#Marty and the dad that stepped up

[imgonzoingrightnow]

clara and marty had a bonding moment at Walmart and decided to carry that over to Halloween!!!

it’s kinda blurry cause tumblrs a pussy and won’t take my big art. I apologize on behalf of tumblr.

[cammie]

maybe the extreme isolation of the characters in my writing is a reflection of the isolation and loneliness and alienation and lack of friends/family that i feel in my own life. who’s to say really

[samuel-de-champagne-problems]

Handle With Care - Aaron Hotchner x Reader

Summary: Reader and Aaron meet for the first time before she starts as a full-time nanny for Jack.

Notes: Hopefully will be at least 5 parts! I'm excited to be writing again :)

Word Count: 4.6K

I always believed in new beginnings, but as I stood on Aaron’s doorstep, rolling a suitcase in one hand and a Vera Bradley duffel bag in the other, I was tempted to question my resolute thinking. It had yet to fail me. Not when I was hardly eighteen and living on the other side of the country, vying for my spot at the esteemed culinary arts program. And not when I’m twenty-four with a stint as the private chef

Professional chef turned nanny–for my father’s beloved mentee, no less. My parents, ever supportive and ever loving, practically held an intervention when I showed up on their suburban door step a fractured shell of the bubbly daughter they dropped off at the airport. 

Five years later, I’m sleeping in the same bed. I had nightmares about leaving once again. And yesterday I gave up that bed for a full-time position as Aaron Hotchner’s live-in nanny. Aaron, who I never even met, is my father’s protege. He knew him as a whip-smart, young lawyer from a family Law dynasty at Quantico. My father took him under his wing and even after his early retirement from the BAU they would get together for an annual work lunch. 

I was nearly finished with my final year of the Los Angeles Culinary Arts Program when my fathers called to say that Aaron’s wife was murdered. I remembered thinking how lucky Dad was and how brave Daddy had to be. With one day off saving the world and the other left to hold down the fort with an awfully anxious only child daughter. 

One year later, I was unemployed and completely blacklisted from the culinary entertainment industry for reasons beyond my control and without my fault. I gripped the suitcase, my chipped fingernails so jagged they punctured my skin. 

Aaron had a nice house with a manicured front lawn, a big wrap around porch, and a fully furnished backyard. Clearly, he was a man with a lot of education and a lot of smarts to top it off. He worked hard. It showed, these neighborhoods of Arlington, Virginia weren’t cheap. No wonder my dads were dying to relocate to Georgia. 

The door swung open before I could work up the courage to ring the bell or knock on the dark cherry wood. Aaron answered. He wore a dark green men’s quarter zip that was pushed up, showing off his forearms. His dark, charcoal gray watch shone as he let me into his foyer. 

He had a foyer.

And a house that smelt like warm cinnamon and musk. 

“Y/N,” Aaron said, nodding to me with a smile, “Please give me your bags. And we’ll go sit and chat before Jack comes. His grandma is still in town and brought him to the zoo.” 

I complied. There wasn’t a need for me to protest. And clearly, by the looks of those forearms, he would have no problem handling my bags. I only brought a single suitcase, a duffel, and five boxes of books. Aaron’s mother-in-law, Lorriane, had been staying with them since Haley died a year and a half ago. But her husband broke his hip. Apparently, Aaron had added a mother-in-law suite for Lorriane and judging by the looks of his home, the suite I’d be living in for the foreseeable future was twice the size of my studio in LA. 

“Thanks.” I said, grabbing a seat on the brown fabric sofa, “My dad said I had to say hello to you for him. He still raves about you. Like all the time.” I chuckle, watching as Aaron hands me a glass of iced tea. 

“Marty’s a good man. He and Gideon built the Behavioral Analysis Unit. Our team is in constant debt to him.” Aaron spoke so formally, gesturing for enthusiasm with his hands. 

“Yeah, well. He’s always just been dad to me.” I smiled, the man I knew showed up to my field hockey games even if it meant holding office hours there. He was the most there dad I could ask for– maybe it was neck in neck for the both of them. 

“So Jack?” I said, breaking the silence. “How–how’s he been?” I couldn’t help but wonder. My dads had a close friend who helped them with their surrogacy journey, so while I didn’t have a mother in the traditional sense, the woman who I’ m half of  was still alive and in my life. Debra was more like an aunt to me, fun and spirited and eternally youthful. But I still had her. 

Unlike Jack, who’s Earthly ties to his mother were shredded in an horribly violent way. 

My dad hardly ever cried, but when he called and told me that Aaron’s wife died I could hear it in his raw voice. Aaron’s a man cut from the same cloth a Dad; stoic and responsible. He was a wall of somber trepidation, but somewhere deep inside I could make out the man that wasn’t cataclysmically destroyed. 

“Jack is…he’s a strong kid. I put him in therapy after it happened. He still goes once a week. Laura, she’s his therapist. She’s wonderful. Truly has helped Jack work through all this.”

“That’s good. That’s really good, Mr. Hotchner. It seems as though Jack has a solid foundation here.” I say, unsure what to say exactly. I can make an omelet six different ways, yet it’s lost on me to know what to say to a widower with a little boy. If I had to bear even a fraction of their grief, I’m sure it would break me. I would crumble. But these two boys? They’re a good man in the storm. And I know in my bones, it’s entirely Aaron’s doing. If that man is anything, he’s steady. 

“It’s Aaron. Please, Mr. Hotchner reminds me of my father.” He cringes, the lines on his eyes creasing, “Your dad said you’re a professionally trained chef? Unfortunately, Jack’s still squarely in the dinosaur shaped chicken nugget and baked tater tots phase. It’s been a struggle to get him to try anything new…for…for awhile now, if I’m being honest.” 

I nod, thinking that Jack’s food discouragement might stem from losing his mom. “Well, the way I see it, Jack lost his mom at how old? Four and half? That’s when we’re starting to really know what we like and don’t like to eat. His life was turned upside down and shaken all around when you lost her. So maybe he needed some consistency in a world of chaos. Not that your home is chaotic, it’s lovely and clean and happy. It’s just…loss…”

“Losing your mother as a toddler really fucks up your life.” Aaron says. He speaks so definitely, as if he means everything so ardently you could cast it into stone. 

“Yeah.” I add, somberly. “But I think we can get him to branch out. Make it a game. I’d love to cook with him. I can get him kid-safe tools so he can be involved in food preparation and cooking. Oh! Maybe Jack and I can have a garden. I’m sure that will get him eating vegetables and fruits.” 

Aaron’s neutral expression slowly transitions to a soft smile. He thumps his fingers on the wooden table, as he looks out through the deck. I could feel him glance back at me and then to the yard again. 

“I think that a garden would be lovely over on the side. It’s far enough away from the pool and patio.” Aaron offers, sipping his tea. It’s sweet tea, too sweet for me. Working in kitchens throughout my program has trained me to not only tolerate black coffee, but to actively seek it out. He smiles, his grin defining his face. “Good idea.” 

I feel heat at his praise. I like doing well, who doesn't? But after a series of mishaps and bad luck, an 'atta' girl is my Hail Mary of the month. I simply nod. “Simple things to start so he can see some quick results. I’ll get him super involved in it. Make him feel like he’s a part of a team.” 

“I work a lot. My team flies across the nation, as you know. It takes me away from here for days on end. It was getting too much for Lorriane. And how her husband broke his hip.” Aaron shakes his head, “Honestly, you couldn’t have shown up here at a better time.” 

He runs his pointer finger over the water rung pooled on the coasters. “Jack’s a very easy kid. Reasonable. But shy. He was shy even before Haley…even before last year. I’ve brought him to the pediatrician because he stopped talking for a while, but she said that we’ve all survived an immense trauma and our brains simply process and live through that trauma differently.”

Sitting there, I couldn’t help but think how lucky this little boy is. His dad was running up the hill; pushing that boulder up and up and up for an eternity. It must be an awfully lot to carry, without anyone to share the load. 

“Yeah. I’m sure it is? Is he going into Kindergarten after the summer?” I ask, wondering if Jack went to Kindergarten on time or if Aaron and his grandma kept him home when they lost Haley. 

“Lori, Haley’s mother, taught preschool for thirty-five years. She told me to keep him home for a year, let him be a little bit older and get the help he needs to heal and then send him. So I listened. I think that was one of the only decisions I made as a team this year.” 

Sympathy must have colored my face because Aaron’s demeanor shifted quickly. He sat up, sipping his iced tea and wiping his hands on his jeans. “So basically your weekdays are around 8am-7:30pm. And occasionally on the weekends when the team does have to be on location But recently, I’ve been trying to transition to a more leadership position at headquarters. Hopefully, that’ll mean less traveling.” 

I quickly journaled the hours down in my notebook. Live-in nannying hours are not for those looking for a job to allow them the life of leisure. Naturally that couldn’t possibly be true for a position whose main coworker is a five and a half year old boy. 

“Alright. So that’s summer hours. We’ll need to brainstorm lots of stuff to do all day. Maybe the library?” I write a small note to get ideas and have them approved by Aaron.

He nodded, “Yes, summer hours are a lot, but Jack will be going to a couple camps that his therapist recommended. So you can get a couple hours each day to yourself. I am ready to compensate accordingly. Between my new role at the BAU and other personal investments, we live comfortably. How’s $2,500 to start and then we’ll discuss a raise in the future. And naturally your room and anything you may want to eat or have will be covered by me.” Aaron says it again in a way that leaves no room for argument. He must’ve been a great lawyer; no wonder dad adores him. 

“That’s quite a lot of money.” I’m shocked and my face does a horrible job of hiding it. “I’m not a professional nanny. I’m good with kids. Really good. But I don’t do this for a living. This is you doing me a favor because if it wasn’t for you, I’d be a waitress at my dads’ country clubs” I cringed, my mind instantly filtering in an image of me serving one-time sorority sisters bottomless mimosas for an Easter Brunch. 

“I apologize if you though that it was up for discussion, Y/N. Your first month’s pay will be $2,500 each week. And then it will increase to $3,250 each week. If I’m asking you to work 13 hour days plus one weekend a month? I better be paying you that much. And you’re still on Marty’s health insurance?” 

I rolled my eyes, of course dad mentioned that to Aaron and of course Aaron double checked. Aaron just might have Marty, JD beat when it comes to thoroughness. “Yeah, till I’m 26. And that’s like…a year and change away.” I say, implying that it’s not up to me, or Aaron even, to know how long I’ll be with him. I wasn’t sure if I would ever venture out to LA again; not after what happened that sent me back here for good.

But the thing about food is that everyone wants good food, no matter where they live. And right now, the ones that wanted something good in their lives, lived in a lovely Colonial home on Moss Avenue. 

“I guess there’s no arguing with you, prosecutor.” I say, my voice increasing just so that it balances the line between teasing and something else…something else I should be too ashamed to admit. 

It elicited a smile from him and all of the sudden it was completely worth it. Aaron finishes his tea, and places it into the sink after dumping the remaining ice chips down the drain. 

“Non-negotiable. It’s in your contract. Along with a health insurance package should you need to go off Marty’s name. Plus all that tax information that I’ll get you someone to walk you through it.” Aaron explained. 

“Thank you.” I replied, grateful that it was both all above the table and that I would be given the resources to help me figure it out. Looking at the pile of paperwork in my lap, I was sure that if Aaron didn’t offer legal literacy assistance I would be way in over my head. “That’s wonderful. Really.” 

“I just…I just want my son to be a good kid with a good childhood. That’s all. I want to be there for him and if I’m not there, I want the next best thing there. You know?” Aaron said and I’m not sure if it’s a plea or statement. Or if it was stuck somewhere in the middle; lost at sea like Aaron was himself. An island unto himself, drifting as the tide rolled in. 

I break the silence. “What was Haley’s favorite meal?” 

Aaron smiled. His eyes, crinkling again. “She had chicken piccata on our first date. And we ate it at our wedding. And when she found out she was pregnant with Jack she made it for me.” I nodded, understanding the important link between food and memories. 

“Let’s make it. For Jack and you and Lorianne to share tonight before she leaves. It’s going to be a big transition for him to go from having grandma all the time to me, someone very new.” I expressed, hoping that I didn’t sound bossy or as if I wanted to parent Jack myself. 

“That’s a lovely idea, Y/N.” Aaron sighed. “But I never was much of a chef. I wouldn’t know the first place to start.” 

He leaned his hands against the table, a slight smile breaking the formidable since that had fallen between us in the moments before. I smiled back, standing from the table to reach my tote bag. 

I pulled out an apron, the kind that criss crossed over my back. It was denim blue with a canvas front and large pockets. 

“Move over,” I said, tying my apron, “It might be your kitchen, Aaron, but for tonight you’re kicked out” 

The chicken ended up being more chicken piccata adjacent than a true representation of the dish. I mixed a seasoned blend of flour and spices for the dredging. Then, butterflied and pounded the chicken breasts into thin pieces. 

Aaron’s kitchen was spacious and airy. There was a large island with barstools on one side and lots of pantry and cupboard space on the other. I stood at the island, dredging the chicken in seasoned flour before placing it nearly on paper towel lined trays. The chicken, thinned and butterflied, didn’t take long to cook in the oil and butter. 

I let the skillet heat up till the oil, butter, garlic, and capers produced a mouthwatering aroma. Aaron gave me a bottle of white wine, imperative to make the sauce taste even better. I added freshly squeezed lemon juice and lemon slices to the pan sauce, letting the brown bits cook a little bit more. I scraped the edges of the skillet, incorporating the sauce even more. 

I placed the chicken back into the pan, letting it absorb the lemony, garlicky flavor of the sauce. The sauce thickened, forming something that was similar enough to chicken piccata. I added a bit more butter to the pan, along with some lemon. I figured that it would stretch a little bit more for some sauce for the pasta on the side. 

The chicken was simmering in the pan and the pasta water nearly boiling, when Jack came home. He looked like his father, but must have gotten his lighter colored hair and eyes from his mother. 

Aaron walked into the kitchen with Jack, his hands resting on Jack’s shoulders protectively. Jack’s shy demeanor was evident as he peered over at me. I smiled and waved as I finished the pasta. 

“Jackie, this is Ms. Y/N.” Aaron introduced me to the young boy, who stood shyly by his father. “We talked about how Grandma Lorraine needs to go back home. And we’re gonna have a friend come and live here.” 

Jack nodded, his little mind clearly spinning and spinning to make sense of all this. He was clearly well adjusted, even for losing his mother at such a young age. 

“Hey, there Jack!” I smiled. “I made a good dinner for you and your dad. I heard you went to the zoo with Grandma. I love the zoo. Especially the tigers.” 

Jack nodded, eagerly walking around the kitchen island to talk about the zoo. “Yeah,” he said, “I liked the monkeys. They were funny. The babies were learning to climb and jump.” 

I nodded, plating up some food for Jack. “Super cool. They’re kinda like little people. The way they act and play.” I placed the plate on the counter. “I used the Cars plate. It was way too cool not to.” I crouched down and whispered to Jack, “Just make sure your dad doesn’t swipe it. Between you and me I can see him eying it from here.” 

Aaron chuckled, reaching high to grab not one, but two plates. He handed one to me before telling Jack to go sit for dinner. “You’re joining us. It’ll be good for us to get to know one another.” 

“I don’t want to intrude.”

“Nothing you do would be an intrusion. And it’s good for Jack to see that we’re friends. He’ll be more trusting of you.” 

I nodded, understanding that it was very important for Jack to become used to me. Especially considering Aaron’s job could take him away for days at a time. 

“Alright.” 

Aaron nodded. “Sit. I’ll get your plate.” 

There was an understanding that washed over me. An understanding that Aaron was the kind of man that didn’t ask for things. He was simply used to things he wanted being carried out. I envied that security. Maybe if I had even an ounce of it I would still be hacking it out in LA. Or maybe I wouldn’t have needed to figure it out because I would’ve figured it out already. 

Jack and Aaron went back and forth, swapping facts about dinosaurs. Jack was squarely in the dinosaur phase. Five minutes in, and I already had promised to help him find a dinosaur coloring book, with dinosaurs besides just the “cool ones”. 

“Uncle Spencer says that some dinosaurs had heads as big as a car!” Jack said, practically shrieking with excitement as he recounted all the facts a certain Uncle Spencer had told him. 

“Uncle Spencer’s so smart. And he’s a kid!” Several of Jack’s stories started with the aforementioned Uncle Spencer and I couldn’t help but wonder where the connection lay. Especially if, like Jack claimed, Spencer was a child. Sometimes some cousins are so far apart in age they’re more like an aunt or an uncle. Perhaps this was the case.

“Spencer is on my team.” My face must have shown my confusion. I always wore my emotions and thoughts on my sleeves, something that failed me several times over. Most notably when my friends in LA would get hit on by men at bars in the most vile of ways. One of the blessings of being deemed unapproachable by men was being left alone, but that didn’t mean I wasn’t burdened by their lack of tact in seducing women. “And he’s 28…yes about 28 now, and has been on the team since he was 23. He’s brilliant. Jason Gideon, who worked with Martin, scouted him when he was hardly 21. His mind works in ways that are simply unexplainable.” 

“Which means he must have some pretty sick dino facts?” I ask, my question causing a prickly smile to appear on Aaron’s face. Jack giggles, he must enjoy seeing his father smile. It seems that even though the boys find themselves moving alone, smiles are few and far between. Especially from the elder Hotchner. 

“And three phDs.” Aaron cut the rest of Jack’s chicken, sliding his plate over and reminding him to at least try the vegetables. “It’s like these kids are getting younger as fast as they are getting smarter. Sometimes I just look at Spencer and my knees hurt. Then again, I’m pretty sure I would beat him in anything athletic. Even though he’s much younger.” 

I raised my brow instinctively, smiling. “Was that a joke?” I deadpanned. “My dad said you made two jokes the entire time he knew you. And the first was…”

I stopped myself short. But it was far too late. Aaron, like myself and my father, knew when the first joke he made to my father was. His wedding day. My father had long retired, and moved his mind and soul far, far away from the BAU. He trusted Aaron and Gideon to handle it. Instead he decided to live as himself, freely with his husband and their daughter in the suburbs.

If there was one thing that I shouldn’t have done the first night working with a nanny family consisting of a widower and his son, it was to bring up the marriage of the widower. 

When Aaron married his late wife, Haley. My fathers attended, but I didn’t even remember. It must’ve been one of those times that Nana would sleepover. I remembered it was painting nails, ordering Chinese, and watching Walker, Texas Ranger and Family Feud. I remembered it as falling asleep to my Nana’s snoring as Home Shopping Club glowed on her ancient TV set and waking up to her chocolate chip pancakes. My father remembers it was the first time his young protege made a joke. And Aaron remembers it was the day he married the love of his life. 

“Daddy?” Jack said, cutting through the silence, “I don’t like veggies. They’re too mushy.” 

“Don’t eat them, bud.” Aaron, murmured, his voice laced with a guard that I hadn’t noticed till now. It was careful, like he crafted each tone and cadence before he spoke. “We’ll figure it out, Jack. Come on, let’s show Ms. Y/N her room. Where she’ll be staying.” 

Each sentence is clipped and calculated. I nod, smiling as Jack stands next to his father. 

“I’ll clean up.” 

Aaron nodded, thanking me as he took Jack up to get ready for bed. Minutes later, the kitchen was back to normal and a couple extra meals were packed away for leftovers. I left a note on the counter for Aaron in the morning. 

Lunch is in the fridge.

I always like to make extras! 

Have a nice day

Y/N

Aaron returned, without Jack. “You didn’t have to do the whole kitchen. I don’t expect that. This isn’t a housekeeping job, it’s taking care of Jack.” 

“I don’t mind. Being a chef…or I was a chef, as much as a pain in the ass cleaning and dishes can be sometimes it’s a good way to finish it all. I don’t know…I don’t make sense.” I chuckled, trailing off in a rambly way that fully gave away my nerves. My previous blunder had shaken me, especially since Aaron seemed completely unnerved, even though I knew it stung.

“I suppose, sometimes I used to stay late to do all the paperwork, even though the interns usually will do it for us.” Aaron wipped his hands on his pants.“Anyway, let me show you to the room. I had it cleaned over the weekend and put Lorianne up at a hotel for a couple nights so there wouldn’t be any issues or crossover.”

Aaron led me through the rest of the house. It was neat and tidy and I didn’t expect anything else from someone like Aaron, even though he does have a young, energetic son. There was just something meticulous about him. Something so put together and careful. And then there was me. Messy and complicated and unsure and terrified. Anyone would be that after having the carpet pulled out from under them. And I couldn’t name a bigger carpet than having to bury your life. 

There was a locked door that led to what Aaron explained as my private area. “Jack and I won’t come over here. From the time that I get home in the evenings, or frankly, some days, till I leave in the mornings is your own. This is your spot in the house, but my housekeepers that come twice a month will clean in here, if you’d like.” 

I nodded, grateful for that added bonus. The small attachment was the size of a studio apartment. There was a kitchenette with a nook tucked into the corner with the windows. The furniture matched the rest of the house, clearly Aaron had spared no expense to add this attachment. The queen sized bed was pushed up against the wall and nestled into the corner. Next to it was a nightstand with a lamp. And, as I turned the corner, was the crowning jewel. 

“Are those built–ins?” I asked, staring in disbelief. “Those are so gorgeous. I have like, easy, a ton, of books. God! Can I use them?” I turned, practically jumping from joy as Aaron chuckled reluctantly. 

“Of course. This room’s yours.” Aaron must’ve carried my bags into the bedroom while I was cooking because all of my belongings sat on the floor near the set of love seats and armchair. “I’ll leave you to get settled. 8:30 okay for tomorrow?” 

I nodded, stunned beyond belief as I opened my boxes of books. Aaron handed me a set of keys, one to the house, the shed, and the other to my area of the house. 

“You’re the only one that has a copy. If you want others made, I’ll cover the expense.” Aaron explained. “Have a good night, Y/N.” 

“Good night,” I replied, hooking the keys onto my set. “And thank you for this room. It’s nicer than my apartment in LA.” 

Aaron leaned against the doorframe, “Of course, I think Jack'll be very happy. It’s been hard to trust others. With him, honestly��Jack’s all I got left.” I had known Aaron for about three hours, heard stories of his skill and professionalism and talent for years, but he wasn’t someone that I had known, let alone even met. But in those three hours, I could count several times where I saw a sliver of emotions.

“I’ll leave you to it.” 

“Night.” 

“And Y/N?” Aaron said, stopping me as I reach down to start shelving books, “Food does hold memories. You’re right. I needed it. We did. Jack and I. He needs to remember her.” 

“Food has memories.” I said, shrugging, “You’re gonna have to learn I know more than you think I do.”

Taglist

@reidsbookclub @boldlyvoid @pear-1206 @this-is-calm-and-its-anne @little-jana @pastelpinkflowerlife @sarcasm-and-stiles @ilovefictionalmennn

[babsworlds]

BROTHER’S NERDY BEST FRIEND.

pairing. Dave Lizewski x Haynes! fem! reader

synopsis. your brother invited his friends over.

warnings. nothing bad ig? siblings bullying, todd and marty supporting dave’s delusions, no use of y/n.

YOUR TWIN BROTHER TODD WAS THE EPITOME OF IMBECILE, always sticking close to even bigger imbeciles than himself. This was evident because you constantly saw him with his two sidekicks—Dave Lizewski and Marty Eisenberg.

Marty, despite his stupidity, had a certain charm that made him amusing. He could crack a joke that, while not particularly clever, at least brought some laughs. But Dave was a different story.

There was nothing endearing about him. He was just plain stupid, with an awkwardness that made every interaction a painful experience. It was no wonder he and Todd were best friends—they both seemed to thrive in their shared mediocrity.

While Todd reveled in his nerdy ways, you couldn’t be more different. You were the popular girl with a large circle of friends, always at the center of attention. Social events, parties, and being adored by many—it was all part of your everyday life.

You couldn’t stand Dave. Everything about him grated on your nerves. His round glasses, reminiscent of an owl, seemed to magnify his clueless expression.

His jokes were not only embarrassing but also painfully unfunny. And then there was his curly hair, which somehow managed to look both messy and greasy all at once. Every time you saw him, you felt an irrational surge of annoyance and frustration.

You and Todd stood in the driveway in front of the house, watching your parents load their luggage into the car. They were heading off for a holiday to visit their friends.

“Be careful, don’t kill each other, and please don’t burn the house down!” your mom reminded you, a hint of worry in her voice, before she stepped into the car. “We love you both equally!” she called out as she climbed in.

You gave her an assuring smile and waved goodbye, watching as the car pulled out of the driveway. The sound of the engine fading away signaled the start of your parents' holiday and, consequently, your temporary reign over the house.

“She lied, they love me more,” Todd teased, a mischievous grin spreading across his face.

You rolled your eyes, unable to resist the urge to give him a playful slap on the head. “In your dreams, idiot,” you retorted, shaking your head with a smile.

You stepped into the house, feeling the familiar comfort of home. “By the way, Dave and Marty are staying here today,” Todd casually mentioned.

Your eyes widened in disbelief. “Are you kidding me? Do Mom and Dad know about this?” you asked, your voice tinged with frustration.

Todd nodded proudly, a smug grin on his face. “Of course they do.”

You felt a surge of irritation. This weekend was supposed to be your time to relax, but all your friends were busy with their boyfriends or away on trips. Now, you were stuck at home with Todd and his nerdy friends. The thought of spending the weekend with Dave and Marty was far from appealing.

“I heard you telling Katie that Dave is cute,” Todd teased, his eyes gleaming with mischief.

You looked at him, feeling a slight blush creeping up your cheeks. Yeah, you might have mentioned it in passing during a conversation, but it was nothing significant. You were still convinced you hated Dave.

“You're fucking schizophrenic,” you said, trying to deflect the truth, and hurriedly made your way to your room.

You stayed in your room, chatting with Katie on the phone. It didn't take long before you heard Todd welcoming Dave and Marty downstairs.

You didn’t bother to go say hi, because why would you? They weren't your friends. Plus, the guys had practically claimed the entire living room for themselves.

As the hours passed, the sound of their laughter echoed through the house, sounding like hyenas. They were probably engrossed in one of their beloved comic books, completely oblivious to how loud they were being.

Finally, fed up with the noise, you opened your door and shouted, “Shut up, you idiots!” But your outburst didn’t really help; the laughter continued almost unabated, only slightly muffled now.

Unexpectedly, you got hungry after being confined to your room for hours. Deciding to take the risk, you ventured downstairs where it was suspiciously quiet.

As you descended the stairs, you saw Dave sitting on the couch, watching some superhero film. He started at the sight of you, almost jumping off the couch and choking on air. “Hi,” he said awkwardly.

“Where are Todd and Marty?” you asked, raising an eyebrow.

“Uh, they went to get dinner and told me to stay here and look after you,” he explained, looking slightly embarrassed.

“That bastard…” you mumbled under your breath. “Whatever, I hope they’ll bring me some food too,” you said, heading toward the kitchen while feeling Dave’s eyes trailing after you.

You pulled a cold beer from the fridge and offered another to Dave. “You want some?”

“N-no, I don’t drink,” he stammered, his voice tinged with nervousness.

You rolled your eyes at his innocence and grabbed your beer. Heading over to the couch, you sat down next to him.

For a moment, there was an awkward silence. The superhero movie played in the background, but it didn’t seem to catch your interest.

The comics on the coffee table caught your interest instead. “Is that Batman?” you asked, even though you knew. You just wanted to get Dave talking.

“Yeah,” he nodded, looking slightly more relaxed. But still, your presence was something he wasn’t quite used to.

“Oh my god, Christian Bale was so hot in Batman Begins,” you chuckled, putting the comic back on the coffee table.

“Y-you saw it?” Dave was visibly surprised.

“Yeahhh, but I prefer Marvel, to be honest,” you shrugged. You only watched these films with your family when it was Todd’s turn to choose the movie.

You didn’t want to admit it, but you were kinda into these things too. Superheroes and their epic battles had a certain charm that you couldn't completely ignore, even if you preferred to keep that side of yourself hidden.

You sighed, taking a sip of your beer. “I guess some of them are cool,” you said, begrudgingly acknowledging your interest.

Dave’s eyes lit up, clearly pleased with your admission. “Which ones do you like?” he asked, curiosity piqued.

You shrugged, trying to play it cool. “I like Iron Man. Tony Stark’s got style.”

As you and Dave sat there, the atmosphere noticeably lighter, you found yourself actually enjoying the conversation. Admitting your interest in superheroes had broken the ice, and for once, Dave didn’t seem entirely unbearable.

Just as you and Dave were starting to find some common ground, Todd and Marty returned, with Marty carrying a box of two pizzas. He grinned when he saw the two of you sitting together. "Oohh, well, who got along there," he teased, his eyebrows wiggling playfully.

“Don’t think much,” you said, standing up from the couch and grabbing the whole pizza box. “Still hate all of you,” you added with a wink towards Dave before heading back to your room.

Dave watched you go, a small smile playing on his lips. Despite your words, there was a certain warmth in your actions that didn't go unnoticed.

After heading back to your room, you sat on your bed with the pizza box, feeling both amused and slightly conflicted about Dave. He was still annoying, but there was something different about him tonight.

As you munched on your slice, you could hear Todd, Marty, and Dave chatting and laughing downstairs. Despite your words, you found yourself thinking about the conversation you had with Dave. Maybe there was more to him than you had originally thought.

You had to admit, it was nice to see Todd so happy with his friends. Maybe you could tolerate their presence a bit more, for his sake.

As you sat quietly in your room, you could hear faint whispers and snippets of conversation from downstairs. Curiosity piqued, you pressed your ear closer to the door, trying to catch more of what they were saying.

“…so, do you like her?” you heard Marty’s voice.

There was a pause, followed by a hesitant reply from Dave. “Well, she’s…you know, she’s interesting,” he said awkwardly.

“Uh-huh, sure, just ‘interesting,’” Todd teased, laughing.

You felt a mix of emotions. On one hand, it was mildly flattering. On the other hand, the idea of Todd and his friends discussing your feelings was a bit annoying. Nonetheless, you couldn't deny the curiosity building inside you. Who would have thought that the nerdy trio would be talking about you?

Deciding to stay hidden and listen a bit longer, you strained to hear the rest of their conversation.

“Well, even if she pretends to hate us, she did offer Dave a beer,” Marty continued, sounding amused.

“Yeah, but that doesn’t mean she likes me,” Dave responded, his voice tinged with uncertainty.

You couldn’t help but chuckle softly to yourself. This evening was turning out to be much different than you expected.

You stayed hidden, listening intently to their conversation, feeling a mix of amusement and curiosity.

“Come on, Dave, she winked at you,” Marty teased. “I think she's warming up to you.”

“Nah, I think she’s just being polite,” Dave replied, though his voice had a hint of hope.

“Dude, she doesn’t just offer anyone a beer,” Todd chimed in. “I’ve known her before I was even born. If she didn’t like you, she wouldn’t have even acknowledged you.”

You couldn’t help but smile to yourself. Despite your initial irritation, it was kind of nice hearing them talk about you in a somewhat positive light.

You loved how Todd and Marty supported Dave, even if their encouragement was a bit delusional.

Despite your earlier reluctance, you found yourself looking forward to spending more time with the guys—especially Dave.

[call-mi-jinx]

Dave Lizewski X Reader - Headcannons 2

warnings - mentions of seccsual acts xoxo,

Main Masterlist Dave Lizewski Masterlist

a/n - based off this ask! hope you enjoy! and also sorry if some of it is cringey i cringed at some bits too 😭😭 ta ta my lovelies xx

dave lizewski x popular! reader

he always knew he didn’t have a chance with you, so he never even thought about talking to you let alone telling you

he always yapped to todd and marty about how beautiful and “out of his league” you were

he always stole glances at you in the classes you had together or when you passed him in the hallway

sometimes he’d have bursts of confidence and begin walking up to you but it was always at the fifth step that he chickened out

you only noticed him when you were paired up for a science project

he asked if you would want to meet up at this cafe/comic book store but you said you’d be more comfortable at your house

so every time you met up, he always came to your house, in your room

the whole assignment was due in about a month because of how much work had to be done

and over that time, you wished you had met him sooner

on the last day of you two doing the project, he finally gathered up the courage to ask you out

you said yes after having a blank face for what felt like hours to dave

when telling your friends you were slightly worried you would get the piss taken out of you, but haley (your best friend) convinced you they wouldn’t and they didn’t much to your relief

dave however, always overthought about what people would think

he always thought that you deserved someone better, someone “in your league”

you always reassured him that you only want him and even showed him (if you know what I mean 😏)

after about a month dave finally became confident with himself but there was sometimes off days for him

for your first month anniversary, he got you the biggest bouquet of your favourite flowers and the cutest hand written note about how much he cared about you and appreciated you

he met your dad and at first your dad didn’t like him (before he even met him) but after the dinner you three had he loved him like a son (don’t ask pls idk ✋🏻😭)

when you met his dad, your palms were clammy and your breathing was jagged but dave held your hand through the whole thing which made it better

haley always hung out with you two, she never thought she was a third wheel. more like your kid

at graduation, dave took you to the most beautiful lake house in the woods, that’s where he gave you a promise ring

he made a speech before giving it to you which made you bawl your eyes out

[steviewashere]

If Found, Return to Me

Rating: General CW: Implied Sex (Mild), Mild Panic Attacks Tags: Post Canon, Post Season 4, Established Relationship, Humor and Hijinks, Eddie Munson is a Little Shit, Steve Harrington is a Little Shit, Mild Hurt/Comfort, Mild Panic Attacks, Dork Eddie Munson, Dork Steve Harrington, 3+1

Okay, the idea was going to be a 5+1, but I couldn't get past three ideas without feeling the crawl of burn-out, so I lowered it to three. But this is based on This Post from @apomaro-mellow

👕—————👕 1. He grips the hem of his shirt and tugs. Chin tucked into his neck so that he can read the text, which is bold and black and dark on the white background. ‘If found, return to Steve.’ Eddie groans. “Do we seriously have to wear these?” He whines.

Steve stands in front of him. Hands on his hips. One foot cocked. “Yes, Eddie,” he answers emphatically. Even a little annoyed. Which, sue Eddie for having to ask over and over, but it’s sort of embarrassing. Especially when his boyfriend is wearing a similar shirt that just reads: ‘I’m Steve’. Makes Eddie look sort of childish, if you were to ask him. “If I’m taking you out of town, to a place I’ve never been before for a convention—something I’d probably never even go to—you absolutely have to wear that shirt. Knowing you, you’ll see some action figure stand and I’ll be abandoned by the comic books.”

Eddie rolls his eyes. “Or, y’know, we can just link arms and walk around the convention center?” Steve only widens his eyes and raises an eyebrow. He groans again. “Okay, fine! We’ll wear these stupid t-shirts.” His head tilts back, eyes to the ceiling of their hotel. Huffs through his nose. “I don’t even know how you got these,” he grumbles, “I’d rather not know.”

Sure, Eddie’s prone to running off. He gets excited, okay? Especially when it’s something he knows a lot about, or something he’s been hunting down for literal years, or if it’s a thing he can surprise the people around him with. Thinking of the last time he wandered off and Steve had to practically scruff him, it’d been while he was purchasing a dice set for Dustin’s birthday. So maybe Steve has a point. And maybe it’s sort of a genius idea. Eddie just wants to be stubborn about this, it’d save him the humiliation.

Except, he’s still wearing the shirt (Steve in his matching one) when they finally get through the doors of the convention center. There’s people in costumes all around them: Spock and Kirk, Marty McFly, Indiana Jones, Predator, and a few kids with their dads all dressed like those ponies that Erica likes. Something in Eddie trills. And he’s already a few steps ahead of Steve before he knows it. Steve trails behind him, wonder and awe shining in his own eyes, trying to keep up with Eddie’s frantic nature.

But then they’re not even close to each other. They buy lunch a couple hours in. Steve gets a large lemonade and downs it like he’s never had something to drink before. And then Eddie’s being told, “Please wait here by the bathrooms. Don’t go do anything stupid.”

He’s leaning against the wall that reads: ‘Restrooms’. Arms intertwined over his chest. Legs crossed on one another. In the distance, his eyes lock onto a Dungeons & Dragons booth. There’s tall shelves stocked with every mini figure he could ever pray for. A few long tables that showcase various maps, dungeon master screens, and little trays for dice. However, there’s an odd rack in the booth. A hat stand. And on it, he spots the perfect thing for Steve. It’s probably expensive, Eddie debates with himself, but it’s Indiana Jones’ hat. His feet are moving before he registers the people walking past him.

And then he’s there. Holding a classic fedora hat between his hands. Turning it around in his hold. Thumbing at the material; marveling at how smooth and buttery soft the fabric is. He spots the price tag, ‘$8.00’. It’s not a terrible price. Isn’t damaged in any way. So he keeps it in his left hand, grabs a paladin mini figure in his right, and purchases both items. Bag in hand, he moves to leave the booth, but is stopped by a gentle hand tapping on his right shoulder.

He turns and is met with a girl. She’s level with his chest, eyes wide and calculating, hand retreating back to her side. “Hi—um—you don’t know me at all, but I found somebody named Steve looking for you,” she states, “I saw your shirt and figured you were the guy he was talking about.”

Eddie slumps. A part of him can’t believe the stupid shirt even worked. “Yeah, it’s probably me that he’s looking for,” he sighs. “Take me to him.”

She’s hard to follow in the crowd of people. Shorter than most and extremely quick. But she links his arm with hers and practically drags him back towards the bathrooms. And there he is, Steve Harrington with his hands on his hips, a furrow to his brow, mouth thin-lined. “Eddie,” Steve greets. He smiles, though it’s not all that sweet, but kind enough for this stranger that had to shepherd Eddie. The girl leaves them. And Steve steps closer to Eddie, crosses his arms over his chest, and then has the gall to snort. He raises a hand and plucks at Eddie’s t-shirt, directly on the word: ‘Found’. “Looks like my stupid t-shirt worked,” he snarks. The sass to this guy is unbelievable.

“Yeah, har har, laugh it up,” Eddie says dryly. “Maybe you don’t want the little gift I got for you.”

Steve perks up. Eyes glowing with curiosity. “What’d you get?”

Eddie rolls his eyes and smirks. Digs into his bag and flaunts the hat. “Saw it at a D&D booth, surprisingly. Probably would’ve been something we walked by, had I not…wandered.” He steps a little closer into Steve’s space, sets the hat on top of his head, and nods in approval. “Think that this purchase was a success. You look dashing, Mr. Jones.”

In a flurry of movement, Steve snatches the hat from off the top of his head. Gaping at it. “Eds,” he breathes, “this is so fucking cool.” He places it back where it was, pulling it tight to his hairline, and grins brightly. “Thank you, but also please don’t leave me alone here,” he says, “I got worried.”

“Sorry,” Eddie murmurs sheepishly. “Just thought about how excited you’d be about the hat and couldn’t resist. Won’t happen again, promise.”

Steve chuckles. “I know it will, but that’s what the stupid shirts are for. Anyway…Can we go look at the Lego set-up that we passed by in hall E? I think I saw a spaceship and—“

“Lead the way, Indy.” He might have to buy his own shirts with how Steve bounds away from him.

——— 2. “If…Lost?!” Eddie exclaims. “Steve, what the fuck? Why—How—Where the hell are you getting these t-shirts?” He asks. They’re at Steve’s house, getting ready for a day trip in Chicago. And, sure, Eddie’s never been in his life. Doesn’t know the streets of Chicago like the back of his hand. Maybe Steve does know more about where they’re going, but that doesn’t change just how ridiculous this shirt is. How it glares at him in the bathroom mirror.

Steve sidles up next to him. His t-shirt the same as the one from the convention. He wraps an arm around Eddie’s waist. Rests his head on his shoulder. “I have my ways,” he states ominously. “And, again, I know you. Your sense of direction is practically non-existent. You can’t deny that, baby. The only reason you found Skull Rock is because you stumbled upon it.”

“I was on the run, couldn’t exactly look at a map,” he grumbles. “But do we have to—“

“Yes,” Steve sighs. “Now, can you come out to the car with me? I’m ready to go.”

Eddie rolls his eyes, but does as he’s asked. Sits in the passenger seat. Shuffles through the radio stations. Teases Steve for his taste in tapes. But then they’re parking, getting out, walking around the city.

He follows Steve…for a while. Into a record shop. In the back of a diner, playing footsie under the table. Then he goes down a side street. Following a guy in a white t-shirt, hair high on his head, Adidas sneakers on his feet. However, the guy turns slightly. And…that’s not Steve. Eddie’s not sure how long he’s been following this stranger, or when he started, or from where he started from. Tries to rake through his brain to the last time he heard Steve talk about the street they were originally on, but there’s nothing. The words and names escape him.

He’s stranded in a city he’s never been to. Down a street he should’ve never come across. Wearing the most humiliating t-shirt known to mankind. Somewhere, again he’s not sure, behind him Steve is probably standing by some shop entrance, hands on his hips and a scowl perfectly framed on his face. And Eddie can’t help but panic. Standing with his back against the nearest wall. Breathing through his mouth like he’s about to beef it on the sidewalk. Eyes darting over and under and left and right. Trying to find semblance of normal, any little speckle of Steve. Something.

It’s not until he’s nearly sick to his stomach, churning and flipping and knotting, that a different stranger makes their presence known. They gently invade his space. Voice soft as they notice his panic. “Hey man, are you Eddie?” They ask. He nods way too quick, but sidelines the blur to his vision because talking to this stranger seems hopeful. Especially since they know his name. “Okay, cool,” the stranger mutters, “I ran into your…friend. Steve was on the verge of a nervous breakdown when I spotted him, said he couldn’t find you, but didn’t know where to look. So I volunteered to find you. And—well—judging by your shirt, I can gladly and safely reunite you guys. If you…If you wanna follow me.”

“Please,” Eddie murmurs, “I don’t know where I am.”

The trip back to Steve is arduous. Through crowds of people and past noisy cars. Bustling shops and the waft of various seasonings from a number of restaurants. But sure enough, Steve is on some precipice. His hair a mess and face pinched nervously. Then, he spots Eddie. Eyes lighting, clearing and glistening. A look of ‘I want to touch, but know I can’t.’

When he sidles up next to Steve after the stranger leaves, he carefully joins their hands. “I followed a complete stranger for probably thirty minutes,” Eddie admits, whispering. “His hair looked similar. And he was also wearing a white t-shirt. I got so scared, Steve.”

“Well, at least our stupid shirts worked again, right?” Steve asks, breathless and still verging breakdown.

Eddie squeezes their hands. “Can we go home, please? This is gonna sound crazy, but I think I prefer middle of nowhere Hawkins. At least I know where everything is.”

Steve nods rapidly. “I need to touch you in ways I can’t right now. Let’s go.” And then he tugs their hands, pulling them along sidewalks and through groups of people, down a couple side streets. It’s partially worth it, in the end. Definitely with the way Eddie’s skin is now decorated with Steve’s love, sticky and warm with it, too.

——— 3. The shirts end up following them to the Indiana State Fair.

Steve stops them at the front entrance, right after the ticket booth, and makes Eddie face him. “Listen to me,” he murmurs, voice low and near demanding. “If I turn my back for a second and you are gone, I will lose my absolute shit. Got it? Do not make me have to keep a rope tied to your belt loop.”

Eddie groans. “I get it, Steve. Can we at least try and enjoy ourselves?”

And they do for the most part. Steve plays at a few game stalls. Eddie carries the prizes. Their legs interlock underneath a picnic table, sharing greasy funnel cake and way too sour lemonade freezes. They watch a few performers, pet some fair animals, judge prized pigs like they know what they’re doing.

But then the ferris wheel comes up and Eddie sees an opportunity already forming. Like dots connecting or the stars aligning. He wants to drag Steve through the line and sit with him in one of the seats, wait for the wheel to stop at just the right height, and kiss him as the lights dim low and the darkness of the sky envelops them. Though, because he always misses a few steps in his plans, he doesn’t tell Steve that they’re going to the ferris wheel. Just starts walking. Shoving past other couples and accidentally sidelining a couple kids. He sneaks around large families. Maybe bribes a few people to let up on the ride’s queue.

Then, Eddie turns to his left. Where Steve is.

Or…Where Steve should have been.

“Shit,” Eddie spits. “Steve?” He calls over his shoulder. Frantically, he whips around in line. Eyes wide over people’s heads. Shoving them out of the way, albeit a little rough. Spreads the line into two little rows. But he comes up unsuccessful.

Until, right on cue, a stranger is tapping on his shoulder. Instead of letting them go into their whole spiel, he just sighs defeated, “Take me to him.”

There are no words exchanged. Not when Eddie follows behind, head bowed to the ground, dragging his feet like a petulant child. And then he stops where he sees Steve’s shoes, the bright blue Adidas sneakers he’d recognize anywhere.

“Sorry,” he mutters. “Thought you were with me.”

Steve just sighs. Something kind of disappointed that shrivels Eddie slightly. “Where’d you even go?” Steve calmly asks.

Eddie finally looks to him, his eyes pleading. “The ferris wheel, but…But! In my defense, I thought you were with me. And I was going to get us a seat on the ride. Was gonna wait until it got up to the highest point and do something cheesy like kiss you…or blow you, whatever. But I—“

“Why didn’t you just ask me, Eds?” Steve laughs with his full body, deep from within his stomach. “We can do that, babe. All you gotta do is ask, y’know?”

“I didn’t think—“

“I know you didn’t,” Steve teases. “Seems like my stupid t-shirt idea worked again. That’s three times, you dork.” Eddie can only groan. He knows that he has a bad habit of wandering, doesn’t mean that the idea is any less annoying or dumb. “Come on, Eds. Stop throwing a fit. Let’s do your thing.”

“You sure?”

“Eddie, if you don’t kiss or blow me on that ferris wheel, I’m banning D&D at my place for a month. Let’s go.”

When they get off and start walking back to the car, Steve tugs on the back of Eddie’s jeans. He yelps, startled, but quickly shuts his mouth when he’s faced with a stern look. “You know what I just remembered?” Steve asks him. There’s mirth in his eyes. Eddie doesn’t trust this at all. “Earlier, when I was telling you about wandering, I mentioned maybe tethering you to a rope. I might have to do that. Since you can’t behave.”

Eddie heats from the inside out. A coil tightens in his stomach. “You couldn’t even if you tried,” he bites back.

Later, he finds out, Steve is exceptional with rope. What a fucking boy scout.

——— +1 The Mall of America didn’t earn its title for nothing. The place was huge, that much Eddie could discern. Which made perfect sense when buying the new and improved: ‘If found, return to…’ shirts. However, this time, it was Steve with ‘If Found’ t-shirt.

At first, Steve didn’t know how to feel about the new shirts. Simply because he didn’t seem to see a reason for why he’d get lost or wander or be found in any capacity. But given the surprise Eddie had for him, the reason definitely fit the bill.

What Steve didn’t know, that Eddie one hundred percent knew, was that a Lego store was opening up at the mall. Or, has been opened at the mall. It was the perfect time for a little road trip. A little Fall of 1992 trip to Minnesota. Driving by trees and such. Parking in the Mall of America’s lot. Figuring out what stores to hit first, what food they wanted to eat, where the bathrooms were located. Typical day out sort of things.

However, one moment Steve was with him and the next…Eddie was scouring the food court for his fiancé. Trying not to throw up the meager lunch he just had. Swallowing down panic after panic after panic that rose in his chest like tsunami waves. This place was too big for either of them to wander or get lost or have a mind of their own. Not with the way they impulsively purchases things, an awful habit they both exuded—today is the worst day to do just that.

Which leads him to tapping on the shoulder of a guy around his age. Who’s carrying two large yellow Lego bags. Just sitting back in one of the food court chairs, minding his own business. Until, he whips around to find Eddie startled and red faced. “Uh…Can I help you, man?” The stranger greets.

“Sorry, hi,” Eddie says. “I just—You look like somebody who can maybe help me. I’m looking for my…friend, his name is Steve. Uh—White, around my height, dirty blonde hair. He’s wearing a pair of near skin tight Levi jeans, light wash and a white t-shirt that matches mine. Except, his says ‘If found, return to Eddie’. I’m Eddie, by the way. Anyway—Uh, you probably just came from the Lego store, yeah?”

“Sure,” the guy says, completely unsure of this interaction. “Why do you need to know—“

“So you can like lead me there? I’ve never been there. And like he’s really obsessed with those damn sets and like that’s really cool or whatever, but I need to know where he is because we’re from out of town and I have no fucking clue what I’m doing in this mall or where to—“

“Alright, dude, calm down,” guy placates. “We’ll find your friend. Just…That store is pretty fucking busy. Really popular, you know? I’ll take you there, but with how panicked you are, it would be best if you waited by the entrance of the store. Is that…”

“That’s perfectly fine to me!” Eddie nearly shouts. 

He follows on this person’s heels. Bobbing and weaving through crowds of other over-consumers. Maybe shoving a few of them out of the way just so he can stay with that guy. But eventually, they make it to the outside of the rather precarious Lego store. Its yellow storefront nauseating to Eddie. Almost—Genuinely frustrating him beyond belief. And he sees Steve. Standing near the back of the store. Staring up at one of the shelves, but he lets the stranger he found grab Steve for him. Because no way in hell is Eddie going to survive being swallowed up by the awfully large crowd swamping the store.

Steve emerges from the crowd, a bit offended and a lot upended. But then has the gall to appear sheepish when he’s led directly to Eddie. With a nod and a tight smile, Eddie waves the stranger off. Almost wants to run back and get his name, send him a thank you card from the Hallmark store he saw on their way there.

He turns to face Steve, though. Leans them into the wall. “Jesus, Steve,” Eddie groans. “Is this what you put up with?”

“Is what—“

“The fucking panic? The—The whirling around and checking in the weird obscure places? Tapping on stranger’s shoulders only to see if they have a single goddamn idea where anything is…ever? Like—“ He sighs. “I thought that I’d never find you, Steve! You could’a at least told me you were going to go somewhere on your own. Maybe give me an idea of where you’re going?”

Steve rolls his eyes. “Oh, so now that’s important to you?” He petulantly mutters. “Can’t go off and have fun without being pestered—“

“I’m not pestering, Steve!” Eddie grits. “I’m being concerned! I’m—You scared me,” he admits quietly. “And you ruined my surprise.”

“Ruined?” Steve echoes, confused. “What do you…oh. Oh. I—“ Then, Steve looks down to the floor. Eyes ashamed and arms tight to his body. “I didn’t…I was just excited, I’m sorry. The store was on the directory when we first came in and I like—“ He chuckles a little bit, loosening up. “—I fucking memorized where to go. What path to take. Because I just really wanted to look in there. They’ve got—Eddie, they have this one set in there, it’s a freaking spaceship and it’s called the…The Galactic Meditator or something? I can’t—That doesn’t matter,” he rambles. Takes a deep breath and pushes himself tighter into Eddie’s space. “I’m sorry, baby,” he murmurs, “I didn’t mean to scare you.”

Eddie gives a single nod. Closes his eyes and staves off the rest of his panic and anger. He’d be a hypocrite if he lashed out right now. He knows that. And, honestly, seeing Steve geek out about toys…of all things…is kind of endearing. Maybe even doing something for Eddie.

He puts on his best smile, something genuine and pulled from within him. “It’s alright,” he whispers. “I—I should’ve known that you were going to come over here.”

“I mean, you did a little bit, right? Had to find somebody that led you here?”

“You got me,” Eddie breathes. “Y’know all my tricks.”

Steve hums beside him. “I’m actually sorry, though, that I ruined the surprise you had in mind. This is a pretty cool thing.”

Eddie smirks. “Steve Harrington admitting to a geek thing being cool…When did the tables turn?” He teases. “Seems like God has heard my prayers,” he jests. With a quick sneaky look around, he grabs Steve’s hand. Squeezes firmly and exhales the last bit of his panicked nerves. “Does my fiancé want to…Oh, I don’t know…Get a Lego set?”

The hand in his tightens with a harsh, unbelieving amount of strength. He almost winces. “Really?” Steve asks, perking up. If he had a tail, it would most definitely be wagging. “Can we actually? I really want that one that I found in there, the uh…Galactic whatever it was called. I’m bad at the names, which is weird because I’ve been building these sets for a while, but I always seem to get the names wrong and I—“ Eddie interrupts with a squeeze to his hand again, a smile bright and plastered to his face. “Sorry,” Steve sheepishly says, “Let’s go in there. I can show you and maybe…you can get one of your own?”

“Lead the way, sweetheart,” Eddie murmurs against Steve’s cheek, leaving a very chaste but all the same kiss there.

The panic was worth it in the end. Because watching Steve in his element, nerd-ing over toys and how to best put them together, really makes Eddie’s chest warm. In a way that tells him he’d put up with wandering all his life, if only to get Steve to smile the way he does when proudly displaying his new spaceship.

👕—————👕

[ladykailitha]

Never Hold Back Your Step... Part 1

Here is it is. Book 2 of The Boy With a Bat and I'm posting it on the anniversary of the first chapter of "Can Anybody See Me?" I couldn't pass up the opportunity do so, you know? If you haven't read that yet, I would recommend it.

This one starts up almost immediately after the last one ended. And I do have four chapters written.

This story will go through to the end of season 3.

@mira-jadeamethyst @rozzieroos @itsall-taken @redfreckledwolf @emly03

***

The weather started to warm and the Harringtons were away for longer and longer stretches of time. So to say that Steve was happy would be an understatement.

He used that open period to do his homework so that he had more time to practice his swimming. It was inevitable that Eddie would cotton on to the glaringly obvious gap in Steve’s swim practice. As in despite having a large pool of his own, Steve would practice at the school or on the weekends at the community center.

At first the excuse of it being too cold to swim in the outdoor pool, that fell away to the warmer weather. Thankfully it was the last meet of the season, and the team had gotten to state.

Steve hadn’t even bothered to tell his parents that the swim team had a chance at nationals. That they had been that good. Nope. He told Wayne Munson and Claudia Henderson though. Those were the adults he really wanted to see there. Not Clint and Marilyn Harrington. Of course Joyce and Hopper were told, too. But Claudia had become more like his mother and Wayne, the father figure he had always wanted.

Eddie had avoided the swim meets for the most part. Not because he didn’t want to support Steve. He did. The problem was the *ahem* uniform for the boys’ swim team. It consisted of one cap, one pair of goggles and the tiniest Speedo known to man. Or at least known to Eddie. He could barely handle his boyfriend in the booty shorts the basketball team wore, the Speedo was just too much for his poor developed teenaged brain.

But through begging, bribing, and blow jobs, Eddie was at that meet.

Thankfully he wasn’t sandwiched between Uncle Wayne and Claudia Henderson. Nope, Marty and Janice had come, too. The rest of them couldn’t get out of their classes to come but they all told Steve they were rooting for him.

Steve walked out in the green Speedo (being the ‘away’ team) cap. The white framed goggles perched on his head. He spoke briefly to coaches Hall and Hastings. And then turned to wave at the enthusiastic crowd. Claudia had gotten Dustin excused from school and Nancy and Jonathan were there as members of the school news paper.

All in all not a bad turnout for the boy who thought that 1985 was going to be as bad as 1984 had been. He thought he was going to end the year with no girlfriend, no friends, and no future. But that all changed with Eddie Munson deciding he was worth having. First as a friend and then as a boyfriend.

The boyfriend thing was still being kept on the down low as they were still in high school and Steve’s dad was just too big of a wild card to tell people that might get word back to him. Steve felt bad. Because it meant that Dustin and the other kids didn’t know about him and Eddie. Well...he was pretty sure Max had figured it out and maybe El, too. But everyone else was told that they were strictly bros.

A lie Eddie was surprisingly okay with. The last thing he wanted was Steve to get another concussion and if Billy and his gang scented blood in the water before, it would be a literal blood bath if Steve was even hinted at being in a relationship with another boy. Tommy and Billy could taunt all they wanted as long as there wasn’t any proof, they were fine.

It made Steve itch. But even he knew better than to scratch it.

He took a deep breath and stepped up to the starting block. He got in position and lowered his goggles. Out of the corners of his eyes he could see the other competitors look at each other, sizing each other up. But Steve was focused. He put his head down and took a deep breath. He loved the butterfly stroke. It worked his shoulders in a way that helped round out his strengths.

The whistle blew and they were off. Distantly he could hear people screaming his name and cheering him on every time he broke the water. He smiled and doubled his efforts. He touched the pad and the whistle blew. He then looked around at his competitors and saw to his satisfaction that he had definitely finished first.

Steve could hear Dustin freaking out in the stands. He pulled the goggles off his eyes and placed them on his head. He wiped the water out of his face and he looked to the stands.

Wayne was asking Claudia a question and she was explaining it animatedly. Steve grinned. He pulled himself out of the water and listened to the judges give the times. It was no record by any means, but it was much faster than his peers.

He stood up and Coach Hall raised his hand up. All his team members came up to him and cheering excitedly. Even the ones that he had beaten.

Steve sat on the sidelines and waited for the relay to start. That was his final event. He was first, followed by two other boys, Lyle and Nick, and then Ezra. Steve and Ezra were the teams two fastest swimmers and bookended the relay team.

Finally they were up. He looked up at the stands again. The most important people in Steve’s life were up there cheering him on. He got into position and pulled his goggles down. He zipped through the water like an otter and was soon tapping out for the next swimmer. He quickly got out of the way and was shocked to see that other team wasn’t even close. As each boy popped out of the water and looked at how far they were in front of the other team, they would start to jump up and down excitedly.

Soon it was the three of them waiting for Ezra to finish. There was no doubt they won. The question was whether or not they had beat the state record. Ezra tapped the board and hopped out of the water.

They waited in silence as the other team finished their run and got out of the pool. The judge must have had a flare for the dramatic as he read the other team’s time first. Steve and his team wrapped their arms around each other as they waited for the time.

Finally it was read.

“A new state record!” the judge called out.

Steve and his team started screaming and cheering.

“And thereby qualify for the regionals that will be held in Chicago this year in two weeks!” the judge continued.

They made it!

Steve looked up at the stands and the entire section that held the Hawkins fans were on their feet. Even Eddie had been lost in the sea of fans screaming their lungs out.

*

After he had showered and got the chlorine out of his hair, he walked out to all his friends waiting for him. They were holding up signs and cheering. Even Nancy and Jonathan were waiting for him.

“Steve, that was amazing, man,” Jonathan said. He snapped a a couple of pictures that left Steve blinking from the flash.

Nancy hugged him and then straightened out her skirt. She cleared her throat and said as professionally as possible, “Weekly Streak, as co-captain of the team, how does it feel making regionals for the first time in the school’s history?”

“Me and Ezra Wincott are both proud of how well our players did,” Steve said after shaking his head a little. “We’re disappointed that no one in the individual events made it, but grateful that we made it to state. It was an honor to compete.”

“Will the school be raising the money for the team to go?” Nancy asked.

Steve covered his wince with a half smile. This was a hotly contested subject between them about where school funds went. She thought that more money should go to arts like theater and the newspaper, of course.

“I wouldn’t know,” he said and pursed his lips. He licked a stripe over his upper lip and Eddie winced.

Eddie wondered if Nancy was familiar with Steve’s tell that he was seriously annoyed. Judging from her expression, probably not.

“It’s up to the administration where the funds go,” Steve said, dryly. “However, if it will help Lyle or Nick have the chance to go, I’m sure my parents would be willing to pay for me to go regardless of the school’s ability to fund the trip.”

Nancy and Eddie both scoffed, but they didn’t say anything.

“Any word on elections for next years captain or captains?” Nancy asked.

“We’ll be holding them after nationals,” Steve said. “Coaches Higgins and Hall have opted to continue with the co-captains as they have in the past few years.”

“Are you disappointed that none of the girls made it to state?” Nancy asked.

Eddie and Steve exchanged a glance over her head of exasperation. “Co-captains Laura Gilbert and Denise Portman led the girls to a great season. It was unfortunate that they went against better teams. The hope next year is that they are getting six new members next year that will freshen up the team.”

“And how many boys will be joining the team next year?”

Steve crossed his arms and licked his upper lip again, and it sent a not nice shiver down Eddie’s spine. He could tell that he was getting upset with Nancy’s questions.

“Not as many,” Steve said, knowing that was exactly why she asked. She was gloating that the girls were getting more players next year. “Only four. Which considering we’re losing six this year is quite the blow.”

“Just one last question,” Nancy said a sneer on her face. “Who are you celebrating with tonight?”

Everyone went dead silent. Steve wasn’t sure if she was being obtuse or if she was trying to out him, but it wasn’t appropriate by any stretch of the imagination.

“Friends and family,” Steve said with a sinister smile.

Nancy turned of the recorder and stuck it in her pocket. Both Eddie and Steve opened their mouths to protest, but Jonathan beat them to it.

“What the fuck was with that last question?” he growled as he packed away his camera.

Nancy rolled her eyes. “The school’s student editor is one of Tommy’s ilk and wanted me to ask it off all the people I interviewed, but especially Steve.”

“You do realize that only seven people in the whole school read the school newspaper, right?” Eddie asked. “Like everyone I know tosses it the second it gets handed to them.”

Nancy rolled her eyes. “Well maybe you guys should. It’s not just sports you know. The debate team also made it to state. The drama club got invited to perform at the drama conference with ‘Yours, Yours, Yours’ and a dozen other things that you would know if you read the only paper in town that cared about that sort of thing.”

Steve and Eddie looked at Marty and Janice and then back at Nancy.

“You do realize that that last example was a piss poor one right?” Steve asked, waving his hand to include Eddie, Janice and Marty. “We were all part of the play in some way. Of course we knew about the invite.”

Nancy rolled her eyes. “Okay, so that was a bad example. But you know what I mean.”

“It’s not the end of the world, Nance,” Dustin said. “You’re destined for greatness at some big name paper.”

Nancy blushed. “Thanks!”

Eddie smiled. “Come on, sweetheart. Uncle Wayne and I have celebration plans for you, big boy.”

Steve grinned. “Is Wayne going to barbecue like he’d been teasing all winter?”

Wayne laughed. “Not quite warm enough for that yet. I promise, once it is, I’ll blow your god damn mind.”

Steve laughed.

“No,” Claudia said with a smile. “We’re going for milk shakes at the diner. Best celebration there is.”

Steve high-fived Dustin.

****

Part 2 Part 3 Part 4 Part 5 Part 6 Part 7 Part 8 Part 9 Part 10 Part 11 Part 12 Part 13 Part 14 Part 15 Part 16

Tag List: @spectrum-spectre @estrellami-1 @zerokrox-blog @gregre369 @artiststarme ​@a-little-unsteddie @chaosgremlinmunson @messrs-weasley @chaoticlovingdreamer @maya-custodios-dionach @danili666 @goodolefashionedloverboi @val-from-lawrence @i-must-potato @carlyv @wonderland-girl143-blog @justforthedead89 @vecnuthy @irregular-child @bookbinderbitch @bookworm0690 @anne-bennett-cosplayer @yikes-a-bee @awkwardgravity1 @littlewildflowerkitten @genderless-spoon @counting-dollars-counting-stars @cinnamon-mushroomabomination @dragonmama76 @scheodingers-muppet @ellietheasexylibrarian @thedragonsaunt @useless-nb-bisexual

[rei-ismyname]

Magneto Cyclops Exodus Was Right

That's right, the craziest of the crazy. French Crusader from the 12th century turned Omega Mutant hero of Krakoa. The Black Knight's boyfriend and the guy who rebuilt Xavier's brain. The guy who looked at Catholicism and said 'nah, you're all wrong. Here's the real religion and I'm Pope.' Bennett Du Paris - Exodus.

This celibate sex God. He was right... about at least one thing, though it was a very important thing. Join me for a journey into the work of a prophet - a tale of a baby, a pink guy, and a big bird.

Eating a potato raw in his midriff with Kafka. It's true, he is definitely intense.

Exodus benefited immensely from the First Krakoan Age, getting a seat on the Quiet Council and all sins forgiven. Since being awakened by Magneto after centuries asleep, Exodus followed his beliefs that boil down to Mutant Supremacy + Catholicism put in a blender and mixed with whatever extremism the writer needed at the time. He was rudderless Pre-Krakoa, both in universe and out. He didn't make a lot of sense and was used as a pseudo religious fundamentalist powerhouse/troublemaker. His character and belief system on mutants' personal Eden with battles to build solidarity and support from a community for the first time in 900 years fit perfectly.

He started to grow, chill out a little bit, had his beliefs challenged and shared. He became Apostle to the Messiah, teacher to children, puncher of dragons. He was EXTRA (that's getting its own post) and, for the purposes of this post, he started to adapt scripture. Pope stuff. We don't get to read the New New Testament according to Exodus, but several things about his theology were made crystal clear.

1. God was still God, but mutants were the chosen few.

2. The Nazarene Mutant (Jesus) was a Messiah, but not the Messiah. Hope Summers is.

3. The Holy Spirit is The Phoenix. They are one and the same.

Got all that? In X-Men Forever, the Kurt/Raven/Destiny family subplot is playing out and comes to light during a 'council meeting.'

Hope is happy for Kurt learning about his parentage and she mentions in passing that she doesn't know who her bio dad was. Exodus, true to form, declared that the Holy Spirit (The Phoenix) 'quickened the womb of...' AKA immaculate conception. Hope has little patience for this, also true to form (plus by this point she knows she is going to die soon.) They're all in the White Hot Room, you see, mutant heaven kinda and Mother Righteous killed Jean/The Phoenix. They need to bring it back to beat this nasty AI God, Enigma. It's got a lot of steps so I'll simplify it.

1. Feed Hope to The Phoenix while shooting it.

2. Jean/Phoenix/Jeanix go kill the mean AI God.

The rest of the X-Men/Mutants bounce back to Earth to kill fascists and the girls get to work. The Gun is Legion and the 'she' being referred to is The Phoenix, who's scared. They need it to stay still for the ritual to work.

The AI God learns of these plans and, making use of his access to all of time and space, visits Hope's mother before she's pregnant in his sleazy ass human form. If he's her Dad then he'd be able to influence her and stop all this Phoenix business, or better, absorb it into his greedy, nasty self. He tells her (truthfully) that she'll die soon after giving birth by fire and it will not be pleasant. In the present, Jean notices Hope starting to change (picture Back to the Future when Marty is disappearing but also not) and realises what's going on.

Jean comes in with the truth and Enigma shoots himself in the foot because he's forgotten how to be anything but a selfish dick. Louise (Hope's bio mother) says BAD VIBES and he *tortures her.* She still says fuck off cos she's cool AF.

Louise doesn't even blink and signs up to do the right thing, though she doesn't want to fuck Jeanix. As soon as she consents, Jeanix touches her forehead and it's done! Back to normal reality for her. Boom, Hope is no longer all weird and completes the ritual...

... sadly dying. Pour one out, but know that she did this willingly. Died for our sins would be pushing it, she's better than Jesus - Hope died for our lives and happiness, and to kill a shitty God.

So with all that mumbo jumbo and time travel stuff, two new pieces of information are confirmed.

1. Hope is the goddamn Messiah. ❤️❤️

2. Her previously unknown father turned out to be The Phoenix AKA the motherfucking Holy Spirit.

Let's check back with Exodus and his thoughts on the matter...

EXODUS WAS RIGHT Y'ALL.

As established, Louise was neither DTF nor pregnant. Jeanix laid hands and quickened her womb. All dictionaries agree - quickening is entirely fetus-related. The Holy Spirit created a whole ass baby and it was our Messiah, Hope. Move over, Nazarene Mutant. Move over St Peter. Hope and Exodus are here. Joyously, Cable is still her father. He just gets to be her step-sister/half-brother too. Most importantly, Exodus was right. I'm pretty sure he knows, too. (Send an ask if you want proof.) Aren't comics great?

[httpiastri]

❣️I dont know if this is really a prompt, but could you write “aha!” moments for Paul, Pepe, and Ralf? Like when did they realize they wanted to date their person, what made them have that “aha!” moment. Thank you for considering this request.

❣️ – send me a prompt and one/a few drivers and i'll tell you how i think they would react!!

paul aron

paul's "aha!" moment is when he realizes how comfortable he is around you. it usually takes a lot for him to open up, and he doesn't do it with just anyone, so the fact that he feels so naturally relaxed with you makes him understand his feelings for you.

the exact moment comes one day when you're just casually spending time together at your apartment after he has come back from a race weekend. he's exhausted, his body aching with sore muscles and his mind crying out for some rest. usually, he would prefer to just be alone at home and sleep it off – but for some reason, he has come to enjoy being with you instead. there's just something about the way that you cook your signature dish for him without him even having to ask, the way you brush your fingers through his hair as he's snuggled to your side... the way he lets himself laugh so wholeheartedly to all of your jokes (even the not so funny ones). he realizes that he can let his guard down around you, which in turn makes him realize how special you are to him and how much he wants (needs) to keep you in his life.

pepe marti

pepe can be a whole baby when he's sick. it's not something he himself has realized before, and he hasn't believed his parents or sisters when they told him so. but when he's sick and he suddenly has you there to take care of him, he realizes how annoying and childlike he must be.

it's in one of these moments that pepe realizes his feelings for you. he's been sick with a fever for days, barely able to eat or do anything other than sleep. but oh how much better his life became the second you stepped in through his door and told him that you'd help him out. you cook for him, you help him take his meds, you keep the apartment clean... all of it despite the fact that he's clinging onto you like a baby 99% of the time.

he feels so guilty because you're spending so much time just on him when you have millions of other things you could do for yourself; but at the same time, he loves it and he almost wishes he could spend the rest of his life like this.

ralf aron

the thing that makes ralf realize that he likes you is the fact that you seem to get along so well with the people in his life.

he adores the way you act around his family; the way you became friends with his siblings in no time, the way you play around with his niece and nephew like they're your own younger siblings, the way you're so polite yet relaxed around his parents. he loves the fact that his mom loves you, and he's thankful that his dad approves too, because his family is important to him and he needs someone who fits right in.

the first time he brought you along to a race, he was so relieved to find you fit right in there, too. if you're someone naturally extroverted, he's thankful that you show off your bubbly personality on the side of the track aswell. and if you're naturally more introverted or shy, then he's pleasantly surprised to see the way that you seem so comfortable around his team despite how nervous you were before. the fact that you chat to his teammates without any issues, that his engineers and other team members adore you, and that the first thing he wants to do is search for you in the crowd when he's done racing...

the way you look so natural by his side, like your part in his life is no big deal, no matter where or when. seeing you in his life, he realizes that you're the missing puzzle piece to fit right into his side.

[strangemaleswaps]

Strange Cop Dad Swap

I made my way to the kitchen, expecting some good alcohol since Brittney was rich. Holy shit! There was a huge variety of everything! Now THIS is what I expected at a college party! Who fucking cared if I wasn't even in college yet, or old enough to drink? This shit is crazy!

"What would you like my good sir?" asked some random guy at the table. I didn't think he was an actual bartender, since he was wearing normal clothes. Probably just some weirdo.

"Oh I dunn-" I didn't even finish my sentence when he put something into a shaker and poured it into a red plastic cup. He then handed it to me. Well, I guess if I'm at a college party, I gotta act like a college party guy. I chugged it all down in a second. Suddenly my throat burned like hell.

"Fuck man, one step at a time! Save the chugging for cheap beer. These drinks are classier." He poured me another. "This time baby steps my man."

I was kinda mad, but accepted the drink anyway. I walked back into the living room where people were on the dance floor. I saw my buddy Trent dancing with yet another random girl he just met. I swear that dude solely exists to break hearts.

"Hey! Garrett! Did you get the drinks?

"I got one. If you want one, go get it yourself."

"Ah fuck you! But seriously though aren't you scared your dad's gonna show up? I mean he IS a cop around here."

"Probably not. I'm sure there's lots of parties going on right now. What are the chances that he'd come to this one?” I noticed someone started talking to Brittney. It must've been bad because she widened her eyes and turned the music off. With the new silence in the room, we could hear the blaring police sirens outside.

"Shit who called the cops?" Someone said. The door opened and none other than my stupid dad appeared. His ugly bald head reflected the multicolored lights and he looked around at everyone, while I tried to hide myself behind the crowd. Beside him was the sheriff, Marty. My dad may have been good friends with Marty but he didn’t have to bring the fucking sheriff for something as simple as this.

"Allright allright, party's over. Nobody's getting arrested as long as you cooperate." Everyone started walking out the door and I was exposed. My dad widened his eyes when he noticed me.

"Garrett?! What the fuck are you doing? You know better than that!" He just HAD to start the lecture NOW out of all times, embarrassing me in front of everyone.

"What? I can't come to a party now?"

"Don't try excuses on me! I saw that cup in your hand. What? You expect me to believe that's water? Get in the car. Everybody else move it!” We both started walking outside while Marty stayed to lead the others.

Inside the police car, we were silent for a while until he blew up on me once again.

"I can't believe you were fucking underage drinking! Do you have any idea how irresponsible you are?! You're in your senior year of high school. Do you really think that’s going to be a good habit when you go to college?! You're grounded until graduation. I don't care how harsh that sounds. Graduation you hear?” I knew that nothing I said would change anything so I kept my mouth shut the rest of the car ride. 

Back at home, we said nothing to each other as I walked up to my room and slammed the door. About an hour went by and I heard a knock, followed by my dad coming in.

"Hey."

"Go away."

"I just wanted to say that I overreacted a bit back there. It made me so angry seeing the type of person you might’ve ended up as." He was fumbling with his wedding ring. I don't know why he keeps it on anyway. I never knew my mom, and it's clear my dad is divorced so why does he wear a damn wedding ring? He needs to find a girlfriend or something!

“You have no idea how stressful it is! Why can’t I go to some little party just to unwind?”

“I was young once too! I just don’t want you to go down a bad path. You have so much more to learn. This isn’t a good habit to form when you go to college.” It was then that I blew up on him.

“Hey at least I am going to college! Unlike a certain dumbass cop…” His eyes widened and I saw nothing but pure anger on his face,

"I was going to shorten your grounding sentence, but after that attitude not anymore!" He then slammed the door once again.

Trent texted me a bit later, asking if I was going to be able to go to Brittney’s homecoming party. Shit! I forgot about that! There was no way I was going to miss it so we devised a plan for me to sneak out.

The night arrived and I had my plan all set. Trent was going to call the cops on some other party to lure my dad away. When he leaves, Trent will come and pick me up and it's party time! I was in my room pretending to be bored, when right on schedule, my dad came in.

"I got another dumbass party to shut down so stay here, and don't even think about leaving this room. You're still grounded." He had a serious look in his eye.

"Sure sure. I'll be good," I said sarcastically. I looked out the window and as soon as his car was out of sight, I texted Trent. Within minutes he arrived. I quickly got dressed and he picked me up.

"Dude, you're either the bravest guy ever, or the stupidest."

"Hey, I won't stay too long. Just enough to see what it's like really. And then I'll be back in my room before he comes home."

The house was easily twice as packed as the last party, it was incredible. Brittney came down the stairs and approached me with a confused look on her face.

"Hey, wait I thought you were grounded or something. Aren't you afraid your dad is gonna come back? He better not."

"Nah, relax. He's doing some other stupid police work. I won't stay too long anyway."

"Allright, if you say so."

I went to the kitchen, like last time, to find an even bigger variety of drinks! Nobody else was in there so I thought I'd experiment myself this time. I picked up the shaker and started pouring drinks, even though I didn't know what the hell they were. But I didn't care! I'm just glad I was able to sneak away from my dad. I tried the drink and…well it was actually awful. Oh well. I headed to the dance floor and started showing off my moves. I could hear everyone cheering me on until I felt a bit faint. The last thing I remembered was falling over and a couple people looking at me concerned.

When I opened my eyes, I was outside in the dark. What happened? Was I that drunk and they kicked me out? I felt pretty normal though. I walked back up to the door. When I closed it, a draft flew in, which was especially cold on my head for some reason. I let out a deep breath and when I turned around, everyone was staring at me. But it wasn't the type of confused stare I expected; it was a terrified stare. The music stopped and it felt like they were staring into my soul.

"Uh, I'm ok now.” My voice sounded really weird. There was an awkward silence until someone shouted in the back.

"Well party's over…AGAIN!" As everyone started walking out, I noticed Brittney was yelling at someone on the floor.

"Nah, fuck you Garrett. You're not allowed here again. Get up!" Weird coincidence that there was a guy with the same name as me on the dance floor too. As the crowd cleared, I felt a chill down my back as I found “Garrett” looked exactly like me! He seemed to be unconscious. When I approached him and Brittney, she looked up at me…which was weird because we were the same height. Did she get shorter or something?

"Oh uh, he didn't get beat up or anything bad. Just had a few drinks I guess." She spoke so compliantly, unlike the normal way she gives me attitude with every sentence. I noticed the guy on the floor was wearing my clothes too. He didn't just look like me, he WAS me! Was he a clone or something? What's going on? A breeze came through the still-opened door and hit my head again. Why is it so cold up there? I touched the back of my head, and felt a smooth spot. What the fuck? I searched around for my hair…for ANY hair! But all I could find was a smooth bald head. It couldn't be…I looked down at myself and found I was wearing a police officer's uniform, complete with the badge and full utility belt. Brittney stared at me, concerned.

"Is uh everything all right, officer?" No no! Don't call me that!

"I uh, can I use your bathroom?"

"Uh yeah, it's up the stairs and to the left."

As I made my way up and through the hallway, I stared down at my hands, noticing eerily similar things - a wedding ring and a watch that looked exactly like the one my dad wore. I opened the bathroom door and quickly locked it. I gazed into the mirror to find my fears had come true. I turned into my dad!

I grabbed my cheeks and tried pinching them, to make sure it wasn't all a prank and I was just wearing a mask, but nope. I could feel it all. It was real. Fuck! I saw how smooth and shiny my head was; I knew he shaved his head every morning, but I didn't realize how smooth doing that actually made it. It's like a fuckin bowling ball. I hate this! I had long hair before and now it's just all gone! It was freezing up there! I hated cops, so it was really uncomfortable wearing an officer's uniform too.

"Hey are you ok in there?" It was Brittney. I faked a flush and washed my hands.

"Is Garrett still asleep?" It felt weird referring to myself in the 3rd person.

"Yeah he won't wake up."

"I'll just carry him to the car."

Brittany walked to the kitchen, probably to clean up the alcohol before I saw the amount of it. When I got to the living room, I found Marty standing there. He looked up when he approached me and pointed at me. 

“Hey you! What do you think you’re doing?” Shit. Does he know?! 

“I’m sorry I-” He turned his fake frown into a smile.

“Don’t be. Sometimes we just can’t let anything else come before our duty. Even me.” He leaned over to kiss me. What?! What’s going on? “I guess we’ll have to reschedule that date to some other time.”

A date? Does this mean the whole time, my dad was gay? And for Marty? Was the whole wedding ring thing a facade? Marty actually had one too so maybe they both did it to prevent a scandal within the police department or something? I snapped back to reality when I noticed Marty was still waiting for an answer.

“Uh yeah, sure. Of course!”

“Good! Let me know!” He rubbed my bald head. It was then that I started getting hard …my dad's cock was getting hard. Marty wasn’t my type though! But suddenly the thought of him was making me feel good. Is this because I'm in my dad's body or because he's flirting with me? 

I picked up..myself..off the dance floor and put him over my shoulder. I walked over to my dad's police car, and reached into my pocket for the keys to open it. I placed…myself inside, buckled him in, took my phone out of his pocket, and sat down in the driver's seat. I always hated my dad and hated cops in general but it felt pretty awesome actually sitting in the driver's seat of a police car. Like one of those movies where they have to steal one to save the world or something. The flashing lights were still on, but luckily I knew how to turn them off. I pressed the button and began driving home.

When I got home, I picked up my body once again, and carried him. It didn't really occur to me earlier, but if I'm in my dad's body, does this mean he's in my body? Fuck, I can't stand the thought of my dad going around embarrassing me in front of everyone! But he still hadn't woken up yet. What if whatever magical spell made us swap was keeping him asleep? But if he does wake up I need somewhere to put him at least. I walked upstairs and towards his room, and placed him on his own bed. I guess that'll do. I went over to my own room and plopped onto my bed, the pillow feeling extra comfy touching my bare head. I rubbed it again, actually kinda enjoying how it felt. Even though the body belongs to my dad, I'm still borrowing it right now. So I guess I have the freedom to touch myself anywhere. Not that I would want to go…down there. That's my dad's cock, gross! But I'm gonna need to jerk off eventually; I'm already feeling kinda horny now…but why? The thought of Marty crossed my mind and I suddenly was imagining him naked. Shit, not this again. He kinda was cute though, in like a lame cop kinda way. Man, I honestly wanna fuck him now.

At this point my cock was getting so stiff that I could barely take it. I started stripping, taking the heavy utility belt off first. Each garment came off until I was just in my dad's boxers.

I can't believe I was about to do this. I felt around my new dad bod, then peeled the underwear down to see my dad's cock. It was actually pretty big, maybe like 10 inches or so! So nasty…but I had to focus on the thought of Marty to stay hard. I took the underwear off so I was fully nude, laid down on my bed and started jerking it. I imagined Marty cornering me against the wall, kissing me until he grabbed my cock. He then got down on his knees and started sucking it until…I was pulled out of my fantasy and came. The white load shot all over my bed, much further than I could ever do in my body! After the climax wore off, I realized how gross it was that my dad's cum was all over my bed. But it felt so good! Actually, I have no clue how long I'm gonna be like this, or how long my dad is going to stay asleep so I could definitely take over his life for a bit. I'm not grounded anymore! Even better, I guess I'm a cop now so I have power and authority! I took my dad's phone - I mean MY phone - and called up Marty.

"Hey Marty, I have an idea…”

[oneforthemunny]

under pressure |older!dilf!eddie munson x reader| part 8

prompt: after your parents find out you're dating an older man, they demand to meet him. or older!eddie meets your parents.

age gap relationship. reader is 26 and eddie is 42. all consensual.

glorious eddie edit used in the pictures above is by the amazing @eddiemunsons-missingnipple :) everyone say thank you!

contains: older!dilf!eddie, age gap, language, reader's dad is kinda assertive

Eddie's hands stayed on the wheel, which was odd because one usually gripped your thigh, held your hand, thumb stroking the top of your knuckles. Eddie looked ahead, wiping his palms on the front of his jeans for the fifth time since you left your apartment- he was nervous.

You couldn't really blame him for being anxious. Your stomach had been knotted and twisted since the afternoon before, when your mother called you, frantic and demanding.

"Mom, what are you talking about?" You asked, phone pressed to your shoulder, trying to lock your classroom door as quickly as possible.

Her voice was shrill, urgent from the moment you answered. She'd called you six times before, a string of texts from her and your sister. You'd worried something might have happened, an emergency that demanded your attention.

"I ran into Brielle's mother today. Madeline's friend?" Your mother snipped, voice tight. "I saw her mother, Gina, at the store today." Your heart dropped, stopping in the hallway. The mention of Eddie's ex sent a icy chill down your spine, tensing your shoulders.

"She told me that my daughter was dating her ex-husband." Your mother paused, and you stayed quiet. "Brielle's father?"

Your silence told her everything she needed to know, sending her into a frantic bombarding of questions, most revolving around Eddie's age. You'd managed to calm her down enough to silence her erratic questions, but not enough to dismiss it all together.

Oh no, your parents wanted to meet Eddie.

You had never seen Eddie so flustered, nervous. When you'd told him, you were sure he was going to pass out, paling at what you asked him. Yet, he agreed.

You pulled up to the familiar childhood home your family resided in since they moved to Hawkins. You looked over at Eddie, scanning his wild, wide brown eyes. "Hey, don't be nervous." You said quietly. "They're-They're really nice. They'll love you, ok? You just..." You took a deep breath in. "They'll have a lot of questions, so I'll handle them, ok?"

Eddie nodded, pulling his keys out of the ignition. He ran over to your side, opening the door before you could. His hands twitched in his jacket pocket, desperately fighting the urge to grab the cigarettes in his coat pocket. He hadn't felt this anxious since Brielle was born.

You rang the doorbell, stepping back and wrapping your arm around his. "It'll be ok. I promise." You whispered, placing a soft kiss to his cheek before the door swung open.

Your father stood there, eyes narrowed, challenging and intimidating towards Eddie. "Daddy," You smiled, dropping your arm from Eddie's to greet your father. He hugged you, pressing a kiss to your head while muttering a greeting, eyes furious back at Eddie.

You stepped back, clearing your throat uncomfortably. "Uh, Daddy, this is Eddie." You said, motioning towards your boyfriend. "Eddie, this is my Dad, Marty-"

"So, you're Eddie?" Your dad asked, stepping out of the home towards Eddie.

Eddie could feel sweat form on his hairline, discreetly trying to wipe his palms on his jacket pocket. "Yes," He smiled, his best, forced smile towards your dad. "It's a pleasure to meet you-"

"You're Brielle's dad," Your dad started, eyes narrowing in challenge. "Right?"

Eddie swallowed the lump in his throat. "Yeah, I am." He nodded, eyes flicking to yours. You shot him an apologetic look. "I... Madeline and Brielle are really great friends. She's a great girl- Well, both your girls are." Eddie cringed internally when your father's brows lifted at his admission.

There was silence, thick and uncomfortable in the air. "Yeah, they are." Your dad agreed after a moment.

"Oh, you're here, honey." Your mother said, coming to the door and opening it. She embraced you, turning to Eddie with a warm smile. "You must be Eddie. It's so great to meet you." She hugged him tightly. "Please, come in."

Madeline craned her neck, shooting you a wicked grin from the couch. You glared at her, shaking your head. Your mother was busy chatting to Eddie, offering him drinks and taking his coat, trying to make him feel as welcome as possible. It was hard with your dad's harsh glare still following Eddie's every move.

"Hi, Mr. Munson." Madeline greeted, waving from the couch.

Eddie smiled. "Hi, Madeline." He said, looking around the room, taking in the countless family portraits on the wall. "How are you doing?"

"Good." Madeline replied.

You sat next to your sister, placing your hand on Eddie's thigh when he sunk beside you. Your dad settled in his arm chair. Your mother sitting on the ottoman in front of him. "I have just a few things finishing cooking, then dinner should be ready." She smiled. There was silence.

"So, Eddie," Your mother started. "I'm told you work at the auto shop?"

Eddie nodded. "I do." He said cooly. "I'm a mechanic. I've worked there since I was eighteen."

Your mother smiled politely. "That's wonderful." She said, looking over at you. "Is that where the two of you met?" It was hopeful, forced, like she wanted that to be the story. You guessed Gina informed her otherwise when she cornered her at the supermarket.

"No. We met when I was taking Brielle home one night." You said, eyes avoiding your dad's.

"Oh," Your mother chirped, eyes cutting towards your father's. "How nice."

Your face flamed, uncomfortable and embarrassed. Not of Eddie, but for Eddie. You knew this was difficult for him, it was for you. An unavoidable obstacle in your relationship that was forced on the two of you.

The shrill of the kitchen timer saved the two of you, your mother excusing herself to get the dinner out, your father grumbling something about helping her. You reached over to Eddie, squeezing his hand in yours gently.

Eddie looked over, giving you a small smile, but his heart hadn't stopped beating, hammering hard under his ribcage. This was going to be a long night, he was sure of it.

***

"So, Eddie," The grumbled question came from your father, after a painfully uncomfortable and forced small talk at the dinner table. Eddie's eyes raised to meet his. "How old are you?"

The dreaded question you'd all been dancing around all night.

Your mother set down her fork, looking at Eddie curiously. Your sister's eyes met yours, grimacing sympathetically.

Eddie cleared his throat softly. "I'm forty-two." He said, trying to avoid the way your father's eyebrows rose.

"Hm," Your father hummed, nodding slowly.

"So, what exactly does a forty-two year old and a twenty-six year old have in common?" Your dad challenged, head cocking to the side and eyes narrowed.

"Marty," Your mother hissed.

"Dad," Your cheeks flamed.

"What? It's a reasonable question, don't you agree, Eddie?" Your dad asked, motioning to Eddie. "I'm just curious. I mean, you're nearly twenty years older than her-"

"Dad!"

"-I just want to know what the two of you have in common." Your dad continued. "What brought the two of you together?"

You apologized to Eddie, glaring at your father. Eddie shook his head, eyes meeting your father's. "No, it's fine, honey. It's a fair question." He said softly to you. "I know I'm not exactly what you wanted for your daughter, I do. I never thought I'd date someone so young either." Eddie admitted. "But your daughter is...incredible. She's kind, and funny, and caring. You have a great daughter. You both did an amazing job raising her and you should be proud."

Your mother beamed, looking over at your father. Eddie continued. "I'm lucky that your daughter wants to be with me, and-and I'm really glad she is." Eddie smiled over at you.

You grinned, squeezing Eddie's and lovingly under the table. You wanted to kiss him, his heart felt confession making your heart flutter.

Your father looked at you, face still neutral. Your shoulders fell, tensing under his stare. "Are you happy?" He asked.

The room fell silent. The question shocked you. "Yes," You said, nodding. "Yes, Dad, I am."

Your father sighed, looking over at Eddie. "You take care of my girl." He said. "I know you know what it's like, so... treat her nice."

Eddie nodded. "I will." He said, giving a small smile.

You smiled at him, lacing your fingers with his under the table. Your father softened, chatting with Eddie about work at the shop. Your heart fluttered, warmth comfortability filling the pit of your stomach. It felt like a weight had been lifted, your secret that was now less secret than before.

[knickynoo]

As I've been (very slowly) working on my 1985A Marty fic, I had some interesting thoughts regarding that whole world. Obviously, Biff and Lorraine have a supremely messed up marriage, but you know what idea popped into my head and ran rampant for a while? An AU where Biff and Lorraine end up having a child of their own at some point in that timeline.

I mean, there are just so many directions to take that and so much room to explore what changes that would bring. I just couldn't stop thinking about the potential family dynamic. Biff with three step-kids he can't stand and then a child of his own who he puts on a pedestal and treats like royalty. A kid who is never targeted for any mistreatment and is the very clear favorite growing up seeing the dysfunction all around them as if it's normal and "just the way things are." Maybe, even from a young age, the kid knows things aren't right. They wonder why things are so unbalanced—why Dad is always so angry and mean to the rest of the family—but is powerless to do much of anything about it.

No doubt Biff would be trying to turn the child against his half-siblings from day 1, but what if it didn't work? What if he ended up with a kind-hearted kid who rejects all the brainwashing and loves their mother and everyone else? (Or, alternately, what if they do buy into the brainwashing and turn into a tiny little terror? A pint-sized Biff)

And then I was thinking of Marty. Caught in this weird place of living with this horrible step-father but maybe having a decent relationship with his little half-sibling. Knowing that it isn't their fault and being able to look at this kid—this piece of Biff—with love. Navigating the tumultuous, horrific environment while also trying to be a good big brother.

And Lorraine! Sad and broken in this life she never wanted but mothering the best she can. Seeing this child as perhaps the only good thing to have come from her marriage with Biff. A little bit of hope and light.

I don't know. Just been fixated on the concept.

[murmaiderii]

A BETTER WORLD CHAPTER 5: FREAKS

MDNI

Also available on ao3

They lay next to each other, wide-eyed and wordless. Stan is in utter disbelief that this actually happened. His eyes keep flicking over to the naked woman to his left, confirming that this is real. The last thing he ever expected to happen, maybe second only to reconciling with his brother. It’s a toss up. She stays focused on the ceiling, wondering how long that one chip in the paint has been there. 

Marty is no stranger to doing stupid shit to get back at her parents, but this? Stan is by far the oldest man she’s been with, and she’s been with a few older men in her time. But other than being old, he was also good. Like, she would fuck him again, he was that good. Better than any age appropriate man she’s ever been with by a light year. 

“I, uh, I gotta say, Stan. That wasn’t half bad,” Marty finally says. 

“Right back atcha, kid,” Stan responds quietly. Marty stiffly gets out of bed and gets dressed. 

“My family usually isn’t home at this time of day, if you wanna sneak into their house and shower,” Marty offers. Stan puts his clothes back on as well.

“Lead the way.” Stan and Marty exit the bar and cross the street, neither one properly dressed for the frigid weather. They step on the front porch and Marty punches in the security code for the house, blocking the view of it from Stan. 

“Stay out here for a minute. I’m just gonna check that the place is clear.” Marty closes the door and leaves Stan on the porch. He looks up at the two story, well kept house and scoffs. 

“That broad don’t know how good she got it,” he grumbles to himself. If he had grown up in a house like this with parents who cared enough to worry about his future, he would’ve put up with all the nagging in the world. Works in his favor that she’s so resistant to her parents, though. He wouldn’t have been able to get her in bed without her misguided rebellion. 

“All good, come in.” She lets Stan into her childhood home. He whistles. 

“Shit, this is the place you hate so much? I’d kill to live here.”

“You only say that cuz you don’t know this town or the people who live in it.”

“Not like ol’ Glass Shard Beach is much better.”

“A beach, huh? I wouldn’t mind living on a beach.” She goes to the linen closet and pulls out two towels, tossing one to Stan. “Bathroom’s around that corner. Don’t steal anything.” She goes upstairs to the master bathroom while Stan takes the smaller one, the bathroom that’s primarily used by Dana since it’s closest to her room. The bathroom is clean and feminine. A box of tampons sits on a white rack. There’s potpourri and a candle on the sink. The body wash in the shower is cherry blossom scented. He’s going to have to deal with smelling girly all day. 

What he wouldn’t do to have a bathroom this nice. The one on the boat is less than ideal. It’s small and he doesn’t clean it enough and he can barely squeeze into his shower with all the weight he’s gained over the years. Maybe he’ll just live at the bar forever and have Marty sneak him into the house every day so he can pretend this place is his, if only for an hour or two. 

He showers a little longer than usual, just to savor the feeling of normalcy. He doesn’t really know what to do with himself when he’s done. The only clothes he has are the ones he was already wearing. He could ask Marty if her dad has any clothes he can borrow, but it’s a long shot. After drying off a little, he walks upstairs in search of Marty, only covered by his towel. She just saw him naked half an hour ago, so it’s not like he needs to worry about decency. 

He finds Marty in her childhood bedroom, wearing a fluffy black robe with a small image of Kuromi embroidered on the breast. She hears him enter her room and turns to him. “Better not forget your clothes in the bathroom. Don’t need my parents grilling me about that.”

“Ya don’t have anything I could wear, do ya? My clothes are gettin’ a little ripe.”

“No, my dad’s clothes wouldn’t fit you. I’d let you wash them, but that’d probably take too long.” She sits down on the edge of her old bed. “I don’t think it’ll be that bad if you wear them for a little while. I’ll drive you to your boat.”

“Thanks, kid.” He sits down next to her. They both stare at the light terracotta wall, the only decoration on it a painting of a field of tulips that Marty’s mom hung up. Stan looks around at the three other walls, all completely bare. All of her bedding is white. Her closet is empty, the robe she’s currently wearing being one of the only things she keeps at this house in case she stays the night. “I know I don’t really know you, but this place doesn’t seem like your style.”

“It's my mom’s style. I wanted to paint my room black and put up some Goya and O’Keeffe paintings. She said decorating my room like that would make me depressed,” Marty explains. 

“Because this isn’t depressing at all, right?” Stan gestures around the room and all its nothingness. 

“Exactly. My apartment might suck, but at least I can put up some light strips and have a comforter with a little alien face pattern on it.” His brother would probably like an alien face comforter. “But I can’t go back for a little while, until my damn neighbors calm down. Might have to share the bed in the bar with you after all, cuz I don’t think I can take another night here.”

“Hey, if ya need help with your neighbors, why not bring me over to protect you? I could probably take ‘em,” Stan suggests. Marty thinks about the size of her neighbors. The man is significantly smaller than Stan, with a lot less muscle.

“That’s… actually, that might work.” 

“Wait, seriously? I didn’t think you’d actually go for that.”

“Well, it solves both of our problems, and I can just pepper spray you if you do something outta line, so why not have you stay for a week or so?” Stan grins ear to ear. 

“You’re a freakin’ angel, Marty.” He pats her on the back. 

“I know. Get dressed. We’re gonna get your shit from your boat and go the hell home.”

He wouldn’t let her on the boat. He’s too embarrassed about the state of it, and he wants to attempt to look somewhat good in her eyes in hopes he might get lucky a second time. He throws most of his earthly possessions into a duffel bag and leaves his boat behind, hoping he can convince her to extend his stay with her until winter ends and the boat can function again. 

“You promise you won’t let them hurt me?” Marty asks. 

“I’d like to see ‘em try to fuck with you. I’ll make them wish they were never born,” Stan assures her.

“The woman, I could handle alone. But I don’t think I could fight two people at once,” she says. 

“You take her, I’ll take the man. Don’t wanna hit a woman, anyways. Will if I have to, though.” Marty finally smiles. They pull into her parking spot, running over some empty cans. 

“Fuckin’ animals…” Marty grumbles. She picks up the cans on her way out of the car and dumps them in a garbage can. “Gotta get the damn landlord to put a few recycling bins around.”

“Eh, I’ve seen much filthier.” 

“So? Just because there are people that have it worse doesn’t mean I can’t want nice things,” she responds. He shrugs. Can’t argue with that. She leads him into the building and up the elevator to her fourth story apartment. She’s visibly nervous as she unlocks the door to her place. Stan puts a hand on her shoulder. 

“I’m serious, kid. I’m not gonna let them hurt you,” Stan promises. She sighs in relief and lets him into her studio apartment. He looks around at what she’s done with the small space. LED light strips wrap around the perimeter of the lower wall, just above the siding. The Goya and O’Keeffe paintings she spoke of earlier are hung on the walls. There’s a small, gray couch and a flatscreen TV set on a wooden cabinet against the wall. She has an okay gaming computer on an outdated wooden desk. The screensaver on it displays an animation of Hello Kitty and Friends. Going with that theme, she has large plushies of Cinnamoroll, Keroppi, and My Sweet Piano. This is definitely a girl’s apartment. 

“If you judge me for having stuffed animals, I’m kicking you out,” she warns, flopping into bed and pulling the Keroppi plushie close. 

“I dunno, I think it’s kinda cute,” he says. He flops down next to her and gives her a kiss to the shoulder. “Wanna get back at your parents again?”

“Later. We just showered,” she reminds him. Nevertheless, he’s absolutely elated. She’s going to fuck him again, and that’s all he could have hoped for. As if they received a cue from the universe, Marty’s neighbors commence their arguing, loud and clear enough that she and Stan can make out every word.

“Shit, that’s worse than I expected,” Stan says with a whistle.

“I should get a fucking recording of it and send it to my mom. See how she spins this into my fault then.” Marty turns on her stomach and pulls her plushies arms around her ears to smother the sound. She’s clearly not in the mood to entertain him.

“Uh, mind if I turn on the tube for a while?” He asks.

“Knock yourself out,” she mumbles into her pillow. He sinks his butt into her couch, savors the feeling of sitting on some proper furniture for once, and clicks the TV on. He flips through the channels until he finds an airing of Cash Wheel. The volume is pretty low, but not low enough to avoid detection from the neighbors.

“Hey, the bitch is back!” The male neighbor shouts through the wall.

“Gonna teach that little slut a fucking lesson!” The female hisses. Marty sits up and rushes to Stan. He puts his arms on hers.

“I got this,” he promises. The neighbors start banging on Marty’s door, screaming for her to “show her whore face.” Stan marches to the door and swings it wide open. “The hell do you want?” The couple’s faces go pale. Here’s this man they’ve never seen before, whose arms are easily twice the size of the man’s, glaring down at them.

“Y-you that whore’s new pimp or some’n?” The man asks, trying and failing to sound tough. 

“You folks should leave. And quit yer yelling. It’s pissing everyone off,” Stan warns. 

“Gonna have your man fight your battles for you? Come out and face us, you pussy!” The woman yells past Stan to Marty. Marty sticks both middle fingers up at the woman.

“Don’t you disrespect my girl like that!” The man tries to lunge past Stan to attack Marty, but Stan sticks his arm out and pushes the man to the ground. “Stay outta this, old man! I ain’t above cracking an old guy’s ribs!” Despite his threatening words, the man struggles to get up. The woman tries to help him to his feet, but he swats her away.

“C’mon, baby. We’ll just get her next time. He can’t be by her side all the time.” The man shakily stands and spits at Stan’s feet.

“This ain’t over, old bastard.” They slink back to their apartment in shame. Stan slams the door shut.

“Jeez, what freaks,” Stan scoffs. Marty runs right into his chest and squeezes the life out of him.

“You totally saved my ass! I don’t have to stay at my parents’ ever again!” Marty squeals into Stan’s chest. “You’re never allowed to leave my side.”

“Keep putting me up and you can handcuff yourself to me for all I care.” Stan pats Marty on the back and goes back to watching TV.

“I gotta go to work in an hour. Come with me. I’ll make us dinner after.”

“Sure thing, kid.” She smiles at her new bodyguard and silently giggles. She’s glad he walked into her bar last night.

[irish-urn]

I’ve been reading Dasey fics and theres always this conflict about how Casey is scared to reveal her feelings because of her morals and what family and friends are going to think but then like a couple chapters later, they get together and it’s never brought up again. So my question is, how do you think the family would navigate through this? I can imagine Nora and George being confused and surprised in the beginning but I don’t know. I always love to hear your thoughts.

OH BOY MY FAVOURITE KIND OF QUESTION. Thank you sooooo much for hitting me up!! I love chatting!!! <3 <3 <3

Okay, so. SO. I think in EVERY universe I am working in (with the exception of the Hades AU), I have George and Nora reacting poorly. I genuinely believe with ALL MY HEART that they would be completely blind-sided by Derek and Casey getting together. We see this in my main college series kick at the darkness 'till it bleeds daylight, but I stand by this for... pretty much every version of Derek and Casey. Even the AUs where they aren't stepsiblings, I imagine George and Nora are just totally befuddled by them.

BUT, for the sake of this ask, let's look at canon. I believe that Nora has this idea in her head of a perfect family -- and she failed the first time with Dennis. Dennis was, in theory, the perfect man, the kind of man everyone expected her to marry. And that marriage failed. So now she's trying again with George, and it's messy and complicated, but dammit if she isn't going to do her best to make it seem like they are the perfect blended family. There's also all the pressure she puts on Casey -- while I don't believe Nora intends to do this, the fact is that likely after the divorce, Nora was overwhelmed and Casey saw this and, being who she is, just stepped up to the plate and took on extra responsibilities. Nora was grateful (obviously) and so proud that her daughter(s) are young women she can depend upon, and so she just... keeps leaning and trusting Casey to be the perfect Grade A daughter.

When it comes to George: I think he loves his kids. I think he's tried to be a good dad for them. I think they were fed, sheltered, and had a lot of fun with him, and very little discipline. I think, as a result, Marti and Derek are brats -- and the only reason Edwin is less of one is because DEREK keeps him in line. But Edwin can be pretty bratty too. What does this mean? It means that when Derek does reach out for help or does do something mature and right, it's usually either ignored or seen as "too little too late". I think that Derek and George have a lot of the same flaws, and George sees a lot of his younger self in Derek. And, as we see in LWL, neither George nor Nora view Derek as having grown up at all, despite the fact that his life is arguably in better shape than Casey's and he's far more mature than George.

What does this mean for them being faced with Dasey? I think Nora would FREAK and I think George would follow her lead. From my re-watch of the show, Nora spends a lot of time correcting George's parenting techniques; sometimes George convinces her to relax because it's not a big deal, and sometimes Nora convinces George to take things more seriously. But I do SERIOUSLY think that Nora would see her perfect, good daughter claiming to be in love WITH HER STEPBROTHER, the young man that Nora sees as a SON; and I think Nora would immediately refuse it. Because Nora has spent so much time trying to fix what she broke before; and I think she would see this relationship as, like, a cannonball aimed at her McTuri ship. I think George would see his wife incredibly upset and, judging by how he treats and views Derek, would take her side.

I think, at best, both parents would see this as a temporary rebellion on Casey's side, and just an impulsive move from Derek. I can just imagine George reminding Nora that Casey is a very attractive girl and Derek LIKES girls; of course he'd go after her if he had a shot. I think then there would be lots of mumbles of, "But he should know better than to go after his sister; I guess we expected too much from him; it'll blow over, he never commits to anything for long." (which is not true, btw. Look at hockey, look at film, look at his best friends (from his CHILDHOOD), look at his family. When Derek loves, he COMMITS.)

That being said, I think that, if Casey and Derek stuck to their guns and held their ground, Nora and George would eventually cave because, and I do stress this, they love their children. Nora loves Casey; George loves Derek. Neither wants to disown them or push them away. So, I think they would, after a lot of talking and Dasey determination, try to be okay with it.

I think, for a long time, it would be a "fake it until you make it" kind of thing. I think they would pretend to be okay with it because the other option is Derek and Casey not being around, and that's going to break up the family as much as (if not more so) them breaking up would. I think Nora makes contingency plans for when they break up. I think Nora has a lot of talks with Casey to check in; I think Casey is very private about her relationship with Derek and has been hurt by the reaction, and so is hesitant to divulge much information. I think this doesn't help calm Nora down whatsoever. I think George probably talks to the other kids (who I will get to in a minute) to try to understand. I think he kind of does, but doesn't trust his son enough not to screw it up.

I think it's years before George and Nora would actually be okay with it; and I think it would be one of those things where they pretended for so long eventually it became real. One day, Nora realized that when she said, "How sweet!" about something Derek did for Casey, she meant it. I suspect that this realization makes her sit down and think about her choices for a long time; and then I think she might apologize to Casey and finally start mending their relationship.

THE KIDS: I think they KNOW that Derek and Casey do not view each other as siblings. I think, especially as Edwin and Lizzie get older, they recognize UST for what it is. I think they love their siblings very much and recognize that the best thing for all of them is for them to be together.

THAT BEING SAID: I don't think it's a smooth transition for them. I think they probably find it SUPER weird at first. I think they told themselves for MONTHS that they would be supportive; and then they see Casey give Derek a kiss, and their brains explode a little. I think Marti is more okay with it than Edwin and Lizzie, but that's because she knows how much her Smerek loves Casey, and all kissing is gross, they're not special. I think Edwin and Lizzie try SO HARD to be cool about it, but it takes time. But I think both Derek and Casey, although hurt about their discomfort, understand that it's not disapproval, it's just growing pains and the awkwardness of seeing your sibling being sappy and in love. I think they'd adapt MUCH quicker than Genora, but would probably take more time than they thought, and I think Edwin and Lizzie would be disappointed in themselves.

Simon? I have NO idea. It depends on how old he is when they get together and the circumstances around it. Honestly, if you want, I can give you my HC on how everyone handles Derek and Casey getting together after LWL if you want, as opposed to as young adults.

This was a really long answer, but it's a complicated situation. I promise you that in any fic I have that has Derek and Casey getting together and the family involved, I wouldn't just brush over the family reaction. I love the fact that it would be dramatic, because it allows for conflict and relationship growth that isn't cheating or miscommunication or all those other tropes I dislike so much. This is a real and heartbreaking conflict that could make or break Dasey; and I love playing with the complications of family.

Please, please, reach out if you want any more of my thoughts or if you want me to expand on any of this. I looooooove talking about this stuff. Makes me cackle like a little gremlin.

[sadkidwithocs]

Dad’s friends no.4 The man never grows up

Dad’s friends no.1 Adrian Adonis

Dad’s friends no.2 Tito Santana

Dad’s friends no.3 Mike Rotunda

[Faren’s part]

“Never grow up”, this phrase can define Marty undoubtedly, because he likes to live in crazy and fun life, never lets his age dictate his life or his sense of fun.. The year 1991 was probably the most chaotic time of my wrestling career, but at the same time, it was full of color. And most of that chaos, of course, came from this guy.

Marty was truly one of a kind. He was cheerful, charming, and always talkative, but at the same time, he was always lazy when it came to training. I often think that if wrestlers were like students in a classroom, Marty would be the kid in the back row who didn’t care about lessons, always distracted, and loved to prank others just for fun. But he always has high score anyway and was adored by the girls.

Even though he was entirely different from Shawn, his tag team partner, they were equally talented in their own ways. Shawn seemed more serious and ambitious, while Marty… well, as I said, he lived for the fun of it all.

I was close to Marty, mainly because we were about the same age (I was older than him just 1 year), had similar height and weight causing we often trained together. And honestly, we were both talkative and meddlesome..which made us click so quickly. I could confide in him about anything, whether it was something stupid I did or just silly questions.(Because serious question or something about kids I’ll ask Mike)

Being good baby sitter

For me, he’s really good babysitter because of his naturally sense of humor. When I have a match and need to leave him with some wrestlers in locker room. There’s just something about Marty that kids instantly connect with—he could play with Seiji and talk anything in the world(by doesn’t care it’s true story or not), and my son would stick to him like glue just like Jacques.

But of course..Marty being Marty, he always party hard at night and sleepy during the day…Most of the time, he’d fall asleep before my son did!. I remember one time I came back after my match was done and found Seiji walking around on his own while Marty was sleeping right next to him. Honestly, if Seiji had wandered off somewhere, Marty wouldn’t have had the slightest idea.

and in those moments, the responsibility would often fall to Mike who become an impromptu babysitter when he found Seiji wandering alone. Mike would scold both Marty and me, said, “Seiji is too young to play with Marty! How the hell can you leave a kid to play on his own?!” but I’m being completely honest, Mike let Windham, his oldest son, run around the locker room to another rooms, his kid makes more chaotic than I ever let Seiji!

Still, no matter how much Mike grumbled, I couldn’t help but laugh every time. Especially seeing him take on the role of babysitter. Deep down, though, I was always grateful for Mike that stepping up to help me when things got hectic😅.

The chaotic maker

Back to Marty. One night, after partying with fellow wrestlers in the bar, me and Marty were walking back to the hotel with “Another Day in Paradise” by Phil Collins playing in my head. I was a bit drunk and saw a homeless man sitting on the sidewalk. I “think twice” and “Think about it”for a while and gave him some money. Not many a few minutes later, Marty (who was also drunk) scolded me, saying I was “too naïve”, I didn’t ask him first if the homeless man was trustworthy.

I was genuinely confused about how Marty knew so much about these things. He explained that his life wasn’t just limited to the wrestling world; he knew all kinds of people, even homeless ones that nobody want to know. He could even distinguish who was friendly homeless and who is junkie. I mean.. being friendly person is good, but you mustn’t know everybody in the world!!

Although he seemed like a playful person, Marty had a reckless kind of courage. There was a time he stepped in to help Sherri when she had a feud with some of Mr. Hunter’s henchmen at a bar. Sherri was a strong woman with a fighter spirit like a man…but woman still be a woman, it’s a gentleman’s due to protect weaker woman. Marty didn’t hesitate to help her without considering the consequences, me/ Mike and Jacques run following him, and as expected, it ended in a brawl.

Marty smack some of mr.Hunter’s henchman fucking hard and ended up by that dumbass being taken to the hospital. Mr. Hunter was furious after knowing this on the next day. Although he(Hunter)wasn’t present at the incident, but when he found out that it was Marty—who is close friends with the French-Canadian wrestlers he already hated—Make him even more want to find a way to get rid of Marty. Mr. Hunter immediately reported it to Vince McMahon and Pat Patterson by explain that Wrestlers should only fight in the ring and shouldn’t use wrestling skill to hurt others

Hunter demanded that WWF take responsibility by suspending or firing Marty, because he feels uncomfortable to have business negotiation here at backstage without knowing that Marty would show up and hurt them any time. Vince promised him without objection..because In order for business negotiations with abroad company to go well, and because of Vince is the business man who prioritized profits over morals, He doesn't care what the wrestler under his own company will be drunkard fight with others in the bar or causing any chaos. When that wrestler is a talented person, Vince is ready to turn a blind eye. And yes, this time he doesn’t want to lose a talent wrestler like Marty who could still bring company in money and ratings. So, Vince pretended to suspend Marty and instructed him to stay hidden in the locker room whenever there has some executives from each companies visited the backstage, for making it seem like he was truly suspended.

But knowing Marty’s the restless nature like a kid, I wasn’t sure how long he could keep up with the plan. Every time he saw female workers from other companies walking into the backstage, he(and Shawn) couldn’t resist going out to show himself according to the top babyface tagteam of WWF gonna do. I just hoped this time he wouldn’t run out and face with Mr. Hunter by chance, because if another incident occurred, WWF might lose its business opportunities, and EVERYTHING could fall apart because of his antics.

But..yeah. something like that. ¯\_(ツ)_/¯That’s just Marty. He was the one who made my life in WWF is full of colorful just like his costumes and gimmick. Even though it was chaotic at times, I couldn’t help but smile every time I thought about those stories. I mean.. just we looking each others’ dumb face can make we laugh!

[densi-mber]

A//N: Oops, I wrote more angst, followed by some fluff. This takes place shortly after Kensi and Deeks bring Rosa home. I just love writing Deeks as a dad and exploring that relationship.

***

Stumbles and Falls

Deeks isn’t all that surprised when they go to pick Rosa up from center that Kensi and Rosa hug and he gets a shy “Hello, Mr. Deeks”. He isn’t surprised, but it does sting a tiny bit. Mostly though, he’s excited, and stunned, and incredibly nervous.

He anticipates some of the awkwardness will fade once Rosa settles in. They’d gotten fairly close during their visits, maybe not as close as Rosa and Kensi, but enough to be past honorifics. When it doesn’t, he gives her space, and doesn’t push, takes a step back when it seems she prefers Kensi’s company than his.

Deeks would like to say he isn’t jealous and a little hurt, yet he is. Starting a family has been a desire for so long and after everything he and Kensi have done to get to this point, he craves a connection and the chance to finally be a dad. So, yeah, it does hurt and poke at something deep inside him that whispers he’ll never be quite good enough.

He pushes the voice and any lingering selfish feelings down, reminding himself this isn’t about him. Rosa owes him nothing; he and Kensi are here to help her navigate this huge transition, the trauma of the past few years, and provide a loving home. If that means his support looks a little different than he expected, and Kensi takes the lead, then he’ll do it.

A few weeks later, Deeks is reviewing the presentation for an upcoming training, when Rosa wanders in. She tucks herself into one corner of the couch.

“Hey, do you mind if I watch something?” she asks softly.

“Of course, Rosa. I’ll just get out of your hair.” He starts to gather up his laptop, but she stops him with a quick wave of her hand.

“No, you don’t have to leave,” she insists. “As long as I don’t bother you.”

He thinks he covers his surprise pretty well and shrugs, sitting back down. “I think I can block out anything at this point.”

She turns on some teen drama, which makes him smile slightly. Some things were apparently universal. Even though they aren’t talking, it feels companionable. Soon, he’s engrossed in reading about a new protocol, the slightly dramatic and stilted dialogue creating an almost soothing background noise.

He doesn’t know how much time has passed when he has the odd sensation of being watched. From his peripheral vision, he sees Rosa looking directly at him instead of the TV. He meets her gaze, hoping it’s encouraging and not off-putting.

“Everything ok?” he asks gently.

“Yes. Maybe.” She sighs deeply, worrying at her fingers. “Marty, can I ask you something?”

“Anything.” And he means it.

Her head stays lowered over her hands, and she’s silent so long, he almost thinks she’s changed her mind.

“Do I do something wrong?” she asks eventually, the words ever so slightly hesitant.

“No, of course not! Why would you think that?”

She shrugs, then turns to him with an open, impossibly sad look. “You never spend time with me like this. I think this is the longest we’ve ever been together, just the two of us.” Her eyes gleam with a sheen of tears and his heart clenches. “I mean, today, when Kensi and I went to the farmers market, you didn’t come.”

“Oh Rosa,” he whispers, shaking his head.

She rushes on, speaking faster than he’s ever heard from her before. “I understand. I’m not what you expected, but I can change if you just tell me.”

Reaching out, he gathers her hands in his, and she stops, tucking her bottom lip between her teeth. “Rosa, I am so incredibly sorry I made you feel that way,” he says, fighting back his own tears. “You haven’t done anything wrong. I thought being around me made you uncomfortable, so I decided to give you space. Because apparently I’m the world’s biggest idiot.”

She laughs wetly, lifting one of her hands and wiping away a couple of tears with the back of her hand. “That’s all?” she asks. “You like me?”

“Rosamund, at the risk of swinging way too far in the other direction, I love you,” he tells her fervently. Her lips partly in surprise at that and she exhales shakily.

“Can I hug you?”

“Of course.”

Rosa launches herself at him as soon as the words are out of his mouth, her arms wrapping tightly around his torso. He gently caresses the top of her head, regret mixed with elation filling him.

“I’m so sorry,” he repeats.

“It’s ok,” she forgives him, easing back enough to look at him with still watery but relieved expression. “I’m glad I was wrong.” She smiles shyly. “Do you want to watch “The Vampire Diaries” with me?”

“I’d love to.”