#STRR2024

[californiaboytoybilly]

BUCKINGHAM || PHTHALO GREEN || for @st-rarepair-roulette 👒

[spaceofentropy]

It's time to reveal my entry for the Stranger Things Rarepair Roulette event! It's pure Tigerfreak brainrot, it's titled "Unscripted" (unless I change my mind...), and you can find it on ao3. Also, it's totally un-betaed, so there's a chance of typos etc. 🤷‍♀️

Rated E for SMUT!

22889 words

Pairing: Jason Carver/Eddie Munson

Characters: Eddie Munson, Jason Carver, Wayne Munson, Gareth, Billy Hargrove

Tags (the important ones): Alternate Universe - No Upside Down; Broken Bones; enemies to fuckbuddies to lovers; Recreational Drug Use; Catholic Jason Carver; Jason Carver Has a Crush on Eddie Munson; Eddie Munson is a walking disaster; Eddie Munson will not win a gold medal for being a good person; Manipulation; Homophobia & Internalized Homophobia; Angst; Smut; Bad BDSM Etiquette; Religious Imagery & Symbolism; Background Billy Hargrove/Steve Harrington

Summary: When Eddie gets woken up way too early on a Saturday morning by Jason Carver, he has no idea how selling some painkillers to the Catholic prick will derail their lives.

What more can I say except that it's my first time writing these two, so I hope the end result is god. Have fun and heed the (many) tags in the actual work!

Finally, thanks to @st-rarepair-roulette for creating this event and giving me an excuse to write this story! :3

[raven-cl]

Joined the @st-rarepair-roulette and did a munver piece ! 🤧

[shieldofiron]

Centerfold

Jonathan x Chrissy

Rated M for @st-rarepair-roulette

Jonathan was actually pretty proud of himself. You would think that shaking like a leaf from head to toe would have affected his ability to take photos, but it turned out that it wasn’t the case.

There was always a celebratory air when they finally got the centerfold. Really it was just an excuse for a party, as if they didn’t do this every month. He could hear Hef congratulating the makeup artist and kind of hitting on her. Same old same old, and it got old really fast. People thought it was exciting shooting for playboy but really it was just a job at a certain point.

“We didn’t get a chance to talk.”

He froze halfway through putting his camera into his bag. He would recognize that lilting voice anywhere, just like he recognized the set off her shoulder, the strawberry tone of her hair. He thought about suggesting a cheerleader outfit halfway through, but he wasn’t sure he could handle that.

He turned, “Hey Chrissy. Long time.”

“I’d say no see but,” She blushed prettily, her fluffy bathrobe falling down a little as she shrugged, “I think you saw a lot of me.”

His mouth felt dry, and he made a sound halfway through a laugh and a whimper.

“You look good,” She said softly.

“So do… ah… you,” He choked.

“You talk to anyone from Hawkins?”

He’d forgotten about the rest of Hawkins. He’d forgotten his last name.

Everyone in Hawkins was a little bit in love with Chrissy Cunningham. Jonathan even remembered Nancy talking about her once upon a time, how pretty she was, how nice… he kind of wondered what Nancy would say if she knew Chrissy Cunningham was Miss December 1988 and Jonathan had seen her….

“Jonathan?”

“Ah… yeah. Sorry. Uh… what did you say?”

“I asked if you ever talk to anyone from Hawkins.”

“Not really,” He shrugged, “I mean besides my mom of course.”

“I love your mom,” Chrissy beamed, “She was always so nice.”

Jonathan looked down at his shoes, glancing around. The room had emptied out, just a few of the lighting guys cleaning up, laughing with each other.

“So when did you move out to California,” He mumbled.

“Basically as soon as I graduated,” She said. “The whole town went downhill after you left.”

He looked up, getting a little blinded by her big blue eyes.

“Why don’t we talk about it more… over dinner? I’ll wear clothes and everything,” She smiled, and the nostalgia hit him like a sucker punch. Nostalgia smelled like obsession by Calvin Klein and whatever Chrissy Cunningham magic made her always smell clean and fresh. It looked like strawberry blonde hair draped over the back of a homeroom chair and a slightly gapped tooth smile.

She couldn’t mean anything by it. I mean, she was Miss December 1988, and he was still creepy Jonathan Byers.

“And maybe after,” She shrugged, letting the bathrobe slip down on her pale creamy shoulder, “I could take them off for you in private.”

He didn’t quite have enough words in his throat to respond, but she seemed to catch his meaning enough, grinning and telling him to wait for her. He left the shoot with his hand around her waist, fingers curling into the soft fuzz of her sweater.

[hargrove-mayfields]

For ST Rarepair Roulette 💕 @st-rarepair-roulette

Word Count: ~5,000

Ships: Billy Hargrove x Chrissy Cunningham and Heather Holloway x Jason Carver.

Warnings: Implied/referenced child abuse, lots of arguing and misunderstandings, very mild references to sexual content.

~~~~~~

“No. Nope. I don’t believe that for one second.”

Gossip. That’s all it is. Heather and Chrissy laying on the former’s bed, legs up against the wall, long hair dangling over the opposite edge of the bed, exchanging silly gossip.

Never the mean kind, Chrissy won’t allow that, it’s mostly their respective crushes and fascinations from school they talk about.

Or specifically, lately how much Heather doesn’t like Chrissy’s taste in boys. Or anybody, for that matter. In her heart of hearts, she knows Heather is just protective.

Still, Chrissy tosses a little stuffed fuzzball of an animal at her friend for that comment, “Hetty! Rude!”

“Look I’m sorry, I just can’t believe that Hargrove has like, actual feelings. I don’t trust him.” Heather elaborates, through her laughter.

See, she’d say the same every time, they both know that. What matters is whether Chrissy is bold enough to go through with it. She never has been so far. It’s one thing to have a crush, but to have someone openly pining back, that’s something more rare.

An opportunity Chrissy wouldn’t like to lose just to please her best friend.

She’ll try to win her over, “One date won’t be bad.”

But Heather will make excuse after excuse, “Every girl says that before the worst night of her life.”

Chrissy rolls onto her front, sighing so heavily the weight of Heather’s mattress lifts up, like she’s turned to the most stressed little helium balloon and floated away. Maybe she did, off into her imagination, taking her common sense with her.

Maybe she’ll entertain Heather’s concerns, but only if they’re productive, “Well how did you know Jason was being genuine?”

Heather's boyfriend. Track and basketball star, high class social asshole. Chrissys has never been a fan, to be entirely honest. Her earliest memories of Jason Carver were of him shoving over smaller kids in their church group and treating every recess game as pro-level sports. She still doesn’t see what Heather finds so charming about him.

She hopes maybe he’d changed, assumes he’d have had to to win over a critical heart like the one guarded in Heather’s chest.

Oh but Heather gives no such benefit of the doubt to anybody else, “I /don’t/ know it. But /my/ boyfriend doesn’t run over innocent children in his free time.. or whatever the hell it is Billy Hargrove gets up to.”

Chrissy has to laugh at that, it's so absurd, “Oh- He does not! Billy’s /nice./”

“Prove it.” Heather challenges, popping a gum bubble between her teeth to assert her seriousness.

“Hetty.” Chrissy warns, uninterested in playing that game.

Her friend isn’t having it. Heather rolls her brown eyes with so much force she literally rolls over on the bed, sprawling out over top of Chrissy like a beloved golden retriever with no respect for sharing space. It’s always been comfortable with her, coexisting without regard to self consciousness and mothers opinions and Godly image. Probably why she lets Heather get away with being a little catty sometimes.

Like now, as she claims, “Oh come on. Make it a game, have some fun, but show me he’s genuine. Or else I’m kicking his ass.”

“Fine.” Chrissy wants to be stern, but she cracks a little smile, her real, bright one, “If I'm supposed to threaten to kick Jason’s butt, I don’t think I’d be able to.”

Heather hums in thought before presenting a solution, “I’ll do the ‘defending of our honor’ if you help me test Jay back.”

“Pinky promise you’ll be nicer to Billy once we get proof?”

“That’s /if/ we get proof, but you have my word.”

The deal is sealed. They lock pinky fingers, one soft pink nailed and one a flaming red shade. In the ten years they’d been friends since Heather joined their class in 1st grade, not a single pinky promise between them has been broken. It just isn’t done.

Admittedly, that’s a lot of pressure. Talking about cute boys doesn’t feel as fun anymore.

Chrissy’s fluttery feelings start to set in, fidgeting with her hands to hope to drive them off. If she had her bracelets on, she’d shake them and enjoy the way they ring from the hard plastics and metals banging together, but it’s late, she’s in her pjs without jewelry. She picks her nails instead.

Redirecting, Heather hands her a stuffed Winnie the Pooh, and asks a question she knows will catch her off guard, “Soooo. What are you gonna do?”

“Hetty, I haven’t had time to think!” Chrissy complains, squishing poor Pooh between her hands, choosing to abuse the stuffed toy with her anxiety instead of her own skin.

“Oh come on. What do boys care about? Cars, sex, and sports. Pick one and he’ll show his true colors.” Heather says it likes it’s all just so easy, and she already knows it all.

Chrissy isn’t as sure. She considers her options,

“Um, sports sounds the least dangerous.. maybe?”

“Until he tackles your little ass.” Heather points out.

There’s a moment where they both sort of stop moving. They both know what Heather is about to do, but Chrissy's defenses are useless to stop it. She scrunches her body up as tiny as can be, but Heather has pounced, poking her sides gently where she knows her friend is ticklish.

Chrissy used to get all self conscious when Heather would do things like that. Not just touching her skin, so close to where she feels her strongest insecurities, but even jokes, little digs that had nothing to do with Chrissy’s appearance would get her down.

They have Billy to thank for the change. Dating or not, William Hargrove isn’t one to hide his affections. Everyone knows he’s had a thing for Chrissy for a while. It’s deciphering whether he’s chasing tail, or chasing the sweet girl he’d shown enough interest in to replenish her view of herself, hung around and flirted and laughed with so freely it healed a part of her broken heart.

She thinks maybe repaying him a little would increase the chances of getting the ball rolling, and getting Heather’s trust. “What if I cheer special for him during one of his games?”

“Uh, no!” Heather shakes her head, rolled curls bouncing in their pillow curlers back and forth, ”That just makes /you/ public about it. And he can spin that if he’s being an ass for real.”

“But I don’t think-“ Chrissy starts to argue, brow knotted.

Heather holds one of her hands, showing she is doing this because she cares, even if she’s being a little harsh, “Honey, I know I’m a cynical bitch, but I don’t want to see you hurt. Save yourself the embarrassment.”

“I don’t- Heather, it’s not embarrassing to be in love!”

A gasp, slow realization dawning. “You’re right. Oh my god, Chrissy you’re so right!!”

Heather kicks her legs with glee, fuzzy slippers going flying. Right out of a movie, she squeals with delight, infecting Chrissy too with her sudden joy.

Chrissy giggles, going along with it, “I am?”

“Uh, yes! It’s perfect!” Heather scoots closer until they’re shoulder to shoulder, looking up at the ceiling together. She talks with her hands, like she’s painting the picture for her. “Don’t /cheer/ his name. /Wear/ it.”

Only, Chrissy doesn’t think she gets it, “...How?”

“His varsity jacket! If a boy gives you his varsity jacket, it’s serious business. They protect those damn things like a firstborn daughter. If you can get Billy to give you his jacket, you might as well be hitched!” Heather explains, a ball of enthusiasm.

Chrissy knows her longing heart starts racing, probably obvious to Heather too this close together, “You actually think that would work?”

Heather flips up so she’s sitting, burning some of her energy in her dramatic motions, “Duh! You show up to a game repping his varsity, baby, that deal is sealed. I’m talking a proposal at the end-zone. A wedding between quarters. I’m talkin’ baby-making under the bleachers-“

Chrissy, face as hot pink as her pj tank top, interrupts all that, “Okay! Okay. That’s… I get it.”

“Do I make you blush, fair lady?” Heather drawls, in an impression of a boy, eyebrow arched, chest puffed out, lips curled, her voiced dropped ridiculously deep-

Chrissy covers her face, trying desperately not to laugh at the ridiculous attempt, “Heatherrr!!”

Heather clutches her chest like she’s wounded, taking on a sort of accent almost from how badly she’s doing her impression, “Ah! My apologies, maiden. How ungentlemanly of me.”

“Nobody talks like that! /Billy/ doesn’t talk like that!!” Chrissy argues, though she giggles at the unseriousness of it all. So it took a while, but Heather always does know how to make her feel better.

They drop the boy talk for a while, choosing to sneak downstairs and grab some snacks at two in the morning once Heather’s parents were definitely asleep, coming back up with a strange homemade trail mix. Dark chocolate chips, raisins, pretzels, almonds and strawberries. Certainly nothing outside of Chrissy’s comfort zone, careful not to push the limits of her recovery, though it’ll probably give them both a stomachache in a few hours regardless.

Leaned against some bean bag chairs right under the open window, enjoying the birdsong and cricket chirps, they share their homemade creation, and better, more smiles and lighthearted stories. Like they used to, before highschool drama and all.

Nearing 4, Heather turns to her, uncharacteristically dead serious, and declares, “I hope he makes you this happy.”

The realness inspires Chrissy to do the prying now, switching roles, hoping her friend will open up to her in kind, “Does Jason make you happy?”

“/Jason/ does. Our parents practically arranging for us to be married from the time we were newborns, hm not so much.” Heather sighs, drawing her knees in. She doesn’t quite shut down, it’s more for comfort, self assurance, which Chrissy understands. She gives her space to collect her thoughts.

“He’s my guy best friend. And I love him. In more than the best friend way. It’d be stupid not to end up together. But god there’s so much pressure!”

“I think you should do the jacket thing too.” Chrissy offers carefully, “I’m doing it to prove /my/ date isn’t a one-hit creep. You can do it just to remind yourself why you love your boy. And that he loves you. ‘Cause I know he does, Heather. But I know you’re afraid he doesn’t.”

Heather has tears in her eyes and a sad smile when she looks at Chrissy, “What is with you quiet girls and secretly being psychics?”

Oh how Chrissy wished she truly were a psychic.

At the beginning, she wasn’t nervous at all. Her and Heather bullshitted all the time, it wasn’t anything serious. But they’re all four on a date, wandering downtown around the various second hand stores, a typical stop for one couple, and the complete opposite for the others.

Seemed as good a time as any to go through with their silly plan, it wasn’t like it would hurt anything. Except she’d tried all kinds of things to get Billy to give her his jacket, and so far, none of them worked even a little! Not browsing through a selection of jackets at the stores, not shivering dramatically, not clinging to his side either.

Chrissy felt a chip in her little heart every time, feeling like maybe Heather was right. All over a jacket. She’d have her heart broken for a little bit of wool and leather.

With her boyfriend's name on it. Her boyfriend who actually holds her hand, and tells her she’s pretty, and doesn’t creep his hands under his skirt constantly.

She doesn’t know if she could get over losing that.

Her gait down the strip is admittedly less spirited, lingering behind Heather and Jay, but Billy never leaves her behind. He engages her in conversation too, hair blowing all over the place around his face, “How the fuck do you go outside in this shit?”

Chrissy looks at him, wearing an amused little smile, “Like, ever?”

“Yeah /ever/, Princess.” Billy sarcastically, but lightheartedly bumps her shoulder lightly with his arm, “Jesus, I should take you to California. Gonna miss winters without tiny fucking knives falling from the sky.”

Heather doesn’t lose track of that comment for a minute. Excited for Chrissy, she tries to plant the seed for their plan,

“What’s the matter, Billy? You too cold?”

“Hell no. But I’m not a chick the size of a baby deer.” Billy remarks, taking the bait perfectly well, rubbing Chrissy’s arms and feeling how cold she is, “Shit, you’re fucking frozen, Chris. Here.”

And without even thinking he peels off his varsity jacket and starts to hand it over.

Used to the cold, and despite her excitement wanting to make sure Billy doesn’t get uncomfortable, Chrissy protests, “No, no, no. Keep it. I can’t let your California sunshine freeze over.”

Billy disregards that, slinging it over her shoulders anyways, “Yeah, well I’m not letting all the fuckin’ little pixies that fly around your head freeze to death either.”

Jason scoffs at him, turning around to walk backwards with the group, teasing, “Dude, what does that even mean?”

Without even looking Heather flicks his ear, getting his attention back, “Just because you don’t understand romance doesn’t mean nobody can.”

He looks at her like a kicked puppy, but Jason is nothing if not stubborn, “Pixies? Sunshine? What happened to- beautiful and charming and butterflies in the stomach?”

“I don’t know, Jason. Maybe you should fall in love again and find out.”

“Who would I fall in love with? Nobody can beat you, Holloway.”

Heather rolls her eyes, flicking her hair like an agitated horse would it’s tail, “Ah, see you almost got a couple points there. Almost. You’re in the negatives though for using my last name.”

He tries to recover it suavely, “I could call you Carver instead?”

But that isn’t Heather's way. She counters intensely, “No. I’m not being a child bride, thank you very much. Besides, who says I’m taking your name? Maybe I could call you Holloway.”

“The.. I- Okay.” Jason just sputters, turning pink up to his ears.

Behind them, still lingering a good ways back, Chrissy hums, warm and cozy in her boyfriend’s jacket, “What are they even arguing about?”

Billy laughs about that, shrugs his shoulders, “Hell if I know. They lost me a long time ago.”

“It’s funny. Heather didn’t think you were good for me, but she fights with Jason all the time.” Chrissy informs him.

Billy stops dead in his tracks. Gently uses his hold on Chrissy's hand to spin her around to face him as he fell behind,

“Hold on. Take a step back. Heather thinks /what/ about me?”

Chrissy’s nerves spike so quickly she gets a little dizzy, “Please don't take it personally. I want my two favorite people to like each other. Please.”

Her beau steadies her, instead of freaking out, “No problem. I just find it.. fuckin’ weird.”

“It’s because of the way you drive. And smoke. And act. She thinks it’s bad for me.” Chrissy blurts, knowing it’s unkind but needing him to believe that she had no part in it.

He doesn’t seem too phased by having Heather’s disapproval, apparently learning faster than most people do, “Big fucking deal. At least you know I love you, right?”

“Mhm.” Chrissy nods her assurance, standing on her tiptoes to kiss Billy’s cheek and seal the promise.

“Right. Tell her she’s the one making Jason cry his damn eyes out the second he gets tipsy on a sip of anything stronger than a fuckin’ soda pop. I’m tellin’ you, Holloway has ripped out his heart and shoved it up his own pansy ass.” Billy sounds bitter, but not overly mean.

It’s something he’s thought about before. Good to know the gossip street goes both ways.

It’s why Chrissy doesn’t feel too bad telling Billy now, “She doesn’t mean to. I think she’s scared.”

“Sacred of Carver?…. He hurt her?” His voice drops, as angry and mean as Heather warned her about.

They don’t talk much about serious things, serious isn’t their kind of fun, but Chrissy knows about Billy’s life at home. About the type of man Billy could’ve been destined to be.

She rushes to make sure he doesn’t turn on his own friend for thinking Jason was the same way, “Oh no! No, not at all. Never. It’s her mom and her daddy. They sort of forced her to date Jason. She wasn’t ready. I think she’s ready now and doesn’t want to admit it. ‘Cause that would be like taking their orders.”

“Fuckin’ parents.” Billy eventually grumbles, not knowing what else to say.

It seems to be a common theme in their group. A bonding experience for all four of them, whether or not they’re open about it.

Chrissy doesn’t really feel like talking about that stuff anymore, sort of just mumbling, “Yeah.”

Because Billy is perfect, and none of the things Heather says at all, and the actual bullies in their lives makes her want to just hide. Billy notices the drop in her mood, and silently slings an arm around her waist, pulling her into his side as they walk. Keeping her close. Safe.

Maybe someday things will work out beyond Hawkins. They have to. Winning the jacket was a silly, small victory, but it was a step.

Now Chrissy just wants, more than anything, her friends to be happy.

She holds onto Billy’s hand a little tighter.

The next time Heather and Jason get together, it’s for a study date at the end of that week. With Heather being a year above, the only class they have in common is the Biology two class Heather failed last year. There’s coloring sheets of bones and cells to be completed, so it’s not like they need each other’s help, but sitting on Heather’s bed coloring with colored pencils didn’t seem like a bad deal either way.

At some point, surrounded by all the color, Heather realizes something,

“Honey. We’re going shopping this weekend.”

Jason barely looks up from his work, focused on being neat close to the lines, “For?”

“Clothes. You’ve worn three white polos this week. I’m bringing some color into your life.” Heather pokes him with the flat end of the white pencil for emphasis.

Jason blinks, caught off his guard, “I wear green sometimes.”

“School colors don’t count. Yellow either.”

“I think I have, maybe, /one/ blue shirt.”

Heather digs in the pile for a turquoise-ish pencil, “Blue! Blue’s.. good! That’s definitely on God’s rainbow. Maybe a nice pair of blue jeans too, for once-“

That’s where Jason cuts it off. Because that’s where Heather went from playfully sharp to flat-out insulting, “Heather, please.”

She stays on the defensive, “I’m just saying. There’s nothing wrong with branching out from your choir boy uniform. That’s all.”

Sometimes it’s like she thinks if she pokes a bruise enough, it’ll make her seem like she’s strong enough to cause them. Like she’s all in charge and nothing can stop her.

Jason doesn’t want to stop her, he just wants her basic respect, “So what do you suggest?”

Not even sarcastic, just genuinely enthusiastic to share, Heather starts, “Pastels! Your hair is way too strawberry to be a dark dresser. Unless you go with emeralds, no more tacky green. Ooh, or even if you grow it out some! You know, actually-“

Jason runs his fingers over his neatly parted hair, protecting it, not hiding the concerned squeak to his voice, “No thank you, I happen to like my hair short.”

“Again, baby. Boring.” Heather just rolls her eyes, once again. Sometimes it’s like that’s all she knows how to do.

It stings.

“Look, if nothing I do is ever going to be good enough-“

Heather doesn't entertain that in the least. She slaps her hand over his homework page, making him look at her, “It’s not /you/. You know that it’s not you.”

No, he didn’t know that. Jason looks at her, confused, “What?”

“Just because you dress yourself, and you drive your stupid little station wagon around parading your image, doesn’t mean there’s not that voice in the back of your head. Maybe… maybe a tight fist too. Telling you what to do. You’re afraid.” Heather talks with her hands, just enough that Jason can see through it.

That she’s being showy to hide something.

Doesn’t mean he’s not been rendered self conscious and bare-souled all the same. He doesn’t like that, even after months with Heather not feeling safe showing her all his tender parts like that, “I don’t want to hear this from you.”

“Oh, so a girl can’t have opinions, huh? I should just spread my legs now and let something else do all the talking?” Heather heats the argument.

Jason just lets his head fall back, frustrated, “I don’t- You /know/ I don’t want that.”

“Oh please do enlighten me then, your graciousness.” Heather forces what Jason is thinking out of him.

So he lets it go, without regard to her feelings, even though he hadn’t wanted to, “Look, I’m not stupid. I know your parents are a problem, Heather. Everyone that’s read the paper knows Tom Holloway isn’t a kind man. You try to hide it, but you can’t keep it from me. And you can’t- just take it all out on me!”

“I wasn’t-“ Heather tries to backpedal.

He still doesn’t let her, “You were! You always have! Nobody has the key to the lock on your heart, but I’ve been trying anyways. And you just shut. me. down!”

“Jason…”

“I’m sorry. I’m sorry we didn’t meet for real until high school. I’m sorry I can’t save you because I’ve got my own.. shit to deal with. But, and forgive me for using His name in vain, Jesus fucking Christ Heather!”

“Jason..” Heather repeats, clearly more misty eyed than before, and opens her arms. A hug is letting him in physically, letting him get close even when the words aren’t easy.

Mostly, she hadn’t realized Jason could read her as easily as she could read him.

He takes the vulnerability to mean it’s safe to say, “I love you.”

“I know.” Is Heather’s response. It’s not easy to say it back, not when she chokes on it every time she tries to say it to her ‘problems,’ let alone a highschool boyfriend she was never supposed to fall for, not in her own heart.

It’s enough. Jason keeps holding her, lips against her shoulder, “I’m sorry.”

Heather repeats herself, “I know.”

Nothing else felt right to say. Because she /was/ sorry too, but saying it second would feel ingenuine. At least, she’d read it that way.

She closes her eyes and feels exhausted. It’s not supposed to be this hard. Their school years are drawing to a close, and yet she can’t even admit her own parents treat her like shit.

Maybe a silent tear drop or two drips off the end of her nose behind Jason’s back. If he noticed, he didn’t say a word.

After a while, Heather needs to do something, sitting and thinking and regretting not doing anything to help, “Can we call Chrissy and Billy and go get some ice cream or something?”

“Sure. I think I owe that to you for keeping myself so.. alone.” Jason admits, bashful but genuine.

And isn’t that just the thing. Heather gives him a tiny smile back, “Ditto, baby.”

Ice cream ran into the evening, all of them itching for an excuse to stay out. Chrissy was the last to finish her bowl of two raspberry scoops with sprinkles, half of it melted into sludge by the last spoonful, and even that’s not a distraction enough.

It’s early spring, which means, as the group informed Billy, that the Hawkins drive-in theater was opening back up. Nobody even needed to discuss it to know that’s what they wanted to do. There were a variety of chick-flicks and even more horror sequels in the box office, which meant the two week delay at the drive-in would make for some good choices at least. Most Hawkins residents would take their trucks out there, not some prissy little station wagon, but it would do.

At least, it should, but Billy started getting impatient with cruising along under the speed limit out to the wooded hill where the drive-in is, “Can’t this piece of shit go faster?”

Heather turned around slightly to face and scold him, “Well, we coulda brought yours if you hadn’t decided to buy the extra tiny, no room for fun model.”

Billy just snorted humorlessly, “We could fit if there was any actual fun going on. Leaving room for the Lord or whatever is what fucks it up.”

For that comment, knowing their company, Chrissy pushed Billy’s arm gently. Still, she didn’t seem to disagree too harshly, since she smiled through when he kissed her next.

Heather seemed irritated, though that tends to be her default honestly, as she huffed, “Not everyone’s a sleaze like you, Hargrove. Get used to it.”

Billy hadn’t even justified it with a response, just waved her off and used the same arm to swing it over the seat behind Chrissy. She was wearing his jacket again, hadn’t taken it off all week, curled into his side and wearing his name. In that bubbly way she does, she was also wiggling her hands about, not nervous, but happy.

Content.

Heather and Jason still had a ways to go to reach contentment.

The pair stay in the car for the movie, their counterparts in a blanket on the grass instead. Cali boy is out there freezing his ass off, but he’d said anything would be better than being trapped with relationship drama.

Heather and Jason try to ignore him.

They fail.

Jason turns to her not even a full twenty minutes after that comment starts working it’s way under his skin, “Heather?”

“Hm?” She hums to show she’s listening, but doesn’t look his way.

That’s not enough for what needs to be said, so he repeats, “Heather.”

“Yeah, that’s me. You need something?”

“I wanted- I just…. I’m sorry.”

Her pretty features screw up in confusion, “For what?”

“For not being good enough.” Jason informs, like it was the most clear thing, “You’d be happier with a guy like Billy. Maybe you could call up Steve-“

“No, fuck you if you think I could ever leave you.” She spits.

And then she grabs Jason by the collar of his polo and kisses him.

It’s nothing chaste, nothing at all like their usual peck of the lips. This is roaming tongues and hands.

Heather reigns herself in when she feels Jason’s hands, holding her hips up under the back of her shirt, shaking.

“I’m not gonna make you do anything. Sex isn’t my endgame.”

He sort of freezes, like it hadn’t occurred to him that Heather wouldn’t mind helping him in his devotion to modesty, “So what is?”

“An apartment. Maybe get a cat. I want to share a space with you long before we do marriage shit.” Heather explains lightly, smile on her face.

Jason relaxes his shoulders, “Make it a dog and we’ll see. Dogs are better.”

“Oh, ha-ha. Make it one of each and I’ll forgive you for that comment.”

Heather kisses him again, without any heat or intensity this time, just gentle, soft affection. She even lets him touch her hair, despite usually slapping his hands away for that. It helps that she’d brushed it out to be restyled before bed tonight, but still, she would have let him even if her curls were laying perfect.

When they pull away, Heather lays her head on Jason’s shoulder. Instead of watching Cat’s Eye on the screen, her gaze falls to their friends huddled up outside, and she muses, “How much you wanna bet Chrissy and Billy run away into the sunset?”

“I hope they do. Hawkins is Hell on earth.” Jason asserts, clearly serious because he usually wouldn’t even mention a place like that.

Heather sighs slightly, “Literally. The kidnappings, the murders. I can’t take much more of it.”

Confident, Jason says, “I’m sure they’d make room for us then. If we wanted to go with them.”

That has Heather sitting up straighter, surprised, “You would live in California?”

Sunny skies, living free- it didn’t seem very much his pace. The order and the mundanity of Midwestern life seemed better for Jason.

He just shrugs for now, “Who knows? We’ll see when we get there.”

“And you’re okay with that?” Heather wonders aloud, as she knows it, finding that Jason prefers to have his entire life planned out.

He only sounds a little tense as he tries to sound brave and strong, “Getting there.”

The tension between them had to have been coming from there. She wanted nothing more than to rebel and escape, while he, even when he was feeling crushed by the weight of parental disapproval, was nothing short of desperate to be back in their graces.

If Heather could be more open to discussion when that made her uncomfortable, and Jason less complicit to begin with, the pair would probably be on the right path again.

She lays her head on him again, and this time, Jason takes his arm out of one sleeve of his varsity jacket, slinging it around her like a blanket. Her heart absolutely soars. The promise to Chrissy was fulfilled, she and her honey were working out just fine now, after she’d gotten Billy’s jacket.

That’s gotta be a sign that things will work out for Heather too.

“Hey, Jason?”

“Hm?”

She feels compelled to finally confess, “I love you.”

It’s Jason this time who, after a soft little kiss to her forehead, says, “I know.”

[medusapelagia]

I'll chew you up and I'll spit you out ('Cause that's what young love is all about) [NSFW]

written for the @st-rarepair-roulette

Thank you so much @shieldofiron for being my beta!

Rating: Explicit - like VERY Explicit Relationship: Steve/Jason, mentioned Steve/Billy/Eddie TW: Omega Verse, Non-Traditional Alpha/Beta/Omega Dynamics, Omega Steve Harrington, Bratty Bottom Steve Harrington, Alpha Jason Carver, Alpha Eddie Munson, Alpha Billy Hargrove, Omega Chrissy Cunningham, Alpha/Beta/Omega Dynamics, Verbal Humiliation, Feminization, Blow Jobs, Cock Warming, blood play (sort of), implied reference to threesome, Edging, Mention of sex toys, Muzzles, a little somnophilia, Courting Rituals, Smut, Face-Sitting Words: 9864

Read on AO3

a little snippet under the cut

Jason stares at the large exposition of blankets, sheets, and pillows, while a gentle clerk asks him if he is searching for something in particular. Of course, he is looking for something in particular! He is a fucking alpha who has been staring at the omega’s supplies for at least half an hour. “I… I’m just looking.” He says, trying to hide his nervousness, but he knows that he reeks of anxiety like a lost puppy. He grabs a fluffy pink blanket, ready to leave the shop, but when he caresses it he finds that it’s really soft and really nice, he wonders if starting with a blanket is too much. There are a lot of pillows from every dimension, some of them have feathers, others sparkle, but the one that catches his attention is a small velvety one. He takes it, holds it in his hands, looks for any imperfection, and finds none, so he takes it to the counter and the clerk smiles at him “Do you want me to wrap it for you?” Jason freezes “Why should I…” “Oh, I thought it was a courting gift. My bad.” The woman, a beta, replies, putting the pillow in a bag. “It’s for my sister.” Jason states while paying and the woman nods but it’s clear that she doesn’t believe a single word Jason is saying, so he takes his bag and goes back home, once there he runs to his room to hide the purchase he made in the back of his wardrobe, so deep that he will forget about it and will not make a fool out of himself. The next day he drives to school, resolved to forget about the pillow he bought and put it in the trash as soon as he came back, but when he sees the omega of his dreams he can’t hide the scent of arousal that comes from him: Steve the Hair Harrington, the only male omega of the school, walks just a few steps away from him, surrounded by his numerous admirers and his bodyguards, and Jason can’t help but stare at him until the group disappears in the corridor. “So, did you go?” A blond omega asks him, and Jason startles. “Hey, Chrissy. Hi.” “Tell me, did you go to the shop I told you about?” Jason nods, blushing “It was really… omegan.” “I know! It’s the best, isn’t it? Their products are all top quality!” she winks at him, “So, what did you get? A set of bed sheets for your first shared heat?” “Stop it!” Jason complains, putting a hand on her mouth to make her shut up, but the girl keeps giggling. “I know you bought something. Just tell me what!” she demands, still laughing. “I… I bought a pillow, ok? Nothing too fancy. Just… I’m going to throw it away as soon as I get home. This is a mistake. I could never… I have no possibility.” “Why no?” Chrissy asks while they walk toward their first class. There are so many reasons that Jason doesn’t even know where to start. First of all Steve Harrington, the omega he is wanting to court, is the King of the school and everyone who doesn’t dream to be him certainly would like to fuck him! Not only he is older than Jason and even taller, but he is surrounded by alphas and Jason can’t compete with Hargrove or Munson. Hagan maybe, but the other two are almost Steve’s bodyguards: wherever Steve goes they go, ready to growl at any alpha that gets too close to him. The only moment Steve is alone is in the lockers before or after PE, but Munson is outside of the door making sure no one gets too close to the king, and that is exactly where he is when Chrissy and Jason turn the corner.

[jaylikesrainbowtigers]

My four fics for @st-rarepair-roulette . Thank you so much for organizing this whole thing and even letting me mod! Yes I went overboard but inspiration be like that sometimes. The ships are in the order of Munver, Stargyle, Tobin x Carol (idk the ship name rn), and finally Hollogrove. All warnings on in each individual fic and none are dead dove or nsfw.

[intothedysphoria]

Steve first fully registered his feelings for Chrissy Cunningham after the apocalypse started.

Well, the term apocalypse was debated heavily on national news stations but Steve sure felt like it had come when the Upside Down began leaking into their world. Into Steve’s life.

He’d always had a vague awareness of something distinctly different about him. The way he’d just draw others to him, make people agree. Occasionally he’d look at his eyes too hard in the mirror and see silver flecks shining back. Seven shrinks couldn’t fix his “problem” of dunking his head under the bath water or the pool for hours on end, delighted that he could breathe and swim like a fish.

Then after Vecna, after everyone died and Steve saw Hawkins as the rotten graveyard that it truly was, there came a day where he was no longer able to walk.

It was the worst agony he’d ever been in. Every step he took made him feel like he was about to keel over, his skin was almost scaling over and he was constantly short of breath. At first Steve had thought it to be a curse from God before deciding that not even God would be that cruel.

Running out of options, Steve fled back to the only place that felt like a sanctuary. The pool. His greatest source of shame would be his salvation now.

The good thing was that the moment he slid under the water, he could breath again. His legs fused together into a tail and Steve had no doubt that if pools had mirrors in them, he’d be staring at eyes of the purest silver.

The less good thing was Barb Holland was staring at him. Glaring. Very much still alive.

After he swim her out and sent her on her way, the puzzle pieces of whatever was happening across North America started to fall into place. Whatever force was out there, leaking the upside down into the real world, killing the birds and the fish and the less prepared of Hawkins, was also bringing back those who had been killed by the upside down.

Because Barb Holland hadn’t quite been human when they made amends. She’d been something different. Something powerful. Something hungry.

That got Steve thinking about Chrissy. Sweet Chrissy with her light giggle and her cartwheels and the way she’d always call him Stevie whenever they met at parties. What had obviously been a crush in retrospect, now fell on Steve like a tonne of bricks. Shit, she couldn’t see him like this. Well, if she ever bothered to stop by at all. Somehow, that thought made him feel even worse.

It had been months since he’d had that thought and Steve felt like he was having a midlife crisis. From what human clothes he could wear, he looked like a damn trucker, he’d eat any small see monsters that slipped through the vents in his pool and he was just fucking lonely.

Of course, when he was at his lowest, that was when she came.

She looked older. More mature. Her hands were shooting beams of light at a demogorgon that seemed to be chasing her and of course she’d run into Steve’s back garden completely by mistake.

But then she saw him. Rotting away at the bottom of his pool. Cocked her head as if she couldn’t quite believe what she was looking at.

“Shit, Steve??????”

She took him out of the pool. Cast a spell on him so that he’d hold up long enough until he made it to her camp. She was living with Billy Hargrove and Eddie Munson.

Steves world briefly ground to a halt as he imagined sharing living quarters with all three of his crushes when he was a damn fish.

Hargrove and Munson weren’t friendly. They just sort of grunted at him, snickered something about King Steve and went about their day. Chrissy wasn’t phased.

She showed him his new pool. It was beautiful, a gorgeous sapphire blue. When she steadied his arms as he lowered himself in, briefly sparks flew.

But then she went back to her tent. Where she shared a bed with Hargrove and Munson.

For his own sanity, Steve tried his best not to imagine that.

Chrissy would come every night to the side of his pool to share food and gossip. She was so full of life, Steve couldn’t quite believe he’d once saw her dead body crumpled on the floor. Sometimes they even held hands.

Those days were Steve’s favourite.

Hargrove and Munson seemed to be warming up to him too, throwing out a “hey man” every time they passed Steve doing laps early in the morning. Chrissy was ecstatic. Steve wasn’t sure why.

Then she kissed him on his 21st birthday and things started to make a lot more sense.

They were all her boyfriends. Hargrove and Munson definitely seemed to have something going on too. Steve should have just been happy with that but he couldn’t help but want more. To prove himself to Billy and Eddie somehow.

Chrissy shook her head fondly and called him a silly fish when he told her. He asked why but instead she planted a kiss on his nose and said “you’ll see.”

Steve wasn’t sure what Chrissy had done but she must have done something because Eddie started to come to his pool with his guitar just to talk about The Hobbit or weed or whatever. Billy started doing laps with Steve, rarely talking but sometimes squeezing his shoulder and winking at him.

They weren’t exactly hiding their powers anymore either. Eddie would flash his fangs, very proud to be a vampire. Billy shifted into his wolf form with Steve still watching. It was almost like a courting ritual.

Eddie was a much easier target to get the information out of, even though half of it was an unrelated ramble. Something about Steve helping him get through his high school woes until he started dating girls and then his woes got even bigger.

Steve kissed him to shut him up.

Billy was a much tougher nut to crack. What had previously been lewd flirtation and confidence turned into quiet, introverted embarrassment. Though the manhandling had continued, to Steve’s secret delight.

Steve ended up having to grapple him and make the first move. Telling him that he’d been in love with him since the first time they met and that if Billy reciprocated, Steve might just die of happiness right there.

Billy just gulped, gave him a water lily and was about to run off before Steve dragged him back for a night under the water.

So Steve had two boyfriends and a girlfriend now. And he was a fish. Life was full of surprises

This is my fic for @st-rarepair-roulette which has been a joy to participate in! I still feel very honoured that I was entrusted with a mod role and I hope that everyone else had as much fun with it as I did!

[lorifragolina]

Tiger (Jason/Argyle rarepair)

I'm so excited! This is my first entry for the @st-rarepair-roulette, I got the rarepair from the roulette and first I didn't know if going on, but it was a good way to test myself!

You can find the fic here: Tiger in Ao3

Rating: E Pairing: Argyle/Jason; background Argyle/Jonathan/Jason No TW Wc: 3349

Do you want a little snippet?

He let the smoke out and looked at the circles running to the trailer ceiling. He spread his arms and legs on the floor and murmured something, fascinated. Argyle knelt at his side and took his hand to his lips, smoking the joint from his fingers. Jason laughed loudly. His head was spinning, his stomach felt funny and his legs were like jelly. He laughed again as Argyle’s face appeared in his vision field. “You’re having so much fun, choir boy,” he said, and Jason tried to fix his eyes into Argyle’s, distracted by his black lavish hair. He raised a hand to touch it. “It’s like wire…” he murmured, astonished. Argyle caressed his cheek and smiled. He stared at Jason’s face, breathing heavy, and started getting nearer to his lips, but Jason moaned and moved a little. Argyle smiled again and laid on the floor near him. Jason took another large drag from the joint and looked at him. “I’m not a good boy,” he whispered. Argyle smiled. “And who is?” “She said you’re good boys,” he mumbled again, his head heavy for the alcohol and the smoke. “I’m sure she said the same about you,” Argyle kept touching his cheek, and Jason smiled. “I’m not. I… I judged her. I judge everyone”. “You’re a choir boy, what else can you do?” Argyle chuckled. “I’m bad…” “And who is not?” repeated Argyle, smiling again.  “Munson,” answered Jason surprisingly. “And you. Chrissy says you’re good with her”. Argyle combed a little the messy Jason’s hair on the floor. They’re drinking and smoking for a few hour now, and although they were worried, they had a good time with Jason too. He even talked gently to Eddie and Chrissy was relaxed and cool.  He left Eddie, Chrissy and Jon singing with Eddie’s guitar, and returning from the bathroom he found himself on the kitchen floor.  He muttered something. “What?” Argyle laughed a little.  “You like girls?” he repeated. Argyle laughed again. “It depends,” he laid on his hand and looked intensely at him.

[st-rarepair-roulette]

The AO3 collection is live with more treats to come this week!!!

[californiaboytoybilly]

Tommy/Jonathan || Invisible String || for @st-rarepair-roulette

[half-oz-eddie]

For the @st-rarepair-roulette ❤️‍🔥 Pairing: Eddie/Heather/Tommy Relevant Tags: Heather has 2 boyfriends, and they're also boyfriends, Roommates, Threesome - F/M/M, Polyamory, Possessive Behavior, Oral Sex, Vaginal Fingering, Finger Sucking, Nipple Play, Plot What Plot/Porn Without Plot

When their girlfriend wants to go out to a frat party, Eddie and Tommy make it clear there’s no way in hell they’ll let anyone see Heather in such a sexy outfit. So they try to convince her to stay home…

Read On Ao3

For the rare pair roulette prompt: “You’re not going out in that outfit”

Heather didn’t know how she ended up with 2 boyfriends. They were more like guard dogs, really. Ugh, so annoying. But I love them. She always tells people.

One was saved in her contacts as “Free Weed” the other was “Free Booze” and when Heather, Free Weed and Free Booze got together, they had one hell of a party. They spent a wild night at Tommy’s and neither of them had left since. 

Now, the boyfriends saved in her phone as “Stinky” and “Stupid” (affectionately, of course) felt just right. Heather grew tired of living under the roof of a stoic mother and misogynistic father. Eddie loved sleeping in a soft, clean bed and being able to give his uncle back his entire trailer. Tommy’s parents moved out before he even fished high school, and Carol said she “outgrew him,” disappearing around the same time they did.

So they all found as much healing as they found fun in each other’s company. None of them were sappy people, but they let each other know the love was constant in any way they could.

Unfortunately for heather, Eddie and Tommy showed their love by being fiercely protective of her and constantly in awe of her beauty. Eddie frequently posted how shocked he was that he had such a hot girlfriend. Tommy tweeted similar things. Here and there, Tommy and Eddie posted about each other being the “best friend I can fuck” and the “party animal I can kiss.” 

It was a good time all the time. Even if some of those times included fighting. Anything was better than how life was before they got into the relationship.

Heather was invited to a frat party by one of her Sociology classmates. She walked in on her boyfriends sucking each other off, to tell them she was getting dressed for a party. They gave her a thumbs up before returning their attention to each other, and she went into the closet to find the perfect outfit to wear. 

Most of the clothes were hers. Eddie had a small section for Hellfire Club shirts, his few pairs of jeans and other shit. Tommy had a larger section for his jeans, sweaters and his sneaker collection.

Heather dominated the rest of the closet with her skirts, dresses, pants, shirts and shoes, fit for any occasion.

She wanted everyone’s eyes on her, since it’d been some time since she last went to a frat party.

She selected a leather mini skirt and lace top along with some pumps and walked out the closet to her boyfriends still sucking each other off.

“Jesus, you never have that much stamina with me.” She teased.

“Come over here and spread your legs and we’ll show you otherwise.” Tommy fired back.

“I told you, I’m gettin’ ready to go to a party. I’ll come home drunk and horny to you idiots and you can fuck me later.”

“Sounds good.” Tommy said as he filled his mouth with Eddie’s cock.

When Heather returned to the bedroom to say goodbye to her spent boyfriends, they sprang up.

Heather looked stunning in those blood red pumps with that tight black leather skirt and tight lace top that left little to the imagination. 

“What the fuck?” Tommy exclaimed.

“No. No way!” Eddie emphatically waved his hands.

“What? Do I look ugly or something?”

“The opposite actually, but...” Eddie began, his eyes glued to her thighs. “You’re not going out in that outfit”

“There’s just no way we can let you leave." Tommy refused, his eyes fixated on her nipples. "You look too good.”

Heather scoffed, hands on her hips. “You don’t want me to go out because…” she clicked her tongue. “I look too good? God, you two are so annoying.”

She turned on her heel to leave when Tommy grabbed her from behind, playfully throwing her on the bed.

“C’mon! C’mon, stop!” She squealed. “You’re gonna mess up my hair and makeup.”

They ignored her as they sandwiched her between them and lifted her top. 

They didn't want her to leave. Not tonight. Maybe not ever. They each sucked one of her nipples, their hands getting intertwined when they both reach down to finger her.

They worked together to pull down her thong, and Eddie’s finger slipped inside her, while Tommy rubbed her clit. 

Heather went absolutely mad as her boyfriends spoiled her with so much love and attention. 

She always loved how long and thick Eddie’s fingers were, and the way he curved them inside, darting at that sweet spot.

Tommy knew his way around a clit. He knew just how to rub and play with it to make her whimper helplessly.

“I-I have to go—“ She suddenly yelped as Tommy bit her left nipple. “You assholes are so unfair.”

“Is it wrong to want you all to ourselves?” Eddie asked, gently holding her nipple between his teeth before he continued to suckle, causing her back to arch off the bed. 

She gave in and spread her legs wider, her right hand getting tangled in Eddie’s hair, and her left hand running through Tommy’s shorter, silky hair. 

Heather didn’t even care anymore. Her body was trembling and whines were escaping her as her orgasm grew nearer and nearer.

“You’re so wet, princess.” Eddie praised. “So good for us.”

Tommy slid his finger down, feeling how wet Heather was and smiling against her nipple as he softly chuckled. “Oh, yeah, super wet, babe.”

He continued to circle her clit with his finger, slowing down each time her back arched and her moans grew louder. 

It felt like torture. Pure, blissful, torture. If only they’d waited until later. Then maybe they wouldn’t still be recharging from their blowjobs and Heather could get a good fucking before leaving.

Because she still planned on leaving.

“I-I’m g—I’m gonna cum!” She cried out. “Don’t stop, don’t stop!”

Eddie and Tommy glanced at each other, silently signaling each other to slow down. 

“N-no…” Heather protested with a cute whine. 

“What’s wrong, baby girl?” Tommy asked, drawing circles around her nipple with his tongue. “In a rush?”

“You f—I fucking hate you both!” 

“Aw, you don’t love me?” Eddie kissed her breast as he slid a second finger in Heather. 

“Eddie, what the fuck!” She screamed through a moan. 

He smirked as he continued to trail kisses on her breast.

Tommy took his finger off her clit and pushed it into her mouth, fingering her throat.

Heather sucked his fingers, her tongue slipping between his rough fingers.

Eddie got on his knees to finish the job. He tossed Heather’s dangling legs on his shoulders and dove his face into her wet, glistening pussy. 

She moaned loudly, her mouth still filled with Tommy’s fingers. She nearly bit down on Tommy’s knuckles as she writhed and squirmed on the bed. 

Tommy leaned in and kissed Heather’s neck in her favorite spot. 

Heather was seeing stars. She could feel it. She was so dangerously close when Eddie playfully suckled and nibbled on her clit.

Eddie continued on, holding Heather’s body down as it arched higher and higher off the bed and she orgasmed with a loud moan. 

He slowly let her twitching clit out of his lips after a few gentle sucks. 

Heather lied in silence, catching her breath.

“You look tired, babe.” Tommy mentioned. 

“Yeah.” Eddie agreed. “Maybe you should stay home and rest. “We can undress you and—“

“Oh, please.” She slowly sat up, taking her legs off Eddie’s shoulders.” When has an orgasm ever stopped me from a night out? If you’re gonna miss me that much, why don’t you come along?” She offered.

“Why didn’t you invite us before?” Tommy pouted.

Heather laughed and shrugged. “You have until I finish fixing my hair to get dressed.” 

They watched as she headed to the bathroom, then glanced at each other in disbelief.

“I can’t believe that didn’t work.” Eddie sighed. 

“It kinda did. That was fun, right?”

Eddie nodded. “It was. Maybe we’ll have some fun at the party too.”

Their confused glances turned into twisted smiles.

“We better get moving then.” Tommy urged as the two mischievous boyfriends hurried to get dressed.

[7cfaherty]

The Loss

Sweat, the tears of past forgotten centuries, Fade with the injustice of provided fear, Let those suffering, know, "that you," do not care.

Ignorance, nor ignoring is not a virtue. More the cowardly substance of greed, of those who hide behind, claiming to be free.

(Street Café series, Heimat, Fulda)

[shieldofiron]

Because the Night (Belongs to Lovers)

Billy Hargrove x Eden Bingham for @st-rarepair-roulette

Also on ao3 and the full ao3 collection is live now let’s show love to some rarepairs!

—-

“You have anger issues.”

She said it, but she didn’t seem too upset about it. Her cool fingers brushed through his curls, sending shivers down his spine as her nails softly scraped his scalp.

“That a problem?”

Eden didn’t reply, at first just humming slightly, “Not upset about it. Just an observation.”

They were parked out in the desert, the endless blanket of the night sky just visible in the windows of the camaro. He’d hated Utah when he drove up, upset that he would have to be stranded in this nowhere place while he got his transmission checked out.

Now he was putting off driving to California, even though it had always been the plan. Because of this girl, this beautiful angry girl.

He shifted, gathering her just a little closer, “You could do with some anger issues. I hear you talk about your folks. Don’t you ever just want to… scream at them?”

“Of course. All the time," she said. “They just leave me to deal with everything. Why have a bunch of kids if you don’t want to spend any time with them?”

“What will they even do after you graduate?” He asked, brushing his lips against her shoulder. It was dark, but he could still see the pale glow of her skin in the barely there light of the moon. It was how she was meant to be experienced. She was made for this, made to be touched and held. She was made for moonlight, which was crazy, because he’d always loved the sun. Night usually meant nightmares, his dad’s anger, loneliness.

Until now. Until Utah, and Eden, and the moonlight changed everything.

“Oh.. who knows. Probably try to turn Suzie into their little nanny,” She scoffed. “I can tell they've been getting nervous since my birthday. I know they want me to just marry some nice Mormon boy and stay in Utah and fester. Fuck that.”

“You should do something crazy,” He kissed along her shoulder, up her neck, laughing slightly as she squirmed.

“Your mustache tickles, dick.”

“Do something about it, Morticia,” He whispered.

“If I’m Morticia-” She broke off with a broken gasp.

“Well I do have the mustache,” He kissed up to the lobe of her ear, “You drive me wild. Isn’t that something he says?”

She squirmed against him, waking him up for another round. He ground a little into her thigh,

“You should do something crazy,” He whispered, because she made him crazy. “You should run away with me.”

She froze, shoving back at him, “What the fuck, Billy?”

“I…” He swallowed. “I mean it. Fuck them. Come with me.”

“To California?” He couldn’t read her tone in the darkness, couldn’t see her face to tell if he’d fucked everything up. His stomach fell.

“It wasn’t-”

“Okay.”

“Wait, what?”

“Okay. I’ll run away with you.”

He knew she hated it but he leapt up into the front seat to turn the car on, the light on. She blinked, looking grumpy and rumpled and adorable, her dark hair a fuzzy dark halo around her pretty pale face.

“You will?”

“Yeah,” She smiled, still blinking angrily, “will you turn that shit off before someone sees that we’re out here.”

“Eden. I’m serious.”

“So am I? I’m eighteen, you’re eighteen. I want out of this town and I…”

They both just looked at each other for a moment.

“I love you, Eden,” He said, because he thought she might say it first, but he couldn’t wait. “It’s crazy, because I’ve only known you a few weeks but you… you just…” He could try to explain it. The way the night wasn’t scary anymore, because it belonged to them. The way she was angry, not like how he was angry, but how he loved that. Wanted her to have everything she wanted, wanted to watch her slay her own dragons. Wanted to take her home and see her pale skin in the sun, in the rain, every night forever and ever.

“I love you too, Billy,” She smiled, “Now turn out the light, and come here.”

She gathered him close when he finally awkwardly wrestled back into the backseat, wrapping around him like the night sky.

“I love you, Billy. Let’s do something crazy.”

—-

This fic made me cry writing it they have no ao3 tag so give them some love

[st-rarepair-roulette]

Rarepair Roulette content drops April 1.

Wanna play along at home? We're sharing the original submitted pairs for you to try out. Enjoy!

[st-rarepair-roulette]

Rarepair Roulette posts tomorrow. Are you ready for rarepairs?

Check the hashtags #strr2024 #strr2024nsfw and #strr2024dd (for dead dove or sensitive content) and we’ll be posting here throughout the week!