what he wanted.

" But you looked at it! " He whined, digging into his pockets as the machine played a sound of defeat. " And? "

" And that means I need to get it for you! "

He insisted profusely that it'll be worth it, and you continued to doubt him. You've been standing by his side for thirty minutes at this point and not once has he won a prize.

You remarked to him that the game was purposely rigged, pointing out how weak the claw was and estimating the plushies within were weighing a little over the maximum capacity something so weak would be able to grasp for more than two seconds. That, and also how the claw would never close properly, inching in barely and dropping what toy it had luckily managed to hold onto.

And that degrading sound of humiliation. A squeaky, robotic coquettish voice repeating itself 'Better luck next time!' over and over.

Dazai was not losing to a machine.

Your stomach grumbled with hunger, and it was becoming clear that you both were growing with unrest at this machine.

" You kids still going at that? "

An arm propped itself on top of the roof of the claw machine, you looked up to see a worker had made his way over to you both. Dazai, did not look up from the game.

" I tried to get him to stop ", you mumbled, looking away from him. You'd always get shy at people older than you. You weren't exactly timid, but you were raised to be respectful. " He wants to win it for me. " It sounded oddly romantic when you put it that way.

" Yeah? You sure he can do it? " The man laughed at the truth. " So you two are on a date? " He overstayed his welcome and you began to wonder if it was usual for employees to wedge themselves into customers business.

" Yeah. We are. " Dazai answered for you, slotting in more coins for yet another try.

" Here, move li'l man, I got this. " Shoving Dazai away by the hip, the white-haired man. Begrudgingly, Dazai said nothing.

And almost with no effort at all, the man easily got the claw to clasp around the exact seal plush you wanted.

He must have been watching you both for a while to know what you wanted.

Although you kept assuring Dazai you didn't need it, you couldn't help the way your eyes sparkled as the man handed it to you with a smug smile.

" Oh! Thank you, sir! Thank you! " You took it from his hand with joy, looking at the fat cushion with adoration. It was simply adorable! You bowed your head repeatedly in gratitude, though felt it was simply not enough.

You almost forgot about Dazai until your ears deafened with the sound of a loud bang and the crashing of glass.

On impulse, you dropped to your knees with your hands over your ears protectively, unsure as to what just happened. Peeking through your tightly shut eyes, you saw that you were the only one to have dropped down and everyone else was as normal as ever.

Before you were even able to question, you uncovered your ear to hear Dazai converse with the man.

" How sad, I guess when you're making minimum wage you figure out how to make your job interesting. " Dazai cocked his pistol like second nature, and behind the legs of the employee you were crouched behind, you peered between his legs up at Dazai with wide, lost eyes.

Looking down at you, Dazai looked pissed.

" Didn't mean to scare you. Get up, we're leaving. "

The employee and Dazai seemed to know each other. You figured by the way the older man was cool about the whole ordeal, almost like he'd done everything intentionally.

You shakily rose to your feet, at a loss for words, and stared with astonishment as Dazai began to gather multiple stuffed toys from the now-broken claw machine and hold them in his arms after tucking his pistol away.

" But- you- the- "

You tripped over your words and found yourself unable to comprehend what had just happened.

" Not gonna run way with your Clyde, Bonnie? " The employee joked, stepping out of your way.

You felt this to be illegal. Maybe because it was. You did not want to aid in a robbery even if the employee was not actively stopping you. Before you could even act, Dazai grabbed you by the arm and ran ahead of you, dragging you behind him as he laughed, your other arm held tightly around the seal plush, afraid to let it go.

" Holy shit, I was so cool! " He shrilled, your shorter legs barely able to keep up with his strides.

" Dah-zai! " You panted out as he kept on running.

Your adrenaline rang in your ears and the heart in your chest beat rapidly as the two of you ran, jumped, hopped over valleys, onto the stepping stones of the river and through the bushes of the dark forest.

" Y/N! "

Dazai yelled out to you. At this point, many plushies in his arms had fallen, yet your intertwined hands never once budged open.

" Whah! Wh-What! " You tried to match his energy, but you were far too exhausted.

Finally, you both collapsed into the cold grass surrounding by large oak trees.

The night sky looking down on wild star-crossed students.

" I think I.. think I love you, Y/N " He said between deep breaths, both your limbs spread out as you tuned to the sound of crickets, the birds and the rapid breathing of one another.

You didn't know what you were thinking, or if you were even thinking coherently, though..

" I think I love you too, 'samu. "

©yawarakaizai 2023 ﹒﹒ reblogs appreciated! requests open :3

[lillaydee]

In Time Part 8

Rancher Joel Miller / Reader

You lost your dear Uncle. Your TV Star boyfriend dumped you. You needed a job. You got one at a ranch in Wyoming. Where you met Joel. A very grumpy man. Grumpy man has issues.

WARNINGS:

Grumpy Joel, Hurt Joel, Grieving Joel, Joel is Bad at Feelings (The Last of Us), Joel Needs a Hug (The Last of Us), Joel Has PTSD - Post-Traumatic Stress Disorder (The Last of Us), Mentions of Hostage Situation and Shooting, Alternate Universe - No Cordyceps Outbreak (The Last of Us), Mutual Pining, Fluff and Angst

SERIES MASTER LIST

Part 7

---

Joel wanted to keep kissing you.

But you froze.

So he pulled back, said Happy New Year and pretended to enjoy the fireworks.

But he wasn’t watching the fireworks. He was reading your body language.

You seemed hesitant. Were you mad? Did he cross the line?

But now he knew what your lips on his felt like, and it was amazing. In his head, he was kind of hoping for one of those moments where the new year kiss turned into a real one. But he guessed not.

You didn’t slap him, though. So, is that a good thing?

You stood there, willing him to kiss you again. You froze. Fuck, why did you freeze? You were just shocked if you were being honest. You didn’t think he would go for the lips. You thought he’d give you a quick peck on the cheek.

But now you knew what his lips felt like on yours.

And they were glorious.

This was one of those times you wished one of your movie fantasies would come true. That the new year kiss would turn into a real one. Fireworks in the background and everything. You wish you had the courage to just pull him back down to you and kiss him again. But you were a lady.

And unfortunately, when not grumpy, Joel was a gentleman.

Shit.

What a missed opportunity.

******************************************

You actually thought that this was easy money. Your workload was light. Your days were spent going on rounds and treating minor wounds, before helping Bill muck the stalls. You had gotten so fit from scooping poo alone. So much poo. Who needed a gym when there was this much poo to scoop?

But then, January came. And with it came the calving season.

Fucking hell.

You knew calving was a great source of income for the ranch, but you had seriously underestimated the number of calves a ranch this size would have. Not to mention the other, smaller three that surrounded it.

You were busy. Thank God for Frank.

You were practically out on call every other day. You had to alternate between ranches one night – Frank had dropped you off and went to another, but there were some complications with the mother cow he was birthing. The rancher, Jimmy, kindly drove you over, and Frank went back to Jimmy’s to finish your job. By the time it was over, it was morning, and you walked into the chow hall bleary eyed and practically unconscious.

Joel greeted you, worry written all over his face. He sat both you and Frank down and made both of you a plate. You couldn’t even remember if you actually ate anything. The next thing you remember, you were on an unfamiliar bed.

A bed that smelt a lot like Joel.

Your head was fuzzy. It was only 10 am, but you were awoken by the sounds of a snowplow. You got out of bed and went to the door nearest to it. The engine cut. You could hear Joel talking to someone. You peered down and saw Joel talking to Ed in a low voice. Ed looked up and saw you.

“Sorry, Doc! Didn’t know you were sleeping. I’ll continue later. Go back to sleep.”

“No, that’s alright. Don’t stop on account of me. I should probably get up anyway. Lots to do.”

“You must be tired, I heard you were up all night.” He looked at Joel for a second, before looking back up at you. He smiled, patted Joel on the shoulder and walked off.

Uh… what did he mean by that?

Joel looked up and saw you, trying to read your facial expressions from where he was standing. His phone went off, an alarm, it seemed, and he quickly walked back inside.

That’s when it clocked on you. You were on his balcony. The one that’s just outside his bedroom.

This must be his house. His bedroom.

His bed.

Oh. My. God. You slept on Joel’s bed. In his bedroom.

You went downstairs, Frank sleeping soundly on the couch. Okay, that’s better. You two must have slept here because you were too tired to go home. Phew.

“Morning.”

You jumped.

“Sorry, didn’t mean to startle you.”

He had his hands up, your mug in his hand. He handed it to you. He watched you with a nervous look on his face as you took a sip.

Hey, this was your tea. You took another sip. This was your tea. From your cabin. Made just the way you liked it. You took another sip, eyes closing at the sensation as the warmth from the tea covered your body. You opened your eyes, his nervous face coming clear in your line of sight.

“Is it okay? Did I offend you?”

“What?”

“You are particular about your tea. Did I make it okay?”

You couldn’t help smiling.

“It’s very good. Just how I like it. Thank you.”

He released a held-up breath, nodding happily, seemingly relieved he hadn’t offended you. He went back into the kitchen. You followed him. He was getting something from the warmer.

“You fell asleep while eating your breakfast. I saved it for you, but I could make you something else if you prefer?”

Oh God.

“I didn’t faceplant into the plate or anything did I?” you asked, horrified at the possibility.

He gave you a soft laugh, shaking his head no.

“Hey, where did you get my tea?” you asked, as you sat down and began to eat. Your stomach was growling.

“Ellie ran to your office to get it for you. We didn’t want you to wake up without your tea. Apparently you could be a grump without it,” he said, a cheeky look on his face.

“Says the Grumpus.”

He laughed. You took another sip of tea.

“Did you make this? How did you know how I like it?”

He looked at his feet, “Watched you make it when we were at your place, remembered it…”

You were touched. In all your life, only Benny and your mom had remembered how you liked your tea. Frank caught on, but he had spent every day watching you do it, and even then, you sometimes had to add more milk, or wished he had steeped it further. Joel had spent a few days with you and took the time to learn how you liked your tea, just for the sake of it. And it was perfect.

“Thank you, Joel.”

“You remembered how I like my coffee, so, I figured…” he shrugged.

You began eating again, before asking him how you got to be in his bedroom. He carried you, he said, making your cheeks feel warm.

“You didn’t cop a feel or anything, did you?”

He bellowed. It’s nice to see him like this. Relaxed, happy.

“No, I didn’t, I promise. But I did have to wipe your face and hair with a wet cloth. You had some stuff sticking all over you.”

Ah… the joys of birthing a cow.

“How come you didn’t wipe my face?” Frank’s voice came from behind you. He went to the sink and practically dunked his head under the faucet, rubbing his face hard to get rid of some goop that was there, before wiping his face with a washcloth, turning around and giving Joel a smirk.

Joel shoved the coffee pot in his hands.

You laughed. Frank wiggled his eyebrows at Joel. He threw a washcloth at him.

“I’ll go first, shower, and open the office, Doc. Take your time okay? Joel, you can drive her home, right?”

Joel nodded.

“I’m thinking I should get a car. Easier for us to split up next time? I don’t have to rely on people to go to the store. I haven’t really thought of getting one, I’m only here for a year, but if I could get a small one, second hand, maybe I can give it to Ellie, for when she turns 16?” you said to Frank. It was problematic, you not having a car, relying on people to drive you around, getting to the other ranches, the store, getting tampons…

Joel had a look on his face that you couldn’t really read. Frank too.

“We’ll talk about that later. I can drive you around in the meantime,” Joel told you, turning around to get something from the fridge. Frank watched him, a worried look on his face. He smiled at you and left.

“Sorry it had been so busy for you this past month. Calving season can be overwhelming. We used to have more vets around here, but one retired, one moved to the next town over to open his own practice, the other one got married and moved two towns over. We made do with just Frank and the town vet before you arrived, but he lives on the other side of town, and he was only one man. Pete, our vet, had to go back home for a bit, his mom got diagnosed with Alzheimer’s. It was a miracle we got you on such short notice, really. Not many people would just drop their lives and move to live on a ranch.”

“You’re implying I had a life before I came here. I really didn’t. Except for taking care of Benny, I didn’t really have one. And when he passed, I didn’t have anything to do. Plus, it’s an adventure. It’s good experience. It’s only a year, right? Maybe I will grow to love it and find another ranch to work on after.”

His face shut down again. You finished your meal and got up to clean up. He took your plate from you and shook his head. You tried to protest, but he was a big man, and his entire body covered the sink, your efforts to push him aside in vain. He laughed at your attempts, quickly doing the dishes and wiping the table with practiced ease.

He gave you your tea before you left, but you shook your head no. Keep it, you said. For next time.

It was his turn to blush at the implication.

***************************************

Joel worried. He worried a lot for you. Worried that you were overwhelmed by the calving season, worried that you didn’t get enough rest, worried that you would get sick, worried that you would be leaving in a few months…

He didn’t want you to leave. But who was he to stop you?

You planned your life around this year. Even when talking about getting a car, you planned on giving the car to Ellie when you left. You need a shelf for your books? Oh, you’re only here for a year, you couldn’t carry the shelf with you when you left. So you just stacked them on the floor in the living room. You didn’t have enough clean sweaters to wear with the calving season soiling them more often than usual? Ah, you’ll just wash them more often, you won’t need them after the year is up. You decided to buy more anyway? Well, you could just donate them. Everything had an expiry date.

He would have one too.

He told Sarah about you. He often wondered if Sarah would’ve liked you. And the way his heart warmed every time he mentioned you to her, he felt sure that Sarah would have approved. The others seemed to have clocked his poorly hidden yearning for you. Despite their nosy attitude after the Christmas break, they seemed to have just left it alone, although not so subtly leaving the two of you for some alone time whenever they could.

Then again, that was them. What about you? Did you feel the same? He didn’t have as much time as he’d like with you these couple of months. Calving season kept you busy. He’d lost count on the number of times he’d walked somewhere to find you with your plastic apron and gloves on or ran into you looking exhausted with goop all over your hair, face and neck. He couldn’t stop you from doing your job, that’s why you were here in the first place. Not him.

And even if he had the courage to tell you how he felt, what would happen after the year was up? Would you stay? He couldn’t let himself fall for you and have his heart broken when you leave. He couldn’t risk it. His heart couldn’t take it.

Except, he had fallen for you. Hard.

It’s all a moot point, though. He was your friend. The friend who was an asshole to you when you first met. You may have forgiven him, you said so, so many times, but he couldn’t forgive himself. He made you cry within fifteen minutes of meeting you. He had been nervous. When Tess sent him your picture, he thought you were the most gorgeous woman he had ever seen in his life. He looked forward to meeting you. But seeing Cindy on TV that morning…

He hated how much she could still affect him after all these years. What she did changed him as a person. He blocked his heart from everyone, except Sarah. And when she passed, he kept everyone at arm’s length.

And then you came along. Suddenly what was in the past didn’t control him anymore. It just taught him a lot. You helped him do that, even if you didn’t know it. He didn’t want to go back to the man he was. He was unhappy, miserable.

And he knew that once you left, he would return to be that man.

**********************************

Spring brought with it the foaling season. Given the cow-horse ratio in the area, you were more relaxed, but still kept busy. Although, you didn’t know why it was called spring when there was still snow on the ground, and you were still freezing your arse off.

Spring also brought with it more flannel-wearing Joel. And with that, more staring at the man. Ellie had taken to giving you sly looks every time she noticed you ogling him. Oftentimes, even going so far as drawing your attention to him, accompanied by naughty eyebrow wiggles when you blushed at the sight of him.

Joel had been a lot more civil to her these days. You wouldn’t call them buddies, but he no longer barked at her, even going so far as greeting her at times. You saw what she meant when she said to give him time. He’ll come around.

You just didn’t expect him to come around as much as he did, as quickly as he did.

It was Ellie’s birthday. You had gone over and made her the magic toast for breakfast, although she had steadfastly told Tess and Penny they were not allowed any. But she gave in and made you make them some, as well as Maria, as she was heavily pregnant by then, and couldn’t stand the idea that her new baby cousin might crave a taste. Before you knew it, word had gotten around that you were making this toast for more than just Ellie, and the house was filled with the entire family. Even Anita and Jake made an appearance. Your jar of secret ingredient was left sad and empty by the end, really empty, in fact, as Ellie had licked the jar clean of any residue.

Ellie begged and begged you to teach her how to make that secret ingredient. You just shook your head nope. Mrs Adler gave you her best imploring look to get the ingredients out of you, even going so far as listing the things she could think of. Tess, Penny, Maria, Frank, Anita all tried their best, the silence, the closed eyes, the moans that resulted from their first bites of the toast fresh in their heads. You remained resolute. No.

“But how are we going to eat this once you leave?” Ellie had said.

Her statement left the entire room quiet. Your heart dropped at the thought of it.

You were leaving. You couldn’t stay. This job belonged to someone else. You were just filling in, you had to remember that. But the thought of leaving made you sad. they had all been so nice and welcoming to you. and you really loved it here. The thought of never seeing Ellie and Frank daily made you want to cry.

And the thought of never seeing Joel again…

Penny broke the silence, telling everyone about the picnic they wanted to have at the oak trees that evening. They also wanted to take Ellie riding in the afternoon. She had been getting much better at riding and was going to take more classes at the ranch with Tommy when summer came.

“Oh, Willow’s hoof is still healing, you can’t ride her,” Frank said, remembering. She had a small limp the last time Ellie took her out, and some sharp stones had split part of her hoof.

“Oh, well, then we’ll wait, okay?” Tess had said to Ellie. She didn’t want to risk Ellie riding an unfamiliar horse for the first time on her birthday. Ellie nodded. She understood.

“Why don’t you take Shimmer?”

It was Joel. His suggestion casual, sincere.

If silence was golden, everyone was dripping in gold.

Ellie didn’t speak. No one spoke. Everyone was just focused on Joel. His face earnest. His body relaxed.

Tess had tears in her eyes. You never thought you would see the day.

“You sure about this?” she asked Joel in a low whisper.

He nodded and looked at Ellie.

“It’s time. She likes you; you had taken care of her all this while; Sarah would want you to have her.”

Ellie couldn’t move. No one moved. The first time he had mentioned Sarah to them since she was gone.

“Joel, I…” Ellie finally said, her eyes filled with tears.

“Happy Birthday, kid.”

She lunged at him, hugging his torso. He lifted her into a bear hug, kissing her temple. The room was quiet, save for some sniffles and Ellie whispering thank you over and over again. Everyone had trouble seeing, sights blurred from tears. Even Bill was emotional.

When he finally put her down, he hugged her again, his eyes glistening, but he was smiling. He kissed her once more at the top of her head and took a step back. Tess and Penny hugged him together, the words thank you dripping from their lips.

After everyone settled in, Joel stepped outside, trying to calm himself down. He had had that thought in his head for a couple of weeks. He woke up with it. He had told Sarah about Shimmer’s antics during one of his talks with her the night before. He understood what you meant now, about your loved ones replying to you.

“That was nice, what you did.”

He turned around and looked at you. “Thank you. Sarah suggested it.”

You smiled, understanding what he meant. You were so proud of him.

The picnic that evening was lovely. The weather had warmed up slightly, and everyone gathered and had their fill, laughter and chatter filling the air. Joel stood up, and asked Ellie to join him for a walk. The two made their way slowly along the fencing, heads down as they did so.

“I wanted to say sorry for being such a jerk to you,” he began.

“It’s okay Joel, I understand. I would be a jerk to me, too.”

“No, I was a jerk, and I should apologize. You did nothing wrong. I am the adult, and I chose to take my grief out on you. You lost your mother, and I didn’t show you any sympathy. I only thought about mine. We both lost someone that day, but I made it all about me. You’re just a kid. You didn’t deserve that. I’m sorry.”

She was quiet for a beat.

“I’m sorry too, Joel. Sarah would still be alive if not for me.”

She kept looking at her shoes, the weight of that thought finally falling out of her mouth directly for him to hear forcing her head down.

He stopped walking, got down on his knees in front of her and took her by the shoulders.

“Hey, look at me.”

She did, hesitantly. Her eyes were brimming with tears. Joel felt horrible. He had encouraged this. This little girl had to live with this thought for two whole years because of how he acted towards her.

“You didn’t do anything wrong, okay? It was her time. She chose to save you. We have to respect that, okay? If anything, I’m proud of her, she lost her life trying to save you. You were important to her. Important enough to risk her life for. You hear me?”

To be honest, he shocked himself when those words came out of his mouth. But he couldn’t argue with himself anymore. He knew it was true. Sarah loved Ellie. Always looking out for her. And she did, until her last breath. He knew she did that out of love, and he should be proud of her, as much as the resulting incident tore his heart apart. But he knew that her final action was a testament to the person she was. Loving, kind, caring, protective, responsible.

Ellie sobbed. Joel held her tight, letting her cry it out. He made her promise that she would stop blaming herself for what happened to Sarah. Promise me, he said. She nodded into his jacket, I promise, she said.

“I’ve got you, kid,” he said. “I’ve got you.”

From the picnic area, the family watched as this unfolded, relieved that after all these years, Joel had found himself again, and repaired what they never thought would ever be.

****************************************

Tess came to find you in the stables, telling you that someone was coming to scout the place for a wedding. You were told early on that it’s kind of a popular thing during the spring and summer. Ranching experiences, horse riding, tours, that sort of thing. So, you should expect people to come in while you were working too. And sometimes, the location was also used for movie shoots. It brought a lot of business to the ranch. Just giving you a head’s up, but it shouldn’t interfere with your work too much. You knew to expect this, of course, but this would be the first time this happened since you had started in early winter.

Later that evening, Maria was waiting for their potential client in front of the office. Tess was dealing with a phone call and would join her later. A large car stopped exactly where she stood, the driver came out and opened the door.

A man stepped out, dressed in oversized, ratty looking, but obviously new and expensive clothing. He shook Maria’s hand, before opening the door wider for someone. He seemed to be a bit unsteady on his feet.

A glamourous looking woman stepped out, looking around, her face covered in a huge pair of sunglasses. She was wobbly, at best. Maria thought for sure she was going to topple over if the man didn’t hold her up, not that he was steady himself.

“This place looks familiar. Was it used in a movie or something?” she asked Maria.

“Yes, several, in fact.”

“It’s beautiful isn’t it?” the man asked.

Oh, Maria thought. He spoke like you did.

Tess finally came out of the office, a ready smile on her face. But it quickly snapped shut.

“Cindy?”

The lady took her sunglasses off, looked Tess up and down.

“It’s Cleo, actually, have we met?”  

---

Part 9

[windbelle]

Is there any aspect of Astarion that you feel you specifically created in him?

Newbon: I think it’d be remiss of me to say I brought this to Astarion. I took Stephen [Rooney]’s words, which were beautiful, and I did things with them. This is what Stephen told me after the initial demo when I sort of quasi-auditioned, demo-ed for Asatarion. Stephen reviewed it. He liked what I was doing… He didn’t predict the things that I was doing with the character. So they were a surprise to him, which he liked. He then started writing towards the rhythm that I was trying out with the character because he liked it. I think the word “Darling” became more of a thing after he heard me say one line that had the word “Darling” in it, and it wasn’t supposed to be like a thing for him, but it sort of became like an anchor point for Astarion, which I think was really interesting.

Newbon: I didn’t improvise any of the lines. The lines of dialog were beautifully written. But what I did do is the cadence, the habits, the mannerisms, the different jumps and changes, the theatricality, the facade of him, all that kind of stuff I brought in, which isn’t scripted per-se, but I’m obviously following Stephen and the other writers who contributed towards the Astarion’s words and just brought my own take on it, my own flavor on it.

I did a lot of background work, I did a lot of character creation work myself. I spent a long time, over four years, really cultivating different aspects. And I thought a lot about his habits. I brought in a lot of different methodology, from method work, movement work, creature and character design. I spent a lot of work.

This was not something that I just switched on and got into. This took a lot of experimentation to find what was right, especially with things like the voice and particular habits he would do for deflection or dismissing you. I wanted to build very strong habits into him so that even if he was saying one thing, his body might give himself away or what his real intent was. And I think largely we got pretty successful at that because I think you can watch his physicality and realize he’s saying the opposite of what he’s saying.

There was a lot of fun to be had. But yeah, I worked my socks on this role and it was great. It was four years of joy. It was great. Four and a half years of joy.

So, speaking of that work, you did building his lore…

Newbon: Not his lore, the lore is set by the writers, building his life, I think.

Perfect, building his life. Given all that work, do you have, in the fandom, we call it a head-canon? Do you have any headcanons about Astarion that are not explicitly said in the game?

Newbon: I have his background, and I developed aspects of his background that aren’t talked about because that’s a method tool to help live the character’s life. Okay, well, in the past, he used to do things like this. Therefore, that’s a habit that he would carry on into this new life, being a vampire and being a slave, essentially.

So, I took habits from his past that aren’t scripted and developed those myself. Nobody knows that. Nobody needs to be told that. But what it does do is that if I’m put into a new context of a new scene, I know how he’s going to react habitually and also his wants and needs and objectives, anyway. All of that factors into the choice I will then make in-line with physical movement because I have his life in my head. So, if you want to call that a head-canon. That’s kind of like a historic head canon.

What I don’t do is head-canon the future of beyond the story because that story’s happened.

Is there anything you can share there? He loves wool and socks or something.

Newbon: Yeah. There’s a thing where Astarion always checks his nails when he is trying to just dominate people. He dismisses them with a head turn, usually to the left. He does this to put people in their place. To make very them acutely aware that he’s in control.

......

[queerfandomtrifecta]

How Izzy’s Death Could’ve Made Basic Storytelling Sense

Just to be clear, Izzy is my favorite and I wanted him to live more than anything. This isn’t about that, and that is NOT why I hated his death. Had it served the narrative in a way that made even the most basic storytelling sense, while I’d admittedly have been devastated in a different way (i.e. the character whose queerness was relegated to the subtext in s1 and as soon as it’s textual and his whole arc is that he’s killed, but that’s a whole separate post…), but at least there would’ve been a correctly crafted arc from a surface level narrative standpoint that ended in the death of my favorite character. But that’s not what this is about. It’s is about how the show could’ve actually made the death actually make sense and work effectively. (Also, if you want my unasked for thoughts on how most of the existing plot of s2 (minus 7-8) could’ve easily been adjusted to fix the narrative as a whole and keep Izzy alive, I wrote this)

But. For those in the fandom insisting that Izzy HAD to die, including DJenks who has said as such in interviews (for reasons I do not understand), from an objective developmental editor standpoint, this is what I think needed to change to make Izzy’s death serve the narrative, character arcs and dynamics, pacing, structure, and thematic elements correctly.

It’s about 2K words just so you know what you’re gonna get into. Spoilers under the cut.

Issue 1. Izzy’s relationship with the crew and how they truly became his family this season totally vanished during his death scene. The same crew who he protected from Ed during the later, worse parts of the Kraken phase. The crew who banded together to save his life by hiding him from/lying to Ed about it, and amputating his leg to save him. The crew he saved by crawling up those stairs during the storm, hobbling out into the rain with one leg and shooting Ed before he could shoot a cannon ball through the mast and kill them all. The crew who called him “our dick”. The crew that then banded together with Stede’s half of the crew to him the leg and the new unicorn (aka the figurehead of the ship). That crew didn’t cry a SINGLE tear when he died. What?? Fang sobbed most of episode one and really lost it when Izzy got shot. Where was that when he died?? Izzy’s last speech to Ricky had something along the lines of: piracy is about belonging/family. We are Good. (Forgive me, I’m paraphrasing, but that’s the gist). Izzy truly did find his family in the crew outside of Ed. That was absolutely fantastic, especially in the first four episodes and episode six. It VANISHED when he was dying and dead.

The fix: To make the death impactful, effective, or even to make it make sense on a very basic acting and writing level, the crew should’ve been utterly DEVASTATED. At least heartbreaking music and like 30 seconds of everyone breaking down and holding each other. At least some of them crying and holding each other in the background when he was dying. Come on.

Issue 2. Thematically speaking, is piracy Good or Bad? Again, Izzy tells Ricky that they (the pirates/his crew) are capital G Good. Yet Ed has spent a lot of time maintaining piracy is capital B Bad. He tells the urchins as such. Here’s some money that I never had, now you don’t have to be pirates. Don’t be pirates. He doesn’t want Stede to kill Ned Low in cold blood. Ed just doesn’t want to be a pirate. Even at the end AFTER Izzy dies telling Ed he’s with his family (implied that this is the crew) and they love Ed, Ed LEAVES THAT FAMILY AND LEAVES PIRACY IMMEDIATELY. We’re left with him and Stede watching the family Izzy swore was Good and loved Ed sail away because Ed thinks piracy is Bad. Which is it?? The death served nothing in convincing Ed he could be happy with his found family on the sea as Ed, not Blackbeard, so the dying words were pointless. The thematic elements are all over the place (for the whole season but that’s another post) and that needs changing to make the death scene make sense.

The fix: Izzy should’ve told him he sees he doesn’t want to pirate anymore, he’s glad he’s found love with Stede because Izzy isn’t going to make it, go run your fokkin’ inn, you twat (affectionate).

Issue 3. Izzy died of bad planning and bad luck. Why didn’t they take the gun from Ricky? Between Spanish Jackie, Izzy, and Jim, SOMEONE would’ve thought about it. If not those three, someone else would’ve, but come one. One if not all of those three would’ve known better. Yeah, Izzy happened to be standing in front of Ed and he got shot instead of him, but you’ve gotta be REALLY looking for that to even be aware it’s what happened. It wasn’t even on purpose unless Ed strategically placed himself behind Izzy (which I doubt was the intent). Izzy didn’t position himself protectively/take the bullet for anyone on purpose. It was just happenstance and you only notice it if you’re rewatching and hyper-analyzing everything (which a lot of us, me included, in the fandom do, but casual watchers don’t. It’s totally unclear as far as the surface level narrative goes) Any sort of “heroism” is not acknowledged, it’s barely even noticeable in the shot. If that was the intent, it HAD to be clearer and acknowledged by the characters so the audience would realize the stakes and repercussions of clear choices. As it is, I don’t think it was intentional. If Izzy HAS to die, it should truly have rounded out his arc in a way that CLEARLY changed the course of the scene, leaving him to protect people he’d put in danger at the end of s1. It didn’t. It just read as terrible planning to the point of it being out of character for more than one character, and bad luck.

The fix: Izzy should’ve saved someone. I personally don’t like the idea of it being Ed. I’s have rather he save Stede (Not really, but it’s better than Ed I guess) But really Izzy should’ve died saving the crew. The crew makes the most sense to me, narratively speaking. He’s their figurehead, he’s protected the Kraken Crew for months and they should’ve been fiercely loyal to him, he blames himself for what Ed did to them (more on this later) so it makes sense for him to fiercely protect his crew. His family. Who should’ve been devastated that it happened because Izzy is the one character of the main three who’s managed to earn that status this season.

Issue 4. The death did not serve to move the plot along. There are literally zero things that would’ve been different for the end of the episode, save Izzy being alive and on the Revenge in his rightful role he earned with his crew as the captain, if he’d have lived. Ed and Stede aren’t partnering with Zheng to go after the guy who killed him in the next season. Nope. They got the offer but nah. They’re running an Inn. Which Izzy would’ve supported based on literally everything we’ve seen from him in episodes 5-8. The crew who Izzy protected fiercely and who viewed him as their leader? Not one tear during his death or the the funeral. Happily sailing away to do presumably more Muppet Treasure Island hijinks. No character development happened. No plot development happened. The season could’ve ended literally the EXACT SAME WAY with Izzy alive aboard the Revenge!!! No stakes were changed at all. No one was impacted enough for it to seem like it was even going to be a plot obstacle next season. It just happened, Izzy’s toxic situationship who maimed him multiple times over the course of months to the point of his leg needing to be amputated was sad for one (1) scene, then we moved on and did not seem sad at all at the funeral. What.

The fix: The plot should’ve been driven by the death. Ed and Stede (but especially Ed), and DEFINITELY the crew should’ve been sailing off plotting to avenge the death and defend piracy against Ricky and the British, especially with Zheng who lost her whole fleet. Ricky and the British are clearly (or so I hope, nothing’s clear here anymore tbh) the primary antagonist for the theoretical third season. No one should be running an whim-based inn for fun or sailing off happily into the sunset after the death of the most major character aside from Ed and Stede, who beyond proved himself a major part of something every character (his family) should’ve cared about this season. If he HAD to die, that death should have furthered the plot. But instead, it seems everyone shrugged it off with tears exclusively from Ed.

Issue 5. Izzy got shot in the left side. The side in which canonically NO ONE DOES FROM BEING INJURED ON IN THE OFMD UNIVERSE.

The fix: Yeah I know this is just too nit-picky but it was also just SO sloppy. Like just shoot him on the other side if he has to die, because this was a very memorable plot point more than once in s1. Like, come on y’all.

Disclaimer: Issues/fixes 1-5 would all need to happen together to truly fix it and make the death serve the narrative correctly. Issue/fix 6 is a totally separate route, which I personally hate, but at least the narrative would’ve made sense this way.

Issue 6. The idea that Izzy had to die so that Ed could be free of Blackbeard makes no sense at this point in the story. Ed already threw away his leathers and gave away his treasure to symbolically get rid of Blackbeard, and Izzy very sweetly encouraged him to follow the feeling that throwing out the leathers gave him. Izzy told Stede that he and Ed were good for each other. They balance each other out. Izzy is on good terms with both of them and their relationship, so Izzy “having to die” so Ed could flourish as Ed genuinely makes no sense and came totally out of left field.

The fix for 6: This one stands alone and is my absolute least favorite option, but if it HAD to happen without the 1-5 fixes, here’s how it could’ve made sense. If THIS is truly the way it was going to end, Izzy needed to be continuously antagonistic or avoidant to at least Ed and actually be shown holding Ed back from happiness until that last second. He wasn’t. He was so much better. Izzy clearly does blame himself (that’s for a separate post because I have lots of thoughts there) but to be fair they were both abusive in that relationship, for years it seems. Although I think by the beginning of s2, the power dynamic has clearly flipped and it was Ed who was doing most of it and Izzy was exhausted and knowingly “reaping what he’d sewed” (I don’t Blame Izzy for his abuse but I think this was his mindset) so the crew wouldn’t get the brunt of it.

If he seriously HAD to die because the writers just had to have it that way, those are the changes I think would’ve made the narrative work/make sense, served all the character arcs and dynamics correctly, and actually driven the plot as fictional deaths are supposed to, compelling things into a third season. Seriously, this season finale was a mess of baffling choices the most series finale season finale I’ve ever seen.

Anyway. There’s my unsolicited two-cents. Now back to hoping Izzy’s in the gravy basket waiting to be sea witch necromancied back by seagull Buttons in season 3. I love this show and I hate hating what I hate hating about it because it’s my absolute favorite and I can’t stand it because it’s fantastic and the worst thing I’ve ever seen. (Also, Izzy should’ve lived).

[babydollmarauders]

YOU’RE ON YOUR OWN, KID — JACK HUGHES

jack hughes x fem!reader

part of the Midnights Fic List

summary: in which y/n spent her high school years changing herself to become what she thought was Jack’s type, but when they meet again a few years later, she learns that she never needed to change in order for him to like her.

warnings: eating disorder mentioned and lightly described, weed mention/use, alcohol mention/use, light profanity, changing yourself for a guy (yes, that is a warning), this is mostly angst.

notes: one of my most relatable Taylor songs to my favorite guy <3 this was proofread but if you see anything insensitive, please let me know so i can change it. for timeline purposes, i should mention that i wrote this with a summer birthday in mind for y/n.

important: THIS FIC IS NOT ROMANTICIZING ED’S. if you’re struggling with an ED, please know that you can message me any time! i understand the pain and frustration and i will always be there to help in any way possible.

14 YEARS OLD

it was in my freshman year of high school that i noticed i was a bit different than other girls my age. with them having middle school relationships under their belt, and most being in sports rather than chorus like me. i didn’t really think much of it, as boys played no part in my life besides as defacto muses for my songs. but i still felt out of place.

16 YEARS OLD

it was in the summer before my junior year that i met Jack Hughes. a USNTDP hockey player and my first official crush. my family had rented a lake house and the Hughes’ ended up being our neighbors for the summer. My parents quickly befriended Ellen and Jim, and when they realized they had children the same age, all four of them tried for weeks to get Jack and i to hang out. but to no avail, because i was shutting myself in my room for some quiet writing time, and Jack was always busy with his brothers. but when i had slipped away from my parents to go for an evening swim one night, apparently Jack had the same idea. we saw each other at the lake and got to talking, becoming friends pretty quickly after that. it was 2 weeks into the friendship that i realized he made me feel things that my other guy friends didn’t.

when we split up at the end of the summer, we promised to text, but a couple weeks later i was pleasantly surprised when i was called into the school office to show him around. with pretty similar schedules, we were seeing each other in school quite a bit, and from that our friendship only grew. i sat with him and his friends at lunch, he would pick me up for school on the mornings that my car wouldn’t start, and he would even walk me to my classes sometimes.

but because of that, my feelings grew too. i did a full one-eighty, changing my entire personality. i stopped spending my weekends at home, instead opting to attend parties, just in hopes of seeing Jack there. and i found any excuse to talk to him, for even just a minute.

**

i’m sitting in my room, struggling with my math homework when my phone starts ringing. i peel my eyes away from the worksheet to glance over at it, and my heart flutters when i see Jack’s name, his picture lighting up the screen. i quickly press the answer button, holding the phone up to my ear.

“hey” i say.

“hey! you texted saying you have a question?” his voice is raspy, words coming out slow and slightly slurred, and i can hear Trevor, Alex, and Cole talking in the background. he’s smoking weed.

“uh, yeah. i had a question about the Algebra 2 homework, but i can just ask you tomorrow when you’re in a better state of mind.” i laugh.

“how’d you know?” i can hear his grin through the phone, and it makes me smile.

“call it best friend’s intuition. i’ll let you get back to the guys.” i tell him. we say our goodbyes and i hang up, taking another second to stare at my phone with a goofy smile before i turn back to my math homework.

**

during the school year, i listened to him talk about each girl he was seeing throughout the year. each of them pretty, skinny, and blonde. and eventually, i wondered if he would like me as more than his annoying best friend, if i looked like those girls. so i would stare in my mirror for hours some nights, pinpointing things i should change about myself. as like most teenage girls, i had always been insecure, wishing to change myself. but now i learned to use Jack as an excuse for it. and from there, things started developing.

i begged my mom for weeks to let me dye my hair, and when she finally caved, i went to the salon and went blonde. but my hair wasn’t the only thing that changed. my eating habits were altered. slowly at first, just cutting out certain foods, and then all at once. i started skipping meals, excusing myself from dinner by saying i had a large lunch, leaving the house quickly in order to avoid breakfast, and only eating at lunch when Jack expressed concern about my lack of food. like now.

“good afternoon, hockey knuckleheads. your favorite person has arrived.” i announce my arrival at the lunch table while dropping my book bag by my seat, interrupting the boys current conversation. they all look at me, quickly saying their hello’s.

“y/n, you’d give me an autograph, right?” Trevor asks, and my face pinches in confusion.

“uh, what?” i ask.

“like, if you knew you were gonna be famous one day. you’d give me an autograph right now, right?” he clarifies.

“ignore him.” Jack laughs, pushing Trevor’s face away from he and i. he turns back to look at me, eyeing the empty tabletop in front of me. his smile drops and he turns to his backpack, pulling out a protein bar. he throws it over on the table in front of me, it landing with a smack, making me flinch.

“eat.” he tells me. my eyes bounce between the snack and him, studying his serious expression.

“i’m fine, Jack. i ate a big breakfast this morning, so i’m not hungry. keep this for when you need it at practice.” i tell him, sliding the snack back towards him. but of course my stomach speaks volumes, deciding right then to grumble loudly. Jack raises an eyebrow at me and slides the bar back over to me. i sigh, opening it up and taking a bite. he smiles at the sight, and it makes my heart skip a beat.

“good girl.”

17 YEARS OLD

it’s the end of senior year now, and i’ve gotten no closer to dating Jack than i was before. i’ve spent countless nights alone in my room, writing songs about him and crying over snapchat stories of him with other girls.

it’s another friday night, and that means another party in hopes of Jack seeing me dressed up. this time, my own party. with my parents out of town for the weekend, i took the chance to throw a party, inviting what felt like my entire grade in a mass text.

i walk around the house, my blonde hair curled and in a half-up-half-down do. i’m decked out in a tight fit black mini dress with black ballet flats to match, and i did a full glam makeup look. i scan the living room for Jack, but when i finally find him, i immediately feel tears pricking at the back of my eyes.

he’s sat on the couch, a pretty blonde draped across his lap, whispering in his ear as he nods, his arm wrapped around her waist to keep her steady, and a grin on his face. our friends were sat around him, some having their own discussions, and some singing along to the music playing on the surround sound speakers.

i go to spin back around, fully planning on going upstairs to my room for a quick cry, but before i can fully turn, i lock eyes with Jack. he raises his hand in a wave and beckons me over and i offer a weak smile in return. i look around the party once more and feel something snap inside of me.

i feel so stupid. i’ve spent the last almost two years of my life changing myself to try and get his attention and to have him look at me in a new light. spent almost two years overanalyzing his every move and i let my final two years of high school slip by me. instead of living in the moment and enjoying my rapidly declining time with my friends, i was wondering if Jack had seen my snapchat story, or if he did then why didn’t he slide up? amongst various other things to do with him.

i was done revolving my entire life and every decision i make around a guy who obviously doesn’t like me the way i like him.

21 YEARS OLD

it’s been four years since i started living for myself. in that time, i went to a treatment center for my eating disorder, graduated college, moved to New Jersey for a new job, and made new friends. i haven’t talked to Jack in three of those years. not because i didn’t want to, but because after high school, our friendship fizzled out. he went on to play in the NHL, and i went to college. we both lived busy lives, and it became too much to handle. i still talk to the other guys, Trevor the most, but not nearly as much as i used to.

now i’m sat in a club. it’s a saturday night, and my friend Yaz wanted to go do her favorite hobby. seeing how many men she can get to buy her free drinks. currently, she’s chatting up a cute brunette with an accent out on the dance floor, and i’m sat by myself at the bar. drinking an almost gone shirley temple and wondering why i agreed to go out when i would much rather be snuggled on my couch with a blanket and a movie. i’m debating telling Yaz that i’m gonna leave, when a guy sidles up next to me, taking the seat on my right and throwing me a smile.

“hi, i’m Dawson.” he holds his hand out and i slip mine in it, shaking.

“hi, i’m y/n.” he nods before turning back to a table of guys.

“IT’S HER!” he yells over, and my brows furrow, face pinching in confusion. he turns back to me and smiles again. “sorry. my friend said he thought he knew you, but he didn’t wanna come over and then be wrong.”

it’s at that moment that a shadow encases us, and i glance over my shoulder to see the one person i wasn’t expecting.

“hey!” Jack takes a seat on Dawson’s abandoned chair. i didn’t even notice he had slipped away. “it’s been so long!”

i blink a few times, just taking in the man in front of me. he looks good. like, really good. i wasn’t naive enough to think that the love i held for him had been snuffed out, i’m just comfortable with myself enough now, that i know that changing myself for him won’t do anything except hurt me.

“hey.” i breathe out. “wow. uh, i wasn’t expecting to see you.”

“yeah, i wasn’t really expecting to see you either. what are you doing in New Jersey?” he asks. okay, it’s not like i’m stupid. i knew Jack lived in New Jersey. i just also know it’s a big state and the possibility of us running into each other was slim. but apparently the universe likes to laugh in my face.

“i live here.” i tell him. “i moved here a few months ago, for a job.”

“and you didn’t call me? i thought we were friends!” he jokes, and i stiffen at the word. friends. yeah, that’s all we’ve ever been. “can we go somewhere? to talk?”

i nod and he leads me out of the club. i send a quick text to Yaz that i went outside for a few minutes, and she responds with a thumbs up emoji. Jack and i stop outside the entrance. the club stopped letting people in about half an hour ago, so there’s no line, just us and a bouncer standing about fifteen feet away at the entrance.

“well, you look good! you went back to your natural hair color, i like it. it suits you better than the blonde.” Jack starts off, and his words strike a nerve in my heart. he didn’t like me blonde? i knew it didn’t change anything with how he felt about me, but i didn’t know he disliked it in general.

“you look healthier too. that makes me really happy, y/n. my mom told me a couple years ago that your mom said you got treatment for your…disorder. i’m really proud of you.” my heart breaks a little more at his soft tone, he seems genuine. “i saw you earlier, with your friend. you have the spark in your eye back. i’m really glad you seem happy again. i’m just sorry i didn’t do anything before, to help you with anything you were going through. i was a naive kid, i just thought you’d come to me if you were struggling. but looking back, i realize that i should’ve reached out to help you regardless.”

“Jack, you shouldn’t blame yourself. you were a kid. i was a kid too, i didn’t understand the full extent of what i was doing.” i tell him. tears prick at my eyes and i blink them away.

“can i ask you a question?” he asks.

“of course.” i nod.

“why did you do it? was there a reason? i mean, at the time, it felt like you completely just changed overnight. but maybe it was a gradual thing and i just didn’t realize it back then.” i lose hope in keeping my tears at bay, letting one roll freely down my cheek. “you don’t have to tell me. obviously. it’s your business. i just- i’ve been wondering.”

i take a deep breath, mentally preparing myself to explain.

“i was a naive kid, Jack. i liked a guy and i thought if i changed myself, maybe he would like me too. but it didn’t work, and instead i realized that i was just harming myself by not eating, doing things i hated, going to parties just to try and get his attention. looking back at it now, it was stupid. but back then, it seemed like the best idea i had ever had.”

“you did all that for a guy?” he asks. but his tone isn’t the usual one i get from people when i tell them about my past. it’s not incredulous, or judgmental, or even pitiful. he just sounds, sad. i just nod my head. “well, whoever he was, he wasn’t worth it. if a guy doesn’t like you for you, then he’s an idiot, and he doesn’t deserve you. i’m really glad you see that now. although, i wish you would’ve known it before.”

if only he knew.

“switching the topic.” i say, and he lets out a small breathy chuckle. “how have you been?”

“i’ve been good. just, trying not to get injured on ice, ya know?” i nod along.

“oh yeah, i remember. i still don’t understand why you would put yourself through that barbaric game.” i joke and he laughs. the sound causes butterflies to erupt in my stomach, and it almost feels no time has gone by at all. i still feel like a lovesick teenager.

before either of us can speak again, my drunk friend stumbles out of the club, an arm looped through Dawson’s.

“hey, i thought i’d bring this one back to you. she kinda seems like she might need to sober up some.” Dawson tells me, and i thank him. Yaz lays her head on my shoulder, and Dawson says his goodbye to me and Yaz before slipping back inside.

“who’s this?” Yaz stage whispers, studying Jack who still stands in front of me. Jack and i laugh at her drunken attempt at being quiet.

“this is Jack.” i tell her. “Jack this is my friend, Yaz.”

“Jack. Jack, Jack, Jack.” Yaz repeats, and it’s like i can see the gears turning in her head. “that name sounds so familiar. Jack.”

“hey, wait! isn’t that the name of that guy you told me about? the one you were madly in love with in high school?” she blurts out, and my eyes turn as wide as saucers. i can feel my face heating up. i turn to look at my friend, who apparently has absolutely no filter when she’s had too much to drink. before any of us can say another word, a blue car pulls up and Yaz’s sister, Cara, steps out. “Yay! my ride!”

Yaz stumbles over to her, only stopping to turn and blow me a kiss before letting her sister help her in the car. Cara throws me a smile and a goodnight before getting in herself and driving away. leaving only me and the guy Yaz just exposed my love for.

i turn back to Jack, finding him wide eyed and repeatedly blinking. i open my mouth, but nothing comes out. i’m not sure what to say. but apparently Jack does.

“it was me?” he asks, pointing to his chest. “i was the guy?”

i feel like i might be sick. i never meant for him to know. i thought i would take that secret to my grave. i manage a weak nod, not able to physically speak.

“why- i mean- why did you think you had to do those things to yourself, y/n? i- i’m just— i’m so confused.”

“you had a type.” i shrug. “you dated all these girls, in high school. and they all had the same things in common. blonde, skinny, pretty, outgoing. you liked all those girls romantically so i thought maybe if i was more like them, you would like me like that too.”

“but i did like you like that!” he exclaims. i furrow my brows and my nose scrunches in confusion.

“what?” i whisper.

“i did like you romantically! i just thought i never had a chance with you. so, i busied myself with other girls. why do you think none of them ever lasted long?” he asks.

“i don’t know, i never really thought about that.” my head swarms with all this new information.

“because, they weren’t you.” he pleads. “i tried to forget those feelings for you by dating other girls, girls that before i met you, were my type. but they weren’t you. none of them were you.”

he steps forward, taking my face in his hands.

“i can’t believe you thought you had to change for me. fuck, i’m so stupid. i should’ve just told you i liked you when i first realized my feelings.” he breathes out.

“you can tell me now if you want?” i offer meekly, my head spinning. i want to kiss him. i’ve waited almost six years for this moment, and dear god i want to kiss him. now quite possibly more than ever.

“i love you, y/n.” he whispers. “i’ve loved you since the summer we were sixteen and you tried to push me off the dock into the lake, and i pulled you in with me. i still remember when you popped back up in front of me in the water. my first thought was ‘she’s so beautiful.’”

i inhale a shaky breath before tilting my head up to cover his lips with mine. kissing him with desperation and need. need to not waste another second that i could spend being with him. Jack is frozen for a second before his lips start moving against mine. his hands trail down my body to grip my hips, pulling me towards him. we fit together like a puzzle piece. my own hands grip the hair at the nape of his neck. we pull away from each other, and i look into his eyes.

“i love you too.” i whisper. “if that wasn’t obvious yet.”

“yeah? i don’t know, i think you might need to show me again.” he smirks and leans back down capturing my lips in a kiss once more.

[hairstevington]

Do I wanna know?

Eddie Munson x Steve Harrington

Summary: Somewhere in the multiverse, there is a world where everyone has a choice - If you had the option of reading a list of everyone who's ever been in love with you, would you do it?

Word Count: 2.6K

Warnings: Modern day AU sort of?? It's not based in realism, just go with it. Best friends to lovers, Robin & Steve & Eddie all live together because I said so, mutual pining, fluff, confession of feelings, lots of denial but they figure it out eventually

A/N: This idea came to me during my stats class, and then it became very difficult to continue focusing on my stats class. (I wrote it as soon as we were dismissed lol). Enjoy this cute little Steddie one shot! Ao3 link here :)

--------------------

“Dude, did you see what they just announced?” Steve asked as he played video games with Eddie.

“Yeah, it’s some wild shit,” Eddie replied. “How is it even possible?”

“I think it’s fake,” Robin called from the kitchen as she made them all pizza rolls. 

“Not fake,” Steve insisted. “I was reading about it on the internet and a bunch of people are saying it’s legit.”

“Well, if you read it on the internet, it must be true,” Robin remarked sarcastically. 

“Whatever,” Steve said. “I’m gonna get mine and find out.”

The deal was that, somehow, everyone had the option of getting a list of statistics about their lives. It was advertised with a variety of categories to look through - some of them could have been retrieved through bank statements and background checks, like the number of countries visited, money spent, etc. Other categories (let’s be real, the most intriguing categories), were far more mysterious.

Number of near-death experiences. Every book you’ve read, with a total word count. And, the most exciting of the bunch - How many people have been in love with you, and who.

“Don’t waste your money or your time,” Eddie said with a roll of his eyes. “It’s bullshit. Probably just another way for the government to squeeze more money out of us.”

“Come on, it’s not some conspiracy, Eds,” Steve replied. “I’m just curious, that's all.”

“Oh, I bet,” Robin chimed in. “Just be honest and admit you want to know about the love thing. You and your ego, Dingus.” Steve smiled. He couldn’t argue with her.

“As if you’re not also dying to read yours,” he countered. 

“I’m pretty sure mine would just hurt my feelings,” Robin said with a sigh. “Robin Buckley - loved by her platonic soulmate Steve Harrington and Creepy Carl from band camp.” Eddie snickered.

“Carl wasn’t that creepy,” he said. 

“You’re only saying that because you were also kind of creepy in high school,” she replied. “No offense.”

“None taken,” Eddie responded with a shrug. “But I think I speak for all former creeps when I say we were just socially stunted and awkward. Most of us grew up to be half-decent people.”

“Way to humble brag,” Steve teased. 

“I’m bragging by saying I’m half-decent?” Eddie replied. Steve laughed and nodded. Meanwhile, Robin quickly scrolled through her phone until she stumbled across what she was looking for with a gasp.

“Oh my god,” she said. “Creepy Carl’s most recent post is about how the patriarchy is a myth.” Steve laughed again and pushed Eddie playfully. Eddie flopped over on the couch and groaned.

“Dammit, Carl, I was rooting for you!” he joked. 

“We were all rooting for you, how dare you!” the three of them shouted in unison. 

That was, of course, a reference to America’s Next Top Model, which Robin showed the boys clips of one night during a rant about the toxicity and absolute batshit nature of early 2000s reality TV. That quote, for whatever reason, stuck. They had a lot of inside jokes like that.

This is how life had been for the three of them the last few years. They’d become best friends straight out of high school, then all moved in together. Life was comfortable and nice. 

-

Steve somehow convinced Robin that they would both get their lists together. Eddie, on the other hand, downright refused.

“I don’t need any of that shit,” he insisted. “It’s not gonna do me any good, and I’m perfectly fine staying in the dark.”

“Okay, I get it,” Steve said, holding his hands up. “You’re scared and lame, that’s totally okay.” Eddie rolled his eyes.

“Shut up, dickhead,” he replied. “This whole thing is stupid anyway. And - and it’s not like we can seriously trust whatever it says. It’s probably just…all lies, anyway.”

“Yeah, but they’re fun lies,” Robin countered. “It’s like hearing gossip about your own life.”

“Exactly!” Steve agreed. “It’s just for fun.”

“Have your fun, then,” Eddie said devilishly. “I’ll be in my room, not being an idiot.”

Robin and Steve put their names and date of birth into a search engine and, within five minutes, each had their respective documents in their inboxes. Steve opened his immediately and eagerly, skipping past all the boring shit until he found the good stuff. 

Number of people who have had crushes on Steve Harrington: 436.

Number of people who have been in love with Steve Harrington: 85.

“Holy shit,” he muttered, looking at the long list of names. He looked up from his phone to see Robin staring at the wall. “Why aren’t you reading?”

“I don’t think I can do it,” she said. “I’m chickening out.” Steve scoffed. 

“What? Robs, come on. You already ordered the damn thing.”

“Yeah, but -” She sighed. “But now it’s, like, real.”

“Do you want me to read yours for you?” he asked. She shook her head. 

“No, I think I’m just going to keep it unread for now,” she decided. Steve shrugged.

“Okay, if that’s what you want.” Robin scooted herself over on the couch so she could look at Steve’s phone screen. 

“Wait, they even have crushes on there?” she asked, her eyes wide. “Jeez, Harrington. That’s quite the list.” Steve smirked, realizing it very much did give him an ego boost. He continued scrolling to see even more categories.

Number of people Steve Harrington has had a crush on: 63.

Jesus, Steve thought to himself. That’s kind of embarrassing. In his defense, some of them were celebrities. He continued reading.

Number of people Steve Harrington has been in love with: 3.

Steve didn’t even have to read the list to know who was on it. He quickly clicked his phone off before Robin could see.

“Hey!” she said. “What was that for? It’s not like there are any secrets between us.”

“No, I just - I’ll read it later,” Steve said. 

Robin would usually be right. She was almost completely right. It’s just that Steve had one secret. And it wasn’t even really a secret, it was just something he kept to himself, because it didn’t really matter. 

Nancy Wheeler

Robin Buckley

Eddie Munson

He had barely admitted it to himself, honestly. It’s not like anything would happen. Him and Eddie were best friends, and if something was going to happen between them, it would have already happened. Now, they were too close, and living together. It was different. It didn’t matter. Besides, Robin was on his list, and he wasn’t running off to date her.

Steve put his phone away and didn’t check the list again for a couple days. 

-

“So, how’s the list?” Eddie asked one morning as he made a pot of coffee. “You haven’t said anything about it.” Steve shrugged.

“It’s like a million pages long,” Robin chimed in. Eddie clicked his tongue against his teeth.

“That’s not surprising,” he said. “It’s a shame Harrington isn’t much of a reader. It might take him years to get through.” Steve glared at Eddie, who grinned in response.

“Are you ever going to stop poking fun at me about that?” he wondered. 

“Aaaaabsolutely not,” Eddie replied. “Steve, The Hobbit is 310 pages. 310. Even one page a day you would have been done in a year, and you’re still not done.”

“Okay, listen,” Steve responded defensively. “It’s not my kind of book, alright?”

“He likes the ones with the pictures,” Robin teased. Eddie laughed and high-fived her. 

“Wooow, okay,” Steve replied. “I see how it is. I’m just gonna grab my cereal and go, then.”

“Nooo, don’t leave on our behalf,” Eddie said.

“We’re soorrrryyyyyy,” Robin added. Steve chuckled and shook his head. 

“Whatever,” he resigned. “I haven’t read the damn list. Not all of it, anyway.” Robin’s ears perked up.

“But you’ve read some of it, right?” she asked. “Spill!”

“Just the first ten names or so,” Steve said. He had gotten a glimpse when he skimmed over it the first time. “I think it’s in chronological order.”

“Anyone surprising?” Eddie wondered. Steve shook his head. 

“No,” he said. “Although it did confirm my suspicion that Katie Crystal was into me, after all.”

“I’m thinking maybe I should read mine,” Robin said quietly.

“Yeah, well duh,” Eddie replied. “You paid for it.”

“It’s just - it’s not a big deal, right?” Steve looked at Eddie to survey his reaction. Eddie just shrugged. “It’s like you said, Eds. We don’t even know if it’s accurate.”

Steve didn’t really know if all of it was accurate, but some of it sure as shit was.

“Exactly,” Eddie agreed. “So, Steve, there’s a chance that Katie Crystal actually hated your guts. Who’s to say?”

Steve rolled his eyes. Another few days passed. 

Robin flip-flopped between whether or not she wanted to read her list every few hours or so. Steve and Eddie placed their bets on how long it would take her to crack. 

Meanwhile, Steve counted his lucky stars that Eddie decided not to buy his list. It was clear that they were bros and nothing more, so Eddie finding out would have made everything incredibly weird.

This was for the best.

-

Things carried on as they usually did, until one day Steve was so bored, he decided to revisit the godforsaken document. Plus, he’d been on a few dates that ended in disaster, and reading about the hundreds of people that were into him was bound to put him in good spirits.

He had no idea just how right he was.

The names were all relatively normal. Steve tended to know when girls had a thing for him, especially back in high school. There were some names he didn’t recognize, which meant that there were total strangers crushing on him. He wondered how that was even possible. Like, at that point, they were just basing it on looks and vibes alone. 

Eh. Steve had crushes on people in the past over less. He kept reading.

He made his way down the list until he reached Eddie’s name. He read it again and again to make sure he was seeing it right. 

Eddie had said repeatedly that this thing could be total bullshit, though. Steve had to take it all with a grain of salt. Besides, crushes meant nothing. Hell, Steve was pretty sure Eddie had mentioned once that he thought Steve was hot when they first became friends. 

Steve made his way to the list of people who’d loved him. None of the names mattered except one. 

Eddie Munson. 

“Oh, shit,” Steve muttered. “Oh, shit!” He jumped up out of bed and paced the floor. He had no idea what to do with this information.

It could be bullshit. It could be nothing. 

Or maybe, Eddie had kept saying it was bullshit because he knew what Steve would find. 

“OH MY GOD.”

Robin came bursting into Steve’s room a few moments later. 

“What? What’s going on?” she said. She looked to see his phone on the floor and his hands in his hair. “Oh my god, you read it! What was it? What’s got you all freaked out?”

“I gotta - uhh - I gotta -” He didn’t know how to finish that sentence with Robin in the room. He had to find Eddie - that’s what he had to do. But his head was spinning too much to do so. 

“That’s it. I’m gonna read mine right now,” Robin decided. She swiftly left to go back to her room while Steve continued to pace. 

“Holy shit,” he said to himself. He thought about it for a few minutes, scrawled something on a piece of paper, and then walked down the hall to Eddie’s room.

Eddie opened the door a few inches, still wearing his sweatpants. He hadn’t left his room yet that day, but his guitar was lying on his bed, which meant he’d been practicing. 

“What’s up?” Eddie asked. 

“I finished the list,” Steve replied. Eddie’s jaw clenched just enough for Steve to notice, and then he shrugged. 

“And?” Steve continued to look at Eddie until he broke his composure. He sighed, then opened his door wider. “Come in,” he said. 

Steve had been in Eddie’s bedroom a million times. They’d watched movies in there and stayed up all night talking and smoked together and dear sweet lord I am so dumb for never noticing.

“Is it bullshit?” Steve asked. Eddie started spinning the ring on his middle finger anxiously, refusing to make eye contact.

“Uhh, is what bullshit?” Eddie replied. Steve put his hands on his hips and cocked his head. 

“Come on, you know what I’m talking about,” he said. “I just - is it bullshit? Tell me the truth.”

Eddie stared at him for a few long moments before gently shaking his head. 

“It’s not bullshit.”

Steve’s hands fell back to his sides, and he felt himself get lightheaded. 

“It’s -” he began, struggling to find the words. He cleared his throat. “Wow, I uh -”

“It doesn’t matter, though,” Eddie interjected. “Just so you know. I like what we have. We’re, ya know, we’re friends. Roommates.”

“Do you still -?” Steve started to ask. He noticed Eddie’s eyes flooded with fear, a sight he rarely saw. “I mean, do you still?”

“Steve, I -” Eddie began, his voice tired. “I really, uh. I don’t know what to say.” 

Steve dug his hand into his pocket and pulled out the piece of paper he’d ripped from his notebook. He held it out for Eddie to take, and when Eddie didn’t reach for it, Steve stepped closer and stuffed the page right into Eddie’s hand. 

“Read it,” Steve encouraged.

“What is it?”

“It’s your list.” Eddie’s faced scrunched with confusion. “Yeah, I made it myself.” 

“I told you, I don’t wanna know,” he said, trying to give the paper back to Steve.

“Trust me, you do.”

Eddie sighed, then unfolded the paper and read it. 

People who are in love with Eddie Munson:

-Me

-(Steve Harrington)

Steve waited and watched Eddie’s eyes travel up and down the page, similar to the way Steve’s had when he read Eddie’s name on his own list. Finally, Eddie looked up. 

“Really?” he asked, his voice soft. Steve smiled and nodded. 

“Really.”

In that moment, they both knew this changed everything, and yet it changed nothing at all. They’d just skipped a bunch of steps of dating - blown past the getting-to-know-you stage straight into living together and doing all the domestic shit. 

Eddie and Steve each stepped toward the other until their hands met. 

“OH MY GOD!!!!!!!!!!!”

Robin’s voice pierced through their intimate moment and completely obliterated it. The boys glanced at each other in confusion and then ran out to see what Robin was yelling about. 

She was already out the front door by the time they got to the kitchen. If this were a cartoon, she would have left behind a cloud of smoke. 

“What do you think that’s about?” Steve asked. Eddie felt his phone buzz and checked it to find Robin had texted a screenshot to the household group chat. He smirked.

“Vicki’s on her list,” Eddie said. Steve chuckled, happy that everyone managed to find their happy ending. 

“You know what that means?” Steve asked. 

“That you owe me 20 bucks?” Eddie teased.

“Well, that," Steve replied. "But is also means we’re alone in the apartment for a while." Eddie grinned and took Steve by the hand. 

“I like the way you think.”

They ran to Steve’s room together, and if the confession of love hadn’t already changed everything, sleeping together certainly did.

It was the good kind of change, though. The kind that moved mountains and cleared all the clouds from the sky. 

At last, the idiots were together. All it took was years of denial and one payment of $44.49.

----------------------

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[cringevalue]

I keep a fanfiction spreadsheet, I have no shame, and I need to yap about my stats.

I spent approximately 50 hours and 30 minutes reading this month. That being said, I read 28 fics this month, 78 chapters, and 335,958 words.

My top fandom was Stranger Things (obviously), being all 28 fics and my top ship was Steve Harrington / Eddie Munson with 17 fics. My top five reoccurring characters were Eddie Munson in 27 fics, Steve Harrington in 22 fics, Robin Buckley in 12 fics, Jeff in 5 fics, and Nancy Wheeler in 5 fics.

The three tags I read the most were Bisexual Steve Harrington in 10 fics, Gay Eddie Munson in 6 fics, and Eddie Munson Has a Crush on Steve Harrington in 6 fics, and my top rating this month was Explicit with 13 fics.

The most words I read in a day was 63,226 on November 14th and the longest fic I read was Yes, Chef by Sadstateofaffairs at 90,562 words. November 14th was also the day I spent the most time on AO3, according to my screen time, at 8 hours and 27 minutes.

All of this information (aside from time spent reading) and every fic I've read this month can be found on my spreadsheet!

Every Stranger Things fic I read on AO3 this month is linked under the cut (fics i read on tumblr can be found here!)

───── ⋆⋅☆⋅⋆ ─────

i swear we were infinite by SaintMarySunshine

Explicit - 13.6k - Chrissy Cunningham / Eddie Munson - No Archive Warnings Apply - Alternate Universe - No Upside Down (Stranger Things), Alternate Universe - Canon Divergence, Hawkins High School (Stranger Things), Eddie Munson is a Sweetheart, Eddie Munson Has a Crush on Chrissy Cunningham, Chrissy Cunningham Has a Crush on Eddie Munson, Autism Spectrum, Autistic Chrissy Cunningham, Autistic Eddie Munson, Period Typical Attitudes to Autism, internalized ableism, period typical language in regards to autism, unfortunately, Use of the R Slur, THIS IS WRITTEN BY AN AUTISTIC AUTHOR, Tooth-Rotting Fluff, who knew public meltdowns could bring two people together?, ARFID, they're so soft for each other, explicit sexual content in chapter two, your honor they are so in love, fun sexy liberties were taken with diagnostic criteria, shh it was the 80s, See Author's Note For Specifics, Background OC Cheerleaders, Explicit Sexual Content, Cunnilingus, eddie eats pussy and we all know it, eddie "she comes first" munson, Enthusiastic Consent, chrissy stands up for herself, and tells jason the fuck off, the younger kids are adorable and annoying

In which both Eddie and Chrissy are autistic. There's a lot to hate about yourself when the whole world tells you you're broken. Then again, what if you were never broken in the first place? EXERPT: "Chrissy’s not autistic. Mom says she can’t be. Just because she can only eat like three things without vomiting, just because she didn’t talk ‘till she was five, just because too much sensory input makes her scream and flail and smash her head into the wall...she’s not. It doesn't matter. She's not fucking autistic." XXX "Eddie is a r*tard. Uncle Wayne says the technical term is autistic, but it’s all the same, right? He’s a fucking weirdo-- can’t understand even the most basic social skills, can’t be interested in things without being obsessed with them, so bad at school that he’s failed senior year twice. It’s embarrassing. It’s disgusting. Look, he’s got his whole bravado thing going on, got a couple friends, got one or two skill sets, but... he’s a fucking freak. Whatever you wanna call it -- ret*rded, autistic, special-ed-short-bus-freak -- this shit is a curse."

Halloween Stroll In The Park by Cheer_Nymph (@cheer-nympho on tumblr)

Explicit - 8.9k - Steve Harrington / Eddie Munson, Robin Buckley & Steve Harrington, Robin Buckley & Eddie Munson - No Archive Warnings Apply - Murder, Ghostface Eddie Munson, Ghostface Steve Harrington, but not actually they just dress like him, Knifeplay, but no harm to steve or eddie, Puppy Play, Face Slapping, Bondage, Blow Jobs, Dom/sub, Bottom Steve Harrington, Top Eddie Munson, Blood and Violence, Serial Killers, Partners in Crime, Consensual But Not Safe Or Sane, Stabbing, not tagged as graphic violence cause I don’t go into detail, Dark Eddie Munson, Dark Steve Harrington

There’s a serial killer on the loose and he’s targeting assholes. And Steve plans to use them as a cover to get away with his own murder, perfectly happy for these people to die for the greater good. The only problem with hunting on another, more experienced killers turf is they will always find a way to sneak up on you. ——— Eddie and Steve are both slightly insane, kill a asshole jock together then fuck nasty in a public park.

You're Not Going to Do a Thing by justhere4thevibez (@justhere4thevibez on tumblr)

Teen and Up - 41.3k - Chrissy Cunningham / Eddie Munson - No Archive Warnings Apply - AU where Chrissy lives, Slow Burn, Stranger Things 4, High School, Fluff, Fluff and Angst, Implied/Referenced Abuse, Eating Disorders, Chronic Illness, AU where the supernatural events of seasons 3 and 4 don't happen, a little light smut, body image issues, Seizures, Child Abuse, Abusive Laura Cunningham, Epilepsy

AU where Chrissy comes to Eddie to buy drugs, but she's hiding more than one secret. Can Eddie help her keep them all?

Safety by Penny00Dreadful (@penny00dreadful on tumblr)

General Audiences - 2.9k - Steve Harrington / Eddie Munson, Robin Buckley & Steve Harrington, Robin Buckley & Eddie Munson - No Archive Warnings Apply - Pre-Relationship, Alternate Universe - Modern Setting, Cell Phones, they dont know each other, Robin Buckley & Eddie Munson Friendship, Stalking, Kinda, Protective Eddie Munson, Bisexual Steve Harrington, Pansexual Eddie Munson, Eddie Munson is a Sweetheart, Eddie Munson Has a Crush on Steve Harrington, Robin Buckley & Steve Harrington Are Best Friends, Lesbian Robin Buckley, Hurt Robin Buckley, Hurt/Comfort, Platonic Relationships, queers of a feather, Podfic Available

Robin should be royally pissed off with herself right now. She would be if she wasn’t so damn scared. That guy was still trailing behind her, no matter the twists and turns she’d taken down different streets trying to lose him and the only thing she’d gained from it was to get totally and completely lost. OR In a moment of panic, Robin inserts herself into a group of four people with long hair, chains, leather, denim, tartan, rings, tattoos. Subculture, odd, other, alternative. Flag patches and pins. Her people. She just prays they'll just go with it and pretend to know her.

He Was Born To Blow Your Mind (Or Something Along Those Lines) by beetlesandstars (@beetlesandstarss on tumblr)

Teen and Up - 2.6k - Steve Harrington / Eddie Munson - No Archive Warnings Apply - Steve Harrington, Eddie Munson Additional Tags: Roommates, Coming Out, Confessions, Mutual Pining, Gay Eddie Munson, Bisexual Steve Harrington, First Kiss, Making Out, Getting Together, Confident Steve Harrington, Inexperienced Eddie Munson

“Dude, I peed in your sink one time,” Eddie says conversationally, and Steve chokes. Hoarsely, he manages, “What?” Eddie shrugs, lips twitching. “Yeah. Back in 85’, I think. In my defence, I was high as balls. I, uh, I couldn't find the bathroom.” Steve blinks, then blinks again. “Are you saying you broke into my house to… take a leak?” Eddie laughs, the sound rich and deep. “Nah, man. You were throwing a party. I was dealing. I sampled my own goods and got a little fucked.” He clicks his tongue. “A mistake I never made again.” “Oh.” Steve tries to wrap his head around the bizarre image of Eddie standing on the tip of his toes with his dick out, aiming his stream into the sink. “Okay. Okay, I—right.” “Sorry,” Eddie says, not sounding particularly sorry at all. “Did I make it weird?” 

Eddie Universe by Jo_Harrington (@jo-harrington on tumblr)

Teen and Up - 2.8k - Steve Harrington / Eddie Munson - No Archive Warnings Apply - Crushes, Unrequited Crush, Secret Crush, Friends to Lovers, Alternate Universe - Modern Setting, Steven Universe References, Love Confessions, Implied Bisexual Steddie

After Eddie falls off the face of the Earth, Steve goes to do a wellness check, only to find that Eddie has spent the last few days binge watching a kids show.

Chuck by Jo_Harrington (@jo-harrington on tumblr)

Explicit - 3.4k - Eddie Munson - No Archive Warnings Apply - Crack Fic, food fucking, Angst, Funny, Friendship, Masturbation, Boys Will Be Boys, Pranks and Practical Jokes, Song fic, Psychological Torture

It's just a regular closing shift at Benny's. Easy peasy. Nothing bad could possibly happen.

little white panties by pizzabones (@glitterfang on tumblr)

Explicit - 13.1k - Steve Harrington / Eddie Munson - No Archive Warnings Apply - Bisexual Steve Harrington, Bisexual Eddie Munson, Speed Running Two Sexuality Crises, Halloween Costumes, Spin the Bottle, halloween party, Fluff and Smut, Getting Together, Eddie Munson Wears Panties, as a joke, and then it's really not a joke, Blow Jobs, First Time Blow Jobs, First Kiss, thigh fucking, Panties, without feminization, Dual POV, Explicit Sexual Content, Explicit Language, Flirting, Confident Steve Harrington

Steve Harrington likes little white panties. A lot. So much so that Eddie Munson thinks of the perfect prank to play on his good friend Steve after they watch Alien together.

The Worst of The Best by Eddywow (@eddywoww on tumblr)

Explicit - 14.8k - Steve Harrington / Eddie Munson - Creator Chose Not To Use Archive Warnings - Alternate Universe - Modern Setting, Alternate Universe - No Upside Down (Stranger Things), Sugar Daddy, Sugar Baby, Sub Steve Harrington, Dom/sub, Blow Jobs, Sex Work, Alternate Universe - Escorts, Mistaken Identity, Second-Hand Embarrassment, Feminization, but very brief - Freeform, hinted at - Freeform, Daddy Kink, being horny about wealth and money, Materialistic, Age Difference, Under-negotiated Kink

Steve couldn’t see much of his outfit past a very simple button down, black as night. Lots of rings, a few bracelets. A fucking Piaget, shining off his wrist. Calling to Steve.

how I let myself fall face first (time and time again) by bluepenguin63

Teen and Up - 2.5k - Eddie Munson / Reader - No Archive Warnings Apply - Fluff, Fainting, Flirting, Awkward Flirting, Corroded Coffin Concert (Stranger Things)

“You look hot,” he tells you. “Oh!” you yelp, louder than you intend to. Eddie was a brash person and a total flirt, but you weren’t expecting him to be so forward. Maybe this was a date after all? “I wasn’t sure if the fishnets were too much, but I figured I might as well bring them out for a night like this.” “No, I meant--” he startles, eyes wide at what he just told you, “I mean, you do… You’re--” he chuckles nervously, “Sorry. That was an idiotic way of phrasing that. You look… I meant you look like you’re… a little woozy. Are you feeling okay?” Your skin heats up more than you thought was possible. You pass out at a Corroded Coffin concert. Eddie catches you.

You Did What?! by telltaleheartthrob

Mature - 2k - Steve Harrington / Eddie Munson - No Archive Warnings Apply - Eddie Munson Has a Crush on Steve Harrington, Oblivious Steve Harrington, Getting Together, Gay Eddie Munson, Bisexual Steve Harrington, Aware of Own Bisexuality Steve Harrington, Confident Bisexual Steve Harrington, Not Actually Unrequited Love, POV Eddie Munson, Friends to Lovers, Fade to Black

Everyone had settled into their places, popcorn in hand, and the tv was playing some kind of action/romance that Eddie couldn’t remember the name of, when a sex scene came on. No one really said anything, just sitting there in silence while light moans echoed in the room. The metalhead thought to make a joke to alleviate the awkwardness, but as he geared up to say something, Argyle of all people spoke up, gesturing toward the screen. “Reminds me of our twist in the sheets, eh Steve?” he casually spoke, like it wasn’t mind-boggling information.

love begs, love pleads by greyrainbowchild

Explicit - 2.5k - Steve Harrington / Eddie Munson - Rape / Non-Con - Alpha/Beta/Omega Dynamics, Bitching, Alpha Eddie Munson, Alpha Steve Harrington, Omega Steve Harrington, Anal Sex, Knotting, Painful Sex, Manipulation, Mating Bites, Breaking and Entering, Feral Eddie Munson, Dead Dove: Do Not Eat, Non-Consensual Somnophilia, Possessive Eddie Munson, Vaginal Sex, Breeding, Mentions of Oral Knotting, Steddie DDDNE Kinktober Event

As if being feral, in tune with his designation, is a bad thing. He doesn’t understand how they can be fine with ignoring what makes them other, makes them interesting. It’s why when he hears some jocks laughing about “Harrington and his bitching joke, never grows old” he’s instantly intrigued. or Eddie hears about Steve Harrington wanting to be a mother, wanting to be bitched, and he can't find it in him not to take what is offered so freely. Even if Steve himself didn't know he was on offer.

Criatura by sweetlikesugar (@mindlesslittlefreak on tumblr)

Teen and Up - 2.5k - Eddie Munson & Wayne Munson, Al Munson & Wayne Munson, Eddie Munson's Mother & Wayne Munson, Steve Harrington & Eddie Munson, Steve Harrington & Wayne Munson - No Archive Warnings Apply - POV Wayne Munson, Kid Fic, Pre-Canon, Uncle-Nephew Relationship, Feral Eddie Munson, Animal Death Mild Blood, Family Fluff, Eddie Munson Has a Crush on Steve Harrington, Steve Harrington Has a Crush on Eddie Munson, Pre-Relationship, Puppy Love, Good Parent Wayne Munson, Good Uncle Wayne Munson

Wayne first meets his nephew when he’s two weeks old.

Yes, Chef by Sadstateofaffairs

Explicit - 90.5k - Steve Harrington / Eddie Munson - Creator Chose Not To Use Archive Warnings - Alternate Universe - Modern Setting, Chef Steve Harrington, Chef Eddie Munson, Smut, Porn With Plot, Knife Play, Blindfolds, Food Sex, Sex Toys, Past Child Abuse, Steve Harrington Has Issues, Daddy Issues, to be exact, Enemies to Lovers, Kitchen Sex, Switching, Bisexual Steve Harrington, Bisexual Eddie Munson, Childhood Trauma, Everyone's a bit fucky but it's fun promise, Robin is a pastry chef and grows berries in her garden, Modern Era, Explicit Sexual Content, Angst, Out of Character, Father-son abuse, Light BDSM, Implied/Referenced Drug Use, Alternate Universe - Chefs, Chefs, Restaurants, Alternate Universe - Restaurant, Masochist Steve Harrington, Masturbation, Dirty Thoughts, Paraphilias, Eventual Smut, oh it’s smutty but enjoy sexy build up first, Sexual Tension, Face Slapping, Hate Sex, Rough Sex, Power Dynamics, Face-Fucking, Anal Sex, Oral Sex, Come Eating, Eddie Munson's Tattoos, They both think they’re doms to an extent but they’re both losing it :-), Arguing, Power Bottom Steve Harrington, Massage, Power Play, Top Eddie Munson, Cooking, Unreliable Narrator, Betrayal, Misunderstandings, Sadistic Eddie Munson, Light Sadism, Begging, Eventual Happy Ending, Recovery, References to Drugs, Bruises, Falling In Love, Floor Sex, Biker Eddie Munson, Motorcycles

“You’re stubborn and a hothead. You’re impossible to work with and you’re stuck in the past. Nancy said you’d be hard work but this is fucking ridiculous. I’m here to do a job. You won’t let me change or even suggest anything.” “Not true. I did change the turmeric for saffron.” “Yeah and you’re about this close to jumping off a bridge before admitting that it actually does taste better.” Steve could strangle him. Because yes. The saffron does taste better. The saffron tastes so much better and the dish now makes Steve’s tastebuds soar and his eyes water and the only thing worse than admitting Eddie is correct right now, is admitting that that dish is miles fucking better since Eddie puts his hands on it. And Steve finds himself wondering for a split fucking moment in between the rage he’s feeling, if everything is better with Eddie’s hands on it. or Son of famous, michelin-star chef, Steve Harrington is trying to gain a star of his own after a stint in rehab that left him with a lack of inspiration, until his restaurant manager Nancy has an idea of her own to add a spark back into the kitchen.

The Peruvian Lily Chapter by voidpacifist (@voidpacifist on tumblr)

Teen and Up - 1.9k - Steve Harrington / Eddie Munson, Steve Harrington & Original Character(s) - No Archive Warnings Apply - POV Outsider, Disabled Steve Harrington, Post-Canon, takes place in 2001, Cerebral Palsy

Tess has never seen anyone like her on TV before, until she sees a film starring Steve Buckley. Or, the year is 2001, Steve and Eddie are (privately) married, and representation in film is important.

call my bluff when I roll the dice by gayjinkies (@gayjinkies on tumblr)

Explicit - 14.6k - Steve Harrington / Eddie Munson - No Archive Warnings Apply - Gay Eddie Munson, Bisexual Steve Harrington, Friends to Lovers, Misunderstandings, Post-Canon, Eddie Munson is a Mess, Steve Harrington is a Sweetheart, Light Angst, Smut, Eddie Munson Has a Crush on Steve Harrington, Steve Harrington Has a Crush on Eddie Munson, Requited Unrequited Love, Miscommunication, Blow Jobs, Frottage, Dry Humping, Dom Steve Harrington, Sub Eddie Munson, Mean Dom Steve Harrington, but just kind of, we’re all having fun here, Dacryphilia, Hand & Finger Kink, Eddie Munson Has an Oral Fixation, Happy Ending, accidental verbal humiliation

Eddie holds the ruler up, inches away from his face, just to make sure. He’s gotta make sure, because—because it’s been marked at— “You gotta be fucking kidding me,” he breathes, staring unblinking at it. “You’ve gotta be kidding me.” Ten inches. The black notch in the ruler has been marked at exactly ten inches. Eddie swallows thickly, mouth suddenly too dry. “Big fucking boy, indeed.” — Or: Eddie finds Steve’s dick-measuring ruler while snooping in his bedroom. He’s super chill and normal about it.

Bloodlust by digitaalbe

Explicit - 4k - Steve Harrington / Eddie Munson - Graphic Depictions Of Violence - Stranger Things 4, Hawkins (Stranger Things), Gay Eddie Munson, Bisexual Steve Harrington, Blood and Gore, Violence, Murder, Angst, Hurt No Comfort, Halloween, Hurt Steve Harrington, Steve Harrington Has a Crush on Eddie Munson, Eddie Munson Has a Crush on Steve Harrington, Blood, Torture, Spooky Month Headcanons, Bloodlust, Anger, Tied-up Steve Harrington, Sociopath, Intestines, Weapons, Slasher

Eddie Munson wants to know what Steve Harrington's intestines feel like in his hands. ‘Cause he’s fucked in the head. Eddie Munson loves Steve Harrington. That’s the problem.

silent all these years by cairparavels (@eddielore on tumblr)

Not Rated - 11.1k - Steve Harrington / Eddie Munson - Creator Chose Not To Use Archive Warnings - Secret Admirer, Bisexual Steve Harrington, Sexuality Crisis, Internalized Homophobia, Character Study, Past Steve Harrington/Nancy Wheeler, POV Steve Harrington, freshman year to present, canon compliant except eddie lives and vecna dies, Underage Smoking, Swim Team, Strangers to Lovers, Eddie Munson is a Sweetheart, SO SWEET HES JUST TOO GOOD, One Shot, Insecure Steve Harrington, eddie munson slays every day of his life, Tommy Hagan Being an Asshole, Billy Hargrove Being an Asshole, hints at billy being gay but not explored

steve gives eddie a love note. it's a joke at first. (steve searches for the meaning of life and finds it in his own queerness: a journey through the years.)

Two Parts Mischief, One Part Adoration by AlmightyPastaLord

Teen and Up - 7.7k - Steve Harrington / Eddie Munson - No Archive Warnings Apply - Fluff, Hurt/Comfort, Sickfic, Kind Of, Steve Harrington is a Sweetheart, Steve Harrington Needs a Hug, Hurt Steve Harrington, Eddie Munson Lives, Eddie Munson Has a Crush on Steve Harrington, Eddie Munson is Whipped, Protective Eddie Munson, Eddie Munson Loves Steve Harrington, Eddie Munson Calls Steve Harrington Pet Names, they're both disasters your honor

Steve Harrington will be the death of Eddie Munson. It will be written on his tombstone, “Here lies Eddie Munson, died at the ripe ol' age of 21 because of his beautiful, wonderful, amazing boyfriend of only a few months gave him a heart attack that put him in the hole this tombstone marks.” Maybe he was being dramatic. Maybe he was blowing this whole thing straight out of the water. Maybe— "Steve Harrington!" Eddie yelled. "Are you on a fucking ladder?!" There was a pause, no sound traverses the expanse of the Harrington property. Then, softly, practically a whisper, "no."

Am I Full (Am I Empty) by reysrose

General Audiences - 1.8k - Eddie Munson & Wayne Munson, Eddie Munson & Nancy Wheeler - No Archive Warnings Apply - Alternate Universe - Daemons, Alternate Universe - Canon Divergence, Vomiting, Sickfic, Implied/Referenced Child Abuse, Implied/Referenced Drug Use, Eddie Munson & Nancy Wheeler are Best Friends, Alcohol, Halloween, Touch Starved Nancy Wheeler, Minor self injurious behaviors, POV Wayne Munson, Good Parent Wayne Munson, Southern Wayne Munson

The first time Wayne Munson meets Nancy Wheeler, she's a drunk, blanket wrapped lump on the floor of his trailer bathroom and her soul is entwined with his boy's.

The axe forgets but the tree remembers by sweetlikesugar (@mindlesslittlefreak on tumblr)

Explicit - 6.7k - Steve Harrington / Eddie Munson - Rape / Non-Con - Dead Dove: Do Not Eat, Anal Sex, Painful Sex, Wetting, Outdoor Sex, Semi-Public Sex, Slurs, Homophobic Language, Forced Feminization, Revenge Sex, Verbal Humiliation, Creepy Eddie Munson, Pre-Canon, Sexual Repression, Mind Games, spitting

What are you sorry for, Harrington, give me specifics,” Munson gestures with his cigarette impatiently. “A lot has happened during King Steve’s reign, I want to know what exactly you’re apologizing for. Unless you don’t remember,” he grins, and the back of Steve’s neck goes hot. “I remember,” he says and immediately can tell Eddie knows he’s lying. “Well,” he grins, a glint of silver in his mouth sparkling maliciously. “Go on then”.

Babydoll by sweetlikesugar (@mindlesslittlefreak on tumblr)

Explicit - 6.8k - Steve Harrington / Eddie Munson - Creator Chose Not To Use Archive Warnings - Plot What Plot/Porn Without Plot, Objectification, Dollification, Dom/sub Undertones, Crossdressing, Grooming, Foot Fetish, Rimming, Intercrural Sex, Wet & Messy, Ambiguous/Open Ending, Shaving, Bathing/Washing, Quiet Sex, Mirror Sex, Manhandling, Kissing, Blow Jobs, Dress Up

It’s beautiful, his doll, carved from the finest porcelain, sculpted to perfection. While Steve does his best to style his doll in all the finery it deserves, it truly wouldn’t matter if it was sitting in the nude, or wrapped in cheap fabric, the doll itself is masterfully crafted for Steve to dress and undress and style to his liking, a picture perfect innocence in the wide glassy eyes and petal pink mouth.

Sparagmos by sweetlikesugar (@mindlesslittlefreak on tumblr)

Explicit - 6.2k - Steve Harrington / Eddie Munson - Creator Chose Not To Use Archive Warnings - Dead Dove: Do Not Eat, Cult Leader Eddie Munson, Hellfire is a Cult, Human Sacrifice, Ritual Sex, Necrophilia, Eye Trauma, Eye Gouging, Kissing, Cannibalism, Blood and Gore, Blood As Lube, Anal Fingering, Creepy Eddie Munson, Obsession, Blood Drinking, Orgy, Exhibitionism, Voyeurism, Foot Fetish, Decapitation

a Dionysian cult ritual which involved taking a live fawn or panther cub and ripping it apart before consuming it raw - "Who’s got the prettiest doe eyes in all the land?” Eddie grins. “Who?” Frankie indulges Eddie’s dramatic pause. “Steve Harrington, of course”.

I Burn Forsooth by AstridMyrna

Teen and Up - 19.5k - Chrissy Cunningham / Eddie Munson - No Archive Warnings Apply - Sickfic, Sick Character, Fever, Fainting, Hurt/Comfort, Head On Lap, Eddie says fuck a lot when he’s nervous, Eddie Munson Has a Crush on Chrissy Cunningham, Chrissy Cunningham Has a Crush on Eddie Munson, princess carry, Cuddling & Snuggling, Sleepy Cuddles

Eddie wakes up and realizes he's fainted straight into the arms of one Chrissy Cunningham.

Chloroform boy by sweetlikesugar (@mindlesslittlefreak on tumblr)

Explicit - 3.4k - Steve Harrington / Eddie Munson - Creator Chose Not To Use Archive Warnings - Dead Dove: Do Not Eat, Kidnapping, Stockholm Syndrome, Bondage, Mind Break, Captivity, Bathing/Washing, Watersports, Anal Fingering, Creampie, Blow Jobs, Rimming, Come Eating, Creepy Eddie Munson, Post-Stranger Things 4 Vol. 2, Eddie Munson Lives

The emaciated face of Steve Harrington squints up at him in the sudden burst of light coming from the upstairs apartment. “Hi, sweetheart”.

Blueberry Muffin by Jo_Harrington (@jo-harrington on tumblr)

Mature - 2.2k - Eddie Munson / Reader - No Archive Warnings Apply - Established Relationship, Food, Eating, Angst, Hurt/Comfort, Fluff, Discussion of previous relationship

Eddie notices you're good at sharing your food. A little too good.

Skate from the Heart by spookyscaryaliens

Teen and Up - 26.1k - Steve Harrington / Eddie Munson - No Archive Warnings Apply - Alternate Universe - Hockey, Alternate Universe- Figure Skating, Enemies to Friends to Lovers, Fluff, Hurt/Comfort, Minor Injuries, Slow Burn, Period-Typical Homophobia, Gay Eddie Munson, Bisexual Steve Harrington, Supportive Wayne Munson, Hypothermia, Panic Attacks, Cuddling & Snuggling, Literal Sleeping Together, Drowning, Hurt Eddie Munson, Hurt Steve Harrington, Internalized Homophobia, Blood and Injury, Good Parent Jim "Chief" Hopper, Billy Hargrove is Not Okay, Not Billy Hargrove Friendly, he is coping with trauma in the wrong way sorry y’all

Eddie Munson, 20 years old, and the only male figure skater in all of Hawkins. He was an anomaly and he loved it. Steve Harrington is a hockey player with dreams of being in the AHL. Too bad someone was practicing on his pond.

You're the Pretender by tuttifruitti

Teen and Up - 15.7k - Steve Harrington / Eddie Munson - No Archive Warnings Apply - Alternate Universe - No Upside Down (Stranger Things), Getting Together, Bisexual Steve Harrington, Gay Eddie Munson, Pining, Mutual Pining, Not Actually Unrequited Love, Gay Disaster Eddie Munson, Steve Harrington Has Bad Parents, POV Alternating, Fake/Pretend Relationship, Period-Typical Homophobia, Coming Out, Background Relationships, Thanksgiving, Minor Robin Buckley/Chrissy Cunningham, and i mean really minor, Not Beta Read

When Steve enlisted Eddie to be his fake date for thanksgiving dinner with his parents, he had only one goal. That was, to officially come out to his family as Bisexual and maybe mess with his dad a little bit. If he just so happened to fall in love in the process, then that was just a bonus. A fic inspired by this iconic craigslist post.

[allthingseddie]

I Wanna Be Yours - Part Three

Part One Here Part Two Here

Note: I just want to thank everyone that’s read the first two parts of this for all of the love you have left it means so much. I am wanting to do use this part as the final part of the ‘main’ series as this is what I intended. I do, however have some ideas for a few small fics with the same characters that I will post separately, but if you would like to continue being on the taglist for those, let me know! Thank you so much again for your support! :)

It was Thursday morning and you had already left for work and Eddie was trying to get Halle ready for the day and failing miserably. She was usually a well tempered child, but she had woken up in a terrible mood. Eddie was desperately trying to get her to eat breakfast but she was crying instead.

“Halle, baby, please eat. Please. Do you want something else? I’ll make you something else,” Eddie pleaded with his daughter.

“No. I don’t. Want it!” Halle cried and crossed her arms over her chest. Her face was red and stained with tears and her nose was starting to run. This had been going on for the last 15 minutes. He had made her oatmeal and she was acting like he committed a terrible crime against humanity.

“Do you want pancakes? Cereal? Eggs?,” The more Eddie questioned her, the louder her cries got. She gets off the chair throws herself on the ground, knees hitting the floor first. She continued to cry and Eddie lets out a sigh of frustration. She didn’t get like this very often but when she did, she wouldn’t communicate with him to save her life. There was always a reason for the tantrums but getting it out of her was like pulling teeth. The tantrum went on for what felt like hours, when in reality it had only been a total of 45 minutes. Halle was now laying on the floor on her stomach, looking at her dad. Her breathing was finally starting to slow and she was calming down.

“I want Y/N,” Halle says softly. Eddie gets on the floor beside Halle and gently strokes her back.

“Baby, she’s at work. You’ll get to see her tonight when she picks you up from Mrs. Wheeler’s house,” Eddie says. This was not the answer she wanted and loud cries returned as she starts kicking her feet on the floor. Eddie glanced up at the clock and realized that he really should have been getting ready for work by now. He had spent a good part of his morning trying to calm his toddler and he was in the same boat he was in earlier. He sighs and knows he can’t take her to Karen Wheeler’s house like this. He gets up and calls into work, something he rarely does, all while his daughter screams in the background. He cringed the whole time, wondering if his boss was going to think he was a terrible parent. Without realizing what he’s doing after hanging up with his boss, he’s calling the bank and asking for you.

“Eds? What’s wrong?,” You ask over the phone as you hear Halle crying in the background.

“Halle’s freaking out. She’s throwing a terrible tantrum and all that’s she said to me in the past hour is that she doesn’t want to eat and that she wants you. I even called off work because I can’t get her to calm down.” Eddie responds, rubbing his hand over his face. You can tell how frustrated he is even through the phone and you want to give him a hug and tell him it’ll be alright.

“You know what, I can go to lunch early today. Bring her by the bank,” You say in response.

“Are you sure? It’s a bad one,” Eddie says.

“Yeah Eds I’m sure it’ll be okay,” You say.

“Thank you sweetheart, I’ll see you soon,” Eddie says and gets off the phone with you. At these words, Halle looks up at him knowing there’s only 1 person he ever calls sweetheart. She’s still crying but stops her movements.

“Do you want to go see Y/N?,” He asks looking down at Halle. Her breathing starts to slow again and she nods her head yes. ,”Okay well you have to get cleaned up first. You’re looking awfully snotty”

Halle slowly gets up off the floor and does a walk of shame to Eddie’s bedroom. She sits on her bed and lets him get her changed. She sits on the floor of the kitchen afterwards while Eddie packs whatever food he can quickly into her lunchbox. He picks Halle up and loads her into the car and makes his way to the bank to see you. Once he gets there, he walks in the building holding Halle’s hand. Her face was still red and splotchy from her tantrum but she had finally calmed down. You come out from behind the counter and she runs to you. You pick her up and she starts softly crying again in your arms.

“Hey, its okay sweet girl,” You say as you rub her back gently. Eddie motions for you to follow him out to his car, not wanting to risk Halle throwing another tantrum at your place of work. He opens the passenger side door for you and you sit down with Halle in your arms. Once you sit down, you gently lift her body off of her chest so you can see her face.

“Okay, deeps breaths princess,” You say as you demonstrate how to settle her breathing. She follows your actions and finally calms down a little bit more. ,” What’s wrong baby?”

“You didn’t like me anymore, when I was as-sleep,” She says and lays her head back on your chest.

“What do you mean baby?,” You ask her.

“You left our house and didn’t come back and I missed you,” She responds. You realize that she had a bad dream and your rest your head on top of hers.

“Oh sweet girl, I would never leave you. I love you too much,” You respond and stroke her back again.

“Promise?,” She asks quietly looking up at you. You start to tear up a little bit just thinking about the fact that she was so upset over the idea of you leaving.

“I promise baby, I’m not going anywhere. I will love you for the rest of my life,” You say kissing her forehead. She lays her head on your chest again and you look over at Eddie. He’s staring at you with a look of appreciation and you give him a small smile.

“Are you hungry baby?,” You ask her and feel her nod her head yes. Eddie pulls out the lunchbox he threw a bunch of food into and starts sorting through everything. He hands Halle a peanut butter and jelly sandwich first and she starts eating it and he gives a sigh of relief.

“Thank you for eating baby,” He says leaning over and kissing her forehead. Eddie gets back into the lunchbox and pulls out 2 more peanut butter and jelly sandwiches and hands you one ,”It’s not gourmet but it’s made with love and panic.” You chuckle and take the sandwich from him and start to eat it.

“It’s damn good,” You say and smirk at him.

“Damn good,” Halle mimics.

“Hals that’s a grown up word you can’t say it yet,” Eddie says to her and you try not to laugh.

“Fine,” She says and rolls her eyes at her dad and continues eating her sandwich.

“Jesus Christ she does not like me today,” Eddie says somewhat playfully but you know his feelings are hurt.

“Are you kidding? She loves you. You love your daddy don’t you baby?,” You ask her.

“Yeah daddy I love you, but you always tell me I can’t say stuff,” Halle says.

“That’s because you say grown up words you’re not supposed to say,” Eddie says and you chuckle.

“You’re arguing with yourself Eds, you realize that right? She’s just a smaller, girl version of you” You say to him amused.

“Yeah the universe wanted to really show me what my family put up with,” He says and chuckles. You ate a lunch of a peanut butter and jelly sandwich with a banana and chips and it was just about time for you to get back to work. Halle was in a much better mood now but both you and Eddie were scared to tell her that you had to go back to work.

“My lunch is almost over baby, so I have to go back to work. You’re gonna go home with daddy and I’ll see you as soon as I get off okay?,” You ask her.

“But I want you to play with me,” Halle says jutting out her bottom lip in a pout and staring up at you.

“You know what, I bet daddy will let you play with his hair if you go home with him right now. He will let you brush it and braid it and everything,” You say to her and she looks over at her dad excitedly. You can feel his annoyance behind the smile he’s giving his daughter and you look at him smugly while she doesn’t see.

“Anything for you princess,” He says and Halle laughs in excitement and climbs on her dads lap.

“Alright I gotta go. I love you sweet girl and I’ll see you later okay?,” You say. She gives you a sticky kiss and tells you she loves you back and you head back into work.

“He’s cute,” You coworker Ashley teases you as you enter the building, suspecting that you have a bit of a crush on Eddie and you blush slightly.

“He’s single,” You respond trying to play it off to her.

“Uh huh, sure,” Ashley says and walks away chuckling. You make it through the rest of your work day and head home. Once you open the door, you are greeted with a very frizzy-haired Eddie who had rainbow hair ties and clips all throughout his hair. You laugh as he looks up at you from the ground and you can tell he’s never going to let you live this suggestion down.

“Well don’t you look beautiful,” You say laughing at him. He holds his ring, middle and first finger up at you, silently saying ‘read between the lines’ and you laugh again.

————————————————————————-

After work on Friday, you stop by the Wheeler’s house to pick up Halle and take her home. You sing Hey Jude by The Beetles together on the way home and Halle is singing her heart out. Once you get home, you make some spaghetti and meatballs for dinner. You can Halle sit down and eat it together and she tells you about her day at the Wheelers house. After dinner, you give her a bath and get her ready for bed. You get her tucked into her bed and cuddle with her for a little bit before she falls asleep. You read her her favorite story book and she falls asleep quickly. Once she’s asleep, you get settled into the couch and decided to watch a movie until Eddie gets home. You are watching a horror movie on low volume when the phone rings and you get up to answer it.

“Hello?”

“Hey sweetheart its me. I just wanted to let you know that my car took a shit on me at work. My buddy gets off in an hour so he’s gonna drop me off on his way home so I’ll be home late. Didn’t want to worry you,” Eddie says over the phone.

“Eds, you can’t stay at work for another hour waiting for someone to bring you home. I can come get you,” You respond.

“You really don’t have to do that sweetheart. I know Halle is probably asleep and I don’t want all your hard work putting her to bed go to waste, and you have to work in the morning”

“Eds, I am not letting you stay there that late waiting for a ride. I will put Halle to bed again if I have to, I’m coming to get you,” You say. You hear him sigh over the phone.

“Yeah okay, thank you. I’ll see you soon,” He says. You carefully pick Halle up out of bed and make your way to your car. You get her buckled into her car seat and make your way to the plant. When you pull up, Eddie is standing out front smoking a cigarette with a few others guys. You park in front of him and get out of the car.

“Thank you for coming out here sweetheart I really appreciate it,” He says and blows smoke away from you.

“I had ulterior motives, I left my good sunglasses in your car. Keys please,” You say holding out your hand to take his keys from him. He watches as you walk over to his car in the parking lot and lean over to get your sunglasses.

“Damn, Munson, where have you been hiding that one at?,” Andy asks putting out his cigarette and coming to stand side by side with Eddie. Eddie turns to him and sees him looking at your ass.

“Away from you assholes that’s for sure,” He says and puts out his own cigarette.

“You bangin her?,” Jake asks from behind them.

“No, for your information, I am not ‘banging’ her. She’s my best friend and we live together,” Eddie says.

“You not like chicks?,” Andy asks him jokingly. He rolls his eyes as his coworkers words.

“Isn’t your smoke break over?,” Eddie asks them without looking at them.

“Okay, fine we’re going. If you don’t make a move on her, give her my number will you?,” Andy asks.

“In your dreams,” Eddie responds.

You come back from his car and hand his keys over to him.

“You ready to go?,” You ask him and he nods his head yes as he gets in the passenger seat of your car. You get behind the wheel and Eddie flips off his coworkers as you pull the car away from the building. You finally arrive at home and Eddie carries Halle back inside. She only stirs as her lays her down in her bed.

“Daddy?,” She asks.

“Hey princess, sorry we woke you up. Daddy’s car broke at work and Y/N had to come pick me up,” Eddie says and strokes her hair.

“I want to cuddle,” Halle responds and reaches out her arms to him. He would be sad when the day his daughter would stop asking him for cuddles would end. He knew she would eventually find it annoying. Eddie brings her over to his bed and cuddles with her as you start to leave the room.

“I want Y/N, too.” Halle says. You turn around and look at Eddie and Halle.

“The child wants what the child wants, c’mon,” Eddie says and makes room on the other side of Halle for you to lay down. It wasn’t the first time you had ever layed in Eddie’s bed. You used to hang out in his room all the time when you were teenagers and vice versa and this wasn’t the first time Halle had wanted to cuddle with both of you, but it still made butterflies erupt in your stomach as you layed on the opposite side of the girl and wrap your arm around her, leading yours and Eddie’s arms to be overlapped. Without meaning to, you fall asleep in his bed with him and Halle both. When you wake up the next morning, Halle is already awake and out of bed and you realize just how close you are to Eddie’s body. Your face is just a few inches away from his and his arm is partially around your torso. Your face flushes and you carefully get out of the bed and make your way to your own room to start getting ready for work.

You shower and get ready for work and head out the door after pouring yourself a travel mug of coffee. Thankfully its a Saturday so the bank closes at noon, meaning you only have to work for about 4 hours. Throughout you work day, you keep thinking about how you woke up this morning basically wrapped in Eddie’s arms since Halle had decided to leave. Before you left the apartment, you told her to go lay back down and put on cartoons in Eddie’s room so she would stay in there with him until he woke up. You didn’t know if she saw you and Eddie in the position you were in once she left bed this morning and the thought made your face flush again. Your work day goes by pretty fast and it’s finally time for you to close. You head out to your car after work and wish your coworkers a good weekend before heading home.

Once you arrive home and walk in the door, you notice that it is not nearly as loud as you expected it to be.

“Hello?,” You call out.

“In here sweetheart,” You hear Eddie call and enter his bedroom where he’s playing his acoustic guitar. You lean against the doorframe. ,”How was work?”

“Not too bad actually. It went by pretty quick. Where’s Halle?,” You ask him.

“She literally begged me to stay the night at Waynes tonight so I dropped her off over there a little bit ago,” Eddie says looking up at you.

“Sweet girl. I was hoping to see her,” You say. Eddie loves how much you love her.

“Hey, at least you get to hang out with your second favorite person tonight,” He says and smiles.

“Robin’s coming over?,” You tease him.

“Oh hardy har,” He says rolls his eyes and you chuckle.

“We haven’t gotten to hang out on a Saturday without Halle, well, since Halle was born,” You say and laugh.

“I know, its gonna be weird. It’ll be just like old times,” Eddie says.

“Does that mean horror movies and pizza night?,” You ask him excitedly.

“Uh duh, I was thinking maybe a little bit of beer too if you’re down,” He says.

“That sounds awesome. I’m gonna go change into comfy clothes and start picking out movies to watch,” You say and leave the room. He smiles to himself as you leave. You go to your room and change into some sweatpants, an oversized band shirt and some fuzzy socks and then make your way to the living room. Eddie runs to the store to pick up some beer and the pizza when it is ready. You pick out all of your favorite horror movies and put one on when Eddie gets back. You take a slice of pizza out of the box and a can of beer and start eating your dinner.

“Mmmm nutrients,” You say as you take a big bite of pizza and chase it down with a swig of beer.

“I don’t think this dinner is very nutritious,” Eddie says and chuckles, taking his own bite of pizza.

“Just let me have my moment,” You laugh back and continue eating your pizza. You’re both sprawled out over the couch eating together. You and Eddie were currently watching Christine and you were loving every minute of it.

“Do you remember Ashley I told you about at work?,” You ask Eddie. You always tell him all of your work gossip.

“The blonde with glasses?,” Eddie asks and you nod your head.

“Yeah, she called you cute on Thursday when you stopped by the bank,” You say not making eye contact with him.

“That honestly shocks me, I figured she would be into the jock type, not a metal head. ,” Eddie says and chuckles.

“I think its the whole dad thing honestly. When you’re good with kids, girls find that shit really attractive,” You say, still watching the tv screen.

“Huh I never thought about that,” Eddie says pondering the thought a little bit and laughs again.

“Don’t go getting a big head there Munson,” You tease him.

“Never,” He says back and smiles at you. After Christine is over, you put on A Nightmare on Elm Street.

“Now that is one attractive man,” You say as Johnny Depp comes on screen.

“I guess someone else is into the Jock type,” Eddie says and chuckles, but his heart secretly plummets.

“Only when its Johnny Depp, no other jocks are attractive to me,” You respond.

“Hmm, what is your type then? I’ve never seen any of the guys you’ve dated,” Eddie says and chuckles.

“Um, I don’t really know,” You say and blush slightly. You couldn’t tell him your type without describing him and you really didn’t have the balls to do that.

“Hey change of topic, there was a promotion at the bank for a better rate on a savings account and I hope you’re okay with it, I opened one for Halle. I guess I should have talked to you about it first, but I just wanted to grab it while it was still there,” You say looking at him.

“Sweetheart you did not have to do that at all,” He says looking at you lovingly.

“I know, I wanted to though. A small little portion of my paycheck will go in there each time I get paid. I figured she could use it to help buy her first car, or if she wants to go to college she can use it for that,” You say to him, not wanting to overstep your bounds more than you probably already have. Eddie just continues looking at you and you didn’t realize how close you were before. He is slowly leaning in towards you when there’s a knock at the door and you jump. You make your way over the the door so he doesn’t see the blush across your cheeks. You answer it and are in complete shock when you see Jules standing on the other side.

“What are you doing here,” Eddie asks her suddenly.

“Wow that’s a great way to greet the mother of your child, how about how are you Jules?,” She says as she steps into the apartment. You look awkwardly between Eddie and Jules for a moment.

“I’ll give you two some privacy,” You say as you make your way to your bedroom. You shut the door behind you but you can’t help but be curious as to what Jules is doing here after years of not being in Halle’s life.

“What do you want Jules?,” Eddie asks.

“I came here to see you and Halle,” Jules says.

“You haven’t seen Halle in 3 years,” Eddie responds harshly.

“Okay, well I’m here now.”

“You don’t get to just pick and choose when you want to be a part of Halle’s life.”

“Listen Eddie, I couldn’t do the baby shit. They’re so needy. They have to be on your boob like 24/7 when they’re that young.”

“So you think the hard parts over and you can just come back now? Because I can guarantee you the hard part is not over.”

“It’s gotta be easier when they can walk and talk and not shit all over you.”

“She doesn’t even know who you are Jules. She does not consider you her mother.”

“Well she can get to know me.”

“No. You walked out on us. I was willing to try to make a relationship work with you and raise her together but you didn’t want that.”

“Oh don’t give me that shit. You didn’t want that either, not when Y/N is constantly around.”

“What is that supposed to mean?”

“Everyone knows that you’re in love with her Eddie! It never would have worked out between us!”

“Well you could of at least stuck around and been a part of her life this whole time instead of leaving altogether!”

“I’m here now! We can try to make it work! I can move in here! I can be a stay at home mom and get to know our daughter! You can kick surrogate mommy in there out and let me be the mother our daughter really needs! She will never be her mom no matter how badly that pathetic loser wants it!”

Eddie’s blood was boiling now and he couldn’t contain the volume on his voice anymore. He had already been slightly raising it but he couldn’t help it anymore, not when she just insulted the love of his life like that.

“Y/N IS WAY MORE OF A MOTHER TO HALLE THAN YOU WILL EVER BE! WHERE WERE YOU WHEN SHE HAD CHRONIC EAR INFECTIONS FOR MONTHS STRAIGHT AND WANTED TO BE HELD CONSTANTLY? WHERE WERE YOU WHEN SHE TOOK HER FIRST STEPS? WHEN SHE SAID HER FIRST WORDS? YOU KNOW WHO WAS THERE? Y/N! AS FAR AS I OR ANYONE ELSE IS CONCERNED, SHE IS HER MOTHER. FUCK! HALLE EVEN ASKED IF SHE WAS HER MOTHER RECENTLY! YOU DON’T EVEN KNOW HER FAVORITE COLOR, HER FAVORITE MOVIE, HELL DO YOU EVEN KNOW HER BIRTHDAY?”

Jules was starting at Eddie with anger on her face and she couldn’t hold back anymore either.

“FINE! LIVE A HAPPY FUCKING LIFE WITH THAT LOSER IN THERE! I DON’T KNOW WHY YOU’RE SO IN LOVE WITH HER ANYWAYS. ITS NOT LIKE SHE HAS THAT MUCH TO OFFER!”

“SHE’S A GREAT FUCKING PERSON! SHE’S THE BEST PERSON I HAVE EVER MET BESIDES HALLE. SHE KNOWS EVERYTHING ABOUT HALLE AND SHES MY BEST FUCKING FRIEND. I LOVE HER BECAUSE SHES PERFECT! YOU WILL NEVER BE HALLE’S MOTHER AS LONG AS Y/N IS AROUND! GET THE FUCK OUT OF MY HOUSE!,” Eddie screams. Jules scoffs and then walks out of the apartment. Eddie sits back on the couch and leans back with his head on the back of the couch.

You slowly make your way out of your room after giving Eddie a little time to calm down. You know he just went through something extremely stressful but your heart can’t help but soar at the fact that he said he loved you. He loved you. You loved him and he loved you. If it wasn’t for Jules being an absolute bitch you wouldn’t have thought this was real life. You make it to the living room and look at Eddie sitting on the couch.

“Eds, are you okay?,” You ask softly.

“Fuck, Y/N, I’m sorry about that,” He says and looks at you.

“No it’s okay, you don’t have to apologize,” You say. You sit down beside him and turn your body towards him and place a hand gently on his arm.

“Are you alright?,” You ask again.

“Honestly, there was a lot of things I said that I’ve been meaning to get off of my chest and it does feel really good,” He says and chuckles looking at you.

“It was nice to hear you put her in her place honestly,” You say and chuckle back.

“Oh fuck, you could hear us?,” Eddie says, his face suddenly turning a bright shade of red.

“Uh, yeah,” You say looking down at your hands awkwardly and slightly blushing yourself ,”You were yelling a little bit.”

“I never wanted you to find out that way. I’m sorry. I know you heard how I felt about you. If you’re uncomfortable with any of it we can just pretend like it never happened,” Eddie rambles.

“Eds, I don’t want to forget it. Those were the sweetest words anyone has ever said about me,” You say, finally meeting his eyes with yours again.

“I meant all of them. I think you’re perfect Y/N. I see you as Halle’s mother and I,… I love you. It’s okay if you don’t feel the same way,” Eddie says and blushes again. You smile at him and instead of responding you bring your lips to his. It felt better than you could have ever imagined. His lips were so soft and fit yours perfectly, like they were made for each other. He is startled at first by the kiss, but then he puts his hands on each side of your face and kisses you back.

“I’ve been wanting to do that for years,” You say and giggle as you pull away from the kiss.

“Are you serious?,” Eddie asks you.

“Yeah. Actually the day you told me Jules was pregnant, I came over to your place to tell you that I was in love with you,” You confess and your face turns a shade of crimson again.

“I could have been kissing you this whole fucking time?,” Eddie says flabbergasted and you giggle.

“Well I didn’t know how you felt about me!,” You respond.

“Man, I’ve been in love with you since our senior year together,” He says.

“Something was in the air that year because that’s the year I realized I fell in love with you, too,” You reply.

“I can’t believe this. This better be fucking real,” Eddie says and kisses you again and you laugh into the kiss and wrap your arms around his neck. Once you both pull away from each other, you hug him tightly and lay your head on his chest.

“I’m so happy right now Eds,” You say.

“I am too sweetheart. I can’t wait to tell Halle. She really is going to think you’re her mom,” Eddie says and chuckles.

“I don’t mind that at all,” You say and smile at the thought.

“Neither do I,” Eddie says and kisses the top of your head. Your could not have wished for your life to turn out any other way.

Taglist: @corrodedcoffincumslut @kjcmama @paleidiot @eddiesguitarskills @sirsbabygirlsblog @eddiemunson95 @skyline4446 @wish-upon-a-star-1310 @daisyridleyyyy @yujyujj @euphoric-rush @b-irock @brassreign @blueberry—lemon

[magicalmysteries777]

The Bloody-Handed and The Anguish of Loving Them - Epilogue.

Summary: Almost a year has passed since Eddie Munson died and it feels like the only person that isn’t moving on is Steve.

After spending the night studying a Dungeons and Dragons handbook, Steve is convinced he’s figured out how to bring Eddie back. Not only that, but defeat Vecna once and for all too. Now he just has to prove it.

Pairings: Steve Harrington x Eddie Munson

Masterlist: Here.

Chapter: 10 of 10.

Chapter WC: 5.6k.

CW: Swearing.

This story can also be found on AO3 here.

Taglist: @ohmeg 🖤

July 14th, 1987 .

“My, oh my, Mr. Harrington - thou dost look ravishing on this fine evening.”

Steve smirked and adjusted his tie. “Mr. Munson, you flatter me.”

“One’s wit and charm knows nay bounds.”

“Eds. Voice.”

Eddie let out a small chuckle as he made his way over to the car door being held open by Steve. “Sorry. You know I go all medieval when I’m nervous.”

"Aw, you’re nervous,” Steve teased.

Eddie fastened his seatbelt and picked anxiously at the skin around his fingernails while Steve got settled in the driver’s seat.

“Would it help calm your nerves if I told you I had this?” asked Steve, reaching into the backseat to reveal a walkie-talkie with a large grin plastered across his face.

Eddie raised an eyebrow. “Don’t get me wrong, Dustin’s finally starting to stand up for himself a lot more but I highly doubt he’s going to be able to come to the rescue when half of the people at Enzos realise they’re dining with the town’s murderer.”

“It isn’t Dustin on the other end of this and you’re not a murderer.”

“Yeah, well they still think I am, don’t they?” Eddie answered with a grumble, snatching the walkie out of Steve’s hand and pressing down on the receiver. “Hello?”

“Eddie?”

“Hopper?”

“Yeah, it’s me. Everything okay? Steve only left about half an hour ago, surely they’re not sharpening their pitchforks already.”

“Oh, um, no. Everything’s fine.”

“Alright, kid, enjoy your date. You know where I am if you need me.”

If looks could kill, Steve would’ve died right there in Eddie’s driveway.

“Steve, we can’t do this. Let’s just go inside and watch a movie or something.”

“Yes we can and we’re going to have a great time,” Steve countered.

Eddie ran his hands through his curls and rubbed at his temples. “Are you sure? Because I can think of, like, a million reasons not to go out tonight. Half of the town still wants to see me dead because they think I’m the head of a serial killing cult and the other half that doesn’t probably will once they realise I’m on a date with a guy. Aren’t you nervous? What if your dad finds out?”

“Are you done?” Steve asked, waiting patiently until Eddie nodded. “If anyone says or starts anything, anything at all, then all I have to do is get Hop on the radio and he’ll be down there in a heartbeat. He cleared your name the second he was reinstated as Chief, so the whole town can think what they want but at the end of the day you’re not a criminal in the eyes of the law. As for my dad, I don’t care anymore. I’ve spent too long letting him dictate my life. I love you and I want a life with you. I’m not hiding to make other people happy.”

“I’m definitely a criminal in the eyes of the law. Hopper would know,” Eddie smirked.

“Fine. You’re not a serial killer then,” he answered, chuckling as he took Eddie’s hand in his. “I mean it, Eds. I want this and I don’t care who knows it. Now, would you like to go and get some of the finest lasagne that Hawkins has to offer with me?”

Eddie stared at Steve for a couple of seconds, a soft grin slowly growing on his face. “I would.”

They spent the night talking each other’s ears off and laughing like they were the only two people in the entire restaurant before heading back to Eddie’s to sink a couple of cold beers with Wayne, Elizabeth’s blues records on in the background.

It was the best first date that Steve had ever had.

June 16th, 1988.

Eddie had been running around the house as frantically as a headless chicken all morning.

“Did you iron my robe?” he called from the bathroom which he’d been locked away in for the last thirty minutes.

“For the third time, yes,” answered Steve, the slight roll of his eyes earning a small chuckle from Wayne.

“And do you know where my cap is?”

“It’s on the kitchen counter. Come on, Eds, hurry up or we’re going to be late.”

After another five minutes of twiddling his thumbs and exchanging anxious looks with Wayne, Steve finally heard the lock on the bathroom door click open.

“What do you think?” Eddie asked, presenting himself to Steve and Wayne for a thorough inspection.

“I think you haven’t looked this well-groomed since you were about twelve years old. You feeling okay, kid? Let me check you haven’t got a fever,” Wayne answered, mockingly holding the back of his palm against his nephew’s forehead.

With a quick swipe, Eddie knocked Wayne’s hand away from his face. “Oh, ha-ha. Come on, I’m being serious. Do I look okay?”

“You look very handsome,” Steve answered with a smile. “How much hairspray did you use?”

“I’ll get you a new can.”

“That was full before you got your mits on it!”

Eddie laughed. “You’ve brushed my hair before. You know how hard it is to tame these curls.”

“Fair point. Get dressed, man, we’ve gotta go. Everyone’s waiting for us.”

-

Steve checked his watch for the final time as he pulled the car into the parking lot of the newly refurbished Hawkins High School.

“Ceremony starts in fifteen minutes. They’re all over there waiting for us, come on,” he instructed, pointing over to the party and Hellfire Club members eagerly awaiting their arrival. “Jonathan’s got the camera.”

The large group had barely had time to exchange greetings or pleasantries before Jonathan had begun ordering them about and putting them into position to get all the photos he had written down on his list.

“I want the individual shots first, then Hellfire, Eddie with the girls, Eddie with the guys, the group shot, and then family. Got it? Okay, good. Dustin, you first.”

It hadn’t taken long for Jonathan to work down his list, reaching the last items with five minutes to spare.

“Mr Munson, do-” Jonathan began.

“How many times do I have to tell you, kid? Call me Wayne.”

“Wayne, would you mind taking the group shot for me? Then I’ll get a couple of you and Eddie.”

They all lined up against the wall, Eddie in the middle and the taller members of the party on either side of him, the younger and shorter of the group crouching in front of them.

“Okay, ready? Smile,” Wayne asked, clicking the shutter on the camera. “Jesus, Eddie, I said smile. What the hell was that? Let me take another one.”

Jonathan took the camera from Wayne and positioned him next to Eddie, instructed them to smile, and snapped a couple of photos of the two together.

“All done. I’ll get these developed for you tomorrow. Maybe the day after depending on how hard Eddie has us all partying tonight,” Jonathan told them, beginning to tuck his camera back into its bag.

“Not so fast,” said Wayne, stopping him in his tracks. “We need one more. These are family photos, aren’t they? Get in here, Steve.”

With the final photo taken, the large group filed into the auditorium to find their seats.

Steve was beaming with admiration for his boyfriend when Mr Higgins called him up onto the stage to receive his diploma, even if Eddie did flip him off right after and run straight into Steve’s arms cackling like a madman.

September 3rd, 1992.

Steve had never seen Jonathan so stressed out.

Between accepting deliveries, taking multiple phone calls with various vendors, and trying to keep Joyce’s motherly tendencies at bay, the poor guy had barely had a chance to eat breakfast or take a sip of water all morning.

“Here, eat this,” instructed Steve, shoving a granola bar into Jonathan’s hands. “You’re white as a ghost. You feeling okay, man?”

“I feel sick,” Jonathan admitted, fumbling with the packaging. “My hands haven’t stopped sweating all morning.”

“Eat that and go outside for some fresh-”

Jonathan’s phone began to ring for the umpteenth time that morning, cutting Steve off mid-sentence. “Hello? Yes, this is Jonathan,” he answered, once again exiting the hotel room to take a nervous lap of the corridors.

Eddie appeared in the doorway, staring down the corridor after Jonathan. “Jesus, he looks more nervous now than he did in the Upside Down.”

“He’s about to marry Nancy Wheeler, what did you expect? Besides, what sort of a time do you call this?” Steve asked sternly, looking at his watch.

“Technically not late,” he answered, the smirk on his face disappearing.

“It’s a good thing you’re cute.”

“Could you?” Eddie asked, holding out his bow tie for Steve to fasten.

“I could… But you were late.”

Eddie rolled his eyes dramatically. “Please?”

“Joyce!” Steve called loudly, knocking on the wall.

“Steve, no,” Eddie reasoned frantically. “Steve-”

“Joyce, we need your help!” Steve called again, slowly retreating to the doorway to greet her.

As they heard the door to the hotel room next door open and close, Eddie let out a deep sigh, bracing himself for what was about to happen.

“What’s wrong, Steve? Oh, Eddie, sweetheart,” Joyce began, looking him up and down. “You look lovely. Have you been borrowing Steve’s hairspray again? Your curls haven’t looked this tame in years.”

“Yeah, well, it is a special occasion,” Eddie answered, glaring at Steve.

“I need to go check on Jonathan, I think the caterer just called. Could you help Eddie with his bow tie, please?”

“Of course,” Joyce answered, walking over to Eddie with her hand outstretched. “Give it here, son.”

Steve lingered in the doorway for a moment, a shit-eating grin spreading across his face as Eddie stood there awkwardly, trying his hardest not to fidget with the inevitably too-tight bow tie around his neck, each attempt at adjusting it earning a quick swat of his hand from Joyce as though she was trying to get rid of an annoying fly.

It had been a shock for Eddie when Joyce and Hopper inevitably accepted him into their little makeshift family of waif and strays with open arms, something which, many years later, he was still not used to.

He wasn’t a stranger to motherly love by any means. His mother, Elizabeth, had always been hands-on and caring when he was younger, eagerly doting on him from the moment he was brought into the world. She shared all of her kindness and compassion with him, along with a strong sense of justice and a love for music, fundamentally shaping him into the man that he would later become. Then she passed away when Eddie was six, leaving him to also be shaped by the cold, cruel hands of his father, Alan. So, a stranger to motherly love he was not - perhaps more like a distant friend.

“It’s fine, Joyce. Really,” Eddie reasoned, still trying to struggle free from her grip.

Joyce pursed her lips and stared at Eddie for a second, causing him to instantly relax and make his peace with the situation. “I just need to straighten it out, it’s crooked.”

Making his way down the corridor still chuckling to himself, Steve found Jonathan talking on the phone with the uneaten granola bar in his hand. “Jonathan Byers, you give me that phone right now,” Steve ordered, his hand outstretched. “And eat, for fucks sake. You look ill.”

-

The ceremony went off without a hitch.

With the guests in their seats and the bridesmaids and groomsmen in place, a beautiful piano rendition of ‘Here Comes The Bride’ started to play and Nancy, her arm linked with Ted’s, began to make her way down the aisle. As expected by absolutely everyone, Jonathan began to blubber the second he laid eyes on her.

Once vows were exchanged and rings were on fingers, the newlyweds, along with their friends and family, made their way into the beautifully decorated Reception Hall to begin celebrating.

After a couple of hours of photos, drinks, what could only be described as a small feast, many speeches about the happy couple, and a cake cutting, Nancy and Jonathan were called up to the dance floor for their first dance as husband and wife.

As ‘Head Over Heels’ by Tears For Fears began to play, Jonathan wrapped his arms around Nancy’s waist and began to sway, mouthing the words silently, unable to take his eyes off of her. Halfway through the song, the guests were called up to join the couple.

Eddie took Steve’s hand in his own and guided him to the dance floor, the two of them swaying along to the music.

“Marry me?” Eddie asked, his voice merely a whisper.

“What?” Steve replied, dumbfounded.

Eddie looked at him softly. “Marry me?”

“You know we can’t get married, you big idiot.”

“Not right now, obviously. But one day, whenever those stupid fuckers at the Supreme Court decided we’re worthy of loving each other, marry me?”

Steve stilled for a moment and looked into Eddie’s big, brown eyes. “Like you even have to ask.”

January 24th, 1997.

Living life on a bus was something that Steve was sure he’d never be able to get used to.

Constantly being within arms reach of at least six other people, not to mention being able to smell them and their bathroom habits, for eight weeks was far too much for him to handle. A couple of days in the Winnebago with the party was enough to make him reconsider the whole ‘six kids and a road trip to Yellowstone’ thing, the bickering alone would have been insufferable, but a week on a tour bus for a two-step plan to surprise his fiancé for their upcoming tenth anniversary was very much doable in Steve’s book.

He’d first surprised Eddie by driving to Ohio and waiting outside the venue for the band to finish playing and come to sign autographs. He’d been in for a bit of a surprise himself when he learned that he too was now semi-famous purely because their relationship had gone public, a large number of the crowd outside asking for his autograph on posters of Eddie’s face while they waited. Damned gossip rags had nicknamed them ‘Steddie’ and plastered a photo of them holding hands on the front page.

The moment the doors opened and the band stepped outside, Steve got lost in the chaos and scrambling of screaming fangirls fighting to get to the front. Resigning further backward down the queue with his Eddie poster gripped tightly in his hands, he waited patiently alongside the calmer members of Corroded Coffin’s fanbase. That was another thing Steve was sure he’d never be able to get used to - fan culture.

Eddie, who had barely looked up from the last poster he’d signed due to the intensity of the line, hovered his pen over the picture of his face. “Who should I make it out to?”

“Steve.”

“Okay, Steve, here you go,” Eddie mumbled, scribbling his signature on the poster. He tucked the pen behind his ear and with an outstretched hand, finally made eye contact with Steve for what Eddie had dubbed ‘the thirty-second rule’ at meet and greets. “Holy shit!”

“Surprise!”

Eddie pulled him close into a long, passionate kiss, earning a few wolf whistles from the remaining crowd, before maneuvering him toward the crew and gesturing for someone to get him a pass. He very politely, although rather quickly, signed the rest of the posters and posed for pictures before telling the crew and his bandmates to make themselves scarce for an hour, dragging Steve onto the bus by the collar of his shirt before he’d even finished his sentence.

A text from Eddie’s manager an hour later revealed that the rest of them had gotten rooms for the night and the two of them could have the bus to themselves. Another text arrived two minutes later telling him not to break anything and to tidy up before morning.

His second day on the bus had been spent listening to an impromptu songwriting session whilst they drove to New York, arriving at the hotel three hours later. Luckily for him, New York had sold out so quickly that management had arranged another concert for the following night, meaning that Steve got a small break from squeezing into a bunk and could get a night’s sleep in an actual bed.

The morning of day three was spent nursing a hangover, thanks to one of Eddie’s after-parties with the entire crew, and trying to get a minute alone with Gareth regarding step two of his plan. When Eddie finally felt brave enough to go outside and attempt his morning cigarette after breakfast, Steve seized his chance and leaned in close enough to Gareth to ensure he wouldn’t be overheard. “The eagle is in the nest. Operation Switch is a go.”

Gareth beamed up at him. “Man, I can’t wait for this. His face is going to be a pic-”

“I can’t do it,” Eddie announced, making his way back to the table looking pale. “I’m getting too old for this shit.”

At ten to eight that night, Corroded Coffin congregated backstage to begin their pre-show ritual for good luck before they began to hype themselves up to go onstage.

“Eds, can I borrow you for a second?” Steve asked, gesturing for Eddie to join him over by the spare amp he was sitting on.

“What’s up, handsome?” Eddie asked, adjusting the strap on his guitar.

“I know it’s early but I’ve got an anniversary present for you,” Steve began before Eddie promptly cut him off.

“Early? Shit, Steve, it’s months away. I haven’t even begun to think about what I’m getting you.”

“I know, I know, but I have to give you it while we’re here in New York. It’ll make sense, I promise.”

“Do I get it now?”

“Later.”

“Harrington, you tease,” Eddie answered, eyeing him suspiciously. “Right, I gotta get up there. Wish me luck?”

“It’s gonna be a great show regardless, but good luck,” Steve answered, kissing him on the cheek before pushing him back toward the band.

As always, Corroded Coffin put on a great show. The songs were heavy and the stage effects were hot, quite literally, ever since Eddie decided they needed to include pyrotechnics in the set. Eddie sang his heart out and jumped around the stage during solos, his energy radiating into the crowd as they jumped up and down, screaming his lyrics back at him.

Halfway through the set list, Eddie’s actual surprise arrived backstage with a VIP pass around their neck.

“You ready?” he asked as Eddie began to finish up the song.

“Hell yeah.”

As the last few chords faded out and the crowd began to applaud, Steve stepped out from behind the curtain and made his way to the center of the stage. A perplexed Eddie furrowed his brow at Steve as he stole the microphone from him.

“Let’s give it up for Corroded Coffin everybody,” Steve declared, causing the crowd to erupt again.

“What the hell are you doing?” Eddie asked, completely unaware that Gareth was sneaking off stage behind him.

“Sorry for the interruption, ladies and gentlemen,” Steve began, turning back to the crowd. “But I’ve got a little surprise for Eddie here and for you too. If you could all turn your attention to my left here and give a big round of applause for an honorary member of the band, I’d like to introduce none other than Ronnie Ecker to the stage.”

Eddie’s face looked exactly how Steve had thought it would as Ronnie walked over and hugged him before settling behind the drum kit. A mixture of pure shock, happiness, and overwhelming gratitude.

“You sneaky little shit,” were the only words he could find as he placed an arm around Steve’s waist and guided him back to the side of the stage. “Thank you.”

October 7th, 2014.

The doorbell would not stop ringing.

“You go,” Eddie argued, half asleep.

“You go, it’s your turn,” Steve retorted, pushing Eddie’s sprawled legs off of him and out of the bed.

Eddie let his body go limp as he slid onto the floor, landing with a small thud. “You go.”

Steve sat up and glared at him. “You’re already out of bed.”

“Fine,” Eddie sighed dramatically, picking himself up and walking towards the door.

“Pants,” Steve called after him, throwing a pair of boxers at the back of Eddie’s head before flopping back down onto the pillow with a satisfied grin.

No less than a minute later, Eddie flung himself back onto the bed face down. “It’s for you,” he grumbled.

Steve sat up again and his eyes landed on a rather excited-looking Robin and Vickie stood in the open doorway.

“Jesus, guys, it’s eight o’clock in the morning,” Steve said, his eyes now fixed on the alarm clock on his bedside table. “Surely whatever you’ve got to say could wait until a more godly hour.”

“Didn’t you hear?” asked Vickie, so giddy she was bouncing up and down on the spot.

“Hear what?” Eddie grumbled, his face smushed into his pillow.

“The Supreme Court declined to consider the appeal in the Baskin vs. Bogan case,” Robin answered.

“Buckley, for the love of God, get to the point. I should still be asleep,” Eddie argued.

“Fine. This should wake you up a bit,” she answered. “Same-sex marriage is officially legal.”

Eddie shot up, his eyes now wide and fixed on Steve. “Courthouse?”

“I guess I’d better find my good suit then, huh?”

-

After a long three-hour wait outside the Courthouse with Robin and Vickie, as well as fifty other couples, Eddie and Steve were finally at the front of the queue.

“Fill these forms out and take them to that window over there,” instructed the clerk, handing Eddie some papers from a large stack in front of him and pointing to the other side of the room.

“You don’t even know why we’re here,” replied Eddie, one eyebrow raised.

The clerk looked up at Eddie, glanced toward Steve, and then back to Eddie. “I’m going to assume you’re here for the same reason as everybody else? Getting hitched?”

“Yeah.”

“Fill these forms out and take them to that window over there,” he repeated. “Next.”

The two couples filled out their paperwork and made their way over to the other window, their identification and fee money in hand. With everything processed and appointments made for an hour later, they wandered out onto the street to find some food to kill the time.

“I’m gonna call Nance and get them down here,” Robin told them after they situated themselves on a bench to eat their food.

“Reckon we should call the lads?” Eddie mumbled through a mouthful of hot dog, promptly spilling mustard on his tie. “Shit.”

Steve grabbed a napkin and wiped it away, shaking his head as he smiled at Eddie. “Probably should, we’ll never hear the end of it if we don’t.”

“Ring Joyce as well, I can’t bear the thought of being told off by her again. I’m not gonna lie, she scares me a little bit.”

“Me too, Eds. Me too,” Steve replied, already dialing her number.

An hour later, in a small room filled with friends and family, Steve and Eddie stood hand in hand before the officiant.

“Steve, do you take this man to be your husband, to live together in matrimony, to love him, to honor him, to comfort him, and to keep him in sickness and in health, forsaking all others, for as long as you both shall live?”

“I do.”

“And do you, Eddie, take this man to be your husband, to live together in matrimony, to love him, to honor him, to comfort him, and to keep him in sickness and in health, forsaking all others, for as long as you both shall live?”

“I do.”

“By the authority vested in me under the laws of the State of Indiana, I now pronounce you husband and husband. You may kiss the groom.”

“Gladly,” Eddie responded with a glint in his eyes, pulling Steve in close.

March 3rd, 2015.

It had been three weeks since Steve had got the call from the adoption agency confirming that he and Eddie were going to be parents.

He’d got the call at lunchtime and ran straight to the principal’s office, blurting out ‘I’ve gotta go. Now. Can you sort a substitute for the rest of the day?’ before bucking it to his car and racing home to tell Eddie the news.

“Who died?” Eddie asked, panic-stricken at the sight of Steve flinging the front door open so quickly he thought it might come off its hinges.

“No one,” Steve replied, panting slightly.

“What’s got your undies in a bunch then?”

Steve threw his bag on the ground and loosened his tie. "Janelle called.”

“Oh god. The application fell through, didn’t it?” Eddie assumed, running his hands through his hair. “I knew it.”

“Eddie-”

“It’s because I keep going away, isn’t it? Maybe I should cancel next year’s Europe tour?”

“Eddie, look at me,” Steve told him, taking his hands in his. “We’re going to be parents.”

“Shut up, we are not.”

“In three weeks, we get to bring Oscar and Rose home.”

“No we’re not, you’re lying,” Eddie answered, tears welling in his eyes.

A tear rolled down Steve’s cheek. “I promise you, I’m not. We’re gonna be dads.”

They’d begun decorating the two spare rooms along with buying furniture and everything thing else they’d need almost instantly, along with recruiting the help of Nancy and Jonathan who, in Eddie’s opinion, were ‘pros at the whole parenting thing’ after raising three children to be ‘somewhat normal’ people.

After two days of staring at paint samples, they opted for baby pink on the walls in Rose’s room and ocean blue in Oscars. Surprisingly, the painting portion of the preparations was rather unstressful given Eddie’s previous history of dramatics when it came to decorating. After four different colours on the living room wall in two weeks when they’d first moved into their new house, Steve had vowed that he would never paint again. The stress came in twofold when it was time to build the crib.

As the days passed, the two had become increasingly more anxious. If they weren’t bickering about what furniture should go where they were bickering about the usefulness of bottle prep machines and diaper bins.

“I just don’t see why we can’t put them in the normal bin,” Steve reasoned for the third time.

“Are you going to walk all the way downstairs to the kitchen bin after you’ve just changed a shitty diaper, half asleep, at three o’clock in the morning?” Eddie argued.

“Yes.”

“Liar. I still think we should get one.”

“Fine, but you’re building Oscar’s bed by yourself.”

“Gotta be easier than the crib, right?”

“I doubt it,” Steve answered, placing an allen key in Eddie’s hand with a smug grin on his face. “Have fun. I’m off to work.”

With a week to go, Steve called an intervention after finding Eddie repainting the banister at four o’clock in the morning.

“It needed doing,” Eddie defended.

“Eddie, babe, come on,” Steve reasoned.

Jonathan let out a chuckle. “Reminds me of the time I found Nance scrubbing the kitchen floor in the early hours when she was eight months gone with Barb.”

“See!”

“He’s nesting, Steve. It’s normal, trust me,” said Nancy.

Steve raised an eyebrow at her. “You know he’s not pregnant, right?”

“Of course, I do. I know how biology works. That doesn’t mean he can’t nest. It’s just one of those expectant parent things.”

“Cleaning the kitchen is normal, I get that, but Oscar can barely reach the banister and Rose can’t even crawl yet let alone get up the stairs by herself.”

“Just let him have this, Steve,” Jonathan told him, clapping a supportive hand on his shoulder. “And thank god you’re only doing this once.”

“Hey! I was nothing short of delightful during my pregnancies,” Nancy replied.

“Of course, darling.”

The last few days flew by and before they knew it, they were standing on the front porch watching Janelle walk down the garden path with the handle of a car seat in one hand, Rose bundled up inside of it, and Oscar’s hand in the other as he skipped along beside her.

Steve had always thought his love for Eddie knew no bounds and that he’d rather die than lose him again, but at that moment, looking at his three-month-old daughter and his four-year-old son, there wasn’t a doubt in his mind that he’d use Eddie as a human shield to protect his children if it ever came to it.

5th September 2024.

Steve pushed his reading glasses further up the bridge of his nose, placed his book on the bedside table, and got out of bed.

He should be tired. He knew he should be tired but no matter how hard he tried he just couldn’t seem to drift off, a promise he’d once made over three decades ago weighing too heavily on his mind.

It had been a very long day.

A suggestion made by Eddie over their morning coffee that a picnic in the park with the entire party would be a great way to both catch up with friends and let all the kids blow off some steam seemed like a good idea at the time. That very same good idea would later turn out to be full-blown chaos.

He loved his family, really he did, but there were only so many times you could hear the words “Dad!” or “Uncle Stevie!” followed by some variation of “They did this!” or “They did that!” without questioning how much of your sanity was still intact at the end of the night.

They’d piled into the park at dinner time. Robin and Vickie were already there, waiting for them with an eager wave. Jonathan and Nancy arrived five minutes later, their children and the newest member of the party, a granddaughter named Joy, in tow. One by one the rest of the party and their small tribes of children and grandchildren arrived, half of which were traipsing behind in typical pre-teen fashion. It would appear that hanging out with your parents and their friends in public isn’t considered “a fun way to spend an afternoon” these days, even if one of them is a world-famous rock star.

It took two hours for all hell to break loose.

“Who’s idea was this again?” Jonathan mumbled, an ice pack from the cooler held against his eyebrow.

“Eddie’s,” grumbled Steve, Lucas, Max, and three of the teenagers.

Eddie peered over the top of his book to address the group. “Come on, guys. We’re having a great time.”

“Are we?”

“The kids are and I suppose that’s what matters, right?” he countered. “Besides, you took that truck to the brow like a champ, Jonathan. You ought to be glad you took that ring out of it.”

Jonathan cringed at the reminder. “It was a phase. We promised not to talk about it again.”

“Phase?” queried Nancy, finishing up tying her umpteenth shoelace of the day.

Barbara raised an eyebrow at her father. “You were twenty-six and you kept it in for ten years.”

“Will, how’s the new house?” he asked quickly, changing the subject.

They sprawled out on the grass for hours until the sun began to set.

The eldest of kids sat away from them, deeply engrossed in an impromptu game of Dungeons and Dragons led by Oz who, much like his father, always had a bag of die handy and could create a campaign on the spot. In between playing with and taking care of the many children that were terrorising the nearby play area, the adults talked and laughed amongst themselves, catching up on all things life and work.

After three tantrums from three different children all within the space of ten minutes, resulting in two bumps to the head and a grazed knee, Erica made the executive decision to disband the group.

It was on the way back to the car, his husband’s hand resting in his and their children strolling beside them, that the promise was brought back to the forefront of Steve’s mind.

“Dad, can I go to Jackson’s tomorrow? He wants to carry on playing D&D,” Oz asked.

“Yeah, sure, but only if it’s okay with Max. I’ll drop you off on my way to Wayne’s,” Steve answered.

“Can I come too, Oscar?” asked Rose.

“I told you not to call me that,” he replied, prompting a chuckle from Eddie.

“Fine,” she grumbled. “Can I come too, Oz?”

“Maybe.”

Eddie unlocked the car and opened the door, still chuckling to himself quietly at his son’s outburst. “So, you’re going to Wayne’s tomorrow?”

“Yeah,” Steve replied, climbing into the car. “I promised I’d cut the grass for him. You know he can’t do it himself now that he’s getting on.”

Eddie let out a chuckle. “You two and your promises. I swear, you’re over there every other day helping him out with something. You get on better with him than I do.”

“I’m a man of my word. Kids, seatbelts.”

“Is that so? Well, I’m not sure if you remember but a long, long time ago you promised to tell me a story. I’m still waiting.”

Steve pondered for a moment, snippets of memories from the Upside Down flashing through his mind. “I did, didn’t I?”

So that’s why later on that night when Steve couldn’t sleep, his mind heavy and his heart full, he found himself sitting in front of his computer staring at a blank document instead of sitting in his usual spot on the porch. To keep a promise he once made a long, long time ago.

Tell Eddie all about The Bloody-Handed and the anguish of loving them, and how every single second was worth it.

A/N:

Elizabeth Munson, Eddie's mother, is a character from from the book 'Stranger Things: Flight Of Icarus'. We learn about her briefly and about how she passed away.

Ronnie Ecker, Eddie's childhood best friend, is a character from from the book 'Stranger Things: Flight Of Icarus'. She was the original drummer for Corroded Coffin and a member of The Hellfire Club until she graduated in 1984 when she moved to New York to study Law.

★★★★★★★★★★

And with that, we're done.

I've had an absolute blast writing this and as happy as I am that it's finally finished, I can't help but feel a little sad to be closing the book on this story and its characters.

I'd like to take a moment to thank everyone who has left likes and reblogged the story. I truly hope that you enjoy the ending as much as I have and that I've done it justice.

Thank you. 🖤