#Now there is only one store that sells them

[scentofhydrangea]

for @vershautece, based off of this and a little of this 🩷 enjoy!

warnings luigi is a baby making machine! sahm themes, let’s just assume he never had back problems shhh, all italian is translated at the bottom, breeding, oral (both receiving), missionary + doggy, orgasm denial (?), rough sex, ass slapping (i don’t like the other word), reflection ;), half-assed proofread

a/n i am actually so sorry this is so late, i’ve been stacked today and then i scheduled this to post and it never did… ALSO THIS IS WAY LONGER THAN I ORIGINALLY INTENDED!!! and i’m sorry the smut is kinda vague i haven’t written actual smut in SOOOO long it’s embarrassing… i’m gonna be a hornball on your dash!

getting accepted to upenn was definitely in your top three most exhilarating moments of your life. with plans of majoring in art, you were over the moon to start your independent life at an ivy league school! you rarely let boys get in your way — enjoying life in the moment was a top quality of yours as an artist.

that was, until you met luigi. oh god, he’s so beautiful. you only picked up one digital class that you really didn’t even know the name of because you’d wanted to get into digital art and you thought it’d be fun to learn the functions. as soon as you saw him about two weeks into the course, you were swooning. unbeknownst to you, most other girls were also swooning.

you only had a few tight friends, but your kind personality was a trait everyone noticed about you as soon as you would approach. also how good you smelled. and your beautiful smile. and your full, happy cheeks when you laugh. really just everything — and you’d had no idea that boys in your courses would pine after you, too.

a few trusty years later, you and luigi were to be wed! babies came shortly after, and you had the most beautiful twin toddlers. after you’d been granted maternity leave from your job as a high school art teacher, you’d gotten a little too used to staying home and tending to the house, rather than scrambling every weekend to get everything done as well as take care of your husband and children.

you had a talk with luigi and determined that the money from his job would be enough to keep the family steady going as well as a few pieces you’d make and sell on ebay every now and again. almost as quickly as you could, you sent an email to the superintendent and principal of your school saying that you would unfortunately not be returning due to personal issues.

luigi had never asked you to be a sweet little tradwife for him, but he damn sure enjoyed it. today in particular, your three year olds’ daycare was closed so you were fortunate enough to leave them with their godparents. this was good for you, they’d likely ask to spend the night with their padrini*, so you can have tonight and tomorrow morning without a ‘bedtime’ for you and your children!

in the morning after dropping them off, you went back home to get cute and dolled up — you usually made breakfast wearing a silk pajama set that luigi bought for you last christmas. then you went to the grocery store and to the bank to deposit a check from a painting you sold for a little under $500. then back home to make a small lunch — you were planning to cook a big dinner — and then onto housework. you played music while you worked, and once beds were made you retreated back to your bedroom to tweak your hair and makeup for dinner.

you also made sure luigi knew not to come home before 5:45 because you wouldn’t be done with your dishes, and checked in on your kids to confirm they’d stay the night at their padrini’s house.

when luigi came home, just like out of a scene of a movie, he shouted from the front door: “tesoro, sono a casa!*” followed by the door closing and locking mechanically behind him. he strutted into the kitchen to see you putting plates together — exactly 6:00. he must have waited in the driveway to give you some extra time!

with a gentle hold of your waist and long kiss on your cheek, you suddenly felt much more comfortable; almost feeling safe that he was home. anxiety was sometimes a struggle when you’re home alone all day and your husband working half an hour away.

as you plated the food and brought the bread out of the oven, luigi went upstairs to change into something more casual. when he opened the bedroom door, he noticed you had left a precious little lingerie set laying on the bed, likely accidentally. his interest was certainly piqued! quirking an eyebrow and grinning a little to himself, he took a few minutes to change and mess with his hair a bit in the mirror.

luigi came down the stairs with happy haste.

“thank you for making this meal, babydoll, smells so good,” he compliments, kissing your cheek again.

your face burns excitedly. “thank you,” you kiss his lips a few short times.

over dinner, you chat about each other’s day and the children. he seems to be deep in thought for a moment, and when he notices you staring he speaks again.

“you think we should have another baby?” he asks cheekily.

you nearly choke and your heart rate runs rampant, looking as if you hadn’t had sex before. “do you want to?”

“would i ask if i didn’t want to?”

there’s a rush between your thighs almost immediately. you place your fork down onto your plate and stand up, but before you can walk off he’s up and scooping you into his strong arms. he cascades up the steps with you bridal style.

as soon as he steps into the bedroom, he places you down on the fuzzy chair in front of your vanity. a finger points to the lacy set laying on the neat bed.

“you wanna tell me what you got this out for?” he presses, kneeling down on the ground in front of you. luigi’s pretty lips pepper kisses on your ankles, lifting each one up slowly to remove your kitten heels. once each shoe is off, he places the now bare calf on his shoulder.

“please, lu…” you plead pathetically.

his eyebrows furrow upwards, looking at you with big eyes full of faux empathy. “please what? use your words, mio amore. dimmi cosa vuoi*.”

words are quick to fail you. your brain is blank, almost static. most times you have sex it’s quick and hushed because the twins are in the house.

he’s kissing up your legs again, attempting to get a rise out of you. once he gets to your thighs, you’re getting a little restless.

“taking too long,” you mumble, and he lifts his head to look you in the eye again — this time much more stern.

“what was that?”

“said you’re taking too long,” you repeat yourself louder, locking your gaze with his.

within a second, he’s snatched you up and thrown you onto the neat bed.

“you and your goddamn bed decorations. i never know why you put all these pillows on here when we’re just gonna throw them all off later,” he grumbles, clearly angry and clearing the throw pillows from the bed, tossing them to the floor.

luigi pushes your maxi skirt up and nearly tears your little cotton underwear off of you. his tongue darts between your warmth and his nose harshly rubs against your clit, catching you off guard and sending your spine into electric shock. your hands fly to grip his hair in one hand and the tightly made bedsheets in the other.

“y’taste so sweet, tesoro,” he groans against you, leaving open-mouthed kisses on your thighs before going back to devouring your sex.

he’s already working an easy orgasm or two from you. he pulls you from your stupor and unzips your dress, gingerly pulling it off of you — he knows how upset you got last time he accidentally ripped the hem of your dress.

his shirt is gone, his chin and parts of his cheeks are still wet, and removing his belt as quickly as he can. as soon as his pants drop, you grab the hem of his boxers and pull them down. every time you see his cock, it never fails to surprise you that the tip touches his fucking belly button.

you pop his throbbing pink tip into your mouth, giving it little kitten licks and short kisses. you work your way down, or as much as you can, using your hand to pump what you can’t fit in your mouth. you’re moaning and slobbering around his cock, vibrations from your voice sending chills up his spine and down into his arms. his hands find their way to the back of your head, carefully urging you to take more.

your throat is constricting and you retract from his cock, looking into his eyes for validation.

“you’re taking too long,” he mocks in a faux whiny voice. luigi pushes you back onto the bed by his shoulders and holds his heavy cock. he teases your folds, rubbing his hot tip through to spread your own spit and cum from him eating you out. slowly, he pushes in. he always waits a little for you to adjust to how big he is.

“fuck, m’so full…”

“you’re so tight, mio amore.”

his eyes are boring into yours and his hands press down onto your womb to see his own cock buried into you.

“gonna cum if you don’t breathe for a second and relax, holy fuck baby,” he reminds you with a deep, raspy tone.

you take a deep breath and mid-exhale he starts to pound into you with a feverish and eager alacrity, causing you to almost scream.

“mmmmy fucking god!” your voice shakes with each impactful thrust against your hips. one of his hands grips your waist and the other attaches to your boob, his head following shortly. his tongue laps around your peaked nipple rapidly.

then both hands are on your waist and he briefly pulls out to flip you onto your stomach and prop your ass up to his liking. he’s shoving his cock back into your soaked cunt and returns back to his relentless pace.

“gonna fuck a baby into you, bella ragazza, gonna get you nice and swollen with a pretty baby, hm? isn’t that right?” he pushes his hand down onto your lower back, arching you up higher for him. both of his big hands find your frizzed up curly bun and he snatches your head back.

“feels so fucking good, m’gonna cum, lu!”

“aht,” he slows down exponentially, “you’ll cum when i tell you to.”

your eyes roll to the back of your head with adoration and you swear your ovaries start jumping at the demand. he’s back to slamming into you and a hard hand comes down onto each ass cheek three or four times. he adds to the torture by holding your hair in one hand and moving his other arm around your hip to grind his palm on your clit.

“oh my god, i’m gonna fucking cum luigi…” you breathe out between a moan, a scream and a whisper.

“what’d i tell you?”

“to wait ‘til you tell me to cum!”

“do what i tell you, be a good girl and listen to me.”

your brain is numb and your head falls limp, his grip in your hair is the only thing holding your body close to his.

“you’re so fucking pretty, mio amore, can i take a picture?”

you just nod obediently, not really caring too much at this point. he reaches over to the bedside table where he put his phone before dinner and opens the camera, showing your mascara dripping down your face from tears you didn’t know were flowing and an agape mouth, moans slipping through with every motion.

“you see why i love fucking you s’much? hm? look at yourself while i fuck you, baby,” he’s shoving the phone into your hand to palm your clit again. you’re bucking your hips against each form of stimulation with your jaw wide open, breathing shakily.

“there you go, tesoro, y’wanna cum?” he taunts, to which you nod your head and moan a hearty ‘yes!’

his index and middle finger focus on your clit, circling the sensitive bundle of nerves as tightly as he can. your eyes go crossed, no longer paying any attention to the reflection in the camera. luigi’s hand drops from your hair, pushes your head down and arches your back up one more time. he pressed record on the camera and kept up with his cock bullying into your cervix over and over.

“go ahead and cum with me baby, take it like the good girl you are.”

when he gives you permission, almost like a stage cue, you totally let go. your cunt squeezes around him entirely and traps him in. his cock twitches rampantly inside you as he meets his release, watching your face through the camera that you’re gripping onto with your life.

it takes a few minutes to cool off after he lays down beside you, stopping the recording and kissing all over your face. “you did so good for me, baby. sei una brava ragazza*.”

you don’t even have it in you to respond, your chest heaving.

“you think that one will take? should we go for another round?”

this gets a breathless chortle from you. “can i catch my breath first? also, you messed my hair up.”

“so that’s a yes?” he asks, already burying his face into your chest and carefully pressing kisses to your hot skin.

🌺🩷💋

italian words and phrases:

padrini: godparents

tesoro: sweetheart

sono a casa: i’m home!

dimmi cosa vuoi: tell me what you want

sei una brava ragazza: you’re (such) a good girl

[ruins-of-tragedy]

Started season two of RWBY. Episodes one to three are done and... dusted. (Way too proud of that pun)

Season 02, Episode 01: Best Day Ever

- Re-opening of the shop From Dust till Dawn... Is this going to be like the cabbage guy joke of ATLA?

- This lady! One of the bad peeps. Did she steal from the shopkeeper? Her friend is called Mercury?! The names in this show. Ugh. So good.

- The bad girl has a diamond symbol. Huh. Emerald. Master thief. Who is she supposed to be inspired by? Robin Hood?

- Can't figure out Mercury's inspiration. Could it be Hermes' Roman counterpart? The only other Mercury I can think of is available in thermometers...

- Tukson. Book store man claiming to sell every book under the sun. He should open up a branch near me... Faunus and now Wolverine. Got beat. Oooof.

- Blake's notebook is filled with such wonderful art! Cute!

- It's already a new semester? Oh my Gods. Blake is revising and Yang is being a doofus... Their love was fated. Of course they catch feelings. 🤩😂

- Nora's catapulting food while Yang catches it with her mouth. I need to try this.

- For a second I was actually so confused about Ruby making a binder that big. Then I saw the cover and realised it's Weiss' doing. All is right with the world now.

- "Sisters. Friends. Weiss." 😂👏🏻

- Wait. Ruby says sisters... 🤨. They were already setting up Bumbleby huh? ✨❤️‍🔥

- Ruby had a dream. Weiss wants to know if she stole her binder. Yang is still catching food, and doing a great job at it!

- She didn't just crack a dad joke... She cracked a Yang joke. 🫶🏻. I support this!!! That apple throw was unnecessary. People cannot get true art nowadays.

- Yes, Yang! Get them. Throw an apple back!

- Weiss wanted to make a point. She stood up. And was promptly hit by a pie missile. Nora might not make it to the end of the day...

- Sun is into Blake. He be talking all about it with his blue haired bud who has nice hair. And someone called Scarlet with whom he must share everyone's secrets. Cute!

- Did they actually highlight Sun's muscles and abs with black marker this time? To make sure they were apparent? 😆

- Food fight is occurring in the cafeteria... Truly the coolest people, these folks. I agree Sun.

- Jaune just hit the window right now. Is he also considered food?

- Sun and his friend have entered the food fight arena. Everyone else from Beacon who isn't Team JNPR and Team RWBY has left the premises. Nora is queen of the castle! 🎶

- Team JNPR wants to substitute Team RWBY'S heads with watermelons... Yang has new gauntlets. Or turkeys, I guess. Jaune is their casualty. Pyrrha and Blake are having a showdown with bread. The crust is crusty. Blake and Yang get hit!

- Ruby is trayboarding now. Pyrrha is down. Weiss weilds a stream of ketchup! Ren slides on it and tastes the floor. Nora turns a rod and a watermelon into her makeshift hammer. Ruby falls. Weiss is now using that fish with a pointed something as her weapon of choice... She hits a pillar and it's crumbling! Ruby gets her out of the way. Weiss may have died for this battle. Team leader is mourning the loss. Pillar also says bye-bye.

- Yang must avenge her teammate. Turkeys are back on! Ren is relying on pieces of celery! Ren down, Nora on the go. We lose a watermelon to Yang, and Yang to the ceiling.

- Blake does backflips and swings sausages at Nora. Fizzy drinks are grenades. Pyrrha uses her 'pole' powers to send Blake flying. Ruby is turning the tide! Literally, with her speed.

- The tapestry of food looks so pretty!!! Reminds me of Spider-Man, the Miles Morales movies. I think he would like it.

- This episode was high on crack that was treated seriously. You want to know how I realised? No one ate any of the good food being flung around! Not one person.

- Sun loves these guys because he isn't drenched in food ammunition. His friend can't claim a similar fate.

- Who will pay for the repairs of the cafe?

- Madam Glynda is on the scene. Ahhh. That answers my last question. No money needed. They have magic. I forget that sometimes.

- "Do not play with your food." And Nora burps. Yang falls from the sky soon after.

- Call Professor Ozpin Elsa 'cause he be like, "Let it go."

- 'Playing' the parts of children... Is there anything more tragic.

- White Fang and the bad henchpeople. They killed Wolverine? Fuck.

- Listen. Cinder is a bombshell. (Pun intended?) I would have no problem obeying her orders. My brain isn't going to be working around her anyway.

- Torchwick is such a drama queen. Much appreciated... Is it bad that I want to be Roman just so Cinder would hold my face as well?

- LoLL! Emerald stole his lighter. Wait. Is she Aladdin?!

- Even though most of my brain was "Blah blah, proper name proper place"-ing throughout the exchange Cinder was a part of, I did notice one bit. They are moving to phase two of the plan. And just generally moving as well. Huh.

- New ending song! Oh my Gods. In the first season, when they would show Team JNPR, Pyrrha would be the one giving a physical token of support to Jaune. And now it's Jaune doing it for Pyrrha... 🥺💖

- I really like how the sketches are turning into animations in here. Nice touch.

- Sun's team looks good! We also see Velvet's team! Flashing by Penny being surrounded by men in white. And then there's Professor Ozpin and his colleagues.

- Bad folks' turn.

- OOOOOOooooooooh! Everyone's fighting. This music makes me want to join them!!!

- Holy hell. That animation at the end with members of RWBY transitioning into one another... Chef's kiss!!!!

Season 02, Episode 02: Welcome to Beacon!

- Last episode's ending is the new opening! Team RWBY is standing in order, in one frame. And their VA's are listed diagonally. Ugh. So GOOOOOOOOD!!!

- The animation has improved a lot already. The sky in this episode... Amazing!

- Ironwood is a headmaster and a general. Glynda don't care much for him. I like his style. Who is he inspired from? I have no ideas for this guy.

- Ozpin has extremely powerful friends. Diplomatic relations with them too. The Qrow of it all. When will I get to meet him?

- Ironwood. You forker. Am sure the children here will actually help. You currently aren't right now.

- "I hope they never have to." UGHHHHHHHHH. Ozpin's really hitting me in the feels. He is right though. Children shouldn't have to win wars. Or need to be trained to do so.

- Is Team RWBY playing their world's version of Monopoly? In the library?!

- The sister showdown... Yang won this time!

- Team JNPR is here as well. Nora is asleep on a book and dreaming about food. Ren is reading said book. Or trying to I guess. Jaune was looking at comics. Pyrrha gives him something more substantial while she takes them away and reads said comics. 😂

- Ruby is a sore loser. Weiss doesn't know what's happening, but then she is perhaps three moves away from taking over Remnant. She has begun monologuing. However, Yang brings her forces down. Blake is out of it all.

- Much friendly banter. Team JNPR knows of Blake's Faunus status because of Weiss.

- Sun and his blue haired friend is here. Weiss is actually confused as to why people call her Ice Queen. 😆

- Ren wants peace. But no one around him will give him that.

- Ahhh. Blue haired guy is Neptune. His allusion could be the Roman version of Poseidon. Nothing else really rings a bell for me. And he is putting the moves on Weiss... Jaune cannot believe Neptune gets to use the nickname 'Snow Angel' without repercussions. Truly unfair.

- Awww. Blake is troubled over the Faunus of it all.

- She didn't even need to train at schools to be Beacon ready. Passed the entrance exams that takes people years to train for. Fucking hell. Survival truly is the best teacher. Blake is so badass.

- "I want people to see me for who I am... Not what I am." 🥺

- Oh shikes. Professor Ozpin knows something. At least he is giving Blake the opportunity to tell him herself.

- Neptune won the board game. Yang is bitter about it. Relatable.

- Weiss knows something is up with Blake... Good Gods. She has become more dramatic. I love it!

- A callback to the events of Team RWBY'S trailers!

- Blake wants to do something about everything that's happening. Her friends are going to try and find out. Together. 🤧💖🥺

- These children really will change the world. I just hope the world doesn't change them on the way.

- "None of you said aye." Awww, Ruby. Aye!

- Mercury, Emerald and Cinder are at Beacon?! Ending on Cinder's sinister smirk... 🤩

- The music slaps so hard!!!

- Awwwwwwwww! They featured fanart! 💖

Season 02, Episode 03: A Minor Hiccup

- Silver eyes blinking as Ruby walks to Beacon... Hmmm.

- Peter Port's class. Jaune is trying to ask Weiss out? Spruce Willis?! 😂

- Weiss heard Jaune and answered all of his questions accordingly! Poor Jaune though. No date. Consolation pats from Yang. Sweet of her!

- Wardrobe change for Team RWBY! They look good!!! And they have a plan.

- Sun and Neptune are here now... What is it with Sun and Co being able to wink while in motion? I can't even do it when I am stationary most times.

- Weiss wants to go with Neptune. Ruby doesn't get that cue. 😂

- Ruby likes a tower. Atlas developed means of communication for the four kingdoms. Ruby's scroll falls on someone.

- Penny is here! And pretending not to know them. Of course Ruby wants to get to the bottom of this. Weiss has to go alone now.

- She is preparing herself by practicing smiles? Oooooof.

- Holy shikes. Weiss' family must be something else for her to not engage in conversation at all. Not even with her sister. Who is actually named Winter. Really on theme, LoLL! Weiss got what she came for at least.

- Weapons demonstration. Android warriors. Power Ranger Megazord that needs a human to drive it around. Return of fangirl Ruby!

- Penny doesn't want to be here. Two guards spot her and give chase. Ruby runs after Penny to help.

- Loads of leg workout. Ruby does the Naruto ninja run on a wall! 😂

- She helps Penny escape. Penny saves Ruby from being overrun by the From Dust till Dawn truck. And of course the driver is that same shopkeeper... I now want a fanfic from the point of view of this man.

- "I am not a real girl." Penny's definitely Pinocchio.

- This ending theme song was so beautiful yet so sad.

- Another fanart! 💖

(You spoil me, I turn into your life's scriptwriter and spoil it for you. Yes, I have a flair for the dramatic. Ciao!)

[rocknrollsalad]

rating: teen? cw: swearing, relationship drama, trying to talk things out but failing, mentions of show typical horrors, mentions of migraines, hints of nightmares tags: established relationship, red string of fate, robin's pathetic love life, steve's a romantic, the boys are on two different pages, but they get it together, grand gestures of love word count: 3685

written for @steddiebingo's Kissing Booth Card "soulmates"

huge, huge thanks to @hbyrde36 for the push that got me to where I needed to be with this! you're the best!!

read it on ao3

-

In an unfortunate tradition forming in their house, Steve and Eddie laid in their bed not yet ready for sleep but knowing they both had early shifts tomorrow and should be sleeping. Since sleep wouldn’t come, they laid in the dark and stared at the ceiling. That got old fast and was always followed by Steve filling the air with his thoughts. 

That was the best part, it made the insomnia worth it. Never did Steve speak so freely as he did when laying there in the dark. Sometimes it was an in depth analysis of why Han Solo really is cool and not a loser but other times it was childhood stories and big worries. Both were welcomed but Eddie liked the latter more. 

They’d landed somewhere in the middle this time. A conversation that started out simple enough; Robin had been lamenting her “horrible” love life again. Steve was always trying to win the best best friend award because Eddie would have locked Robin and Vickie in a room by now and told them they couldn’t come out until they kissed. 

He still might. If only for his own sanity because Steve brought this shit home every time Robin was feeling low about it. 

Steve dutifully listened to every repeated worry she had. Never complaining. He was a good guy. Better than Eddie deserved, that was for sure. Probably better than Robin deserved but who was worthy of a guy like Steve? Robin and Eddie were the ones lucky enough to be picked by him. 

Or, like Steve’s conversation led to, brought together by fate. Them being cosmically meant to be wasn’t something Eddie had expected tonight but maybe dating the sort of guy who could only drink store brand cola when his team played or else they’d lose was the kind of guy to have thoughts on destiny and fate and other made up magic made to sell things. 

The skepticism wasn’t welcome and Steve asked, “So you don’t think we’re tied together?” 

Eddie sighed, all too aware that this teetered on being a thing. The sort of the thing the other mechanics complained about on smoke breaks but Eddie didn’t understand fully. Until now, that is. If he didn’t say the right thing, there was going to be a problem. 

If only the thoughts in his head matched the words coming out of his mouth. “No! How would that even work? What if you lived in China? We’d never find each other!” 

“What if I decided to visit America and then I was a tourist going around Chicago and your band was playing that night but you and Jeff were bored so you wandered the town and we both got pizza at the same place? You’d invite me to your show, of course I’d be wowed, and no one would know why we ran into each other but we were supposed to.” 

Steve came with that answer so quickly that all Eddie could do was stare at him in disbelief. Was that a dream he had? Why did he do that so fast? They also needed to revisit that some other time because those storytelling skills had other uses. 

“What if you were a woman?” Eddie asked, prodding the issue a little. 

“Then you’d figure out you’re bisexual a lot quicker than you are now,” Steve scoffed. 

Again, he came with that too quickly. It brought up even more questions than the fairy tale Steve spontaneously composed. Namely what evidence did Steve have to say that in any universe. What did he know? 

Rather than get into that particular discussion, Eddie huffed and pulled the blanket over his head. He took a moment to himself to think about all of these and maybe brainstorm a few ways to make Buckley’s life hell for dropping this on his doorstep. 

It was one thing to whine and complain and pine but when that caused troubles in Eddie’s relationship, something needed to happen. Something more than pushing these hopeless lesbians together. Right now, Eddie’s only thought was getting Vickie dates with anyone else. Really make Buckley suffer. 

Steve didn’t need Eddie’s participation to continue though. That’s how he always talked at this hour, it was what Eddie loved about laying here too tired to stay awake but too awake to find sleep. Steve would just fill the void until sleep came for one of them. Tonight, Eddie wasn’t sure if it was a good thing but he listened. Cautiously. 

“I’ll wait for you to figure it out, it’s not a big deal. I’m not rushing you or whatever and it doesn’t even matter, right? Like, you’re not dating anyone else so who cares.” 

Eddie groaned and tried to roll over to wrap himself up in the comforter completely but Steve must have been holding his end. There was no give in the blanket so Eddie flopped back in place and grumbled again. 

“But Robin says she can feel it, the string that connects her and Vickie. There’s a pull or something and everything leads to Vickie. She was nothing but evidence. Mountains of evidence. No mountain ranges of evidence and I know how you nerds love your evidence but it was too much.” 

“I’m not a nerd,” Eddie deadpanned. Another thing he wasn’t going to get into right now. 

“You are but that–” 

“So are you,” Eddie countered, the same thing he always said in this conversation. On paper, Steve was a way bigger nerd than Eddie was. 

“Anyway,” Steve said forcefully. “I don’t feel that with you. I don’t think we’re connected by a string or anything else. Like it’d probably be chains or something but Robin says that’s not how it works. Plus, I guess, chains are usually a bad thing in relationships. I just thought they sounded cooler than a string.” 

Oh, okay. Someone slapped the metaphorical television and now Eddie was seeing the picture clearly. This wasn’t another long conversation about Buckley’s miserable pining, this was about Steve and Eddie. 

Well shit. Here Eddie was being a brat about the sentimentality and idea of yet another evening dedicated to Robin’s inability to make the first move. Only it wasn’t about any of that. Mental gears needed to be shifted and a bit of recovery was in order. Neither were easy right now. 

To avoid the apologies part, Eddie rolled to his side despite the blanket not coming with him and tried to think this all through. All he could think about was meeting Robin in a back alley and thanking her with his fists. That wasn’t helpful but it was an enjoyable moment. No one caused more problems between Steve and Eddie than her. 

“I’m not even sure how Robin knows she has one,” Steve said and the hurt in his voice stabbed Eddie right in the chest. This stream of consciousness was getting real serious, real quick. 

“Motherfucker,” Eddie said as he shot a glare at the back of the comforter, emphasising the last syllable with every annoyed bone in his body. 

“How’s she know the other end goes to Vickie? How would anyone know where the other end of theirs is? I mean, what if mine goes to Robin? I’ve called her my soulmate so many times before but that’s not the same as, like, you?” 

Eddie knew those questions weren’t asked to have answers, they were part of Steve working this out. He was saying all the things he couldn’t ask Robin in a moment that was about her. Everything he’d held back to be a supportive best friend was spilling out here. 

Not that Eddie didn’t want to be there to help him work things out. Sometimes his answers were better received outside of this sort of spiraling though. Eddie did shift back to his back, no longer trying to freeze Steve out here but he stayed quiet as his boyfriend poured out his worries. 

“But also, why’s she so worried about soulmates? Can’t she just be happy we’re alive and that there’s anyone in town to even have a crush on? That’s really unfair of me to say, I know. I mean, look what I got, but it just seems like the only thing she wants is this whole big grand storybook thing.” 

Eddie caught the wistful sigh, Steve was just as romantic as Robin was. If not more so. Sure it was different flavors of the same soup or whatever but they were the sappiest romantics Eddie had ever met. It was no wonder they found each other. Occasionally, that wasn’t a good thing. This might be one of those moments. 

“And besides, if there were red strings attaching soulmates that people knew about then how come Mr. and Mrs. Wheeler are married? It doesn’t make any sense.” 

“But you want one,” Eddie said, moving the blanket off his face. He easily ignored the comments about other people’s marriages. Loads of people didn’t marry for love but it was that romanticism, Steve thought everyone did. Despite a fine example of people not marrying for love were his parents. 

“Do you think we have one?” 

Eddie lifted his arm to dangle in the air and then yanked it as far away from Steve as he could without falling out of bed. “Did you feel that?” 

“Yeah, dipshit, you shook the whole bed.” 

Whoops, so that wasn’t the right answer. It was marginally better than talking about how dumb Eddie thought the whole concept was but still wrong. He could think of a million reasons that he and Steve were meant for each other, current conversation aside. Why did they need some silly stupid string to connect them? 

The rant sitting on the tip of Eddie’s tongue was too lengthy, they were supposed to be sleeping and maybe part of growing up was learning not everything needed to be an epic speech. Still, Eddie was one breath away from flipping on the lights to explain everything he felt right now. It wouldn’t help anyone, though. 

Maybe in the morning, Eddie would have a more coherent argument. He was sure if he got up now it’d be a lot of incoherent rambling. Angry, incoherent rambling that would probably lead to him sleeping on the couch. 

Neither of them said anything after that. Steve tossed and turned a bit but eventually filled the air with his snoring. Eddie had a tougher time finding sleep as he replayed everything that happened over and over, practicing all the things he wanted to say. 

Starting with a long winded explanation that there was no string connecting Robin and Vickie, Robin just needed to believe it wouldn’t crash and burn if she tried anything while giving herself a reason to not do anything. If they were connected by fate then they’d be pulled together when the time was right. 

A wonderful thought that would lead to nothing. Eddie couldn’t take on the insurmountable task of explaining that to either of them though. It didn’t matter who believed in mysticism and bullshit meant to make marriage look better, what mattered was Steve believed this. He wanted a soulmate and, apparently, wanted that to be Eddie. A terrifying thought if ever there was one. 

Steve should probably aim a little higher. Maybe find someone who believed there was a string tied between them. 

The alarm rang out way too soon. Eddie hadn’t worked this all out or gotten any rest. Nowhere in Steve’s fairy tale version of being in love did it talk about staying up all night because of irrational worries one’s partner had. Or how life had to go on after some weirdness. Bills still needed to be paid. 

—-

It’d been two weeks since Steve laid awake struggling over where his red string of fate was. They hadn’t talked about it again but it’d been a constant in the back of Eddie’s mind. Every idle moment it’d shuffle to the forefront and he’d grapple with it again. 

Not that it’d been a fight between them, at best it was Eddie saying the wrong thing and they were used to that, but Steve was kind of right. Something Eddie was okay with admitting, he just had to find out a way to do it. There needed to be more than an apology but if Eddie was good at one thing, it was making a production out of something. 

Soulmates hadn’t ever been anything Eddie was looking for in his life. He didn’t dream of a prince charming or even like rom coms. If the club tried to force romance into their quests then Eddie would kill someone’s character and get them back on track. He wasn’t sappy like the rest of them. 

Every couple of months or so Eddie would fall into some sort of funk thinking Steve was going to wise up and get out. Even as he had his own little love story, he didn’t buy into it all the way. His invisible hand wasn’t tying strings anywhere, it was waiting to pull rugs out from under Eddie. 

However, in the days since the subject came up, Eddie realized how almost unbelievable it was that he ended up here with Steve. There were so many points in their brief history together that one tiny decision would have pushed them apart. That over and over and over again fate stepped in and kept him in Steve’s Harrington’s path. 

Which was all a little too serious for Eddie. He spent an entire day thinking about how sad it was that Steve was destined to be with him out of all the people in the world. Which was followed by several days of thinking about how fucking lucky Steve was. Not that his soulmate was right where he was but that it was Eddie!

So, yeah, they didn’t rescue each other from some tall tower to prove this was real but maybe there was a little something to Buckley’s stupid belief. The jury was still out if the other end of her string went to Vickie or not but as thanks for creating this mess in Eddie’s life, he decided not to point that out to her. 

Once Eddie got himself on the right side of this debate, he started to think about ways to help Steve over this little hurdle. That brought up some other feelings and prolonged anything as Eddie struggled with it too. Not in the same way as Steve though. 

Why wasn’t everything he’d done good enough to show they were meant to be together or that Eddie was very, very happy with Steve? Why did they need some mythical string tying them together when Eddie could pick up on Steve’s migraines before Steve could? Or that Eddie could make Steve’s favorite dinner better than anyone else? What about the fact that he didn’t hang up a sword on the wall in the living room? 

There were so many things that screamed out love while Steve was looking for a whisper. In the recurring self doubt, Eddie realized it was a difference in language and sometimes he had to communicate in a way Steve understood. If this was something he needed then Eddie would wrap a string around the planet all so Steve could find his way back to him. 

Unfortunately that wasn’t in the budget and after a few days of brainstorming and a couple of Girl Scout books from the library, Eddie found the answer. An infinity knot bracelet. It wasn’t complicated or expensive but when was a gesture of love about either of those things? It was well within Eddie’s skill set and did exactly what he wanted it to.

With his photocopied directions and practice string, Eddie got it worked out in twenty minutes. It’d have been faster but the directions were a little misleading. They made an incredibly simple thing seem like weaving a whole tapestry. Those poor little girls. 

He made a matching set but made sure to make one end longer than necessary, that was the part that went on and connected to the other. Eddie road tested it one afternoon while Steve was at work and it didn’t get in the way. It was long enough to show it was deliberate but not to endanger them. 

From there it was figuring out how to give it to Steve. Like someone waiting to propose, Eddie carried the bracelets with him everywhere he went, hoping Robin’s sad string would come up again or…well Eddie didn’t know what else. If the universe was so invested, it’d give him a good moment. 

Instead, Eddie got a dead tired Steve who plopped himself face down on the couch to groan and whine about customers. Eddie brought in sodas and sat cross legged on the coffee table to listen to every complaint. They were always the same but if Eddie had to deal with customers he’d have committed a real murder and not just been accused of one. Listening to their crimes was the least he could do if it kept Steve (or him) out of prison. 

“This can’t be the rest of my life,” Steve moaned, a sentiment so common it was baked into the apartment walls at this point. 

Why that was the moment, Eddie will never know, but he sprung from his spot and ran to his jacket. Soda nearly spilled all over the entryway as he searched the pockets to grab that now familiar handful of red rope. Once he found them, he ran back to Steve. 

Eddie launched into an answer despite the gap in time. “Look, whatever. Sometimes life is dumb, right? It gives you a stupid job and, I don’t know, fucking monsters man. It’s given us some shit, god, but it’s not all bad.” 

Steve pulled his face up from the couch and looked at Eddie like he was speaking another language. A fair reaction, Eddie was sure that didn’t make a lick of sense. 

“Okay, lemme try that again? I think the universe tells you stuff but you don’t know how to listen and I think it’s been screaming at you to go to college. You’re not supposed to work at a register all day, man. I really think you gotta do something else like be a teacher or, I don’t know, a hand model. Something really important.” 

“Why’d you have to run around the house for that?” Steve asked after shifting to lay on his side. 

“Oh!” Eddie shook his head and held out his hand. “Because you thought you didn’t have a red string like Robin. You thought we didn’t and if you can’t see what the universe is giving you, I’m going to make it undeniable.” 

With that Eddie held out his hand, two tangled up bracelets tried to spring to life from where he’d been clenching them together after retrieving them. 

Cautiously, Steve sat up and inspected the pile. He pulled one out and Eddie immediately tossed his to the side and snatched Steve’s back. A little too aggressively, he took Steve’s hand and slid the bracelet on before he pulled it tight. Then put his own on to hold up to Steve’s. 

“See,” he said. 

Steve sat there and turned his wrist back and forth, Eddie slid to the end of the table and tried to read this look he’d not seen before. Unsure if he’d done the right thing and was dying inside waiting to hear anything from Steve. 

When he couldn’t wait anymore Eddie tried to help the situation. “I made these parts longer so you know that’s the part that’s connected to mine and stuff. I don’t know, man. I don’t think there’s any doubt in my mind that you’re the one for me but if you can’t see that, I’ll help you out. Always.” 

Steve sucked in a few breaths so quickly that Eddie thought the guy was hyperventilating. Eddie put his hands on Steve’s knees, ready to launch into the “nightmares protocol” here but after a few of them, Steve started to breathe normally again. 

“This is so fucking sappy,” Steve said, his voice choking on the words. 

Eddie rolled his eyes. “Well you’d know. Good god, if there was an expert on the subject…” 

With the weakest hand, Steve shoved at Eddie’s shoulder but instantly pulled it back to go back to staring at his newly decorated wrist. 

There were a few beats of needed silence before Eddie leaned in and said, “I mean it though.” 

Maybe he wasn’t the best at saying what he was feeling, even now when the moment called for it, but all Eddie could do was try. Judging by the way Steve looked right now, that was enough.

Butterflies filled Eddie’s stomach, the same way they did before him and Steve did anything. Back when they thought they’d just be friends and Eddie didn’t want to be in the same room as him because he couldn’t stop undressing Steve with his eyes. Or, in the stuff he wouldn’t admit, wanted to take him to the movies and fancy dinners and shit. 

It was the sort of feeling that Eddie wanted to crawl inside of and make a home. And how did he tell Steve any of that? It was hardly a beautiful poem or whatever romantic people liked, though it would make a good song. One Eddie started mentally writing, wishing for a notebook nearby or something.

Steve struggled with his words too. Which was kind of nice, in a weird way. So they sat there for a long time, together and not saying anything. Until Steve dragged Eddie to the couch and curled up against him. 

They didn’t bother with reruns or the nightly news, they just sat together. What else was there to do when someone made the proclamation of a life together forever? And there wasn’t a single doubt in Eddie’s mind that he would be with Steve until the day he died. Maybe the universe did know a thing or two. They just had to listen a little closer. 

[freedarick]

I have been collecting these extremely beautiful Soso no Frieren cards. They give me joy

[icewindandboringhorror]

On average, what is the total MONTHLY amount that you spend on dining out*?

*(This doesn't only count going out to restaurants, but also stuff like picking up fast food to bring home, getting a coffee on the way to work, getting a premade sandwich from a grocery store deli during lunch, buying a quick snack from a convenience store or food cart whilst walking somewhere, ordering a pizza or any other food to be delivered to your home, etc.)

*(If you often dine out in groups/as a household: calculate and divide the costs so that you get a Per Person average. This is for YOU individually, NOT the total household/group costs)

(I'm sure polls similar to this have been made before (very common topic), I just haven't personally seen one that I can remember, so, I was curious to do my own! I was discussing this with a group of people today and it was very interesting to see how widely the number varied between individuals. :0c )

(Reblog for bigger sample size if you can, and feel free to explain your answer in tags if there's anything extra to add!)

[blueskittlesart]

NINTENDO COPYRIGHT STRIKES GOT MY REDBUBBLE SHOP

[aquanutart]

I absolutely LOVE the Squirtle/Wartortle illustrations by kantaro in Pokemon 151!

The Squirtle jumping so joyfully from the rock into the ocean, the colors are STUNNING! I love the contrast of the Squirtle's aqua blue framed in the vivid orange sky, the soft bit of blue reflecting in its shell and its tail just catching the sun, how little and squishy its body looks as it launches itself towards the water with such tremendous excitement!

The lineless style of the background gives me the feel of a travel poster and I sense the tropical environment around it from the rocks and trees framing the corners, the waterfall splashing with as much energy as the Squirtle!

The layered blues on the surface of the water and the bubbles rising at the corner make me FEEL the liquid rising to meet the Squirtle--I can just feel how the next moment it's going to break through and be immersed in a cool island swim!

And the Wartortle running along the sunset beach, this is somehow everything I always imagined for Wartortle! I adore the way the rich purple melts into the warm red/orange sky, the matching purple clouds and shadows in the foreground, and how the dimming sunlight glows red on Wartortle's deep blues!

I love how the yellow and orange of the sky illuminate the lapping waves, I can just feel the gentle motion of the sea at dusk. The aqua color of the ocean matches Wartortle's ears and tail and sets off the red-orange sand, I just love how the colors are here!

Wartortle looks so round and squishy, I love its happiness as it goes frolicking through the shallows, chasing the bubbles caught in the setting sun! The shine and deep shadow on its shell give it an almost jewel texture like real tortoise shell; I love the silhouetted splash Wartortle leaves as it goes running across the shore. It's so full of energy and delight at the end of a gorgeous day! The colors in these are SO vivid and harmonized and the style is so cute and bursting with energy and joy. I just LOVE it (also Squirtle is my starter)

[candyfloss-kittens]

A little late night shopping haul!

Got a few new art supplies, just more washi tape, mechanical pencils, glue tape, correction tape, and some Crayola stuff. Been trying to find those specific crayons for some time now, actually (now to just get that 100 pack of those Crayola markers)....

Still no g3 Venus, but grabbed the only Fearbook Draculaura that was on the shelf. Also some new little Beanie Boo plush, the grey cat in particular as it pretty much looks like my cat, and I just couldn't pass the other two up. And a new Care Bear!

And I finally got around to buying the latest Devilskin CD!

It's an EP, not a full album, but Devilskin is one of my favourite bands (also I think one of the few Kiwi bands I really listen to...), so I had to get it.

[dwarf-vader-of-middle-earth]

Really feeling the height dysphoria tonight y'all... :))))))

[plushie-lovey]

Ok. Ok tomorrow. Tomorrow is the day planned to go thru my collection

[infinitycarrot1]

I redecorated my bag after getting rid of all the ants. It's so blue hair and pronouns core now 🐟

[publicuniversalenemy]

i have obtained a SIGNIFICANT and POTENTIALLY CARCINOGENIC BIOHAZARD and im BEYOND EXCITED ABOUT THIS

[keeps-ache]

mmmmmmmnnnn cuz yeah. because the yes. and the yep

[icewindandboringhorror]

Little bright colored outfit with a fun vest ~

(shoes from ebay like 10 years ago. everything else is thrifted)

[freckleslikestars]

Of course the fairy lights around the stair railing die today of all days. I’m gonna go cry.

[killjoy-prince]

Manga haul!! I did end up going on my usual bookstore trip!!