#I will need to investigate further incidents to be sure

[hippiegoth97]

Renegade: Eddie Munson x Reader

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Description: It's spring break of '86, and you receive a call from Dustin after seeing a troubling news story on the television. He enlists your help to find Eddie, a young man you remember was supposed to graduate with you two years prior. The two of you have history, which causes you to willingly volunteer yourself to watch after the unfortunate fugitive. You comfort him in his time of need, in more ways than one. And you end up finding something that's been missing from your lonely existence for way too long...

Content Warning 18+ Only, Minors DNI: swearing, female reader, smut, fingering, oral sex, unprotected sex, squirting, consecutive orgasms, mentions of violence, one use of the F-slur, mentions of abuse/attempted sexual assault, mentions of past underage sex (reader and Eddie are both 19/20 in the actual story), mentions of drug/alcohol use, mentions of minor criminal activity, crying, light PTSD

A/N: This story contains dialogue from Stranger Things season four for context within my story, some of which has been modified. The credit for said dialogue goes to the Stranger Things writers, the Duffer Brothers, and Netflix. I only use it for entertainment purposes, I do not own Stranger Things or any of its characters, and I do not profit from my stories.

Word Count: 25.8k

divider by @strangergraphics

Renegade

You're sitting on the couch in your apartment, watching the early afternoon cartoons. A bowl of Honeycomb cereal sits before you, and you munch away at it mindlessly. Suddenly, in the middle of your animated entertainment, the local news cuts in to deliver a breaking story. You roll your eyes, it's probably another story about how evil Dungeons & Dragons is or some shit. This town sure loves to cater to sensationalism. There's been actual monsters from another dimension terrorizing this town, but all anyone can talk about is 'Just Say No' and 'the threat of satanism'.

A newswoman stands outdoors in the afternoon sun, in the middle of a place you'd recognize anywhere. Forest Hills trailer park, and the scene of the crime behind her is none other than the home of Eddie Munson. What the hell? You turn up the volume, needing to know what's going on.

"This is Channel Nine News coming to you live with a breaking story. We're in the Forest Hills trailer park in East Roane County. We don't have a lot of details right now, but we can confirm that the body of a Hawkins High student was discovered early this morning. Police have not released the victim's name, although we are told they're currently in the process of notifying the family. This incident is sure to rock the community of Hawkins, as the town has seen so much loss in recent years. Just last summer, there was the tragic fire at Starcourt Mall that claimed thirty lives. Police have the area around the crime scene blocked off as they are currently investigating, and are advising the trailer park residents to stay indoors, and stay vigilant. It has not yet been determined if foul play is involved, but we'll report back when we receive further details on this story."

You click off the TV, unable to believe that yet another life has been claimed by this bullshit town. The second you put the remote down, your phone begins to ring. You take the receiver out of its cradle, bringing it to your ear. "Hello?" You say.

"Y/N! It's Dustin, have you seen Eddie?" Dustin Henderson, one of the many friends you've managed to make over the last couple years. You'd first become acquainted with him last summer, when you worked at Starcourt before the 'fire'. You worked at Scoops Ahoy with Steve and Robin, both of which you remembered from your high school days. You graduated back in '84, the year Eddie was originally supposed to. You didn't hang out much, but you'd run into each other at times. He was kind, if not a little guarded. But he has every reason to be, given the fact that Hawkins High and the town as a whole absolutely hate him. And now, they're going to think he's a murderer. "Hello? You there, Y/N?" Dustin asks, snapping you out of your thoughts.

"Um, yeah. I haven't seen Eddie, but I just saw the news." You reply.

"Yeah, so did I. Can you meet me at Family Video? We should make some calls." He says, seemingly hiding some vital details. But you know just as well as him that someone could be listening to your conversation right now. The government has been keeping a very close watch on Hawkins, screening calls and performing raids. Anything alluding to the upside-down, or Eleven, or any other product of Hawkins lab will send some very scary people your way.

"Yeah, I'll be there in fifteen." You say hurriedly, checking your watch. The line cuts out, and you set the phone down on the table. You jog to your bedroom, hastily changing out of your pj's and into some jeans and a t-shirt. You slip on a cardigan as well as the air is still a bit chilly at times. You pull on your converse and grab your purse as you walk out the door. You get in the car as fast as you can, peeling out of the parking lot of your apartment complex. It doesn't take long for you to show up at the video store, noticing two bicycles leaning against the glass windows. You put your car in park and go inside. You find Dustin and Max behind the counter, having just spilled some newly returned tapes on the floor. Steve and Robin are yelling at the two of them for disrupting their day, noting how hectic the shop has been thus far. "Hey guys." You say to interrupt their squabbling.

"Oh, hey, Y/N. What are you doing here?" Steve asks, giving you a once-over. You roll your eyes at him, he's always had a bit of a thing for you. He knows you aren't into him that way, so he stopped persistently asking you out quite some time ago. He can't seem to control his wandering eyes, though, much to your dismay.

"Dustin asked me to meet him. Eddie's missing, and we need to find him." You reply, going around the counter the civilized way to help out.

"And how exactly do you guys plan to do that?" Robin asks, putting the dropped tapes back on the counter.

"I'm going to look up the numbers of Eddie's friends so we can call and see if they've seen him. Someone must have, right?" Dustin replies, going over to the computer and beginning to push buttons.

"Hey, now! That's property of Family Video, dude. You shouldn't be messing with that." Steve says, trying to get in the way to stop the kid.

"Quit it, Steve! I need to do this! It's important!" Dustin shouts, still pressing on keys to get into the customer log.

"But why? You think Eddie's cooler than me cuz he plays your nerdy game or something?" Steve asks, sounding rather jealous.

"No, dude! I never said that." Dustin says. He looks to Max, needing some assistance here. He can't stop what he's doing to explain every little detail, there's no time to waste."Can you just- fill them in while I do this?" He asks as he types away on the customer database.

"Fill us in on what?" Robin asks, speaking for the three of you who have no idea what's going on. Max proceeds to explain what she saw last night, Chrissy at Eddie's trailer, Eddie driving away, the lights flickering. The pieces begin to fit together as she speaks. Automatically, your mind goes to some upside-down-related nonsense. But there's no way to know for sure until you locate Eddie and hear his side of the story. You truly believe he wouldn't do something like this. He may look intimidating at times, but he's no killer.

You assist Max and Dustin in calling around, allowing Robin and Steve to work on this busy Saturday. One by one, names are crossed off a relatively short list. But the name 'Reefer Rick' comes up as another person who may know of Eddie's whereabouts. It's said that Rick is Eddie's supplier, and he crashes at his house sometimes. No one knows exactly who he is, or his phone number. So, for a moment you think this plan is a bust, a dead end. Until Robin comes up with an idea, after Steve stupidly suggests you go to the police. She takes Dustin's place at the computer, typing in 'Rick'. There's twelve names that match, hopefully you can narrow it down.

"That's a lotta Ricks." Max observes aloud, drawing nods of agreement from all of you. Robin pulls up the profiles one by one, eliminating them due to their picks of musicals, kids movies, teen flicks, and one account with an odd amount of water-themed films. She clicks down to one containing Fast Times and practically every Cheech and Chong movie in existence. Bingo.

"Looks like we've found our guy. Rick Lipton. The address is 2121 Holland Road." Robin says.

"That's out by Lover's Lake." Dustin chimes in.

"Middle of nowhere." Max adds.

"The perfect place to hide." You conclude. With that, Robin and Steve close up shop and the five of you pile into Steve's car to go find Eddie. It's gotten dark by the time you reach the home, and Steve parks the car. You all walk to the front door, with Dustin pressing on the bell. The dinging tone echoes through the interior of the house, but no one seems to be inside. Dustin pushes the bell repeatedly, becoming frustrated at the notion that this idea was wrong from the start.

"Well, looks like he's not here." Steve says, ready to give up. Dustin calls Eddie's name aloud, hoping the sound of a friendly voice will lure him out. Steve keeps trying to shush him, not wanting to call attention to your snooping if anyone else lives out here. The rest of you flash your lights through the windows, looking for any sign of life. You notice there's a boathouse which partially hovers over the lake. The door is slightly ajar, and you call everyone over to see your discovery.

"Maybe he's in here." You say, and your group slowly approaches the boathouse. You search the outside first, peeking in the windows. You can't see much, it's an absolute mess in there. You go inside, flashing your lights into every corner in hopes to find your missing metalhead.

"Hello, anyone home?" Robin asks cautiously. She's not too keen to be out by the lake at night, where a potential killer could be hiding.

Steve notices a boat with a large tarp over it sitting in the water, taking an oar off the metal wall of the shed to poke around. It's really the only good hiding place in here, so he jabs at the bulky tarp with the wooden instrument. "What are you doing?" Dustin asks, thinking Steve has lost it.

"He could be in here." Steve replies casually, continuing his curious prodding.

"Just take the tarp off!" Dustin suggests.

"If you're so brave, you do it!" Steve shoots back. You and the other girls continue to look around, ignoring the usual Henderson-Harrington banter. It's best to tune them out when possible, they spend half their time together going back and forth like siblings.

"Someone was here." Max notices empty snack wrappers and beer bottles, signaling that somebody had been here recently.

"Maybe he heard us. Got spooked and ran." Robin proposes.

"Don't worry, Steve will get him with his oar." Dustin quips, pointing to the man still poking around in the boat. The tarps continue to rustle, but no sounds of a person emit from underneath.

"I know you think you're being funny, man. But considering everyone here has almost died a hundred times, I don't personally find it funny in the slight-" Steve is interrupted as a figure jumps out of the boat. They grab onto Steve, pushing him roughly against the wall. You all shout at the sudden movements and noise, processing what's happening. You realize the figure is indeed Eddie, holding a broken bottle up to Steve's neck. A frightened yet defensive look sits on Eddie's face, and he's glistening with sweat. His body is shaking, making the broken glass in his grip quiver. His chest heaves, breathing heavily as adrenaline rushes through his veins. Steve looks just as terrified, the glass so very close to puncturing his throat. "Wait! Wait! Wait!" Steve shouts, trying to get Eddie to slow down.

"Eddie! Stop!" Dustin cries, attempting to get his friend's attention. He calls his name a couple more times, drawing Eddie's gaze to him. His eyes change slightly, somewhat confused as to why the kid is here. He's possibly contemplating whether or not his life is in danger. "It's me, Dustin. This is Steve, he's not gonna hurt you. Right, Steve?" Dustin gestures at Harrington, whose eyes are blown wide in terror. Eddie's got an iron grip on his shirt, keeping him pinned to the wall.

"Right, yeah." Steve whispers. He doesn't want his throat to get cut from talking too loudly or too much.

"Steve, drop the oar." Dustin instructs. Steve does so, which makes Eddie move in closer to him, like he might actually hurt him. "He's cool! He's cool!" He tries to explain.

"What are you doing here?" Eddie asks in a shaky voice. It's the first time he's spoken, and he sounds like a man who's been to hell and back. You're frozen in place, helplessly watching this situation unfold.

"We're looking for you." Dustin replies.

"We're here to help." Robin adds, and Eddie's eyes snap to her suspiciously. This could be a trap. A trap formed by the cops to draw him out.

"Eddie, these are my friends. You know Robin, from band." Dustin points to her, and she imitates playing the trumpet as that's her instrument of choice. "This is Max, the one who never wants to play D&D." He gestures at Max and she gives an awkward wave. "And this is Y/N. I know her from when she worked at the mall with Steve and Robin last summer." You give him a small smile, and Eddie's eyes change again. He definitely recognizes you, from back when he was supposed to graduate in '84. You were really nice to him, unlike most people. "We're on your side, Eddie." Dustin insists, hoping these statements are enough to get him to drop the weapon and talk to your group. "I swear on my mother. Right, guys?"

"Yep, yep, we swear. On Dustin's mother." You all add in various volumes and phrasing, nodding your heads to affirm this. Eddie thinks it over a moment, his face hardening again. On the one hand, the police could be waiting outside right now, waiting for the right moment to bust in here. But on the other, you all seem to want to help him, to listen to the crazy shit he saw last night. He lets Steve go, turning away. Steve lets out a sigh of relief, and all of you do the same. Crisis averted. All that's left to do now is get Eddie to talk. You notice him sliding down the wall, looking absolutely exhausted and traumatized.

Dustin walks over to him slowly, noticing the bottle still in his hand. "Eddie. We just want to talk." He takes the words one at a time, carefully reaching for the weapon in Eddie's hand. Eddie snatches it backwards, not quite wanting to let it go. It's all he has to defend himself with, and he feels far from comfortable enough to drop it. "Okay." Dustin says when he flinches.

You kneel beside Eddie, hoping your familiarity might help ease him a bit more. "We wanna know what happened."

Eddie sniffs harshly before speaking. He turns his head slightly to look your way, while still halfway hiding behind his hair. "You won't believe me." He says meekly, quieter than you've ever heard him talk before. He shakes his head, not wanting to believe it himself. It would be so much easier to believe he lost his mind, and hallucinated whatever the hell he saw to cope with the fact that he did, in fact, kill Chrissy. He knows he wouldn't do that, but what other explanation is there? His silly fantasy games aren't real, so that only leaves the horrors of man as the culprit. Right?

"Try us." Max says simply. The unphased looks on your faces make Eddie's eyebrow raise in questioning. Maybe something else is going on here, and maybe you and your friends can give him the answers. He takes a moment to gather himself, inhaling a few deep breaths before reliving this fucking nightmare.

"Chrissy had come to me at school yesterday, wanting to buy drugs. She wanted something stronger than weed, so I brought her to my place after the game. Things seemed fine at first, but that's when the weird shit started." He says, relatively calm. That is, until he has to bring up the 'weird shit'. His demeanor changes, becoming panicked. "Her body just, like, lifted up into the air and, uh..." He says, his tone laced with fear. The images replay in his head as he speaks, though they haven't exactly stopped since he first witnessed them. You all listen intently as he recounts the events, finding the details utterly gruesome. "And she just, like, hung there. In the air. And her bones, uh..." He whimpers, squeezing his eyes shut at the thought.

He feels sick saying any of this, it's all so horrible. But he knows you just want to help, so he soldiers on. "Her bones started to snap." The echoes of Chrissy's arms and legs breaking like twigs flashes fresh in his mind, making him want to throw up. "And her eyes, man. It...it was like something, like, inside her head, pulling." He makes a pulling motion with his hands to illustrate the point. His voice becomes more unsteady. He feels so ashamed of what he did next, like a goddamn coward. "I-I didn't know what to do, so I..." He stops again, his heart aching terribly. "I ran away. I left her there." His breath hitches, and all of you look at him with sympathetic sorrow. He stares at all of you, scoffing at how bonkers his story sounds. "You all think I'm crazy, right?" He brings his hand to his face, becoming embarrassed for saying anything at all.

"No. We don't think you're crazy." Dustin says.

"Don't bullshit me, man! I know how this sounds!" Eddie exclaims. His voice cracks, and his eyes fill up with tears.

"We're not bullshitting you." Max interjects.

"We believe you." Robin joins in. Eddie exhales in defeat, shaking his head. This is all too insane, there's no way you all aren't yanking his chain. Sure, people talk like this town is cursed or something. But that's all talk. Hell, he's heard so many rumors about himself, which he knows are lies. So who's to say that anyone claiming there's a curse, or monsters, or any of that crap is telling the truth?

"Look, what I'm about to tell you might be a little...difficult to take." Dustin says, and you all realize he's going to tell Eddie everything. Personally, you're not so sure that's a good idea. Eddie's been through enough as it is, hearing everything else that's happened might push him off the deep end.

"Okay." Eddie says weakly, unsure he even wants to listen. But he supposes if it could clear his name and explain what he saw, he might as well give it a shot.

"You know how people say Hawkins is 'cursed'? They're not...way off." Dustin says. He can't believe he's actually about to drag yet another person into the supernatural shit you've all experienced since Will went missing. "There's another world. A world hidden beneath Hawkins. Sometimes, it bleeds into ours."

"Like ghosts and shit?" Eddie interrupts, not quite understanding what Dustin means.

"There are some things...worse than ghosts." Max adds.

"These monsters from this other world...we thought they were gone. But they've come back before. That's why we needed to find you." You say, your own nerves beginning to get to you at the notion. Last year was a fight for your lives you'll never forget, and you definitely don't want to repeat it.

"If they're back again, we need to know." Max takes another turn.

"Did you see anything that night? Dark particles, maybe?" Robin asks, going over the usual upside-down tropes.

"It would almost look like dust, swirling dust." Dustin elaborates, hoping that's a bit clearer.

Eddie shakes his head. "No, there was nothing you could see…or touch. You know, I tried to wake her, man. She couldn't move. It was like she was in a trance or something."

"Or under a spell." Dustin suggests, piquing Eddie curiosity. He's making it sound like it's a fuckin' D&D campaign.

"A curse." Eddie replies, leaning into the idea. It's far from The craziest thing he's heard at this point, so why not?

"Vecna's curse." Dustin breathes.

"Who's Vecna?" Steve asks, hoping to God it's not another geeky reference to their silly game. The group has named nearly every creature and phenomenon after various bullshit fantasy things, and he's a little sick of it to be honest.

"An undead creature of great power." Dustin replies fearfully, making Steve roll his eyes slightly in response.

"A spell caster." Eddie says, committing to the concept completely.

"A dark wizard." Dustin says with total finality.

"Okay, great. So...we're dealing with another unstoppable force. What exactly do we do now?" Robin asks.

"I don't know, we don't have a lot to go on. Eddie didn't physically see anyone, and the way Chrissy died isn't exactly one we've seen before. We'll have to do some investigating, maybe find Nancy. But until then, we'd better get some sleep." Dustin says. He stands, and the others move to leave. But you stay where you are.

"Aren't we forgetting something?" You ask, gesturing at Eddie who's still crouching on the floor.

"Oh, right." Dustin sighs, trying to think of what to do. "I don't think any of us could harbor Eddie unnoticed, and the police will probably exhaust every lead that connects to him. Even you, Y/N. I think it's safest to leave him here. We can deliver supplies and leave a walkie with him. But there's not much else we can do." He says sadly, hating the idea of leaving his friend behind.

"I'll stay with him." You offer. You don't want Eddie to be alone, he shouldn't have to be after all he's been through. Besides, there was a time where you needed him years ago and he helped you, no questions asked. It's odd, up until now, you'd almost completely forgotten all about it.

It was junior year, and you had kind of fallen in with a bad crowd. Kids that skipped class, did drugs, snuck off to all corners of the woods to have sex. You were seeing a guy named Benji, who was a real creep. He was a year older than you, and often took advantage of your naivety. There was one night in particular, at some popular asshole's house on a Friday night, where Benji tried to take everything you had.

"Hey, babe. Get me another beer, will ya?" Benji slurs, handing you his empty cup for you to refill at the keg outside. You've been doing so all night, bringing him cup after cup while hardly having any time for yourself. It's a party, and you wanna dance and have a good time. But of course, you can't possibly disobey Benji. He's the only one that pays attention to you, the only one that makes you feel alive.

"Sure thing, baby. I'll be right back." You say, turning away to head out into the backyard.

"That's my girl." Benji smirks, smacking your ass. Him and his buddies laugh raucously, and you try to hold back the yelp from the sting of his hand. You hate it when he does that, especially in front of everyone. You go out to the keg, finding quite a few people waiting in line to fill up. There's some couples making out against the side of the house, guys chatting about how many chicks they've laid, a girl crying on the porch steps because her boyfriend kissed another girl. Typical party fare, nothing to write home about. Except for a certain someone you recognize, selling little baggies of weed and coke out of his metal lunchbox. Eddie Munson.

You've seen him around school a lot, he's in the same year as you. He's a bit odd at times, but he's one of the only people that's actually nice to you. You've talked politely in passing in the hall, and you've bought stuff from him a few times. He always gives you a discount, which you highly appreciate as the only money you get is whatever Benji gives you to buy with. You notice Eddie finishing a sale, and his eyes meet yours. He smiles at you, closing up shop for a moment to come say hello. "Hey there, Y/N. I figured I'd see you here. You havin' fun?" He says with a kind smile, moving forward with you as the line progresses.

"I guess. I'm just waiting to get a refill for Benji." You say nervously, looking over your shoulder. Benji is definitely the jealous type, and you really hope he doesn't see you talking to Eddie so casually.

"Ah, I see." His face falls slightly. He knows all about Benji. He's a grade A asshole, and Eddie hates seeing the way he treats you. He's always grabbing at your tits and ass in the middle of the hall, ignoring your protests and swatting hands. And he frenchs you by your locker in front of everyone, shoving his tongue sloppily down your throat. "Can't he get his own drink? He's a grown man, well, legally speaking." Eddie snarks.

"I know. It's fine, gives me a moment for myself, away from the crowd." You reply as you gaze down at your feet.

"Well, it's not really a moment for yourself if you're spending it serving someone else. Right?" He continues, trying to get you to admit how you really feel. He knows you're suffering in this 'relationship', and it breaks his heart. To see someone treat you so terribly, like an object. It makes him sick.

"Why do you care so much?" You ask defensively. You don't really want to discuss your relationship with your drug dealer. He's not really your friend, you're just another sale.

"Because you seem like a nice girl. You deserve better. You should have someone who treats you right, not like a piece of meat." He says, putting a hand on your shoulder.

"What? Someone like you?" You scoff, rolling your eyes.

"I didn't say that. Just...someone that isn't Benji. You don't look very happy when you're with him." He says as your turn comes up to fill Benji's cup. You take hold of the nozzle, squeezing it to release the beer.

"I'm fine, Eddie. He's just...older. More mature. You wouldn't understand." You insist, shrugging his hand off of you. You know Eddie is right, but you don't want to admit it. Because all that would do is make you look like a fool. Until Benji came along, not a single guy gave you the time of day. And now, you've got a boyfriend that's pretty hot, if not a bit rough around the edges. But he protects you, and keeps you from feeling lonely. Who else is gonna do that for you? No one.

"I guess I wouldn't." Eddie says sadly, realizing this conversation is going nowhere.

"You makin' a move on my girl, Munson?" Benji asks as he walks over to you. He puffs out his chest a little, wrapping an arm around your waist aggressively. His movement jostles you slightly, making you spill a little bit of his beer on yourself.

"Not at all, man. Just looking for a sale." Eddie says, averting his gaze from you. His words sting a bit, even though you weren't really responding well to him trying to help you.

"Oh, well, in that case. We'll take a little somethin', whatever you recommend, man." Benji chuckles, reaching into his pocket for some cash.

"Cool. Got a twenty there? I think this will enhance your evening." Eddie exchanges the money for a small baggie of cocaine, putting on his signature smile. You know it's all for show, his eyes read with intense worry for you during the transaction.

"Thanks, dude. See ya later." Benji replies as he slips the baggie in his pocket, before moving to turn around and lead you both back inside.

"No problem, man. See ya, Y/N." He calls to you, and you just nod. You feel Benji's hand press further into your hip, squeezing you to the point where it really hurts. You know you're in for it now, Benji always loses it when you talk to other guys. He takes you into a bedroom in the house, shoving you inside while he slams the door. You stumble forward in your heels, catching yourself on the edge of the bed. You swivel your body to sit on the mattress, finding Benji glaring at you furiously.

"What have I told you about talkin' to other guys?" He growls, his teeth clenched together as he speaks.

"He was just trying to sell to me, Benji. I swear. Nothing happened." You say sheepishly, fearing what he might do next.

"Fuck that, 'nothing happened'! I saw him touch you, when you're mine. You whoring around on me, hm? Fuckin' the freak behind my back? Answer me!" Benji shouts, getting all up in your face. You flinch at his proximity, your heart pounding in your chest as you wait for him to punish you.

"No, I'm not! I told you nothing happened!" You shout back, immediately regretting it once the words leave your lips. Your mouth claps shut, eyes widening as you realize you're really gonna get it.

"Don't fuckin' talk back to me, Y/N!" Benji yells even louder, slapping you across the face. His palm stings against your cheek, making tears spring from your eyes. Your own hand comes up to feel where he hit you, and you meet his furious stare again. He grabs hold of your chin, squeezing your cheeks together. He brings himself as close to you as possible, his hot breath rushing over you. It stinks of beer, and your nose would crinkle if you weren't so scared. "You are MY girlfriend! You got that? You don't talk to anyone else!" He shoves you backwards in his grip. Your head lands on the blankets, bouncing at the force. "You don't look at anyone else!" He slaps you again, harder than before. You yelp in pain, wanting this to stop. "You don't even THINK about anyone else!" He climbs on top of you, weighing you down. "Say it! Say that you belong to me!" He commands, his eyes wild despite his drunken state.

"I belong to you, Benji! Okay? Only you!" You say frantically as tears stream down your face.

"Damn right! I'm gonna show you, make you see that you're mine!" He lifts himself slightly, undoing his belt. He starts to shimmy his pants down, reaching for your skirt. You don't want this, you don't want him. Not like this.

"Benji, stop!" You cry, trying to push him away. But he's heavier and stronger than you, holding you down with one arm while he pushes your skirt up. He pulls down your panties, letting them gather around your ankles. "Benji! I don't want this! Stop it!" You pound your fists on his chest, wanting him to stop. But he doesn't listen, he just keeps getting ready to take you as he pleases. You keep crying for him to get off of you, hoping someone will hear you scream over the loud music that's flooding the house.

"You're mine, Y/N. I'm gonna show you." He says darkly, looking at you with a sickening grin. He yanks his boxers down, and you see his half-hard cock flop out. You try to kick him away, scratch his arms, anything to stop this. But it's no use.

"HELP! PLEASE! SOMEBODY HELP! BENJI, STOP IT! I DON'T WANT THIS, I SAID NO! STOP!" You scream at the top of your lungs, tears blurring your vision as you kick and squirm with all your might. Benji takes his dick in his hand, bringing it towards you. This is really gonna happen, he's going to rape you and there's nothing you can do. "BENJI, PLEASE! STOP IT!" Your screams only grow weaker as you realize you're utterly helpless. No one can hear you, and no one would care if they did.

"Stop fucking screaming and take it! You're mine! No one is gonna get in my way!" Benji shouts at you, just barely brushing his length against you. The feeling makes you want to vomit, your stomach tensing in warning. He's just about to shove himself into you, when the door slams open. Of course he's too drunk to remember to lock it.

"Hey! I'm pretty sure she told you to stop!" You hear a familiar voice, before Benji is suddenly being hurled away from you and across the room. Benji smacks into the wall, slumping to the floor. You see Eddie standing before you, his eyes burning with fearsome anger. "Are you okay?" He asks, quickly throwing a blanket on top of your legs to cover you up. You pull your clothes back on under the covers, thankful that nobody seemed to see your most vulnerable area on full display. You notice the music has stopped, and a gaggle of heads is poking into the doorway of the room.

"I'm alright. Thank you, Eddie." You say frantically, standing up to run to him. You bury your head in his shoulder, sobbing uncontrollably.

"You fucking whore, I knew you were sleeping with him." Benji slurs from the floor, struggling to get up. He hit his head pretty hard when Eddie pushed him. But you don't mind, he had it coming. His fucking skull can crack open like an egg for all you care.

"Shut up, Benji. You're a fuckin' lowlife, you know that?" Eddie retorts. He's far from afraid of the man crumpled on the floor before him.

"Takes one to know one, Munson. Fuckin' asshole, I'll kill you!" Benji roars, clumsily lunging towards the both of you. Eddie moves you out of the way, taking all of the impact on your behalf. His back meets the wall hard, and Benji starts wailing on him. "Fuckin' freak! Stealing my girl! I always took you for a faggot, guess I was wrong!" Benji screams as he punches Eddie again and again. He lands blows on his nose, his jaw, his eyes. Eddie grunts with every hit, and blood gushes from his nostrils.

"Benji, stop it! Leave him alone! Stop it!" You shout helplessly. You turn to the other party goers who seem to be enjoying the show. "Do something! Call the cops, anything! Help him!" You beg and plead, and a couple guys from the basketball team come in to pull Benji off of Eddie. Eddie collapses, spitting out a mouthful of blood. You fall to your knees before him.

"Eddie, are you okay?" You ask, his eyes drifting open and closed in a daze. "Eddie, stay with me. I'm so sorry. I'm sorry, this is all my fault!" You can't stop crying, you're absolutely hysterical. You pull him up to lean against the wall, tapping his cheek to keep him awake. Even while wasted, Benji’s really done a number on him.

Eddie’s eyes meet yours, already swelling up from the bruising. "It's okay, Y/N. I'm gonna be fine. Calm down." He says weakly, reaching out for your hand. You give it to him, and wait with him until the police arrive. Everyone besides the kid whose house this is and anyone involved in the fight quickly disperse before the cops show up. You certainly don't blame them, you're all underage and consuming various substances with no parental supervision. You give your statements, and the paramedics tend to Eddie's wounds. Benji is taken away in handcuffs, and the cops insist you won't have to worry about him anymore.

You stand outside the house with Eddie once the emergency services leave, taking hold of his hand again. You look at his beaten face. The swollen eyes, the cut on his eyebrow, his busted lip and nose. He looks awful, and you feel even worse. "Eddie, I'm so sorry." You say, getting teary-eyed again.

"For what?" He asks, doing his best to raise an eyebrow. When you don't answer, he sighs. He gestures for you to sit with him on the front steps, and you do. "Y/N, he was gonna hurt you. I couldn't let him do that. You were literally crying for help, was I supposed to ignore that? Should I have let him rape you?" He asks, only answered with more silence. You don't know what to say, part of you feels like you had it coming. That you deserved to get hurt. He sighs again, trying his hardest to look deep into your eyes. "What Benji did was wrong, okay? You didn't deserve that, nobody does. I stepped in, which was the right thing to do. I know you're upset that I got hurt, and I'm flattered, really." He laughs lightly, groaning in pain soon after. "But it's worth it, because I kept you from getting hurt. So please, don't feel bad for me. I'm used to getting my ass kicked anyways. At least this time was for a good reason. Promise me you won't blame yourself?" He asks sweetly, putting a kind hand on your knee.

"I promise." You nod, wiping away the streaky tracks on your face. "Thank you, Eddie. I don't know what I would've done without you. I couldn't get him off me. I tried to kick and scratch him, I-" Your mind quickly goes back to that place, images of Benji forcing himself on you playing at shutter speed through your head.

"Y/N, you did everything you could. It's okay." He puts his arm around your shoulders, so much more gentle than Benji did. You can't help melting into his touch a little, your heart fluttering at how sweet he's being. You assume he's just being nice, calming you down from your hysterics. "You mind giving me a ride home? I can't see shit right now." He asks politely.

"Of course, Eddie. It's the least I can do." You help him stand up, holding his hand as you walk to your car. You'd driven yourself and Benji here tonight, as his license is suspended. Benji drives like a maniac, speeding, running red lights and stop signs, almost hitting pedestrians. God, the more you think about it, the more you hate yourself for wasting a single second on a guy like that. You drive Eddie to the trailer park, going so far as to walk him to the front door.

"Wow, such a gentleman!" Eddie jokes, making you both laugh. You stand on the steps for a moment, awkwardly wondering what to say next. You're about to speak, when Eddie breaks the silence. He clears his throat. "Well, I should get inside and ice my face." He gestures awkwardly at the inside of his home.

"Yeah, yeah." You nod, rocking back and forth on your feet restlessly. "Thank you again, Eddie. I don't know how I'll ever repay you, honestly. I know it's cheesy to say, but you saved my life tonight." You lean over to press a kiss of gratitude to his cheek. Eddie blushes at the contact, his stomach filling with butterflies.

"No need, sweetheart. Just doing the right thing. But, um, we should...hang out sometime." He stumbles over his words, which you find really cute. And the name he calls you, 'sweetheart', brings a flare of color to your own cheeks. You might just be starting to like him...a lot.

"Yeah, we should. You're a good guy, Eddie." You smile, deciding that now is the time to finally leave him be. You hate to be alone right now, but you don't know him well enough to ask to come inside. There will surely be other times for that. "I should get going. But I'll see you on Monday, okay?"

"Sure thing, Y/N. See ya there." He waves goodbye, walking inside as you head back to your car. Unexpected feelings at the thought of seeing you again begin to bloom inside his chest. Dangerous feelings that can only mean one thing. He's starting to like you...a lot. Fuck. Leave it to Eddie to fall for a 'damsel in distress'.

When you see Eddie again, he looks a lot better than he did on Friday night. His eyes are far less swollen, mostly circled with dark purple bruises, and he's only got small bandaids on his cuts now. "Hey, look at that. You survived the weekend." You say with a giggle as you greet him in the hall. You've been thinking about him nonstop the last couple of days. How brave he was in defending your honor, how unbelievably caring he acted towards you. That's the way you want to be treated from now on, anything less isn't good enough for you anymore. You've learned your lesson, no more asshole guys.

"Looks like it. How are you feelin', Y/N?" He asks, giving you a smile.

"I'm okay, much better than I thought I'd be." You reply, leaning against the lockers. Eddie mirrors you, his shoulder brushing against yours.

"Good. So, uh...are you busy tonight? I figured we could hang out...if you want to." Eddie curses himself for being so jumbled, but he can't help it. He couldn't stop thinking about you all weekend, replaying you kissing his cheek over and over. It was so soft, and warm. He can't help wanting to get to know you better, and to maybe earn some more of your affection.

"Yeah, we can do that. Your place or mine?" You ask casually, keeping your cool. But on the inside, you're absolutely freaking out. Eddie may have used the words 'hang out', but it feels like he's asking you on a date.

"Yours, if that's okay. My place is kind of a mess." Eddie replies happily. He's over the moon that you said yes. He doesn't necessarily mean it as a date, he doesn't want to push you into anything. But he figures you two can get to know each other better, be friends first. And even if that's all you end up being, he'll still consider himself a very lucky guy.

"Sounds great. Meet up with me after school?" You ask, solidifying your plans.

"You got it." He smiles, just as the bell rings. "Well, I'd better get to Click's class. See you after, Y/N."

"Will do, Munson." You give him a wave goodbye, before heading down the hall to your own classroom. You spend the entire day counting down the minutes until you get to bring Eddie to your place. Time can't move fast enough, and you find yourself frequently staring at the clock to will the hands to move quicker. But you have no such luck. The final bell rings, sweetly releasing you for the day. You practically skip down the halls, getting your stuff from your locker before heading out to your car. You find Eddie leaned against it already, waiting for you.

"Hey, Y/N. You ready to go?" He greets you, waiting for you to unlock the door.

"You know it!" You reply, a bit too eagerly if you're honest with yourself. You both get in the car and make the short drive home, and you lead him inside. "My parents work late, so we have the place to ourselves for a few hours." You inform him, making your way to the kitchen. "You want a drink?" You ask after opening the refrigerator, pulling out a couple beers.

"Uh, sure." Eddie says, leaning against the doorway while you pop the caps off. You hand him one of the beers, and you both head upstairs to your room. You plop down on your bed, patting a spot beside you. Eddie quirks an eyebrow at you, wondering where this is going.

"Relax, Eddie. I don't bite." You say jokingly, hoping to put him at ease. You're not planning on anything in particular to happen, it would be too soon to try to jump his bones right now. Plus, you don't think you're ready to rush into a new relationship. What happened with Benji was really scary, and you need time to build up trust before letting a guy into your heart again.

"Sorry. I just...don't exactly get invited into the bedrooms of teenage girls very often. It has a certain connotation to it, I guess." Eddie replies with a light laugh, mentally kicking himself for jumping to conclusions. Obviously you're not going to try to fuck him. You probably won't try to fuck anyone for a good while after what happened.

"Oh, we could go back downstairs if it's too weird. I'm just more comfortable in here, it's the only space at home that's really mine." You offer.

"No, no. It's okay, I'll get my damn mind out of the gutter." He chuckles, before taking the spot you've left for him. He takes a swig of his beer, hoping to calm his stupid nerves.

"Good. I'd hate for you to get the impression that I'm easy." You reply as he swallows, making him choke slightly. You can't help giggling, though it was a bit rude to go there.

"I promise you, Y/N. I have no intention of thinking of you in any insulting way. Like I've said before, you're a nice girl." He says through a cough, wiping a dribble of beer that's spilled out onto his chin.

"I know. I'm not so sure I agree, though." You reply sadly, before taking a long drink from your own bottle. You know you should take it easy, you're kind of a lightweight. But being around Eddie, and potentially becoming vulnerable around him, makes you very nervous.

"Why's that?" Eddie asks, putting his hand on yours as it sits between your bodies.

"I mean, I was going out with a guy like Benji, who's a total asshole. He was awful to me, to everyone, really. And his 'friends' are just as bad, but they're also mine by association. I drink, I do drugs, I have sex. I skip class, I lie to my parents about everything, and my grades are pretty awful. What about that is good, Eddie?" You ask him seriously, unable to hide how you truly feel about yourself. You're everything your parents claim is what makes a lowlife, though they have no idea you do any of it. You've kept Benji a secret from them, and pay one of the computer geeks to change your report cards every semester so your parents don't flip out. And you come up with excuse after excuse to cover up the parties and other forbidden places you sneak off to.

"Y/N, you do realize that none of that makes you a bad person, right?" Eddie asks, becoming a little sad himself at seeing you in this new light. You shake your head, you don't believe him one bit. You feel heat build behind your eyes, tears threatening to spill out. "I know you probably won't believe me, but I honestly think you're one of the best people I've ever met." Your eyes meet his, and he can see you're about to call bullshit. But he silently asks you to just listen, taking full hold of your hand this time. "You're pretty much the only one who doesn't treat me like shit at school, and you aren't unkind to anyone else either. Even when Benji and his lackeys pick on people, you never participate. Most people go along with the crowd, but you don't. You do what you know is right, Y/N. Everyone makes mistakes, or hides things from their parents to avoid disappointing them. But it doesn't define you."

"I appreciate you saying that, Eddie. Really." You sniffle, you hadn't really thought about it that way before. You suppose, if anything, Eddie knows better than anyone that regardless of what others think, your character says more about you than anything else. People think he's just a dumb drug dealer who plays weird fantasy games. But he's a whole lot more than that. He stands up for others when no one else will, especially the geeky kids like him that need it most. You down the rest of your beer, blinking a couple tears down your cheeks as you swallow.

"You want another?" Eddie asks, reaching for your empty bottle.

"No, I'd better not. I've probably had too much already." You say as the slight buzz begins to run across your brain.

"There's no way you're a lightweight with how much you went back to the keg over and over on Friday." Eddie scoffs, taking your bottle from you to toss away in the small trash can in your room.

"That was all for Benji. I usually don't get to drink at parties or hangouts, at least not enough to have any sort of tolerance. Just one of the ways he liked to control me. He sure as shit got me high off my ass when he wanted me to be 'up for it', though." You say bitterly. You sigh loudly at the annoying thought, falling backwards to lay halfway on the bed. Your legs dangle off the edge still, toes barely grazing the floor.

"I'm sorry, Y/N. I didn't know." He can't help feeling personally responsible for Benji drugging you for sex. He knows damn well that the substances used for such a thing came from his stupid metal lunchbox. He wishes he could take those transactions back, keep you from getting taken advantage of in such an awful way.

"It's not your fault. At least I know your stuff is safe. Other dealers around here love to lace their shit, and fuck knows what would've happened if I bought from them instead." You say it like it's nothing, perhaps shutting yourself off from the idea that Benji has already done what you were so afraid of last weekend. You don't want to talk about it anymore, or even think about it. The hours of clarity after separating yourself from your abusive boyfriend have repeatedly brought so many terrible experiences to light. You're not sure how much more of it you can take.

"I wish you would've told me, Y/N. I could've done something so much sooner." He lays down beside you, scooting a little closer now.

"Yeah, and gotten yourself busted in the process." You retort, finding his suggestion ridiculous. It's not his responsibility to take care of you, he's not your boyfriend. "Can we talk about something else?" You say abruptly, desperate to change the subject.

"Of course. But I'm always here to listen if you ever do want to talk about it. I am your friend now, after all." He gives you a kind smile, which you attempt to return as your lip trembles. "Oh, sweetheart. C'mere." He almost whispers, pulling you into him as carefully as he can. He doesn't want it to look like he's making a move on you, he just knows you need a shoulder to cry on. You let him encapsulate you in his arms, burrowing your head against his chest as you begin to sob. Neither of you say anything else for a while, just laying awkwardly in your bed as you cry. Eddie strokes your back with his hand in the most platonic way possible.

After a bit, you start feeling a little better. You poke your head up, not realizing just how close you are to Eddie. You look deep in one another's eyes, your heartbeats picking up at the proximity. You both know it's stupid, idiotic, even. But you find yourselves wanting to kiss each other more than anything in the world. Your breath fans hotly together, and you start to meet each other in the middle. But just before your lips can touch, you hear a key turning in the lock downstairs.

The front door opens, and you hear your parents walking into the house. You stop what you're doing immediately, shooting up in bed as you lose your romantic moment. "Shit. Get up. I'm not allowed to have boys in my room." You say hurriedly, wiping your face and shooing Eddie out of the room. You make it look like you were just showing him where the bathroom is, and your parents buy it. They always do. Perfect little Y/N would never have a boy in her bedroom. Only whores do that. You tell them you're just going to drive Eddie home, heading outside with him once more.

The drive over is silent, and charged with unresolved tension. Neither of you dare to speak, not yet. You aren't really sure what to even say. You sure as hell didn't intend to almost dive head first into what you can only imagine would be a very messy relationship. You escort Eddie to his trailer again, and it's here that you finally speak. "So, um...about earlier..." Eddie starts.

"Yeah, uh...I was just feeling vulnerable. But I don't want to lead you on, I just can't get into another relationship right now." You practically vomit the words out, wanting to shut this down before it gets too far.

"Oh. Yeah, no, that's- fine." Eddie replies awkwardly, trying to give off the impression that it doesn't bother him. That couldn't be further from the truth. But he knows you're right, it just isn't a good idea.

"I'm sorry, Eddie. I don't mean to play with your feelings or anything like that. But I enjoy hanging out with you, and I'd like us to be friends." You really do mean what you're saying. If the timing was different, you would definitely pursue things further with him. He's everything you want in a guy, the total package. But it's not what you need. What you need...is time...and a friend.

"I understand completely, Y/N." He replies kindly, nodding in agreement. "Hey, look. You should go home and rest, 'kay? And I'll see you tomorrow." He suggests, needing some time of his own to figure out what he's gonna do with all these goddamn feelings he's built up.

"Okay. Goodnight, Eddie." You say as you turn to leave, you can't help feeling like you've upset him. You know he would never say, but you know how guys are. Even the nice ones don't handle rejection in the best ways. You just really hope you haven't blown your chances at having a real friend for once.

"Goodnight, sweetheart." He says, almost too quiet for you to hear. It makes your heart ache, the softness of his voice as he utters the words. You know without a doubt that you've hurt him now. And you wish you could take it back.

The next day goes just as you expect it to. You try to talk to Eddie before class, and he's nice enough. But he keeps the conversation short, eager to get away from you, it seems. You knew this would happen. He stuck out his neck for you, and you rejected him. And now, he doesn't want anything to do with you. You try not to take it personally, but it definitely stings. So you do the only thing you know how. You shut yourself off, and focus on finishing this year and the next. You focus on all the freedom you'll have once you graduate. No parents, no teachers, no assholes. Just you, working for a living, doing whatever you want.

And that's exactly what you did. You kept your head down, stayed out of trouble. You did most of the job for Eddie, avoiding him at all costs. Again, if you happened upon each other, you kept things pleasant. Neither of you blamed the other for how you felt, but it was too awkward and weird between you to try to keep a good friendship going. And of course, you got separated even further when you graduated in 1984, and he got held back the first time. It's strange, it seems like that was a lifetime ago. But being in Eddie's presence for this long makes it feel like only yesterday.

"Are you sure that's a good idea?" Eddie asks, worried that being in proximity to him might get you hurt or killed.

"Eddie's right. The cops are looking for him, it could make you look like an accomplice." Steve adds, crossing his arms.

"But we can't just leave him here all alone. After what he's been through? No way." You stand your ground. "Look, you guys have parents and other people that would worry about where you are. I don't. My folks moved away after graduation, I live alone. I'll stay with him, I'd want someone to do the same for me." You turn to Eddie, giving him a knowing look. He nods, understanding what you're referring to. The others find this nonverbal communication odd, but set it aside for the time being.

"Okay, fine. But please, be careful. Use the walkie if you need anything. We'll bring you guys food tomorrow, and we can swing by your place to get you some clothes." Robin says, holding out a hand for your keys. You give them to her, and take a seat on an old wooden crate in the shed.

"We'll be alright. We've got an oar and a broken bottle to defend ourselves with." You quip, taking the walkie talkie Dustin gives you. The others say goodbye, and you wish them luck in finding out what's causing the chaos this time. You sigh once they leave, realizing how awkward this is actually going to be. You both sit in silence for a while, listening to the crickets chirping outside. You don't know what to say, or if Eddie even wants to talk at all.

"Thank you. For staying." Eddie breaks the silence, speaking quietly. His eyes meet yours for a moment, before pulling away.

"It's the least I can do, Eddie. I kinda owe you for the favor you did for me." You reply from across the room. You suppose it's best to keep your distance. Not just because of your past history, but Eddie's been jumpy to say the least.

"And here I thought you were just dying to see me again." He chuckles, mostly joking.

"It is nice to see you again, I've missed my friend. I wish it were under different circumstances, though." His face falls slightly at your use of the word 'friend', and you can't help feeling bad about it.

"Yeah, well. Life's a bitch, I've learned that the hard way." He says solemnly. "You can come closer, if you want. I don't have the plague, ya know." He says in a roundabout way to ask you to comfort him. "I've still got a couple beers left, too. On the table, there." He gestures at them, the glass glinting in the moonlight that peeps into the windows. "Fuck knows we could use 'em."

You retrieve the bottles, bringing them over. You sit down next to Eddie, and he pops the caps off the beers. He hands you one, and you take a small sip. You notice his shoulder brushing against yours as he longs for some form of contact. Not necessarily in a romantic or sexual way, he just needs comfort. Any sliver he can get, if you'll supply it to him. "So, um...how are you holding up?" You doubt he'll have a good answer for you, but you don't know what else to say.

"Not well. I keep seeing...her, every time I close my eyes." His voice shakes as he speaks.

"I'm sorry, Eds-" You start, when he cuts you off.

"'Eds'?" He questions, giving you an odd look. No one's called him that before, but he kinda likes how it sounds coming from your lips.

"Yeah...is that okay?" You ask, waiting for Eddie to laugh at you or something. You don't really know why you decided to give him an impromptu nickname, especially now. But it suits him when you really think about it. He smiles at you, nodding his head.

"It's fine. Kinda cute, actually." He blushes, just like the night you drove him home all those years ago. He clears his throat, pushing away the mushy thoughts swirling around his head. "Anyway, what were you saying?" He nudges you, pulling you out of your own mind.

"Oh, right. I'm sorry that you had to see that happen. It sounds awful. Is there anything I can do? Maybe I could....distract you?" You suggest, wanting to help him calm down. He's still plenty on edge from last night's events, flinching at every little sound outside.

"Distract me...how, exactly?" He asks, wondering what you mean by that.

"I dunno, we could play a game, or talk about something besides supernatural shit." You shrug your shoulders.

"What kind of game?" He presses further, liking the sound of that.

"Um...maybe, 'twenty questions'? Or 'truth or dare'?" You suggest while you rack your brain for other ideas.

"Nah, what else?"

"Ooh! I know, how about 'never have I ever'?" You say excitedly.

"Sure, we can do that. Uh, sorry if I sound like an idiot here. But, how do you play?" He asks sheepishly.

"It's a pretty popular party game, Eds. You've seriously never played it before?" You ask with a laugh, unable to believe it.

"Y/N, the words 'popular' and 'party' don't exactly describe anything I'd be a part of. I typically only supply to those things." He smirks.

"I suppose you're right. Well, I'll tell you the rules, it's very simple. Basically, you say a phrase, like 'never have I ever...gone streaking', or something like that. And then whoever has done that thing takes a drink. Easy enough?" You watch him observe you with adoring eyes as you explain how the game works. You've never had someone look at you this way before, and it's certainly a welcome gaze.

"I think so. You go first." He nudges you again, an action you could easily get used to.

"Alright, lemme think. Never have I ever....stolen something." You start, taking a small sip from your own drink. Eddie takes one too, no surprise there.

"What did you steal, if you don't mind me asking?" He inquires, surprised that you've actually done something even remotely criminal before.

"A pack of gum and some lipstick, really lame stuff. One of the assholes I used to hang with dared me to do it." You chuckle at the thought. You were so terrified of getting caught, you returned to the store on your own later that day to put the stuff back. "What about you? Or is it too many things to count?"

"Surprisingly, no. It's more than you, of course. I've got a reputation to uphold." He laughs, before continuing. "Let's see...I've stolen a traffic cone, some beer, cigarettes, a few candy bars, a pocket knife, and a Playboy magazine. Not all at once, mind you. I'm not that good."

"Well, safe to say I'm impressed at your thieving skills, Eds. I'd expect nothing less. Okay, your turn." You pat his thigh, keeping the game moving along. His eyes freeze on where you touched him. It's innocent enough, but it's made his skin flare with simmering desire all the same.

"Right." He meets your eyes again, focusing on the task at hand. "Never have I ever...had sex on the first date." You both drink again, smiling as you bring the bottles to your lips. You spill a little bit of beer on yourself, it dribbles down your chin. "Nice one, sweetheart." Eddie chuckles after swallowing.

"Sorry, I'm totally accident prone." You giggle, wiping the yeasty liquid from your face. You notice he called you 'sweetheart' again, just like he did way back when. It appears not much has changed between you after all.

"It's alright. Your turn again." He says with a grin.

"Hmm, never have I ever...fallen in love." Only Eddie drinks this time, and his eyes widen at this discovery.

"You've never been in love, Y/N? I don't believe that for a second." He scoffs.

"Never, Eds. I've liked people before, and really liked someone once. A long time ago. But it never got far enough to turn into love, much as I wanted it to." Eddie doesn't know it, but you're definitely talking about him. You avert your gaze, not wanting to give yourself away.

"Who was it?" He asks curiously.

"Why don't you tell me yours?" You retort. You don't want to admit this to him. Not now, not yet. Once again, the timing is all wrong. You pick at the label on your beer bottle, unable to hide the unease on your face.

"Y/N, please? Pretty sure I'm a wanted man at this point. Humor a fugitive, will ya?" He pleads, placing his hand on your thigh. You tense at his touch, feeling rather warm in your cardigan. Given your change in body language, he's assuming you were referring to him. He sure as hell was thinking of you when he took his last sip in the game.

"Okay, how about we both say it at the same time?" You suggest, as that might make it easier for you both to just spit it out already. He's right, he may not have a lot of freedom left. You might as well come clean.

"Fair enough. Count of three?" You nod, looking at him intensely. He mirrors you, his heartbeat picking up with yours. The familiar butterflies swarm again, fluttering in a most ticklish way in the confines of your bellies."'Kay, one...two...three." He counts, and your nerves reach a mountainous peak once the final number leaves his lips.

"You." You and Eddie blurt out simultaneously. Gasps leave your mouths in sync at the confession. It's not all that surprising, really. It's more that you're both in disbelief of the other truly liking you the way you wish they would. Your shared admission hangs in the air for a moment, the silence becoming deafening the longer you refrain from saying anything. You both make a couple attempts to speak, opening your mouths, then snapping them shut again. Your eyes wander around his features, taking in how handsome he looks. His doeish eyes, his supple lips, the slope of his nose, and the apples of his cheeks. He does the same to you, wondering if now would be a good time to kiss your gorgeous face. He leans in hesitantly, almost backing away a couple times. You realize what he's doing, and this time you have no intention of denying him.

"Go ahead, Eddie. It's okay." You say softly, your breath fanning in his face from how close you two are. He takes the leap of faith, gently pressing his lips to yours. Your eyes flutter shut at the contact, he feels even softer than you imagined. Eddie takes his time, slowly, repeatedly, pulling away and going back in to feel every centimeter of your mouth with his own. You meet his every move respectively, opening and closing your lips at all the right times. His hand comes up to cradle your head, his large fingers slipping into your hair. You let out a small moan into the kiss, and this chilly spring night is quickly heating up. You grab the lapels of his jackets to pull him closer, and he smoothly maneuvers you to straddle his lap without even looking. You keep hold of his clothes, wanting to be as close to him as you possibly can.

You stay like this for what feels like forever, the only sounds now are the quiet smacking of lips and the occasional moan from either of you. This is easily the best and hottest kiss you've ever had, none prior to this even come close in comparison. It's so warm, and tender, loving, even. Your heads feel light, overcome with passion. Neither of you want to stop, but unfortunately it's getting a little hard to breathe. Eddie breaks away, exhaling shakily at how mind-blowing that was. "Holy shit." He says, opening his eyes to look at you. He's totally awestruck, never in his life has a kiss completely blown him away.

"Yeah, I second that." You reply, just as dazed as Eddie. "I can't believe it took us this long to do that. And during a crisis, of all things. All that wasted time...I'm such an idiot." You lament your foolish decision to turn Eddie away those years ago, wishing you could turn back the clock and get it right.

"Don't say that, sweetheart. I might have felt hurt back then, but I understand why you didn't wanna get involved with me. I wouldn't have either if I was in your shoes." He says seriously, he doesn't want you to beat yourself up over it. "And I may not have a lot of time, but we can try to make the most of it." He adds, cupping your cheek as he gazes at you in adoration.

"You make it sound like you're dying or something." You can't help laughing nervously at the idea.

"Well, we don't know what's going on just yet, so I might." He looks down, hating the thought. But he has to be realistic. Whatever got Chrissy could easily get him, too. He feels himself start to cry, hot tears rolling down his cheeks. He meets your eyes again, his bottom lip quivering in fear. "I'm so scared, Y/N. I-I don't wanna die." He says helplessly, falling to pieces before you.

"Hey, hey. Don't think about that right now, okay? We're gonna do everything we can to keep that from happening. I promise." You hold his face with your hands, giving him another kiss. His arms wrap around you to hold you tight, and you sense some tears of your own joining the mix. You don't want anything bad to happen to Eddie, especially not now. He's such a good man, he doesn't deserve any of this. If you could, you'd swap places with him. To let him go free while you take the fall. But you can't. All you can do is be here for him, and try to love him as long as you're able. You pull back, and you wipe away his tears and yours. You look him over, noticing just how tired he looks. "Did you sleep at all last night, Eds?" You ask in concern.

"No. I couldn't, I was too afraid. I didn't want...to see her again." He says quietly, his eyes darting away in shame.

"It's okay, maybe it'll help to have me here. But you need to rest, baby. You'll only feel worse if you don't." You get off his lap, looking around for anything you can use to make a place to sleep. You take the bunched up tarps out of the boat, layering them down on the warped wood floor. You find a couple life jackets, which you can use as pillows. You set everything up on the other side of the shed, sheltered away from the windows. That way, if anyone comes by, they're less likely to see you. Eddie watches you work from the floor, realizing what you're doing. He feels a little bad for sitting on his ass, but it's like he's paralyzed into this spot. He'll need your help to move away from it. You return to him, holding out your hands. "C'mon, it's time for bed." You say softly, a kind smile on your face.

"Thanks." He takes your hands, and you lift him up. The force and weight of this motion sends you stumbling backwards. You almost fall back into the water, your stomach dropping at the impending plunge. But Eddie manages to catch you by the waist, his strong arm wrapped around you swiftly. "Careful, princess. Wouldn't want you to get soaked." He says with a grin, setting you upright.

"Thank you, Eddie. You're my hero." You reply in a cheesy tone, giving him a warm kiss on the cheek. He blushes again, which is something you can't get enough of. "You're very cute when you do that." You giggle, poking one of his rosy cheeks.

"I dunno 'bout all that, sweetheart. I'm sure I look like hell right about now." He chuckles dryly, carding a hand through his long hair.

"You look handsome as ever to me, Eds. Now, come on. You have to get some sleep. You'll feel better in the morning." You lead him by the hand to your makeshift bed. You both lie down, the tarps rustling loudly as you try to get comfortable. You face each other, finding yourselves admiring one another again.

"Well, it's certainly not the Ritz. But it'll do." Eddie jokes, but his face quickly changes afterwards. "Can I...hold you, Y/N?" He asks sheepishly, hoping it's not too weird. He knows you kissed just a little bit ago, but he's still unsure how to navigate the situation. Something he'd left out earlier is that you are the only one he's been in love with. His feelings are tangling up his insides, leaving him clueless about what to do, or not do.

"Of course you can, baby." You reply softly, rolling over so he can spoon you. His arms wrap around your waist, pulling you into him. Your back connects to his chest, your body heat radiating to be shared between you. He's so warm, and he smells amazing. Like tobacco and leather, the scent encapsulates you in his embrace.

"I like it when you call me that, by the way. It's really nice, givin' me butterflies and shit." He smiles against your neck, his breath fanning hotly against you.

"And I feel the same when you call me 'sweetheart'. I could get used to that." You practically whisper. You can feel Eddie's body relaxing as he cuddles you, his heart beating steadily as opposed to racing like it was before. His breaths go in and out of his lungs nice and slow. He's finally able to stop freaking out, at least for a little while. "Goodnight, Eds."

"Goodnight, Y/N." He barely gets the words out, his eyelids falling heavily as sleep takes him in an instant. The adrenaline of the last twenty-four hours has come to an end, his body shutting down into heavy slumber. It takes some time for you to join him, you're not nearly as exhausted as Eddie is. You've only been involved in all this for a short period of time, plus, you're worried that something might happen to him while you're asleep. And that possibility scares the shit out of you. You lie here for who knows how long, lost in thought. You're not sure when it happens, but you do eventually fall asleep. You know this, because you're woken up by Eddie screaming in his sleep as the sun comes up.

"Jesus christ!" You shout when you hear him scream right in your ear. You shoot up in your finagled bed, looking over to see what's happening. Eddie's still asleep, but his mouth is wide open as he lets out the most awful screams you've ever heard. He must be having a horrible nightmare, seeing Chrissy dying before his eyes. "Eddie! Wake up! It's just a dream, wake up!" You shake him as hard as you can, gently smacking his cheeks. But it's not working. His body is thrashing, and his wails only get louder.

You have to act, and fast. You get up, going to the water. You kneel down and scoop some in your hands, rushing back to Eddie to drop it on his face. It lands cold and harsh, shocking him awake. His eyes snap open, and he scurries backwards, his back hitting the wall of the boathouse. He looks around frantically, whimpering and gasping for air at the same time. The water glistens on his face, soaking into the top of his shirt and the hair around his cheeks and forehead. His eyes land on you, realizing he's not in that awful nightmare anymore.

"Fuck!" He exclaims, his chest heaving as he rests against the wall. "Thank you...for that." He says, out of breath. "I...couldn't...wake up." He huffs the words out between gasps. You sit beside him, taking hold of his shaking hand. His head falls onto your shoulder, water dripping through your cardigan.

"Are you okay, Eds?" You ask, knowing full well it's a dumb question.

"I am now." He swallows hard, the horrific images quickly dissolving as you continue to touch him. "Are you alright, angel? I'm sorry if I scared you." He feels awful that you had to see him scream like that, and it's kinda embarrassing for him to be so uncontrollably vulnerable.

"I'm okay, baby. I was just worried about you. Did you sleep alright besides the nightmare?" Another stupid question, no doubt.

"Surprisingly, yes." He says warmly, nuzzling into your neck. His wet face shocks your flesh from the cold, making you squeal.

"Eddie! That's freezing!" You laugh, which just eggs him on to rub himself all over you. The water transfers onto your skin, soaking into your clothes to make you shiver. But he quickly warms you back up with hasty kisses on your throat. You stop squirming, allowing yourself to relax into Eddie. His mouth feels so good against your skin. His teeth nibble a spot just below your jaw, leaving a light purple hickey behind. "Eddie." You sigh, wondering how far this is going to go. His hand cradles the other side of your head, holding you up as you melt in his touch. His tongue soothes the bruise he's marked on you, and he drags the wet muscle down further to make another near your collarbone. He bites a little harder this time, making you moan. A familiar pressure begins to build between your legs. You rub your thighs together in an attempt to relieve it, but it's not nearly enough.

"Gettin' hot and bothered, baby?" Eddie asks lowly, smirking at you brushing your legs against each other. He wonders how wet you are, and if you'll let him see for himself.

"Uh-huh. Your lips feel really good, Eds. C'mere." You pull his head up, and smash your mouth onto his. You're becoming so hungry for him, it's unreal. You let yourself fall backwards, taking him with you. He grunts at the sudden movement, positioning himself to lay over you. His knees rest on either side of yours. Eddie bites your bottom lip, making you gasp. He slips his tongue in to roll against your own, heating you both up further. Your hands slip into his thick locks, tugging on them lightly. He moans down your throat, such a beautiful sound.

Eddie's just about to ask if he can move things further, perhaps to second base. But you both hear a car pulling up in the distance, which makes you freeze in place. "You heard that, right?" Eddie asks, quickly going into panic mode again. You nod, listening for any other noises. The car comes to a stop outside of Rick's house, and you hear doors opening and closing. It could be Dustin and the others, or someone else who is certainly not a friend. Eddie climbs off of you, going back to the corner to grab his bottle. You take the other oar from the wall, and you gesture at him to check the windows, carefully. He nods, taking one side while you take the other. The angle of the windows isn't optimal, as you can't make out who's approaching the door to the boathouse. You both brandish your weapons, ready to fight if it comes down to it.

You can feel your heart pounding in your ears, your body ready to attack any enemy that comes your way. The door swings open, screeching on its rusted hinges. In comes Dustin and the rest of your friends, carrying bags of snacks and your overnight bag. "Delivery service!" Dustin says, making you flinch.

"Jesus! Thank fuck it's you guys." You say with a sigh of relief. You set down the oar, and Eddie puts the bottle away again.

"Long night, I take it?" Robin asks, setting your stuff down on the table where Eddie's old wrappers and bottles are.

"That's putting it lightly." Eddie says sarcastically. "It was a helluva lot better than being alone, though." He looks to you, giving you a kind glance. You smile back brightly, unable to help yourself.

"Well, eat up, you two. You've missed out on some stuff." Steve says, quirking an eyebrow at how friendly you seem to be getting with Eddie. You go over to the table to see what your friends brought. There's nothing very nutritious, but you're not gonna complain. Food is food. You pull out a box of Honeycomb cereal, and two Yoo-Hoos. You bring them over, plopping down beside Eddie. You hand him his drink, and start working on opening the cereal box.

"Thanks, sweetheart." He says without thinking, making your eyes bug out. His utterance of the pet name draws bewildered stares from the others.

"What did you just say?" Dustin questions, he's only heard Eddie use such a term of endearment when talking about his guitar. He suspects you two got up to...something last night.

"Uh...nothing. It was just a slip. Right, Eds?" You pipe up, trying to cover your asses. You don't want your friends to know that while you were technically supposed to be looking after Eddie, you were making out with him instead.

"Yep. Totally. My bad." Eddie agrees. He's on the exact same page as you. He realizes how embarrassing it would be for everyone to know you're essentially hooking up when there's an interdimensional killer on the loose.

"Uh...what is that?" Robin chimes in, pointing a finger towards your throat. Shit.

"What's what?" You reply nervously, swallowing hard.

"That mark on your neck, it looks like a hickey!" She exclaims, her surprise morphing into a sly smile. Eddie, you dog. She thinks to herself. The looks on your faces spell it all out loud and clear, there's no mistaking it. You two are officially in a budding, trauma-bonded romance.

"No it isn't!" You scoff, rolling your eyes. You're laying it on way too thick, stumbling over your words all the while. "I-I fell! Yep, tripped on the...- crate over there and landed on the edge of the boat. Right, Eddie?"

"Yeah, I saw it with my own eyes." He insists, nodding before taking a sip of his drink.

"Hold on, you just called him 'Eds', a second ago...what the hell is going on here?" Steve crosses his arms, furrowing his brow at you both. The others follow suit, holding similar looks of distrust and smug knowing. They certainly don't hold it against you, you're two attractive young people in a distressing situation. It's only natural, really. Scientifically proven to happen, in fact. "C'mon, out with it. We're burning daylight here, and we've got other things to do besides wait for a confession from you...lovebirds." Steve demands, using his babysitter powers to force you to yield.

You sigh, rolling your eyes again. "Ugh, fine! We kissed last night...and we were making out a few minutes ago." You admit, keeping your eyes trained on the floor to avoid making visual contact with anyone.

"We've got, uh...history. We'll just leave it at that." Eddie adds, mirroring your bashful stance. You both feel like scolded children, even though you know you've done nothing wrong.

"Alright, cool. Moving on, we've got some good news, and we've got some bad news." Dustin says. You manage to get the box of cereal open, and you and Eddie dig into it hungrily. Eddie's far more ravenous than you, taking large handfuls and munching them down like a starved animal. You feel a little sorry for him, but at least he's able to eat now. "How do you prefer it?" Dustin asks, looking to Eddie.

"Bad news first, always." Eddie replies with a mouthful.

"Alright, bad news. We tapped into the Hawkins PD dispatch with our Cerebro, and they're definitely looking for you." Dustin states. Eddie's face falls slightly, and no doubt yours follows suit. "Also, they're, uh, pretty convinced you killed Chrissy." He adds as an afterthought.

"Like, a hundred-percent convinced." Max interjects. Eddie's head follows each of them as they speak, his fear dialing up again.

"And the good news?" You ask, needing there to be a sliver of hope in this shit sandwich.

"Eddie's name hasn't gone public yet. But if we found out about him, it's only a matter of time before others do. And once that gets out, everyone and their shallow-minded mother is gonna be gunning for him." Robin says, making your heart sink.

"Hunt the freak, right?" Eddie asks, a frustrated sadness lacing his tone. Typical hick town, making the weirdo into a scapegoat.

"Exactly." She replies, understanding full-well the gravity of the situation. She knows better than anyone what it's like to be on the outskirts of society, having to hide away for fear of being cast out entirely.

"So..before that happens. We need to find Vecna, kill him, and prove your innocence. That's all." Dustin says, as if it's the easiest plan in the world.

"That's all, Dustin? That's all?" Eddie parrots back, finding the concept utterly ridiculous. You put a hand on his shoulder, drawing his eyes to you.

"We've done crazier shit and pulled it off before. I'm sure we can beat this, too." You say calmly, and he lifts his hand to rest on top of yours. He nods, trying to keep himself grounded.

"She's right. Delusional as it sounds, we've been through this kind of thing more than once. Well, they have. Me and Y/N have been through it once. Ours was like, more human flesh-based, and theirs were more smoke-related." Robin explains, which makes Eddie pull an odd face. She shakes away her poor explanation skills, finishing her point. "Bottom line is, collectively, I really feel like we got this."

"We usually rely on this girl who has superpowers. But, uh, those went bye-bye, so..." Steve trails off, realizing it probably wasn't all that helpful to say.

"So, we're in kind of, uh...more of a...brainstorming phase." All four of them form the odd sentence together, finishing one another's thought clumsily.

"There's nothing to worry about, though." Dustin splutters, which does nothing to put either you or Eddie at ease. You look at each other, and then back to them. They can't possibly be serious. Suddenly, you hear sirens wailing in the distance.

"Quick, you two hide!" Robin instructs. You and Eddie go to your corner where the tarps are laid about, before hopping into the boat and pulling them over your heads. You're kinda squished together under here, but you refuse to leave Eddie's side. You notice him breathing heavily again, putting your hands on his shoulders to calm him down.

"Hey, hey. Look at me, okay? We're gonna be fine." You whisper, just in case any officers are coming around right this moment. He does as you ask, nodding silently. He slows down a little, focusing on your beautiful face. The others peek out the window, watching the cops roll on by down the road, totally bypassing this hiding place.

"Well, that can't be good." Max observes from across the shed.

"Hey, guys. We're gonna go check out what's happening. Just stay here, okay? We'll radio you an update." Steve says, leading the others out to his car. They shut the door behind them, leaving the two of you alone.

"You good?" You ask Eddie, speaking at a normal volume now.

"Yeah, yeah. Just felt like a close call." He presses a quick kiss to your lips, further tuning himself back into his regularly-scheduled brain function. "We should probably stay under here for a bit, right? Just in case?"

"We can do that. You wanna...keep kissing me?" You ask, as it seems your affection tends to calm him down. Not to mention you really like the way his mouth connects to yours.

"How can I possibly say no to that?" Eddie says with a small smile. He kisses you again, slower this time. Your eyes close instantly, and your hands wander over to get lost in his hair. Things are heating up quickly, your lips and tongues playing with one another hungrily. Eddie pulls back for a second, like he wants something else. "Y/N, can I...?" He trails off, his eyes flicking to your chest. It really isn't that hard to say 'Hey, Y/N, can I touch your tits?', he knows that. But as it has been stated before, you make him nervous, in the best possible way.

"You can do anything you want, Eds. I want it all." You reply, finding his sheepish asking very adorable. Eddie doesn't seem the type to be so unsure of himself when it comes to...whatever this is. He must think you're pretty special if his typical devilish charms fly out the window whenever he tries to make a move on you. He still seems unsure, so you take hold of his large hands, bringing them up to your chest. "Is this what you want, baby?" You ask, already knowing the answer. He nods, not saying another word as his palms hover a centimeter away from your breasts. You manipulate them to finally cup your tits, immediately letting out a quiet moan.

"You're so beautiful, sweetheart." He says, his eyes widening slightly at the fact that he's made it to second base. He feels like a fuckin' virgin, it's kinda embarrassing that he needs you to lead him like this.

"You're pretty handsome yourself, Eddie." You say breathlessly. Eddie's hands squeeze the swells of your chest, drawing more lustful noises from you. Everything he does to you feels so good, it's been a very long time since you've been touched by anyone. Even yourself.

"You think it's safe to get out of the boat now?" Eddie asks as this position is a bit uncomfortable.

"I think so. C'mon." You move to stand up in the boat, almost falling over again. Eddie catches you, and you both step back onto solid ground. The second you do, he leads you backwards until you meet the wall. He gets a bit of his confidence back, wanting to take you by surprise. "Is someone coming out of their shell?" You ask slyly as his body presses into yours.

"Maybe a little." He replies with a smirk, moving to slip off his jackets. He tosses them onto the table beside you. You take off your cardigan, letting it fall on the floor. Your hands grip the hem of your shirt, slowly lifting it up to expose your torso. Eddie watches wordlessly as you reveal your body to him, his eyes following the shirt as it goes further upwards. You pull it over your head, letting it join your sweater. You're left standing in your bra, and his eyes practically pop out of his head. "Damn." He exhales, you're even prettier than he thought you'd be.

"Like what you see?" You ask with a sly smile.

"Uh-huh. Can I see more?" He requests, unable to hide the neediness in his voice. The tone of it sends a dark thrill through you, and you reach behind your back to unhook your bra without a second thought. The straps fall loosely from your shoulders, the cups no longer holding your breasts up. The garment slips away, adding to the pile quickly gathering on the floor. "Fuck, Y/N." Eddie murmurs, taking your bare tits into his hands.

"Eddie." You gasp at the cool metal of his rings meeting your supple flesh, your nipples hardening from said cold and your arousal. He grips them firmly, rolling the sensitive buds between his thumbs and forefingers. He gazes at you in admiration while he works, giving you a cheeky grin. Your mouth sits agape to let out dulcet sounds, and you can't stop staring into his beautiful chocolate-hued eyes.

"Does this feel good, sweetheart?" He asks, eating up every little sigh and moan you let out for him. His cock is straining against his jeans, aching to feel you in every way possible.

"Mmhmm, you're very skilled with your hands." As much as your brain has begun to melt, you want to keep up with his mischievous nature. It's been so long since you've been able to play with someone in this way, and you're sure Eddie is more than up to the task.

He chuckles darkly, leaning in to speak in your ear. "I think you'll find I'm very skilled with my mouth, too." He bites your earlobe, drawing a low moan from your lips. "Mmm, your noises are drivin' me crazy, princess. Makin' it hard for me to take my time with you." He says hotly as his mouth travels downwards. Eddie nibbles harshly on your throat, leaving yet another hickey in his wake. Satisfied with his work, he goes even further downward. He kisses the swells of your tits, and the valley between them, every inch of skin he can reach.

"Feels so good, baby." You sigh blissfully. You look down at him as he worships your chest, becoming unbelievably wet with every passing moment. He swirls his tongue around your nipple, before taking it between his teeth. "Fuck, Eddie." You whimper as your hand takes hold of his head. He smirks against you at your reaction, he can't get enough of your little moans and curses. He wants to keep touching you, pleasing you, in every way you'll let him. He'll use whatever time he has left to make you come undone, over and over until he drops fucking dead. If he has any choice in the matter, he might as well go out with a bang, literally. "I need more, Eds." You plead, instinctively bucking your hips forward in an attempt to get your pussy closer to his cock.

"You got it, angel." Eddie pulls away from your chest, tugging his own shirt over his head. You take a moment to drink in his bare torso, and it's certainly a sight to see. His chest and arms are slightly toned, his long hair brushing against his shoulders. Sexy tattoos adorn his pale skin, and a guitar pick hangs on a chain around his neck. A light trail of hair runs down the middle of his chest, disappearing into his jeans. He looks like a goddamn rockstar, if you're being honest. Eddie finds your gawking amusing, letting out a small snicker at your shameless ogling. "Have I rendered you speechless, Y/N?" He asks while you feel him up, dragging your palms along his arms, up and down his chest.

"You're really fucking hot, Eddie." Your eyes flick to his, displaying pure, unadulterated lust. You don't bother to think, all you know is that you want him. Now. You grab him by his belt buckle, whipping the both of you around. The motion takes him by surprise, and you practically slam him up against the wall. He grunts at the impact, and you smash your lips to his before he can respond. His hands grab at your ass, holding you as close to him as possible. You shove your tongue in his mouth to tangle with his, and you clumsily fumble with his belt. You stop kissing him so you can see what you're doing, breathing heavily as anticipation builds between you. You get the belt open, and unzip his jeans with ease. You reach your hand inside his pants, underneath his boxers to take hold of his dick.

"Shit, you don't waste any time, do you?" Eddie asks through a groan. You pump his length in your hand, brushing the bead of precum around his tip with your thumb.

"No, I don't. We can take our time later. But I want you to fuck me, now." You say in a sultry tone, stroking him a bit firmer and faster than before. He moans again, which is music to your ears. "I like how much noise you make, Eds. It's very sexy. Now, you wanna help me with the rest of my clothes?" You ask in an undeniably tempting way, trying to push his buttons.

"Sure thing, princess." He pants, bringing his own hands around to unbutton your jeans. He slides the zipper down its track, hesitating before going any further. "Can I feel you, sweetheart?" He asks sweetly, which makes your heart flutter. He's been quite the gentleman this whole time, always asking permission before doing anything to you. It's highly attractive, no other guy has done so before. Not like this. It's always been one 'yes', which somehow grants unlimited access to your entire body.

"Yes, baby." You answer softly, waiting for him to touch you where you need him most. Eddie slowly slips his hand under the waistband of your panties, and his fingers graze your soaked folds. "Oh, fuck." You gasp at the contact. You knew you were turned on, but this is a whole other level. Everything he does to you feels better than anything you've experienced before. His fingers drag along your soaked cunt, feeling every part of you he can reach.

"You're so wet for me, angel." Eddie observes in amazement. To know he makes you feel so strongly, it's enough to drive him mad. You're still touching his dick with your hollowed fist, and he decides to push two fingers inside you to rev you up further.

"Eddie." You whimper as his digits meet your g spot easily. He curls them to press on it at a slow, torturous rhythm.

"You like having my fingers inside you?" Eddie asks, his own breath hitching as you squeeze him a little harder. You're both doing everything you can to rile one another up, so you'll go absolutely wild on each other when you finally connect.

"Yes, but I think there's something else I'd like even more." You press a warm kiss to his lips, giving him your best 'fuck me' eyes afterwards.

"God, you're so needy. No patience at all." Eddie teases with a smirk. He takes his hand away from your pussy, and you release his cock from your grip. You remove the rest of your clothes, and he does the same. You're left standing naked in front of each other, taking a moment to soak in every little detail. You notice his dick standing at attention, the head swollen and red, leaking pre-release onto the wood floor. Eddie looks you over, becoming very interested in the drips of your arousal running down the insides of your thighs. He wonders how you taste, wanting to make you scream his name while he eats you out.

"Is there something you want?" You ask slyly, realizing he's staring at your crotch like a feral animal.

"I know you said you want me to fuck you, Y/N. But I would really like to go down on you first. I bet you taste amazing, and I just want to make you feel good." He speaks honestly, with no effort to hide his desire. He's practically begging to give you head, which only makes you want him more.

You step closer to him, placing your hands on his chest. You lean forward to speak into his ear, nice and low so he listens to every word. "Knock yourself out, baby. What kind of woman would I be to deny a wanted man?" You take his earlobe between your teeth, just as he did to you earlier. You keep it brief, though, you imagine Eddie wants to get things moving. "Lead the way, Eds." You back away slightly, smiling as you wait for him to put you in position. His hands meet your hips, and he carefully maneuvers you around to the table. He pushes everything off of it, various objects landing on the floor. He lifts you onto the surface, spreading your legs wide while he stands between them. His palms roam up and down your thighs, inching so very close to where you're longing for him to touch.

Eddie's eyes wander over your gorgeous form, committing every last detail to memory. The curves of your waist and hips, the length of your legs, your hands holding tight to the edge of the table as you wait for him to begin. Your chest rising and falling faster than usual, tits shifting slightly from the pace. And to top it all off, the sex-drenched expression spread shamelessly across your face. Expectant eyes meeting his, pleading with him to appease your every desire. "You have got to be the most beautiful woman I've ever seen, Y/N." He says sincerely, breaking the charged silence.

"You really think so?" You ask curiously. You've never really found yourself all that attractive. After Benji, the guys who look your way have been few and far between. And even then, they never think you're anything special. Deep down, you know your worth doesn't hinge upon your desirability. But it's hard to remember that when society relentlessly pounds the idea into your head.

"I know so, sweetheart. You're perfect." Eddie replies, not an ounce of doubt or dishonesty in his voice. He means every word that comes out of his mouth, and you love him even more for it.

"I dunno about all that, Eddie." You say as your eyes flick downwards. Here you are, completely naked, fully displayed to him. And you're still questioning his liking of you. His hand comes up to gently lift your chin to look at him. His intense gaze burns into you, like there's a roaring fire ignited behind his eyes.

"I'm serious, Y/N. I know I don't know everything about you, but I know enough. Enough to say that I care very deeply for you, because you're an amazing person, in every way." You don't know how he does it, but he's somehow managed to sound even more sincere than before. You're utterly captivated by him. You've never had anyone speak to you in such devotional ways, until now.

"You're pretty great, too, you know." You say with a light smile, color warming your cheeks again at his saccharine declarations. You wait for him to make his next move, keeping your eyes on his all the while. Somehow, sitting here like this, with him standing before you while his thumb and forefinger gently hold your chin, is possibly the most comfortable position you've been in for who knows how long. Eddie slowly leans in, pressing a feather-light kiss to your lips. Your eyes flutter closed, and you enjoy every second of this until he pulls away just as gingerly. "Damn, you are way too good at that." You say breathlessly.

"So are you, baby. Takes two to tango, right?" He grins at you, allowing his less serious side to take hold. You've waited long enough, and he wants to pleasure you in every way you deserve. He picks up where he left off, trailing kisses down your body that set your insides ablaze. Shoulders, chest, stomach, before moving on to your thighs. He kneels in front of you, putting your knees over his shoulders.

"Mmm." You moan as he gently nips on your sensitive flesh, sucking tiny love bites closer and closer to your core. He's still taking his time, wanting to warm you back up before he finally tastes you. His eyes watch your dripping hole, his cock twitching as he can see how wet he's making you with every inch of progress. Your nails dig into the worn wood of the table, scratching deeply as you resist the urge to shove your crotch in his face. You want him to fuck you with his mouth more than anything, and it's taking everything in you to be patient. He finally sets himself before your glistening pussy, his hot breath fanning over it. Eddie lets his tongue slip out of his mouth to make first contact with your clit. "Fuck!" You cry out, your hips jolting upwards off the table.

"Settle down, angel. I'm just getting started." He coos, before dragging the wet muscle along your slit.

"Sorry, it's been a while." You say with an embarrassed laugh. You force yourself to relax, keeping yourself seated on the table as he works on you. It's harder than you expected it to be, every little lick and suck feels too fucking good.

"You taste so sweet, baby." Eddie praises, before resuming his work. He's pulling out all the stops, wanting to make you lose control. He flicks against your clit, and alternately shoves his tongue into your cunt to push on your sweet spot. His pattern and pace varies wildly, never giving you a chance to predict a single move.

"You're really good at this, Eds." You sigh blissfully, thoroughly enjoying everything he's doing to you. You feel an intense knot growing within you, tightening further with every passing second. Eddie's building you up unbelievably quickly, though you figure it wouldn't have taken much to begin with. You emit an endless stream of expletives and calls of his name, your body gradually coating itself in steaming sweat.

"Mmm." Eddie moans against you as he can't get enough of your juices flowing into his mouth. You taste like nothing of this earth to him, so fucking delicious. His dick is leaking profusely as he eats you out, your noises are driving him insane. He wants to make you cum all over his face, and soon, so he can finally fill you up with his painfully hard cock. He pushes his fingers into you again, focusing his tongue on your clit as he quickens the pace.

"Oh, Eddie. Just like that- fuck, I'm getting close." You whimper, digging your nails further into the table. You're surprised you haven't broken any off with how much pressure you've put on them. You sense your oncoming release, the telling ebb and flow of pleasurable waves beginning to collide with you. "Don't stop, baby. Make me cum, I'm almost there." You plead with Eddie to keep doing exactly what he's doing, needing just a little more to make that ever-growing knot snap. He takes heed of your desperate words, not changing a single thing for fear of denying you of your orgasm.

"Mmm." He moans into you again, watching your fuckstruck face as he gets you near the finish line. Your eyes are squeezed shut, your mouth hanging open as you make the most beautifully obscene sounds he's ever heard. Your chest heaves as you breathe rapidly, your skin slicked over with glimmering perspiration. Eddie wishes to save this image in his mind, you look like a total goddess to him at this moment. He's afraid he's not going to last, though, as he's forgotten just how arousing it is for him to go down on a woman. He's certain that the second you lose it, he'll end up falling off the edge right alongside you. He doesn't mind, however. Far be it from him to complain about getting self-satisfaction out of pleasing you.

"Just a little harder, Eds. I'm so fuckin' close." You pant out the words, needing just a little more to get what you want. Eddie grants your request, pressing his tongue more firmly on your bundle of nerves, and fingering your pussy at a harsher speed. "Perfect, right there." You whine as you're just about to cum. Eddie groans against you one last time, he can feel your walls fluttering around his digits. The vibrations from his muffled noises bring you to your high swiftly and completely. "Oh, fuck, EDDIE!" You cry out as your legs begin to shake. Your orgasm rips through you violently, and you can't control your thighs clamping around Eddie's head. You feel your release spilling onto him, and he tries his best to slurp up every last drop. You're seeing stars, absolutely flaming from the inside out.

"Fff." You hear him grunt against you, his breath coming out shakily as he cums with you. His load spills messily onto the floor under the table, some of it landing on his thighs. His hips buck upwards once or twice, he has no idea. All he knows is bliss, and he relishes every last second of it until you calm down. You slump backwards against the wall while you release Eddie's head from your iron grasp. You're absolutely spent, almost gasping for air from how mind-blowing this was. "You good, princess?" Eddie asks from the floor, as you haven't opened your eyes just yet. Your lids flutter upwards to let you look down at him. You find his chin is glistening with your nectar, and you peek down to see that he already came from the erotic display you put on a moment ago.

"Yes, so fucking good." You say sincerely, smiling down at him as your ecstasy wanes away to nothing. "I see you enjoyed yourself, too, Eds." You flick your pupils downwards, hinting at the mess in his lap. You can't help finding his position quite hot. Sitting on his knees, his own release splattered about in sticky streaks on his skin. He just couldn't help himself, you were too powerful a sight for him to handle. The thought alone makes you feel wet all over again.

"I really did. You were so sexy, and I couldn't get enough." He says from below you, and he can't help blushing when you stare at him like this. Lust burns in your eyes from seeing him all sweaty and spent from doing almost nothing at all. He's never had a girl look at him like that, and he definitely enjoys it more than one would expect.

"C'mere, baby." You say softly, beckoning him upwards with your finger. He does as you ask without a thought, standing between your legs. Eddie puts his hands on your waist, waiting for you to speak. You gaze at each other for a moment, gentle smiles sitting about your mouths. "I love you, Eddie." You utter the words so quietly, Eddie almost thinks he's imagined it. Before he can ask you to repeat yourself, however, you take hold of the back of his head to give him a tender kiss.

He's surprised you'd tell him such a thing. Sure, you both admitted to being in love with one another at some point in time last night, and the fact that you've just engaged in sexual activities can also help argue the case. But for some reason, hearing it out loud makes it sound...illogical, irrational. He considers the possibility that you're only saying it because he might die, but he doesn't think you'd be so cruel to lie about your feelings. Honestly, all this contemplation is making his head spin. At this point, he doesn't give a fuck if you mean it or not. He'll take your affection hand over fist as long as you continue to give it to him. You release his lips from yours, allowing him time to respond. "I love you too, Y/N. I've been waiting years to hear you say that." He says sincerely, as he hopes your own words are just as genuine.

"I wish I'd said it a long time ago. You're the only man that's ever made me feel this way. And I know we're pretty young, but I don't think I'll ever feel like this about anyone else." You stroke his hair as you speak, it's so soft, if not a bit damp from what you just finished doing a minute ago. You can't help shivering a little as the cool March air chills your sweat.

"You cold, angel? We should put our clothes back on." Eddie says as he notices your teeth beginning to chatter. He leans down to pick up all your clothes, handing your items off to you.

"Hey, Eddie?" You ask while slipping your panties on.

"Yes, sweetheart?" He looks to you, wondering if something is wrong.

"Is 'Reefer Rick' home? Or anyone, for that matter?" You question, contemplating using the house as a warmer, safer location to hide in.

"Nah, he's still in jail right now and doesn't live with anyone. Why do you ask?" He quirks an eyebrow at you.

"Well, I was thinking it might be more comfortable in there if no one's home. We could shower, wash our clothes, have an actual bed to sleep in. And it would be a helluva lot warmer in there, too." You explain your train of thought, though you wonder if he'd already thought about it.

"I hope this doesn't change how you feel about me, but I hadn't even thought of that. The jackass probably doesn't even keep the door locked." Eddie chuckles, smacking his head at his own stupidity. "But yeah, I think it's a damn good idea. We won't have to sleep on the floor, at least."

"Well, it's a good thing I decided to stay with you, huh? I'm more than just a good lay." You giggle as you finish getting dressed.

"Technically, I don't actually know if you're a good lay...yet." He jokes, making you both share a cute laugh. You gather your supplies to bring into the house, and Eddie takes your free hand in his. You check to make sure the coast is clear, there's a few rednecks that live around here, and you don't want them to see you. You make your way to the house, and try the doorknob. Unsurprisingly, it opens without a hitch. "Thank you, Rick." Eddie says under his breath, and you make your way inside.

It's clear that Reefer Rick hasn't been home in a few months. Dust covers every flat surface, and there's rotten fruit in the bowl on the kitchen counter. Some used dishes sit molding in the sink, and there's a bit of old...everything all about the place. Pizza boxes, beer cans, pints of Ben & Jerry's, other things like that. You would clean up, but it's probably best to let any passerby assume that the premises is still vacated. Plus, all you really need is a bed and a shower at the moment. "God, this place is a dump." You observe aloud at the slight odor that permeates the house.

"Yeah, looks like the maid hasn't come around in awhile." Eddie replies sarcastically, wiping one of the tables with his finger. A thick streak of dust coats the pad of it, and he scrunches his nose as he wipes it on his pants.

You try turning on the sink to see if anything will come out. And sure enough, the water flows from the faucet, plentiful and warm. "Nice, we've got water." You open the fridge, and the little light clicks on. It's full of even more nasty food, but you weren't really worried about it anyway. "And power. So shower and laundry are a go." You say with a smile, moving on to check out the rest of the house.

The heat isn't set, but it's still so much warmer than outside and the boathouse. You locate the thermostat to turn up the temperature a little, and thankfully you hear the system kick on. You avoid turning on any lights to prevent drawing attention from afar, and you find the laundry room downstairs. Underground where no one will hear the machines running, perfect. Eddie follows behind you the whole way, and the two of you strip off your old clothes in the damp basement. You've both seen one another naked, so you're not bothered by walking through the rest of the house without your clothes on. After setting the load to wash, you head back up the stairs and to the second floor where the master bedroom is. There's a bathroom inside it as well, and you let Eddie take the first shower.

While he does so, you check Rick's closet to find some clothes Eddie can wear in the meantime. There's tie-dye t-shirt after tie-dye t-shirt, at least fifty in total. They're a little big for Eddie, but they seem comfortable enough. You take out an orange and red and yellow one, setting its hanger on the bed. You open a chest of drawers, hoping the bottoms will be more in your boyfriend's size range. Lucky for you, Rick seems to be a very lanky guy who just prefers baggy shirts. You pull out some blue jeans, putting them next to the shirt. You don't bother with underwear, you know Eddie won't go for wearing another man's tidy whities. Commando will have to do for the time being.

As for you, Robin was gracious enough to supply you with some jeans, sweatpants, a couple shirts, and...every pair of panties you own. You suppose she wasn't sure how long you'll be in hiding for, and you don't have an answer to that either. Better safe than sorry, you think to yourself with a shrug. "Fuck, I really needed that." Eddie says with a satisfied sigh as he walks out of the bathroom. He's got a towel wrapped around his waist, showing off his v-line. His necklace dangles wetly around his neck, and water drips from his hair and down his front. Damn, he's hot. You mentally observe while biting your lip. "Helloooooo...Earth to Y/N." He waves his hand around, smirking at how you're staring at his body again.

"Huh?" You snap out of it, meeting his eyes and handsome smile. "Oh, was the water warm enough?" You ask as your cheeks flare red.

"Yeah, there should be enough left for you, too. Gonna warn you, it's only guy soap in there." He says casually, walking over to see what you've put out for him to wear. "What the hell is that?" He furrows his brows, pointing at the obnoxious tie-dye shirt.

"It's all Rick has, and it's only for a couple hours. Leave it to you to be picky about fashion in a crisis." You chuckle at his apprehension to wear anything outside his personal style.

"That's easy for you to say! The others brought you your own clothes!" He retorts, crossing his arms. He doesn't know how to explain it without sounding like a child. But he hates wearing clothes that aren't his, it feels...wrong somehow. The few times he has done it, he feels like his skin is crawling beneath the fabric. Because it knows they don't belong to him. It's also one of the ways he gets to express himself, and he sure as shit doesn't like tie-dye.

"I know, baby. I'm sorry. I'm sure they would've brought you something if your house wasn't an active crime scene." You're sympathetic to his distaste, his clothes should be one of the few things he can control in this situation. And wearing things that don't belong to him can't be very comfortable. You stand before him, putting your hands on his shoulders for a moment. "It'll be alright, Eddie. We have to work with what we've got, okay?" You give him a little kiss, hoping to put him at ease. He accepts your offering, grabbing your ass in large handfuls. You sigh against him, it's crazy how easily you fall into a deep pit of lust every time he touches you. Eddie pulls away, taking your breath with him.

"I suppose I can live with Rick's stoner style for a bit." He says unconvincingly, rolling his eyes.

"I appreciate you making the sacrifice." You press a kiss to his cheek, returning to your bag to see if Robin packed any toiletries for you. You find your shampoo and conditioner, an unopened bar of soap, and your toothbrush. No toothpaste, though. Maybe there's some in the bathroom.

"Shit, Robin thought of everything, huh?" Eddie says, taking a peek into your things himself while you head into the bathroom to wash up. Damn, there's a lot of panties in here. Eddie thinks, pushing the slips of fabric around to see what else lies within the bag's contents. Clothes, hair ties, lip balm, tampons. His hand recoils at finding your lady things, before noticing something else beneath them. A deck of playing cards. Well, it's not D&D, but it'll do to pass the time. Wayne's showed him a ton of card games over the years, though he can't remember the last time he played any of them.

The thought makes Eddie's heart ache. Fuck, he misses his uncle so much. And he must be worried sick about him. Does he know Eddie didn't kill Chrissy? He has to, right? Eddie can't help wondering if Wayne has even entertained the idea that he is a murderer. He comes from a broken home, suffering awful abuse, no less. Happens all the time. Lots of serial killers come from environments just like Eddie's, it's only natural to ponder if something went wrong inside his head. A few tears spring from Eddie's eyes. He wishes he could tell Wayne that he's okay (for now), and that he didn't do this. But he can't risk being found, it'll all be over for him if that happens. He wipes his eyes frantically when he hears you shut the water off, sniffing harshly to get himself together. He puts his borrowed clothes on and takes the deck of cards from your bag.

"Mmm, nice and clean and ready to get dirty again." You quip as you walk into the bedroom. You're drying your hair as you walk, another towel wrapped around your body. You bring the towel away from your head, finding Eddie standing in the little outfit you found for him. You can't help smiling at how he looks in it. The pants fit just fine, but the shirt makes him look like a little kid.

"What?" Eddie asks, curious as to why you're looking at him the way you are.

"You just look so cute, Eds." You say with a giggle, plopping down on the bed.

"I do not. I look like a total dork." He grumbles, narrowing his eyes at you.

"No you don't, baby. Whatcha got there?" You change the subject, knowing Eddie doesn't want to talk about it anymore. He seems really upset, but not entirely about the clothes. Maybe he'll tell you later, but neither of you need any more doom and gloom right now.

"Oh, um, looks like Robin packed us some entertainment. Wanna play?" He asks, holding up your playing cards. Your eyes widen when you remember what's printed on them.

"Are you sure, Eddie? Did you look closely at the package?" You ask cautiously, you don't want him to flip out.

"They're just cards, right?" Eddie looks at the box again, wondering what you're talking about. The one side looks like the typical packaging, the traditional pattern and branding. Until he flips it over to the other side. These aren't just any old playing cards, they're playing cards with naked men printed on them. "Oh." He says as his pupils enlarge. "And, uh...why do you have these?" His eyes flick to you.

"They're a gag gift from Steve. He saw them in a sex shop and thought they were, quote, 'hilarious'." You explain, rolling your eyes when you recall just how tickled Steve was by the huge cocks and washboard abs on all the men.

Eddie smiles, finding your embarrassed face rather amusing. "Oh, and here I thought you were some kinda pervert." He says jokingly, climbing onto the bed and laying on his stomach. He pulls the flap of the box up, pouring the cards out to get a closer look. "Jesus! How do you walk around with a dick like that?!" Eddie laughs, showing you the card in question.

"Jealous, are we?" You tease, opening your towel to get dressed. His eyes go to your tits immediately, his breath catching in his throat.

"N-not really, I imagine one that big wouldn't fit anyway." He says absent-mindedly, practically drooling at your naked body.

"Who's the pervert now?" You quip, reaching in your bag for the sexiest underwear you own. Red, lacey, perfect to tantalize Eddie with later. You pull them up your legs, remembering just how good they feel on your skin. You'd really splurged for these when you first bought them. It wasn't for anyone in particular, you just wanted to feel more confident in your own skin. You put your spare jeans and a t-shirt on as well, effectively hiding your body away from his gawking eyes.

"Eddie, Y/N, do you copy? Pick up guys, we've got news." You hear Dustin on the walkie, his voice crackling through the little speaker. You pick it up, pushing down on the talk button.

"Yeah, we're listening." You reply simply, releasing the button.

"There's another body. It's Fred from the school paper. Nancy was with him investigating Chrissy's death and they got separated." Dustin says.

"Oh, shit. I'm sorry, Nance." You figure they're all sitting somewhere together, hoping she heard you. You were wondering what she's been up to this whole time. Typical Nancy Wheeler, always investigating. "Is there anything else? Do you guys have a plan to find out more information?"

"Yeah, I talked to Eddie's uncle, Wayne. He says there's this old guy, Victor Creel, who committed similar murders back in the fifties. It's a shot in the dark, but I'm gonna go to the library to find out more." Nancy speaks this time, and Eddie's face falls a little at the mention of his uncle. He looks at you, holding out his hand for the walkie. You nod, handing it over without question.

"How was he...when you talked to him?" Eddie asks cautiously.

"He was...pretty shaken up. He found the body in the trailer. But he insisted that you wouldn't do this, Eddie. So he knows you're innocent." Nancy says, hoping the words offer Eddie some kind of comfort.

"O-Okay. Thanks." Eddie replies shakily, handing the thing back over to you. You notice his eyes watering, as if some amount of relief has washed over him.

"You okay, Eds?" You ask as the others haven't said anything else yet. He just nods, wiping his eyes. "Okay, is there anything else?" You ask the group.

"Yeah, the rest of us are going to try to talk to Ms. Kelly, the school counselor. Max saw Chrissy talking to her on the day she died, she looked upset. So we're thinking maybe she was seeing things, and talked to Ms. Kelly about it." Steve speaks now.

"Well, I'm glad you guys seem to have this under control. We'll be here when you have more. Be careful out there." You reply to end this conversation.

"Sure thing. You two take care of each other. And let us know if you need anything. Over and out." Dustin says finally, and the walkie clicks for the last time, for now.

"Well, that was cheery." You say sarcastically, reaching for the deck to shuffle it. You may as well move on to something else for the time being.

"At least Wayne knows I'm not a murderer." Eddie replies softly through a sniffle.

"Of course he knows, baby. He practically raised you, right? He knows you're a good person, and I'm sure he's told the police that." You put your hand over his to try and comfort him.

"I doubt they believe him, though." He says sadly, squeezing your hand slightly.

"You're probably right. But we're gonna prove that you're innocent, okay? There's no way in hell I'm letting anyone pin this on you. I'll fight off the entire local police force myself if I have to." You reach over for your purse on the other side of the bed, pulling out the small pistol you carry inside it for personal protection. Eddie's eyes widen at the sight of the weapon, you make it sound like you'll actually shoot a police officer to keep him out of jail. "And if any of the ignorant assholes in this town try to mess with us, I'll get them to back off."

"Are you serious? Why do you have this, Y/N?" He's getting freaked out again, which you don't really understand. The gun is yours, you have the proper permits for it, you know how to use it. What's the big deal?

"Eddie, relax. I carry this for my own protection, in case some asshole tries something. I've had it for years, I kinda needed it when I didn't have a lanky metalhead to fight my battles for me." You don't mean the last comment as a slight, it's just the truth. Until now, you haven't had Eddie in your life in a very long time. You've basically been on your own. Even after coming into the fold of the massive monster-fighting team, you still spend most of your time alone. And being a young woman, living in a shitty neighborhood, you need something to fend off any potential attackers.

"Okay, fine. Just...please don't shoot anyone? I don't need any more blood on my hands." He pleads, he really wants you to put the damn thing away already. Guns make him nervous, he could never imagine owning one, let alone carrying it around everywhere. He's had enough of them shoved in his face to know that they're not to be taken lightly. Such a small thing can do so much damage. One can use it to kill without a second thought.

"I'm not shooting anyone, Eddie. I've never had to actually fire this thing. It's just a deterrent, nothing more. Okay?" You put the pistol back in your purse, and Eddie relaxes a bit. "And I'm sorry for freaking you out."

"It's okay. I get why you have it. There's some pretty scary shit in this town sometimes, apparently." He ends on a dry laugh, unable to hold off on rolling his eyes. He still finds it absolutely insane that this town really has been up to some spooky shit like everyone's been saying. And now he's caught smack-dab in the middle of it. "But anyway, you gonna shuffle or what?" He slaps on a smile, attempting to lighten the mood a little.

"Yeah, what game should we play first?" You shuffle the deck, waiting for him to choose a game.

"Well, since it's a rather dirty deck, how about a dirty game?" He suggests with a devilish grin.

"Alright. Strip poker it is." You smile back, knowing exactly where this particular game will end up. It'll be a relatively short game, though, as you both only have two or three items of clothing on at the moment. But you're guessing Eddie doesn't really care how many rounds you play, as long as you find yourselves fucking like wild animals by the time it's over. You deal out five cards to Eddie and yourself, setting the deck down to see what you have. Three aces, an eight, and a six. Three of a kind isn't bad, but trying for a fourth or maybe a full house would be better. "You want to switch out any cards?" You ask Eddie as he looks over his hand.

"Two, please." He puts two of his cards down, and you give him the new ones. You drop the six, and draw one new card. And sure enough, it's another eight. A full house, that'll be hard to beat.

"Okay. Now, if I win, what will you take off first?" You ask while biting your lip. You've got absolutely no poker face, you're sure he can see how giddy you are about your hand.

"Uh, I'll take my jewelry off, I guess." He replies, cool as a cucumber. You can't read him at all, which is worrying. "And you?"

"Well, I don't think jewelry should count. But it makes us even, I suppose. And I'll take off my jeans, if you win." You smirk.

"I'd rethink that confidence if I were you." Eddie warns playfully. "C'mon, show me what you got."

"Full house, baby. I'd love to see you beat that." You say smugly, laying the cards down neatly on the bed.

"Oof, that's too bad. Looks like I get to have a second look at those panties of yours." He says as he lays down his hand. A straight flush, all hearts.

"You motherfucker!" You scoff, unable to believe he beat you.

"Sorry, sweetheart. You'll just have to get luckier next time. Now, c'mon, off with the pants. Please and thank you." His eyes flick to your lower half, waiting expectantly for you to show some skin.

"Ugh, fine!" You exclaim, undoing the button and zip of your jeans, pulling them off and tossing them to the floor. You lay back down on the bed, your red underwear on full display for him. He stares at them for a moment as you gather the cards to shuffle again. "You really like them, huh?" You ask, drawing him out of his lustful trance. You notice a bulge forming in his own pants, which only builds your anticipation for the next hand.

"Yeah, they look really sexy on you." He compliments, giving you a hungry look.

"Thanks, Eds." You deal out the cards again, and bet your shirt this time. Eddie sticks with his rings and necklace, and you play the hand out. You have two pairs, and he beats you again with three of a kind. "Dammit!" You shout in disappointment as you yank your t-shirt over your head. Your tits bounce as they're freed from the fabric, and you're one loss away from being completely naked.

"You're just all outta luck today, angel." He's feeling cocky, all he needs is one more hand to beat you. You mutter a couple swears under your breath, you're not a very good sport when you lose at games. You shuffle a third time, and deal once more.

The next two rounds thankfully go in your favor, stripping Eddie of his accessories and tie-dye shirt. You're tied now, one more round to put an end to it all. You're both holding your final hand now, having already exchanged cards. You're on the edge of your seat, so to speak, eager to see who wins this erotic game. "You wanna show them at the same time, baby?" You ask darkly, unable to hide just how aroused this game has made you. You've both been eating up every last bit of one another's flesh as it's been revealed, just waiting for the moment when you get to see more.

"Okay." He nods, meeting your anxious gaze with his own. You both place your hands down on the blanket, waiting a second to actually look at them. Once you do, you see that you've just barely beaten Eddie. He has three of a kind, whereas you have a straight. "You win, princess. Congratulations." He says lowly, wasting no time in taking off his pants. His dick slaps against his stomach, waiting for you to take hold of it. "You wanna come over here and claim your prize, Y/N?"

"I thought you'd never ask, baby." You crawl over to him on the bed, ignoring the cards spilling around everywhere. Eddie lays on his back as you prowl, stroking his cock lazily in his hand. You climb over him so your body looms above his. You lower your head to give him a kiss, slipping your tongue into his mouth a moment later. His free hand reaches up to your underwear, slipping beneath the luxe fabric to feel your soaked folds. You moan against him at the sensation. "I want you so bad, Eddie." You say breathlessly, your lips still brushing against his as you speak.

"I want you too, sweetheart. Can you take these off for me?" Eddie replies, tugging at the waistband of your panties. You nod, dragging the fabric over the curves of your ass and down your legs. You kick them away with your foot, and straddle Eddie's thighs.

You replace Eddie's hand with yours, slowly running your hollowed fist along his dick. He groans at your touch, wanting you to pick up the pace or move along to the main event. "You want me to ride you, baby?" You ask seductively.

"Please." He begs, his hands resting at your hips. You lift yourself upwards slightly, just enough to drag his tip against your pussy, spreading your arousal onto his length. His breath catches at you lubing him up, and you let out low moans as he repeatedly brushes against your clit. "Stop teasing, sweetheart. I need to feel you." He can't hide the whining in his voice, and his eyes stare up helplessly at you as you continue your tantalizing actions.

"God, I love it when you beg, Eddie. It's so fuckin' hot." You smirk at him, allowing the head of his length to slip inside your dripping cunt. "Fuck." You gasp, eyes fluttering shut. He's barely in you and he's already stretching your walls in the most delicious way. You slowly sink down, accepting every last inch of him. You bite hard on your lip, savoring the slight burn you feel from him filling you up so completely. "Oh, god." You moan with your eyes still blissfully closed. You lay on his chest as you adjust to his size, pressing your lips to his while you loosen up.

"You're so tight, angel. Holy shit." Eddie says lowly to you between kisses. He can't believe he's actually inside you right now, and you feel like absolute heaven around him. Warm, snug, and perfectly slick. He could stay just like this forever, holding you close as you're connected like matching puzzle pieces. His hands caress your back and sides, worshiping every inch of you he can reach while he waits for you to start moving.

"And you're so big, Eds. You fill me up so well." You squeeze around his length involuntarily, making him gasp.

"I really hope you're not just strokin' my ego, princess." He laughs lightly, his hands pressing firmly into your hips from you hugging his cock so tight.

"I wouldn't dream of it, darling. I'd never lie to you." You keep planting languid, hungry kisses to his mouth while you start to move. You gradually bring yourself upwards on his cock, almost letting him slip out, before sinking back down in one swift motion. Breathy moans leave both your mouths, and you repeat the action a few more times. Up...and down, up...and down, up...and down. You let out muted noises as Eddie brushes against your g spot with each landing.

"Fuck, sweetheart. You're still teasing, I can't take it." He whimpers, rolling your bodies over to take the lead. Your head rests on the pillows below, your legs spread wide with him still sheathed inside you. "Is this okay?" Eddie asks, looking down at you expectantly. He's desperate to get some real speed and friction going. But not without your permission, of course.

You reach up to cup his cheek, and wrap your legs around his waist to pull him closer. "Yes, Eddie. And please, don't hesitate to go as hard and as fast as you want."

"You like it rough, huh?" He questions with another filthy smirk. He says so much with so little, you really wish you knew how he does that.

"You seem to know me well enough, what do you think?" You tease, keeping up with his playfulness again. You enjoy pushing his buttons, hoping it'll make him go crazy on you.

"Is it so hard to give me a straight answer?" He says as he thrusts into you once. It's the perfect mix and deep and rough, just like you wanted. It steals your breath away, making your eyes roll into the back of your head for a moment. "Just tell me what you want, angel. And I'll happily give it to you." He speaks lowly in your ear, thrusting again to draw a low moan from you.

"Fuck, keep doing that. It feels so good, baby." You sigh as Eddie's lips meet your neck. He's marking you again, you're gonna look like a leopard by the time he's done with you. But you'll proudly wear love bites on every inch of your body, as long as they come from him.

"You got it, princess." Eddie picks up the pace, using the same amount of force as before. He pushes on your sweet spot over and over, which makes you all the more wet inside. He slips in and out of you so easily, your arousal dripping onto the bed with every shove into your cunt. "Shit, you're fuckin' soaked, sweetheart. Your pussy feels amazing." He groans, sending a shock of pleasure through you. His words are absolutely filthy, and his tone makes your heart pound in your chest.

"It's all for you, Eds." You moan out, grabbing hold of his back with your hands. Your nails dig into his skin, drawing another vulgar sound from his lips. Eddie continues to assault your neck as he fucks you, leaving hickey after hickey with his every moan. You're clinging to him, trying to keep him as close to you as possible as he ruts you into the bed. His body weighs heavily on yours, encapsulating you in excessive heat. But it's not enough, you want to be even closer. You wish you could crawl under his skin, to somehow fuse yourself to him and never let go. "Fuck, roll over, baby. And sit up against the headboard." You pant out, wanting to ride him like you originally planned.

"Is something wrong, sweetheart?" He asks, his face meeting yours with concerned eyes. His thrusts slow for a moment, and he wonders if he should stop altogether.

"No, definitely not. I just wanna be closer to you, Eds." You reply breathlessly, patting his shoulders to prompt him to obey your request. He does as you ask, managing to stay inside you while putting you on top again. He scoots back to lean against the headboard, and you straddle his lap in this new position. Your arms wrap around his shoulders, your chest pressing against his. "Perfect." You exhale as his tip is kissing your cervix at this angle. You press your lips to his, putting a pause on the sex for a moment. You want to take a moment to taste his mouth on yours, he's so addictive to you. "I love you, baby." You whisper to him between gentle smooches.

"I love you too, princess." Eddie's happy to return the sentiment, he can't get enough of you admiring him in such a way. His hands sit at your waist, slowly migrating downwards to grip the rounds of your ass in rough handfuls. You let out a quiet moan, your pussy flexing around his length at the aggressive action. "Fuck, Y/N. Gonna be the death of me if you keep doin' that." He whimpers. It isn't exactly easy for him to sit still with his dick encased by your soaked cunt, and you squeezing him like that makes it all the more difficult.

"You want me to start moving, darling?" You ask, biting your lip at the thrill of teasing him just a little bit more.

"Please." He says pitifully, it's taking everything in him to not thrust upwards into you right now.

"Mmm, you're so needy, baby. I'll never get over how sexy you sound like that." You smolder, before lifting your hips up to give you both what you want so badly. You allow yourself to fall back down, crying out in pleasure at the feeling of him hitting your g spot even better than before. You set a steady pace, allowing for plenty of sloppy kisses and bites being made on your bodies. You don't know where you start and Eddie ends at this point, and a roiling knot has been brewing inside you from the moment you first accepted his dick into your silk. Eddie's hands lead your hips to roll against him, and he punctuates your bounces with an occasional buck of his hips to steal your breath away. "Oh, Eddie. You feel so fuckin' good, keep doing that." You moan out, increasing your own speed to meet him in the middle. Your arousal continues to flow from you freely, making a small puddle on Eddie's abdomen.

"You're makin' a mess all over me, sweetheart. You're so perfect." Eddie praises, ramming his hips upwards to meet your every landing.

"I'm getting close, baby. Fuck me harder, faster. I need you to make me cum." You whimper the words, with no regard for just how much they affect the man moaning along with you. You feel the twisting ball inside you pulling tighter against its restraints, waiting to snap at any moment. Eddie's not far behind you, you're easily the best sex he's ever had.

"Turn around, princess. Hands and knees." Eddie commands, needing to take control to drive you both off that proverbial cliff. You hop off his lap, scrambling to get in position. He's half a step behind you, giving you a moment to grab onto the blankets before he shoves his length back into your needy hole.

"Fuck!" You cry out, and you feel Eddie's hands digging rougher than before into your hips. He hammers himself into you, the slapping of skin mixing with your obscene noises. His pelvis smacks against your ass, stinging your flesh from the force and wetness from your sweat and juices. "Just like that, Eds. Don't stop, make me cum. I'm almost there."

"I'm right there with you, angel. Your pussy is so fuckin' amazing, best I've ever had, so wet and tight and perfect in every way." Eddie's words spill from his lips haphazardly, he can barely think straight as his stomach begins to tense. You sense he's close, his movements have become unfocused.

"Cum with me, baby. I wanna feel you fill me up, claim me as yours. I can't get enough of your dick, baby. It's so fuckin' good." You allow every passing thought running through your mind to become verbalized, letting him know he's rocking your fucking world right now. Just a little more, and you'll both be in complete and utter bliss. Eddie unexpectedly snakes his hand around your front, his long fingers locating your clit to rub rapid circles around it. "Oh, god, oh, fuck!" You moan helplessly as his touch brings on the rapid buildup you've been waiting for. Your walls begin to flutter around him, signaling loud and clear that you're about to lose it.

"Fuck, Y/N." Eddie grunts, his own high taking over only moments before yours. His breath hitches, and his hips thrust into you even harder while his load shoots into you in thick white ropes. The warmth of his cum, mixed with his harsh bucking pulls you down with him.

"Eddie!" You practically scream as your thighs begin to shake. You clamp down on him, almost making him fall backwards with how mind-blowing it feels. Your vision blurs with stars, your entire body radiating with glowing ecstasy. Eddie stills inside you, allowing you time to ride out the wave of pleasure coursing through you. You collapse onto the bed, your ass in the air as you're still connected to him.

"You alright there, princess?" Eddie asks, exhaling heavily as he tries to catch his breath.

"Mmm, yeah. More than alright. That's easily the best sex I've ever had." You reply, sounding just as winded as he is. Eddie slowly pulls out of you, which proves quite the challenge as your pussy doesn't want to release him. You both let out muttered curses at how sensitive you are as he eventually removes himself.

"Shit, sweetheart. Never had anyone hold on to me so tight like this before." He says in awe, gazing at your glistening body as you still haven't moved from your awkward position yet. Your eyes are shut, your mouth letting out hot huffs of air. Your arms lay limp on either side of your head, and your legs are still spread open wide. Eddie eyes your cunt, licking his lips when he sees your mixed release oozing out of you. You're an impeccably gorgeous sight to him, and he can't resist crawling over to sample the sweet nectar currently pulsing from your slit.

"Shit." You mutter as his tongue makes contact with you. Light vibrations run against you as Eddie moans at the sweet, musky flavor you’ve created together. He continues to lick you clean, drinking up every last drop. You're still sparking from your previous orgasm, and you're dangerously close to having another. "Eddie, you're gonna make me cum again if you keep going." You warn with a whimper, which only spurs him on. He shoves his tongue into your pussy, scooping out every last bit of cum he can. The wet muscle manages to stroke your g spot repeatedly in its quest for bodily fluids, which causes another orgasm to rip through you. Stronger than the one before. "Oh, fuck!" You cry out, trembling all over again as you soak his face.

"Mmm." He groans at you giving him even more to taste, his hands grasping clumsily at your legs to hold you in place while he continues to consume you. He still doesn't stop, your pleasure building on top of itself, folding over in exquisite layers.

"You're so greedy, Eds." You sigh, letting yourself enjoy every second of his relentless appetite thoroughly. You expect to be brought to yet another high very soon.

"You just taste so delicious, sweetheart. I can't help myself." He speaks briefly before returning to his task. His statement is absolutely true, he doesn't know how he's going to eventually stop eating you out. You're like a goddamn drug, and he wishes to receive hit after hit until you tell him to stop. His dick twitches at every little sound you make in response, shining beads of his own release running down his shaft. It appears extending your pleasure has inadvertently done the same for his own.

"I'm getting close again, Eddie. I don't know how much more I can take." You whine, your legs twitching at every move he makes on you. The inevitable peak you're climbing towards is certainly going to be the strongest you've ever had, and you just know it's going to make a huge mess. You've never squirted before, but you have a sneaking suspicion that both you and Eddie will highly enjoy it.

"Just do one more for me, angel. You've been doing so well. Cum for me, Y/N." Eddie begs, before sucking harshly on your clit.

"OH, GOD, OH FUCK! EDDIE!" You're overtaken by white-hot flames, the heat consuming you from the inside out. Your entire lower half shakes violently, and you feel a massive gush of your cum splashing onto Eddie's face and down your thighs. "Fuck!" The sensation is nothing like you've experienced before. You almost feel a little embarrassed, as the only bodily function you could compare it to is...well, not something you'd want to release so easily onto another person. But all Eddie does is attempt to swallow as much of it as he can, as if he's dying of thirst. He doesn't pull away, or say anything judgmental. Clearly he knows more about this phenomenon than you, which puts your mind at ease a little.

"Damn, that was hot." Eddie says as he finally pulls away from you. The rest of your body falls onto the bed, totally spent. You've never cum so much or so hard before. Even the slight flow of air as the heating warms the house makes your cunt twitch in overstimulation. "I think we're gonna need another shower, though." He chuckles as he looks down at your juices glistening on his chest and stomach, not to mention between your legs. You made such a splash, it's not something he's personally seen very often. But, fuck he loves any opportunity to witness it.

"I second that. But I feel like I'm made of jelly now." You let out a weak giggle, groaning as you roll over onto your back.

"That good, huh?" Eddie smirks, meeting your tired eyes with his own.

"Oh, Eds. You have noooo idea." You manage to sit up, scooching yourself closer to Eddie to give him a gentle kiss. He returns it gingerly, leading you to lie down with him. He pulls you in real close, cuddling you in your radiating afterglow. You break away from the kiss, looking deep into his eyes with total admiration. He's too perfect, and this moment represents everything you've ever wanted in a relationship. True love, deep connection, not to mention incredible sex. "I wish we could just stay like this forever." You say, barely above a whisper.

"We can certainly try, Y/N." He replies, a single tear running down his cheek at your words. You both know it's borderline cruel to make such confident statements. Given your uncertain future regarding Vecna, and the police, and any potential lynch-mobs that might demand Eddie's head on a spit. But despite all of this, you want to hold onto hope. Hope that both of you will get what you once denied yourselves, what you both clearly deserve out of life. You've been through far too much in your lives. To find one another again after all this time, only to have your newfound happiness snatched away from you? No fucking way. You refuse to go down without a fight. You've beaten monsters before, and you sure as shit plan to do it again.

"You're damn right we can. I already lost you once, and I'm not gonna let it happen a second time." You speak emphatically, resolving to do everything in your power to keep Eddie safe.

"I love you so much, Y/N." He says weakly, trying so hard to keep from falling apart.

You smile calmly at him, wiping away the tears from his chin. "I love you too, Eddie. I promise we'll get through this. Together."

"Together." He parrots the word quietly, nodding his head. He has no idea what the future holds for either of you, or your band of monster-slaying misfits. But all he can do is hold onto the idea that once this shit is settled, he can have the chance to do the one thing he's wanted for far too long. To be your man, and to cherish you like the world's greatest treasure.

The end.

[nan0-sp1der]

There is a polar bear in the Spider Society's panic room.

Why is there a POLAR BEAR in the panic room?

First the hyrax, now this...

[jimvasta]

Humans aren’t poisonous

It was another canteen argument at the spaceport. This time it was about the new species, the humans.

“I hear they are poisonous. That is why they do not come near and why they cover their skin, so they do not harm others.”

“I heard the clothes are about clan allegiances and you know who they follow from their colours.”

“I thought it was which Gods they follow.”

“No, it is poison.”

The argument had various creatures involved, they were from a crew whose Captain prided themselves on picking as many species as possible to work for them, and who was already attempting to entice a human onboard.

There were so many conflicting stories about the humans. They looked harmless, unarmoured, no claws to speak of, they were not even especially big although further rumour was that they were incredibly strong for their size. But, when the Dran attacked them no one could have predicted how easily the humans sent the dangerous imperialists fleeing back to their home world. How did they do it? No one quite knew.

“They are poisonous. How else did they kill everyone on the Helin outpost without any weapons? With only on scout ship.”

There was a snort from the hooded figure at the bar. “Humans aren't poisonous, trust me, I should know.”

“I learned that from the team who investigated the outpost. I know.”

The hood was lowered to reveal a human with short brown hair and a frighteningly toothy smile. “My knowledge is a little more first hand than yours. We aren't poisonous.” He reached in and patted the speaker's lower mandible, laughing as it recoiled from his touch. “You'll be fine.”

“If you are not poisonous, how did you do it? They were clearly poisoned by something horrific, a biological agent that the investigators swore was somehow alive.”

The human licked his lips. “I said we aren't poisonous, I wasn't lying.”

“So you're defenceless.” The insectoid being stood. It was angry at being touched by a soft fleshy creature, it felt dirty.

“Nope. I'm human, I'm never defenceless.”

“It would be so easy to defeat you in combat.” It loomed over the human. “Why is it you do not cower? How do you kill your enemies?”

“You wanna become my enemy and find out?”

“Johnson!” The sharp snap from the across the room made everyone freeze.

The human sighed, his eyes dropping. “Sir.”

“Back off, right now.” This barked order came from a Subeco warrior in the uniform of a merchant vessel.

Johnson grumbled. “Seriously?”

“I don't want another incident, stop baiting people.”

“He called me defenceless.”

“And that is not a capital offence. I have found a trader who has a pallet of what he claims is a human drink called Rum, I need you to help me check it.”

“Rum? It better be dark rum, I don't want any of that Bacardi shit.” Johnson forgot the insectoid to the lure of alcohol, striding to the door.

“Subeco.” the insectoid was not so quickly put off. It respected the Subeco, they were fine warriors, proven in eons of battle across the galaxy. “What do you know of humans? How are they so dangerous?”

The Subeco's head wobbled from side to side as they considered their answer. “They are extremely vindictive with tools and masters of improvised weapons, but mostly they kill their enemies slowly.”

“So they are poisonous.”

“No not poisonous, but they are venomous.”

The entire room's attention was fixed on the Subeco in a moment.

There was a sneer from the warrior who knew one of their best guards was a human with a short temper. It was useful to make sure people were scared of him. “Their fluids are all toxic to some extent, but their saliva is laced with micro-organisms, viruses and bacteria. Death by human is slow and excruciating.”

“I'll be sure to never let one bite me.” the insectoid was not impressed.

“Bite?” the Sebeco laughed, copying the noise used by humans that was so off putting. “If Johnson wanted you dead he would have stayed at the bar and spat into one of your eyes. My survival tip for dealing with humans is be more useful alive than dead or stay out of range.”

“What is their range?”

The Subeco looked at Johnson before turning back to the insectoid. “If you have to ask that question, you're too close. Enjoy your drinks, gentle-beings.”

[sirfrogsworth]

The (Almost) Flood of Frog Manner

If you followed me wayyyy back in the day, you might remember a flood ravaged our basement in 2012.

This is what I wrote about it back then.

It was bad. In order to show you a picture of it I had to convert it to black and white because the color version has a shade of brown that churns the stomach just to look at.

I am still traumatized from having to walk barefoot in that. And I still have a very vivid memory of sitting on the edge of my bed as the water started slowly creeping in and and surrounding me. It literally felt like being in a horror film.

I think my estimate of 6 inches may have been what it *felt* like at the time. I was pretty shaken by the experience and you can see why eyewitness testimony is often shite. Though I think our basement isn't completely level and it was a bit deeper in my room. I just remember my feet being completely submerged as I was escaping.

A few of the pedal casualties...

A vintage Boss Harmonist that had awful pitch tracking which is why I loved it. A Big Muff, because everyone needs a Big Muff in their life. A Fulltone Fulldrive 2 and Clyde Wah. And about 10 others I don't have a picture of including an EHX Mircosynth, Digitech Whammy, Boss DD-5 delay, and a vintage 1977 MXR Flanger—better known as the Eddie Van Halen pedal that made his guitar sound like it was in space.

Everything had to be torn out and washed with commercial machinery. My room was the cleanest it had ever been—scientifically speaking.

In the aftermath, while we restored the basement (another long story), I was relegated to my mom's "purse room."

To make matters worse our air conditioner broke and I have terrible temperature regulation. So I started going mad living in the purse room.

I was convinced one of them was staring at me.

And trying to murder me in my sleep.

So... why am I talking about a 12 year old flood?

The other night I woke up from a nap and saw this out the window.

And it was still pouring.

I started to hear a clunking noise from the basement and when I went to investigate, water had begun to back up into the laundry room through the main drain.

It was reminding me of 2012 all over again.

Except back then I think our pump was underpowered and unable to deal with that much water. And now that we have a much better pump, it seemed to be handling things much better.

I was also concerned because water was leaking in from the basement windows. I guess they were filling up faster than the water could saturate into the ground and the windows are not 100% water sealed.

Just in case, I piled up a bunch of old towels and bed clothes that were in the laundry room (mostly my dad's stuff) and made a moat around the drain that was starting to back up. I was hoping that would hold back any minor flooding if things got worse. I probably ruined everything, but I am still glad I did that even though it wasn't really necessary.

I also did something stupid.

I went outside to look at the area of the yard where the pump is buried to check on it. And I started to go out through our main garage door, but when I opened it, I let in a bunch of water. And that is where we are storing all of the goods for the next estate auction. So, not sure if there is any water damage yet. I was too tired from pushing out water to inspect things further.

I made a little video compilation of the not-quite-a-flood incident.

I'm very glad it wasn't as bad as in 2012. But this is still going to be a pain in my patoot to clean up.

[ninapi]

▄▀▄▀▄▀▄▀▄▀▄▀▄▀▄▀▄▀▄▀▄▀▄▀▄▀▄▀▄▀▄

┊┊┊✧ ⁺ ⁺╚══ Mist Pillar ╝

Premise: Soulmates come at unexpected times and places. Muichiro goes on his final mission, one that he would get to remember to his very last breath. A short lived love blooms with the worse possible timing.

Word count: 3286

Warning: Spoilers of the original manga timeline.

─── ･ ｡ﾟ☆: *.☽ .* :☆ﾟ. ───

Chaos was the only accurate definition for the current situation.

The pillar training sessions were about to begin, they were all very much occupied revising their own itinerary, they didn’t count with much time and needed to show results as fast as possible.

A reckoning mission came around, the demons were gone and even if Oyakata-sama was sure it was due to Nezuko, he still wanted to be absolutely sure they weren’t a threat currently before hogging all the corps in the states for training.

Muichiro, who had already been given the green light for his training schedule was selected for this quick mission.

He was to walk around the nearby villages, get information, live among the people for a few days and make sure there were no occurrences that would require further investigation.

The first few days came without incidents. The villages were quiet, no rumors going around. Everyone continued living their lives without even noticing the lack of danger in the air. It was quite refreshing for Muichiro to think of a life that continued like this. Would it be possible for them to defeat evil? Would this become everyone’s reality at some point?

It was endearing.

He never thought of getting a normal life back. He lived for Oyakata-sama and his purpose, he lived to help the world become a better place. Recently he’s been delving with his own emotions and trying to understand other’s feelings. Remembering his past had also helped him see the beauty of life, the beauty of connecting with others. It was nothing but a dream but he hoped maybe one day he would get to experience what others do, a simple normal life, enjoy the pleasures of nature and grow up to be a better man.

The last village was now in sight when he decided to take a short break while in the woods, he got some snacks on the way out of the previous village for this very same reason. His mission was coming to an end and the battle of a lifetime was approaching sooner than expected, he needed to reflect in his future actions to prevail.

Ginko, his loyal crow, as usual kept him company on her time off. He thoroughly enjoyed her company, she was his first friend, even before Tanjiro came to his life.

He loved caressing her feathers, they were so soft, it had a calming effect on him, exactly what he needed for the current task.

Even if she talks a lot, Ginko knows when her master needs silence, she enjoyed his company regardless of the lack of conversation.

Muichiro was deep in a meditative state when his senses caught something behind him in the tree line. “Reveal yourself!” his hand was hovering over the hilt of his sword, ready to attack if needed.

But the one behind the trees wasn’t a demon, nor a threat, but a girl seemingly around his age who seemed to be picking mushrooms and was startled by his hostility.

“I mean no harm, I work for the inn downtown, came looking for mushrooms for supper.” the girl came closer, showing Muichiro her basket full of mother’s nature goodness.

His hand retreated, resting over one of his legs, Ginko nuzzling his hand as a result.

Your eyes were on her the entire time fascinated by the familiarity of the bird with the boy, it was a rare sight, crows aren’t usually this friendly.

“Excuse me young master, is that your bird? I’ve never seen one getting this close to a human before.”

“She’s Ginko, you can say she’s my bird.” the normally hostile bird wasn’t reacting in a negative way, making Muichiro question her, this was more than unusual.

“She’s beautiful. May I touch her? I’ve always wanted to caress a crow. They’re wonderful creatures, sadly I’ve never been this close to one before.” he wasn’t sure why were you this excited about seeing a bird up close, but truth was, it didn’t matter to him if you did or not.

“If she lets you.”

Ginko was over the moon, people just don’t tell her often enough how beautiful she is. Seeing this human girl fuss about her was boosting her ego to the roof. She fluffed her feathers out, batting her eyelashes at you as to give you permission to proceed.

Bowing your head to her as sign of respect, you reached over to caress her feathers gently, almost adoringly.

Muichiro was entranced by the whole interaction, it was almost ethereal looking, made him wonder if you were some sort of wood sprite posing as human, he does tend to be popular among the creatures of the forest after all. Your eyes glowed with the reflection of the sun, your skin flushed with excitement, a smile so bright it could leave a man blind, breathtaking, even for someone like him.

“You have a wonderful bird, young master. Thank you for your kindness, I’ve enjoyed my afternoon thanks to you. Do come to our Inn if you need a place to stay!” and just like that, you were gone.

Ginko’s never been this quiet before, it was starting to scare him a little bit. “Muichiro, she felt like you. Isn’t that weird?”

“What do you mean she felt like me? Like the way she was playing with your feathers?” tilting his head to the side he was doing his best to comprehend his feathered friend.

“No, like the energy coming out of her. It was bright, just like yours.” he hummed in thought, rerunning the scene in his head, there was nothing particularly similar between the two of you, Ginko was probably just getting old, how long do birds even live?

─── ･ ｡ﾟ☆: *.☽ .* :☆ﾟ. ───

The sun was about to set and finding lodging became a priority. He’s been walking around the village all the afternoon and wished nothing more than a bath and a warm meal. That’s when he remembered the girl from the mountain, he’s pretty sure she said something about an inn downtown, just what he needed.

It was fairly easy to find as it was the only lodging facility in town, it was large and full of people. This was the largest village in the list, and it had a very different ambiance than the rest he visited on previous days.

He was able to secure a room but headed straight for the dining hall, he needed to eat something first.

His eyes kept roaming around all the faces present in the hall. Majority were old men already drunk, even when the evening was just starting. The workers were all girls, and they were all wearing the same uniform as the girl he met earlier, making it even harder to recognize her in the crowd.

He didn’t even know why he was looking for you, he was able to find the inn without problems, is not like he needed your help for anything.

“Here’s the udon you ordered, sir. Please be careful, it’s very hot.” he has the hardest time remembering things, faces included, but that voice, somehow it rang a bell in his head right away.

“Mushroom girl.”

This caught your attention, looking up at the guest before you. “Oh! The friendly owner of the beautiful crow!”

Friendly? You though he was friendly? Was it because he let you touch his bird? He wasn’t sure but it felt like a compliment, and he couldn’t help but give you a little smile. It’s been happening often, and he doesn’t know how to control this new skill of his.

“My name is (Y/N), don’t hesitate to call me if you need anything, I will be around!” you returned his smile but yours was brighter, bigger, shiny even. It caught his eye once again, and he didn’t know why, kind of reminded him of Tanjiro’s, gentle, full of appreciation.

The noodles were great, he was full, and his stomach was content. But for an unknown reason he called you over when you passed by and ordered a second round.

This time you brought him some extra side dishes that he didn’t order. Leaning closer you whispered, “These are on the house, but don’t tell anybody.” you winked at him playfully before running to answer another customer’s call.

His smile remained like a stamp on his face while he ate the delicious treats. It was starting to hurt his face muscles, being stiff due to the lack of use, eating while smiling felt definitely odd.

“Can I have some more water, please?” he’s been waiting twenty minutes to ask for a refill, there were over six different girls tending the customers, yet he waited until you were in proximity to make the request.

Happily, you refilled his cup and offered him some tea, which he agreed on. It was a long night. He never expected to stay in the dinner hall for three hours, all he wanted was something quick to eat and pass out for the night.

Ginko was waiting for him on his bedroom window, stressed by how long it took for him to arrive. “I thought you were dead, Muichiro.”

“Sorry, I got distracted.” he plopped face down on his futon, contemplating life. He was acting weird, could it be the presence of a demon? Maybe he should stay for a couple more days to investigate further.

“Are you not going to take a bath?” he just grunted a reply before dozing off. It’s been a long day. Unwillingly, he kept on asking for more stuff to eat and his stomach ached with fullness, all he needed was sleep.

Funny enough, once he managed to cross the border to the dream realm, a beautiful soft smile made its way out and remained on his face for the entirety of his restful sleep.

Dreams of giant mushrooms with cute faces and quiet lovely cottages in the forest invading his dreams.

─── ･ ｡ﾟ☆: *.☽ .* :☆ﾟ. ───

After interrogating villagers all morning, Muichiro ended up in the same mountain he was at the day before, annoying Ginko to her limits. “Why are we here again? We checked this area yesterday.”

“I just wanted to take a break. I like it here, it's quiet.” The village was indeed loud, she couldn’t throw a snarky comment back, it was true, it was a lovely place.

It reminded him of his home, the mountain was similar to this, the same wildflowers grew among the grass. It brought memories of a better time, a time his mother, father and brother were still with him.

His mother used to show him how to thread flowers together and he would make beautiful crowns for her all the time as gifts when he was a little boy, it was a treasured memory for Muichiro.

Without noticing, his hands started making a crown on their own while he was swimming in his own memories not minding the real world.

You were on mushroom duty once more, so you quickly noticed the boy sitting in the middle of the flower field. It was a beautiful sight, he looked almost like a doll, effortlessly pretty. Then you heard wings flapping around, your happiness couldn’t be contained. “GINKO!” running towards the middle of the field, you were now facing Muichiro and his feathered friend.

He didn’t think he’d get to see you there, or so he tells himself, but he secretly knows he did it on purpose. The reason was still unknown to him though, it gave him the need to look for an excuse for his peace of mind.

“You come here every day?”

“Well not really, we take turns but the girl in charge of Thursday is sick.” you were trying to bring Ginko over to your lap instead, the bird complying with joy.

“Ginko really likes you, that’s odd. She usually just likes me.” this made you smile fondly at the bird; she was really sweet you wished they would stay in the village for a long time.

“Maybe we have something in common that makes her comfortable with me. Maybe is the hair? Or hmmm…not sure, maybe we went through something similar and give out the same type of vibe?” Ginko did say you felt like him, it intrigued him.

“Did you have a twin brother that was murdered by a beast?” he said this with a straight face, as fresh as a lettuce, causing you to bulge your eyes out in distress.

“What? No. Please tell me that didn’t happen to you-“ the bird nestled herself against your stomach, seeking comfort.

“It did, I thought that might be it. What about your parents? Did they die tragically?” the situation was escalating fast, sadness was creeping its way to your chest faster than a wildfire.

“I don’t know much about my parents. I was told they sold me off to the inn keeper, but I don’t remember much of my past, don’t really know why either.” this made Muichiro’s eyes bulge in turn, that was it, that’s why you felt like him.

“I had amnesia before too, it got better now though. If it helps, mine got cured after being trapped in a water prison to the brink of death, maybe you should try that.” your eyes watered at his words, he’s been through so much, this poor guy.

“Thanks, though I don’t think I want to remember the people that chose money over their own daughter.” you smiled at him, but this time your smile was different, it didn’t feel warm, it didn’t feel welcoming, it made an upset feeling bubble in his chest.

“Here, this is for you.” he handed you the flower crown he was mindlessly building. True, he wasn’t even aware of the fact that he was making one, but he was in a way thinking of you while making it. It was yours without a doubt.

“For me? Really?” the sad smile morphed into a magnificent bright happy one as you set it over your head. “How does it look? Does it suit me?” Muichiro just nodded, returning the smile. Much better, that was smile the he remembers.

“Can I have your name? I would like to remember it...” your cheeks were changing colors like a rainbow after a rain shower, your lashes seemingly growing longer as shyness overtakes you.

“Tokito Muichiro.”

─── ･ ｡ﾟ☆: *.☽ .* :☆ﾟ. ───

Muichiro has been staying in the same village for a week now, Ginko couldn’t be seen anywhere, and he knew what that meant. He was probably going to have to go back this very same day.

It’s not like he has anything to do there, there were clearly no demons around, it was a peaceful village, everyone knew each other, like a big family. Nothing like the place he was born in.

But there was something inside of him that tied him to the place, like if he really didn’t want to leave, it was inexplicable to him. He didn’t want to leave the inn, he was starting to blend in and the life of others became his every day. Meeting each other as many times as posible throughout the day became a priority for the both of you, even if it was unspoken it felt almost like a promise.

A promise he didn’t want to break, but he knew he couldn’t keep.

When Ginko arrived with Oyakata-sama’s orders to go back for pillar training, his chest felt heavy. He knew this was coming, is not like he could just move into a random village and get a life there, at least not yet. He had a purpose, responsibilities, people counted on him. He had to go back.

Making his way out of the village he heard something far away from him, he couldn’t hear it clearly, but it sounded like his name.

Looking up, he saw you running down the mountain as fast as you could, not stopping until you crashed against his chest. Panting heavily, your face was stained with tears, the heaviness in Muichiro’s chest grew ten times deeper in just a second.

“You’re leaving, aren’t you?” you looked sad, broken even.

“I have to go back to work. I overstayed.”

Fresh tears were adorning your face now, both of your hands bawling on his chest.

“You aren’t wearing the crown anymore.” you’ve been wearing it nonstop since he gave it to you, his attention span was short, the lack of flowers distracted him.

“I don’t want it to get ruined, I intend to keep it forever, so I am drying the flowers in my room.”

The heaviness in his chest turned to warmth, your words made him smile, he never thought someone would take such care of something made by him, it felt nice.

“Will I…ever…see you again?“ you were mumbling in between hiccups, trying your best to stop your tears.

“Can’t say for sure.” it wasn’t like he didn’t want to see you again, he just knew what was coming, it was unlikely at least for a long time.

You nodded in understanding, letting go of his uniform. “If you ever come back here, please stop by the inn. I would like to make a crown for you one day.” one of your hands reached over to his face, gently running your thumb along his cheek as if trying to memorize every single detail of him to perfection, a soft smile gracing your lips.

A crazy idea popped up in his head, “Do you want to come with me? I’m sure there’s something you could do where I live, maybe in the butterfly state, they’re all girls there. We could maybe do some crowns there and have some tea from time to time, I can even introduce you to my best friend, Tanjiro, I’m sure you two would get along. And you could help me take care of Ginko.”

For some reason he couldn’t stop talking, Ginko was definitely a bad influence, how do you even stop talking once you start?

But the look on your face was not what he was expecting, he was sure you would say yes, who would say no to meeting Tanjiro.

“Nothing would make me happier…but I can’t. I was sold to the inn keeper, remember? I can’t leave this place until I finish paying my worth.”

This was unexpected, he didn’t have any money, he wonders if maybe Oyakata-sama could buy your freedom. He’s the most respectable man he knows, he’s rich too, totally possible.

“I will get back for you, I promise.”

Your hand fell from his face, nodding weakly at his words. Somehow deep down in your heart you knew that wouldn’t happen.

“I will wait for you here then, for as long as it takes.”

Muichiro nodded in your direction before heading back home. He had a plan; he would talk with Oyakata-sama as soon as he arrives back at the state and everything would be fixed in no time.

─── ･ ｡ﾟ☆: *.☽ .* :☆ﾟ. ───

But things didn’t go according to plan. Oyakata-sama wasn’t feeling good, he couldn’t even grant audiences with his pillars any longer, his life span was coming to an end and couldn’t be bothered by others, he was told to wait and no longer after the battle that brought an end to his life came.

With his last breath he thinks of your smile when he gave you the flower crown, he thinks of the warmth of your hand against his face, thinks about how he was not able to keep his promise.

“I hope we meet again in another life….maybe then we can make flower crowns together.”

His last thoughts were plagued of you just before being received by his family in the afterlife. He did a good job, he helped defeating the strongest moon. This would help the others defeat Muzan, protect humanity.

This would keep you safe.

▄▀▄▀▄▀▄▀▄▀▄▀▄▀▄▀▄▀▄▀▄▀▄▀▄▀▄▀▄▀▄

Masterlist

[ladyzirkonia]

Collecting some data.

Something about 400 words.

Tech started a little experiment to collect some data about you.

Note: I just wanted to post this screenshots with some little headcannon I had of Tech saying ''Fascinating'' to me. Just some self-indulgent stuff. Not proof-read.

warnings: none, just touching, slightly suggestive as always ;)

Tech was not the man who engaged in frequent displays of affection, but he enjoyed spending time with you. He loved lying with you under a speeder bike or in the Marauder, working on a project or explaining why he was using a particular tool while getting lost in the smallest details and explanations. And that was usually enough for you. Just his closeness or an accidental brush with his leg against yours was all it needed to make your heart flutter. But one day, when he unconsciously put his hand on your thigh, he noticed how your whole body seemed to tense up. At first he suspected that it was because you were uncomfortable with the touch, but the way you looked at him made him question his first assumption. After the situation happened a second time in a similar way, he decided to investigate further and conduct a small experiment. It never seemed wrong to collect some more data.

As the days went by, it seemed that Tech would touch you quite randomly and unintentionally in inconspicuous - and more obvious - places on your body. At one point it was just your arm or your shoulder he brushed while passing by. The next time he gently streaked your leg or your back while working with you. At first you assumed this were just some random incidences, but when he started touching you more frequently and on other places - like your thigh or your butt - you were no longer sure of it. One day you worked on the Marauder's outer hull and you already felt like an complete mess because Tech helped you get to a certain component of the ship as he pushed you up by grabbing you at your butt. As you slid back down, you suddenly felt his muscular thigh between your legs throbbing against you, causing you to let out a soft little squeak. At that point, Tech decided it was time to complete his records and perform one last little experiment. When he felt your soft flesh pressing against him, he tensed his thigh letting it move slowly up and down while adding a little pressure between your legs. A small whimper slipped from your lips and he looked at you with wide eyes, a thoughtful yet intrigued expression on his face. He stared in your eyes with a barely recognizable smile on his face not intending to stop the movement of his leg between you, finally muttering softly,

"Fascinating."

[charlietheepicwriter7]

A very merry Christmas to you, @2-depressed-4-u . It is I, your secret santa from @mlsecretsanta . I have had a wonderful time talking to you this year (even if I wasn't supposed to, oops), and hope you have a wonderful holiday.

And now, without further ado, your present.

I Don't Need Sleep, I Need Answers

If his father could see his room at that moment, Adrien was sure the man would faint with shock. Fortunately, Gabriel Agreste was needed in China to investigate one of his companies’ main manufacturers, so Adrien was in the clear… for now.

His room looked like his couch was almost pushed up against one wall, but he’d left a foot of space between it and the wall so he had full access to his masterpiece. Along the north-facing wall was a chaotic conspiracy board, with red string threading from picture to picture. Some of his pieces of evidence were printed out from his computer, like the article about Marinette designing for Jagged Stone or the picture of Ladybug kissing him from back during the Oblivo incident. Others were hand drawn to the best of his ability if he couldn’t find an appropriate image online.

But in the end, all the pictures led back to a center image: his limited edition poster of Ladybug.

Plagg hovered near one of the most important pieces of evidence, the feathered bolo hat Marinette had made. “Hey, kid… when’s the last time you got any sleep?” he asked, his eyes flickering between Adrien and his evidence wall.

“I don’t need any sleep,” Adrien spat, climbing over and onto the back of the couch so he could connect some string between a picture of Marinette and badly-drawn recreation of Multimouse. On the hand drawn page, he wrote no earrings????, with multiple question marks going off the page and onto the wall. “I need answers.”

“I thought you’d decided that you weren’t going to look for Ladybug’s identity anymore?”

The boy scoffed. “I thought so too, but you didn’t see what I saw! During that last akuma battle, Ladybug left, and then… Marinette was there! She always hides during akuma battles, she wouldn’t just run around during one, unless…” He pinned another picture to the wall, wrinkling the paper with his force. “She was Ladybug.”

Plagg sighed. “Or she was trapped in the area and took it as her chance to run. Or she was hiding but someone was in danger, so she rushed out to help. Or some other reason why she’d risk her life. Why don’t you just ask her, kid?”

“Because if she’s Ladybug, she’d just lie!” Adrien explained. “I know how this works, Plagg; we’re not supposed to know each other’s identities. Ladybug sticks to that rule better than me… and no matter how good of a person she is, or how much Marinette hates liars, she’d still be willing to lie to protect herself.”

“If she’s lying to protect herself, then wouldn’t she be safer if you didn’t discover who she is? If you stopped your investigation now, before someone gets hurt?”

Adrien shook his head, picking up another picture of Ladybug. “You don’t understand, Plagg. She shouldn’t have to look out for herself. I should be the one to do it for her.”

I Don't Need Sleep, I Need Answers

Adrien’s plan started the next day at school.

Keeping an eye on Marinette proved impossible when she sat directly behind him, but he kept a keen ear on her and Alya’s conversation. While he didn’t think his Lady would be so blasé to discuss her superheroine life where anyone could hear her, he was expecting at least some reference. Alya was her best friend after all; he’d certainly let things slip to Nino throughout his months as Chat Noir.

But no. There was nothing. When not distracted by classwork, all they talked about was the Ladyblog, and Marinette’s new commissions for Kitty Selection. So, it was onto plan B.

When Plagg was trying to talk him out of this—and really, wasn’t that evidence unto itself, that Plagg was trying to talk him out of investigating—he’d said that Adrien reminded him of Alya. Reminded him that Alya had once done the same thing to Chloe, and gotten akumatized for it. But Adrien wouldn’t get akumatized! For one thing, Marinette was in no way like Chloe. For another, Adrien, and Alya back then, had direct evidence that Chloe wasn’t Ladybug, since Chloe was often seen with or around Ladybug.

Outside of the Multimouse incident, had Adrien ever seen Ladybug save or even talk to Marinette?

No.

But Plagg’s words had reminded him that he wasn’t the only person who’d ever searched for Ladybug’s identity. And his best ally sat behind him and to the left.

Adrien pulled Alya to the side during lunch, with Marinette watching curiously and Nino shaking his head in amusement before engaging Marinette in a conversation. Adrien knew he could count on him. And when he found an abandoned classroom to talk to Alya, he swallowed and began to explain.

She’d looked nervous, when he began, but as he kept explaining all his evidence as to why Marinette could be Ladybug, a thoughtful expression bloomed on her face. But that didn’t mean she automatically believed him. And then she asked a damnable question. “What about Lila?”

Ah. He’d forgotten about Lila.

He preferred to forget about her rather than think about—

Alya continued. “Because she and Ladybug are best friends, you know? But I’m pretty sure Marinette hates Lila. Not that she’d ever say she hates Lila, but she refuses to go to girl’s day when Lila is invited, and she leaves sleep-overs early when she’s there, but Lila has no idea why—”

Oh, Adrien had a good idea why. And it was the same reason why Adrien had convinced his father to only allow single or boys-only shoots for him this spring, that it was more fashionable that way.

“Maybe it’s a ruse?” He offered instead. “Maybe Marinette’s only pretending to dislike Lila so she doesn’t find out her identity? It’s not like Lila has ever said she knew Ladybug’s identity.”

“Well, she did imply it once…” When did that happen!? Adrien might be mostly ignoring Lila at this point, but how did he miss that? “But she backtracked when I asked some more questions, so I think she only suspects she knows who Ladybug is. But if Marinette is Ladybug, then we could talk to her and she doesn’t have to pretend to hate Lila anymore!”

Alya gave a blinding smile. Adrien didn’t have the heart to tell her that Marinette definitely would not change her opinion of Lila if they discovered her identity.

In fact, she might yell at them both.

I Don't Need Sleep, I Need Answers

With Alya on board to stalk Marinette for all the wrong reasons, Adrien had started to feel a little more secure in his plan to discover Ladybug’s identity. For the rest of lunch and the remainder of class, Alya used some leading questions on Marinette to try and get any information, but she was like a steel wall. Alya had even thought up a cool audience participation event where Ladyblog would post everyone’s fan heroes that sounded really interesting.

(Marinette said she’d want to be a black cat hero! She was so cute—)

But there was nothing that pointed towards Marinette being Ladybug. After school, once Alya had begged off girl squad duties and Adrien had lied about an extra long fencing meeting, the two met up to stalk Marinette.

First, she spent a few hours at Eiffel Tower, designing. Then, she spent an hour in a fabric store, picking out a few yards of champagne fabric, all of which looked the same to Adrien’s discerning eye, but were clearly different to her. And finally, she met her parents at a local Italian bistro for dinner. And despite spending their entire afternoon stalking her, they’d learned nothing.

Nothing except the fact that Marinette had an adorable habit of talking to herself when she was alone, but that wasn’t strictly evidence.

Alya sat back on the bench, pulling her disguise hat down to cover her eyes. Marinette and her family were clearly visible from the restaurant window. “Maybe she isn’t Ladybug?” Alya asked. “I mean, Ladybug usually patrols in the afternoon, and she hasn’t left our sight all day!”

That was more because Adrien had offered to talk Ladybug’s afternoon patrol that day, but Alya didn’t need to know that. He hiked the newspaper with holes cut out for eyes higher onto his face. “She could be having an off day?”

“No. Adrien, what was your real reason for—”

Suddenly, the ground shook and people screamed as an akuma, eye-screaming pink and cackling at the top of his lungs, whipped past. They shot to their feet. Alya begged off to chase after the akuma and Adrien let her, his eyes glued to the window. Her family was still there, but Marinette was gone. Was she in the restroom? Or…

“Adrien, what are you doing?”

“I’m just going to check,” he told his kwami, running to the backside of the bistro. If Marinette was Ladybug, she’d have to escape out the back, right?

“There’s an akuma! Come on, you have to—”

“I just need to check!” He scolded. He was almost there!”

“Damn it, kid!” Adrien froze. Was Plagg… mad at him? Plagg was never mad at him! “This has gone on long enough! Is your love life really worth other people’s lives!?”

No. No it wasn’t. And Ladybug would hate him if he even considered for a second skipping out on a battle just to look for her identity.

Really, there was only one choice left.

“Plagg, claws out.”

“Finally!”

He’d have to try again another day. Think of a new plan of attack. But for now, he was Chat Noir. And Chat Noir had a fight to win.

I Don't Need Sleep, I Need Answers

The next day, Plagg immediately wriggled his way into Marinette’s purse, where Tikki sat, contently eating a chocolate-chip cookie.

“Sugar Cube, you’ve got to make sure your user is more careful,” he said, rubbing his head with his paws. “Adrien almost found out her identity!”

“What!?”

[puffin-smoke]

redactedtober 12!! today is dealer's choice, so I'll gladly take this as an opportunity to ramble about my OCs.

Dealer's Choice; Bernadette Popovski and her Circus!!

(and sweetheart)(I talk a lot during this one, sorry!)

[F4A] Reopening The Case on Your Infuriating Illusory Ringleader

Bernadette's Circus has always walked a fine line in terms of keeping covert. It showed off the full extent of the empowered's powers while keeping it's largely unempowered audience, although there were a few shock and elation daemons who regularly visited their shows, none the wiser. It caused the Department many a headache. So the Circus was put under strict surveillance and the investigation of whatever Detective was bullheaded enough to think that they might be the one to put the Circus under.

Naturally, Sweetheart took the case.

They never found anything. Every audience member was astonished by the incredible special effects and skillful performers; the way the lion tamer could hold his head in between the lion's jaws without even flinching, the escape artist that was in chains one moment and roaming the audience the next, the acrobat who seemed to walk on air.

All they got for their troubles was a mountain of paperwork and too much time spent with the infuriating Bernadette Popovski.

"Oh, please, love- call me Bernie. Everyone does."

Sweetheart never did take that advice, and more often referred to her as "that cocky little shit". Not to her face. That would be against protocol.

So after months of getting nowhere and a perpetual headache from trying to get a straight answer out of the illusory, the case was dropped. That was the only case Sweetheart never solved.

"If this whole- detective thing falls through, feel free to give me a call. I'm sure we could find a place for you here."

It took everything they had not to deck her right then and there, and just walk out of the tent. It took even more to push their frustration and humiliation down and move on with their life, to forget that goddamn circus.

Four years passed. They moved onto different cases, different people to be annoyed at. Bernadette and her stupid smile and Russian accent faded into the deepest recesses of their mind.

Until they heard about something. An incident at the Circus. A dead audience member.

The case was back on, and this time they were going to close it.

"Detective. I wish I could say I am surprised."

It was, once again, nearly impossible to get anything out of them. Her voice had taken on a new edge, a farcry from her casual, lilting tone all those years ago. This one was defensive, tired. Now Sweetheart held all the cards, no more grasping at straws.

"I'll tell you what I told the human officer. I was debuting a new performer, a singer. Partway through an audience member fell over. By the time I got over there, they had died."

She had decided it had been a heart attack and that was all she knew. The performer, a sonal energetic by the sound of it, was holed up in her tent and Bernadette's voice took on a deadly edge when they asked to be taken to her.

"She's been through enough, she doesn't need you pestering her."

Apparently doing their job was pestering. The conversation went almost nowhere from there, and they were able to ascertain very little else. An audience member had tried to perform CPR, and clearly failed. The lion tamer, a telepath the name of Caleb, had seen the victim collapse and gone to tell Bernadette. They didn't get any further than that, but it was a start.

It was more than they'd gotten four years ago.

The ringleader didn't object as heavily to them speaking to Caleb. She was even somewhat helpful, directing them to where the telepath would probably be. But it was not without a warning.

"I understand, Detective. Go ask your questions. But, what's the phrase- my circus, my monkeys. So please don't tap the glass."

Cocky bastard couldn't even bothered to not seem suspicious during a murder investigation.

[MM4A] Interrogating Two Stubborn Circus Performers

Apparently Bernadette had trained her people well. They were just as tight lipped as she was.

They clearly knew Sweetheart had been coming, along with what that might mean for their circus; as they made their way through the rows of tents and caravans dozens of eyes had followed them, along with a a trail of whispers just loud enough for them to overhear. When they found Caleb he wasn't alone; sat a few feet away a man was giving them the death glare while simultaneously looking at Caleb like a kicked puppy. They cocked their eyebrow at that, to which the telepath laughed.

"Oh, sorry about Aslan. He's just a little bit antsy, I'm sure you understand."

When they remarked that he looked like he was about to bite their head off, he just grinned at them and turned towards the shifter. They were pretty sure he was the only one smiling in that whole field.

"Don't worry, he'd never. I'm living proof of that- hey babe! You can go, I'll meet you by the ticket booth, alright?"

That seemed to calm him down; he nodded, got up from where he was sat, and made his way over to the pair. Eyes moderately less murderous, he kissed the telepath goodbye and began to stalk through the rows of tents, checking back over his shoulder every now and again, somehow making eye contact with Sweetheart every time.

Thus the interrogation began. And while Caleb was more friendly than his boss, he was certainly no more helpful. Each question was artfully dodged or optimistically spun.

"You want to know about Bernie? Hell- she's family to me. To all of us really, even Aslan. He's a big softie, would never admit it."

His story lined up neatly with Bernadette's. He's seen a disturbance in the crowd and gone to tell her about it, since she was more experienced healer than he was, but by the time she'd made her way over there, the victim was already gone. It had been too late. The audience had been quickly cleared out after that and emergency services had been called, for all the good they could do.

As they pressed for information on the new performer, his smile faltered. Only for a moment or so, almost imperceptibly, but it was stark in Sweetheart's mind.

"Oh- well, I really think it was a spot of bad luck. They'd been singing, putting their all into it, and that person just happened to- well."

He laughed nervously, his fingers twitching at his sides.

"Look, I really should go find Aslan. We're supposed to be practising, do you mind if I go? I really have nothing else to say."

Before they could reply he was already halfway across the field, still grinning, but the smile quivering at the edges.

"Good luck, Detective! Sorry I couldn't have been more helpful!"

And with that he was gone.

And they were no closer to piecing things together.

Shit.

Surely the singer wouldn't mind if they just popped into her tent, asked a few questions. And if Popovski said not to do it, then they basically had to.

It took a few minutes of searching but they eventually found the tent, on the farthest reaches of the field, the amount of tents slowly thinning out as they approached. They hadn't necessarily meant to eavesdrop, but who were they to complain if their footfalls were particularly quiet, or the thrum of distant conversation muffled the sound of them stepping on a branch just as well as cloaking would.

"I know- it's okay. I know you didn't do anything, nothing that happened was your fault."

Sweetheart held their breath. The brittle way Bernadette spoke was so alien to her, it's previous edge still there but now akin to shattered glass. There was a gentleness to it, a tenderness.

"I'm going to protect you. I'll protect everyone."

Sweetheart wondered how far they'd go to do that. How much they'd cover up. How much they would sacrifice.

"I promise you, my Magnum Opus."

[angstylittleguy]

The Sink Incident

Bennett and Dalton are hanging out alone when Dalton has a shrinking spell. Good thing Bennett noticed what was happening.

tw: almost drowning

character context: Dalton is a size-shifter whose height is affected by his emotions. Bennett frequently gets stuck in time loops and the only way to get the loop to end is for him to survive the day.

word count: 1.3k

-> In Which Everything Goes Wonderfully Wrong masterpost link: Here

-> character introductions and moodboards: Here

“Yo, Dalton,” Bennett called from his spot on the couch. “Are you coming back or what?”

The pair had been watching a movie and eating ice cream, celebrating the end of final exams for both college students. It had been the most stressful week of Bennett’s life and he really needed time to just lay back and do nothing. He originally planned to have Rory and Dalton come over to his dorm to hang out, but his roommate, Josiah, was still not done with his exams and needed the space to study. Rory couldn’t come, either. She said she had a migraine and would rather die than leave her room. 

With Dalton being the only one of the group also finished with exams, he had invited Bennett to come over to his apartment. It had been just the two of them for a couple hours, but a few minutes ago Dalton had taken their empty bowls to the sink to be cleaned and had yet to return.

Bennett turned around on the couch to face the kitchen. “Dalton?”

He paused, listening for a response. Had he left the room?  There was a rattling from the kitchen that caught his attention, but Bennett thought nothing of it. 

“Dalton, dude, where’d you go?” More silence. “You’re missing the movie!”

There was a distinct noise coming from the kitchen that Bennett couldn’t place. He stood from the couch, stretching his arms over his head after having been lazing around for the past few hours.

The rattling from the kitchen grew more intense, and Bennett headed over to investigate with caution. Dalton’s phone was left by the sink, the drain plugged and filled with warm water. The rattling was coming from the dishes that were soaking in the water. 

Bennett’s eyes widened, putting two and two together. “Oh, shit. Dalton?”

Without a moment of hesitation, Bennett plunged his hands into the dirty dish water. He carefully removed the dishes in an effort to find wherever Dalton had managed to get trapped, and blindly slid his hands around in the water to see if he could feel Dalton’s body. 

“Oh, god, please don’t be dead. Please don’t be dead. Please don’t be dead.”

Eventually, Bennett’s hands found him, and he pulled Dalton out of the water and placed him carefully on the counter. He was small, only a couple of inches tall. He felt weightless in Bennett’s hands. So unbelievably fragile. Dalton immediately started hacking up water, turning over to cough it out of his lungs.

“Shit—are you okay?”

Dalton continued to cough, trembling as his arms shook to support his weight in an upright position. Bennett’s hands hovered uselessly over him, not sure what to do. 

“Dalton, buddy, oh my God. Talk to me. What do you need?” 

Dalton, instead of responding, just waved his arm up at Bennett as if shooing away his worries. He still did not turn around to look up at him, his breathing rapid as if he couldn’t catch his breath.

Bennett started opening drawers in the kitchen until he found a clean hand towel, and he carefully draped it over Dalton’s shoulders. Bennett watched as he wrapped it further around himself before he lowered himself to his knees to be more eye level with him. 

“You sure you’re alright, man?” Bennett cautiously asked, the concern in his voice still prominent.

Dalton nodded, his brown hair flat against his head. “I’m okay,” his quiet voice finally answered. “Just shaken up.”

Bennett couldn’t help the relieved sigh he released at hearing his friend’s voice. “Dude, I thought you had drowned.” 

“Sorry…”

There was an awkward bout of silence between them. 

Bennett had questions. What happened to trigger Dalton’s ability? How did he manage to fall into the sink? Instead of asking. however, he traced a careful finger along Dalton’s back, hoping to offer some comfort. 

Dalton flinched at the unexpected touch, sitting up straighter. 

“Do you have a change of clothes I can grab for you?” Bennett asked, “so you don’t have to sit in your wet ones?”

Dalton adjusted the towel wrapped around him, eyes trained on the sink to his left and trying to ignore the booming voice of his friend behind him. The wet fabric of his soaked clothing clung to his skin uncomfortably, but Dalton shook his head. “I usually don’t have to worry about clothes.”

Bennett wanted nothing to more than to make a joke about that, but he felt it wasn’t appropriate right now. He wished Rory were here, so he could whisper his joke to her, yes, but also because she was better at handling situations like this. Bennett seemed to always mess up when he was around Dalton. He didn’t know how to handle him when he was small. He didn’t know how to help.

Bennett stared at Dalton’s miniscule form, wrapped in the hand towel and shivering. He loomed over him, despite being knelt by the kitchen counter to avoid doing just that. 

“Dalton…” Bennett muttered, thrumming his fingers on the counter subconsciously. “What can I do to help you?”

Dalton still hadn’t looked at him. The realization was like a punch in the gut for Bennett, but he couldn’t blame him. He wouldn’t want to look up at someone bigger than a house either. The idea was terrifying. Still, it hurt that Bennett was the one who was causing this fear. 

Dalton shrugged his shoulders. The silence was so loud.

“Can I ask what happened?” Bennett questioned, eyes glancing over to Dalton’s phone. He could check himself; he had an inkling that the cause of Dalton’s distress had come from something he had seen. But Bennett figured it would be better for the both of them if Dalton just told him.

“I, uh, my final project just got graded,” Dalton answered. “Sat on the counter, saw the grade, got small, fell in the sink.”

Bennett grimaced. “You didn’t do too good?”

Dalton shook his head sadly.

“I—I’m sure it won’t affect your grade that much! And that number doesn’t define how good you are as an artist! It’s just a number at the end of the day.”

Dalton, for the first time, turned around to look at Bennett. His eyes were red with tears, his lips pressed into a thin line as if he were fighting back a sob. “You don’t understand,” Dalton said, voice strained. “My professor called my art lazy. And simple. She said she could tell I didn’t try my best and that I should be disappointed in myself for wasting my time as well as hers.”

Bennett knew that Dalton had tried his hardest on that piece. He had been working on it for over a month, staying up late at the studio nearly every night. To say his art was lazy was more than a slap to the face.

“Dude, I’m so sorry. She’s just an asshole.”

“An asshole that controls my grade.”

Dalton buried his face in his hands, the hand towel falling from his shoulders. He shivered.

Bennett gently placed the towel back over his shoulders before resting his hand palm up in front of Dalton. “Let’s go get you warmed up,” he suggested quietly. “And then we’ll figure this out.”

Dalton looked from the hand back up to Bennett’s brown eyes before sighing. He climbed onto his hand.

[mindyco]

Oh my goodness, I haven't played Obey Me in so long! Why is it that I still remember their personalities like the back of my hand? Their characters are so unique it's kinda hard to forget. Though, since it's been a while, I truly do hope I got their personalities spot on- I'm doing my best! \(۶•̀ᴗ•́)۶// Artwork credit: @myt_s3

How do the brothers react to the reader falling off their bed in the middle of the night?

Upon hearing a loud thud in the middle of the night, Lucifer's eyebrows furrow in concern, and he immediately sets aside his work to investigate the noise.

He swiftly enters your room with purpose, finding you on the floor, rubbing your head with a mix of embarrassment and slight pain.

A rare smile tugs at the corner of his lips as he extends a hand to help you up, his voice carrying a subtle warmth mixed with amusement. "Careful there, my dear. It seems you've taken a tumble. Let me help you up, and perhaps we can discuss finding a more suitable sleeping arrangement. It won't do for you to injure yourself in such a manner."

After helping you up, he checks if you're hurt and offers words of reassurance, reminding you to be more cautious in the future.

His tone shifts to a more stern and responsible one as he advises you to prioritize your well-being. "Remember, we demons may be durable, but it's important to take care of yourself. Don't hesitate to reach out if you need any assistance in making your surroundings safer."

The sound of the thud echoes through the house, instantly jolting Mammon awake from his slumber. His eyes widen with worry, fearing the worst.

He rushes into your room with a mix of concern and curiosity, his golden eyes widening further as he sees you on the floor, rubbing your head.

A hearty laugh escapes his lips as he extends a hand to pull you up, his voice filled with relief. "Haha! You fell off your bed? You really are something, falling off in the middle of the night like that. Lucky for you, the Great Mammon is here to save the day! Don't worry, just be more careful next time, alright? Can't have my human getting hurt on my watch!"

Despite his teasing tone, Mammon's protective nature shines through as he checks if you're okay, making sure there are no serious injuries.

He offers you his arm for support and insists on accompanying you back to bed, claiming it's for your own safety. "Come on, let's get you back to bed. You need someone to watch over you, right? The Great Mammon won't let anything happen to his human."

The sudden noise startles Leviathan, and he bolts upright in his bed, his heart pounding with concern for your well-being.

He quickly scurries into your room, his steps slightly unsteady from the rush of adrenaline, only to find you on the floor, rubbing your head sheepishly.

His cheeks flush with a mix of relief and embarrassment as he reaches out to help you up, his voice slightly stuttering. "Whew! You scared me there! Falling off the bed is quite the talent. Um, let's make sure you're alright before we go back to sleep, okay? And, uh, don't worry, I won't tell anyone about this little incident."

Leviathan checks if you're injured, his worry evident in his eyes. He reassures you that accidents happen, even if they are a bit amusing.

Being the tech-savvy demon, Leviathan suggests setting up pillows or a safety rail to prevent future mishaps, though he grumbles about the intrusion on his gaming space.

The noise disrupts Satan's peaceful slumber, and he wakes up with a sigh, already suspecting who might be responsible for the commotion.

He enters your room with a calm and collected demeanor, his eyes scanning the area before landing on you, still on the floor, rubbing your head with a mix of embarrassment and discomfort.

He offers you a gentle smile, his voice calm and reassuring. "It appears you've had a little accident. No need to be embarrassed, accidents happen. Let me help you up and make sure you're okay. We can have a chat about the perils of nocturnal acrobatics later. Just try to be more careful next time, alright?"

Satan carefully examines your surroundings, making mental notes on potential hazards and how to avoid them in the future.

He provides you with a book or two on sleep hygiene and safety, suggesting that you take a look and implement some of the tips for a better night's rest.

The sound of the thud disrupts Asmodeus' beauty sleep, and he groggily opens his eyes, a pout forming on his lips as he realizes someone's causing a ruckus.

He enters your room with dramatic flair, fluttering his lashes and gasping dramatically as he sees you on the floor, rubbing your head with a mix of embarrassment and pain.

With a flourish, he extends a hand, a sparkle in his eyes as he reassures you in a melodious voice, "Darling, what a tragedy! Falling off your bed in the middle of the night! Fear not, for I am here to rescue you from this treacherous ordeal. Let me assist you up and ensure that your grace and elegance remain intact. We can't have any mishaps tarnishing our exquisite beauty!"

Asmodeus insists on inspecting you from head to toe, checking for any visible bruises or injuries. He offers to apply some soothing cream or a beauty mask to alleviate any discomfort.

He playfully suggests redecorating your room, turning it into a glamorous boudoir fit for a princess, complete with luxurious cushions and a velvet canopy to prevent any future falls.

The loud thud instantly rouses Beelzebub from his deep slumber, his eyes widening with concern as he recognizes the sound of potential trouble.

He quickly makes his way to your room, his steps purposeful yet gentle, his eyes softening as he finds you on the floor, rubbing your head with a mixture of embarrassment and discomfort.

With a gentle smile, he extends a hand to help you up, his voice warm and reassuring. "Hey, are you alright? Falling off the bed can happen to anyone. Let me help you up and make sure you're not hurt. We can go back to sleep together, and I'll keep an eye out for any more midnight adventures. Just remember to be careful next time."

Beelzebub guides you back to bed, wrapping a comforting arm around your shoulders as he assures you that accidents happen and there's no need to feel embarrassed.

He suggests having a late-night snack together to calm your nerves, promising to whip up something delicious to lift your spirits.

The noise barely registers in Belphegor's half-asleep state, but a flicker of curiosity prompts him to open his eyes and groggily make his way to your room, his pace languid and his eyes half-lidded.

He yawns lazily as he enters your room, his gaze landing on you on the floor. With a nonchalant wave of his hand, he extends a hand to help you up. "You fell off the bed, huh? Well, join the club. Happens to me all the time. Don't worry, I'll help you up. Just make sure to stay in bed next time. Now, let's get back to sleep. I was having a good dream, you know."

Belphegor checks if you're hurt, his voice filled with a mix of laziness and concern. He offers you a soft smile, assuring you that falling off the bed is nothing to be ashamed of.

He tugs you back into bed with him, wrapping his arms around you, and mumbles sleepily, "We're in this together, you know. If you fall, I fall. So, let's try to stay on the bed for the rest of the night, okay?"

    ～ 𓆩ᥫ᭡𓆪

[jellieland]

Cub is starting to feel like he isn’t a very popular person at the moment.

It’s odd. People give him wary looks, and step back when he steps closer, and politely end conversations with him. But everyone seems very hesitant to actually say anything about whatever it is that’s bothering them so much.

It's true that it is, on occasion, a little difficult to concentrate on what people are saying. His hearing has been a lot sharper recently, especially with the extensions of himself that he’s placed around the server to help spread the skulk. But unfortunately, given how widespread they are now, it has become quite difficult to concentrate on any specific sounds – even, on occasion, those being made right in front of him.

Still, even without any specifics, he’s been starting to get the feeling that he isn’t exactly… welcome, here.

He’d seen False, the other day, in Hermitopia. As far as he can tell, she’s appointed herself as protector of the hermits. He doesn’t think she’s consulted anyone else about this.

Not that he needs any protecting, obviously. Why would he? He can take care of himself.

But that… look that she’d given him. He’d almost turned around, at first, as though she might be looking at someone behind him.

There was no need for that, though. If there was someone behind him, he’d have heard them.

False, though. Back to False.

He’d never seen her look at him like that before. Not even in the worst moments of the Convex.

It was a calculating look. As though every moment, she was considering the best way to strike, and weighing it against the danger of overextending herself. The kind of look you might give an unnervingly powerful mob, perhaps. But one he'd never seen her give to Doc, or to Cleo. The kind of look you give to something other.

“Hey, False!” He called, and smiled.

Her eyes narrowed. “Hey Cub.” Her voice was controlled and level. “What’s up?”

“Oh not much, not much. Just the usual – spread the souls, spread the skulk, you know how it is.” He held out a few skulk catalysts. “Care to join me?”

“I… No. No, I’ve got- other plans, sorry.” She took a step back, but kept her eyes fixed on him. “Why don’t you… go do that, then.”

He shrugged. “Sure. Let me know if you change your mind.”

“I won’t.” It was harsh. Sharp. After a moment, she seemed to realise this. “I mean- fine. I’ll let you know.” It was less a peace offering to a friend than it was a deliberate concession to an enemy. He knows how to tell the difference.

“Good, good. That’s good to know.” Just because she’d decided she didn’t like him anymore for some reason, didn’t mean he had to follow suit.

She watched him from a distance, eyes like ice, until he left.

She watched him like a tightly wound spring, like a coiled snake.

But she did not strike.

So, yeah. That has been a little odd.

He thinks that if it weren’t for his newfound lease on life recently, that incident would have rattled him. So it’s a good job he doesn’t have to worry about that.

It still seemed worth investigating, though, if it made people less willing to embrace the skulk as they should.

So then, there was the incident with Xisuma.

This one, he thinks, was the most confusing of the lot.

There were some more looks – some from Jevin, Oli and Sausage as well – when they fought the withers together.

He was fairly confident that Xisuma wasn’t the biggest fan of the skulk. At least – he had been fairly confident.

But it wasn’t Cub who suggested trying to spread the skulk further in the End with a sweeping edge sword and some endermen.

And even after that, he’s pretty sure Xisuma’s been removing a fair amount of the skulk around Hermitopia.

There had been Impulse, too, unnerved and wary, asking Cub to dispose of parts of himself safely, rather than taking them and doing it himself.

And with all this came a growing… not discomfort. Why would he be uncomfortable? More a curiosity. How, after all, was he supposed to change their minds if he didn’t know their minds?

Joe- Joe was his friend, he had thought. Joe would get it.

And then he did.

It felt a little like missing a step, although to be fair that wasn’t necessarily uncommon in interactions with Joe.

He hinted, and Joe nodded and went along with it and was appropriately impressed.

Later, he was sold back the parts of himself that Joe had unearthed, both of them quite clear about where they had come from, and told that he could do whatever he liked with them as long as they didn’t end up back in Pix’s area.

He shouldn’t be surprised, really. Joe did tend to enjoy seeing where the chaos went. Why would he even want to intervene?

But then there are still sometimes those looks. When Cub is adding more skulk catalysts around Hermitopia, and Joe is quickly ducking in and out of the place because it’s not one hundred percent clear whether he's still an enemy of the state at this point or not.

When they’re doing that.

Sometimes Joe looks at him like he wouldn’t mind it if none of the Hermits told Cub when they left.

Sometimes, when he forgets himself a little, Cub wonders whether any of them would, anymore.

It seems like a double standard. There’s a perfectly reasonable explanation, he’s sure. He hasn’t found it yet, though.

Why, if he didn’t have the skulk to keep him company, he might even be feeling a little hurt lonely irritated.

It takes Xisuma replacing the entire floor of the tower for him to start to understand.

They say they hate it. Oh they say they hate it. Not out loud to him, most of the time, but they do. But they never get the roots.

They clear it away, and they leave the surface clean and new, or they leave it unrecognizably maimed by the scars they made themselves. Some of them even dig up the catalysts. But none of them get the roots, because Cub is still here, and so it will always come back.

None of them have even tried.

So that can’t hate it that much, can they?

They just don’t want it near them.

Well, he thinks.

Too bad.

He’s not very good at giving up.

[ask-felix-aberg]

*Upon entering your room, you noticed a bouquet of forget-me-nots placed above your bedside drawer. There was also a small red box with a matching ribbon beside the bouquet. As you went closer to inspect, you saw that there was also a letter under the red box with the label "To: Felix*

. ݁₊ ⊹ . ݁˖ . ݁₊ ⊹ . ݁˖ . ݁₊ ⊹

Dear Felix,

You must think I have forgotten about you.

Ha! I don’t think I ever will, for you left quite an impression on me, which I believe you’re partially already aware of.

You know, it’s been a while since our last exchange. So, tell me, how have you been? Has life been treating you well like you deserve, or has it been throwing you some challenges?

I haven’t been seeing you lately—actually, most people I know, as well. As embarrassing as it is to admit, I had an accident with a Bludger during Quidditch practice about a month ago. It hit my head, and I was unconscious for weeks.

I’m afraid that I missed out on your birthday, too.

If it’s any consolation, I made something for you! It’s a soothing perfume with a slightly crisp scent of lemon, bergamot, and a bit of lavender. I thought that it would suit you, plus I heard you like lemons! :D

I’m not entirely sure if you like perfumes, but let me know if it’s to your liking or not.

Oh Felix, I really hope that I’ll be able to join our classes soon, so that I may be able to at least introduce myself to you or just see you again. Just witnessing your smile warms my heart; therefore, I’m looking forward to seeing it again.

Although I’ve grown quite fond of our exchanges, I can’t help but wonder... how would you feel if I revealed my identity? You don’t have to answer; I just wanted to put it out there.

Anyway, I wish you all the best, and always take care!

Warmest regards,

Your Secret Admirer

. ݁₊ ⊹ . ݁˖ . ݁₊ ⊹ . ݁˖ . ݁₊ ⊹

Felix entered his dorm room after a long day, ready to collapse into bed, when something unusual caught his eye. A bouquet of forget-me-nots sat on his bedside drawer, along with a small, neatly wrapped red box. Curious, he picked it up and gave it a gentle shake, hearing a faint sound inside. But before he could investigate further, his eyes landed on a letter tucked beneath the box.

With a grin, Felix sat on his bed and carefully opened the envelope, his eyes scanning the neat handwriting. As he read, his expression changed from surprise to concern and then softened as he reached the end.

"A perfume?" he murmured to himself and set the letter aside for a moment to open the red box. What he found was a sleek flacon, its glass sparkling under the low light of his room. He uncapped it, carefully dribbling a bit of the liquid onto the back of his hand, bringing it closer to his nose. It was refreshing, soothing even, and he couldn't help but smile as he enjoyed the fragrance. He appreciated the lightness of it - nothing too overwhelming.

Satisfied, he sat down at his desk, reading the letter once more before reaching for parchment and quill to write his reply.

── ⋆⋅☆⋅⋆ ─☆: .☽ . :☆─ ⋆⋅☆⋅⋆ ──

Dear Secret Admirer,

It's lovely to hear from you again, and thank you for the thoughtful gifts. I hope you've been recovering well from your accident. I had heard bits and pieces from other students about the Bludger incident - Quidditch can be quite unforgiving. I'm relieved to know you're awake and on the mend. If you're still in the Hospital Wing, don't worry too much - Alsius is the best Healer we've got, and I'm sure you'll be back to yourself in no time!

As for me, life has been a bit challenging, but nothing too unexpected. The N.E.W.T.s are fast approaching, and most of my time is spent studying. It's exhausting, to say the least, but with the holidays just around the corner, I'm looking forward to a bit of a break. Do you have any plans for the holidays? I hope they involve some well-deserved rest after everything you've been through.

You don't need to apologise about missing my birthday - honestly, the thought alone means a lot. And while the gifts weren't necessary, they're very lovely. The perfume is delightful, and you're right - I do have a fondness for lemons!

I'm not usually one to wear fragrances, but I think I might use it as a room scent. It's refreshing, and it brings a nice atmosphere to our space.

I truly hope you'll be able to return to classes soon. It'll be good to have you back among everyone. I've missed your quiet presence behind me in Arithmancy. :)

And as for revealing your identity, I wouldn't mind at all if you chose to do so. At the very least, I'd be able to thank you properly for everything. But of course, I completely respect your decision if you choose to remain anonymous. I've enjoyed our little exchanges. They have been such a lovely part of my days.

Thank you again for the flowers, the perfume, and your kind words. If you need anything - anything at all - or if there's something I can do for you, don't hesitate to let me know. Until then, take care, and I wish you all the best in your recovery.

Warmly,

Felix

[beardedmrbean]

The father of a Jewish baby whose birth certificate was returned defaced from the Home Office has demanded that all civil servants are vetted again.

Israel, who did not wish to disclose his surname, said he feels “unsafe” in Britain and is considering leaving after his birthplace – the country Israel – was scribbled out on his six-month-old daughter’s document.

The 32-year-old’s family from Edgware, in north London, sent off the papers to the Home Office on Feb 6 to obtain a British passport for their baby daughter Ronnie but it was returned with his birthplace defaced in black pen on Monday morning. 

His 29-year-old wife Dorin was also born in Israel but her entry remained intact. 

James Cleverly, the Home Secretary, said he had asked officials to “investigate this urgently” and vowed to see that “appropriate action is taken”. It is unclear whether it was a mistake.

But Israel, a father-of-three who owns an engineering company, has demanded that ministers go further and review whether civil servants in their ranks are politically biased or not.

“This person immediately needs to be sacked and we need to make sure it has been registered somewhere, so people know this person cannot hold sensitive documents because they are taking their personal politics or even racism from home into work and gets paid from my taxes,” he told Sky News.

He added: “The Government needs to re-vet the people who work in the public sector because if anyone can get into these documents, what’s the point of a document being private?

“I don’t feel confident to send any more official papers to the Home Office or to anywhere else, because the Home Office is in charge of my security as a minority over here.”

He revealed that he was now considering leaving the country because he feared that the Home Office staff member who defaced the certificate could get their “riff raff” to come to his address.

Since the Israeli-Hamas war began on October 7 Israel said “to be Jewish in the UK is very hard nowadays and it’s not getting better, it’s getting worse and worse”.

‘I feel unsafe in London’

“I just think of my daughter in 20 years, what’s her future over here because London is not London any more and I literally feel unsafe,” he added

Israel compared the incident to the Nazis defacing of documents in the 1930s.

Under the Forgery Act of 1861 it is a criminal offence to deface a birth certificate. Israel said he would be reporting it to the police. The Met said it had not had any involvement in the case thus far.

The Campaign Against Antisemitism, which is supporting the family, said it was “completely unacceptable” and released a picture of the birth certificate.

A Home Office spokesman said: “The Home Secretary has asked officials to urgently investigate this matter and appropriate action will be taken.

“While the facts and circumstances are being established, it must be reiterated that this government will not tolerate antisemitism in any form.”

[ashotofogdensoldfirewhiskey]

Sweet Nothing

The jinx hits him in his abdomen, and his first thought isn’t of the pain, or even the counterjinx, it’s of the paperwork. 

“I know,” Harry sighs a few hours later, as Robards delivers what feels like his millionth lecture about protocols and safety procedures and doesn’t Harry know he needs to be more careful? 

“I know you know,” Robards growls. “Which is why I’m wondering how you let this happen again.”

Harry wants to spit out that the number of accidents that befall him in the field aren’t accidents. That the remaining Death Eaters and pathetic scum who hadn’t been talented enough to be Death Eaters but may as well have been have made hexing Harry the new benchmark for revenge. That Wilkins is a corrupt scum who’d said the room had been cleared when it hadn’t, and he should have been fired ages ago if the department is truly clean the way Robards claims it is. 

But he doesn’t. It isn’t anything Robards hasn’t heard before, even acknowledged once or twice. But he only cares about his safety statistics, and the end of quarter report he has to submit upon which he must now record this incident, a blot on a record that might impact the promotion he’s lobbying for. 

“It won’t happen again,” Harry promises. They both know it’s bullshit. Robards accepts it anyway, because what else can he do?

“You handle the press,” Robards orders, a far more effective punishment than anything else he could have devised. Harry wonders if he knows this. Wonders if this makes him respect the man more or less.

“Why?” Harry asks bluntly.

“Because you’re who they always want to hear from, aren’t you?”

The truth of the statement does nothing to ease the sting.  

“The suspect was taken into custody and is now under questioning for the murder of Florean Fortescue. This is still an ongoing investigation, and further details cannot be disclosed at this time.”

Harry doesn’t open the floor for questions but they hurl them at him anyway. 

“Mr. Potter, is it true that you were injured during the arrest? Did you have a personal history with Selwyn?”

“Mr. Potter, would you say that your lack of formal education and credentials impacted you today?”

“Mr. Potter, do you regret lobbying for the removal of dementors when making arrests like this?”

“Would you say your presence in the Auror department is a publicity stunt?”

Harry had known what he was signing up for when he joined the Aurors. He had known he wasn’t signing up for a life of peace or simplicity, had known that the weight of his name and identity would be hanging on his shoulders. 

There are days when it’s easier to pretend the weight isn’t there, and days when he wonders whether the chains round his neck are visible.

Today is not one of the easy days. Harry answers the questions with his best impression of politeness. He’s never been very good at impressions.

Then it’s back to the office to write up the incident report. Wilkins sidles up to his desk like a prick and has the gall to ask after his injury. 

“My stomach is fine,” Harry says flatly, not bothering to look up from his report. “How are your eyes?”

“Eh?”

“You cleared the room, didn’t you?” Harry asks, crossing a t with unnecessary force. “Must not have seen Selwyn.”

Harry looks up from his report now. Wilkins doesn’t even have the courtesy to look defensive. “Yeah, that’s right,” Wilkins says with a sneer. “Didn’t see him.”

“I’ll make sure to include that in my report,” Harry says lightly, as though that means anything. They both know it doesn’t. 

“You do that, Potter,” Wilkins says. “Hope your tummy heals up soon.”

The wheels of justice turn slowly. Hermione had said that to him once over a firewhiskey at the Leaky Cauldron, as though that were meant to make him feel better, or something. 

Harry pops out for a coffee in the afternoon, and gets accosted by a photographer from Witch Weekly on the way back. The purple smoke from her camera nearly chokes him as he takes an unfortunately timed sip of his coffee. 

“Harry Potter!” she squeaks.

Harry doesn’t bother with a response, and pushes past her roughly in his escape. He knows that this will inevitably result in some bullshit story about him being a stuck up famous prick who thinks he’s too good to speak to his fans, or maybe this time they’ll imply he’s having an affair with someone different and had to run away to avoid detection, someone interesting, maybe Tom the barman or maybe the random witch who had stood in front of him in line at the coffee shop. Anyone will do, because anything with his name attached will sell and it doesn’t matter whether the story is even on the same continent as the truth. 

He should have smiled at her, at least. 

Or maybe he shouldn’t. Maybe then he’d have been accused of being fame hungry or coveting a headline or perhaps even having an affair with her.

The truth is there is no winning with the press. His skin is thicker than it used to be, he doesn’t care as much as he once did, and yet today he sips his coffee with a hint of cynicism and the faint flavor of libelous purple smoke.

When he returns to his desk it is to find that the warrant he’d applied for had been denied, and he’ll need to find more evidence to bring charges. He’s supposed to owl the Montgomery family today for an update on their case. They’d been hounding him all week, and he was waiting for the warrant to give them some positive news. 

Now he has no positive news to deliver. 

He finishes up his incident report, and scribbles a hasty letter without any substance to the Montgomerys, feeling shit.

He’s still thinking about it when he Apparates home for the day, wondering whether it will be worth questioning Greyback again to see whether he might accidentally divulge more information pertaining to the Montgomery case, and whether such a small possibility was worth yet another conversation with the man who, after all this time, still revolts him.

He pushes open the door to Grimmauld Place, and it takes him a moment to register the sound of humming coming from the kitchen. It’s off key, some Hobgoblins song that he vaguely recognizes. 

She’s standing at the sink when he comes in, swishing her wand at the sink hopefully while she reaches the crescendo of the chorus, and for the first time all day, Harry smiles. The light through the window is bright, and it makes her red hair shine a coppery gold. She’s wearing the lounge trousers that make her bum look particularly good, along with some bright purple fuzzy socks that prevent her feet from turning to ice on the stone floor, a perfect mixture of cozy allure that he’s come to associate with her. 

His footsteps alert her to his presence, and he’s sorry for it, because she stops humming. But she turns to him and grins, which is nearly as good.

“Oh, you’re home,” she says brightly. “Look, you’re not allowed to tell her this, but Mum was right.”

Harry reaches her and wraps his arms around her from behind, letting the warmth of her seep into his cold skin, dropping a kiss down to her cheek. “About what?”

“I should have let her teach me all those householdy charms like she said,” Ginny says with a dramatic sigh. “I just can’t- get- it- to-”

She punctuates each word with a wave of her wand, and Harry watches as the pot she’s attempting to magically scrub flips feebly, a bit of food clinging stubbornly to the bottom. 

“I’ll wash it,” Harry offers.

Ginny turns, still in his arms, and smiles up at him. “No, I’m going to get it right and then you’ll be deeply impressed by my domestic prowess.”

“Oh yeah?”

“Yes,” Ginny says, reaching up to snake her arms around his neck. “Hi.”

“Hi.”

She reaches up and kisses him. He knows she probably meant it to be a greeting kiss, a small thing, but he holds her there against him, soaking in the smell of her, the feel of her against him, the soft of her lips and the silk of her hair, drowning in her. 

“Well hi,” she says after they finally pull apart, her lids a bit heavy now, her eyes wicked. 

Harry answers with another soft kiss. 

“I didn’t know you were so into scrubbing pots,” Ginny teases against his lips. “I’d have done it much sooner.”

“You knew what you were doing when you put on those trousers.”

Ginny cackles, and Harry thinks he’ll never get tired of it, the way she laughs with her whole face, the crinkles of her nose and around her eyes, the glint of amusement she gets, the way she throws her whole head back with it. “You’ll never prove it.”

Harry doesn’t care to prove it, only kisses her again and again, until he lifts her up onto the counter and pulls the trousers off, until he’s warm and deep inside of her and she’s whispering his name in his ear in the way she knows drives him mad, and her skin is so soft and freckled and perfect.

Then they laugh at themselves, going at it in the kitchen when they have a perfectly good bedroom upstairs, and Harry teases her, telling her to show off her domestic prowess and clean off the counter. She smacks him on the arm and tells him that domestic prowess is overrated and shouldn’t he make himself useful?

She tells him about Quidditch practice earlier, and the new formation that the team hadn’t been able to get quite right, and the owl she’d received from Charlie about the hatching of a new baby dragon while they eat dinner, a leftover stew Harry had made the evening before. It’s warm and delicious, just like her, and he knows she’s speaking but he can’t get the sound of her off key humming out of his head, and how maybe everything she says is music.

It isn’t until she’s pouring him a glass of red wine and they’re settling down to listen to the Puddlemere match on the wireless that she asks him. 

“How was your day, anyway? Anything interesting happen?”

Harry thinks for a moment, feeling quite warm as she burrows her toes beneath his leg and she drapes a blanket Molly had knitted for them across both of their laps. “Nah, nothing,” he says, lifting her hand to kiss the back of it. “Just you.”

[jeanniebug623]

🕸️🕷️ Weaving the Web 🕷️🕸️

Chatpter 8: Enlighten Me

Quaritch was torn in what direction to go first. He wanted to check on Spider – or should he say Miles – after his men wrestled him down to solitary. Even with three recoms, the boy put up a hell of a fight. He needed to report to Ardmore before any misinformation reached her about the incident in the cafeteria. But something told him he should investigate the man Spider attacked. It wasn’t some schoolyard scrap; the boy wanted to cause pain to that man specifically.  

Keycard in hand, Quaritch decided to deal with ‘the queen’ first. The other pieces could wait; they weren’t going anywhere.  

“General Ardmore.” Quaritch said with the fastest salute he could muster as he ducked into the general’s office. It was clear by the expression on her face that he hadn’t been faster than a phone call, but she looked only slightly annoyed versus absolutely raging. 

“Not a good example of your parenting skills, Quaritch.” Ardmore said with a sigh but held up her hand before he could make excuses, “That being said. I’d be more upset if it was anyone else.” 

“Why’s that, ma’am?” Quaritch asked, remaining calm and curious on the outside as relief washed through his insides. He was sure that scrappy, flailing scene was the last he’d see of his boy. THE boy. Spider...or whoever he was. “Who did Spider assault?” 

“Nash McCosker.” Ardmore said as if that name should mean something. She feigned surprise and continued, “Ah, yes. You wouldn’t know much about the RDA scientists that stayed behind over 15 years ago due to your...hibernation. Nash McCosker, along with his wife Mary, were among many who sided with the Na’vi.” 

“So, he’s a traitor.” Quaritch deduced, his ears going back. But then something prideful erupted thinking about Spider – or Miles, whatever part of the kid – letting one of those turncoats have it. 

“Twice over.” Ardmore said with a nod, “McCosker and several others who originally sided with Sully took up a very generous offer I delivered from the RDA. Their treasonous crimes would be acquitted if they surrendered peacefully when we returned to Pandora. McCosker even offered to hand deliver Sully and his family to us.” 

Quaritch’s ears pinned back even further. Normally any enemy of Jake Sully was a friend of his, but Spider had attacked him. Ruthlessly. So that may have been the reason for it. But that didn’t make complete sense...not coming from Miles. Miles didn’t appear to have any loyalties to Sully. Well, he didn’t seem to have loyalties to ANYONE except Spider. 

“When was this?” Quaritch asked, wanting more information on this Nash guy. 

“About a year ago.” Ardmore said, remembering her conversation with Jake and Neytiri Sully in zero gravity. “Nash McCosker had managed to imprison some of Sully’s children at Hell’s Gate, giving us a momentary upper hand when negotiations went south. But the kids broke free and soon Sully and his entire brood escaped to wherever the current hostile hideout is.” 

While this was valuable information and could be useful in learning the enemy’s potential whereabouts, Quaritch’s mind was splitting. 

“About the boy.” Quaritch started, tail swishing slowly and ears turning to a more defensive look in pinning back instead of angry. 

“Like I said, not your best parenting...” Ardmore repeated boredly, “But luckily, no one other than myself would bat an eye over a lunchroom brawl with an already heavily monitored turncoat. The man studies plants, for God’s sake. Married, two kids with a third on the way...spends most of their time at the satellite research facilities near what’s left of Hell’s Gate. Be grateful for the free pass on this one.” 

“Duly noted, General Ardmore.” Quaritch said with a low growl at her condescending tone. 

~~~~~~~~~~~

“See something you like?” Spider said as he paced back and forth in front of the triple strength plexiglass wall between himself and Wainfleet. He had knuckles split from the punches and grinned like a maniac at the recom. 

“I think I’d like you better with some duct tape over your mouth...” Wainfleet sighed as he leaned against the wall opposite the glass with his arms crossed and, for once, an unamused look on his face. He dismissed Mansk and Ja while he waited for Quaritch to return from Ardmore’s office. In his side pocket was a single premeasured dose of a sedative that would knock the teenager out for 12 hours if it came to it. They tossed him into the room with its three firn padded walls and one observation window. 

“Huh...” Spider said, placing his finger to his chin in an exaggerated motion, “...I always took you for the sub. Damn, that’s some weird shit to think about the colonel...” 

Wainfleet rolled his eyes and fought the urge to argue with the kid. He didn’t have to fight it too long because Spider’s attention was drawn to the seamless entrance to the cell opening and Quaritch walking in. The corporal was admittedly concerned for his colonel’s safety but something Quaritch had said when disclosing Spider’s condition to the squad was that facing ‘Miles’ had to be direct and done showing no fear. Even talking to him with the glass between them fed ‘Miles’ and his hunger for chaos. 

“Miles.” Quaritch said pleasantly as the door disappeared into the wall. There was no way to open the door from the inside, for obvious reasons. 

“Sir.” Spider said, just as pleasant with a grin spreading across his face, “Proud of me?” 

“Not quite the word, Miles.” Quaritch said, appraising the boy for threats as he walked into the room. He knew Wainfleet was watching but didn’t want to break eye contact with Spider. Calling him ‘tiger’ seemed to have less to do with his blue stripes and more with dealing with some rare, cornered predator he didn’t know how to handle.  Tigers had been brought back from extinction on Earth, much like the idea that Quaritch was taking on a parental role. 

“Huh...well, that sucks...” Spider said, turning in place as Quaritch walked around him. “You know, that guy is a traitor...” 

“I heard. Twice, even.” Quaritch said, coming to a stop at his side and crouching down to look at Spider’s bloody fist without touching him. “So does that mean you’re still on the savage side?” 

Spider chuckled and pointed at him lazily, “I see what you did there...I’m not on anyone’s side.” 

Quaritch kind of already knew that but he still had to ask, “What about Spider’s side?” 

Spider’s face went deadpanned and unamused. He narrowed his eyes and his head twitched to the right once. He let out an exaggerated groan and answered, “I’m not as complicated as Spider.” 

“Because he has morals?” Quaritch asked, ready to catch hands if the boy didn’t like the backhanded remark. To his surprise, Spider just shrugged. 

“I guess...” Spider observed, looking like he was losing interest in the conversation, “They do get in the way.” 

Running his right fingers over his left bloody knuckles, Spider and Quaritch both looked down then something brought a bright smile to the boy’s face. 

“Holy shit...” the boy said then held up his hand so Quaritch could see. A quick glance made the recom fear Spider had split his knuckles so badly the caps of his knuckles were exposed through torn flesh. A pearly white piece of bone shone in the bright light of the room. “Check it out, I got a trophy!” 

Quaritch narrowed his eyes on what the boy was so proud of to realize he had a piece of broken tooth embedded in his knuckles. Trophy. That was one word for it. The colonel sighed and shook his head. 

“That’s a good way to get an infection.” Quaritch said, holding his hand out for the tooth or Spider’s whole hand if Miles would allow him to look at the wound. 

“Fuck off.” Spider said clearly. 

Quaritch’s anger spiked high, evident by his flat ears and whipping tail. Spider only looked euphoric at the response. The colonel cleared his throat and asked for clarity, “What was that, boy?” 

“I know how good those ears work.” Spider said, turning his hand to look at the unexpected prize like what someone does with a shiny new engagement ring, “You call fuck all the way off.” 

The colonel stood. Out of the corner of his eye, he saw Wainfleet take off through a nearby door to get to the hall that ran behind the cells. He took a step towards the boy, and he just stepped further away like he had some coveted treasure. 

“Don’t make this hard, boy, that hand needs to be looked at.” Quaritch said, trying to suppress how disturbed he was by Miles’ obsession with McCosker’s tooth and divert the attention to his shared health with Spider. “Spider’s not gonna want to come to and see that mess.” 

“Are you kidding?!” Spider said, narrowing his eyes and turning in a defensive crouch with the left hand far out of Quaritch’s reach, “He’ll love it! They threw out all of his!” 

Wainfleet burst in through the door, right into Quaritch’s hand on his chest to stop him. He turned his head slightly and narrowed his eyes on the boy while asking, “What do you mean ‘threw them out’?” 

Spider just narrowed his eyes right back and tilted his head, rubbing the heel of his palm into his right eye. But saying nothing. 

“Miles.” Quaritch said firmly. Spider barely suppressed the laugh at the colonel’s tone, coming out as more of a snort. He sighed quietly and accepted that Miles was not going to answer him. “Alright, kid, hand. Now.” 

“No.” Spider said simply, something crazy behind his eyes looking for the next fight. Was the kid really going to take on the colonel? He sure as fuck was as he swung a strong arm with a powerful fist behind it past Quaritch’s other palm, failing to catch it, and straight into the recom’s ribs. 

Quaritch let out a grunt from the unexpected hit. It wasn’t the worst hit he’d taken but it didn’t tickle either. He looped his arm down and under Spider’s arm so it was pinned up into his armpit and bending the wrong way. It was enough to get a growl of pain from Spider that pulled at his heartstrings. This kid was damn dangerous when he wanted to be and he didn’t care who he was up against. 

Wainfleet had dodged around Quaritch once he had the kid pinned and took Spider’s other arm. The recoms threw him back on the floor, already dealing with strong kicks before the wind was knocked out of him. Quaritch didn’t even see how smoothly his friend drew the syringe from his pocket and jabbed it into the side of the boy’s upper thigh. The colonel had thoroughly warned the kid about getting a needle in the ass if he didn’t play nice... 

“Motherfucker...!” Spider snarled through an evil grin before his eyes rolled back and he was out as quickly as he’d attacked like a serpent snapping at a mouse. 

Quaritch and Wainfleet did not let the boy go for several minutes. They wanted to make ABSOLUTE sure Spider was not getting back up any time soon. When they heard soft snoring, they sat back on their heels as the colonel took the boy’s injured left hand and carefully pried loose the tooth slick with the boy’s blood. 

“Get the medics in here to look at that.” Quaritch said, the small piece of bone almost disappearing in his palm, “And I need you here with him, Lyle. Let me know what’s goin’ on.” 

“No problem, boss.” Wainfleet said. Not that Quaritch expected anything else but he gained a sliver of solace knowing his oldest friend would look after the boy when he couldn’t. “Going to go talk to this McCosker guy?” 

“Yep.” Quaritch said, pulling the keycard out to keep it with the tooth, “Somethin’ tells me he’s gonna have a lot to tell me about this kid...” 

[here-have-some-stories]

Massacre Masquerade Chapter 8

Chapter 1 Chapter 7

Twenty minutes had passed since the recent incident, and two more people had died the same way, showing the symptoms. The investigators had made a point of telling everyone to stay away from each, as everyone in the building was a suspect. Almost everyone followed these instructions, not trusting anyone but themselves. The only people that stayed together were Deacon, Leon and Bailey, who had just returned to their corner together.

They didn’t talk. Leon was afraid if they did, it would draw attention to themselves, and the investigators would make them move away from each other. Deacon was too shaken to talk. Bailey had nothing to say. They were all too afraid of something else happening to go to sleep. 

Another hour and a half passed. The three friends had been staring into the distance, lost in their own thoughts when an investigator stepped forward into the middle of the room, a megaphone to his mouth.

“Attention everyone!” he shouted, his voice easily reaching every corner of the ball room. Everyone looked towards the investigator, curious expressions on their faces.

“We’ve done some looking around,” the investigator started as soon as he was sure everyone was looking, “and we think the red wine on that table right over there was poisoned by some sort of drug. What drug it was, we don’t know that yet, but we’re looking into it.” 

Panicked voices started to break out, as people remembered that they had tried the wine the investigator was talking about.

The investigator in the middle of the room waited in silence and waited for everyone to quiet down. When he saw that that wasn’t going to happen anytime soon, he held up his free hand and spoke through the megaphone in his other hand.

“Everyone quiet down please,” he shouted out. It took a few more seconds but eventually everyone settled down enough to listen. The investigator nodded in satisfaction at the silence.

“There is no need to panic,” he said, “We are fairly certain that the wine was only recently poisoned, so anyone who drank it earlier on in the night should be safe. If you had drunk it, by now you should have been affected, so you’ll all be fine. Hopefully.”

The people in the ball room seemed to calm down even further with this news, and things quickly became a lot more manageable.

Deacon was looking sceptical at the investigator. He noticed something off about what he had said. He decided to share his thoughts with his two new friends.

“They said they didn’t know what poison was used,” Deacon whispered quietly to Leon and Bailey. Leon looked back at him.

“So?” he asked, seemingly unconcerned.

“So,” Deacon replied, putting slight stress on the word, “how do they know that the symptoms would have started showing all ready if they don’t know what poison it was.”

“They’re probably just trying to not cause anymore panic,” Bailey said and Deacon admitted that that was probably true. He still thought it would have just been better to tell the cold hard truth. The investigator was talking again.

“You’ll all have to stay in this building for a while longer while we continue to do some questioning,” the investigator paused as he heard collective groaning, sighing and complaining ripple around the room. When everything was silent once again, he continued once again. “You can all go back to doing whatever it was you were doing before, which I’m assuming was nothing. And I don’t think I really need to say this, but maybe stay away from that area over there.” The investigator pointed to the area where the first set of murders had taken place. The floor was still stained and soaked with the victim's blood, as there was no access to any cleaners to come in, and all the cleaning cupboards were locked. Most people had avoided it without even needing to be told.

The investigator turned off his megaphone and walked away from the middle of the room without another word, and everyone went back to sitting in silence as more investigators walked around the ball room.

Deacon sighed and leaned back against the wall. He was bored. He leaned his head back, staring at the ceiling and just thinking. He began to look away, when something in the corner of the room caught his attention and made him sit up. Up against the ceiling in one of the top corners, was what looked to be a gun, pointing down to where the shootings happened. 

Standing up, he began to walk over to get a better view.

Yippee another chapter is up. This one's kind of boring, but I don't care.

Anyways I hope you enjoyed it, once again. If you have any comments, feedback or suggestions than they are appreciated. If you want to send in any asks they are also hugely appreicated whether they're requests for other stories or anything else.

Imma make a post or add onto my post abot what things I'll write about and what to sepcify about if you send asks in.

Anyways, next chapter will hopefully come soon, but realistically it will probably be like another month.

-Kenickie