#Post-break up

[coffeebanana]

“Adrien? It’s late, are you okay?”

His stomach twists. Because it’s not late, not really. Not for Marinette, who he knows will be up until the wee hours of the morning, even if it’s one of those nights where she swears she’s going to bed early.

He knows her. And so he knows what she really means.

It’s too late for him to be calling her.

[eliotwaughdeservesbetter]

It's really sad there isn't much (i saw only one) ff where Tommy breaks up with Buck because he has a cancer or something like that and he's dying and doesn't want Buck to see him weak. He thinks it's gonna be better if Buck hates him, then he will be able to move on and find someone new soon.

So, Tommy breaks up with his boyfriend, quits his job, leaves his house. Noone knows what the hell's happening with him, where he is. Buck looses his mind, tries to contact Tommy, to talk, find him, nothing helps, even Athena. Meanwhile Tommy is dying and writes a letter for his Evan.

Few years later Buck has a family, husband/wife, child and he's happy, heart doesn't ache that often anymore. And one day he gets a letter. A letter from Tommy. At first he doesn't want to read it but when decides he's interested enough and he opens it with the smile. But soon smile disappears.

"Hi, my love

If you're reading it i hope you're doing great. All these years ago i couldn't tell you face to face the truth I'm writing now. I left you with some dumb reason about not being the last one, so fucking stupid. I wrote this letter that same fall and asked Lucy to give it to you when I'm no longer a ghost in your life, when you live your happily ever after. I lied to you and there's no excuse that's just the other way for the universe to fuck me up. The hardest thing in my life was listening your voice messages and that's my soudtrack on repeat right now because i miss you so much.

Well, remember that time i passed on harbour a week before Halloween? It wasn't a one time thing and so i went to a doctor. I've got a brain cancer and there is only a few months ahead of me. I haven't left anywhere, how could I? My life with you even if I'm just in the same city. I'm so fucking sorry for how i left. I'm so sory for not being the one at athe altar with you, i hope you found yourself a great man or woman to do it.

We were great, you were the one for me, it's just my luck to die when i finally had something to live for. I can't dir in your arms and i know you would be miserable about it. So, i broke your heart in hopes that this heartbreak will be easier to fix than the one you get during my illness.

You should know I'll love you till my last breath.

Be safe"

[freckleslikestars]

coda

‘In all the years you’ve known me, when have I ever left your side?’ She gives a half-hearted scoff, cracks an eyelid, ‘you mean, aside from all the times you ditched me to jump on trains or investigate your own personal theories?’ ‘Yeah, aside from all those times.’

944 words, read here on AO3

He gets the call at 3:24 in the morning, a blocked number that he would ignore if it were daylight hours, but despite being out of the FBI for over a decade, it’s still ingrained within him to pick up the phone on the second ring. He’d not really been sleeping anyway, merely dozing with the TV on in the background. As soon as he hears her name and the hospital she’s been taken to, he’s out the door, feet stuffed into the sneakers that have worn bare. 

She’s sleeping when he arrives, and besides the bandage on her forehead she looks fine, but the sight of her in a hospital bed will always hit him like a blow to the chest. Her doctor gives him a sceptical glance out the corner of his eye as he lists her injuries, the fractured tibia and the cracked rib, and he can’t help but wonder how pathetic he must seem; unkempt hair and two months of beard growth, the ratty sweats he’d been wearing for three days. 

The seat by her bed is uncomfortable, tacky vinyl that creaks when he slumps down into it, and he settles in for a vigil that’s become so routine to him over the decades. Her hair’s longer than when she left, and her cheeks look slightly hollower, but overall she looks healthy; a far cry from many of the times he’s sat by her bedside. 

It’s an hour before she stirs, and at her first groan, he’s up and scanning her face for the first flicker of recognition, the smile that always brightens her eyes when she wakes to him by her side. She grunts, her eyes peeling open, and as soon as they catch on him she huffs a sigh and shakes her head, slipping her eyes shut again. ‘Scully?’

‘You look like shit, Mulder,’ she mutters, her voice gravelly and raw. It’s not what he’d expected, and he realises he’d hoped she’d take one look at him and declare just how much she’s missed him, just how much she regrets leaving. ‘What’re you doing here?’

‘The hospital called. You hit a patch of ice; totalled your car. Apparently, you were very lucky - it could have been much worse. I’m still down as your emergency contact.’ His energy has been sapped suddenly, the disgruntled look she’s giving him weighing heavy on his chest. 

‘I haven’t gotten around to changing it yet. I was gonna put Mom down, but she was moving and I wanted to wait until she had her new address, and then I must have forgotten.’ He gives a curt nod, drops back down into his chair. ‘You don’t have to stay. I’m fine.’

‘In all the years you’ve known me, when have I ever left your side?’

She gives a half-hearted scoff, cracks an eyelid, ‘you mean, aside from all the times you ditched me to jump on trains or investigate your own personal theories?’ 

‘Yeah, aside from all those times.’

Her eyes close again, and she twists her head to face away from him. ‘Last year. You left me last year.’

‘What? Scully, you left me. You ran away, you gave up. I never went anywhere.’

‘Not physically,’ she sighs, ‘but you left first. I was drowning, and you didn’t even notice. Something you never learned, Mulder, was that sometimes the only person you can save is yourself.’

‘I didn’t… you didn’t say anything.’

She clears her throat, trying to keep the tremor from her voice, ‘I shouldn’t have had to.’ 

They lapse into silence, the ambient beeps of the hospital filling the space between them, and he thinks perhaps that she’s fallen back to sleep, readying himself to settle in for the night, when she turns back to look at him, ‘you really do look terrible. When was the last time you slept properly?’

He could tell the truth, tell her he hasn’t slept properly since before she left, but he can hear the guilt in her voice, and as much as he thinks she possibly deserves it, he loves her too much to not absolve her of it, ‘couple of days. S’okay, really. I’m used to it.’

‘I thought it got better for a time.’

‘It did, for a time,’ when she was by his side, at least. But he couldn’t put that on her, couldn’t make her regret saving herself. 

He’d once said they had communication, unspoken, and maybe that had lapsed, maybe they had never been all that good at it in the first place, but she seemed to hear him now. ‘You know, there’s room up here for two, if you’re careful.’

‘Scu-’

‘One-time offer, and it’s only on the table for the next thirty seconds,’ she grunts as she shuffles to give him room, quirking an eyebrow when he hesitates with one shoe off. He climbs up next to her, settling himself next to her, not quite touching, until she sighs into him, resting her head on his shoulder. 

‘I am trying to get better,’ he whispers, his voice choked with emotion, ‘I just don’t know how.’

‘I know. And I’ll always be proud of whatever progress you make.’

‘I may have been a shitty husband, but I never stopped loving you.’

‘I know,’ she murmurs into the darkness, ‘I never stopped loving you either. But we’re not good for each other.’ He wants to argue, wants to fight her tooth and nail on that point, but her head is getting heavier on his shoulder, her breathing getting deeper, and he doesn’t want to upset her. ‘Mulder?’

‘Hmm?’

‘You’re not the only one who sleeps better with company.’

Tagging @today-in-fic

[mugloversonly]

The Revenant of You

Summary: At Dustin and Eleven's wedding, Eddie and Steve reunite after 10 years.

This fully finished and will be released weekly. There are 5 total chapters. AO3 link at the bottom.

Chapter 1: Steve

Steve and Abby stood hand in hand outside the church. His little girl was so excited to see her uncle Dusty again and watch him marry Auntie El, but Steve wasn’t ready to see Eddie again. He couldn’t do this.

He scoffed at himself. It had been nearly ten years since they last saw each other on the night of their break up. At the time, Corroded Coffin was on their first album tour, Steve was with them, and he watched as Eddie’s dreams of being a Rock Star became a reality. He was so proud of him, but he was resentful too. Why should Eddie get everything he ever wanted when Steve didn’t? Never mind that Steve wasn’t sure exactly what he wanted; it was about the principle.

But more than that, Steve was scared. Terrified Eddie would realize he could do much better than Steve and he’d break his heart. So, he resolved to break Eddie’s first. He picked a fight out of nowhere, screamed about how he hated being on the road, he wanted kids, and Eddie would never be able to give him that.

What Steve hadn’t anticipated was the Munson resolve. Eddie offered to quit. He’d quit the band, settle down where ever Steve wanted, and they’d have some little nuggets: adopted or surrogate, it didn’t matter as long as they stayed together, stayed married. Said he loved Steve and his life with him was more important than his dreams.

Eddie was so genuine, Steve knew he would have quit then and there, but he couldn’t live with the guilt. So he told the biggest lie of his life, your love isn’t enough, you’ll always be too much.

Eddie’s biggest insecurity, Steve’s ticket out. Or so he thought; but, here he was ten years later, nursing the bruised ego from his second divorce, and the broken heart from his first husband.

He shook his head, ducked into the last row, and did his best to hide. Normally, he’d be in the front row but Eddie was the best man. Steve tried not to be bitter about it. He’d known Dustin the longest...but thanks to Abby’s mom, his relationships with his friends weren’t as strong as they used to be; he didn’t even remember the last time he spoke to Robin.

As the ceremony started, he forgot about his worries as he watched Dustin take his place at the front of the church. He looked so handsome in his all black suit, even if he had a goofy pink bow tie on. But as the procession made their way down the aisle, the pink made sense. All the bridesmaids were in soft pink dresses with black accents, all the groomsmen in black suits, with pink accents. Different than Dustin’s like they all were allowed to choose what the accent was.

The maid of honor was of course Max, she was arm in arm with Eddie. Steve tried to keep his eyes on Max, but they drifted. Just to see what his accent was he whispered to himself. Pink ribbons were braided into his long hair, little bows at the end. It kind of pissed Steve off that he didn’t look stupid with his hair like that; he looked really cute.

Even though Steve was the reason they weren’t together anymore, he still hated Eddie a little, he wanted him to be miserable like him. Which was so shitty of him but if there was one thing Steve was still trying to unlearn, it was his level of pettiness.

Even as everyone stood to see the bride, his gaze never left Eddie’s form. Abby yanked on his arm finally pulling him away and toward Eleven. Her dress was a blush princess gown, she carried black daisies, her only jewelry was her smile. Her arm was wrapped in Hopper’s as they moved, her eyes never looked away from Dustin and his never moved from her.

He teared up as Dustin wiped his face. He remembered that feeling. Seeing the love of your life walk to you, looking as beautiful as ever. His first wedding was full of that heart stopping, lung filling, joy. He couldn’t help but look at Eddie again, hoping their eyes would meet. But no, he watched El with a sad smile, a few stray tears sliding down his face. Steve selfishly hoped he was thinking the same thing.

The reception was...exactly what he would expect from Eleven. So many candles and colors. Flowers everywhere, but there were touches of Dustin too. D20 candle holders were the centerpieces and the food was Dustin’s favorite: grilled salmon with a honey glaze.

Steve tried to engage with the people at his assigned table, but he wasn’t very enthused. The only people from Hawkins who weren’t in the bridal party were the parents and siblings of the kids-now adults- of the party. Somehow, exchanging parenting tips with Karen Wheeler was not on his wedding agenda. By the time dinner ended, Steve was ready to drown himself in champagne.

Then the speeches started...and he willed lighting to strike him. Max’s speech was beautiful. Anecdotes about their childhood spent together, omitting the monster stuff but Steve knew the truth. ��I hope you and Dustin live a long and happy life together Ellie. And remember, if he breaks your heart, I’ll break his bones.” The room laughed but those who knew her, knew Max would do it.

Eddie was up next, Steve slumped down more in his chair. “Dustin I hope you know how lucky you are” he began with a chuckle. “El is a great woman and don’t forget she has super powers.” Those in the know laughed as Eddie continued his speech. A few stories of how they met and Dustin’s more...creative experiments. He looked at the crowd and Steve knew the moment he saw him, his eyes widened before he schooled his expression.

“Seeing you at the alter tonight, promising to love each other until the end, I knew you meant it. Dustin, El, you two made me believe in love again. Seeing your relationship change from friendship to full blown love has been...amazing. The two of you have that old soul type of love.” He glanced at Steve again.

“Not to get too into it but I went through a divorce some years ago that made me bitter.” Eddie said, his eyes never leaving Steve. “I hated my ex, I hated love, I hated...myself.” Steve gasped. “But Dustin,” he turned to the groom. “You wouldn’t let me wallow. You practically dragged me by the ear out of my misery. You said ‘don’t let the heartbreak drag you down. Channel that shit!’” Dustin chuckled and smiled big.

“You played the most metal concert once, you can write the most metal album now” Dustin yelled, likely repeating what he’d said those years ago, causing the party to groan good-naturedly.

“You’re the reason for our third album, man.” Eddie’s band cheered from a table over, startling Steve. He hadn’t realized they were here. He saw Wayne sitting at their table and felt his heart twinge. He was older now, but he still looked good. Like he could kick Steve’s ass.

Eddie turned to El next. “El, you said to me, ‘boys lie. Men love their partners.’ Words of wisdom given to you by Max and Joyce, that you gave to me.” He grabbed his champagne flute and held it in toast. “Thanks to you two, I could forgive my ex, I could forgive myself, and I was able to get back out there and find love again.”

Steve heart dropped, though as he glanced at Abby, he supposed he shouldn’t be upset that Eddie moved on. Even if he felt the green monster peak out.

“Dustin, you’re one hell of a man! Thank you for letting me be a part of your wedding, and sharing in your joy. And though, she can’t be with us here today, I know that Lyla would stand with me and say Congrats you two! Long live the Hoppersons!” Eddie declared before he took a sip of his champagne. “Now, DJ? The first dance please.” He stepped off the dance floor to let the couple take their place before he reached for the flower girl being held in Nancy’s arms.

The little girl looked adorable in her pink dress. She had on a black ribbon like a belt and pink ribbon braided through her hair just like Eddie’s, when he spun her around Steve’s jaw dropped. She had Eddie’s big brown doe eyes. Steve stood shocked to his core as the two giggled together.

Eddie Munson, had a daughter.

Steve couldn’t believe it. He didn’t think Eddie actually wanted kids and the petty part of him wondered if he knocked a girl up on accident or had one to spite Steve. But just as quickly, he hated himself for thinking something so awful. Especially when Abby grasped his hand; sh e’d been an unplanned pregnancy. W hat was that phrase Robin used to use you shouldn’t throw stones if you live in a glass house.

He watched Hopper and Eleven take the floor, then Claudia and Dustin. The two parent dances brought tears to his eyes and a sadness to his heart, he and Eddie skipped them since Steve’s parents didn’t approve and with Wendy...they barely had a wedding, let alone a reception.

The DJ invited everyone to the dance floor and he took Abby to join in at her insistence. She pulled him into the crowd and wrapped herself around Dustin’s leg.

“Yay Uncle Dustin!” She shouted at him. Dustin lit up and lifted his niece into his arms, swung her around, before turning to pull Steve into a hug.

“Hey man! You made it!” He shouted over the music, Eleven pulling him into a hug next.

“Thank you for coming Steve and Abby.” El said in that quiet way of hers.

“Thanks for the invite! How have you been?” He asked. As the three danced, they caught up. Steve telling them about his divorce, Dustin telling him how he proposed.

A few songs in, the flower girl came up to Eleven and pulled on her sleeve. She turned to the girl and bent to her level. “Yes, Lily?” She asked. The little girl, Lily apparently, waved her hand down so she could whisper in Eleven’s ear. El stood and nodded, Steve watched as Lily hugged Dustin’s leg, before she scurried off back to Eddie. He lifted an eyebrow and Dustin chuckled.

“Dustin, it is time for cake.” She said to her new husband.

“Already?” Steve asked. They just ate dinner.

“Lily asked very nicely.” El said. Based on the way Dustin responded, it was obvious the two adored the little girl.

“Lilith, is our goddaughter.” Dustin said as way of explanation.

Steve was envious of the display. He wished Abby got that kind of reaction out of his friends, but since Wendy hated them all, it was hard to get together. He was envious of Dustin too, he knew Eddie’s daughter in a way Steve didn’t, and likely never would.

As the couple went to cut the cake, Steve took Abby to the little girl’s room. After she took care of her business, they exited the bathroom and bumped into Eddie and his daughter.

The two men stared at each other in silence for a minute, before the girls caught sight of each other. Lily hid behind her dad’s leg but peaked shyly at the other girl. Abby ran over and introduced herself.

“Hi, I’m Abigail, but you can call me Abby. I like your hair!” She said sweetly. Lily looked at Eddie uncertainly. He nodded encouragingly at her and she stepped out from behind him a tiny bit.

She tugged on her braid. “Tank you, my aunt Nancy did it. To match my dad’s”.

“That’s nice! My dad’s hair is too short to do much with it.” She said, in that kid like way that was obvious she was repeating something an adult said. Eddie huffed a laugh. “What’s your name?”

“Wily. Short for Wiwif.” She whispered. The gap from her missing two front teeth made her have a lisp. She looked at her dad again but stepped forward and stuck her little hand out for a shake. “My gwanpa Wayne says when you meet new people you shake deir hands.” Abby grabbed her hand and Lily moved their hands up and down.

“My grandpa’s dead.” Abby said proudly. “I’m eight by the way, how old are you?” Lily holds up four fingers but when Eddie cleared his throat she lifted her thumb. “Five? I remember being five. Wanna play?” She asked confidently with a questioning look at Steve.

“If, Eddie says it’s fine.” Steve said, saying Eddie’s name for the first time all night.

“Can I daddy?” Lily asked excitedly. Eddie looked at Steve, and dropped to a knee in front of Lily.

“All right my little demon. If you want you can. But!” he said to grab her attention again. “What are the rules?” Steve froze for a moment. He never thought Eddie would have rules for his kids.

“Make sure I can see you. If I can’t see you, yell weally loud or find an adult I know. If a stwanger asks me to go somewhewe, ask for the magic woud. If it’s wong, say no. If dey twy to gwab me, bite dem.” Lily replied dutifully.

“Two more” Eddie said encouragingly.

“No means no. Respec bounwies” She said resolutely.

“Alright, go you little gremlin.” Eddie said and laughed as the two girls skipped hand in hand to the dance floor.

The two men stood awkwardly for a moment, but Steve couldn’t let Eddie leave. He wanted to catch up even if it was only for a bit. “You named your daughter Lilith?” Steve asked with a teasing smile. Eddie smiled sheepishly.

“Her mom picked it actually.” He said quietly with a soft smile but a sadness in his eyes. “Lyla’s parents demanded a biblical name. I wanted to name her Jezebel but Lyla said she didn’t want to name her after a traitor.” He chuckled at the irony. “What about you? Why Abigail?” He asked.

“Her mom, Wendy, didn’t want to choose. I opened a book of baby girl names and picked one.” Steve answered with a shrug.

“Is Wendy here?” Eddie asked innocently; but, it made Steve get defensive.

“Nah, we got divorced.” He admitted.

“I’m sorry to hear that.” He said. Steve wanted to ask if he meant it, but chose the safer option.

“I wouldn’t think Eddie ‘fuck the establishment’ Munson would have rules for his kid.” Steve chuckled, it was supposed to be a joke, but it came out accusatory. The tensing of Eddie’s shoulders. wilted Steve a bit.

“Yeah well, my dad wasn’t famous.” He said tightly as if that explained everything. And it did, Steve supposed.

“He kind of was though, wasn’t he?” Steve snorted meanly. Eddie scoffed and moved away.

“Her rules keep her safe. Unlike my father, and yours,” Eddie growled. “I actually care about my daughter, not that you’d know that.” He turned on his heel to go back to the ballroom, but Steve’s hand caught around his wrist.

“Sorry, that was shitty. I shouldn’t criticize how you parent.” Steve admitted.

“Why not? It’s not like you had faith in the type of parent I would be anyway, right?” Eddie asked bitterly.

“That’s not true! I knew you’d be a great parent!” Steve exclaimed. Eddie didn’t react beyond nodding in acknowledgment.

“Abby’s eight?” Eddie asked tilting his head toward the dance floor, clearly wanting to move away from this conversation.

“Yeah? So, what?” Steve asked brazenly. Eddie sighed, defeated.

“Nothing, Steve. Just trying to make conversation, excuse me.” He turned to walk back to the ballroom again.

“I didn’t cheat on you, if that’s what you’re wondering.” Steve called after him aggressively. Eddie stopped but kept his back to him.

“I wasn’t wondering anything, Harrington. I was just asking.” The use of his last name prickled his skin. He’d been Steve Munson until he married Wendy, reverting back to his original name. But he doubted Eddie knew that, so it felt like a low blow.

“You know what Munson?” Steve said angrily. He didn’t know why, but all his resentment toward Wendy, his regret for ending things with Eddie, and now his hurt feelings at being so easily dismissed, were culminating in a bad way. Eddie turned to face Steve. “You can act high and mighty all you want, but you’re here alone too aren’t you?”

“Yeah” Eddie said quietly, his jaw clenched, his eyes wet, and even after all these years Steve knew what he looked like before he cried. After all, it was the last face he ever saw Eddie make before today.

“So, who are you to judge me?” Steve asked but didn’t give him a chance to answer. “Abby’s eight because the girl I went out with a few times after our divorce got pregnant. We got married before she started to show so no one would suspect a thing. She was unhappy, I was unhappy. We got divorced so we could be better parents. It is what it is.”

With a glance at Eddie’s left hand, he scoffed: a gold band sat there, nothing like the silver of his old one. It pissed Steve off, reminded him that he picked out the silver so the rings would blend in with his normal ones, even as Eddie insisted he wanted it to stand out. Undeniable proof that Lyla was better than him. “At least I don’t still wear my wedding ring!” He ranted hypocritically ignoring his old silver band from his marriage with Eddie that hung around his neck for the past ten years.

Eddie didn’t say anything, he just looked at Steve in that way that he used to, like he could see right through him. He knew why it hurt so much to see Eddie happy and with a kid. It was a future he could have had if he wasn’t so scared. He knew it was selfish but he wanted to make Eddie feel a fraction of the pain he did seeing his ex so happy.

“Why’s Lyla not here huh? Lyla get tired of you, too? Life of a musician’s wife too much for her?” Steve snarled. A single tear slid down Eddie’s face but he didn’t bother to wipe it away. Still, he said nothing. It pissed Steve off more. “Answer me! Why’d she leave you? Where is she?” He stepped into Eddie’s face, nose to nose, digging the knife in deep.

“She died.” Eddie said, never breaking eye contact with Steve as he cried silently. His eyes were far away, lost in memories and pain. Those two words took the wind out of Steve’s sails so fast he almost got whiplash. It was only then that he noticed a different wedding band hanging on the necklace with his pick. It was smaller, dainty; Lyla’s ring.

“Eddie…” he began shutting his eyes in regret but was interrupted.

“No, now it’s my turn.” He took a breath. “I honestly asked how old Abby was because I wanted to know. I wasn’t wondering if you cheated because frankly, it doesn’t matter if you did. I stopped worrying about why you threw me away a long time ago.” Steve flinched at the phrasing. “You broke up with me Steve, not the other way around. You filed for divorce. You ended it. You don’t get to be in my face screaming and accusing me of shit just because you’re pissed that I ended up in a happy marriage and you didn’t.” Eddie huffed, his eyes hardened into that look that convinced a whole town he was a murderer.

“And you definitely don’t get to come here and talk about shit you know nothing about. You never met Lyla but if you had, you wouldn’t have said a single thing you just did. We loved each other more than anything. We started trying for a kid because I wanted one. I offered to quit the band, she went to my manager herself, and convinced him to add a clause into the band contract that said we would only tour when the kids were out of school and that I would have a back up guitarist that traveled with us. So that if I ever had to dip out of a show for a kid, I could. She traveled with us, the band loved her, the crew loved her, I love her.” The use of the present tense hit him in the gut.

“She never complained about being on the road, in fact she said it was great for Lily to experience so much of the world. I promised her I would drop everything the second she asked me to, and she actually believed me when I said it.” The emphasis wasn’t lost on Steve. Eddie said the same thing to him, but he never trusted it.

“When I asked her to marry me, she laughed, and pulled out a ring she got to ask me to marry her. She loved me exactly how I am and I know we would have been together for the rest of our lives if it wasn’t for that asshole drunk driver.”

“I’m sorry Eddie. I shouldn’t have said any of that.” Steve said sufficiently chastised. Eddie scoffed.

“You’re right, you shouldn’t have. I get that you’re angry. But don’t take your bullshit out on me, alright? You don’t get to be screaming in my face about my dead wife, because you’re mad you didn’t pull out in time. I was never too much for Lyla, I was enough for her. My love was enough for her! So keep her name out of your mouth.” Eddie growled before he wiped his face on his sleeve and walked away, never looking back.

Steve watched him go, full of even more anger at himself than the last time he saw that look on Eddie’s face: pure heartbreak. Because of Steve’s insecurities. Again.

See it on AO3 here if you liked this and you can, donate to my surgery fund here every little bit helps!

[all-these-larrythings]

Cowboy Like Me (29k) by Rearviewdreamer

Going legit and starting over in a small town was supposed to solve all of Harry’s problems. That was until a string of robberies in wealthy towns brings him face-to-face with his rouge ex-partner and their dicey, unresolved past.

[wangxianficrecs]

driver's license by cryptenhope

driver’s license

by cryptenhope

T, 5k, Wangxian

Summary: Wei Ying can’t find anger in Lan Zhan for leaving. There’s no rage, no pure spite. He doesn’t need to forgive the man. Forgiveness means there was something to blame Lan Zhan for in the first place. No, Wei Ying blames himself for caring. He cannot forgive himself for still loving Lan Zhan because he does, irrevocably and undeniably. And now? Now, Wei Ying is tired. (Or: the driver’s license au that has nothing to do with the song or driving) Kay's comments: Ah, wonderful angst! Wei Ying wakes up in the hospital after an accident to find Lan Zhan by his side. Lan Zhan, who had broken up with him months ago because he wasn't brave enough to stand against his family. I love how little anger Wei Ying felt and how it was more exhaustion and tiredness and honestly, despite the tags, I'd say this story has a happy ending too! Excerpt: Wei Ying is lost. “What...why are you even here?” he asks, shuffling to sit up. This merely startles Lan Zhan into motion as he helps Wei Ying reach a comfortable position, a steady, strong hand on his back. Wei Ying barely contains a shiver, relishing in the warmth burning on his skin through the thing fabric of the hospital gown. Lan Zhan’s touch has never been something he could deny his desires for. It will never not affect him. “Careful,” Lan Zhan murmurs before straightening up. He takes a small step back and tilts his head. “The hospital called me. Apparently, I am your emergency contact and Power of Attorney.” Wei Ying stills. Oh. That.

pov wei wuxian, modern setting, modern no magic, hospitals, hurt wie wuxian, blood and injury, post-break up, breaking up & making up, getting back together, angst with a happy ending, hurt/comfort, sad wei wuxian, car accidents, @cryptenhope

~*~

(Please REBLOG as a signal boost for this hard-working author if you like – or think others might like – this story.)

[hellcheerficdatabase]

Time May Change Me (but I Can't Change Time)

Author: @bumblehumblebee

Rating/Warning: Explicit

Chapter Count: 1/1

Description:

“Jesus H Christ,” Eddie mumbles under his breath. The gym hall has been decorated with gaudy green and gold streamers and balloons, a banner that reads Welcome Back Class of ‘86 splashed across the far wall while a DJ plays a variety of bland pop hits. Eddie is halfway to the punch bowl when he sees her.

Chrissy Cunningham. He hasn’t seen her since he left but there hasn’t been a day without her on his mind at one time or another. He doesn’t have many regrets, but fuck, she is one of them.

It's their ten year high school reunion and while Eddie has made it big as a rockstar, there's one person he knows he fucked it up with.

Tags: Alternate Universe- no vecna, high school reunion, ten years later, Rockstar!Eddie, post-break up, reunited, second chances, Eddie is a sweetie, Chrissy needs a hug, smut, alternating POV, one-shot, status: completed

[rairecs]

title: part time soulmate (full time problem) author: ksmwifeguy rating: teen wordcount: 5178 pairing: kim seungmin/lee minho summary:

"Can you come get me?" It all comes out in a rush, a jumble of syllables like marbles in someone's mouth. "I'm at the Gangdong-gu station." Minho huffs, annoyance prickling beneath his skin. "If you're already waiting for a train just ––" "Police," Seungmin interrupts. He doesn't even have the decency to sound contrite. "Station. Police station. I am––" he hiccups again and pitches his voice into a lower, mocking tone,"––detained."

Two weeks after their breakup, Lee Minho becomes Kim Seungmin's one phone call.

link

[liones-s]

a big lesson for me was learning that most things are not as fragile as I’d believed. missing a class, or turning in a bad assignment, won’t instantly destroy your professor’s opinion of you. accidentally saying something harsh won’t make your friend want to end the friendship. it takes work to repair these things - it takes effort and research and sometimes a sincere apology - but you can do that because they’re not irreparably broken. what you’ve worked to build, in academia and in relationships and in life, is stronger and more enduring that your mind may teach you to believe. don’t let imagined fragility lead you to giving up

[doctormori]

the devil made me do it

[lemonpoet]

You can’t tell but Athena is trying not to laugh.

[coffeebanana]

Fic Summary:

"Adrien's in the hospital." Woken in the dead of night by a series of frantic phone calls, Marinette finds herself confronted with one of her worst fears. Next thing she knows, she's boarding a bus from New York to Montreal instead of flying home for winter break, contemplating how's she's going to navigate living with Adrien—who definitely wants nothing to do with her since the break up—for the indefinite future. Adrien just wants to find the energy to convince Marinette he's fine—that she can leave. Because having her here hurts too much, and he's better off alone. At least, that's what he tells himself. They're an ocean away from home, stuck together in a one-bedroom apartment, in a city suffocated by snow. The distance between them has never felt so insurmountable. But maybe there's hope after all.

[muppetebbtide]

trojan war tumblr simulator

🌊 is-the-sea-wine-dark-today

YOU BET IT IS

#the wine dark sea!!!!!!!!!!!! #wine dark sea #wine dark sea posting

108 notes

✌🏻 ajax2electricboogaloo follow

why is achilles the only demigod who's Like That? like he's my boy but u don't see memnon or aeneas or sarpedon acting like him on the reg. why is he so maladjusted? like specifically? I saw his mother once and was so terrified by the sight of a goddess I flung myself to the ground and hid my face in the dirt til she left but I still don't think that accounts for it idk

🏘️ nobody1020

it's blonde man syndrome hope this helps

340 notes

⚔️ sonoftydeus

opening my askbox so that we can discuss strategies on taking troy!

3 notes

anonymous asked: we should all go home :)

⚔️ sonoftydeus answered:

FUCK OFF AGAMEMNON I WANT REAL SUGGESTIONS

50 notes

nobody1020 asked: do u like..... horses

⚔️ sonoftydeus answered:

odysseus do I even wanna know where this is going

45 notes

⌛ isthetrojanwaroveryet?

year 9, day 234: still no....

#all our admins keep DYING

500 notes

‼️ trojan-confessions follow

I think my wife might be sending me anon hate :/ keep getting asks like 'hope u die on the battlefield tomorrow silly slag' and 'menelaus should have curbstomped you' and in her big tapestry of warriors she made me look stupid

🐴 horsetaminghector follow

lmaooo is this paris??

🔮 cryinglikecassandra follow

kinda think helen should send MORE anon hate idk

600 notes

❓ myrmidons-confessions

I was the one who wrote the achilles/agamemnon 100k slowburn enemies to lovers rpf and put it on the group chat but now patroclus is calling me 'agachilles boy' and laughing about it and asking if I can proofread his mock bardic epic where all his dogs are heroes and killing people, so I fear I've made a mistake. I also can't look achilles in the eye anymore... but honestly I've never seen proof he can read so I might be safe

❓ myrmidons-confessions

5000 notes

👑 kingofmycenae

👍🏻 ajaxthegreat

achilles is DEAD and ur posting CRAB RAVE?????

🏘️ nobody1020

I think that's why he's posting it ngl

300 notes

😹 deiphobus42069

imagine being the achaeans and your best warrior gets killed by PARIS, after everyone else had awesome deaths at the hands of sarpedon or hector or memnon... like that's literally so embarassing I just know achilles is fucking fuming down in hades rn. I bet the achaeans are gonna put around that paris was guided by apollo, or that paris happened to hit his only weak spot..... anything 2 try and make it less cringe.... lol lol we're popping the biggest bottles tonight. hope helen's there

🐆 leopardskiniscool

???????????????

#I mean. yeah. but also. #deiphobus wtf I thought we were chill

240 notes

#hope everyone can be normal about the outcome!!! :)

340 notes

🧑🏻 randotrojansoldier-deactivated-8578543

so excited to go back onto the field of battle tomorrow! sure hope I don't encounter any of the big-name heroes

🗣️ homer follow

I hope you don't too! I'm sure you'll do great!

🐎 antilochussss

not the direct address????

✌🏻 ajax2electricboogaloo

direct address got him :(

3000 notes

💂🏻 trojanguardtales follow

fuck my job so much I hope that this wooden horse tribute to the gods turns out to have some guys inside or something just so I can DO something rather than standing here like a twat with my spear

💂🏻 trojanguardtales follow

by ares this can't be happening

345 notes

⚔️ sonoftydeus reblogged menelauskingofsparta

do NOT order achilles from shein!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!

#oh yeah #I was stuck with temu achilles in the trojan horse for six hours #and by hour two agamemnon had suggested killing and eating him #and odysseus was threatening to 'send him to meet his father' #and it's not even like there's any kleos in killing priam!!! #anti neoptolemus #neoptolemus defenders dni #vent tags

100 notes

[ideologyofone]

I am 99.9% certain Caitlyn is the one who breaks things off with Vi

In the pit fighter clip, Vi is clearly spiraling

She’s heavily drinking, sleeping in a closet for an apartment, has 0 regards for her safety or wellbeing or anything really

And I’ve seen a lot of people say Vi has a ton of reasons to spiral that don’t even have to do with Cait, which is so true but

She’s not having hallucinations of those things. She’s not hallucinating Vander or Mylo or even Jinx, she’s hallucinating Caitlyn

She sees her in the crowd dancing, she sees her in the Kiramman crest flags (hanging in the undercity for some reason? 🤔)

And we also see this guy hanging out with Vi at the bar and basically taking care of her, is one of the enforcers from Caitlyn’s squad

So while Vi does have a lot of reasons to spiral that have nothing to do with Caitlyn, whatever happened between them was the last straw

Caitlyn leaving her, is what finally breaks her

[mugloversonly]

The Revenant of You

summary: Steve and Eddie finally have an honest chat

Chapter 4: Eddie

Eddie smiled when Robin slid next to him. “I told him he was a dick.” She whispered conspiratorially. “He wants to apologize, I told him I’d ask you to hear him out.” Eddie pursed his lips.

“I don’t know, Rob. I tried talking to him earlier and he completely lost his shit.” Eddie said softly. “I don’t need that kind of energy.” Robin nodded in understanding.

“I get it, I do. But he really does want to apologize. I told him if he says something stupid like that again, I’ll shave his head” Eddie smiled almost wickedly. He knew how protective Steve was of his hair. He must really mean it.

“Fine. Where?” Robin pointed to the outside patio.

“He’s waiting out there.” Eddie stood and made his way to the door. Lily blocked him momentarily.

“Daddy, can I have more cake?” She asked sweetly. Eddie spoiled her before the accident, but after, he had an even harder time saying no.

“Sure honeybee. Let Uncle Gareth help you though okay? We don’t want to get cake on your pretty dress.” Eddie said. Lily nodded and ran off. As he turned to the back door, his eyes caught on his band mates. They gave him a thumbs up and a wink. They must know what he was about to go do, and it was nice to see their approval especially since they saw it all.

Eddie took a deep breath and moved to the patio, opened it slowly to give himself a moment. All too soon, he stepped onto the patio facing Steve. He needed to keep the higher ground here. He refused to break the silence as he wrapped his arms around his torso, raised one eyebrow.

“I wanted to apologize.” Steve began, Eddie waved his hand in a, go on gesture. “Right. I’m sorry Eddie. What I said earlier was so unfair and uncalled for. You were right, I was being petty because you seemed happy without me in a way I never was without you.” Eddie sighed.

“I’m not going to say it’s okay, because it wasn’t. But I do forgive you.”

“Just like that?” Steve sighed with relief.

“Holding onto that anger would just be exhausting.” He explained but felt a little vindication when Steve’s shoulders fell. “Was that all?” Eddie asked ready to put this behind him, he was already turned back to go inside.

“No.” Steve whispered. Eddie turned around with a sigh. “I’m sorry about what happened between us. I shouldn’t have ended things like I did. I shouldn’t have ended it at all really.” Steve admitted, eyes down, ashamed.

“Why did you?” Eddie asked quietly. “If you regret it, why’d you do it in the first place?” He accepted a long time ago that he’d never get closure, but here it was in front of him.

“I was afraid you’d get so successful that you’d see how much better than me you could do and you’d break up with me. So, I did it first.” Steve shrugged, shame made him curl up his shoulders.

“You thought I’d break up with you after I got a taste of fame? You thought that little of me?” Eddie scoffed. He tried to bury his hurt, but by the look in Steve’s eyes, he didn’t do very well.

“No! No! I was insecure, it wasn’t anything to do with you.” Steve tried to reassure. “I knew you were willing to give up everything for me and I couldn’t be selfish like that.”

“You think it was selfish to take my offer, but not selfish to break my heart because you were scared? Interesting.” Eddie said sarcastically. He was trying to listen to Steve, he really was, but that was so fucking stupid.

“I know, stupid.” Steve replied as if he read Eddie’s mind.

“Damn right it was!” Eddie blurted. “I would have given up everything to be with you. You never asked me what I wanted.” He growled. “You just assumed!”

“Let me ask now. What did you want back then Eddie?” Steve asked softly. Eddie scoffed but when he met Steve’s eyes he saw he was serious. He grit his teeth.

“When I was younger I imagined having a few kids, being with someone I loved. I wanted that with you.” Eddie huffed a laugh. “I just wanted you. Everything else was just details.” He whispered. “Why couldn’t you want me like I wanted you? Why wasn’t I enough on my own?” A tear ran down his face much to his chagrin.

Steve reached out as if to wipe them away, but stopped at the last second. “I did.” He admitted quietly. “I wanted everything with you. You were more than enough, you were perfect.” He held his hand out in offer. Eddie stared at it, he couldn’t take it. Not yet any way.

“If that’s true, then you left me for no reason.” Eddie said with a hard look.

“I know.” Steve let his hand drop down to his side. “I let my insecurities get the better of me and I ruined everything.”

“It wasn’t just that I lost my husband.” Eddie whispered. “You were my best friend before we even dated. I haven’t talked to you for nearly ten years, Steve. I waited for you to reach out and you never did. Even if it was just to have this conversation, why didn’t you?” He wrapped his arms around himself. He thought they had something more, but he guessed Steve didn’t feel the same.

“I didn’t think you’d want me to.” Steve said. “And I couldn’t.” He looked down ashamed.

“Why couldn’t you?” He asked, ignoring the first part of Steve’s statement.

“Because I still love you.” Steve answered honestly.

Eddie reared back, unable to hide his pure disbelief. As if someone else moved his arm, he threw a right hook into Steve’s cheek.

“Are you fucking serious?!” He yelled. He wasn’t one for violence, but that was too far. Steve rubbed his face sheepishly.

“Yeah...I know.” Steve said. “I’m sorry.”

Eddie sighed, ran his hands over his face, and sat on a nearby bench. A few deep breaths later and he looked at Steve again. “Sorry for punching you.” He said. Steve shrugged.

“Had it coming.” Eddie pursed his lips in acknowledgment. Steve slid next to him and leaned back to look at the stars. “I won’t pretend that I didn't fuck up. I did, bad. More than leaving the love of my life,” Eddie stiffened at that. “I left my best friend. I know I have no right to ask for your forgiveness and I definitely don’t have a right to ask you to consider letting me be your friend again.” Steve turned to look at him, eyes never wavering. “But I’m going to ask for both anyway.”

“I wasn’t lying during my best man speech, Steve. I forgave you a long time ago.” Eddie admitted. “And I could really use a friend right now.” He continued. Steve lit up and went to give him a hug, but Eddie flinched back.

“Sorry” Steve said and made a motion for Eddie to continue.

“I’m not ready for anything more than friendship, Stevie. I might never be.” He whispered. As he looked into Steve’s eyes, he wanted to tell him everything. That losing Lyla was worse than losing Steve because even though it was sudden, Steve was still alive. There was a chance they could talk again. Eddie would never be able to talk to Lyla again. He’d never hear her voice, he’d never see her face, or feel her touch. He’d never hold her again, kiss her again, never see her smile, or hear her laugh. How do you tell someone who just admitted to you that you’re the love of their life, that he’s not yours?

“You’re my first love, Steve. I’ll always love you.” His smile was sad as he looked at the other man. “But, I love Lyla. It wouldn’t be fair to you, to me, to Lilith, or to Lyla’s memory to try for something more right now.” He turned away to gaze into the distance. “I miss her like crazy. I won’t be able to pretend like everything is fine. I won’t be able to not talk about her. I see things that remind me of her and I burst into tears. I look at Lily and I see Lyla’s face with my eyes. I worry I won’t be able to do her memory justice because, how the hell do I take care of black hair?! I know that might not seem like a big deal, but Lyla's hair was so important to her, she was an afro queen and I want to do right by her, you know? I dream about her. Fuck man, it’s like I can feel her here, right now too, watching over me. I can’t pretend that I’m not mourning the love of my life.” Eddie glanced to the side when he heard Steve gasp. It probably wasn’t what he wanted to hear, but that didn’t make it any less true.

“She’s the love of your life?” Steve asked quietly. Eddie nodded.

“She didn’t choose to leave me.” He said as if that explained everything. “Are you going to choose to leave again when my grief becomes too much for you? Will being my friend be enough?” He asked knowing how deep that would cut. “Are you going to choose to leave again if I can never be more than your friend?” He asked without waiting for an answer. “Because if the answer is yes or hell, even maybe, please don’t bother. I cant lose someone I love again. I can’t lose you again.”

Eddie turned to look at Steve and finally took his hand. “I’m not saying it’s impossible, but I am saying it may take a long, long time for me to feel ready. Are you prepared to stick around for that even knowing it may never happen?” He knew he wanted to say it would happen, he wanted it to, but he couldn’t be in a relationship with his heart hurting so much. His big eyes stared into Steve’s, trying to find the answer.

“I’d love to be your friend again and if you want to be more one day, I’ll be here. But I won’t leave you again, no matter what. I swear on Dustin’s mother.” Steve whispered holding tight to his hand. Eddie softly chuckled and smiled shyly.

“I’m giving you my trust again Steve. Don’t break it this time, okay?” Eddie practically begged.

“I promise.” Steve said, the conviction clear in his voice. Eddie nodded and smiled softly.

“Want to go dance with our girls?” He asked, to signal the end of the heavy conversation for now.

“Let’s.” Steve led the way back inside and the two men laughed when they saw Abby covered in cake.

“That’s why Gareth helped Lily with hers.” Eddie chuckled. Though when he looked over to his band mate, he saw Lily was still clean but Gareth was covered in cake.

He pulled wet wipes out of his pocket and passed some to Steve before handing some to his best friend.

As he watched Steve wipe his daughter’s face, he smiled, not now, but maybe one day, they could be a family.

See it on AO3 here if you liked this and you can, buy me a coffee you can do that here!

[giantkillerjack]

Today my therapist introduced me to a concept surrounding disability that she called "hLep".

[plain-text version of this post can be found under the cut]

Which is when you - in this case, you are a disabled person - ask someone for help ("I can't drink almond milk so can you get me some whole milk?", or "Please call Donna and ask her to pick up the car for me."), and they say yes, and then they do something that is not what you asked for but is what they think you should have asked for ("I know you said you wanted whole, but I got you skim milk because it's better for you!", "I didn't want to ruin Donna's day by asking her that, so I spent your money on an expensive towing service!") And then if you get annoyed at them for ignoring what you actually asked for - and often it has already happened repeatedly - they get angry because they "were just helping you! You should be grateful!!"

And my therapist pointed out that this is not "help", it's "hLep".

Sure, it looks like help; it kind of sounds like help too; and if it was adjusted just a little bit, it could be help. But it's not help. It's hLep.

At its best, it is patronizing and makes a person feel unvalued and un-listened-to. Always, it reinforces the false idea that disabled people can't be trusted with our own care. And at its worst, it results in disabled people losing our freedom and control over our lives, and also being unable to actually access what we need to survive.

So please, when a disabled person asks you for help on something, don't be a hLeper, be a helper! In other words: they know better than you what they need, and the best way you can honor the trust they've put in you is to believe that!

Also, I want to be very clear that the "getting angry at a disabled person's attempts to point out harmful behavior" part of this makes the whole thing WAY worse. Like it'd be one thing if my roommate bought me some passive-aggressive skim milk, but then they heard what I had to say, and they apologized and did better in the future - our relationship could bounce back from that. But it is very much another thing to have a crying shouting match with someone who is furious at you for saying something they did was ableist. Like, Christ, Jessica, remind me to never ask for your support ever again! You make me feel like if I asked you to call 911, you'd order a pizza because you know I'll feel better once I eat something!!

Edit: crediting my therapist by name with her permission - this term was coined by Nahime Aguirre Mtanous!

Edit again: I made an optional follow-up to this post after seeing the responses. Might help somebody. CW for me frankly talking about how dangerous hLep really is.

Plain-text version:

Today my therapist introduced me to a concept surrounding disability that she called "hLep".

Which is when you - in this case, you are a disabled person - ask someone for help ("I can't drink almond milk so can you get me some whole milk?", or "Please call Donna and ask her to pick up the car for me."), and they say yes, and then they do something that is not what you asked for but is what they think you should have asked for ("I know you said you wanted whole, but I got you skim milk because it's better for you!", "I didn't want to ruin Donna's day by asking her that, so I spent your money on an expensive towing service!") And then if you get annoyed at them for ignoring what you actually asked for - and often it has already happened repeatedly - they get angry because they "were just helping you! You should be grateful!!"

And my therapist pointed out that this is not "help", it's "hLep".

Sure, it looks like help; it kind of sounds like help too; and if it was adjusted just a little bit, it could be help. But it's not help. It's hLep.

At its best, it is patronizing and makes a person feel unvalued and un-listened-to. Always, it reinforces the false idea that disabled people can't be trusted with our own care. And at its worst, it results in disabled people losing our freedom and control over our lives, and also being unable to actually access what we need to survive.

So please, when a disabled person asks you for help on something, don't be a hLeper, be a helper! In other words: they know better than you what they need, and the best way you can honor the trust they've put in you is to believe that!

P.S. Also, I want to be very clear that the "getting angry at a disabled person's attempts to point out harmful behavior" part of this makes the whole thing WAY worse. Like it'd be one thing if my roommate bought me some passive-aggressive skim milk, but then they heard what I had to say, and they apologized and did better in the future - our relationship could bounce back from that. But it is very much another thing to have a crying shouting match with someone who is furious at you for saying something they did was ableist. Like, Christ, Jessica, remind me to never ask for your support ever again! You make me feel like if I asked you to call 911, you'd order a pizza because you know I'll feel better once I eat something!!

Edit: crediting my therapist by name with her permission - this term was coined by Nahime Aguirre Mtanous!

Edit again: I made an optional follow-up to this post after seeing the responses. Might help somebody. CW for me frankly talking about how dangerous hLep really is.