#Meanwhile Eddie comes into the coffee shop on his way to work

[morganbritton132]

Eddie, who always gives the coffee shop he goes to a fake name for no reason other than to lie, hits it off with the cute barista behind the counter.

The highlight of every Monday-Friday for the past year has been making this barista blush. It finally pays off being he gets asked out on a date by this very cute barista…’s best friend because, “He wants to go out with you but he won’t ask. So take him out. On Saturday. And your coffee is free today.”

So, a win is a win.

Only problem? Barista Steve thinks they have the same name.

[alchemistc]

Evil canon divergence (spec on the bucktommy storyline we would have gotten w/ a full season):

Buck doesn't come out to Eddie right away. After the Bad Date Buck just keeps on chugging along, doesn't talk to Maddie, doesn't come out to Eddie, he's just -- stuck in limbo, thinking about Tommy.

He can't stop thinking about Tommy.

Eddie keeps going to pick up games, and Chris keeps talking about Tommy, and -- Buck knows where the jealousy came from but it's still there, simmering, just... waiting. But obviously Buck's in his own head about it, and Tommy was right, because he can't even talk to his sister about this, he can't talk to his best friend about it.

Maddie and Chim still get married in a hospital room and Buck watches them wistfully and he wishes he knew how to handle all this weird shit roiling around inside of him at the thought that -- maybe one day that could be him. Maybe one day Bobby will pronounce him husband and wife -- or husband and husband. Which.

No one but Tommy even knows, and Buck is still thinking about him, and hearing about him from Eddie, from Chris, from Ravi for some reason??? Ravi got an invite to hang out with Eddie and Tommy and Buck isn't gonna, like, break his leg about it but he spends an entire day picturing Ravi in various states of mild annoyance. (A fly that won't stop landing on his plate of food. Check engine light keeps coming on but it's just faulty wiring causing the light to flicker. The barista at his local coffee shop keeps ignoring his request for light ice.)

And then there's the medal ceremony, and Buck is seeing Tommy for the first time since the date that Buck was so not ready for, but Tommy's kind, Tommy's funny, Tommy doesn't do anything weird that would tip anyone off that his lips have been on Buck's lips, and Buck is once again drawn in like a moth to flame. Tommy indulges it, for a bit, because maybe Eddie has told him Buck has been off lately, or maybe he just catches on to it himself, and he'd known there was a good chance they'd keep running into each other but he's also -- Buck flinches at the wings comment from Gerrard and Tommy sits himself down at a table with Chris and eats his weight in fucking cake and he isn't mean to Buck but clearly a line has been drawn.

And Buck is still thinking. He kinda can't stop thinking about Tommy.

And then Bobby happens. Eddie happens. Everything with Mara happens and Buck is spinning his wheels, Buck is trying to fix things, Buck wishes he had someone to talk to about all this.

He calls Tommy, and they're friendly, if a little strained. They meet up for coffee a couple of times. They buy their own coffee. It's fine. He's a good friend, tells Buck some of the horror stories from his time in the closet, listens to Buck work his way through the mountains of drama happening around Buck. There's a few heavy moments where Buck wonders if they're gonna start something up again.

Tommy makes it clear he's still interested, but also that he's not willing to be a dirty little secret. Buck -- doesn't have a fucking clue where to go with that. He gets it, though. He understands.

He doesn't know if he's ready.

Tommy doesn't push. He never does and Buck appreciates that but he sort of wishes he'd, like, give Buck the fucking answers?

Meanwhile Eddie's acting out, and yo-yoing between Buck and Tommy so they're constantly calling each other up to compare notes. Gerrard is running the 118 like he used to, and Buck is just constantly on the verge of punching that motherfucker in the face. So. He's -- calling Tommy up about that, too.

Somewhere in all the chaos, Hen and Karen are having Maddie and Chim over, and Buck's smashed in at the table between Denny and Mara, and maybe it's a Chim and Maddie moment he witnesses, or maybe it's a Hen and Karen moment he witnesses -- just the two of them, tucked together and quiet, at ease, one of them talking the other through something or other, supportive and present and Buck wants.

He brings over coffee to talk to Maddie. Tells her what he's figured out so far -- he's not actually an ally, he's building something with a man who just keeps showing up in all of Buck's worst moments and being there, yes he absolutely sprained Eddie's ankle accidentally on purpose all those months ago and also he'd fucked it up, right from the start, and now they're in this weird limbo and his best friend doesn't even know that Buck's halfway into a situationship with like, the only other person Eddie feels comfortable around right now.

Maddie reminds him of exactly how she and Chim had hit and missed, at the start. The work it took, the pain they'd caused one another by not being quite on the same page. Reminds him that he and Eddie have been through plenty and worked their way through it, so Buck can take however much time he needs.

End of season disaster happens. Pick your flavor -- it's a natural disaster, or a mass casualty, they spend an entire episode trying as hard as they can to save people, keep themselves alive. Have we had a flood yet? I can't remember if we've had a flood. (Dam break and lightning strike in the rain and tsunami but what about, just, like, a good old fashioned flood.)

Thirty minutes in, a chopper airlifting criticals out has some sort of system failure.

We all know whose chopper it is in the moments before it crashes.

And it's not like anyone knows they have a reason to keep Buck from this. Tommy's a friend to pretty much everyone on scene, there's no one who isn't gonna take it personal, they're all they've got.

Only Eddie watches Buck react to it a whole like like he'd reacted to Eddie getting shot, and in the aftermath, in a hospital waiting room, Eddie sits him down and waits for Buck to talk. So Buck talks.

Eventually a few people from Harbor start to trickle in at the end of their shifts, and Lucy gets one good look at soaked to the skin, wet sad puppy dog Buck and rolls her eyes. "Of course it's you," Lucy says, and plops her ass right down next to Buck to let him know that Tommy's been fucking brooding for months about a guy and if Buck isn't ready at this point he needs to be out those doors before Tommy wakes up.

Eddie cocks his head, well aware he doesn't have a leg to stand on but also he's just spent half an hour listening to Buck be smitten as hell and also worried out of his mind. Lucy gives Buck a stink eye.

Buck plants his ass firmly in the seat next to hers and waits.

(By the time Tommy's awake and coherent Buck has worked his way through any and every other hangup he might have and Buck kisses him in full view of like, six Harbor station folks etc etc the end.

"I know I said I didn't want to be a secret but I wasn't expecting quite this much exposure, Evan," Tommy says, still a little loopy from the drugs, and Lucy clears her throat from across the room, the only one who stuck around for the entirety of the sloppy makeout.

"No, please, continue," she says, and Tommy abuses his call button to complain to his nurse that Lucy is harassing him.)

[elliethefroggy]

Picture this:

Tommy and Buck do not get straight back together after that first failed date. Buck doesn’t tell Eddie that it was a failed date, doesn’t tell Maddie about Tommy. He’s a little more insecure and never asks Tommy to meet him at the coffee shop.

Tommy is reunited with the 118, starts getting invited to all the barbecues, he’s still spending time with Eddie.

And Buck is on the sidelines trying not to be awkward, trying not to get in Tommy’s way and accidentally make Tommy uncomfortable, all the while trying to hide his longing glances every time he spots Tommy.

During all this, Buck is working on the new part of his sexually that he’s just uncovered. Maybe there’s a small reappearance of Buck’s 1.0 era where he sleeps around a bit with random men, excited to explore his bisexuality. But that probably doesn’t last long, because what our boy really wants is a long-lasting connection with someone. So the hookups, though fun and exiting and new, don’t last long, and he starts going on dates with men who are not Tommy.

Eddie and Tommy are still going to be hanging out together, only now Eddie thinks that Buck was feeling left out, so Eddie starts inviting Buck along with Tommy, and Buck can’t say no, because saying no would mean explaining just what happened between him and Tommy, and Buck’s probably a bit embarrassed by how he behaved at that restaurant.

And though Buck is still being a bit awkward, all that exposure to Tommy is going to make him relax a bit, and he’s going to get more and more comfortable around Tommy, more and more himself. Unfortunately spending all this time with Tommy is going to make him realise just how incredibly cool Tommy is (as if Buck didn’t already know) and how fun it is to hang out with him, and the longing glances are still there, but he’s hoping they’re discreet and he’s desperately trying to avoid checking out Tommy’s ass because Tommy ended things with him, and he’s trying to respect Tommy’s decision no matter how good Tommy’s ass looks in jeans.

Meanwhile Tommy is having the exact same problem. He’s getting to know Buck better, and the more time he spends with Buck the more adorable he thinks Buck is. But Tommy figures ‘wrong place, wrong time’, and keeps his own longing glances to himself while being quietly disappointed by what could have been.

Buck’s going to start coming out to people. Does he tell them that Tommy was the one who helped him discover his attraction to men? Does he keep it to himself? He’s far too earnest and honest, but at this point, Tommy has probably been hanging out a lot more with the 118, so maybe Buck doesn’t say anything because he doesn’t want it to be weird especially for Tommy (Buck remembering how Tommy said he was jealous of how close the 118 is, and Buck not wanting to ruin Tommy’s chances at also getting that closeness).

Buck’s going to be out and proud, having done a speed-run through his sexuality crisis, and has no problem talking about his dates with the 118.

Eventually, they’re all going to be at a gathering or something with Tommy there as well. Someone is going to casually ask Buck how one of his dates went, and Tommy is going to silently piece together that Buck went on a date with a guy, and everyone seems be aware of the gender of that date.

And Tommy’s going to be even more disappointing because, in his eyes, Buck is moving on from him, and maybe Tommy’s also a little jealous that it took so little time for Buck to come out of the closest, something that took Tommy decades to do.

But Tommy and Buck are going to be around each other more and more, always with someone from the 118 as buffer. And as they hang out, they’re going to get closer and closer, their crushes on each other getting bigger and bigger as it gets harder and harder to force themselves not to flirt with one another. These two have incredible chemistry together; it’s going to be impossible for them not to unknowingly flirt with each other. Maybe sometimes they accidentally slip up and get close enough to flirting that Hen starts side-eyeing them. Tommy will probably clock the times Buck slips up because he’s pretty observant like that, though he’ll try not to get too hopeful.

Then one night, when they’re meant to be hanging out with Eddie, Eddie bails on them at the last minute, so last minute that Buck and Tommy are already at the bar (maybe it’s trivia night karaoke). And for the first time since the disastrous date, they are alone together.

Maybe Tommy finally congratulates Buck on coming out and on doing it so gracefully (compared to Tommy who took years to work up the nerve).

Buck will bring up their disaster date, saying that he could have used a lot more grace that night.

Tommy will respond “You’re doing pretty well from where I’m sitting,” while trying so hard not to flirt even though he desperately wants to (Buck would also be struggling not to flirt).

And maybe Buck will mention that he could be doing a lot better actually, and then Tommy will ask what Buck means by that.

Buck will say that despite his best efforts, he still can’t stop thinking about Tommy, “You’re kind of hard to get over,” he’ll add.

“The feeling’s mutual,” Tommy will say, though he’ll probably say something way smoother than that.

“Yeah?” Buck will say, all hopeful, though trying to damper that hope.

“Yeah, I mean, you’re a catch,” Tommy will say, taking one hopeful figurative step to what they both want.

And before Tommy can regret what he said or try to retract it, before he can take that small step back, Buck will take a gigantic leap of faith “Want to try again?” he’ll ask, putting his hand on the table, near the centre, waiting to see if Tommy will meet him halfway.

Tommy will hesitate because he’s cautious regarding his heart. Buck will add “I promise not to mention anything about picking up chicks this time,” all earnest just like he always is. And Tommy will smile, and place his hand over Buck’s on the table, because how could he refuse Evan.

(And then they go make out in the car park)

[sunshinereddie]

omg ok i know i literally just posted a reddie college professor au yesterday BUT........ imagine reddie high school teacher au, where richie is a new teacher last-minute filling in a math teacher position and when he gets to the new school he suddenly finds himself with a huge crush on mr. kaspbrak, the cute metal shop teacher........ his heart goes insane whenever eddie comes into the staff room, with his shirt sleeves rolled up to his elbows, his bangs pushed back by a bandana, the first few buttons of his shirt unbuttoned to cool off after working hard with the kids on a project, a small smudge of soot on his cheek that richie so desperately wants to reach out and wipe away........

meanwhile eddie is panicking because he’s never cared about looking sloppy and sweaty after a day in the workshop before, except now there’s a new hot math teacher just down the hall from him and how on earth is eddie supposed to face him like this?????? (eddie is a little too dense to realize that mr. tozier thinks that eddie is beautiful regardless of what he looks like coming out of the workshop, and that he purposefully takes the longer route to the photocopying room because that means he can pass by the metal shop and see mr. kaspbrak through the window)

but awkward small-talk in the break room soon turns to real conversations (with some flirty undertones that neither of them can pick up on), which turns into coffee breaks in richie’s classroom (with eddie’s excuse that there’s no food or drink allowed in the metal shop and richie’s classroom is the closest), which turns into staying late after school together, richie grading exams and eddie marking projects and the two of them talking for hours, which turns into sending each other flirty friendly, but not-work related emails during school hours and richie having to try and hide his blush whenever he sees that email notification, and eddie losing his train of thought whenever he’s teaching and spots richie walking down the hall and richie sends him a quick smile and a wink before disappearing around the corner.

things finally seem to work out on the night that the high school is holding a dance for the students, and the teachers are there as chaperones. the staff do rotations, with some in the gym watching for a while and then getting a little break. richie and eddie seem to be on a different rotation schedule, and it isn’t until the end of the night that they both end up in the break room at the same time, alone. the music from the gymnasium is so loud that they can hear it all the way here, and richie (feeling rather brave, but mostly fueled by how good eddie looks in that suit) asks eddie for a dance- and to his surprise, eddie takes his hand. 

the two of them dance in the room together, laughing when eddie stumbles on a step or when richie becomes so horribly out of time with the music. their dance goes on long past the one song, and richie quickly loses track of how much time they’ve been standing there for. all he can pay attention to is eddie in his arms, eddie looking up at him, eddie’s hands on his chest, and when the music dips into a quiet lul and eddie steps closer, all he can focus on is eddie’s lips on his own. 

[dammit-neal]

Can someone write me a Buddie with Christopher fic continuation of them having a family night while playing Scrabble? With fluff. I believe that would be an adorable fic.

So sorry this took forever!! I’m still dealing with SO MUCH at work, but I finally had a spare moment to grind this out! Hope you enjoy reading it as much as I enjoyed writing it! Mua!

Have You Ever Heard of Scrabble?

"...And the X in the center is worth eight points. Add the triple word score and that's..." Buck pauses, finger tracing over the world XYLOPHONE, intersecting with Eddie's PUPPY. "Seventy-two!" he sits back, a smug smile on his face and takes a drink of water.

Next to him, Christopher chuckles into a cup of juice. "He's destroying you, Dad."

Eddie sighs, surveying the board. He has a few words here and there, smaller ones mostly. He could do better than this, but he hates Scrabble, has no patience for it. The only reason he agreed to play is the knowledge that he's solely responsible for taking out his two favorite boys' other form of entertainment for the night. "Yeah, well, with Buck's trivia knowledge, we all pretty much knew where this was going before we even started." He sighs again, sorting listlessly through his available letters, before giving up and standing, heading for the kitchen. "Ugh, I don't have enough caffeine for this."

"Well you know, I think I remember seeing an ad somewhere for--"

"Stow it, Buckley!"

Buck and Chris don't even bother hiding their amusement this time, their snorts of laughter following him into the kitchen.

"I'm going to go make myself a normal coffee, with a normal coffee maker. You want?" Eddie calls to the unworthy man in the living room. 

"Nah, but thanks." Buck calls back. "Coffee too soon before bed keeps me awake all night."

Eddie shrugs and starts sorting out a cup of coffee. The machine sputters slightly, hiccuping water as it starts to warm and Eddie carefully steps back. The machine had been acting up lately, taking much longer to warm and overboiling, or sometimes even burning his coffee. A few days already he's had to go to work without his morning caffeine fix.

No way I'm telling Buck that though. He'll never let me hear the end of it.

***

Meanwhile in the living room, Buck and Chris are going through Eddie's available Scrabble letters, shaking their heads. The poor man managed to pick up two Q's and has no vowels left.

"Aw man, now I feel kinda bad." Buck sends a glance toward the kitchen where Eddie is wrestling with the coffee maker, trying to coax out a cup of Joe. Buck knows that the coffee maker has been on the fritz lately and wants to do something about it, but knowing Eddie? He'd never allow it, would insist on paying Buck back. And Buck wouldn't allow that. They were at a stalemate.

"Ooh! Stalemate!" Christopher gasps, and Buck startles, looking at him. How much of that did I say out loud? 

"You heard that, Buddy?"

Chris shakes his head, reaching for his own letters and laying them out on the board. "Just the end of whatever you were thinking, you were kinda mumbling." STALEMATE now cuts through the E of XYLOPHONE and Chris sits back, proudly. "Fifteen points!"

Buck chuckles. "Oh, is that where all the vowels went, kid?"

Chris just raises his eyebrows and pushes up his glasses. From the kitchen they hear a sputter followed by a curse and Buck stands quickly.

"Eddie? You okay??"

"Yeah!" Comes Eddie's slightly panicked voice from the kitchen. "Yeah, just fine I er... stubbed my toe."

Uh huh. Sure. Buck sits back down reluctantly, sighing. He looks down at the board without really seeing it. What can I do that would--

Christopher pokes him hard in the side. 

"Hey--"

"Shhh!!" Christopher leans in. "Buck, I have an idea, but Dad can't know about it yet."

"What's that, buddy?"

"I want to get Dad a new coffee maker, Buck. He works so hard, he needs coffee and this one just isn't good enough." 

"That's an awesome idea, kid! I'm sure your dad would love that. but uh..."

Chris just shakes his head. "I have some savings left from my birthday! And, and some coffee makers are pretty cheap, right? Can I order it on your credit card so I could surprise him and then I'll pay you back?"

Buck could just squeeze Chris in the tightest hug for how thoughtful he is. Eddie is doing a good job by him, and Buck... he knows Chris isn't his, but he can't help but feel so proud of him. 

Of them both. 

But Buck also knows that Eddie isn't rich. Whatever Chris has saved up will likely only be enough for the lowest tier coffee maker that wouldn't work well and would wear out in no time.

"Sure, buddy! But only if you let me go halfsies on it, kay? I was thinking of getting your dad a new coffee maker too."

"Yeah okay!"

Now if Buck could just figure out how to make Eddie accept it!

Read the news, coffee maker! Check the weather, coffee maker! ... I only told you--and Hildy.

Hildy! That's it!

Buck can't hold back a gasp of laughter and Chris looks at him, eyes wide with curiosity.

"What, Buck?"

"Uh, Chris?" Buck chances a glance toward the kitchen, where another curse floats their way. Buck pulls out his phone and quickly pulls up a browser, searching for high-end coffee makers that could make Eddie's simple morning cup of Joe and also brew him a latte on the weekends, like the kind he pays way too much for at the corner coffee shop. He scrolls through until he finds one with the right specs and most importantly, the finishing touch: Powered by Hildy.

"Okay, buddy, here's what we're gonna do..."

Chris, looking over his shoulder, nods happily and stuffs his hands in his mouth to stifle his laughter.

It's perfect. 

[loverboytrashmouth]

Of Macchiatos and Nicknames (part 2)

pairing; Reddie

word count; 2.3k

summary; Eddie keeps dragging Bill to the coffee shop for his now daily chats with a certain barista. Bill didn’t think he could get tired of drinking coffee. Meanwhile, Richie’s coworker is tired of him being even more clumsy with coffee than usual.

a/n; heyoooo here’s part two of my reddie coffee shop meet cute :) here’s part one if you missed it. and you can read this on ao3 here if you’d like! enjoy !!

This was the sixth - seventh, maybe? Who’s counting - day in a row where Eddie found himself sitting across from Bill at his new favorite study spot. The only thing that differed from their first homework session spent at the campus cafe was Eddie’s seat of choice. The second day Eddie had asked Bill to switch seats with him, making up some excuse about his chair being unsteady. Of course, Bill knew Eddie just wanted a better view of the guy messily making coffees behind the counter, but he kept this knowledge to himself.

And, of course, Bill knew why, despite Eddie’s hatred of customer service interactions, the shorter boy would insist on ordering their coffees for them every visit. Or why, on day four, Eddie started waiting for their drinks by the counter instead of setting up his study area while they were being made. And Bill knew why Eddie would constantly get distracted while he attempted to go over calculus equations with him, only to get a small “hm?” in response, as if Eddie had just come back down to Earth after a long journey on Planet Trashmouth.

Bill was happy his friend had found someone that caused the same look in his eyes that Bill would get himself when looking at his boyfriend, Mike. And at first, Bill was happy to keep his teasing to himself (for the most part).

But on day six (seven?), Bill wasn’t running on a good night’s rest, and the caffeine wasn’t helping. 

“If you don’t s-s-stop with this school girl crush sh-shit and finally ask the guy out, I’m gonna s-stop acting as your excuse to c-come here everyday,” Bill snapped when another one of his questions was met with Eddie snapping back into reality, barely hearing what he had said. Eddie’s cheeks turned the shade of pink Bill had gotten too familiar seeing them being, before giving his friend apologetic eyes.

“I know, I’m sorry I keep getting distracted,” Eddie raised his arm to scratch the back of his neck in embarrassment, guilt beginning to cloud his features at the realization that he was being completely rude to his friend. Bill softened at this, putting on his signature comforting smile.

“It’s f-fine, really. I just think it’s time for you guys to cut the flirting and actually do s-something, that’s all,” Bill said warmly, assuring his friend he wasn’t upset with him. “Plus, I never thought I’d get t-tired of drinking coffee. And I don’t th-think I’m at that point yet, but oh, am I getting there.” Eddie chuckled, taking another glance over at Richie, who was currently taking another student’s order. The smaller boy sighed.

“I’ve never done this shit before, though! I thought he’d ask me by now. Shit, maybe even for my number at least,” Eddie mumbled the last part, sitting back in his chair and folding his arms, feeling defeated. Richie seemed to be bold enough that Eddie figured he would only have to show up to the coffee shop once, maybe twice more and boom, he’d have a date before the week ended. But with the way things were going for him, he’d be surprised if he didn’t develop a caffeine addiction before learning how it would feel for him to plant a kiss on those slightly chapped lips he couldn’t stop thinking about. Bill’s smile grew warmer, if that were even possible.

“D-Do you want help?” Eddie frowned dramatically and nodded.

--

Richie flirted with everyone and anyone that would let him do so. It was all just playful banter to him. It wasn’t that big of a deal. Until that fanny pack wearing, freckle ridden boy had walked in during his daily afternoon shift at the campus cafe. With him it meant something, something Richie could feel in his bones, that spread across his skin in goosebumps and blushes.

Beverly had noticed as well, that Richie was very clearly falling for this particular student. She was his best friend and knew him almost better than he knew himself, so of course she noticed.

Her tell-tale sign, though, was Richie’s lack of coordination within the past week or so. He was already a pretty clumsy guy, but he was at least able to kind of get his shit together during work. But Bev noticed the shred of coordination he’d possess once he had his apron on had gone out the window when Eddie began showing up more and more.

So she wasn’t all that surprised when she heard the familiar clanking of the metal milk steamer hitting the tiled floor, Richie mumbling a slightly aggressive “shit” under his breath. The redhead huffed out a sigh, turning to her best friend with an annoyed glare. Richie gave her a toothy grin in response.

“My bad, Bevster. Won’t happen again, scout’s honor.”

“You’ve said that every time you’ve dropped something for the past six days,” Beverly retorted, shaking her head as she turned for some paper towels to hand over.

“Seven,” Richie corrected. He grabbed the paper towels from his friend’s hand, taking one last glance over his shoulder at Eddie, giving him a wink, before getting on his knees to clean up his spill. He smiled proudly to himself, knowing he definitely just made Eddie flustered once again. Beverly crouched down so she was eye level with Richie, her chin resting on her knee.

“Just ask the boy out already, Tozier,” she half whispered, giving him the look she always gives him, the one that tells him he’s being a pain but she loves him anyways. Richie looked up from his cleaning before responding, catching a glimpse of said look.

“All in good time, Ms. Marsh. I’m just buttering him up,” he replied, nudging Beverly with his elbow. Suddenly, his smile twitched, letting out a soft chuckle. “I really want him to say yes,” he continued quietly, beginning to fidget with the paper towel in his hands, avoiding his friend’s gaze.

Beverly let out a breathy chuckle beside him, patting him on the top of his beanie where she would usually ruffle his curls like she’d always do when giving Richie her sisterly advice. “Dumbass, do you not see the way he blushes whenever you even look at him? Not to mention I’ve never seen him here before last week when you guys met, and now he’s here, like, everyday. It doesn’t take a fuckin’ rocket scientist to see a lovestruck little gay boy when he’s dead in front of you.” Richie laughed and shook his head, adjusting his glasses with the same nervous tick he’s had since adolescence. 

“If you’re sure, little red. I’ll… I’ll work on not pussying out,” he said with his crooked smile. His smile turned devious before adding, “Maybe I can work on getting his pussy out, if you know what I me-” He was cut off with an elbow to his knee, making him wobble due to his brief loss of balance.

“Beep beep, Richie. God, you’re the worst,” Bev snapped with no heat behind her words. She got up, dusting off her knees, letting the trashmouth clean up his trash. 

--

Now it was day nine (day nine for sure, Eddie recounted all of their encounters in his head one night when he couldn’t sleep, so he knew, nine days). Eddie had decided against dragging Bill with him to the coffee shop this time around, mostly due to his guilt for helplessly ignoring his friend every time he was in Richie’s presence. He felt like such a lovesick teenager, like he should be laying in bed on his stomach, feet swaying in the air while he wrote in his diary about his crush on the campus barista. 

Eddie was sat in the familiar spot facing the counter at the table he and Bill usually favored, laptop open, but not doing any actual work. Instead his eyes trailed above the screen, watching Richie wipe down the counter after, no doubt, spilling something again. Eddie had wondered if he was always so clumsy, or if that was reserved for when he was around. He smiled at the idea of Richie getting so nervous around him that he couldn’t help but spill a coffee or two. Or ten.

Glancing down briefly to check the time displayed on the upper right hand of his screen, Eddie noticed he had a mere couple of minutes before he knew Richie was set to clock out for the day. In the nearly week and a half he had been spending at the cafe, Eddie observed the barista would run out the moment his apron was off his lanky figure on the weekdays, presumably to make it to a class. On weekends, however, he’d fall back a bit, making himself a coffee and chatting with his red-haired coworker, all while giving the shorter boy those small glances that made the latter’s chest flutter. Day nine was a Saturday, leaving Eddie all the time he needed after Richie’s shift to build up enough courage to approach him.

Fortunately enough for Eddie, he ended up not being the one walking over to the other boy.

“Ya here all by your lonesome today, boy,” Richie asked in a ridiculous southern accent, his hands grabbing onto his belt and doing his best cowboy saunter. His apron was off and replaced with a ridiculously patterned button up sitting open over his black tee, his curls free from the beanie that he’d wear during his shifts. Eddie chuckled as he shook his head at the antics.

“Yeah, Bill, he… had a… thing,” he answered lamely, mentally slapping himself, which he found himself doing a lot around Richie. Eddie had recently picked up a habit of speaking before his brain could fully process what he was about to say. It was as if he felt as though he constantly needed to be talking, no matter what he said, as long as it would keep Richie’s attention on him.

Little did Eddie know, Richie couldn’t keep his attention off him even if he tried.

Richie slid into the chair across from Eddie, his eyes never leaving the latter’s face, the ever present smirk plastered on his chapped lips. “Well, I don’t see what ‘thing’ could be more important than hanging out with a cutie like you, Eds. What kinda boyfriend is this Bill guy anyhow?” Richie’s smirk faded slightly at the last sentence, giving Eddie an expectant look. Eddie’s eyes widened before sputtering out an obnoxiously loud laugh.

“You- You think I’m wi- with Bill,” the smaller boy managed to get out, his eyes crinkled and his arm snaking around his stomach when he felt a pain in his abdomen from laughter. Richie let out a chuckle across from him, and Eddie opened his eyes in time to see the barista raise his hands in defense.

“Hey, spaghetti man, I’m just making sure you’re on the menu,” Richie responded with his usual flirty grin and eyebrow wiggle. Eddie’s laughter slowed and he felt his face heat up, as it always does around Richie. Despite this, the shorter boy scoffed at the nickname usage, again, as he always did.

“And what makes you think all these ridiculous nicknames are gonna get you anywhere?”

“It’s all part of my plan. Woo you with my charms and incredible nicknaming abilities. Don’t lie, I know you like ‘em,” Richie teased, and of course, he was right. Eddie’s attempts to deflect the nicknames with a disgruntled noise or eyeroll constantly failed at the hands of the rosey color that would appear on his cheeks shortly after. Eddie elected to ignore the comment rather than deny it.

“Well, no, I’m not dating Bill. He’s my best friend. He’s already got a boyfriend, plus he’s not really my type anyways,” Eddie shrugged with a small smirk on his lips. Richie perked up at this, straightening his posture and resting his elbow on the back of his seat, legs crossed, eyebrows raised at the shorter boy.

“Oh, I see. And what would you say tickles your fancy, dear old Edward,” Richie questioned in his old British woman voice, one of his personal favorites. He’d never forget his friends’ reactions when he first used that one in high school; he had even earned a chuckle from Stan. When he received a breathy giggle from the boy across from him now, he knew this Voice was an oldie but a goodie.

“Hmm,” Eddie started, putting on his best thinking face. Richie couldn’t help the fond look that crept onto his features while he watched Eddie rub his chin and purse his lips, fully not believing anyone could be so cute cute cute so effortlessly. “I like guys that are tall, pretty lanky. Long hair. Bonus if they can make me laugh.” Eddie had avoided Richie’s gaze throughout his description, his eyes not landing back on the taller boy until he was done talking and already had his bottom lip nervously between his teeth. He was met with a giddy smile on Richie’s part, causing Eddie to release his lip and break into a smile of his own.

“What a coincidence. I’m into tiny, feisty dudes that wear fanny packs.” Richie’s smile grew wider as he spoke, meanwhile Eddie’s simmered into a pout and his eyebrows furrowed.

“Don’t call me tiny, asswipe,” he retorted as he playfully kicked at Richie’s black converse beneath the table. “That’s a nickname I won’t tolerate.”

“Hardly a nickname, Eddie baby. Just a descriptor,” Richie replied, kicking him back lightly with a laugh. “It’s true, and it’s what makes ya so darn cute!” He punctuated his comment by reaching over the table to pinch Eddie’s cheek, receiving a slap of the hand from the other boy.

The two continued their flirty banter and playful bickering until they heard the clattering of the metal that closed up the coffee counter, and saw the sun disappear behind the campus buildings and be replaced with nightfall. When Eddie walked back to his dorm that night, he had a new contact in his phone, a warm spot on his cheek where Richie had briefly pressed his lips to, and a fluttering feeling in his heart he couldn’t shake even if he wanted to.

[queernuck]

Edward Gallagher, 40, started Salty Frog Gear, which he describes as a “coastal lifestyle brand with an edge.” The brand, launched with Nine Line and Black Rifle Coffee Company, includes items with the print “stay salty” and sweatshirts with pockets that can hold a bottled beverage.

...

“As someone who served with Eddie and other members of SEAL team 7 downrange, I know the truth about the character of a man unjustly targeted by a broken investigation and corrupt prosecution,” the company’s founder, Tyler Merritt, said in a statement to the Times. “Nike has their First Amendment right to make individuals such as Colin Kaepernick their brand ambassadors. We have the right to make patriots like Chief Gallagher one of ours.”

Gallagher has also opened an online shop to make fun of the Navy and the SEALs who testified against him, calling them “mean girls,” according to the Times. The Times last week reviewed and reported on footage of those who turned in the platoon leader in which they call him “freaking evil,” “toxic” and a “psychopath."

So, this is a war criminal bad enough that SEALs were willing to testify against him, in no small part due to how his actions directly endangered them alongside him. He had a reputation as a hard-charging door-kicker even before being sent downrange, and as the Times reported, some of the members of the SEAL teams he was with were excited by this, were looking forward to serving with someone who would get them into combat more and more. 

However, Gallagher became known for deliberately botching operations in order to get into gunfights, directing machine gun fire at villages out of boredom more than anything, for shooting a pregnant woman intentionally, for slitting the throat of a prisoner before posing with the body, that pose being the one crime he was committed of.

This exposes two vital things about the way that “operator culture” spreads in America and throughout the military: Gallagher’s reputation for enjoying combat meshes very nicely with the sentiment expressed by Black Rifle Coffee Company’s founder, whose memoir proclaims that it is for those who want to “know they’re okay for being okay”, those soldiers who not only are not afflicted with PTSD, but in fact supporting a notion that this should be the new expectation, that soldiers in these forever wars should take a sense of purpose and pride from killing in the name of empire.

Gallagher being called these things, toxic and psychopathic and evil, exposes not only how depraved his own actions were, but how necessary exceptions like Gallagher are to creating the culture of American militancy. The SEALs testifying against him have numbed themselves to the acts they commit, by necessity separate their ideation of themselves from the acts they commit. It involves denying just what operators like SEALs do for a living, ignoring that actions similar to Gallagher’s are not just things they do, but the express purpose of their unit’s existence. As special operations forces are more and more the language in which American empire speaks, as the shift toward understanding most infantry as merely an occupying army with combat delegated to a select few selected and fetishized, in competition with similar units from the other branches of the military. 

Their representation in media like the newer editions of the Call of Duty franchise (where characters are either part of units-within-units, elites-among-elites, or find themselves quickly plucked from conventional units and transformed into these instruments of empire) or Rainbow Six (a unit named such because it pulls operators from various national sources, akin to the heavy use of Canadian and Norwegian special forces during the early days of the War in Afghanistan) depicts their work as world-saving and selfless, when it so often involves the mundane, the maintenance of conditions of imperial domination. Killing and killing often is their job, and even then Gallagher was unsettlingly invested in the practice thereof, was violating the taboos set out by a unit already operating in violation of certain taboos around what acceptable means of combat are, what the role of a soldier or warfighter is.

These companies are incredibly mainstream, are companies that average people see nothing wrong with patronizing. The way that gun culture, conservative politics, and such “veteran-owned” companies inform one another creates the kind of “thin blue line” ideology that so often surrounds discussion of the police, of the militarization of police forces, how these forces direct their violence inwards onto the populations they supposedly protect. The fetishization of the veteran, the way that veteran status is seen as creating a kind of irreproachable figure allows for the creation of Pete Buttegig, a candidate so unremarkable that it is itself remarkable, whose craven careerism lead to his decision to join the Naval Reserve and work in intelligence before entering politics. Buttegig seems to at least acknowledge implicitly that it was just this, a career move, resume building, rather than understanding it as some kind of noble calling like the founder of BRCC wants to sell it. Appealing to aimlessness, an inability to afford college or housing, is how much of the Working Class will see the military more than 18 years after 9/11, the patriotic fervor long gone. Meanwhile, the creation of an officer class akin to that seen with the buying of commissions, new Kennedys graduating Ivies and entering the military to acquire the mark of veteran status before moving on to their actual career in neoliberal politics should not be surprising.

Gallagher is an extension of this, is the epitome thereof: the culture that defends cops, that pays their legal fees sight-unseen, that assumes an officer’s innocence to the point where gun manufacturers create programs such that they will send a replacement firearm for temporary use if an officer’s is taken as evidence in a shooting, where police are assumed to be in the right or eventually justified as such, where war criminals can use their experience as a selling point, where you can become a celebrity for being convicted of war crimes or for being part of an “officer-involved” shooting. It is a culture of militancy, of fascism, one which makes it rather hard to argue that contemporary right-wing gun culture presents much of a threat to hegemony given that the authority that such guns would be turned against are so friendly with the ones that make such guns.

That so many within gun circles see little, if anything, wrong with this, are willing to support companies that create and maintain this ideological space, are so willing to support the police and military, is a genuine problem. The way that gun owners talk about the ATF, about Ruby Ridge or Waco, about no-knock raids and SWAT killings, needs to be expanded into a wider critique of how police operate and how police, military, and paramilitary organizations maintain hegemony even if they come into conflict at times, how the militia movement’s right-wing character shows a willingness to support the ideology of the state even when claiming opposition to it, a desire to restructure the same ideals into privately-held reproductions of the same, the question of exactly how one should oppose or criticize this when it is so pervasive is one that must be asked.

[eeveevie]

Salvation is a Last Minute Business (8/18)

Chapter 8: A Left-Handed Form

After securing an important piece of evidence from the Third Rail, Madelyn and Deacon fill Nick in on the evening’s events and come to a startling revelation. At Railroad HQ, more secrets are revealed in the hunt for Boston’s crime-lord, while members of the team are threatened. Proof of his crimes in hand, Madelyn and Nick finally make their move against Eddie Winter.

“After all, crime is only...a left-handed form of human endeavor.” - Alonzo D. Emmerich as played by Louis Calhern (The Asphalt Jungle, 1950)

While the entire work has a content warning for ‘graphic depictions of violence’, the warning kicks into high gear in this chapter, specifically in the last section. 

[read on Ao3] x  [chapter masterpost]

April 11th, 1958

Midnight.

Madelyn felt like she had déjà vu—sitting in the back of a taxicab with Deacon’s hand wrapped tightly around hers, the two rushing away from another devastating scene. Instead of the fiery destruction of Ticonderoga, however, it was the chaotic crowd of the Third Rail, still reeling over the murder of their leader, Skinny Malone. She glanced to Deacon, catching her unrecognizable reflection in his sunglasses—that was the face of a woman who had nearly kissed him under the guise of husband and wife. If only they had more time to stay in those personas—Kitty and Johnny—long enough for her to finally act on her feelings. But Madelyn knew better—knew she couldn’t find comfort in a fantasy life when she hadn’t come to terms with how she felt in reality. Though, matters of the heart were hardly her concern when she had the Eddie Winter case to focus on. While the undercover job was over, their work was hardly done.

Just as Madelyn had done on that cold February evening, she instructed the driver to escort them to the agency. With Skinny Malone’s pocketbook in hand, she didn’t want to risk going anywhere else. There was also the small fear in the back of her mind that she and Deacon had been made—she wasn’t about to lead mobsters to her apartment or the Railroad headquarters. The faster she got to work on analyzing the planner’s contents, the faster a potential lead could be discovered.

“Look’s like the detective is in,” Deacon mused sarcastically as they arrived on the darkened Fens street, helping her from the cab with his lips in a flat line.

With no time for his and Nick’s sustained rivalry, she brushed his hand away and quickly strode to unlock the front door. Madelyn continued towards Nick’s partially closed office door and the light within, grateful for his late nights. Just as she crossed through the doorway, hand on the doorknob, a familiar giggle echoed through the room and she knew she had interrupted something intimate. Jenny was perched upon the large oak desk, one hand wrapped around Nick’s tie and the other hooked around his shoulder as she kept him standing between her legs, the two locked in a passionate kiss.

Madelyn was just about to step backwards out of the room when she bumped into a sturdy chest, tilting her head back to find Deacon—he had covered his natural hair with one of his black pompadour wigs—had he stashed some of his disguises in her office since they became partners? When he noticed what she had stumbled upon, he smiled and let out a low whistle, catching the couple’s attention.

“Sorry to interrupt you two lovebirds,” Deacon spoke casually, much to Madelyn’s mortification. He rested his hands on her shoulders, and she smacked a hand to her face. “We have good news and bad news.”

“Oh, don’t mind me, Mads!” Jenny’s amusement wasn’t all that comforting, especially when Nick’s expression was a mix of embarrassment and irritation. The other woman hopped down from the desk to stand, smoothing out the fabric of her dress before flashing a wink. “Humphrey Bogart, good to see you again.”

Deacon barked a laugh. “Always a pleasure, Miss Lands.”

“I’m sorry Nick,” Madelyn sighed, moving into his office—no use in leaving now. “We wouldn’t have come if it wasn’t important.”

The detective readjusted his tie and if she didn’t know any better, flushed at the smear of lipstick on his shirt collar. As he tried in vain to wipe it away with his fingers, he shook his head. “Shouldn’t you be at the Third Rail?”

“That’s the bad news,” Deacon said, relaxing into one of the empty armchairs. Nick’s annoyed expression intensified at the ominous tone. “Skinny Malone is dead.”

At that, Jenny drifted towards the doorway. “I’ll get us some coffee.”

Nick waited until his fiancé was out of earshot to ask his questions. “What the hell happened? Weren’t there supposed to be a whole group of undercover cops at the joint? Where was Marty?” he pinched the bridge of his nose before dragging his hand down to rub at his chin in thought. “Do I even want to know the good news?”

Before Deacon could make some kind of snide remark or explain in his own colorful way, Madelyn approached, placing the pocketbook she had taken on Nick’s desk. She kept her hand atop the leather-bound covering while he eyed it curiously.

“In order? He was poisoned. Marty was nowhere to be seen, but neither were Winter’s men,” she explained, tapping the book again. “I took this off of Skinny Malone while pretending to be a helpful nurse,” The memory made her stomach churn. “I hope it was worth our trouble.”

Nick took the worn book from her and sat down in his office chair, carefully tugging at the elastic bands that held it closed. Meanwhile, Jenny reappeared with a small tray of coffee, handing a steaming mug to Deacon before approaching the desk. She passed a blue ceramic cup to Madelyn—already made the way she preferred—and another to her fiancé with a grin. But Nick only regarded her with a worried frown.

“Jenny dear, you should take the keys and—”

“What and let the three of you have all the fun?” she smirked, eyeing the way Madelyn was still dressed in her borrowed gown. “You won’t get rid of me that easily, Nicky. I know you want to protect me from all the nasty details, but don’t think I haven’t gleamed enough from what you’ve brought home.”

The redhead circled the desk to sit in the other empty armchair, sipping her coffee as if she was satisfied that she had made her point. Nick sighed, knowing he was better off not arguing with his lady-love. Instead, he focused on Skinny Malone’s notebook, flipping through the pages that were filled top to bottom with scribbled writing. Almost immediately, his brows furrowed, and he reached for his pack of smokes, bypassing the cup of coffee.

“Don’t tell me it’s just a log of when he goes to the can,” Deacon mumbled from his spot. Madelyn shot him a warning glance from over her shoulder and he flashed a coy smile.

Nick ignored his comment, taking a long drag of his cigarette. “Seems Skinny and his men were monitoring Winter just like us,” he started, finger dragging across a few lines of fountain pen. “Wiretaps at several locations, stakeouts since he was released from prison and a handful of men on the inside.”

“Did they discover anything?” Madelyn asked.

Working outside of the law, the Triggermen must’ve been able to find more evidence than the agency. Nick flipped through a few more pages, pausing to flick stray ashes into the nearby tray and take a sip of coffee when Jenny gave him a knowing glance. His eyes widened and his smoke nearly fell from his lips as he slammed his palm against the book.

“They followed him to his base of operations!” he exclaimed, turning the pages around so Madelyn could read for herself. With the notebook in hand, she looked over the text—Joe’s Spuckies Sandwich Shop, near Andrew Station in South Boston, underground cellar and bunker—Nick exhaled, “We’ve got him.”

Madelyn wasn’t swayed as she read on.

“Not so fast,” she warned. “The agency is named in here—you specifically—here,” she passed the book back to Nick so he could read. “Eddie Winter has been watching our movements and the Triggermen knew about it. But it looks like Winter didn’t feel too threatened until recently.”

Nick’s expression darkened as he silently looked over the writings with a careful eye. Madelyn could only stand and watch in silence, gazing over her shoulder to find Deacon studying her with concern. Jenny appeared equally anxious, quietly drinking her coffee as she observed her fiancé fretting over the notebook’s contents. Finally, Nick let out a long sigh, cigarette smoke hanging in the air around his head.

“It seems like Winter has been feeling cornered,” he began. Under different circumstances, he would’ve been happier to give such a statement. “He’s been struggling to turn the last batch of cops and detectives across Boston P.D. including the Chief Sergeant.”

“Sergeant Sullivan?” Madelyn clarified, to which Nick nodded. The Boston Chief had always given Nick and Madelyn trouble and the two had always figured he was one of the first to be in Eddie Winter’s pocket. “If Danny Boy hasn’t been compromised, then maybe we can go to him with our findings.”

“Oh, so we’re going to trust the police now?” Deacon quipped, disapproving of her suggestion. “Same ones that left us high and dry at the Third Rail?”

She didn’t want to admit that he had a point. “Marty should’ve been there, I know. After he gave us that holotape from police custody…”

Deacon leaned forward, curious. “What holotape?”

“Apparently, it has Eddie Winter’s voice on it, along with some damning evidence,” Madelyn explained. Her Railroad partner’s expression shifted as he nodded, and she realized she’d seen that look earlier in the evening. “Back at the Third Rail—you said he looked familiar. What did you mean?”

“You won’t like this,” he winced, before continuing with a strained sigh. “He’s the one I saw in the rearview mirror, walking away from the other car out front of Ticonderoga, right before the explosion.”

“Bullshit,” Nick immediately replied. “Like I’d believe a word you have to say.”  

Madelyn was just as unnerved by the allegation, look to Deacon who only held a sympathetic frown. “I don’t understand.”

“I’d recognize that kitschy tie anywhere,” he continued. “For a crooked cop working undercover, he didn’t try hard enough to blend in.”

“Says the man who never takes off his sunglasses,” Nick said, mockingly. “Marty’s an ass, but one of Winter’s murderers? That’s a hell of a leap,” he shook his head. “Why would he stick his neck out for us time and time again, if he’d been playing for the other side the entire time?”

“Either he’s one hell of a double agent,” Deacon shrugged. “Or the worst.”

“Deacon,” Madelyn caught his attention, so he’d look at her. “Are you sure? Are you sure you saw Marty that night?”

“Charmer,” he spoke her codename with such sincerity. “I swear.”

Nick still wasn’t convinced, rubbing at his temple in frustration as he lit the end of a new cigarette. “I’m not going to condemn a man over a tie.”  

Jenny spoke up for the first time since they had started their conversation about the case. “What did you always say to Marty, Nick?” she said, in a calm even voice—so unlike the usual bubbly tone Madelyn was used to hearing from the feisty woman. “That either his drinking or ambition would get him into trouble one day. Well maybe he was stupid enough to let the greed take over.”

Nick locked eyes with his fiancé, quietly contemplating her words. Jenny tilted her head to the side and grimaced. “He always did wear the most God-awful ties.”

Madelyn struggled to hold back her smile at the way Nick rolled his eyes, conceding with a sigh. If anything, he looked to be disappointed—Marty was somebody he considered a friend. “It would explain why he and the other undercover police disappeared from the Third Rail tonight.”

Deacon hummed, catching their attention. “Are we saying that instead of sending his own men, Eddie Winter had Boston P.D. off Skinny Malone?”

This time his suggestion wasn’t met by outright objection and silence filled the room as they considered the implications. Madelyn hadn’t noticed anything unusual when she was at the speakeasy—then again, she had been frequently distracted by Johnny—maybe that was part of the plan on Winter’s part. Nobody would suspect an inside job. But that still left more than a few questions that needed to be answered. What was on the holotape, and what was Marty’s true role? Another thought crossed her mind.

She pointed at the notebook laying on Nick’s desk. “Anyone find it convenient that Skinny Malone had such an important piece of evidence on him?”

“Like it was meant to be found?” Jenny questioned. What she said wasn’t too far off, but Madelyn had other ideas.

“Or he was planning to hand it off,” she suggested instead. “Didn’t expect to be double-crossed by a bad batch of bourbon.”

Nick nodded, agreeing with her train of thought. “Even with the chips stacked against us, we have the upper hand here with Skinny Malone’s notebook and the holotape.”

Jenny groaned, shaking her head as she finished off her coffee. “There he goes again with the poker analogies…”

“Considering who it came from, that could be a dead-end.” Madelyn noted, solemnly. “We have to listen to it first.”

“You’re right,” Nick replied. “Where would we get access to a holotape player?”

Deacon clapped his hands together, grinning in an all too self-satisfied way. “I think I know a guy.”

Desdemona wasn’t pleased when Deacon showed up at the Old North Church with Nick Valentine unannounced, but wherever the holotape went, the detective followed. It wasn’t that he didn’t trust Madelyn to keep the evidence safe, but he needed to hear what was on the recording for himself. While Deacon gave a report of the evening’s events to the Railroad’s leader by the main dais, Madelyn and Nick sat preoccupied by Tinker Tom’s ramblings. The Railroad engineer and self-described inventor was a few screws short of a hardware store, but besides offering the occasional outlandish conspiracy theory, he hadn’t done anything to offend Madelyn since she joined the Railroad. His behavior was something she was used to—Nick, however, looked uncomfortable.

“I wish I would’ve met you sooner, man,” Tom said with a bright smile, gesturing to Nick’s prosthetic hand. “If you want, I could replace that with some top-notch robotics. State-of-the-art circuitry you wouldn’t find anywhere else.”  

Nick tried his hardest to maintain an air of civility. “I’m sure the folks at MIT set me up well enough.”

“Oh no, see, that’s where they’ve got you, man,” Tom frowned, shaking his head in earnest. “You can’t trust those scientists.”

Before he could go off on another tangent about how the college was poisoning the water supply, or how to avoid their microscopic food robots, Madelyn decided it was time to steer the conversation to the reason they were there to begin with.

“Deacon said you could help us with this,” she nodded to Nick who hesitated before pulling the holotape from his trench coat pocket. Tom carefully examined the small, yellow, plastic-encased recording and broke out into a grin.

“Oh man, it’s been ages since I saw one of these,” he explained, pushing away in his rolling office chair to a different desk where a large electronic device was set up. Tom swiveled to face them, beckoning them over with a wave of his hand. “After you and my man Deacon went through the Switchboard, a few more agents have been making salvage runs. You’re looking at certified US government property.”

Madelyn wished Tom knew he was admitting to the possession of stolen property to a lawyer—but beyond her agent codename, there was little he knew about her—that was the whole point of codenames and secret identities, to avoid learning too much and forming attachments. She wondered where Deacon had lost his memo. Or maybe she’d lost hers.

“…I’ll just pop this in here and—”

If Tom had been speaking, she had zoned out, and pushed forth a polite smile to compensate. Nick finally looked invested in what the other man had to say, now that they were making progress. With the holotape inside the device, he pressed a few buttons, but nothing seemed to be happening, much to the detective’s frustration.

“Memory hiccup, but…” Tom mumbled, adjusting a few knobs.

Deacon appeared next to Madelyn, gently brushing a loose brunette strand behind her ear. She’d almost forgotten she was still wearing the damn wig and was half-tempted to tear it off when she remembered the ungodly number of bobby-pins keeping it in place. Just as quick as he made the adjustment, his hand swiftly returned to his side. That was one noticeable trait—that when they were around other Railroad agents (other than Drummer Boy) or at headquarters, he was reluctant to be as physically close to her as he usually was when they were alone. It was difficult not to read into, but she found comfort in the tiny gesture nonetheless.

“Did I miss anything?” he asked. Rather than anyone in the group responding, the holotape began its playback.

Message to Robert Cooper—You did good, Bobby. The wife and girl won't be saying anything. No worries. Hell, once those fat life insurance checks start rolling in, Mrs. Montrano will wish her fat slob of a husband had eaten that bullet 5 years ago. As for what happens next - up to you. Beach, sub shop, car yard - doesn't matter where he ends up. I don't give a shit - I just want him in the ground. So long as Johnny Senior never finds out what happens to his little meatball, we're set. Eddie Winter, signing off.

There was a long pause and Nick nearly toppled out of his chair. “Is that it?”

Tom shook his head, raising his hand to hush him as he toyed with the dials. “This baby has a lot more where that came from.”

“Did you hear that though?” Madelyn was breathless. She’d heard Winter’s voice on the television and radio broadcasts during his criminal trials the previous year, but in this context it was far more frightening. There he was, admitting to the assassination of Johnny Montrano Jr, more or less. “Why would he record something like that?”

Deacon scoffed, bewildered. “He’s insane, this is way past conceited, like he thinks he can get away with it.”

“Shh! Shh!” Tom quieted them as the tape crackled to life again.

Message to Marty Bulfinch—Listen Marty, I know you’ve got a history with that private dick, so right now you’re the only thing standing between him and a .44 caliber bullet to the brain. If you want to keep insisting Mr. Valentine has got nothing to hide, then you must not value your life or career. Since everyone already knows about your drinking problem, maybe they wouldn’t be surprised to learn about your gambling debts, or how Mrs. Bulfinch left you to live in New York. Have you seen her Manhattan apartment? Green carpet and white tile in the bathroom? You must pay a pretty penny on those alimony checks. Reconsider my offer, maybe I’ll sweeten the deal with some booze. Eddie Winter, signing off.

“Marty was blackmailed,” Nick spoke the moment there was another break in the recording. He snapped his gaze to Deacon who furrowed his brows in annoyance.

“He still murdered my friends,” he spat.

Madelyn rested her hand on Nick’s arm, trying her best to ease the tension, silently reminding him of where they were. While it was important to learn the circumstances behind Marty’s choices, the decision had resulted in the death and destruction of the Railroad agents—the very people that were helping them now. It wasn’t worth reminding him how she almost died that night as well, if it hadn’t been for Deacon saving her life. The detective sat back in his chair, jaw clenched. Tom took that as his cue to start the holotape again.

Message to Vinnie Vannucci—It’s time. Start having the boys ask around for that broad the detective is sweet on. Find everything you can on that dame of a partner while you’re at it. Hear she’s some lawyer with the District Attorney’s office—she’d be useful if we can bribe her. Otherwise, I know how good you are at magic tricks. Let’s see if you can make two more nosy dollies disappear. Eddie Winter, signing off.

Madelyn could feel Nick trembling from where her hand was still resting on his arm, fists clenched tightly as he struggled to maintain his composure. A personal threat, almost as if Nick was meant to hear it. Then again, it had been personally delivered to them by Winter’s inside man, so it might as well have been a personalized greeting from the crime-lord himself. Even she had been targeted, but strangely enough, she hardly felt as frightened as she did for the other implicated woman.

“That’s all she wrote,” Tom said, ejecting the holotape from the device reader. “Well, he—this Eddie Winter guy sure sounds—”

“I’m going to kill that son-of-a-bitch,” Nick muttered, standing before she could stop him.

No matter how riled up he had gotten over each new piece of news or evidence in the case against Winter, Nick had never escalated towards vengeance. Even with all the corruption, the detective still believed in justice, still valued the court system and hoped the right people could put Eddie Winter away for good. But now, it was personal.

“What are you saying?” Madelyn asked, watching as he paced in a small line. It only made the panic rooted inside her chest spread. “Nick?”

“We need to head back to the agency and strategize a plan of attack on his base of operations,” he explained. “No more waiting around. We strike as soon as possible.”

“One step at a time,” she urged, waving her hands in protest. She understood the importance of striking while the iron was hot, but if they charged in blind, they were only setting themselves up for failure. “What about Jenny?”

Her open-ended question alluded to the thinly-veiled threat Eddie Winter had placed against her on the holotape, and the devastation etched into Nick’s expression told her he had nearly forgotten in his eagerness to leave. He scrubbed at his growing stubble, at a loss for words.

“The Railroad can help,” Deacon offered, breaking the silence. “We—I—can go pick her up and take her to a safehouse. Make sure she’s protected until this ordeal blows over.”

Nick wouldn’t be so easily persuaded. “I don’t trust you.”

“Nobody does,” Deacon replied, soberly.

Without any other options, Nick flicked his gaze to Madelyn and nodded. “She trusts you. That’s enough for me,” he let out a long sigh. “Deacon, you keep my Jenny safe, or there’ll be hell to pay, you hear?”

“Anything for you, Valentine.”

With one last nod, Nick took possession of the holotape from Tinker Tom on his way towards the staircase that led back through the catacombs and church basement. Madelyn turned to face Deacon who was pensive, expression disconcerting for how well-dressed he was, still wearing the suit from the Third Rail. She likely looked just as out of place, and hardly felt as confident as she had when she first put on the sparkly black dress hours ago.

“I better…” she trailed off, knowing she needed to leave to catch up with Nick.

Before Madelyn could leave, Deacon reached out to grasp her hand, holding it in a firm grasp. His thumb brushed over her knuckles in an affectionate sweep as his lips twitched to the side in a brief smile.

“Keep yourself safe, Charmer,” he said, softly. She squeezed his fingers back in reply.

“I promise.” 

April 12th, 1958

No amount of careful planning could’ve prepared Nick and Madelyn for what they faced when they traveled into South Boston the next evening, breaking into the Joe’s Spuckies Sandwich Shop when the coast was clear. They had trailed Eddie Winter to the location and watched the building from afar for hours before advancing, hoping they could corner him in the underground bunker. The two slowly crept through the darkened halls, pistols drawn—of course, that didn’t stop two of Winter’s men from sneaking up on them from behind, incapacitating them both with a hit from the blunt end of a gun.

The first thing Madelyn heard when she started to regain consciousness were the opening notes to a Bobby Darin album. Her vision blurred as she peeked open her eyes, and it took several blinks to realize she had been moved to a new location—she wasn’t even sure if she was in the sandwich shop anymore. She tried to move but her hands were bound behind her back—as well as her chest and arms—keeping her secure in the chair she occupied. A little resistance proved that her wrists were bound to another pair—Nick. As she struggled to get a glimpse of him over her shoulder, a hand came and jerked her chin from view.

“This one’s awake,” the guard grumbled.

She glared up at the imposing man, wincing at the throbbing pain at the base of her temple where she had been struck. If she were lucky, she didn’t have a concussion. Then again, if luck were on her side, they wouldn’t be tied up in Eddie Winter’s basement. The guard was lucky they had secured a cloth gag in her mouth, otherwise she probably would’ve made to bite at his thumb that still pressed against her cheek. He shuffled away when a new person entered her field of vision—Eddie Winter himself. Tall, lean but muscular, dark brown hair and hazel eyes. Befitting of the Boston crime-lord, he wore an immaculately tailored suit, grey in color, with a little white pocket square. If he wasn’t the scum of the earth mob-boss, she might’ve called him handsome—until he smiled, confirming he was nothing but evil.

“Madelyn Hardy,” he grinned, petting at her hair, inspecting a few golden strands. “You are far prettier than I expected.”

Before he could say anything else or run his grimy fingers across any more of her, Nick began to rouse, which spiked Eddie’s excitement. “Come on Detective Valentine, it’s time to wake up. You wouldn’t want to miss out on all the fun we’re about to have,” he gave a light tap to the side of Nick’s head, to which he recoiled, shaking his head in earnest. If he weren’t gagged, he’d be giving the mobster an earful.

“Oh no,” Eddie softly chuckled, leaning away so the two could see him easily. He had inferred a lot from Nick’s resistance. “You brought her into this, so any harm that comes to her is your fault.”

Madelyn steadied herself at the veiled threat. Clearly the man had a plan for them that evening and judging by the other guards that occupied the room, it couldn’t be good. Nick fidgeted, his hands fighting against the binds in vein while Eddie watched, a wild glaze in his eyes. Deacon was right—the man was insane and wouldn’t stop until he was satisfied. She was briefly reminded of Doctor Crocker, but Eddie’s methodical madness was far more terrifying.

“That’s what I like to do, Valentine,” the man said, slowly reaching into his jacket and retrieving his .44 pistol. “Teach lessons.”

She was momentarily confused—expecting far more from the man who had murdered his victims in extravagant ways—until he raised the weapon and quickly shot not at her and Nick but at the two guards standing watch over them. His aim was deadly, each man only needing one bullet each to the center of their skulls before they dropped to the floor with a loud thud. Madelyn flinched at every movement and sound, yells muffled by the gag, trembling at the mix of fear and relief—was she next? Nick’s curses were equally stifled, and more than ever she could feel his fingers working to loosen the ropes. Eddie hardly had a reaction to killing his own men, running a hand through his hair with a disgruntled sigh.

“I can’t even trust my own men, stealing right from under my nose,” he waved the gun to one of the dead men. “Making moves on my girl. Small offenses to some, but to me? Don’t you know who I am?”

The record player switched over to a new song, and Eddie smiled, mumbling to himself about how he adored the song. After adjusting his suit jacket, he sidled back towards them, with a little dance in his step. Madelyn had never been more alarmed by an action—as the man said—this was fun for him.

“You know Valentine, that’s why when I found out you and your no-name agency were snooping around, I wasn’t in the slightest bit threatened,” he shook his head. “A laughing-stock detective and some reject from the D.A.’s office—don’t you know where the fairer sex belongs, dollface?”

Madelyn gritted her teeth, wanting nothing more than to shoot the man herself. Regardless of the unknown factors, it was now just the two of them against Eddie. If they could get their ties free, perhaps they could end this nightmare once and for all. He backed away, twirling in a two-step to the rhythm of the song.

“Still, never can be too careful,” Eddie continued, walking towards an armchair with a large plastic tarp draped over it. Only then did Madelyn notice feet were sticking out at the bottom, and the droplets of blood splattered across the concrete flooring. “I should’ve picked a better inside man. One that wasn’t so blindly loyal to you.”

Whatever Madelyn expected to see beneath the sheet, it was far worse when Eddie yanked the plastic away, revealing the mutilated corpse of Marty Bullfinch. Not even the scene at Earl Sterling’s apartment could’ve prepared her—the only recognizable part of him left was the bright yellow tie around his neck.

“Poor Marty,” Eddie frowned, tilting his head to inspect the body. “But what a piece of art this is, don’t you agree? One of our new contractors, Mr. Pinkman—wouldn’t want to be alone with him in a dark alley.”

“I suppose Marty did what I asked of him,” Eddie sighed, turning to a small table where he placed his weapon back in the holster of his jacket. Madelyn wasn’t relieved, however, as he swapped it for a short combat knife. “But that idiot had it in his head that he could still help you, leak information that would end the empire I’ve built.”

The man crossed back over to where the two were tied up, focusing his attention on Nick. Madelyn craned her neck to see that Eddie was balancing the knife’s edge under his chin, smirking as he tugged the cloth from the detective’s mouth.

“Now, Valentine,” he said. “You’re gonna tell me everything you know. I know you’ve been dying to say something all night.”

Nick moved and Madelyn realized that in all the time Eddie had been monologuing, he had been breaking free of his binds. “Yeah, don’t bring a knife to a gunfight.”

Nick brought his arms out from behind him in one swift movement, using the forward momentum as he stood to tackle Eddie to the floor. Madelyn felt a surge of adrenaline rush through her veins and she rushed, fingers fumbling to loosen her ties so she could help. From over her shoulder she could see the two struggling to gain control of the knife, Nick finally tossing the weapon far away and out of reach. The next move was to reach for the gun holstered in Eddie’s suit. Panic started to rise in her chest—just as the ropes fell from her wrists and she pulled the gag from her mouth, a shot rang out and she froze, turning to see what had happened.

Another shot and her worst fears started to envelop her as Nick slumped to the ground, Eddie’s hand gripped firmly around the .44 pistol. He was breathless and disheveled, but the look in his eyes was rabid as he locked onto her. Before she could stand, he had stumbled over to her, discarding the gun as he pushed her to the ground. Madelyn was splayed against the hard, concrete floor as he straddled her body, large hands wrapping around her neck and pressing down on her windpipe.

“I like to be intimate with my dollies,” he hissed.

Madelyn wouldn’t surrender to the terror—she wouldn’t die like this. She knew there wasn’t much time to enact a plan of escape and squirming beneath him only made him squeeze harder. But she had a promise to keep, and damnit if she wasn’t going to see Deacon again or bring Nick home to Jenny. It was now or never. If anything, she was spurred on by the repulsive way he was half-singing along to the song still playing on the record-player, smile a sickening a sight.

“Could it be our boy's done somethin' rash?”

She twisted her body, reaching down to bunch up the left side of her skirt so she could feel at the cool metal of her holstered pistol. The guards hadn’t bothered to check her for the hidden weapon after taking the one from her hands, and it would be their folly. Eddie’s grasp on her throat made her concentration waver, but she fought through the pain and dizziness. As soon as she had the gun in hand, she pressed the muzzle to his body and fired.

Madelyn sucked in a gasp of breath as his hands released her neck, Eddie’s body falling off of hers as he fell to the floor in anguish.

“Bitch!” he yelled, rolling away and snapping his hands to the wound on his side, blood soaking through his grey jacket. She scrambled away, struggling to stand to keep her weapon trained on him. At her feet, she saw his .44 and swiftly kicked it away. Eddie groaned, snarling up at her. He shook his head and laughed. “You won’t kill me.”

“Excuse me?”

“You heard me,” he barked, gradually pushing himself up to stand. Eddie gestured to where Nick was laying motionless on the ground, a slow puddle of blood had started to form beneath him. “He’s not dead. But he will be. Better act fast if you want Valentine to live.”

Madelyn didn’t think twice, rushing to her partner’s side. Eddie took the time to make his slow escape, pulling himself up the basement staircase and out of sight, a trail of blood following him in his wake. She wondered just how far he’d make it in his escape—but the man was resourceful. Right now, however, she had larger concerns. She collapsed on the ground next to Nick, examining his injuries. He had been shot twice—once to his shoulder which was responsible for the visible pool of blood, but there was another wound to his chest which shook her straight to her core.

Just like Nate.

Except, there wasn’t as much blood, and Nick appeared to be half-conscious as she gripped his hand, trying with all her might to rouse him. She wouldn’t lose him like this. Not after everything they’d been through—not in the same way she’d lost her husband. God—if he even existed—wouldn’t be so cruel to her in such a way.

“Come on, Nick,” she wept, the tears already streaming down her face. His eyes lifted, just barely and she gasped, gripping his hand tightly. Her encouraging words were useless, but she spoke them anyways. “You have to get up, we have to get out of here.”

His breath was shallow and ragged, before his eyes closed again. “Tell Jenny…”

Instead of slumping over his body and sobbing, Madelyn moved, on the hunt for a phone to call for help. He could tell her himself.

[eddiesasspbrak]

When I’m With You Ch. 11

Eddie can’t stand the barista at his favorite coffee shop. Richie has fallen in love with the man he sees twice a week. Stan is dating someone but won’t let his friends meet them. Ben is in love with Beverly, but is so afraid of scaring her away he’s not moving forward. Chaotic friends navigating college together. 

(unedited chapter)

Ch. 1

Ch. 12

Read on AO3

5k+ words

Eddie woke up to the smell of bacon and the sound of low music coming from his kitchen. He sat up on the couch, yawning and rubbing the sleep from his eyes. The blanket fell to his lap and all at once Eddi remembered why he was sleeping there. He and Richie must have fallen asleep while watching movies the night before. Not a terrible way to end the day, though Eddie was bound to have some back and neck pain from sleeping on the couch again.

Stretching, he stood from the couch and headed to the kitchen entrance. Richie was at the stove, cooking, music coming from his phone on the counter beside him. Eddie leaned against the door frame and watched him for a second, a smile on his face. No one had ever cooked breakfast for him before, besides his mother of course. The thought caused his chest to tighten and swell.

He crossed the room to Richie, leaning his hip against the counter and crossing his arms over his chest. Richie took his eyes away from the pan of bacon for a second to smile at him. His curls were messier than usual, a few rogue strands falling in front of his eyes.

“Morning.” He leaned down to kiss Eddie, but he stopped him with a hand over his mouth.

“I haven’t brushed my teeth yet.”

“Doesn’t bother me.”

“It’s gross.” He crinkled his nose.

“I don’t think anything about you could possibly be gross.”

Flustered, Eddie quickly changed the subject. “You really want to attempt cooking again after the spaghetti fiasco?”

“That spaghetti was still mostly edible.” Richie chuckled. “Breakfast food is actually something I’m good at. I ran to my apartment earlier and grabbed a few things. Your fridge is surprisingly scarce. How do you take your eggs?”

“Over easy and I order out a lot. As you saw, I’m not the best cook even with the easy things.”

“I cook most nights. You can start eating dinner with me.”

Eddie’s smile grew partially from the thought of having dinner with Richie every night, and partially because a bit of grease popped up on his fingers and he let out a string of curses. He was still grinning when he turned to Eddie and held up his middle finger. Both to flip him off and to show where the grease had landed, making his skin red.

“Kiss it better?” Richie asked.

Eddie rolled his eyes, but grabbed his hand anyway, bringing it to his lips. Richie took that moment to swoop in and press a kiss to his mouth, ducking away before Eddie could react. He stared at him wide eyed, having not expected that sneak attack.

“You should really brush your teeth.” Richie chuckled.

“Go fuck yourself.” Eddie said, smacking his hand away. Another pop of grease landed on Richie’s hand and when he looked to Eddie, all he said was, “You deserve it.”

Richie informed Eddie that he had the day off as they ate, and they made plans to spend the day together. After breakfast and cleaning the dishes together, Richie returned to his apartment to shower and get ready while Eddie did the same in his own. He didn’t know what Richie had in mind, he refused to tell him, but he insisted they’d spend the entire day together as neither had anything else they needed to do.

When Eddie was finished getting ready, he headed down the hall to Richie’s. He still wasn’t comfortable with the mouse, that would take a long time, but he at least had to expose himself to his place. Richie had informed him that even Ben had held Penny. He agreed to work up to it. Baby steps. He knocked on the door feeling stupidly anxious. There was no reason to be. It was just an apartment. The apartment of his new boyfriend. In the same building. It probably looked identical to his own, though expected it to be a hell of a lot messier. He’d deal with that panic attack when he came to it.

A second later, Richie was opening the door, hair wet and smile in place. He stepped aside for Eddie to enter and he was pleasantly surprised. He’d prepared for chaos, but it really wasn’t that bad. Maybe a little disorganized but not terribly so. It would probably drive Stan crazy, but it wasn’t enough to set Eddie off. He had a serious lack of furniture though. There was a small table with two chairs pushed up against the windows, the sides folded down to make it smaller for space. On either wall across from it were standing shelves, scattered with books, pictures, plants and knickknacks. The TV was propped on top of an old wooden crate with what appeared to be a peach painted on the side, the words too faded to read. There was no couch, instead there were beanbags and a swinging chair hanging from the ceiling that Eddie didn’t think seemed safe.

Eddie compared it to his own apartment, which was largely furnished by his mother. When she’d cosigned on the apartment for him, she’d taken him to buy new furniture giving her opinion where it wasn’t wanted. Because of that, all of his things were new and nice, and his place was so clean. Meanwhile, Richie’s looked lived in. Eddie could easily see an older couple both in finance living in his apartment, only using it to sleep. Richie’s apartment felt warm, more like a home than a setup that a realtor put in place. It kind of made him feel embarrassed of his own place.

“Make yourself at home.” Richie said, closing the door and heading back toward, what Eddie assumed was, the bedroom.

Eddie didn’t trust the hanging chair and the thought of the beanbags kind of grossed him out, so he made his way to the table and pulled out one of the chairs. The table was partially covered in mail but otherwise clutter free. Eddie looked up at the shelf beside him and examined the pictures both in frames and just propped up against things. There were some with Bev, some with Bill and Mike. One had an older couple that he assumed were his parents. It was in the nicest frame on the shelf. It occurred to Eddie then that he didn’t have a single picture on display at his place and thought he should fix that. It’s not like he didn’t have pictures with friends. He even had some from high school with Stan and Ben tucked away somewhere.

There was a plant Eddie couldn’t identify on the top shelf, tendrils hanging down and twisting around the metal sides of the shelves. It looked well cared for. A small cactus sat on a lower shelf in a small terracotta pot with flowers painted in different colors around the top. Across on the other shelf, was one of those little glass and stone fountains where the water fell like rain inside. Next to it was a small bonsai tree, though Eddie couldn’t tell if it was real or fake. Part of him wanted to explore the apartment, see what the rest of it looked like, but he’d have to wait until his next visit.

Richie emerged from the hallway, hair slightly dryer and shoes on. Eddie watched him move about the room and realized that he liked seeing him in his own environment. He’d seen him at the café, at bars, at his own place but this place was so very Richie. Eddie weirdly felt like he was getting a peak into Richie’s life. He’d told him a bit about himself already, but Richie hadn’t really spoken about himself much. He moved getting to know more about him to the top of his to do list. Now that he wasn’t denying his feelings anymore, he wanted to know everything he could about the man he was infatuated with.

“Ready to go?” Richie asked, turning to Eddie as he put his coat on.

“Yep.”

Eddie stood and followed Richie out the door, waiting for him to lock up. Richie wasted no time before grabbing hold of his hand heading down the hall to the elevator. Eddie didn’t mind. He thought it was cute that he wanted to hold his hand while they walked. Plus, he liked it. Liked being wanted, that he wanted to touch him in any small way. Show strangers that they passed on the streets that they were together. Eddie felt silly for feeling that way, but he couldn’t help it. He’d always wanted to feel that way with someone.

“So, where are we going?” Eddie asked as they exited the building onto the street.

“It’s a surprise.”

“Why does that make me not want to trust you?”

“You offend me, Eds. I promise you’ll have fun.”

“Yea, still don’t trust you.”

Richie laughed and briefly tightened his fingers around Eddie’s hand. “I’ll make you a deal, if you have fun then you have to trust me from now on, but if you hate it, I’ll let you plan all our dates from here on out.”

“So, this is a date then?” Eddie asked, feeling just a little smug.

“Our third I believe.”

“Second and a half. The first one didn’t start as a date.”

“Fine then. Two and a half dates in one week must be some kind of record though.”

“I think Ben and Bev probably hold the record. They’ve spent like every day together since last weekend.”

“Unfair advantage, they’ve been dating longer than we have.”

“Though you kissed me before they got together though.”

“Technicality.”

Eddie laughed and bumped his arm against Richie’s. It baffled him how he used to find his wit annoying. That felt worlds away now and Eddie was glad he’d moved past it. It was funny, really, how your entire outlook changes when you fall for someone. He was still annoying, for sure. Eddie just found it cute and charming now. He was making himself sick just thinking about it, he couldn’t imagine how a third party would react to his inner monologue about Richie. It was like Ben whenever he talked about Bev. He would be annoyed with himself.

When Richie came to a dead stop, Eddie didn’t notice until his hand was pulled back. He looked back at Richie, who was looking up at the building before them. Eddie turned to the building, a big block of a building with no windows and blackout glass doors. Above the doors was an obnoxiously bright orange sign.

“Ladies and the Tramps?” Eddie read the sign before eyeing Richie quizzically.

“Yep.”

“Where the hell did you take me? Some sex club based around cartoon dogs?”

Richie laughed, pulling Eddie toward him until he could grab his other hand as well. “Only the best for my Spaghetti.” He said before leaning in for a drawn-out kiss, making Eddie forget for a second where they were.

“Where are we really?” Eddie asked after breaking away from the kiss.

“An indoor trampoline park. Not as much fun as a sex club, but pretty close. It’s owned by this awesome couple and their daughter works here too. Hence whole ‘Ladies and the Tramps’ thing.”

“What the hell is an indoor trampoline park?”

“Come on.” Richie released one hand and dragged Eddie with the other toward the double doors.

The inside was just as brightly colored as the sign, only this was done in a rainbow of practically neon colors that hurt Eddie’s eyes. To one side was a wall of tiny lockers as well as some larger ones near the end. The other side of the room had a desk with a bored looking teenager staring down at her phone. She looked tired.

“Hey Jen, slow today?” Richie asked as they approached the counter.

“So far. No one comes in this early. Except for you. Freak.” She grinned, perking up considerably.

“Is that anyway to speak to your favorite customer?”

“You’re hardly my favorite. Who’s the new guy?” She looked Eddie over with a critical eye and he suddenly felt exposed for some reason.

“Just some hot tail I scored.” Richie winked at Eddie and he hated him for it.

“Fuck you it’s barely been five days. I can still back out.” Eddie said, attempting to pull his hand free. Richie refused to let go and after a second, Eddie gave up. He didn’t really want to let go anyway.

“Boyfriend?” Jen asked.

“Best one yet.” Richie tugged on Eddie’s hand, making him take a step closer to his side. “Either of your moms around?”

“Yea, mama Rose is in the tramp room. Go on in. Shoes off.” She pulled a lock from beneath the desk and set it on the counter

Richie thanked her and grabbed the lock before pulling Eddie toward the lockers. He followed Richie’s lead and took his shoes off, stacking them on top of his in the small locker. They also added their wallets, keys and phones. Anything that could potentially be dropped and lost beneath the trampolines or in the foam pits. Richie reassured him that Jen had all the keys kept safe and the front room was never left unattended. Despite what he’d said earlier, he really did trust him, so he piled all of his things inside the tiny locker and watched him lock it up tight. Their coats were hung on one of the hooks hanging on the wall near the counter.

Reclaiming Eddie’s hand, Richie headed through a second set of double doors. Eddie didn’t know what he had been expecting but it wasn’t…this. The entrance and surrounding most of the center, was foam flooring. Beyond that was a set of stairs leading up to endless trampolines in different shapes and sizes all fit together like a puzzle. There were two pits fill of foam cubes off to the two sides with platforms and a rope hanging from the ceiling.

“Ever been on a trampoline?” Richie asked, taking in his awed expression.

“Are you kidding? My mom would have had an aneurism.”

“Well mommy isn’t here.”

Eddie allowed himself to be pulled once more toward the trampolines, smiling. “Please don’t ever call her ‘mommy’ again.” He laughed.

Near the stairs was an older woman with a broom, sweeping up a small pile of dust and general debris that collected on floors. Richie waved as they approached and she grinned nice and wide at him.

“Rich, it’s been a while!” She said, pulling him into a quick hug.

“Hey Rosy. Things have been hectic with school and work. Not much time for anything else.” Richie sighed, looking up at the trampolines.

“Except dating?” She asked, giving Eddie the same once over her daughter had.

“He’s a special exception. Started as one of our regulars at the café. This is Eddie.”

Eddie felt his face warming and wondered if he was blushing. He hoped not. It just felt weird being talked about like that as if he weren’t there in front of them.

“Is that so? Well nice to meet you Eddie.” Eddie shyly returned the sentiment. “We’ve got a birthday renting the place at 5, but until then we’re open for anyone. You’ve got the place to your self for a while. Enjoy boys.”

With that, she took the broom and dustpan full of dirt and headed toward the double doors, leaving them alone in the large room. Everything echoed in there, the ceilings exceptionally high. Richie finally let go of Eddie’s hand as they climbed the short set of stairs up to the trampolines. He didn’t hesitate to step onto the bouncy woven nylon, but Eddie found himself a bit anxious. It was stupid. It was just something to bounce on and it was surrounded by foam. It was his mother’s voice in his head, and he shook it away when Richie reached his hand out. Eddie took his offered hand and stepped onto the surface of the trampoline.

It was a bit slippery in his socks, but not terribly so. Richie was grinning, watching Eddie’s face closely.

“You ready?” He asked, expectantly.

“It’s just…jumping right?” Eddie asked. Of course, it was. It’s not like he hadn’t seen others on a trampoline. He was just stupidly nervous.

Instead of answering, Richie began to bounce slightly, smiling like a dork with raised eyebrows. Eddie rolled his eyes and smiled as Richie began to jump, Eddie joining him a second later. Growing up, Eddie had always known that his mother was too overprotective. Controlling. She never let him have fun and had drilled it all into his head. It had taken so long to even start the process of clearing her voice from his head whenever he did something even slightly reckless. When he’d lost control for a bit, his first fear was that she would find out. It was always a fear. As long as he relied on her for anything, he would be afraid. He just had to make it through college without incident and then he’d be free.

In the meantime, he clutched at any little taste of freedom he could get. Being with Richie was freedom, ice skating was freedom, jumping on trampolines with him was freedom. It was enough for now.

Eddie watched Richie show off like a child and loved every second of it. He jumped until he was high enough to do flips and Eddie sat cross legged on the trampoline surface, never taking his eyes off of him. He tried to convince Eddie to give it a try, but Eddie was convinced he’d wipe out and didn’t want to embarrass himself. He promised to try when he was more comfortable with the trampolines in general.

However, Richie was able to convince him to try out the rope. He easily swung across to the platform on the other side, sending the rope back to Eddie. Despite his mother’s insistence that he was weak and fragile, gym class had always been a favorite of Eddie’s. He liked to run, and he was the first one in their class to reach the top of the rope in sixth grade. Holding the rope tightly between his hands, he pushed off the platform and jumped off the platform, wrapping his legs around the rope. He swung across, joining Richie on the other side.

“That was kind of hot.” Richie said, grabbing Eddie around the waist.

“Oh yea?” Eddie leaned in as if going for a kiss, but before their lips touched, he was shoving Richie backward, into the foam pit below. He followed him in, jumping from the platform.

“You tease!” Richie called from somewhere in the foam, struggling to get upright.

Eddie laughed, watching his efforts as he lounged comfortably amongst the foam. He wasn’t even thinking about how many kids probably peed in there. Well, not entirely anyway.

“Hey, how do you know the owners so well?” Eddie asked, taking the chance to ask while Richie was distracted.

“My first job when I moved out here.” He explained, making his way through the foam toward Eddie.

“You worked at ‘Ladies and the Tramp’?”

“I was an honorary lady. They took pity on me, I think. My family doesn’t have much, so I was pretty desperate for a job. I was hitting the pavement, familiarizing myself with the local businesses. They let me in for free when I told Rose I didn’t have any money. We talked about everything and I guess they liked me. Hired me on the spot.”

“Is that how you learned all those little flips?” Eddie asked, draping his arms around Richie’s shoulders when he got close enough.

“Jen taught me. She used to do gymnastics before she got bored of it and took to music instead. I’d help her with homework, and she’d show my flips.”

“You helped with homework? Did she fail?” Eddie grinned.

“I’ll have you know, I’m extremely smart. She passed algebra thanks to me.”

“Oh yea? Smart guys are pretty hot.”

Richie closed the remaining distance between them, smiling against his lips. His hands found their way to Eddie’s waist below the foam, pulling him flush against him. He pressed his tongue past Eddie’s lips and relished in the fact that he’d already become so comfortable kissing him. He didn’t hesitate to tangle his own tongue with Richie’s like he had before. Richie was vaguely aware that this wasn’t the place to get hot and heavy, but they were alone, and he just couldn’t resist. He wished he could take Eddie home and throw him on his bed, but he had to show impulse control until Eddie was ok with it. It was going to be a long, painful road as long as Eddie kept stirring up.

“Excuse me sir, there’s no kissing in the foam pit.” A voice from up above them on the platform brought them both back to reality quickly.

Eddie pushed Richie away from him as much as he could. They were both flushed, though if it was from the kiss or being caught, they weren’t sure. A different woman than before was looking down at them, a big smile on her face.

“Hey Kara.” Richie said, pushing his hair back with one hand, waving with the other.

“Richie. Having fun, I see.”

“Always have fun here.”

Richie headed to the edge of the foam pit, Eddie following behind him. Once at the edge, Richie lifted himself out, sitting on the wall, pulling Eddie hum a second later to join him.

“Kara, this is Eddie. Eddie, this Kara. Rose’s wife.” Richie introduced them.

“Hi.” Eddie only glanced up at her for a second, dropping his eyes again, ashamed.

“Hi Eddie. This is the first time I’ve caught Richie trying to cop a feel in the foam pit. You must be special.”

“Complete consensual, Kara. Eddie here can’t get enough of me.” Richie said, holding his hands up.

“Kill me now.” Eddie mumbled, falling back against the trampoline behind him.

Richie grinned and looked down at him, smoothing Eddie’s hair back with a hand. “Don’t be embarrassed because you love me, Eds. Kara is practically family.”

“Practically? Practically family doesn’t pay your first and last months rent so you can get an apartment.”

“I mean, Kara is like my second mother. I only wish that I was birthed from her loins.”

“That’s better.”

“Kara and Rose let me crash in the back room for a while when I worked here.” Richie explained. “They got sick of me hanging around all the time, so they helped me get my apartment. Cosigned and everything.”

Eddie sat back up and looked between them. He wasn’t sure what to say. He wanted to know more about Richie. He wanted to know everything. He worried he’d say the wrong thing and Richie would stop sharing so openly. It wouldn’t be the first time Eddie had said something without thinking and accidentally offended someone. He wasn’t exactly known for his social grace. He blamed his mom for trying to keep him for socializing with his peers as a kid.

“Does this mean you brought me to meet your family on our second and a half date?” Eddie asked, hoping that was an acceptable response.

Both of their smiles reassured him that it was ok and he visibly relaxed. Richie’s arm came around his shoulder, pulling him against his side.

“That’s exactly what this is.” Richie said.

*

After the experience at Ladies and the Tramps, Eddie felt light and happy. Kara and Rose treated them to pizza for lunch before they headed out. They seemed to have a bet going over who could embarrass Richie more. Jen won when she told Eddie about the time Richie had been showing off on the rope and managed to get his food tangled. He hung upside down for five minutes while Jen tried to calm her laughing enough to help him down. Eddie had laughed along with her and the story earned her an affectionate headlock from Richie. It was like being having lunch with his boyfriend’s family, and Eddie felt closer to Richie somehow.

They left with the intent of heading home. Richie said he had something he wanted to show him. Part of Eddie hoped that meant he could see more of his apartment. He wondered if he was getting a little obsessive with wanting to absorb as much as he could. It was the first time he wanted any of this. He’d had crushes before but never bad enough to want to know them the way he wanted to know Richie. It was like he’d made a home in a corner of his brain and wasn’t planning to leave. Eddie thought he might be ok with that.

The worst part about having Richie on his mind 24/7, even when walking beside him, was that he lost himself in his thoughts. If he’d been more observant of his surroundings, he might have seen the patch of ice on the sidewalk. He and Richie weren’t holding hands this time, so there was nothing to keep him from slipping when he stepped directly onto the small patch. His foot slid back, causing him to lose his footing and land directly on top of it. He didn’t fall too hard, putting his hands out in time to catch himself slightly. Still, the palms of his hands stung and from the pavement and rock salt peppering the street. Richie immediately stopped, turning to check on him.

“You ok?” He asked, offering a hand.

“Yea.” Eddie said, taking his hand and allowing himself to be pulled up. “What’s the point of salting if you’re going to miss spots?” Eddie grumbled.

“How’s your ass? Need me to kiss it better?” Richie grinned.

“Touch my ass and I’ll break your fingers.” Eddie did think he’d have a bruise the following day and the seat of his pants were uncomfortably wet now. When Eddie tried to walk again, a pain shot through his ankle and he grabbed onto Richie for support as he lifted it. “Fuck. Ok, maybe not as ok as I thought.” He winced.

“What’s wrong?”

“My ankle. I landed on it and twisted it weird. Dammit. I’ll be fine, I just need to sit for a second.”

Richie helped Eddie over to the nearby bus stop. He sighed once he was sat down, though he could have done without the wet pants now clinging to him soaking through to his briefs. Richie crouched in front of him and gently rolled up his pants leg to get a look at his ankle. Eddie leaned forward to see as well. It was already swelling and bruising.

“I think we should probably take you to the emergency room, Eds.” Richie said, looking up at him.

“No. It’s fine. I just need to ice it.”

“I don’t think so. It’s better to get it looked at. It could be broken, sprained at the very least.”

“Fuck.” Eddie sighed. “Fine but I can’t walk.”

Richie rolled his pants back down and stood, pulling his phone from his pocket. He sat with Eddie while they waited for their uber to arrive, helping him into the backseat when it did. The ride to the emergency room was silent, Eddie’s eyes focused on the streets passing by beyond his window. When they arrived, Richie asked the driver to hang out for a second while he ran in to get a wheelchair for Eddie. When he returned, he helped him from the car into the chair. Eddie felt stupid and being in the emergency room, in a wheelchair, brough back terrible memories of his mother.

Check in went easily, but Eddie was reluctant to give his insurance information. It was his mother’s plan and she’d know something happened. He wanted to pay out of pocket but couldn’t afford it even if he emptied the account his mom set up for him. The anxiety only grew from there, the wait to be called back excruciating. Richie kept in gentle contact with Eddie while they waited, offering what little comfort he could.

Richie pushed the wheelchair when they were finally called back. A nurse took his vitals and asked a few questions before leaving them to wait again. When the doctor entered, she introduced herself as “Dr. Lisa” and immediately sat in front of Eddie to check out his ankle. She rolled up his pants leg and carefully remove his shoe and sock, though it still hurt when she did. She moved it around, asking if it hurt from one position to the next. Eddie wince with each new movement, gripping the arm of the wheelchair tight.

“I don’t think it’s broken. A fracture or sprain are likely. I’ll have to get an x-ray to know for sure.” She said, standing and heading to the door. “Someone will be here soon to take you down.”

They sat in silence while they waited, Richie staying behind when they finally came to get him for the x-ray. They should be back at Richie’s apartment, relaxing and spending time together, not in the emergency room with an injured ankle. Eddie’s anxiety was only getting worse as he thought about what would happen if his mom knew he was injured badly enough to call for an x-ray. After the x-ray and even more silent waiting, Dr. Lisa finally returned to the room.

“It’s a sprain.” She said flatly. “I’ll set you up with a brace and some crutches. Just try to stay off of it for a few days, keep in elevated and take some ibuprofen if you have any discomfort.”

“We’ll do that.” Richie said, looking concerned at Eddie’s scared face.

“I’ll get the brace and you’re good to go.” She left them in the room for a moment and Richie turned all of his attention to Eddie.

“You ok?” He asked, unable to stay silent any longer.

“No. I’m not ok. I’m going to have to tell my mom what happened because it’s her fucking insurance and she’s going to go ballistic.” Eddie was breathing heavy, nearly hyperventilating, his fears overflowing at last.

“It was an accident. You weren’t being reckless, you slipped on ice.”

“Doesn’t matter. She’s insane. She could very realistically try to pull me out of college and make me move home over this. You don’t know what she’s like.”

“You don’t have to go. You’re an adult.”

“She pays my rent, she buys my food, she gives my spending money, she pays for my college! If I don’t go, she’ll take everything away so that I don’t have a choice!”

Richie cupped Eddie’s face between his hands and forced him to look at him. His eyes were soft, hoping to communicate comfort toward Eddie. “Hey, it’s ok. I won’t let her do that to you. Neither will the others. If she won’t pay for school, there’s loans, financial aid. It will be fine. You can move back to the dorms for a while, look for a job. We’ll take care of you, ok?”

Eddie’s eyes searched Richie’s face for a moment before he nodded, his breathing beginning to regulate again. He closed his eyes and leaned into Richie’s touch, allowing him to pull him forward into a hug. His forehead collided gently with Richie’s shoulder while his arms surrounded him, big and warm. Eddie felt calm coming over him slowly, bit by bit.

A moment later, the doctor returned with the brace and crutches. She helped Eddie put it on and showed them both how to remove it and put it back on without aggravating the sprain. She said her goodbyes and then left them again. Eddie grabbed his shoe and Richie pushed him toward the door. When all was done and they were finally free from the hospital, a good hour or so of their day lost, Eddie was calmer but felt sick still. It was like waiting for the bomb to drop.

They took another uber back to their building. Eddie felt awkward on the crutches, unstable on the moving elevator. Richie decided his thing could wait for another day and focused on getting Eddie onto his couch, foot propped up on cushions. He retrieved a glass of water and ibuprofen from the kitchen for him, sitting on the edge of the couch beside him.

“Best second and a half date ever, huh?” Eddie asked sarcastically before Richie could say anything.

“Would it be insensitive of me to bring up that fact that you didn’t get hurt ice skating on a huge rink, but managed to end up in the hospital from a tiny spot on the sidewalk?” He asked.

Eddie smiled, chuckling. “Extremely.”

“Alright, I won’t say it then.” Richie grabbed hold of Eddie’s hand bringing it to his lips to press a kiss to the red flesh of his palm. “Maybe it didn’t end like planned, but it started good, right?”

“I don’t know. The sprain sucks, my mom inevitably finding out about this suck, but I did get to see you all serious and take charge. So not terrible.”

“That’s what you’re into, huh?” Richie asked.

“The ibuprofen helps with the pain in my ankle, but not the pain your attempts at flirting cause.”

“Don’t pretend like you don’t love it.”

Richie settled into the end of the couch as they agreed on a something to watch on TV, ignoring it to talk instead. Richie thought he wouldn’t mind if every date ended with them on Eddie’s couch.

[irwintry]

The Many Pages of Ashton Irwin

Warnings: swearing, marijuana

Author’s Note: hey this is bad but hiatus ... over? 

Word Count: 3.6k

He wondered how many specs fit in the ceiling tiles above him. The hazy fluorescent lights no longer caused a perpetual ache behind his eyes–– he had rigged his brain to no longer feel unnecessary pains such as bright lights or loud, spine-tingling scrapes. Ashton thoroughly hated the sickly white interior of the doctor’s office. He had memorized every square inch of the niche business space, and he even knew the name of the fake plant situated by the magazines.

His head rolled forward and backward again. Meanwhile, his fingers tapped along with the soft tick, tick, tick–ing of the clock. Ashton’s heart didn’t tick like that. The red hand of the clock stopped, and a few moments later, it caught itself back up again. Ashton’s heart ticked like that. This was his train of thought every time. And two minutes later, it was always interrupted with, “Ashton, Dr. Heim is ready for you.”

“Nothing new, nothing worse,” Ashton said to his doctor at the beginning of every appointment. It felt like a ritual. If he chose not to say those words, then there would be something new–– something worse.

So, he said the truth. Nothing new, nothing worse, but in two weeks, it would always be a different story.

His appointments, like many routine checkups, were consistently regular, except they were not a healthy human’s typical “routine” checkup. Sometimes the valves in Ashton’s heart didn’t work as properly as they were supposed to. It also didn’t help that he had anemia. Most of his appointments were follow-ups from impromptu hospital visits. But his life hadn’t been terribly complicated in quite some time. His flare-ups were minor bumps in the road, but the thing that made it all worse was the fact that he was completely alone.

“Have a wonderful weekend, Janice,” said Ashton to the receptionist while on his way out. He twirled his car keys in his hand as he waved goodbye with the other.

The hot air from outside felt like a slap in the face. He knew it would take quite a while for the A.C. in his car to start working, so after sitting down and starting up the car, he left the door open. Meanwhile, he began to think about the cyclical nature of his life in this moment. It was as if his body worked on a schedule now: flare-up, hospital visit, doctor follow-up, and then fine and healthy for a few weeks before starting all over again. Hell, he even parked in the same spot every time.

Ashton hadn’t noticed the blast of cool air until goosebumps popped up on his skin. He shut his door and pulled out of the parking lot, hoping that he wouldn’t have to see this place ever again.

He had a flare-up the following week.

-

Health issues and lack-of-romantic-life aside, Ashton loved living. He loved going to new coffee shops, and he loved being a father to a lovely three-month-old fish named Gold-a Radner. He loved going to pet stores and admiring all of the fish tank décor he could buy. And then after realizing he couldn’t afford everything he wanted, he’d stop by the lake and pick up a few colorful stones. He’d then stroll back to his studio apartment with two fingers on his wrist so he could make sure he wasn’t overexerting himself.

But as much as he loved his life––to an extent, he wanted more. He wanted to live without worrying when his heart was going to freak out on him. All-in-all, he wanted to change everything about his life but somehow keep it the same. Ashton had a feeling that, if he chose to pack up his things and travel across an ocean, his heart would give out altogether.

“Well, well, well, long time no see. Come to browse and not buy again?”

So, Ashton didn’t just go to the pet store to look at tank decorations.

He cracked a smile, a rush of nerves falling over him while he mentally scolded himself for blushing so hard. “Maybe I’ll buy something today,” he replied as he strolled over in your direction.

You were cute, almost too cute. Every time he walked in, you were there behind the counter, spinning on your stool as a bright grin greeted him before he could say hello. On warmer days, you wore skirts and dresses, and he’d have to take a deep breath before speaking to you.

“Yeah?” you wondered, leaning forward against the glass counter. “You’re messin’ with our foot traffic. We didn’t make enough last quarter, so you bet ‘m gonna prod you about buyin’ stuff now.”

Ashton’s cheeks relaxed while his lips fell down into a frown. “Shit, I’m so sorry,” he said, but you were just laughing at him.

“Ash, it’s fine. I don’t care.”

“How’s your book goin’?”

You shrugged. “It’s–– well, it’s going.”

“You haven’t written anything new.”

“You got me.” You winked at him.

Ashton’s gaze fell to the rodent bedding on the shelf beside him, and he couldn’t help but fidget with the packaging. “When ya gonna tell me what this story’s about?”

You shrugged once again. “Once I feel confident that it’s actually good,” you replied. The light in your eyes hadn’t faded once throughout the conversation. It almost had him convinced that you liked him too.

“Nah, I bet it’s good. Anything you touch turns to gold,” he said, still semi-focused on the plastic edges of the bag–– too focused to realize he had just flirted with you. So, when he looked over, you were beet red, and he was relieved to now not be the only one blushing.

“W-Well, when it’s done,” you mumbled with a bashful grin, “you can be the first to read. And I’ll dedicate it to you, It’s a Pets World’s least favorite customer, Ash.”

Ashton couldn’t stop smiling. He stepped forward to lean against the counter so he could be closer to you. “Can’t wait.”

“Hopefully you don’t have to wait long,” you continued. “I just have a few more chapters in mind, and then I just have to look it over like, a bazillion times to make sure it’s good.”

“How does one write a book?”

You huffed. “Boy, I wish I knew.

The two of you laughed, and soon, Ashton had managed to pick out a small fake plant for Gold-a. And when he set down his cash on the counter between you and him, you took half of the amount and told him to have a beautiful day.

Because of you, he was certain he would.

His heart stayed healthy for the rest of the night.

-

“You think I should kill him?”

“I don’t care.”

“Like, would the readers hate me for that? Or would it be interesting? Like, would it spice things up?”

Ed sighed. “I don’t care.”

“No, I shouldn’t kill him,” you said. “I’ll convince the readers I did kill him. Ashton Irwin can’t die. I would hate myself too if I killed him.”

“I work with someone named Ashton.”

“Eddie, this feels pointless,” you mumbled. A groan followed, and you slapped down the screen of your laptop. “My book fuckin’ sucks.”

You roommate chuckled. “Cut yourself some slack, okay? It’s just a draft. If ya wanna kill him, kill him.”

“I don’t want to kill him,” you said, tossing your arms up. “I’m too attached to him. But I need tension.”

“So, give him a near-death experience.”

You gasped. “Yes. Genius. Thank you, Ed. His poor heart won’t be able to take it.”

-

It probably wasn’t a good idea to hang out with a few coworkers on a Friday night, and it definitely wasn’t a good idea to have an edible before asking, “is this an edible?”. And it certainly wasn’t a good idea to eat another, and then another, and possibly another. Before Ashton knew it, he was pacing in the bathroom, grasping the sink and the bar above the shower to keep himself steady. Falling, however, was the least of his concerns.

His heart had never raced like this, and he couldn’t quite focus hard enough to tell if it was an arrhythmic beat. Truly, he still had no clue what had caused this (he would only later realize those fantastic cookies were not as innocent as he thought). The world hadn’t moved like this before. He stormed out of the bathroom and back to the living room of his coworker’s apartment to ask someone to take him to the hospital.

But somehow, you were there, and the world froze. He was going to die, he was going to die.

“Ash, hey!” you exclaimed, rushing over to fling your arms around his shaking body. Immediately, you pulled away and knotted your brows in concern. “You good?”

He didn’t answer–– he couldn’t answer. Too much was happening in his brain to comprehend what was going on. Why were you there? Why did he feel this way? Why were his armpits so sweaty? Had you always been this cute? Why were you so close to him? Did you just hug him? How come––

“Ash?” you asked again. Your eyes widened as your hands gripped his arms a little tighter. You were touching him? His heart couldn’t take this.

Ashton blinked.

“Hey, Ed,” you said, looking over your shoulder to the few men situated on the couch. “Did he have those cookies?”

“Yeah?”

“How many?”

Ed chuckled. “Four. Devoured ‘em.”

You rolled your eyes, taking Ashton by the hand and leading him towards the door. “Ed, you’re a fucking idiot. Look at him. He’s glossed.”

Glossed? Ashton chuckled. He pictured himself head-to-toe in lip gloss.

“We’re with him,” replied Ed, “it’s fine.”

You struggled to put on your shoes, yet you didn’t let go of Ashton’s hands. “I’m taking him home.”

He liked the feeling of your skin against him–– it reminded him of raspberry lemonade on a breezy summer day. Surely, it wouldn’t be harmful if he slipped his fingers between yours. You didn’t even comment when he did.

“Whatever,” Ed said. “If you stay over with your new boyfriend, lemme know in case Greg wants to stay the night.”

“Do not let him into my room, Edward Mason,” you scolded and pointed a finger in his direction.

Ashton couldn’t quite make out what was happening, but it relieved him to know that you were simply Ed’s roommate. Ashton was halfway out of the door when he realized you weren’t denying the whole boyfriend thing, but he managed to forget about it within the next few seconds. He was too focused on the softness of your touch and the warmth of your presence, even if you were in somewhat of a rush. Meanwhile, he hadn’t thought about the rapid stuttering of his heart since first noticing you.

What he needed was a hospital, but that had left his mind.

Suddenly, he was in the passenger seat of your car, shoulders heavy while he watched his own car get smaller and smaller in the mirror as you drove away from the parking lot.

Ashton groaned before saying “oh, I do not feel good.” He set his damp forehead in his hands and let out another distressed sound.

“Yeah, cos’ my dumb fuckin’ roommate let you eat four edibles,” you responded. “Where do you live?”

“In an apartment.”

“Helpful,” you retorted. “Like, what’s your address?”

He sighed. The movement of the car convinced his brain that he was rocking on a ship in the middle of the ocean–– he assumed he would hurl at some point during this car ride. “’s on Prospect. Big factory-kind of buildin’.”

“You live in a factory?”

“Think it used t’be a mill or sumthin’,” he said, and soon groaned again due to your recent sharp turn. Ashton had never been this high before, in fact, he hadn’t done anything of the sorts since early college. After that, his heart condition had worsened, and everything he once knew, he couldn’t even touch.

He didn’t feel as ill when he spoke, as strange as it sounded. And he had a lot to say. Like, a lot.

“’m gonna need a fuckin’ burger soon,” said Ashton, his train of thought suddenly coming to a screeching halt the moment his stomach let out a rumble. “Or something. Thinkin’ ‘bout that melted cheese jus’ running down the sides–– fuck.” He nearly moaned at the idea. “Can’t eat shit at home though... there’s nothin’ there. Like, even Gold-a Radner is runnin’ outta food.”

“Gold-a Radner?”

“My goldfish,” he replied. “Ev’ry time I go to Pet’s World, I mean t’buy more. But you’re so fuckin’ pretty. Like, it’s distracting. I can never ‘member my middle name when I talk to ya. M’heart’s already busted but ya kill it again every time you smile at me. My damn fish is starvin’ because I can’t keep my tongue from draggin’ ‘cross the damn floor. Gold-a doesn’t deserve that. She won’t care that I have a petty crush on the girl at the pet store. She just wants her lil flakes.

“And it kinda fuckin’ kills me,” continued Ashton with a sigh, his speech now running slow, “that I dunno a thing about your book. I wanna know ya. Like, you don’t owe me anything, b-but–– I wanna know ya! You makin’ me––“ Ashton chuckled. “You makin’. I mean, you make me nervous. Dunno.”

All information coming from his brain to his lips had cut off, and the space between the two of you grew eerily silent. He nearly reached to turn on the radio. The only sounds penetrating the thick air were the soft, rhythmic clicks of the blinker, and Ashton found himself trying to count each one as the minutes passed. Time seemed to avail him, however, despite the silence. Before he could speak another word, you were turning onto Prospect Avenue.

“This building,” he said, and you abruptly hit the brakes. “Thank you, I’ll–– “

“Are you feeling better?” you asked him, eyes soft as he stared back at you (he assumed his eyes were not as kind).

He nodded.

“Good,” you said.

“Jus’ hungry.”

You nodded, too.

“See ya,” he said.

“Bye.”

Ashton took a deep breath as he watched you drive away. The situation had finally started to dawn on him. Your mood shifted after he rambled his confession, and truth be told, he hardly remembered what he said. His brain worked too fast, and now it was working too slow. Ashton didn’t know if he could show his face in It’s a Pet’s World again–– he’d have to find a new place in town... he’d have to go to Petco, but he didn’t want to go to Petco. He wanted to see you.

As he unlocked the door to his building, his heart skipped a beat.

-

“Your co-worker likes me.”

“What?”

“Ash,” you said. “He likes me.”

Ed quirked an eyebrow. “The dude you named your character after?”

“What?”

“Ashton.”

“That’s his name?”

“Do you like him?” asked Ed.

You thought for a moment. “I–– “

“You do?”

“Well–– “

“You’re taking too long to think,” he observed.

You rolled your eyes. “Ed. That’s the thing. I’m thinking. I... like his company. I like it when he comes into Pet’s World. I like it when he laughs at my jokes. I like his laugh. I like his smile. I like it when he talks to me about his favorite juice. I like when he asks me about my book. I–– “ You sighed, still thinking. “I like how tall he is, how kind he is, how smart he is. I like when he acts all bashful and warms up to his confidence. I like how warm he is. I–– “

“Sounds like you like him.”

You frowned. “Yeah.”

-

Ashton managed to put off going to the pet store for about a week, but Gold-a’s food had run out completely by Friday morning. Maybe, just maybe, someone else would be on shift. Maybe he would be lucky, and maybe he could continue to avoid his problems instead of facing them.

He knew you were in because of the music you played–– Gloria Estefan brightened your mood and made you want to dance. He wondered if you had been waiting for him, if you had been dreading his arrival. By this point, you most likely could have guessed his frequent appearance was only because of you, so it was possible you weren’t expecting him at all. And lucky for him, you were helping out a customer at the counter when he walked in. He quickly made his way to the aisle with the fish food.

“Ash– Ash!” you called after him, now hot on his tail as the customer you had been helping made their way out of the store. “Hey.”

He didn’t want to stop out of partial embarrassment from the other not. He also didn’t want to stop because he knew he would have to turn around. If he turned around, he would fall into a puddle just from looking at you. But then you placed your hand on his shoulder, and he felt his entire body erupt in flames. How could he avoid someone like you? It was such a gentle touch–– Ashton turned around without thinking twice.

All he saw was the soft smile he had grown to love, and he didn’t have to think again after that. Your hands grasped his cheeks as you lifted yourself up to capture his lips in yours. It was hard and soft all at once. Ashton’s hands flew to your waist to steady you, but he also needed to feel you. He needed to memorize himself with every line, every curve. And right now, with your lips moving against his in a slow yet passionate motion, he hardly had a chance to register a single thing.

He especially couldn’t register the perpetual ache growing in his chest, and the dizziness that followed wasn’t caused by you. This made him believe he was running out of air, so he pulled away, skin flushed for many reasons.

“I’m– I’m sorry for the other night,” you said, and meanwhile, he was leaning into your touch. He needed to lay down. “I didn’t really know what to say, and that– that was dumb of me. I haven’t been able to stop thinking about it. Like, you’re on my mind literally every second now. I finally finished my book but it was hard because–– “

Ashton held up his hand, his fingers trembling as he attempted to stumble out of your grasp. His chest felt heavy, almost like it was sinking into him. And he couldn’t focus on your face–– there were too many bright spots flickering in and out.

“Ash–– “

“M-my God, what’s– wha’s happening?” He gripped your forearms, nearly taking you down with his weight as his body swayed.

“Ash–– Ash! What’s going on?” you asked, worry lacing your tone. “Ya gotta tell me what’s going on. Please.”

“Heart,” he breathed out. “My heart.”

“’m calling 911, okay? I’m calling–– “

His hearing failed him, and the bright spots turned dark.

-

When Ashton awoke, his body ached, and it seemed as though there were small weights holding down his eyelids. He felt stuck between a physical plane, yet he could feel the sensation of fingernails against his scalp, and he could feel the warm skin of a hand on his. He could also feel the gentle flow of oxygen through his nostrils, and he knew that feeling all too well.

Right away, he knew the presence beside him was you. He could remember his hands on your waist, your lips slotting against his while the fish in the tanks across the room watched in confusion. He could remember your hands roaming his chest and neck to make sure his heart was still beating.

“’ows your book comin’?” he mumbled, lips hardly moving as his eyelids lift ever so slightly.

Your face lit up, great big smile and all as you pushed yourself forehead to press small kisses all over his face. “Don’t you fuckin’ do that to me again, ‘kay? You shit.”

He managed out a small laugh. “Sorry.”

You sighed, letting a small moment of silence creep in before you opened your mouth to say, “I never knew.”

“Wha’?”

“I–– “ You glanced around, unsure. “I don’t know how I did it. I mean, I don’t really know you, yet–– “

“What?”

You frowned. “I wrote a story about you.”

His lips pulled into a small smile, and his eyebrow lifted slightly.

“But not like, about you,” you continued. “Like, it has to be a coincidence, right? I didn’t know your full name, but I wrote a story about you, Ashton Irwin. But I didn’t know it was you! I wrote about you and your heart condition, and I was going to kill you! In the story, that is. I was going to make you almost die, and then you almost fucking died. I’m just–– “ You sighed again. “I never knew anything about you. How did I do that?”

Ashton was kind of confused, but he didn’t care all that much. No matter the severity of his flare-up, he was always happy to be alive, and now he was happy to be alive with you.

“Jus’ a coincidence,” he said, turning your wrist around so he could trace shapes onto your palm. Your fingers were still playing with stray locks of his hair. “’s’all. Thanks fo’ not killin’ me though.”

You nodded. “Well, there’s one thing I didn’t write.”

“Wha’s that?”

“I didn’t write myself into the story,” you said, “so that’s what makes it all different. Just a coincidence.”

Ashton grinned, leaning forward so he could press a kiss to your lips. “Will ya still add me to the dedications?”

“Ya got a whole book apparently,” you replied as you gave a few strands of his hair a playful tug. Your other hand came to rest on his chest, right above his heart. “But of course. To It’s a Pets World’s least favorite customer, Ashton Irwin.”

[pherryt]

#8, 18, 31, and 41

8. How did you get involved in your latest fandom?I was about to say Supernatural was my latest fandom, but it's just my biggest, most persevering fandom (My husband, btw, who first turned on netflix and said "Watch this. Yeah, I know you don't like horror. Watch it anyway. I promise you'll like it.")

so i think the correct answer would have to be Venom - and it's @feathers-and-cigarettes fault cause he talked up the movie so much I had to go watch it, and then i fell in love, and he's been spoon feeding me bits and pieces of the comic stuff here and there too

18. What ship have you written the most about?

probably destiel, to be honest. *does a quick check just for Shits and giggles*

Okay, so, out of my top 10 most used relationship tags on A03 - the top tag (Destiel) has 96 instances, and all the others combined come to 79. 

Yeaaaaaah. Destiel it is.

31. What’s the nicest thing someone has ever said about your writing?

I can't possibly pull receipts right now - I wouldn't even know where to look. Some of have been for my writing in general, some have been for specific stories, some have been in comments, others reblogs, or even PMS

but I've had other writers tell me how well my dialogue flows, others tell me how strong a certain character voice is, and those are definitely heartening to hear.

I've had a few readers say something along the lines of "This was great! I just finished and I'm about to re-read it" which is mindboggling.

any time i see my fic rec'd i'm absolutely tickled pink.

i love the short and sweet comments, the in depth comments. the comments on a long fic that only come at the end because they were so engrossed they couldn't put it down, or the commenters who manage to somehow comment on every chapter - I find all those things so awesome.

41. List and link to 5 fanfics you are currently reading:

I tend to start and finish stories in one sitting if I can - which is what makes reading longer fics more difficult for me. I love ‘em and I don’t want to put them down, even if i have to, so I actually LIKE reading WIPS because it helps me control myself. That means, my current reading list is full of WIPS:

manage me (i'm a mess) by technically_direct

Venom, symbrock, 17+ chapters, 76k+ words, Mature (Funny as hell!)

SummaryThe thing about Eddie, right, is that he's kinda an enormous fuckup. And it's starting to catch up to him a bit.

For real, the BEST thing to happen in those six months after he and Anne broke up was getting an alien parasite, and that was accounting for the whole 'it was eating his organs' thing.

Or Else by @jupiterjames

Supernatural, Destiel, sabriel, 15+ chapters, 78k+ words, Explicit (slow burn)

SummaryIn the years following his mother's death in a house fire, Dean Winchester begins to develop OCD as a way to cope with the loss. After more than a decade without a diagnosis, his symptoms grow more severe. And after the sudden death of John Winchester, Dean is left to cope by himself and Sam is forced to quit his undergrad in order to care for him. Ashamed of his shut-in life, and guilty that his little brother has become his caretaker at the expense of everything else, Dean seeks out therapy, and five years later, is holding down a full time job, can freely visit his favorite coffee shop to get a daily dose of Castiel, the (hot) hippie owner, and Sam is now free to return to school.

Sam Winchester would do anything for his brother, but he is more than thrilled to finally be returning to school, even if he is a 23 year-old sophomore. It also helps that a certain smart mouthed TA is helping him get back into the groove. Of course, getting a good read on Gabriel is just about as easy as advanced Chemistry, and he's not so great at that, either. As the semester goes on, he gets the distinct impression that his orderly life is about to get messy.

Crossing Lines by Hungrydean

Supernatural, Destiel, Saileen, 7+ chapters, 15k + words, Explicit

summaryHighly renowned therapist Dean Winchester knows how to help just about everyone. He's young yet experienced; the perfect blend of understanding his clients and knowing his job.

C. Novak is cheeky, bold, and obnoxious- but Dean does not shy away easily. Castiel Novak is a challenge, one Dean is determined to win. But Dean soon learns that Castiel is different from his other clients in more ways than he expected.

Pieced Together (part 2 of A Broken World) by mishaminion69 and sydkn3e

Supernatural, Destiel, Saileen, A/B/O, 15+ chapters, 154k+ words, Explicit

SummaryDean's equally exciting and terrifying news are forced to take a backseat for Castiel as he struggles to find the Omega ring for which his Omega's abuser was recruiting. While Cas is away, Dean grows closer to Eileen- also expecting her first pup- and her Alpha mate, Sam, which gives him insight into his foggy past and a glimpse into his future.

The increasing time apart proves difficult for both Dean and Castiel, leading way to feelings of inadequacy for Dean and discomfort in his rapidly changing body. Meanwhile, Cas fears that spending so much time in his wolf form while searching for the imprisoned Omegas will drain away his humanity...and ultimately lose him his mate.

Thursday's Angel by @unforth

Supernatural, Destiel, 14+ chapters, 65k + words, Explicit, Murder Husband

Summary:Castiel, angel of the Lord, is at peace with the mission assigned him by God almighty. His job - no, his purpose, the meaning of his existence - is to slay demons. He can see them, their eyes blackened by the evil they’ve done, their souls corrupted beyond hope of salvation, and when he finds one, he sends them to hell. Yes, the work is hard, the price to himself steep, but God has commanded it, and it’s better that Castiel bear the stain of murder than some poor mortal suffer because Castiel wasn’t strong enough to do what must be done.

And tonight’s demon - a murderer at least twice over, confirmed by Castiel's own eyes - is no different, no matter how fair his visage appears when not warped by sin.

Castiel will do his duty, as he always has, and when the deed is done - and no sooner - he’ll pray for the souls of the fallen, and for the forgiveness Castiel knows God will not - cannot - grant.

*Please see author's note for more information (this is dark but it's not as dark as it seems and I've added some explanatory information there)*

[willgayers]

hiii first of all i love the way you write!!! love love love and i was thinking could you do something about eddie being a flower shop owner and richie a music store owner?? Like eddie is all flowery and soft and richie is A Punk but with the sweetest smile and their stores are in front of one another, they see eachother all the time but they don't know how to interact!!!! xx

first of all thank you so much ❤️

aND OH MY GOD I LOVE THIS 

so eddie’s working at the cute floral store downtown where his cousin linda used to work at but now she moved to nyc and recommended eddie,,, her 19 year old cousin to the boss and voalá! eddie’s so cute and cuddly so immediately he got the job!!!!

and richie works at the music store opposite. his story of getting the job wasnt so ‘cute and cuddly’ see he got kicked out of his condo ,,, fired from kfc AND dumped by his girlfriend so he’s bunking at his buddy’s tommy’s place who works at the cd store and one day he was like hey! we’re actually looking for a new worker so r u interested and ofc richie was and yeah.

now as we’ve got the backgrounds covered,,,, one morning eddie comes to work with a takeaway cup of latte in his hand, he’s about to start opening the door when he hears some rattling and a loud “oh, fuck me!!!”

he turns his head towards the voice and sees a boy with out of control black curly hair,, he’s wearing a yellow colored flannel and a pair of ripped black jeans and slightly broken converse and he’s on the ground picking up some cd’s that eddie now figures have fallen down from the trolley

eddie has never seen him before so he’s curious

then the guy turns his head towards eddie too and eddie flusters because ho ho holy SHIT this guy is CUTE

“how do you do” the guy just nods and eddie rushes in to the floral store too shocked to interact with this cd guy

throughout the whole day eddie keeps on glancing outside from the windows of his store while he waters the plants or something,,, trying to see more of this guy and every time he does the boy just waves at him and eddie turns his gaze away IMMEDIATELY as he blushes

richie’s not doing so well on his first week he’s constantly dropping the cd’s or spilling coffee on the table or fucking up the cash system

this may all be partly due to the fact he can’t stop staring at the floral store boy

one day they come to work at the same time,, walking on the opposite sides of the street and glancing at each other, but neither one dares to say anything

richie can’t help but SWOON over the baby pink sweater this other boy is wearing and how it’s hanging all the way down to his knees and he just looks so cute and pure??? in his beige chinos and white sneakers

meanwhile he’s probably scared of richie in his studded leather jacket and chains on his jeans

one day eddie is watering the plants by the window again, gently biting on his lip as he looks at richie outside his cd store , a cigarette hanging loosely from his mouth as he’s putting some poster on the billboard outside

“what are you looking at??”

eddie flinches and turns his head to his co-worker kate that is holding a coffee mug in her hand and then she gasps

“oH MY GOD YOU’RE DROWNING THE PLANT EDDIE!!!”

eddie looks at the vase and gasps too, turning the watering can up again,, cursing quietly as kate just grabs the plant and goes to change the dirt or whatever and eddie turns his gaze back outside,, kind of upset to see richie went back inside his store :-(

on a snowy ,, dark thursday in december richie’s walking to the evening shift and turns his gaze to the floral store just like every other day but now he sees eddie smiling to the customer and talking something ,,, then listening to whatever the customer is saying with the FRIENDLIEST little smile and then chuckling and oh fuck richie’s in love? he’s so much in love that he doesn’t realize he’s already at the store and now someone opens the door and richie doesn’t notice and the door slams straight to his face and he lets out a grunt as he slips on ice and falls to his butt on the ground

the next day eddie’s counting the cash when he looks up and sees the cd store boy,, lightly limping as he walks to his store

kaspbrak is worried is he ok???

turns out richie’s hurt his tailbone and now he needs a week’s rest

“im totally FINE tommy!!” richie says as he grimaces on his way to the kitchen to get some coffee

“richie you look like a old man that’s shat his pants”

“im FINE!” richie says, trying to straighten his back but soon letting out an ow ow ow- as tommy rushes over to him and guides him towards the couch where richie lays down

“seriously. im gonna do your shifts this week. just rest and watch jurassic park”

RICHIE JUST WANTS TO SEE THE CUTE FLORAL STORE GUY SO BAD HE MIGHT JUST CRY

but the feeling’s mutual

after the first couple of days of being confused and sad with not seeing richie, eddie finds himself basically running to work every morning hoping that today’s the day he’s finally gonna see the trashmouth cursing and kicking the trolley that won’t move but he’s never there!!!

he’s getting worried

oh my god is he dead???? he was walking weirdly what if he’s dead???

eddie’s a little nervous at work and kate notices he’s glancing at the cd store literally EVERY other second

“looking for the cute record store guy huh?” kate just casually asks as she flips the page of the magazine she’s reading and eddie flusters as he turns his head to kate

“wHAt”

“just so you know he’s not gonna come in for the rest of the week”

“????what why????”

“he hurt his tailbone because he fell.”

“he fell???” eddie frowns

“yeah i know tommy who works at the store. he said richie was distracted looking at something and so he fell”

eddie’s heart does a little jump

“richie?” he asks ,, his voice kinda soft

“yep that’s his name,” kate says and sips on her coffee

eddie just feels this weird warmth go through him as a small smile takes over his lips when he thinks of richie

on monday richie’s so fucking READY to go to work he hasn’t seen eddie all week other than inside his brain

and eddie’s practically been the only thing in there

so monday morning,, richie’s walking to work (slightly still limping but definitely not that bad anymore), he wants to go usain bolt and SPRINT but his doctor told him to take it easy so he’s gonna do that but not because the doc said so,,, only because he doesn’t wanna stay home for another week or two and not see eddie again

so eddie’s opening the store door again when he hears the sound of snow scrunching on the other side of the street and turns around ,, nearly dropping his coffee takeaway when he sees richie

richie’s heart flusters as he sees eddie and he stops at the store, both of them just staring at each other

until eddie finally speaks

“…hi”

richie almost chokes on air is that his voice??? that’s the cutest voice ever????

“,,hey” richie speaks

“where were you” eddie asks immediately regretting because oh my gOD now he knows eddie’s noticed him being gone

richie feels kinda happy??? that this cute boy has acknowledged his absence

“i had an accident”

“an accident??” eddie asks even tho he knows about it already but he decides to ask still because he kinda wants to know what richie was looking at when he fell

richie thinks whether he should go for it or not but oh my gOd flower store guy looks so adorable in his pastel pink bomber jacket and grey big wool scarf and the coffee mug in his hand and ????

“well this is kinda funny but i was looking at this cute brunette opposite the street and got hit in the face by a door” richie shrugs “and then i fell”

eddie’s tummy does a backflip and he has to bite down to his lip to stop himself from smiling ear to ear

RECORD STORE GUY THINKS HE’S CUTE??????????

“really?” he asks

“yeah.” richie says “he’s really cute. do you happen to know his name?”

eddie giggles. LITERALLY giggles

“i think his name’s eddie” he says and richie smiles evER SO SOFTLY BECAUSE EDDIE????? CUTE

“so,, eddie,” richie clears his throat “what time do you get off work?”

“six”

“!!! so do i!!!“richie lets out a laugh “you got any plans???”

(no he totally doesn’t but he’s gonna call tommy to come cover the rest of his shift)

“yeah” eddie says and richie’s smile fades because the grey cloud of disappointment falls over his lanky frame now

“with this super ridiculously hot record store guy,, we’re going out for pizza”

and now richie could do a backflip

ridiculously super hot????!?!??

he’s smirking so wide his face might tear up soon

“really??? how hot is he again???”

eddie chuckles

“really hot.” he says

if somehow possible,, the smirk on richie’s face widens even MORE

until he lets out a kind of raspy laugh and glances down at the ground

eddie could pass out from the sound of his laugh

and then ,,, cool and confident AF richie’s like

“see you at six then, eddie spaghetti”

richie mentally slaps himself for saying that outloud because that ruined the whole confident hot bad boy thing he got going on

“eddie what???” eddie asks

“nOTHING SEE YA” richie says and rushes in

neither one of them can focus on their jobs fully that day bc they’re so excited about the date that night and they keep glancing at each other through the windows and smiling so widely at each other

richie forgets to take a customer as he’s just gazing at eddie 

“uh hello???”

richie flinches back to the moment

“yES HI”

and the pizza date went great they had SUCH a fun time getting to know each other better,, laughing so much flirting so much 

(richie totally guided a pizza piece to eddie’s mouth and then was like oops you got some cheese here and then softly brushed it away from the corner of eddie’s mouth with his thumb and looked at eddie’s lips for a little too long and oh GOD the tension™)

and they were just enjoying each other’s company so mUch that they then decided to ,,, well,,,

take it back to richie’s place

which isn’t actually richie’s place

it’s tommy’s

the date went a little too well if you ask him

bc he had to

…listen…

but oh well! reckless teenagers! what can you do!

so the next morning richie has a day off from work but eddie has the morning shift and OOPSIE he slept in and now it’s 11.25am and he wakes up from under richie’s arm and he doesn’t even realize/remember it at first but now he opens his eyes and sees the cute record store guy asleep without a shirt on next to him with his hair even messier than usual and he’s kinda snoring and he looks so PEACEFUL and eddie’s heart expands and he finds himself smiling at the sight

and then he looks at the clock and realizes he’s slept in

“fUCK”

he jumps up so fast he wakes up richie who just goes “??????”

“FUCK im late for work SHIT”

richie’s like wow this cute thing can curse

“i gotta go,” eddie then says

“call me?” richie asks with a pout and eddie wants to sob

“i’ve got a better idea” eddie says, pulling something out of his pocket that turns out to be a pack of bubblegum

“oh wow! silly me im forgetting my gums!! well i better come fetch them after work today!!”

richie has the biggest grin on his face

“bye” eddie says and leans down to kiss richie who kisses him back so passionately that eddie melts in to the kiss and almost just decides not to give a fuck and fall back to the bed

“ohHhhkay i really gotta go” he then breaths out and rushes out of the room before it’s too late

he sees richie’s roommate by the kitchen table drinking coffee and reading the newspaper

and then he looks up at eddie

“moooorning”

eddie gulps

“good morning” he says before storming out of the house

once he gets to the floral store there’s sO MANY PEOPLE because it’s december 22nd and it’s almost christmas and well the holiday season is always busy

“kate oh my god i am SO sorry-” eddie blurts out as he rushes in , straight behind the counter

kate doesn’t answer anything at first and eddie feels so bad and he immediately takes the next customer

once the store is a little calmed down ,, customers just walking around kate speaks  

“have fun?”

eddie turns bright red as he looks at kate

“huh???”

“you’ve got…” kate nods towards his neck and eddies eyes widen as he grabs the tiny mirror from the table and looks at his neck that’s got a HUGE hickey

“oh my god!!” he blurts out and kate smirks wide

eddie has to wrap his scarf around his neck

but he kinda likes the hickey

and he smiles to himself at the thought of going back home to richie after work

he could actually get used to it

no. he could definitely get used to it 

and he will because in a couple of months they decide to move in together and its the best god i love domestic!reddie

the end💓 💕 💖 💞 

@superbyersbros @xbell22 @donthateonk8@stenbroughbros@reddiebrekmyheart@itsgreywaterrichie @donvex@blueeyespurpleskies@ageorgymi@oh-youre-the-worst@eddiekaaspbraak @whipashwhipash@rissyq @richietoaster@edskasqbrak@urtury@bukiminajimu @kcutieeesblog @stansmansuris@adorefack @reddieaddict@icyeyes102@denbroughbill @graveyardshipper@taletellingsir@anxiety-freak-yuuri@rheddie@queertrashmouth @richiefreakingtozier@castletozier@tohzier @80soleff @lonewolfhard@low-key-dying @sad-synth @richietoaster @badboyharrington@beepbeep-losers@temptedtozier@kaspbraccs@kylieee827-blog @sad-synth @low-key-dying@officiallyreddie@reddietofall @stanleyboii@eternitynurarms@remushlupin@turtleneckrichie@rosegoldrichie@80srichie@asteroidbill@lonewolfhard @trashmouthgazebos @littlepointman 

[dahlialittlejames]

Remember this? 

“Rob-”

“Ed, it’s been three years. You’re on the verge of collapse on the daily, meanwhile I’m out looking for stuff to do.”

Ed rubs their eye. “You can get a job. Here at the shop, even. It’s not like there’s a lack of shit to do that doesn’t involve a mirror.”

Dot nods agreement, her hands busy with a box of new issues. She tends to stay out of the argument nowadays. If Ed had opposed Robin getting a mirror before knowing its consequences, no way would they approve after the strain of it on themselves.

And Robin can understand. Really, she can. She can understand too the fact that her sibling is bending over backwards to keep from snapping from all this work. Along with running the comics shop, and pretending for their parents, and covering their tracks whenever the darkness caused some real damage. The fact that the assholes Dot came from wouldn’t help them only scrubbed salt in the wound with a brillo pad.

They need help.

That night, Robin pops her knuckles and leans over her desk. Her fingers fly, signing into Craigslist to type up a listing. If Ed doesn’t want her help, they’ll need someone. What better way than going the usual routes for hiring?

She coughs up the handful of bucks she needs to post the ad. She titles it and confirms the details. She hits send.

“Well, that got that out of my system.” It’s small revenge, petty enough that it probably won’t go anywhere. But Robin needs it. She can’t take this out on Ed in person.

Linda Linetti from the gym comes flouncing in, along with that bum-looking hipster from the cafe. Robin even sees the old dude from the park, one of the cake decorators from the Safeway down the way, along with all too many high school and college students she’s used to seeing in the shop anyways. The ad got a little more attention than she bargained for.

“Rob,” Ed hisses. “What the fuck is going on?”

Robin shrugs helplessly but Ed’s not buying it. Dot’s not either. Her eyes downturn and Robin runs up to meet the growing crowd. “You guys, uh- really showed up, huh?” she asks.

The hipster’s mouth twists. Linda waves and smiles. The students have a look of amusement, like an audience for a magic show. Pleased whether the performer gets the trick or fumbles it, because they still get entertainment.

“We read the ad?” a girl in a Gryffindor sweatshirt pipes up. “Is it just a promotion for the store? I thought it was actually-”

“You actually thought it was legit?” a man drawls.

The girl flushes. “I don’t know. Is it, Eddie?”

Ed crosses their arms. “If I didn’t make the ad, it isn’t valid. What’s this all about?”

The Gryffindor hands out a printed copy of the ad. Robin tries to look like she’s arranging pins on the counter. It’s like a trainwreck she can’t bear to watch.

Ed’s eyes go wide as they get through the text. They set their brow. The mirror on their hand flashes and they bark a laugh. Robin speedwalks for the backroom but they flick their finger. Get over here.

Robin obliges, face burning. Why would she have entertained the idea this would have worked? It was supposed to be a goof. Something to get back at Ed and Dot without really doing any harm, and now she’d put both their identities in the spotlight.

Fuck. Okay. “I put out the ad.”

“And?” the heckler asks.

“So it’s fake. It’s not real, okay?” she says. “Why would Mage hire from a comics shop, anyway?”

A few faces fall. The look on that cake decorator makes Robin want to sink through the floor to the basement. Ed’s brow doesn’t lift. “Why would a superhero hire on Craigslist, either?”

Shrugs from the crowd. Linda doesn’t seem fazed, while the retiree from the park just raises a brow.

Ed sees the opportunity for customers, though. “Tell you what, though,” they say. “If you’re willing to apply, you get a discount on a tabletop game, your choice. Sound fair?”

The heckler is joined by other voices. “Knew it had to be fake.”

“Some dumb kid and I drove out from Salem for nothing?”

“Can I roll to kick your ass for this? It’s like 9am!”

“Hey!” Robin snaps. “I put out the ad. If you want to be jerks, least you could do is aim it at me.”

The hecklers pay her no mind. “Or this is a ruse to hide Mage. Everyone knows she comes from here.”

Ed’s face tightens. Even as a super, they’re misgendered. Maybe it’s for the best but still, Mage is their favorite form. “You think we hide a team of five super monsters in a comics shop?” they say.

“Why not? Seems like hiding in plain sight.”

“Where’s Mage?”

“Can she shapeshift?”

“We’re not leaving, the ad-”

They get what they want. Ed’s mirror flashes and in a second the flick of their hair brushes the ceiling, a pitch black nightmare towering over the crowd. The cutouts of familiar characters around them just makes Ed look more like another fixture of the store, though. Loft, firepole, staircase, giant novelty Mage sculpture.

The store’s silent. Dot’s behind the counter, not cowering but backing slowly into the stock room.

Ed’s mouth twists. “You got the spectacle. No pictures if you value your phones.” Their hands curl and a few already reaching for their cells get them flicked out of their grip. The heckler scrambles for his on the floor, dumbfounded.

“This shit’s dangerous. It’s deadly. It’s not fun. I’m playing a game of Animorphs while you guys think I’m a Power Ranger. Next time you come in wanting to join in, get that in your heads.”

Mage flashes back down to Ed, their jacket powdered with ceiling dust and cobwebs. Their hands go to their pockets before anyone can connect their mirror to their transformation. Their brow’s still set, mouth pinched. They just took a huge risk, and it’s too soon to see if it paid off.

But the crowd’s still dead. It’s like they’re trying to decide whether to cheer or run out the door. Some make up their minds, a fist pump here and the ring of the door bells there. Others just stand there staring at the space Ed once filled with Mage. Ed turns and heads for the back.

They have Robin’s sweater in their grip and she doesn’t resist.

Robin’s tossed unceremoniously on the couch. Ed storms off to put distance between them. They’re feeling too much right now and it’s all Robin’s fault. She doesn’t know what to even begin with. A sorry doesn’t feel like something her sibling would accept after today.

“Ed?” she just asks.

“What were you thinking?” Ed hisses. “Do you have any idea how much danger you’re going to get them in? How much danger you could end up in?”

Robin bites her lip, but her brow sets. The least Ed can do is see her case as an adult fucking up. And yet she’s just a kid again, and Ed’s only wondering about how to do damage control. She bites back her real reply.

“Excuse me, Eddie?”

The fight can’t even begin. Linda Linetti stands in the doorway, the retiree at her side.

“It’s Ed,” they say, exhausted. “Sorry, Mrs. Linetti.” Linda Linetti frowns and they just shake their head. “Seriously. It was a store promotion. Me and Dot have been working on a projector up on the ceiling, thought we could test it out-”

“You were a bit too angry for that,” Linda says in a low tone. “I thought maybe you were making some sort of work out club.”

“Or a hobby club?” the retiree asks.

“I just wanted to prove it was a hoax,” the scruffy dude from Mean Bean calls out with a shrug.

The cake decorator stuck around, too, hanging by a display of manga. Otherwise, a number of other people don’t trail after Ed after their big show.

“Well, you got your hoax,” Ed tells them.

Robin nods but her face isn’t selling it. Linda has a mom look. The old man’s just kinda cocking his head. Mean Bean slouches like he’s waiting for the real answer.

“Ed’s actually Mage,” she says.

“Rob-”

“They’ve been Mage, and Tank, and all the other heroes. Why do you think you never see all five of them in the same place?”

“There’s five?” Linda says.

“Yeah, you guys- oh, you guys don’t see Rogue,” Robin admits. “Kind of the point. They’re all the same person in different forms. Because of this.” She yanks up Ed’s hand, the one with the mirror. They flush and smack Robin’s hand back, but the damage is done.

“What is that?” Linda asks. “Ed, what happened to your hand?”

Ed looks into the shop. There’s no one they can trust to watch the shop, and theft’s been bad lately. They only have two people here, though, beyond the three with her now. The cake decorator and the Gryffindor, still poking around for some proof of Mage lingering in the shop.

“We’re going to close a minute,” Ed tells the pair. “You want to head next door a second?”

The Gryffindor makes a face but departs. She turns her head on the way out, though, looking back.

The cake decorator sticks around. “That was real, wasn’t it?” she says. She’s a tall, somewhat timid girl, dark as an autumn night in a purple sweater to put Mabel Pines to shame. “Mage.”

Ed furrows their brow again but jerks their head for the cake decorator to follow, too. “Everyone in the back,” they say, flipping the sign again. They don’t bother to lock up. Shouldn’t be long to get this over with, and time is money.

Ed’s gathered them to the couches in the backroom, coffee brewing on the old counter. Dusty tables for Magic the Gathering and the occasional DnD or Catan sesh line the rest of the space. Boxes of unopened comics tower the rest of the room. Linda and the old man take seats. The Mean Bean bum parks it on a couch’s arm. The cake decorator just stands there like she’s afraid to touch any of the place.

“So,” Mean Bean says. “Spill it. Three years ago, we got supers. Three years ago is when this all started?”

Ed rubs their forehead. They take a plastic chair and turn it around. Robin parks it on the cracked leather couch from their last house and tries to wallow into it. Maybe she’ll just vanish into it if she slouches enough.

Dot’s at the old counter with a box. Part of Robin wants to hope it’s the mirror box but, no, it’s not the black lock box. Just a plain old box of dice.

They rattle in the silence and Ed tinks their nails at the mirror on their palm. “Okay. I’m Mage. Told you that. And the rest of the heroes. And I made them all three years ago. I’ve, uh. I’ve never had to say all of this. I didn’t want to have to say all of this,” they say through grit teeth, eyes flickering on Robin.

“How do you ‘make’ something as big as Tank?” Mean Bean snaps.

Ed puts their hands to their hairline, trying their darnedest not to be here. This is too much. Robin screwed the pooch on this one and now her sibling’s going to be the one in danger for it. All that collateral to answer to, all the people trying to pry into their life like the crowd had until they snapped.

They’re already under enough stress.

“Ed’s an artist. Character designer,” Robin says to the others. “The mirror lets you make forms for you to turn into, so they made Mage and Tank and Rogue and Ranger and Healer to be when they’re fighting the darkness. There’s concept art and everything.”

“The mirror. You mean that flash from before?” Linda asks slowly.

Robin nods. “It comes from this mirror world. With aliens and these monsters that you guys keep seeing the five fight. It’s like a power coin?” she says with a shrug. Only Mean Bean and the cake decorator nod like they get it.

She probably should ask their names. “Okay, we know you, Linda, but who are the rest of you guys?”

“Oh!” Linda says. “This is Sterling De Castro,” she says of the man beside her, who gives a small wave. “And that’s Jessa from Safeway. You made my Ace’s cake last year! And you’re-” She stalls on the Mean Bean bum.

“Hadley Simmons,” he mutters.

“Right!” Linda tells Robin. “And you’re Robbie Abel, aren’t you?” She smiles. Probably remembering the strip fair from the last few years, Robin in costume and high-fiving her tots as Nightwing or Harry Potter or Wonder Woman.

Robin twists her mouth a little. “Yeah.”

“Did you make these mirrors?”

“No,” Dot says. “My people did. Ed’s been chosen to wield our technology in this world.”

The attention spins on their resident alien and Ed’s up in a snap. “Dot.”

“I can tell them. I agree that you need help, and are these not adults?” Dot insists. “Are they?”

Linda and Sterling, obviously, but Jessa and Hadley are a little more on the fence for Robin to suss out. Didn’t she go to school with a Jessa who graduated last year? And Hadley looks like Amy Simmons from her Algebra 2 class, who talked of a brother who graduated five years back or more. Going to college to be a doctor or something

Ed just shakes their head. “That’s not happening.”

Linda’s made it to the conclusion. “Dotty, what are you saying?”

“I say we take them on. We still have enough mirrors. You can’t spread yourself this thin anymore, Ed.”

Ed stands up. Head still shaking no, but they look to Robin. They won’t be risking Robin if they do this. But they don’t want to put someone kind as Linda in this line of work, or an old man, or a timid cake decorator, or this loud asshole from the coffee shop. No one deserves to do what they’re doing.

But Jessa rises. “I came to join. I- I believed it.”

Robin bites her lip, eyes wide.

“This is a mirror that lets you change yourself, isn’t it? Do we each get one?” she asks. Her voice shakes a little, just a shade too high.

Dot nods, encouraging. “The mirror is a gift among the people of my home. Ed took a mirror at the start of their journey. We have five more to bestow. I think Robin was right to seek you out.”

“I thought this might be a work out club,” Linda breathes. “Not- this.”

Sterling shrugs. “Thought it might be a new hobby, myself. You say we protect people?”

“You’ve met us, right?” Hadley says, arms crossed.

“You don’t have to fight as yourselves,” Dot assures. “It doesn’t matter what you look or feel, so long as you can imagine the new forms and use them well.”

“Okay, but have you met me?” Hadley says.

Dot’s on him in a second, the guy backing up into the couch. Her tendrils extend from under her hat. His face goes slack a second as his mind is under Dot’s careful hands, fingers tracing the lines of his brain.

Her face lights up, tendrils releasing. “You are a doctor?” she asks.

“I am not!” Hadley says. “What was that?” He rubs his face and scrambles back, almost toppling onto the rug. Linda’s hands are on her mouth. Sterling just stares, eye twitching. Jessa’s the only one who doesn’t seem fazed, almost resolute. Weird.

Ed shares her look, with some caution on the side. “Dot, Rob- talk.”

They look for somewhere more private than the backroom, then, finding none, just pull Robin and Dot closer to them.

“What the fuck were you thinking?” Ed hisses.

Robin doesn’t speak. Dot’s only getting started.

“Ed Abel, this is a great idea! I had a team back at my laboratory. You can assign them each a design. The Hadley one would make a good healer.”

“It looks like that guy can’t even take care of himself. Last I heard he’s been trying to couchsurf off Audrey Dalke for months.”

“What about the strong one?”

“The cake girl?”

“Linda runs the gym, Ed,” Robin points out. “I saw her lift like two hundred pounds once. She’s jacked.”

Healer and Tank in the bag.

“And the old man from the park is a badass frisbee golfer,” Robin admits. Ranger. Where Jessa fits, it’s probably Rogue.

Dot bats at Ed’s shoulder. “It’s a team. You have a team waiting for you.”

[itsworn]

2018 LMC Truck C10 Nationals Week to Wicked C10

When it comes to bolting a truck together in five days, it helps to have a formula, of sorts. But as they say, the best laid plans of mice and men often go awry. Thankfully, lead tech Jason Scudellari and his righthand man Christian Arriero have done enough of these builds that the 40-hour imposition has little to no effect on their abilities to get in and get things done. With the cameras rolling, the guys hit the ground first thing Monday morning and by Friday’s end are usually roasting the tires off the latest Week to Wicked build. We hope this week’s episode will be the same!

This time around, the guys are working with LMC Truck to build a 1972 Chevy C10 as the giveaway vehicle for the 2019 C10 Nationals. Powered by a 502ci big-block from Gandrud Chevrolet, the truck will ride on a full complement of Classic Performance Products (CPP) suspension components. Restoration and stock replacement parts will naturally be provided by LMC Truck, among a few trick items from their truck catalog. Oversized American Racing cast aluminum wheels shod in Falken tires will put the power to the pavement. An American Autowire harness will provide the necessary information to the Dakota Digital gauges, while a Holley Terminator Stealth EFI provides the fuel and controls the spark of the Rat motor. An Eddie Motorsports Raven S-Drive will handle the accessory drive responsibilities, also providing the necessary hydraulic pressure for the CPP HydraStop braking system. Spent gases will flow through a set of Hedman Hedders and out a pair of Hedman Turbo Mufflers. Up front, a four-core brass/copper radiator from U.S. Radiator will keep the temps low while an Old Air A/C system will keep the cab and its occupants nice and cool. Brightwork courtesy of LMC Truck and LED lighting from United Pacific ensure the hard work of painter James Miller and his team at Sparkburn Hot Rods doesn’t go unnoticed. Energy Suspension high-performance polyurethane mounts have been utilized throughout the build to ensure the truck handles, performs, and rides to its fullest potential.

With the formalities out of the way, it’s time to follow along as I proceed to get in the way while Jason, Christian, and the CPP team build the LMC Truck C10 Nationals Week to Wicked Giveaway Truck. Don’t forget to check out www.c10nationals.com for information on how to win this truck, and for registration information regarding the show May 3-4 at the Texas Motor Speedway. Check out the full build episode at www.classictrucks.com! CT

Day One: Teardown and Suspension Installation With the truck freshly painted and most of the interior in place, thanks to the hard work of James Miller and his team at Sparkburn Hot Rods, the Week to Wicked crew, with the help of the guys from CPP, roll the truck into the Classic Trucks Tech Center to kick off the week.

First things first, the old suspension needs to come out to make room for the CPP brakes, steering, and suspension components. Up front, we used a CPP coilover conversion kit, coupled with their tubular control arms and dropped spindles. Outback, a new 9-inch rearend was slid in place, hanging off new CPP trailing arms and sprung like the front, on coilovers. The amount of drop planned for the C10 also required a CPP C-notch kit to be installed on the rear framerails, as well as their dropped crossmember, which locates the front trailing arm mount more suited for a lowered truck.

Day Two: Big Brakes, Bent Lines, and a Bled System Tuesday morning came fast and with it a laundry list of things to tackle on the truck. Thankfully, the guys from CPP got on the brakes, installing their big binders at all four corners to give our giveaway truck maximum stopping potential.

Meanwhile, the Hydra-Stop system was starting to come together, with the installation of the master cylinder and CPP power steering box. A CPP tilt steering column was also added in case the lucky owner of the truck turns out to be 6 foot 8 and needs a little space.

By Tuesday afternoon, we had the brakes lines ran, the Hydra-Stop lines made, and the front and rear sway bars installed as the CPP crew worked in tandem to bleed the brake system.

Day Three: Big-Blocks and Fuel Wednesday morning came and went while Jason and I prepped the 500hp Gandrud Chevrolet ZZ502 big-block. This included the installation of an Eddie Motorsports Raven Series S-Drive front accessory kit and Holley’s Terminator Stealth EFI system. A pair of Hedman Hedders were also installed, long tubes at first, which got swapped out once the engine was installed due to ground clearance issues on our slammed C10. A set of Hedman mid-length headers did the trick the second time around.

While we were preparing the engine, Christian was hard at work on the trans, installing the torque converter on the Gandrud Chevrolet 4L85-E four-speed overdrive. We opted to use a Connect and Cruise package from Gandrud to ensure the big-block and modern trans work together effortlessly.

Dropping the engine in its place for the final time, CPP motor mounts were used to mate it to the C10 frame before the truck was raised and the 4L85-E transmission lifted in place. Once the mating of the drivetrain was complete, the driveshaft length was measured and the info sent off to the local driveshaft shop.

Back on the ground, or close to it, we began plumbing the Holley fuel system and running al the necessary wires to control the transmission, fuel system, and other ancillary electrical components.

Day Four: Fuel, Fire, and a Wanting Desire (for some sleep!) By the time Thursday morning rolled around, we were all starting to feel a little worse for wear, thanks to the previous couple late nights. Nothing that a little coffee and the anticipation of firing the truck up later this afternoon wouldn’t fix, however!

With the drivetrain in place, work continued toward the end-of-day goal to fire the truck. That meant finalizing the Holley fuel system and connecting all the necessary plumbing to the U.S. Radiator and Old Air Products A/C system. Wiring of the Holley EFI ECU and the GM trans computer also needed to be completed. In fact, the entire truck still needed to be wired, which meant it was time to bust out the American Autowire harness and start making connections. To say we had our hands full would be an understatement.

Wheels arrived shortly after lunch, courtesy of Wheel Pros and American Racing. To fill those big wheelwells, we opted to go with a set of VN507 Rodder wheels, 20x8s up front and 20x10s in the back. After a quick testfit to ensure everything clears and looks good, the wheels were sent out to be wrapped in Falken Azenis FK510 tires, 245/40ZR20s in the front and 285/35ZR20s in the rear.

Inside the cab, the Dakota Digital RTX gauge was installed and mated to the big-block and American Autowire harness. At the opposite end of the dash, an Old Air Products Hurricane A/C system was installed to keep both driver and passenger comfortable.

Work commenced into the early evening on day four until it was finally time to kick the tires and light fires. And light they did! The big-block fired up after a couple initial rotations, with the Holley EFI fueling the fire. Satisfied that we were well on our way to a successful Day Five completion, we called it at a day around 10 p.m., having put in a full 14 hours.

Day Five: Of Loose Ends and Rain Storms Heading into the last day of our five-day build, the laundry list seemed to grow and grow. Wiring continued, while the Hedman exhaust system was welded up. Wheels and tires were mounted and the truck was set on the ground for the first time. All in attendance agreed that the stance was perfect, so back up in the air it went so the crew could continue working.

All the brightwork from LMC Truck had been previously installed at Sparkburn’s shop, save for the lights. For that end, LED components from United Pacific were utilized throughout, from the taillights, side markers, dome light, and the front turn signals.

By late afternoon on Friday, it seemed like we were just about wrapped up, which meant it was time for a burnout! Having let Jason scrub the tires clean the last couple Week to Wicked builds, I decided it was my turn to burn. Unfortunately, as we neared the zero hour, the sky was consistently getting darker and darker. In Southern California, this usually means that nightfall is coming soon, but at 3:30 in the afternoon, dark skies means something totally different: rain. And rain it did!

So, instead of the usual, giant, smoky burnout, I hopped in the driver seat and with my little buddy sitting opposite, we left the shop, drove around the building and then headed right back inside. With the rain flooding the parking lot up to the C10’s quarter-panels and visibility near zero, it just didn’t seem like the time to shakedown a brand-new truck.

And so, a dramatic, but rather anticlimactic end to another five-day Week to Wicked build was in the books.

The post 2018 LMC Truck C10 Nationals Week to Wicked C10 appeared first on Hot Rod Network.

from Hot Rod Network https://www.hotrod.com/articles/2018-lmc-truck-c10-nationals-week-to-wicked-c10/ via IFTTT

[tonyduncanbb73]

Worcester Welcomes an Oasis of American-Korean Fare

And more dining news from Boston’s suburbs and beyond

There’s plenty more to Massachusetts dining than just restaurants in Boston proper. We’re keeping tabs on developments in the Greater Boston area and beyond, including openings, closures, and more. With a focus on Greater Boston suburbs but occasionally reaching out further around the state, this piece is updated weekly, with the most recent news appearing at the top.

February 28, 2018

ARLINGTON — Fusion Taste (303 Broadway) has closed down temporarily but could reopen at the same location soon. The restaurant serves Japanese and Chinese dishes, including sushi, noodles, and more. Stay tuned for updates on its return.

Also in Arlington,Bagels by Us (789 Massachusetts Ave.) will close on March 16 after more than 20 years in business. It’s known for its bagels, along with sandwiches, salads, and other diner fare.

BROOKLINE — Hamilton (1366 Beacon St.), a forthcoming restaurant and bar near Coolidge Corner, will serve “good, simple, seasonal food, rooted in classic cooking,” as chef Nick Davidovich (formerly of West Bridge, Salts, and 80 Thoreau) told Boston Restaurant Talk. The 149-seat restaurant, which will have a bar section separate from the main dining room, will also serve beer, wine, and cocktails.

QUINCY — Dorchester’s Windy City Pizza will add a new location in Quincy at 195 Newport Ave. It will serve pizza, subs, salads, wings, and more, and if all goes well, the restaurant could open by the end of the year, offering service until 3 a.m. and delivery.

Elsewhere in Quincy, Sala by Fratelli’s is on the way to 470 Southern Artery, and the person behind it is John Milone, who runs Fratelli’s Pastry Shop (which has three locations in Massachusetts). Sala by Fratelli’s will seat 60, with a menu of desserts and drinks, coffee, and more. Look out for an opening in May.

WORCESTER — The team behind the acclaimed Deadhorse Hill has a new restaurant opening tomorrow, March 1. Simjang (72 Shrewsbury St.) features American-Korean dishes, including Korean fried chicken, pork belly bossam, raw bar items, and more. Soft serve will eventually be on the menu too — flavors like matcha and yuzu — part of a growing trend nationwide.

The team has lots of Boston-area ties: Jared Forman and Sean Woods, two of the co-owners, come from Strip-T’s and other area restaurants, as does chef de cuisine Mike Wenc, and general manager Ellen Benson is an alum of Island Creek Oyster Bar and Giulia.

Meanwhile, Stix Noodle Bar (72 Franklin St.) has opened in Worcester from New England Craft Restaurant Concepts, which also operates Brew on the Grid. The group recently closed down its Cambridge location of Brew on the Grid and will replace it with another Stix Noodle Bar restaurant. Stix serves noodle bowls, stir-fried dishes, and more.

February 22, 2018

The Backroom at Moody’s [official photo]

BROOKLINE — Takusan Sushi has closed, and now Xiang Yu China Bistro operates in the 1223 Beacon St. location, serving stir fry, noodles, and items featuring pork belly, beef with hot pepper, and whole fish dishes.

Elsewhere in Brookline, a replacement is on the way for Yasu, which closed down in 2016. Hamilton will open at 1366 Beacon St., and an early look at interior designs shows it to be an expansive space.

DEDHAM — A trendy salad restaurant chain based in DC, Sweetgreen, opens a new location in Dedham at 244 Legacy Pl. on Monday, February 28. The chain will donate proceeds from this opening day to Fresh Truck.

SPRINGFIELD — An MGM Casino in Central Massachusetts will boast several different dining options, including one from chef Michael Mina (of PABU), which will be a coastal Italian concept called Cal Mare. Other options will include The Chandler Steakhouse, South End Market, and TAP Sports Bar.

WAKEFIELD — Public Kitchen took over Caryn’s Sports Bar & Restaurant in Wakefield, opening in mid-February at 397 Main St. The owners have a connection to Giacomo’s, which has locations in Melrose and both Boston’s North End and South End, and the restaurant serves pub-style items like burgers, flatbreads and more.

WALTHAM — The popular Moody’s Delicatessen & Provisions on Moody Street in Waltham drastically expanded its restaurant this week and introduced a larger menu full of seafood and more. There are now oysters available on the half shell, along with scallops, hamachi tiradito, a salmon belly BLT, and a daily crudo. Other menu items include charcuterie, flatbreads, and French onion soup. Moody’s also recently expanded to Back Bay.

WELLESLEY — The tide went out for Wellesley’s juice wave with the closure of Thirst Juice Shop in January. The business had been around since late 2016, and it continues to operate a location in Downtown Boston. Meanwhile, another trendy restaurant will move into town this week: The aforementioned salad chain Sweetgreen opens at 180 Linden St. on Saturday, February 24, and will donate proceeds from the first day to Natick Community Organic Farm.

February 14, 2018

Rachel Leah Blumenthal/Eater

Blue Ribbon pulled pork

BEVERLY — Poke continues to grow in popularity on the East Coast, this time landing in Beverly, north of Boston. Lolo Poke is now open (503 Rantoul St.) and serving the Hawaiian raw fish dish, as well as musubi — seaweed wrapped around rice and spam, tofu, salmon, or chicken.

BROCKTON — With existing locations in Falmouth, Saugus, and Northborough, Mexican restaurant Casa Vallarta just added another location in Brockton (610 Oak St.) All locations are family-owned, and the restaurants serve dishes such as burritos, fajitas, tacos, and enchiladas, plus a lengthy list of margaritas.

DEDHAM — Blue Ribbon BBQ made its debut in Dedham this week, opening on February 12 at 350 Washington St., per Boston Restaurant Talk. This planned expansion has been in the works since 2016. Blue Ribbon — with longstanding locations in Arlington and West Newton — is known for its pit-smoked barbecue, including platters of pulled pork, chicken, brisket, ribs, and more.

February 7, 2018

The Angry Donut [official photo, via Facebook]

The Angry Donut

FOXBORO — CBS Scene Restaurant & Bar (200 Patriot Pl.) closes down for lengthy renovations on February 12 after 10 years in business at Patriot Place. The renovations will coincide with a shift in management, as the Kraft Group and CBS have teamed up with Big Night Entertainment Group (Empire, Red Lantern, Explorateur, more) to run the restaurant. CBS Scene could reopen over the summer.

METHUEN — Pica’s Pub & Grill (10 Ayers Village Rd.)is open in Methuen, and it has a rich history in the area. In 1939, Albert Pica opened a restaurant called Garden Nite Cafe, and his family has run restaurants there ever since. Now, his great-grandson Shane Bernard, and Shane’s father Wayne, are running the new restaurant, which serves burgers, sandwiches (including a muffaletto), appetizers, salads, and entrees like baked mac and cheese and steak tips.

NEEDHAM — Petit Robert Bistro (45 Chapel St.)closed down towards the end of January, but a different restaurant is already lined up to take its place. Cappella will take over the Chapel Street space, under the auspices of Rob Picardi from Prezza in Boston’s North End.

Meanwhile, The James Pub & Provisions (1027 Great Plain Ave.) has opened near Needham Center, with a mix of small and large plates, including soda bread, grilled octopus, leek tart, duck confit salad, spicy beef tartare, seared monkfish, a burger, fish and chips, and grilled pork chops.

NEWBURYPORT — The Angry Donut(38 Washington St.)has found a home and debuted with limited hours last week. The former pop-up turned brick-and-mortar is now serving up doughnuts, scones, muffins, cinnamon rolls, cookies, brownies, and babka, plus coffee, espresso beverages, and tea.

SALEM — Mr. Crepe(83 Washington St.), which has a longtime location in Somerville’s Davis Square, has expanded north to Salem, opening with a familiar menu of stuffed crepes, pastries, soups, and more. The shop operates daily, serving breakfast through dinner.

January 24, 2018

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Adjarian khachapuri at Jana Grill & Bakery

BURLINGTON — Eddie V’s will take the place of Macaroni Grill, which closed down at 50 South Ave. last year. The Austin, TX-based chain of Eddie V’s is part of the Darden Restaurant Group and serves seafood and steak. It’s also coming to Boston proper.

Also in Burlington, Caffe Nero, the London-based chain of coffee shops that’s expanded with dramatic fashion in the Boston area over the last few years, has officially opened within the Burlington Mall (75 Middlesex Tpke.) It is situated near Au Bon Pain and Besito Mexican Restaurant.

FRAMINGHAM — Rasoi Gourmet Indian Kitchen (855 Worcester Rd.)has closed down after more than 20 years in business. A reason for the closure was not given, but posts on Facebook indicate the restaurant may pursue a new location.

MALDEN — Oppa’s Kitchen & Bar (157 Pleasant St.) is closed, at least for now; the business was seized.

NATICK — Kelly’s Roast Beef closes down this month after about 20 years in business in this location, which is inside of Jordan’s Furniture (2 Underprice Way). The owners are reportedly not renewing the lease on the space, though other locations of Kelly’s will remain in operation.

Meanwhile, the Natick Mall will get a Dave & Buster’s(1245 Worcester St.), which aims to take over a section of the current Sears, which is downsizing.

Finally, the owners of The Farmhouse in Needham have a new project planned for Natick. Buttercup is set to arrive at 13 West Central St. this spring from Dora Tavel-Sanchez Luz and Gabriel Sanchez, who aim to serve farm-to-table American dishes alongside a full bar. They’ve launched a Kickstarter campaign to help with funding.

QUINCY — Momo Cafe is up and running in Quincy at 649 Hancock St., serving a selection of desserts and pastries, plus tea and more. (It does not serve momo, Nepalese dumplings.)

SALEM — Smokin’ Betty’s BBQ closed its doors at 94 Lafayette St. on January 14 after a little under a year in business. The owners — who are also behind Gulu-Gulu Cafe and Flying Saucer Pizza Company, which remain open — shared a heartfelt message on Facebook announcing the closure, stating: “At the end of the day it really came down to simple math. We spent more money than we brought in and we projected a larger number of customers than we saw come through our doors.” They intend to continue offering Smokin’ Betty’s food for catering orders and perhaps reopen one day in a smaller venue.

WATERTOWN — Jana Grill & Bakery (2 Watertown St.) opened just a week ago, and it’s serving a menu of Armenian dishes, including egg boats, babaganoush, shawarma, flatbreads, and breakfast items. It’s open daily from 10 a.m. to 10 or 11 p.m.

January 3, 2018

Facebook

Ramen at Broth by the Hangover

ARLINGTON — Chilly Cow (451 Massachusetts Ave.) will convert into Abilyn’s Frozen Bakery, under the same ownership. The ice cream shop will serve largely the same items with some additions, with a goal of making a name for itself as a national wholesale brand.

SAUGUS — A planned expansion of Kane’s Donuts will likely happen this spring, as the popular shop prepares to open a location with a drive-thru window within the Essex Landing development, which many will remember as the site of the Route 1 miniature golf course and its recognizable orange dinosaur statue, which still stands.

TAUNTON — A new Fratelli’s Pastry Shop is open (1 Washington St.), and it joins two more in Quincy and Weymouth. Like its counterparts, the Taunton shop serves specialty cakes, cupcakes, pastries, cookies, pies, and breads, in addition to a menu of sandwiches, salads, pizzas, calzones, and more Italian dishes. The Taunton bakery is open Monday through Friday from 7 a.m. to 6 p.m., Saturday from 8 a.m. to 5 p.m., and Sunday from 9 a.m. to 3 p.m.

WELLESLEY — The Cottage (190 Linden St.) temporarily closed down on January 2 to allow for updates, including a menu change and interior renovations courtesy of Taniya Nayak, a former HGTV host and designer who has worked on several restaurants in the area, including Yellow Door Taqueria and Lower Mills Tavern, among others. Her designs for The Cottage will reportedly feature natural wood and greenery. Culinary director Peter Hansen will oversee updates to the menu. Expect The Cottage to reopen mid-January.

WEYMOUTH — Gourmet Oriental (625 Washington St.)has closed down. The restaurant served a mixture of Chinese dishes and offered karaoke, live music, and other entertainment.

WORCESTER — The team behind The Hangover Pub (Worcester’s bacon-filled restaurant) has a new restaurant focused on ramen. Broth is now open next door at 106 Green St., serving five different soups (including a vegetarian option), light appetizers, several cocktails, and two desserts made with bacon.

December 27, 2017

The Angry Donut [official photo, via Facebook]

The Angry Donut

LEXINGTON — Yangtze River(25 Depot Sq.), a Chinese-American restaurant that first opened in the 1970s, has closed down, per Boston Restaurant Talk. It served lunch and dinner, plus dim sum on the weekends. A different restaurant called Sanyo will take its place.

MARLBOROUGH — A new spot joined the interesting restaurant names category: Thairiffic is now open in Marlborough (128 Main St.), serving items like massaman curry, tom yum soup, and fresh rolls. The restaurant also offers takeout.

NEEDHAM — It’s been many months since chef Rachel Klein departed the restaurant that bears her initials, RFK Kitchen (30 Dedham Ave.), and now it’s getting a rebranding. L&K (“lounge and kitchen”) grandly reopens tomorrow, December 28, with new managers and a new menu by new executive chef Matthew Kovach. There’s also a new cocktail menu and selection of “lounge bites.”

NEWBURYPORT — A pop-up called The Angry Donut has permanent aspirations. Founder Tom Quill is a native of Newburyport, and he connected with baker Jill Passen to launch The Angry Donut, appearing as a pop-up and at farmers markets around the region. Now, they’re working to secure a permanent location and have launched a Kickstarter to help fund the process, offering rewards for those who donate.

WESTFORD — Go to The Okipoké(8 Cornerstone Sq., Unit B) and eat yourself some fish. The new restaurant in Westford serves a wide range of options, including bowls, burritos, and salads, topped with tuna, salmon, shrimp, tofu, and more.

WORCESTER — A place for Vietnamese noodles and seafood opened recently in Worcester. My Sister’s Crawfish II(442 Park Ave.)joins Dorchester’s My Sister’s Crawfish in serving rice plates, bun, noodles, spring rolls, and crawfish by the pound, plus bubble tea.

December 20, 2017

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Tuna poke tostadas at Bueno Malo

ANDOVER — “The flavors of Mexico meet the heartbeat of Southern California” at Bueno Malo, which opened about six weeks ago in Andover. Mike Reidy and Franco Lozano III teamed up for the restaurant, which has a full bar and serves tacos and burritos stuffed with steak, grilled chicken, shrimp, fish, bean and cheese, and even tater tots. For dinner, there are wings, taquitos, ceviche, nachos, and street corn.

DEDHAM — Legacy Place continues to grow its food and beverage options, adding one more this week: Temazcal Tequila Cantina’snewest location, now open, spans 7,000 square feet, filling nearly every inch with Mexican dishes and more than 250 varieties of tequila.

NORTH ANDOVER — Howling Wolf Taqueria, featured in Eater Boston’s Salem dining guide, already has one fast-casual location in Marblehead, but this spring it will add another in North Andover. The new Howling Wolf Express will operate with a full liquor license within a space at 550 Turnpike St.

SAUGUS — One of the most recognizable plots of land in Saugus will soon be home to a new restaurant. A development project at the site of the former Hilltop Steak House will bring a 110 Grill restaurant to the area, along with an undetermined fast-casual restaurant. The Saugus 110 Grill will join several existing locations around the state, and a bunch more are on the way.

SWAMPSCOTT — Local-born chain B.Good will expand to the North Shore, adding a restaurant in Swampscott at 450 Paradise Rd. B.Good serves a line of locally-sourced fast-casual meals, including salads, burgers, sandwiches, and grain bowls.

WALPOLE — A source for beer will go quietly into the night in Walpole: British Beer Company on Route 1 will shutter on Christmas Eve, with reports indicating the business couldn’t reach an agreement with the landlord. There are 13 other locations in the region.

December 13, 2017

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Mooyah burgers

BERLIN — Mooyah Burgers, Fries & Shakes opened its newest Massachusetts location on December 11 (48 Highland Commons East). The Texas-based fast-food chain serves a menu true to its silly name, focusing on burgers, which are topped with items like bacon and jalapeños. There are turkey burger and chicken options for sandwiches as well, and the restaurant also has vegetarian options, plus hot dogs, french fries, and salads, along with shakes.

BRAINTREE — The Braintree side of the Weymouth Landing development will welcome a new restaurant, Bates Bar and Grill(2 Commercial St.), taking the place of the Landing Pub and Ultimate Pizza, which were torn down after a fire.

MELROSE — A restaurant serving sushi and pan-Asian dishes is now open in Melrose. Tsukiji Bistro is located at 505 Main St., in the same building as Stearns & Hill’s Bistro.

SALEM — Stacia’s Place closed down (97 Bridge St.) on December 1. The restaurant had been around for 35 years, serving subs of all varieties, along with soup, salads, wings, hot dogs, and several other items.

Also in Salem, Victoria Station has been shut down, with reports indicating that it had not renewed the lease for the space at 86 Wharf St.

WELLESLEY — Smith & Wollensky plans to open a steakhouse location in Wellesley — taking over the longtime Blue Ginger space at 583 Washington St., as previously reported — and has set a target opening date for mid-April 2018. There are two existing locations in Boston proper, along with other steakhouses in Chicago, Columbus, Houston, Miami Beach, and London.

November 29, 2017

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Fiorella’s Concord

CONCORD — Fiorella’s has arrived in Concord, joining an existing location in Newton (and takeout-oriented siblings dubbed Fiorella’s Express in Belmont, Cambridge, and Brighton). The new restaurant, located at 24 Walden St. (the former Bondir space), serves the familiar menu of Italian dishes in a full-service dining format.

FRAMINGHAM — The beloved J&M Diner is back in business after a devastating fire pushed it out of its original home back in March. The new restaurant opened at 50 Worcester Rd. at 6 a.m. on November 27, with a line out the door.

WALTHAM — A Brothers Marketplace is on the way to Waltham and will open within The Merc at Moody and Main (45 Moody St.), per Boston Restaurant Talk. There are other locations in Weston and Medfield, offering retail goods along with prepared foods.

November 22, 2017

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Blue Canoe Cafe storefront

CONCORD — A new market on the way to Concord will also serve prepared foods, and the folks behind it also run Trail’s End Cafe and Lincoln Kitchen. Concord Market will be located on Lowell Road and could open in about a year.

DEDHAM — Yep, there’s another Caffe Nero open. This one’s at Legacy Place (218 Legacy Pl.); it debuted on November 20.

MARBLEHEAD — A new place for coffee and food will open within a storefront on School Street that was previously home to Atomic Cafe. Blue Canoe Cafe (14 School St.) will serve coffee, sandwiches, smoothies, and baked goods, along with bags of Atomic coffee. Renovations are underway.

PEABODY — Seawitch Restaurant & Oyster Bar, a longtime restaurant and fish market, is now under new ownership with a new name — well, two: The market arm of the business became North Shore Lobster and the restaurant became SeaGrilz. Both are open and located at 203 Newbury St. (Rte. 1).

Peabody will also see the addition of a La Siesta restaurant, which has an existing location in Winthrop. The Mexican restaurant will open within a building under redevelopment at 1 Main St.

November 15, 2017

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Pressed Juicery juices

LYNN — A Central American chicken chain called Pollo Campero (25 State St.) grandly opened a location in Lynn this week, serving fried and grilled chicken. There are also two other locations nearby, in East Boston and Chelsea.

WAKEFIELD — A new restaurant called Public Kitchen (395 Main St.) will take over for Caryn’s Sports Bar & Restaurant in Wakefield. The partners in the new restaurant are all connected to Giacomo’s, which has locations in Melrose and both Boston’s North End and South End. Expect to see pub-style items like burgers, flatbreads, wings, and chili.

WELLESLEY — California-based Pressed Juicery has a new location in Linden Square (180 Linden St., Suite 107), where it offers cold-pressed juices and frozen treats. There’s also a location in Cambridge’s Harvard Square and one on Newbury Street in Boston.

WORCESTER — A 1920s-themed restaurant called Josephine (551 Main St.) will open within the Hanover Theater in Worcester around spring 2018, and the person behind it is Chris Rassias, who also operates The Farimount Grille in Hyde Park.

November 8, 2017

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Singh Saab

ARLINGTON — Waltham’s Santa Banta has officially relocated and reopened in Arlington as Singh Saab(444 Massachusetts Ave.). The restaurant offers a large menu of Punjabi dishes and a lunch buffet.

BURLINGTON — Singh Saab also got a sister restaurant in Burlington this week, an Indochinese restaurant called Singh Ching (184 Cambridge St.)

NEW BEDFORD — dNB Burgers (22 Elm St.)once again fell victim to vandalism this week, with a Facebook post showing a brick that had been thrown through one of the windows. This is the fourth instance of vandalism or break-in at the restaurant.

NORTH SCITUATE — A fire destroyed 50-year-old Jamie’s Grille & Pub in North Scituate this past weekend, and the building will likely be torn down. A post on the restaurant’s Facebook page indicated there were no injuries. There is no word yet on whether the owners will rebuild.

November 1, 2017

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Friendly’s ice cream

MARLBOROUGH — In an attempt to rebound from closures, Friendly’s is testing a new prototype restaurant in Marlborough, with plans to open more locations in the next several years, MassLive reports. The new restaurants feature drive-through windows, which 10 existing locations will also get. The Marlborough location is slated to open on November 6 at the Apex Center on Route 20 (180 Boston Post Rd. W.)

NEEDHAM — The James Pub & Provisions will open within the former home of the Centre Cafe (1027 Great Plain Ave.), per Boston Restaurant Talk. The owners aim to “bring the pubs of fond memory into the light once more,” according to the restaurant’s website, and it will reportedly open some time this fall.

WOBURN — A new restaurant called Shallots (920 Main St.) opened in September with an Asian fusion lunch and dinner menu that includes items like stir-fry noodles, panang curry, mango fried rice, chili duck, steak, and spicy eggplant, among others.

October 25, 2017

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Spiga

LYNN — The White Rose Coffee House has closed, as The Daily Item reports, due to drama prompted by anti-police statements that the owner’s daughter (and a manager at the cafe) made on Facebook. Owner Kato Mele apologized, fired her daughter, and invited police to the cafe to make amends, but it was not enough.

NEEDHAM — The nearly decade-old Spiga (18 Highland Cir.) has reopened after a big revamp, with chef Marisa Iocco in charge as the new co-owner. The Italian restaurant underwent a menu and design overhaul over the summer.

PEABODY — Regina Pizzeria has closed down its location at the Northshore Mall, sharing an update on Twitter that “we closed at that location because the Mall took our space to make a new entrance.”

WOBURN — Arcenia’s Cucina Rustica closed its doors in Woburn and has now been replaced by a different Italian restaurant called Fortunato’s (428 Main St.)

October 18, 2017

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Davio’s in Braintree

BRAINTREE — Davio’s officially opened its newest location in Braintree this week at the South Shore Plaza. This is the ninth location for the restaurant.

CHELMSFORD — The Establishment is a family owned and operated restaurant at 75 Princeton St. that debuted in September with a menu ranging from burgers and pizza to baked haddock, steak tips, and more.

CONCORD — As Country Kitchen owner Trish Irons prepares for retirement, the restaurant prepares to close on December 15, per Boston Restaurant Talk. Irons is pursuing options, including having someone else take over the restaurant.

LOWELL — Loui Loui Louisiana Seafood opened a new location in Lowell a few months ago, and its recent growth has gone beyond the Northeast. The restaurant had just two other locations when it opened in Allston earlier this year (in Stoneham, Massachusetts, and Fort Lee, New Jersey), and now its presence reaches as far as Duluth, Georgia, with six total restaurants.

STONEHAM — One restaurant closed down and another is on the way to Stoneham, just north of Boston. Felicia’s (423 Main St.) shuttered over the weekend after more than 50 years in business. Meanwhile, chef Patrick Campbell (previously of Cafe ArtScience and No. 9 Park) plans to open The Stones Common House & Kitchen in the town square.

October 11, 2017

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Cook in Needham

BRAINTREE — Davio’s Northern Italian Steakhouse will soon add a new member of the family with the opening of its Braintree restaurant at 250 Granite St. The massive restaurant, slated to open early next week at South Shore Plaza, spans 10,000 square feet and serves pasta made in-house, seafood, beef entrees, and more.

DEDHAM — Fast food chicken chain Chick-Fil-A (140 Providence Hwy.) opened its eleventh location in Massachusetts last week. The beloved, albeit controversial, restaurant is known for giving away free chicken to the first 100 customers on opening day, and Dedham’s opening drew a crowd ahead of time.

NEEDHAM — Cook (109 Chapel St.) opened over the weekend, joining an existing location in Newton (825 Washington St.) Right now, Cook is open for dinner, but lunch and brunch will follow soon. The restaurant seats 115 and serves items like lobster sliders, chili-rubbed flat-iron steak, and tagliatelle with meatballs.

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Spider-Man: 15 Things His Clone Can Do (That He Can’t)

The “Clone Saga” of the mid-1990s has a bad reputation. Originally, it was only planned to last less than a year, but strong sales led to Marvel’s editorial staff extending the saga far longer than the plot could support. The confusing, convoluted story arc came to represent, in the minds of fans, everything wrong with comics storytelling in the ‘90s.

RELATED: Clone Zone: The 15 Craziest Comic Book Clones

It’s easy to forget that the saga wasn’t always bad. In fact, the early stories in the clone saga were great, which is why it sold so many books in the first place. Most of that was due to Ben Reilly. Peter Parker’s clone took on the role of The Scarlet Spider, reinvigorating the series with his fresh attitude and a few unique abilities. With his recent return to “The Amazing Spider-Man” as the quasi-villainous Jackal, it’s time to take a look at the things Ben Reilly can do that Peter Parker just can’t.

SENSE VENOM

Longtime “Spider-Man” readers will remember that Peter Parker donned the Venom suit during the first “Secret Wars” crossover in issue #8 (written by Jim Shooter with art by Mike Zeck, and inks by John Beaty, Jack Abel and Mike Esposito). While the symbiote never fully bonded with Parker, it was enough to affect his Spider-Sense, such that now, he can’t sense when Venom is nearby. That makes Venom one of Spider-Man’s more dangerous villains, as he can easily sneak up on the wall-crawler.

Ben Reilly doesn’t have that problem. He has all of Parker’s memories of Venom, but he never actually put on the suit, so his Spider Sense is still fully functional. When Reilly, as The Scarlet Spider, confronts Venom in “Spider-Man” #52 (written by Howard Mackie with art by Tom Lyle and Scott Hanna), Venom thinks it will be an easy battle. Reilly’s Spider-Sense proves invaluable in allowing Reilly to survive the encounter (and the next one, and the next, and so on).

CLONE THE DEAD

This is something we only recently learned about Reilly. In “Dead No More: The Clone Conspiracy” #3 (written by Dan Slott with art by Jim Cheung), the returned Jackal reveals himself to be Ben Reilly, having been resurrected, or more accurately, re-cloned. During his time as The Jackal, Reilly cloned Gwen Stacy and convinced her to become his business partner by cloning her father, George Stacy. Like Miles Warren before him, Ben Reilly has made a habit out of using clones to bring loved ones back from the dead.

This turned out to be another thing that Peter Parker just can’t do. While it’s true that Parker is intellectually capable of making a clone, he has a moral inability to do so. When he reveals his identity to Parker, he offers to clone Uncle Ben, whose body is in a box nearby. Though initially tempted, Parker refuses. He reminds Reilly that Uncle Ben would disapprove. (Uncle) Ben would see such an action as using great power without responsibility.

PLAN AHEAD

During Ben Reilly’s five-year exile from New York, his fighting skills atrophied. He got rusty. Meanwhile, Peter Parker has been fighting off supervillains nonstop, and he’s gotten very good at it. As a result, he’s begun to take a more direct approach, leading with his fists and confronting enemies head-on.

Reilly, on the other hand, has to take a more strategic approach. When he returns to New York, he finds that direct confrontation doesn’t work out well for him. He’s forced to hang back, even occasionally retreating to gain an advantage at a later time. In “Spider-Man Unlimited” #7, written by Tom Lyle with art by Al Milgrom, he tries to defend a homeless man from a gang of drug dealers. When it becomes clear they will overpower him, he briefly retreats to grab his suit and web canisters. With his identity protected and all the tools at his disposal, he’s able to get the drop on the gang and make short work of them.

IMPACT WEBBING

Ben Reilly’s most notable improvements over Peter Parker’s Spider-Man were his web modifications. Parker seemed to take an “if it ain’t broke, don’t fix it” approach to his webbing. Occasionally, a new villain would force him to create a stronger formula, but for the most part, his webs did what they always did.

Reilly was a tinkerer. Though he avoided acting as Spider-Man during his exile, he didn’t stop working on his web canisters. Impact webbing was one of the more useful additions to his arsenal. Rather than firing a simple string of webbing, Reilly is able to fire a small ball that explodes on impact. Once the ball hits its target, web tendrils explode outward, trapping the enemy in a cocoon. The more Reilly fires, the stronger the cocoon becomes, giving The Scarlet Spider a way to quickly deal with stronger enemies. The added gadgets did make his web shooters too large to be worn under his costume, but that’s a small price to pay for added utility.

WEB-SEPARATE VENOM

This is another advantage of impact webbing. When Reilly returns to New York, he’s shocked to find that Peter Parker has struck a deal with Venom. With all the memories of the terrible things the Lethal Protector has done, he can’t believe Parker would allow him to roam free. He immediately picks a fight with Venom, which doesn’t go so well, and he’s forced to seek treatment for a serious gut wound.

When he returns to finish the fight in “Spider-Man” #53 (written by Howard Mackie with art by Tom Lyle and Scott Hanna), he’s prepared. He’s able to protect Scream from Venom’s wrath by entangling him in a web cocoon long enough for her to get away. Then, when Venom grabs Reilly and brings him close, Reilly fires a few impact web balls into Venom’s mouth. The cocoons form around Eddie Brock, successfully separating him from the symbiote. Unlike Parker, the Scarlet Spider can defeat Venom without having to seek out loud noises.

PARALYZE

As we’ve already seen, Ben Reilly did more with his web shooters than Peter Parker ever dreamed possible. It appears when you spend a few years without having to defend New York from crime, you have time to get creative with your gadgets. This handy invention makes an appearance after Reilly has been defending New York as The Scarlet Spider for a short while. By this point, he’s ended up at odds with two formidable enemies: The Grim Hunter (Kraven’s son) and the rapidly degenerating clone, Kaine. And wouldn’t you know it, they both catch up with him at the same time.

In “Spider-Man” #53 (written by Howard Mackie with art by Mike Manley, Joe Rubenstein and Kevin Tinsley), Reilly has taken several beatings from Kaine. This time, Ben is able to gain the upper hand by introducing Kaine to his stingers. Apparently invented with Kaine in mind, the stingers are small darts that inject a muscle-paralyzing serum into their target. Reilly may not be as strong as Parker, but he sure seems a lot smarter.

TRACK ENEMIES BETTER

Peter Parker’s Spider Tracers are pretty remarkable. In a world before GPS was as widespread as it is today, Parker was able to create a small, easy-to-use tracker that he could stick on enemies (or their vehicles) and use his Spider-Sense to follow them. That is, until the enemy in question found the spider-shaped tracker and disposed of it or lured him into a trap. As impressive as the technology was, it could definitely be improved upon.

That’s where Ben Reilly comes in. Realizing that not everything needs to be spider-shaped, Reilly designed his tracers to be smaller and less obvious. His microdot tracers are smaller and circular. Like Parker’s, they can be launched from Reilly’s web shooters, but their circular shape makes them spin as they fly. That means they fly faster and further, and they can stick to their targets without being quite as obvious as Parker’s red spider-shaped models.

GO BLONDE

Most of Ben’s appearances in “Spider-Man” comics took place in the 1990s. For those who don’t remember, the ‘90s were an embarrassing time for hair. Even our most beloved, long-running superheroes didn’t escape without a few missteps. (Remember Superman’s flowing shoulder-length locks? Oof.) Possibly the most embarrassing trend was bleaching your hair blonde. Too many ’90s kids have a cringe-inducing photo of themselves rocking bright yellow hair (dark roots showing through, of course).

For some reason, when Ben Reilly bleached his hair, it didn’t look stupid. It looked perfectly acceptable at the time, and still doesn’t look that bad today. Maybe it’s because he kept his roots from showing. Maybe it was because he wasn’t Peter Parker. Though Parker never tried dying his hair blonde, he absolutely couldn’t have pulled it off so well. His general appearance has been established for so long, a change that drastic would be immediately rejected. Ben Reilly is his own character, though. He may have Parker’s face, but being a blonde just suits him better.

MAKE A DECENT CUP OF COFFEE

Peter Parker was never one for domestic tasks. When Mary Jane comes home from visiting family in “Amazing Spider-Man” #397 (written by J. M. DeMatteis, art by Mark Bagley, Larry Mahlstedt and Bob Sharen), she finds the apartment a complete mess. It’s safe to assume that Mary Jane made the coffee in the Parker household. Also, in all the jobs he’s held (freelance photographer, teacher, tech CEO), none of them required him to learn how to make a good cup of coffee.

Ben Reilly, on the other hand, held down a steady job at The Daily Grind, a classic New York diner and coffee shop. Not only was he able to remain an employee there, he was well-liked and earned enough to live in Manhattan. You can’t do that at a diner without knowing how to make a customer’s coffee just right. Reilly also had to learn to make every kind of latte and cappuccino out there without an automated espresso machine. No matter how useful Parker’s spider-sense is, it’s not going to help him pour a drinkable shot of espresso.

HAVE A (RELATIVELY) NORMAL LOVE LIFE

Peter Parker has had the worst luck when it comes to love. Aside from his early flirtations with Betty Brandt, it’d be hard to call any of Parker’s relationships normal. The first woman he really loved, Gwen Stacy, was killed by the Green Goblin. When he found love again, and got married, it was all eventually undone by Mephisto, who reset the world so his marriage never happened.

By comparison, Ben Reilly’s relationships were fairly normal. During his years of exile in “Spider-Man: The Lost Years” (Written by J.M. DeMatteis, art by John Romita Jr. and Klaus Janson) he formed a serious relationship with Janine Godbe. Although she carried her own scars and traumas, none of it was supervillain-related. During Ben’s time in New York, he dated Jessica Carradine. That relationship had its own problems, but they all stemmed from the fact that her father was the burglar who killed Uncle Ben. Ben Reilly may not have the best luck with love either, but at least his relationship troubles were fairly normal… comparatively speaking, anyway.

TURN TO DUST

To be fair, this isn’t something Ben Reilly can do whenever he wants. He only turns to dust when he dies. It is, however, something that Peter Parker can’t do. We’ve seen what happens when Peter Parker dies. In “Ultimate Spider-Man” #160 (written by Brian Michael Bendis, art by Mark Bagley, Andy Lanning, Andrew Hennnessy and Justin Ponsor), Parker is killed in a fight with the Green Goblin. He lies there in Mary Jane’s arms as he dies.

When Reilly is killed by The Green Goblin in “Spider-Man” #75 (written by Howard Mackie, art by John Romita Jr., Scott Hanna and Kevin Tinsley), his body starts degenerating quickly. He turns to dust as he dies. That serves as the final proof that Peter Parker is truly the original and Ben Reilly is the clone. It seems to, anyway. Turning to dust isn’t consistent with clone degeneration. That, of course, raises the question: Is Reilly truly a clone… or something else entirely?

DESIGN A COSTUME WORTHY OF A TEENAGE GIRL

Peter Parker’s Spider-Man costume is iconic, to be sure. The sharp angles, the black web pattern over the red, the web-wings underneath his arms. When you hear the name “Spider-Man,” you imagine that costume. Not bad for a 16-year-old science geek. It just wasn’t good enough for his alternate-universe teenage daughter or her best friend.

In the MC2 universe, Parker and Mary Jane’s child survived, developed spider powers and protected New York City as Spider-Girl. But did she choose to wear dear old dad’s costume? Nope, her costume was the same one Reilly wore after he gave up the Scarlet Spider mantle and became New York’s only Spider-Man. When her friend Felicity Hardy (Felicia’s daughter) joined up, she took on the Scarlet Spider identity completely, costume and all. So not only can Ben make a costume that a teenage girl would wear in public, he can make two.

STAY POSITIVE THROUGHOUT THE GRIM 1990s

The 1990s were a tough time to be a comics fan. Storylines got darker and darker, characters became more brooding and self-serious. The ‘90s were an era where everything had to be gritty and extreme. In following the fad, a lot of comics lost what made them fun in the first place. Spider-Man had an especially noticeable change in attitude; so much so that Doctor Octopus called him out on it in “Amazing Spider-Man” #397, asking where his wit had gone.

That’s what made Ben Reilly such a welcome addition. Though he had Parker’s memories up to a point, he hadn’t gone through some of the heavier stuff that happened in the late ‘80s and early ‘90s. Reilly still had the wit, the sense of humor and the easygoing attitude that fans loved about Spider-Man. He brought some much-needed levity back to the series, when all Parker could do was drag it down. It’s no wonder some people at Marvel wanted to make him Parker’s permanent replacement.

SELL MORE COMICS

Ben Reilly reinvigorated Spider-Man comics like Parker, at that point, could not. No matter what writers did with him, Parker was carrying too much baggage by the mid-’90s. For some reason, he couldn’t excite fans anymore. Ben Reilly, as the Scarlet Spider, was exactly what fans were looking for, to the point where three Spider-Man series were briefly rebooted to be Scarlet Spider Series. For a few months, comics shelves displayed “The Amazing Scarlet Spider,” “The Spectacular Scarlet Spider” and “Web of Scarlet Spider” where Spider-Man used to be.

Those issues sold far better than their Spider-Man counterparts had in a long time. The original plan was to have Reilly take over as Spider-Man permanently, but plans changed after Scarlet Spider comics sold so well. Reilly repeatedly refused to take on the Spider-Man name, just so Marvel could continue selling Scarlet Spider comics. Eventually, Marvel was forced to make Ben the new Spider-Man, but they dragged out his Scarlet Spider run for as long as possible.

LET PEOPLE IN

Ben Reilly realized the importance of letting people into his life much quicker than Peter Parker did. It took him forever to admit to Mary Jane that he was Spider-Man. In fact, she figured it out long before he even considered letting her in on his double life. Parker insisted on keeping his secret even to the point of endangering those closest to him. Perhaps it was because he wasn’t around as long as Parker was, but Reilly never took nearly as long to be honest with the important people in his life.

When he dated Janine Godby (real name Elizabeth Tyne), he wised up quickly that keeping his powers a secret from her was impossible. He accepted her as she was and told her all about his abilities and the fact that he was a clone. The world didn’t end. They became a stronger couple for it. Their relationship didn’t work out in the fullness of time, but Ben realized early on that he was happier letting people in.

Do you think Ben was the better Spider? Was he also the better man? Let us know in the comments!

The post Spider-Man: 15 Things His Clone Can Do (That He Can’t) appeared first on CBR.com.

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