#I took in more of the trailer than I thought... either that or I remember more of the book than I thought

[artiststarme]

Steve couldn’t remember the last time he’d gotten a proper night’s rest. It had to have been before Vecna started haunting people’s dreams that made the entire Party afraid to close their eyes. Before Max fell into a painful coma and Eddie succumbed to bat bites in the Upside Down. Maybe prior to Spring Break completely, before the Russians under Starcourt and the demodogs and demogorgons. Maybe before his parents became too disappointed in him, before they started punctuating their disgust in him with well-aimed fists. Perhaps he’d never had a restful sleep at all, he couldn’t remember anymore.

But ever since his eyes had landed on the bloody form of his new friend surrounded by carcasses in the desolate trailer park, he couldn’t sleep a wink. Whenever he tried to rest, he imagined the pain Eddie must have gone through (he knew how those teeth felt as they gnawed through thick layers of flesh). He thought of how they had been forced to leave his body down there to rot, how alone Eddie must have been in his final moments. He could vividly picture Eddie’s last breath and gurgling pain every night in his nightmares. Steve would snap awake every night, gasping for air and jumping at shadows.

For weeks, he isolated himself. He only went to work and back and even that was taken away from him once he dozed off at the counter on one of his shifts with Keith. Without Robin there to gently wake him up and cover for him, he lost his job then and there. Without anything to drag him out of the house, he began spending every minute cowering from his own thoughts. He couldn’t sleep at night and he would hallucinate during the day. He’d see shadow figures in the corner of his eye, hear distorted screeches and screams of pain. On the bad days, he’d even hear Eddie’s voice amidst the chaos.

Steve thought he’d lost his mind.

After so many years of dealing with the impossible, the craziness had caught up with him and poisoned his mind. Or maybe Vecna had finally caught by up to him. Had he finally decided to stop targeting teens in high school to move onto more traumatized targets (i.e., Steve)? Unfortunately, he couldn’t find it in himself to care either way.

He never expected his new turned dead friend to shake his shoulder gently to wake him up from a nightmare. Steve jerked awake to find soft brown eyes staring at him in concern.

His reaction was completely valid. He screamed his head off.

Steve screamed and cried as the Hallucination Eddie’s eyes widened in fear before frantic shushing and spastic hand waving began.

“Shh! Harrington, Jesus H. Christ, calm down. Holy shit, I thought you’d be the calm one. Calm down, please god.”

When his throat finally lost its ability to scream, he took a good look at Eddie. His eyes were dull, shadows bruised his face, and his skin was far paler than Steve had ever seen. New scars marred his cheek and lower jaw right where the bats had gnawed.

Was… was he really here?

“Eddie?”

The man in question beamed in response, “I see we’re on a first name basis now, Stevie. If I knew this was all I had to do, I would’ve almost died a long time ago!”

Steve threw himself forward into Eddie’s arms and ignored both his own aches and pains and Eddie’s oomph of surprise.

“You’re not going to be here in the morning, are you?” Steve whispered into the crook of his neck.

Eddie’s shaky hand latched onto Steve’s shoulder to deepen the hug. “Hell Steve, I’ll never leave you again if you’ll have me.”

Steve fell asleep in Eddie’s arms and when he woke up, he was curled against the warmth of his chest with a cold towel on his forehead. It hadn’t been a dream after all. Eddie had saved himself and had come to Steve’s. From that day forward, Steve had Eddie. He made the days meaningful and the nights restful, just as they always should have been.

[carolmunson]

okay, since some of you asked for it:

unpopular opinion but i don’t actually think eddie was a nice soft boy at all. dustin and mike are literally afraid to ask him to move hellfire. ‘he’s always revved up,’ implying that he’s always like this, always a little close to snapping. he’s not nice to them when he asks them to find a replacement. he also guilt trips them about 'taking them in like lost sheep' and shoves them off to find a replacement instead of keeping lucas included. which is why i don't understand the 'fierce protector of his friends' take because he's so quick to drop lucas just because he's 'moved to the dark side.' aka, throwing balls into laundry baskets.

which leads me to when he gets up on the table, people are not trying to fuck around with him. this is a common occurance, people are not surprised to see him up there and yelling. they aren't surprised that he's making a spectacle of himself. if eddie was soft and sweet, he would’ve gotten beat up. if eddie was soft and gentle, he'd probably be scared of jason. guys like jason in the 80s loved being macho and punching out losers — eddie just gave him the devil horns and called it a day. eddie’s absolutely gotten in fist fights before and won (his dad is a literal criminal!) otherwise someone would've thrown something or told him to shut the fuck up. people are scared of him, even his own friends! there’s more reasons than just playing DND and metal that make town certain that he’s a cult leader. you don't just assume someone is a murderer if they haven't shown any interest in violence before, especially considering his dad was likely a shitty dude. he even bullies erica when she first shows up to hellfire and only respects her when she bullies him back and bests him. he is someone you have to EARN respect from. he will never respect anyone outright or be understanding outright. he doesn't fully respect dustin or mike to start either, he views them as underlings.

even chrissy assumes he's going to be mean and scary, there's gotta be reason behind that. he's not nice or kind in school, which is likely a defense mechanism. he’s sweet with chrissy because he likes her, he has a crush on her. it’s very clear that he has since he was a kid, otherwise why would he bring up them hanging out in middle school? why would he even remember that if he hasn’t been pining for her this whole time? he admits too, albiet flirtily, that he thought SHE'D be mean and scary too, because he doesn't like people 'like that', people he assumes are 'on the dark side'. i’m sure he hoped they’d kiss a little when she went to his trailer. he's even a little sarcastic when she's there, again, defensive. 'the maid took the week off'. but ultimately, he's nice to her because he wants to kiss her and has a crush on her. i don't think it's because he's fully 'showing her who he really is'.

also he's a literal drug dealer????? like?????

he only becomes more gentle and open with dustin and co. when he gets pulled into the upside down/vecna stuff because he needs support. they grow a bond over shared trauma. and i do believe eddie had a big brother type relationship with dustin, but just like steve he loves him begrudgingly 'i love you, you little shit bag' kind of shit. i do believe he liked and cared for his friends but i also think he always had a big layer of mean kid armor on because he had a hard life growing up. how i percieved the character is 'mean bully whose secretly nice but is mean and boisterous and loud as a cover' trope. when he explains that his father taught him to hotwire, he seems bitter about it. of course he is, all the other kids were learning to play ball. but he obviously still retains this information and a whole bunch of other crime tricks from his dad. he's BEEN partaking in this shit. he KNOWS he's a shitty guy. you don't just get taught how to hotwire once and then suddenly know how to do it years later. he's done it before! multiple times! he has practice! he likely knows about warzone cause his daddy absoLUTELY had a gun or two. his dad probably took him there once. he was pulled left and right into bad shit growing up and that will HARDEN YOU. wayne says that murder 'ain't in his nature' and i'm sure it's not. i'm sure he's different with wayne, but idk, to me, it doesn't erase the fact that outwardly, i don't think eddie was nearly as sweet and gentle as people think he is canonically. i think he's a very hardened and tortured person and that even becomes clear with his reaction to chrissy's death and how he goes about things going forward. he was a weird kid with weird interests in a cookie cutter conservative town, had a criminal father, and an unconventional family situation in the 70s and 80s, that shit'll fuck you up and over -- look at boomers y'all! they are emotionally stunted! but, i could go on forever with this character analysis. so i'll stop here. but -- in the words of the real housewives reunion meme: that's MY OPINION!

[ladykailitha]

Never Hold Back Your Step... Part 9

Yay!! Another chapter of this lovely chronicle. I really do recommend going back and re-reading a bit since it's been so long.

But in this we have Harrington Sr. being an ass, the most epic confrontation I've ever written, and Dustin being sweet and asshole at the same time. The kid has range.

Part 1 Part 2 Part 3 Part 4 Part 5 Part 6 Part 7 Part 8

****

Late at night in the last days before the school ended, they would climb up on the roof of the trailer and talk about their hopes and dreams.

Eddie had told him that he was going to try third time lucky to graduate. And then if he didn’t make it next year, he’d take the GED and walk away, ready to join Steve wherever he was. Not that he wanted to leave Eddie behind or the kids. But if he was to go to college, he’d have to.

Steve walked across that stage to thunderous applause, all his friends, the kids, Eddie and Wayne all cheering for him. Even Nancy and Jonathan had been there to cheer him on. But there, in the stands frowning at the people Steve had surrounded himself with, were his parents.

Steve knew he should feel grateful that they came at all. But he knew it was more about image and appearing to be the perfect parents than any actual interest. He saw them clap politely and then his father pulled out a newspaper and his mother fussed with her hair and makeup the whole time.

They took pictures with him afterwards with fake smiles plastered on and took him out to dinner to talk about his future. Which was all about joining the company and getting his business degree. Two things that Steve had no interest in doing.

He had hoped to get scholarships for college based on his sports so that he wouldn’t have to rely on his dad’s money, but that fell through.

He had missed the early decision deadline, because he had had his head smashed in. So he had sent the applications off at the start of the new year. But by then his grades had slipped due to the concussion and the letters coming back weren’t a good sign.

He would just have to try and reason with his dad about college and keep his fingers crossed he’d get out of this town somehow.

****

“These are your grades?” Mr. Harrington bellowed. “How are you supposed to get into good colleges and universities with these?”

The first week of June was not a good week, ever, in Steve’s opinion. It was when grades were mailed out and he had to listen to the screaming for a full week.

“I had that concussion in the middle of the year, remember?” Steve asked. “That set my grades back a bit. But I thought I would take a year of community college and build my grades back up to get into the better schools.”

“No son of mine is going to a state school!” Mr. Harrington roared. “And you can forget about that summer internship at the company! I will not have tell others that you didn’t get into a proper school.”

Steve could feel his stomach sink to the base of spine. He didn’t like where this was going. At all.

“You will get a job,” Mr. Harrington continued to menace. “I don’t mean some cushy life guard bullshit where you sit in some high tower, looking pretty, either. A real job. Retail. Build character.”

“But I already told Mr. Jones at the community center that I would lifeguard again this summer,” Steve protested.

“You go back there and tell him you have better things to do with your time!” Mr. Harrington shouted. “That new mall opened up. Starcourt. You’ll find something there.” He leaned forward into Steve’s space. “Do I make myself clear?”

Steve gulped, but nodded, not trusting himself to speak.

“Good.”

Mr. Harrington turned on his heel and stormed back into his office. Mrs. Harrington stood at the edge of the room, almost swaying on her feet as she would move forward to comfort Steve, but then would change her mind. Back and forth.

Steve pinched his nose and rubbed the end. He looked up at her with dead eyes. “He’ll keep moving the goal posts. You know he will.”

This time she did surge forward. “You know it’s not like that. He only wants what’s best for you.”

“Best for me?” Steve murmured, barely holding back the tears. “Or what will make him look the best? Because I’m tired, Mom.”

“It’s hard,” Mrs. Harrington said, rubbing his arm gently. “But come autumn he’ll see how well you did and maybe he’ll let you try for the state school.”

Steve knew it was a lie or whatever that she was telling herself more than she was tell him.

He pinched and rubbed his nose, forcing back the tears. He wasn’t going to cry in front of either of his parents. It only enraged his father and prompted mocking from his mother.

Oh, she hid it under the guise of ‘tough love’ but it was all tough and no love.

He thought of Wayne and Eddie. Of how they didn’t have a lot of material possessions but they had each other and their love for each shone brightly.

Steve held up his chin and nodded. Then he grabbed his keys and wallet, forcing on his shoes.

“Where are you going?” his mother huffed. “Storming off like that after a fight with your father is so childish, Steven.”

Steve turned to her slowly and blinked. “To talk to Mr. Jones about not being able to lifeguard this year and go job hunting at the mall like Dad wants?”

She rolled her eyes. “You’re always so dramatic, Steven. I suppose that was why you took so well to it. Of course, if you had any real talent you would have gotten a more substantial role.”

He squeezed his hand around his keys, the ridges digging into his palm, as he fought down the bile that rose to his throat.

“I’ll be back for dinner,” Steve said through gritted teeth. He rushed out the door, careful not to slam it behind him.

He drove out to the community center and hit his steering wheel over and over as he cursed out his parents until he was exhausted.

He sighed and got out the car, making his way to front desk. “Hey, Janis, is Mr. Jones in today?”

Janis smiled at him. “Sure thing, sweetie. Just go on back.”

Steve caught Mr. Jones as he was coming back to his office.

“Hey, Steve!” Mr. Jones said cheerfully, coming up to him with a big smile. “You here for your schedule?”

Steve shook his head. “My dad didn’t like my grades and told me I had to get a real job. Sorry.”

“Shit, Steve, I’m sorry,” Mr. Jones said crumpling. “And there’s no chance he’ll let you do both?”

“No,” Steve said bitterly. “If he finds out I’m working here he’ll beat my ass. I wanted to come back, but I guess my dad had other plans.”

“Well, well,” a cruel voice said behind them, “it looks like you have an opening after all, Mr. Jones.”

Steve and Mr. Jones turned toward the voice slowly, knowing with complete dread who it was.

Billy Hargrove was leaning against the wall, arms folded and a giant smirk on his face.

“Looks like your loss is my gain, Harrington,” he said coolly.

Steve rolled his eyes. “Story of my life since you rolled into town, Hargrove. You stole my friends, the captain of the basketball team, hell you probably would have stolen my girl if she liked jocks instead of tortured artists or some shit. It ain’t new.”

“You’re just bitter that I’m the superior you in every way,” Billy said with a sneer. “The sooner you admit it, the less heartache you’ll have, pretty boy.”

Steve threw back his head and laughed. “I have other talents, asshole. I can draw, I can act, and I can fucking swim. While you were out there fucking anything with a pussy that would let your scaly ass, I was beating records and making it to nationals as part of our swim team. You are just some washed up surfer in desperate need a wave. I am a swimmer.”

He nodded to Mr. Jones who had a smug smile on his face.

Billy was taken aback. “So you do have a spine. Huh. I would have never guessed it. Not with Max and Munson doing your dirty work for you.”

Steve got right up in Billy’s face. “I didn’t go after you, dipshit,” his voice low and menacing. Quiet enough that only he could hear. “Because I just wanted to graduate. But now that I have that diploma, I’m more than ready throw hands with you. Plus we all know I had you against the ropes until you cheated by smashing a plate to my head.”

He patted Billy’s chest and waving goodbye to Mr. Jones, he walked out of there, chin held high.

****

Steve had gathered somewhere around a dozen or so applications to the stores that surrounded him and sat down in the food court to fill them out. His eyes were starting to go cross-eyed when Dustin came up to him and sat down across from him.

“Dude,” Dustin greeted. “What’s all this shit?”

Steve looked up at him and sighed. “Job applications. My dad wants me to get a summer job.”

“But you have a summer job,” Dustin replied with a frown. “The rec center. You’re a lifeguard.”

Steve sighed again and shook his head. “My dad was pissed that I only got into a couple of schools and not the good ones.”

Dustin frowned and tilted his head to the side. “Is that because of what happened with Billy?”

“That’s part of it,” Steve agreed. “But I was really counting on a sports scholarship and with how shitty everything got I didn’t get a single one.”

“But you went to nationals with your swimming though,” the gap-toothed kid grumbled.

Steve put down his pen and planted his hands on either side of his applications. “Look, bud, I get that you think you’re trying to help or whatever but my team came in last at nationals. In everything. No scout was going to give us so much as a passing glance. No sports scholarship plus missing the early acceptance deadline and having to wait for regular admissions means that I’m on a waiting list for most of the good schools, didn’t get in to the decent schools, and my dad won’t let me go to the community college. So here I am doing the best I can, okay?”

Dustin pouted but gave up on pushing the issue. He grabbed the applications and began looking through them.

“Hey!” Steve cried trying to get them back, but Dustin kept dodging him.

He set down three applications. “You can put in for all of if you want, but I’d focus on these three.” Scoops Ahoy, The Gap, and Shapiro’s.

Steve picked them and looked at them. “Why?”

“Those are going to be the ones that kids aren’t going to want to try for,” Dustin said. “And you have to get this job because of your dad. These are more likely to hire you.” He pointed to the ice cream shop. “That one is your best bet.”

Steve nodded. That was one he had been expecting to get too.

“So when are you leaving to nerd camp?” he asked, taking the applications from the kid.

“It’s called Camp Know Where,” Dustin scoffed. “Know as in k-n-o-w where. It’s really cool.”

Steve rolled his eyes. “That still doesn’t tell me when you’re going, dork.”

“Oh!” Dustin said, eyes wide. “Tomorrow. My mom is buying me the things I’ll need so I can leave bright and early.”

Steve’s expression softened. “I’m going to miss you, you know?”

Dustin nodded back. “I’m going to miss you, too.”

Someone called his name and he looked up. “It looks like my mom’s calling me. Good luck on the job search.”

Steve stood up and gave him a hug. “Have fun, okay?”

Dustin nodded and ran to catch up to his mom as Steve went back to his applications with a sigh. He really was going to miss that butthead.

****

Part 10 Part 11 Part 12 Part 13 Part 14 Part 15 Part 16

Tag List: ELEVEN SLOTS OPEN

1- @mira-jadeamethyst @rozzieroos @itsall-taken @redfreckledwolf @zerokrox-blog

2- @gregre369 ​@a-little-unsteddie @chaosgremlinmunson @messrs-weasley @kultiras

3- @maya-custodios-dionach @goodolefashionedloverboi @val-from-lawrence @carlyv @wonderland-girl143-blog

4- @justforthedead89 @irregular-child @bookbinderbitch @bookworm0690 @blondie1006

5- @anne-bennett-cosplayer @yikes-a-bee @awkwardgravity1 @littlewildflowerkitten @genderless-spoon

6- @dragonmama76 @ellietheasexylibrarian @thedragonsaunt @useless-nb-bisexual @angels-of-hades

7- @mugloversonly @y4r3luv @greeniebean911 @birbsauce @acingthecounts

8- @cryptid-system @counting-dollars-counting-stars @ravenfrog @dreamercec

[tau1tvec]

I don’t know whether it’s bc I grew up during a time when cable TV was your main source of media consumption, and if you decided partway you didn’t like something you could just change the channel until you found something that held your attention and didn’t feel bad about it. Or that my family couldn’t see a point in ordering TV guide. Or that I was young and had no clue why two white men were announcing how many thumbs they had between them on every movie box, but I can’t tell you how I’ve never, ever, not even once seen something I’ve wanted to watch or play, and thought… “but wait, what does jimbob107 on Metacritic think about this?”

Like I cannot say enough how some of the best memories of my youth was going to Blockbuster and either grabbing a movie off of the shelf purely bc of its cover, or the actor on it, or remembering the moment I caught a trailer for it on TV one night and it looked cool, and going “yup, that’s the one,” and being okay with it even if it wasn’t the best thing I’ve watched.

Hell I remember my high school friends and I purposefully watching obscure, clearly low budget horror movies the entire month of October to get in the spoopy mood, and having a blast doing it.

What I’m saying is, there’s a lot more to the media we consume than it being good or bad, there are literally worse things in the world than a little bad writing, or weird pacing, or shit acting, your life isn’t going to end bc you took a chance on a 90 min movie, and it didn’t end up the best thing you’ve ever pointed your eyeballs at. Your intuition isn’t always going to be right, but that’s life, that’s what living is about. You’re developing your tastes, and tastes change as you change, should you be open to others’ opinions on things while doing that, absolutely, but no one guy on YouTube is ever going to understand the complexity of all that or you enough to be able to tell you what you like or won’t like.

Making media, or any art really is about taking chances, why should it surprise anyone at all that consuming it is also about taking chances.

[jaxkpsok183]

Caden had one hand on the steering wheel while he tried to discreetly massage his belly with the other. He hoped Maddie wouldn’t notice his discomfort as she excitedly talked about the kayaking trip that awaited them.

“I remember it seemed kind of long the first time I tried it, but it’s totally gorgeous and the current kind of takes you where you need to go.” She paused and looked at him inquisitively. “Are you sure you’re going to be able to go all six miles with your shoulder?” He had recently had to take a break from tennis due to a shoulder injury, but now was back and doing great. 

“I told you my shoulder feels fine, and I’m looking forward to this trip as much as you are.” He offered her a quick smile before returning his focus to the road. His cheeks puffed up as he covered a small burp with his fist, and he thought that his shoulder was currently the least of his worries. They had eaten lunch before they left, and it now sat heavily and uncomfortably in his stomach. He didn’t feel nauseous, but he would rather go home and relax than face the next three hours on the river. He was determined not to ruin Maddie’s excitement, though, so he put on a smile as he pulled into an empty parking space by the boat landing.

Stepping out of the truck, he grabbed the door to steady himself as a wave of dizziness that did nothing to help his stuffed belly washed over him. It passed as quickly as it came, so he shut the door and rubbed his chest to work up a few more small belches before circling the truck to meet Maddie by the kayak trailer.

Together, they carried their two kayaks over to the water as Maddie continued her exited chatter. Caden noticed the river was beautiful, surrounded by forest on either side. He helped Maddie into her kayak before taking a seat in his. They had to wear life vests, and he couldn’t help but take notice of the way his dug uncomfortably into his bloated belly. He loosened it and felt little relief, but decided to ignore it. He smiled at Maddie. “You- hic- ready?” She laughed. “Got the hiccups? I’ll have to scare you around one of these turns!” She began paddling away as he followed her, and he decided this might not be so bad after all.

About two miles in, he decided he was wrong. The feeling in his stomach had gone from a light discomfort to downright nausea. The river was slightly choppy, and the constant up-and-down movement of the kayak was doing no good for his condition.  He swore his belly kept bloating more and more, and although he continuously loosened his life vest he found no relief to the uncomfortable pressure on his stomach. He could feel the contents of his lunch churning inside of him, bobbing with the motion of the kayak. His stomach was gurgling almost continuously now and he kept burping and making low sounds of discomfort that he was glad Maddie couldn’t seem to hear. The sun pounded down on him, further overheating his body alongside the fever that had begun to burn through it. He felt terrible, and he had 4 more miles to go.

They rounded the corner and he noticed an area of shallow water, with a small patch of sand. At that moment, a gag he hadn’t expected tore through him, and he lurched forward, cupping his mouth as his lunch splashed the back of his throat. The movement nearly tipped his kayak, and Maddie turned around in alarm.

“Fuck Maddie, I- urp -need to stop here-,” he choked, paddling over to the shallow spot. He reached the area as Maddie rowed in beside him.

“What’s going on? Are you okay?” Caden didn’t respond as she took in his state. He was about three shades paler than usual, and panting heavily into his lap with his eyes closed as he was white-knuckling the sides of the kayak. He collected himself enough to look up at her. 

“Oh my goodness, you look like shit” she said, stepping out of her kayak and rushing over to him.

“Thanks,” he managed a weak half-smile before his fist flew to his mouth as his cheeks puffed up in another gag.

“Can you- urp -help me get this off?” he asked, shakily fumbling with his life vest. Maddie helped him remove it, and his bloated belly stretched out in front of him. He was normally not very big, and the size it had become surprised both of them. His skin was stretched taught around his stomach, and the organ was gurgling loud enough for both of them to hear. He placed a hand on his upper belly and was surprised to feel how rock hard it was. He moved to clutch his upset tummy with both hands as he leaned over the edge of the kayak, his dark curls falling to cover his face and sticking to his neck.

“Mmph- urp- fuck,” he panted over the water, his breath making small ripples. For a few minutes, he gagged and let out a few sickly burps while Maddie stroked his hair and cooed in his ear. He spit and sat up to look at her.

Though he could tell her concern was genuine, he couldn’t help but notice the flush to her cheeks, the way her pupils dilated, or the tremor to her voice as she asked him if he was going to vomit. He realized a part of her was enjoying this. He had never been sick in front of Maddie before, so this was new, and he decided to explore it.

“Not yet,” he said, a mischievous glint in his eye. “Do you think you could- ulp- rub it?” He watched in pleasure as the pink in her cheeks darkened. 

“Um, yeah, let’s get you on solid ground first.”

She carefully helped him out of his kayak and guided him over to to the small patch of sand. She sat down and ordered him to lay his head in her lap. She gently began to rub his gurgling belly in small circles, easing up a few burps and groans. She could feel his stomach contracting and convulsing under her palm, as he somehow managed to grow paler.

“Fuck Maddie, it hurts so- urp- bad,” he whimpered, grimacing as a particularly loud gurgle came from his upset tummy.

“I know, baby. Maybe it’s time you try and throw up again.” He nodded in agreement, weakly sitting up and moving so he was on his knees in front of the water. He groaned and coughed, his fingers digging into his belly. Maddie came to kneel next to him. She gently removed his hands from his tummy and replaced it with her own, flat against it. She could feel the turning beneath her palm, and felt it retract as Caden gagged. Her other hand rubbed circles on Caden’s back. She applied a little pressure with the hand on his belly.

“Is this okay?” she asked.

“More,” he heaved, nothing coming up.

She pushed deeper and he lurched forward, retching violently, vomit spilling out of him. She didn’t need to apply more pressure as everything Caden had eaten that day spilled out in front of them. Once he emptied his tummy, he leaned back into her as she stroked his hair some more.

“Come on baby, we can go back to my house and rest,” she offered, and nothing had ever sounded so good.

[miimo96]

Thoughts on V3NOM

This 1 feels very Rushed to say the least, like aside from all the cool backstory with Knull and the Symbiotes, this 1 feels the most Weaker Story wise, like Don't get me wrong it's a GOOD movie, but in my opinion, it could've been WAYY better.

Like there are so many things that I feel could've been expanded upon more if given more time, like the fact that Eddie doesn't even feel like a character anymore, instead now being a Plot device that is just meant to get “Venom” from point A to point B, to the fact that shit that feels like it's gonna go somewhere DOESN'T, to even the fact that Knull, THE MAIN VILLAIN OF THE MOVIE, doesn't even FEEL like a looming threat, which is really BAFFLING in my opinion; I haven't read King in Black o I don't  really know that much about him but if you tell  me that he's supposed to be the BE All END All type of Villain, than I expect to see it, like this is supposed to be the GOD of Symbiotes yet the “Scariest” thing this guy's done, is just sit in a chair Menacinly and send minions the entire movie. (I guess bro took a page out thanos's book on how to NOT be Menacing) like I wanna see what exactly makes him So terrifying to begin with. 

Another thing that bothered me is how WASTED everything feels, like this is supposed to be the FINAL Movie, yet things don't feel fulfilled or resolved, so many questions are lingering still, Eddie's relationship with Anne hasn't gotten better, in fact she feels like an Afterthought at this point, and characters and Plot points that feel like their going to have a Major impact, DON'T. Oh and does even get me STARTED on how the Symbiotes were handled in this movie, like here I was, ready to get excited to see Lasher, Toxin, and  the other Symbiotes make their Debut and hopefully kick some ass, and they all get Effing WASHED like yesterday's laundry, LIKE WHAT THE ACTUAL F%*K Sony!? Also how you gonna give us effing Agony before SCREAM, the better female and better looking Symbiote in my opinion.

And another thing, im sorry but am I the only 1 that seems to remember that the Symbiotes have the ability to make clothes, like there's a scene in the Trailer where Eddie's wearing a Black tux and i originally thought that this was their way of showing that the Symbiote made him clothes, which isn't really seen that much,other than a few cartoons incorporating it along the Insomniac Spiderman games, and I thought this would be the PERFECT opportunity for that, but No, instead it was just cuz venom knocked a dude out and Jacked him of his clothes, which IS funny but C'MON!

1 thing I absolutely Loved tho about this movie was how they Humanized The Symbiotes, like they actually feel like peaceful creatures who are just trying to look for a New home, and people tend to forget about that, like aside from OG Venom and Carnage the Symbiotes aren't really all that Evil, they're just misunderstood and I'm really glad Sony chose to focus on that, So ya earn a Gold star there Sony, however, I just wish they had more time to flesh out the Symbiotes because aside from venom, they LITERALLY almost all feel and act the same, Maybe if they had more personality I'd like them more but so far, they literally either all SOUND the same, or ACT the same, and that's kinda sucky considering each Symbiote in the comics Has their own personality, like Venom is a goofball who only really is Evil because of his Hatred towards Spiderman, other than that he's just a chocolate loving monster who loves surf the Web and Apparently Sing Strangers in Night, Meanwhile Carnage on ther hand is a PSYCHOPATHIC killer, who ENJOYS what he does, he enjoys KILLING just because he can, and it really shows if ya read Absolute Carnage; I didn't really enjoy how they handled Carnage in Venom 2 mainly because I'm So used to Carnage acting a certain way and because I mainly know Carnage through the original spider man Ps1 game and through the Original Spider man 90s animated show, but it was better than nothing I guess. ^^; (Still, I just WISH he didn't SOUND like that, because I'm sorry that's NOT Carnage)

The last 2 movies felt more like HOMAGES to whatever came before, mainly 90s stuff from Lethal Protector, to Maximum Carnage, all the way to the Life foundation, they all just really felt like something you'd probably see back then in the early to mid 2000s, just some fun movies to watch with Simple direction, and Ok Storytelling, you MAY not get it, but you'd STILL enjoy it, THIS ONE however, felt more like it was trying to be more modern, and trying to setup too many things as possible, while also leaving you kinda *Disappointed* to say?  I don't know it just felt like it was missing something and I don't really like that because while the last 2 movies felt complete and actually did resolve things, this 1 just felt more like that 1 spongebob scene in the lost episode, where patchy just looks at the Tv and says “That's it?” It feels like uh like a Hollow shell compared to the last ones. That isn't to say it's a BAD movie, it's just not a FULFILLING one, it feels like there's more left, especially with that Shadowy figure we kept seeing talk to general Strickland the entire movie, and we might Never see what that more left was, considering this is the LAST movie. If I had to Rank these films,  it would be in the most Bland and usual way possible,  with Venom 1 being in 1st place, Venom 2 being in 2nd place, Venom3 being in 3rd place, all movies are GOOD, it's just that this 1 feels the most Weaker compared to the others; But anyway that's just what I think, what about You, did you enjoy Venom the Last dance, or were you Disappointed ?

[snowthedemonfox]

ive had a few people send me this tweet, and while it's entirely possible that this is a placeholder date, i do think some things are a bit interesting about it. this might take a bit, so i'm putting it all under a read more.

but first of all i want to say: i do not want glitch to rush out episodes. i do not want the team to force themselves to get this out asap, i do not care how long ep 4 and any future episodes take to get here!! we can wait :D

but moving on, first thing i noticed is that december 13th is a friday. glitch always drops episodes on fridays. maybe netflix does too, i dont pay attention to netflix, but that's one thing that i thought was interesting.

the second thing (and the main reason im making this post) might take a bit of context to fully explain:

when murder drones was being worked on, up until after episode 6, their release schedule was pretty consistent: a new episode every few months, from november 2022 to august 2023. after episode 6 dropped, glitch started to focus on TADC's pilot, which was one of the many reasons it took even longer than just a few months for episode 7 to release.

if you take the wait times between episodes from episode 2 to episode 6, the average amount of days was around 70-ish days. this number is important, ill mention it later on.

why do i bring this up? because im pretty sure that MD's final 2 episodes are the reason this release schedule didn't immediately apply to TADC. we knew from a post glitch made in early 2023 that MD ep 8 was going to be delayed.

i don't think it's that much of a stretch to say that while glitch had planned to release TADC episodes in the middle of working on MD, since MD caused delays, it of course meant that TADC's episodes also couldn't follow that 'new episode every few months' schedule that MD had in it's early days. this resulted in episode 2 taking half a year to release, and another 5 months for episode 3.

another thing to note is that while I have no idea how long production of a show takes when it comes to glitch, i do think that how they handled TADC was fairly different from how MD happened.

after MD's pilot dropped, there was a year of hiatus between episodes 1 and 2. i wouldnt be surprised if the reason this took so long is because production of further episodes only begun after MD's pilot started to gain attention, so glitch had the support needed to continue.

with TADC, we know that production of future episodes had started before the pilot even released. the scripts had been written, and voice lines had been recorded well in advance.

because of this, TADC didn't need a year of hiatus just so glitch could start production, so this 'new ep every 70ish days' timeline couldve still happened if MD didnt cause delays (not saying that's a bad thing, glitch should be taking all the time they need!). but now that MD is over, glitch now has the time to make TADC a priority.

not to say their focus will be completely on TADC, we still have the gaslight district's pilot that, if i had to guess, probably will release sometime between october-november 2025 (yes, this does mean TADC's later episodes will also have delays due to this. let's all remember to be nice to glitch even when this happens).

they've probably done the same thing with TGD, where production of future episodes started before the pilot. so glitch still will be working on that alongside TADC.

but back to the twitter post that prompted me to write this whole thing out: if you take the day that episode 3 released (october 4th, 2024), and add 70 days to it, you get:

december 13th! the date that netflix had listed! so either netflix got incredibly lucky with a random date, or they did their math homework and figured this would be a safe bet for a potential episode 4 release. so if i had to guess, if this date does turn out to be ep 4's actual release date, we could have a trailer by the 29th of november.

but hey, while we wait, glitchx is coming up soon! that's exciting, i cant wait to see what they reveal this time :D

[loveandmurders]

Hey! I just wanted to say that I love your writing. I was hoping to send a request. I’ve been obsessed with Dominic from The dare, and was hoping you could write something for him. Feel free to ignore if your not interested.

There’s absolutely no fics for him which is why I ask. For the writing I was thinking something fluffy. Like the childhood friend to lover trope. Where he and the reader meet again as adults after they lost touch as children. The reader can be female or gender neutral, either is fine. I would definitely recommend the movie. Again if you’re not comfortable or interested it’s okay to ignore.

Thank you ❤️

Hello and thank you for your kind words and this request <3

I didn't know this movie before you mentionned it, so I gave it a try! Dominic really deserves to be more popular over here, poor love :(

Hope you'll enjoy <3

I THOUGHT I LOST YOU (Dominic Craven x gender neutral reader)

Warnings: no proof reading, mentions of bullies, mentions of killing and kidnapping, Dominic stalking you

Even after all those years, you still thought about Dominic. You wondered what truly happened to him, you wondered if he was still alive somewhere, you wondered if, wherever he was, he was happy. You were certain that the group of kids from the travel families knew where he went missing, but they all left or refused to say anything to the police. You hated them for that. And sometimes, at night, you were whispering to Dominic, telling him he had been so stupid he had wanted to follow those children. You had told him to stay at home that night, you had told him you were tired but that you would spend more time with him the next day. But there had been no next day for the two of you. You were feeling guilty. If you hadn’t decided to go to sleep, he might still be around.

Your parents knew each other, so you grew up with him. At least, every summer you were together. And you were close, even best friends. He was a quiet and shy kid. People were often picking on him, even more when they noticed the horseshoe scar on his small hand. But you were always there for him, until you failed him. You didn’t like those kids because they seemed mean. You all had difficult lives, and of course you didn’t know any better. But you always thought they could have been better. You had always avoided them, but he wanted to be part of a group to feel strong. Sometimes, it was hurting you a little to think that you weren’t enough for him. Often, you wished things would have been different.

You hated the thought that all of them left this past behind them and probably forgot about it, when you were thinking about Dominic every day of your life.

However, like any of them, you never had the courage to get back to the place. When his parents died, one night, burnt alive in their trailer, your own family left and promised themselves to leave this cursed land behind all of you. You remembered the shadow of a man, and you had always thought that the person who kidnapped Dominic also killed his parents.

You had a better life now. You weren’t living in trailers anymore. You had a job. 

And you had memories. There was also a shadow following you. You might be losing it, or there might be someone following you at night. You always locked your car and house door, hoping it would protect you from the monster walking behind you. You had no proof of that though, so you never dared calling the police. You were scared. And more than once you wondered if it wasn’t your guilt creating an illusion to let you know you couldn’t keep living like if nothing happened to your former best friend.

You needed to find out the truth. 

You weren’t too sure how you could find the adults who used to be those mean children. But you knew the forest where Dominic went at night, where all the kids of the trailer park went at night without any adults to watch over them, all too drunk and tired to care anymore. 

You took days off, your car and everything you could need to look out for the truth. You needed to know. You followed your GPS, but truth to be told, you had watched your father driving to this place so many times, that you still knew the roads by heart. It was easy for you. And when you arrived, you noticed that the place seemed even more abandoned, sad and scary than it used to be. You weren’t too surprised though, especially after all the things that happened and the ghost stories that were still haunting around. You had always wondered if it was true.

You remembered that your child self was terrified of the thought of meeting the farmer. Your parents never seemed too convinced when they tried to assure you that the farmer didn’t kill his boy Henry, that it was an accident and that he wasn’t going to kidnap you to skin you and eat you alive. Still, you could tell there was something true behind the rumours and you didn’t want to ever meet him. You also remembered how this was the story every kid of the trailing park was telling each other, and the most stupid ones were doing dares about it. It could be stuff like touching the front door of the farmer's house that was lost in the middle of the forest, or it could even be to go in there. You couldn’t believe that Dominic would have done something like that. He was a good boy. But he was also easily influenced and you started to wonder.

As you were walking around the forest, trying to find the path towards the farmer’s house, you saw a shadow in the corner of your eyes. You turned your head around, but didn’t find anyone. You tried to tell yourself it was probably a leaf or an animal you saw moving. You were certain there were eyes on you though and you suppressed a shiver. It was going to be alright; you had to be strong for Dominic. Plus there was no one living in the farmer’s house anymore. You were certain that he died a very long time ago, and no sane person would want to live there. 

You took a deep breath and thought you might have found the path when you heard someone walking on a branch behind you. You froze and turned around. 

“Hello?” you tried, no matter how scared you were. It was probably an animal and nothing else. Only silence answered you back. “Look, I know you’re here. Just show yourself. I don’t want to play any games” you added, really considering your own mental health.

And it was then that a strong figure appeared in your line of vision. The muscled man was wearing a mask and you gulped. It felt like you were in a horror movie; you were the next prey of a slasher. But he stayed where he was, he didn’t jump on you or attack you. You were frozen in fear, silently praying for the man to leave or to start laughing, saying he pranked you well.

After a little while, he removed his mask and it appeased you a little. He took a step closer to you, and you just couldn’t read his expression. He looked for your eyes and almost smiled before greeting you.

“Hey, Y/N. Never thought you’d come here again.” he told you and your blood ran cold.

“Do we know each other?” you asked, thinking you should have taken a gun or at least a knife to defend yourself.

“We used to, yes. I thought you forgot about me. But I never stopped thinking about you.” he told you and you started to think very fast. It couldn’t be Dominic. Why would he still be in the woods after all those years? “Aren’t you looking for me?” he asked with a tilt of the head. The ghost of a smile completely disappeared from his face as his eyes plunged into yours with renewed intensity. You moved your tongue on your dry lips.

“Dominic?” you finally said, no matter how insane it sounded and he went closer to you.

“Yes” he simply replied and you both stared at each other. 

You couldn’t believe how tall and strong he became; he was such a little and cute boy before. You couldn’t deny how handsome he looked though, as you were enjoying the sight a little too much. The light in his eyes had disappeared to be replaced by some shadows. He didn’t seem very sane, but you didn’t want to abandon him like you did before. However you had no idea what to do. You didn’t know if you should hug him or call the cops. He looked like someone who was up to no good, but more than anything he was still reported missing.

“You’re alive” you whispered “What happened to you?” you continued as you were now certain it was him when you spotted the horseshoe scar on his hand. 

“Nothing that could kill me, so it made me stronger” he simply said and you frowned at that

“What are you doing here?” you continued

“Finding a way to take the evil out” he replied back and you hummed. You had no idea what he went through but it clearly killed the soft boy in him. He wasn’t making a lot of sense to you either. His presence seemed familiar enough for you to not be afraid however. And you moved closer again.

“You did become strong” you tried to smile and he seemed to appreciate the praise.

He used to look at you like his best friend, like his sibling. But his eyes were now drinking in your sight with want. He had spied on you and lurked around you for a few years now. He knew everything about you, and he was aware of how attractive and perfect you looked to him. You were the only thing that didn’t need to be saved from evil, because you were an angel. You were so bright, so good. You truly never did anything bad in your life, and he would have never hurt you because of this. And he made sure no one could hurt you either.

You saw the way he looked at you.

“You’re so beautiful” he murmured and you blushed

“Do you live in the woods?” you asked to change the subject and know more of him. He nodded, trusting you.

“I can show you. But I need you to obey one rule” he told you. A part of yourself was thinking that it was completely stupid of you to follow a man wearing a strange mask and who could so easily break you in half. But the strongest part of you wanted to trust him like you used to. You nodded for him to keep going. “There are two rooms you can’t enter. One leading to the basement, and the other leading to my office” he told you and you nodded again.

“Of course. I’m not going to look around your home without your approval” you promised and it made him smile even more. You were so smart and so good to him already. He would be happy to keep you by his side, even if he didn’t deserve you. He was ready to do anything for you to love him, but in a different way than it used to be. He wanted you, all of you. Forever. He was the messenger of Karma and Vengeance. And you only deserved to be well treated. “Will you tell me what happened to you?” you asked as he led you toward the farmer’s house. He didn’t answer and you stopped when you found yourself in front of the house. You hadn’t thought he was living here.

“The farmer died a long time ago” he told you in a reassuring and soft way, and he opened the door for you. “You’re safe with me. You used to try and protect me. Now I can do it for both of us” he promised.

“What made you think I need protection?” you gently teased, trying to hide how worried you were. You didn’t want to listen to the gentle little voice whispering to you that you were going to be so happy with him. You entered the house and tried your best to not look around.

“I know it, that’s all” he shrugged and he thought about all the people who hurt you and who already died and to all the other ones who were going to die so soon. “I’ll take care of you.” you smiled at those words, not knowing that four people were rotting in his basement, right under your feet.

The whole afternoon, Dominic forgot about them, only focusing on you. He was feeling happy, something he thought he would never know again. He couldn’t wait for his favourite toys to break in the worst of ways possible, so he could only care about you. At the same time, he wasn’t going to speed up the process. He wanted the evil to be taken out. And he was going to be so careful it would never touch you.

Now you were here and that Paul, Jay, Kat and Adam were being punished, he knew that everything was going to be alright.

[kyotosummer]

A Different Perspective - Stella, Stolas, and Octavia

This is a really weird moment of the trailer, to me. I spent a lot of time thinking how Octavia could still think Stolas doesn't love her.? It doesn't make sense - we've seen time and again that Stolas gives her attention, so why does she still doubt this?

So I thought and thought and thought... and then I started thinking about another question - WHY is this line in the trailer? I mean, this whole trailer's about how much Blitz hates himself and their complicated relationship - so why is Octavia butting into the middle of this with her whining about not being loved enough??

More under the cut - I implore you to read before commenting on the above.

.............. wow, did I just get really annoyed about a TEENAGER whose upset because she doesnt feel like her dad's giving her attention? Wh- what the hell? Why is this show making me feel that way?

And why am I not this annoyed by Loona?? Arent they supposed to be similar characters? She also has a million more issues going on than Octavia. It's rather obvious, with all the time and attention the show gives her....

.....actually, the show gives Loona a lot of attention. We see her at her job with her dad, her backstory and how much Blitz attached to her.

I mean, we all saw how Loona was when she was locked up in that Hell Hound Pound. Thank goodness Blitz is around to hype her up and.... give her.... the attention...... she needs.......

huh.

Come to think of it.... huh.

The only time I remember Stolas giving Octavia attention was when he took her to Lulu Land.... as a distraction from his wife.

and even then.... he didnt listen to her wishes about not wanting to go - he just dragged her along......

...and he brought Blitz to flirt with. Actually, now that I'm thinking about it, Stolas really only paid attention to Octavia when she ran away and started crying.

Oh, but then there was the lovely moment about the fireworks! Which... started because Stolas was busy with his divorce and forgot about the once-in-a-1000 year event with his daughter.

And while Blitz's job is an odd one, he's teaching his craft to Loona. She is incredibly capable at her job and can do it solo. She's also the one Blitz trusts most with the Grimoire.

When Stolas found Octavia in the fireworks episode, he lectures her about using the book when he hasn't taught her spells yet. SHE'S IN HER LATE TEENS???? HIS STUDIES STARTED WHEN HE WAS A CHILD????

......Holy shit, actually.

Finally, in regards to Stella - yes, she's a bitch who finds pleasure in tormenting Stolas....

and yet.... she goes out with Octavia on the weekends. It seems to be implied this was a weekly thing, even prior to the divorce.

And, like, outside of Stolas's perspective and her hiring a man to murder her husband.... do we... do we know her?

I mean, sure, this was both our and Stolas' first impression of her as a child:

But there could easily be way more context to this than what the audience knows. We only see this picture and then Stella as an adult. She also didn't seem particularly hateful with Stolas during scenes when Octavia was a child - she just, at most, steals the blankets and grumbles the same as she does about who has to get up.

Just as Stolas had to grow up knowing he's going to marry a wild woman he didnt want, Stella had to grow up knowing she was going to marry a man who didnt want her.

She might have tried. We haven't seen a lot of her outside of her fights with Stolas, and I do wonder if part of her resentment is that she did actually try, and Stolas just.... never responded to her outside of obligation.

Either way, after going through these thoughts.... I've come to realize - Octavia may not understand everything, but she may actually have a point. ¯\_(ツ)_/¯

[tumbleweed-writes]

Now That I Have You: Chibs Telford X OC Fic. Chapter One

This was the very first fic I wrote for this fandom like a million years ago. I'm currently giving it a rewrite/edit on A03, but thought I'd post it as I'm editing in case anyone wanted to check it out. Not sure it's my best work but it was my first.

=======

Molly Garrett let out a sigh pure irritation taking over as she turned the key in her little rundown blue Volkswagen bug. The ignition sputtered a few times as the car struggled to come to life.

Her honey blonde bangs hung in her dark eyes, damp from the heat of California sun and her lack of air conditioner. She struggled to bring her sad old car to life grumbling under her breath.

"Shit." She blurted out as the car sputtered a few more times refusing to start up. She widened her eyes realizing the word that had just slipped out of her mouth.

She glanced in her review mirror looking at the little boy strapped into the backseat clutching a Spiderman action figure.

Cursing wasn't exactly a good habit to have in front of a five year old boy who would more than likely pick up on the impolite language.

"Sorry baby. Don't say ever say that word okay." She apologized not surprised that the boy didn't respond to her.

Mason hadn't spoken in days. This entire situation hadn't been easy on either one of them.

Thinking about how frightened her little guy was made her want to break down. Her son was the most important thing in her life. Mason was her world.

She closed her eyes holding back the tears; she had sobbed enough in the past few years for a lifetime. Her son needed her to stay strong.

Molly let out a laugh feeling a small victory as her poor little bug finally came to life. She took a final glance in the review mirror making sure that Mason had remembered to fasten his seatbelt.

She smiled at the sight of the family dog sitting up beside Mason, a little fat female pug named Rocket. The poor dog was panting just as hot as her masters.

Molly made sure the coast was clear hoping that she could see as well as she thought she could around the small Uhaul trailer. The uhaul was hitched to the back of her bug blocking most of her view. She said a small prayer as she pulled out of the McDonalds' parking lot.

They had to eat cheap for this road trip, so cheap burgers and fries had been on the menu for days now. Luckly there was a McDonalds everywhere and that was often the easiest thing to get a five year old to eat.

She felt a little irresponsible letting Mason eat so much unhealthy food, but she reminded herself that it was just for this trip. As soon as they got settled she could get him back on a more well rounded diet.

Today all she'd managed to get down for lunch was a crappy salad and an iced tea. It had been the cheapest thing on the menu. At least Mason had eaten all of his chicken nuggets though. It seemed to be his favorite food and she'd hoped that it would cheer him up.

It would be okay, she reminded herself. Once they got to California and she was able to start her new job at Saint Thomas then everything would come together.

Charming, California seemed to be the perfect place to start anew. She'd sent in her application to several hospitals all over the country, but Charming had caught her eye and much to her relief the local hospital there had hired her on the spot with just a phone interview.

She'd chosen her new home partially for the name; Charming. It was silly she knew picking a home because of its name, but what better place than to start a new life than in a place called Charming?

At twenty seven years old, Molly Garrett finally felt like she was starting her life on her own terms.

She had faith that it would be a better life; a safer life for her son and her. She hoped and prayed that it would be a life that would hopefully be free of the violence they'd both long endured.

She'd escaped an almost six long years in a marriage from hell with a man who hit first and asked questions later.

Brian Parker had seemed like a sweet guy at first, Molly and he had met in college both in their final year. He had swept her off of her feet and had seemed to be a good match for her.

She'd been impressed by her husband when they first met. She's felt like he was a practical prince thanks to his affluence and his gentlemanly charm. She was just a poor girl on scholarship who had grown up in a trailer right outside of New Orleans with a single working mother and two siblings. She had come from so little and Brian had come from so much in comparison.

Brian came from a nice wealthy family; he had a promising future at a job at a nice well-established real estate firm. The job was at a firm that his family had owned for years. He'd grown up with privilege and he'd been so willing to share that privilege with Molly. He'd showered her with gifts and promises.

He had promised her a comfortable life with a nice safe home and a future full of children and maybe someday grandchildren. She could admit she'd been blinded by both the promises and the presents he'd bestowed upon her. He'd made her feel so special to be worthy of such expensive nice things. He'd given her jewelry and nice shopping sprees. It was more than she'd ever known. She felt like a fool looking back seeing how he'd showered her with such things and love bombed her as a way to lure her in

Two months after dating Brian, Molly had become pregnant. Soon after she'd found out she was carrying his child, they'd gotten married. She had been so excited starting a life with a man who she was sure would protect her from all of life's horrors.

It had turned out though that the only horror she would have to fear would be her husband.

The violence hadn't started until Mason was two. No he hadn't been always kind to her before that but it was the first time he'd put his hands on her at least in a violent act. He'd been belittling to her up until that point and sex had at times felt like something she was pressured into. She'd always blamed herself for his verbal abuse and had been in denial about the lack of consent in some of their sexual acts. She'd told herself she was ungrateful and horrible to deny him and when he'd insulted her she'd believed that it was her fault. She'd been taught to believe that she was so less worthy than him. She'd been conditioned to think that she was just the poor piece of trailer trash that he'd given an opportunity to rise above her station. When he lashed out at her, she told herself that it was her fault. The act of physical violence had stunned her.

Molly had excused the violence the first time it'd happened. She'd made excuses for her husband.

She'd tried to tell herself that Brian was under a lot of stress; his temper had just gotten the better of him. His father was his boss and he was the prodigal son expected to be a model employee and that wasn't easy when he was trying to support a young family.

Brian had apologized to her, promised her it would never happen again, but he'd lied. It seemed that his temper got the better of him over and over again. Soon the physical abuse was as just as regular of an occurrence and the emotional and sexual violence

It was the same cycle over and over again. He would apologize and claim he was a changed man or worst convince her that it had all been her fault really. When she thought about leaving he'd lure her back in. She would come back to him hoping against hope that this time would be different. It was insanity she knew; believing that each time would be different. Wasn't that the definition of insanity though; doing the same action over and over again expecting a different result?

She knew that she should have left the second Brian hit her but she'd been blinded by naïvety and a poor sense of self worth. Honestly she knew she should have been out the door the second he started to mistreat her verbally. She'd been blinded by him though. It felt as though she'd been under a spell.

Brian had killed her self-esteem telling her that no man would ever love her like him. No man would ever want her especially after she'd had a kid. She was his and that was that. He reminded her of how lucky she was; how privileged she was to have the life he provided.

Molly had had believed him for three long years. She'd hidden it all from family and friends and from Mason as well. She had played a happy loving wife pretending that her life was just peachy with her adorable son in her husband's nice old house.

Her breaking point had been when Brian had struck her in front of her baby. He'd had a long day at work and she'd made a mistake in his eyes by not having dinner waiting on the table when he got home.

Her brother had discovered the bruises on her body. Jack Garrett was no fool. Her brother knew about the violence and he'd tried to talk his baby sister into leaving time and time again. He'd even threatened to call the police.

Molly had finally started to see the light after that beating, and had started to listen to her brother. She had enlisted him in helping her leave, helping her find a job far away.

Brian found out about her plans to leave somehow, he had made her pay for ever thinking about leaving him. Bruising her body and cracking one of her ribs.

The abuse that night had been severe more severe than it had ever been. Mason had witnessed the entire thing.

The boy had witnessed his mother on the floor crying begging him to go upstairs and play. He'd watched as she'd cried out telling him that it was all okay when it clearly wasn't.

The boy had been silent since that night. Her body still ached from the violence her soon to be ex-husband had put her through.

It was as though a light switch had gone off in her brain when the violence had ended. She'd looked in the mirror studying her battered body when it hit her; she knew that she couldn't live like this. This wasn't a way to live; it was a way to die. If she stayed she would die and if she died her child would be left without his mother to protect him.

She had to save her baby from this life and from his father. She had no doubt that without her there to protect Mason, that Brian would turn the violence onto his child. He was already neglectful of the boy at best. Without her there to shield her child the anger Brian had inside him would have nowhere to find an outlet other than his son.

The morning after that beating, Molly's sister Candace had helped her pack up her things while Brian was at work. The two women had stuffed what little she had into a Uhaul trailer. She had left setting out west that night leaving her old life behind without a trace.

Candace had wanted her to stay in New Orléans, but Molly knew that she couldn't stay in Louisiana. The only way Mason and she would be safe would be if they disappeared.

That had been a week ago. Molly and Mason had been on the road for a week now and we're finally right outside of Charming heading for the rental home she'd recently signed the lease on.

The little house wouldn't be much; just a tiny two-bedroom house with one bathroom and a kitchenette and joined living area. It was dainty but in a quiet neighborhood.

Jack had found the rental for her; he'd been the one responsible for setting up her new life, arranging her lease and cosigning for her. She just hoped that someday she'd be able to find a way to repay her big brother. The home would not be much but it would be hers and that made it feel like a dream come true.

The little rental property was a big step down from the sprawling old plantation home that Brian and she had lived in for years. It had been in his family for decades a grand home that she had been so entranced by when they'd first married.

The people she knew had all been so jealous of her life; not realizing that it was a lie. Behind the old glorious home and fine lifestyle, it had been years of pain and fear.

She just hoped that the fear was over. The pain had to be over and it could never happen again, she told herself.

This was a new life. She knew that she had to make it work, not just for her but for Mason. Her baby boy deserved a good happy life. They both were worthy of a good life.

———————-

Molly rushed to get Mason ready for his first day of daycare. It was summer time so he wouldn't be able to start school for a few more months at least.

So for now the hospital's daycare would have to do. She had managed to land a job as a phlebotomist.

People were often a little freaked out once they found out that she drew blood for a living. She used to joke that she was the resident hospital vampire at her old job in Louisiana. She was always amazed Brian had even allowed her to maintain a job back home. She guessed he liked the way her job made him look. He'd been able to brag that his wife worked in healthcare and was so giving and kind. Her accomplishments at work made him sound better to those he wanted to impress. He'd been able to present them as a hardworking couple successful in their own careers. It was a career she loved. She knew now that her career was hers alone. She had worked hard for it. She was responsible for her accomplishments. Brian didn't get to take credit for her hard work.

She knelt down in front of Mason straightening his dark hair noticing that it had gotten a little too shaggy, but he wasn't too keen on hair cuts. His dark hair was one feature he'd inherited from his father.

For the most part Mason took after her; they shared the same hazel eyes, the same slightly round face, and the same smaller features such as their noses.

Molly spoke trying to sound cheerful and not stressed. "You're going to have a fun day today. You'll meet a ton of new friends, I bet. You're going to have such a blast. Maybe mommy can meet some new friends too. I bet we're both going to have a good day today."

Mason didn't reply. He only nodded his head as she leaned in and gave him a kiss on the cheek.

She pulled at her blue hospital scrubs knowing that she looked like hell. She hadn't had the time to straighten her hair, so she'd just pulled it back into a messy bun.

At least she'd managed to put on a little makeup though. So hopefully she didn't look like the walking dead. She knew she was exhausted though. She knew that the exhaustion would be all worth it. This was the first day of the rest of her life.

She hadn't had much time to unpack anything the night before. She'd spent all day before unloading the uhaul on her own. The first thing she'd made sure to do was unpack Mason's bedroom.

Her bed still remained disassembled and most of their belongings remained in boxes around the rental home. She had slept by Mason's side the night before, in his little bed on his Spiderman comforter. They'd eaten cheap pizza the night before surrounded by boxes and watching kid's movies on the portable dvd player she'd packed.

The little house was not what she'd hoped for. It was so hot inside that it felt like an oven. She had spent hours on the phone trying to get a hold of her landlord. She'd hoped that he could come take care of the problem, but so far she had been unsuccessful. He dodged her calls until finally making an excuse that it would take a while to get someone out to look at the problem. She'd been told that she was just one of the many properties her landlord owned, so she would have to be patient.

For now it seemed that Mason and she would just have to sweat it out and make do.

She took Mason's hand in hers as they left the house. She held the one hand that wasn't clutching his action figure.

The Spiderman toy seemed to be a comfort to him. He brought the toy everywhere he went. He even slept with it like it was some kind of teddy bear. She'd worried he might leave it at the daycare, but he seemed unwilling to even consider parting with it this morning. She was willing to allow him the comfort despite her concerns about a misplaced forgotten toy.

Molly turned on the radio to an alternative rock station as soon as they got into the car, hoping that she could entice Mason into his favorite activity. He loved to sing along with the radio though he was too young to get most of the lyrics right.

It always managed to make her smile seeing him sing along like he didn't have a care in the world. She lived to see her child happy. It had been the one thing that kept her going throughout her marriage to Brian. Her child had been a lifeline through the misery.

Her smile failed to come though as Molly glanced in the backseat and spotted her silent son.

She shook her head as she pulled out of her driveway hoping that maybe the daycare would help Mason come out of his shell.

She feared that Mason might never recover from what he'd witnessed. He was afraid, she knew that.

She had done her best to explain things to him in a way that a five year old would understand.

Molly had told him that they were going on an adventure, to a place called Charming. They were going somewhere where he would meet new people and get to live in a whole new house. She'd tried to sound upbeat and make it sound as though they were doing something so grand. She'd tried to keep positive hoping that it would hide her anxieties and fears.

She had been unsure what to say about Brian. Molly knew that the time would come when she would have to explain to Mason why he had seen daddy hurt mommy and why daddy wasn't here with them.

She just hoped that she could find a way to explain it all. It wasn't right, a five year old child having to see something that horrible. She felt so guilty for letting him witness it all. Deep down inside she knew Brian was the only one to blame for his actions. She knew she had been a victim in this.

She hated herself for exposing her beloved child to something so terrible though. She felt pure shame for allowing herself to stay with a monster out of fear.

Molly took a deep breath knowing that she would never allow that to happen again. No one would ever lay a hand on her or her baby ever again.

This was the right choice, she reminded herself. She was doing the right thing.

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

Of course Molly's bug chose that morning to get a flat tire. She was just lucky that she made it to a garage before she got herself into a wreck. She had to think it was a miracle that there happened to be an auto mechanics close enough to reach. Perhaps God was looking out for her? She had to hope someone was looking out for her despite the flat tire.

Chibs Telford raised an eyebrow as a pathetic looking Volkswagen Bug pulled into the parking lot of TM Auto.

The car was a sad sight; the paint on the right side was chipped and fading and the transmission sounded just awful.

It was still early; the garage hadn't even opened yet. He had come in early though wanting to bury himself in his work to avoid thinking about his personal troubles. He was thankful for the work even if the garage was still technically not open. He knew that he could manage to get the owner of the car checked in and take care of business despite the closed sign on the door. He was grateful for the distraction of work. It was a relief to his over exhausted brain and aching heart.

Chibs made his way over to the car as it came to a stop and a young woman opened the drivers' side door giving him a smile.

"I've gotten myself into a real mess." Molly stated giving the man who was slowly approaching her a sheepish smile.

She ran reached up tucking her side bangs behind her ear as the man spoke. "I'd say I agree love. How are ya even runnin that thing?"

She raised an eyebrow a little taken back by his Scottish accent, and the word love. She had expected to hear neither from the mechanic. A Scottish accent was an odd thing to encounter in Northern California

Molly felt her cheeks flush as she found herself staring at the thin scars along the Scotsman's cheeks. She looked away fearing that he thought she was rude for staring. She mentally scolded herself for being so rude. She'd been raised with far better manners than to gawk at something someone couldn't help. She felt like a jerk for even staring away making so clear she'd been gawking.

Chibs wasn't surprised that she turned her eyes away from him after staring for a bit.

He had long ago become accustomed to people's reactions to the scars Jimmy O' had given him before he'd taken Chibs' family and banished him from Ireland.

The pain had finally ended now that he'd gotten his revenge. Now that Jimmy O' was dead and gone and he knew that his girls were safe.

He tried not to let his mind focus on his girls for too long. His girls made his heart ache more than ever lately. He knew they were safe but they were so far away. Things had changed between his girls and he so quickly.

Fiona and he had come to an agreement just a few months ago; their marriage was over. There wouldn't be a divorce on Fiona's insistence. In Catholicism marriage was a sacrament that couldn't be broken, so divorce wasn't an option...or that was what Fiona had claimed. Chibs felt bitter over the refusal to even consider the divorce. He felt bitter about it all to be honest. It hurt though he knew in the end it was right...ending the estranged relationship entirely...agreeing to just be coparents to Kerrianne.

It had hurt losing the wife he had so long pined for. No, he'd not been faithful to her during their time apart. He'd allowed himself to fall into the chaos of SAMCRO and the women who serviced the club. His heart had belonged to Fiona though. It felt painful to realize that his heart could no longer be hers. He had no idea where to place that love now.

At least he still got to see his Kerrianne. He made a trip to Belfast as often as he could to see his soon to be fifteen year old daughter, hoping that they could build the type of relationship a father and daughter should have.

Kerrianne had been told so many lies about her father, by Jimmy. It had been hard for Chibs to convince her that her da was a good man despite his status as an outlaw biker. He'd done his best to prove his love and devotion to her. He'd allowed her to remain in Belfast knowing it was her home. He'd sacrificed the chance to take her back to the states with him. He'd given up that dream letting her remain in her home knowing it was what she needed.

As time went by and Kerrianne and he became close. They spoke on the phone weekly and developed a relationship. He sent her gifts often. It felt as though a void that had long existed in his heart had finally been filled. He was getting a chance to be a father. He loved having his little girl back in his life again.

Chibs could admit that he was a little taken back by Molly's accent as well. It was distinctly southern; strange to hear in Northern California.

He was also taken back by the woman's features; he would be lying if he tried to say that she wasn't a beautiful woman.

She wasn't very tall she barely came up right at the center of his chest. Although she was petite she had a nice figure, full hips and breasts. He could spot the figure even in the unattractive scrubs she wore. Her hair was a dark blonde; almost the color of honey and her eyes were a pretty hazel.Her complexion was milky and smooth looking. Her hands seemed petite and her short nails were painted a lovely shade of lilac.

He found himself glancing down at her left hand at her ring finger. He was a little shocked that there was no ring there. Still though that didn't mean that she was single.

A girl like that had to have a man somewhere. He felt foolish for even looking for a ring. He knew that even if she had no man in her life. she would probably never want a man like him. It was a foolish hope thinking of her in that way; checking for signs of her being available. He felt like an old fool for even considering her relationship status.

It was her smile that really caught his attention. It was friendly despite the fact that Chibs often intimidated people given his appearance and his ties to Samcro. Usually people didn't smile at him. She had a pleasant smile though her eyes looked tired. He was not accustomed to people smiling at him so politely. The smile made him feel warm inside. He felt silly for the thought; feeling a soft cozy glow under her gaze.

Chibs snapped out of admiring her looks as he managed to speak. "Looks like ya hit a nail on the back right tire... and yer transmission is shite."

"Yeah...like I said, I've gotten myself into a mess...and now I'm late for my first day of work...great." She replied though the last part of her statement seemed to be more to herself than to him.

He was shocked as she opened the backseat and leaned in helping a little boy out of the car. The boy was tiny; delicate. Chibs was certain the kid was small for his age. The boy seemed healthy at least; his hair was dark, loose shaggy curls that made him look angelic. His eyes were identical to Molly's hazel bright and clear. The boy held on to Molly's hand staying close to his mother.

Chibs felt a sense of embarrassment realizing that he'd just cursed in front of a child. Sure he had done far worse in his life but he was sure that the boy's mother wouldn't appreciate his language. He grimaced sure he was about to get an earful about the foul language in front of a child even if had only been one word.

He did his best to give the boy a smile as he spoke up hoping to smooth over any upset he may have caused the kid's mom. "Sorry I said a bad word little lad."

Mason stared wide-eyed at the strange man not saying a word. He moved behind his mother's form hiding from Chibs' gaze.

Molly cleared her throat quickly speaking up trying to explain her son's silence hoping that the Scot didn't take it as rudeness. "He's shy."

Chibs nodded his head understanding. He'd found that most kids that didn't know him well enough were just as intimidated by him as adults were. Which he could admit was hurtful. He had always loved children. He had loved his nephew back in Belfast when the lad had been growing up. He'd spent so much time with him and had appreciated being involved in his life. Now though he knew that most kids tended to shy away from him. They took one look at his face and felt fear. He had found comfort in the Teller boys at least. He liked being Uncle Chibs to them. It had felt healing to be around the boys. He knew Jimmy O' had not taken being Uncle Chibs from him at least when it came to the Teller boys...his heart ached knowing that Jimmy O' had taken his nephew from him though.

Chibs pulled his mind from thoughts of his late nephew as he spoke nodding back to the poor Volkswagen. "We're a bit backed up ere, but I can get yer car in this afternoon. Don' know how long it'll take though, Love. Like I said, we're a wee bit backed up. Lotta wrecks last week, lots of folks coming through for summer trips getting into wrecks. Plus we gotta a few custom bike jobs ahead of ya. I can't promise fast work, but we'll get ya fixed up anyhow."

Molly gave him a smile thankful that her car would be repaired and not break down on her anymore. She spoke taking a look at the name stitched into his gray works shirt: Chibs, she found herself unsure if she should call him that or not. She was quite certain the man's parents had not given him such a name. "Thank you so much...uhm.."

Chibs raised an eyebrow realizing that she was asking his name. He took himself by surprise saying his real name and not the name everyone but his family called him. "Filip."

"Filip." She repeated causing him to do something else that he found astonishing. He felt a genuine smile develop across his face. He couldn't help but to like the sound of his name on her lips.

She spoke again reaching out to take his hand. "I'm Molly and this is Mason."

Chibs nodded in response as he took her hand in his giving it a firm shake, unable but to enjoy how soft her skin felt against his calloused hands.

He was shocked that he was so reluctant to let go of her hand. He shook his head wondering what had gotten into him.

Maybe it was just that he'd been alone for too long. He found himself unable to really get back into the biker lifestyle once Fiona and he had agreed to end their relationship.

All those years Fiona and he had been estranged he had found himself easily falling into a pattern, booze and croweaters.

He'd sleep with any one of the girls who hung around the clubhouse, a different girl just about every night.

Nights of drunken sex with women whose names he couldn't even remember by the next morning no longer felt fulfilling to him.

After Fiona and he had agreed to end their marriage, Chibs had found that he could not sink back into the life of meaningless sex with crow eaters. He had discovered that he just didn't enjoy it anymore. It felt cheap and it made him feel empty. At first he thought that maybe he was just getting old, but then he'd realized something.

He was lonely. He longed for something more, something real. He watched Jax with Tara and Gemma with Nero and he felt so alone. He laid in bed at night without anyone by his side and fretted over his future. He had come to the realization he would die alone without love. He'd so long hoped Fiona and he would reunite but that dream was dead and he knew it was for the best...but it still hurt. He had finally realized that he was truly alone. It was a realization that made his heart ache and yearn.

He felt so foolish but as he stared at the pretty blonde he found himself wondering what it might be like to lie by her side at night. He shook the thought from his mind knowing he was just an old fool. There was no way a woman like her would ever lie by the side of a man like him.  

Molly spoke up as she stared down at her cheap red plastic watch unaware of Chibs' inner turmoil. "Is there a phone I can use?...I need to get a rental car and I need to call Saint Thomas Hospital and explain why I'm late."

Chibs nodded his head not astonished by her workplace. The scrubs made it obvious, there was only one hospital in Charming. He sighed more sure than ever now that she would never have the time of day for him. She was a responsible adult with an important job who would not be interested in the outlaw biker. Sure, he knew Tara had loved Jax despite her mainstream job, but there was history there. Chibs knew he held no history with Molly. They were from two different worlds. She would not want anything to do with his world. 

"I can have someone give ya a lift to the car rental place. As far as a phone, I'm sure I can sort that out too." Chibs stated as he turned getting the attention of one of the prospects motioning over to the man.

He spoke to Ratboy as the man came up to him. "Can ya take Molly and her boy ere down to Davis Rentals, and let er use yer cell too. She needs to call her work."

Molly widened her eyes a little surprised by the friendly gesture of allowing her to borrow a cell phone.

She spoke hoping that it was clear just how thankful she was for the kind action. "Thank you, Filip. I appreciate it more than you know."

Chibs ignored the look on Ratboy's face as he spoke the smile once again developing along his face. "Yer welcome, Love. Just leave yer number with Ratboy here and We'll get to ya when yer cars ready."

Molly nodded trying not to show how strange she thought that the man who was giving her a ride was called Ratboy. What was it with this place and the employee's nicknames? "Thank you so much."

And with that she let the prospect lead her and her son away to a tow truck.

Chibs watched her walk away cursing the yearning in his heart. He told himself he was an idiot for the feeling. He was trying to bat out of his league and he was too beaten down and worn to even dream that he could charm her. Charming her would be foolish. She was a mother and most likely just saw him as the older dirty mechanic who had been providing good customer service.

Chibs was surprised as Mason turned to face him looking at him through the back window as the tow truck pulled away. Mason did the last thing Chibs' had expected considering the kid's silence. He stared as Mason waved.

Chibs raised his hand waving back without having to even think about the action.

He shook his head as the tow truck faded out of view. He let out a sigh trying to knock Molly and her boy out of his mind.

As lovely as he found Molly, there was no point in daydreaming about her ever giving him the time of day.

A girl like that didn't need a man like him.

[sparkymalone]

Have you watched Scott pilgrim the anime?

How about an actors au: "wanna run lines in your trailer?"

Just, maybe with real sparks after the kissing scene instead of the one-sided first love…

D-D-D-DOUBLE POST!!

Here is an ask from fucking January. I'm so good at deadlines, guys.

Anyway, I had not seen the Scott Pilgrim anime at the time of getting this request, so part of the time delay was me thinking I needed to watch it to get the full context. And that took forever, because I have about a million things that I need to watch, but haven't. I'm that kinda bitch.

SO! I have seen it now lol. But really, this fic has very little to do with SP. I really leaned into the sparks thing, though. Uh, maybe more than is reasonable, but here we are.

“...And cut!”

The actors on set all breathed a sigh of relief and turned to the director expectantly. The director walked onto the set to describe what she was picturing to the actors, while some of the extras slipped away to the catering table.

Hajime sighed and set down the tray of coffee cups he was holding, offering one to each person that approached him. This definitely wasn't what he had had in mind when he signed up for film school. All he wanted was to direct, but here he was working craft services instead.

He had applied to Hope's Peak Film School right out of high school, and had taken out a hefty loan to pay for tuition. The school promised results, and Hollywood was positively packed with Hope's Peak graduates, so Hajime had high hopes going in.

Unfortunately, even Hope’s Peak couldn't do anything for someone with no talent. Turns out Hajime didn't have the eye necessary for directing, or for cinematography. He wasn't any good at screenwriting, lighting, or much of anything else, either.

But the school had promised results, so they couldn't very well tell him to leave. Instead, they had bounced him from program to program, trying to find a job he could excel at. Finally, they had stuck him in a “work study” program, which basically meant he was an intern on the set of another student's project.

Currently, he was being used as a gofer by the people on set, going on frequent coffee runs and helping out with catering in between. It was thankless work, and Hajime thought about just quitting every single day. But then he remembered how much money he had spent on this bullshit school, and that kept him from leaving.

That, and getting to see so many beautiful actors. The movie seemed to be some sort of gay romance drama, and as such, all of the lead actors were hot. As much as Hajime hated being there, his inner bisexual disaster was satisfied.

The guy in the lead male role was particularly gorgeous. His name was Fuyuhiko Kuzuryu, he was in the same year as Hajime but in the acting program, and somehow this was his first film. Hajime found himself staring whenever he was on set, finding him oddly captivating.

And maybe it was his imagination, but he could have sworn he caught Kuzuryu staring back once or twice.

The actor playing his love interest was good-looking, too, but he didn't seem to be very good at acting. Not that Hajime could judge, really. He had never tried acting, so what did he know? Maybe the guy was actually great.

Judging from the way Kuzuryu snapped at him when the camera was off, however, it seemed like he was pretty bad.

The director resumed her seat and everyone took their places. “Action!”

Hajime watched the scene unfold, and found himself enthralled when Kuzuryu began giving a heartfelt monologue to his love interest. He moved closer to the other man, gazing up into his eyes. The other actor gave a brief response, cupped his cheek, and kissed him.

The kiss looked… bad. Even ignoring the weird twinge of jealousy Hajime felt watching it, the kiss just seemed kind of awkward.

Kuzuryu apparently thought so, too, because he jerked away. “Are you fuckin' serious?!” he growled.

“Cut!” The director hopped out of her chair and approached the scene. “What's the problem?”

The taller man crossed his arms, glaring at Kuzuryu. “I don't know, ask him.”

But the director narrowed her eyes at him. “I'm asking you. That looked terrible. Have you ever kissed anyone before, Leon?”

The actor, Leon Kuwata, balked. “What?! Of course I have! If it looked bad it's because-”

“Hell no, don't try and pin this on me,” Kuzuryu snapped. “You're a shitty kisser.”

Kuwata glared at him. “It's just awkward ‘cause you're so damn short!”

This sparked a shouting match between the two actors. Hajime rolled his eyes, but decided that this seemed like a good opportunity to give the director her coffee.

“Miss Nevermind?” he called as he approached. When she turned, Hajime held out her coffee cup.

“Thank you,” the director sighed, clearly dismayed by the lack of chemistry between her two leads.

“Height has nothing to do with it, you're just a shitty actor!” Kuzuryu was shouting. He caught Hajime's eye and the brunette froze, trying not to notice as Kuzuryu quickly looked him up and down. “I'll prove it to you.”

The diminutive blonde walked up to Hajime, glancing between him and Kuwata. Apparently deciding that they were close enough in height, he looked up into Hajime's face. “What’s your name?”

Blinking in surprise, the intern replied, “Uh… Hajime Hinata…”

Kuzuryu nodded in acknowledgement. “Hinata. Okay. Run this scene with me real quick.”

Hajime was shocked. “W-What? But… I'm not an actor…”

“Doesn't matter,” the blonde replied, waving his hand dismissively. “That's even better, actually. I'm just trying to prove a point.”

Kuwata gritted his teeth. “Fuck you, man.” Still, he obligingly stepped off to the side.

A script seemed to come out of nowhere, being shoved into Hajime's hands. The director, Sonia, cheerfully told him which page to turn to, and then where to stand.

Completely out of his depth, Hajime looked helplessly between the others before taking his place in the scene.

Sonia went back to her chair to watch as Kuzuryu resumed his own spot. “I'm going to start with the monologue again, okay? You just say the bit after that and then kiss me, got it?”

Hajime blushed brightly, but tried to force it down. “Uh, got it.”

Clearing his throat, Kuzuryu once again began reciting his monologue. Seeing him perform up close like this felt totally different, and Hajime felt himself getting swept up in the scene. When the blonde man stepped closer, Hajime instinctively put a hand on his waist. Kuzuryu seemed surprised, but kept going.

The actor finished his line and looked up at Hajime expectantly. Hajime swallowed hard and glanced at the script in his hand. Putting as much feeling into it as he could, he recited his part before meeting Kuzuryu’s eyes. He tucked the script under his arm, cupped the blonde's cheek, and leaned down.

When their lips touched, Hajime felt a strange little jolt, almost like a spark. He chose not to focus on that, though, instead giving all of his attention to the kiss. His lips pressed against Kuzuryu's, both of them tilting their heads to allow their mouths to slot together. The shorter man's lips parted and Hajime, caught up in the moment, slipped his tongue into his mouth. Kuzuryu made a soft noise, somewhere between surprised and pleased.

They kissed for a long moment, mouths moving together naturally. The hand Hajime had on Kuzuryu's waist slid around his back, pulling their bodies flush against each other. Kuzuryu moaned quietly, bracing his hands on Hajime's chest.

Finally, the blonde pulled back, and the two of them gazed into each other's eyes. Hajime's skin felt electric, and he desperately wanted to kiss him again.

Someone off to the side clapped, breaking the spell, and both of them whipped around to face the director. “That looked amazing!” Sonia beamed. “Hajime, how would you like to be in my movie?”

The offer completely caught Hajime off guard. He glanced back at Kuzuryu, who stepped out of his arms. “Uh… I mean… Is that really okay?”

“What the fuck?!” Kuwata demanded, stomping over. “You can't just give him my part-”

“I can and I will,” Sonia declared, her tone leaving no room to argue. “What do you say, Hajime?”

Feeling a jolt of excitement, Hajime nodded. “S-Sure… I'd love to!”

The redheaded actor stormed off, but Hajime found his attention commanded by Kuzuryu, who was idly touching his own lips with his fingertips. When he noticed Hajime staring, he stopped, giving the taller man a confident smile.

“Welcome to showbiz,” he teased. Hajime couldn't help smiling back.

***

Never in a million years would Hajime have expected to be good at acting, but apparently he was. Sonia was thrilled with his performance, and Fuyuhiko (he had insisted Hajime use his first name) seemed to approve, as well.

And that was good, because Hajime would've given anything to keep the role. Playing opposite Fuyuhiko in such romantic scenes was intoxicating, not to mention the electric feeling he got whenever they kissed. Even if it was just for the movie, Hajime was going to treasure every second.

He wasn't entirely sure how Fuyuhiko felt about it, though. The blonde would often look at him strangely, especially after kissing scenes. He was generally pretty easy to get along with, though, once Hajime got past his grumpy exterior.

After a long day of filming, during which there had been a particularly steamy kiss that left Hajime's lips tingling, Fuyuhiko approached him. “Hey, you've been doing really well,” he told Hajime, expression neutral. “But there's still a couple of places I think you can improve. Wanna run lines in my dorm?”

Hajime's eyebrows shot up. He certainly never would've expected Fuyuhiko to ask him to go anywhere, let alone his own room. “Oh, sure. Thanks.”

He followed Fuyuhiko back to the dorms, noting how much nicer his room was than Hajime's. There was enough space for a sofa and a table, in addition to all of the bedroom furniture. Fuyuhiko sat on the couch and gestured for him to do the same.

The blonde looked at him critically, but said nothing. Feeling nervous, Hajime offered a smile. “Thanks for helping me out. I've never acted before, so I'm happy for any pointers you can give me.”

Fuyuhiko was silent a moment longer before finally speaking. “Yeah… Happy to help.”

Hajime furrowed his brow. “Um, is something wrong?”

The actor sighed and leaned against the arm of the sofa. “Look, I kinda had an ulterior motive asking you here.”

Immediately, Hajime's heart sank. This was it, Fuyuhiko was going to tell him he was actually awful, tell him to quit or just straight up fire him - could he do that?

His panicked thoughts were interrupted when Fuyuhiko spoke again. “When we… kiss,” he began cautiously, “do you ever feel anything… weird?”

Hajime's eyes widened. “...Yeah, actually.”

Fuyuhiko looked at him, seeming surprised even though he was the one who brought it up. “You do?”

Nodding, Hajime considered all the on-screen kisses they had shared. “I always feel kinda tingly… electric, maybe. Like-”

“-Sparks,” Fuyuhiko finished for him.

“...Yeah.”

They stared at each other for a long moment. “That's the feeling I get, too,” the blonde told him quietly. “I just wanted to find out… if it was just me, I guess.”

Hajime licked his lips nervously. “What do you think it means?”

Fuyuhiko shrugged. “I don't know.” He paused. “...Maybe it would help us figure it out if we kissed right now.”

The brunette looked at him in shock. Fuyuhiko wasn't facing him, cheeks flushed, and Hajime felt his heartbeat speed up. Finally, he nodded. “Sure, if, uh… If you're okay with it.”

The smaller man slowly turned to look at him, cheeks rosier than ever. “Of course I'm okay with it, dumbass. I suggested it.” Despite his words, he still sounded unsure.

But if he said he was fine, Hajime certainly wasn't going to pass up a chance to kiss him in private.

Hajime scooted closer on the couch, not breaking eye contact. He slowly leaned in, giving Fuyuhiko ample time to change his mind. He was apparently taking too long for the blonde, however, and Fuyuhiko lunged forward, crashing their mouths together.

The kiss was a lot more aggressive than any of their on-screen kisses, but Hajime still felt that familiar tingle. After a moment, he pulled back.

“Sparks,” he breathed.

Fuyuhiko studied his face nervously. “What the fuck does it mean, though? Maybe we should-”

He was cut off as Hajime moved in and kissed him again. This time he parted his lips, carefully licking Fuyuhiko's bottom lip. The blonde made a soft noise, but opened his mouth, allowing Hajime access. As soon as their tongues met, he felt more sparks, exploding across his skin and behind his eyes.

It seemed like Fuyuhiko felt it, too, because he threw his arms around Hajime's neck and pulled him closer. Hajime obligingly wrapped his arms around the other man's waist, kissing him deeply.

After several minutes of passionate kissing, Fuyuhiko pulled back, panting. “Holy shit,” he murmured. “Why does that feel so good?”

“What do you think it would feel like if I kissed you somewhere else?” Hajime heard himself ask.

The blonde's eyes widened, but he didn't move away. Instead, he slowly tilted his head to one side, baring his neck invitingly. Hajime only took a second to be flustered by the situation before leaning in and kissing Fuyuhiko's neck.

The tingle in Hajime's lips was less noticeable than it had been when he kissed Fuyuhiko's mouth, but apparently the effect it was having on the smaller man was much more dramatic.

Fuyuhiko let out a soft moan as Hajime pressed wet, open-mouthed kisses along his neck. “Fuck,” he gasped. “Ngh, that feels fuckin' amazing…!”

Encouraged by his partner's moans, Hajime kissed slowly up his neck, paying special attention to the sensitive spot just below his ear. He kissed Fuyuhiko's ear, as well, tracing his tongue along the shell before sucking gently on his earlobe.

The blonde moaned and squirmed, hands fisted in the front of Hajime's shirt. “S-Stop…!”

Immediately, Hajime stopped what he was doing and sat up, breathing heavily. “Uh, sorry… Was that too much?”

Fuyuhiko didn't answer, instead pushing Hajime against the back of the couch and climbing into his lap. He straddled the shocked man, looking up at him with half-lidded eyes. “Kiss me again, you bastard.”

Hajime didn't need to be told twice. He dove in, kissing Fuyuhiko deeply, arms wrapping around him and pulling their bodies flush together. The blonde gave a pleased moan, throwing his arms around Hajime's neck and pressing himself closer.

In this position, Hajime could feel the bulge in Fuyuhiko's pants, and he was unsurprised to realize that he was just as hard. He was surprised when the smaller man began grinding against him, sending waves of pleasure through both of them. Hajime gasped into the kiss and rolled his hips to meet Fuyuhiko.

After several minutes of desperate making out and grinding, Fuyuhiko pulled back, grasping the collar of Hajime's shirt. “Hah… That feels fuckin' incredible…” He rocked his hips again, moaning at the sensation.

The taller man hummed in agreement, leaning in to kiss his neck again. Hajime relished every gasp and moan he drew from Fuyuhiko's lips, nipping at the sensitive skin. The whole situation seemed unreal, but he was still going to enjoy it to the fullest, cupping Fuyuhiko's ass and rutting hard against him.

Biting his lip, Fuyuhiko pulled away just enough to get Hajime to meet his eyes. The brunette couldn't help thinking how beautiful he looked, with his flushed cheeks and kiss-bruised lips. He was so enamored that he barely registered when Fuyuhiko spoke.

“...I want to feel more,” the blonde told him, almost shyly. “I want you to touch me more.”

Hajime couldn't believe his ears. Never in a million years would he have expected a hot, talented person like Fuyuhiko to be interested in someone like him. Still, he knew better than to question his good fortune.

Lunging back in, Hajime kissed the other man roughly. Fuyuhiko didn't seem to mind, kissing back with equal ferocity. Hajime pulled his partner tightly against him before slipping one hand under the waistband of Fuyuhiko's pants, sliding down to cup his bare ass.

The blonde moaned encouragingly, raising his hips, urging Hajime further. The taller man took the hint, sliding his fingers along the cleft of Fuyuhiko's ass, down to his entrance. He stroked the puckered opening, causing the man in his arms to gasp and break their kiss.

“Fuck,” Fuyuhiko breathed, gazing at Hajime with half-lidded eyes. “Just you touching me feels so fuckin' good…”

Hajime smiled slightly, rubbing more firmly against Fuyuhiko's hole. “Yeah?” he purred, feeling a sense of confidence he had never felt before. “I bet it'd feel even better with my fingers inside you.” Heat rose in his face at how forward he was being, but he didn't back down.

Fuyuhiko licked his lips seductively, draping his arms over Hajime's shoulders and arching his back to give him easier access. “Mmn, I bet it would.”

Breathing heavily, Hajime pulled his hand out of Fuyuhiko's pants just long enough to shove his fingers into his mouth and coat them with saliva. He quickly slipped his hand back under the fabric, trailing down Fuyuhiko's ass to rub slick fingertips against his hole. Watching his partner's reaction, he slid one finger inside.

The blonde's mouth fell open soundlessly, but he didn't look uncomfortable, so Hajime pushed a second finger into him, pressing in deep. Fuyuhiko's eyelashes fluttered and he moaned low in his throat. “Holy shit,” he breathed.

Hajime paused. “Is this okay?”

Golden eyes fixed him with a smoldering gaze. “It feels fucking amazing. Don't you dare stop!”

Biting his lip, Hajime gently slid his fingers in and out, pleased when another breathy moan escaped from Fuyuhiko's throat. Hajime slowly pumped his digits into the other man, watching the way he squirmed and whined.

The taller man swallowed hard. He didn't really have experience doing anything like this, so he was mostly just going off of what he had seen in porn or heard from his friends. It seemed like he was doing a good job, though, with the way Fuyuhiko was moaning and clenching around his fingers.

After a moment, the blonde grasped Hajime's face between his hands, trying to look at him seriously even though he was still being fingered open. “H-Hajime,” he started hoarsely, “I, mmn… I want you… I want you to fuck me.”

Hajime tried to ignore the way his heart leapt into his throat. “...Are you sure?”

Fuyuhiko gasped and rocked back against Hajime's hand. “Hah… Of course I'm sure. With how fuckin' good everything else feels… ahh… I have to know what your cock feels like…”

Letting out a shuddered breath, Hajime felt his erection strain against his pants. “God, I want to know what you feel like, too…”

“So fuck me!” Fuyuhiko moaned, hips bucking.

And god, Hajime wanted to fuck him. Unfortunately, his nerves were still getting the best of him. He decided it was probably better to just confess. “...I, um… I want to, I've just never… done this before,” he said lamely.

Fuyuhiko looked at him in surprise. “What? Then how the fuck are you so good at - mmn~!” He cut off with a sweet moan as Hajime's fingers brushed his prostate.

The brunette shivered as the other man squeezed tight around his fingers. He groaned softly, watching his partner's face. “...Just tell me what to do,” he told him quietly.

Licking his lips, Fuyuhiko reached back and pulled Hajime's fingers out of him. He stood up, looking appraisingly at the tent in Hajime's pants. “Hurry up and get your dick out.”

As Hajime scrambled to comply, Fuyuhiko made his way over to his nightstand, pulling out a bottle of lube. He returned to the couch, excitement flashing in his eyes as he caught sight of Hajime's exposed cock.

“Damn,” he chuckled, handing the lube to his flustered partner. Fuyuhiko began shedding his own clothes, undressing completely, much to Hajime's surprise. He climbed back into the taller man's lap, straddling him once more.

Hajime quickly poured some of the lubricant into his hand and began rubbing it over his cock, trying not to get too caught up. Having Fuyuhiko completely nude in his lap while he was still fully clothed was weirdly sexy, and he couldn't wait to finally be inside of the smaller man.

After only a moment, Fuyuhiko batted Hajime's hand away and took hold of his erection. He positioned it beneath him and slowly began lowering himself. The first touch of Hajime's cock against his hole had both of them gasping, an electric feeling running across their skin. Fuyuhiko bit his lip and lowered himself further, allowing the tip to breach his entrance.

The taller man dug his fingers into Fuyuhiko's hips, trembling with pleasure already. Something about the touch of the other man's skin was sending sparks through his entire body. As his cock slowly slid inside, the feeling only got more intense. Tight heat engulfed his cock and his whole body felt like it was on fire, but in the most euphoric way.

Fuyuhiko didn't stop moving until he was fully seated on Hajime's cock, breathless moans pouring from his lips already. “Holy fuck…!” he whined, muscles clenching and unclenching reflexively, making Hajime hiss. “S-So… So fuckin' big, so fuckin' good…!” He rocked his hips as he adjusted, making both of them moan.

Hajime was already completely overwhelmed. The feeling of being inside Fuyuhiko was incredibly intense and he couldn't keep himself from bucking up into him, making his partner cry out. “Sorry,” he breathed, but he was still pulling Fuyuhiko's hips down hard against his own.

Thankfully, Fuyuhiko seemed to be just as eager for more. He carefully raised himself up, almost to the tip of Hajime's cock, before sliding back down. A pleased purr left his throat and he repeated the action, this time slamming himself down roughly.

The blonde started up a slow rhythm, bouncing in Hajime's lap and coming down hard. Both of them gasped and moaned at the sensation, hungry for more.

“Fuck, Fuyuhiko,” Hajime panted, watching the other man's face. “You feel amazing…”

Fuyuhiko met his gaze, not slowing his pace at all. “Mmn, so do you…!” He bit his lip as Hajime's cock brushed against his sweet spot.

“God, you look so fucking good like this,” Hajime murmured, feeling almost delirious from the pleasure. “You're so fucking beautiful, so tight around my cock, so-”

His rambling was cut short when Fuyuhiko lunged forward and kissed him. Hajime wasn't complaining, happily kissing back as his partner rode him harder. He rocked his hips up to meet each of Fuyuhiko's movements, making both of them gasp and moan.

After a moment, Fuyuhiko broke the kiss with a loud cry. He had found exactly the right angle, causing Hajime's cock to hit his sweet spot with every bounce. The blonde arched his back, moaning sweetly as his lover's cock slid even deeper inside.

“Mmn, Hajime~” Fuyuhiko purred, burying one hand in Hajime's hair and looking into his eyes. “You're gonna fuckin' cum in me, right~?”

Hajime nodded obediently. “Hah… Fuck, yes…!”

The smaller man gave a pleased chuckle, muscles clenching around his partner. He leaned forward to nip at Hajime's lower lip. “And you're gonna cum hard, right~? Fill me up~?”

Again, Hajime moaned his agreement. “Please!”

Fuyuhiko slammed himself down harder with every bounce, feeling his climax rapidly approaching. He reached down to stroke his own cock, gasping and moaning. “Ngh…! Fuck, Hajime… I'm so fuckin' close, mmn…!”

“Me, too,” Hajime breathed. He leaned in, pressing sloppy, open-mouthed kisses against Fuyuhiko's throat as he bucked into him. His body felt like it was on fire and the only cure was the gorgeous blonde bouncing in his lap.

With a loud cry, Fuyuhiko finally reached his peak, slamming himself down and grinding onto Hajime's cock. He moaned hoarsely as his inner muscles fluttered around his partner and he spilled over his own fingers.

Hajime was right behind him, bucking desperately into him as he toppled over the edge. Fireworks exploded behind his eyes and he bit down on Fuyuhiko's neck. He buried himself as deeply as possible, filling his lover with his seed.

The two of them collapsed against the back of the couch, holding each other tightly. They were both breathing heavily, gazing into each other's eyes as they tried to get their thoughts in order. It took several minutes for either of them to form words.

“...Wow,” Hajime panted, still grasping Fuyuhiko's hips.

The blonde huffed out a quiet laugh. “Yeah… wow.”

Smiling softly, Hajime tried to formulate another thought. “So, uh… Sparks?”

Fuyuhiko leaned his head against his partner's shoulder. “Still don't know what it means, but… yeah. Sparks.”

“I think,” the brunette began slowly, “it means that there's… something special between us. Don't you think so?” He looked at the other man, eyes hopeful.

It took a moment for Fuyuhiko to respond. “...Yeah. I think you're right.”

Hajime felt his heart leap into his throat. “Yeah?”

The blonde slowly lifted his head, meeting Hajime's gaze. His face was flushed, but he looked determined. “...I like you. The whole reason I wanted to test the whole ‘sparks’ thing was because I like you. And now… I'm sure.” He shifted his weight, reminding them both that Hajime was still inside of him. “Mmn… Be my dumbass boyfriend,” he murmured shyly.

Hajime's heart was pounding, and he immediately lunged in to kiss the man in his arms, feeling ecstatic. Between kisses, he managed to reply, “I like you, too… Of course I'll be your boyfriend.”

Fuyuhiko hummed happily, kissing him back. The two of them stayed entwined on the couch for a while longer, just kissing and muttering words of affection.

Hopefully that was worth the wait?? IDK anymore. I liked it.

[esleep]

i am having the most ridiculously, cartoonishly bad day that i think i have ever had and i am going to be pitiful about it for a minute okay. if you read this i hope it makes your day seem much better by comparison, in fact i am pretty confident it will do that for you. it's probably a little funny also if you are not me.

testimonials: "my jaw fully dropped and stayed open the entire time, jesus christ" -shannon in reply to the 3+ minute rambling video i sent her about all of this.

here is my sordid tale, for those brave of heart and strong of stomach.

i woke up at 4 AM while having both a migraine and an anxiety attack (being around my family for extended periods will do that). i was unable to go back to sleep for multiple hours. my morning work alarm went off less than an hour after i finally drifted back off.

at work i spent 10 hours trying to catch up on a bunch of bullshit, because it was my first day back after a week and a half of hastily-arranged sick leave so i could be with my dying grandfather.

midway through my morning, i remember that last night i found a weird open sore on the back of my cat's neck, which i need to call a vet to get checked out IMMEDIATELY after work since i am supposed to be bringing a kitten home on Sunday and I do not want to bring him into a house full of ringworm or some other weird skin infection.

i start looking around online. looks like the only place anywhere nearby that will accept walk-ins AND is open after i get off work at 6 is the veterinary urgent care across town. cool. i call. they tell me their base exam cost is $110 and any treatments go on top of that. i wince and grimly make an appointment for 7 this evening.

at this point it is around noon and my stomach hurts. it's been hurting this whole time but i had kinda let it fade into the background because i thought it was just part of the anxiety. however it has been getting slowly stronger until it finally dawns on me that i am having period cramps. ten days early. cool and nice. i also do still have the migraine, thank you for asking.

i finish my work day at 6, then remember something crucial: rent. i go to bring my rent check physically to the landlord's office since i got back into town too late to mail it, and my landlord is so old school i can only pay by physical check or money order (online portal? never heard of her). the office is already closed, and they don't have a night drop available right now because their actual office was firebombed six months ago (lmao) and it's still being rebuilt so their temporary "office" is just a trailer. i panic-call my landlord, who says i can leave the check if i can manage to stuff it far enough into the door that no one can see it. i try my best. this takes a million years. the entire time i am worrying that i will be late to the vet.

we finally make it to the appointment. things seem to be going well at first - we are alone in the waiting room while i fill out my paperwork, ivy is mostly chill (shockingly). when we are brought to a room she even lets me feed her a churu through her carrier door, a decision i soon came to deeply regret. we'll get to that.

this is the first vet i've ever been to where they fully take your animal away from the "exam room" where you are supposed to wait and into a back area to examine and treat them, presumably because their protocol is built around much more severe illnesses and traumas. predictably, ivy did not like this very much. i nervously told the tech who took her away that if they had too much trouble with her, they were welcome to come and get me, because she usually behaves more for me than for anyone else. i can hear her yowling from the room where i have been told to wait, while i am staring down a sign that says "FOR YOUR SAFETY - PLEASE STAY HERE WHILE WE EXAMINE YOUR PET". it may be a liability thing for them, idk, but it is truly not my safety i am concerned about at this moment. it's not my cat's safety, either. those yowls are war cries. the beast seeks blood.

the vet comes in. he seems like a nice man. he tells me gently that he's having some trouble getting a good look at the sore because ivy is so upset (you don't say). i tell him i am happy to help them corral her, but also, i have a photo of it on my phone if he would like to look at that. he is delighted. i show him the blurry photo i took last night. he is less delighted. essentially, he tells me, this is most likely either an allergy flare-up, an infection/abscess, or possibly (least likely) ringworm. we agree on a three-pronged approach: one antibiotic shot and one steroid shot tonight, plus a tube of ointment to come home with me that i will apply once or twice a day ("whatever you can manage" he told me while nervously glancing at the door that separates us from my pet demon in the treatment room). this ointment contains more steroid and antibiotic, plus an anti-fungal, and it should help kick whatever is going on even if we can't positively identify it. he says if it gets worse or doesn't heal, or if she develops more of them, bring her back.

next to come in is a slightly wild-eyed vet tech who tells me that ivy has been attacking them all pretty badly (shocking) so they had to net her (okay that's a new one). during this process, she shit liquid diarrhea all over herself and them. after they gave her the necessary injections and tossed her from the net back into the carrier, "the poop went in with her" were the tech's exact words. she handed me a cloth and a spray bottle of disinfectant and basically told me i could stay in here as long as i needed to get the carrier cleaned up, but she couldn't stay in the room to help me because my cat is such a menace to society. that is fine. i would rather face her wrath on my own anyway.

they were not exaggerating when they told me she was absolutely covered in shit. that churu really lubricated the pipes or something because it is a frankly concerning amount of feces. her bed and blanket inside the carrier are beyond redemption. i don't really care too much about that - i've owned cats for two decades, i am wise enough not to keep anything i'm emotionally attached to inside the carrier. i am also not very squeamish about cleaning up a little poop. but what really gets to me this time is the smell. it is absolutely unholy. this is not regular cat shit smell, this is like satan's afterbirth. beyond just what's in the carrier, there is shit matted into ivy's fur all throughout her back half and a little toward the front too. she looks pitiful. but she walks out of the carrier so calmly when i open the door, almost like she's trying to preserve what dignity she can. i don't blame her. she's had a bad night.

i do what i can with the carrier to make it transportable, then go out to pay the staggering $365 that i owe for this ongoing nightmare. it is now nearly 9 pm. we've been here for two hours. i am exhausted like someone who has been to war. the extremely young boy they have running the front desk takes forever to figure out how to apply my Scratchpay (which i had to hastily apply for in the exam room), and meanwhile the smell that is coming off both me and my cat is like nothing i have ever experienced. it's freshly shocking to me every time i inhale. it's the kind of smell you never really acclimate to. i am pretty sure i have actually died and gone to hell without noticing the trip.

i bring the cat home (windows down, by necessity, praying it doesn't start raining again like it has been all day). i take her directly to the bathtub - do not pass go, do not collect $200. then i have the joy and privilege of giving her a bath in the tub. with dish soap. because that is all i have available and this is a bit too much of an emergency for me to doordash some cat shampoo. considering my cat's temperament, this goes about as well as you can imagine. by the end, the cat and i are pretty much equally wet, but at least she is mostly clean. i consider showering myself off while fully clothed, but decide against it for the sake of my bra, which is somehow the only thing still dry and untouched.

i am still a little bit in shock at how absolutely horrendous and LONG every aspect of this day has been. i need a xanax, $10,000 USD, a massage, and a handle of whiskey. i will be receiving none of that. goodnight.

[steddieas-shegoes]

this place is such great motivation for anyone trying to move the fuck away from hibernation

chapter 4: i stopped caring 'bout a month ago, since then it's been smooth sailing also on AO3  Chapter 1 Chapter 2 Chapter 3 Rated E

🧰🧰🧰🧰🧰🧰🧰🧰🧰🧰🧰🧰🧰🧰🧰🧰

Wayne Munson was looking at Steve Harrington as if he was worse than the dirt under his shoe.

And that’s how he felt.

He watched Eddie spend months after Steve left wondering what he did wrong, what drove him away, what made him decide that leaving was better than staying here or explaining his feelings.

Wayne didn’t believe in holding back when you cared about someone, especially not after everything Eddie had been through.

And he thought Steve felt the same.

He saw the way that boy watched Eddie, whispering to himself when he thought Wayne wasn’t in the room for Eddie to just wake up, saw how often he came by the trailer just to check on him when he was home.

In short, nothing he did made any damn sense.

And what didn’t make any damn sense at this very moment was the fact that Steve was standing on Wayne’s porch holding Eddie’s hand.

“Someone better start talkin’ before I lock the both of ya out of this trailer,” he said as he crossed his arms over his chest.

“Wayne-“

“I think you’ve earned the right to call me Mr. Munson, don’t you?”

Wayne watched as Steve gulped, Eddie squeezed his hand, and they both took a step closer together.

He sighed.

“This is a sit down talk, ain’t it?” he asked Eddie.

“Yeah, probably,” he responded.

“Fine. Get inside. Be quiet. Mia’s sleepin’ and she ain’t due to wake up for a bottle for another hour.”

He walked inside, didn’t bother holding the door for either of them.

He was mad at Steve, sure, had been for a year now.

But he felt a simmering anger for Eddie, the nephew he loved so much, and his too-forgiving soul.

The only reason he was entertaining this conversation at all was because Eddie was giving him his big puppy dog eye look, the same one he used to get away with things as a kid and teenager, the same one Mia used to get extra snuggles before bed.

He sat in his chair, watched the way Steve and Eddie sat on the couch as close as they could get without being in each other’s laps.

“So you wanna explain why you’re here or should I assume it’s to hurt my boy again?” Wayne didn’t pull his punches, never had, never would, not when it came to protecting his family.

“Wayne-“

“Ed, I’m not askin’ you. I’m askin’ him. And then I’m gonna ask you so get your answers straight,” Wayne raised his brows at him before turning his eyes back to Steve, who looked even more tense. Good. “I’m gonna assume you came back to visit and didn’t think you’d run into Eddie, but you did. I’m also gonna assume you didn’t know about Mia. I’m gonna tell ya right now, I’m more protective of her than I am of Ed and you remember how protective I am of him.”

Steve nodded.

“Well? You gonna explain or am I just gonna send you on your way?”

“I guess you’re right, mostly. I didn’t plan on running into Eddie at first, and no one told me about Mia before. But I did and I met Mia, and I was hit with this feeling that I’d missed even more than I thought, and I was reminded that I left more than just friends. I left a future. I tried to find one, but the one I could’ve had never even got a chance. I-“ Steve cut himself off, looked at Eddie to gain some courage. “I shouldn’t have left the way I did and I won’t ever forgive myself for it or expect anyone else to. I was scared of a lot of things, my feelings for Eddie one of them, and I thought running would get rid of the fear. It didn’t. I kinda learned to live with it, though, at least until I came back and ran into Eddie. I saw what he had here with Mia, with you, with the kids, and I realized that the life I’ve been living is…I dunno, wasting away? I guess I just stopped caring about anything because it was easier than feeling the pain of leaving.”

Wayne could see they’d both been crying. Steve was crying again now, and Eddie looked like he wasn’t far behind.

It was easy to see that his pain was genuine, his incoming apology was genuine.

But that didn’t change things for Wayne, not without showing that he was going to actually do something to make it right for Eddie, for the kids who were just as hurt when he left.

“I’m sorry. For leaving, for hurting Eddie, and the kids, and anyone else, especially you. None of you deserved that, none of you should have had to wonder what happened or worried that you did something to upset me to make me leave. I’m sorry that you had to clean up the messes I left behind. I’m sorry that I may never be able to make it right.”

He could feel Eddie’s eyes on him, silently begging him to accept the apology for what it was.

“I’m gonna do everything I can, though. For Eddie, and you, and Mia. You all deserve more than I can give, but if you let me, I wanna try to give all I have,” he begged.

That’s what he was doing: begging.

Wayne could see how much Steve was relying on Wayne’s acceptance. Not forgiveness, maybe, but he needed Wayne to accept that he was here and recognizing his own failures.

“You know how much you hurt him?” Wayne said softer than he’d been speaking until now. “You know how many nights I was scared to go to work because he hadn’t slept in two or three days because he was crying and worried about you? How many mornings I came home and tried to make him breakfast and he wouldn’t eat because he was too worried? And how badly he needed you when Mia got here? How many times I walked in to hear him trying to muffle his cryin’ in his pillow while she slept, asking for you?”

Eddie didn’t know he’d heard that, he’d never mentioned it, but now was as good a time as any to let it out.

“You know how much I worried about him tryin’ to hold it all together for Mia? You don’t. You couldn’t. He wouldn’t tell you how bad it was, and no one else knows how bad it was. But I was here, I saw it all, I see how he still sometimes zones out while she’s taking a bottle, starin’ at your photo by his bed. How much he still misses you, loves you. And to me, you don’t deserve it-“

“Wayne-“

“Ed, not yet,” Wayne held his hand up. “You were selfish, exactly what I expected of a Harrington, and you just show up now thinkin’ I can allow it without bein’ on edge. I hear your apology, I think you’re genuinely sorry, but that don’t mean shit to me until you prove how sorry you are.”

“Can I talk now?” Eddie asked.

Wayne looked him over, sighing as he saw his clenched jaw, his rigid back. He nodded for Eddie to talk.

“I appreciate you sticking up for me, and you’re right. He shouldn’t just be forgiven because of an apology, not with the way he hurt me and not with how much I would have to lose if he were to leave me again. I know that. But I know Steve isn’t gonna do that again. He’s not,” Eddie insisted.

“And how do ya know that?”

“Because last time we didn’t say how we felt. This time we did. We both put it all out there. He knows what it would look like to leave now,” Eddie glanced behind him towards his bedroom. “He knows what he’d be leaving and he won’t do that. Not to me or Mia, and not to you.”

"So, what? You’re movin’ back to Hawkins?” Wayne directed his question to Steve, but his eyes still glanced back at Eddie as Steve tried to form a response.

He looked hesitant, and that was more reason for Wayne to be concerned.

If Eddie had even a hint of a doubt, Wayne wouldn’t listen to any explanations. Not a single one.

“I’m…not moving back here, no.”

That’s what he thought.

“So you’re leavin’? Again?” Wayne must be missing something.

Eddie wouldn’t allow this, and Wayne certainly wouldn’t.

“I’m leaving, but Eddie’s gonna come with me. Or he will soon, at least. When he’s ready and when Mia’s ready.”

Wayne sat back in his chair.

He turned all of his attention to Eddie, who looked suddenly like he wanted to be anywhere but here.

“Oh, is that what’s happening? Not to be a negative Nancy, but how you plan on doin’ that when you can’t even get a place here, Ed? You know the city is more expensive, that’s why you ain’t gone yet.”

He hated being the bad guy, hated doing this to Eddie when he knew he knew.

But sometimes love makes you do stupid things. Sometimes you need someone with logic to step in and think for you.

And sometimes, Wayne took his protective streak just a bit too far.

Like he did now.

“I’m well aware I can’t afford shit, Wayne, thank you. I know it’s expensive, I know it’s a risk, and I know that it won’t be easy. But I also know that I can’t stay trapped here, I can’t keep Mia trapped here, and I can’t live with myself if I never fucking try!”

Mia started crying in their room and Eddie instantly let go of Steve’s hand and stood up, already looking like he wanted to cry out of frustration.

“Eds-“

Wayne watched as Steve stood with him, reaching out a hand to stop him.

“It’s fine. I’ll be back,” Eddie brushed him away, turning and walking towards his room to take care of Mia.

Steve watched him go, and Wayne watched Steve.

Steve’s face fell, eyes closing to ward off tears that started to fall anyway.

He sat back down on the couch, his face turned to the floor.

“I know you’re angry with me, but can you please not take it out on him?” Steve whispered, his voice shaking.

Wayne would give Steve one thing: he was brave. He never stood down when it came to protecting the people he cared about, even if it meant causing more trouble for himself.

He respected it, even with his negative feelings toward Steve, he knew what Steve was risking by saying something like that to Wayne, and he knew he was doing it because of how much he cared for Eddie.

“I’m not tryin’ to take it out on him. I’m tryin’ to get you both to see some sense.” Wayne leaned forward in his chair, face softening as he took in the way Steve tensed. “You’ve started a new life just as much as Ed has. You’ve got your job, your friends, your future. Adding Ed and Mia to the mix ain’t gonna be easy. You both have to think about Mia more than yourselves.”

“We know it won’t be easy. I know. I don’t expect him to make a decision that could be bad for Mia. I don’t want either of them to get hurt any more than you do,” Steve argued.

“But you’ve already hurt him. I can’t let that happen again, Steve.”

Eddie walked into the kitchen holding Mia, trying to keep her looking away from Steve and Wayne, but failing.

“Mamamamamama!” Mia started yelling.

Wayne’s brows drew up, eyes widening comically.

Steve smiled at her, giving a small wave.

“Mama!” she started smacking Eddie’s face and kicking her legs like she was trying to fly to Steve. “Mama! Uh!”

Wayne watched as Steve gave in, making his way over to where Eddie looked like he was going to collapse on the floor, exhaustion and emotions clearly all catching up to him at once.

“Hi princess,” Steve said softly, holding his hand out to get her to stop hitting Eddie’s face excitedly. “Are you having good dreams?”

Steve took her from Eddie’s arms, giving him a quick kiss on the cheek before waving to him to go away.

Wayne watched.

He took in the way Eddie’s entire body relaxed, how he looked at Mia in Steve’s arms with such adoration, so much love for her.

He never doubted Eddie’s devotion to Mia, to making sure she got everything she needed and felt loved.

And watching this scene now, watching Steve make her giggle in his arms while Eddie slumped against the counter for a moment, seeing how easy it was for them to fit like this, Wayne had to admit to himself that he was being unfair.

Maybe not completely — he still felt like his worry about their future was understandable — but he could see how jumping to the worst possible outcome wasn’t necessary.

“I got it,” Steve said quietly to Eddie as Mia babbled away in his arms.

“I can-“ Eddie started.

“I got it. Go talk to him,” Steve insisted, grabbing the bottle of formula from the counter to start filling the bottle Eddie already had sitting out.

Eddie turned to Wayne.

Wayne tilted his head towards the front door, silently suggesting they go out on the porch to talk.

Eddie nodded once before pecking a kiss on top of Mia’s head and one to Steve’s temple.

* - * - * - * - * -

Eddie and Wayne had always found solace in sitting on their front porch.

When things were hard, they came out here to make them easier.

Eddie took his spot on the top step while Wayne took his spot on the rocking chair.

They didn’t look at each other, didn’t have to when they were out here.

“I think I need you to explain to me what you and Steve had before he left,” Wayne said.

Eddie looked over at him briefly, nodding as he looked back at the front yard, the pitch black of the trailer park surrounding them.

“I don’t really know if I could explain it. It was technically nothing, I mean nothing more than friends. But we both knew it was more, or would be more. I loved him a lot, Wayne,” Eddie sighed. “And I think maybe I should have told him sooner. I think he would have stayed if I’d told him.”

���Why didn’t he tell you?” Wayne asked.

“He’s got…a rough history with telling someone how he feels. I knew I would have to be the one to make that move and I didn’t so that’s on me,” Eddie sighed. “But I’m not letting him just get away with what he did. I need you to understand that. My forgiveness for him is conditional and he knows that. He’s got work to do to make it right. But he’s trying already, and I need you to understand that he deserves the chance to keep trying.”

Wayne was watching him, letting his words sink in for a minute before responding.

“I love ya, kid. I just worry about the way you love people sometimes. Sometimes they don’t really deserve what you give them, and I can’t watch ya go through that kinda hurt again.” Wayne moved to sit down next to him on the step, grunting as his knees creaked and popped. “You really think he’s the one? For you and Mia?”

“I think that there’s a reason he came to the shop on the one day I have to handle the front, and there’s a reason that Mia already is obsessed with him, and I think the reason is that he’s supposed to be mine. I think he’s supposed to be ours.” Eddie bit his lip, wringing his hands together. “I know I’ve done a good hiding it over the last couple of months, but the hurt I felt when he first left never went away. I was still hurting just as much, it just got easier to show everyone that I wasn’t. Having him back, even if it’s only been for a minute, has changed everything for me.”

Wayne nodded, encouraging him to keep talking.

“I hope you get the chance to see the Steve that I’ve been able to see. I hope you can understand that he made a mistake and he’s owning up to it and making it right. I hope you can see that he’s good for me, and he’s good for Mia, and he’s good for our future. He’s good, Wayne. He’s the reason I’m even here to convince you to like him.”

“He’s also the reason you cried yourself to sleep for months,” Wayne said before letting out a long sigh. “But I hear ya. I can’t promise I can forgive him completely right now, but I can give him a shot. I can try. But I need ya to promise me something.”

“Anything,” Eddie nodded, hesitant smile on his face.

“I need ya to promise me that you’ll visit as often as ya can.”

Eddie let out a small sob, nodding as he fell into Wayne’s side.

“As much as we can, we’ll be here. Promise,” he said between breaths, his tears soaking through Wayne’s shirt.

“You better. And if anything happens, I want ya to come right home. No told ya so’s here, as long as you’re both okay,” Wayne said as he wrapped his arms around him.

“Okay.” Eddie sniffled, but didn’t move away from Wayne. “Thank you.”

“Yeah, yeah. I guess I should be a little nicer if he’s gonna take on the task of making sure you remember to eat breakfast and fill your tank with gas,” Wayne teased.

Eddie pulled away with a shocked face.

“I can do that stuff by myself!”

“Uh huh. Sure ya do.”

Wayne hugged him again before standing up, groaning at the way his knees popped again.

“You invite him over for dinner tomorrow so I can get to know him better. No arguin’.”

“Will you be nice?” Eddie raised a brow at him.

“I’ll do my best. For you and Mia.”

Eddie nodded, smiling up at him. “Then I’ll tell him to come over after my shift.”

Wayne gave him a pat on the shoulder before walking back inside, hopefully to be nice to Steve or leave him alone entirely.

Eddie let out a long sigh.

“Jeez. That bad?” Steve joked from behind him.

Eddie turned quickly to see him standing there holding a sleeping Mia, blanket covering everything except her face.

“No, actually. Better than expected. She drink a whole bottle before passing out again?” Eddie went to stand up and take her from Steve, but Steve held out his hand to get him to stay put.

Steve sat down next to him slowly, making sure not to jostle Mia too much where she was drooling against his shoulder.

“She had about half.” Steve rubbed her back slowly, leaning his head onto Eddie’s shoulder.

Eddie wrapped his arm around Steve’s waist, tugging him into his side as gently as possible.

“She’s pretty attached to you,” Eddie whispered against his temple, letting his lips rest there while Steve relaxed against him.

“I’m pretty attached to her. And you. You’re pretty great,” Steve tilted his head up and beamed at him.

And it hit Eddie then. Maybe it should have hit a lot sooner, or maybe later.

He spent a lot of the last six months worried that it would always just be him and Mia.

Sure, he had Wayne, and the kids, and maybe even Robin if she decided to visit, but they weren’t Steve.

No matter what else he had, he never thought he’d have Steve.

Now he did, now he would.

He couldn’t help letting out a laugh, louder than he meant to, and immediately getting a glare from Steve when Mia let out a small whine.

He shushed her, patting her back and bouncing just slightly to try to keep her asleep.

Eddie watched with a fond smile.

Everything he wanted was here, everything.

He leaned down to kiss the top of Mia’s head.

“Sorry, I just realized that this is maybe the happiest I’ve been since you left. Maybe even before that,” Eddie whispered before leaning in to kiss Steve’s forehead.

“I’m gonna keep making you happy then,” Steve whispered back.

——————————

Steve spent the night, insisting on being the one to get up with Mia when she inevitably needed the other half of her bottle.

“You have work tomorrow, I’m just meeting up with the kids for a bit. I can take a nap,” he said with his hands on his hips, leaving no room for an argument.

Eddie fell asleep holding Steve against his chest, tracing patterns and words against his bare back.

When his alarm clock went off the next morning, Steve was already awake, sitting up in bed with Mia on his lap.

“Hey,” Eddie smiled at them, wiping the sleep from his eyes.

“Look who’s awake, princess!” Steve exclaimed, smiling at Mia then at Eddie.

“Mama!” Mia yelled.

“Nope, dada. Mama’s been awake. You remember, you were there. An hour ago when you decided that screaming was the best way to wake me up,” Steve said, never losing the smile on his face.

“Sorry, I usually wake up as soon as she starts crying,” Eddie apologized, sitting up so he could take her in his arms.

Steve handed her over, but cuddled into Eddie’s side instead of laying down or getting up.

“’S okay. We had a nice long talk about letting dada have his sleep, didn’t we?” Steve was poking Mia’s tummy, smiling as she giggled.

“Oh, you did?” Eddie booped Mia’s nose, smiling at her as she giggled. “And she signed the contract that says I get to sleep in until at least seven in the morning on weekends?”

Steve sighed.

“Unfortunately, my client refused that part of the contract. But she did agree to go to bed earlier tonight so we can spend time with Wayne.”

Eddie kissed the top of her head as she smacked his face and babbled random noises.

He kissed the top of Steve’s head after, smiling when Mia copied him, at least to the best of her abilities. Mostly, she left a trail of drool in Steve’s hair.

Eddie started to apologize, but Steve waved him off.

“I don’t mind, baby.”

Their morning flowed seamlessly; As Eddie got ready for work, Steve got Mia’s breakfast ready, following Eddie’s very detailed instructions perfectly.

Wayne was out fishing, had apparently already arranged with Steve that he’d be home by ten to take over watching Mia.

Steve even handed Eddie a plate of peanut butter toast with a raised eyebrow.

“Heard you forget to eat breakfast before your shifts.” Steve ran his hands through Eddie’s hair. “Not happening while I’m here. Eat.”

“Sir, yes, sir,” Eddie joked, ignoring the way Steve’s ears went red as he took a bite of the toast.

Mia babbled to herself and to them as she munched on her Cheerios and bananas, taking sips of her bottle every minute or so.

“Before you head out, is it alright if I use your phone? Just for a couple minutes.” Steve was wringing his hands together, a nervous habit Eddie had never noticed before. “I, uh. I’ve been doing daily morning check-ins with Robin. She was worried about me coming back here alone, so this is how I got her to agree.”

As much as Eddie wanted to dig deeper into that, ask a million questions about why she was so worried and why she was requiring check-ins, he knew neither of them had time for that.

“’Course you can, sweetheart. Tell her I said hi,” Eddie gave him a comforting smile.

He tried not to listen in, but the trailer was small and sound carried far, especially when Steve didn’t close his bedroom door.

But even Mia went quiet when she realized Steve had left the room, content to finish the last few bites of her breakfast in silence.

“Robs, it’s fine, I-“ A full minute of silence. “No, we talked and-“ He glanced over at Mia, who was looking towards the bedroom with her head tilted to the side like she was trying to listen too. He’d laugh if he wasn’t worried about making noise. “Robin. I’m fine. He’s fine. We’re fine. I’ll talk to you more about it tomorrow, okay?”

“Mama?” Mia asked, surprisingly quiet, like she knew she should be.

“He’ll be right back, princess.”

Eddie stood up to take care of his plate and start cleaning Mia’s hands and face from the mess she’d made.

Steve was by his side only a moment later, kissing his cheek and whispering a quick ‘thank you’ before he pulled Mia out of her high chair.

“Look at you! You did so good, princess. Barely even a mess on the bib,” Steve blew raspberries against her neck, making her laugh and flail her arms and legs.

“God, I love you,” Eddie said, unable to hold back for another second.

Steve looked over at him, eyes wide, awestruck.

“Yeah?”

As if Eddie hadn’t already professed it the night before, looked at him like he lit up the night sky ever since. As if Eddie hadn’t agreed to upend his entire life, go outside his comfort zone, take the biggest risk of his life for him.

“Yeah. More every minute, seems like.”

Steve tucked Mia against his hip, leaning over to kiss Eddie’s lips.

“I love you, too,” he breathed out, only pulling away when Mia started smacking at his cheek.

“Mama! Mama! Uh! Mama!”

“You are up, silly,” Steve said to her with a smile.

“Uh! Ooo? Ooo.”

Steve’s brows furrowed before his eyes widened and he looked at Eddie.

“Eddie. Oh my God.”

Eddie just stared back at him, waiting to understand what the sudden panic in Steve’s eyes was about.

“She’s trying to say ‘I love you’, listen,” Steve turned back to Mia and poked her belly. “Were you tellin’ Dada you love him?”

“Mama! Uh oooo!”

It seemed like a reach, but it was pretty damn close for what Mia was actually able to say.

“Sounds like she’s telling Mama she loves him,” Eddie nudged Steve’s arm.

He would probably be upset that Steve was getting all this attention if it wasn’t as adorable as it was, or if Steve didn’t have the reaction he did to most of it.

“I think she just doesn’t know how to say Dada yet,” Steve replied, but his eyes were filling with tears and Eddie knew he would start crying any moment.

“Maybe. Or maybe she loves us both.”

Steve kissed the top of her head and turned back to the clock on the wall.

“You’re gonna be late if you don’t go!” he exclaimed, pushing Eddie out of the kitchen.

“Okay, but-“

“No, go!”

“Kiss!” Eddie demanded, barely holding back an actual pout.

Steve kissed him again, a quick peck on the lips so he would hurry out the door.

“Bye! Love you both!”

“Love you!”

Those words would be all Eddie needed to get through his day.

———————————

Mondays were Adam’s days to bring lunch for them.

He’s a naturally good cook, always makes them some kind of casserole that’s way better than it should be.

Today was no different.

He’d been busy today, catching up on some paperwork from last week while the guys worked in the shop. Mondays were like that: high stress, very little downtime, and loud music.

It’s why he was grateful Wayne never worked Mondays.

Bringing Mia to the shop on one of their busiest days of the week would be difficult, even with help.

Because of this, the day flew by.

Adam brought him a plate of food for lunch, but he worked while he ate, unable to completely avoid a couple of customer phone calls and placing an order for parts.

After lunch, he was able to work in the shop with the guys, which he much preferred to having to sit at a desk.

Customers kept coming until nearly closing time, and Eddie had to turn the last two away because he would already be here late, and he couldn’t be. Not tonight.

Tonight was dinner with Steve and Wayne and it was too important to get stuck at work.

If he asked one of the other guys to stay, they would, but he couldn’t do that to any of them, not when he was supposed to show that he was a leader.

Imagine: Eddie being responsible. High school super senior Eddie wouldn’t even believe the maturity.

“You sure you don’t need us to stay, Ed?” Michael asked.

He worked part time during the week, fixed up old cars as his main job, but was always quick to offer to stay on their busy days.

“All good guys! Won’t be much longer, anyway,” he replied with his head in the hood of the Ford Escort that had been here for most of the day.

Everyone said goodbye as they trailed out of the shop door.

Eddie was distracted, trying to loosen a bolt that seemed like it was superglued to the engine, which was why hearing Steve’s voice right behind him made him jump so high he bumped his head on the hood.

“Fuck!”

“Sorry! I’m sorry! Are you okay?” Steve’s hands hovered over Eddie’s shoulders and arms, trying to figure out the best way to comfort him.

Eddie let out a laugh as he rubbed his head, turning completely so he could smile at Steve.

“I’m okay. What’re you doin’ here?” Eddie thought he was meeting him at the trailer in an hour, but maybe he’d been mistaken.

“I, um.” Steve ran his hand through his hair nervously. “I kinda missed you. And I drove by and saw everyone leaving except for you, so I thought I’d check on you.”

Eddie’s heart flipped over in his chest.

“You worried about me, Stevie?” Eddie teased, trying to cover the shake in his voice at the thought of Steve being concerned enough to go out of his way to check in.

“Always a little worried about you. Never know what you’re getting up to,” Steve teased back, finally settling his hands on Eddie’s arms.

“I’m okay. Just wanted to try to finish this one up before I go. It’s been a problem all day,” Eddie gestured to the car in front of him.

Steve leaned over the engine, nodding to himself and making little “hm” noises as if he was thinking about what the problem could be. Eddie watched him fondly, smirking as Steve stood back and put his hands on his hips.

“I think I know what the problem is.”

“Oh? Do tell.”

Steve faced him and smiled.

“You’re not fucking me in the backseat of it.”

Eddie’s jaw dropped.

“What.”

Steve leaned in, his breath ghosting over Eddie’s lips as his surprisingly heated gaze met Eddie’s.

“I may have spent the last hour working myself up a little too much. Don’t think I can make it through dinner without you taking care of me first, baby,” Steve whispered against his lips.

“In…this car? This one?” Eddie looked at the two door car, calculating how the hell they were both supposed to fit in the backseat in any position other than vertical.

“Mhm. This one. Unless you’ve got another one somewhere?” Steve looked around the otherwise empty shop. “I guess we could always go to my car or your van, but-“

“Nope, this one works. I’ll make it work,” Eddie interrupted, wiping his grease-stained hands on the towel he kept in his back pocket.

Steve didn’t seem to care that he was messy, or that they were technically in public, even if the shop was empty and would stay that way.

His lips were on Eddie’s, hungry, teeth biting into his bottom lip in a damn near frenzy to be as close as possible.

Eddie groaned into his mouth, his hands gripping Steve’s hips hard, pushing him towards the passenger seat of the car.

They didn’t separate while Eddie opened the car door, barely even separated when Eddie sat down in the seat, pulling Steve onto his lap.

“Said you got yourself all worked up for me?” Eddie asked as he unbuttoned Steve’s pants.

“Mhm,” Steve whined as Eddie’s hand brushed against his cock, his breath hot on his neck. “Wanted to be ready.”

Eddie froze.

“Ready? Steve, did you-“ Eddie pulled back and looked up at a smirking Steve. “Jesus Christ, where did you come from, sweetheart?”

“Please fuck me,” Steve replied, not answering the question at all, but Eddie couldn’t find it in himself to care.

He was too gone on the pleading look in Steve’s eyes, his hips rocking back and forth to find friction that Eddie wasn’t giving him yet.

“Gotta get your pants down,” Eddie tugged on his waistband to emphasize his point.

Steve managed to get up enough to pull his pants down to his ankles, though it was a slower process than it would have been in bed, or really anywhere that wasn’t a customer’s car.

God, he was fucking Steve for the first time in a customer’s car. This was one for the books.

“Shit, um, condom? I don’t exactly keep them on me,” Eddie said, coming back down to earth long enough to have some sense.

Steve shook his head.

“I’m good if you are. I mean, I haven’t — I haven’t slept with anyone since, well, shortly after graduation. Wow.” Steve huffed. “I should’ve thought to bring one.”

Eddie wasn’t letting this opportunity pass, not when he knew for a fact he was good to go without.

Instead of giving him an answer, Eddie finished unzipping his coveralls and tugged the waistband of his boxers down.

“Up for a second, love,” Eddie’s tone was demanding, but gentle, a moment of softness interrupting their previous rush.

Eddie sucked on his own fingers for a moment, making sure they were wet enough to ease the way. Even with Steve prepping himself beforehand, he didn’t want to cause any type of pain, not for their first time.

He reached down between them, smiling to himself when he felt how prepared Steve already was.

“You were just driving by? Or you were driving here?”

“Well, I-“

“Seems like you came straight here the moment you had three fingers in your ass, sweet thing,” Eddie slowly pushed two fingers into Steve, smirking as he met no resistance. “So hungry for it you couldn’t even wait until later?”

Steve whimpered, nodding quickly before throwing his head back as Eddie added a third finger.

“Please, I’m ready, I promise,” Steve begged.

He was, Eddie could tell. But the teasing was too fun.

“No, I don’t wanna hurt you, sweetheart. Probably should take my time in case you didn’t stretch yourself enough,” Eddie muttered against his neck, lightly nipping the skin.

“I’m good. I’m good, really.”

Eddie felt his legs quivering around him, holding himself up while Eddie���s fingers were stretching and searching inside him clearly a difficult task.

He withdrew his fingers quickly, ignoring the whine Steve let out at the loss, and grabbed the base of his cock.

“C’mere then,” Eddie growled out.

Steve fell forward, giving Eddie the perfect position to slide inside.

Steve’s moan as he filled him was like music to his ears, loud enough to echo in the whole shop.

Eddie held him still for a moment, let them both get used the feeling. As prepped as Steve was, as loose as he’d felt around his fingers, he still tight around his cock.

“Fuck, feel so good, Stevie,” Eddie sighed out, letting his forehead rest against Steve’s chest.

Steve’s hands curled into his hair, his lips brushed against the top of his head.

“Feels better than I imagined,” Steve breathed against him.

The moment was surprisingly soft for how desperate they’d both been only a moment ago. He let himself be held, let himself hold Steve, both of them holding this intensity between them.

Eddie kissed Steve’s chest, wishing he was completely naked, wishing he could spend all night worshiping every inch of Steve’s skin.

But he’d take this for now.

He rocked his hips up, tugging Steve down at the same time.

“Holy shit, Eds,” Steve whimpered. “You’re so deep.”

Steve’s words were almost slurred and Eddie had to pull away to look up at him properly.

His face was flush, hair already a mess.

Eddie had never loved him more.

“You gonna ride me or did you do all this work for nothing?”

Steve’s eyes hardened, the mischievous gleam making Eddie smirk back at him.

“I already did all the work, baby. Thought you’d take care of me.”

Oh, Eddie was gonna have too much fun with him.

He dug his fingertips into Steve’s waist and lifted him up, only to drop him back down on his cock.

The car was already rocking with their movements, and they’d barely even gotten started. Eddie didn’t care. He barely even noticed it once Steve gripped his shoulders and actually started riding him.

“That’s it, sweet boy. Take what you worked so hard for,” Eddie groaned.

Steve didn’t answer, just let out small whimpers and pants as he used Eddie’s shoulders as leverage to lift himself up and fall back down on Eddie’s length.

They didn’t have space to do everything Eddie wanted, but he reached over to put the seat back a few inches so he could work with a new angle.

The moment Steve moved in his lap, he tensed, his lips parting into an ‘o’ shape.

“Right there, sweetheart?” Eddie asked innocently.

Steve nodded, suddenly rendered silent by Eddie’s cock rubbing constantly against his prostate.

Eddie knew they didn’t have time to drag this out; Wayne was expecting both of them for dinner soon, and this car wouldn’t fix itself.

But someday soon he would spend hours like this in Steve’s car, maybe make Steve work for it all himself first, get him screaming his name before taking over, making him lay down face first in his backseat.

Or maybe he would lay out a blanket and pillow in the back of his van, play some music, open him up with his tongue and stay there for hours, tasting every part of Steve.

Maybe he’d find somewhere in the woods, park under the night sky, and fuck Steve on the hood of his car under the stars.

At some point, Eddie must have started daydreaming out loud because Steve was mumbling ‘yes, yes, please’ and ‘want that, too’ and Eddie was a goner.

His hips sped up, the head of his cock brushing against Steve’s spot with every thrust.

“Fuck, Eds, touch me, touch me, please.”

As much as Eddie could and would listen to Steve beg all night, he knew he was too close to the edge himself to make that happen.

He wrapped his hand around Steve’s leaking cock, pumped once, twice, and Steve was done for.

He clenched around Eddie so tight he could barely move, and that mixed with the sight of Steve coming apart above him was enough for Eddie to fill Steve with his own release.

Steve collapsed against his chest, breath labored and heart racing.

Eddie’s arms wrapped around him, a small laugh leaving him as he closed his eyes.

“What’s the laugh for?” Steve asked against his shoulder.

“Just can’t believe we fucked in a customer’s car. I’ll have to leave the windows open all night to air it out,” Eddie laughed again.

Steve sat up, smirking down at Eddie.

“Maybe we knocked something right and it works now,” Steve joked.

Eddie cupped Steve’s face in his hands and pulled him down to kiss him, his tongue tracing along his bottom lip.

When he pulled away, he smiled.

“Can’t believe you really showed up at my job just to fuck me,” Eddie shook his head. “I’m supposed to be a model employee.”

Steve rolled his eyes.

“Unless there’s a camera somewhere around, no one will ever know.”

“Oh, I didn’t mention? They have a security camera set up across the shop. Just filmed your first porn, Stevie.”

Steve slapped his chest, laughing.

“I gotta get up without making a mess,” he sighed.

“Didn’t think that part through, did you?”

“I’m not sure I thought any part through other than showing up,” Steve admitted, but he didn’t sound upset about it.

“And I am so happy you didn’t.”

He meant it, but a small part of him was maybe regretting their choices when cum started to drip out of Steve’s hole as he stood up to get out of the car, right onto the carpeted floorboard.

“Never getting that out,” Eddie shook his head. “Get dressed before we stain the seat.”

“You gotta finish up here before you go?” Steve asked as Eddie did what he could to wipe the cum from the floor.

“Just gonna try to start it again. If it doesn’t, I’ll just come in early to work on it.”

Steve watched as Eddie grabbed the keys from the workbench by the car and got in the driver’s seat.

He cranked the key.

The engine turned.

The car started.

“Unbelievable. We actually did fuck something into the right spot,” Eddie laughed in disbelief.

“Seriously?” Steve snorted. “I guess you should hire me then.”

“Be careful what you ask for, sweetheart. Could use someone to sit naked on the hood while I work,” Eddie winked as he shut off the car and got out. “Ready to go?”

Steve’s face fell.

“What is it?” Eddie asked.

“Just nervous. Wayne doesn’t like me,” Steve shrugged, trying to play it off like he wasn’t bothered when it was so clear that he was.

“He doesn’t like what you did. There’s a difference. He’s giving you a chance and you have to give him one, too, okay?”

Steve nodded.

“Okay!” Eddie clapped his hands together. “Ready to go home?”

“Yeah,” Steve smiled at the ground. “So ready.”

TAG LIST: @goodolefashionedloverboi @disrespectedgoatman @carlajim98 @loop-deloo

[firstofthenewguard]

Blood of Zeus Season 2 thoughts (There's alot of them)

I watched Blood of Zeus when it first came out in 2020 and the pandemic kept us trapped in our caves. I really liked the first season, mainly because it’s one of the few media outlets for Greek Mythology that isn’t wildly inaccurate, awkward, or just plain bad. It also set up a lot of interesting possible plotlines, and when the trailer for season 2 came out last month my hopes for those stories could not have been higher. I watched season 2 twice and… I have some notes (unfortunately)

First of All things I liked:

The entirety of episode 3

Hades and Persephone NOT being villains

Hades and Persephone being the only successful and functional couple in this show

The look of Hades’ Palace

ZAGREUS AND MELINOE!

The fact that Typhon is on a “He-who-shall-not-be-named” level and this time it actually has consequences

Other gods actually getting lines instead of just being backround characters on Olympus!

Hades using shadow teleportation, and using his bident like Mjolnir, only cooler

Other races in Hellas being acknowledged

More monsters; the Hydra being an ocean species is a very interesting take

Seraphim getting more development

Gaia and Hecate looked amazing

Problems with the Season:

Okay, a gripe I had with season 2 was Hades motive, and let me be clear I love the idea of Hades wanting to ascend the throne so Persephone wouldn't have to leave for 6 months, but to have him hate being in the Underworld seems like a stretch. In the myths, Hades knew the responsibility of ruling the dead and he did it with pride. It would have made more sense to have him hate being alone in the Underworld. They could've tied into the fact that Hades was the first to be swallowed by Kronos and was in his stomach alone for who knows how long.

Along with that, the season felt disjointed, like they were focusing on the wrong things, at the wrong time, for WAY too long. There were just some scenes that took up big chunks of the episodes and they didn't need to be that long, especially scenes with Heron. I know he's "The Main Character" but if you're going to make him that then please try to make his writing interesting enough for that much time to be devoted to his plot. I know that he's lost so much but his writing honestly felt clunky, it felt like he needed different scenes to make his choices more believeable. His dialouge also seemed stiff and I don't think his voice actor helped either.

We could've had a scene where Hades is talking to or doing something with Zag and/or Meli, showing how he's a better dad than Zeus, but we never got that.

If your going to give Hera a redemption arc GIVE HER A SCENE/EPISODE WHERE SHE CHANGES! Instead, the second she shows back up she's already redeemed? Really?

So, The Demon problem is just over? I don't remember them burning the giant flesh, and on that note where did Seraphim and the Demons move the giant flesh?

Ok, let me get this straight, they could've imprisioned the Giants' bodies in Tartarus the whole time?!

Also the giant problem felt like it was resolved way too early.

They didn't really focus on the open throne idea, yes the 3 trials were to decide the next king, but they needed scenes showing who the other Olympians thought should be in charge, show that scene about Ares rallying others to his side, maybe apollo did the same, or there could’ve still some loyal to Hera.

Minor: I loved Hestia but she looked WAY too young

Minor: Why are Horses just always the ones pulling the Gods' chariots, that's boring! I know most divine chariots are pulled horses in the myths, but for the love of mike be creative!

Minor: The giants guarding the hidden realm looked way to human.

Minor: They kept using the forest backround when they were in Tartarus, isn't the whole place on fire? I wanted to see some lava.

Minor: The other races that showed up for the funeral should've had varying respones to Zeus' death, like Hephaestus said.

The whole Eluesian Stone plotline seemed rushed and felt like it just came out of knowhere. The show said that Zeus drawing the stone from 3 others was how he became ruler of the Heavens, but wasn't the reason in season 1 being because he married Hera who was already queen of the Heavens?

Evios and Kofi didn't really get enough scenes for their characters to really do anything.

Alexia had the same problem she kind of just went along with Heron's whole thing this season, she didn't really do much except (sorta) talk to him.

They really should've brought all of Zeus' misdeeds to the trial, Prometheus especially.

[zelda-photography]

TOTK Trailer 3 Analysis

Alright, let's do this. There was a whole lot in this trailer, and just so you know i'm not going to be dissecting every second or everything that made me go 'oh cool!' Like, the rocket is way cool but I won't be providing a picture. Anyway, without further ado, here we go!

I really liked seeing the little robot guys doing stuff on the island, especially this little one fending off a chuchu :D I think it adds a lot to the understanding of the role of these robots

Not sure what's up with all the mushroom stuff but I love it! I like seeing that the villages are going to be changed :D

Yay, settlements! People trying to move into this area! A shame that the castle is gone now. I also really like the birds on the old fountains.

Big round rock is very interesting. It reminds me of the speed boost things in skyward sword, so that's my theory on what this one does.

Big thing rising from the Gerudo desert. It's probably going to end up just being Ganondorf's castle, but I really hope it's Arbiter's Grounds because that place horrifies and fascinates me.

Presumably a back shot of Ganondorf, and I gotta say I love his hair all glowing and crazy like that. He seems to be watching something explode, but I'm not sure what? Baby theory with the only proof of 'idk it'd make a modicum of sense', maybe it's the great plateau he's destroying?

Putting these two together since they seem to go together - ways to get below ground? Very interesting. Not psyched about having to wear the lame lava armor again, though. (and when I say go together, I realize this is probably an underground cavern in the Eldin area and not in Lanayru)

Flying ship flying ship let's go!!! Looks way cool and makes me wonder who is manning it. Robots? Monsters? The Zonai???

Floating balls of water are cool, but more than anything make me wonder if there will be a better swimming mechanic, maybe even diving?

Mostly took this picture because I like the red bird outfit Link is wearing. Presumably it'll slow his fall more than other clothes, but I also like the reference to the crimson loftwing.

Finally, the being we've been seeing on the wall carvings and ruins. What's her deal? Is this what all Zonai look like? She looks rad that's for sure. I've heard some people say she looks like a lizard, but personally I think she looks more like the three dragons.

At first, this is kind of a boring shot, until I remembered that Hyrule castle probably was very much destroyed in the final battle of BotW. Was it repaired? By the little magic sparkles around, I'd guess either Zelda is repairing it with magic, or this is some kind of memory.

Finally, the girl. Strange dais she's standing in front of, I'm so worried for her.

The Baby! Teba really said 'I'm too old for this shit' and is having his baby fill in for him! Rip Teba you were, well, a normal guy opposed to all the other champions. Here's to your cool kiddo.

I think I said this in my analysis of the last trailer, that I thought Link's vehicles would be able to transport Hylians, and I feel soooo vindicated right now! Yes, helping the citizens! I love it!

This is ridiculous and I love it. Just us with our dumb machine against a bunch of monsters. Reminds me of that woodcutting machine from beauty and the beast, I think because of the little arm making kind of chopping motions

BIG FUCKING MONSTER ATTACKING THE LITTLE BABY! I'M SO EXCITED FOR BOSS BATTLES NOW!

No idea what the little magatama is still other than 'probably what they mean when they say tears'

I have mixed opinions on ganondorf's design, but overall I think I like it :) He's green still, which is a little weird, but I guess he is technically a zombie, and damn did he rehydrate well.

Putting these two together to make a point (may also make it it's own post too) that I think Zelda isn't just wearing the above woman's outfit, I think the above woman is Zelda, the one from 1000 years ago. (I'll also mention now that what if the male voice talking to Zelda is some version of Ganondorf?)

At one point I was going to make a video about TotK theories, and one involved getting to fight with civilians. It was more of an escort idea in there, but hey, still looks exciting! I love all these people who are stepping up to the plate and aren't just going to let another calamity hit them!

Riju haircut! Sidon is King! Kind of weird that we say three of the four races, really hoping the gorons are doing okay. I'm really excited to see how the powers and strengths of the allies have evolved. From the footage, you already get the idea that Riju has started to use Urbosa's lightning powers.

Gleeok! We've all seen him coming, but hey, he's officially here! That's pretty rad!

Hard to see, but we're getting more of the wall mural thing, this time featuring ganondorf. I hope this thing will be, like, a physical thing in game so we can look at the whole thing.

And finally Zelda. My bets are that she's a) going to be found sleeping on that thing, very similar to Zelda 2's ending or that b) she's going to end up being sacrificed on it :(

[sunwarmed-ash]

WIP Wednesday

Hi frrrrrrrrriends

So im super sick and we're about to get hit with a big snow storm. I'm hoping to have something for Sunday, but if not, due to power outtage/more illness, have some WIP Wednesday!

Remember when I said love me or hate me I just dont care was gonna be a one-shot? HA! I have written an additional 3k of plot already.....

When Billy gets home after a 12 hour shift, he gets rewarded with Susan and Max screaming at each other over something surely not worth the effort. He just wants to scream. Or break something. Instead he walks up three houses and hopes Munson's home. 

-

A few hits in his friends mutual acquaintance's company helps. Eddie is rolling a second joint while Billy lights up a cigarette. 

“So are you really not gonna tell me what happened?”

“With what?” Billy asks, though he's too tired to pass for aloof.

“‘With what’ with Steve!”

“I thought I told you to drop that,” Billy scowls. 

“Yeah well, I tried. But he wouldn’t tell me either.”

“So maybe you should mind your own fucking buisness.”

“Please? I’ll suck you off?”

Billy scoffs. 

“Now you’re extorting me?”

“I know you’ll like it,” Eddie winks and Billy has to consciously will down his dick from getting too excited. 

“That’s not the point.”

“Please! Come on, the suspense is killing me! Watching the two of you dance around each other for a year has been agonizing!”

“What the fuck are you talking about?”

“You mean other than your not subtle obsession with him?”

“Fuck off.”

“No. Tell me.”

And really, Billy’s patience can't take any more Munson. 

Billy takes the joint out of Eddie’s fingers and replaces it with his lit cigarette. He lights the stolen joint and takes two hits before he finally answers. 

“Do you remember last Halloween? Well, after. When he came back looking all fucked up?”

“Yeah, he said some drunk asshole ran a stop sign and hit him head-on.”

Billy was surprised to hear that there was a crafted alibi for the night. There was no reason for Steve to protect Billy. So why did he?

“Yeah, well that’s bullshit.”

“What do you mean?” Eddie asks.

“It was me.” Billy admits, and it still makes him viscerally sick to think about. 

“You were the drunk driver?”

“No, no! Max, snuck out to be with Sinclair, I- I got into it with my dad. I found her at Joyce’s and he lied to me about it!” Billy’s sputtering out all of the facts, but disjointed and out of context like this, it didn't make much sense. “I was pissed. And took it out on Steve. I hurt him, bad.”

“And that’s why you let him beat your face in at Hill’s party,” Eddie says, finishing the connecting dots. 

“Yeah… seemed only fair. Though I think he pulled his punches.”

“Course he did,” Eddie shrugs, “Steve’s a good guy.”

“Unlike me,” Billy finishes, mood immediately soured.

“Hey, whoa, I didn't say that,” Munson objects, but Billy has heard enough to suit his self doubt. He tosses the roach into the ashtray before standing and leaving the trailer without another word.