#I’m ready for him to die right now I hope he chokes on bad barbecue and his throat explodes

[starredforlife]

this guy sucks so fucking bad. nc followers of there are any of you please keep annoying his office. No one ever answers so I email.

[obeyme-kaidii-writes]

Family

Leviathan x gn!MC

Words - 3215

Content warnings - angst, family issues, lots of comfort, a sprinkling of humor

Prompt/Inspiration - none

Summary -  Levi learns why you didn’t want him to meet your family.

AO3

Family had always been a bit of a sore subject for Levi. He may have 6 brothers that he would have been willing to do anything for - die for, if it came to it - but he still felt like the odd one out. The black sheep.

Asmodeus had Satan. Belphie had Beel. And Lucifer was well, Lucifer. And even if Mammon was easily the most picked on of them all, he still frequently hung out with Asmo and did whatever it was that normies do when they go out.

But for Levi? He was largely just left to his own devices.

At least, that was before you came. Now that you were here, he found himself able to spend more time with his brothers. And you helped him find common ground so he could share his interests with them too. Mammon in particular had gotten a lot closer to him and hung out with him far more frequently. Levi was still the undisputed otaku in the family...but Mammon? Well, he had his moments.

When Levi found out you would be going to the human realm to visit your family, he was curious. His only experience with human families came from his anime and manga that he’d import to the Devildom, so he wanted to see how close those things were to reality. At least that’s what he told you. You were skeptical about his motives. And also concerned about the whole “meeting people” thing - but he assured you if it was just your parents, he could manage.

You initially told him that you thought it best that you go alone, but after seeing how hurt he was you quickly changed your mind. It wasn’t that you didn’t want your family to meet Levi, you weren’t trying to hide him. But you didn’t want him to meet them . They just weren’t the sort of people you wanted to spend much time with. To put it simply, it was a miracle that you turned out as well as you did.

The only reason that you were going back at all was because Lord Diavolo insisted. He thought it would be a wonderful idea. The next step in bringing harmony to the realms. The human exchange student and their demon boyfriend. You tried to explain to him that your family was not the understanding and accepting sort, but he was confident that if you could win Lucifer over, some humans shouldn’t be a problem at all. Totally ignoring the fact that you had already spent the majority of your life with these people and had not had any progress thus far.

You had tried your best to manage Levi’s expectations. You didn’t want to make him too anxious about the visit but you also didn’t want him to get caught completely off guard either. You briefly considered giving him a list of subjects to avoid, just so he didn’t draw anymore attention to himself than necessary. But you knew that wouldn’t be fair to him, and he was self conscious enough as it was - you didn’t want him thinking you were embarrassed to be seen with him.

As you pulled into the driveway of your family home, you stole a glance at Levi. He was white as a sheet and bouncing his leg up and down nervously, taking deep breaths to calm himself. You reached out and gently placed your hand on his own that was resting on his leg. He jumped a little, having gotten a bit lost in his thoughts, but soon gave your hand a squeeze in return.

“Maybe this was a bad idea…” he said.

“You really don’t have to, you know. We could just hide out in a hotel and tell Lord Diavolo everything went great…”

“No! I-I-I want to do this.”

You gave Levi a small smile. You really had to appreciate how hard he was trying. He wanted to impress you. This was supposed to be what boyfriends did, right? Visit their partner’s family? Bond with their father over drinks? Win the heart of their mother with his gentlemanly demeanor? He could do that. He was sure. He had to do it. Levi wanted to stay in your life for a long, long time, and this was the next logical step, wasn’t it?

“Alright, but if it gets to be too crazy for you, just let me know.”

He nodded, smiling back at you and giving your hand another squeeze before climbing out of the car. As you two walked hand in hand up the driveway, you started to notice that something wasn’t quite right. There was a new car in the driveway you didn’t recognize, for starters. And you heard the raised voices of a rather large group of people talking. By the time you reached the front door, you were positive there wasn’t just your parents here.

“Umm Levi, I really…” you had started to explain to him your suspicions, when the front door suddenly opened and your mother greeted you, arms open wide.

“OH MY BABY! YOU'RE HOME! I watched you walking up the driveway but I just couldn’t WAIT!”

Levi watched in horror as this woman wrapped you up in a tight hug, screeching out a greeting that made his skin crawl and his blood run cold. Why did she have to be so... loud ? It didn’t take long before she had released you and finally turned her sights on him. He gulped as he prepared for his introduction, but thankfully, she was much more reserved this time.

“Well ain’t you just the cutest thing,” she cooed, pinching his cheek, “You must be Levi, right? C’mon in the both of y’all. The family is in the backyard while Daddy is working on the grill. We’re having barbecue tonight!”

“The family…? No, Mom, you didn’t…”

“Oh hush. We haven’t seen you in forever! Of course we had to invite the rest of the family. It’s not like we ever know when we’re gonna see you again…”

For a brief, fleeting moment Levi had started to think maybe this wouldn’t be so bad after all. Your mother was loud and shrill...but she seemed nice enough. She called him cute, after all. But when he turned to look at you after learning that the “rest” of your family had been invited, his smile started to waver. You looked like you were about to cry one minute, and then like you were ready to spit hellfire the next. For all the headaches he and his brothers had caused you - he had never seen you this upset before.

Eventually you plastered a smile on your face and accepted your fate, reminding yourself that they hadn’t done anything yet. Maybe they would behave for once and there wouldn’t be a repeat of The Holidays ‘09™️ where half your family ended up at the local urgent care clinic before the night was out because someone decided a food fight with flaming marshmallows was a good idea. (And it had quickly progressed to much more than marshmallows on fire)

You adjusted your grip on Levi’s hand, lacing your fingers together, determined to not let him get separated from you, and followed after your mother through the house. Levi gave your hand a small squeeze, in his own attempt to reassure you, because as perfect as your fake smile was, there was no hiding just how tense you were. You turned to look at him giving him a small, genuine smile before mouthing, “I’m sorry,” as you stepped outside into the yard.

————

To your great surprise, things really weren’t that bad at first. You walked around and introduced Levi to the various cousins and aunts and uncles that had arrived, and everyone had been mostly polite and courteous. He looked a little worn out, but nothing like you had imagined. You were also able to keep him safely by your side, so there weren’t any opportunities for your more mischievous family members to cause trouble. By the time the food was ready, you were starting to let your guard down a tiny bit.

And that, you would soon learn, was a grave mistake.

Your family had gathered around the large picnic table in the backyard, and lunch was being served. You had managed to get a seat near the end so Levi was not sandwiched in between you and your family members, and the rowdier of your cousins were seated at the further end, far away from the two of you. You were listening to your family chat, occasionally exchanging touches and smiles with Levi to check in with him, when the conversation suddenly shifted to you.

“So dear,” your mother started, “when are you going to get serious about getting married?”

“Pardon…?!” you choked out, as you desperately grabbed for the glass of water in front of you to clear your throat.

“Yeah hun, you’re coming to that age when you should start thinking about your family. You need to start looking for a suitable partner,” one of your aunts chimed in.

Your face flushed scarlet, and you felt your stomach flip, “I’m good. I already have a boyfriend. I’m not looking for another,” you finally managed to answer, hoping to make it sound like there was no room for argument.

Your mother, however, did not take the hint.

“Do you mean him dear? He’s very cute but he doesn’t exactly look like the responsible type.”

“Hey son, what’s it you doing for a living?”, your father asked, leveling his gaze on Levi, who had been trying to ignore the conversation.

You felt Levi flinch beside you and you shifted so you were sitting just a little bit closer to him, your legs now pressing together. Oh how much you wished you could have just grabbed him and run right now. You were so stupid for doing this. Arrogant even, for thinking things were going to be fine with you there to deflect the awkward questions.

“Dad, that’s really not something we need to talk about right now.”

“Mind your father,” your mother warned, “Let the poor boy answer.” All eyes then focused on Levi, waiting for his response.

In that moment, Levi really wished he could just turn invisible. He hadn’t taken his eyes off his own plate yet, but he could feel everyone else staring at him. He felt you shift closer to him, and while he did appreciate the reassuring touch from you, it did nothing to quell the anxiety bubbling up in his stomach.

“Umm...I’m...a...I’m a Devil...errr...YouTuber…”

“A what now?”

“A YouTuber. He makes videos of gameplay and walkthroughs, things like that. He’s really good at it too,” you explained, smiling at Levi, hoping that your little bit of encouragement would help soothe his nerves.

“Well hun, that ain’t a real job.”

“Your mother’s right. You need to find someone with a stable career that will be able to contribute to your family. You don’t want to be stuck carin’ for a mooch, like your Auntie Tammy do ya?”, your father asked, followed by snickers from your cousins at the jab towards your conspicuously absent aunt.

“I’m fine. That’s between me and Levi.”

“You can’t really be serious, dear.”

“I am.”

“Hahaha, but he looks like such a dweeb!”, cackled one of your cousins, from the very same rowdy bunch of cousins you had tried best to avoid all evening.

“Watch it,” you snapped, tightening your grip on Levi’s hand. This was going downhill. And fast.

“Don’t talk to your cousin that way.”

“I’m uhh...I’m going to the bathroom…” Levi mumbled as he stood up and made a hasty retreat inside the house, having finally had enough of your family’s judgmental looks and insults.

“And you wonder why I don’t come by very often…”

“Now hold on, what is that supposed to mean?” your mother asked.

“It means, y’all are a rude bunch of assholes and I’d rather chew glass than sit through another meal with you.”

And cue your mother’s crocodile tears.

“Look what you did! Apologize to your mother now!” your father said, his tone sharper than it had been before, as he struggled to maintain his composure.

“Sure, after you apologize to me and my boyfriend.”

“Apologize for what? We just want what’s best for you. Why can’t you see that?” your mom said, sniffling and dabbing at her eyes with a napkin.

“Because we’ve had this conversation a thousand times. You don’t approve of my choices. You’ve mocked every partner of mine that’s had the misfortune of meeting you. And frankly, I’d rather be living in hell than spend another moment here.”

And with that you stood up, ignoring the shouts and your mothers sobs as you went on the hunt for Levi, whom you were sure was not going to be returning to the table anytime soon. When you finally found him, he had taken refuge in the small upstairs bathroom, hoping that anyone who may be looking to use the restroom would go to the downstairs one first and leave him undisturbed.

“Levi?” you knocked on the door, “Can I come in?” You heard some sniffing and shuffling around before the door finally opened, revealing a very red faced Levi who was trying (and failing) to hide behind his bangs. You quickly slipped inside, locking the door behind you. When you turned back to Levi, he was sitting on top of the large bathroom vanity, his feet dangling over the edge, and you didn’t waste another minute going to him and wrapping your arms around his neck, as he slipped his around your waist.

“I’m sorry. I’m so, so sorry,” you said, over and over again as you hugged him, “They’re a bunch of angry, miserable people. Please don’t listen to them.”

Levi pulled you closer, burying his face in the crook of your neck. He took a deep breath, inhaling your scent, and trying to distract himself from his chaotic thoughts. This was not how today was supposed to go. It was supposed to be his chance to get to know your parents, but from the moment your mother answered the door things had started to go south. Why hadn’t he listened to you when you suggested spending the day in hiding?

And what was going to happen now? Was this it? Did this really mean there was no future for you and him? Of course there wouldn’t be one. He was foolish to have ever thought there could be. Your parents weren’t wrong when they said he didn’t have a real job. And what did he even know about supporting a human family anyways? Why did he think he’d be able to take care of you at all? You probably wanted someone who knew what they were doing. Not someone who you’d end up caring for.

“I love you so much. Please don’t listen to them. Please.”

“...they’re not wrong though...I...I don’t have a real job…”

“Levi, look at me,” you said, pulling back slightly and taking his face in your hands, gently turning him to look at you, “You’re one of seven demon lords of the Devildom, Grand Admiral of The Hell’s Navy. I think you’re ok in the job and prestige department.” You smiled at him, and he gave you a small, weak smile in return.

“Even my family would have been impressed with that if I could have told them,” you teased, before leaning forward and pressing a gentle kiss to his cheek, “Besides, there is nothing wrong with being a You...DevilTuber anyways. You’re good at it, and you enjoy it. That’s all that matters.”

“You’re not worried about being stuck with your loser boyfriend who uses up all your time and money for his failed hobbies and selfish interests and…”

“No, Levi. I’m not worried about that. For starters, I don’t even have a loser boyfriend,” you said, this time kissing Levi softly on his lips, “I have a very talented boyfriend whom I’m very proud of.”

Levi blushed at your compliment before pulling you closer and resting his head on your shoulder. This day sucked. He was exhausted. And he really just wanted to go home and go to sleep. But at least you were here with him, and hadn’t left him alone to deal with the pack of wolves that was your family.

“Are they always like that?”

“My family?” you asked, wrapping your arms around Levi’s neck again and kissing the top of his head, “Yeah. Pretty much. That’s why I don’t see them often.”

He finally understood why you had been so anxious about this whole trip, and why you stayed glued to his side the entire afternoon. You weren’t worried about him embarrassing you or himself - you were worried about your vicious relatives attacking your boyfriend. How many other friends and partners of yours had they mistreated? he wondered.

“I thought since you were so nice, they couldn’t be that bad…”

“Pffft. No. They definitely could be that bad. It’s said that kids can go one of two ways - they either turn out just like their parents, or the complete opposite and use their parents as the blueprint for everything they don’t want to be in life.

I am obviously part of the latter category.”

“Good.”

You laughed at Levi’s reply, glad he seemed to be feeling a little bit better. His head was still resting on your shoulder and you could tell he had reached his threshold for human interaction for the next decade, at least. You started to comb your fingers through his hair, snuggling him close. Levi’s arms tightened around you, letting more of his weight rest on you as he started to relax.

“So, do you want to go ahead and go back to the Devildom?...or do you want to find the fanciest hotel around and spend the night there on Lord Diavolo’s dime?”

“...what kind of fancy hotel?”

“The kind that offers 24/7 room service and will cook up anything you can imagine.

Oh, and, can’t forget to mention this, the kind your brothers don’t know about so they can’t interrupt us.”

“...that sounds good.”

“It’s the least Lord Diavolo can do for us I think, after forcing us on this awful trip.”

“Could we rent movies too?” Levi had turned his head to look at you, his eyes sparkling as he started to remember some really good anime movies that were currently only available in the human realm.

“Oh definitely. As many as you like,” you smiled, giving him a quick kiss.

“Then what are we waiting for? Let’s get out of here before your mom tries to hug you and starts screeching again.”

Laughter filled the small bathroom as the two of you began giggling at his comment, taking turns shushing one another in an attempt to keep quiet. It didn’t matter what your family thought about your life choices, or whether they judged Levi “worthy” of your time. All that mattered to you was that you were able to enjoy moments like this, with your best friend and partner. And you weren’t about to give that up.

[margoshansons]

Desperate Measures: 14/?

Masterlist:

Summary: unsure of the whereabouts of her friends and Bellamy, Y/N waits underneath the dropship, waiting for a rescue she doesn’t think will come. Thankfully, she’s wrong.

Warnings: Gore, swearing, the usual

Notes: Yes, yes, yes, it’s finally out. Tbh I wanted to make you guys wait even longer because I was sick of y’all hassling me (please remember that I’m in school) but I was able to put my pettiness aside. Hope you enjoy this chapter! I love the way I’ve written this season and I can’t wait for you guys to see it.

She held her breath as footsteps creaked against the empty floor of the dropship. She waited, clutching the jacket closer to her as she glanced up, the grounder's feet frozen right on top of her. A shot rang out, causing her to flinch and a thud above her. She pushed the grate above her open as she locked eyes with a now alive Raven.

"Oh thank god" Y/N whispered, wanting to cry of relief. The two women snapped to attention as more footsteps were heard on the door of the dropship.

"Get back down" Raven mouthed, using the gun to gesture downward toward the hole. Y/N nodded, halting when she saw the dirty face of John Murphy emerge from behind the curtain.

Raven brandished her gun, pointing it at the traitor, getting ready to fire. With all he had put them through, she couldn't say she blamed her.

"Whoa it's okay," Murphy called, looking more fearful than she had ever seen him before, "Raven don't shoot," He begging, his voice in the same tone she had used a day earlier, "please."

The two women locked eyes as a tense silence filled the cavity between them and the traitor. "Why not?" Raven asked, malice tainting her voice as she side-eyed him, "You shot me."

He had shot both of them. He had made them bleed.

A beat passed between the three of them.

Murphy eyed the gun.

Raven eyed Murphy.

Y/N eyed both of them.

Raven pulled the trigger, the gun clicking as a dud clanged against the floor. She tried again, the rifle clicking as disappointment settled over them. They were out of bullets.

A smirk crossed his face at the realization., sliding down the wall to join them on the floor, "Yeah I would've shot me too."

Y/N pulled herself up, the dull pain in her leg growing more excruciating as she plopped herself behind the workbench, her shoulder hitting Raven's as they leaned against each other.

"What are you doing here Murphy?" She asked, breathlessly, glaring at the man who had shot her in the leg.

"Dying," Was all he said as his muddy face locked on her and Raven's, "same as you"

"Speak for yourself" Raven shuffled herself to another side, her hip shifting underneath her.

Y/N shot a concerned look at her friend before shooting another scathing glare toward Murphy, "How many are left?" She nodded her head toward the dead grounder.

He stuck his teeth in between his teeth, annoyance flashing over his face, "None, you two fried them all," She let out a sigh of relief at the news, "this one’s alive because they left him behind to guard me" Murphy explained, touching his fresh wound. Y/N leaned her head back against the leg of the table, closing her eyes as her thoughts drifted to Clarke and Bellamy. She knew Clarke had made it, whoever had thrown the smoke had taken her, but Bellamy? She didn't even know if he survived the ring of fire. She didn’t even know if he was alive and it killed her.

Her chest erupted into phantom pains at the thought of never seeing him again. She never even got to tell him she loved him. She never even got to say goodbye. And now she might not ever will.

She was ripped from her thoughts by the sound of a coughing fit coming from behind her. Coming from Raven.

"Raven?!" Y/N panicked, crawling forward to help her bleeding friend. "Raven are you okay?"

Murphy crawled over, an urgent look on his face as he began to shout orders. "Lie her on her side, now!" He barked, Y/N pushing her resentment behind her as the two of them bonded together to save Raven from the fluid that was now draining out of her lungs. The crimson liquid splattered against the floor, staining the dropship. One question fell from her lips as the paralyzed girl stared at Murphy in shock. "Why are you helping us?"

A tense silence fell over the three of them as Murphy gulped.

"I don't wanna die alone."

The minutes seemed to agonize by, the three of them refusing to speak any words to each other as they waited helplessly for their friends to return. For Bellamy to return. She distracted herself by listening in on Raven and Murphy's conversations, the two having nothing but malice for each other.

"How'd you get to be such a dick, Murphy?"

A wry smirk crossed his face, biting his lip, "I'm sorry for shooting you," he apologized, cynicism dripping from his voice, "Is that what you want to hear?"

"Let me guess," Raven piped up, "Mommy and daddy didn't love you?"

Y/N watched as Murphy stared up at the ceiling, a mirthless chuckle escaping his lips before replying.

"No, they loved me."

She had a hard time hiding her shock at that news.

"What?" His tone turned dark, "Have trouble believing someone like me could actually come from an okay home?"

Y/N shook her head, not wanting to say anything to jeopardize the uneasy peace that existed between the three of them. Raven had no problem speaking up though.

"Tell me," The mechanic started, "How does a kid who's loved by his parents turn into a murdering psychopath?" Y/N caught the lingering resentment behind her anger, and she knew that Raven could only be thinking about her own mother.

"He gets the flu." Murphy replied, catching both girls by surprise, sniffing as he continued, "His father steals medicine that turns out wouldn't have helped anyway. Gets floated for it." He wiped his hand under his nose, "His mom starts drinking pretty heavily after that and the last thing she says before he finds her in a pool of his own vomit was that he killed his father." His glare moved from the steel floor to Raven's face, eyes shining.

Y/N felt her heart tug in sympathy, knowing exactly how it feels to blame someone else for the floating of a parent. Her eyes flickered towards Murphy, the intense anger fading somewhat as she realized an awful truth. She and Murphy had something in common.

Raven only had one thing to say.

"Boo-hoo."

Even if she felt bad for his circumstances, Y/N had to agree. She had lost her mom and dad, Wells, Charlotte, Marcus, Clarke, and now Bellamy. And she hadn't become a murderer. She hadn’t even become that much of an asshole.

"We’ve all lost people Murphy" She pointed out, grasping her leg as she hissed in pain, "Doesn't give you an excuse to be a dick."

He scoffed but didn't say anything more on the subject.

Silence fell over them again, this time the uneasy peace lasted a lot longer than she expected, broken only by the sound of footsteps arriving at the ship, all three of them too exhausted to reach for any weapons to defend themselves with. Instead, all Y/N could do was watch helplessly as Raven collapsed, her eyes drawing themselves shut, holding onto the pleasant memory of Bellamy's lips on her cheek as a smile crossed her face.

"Help them," Murphy's voice was far away, muffled as her head tilted to the side before getting caught in soft hands, the smell of morphine waking her up.

"Raven, Y/N, sweeties it's Abby." Dr. Griffin whispered, able to pull Y/N out of her slump before she ended up in a similar situation to Raven.

"Clarke's not here," Y/N breathed out, voice little more than a whisper, realization hitting her,  "I don't know where she is."

She watched Abby's face crumble, pinpointing the exact moment the last bit of hope left her gaze. The doctor shook her head before returning back to the girls' injuries.

"Raven first" Y/N uttered weakly, the Doctor staring in shock at the both of them.

"What happened to you two?" Abby asked, disbelief rife in her voice.

Raven and Y/N shared a look, both understanding what each other was saying. "We got shot." Raven announced, the two girls flickering their gaze toward Murphy, "We got shot."

***

Bellamy paced back and forth, glaring at the two guards Kane had left with him and Finn. He had sent them down here. He had raised this camp with nothing. He and Y/N both. And now Kane wanted to shove them to the side now that the council was down to the ground.

He shot a knowing stare at Finn before approaching the guards once more, trying fruitlessly to get back into their camp.

"You're not going anywhere" Sgt. Scott announced, brandishing the shock baton. Finn nodded his head to the right, and Bellamy understood perfectly. The two delinquents lunged for the west foxhole, crawling through the dirt and away from the Ark's gaze as they stared down at the wreckage, a small hint of pride rushing through Bellamy at the thought of Y/N barbecuing the grounders after all. 

Y/N.

She was here. She had to be.

Except there was no sign of her anywhere. Finn clapped a hand against his shoulder in reassurance, "She'll be in the dropship" He told him, "We saw her go in."

"What if she didn’t make it?" Bellamy swallowed his fears down his throat, biting the inside of his cheek as he stared at the ashy skeletons crunching beneath his feet. "What if--what if she's dead?"

His words caught in his throat, choking themselves as they left his lips, water bubbling near the surface of his eyes, Finn moving closer to tell him otherwise.

"She made it Bellamy," He told the older leader, determined to make sure no one else crumbled. The two of them had to stay strong. For Clarke. For Y/N.

Bellamy's blood boiled as he caught the familiar voice of the traitor who had hung him leaving the dropship. The traitor that had almost killed him. The traitor that had almost killed Y/N.

"Murphy!" Bellamy's rage unleashed itself on the delinquent, ignoring the disapproving glare from Kane on his back. "You son of a bitch," He tackled Murphy to the ground, landing hit after hit as his emotions spilled outward from him, "You tried to kill her! You tried to kill me! You almost killed everyone in this camp!" All Bellamy saw was red as Murphy's weak body refused to fight back, his bloodied face garnering more bruises from the amount of punches Bellamy had thrown at him. Electricity burned through his torso, setting his pain receptors on fire as Kane took a shock baton to the older delinquent.

"You are under arrest for violating the Ark code and Law," Kane stated plainly, nothing hidden in his cold voice. "Cuff them" He instructed the Sgt.

"You don't understand," Finn rushed to defend Bellamy, "Murphy killed two people in our camp, he hung Bellamy. He shot--"

"You don't understand" Kane bellowed, gritting his teeth as he glared at the two delinquents, "You are not in control here anymore."

"What the hell are you doing?" Bellamy froze at the voice, relief flooding through him as he realized who was standing in front of him. Alive.

"Y/N--" Kane moved forward, caught off guard by the sight of her limping past him, shooting him a glare before throwing her arms around Bellamy, the older leader melting into the embrace, nestling his head into the crevice of her neck, inhaling the earthy smell that surrounded her.

"I knew you couldn't be dead," She whispered in his ear before pulling away, a wide smile written on her face. Bellamy couldn't believe it. If it wasn't for the restraints clamped around his wrists he would've reached up to make sure she was really in front of him.

"You're alive?" He asked, laughter released from his mouth as she nodded in assurance. "I can't believe it."

She brushed her fingers against his chin before standing up, all softness disappearing from her frame as she faced her adoptive father.

***

A year. One full year since she had been locked up and not so much as a birthday or Christmas card. One full year since Marcus had her dragged away to solitary, ready to float her if she didn't go to Earth.

He stepped forward, hands up in a position of surrender, his voice soft as he spoke his daughter's name. "Y/N--"

"Why is he tied up?" She shot back at him, not wanting to exchange pleasantries.

"What?"

"You heard me" She crossed her arms, trying to keep her anger in check as she clenched her jaw, gesturing toward the delinquent she had come to care for over the past month. "Why is he tied up?"

Kane refused to dignify her question was a response, and Y/N knew exactly where she stood once again. The adopted black-blood, needing to be kept safe from the horrors of the world. Kane shuffled closer, his mouth near her ear as he began to scold quietly, "We'll talk about this later."

She turned to face him, narrowing her eyes at him, "No, we won't."

She hastily turned back to Bellamy, groaning in pain as her leg burned from trying to crouch down.

"You need surgery" Abby pointed out, carrying Raven out of the dropship on a stretcher, "Both of you do, when we get back you guys go straight to medical, understand?"

Y/N nodded, following the guard back, holding Raven's hand. Her glare warned off any soldiers that felt the need to steer Bellamy away from her side, the two finally having some time to themselves.

"Hell of a reunion." Bellamy teased, referring to Y/N and Marcus. "You sure you're okay?"

Y/N rolled her eyes, staring forward into the forest, holding on tight to Raven's weakening grip. "I'm fine," Her hard exterior melted away as her eyes met his big brown ones, walls crumbling once again. "I'm really glad you're okay though." She admitted, wishing she could grasp Bellamy's hand in her own. "I meant it when I said I needed you to live."

A small smile tugged on the soldier's lips at the memory. "I'm glad you're alive." He replied, glancing at the bandage around her leg. "I would've gone to hell for you too."

Their smiles lit up a warmth inside her, the pleasant shivers returning as the blood rushed to her cheeks, both oblivious to the glare Kane was sending from behind them.

Alpha Station gleamed in the sunlight, the sight sending relief through her system. She released Raven's hand as she limped forward, breathing heavily as she raced toward the one adult more important in her life than her mother.

Y/N collapsed into Sinclair's arms, closing her eyes before exhaling into the engineering Chief, his grip tightening as he pulled his top prodigy closer to him.

"You're alive!" She exclaimed jubilantly, tears threatening to escape.

Sinclair nodded, pulling out of the embrace and giving her his first order, "Yes, and as your new Engineering chief, I order you to head to Medical and fix that leg, we need you here."

She brought her hands up to her forehead in a mock salute, "Yes, sir."

She smiled to herself as Abby escorted her to the med tent, finally feeling like she was back home. 

Again! Please remember that I am in school, I have a life, and I’m also working on several other projects. 

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[neoangelz]

melting || johnny seo

genre: fluff

words: 2.5k+

overview: it’s the hottest day of the year and Johnny is going to drag you to the beach like his life depends on it. A/N: lots of cheesy stuff because that’s how I like it folks

~

It was a hot day, possibly the hottest day yet this year.

Personally, you thought it was too hot. Which was why you were clad in a sports bra and the shortest shorts you owned. It was worse because you were in the city, which meant no ocean or lake to swim in, and the constant annoying sputtering of air conditioners from your neighbors all around you. Not even the strawberry popsicle you were devouring ( it was your third one too ) could cool you down. You thought of going to the closest community pool, but it was probably packed.

"This sucks," you groaned, displeased that your fan was cranked up to the highest it could go. "Is this how I die?"

"I hope not, although you would die looking pretty hot."

Oh no, a lame pun used to flirt. That could only mean...

"Johnny, how did you get in here?"

"Your mom let me in."

You looked over, Johnny Seo, your best friend of longer than you can remember, stood in the doorway of your bedroom. "I don't even live with my mom, dummy. I thought I said to only use the key for emergencies." Clad in a tank top, swim trunks, sunglasses and a backwards baseball cap, he looked like a jock headed to the pool to pick up girls. "What's with the get up? You look like some swag wannabe from 2012."

Johnny laughed. "It is an emergency! It's hot so I'm taking you to the beach," he said, striking an excited pose. The closest beach was a two hour drive away, and that's if you don't include the city traffic.

"Johnny, that's too far away and we wouldn't get to be there for very long. Let's just go to the community pool." You rolled over, trying to find a position by your air conditioner so that it would give you a breeze. 

"It's closed."

You almost fell off your bed. "Closed!? Why is it closed!?"

"Too many people, they had to close for the day. So we should head to the beach right now because I'm sure others are headed there too and I don't wanna get stuck in traffic." 

You groaned. It wasn't like the beach would be any better, hot and full of people, but at least you could swim. You stood up and began searching for your bathing suit. "Fine, lets go to the beach."

~

You should've just stayed in your hot apartment. You both were right about the traffic being bad, you've been sitting here for an hour now. It didn't help that Johnny's AC decided to stop working, on all days to stop working. You stuck your hand out the open window and directed your hand at the sun, flipping it off. Johnny laughed. "That won't help anything." He popped in a cd and cranked the stereo up. A familiar tune reached your ears and you looked at him in surprise.

"This is-"

"Our cd? Yeah it is!" He cheered, imitating the piano keys to MCR's 'Welcome to the Black Parade'. You laughed, you couldn't believe he kept the cd after all these years, and in his car no doubt! That means he listens to it frequently. 

"Ew, you can totally tell we made this in 8th grade."

"Hey, MCR are timeless, don't disrespect my kings ever again."

"Oh my lord Johnny."

You laughed at all of Johnny's lame attempts to re-glorify all the songs on the cd and enjoyed the nostalgia that the songs brought. Seemed just like yesterday you and Johnny were sitting on his living room couch with his bulky dell laptop between your laps, picking songs to burn onto the cd. Your backpacks full of homework, tossed to the side, because everyone knows making playlists are so much more fun. You smiled at the memory. Soon the heat didn't bother you and eventually traffic was finally moving.

You found yourself singing along at the top of your lungs as nature whizzed by behind you. Miraculously, Johnny's AC kicked in two hours into your trip. You both practically screamed in relief and cranked it as high as it could go. Your hair stuck to your face due to the sweat and you could finally brush it back without worrying about it sticking back again. Something glistened in the sun from far away and you knew right away what it was.

"The ocean!" You both said in unison. You giggled and bumped Johnny's shoulder with your fist. Soon the paved road turned into dirt and crushed stone as you pulled into the parking spaces for the beach. You practically flew out the car door and would've gunned it down the path and straight into the water, but Johnny held a firm grip on your beach coverup. 

"Easy there honey," he chuckled, but then he made a funny face. Meanwhile, your heart fluttered a little when he called you honey. You and Johnny have called each other cheesy pet names as a joke in the past and always laughed your heads off, but this time you were both frozen. You awkwardly laughed it off, and he cleared his throat. "Anyways, help me carry stuff down, I drove you here."

"Yeah but you practically forced me to come, need I remind you."

Johnny scoffed and handed you the beach umbrella and your backpack. He slung his own bag over his shoulder and grabbed the cooler. "Don't be a square, let's go have some fun!" And with that he was off, leaving you standing there. Did he just refer to you as a square? Surely he's still not using 'Be there or be square' catchphrase. He hasn't used that phrase since high school, at least not that you've heard anyways. 

You followed after him, chuckling at how much he was still the same Johnny you knew all these years. Just slightly taller, and somehow more good looking. You shook your head at the last thought, and quickly picked up your pace so that soon you were walking right behind him. You were right about the crowds, the beach was packed. But the sight of the ocean made you not care. You could swim soon, the heat would hold no more power over you. You and Johnny somehow magically found a spot to set up. After having the umbrella close on him, and you not helping him for about two minutes because you were too busy laughing and taking pictures, you finally had a nice little spot set up.

"Finally! Now we can swim!" You cheered, pulling your beach cover off. You felt even better after shedding a layer. You were about to take off in a dead sprint, but you noticed Johnny had froze. You turned and saw him just staring at you. "Uh hello? Earth to Johnny?"

Johnny shook his head. "Sorry, I spaced out for a second." Then he threw his cap and sunglasses onto his towel and pulled his shirt over his head. Yeah, you knew Johnny had a nice body, he often tried to drag you to the gym with him, but you refused. Now you could see what waking up early every morning did for him. His toned chest and arms, the sun making his skin somehow even more radiant. You suddenly felt even hotter, your face burning. You didn't wait for him and sprinted right into the water and dove under. The water washed away the heat and sweat that built up, and when you resurfaced you felt refreshed and cool. 

Johnny swam up to you, a big grin on his face. "See, I told you this was a good idea."

You rolled your eyes and shoved him away. "Yeah, yeah, yeah, whatever." You splashed water at him, only to discover he wasn't there. "Johnny?" 

Then you were being lifted up and out of the water. "What the-!" You clung onto Johnny as he held you. "Bold of you to assume I would find this funny," you said, sarcastically.

"Bold of you to assume I wouldn't." He lifted you higher.

"Johnny, I swear... don't you dare throw-"

You hit the surface of the water, breaking through it. A stinging pain shocking all your nerves for a moment. You resurfaced to Johnny who was laughing so hard he almost choked. "You wanna play games? Fine, square up Seo!"

"Bring it on loser."

~

You were exhausted after playing so much in the water. It wasn't so hot now and the crowd gradually decreased in numbers. Johnny had music playing through a small portable speaker, and with the music mixing with the sound of ocean ways tumbling against the shore somehow added to your sleepiness. You would've fallen asleep, if your stomach hadn't growled loudly.

"Hungry?"

"Gee, how did you know?" You groaned, sitting up. 

Johnny began fishing through the cooler, handing you a sandwich, some fruit and a bottle of water. You looked at the sandwich, it had all your favorite condiments on it. He knew you so well.

"No chips?" You joked.

Johnny stared at you. He unzipped his backpack and produced a large bag of spicy barbecue potato chips. "I didn't want them to get soggy, thank you," he tutted. You smiled and took the bag from his hands. 

"I hope our future children inherit your lame sense of humor. The world would be so boring without it,"

Johnny stared at you, eyes wide.

"What?" You asked, confused.

"You- you just said our future children," he mumbled. 

A blush crept its way to your cheeks and you tried to fight it. "No, I said your future children, silly."

"Oh, maybe I'm hearing things."

"Probably," You nervously laughed. You open the chips and began to munch on them, along with your sandwich. Johnny twisted his bottle of water open and took a swig. You both sat there eating and enjoying the music. You couldn't believe your slip up earlier, what was that all about!? Talk about the most embarrassing thing to ever happen. Luckily, Johnny seemed to have forgotten all about it. 

After eating, you ended up falling asleep. Johnny used your cover up as a blanket and draped it over you. He pulled out a book he wanted to read as sat there, occasionally peeking over at you to see if you were alright. His mind was buzzing with what you said earlier, surely he heard you correctly. When you woke up, the beach was almost empty. The sun was hanging low over the horizon, about ready to start setting. 

You watched with dreamy eyes and the way the sky changed to hues of pinks and purples, golds and flaming oranges. You felt a hand on your shoulder. "We should start packing up, don't wanna get stuck in traffic again."

You stood up and brushed off any sand on you. You then gave your coverup a shake before pulling it over your head. Making sure your beach towel was also sand free, you folded it up and placed it in your backpack. Johnny started picking up trash and threw it away, packed the cooler and closed the umbrella. The sun was starting to vanish when you both started walking back to Johnny's car.

The air was cool, a complete contrast to earlier. "It'll get warmer as we get closer to the city, so relish in this as much as you can," Johnny said. He loaded everything into the trunk and walked over to the passenger side of the vehicle and opened the door for you.

"Why thank you kind sir," you teased. 

"Don't mention it, m'lady."

As the engine started, you looked out the window just in time to watch the sun vanish beneath the water, as if she wanted to go for a swim herself. You buckled yourself in and relaxed in your seat as Johnny drove off. Crushed earth turned to smooth paved roads and you watched as nature whizzed by, gradually turning into more developed areas and civilization. 

Johnny had connected his phone to the car speakers and soon music could be heard once more. "I would have never pegged you as an indie person," you said, enjoying the soft voice of the female singer who was currently playing. You made a mental note to look the song up later. 

"I'm still full of surprises, are I?"

"I guess so."

You looked out the window, stars appearing one by one in the inky sky. You reached for your water bottle at the same time Johnny reached for his. Something warm and soft, that was definitely not your water bottle, met your hand. You looked over and saw that it was Johnny's hand. You both yanked away super fast, thankful that it was fairly dark so you couldn't see your dark cheeks. 

"Sorry I was-"

"I was going for my water-" 

Awkward silence filled the car. Soon you were back in the city, colorful lights illuminating through the windshield and reflections dancing on your skin. You reached your apartment complex, and after parking, you both just sat in the car. 

"That was a lot of fun, thanks for dragging me out of my apartment. I probably would've died in there," you joked. You hoped your ac managed to suck out some of the hot air and cool it down while you were gone. Johnny just stared at the steering wheel, as if he was contemplating something. "Johnny, you okay?"

"Yeah sorry, spacing out again."

"You spaced out quite a bit today, something going on?" You looked over at him and he turned towards you. The city lights somehow made him look even more attractive and you cursed under your breath. 

"Kind of hard not to space out when you have a beautiful girl in your presence."

His words went right to your heart, and nothing could stop you from feeling jittery. "Are you flirting with me, Mr. Seo?"

"Only have been for the past 4 months or so, thanks for noticing."

You were shocked. 4 months? So all those comments you thought of as your usual banters were him flirting? So what he said this morning, then, too...

"Well... to be fair, they could be easily confused for your jokes," you confessed. It was the honest truth, you just thought he was being silly. Granted, you always found yourself becoming more and more attracted to Johnny. With his silly jokes, adorable laugh which you could never tire of hearing, charming smile and his good heart. You remembered actually taking a good look at him one day, realizing he had gotten far too handsome. 

"I figured, I'm glad that's just what it was though, and not you rejecting me." Johnny groaned and rested his head on the wheel. Then he sat up again. "So... Y/N, how do you feel about this?"

"I'm honestly flattered, I wish I noticed earlier."

Johnny's face brightened. "So that means..."

He didn't have time to finish, as you leaned over and kissed his cheek. "If that was your way of asking me to be your girlfriend, there was my answer." You giggled and unbuckled your seat, grabbing your backpack from the back and swung it over your shoulder. Johnny sat there, stunned. 

"Thanks Johnny, I'll text you when I get inside." With that, you shut the door. As you walked up the steps, you turned around to make sure Johnny was okay. He was doing a happy dance in his seat and you burst out laughing. 

"That's my boyfriend," you chuckled, the very thought making you feel warm and happy.

[andwejust-ran]

I’m Your Man-Chapter 3

Thanks for all your kind comments and feedback. I’m so glad that you enjoy it! It’s a challenging story to write, but it’s also fun to explore!

Everyone enjoyed the impromptu Barbecue so much, that it quickly became a weekly event. Hopper even purchased a large picnic table set, to make it more official. Each week, dinner grew more and more elaborate as the trailer became a revolving door of teens. On this night, in late June, Nancy, Mike, and Dustin arrived with armfuls of desserts that Mrs. Wheeler had helped them prepare.

Joyce was busy organizing the food in Hopper’s small kitchen, when he stepped in with a plate of raw meat. “I might have to splurge on a new grill soon. This one's on its last legs.”

Joyce kept her focus on a tray of cupcakes. “We’ve got some left at the store.” The blue and red icing was melting off from the summer heat. She was determined to save them. With a frown, she added, “70% off.” Melvald’s was officially closing. By the end of the summer, she would be jobless, and with it, another weight added to her already sagging shoulders.

Hopper mindlessly grabbed a beer out of the fridge. “I’ll have to stop in before this one craps out.” His can popped open with a loud hiss. He wiped the sweat off of his forehead and then rested the can against his face.

Out of the corner of her eye, Joyce noticed Hopper staring at her. “What?” When he didn’t stop staring, she stopped to shoot him a confused look. “What are you looking at?”

Sheepishly, he darted his gaze away. “Nothing.”

“Hopper.”  She pointed an icing covered finger at him. “What is it?”

The kitchen didn’t leave much room for personal space. He tried not to crowd her, but his large frame made it nearly impossible. “Joyce, uh, when are you gonna tell the boys? You know, about the baby?” the last part of his question was almost inaudible.

The pair had spent the last few weeks blatantly ignoring her pregnancy. It was always there, of course, hanging heavy between them, but they never acknowledged it. It was easier to live in denial. His sudden mention of it annoyed her.

“I don’t know.” She went back to her task, but found herself too flustered to concentrate.

“I think, it’s gonna have to be soon.”

With a dramatic sigh, she gave up on the cupcakes and stole a napkin to wipe her hands. “What are you talking about, Hopper?” The longer she waited to tell Will and Jonathan, the harder it became. Inevitably, she had to tell them. She was well aware of that fact, but the thought of explaining the circumstances to them, left her feeling panicked.

“Don’t take this the wrong way, but it’s getting kinda obvious.”

Her movements stilled. Self-consciously, she glanced down at her loose white t-shirt. She had been blessed with a petite frame that hadn’t changed much, even during her first two pregnancies. Her third pregnancy, however, was proving to be the exception. Her old ripped jeans barely fit and she was grateful that most of her shirts weren’t form fitting.

Hopper hesitated. Discussing a woman’s weight was never wise, so he opted to tread carefully. “I can see it in your face.”

Her hands went immediately to her cheeks. Then, she shot him a glare. “Don’t say that.”

Hopper shrugged “Sorry.” He wasn’t all that sorry, though. To him, she had always been beautiful, but now, he noticed it even more. “Pregnancy looks good on you, if it makes you feel better.”

Joyce ignored his compliment as anxiety built up inside of her. It was always like this. She would have moments of complete peace, where she was calm and content, and then, like a sudden bolt of lightning, it would be ruined by some glaring reminder of impending doom. If pregnancy was doing wonders for her appearance, it certainly wasn’t doing wonders for her battle with anxiety.

“I can’t tell them,” she insisted, while pulling the corner of her bottom lip with her teeth.

Hopper heaved a deep chuckle. “They’re a little old to believe that Santa left a baby under the tree, Joyce.”

Joyce swatted his bare arm, and then fanned her flushed face. The hottest part of the day was done. The sinking sun provided some relief, but their bodies acted like a furnace in the confined space. “They’re not gonna wanna hear that their mom got knocked up by some guy in a bar.”

Hopper nodded in agreement, but then smirked. “It’ll be hard to have those condom talks with them after this, that’s for sure.”

Even in the worst of times, their banter was like a comfort blanket. They slipped in and out of seriousness with skilled precision. Their shared history, once considered a weakness before the events of the past two years, now worked in their favor.

“I’m screwed.”

Hopper crossed his arms. Dryly, he said, “Just tell them it’s mine. Everyone will be thinking it anyway.” His joke was met with her disapproving frown and he was instantly confused. “What’s the face for?”

To the tiny part of her that wished that the baby was his, the joke felt like a slap in the face. Instantly, her walls went up to protect herself. “That’s the last thing I need.”

Straightening up, Hopper’s features turned tense. He was offended, but wasn’t sure why. “So telling them that I’m the father would be worse than the truth?”

Refusing to get into an argument over something that could never be, Joyce rolled her eyes. “It doesn’t even matter, Hop. John’s the father and I’ll have to tell them that, and then die of embarrassment.”

“John?” bristled Hopper. “I thought you didn’t know his name?”

“I don’t know his last name.”

Hopper crossed his arms. His entire demeanor grew dark as jealousy raced through him. “Right.” Up until now, the man was a ghost. A nobody. It was easy to pretend that he didn’t exist at all. But now, he had a name, and it wouldn’t be long before his mind started inventing a face to add to it.

Joyce noticed the obvious change in him, but didn’t want to think too much about it. Thinking too much would only lead to trouble. Instead, she glanced out the window where six teens of various ages were playing Frisbee. The air around them was tense and she was eager to end the conversation. Luckily, the smoking grill gave her an out. “I think the grill’s ready. Or it’s on fire.”

Hopper followed her gaze out the window and then cursed under his breath. Brooding in silence, he grabbed the plate of meat and let the door slam shut on his way out.

***

   Dinner with 8 people crammed around a picnic table was chaos, but it was the good kind of chaos. The kind of chaos that one misses years down the road when things are entirely too quiet and too mundane. Despite their earlier tension, Joyce and Hopper were fine together once they were distracted by the conversations around them.

During a lull, Jonathan pointed to his mother as she finished her third pickle. “Since when do you eat pickles?” He looked to Will who was seated beside him. “Have you ever seen her eat a pickle?”

From across the table, Will watched as Joyce licked the tangy juice off her lips. As if he were the parent and she were the child, he suspiciously said, “You hate pickles.”

Joyce played off her craving with an indifferent shrug. “They’re not so bad.”

Beside her, Hopper held up the pickle jar to examine it. “I’d say so. They’re almost gone.”

Surrounded by her kids, their friends, and Hopper, Joyce was in good spirits, so she didn’t take their teasing seriously. “This coming from the guy who invented the ‘Ego-Extravaganza’.”

Hopper’s mouth curved up into a guilty grin. “Touché.”

Neither adult noticed Jane’s perplexed expression. Sandwiched in between Mike and Will, she studied Joyce with hawk like focus. Then, out of the blue, Jane’s flat toned comment stunned the table into silence. “Pregnant.”

Hopper, who had just taken a sip of water, started to choke. The commotion diverted the attention away from Joyce’s blanched face. “Jesus,” he blurted, once he recovered. “What are you talking about?”

Jane didn’t understand what the big deal was. “Erica’s pregnant. She loves pickles.”

Hopper’s heavy brows furrowed. “Erica?”

It was Nancy who explained, “Yeah. Erica Kane, from All My Children.” She smiled down the table at Jane. She herself, indulged in the guilty pleasure from time to time.

“We’re talking about TV?” Hopper let out a disgruntled sigh.

“Hey, it’s a good show!” exclaimed Nancy.

Jonathan nudged her gently in the side. “None of that stuff’s real, you know. It’s not like my mom’s pregnant just because she likes pickles.” His eyes were bright with playfulness and he had a smile on his face, until he looked at his mother’s panicked expression. His face fell as he asked, “Right, mom?” Joyce looked away, but her gaze fell on Hopper, and Jonathan watched in horror as they exchanged a furtive glance.

The table was so quiet, that you could hear a pin drop. Hoping to save Joyce from humiliation, Hopper spoke up. “TV rots your brain.”

Jonathan spoke right over him. “Mom?” He got her attention by asking, “Are you pregnant?”

Without making a sound, Joyce’s mouth opened and closed. Shamefully, she kept her gaze on her son as she nodded in confirmation. She wanted to reassure him. She wanted to be the mother he needed, but in that moment, she was frozen in fear. Her vision tunneled, so that only his angry expression was visible to her.

Jonathan’s cheeks turned red. “You’re pregnant.” It was a statement, not a question. He looked away from her to stare accusingly at Hopper. “She’s pregnant?”

Hopper immediately held up his hands. “Hey, don’t look at me. I’ve got nothing to do with this.” The words sounded light hearted in his head, but didn’t come out that way. Helplessly, he looked to Joyce, only to find a hurt look on her face. Hopper tried to apologize, but their attention was soon stolen by Jonathan.

“If it’s not him, then…then who?” His body was tense with the emotions that he was bottling up. “Do you have some boyfriend lurking around?”

Everyone was waiting for an answer. Under their heavy stares, Joyce’s anxiety grew. She looked to Will and his wide brown eyes rendered her speechless. When she finally could speak, her mouth was painfully dry. “Let’s talk at home.”

Jonathan was up and standing before she had even finished speaking. Incredulously, he spat, “At home?” His mind raced, as he tried to put all the pieces together. “You’re having a baby and you wanna talk at home?”

“Jonathan,” Joyce begged.

Instead of listening, he crossed his arms and glared back at her. “I don’t wanna talk at home. I don’t wanna talk, at all.” As his emotions took over, his voice rose to a yell. He completely forgot his surroundings and the fact that they had an audience. “I don’t understand you, mom! I don’t understand what the hell you’re doing.”

It was Hopper who gruffly responded, before Joyce could. “Calm down, kid.”

Jonathan snorted and shook his head. An anti-authoritative remark was on the tip of his tongue, but he didn’t say it. He didn’t look at anyone before storming away, towards the lake.

Hesitantly, Nancy stood up. “I’m sorry, Mrs. Byers.” She looked to Joyce and then towards her boyfriend’s fleeing form. “I’ll go talk to him.” Nancy turned away, but then stopped, as if she had forgotten something. With a sheepish smile, she turned back around and addressed Joyce again. “Um, congratulations…on the baby.” With an awkward nod towards Hopper, she went after Jonathan.

Everyone at the table was quiet for so long that the silence grew painful. Dustin and Mike shared puzzled looks while Will played with his food. Jane glanced between the adults, desperately trying to comprehend what was going on around her.

Out of the blue, Joyce closed her eyes and put a trembling hand to her mouth. “I’ll be back.” Her morning sickness, that had been getting better, was now back with a vengeance. She darted away from the table and into the trailer before anyone could say anything.

Lips pursed in concern, Hopper watched her go, and then pinched the bridge of his nose. He thought about following her, but then he noticed Will and Jane’s fearful expressions and stayed put. “She’ll be okay.”

“I’m sorry,” insisted Jane. “I hurt her.”

Hopper was confused. “She’s not upset, she’s just been getting sick sometimes.”

As if Hopper knew nothing about women, Dustin advised, “Um, she’s definitely upset.”

Mike, who was sitting beside Dustin, shoved his friend in the side. “Mrs. Byers isn’t upset at her, though.” He then turned his attention to Jane. “It’s not your fault, El.” Mike and Jane’s hands were already joined, so he squeezed it for reassurance.

The girl eventually believed him, though it didn’t make her thoughts any clearer. Her brown eyes shifted to Hopper. “Joyce is having a baby. Not you?”

Hopper’s face was hidden in his hands. Dustin chuckled at her statement, but Hopper understood exactly what she meant. This wasn’t the type of discussion he wanted to have ever, let alone at the dinner table. He removed his hands and swiftly nodded. “Yeah.”

Jane’s face grew determined, in the way it always did when she was on a mission for answers. “You’ll be the dad, though?”

Her question threw him through a loop again. “No, Jane...the baby isn’t mine. I’m not the dad.”

“You will be.”

He tried not to lose his patience, but it wasn’t easy. His back ached from the picnic table bench and his mind kept wandering to Joyce. “That’s not how it works.” Off in the distance, he could just make out Jonathan and Nancy’s silhouettes as they walked towards his car. “We can talk about it more, later. Okay?” He was eager to end the discussion, once and for all. He wasn’t the father. That fact couldn’t be changed, and Joyce seemed fine with that. Her earlier words were still running through his mind.

Jane shot him an incredulous glare. “But you knew she was having a baby.”

Hopper finally lost his patience and with it, his voice rose. “Yeah kid, I knew. Alright? So what?  We’re friends. You and I will talk about it later.” In reality, he hoped that the subject would never come up again, but he knew that was next to impossible.

“Why later?” came Dustin’s outraged question. Hopper stared him down with a deathly still stare, but Dustin wasn’t intimidated. “What? It’s not like she’s gonna be any less pregnant later.”

Mike made a disgusted face. “It sounds weird when you say it like that.”

Dustin rolled his eyes. “It’s Biology. Look it up.”

“Ew. Gross. What the hell, Dustin. I’m not looking it up.”

“Mrs. Byers is pregnant.” Dustin motioned to his stomach with his arms. “As in, having a baby…as in, Will’s gonna have a baby around the house, soon. Why is no one getting this?”

In frustration, Mike threw a hamburger bun at his friend. Dustin caught it in one hand and lobbed it back at him. They kept up their antics until Hopper’s stern tone told them to quit it. His tense features kept them from continuing. His face softened however, when he noticed that Will had remained quiet for far too long.

“You okay, buddy?” Hopper’s annoyance evaporated as Will helplessly shrugged. “Hey, I know it’s a shock.”

Though he was a teenager, Will’s eyes were filled with childlike innocence. “My mom has a new boyfriend? I didn’t know that.”

“Oh.” Hopper couldn’t help him there. “Uh, well, you’ll have to talk to her about that.” He couldn’t be the one to explain things to him, and he felt bad about that.

“I thought maybe…” Will’s cheeks colored as his words trailed off. Shyly, he ducked his head down. He was too embarrassed to finish his sentence.

Jane, however, wasn’t embarrassed. She took right over where Will left off. “We thought you were her boyfriend.”

Hopper’s brows arched in surprise. “What?”

“You’re always together.”

“That doesn’t mean I’m her boyfriend,” he insisted. With a groan, he looked to the trailer and was relieved to see Joyce making her way back. He could deal with monsters, mayors, and mayhem, but when it came to four teenagers with too many questions, he had to throw in the towel. Hopper got up and met Joyce halfway.

She answered his question before he had a chance to ask. “I’m okay.”

Her face was pale and clammy. He shook his head in disbelief. “I can hold down the fort, if you wanna go sit down inside.” His eyes darted back to the table before refocusing on her. He had done a terrible job of holding things together while she was inside before, but he would try it again, for her.

“Thanks, but I should go home.” Frantically, she looked around his tall frame until she saw her son. “Will, honey, let’s go.” She had lost all control over the situation and was desperate to regain some. Hopper moved to put his hands on her shoulders, but she stepped back before he could. In a no nonsense tone, she snapped, “I’m fine, Hop.”

Looming over her, he stared her down intensely before finally giving up. Seconds later, Will was at their side. “Jonathan left with Nancy.”

Joyce let out a dejected sigh. “Okay.”

Hopper squeezed Will’s shoulder, but spoke only to her. “Call me if you need to talk later.” At her sour look, he spoke even louder, “I mean it. Call me.” She didn’t respond, but, he wasn’t surprised at that. Silently, he watched her walk away. Around him, the crickets chirped and at the table, the three remaining teens spoke in hushed whispers. Hopper stood there until the sun sank beneath the horizon and the lightning bugs began to blink.

***

        Joyce’s hands gripped the steering wheel tight on the way home. Will hadn’t looked at her, not once. Driving didn’t stop her from constantly glancing his way, though. The silence was too much. It was worse than an awkward conversation.

Finally, she had enough. “Baby, talk to me. Please.” As a family, they had been through worse. She wasn’t going to let this destroy them.

Will’s response was soft. “I don’t know what to say.” He wasn’t angry, like his brother, but he wasn’t happy, either. His unhappiness radiated off of him in invisible waves.

Joyce let out a relieved breath. At least he said something. In that moment, she would take anything. “Okay, how about how you’re feeling?”

“I don’t know. I guess I’d be cool…to have a baby around.” His words were optimistic, but his tone lacked the excitement needed to pull it off. The idea of a younger sibling didn’t scare him, like the Shadow Monster or the Upside Down, but it felt off in a way that he couldn’t put into words.

She hadn’t practiced what to say, but luckily, her many years of parental experience took over. “It’ll be an adjustment. For all of us…I know. It’s taking me a long time to process it all, too, but it’ll be okay. We’ll figure it all out, as a family. Like always. I promise.”

Will met her eyes and managed a weak smile. The idea of his mother being pregnant embarrassed him. He didn’t want to think about any of it, but he had questions, ones that his mind wouldn’t allow to go unanswered. “Who’s your new boyfriend?”

This time, Joyce kept her eyes on the road. She allowed silence to drift between them for a bit as she thought about the best thing to say. Honesty had always been her policy when it came to being a single parent. She let it guide her. “I don’t have one.” At a stop sign, she finally glanced towards Will again and her face fell at his confused expression. “The babies father...he um, well. He’s not from around here. So he won’t be involved in this.” A horn behind them honked loudly and she let out a sigh when she was forced to move her eyes back to the road in order to drive.

It took Will some time to understand the meaning of her words. His cheeks turned red when the pieces finally fell into place. “So, it, I mean, the baby, won’t have a dad?” His question was laced with disappointment. He knew what it was like to grow up pretty much without one. His throat burned with emotion knowing that his sibling would suffer the same fate.

“No.” When she stopped the car at the top of their long driveway, Joyce turned towards him and reached for his hand. “I’m sorry, honey. This is a mess, I know. It’s gonna be okay, though. I promise. And you can talk to me, like always. That’s not gonna change.”

Staring into her tearful eyes, Will didn’t have the heart to make her more upset by voicing his feelings. He was never good at hiding things from her, but with a fake smile, he tried to anyway. “It’s okay, mom. I know it’ll work out.” She pulled him into a hug then, and Will was relieved that he could let his smile fall against her shoulder.

***

“Joyce, listen to me, it’s Jonathan. Alright? He’s not gonna do anything stupid.”

Through the phone, Hopper’s voice offered little comfort. Joyce had the long phone cord wrapped around her hands as she spoke in hushed tones. “It’s after Midnight Hop, and he’s not home. He’s never done this before. He usually calls.”

“He’s probably just blowing off steam. He’s a teenager.”

Frustrated that her concerns weren’t being taken seriously, Joyce shook her head. “And what if he’s not? Hopper, Karen said Nancy came home two hours ago. Jonathan was headed home and now he’s not here. So where the hell’s my son?” Will was asleep, so she tried to keep her tone low, but it was a difficult task.

Hopper’s disgruntled sigh was loud in her ear. Despite all they had been through, it was clear that he wasn’t concerned. Still, he offered, “Do you want me to go out looking?”

Joyce almost said yes, but instead she took some deep breaths and tried to calm her nerves. This wasn’t like before. This wasn’t a crisis. This was just typical teenage parenting. She ran those thoughts over and over in her mind, hoping that it would help stall the panic attack that was slowly building up.

“Joyce, you there?”

The front door suddenly opened and closed. Overcome with relief, she peered into the living room to see Jonathan. “He’s here. He’s home.” She didn’t say goodbye before hanging up. Nervously running her hands down her sides, she locked eyes with her son for several long seconds before she rushed towards him and wrapped her arms around him. “Dammit, Jonathan. You scared me.”

With stiff limbs, he let her embrace him, but made no move to return the hug. “I’m sorry, mom.” His apology was sincere, but guarded.

“Don’t do that to me.” Joyce pulled her body away, but kept her hands on his shoulders. “Where’ve  you been? Nancy came home hours ago.”

Jonathan lowered his head in shame. “I just needed some time.”

Joyce’s tone took on a shrill quality as it rose. “Jesus Jonathan, you need to call me. You can’t just disappear.”

He finally lifted his head, letting her see the storm brewing inside his eyes. “I’m sorry, I am, but you...you can’t just drop a bombshell on us like that and expect everything to be fine. It’s not fine, mom.”

Seeing the turmoil on her son’s face broke her heart. “I know, I know it’s not fine. But I need you to talk to me. Tell me what you’re thinking.”

“I don’t wanna talk about it right now.” He shrugged off her hands and stepped away. Time and space had not given him any sort of clarity. Their family, the three of them, they had barely survived at times. How was a baby going to make things easier?

Jonathan tried to move past her, but her small frame blocked his path down the hall. Desperately she begged, “Please, honey. Talk to me.”

“What are we supposed to talk about?” All night he had been holding in his emotions. His frustration and anger had slowly built up until an explosion was inevitable. His hands went into the air as his voice rose. “I know it’s been hard since Bob. I know things haven’t been easy, but you go and decide to have a baby? What the hell, mom?”

His words stung, more than she had imagined they would. Still, she was determined to make things right. Her shaky hands reached for his arms. “It was an accident, and I know it’s a lot to take in. Believe me, I know, but we need to talk about it.”

With an angry sigh, Jonathan shook his head. “I just don’t understand what’s going on with you. This is crazy.”

Joyce bit her lip. “I know…”

“Do you?” He pulled away from her again and this time he backed well out of her reach. “Because back at dinner, you and Hopper, you were just acting like this is all so freaking normal. I didn’t even know you were dating again.”

Her own frustration was growing at the fact that he wouldn’t listen to her. “I wasn’t. I’m not!” With a glare, Jonathan stormed towards his room, but she was quick on his heels, following him. He paused when he made it to his room and she used it as an opportunity to explain herself. “It was a one time thing.” Discussing the specifics with her teenage son was the last thing she wanted to do, but she owed him some honesty. “He’s not in the picture, he doesn’t even live around here. It was a mistake...one that I would take back if I could, but I can’t and I’m sorry.”

The implication of her words made his chest burn with fury. All those awkward talks, all those safe sex talks that made him want to crawl into a hole and die, and now she was the one who messed up. The hypocrisy made his blood boil. There were so many things that he wanted to say. He opened his door and shook off her hand again as it tried to reach for him. Instead of screaming at her, like he wanted to, he refused to meet her eyes and lowered his tone. “Well, the baby can have my room once I leave for school next year,” he seethed. “I’ll be gone. I won’t be needing it anymore.” Before she could object, he slammed the door shut.

Stunned, Joyce stared at the barrier separating her and her son with her mouth open. She held her hand there, touching each grain of wood as tears slipped out of her eyes and rolled down her cheeks.