#Prom King of My Heart

[amelia-o-gabble]

"Amy. Amy Gabble." Amy shook Leo's hand with a smirk, ignoring Gil's protests. She loved a game like this. It reminded her of all the times Marie joined in with her to guilt trip Gail into something. Never nefarious, just a step out of her comfort zone. Lord knows the girl needed a push every once in a while. Gil seemed to be the same.

Finally she looked to Gil, still assuming there was something brewing between him and the charismatic Leo, "Sorry, Gil. But it's not like it's a date. Just three friends having a nice dinner. What's so wrong about that?"

@agentgrumpy-gils

Prom King of My Heart || Open

[sapphire-to-the-rain]

kori lydia lipsync is uploaded to youtube if anyone needs me i’ll be looping it 24/7

[four-bastard-bustle]

(digging in your inbox at lightning speeds) hi hi hi hi eddbound matt. whats his deal. who killed him and why and can i help kill him /positive

Matt, the stuck up son of the stuck of major of Threed, bought a bunch of votes for prom king, and then someone tries to play a prank on him at prom because he has PSI powers but it goes HORRIBLY WRONG and then he dies and later is revived by giygas like the rest of threed's deceased and his first thought is "i bought all those prom king votes FOR NOTHING!!!"

the team later recreates the prom for some gay shenanigans and wholesome team building

Very important details also 👇

[stiles-o-dylan24]

I just randomly thought…. Stummer prom? 🥰😍🥰

So plan was having a flashback to it OR I can make a deleted scene chapter if you guys would rather?

[vampjaeyun]

PARK SUNGHOON FIC REC LIST

s, smut | f, fluff | a, angst | suggestive is noted

my laptop is fried from all the tabs lol, but these are my fav psh fics, or at least the ones i have liked/remember ! its LONG lol > word count lowers as you go down the list! (not in order)

grocery store receipts [ hot neighbor!sunghoon x fem!reader ] s,f,a

to the boy: who took me to prom [ best friend's brother!sunghoon x fem!reader ] s,f,a

harvest of purity [ innocent!sunghoon, strangers to lovers ] s,f,a

stupid in love [ bestfriend!sunghoon, summer au ] s,f,a

we'll always have this summer [ summer au, strangers to lovers, city girl x country boy au ] s,f,a

gods & monsters [ step-brother sunghoon x fem!reader x stepbrother!heeseung ] s,f,a

park sunghoon: the boy next door trope [ shy figure skater!sunghoon x popular extrovert!reader ] s,f,a

king of tears [ chaebol husband!sunghoon, second chance romance au ] s,f,a

crossroads romance [ ex!sunghoon, suprise return au ] s,a

unlucky girl syndrome / part two [ grumpy x sunshine au, love triangle au ft. jake ]

sex for dummies! [ academic rivals au, university au ] s,f,a

tangled desires [ enemies to lovers, rich kids au ] s,a

the dollmaker [ husband & dollmaker!sunghoon, gothic/supernatural elements au ] s,f,a

love next door [ childhood bsf!sunghoon x fem!reader ] s,a

teacher's pet [ professor!sunghoon x fem!reader ] s,f,a

you're such a brat [ arrogant!sunghoon x bratty!reader, enemies to lovers ] s

cherry pits [ dad!sunghoon x fem!reader, dilf au, neighbors au ] s,f

three weeks & three days [ best friend's ex!sunghoon, halloween au ] s,f,a

lucifer [ fallen angel!sunghoon x virgin angel fem!reader ] s

first date etiquette [ neighbor au, first date au ] s

dior girl [ designer!sunghoon x fem!reader, dark!sunghoon ] s

night-shift / day shift (pt.2) [ boss & camboy!sunghoon ] s

give up heaven [ ex-bestfriend & hockey player!sunghoon, friends to lovers ] suggestive,a

get you better [ boyfriend's best friend!sunghoon, cheating au ] s

urs [ situationship!sunghoon x fem!reader ] s,f

say my name [ neighbor!sunghoon, enemies to lovers ] s

star-crossed / part two [ prince!sunghoon x servant fem!reader, greek mythology ] s,f

cherry [ outcast!sunghoon x class president fem!reader, enemies to lovers, 90's au ] f

bittersweet teeth [ brother's best friend!sunghoon x fem!reader ] s

past wounds, present hearts [ ex bully!sunghoon x fem!reader ] s,f,a

heavenly [ playboy & ex bf!sunghoon x fem!reader, fake dating au ] f,a

forbidden attraction [ wizard!sunghoon x witch!reader, hogwarts au ] s

hidden desires [ brother's bestfriend!sunghoon ] s,a

traditionally nontraditional [ husband!sunghoon x wife fem!reader, newly married au ] s

bed [ fiance!sunghoon x fem!reader, mini honeymoon au ] s,f

tides and temptation [ siren!sunghoon x fem!reader ] s,f,a

on the rebound [ babysitter!sunghoon x fem older!reader ]

the pussy eating competition! [ munch!sunghoon x fem!reader ] s

dangerous when wet [ virgin loser!sunghoon, best friend's little brother au ] s

lovers in the night [ friend!sunghoon to fake dating au ]

nudes i can't send [ toxic ex!sunghoon x fem!reader ] s,a

forbidden [ brother's best friend!sunghoon x spoiled fem!reader ] s

mark me yours [ idol bf!sunghoon x idol fem!reader ] s

late night rendezvous [ spiderman! sunghoon, established relationship ] s,f,a

don't wake dad [ stepbrother!sunghoon ] s

fixed comfort [ drunk bf!sunghoon x fem!reader ] f

cabin fever [ established relationship au, ski resort au ] s

wet [ established relationship au, pool sex ] s,f

pretty best friend [ bsf player!sunghoon x nerd!reader ] s

girls need love [ best friend's brother!sunghoon ] s,f

such a mess together [ academic rival!sunghoon x ] f

dangling charms / cat and mouse (pt.2) [ nerd!sunghoon x fem!reader ] s

spring snow [ exes to lovers + strangers to lovers, accident au ] f,a

horror [ bf!sunghoon x fem!reader, movie night au ] s

loyalty [ hockey player!sunghoon x class president!reader ] s

birthday sex [ established relationship au ] s

kiss me more [ friend!sunghoon, first kiss au ] s,f

ceo sunghoon who loves taking care of you because you're his [ ceo!sunghoon, age gap au ]

post argument [ bf!sunghoon x fem!reader ] f,a

i found your blog [ best friend!sunghoon x tumblr writer fem!reader ] s

right to the core [ bf!sunghoon, esablished relationship ] s

jealous over a bunny? [ established relationship au ] s

ms. & mr. president [ student council vice president!sunghoon, frenemies to lovers ] f

intentions [ popular!sunghoon x fem!reader ] f

nasty sex [boyfriend!sunghoon ] s

panty sniffing [ perv!sunghoon ] s

porn star material!sunghoon

perv!sunghoon

[koobiie]

bestowing my highest honor as an artist to ffxv (drawing the characters in fun outfits)

thoughts under the cut

RREAAAGHHHH SO EXCITED TO BE DONE WITH THIS!!!!! it took me forevarrrr but i soldiered through as an act of love. now excuse me. yap time

OKAY SO the concept behind this was originally specific fashion subcultures for everyone!l ike noct emo ignis dark academia etc. but then decided i didnt want to pigeonhole it all and just freestyled outfits i thought would look nice on everyone

noct - i do think noct would still be emo-ish but also opt for comfy baggy stuff a lot. something you could just fall asleep in on the spot. note the details of bass pro shop shirt (of course) XV necklace, little moon + stars accents, carbuncle + fish keychains. i also wanted his metal band logo shirt to spell LUCIS but i forgor some letters but its not very readable anyways

ignis - ignit ooohghh ignos ignaurs. sorry i made him serve so much cunt it will happen again. i drew him first cause that kind of inspired this whole thing i love him so bad if i didnt draw it id explode. not much detail to note except his collar pins are like his double blade thingies

luna - lunaaa the concept was “clean girl aesthetic” idk if that happened but im actually really happy with how it came out! might be my favorite of the bunch just because she looks so pretty and happy. your honor she should have been able to just be a normal girl and just. chill

prompto - prompotoooo i had trouble picking his vibe!!! my first thought was techwear?? because weeheeeehee he loves tech and well... you know... but then i realized i didnt really like the look of anything i saw + it was so bulky and dark and serious for him! ending up going with some more youthful and baggy. i was considering something more loud and colorful but ended up not going with it. i feel like in canon he'd be too nervous to have such a flashy fit and would want to just look "cool" to fit in with the boys lol. itty bitty details here - chocobo keychain, pompompurin and bi miku buttons, and his lanyard is kings knight themed! i also thought it was funny to write LUCIS on his shirt like you know those shirts that just say BROOKLYN or TOKYO or SAN FRANCISCO and thats it. thats what its like

gladio - okay i know this is going to sound like a lie but im not horny for gladio like at all, hes my least favorite, i think he's just alright. but also i KNOW in my heart of hearts that he would LOVE being a leather daddy and so i had to make it happen. main detail to note here is that his tank top has the motifs of a cup noodle! i didnt know what else to add cause you know.. hes the cup noodle guy.. but also i didnt want it to be so in your face about it with a big as logo so kept it subtle!

(side note the leather daddy gave me an idea for a post where its like noct and prom go to a gay bar all nervous but then they run into gladio and its like "p: GLADIO YOURE GAY?" "n: nevermind that PLEASE dont tell ignis we snuck out" and then ignis walks up and theyre all like WHAT THE FUCK!!!! caption would be "the gang finds out theyre all bisexual." probably wont draw it but i think its very funny lol)

iris - iris my sweetheart.... definitely leaned into the scene vibes here and also that one image of the blonde emo anime girl. details here - of course the moogle big ass backpack and keychain (can you tell i love keychains), but also her buttons are an iris (the flower) and also a crown with hearts (haha symbolism)

anyways oh god i didnt mean to write an essay down here. usually i keep this in the tags but this time i just had Too Much To Say. can you tell i put a lot of thought and love into this . anwyays. *walks off into the sunset and fuckig dies*

[lazysoulwriter]

not your nephew! - pedro pascal.

requested! thank you for sending, babe. hope you like it.

---

It all started because Pedro thought you were too perfect to be single.

"Mi sobrino would love you," he said, mouth full of empanada, pointing at you like he'd cracked the code to your love life.

You blinked at him over your wine glass. "Pedro, he's twenty-two."

"And you’re—?"

"Twenty-eight."

"That's not illegal!" He grinned like he'd just solved a Rubik’s cube. You, meanwhile, seriously considered shoving him off his own couch.

Pedro had always been a little too involved in your dating life for someone who allegedly didn’t care. But this? Setting you up with his awkward, baby-faced nephew who called TikTok a “lifestyle platform”? It was pushing it.

Still, you agreed. Because how do you say no to Pedro Pascal when he looks at you with those big brown eyes and that stupid little smirk?

Answer: you don’t.

So you met the nephew. He was nice. Sweet, even. But he spent twenty minutes talking about protein powders and said Marvel peaked with Eternals, so... yeah. No sparks. Not even a flicker.

Pedro looked shocked when you told him. "But you're both cute and weirdly obsessed with almond milk! I thought it was fate!"

You laughed. “Almond milk is not a personality trait.”

Weeks passed. Pedro stopped playing Cupid, but now every time you were alone, something felt... off. Charged. Like the air got heavier when he sat too close. Like your heart skipped when he ruffled your hair or called you “sweetheart” in that gruff, teasing way.

Maybe it was just you. Crushing. Quietly. Painfully. On your best friend who thought you were good enough for his nephew, but not for him.

Until one night, after a movie marathon and too many shared blankets, you just... cracked.

You turned to him, cheeks warm and voice small. “Can I tell you something dumb?”

Pedro muted the TV, blinking. “Always.”

“I think I—” You paused. “I had a crush on your nephew.”

He raised a brow. “Really? You had a crush?”

“Yeah.” You looked down. “But I got over it. ‘Cause I realized it wasn’t really him.”

Pedro shifted. “Then who?”

You took a breath. “You.”

Silence. Then a little laugh — almost disbelieving.

“Me? Me?” He pointed at himself like you'd just nominated him for prom king. “I’m— I’m old.”

You smiled nervously. “Yeah, but you’re Pedro.”

He blinked again. “But I have back pain. And I use eye cream now. And I talk about mortgages for fun.”

You shrugged. “I still like you.”

He stared. Then, slowly, his mouth curved into that soft, crooked smile that made your stomach flip.

“Well,” he said, “I guess I’ll have to stop setting you up with my entire bloodline then.”

---

[my-castles-crumbling]

prom - january 11 - jegulus - @taylorswiftmicrofic - word count: 387

"Oh...no," Regulus murmured, staring out of his apartment window to the limo waiting in the street below.

James Potter never could do something halfway, could he?

Grumbling, he went to open the door, only to be greeted with a grinning James Potter in a tux, flowers pinned to his lapel, holding out a corsage.

"You didn't, Potter," Regulus breathed, heart hammering, palms sweating, adjusting his own collared shit. When James had told him to dress nice, he'd never imagined...

"Regulus Black, will you go to prom with me?" James asked, smile brighter than the goddamn sun.

"James, I'm twenty-two," Regulus protested, making a huge effort to frown even as a stupid smile threatened to burst from his body.

But the other man just continued to beam. "I...I couldn't stop thinking about what you said. About how you never went to prom."

"I know. You're not very good at hiding your feelings," Regulus said flatly, trying not to shake with pent-up emotion. It was true. Ever since Regulus had offhandedly told James that he hadn't been permitted to go to prom because of Walburga's strict rules and homophobia, James had been beside himself. But Regulus had never imagined James would do this.

"Well, I decided to do something about it," James continued, shaking the little plastic container containing the corsage. "So....?"

Still, Regulus couldn't stand the vulnerability of the moment. "Tell me we're not going to a smelly high school gym," he murmured, taking the container and opening it, admiring the white Calla lilies and gently slipping the bracelet around his wrist.

"No," James chuckled, looking delighted that Regulus had taken the offering. "We're going to my parents' place. I have the backyard set up, and all our friends will be there to make it...y'know...realistic. Sirius has been campaigning for him and Moony to be king and queen for days already."

Regulus snorted, but a wave of something heavier than amusement rolled through him. "You did all that for me?" he whispered, looking up into hazel eyes.

"'Course, baby. I love you," James smiled softly, offering his arm. "Shall we?"

And Regulus wordlessly linked their arms together, allowing James to lead him to the limo waiting downstairs. Privately, he was glad he missed his actual prom. It was much better to say his prom date was James Potter, anyway.

[violettathepiratequeen]

The Writers of BtVS

So because I'm a nerd, and because I was curious, I compiled a list of the credited Buffy writers and their episodes, mostly to check for their own consistency, haha. And because I thought it was interesting enough to share:

WRITERS:

Joss Whedon

Welcome to the Hellmouth

The Harvest

Nightmares (with David Greenwalt)

Out of Mind, Out of Sight (with Ashley Gable and Thomas A. Swyden)

Prophecy Girl

When She Was Bad

School Hard (with David Greenwalt)

Lie to Me

Ted (with David Greenwalt)

Innocence

Becoming, Part 1

Becoming, Part 2

Anne

Amends

Doppelgangland

Graduation Day, Part 1

Graduation Day, Part 2

The Freshman

Hush

Who Are You?

Restless

Family

The Body

The Gift

Once More With Feeling

Lessons

Chosen

Dana Reston

Witch

David Greenwalt

Teacher’s Pet

Angel

Nightmares (with Joss Whedon)

School Hard (with Joss Whedon)

Reptile Boy

Ted (with Joss Whedon)

Faith, Hope, and Trick

Homecoming

Rob Des Hotel & Dean Batali

Never Kill a Boy on the First Date 

The Puppet Show 

The Dark Age 

Phases 

Killed By Death 

Matt Kiene

The Pack

Inca Mummy Girl (with Joe Reinkemeyer)

Ashley Gable and Thomas A. Swyden

I, Robot… You, Jane

Out of Mind, Out of Sight (with Joss Whedon)

Ty King

Some Assembly Required

Passion

Joe Reinkemeyer

Inca Mummy Girl (with Matt Kiene)

Carl Ellsworth

Halloween

Howard Gordon

What’s My Line? Part 1 (with Marti Noxon)

Marti Noxon

What’s My Line? Part 1 (with Howard Gordon)

What’s My Line? Part 2

Bad Eggs

Surprise

Bewitched, Bothered and Bewildered

I Only Have Eyes For You

Dead Man’s Party

Beauty and the Beasts

The Wish

Consequences

The Prom

Living Conditions

Wild at Heart

Doomed (with David Fury and Jane Espenson)

Goodbye Iowa

New Moon Rising

Buffy vs. Dracula

Into the Woods

Forever

Bargaining, Part 1

Wrecked

Villains

Bring on the Night (with Douglas Petrie)

Elin Hampton

Go Fish (with David Fury)

David Fury

Go Fish (with Elin Hampton)

Helpless

Choices

Fear Itself

Doomed (with Marti Noxon and Jane Espenson)

The I in Team

Primeval

Real Me

Shadow

Crush

Bargaining, Part 2

Life Serial (with Jane Espenson)

Gone

Grave

Sleeper (with Jane Espenson)

Showtime

Lies My Parents Told Me (with Drew Goddard)

Thania St. John

Gingerbread (with Jane Espenson)

Jane Espenson

Band Candy

Gingerbread (with Thania St. John)

Earshot

The Harsh Light of Day

Pangs

Doomed (with David Fury and Marti Noxon)

A New Man

Superstar

The Replacement

Triangle

Checkpoint (with Douglas Petrie)

I Was Made to Love You

Intervention

After Life

Flooded (with Douglas Petrie)

Life Serial (with David Fury)

Doublemeat Palace

Same Time, Same Place

Conversations with Dead People (with Drew Goddard)

Sleeper (with David Fury)

First Date

Storyteller

End of Days (with Douglas Petrie)

Douglas Petrie

Revelations

Bad Girls

Enemies

The Initiative

This Year’s Girl

The Yoko Factor

No Place Like Home

Fool For Love

Checkpoint (with Jane Espenson)

The Weight of the World

Flooded (with Jane Espenson)

As You Were

Two to Go

Beneath You

Bring on the Night (with Marti Noxon)

Get it Done

End of Days (with Jane Espenson)

Dan Vebber

Lovers Walk

The Zeppo

Tracey Forbes

Beer Bad

Something Blue

Rebecca Rand Kirshner

Out of My Mind

Listening to Fear

Tough Love

Tabula Rasa

Hell’s Bells

Help

Potential

Touched

Steven S. DeKnight

Blood Ties

Spiral

All the Way

Dead Things

Seeing Red

Drew Z. Greenberg

Smashed

Older and Far Away

Entropy

Him

The Killer in Me

Empty Places

Diego Gutierrez

Normal Again

Drew Goddard

Selfless

Conversations with Dead People (with Jane Espenson) 

Never Leave Me

Lies My Parents Told Me (with David Fury)

Dirty Girls

So the conclusion I've come to is... in my own fanfic writing projects, I sometimes have works that I know are very good and are received well. And there are some that I know just stink, and the lower interaction reflects it. It's pretty comforting to know that for professional writers, the same thing is true.

Jane Espenson, for instance, beloved by Spuffies everywhere for being our man on the inside, ALSO co-wrote "Gingerbread," my least favorite ep ever.

Douglas Petrie is, in my opinion, absolutely an undercover Spuffy, or at least understood the assignment well enough to fake it. And I love him for being the first to write Wesley, for breaking Bangel up one of the times in S3, for writing "Fool for Love," for strengthening Spike's character in every ep that included him.

And David Fury... look, I know he gets a lot of flack, but I think he doesn't actually hate Spike as much as it seems. Looking at his list of episodes and the messages I know to be in them, I think he's just VERY pro-soul, and can't wrap his head around a vampire being good without one. But once Spike does get his soul... well, we need look no further than "Showtime."

But really, let's all bow down to Rebecca Rand Kirshner. For "Out of My Mind." For "Tabula Rasa." For "Help." For "Touched." For some of the sweetest Spuffy moments in all her other eps.

[ladykailitha]

Paper Hearts Part 1

Remember how my posting schedule was going to be based on strictly vibes from now on? Yeah this is why. I have three chapters of this completed and only two of most everything else because I hurt my right wrist on Wednesday evening (I think I overextended my elbow and it fucked up the tendons in my wrist, because I've done that before on my arm and it feels like that).

So instead of getting more work done on stuff that is literally paragraphs away from the end of the chapter I'm having to tap into my backlog. Which is what it's for. But it is annoying.

I am also aware it's nearly May, but my muse was never one for sense.

Summary: Hawkins High is selling paper hearts to help raise for senior prom. $3 for red romantic hearts and $1 for pink friendship hearts. Steve hasn't dated anyone since the horrific breakup with Nancy on Halloween and so he decides that he's going to send pink hearts to senior girls who wouldn't normally get any hearts at all. When Eddie hears about this he can't help be intrigued. It goes against his very well curated Munson Doctrine. But as events keep throwing them together, Eddie learns there is more to King Steve then meets the eye.

Also a note: the use of the other's last name when it's their point of view is deliberate. As they get to know each other more, the more first names get used.

****

Steve was staring at the huge sign with a sense of dread. In big pink and white letters on a red background screamed the words:

PAPER HEARTS FOR YOUR VALENTINE $1 FOR PINK FRIENDSHIP HEARTS $3 FOR RED ROMANTIC HEARTS ALL PROCEEDS GO TO CLASS OF 1985 SENIOR BALL

Valentine’s Day. That time of year for lovers and romantics. That used to be him. But not since Nancy broke his heart by breaking up with him for Jonathan Byers.

There would be no paper hearts in locker this year. Not even pink ones. Nancy had well and truly blown up his life and she got to walk away scott free.

He didn’t know what to do anymore. He pinched his nosed and rubbed the end. He wasn’t going to cry in the middle of the fucking main hall of Hawkins High.

Just before he was about to start moving again someone shoulder checked him, sending back to the floor and all his stuff sprawling around it like some fucked flower.

“Watch it, Harrington!” the voice growled as whoever it was sped off down the hall.

Steve didn’t even bother looking to see who it was. It could have been anyone these days. His former friends. Billy and his ilk. Hell, even the nerds and geeks got in on the action lately.

He knelt down to start cleaning it up when someone else kicked his books toward the lockers. He managed to get most of it picked up when he reached for the last notebook. Someone stepped on his hand and ground down, hurting Steve and ripping the cover off the notebook, crinkling the first couple of pages.

He shoved it into his bag and cradled his hand to his chest. He looked at his watch and sighed. Lunch was nearly over and he hadn’t even made it to the cafeteria yet.

There was nothing for it, he had to get to his next class. He walked into the class room just as the bell rang, but instead of heading for his usual spot near the front he made for the back of the class. There were always a few empty seats around Munson. The guy was terrifying on a good day.

And Steve hoped it was a good day.

****

Eddie made to class on time by the skin of his teeth. He slid through door just as the bell rang above his head. He was about to lope over to his usual spot in the back when he stopped dead in his tracks.

He looked up at the front at the deliberately left open seat and back at the seat next to his with a raised eyebrow. He wisely said nothing as he flopped into the torture device known as the chesk. Dair? Whatever the hell it was called where some unspeakable horror thought to combine a desk and a chair.

Eddie glanced sidelong at his new companion. The recently deposed king of Hawkins High sat slumped in his chesk, head down, just staring at its surface as if held the meaning to life the universe and everything.

Which if Harrington asked him, he would have been told forty-two.

He pulled out his notebook and noticed that Harrington did not do the same. Curiouser and curiouser. He pulled out a pencil and settled in to avoid falling to sleep today.

He was taking notes and doing the assignment like he was supposed to when about half way through class the teacher called out to him.

“Mr. Harrington!” she shrieked. “If you are going to be sitting in the back, please have the decency to pay attention in class!”

A couple of kids snickered.

“You were talking about how the Fool is used to lighten the absolutely horrific scene above him of Lady Macbeth as she tries to get blood out of her gown,” he muttered, scratching his cheek with his left hand.

That was when the teacher and Eddie noticed the same thing at the same time.

Harrington was cradling his right hand to his chest.

“Mr. Harrington is there something wrong with your right hand?”

“I accidentally hurt it during lunch,” he said with wince.

The teacher tapped her foot and crossed her arms. “And why didn’t you see the nurse?”

“It happened right before class,” Harrington muttered, “and I didn’t want to be late.”

The teacher huffed and shook her head. “I will give you note for your next teacher, but you will see the nurse after class, am I understood?”

He nodded.

“Mr. Munson,” she cried out, shrill. “If you’ll share your notes with Mr. Harrington after class so he does not fall behind.”

“Yes, ma’am.”

He continued to keep an eye on Harrington throughout the whole class but whenever their English teacher tried to catch him out, she would fail every time.

When the bell rang Eddie started shoving his stuff into his backpack. “You sure you even need my notes, Harrington? That was pretty impressive shit you pulled out of your ass today.”

Harrington just shrugged. “Just because I was paying attention doesn’t mean it won’t bleed out of my ears with all the algebra and chemistry stuff I have later.”

Eddie winced in sympathy. “Yeah, I hear that. What’s your locker number and I’ll just slip a copy of my notes in the slots.”

“323B.”

“They got you on a lower locker?” he asked with a grimace. “That’s jacked up. Even Mr. Super Senior here got a top locker. Does the secretary hate you or some shit?”

Again Harrington shrugged. “I’ve got to go. I’ll catch you later.”

Eddie folded his arms at looked at him. “You’re not going to the nurse’s station, are you?”

This time it was Harrington who winced.

“That’s what I thought,” he huffed. “I’m walking you to said nurse’s station because it could be broken and if you don’t get that looked at, you’ll be in more than just a world of hurt, man. You could fuck up your hand for life and you wouldn’t be able to anything in that hand ever again.”

Steve’s eyes went wide as all color drained from his face.

“Shit.”

Eddie grabbed both of their backpacks and headed for the door. “Yeah, shit.”

Harrington hurried to catch up, hand still cradled to his chest.

“How did you know that could happen to my hand?” he asked softly.

Eddie eyed him sidelong, but the kid wasn’t being an ass. In fact he would say Harrington was being earnest.

“My uncle works at the machinist plant up the road,” Eddie explained. “One of his buddies broke his hand on the machine and refused to get it looked at. Guess how well that worked?”

“Was it the plant’s fault?” Harrington asked. Eddie cocked his head to the side. “That you uncle’s friend got hurt?”

Eddie reared his head back in shock that Harrington would even ask.

“No, man,” he said shaking his head. “He was goofing off, being a dick. Uncle Wayne always said that if you knock on every door asking for the devil, one day he’s gonna answer.”

“What happens when the devil comes looking for you?” Harrington muttered to himself and Eddie couldn’t help but wonder what this kid had seen.

Because he knows haunted. And Harrington looks like he has an attic full of ghosts.

Once they got to the nurse’s station Eddie waited for him. When the other boy came out he asked how it went.

“She says it doesn’t feel broken,” he huffed. “But that if it doesn’t improve over the weekend after icing at least three times a day, to come back on Monday and she’ll order an x-ray.”

Eddie nodded. “Right. See you around, Harrington.”

He had barely turned around when Harrington called out to him. “Wait!”

Eddie turned back around to have a piece of paper shoved into his hand. “I got the nurse to excuse us both.”

And before he could even reply the other boy was tearing off down the hall as if the devil himself was chasing him.

And after that comment he’d heard, Eddie couldn’t be sure he wasn’t.

****

Steve was curled up on his bed, icing his hand, staring up at the ceiling, and wondering where the fuck his life had gone so wrong.

Okay so he could answer that one, actually. Demogorgon ate his girlfriend’s best friend while in his backyard. While him and said girlfriend were having sex for the first time.

Yeah... that was all kinds of fucked up.

He still couldn’t believe that Nancy sided with Jonathan about him taking pictures of their first time.

So now Valentine’s Day was two week away and he was dateless, friendless, and unpopular. He wished he could just be called a loner. But a loner was cool and Steve wasn’t even that anymore.

He just had to make until the end of may and then he could graduate, leaving this town in his rearview mirror for good.

Steve knew that he would have to struggle through this fucking holiday and Senior prom then it would be smooth sailing from there.

He had all this money that he would normally spend on his girlfriends, but now he didn’t even have that. He supposed he could blow it all on beer and weed and then he could enjoy the weekend for a change.

Steve sat up suddenly, the ice pack falling from his hand to hit the floor with sploosh!

Now that was an idea.

He still had one thing in the school that was nonpareil and that was gossip. In fact, it was easier to hear all the dirty little secrets because no one cared if he was standing there.

A smile spread over his face.

That could actually work. It would be a great way to spend his allowance and it would be fun.

He got up and put the ice pack back in the freezer. He couldn’t do anything about it right then but once his hand was better he would formulate his little plan.

Steve was suddenly excited for the first time since he dropped Dustin off at the middle school’s Snow Ball.

He was going to make this holiday fun even if he had to manufacture the fun himself.

****

Eddie was pissed. A little at himself, but mostly at how Harrington was being treated.

He had to sit through lunch and listen a bunch of stupid jocks brag about stomping on Harrington’s hand when he was trying to pick up his stuff off the floor in the hallway yesterday.

They had been hoping for an actual break, but the asshole thought he’d only bruised it.

The reason Eddie was a little mad at himself for this was because he was the one that had shoulder checked Harrington. He had only been trying to get the guy out of his daze. Not send his shit flying.

And then to have someone deliberately stepping on his hand. Fuck. Not even Hagan ever went that far.

Stev–Harrington didn’t deserve that kind of bullying. No one did.

But he could see the twisted sort of appeal, though. And fuck if that didn’t make his stomach turn.

To see the deposed king and want to mock that? Want to dig the hurt in as deep as he could? To drive home the lesson that popularity was fleeting and that existence was a curse?

Yeah, Eddie could see the appeal.

But he wouldn’t. He might make fun of literally everyone and everything but his own interests, but to make turn that into actual cruelty? That was were he drew the line in the sand.

He went home feeling sick to his stomach. And of course Wayne picked up on it immediately.

He jutted his chin at the chicken and rice on Eddie plate that he had only merely pushed around with his fork.

“What’s got you so twisted around the bend?”

Eddie put his fork down and hid his mouth with his clasped hands, elbows on the table.

“I fucked up today,” he murmured. “I didn’t mean for it to go as it did.”

“What did you do?”

So Eddie told him. “I wasn’t trying to hurt him, but he got hurt anyway.”

“That does sound pretty bad,” Wayne agreed. “And as you say, you were trying to help only for it to go very awry. And since you didn’t about it until after the fact you couldn’t apologize and that’s what’s eating you up inside.”

Eddie nodded around his fists, his lower lip quivering.

“You’ll just have to find a way to apologize on Monday,” Wayne said wisely.

Eddie sighed. It was the best he could do. It wasn’t as though he could call the guy up or show up at his house. The first because he didn’t have the guy’s number and the second because he’d get the cops called on him so fast by the neighbors.

It would just have to wait until Monday.

****

Part 2 Part 3 Part 4 Part 5 Part 6 Part 7 Part 8

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[cockasinthebird]

“It’s prom, you have to go!” Steve demands with a smile, standing there with his arm thrown over Donna’s shoulders.

Billy scowls at him, then looks down at Stacy, who’s holding his hand near her heart, big eyes bursting with excitement at the prospect of going to prom with the keg king.

“Yeah Billy, come on,” Donna talks between blowing up her gum.

“Pretty please?” Stacy begs of him.

This is what the brochures in the counselor’s office means when they write about peer pressure.

“I don’t have anything to wear,” he throws out an excuse.

“You can borrow something from me, don’t worry about it, Hargrove.” Steve’s still smiling. He’s not personally invested in prom itself, but teasing and annoying Billy is too much fun.

Billy isn’t going to get out of this without a yes. “Fine.”

And Stacy bursts out in glee, throwing her arms around his neck and kissing his cheek.

After school Steve and Billy hang out at the Harrington mansion, with the blonde on the queen sized bed, lying down with his legs over the edge.

“Why does this matter so much to you?”

“It’s our final year in high school, I think we deserve a little fun!” Steve says with certain excitement.

“And prom, of all things, is your idea of fun?” Billy raises himself up on his elbows. “Can’t we just hang out by the quarry and get drunk or high, or both?”

“Look on the bright side, you’ll probably get lucky with Stacy after prom!”

“Harrington, I can get lucky with her anytime I want.”

Steve’s standing by the walk-in-closet, shuffling through his fancy clothes, when he pulls out a light blue suit. “Doesn’t mean you can’t put in a little effort from time to time. Here.”

Billy gets up and walks the short distance toward his best friend.

“This goes well with your eyes.”

Their fingers graze as the clothes exchange hands, and Steve is never going to get used to his heart leaping through his chest whenever they touch, but he doesn’t linger before letting go of the suit.

Yet he watches Billy, who either doesn’t know or doesn’t care, as he steps toward the mirror.

He pulls his white tee over his head of golden curls, and at the sight of his bare, toned top, Steve turns around at the speed of light to rummage around for another suit for himself. Still, he steals a few glances over his shoulder, catching Billy undress down to a pair of possibly too snug briefs.

“I don’t even know how to dance to that cheesy music they’ll be playing at prom,” Billy admits as he zips up the trousers.

The suit is a little long in the leg, but it looks good around his chest and broad shoulders.

“It’s super easy to do, don’t worry, just let the music do its thing.” Steve keeps his back turned, he already knows what to wear, but his attention on Billy might be too obvious if he just stares at him like he wants to.

“No, I mean, slow-dancing, I’ve never…”

At that the brunette turns around, looking at Hargrove quizzically. “You’ve never been to a dance before?”

Billy looks away in something akin to shame, worried about getting judged for his lack of romantic experience. It’s always just been about sex between him and girls, never anything like this.

“I can show you how,” Steve blurts out without much thought, but at least he sounded somewhat casual saying it, and not as if it’s a desperate move to get closer to Billy.

Who meets his gaze in the mirror before turning around. “Yeah?”

His voice softens Steve and he smiles kindly. “Yeah. Come here.”

He barely hesitates to help out a friend, walking closer and getting into position as the lead.

“I’ll show you how it’s done first, then you can take the lead after.”

“Alright Harrington, show me how it’s done,” Billy speaks with unintentional enthusiasm, breaking his role as the tough guy for just a mere moment, but Steve doesn’t comment on it, thankfully.

“Grab my hand, the other on my shoulder here,” Steve instructs with forced calm, his heart beating him senseless as they touch.

And when he places his hand on Billy’s back, he swears he can see his face change color.

“And then you just sway side to side.”

Billy’s looking at their feet, avoiding eye contact the best he can in case Harrington could read his racing mind. “Is that all?”

“Well, if you’re lucky, she’ll let you place your hand here…” Steve lets his hand slide down to the small of Billy’s back.

Steve feels like he’s going to combust, Billy feels like he’s going to melt.

“Then what?” 

Billy dares look up till their eyes meet, breaths intermingling, standing closer and closer together till there’s no more room between their bodies.

“Then… she’ll rest her head on your chest…”

Blue eyes fall down to stare at Steve’s chest, then slowly, Billy lowers his head to rest there, and he can hear how vigorously Steve’s heart is beating. He decides it probably doesn’t mean what he wants it to.

“What comes next?” Billy asks, maybe a little too hopeful, for next Steve lets go of him and steps away.

“O-oh, nothing much, maybe you’ll kiss or something, I don’t know.”

“Ah, well, that I know how to do.”

They both laugh, but it’s jarringly awkward.

They don’t talk about it after, but things get… tense. Not hostile or anything like how they were at first when they met, everything is just awkward from that point on, even their so-called girlfriends notice and ask them about it, but they’re evasive about those questions every time.

It’s not like they stop hanging out, or even do it less, there’s just a palpable distance between them now, sitting further apart, talking less; it’s all so stilted leading up to the prom.

Then the night comes, and they’re standing there by the punch bowl that hasn’t even been spiked, a little closer than what is normal lately, just not as close as they both want.

Donna and Stacy are out on the dancefloor together, dancing wildly to music that neither Steve nor Billy likes.

The two of them take turns glancing at each other, thinking they’re so secretive about it until they both turn their heads at the same time, and for a split second there’s so much unsaid between them suddenly becoming too much, and their eyes flee again.

“Nothing’s Gonna Stop Us Now” comes on, and their girlfriends rush up to them to grab their hands and force them onto the dancefloor filled with couples.

And everything goes as Steve said it would; one hand on the small of her back, the other in her hand, her head on his chest, Billy feels like he’s doing exemplary, yet he doesn’t feel what he felt with Harrington.

He knows what it means, of course, has known for a while.

But he’s fine with living in denial, or he thought he was until he catches those brown doe eyes staring at him with an almost longing sense.

It’s as if Stacy notices something, and she looks up to catch Billy stare back at Steve.

Thankfully she seems oblivious and simply waves at the other couple, Donna waving back, and then the girls turn to face their boyfriends, who in turn look down at them.

Next lips meet, and for a brief moment Billy focuses only on Stacy, and Steve on Donna, but like magnets to metal, eyes meet again, growing intensity between them as they continue kissing their girls.

Steve’s gaze keeps switching between Hargrove’s crystal clear stare, and how his lips mingle with Stacy’s. The brunette doesn’t know how to feel, for there is so much jealousy in him, and yet… it is trumped by longing.

Longing to be in Stacy’s place, or for Billy to be in Donna’s. He almost forgets to kiss back, but she doesn’t seem to notice or care about it.

Then he does it.

The most bastardly thing he could. Billy brings his tongue into the kiss between himself and Stacy, perhaps a little too much, but fuck… Steve feels it in his gut, and even further down, twitching in his dick at the way Billy kisses so passionately.

He’s only ever heard great things about how Billy kisses, but this? This is the closest he’s been to experiencing it himself, and the temptation is almost too much. If he could have his way, he’d close the short distance between them, pull Billy off of his girlfriend and swallow his tongue himself.

Steve bets Billy tastes like cigarettes and punch, not a great mix no doubt, but he’d give the world for it right now. Their eyes remain locked, chained together, immovable, as Billy full on makes out with his dancing partner.

Although it feels like forever since the song began, it ends too soon, and Billy steps away from Stacy, both of them smiling all satisfied and with slight panting.

“Is something wrong, Steve?” Donna asks, looking all innocent and sweet.

He takes a deep breath. “Yeah, I just think I had too much to drink, I’ll be back soon.” And before she can object he rushes out the room in the direction of the bathroom.

Steve’s in utter turmoil, pacing back and forth in the locker room of the gym where the prom is taking place. Flashes of Billy’s kisses ingrained in his mind, and if he closes his eyes hard enough, he can place himself there instead of Stacy.

The door creaks open, and Billy rushes in, looking somewhere between worried and determined, stopping just a few feet away from Harrington.

They stare at one another, waiting for words but there simply are none left, only action will do.

Meeting halfway their lips clash together, and it is pure perfection, tongue and teeth and a little too much force from unbridled passion that has been building up for who knows how long.

They stumble backwards until Steve’s back meets with the lockers, his hands running through Billy’s hair, whilst Hargrove himself feels every inch of Steve’s body, from his shoulders to his chest, his sides and hips, where he locks on with a vice grip and brings their bodies together.

“Billy…” Steve whispers, and Billy gives them both a few inches of space.

“Yeah?” He’s so breathless.

“I… I…” 

“Yeah.”

[ppongie]

L.JENO - I don’t know

It was prom. Jeno had asked you out to be his prom date, and you happily agreed. I mean, you’ve been loving him from afar ever since you’ve laid eyes on him. This was a big thing- he finally noticed you. But oh, if only you knew.

Now.. you’re sat at a table alone, letting the blue rays of the party lights illuminate your face. Describing how you actually feel as you watched him dance with his ex.

He only asked you out to make her jealous then make his way back to her. His plan worked.

Your eyes watching how she swayed with him, where his hands were on her body, and how she easily painted that smile on his face—

Your relationship with Jeno wasn’t special. With him it was simple hi’s and hello’s, a couple of waves here and there. A pure friendship, nothing more than that.

And being the delusional person that you are, you’ve thought about those little moments every night before bed. Happily knowing that he noticed you, and the whole prom-posal was the cherry on top.

You picked out the perfect outfit for the occasion, thought about him the whole time while getting ready.

“Would he like this color on me?”

“How about my hair? Hmm..”

“I should tone it down a bit, he likes that.”

You believed that the feelings were mutual, you really did- not until you stepped into the party. His eyes darted everywhere to find a familiar face.

He gave you the classic excuse, leaning down to your level to whisper it in your ear “I need to use the restroom.” You gave him a nod and decided to meet your friends to kill time as you wait for him. But he never came back.

Your friends were interrupted by their dates, asking them to slow dance. The girls gave you an apologetic smile as they walked away to dance.

That’s why you’re sat here at the table alone, staring at the crowd. ‘The crowd’ as in Jeno and his Ex.

You felt your world crumbling the second he reached down to kiss her. You tried to stare at something else but you couldn’t. You watched the whole thing happen right in front of you.

You couldn’t do anything about it, these were his feelings. And who are you to pull him away from the person he truly loves?

They were going to announce prom king and queen now. Making up your own story, you knew it would be Jeno and his ex. Then they could live their happy ever after and have their reunion look like it was some kind of fairytale.

This was a waste of time. Watching all this happen was a waste of time. Dressing up for him was a waste of time.

“Prom king is.. Lee Jeno!” You heard every one clap for the man that used you to crawl back to his ex. So you stood up and grabbed your purse, ready to leave.

“And prom queen is..”

You tried to walk faster towards the exit but your friend noticed you as you passed by “y/n-“

“Kim Y/N!” You froze in your spot and felt the spotlight snapping at you, making the glitter on your outfit match the tears in your eyes, very shiny.

“Um..” you say and stared at the person that announced your name, clutching on your purse harder. Your heart racing because of the amount of eyes staring at you, and the sound of your heartbeat is slowly getting louder than the clapping around you. Then your eyes darted to Jeno that was holding your crown,

Your friend insisted to hold your things so you could get the crown.

“Come on up here” the man said in an enthusiastic tone, and you couldn’t do anything but listen. You walked towards the stage and went up the steps. Let’s get it over with, you thought to yourself.

You didn’t make him crown you- no, you held the crown instead and looked at the man that announced your name “I don’t want to dance.” Jeno seemed like he was fine about it, shrugging. Of course he was fine about it.

You then give Jeno a glare and his face transition into confusion, “You okay?” He said. You only scoffed at his question “You’re full of shit.”

You didn’t notice that the man’s mic was close to your side, so everyone heard- making them gasp and whisper to each other about your comment. You turn to walk away and pushed yourself through the crowd.

You didn’t mean to make a scene but you had to spit that comment out, it was hanging by the tip of your tongue. Then for some odd reason, Jeno was chasing after you. “Y/N, come on-“

As soon as you left the school’s gym you turned to look at him. No words leaving your lips this time, just your sad eyes. He knew what that meant, your shaky pupils says it all.

You wait for him to talk, his lips parted trying to say something. “Look..” he sighed and ran a hand through his hair “I’m sorry, okay?”

“I shouldn’t have asked you to go out with me and I should’ve cleaned up my own shit without dragging you in like I already did.” You just stared at him, trying to see if he actually meant every word.

Being the quiet kid in school has its pros and cons. Pros: people are always nice to you and you’re nice to them too. Cons: Jeno asking you out thinking you’d be a good bait.

The tear that’s been carried in your waterline slipped and trickled down your cheek. “I’m sorry, y/n.” He repeated. You pressed your thumb on the sharp edge of your ‘prom queen’ crown, trying to stay steady.

“I hate you, Jeno.” You didn’t mean it, but wanted to see his reaction. He was only staring at you, biting on his lip, maybe he felt a bit guilty?

“Why did you ask me out.. why me?” You shook your head not understanding any of this.

The answer was there in his eyes, you can tell. It’s the way he looked hesitant. Like he was keeping a secret from you and doesn’t know how to tell you.

But his thoughts came in the way and he looked around, trying to avoid your teary eyes. “I..” he lets out a short sigh after and closed his eyes “..I don’t know”

[spatialwave]

V's All That

Chapter 2 || The Invite

➥ Summary: Jayce Talis, the school's golden boy and a guaranteed pick for Prom King, seems to have it all—looks, charm, and popularity. However, when Kino presents him with the opportunity to win back Mel, his ex-girlfriend and the one who got away, Jayce jumps at the chance. The challenge? To transform Viktor, a snarky outcast who is as far from popular as possible, into Prom King instead. Jayce takes the bait, but he may have taken on more than he can handle. ➥ Word Count: 3.8k ➥ Pairing: Jayce Talis x Viktor || Arcane

🧡 beta'd by @spxllcxstxr 🩷 art by @wapimostosis 🧡 available on ao3

<- part 1. | part 3. ->

“You need to stop showing up uninvited,” Caitlyn’s voice rang clearly in her bedroom, sharp blue eyes analyzing the dozens of homework pages on her perfectly tidied desk. Her hair was tied back into a tight pony, a sign of concentration from the girl who’d spent much of her time reaching academic heights. Ready to tackle her upcoming senior year.

Jayce was sprawled out on the floor next to her bed, his back against the hard, wooden surface, his hazel eyes staring up at the stark white ceiling. He was lost in his thoughts, the day replaying through his head over and over again as he refused to answer Caitlyn.

His thoughts were rudely interrupted by a pink-haired girl who stepped over him and stared down with a playful expression of faux sympathy. 

“I think he’s broken, Cupcake,” Vi murmured, cocking her head to the side and holding the football between her fingers just above Jayce’s face. She had it briefly before dropping it, letting the ball fall from her fingers.

He reacted almost instantaneously, swatting it away as it plummeted to his face, eyes narrowing at her in disbelief.

“What are you even doing here?” He grumbled, a frown creasing his forehead.

“Leave my girlfriend alone,” Caitlyn sighed in exasperation, spinning on her rolling chair to face them, her expression offering clear signs of annoyance. Not only was there a mountain of notes to be studied before the end of the day, but having Jayce and Vi around always led to unnecessary distractions. At least it was nice to know they got long—for the most part. “You didn’t come here to sulk, so spit it out. What did Mel do?”

Vi snickered under her breath, stepping over Jayce and collapsing onto Caitlyn’s bed, head hanging off the edge and powder blue eyes fixating on the boy on the floor. Reeking of sadness and desperation.

“Mel didn’t do anything,” Jayce lamented, dragging his hands over his face. Caitlyn cringed at his dramatics. I miss her, but that’s not the problem… God, I really miss her.”

“I can’t believe she dumped your ass. You really fucked that up,” Vi howled out a laugh, the sound vibrant, but was quickly shut up by a warning glare from Caitlyn.

“You’re so funny, Vi. It’s actually incredible. You should consider a career in comedy with all the jokes you have under your belt.” Jayce spat, though there was no real anger behind his words. Slowly, he sat up so he could instead hang his head between his bent knees. It was a pathetic sight that left both girls staring, knowing they had to at least try to mend the poor guy’s obvious broken heart.

Vi let out a quiet grumble, annoyed that she was dragged into the mess Jayce had served them on a silver platter. Since Mel broke up with him a couple of weeks prior, she’d been finding it difficult to find alone time with her girlfriend, but it was hard to blame the poor guy.

Heartbreak was tough, she knew that after a few rough patches with Caitlyn during their past year together. She shed plenty of tears, gave herself a butchered haircut that had just grown out, and spent one too many nights being consoled by Powder while they watched ‘80s romcoms and ate their weight in ice cream and junk food.

Caitlyn, now completely turned around in her seat and staring at Jayce, let out a sigh as she let her stress of the day release so she could focus her remaining energy on him. “What’s the problem?”

Jayce didn’t respond, sulking, his head still hanging pathetically between his knees. There was no response for a moment, silence filling the air until he asked in a quiet voice, “Is it hard to be my friend?”

Caitlyn and Vi exchanged confused glances, unsure of what Jayce was about to spring on them.

“A little–”

“No,” Cait interjected, lifting a finger at Vi and stopping her mid-sentence without even looking in her direction. She focused her attention entirely on Jayce, someone she considered a big brother after years and years of being stuck together at the hip. She knew him better than anyone; despite his flair for the dramatic and occasional immaturity, he had a big heart. For him to feel this way made it hard for her not to sympathize. “Why do you ask? I find it hard to believe someone wouldn’t want to be your friend.”

Sadly, he peered up, eyes shifting between the two girls. “You have no idea, Sprout.”

“Seriously? Mr. Golden Boy is having a hard time making friends. I call bullshit,” Vi said, rolling over so her chin rested on her crossed arms as she stared at Jayce. As a girl from the ‘wrong side of the tracks’ it was hard to feel for the guy who had everything handed to him. 

If Viktor was anything like her, he would be rather bitter about some of the school's wealthier and more popular kids. He wanted nothing to do with Jayce. 

“Again, why are you here?” Jayce snapped, glaring daggers at Vi.

“Oh my god, this conversation is going in circles. Jayce,” Caitlyn clapped her hands together, grabbing his attention and forcing him to look in her direction, “What’s going on? You have to be transparent, or we can’t help you.”

Jayce scrunched his nose, his mind reeling at how to explain the situation, fearing judgment from them. They didn’t have to know about the bet, did they? Was it really that important of a detail to disclose?

Shifting to face them both while still sitting on the floor, he groaned and shook his head, “It’s Viktor.”

Both girls stared at him with puzzled expressions, the name ringing a bell in one of them.

“I don’t—”

“Viktor? Really? That dude Powder hangs out with?” Vi spoke up, raising an eyebrow.

Jayce’s eyes shot towards Vi again, “You know him?”

With a shake of her head, Vi replied, “Hardly. I know they get together to play that weird board game in our basement once a week. The one where it’s like—” She snapped her fingers a few times, trying to recall the information, “They fight dragons and roleplay. Real nerd shit. Mylo and Claggor join in sometimes.”

“Dungeons and Dragons?” Jayce clarified.

The pink-haired girl briefly narrowed her eyes at Jayce, a small smirk forming on her lips, “Didn’t peg you as the kind of guy to play that sorta’ thing.”

“I don’t play,” he scoffed, cheeks warm from embarrassment with a pink colour dusting over his tanned skin.

“Jayce, don’t get me wrong,” Caitlyn chimed in, “but why on earth are you trying to befriend him? He’s not really…”

“His kind of friend. I’m calling more bullshit.” Vi murmured.

“Christ, fine. Let me explain before you jump to any conclusions,” Jayce explained, hands moving with his words. “He’s in my chemistry class, and I tried to ask him for some help today, and he brushed me off like I was nothing more than shit on his shoe. I don’t get it! What’s so bad about helping someone out with some homework? What have I ever done to him?”

Vi raised an eyebrow, “Yeah, but what have you done for him? He’s not entitled to help you for no reason.”

“Don’t you have a 3.9 GPA, Jayce? Why are you even asking for help?” Caitlyn added, trying to wrap her head around the situation. 

“That doesn’t matter,” Jayce brushed her off, running his hands through his perfectly styled hair as frustration consumed him once more. “I never ask for help. Can you just tell me how to get him to help me without judging me?”

Vi stared at the poor guy, huffing a quiet sigh as she sat on the bed, legs dangling off the side. While he buried his face in his hands again, she glanced at Caitlyn. She offered a sympathetic shrug, and Cait nodded, slowly slinking away from her chair until she was on the floor in front of Jayce.

Her delicate hands extended out, fingers with neatly manicured nails wrapped around his wrists as she pulled his hands away from his face.

Jayce was forced to look into her eyes, cheeks flaring bright with embarrassment. He wasn’t keen on asking for help, his pride often getting in the way, especially from someone he considered his younger sister. He was supposed to be the role model here!

“Can I give you some advice?” She asked gently, pulling her hands away to rest in her lap.

“Yeah. I could use anything at this point.” Jayce mumbled, at a loss for motivation as his eyes dropped to his hands that fidgeted together.

Caitlyn took a few short moments to consider her wording carefully. She had never taken advice-giving so lightly, especially with a passionate man like Jayce, who could take things personally. He was rather impressionable.

“I don’t know what you’re trying to get out of this, Jayce, and it’s not my place to ask if you don’t want to share, but you could try to put at least some effort into this. Vi’s right, there’s no reason for Viktor to help someone who… well, someone who doesn’t give him the time of day otherwise.” Her voice was gentle, but the words still cut deep for Jayce. A realization he needed but hadn’t been prepared for, shattering the assumptions he carried.

“Goddamnit,” he groaned, trying to fight the small smile growing on his lips despite his frustrations, “I hate that you’re always right.”

“Me too, man,” Vi said from her spot, raising her hands defensively when Caitlyn snapped her gaze to her, “Don’t look at me like that, babe. He said it first!”

Jayce let out a genuine laugh as he watched the two bicker, a rhythm in their relationship that he sorely missed in his own life. Mel was back on his mind again, and she hadn’t really left, had she? Yet, while he lay in bed later that night, he found someone else taking over his thoughts as he tried to sleep: Viktor.

The conversation from earlier that afternoon replayed in his mind like a broken record, the sound of Viktor’s annoyed voice clear as day: “I don’t want to help you.” 

It made him cringe, his stomach churning and twisting as he imagined trying to talk to him again the next day, wondering how he would move past his poor attempt at conversation. He hated how invested he had become in this bet and how he had lied to Caitlyn about the actualities of this, hopefully, soon-to-be-friendship. He never lied to her.

To make matters worse, she was right; Jayce had absolutely no justification to ask for help from Viktor. He was already accepted into several prestigious colleges and was the fourth highest in their graduating class for grades. Where was Viktor on that list? Would Jayce even learn anything from him?

It was easy to fall into the repetition of insecure thoughts, a pattern of negative thinking he thought he had left behind long ago.

Groaning, Jayce rolled over to reach toward his nightstand, his fingers fumbling until they grasped at his portable disk walkman. In the dark, he pressed the play button, wrapping headphones over his ears as the foam earpieces blocked out the distant sounds of cars driving through the suburbs. 

Instead, the familiar sounds of Simple Plan filled his mind and allowed him to drift off to a deep sleep—disturbed only by the loud blaring of his alarm clock at six a.m.

-

“Well, isn’t it the Prince of Piltover,” Kino’s voice rumbled loudly, catching Jayce’s attention as he walked through the halls confidently. There were only a few minutes left of their lunch break, and he’d been trying to figure out where Viktor would be lingering—no time like the present to attempt a second introduction. It was now or never.

The last person he wanted to see was Kino.

“Hey, man,” Jayce said, watching as his friend caught up to his pace, the crowds of students splitting open as they walked through like royalty. Girls gawking at them unashamed, and young freshman boys taking mental notes of how to be like them one day.

“You been avoiding me?” Kino asked teasingly, smirking as he nudged Jayce’s side with a sharp elbow.

“That obvious?” He teased in return, flashing a smile at the other as they turned the corner. It seemed that God worked in mysterious ways, and those ways were handing Viktor to Jayce at the worst possible times.

“Oh, shit,” Kino snickered, stopping in his footsteps in tandem with Jayce. His eyes focused on his friend, noting the nervous expression that flitted across his features, “You still haven’t talked to him since yesterday, huh? Dude, at this rate, it’s going to be prom night before he even says hi back to you.”

“Shut up, Kino,” Jayce hissed, brushing him off with a dismissive wave of his hand, “Can you just… fuck off for a second?”

Kino snorted a forced laugh, covering up the anger that swirled within him, “Yeah, whatever, man. Good luck.”

Jayce hadn’t paid any attention to Kino after that; instead, he paused in the hallway and stared at Viktor like a deer in headlights—unable to draw his gaze away, even if he wanted to. He watched as the tired-looking student stood at his locker, his cane put aside momentarily as he rummaged through his belongings and switched textbooks for afternoon classes.

When Viktor finally closed his locker with a sharp move, he nearly let out a yelp at the figure standing right next to him—wearing a toothy grin and leaning against the lockers much too casually for someone who had pissed him off the day before.

Viktor’s jaw clenched involuntarily, and he reached for his cane, his thin fingers wrapping around the wooden handle as he stared at Jayce with an uninterested and annoyed glare. “Haven’t I already told you no? Is that not an answer you like?”

Yikes. That was harsh.

Jayce let out a nervous chuckle, keeping himself calm and collected at the onslaught of Viktor’s obvious disdain for his presence. “I’m sorry. Yesterday, I came off a little strong, I realize that now.”

Viktor eased for a moment, hating the way Jayce’s laugh made his stomach flutter, shoving that feeling far, far down before it affected him any further. He couldn’t lie; an apology was a nice gesture, but it was far from enough to change his mind.

“The answer is still no,” he grumbled, a single hand tightening the lock of his locker, preparing to leave Jayce behind like he had yesterday.

“That’s fine, I totally get it,” Jayce replied coolly, but his heart was beating hard, and his hands were getting sweaty again. Trying desperately to figure out where he could pivot this conversation, “Is there any way I can make it up to you?”

There it was—a gesture that worked wonders on Mel anytime they argued. It usually resulted in a bouquet of flowers and a night together, but he was certain that this bait for Viktor would go a very different route.

Viktor’s eyes narrowed slightly, golden hues sparkling in curiosity. He ignored the looks of passing students, the chatter of them whispering the same thing to each other again and again: ‘Why was Viktor suddenly so interesting?’

Jayce mastered the art of ignoring everyone around him, but it was for good reasons. His ego clearly loved the attention but knew how to give someone his full attention when needed. He wasn’t a total asshole.

“Anything at all?” He urged, that stupid smile on his lips making Viktor want to say yes, but he’d be damned if he’d let himself get caught up in whatever Jayce was aiming for. Jayce may not have paid attention to him, but Viktor had a knack for observing the world around him and would not admit the number of times he’d stared at the Golden Boy himself from a careful distance—usually from the back of the class.

He noted how academics came so easily to Jayce, how he would silently cheer to himself whenever he got an A-plus, or how he looked defeated whenever his performance was less than perfection. 

“Jayce,” Viktor sighed, and oh, he hated how much he enjoyed the way his name rolled off of his tongue, “I really don’t think—”

“Viktor—oh! Hi, Jayce.”

Two sets of eyes looked to Viktor's other side as another student approached them, the same girl with rounded glasses that Jayce hadn’t been able to name. Once more, his mind was filled with a flurry of names, none of them fitting.

“Hi, uh…” Jayce cringed, desperately searching for her name, but it never came.

“Sky,” Viktor stated bluntly, his interest in Jayce disappearing, “Her name is Sky. She is in the three classes we have together.”

For a brief moment, Jayce’s eyes widened in surprise. Viktor had paid enough attention to him to know they had classes together. He wasn’t sure why that made his heart skip a beat.

“It’s fine,” she laughed, shaking her head at Viktor’s bluntness and trying to relieve the obvious guilt rising from Jayce.

“I’m sorry,” the taller student said, a lowly but sincere apology. “Sky. I’ll remember that.”

She beamed, smiling cheerfully from ear to ear at just being able to talk to Jayce. Unfortunately for Viktor, Sky was not immune to the charisma that oozed from the class president.

Viktor looked at Jayce, one of reemerging annoyance, “We have to go.”

“But—” Jayce protested, desperation in his voice, “You didn’t answer my question. Is there, uh…” he stammered, finding it harder to ask with a third-party listening in, “anything I can do to make up for my total shitshow of a favour yesterday? Seriously, I feel like an ass asking a lot from you on a whim.”

Sky perked up, smiling at how she noticed Viktor was ready to pounce if Jayce dared to overstay his welcome. It was one of her favourite qualities of him, the ability to so easily speak his mind and stand up for himself, but she interrupted before he could even utter a word.

She could be selfish for once, couldn’t she?

“You could fill in for our game tonight!” Sky’s voice was full of enthusiasm, excitement palpable.

“Sky.” Viktor snapped at her.

“What? He’s offering a favour,” Sky replied, pushing up her glasses that had slipped down her nose, “Both Mylo and Claggor can’t make it tonight; Powder just told me. It’s going to be a difficult session… we could use the help.” 

She was received by silence as Viktor stared ahead at his locker, begging for this to end and hoping that both of them would get the hint and leave him alone. Sky didn’t let up, though. Neither did Jayce, whose eyes flickered between them eagerly.

“The Duergars kidnapped Miss Fortune,” Sky started on a rant, desperately trying to sway Viktor, “We’re looking at a death wish if we go through with playing tonight without another player. Do you really think a cleric and a warlock can take down the entire Duergar war camp? We’re only level four—”

With a swift motion, Viktor smacked his cane against Sky’s leg, light enough to just interrupt her ramblings.

“Enough. He doesn’t want to play.”

“I’ll play,” Jayce interrupted casually, and he hadn’t expected a look so cruel from Viktor, practically seeing the steam blowing from his ears. Anger simmering below the surface.

“Yes!” Sky beamed as her features lit up, “If you don’t have a character, Viktor has dozens of unused ones, so I’m sure you’ll find someone you like.”

“I don’t want to teach anyone to play. We’ll reschedule.” Viktor doubled down, eyes staring right into Jayce’s. 

“You won’t have to,” Jayce replied confidently. Offering a sweet smile that made Viktor want to reach over and tear it off of his face. “I’ll manage.”

Interest flickered in Viktor’s eyes, intrigued by the confidence Jayce carried so easily. He hardly seemed like the type to pick up a roleplaying game in his spare time, let alone master in, but regardless, this could prove to be a great time to prove how little regard he has for anyone but himself. Maybe a chance to embarrass him right back, a way to show how badly he wanted to get him off his back.

He cocked an eyebrow, “Eight sharp. The address is two-twenty-five Pyke Ave. Don’t be late.”

Jayce perked up, eyes wide like an excited puppy, “Y-Yeah. I won’t be late. See you later, Viktor. Oh, and Sky!”

Without another word, Viktor leaned on his cane and began to walk away while Sky offered Jayce an excited wave before departing with her friend.

Jayce stood alone for a moment, watching the two of them walk away as he smiled to himself. He finally had an advantage. Very few people in his life knew this about him, but before he was the Golden Boy and just a peer among a sea of students in middle school, he dabbled in Dungeons and Dragons. Not quite like others, considering he never played a real game, but he was fond of learning about it. He had convinced his mom to buy him a player’s guidebook—a treasure he read repeatedly but never shared for fear that his friends would make fun of him.

He hoped he wouldn’t embarrass himself in front of Viktor, let alone other experienced players. He wasn’t sure if he could handle any more bruises on his already beaten-up ego.

Jayce avoided Kino for the remainder of the day, his mind reeling with the possibilities of the upcoming night and wondering how on earth he was going to manage to get on Viktor’s good side in just one session. After a short while of digging through his closet and making a mess out of his room, he pulled out a dusty book hidden deep in a box of trinkets and old treasures he’d meant to give away the previous summer.

The Player’s Handbook, second edition.

He scoured the pages for glimpses of information, some coming back and some lost over the years of trying to forget this interest existed at one point in his life. He flipped through the book until he was satisfied with the fact that he didn’t know as much as he let on and that this was more than likely going to embarrass the ever-living-fuck out of him.

But anything was worth it to get closer to Viktor.

[wheels-of-despair]

Evil Woman, Don't You Play Your Games With Me (Same fics as the other list, but in chronological order.)

If you are a blank or ageless blog who interacts with a fic that contains as Do Not Interact (DNI) warning, you will be blocked.

🧡 - Regularly scheduled light-hearted fun. 🖤 - Shit just got real. 💛 - IDK man, this one just kind of wrote itself. 💖 - Wait, there's romance now? 💜 - Somebody Else's POV

1984 Ride the Lightning 🧡 Three Days 🖤🧡 Evil Woman, Don't You Play Your Games With Me 🧡 The Ups and Downs of Dating a Trash Panda 🧡 I Hate Mondays 🧡 The Hawkins Wives 💜 Go Get 'Em, Tiger 🧡 The Nerd King Cops a Feel 🧡 Flying Monkeys Couldn't Drag Me Away 🍂🧡 Stargazer 🧡 Best Seat in the House 🧡 The Best $7 Eddie Munson Ever Spent 🧡 The Long Con 🧡 Dummy and All 🧡 It's Okay If You Are 🧡 Wrapping Paper 🎅🧡 The First and Last Breakup of Eddie Munson and Evil Woman 🖤

1985 Tangled 🖤 Boys Are Idiots 🖤 (Alternate Version) Classy Girl and the Scruffy Boy 🧡 Have You Ever Choked a Chicken? 🧡 Werewolf Children 🧡 Define Romance 🧡 Eddie Munson and the Best Anti-Valentine's Day Ever 💝🧡 Pinch Proof 🍀🧡 The Breakfast Club 🧡 Bloodletting 🖤🧡 I'm Gonna Love You Forever 🖤🧡 This Is Better 🧡 It's the Easter Dragon, Eddie Munson 🐣🧡 A Situation 🍍🧡 There's No i In Sickness 🧡 Eddie Munson Is My Babydaddy 🧡 Knock 💛 Smoke Break 🧡 The Case of the Missing Eddie 🖤🧡 Look At Him Now 🧡 A Very Important Date 🎂🧡 Evil Woman and Baby Bro vs. The Worst Summer Vacation Ever 💛 The Little Air Conditioner That Could 🔥🧡 Secret Weapons 🧡 Can't Take You Anywhere 🧡 The Fuck Did You Just Say to Me? 💛💖 Who's Your Fucking Daddy? 💛💖 You're the Fucking Worst 💛💖 Fangs for the Mammaries 💖🧡 Don't Move 💖 Late 🖤 The Last First Day 🧡 The First Lazy Thanksgiving 🦃🧡 The Family Holiday 🎅🖤 I Promise 🎅🧡 A Slightly Late Munson Christmas 🎅🧡 The First Countdown 🎇🧡

1986 Did I Forget to Mention That? 🖤🧡 I Heart U 🧡 The Freak and His Evil Woman Do Valentine's Day 🧡💘 I Touched Banana Bubblicious For You 🖤 Evil Woman's Tit-Warming Service 🧡 Me Without You 🖤🧡 Moment of Truth 🖤🧡 Revenge of the Freaks 🧡 A Proposal 🧡 Evil Woman Sees (Big) Red 👊🖤 Do It Yourself (Or: How Eddie Munson Chipped His Tooth) 🧡 A Night Under the Stars 🧡 Taking Matters Into Your Own Hands 🧡 The Fastest Fix-It 🧡 The Devil's Trip 🧡 What If Real Life Is the Nightmare? 🖤 What If Real Life Is Good? 🧡 The Letter 🖤🧡 Insatiable 💖 Heaven and Hell (Or: Eddie and Evil Woman Do… Prom?!) 🧡 How to Get a Hot Date 🖤🧡 Brawl in Hallway B 👊 Gonna Need A Bigger Bathtub 🧡🐠 Munson v. O'Donnell 🖤🧡 Dream Wedding 🖤🧡 It's Happening 🖤🧡 Wake-Up Call 🧡 Corroded Coffin v. Slip 'n Slide 🧡 The Legend of Lobster-Dick 🧡 Sweet New Tatty 🧡 Ghost-Fuckers 🧡👻 The Sacrifice 🧡🦇

AUs, Not the 80s, Misc. Eddie Munson and the Worst Valentine's Day Ever (1974) 💝🖤 Fucking Fireworks (1987 AU) 🖤🎇 It's a Wonderful Life (Even in Hawkins) 🖤🎄 Clown Around and Find Out (1990) 🤡💛 Draw Me Like One of Your Dwarf Girls, Eddie (1998) 🧡

[neil-gaiman]

Hullo, not sure if you’re gonna see this but I got to see the BBC proms today and it was actually incredible to see the Good Omens theme being played (front row!!!!!) - like I knew that I was in love with this story ever since I first encountered it, but never has anything in my life felt so magical as the last couple of months - all thanks to this show. First I got to see the trailer (absolute heart palpitations it was like being yanked out of reality into a fantasy world making life worth living again), then all the promotional material and the early screening I got to go to, the official release I got to watch with one of my closest friends, the feeling at the end of the season where “IT’S REALLY HAPPENING”, the fandom coming together afterward and creating so much beautiful art and fan-content that was just so much fun to participate in, and now this concert which has 1) the Good Omens theme and 2) In The Hall Of The Mountain King (one of my absolute favourites among others)? You, sir, have created an ecosystem of something beautiful - thank you so much. This is all incredible and tonight was awesome.

Did you get to see the concert? It was so so incredible and so worth watching

I didn't see it!